bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intertwined regulators: hypoxia pathway proteins, microRNAs, and phosphodiesterases in the control of steroidogenesis
Authors: Ariyeloye Stephen , Kämmerer Susanne , Klapproth Erik , Wielockx Ben , El-Armouche Ali
Published: February 2024

Oxygen sensing is of paramount importance for maintaining cellular and systemic homeostasis. In response to diminished oxygen levels, the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) orchestrate various biological processes. These pivotal transcription factors have been identified as key regulators of several biological events. Notably, extensive research from our group and others has demonstrated that HIF1α exerts an inverse regulatory effect on steroidogenesis, leading to the suppression of crucial steroidogenic enzyme expression and a subsequent decrease in steroid levels. These steroid hormones occupy pivotal roles in governing a myriad of physiological processes. Substantial or prolonged fluctuations in steroid levels carry detrimental consequences across multiple organ systems and underlie various pathological conditions, including metabolic and immune disorders. MicroRNAs serve as potent mediators of multifaceted gene regulatory mechanisms, acting as influential epigenetic regulators that modulate a broad spectrum of gene expressions. Concomitantly, phosphodiesterases (PDEs) play a crucial role in governing signal transduction. PDEs meticulously manage intracellular levels of both cAMP and cGMP, along with their respective signaling pathways and downstream targets. Intriguingly, an intricate interplay seems to exist between hypoxia signaling, microRNAs, and PDEs in the regulation of steroidogenesis. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the role of microRNAs during hypoxia-driven processes, including steroidogenesis, as well as the possibilities that exist in the application of HIF prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) inhibitors for the modulation of steroidogenesis.
Role and relevance of dentists in a multiprofessional palliative care team: results of a cross-sectional survey study
Authors: Weihermann Greta Antonia , Bernhardt Florian , Brix Tobias J. , Baumeister Sebastian-Edgar , Lenz Philipp
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Despite the multiprofessional concept surrounding palliative care patients (PCPs) and their high prevalence of oral issues, licensed dentists (LDs) are often not included in their treatment team. This study aimed to examine the current state of cooperation and to determine whether and how LDs should be included in the care for PCPs.

Methods

This single-centre cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Hospital Muenster, Germany. We surveyed three participant groups: PCPs, LDs, and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Questionnaires were tailored for each group, with some questions common for comparison.

Results

The study encompassed the results of 48 questionnaires from LDs, 50 from PCPs along with 50 from HCPs. Consensus was reached among all parties (LDs: 73% (n = 35/48); HCPs: 94%, n = 47/50; PCPs: 60%, n = 30/50) that involving LDs in the treatment concept is favourable. On the other hand, a significant discrepancy emerged in the perception of the dental treatment effort required by PCPs. While LDs (81%; n = 39/48) and HCPs (64%; n = 32/50) were convinced of increased effort, PCPs (34%; n = 17/50) largely did not share this perspective. To enhance patient care and formulate appropriate treatment plans, LDs consider both training (58%; n = 28/48) and guidebooks (71%; n = 34/48) to be valuable and would attend or use such resources.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on the current gaps in including LDs in palliative care teams and emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to address oral health needs effectively. Development of continuing education options and collaborative models between LDs and HCPs needs to be further expanded in future.
Analysis of flux footprints in fragmented, heterogeneous croplands
Authors: Kumari Shweta , Kambhammettu B. V. N. P. , Adams Mark. A. , Niyogi Dev
Published: February 2024

An accurate quantification of fluxes from heterogeneous sites and further bifurcation into contributing homogeneous fluxes is an active field of research. Among such sites, fragmented croplands with varying surface roughness characteristics pose formidable challenges for footprint analysis. We conducted two flux monitoring experiments in fragmented croplands characterized by two dissimilar surfaces with objectives to: (i) evaluate the performance of two analytical footprint models in heterogeneous canopy considering aggregated roughness parameters and (ii) analyze the contribution of fluxes from individual surfaces under changing wind speed. A set of three eddy covariance (EC) towers (one each capturing the homogenous fluxes from individual surfaces and a third, high tower capturing the heterogeneous mixed fluxes) was used for method validation. High-quality EC fluxes that fulfill stationarity and internal turbulence tests were analyzed considering daytime, unstable conditions. In the first experiment, source area contribution from a surface is gradually reduced by progressive cut, and its effect on high-tower flux measurements is analyzed. Two footprint models (Kormann and Meixner ‘KM’; analytical solution to Lagrangian model ‘FFP’) with modified surface roughness parameters were applied under changing source area contributions. FFP model has consistently over predicted the footprints (RMSEFFP = 0.31 m−1, PBIASFFP = 19.00), whereas KM model prediction was gradually changed from over prediction to under prediction towards higher upwind distances (RMSEKM = 0.02 m−1, PBIASKM = 8.50). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the models are more sensitive to turbulent conditions than surface characteristics. This motivated to conduct the second experiment, where the fractional contribution of individual surfaces (α and β) to the heterogeneous fluxes measured by the high tower (T3) was estimated using the principle of superposition (FT3 = α FT1 + β FT2). Results showed that α and β are dynamic during daylight hours and strongly depend on mean wind speed (U) and friction velocity (u*). The contribution of fluxes from adjoining fields [1 − (α + β)] is significant beyond 80% isopleth. Our findings provide guidelines for future analysis of fluxes in heterogeneous, fragmented croplands.
“You cannot just stop life for just that”: a qualitative study on children’s experiences on refugee journey to Sweden
Authors: Mattelin Erica , Söderlind Natalie , Korhonen Laura
Published: February 2024

