bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and risk of new-onset heart failure: a retrospective analysis of 173,966 patients
Authors: Roderburg Christoph , Krieg Sarah , Krieg Andreas , Vaghiri Sascha , Mohr Raphael , Konrad Marcel , Luedde Mark , Luedde Tom , Kostev Karel , Loosen Sven H.
Published: July 2023

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Its high mortality and morbidity are mainly caused by non-hepatic comorbidities and their clinical complications. Accumulating evidence suggests an association between NAFLD and heart failure (HF), but large-scale data analyses from Germany are scarce.

Methods

Using the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA), this analysis retrospectively evaluated two cohorts of outpatients with and without NAFLD with respect to the cumulative incidence of HF as the primary outcome between January 2005 and December 2020. Cohorts were propensity score matched for sex, age, index year, yearly consultation frequency, and known risk factors for HF.

Results

A total of 173,966 patients were included in the analysis. Within 10 years of the index date, 13.2% vs. 10.0% of patients with and without NAFLD were newly diagnosed with HF (p < 0.001). This finding was supported by univariate Cox regression analysis in which NAFLD was found to be significantly associated with subsequent HF (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.34, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.28–1.39, p < 0.001). The association between NAFLD and HF was observed across all analysed age groups and as comparable between both men (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.23–1.38; p < 0.001) and women (HR: 1.37, 95% CI 1.29–1.45; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

NAFLD is significantly associated with an increased cumulative incidence of HF, which, given its rapidly increasing global prevalence, could be crucial to further reduce its high mortality and morbidity. We recommend risk stratification within a multidisciplinary approach for NAFLD patients, including systematic prevention or early detection strategies for HF.
Correction to: Beating the market? A mathematical puzzle for market efficiency
Authors: Baumann Michael Heinrich
Published: July 2023

In this note, we point out a missing assumption for ‘Michael Heinrich Baumann, Beating the market? A mathematical puzzle for market efficiency, Decis Econ Finance 45: 279–325, 2022.’ In detail, we have to assume the (almost sure) survival of the controllers. Further, we discuss this assumption concerning relevance for theory and implementations and how it may alter the results and we give directions for future research.
Do Barn Swallow nestlings incur an oxidative cost of begging?
Authors: Fuertes-Recuero Manuel , Cantarero Alejandro , Redondo Alberto J. , Sánchez-Sánchez Nuria , Redondo Tomás
Published: July 2023

Some theoretical models predict that nestling begging must be a costly activity to transmit reliable information to parents about offspring hunger. One candidate cost is oxidative stress, which could impair growth or immune function. This hypothesis predicts that nestlings in a poor oxidative status should pay higher costs for a given amount of begging, hence beg at lower rates for a similar degree of hunger. To test this prediction, we experimentally induced a transient alteration of the oxidative status of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings by administering them either a single dose of a pro-oxidant substance (BSO) or an antioxidant (vitamin E), and recorded their begging behaviour. Chicks treated with vitamin E increased their begging rates in the hours following treatment. However, and contrary to prediction, BSO nestlings did not decrease begging compared to controls. These inconsistent results are difficult to explain by the hypothesis that begging performance is mediated by the oxidative status of nestlings because chicks with an impaired oxidative status (the BSO group) begged the same as controls. Alternatively, vitamin E may alleviate the inhibitory effects on begging of stress responses mediated by glucocorticoids. This study suggests that oxidative costs of begging are minor or absent in this species. Future studies should consider alternative explanations for an association between oxidative status, antioxidant supplementation and begging behaviour, particularly those involving glucocorticoids.
3D-Ultrasound Based Mechanical and Geometrical Analysis of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms and Relationship to Growth
Authors: Maas Esther Jorien , Nievergeld Arjet Helena Margaretha , Fonken Judith Helena Cornelia , Thirugnanasambandam Mirunalini , van Sambeek Marc Rodolph Henricus Maria , Lopata Richard Godfried Paulus
Published: July 2023

