bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of Neolithic diet by the morphology of the starch grains of dental calculus found in the Dehesilla Cave (Cadiz – South of the Iberian Peninsula)
Authors: Coutinho António Pereira , Moreira Margarida , Silva Eduarda , García-Rivero Daniel , Umbelino Cláudia
Published: March 2024

The starch grains present in the dental calculus of four Neolithic individuals of the Dehesilla Cave (Cadiz, South of Spain) were extracted and observed with light microscopy. The variant of the extraction technique used proved to be very effective. A number of Poaceae-Triticeae taxa [wheat (Triticum sp., the main crop, including Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum sp.)], Fabaceae-Fabeae-Cicereae and Fagaceae (oaks = Quercus sp., which constitute new data for the area in question) were identified. Some pollen grains and fungal spores were also identified, which helped to provide information on the ecological framework of the crops associated with the archaeological site.
Innovative approaches to enhance high-LETd tumor targeting in carbon ion radiotherapy
Authors: Mairani Andrea
Published: March 2024

Purpose

To present novel approaches in particle therapy that could result in an improvement of patient outcome.

Methods

Technological/planning and biological innovations could bring particle therapy into a new area of precision medicine. However, several hurdles have to be overcome in order to transform these R&D opportunities into clinical advantages. In this contribution, we summarize the potential advantages of novel tumor targeting, through high-LETd boosting strategies with carbon ions, over standard IMPT: LETd-optimization for IMPT plan, IMPTLET, and spot-scanning hadron arc (SHArc) therapy. Two patient cases are presented to showcase the benefit: a pancreatic cancer patient (PATA) and a recurrent glioblastoma patient (PATB).

Results

For both patients, the prescription dose and target/organs at risk (OARs) optimization goals were reached for the three techniques. In standard IMPT, the maximum LETd is placed outside of the target volume and extends into normal tissues. For the gross target volume (GTV), mean LETd values were, on average, around ∼40–60 keV/µm. IMPTLET allowed an increase in the GTV minimum LETd from 38.4 keV/µm to 48.6 keV/µm, and from 55.1 to 87.1 keV/µm, for PATA and PATB, respectively. SHArc led to an enhancement of the maximum LETd in the GTV up to at least 125 keV/µm, while the minimum GTV LETd were 47.2 keV/µm and 46.1 keV/µm, respectively. For PATA, SHArc lowers the maximum LETd in the gastrointestinal tract to 47.5 keV/µm compared to 88.0 keV/µm and 83.0 keV/µm found for the IMPT and IMPTLET plans, respectively.

Conclusions

Many technological and biological innovations could enhance our current clinical approach. Following the current success of the IMPTLET introduction in clinic, SHARc will represent an interesting clinical option in carbon ion therapy.
Food security and nutrition in refugee camps in the European Union: Development of a framework of analysis linking causes and effects
Authors: Abdalla Liliane , Goulao Luis F.
Published: March 2024

The literature on food security and nutrition -FSN among refugees found high rates of food insecurity- FI among refugees in both, low- and middle-income - LMIC countries and high-income countries- HIC. Despite high rates of FI among refugees in HIC, little is known about FSN status of refugees and asylum-seekers living in refugee camps in the European Union- EU. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by reviewing issues related to the Food Security and Nutrition-FSN of refugees in the EU and worldwide and provides three main contributions to the existing knowledge. Firstly, it identifies the main drivers of FSN in a refugee context and offer a causal framework describing the main causes and effects of FNI in refugee camps. The immediate causes of FNI are poor Shelter and Settlement, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Healthcare. Moreover, secondary causes of FNI are the lack of adaptation to a new environment; Lack of culturally adapted food; Inadequate FSN interventions; Poor livelihood strategies. Secondly, it demonstrates that FNI exists in European refugee camps underscoring that EU member states have been unable to deliver sustainable solutions towards the realization of FSN in the E.U. Finally, the paper calls for a multisectoral and non-discriminatory European common policy targeting refugees’ FSN.
Cosmic topology, underdetermination, and spatial infinity
Authors: Ryan Patrick James
Published: March 2024

It is well-known that the global structure of every space-time model for relativistic cosmology is observationally underdetermined. In order to alleviate the severity of this underdetermination, it has been proposed that we adopt the Cosmological Principle because the Principle restricts our attention to a distinguished class of space-time models (spatially homogeneous and isotropic models). I argue that, even assuming the Cosmological Principle, the topology of space remains observationally underdetermined. Nonetheless, I argue that we can muster reasons to prefer various topological properties over others. In particular, I favor the adoption of multiply connected universe models on grounds of (i) simplicity, (ii) Machian considerations, and (iii) explanatory power. We are able to appeal to such grounds because multiply connected topologies open up the possibility of finite universe models (consistent with our best data), which in turn avoid thorny issues concerning the postulation of an actually infinite universe.
Monitoring of Älvkarleby test embankment dam using 3D electrical resistivity tomography for detection of internal defects
Authors: Norooz Reyhaneh , Nivorlis Aristeidis , Olsson Per-Ivar , Günther Thomas , Bernstone Christian , Dahlin Torleif
Published: March 2024

