bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher education and the income-fertility nexus
Authors: Strulik Holger
Published: March 2024

Fertility and income are negatively related at the aggregate level. However, evidence from recent periods suggests that increasing income leads to higher fertility at the individual level. In this paper, I provide a simple theory that resolves the apparent contradiction. I consider the education and fertility choices of individuals with different learning abilities. Acquiring higher education requires an investment of time and income. As a result, people with higher education have fewer children but, controlling for the level of education, increasing income leads to higher fertility. Rising income and skill premiums motivate more people to pursue higher education, resulting in a negative income-fertility association at the aggregate level. I investigate the explanatory power of the theory in a model calibrated for the US during 1950–2010.
Exploring a novel chamfered tool design for short duration refill friction stir spot welds of high strength aluminium
Authors: Draper Jonathan , Fritsche Sebastian , de Traglia Amancio-Filho Sergio , Galloway Alexander , Toumpis Athanasios
Published: March 2024

This work investigates refill friction stir spot welded joints of AA2024-T3 aluminium alloy, produced with short welding times between 3 s and 0.75 s. A novel tool geometry that incorporates a chamfer on the inner edge of the shoulder tip is investigated as a means of improving joint quality at short welding times by easing material flow during the refill stage. The influence of shoulder design on weld microstructure, defect formation, material flow, and mechanical properties was assessed. When compared with a standard shoulder geometry, it was found that the introduction of a chamfer on the inner tip edge improved material flow during the refill stage and led to improved material mixing at the weld periphery. The formation of voids in the region of the weld periphery was eliminated and tensile lap-shear strength of the welded joints was increased by 19% to 7.2 kN, and 27% to 8.16 kN, for 0.75 s and 1.5 s duration welds, respectively.
Synergistic corrosion effects of magnetite and microorganisms: microbial community dependency
Authors: Diaz-Mateus Maria A. , Machuca Laura L. , Farhat Hanan , Salgar-Chaparro Silvia J.
Published: March 2024

The synergistic corrosion effect of acid-producing bacteria (APB) and magnetite on carbon steel corrosion was assessed using two different microbial consortia. A synergistic corrosion effect was observed exclusively with Consortium 2, which was composed of Enterobacter sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Tepidibacillus sp. When Consortium 2 was accompanied by magnetite, uniform corrosion and pitting rates were one-time higher (0.094 mm/year and 0.777 mm/year, respectively) than the sum of the individual corrosion rates promoted by the consortium and deposit separately (0.084 and 0.648 mm/year, respectively). The synergistic corrosion effect observed exclusively with Consortium 2 is attributed to its microbial community structure. Consortium 2 exhibited higher microbial diversity that benefited the metabolic status of the community. Although both consortia induced acidification of the test solution and metal surface through glucose fermentation, heightened activity levels of Consortium 2, along with increased surface roughness caused by magnetite, contributed to the distinct synergistic corrosion effect observed with Consortium 2 and magnetite.

Key points

• APB and magnetite have a synergistic corrosion effect on carbon steel.

• The microbial composition of APB consortia drives the synergistic corrosion effect.

• Magnetite increases carbon steel surface roughness.
Chances and challenges of photon-counting CT in musculoskeletal imaging
Authors: Mourad Charbel , Gallego Manzano Lucia , Viry Anaïs , Booij Ronald , Oei Edwin H. G. , Becce Fabio , Omoumi Patrick
Published: March 2024

In musculoskeletal imaging, CT is used in a wide range of indications, either alone or in a synergistic approach with MRI. While MRI is the preferred modality for the assessment of soft tissues and bone marrow, CT excels in the imaging of high-contrast structures, such as mineralized tissue. Additionally, the introduction of dual-energy CT in clinical practice two decades ago opened the door for spectral imaging applications. Recently, the advent of photon-counting detectors (PCDs) has further advanced the potential of CT, at least in theory. Compared to conventional energy-integrating detectors (EIDs), PCDs provide superior spatial resolution, reduced noise, and intrinsic spectral imaging capabilities. This review briefly describes the technical advantages of PCDs. For each technical feature, the corresponding applications in musculoskeletal imaging will be discussed, including high-spatial resolution imaging for the assessment of bone and crystal deposits, low-dose applications such as whole-body CT, as well as spectral imaging applications including the characterization of crystal deposits and imaging of metal hardware. Finally, we will highlight the potential of PCD-CT in emerging applications, underscoring the need for further preclinical and clinical validation to unleash its full clinical potential.
Physiographic Environment Classification: a Controlling Factor Classification of Landscape Susceptibility to Waterborne Contaminant Loss
Authors: Rissmann Clinton W. F. , Pearson Lisa K. , Snelder Ton H.
Published: March 2024