The heterogeneity of progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) is not well understood. This study investigates which geometrical and mechanical factors, determined using time-resolved 3D ultrasound (3D + t US), correlate with increased growth of the aneurysm. The AAA diameter, volume, wall curvature, distensibility, and compliance in the maximal diameter region were determined automatically from 3D + t echograms of 167 patients. Due to limitations in the field-of-view and visibility of aortic pulsation, measurements of the volume, compliance of a 60 mm long region and the distensibility were possible for 78, 67, and 122 patients, respectively. Validation of the geometrical parameters with CT showed high similarity, with a median similarity index of 0.92 and root-mean-square error (RMSE) of diameters of 3.5 mm. Investigation of Spearman correlation between parameters showed that the elasticity of the aneurysms decreases slightly with diameter (p = 0.034) and decreases significantly with mean arterial pressure (p < 0.0001). The growth of a AAA is significantly related to its diameter, volume, compliance, and surface curvature (p < 0.002). Investigation of a linear growth model showed that compliance is the best predictor for upcoming AAA growth (RMSE 1.70 mm/year). To conclude, mechanical and geometrical parameters of the maximally dilated region of AAAs can automatically and accurately be determined from 3D + t echograms. With this, a prediction can be made about the upcoming AAA growth. This is a step towards more patient-specific characterization of AAAs, leading to better predictability of the progression of the disease and, eventually, improved clinical decision making about the treatment of AAAs.
Feature engineering of EEG applied to mental disorders: a systematic mapping study
Authors: García-Ponsoda Sandra , García-Carrasco Jorge , Teruel Miguel A. , Maté Alejandro , Trujillo Juan
Published: July 2023

Around a third of the total population of Europe suffers from mental disorders. The use of electroencephalography (EEG) together with Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to diagnose mental disorders has recently been shown to be a prominent research area, as exposed by several reviews focused on the field. Nevertheless, previous to the application of ML algorithms, EEG data should be correctly preprocessed and prepared via Feature Engineering (FE). In fact, the choice of FE techniques can make the difference between an unusable ML model and a simple, effective model. In other words, it can be said that FE is crucial, especially when using complex, non-stationary data such as EEG. To this aim, in this paper we present a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS) focused on FE from EEG data used to identify mental disorders. Our SMS covers more than 900 papers, making it one of the most comprehensive to date, to the best of our knowledge. We gathered the mental disorder addressed, all the FE techniques used, and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm applied for classification from each paper. Our main contributions are: (i) we offer a starting point for new researchers on these topics, (ii) we extract the most used FE techniques to classify mental disorders, (iii) we show several graphical distributions of all used techniques, and (iv) we provide critical conclusions for detecting mental disorders. To provide a better overview of existing techniques, the FE process is divided into three parts: (i) signal transformation, (ii) feature extraction, and (iii) feature selection. Moreover, we classify and analyze the distribution of existing papers according to the mental disorder they treat, the FE processes used, and the ML techniques applied. As a result, we provide a valuable reference for the scientific community to identify which techniques have been proven and tested and where the gaps are located in the current state of the art.

Graphical Abstract
Integrating short-term stochastic production planning updating with mining fleet management in industrial mining complexes: an actor-critic reinforcement learning approach
Authors: de Carvalho Joao Pedro , Dimitrakopoulos Roussos
Published: July 2023

Short-term production planning in industrial mining complexes involves defining daily, weekly or monthly decisions that aim to achieve production targets established by long-term planning. Operational requirements must be considered when defining fleet allocation and production scheduling decisions. Thus, this paper presents an actor-critic reinforcement learning (RL) method to make mining equipment allocation and production scheduling decisions that maximize the profitability of a mining operation. Two RL agents are proposed. The first agent allocates shovels to mining fronts by considering some operational requirements. The second agent defines the processing destination and the number of trucks required for transportation. A simulator of mining complex operations is proposed to forecast the material flow from the mining fronts to the destinations. This simulator provides new states and rewards to the RL agents, so shovel allocation and production scheduling decisions can be improved. Additionally, as the mining complex operates, sensors collect ore quality data, which are used to update the uncertainty associated with the orebody models. The improvement in material supply characterization allows the RL agents to make more informed decisions. A case study applied at a copper mining complex highlights the method’s ability to make informed decisions while collecting new data. The results show a 47% improvement in cash flow by adapting the shovel and truck allocation and material destination compared to a base case with predefined fleet assignments.
Comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis in intracranial aneurysms from the perspective of predictive, preventative, and personalized medicine
Authors: Chen Bo , Xie Kang , Zhang Jianzhong , Yang Liting , Zhou Hongshu , Zhang Liyang , Peng Renjun
Published: July 2023

Mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis are closely associated, and play vital roles in the medical strategy of multiple cardiovascular diseases. However, their implications in intracranial aneurysms (IAs) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore whether mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis could be identified as valuable starting points for predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine for IAs. The transcriptional profiles of 75 IAs and 37 control samples were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to screen key genes. The ssGSEA algorithm was performed to establish phenotype scores. The correlation between mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis was evaluated using functional enrichment crossover, phenotype score correlation, immune infiltration, and interaction network construction. The IA diagnostic values of key genes were identified using machine learning. Finally, we performed the single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis to explore mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis at the cellular level. In total, 42 IA-mitochondrial DEGs and 15 IA-necroptosis DEGs were identified. Screening revealed seven  key genes invovled in mitochondrial dysfunction (KMO, HADH, BAX, AADAT, SDSL, PYCR1, and MAOA) and five genes involved in necroptosis (IL1B, CAMK2G, STAT1, NLRP3, and BAX). Machine learning confirmed the high diagnostic value of these key genes for IA. The IA samples showed  higher expression of mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis exhibited a close association. Furthermore, scRNA-seq indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction and necroptosis were preferentially up-regulated in monocytes/macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) within IA lesions. In conclusion, mitochondria-induced necroptosis was involved in IA formation, and was mainly up-regulated in monocytes/macrophages and VSMCs within IA lesions. Mitochondria-induced necroptosis may be a novel potential target for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of IA.
Inverse reinforcement learning for autonomous navigation via differentiable semantic mapping and planning
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Dhiman Vikas , Atanasov Nikolay
Published: July 2023

