bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forecasting strong subsequent events in the Italian territory: a national and regional application for NESTOREv1.0
Authors: Brondi P. , Gentili S. , Di Giovambattista R.
Published: October 2024

The Italian territory is one of the most seismically active areas in Europe, where Strong Subsequent Events (SSEs), in combination with the strong mainshock effects, can lead to the collapse of already weakened buildings and to further loss of lives. In the last few years, the machine learning-based algorithm NESTORE (Next STrOng Related Earthquake) was proposed and used to forecast clusters in which the mainshock is followed by a SSE of similar magnitude. Recently, a first new version of a MATLAB package based on this algorithm (NESTOREv1.0) has been developed and the code has been further improved. In our analysis, we considered a nationwide and a regional catalogue for Italy to study the seismicity recorded over the last 40 years in two areas covering most of the Italian territory and northeastern Italy, respectively. For both applications, we obtained statistical information about the clusters in terms of duration, productivity and release of seismic moment. We trained NESTOREv1.0 on the clusters occurring approximately in the first 30 years of catalogues and we evaluated its performance on the last 10 years. The results showed that 1 day after the mainshock occurrence the rate of correct SSE forecasting is larger than 85% in both areas, supporting the application of NESTOREv1.0 in the Italian territory. Furthermore, by training the software on the entire period available for the two catalogues, we obtained good results in terms of near-real-time class forecasting for clusters recorded from 2021 onward.
Pricing and hedging autocallable products by Markov chain approximation
Authors: Cui Yeda , Li Lingfei , Zhang Gongqiu
Published: October 2024

We propose a unified pricing framework based on continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) approximation for autocallable structured products. Our method is applicable to a variety of asset price models, including one-dimensional Markov jump-diffusions (the coefficients can be time dependent), regime-switching models, and stochastic local volatility (SLV) models. For SLV models, we develop a hybrid Markov chain approximation scheme that significantly improves the existing CTMC approximation method. We test our pricing method under various popular models and show that it is computationally efficient. To hedge autocallable products, we consider a dynamic hedging approach in the presence of transaction costs. To address the problem that the product’s delta can become too large near the barriers, we apply payoff modification and barrier shifting techniques. We determine the optimal size of adjustments that minimize conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) of the hedging loss using stochastic gradient descent. Empirical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in reducing CVaR of the hedging loss.
Die Entlassung in die Obdachlosigkeit
Authors: Zenczak Konrad , Pferzinger Manfred , Bachner Christine
Published: October 2024

Hintergrund

Seit dem vergangenen Jahrzehnt wurde eine eindeutige Zunahme der Obdach- und Wohnungslosigkeit in Österreich und der Europäischen Union verzeichnet – uneinheitliche Messsysteme und inkonsistente Daten festigen die Problematik. Die obdach- und wohnungslose Personengruppe ist zudem mit einer hohen Hospitalisierungs- und Wiederaufnahmerate konfrontiert. Ziel ist es, Einflussfaktoren auf die Wiederaufnahmerate obdachloser Patientinnen und Patienten in österreichischen Gesundheitseinrichtungen zu identifizieren und Empfehlungen zur Optimierung des Entlassungsmanagements abzuleiten.

Methode

Die Entlassungsbedingungen aus Gesundheitseinrichtungen stellen dahingehend eine Forschungslücke dar, welche im Zuge der vorliegenden Studie untersucht wurden. Um das Forschungsvorhaben umfangreich abbilden zu können, wurden mithilfe leitfadengestützter, semistrukturierter Interviews und unter Anwendung der Grounded-Theory-Methodologie, Daten der obdachlosen Personengruppe und von Expertinnen und Experten der sozialen Arbeit erhoben und in einem theoretischen Modell in Anlehnung an das Kodierparadigma nach Strauss und Corbin dargestellt. Dabei wurde eine Gruppe von fünf obdachlosen Personen und fünf Angehörigen der Fachkreise der sozialen Arbeit unter Berücksichtigung des theoretischen Samplings in die Erhebung miteinbezogen.

Ergebnisse

Die Untersuchung konnte eine Wechselwirkung aus unzureichenden Entlassungsbedingungen und erhöhten Wiederaufnahmeraten von obdachlosen Personen aufzeigen, welche sich in einer Beziehung aus Ursachen, Kontext, intervenierenden Bedingungen, Handlungsstrategien und Konsequenzen ausgestalten. Das Kernproblem beinhaltet dabei Sucht- und psychiatrische Erkrankungen, gefestigt durch die Problematik der Versorgungslücke nichtversicherter und immobiler Personen und unzureichender Versorgungsangebote. Von großer Bedeutung sind dahingehend die präventive Adressierung dieser Krankheitsbilder und der Ausbau der Versorgungslandschaft.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse bekräftigen die Notwendigkeit struktureller Veränderungen der österreichischen Versorgungslandschaft für obdachlose Personen. Um eine nachhaltige Reduktion der Wiederaufnahmerate zu sichern und betroffenen Personen eine gesellschaftliche Wiedereingliederung zu ermöglichen, müssen zudem Suchterkrankungen und fehlende Versicherungsansprüche adressiert werden. Weiterführende Forschung zu den Wirkungsmechanismen entsprechender Maßnahmen ist daher als essenziell anzusehen.
Real-world treatment patterns, survival outcomes, and health care resource utilization for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in Spain
Authors: Puente Javier , Pinto Alvaro , Mendez-Vidal Maria José , García del Muro Xavier , Maroto Pablo , Vazquez Sergio , Luque-Caro Raquel , Anido Urbano , Strunz-McKendry Torsten , Upadhyay Anil , Montes Jose , Ortiz Nuñez Aurora , González Portela Judit , Castellano Daniel
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Real-world evidence on locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) management in Spain is limited. This study describes patient characteristics, treatment patterns, survival, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in this population.