Spatial variation in the landscape factors climate, geomorphology, and lithology cause significant differences in water quality issues even when land use pressures are similar. The Physiographic Environment Classification (PEC) classifies landscapes based on their susceptibility to the loss of water quality contaminants. The classification is informed by a conceptual model of the landscape factors that control the hydrochemical maturity of water discharged to streams. In New Zealand, a case study using climatic, topographic, and geological data classified the country into six, 36, and 320 classes at Levels 1 (Climate), 1–2 (Climate + Geomorphology), and 1–3 (Climate + Geomorphology + Lithology), respectively. Variance partitioning analysis applied to New Zealand’s national surface water monitoring network (n = 810 stations) assessed the contributions of PEC classes and land use on the spatial variation of water quality contaminants. Compared to land use, PEC explained 0.6× the variation in Nitrate Nitrite Nitrogen (NNN), 1.0× in Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), 1.8× in Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (DRP), 2.3× in Particulate Phosphorus (PP), 2.6× in E. coli, and 4.3× in Turbidity (TURB). Land use explained more variation in riverine NNN, while landscape factors explained more variation in DRP, PP, E. coli, and TURB. Overall, PEC accounted for 2.1× more variation in riverine contaminant concentrations than land use. The differences in contaminant concentrations between PEC classes (p < 0.05), after adjusting for land use, were consistent with the conceptual model of hydrochemical maturation. PEC elucidates underlying causes of contaminant loss susceptibility and can inform targeted land management across multiple scales.
A bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle with a variant innervation: a cadaveric report with possible clinical implications
Authors: Piagkou Maria , Triantafyllou George , Koutsougeras Aggelos , Koutserimpas Christos , Katsogiannis Dimitris , Georgiev Georgi , Olewnik Lukasz , Zielinska Nicol , Tsakotos George
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Anterior compartment muscles of the arm present high morphological variability, with possible clinical significance. The current cadaveric report aims to describe a bilateral four-headed brachialis muscle (BM) with aberrant innervation. Emphasis on the embryological background and possible clinical significance are also provided.

Methods

Classical upper limb dissection was performed on an 84-year-old donated male cadaver. The cadaver was donated to the Anatomy Department of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Results

On the left upper limb, the four-headed BM was supplied by the musculocutaneous and the median nerves after their interconnection.

On the right upper limb, the four-headed BM received its innervation from the median nerve due to the musculocutaneous nerve absence.

A bilateral muscular tunnel for the radial nerve passage was identified, between the BM accessory heads and the brachioradialis muscle.

Conclusion

BM has clinical significance, due to its proximity to important neurovascular structures and frequent surgeries at the humerus. Hence, knowledge of these variants should keep orthopedic surgeons alert when intervening in this area. Further dissection studies with a standardized protocol are needed to elucidate the prevalence of BM aberrations and concomitant variants.
Predictive performance of population pharmacokinetic models of imatinib in chronic myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Dilli Batcha Jaya Shree , Gota Vikram , Matcha Saikumar , Raju Arun Prasath , Rao Mahadev , Udupa Karthik S. , Mallayasamy Surulivelrajan
Published: March 2024

Background and aim

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with the specific chromosomal translocation known as the Philadelphia chromosome. Imatinib is a potent BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which is approved as the first line therapy for CML patients. There are various population pharmacokinetic studies available in the literature for this population. However, their use in other populations outside of their cohort for the model development has not been evaluated. This study was aimed to perform the predictive performance of the published population pharmacokinetic models for imatinib in CML population and propose a dosing nomogram.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted through PubMed, and WoS databases to identify PopPK models. Clinical data collected in adult CML patients treated with imatinib was used for evaluation of these models. Various prediction-based metrics were used for assessing the bias and precision of PopPK models using individual predictions.

Results

Eight imatinib PopPK model were selected for evaluating the model performance. A total of 145 plasma imatinib samples were collected from 43 adult patients diagnosed with CML and treated with imatinib. The PopPK model reported by Menon et al. had better performance than all other PopPK models.

Conclusion

Menon et al. model was able to predict well for our clinical data where it had the relative mean prediction error percentage ≤ 20%, relative median absolute prediction error ≤ 30% and relative root mean square error close to zero. Based on this final model, we proposed a dosing nomogram for various weight groups, which could potentially help to maintain the trough concentrations in the therapeutic range.
Food web interactions of two breeding Arctic shorebird species, little stint Calidris minuta and red knot Calidris canutus, are shaped by their elevational distribution
Authors: Zhemchuzhnikov Mikhail K. , Lameris Thomas K. , Soloviev Mikhail Y. , Golovnyuk Viktor V. , ten Horn Job , Kutcherov Dmitry A. , Popovkina Anastasia B. , Sukhova Maria A. , Zhemchuzhnikova Elena A. , van Gils Jan A.
Published: March 2024

Birds often have to choose their nest site location along a food safety axis, balancing nest predation danger with the food requirements of themselves and their offspring. This is probably most important for precocial species, such as most shorebirds, in which both chicks and parents need access to food resources in the surroundings of the nest, at least during the first days of life of the chicks. In many Arctic ecosystems, shorebird nests are typically prone to predation by both avian and terrestrial predators, especially in lemming-poor years. Among other factors, the strength of the trophic interactions between shorebirds, their prey, and their predators depend on how all of these are distributed across space. During two breeding seasons in northern Taimyr, North-Central Russia, we investigated how the spatial distribution of red knot Calidris canutus and little stint Calidris minuta nests and broods overlaps with the local food landscape and also with the distribution of avian predators and their main prey, lemmings. We found that the two shorebird species use different habitats that vary in arthropod community structure in accordance with the birds’ diet: while little stints selected lower elevations where chironomid midges Chironomidae are more abundant, red knots selected higher elevations where crane flies Tipulidae are more abundant. Furthermore, little stints share low-elevation habitats with lemmings and predators, while red knots inhabit higher elevations averted by both lemmings and avian predators. We found higher nest predation for little stint nests than for red knots nests, especially in a low-lemming year. Our results thus support the idea that food web interactions are driven by landscape and community aspects.
Biology and epibiont community of the red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera, on the southern Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Goodhill Clare , Desbiens Amelia A. , Wolfe Kennedy
Published: March 2024

