bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Port-Hamiltonian descriptor systems are relative generically controllable and stabilizable
Authors: Ilchmann Achim , Kirchhoff Jonas , Schaller Manuel
Published: June 2024

The present work is a successor of Ilchmann and Kirchhoff (Math Control Signals Syst 33:359–377, 2021) on generic controllability and of Ilchmann and Kirchhoff (Math Control Signals Syst 35:45–76, 2022) on relative generic controllability of linear differential-algebraic equations. We extend the result from general, unstructured differential-algebraic equations to differential-algebraic equations of port-Hamiltonian type. We derive results on relative genericity. These findings are the basis for characterizing relative generic controllability of port-Hamiltonian systems in terms of dimensions. A similar result is proved for relative generic stabilizability.
EGMR-Klimaurteil und EU-Umweltgesetzgebung: die EU-RenaturierungsVO
Authors: Frenz Walter
Published: June 2024

Das EGMR-Klimaurteil vom 9.4.2024 ist genauso bahnbrechend wie der BVerfG-Klimabeschluss und geht
weiter, indem es die Bekämpfung der Klimafolgen und daher die heutigen Lebensumstände etwa in
Form von Hitzewellen gleichgewichtig herausarbeitet. Dadurch ist zugleich der Bezug zum Naturschutz viel
enger, wie anhand der immer noch nicht verabschiedeten EU-RenaturierungsVO dargestellt wird. Tiefergehend
werden die Perspektiven für die EU-Umweltgesetzgebung aufgezeigt, obwohl die EU kein Vertragsstaat
der EMRK ist: Auch für sie hat aber spätestens jetzt ein EU-Klimagrundrecht zu gelten (Art. 52
Abs. 3 EGRC).
Problem Solving in Dance/Movement Therapy Research: Developing an Intervention Protocol for Adults Living with Treatment Resistant Depression
Authors: Christopher Neha
Published: June 2024

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) research requires creative and innovative thinking; this paper includes two parts demonstrating this. Part one describes and delves into the creative problem solving process undertaken over 2.5 years. Four main steps were followed towards developing an intervention session plan for a first-of-its-kind DMT study in treatment resistant depression: (i) Examining pre-existing knowledge: Reviewing insights gained from clinical practice and formal literature. (ii) Assessing the need for preliminary studies: This step demonstrates how to determine and navigate the potential need for preliminary studies in novel research. (iii) Integrating existing and new research: I discuss Watson’s (Watson, Sociological Research Online 25:66–83, 2020) braiding technique and how it may help integrate insights from steps one and two. (iv) Reviewing outputs: This includes examining the developed session plan by conducting a fidelity and biases check. Each step presents reflective questions that ultimately contributed towards protocol development. The questions listed may also be a beneficial guide to novice DMT researchers embarking on novel research.
Long-term patterns and mechanisms of plant invasions in forests: the role of forest age and land-use history
Authors: Jones Chad C. , Yamamoto Matthew H.
Published: June 2024

It has become increasingly apparent that even mature forests are susceptible to plant invasions. However, invasive plants are often more abundant in younger forest stands. It is difficult to disentangle possible mechanisms that would explain this pattern due to the scarcity of long-term studies in successional forests. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain patterns of invasions as forests age, including biotic resistance, window of opportunity, historical legacies, and invasion debt. We explored patterns and potential mechanisms of plant invasions over 70 years in a regenerating forest with different land-use histories in the Bolleswood Natural Area, Connecticut, USA. We examined how environmental factors related to colonization patterns of invasive and non-invasive introduced species over time, and whether these patterns were consistent with the proposed mechanisms. Non-invasive introduced species declined rapidly with canopy closure, while many invasive plants persisted or even increased over time as the forest aged. Colonization was focused in younger post-agricultural areas, although this declined with time. Dispersal distance, soil conditions, and land-use history played important roles in patterns of colonization, while the effect of shading was less clear. There was some evidence for each mechanism, but the relative importance of each mechanism was species-dependent, making generalizations about how invasive plants invade forests difficult. We found that land-use history impacted invasion more strongly than forest age, but over time even mature forests were slowly being invaded by some species. Thus, invasive species management may be required even in mature forests.
The Impact of Foreign Stock Market Indices on Predictions Volatility of the WIG20 Index Rates of Return Using Neural Networks
Authors: Fraszka-Sobczyk Emilia , Zakrzewska Aleksandra
Published: June 2024