Methods/patients

This retrospective observational study included all adults with a first diagnosis/record of la/mUC (index date) from January 2015 to June 2020 at nine university hospitals in Spain. Data were collected up to December 31, 2020 (end of study), death, or loss to follow-up. Patient characteristics, treatment patterns, median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) from index date (Kaplan–Meier estimates), and disease-specific HCRU were described.

Results

Among 829 patients, median age at diagnosis was 71 years; 70.2% had ≥ 1 comorbidity, and 52.5% were eligible for cisplatin. Median follow-up was 12.7 months. Most (84.7%) patients received first-line systemic treatment; of these, 46.9% (n = 329) received second-line and 16.6% (n = 116) received third-line therapy. Chemotherapy was the most common treatment in all lines of therapy, followed by programmed cell death protein 1/ligand 1 inhibitors. Median (95% confidence interval) OS and PFS were 18.8 (17.5–21.5) and 9.9 (8.9–10.5) months, respectively. Most patients required ≥ 1 outpatient visit (71.8%), inpatient admission (56.6%), or emergency department visit (56.5%).

Conclusions

Therapeutic patterns were consistent with Spanish guideline recommendations. Chemotherapy had a role in first-line treatment of la/mUC in Spain during the study period. However, the disease burden remains high, and new first-line treatments recommended in the latest European guidelines should be made available to patients in Spain.
Intra-household inequality in food expenditures and diet quality in the Philippines
Authors: Wang Zetianyu , Josephson Anna , Dizon Felipe
Published: October 2024

Many welfare measures, including food expenditures and diet quality, are based on household-level aggregates. This is grounded in the assumption that resources are equally or equitably distributed among household members. Individual-level measures of food expenditures and diet quality may paint a more accurate picture of welfare. We find differences between household- and individual-level measurements of food expenditures and diet quality in the Philippines. We find that 25 percent of food poor individuals live in households that are not classified as food poor. This suggests potential misclassification of individuals if classifications are based on household-level measures. We further find intra-household inequalities in diet quality. Many women and children do not meet the recommended consumption for starchy staples and for meat, fish, and pulses, even within households which, in aggregate, are able to meet the recommended consumption. However, consumption of vegetables, fruits, eggs, and milk is equally low across all household members.
Determining the sound signatures of insect pests in stored rice grain using an inexpensive acoustic system
Authors: Balingbing Carlito , Kirchner Sascha , Siebald Hubertus , Van Hung Nguyen , Hensel Oliver
Published: October 2024

Insect pests in storage are causes of major losses worldwide. Acoustic sensors can detect the presence of insects in grain through their sound signature, thus enabling early warning to farmers and traders. This research investigates the applicability of an affordable acoustic sensor, which uses micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone adapted to detect the sound produced by insect pests. Three major insect pests that commonly feed on paddy and milled rice (the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica; the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae; and the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum), were collected in rice mills and grain storage warehouses in Laguna The Philippines, and reared at the International Rice Research Institute. Baseline sound recordings were replicated for each insect over three days using a completely randomized design (CRD). Recorded sounds were analysed to determine the sound profiles of each insect. Waveforms, root mean square (RMS) energy values, frequency domain, and spectrograms provided characteristics for the sound signal signature specific to each insect. Primary insect pests (R. dominica and S. oryzae) were differentiated from the secondary insect pest (T. castaneum) through signal analyses. Such data are useful to enable insect pest classification, which can be incorporated into more effective and timely postharvest pest management tools.
Beliefs About When Life Begins Matter: Exploring the Role of Life Beliefs on the Relationship Between Abortion Stigma and Support for Fetal Personhood Measures
Authors: Patev Alison J. , Hood Kristina B.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

One of the core tenets at the heart of anti-abortion arguments is that a fetus is a person. Conflicting views on fetal personhood are an integral part of the abortion legality debate. Thus, it is important to better understand individuals’ support for fetal personhood and subsequent fetal personhood measures. Two factors that may impact support for fetal personhood policies are abortion stigma and beliefs about when life begins.

Methods

Two samples (N1 = 300; N2 = 217) were collected via Mechanical Turk and a large Southeastern University’s undergraduate psychology research participation program, respectively. Participants completed a cross-sectional online survey assessing abortion stigma, support for fetal personhood laws, and beliefs about when life begins.

