bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased brain fractional perfusion in obesity using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI metrics
Authors: Motger‐Albertí Anna , de la Calle Elena , Giménez Mònica , Blasco Gerard , Biarnés Carles , Arnoriaga‐Rodríguez María , Puig Josep , Coll‐Martínez Clàudia , Contreras‐Rodríguez Oren , Fernández‐Real José Manuel
Published: February 2024

Objective

This research seeks to shed light on the associations between brain perfusion, cognitive function, and mental health in individuals with and without obesity.

Methods

In this study, we employed the noninvasive intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to examine brain fractional perfusion (FP) in two groups: individuals with obesity (N = 72) and healthy controls (N = 66). Additionally, we investigated potential associations between FP, cognitive function, and depressive symptoms in the participants with and without obesity. Finally, artificial intelligence algorithms (Boruta analysis) were also used.

Results

Participants with obesity exhibited increased FP within dopaminergic brain circuits, particularly involving prefrontal cortex areas, anterior and posterior sections of the cingulate cortex, the right striatum, and the midbrain. Additionally, these individuals demonstrated lower working memory and higher depressive symptoms compared to the control group. Notably, higher FP in the inferior temporal and occipital cortices correlated with greater depressive symptoms, whereas increased FP in the right ventral caudate and the midbrain was associated with better working memory performance. A link between inflammatory and metabolic variables, with a particular emphasis on monocytes, and FP in obesity was also evidenced by Boruta analysis.

Conclusions

Increased brain perfusion in individuals with obesity is associated with cognitive function and mental health through interaction with metabolic and inflammatory factors.
Small molecule– and peptide–drug conjugates addressing integrins: A story of targeted cancer treatment
Authors: Paulus Jannik , Sewald Norbert
Published: February 2024

Targeted cancer treatment should avoid side effects and damage to healthy cells commonly encountered during traditional chemotherapy. By combining small molecule or peptidic ligands as homing devices with cytotoxic drugs connected by a cleavable or non‐cleavable linker in peptide–drug conjugates (PDCs) or small molecule–drug conjugates (SMDCs), cancer cells and tumours can be selectively targeted. The development of highly affine, selective peptides and small molecules in recent years has allowed PDCs and SMDCs to increasingly compete with antibody‐drug conjugates (ADCs). Integrins represent an excellent target for conjugates because they are overexpressed by most cancer cells and because of the broad knowledge about native binding partners as well as the multitude of small‐molecule and peptidic ligands that have been developed over the last 30 years. In particular, integrin αVβ3 has been addressed using a variety of different PDCs and SMDCs over the last two decades, following various strategies. This review summarises and describes integrin‐addressing PDCs and SMDCs while highlighting points of great interest.
High‐Temperature Protonic Conduction in La2NiO4+δ‐Based Ruddlesden–Popper Type Oxides: Correlation with Concentration of Interstitial Oxide Ions
Authors: Chen Lubing , Wang Guanchao , Toyoura Kazuaki , Han Donglin
Published: February 2024

Oxygen‐excess La2NiO4+δ (LNO) conducts oxide ions, electron holes, and hydroxide ions simultaneously on exposing to wet oxygen, exhibiting the potential as a cathode material in protonic ceramic fuel cells. Since the incorporation of protons in oxygen‐excess LNO is via the hydration reaction assisted by interstitial oxide ions, in this work, the concentration of interstitial oxide ions is reduced and increased by substituting Ni with Cu and Co, respectively. A higher concentration of interstitial oxide ions leads to a high proton concentration, indicating the predominant role of interstitial oxide ions in the hydration reaction, different from that in the oxygen‐deficient oxides, where protons are introduced by dissociative absorption of water molecules by oxygen vacancies. The theoretical calculation indicates that protons in Co‐doped LNO prefer to locate between the interstitial oxide ions and unshared apical oxide ions. A trapping effect is found between protons and the oxide ions near Cu, leading to decreased proton mobility. Protonic conductivity at 400–575 °C is then directly measured by a Hebb–Wagner direct current polarization method with La0.99Ca0.01NbO4−δ as the blocking electrode, enabling the observation that Co‐doped LNO has the highest protonic conductivity among the samples studied in this work.
Photothermal Microneedle Hydrogel Patch for Refractory Soft Tissue Injuries through Thermosensitized Anti‐Inflammaging Modulation
Authors: Zhu Wanbo , Liu Quan , Zhang Ziheng , Wang Yingjie , Mei Jiawei , Xu Dongdong , Zhou Jun , Su Zheng , Zhang Xianzuo , Zhu Chen , Wang Jiaxing , Zhu Junchen , Peng Xiaochun , Zhang Xianlong
Published: February 2024

