bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weight as an indicator of enclosure suitability in Livingstone's fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii)
Authors: Price Eluned C. , Roberts Alex , Bennett Laura , Glendewar Gale , Wormell Dominic
Published: March 2024

Obesity is common in zoo animals, and both dietary management and the provision of adequate opportunities for exercise are needed to tackle it. We used 30 years of records from Jersey Zoo to compare the weight and forearm length of wild and captive‐born Livingstone's fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii), and to assess the impact on weight of enclosure space. The mean capture weight of wild‐caught male Livingstone's bats was 657 g, significantly higher than that of females (544 g). In both wild and captive‐born bats, males had significantly longer forearms than females, but there was no effect of birth location. Males weighed more in the mating season than at other times of year. Both sexes gained more weight during development if born in enclosures that restricted flight rather than a large aviary; this was particularly noticeable in females. After reaching maturity at 3 years, weights of bats born in restricted enclosures continued to increase, reached a peak of over 1000 g at 8−10 years, and then declined in both sexes. The weight of bats born in the aviary remained more stable after the age of three. Like wild bats, adult females born in the aviary weighed less than males. However, females born in restricted enclosures weighed more than males born in the same enclosures. Enclosure designs that maximize opportunities for flight can limit excessive weight gain in captive fruit bats and may therefore improve fitness and health, essential in planning for future reintroduction programs.
Translation Policy und Politics of Translation. Einführende Überlegungen zu Dimensionen und Perspektiven der Politik(en) des Übersetzens
Authors: Gipper Andreas , Greilich Susanne
Published: March 2024

Das semantische Feld, das durch das Binom der ‚policy‘ und ‚politics‘ der Übersetzung bezeichnet wird, ist von zentraler Bedeutung, weil es erlaubt zwei Komplexe in den Blick zu nehmen: 1. Übersetzungspolitik(en) im Sinne von Translationsnormen und damit die Frage nach den soziokulturellen, ökonomischen und interkulturellen Bedingungen, die dafür verantwortlich zeichnen, dass und in welcher Form übersetzt wird; sowie 2. die Rolle von Übersetzungen im Kontext politischer Verhandlungs- und Aushandlungsprozesse. Heuristisch sind damit drei Gesichtspunkte des Politischen von Interesse: kulturelle Normen und Kriterien, die über die Art der Übersetzung entscheiden (kulturelle Filter); politische, religiöse oder ökonomische Interessen, die sich mit Übersetzungen verbinden (Kalkül) und die Bedeutung von Übersetzungen für alle Formen der Interaktion im politischen Bereich im engeren Sinne (Diplomatie).
The Translation Policies of Protestant Reformers in the Early Eighteenth Century. Projects, Aims, and Communication Networks
Authors: Häberlein Mark , Manstetten Paula
Published: March 2024

This article examines the aims and motivations underlying the numerous translation projects initiated or supported by two Protestant organizations—the Anglican Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) in London and the Pietist Halle orphanage—in the early eighteenth century. These projects included translations of the Bible, catechisms, and devotional literature into over twenty-five languages, carried out for the benefit of Protestants abroad as well as for missionary activities among non-Protestant Christians and “heathens”. We survey a broad range of these endeavours and offer a case study of one specific project, the printing of an Arabic Psalter and New Testament for the use of Eastern Christians in London from 1720 onwards. We show that these translation projects were aimed at spreading Protestant piety, particularly in vernacular languages, and at creating a counterweight to the missionary activities of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the two societies did not follow a preconceived strategy; rather, these initiatives were the brainchildren of individual members and often relied on the availability of skilled translators in London and Halle. While many of the projects had limited success, they served as a means of religious self-affirmation for their initiators, who believed they were contributing to building God’s kingdom on earth by spreading the Christian message.
Die Verleger de Bry als Übersetzer von Übersetzungen
Authors: Perplies Helge
Published: March 2024

The India Occidentalis collection of reports on America from the de Bry workshop is not only known as a major artistic publishing project, but also represents a tremendous achievement with regard to both linguistic and cultural translation. As publishers and contractees of translation processes, the de Brys occupied a position analogous to that of the texts’ authors and their positions of power vis-à-vis the public. More specifically, this is true to the extent that they operated within discourses of linguistic power and propaganda, conquest and colonization in which they had the authority to decide what would be presented to their readership – and in what language. Among other aspects, the discussion revolves around translation as a marker of distance in the accounts of Brazil by Hans Staden and Jean de Léry as well as around the discursive parallels between the indigenous population of the Americas and the Protestant population of the Netherlands vis-à-vis the Spanish conquerors.
Übersetzung als Medium nationaler Selbstbehauptung – am Beispiel deutsch-französischer Wissenschaftsübersetzungen im 18. Jahrhundert
Authors: Mannweiler Caroline
Published: March 2024