The paper investigates the issue of volatility of stock index returns on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WIG20 index returns volatility). The purpose of this review is to compare how other stock market indexes as HANG SENG, NIKKEI 225, FTSE 250, DAX, S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 influance the volatility of WIG20 index returns. The innovation of this work is the usage of a new neural network with three different activation functions to predict future volatility of WIG20 index returns. The input for this network is the last 3 values of WIG20 index returns volatility and the last 3 values of one of the considered foreign index returns volatility. As measurements for the best forecasting performance of neural networks are taken common used forecast errors: ME (mean error), MPE (mean percentage error), MAE (mean absolute error), MAPE (mean absolute percentage error), RMSE (root mean square error). The study shows that the Polish stock market is mainly influenced by the European and US markets.
Cultivar-Specific Defense Responses in Wild and Cultivated Squash Induced by Belowground and Aboveground Herbivory
Authors: Ye Wenfeng , Di Caprio Leandro , Bruno Pamela , Jaccard Charlyne , Bustos-Segura Carlos , Arce Carla C. M. , Benrey Betty
Published: June 2024

Plant domestication often alters plant traits, including chemical and physical defenses against herbivores. In squash, domestication leads to reduced levels of cucurbitacins and leaf trichomes, influencing interactions with insects. However, the impact of domestication on inducible defenses in squash remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the chemical and physical defensive traits of wild and domesticated squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma), and compared their responses to belowground and aboveground infestation by the root-feeding larvae and the leaf-chewing adults of the banded cucumber beetle Diabrotica balteata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Wild populations contained cucurbitacins in roots and cotyledons but not in leaves, whereas domesticated varieties lacked cucurbitacins in all tissues. Belowground infestation by D. balteata larvae did not increase cucurbitacin levels in the roots but triggered the expression of cucurbitacin biosynthetic genes, irrespective of domestication status, although the response varied among different varieties. Conversely, whereas wild squash had more leaf trichomes than domesticated varieties, the induction of leaf trichomes in response to herbivory was greater in domesticated plants. Leaf herbivory varied among varieties but there was a trend of higher leaf damage on wild squash than domesticated varieties. Overall, squash plants responded to both belowground and aboveground herbivory by activating chemical defense-associated gene expression in roots and upregulating their physical defense in leaves, respectively. While domestication suppressed both chemical and physical defenses, our findings suggest that it may enhance inducible defense mechanisms by increasing trichome induction in response to herbivory.
Developing diverse ensemble architectures for automatic brain tumor classification
Authors: Bogacsovics Gergo , Harangi Balazs , Hajdu Andras
Published: June 2024

Brain tumors pose a serious threat in our modern society, with a clear increase in global cases each year. Therefore, developing robust solutions that could automatically and reliably detect brain tumors in their early stages is of utmost importance. In our paper, we revisit the problem of building performant ensembles for clinical usage by maximizing the diversity of the member models during the training procedure. We present an improved, more robust, extended version of our framework and propose solutions that could be integrated into a Computer-Aided Diagnosis system to accurately classify some of the most common types of brain tumors: meningioma, glioma, and pituitary tumors. We show that the new framework based on the histogram loss can be seen as a natural extension of the former approach, as it also calculates the inner products of the latent vectors produced by each member to measure similarity, but at the same time, it also makes it possible to capture more complex patterns. We also present several variants of our framework to incorporate member models with varying dimensional feature vectors and to cope with imbalanced datasets. We evaluate our solutions on a clinically tested dataset of 3,064 T1-weighted contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images and show that they greatly outperform other state-of-the-art approaches and the base architectures as well, achieving over 92% accuracy, 92% macro and weighted precision, 91% macro and 92% weighted $$F_{1}$$

F
1

score, and over 90% macro and 92% weighted sensitivity.
Quantum conference key agreement based on differential-phase-shift quantum key distribution
Authors: Inoue Kyo , Honjo Toshimori
Published: June 2024

A quantum conference key agreement (QCKA) protocol based on differential-phase-shift quantum key distribution is presented, which provides a common secret key for secure communication between more than two parties. In the proposed protocol, one party simultaneously broadcasts a weak coherent pulse train with {0, π} phases to multiple parties that measure the phase differences between adjacent pulses using a delay interferometer followed by photon detectors, and the transmitter and receivers share secret key bits from the coincident counts in the receivers. The system setup and operation are simpler than those of conventional QCKA schemes that use a multipartite quantum entanglement state. The key creation performance is evaluated by considering the eavesdropping probability. The results indicate that the proposed scheme offers better performance than the conventional entanglement-based QCKA system.
Gaussian processes for Bayesian inverse problems associated with linear partial differential equations
Authors: Bai Tianming , Teckentrup Aretha L. , Zygalakis Konstantinos C.
Published: June 2024

