bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Assessment of Ethanol Production from Six Typical German Waste Baked Products
Authors: Almuhammad Mervat , Kölling Ralf , Einfalt Daniel
Published: January 2024

This study investigates the potential for bioethanol production of six types of typical German leftover baked products: bread rolls, pretzel rolls, fine rye bread, white bread, pastry, and cream cakes. The experimental setup consisted of two experiments—one as a control and another with the addition of diammonium phosphate (DAP) to the mash. In terms of monosaccharide concentration at 30% dry matter (DM), white bread mash exhibited the highest level at 251.5 g/L, while cream cakes mash had the lowest at 186 g/L. The highest ethanol production occurred after 96 h of fermentation with rye bread, yielding 78.4 g/L. In contrast, despite having the highest monosaccharide levels, white bread produced only 21.5 g/L of ethanol after 96 h. The addition of DAP accelerated monosaccharide consumption in all baked products, with cream cakes completing the process in just 24 h. Bread rolls, pretzel rolls, pastry, and white bread fermentations finished within 72 h. Ethanol yields significantly increased in three DAP samples, with pretzel rolls yielding the highest ethanol concentration at 98.5 g/L, followed by white bread with 90.6 g/L, and bread rolls with 87.7 g/L. DAP had a substantial impact on all samples, reducing fermentation time and/or increasing ethanol yield. This effect was particularly pronounced with white bread, where it improved conversion efficiency from 17 to 72%, resulting in 90.6 g/L of ethanol. These results demonstrate that waste baked products hold substantial potential for bioethanol production, and this potential can be further enhanced through the addition of DAP.

Graphical Abstract
Inside the Dutch Hells Angels: an empirical study into the club’s entry mechanisms
Authors: van Deuren Sjoukje , Roks Robby , van Ruitenburg Teun
Published: January 2024

Outlaw biker clubs have drawn considerable attention of law enforcement agencies across European countries. Despite law enforcement efforts, the popularity of the outlaw biker subculture has been on the rise recently. There is, however, still little understanding of how individuals become engaged in the outlaw biker subculture. Using unique data from interviews with current members of the Dutch Hells Angels (N = 24), this article addresses the entry mechanisms into the club and how individuals become full-patched members. The results show that active recruitment by the Hells Angels MC and gradually growing into the club’s membership are common entering mechanisms. Pre-existing social ties, both on the club and the individual level, play a significant role for involvement in Dutch Hells Angels membership. Moreover, the Dutch Hells Angels apply various mechanisms to establish the trustworthiness, loyalty, and suitability of a person before becoming a full-patched member of the club.
Facets of High-Dimensional Gaussian Polytopes
Authors: Böröczky Károly J. , Lugosi Gábor , Reitzner Matthias
Published: January 2024

We study the number of facets of the convex hull of n independent standard Gaussian points in $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

. In particular, we are interested in the expected number of facets when the dimension is allowed to grow with the sample size. We establish an explicit asymptotic formula that is valid whenever $$d/n\rightarrow 0$$

d
/
n
→
0

. We also obtain the asymptotic value when d is close to n.
Boundary Recovery of Anisotropic Electromagnetic Parameters for the Time Harmonic Maxwell’s Equations
Authors: Holman Sean , Torega Vasiliki
Published: January 2024

This work concerns inverse boundary value problems for the time-harmonic Maxwell’s equations on differential 1-forms. We formulate the boundary value problem on a 3-dimensional compact and simply connected Riemannian manifold M with boundary $$\partial M$$

∂
M

endowed with a Riemannian metric g. Assuming that the electric permittivity $$\varepsilon $$
ε
and magnetic permeability $$\mu $$
μ
are real-valued anisotropic (i.e (1, 1)-tensors), we aim to determine certain metrics induced by these parameters, denoted by $$\hat{\varepsilon }$$

ε
^

and $$\hat{\mu }$$

μ
^

at $$\partial M$$

∂
M

. We show that the knowledge of the impedance and admittance maps determines the tangential entries of $$\hat{\varepsilon }$$

ε
^

and $$\hat{\mu }$$

μ
^

at $$\partial M$$

∂
M

in their boundary normal coordinates, although the background volume form cannot be determined in such coordinates due to a non-uniqueness occuring from diffeomorphisms that fix the boundary. Then, we prove that in some cases, we can also recover the normal components of $$\hat{\mu }$$

μ
^

up to a conformal multiple at $$\partial M$$

∂
M

in boundary normal coordinates for $$\hat{\varepsilon }$$

ε
^

. Last, we build an inductive proof to show that if $$\hat{\varepsilon }$$

ε
^

and $$\hat{\mu }$$

μ
^

are determined at $$\partial M$$

∂
M

in boundary normal coordinates for $$\hat{\varepsilon }$$

ε
^

, then the same follows for their normal derivatives of all orders at $$\partial M$$

∂
M

.
The John–Nirenberg Space: Equality of the Vanishing Subspaces $$VJN_p$$ and $$CJN_p$$
Authors: Korte Riikka , Takala Timo
Published: January 2024

