bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Egg components and offspring survival vary with group size and laying order in a cooperative breeder
Authors: Fortuna Rita , Paquet Matthieu , Biard Clotilde , Élard Loïc , Ferreira André C. , Leroux-Coyaux Mathieu , Parenteau Charline , Silva Liliana R. , Théron Franck , Covas Rita , Doutrelant Claire
Published: May 2023

Prenatal resource allocation to offspring can be influenced by maternal environment and offspring value, and affect offspring survival. An important pathway for flexible maternal allocation is via egg components such as nutrients and hormones. In cooperative breeders, females with helpers may increase resource allocation to eggs—‘differential allocation’—or reduce it—‘load-lightening’. Yet, helper effects on egg composition have been poorly studied. Moreover, it is unknown how helpers’ presence modulates laying order effects on egg content and survival. Here, we investigated how maternal allocation varied with group size and laying order in the cooperatively breeding sociable weaver (Philetairus socius). We estimated interactive effects of helpers and laying order on allocation to egg mass, yolk nutrients—yolk mass, proteins, lipids, carotenoids, vitamin A and vitamin E—and hormones—testosterone, androstenedione, and corticosterone. Results concurred with the ‘differential allocation’ predictions. Females with more helpers produced later-laid eggs with heavier yolks and more lipids, and laid eggs overall richer in lipids. Proteins, antioxidants, and hormones were not found to vary with helper number. We then analyzed how helper number modulated laying order effects on survival. Females with more helpers did not specifically produce later-laid eggs with higher survival, but eggs laid by females with more helpers were overall more likely to fledge. These findings show that some egg components (yolk mass, lipids) can positively vary according to females’ breeding group size, which may improve offspring fitness.
Perceived facilitators and barriers by esophageal cancer survivors participating in a post-treatment exercise program
Authors: van Vulpen Jonna K. , Witlox Lenja , Methorst-de Haan Alida C. , Hiensch Anouk E. , van Hillegersberg Richard , Ruurda Jelle P. , Nieuwenhuijzen Grard A.P. , Kouwenhoven Ewout A. , Siersema Peter D. , May Anne M.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Participation in a post-treatment exercise program improves cardiorespiratory fitness and aspects of quality of life for esophageal cancer survivors. For optimal effects, high adherence to the exercise intervention is important. We assessed which facilitators and barriers to exercise adherence are perceived by esophageal cancer survivors, who participate in a post-treatment exercise program.

Methods

The current qualitative study was performed within the randomized controlled PERFECT trial, in which we investigated effects of a 12-week supervised exercise program with moderate-to-high intensity and daily physical activity advice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients randomized to the exercise group. A thematic content approach was used to derive perceived facilitators and barriers.

Results

Thematic saturation was reached after inclusion of sixteen patients. Median session attendance was 97.9% (IQR 91.7–100%), and relative dose intensity (compliance) to all exercises was ≥90.0%. Adherence to the activity advice was 50.0% (16.7–60.4%). Facilitators and barriers were captured in seven themes. The most important facilitators were patients’ own intention to engage in exercise and supervision by a physiotherapist. Barriers were mainly experienced in completion of the activity advice, and included logistic factors and physical complaints.

Conclusions

Esophageal cancer survivors are well capable to attend a moderate-to-high intensity post-treatment exercise program, and to fulfill the exercises according to protocol. This is facilitated by patients’ own intention to engage in exercise and supervision of the physiotherapist, and only minimally affected by barriers as logistic factors and physical complaints.

Implications for cancer survivors

When implementing postoperative exercise programs in clinical care, it can be useful to be aware of perceived facilitators and barriers of cancer survivors in order to achieve optimal exercise adherence and maximize beneficial exercise effects.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Register NTR 5045
Technical report: surgical preparation of human brain tissue for clinical and basic research
Authors: Straehle J. , Ravi V. M. , Heiland D.H. , Galanis C. , Lenz M. , Zhang Junyi , Neidert N.N , El Rahal A. , Vasilikos I. , Kellmeyer P. , Scheiwe C. , Klingler J.H. , Fung C. , Vlachos A. , Beck J. , Schnell O.
Published: May 2023

Background

The study of the distinct structure and function of the human central nervous system, both in healthy and diseased states, is becoming increasingly significant in the field of neuroscience. Typically, cortical and subcortical tissue is discarded during surgeries for tumors and epilepsy. Yet, there is a strong encouragement to utilize this tissue for clinical and basic research in humans. Here, we describe the technical aspects of the microdissection and immediate handling of viable human cortical access tissue for basic and clinical research, highlighting the measures needed to be taken in the operating room to ensure standardized procedures and optimal experimental results.

Methods

In multiple rounds of experiments (n= 36), we developed and refined surgical principles for the removal of cortical access tissue. The specimens were immediately immersed in cold carbogenated N-methyl-D-glucamine-based artificial cerebrospinal fluid for electrophysiology and electron microscopy experiments or specialized hibernation medium for organotypic slice cultures.