Children with refugee backgrounds are often exposed to violence and other adverse experiences with well-known detrimental consequences on mental health. However, the current group of approximately 40 million child refugees is heterogeneous, stressing the importance of first-person perspectives in understanding children’s unique experiences and needs related to the migration process. Identifying contextual factors promoting health and resilience is also essential. For instance, the roles children play as active agents in constructing their own lives and adapting to different environments are poorly described in contemporary research on child refugees and their mental health. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted qualitative interviews with a reflexive thematic analysis with eighteen children with refugee backgrounds in Sweden. This resulted in two main themes: Longing for a good life that cannot be taken for granted and Challenged agency and changing rights. The narratives indicate that children, although exposed to different challenges in different migration phases and based on gender and asylum status, have experiences of ordinary childhood with a desire for a good life with prospects. The results also show that children execute active and adaptable agency that is impacted by various factors. Reaching the full age appears to be a confusing and ambivalent transition due to changes in rights. The results pinpoint several possibilities to address factors that pose a risk to health and restrictions of rights among child refugees.
Prolonged viral pneumonia and high mortality in COVID-19 patients on anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy
Authors: Feuth Eeva , Nieminen Valtteri , Palomäki Antti , Ranti Juha , Sucksdorff Marcus , Finnilä Taru , Oksi Jarmo , Vuorinen Tytti , Feuth Thijs
Published: February 2024

Purpose

In clinical practice, we observed an apparent overrepresentation of COVID-19 patients on anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical picture of COVID-19 in these patients.

Methods

All adult patients from Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, with COVID-19 diagnosis and/or positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test result up to March 2023, and with anti-CD20 therapy within 12 months before COVID-19 were included. Data was retrospectively obtained from electronic patient records.

Results

Ninety-eight patients were identified. 44/93 patients (47.3%) were hospitalized due to COVID-19. Patients with demyelinating disorder (n = 20) were youngest (median age 36.5 years, interquartile range 33–45 years), had less comorbidities, and were least likely to be hospitalized (2/20; 10.0%) or die (n = 0). COVID-19 mortality was 13.3% in the whole group, with age and male sex as independent risk factors. Persistent symptoms were documented in 33/94 patients (35.1%) alive by day 30, in 21/89 patients (23.6%) after 60 days, and in 15/85 after 90 days (17.6%), mostly in patients with haematological malignancy or connective tissue disease. Prolonged symptoms after 60 days predisposed to persistent radiological findings (odds ratio 64.0; 95% confidence interval 6.3–711; p < 0.0001) and persistently positive PCR (odds ratio 45.5, 95% confidence interval 4.0–535; p < 0.0001). Several patients displayed rapid response to late antiviral therapy.

Conclusion

Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy is associated with high COVID-19 mortality and with a phenotype consistent with prolonged viral pneumonia. Our study provides rationale for retesting of immunocompromised patients with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms and considering antiviral therapy.
Improving the Automated Diagnosis of Breast Cancer with Mesh Reconstruction of Ultrasound Images Incorporating 3D Mesh Features and a Graph Attention Network
Authors: Chowa Sadia Sultana , Azam Sami , Montaha Sidratul , Bhuiyan Md Rahad Islam , Jonkman Mirjam
Published: February 2024

This study proposes a novel approach for breast tumor classification from ultrasound images into benign and malignant by converting the region of interest (ROI) of a 2D ultrasound image into a 3D representation using the point-e system, allowing for in-depth analysis of underlying characteristics. Instead of relying solely on 2D imaging features, this method extracts 3D mesh features that describe tumor patterns more precisely. Ten informative and medically relevant mesh features are extracted and assessed with two feature selection techniques. Additionally, a feature pattern analysis has been conducted to determine the feature’s significance. A feature table with dimensions of 445 × 12 is generated and a graph is constructed, considering the rows as nodes and the relationships among the nodes as edges. The Spearman correlation coefficient method is employed to identify edges between the strongly connected nodes (with a correlation score greater than or equal to 0.7), resulting in a graph containing 56,054 edges and 445 nodes. A graph attention network (GAT) is proposed for the classification task and the model is optimized with an ablation study, resulting in the highest accuracy of 99.34%. The performance of the proposed model is compared with ten machine learning (ML) models and one-dimensional convolutional neural network where the test accuracy of these models ranges from 73 to 91%. Our novel 3D mesh-based approach, coupled with the GAT, yields promising performance for breast tumor classification, outperforming traditional models, and has the potential to reduce time and effort of radiologists providing a reliable diagnostic system.
EfficientNet-Based System for Detecting EGFR-Mutant Status and Predicting Prognosis of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients with NSCLC
Authors: Xu Nan , Wang Jiajun , Dai Gang , Lu Tao , Li Shu , Deng Kexue , Song Jiangdian
Published: February 2024