Taking as its point of departure G. Toury’s concept of ‘translation policy’ – that is, the question of what is even translated into a certain language at a certain point in time – this article calls attention to the boom in translations intended to optimize domestic ore mining in eighteenth-century France. As many relevant publications on mineralogy and mining of the time were in German, translations from German into French contributed greatly to shaping that boom, as has already been pointed out by research into cultural transfer. Yet whereas existing studies scarcely take the formal design of the translations into account, here that aspect is the main focus. It is conspicuous how the paratexts of the translations, for example, attempt to counter the relevance of the source texts with a ‘quality of their own’ in a compensatory manner, as it were, not least of all as a way of mobilizing the symbolic capital of French. The translations thus also became the site of a competitive process with the aim of securing the national capital of the target culture.
Explainable equivariant neural networks for particle physics: PELICAN
Authors: Bogatskiy Alexander , Hoffman Timothy , Miller David W. , Offermann Jan T. , Liu Xiaoyang
Published: March 2024

Abstract

PELICAN is a novel permutation equivariant and Lorentz invariant or covariant aggregator network designed to overcome common limitations found in architectures applied to particle physics problems. Compared to many approaches that use non-specialized architectures that neglect underlying physics principles and require very large numbers of parameters, PELICAN employs a fundamentally symmetry group-based architecture that demonstrates benefits in terms of reduced complexity, increased interpretability, and raw performance. We present a comprehensive study of the PELICAN algorithm architecture in the context of both tagging (classification) and reconstructing (regression) Lorentz-boosted top quarks, including the difficult task of specifically identifying and measuring the W-boson inside the dense environment of the Lorentz-boosted top-quark hadronic final state. We also extend the application of PELICAN to the tasks of identifying quark-initiated vs. gluon-initiated jets, and a multi-class identification across five separate target categories of jets. When tested on the standard task of Lorentz-boosted top-quark tagging, PELICAN outperforms existing competitors with much lower model complexity and high sample efficiency. On the less common and more complex task of 4-momentum regression, PELICAN also outperforms hand-crafted, non-machine learning algorithms. We discuss the implications of symmetry-restricted architectures for the wider field of machine learning for physics.
First observation and study of the K± → π0π0μ±ν decay
Authors:   The NA48/2 collaboration, Batley J. R. , Kalmus G. , Lazzeroni C. , Munday D. J. , Slater M. W. , Wotton S. A. , Arcidiacono R. , Bocquet G. , Cabibbo N. , Ceccucci A. , Cundy D. , Falaleev V. , Fidecaro M. , Gatignon L. , Gonidec A. , Kubischta W. , Maier A. , Norton A. , Patel M. , Peters A. , Monnier E. , Swallow E. , Winston R. , Rubin P. , Walker A. , Dalpiaz P. , Damiani C. , Fiorini M. , Martini M. , Petrucci F. , Savrié M. , Scarpa M. , Wahl H. , Baldini W. , Cotta Ramusino A. , Gianoli A. , Calvetti M. , Celeghini E. , Iacopini E. , Lenti M. , Ruggiero G. , Bizzeti A. , Veltri M. , Behler M. , Eppard K. , Hita-Hochgesand M. , Kleinknecht K. , Marouelli P. , Masetti L. , Moosbrugger U. , Morales Morales C. , Renk B. , Wache M. , Wanke R. , Winhart A. , Coward D. , Dabrowski A. , Fonseca Martin T. , Shieh M. , Szleper M. , Velasco M. , Wood M. D. , Anzivino G. , Imbergamo E. , Nappi A. , Piccini M. , Raggi M. , Valdata-Nappi M. , Cenci P. , Pepe M. , Petrucci M. C. , Costantini F. , Doble N. , Fiorini L. , Giudici S. , Pierazzini G. , Sozzi M. , Venditti S. , Collazuol G. , Di Lella L. , Lamanna G. , Mannelli I. , Michetti A. , Cerri C. , Fantechi R. , Bloch-Devaux B. , Cheshkov C. , Chèze J. B. , De Beer M. , Derré J. , Marel G. , Mazzucato E. , Peyaud B. , Vallage B. , Holder M. , Ziolkowski M. , Bifani S. , Clemencic M. , Goy Lopez S. , Biino C. , Cartiglia N. , Marchetto F. , Dibon H. , Jeitler M. , Markytan M. , Mikulec I. , Neuhofer G. , Widhalm L. , Balev S. , Frabetti P. L. , Gersabeck E. , Goudzovski E. , Hristov P. , Kekelidze V. , Korotkova A. , Kozhuharov V. , Litov L. , Madigozhin D. , Molokanova N. , Polenkevich I. , Potrebenikov Yu. , Stoynev S. , Zinchenko A.
Published: March 2024

Abstract

The NA48/2 experiment at CERN reports the first observation of the K± → π0π0μ±ν decay based on a sample of 2437 candidates with 15% background contamination collected in 2003–2004. The decay branching ratio in the kinematic region of the squared dilepton mass above 0.03 GeV2/c4 is measured to be (0.65 ± 0.03) × 10−6. The extrapolation to the full kinematic space, using a specific model, is found to be (3.45 ± 0.16) × 10−6, in agreement with chiral perturbation theory predictions.
Patient-reported symptoms before adjuvant locoregional radiotherapy for breast cancer: triple-negative histology impacts the symptom burden
Authors: Nieder Carsten , Johnsen Silje K. , Winther Annette M. , Mannsåker Bård
Published: March 2024

Background

Multimodal breast cancer treatment may cause side effects reflected in patient-reported outcomes and/or symptom scores at the time of treatment planning for adjuvant radiotherapy. In our department, all patients have been assessed with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS; a questionnaire addressing 11 major symptoms and wellbeing on a numeric scale of 0–10) at the time of treatment planning since 2016. In this study, we analyzed ESAS symptom severity before locoregional radiotherapy.