Results

Moderation analyses showed that life beliefs moderate the relationship between abortion stigma and support for fetal personhood measures. Specifically, individuals with less abortion stigma who believe that life begins at birth support fetal personhood measures significantly less, compared to those who believe life begins at or before conception. However, in the Mechanical Turk sample only, among those with increased abortion stigma, individuals who believe that life begins at birth had more support for fetal personhood policies than those who believe it begins before birth.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that the interaction of beliefs about when life begins and abortion stigma is associated with support for fetal personhood measures. The relationships between beliefs about life, abortion stigma, and support for policies underscore the need to better understand how stigma and beliefs are associated with policy-related behaviors. Combating abortion stigma is necessary as stigma causes undue burden to pregnant individuals. Reducing stigma will ultimately lead to better outcomes for those needing abortions.
Elimination of Cd2+ from synthetic and real polluted water by optimized Acacia nilotica biographene
Authors: El-Maghrabi Nourhan , Fawzy Manal , El Din Mahmoud Alaa
Published: October 2024

Biographene was prepared through the pyrolysis of Acacia nilotica waste using diverse temperatures and time spans. The obtained materials were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods. The data obtained indicated that when the temperature and time increased, the texture of the biographene became more porous with greater carbon content. The effect of various variables on Cd(II) adsorption, using the optimized biographene product, was investigated, and the results revealed that the optimum pH was 4 and the maximum adsorption capacity was 118.9 mg/g. The Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model best fit the equilibrium data, indicating the adsorptive behavior of the as-prepared biographene implying a homogenous monolayer surface. The recyclability investigation elucidates the remarkable potentiality of up to five consecutive cycles. As such, the biographene-based Acacia nilotica could be considered a sustainable candidate for cadmium removal from polluted water.
Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) of the breast: A case series
Authors: Spina Eduardo , Esposito Emanuela , Siani Claudio , Varone Valeria , Ferrara Gerardo , di Giacomo Raimondo
Published: October 2024

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a benign mesenchymal proliferative lesion of the breast. In 2005, only 109 cases have been reported since its initial description in 1986 by Vuitch et al. when it presented in one patient as a palpable breast mass. We retrospectively reviewed data from 2020 to 2023 of patients diagnosed with PASH by surgical excision. Our 13 cases represent one of the most numerous reported from a single institution. All histologic specimens were examined by a single pathologist. All patients had breast masses on imaging or were clinically evident. Eleven of the patients (84.6%) were diagnosed by surgical excision, whilst only two (15.4%) were diagnosed by core needle biopsy. Imaging revealed no strongly distinctive features for PASH. The age of the patients ranged from 25 to 68 years. All but one of the women were premenopausal at the time of diagnosis. This study suggests that PASH is a lesion whose diagnosis is often incidental and the recommended treatment is more commonly surgical.
“Deepfakes and Dishonesty”
Authors: Flattery Tobias , Miller Christian B.
Published: October 2024

Deepfakes raise various concerns: risks of political destabilization, depictions of persons without consent and causing them harms, erosion of trust in video and audio as reliable sources of evidence, and more. These concerns have been the focus of recent work in the philosophical literature on deepfakes. However, there has been almost no sustained philosophical analysis of deepfakes from the perspective of concerns about honesty and dishonesty. That deepfakes are potentially deceptive is unsurprising and has been noted. But under what conditions does the use of deepfakes fail to be honest? And which human agents, involved in one way or another in a deepfake, fail to be honest, and in what ways? If we are to understand better the morality of deepfakes, these questions need answering. Our first goal in this paper, therefore, is to offer an analysis of paradigmatic cases of deepfakes in light of the philosophy of honesty. While it is clear that many deepfakes are morally problematic, there has been a rising counter-chorus claiming that deepfakes are not essentially morally bad, since there might be uses of deepfakes that are not morally wrong, or even that are morally salutary, for instance, in education, entertainment, activism, and other areas. However, while there are reasons to think that deepfakes can supply or support moral goods, it is nevertheless possible that even these uses of deepfakes are dishonest. Our second goal in this paper, therefore, is to apply our analysis of deepfakes and honesty to the sorts of deepfakes hoped to be morally good or at least neutral. We conclude that, perhaps surprisingly, in many of these cases the use of deepfakes will be dishonest in some respects. Of course, there will be cases of deepfakes for which verdicts about honesty and moral permissibility do not line up. While we will sometimes suggest reasons why moral permissibility verdicts might diverge from honesty verdicts, we will not aim to settle matters of moral permissibility.
The Hall technique: knowledge, practice, and concerns of dentists in primary care settings in the State of Qatar—a questionnaire-based survey
Authors: Mohamed H. A. , Abdalla E. M. , HagOmer N. A. , Philip N.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

To assess the knowledge, practice, and concerns about the Hall Technique among pediatric dentists (PDs) and general dental practitioners (GDPs) working in primary care settings in the State of Qatar.

Methods

A prospective questionnaire-based survey was distributed to all GDPs and PDs working at different Primary Health Care Corporation centers in Qatar between 1 November and 10 December 2023. Descriptive data analysis was carried out.