We aimed to develop and validate a deep learning-based system using pre-therapy computed tomography (CT) images to detect epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant status in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and predict the prognosis of advanced-stage patients with EGFR mutations treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). This retrospective, multicenter study included 485 patients with NSCLC from four hospitals. Of them, 339 patients from three centers were included in the training dataset to develop an EfficientNetV2-L-based model (EME) for predicting EGFR-mutant status, and the remaining patients were assigned to an independent test dataset. EME semantic features were extracted to construct an EME-prognostic model to stratify the prognosis of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients receiving EGFR-TKI. A comparison of EME and radiomics was conducted. Additionally, we included patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas lung adenocarcinoma dataset with both CT images and RNA sequencing data to explore the biological associations between EME score and EGFR-related biological processes. EME obtained an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.907 (95% CI 0.840–0.926) on the test dataset, superior to the radiomics model (P = 0.007). The EME and radiomics fusion model showed better (AUC, 0.941) but not significantly increased performance (P = 0.895) compared with EME. In prognostic stratification, the EME-prognostic model achieved the best performance (C-index, 0.711). Moreover, the EME-prognostic score showed strong associations with biological pathways related to EGFR expression and EGFR-TKI efficacy. EME demonstrated a non-invasive and biologically interpretable approach to predict EGFR status, stratify survival prognosis, and correlate biological pathways in patients with NSCLC.
Parent–Youth Attachment Insecurity and Informant Discrepancies of Intrafamilial Aggression
Authors: Thornton Emily M. , Dys Sebastian P. , Sierra Hernandez Carlos , Smith Ryan J. , Moretti Marlene M.
Published: February 2024

This study investigated how youth attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with informant discrepancies of intrafamilial aggression within families where youth have clinically significant mental health challenges (N = 510 youth–parent dyads). Using polynomial regressions, we tested whether youth attachment avoidance and anxiety moderated the absolute magnitude of the association between youth- and parent-reports of aggression toward each other. Furthermore, difference scores were computed to test whether youth attachment was associated with the direction of youths’ reports of the frequency of aggression relative to parents (i.e., did youth under- or over-report). Dyads’ reports of youth-to-parent aggression were more strongly related at high than low levels of attachment anxiety. Results also revealed that youth attachment anxiety was associated with youth over-reporting of youth-to-parent and parent-to-youth aggression (relative to parents), whereas attachment avoidance was associated with youth over-reporting parent-to-youth aggression (relative to parents). These findings highlight the importance of understanding the source of informant discrepancies in social-emotional development and family functioning.
Karl Polanyi against postcolonial theory: beyond Eurocentric anti-Eurocentrism
Authors: Duzgun Eren
Published: February 2024

Postcolonial theory has been at the forefront of attempts to remedy the problem of Eurocentrism. This article argues that postcolonial theory has not progressed far enough in successfully treating the problem of Eurocentrism, for it has not sufficiently abided by its own methodological underpinnings, i.e., it has not satisfactorily developed its own critique of the “presentist” conceptions of history. More precisely, postcolonial theory has not shown how to make a complete departure from the methodologically presentist conceptions of capitalism, which, in turn, limits our ability to overcome hierarchical readings of global modernity. To problematize and fill this gap, I take an unconventional tack, turning to a seldomly cited figure in debates on Eurocentrism: Karl Polanyi. I contend that although Polanyi places the origins of capitalist modernity in Europe, his historical sociology provides an alternative and more definitive solution for presentism and Eurocentrism. Polanyi’s rejection of the “economistic” and “dualistic” understandings of human life, his insistence on the commonality and diversity of human degradation in the face of capitalist modernity, and his historically specific conception of the “counter-movement” enable a decidedly non-presentist, non-triumphalist, and non-hierarchical narrative of the genesis and development of the modern present.
Heuristics and semantic spaces for the analysis of students’ work in mathematical problem solving
Authors: Favier Stéphane , Dorier Jean-Luc
Published: February 2024