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a potential-based method for detecting internal erosion in the core of embankment dams using the electrodes installed outside. This study aims at evaluating the practical capability of ERT monitoring for detecting internal defects in embankment dams. A test embankment dam with in-built well-defined defects was built in Älvkarleby, Sweden, to assess different monitoring systems including ERT and the defect locations were unknown to the monitoring teams. Between 7500 and 14,000 ERT data points were acquired daily, which were used to create the distribution of electrical resistivity models of the dam using 3D time-lapse inversion. The inversion models revealed a layered resistivity structure in the core that might be related to variations in water content or unintentional variations in material properties. Several anomalous zones that were not associated with the defects were detected, which might be caused by unintentional variations in material properties, temperature, water content, or other installations. The results located two out of five defects in the core, horizontal and vertical crushed rock zones, with a slight location shift for the horizontal zone. The concrete block defect in the core was indicated, although not as distinctly and with a lateral shift. The two remaining defects in the core, a crushed rock zone at the abutment and a wooden block and a crushed rock zone in the filter, were not discovered. The results cannot be used to fully evaluate the capability of ERT in detecting internal erosion under typical Swedish conditions due to limited seepage associated with the defects. Furthermore, scale effects need to be considered for larger dams.
Techno-economic analysis of a mini biogas electricity plant (MBEP) for a typical farm in the Zimbabwean off-grid areas
Authors: Shonhiwa Chipo , Mukumba Patrick , Makaka Golden
Published: March 2024

In response to declining electricity production in Zimbabwe, the energy regulator engaged various stakeholders to work together to solve the energy shortage problem. Biomass waste, abundant in the country, can contribute to electricity generation for consumption and export to the grid. Compared to other renewable energy resources such as wind and solar, biomass has lower investment and per unit operational costs, making it more affordable. Although farmers in the remote off-grid areas produce large amounts of waste, which can be used for biogas production via anaerobic digestion (AD), the farmers are still ‘energy-poor’. There is insufficient information to enable farmers to make informed decisions on AD technology uptake. This study conducted a techno-economic assessment for a mini biogas electric plant (MBEP) for a typical farm in Zimbabwe’s off-grid areas. The sustainably available biomass for biogas production was determined, followed by quantifying the biogas produced, sizing and selecting the digester type, and sizing the generator. The MBEP produces 435,350.7 kWh of heat and electrical energy from 452 t of biowaste. The first biodigester-type option, the garage-shaped, has a negative net present value (

$$NPV$$

NPV

) of − US$416.4. The Carmatec biodigester, the most popular AD technology in the country, has a positive

$$NPV$$

NPV

(US$216,447.7), but its economics needs improvement. Adopting AD technology allows farmers to mitigate environmental pollution and improve soil fertility by converting organic waste into biogas and biofertilisers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Research was recommended to investigate supportive policies, incentives, and regulatory frameworks to promote the widespread adoption of AD technology in agricultural settings.
Laughing Is Not an Exception! An Italian Perspective on the Autonomous Protection of Parodies Beyond Elaboration
Authors: Fabris Daniele
Published: March 2024

This paper analyses the legal regime of parodistic work from an Italian and European copyright law perspective. Taking into consideration that the Italian Copyright Act does not contain any specific parody exception, the author maintains that parodistic works cannot fall within the scope of the quotation and criticism exception. Based on the fact that, as is well known, EU copyright law does not allow Member States and national courts to apply a general “fair use” doctrine to support the lawfulness of using another’s work for parodistic purposes, it is argued that the use of a previous work to create a new parodistic work falls beyond the scope of copyright protection, and that the creation and commercialisation of a parodistic work cannot be prohibited by the author of the parodied work, since the former does not amount to an elaboration of the latter.
Gamification in nutrition education: the impact and the acceptance of digital game-based intervention for improving nutritional habits
Authors: Rosati Riccardo , Regini Letizia , Pauls Aleksandra , Strafella Elisabetta , Raffaelli Francesca , Frontoni Emanuele
Published: March 2024

As school-based nutrition education interventions have become increasingly popular in recent years, they have proven effective in raising children awareness and responsibility toward good eating habits as well as improving their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The aim of this work is to evaluate whether a gamification approach, using a digital application developed in AdobeXD, could be an appropriate strategy for increasing attention span toward nutrition education messages when compared to a classical didactic approach. The study involved 126 children aged 7 to 8 years, divided into control group (lesson with nutrition expert supported by slides) and intervention group (interactive lesson via application). A questionnaire was then administered to all participants to assess the knowledge they gained regarding basic nutrition education concepts. An additional questionnaire was distributed to the intervention group for the prototype digital evaluation based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. The results show that the digital application has the potential to be an effective tool for producing significant improvements in nutrition knowledge. The greater rating on the usefulness of the content, rather than on other intrinsic features of the prototype, demonstrates that the use of a digital approach can play a key role in capturing new concepts of nutrition education.
Agglomeration of coal and polyethylene mixtures during fixed-bed co-gasification
Authors: Donskoy Igor G. , Kozlov Aleksandr N. , Penzik Maksim V. , Svishchev Denis A. , Ding Lu
Published: March 2024

