bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why study sleep in flatworms?
Authors: Omond Shauni E. T. , Lesku John A.
Published: March 2023

The behaviors that characterize sleep have been observed across a broad range of different species. While much attention has been placed on vertebrates (mostly mammals and birds), the grand diversity of invertebrates has gone largely unexplored. Here, we introduce the intrigue and special value in the study of sleeping platyhelminth flatworms. Flatworms are closely related to annelids and mollusks, and yet are comparatively simple. They lack a circulatory system, respiratory system, endocrine glands, a coelom, and an anus. They retain a central and peripheral nervous system, various sensory systems, and an ability to learn. Flatworms sleep, like other animals, a state which is regulated by prior sleep/wake history and by the neurotransmitter GABA. Furthermore, they possess a remarkable ability to regenerate from a mere fragment of the original animal. The regenerative capabilities of flatworms make them a unique bilaterally symmetric animal to study a link between sleep and neurodevelopment. Lastly, the recent applications of tools for probing the flatworm genome, metabolism, and brain activity make their entrance into the field of sleep research all the more timely.
Wiener–Hopf Difference Equations and Semi-Cardinal Interpolation with Integrable Convolution Kernels
Authors: Bejancu Aurelian
Published: March 2023

Let$$H\subset {\mathbb {Z}}^d$$H⊂Zdbe a half-space lattice, defined either relative to a fixed coordinate (e.g.$$H = {\mathbb {Z}}^{d-1}\!\times \!{\mathbb {Z}}_+$$H=Zd-1×Z+), or relative to a linear order$$\preceq $$⪯on$${\mathbb {Z}}^d$$Zd, i.e.$$H = \{j\in {\mathbb {Z}}^d: 0\preceq j\}$$H={j∈Zd:0⪯j}. We consider the problem of interpolation at the points ofHfrom the space of series expansions in terms of theH-shifts of a decaying kernel$$\phi $$ϕ. Using the Wiener–Hopf factorization of the symbol for cardinal interpolation with$$\phi $$ϕon$${\mathbb {Z}}^d$$Zd, we derive some essential properties of semi-cardinal interpolation onH, such as existence and uniqueness, Lagrange series representation, variational characterization, and convergence to cardinal interpolation. Our main results prove that specific algebraic or exponential decay of the kernel$$\phi $$ϕis transferred to the Lagrange functions for interpolation onH, as in the case of cardinal interpolation. These results are shown to apply to a variety of examples, including the Gaussian, Matérn, generalized inverse multiquadric, box-spline, and polyharmonic B-spline kernels.
Sonographic features of adenomyosis correlated with clinical symptoms and intraoperative findings: a case–control study
Authors: Haj Hamoud Bashar , Kasoha Mariz , Sillem Martin , Solomayer Erich-Franz , Sima Romina-Marina , Ples Liana , Schwab Roxana , Olmes Gregor Leonhard
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Adenomyosis is a common disease of females during their reproductive age. As of today, histologic examination of the uterus after hysterectomy constitutes the gold standard for diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of sonographic, hysteroscopic, and laparoscopic criteria for the diagnosis of the disease.

Methods

This study included data collected from 50 women in the reproductive age of 18–45 years, who underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy in the gynecology department of the Saarland University Hospital in Homburg between 2017 and 2018. The patients with adenomyosis were compared with a healthy control group.

Results

We collected data of anamnesis, sonographic criteria, hysteroscopic criteria and laparoscopic criteria and compared it with the postoperative histological results. A total 25 patients were diagnosed with adenomyosis postoperatively. For each of these; at least three sonographic diagnostical criteria for adenomyosis were found compared with a maximum of two for the control group.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated an association between pre- and intraoperative signs of adenomyosis. In this way, it shows a high diagnostic accuracy of the sonographic examination as a pre-operative diagnostic method of the adenomyosis.
A parosmia severity index based on word-classification predicts olfactory abilities and impairment
Authors: Hörberg Thomas , Sekine Rumi , Overbeck Clara , Hummel Thomas , Olofsson Jonas K.
Published: March 2023

Parosmia is an olfactory disorder that involves distortions of specific odors that may co-occur with anosmia, loss of smell of other odors. Little is known about which odors frequently trigger parosmia, and measures of parosmia severity are lacking. Here, we present an approach to understand and diagnose parosmia that is based on semantic properties (e.g., valence) of words describing odor sources (“fish”, “coffee”, etc.). Using a data-driven method based on natural language data, we identified 38 odor descriptors. Descriptors were evenly dispersed across an olfactory-semantic space, which was based on key odor dimensions. Parosmia patients (n = 48) classified the corresponding odors in terms of whether they trigger parosmic or anosmic sensations. We investigated whether these classifications are related to semantic properties of the descriptors. Parosmic sensations were most often reported for words describing unpleasant odors of inedibles that are highly associated to olfaction (e.g., “excrement”). Based on PCA modeling, we derived the Parosmia Severity Index—a measure of parosmia severity that can be determined solely from our non-olfactory behavioral task. This index predicts olfactory-perceptual abilities, self-reported olfactory impairment, and depression. We thus provide a novel approach for investigating parosmia and establishing its severity that does not require odor exposure. Our work may enhance our understanding of how parosmia changes over time and how it is expressed differently across individuals.
Patterns, trends, and factors influencing hospitalizations for craniosynostosis in Western Australia. A population-based study
Authors: Junaid Mohammed , Slack-Smith Linda , Wong Kingsley , Hewitt Timothy , Bourke Jenny , Baynam Gareth , Calache Hanny , Leonard Helen
Published: March 2023