Results

The surgical principles of brain tissue microdissection were (1) rapid preparation (<1 min), (2) maintenance of the cortical axis, (3) minimization of mechanical trauma to sample, (4) use of pointed scalpel blade, (5) avoidance of cauterization and blunt preparation, (6) constant irrigation, and (7) retrieval of the sample without the use of forceps or suction. After a single round of introduction to these principles, multiple surgeons adopted the technique for samples with a minimal dimension of 5 mm spanning all cortical layers and subcortical white matter. Small samples (5–7 mm) were ideal for acute slice preparation and electrophysiology. No adverse events from sample resection were observed.

Conclusion

The microdissection technique of human cortical access tissue is safe and easily adoptable into the routine of neurosurgical procedures. The standardized and reliable surgical extraction of human brain tissue lays the foundation for human-to-human translational research on human brain tissue.
Cardiovascular manifestations in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
Authors: Shah Meera , Shinjo Samuel Katsuyuki , Day Jessica , Gupta Latika
Published: May 2023

Cardiovascular involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) is an understudied area which is gaining increasing recognition in recent times. Recent advances in imaging modalities and biomarkers have allowed the detection of subclinical cardiovascular manifestations in IIM. However, despite the availability of these tools, the diagnostic challenges and underestimated prevalence of cardiovascular involvement in these patients remain significant. Notably, cardiovascular involvement remains one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with IIM. In this narrative literature review, we outline the prevalence and characteristics of cardiovascular involvement in IIM. Additionally, we explore investigational modalities for early detection of cardiovascular involvement, as well as newer approaches in screening to facilitate timely management.

Key points• Cardiac involvement in IIM in majority cases is subclinical and a major cause of mortality.• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is sensitive for detection of subclinical cardiac involvement.
Between-satellite ambiguity resolution based on preliminary GNSS orbit and clock information using a globally applied ambiguity clustering strategy
Authors: Calero-Rodríguez Emilio J. , Villiger Arturo , Schaer Stefan , Dach Rolf , Jäggi Adrian
Published: May 2023

The use of undifferenced (UD) processing schemes of GNSS measurements is becoming more and more popular for the generation of global network solutions (GNSS orbits and clock products) within the GNSS community. As opposed to classical processing schemes, which are based on a two-step approach where the orbits (generally, the contributions to the observation geometry) are estimated in a double-difference (DD) scheme while leaving the estimation of the corresponding clock information (and other linear terms) to a second, independent UD procedure where the orbits are introduced as known, the newer designs combine both parts into a single, compact processing scheme. Although this offers a higher flexibility, some challenges arise from the handling of the many parameters, as well as from the implementation of robust ambiguity resolution (AR) strategies. The latter could lead to a prohibitive computational time for a growing size of the network due to the large amount of ambiguity parameters. To overcome that issue, we propose a new UD-AR strategy that adapts the DD-AR approach. This is accomplished by carefully inspecting the real-valued ambiguities in a stand-alone step, where the DD-AR information is explicitly considered through the use of ambiguity clusters. As a result, the preliminary satellite orbits and clock corrections are modified to become consistent with the integer-cycle property of the carrier phase ambiguities, allowing to resolve them as integer numbers in a computationally inexpensive station-wise parallelization. This strategy is introduced and explained in detail. Moreover, it is shown that the GPS and Galileo solutions generated by this procedure are at a competitive level compared to classical DD-based solutions.
Role of Escin in breast cancer therapy: potential mechanism for inducing ferroptosis and synergistic antitumor activity with cisplatin
Authors: Li Chenyuan , He Ziqi , Yao Feng , Liao Shichong , Sun Kai , Sun Shengrong , Li Zhiyu , Wang Zhong
Published: May 2023

Breast cancer (BC) has threatened women worldwide for a long time, and novel treatments are needed. Ferroptosis is a new form of regulated cell death that is a potential therapeutic target for BC. In this study, we identified Escin, a traditional Chinese medicine, as a possible supplement for existing chemotherapy strategies. Escin inhibited BC cell growth in vitro and in vivo, and ferroptosis is probable to be the main cause for Escin-induced cell death. Mechanistically, Escin significantly downregulated the protein level of GPX4, while overexpression of GPX4 could reverse the ferroptosis triggered by Escin. Further study revealed that Escin could promote G6PD ubiquitination and degradation, thus inhibiting the expression of GPX4 and contributing to the ferroptosis. Moreover, proteasome inhibitor MG132 or G6PD overexpression could partially reverse Escin-induced ferroptosis, when G6PD knockdown aggravated that. In vivo study also supported that downregulation of G6PD exacerbated tumor growth inhibition by Escin. Finally, our data showed that cell apoptosis was dramatically elevated by Escin combined with cisplatin in BC cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Escin inhibits tumor growth in vivo and in vitro via regulating the ferroptosis mediated by G6PD/GPX4 axis. Our findings provide a promising therapeutic strategy for BC.
Detecting the influence of the Chinese guiding cases: a text reuse approach
Authors: Chen Benjamin M. , Li Zhiyu , Cai David , Ash Elliott
Published: May 2023