The John–Nirenberg spaces$$JN_p$$JNpare generalizations of the space of bounded mean oscillationBMOwith$$JN_\infty =BMO$$JN∞=BMO. Their vanishing subspaces$$VJN_p$$VJNpand$$CJN_p$$CJNpare defined in similar ways asVMOandCMO, which are subspaces ofBMO. As our main result, we prove that$$VJN_p$$VJNpand$$CJN_p$$CJNpcoincide by showing that certain Morrey type integrals of$$JN_p$$JNpfunctions tend to zero for small and large cubes. We also show that$$JN_{p,q}(\mathbb {R}^n) =L^p(\mathbb {R}^n) / \mathbb {R}$$JNp,q(Rn)=Lp(Rn)/R, if$$p = q$$p=q.
Assessment Criteria of Innovations Risks: Analysis of Research Results
Authors: Deptuła Anna M.
Published: January 2024

In the times marked by sustainable economic development, innovations form the basis for operations aimed at economic development. In order to secure their implementation and achieve the projected goals, an adequate risk assessment is necessary. The evaluation criteria utilized in practice include a wide range of analytical aspects, from legal regulations and requirements related to environmental impact assessment to technical and economic issues. The paper reports outcomes of research aimed at defining the priority criteria for assessing the risk of innovation and their updating in relation to the new conditions for the performance of enterprises related to, among others, with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence of this, it will be possible to establish a new hierarchy of evaluation criteria that could significantly affect the decision-making processes regarding implementing or rejecting specific innovative projects. The paper presents the results of questionnaire responses that involved Polish innovators: experts, constructors/designers, entrepreneurs, and scientists. The study involved experts from various industries (among others: energy, production, and the food or wood industry).
A probabilistic approach for estimating spring discharge facing data scarcity
Authors: Mirabbasi Rasoul , Nazeri Tahroudi Mohammad , Sharifi Alireza , Torabi Haghighi Ali
Published: January 2024

Since spring discharge, especially in arid and semiarid regions, varies considerably in different months of the year, a time series of spring discharge observations is needed to determine the firm yield of the spring and the amount of water allocated to different needs. Because most springs are in mountainous and inaccessible areas, long-term observational data are often unavailable. This study proposes a probabilistic method based on bivariate analysis to estimate the discharge of the Absefid spring in Iran. This method constructed the bivariate distribution of the outflows of Absefid (AS) and Gerdebisheh (GS) springs using Copula functions. For this purpose, the fit of 11 different univariate distributions to the discharge data of each spring was tested. The results revealed that the GEV and log-normal distributions best fit the discharge data of GS and AS springs, respectively. In addition, among eight different copula functions, the Joe copula function was selected to construct the bivariate distribution of the discharge data of AS and GS springs. With the help of the created bivariate distribution and assuming a certain probability level, it is possible to estimate the discharge of Absefid spring based on the discharge of Gerdebisheh spring in a particular month. The estimated values of the discharge of the Absefid spring in the period from March 1993 to August 2022 show that with a probability of 90%, the lowest discharge of this spring is 600 L per second and occurred in June 2001. Therefore, to allocate the water from this spring for drinking purposes, this discharge value can be considered as the firm yield of this source. However, the amount of allocated water from this source should be determined by considering the ecological needs of the river downstream of this spring.
Superior UVC light-mediated catalytic activity of a novel NiFe2O4@ TiO2 magnetic nanocomposite synthesized with green route using Pulicaria Gnaphalodes plant extract for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic in water solution
Authors: Derakhshani Elham , Naghizadeh Ali , Mortazavi-Derazkola Sobhan
Published: January 2024

In this study, the NiFe2O4@TiO2 magnetic nanocomposite was synthesized by the green synthesis method, which is an efficient and economical method. Pulicaria Gnaphalodes plant extract was used for nanocomposite synthesis because this method is suitable for the biosynthesis of nanocomposites on a large scale, and the nanocomposite produced by plants is more stable. The efficiency of the synthesized nanocomposite was investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of Penicillin G (PNG) under UVC light irradiation in aqueous solutions. The structural characteristics of this nanocomposite were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and dynamic light scattering. The effect of different parameters including pH, nanocomposite dose, penicillin G concentration and time were studied to reach optimum conditions. About 71% of PNG in optimal conditions (pH = 9, nanocomposite dose = 0.6 g/L, and penicillin G concentration = 10 mg/L) was decomposed. Generally, the NiFe2O4@TiO2 nanocomposite can be used as an efficient catalyst for the degradation of PNG in aqueous solutions.
Quantitative reasoning as a lens to examine changes in modelling competencies of secondary preservice teachers
Authors: Nguyen An Thi Tan , Tran Dung
Published: January 2024

This study draws on quantitative reasoning research to explain how secondary mathematics preservice teachers’ (PSTs) modelling competencies changed as they participated in a teacher education programme that integrated modelling experience. Adopting a mixed methods approach, we documented 110 PSTs’ competencies in Vietnam using an adapted Modelling Competencies Questionnaire. The results show that PSTs improved their real-world-problem-statement, formulating-a-model, solving-mathematics, and interpreting-outcomes competencies. Showing their formulating-a-model and interpreting-outcomes competencies, PSTs enhanced their quantitative reasoning by properly interpreting the quantities and their relationships using different representations. In addition, the analysis showed a statistically significant correlation between PSTs’ modelling competencies and quantitative reasoning. Suggestions for programme design to enhance modelling competencies are included.
The Shape of Relations to Come: Multidimensional Analyses of Complex Human Behavior
Authors: Mason Lee , Andrews Alonzo , Otero Maria , James-Kelly Kimberly
Published: January 2024