Understanding hospital service use among children with a diagnosis of craniosynostosis (CS) is important to improve services and outcomes. This study aimed to describe population-level trends, patterns, and factors influencing hospitalizations for craniosynostosis in Western Australia. Data on live births (1990–2010; n = 554,624) including craniosynostosis, episodes of death, demographic, and perinatal factors were identified from the midwives, birth defects, hospitalizations, and death datasets. Information on craniosynostosis and non-craniosynostosis-related admissions, cumulative length of hospital stay (cLoS), intensive care unit, and emergency department–related admissions were extracted from the hospitalization dataset and linked to other data sources. These associations were examined using negative binomial regression presented as annual percent change and associations of hospitalizations by age groups, demographic, and perinatal factors were expressed as incidence rate ratio (IRR). We found an increasing trend in incident hospitalizations but a marginal decline in cLoS for craniosynostosis over the observed study period. Perinatal conditions, feeding difficulties, nervous system anomalies, respiratory, and other infections contributed to majority of infant non-CS-related admissions.Respiratory infections accounted for about twice the number of admissions for individuals with CS (IRRs 1.94–2.34) across all observed age groups. Higher incidence of non-CS hospitalizations was observed among females, with associated anomalies, to families with highest socioeconomic disadvantage and living in remote areas of the state.

  Conclusion: Marginal reduction in the cLoS for CS-related admissions observed over the 21-year period are potentially indicative of improved peri-operative care. However, higher incidence of respiratory infection-related admissions for syndromic synostosis is concerning and requires investigation.
Computing Bend-Minimum Orthogonal Drawings of Plane Series–Parallel Graphs in Linear Time
Authors: Didimo Walter , Kaufmann Michael , Liotta Giuseppe , Ortali Giacomo
Published: March 2023

A planar orthogonal drawing of a planar 4-graph G (i.e., a planar graph with vertex-degree at most four) is a crossing-free drawing that maps each vertex of G to a distinct point of the plane and each edge of G to a polygonal chain consisting of horizontal and vertical segments. A longstanding open question in Graph Drawing, dating back over 30 years, is whether there exists a linear-time algorithm to compute an orthogonal drawing of a plane 4-graph with the minimum number of bends. The term “plane” indicates that the input graph comes together with a planar embedding, which must be preserved by the drawing (i.e., the drawing must have the same set of faces as the input graph). In this paper we positively answer the question above for the widely-studied class of series–parallel graphs. Our linear-time algorithm is based on a characterization of the planar series–parallel graphs that admit an orthogonal drawing without bends. This characterization is given in terms of the orthogonal spirality that each type of triconnected component of the graph can take; the orthogonal spirality of a component measures how much that component is “rolled-up” in an orthogonal drawing of the graph.
Bitonic st-Orderings for Upward Planar Graphs: Splits and Bends in the Variable Embedding Scenario
Authors: Angelini Patrizio , Bekos Michael A. , Förster Henry , Gronemann Martin
Published: March 2023

Bitonic st-orderings for st-planar graphs were introduced as a method to cope with several graph drawing problems. Notably, they have been used to obtain the best-known upper bound on the number of bends for upward planar polyline drawings with at most one bend per edge in polynomial area. For an st-planar graph that does not admit a bitonic st-ordering, one may split certain edges such that for the resulting graph such an ordering exists. Since each split is interpreted as a bend, one is usually interested in splitting as few edges as possible. While this optimization problem admits a linear-time algorithm in the fixed embedding setting, it remains open in the variable embedding setting. We close this gap in the literature by providing a linear-time algorithm that optimizes over all embeddings of the input st-planar graph. The best-known lower bound on the number of required splits of an st-planar graph with n vertices is $$n-3$$

n
-
3

. However, it is possible to compute a bitonic st-ordering without any split for the st-planar graph obtained by reversing the orientation of all edges. In terms of upward planar polyline drawings in polynomial area, the former translates into $$n-3$$

n
-
3

bends, while the latter into no bends. We show that this idea cannot always be exploited by describing an st-planar graph that needs at least $$n-5$$

n
-
5

splits in both orientations. We provide analogous bounds for graphs with small degree. Finally, we further investigate the relationship between splits in bitonic st-orderings and bends in upward planar polyline drawings with polynomial area, by providing bounds on the number of bends in such drawings.
Towards high-availability cyber-physical systems using a microservice architecture
Authors: Mena Manel , Criado Javier , Iribarne Luis , Corral Antonio , Chbeir Richard , Manolopoulos Yannis
Published: March 2023