Socialist courts are supposed to apply the law, not make it, and socialist legality denies judicial decisions any precedential status. In 2011, the Chinese Supreme People’s Court designated selected decisions as Guiding Cases to be referred to by all judges when adjudicating similar disputes. One decade on, the paucity of citations to Guiding Cases has been taken as demonstrating the incongruity of case-based adjudication and the socialist legal tradition. Citations are, however, an imperfect measure of influence. Reproduction of language uniquely traceable to Guiding Cases can also be evidence of their impact on judicial decision-making. We employ a local alignment tool to detect unattributed text reuse of Guiding Cases in local court decisions. Our findings suggest that Guiding Cases are more consequential than commonly assumed, thereby complicating prevailing narratives about the antagonism of socialist legality to case law.
Identifying the effective behaviour change techniques in nutrition and physical activity interventions for the treatment of overweight/obesity in post-treatment breast cancer survivors: a systematic review
Authors: Perperidi Maria , Saliari Dimitra , Christakis Christos , Huybrechts Inge , Saloustros Emmanouil , Theodorakis Yannis , Androutsos Odysseas
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Updated evidence for the treatment of obesity in cancer survivors includes behavioural lifestyle interventions underpinning at least one theoretical framework. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of theory-based lifestyle interventions for the treatment of overweight/obesity in breast cancer survivors and to report effective behavioural change techniques (BCTs) and components used in these interventions.

Methods

Four databases were searched for RCTs published between database inception and July 2022. The search strategy included MeSH terms and text words, using the PICO-framework to guide the eligibility criteria. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Risk-of-bias, TIDier Checklist for interventions’ content, and the extent of behaviour change theories and techniques application were assessed. To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, trials were categorised as “very,” “quite,” or “non” promising according to their potential to reduce body weight, and BCTs promise ratios were calculated to assess the potential of BCTs within interventions to decrease body weight.

Results

Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Seven trials were classified as “very”, three as “quite” and one study was “non” promising. Studies’ size, design, and intervention strategies varied greatly, but the weight-loss goal in all studies was ≥ 5% of the initial body weight through a 500–1000 kcal/day energy deficit and a gradually increased exercise goal of ≥ 30 min/day. Social Cognitive Theory was the most commonly used theory (n = 10). BCTs ranged from 10 to 23 in the interventions, but all trials included behaviour goal setting, self-monitoring, instructions on the behaviour, and credible source. The risk-of-bias was “moderate” in eight studies and “high” in three.

Conclusion

The present systematic review identified the components of theory-based nutrition and physical activity behaviour change interventions that may be beneficial for the treatment of overweight/obesity in breast cancer survivors. The strategies mentioned, in addition to reported behavioural models and BCTs, should be considered when developing weight-loss interventions for breast cancer survivors.
Attention Bias and Anxiety: The Moderating Effect of Sociocultural Variables in Rural Latinx Youth
Authors: Bocanegra Elizabeth S. , Chang Susanna W. , Rozenman Michelle , Lee Steve S. , Delgadillo Desiree , Chavira Denise A.
Published: May 2023

Attention bias confers risk for anxiety development, however, the influence of sociodemographic variables on the relationship between attention bias and anxiety remains unclear. We examined the association between attention bias and anxiety among rural Latinx youth and investigated potential moderators of this relationship. Clinical symptoms, demographic characteristics, and a performance-based measure of attention bias were collected from 66 rural Latinx youth with clinical levels of anxiety (33.3% female;Mage = 11.74; 92.4% Latinx, 7.6% Mixed Latinx). No moderating effects for age or gender were found. Youth below the poverty line displayed an attention biasawayfrom threat in comparison to youth above the poverty line, who displayed an attention biastowardsthreat. Among youth below the poverty line, this bias away from threat was associated with increased anxiety. Findings highlight the importance of economic adversity in understanding the relationship between attention bias and anxiety.
Interpolation-based decoding of folded variants of linearized and skew Reed–Solomon codes
Authors: Hörmann Felicitas , Bartz Hannes
Published: May 2023

The sum-rank metric is a hybrid between the Hamming metric and the rank metric and suitable for error correction in multishot network coding and distributed storage as well as for the design of quantum-resistant cryptosystems. In this work, we consider the construction and decoding of folded linearized Reed–Solomon (FLRS) codes, which are shown to be maximum sum-rank distance (MSRD) for appropriate parameter choices. We derive an efficient interpolation-based decoding algorithm for FLRS codes that can be used as a list decoder or as a probabilistic unique decoder. The proposed decoding scheme can correct sum-rank errors beyond the unique decoding radius with a computational complexity that is quadratic in the length of the unfolded code. We show how the error-correction capability can be optimized for high-rate codes by an alternative choice of interpolation points. We derive a heuristic upper bound on the decoding failure probability of the probabilistic unique decoder and verify its tightness by Monte Carlo simulations. Further, we study the construction and decoding of folded skew Reed﻿-Solomon codes in the skew metric. Up to our knowledge, FLRS codes are the first MSRD codes with different block sizes that come along with an efficient decoding algorithm.
An unsupervised linguistic-based model for automatic glossary term extraction from a single PDF textbook
Authors: Soliman Ashraf
Published: May 2023