This work is concerned with the use of Gaussian surrogate models for Bayesian inverse problems associated with linear partial differential equations. A particular focus is on the regime where only a small amount of training data is available. In this regime the type of Gaussian prior used is of critical importance with respect to how well the surrogate model will perform in terms of Bayesian inversion. We extend the framework of Raissi et. al. (2017) to construct PDE-informed Gaussian priors that we then use to construct different approximate posteriors. A number of different numerical experiments illustrate the superiority of the PDE-informed Gaussian priors over more traditional priors.
Aerobic and anaerobic mineralisation of sediment organic matter in the tidal River Elbe
Authors: Gebert J. , Zander F.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

The share of microbially degradable sediment organic matter (SOM) and the degradation rate depend, among others, on the intrinsic properties of SOM as well as on the type and concentration of terminal electron acceptors (TEA). Next to its role as TEA, molecular oxygen enhances SOM decay by oxygenase-mediated breakdown of complex organic molecules. This research investigated long-term SOM decay (> 250 days) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to (1) provide a basis for sediment carbon flux estimates from the River Elbe estuary and (2) assess the potential for carbon burial in relation to redox conditions and dredging interventions.

Methods

Long-term aerobic and anaerobic SOM decay in fluid mud, pre-consolidated and consolidated sediment layers was investigated over three years along a transect of ca. 20 km through the Port of Hamburg, starting at the first hydrodynamically determined hotspot of sedimentation after the weir in Geesthacht. Absolute differences between aerobic and anaerobic cumulative carbon mineralization were calculated, as well as their ratio. Findings were correlated to a suite of solids and pore water properties.

Results

SOM decay followed first order multi-phase exponential decay kinetics. The ratio between C release under aerobic and anaerobic conditions ranged around 4 in the short-term, converging to a value of 2 in the long term. Strong gradients in absolute C release along the upstream–downstream transect did not reflect in a corresponding gradient of the aerobic-anaerobic ratio. C release was most strongly correlated to the water-soluble organic matter, in particular humic acids. Contact of anaerobically stabilized sediment with the oxygenated water phase induced significant release of carbon.

Conclusion

SOM degradability in the study area exhibited strong spatial gradients in relation to the organic matter source gradient but was mainly limited by the high extent of organic matter stabilization. Under these conditions, molecular oxygen as TEA provides little thermodynamic advantage. Carbon-sensitive sediment management, considering SOM reactivity patterns in stratified depositional areas, is a powerful strategy to reduce environmental impacts of dredging measures.
Cold Metal Transfer Welding of Ferritic and Austenitic Stainless Steel: Microstructural, Mechanical, and Electrochemical Studies
Authors: Gupta Santosh K. , Patil Awanikumar P. , Rathod Ramesh C. , Gupta Aman , Methani Hitesh , Tandon Vipin
Published: June 2024

In the present study, cold metal transfer arc welding was employed to weld the 304L austenitic stainless steel (ASS) and Ti-stabilized 439 ferritic stainless steel (FSS) using a 309L filler electrode. Dissimilar joints were prepared using low heat input (HI; W1 ~ 247 J/mm) and high HI (W2 ~ 282 J/mm). The solidification mode for both weldments were the ferritic-austenitic mode and the weld zone (WZ) regions of both the weldments consists of columnar austenites, lathy and skeletal ferrite phases. The interfaces between WZ and ASS base metal showed the unmixed zone, whereas a conventional heat-affected zone (HAZ) was formed between the WZ and FSS base metals. The formation of ferrite stringers were observed in the unmixed zone, whereas peppery features of chromium-rich carbides were observed in HAZ. Moreover, electron backscattered diffraction technique was used to distinguish the microstructural differences between W1 and W2 weldments. Increase in the HIs resulted in decreased ferrite fraction in WZ as well as decrease in the mechanical strength of the joints. The W1 weldment depicted higher values of average micro-hardness (WZ ≈ 334.32 HV) than W2 (WZ ≈ 310.92 HV)) weldment. The electrochemical behaviour of the weldments was analysed for both the base metals and WZ of weldments. The higher degree of sensitization (DOS ~ 9.24%) of W1-WZ showed lower intergranular corrosion resistance than W2-WZ (DOS ~ 7.77%), however, the opposite trend was observed for impedance and pitting resistance.
A Novel Fuzzy Model for Knowledge-Driven Process Optimization in Renewable Energy Projects
Authors: Huang Chicheng , Yüksel Serhat , Dinçer Hasan
Published: June 2024