In the past few years the use of IoT devices has grown exponentially. When it comes to working with them, we find a series of problems that are not easy to solve. On the one hand, the simple fact of communicating with those devices can be problematic since they can use different types of technologies regarding that communication. On the other hand, these types of devices usually aim to perform their function using the lowest possible energy, meaning they have certain constraints in terms of performance. Trying to work with these devices in high-availability environments becomes difficult because of those restraints. This paper introduces digital dice, a virtual representation of IoT devices and cyber-physical systems based on microservices that uses the standard established by the W3C, the Web of Things, as the underlying framework to declare its possible interactions. The article puts forward the different strategies that Digital Dice uses to mitigate the problems raised. Furthermore, we contrast the performance of Digital Dice with using the devices directly, demonstrating its advantages in a process that requires High Availability.
A novel vesivirus (family Caliciviridae) in European badgers (Meles meles) in Hungary, 2020/2021
Authors: Reuter Gábor , Pankovics Péter , Nagy Gábor , Szekeres Sándor , Boros Ákos
Published: March 2023

In this study, a novel vesivirus (family Caliciviridae) was detected and characterized in faecal and tissue (blood and spleen) specimens collected from three (23.1%) out of 13 European badgers (Meles meles) in Hungary that were tested using RT-PCR and sequencing methods. The complete genome of the vesivirus strain European badger/B40/2021/HUN (OQ161773) is 8,375 nucleotides in length. The ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3 proteins have 81.1%, 70.5%, and 64.2% amino acid sequence identity, respectively, to the corresponding proteins of Asian badger vesivirus, which was first reported in badgers in China in 2022. These results indicate that more than one lineage/species of vesiviruses circulates in mustelid badgers in geographically different regions.
Associations of premenstrual symptoms with daily rumination and perceived stress and the moderating effects of mindfulness facets on symptom cyclicity in premenstrual syndrome
Authors: Nayman Sibel , Konstantinow Desiree Tina , Schricker Isabelle Florence , Reinhard Iris , Kuehner Christine
Published: March 2023

Subthreshold premenstrual symptoms can be impairing even if the diagnostic criteria for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are not reached. Previous research suggests shared psychological risk factors without a clear differentiation of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) from PMDD. This study focuses on a sample with a wide range of premenstrual symptoms not reaching PMDD-criteria and aims to investigate within-person associations of premenstrual symptoms with daily rumination and perceived stress during the late luteal phase as well as cycle-phase specific associations of habitual mindfulness including present-moment-awareness and acceptance with premenstrual symptoms and impairment. Fifty-six naturally cycling women with self-reported premenstrual symptoms completed an online diary on premenstrual symptoms, rumination and perceived stress over two consecutive menstrual cycles, and baseline questionnaires on habitual present-moment-awareness and acceptance. Multilevel analyses revealed cycle-related variations in premenstrual symptoms and impairment (allps < .001). Higher within-person levels of core and secondary premenstrual symptoms during the late luteal phase predicted increased daily rumination and perceived stress (allps < .001) and increased somatic symptoms predicted increased rumination (p ≤ .018). Higher habitual present-moment-awareness was linked to lower premenstrual symptom and impairment levels toward the late luteal phase whereas higher habitual acceptance was associated with lower premenstrual functional impairment (p ≤ .015). Premenstrual symptom increases during the late luteal phase in women with PMS seem to be linked to increased daily rumination and perceived stress. Trait present-moment-awareness and acceptance in turn seem to reflect protective factors against premenstrual distress and may represent useful targets for interventions.
Empirical evaluation of Easy Language recommendations: a systematic literature review from journal research in Catalan, English, and Spanish
Authors: González-Sordé Mariona , Matamala Anna
Published: March 2023

Easy Language is a language variety that aims to make information more comprehensible and, ultimately, more accessible. Content in this variety is written and designed following a set of recommendations that have been published in different guidelines. However, it remains uncertain to what extent these recommendations are backed up by empirical research. The aim of this study is to review the existing literature that evaluates current recommendations in Easy Language guidelines, on the basis of the following research questions: (a) is there empirical research that evaluates current international Easy Language recommendations? and, (b) if so, what current international Easy Language recommendations are supported by empirical research and what results were obtained? To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review based on journal articles in three languages: Catalan, English, and Spanish. First, a systematic search was designed and performed in 10 databases of different fields of science. Then, we reviewed every article that resulted from the search and found that 6 publications out of the initial 617 met the inclusion criteria and could be considered relevant for the study. Based on the data extracted from the included publications, and after an overall review of our systematic search results, we safely state that there is indeed empirical research on some current Easy Language recommendations. Nevertheless, empirical research in the field (at least in the publication format and languages considered in our study) is not enough in terms of the number of publications, and the findings obtained are far from generalisable. Our literature review suggests future lines of research, and we hope that it fosters empirical studies in the field that help support the existing findings.
Clinicopathological and ultrasound characteristics of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers
Authors: Ikejima Kengo , Tokioka Sayuri , Yagishita Kazuyo , Kajiura Yuka , Kanomata Naoki , Yamauchi Hideko , Kurihara Yasuyuki , Tsunoda Hiroko
Published: March 2023

Purpose

BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumors exhibit different characteristics. This study aimed to assess and compare the ultrasound findings and pathologic features of BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancers. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the mass formation, vascularity, and elasticity in breast cancers of BRCA-positive Japanese women.