Results

The response rate was 49% among GPDs and 100% among PDs. Approximately 85% of PDs and 48% of GDPs were familiar with the HT although only 58% of the PDs and 4% of the GDPs applied HT preformed metal crowns (HTPMCs) in their current primary care practice. Majority of both PDs and GDPs did not consider HTPMCs as the treatment of choice for restoring asymptomatic carious primary molars and preferred applying the HT for cavitated carious lesions over non-cavitated lesions. Regarding HT practices, 57.7% of PDs and 48% of GDPs always planned on taking a pre-operative radiograph before the procedure, while only 15.4% of PDs and 8% of GDPs would always consider using an orthodontic separator prior to placing an HTPMC. The main concerns among the respondents about the HT included sealing in caries (PDs 31%; GDPs 50%), high occlusion (PDs 57.7%; GDPs 53.3%), and gingival damage (27% PDs; 47% GDPs.) Endorsement by professional bodies and further research evidence were seen as ways to promote wider adoption of the HT.

Conclusion

The HT is recognised but not widely used among primary care dentists working in the State of Qatar. HTPMCs are often seen as secondary options for restoring carious primary molars with dentists still having a number of concerns regarding the HT.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adolescent Anxiety
Authors: Petersen Julie M. , Pimentel Sandra S.
Published: October 2024

Purpose of review

Adolescent anxiety is a pressing and debilitating mental health concern. The gold standard treatment, traditional cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), often does not benefit all youth. Therefore, the present review discusses the available research on a nascent form of modern CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), for anxiety in adolescents. There is a particular emphasis placed on the evidence base for DNAV, a developmentally adapted form of ACT where each letter of the acronym represents an ACT component: the Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor, and Values.

Recent findings

Across a range of studies, adolescents receiving ACT or DNAV reported improvements in anxiety, along with other relevant symptoms. Additionally, in the handful of comparisons to traditional CBT, ACT has resulted in similar outcomes.

The current state of research suggests that ACT and DNAV are promising interventions for youth anxiety worthy of further exploration. Future research should focus on understanding which components of ACT might be most beneficial for which youth, along with increasing sample diversity and utilizing more controlled formats.
Effectiveness of a health literacy intervention targeting both chronic kidney disease patients and health care professionals in primary and secondary care: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Boonstra Marco D. , do Amaral Matheus S. Gurgel , Navis Gerjan , Stegmann Mariken E. , Westerhuis Ralf , Almansa Josue , de Winter Andrea F. , Reijneveld Sijmen A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with limited health literacy are at risk for faster disease progression. To counteract this problem, we developed ‘Grip on your Kidneys’ (GoYK), an intervention targeting patients and health care professionals. We assessed the effect on self-management, patient activation, clinical parameters, consultation quality, and the professionals’ use of health literacy strategies. We further evaluated the process.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study included 147 patients with CKD and 48 professionals from Dutch general practices and nephrology clinics. Patients and professionals in the intervention group (IG) received GoYK. Control patients received care-as-usual from the participating professionals. Data were collected with questionnaires and from patient records at baseline (T0), 4 months (T1) and 9 months (T2).

Results

No effects on self-management and patient activation were found. Conversely, at T2, the proportion of patients with hypertension decreased in the intervention group (odds ratio = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) [0.20, 0.99]). In the intervention group, more lifestyle topics were discussed, at T1 (difference = 0.80, 95%CI [0.28, 1.31]) and T2 (difference = 0.69, 95%CI [0.14, 1.25]). Furthermore, several outcomes related to consultation quality improved. Professionals in the intervention group improved the use of health literacy strategies more, at T1 (difference = 0.64, 95%CI [0.33, 0.95]) and T2 (difference = 0.56, 95%CI [0.19, 0.93]). In general, patients and professionals considered GoYK to be useful.

Conclusions

GoYK is promising, and offers a blueprint to optimize care for patients with limited health literacy. Researchers should develop and test interventions like GoYK, focusing on patients at risk for CKD, and with very low health literacy.

Graphical abstract
Limitationen und methodisches Vorgehen bei Ableitung einer Risikoverdopplungsdosis aus publizierten kategoriellen Daten
Authors: Behrens Thomas , Kendzia Benjamin , Brüning Thomas
Published: October 2024

Hintergrund

Zur Anerkennung einer beruflich verursachten Lungenkrebserkrankung nach Exposition gegenüber hexavalentem Chrom wurde eine Risikoverdopplungsdosis von 500 µg/m3-Jahren als Orientierungsmaß vorgeschlagen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, verschiedene Ableitungsansätze zur Ermittlung von Risikoverdopplungsdosen aus publizierten Daten quantitativ zu untersuchen, um die damit assoziierten Unsicherheiten besser beurteilen zu können.