Organismal symbioses are fundamental to biodiversity, evolution, and ecosystem functioning. On coral reefs, many decapod species have formed distinct epibiotic symbioses through decoration tendencies that enhance diet, camouflage, and defence. The red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera (Majidae: Decapoda), has a broad Indo-Pacific distribution and is a successful predator of juvenile crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS; Acanthaster sp.). However, little is known of the biology and decorating symbioses of S. aspera on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), where CoTS pose ongoing management challenges. We characterised S. aspera and its epibiont community collected in coral rubble patches on the southern GBR. S. aspera predominantly used sponges (94 ± 1%; mean ± SE) in its decoration, with greater proportions of the carapace covered for juveniles (58 ± 5%) and females (46 ± 4%) compared to males (24 ± 4%). In short-term (8-d) experiments, S. aspera substantially reduced sponge (31%) and algal (47%) cover on rubble pieces, demonstrating its potential to alter sessile communities. The close association of S. aspera with sponges and algae likely reflects its diet and enhances camouflage and chemical defence in its coral rubble niche on the GBR. As sessile taxa are often noxious, we postulate that these symbioses may confer resilience of S. aspera to plancitoxins in its consumption of CoTS. Evaluating how epibiont diversity and biochemistry shape the habitat associations, distribution, and role of S. aspera as predator and prey may be important to understanding its ability to mediate CoTS densities on the GBR and elsewhere.
The costs of overwintering in paper wasps (Polistes dominula and Polistes gallicus): the use of energy stores
Authors: Stabentheiner Anton , Mauerhofer Teresa , Willfurth Regina , Kovac Helmut , Stabentheiner Edith , Käfer Helmut , Petrocelli Iacopo
Published: March 2024

Overwintering insects are facing energetic challenges because of food shortage, low temperature, and desiccation stress. Paper wasps of the genus Polistes overwinter as mated adults (gynes) in hibernacula protecting them from predation, snow, and rain but barely from low environmental temperature. In different climates, they face differing overwintering temperature regimes, and therefore they may differ in their energy use. We investigated how much of energy resources built up until autumn is used during diapause dormancy in natural hibernacula by measuring lipid, glycogen, and free carbohydrate content in autumn and early spring in Polistes dominula from temperate European (Austrian) and warm Mediterranean (Italian) climate and Polistes gallicus from Mediterranean climate. Winter energy consumption amounted to ~ 339 and ~ 310 J per wasp in the Austrian and Italian Polistes dominula populations. The smaller Italian Polistes gallicus consumed ~ 247 J. This amounts to 2.62, 2.35, and 1.79 J per day. Of this, the energy demand was mainly fuelled by lipids (84%, 93%, and 90%, respectively), but glycogen stores contributed also considerably (16%, 6%, and 9%). Free carbohydrates decreased only by 0.7%, 1%, and 0.8%. While fat stores seem still sufficient in spring, the wasps depleted most of their carbohydrates. The energy reserves of 396, 400, and 147 J per wasp remaining in spring in the three populations seem sufficient to fuel rest or simple brood care activities for a whole summer but restrict foraging flights to a few hours (~ 3.5–6 h). Results suggest that energy supply might become challenging in expected future climate scenarios.
Analyzing the reduction quality of the distal radioulnar joint after closed K-wire transfixation in a cadaver model: is supination or neutral position superior?
Authors: El Barbari Jan Siad , Kohlhas Laura , Franke Jochen , Grützner Paul Alfred , Schnetzke Marc , Swartman Benedict James
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instabilities are challenging and their optimal treatment is controversial. In special cases or when reconstruction of the stabilizing triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) fails, K-wire transfixation can be performed. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the rotational position of the forearm in which this should be done. Therefore, it was investigated whether anatomical reduction would best be achieved by transfixation in neutral position or supination of the forearm.

Materials and methods

Twelve cadaveric upper limbs were examined before dissection of the DRUJ stabilizing ligaments and after closed transfixation in both positions by C-arm cone-beam CT. Whether this was first done in neutral position or in supination was randomized. The change in the radioulnar ratio (RR) in percentage points (%points) was analyzed using Student's t-test. RR was used since it is a common and sensitive method to evaluate DRUJ reduction, expressing the ulnar head's position in the sigmoid notch as a length ratio.

Results

The analysis showed an increased change in RR in neutral position with 5.4 ± 9.7%points compared to fixation in supination with 0.2 ± 16.1%points, yet this was not statistically significant (p = 0.404).