Science, understood to be the behavior of scientists, falls within the purview of behavior analysis. All scientists use scientific instruments to study a natural phenomenon, and for the behavior analyst, perhaps no tool is more important than the graph used to show changes in level, trend, and variability, and upon which behavior analysts make data-based decisions. Modern behaviorism as we know it dates back to the development of the cumulative recorder first developed in the 1930s. Though revolutionary to the science of behavior, two-dimensional graphs may be limited in application for analyzing complex human behavior. In the current article, we conceptualize verbal behavior as a multidimensional field of environmental relations, and introduce the use of multi-axial radar charts for its visual and quantitative analysis. From there, we survey the use of radar charts toward advancing a behavior-analytic understanding of human language and cognition. We demonstrate the use of radar charts for calculating simple shape descriptors as a quantitative measure of dynamic interactants, and show how they can be used to measure change over time.
Supporting Fair and Efficient Emergency Medical Services in a Large Heterogeneous Region
Authors: Da Ros Francesca , Di Gaspero Luca , Roitero Kevin , La Barbera David , Mizzaro Stefano , Della Mea Vincenzo , Valent Francesca , Deroma Laura
Published: January 2024

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are crucial in delivering timely and effective medical care to patients in need. However, the complex and dynamic nature of operations poses challenges for decision-making processes at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. This paper proposes an action-driven strategy for EMS management, employing a multi-objective optimizer and a simulator to evaluate potential outcomes of decisions. The approach combines historical data with dynamic simulations and multi-objective optimization techniques to inform decision-makers and improve the overall performance of the system. The research focuses on the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in north-eastern Italy. The region encompasses various landscapes and demographic situations that challenge fairness and equity in service access. Similar challenges are faced in other regions with comparable characteristics. The Decision Support System developed in this work accurately models the real-world system and provides valuable feedback and suggestions to EMS professionals, enabling them to make informed decisions and enhance the efficiency and fairness of the system.
Stability of Hydroelastic Waves in Deep Water
Authors: Blyth M. G. , Părău E. I. , Wang Z.
Published: January 2024

Two-dimensional periodic travelling hydroelastic waves on water of infinite depth are investigated. A bifurcation branch is tracked that delineates a family of such solutions connecting small amplitude periodic waves to the large amplitude static state for which the wave is at rest and there is no fluid motion. The stability of these periodic waves is then examined using a surface-variable formulation in which a linearised eigenproblem is stated on the basis of Floquet theory and solved numerically. The eigenspectrum is discussed encompassing both superharmonic and subharmonic perturbations. In the former case, the onset of instability via a Tanaka-type collision of eigenvalues at zero is identified. The structure of the eigenvalue spectrum is elucidated as the travelling-wave branch is followed revealing a highly intricate structure.
Effects of a complex yoga-based intervention on physical characteristics
Authors: Koncz Ádám , Csala Barbara , Körmendi János , Horváth Áron , Dömötör Zsuzsanna , Selmeci Csongor , Bogdán Ágota Selmeciné , Köteles Ferenc , Boros Szilvia
Published: January 2024

Empirical studies on yoga have shown that regular practice can have a beneficial effect on risk factors of cardiovascular diseases; also, it can decrease body weight, body fat and increase muscle mass. Positive effects on balance and flexibility were also reported. This study evaluated the impact of a 3-month complex yoga-based program, including physical exercises, education, and social support, with a quasi-randomized design in a middle-aged community sample. The intervention group consisted of 46 participants while the passive control group was 29 participants. The intervention group showed a significant increase in core muscle strength and hamstring flexibility and a decrease in body  fat. No significant changes were found concerning risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, body weight, muscle mass, balancing ability, and dietary habits. A 3-month yoga intervention cannot substantially impact the cardiovascular system and body weight control in middle-aged adults.
What is the Role of Resistance Training in Supporting Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy Treatment? A Systematic Review
Authors: Mojas Egoitz , Angulo Garazi , Coca Aitor , Castañeda-Babarro Arkaitz , Cacicedo Jon
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The aim of this review was to collect data on physical exercise programs in patients with HNC and to analyze the compliance with the Frecuency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT) and progressive overload principles.

Methods

The search strategy identified 1318 articles through February 2022. After deduplication, title and abstract review, and full-text review, 15 studies met all the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with interventions involving at least 10 patients, and the intervention protocol included, at least, programmed strength exercise.

Results

Physical exercise programs were performed only during and after treatment, with durations varying from 6 to 12 weeks. Only 5 studies (33.3%) detailed all the characteristics concerning FITT and progressive overload principles. In addition, 10 trials measured the changes in body composition and physical function. In contrast, 6 studies included nutritional recommendations or follow-up.