Methodik

Es wurden in einer industriebasierten Studie aus der deutschen Chromatindustrie, auf der die Ableitung des Orientierungsmaßes von 500 µg/m3-Jahren beruhte, und der internationalen populationsbasierten Fall-Kontroll-Studie SYNERGY ein lineares Modell, zwei log-lineare Modelle und in der SYNERGY-Studie zusätzlich eine Thin-Plate-Spline-Regression berechnet. Weitere Rahmenbedingungen (unterschiedliche Grenzen für die oberste Expositionskategorie, verschiedene Latenzperioden) und verschiedene Sensitivitätsanalysen wurden berücksichtigt.

Ergebnisse

In Abhängigkeit vom methodischen Vorgehen zeigte sich eine hohe Variabilität in den abgeleiteten Risikoverdopplungsdosen, wobei die Wahl der Klassenmitte für die obere Expositionskategorie einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Ergebnis hatte. Die Sensitivitätsanalysen führten ebenfalls zu deutlichen Schwankungen in der Schätzung der Risikoverdopplungsdosis. Das statistische Modell beeinflusste die Ergebnisse dagegen wenig. Die Auswertung der SYNERGY-Studie auf Basis der aggregierten Kategorien lieferte vergleichbare Ergebnisse wie in der Chromatindustrie. Eine direkte Auswertung der Originaldaten führte jedoch zu extrem hohen Risikoverdopplungsdosen, die in der Praxis niemals erreichbar wären.

Diskussion

Aufgrund der hohen Variabilität der ermittelten Risikoverdopplungsdosen sollten abgeleitete Grenzwerte aus publizierten Daten nicht als strenges Abschneidekriterium verwendet werden, sondern die individuellen beruflichen Expositions- und Lebensumstände der Beschäftigten berücksichtigen. Die Auswertung der SYNERGY-Daten zeigt, dass die Ableitung von Beurteilungsmaßstäben aus aggregierten Daten zu deutlichen Fehlschlüssen führen kann. Eine verlässliche Modellierung von Dosis-Effekt-Beziehungen ist daher nur unter Auswertung der Originaldaten möglich.
Deep Learning for Traffic Prediction and Trend Deviation Identification: A Case Study in Hong Kong
Authors: Zou Xiexin , Chung Edward , Ye Hongbo , Zhang Haolin
Published: October 2024

This paper introduces a robust methodology for predicting traffic volume and speed on major strategic routes in Hong Kong by leveraging data from data.gov.hk and utilizing deep learning models. The approach offers predictions from 6 min to 1 h, considering detector reliability. By extracting hidden deep features from historical detector data to establish detector profiles and grouping detectors into clusters based on profile similarities, the method employs a CNN-LSTM prediction model for each cluster. The study demonstrates the model’s resilience to detector failures, with tests conducted across failure rates from 1% to 20%, highlighting its ability to maintain accurate predictions despite random failures. In scenarios without failed detectors, the method achieves favorable performance metrics: MAE, RMSE, and MAPE for traffic volume prediction over the next 6 min stand at 5.17 vehicles/6 min, 7.64 vehicles/6 min, and 14.07%, respectively, while for traffic speed prediction, the values are 3.70 km/h, 6.32 km/h, and 6.33%. Considering a failure rate of approximately 6% in the Hong Kong dataset, in simulated scenarios with 6% failures, the model maintains its predictive accuracy, with average MAE, RMSE, and MAPE for traffic volume prediction at 5.24 vehicles/6 min, 7.81 vehicles/6 min, and 14.21%, and for traffic speed prediction at 3.87 km/h, 6.55 km/h, and 6.68%. However, the limitation of the proposed method is its potential to underperform when predicting rare or unseen scenarios, indicating the need for future research to incorporate additional data sources and methods to enhance predictive performance.
Evaluation of the Extract of Pseudopithomyces chartarum to be used as Biocontrol Agent Against Phytophthora cinnamomi in Lupinus luteus
Authors: García-Latorre C. , Rodrigo S. , Santamaria O.
Published: October 2024

Endophytic fungi offer promising opportunities for a sustainable disease management in agricultural systems, often related to their secondary metabolites. In this study, the potential of the metabolites produced in vitro by Pseudopithomyces chartarum to protect the forage crop Lupinus luteus against the soil-borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi was evaluated in different in vitro and in planta tests. The fungal extracts containing the metabolites were applied by two different procedures: to seeds by immersion (mycopriming) and to seedlings by spraying (post-emergence). The antagonism between the endophyte fitrates/extracts and the pathogen was studied by dual culture assays and the minimal inhibitory concentration. Other filtrate/extract traits, such as its phytohormones production and nutrient mobilization, were also analyzed. The metabolites contained in the extract were tentatively identified by mass spectrometry. The endophyte’s filtrates and extracts exhibited significant inhibition on the P. cinnamomi growth in vitro. Additionally, seed mycopriming and post-emergence extract application positively influenced seed germination, reduced disease severity, and enhanced several growth parameters in treated seedlings. Auxins and gibberellins production, and phosphate solubilization activity were observed in the endophyte, traits potentially contributing to its biocontrol efficacy. The bioactive compounds ciclo(L-Phe-L-Pro), dihydroabikoviromycin, medelamine A, herniarin, and Piptamine, all with antimicrobial properties, were tentatively identified in the extracts, but further research is needed to confirm this identity and to evaluate the extract efficacy under field conditions. This study highlights the potential of certain endophytic fungi as sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives for a disease management in agriculture.
Internationalising higher education curricula for sustainable development: considerations for indigeneity and (inter)culturality
Authors: Mbah Marcellus Forh , Clifton Noah , Kushnir Iryna
Published: October 2024