Soft tissue injuries (STIs) are the most common cause of extremity pain and motion dysfunction. Persistent inflammatory activation of immune cells characterized by senescence‐associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and mitochondrial stress are considered the primary causes of STIs, a pathological process also termed inflammaging. Meanwhile, scavenging excessive “cellular waste” in the inflammaging microenvironment and further activating tissue repair processes remain elusive. Herein, an anti‐inflammaging photothermal hydrogel microneedle patch for treating STIs is developed. Taurine‐loaded Prussian blue nanoparticles (Taurine@PB) are encapsulated in a methacrylate‐based hyaluronic acid hydrogel (HAMA) and further fabricated into taurine@PB@HAMA@microneedles (TPH@MN) patches. The acidic microenvironment of chronic inflammation and mild photothermal effects promote taurine release and anti‐inflammaging immunomodulation, inhibiting mitochondrial stress via the SIRT3‐NF‐κB axis to promote glycolytic metabolic microenvironment of neutrophils reprogramming toward oxidative phosphorylation metabolism. Furthermore, TPH@MN activates macrophage efferocytosis and initiates the process of tissue repair. In mouse models of chronic diabetic wounds and tibialis anterior (TA) muscle injury, TPH@MN inhibits SASP expression and promotes STIs healing through thermosensitized anti‐inflammaging immunomodulation. In summary, TPH@MN circumvents the side effects of systemic administration, providing new translatable options in the treatment modalities for patients suffering from STIs worldwide.
A Bayesian optimization R package for multitrait parental selection
Authors: Villar‐Hernández Bartolo de J. , Dreisigacker Susanne , Crespo Leo , Pérez‐Rodríguez Paulino , Pérez‐Elizalde Sergio , Toledo Fernando , Crossa José
Published: February 2024

Selecting and mating parents in conventional phenotypic and genomic selection are crucial. Plant breeding programs aim to improve the economic value of crops, considering multiple traits simultaneously. When traits are negatively correlated and/or when there are missing records in some traits, selection becomes more complex. To address this problem, we propose a multitrait selection approach using the Multitrait Parental Selection (MPS) R package—an efficient tool for genetic improvement, precision breeding, and conservation genetics. The package employs Bayesian optimization algorithms and three loss functions (Kullback–Leibler, Energy Score, and Multivariate Asymmetric Loss) to identify parental candidates with desirable traits. The software's functionality includes three main functions—EvalMPS, FastMPS, and ApproxMPS—catering to different data availability scenarios. Through the presented application examples, the MPS R package proves effective in multitrait genomic selection, enabling breeders to make informed decisions and achieve strong performance across multiple traits.
Chemical potential (in)dependence of hadron scatterings in the hadronic phase of QCD-like theories and its applications
Authors: Murakami Kotaro , Itou Etsuko , Iida Kei
Published: February 2024

Abstract

We formulate a method for calculating the hadron-hadron scattering amplitudes at nonzero chemical potential (μ) in the hadronic phase at zero temperature, where the baryon number symmetry remains to be violated. Although it is widely believed that the physical quantities do not change even if we turn on a small μ at zero temperature, the shape of correlation functions for a single hadron depends on μ. Then, the dispersion relation of the single hadron is modified to E(p, μ) = $$ \sqrt{{\textbf{p}}^2+{m}^2} $$

p
2

+

m
2

– μnO. Here, m and nO denote the hadron mass at μ = 0 and the quantum number, respectively. From this relation, it is possible that the effective mass of the hadron depends on μ. We extend the HAL QCD method at μ = 0 to the case of μ ≠ 0, which allows us to extract the scattering phase shifts via the interaction potential. We have found that the interaction potential can depend on μ only through the effective mass while the scattering phase shifts, obtained by solving the Schrödinger equation with the interaction potential, are independent of μ. We also numerically analyze the S-wave scatterings of two pions with isospin I = 2 and two scalar diquarks within the framework of QC2D at nonzero quark chemical potential. While the lattice is not exactly set to zero temperature, the μ-independence can be observed. Furthermore, we improve the results for the S-wave scatterings of two hadrons obtained above by taking the μ-independence for granted. Thanks to the asymmetric property of the correlation functions for diquarks at μ ≠ 0, we can access a long-τ regime and can reduce the systematic error coming from inelastic contributions.
Ersteinschätzung HNO-spezifischer Notfälle – eine Machbarkeitsstudie
Authors: Krafft Eva , Kaulitz Stefan , Voelker Johannes , Engert Jonas , Spahn Björn , Hagen Rudolf , Rak Kristen
Published: February 2024

In Deutschland besteht seit einigen Jahren ein erhöhtes Aufkommen von Patientenfällen in der Notaufnahme, bei welchen es sich oft nicht um Notfälle für das Krankenhaus handelt. Zur Verbesserung der Triage und Lenkung der Patientenströme wurde das Triage-System SmED (Strukturierte medizinische Ersteinschätzung in Deutschland) entwickelt. Dieses zertifizierte Medizinprodukt soll sowohl die Dringlichkeit von Alltagsbeschwerden als auch den adäquaten medizinischen Versorgungsbedarf zielgerichtet, schneller und sicherer einschätzen. Mit Handlungsvorschlägen unterstützt es medizinisches Fachpersonal bei der Triage, wobei die Endverantwortung beim Fachpersonal selbst bleibt. Für das Fachgebiet der HNO-Heilkunde erfolgte anhand von 9 spezifischen Notfällen eine inhaltliche Überprüfung hinsichtlich der Plausibilität und der Patientensicherheit im Kopf-Hals-Bereich. Die Fälle wurden durch 9 HNO-Fachärzte simuliert und anhand des Medizinprodukts SmED durch medizinisches Fachpersonal und Studierende der Medizin triagiert, indem eine Versorgungsebene sowie ein -Versorgungszeitpunkt (Dringlichkeit) zugeordnet wurde. Die Mehrzahl der Fälle wurde korrekt zugeordnet. Das Ersteinschätzungssystem SmED stellt eine gute Möglichkeit dar, dringliche Krankheitsbilder der Hals‑, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde einzuschätzen. Langfristiges Ziel der Ersteinschätzung ist es, Kapazitäten von Ambulanzen zukünftig zu entlasten. Um dies zu erreichen und Patientenwartezeiten zu verkürzen, wäre es notwendig, zügig auf die HNO-Fachdisziplin zu verweisen. Es gilt daher sicherzustellen, dass über das Online-Tool Patienten an einen HNO-Bereitschaftsdienst weitergeleitet werden.
Vegan and sugar-substituted chocolates: assessing physicochemical characteristics by NMR relaxometry, rheology, and DSC
Authors: Torregrossa F. , Cinquanta L. , Albanese D. , Cuomo F. , Librici C. , Lo Meo Paolo , Conte P.
Published: February 2024