Conclusion

It has been proven that physical exercise programs may help people with head and neck cancer improve their body composition, strength, and quality of life. To examine the dose/response effects of physical activity more precisely, further information regarding FITT principles and the progression of the load undertaken in the treatments is required. Finally, it is necessary to investigate the optimal time to start a physical exercise program and its impact on survival.
STM studies for surface-mounted molecular rotors: a mini review
Authors: Yang Tianyi , Zhang Ruiqin
Published: January 2024

A molecular rotor is a molecule/molecular system that performs rotary motions under an external stimulus. Molecular rotors are promising for applications in medicine, optical usage, information science, etc. A molecular rotor is also a crucial component in constructing more sophisticated functional molecular machines. Anchoring molecular rotors on surfaces is regarded as a feasible way of building functional molecular rotor systems. Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful tool for studying surface dynamics in real space on atomic precision. It provides an ideal platform for both qualitatively and quantitively investigating single and self-assembled molecular rotors mounted on surfaces. Herein, we review a series of studies utilizing STM to unveil the methodologies that are increasingly used in the area of surface-mounted molecule rotors. A combined usage of these methodologies is more and more necessary for researchers to advance the molecular rotor study in future.
Sample preparation conditions for the real-time measurement of W/O emulsions by resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Minami Minori , Nakata Shion , Uchimura Tomohiro
Published: January 2024

Analysis of an emulsion in its original dispersed condition is quite important for quality assessment and quality control. In the present study, the practical experimental conditions of the real-time measurement of a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion were examined via resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (REMPI-TOFMS). A W/O emulsion was prepared using cyclohexane as the oil phase with toluene as an analyte species. A time profile of the peak area for toluene was constructed based on the mass spectra. Normally, the negative spikes of a base signal are detected in a time profile when analyte molecules are dispersed in an oil phase. In this case, however, the positive spikes were unexpectedly detected rather than the negative ones. Though several factors could be relevant for the occurrence of the positive spikes, these spikes could have been suppressed by the addition of a small amount of n-alkane when the oil phase was prepared in the present study. The practical experimental conditions for the analysis of a W/O emulsion in real-time revealed that this method would be applicable to the analysis of an oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) emulsion where the outer phase is also an oil phase.

Graphical abstract
Impact of the PCMH model on post-stroke healthcare utilization
Authors: Chen Ko-Shin , Wu Meng , Efferen Linda S.
Published: January 2024

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model has aimed to enhance chronic care in a primary care setting where providers are expected to provide timely post-discharge follow-up and decrease potentially preventable hospital readmissions through coordinated disease management. The study examined PCMH and other (risk) factors associated with 30-day unplanned readmission as well as 7- and 28-day follow-up visit with primary care providers (PCPs). We identified 8424 New York State Medicaid patients having initial stroke discharges during 2016–2018 from the Medicaid claims database and Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. A patient was in the PCMH group if the attributed provider had a valid National Committee for Quality Assurance PCMH recognition upon patient’s discharge. Cox regression and competing risk analyses were used to estimate the hazard ratios of readmissions and follow-up visits between PCMH and non-PCMH groups. The PCMH group had slightly but not statistically significant lower all-cause and recurrent stroke unplanned readmission rates. While the general follow-up rates between the two groups are similar, the PCMH group had significantly higher rates of stroke-specific 7-day (HR = 1.27, P < 0.01) and 28-day follow-up visits (HR = 1.22, P < 0.01). PCPs play an essential role in post stroke care. Our findings show a significantly higher rate of stroke-specific follow-up visits and a trend towards lower readmissions among patients in the PCMH group. The intervals between stroke discharge and follow-up visit time in our study population were generally greater than the recommended timeframe. We recommend the PCMH care model to improve patients’ primary care follow-up and prevent potential readmissions.
Sexuell übertragbare Infektionen bei Frauen in der hausärztlichen Praxis – eine qualitative Interviewstudie mit Hausärzt:innen in Berlin
Authors: Meurer Pauline , Heintze Christoph , Schuster Angela
Published: January 2024

Hintergrund

Sexuell übertragbare Infektionen (STI) sind in bis zu 90 % asymptomatisch, werden bei Frauen später erkannt und können zu schweren Komplikationen führen. Im deutschen Gesundheitssystem gibt es für Beratungsanlässe zu sexueller Gesundheit keine klar zuständigen Ansprechpartner:innen. So werden Patient:innen auch an Hausärzt:innen (HÄ) verwiesen, die sich bei diesem Thema jedoch häufig unsicher fühlen.

Ziel der Arbeit

In diesem Artikel werden konkrete hausärztliche Herangehensweisen in der STI-Versorgung bei Frauen beschrieben und diskutiert.

Methoden

Die Daten wurden mit teilstandardisierten Leitfadeninterviews mit Fallbeispielen zwischen Oktober 2020 und September 2021 erhoben und mit qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Auf Grundlage eines theoretischen Sampling-Ansatzes wurden 13 HÄ ohne infektiologischen Schwerpunkt und 6 HÄ in infektiologischen Schwerpunktpraxen (HÄiS) eingeschlossen.