Higher Education (HE) can play a fundamental role in the achievement of sustainable development, and particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as captured in the Incheon declaration. However, what approach HE should take in this mission is a contested space. In this paper, we interrogate the idea of indigeneity. The pursuit to ascertain how an indigenised approach to internationalisation can support or enhance the contribution of HE curricula towards sustainable development is driven by the understanding that for sustainable development to be achieved at all, the process of knowledge creation must strive to make integral those epistemologies that exist beyond the “West”; an understanding that aligns, in particular, with Target 7 of the United Nations (UN) SDG 4 and seeks to empower victims of epistemic violence. In doing so, we employed a bibliographic research which captured a dual approach consisting of a bibliometric analysis of literature and a review of case studies. The findings from both methods suggest that internationalisation appears in different disciplinary contexts, but these are not always aligned with indigenisation. We maintain that the construct of (inter)culturality can address aspects within the framework of indigeneity to boost the internationalisation of HE curricula and outcomes for sustainable development. Central to this are four factors, namely: the need for effective human engagement with (inter)cultural competence, medium/place of curricula interaction, the initiative form and the reach of the development.
Multiple yield curve modeling and forecasting using deep learning
Authors: Richman Ronald , Scognamiglio Salvatore
Published: October 2024

This manuscript introduces deep learning models that simultaneously describe the dynamics of several yield curves. We aim to learn the dependence structure among the different yield curves induced by the globalization of financial markets and exploit it to produce more accurate forecasts. By combining the self-attention mechanism and nonparametric quantile regression, our model generates both point and interval forecasts of future yields. The architecture is designed to avoid quantile crossing issues affecting multiple quantile regression models. Numerical experiments conducted on two different datasets confirm the effectiveness of our approach. Finally, we explore potential extensions and enhancements by incorporating deep ensemble methods and transfer learning mechanisms.
Evolution: the bridge between ‘biological’ and ‘social’ psychiatry
Authors: Swanepoel Annie , Abed Riadh , Brar Gurjot , St John-Smith Paul , O’Connell Henry
Published: October 2024

‘Biological’ and ‘social’ perspectives in psychiatry have exchanged dominance at different times in the history of our field and are sometimes erroneously viewed as being contrasting and mutually exclusive paradigms. We argue that the arbitrary ‘biological/social’ divide in psychiatry is misleading, unhelpful, and ultimately a false one. We propose that the evolutionary perspective provides a necessary framework and metatheory that can bridge this apparent schism in psychiatric thinking, providing novel and useful insights into how we can better assess, diagnose, and treat our patients.
Data Warfare and Creating a Global Legal and Regulatory Landscape: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Mone Varda , Abdulajonovich Sadikov Maksudboy , Younas Ammar , Petikam Sailaja
Published: October 2024

The world is witnessing an increase in cross-border data transfers and breaches orchestrated by State and non-State actors. Cross-border data transfers may lead to friction among States to localize or globalize data and to provide regulatory frameworks. “Data warfare” or information-war operations are often not covered under conventional rules; however, they are categorized as acts of espionage and subject to domestic regulations. As such, the operations are used to achieve a variety of objectives, including stealing sensitive information, spreading propaganda, and causing economic damage. Notable instances of the theft of sensitive information include the recent Bangladesh government website breach, exposing 50 million records, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) website hack.

Regulating the “data war” under the existing principles of international law may be unsuccessful in creating robust international legal frameworks to address the associated challenges. These developments further accentuate the global divide between data-rich regions in the Global North, with strong data protection mechanisms (such as the GDPR and the California Privacy Rights Act), and regions in the Global South, where there is a lack of comprehensive data protection laws and regulatory regimes. This disparity underscores the urgent need for global cooperation for substantial international regulatory mechanisms.

This article examines the complexities surrounding data warfare; it highlights the imperative need for establishing a robust global legal framework for data protection, delving into the concept of data war. It also acknowledges the growing influence of advanced technologies like data computing and mining and their ongoing threats to the fundamental rights of individuals associated with exposed personal data. The authors address the deficiencies in international legal provisions and advocate for a global regulatory approach to data protection as a critical means of safeguarding personal freedoms and countering the escalating threats in the digital age.
Differential efficacy of survey incentives across contexts: experimental evidence from Australia, India, and the United States
Authors: Conn Katharine , Mo Cecilia Hyunjung , Purohit Bhumi
Published: October 2024