The article presents the results of experimental studies on the gasification of mixtures of brown coal and polyethylene (up to 20 wt% fraction) in a laboratory reactor. The work aims to study the agglomeration process during the heating and oxidation of the mixtures. The measurement results (gas composition, pressure drop) provide indirect information on the dynamics of thermal decomposition and structural changes in the fuel bed. We have shown that the interaction between polyethylene and a coal surface leads to the formation of dense agglomerates, in which the molten polymer acts as a binder. Clinkers form as a result of interfacial interactions between components and filtration flow rearranging. The hydrogen/carbon ratio in the solid residue of coal-polyethylene co-gasification increases from 0.07–0.2 to 1.11, indicating the formation of stable hydrocarbon compounds on the carbon surface. The conducted research makes it possible to identify possible interactions between chemical reactions and transfer processes that lead to agglomeration in mixtures of coal with polyethylene.
Stiffness and Strength of an Artificially Cemented Waste-PET-Shred Reinforced Clay
Authors: Ali Shivan Jalal , Ekinci Abdullah , Iravanian Anoosheh
Published: March 2024

This study explores whether the polyethylene terephthalate bottle shreds (PETBS), could be a viable alternative additive in order to reduce the usage of traditional cement in geotechnical and transportation projects. Through a comprehensive study, clayey soil was stabilized with varying quantities (0.1–1% of solid mass) of PETBS of two different size ranges. Optimal dosages were chosen, followed by additional tests incorporating small amounts of (5, 7 and 10% of solid mass) cement enhancement. After curing periods of 7 and 28 days, California bearing ratio (CBR) tests and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test results revealed that the addition of PETBS enhanced CBR values and initial shear modulus (G0) in both plain and cement treated samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images also affirmed the improvement of strength at the microstructural level. Notably, PETBS of size 2–4.75 mm exhibited superior performance compared to size 0.42–0.841 mm, with an optimal content range of 0.6–0.8%. It was observed that the addition of PETBS to artificially cemented soil improved CBR values by up to 35%, while also modifying stiffness and brittleness, rendering the soil more ductile. Ultimately, a regression model was proposed to facilitate estimates of CBR and G0 in PETBS-reinforced cemented clay, to accommodate varying PETBS grading and content. The suggested approach promotes cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions by reducing pavement thickness and enhancing soil stability, demonstrating the potential of repurposing PET waste as a sustainable strategy in various engineering projects.
ViTCN: Hybrid Vision Transformer with Temporal Convolution for Multi-Emotion Recognition
Authors: Zakieldin Kamal , Khattab Radwa , Ibrahim Ehab , Arafat Esraa , Ahmed Nehal , Hemayed Elsayed
Published: March 2024

In Talentino, HR-Solution analyzes candidates’ profiles and conducts interviews. Artificial intelligence is used to analyze the video interviews and recognize the candidate’s expressions during the interview. This paper introduces ViTCN, a combination of Vision Transformer (ViT) and Temporal Convolution Network (TCN), as a novel architecture for detecting and interpreting human emotions and expressions. Human expression recognition contributes widely to the development of human-computer interaction. The machine’s understanding of human emotions in the real world will considerably contribute to life in the future. Emotion recognition was identifying the emotions as a single frame (image-based) without considering the sequence of frames. The proposed architecture utilized a series of frames to accurately identify the true emotional expression within a combined sequence of frames over time. The study demonstrates the potential of this method as a viable option for identifying facial expressions during interviews, which could inform hiring decisions. For situations with limited computational resources, the proposed architecture offers a powerful solution for interpreting human facial expressions with a single model and a single GPU.The proposed architecture was validated on the widely used controlled data sets CK+, MMI, and the challenging DAiSEE data set, as well as on the challenging wild data sets DFEW and AFFWild2. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method has superior performance to existing methods on DFEW, AFFWild2, MMI, and DAiSEE. It outperformed other sophisticated top-performing solutions with an accuracy of 4.29% in DFEW, 14.41% in AFFWild2, and 7.74% in MMI. It also achieved comparable results on the CK+ data set.
Speech Keyword Spotting Method Based on Swin-Transformer Model
Authors: Sun Chengli , Chen Bikang , Chen Feilong , Leng Yan , Guo Qiaosheng
Published: March 2024