The main physicochemical characteristics of novel artisanal chocolates (both dark and milky) intended for vegan consumers or for those requiring assumption of fewer simple sugars, were analysed. Replacement of milk (with coconut copra, almonds, and soy protein isolates), and sucrose (with coconut sugars, stevia and erythritol, respectively) in dark chocolate, were accounted for by means of texture analysis, rheology, water activity, fatty acid composition, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fast field cycling (FFC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. The vegan sample (i.e., the milk-less one) showed lower values of hardness and adhesiveness as well as a larger peak in the melting behavior at the calorimetric evaluation (DSC). Moreover, the absence of milk resulted in the halving of the yield stress and a decrease in both the apparent and Casson’s viscosity. In the sample of chocolate with less sucrose, the peak temperatures measured at the DSC indicate crystallization of cocoa butter in its best form (Vβ2), unlike in dark chocolate, due to the different sugar composition. Similarly, the Casson yield stress (τ0), increased significantly (almost 70%), with the substitution of sugar. Finally, the results of NMR FFC relaxometry made it possible to identify aggregates of different sizes, laying the basis for its use as a rapid, non-destructive method for chocolate analysis.
Presence of microplastic in target species of small scale fisheries and possible social implications on the local communities
Authors: Rivera-Garibay Omar , Méndez-López María Elena , Torres-Irineo Edgar , Rivas Miguel , Santillo David , Álvarez-Filip Lorenzo
Published: February 2024

Microplastic ingestion by marine fishes has been of particular interest, as many species are the target of commercial fisheries and, thus, have a strong connection with human health. Consumption of microplastic thru seafood is likely to have harmful effects on people globally but mainly on social groups that highly depend on fisheries for self-consumption. Here, we first aim to characterize the presence of microplastics in species targeted by small-scale fishers; and explore if the fish consumption of microplastic particles is associated with biological factors. Second, we applied semi-structured interviews to small-scale fishers to investigate, from a socio-environmental perspective, the potential social and environmental impacts of contamination by microplastics on the local communities. We found that commercially important fish families regularly contained microplastics in their tissues, and the consumption of microplastics by fish caught through traditional fishing gear depends on traits such as species mobility but the microplastic load also depended on the type of fishing gear used. Species with a wide home range had a higher load of microplastics than fish with a small home range but also seemed to be related to the fishing method. The observed differences in microplastic content on target species are likely to be transferred to humans in a non-random fashion. This work implies that microplastic pollution in commercial fish might represent an environmental and social issue that is not well understood by the fishing community in the Mexican Caribbean, with potential ramifications for marine resource management.
Multiplexed analysis of macrophage polarisation in pulmonary metastases of microsatellite stable colorectal cancer
Authors: Karjula Topias , Elomaa Hanna , Väyrynen Sara A. , Kuopio Teijo , Ahtiainen Maarit , Mustonen Olli , Puro Iiris , Niskakangas Anne , Mecklin Jukka-Pekka , Böhm Jan , Wirta Erkki-Ville , Seppälä Toni T. , Sihvo Eero , Yannopoulos Fredrik , Helminen Olli , Väyrynen Juha P.
Published: February 2024

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) express a continuum of phenotypes ranging from an anti-tumoural M1-like phenotype to a pro-tumoural M2-like phenotype. During cancer progression, TAMs may shift to a more M2-like polarisation state, but the role of TAMs in CRC metastases is unclear. We conducted a comprehensive spatial and prognostic analysis of TAMs in CRC pulmonary metastases and corresponding primary tumours using multiplexed immunohistochemistry and machine learning-based image analysis. We obtained data from 106 resected pulmonary metastases and 74 corresponding primary tumours. TAMs in the resected pulmonary metastases were located closer to the cancer cells and presented a more M2-like polarised state in comparison to the primary tumours. Higher stromal M2-like macrophage densities in the invasive margin of pulmonary metastases were associated with worse 5-year overall survival (HR 3.19, 95% CI 1.35–7.55, p = 0.008). The results of this study highlight the value of multiplexed analysis of macrophage polarisation in cancer metastases and might have clinical implications in future cancer therapy.
Identification of genomic drivers for the therapeutic response of Cabozantinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Borkowetz Angelika , Sommer Ulrich , Baretton Gustavo , Gruellich Carsten , Bürk Björn Thorben , Erb Holger H. H. , Thomas Christian ,   MORECAB Consortium
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Cabozantinib (CAB) as monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors is used for systemic treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, little is known about predictors of treatment response to CAB. For this reason, known genomic drivers were examined to identify potential predictors of treatment response with CAB.