This paper focuses on inverse reinforcement learning for autonomous navigation using distance and semantic category observations. The objective is to infer a cost function that explains demonstrated behavior while relying only on the expert’s observations and state-control trajectory. We develop a map encoder, that infers semantic category probabilities from the observation sequence, and a cost encoder, defined as a deep neural network over the semantic features. Since the expert cost is not directly observable, the model parameters can only be optimized by differentiating the error between demonstrated controls and a control policy computed from the cost estimate. We propose a new model of expert behavior that enables error minimization using a closed-form subgradient computed only over a subset of promising states via a motion planning algorithm. Our approach allows generalizing the learned behavior to new environments with new spatial configurations of the semantic categories. We analyze the different components of our model in a minigrid environment. We also demonstrate that our approach learns to follow traffic rules in the autonomous driving CARLA simulator by relying on semantic observations of buildings, sidewalks, and road lanes.
An updated assessment of the direct costs of invasive non-native species to the United Kingdom
Authors: Eschen René , Kadzamira Mariam , Stutz Sonja , Ogunmodede Adewale , Djeddour Djami , Shaw Richard , Pratt Corin , Varia Sonal , Constantine Kate , Williams Frances
Published: July 2023

Estimates of the economic impact of invasive non-native species (INNS) are important to support informed decision-making and prioritise resources. A detailed estimate of the direct costs of INNS to Great Britain, covering many sectors of the economy and the impacts of many INNS in diverse habitats, was made in 2010 and extended to Northern Ireland in 2013. These estimates are increasingly out of date as a result of changes in distribution and impacts of species, new knowledge, changes in management and newly established INNS. We, therefore, updated the estimated costs for the United Kingdom (UK) for sectors where new information was available and applied an inflation factor to the remaining sectors and species. The results show changes in all sectors and species and the new estimated annual costs to the UK economy is £4014 m, with £3022 m, £499 m, £343 m and £150 m to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively. Overall, we found a 45% increase in comparable costs since 2010, with most estimated costs increased, often more than inflation, although in some cases the costs have decreased as a result of changes in the population size of INNS, such as was the case for rabbits. A comparison with the previously estimated costs revealed that the costliest species and sectors of 2010 remain the same, but the newly established, widely distributed and highly impactful ash dieback is now one of the most costly diseases caused by an INNS. We discuss reasons for these changes and the evolution of costs in comparison to other studies. Overall, these results confirm the enormous cost of INNS to the UK economy and highlight the need for continued efforts to mitigate the impacts of established INNS, whilst also supporting measures to limit the entry and establishment of new, potentially harmful non-native species.
On the Reliability of the EEG Microstate Approach
Authors: Kleinert Tobias , Koenig Thomas , Nash Kyle , Wascher Edmund
Published: July 2023

EEG microstates represent functional brain networks observable in resting EEG recordings that remain stable for 40–120ms before rapidly switching into another network. It is assumed that microstate characteristics (i.e., durations, occurrences, percentage coverage, and transitions) may serve as neural markers of mental and neurological disorders and psychosocial traits. However, robust data on their retest-reliability are needed to provide the basis for this assumption. Furthermore, researchers currently use different methodological approaches that need to be compared regarding their consistency and suitability to produce reliable results. Based on an extensive dataset largely representative of western societies (2 days with two resting EEG measures each; day one: n = 583; day two: n = 542) we found good to excellent short-term retest-reliability of microstate durations, occurrences, and coverages (average ICCs = 0.874-0.920). There was good overall long-term retest-reliability of these microstate characteristics (average ICCs = 0.671-0.852), even when the interval between measures was longer than half a year, supporting the longstanding notion that microstate durations, occurrences, and coverages represent stable neural traits. Findings were robust across different EEG systems (64 vs. 30 electrodes), recording lengths (3 vs. 2 min), and cognitive states (before vs. after experiment). However, we found poor retest-reliability of transitions. There was good to excellent consistency of microstate characteristics across clustering procedures (except for transitions), and both procedures produced reliable results. Grand-mean fitting yielded more reliable results compared to individual fitting. Overall, these findings provide robust evidence for the reliability of the microstate approach.
Monitoring crystallite fusion of nanocellulose during colloid condensation
Authors: Doi Yoshinori , Daicho Kazuho , Isobe Noriyuki , Tanaka Reina , Kimura Satoshi , Fujisawa Shuji , Saito Tsuguyuki
Published: July 2023

