bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Belief in truthmaker semantics
Authors: Jago Mark
Published: September 2024

Stephen Yablo has argued that ascriptions of belief and knowledge are sensitive to subject matter and that theorising in such terms may help resolve philosophical questions about the semantics of such ascriptions. Truthmaker semantics offers a way of theorising about subject matters. My main aim in this paper is to investigate what a semantics for knowledge or belief ascriptions might look like within truthmaker semantics. I then discuss what the resulting account might have to say about the problem of logical omniscience, the nature of concepts, and rational belief.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Compensate for an Inadequate Right Colon Cancer Surgery: High Peritoneal Recurrence Rates Indicate Need for Altered Treatment Paradigms
Authors: Patel Swapnil , Kazi Mufaddal , Mohan Anand , Sukumar Vivek , deSouza Ashwin L. , Saklani Avanish
Published: September 2024

There is a lack of evidence for optimal management of patients with right colon cancers upon referral to the oncology care centre, following an inadequate index surgery elsewhere. A prospectively maintained database of patients with right colon cancers managed between 2013 and 2019 was screened to identify those patients who underwent index surgery in a non-oncological setup. They were managed with adjuvant chemotherapy followed by observation, with surgery being reserved for recurrent disease. Of the 155 patients identified after the screening, 97 were included in the study. They were stratified depending upon the number of lymph nodes harvested at primary surgery—Group A (less than 12 nodes) (n = 49), Group B (12 to 27 nodes) (n = 39) and Group C (28 and more nodes) (n = 9). Patients with lymph node metastases had inferior survival at 2 years than node-negative patients and this survival difference increased progressively from Group A towards Group C. Patients who had radiological locoregional residual disease upon restaging (at presentation) had significantly inferior survival. At the end of 2 years, overall survival and disease-free survival of the cohort were 71.5% and 45.8%, respectively. Fifty-eight patients had disease relapse, with peritoneal recurrence seen in 37 patients (63.8%). Of these, only 15.5% recurrences were surgically salvageable. Treatment of patients who have undergone inadequate index colectomy with chemotherapy alone has shown inferior survival outcomes with high rates of peritoneal relapse in comparison to historical cohorts. The treatment strategy for such patients needs to be revisited in a prospective study design.
The capital-on-capital cost in solvency II risk margin
Authors: Gambaro Anna Maria
Published: September 2024

This work contributes to the literature on time consistent valuation of insurance liabilities and to the ongoing discussion on revisions of risk margin (RM) calculation, by formally defining the concept of capital-on-capital cost. We describe the capital-on-capital as the amount required to cover unexpected variations in future regulatory capitals from the current time to liabilities maturity. That is, the capital-on-capital cost is the RM component dedicated to cover the risk of future RMs and not to cover variations of the best estimate of liabilities cash-flows. We mathematically formalize the capital-on-capital cost as the difference between two alternative time consistent liabilities valuation formula. The first is obtained through backward iteration of the one-period market-consistent valuation operator, by iterating the solvency capital requirement (SCR) risk measure. We propose a second alternative valuation formula for liabilities, based on a new time consistent dynamic formulation of the SCR risk measure, called additive-SCR (ASCR). The ASCR represents the expected total capital requirement from current time to liabilities maturity. We prove that the second valuation formula, based on ASCR, is time consistent, unless it is not based on iteration of the one-period SCR risk measure. Finally, we apply the proposed approach to a portfolio of long term equity linked life-insurance contracts. In particular, we estimate the capital-on-capital cost by calculating the difference between the two valuation formulas. Numerical results show that for liabilities with long maturities the capital-on-capital cost is a non negligible component of the RM.
The Presentation of Depression in Depressed Autistic Individuals: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hinze Emma , Paynter Jessica , Dargue Nicole , Adams Dawn
Published: September 2024

This systematic literature review examines the varied presentations of depression in depressed autistic individuals, including symptoms beyond DSM-5-TR criteria. A search of five databases (updated February 2024) identified 24 studies, encompassing 243 autistic individuals. Study quality varied, assessed using QuADS. The review was pre-registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022355322). Results were synthesised based on DSM-5-TR criteria and additional presentations, including who reported them. Findings showed 91.66% of studies reported presentations beyond DSM-5-TR criteria. Additionally, some DSM-5-TR symptoms may present differently in autistic individuals. Variations in depressive signs were noted across self-reports, informant-reports, interviews, and questionnaires. Clarifying whether these additional presentations are autism-specific, arise from the intersection of autism and depression, or manifestations of a depressive disorder is necessary for refining diagnostic tools.
Clinical Clerkship With or Without Scheduled Patient Consultations: Does It Make a Difference to Medical Students’ Experiences of Learning?
Authors: Ilkjær Christine , Nielsen Karl-Johan Schmidt , Kjær Louise Binow , Hoffmann Torben , Christensen Mette Krogh
Published: September 2024

Background

Becoming a medical expert involves leadership and professionalism, which are critical skills to learn in medical education. However, a gap exists in understanding how didactic variations in the organisation of clinical clerkships impact medical students’ opportunities to develop these skills. This study explored how clinical clerkships with or without scheduled patient consultations affect medical students’ experiences of learning leadership and professional behaviour.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a qualitative, quasi-experimental study. Data were gathered through 11 end-of-clerkship focus group interviews with 87 fifth-year medical students who participated in one of two 8-week clerkships at a surgical department: a clerkship with a mentor physician or a clerkship with scheduled patient consultations in combination with a mentor physician. Using a constructivist lens, we analysed the focus group interview transcripts and applied grounded theory principles to the iterative coding process.