In this research, our objective is to characterize the problem-solving procedures of primary and lower secondary students when they solve problems in real class conditions. To do so, we rely first on the concept of heuristics. As this term is very polysemic, we exploit the definition proposed by Rott (2014) to develop a coding manual and thus analyze students’ procedures. Then, we interpret the results of these analyses in a qualitative way by mobilizing the concept of semantic space (Poitrenaud, 1998). This detailed analysis of students’ procedures is made possible by collecting audiovisual data as close as possible to the students’ work using an action camera mounted on the students’ heads. We thus succeed in highlighting three different investigation profiles that we have named explorer, butterfly, and prospector. Our first results tend to show a correlation with these profiles and the success in problem-solving, yet this would need more investigation.
Boosting Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis via Tuning of N Dopants in TiO2@CN-Supported Ru Catalysts
Authors: Li Xincheng , Liu Yunhao , Zhao Dejian , Lyu Shuaishuai , Ye Jingwei , Li Xiaoshen , Wu Peipei , Tian Ye , Zhang Yingtian , Ding Tong , Song Song , Cheng Qingpeng , Li Xingang
Published: February 2024

Nitrogen (N)-doped carbon materials as metal catalyst supports have attracted significant attention, but the effect of N dopants on catalytic performance remains unclear, especially for complex reaction processes such as Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS). Herein, we engineered ruthenium (Ru) FTS catalysts supported on N-doped carbon overlayers on TiO2 nanoparticles. By regulating the carbonization temperatures, we successfully controlled the types and contents of N dopants to identify their impacts on metal–support interactions (MSI). Our findings revealed that N dopants establish a favorable surface environment for electron transfer from the support to the Ru species. Moreover, pyridinic N demonstrates the highest electron-donating ability, followed by pyrrolic N and graphitic N. In addition to realizing excellent catalytic stability, strengthening the interaction between Ru sites and N dopants increases the Ru0/Ruδ+ ratios to enlarge the active site numbers and surface electron density of Ru species to enhance the strength of adsorbed CO. Consequently, it improves the catalyst’s overall performance, encompassing intrinsic and apparent activities, as well as its ability for carbon chain growth. Accordingly, the as-synthesized Ru/TiO2@CN-700 catalyst with abundant pyridine N dopants exhibits a superhigh C5+ time yield of 219.4 molCO/(molRu·h) and C5+ selectivity of 85.5%.
Supporting Decarbonization of Health Systems—A Review of International Policy and Practice on Health Care and Climate Change
Authors: Hough Emily , Cohen Tanugi-Carresse Arielle
Published: February 2024

Purpose of Review

Healthcare is a significant contributor of carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. There has been an increased focus on the role healthcare should play in reducing emissions in recent years. This review, completed in September and October 2022, explored national commitments among 73 countries to reduce emissions from healthcare and the policies and delivery plans that exist to support their implementation.

Recent Findings

Whilst some countries such as Norway, Columbia, and Australia are working to understand current emissions and develop plans to reduce them, few have published delivery plans for meeting national targets. Broader policies and reports published to date provide a clear set of actions that healthcare can take to reduce emissions. However, more research, innovation, and service redesign will be needed to close the gap to net zero healthcare.

Some health systems are already taking action to reduce their emissions. However, national incentives, including standardized metrics and reporting, can help drive broader action and pace of delivery.
Thioacetamide Additive Homogenizing Zn Deposition Revealed by In Situ Digital Holography for Advanced Zn Ion Batteries
Authors: Ren Kaixin , Li Min , Wang Qinghong , Liu Baohua , Sun Chuang , Yuan Boyu , Lai Chao , Jiao Lifang , Wang Chao
Published: February 2024