Methods

Twenty mRCC patients receiving monotherapy (≥ first-line) with CAB were prospectively included. DNA was extracted from archived primary tumors or metastatic tissue. Targeted DNA sequencing was performed using a gene panel including 328 genes (QIAseq Targeted DNA V3 Panel, Qiagen). The variant evaluation was performed using Varsome. The endpoints were treatment-failure-free-survival (TFFS) to CAB.

Results

26% of patients received systemic RCC treatment as the primary option. Six patients were treated with CAB in first-line (1L) and 12 patients in ≥ 2L. The median follow-up after initiation of systemic treatment was 26.7 months (mo). The PBRM1 (7 alleles), SETD2 (7 alleles), VHL (11 alleles), and CHEK2 (14 alleles) genes were most frequently altered. The median time to TFFS was 10.5 mo (95% confidence interval (CI) 6.2–14.7 mo). There was a longer treatment response to CAB in patients with alterations of the SETD2 gene (SETD2 alteration median TFFS not reached vs. no SETD2 alterations 8.4 mo (95% CI 5.2–11.6 mo); p = 0.024).

Conclusion

Pathogenic variant genes may indicate treatment response to systemic therapy in mRCC. Patients with alterations of the SETD2 gene show longer responses to CAB treatment.
The association between diet quality and chrononutritional patterns in young adults
Authors: Wang Leanne , Chan Virginia , Allman-Farinelli Margaret , Davies Alyse , Wellard-Cole Lyndal , Rangan Anna
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Young adults eat erratically and later in the day which may impact weight and cardiometabolic health. This cross-sectional study examined relationships between chrononutritional patterns and diet quality in two young adult populations: a university and community sample.

Methods

Three days of dietary data were collected including food images captured using wearable cameras. Chrononutritional variables were extracted: time of first and last eating occasions, caloric midpoint (time at which 50% of daily energy was consumed), number of eating occasions per day, eating window, day-to-day variability of the above metrics, and evening eating (≥20:00h). The Healthy Eating Index for Australian Adults scored diet quality. Statistical analyses controlled for gender, body mass index, and socio-economic status.

Results

No significant associations between chrononutritional patterns and diet quality were found for all participants (n = 95). However, differences in diet quality were found between university (n = 54) and community (n = 41) samples with average diet quality scores of 59.1 (SD 9.7) and 47.3 (SD 14.4), respectively. Of those who extended eating ≥20:00 h, university participants had better diet quality (62.9±SE 2.5 vs. 44.3±SE 2.3, p < 0.001) and discretionary scores (7.9±SE 0.9 vs. 1.6±SE 0.6, p < 0.001) than community participants. University participants consumed predominately healthful dinners and fruit ≥20:00h whereas community participants consumed predominately discretionary foods.

Conclusion

For the general young adult population, meal timing needs to be considered. Food choices made by this cohort may be poorer during evenings when the desire for energy-dense nutrient-poor foods is stronger. However, meal timing may be less relevant for young adults who already engage in healthy dietary patterns.
Subject-specific finite element head models for skull fracture evaluation—a new tool in forensic pathology
Authors: Henningsen Mikkel Jon , Lindgren Natalia , Kleiven Svein , Li Xiaogai , Jacobsen Christina , Villa Chiara
Published: February 2024

Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) enables the creation of subject-specific 3D head models suitable for quantitative analysis such as finite element analysis (FEA). FEA of proposed traumatic events is an objective and repeatable numerical method for assessing whether an event could cause a skull fracture such as seen at autopsy. FEA of blunt force skull fracture in adults with subject-specific 3D models in forensic pathology remains uninvestigated. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of FEA for skull fracture analysis in routine forensic pathology. Five cases with blunt force skull fracture and sufficient information on the kinematics of the traumatic event to enable numerical reconstruction were chosen. Subject-specific finite element (FE) head models were constructed by mesh morphing based on PMCT 3D models and A Detailed and Personalizable Head Model with Axons for Injury Prediction (ADAPT) FE model. Morphing was successful in maintaining subject-specific 3D geometry and quality of the FE mesh in all cases. In three cases, the simulated fracture patterns were comparable in location and pattern to the fractures seen at autopsy/PMCT. In one case, the simulated fracture was in the parietal bone whereas the fracture seen at autopsy/PMCT was in the occipital bone. In another case, the simulated fracture was a spider-web fracture in the frontal bone, whereas a much smaller fracture was seen at autopsy/PMCT; however, the fracture in the early time steps of the simulation was comparable to autopsy/PMCT. FEA might be feasible in forensic pathology in cases with a single blunt force impact and well-described event circumstances.
Early adapting to trends: self-stabilizing information spread using passive communication
Authors: Korman Amos , Vacus Robin
Published: February 2024

