bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Getting to a Whole School Approach: Lessons From School Effectiveness and School Improvement in ESD Research
Authors: Verhelst Dries , Mogren Anna , Boeve-de Pauw Jelle , Van Petegem Peter
Published: June 2024

This chapter highlights the challenges faced by schools in implementing a whole school approach (WSA) for education for sustainable development (ESD) and suggests a potential reason for these challenges. While much of the current ESD research has focused on curricula and pedagogy, the chapter argues that an effective organizational context is crucial for implementing any school-wide approach. However, the factors that shape such an enabling context have largely remained unexplored in ESD research. The chapter suggests that SE and SI research can provide valuable insights into how the organizational characteristics of a school can facilitate the implementation and outcomes of ESD. By combining both perspectives, the chapter aims to foster a better understanding of how an effective WSA for ESD can be conceptualized and implemented.
How can a Whole School Approach to Sustainability be Inclusive to All Learners?
Authors: Rončević Katarina , Rieckmann Marco
Published: June 2024

The pedagogical concepts “Education for Sustainable Development” (ESD) and “Inclusive Education” have hitherto been discussed and promoted separately from each other. Embedding ESD effectively for all learners within formal education goes way beyond the classroom. A whole school approach (WSA) can thus assist with mainstreaming ESD inclusively in school education and beyond. However, although a WSA, in principle, should benefit all learners, it will take extra effort to do so in practice as in many schools today certain groups of students are willingly or unwillingly marginalized or even left out altogether. This contribution zooms in on the challenge of inclusion within a WSA which requires revealing the exclusion mechanisms that often are at work in schools, on the one hand, and identifying suitable pedagogical approaches that support more inclusive education, on the other. To this end, 11 experts with different backgrounds and perspectives in relation to inclusive education were interviewed. This chapter illustrates how WSAs can be designed to include all learners.
Introduction: Causation in Social-Ecological Systems
Authors: Johansson Lars-Göran , Banitz Thomas , Grimm Volker , Hertz Tilman , Lindkvist Emilie , Martínez Peña Rodrigo , Radosavljevic Sonja , Ylikoski Petri , Schlüter Maja
Published: June 2024

In this chapter we start the discussion about causal idiom by giving excerpts from three papers, each discussing the dynamics of a social-ecological system. There is plenty of talk about causes in these papers, but, interestingly, the authors talk about causes and effects without much reflection on the criteria for something being a cause of something else, nor about the required evidence for such claims.
Causal Talk Is Fundamental
Authors: Johansson Lars-Göran , Banitz Thomas , Grimm Volker , Hertz Tilman , Lindkvist Emilie , Martínez Peña Rodrigo , Radosavljevic Sonja , Ylikoski Petri , Schlüter Maja
Published: June 2024

The terms ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ are very common in both ordinary and scientific discourse. Since they have a number of synonyms (or near synonyms), there is no point in trying to define ‘cause’ or ‘effect’ using any of these synonyms; ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ belong to the most fundamental level of language learnt in childhood. The way to give their meaning is to display a number of contexts in which causal expressions are used without any justification. The chapter ends with a presentation and discussion of Hume’s criteria for the use of the term ‘cause’. The main points are:

Causal expressions belong to our most basic vocabulary, learnt at an early age.

Many causal expressions from ordinary language are used in scientific texts without being explicitly defined.

It is not possible to define ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ in any more primitive vocabulary.

What we can do is to describe some necessary conditions for the correct use of ‘cause’ and ‘effect’.
Causation, Counterfactual Dependence and Potential Outcomes
Authors: Johansson Lars-Göran , Banitz Thomas , Grimm Volker , Hertz Tilman , Lindkvist Emilie , Martínez Peña Rodrigo , Radosavljevic Sonja , Ylikoski Petri , Schlüter Maja
Published: June 2024

When talking about causes we often think of an imagined contrast to the real sequence of events: we use a counterfactual, asking what would have happened if the cause had not occurred. But one might be doubtful about the explanatory force of this analysis. The basic problem is that the truth or falsity of a counterfactual statement cannot be determined by empirical means. In some cases, notably in physics, we can apply a strict law when justifying claims about alternative scenarios. In most cases, however, we have at best regularities and in such cases it is difficult to have any confidence in the corresponding counterfactual. An account of causation in terms of the more restricted concept of potential outcomes is much more useful. It is closer to empirical practice and is more reliable. The main points are:

It is common to explain the meaning of A caused B’ as ‘If A had not occurred, then B would not have occurred.’

This is no step forward, since we do not in general know whether the counterfactual is true.

Rubin’s more restricted notion of potential outcome is to be preferred, since it can be applied to empirical research.
Causal Relations and Causal Relata in Science
Authors: Johansson Lars-Göran , Banitz Thomas , Grimm Volker , Hertz Tilman , Lindkvist Emilie , Martínez Peña Rodrigo , Radosavljevic Sonja , Ylikoski Petri , Schlüter Maja
Published: June 2024

There is no such class of things as causes. The terms ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ are relational terms, in other words, our concern is the causal relation ‘x causes y’. This relation is applied to pairs of singular events and states of affairs, to pairs of types of events/and states of affairs and to pairs of variables. In science we are mostly interested in generalities, so the focus is usually how to infer causal relations between types of events/states of affairs and between variables.