Zinc ion batteries are considered as potential energy storage devices due to their advantages of low-cost, high-safety, and high theoretical capacity. However, dendrite growth and chemical corrosion occurring on Zn anode limit their commercialization. These problems can be tackled through the optimization of the electrolyte. However, the screening of electrolyte additives using normal electrochemical methods is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Herein, a fast and simple method based on the digital holography is developed. It can realize the in situ monitoring of electrode/electrolyte interface and provide direct information concerning ion concentration evolution of the diffusion layer. It is effective and time-saving in estimating the homogeneity of the deposition layer and predicting the tendency of dendrite growth, thus able to value the applicability of electrolyte additives. The feasibility of this method is further validated by the forecast and evaluation of thioacetamide additive. Based on systematic characterization, it is proved that the introduction of thioacetamide can not only regulate the interficial ion flux to induce dendrite-free Zn deposition, but also construct adsorption molecule layers to inhibit side reactions of Zn anode. Being easy to operate, capable of in situ observation, and able to endure harsh conditions, digital holography method will be a promising approach for the interfacial investigation of other battery systems."Image missing"
Artificial Intelligence for the Electron Ion Collider (AI4EIC)
Authors: Allaire C. , Ammendola R. , Aschenauer E.-C. , Balandat M. , Battaglieri M. , Bernauer J. , Bondì M. , Branson N. , Britton T. , Butter A. , Chahrour I. , Chatagnon P. , Cisbani E. , Cline E. W. , Dash S. , Dean C. , Deconinck W. , Deshpande A. , Diefenthaler M. , Ent R. , Fanelli C. , Finger M. , Finger M. , Fol E. , Furletov S. , Gao Y. , Giroux J. , Waduge N. C. Gunawardhana , Hassan O. , Hegde P. L. , Hernández-Pinto R. J. , Blin A. Hiller , Horn T. , Huang J. , Jalotra A. , Jayakodige D. , Joo B. , Junaid M. , Kalantarians N. , Karande P. , Kriesten B. , Elayavalli R. Kunnawalkam , Li Y. , Lin M. , Liu F. , Liuti S. , Matousek G. , McEneaney M. , McSpadden D. , Menzo T. , Miceli T. , Mikuni V. , Montgomery R. , Nachman B. , Nair R. R. , Niestroy J. , Oregon S. A. Ochoa , Oleniacz J. , Osborn J. D. , Paudel C. , Pecar C. , Peng C. , Perdue G. N. , Phelps W. , Purschke M. L. , Rajendran H. , Rajput K. , Ren Y. , Renteria-Estrada D. F. , Richford D. , Roy B. J. , Roy D. , Saini A. , Sato N. , Satogata T. , Sborlini G. , Schram M. , Shih D. , Singh J. , Singh R. , Siodmok A. , Stevens J. , Stone P. , Suarez L. , Suresh K. , Tawfik A.-N. , Acosta F. Torales , Tran N. , Trotta R. , Twagirayezu F. J. , Tyson R. , Volkova S. , Vossen A. , Walter E. , Whiteson D. , Williams M. , Wu S. , Zachariou N. , Zurita P.
Published: February 2024

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a state-of-the-art facility for studying the strong force, is expected to begin commissioning its first experiments in 2028. This is an opportune time for artificial intelligence (AI) to be included from the start at this facility and in all phases that lead up to the experiments. The second annual workshop organized by the AI4EIC working group, which recently took place, centered on exploring all current and prospective application areas of AI for the EIC. This workshop is not only beneficial for the EIC, but also provides valuable insights for the newly established ePIC collaboration at EIC. This paper summarizes the different activities and R&D projects covered across the sessions of the workshop and provides an overview of the goals, approaches and strategies regarding AI/ML in the EIC community, as well as cutting-edge techniques currently studied in other experiments.
A Study of Extreme Water Waves Using a Hierarchy of Models Based on Potential-Flow Theory
Authors: Choi Junho , Kalogirou Anna , Lu Yang , Bokhove Onno , Kelmanson Mark
Published: February 2024

The formation of extreme waves arising from the interaction of three line-solitons with equal far-field amplitudes is examined through a hierarchy of water-wave models. The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation (KPE) is first used to prove analytically that its exact three-soliton solution has a ninefold maximum amplification that is achieved in the absence of spatial divergence. Reproducing this ninefold maximum paves the way for simulations based on both the Benney–Luke equations (BLE) and more advanced potential-flow equations (PFE). To preserve (for the sake of computations) the region of interaction, exact KPE solutions on an infinite domain are used to yield initial conditions that seed the BLE and PFE models within a periodic domain. The above strategies are realised by directly implementing the corresponding time-discretised variational principles within the finite-element environment Firedrake, one aim being automation of the generation of the algebraically cumbersome weak formulations. In the case of three-soliton interactions, it is found numerically that an amplification factor in the interval circa (7.6, 9) can be achieved within the BLE framework, whereas in the PFE framework, this falls to circa 7.8.
Recycling of SmCo Magnets by Removal of Iron via Oxidative Leaching
Authors: Emil-Kaya Elif , Papakci Merve , Friedrich Bernd
Published: February 2024

In the production of SmCo permanent magnets with excellent temperature stability, corrosion resistance, and oxidation resistance, samarium (Sm), one of the rare earth elements (REEs), and cobalt (Co) are employed. Cobalt (Co) is a crucial component in tool materials, nickel-based alloys, tablet and smartphone batteries, and electric car batteries. REEs and Co have been listed as critical raw materials by the European Union Commission for many years. Due to the ever-growing demand for Co and REEs in technological applications, the recovery of these elements from secondary sources has garnered significant interest. There are two types of SmCo magnets, one of which contains a high amount of iron, approximately 15.2%. This paper focuses on the recycling of Fe-bearing SmCo. In this study, an oxidative leaching process with nitric acid was developed to eliminate iron through in situ hydrolysis and to dissolve REEs and Co. The influence of experimental conditions on the formation of an amorphous iron compound through the hydrolysis of Fe3+ in a nitric acid environment was thoroughly examined based on a Taguchi orthogonal array. The optimal parameters for oxidative leaching were determined to be an acid concentration of 3 mol/L, a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/10, and a process temperature of 60 °C.
Adaptive anti-predatory responses of European rabbits exposed to different predation pressure
Authors: Tobajas Jorge , Ferreira C. C. , Delibes-Mateos M. , Villafuerte R. , Rouco Zufiaurre Carlos
Published: February 2024