Term extraction from textbooks is the cornerstone of many different intelligent natural language processing systems, especially those that support learners and educators in the education system. This paper proposes a novel unsupervised domain-independent model that automatically extracts relevant and domain-related key terms from a single PDF textbook, without relying on a statistical technique or external knowledge base. It only relies on the basic linguistic techniques of the natural language processing: pattern recognition, sentence tokenization, part-of-speech tagging, and chunking. The model takes a PDF textbook as an input and produces a list of key terms as an output. Furthermore, the model proposes a novel classification of sentences from which the concept of defining sentences is proposed. The defining sentences are the main textual units that the model revolves around to identify the key terms. The architecture of the proposed work consists of 21 processes distributed across three phases. The first phase consists of five processes for extracting text from a PDF textbook and cleaning it for the next phases. The second phase consists of eight processes for identifying the defining sentences and extracting them from all the textbook’s sentences. The last phase consists of eight processes for identifying and extracting the key terms from every defining sentence. The proposed work was evaluated by two experiments in which two PDF textbooks from different fields are used. The experimental evaluation showed that the results were promising.
Developing PM2.5 and PM10 prediction models on a national and regional scale using open-source remote sensing data
Authors: Mamić Luka , Gašparović Mateo , Kaplan Gordana
Published: May 2023

Clean air is the precursor to a healthy life. Air quality is an issue that has been getting under its well-deserved spotlight in the last few years. From a remote sensing point of view, the first Copernicus mission with the main purpose of monitoring the atmosphere and tracking air pollutants, the Sentinel-5P TROPOMI mission, has been widely used worldwide. Particulate matter of a diameter smaller than 2.5 and 10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10) significantly determines air quality. Still, there are no available satellite sensors that allow us to track them remotely with high accuracy, but only using ground stations. This research aims to estimate PM2.5 and PM10 using Sentinel-5P and other open-source remote sensing data available on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform for heating (December 2021, January, and February 2022) and non-heating seasons (June, July, and August 2021) on the territory of the Republic of Croatia. Ground stations of the National Network for Continuous Air Quality Monitoring were used as a starting point and as ground truth data. Raw hourly data were matched to remote sensing data, and seasonal models were trained at the national and regional scale using machine learning. The proposed approach uses a random forest algorithm with a percentage split of 70% and gives moderate to high accuracy regarding the temporal frame of the data. The mapping gives us visual insight between the ground and remote sensing data and shows the seasonal variations of PM2.5 and PM10. The results showed that the proposed approach and models could efficiently estimate air quality.
Assigning orders and pods to picking stations in a multi-level robotic mobile fulfillment system
Authors: Tadumadze Giorgi , Wenzel Julia , Emde Simon , Weidinger Felix , Elbert Ralf
Published: May 2023

This paper addresses the operational planning problem of assigning orders and pods (i.e., mobile shelves) to picking stations in a multi-level robotic mobile fulfillment system (RMFS), which deals with two issues: deciding on which picking station handles which order, and from which pods to pick the ordered items, considering the limited storage capacity of the pods. Due to the relatively poor space utilization of single-level RMFS warehouses, such systems are often spread over multiple floors in practice. Therefore, we explicitly consider multi-level warehouse layouts with isolated levels (or zones) where a pod can only be brought to a station if both of them are on the same level. We optimize the problem with regard to a multi-criteria objective function that consists of three workload-oriented objectives: we aim to balance the total workload among all pickers, minimize the total order-consolidation effort for the packers, and the pod movement effort for the mobile robots. After formalizing the planning problem as a multi-objective optimization problem, we provide two mixed-integer linear programming models. Additionally, we propose a matheuristic that reduces the model size to the desired granularity so that realistically sized problem instances can be solved within less than four minutes of computation time. Moreover, we derive some managerial insights, such as the impact of the number of warehouse levels and picking waves on the objective values. We find evidence that running the RMFS warehouse in a multi-level facility can substantially compromise the consolidation effort at packing stations since it leads to a higher number of split orders. Furthermore, splitting the planning horizon into multiple short waves can lead to a higher number of pod-to-station assignments and, thus, to a raised pod-movement workload for mobile robots.
Lab- and pilot-scale photo-biofilter performance with algal–bacterial beads in a recirculation aquaculture system for rearing rainbow trout
Authors: Rodríguez-Leal Sergio , Silva-Acosta Jorge , Marzialetti Teresita , Gallardo-Rodríguez Juan J.
Published: May 2023