The main points in this chapter are:

Both singular and general events/states of affairs can be related as cause and effect.

Expressions for laws, equations, correlations and conditional probabilities do not by themselves state any causal relations. A causal interpretation of these requires information not contained in that law, equation, correlation or probability statement.

Without background information it is impossible to infer a causal relation about a singular case, no matter whether the data are quantitative or qualitative.

Most events have many causes, and such situations can be analysed in terms of INUS-conditions.
N3LO soft-gluon corrections in single-particle-inclusive kinematics and H+H− production
Authors: Kidonakis Nikolaos , Tonero Alberto
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We calculate the complete soft-gluon corrections for the production of colorless final states through N3LO in single-particle-inclusive kinematics. We present explicit analytical results and use them to study higher-order QCD corrections for the production of a heavy charged Higgs pair (H+H−) via quark-antiquark annihilation in the Two-Higgs-Doublet Model at LHC energies. We calculate the NNLO soft-gluon and virtual QCD corrections as well as the N3LO soft-gluon corrections to the total cross section and the charged-Higgs rapidity distribution. This is the first calculation of complete N3LO soft-gluon corrections for a process in single-particle-inclusive kinematics, and the results can be applied to other processes with colorless final states.
Baryonic vortex phase and magnetic field generation in QCD with isospin and baryon chemical potentials
Authors: Qiu Zebin , Nitta Muneto
Published: June 2024

Abstract

We propose a novel baryonic vortex phase in low energy dense QCD with finite baryon and isospin chemical potentials. It is known that the homogeneous charged pion condensate emerges as a ground state at finite isospin chemical potential, and therein arises the Abrikosov vortex lattice with an applied magnetic field. We first demonstrate that a vortex with the same quantized magnetic flux as the conventional Abrikosov vortex, carries a baryon number captured by the third homotopy group of Skyrmions, once we take into account a modulation of the neutral pion inside the vortex core. Such a vortex-Skyrmion state is therefore dubbed the baryonic vortex. We further reveal that when the baryon chemical potential is above a critical value, the baryonic vortex has negative tension measured from the charged pion condensation. It implies that the phase, in which such vortices emerge spontaneously without an external magnetic field, would take over the ground state at high baryon density. Such a new phase contributes to the comprehension of QCD phase diagram and relates to the generation of magnetic fields inside neutron stars.
Worldline approach for spinor fields in manifolds with boundaries
Authors: Manzo Lucas
Published: June 2024

Abstract

The worldline formalism is a useful scheme in Quantum Field Theory which has also become a powerful tool for numerical computations. It is based on the first quantisation of a point-particle whose transition amplitudes correspond to the heat-kernel of the operator of quantum fluctuations of the field theory. However, to study a quantum field theory in a bounded manifold one needs to restrict the path integration domain of the point-particle to a specific subset of worldlines enclosed by those boundaries. In the present article it is shown how to implement this restriction for the case of a spinor field in a two-dimensional curved half-plane under MIT bag boundary conditions, and compute the first few heat-kernel coefficients as a verification of the proposed construction. This construction admits several generalisations.
Well-posedness of a bulk-surface convective Cahn–Hilliard system with dynamic boundary conditions
Authors: Knopf Patrik , Stange Jonas
Published: June 2024

We consider a general class of bulk-surface convective Cahn–Hilliard systems with dynamic boundary conditions. In contrast to classical Neumann boundary conditions, the dynamic boundary conditions of Cahn–Hilliard type allow for dynamic changes of the contact angle between the diffuse interface and the boundary, a convection-induced motion of the contact line as well as absorption of material by the boundary. The coupling conditions for bulk and surface quantities involve parameters$$K,L\in [0,\infty ]$$K,L∈[0,∞], whose choice declares whether these conditions are of Dirichlet, Robin or Neumann type. We first prove the existence of a weak solution to our model in the case$$K,L\in (0,\infty )$$K,L∈(0,∞)by means of a Faedo–Galerkin approach. For all other cases, the existence of a weak solution is then shown by means of the asymptotic limits, whereKandLare sent to zero or to infinity, respectively. Eventually, we establish higher regularity for the phase-fields, and we prove the uniqueness of weak solutions given that the mobility functions are constant.
Perspectives of Challenges in Counseling for Congenital Heart Defects
Authors: Woo Joyce L. , Gandhi Rupali , Burton Shelvonne , Sivakumar Adithya , Spiewak Sarah , Wakulski Renee , Grobman William A. , Davis Matthew M. , Patel Angira , Johnson Joyce T. , Samples Stefani , Yee Lynn M.
Published: June 2024