Prey species develop anti-predatory strategies as a response to minimising the risk of being predated. However, how the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) adapts to different predator pressure is not fully known. Here, we studied the adaptive anti-predatory responses of European rabbits exposed to different terrestrial predation pressure. To do this, we took advantage of a rabbit translocation programme in the Sierra Norte Natural Park of Sevilla (SW Spain), where rabbits from the same donor population were translocated in plots with and without terrestrial predator exclusion fences (aerial predation was not excluded in any of the plots). This presented an ideal opportunity to observe whether the behaviour of individuals from the same population adapts to situations with different predator pressure; thus, their behaviour was evaluated through direct observations. Although most rabbits were observed close to cover, differences in distance to cover, group size and behaviour were observed between fenced and unfenced plots. Overall, both adult and juvenile rabbits moved further from cover in the unfenced plot than in the fenced plot. Most of the observations in the unfenced plot corresponded to rabbits in pairs or alone; whereas in the fenced plot, rabbits were primarily in pairs or in larger groups. Our findings suggest that in the unfenced plot, rabbits that moved further from cover were often part of larger groups (≥ 4 rabbits); whereas in the fenced plot, it was rabbits in smaller groups (< 4 rabbits). Rabbits in the unfenced plot were alert and running more frequently than rabbits in the fenced one; in the latter, these rabbits were mostly feeding. Other relaxed behaviours such us grooming or resting were more frequent close to cover. In summary, our results highlight rabbits' capacity to promptly adjust behaviour in response to predation risk, exhibiting adaptive anti-predatory responses tailored to different predation pressures. These insights contribute to understanding the nuanced dynamics of prey species' responses to diverse predation scenarios.
(Non-)Conceptualisations of teaching and learning in innovative learning environments – a meta-narrative review
Authors: Liljestrand Johan
Published: February 2024

A current trend in educational research on innovative learning environments is to focus on student-centred learning, rather than a teacher-focused classroom. This turn to learning environments comes with theoretical and conceptual challenges concerning the dynamics of the classroom context and the interactions that take place within it. The aim of this review is to map the conceptions of teaching and learning in studies focusing on innovative learning environments and how they are applied in relation to the collected data. The review shows that several studies do not relate their empirical data to theoretical concepts in a systematic way. It is also suggested that the complexity of a learning environment requires an operationalised, conceptual comprehension in order to gain a full understanding of its conditions for teaching and learning.
Artificial intelligence (AI) cybersecurity dimensions: a comprehensive framework for understanding adversarial and offensive AI
Authors: Malatji Masike , Tolah Alaa
Published: February 2024

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly advances and integrates into various domains, cybersecurity emerges as a critical field grappling with both the benefits and pitfalls of AI technologies. This paper explores the multifaceted dimensions of AI-driven cyberattacks, offering insights into their implications, mitigation strategies, underlying motivations, and profound societal impacts. The research centres on developing and presenting the AI Cybersecurity Dimensions (AICD) Framework, a comprehensive, multidimensional schema designed to guide academics, policymakers, and industry professionals in understanding and combating the evolving challenges posed by AI-driven cyber threats. The research unveils the complex dynamics of offensive AI, stressing the need for adaptive defences and ethical considerations. Concurrently, the study highlights adversarial AI threats, calling for proactive measures to address their potential ramifications. Through rigorous textual analyses and extensive literature reviews, the paper underscores the urgency for interdisciplinary approaches to bridge the technology-humanity chasm traditionally observed in cybersecurity discussions. By synthesising these diverse elements, the AICD Framework emerges as an instrumental tool for holistic understanding and practical interventions in the AI-infused cybersecurity landscape. The paper concludes with an urgent call for collaborative efforts in research and practice to navigate the intricate challenges and capitalise on the opportunities borne from the convergence of AI and cybersecurity.
Saudi Cerebral Palsy Register (SCPR): Protocol on the Methods and Technical Details
Authors: Mushta Sami Mukhdari , Alghamdi Riyad , Almalki Hani , Waqas Saadia , Alawwadh Adel , Barasheed Osamah , Garnan Mohammad , McIntyre Sarah , Rashid Harunor , Badawi Nadia , Khandaker Gulam
Published: February 2024