How to efficiently and reliably spread information in a system is one of the most fundamental problems in distributed computing. Recently, inspired by biological scenarios, several works focused on identifying the minimal communication resources necessary to spread information under faulty conditions. Here we study the self-stabilizing bit-dissemination problem, introduced by Boczkowski, Korman, and Natale in [SODA 2017]. The problem considers a fully-connected network of nagents, with a binary world of opinions, one of which is called correct. At any given time, each agent holds an opinion bit as its public output. The population contains a source agent which knows which opinion is correct. This agent adopts the correct opinion and remains with it throughout the execution. We consider the basic $$\mathcal {PULL}$$
PULL
model of communication, in which each agent observes relatively few randomly chosen agents in each round. The goal of the non-source agents is to quickly converge on the correct opinion, despite having an arbitrary initial configuration, i.e., in a self-stabilizing manner. Once the population converges on the correct opinion, it should remain with it forever. Motivated by biological scenarios in which animals observe and react to the behavior of others, we focus on the extremely constrained model of passive communication, which assumes that when observing another agent the only information that can be extracted is the opinion bit of that agent. We prove that this problem can be solved in a poly-logarithmic in n number of rounds with high probability, while sampling a logarithmic number of agents at each round. Previous works solved this problem faster and using fewer samples, but they did that by decoupling the messages sent by agents from their output opinion, and hence do not fit the framework of passive communication. Moreover, these works use complex recursive algorithms with refined clocks that are unlikely to be used by biological entities. In contrast, our proposed algorithm has a natural appeal as it is based on letting agents estimate the current tendency direction of the dynamics, and then adapt to the emerging trend.
Continental lowlands face rising crop vulnerability: structural change in regional climate sensitivity of crop yields, Hungary (Central and Eastern Europe), 1921–2010
Authors: Pinke Zsolt , Decsi Bence , Demeter Gabor , Kalicz Peter , Kern Zoltán , Acs Tamas
Published: February 2024

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is a pillar of global wheat and maize production. However, certain areas within the CEE region have become climate change hotspots, experiencing intensifying water deficits and drought pressure, rising mean and maximum temperatures. This study focuses on the long-term statistical relationships between climatic factors and rain-fed wheat and maize yields for different landscape types in Hungary over 30-year time windows between 1921 and 2010. The relationship between the variances of the detrended climatic parameters and crop yields was tested employing both simple and multifactorial linear models according to landscape types and periods. The sensitivity of wheat yields to spring–summer mean temperature shifted dynamically from the western part of the country to east (from cooler and wetter hilly landscapes to plains) between the periods 1921–1950 and 1981–2010. The cooling observed in summer temperature between the periods 1921–1950 and 1951–1980 supported an increase in wheat yields by an estimated 0.11–0.43 t ha−1 year−1, while the 0.9–1.2 °C warming of May–July temperature may have cut wheat yields by an estimated 0.44–0.56 t ha−1 year−1 in various regions over 1981–2010. That being said, the regional sensitivity of wheat yields to May–July mean temperature did not display substantial differences between the periods 1921–1950 and 1981–2010. Besides negative effects, climate change had a positive impact on wheat yields, since increasing January–March mean temperatures mitigated the negative impact of warming summer temperatures on wheat yields by an estimated 16–34% over 1981–2010. In this 30-year period, increasing mean temperature together with decreasing precipitation explained 46–75% of the variances in maize yields reducing annual maize harvests by an estimated 11.1–12.4% year−1.
Building the intrinsic infrastructure of agroecology: collectivising to deal with the problem of the state
Authors: Jonas Tammi
Published: February 2024

Corporate actors in capitalist food systems continue to consolidate ownership of the means of production in ever fewer hands, posing a critical barrier to food sovereignty and to an agroecological transition. Further, corporate influence on the state is often direct and blatant, but there are also more insidious governance barriers– hegemonic structures of power and ‘common sense’ theories of value that exclude smallholders and local communities from participation in decision-making processes. This is especially pertinent in land use planning and in building processing facilities, usually referred to as ‘value chain infrastructure’, or what I call the ‘intrinsic infrastructure of agroecology’. Using a case study approach, I evaluate the successes and failures of two campaigns for agrarian reform in the Australian state of Victoria, concluding that civil society must act collectively to gain the thick legitimacy needed to work with the state to enact enabling policies for an agroecological transition.
High-dimensional stochastic control models for newsvendor problems and deep learning resolution
Authors: Ma Jingtang , Yang Shan
Published: February 2024

This paper studies continuous-time models for newsvendor problems with dynamic replenishment, financial hedging and Stackelberg competition. These factors are considered simultaneously and the high-dimensional stochastic control models are established. High-dimensional Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations are derived for the value functions. To circumvent the curse of dimensionality, a deep learning algorithm is proposed to solve the HJB equations. A projection is introduced in the algorithm to avoid the gradient explosion during the training phase. The deep learning algorithm is implemented for HJB equations derived from the newsvendor models with dimensions up to six. Numerical outcomes validate the algorithm’s accuracy and demonstrate that the high-dimensional stochastic control models can successfully mitigate the risk.
Evaluation of Korean methane emission sources with satellite retrievals by spatial correlation analysis
Authors: Moon JunGi , Shim Changsub , Seo Jeongbyn , Han Jihyun
Published: February 2024

Methane is a significant greenhouse gas (GHG), and it is imperative to understand its spatiotemporal distribution and primary sources in areas with higher methane concentrations, as such insights are essential for informing effective mitigation policies. In this study, we employed TROPOMI satellite retrievals to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of methane distributions and identify major emission sources in South Korea over the period from August 2018 to July 2019. Additionally, we examined the spatial correlations between satellite methane retrievals and emission sources to characterize regions with higher methane levels on an annual basis.