Results

The analyses resulted in a descriptive framework displaying nine themes. Each theme was described as a spectrum of meanings that offers a nuanced understanding of how didactic variations in the organisation of clerkship impact how students ascribed meaning to the learning experiences in undergraduate medical education, focusing on learning leadership and professional behaviour.

Discussion

This study investigates differences in student learning experiences when participating in a clerkship with or without scheduled patient consultation and, therefore, adds new insight into the need for a balanced, thoughtful, and didactic approach to medical education that considers both clinical exposure and co-regulated learning.
The Development and Implementation of a Parallel, Multi-Campus Medical Anatomy Curriculum Delivered with and without Cadavers
Authors: Harvey William , Van Schaik Lachlan , Frizzell Hayden , Wright Julian , Rank Michelle M.
Published: September 2024

A parallel, multi-campus anatomy curriculum was developed that could be delivered with or without body donor cadaveric teaching resources. This blended program includes asynchronous lectures, e-Learning modules, formative self-assessment, independent study, and synchronous hands-on practical sessions. Practical sessions at the metropolitan campus utilise professionally prepared body donor cadaveric teaching resources, whereas rural campus practical sessions use a combination of non-cadaveric resources such as 3D models (physical and digital) and interactive multimedia to achieve identical learning outcomes. Here, we discuss the specific features of the practical sessions delivered in this novel cross-campus curriculum, with a focus on the non-cadaveric teaching resources deployed.
Global Unique Solutions with Instantaneous Loss of Regularity for SQG with Fractional Diffusion
Authors: Córdoba Diego , Martínez-Zoroa Luis
Published: September 2024

In this work we construct global unique solutions of the dissipative Surface quasi-geostrophic equation ($$\alpha $$
α
-SQG) that lose regularity instantly when there is super-critical fractional diffusion.
Unraveling the Experience of Affection Across Marital and Friendship Interactions
Authors: Meier Tabea , Otero Malena , Su Simon X. , Stephens Jacquelyn E. , Yu Chen-Wei , Haase Claudia M.
Published: September 2024

Feelings of affection (i.e., fondness and intense positive regard) are a hallmark of close relationships. Existing studies have often examined affection as a trait or behavior, but rarely as an emotional experience in social interactions. In two dyadic observational interaction studies (total N = 314 individuals), 49 US-based married couples (age range: 21–65) and 108 friendship dyads (age range: 15–26) engaged in two naturalistic 10-min conversations about (a) a topic of disagreement (conflict conversation) and (b) something they enjoyed doing together (pleasant conversation) and reported on their subjective emotional experiences (e.g., affection, using an emotion checklist following each conversation) and relationship satisfaction. Conversation transcripts were analyzed using natural language analysis. Results showed that experiences of affection were most strongly associated with experiences of compassion, amusement, and excitement, as well as with less anger, and were unrelated to most other negative emotions. Natural language analysis further showed that greater positive (but not negative) emotional tone was associated with greater affection (especially among friends in the pleasant conversations). Levels of affection were consistently higher in pleasant versus conflict conversations and similar across marital versus friendship interactions. Finally, experiences of affection were associated with greater relationship satisfaction for friends across conversations and for spouses (women) in the pleasant conversation. These findings contribute to our understanding of affection as a foundational emotional experience in close relationships and highlight avenues for future research.
Care robot literacy: integrating AI ethics and technological literacy in contemporary healthcare
Authors: Turja Tuuli , Kork Anna-Aurora , Ilomäki Sakari , Hellstrand Ingvil , Koistinen Aino-Kaisa
Published: September 2024

Healthcare work is guided by care ethics, and any technological changes, including the use of robots and artificial intelligence (AI), must comply with existing norms, values and work practices. By bridging technological literacy and AI ethics, this study provides a nuanced definition and an integrative conceptualization of care robot literacy (CRL) for contemporary care work. Robotized care tasks require new orientation and qualifications on the part of employees. CRL is considered as one of these new demands, which requires practitioners to have the resources, skills and understanding necessary to work with robots. This study builds on sociotechnical approach of literacy by highlighting a dynamic relationship of care robotization in which successful human–technology interaction relies on exchanges between the technological and the social. Our findings from directed content analysis and theoretical synthesis of in-demand technological literacy and AI ethics in care work emphasize competencies and situational awareness regarding both using the robot and communicating about the care robot. The initial conceptualization of CRL provides a conceptual framework for future studies, implementation and product development of care robots, drastically differing from studying, implementing and developing robots in general. In searching for technologically sound and ethically compliant solutions, the study advocates for the future significance of context-specific CRL as valuable addition to the terminology of ethical AI in healthcare.
Numerical simulation of heat transfer phenomena in a microchannel evaporator for a transcritical CO2 air conditioning system
Authors: Dang Thanhtrung , Nguyen Tronghieu , Teng Jyh-tong , Lu Jau-Huai , Ba Chien Nguyen
Published: September 2024