Prior work regarding counseling patients about congenital heart defects (CHD) has focused on their perceptions about accurate communication of cardiac anatomy, and the emotional support received from the provider. The objectives of this study were to identify the additional CHD counseling-specific challenges and areas for future intervention, using a practical communication framework. This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data provided by caretakers of infants who received congenital heart surgery from 2019 to 2020 in the Chicagoland area. While the survey in the primary study pertained to barriers in obtaining prenatal diagnosis, respondents with both prenatal and postnatal diagnosis reported challenges to effective counseling. Qualitative data measuring counseling challenges were collected from semi-structured phone interviews. Thematic analysis was performed using an inductive approach. Themes were organized into five domains using SPIKES (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathy, and Summarize/Strategy), a previously validated framework to help clinicians effectively break bad news. Among 160 survey respondents, 35 (21.9%) reported a challenge during CHD counseling that they received. In total, 12 challenges were identified and spanned all six SPIKES domains. The three most common challenges were as follows: perception of repeated imaging studies for accurate diagnosis or management (n = 19, Knowledge), the lack of cardiologist presence at the time of initial CHD detection (n = 8, Setting), and insufficient information provided about the CHD diagnosis (n = 7, Knowledge). Patients perceive counseling as a key component of prenatal diagnosis of CHD and identify the challenges that exist at all stages of the counseling process. These findings suggest that effective counseling extends beyond conveying information about anatomy and prognosis.
Impact of Subspecialty Pediatric Palliative Care on Children with Heart Disease; A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Ting James , Songer Kathryn , Bailey Valerie , Rotman Chloe , Lipsitz Stuart , Rosenberg Abby R. , Delgado-Corcoran Claudia , Moynihan Katie M.
Published: June 2024

While many experts in pediatric cardiology have emphasized the importance of palliative care involvement, very few studies have assessed the influence of specialty pediatric palliative care (SPPC) involvement for children with heart disease. We conducted a systematic review using keywords related to palliative care, quality of life and care-satisfaction, and heart disease. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL and Web of Science in December 2023. Screening, data extraction and methodology followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. Pairs of trained reviewers independently evaluated each article. All full texts excluded from the review were hand-screened for eligible references including systematic reviews in general pediatric populations. Two reviewers independently extracted: (1) study design; (2) methodology; (2) setting; (3) population; (4) intervention/exposure and control definition; (5) outcome measures; and (6) results. Of 4059 studies screened, 9 met inclusion criteria including two with overlapping patient data. Study designs were heterogenous, including only one randomized control and two historical control trials with SPPC as a prospective intervention. Overall, there was moderate to high risk of bias. Seven were single centers studies. In combined estimates, patients who received SPPC were more likely to have advance care planning documented (RR 2.7, [95%CI 1.6, 4.7], p < 0.001) and resuscitation limits (RR 4.0, [2.0, 8.1], p < 0.001), while half as likely to have active resuscitation at end-of-life ([0.3, 0.9], p = 0.032). For parental stress, receipt of SPPC improved scores by almost half a standard deviation (RR 0.48, 95%CI 0.10, 0.86) more than controls. Ultimately, we identified a paucity of high-quality data studying the influence of SPPC; however, findings correlate with literature in other pediatric populations. Findings suggest benefits of SPPC integration for patients with heart disease and their families.
Holocene vegetation and flora dynamics of the west Cork/Kerry region, south-western Ireland
Authors: O’Connell Michael , Overland Anette
Published: June 2024

Sediments from a small lake, Loch Beag, in Barrees, Beara peninsula, south-western Ireland, provide a record of vegetation history that spans most of the Lateglacial and Holocene (14–0.43 ka). The detailed part of the record relates to the Holocene, which is the focus of this paper. The investigations carried out include pollen and macrofossil analyses, loss-on-ignition measurements and 14C dating. As well as providing records for tree and shrub taxa, and especially Pinus, Quercus, Ulmus, Fraxinus and Taxus, other taxa mainly with Atlantic and/or Lusitanian distributions are also considered. These include Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) and fern species such as Osmunda regalis, and the filmy ferns Hymenophyllum tunbrigense, H. wilsonii and Trichomanes speciosum (Killarney fern). Detailed records for a suite of bog/heath taxa, including ericoid species (Erica tetralix and E. cinerea), Narthecium ossifragum, Hypericum elodes and Myrica gale, are presented. The results of 14C dating of bog-pines from western Ireland are summarised. Results of other investigations, including key Holocene pollen diagrams, and charcoal and fossil-wood records from archaeological excavations that relate mainly to the Bronze Age in the wider west Cork/Kerry region, are reviewed. Vegetation dynamics, human impact and plant biogeography are discussed in the light of the considerable data now available for the region.
Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis: a myriad of factors that influence phenotypic variability
Authors: Carvalho Estefânia , Dias Andreia , Coelho Teresa , Sousa Alda , Alves-Ferreira Miguel , Santos Mariana , Lemos Carolina
Published: June 2024