Conclusions

Neither position leads to a superior reduction in general. However, the result was slightly closer to the anatomical position in supination. Thus, transfixation of the DRUJ should be performed in the position in which reduction could best be achieved and based on these data, that tends to be in supination. Further studies are necessary to validate these findings and to identify influential factors.
Evaluation of a self-administered iPad®-based processing speed assessment for people with multiple sclerosis in a clinical routine setting
Authors: Hechenberger Stefanie , Helmlinger Birgit , Tinauer Christian , Jauk Emanuel , Ropele Stefan , Heschl Bettina , Wurth Sebastian , Damulina Anna , Eppinger Sebastian , Demjaha Rina , Khalil Michael , Enzinger Christian , Pinter Daniela
Published: March 2024

Background

Limited resources often hinder regular cognitive assessment of people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) in standard clinical care. A self-administered iPad®-based cognitive screening-tool (Processing Speed Test; PST) might mitigate this problem.

Objective

To evaluate the PST in clinical routine.

Methods

We investigated the feasibility of the PST in both a quiet and a waiting room setting. We assessed the validity of the PST in comparison with the established Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). We explored associations between processing speed assessments and the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters, and psychological factors. Additionally, we explored the ability of the PST to detect impairment in processing speed compared to the SDMT.

Results

The PST was feasible in the waiting room setting. PST and SDMT correlated comparably with the BICAMS, MRI parameters, and psychological variables. Of 172 pwMS, 50 (30.8%) showed cognitive impairment according to the BICAMS; respective values were 47 (27.3%) for the SDMT and 9 (5.2%) for the PST.

Conclusions

The PST performed in a waiting room setting correlates strongly with established cognitive tests. It thus may be used to assess processing speed in a resource-efficient manner and complement cognitive assessment in clinical routine. Despite comparable validity of the PST and SDMT, we identified more pwMS with impaired processing speed using normative data of the SDMT compared to the PST and advise caution, that the common cut-off score of – 1.5 SD from the current PST is not appropriate in Europe.
Substrate utilization and durability during prolonged intermittent exercise in elite road cyclists
Authors: Ørtenblad Niels , Zachariassen Magnus , Nielsen Joachim , Gejl Kasper Degn
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study investigated the effects of prolonged intermittent cycling exercise on peak power output (PPO) and 6-min time-trial (6 min-TT) performance in elite and professional road cyclists. Moreover, the study aimed to determine whether changes in performance in the fatigued state could be predicted from substrate utilization during exercise and laboratory measures obtained in a fresh state.

Methods

Twelve cyclists (age: 23 years [21;25]; body mass: 71.5 kg [66.7;76.8]; height: 181 cm [178;185]; $$\dot{V}$$

V
˙

O2peak: 73.6 ml kg−1 min−1 [71.2;76.0]) completed a graded submaximal cycling test to determine lactate threshold (LT1), gross efficiency (GE), and maximal fat oxidation (MFO) as well as power output during a maximal 6 min-TT (MPO6 min) in a fresh condition. On a separate day, the cyclists completed a 4-h intermittent cycling protocol with a high CHO intake (100 g h−1). Substrate utilization and PPO was measured hourly during the protocol, which was followed by another 6 min-TT.

Results

MPO6 min and PPO was reduced by 10% [4;15] and 6% [0;6], respectively, after the cycling protocol. These reductions were accompanied by reductions in the anaerobic energy contribution and $$\dot{V}$$

V
˙

O2peak, whereas the average $$\dot{V}$$

V
˙

O2 during the 6 min-TT was unchanged. Correlation analyses showed no strong associations between reductions in MPO6 min and PPO and laboratory measures (i.e., LT1, GE, MFO, $$\dot{V}$$

V
˙

O2peak) obtained in the fresh condition. Additionally, fat oxidation rates during the cycling protocol were not related to changes in neither PPO nor MPO6 min.

Conclusion

PPO and MPO6 min were reduced following prolonged intermittent cycling, but the magnitude of these reductions could not be predicted from laboratory measures obtained in the fresh condition.
A century of exercise physiology: key concepts in neural control of the circulation
Authors: Shoemaker J. Kevin , Gros Robert
Published: March 2024

Early in the twentieth century, Walter B. Cannon (1871–1945) introduced his overarching hypothesis of “homeostasis” (Cannon 1932)—the ability to sustain physiological values within a narrow range necessary for life during periods of stress. Physical exercise represents a stress in which motor, respiratory and cardiovascular systems must be integrated across a range of metabolic stress to match oxygen delivery to oxygen need at the cellular level, together with appropriate thermoregulatory control, blood pressure adjustments and energy provision. Of these, blood pressure regulation is a complex but controlled variable, being the function of cardiac output and vascular resistance (or conductance). Key in understanding blood pressure control during exercise is the coordinating role of the autonomic nervous system. A long history outlines the development of these concepts and how they are integrated within the exercise context. This review focuses on the renaissance observations and thinking generated in the first three decades of the twentieth century that opened the doorway to new concepts of inquiry in cardiovascular regulation during exercise. The concepts addressed here include the following: (1) exercise and blood pressure, (2) central command, (3) neurovascular transduction with emphasis on the sympathetic nerve activity and the vascular end organ response, and (4) tonic neurovascular integration.
Primary non-refluxing megaureter: Natural history, follow-up and treatment
Authors: Rivetti Giulio , Marzuillo Pierluigi , Guarino Stefano , Di Sessa Anna , La Manna Angela , Caldamone Anthony A. , Papparella Alfonso , Noviello Carmine
Published: March 2024