Patients and methods

Retrospective review of 132 patients treated between 2016 and 2021 (all comers in breast-conserving or post-mastectomy settings, different radiotherapy fractionations) was performed. All ESAS items and the ESAS point sum were analyzed to identify subgroups with higher symptom burden and thus need for additional care measures.

Results

The biggest patient-reported issues were fatigue, pain, and sleep problems. Patients with triple negative breast cancer reported a higher symptom burden (mean 30 versus 20, p = 0.038). Patients assigned to adjuvant endocrine therapy had the lowest point sum (mean 18), followed by those on Her-2-targeting agents without chemotherapy (mean 19), those on chemotherapy with or without other drugs (mean 26), and those without systemic therapy (mean 41), p = 0.007. Those with pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant treatment had significantly lower anxiety scores (mean 0.7 versus 1.8, p = 0.03) and a trend towards lower depression scores, p = 0.09.

Conclusion

Different surgical strategies, age, and body mass index did not impact on ESAS scores, while the type of adjuvant systemic therapy did. The effect of previous neoadjuvant treatment and unfavorable tumor biology (triple negative) emerged as important factors associated with symptom burden, albeit in different domains. ESAS data may facilitate identification of patients who should be considered for additional supportive measures to alleviate specific symptoms.
Two-field mixed hp-finite elements for time-dependent problems in the refined theories of thermodynamics
Authors: Tóth Balázs , Molnár Zsombor , Kovács Róbert
Published: March 2024

Modern manufacturing technologies allow heterogeneous materials with complex inner structures (e.g., foams) to be easily produced. However, their utilization is not straightforward, as the classical constitutive laws are not necessarily valid. According to various experimental observations, the Guyer–Krumhansl equation is a promising candidate for modeling such complex structures. However, practical applications need a reliable and efficient algorithm capable of handling both complex geometries and advanced heat equations. In the present paper, we derive new two-field variational formulations which treat the temperature and the heat flux as independent field variables, and we develop new, advanced hp-type mixed finite element methods, which can be reliably applied. We investigate their convergence properties for various situations, challenging in relation to stability and the treatment of fast propagation speeds. That algorithm is also proved to be outstandingly efficient, providing solutions four magnitudes faster than commercial algorithms.
Effects of process intensification on homogeneity of an IgG1:κ monoclonal antibody during perfusion culture
Authors: Liang George , Madhavarao Chikkathur N. , Morris Caitlin , O’Connor Thomas , Ashraf Muhammad , Yoon Seongkyu
Published: March 2024

The pharmaceutical industry employs various strategies to improve cell productivity. These strategies include process intensification, culture media improvement, clonal selection, media supplementation and genetic engineering of cells. However, improved cell productivity has inherent risk of impacting product quality attributes (PQA). PQAs may affect the products’ efficacy via stability, bioavailability, or in vivo bioactivity. Variations in manufacturing process may introduce heterogeneity in the products by altering the type and extent of N-glycosylation, which is a PQA of therapeutic proteins. We investigated the effect of different cell densities representing increasing process intensification in a perfusion cell culture on the production of an IgG1-κ monoclonal antibody from a CHO-K1 cell line. This antibody is glycosylated both on light chain and heavy chain. Our results showed that the contents of glycosylation of IgG1-κ mAb increased in G0F and fucosylated type glycans as a group, whereas sialylated type glycans decreased, for the mAb whole protein. Overall, significant differences were observed in amounts of G0F, G1F, G0, G2FS1, and G2FS2 type glycans across all process intensification levels. G2FS2 and G2 type N-glycans were predominantly quantifiable from light chain rather than heavy chain. It may be concluded that there is a potential impact to product quality attributes of therapeutic proteins during process intensification via perfusion cell culture that needs to be assessed. Since during perfusion cell culture the product is collected throughout the duration of the process, lot allocation needs careful attention to process parameters, as PQAs are affected by the critical process parameters (CPPs).

Key points

• Molecular integrity may suffer with increasing process intensity.

• Galactosylated and sialylated N-glycans may decrease.