Hereditary transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTRv amyloidosis) is a rare and progressively debilitating disease characterized by the deposition of transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibrils in various organs and tissues, most commonly in the heart and peripheral nerves. This pathological deposition can lead to significant organ dysfunction and, ultimately, organ failure. ATTRv amyloidosis exhibits a broad range of clinical presentations, from purely neurological symptoms to purely cardiac manifestations, as well as mixed phenotypes which result from both neurological and cardiac implications. This wide phenotypical spectrum realistically challenges disease diagnosis and prognosis, especially in individuals without or with an unknown family history. Multiple factors are thought to contribute to this variability, including genetic, epigenetic, and even environmental influences. Understanding these factors is crucial, as they can significantly affect disease expression and progression. This review aims to summarize each of these contributing factors, to help elucidate the current knowledge on the phenotypical variability of ATTRv amyloidosis.
MEX3A promotes colorectal cancer migration, invasion and EMT via regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Xu Jiannan , Chen Songyao , Hao Tengfei , Liu Guangyao , Zhang Kai , Zhang Changhua , He Yulong
Published: June 2024

Background

Mex-3 RNA binding family members are well-established to be important in cancer development and progression. However, the functions of Mex-3 RNA binding family member A (MEX3A) in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis remain poorly understood. In this study, we aim to reveal the function and the mechanism of MEX3A in promoting CRC metastasis.

Methods

We used multiple databases including TCGA database, UALCAN, LinkedOmics, CancerSEA, GeneMANIA and STRING database to investigate the expression, the functions and underlying molecular mechanism of MEX3A in CRC. Multiple experimental methods were adapted to determine the study, including real-time PCR (qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot (WB), transfection, transwell migration and invasion assays, immunofluorescence (IF).

Results

We found that MEX3A was significantly upregulated and correlated to tumor stage and lymph nodal metastasis in CRC through bioinformatics analysis and tissue immunohistochemistry (IHC). The higher expression of MEX3A in CRC correlated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In vitro studies showed that knockdown of MEX3A suppressed EMT transition, invasion and metastasis of CRC cells. Mechanistically, we revealed that MEX3A promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion and metastasis of CRC cells by upregulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study reveals that MEX3A promotes CRC migration, invasion and EMT via regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and could be a novel therapeutic target for this patient population.
Identification of a novel MEF2C::SS18L1 fusion in childhood acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Chen Chuqin , Wang Jiali , Kang Meiyun , Wu Peng , Zhu Liwen , Fang Yongjun , Xue Yao
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Leukemia-associated fusion genes are closely related to the occurrence, development, diagnosis, and treatment of leukemia. DNA microarrays and second-generation sequencing have discovered multiple B-ALL fusion genes. We identified a novel MEF2C::SS18L1 fusion gene in a child diagnosed with B-ALL. This study investigates the oncogenicity and prognosis of this fusion gene in B-ALL.

Methods

A child with B-ALL who has a MEF2C::SS18L1 fusion is reported as a newly discovered case. Compared the breakpoints, structural domains, clinical phenotypes, and differential expression genes of MEF2C::SS18L1 and MEF2D::SS18.Using “ONCOFUSE” software, the carcinogenicity of MEF2C::SS18L1 is predicted. Using whole transcriptome sequencing, we analyze the breakpoints and the secondary structure of the fusion protein. Further, we compared the structures, differentially expressed genes, and clinical phenotypes of MEF2D and MEF2C fusion genes by DESeq, GO functional enrichment, and flow cytometry immunophenotyping analysis.

Results

Whole transcriptome sequencing identified a MEF2C::SS18L1 fusion transcript in a 3-year-old child with B-ALL. The MADS box, MEF structural domain, HJURP_C structural domain, and TAD I structural domain of MEF2C, and the QPGY structural domain of SS18L1, make up the fusion protein. “Oncofuse” found a 0.99 Bayesian probability that the fusion gene drives cancer. The breakpoint positions, fusion protein secondary structures, differentially expressed genes, and clinical characteristics of this patient were identical to those with MEF2D::SS18 fusion gene.

Conclusion

We identified a novel MEF2C::SS18L1 fusion gene in childhood ALL, which shares similar structural and clinical characteristics with MEF2D::SS18. Further studies with more samples should be conducted in future.
Comparison of leak fraction between the laryngeal mask airway and endotracheal tube during anesthesia: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Azuma Seiichi , Asamoto Masaaki , Akabane Shinichi , Ezaka Mariko , Otsuji Mikiya , Uchida Kanji
Published: June 2024