Ergebnisse

Hausärzt:innen beschreiben, die Versorgung von Ratsuchenden finde eher in der Gynäkologie statt. Die Sexualanamnese würde selten erhoben und der Fokus liege eher bei Diagnostik und Behandlung von Harnwegsinfekten. Einzelne HÄ bieten dagegen Urin-PCR-Tests oder vaginale Selbstabstriche und Therapie für alle STI außer HIV an. Bestehende Abrechnungsmöglichkeiten und Angebote des Gesundheitsamts werden selten genutzt, asymptomatische Patient:innen müssen die Kosten für STI-Tests häufig selbst übernehmen.

Diskussion

Obwohl sich viele Patient:innen eine hausärztliche STI-Versorgung wünschen, wird dies in Deutschland derzeit unzureichend abgedeckt. Sexualanamnese und diagnostische Möglichkeiten sollten zukünftig in der Aus- und Fortbildung von HÄ eine größere Rolle spielen. Eine Screeningstrategie, klare Zuständigkeiten und Überweisungspfade könnten Patient:innen und HÄ deutlich entlasten.
Essays on Civil War, Inequality and Underdevelopment
Authors: Murshed Syed Mansoob
Published: January 2024

Syed Mansoob Murshed has been at the forefront of research in the rational choice approach to conflict. His pioneering work over many years has demonstrated that armed conflict is inseparable from inequality and economic development.

This book brings together Murshed's key economic writings on conflict and includes work on conflict causation, sustaining peace agreements, the relationship of conflict and economic progress, the trade-conflict nexus, the effects of conflict on financial deepening and fiscal capacity, as well as case studies of everyday violence and transnational terrorism. The essays cover both theoretical ideas, critical literature reviews, mathematical modelling, and cross-national and subnational econometric empirical analysis.

The enduring nature of war and conflict and uneven economic outcomes make Murshed's work of lasting significance.
Ireland's English Pale, 1470-1550
Authors: Ellis Steven G
Published: January 2024

A key argument of this book is that the English Pale - the four counties around Dublin under English control - was expanding during the early Tudor period, not contracting, as other historians have argued. The author shows how the new system, whereby 'the four obedient shires' were protected by new fortifications and a newly-constituted English-style militia, which replaced the former system of extended marches, was highly effective, making unnecessary money and troops from England, and enabling the Dublin government to be self-financing. The book provides full details of this new system. It also demonstrates how direct rule by an English army and governor, which replaced the system in the years after 1534, was much more costly and led on in turn to the policy of 'surrender and regrant' under which Irish chiefs became subject to English law. The book highlights how this policy made the English Pale's frontiers redundant, but how ideologically ideas of 'English civility' nevertheless survived, and 'the wild Atlantic way' remained 'beyond the Pale'.
Efficacy of noncarbapenem therapy for the treatment of ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacterales outside the urinary tract
Authors: Rausch Ethan P. , Alby Kevin , Wilson William
Published: January 2024

Objective:

To determine the safety of noncarbapenem versus carbapenem antibiotics for treatment of adults with documented infection caused by ceftriaxone-resistant infections outside the urinary tract.

Design:

Retrospective cohort of adult patients with a documented infection caused by an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)–producing organism isolated between January 2018 and October 2021.

Setting:

An academic tertiary-care center.

Patients:

Adult patients with a documented infection caused by an ESBL-producing organism outside the urinary tract.

Methods:

The primary outcome was a composite of treatment failure defined as 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission, microbiological recurrence, and/or clinical worsening requiring antibiotic change. Secondary outcomes included differentiation of primary composite components and postantibiotic Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI).

Results:

This study included 130 patients. The primary source of infections were bloodstream (67.7%) and caused by Escherichia coli (81.5%). Overall, 101 patients received carbapenem therapy and 29 received noncarbapenem therapy (NCT). NCT was comprised of mainly fluoroquinolones (18 of 29) followed by cefepime (7 of 29). Patients receiving NCT had shorter hospital stays (median, 7 days vs 9 days) and were more often discharged on antibiotics (79.3% vs 50.5%). We did not detect a significant difference in the primary composite outcome of treatment failure for carbapenem (23.8%) versus noncarbapenem treatment (24.2%; P = .967). Secondary outcomes included a numerically higher 30-day mortality rate in the noncarbapenem group compared to the carbapenem group: 4 (13.8%) of 29 versus 4 (3.9%) of 101. We did not detect a difference in rates of CDI.