This study presented a numerical simulation of heat transfer characteristics in a microchannel evaporator for a transcritical CO2 air conditioning system, and the simulated results have been validated by the experimental data. The evaporator consists of 6 passes with 29 flat tubes. Each flat tube has 10 microchannels having a 1.2 × 0.6 mm cross-section. The two-phase flow was simulated in the range of evaporation temperatures from 5 to 15 °C; the mass flow rates of 24.16, 30, and 34.96 g/s; and inlet vapor qualities of 0.5, 0.61, and 0.75, respectively. The results show that the two-phase flow with the evaporative temperature at the inlet of 5, 10, and 15 °C became superheated at the 3rd, the 4th, and the 5th pass, respectively. At the evaporation temperature of 15 °C, the heat transfer coefficient decreases from 8.1 to 3.6 kW/m2 K as the vapor quality increases from 0.75 to 1. With the mass flow rate of 30 g/s, in the tube length range from 0 to 1.1 m, the heat flux achieved around 1.55 kW/m2. The numerical cooling capacity gets the maximum value of 2.85 kW at the evaporative temperature of 10 °C. The numerical results are in good agreement with those obtained from the experimental results and the other published results, with a deviation of less than 10%.
Love actually: a thematic review of teacher passion for the subject
Authors: Jons Lotta
Published: September 2024

What does it mean to feel passionately for the subject one teaches? What does such a passion entail for those involved in the teaching–learning situation? This study focuses on the teacher’s passion for their subject. Nine scholarly texts were reviewed, which allowed for four distinct notions of passion to be discerned: i.e., romantic, friendly, erotic, and divine love. Findings showed also combinations of these notions as well as ontological variations. Inductively created themes revealed that the foundations of these different notions of passion ranged from love of the Truth and the Good to a calling from the subject, and that the character of these notions ranged from them being about intellectual and emotional allure to being about their being disclosed and brought to fulfilment. It also revealed what the different notions of love entailed for the teacher, the student, and the subject itself: for the teacher—from a demand to seek the good in the subject to a requirement to perceive the subject as a voice, the subject in turn making their life meaningful; for the student—from becoming part of the community of “we who love subject X” to a “homecoming of self-hood”; and for the subject itself—from beginning to reveal itself to holding teachers and students accountable. The usefulness of the findings for teacher education and research on teacher–student relations is discussed.
Reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in a large health system: a quality improvement approach using a fractal management system
Authors: Saade Elie A. , Thatcher Esther J. , Lewis Tina , Carr Susan , Cornell Marcia , Arnold Rachel , Bushong Lisa , Albar Zainab , Pronovost Peter
Published: September 2024

Objective:

Although preventable through established infection control practices, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) remain prevalent in acute-care settings. Our goal was to improve the CAUTI rates through multiple hospitals through implementing sustainable practices, including enhancing communication, provider engagement, accountability, and transparency in reporting to achieve long-term improvements.

Design:

Quality improvement with multiple levels of interventions

Setting:

A health system in northern Ohio with 21 affiliated hospitals across 16 counties.

Patients:

Adult patients admitted to the hospital between June 2020 and June 2023.

Methods:

A broad set of quality improvement (QI) strategies was developed by an interdisciplinary team and guided by the Fractal Management System framework to ensure accountability, communication, and alignment across teams and facilities. Key drivers were indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) alternatives, insertion, maintenance, removal, and smart diagnostics. The main outcome measures were standardized infection ratios (SIR) and standardized utilization ratio (SUR), comparing period 1 (P1, June 2020 to December 2021) and period 2 (P2, January 2022 to June 2023).

Results:

Enhanced communication and management played crucial roles in minimizing IUC placement. Updated policies and protocols, coupled with clear guidelines and decision support tools, facilitated effective urinary management. Performance tracking and visual management boards provided real-time insights, while collaborative efforts, including staff huddles and multidisciplinary teamwork, ensured consistent adherence to best practices.