Industrial aquaculture has proliferated due to increased world demand for fish and seafood. Aerobic bacterial biofilters typically perform the nitrogen abatement of wastewater. Recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) require nitrifying microorganisms developed in the biofilter. Despite the advantages of these biofilters, there are disadvantages, such as the time needed to mature, decrease in oxygen concentration, accumulation of organic matter and difficulty of backflushing, among others. On the other hand, microalgae effectively eliminate nutrients-pollutants, consuming inorganic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus and balancing soluble oxygen, conditions not attributable to nitrifying biofilters. The current study used a photo-biofilter to determine the depuration capacity of an immobilized co-culture of microalga Tetradesmus dimorphus and nitrifying bacteria isolated from a Salmon RAS. Bacteria frorm genera Flavobacterium, Microbacterium, Raoultella, Sphingobacterium, and Pseudomonas were identified. Biofilters were tested in sequential batch (lab-scale; 2.85 L) and continuous mode (pilot-plant scale; 120 L) attached to a RAS system for rearing rainbow trout. The algal–bacterial community structure was studied using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results showed that at typical loading rates, the algal–bacterial community could simultaneously remove ammonium, total ammonium nitrogen (TAN), nitrate and phosphate. Moreover, the system evaluated removed TAN daily, at an average of 1.18 kg per m3 of beads.

Graphical Abstract
Volterra Equations Driven by Rough Signals 3: Probabilistic Construction of the Volterra Rough Path for Fractional Brownian Motions
Authors: Harang Fabian , Tindel Samy , Wang Xiaohua
Published: May 2023

Based on the recent development of the framework of Volterra rough paths (Harang and Tindel in Stoch Process Appl 142:34–78, 2021), we consider here the probabilistic construction of the Volterra rough path associated to the fractional Brownian motion with $$H>\frac{1}{2}$$

H
>

1
2

and for the standard Brownian motion. The Volterra kernel k(t, s) is allowed to be singular, and behaving similar to $$|t-s|^{-\gamma }$$

|
t
-
s
|

-
γ

for some $$\gamma \ge 0$$

γ
≥
0

. The construction is done in both the Stratonovich and Itô senses. It is based on a modified Garsia–Rodemich–Romsey lemma which is of interest in its own right, as well as tools from Malliavin calculus. A discussion of challenges and potential extensions is provided.
Trajectories of Screen Time across Adolescence and Their Associations with Adulthood Mental Health and Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Zhu Xinxin , Griffiths Helen , Xiao Zhuoni , Ribeaud Denis , Eisner Manuel , Yang Yi , Murray Aja Louise
Published: May 2023

Excessive screen time among adolescents is discussed as a significant public health concern. Identifying adolescent longitudinal patterns of time spent on regularly-used media screens and understanding their young adulthood mental health and behavioral issue correlates may help inform strategies for improving these outcomes. This study aimed to characterize joint developmental patterns of time spent on videogames, surfing/chatting the Internet, and TV/DVDs during adolescence (at ages 11, 13, 15, 17) and their associations with mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-injury) and behavioral issues (i.e., substance use, delinquency, aggression) in early adulthood (at age 20). A parallel-process latent class growth analysis was used to model data from a diverse community-ascertained sample of youth in Zurich, Switzerland (n = 1521; 51.7% males). Results suggested that a five-class model best fitted the data: (1) low-screen use, 37.6%; (2) increasing chatting/surfing, 24.0%; (3) moderate-screen use, 18.6%; (4) early-adolescence screen use, 9.9%; and (5) increasing videogame and chatting/surfing, 9.9%. After adjusting for baseline levels of outcomes (primarily at age 11), the trajectory groups differed in their associations with adulthood outcomes of mental health and behavioral problems, indicating the importance of problematic screen usage patterns in predicting these outcomes. Future research to test the directionality of these associations will be important. These findings suggest which patterns of screen use may be a marker for later mental health and behavioral issues in different domains.
The geochemical role of B-10 enriched boric acid in cemented liquid radioactive wastes
Authors: Rostamiparsa Mojtaba , Tolnai István , Czömpöly Ottó , Fábián Margit , Hegedűs Máté , Falus György , Szabó Csaba , Óvári Mihály , Tóbi Csaba , Kónya Péter , Völgyesi Péter , Szabó-Krausz Zsuzsanna
Published: May 2023

Boric acid is a significant radioactive waste generated during the operation of nuclear power plants. Cementitious materials have been widely studied for the immobilization of boric acid. The generally used natural boric acid has been replaced by enriched boric acid for geochemical reasons and are expected to have varied behaviors in cementitious matrices. Results showed that simulated enriched/natural boric acid liquid wastes mostly contain boron in $${\mathrm{B}(\mathrm{OH})}_{4}^{-}$$

B
(
OH
)

4

-

and $${{\mathrm{B}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}(\mathrm{OH})}_{4}^{-}$$

B
5

O
6

(
OH
)

4

-

ionic forms, but the mass ratio of these species is higher in enriched boric acid solutions. In function with the concentration of enriched/natural boric acid, the solidified cementitious materials show different mineralogy.
The relationship between autonomy support and structure in early childhood nature-based settings: Practices and challenges
Authors: Arvanitis Alexios , Barrable Alexia , Touloumakos Anna Κ.
Published: May 2023