With the rapid advancements in deep learning technology, the Transformer-based attention neural network has shown promising performance in keyword spotting (KWS). However, this method suffers from high computational cost since the excessive parameters in the Transformer model and the computational burden of global attention, which limit its applicability in a resource-constrained KWS scenario. To overcome this issue, we propose a novel Swin-Transformer based KWS method. In this approach, first extract dynamic features using Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) from input Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs). Then, the Swin-Transformer is employed to capture hierarchical multi-scale features, where a window attention is designed to grasp dynamic time–frequency features. Furthermore, to enhance the extraction of contextual information from the spectrogram, a frame-level shifted window attention mechanism is proposed to enhance the inter-window interaction, thus extracting more contextual information from the spectrogram. Experimental results on the speech command V1 dataset verify the effectiveness of the proposal, which achieves a recognition accuracy of 98.01% with less model parameters, outperforming existing KWS methods.
Labour of the Stitch
Authors: Dyer Serena
Published: March 2024

The making of fashionable women's dress in Georgian England necessitated an inordinate amount of manual labour. From the mantuamakers and seamstresses who wrought lengths of silk and linen into garments, to the artists and engravers who disseminated and immortalised the resulting outfits in print and on paper, Georgian garments were the products of many busy hands. This Element centres the sartorial hand as a point of connection across the trades which generated fashionable dress in the eighteenth century. Crucially, it engages with recreation methodologies to explore how the agency and skill of the stitching hand can inform understandings of craft, industry, gender, and labour in the eighteenth century. The labour of stitching, along with printmaking, drawing, and painting, composed a comprehensive culture of making and manual labour which, together, constructed eighteenth-century cultures of fashionable dress.
Ecological Psychology
Authors: Segundo-Ortin Miguel , Raja Vicente
Published: March 2024

Ecological psychology is one of the main alternative theories of perception and action available in the contemporary literature. This Element explores and analyzes its most relevant ideas, concepts, methods, and experimental results. It discusses the historical roots of the ecological approach. The Element then analyzes the works of the two main founders of ecological psychology: James and Eleanor Gibson. It also explores the development of ecological psychology since the 1980s until nowadays. Finally, the Element identifies and evaluates the future of the ecological approach to perception and action.
A digital twin for ship structures—R&D project in Japan
Authors: Fujikubo Masahiko , Okada Tetsuo , Murayama Hideaki , Houtani Hidetaka , Osawa Naoki , Iijima Kazuhiro , Hamada Kunihiro , Toh Kimihiro , Oka Masayoshi , Hirakawa Shinichi , Shibata Kenichi , Ashida Tetsuro , Arima Toshiro , Tanaka Yoshiteru , Tatsumi Akira , Takeuchi Takaaki , Mitsuyuki Taiga , Mikami Kohei , Kobayashi Makito , Komoriyama Yusuke , Ma Chong , Chen Xi , Ochi Hiroshi , Miratsu Rei
Published: March 2024

In order to clarify and visualize the real state of the structural performances of ships in operation and establish a more optimal, data-driven framework for ship design, construction and operation, an industry-academia joint R&D project on the digital twin for ship structures (DTSS) was conducted in Japan. This paper presents the major achievements of the project. The DTSS aims to grasp the stress responses over the whole ship structure in waves by data assimilation that merges hull monitoring and numerical simulation. Three data assimilation methods, namely, the wave spectrum method, Kalman filter method, and inverse finite element method were used, and their effectiveness was examined through model and full-scale ship measurements. Methods for predicting short-term extreme responses and long-term cumulative fatigue damage were developed for navigation and maintenance support using statistical approaches. In comparison with conventional approaches, response predictions were significantly improved by DTSS using real response data in encountered waves. Utilization scenarios for DTSS in the maritime industry were presented from the viewpoints of navigation support, maintenance support, rule improvement, and product value improvement, together with future research needs for implementation in the maritime industry.
Improving psychosocial well-being and parenting practices among refugees in Uganda: Results of the journey of life effectiveness trial
Authors: Stark Lindsay , Meinhart Melissa , Hermosilla Sabrina , Kajungu Rehema , Cohen Flora , Agaba Gary S. , Obalim Grace , Knox Justin , Onyango Mangen Patrick
Published: March 2024

Caregivers play a critical role in mediating the impacts of forced displacement on children; however, humanitarian programming remains hampered by a lack of evidence-based programming. We present findings from an evaluation of a group-based curriculum delivered over the course of 12 sessions, journey of life (JoL). A waitlist-control quasi-experimental design was implemented in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement (intervention n = 631, control n = 676). Caregiver mental distress, measured using the Kessler-6, was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included (a) functioning, (b) social support and (c) caregiving attitudes and behaviors. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cohen’s d estimates were used to examine the intervention effects. According to our primary PSM analysis, JoL led to significant improvements in mental distress (coef.: 2.33; p < 0.001), social support (coef.: 1.45; p < 0.001), functioning (coef.: 2.64; p < 0.001), parental warmth/affection (coef.: 2.48; p < 0.001), parental undifferentiated rejection (coef.: 0.49; p < 0.001) and attitudes around violence against children (VAC) (coef.: 1.98; p < 0.001). Evidence from Cohen’s d analysis underscored the value of the intervention’s effect on parental warmth/affection (0.74), mental distress (0.70) and VAC attitudes (0.68). This trial adds to the evidence on holistic parenting programming to improve the mental health and parenting outcomes among refugee caregivers.
An interview with Dr. Jie Zhang
Authors: Chang Guoqing
Published: March 2024