The use of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA), which offers the benefits of ease in insertion and prevention of tracheal damage, is associated with a risk of flow leakage. This study analyzed our extensive database to compare leakage associated with the use of LMA and endotracheal tube (ETT). Adult patients who underwent chest wall, abdominal wall, inguinal region, limb, transurethral, or transvaginal surgery and received either LMA or ETT between January 2007 and March 2020 were included. The leak fraction was calculated as (inspiratory tidal volume−expiratory tidal volume)/(inspiratory tidal volume) × 100% every minute during intraoperative stable positive pressure ventilation. The median leak fraction was calculated for each case. The leak fraction in the LMA group demonstrated a left-skewed distribution with a larger proportion of excessive leak fraction. The leak fraction in the LMA group (median, 7.9%; interquartile range, 4.8–11.4%) was significantly lower than that in the ETT group (median, 9.1%; interquartile range: 5.5–12.4%; P < 0.001). This tendency was consistent across subgroups divided by sex, age, type of surgery, and ventilation mode. We propose that LMA provides leakage comparable to or less than ETT in most cases if stable positive pressure ventilation is achieved.
Reconstruction of the initial condition in parabolic equations with Log-Lipschitz coefficients
Authors: Del Santo Daniele , Prizzi Martino
Published: June 2024

We consider a parabolic equation whose coefficients are Log-Lipschitz continuous in t and Lipschitz continuous in x. Combining a recent conditional stability result with a well posed variational problem, we reconstruct the initial condition of an unknown solution from a rough measurement at the final time.
Spatial examination of social and environmental drivers of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) across Kenya
Authors: Lawrence Ted J. , Kangogo Geoffrey K. , Fredman Avery , Deem Sharon L. , Fèvre Eric M. , Gluecks Ilona , Brien James D. , Shacham Enbal
Published: June 2024

Climate and agricultural land-use change has increased the likelihood of infectious disease emergence and transmissions, but these drivers are often examined separately as combined effects are ignored. Further, seldom are the influence of climate and agricultural land use on emerging infectious diseases examined in a spatially explicit way at regional scales. Our objective in this study was to spatially examine the climate, agriculture, and socio-demographic factors related to agro-pastoralism, and especially the combined effects of these variables that can influence the prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in dromedary camels across northern Kenya. Our research questions focused on: (1) How MERS-CoV in dromedary camels has varied across geographic regions of northern Kenya, and (2) what climate, agriculture, and socio-demographic factors of agro-pastoralism were spatially related to the geographic variation of MERS-CoV cases in dromedary camels. To answer our questions, we analyzed the spatial distribution of historical cases based on serological evidence of MERS-CoV at the county level and applied spatial statistical analysis to examine the spatial relationships of the MERS-CoV cases between 2016 and 2018 to climate, agriculture, and socio-demographic factors of agro-pastoralism. Regional differences in MERS-CoV cases were spatially correlated with both social and environmental factors, and particularly ethno-religious camel practices, which highlight the complexity in the distribution of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels across Kenya.
The Impact of Childhood Adversity on Life Course Alcohol Use Patterns and Health Status Among People Living with HIV
Authors: Gasik Rayna E. , Madkour Aubrey Spriggs , Skeen Simone J. , Clum Gretchen , Francis Tishawn , Felker-Kantor Erica , Ferguson Tekeda , Welsh David A. , Molina Patricia E. , Theall Katherine P.
Published: June 2024

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and financial hardship are associated with increased likelihood of heavier alcohol use and health challenges in adulthood among persons living with HIV (PWH). We examined whether retrospectively captured lifetime drinking trajectories are a pathway through which childhood hardships affect current health in a sample of 365 adult PWH. Childhood economic hardship and ACEs were used as main predictors. Measures of alcohol use included age at first drink and lifetime drinking trajectories. Health indicators included health-related quality of life, frailty, number of comorbidities, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to estimate both direct and indirect pathways between childhood hardship and physical and mental health. Participants were mostly male; Black (84%); and averaged 48 years of age. SEM results supported both direct and indirect pathways between childhood experiences and adult health. ACEs were connected to physical health directly and mental health both directly and indirectly through age at first drink and drinking heaviness during ages 10–20. Childhood economic hardship related to mental health indirectly through higher drinking levels during ages 10–20. Childhood adverse experiences, economic hardship, and early drinking patterns appear to accumulate, resulting in later life physical and mental health concerns for PWH. Findings support taking a life course approach to health. This includes considering individual trauma histories in HIV care engagement and taking preventative approaches which support the economic and social well-being of vulnerable children to improve health in subsequent decades.
A comprehensive study to learn the impact of augmented reality and haptic interaction in ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy training and education
Authors: Mangalote Iffa Afsa Changaai , Aboumarzouk Omar , Al-Ansari Abdulla A. , Dakua Sarada Prasad
Published: June 2024

Simulation based training methods are gaining popularity as they could provide a platform for practitioners to gain hands-on experience without causing ethical issues. By combining augmented reality (AR) and haptics, a training method for percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) could be developed providing realistic scenarios, and real-time visualization of the human anatomy and needle. Additionally, it could also provide real-time feedback to the practitioner. In this review, we describe the conventional PLB procedure, then discuss AR technology and its application in the field of medicine for image-guided therapies, especially, hepatic biopsy. Next, we summarize the associated devices, models and methods illustrating a few haptic simulators devised for training and gesture assessment. Lastly, we present a few potential approaches to integrate AR and haptic interaction to develop a PLB training simulator by accounting the existing challenges.
Strategic data navigation: information value-based sample selection
Authors: Balogh Csanád L. , Pelenczei Bálint , Kővári Bálint , Bécsi Tamás
Published: June 2024