Conclusions:

A systemwide QI initiative focused on enhanced communication, management, and collaboration contributed to improved SIR and reduced CAUTI rates across multiple hospitals, highlighting the impact of strong communication and proactive management in healthcare settings.
Mitigating gender inequality in women's voices: the role of normative gender-egalitarian messages
Authors: Takahashi Ryo
Published: September 2024

This study empirically examines gender inequality in tolerance for women's opinions and identifies how the provision of normative gender-egalitarian message can mitigate this inequality by conducting online randomized experiments in Japan. In this experiment, I asked the participants to evaluate the agreement score for 10 anonymous statements and implemented two types of random interventions: disclosing the gender of the statement poster and providing normative statement for gender equality. The results of both cross-sectional and panel data analyses showed that people significantly reduced the agreement score for women's opinions compared with men's and non-gender disclosure opinions. Meanwhile, the negative impact of female gender disclosure was neutralized when participants were provided with a normative message.
Envisioning the Beloved Community: Racial Justice, Property Law, and the Social Mortgage
Authors: Carmella Angela C.
Published: September 2024

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was concerned about both poverty and race, inextricably linked because of the long and brutal history of racial injustice in housing, employment, and education. What Dr. King called the beloved community reflected a vision of a world built on peace, human dignity, and shared material abundance for all people. To explore this linkage of poverty and race, I employ two related Christian theological concepts: the universal destiny of the goods of the earth and the social mortgage that encumbers all private property to ensure the equitable provision of those goods to all and for all generations. I analyze the ways in which the universal destiny of goods can be mediated through U.S. property law by structuring the ownership and use of land and buildings within the context of social obligation. But while the law has the capacity to ensure ownership, security, and infrastructure for all, U.S. society has failed to make the necessary payments on the social mortgage that would create this reality—a failure due primarily to severe racial and economic injustices, both historical and contemporary. Yet there is hope: I present examples that offer glimpses of the beloved community.
Pork Barrel and Identity Politics: Explaining a Minority Party’s Electoral Success in Lithuania
Authors: Agarin Timofey , Dambrauskas Karolis
Published: September 2024

Our article describes the lifecycle of Lithuania’s Electoral Action of Poles–Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS) party that has been a part of country’s political landscape for near 30 years. Despite its seemingly ethnic program, the party has a poor track record for delivering on its electoral promises. Yet, it has been continuously supported by the majority of Polish-speakers in Lithuania. The background of the nationalizing state, which encourages the party elites to conflate substantive representation with the signposting of ethnic identity in party politics, offers one of the reasons for the LLRA-KŠS’s electoral success. Although the party effectively consolidated its regional electorate, it came to control service delivery to their ethnic constituency by engaging in pork barrel politics. Poor performance in recent national and municipal elections put this strategy to bond with its voters into question, casting doubt on the LLRA-KŠS’s ability to survive as an ethnic party in the long term.
The End of the Ottoman Empire: A Century after the Fall
Authors: Gratien Chris
Published: September 2024

A century ago, the Ottoman Empire finally ceased to be after a long reign that stretched back to the late medieval period, and, ostensibly, nobody really missed it. It was once possible to write about the fall of the Ottoman Empire as the overdue culmination of a process that gave rise to independent nation–states. But, increasingly, the empire casts a long shadow on the historiography of the Middle East, and its last days emerge among its most consequential for the future of the region. The same political actors who reshaped late Ottoman politics were integral to the struggle for the post-Ottoman landscape. These individuals included provincial elites from nondominant ethnic groups who, rather than embracing ethnic nationalism, remained Ottomanist in their vision of the region's future until the final moment. Newer scholarship rejects the teleology of the nations that emerged from postwar fracturing, demonstrating that the map was not redrawn by the victors in an instant. It was forged, instead, through armed struggles against European imperial powers and among rival movements that lasted for years. One hundred years after the Ottoman Empire's collapse, historians are still excavating its long-ignored relevance for understanding the modern Middle East, which was buried under the weight of nationalist and Orientalist metanarratives that never questioned the inevitability of its demise.
Cognitive behavioral interventions for depression and anxiety in adults with neurological disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Gandy Milena , Woldhuis Thomas , Wu Wendy , Youssef Marette , Bisby Madelyne A. , Dear Blake F. , Heriseanu Andreea I. , Scott Amelia J.
Published: September 2024

We examined the efficacy of cognitive and behavioral interventions for improving symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with neurological disorders. A pre-registered systematic search of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and Neurobite was performed from inception to May 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which examined the efficacy of cognitive and behavioral interventions in treating depression and/or anxiety among adults with neurological disorders were included. Estimates were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed on categorical and continuous moderators, respectively. Main outcomes were pre- and post-intervention depression and anxiety symptom scores, as reported using standardized measures. Fifty-four RCTs involving 5372 participants with 11 neurological disorders (including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, stroke) were included. The overall effect of interventions yielded significant improvements in both depression (57 arms, Hedges' g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.35–0.54) and anxiety symptoms (29 arms, g = 0.38, 95% CI 0.29–0.48), compared to controls. Efficacy was greater in studies which employed a minimum baseline symptom severity inclusion criterion for both outcomes, and greater in trials using inactive controls for depression only. There was also evidence of differential efficacy of interventions across the neurological disorder types and the outcome measure used. Risk of bias, intervention delivery mode, intervention tailoring for neurological disorders, sample size, and study year did not moderate effects. Cognitive and behavioral interventions yield small-to-moderate improvements in symptoms of both depression and anxiety in adults with a range of neurological disorders.
Belowground carbon stored in a tropical mountain cloud forest of east-central Mexico
Authors: Cruz de Jesús Yokebed , Pavón Numa P. , Briones Oscar , Sánchez-González Arturo , Rodríguez-Laguna Rodrigo
Published: September 2024