Primary non-refluxing megaureter (PMU) is a congenital dilation of the ureter which is not related to vesicoureteral reflux, duplicated collecting systems, ureterocele, ectopic ureter, or posterior urethral valves and accounts for 5 to 10% of all prenatal hydronephrosis (HN) cases. The etiology is a dysfunction or stenosis of the distal ureter. Most often PMU remains asymptomatic with spontaneous resolution allowing for non-operative management. Nevertheless, in selective cases such as the development of febrile urinary tract infections, worsening of the ureteral dilatation, or reduction in relative renal function, surgery should be considered.

Conclusion: Ureteral replantation with excision of the dysfunctional ureteral segment and often ureteral tapering is the gold-standard procedure for PMU, although endoscopic treatment has been shown to have a fair success rate in many studies. In this review, we discuss the natural history, follow-up, and treatment of PMU.

What is Known:• PMU is the result of an atonic or stenotic segment of the distal ureter, resulting in congenital dilation of the ureter, and is frequently diagnosed on routine antenatal ultrasound.

What is New:• Most often, PMU remains asymptomatic and clinically stable, allowing for non-operative management.• Nevertheless, since symptoms can appear even after years of observation, long-term ultrasound follow-up is recommended, even up to young adulthood, if hydroureteronephrosis persists.• Ureteral replantation is the gold standard in case surgery is needed. In selected cases, however, HPBD could be a reasonable alternative.
Instantaneous everywhere-blowup of parabolic SPDEs
Authors: Foondun Mohammud , Khoshnevisan Davar , Nualart Eulalia
Published: March 2024

We consider the following stochastic heat equation $$\begin{aligned} \partial _t u(t,x) = \tfrac{1}{2} \partial ^2_x u(t,x) + b(u(t,x)) + \sigma (u(t,x)) {\dot{W}}(t,x), \end{aligned}$$

∂
t

u

(
t
,
x
)

=

1
2

∂
x
2

u

(
t
,
x
)

+
b

(
u

(
t
,
x
)

)

+
σ

(
u

(
t
,
x
)

)

W
˙

(
t
,
x
)

,

defined for $$(t,x)\in (0,\infty )\times {\mathbb {R}}$$

(
t
,
x
)
∈
(
0
,
∞
)
×
R

, where $${\dot{W}}$$

W
˙

denotes space-time white noise. The function $$\sigma $$
σ
is assumed to be positive, bounded, globally Lipschitz, and bounded uniformly away from the origin, and the function b is assumed to be positive, locally Lipschitz and nondecreasing. We prove that the Osgood condition $$\begin{aligned} \int _1^\infty \frac{\textrm{d}y}{b(y)}<\infty \end{aligned}$$

∫
1
∞

d
y

b
(
y
)

<
∞

implies that the solution almost surely blows up everywhere and instantaneously, In other words, the Osgood condition ensures that $$\textrm{P}\{ u(t,x)=\infty \quad \hbox { for all } t>0 \hbox { and } x\in {\mathbb {R}}\}=1.$$

P
{
u
(
t
,
x
)
=
∞

for all

t
>
0

and

x
∈
R
}
=
1
.

The main ingredients of the proof involve a hitting-time bound for a class of differential inequalities (Remark 3.3), and the study of the spatial growth of stochastic convolutions using techniques from the Malliavin calculus and the Poincaré inequalities that were developed in Chen et al. (Electron J Probab 26:1–37, 2021, J Funct Anal 282(2):109290, 2022).
Prevalence of Dysphagia and Risk of Malnutrition in Elderly Living in Nursing Homes
Authors: Engberg Alva Vilpi , Rångevall Gustav , Eriksson Karin , Tuomi Lisa
Published: March 2024

Swallowing difficulties commonly co-occur with malnutrition in the elderly. However, there is no consensus on which assessment tools to use, and thus reported prevalence varies. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence of dysphagia and risk of malnutrition in elderly people in nursing homes, evaluate the possible associations between swallowing function and malnutrition and survey whether there were associations between self-perceived function and the results of a screening of dysphagia. A total of 35 residents (aged 67–100 years old) without serious cognitive impairment in the general wards of two nursing homes in Gothenburg were investigated. Swallowing ability was assessed with the Gugging Swallowing Screen (GUSS) test, self-rated swallowing ability with the 4QT and the Swedish Eating Assessment Tool-10 (S-EAT-10) and risk of malnutrition with the Minimal Eating Observation and Nutrition Form-Version 2 (MEONF-II). Eleven participants (31.4%) exhibited dysphagia according to the GUSS and 10 participants (29.4%) showed moderate or high risk of malnutrition. In total 16 (46%) participants reported abnormal swallowing on 4QT and 14 (40%) participants reported abnormal swallowing on S-EAT-10. However, less than half of these had dysphagia according to the GUSS. No association was found between swallowing ability measured by the GUSS and risk of malnutrition, although a tendency towards a weak association was noted, or self-rated swallowing ability measured by the 4QT and S-EAT-10. The study found that approximately one-third of the tested participants presented with signs of dysphagia as measured with the screening instrument GUSS, even though only a few were known to have any difficulties prior to testing. This highlights that dysphagia is probably more prevalent than patients themselves and caregivers are aware of, thus, screening is of importance, to enable safer nutritional intake.
Improving the operational forecasts of outdoor Universal Thermal Climate Index with post-processing
Authors: Kuzmanović Danijela , Banko Jana , Skok Gregor
Published: March 2024