Dr. Jie Zhang, a distinguished physicist, has made significant contributions in the fields of high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion. Because of these, he was elected academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003, academician of the German National Academy of Sciences in 2007, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in 2008, foreign member of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom in 2011 and foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States in 2012. In 2015, he was awarded the prestigious Edward Teller Medal, the most important international award in inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics. In 2021, he was awarded the Future Science Prize in Physical Sciences.
The Subterranean Unsettling of Science, Race, and Religion: Obeah, Petroleum Geology, and Risk in Trinidad
Authors: Crosson J. Brent
Published: March 2024

When scholars have compared “African traditional religion” and “Western science,” they have often treated the terms of this comparison as racialized unitary entities, which are either radically different or somewhat similar (even as Western categories of rationality or nature remain the basis for these comparisons). This essay unsettles these assumptions by focusing on practices that are called “science” in the fields of both petroleum geology and Afro-Caribbean religion. Based on long-term ethnographic research in Trinidad, arguably the world’s oldest site of commercial oil extraction, I show how internal differences between those involved in “petroleum science” and “African religion” reveal a spectrum of meanings for the word “science” centered on relations to risk. At one end of this spectrum, science conveyed ideals of stable tradition that de-risked claims to knowledge for energy sector specialists intent on securing foreign investment or for “Yorubacentric” lineages of African religion centering initiation-based authority. At this spectrum’s other end, “science” foregrounded the risks of accessing hard-to-perceive forces in petroleum exploration or “spiritual work.” By focusing on heterogeneous practices rather than cultural essences or ideals of rationality, I show how the ethical implications of “science” depend on differing experiences of the risks of working with subterranean powers. While petroleum surveys at my field site in Trinidad required embodied risks by laborers, geologists backgrounded these contexts of power, representing the risks of their work as a problem of scientific accuracy. Afro-Trinidadian spiritual workers, in contrast, foregrounded the embodied risks of science as the ground of ethical practice.
A Discipline Like No Other: Marginalized Autonomy and Institutional Anchors in French Public Psychiatry (1945–2016)
Authors: Barnard Alex V.
Published: March 2024

Research on psychiatry in the United States has shown how, since the 1980s, the discipline has sought to increase its prestige and preserve its jurisdiction by embracing biomedical models of treatment and arguing it is a medical specialty like any other. While this strategy is consistent with what the literature on professions would expect, this paper analyzes an alternative case: French public psychiatry, which has remained in a position of marginalized autonomy, combining low status and economic precarity with state recognition of its specificity. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of fields, I analyze how the persistence of specialized psychiatric hospitals in France—most of which have closed in the United States—has shaped the conflict between psychiatrists favoring autonomy and actors in university hospitals and the Ministry of Health seeking to reduce it. These specialized hospitals have functioned as institutional anchors that contribute to maintaining the discipline’s autonomous position in the medical field in three ways: by socializing psychiatrists into viewing themselves as a distinctive branch of medicine, linking psychiatry to powerful actors in the state interested in maintaining the discipline’s distinctive role in social control, and concentrating a population of chronically ill persons not amenable to traditional medical interventions. This analysis expands on the literature on professionals and field theory by emphasizing the role of institutions in structuring the reorganization of jurisdictions and relationships between fields.
Strengthening through adversity: The hormesis model in developmental psychopathology
Authors: Oshri Assaf , Howard Cullin J. , Zhang Linhao , Reck Ava , Cui Zehua , Liu Sihong , Duprey Erinn , Evans Avary I. , Azarmehr Rabeeh , Geier Charles F.
Published: March 2024

Background:

Employing a developmental psychopathology framework, we tested the utility of the hormesis model in examining the strengthening of children and youth through limited levels of adversity in relation to internalizing and externalizing outcomes within a brain-by-development context.

Methods:

Analyzing data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (N = 11,878), we formed latent factors of threat, deprivation, and unpredictability. We examined linear and nonlinear associations between adversity dimensions and youth psychopathology symptoms and how change of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the default mode network (DMN) from Time 1 to Time 5 moderates these associations.

Results:

A cubic association was found between threat and youth internalizing problems; low-to-moderate family conflict levels reduced these problems. Deprivation also displayed a cubic relation with youth externalizing problems, with moderate deprivation levels associated with fewer problems. Unpredictability linearly increased both problem types. Change in DMN rsFC significantly moderated the cubic link between threat levels and internalizing problems, with declining DMN rsFC levels from Time 1 to Time 5 facilitating hormesis. Hormetic effects peaked earlier, emphasizing the importance of sensitive periods and developmental timing of outcomes related to earlier experiences.