Carbon stocks in root biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) were analysed in tropical mountain cloud forest (TMCF) of Mexico. Additionally, the hypothesis that the concentration of roots in the forest is not homogeneous but that they are concentrated near the trunks of the trees was evaluated. Root biomass was 707.68 ± 150.41 g·m−2, which stores ∼353.85 ± 75.21 g·C·m−2. Coarse roots contributed 36.8%, fine roots 35.5%, and very fine roots 27.7% of the total biomass. The results did not support the hypothesis that fine roots are concentrated near the trunks of the trees. On average, SOC was 108.23 ± 33.21 Mg·C·ha−1. Mean C stored in the soil (C in roots + SOC) was 111.77 ± 32.97 Mg·C·ha−1. The TMCF is an ecosystem with a high potential for soil carbon storage, with similar C values reported to those in other tropical forests.
Pierre Lalive and John Henry Merryman, Fellows in Art and Cultural Heritage Law – Where Are They Now?
Authors: Almohamad Adnan , Szabados Tamás , Tattersall Luke , Lixinski Lucas
Published: September 2024

The International Journal of Cultural Property (IJCP) is proud to award yearly the Pierre Lalive and John Henry Merryman Fellowship in Art and Cultural Heritage Law, hosted by the International Cultural Property Society and the Art-Law Centre of the University of Geneva.
Influence of choline and follistatin supplementation during in vitro bovine oocyte maturation on oocyte competence and blastocyst development
Authors: Snider Alexandria P. , Kaps Martim , Rempel Lea A. , Wright-Johnson Elane C. , Cushman Robert A. , Miles Jeremy R.
Published: September 2024

Metabolite supplementation during in vitro embryo development improves blastocyst quality, however, our understanding of the incorporation of metabolites during in vitro maturation (IVM) is limited. Two important metabolites, follistatin and choline, have beneficial impacts during in vitro culture; however, effects of supplementation during IVM are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate combining choline and follistatin during IVM on bovine oocytes and subsequent early embryonic development. We hypothesized that supplementation of choline with follistatin would synergistically improve oocyte quality and subsequent early embryonic development. Small follicles were aspirated from slaughterhouse ovaries to obtain cumulus oocyte complexes for IVM with choline (0, 1.3 or 1.8 mM) and follistatin (0 or 10 ng/mL) supplementation in a 3 × 2 design. A subset of oocytes underwent transcriptomic analysis, the remaining oocytes were used for IVF and in vitro culture (IVC). Transcript abundance of CEPT1 tended to be reduced in oocytes supplemented with 1.8 mM choline and follistatin compared to control oocytes (P = 0.07). Combination of follistatin with 1.8 mM choline supplementation during maturation, tended (P = 0.08) to reduce CPEB4 in oocytes. In the blastocysts, HDCA8, NANOG, SAV1 and SOX2 were increased with choline 1.8 mM supplementation without follistatin (P < 0.05), while HDCA8 and SOX2 were increased when follistatin was incorporated (P < 0.05). The combination of choline and follistatin during oocyte maturation may provide a beneficial impact on early embryonic development. Further research is warranted to investigate the interaction between these two metabolites during early embryonic development and long-term influence on fetal development.
Analysis of ST segment alarms in children admitted to the paediatric and cardiac intensive care units and cardiac progressive care unit: a single-centre retrospective study
Authors: Gallagher Christine Peyton , Ziniel Sonja I. , Newman Jennifer , Wathen Beth , Marusich Paul , Poppy Christopher , Carpenter Todd , Gist Katja M.
Published: September 2024

ST segment monitoring in the adult population allows for the early detection of myocardial ischaemia. In children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU), cardiac intensive care unit (CICU), and cardiac progressive care unit (CPCU), it is unclear if continuous ST segment alarm monitoring is necessary in all patients. All patients admitted to the PICU, CICU, and CPCU during the study period were included. Children with any ST segment alarms were compared with those without an alarm during their stay. The electrocardiogram confirmed true ST segment alarms were compared with all other ST segment alarms. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the medical record. Medical interventions and procedures occurring around ST segment alarms were recorded for multivariable analysis assessing for the association of true ST segment. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations with ST segment alarms during hospital stays. ST segment alarms occurred in 36% of hospital stays, and only 3.4% were considered true. True alarms were significantly more common among patients with a cardiac-related diagnosis, located in both cardiac units, and having received an intervention with any vasoactive medication. In the multivariable logistic regression, patients 11 years or older, hypotension, supraventricular tachycardia, and initiation/escalation of any vasoactive were independently associated with a true ST segment alarm. True ST segment alarms were infrequent, occurring in 1.2% of stays during the study period. Alarm monitoring may be beneficial in those with an underlying cardiac diagnosis.
Ethics in sports industry: when does sports autonomy become an excuse for animal abuse?
Authors: Lubelska-Sazanów Małgorzata
Published: September 2024