• Perfusion culture appears to maintain protein charge structure.
Intramuscular endometriosis of the forearm: a case report
Authors: Smith Kira L. , He Lulu , Adhya Julie , Ercolano Lisa
Published: March 2024

Endometriosis is a disorder that commonly affects females of reproductive age and is defined as the presence of endometrial glands or stroma outside the uterine cavity. Patients typically present with cyclical pain during menses. Endometriosis can be characterized as endopelvic or extrapelvic depending on the sites involved. We report a case of a 40-year-old, right-hand-dominant, female who presented with a painful mass in her right proximal forearm. She was ultimately diagnosed with intramuscular endometriosis and underwent surgical excision.
The longitudinal follow-up of a newly proposed OCTA imaging finding (SSPiM) and the importance of it as a new biomarker for treatment response in diabetic macular edema
Authors: Genç Gülsüm , Yanık Özge , Demirel Sibel , Batioglu Figen , Özmert Emin
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of SSPiM (suspended scattering particles in motion), systemic risk factors, ocular findings, progression characteristics, and treatment response in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients.

Methods

In this prospective study, a total of 109 eyes of 109 patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were included. Demographic characteristics and systemic data of the patients were recorded. In addition to a detailed ophthalmological examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) imaging were performed. According to the OCTA images, the patients were divided into two categories: SSPiM detected (SSPiM +) and undetected (SSPiM −). The patients were followed up at 0, 3, and 6 months. Treatment responses at 6 months in treatment-administered patients with and without SSPiM were examined.

Results

The frequency of SSPiM in DME cases was found to be 34.9%. No significant correlation was found between SSPiM and demographic characteristics, systemic, and biochemical parameters (p > 0.05). It was observed that SSPIM was most frequently localized in the outer nuclear layer adjacent to the outer plexiform (81.6%). SSPiM appearance disappeared in 7 (19.4%) of 36 patients with SSPiM who had regular follow-up for 6 months. In 4 (11.1%) of these seven patients, hard exudate plaques developed in the areas where SSPiM disappeared. Regarding treatment response at 6 months, the decrease in CMT was statistically significantly lower in the SSPiM group compared to cases without SSPiM.

Conclusion

SSPiM is a finding seen in approximately one-third of DME patients and may adversely affect the response to the treatment.
How beech provenance affects the structure of secondary xylem, leaf traits, and the ectomycorrhizal community under optimal growth conditions
Authors: Mrak Tanja , Gričar Jožica , Unuk Nahberger Tina , Božič Gregor , Krajnc Luka , Prislan Peter , Arnič Domen , Levanič Tom , Kraigher Hojka
Published: March 2024

Key message

Provenance controls conductive area of stem secondary xylem, leaf area, and stable isotope (C, N, and O) ratios of beech leaves, while no significant effects were observed for ectomycorrhizal community composition.

Beyond growth parameters and drought tolerance, comparatively little is known about the functioning of different beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provenances. We investigated properties of leaves, stem secondary xylem, and ectomycorrhiza (ECM), and explored their interdependencies to identify the best performing beech provenance in optimal growth conditions. The study was conducted on 23-year-old trees in a provenance trial. The investigated provenances originated from Atlantic (Belgium—BE), Alpine (Italy—IT, Slovenia—SI), and continental climates (the Czech Republic—CZ). A significant effect of provenance was observed for stem vessel diameters and conductive area, as well as for foliar %C, δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O. δ13C as a proxy of intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) showed that the highest iWUE was achieved in BE provenance. Individuals with a better iWUE had wider growth rings regardless of provenance. Better iWUE was associated with lower specific leaf area (SLA). ECM community composition and diversity indices did not differ significantly among the provenances. Specific ECM taxa were associated with individuals with high SLA, δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O. In optimal growth conditions with no stress events, BE is a promising provenance due to an efficient water conducting system with high vessel diameters and conductive area, and high iWUE, while Alpine provenances showed an adaptation of their water conducting system to freezing conditions at their original locations. Integrating findings from different compartments improves our understanding of functioning of different beech provenances.
Balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths and dermatological diseases: a systematic review
Authors: Protano Carmela , Vitali Matteo , De Giorgi Andrea , Marotta Daniela , Crucianelli Serena , Fontana Mario
Published: March 2024

Balneotherapy includes practices and methods using medically and legally recognized mineral-medicinal waters, muds and natural gases from natural springs for therapeutic purposes. One of the most widely used method in balneotherapy is bathing with thermal mineral water. In the course of the years, scientific community has produced an increasing number of evidences that this practice is an effective method for treating signs and symptoms of several pathologies such as rheumatic, cardiovascular and dermatological diseases. This systematic review is aimed at evaluating the effect of balneotherapy with thermal water baths as a treatment to manage signs and symptoms of patients affected by all types of dermatological diseases. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement, and its protocol was registered on PROSPERO platform (CRD42022295913). The research was performed on the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane. We included clinical trials evaluating the effects of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths for managing dermatological diseases in humans, published in English and Italian language. Eight studies were included, seven of them enrolled adults affected by psoriasis and one studied atopic dermatitis patients. The common result of all the articles included was a clear improvement of signs and symptoms of psoriasis and eczematous diseases after use of thermal mineral water baths. These effects seem to be strictly related to physical and chemical properties of thermal water used for balneotherapy. However, studies in this field are still limited to support robust evidence of the effectiveness of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths and often their quality is low. Thus, new clinical studies need to be carried out, using more correct methods for conducting the studies and for processing statistical data.
Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to personalise follow-up care of ovarian cancer: what do patients think? A qualitative interview study
Authors: Seeratan Dachel D. , van Schuylenburch Robin G. , van Lonkhuijzen Luc R. C. W. , Aarts Johanna W. M.
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore ovarian cancer patients’ preferences regarding follow-up care and, in particular, the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as an approach to personalise follow-up care.