Conclusions:

Strengthening through limited environmental adversity is crucial for developing human resilience. Understanding this process requires considering both linear and nonlinear adversity-psychopathology associations. Testing individual differences by brain and developmental context will inform preventive intervention programming.
The influence of friendships on the mental health of maltreated youth: A pre-registered systematic review using a developmental psychopathology perspective
Authors: Brown Michelle P. , Witmer Rhoda , Johnson Alexsia
Published: March 2024

Friendships are a potential factor that influence maltreated children’s risk for psychopathology. This systematic review examined (1) how friendships influence the association between child maltreatment and psychopathology and (2) developmental differences in how friendships influence this association. Four databases were searched. Inclusion criteria were primary study, quantitative, measures of maltreatment and friendship up to the age of 18 years, measures of psychopathology up to the age of 24 years, and a non-maltreated sample. Exclusion criteria were qualitative, reviews or meta-analyses, no distinction between maltreatment and other trauma, and no differentiation between friendships and other support. Risk of bias was assessed. Data were narratively synthesized. Two hundred thirty-five articles were retrieved for full review. Fourteen met inclusion criteria (N = 98,676 participants). Eleven of the fourteen studies found that some aspect of friendships influenced the association between maltreatment and psychopathology, with positive qualities generally decreasing risk and negative qualities increasing risk for psychopathology. However, peer support exacerbated maltreated children’s risk for psychopathology in two studies. Only three studies assessed friendship prior to adolescence, which precluded conclusions regarding developmental differences. Future research should consider developmental differences and use findings and validated measures from the peer relations literature to better understand how friendships influence maltreated youth’s vulnerability to psychopathology.
Automation, job reallocation, occupational choice, and related government policy
Authors: Lu Chia-Hui
Published: March 2024

By introducing automation development into a labor search model, this paper obtains that the increasing importance of automation in production may be responsible for the reduction in job reallocation along the transitional dynamics path. In the long run, we find automation also increases the total unemployment rate and reduces overall labor force participation. In addition, decreasing any disparity between differently skilled labor is detrimental to job reallocation along the transitional dynamics path, and both the long-run total unemployment rate and overall labor market participation will fall. Nevertheless, appropriate government subsidy policies can improve business dynamics across the labor market.
Might text-davinci-003 Have Inner Speech?
Authors: Mann Stephen Francis , Gregory Daniel
Published: March 2024

OpenAI is a research organization founded by, among others, Elon Musk, and supported by Microsoft. In November 2022, it released ChatGPT, an incredibly sophisticated chatbot, that is, a computer system with which humans can converse. The capability of this chatbot is astonishing: as well as conversing with human interlocutors, it can answer questions about history, explain almost anything you might think to ask it, and write poetry. This level of achievement has provoked interest in questions about whether a chatbot might have something similar to human intelligence and even whether one could be conscious. Given that the function of a chatbot is to process linguistic input and produce linguistic output, we consider that the most interesting question in this direction is whether a sophisticated chatbot might have inner speech. That is: might it talk to itself, internally? We explored this via a conversation with ‘Playground’, a chatbot which is very similar to ChatGPT but more flexible in certain respects. We put to it questions which, plausibly, can only be answered if one first produces some inner speech. Here, we present our findings and discuss their philosophical significance.
Effects of prognostic communication strategies on emotions, coping, and appreciation of consultations: An experimental study in advanced cancer
Authors: van der Velden Naomi C.A. , Smets Ellen M.A. , van Vliet Liesbeth M. , Brom Linda , van Laarhoven Hanneke W.M. , Henselmans Inge
Published: March 2024

Objectives

We aimed to investigate effects of prognostic communication strategies on emotions, coping, and appreciation of consultations in advanced cancer.

Methods

For this experimental study, we created 8 videos of a scripted oncological consultation, only varying in prognostic communication strategies. Disease-naive individuals (n = 1036) completed surveys before and after watching 1 video, while imagining being the depicted cancer patient. We investigated effects of the type of disclosure (prognostic disclosure vs. communication of unpredictability vs. non-disclosure) and content of disclosure (standard vs. standard and best-case vs. standard, best- and worst-case survival scenarios; numerical vs. word-based estimates) on emotions, coping, and appreciation of consultations. Moderating effects of individual characteristics were tested.

Results

Participants generally reported more satisfaction (p < .001) after prognostic disclosure versus communication of unpredictability and less uncertainty (p = .042), more satisfaction (p = .005), and more desirability (p = .016) regarding prognostic information after numerical versus word-based estimates. Effects of different survival scenarios were absent. Prognostic communication strategies lacked effects on emotions and coping. Significant moderators included prognostic information preference and uncertainty tolerance.