The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is a thermal comfort index that describes how the human body experiences ambient conditions. It has units of temperature and considers physiological aspects of the human body. It takes into account the effect of air temperature, humidity, wind, radiation, and clothes. It is increasingly used in many countries as a measure of thermal comfort for outdoor conditions, and its value is calculated as part of the operational meteorological forecast. At the same time, forecasts of outdoor UTCI tend to have a relatively large error caused by the error of meteorological forecasts. In Slovenia, there is a relatively dense network of meteorological stations. Crucially, at these stations, global solar radiation measurements are performed continuously, which makes estimating the actual value of the UTCI more accurate compared to the situation where no radiation measurements are available. We used seven years of measurements in hourly resolution from 42 stations to first verify the operational UTCI forecast for the first forecast day and, secondly, to try to improve the forecast via post-processing. We used two machine-learning methods, linear regression, and neural networks. Both methods have successfully reduced the error in the operational UTCI forecasts. Both methods reduced the daily mean error from about 2.6$$^{\circ }$$

∘

C to almost zero, while the daily mean absolute error decreased from 5$$^{\circ }$$

∘

C to 3$$^{\circ }$$

∘

C for the neural network and 3.5$$^{\circ }$$

∘

C for linear regression. Both methods, especially the neural network, also substantially reduced the dependence of the error on the time of the day.
Prevalence and assessment tools of cancer-related cognitive impairment in lung cancer survivors: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis
Authors: Ho Mu-Hsing , So Tsz Wei , Fan Chun Lun , Chung Yiu Tak , Lin Chia-Chin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a significant risk factor influencing the quality of life in lung cancer survivors. No absolute assessment tool has been confirmed to assess CRCI in lung cancer survivors. This review was undertaken to pool the overall prevalence of CRCI and to summarize the assessment tools in assessing CRCI among lung cancer survivors.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and CNKI were searched to retrieve articles reported CRCI prevalence. Summary prevalence estimates were pooled using a random effects model, along with corresponding 95% prediction intervals (PIs). The Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation of proportions was incorporated in the analysis. Additionally, subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and leave-one-out analysis were performed.

Results

A total of 12 studies, involving 1934 survivors, were included in the review. All of these studies were found to have a low risk of bias in terms of their methodological quality. Four studies (33.3%) utilized the International Cognition and Cancer Task Force (ICCTF) criteria to identify CRCI through neuropsychological tests. The pooled prevalence rate of CRCI was found to be 26% (95% PI, 16–37%), I2 = 95.97%. The region in which the studies were conducted was identified as a significant factor contributing to this heterogeneity (p = 0.013). No indication of small-study effects was found (Egger’s test: p = 0.9191).

Conclusion

This review provides an overview of CRCI prevalence and assessment tools in lung cancer survivors. The findings can serve as epidemiological evidence to enhance clinicians’ and researchers’ understanding of early detection and assessment.
Radiative Neutron Capture Rate of $$^{11}$$B$$(n,\gamma )^{12}$$B Reaction from the Coulomb Dissociation of $$^{12}$$B
Authors: Shubhchintak  , Singh G. , Chatterjee R. , Dan M.
Published: March 2024

We calculate the $$^{11}$$

11

B$$(n,\gamma )^{12}$$

(
n
,
γ
)

12

B reaction rate which is an important constituent in nucleosynthesis networks and is contributed by resonant as well as non-resonant capture. For the resonant rate, we use the narrow resonance approximation whereas the non-resonant contribution is calculated with the Coulomb dissociation method for which we use finite-range distorted wave Born approximation theory. We then compare our calculated rate of $$^{11}$$

11

B$$(n,\gamma )^{12}$$

(
n
,
γ
)

12

B reaction with those reported earlier and with other charged particle reactions on $$^{11}$$

11

B.
Generation time-out grows up: young adults’ reports about childhood time-out use and their mental health, attachment, and emotion regulation
Authors: Xu Jingyi , Tully Lucy A. , Dadds Mark R.
Published: March 2024