The crystallinity of cellulose decreases when bundled microfibrils are dispersed in water as cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) or physically separated into finer nanoscale fibrils or single microfibrils. The crystallinity of these CNFs is recovered when they become densely assembled through the dehydration of the dispersion. In this process, multiple CNFs are assumed to partially fuse, leading to the enlargement of crystallite widths. The mechanism of this CNF fusion is, however, not well understood. In this study, the recovery process of the crystallinity of CNFs was monitored by sampling wet CNF gels during condensation from a dilute dispersion to a dense aggregate, followed by wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD) and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analyses after supercritical drying. In the WAXD analysis, a two-step enlargement in the (2 0 0) crystal size was observed: the first step was a rapid increase in the range of solid content up to 1%, followed by a gradual increase in the range of 1–85%. The crystallinity index estimated by NMR hardly changed in the range of 0.5–30% but gradually increased in the range of 30–85%. A portion of the CNF samples, without drying, were also subjected to small-angle X-ray scattering and viscoelasticity analyses, indicating that the inter-CNF contact points in water significantly increased until reaching a solid content of 1%, and then at solid contents higher than 1%, the contact areas of each point gradually expanded. Finally, a mechanism of CNF fusion was proposed based on these results.
Finding an Optimal Level of GDNF Overexpression: Insights from Dopamine Cycling
Authors: Marshall Pepin
Published: July 2023

The application of glial cell line-derive neurotrophic factor (GDNF) to cell cultures and animal models has demonstrated positive effects upon dopaminergic neuronal survival and development, function, restoration, and protection. On this basis, recombinant GDNF protein has been trialled in the treatment of late-stage human Parkinson’s disease patients with only limited success that is likely due to a lack of viable receptor targets in an advanced state of neurodegeneration. The latest research points to more refined approaches of modulating GDNF signalling and an optimal quantity and spatial regulation of GDNF can be extrapolated using regulation of dopamine as a proxy measure. The basic research literature on dopaminergic effects of GDNF in animal models is reviewed, concluding that a twofold increase in natively expressing cells increases dopamine turnover and maximises neuroprotective and beneficial motor effects whilst minimising hyperdopaminergia and other side-effects. Methodological considerations for measurement of dopamine levels and neuroanatomical distinctions are made between populations of dopamine neurons and their respective effects upon movement and behaviour that will inform future research into this still-relevant growth factor.

Graphical Abstract
Measuring the cosmic X-ray background accurately
Authors: Li Hancheng , Walter Roland , Produit Nicolas , Hubert Fiona
Published: July 2023

Synthesis models of the diffuse Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) suggest that it can be resolved into discrete sources, primarily Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Measuring the CXB accurately offers a unique probe to study the AGN population in the nearby Universe. Current hard X-ray instruments suffer from the time-dependent background and cross-calibration issues. As a result, their measurements of the CXB normalization have an uncertainty of the order of$$\sim $$∼15%. In this paper, we present the concept and simulated performances of a CXB detector, which could be operated on different platforms. With a 16-Unit CubeSat mission running for more than two years in space, such a detector could measure the CXB normalization with$$\sim $$∼1% uncertainty.
Enabling Indigenous wellbeing in higher education: Indigenous Australian youth-devised strategies and solutions
Authors: Durmush Georgia , Craven Rhonda G. , Yeung Alexander Seeshing , Mooney Janet , Horwood Marcus , Vasconcellos Diego , Franklin Alicia , Duncan Christopher , Gillane Renee
Published: July 2023