Methods

We identified patients with breast cancer harboring BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. After excluding patients who underwent chemotherapy or surgery before the ultrasound, we evaluated 89 cancers in BRCA1-positive and 83 in BRCA2-positive patients. The ultrasound images were reviewed by three radiologists in consensus. Imaging features, including vascularity and elasticity, were assessed. Pathological data, including tumor subtypes, were reviewed.

Results

Significant differences in tumor morphology, peripheral features, posterior echoes, echogenic foci, and vascularity were observed between BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumors. BRCA1 breast cancers tended to be posteriorly accentuating and hypervascular. In contrast, BRCA2 tumors were less likely to form masses. In cases where a tumor formed a mass, it tended to show posterior attenuation, indistinct margins, and echogenic foci. In pathological comparisons, BRCA1 cancers tended to be triple-negative subtypes. In contrast, BRCA2 cancers tended to be luminal or luminal-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 subtypes.

Conclusion

In the surveillance of BRCA mutation carriers, radiologists should be aware that the morphological differences between tumors are quite different between BRCA1 and BRCA2 patients.
Addressing the Know-Do Gap in Adolescent HIV: Framing and Measuring Implementation Determinants, Outcomes, and Strategies in the AHISA Network
Authors: Beima-Sofie Kristin , Njuguna Irene , Concepcion Tessa , DeLong Stephanie M. , Donenberg Geri , Zanoni Brian C. , Dow Dorothy , Braitstein Paula , Wagner Anjuli
Published: March 2023

Implementation science (IS) uses systematic methods to close gaps between research and practice by identifying and addressing barriers to implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs). To reach UNAIDS HIV targets, IS can support programs to reach vulnerable populations and achieve sustainability. We studied the application of IS methods in 36 study protocols that were part of the Adolescent HIV Prevention and Treatment Implementation Science Alliance (AHISA). Protocols focused on youth, caregivers, or healthcare workers in high HIV-burden African countries and evaluated medication, clinical and behavioral/social EBIs. All studies measured clinical outcomes and implementation science outcomes; most focused on early implementation outcomes of acceptability (81%), reach (47%), and feasibility (44%). Only 53% used an implementation science framework/theory. Most studies (72%) evaluated implementation strategies. Some developed and tested strategies, while others adapted an EBI/strategy. Harmonizing IS approaches allows cross study learning and optimization of delivery of EBIs and could support attainment of HIV goals.
Could interventions on physical activity mitigate genomic liability for obesity? Applying the health disparity framework in genetically informed studies
Authors: Herle Moritz , Pickles Andrew , Pain Oliver , Viner Russell , Pingault Jean-Baptiste , De Stavola Bianca L.
Published: March 2023

Polygenic scores (PGS) are now commonly available in longitudinal cohort studies, leading to their integration into epidemiological research. In this work, our aim is to explore how polygenic scores can be used as exposures in causal inference-based methods, specifically mediation analyses. We propose to estimate the extent to which the association of a polygenic score indexing genetic liability to an outcome could be mitigated by a potential intervention on a mediator. To do this this, we use the interventional disparity measure approach, which allows us to compare the adjusted total effect of an exposure on an outcome, with the association that would remain had we intervened on a potentially modifiable mediator. As an example, we analyse data from two UK cohorts, the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS, N = 2575) and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, N = 3347). In both, the exposure is genetic liability for obesity (indicated by a PGS for BMI), the outcome is late childhood/early adolescent BMI, and the mediator and potential intervention target is physical activity, measured between exposure and outcome. Our results suggest that a potential intervention on child physical activity can mitigate some of the genetic liability for childhood obesity. We propose that including PGSs in a health disparity measure approach, and causal inference-based methods more broadly, is a valuable addition to the study of gene-environment interplay in complex health outcomes.
Co-Design of Augmented Reality Games for Learning with Teachers: A Methodological Approach
Authors: Tobar-Muñoz Hendrys , Baldiris Silvia , Fabregat Ramon
Published: March 2023