Time-out (TO) is a widely utilised parental discipline technique with a strong evidence-base that nonetheless has attracted controversy regarding potential adverse effects on mental health in developing children. Associations between TO implementation and mental health outcomes have rarely been investigated, especially through the eyes of children who grew up experiencing TO. This study recruited 407 university students (Study 1) and a community sample of 535 young adults (Study 2); both samples aged 18–30 years. Young adults were surveyed on their retrospective reports of childhood TO experience, childhood experiences of adversity, perceived parenting style and parental attachment, and their current mental health outcomes (attachment style, emotion regulation and mental health). In Study 1, 334 (82.1%) young adults reported experiencing TO in childhood, but with widely varied implementation that differed considerably from its evidence-based ideal. Reports of more TO appropriate implementation were associated with less avoidant attachment, better mental health, and emotion regulation, over and above the effects associated with authoritative parenting and secure attachment in childhood. While exposure to childhood adversity was associated with poorer adulthood outcomes, TO implementation did not moderate the association. Study 2 replicated most findings from Study 1, except that appropriate TO implementation displayed a positive association with mental health and no associations with anxious and avoidant attachment and emotion regulation. These findings suggest the safety of TO use with young children, including those who experienced childhood adversity, and highlight the importance of disseminating sufficient parenting information on TO in the community.
An unsupervised automatic organization method for Professor Shirakawa’s hand-notated documents of oracle bone inscriptions
Authors: Yue Xuebin , Wang Ziming , Ishibashi Ryuto , Kaneko Hayata , Meng Lin
Published: March 2024

As one of the most influential Chinese cultural researchers in the second half of the twentieth-century, Professor Shirakawa is active in the research field of ancient Chinese characters. He has left behind many valuable research documents, especially his hand-notated oracle bone inscriptions (OBIs) documents. OBIs are one of the world’s oldest characters and were used in the Shang Dynasty about 3600 years ago for divination and recording events. The organization of OBIs is not only helpful in better understanding Prof. Shirakawa’s research and further study of OBIs in general and their importance in ancient Chinese history. This paper proposes an unsupervised automatic organization method to organize Prof. Shirakawa’s OBIs and construct a handwritten OBIs data set for neural network learning. First, a suite of noise reduction is proposed to remove strangely shaped noise to reduce the data loss of OBIs. Secondly, a novel segmentation method based on the supervised classification of OBIs regions is proposed to reduce adverse effects between characters for more accurate OBIs segmentation. Thirdly, a unique unsupervised clustering method is proposed to classify the segmented characters. Finally, all the same characters in the hand-notated OBIs documents are organized together. The evaluation results show that noise reduction has been proposed to remove noises with an accuracy of 97.85%, which contains number information and closed-loop-like edges in the dataset. In addition, the accuracy of supervised classification of OBIs regions based on our model achieves 85.50%, which is higher than eight state-of-the-art deep learning models, and a particular preprocessing method we proposed improves the classification accuracy by nearly 11.50%. The accuracy of OBIs clustering based on supervised classification achieves 74.91%. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed unsupervised automatic organization of Prof. Shirakawa’s hand-notated OBIs documents. The code and datasets are available at http://www.ihpc.se.ritsumei.ac.jp/obidataset.html.
Quantifying robustness: 3D tree point cloud skeletonization with smart-tree in noisy domains
Authors: Dobbs Harry , Batchelor Oliver , Peat Casey , Atlas James , Green Richard
Published: March 2024

Extracting tree skeletons from 3D tree point clouds is challenged by noise and incomplete data. While our prior work (Dobbs et al., in: Iberian conference on pattern recognition and image analysis, Springer, Berlin, pp. 351–362, 2023) introduced a deep learning approach for approximating tree branch medial axes, its robustness against various types of noise has not been thoroughly evaluated. This paper addresses this gap. Specifically, we simulate real-world noise challenges by introducing 3D Perlin noise (to represent subtractive noise) and Gaussian noise (to mimic additive noise). To facilitate this evaluation, we introduce a new synthetic tree point cloud dataset, available at https://github.com/uc-vision/synthetic-trees-II. Our results indicate that our deep learning-based skeletonization method is tolerant to both additive and subtractive noise.
Prediction of mangrove recovery in natural protected areas of the Yucatan Peninsula
Authors: Osorio-Olvera Laura , Rioja-Nieto Rodolfo , Guerra-Martínez Francisco
Published: March 2024

Natural protected areas (NPAs) in the Yucatan Peninsula favour the conservation of mangrove forests, which are valuable ecosystems for their provision of ecosystem services. However, mangroves are vulnerable to destruction due to natural and anthropogenic pressures. Therefore, it is important to assess their spatial and temporal dynamics and the potential for deforestation and recovery of cover. In this study, we analyse and model mangrove forest cover change in six NPAs of the Yucatan Peninsula by 2025. Predictions were made using the cellular automata method (CA-Markov) based on attributes that drive rates of change (obtained Kappa coefficients between 0.78 and 0.91). Anthropogenic development was the most dominant potential driver of land use and land cover change in all NPAs except the Flora and Fauna Protection Area-Yum Balam. During the period 2005–2015, the Biosphere Reserves-Petenes and Celestún showed the greatest mangrove loss, followed by the Flora and Fauna Protection Area-Nichupté. These processes changed for the simulated period (2015–2025), where an increase in mangrove cover is projected in these protected areas. Flora and Fauna Protection Area-Términos is the only protected area where a projected transition of mangroves to anthropogenic development has been identified. Therefore, it should be considered an area vulnerable to mangrove transformation and loss.
Fostering computational thinking through digital storytelling: a distinctive approach to promoting computational thinking skills of pre-service teachers
Authors: Haşlaman Tülin , Mumcu Filiz Kuşkaya , Uslu Nilüfer Atman
Published: March 2024