Scholars often use monetary incentives to boost participation rates in online surveys. This technique follows existing literature from western countries, which suggests egoistic incentives effectively boost survey participation. Positing that incentives’ effectiveness vary by country context, we tested this proposition through an experiment in Australia, India, and the USA. We compared three types of monetary lotteries to narrative and altruistic appeals. We find that egoistic rewards are most effective in the USA and to some extent, in Australia. In India, respondents are just as responsive to altruistic incentives as to egoistic incentives. Results from an adapted dictator game corroborate these patterns. Our results caution scholars against exporting survey participation incentives to areas where they have not been tested.
EFFICIENT INFERENCE FOR SPATIAL AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL STATISTICAL MODELS USING BASIS-FUNCTION AND DEEP-LEARNING METHODS
Authors: SAINSBURY-DALE MATTHEW
Published: October 2024

Inference in spatial and spatio-temporal models can be challenging for a variety of reasons. For example, non-Gaussianity often leads to analytically intractable integrals; we may be in a ‘big’ data setting, whereby the number of observations renders traditional methods too computationally expensive; we may wish to make inferences over spatial supports that are different to those of our measurements; or, we may wish to use a statistical model whose likelihood function is either unavailable or computationally intractable. In this thesis, I develop several techniques that help to alleviate these challenges.
A MORDELL–LANG-TYPE PROBLEM FOR
$\mathrm{GL}_{m}$
Authors: BELL JASON , GHIOCA DRAGOS , HUANG YIFENG
Published: October 2024

We prove a nonabelian variant of the classical Mordell–Lang conjecture in the context of finite- dimensional central simple algebras. We obtain the following result as a particular case of a more general statement. Let K be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, let

$B_1,\dots ,B_r\in \mathrm {GL}_m(K)$

be matrices with multiplicatively independent eigenvalues and let V be a closed subvariety of

$\mathrm {GL}_m(K)$

not passing through zero. Then there exist only finitely many elements of

$\mathrm {GL}_m(K)$

of the form

$B_1^{n_1}\cdots B_r^{n_r}$

(as we vary

$n_1,\dots ,n_r$

in

$\mathbb {Z}$

) lying on the subvariety V.
The Paradox of Black Incomes in Puerto Rico in the Early Decades of U.S. Colonialism
Authors: Ayala César J. , Herrera Joel S.
Published: October 2024

This paper examines racial income inequality in early twentieth-century Puerto Rico. It finds, surprisingly, that Black men had an income advantage relative to White and Mulatto men in 1910–1920. The effect of race on income in Puerto Rico was smaller than that of other covariates such as urban status, sex, and literacy. A comparison with the state of Louisiana and with the United States as a whole in the same Census years shows that Puerto Rico was exceptional by U.S. standards, displaying much lower levels of racial inequality. Most of the income advantage Black men had can be attributed to the fact that they were more urban than Mulatto or White men, but part of this surprising advantage can be attributed to the existence in the countryside of a layer of skilled Black workers. Overall, Black men had equal or slightly higher occupational scores than Whites. The coexistence of slavery with other forms of coerced labor affecting individuals of all races in the nineteenth century, as well as the emergence of a stratum of Black skilled workers which survived into the twentieth century and thrived economically when the sugar industry experienced an explosive boom after 1898, is at the root of Black income equalization in the Puerto Rican countryside and in the island as a whole during the early twentieth century.
The Decay-Life of Things
Authors: Franz Marisa Karyl
Published: October 2024

Examining the graveside tributes left at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, this article considers the meaning-making work of decay. Green-Wood is a polysemous place, existing as a historical and active cemetery, an arboretum, an arts and performance space, a space of mourning, and a place of leisurely strolling and birdwatching. Through a site-specific analysis of the cemetery, I approach decay as an active and durational phase of material life and explore different decay-temporalities through the tributes left graveside. I argue that orienting ourselves to the decay-life of things necessarily entangles us in a larger ecological ethic and relational ontology of self, land, weather, animals (human and non-human), and time. While advocating for material attention to decay-life, I consider how the aesthetics and taboos of decay shape the cemetery’s relationship to visible and invisible rot and ruin. The cemetery staff, wildlife, visitors, ecology, climate, and the dead create a complex network of active actors experiencing and altering the material decay-life of the left-behind natural and artificial material tributes. Together, this active and entangled decay-life of the site forms a network of temporalities of decay that co-construct the affective and environmental space of the cemetery.
Like Father Like Son? Intergenerational Immobility in England, 1851–1911
Authors: Zhu Ziming
Published: October 2024

This paper uses a new linked sample constructed from full-count census data of 1851–1911 to revise estimates of intergenerational occupational mobility in England. I find that conventional estimates of intergenerational elasticities are attenuated by classical measurement error and severely underestimate the extent of father-son association in socioeconomic status. Instrumenting one measure of the father’s outcome with a second measure of the father’s outcome raises the intergenerational elasticities (β) of occupational status from 0.4 to 0.6–0.7. Victorian England was therefore a society of limited social mobility. The long-run evolution and international comparisons of social mobility in England are discussed.
Understanding variability: the role of meta-analysis of variance
Authors: Howes Oliver D. , Chapman George E.
Published: October 2024