This protocol presents a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of the Saudi Cerebral Palsy Register (SCPR), a crucial project for investigating and addressing the prevalence, etiology, and management of cerebral palsy (CP) in Saudi Arabia. The SCPR will not only provide a robust database for ongoing research and analysis but will also serve as a platform for investigating the causes of CP, implementing preventative strategies, and improving the quality of care and outcomes for people with CP and their families in Saudi Arabia. Detailed case definitions, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and data collection protocols are discussed to ensure the integrity and comparability of the data. The plan also outlines strategic funding, institutional and government endorsement, sustainability considerations, potential challenges and proposed solutions, and expected outcomes and impact. These include creating research and educational opportunities, fostering regional and international collaborations, and significantly contributing to CP prevention strategies. Overcoming anticipated obstacles, such as stigma, institutional policies, and collaborations, and securing both necessary funding and endorsements are highlighted as critical for the success of the SCPR. The project is not only aligned with promote prevention of health risks, a target of Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia, but is also expected to have a substantial impact on the health and quality of life of people with CP and their families in Saudi Arabia, serving as inspiration for similar efforts worldwide.
The free energy of an ecosystem: towards a measure of its inner value
Authors: Perillo Gerardo M. E. , Zilio Mariana I. , Tohme Fernando , Piccolo M. Cintia
Published: February 2024

Based on a free energy approach, we propose the estimation of an ecosystem’s Inner Value, which is both non-instrumental and objective, reflecting the ecosystem’s value for itself as a natural entity, abstracted from any human valuation. The ecosystem services approach has become the dominant criterion for studying human and natural relationships, but this and similar approaches concentrate on the human advantage giving little or no regard for the well-being of the ecosystem. Although there is concern about preserving and recuperating damaged ecosystems, we seldom consider how much the ecosystem values itself. Then, we propose that Inner Value could be a tool to evaluate and model ecosystems’ health before any anthropic disturbance, allowing comparison with the impact these disturbances may have in the future. We also suggest that it should be a requirement for any Environmental Impact Assessment.
Taming the Cycles of Finance?
Authors: Thiemann Matthias
Published: February 2024

Macroprudential regulation is a set of economic and policy tools that aim to mitigate risk in the financial and banking systems. It was largely developed in response to the financial crisis of 2007-08, turning central banks into de facto financial policemen. Taming the Cycles of Finance traces the post-crisis rise of macroprudential regulation and argues that, despite its original aims, it typically supports finance in times of crisis but fails to curb it in times of booms. Investigating how different macroprudential frameworks developed in the UK, the USA and the Eurozone, the book explains how central bank economists went about building early warning systems to identify fragilities in the financial system. It then shows how administrative and political constraints limited the effects of this shift, as central banks were wary of intervening in a discretionary manner and policymakers were opposed to measures to limit credit growth.
The Duty to Secure
Authors: Floyd Rita
Published: February 2024

States have social contractual duties to provide security for their people, but just what measures are morally required? Should states be obligated to address real/objective existential threats via securitization (i.e., threat-specific, often liberty defying, rigorously enforced and sometimes forcible emergency measures)? Do non-state actors or international organizations also have a moral duty to securitize and, if so, why, when, and to whom? Would such duties pertain only to populations of one's own state or also to people in other states? 'The Duty to Secure' offers answers to these and other questions, setting out a rigorous theory of morally mandatory securitization that examines the duties of actors at all levels of analysis. Morally mandatory securitization has practical implications, including for NATO's Article 5 and the responsibility to protect norm, both of which currently take account of only a narrow range of threats.
New Structural Financial Economics
Authors: Lin Justin Yifu , Xu Jiajun , Yang Zirong , Zhang Yilin
Published: February 2024

This Element proposes an alternative framework for rethinking the role of finance in serving the real economy from the perspective of New Structural Financial Economics. It challenges the conventional wisdom that developing countries should take the financial structure of developed countries as the benchmark and financial structure does not matter in spurring long-run economic development. As a sub-discipline of New Structural Economics, New Structural Financial Economics has three tenets. First, examining the appropriate financial structure should take an economy's factor endowment structure as the starting point of analysis, which identifies its latent comparative advantage. Second, the appropriate financial structure is determined by the financing needs of the prevailing production structure. Third, a government should provide development financing to address market failures, and make tailored financial regulations in line with the characteristics of specific financial arrangements. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Evolving An African Postcolonial Condition: Cultural Property Restitution, Cinematic Independence, Globalized NGO Compassion, and Grappling with an Elite Corruption Complex
Authors: Arukwe Nnanna Onuoha
Published: February 2024

The empire-building phase of the European powers in Africa, which spanned several centuries, had its climax at the infamous Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, where the colonizers carved up and allocated the African continent among themselves as their respective colonial projects. They would subsequently invade virtually all of the continent based on this arbitrary partitioning—which, among other things, created Africa’s colonial condition. Mention must be made of the fact that uncountable numbers of artworks and artefacts were looted by the invaders from various parts of Africa during those invasions and the de facto occupations that ensued. These looted treasures were scattered all over Europe and elsewhere in museums and private collections, where they currently remain largely unaccounted for.
RocHealthData.org: Development and usage of a publicly available, geographic source of social determinants of health data
Authors: Holt Kathleen D. , Roman Gretchen , McIntosh Laura , Kleinsorge Jamie , Holden-Wiltse Jeanne , Bennett Nancy M.
Published: February 2024