From a Self-Determination Theory perspective, children are expected to grow according to innate tendencies in supportive environments, such as nature-based educational settings. The role of the practitioner is generally viewed as facilitative in these contexts. We report findings from a qualitative study with a sample of 18 UK-based outdoor educational practitioners. We asked them to respond to four hypothetical situations with differing levels of required intervention. Our purpose was to examine the extent of autonomy support and structure that they would hypothetically provide to the children in each of these different scenarios, and even uncover possible tensions in the application of autonomy support and structure. Our analysis suggests that, in situations of low interventional requirement, practitioners could understate structure and autonomy support and, in situations of high interventional requirement, prioritize structure over autonomy support. The challenge for practitioners that was revealed in this research, as well its implications, are discussed.
Desire and motivation in desire theories of well-being
Authors: Mariqueo-Russell Atus
Published: May 2023

Desire theories of well-being claim that how well our life goes for us is solely determined by the fulfilment and frustration of our desires. Several writers have argued that these theories are incorrect because they fail to capture the harms of self-sacrifice and severe depression. In this paper, I argue that desire theories of well-being can account for the harm of both phenomena by rejecting proportionalism about desire and motivation. This is the view that desires always motivate proportionally to their strength. If we reject this view, then we can explain the harm of many cases of self-sacrifice as arising when we act upon our weaker desires and thereby frustrate our stronger desires. Moreover, the harm of many cases of severe depression can be explained by its suppression of the motivational force of desires. This inevitably frustrates desires that we are left unmotivated to fulfil. I argue that this approach captures the experiential quality of self-sacrifice and severe depression better than rival views that seek to problematise these phenomena for desire theories of well-being. Moreover, these theories have sufficient conceptual resources to account for residual cases of self-sacrifice and severe depression that are less well explained by this approach.
Borane derivatives of five-membered N-heterocyclic rings as frustrated Lewis pairs: activation of CO2
Authors: Ferrer Maxime , Alkorta Ibon , Oliva-Enrich Josep M. , Elguero José
Published: May 2023

The reaction of seventeen borane derivatives of five-membered N-heterocyclic rings (BNHRs) with CO2has been studied by means of DFT calculations. Several non-covalent complexes between the BNHRs and CO2which evolve through a TS in a single adduct for each BNHR have been identified. The calculated IRC of the TS has allowed to identify the non-covalent complex involved in the reaction in each case. The stationary points of the reactions have been analyzed with the distortion/interaction partition model. In addition, empirical models have been attempted to correlate the acid (fluoride ion affinity) and basic (proton affinity) properties of the isolated BNHR with the TS barriers and adduct energies. The energetics of the reactions are influenced by the number of nitrogen atoms in the ring.
Temporal association between leg movements and respiratory events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: description and differences between the AASM and WASM scoring criteria
Authors: Huang Zhengfei , Lobbezoo Frank , de Vries Nico , Aarab Ghizlane , Hilgevoord Antonius A. J.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To describe the temporal association between leg movements (LMs) and respiratory events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and to quantify the difference in scoring respiratory-related leg movement (RRLM) between the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criterion and the criterion recommended by the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM).

Methods

Patients with OSA who presented with > 10 LMs of any type per hour of sleep were included in this study. For each participant, RRLMs were scored using both the AASM criterion and the recommended WASM criterion. The occurrence of LMs in relation to respiratory events and the difference in scoring RRLM between the AASM criterion and the criterion recommended by the WASM were quantified.

Results

In 32 patients enrolled, mean age was 48.1 ± 11.0 years and 78% were men. LMs were significantly more frequent after respiratory events, followed by before respiratory events, and were rare during respiratory events (P < 0.01). Compared with the AASM criterion, more LMs were classified as RRLMs based on the recommended WASM criterion (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

LMs are more frequent after respiratory events than before and during respiratory events, and more LMs are scored as RRLMs based on the recommended WASM criterion than based on the AASM criterion.
Overhauling the ecotoxicological impact of synthetic pesticides using plants’ natural products: a focus on Zanthoxylum metabolites
Authors: Okagu Innocent Uzochukwu , Okeke Emmanuel Sunday , Ezeorba Wisdom Chinedu Favour , Ndefo Joseph Chinedum , Ezeorba Timothy Prince Chidike
Published: May 2023

The reduction in agricultural production due to the negative impact of insects and weeds, as well as the health and economic burden associated with vector-borne diseases, has promoted the wide use of chemicals that control these “enemies.” However, the use of these synthetic chemicals has been recognized to elicit negative impacts on the environment as well as the health and wellbeing of man. In this study, we presented an overview of recent updates on the environmental and health impacts of synthetic pesticides against agro-pest and disease vectors while exhaustive reviewing the potentials of natural plant products from Zanthoxylum species (Rutaceae) as sustainable alternatives. This study is expected to spur further research on exploiting these plants and their chemicals as safe and effective pesticide entities to minimize the impact of their chemical and synthetic counterparts on health and the environment.