Conclusion:

Noncarbapenem therapy may play a role for certain patients with infections caused by ESBL-producing organisms.
Beliefs, observability and donation revision in charitable giving: evidence from an online experiment
Authors: Gao Guanlin , Shi Xinyan
Published: January 2024

This study examines how beliefs interact with heterogeneous donation preferences in determining people's donation decisions and choices of revision and observability. We conducted an online experiment eliciting participants’ first-order beliefs, that is, beliefs about an average donor's contribution, with the opportunity of being recognized. We also provided the opportunity for donation revision to a group of randomly selected participants. Our study results show that people's first-order beliefs are positively correlated with their willingness to donate and their actual donations. Moreover, first-order beliefs also interact with people's heterogeneous donation preferences in jointly determining their decisions of donation revision and observability – their tendency to opt in for public recognition. Donors with low first-order beliefs and high donation preferences are most likely to opt in for recognition, but they are unlikely to revise their donations. Donors with high first-order beliefs and low donation preferences are most likely to revise their donations, but they are less likely to choose to be recognized. Donors with low first-order beliefs and low donation preferences display the lowest tendency toward revision and observability.
Parametrization of sea surface skewness and kurtosis with application to crest distributions
Authors: Gramstad Odin , Lian Gunnar
Published: January 2024

An efficient numerical method for calculation of the sea surface skewness and kurtosis for arbitrary wave spectra, taking up to third-order nonlinear effects into account, is developed. The skewness and kurtosis are calculated for a large number of sea states, covering a wide range of sea-state parameters in terms of wave steepness, water depth, directional spreading and frequency bandwidth. The results are used to propose new accurate expressions for skewness and kurtosis, valid over a wide range of sea states. Existing expressions for skewness and kurtosis reported in the literature are reviewed, and their accuracy is evaluated. Comparison to model-test results and phase-resolved numerical simulation are presented. It is suggested that the new improved parametrizations for skewness and kurtosis, which include dependence on wave steepness, water depth, spectral bandwidth and directional spreading, represent a convenient way to include these covariates into higher-order distributions for crest heights, wave heights and surface elevation.
DEGREE OF SATISFIABILITY IN HEYTING ALGEBRAS
Authors: BUMPUS BENJAMIN MERLIN , KOCSIS ZOLTAN A.
Published: January 2024

We investigate degree of satisfiability questions in the context of Heyting algebras and intuitionistic logic. We classify all equations in one free variable with respect to finite satisfiability gap, and determine which common principles of classical logic in multiple free variables have finite satisfiability gap. In particular we prove that, in a finite non-Boolean Heyting algebra, the probability that a randomly chosen element satisfies

$x \vee \neg x = \top $

is no larger than

$\frac {2}{3}$

. Finally, we generalize our results to infinite Heyting algebras, and present their applications to point-set topology, black-box algebras, and the philosophy of logic.
The Out-of-Flock Dissident: An Interview with Kurdish – Syrian Writer Jan Dost
Authors: Askar Nuha
Published: January 2024

The recent Syrian uprisings have impacted all sectors of life and played a major role in redrawing internal boundaries among different groups in Syria, not only between Kurds and Arabs but also within the fabric of Kurdish life. Among Syrian Kurds, calls for militarization and separation based on national chauvinism (Qasad) are countered by more moderate voices warning of the dangers of escalation and calling for Kurdish civilian rights within the Syrian homeland. Jan Dost is a Syrian–Kurdish writer whose literary oeuvre includes poetry books, numerous translations from and to Kurdish, and twelve novels, some of which have been translated into Turkish, Arabic, Sorani, Persian, and Italian. His criticism of what he calls “Kurdish fascism” prompted this interview, which is part of my current doctoral research on internal dissent in modern Middle Eastern narratives that negotiate the failure of “nationalism” in building modern states. Dost was born in Kobani in 1966 and has been living in Germany since 2000. His novel Mokhatat Petersburg (Petersburg Manuscript, 2020) was longlisted for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award. The interview is my translation from Arabic. It has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.
A monumental Archaic complex on the Sacra Via: a new interpretation of the domestic remains on the north Palatine slope
Authors: Eichengreen Amelia W.
Published: January 2024

This article presents a new interpretation of the results of the 1980s excavations led by Andrea Carandini on the north Palatine slope. In contrast to Carandini's original reconstruction of the complex as four atrium houses, I propose one palatial complex on the Sacra Via that finds some parallels in recently excavated complexes elsewhere, like the Auditorium site in Rome and the Borgo at San Giovenale.
L'amphithéâtre de Lepti Minus: un acte de munificence locale
Authors: Naddari Lotfi , Ben Lazreg Najib
Published: January 2024

Un texte récemment mis au jour dans les environs de Lepti Minus (Lamta, dans le Sahel tunisien), gravé sur sur la face principale d'une base de statue, apporte un éclairage substantiel concernant l’édification de l'amphithéâtre de la ville: le contexte d‘édification, la nature du financement et l'identité des évergètes qui l‘ont pris en charge. Il s'agit donc d'un hommage public que le populus Leptitanorum a rendu à L. Octauius Felix, un notable local, membre de l'ordre équestre, coopté en qualité de patron de la cité. Le texte présente ainsi des centres d'intérêt multiples: des considérations onomastiques et sociales, le cursus équestre du notable laptitain, L. Octauius Felix, du primipilat, à la préfecture du camp de la Legio VII Gemina, en Espagne, et a prise en charge de la construction de l'amphithéâtre.
The Utilization of Emergency Department and Outpatient Clinics among Evacuated Victims after the 2023 Turkey Earthquake
Authors: İlhan Buğra , Eroğlu Oğuz , Çanak Hüseyin , Arıkan Abdullah , Sakallı Münir , Tursun Serkan , Deniz Turgut
Published: January 2024

Background:

After the 2023 Turkey earthquake, thousands of people evacuated to different fields. Earthquake victims still need health care in the evacuation location. This study aims to determine the emergency department (ED) and outpatient clinic utilization characteristics of the evacuated earthquake victims outside the earthquake zone and to provide suggestions for planning the health care facilities in the regions where the evacuated earthquake victims will be placed.