Indigenous youth comprise over half of the Indigenous Australian population; however, there is a scarcity of research that focuses on improving Indigenous Australians’ wellbeing in higher education. The purpose of this study was to identify Indigenous-devised strategies to support wellbeing of salience to Indigenous Australian higher education students. Using Indigenous methodology, Indigenous youth (N = 7; aged between 18 and 25 years) studying at three higher education institutions in Australia participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified strategies and solutions for supporting and enhancing Indigenous youth wellbeing in higher education. Participants suggested that their wellbeing would benefit from increased opportunities for them to gain role models. They also suggested culturally supportive higher education environments were critical and could be achieved by employing more Indigenous academics and Indigenous mentors to implement personalised student support, introducing mandatory cultural competency training for all staff, and employing culturally safe counselling services. Indigenous youth also suggested strategies for enhancing institutional policy such as ensuring Indigenous culture and perspectives were taught across all faculties; developing reconciliation action plans, financial support, and scholarships to require proof of Aboriginality and evidence of hardship; and an institutional wellbeing strategy designed to support Indigenous students’ wellbeing.
Coordinated Priming of NKG2D Pathway by IL-15 Enhanced Functional Properties of Cytotoxic CD4+CD28− T Cells Expanded in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Wang Tingting , Wei Laiyou , Meng Shuhui , Song Wencong , Chen Yulan , Li Heng , Zhao Qianqian , Jiang Zhenyou , Liu Dongzhou , Ren Huan , Hong Xiaoping
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disorder, and numerous aberrations of T cell responses have been reported and were implicated in its pathophysiology. Recently, CD4-positive T cells with cytotoxic potential were shown to be involved in autoimmune disease progression and tissue damage. However, the effector functions of this cell type and their potential molecular mechanisms in SLE patients remain to be elucidated. In this study, we find that cytotoxic CD4+CD28− T cells are expanded in SLE patients with flow cytometry analysis, and the percentage of CD4+CD28− T cells positively correlates with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SDI). Furthermore, our study suggests that interleukin-15 (IL-15) promotes the expansion, proliferation, and cytotoxic function of CD4+CD28− T cells in SLE patients through activation of the Janus kinase3-STAT5 pathway. Further study indicates that IL-15 not only mediates the upregulation of NKG2D, but also cooperates with the NKG2D pathway to regulate the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. Together, our study demonstrated that proinflammatory and cytolytic CD4+CD28− T cells expand in SLE patients. The pathogenic potential of these CD4+CD28− T cells is driven by the coupling of the IL-15/IL-15R signaling pathway and the NKG2D/DAP10 signaling pathway, which may open new avenues for therapeutic intervention to prevent SLE progression.
Authorial Power, Authoritarianism, and Exiled Intellectuals: Syria and Turkey
Authors: Al Azmeh Zeina , Dillabough Jo-Anne
Published: July 2023

How does a crisis of the state and its ‘emergency politics’ lead to a crisis of the intellectual, or what does it mean to be an intellectual in our contemporary conjuncture beyond Western clichés and the universalistic bias of their declinist arguments? In responding to these questions, we draw upon data collected from Turkish and Syrian academics living in exile to argue that the critical commitments exiled intellectuals presume are under threat as rising authoritarianisms take hold globally and advanced neo-liberal practices tighten their grip on universities. The promise of Said’s figuration of the ‘intellectual in exile’ and its political potential is also under threat as displaced scholars navigate democratic backsliding and structural precarity in the contemporary university and in the nation-states to which they have found themselves tied, eroding even further the conceptual idea of the critical intellectual and the potential power of the ‘post-colonial intellectual’. In our research, this crisis of the intellectual is recounted by exilics paradoxically in both the autocratic and the ‘nominally democratic’ higher education (HE) context where in some cases the very idea of the intellectual can represent, at least in part, a banal political figuration epitomised in what Nancy Fraser refers to as progressive neo-liberalism. This is largely so because both authoritarian and nominally democratic states, whilst different in political charge, are simultaneously invoking ‘states of emergency’ and culture wars that are eroding their own intellectual constituencies’ ability to disturb existing institutional norms and the taken for granted problems that emerge in everyday HE practices.
The new dynamics of career self-management: a study with remote workers
Authors: Sotto-Mayor José Diogo , Simão Claúdia , Carneiro Pinto Joana
Published: July 2023

We analyse a career self-management model for remote workers by exploring the nature, causes and consequences of strategic career behaviours. Perceived self-efficacy and desire for career control are predictors of strategic career behaviours, and these behaviours determine career satisfaction, but not perceived career control nor objective or subjective career success. Also, perceived organizational support predicts perceived self-efficacy and career satisfaction, and self-efficacy predicts subjective career success which, in turn, is associated with career satisfaction. Workplace renovation is needed to accommodate the new forms of remote working and to develop new career management strategies to reinforce the motivation of remote employees.
Acceptance of online customer channels for damage claims in Germany
Authors: Lang Fabian , Riegel Lukas
Published: July 2023

The digital transformation with its new technologies and customer expectation has a significant effect on the customer channels in the insurance industry. The objective of this study is the identification of enabling and hindering factors for the adoption of online claim notification services that are an important part of the customer experience in insurance. For this purpose, we conducted a quantitative cross-sectional survey based on the exemplary scenario of car insurance in Germany and analyzed the data via structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings show that, besides classical technology acceptance factors such as perceived usefulness and ease of use, digital mindset and status quo behavior play a role: acceptance of digital innovations, lacking endurance as well as lacking frustration tolerance with the status quo lead to a higher intention for use. Moreover, the results are strongly moderated by the severity of the damage event—an insurance-specific factor that is sparsely considered so far. The latter discovery implies that customers prefer a communication channel choice based on the individual circumstances of the claim.
Gaze Following as an Early Diagnostic Marker of Autism in a New Word Learning Task in Toddlers
Authors: Camero Raquel , Gallego Carlos , Martínez Verónica
Published: July 2023