The present study illustrates digital storytelling (DS) as an open-ended learning environment, which is one of the ways of preparing pre-service teachers (PST) to practice computational thinking (CT) in their future teaching. An 8-week teacher training program was organized and presented. The study aims to investigate the program’s impact on the PST's CT skills, CT-integrated DS design skills, and their perspectives. A study group of fifty-two second-year PSTs took part in the Instructional Technologies course. An embedded mixed-method design was used. The CT scale was used as a pre-test and post-test to examine the development of the PST’s CT skills for quantitative data collection. The qualitative data comprise the CT-integrated DS projects developed by the PST during the training and the reflection reports they wrote at the end of the training. The paired samples t-test was used in the analysis of quantitative data. The DS projects were evaluated using the rubrics with the story/storyboard, DS, and CT skills dimensions. Reflection reports were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed a significant improvement in the PST’s CT skills after the training program. The qualitative findings show the PST’s perspectives on CT definitions, the perceived benefits of CT and DS, and the use of DS to promote CT. The qualitative findings also present evidence for the CT-integrated DS design skills of the PST. Therefore, the study presents early findings showing that CT components could be integrated with DS and used in teacher education effectively without any pressure to use programming tools. The study also shows how DS is gradually integrated with the CT components as a suggestion for future studies.
Projector deep feature extraction-based garbage image classification model using underwater images
Authors: Demir Kubra , Yaman Orhan
Published: March 2024

Marine and ocean pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world. Marine plastics pose a significant threat to the marine ecosystem due to their negative effects. After passing through various processes, plastic waste accumulates on the seafloor and fragments into very small pieces known as microplastics. These microplastics are to blame for the extinction and death of aquatic life. This study obtained a hybrid underwater dataset containing 13,089 images, sized 300 × 300, including garbage and sea animals. In the proposed method, this dataset is used to develop our example projector deep feature generator. In this study, using the Resnet101 network in a sample projector build, the feature generator creates 6,000 features. Using NCA (Neighborhood Component Analysis), the best 1000 features from a pool of 6,000 are selected. The kNN (k-nearest neighbor) algorithm is then used to classify the resulting feature vectors. As validation techniques, both tenfold cross-validations were used. The hybrid dataset's best accuracy was calculated to be 99.35%. Our recommendation is successful based on the comparisons and calculated performance measures.
The Effect of Thermal Residual Stress on the Stress State in a Short-Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic
Authors: Wismans M. , van Breemen L. C. A. , Govaert L. E. , Engels T. A. P.
Published: March 2024

Upon their cooling and solidification, significant thermal residual stresses can develop in short-fiber reinforced thermoplastics due to the mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion between fiber and matrix. In this study we set out to investigate this effect numerically. The build-up of thermal residual stresses is modeled by expanding a well-established constitutive model, the Eindhoven glassy polymer (EGP) model, with thermal expansion. The experimentally measured thermal residual stresses can be described using an effective glass-transition temperature and a constant coefficient of thermal expansion without the need for complex equilibrium kinetics associated with the glass transition itself. Subsequently, the influence of thermal residual stress on the deformation behavior for a short-fiber reinforced thermoplastic is studied employing multi-fiber representative volume elements (RVEs) for different fiber-weight fractions. The micromechanical models are evaluated on the importance of thermal residual stresses on the local and nominal stress state. From these analyses it can be concluded that the thermal residual stresses should be accounted for when assessing the quantitative local stress state and are therefore essential when local mechanisms are studied. In contrast, thermal residual stresses are not required to capture the nominal transient stress–strain response.
A Review of Shared Decision-Making, Published Protocols, and Post-desensitization Strategies in Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)
Authors: Laubach Susan , Kim Edwin H. , Greenhawt Matthew , Bailey Sally , Anagnostou Aikaterini
Published: March 2024

Purpose of Review

The aim of this review is to highlight key published oral immunotherapy (OIT) protocols and post-desensitization strategies for the major food allergens and to cover important concepts to consider when evaluating OIT for food-allergic patients. Shared decision-making should help identify patient and family values which will help influence the type of evidence-based protocol and maintenance strategy to use.

Recent Findings

With food OIT emerging as a treatment option, there is a pressing need for patients, physicians, and other providers to have a nuanced understanding of the management choices available to them. There are now randomized controlled trials (RCT) of OIT for peanut, egg, milk, and wheat, and reports of cohorts of patients who have undergone OIT for tree nuts and sesame clinically. The current published protocols contain significant diversity in terms of starting dose, build-up schedule, maintenance dose, and even the product used for desensitization. Emerging data can help direct the long-term maintenance strategy for patients on OIT.

Based on patient and family values elicited through the shared decision-making process, an OIT protocol may be selected that balances the level of desensitization, potential side effects, frequency of clinic visits, and potential to induce sustained unresponsiveness, among other factors. Once maintenance dosing is reached, most patients will need to maintain regular exposure to the food allergen to remain desensitized. The option to transition to commercial food products with equivalent amounts of food protein as the OIT maintenance dose would simplify the dosing process and perhaps improve palatability as well. Less frequent or decreased OIT dosing can provide practical benefits but may affect the level of desensitization and safety for some patients.