Augmented Reality Game-Based Learning (ARGBL) is becoming increasingly relevant in Technology-Enhanced Learning. Games with AR characteristics, or even AR applications structured with rules and game elements, are proving to be effective and successful learning experiences. There is a need to include teachers in the design process. In this paper, two case studies are shown in order to validate a methodological approach for the co-design of ARGBL, in which 6 teachers participated. This is a co-design method that proposes a thorough, iterative process guided by design principles and mediated by dialogue among the stakeholders. Here, the process of co-design with teachers is analyzed and assessed using mixed-methods observations on the use of the produced ARGBL games with students on naturalistic environments. The validation process links the usefulness of the ensuing products with the use of the method and shows the benefits of using co-design methods to create ARGBL experiences.
Parent-Child Communication About Educational Aspirations: Experiences of Adolescents in Rural China
Authors: Chen Xiaodi , Allen Jennifer L. , Flouri Eirini , Cao Xinyi , Hesketh Therese
Published: March 2023

The importance of parents in the transmission of educational aspirations to children is well-established. However, little is known about the quality of parent-child communication about educational aspirations and how this communication relates to children’s educational aspirations in socioeconomically disadvantaged families in rural China. In this study, we sought to gain insight into parent-child communication around educational aspirations from the perspective of Chinese rural adolescents. Twenty-three grade-9 students were recruited from middle schools in Songzi, a poor rural county in central China. Participants comprised 12 boys and 11 girls aged 14 to 16 years (M = 14.65 years, SD = 0.59). Students completed one-to-one qualitative interviews about parent-child communication and their educational aspirations in June 2020. Thematic analysis revealed that adolescents’ educational aspirations were strongly influenced by their parents’ beliefs and aspirations for them, with fulfilling parental aspirations and achieving economic success being important influences on rural adolescents’ educational aspirations. However, parent-child communication quality was undermined when parents had an authoritarian communication style and when parents were absent due to rural-urban migration, in which case adolescents reported stress and perceived lack of support in achieving their goals. In addition, mothers were viewed as playing a more vital role in communication than fathers. The implications of the findings for school and community-based interventions promoting rural parents’ ability to communicate effectively with their children about academic concerns are discussed.
End-to-End Learning with Memory Models for Complex Autonomous Driving Tasks in Indoor Environments
Authors: Lai Zhihui , Bräunl Thomas
Published: March 2023

The interest in autonomous vehicles has increased exponentially in recent years. While Lidar is a proven autonomous driving technology, end-to-end learning approaches have become popular as computer performance has improved. A fully end-to-end method—NVIDIA’s PilotNet has shown its ability to predict speed and steering angle with only camera images. This method achieved the Lidar-based methods’ performance in simple driving tasks. However, a significant drawback was no past spatiotemporal information, imposing an error-sensitive performance, especially in complex driving tasks. Spurred by this deficiency, this paper introduces two novel models: CNN + LSTM and CNN3D, aiming for complex autonomous driving tasks in indoor environments.
Crystal Structure of Methyl 3-O-α-d-Glucopyranosyl 2-Acetamido-2-Deoxy-α-d-Galactopyranoside Hydrate
Authors: Eriksson Lars , Widmalm Göran
Published: March 2023

Methyl 3-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside as a monohydrate, C15H27NO11·H2O, crystallizes in space group P212121, with four molecules in the unit cell. It constitutes the methyl glycoside of the carbohydrate part of the teichoic acid type polysaccharide from Micrococcus sp. A1, in which the disaccharides are joined through phosphodiester linkages. The conformation of the disaccharide is described by the glycosidic torsion angles ϕ =  − 31° and ψ =  + 1°, and the hydroxymethyl groups of the constituent monosaccharides are present in the gg and gt conformations for the sugar residues having the gluco- and galacto-configuration, respectively. For the N-acetyl group at C2 of the galactosamine residue the torsion angle τH = 147°, i.e., the amide proton has an antiperiplanar relationship to H2 of the sugar ring. The structure shows extensive hydrogen bonding along the a-direction, including the water molecule, and forms sheets with hydrophilic interactions within the sheets as a result of hydrogen bonding between disaccharides as well as hydrophobic interactions between the sheets, in particular, amongst methyl groups of the N-acetyl group of the α-d-GalpNAc residue in the disaccharides.

Graphical Abstract

The structure of the title disaccharide as a monohydrate, C15H27NO11·H2O, which shows extensive hydrogen bonding as well as hydrophobic interactions, was determined from minute crystals using synchrotron radiation and verified by solid state DFT calculations using plane waves.
Nonlethal Effects of Predation: The Presence of Insectivorous Birds (Parus major) Affects The Behavior and Level of Stress in Locusts (Schistocerca gregaria)
Authors: Kollross Jan , Jancuchova-Laskova Jitka , Kleckova Irena , Freiberga Inga , Kodrik Dalibor , Sam Katerina
Published: March 2023