Artificial Intelligence represents a rapidly expanding domain, with several industrial applications demonstrating its superiority over traditional techniques. Despite numerous advancements within the subfield of Machine Learning, it encounters persistent challenges, highlighting the importance of ongoing research efforts. Among its primary branches, this study delves into two categories, being Supervised and Reinforcement Learning, particularly addressing the common issue of data selection for training. The inherent variability in informational content among data points is apparent, wherein certain samples offer more valuable information to the neural network than others. However, evaluating the significance of various data points remains a non-trivial task, generating the need for a robust method to effectively prioritize samples. Drawing inspiration from Reinforcement Learning principles, this paper introduces a novel sample prioritization approach, applied to Supervised Learning scenarios, aimed at enhancing classification accuracy through strategic data navigation, while exploring the boundary between Reinforcement and Supervised Learning techniques. We provide a comprehensive description of our methodology while revealing the identification of an optimal prioritization balance and demonstrating its beneficial impact on model performance. Although classification accuracy serves as the primary validation metric, the concept of information density-based prioritization encompasses wider applicability. Additionally, the paper investigates parallels and distinctions between Reinforcement and Supervised Learning methods, declaring that the foundational principle is equally relevant, hence completely adaptable to Supervised Learning with appropriate adjustments due to different learning frameworks. The project page and source code are available at: https://csanadlb.github.io/sl_prioritized_sampling/.
Internalizations of Decorated Bicategories via $$\pi _2$$-Indexings
Authors: Orendain Juan , Maldonado-Herrera José Rubén
Published: June 2024

We treat the problem of lifting bicategories into double categories through categories of vertical morphisms. We consider structures on decorated 2-categories allowing us to formally implement arguments of sliding certain squares along vertical subdivisions in double categories. We call these structures $$\pi _2$$

π
2

-indexings. We present a construction associating, to every $$\pi _2$$

π
2

-indexing on a decorated 2-category, a length 1 double internalization.
Randomnet: clustering time series using untrained deep neural networks
Authors: Li Xiaosheng , Xi Wenjie , Lin Jessica
Published: June 2024

Neural networks are widely used in machine learning and data mining. Typically, these networks need to be trained, implying the adjustment of weights (parameters) within the network based on the input data. In this work, we propose a novel approach, RandomNet, that employs untrained deep neural networks to cluster time series. RandomNet uses different sets of random weights to extract diverse representations of time series and then ensembles the clustering relationships derived from these different representations to build the final clustering results. By extracting diverse representations, our model can effectively handle time series with different characteristics. Since all parameters are randomly generated, no training is required during the process. We provide a theoretical analysis of the effectiveness of the method. To validate its performance, we conduct extensive experiments on all of the 128 datasets in the well-known UCR time series archive and perform statistical analysis of the results. These datasets have different sizes, sequence lengths, and they are from diverse fields. The experimental results show that the proposed method is competitive compared with existing state-of-the-art methods.
The FreiBurger: a new optotype for P300-based acuity estimation
Authors: Duval Céline Z. , Kaczan Saskia B. , Heinrich Sven P.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Accurate objective assessment of visual acuity is crucial, particularly in cases of suspected malingering, or when the patient’s inability to cooperate makes standard psychophysical acuity tests unreliable. The P300 component of the event-related potentials offers a potential solution and even allows for the use of standard optotypes like the Landolt C. However, low-vision patients with large eccentric visual field defects often struggle to locate the Landolt C gap quickly enough for a P300 to be reliably produced.

Methods

Addressing this challenge, we introduce a novel optotype (the “FreiBurger”) with a critical detail that extends through the optotype’s center. Two experiments, with 16 and 12 participants, respectively, were conducted. In the first, psychophysical acuity estimates were obtained with both the FreiBurger and the Landolt C. In the second, we tested the performance of the FreiBurger, relative to the Landolt C, in eliciting a P300 with undegraded vision, simulated low vision, and in a simulated combination of low vision and visual field constriction.

Results

Comparable psychophysical acuity values (average difference 0.03 logMAR) were obtained for both optotypes. In the P300 recordings, both optotypes produced similar P300 responses under conditions of undegraded vision and low vision. However, with the combination of low vision and constricted visual field, the P300 could only be reliably obtained with the FreiBurger, while the amplitude was drastically reduced with the Landolt C (9.1 µV vs. 2.2 µV; p < 0.0005).