The aim was to test the use of eye-tracking methodology for the early detection of ASD in a task of association between unfamiliar objects and pseudowords. Significant differences were found between ASD (n = 57) and TD (n = 57) Spanish speaking toddlers in the number and time of fixation. The TD children showed more and longer fixations on eyes and mouth while the ASD children attended almost exclusively to objects, making it difficult to integrate lexical and phonological information. Moreover, the TD toddlers looked at the mouth when the pseudoword was produced while the ASD toddlers did not. Gaze fixation on eyes and mouth during word learning recorded by eye-tracking may be used as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of ASD.
Exploring Handgrip Strength as a Cross-cultural Correlate of Body Composition and Upper Body Strength in Older Adults from Costa Rica and Kansas
Authors: Moncada-Jiménez José , Dicker Eva E. , Chacón-Araya Yamileth , Peralta-Brenes Mariana , Briceño-Torres José M. , Villarreal-Ángeles Mario , Salazar-Villanea Mónica , Vidoni Eric D. , Burns Jeffery M. , Johnson David K.
Published: July 2023

Sarcopenia and disability in older adults are often characterized by body composition measurements; however, the gold standard of body composition measurement, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), is expensive to acquire and maintain, making its use in low and middle income countries (LMIC) it out-of-reach in developing nations. Because these LMIC will bear a disproportionate amount of chronic disease burden due to global aging trends, it is important that reliable, low-cost surrogates need to be developed. Handgrip strength (HGS) is a reliable measure of disability in older adults but has not been used widely in diverse populations. This study compared HGS to multiple measurements of body composition in older adults from the US (Kansas) and a middle-income country (Costa Rica) to test if HGS is a cross-culturally appropriate predictive measure that yields reliable estimates across developed and developing nations. Percent body fat (%BF), lean tissue mass index (LTMI), appendicular lean soft tissue index (ALSTI), body fat mass index (BFMI), bone mineral density (BMD), and HGS were measured in older Costa Ricans (n = 78) and Kansans (n = 100). HGS predicted lean arm mass with equal accuracy for both samples (p ≤ 0.05 for all groups), indicating that it is a reliable, low-cost and widely available estimate of upper body lean muscle mass. Older adults from Costa Rica showed different body composition overall and HGS than controls from Kansas. Handgrip operates equivalently in the US and Mesoamerica and is a valid estimate of lean arm muscle mass as derived by the more expensive DEXA.
Influence of process parameter variation on the microstructure of thin walls made of Inconel 718 deposited via laser-based directed energy deposition with blown powder
Authors: Mueller M. , Franz K. , Riede M. , López E. , Brueckner F. , Leyens C.
Published: July 2023

In laser-based directed energy deposition (L-DED) of Inconel 718 the microstructure of the fabricated components strongly depends on the applied process parameters and the resulting solidification conditions. Numerous studies have shown that the process parameters deposition speed and laser power have a major influences on microstructural properties, such as dendrite morphology and segregation behavior. This study investigates how changes in these process parameters affect the microstructure and hardness when the line mass, and thus the resulting layer height, are kept constant. This enables the microstructural comparison of geometrically similar specimens that were manufactured with the same number of layers but severely different process parameters. This approach yields the benefit of almost identical geometrical boundary conditions, such as the layer-specific build-height and heat conducting cross section, for all specimens. For microstructural analysis scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were applied and the results evaluated in a quantitative manner. The microstructural features primary dendritic arm spacing, fraction and morphology of precipitated Laves phase as well as the spatially resolved chemical composition were measured along the build-up direction. The occurring cooling rates were calculated based on the primary dendritic arm spacing using semi-empirical models. Three different models used by others researchers were applied and evaluated with respect to their applicability for L-DED. Finally, microhardness measurements were performed for a baseline evaluation of the influence on the materials’ mechanical properties.
Effect of O/N content on the phase, morphology, and optical properties of titanium oxynitride thin films
Authors: Ali Sharafat , Magnusson Roger , Pshyk Oleksandr , Birch Jens , Eklund Per , le Febvrier Arnaud
Published: July 2023