Money pushes sports to extremes. As the rewards for success grow, so does the pressure, with sportspeople pushing themselves ever harder. In equestrian sports, this can mean pushing the horse as well, too often to the point of abuse. This article discusses the beautiful side of equestrianism as well as its darker side, which is a bitter reality for many competition horses. It sets out a comparison of legal standards for equine animal welfare (at the level of international law, EU law and national laws) as well as those coming from sports laws. It also examines dependencies between animal protection rules under EU law and animal protection rules under the laws of individual EU Member States concerning equestrian sports. It aims to answer the questions of whether equestrian sports constitute a general exemption to their being considered animal abuse and on what grounds this exemption might be changed in the future.
Evaluation of weed control efficacy and crop safety of the PPO-inhibiting herbicide tiafenacil in California orchard cropping systems
Authors: Laguerre Guelta , Contreras Andres , Hanson Bradley D
Published: September 2024

Tiafenacil is registered in the United States for use in annual crops such as corn and soybean, but not on orchard crops. Field studies were conducted to determine orchard crop safety and efficacy of tiafenacil on important California orchard weeds. To evaluate crop safety, tiafenacil was applied at 74, 148, and 222 g ai ha−1 alone and with 38 g ai ha−1 of tolpyralate three times per year at the base of almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut trees. The first treatment was applied 2 mo after the trees had been transplanted. In all four tree crop experiments, treatments were applied once in May 2020, then three times again during the winter of 2021 and 2022 at 21-d treatment intervals. There were no visual foliar injury symptoms or treatment-related effects on tree trunk diameter change even at the highest tested rate of tiafenacil applied seven times over three growing seasons. In a separate study of weed control, in most instances, tiafenacil applied at 12 g ai ha−1 performed similarly to that of tiafenacil plus glufosinate. Control of glyphosate-resistant hairy fleabane with tiafenacil applied alone at 25 g ai ha−1 was 65% by 14 d after treatment. Tiafenacil applied at 50 g ai ha−1 to hairy fleabane performed similarly to glufosinate plus glyphosate. In a greenhouse study, tiafenacil applied at 12 g ha−1 provided 95% to 100% control of barnyardgrass and junglerice, and there was no significant difference between tiafenacil applied alone or with glufosinate. Saflufenacil applied alone or in a mixture with glufosinate was not as effective as the tiafenacil treatments for grass weed control. Based on experiments conducted over three growing seasons in four tree fruit and tree nut crops, tiafenacil crop safety appeared to be acceptable even at up to 2- or 3-fold the expected use rate.
Measurement of the Static Nonlinear Third‐Order Elastic Moduli of Rocks: Problems and Applicability
Authors: Wang Wenjing , Schmitt Douglas R.
Published: September 2024

The third‐order elastic (TOE) model has been used to describe the widely observed nonlinear mechanical behaviors of earth materials. In addition to linear elastic constants (λ, μ), three nonlinear elastic moduli (A, B, C) are required for isotropic rocks. Contrary to previous research on dynamic TOE moduli, this study followed the protocol to measure strain and stress under uniaxial and hydrostatic compressive tests statically, which were later used to invert for the full set of TOE moduli for four standard rock types with differing pore structures of a porous oolitic limestone, quartz‐rich sandstones, and a dense crystalline basalt. The applicability of the TOE model to characterize nonlinearity depends on the fulfillment of path‐independence and small‐strain assumptions. Using the measured static TOE moduli, the finite element model demonstrates that the stress in the vicinity of the wellbore is more amplified than the stress in the linear elastic case, which leads to a wider zone of rock failure around the wellbore. Due to the long‐standing discrepancy between static and dynamic moduli, the rarely reported full set of static TOE moduli is necessary and will benefit future research in understanding the effect of rock nonlinearity on geophysical and geomechanical applications, such as long‐term safe storage of CO2 and generating process of geohazards.
An Investigation on Microphysical Characteristics of Early‐, Late‐, and Post‐Mei‐yu Season Rainfall Over Taiwan
Authors: Seela Balaji Kumar , Janapati Jayalakshmi , Lin Pay‐Liam , Liu Chian‐Yi , Tu Chuan‐Chi
Published: September 2024