Methods:

This retrospective, observational study was conducted in a tertiary university hospital from February 7, 2023 through February 20, 2023. All evacuated earthquake victims who presented to the study hospital were included in the study. Non-victim patients were included as the control group. Missing medical records were excluded. Demographic characteristics of the patients, outpatient clinics, International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems-10th Revision (ICD-10) codes, and outcomes were recorded.

Results:

A total of 15,128 patients were included in the final analysis. Six-hundred-nine (4.0%) of the patients were evacuated victims. Three-hundred forty-six (56.8%) evacuated victims used the ED. One-hundred fifty-six (25.6%) earthquake victims were in the pediatric age group. Earthquake victims used the ED more than the control group in adult and pediatric age groups (22.5% versus 51.7% and 30.2% versus 71.8%; P <.001, respectively). Earthquake victims frequently presented to the hospital during night shifts in both age groups (P <.05). Pediatric victims were more hospitalized than the control group (4.8% versus 10.9%; P = .001). Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims in both age groups (26.5% and 57.1%, respectively). The most frequently used outpatient clinic was ophthalmology in both age groups (14.6% and 20.5%, respectively).

Conclusions:

Evacuated victims, especially pediatric victims, used the ED more than other outpatient clinics. Diseases of the respiratory system were the most common emergency diagnosis of the victims, and the most frequently preferred outpatient clinic was ophthalmology. The most common diseases and frequently preferred clinics should be considered in planning health care for the evacuated earthquake victims.
Actionable conversational quality indicators for improving task-oriented dialog systems
Authors: Higgins Michael , Widdows Dominic , Hockey Beth Ann , Hazare Akshay , Howell Kristen , Christian Gwen , Mathi Sujit , Brew Chris , Maurer Andrew , Bonev George , Dunn Matthew , Bradley Joseph
Published: January 2024

Automatic dialog systems have become a mainstream part of online customer service. Many such systems are built, maintained, and improved by customer service specialists, rather than dialog systems engineers and computer programmers. As conversations between people and machines become commonplace, it is critical to understand what is working, what is not, and what actions can be taken to reduce the frequency of inappropriate system responses. These analyses and recommendations need to be presented in terms that directly reflect the user experience rather than the internal dialog processing.

This paper introduces and explains the use of Actionable Conversational Quality Indicators (ACQIs), which are used both to recognize parts of dialogs that can be improved and to recommend how to improve them. This combines benefits of previous approaches, some of which have focused on producing dialog quality scoring while others have sought to categorize the types of errors the dialog system is making. We demonstrate the effectiveness of using ACQIs on LivePerson internal dialog systems used in commercial customer service applications and on the publicly available LEGOv2 conversational dataset. We report on the annotation and analysis of conversational datasets showing which ACQIs are important to fix in various situations.

The annotated datasets are then used to build a predictive model which uses a turn-based vector embedding of the message texts and achieves a 79% weighted average f1-measure at the task of finding the correct ACQI for a given conversation. We predict that if such a model worked perfectly, the range of potential improvement actions a bot-builder must consider at each turn could be reduced by an average of 81%.
Secondary fragmentation and relative biological effectiveness (RBE) study using Bridge SOI microdosimeter: Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Ying C. K. , Arif Efendi M. , Guatelli Susanna , Tran Linh T. , Bolst David
Published: January 2024

Introduction:

This work calculates the microdosimetric spectra and evaluates the relative biological effectiveness (RBE10) of oxygen and carbon ions using Monte Carlo simulation. This study presents a fast, reliable radiation field characterisation and accurate biological dose prediction tool in charged particle therapy for heavy-ion beams using the Bridge silicon-on-insulator (SOI) microdosimeter via Tool for Particle Simulation (TOPAS)-based simulations toolkit.

Method:

The study used the TOPAS simulation to model the Bridge SOI microdosimeter and study its response to carbon beams with an energy of 290 MeV/u and oxygen beams with an energy of 345 MeV/u. Dose-mean lineal energy values

$(\overline {{y_D})\;} $

and RBE10 values were evaluated using microdosimetric lineal energy spectra with the MKM model.