Insect exposure to their predators can affect individuals and community processes, through direct consumption or nonlethal effects. However, the links between behavioral and physiological responses and stimuli needed for the development of predator avoidance are not clear. We subjected desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) to three nonlethal treatments, using great tits (Parus major) as a predator. The treatments included: (1) bird—presence of a great tit and its calls, (2) call—great tit calls only, (3) control—absence of a great tit and its calls. In the first behavioral laboratory experiment, locusts were offered food and shelter in an open space. The duration of hiding versus feeding indicated predator responses. In the second laboratory experiment, locusts were subjected to the same three treatments, and adipokinetic hormone (AKH) levels were measured in the central nervous system (CNS) and hemolymph. In the third experiment in an outdoor aviary, birds were allowed to fly freely over locusts before we measured physiological response. During the first experiment, locusts hid for a significantly longer amount of time and fed for a significantly shorter amount of time when the bird was present and calls were played, compared to when only calls were played or compared to the control treatment. The proximity of birds to locusts in the laboratory experiment elicited a significant increase in AKH levels in the CNS and hemolymph compared to the call/control treatment. The physical proximity of the great tits affected both the behavioral and physiological responses of the locusts.
An enigmatic giraffid from the latest Miocene of Italy: Taxonomy, affinity, and paleobiogeographic implications
Authors: Pandolfi Luca , Rook Lorenzo
Published: March 2023

The origin and evolution of endemic species characterizing the Oreopithecus-faunal assemblages of the Tusco-Sardinian archipelago remain a matter of debate. An emblematic case is the enigmatic giraffid Umbrotherium azzarolii, represented by a single specimen from the type locality of Casteani (Tuscany) and by several isolated teeth and fragmentary mandibles from the locality of Fiume Santo (Sardinia). An exhaustive diagnosis of Umbrotherium has not been firmly established, and its systematic and phylogenetic position remain unresolved. Unpublished remains of giraffids, including an almost complete mandible, several isolated teeth, and other cranial remains are described for the first time in the present work. The specimens were collected from the locality of Botro della Canonica (Pisa), located at the northernmost portion of the Tusco-Sardinian archipelago. The new material sheds light on the morphological and morphometric variability of Umbrotherium, thereby enabling a comparison between specimens collected from different Tusco-Sardinian Miocene localities spanning from the V1 to the V2 Oreopithecus-Zone Faunas and allowing the establishment of the new species U. engesserii sp. nov. from Fiume Santo (Sardinia). This study also reveals that Umbrotherium was more closely related to Decennatherium than to other Late Miocene continental giraffids, suggesting a dispersal of its ancestor from the Iberian Peninsula. Accordingly, a new paleogeographic and biochronological framework is proposed herein for the Tusco-Sardinian archipelago, hypothesizing a fragmentation of the area into several domains, with sporadic reconnections, and the establishment of different faunal assemblages.
Decomposing Economic Efficiency into Technical and Allocative Components: An Essential Property
Authors: Aparicio Juan , Zofío José L. , Pastor Jesús T.
Published: March 2023

We introduce two desirable properties concerning the allocative efficiency term in the decomposition of economic efficiency. Since Farrell, economic efficiency, defined in terms of the cost, revenue, profitability, or profit functions, is decomposed into a technical efficiency measure and allocative efficiency. Resorting to duality theory, allocative efficiency is calculated as a residual. In this framework, we show that this residual is numerically inconsistent for several economic efficiency decompositions: those based on the Russell Efficiency Measures, the Slack-Based Measure and the Weighted Additive Measures. It should be expected that a technical inefficient firm, if projected to the optimal economic benchmark, e.g., that maximizing profit, should be allocative efficient, yet we show that the above decompositions may signal that it is allocative inefficient. Our first property, called ‘essential,’ demands that economic efficiency decompositions satisfy the above criterion. We also extend this property by requiring that the allocative efficiency of a technically inefficient firm, evaluated at the projected benchmark on the production frontier, coincides with the allocative efficiency of the benchmark itself. Regarding this extension of the property, we show that, besides the measures mentioned above, the Directional Distance Function and the Hölder Distance Function fail in general to comply with it. However, we also prove that, thanks to the flexibility of these two approaches in choosing a common directional vector for all the assessed firms or a specific Hölder norm, these measures may satisfy the extended essential property. We conclude that unless both properties are fulfilled, the (residual) allocative component of many previously published decompositions cannot be correctly interpreted as price inefficiency.
Multidimensional outlook on the pathophysiology of cervical cancer invasion and metastasis
Authors: George Neena , Bhandari Poonam , Shruptha Padival , Jayaram Pradyumna , Chaudhari Sima , Satyamoorthy Kapaettu
Published: March 2023

Cervical cancer being one of the primary causes of high mortality rates among women is an area of concern, especially with ineffective treatment strategies. Extensive studies are carried out to understand various aspects of cervical cancer initiation, development and progression; however, invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma has poor outcomes. Moreover, the advanced stages of cervical cancer may involve lymphatic circulation with a high risk of tumor recurrence at distant metastatic sites. Dysregulation of the cervical microbiome by human papillomavirus (HPV) together with immune response modulation and the occurrence of novel mutations that trigger genomic instability causes malignant transformation at the cervix. In this review, we focus on the major risk factors as well as the functionally altered signaling pathways promoting the transformation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We further elucidate genetic and epigenetic variations to highlight the complexity of causal factors of cervical cancer as well as the metastatic potential due to the changes in immune response, epigenetic regulation, DNA repair capacity, and cell cycle progression. Our bioinformatics analysis on metastatic and non-metastatic cervical cancer datasets identified various significantly and differentially expressed genes as well as the downregulation of potential tumor suppressor microRNA miR-28-5p. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape in invasive and metastatic cervical cancer will help in stratifying the patient groups and designing potential therapeutic strategies.
Ravines and gullies, a review about impact valuation
Authors: Kuhn Caiubi Emanuel Souza , Reis Fábio Augusto Gomes Vieira , Zarfl Christiane , Grathwohl Peter
Published: March 2023