Over Taiwan, Mei‐yu season (May and June), which is primarily linked to frontal systems, is the transition period between winter and summer. Using the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission dual‐frequency precipitation radar (GPM DPR), the current study examined the rain and microphysical characteristics of the Mei‐yu season in Taiwan. In order to examine the areal and intra‐seasonal aspects, May and June months are divided into three sub‐seasons: early‐Mei‐yu, late‐Mei‐yu, and post‐Mei‐yu. The three sub‐seasons exhibited differences in rainfall and raindrop size distributions, with abundance of large drops in the post‐Mei‐yu. Additionally, there were noticeable variations in the raindrop size distributions among the south, central, north, and eastern parts of Taiwan, with more large drops in central Taiwan. To comprehend the microphysical progressions causing the regional and intra‐seasonal fluctuations, CFADs (contoured frequency by altitude diagrams) of rain parameters are utilized. Compared to other two sub‐seasons, the early‐Mei‐yu season exhibited weaker convection. Dominance of stratiform precipitation in late‐Mei‐yu season, and convective precipitation in post‐Mei‐yu season resulted in higher rainfall amounts in these two sub‐seasons (more particularly in post‐Mei‐yu) than the early‐Mei‐yu season. Examination of warm rain microphysical processes (below 5 km height) among these sub‐seasons revealed that the early‐Mei‐yu season is dominated with break‐up process, late‐Mei‐yu season with breakup and coalescence balance, and post‐Mei‐yu with coalescence, size‐sorting and evaporation processes.
A Machine Learning Approach for Deriving Atmospheric Temperatures and Typhoon Warm Cores From FY‐3E MWTS‐3 Observations
Authors: Niu Zeyi , Zou Xiaolei
Published: September 2024

Machine learning has gained an increasing popularity in the fields of satellite retrieval and numerical weather modeling. In this study, machine‐learning (ML) neural‐network (NN) models are utilized to retrieve atmospheric temperatures from observations of brightness temperature from the Microwave Temperature Sounder‐3 (MWTS‐3) onboard the China's first dawn‐dusk polar‐orbiting satellite Fengyun (FY)‐3E, with the ERA5 reanalysis serving as training data sets. The root mean square errors of the ML‐retrieved temperatures at all pressure levels are smaller than those obtained by a previously used traditional linear regression method compared to the ERA5 reanalysis over global oceans as well as radiosonde observations over land. Less than a 1‐week period of training data is usually sufficient for an ML NN model to converge in less than 50–100 iterations. The shortest time period of training data is 3‐days right before the testing data period. While the horizontal patterns and temporal evolutions of the ML‐retrieved warm cores of Typhoon Malakas (2022) and Typhoon Haikui (2023) in the upper troposphere compared favorably with those obtained by traditional regression methods as well as the ERA5 reanalysis in the testing periods. The vertical structures of ML‐retrieved warm cores extend further down to the middle and lower troposphere while those from the traditional regression method are confined in the upper troposphere. A comparison among ML results with additional training data sets across different seasons confirms the above conclusion.
A Systematic Framework for Data Augmentation for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Estimation Using Deep Learning
Authors: Ascenso Guido , Palcic Giulio , Scoccimarro Enrico , Castelletti Andrea
Published: September 2024

Given the exponential relationship between the intensity and the expected damage of tropical cyclones, accurately estimating their intensity from satellite images is a crucially important area of research. Yet, the imbalance and limited size of available data sets significantly hinder model training and generalization capabilities, especially for state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models. Therefore, it is standard in this field to use data augmentation, a family of transformations to increase the size and variety of a given data set. However, the principles behind the usage of these techniques for the estimation of the intensity of tropical cyclones has been largely unexamined. In this paper, we introduce a framework for establishing how much augmentation to apply and which techniques to use. To determine the ideal amount of augmentation, we use a modified Gini coefficient to understand how the augmentation will affect the imbalance in the data set, and we find that there is an upper bound on how much augmentation should be done (for our data set, 50 times per image). Our results also indicate that data augmentation works best when used to reduce the amount of imbalance in a data set rather than uniformly over the entire data set, as is typically done in the tropical cyclone intensity estimation literature. We then devise a backward elimination feature selection algorithm to determine which augmentation techniques work best. Our findings suggest that all augmentation techniques are effective for the estimation of tropical cyclones intensity, including random erasing, which we were the first to implement in this context.
A Software Tool for the True Height Analysis of Ionograms Using the Iterative Gradient Correction (IGC) Method
Authors: Ankita M. , Tulasi Ram S.
Published: September 2024