Meta-analyses traditionally compare the difference in means between groups for one or more outcomes of interest. However, they do not compare the spread of data (variability), which could mean that important effects and/or subgroups are missed. To address this, methods to compare variability meta-analytically have recently been developed, making it timely to review them and consider their strengths, weaknesses, and implementation. Using published data from trials in major depression, we demonstrate how the spread of data can impact both overall effect size and the frequency of extreme observations within studies, with potentially important implications for conclusions of meta-analyses, such as the clinical significance of findings. We then describe two methods for assessing group differences in variability meta-analytically: the variance ratio (VR) and coefficient of variation ratio (CVR). We consider the reporting and interpretation of these measures and how they differ from the assessment of heterogeneity between studies. We propose general benchmarks as a guideline for interpreting VR and CVR effects as small, medium, or large. Finally, we discuss some important limitations and practical considerations of VR and CVR and consider the value of integrating variability measures into meta-analyses.
Bacteriological characteristics and changes of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 35B after vaccine implementation in Japan
Authors: Miyazaki Haruko , Chang Bin , Ogawa Michinaga , Shibuya Rie , Takata Misako , Nakamura Shigeki , Ubukata Kimiko , Miyazaki Yoshitsugu , Matsumoto Tetsuya , Akeda Yukihiro
Published: October 2024

Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 35B, a non-vaccine type, is a major contributor to the increase in pneumococcal infection post-vaccination. We aimed to understand the mechanism of its spread by characterizing 35B. The serotype, type 1 pilus (T1P) positivity, and antimicrobial susceptibility of 319 isolates in 2018–2022 were analysed and compared with those of isolates in 2014–2017 to find the changes. 35B accounted for 40 (12.5%) isolates. T1P positivity was notably higher in 35B (87.5%) than in the other serotypes. To confirm the role of T1P, an adhesion factor, we compared adherence to A549 cells between T1P-positive 35B isolates and their T1P-deficient mutants, showing contribution of T1P to adherence. Penicillin-non-susceptible rate of 35B was 87.5%, and meropenem-resistant 35B rate was 35.0%, which increased from 14.5% of 2014–2017 (p = 0.009). Multilocus sequence typing was performed in 35B strains. Prevalence of clonal complex 558, harbouring T1P and exhibiting multidrug non-susceptibility, suggested the advantages of 35B in attachment and survival in the host. The emergence of ST156 isolates, T1P-positive and non-susceptible to β-lactams, has raised concern about expansion in Japan. The increase of serotype 35B in pneumococcal diseases might have occurred due to its predominant colonizing ability after the elimination of the vaccine-serotypes.
An outbreak associated with Escherichia albertii in a junior high school, China
Authors: Huang Shiwang , Liu Qian , Fang Yezhen , Yu Hua , Yang Xi , Hu Jinfeng , Wang Yiyi , Tian Rui , Gao Yixiao , Ni Zhimin , Xiong Yanwen
Published: October 2024

Escherichia albertii is an emerging foodborne enteropathogen associated with infectious diarrhoea in humans. In February 2023, an outbreak of acute gastroenteric cases was reported in a junior high school located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. Twenty-two investigated patients presented diarrhoea (22/22, 100%), abdominal pain (21/22, 95.5%), nausea (6/22, 27.3%), and vomiting (3/22, 13.6%). E. albertii strains were successfully isolated from anal swabs collected from six patients. Each isolate was classified as sequence type ST2686, harboured eae-β gene, and carried both cdtB-I and cdtB-II subtypes, being serotyped as EAOg32:EAHg4 serotype. A comprehensive whole-genome phylogenetic analysis revealed that the six isolates formed a distinct cluster, separate from other strains. These isolates exhibited minimal genetic variation, differing from one another by 0 to 1 single nucleotide polymorphism, suggesting a common origin from a single clone. To the best of our knowledge, this represented the first reported outbreak of gastroenteritis attributed to E. albertii outside of Japan on a global scale.
Cascade effects of a parenting-focused program for divorced families on three health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood
Authors: Wolchik Sharlene A. , Tein Jenn-Yun , Rhodes C. Aubrey , Sandler Irwin N. , Luecken Linda J. , Porter Michele M.
Published: October 2024

Using data from a 15-year longitudinal follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of a parenting-focused preventive intervention for divorced families (N = 240) with children aged 9–12, the current study examined alternative cascading pathways through which the intervention led to improvements in offspring’s perceived health problems, BMI, and cigarette smoking in emerging adulthood. It was hypothesized that the program would lead to improvements in these health-related outcomes during emerging adulthood through progressive associations between program-induced changes in parenting and offspring outcomes, including mental health problems, substance use, and competencies. Intervention-induced improvements in positive parenting at posttest led to improvements in mental health problems in late childhood/early adolescence, which led to lower levels of mental health and substance use problems as well as higher levels of competencies in adolescence, which led to improvements in the health-related outcomes. Academic performance predicted all three health-related outcomes and other aspects of adolescent functioning showed different relations across outcomes. Results highlight the potential for intervention effects of preventive parenting interventions in childhood to cascade over time to affect health-related outcomes in emerging adulthood.