Methods

Between May and June 2021, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ovarian cancer patients, who had finished their primary treatment at least 6 months prior and were receiving follow-up care at our centre. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. A thematic flow chart was created describing interacting themes.

Results

Seventeen patients were interviewed, of which 11 were familiar with PROMs. Two key themes emerged from the data: the need for reassurance and the wish for personalised care. A follow-up scheme using PROMs was identified as a separate theme with the potential to personalise care. Several barriers and facilitators of PROMs were mentioned.

Conclusions

Ovarian cancer patients have a desire for personalised follow-up care and seek reassurance. PROMs may be able to support both of these needs. Future research is needed to determine the most effective, patient-centred way to implement them.

Implications for cancer survivors

By understanding what patients’ preferences are regarding follow-up care, more initiatives can be set up to personalise follow-up care, through which patient anxiety and dissatisfaction can be reduced.
Even imprudent risk lovers may engage in precautionary saving
Authors: Sorge Marco M.
Published: March 2024

Recent developments in dynamic consumption theory have shown that risk-loving agents, much like their risk-averse analogues, can exhibit downside risk aversion (prudence) and thus demand precautionary savings. I complement this finding by showing that risk-seeking preferences also magnify the role of natural borrowing limits in shaping consumers’ behavior, causing risk lovers to increase savings against income uncertainty in cases where risk averters would not: even imprudent risk lovers may engage in precautionary saving.
Development of a rimless wheel robot with telescopic legs for step adaptability
Authors: Hanazawa Yuta , Uchino Yuhi , Sagara Shinichi
Published: March 2024

In this study, we developed a rimless wheel robot with elastic telescopic legs that can overcome steps. Numerical studies have shown that a rimless wheel robot with elastic telescopic legs has high adaptability to steps. However, rimless wheel robots that can walk in environments with steps have not yet been developed. To develop a rimless wheel robot that could overcome the steps, we initially developed a three-dimensional model of the robot through Unity software and simulated its walking on level ground and surfaces with steps. Then, we determined the optimal elasticity of the elastic telescopic legs through numerical simulation and constructed a model with optimized parameters. Finally, we conducted the walking experiments employing the developed robot. The robot can walk on level ground and surfaces with steps.
Factors affecting responsiveness of vadadustat in patients with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease: a post-hoc subgroup analysis of Japanese phase 3 randomized studies
Authors: Nangaku Masaomi , Ueta Kiichiro , Nishimura Kenichi , Sasaki Kazuyo , Hashimoto Takafumi
Published: March 2024

Background

Vadadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor developed for treating anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The purpose of this post-hoc analysis was to investigate the factors affecting the responsiveness to vadadustat in anemia patients with nondialysis-dependent (NDD) or hemodialysis-dependent (HDD) CKD in two Japanese phase 3 studies.

Methods

Of 151 and 162 patients enrolled in NDD-CKD and HDD-CKD studies, 136 and 140 patients, respectively, were included and divided into subgroups for the analysis. To assess vadadustat responsiveness, the resistance index was defined as the mean body weight-adjusted dose of vadadustat (mg/kg) at weeks 20–24 divided by the mean hemoglobin (g/dL) at weeks 20–24. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the variables affecting the resistance index.

Results

Independent factors identified as determinants for better response to vadadustat were as follows: high baseline hemoglobin, low baseline eGFR, high week-20–24 ferritin, and CKD not caused by autoimmune disease/glomerulonephritis/vasculitis in NDD-CKD; and male sex, high baseline C-reactive protein, and low baseline erythropoiesis-stimulating agent resistance index (ERI) in HDD-CKD.

Conclusions

In this post-hoc analysis, several factors were identified as affecting the response to vadadustat. These results may provide useful information leading to an appropriate dose modification for vadadustat.