Significance of results

In an experimental setting, prognostic disclosure does not cause more negative emotions than non-disclosure and numerical estimates are more strongly appreciated than words. Oncologists’ worries about harming patients should not preclude disclosing (precise) prognostic information, yet sensitivity to individual preferences and characteristics remains pivotal.
Validation of the Spanish translation Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (SPARC-Sp) at the Hospital Universitario San Jose of Popayan, Colombia
Authors: Mendieta Cindy V. , Calvache Jose A. , Rondón Martín A. , Rincón-Rodríguez Carlos Javier , Ahmedzai Sam H. , de Vries Esther
Published: March 2024

Objectives

We determined the validity and reliability of the Spanish translation Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (SPARC-Sp) questionnaire to identify the palliative care (PC) needs of patients with chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Colombia.

Methods

We developed a cross-sectional observational study of scale assessment in adults with the aim of determining the validity and reliability of the SPARC-Sp questionnaire to identify the PC needs of patients with NCDs receiving outpatient or inpatient care at the Hospital Universitario San Jose of Popayan – ESE, Colombia, from 2021 to 2022.

Results

We applied a questionnaire consisting of demographic, clinical data, and SPARC-Sp to 507 participants. The constructed model explained 75% of the variance with an adequate fit according to the root mean square residual (0.03), the comparative fit index (0.98), and acceptable reliability (McDonald’s total omega 0.4–0.9). Opportunities for improvement are the reformulation and inclusion of particular words to improve the representativeness and clarity of the domains of communication and information, religious, and spiritual issues.

Significance of results

This research represents the first validation of SPARC in Spanish. SPARC-Sp is an instrument that allows initiating a conversation of the patient’s main needs through a systematic assessment of the patients’ main needs. Its psychometric validation demonstrated good fit and acceptable reliability.
Evolution of Antarctic Sea Ice Ahead of the Record Low Annual Maximum Extent in September 2023
Authors: Jena Babula , Kshitija S. , Bajish C. C. , Turner John , Holmes Caroline , Wilkinson Jeremy , Mohan Rahul , Thamban M.
Published: March 2024

The 2023 Antarctic sea ice extent (SIE) maximum on 7 September was the lowest annual maximum in the satellite era (16.98 × 106 km2), with the largest contributions to the anomaly coming from the Ross (37.7%, −0.57 × 106 km2) and Weddell (32.9%, −0.49 × 106 km2) Seas. The SIE was low due to anomalously warm (>0.3°C) upper‐ocean temperatures combined with anomalously strong northerly winds impeding the ice advance during the fall and winter. Northerly winds of >12 ms−1 in the Weddell Sea occurred because of negative pressure anomalies over the Antarctic Peninsula, while those in the Ross Sea were associated with extreme blocking episodes off the Ross Ice Shelf. The Ross Sea experienced an unprecedented SIE decrease of −1.08 × 103 km2 d−1 from 1 June till the annual maximum. The passage of quasi‐stationary and explosive polar cyclones contributed to periods of southward ice‐edge shift in both sectors.
Vertical Interaction Between NBC Rings and Its Implications for South Atlantic Water Export
Authors: Napolitano Dante C. , Carton Xavier , Gula Jonathan
Published: March 2024

Northwestward‐propagating North Brazil Current (NBC) Rings are often destroyed upon reaching the Caribbean islands, carrying South Atlantic waters into the North Atlantic gyre and connecting the two branches of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Recent observations of NBC rings reported surface and subsurface cores separated by strong stratification. As independent structures, the subsurface eddies often appeared below—even if not aligned with—the surface rings. Motivated by these findings, this paper investigates the occurrence and consequences of vertical coupling between surface and subsurface NBC rings by applying a simplified theoretical model to a realistic numerical simulation. Eddy tracking in this complex simulation reveals around 1,600 instantaneous observations where eddies overlap. At each observation, we assess the eddies' vertical interaction with a 21/2‐layer quasi‐geostrophic framework. This interaction boils down to either coupling between the layers or a vertical splitting of the system, depending on eddy strength versus background shear. The effects of coupling include long‐lived eddies that can travel longer distances. These effects are particularly important for the lower layer, where differences between coupled and non‐coupled eddies are striking: about 40% of eddies with coupling travel 500 km, with ∼10% carrying South Atlantic Water up to the Caribbean sea. Without coupling, eddies propagate less than 150 km. During coupling, lower‐layer eddies could be driven by their surface counterparts to move offshore and bypass a topographic choke point, thus leaving the NBC retroflection region. Although still speculative, this idea explains the link between coupling and the increase in both lifetime and distance traveled for these eddies.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of miRNA-1 from primary tumors represses the growth of distant metastases
Authors: Kim Chae-Yi , Lee Kang-Hoon , Son Keun Hong , Shin Tae-Jin , Cho Je-Yoel
Published: March 2024