Conclusion

The new optotype extends the applicability of P300-based acuity estimation to the frequently encountered combination of low vision and constricted visual field, where Landolt C optotypes fail. Although impairments were simulated in the present study, we assume that the advantages of the new optotype will also manifest in patients with such impairments. We furthermore expect the advantages to apply to time-sensitive psychophysical examinations as well.
Putting the flesh on the bones: using a fishbone digital learning design method to align educational objectives
Authors: Li Na , Huijser Henk , Zhang Shujuan , Zhang Tao , Zhang Xiaojun
Published: June 2024

Learning design has become increasingly important in the context of expanding and dynamic digital learning environments. More traditional teaching approaches are no longer sufficient to engage learners in these changing learning environments. Teachers and aspiring learning designers therefore increasingly need learning design expertise, which takes time to develop. This paper responds to this challenge by outlining a fishbone digital learning design method, which is aligned with updated versions of Bloom’s taxonomy for the digital world, as a scaffolded approach to developing basic learning design expertise. The study integrates three practical tools into one learning design method to ensure constructive alignment. The findings contribute to digital educational development and teacher professional development by proposing a practical and easy to adapt learning design method.
Utilizing AHP and conjoint analysis in educational research: Characteristics of a good mathematical problem
Authors: Sahin Seda
Published: June 2024

AHP and Conjoint analysis methods are used to determine the priorities and preferences of groups or individuals in the decision-making process. These methods provide predictive results in many fields such as economics, politics, and environmental sciences. Multi-criteria decision-making methods have the potential to produce effective results in educational research where priorities and preferences, such as perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs, are in question. This study aims to determine the characteristics that teachers seek in a good mathematics problem and the features of problems they prefer in classroom practice, using AHP and Conjoint analysis. In this context, it is aimed to contribute to the literature in two areas. Firstly, to introduce AHP and Conjoint analysis, that are not yet widely used in educational research. Secondly, to examine the consistency between the characteristics sought in a good mathematics problem and the problems preferred in classroom practice. The study involved 35 mathematics teachers who were asked to provide data using pairwise comparison forms for AHP analysis and full profile cards for Conjoint analysis. The results indicate that there are differences between the priorities that teachers consider when defining a good problem and their problem preferences in classroom practice. According to AHP results, teachers determine the qualities of a good problem, functional features are ranked first, and physical features are ranked last. In contrast, when it comes to their problem preferences in classroom practice, solution-oriented features are ranked first, and physical features are ranked second through conjoint analysis results. This study demonstrates the applicability of AHP and conjoint analysis in educational research.
Improvements in learning addition and subtraction when using a structural approach in first grade
Authors: Kullberg Angelika , Björklund Camilla , Runesson Kempe Ulla , Brkovic Irma , Nord Maria , Maunula Tuula
Published: June 2024

Learning to calculate with natural numbers by structuring seems promising but how this can be taught in a sustainable manner remains an open question. An eight-month-long intervention based on the idea of using a structural approach to addition and subtraction, and particularly bridging through ten, was implemented in four Swedish first-grade classes. One goal was that by the end of first grade, students would be able to solve tasks such as subtracting 8 from 15 by using part-whole number relations. In this paper, we report on learning outcomes from task-based interviews with intervention and control groups before, immediately after, and one year after the intervention, in order to investigate long-term effects and whether students used a structural approach when solving tasks in a higher number range in the second grade. In comparison to controls, students in the intervention group showed higher increases in their learning outcomes. Moreover, the intervention group used a structural approach to a larger extent when solving tasks in higher number ranges, whereas students in the control group more commonly used single-unit counting to solve such tasks. These findings have implications both for teaching and for research on students’ development of arithmetic skills.
The Torsional Quartz-Crystal Viscometer
Authors: de Castro Carlos A. Nieto , Richardson Stephen M. , Wakeham William A.
Published: June 2024

The paper describes the theory and practice associated with the torsional quartz-crystal viscometer for the measurement of the viscosity of Newtonian Fluids. It is an instrument that has been less often used than its quality merits, but it has the distinct advantages, shared with the vibrating-wire device, that it involves no bulk motion of fluid or a solid and that all measurements can be electrical. The temperature range that can be covered by the instrument is from 2 to 650 K and pressures have reached as much as 100 MPa. The review summarizes the most recent theory of the instrument and carefully sets out all of the many conditions that have to be satisfied by design so that a practical instrument conforms to the theory. Most of the conditions are readily satisfied. Two working equations are presented that could be used to evaluate the viscosity using the frequency at resonance of the crystal and the bandwidth of that resonance when the crystal is immersed in the fluid and in vacuo. It is explained that at present only one of these equations should be used for the evaluation. Several configurations of instruments that have been employed for measurements over a wide range of conditions are briefly described as well as the corrections necessary to operate the instrument with the highest accuracy. The overall relative uncertainty attainable with the instrument ranges from 0.005 to 0.02 at a 95% confidence level, depending upon the fluid density.
Composite carbon electrode with a coating of nanostructured, reduced graphene oxide for water electrodialysis
Authors: Dybowski Konrad , Romaniak Grzegorz , Kula Piotr , Sobczyk-Guzenda Anna , Januszewicz Bartłomiej , Jędrzejczak Anna , Kaczmarek Łukasz , Burnat Barbara , Krzyczmonik Paweł , Kaźmierczak Tomasz , Siniarski Jan
Published: June 2024