Clinical trial registration

NCT03329196 (MT-6548-J01) and NCT03439137 (MT-6548-J03).
Mastering data privacy: leveraging K-anonymity for robust health data sharing
Authors: Karagiannis Stylianos , Ntantogian Christoforos , Magkos Emmanouil , Tsohou Aggeliki , Ribeiro Luís Landeiro
Published: March 2024

In modern healthcare systems, data sources are highly integrated, and the privacy challenges are becoming a paramount concern. Despite the critical importance of privacy preservation in safeguarding sensitive and private information across various domains, there is a notable deficiency of learning and training material for privacy preservation. In this research, we present a k-anonymity algorithm explicitly for educational purposes. The development of the k-anonymity algorithm is complemented by seven validation tests, that have also been used as a basis for constructing five learning scenarios on privacy preservation. The outcomes of this research provide a practical understanding of a well-known privacy preservation technique and extends the familiarity of k-anonymity and the fundamental concepts of privacy protection to a broader audience.
Rüppell’s Vulture (Gyps rueppelli): a new vulture species for Europe?
Authors: Onrubia Alejandro , Torralvo Carlos , Morandini Virginia , Ferrer Miguel
Published: March 2024

The Rüppell's Vulture, formerly restricted to a strictly African distribution, has recently been classified as a Critically Endangered species worldwide. However, in recent decades, observations of the species in Europe, particularly in the south of Spain, have been on the rise. In this study, we conduct a diagnosis of the situation of this species in southern Europe through the analysis of the Sahel Precipitation Index (SPI) and Griffon Vulture autumn migration counts as quantitative measures, with the aim of identifying possible drivers of these changes and population trends. The analyses demonstrated that a number of Griffon Vultures during autumn passage through the Strait of Gibraltar, together with Sahel precipitation anomalies from the previous year, are the best predictors of the number of Rüppell's Vultures during autumn passage through the same strait in the following year, explaining 68.7% of the variance. The proportion of Griffon Vultures in the Sahel has markedly increased as populations of other vultures have declined. Under these circumstances, it seems more than likely that Rüppell's Vultures would be prone to moving to Europe, following Griffon Vultures. This effect has also been favored by increases in number of raining days and floods in the Sahel due to climate change, which can lead to escapes of Rüppell's Vultures outside their usual ranges. Under these circumstances, it appears likely that the Rüppell's Vulture will soon become a new species among European vultures.
The ‘bIUreactor’: An Open-Source 3D Tissue Research Platform
Authors: Butch Elizabeth , Prideaux Matthew , Holland Mark , Phan Justin-Thuy , Trent Cole , Soon Victor , Hutchins Gary , Smith Lester
Published: March 2024

We developed the open-source bIUreactor research platform for studying 3D structured tissues. The versatile and modular platform allows a researcher to generate 3D tissues, culture them with oxygenated perfusion, and provide cyclic loading, all in their own lab (in laboratorium) for an all in cost of $8,000 including 3D printer, printing resin, and electronics. We achieved this by applying a design philosophy that leverages 3D printing, open-source software and hardware, and practical techniques to produce the following: 1. perfusible 3D tissues, 2. a bioreactor chamber for tissue culture, 3. a module for applying cyclic compression, 4. a peristaltic pump for providing oxygenated perfusion to 3D tissues, 5. motor control units, and 6. open-source code for running the control units. By making it widely available for researchers to investigate 3D tissue models and easy for them to use, we intend for the bIUreactor to democratize 3D tissue research, therefore increasing the pace and scale of biomedical research discoveries using 3D tissue models.
The Lived Experiences of African American Women in Natural Recovery: Re-Envisioning the Role of Counselors
Authors: Blount Taheera N. , Prosek Elizabeth A. , King Kelly , Brookins Craig , Fitzpatrick David C.
Published: March 2024

Recovery from substance misuse is complex and requires an individual’s desire and readiness for change. Specifically, for African Americans, additional factors such as social equity and access to culturally responsive treatments can complicate the recovery process. In this secondary analysis of a transcendental qualitative phenomenological study, researchers explored how eight African-American women navigated their change process in natural recovery. Researchers identified the following emergent themes: (a) focused on the drug; (b) engagement in risky behavior; (c) desire to be free; (d) Damascus Road experience; (e) plea to higher power; (d) geographical cure; (e) self-liberation in commitment; and (f) new associations. Findings are conceptualized through the Transtheoretical Model framework. Implications emphasize the importance of counselors’ outreach role in their communities.
The Lived Experience of Adult Women with Psychosocial Disability in Uganda
Authors: Isiko Jennifer , Singhani Sunder , Urkmez Bilal
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of women with psychosocial disability in Uganda. The findings from 11 in-depth interviews conducted highlighted three themes featuring risk factors, protective factors, and proposed interventions to respond to the needs of women with psychosocial disability from the perspective of the women with lived experience. There are two major implications of this study. The first implication is that people in the helping profession can integrate the voices of the people who are directly affected by psychosocial disability to design interventions that are tailored to suit their needs. The second implication regards advocacy. Mental health professionals can use the stories shared by the participants to reinforce advocacy initiatives to mitigate the negative impact of psychosocial disability. Additionally, the findings can support people in the mental health profession, educators, and mental health policy designers in making informed decisions regarding interventions for people with psychosocial disability in limited resource settings like Uganda.
Metric learning for monotonic classification: turning the space up to the limits of monotonicity
Authors: Suárez Juan Luis , González-Almagro Germán , García Salvador , Herrera Francisco
Published: March 2024