Graphical abstract
Sleep Apnea, Obesity, and Diabetes — an Intertwined Trio
Authors: Kurnool Soumya , McCowen Karen C. , Bernstein Nicole A. , Malhotra Atul
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Review

To synthesize the existing literature regarding the complex interplay between sleep disturbance, obesity, and diabetes. The review emphasizes the three pillars of health being diet, exercise, and sleep, with the notion that if one is ignored, then the other two could suffer.

Recent Findings

Sleep deprivation is associated with incident obesity, perhaps mediated by dysregulation in leptin and ghrelin — hormones important in regulation of appetite. Sleep apnea is very common particularly among obese people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatment of sleep apnea has clear symptomatic benefits although its impact on long-term cardiometabolic health is less clear.

Sleep disturbance may be an important modifiable risk for patients at risk of cardiometabolic disease. An assessment of sleep health may be an important component of the comprehensive care of patients with obesity and diabetes mellitus.
Characterization of Aloe Vera Gel-Based Edible Coating with Orange Peel Essential Oil and Its Preservation Effects on Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
Authors: A. Shenbagam , Kumar Nishant , Rahul Kumar , Upadhyay‬ Ashutosh , Gniewosz Małgorzata , Kieliszek Marek
Published: May 2023

In the present study, the effects of orange peel essential oils (EOs) on the physiochemical, rheological, particle size and zeta potential distribution of the developed aloe vera gel-based edible coating were investigated. We also investigated the effects of prepared aloe vera gel-based edible coating (with or without incorporation of orange peel essential oil) on the postharvest shelf life and characteristics such as physiological loss of weight (PLW), color, respiration rate, firmness, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) at 4 °C during 16 days of storage. The results revealed that the 50% concentration of aloe vera gel-based edible coating without addition of essential oil had significantly superior properties with higher stability zeta potential (− 9.7 mV) as compared to other concentrations of aloe vera gel-based formulation. It also showed the highest potential to maintain the postharvest quality attributes of mushrooms throughout storage. The maximum concentration of orange peel essential oil (1500 µL/L) incorporated in the 50% aloe vera gel (F3)-based treatment significantly improved the postharvest quality attributes of mushrooms as compared to coating prepared with incorporation of 500 µL/L and 1000 µL/L concentration of EOs (orange peel essential oils) and helped extend the shelf life of mushrooms up to 4 days as compared to the control (50% AV (aloe vera gel) only). Further research should be performed to develop water and gas barrier composite edible coatings to further extend mushroom shelf life.
SEOM–GEICAM–SOLTI clinical guidelines in advanced breast cancer (2022)
Authors: Garcia-Saenz Jose Angel , Blancas Isabel , Echavarria Isabel , Hinojo Carmen , Margeli Mireia , Moreno Fernando , Pernas Sonia , Ramon y Cajal Teresa , Ribelles Nuria , Bellet Meritxell
Published: May 2023

Advanced breast cancer represents a challenge for patients and for physicians due its dynamic genomic changes yielding to a resistance to treatments. The main goal is to improve quality of live and survival of the patients through the most appropriate subsequent therapies based on the knowledge of the natural history of the disease. In these guidelines, we summarize current evidence and available therapies for the medical management of advanced breast cancer.
The Two Emergencies of Migrant-Related Policies in Italy During the First Wave of COVID-19: the Spread of the Virus and the Workforce Shortages
Authors: Montagna Nicola
Published: May 2023

Italy was the first European country touched by COVID-19 and one of the most severely affected, with a death toll that overtook China’s by mid-March 2020. As a result, lockdown measures aiming to mitigate — and eventually interrupt — the spread of COVID-19 proliferated during the first wave of the pandemic. The vast majority of these concerned the resident population, regardless of their status or country of origin, and mainly involved the closure of public offices and proscription of private activities with the aim of reducing mobility and social and physical contacts. Only a few concerned the foreign population and arriving irregular migrants. This article analyses migrant-related policy measures taken by the Italian government during the first wave of the pandemic that aimed to prevent infection and reduce the impact of COVID-19 among the population. These measures addressed two emergencies: the spread of COVID-19 that hit the resident population hard, regardless of origin or nationality, and the workforce shortages in some key economic sectors with a high number of irregular migrant workers. The former aimed at containing the spread of the virus (sections 4 and 5) and targeted foreigners already residing in Italy as well as irregular migrants arriving along the Mediterranean route; the latter aimed at addressing workforce shortages (section 6) as a result of borders that were closed to external seasonal migration. This article is a contribution to the debate on changes to migration and migrant policy, and how these impacted on migration and foreign populations during the pandemic.
Orbifolds, the Regular Solids, and Hurwitz’s 84(g – 1) Theorem
Authors: Greene Robert E.
Published: May 2023

This paper presents an exposition of the analysis via orbifolds of the isometries with isolated fixed points of compact surfaces, giving a view of the classification of the five regular solids, following the treatment by William Thurston. Then it is shown that a closely related method can be used to recover the classical theorem of Hurwitz that the group of holomorphic automorphisms of a compact Riemann surface of genus $$g>1$$

g
>
1

has order at most $$84(g-1)$$

84
(
g
-
1
)