Phase formation, morphology, and optical properties of Ti(O,N) thin films with varied oxygen-to- nitrogen ration content were investigated. The films were deposited by magnetron sputtering at 500 °C on Si(100) and c-plane sapphire substrate. A competition between a NaCl B1 structure TiN1−xOx, a rhombohedral structure Ti2(O1−yNy)3, and an anatase structure Ti(O1−zNz)2 phase was observed. While the N-rich films were composed of a NaCl B1 TiN1−xOx phase, an increase of oxygen in the films yields the growth of rhombohedral Ti2(O1-yNy)3 phase and the oxygen-rich films are comprised of a mixture of the rhombohedral Ti2(O1−yNy)3 phase and anatase Ti(O1−zNz)2 phase. The optical properties of the films were correlated to the phase composition and the observation of abrupt changes in terms of refractive index and absorption coefficient. The oxide film became relatively transparent in the visible range while the addition of nitrogen into films increases the absorption. The oxygen rich-samples have bandgap values below 3.75 eV, which is higher than the value for pure TiO2, and lower than the optical bandgap of pure TiN. The optical properties characterizations revealed the possibility of adjusting the band gap and the absorption coefficient depending on the N-content, because of the phases constituting the films combined with anionic substitution.
Construction of lncRNA- and circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in the prostatic urethra of rats after simulating transurethral laser prostatectomy (TULP)
Authors: Tang XiaoHu , Liu ZhiYan , Liu Hao , Zhang Heng , Tian Ye , Xia ShuJie , Sun ZhaoLin , Luo GuangHeng
Published: July 2023

Non-coding RNA appears to be involved in wound repair. Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) appears to be an important post-transcriptional mechanism, it means that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) or circular RNA (circRNA) acts as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge to further regulate mRNA. However, ceRNA network related to wound repair after prostatectomy has yet been constructed. TULP is the main surgical method of prostatectomy, but there have been no reports of TULP rat models in the past. We simulated TULP on rats, and observed the whole process of wound injury and repair after operation through pathological examination of wound tissue. Next, we discovered 732 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), 47 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs), 17 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and 1892 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) related to wound repair after TULP through full transcriptome microarray and bioinformatics methods, and confirmed the reliability of transcriptome data by quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry. Then, we constructed the lncRNA- and circRNA-associated ceRNA regulatory networks related to wound repair after TULP in rats. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses showed that molecules in these networks were mainly involved in inflammatory infiltration, cell differentiation, and intercellular interactions and involved signal pathways such as the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Thus, this study successfully established the TULP model in rats, revealed potentially important biomarkers and ceRNA networks after prostatectomy in rats, and provided theoretical support for the repair of post-prostatectomy wound.
Incidental language and culture learning through mobile technologies: a multi-case study
Authors: Prandi Catia , Valva Antonella , Salomoni Paola , Roccetti Marco , Mirri Silvia
Published: July 2023

Incidental learning is a human learning paradigm that takes its form as a response to unplanned initiatives, potentially occurring at any time and at any place. It is emerging as very promising in the case of learning a second language, as it multiplies the occurrence of unexpected and unintentional learning situations. Still open, and subject of debate, is the issue of which is the right methodology to be applied when mobile computer-based technologies are exploited to provide support to such kind of a learning paradigm. Drawing on the results of an international Project (ILOCALAPP), in this paper we provide our reflections on a specific incidental learning methodology we have adopted, based on the use of a mobile application (the UniOn! App) that was developed at the University of Bologna to support mobility students in their daily activities. Our main goal was to understand if such an approach was effective to let individuals incidentally learn the Italian language and culture driven by our mobile application, while conducting informal and daily activities. Specifically, we aimed to measure how much students have learned Italian, by means of self-evaluation and self-assessment tools and statistical analysis, involving 95 students who incidentally improve their Italian language skills, supported by the app. In particular, we adopted a quasi-experimental design, and we focused our investigation on four different dimensions: target users, users’ language background, duration and frequency of use, context of use. The 95 participants were grouped into 5 case studies, based on the four different dimensions. After having used the app, the participants were asked to answer a survey. The obtained results confirm the viability of our approach, showing that incidental learning is enhanced if certain conditions (i.e., integrated guidance) are met, where more than 55% of the participants reported to be more confident about their acquired skills.
Relationship between minerals and physicochemical parameters with fruit quality in ‘Rocha’ pear orchards
Authors: Dias Cindy , Ribeiro Tânia , Rodrigues Ana Cristina , Vasconcelos Marta W. , Ferrante António , Pintado Manuela
Published: July 2023

Aims

At the same location, variability among orchards may be high, which is reflected in fruit quality, and it may be associated mainly with growers’ practices. This study aimed to identify physicochemical variability within pears (Pyrus communis L. cv 'Rocha') from three orchards from the same location and under the same climate conditions and correlate it with mineral composition.