Electrodialysis (ED) and electrodeionization (EDI) are the new methods that are being used in water desalination processes. Reliable, electrochemically stable and efficient electrodes are the crucial components of the ED/EDI electrodialysers. The article proposes a new material for electrodes in electromembrane desalination systems. Graphene composite electrodes were created by bonding carbon fibres with epoxy resin and then coated with a layer of nanostructured, reduced graphene oxide. The graphene electrode material underwent electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiostatic polarization techniques. FTIR and Raman spectroscopy were used to determine the material’s chemical structure. The change in the surface morphology and elemental composition of the electrodes after fabrication and exploitation of the composite was studied by SEM and EDS. The electrodes were used successfully in multi-electrode electrodialysis devices, resulting in a desalination rate of over 90%. The electrodes were proven to be functional and durable. It was also confirmed that the oxidation/reduction phenomena on the electrode surfaces were fully reversible after changing their polarization, which was used cyclically to clean the electrodialyser. The parameters obtained indicate that this material can also be successfully used in other electrode processes.

Graphical Abstract
Intercalation based synthesis of Chevrel phase superconductors
Authors: Gilmore Tessa , Rochester Jacob , Sumption Michael , Gouma Pelagia-Irene
Published: June 2024

This work focuses on the superconducting and magnetic properties of Chevrel phase (CP) compounds (Cu2Mo6S8 and Ni2Mo6S8) processed via a novel self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method involving ternary cation intercalation in MoS2 high-temperature polymorphs. Green pellets of the precursor materials sealed under vacuum and exposed to 1050 °C or 1200 °C rapidly transformed from a powder mixture into submicron CPs within minutes. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the presence of Cu2Mo6S8 CP (67%), and Ni2Mo6S8 (93%). This group has illustrated the first time CP were formed at low energy cost and full stoichiometry. Magnetization versus temperature data obtained for the samples under different field conditions confirmed the superconducting behavior of the Cu–CP at a critical temperature of 8.3 K. The Ni–CP behaved as a superparamagnetic at low temperature (4.2 K). The results of this work suggest that the novel SHS process offers a viable scalable synthesis route for the Chevrel family of compounds and that it is worth exploring the functional applications of the new compounds of this material system.
The effects of annealing temperature on the thickness, morphology, band gap energy, and photocatalytic performance of ZIF-8-derived ZnO/TiO2 thin films
Authors: İloğlu Onur , Yurtsever Hüsnü Arda
Published: June 2024

Multi-oxide photocatalytic materials derived from metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are attracting widespread attention in recent years. The heterostructure originating from oxide–oxide junctions and nonmetal doping due to the combustion of organics from MOFs provide desirable properties to the photocatalytic material. In this study, the effects of annealing temperature on the material properties and photocatalytic activity of ZIF-8-derived ZnO/TiO2 thin films were investigated. XRD, XPS, and FTIR analyses confirmed the oxidation of ZIF-8 to ZnO and SEM analysis revealed the formation of a porous structure at the annealing temperature of 500 °C. UV–Vis analysis indicated that the band gap energy decreased from 3.23 to 2.04 eV with increasing annealing temperature. Photocatalytic methylene blue degradation experiments showed that the thin film annealed at 500 °C had higher activity than the films annealed at lower temperatures. The thin film annealed at 500 °C had more than two times the dye degradation efficiency of the film annealed at 400 °C (72% and 33%, respectively). This film was also active in the photocatalytic degradation of caffeic acid which is a colorless pollutant. The high photocatalytic activity of the thin film annealed at higher temperature was attributed to its narrower band gap energy, higher porosity, and more efficient electron–hole separation, which are due to the presence of heterostructure, nonmetal doping, and deficient zones formed by the oxidation of imidazole rings.
Narrating Loneliness: Isolation, Disaffection, and the Contemporary Novel
Authors: Rotger Neus
Published: June 2024

This article focuses on the ways in which narrative accounts of loneliness in literature problematize current definitions of this important and yet underexplored determinant of health. I argue that the prevailing conceptualization of loneliness in health research, with a general emphasis on social prescribing, obscures other dimensions of loneliness beyond social connectedness that also need to be accounted for in its definition. Drawing on narrative approaches to health and care and taking as a case study Santiago Lorenzo’s Spanish novel Los asquerosos (2018), the article gestures toward a more political—rather than exclusively subjective and relational—reading of loneliness. It shows how the novel’s exploration of loneliness as an ambivalent experience of tranquility and disaffection questions whether there is any direct causation between loneliness and aloneness or social isolation, presenting loneliness not so much as a problem or a social pain in need of curing, but as a symptom of a larger structural crisis. The article also reflects on the ability of literary narratives to illuminate, discuss, and ultimately challenge the underlying dynamics of loneliness, raising questions about how we understand these narratives and the type of agency we attribute to them.