Deriving the precise true height electron density profile from the measured ionosonde virtual heights is quite a challenging problem. Recently, Ankita and Tulasi Ram (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023RS007808) presented a new method, Iterative Gradient Correction (IGC) method, for true height analysis that uses HF radio wave propagation path computations to reconstruct the true height profile. Through iterative corrections on electron density gradients between successive points, the IGC method minimizes errors below a specified tolerance at each point and reconstructs a complete electron density profile. The derived profiles from the IGC method are found to be accurate when compared with Incoherent Scatter Radar and Global Navigation Satellite System—Radio Occultation observations. To facilitate true height analysis by IGC method for a wider user community, a MATLAB‐based software has been developed and is outlined in this report. The software can be installed on any Windows platform and is designed with a user‐friendly interface for easy and efficient application by the users. It can analyze multiple scaled ionograms in a single run and outputs the real height profiles in ASCII format. Further, the software also captures important ionospheric parameters such as the base altitudes and peak frequencies of E‐ and F‐layers (e.g., hE, hF, foE, and foF2) etc., from the computed true height profiles and tabulates in a separate output file for the ready use. The software also provides the option for extrapolation of true height profile into top‐side ionosphere up to a user‐specified height and reconstructs the complete vertical electron density profile.
Pre-metastatic niche: formation, characteristics and therapeutic implication
Authors: Wang Yuhang , Jia Jiachi , Wang Fuqi , Fang Yingshuai , Yang Yabing , Zhou Quanbo , Yuan Weitang , Gu Xiaoming , Hu Junhong , Yang Shuaixi
Published: September 2024

Distant metastasis is a primary cause of mortality and contributes to poor surgical outcomes in cancer patients. Before the development of organ-specific metastasis, the formation of a pre-metastatic niche is pivotal in promoting the spread of cancer cells. This review delves into the intricate landscape of the pre-metastatic niche, focusing on the roles of tumor-derived secreted factors, extracellular vesicles, and circulating tumor cells in shaping the metastatic niche. The discussion encompasses cellular elements such as macrophages, neutrophils, bone marrow-derived suppressive cells, and T/B cells, in addition to molecular factors like secreted substances from tumors and extracellular vesicles, within the framework of pre-metastatic niche formation. Insights into the temporal mechanisms of pre-metastatic niche formation such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immunosuppression, extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolic reprogramming, vascular permeability and angiogenesis are provided. Furthermore, the landscape of pre-metastatic niche in different metastatic organs like lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, and bones is elucidated. Therapeutic approaches targeting the cellular and molecular components of pre-metastatic niche, as well as interventions targeting signaling pathways such as the TGF-β, VEGF, and MET pathways, are highlighted. This review aims to enhance our understanding of pre-metastatic niche dynamics and provide insights for developing effective therapeutic strategies to combat tumor metastasis.
CDK4 is co-amplified with either TP53 promoter gene fusions or MDM2 through distinct mechanisms in osteosarcoma
Authors: Saba Karim H. , Difilippo Valeria , Styring Emelie , Nilsson Jenny , Magnusson Linda , van den Bos Hilda , Wardenaar René , Spierings Diana C. J. , Foijer Floris , Nathrath Michaela , Haglund de Flon Felix , Baumhoer Daniel , Nord Karolin H.
Published: September 2024

Amplification of the MDM2 and CDK4 genes on chromosome 12 is commonly associated with low-grade osteosarcomas. In this study, we conducted high-resolution genomic and transcriptomic analyses on 33 samples from 25 osteosarcomas, encompassing both high- and low-grade cases with MDM2 and/or CDK4 amplification. We discerned four major subgroups, ranging from nearly intact genomes to heavily rearranged ones, each harbouring CDK4 and MDM2 amplification or CDK4 amplification with TP53 structural alterations. While amplicons involving MDM2 exhibited signs of an initial chromothripsis event, no evidence of chromothripsis was found in TP53-rearranged cases. Instead, the initial disruption of the TP53 locus led to co-amplification of the CDK4 locus. Additionally, we observed recurring promoter swapping events involving the regulatory regions of the FRS2, PLEKHA5, and TP53 genes. These events resulted in ectopic expression of partner genes, with the ELF1 gene being upregulated by the FRS2 and TP53 promoter regions in two distinct cases.
Forest fire size amplifies postfire land surface warming
Authors: Zhao Jie , Yue Chao , Wang Jiaming , Hantson Stijn , Wang Xianli , He Binbin , Li Guangyao , Wang Liang , Zhao Hongfei , Luyssaert Sebastiaan
Published: September 2024

Climate warming has caused a widespread increase in extreme fire weather, making forest fires longer-lived and larger1–3. The average forest fire size in Canada, the USA and Australia has doubled or even tripled in recent decades4,5. In return, forest fires feed back to climate by modulating land–atmospheric carbon, nitrogen, aerosol, energy and water fluxes6–8. However, the surface climate impacts of increasingly large fires and their implications for land management remain to be established. Here we use satellite observations to show that in temperate and boreal forests in the Northern Hemisphere, fire size persistently amplified decade-long postfire land surface warming in summer per unit burnt area. Both warming and its amplification with fire size were found to diminish with an increasing abundance of broadleaf trees, consistent with their lower fire vulnerability compared with coniferous species9,10. Fire-size-enhanced warming may affect the success and composition of postfire stand regeneration11,12 as well as permafrost degradation13, presenting previously overlooked, additional feedback effects to future climate and fire dynamics. Given the projected increase in fire size in northern forests14,15, climate-smart forestry should aim to mitigate the climate risks of large fires, possibly by increasing the share of broadleaf trees, where appropriate, and avoiding active pyrophytes.