Access to local, population specific, and timely data is vital in understanding factors that impact population health. The impact of place (neighborhood, census tract, and city) is particularly important in understanding the Social Determinants of Health. The University of Rochester Medical Center’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute created the web-based tool RocHealthData.org to provide access to thousands of geographically displayed publicly available health-related datasets. The site has also hosted a variety of locally curated datasets (eg., COVID-19 vaccination rates and community-derived health indicators), helping set community priorities and impacting outcomes. Usage statistics (available through Google Analytics) show returning visitors with a lower bounce rate (leaving a site after a single page access) and spent longer at the site than new visitors. Of the currently registered 1033 users, 51.7% were from within our host university, 20.1% were from another educational institution, and 28.2% identified as community members. Our assessments indicate that these data are useful and valued across a variety of domains. Continuing site improvement depends on new sources of locally relevant data, as well as increased usage of data beyond our local region.
Dancing ejecta
Authors: Tian Yuan Si , Aljedaani Abdulrahman B. , Alghamdi Tariq , Thoroddsen Sigurður T.
Published: February 2024

Splashing of impacting drops produces a myriad of secondary spray droplets, which generate aerosols during rain on the ocean and can cause health hazards during the spraying of pesticides or enhance the droplet transmission of disease. Determining the size and number of the finest splashed droplets is therefore of practical interest. Herein, we use a novel experimental facility with a 26 m tall vacuum tube, to study well-controlled drop impacts at velocities as high as 22 m s

$^{-1}$

, where we reach parameter regimes not studied before using freely falling drops. Using extreme video frame rates, we pinpoint the primary source of the finest spray, coming from the catastrophic bending and rupture of the sub-micron-thick ejecta sheet, which emerges at a high speed from the neck connecting the drop and pool. The axisymmetric bending and convoluted ejecta shapes are driven primarily by resistance from the surrounding air, but also depend on the viscosity difference between drop and pool, which influences the initial ejection angle of the sheet. These extreme impact conditions provide new insights into general spray formation, through a sequence of bucklings of the rising ejecta, which dances next to the drop surface and can also form an enclosed air torus.
Astronomy, Architecture, and Landscape in the Olmec Area and Western Maya Lowlands: Implications for Understanding Regional Variability and Evolution of Orientation Patterns in Mesoamerica
Authors: Šprajc Ivan , Inomata Takeshi
Published: February 2024

In the area along the southern Gulf Coast in Mexico, a large number of previously unrecorded archaeological sites have recently been detected with the aid of lidar data, which also allowed us to determine the orientations of hundreds of structures and architectural assemblages, including many standardized complexes dated to the Early-to-Middle Formative transition. As revealed by our analyses, most orientations were based on astronomical and calendrical principles, occasionally combined with certain concepts of sacred geography. While the results of these analyses were presented in a recently published article, here we explore the potential of alignment data for addressing other questions of archaeological relevance. The distribution of particular building types and regional variations in alignment patterns in the study area suggest the existence of two somehow different cultural spheres, loosely corresponding to the areas conventionally called the Gulf Olmec region and the western Maya Lowlands. Examining pertinent evidence, we argue that it was in this area where some of the most prominent orientation groups materialized in later Mesoamerican architecture originated. We also attempt to reconstruct the paths of their diffusion, which are expected to contribute to understanding the dynamics of long-distance cultural interaction in Mesoamerica.
A slowly evolving conical pendulum
Authors: De Subhranil
Published: February 2024

The idea of this work originally arose from a question pertaining to a laboratory experiment on circular motion in our departmental lab manual. The experiment itself involves rotating a bob along a horizontal circle (Figure 1), where the tension in the string attached to the bob provides the centripetal acceleration of the bob, the string itself passing through a smooth vertical pipe. It is assumed that the rotation is fast enough for the effect of gravity to be neglected and therefore the orientation of the part of the string between the top end of the pipe and the bob can be taken to be horizontal. The abovementioned question enquires what happens to the speed of the bob in the case that the bottom end of the string is hand-held and pulled slowly so that the radius of the circular orbit decreases. The answer to the question is straightforward. Either a work-energy argument or an argument involving the conservation of angular momentum provides the same correct answer.
Legislative Effectiveness in the American States
Authors: BUCCHIANERI PETER , VOLDEN CRAIG , WISEMAN ALAN E.
Published: February 2024

We develop State Legislative Effectiveness Scores (SLES) for state legislators across 97 legislative chambers over recent decades, based on the number of bills that they sponsor, how far those bills move through the lawmaking process, and their substantive importance. We assess the scores through criterion and construct validation and reveal new insights into effective lawmaking across legislators. We then offer two illustrations of the immense opportunities that these scores provide for new scholarship on legislative behavior. First, we demonstrate greater majority-party influence over lawmaking in states featuring ideological polarization and majority-party cohesion, and where there is greater electoral competition for chamber control. Second, we show how institutional design choices—from legislative rules to the scope of professionalization—affect the distributions of policymaking power from state to state.