Results and Conclusions:

The results demonstrate that oxygen ion beams have an advantage for cancer treatment as they provide higher RBE10 values and occur at the same positions as the maximum physical dose (Bragg peak), compared to carbon ion beams. The study provides new understanding of RBE for carbon and oxygen ions, as well as the relationship between physical doses and RBE.
One‐Dimensional Variational Ionospheric Retrieval Using Radio Occultation Bending Angles: 2. Validation
Authors: Elvidge S. , Healy S. B. , Culverwell I. D.
Published: January 2024

Culverwell et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023SW003572) described a new one‐dimensional variational (1D‐Var) retrieval approach for ionospheric GNSS radio occultation (GNSS‐RO) measurements. The approach maps a one‐dimensional ionospheric electron density profile, modeled with multiple “Vary‐Chap” layers, to bending angle space. This paper improves the computational performance of the 1D‐Var retrieval using an improved background model and validates the approach by comparing with the COSMIC‐2 profile retrievals, based on an Abel Transform inversion, and co‐located (within 200 km) ionosonde observations using all suitable data from 2020. A three or four layer Vary‐Chap in the 1D‐Var retrieval shows improved performance compared to COSMIC‐2 retrievals in terms of percentage error for the F2 peak parameters (NmF2 and hmF2). Furthermore, skill in retrieval (compared to COSMIC‐2 profiles) throughout the bottomside (∼90–300 km) has been demonstrated. With a single Vary‐Chap layer the performance is similar, but this improves by approximately 40% when using four‐layers.
Omics for deciphering oral microecology
Authors: Lin Yongwang , Liang Xiaoyue , Li Zhengyi , Gong Tao , Ren Biao , Li Yuqing , Peng Xian
Published: January 2024

The human oral microbiome harbors one of the most diverse microbial communities in the human body, playing critical roles in oral and systemic health. Recent technological innovations are propelling the characterization and manipulation of oral microbiota. High-throughput sequencing enables comprehensive taxonomic and functional profiling of oral microbiomes. New long-read platforms improve genome assembly from complex samples. Single-cell genomics provides insights into uncultured taxa. Advanced imaging modalities including fluorescence, mass spectrometry, and Raman spectroscopy have enabled the visualization of the spatial organization and interactions of oral microbes with increasing resolution. Fluorescence techniques link phylogenetic identity with localization. Mass spectrometry imaging reveals metabolic niches and activities while Raman spectroscopy generates rapid biomolecular fingerprints for classification. Culturomics facilitates the isolation and cultivation of novel fastidious oral taxa using high-throughput approaches. Ongoing integration of these technologies holds the promise of transforming our understanding of oral microbiome assembly, gene expression, metabolites, microenvironments, virulence mechanisms, and microbe-host interfaces in the context of health and disease. However, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding community origins, developmental trajectories, homeostasis versus dysbiosis triggers, functional biomarkers, and strategies to deliberately reshape the oral microbiome for therapeutic benefit. The convergence of sequencing, imaging, cultureomics, synthetic systems, and biomimetic models will provide unprecedented insights into the oral microbiome and offer opportunities to predict, prevent, diagnose, and treat associated oral diseases.
CRABP2 affects chemotherapy resistance of ovarian cancer by regulating the expression of HIF1α
Authors: Fu Xin , Zhang Qian , Wang Zhaosong , Xu Yue , Dong Qiuping
Published: January 2024

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy among gynecologic cancers, and primary and secondary chemotherapy resistance is one of the important reasons for poor prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. However, the specifics of resistance to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer remain unclear. Herein, we find that the expression level of cellular retinoic acid binding protein 2 (CRABP2) is up-regulated in drug-resistant ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines, and the expression levels of CRABP2 in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues are closely related to tumor clinical stage and patients’ prognosis, suggesting that CRABP2 plays an important role in the progression of ovarian cancer and the corresponding ability of tumor to chemotherapy. With the in-depth study, we demonstrates that CRABP2 is related to the high metabolic activity in drug-resistant cells, and all-trans retinoic acid exacerbates this activity. Further molecular mechanism exploration experiments show that CRABP2 not only up-regulates the expression level of HIF1α, but also increases the localization of HIF1α in the nucleus. In drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells, knocking down HIF1α can block the resistance of CRABP2 to chemotherapy drugs in ovarian cancer cells. Taken together, our findings suggest for the first time that CRABP2 affects chemotherapy resistance of ovarian cancer by regulating the expression of HIF1α. This study provides a possible molecular mechanism for drug resistance and a possible molecular target for clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.
Carrier systems of radiopharmaceuticals and the application in cancer therapy
Authors: Zhang Taotao , Lei Huiwen , Chen Xiaohua , Dou Zhihui , Yu Boyi , Su Wei , Wang Wei , Jin Xiaodong , Katsube Takanori , Wang Bing , Zhang Hong , Li Qiang , Di Cuixia
Published: January 2024

Radiopharmaceuticals play a vital role in cancer therapy. The carrier of radiopharmaceuticals can precisely locate and guide radionuclides to the target, where radionuclides kill surrounding tumor cells. Effective application of radiopharmaceuticals depends on the selection of an appropriate carrier. Herein, different types of carriers of radiopharmaceuticals and the characteristics are briefly described. Subsequently, we review radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their derivatives, and novel strategies of radiolabeled mAbs and their derivatives in the treatment of lymphoma and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, this review outlines radiolabeled peptides, and novel strategies of radiolabeled peptides in the treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasms, prostate cancer, and gliomas. The emphasis is given to heterodimers, bicyclic peptides, and peptide-modified nanoparticles. Last, the latest developments and applications of radiolabeled nucleic acids and small molecules in cancer therapy are discussed. Thus, this review will contribute to a better understanding of the carrier of radiopharmaceuticals and the application in cancer therapy.