Concerning spatial distributions, concentrations exceeding 1870 ppb were predominantly observed in western non-mountainous regions, particularly in rice paddy areas. Moreover, sporadic concentrations exceeding 1880 ppb were detected in large ports and industrial zones, primarily located in coastal regions of South Korea.

Our spatial correlation analysis, conducted using the SDMSelect method, identified specific emissions contributing to regions with higher methane concentrations. There were some areas with relatively strong correlations between high XCH4 and emissions from the domestic livestock industry, fossil fuel utilization (specifically, the oil and gas sector), landfills, and rice paddies. This analysis, incorporating domestic emission inventories and satellite data, provides valuable insights into the characteristics of regional methane concentrations. In addition, this analysis can assess national methane emissions inventories, where there is limited information on the spatial distributions, offering critical information for the prioritization of domestic regional policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Seasonal screening of pesticide residues in beehive products collected from different districts in Egypt
Authors: Nassar Atef M. K. , Salim Yehia M. , Nour-Eldeen Eman , Younis Mohamed S. , Kelany Mahmoud M. , Shebl Mohamed A. , Shafey Abdallah S. , Abou-Shaara Hossam F.
Published: February 2024

Pesticides are of immense importance in agriculture, but they might contaminate bees’ products. In this study, samples of honey, pollen, and beeswax were collected, seasonally, from apiaries in Toshka (Aswan), El-Noubariya (El-Beheira), and Ismailia (Ismailia) cities in Egypt. The pesticide residues were analyzed using the GC-MS after being extracted and cleaned using the QuEChERS method. Results showed that samples from El-Noubariya had great content of residues followed by Ismailia, and finally Toshka. Samples collected during fall and winter had the highest pesticide residue contents. Specifically, the phenylconazole fungicide group was repeatedly detected in all the examined samples along with organophosphate insecticides. Beeswax samples had the greatest amounts of pesticide residues followed by pollen and then honey samples. Chlorpyrifos (0.07–39.16 ng/g) and profenofos (1.94–17.00 ng/g) were detected in honey samples and their products. Pyriproxyfen (57.12 ng/g) and chlorpyrifos-methyl (39.16 ng/g) were detected in great amounts in beeswax samples from Ismailia and El-Noubariya, respectively. Yet, according to health hazard and quotient studies, the amounts of pesticides detected in honey do not pose any health threats to humans.
Crack tip shielding and size effect related to parallel edge cracks under uniaxial tensile loading
Authors: Ferrian Francesco , Cornetti Pietro , Sapora Alberto , Talebi Hossein , Ayatollahi Majid R.
Published: February 2024

The present work aims at investigating crack shielding and size effect related to a cracked slab under tensile loading. For this purpose, experimental tests are carried out on PMMA cracked samples. Three different geometries are taken into account, presenting one, two or three parallel edge cracks, and assuming their distance equal to their initial length. Results are interpreted through the coupled stress and energy criterion of Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM). The approach is implemented numerically, and parametric finite element analyses are carried out to evaluate the normal stress field and the stress intensity factor for each configuration. It is found that asymmetric crack propagation has to be preferred according to the energy balance. The matching between FFM failure predictions and experimental data reveals to be satisfactory.
Recent Reactivation of Variscan Tectonic Zones: A Case of Rodl-Kaplice-Blanice Fault System (Bohemian Massif, Austria/Czech Republic)
Authors: Roštínský Pavel , Pospíšil Lubomil , Švábenský Otakar , Melnyk Anastasiia , Nováková Eva
Published: February 2024

The Rodl-Kaplice-Blanice fault system (RKB) of Variscan shear origin, repeatedly active since the Late Paleozoic to the Recent, is expressed by a number of lithological contacts, distinct geophysical gradients and many landforms. A general trend of the RKB as well as linear configuration of its internal architecture is fairly similar to those of topical near Rhine Graben and Alpine-Carpathian transition area as the two other consistent recently reactivated large-scale tectonic structures in the extended (thinned) crust of central Europe. In middle part of the RKB, the occurring linear topographic and geological features parallel to the main RKB sections point to the existence of a wide tectonic zone in the crust following the fault system. Our multidisciplinary study includes a summary of corresponding basic geological data, overview of seismic, regional geophysical and geomorphological conditions, primary model of recent kinematic activity in the RKB area derived from the space (Global Navigation Satellite System—GNSS) monitoring and terrestrial (repeated high precision levelling) geodetic data and comparison of these various information.