This paper presents, for the first time, a distance metric learning algorithm for monotonic classification. Monotonic datasets arise in many real-world applications, where there exist order relations in the input and output variables, and the outputs corresponding to ordered pairs of inputs are also expected to be ordered. Monotonic classification can be addressed through several distance-based classifiers that are able to respect the monotonicity constraints of the data. The performance of distance-based classifiers can be improved with the use of distance metric learning algorithms, which are able to find the distances that best represent the similarities among each pair of data samples. However, learning a distance for monotonic data has an additional drawback: the learned distance may negatively impact the monotonic constraints of the data. In our work, we propose a new model for learning distances that does not corrupt these constraints. This methodology will also be useful in identifying and discarding non-monotonic pairs of samples that may be present in the data due to noise. The experimental analysis conducted, supported by a Bayesian statistical testing, demonstrates that the distances obtained by the proposed method can enhance the performance of several distance-based classifiers in monotonic problems.
The impacts of AI futurism: an unfiltered look at AI's true effects on the climate crisis
Authors: Schütze Paul
Published: March 2024

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of AI technologies on the climate crisis beyond their mere resource consumption. To critically examine this impact, I introduce the concept of AI futurism. With this term I capture the ideology behind AI, and argue that this ideology is inherently connected to the climate crisis. This is because AI futurism construes a socio-material environment overly fixated on AI and technological progress, to the extent that it loses sight of the existential threats ahead. In that way, the perceived significance of the planetary reality is softened, and the unsustainable paths charted by the AI industry remain opaque. To make this argument the paper unfolds in two main sections. (1) It delves into the ideology of AI futurism and its discursive impact on the societal perception of the climate crisis. (2) It employs a materialist perspective to elucidate the tangible effects of the AI industry on the climate crisis, and to show what is going on behind the façade of AI futurism. Adding to a critical theory of AI and the climate crisis, this paper starts a realistic conversation about the challenges posed by the intersection of these transformations.
The influence of La and Ce additions on the solidification of alloys from the Al–Fe system
Authors: Vončina Maja , Medved Jožef , Steinacher Matej , Ozimič Klavdija
Published: March 2024

Aluminium alloys are popular in modern applications due to their lightweight, high strength and ductility. Alloys in the 8xxx series have similar properties to those in the 1xxx series, but are stronger, are more malleable and have higher stiffness. The addition of rare earths (RE) can refine the as-cast microstructure and, as a result, can increase the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of aluminium alloys at room and high temperatures. The effects of rare earth (Ce and/or La) additions to Al-1.4Fe alloys were investigated. Thermal analysis of the solidification behaviour of the reference alloy showed the occurrence of three reactions corresponding to the formation of α-Al, eutectic (α-Al + AlxFey) and Fe intermetallics, respectively. The results showed similar reactions for the Ce- and/or La-modified alloy, but at slightly different temperatures, indicating a change in the forming phases due to the addition of Ce and/or La. In all cases, the microstructures were typically hypoeutectic, consisting of the primary α-Al and the eutectic (α-Al + AlxFey). The effect of grain refinement of the primary α-Al grains of the as-cast alloy was observed by the addition of RE, while La showed the strongest effect. The effect of the RE additions showed no obvious differences in the morphology of the eutectic AlxFey, although they were present in these phases. When Ce and/or La were added, (α-Al + Al11Ce3) and/or (α-Al + Al11La3) eutectics were formed, while Fe was not detected in these eutectics.
Compensation for Historic Injustice: Does it Matter how the Victims Respond?
Authors: Miller David
Published: March 2024

When states are required to compensate victim groups for the historic wrongs they have committed, how should the compensation due be calculated? It seems that alongside the counterfactual world in which the wrongdoing never occurred, we should also consider the counterfactual world in which the wrongdoing has occurred, but the victims have responded to it in a prudent way. Under tort law, the damages a victim can claim are reduced if they are judged to have been contributorily negligent, thereby exacerbating the harm they have suffered. The paper considers four reasons why victim groups could not be expected to respond collectively to injustice in a way that outsiders might judge to be prudent. 1. The wrongdoing has destroyed their capacity to act as a group agent. 2. The wrongdoing has inflicted psychological traumas that lead them to make poor decisions. 3. They would need to violate a moral norm that is deeply embedded in their culture. 4. They would need to adopt policies that risk inflicting severe injustice on an internal minority. In many instances of historic injustice, one or more of these reasons apply. So although in principle victims’ behaviour is relevant when compensation is being calculated, we must be very cautious in using that doctrine to assess real cases.
An intelligent sequential fraud detection model based on deep learning
Authors: Zioviris Georgios , Kolomvatsos Kostas , Stamoulis George
Published: March 2024