.
Mission design for point-to-point passenger transport with reusable launch vehicles
Authors: Wilken Jascha , Callsen Steffen
Published: May 2023

With the progress of SpaceX’s Starship system, a fully reusable launch system appears possible in the near future. With this technological advance, a new class of transport missions could become economically feasible: Rocket-propelled transport of passengers and cargo at near-orbital speeds from one point on the Earth to another. This mission type is investigated for two reference vehicles: Starship from SpaceX and the SpaceLiner concept, developed by DLR-SART. For both vehicles, the properties during reentry are assessed and the impact on the descent trajectory is investigated, including parametric studies with regard to the effect of launch heading and crossrange capability. While the SpaceLiner upper stage relies on its high hypersonic L/D to cover the majority of the distance in quasi-stationary flight within the atmosphere, the Starship relies mostly on a ballistic flight path at higher altitudes. The flight within the upper layers of the atmosphere allows the SpaceLiner to change its heading mid-flight through banking maneuvers and thus efficiently curve around populated areas. However, this prolonged flight at high velocities within the upper atmosphere does necessitate active cooling of the leading edges. An exemplary mission from Shanghai to California is optimized for both reference vehicles, with the optimization target being minimal peak heat loads. Due to the Starship’s reliance on the ballistic portion of its flight to cover range, the peak heat flux is substantially higher on westward missions, compared to the eastward return flight.
Awareness of intratumoral bacteria and their potential application in cancer treatment
Authors: Liang Yin , Li Qiyan , Liu Yulin , Guo Yajie , Li Qingjiao
Published: May 2023

Hitherto, the recognition of the microbiota role in tumorigenesis and clinical studies mostly focused on the intestinal flora. In contrast to the gut microbiome, microorganisms resident in tumor tissue are in close contact with cancer cells and therefore have the potential to have similar or even different functional patterns to the gut flora. Some investigations have shown intratumoral bacteria, which might come from commensal microbiota in mucosal areas including the gastrointestinal tract and oral cavity, or from nearby normal tissues. The existence, origin, and interactions of intratumoral bacteria with the tumor microenvironment all contribute to intratumoral microorganism heterogeneity. Intratumoral bacteria have a significant role in tumor formation. They can contribute to cancer at the genetic level by secreting poisons that directly damage DNA and also intimately related to immune system response at the systemic level. Intratumoral bacteria have an impact on chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer. Importantly, various properties of bacteria such as targeting and ease of modification make them powerful candidates for precision therapy, and combining microbial therapies with other therapies is expected to improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment. In this review, we mainly described the heterogeneity and potential sources of intratumoral bacteria, overviewed the important mechanisms by which they were involved in tumor progression, and summarized their potential value in oncology therapy. At last, we highlight the problems of research in this field, and look forward to a new wave of studies using the various applications of intratumoral microorganisms in cancer therapy.
Attitudes towards single parents’ children in private and state-dependent private schools: experimental evidence
Authors: Diaz-Serrano Luis , Flamand Sabine
Published: May 2023

Single parenthood is on the rise worldwide. While acceptance of single-parent households is increasing, some authors point out that single-parent families still suffer from negative societal attitudes compared to heterosexual two-parent families, while also being among the most vulnerable groups of society. Motivated by these findings, we study whether private and state-dependent private schools in Catalonia (Spain) are more reluctant to interact with single parents than with heterosexual couples. We conduct a field experiment during the children’s pre-registration period. We create three types of fictitious families (heterosexual couple, single mother, and single father) and send e-mails to schools in which the family structure is made explicit. Our results indicate that schools are more prone to interact with single parents than with heterosexual couples.
Estimating vertiport passenger throughput capacity for prominent eVTOL designs
Authors: Preis Lukas
Published: May 2023

Urban Air Mobility has the potential to substantially reduce travel times in some cases of urban-related transportation. Travel time savings strongly depend on fast processing at vertiports, which presents a key challenge considering demand levels’ vertiports would experience when becoming an established mode of transport. This article sheds light on the passenger throughput vertiport airfields can manage and how the operations are sensitive to changes. One main contribution of this article is the introduction of hourly passenger throughput per area as a performance indicator that allows to compare vertiports of different sizes. VoloCity is studied as a reference vehicle and the resulting space requirement of the carefully specified baseline scenario is 188 square-meters per passenger per hour. A total of 13 prominent eVTOL designs are included in the study from which the current design space between maximum vehicle dimension and number of seats is deducted. The study shows that vehicles with a small maximum dimension yield the highest passenger throughput capacity. CityAirbus performs best (46.3 m2/PAX/h) with a diameter of 7.92 m and Archer Maker performs worst (221 m2/PAX/h) with a diameter of 12.2 m. How the performance indicators can be used as rules-of-thumb in the first-order estimations of vertiport throughput capacity or space requirement is described by means of illustrative examples. The insights presented in this paper might be useful for researches, vehicle developers, and municipalities alike.