The obtained knowledge indicates that the RKB is active up to ~ 1.0 mm horizontally and > 0.5 mm vertically. The fault system area in the Bohemian Massif can be subdivided into the three parts of diverse tectonic structure and block kinematics. Sinistral horizontal movements are highest near the southern surface sections (Rodl-Kaplice, Rudolfov and Drahotěšice faults), whereas noticeable vertical differentiation is going on mainly along the Blanice and Kouřim faults in the north where the RKB activity is gradually decreasing towards the extensive Elbe shear zone with transverse movements. The middle part of the RKB is dislocated by a large active transverse tectonic structure of the South Bohemian Basins (SBB) with variable horizontal velocity vectors of surface GNSS stations. Most of the weak regional earthquakes have been recorded west of the RKB. Besides faults of the SBB, these were mainly associated with the RKB-subparallel Lhenice fault. Based on the earthquake distribution and foci depths, the latter fault can have similar structural position as the RKB related to lower part of the Variscan level in the ~ 10–12 km depth.
Representation of the academic workforce in English university strategy-making: an exploratory study
Authors: Salmon Michael
Published: February 2024

Analysis of strategic planning practices can offer insight into how universities operate and are structured as organisations, both in terms of where importance is placed and what is elided, and through discursive consideration of how strategy texts legitimate certain ways of thinking and acting and seek to produce consent around managerial decisions. This paper applies a strategy-as-practice approach (Jarzabkowski and Whittington in Journal of Management Inquiry, 17, 282-286, 2008) to explore how the academic workforce in English universities is conceptualised and represented in institutional strategic planning, specifically in the genre of text referred to as a strategic plan or strategy document. Through qualitative content analysis of a sample of eight university strategic plans (following Brandtner et al., in Urban Studies, 54, 1075-1091, 2016; Hellström in Policy Futures in Education,5, 478-490, 2007), we find the academic workforce occupying an uncertain position in the documents, especially in the case of staff with teaching responsibilities, whose position is particularly ambiguous.
Hardware-Aware Evolutionary Explainable Filter Pruning for Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Heidorn Christian , Sabih Muhammad , Meyerhöfer Nicolai , Schinabeck Christian , Teich Jürgen , Hannig Frank
Published: February 2024

Filter pruning of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is a common technique to effectively reduce the memory footprint, the number of arithmetic operations, and, consequently, inference time. Recent pruning approaches also consider the targeted device (i.e., graphics processing units) for CNN deployment to reduce the actual inference time. However, simple metrics, such as the $$\ell ^1$$

ℓ
1

-norm, are used for deciding which filters to prune. In this work, we propose a hardware-aware technique to explore the vast multi-objective design space of possible filter pruning configurations. Our approach incorporates not only the targeted device but also techniques from explainable artificial intelligence for ranking and deciding which filters to prune. For each layer, the number of filters to be pruned is optimized with the objective of minimizing the inference time and the error rate of the CNN. Experimental results show that our approach can speed up inference time by 1.40× and 1.30× for VGG-16 on the CIFAR-10 dataset and ResNet-18 on the ILSVRC-2012 dataset, respectively, compared to the state-of-the-art ABCPruner.
Progress in the valorization of biomass: a statistical perspective
Authors: Barabás Béla , Fülöp Ottilia , Nagy Marcell , Pályi Gyula
Published: February 2024

Eleven years ago, an important summary of the valorization of biomass (Tuck et al., Science 337:695–699, 2012,https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1218930) appeared. This milestone paper gave a new impulse to biomass research. The goal of the present work was to analyze by means of scientific literature statistics the main parameters of the evolution of thoughts, ideas, and results induced by this paper in a 10-year period following its publication (from August 2012 to August 2022).
Measuring patient activation: the utility of the Patient Activation Measure administered in an interview setting
Authors: Holter Magdalena , Avian Alexander , Weger Martin , Strini Sanja , Michelitsch Monja , Brenk-Franz Katja , Wedrich Andreas , Berghold Andrea
Published: February 2024

Background

Patient activation is an emerging field in healthcare research concerning knowledge, skills, and confidence of patients in managing their health. This is particularly important for patients with chronic diseases, who often require more complex care management and self-care skills. However, due to temporary or longer-lasting visual impairments, certain patient groups cannot answer a questionnaire independently. The main objective is to investigate the psychometric properties of the German Patient Activation Measure® (PAM) survey in an everyday clinical setting where it has to be read aloud.

Methods

Outpatients with macular edema participated in this questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. The study assessed patient activation by the PAM® survey, self-rated health, self-efficacy, quality of life, and general mood. Interviewers read questionnaires aloud to patients. Psychometric properties of the PAM® survey were investigated by item response theory (IRT), Cronbach’s α and trait–trait correlations.

Results

The analysis included N = 554 patients. Median age was 69 (IQR 62.0–76.0) years and mean overall activation score 74.1 (SD 13.7). All items showed ceiling effects. Empirical reliability from the IRT model and Cronbach’s α were 0.75. The PAM® survey showed a Spearman correlation of 0.54 with self-efficacy, 0.51 with quality of life and 0.34 with general mood.