Fraud detection and prevention has received a lot of attention from the research community due to its high impact on financial institutions’ revenues and reputation. The increased use of the web and the provision of online services open up the pathway for exposing these systems to numerous threats and jeopardizing their effective functioning. Naturally, financial frauds are increased in number and form imposing various requirements for their efficient and immediate detection. These requirements are related to the performance of the adopted models as well as the timely response of the decision-making mechanism. Machine learning and data mining are two research domains that can provide a number of techniques/algorithms for fraud detection and setup the road for mitigation actions. However, these methods still need to be improved with respect to the detection of unknown fraud patterns and the incorporation of big data processing mechanisms. This paper presents our attempt to build a hybrid system, i.e., a sequential scheme for combining two deep learning models and efficiently detecting potential financial frauds. We elaborate on the combination of an autoencoder and a Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network trained upon datasets which are processed through the use of an oversampling technique. Oversampling is adopted to handle heavily imbalanced datasets which is the ‘natural’ scenario due to the limited number of frauds compared to the humongous volumes of transactions. The proposed approach tends to capture much more fraud events in comparison with other conventional ML techniques. Our experimental evaluation exposes that our model exhibits a good performance in terms of recall and precision.
A new derivation of the Nakagami-m distribution as a composite of the Rayleigh distribution
Authors: Gómez-Déniz Emilio , Gómez-Déniz Luis
Published: March 2024

Mobile communications systems are affected by what is known as fading, which is a well-known problem largely studied for decades. The direct consequence of fading is the complete loss of signal (or a large decrease of the received power). Rayleigh fading is a reasonable model for wireless channels although, Nakagami-m distribution seems better suited to fitting experimental data. In this paper we obtain the Nakagami-m distribution as a composite (mixture) of the Rayleigh distribution, a result which as far as we know it has not been shown in the literature. This representation of the Nakagami-m distribution facilitates computations of the average BER (Bit Error Rate) for DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying) and MSK (Minimum-Shift Keying) modulations for this distribution and higher moments of them, which is of great applicability to modeling wireless fading channels. Furthermore, a simple, not depending on any special function, apart of the Gamma function, bivariate version of the Nakagami-m distribution is also proposed as a special case of the multivariate version which is also presented. The proposed composite distribution is simulated through the standard procedure of summation of phasors, and results for the new closed-form measures for the MSK modulation are also shown. From that it is clear that the alternative formulation of the Nakagami-m distribution allows for easier modeling of fading fading-shadowing wireless channels through the new explicit second order statistics metrics. is well suited for modelling fading-shadowing wireless channels.
Mesenchymale Tumoren im Gastrointestinaltrakt
Authors: Wardelmann Eva , Falkenberg Kim , Hartmann Wolfgang
Published: March 2024

Mesenchymale Tumoren im Gastrointestinaltrakt sind deutlich seltener als epitheliale Neoplasien. Am häufigsten handelt es sich um gastrointestinale Stromatumoren, die allerdings von diversen anderen Tumorentitäten abgegrenzt werden müssen. Die verschiedenen Liniendifferenzierungen decken das gesamte Spektrum der aktuellen Klassifikation der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) für Weichgewebstumoren aus dem Jahr 2020 ab. So sind myogene und neurogene Tumoren ebenso anzutreffen wie vaskuläre, perizytäre, adipozytäre und translokationsassoziierte Neoplasien, letztere sind aufgrund ihrer erst kürzlichen Erstbeschreibung, teilweise noch nicht in der WHO-Klassifikation vertreten. Die folgende Übersicht liefert hierzu einen Überblick inklusive der relevanten diagnostischen Vorgehensweise.
Preparation and Characterization of 3D Printed Objects Based on Different Kefir Gels
Authors: Ok Selçuk , Yilmaz Emin , Demirel Zorba Nükhet Nilüfer
Published: March 2024

In this study, kefir-containing healthy snacks were produced by using 3D food printing technique. Although kefir has many important health benefits, its consumption is quite low. It was thought that kefir-containing snacks in attractive shapes produced with a 3D food printer could increase the kefir consumption. For this purpose, disintegrated kefir gels prepared with starch, gelatin and alginate were used as inks. First, the minimum gelation concentration (C*) of each gelator was determined. Then, disintegrated gels with concentrations of C*, C*+1%, and C*+2% were prepared with each gelator and the effect of gelator concentration on printing quality was investigated for each gelator. Printing quality was associated with storage modulus, loss factor and flow behavior, and the minimum gelator concentration required for a suitable formulation for 3D printing (highest printability and dimensional stability) was determined as 5%, 6% and 3% for starch, gelatin and alginate, respectively. Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp. contents of the starch-based sample were found to be significantly lower than those of fresh kefir and gelatin and alginate-based samples. Sensory properties and consumer appreciation were lower for the gelatin-based sample. Due to the high printing quality (98% printability and 99% dimensional stability), high probiotic content (7.81 and 8.13 log cfu/ml Lactobacillus spp. and Lactococcus spp. content, respectively) and high consumer appreciation (4.71 out of 5 for general acceptance), alginate-based sample (containing 3% alginate) was chosen as the best sample. In conclusion, new, chewable, alive, alternative kefir products were successfully developed for consumers seeking new ways of kefir consumption.