Gullies and ravines affect human lives and the environment in many countries worldwide, however, few studies have assessed the impacts of the damage caused by these large linear erosions and clarified their influencing parameters. This work systematizes available information about the variables relevant to analyze the impacts of ravines and gullies on socioeconomic conditions and ecosystem services. Based on keyword searches performed in the Scopus, Web of Science and Dimensions databases, more than 120 articles from 27 countries were identified that addressed and valuated these different types of impacts. Although many studies discuss the impacts of ravines and gullies, few studies have performed valuations of these impacts. We compiled the impacts in urban and rural areas, considering the changes caused by ravines and gullies throughout a hydrographic basin. The results allowed for the elaboration of a theoretical model of the possible impacts of gullies and ravines and how they can be valued. The results demonstrate that the most significant impacts, according to the literature, are in South America, Africa, China and India, which are related to disordered land occupation. In some cases, the lack of capacity to respond to environmental and social problems aggravates the scenario and leads to significant losses. Implementing the evaluation is challenging due to the high number of different forms of possible impacts, in the short, medium and long term, related to environmental, economic and social changes.
An efficient and accurate linearization approach for hydraulically actuated multibody systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints
Authors: Agúndez A. G. , García-Vallejo D. , Freire E. , Pyrhönen L. , Mikkola A.
Published: March 2023

Hydraulics is often used to actuate mechanisms in the applications of heavy machinery. In this work, a linearization approach for hydraulically driven multibody systems is presented. The approach allows linearizing the equations of motion of general multibody systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints, augmented with the hydraulic equations of the hydraulic subsystem. The derivation of this linearization approach is of interest in many applications, such as the performance of linear stability analyses. The procedure is tested with a three-dimensional multibody model of a hydraulically actuated four-bar mechanism. The validation of the approach is performed by means of the forward dynamics simulation of the linear and nonlinear systems. The results show the power of the approach, obtaining the linearized equations of motion around the equilibrium position of the four-bar mechanism multibody model in terms of the mechanical and hydraulic parameters. A comparison of the proposed procedure with a conventional counterpart approach is included, demonstrating the great accuracy and computational efficiency of the approach developed in this work.
Tech-Savvy Men and Caring Women: Middle School Students’ Gender Stereotypes Predict Interest in Tech-Education
Authors: Tellhed Una , Björklund Fredrik , Kallio Strand Kalle
Published: March 2023

The labor market is strongly gender segregated with few women working in the tech sector (e.g., IT) and few men working in the care sector (e.g., nursing). We tested the hypothesis that middle school students strongly associate technology with men and caregiving with women in a Swedish context (i.e., a country that scores high in gender equality indices), and that these gender stereotypes for tech relate to girls’ lower interest in tech-focused education. We measured technology/caregiving gender stereotypes with implicit (the Implicit Association Test) and explicit (self-report) measures in a sample of middle school students (n = 873). The results supported the main hypotheses, and corroborate Eccles’s expectancy value theory, indicating that the endorsement of implicit gender stereotypes may serve as barriers to pursuing masculine-typed career paths for women. Further, a sample of middle school teachers (n = 86) showed stronger implicit gender stereotypes than the students. Unexpectedly, middle school girls with a foreign background showed no implicit gender stereotypes, which we discuss in relation to the gender-equality paradox. These findings suggest that to fulfill the recruitment needs of an increasingly digitalized world, the tech-industry and other stakeholders should put effort into counteracting the stereotype that technology is for men.
People Overestimate Backlash Against Helpers Who Violate Gender Stereotypes: Experimental Examination of a Prosociality Paradox
Authors: Atkinson Ciara , Sandstrom Gillian , Croft Alyssa
Published: March 2023

Men and women typically help others in gender stereotypic ways (gender-consistent helping), but how might people judge helpers who do so in counter-stereotypic ways (gender-inconsistent helping)? Most of the time helpers are viewed favorably, but behaviors that deviate from gender stereotypes tend to elicit social sanctions from others. Thus, gender-inconsistent helping presents a paradox wherein people may anticipate facing negative judgments from others despite helping being a positive, prosocial act. Across three experiments (two pre-registered), participants provided their own (Studies 1–3) and normative (Studies 2–3) evaluations of gender-consistent and gender-inconsistent helpers. Taken together, results revealed that participants expected other people to evaluate gender-inconsistent helpers less favorably than gender-consistent helpers (Hypothesis 1), and less favorably than they actually did themselves (Hypothesis 2). These findings show that gender-inconsistent helping is less susceptible to backlash than people think, and instead suggest that pluralistic ignorance could be a barrier to gender-inconsistent helping, if people fear that others’ judgments of gender-inconsistent helpers are harsher than their own. Our results highlight novel opportunities for addressing persistent occupational gender segregation in prosocial contexts (by confronting pluralistic ignorance), which could subsequently enhance gender equality more broadly.
Analysis of the Scale of Global Human Needs and Opportunities for Sustainable Catalytic Technologies
Authors: Taseska Teona , Yu Wanqing , Wilsey Madeleine K. , Cox Connor P. , Meng Ziyi , Ngarnim Soraya S. , Müller Astrid M.
Published: March 2023