Conclusion

The read-aloud PAM® survey has been shown to provide to adequate measurement precision and convergent validity to be used as a screening tool in an everyday clinical setting. Objective assessment in an interview setting with the PAM® survey is possible. PAM® items are good in distinguishing lower to middle activated patients, but not patients with high activation. Further, issues with structural validity need more investigation.
University technology transfer: leveraging experiential learning and TTO’s resources
Authors: Sallan Jose M. , Lordan Oriol
Published: February 2024

We examine how experiential learning from both previous technology transfer experience and the disclosure of discoveries impact universities’ technology transfer outcomes, in terms of the number of spinoffs created and licenses granted, while acknowledging that TTOs provide specialized resources that support technology transfer processes. By using panel data models on a sample of public Spanish universities for the 2006–2011 period, our model introduces discovery disclosures as an instrument to account for the endogenous nature of the scientific research process. Results show that spinoff creation and license granting depend on their own experiential learning and on the number of discovery disclosures, which in turn depends on its own experiential learning. Technology transfer is influenced by two learning processes connected to technology transfer outcomes and discovery disclosures. Also, the effect of TTOs’ specific resources appears as not significant. In the context of Spanish universities, the findings support the view that, compared to TTOs’ staff specialization, accumulated knowledge from their own experience adds more value for generating technology transfer outcomes.
Is there a defensible conception of reflective equilibrium?
Authors: Beisbart Claus , Brun Georg
Published: February 2024

The goal of this paper is to re-assess reflective equilibrium (“RE”). We ask whether there is a conception of RE that can be defended against the various objections that have been raised against RE in the literature. To answer this question, we provide a systematic overview of the main objections, and for each objection, we investigate why it looks plausible, on what standard or expectation it is based, how it can be answered and which features RE must have to meet the objection. We find that there is a conception of RE that promises to withstand all objections. However, this conception has some features that may be unexpected: it aims at a justification that is tailored to understanding and it is neither tied to intuitions nor does it imply coherentism. We conclude by pointing out a cluster of questions we think RE theorists should pay more attention to.
The effect of root shaving and biostimulant application on the transplant success of six common Australian urban tree species
Authors: Cinantya Ariningsun , Manea Anthony , Leishman Michelle R.
Published: February 2024

To enhance the establishment of container-grown trees, nursery and urban forest practitioners use root pruning to improve plant root structure. However, some methods of root pruning may cause stress to the plant and reduce shoot growth. One potential approach to mitigating tree stress is the application of biostimulants. This study aimed to determine the impact root shaving, a type of root pruning, has on the growth of urban plant species, and whether biostimulant application mitigates this impact. To address these aims, we applied root shaving (not shaved, shaved) and biostimulant (control, humic substance, protein hydrolysate, seaweed extract) treatments to six tree species that are commonly planted in the Sydney metropolitan area, Australia in a factorial design. The study consisted of a glasshouse and field experiment to simulate nursery production and urban field conditions, respectively. We found that the assimilation rate of the plants was not affected by root shaving but four of the species still experienced reductions in shoot growth in the short-term. This reduction was a result of the plants allocating resources to root growth to compensate for the root loss. However, in the long-term, the plants were able to compensate for this reduction in shoot growth. We found that biostimulant application did not mitigate the short-term impacts of root shaving on plant growth. We can conclude that root shaving and biostimulant application do not affect plant establishment in the long-term.
Indication of Liver Transplant for HCC: Current Status and Future Directions
Authors: Horwitz Julian K. , Agopian Vatche G.
Published: February 2024

Purpose of Review

Liver transplantation remains the gold-standard treatment for cirrhotic patients with early stage, surgically unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this review, we describe the current state of liver transplantation (LT) for HCC.

Recent Findings

We review recent advances in expanded indications for LT, diagnostics with liquid biopsy and biomarkers, and the emerging role of immunotherapy in this patient population.

Although the shortage of liver allografts necessitates a restrictive HCC selection policy, future advances in patient selection, liquid biopsy technologies and systemic therapies have the potential to improve access to liver transplantation even in patients with expanded indications, without compromising on post-transplant outcomes.
The death of Rasputin—A forensic evaluation
Authors: Byard Roger W.
Published: February 2024

Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a confidant of Tsar Nicholas and his wife, was murdered by Prince Yussupov and his co-conspirators in the cellar of the prince’s Moika Palace in St Petersburg, Russia, on the evening of December 30th, 1916 (December 17th in the Russian calendar). The narrative of his death is largely based on Prince Yussupov’s published memoirs and has Rasputin being poisoned with cyanide, shot, bludgeoned, and finally drowned. A review of the available forensic material, however, shows a photograph with a contact gunshot wound to Rasputin’s forehead. This would indicate that he was dead prior to being dropped into the Little Nevka River. His distaste for sweet foods and the absence of poison at autopsy would also suggest that the story of cyanide toxicity was fabricated. Yussupov’s description of Purishkevich firing at Rasputin from a distance as he ran across the courtyard in an attempt to escape would also not be consistent with the post mortem photograph. The simplest version of the events would be that Rasputin was executed by a contact gunshot wound to the forehead when he visited the Yussupov Palace. While it appears that the events of that fateful evening have been embellished, it is certainly not uncommon for perpetrators of homicides to provide histories that are later shown to be at odds with the truth. Re-evaluation of historic cases may provide compelling evidence for alternative interpretations to the popular historic record.