Metastases originate from primary tumors and reach distant organs. Growing evidence suggests that metastases are under the control of primary tumors even outside the primary site; however, the mechanisms by which primary tumors remotely control metastases remain unclear. Here, we discovered a molecular mechanism by which primary tumors suppress metastatic growth. Interestingly, we found that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from the primary tumor can inhibit the growth of metastases both in vitro and in vivo. miR-1 was particularly enriched in primary tumor-derived EVs (pTDEs) and was found to be responsible for the suppression of metastatic growth. Mechanistically, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damage were induced, which led to cell cycle arrest. Collectively, our data demonstrate that primary tumors restrict the growth of distant metastases via miR-1 in pTDEs and that miR-1 could potentially be used as an antimetastatic agent.
Radiotherapy in younger patients with advanced aggressive B-cell lymphoma—long-term results from the phase 3 R-MegaCHOEP trial
Authors: Oertel Michael , Ziepert Marita , Frontzek Fabian , Nacke Nina , Altmann Bettina , Nickelsen Maike , Glass Bertram , Poeschel Viola , Ruebe Christian , Lenz Georg , Schmitz Norbert , Eich Hans Theodor
Published: March 2024

The role of consolidative radiotherapy (RT) for patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma has not been fully elucidated. The R-MegaCHOEP trial investigated the use of high-dose chemotherapy and rituximab with subsequent autologous stem cell transplantations compared to conventional immunochemotherapy (R-CHOEP) for high-risk patients up to 60 years. The study protocol included RT for patients with bulky (maximum diameter ≥7.5 cm) or extranodal disease. Two-hundred sixty-one patients were analyzed, 120 of whom underwent RT. The most frequently irradiated regions were mediastinum (n = 50) and paraaortic (n = 27). Median RT dose was 36 Gray in median fractions of 1.8 Gray. Acute toxicities were mostly mild to moderate, with only 24 and 8 grade 3 and 4 toxicities reported during RT. Patients with bulky disease who received RT showed significantly better 10-year EFS, PFS and OS (EFS: 64% vs. 35%; p < 0.001; PFS 68% vs. 47%; p = 0.003; OS: 72% vs. 59%; p = 0.011). There was no significant increase in secondary malignancies with the use of RT. RT administered for consolidation of bulky disease after immunochemotherapy improved the prognosis of young high-risk patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma and should be considered part of first-line therapy. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00129090.
Antimicrobial efficacy of Odontopaste in endodontics: a systematic review
Authors: Kendell-Wall Rachael , Nguyen Jennifer-Thuy , Salleras Fauve , Kamboj Amandeep Singh , Diwen Tan Serene Aimee , Manish Trivedi Vaidehi , de Mello-Neto João Martins , Rodrigues Amaral Rodrigo
Published: March 2024

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of Odontopaste in reducing the microbial load in endodontics compared to other intracanal medicaments.

Materials and methods

The literature was electronically searched on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Ovid Medline and Web of Science. In-vitro, ex-vivo and in-vivo studies that evaluated the antimicrobial efficacy of Odontopaste were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for In Vitro Studies.

Results

A total of four in-vitro studies were included in the systematic review. One study showed that Odontopaste had significantly more microbial cell growth on roots in all dentine depths compared to other medicaments or test agents. Another study found that Odontopaste significantly decreased colony-forming units compared to propolis and chlorhexidine. Further results showed that Odontopaste did not significantly decrease microbial numbers when used in isolation. Additionally, combining Odontopaste and calcium hydroxide did not enhance the effectiveness of calcium hydroxide. The studies had a medium to high risk of bias.

Conclusion

There is insufficient high-quality evidence to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of Odontopaste compared to other intracanal medicaments. Further research is required to determine Odontopaste’s efficacy as an antimicrobial medicament in endodontics.
Plasticity of circadian and circatidal rhythms in activity and transcriptomic dynamics in a freshwater snail
Authors: Yokomizo Takumi , Takahashi Yuma
Published: March 2024

Organisms have diverse biological clocks synchronised with environmental cycles depending on their habitats. Anticipation of tidal changes has driven the evolution of circatidal rhythms in some marine species. In the freshwater snail, Semisulcospira reiniana, individuals in nontidal areas exhibit circadian rhythms, whereas those in tidal areas exhibit both circadian and circatidal rhythms. We investigated whether the circatidal rhythms are genetically determined or induced by environmental cycles. The exposure to a simulated tidal cycle did not change the intensity of circatidal rhythm in individuals in the nontidal population. However, snails in the tidal population showed different activity rhythms depending on the presence or absence of the exposure. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes with circatidal oscillation increased due to entrainment to the tidal cycle in both populations and dominant rhythmicity was consistent with the environmental cycle. These results suggest plasticity in the endogenous rhythm in the gene expression in both populations. Note that circatidal oscillating genes were more abundant in the tidal population than in the nontidal population, suggesting that a greater number of genes are associated with circatidal clocks in the tidal population compared to the nontidal population. This increase of circatidal clock–controlled genes in the tidal population could be caused by genetic changes in the biological clock or the experience of tidal cycle in the early life stage. Our findings suggest that the plasticity of biological rhythms may have contributed to the adaptation to the tidal environment in S. reiniana.