We analyzed the enormous scale of global human needs, their carbon footprint, and how they are connected to energy availability. We established that most challenges related to resource security and sustainability can be solved by providing distributed, affordable, and clean energy. Catalyzed chemical transformations powered by renewable electricity are emerging successor technologies that have the potential to replace fossil fuels without sacrificing the wellbeing of humans. We highlighted the technical, economic, and societal advantages and drawbacks of short- to medium-term decarbonization solutions to gauge their practicability, economic feasibility, and likelihood for widespread acceptance on a global scale. We detailed catalysis solutions that enhance sustainability, along with strategies for catalyst and process development, frontiers, challenges, and limitations, and emphasized the need for planetary stewardship. Electrocatalytic processes enable the production of solar fuels and commodity chemicals that address universal issues of the water, energy and food security nexus, clothing, the building sector, heating and cooling, transportation, information and communication technology, chemicals, consumer goods and services, and healthcare, toward providing global resource security and sustainability and enhancing environmental and social justice.
Comprehensive analysis of clinical indications and viral strain variants among patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Wang Bo , Li Xiaocong , Xiao Weili , Zhang Jiangying , Ding Haitao
Published: March 2023

Since the first appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, the virus is still evolving and mutating until now. In this study, we collected 6 throat swabs from patients who diagnosed with COVID-19 in Inner Mongolia, China, to understand the entry of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants into Inner Mongolia and analyze the relationships between variants and clinical features observed in infected patients. In addition, we performed a combined analysis of clinical parameters associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest, pedigree analysis, and detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results showed that the clinical symptoms were generally mild although some patients demonstrated some degree of liver function abnormalities, and the SARS-CoV-2 strain was related to the Delta variant (B.1.617.2), AY.122 lineage. The epidemiological investigations and clinical manifestations confirmed that the variant exhibits strong transmission, a high viral load, and moderate clinical symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 has undergone extensive mutations in various hosts and countries. Timely monitoring of virus mutation can help to monitor the spread of infection and characterize the diversity of genomic variants, thus limiting future waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
RELAX: Representation Learning Explainability
Authors: Wickstrøm Kristoffer K. , Trosten Daniel J. , Løkse Sigurd , Boubekki Ahcène , Mikalsen Karl øyvind , Kampffmeyer Michael C. , Jenssen Robert
Published: March 2023

Despite the significant improvements that self-supervised representation learning has led to when learning from unlabeled data, no methods have been developed that explain what influences the learned representation. We address this need through our proposed approach, RELAX, which is the first approach for attribution-based explanations of representations. Our approach can also model the uncertainty in its explanations, which is essential to produce trustworthy explanations. RELAX explains representations by measuring similarities in the representation space between an input and masked out versions of itself, providing intuitive explanations that significantly outperform the gradient-based baselines. We provide theoretical interpretations of RELAX and conduct a novel analysis of feature extractors trained using supervised and unsupervised learning, providing insights into different learning strategies. Moreover, we conduct a user study to assess how well the proposed approach aligns with human intuition and show that the proposed method outperforms the baselines in both the quantitative and human evaluation studies. Finally, we illustrate the usability of RELAX in several use cases and highlight that incorporating uncertainty can be essential for providing faithful explanations, taking a crucial step towards explaining representations.
Urban Agriculture and the Sustainability Nexus in South Africa: Past, Current, and Future Trends
Authors: Kanosvamhira Tinashe P.
Published: March 2023

Urban agriculture remains a topical issue that needs to be better understood in striving for sustainable cities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Through a literature review, this article examines urban agriculture studies in South Africa to identify trends, opportunities, and gaps in the literature. The article examines the discourses that have emerged based on a narrative literature review of 62 peer-reviewed articles from 1993 to 2022. The findings indicate that several gaps in the knowledge limit our understanding of the practice of urban agriculture toward sustainable cities, for instance, an under-representation of secondary cities and the general productivist focus of most studies in the country. The author argues that future research needs to focus on underrepresented cities using rich methodologies to gain further insights into urban agriculture and its place in the city. Moreover, other under-represented themes including environmental benefits such as green infrastructure and nature-based solutions need more exploration. A more holistic understanding of urban agriculture is required in order to buttress interventions that accommodate the practice within the urban environment.