Methods

Fruits from three orchards harvested at the optimal harvest time were characterized during ripening under shelf-life conditions of 7 d at 20 ± 2 °C. The analyses performed included ethylene production, respiration rate, fruit quality (firmness, skin colour, soluble solids, and titratable acidity), macro and micronutrients, ethylene biosynthesis enzymes, esters, sugars, and organic acids. Principal component analysis was used to show the variability among fruits from the three orchards and to correlate the differences with the fruit mineral composition.

Results

Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) were significantly correlated with esters and soluble solids content (r $$\sim$$
∼
0.4 for both minerals). Fruits with higher P and K concentrations were associated with a potential over-ripeness pattern considering their higher acetate production and lower sugar concentration. Esters, soluble sugars, and sorbitol were the dominant fruit quality factors responsible for the differences among the orchards.

Conclusion

With this study it is expected that a better understanding of the relationship between specific minerals and quality parameters can help growers manage their orchards more efficiently and achieve consumers’ quality demands.
On ways of being true
Authors: Jago Mark
Published: July 2023

There are many ways for truths to be true. How should we understand that idea? One is that there are different kinds of truth: the ways are different truth-like properties. Another understanding is that a truth can be made true in different ways, by different kinds of entities. The former understanding supports alethic pluralism. But the latter can be understood as a kind of monism: truth is the existential property of having some truthmaker or other. On this view, the differences reside in how a truth is made true, but not in its being true. I’ll discuss how these two understandings differ and what the potential advantages of the latter idea might be.
A real-time vital control module to increase capabilities of railway control systems in highly automated train operations
Authors: Amendola Arturo , Barbareschi Mario , De Simone Salvatore , Mezzina Giovanni , Moriconi Alberto , Saragaglia Cataldo Luciano , Serra Diana , De Venuto Daniela
Published: July 2023

Recent advances in technology and railway have led to the introduction of systems and infrastructures capable of driving trains automatically. The Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system has been optimized for active human supervision. The next challenge is to realize ATO systems capable of achieving unsupervised operations on the mainlines. However, at this aim, additional safety functionalities should be provided. In this paper, we propose a pioneer hardware/software Vital Control Module (VCM) architecture capable of expanding the control capabilities of the existing train control system. The VCM includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), to be integrated into the cabin equipment, managed by a reliable and safe hard Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). Both hardware and software are developed to be compliant with related safety standards. The VCM integrates an application logic that acts as an on-board equipment control core, assessing the overall operativity in real-time, and promptly issuing emergency brakes if hazardous situations occur. The application logic has been developed with a model-based approach via Simulink/Stateflow tool and implemented as a C-script on the Xilinx Ultrascale + core housed on the PCB. We have used two testbeds to evaluate the VCM performance. Experimental results showed that the Worst-Case Response Time (WCRT) by the application logic is 13.6 times smaller than the most limiting specification-related deadline. The achieved earliness (− 1.8 ms out of 2 ms of deadline) allows for the easy expansion of VCM’s train protection capabilities in the future. Results from the second testbed showed that the VCM can intervene to mitigate hazardous situations ~ 2 times faster than the current automatic train protection systems according to the related standard.
Protein familiarity is a fundamental but rarely operationalized concept in the safety assessment of genetically modified crops: example of phosphomannose isomerase (PMI)
Authors: Carlson Anne B. , Mathesius Carey A. , Gunderson Tim A. , Hession Aideen , Bruyere Reba , Mirsky Henry P. , Zhang John , Sandmann Mat , Fallers Melissa N. , Herman Rod A.
Published: July 2023

Fundamental to the safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) crops is the concept of negligible risk for newly expressed proteins for which there is a history of safe use. Although this simple concept has been stated in international and regional guidance for assessing the risk of newly expressed proteins in GM crops, its full implementation by regulatory authorities has been lacking. As a result, safety studies are often repeated at a significant expenditure of resources by developers, study results are repeatedly reviewed by regulators, and animals are sacrificed needlessly to complete redundant animal toxicity studies. This situation is illustrated using the example of the selectable marker phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) for which familiarity has been established. Reviewed is the history of safe use for PMI and predictable results of newly conducted safety studies including bioinformatic comparisons, resistance to digestion, and acute toxicity that were repeated to gain regulatory reapproval of PMI expressed from constructs in recently developed GM maize. As expected, the results of these newly repeated hazard-identification and characterization studies for PMI indicate negligible risk. PMI expressed in recently developed GM crops provides an opportunity to use the concept of familiarity by regulatory authorities to reduce risk-disproportionate regulation of these new events and lessen the resulting waste of both developer and regulator resources, as well as eliminate unnecessary animal testing. This would also correctly imply that familiar proteins like PMI have negligible risk. Together, such modernization of regulations would benefit society through enabling broader and faster access to needed technologies.