This study is aimed at identifying key indicators to increase knowledge-based process optimization for renewable energy projects. Within this context, a novel fuzzy decision-making model is introduced that has two different stages. The first stage is related to the weighting of the knowledge-based determinants of process optimization in investment decisions by using quantum picture fuzzy rough sets (QPFR)-based multi-step wise weight assessment ratio analysis (M-SWARA). On the other side, the second stage consists of ranking the investment alternatives for process optimization in renewable energy projects via the QPFR-based technique for order preference by similarity (TOPSIS) methodology. The main contribution of this study is that a priority analysis is conducted for information-based factors affecting the performance of renewable energy projects. This situation provides an opportunity for the investments to implement appropriate strategies to increase the optimization of these investments. It is concluded that quality is the most essential indicator with respect to the process optimization of these projects. It can be possible to increase the efficiency of these projects by using better quality products. Innovation has an important role in ensuring the use of quality products in environmental sustainability. Owing to new technologies, it is easier to use more effective and innovative products. This condition also contributes to increasing the efficiency of the energy production process. Furthermore, the findings also denote that the most appropriate energy innovation alternative is the variety of clean energy sources. By focusing on different clean energy alternatives, the risk of interruptions in energy generation can be minimized. In other words, the negative impact of climatic conditions on energy production can be lowered significantly with the help of this situation.
Enhanced adsorption of lead (II) ions onto cellulose nanoparticles/chitosan composite based on loofah sponge: kinetic and thermodynamic studies
Authors: Matter E. A. , Hassan Asaad F. , Elfaramawy Nourhan M. , Esmail Ghada
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this work is to study the efficiency of lead ions removal via adsorption onto created solid nanomaterials. Three solid adsorbents were synthesized as cellulose nanoparticles (CN) extracted from plant loofah sponge using alkali treatment and acid hydrolysis techniques, chitosan beads (CZ), and cellulose nanoparticles/chitosan beads composite (CZC). The generated solid adsorbents were investigated using TGA, N2 adsorption/desorption, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD, and pHPZC. Based on our findings, CZC had a pHPZC of 7.2, a larger specific surface area (645.3 m2/g), and a total pore volume (0.372 cm3/g). The batch adsorption of lead ions was well-fitted by pseudo-second order, Elovich, Langmuir, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich on all the samples. Cellulose nanoparticles/chitosan composite had the highest Langmuir adsorption capacity (221.104 mg/g) at 47°C, 120 min as shaking time, 2 g/L as adsorbent dose, and pH 6.5. Nitric acid had the highest desorption percentage (92%). The thermodynamic investigation revealed that lead ion adsorption is endothermic, favorable, spontaneous, and physisorption. Our findings showed that CZC has a high adsorption capacity and rapid kinetics, indicating its potential for employment in water treatment.
Converting lignocellulosic biomass into mesoporous carbons for the assessment of single adsorption equilibrium: the competing role of moisture and temperature on gaseous benzene adsorption
Authors: Isinkaralar Kaan
Published: June 2024

For the present study, the activated carbon were obtained from Lotus corniculatus L. as waste biomass using carbonization at 700 °C and alkali potassium hydroxide (KOH) chemical activation technique. Single gaseous benzene (C6H6) adsorption (SGBA) experiments were performed to benchmark the efficiency of the L. corniculatus-derived activated carbons (LCACs), which were LCAC2 (609 m2 g−1, KOH 1:2 w/w), LCAC3 (742 m2 g−1, KOH 1:3 w/w), and LCAC4 (826 m2 g−1, KOH 1:4 w/w), respectively. Also, the physicochemical properties of LCACs were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and proximate-elemental assessment. The isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich) of C6H6 demonstrate the complex adaptation results of LCAC4 at different relative humidity (RH) levels, and Freundlich isotherm is highly suitable to C6H6/LCAC4 as multilayer adsorption. Kinetic behavior was also analyzed and showed that of C6H6 is well illustrated by the pseudo second order (PSOM). The C6H6 competitive adsorption of LCAC2, LCAC3, and LCAC4 at 25 °C + 0 RH%, 25 °C + 80 RH%, 45 °C + 0 RH%, and 45 °C + 80 RH% corresponds to reductions of 12.9–11.6%, 7.8–11.5%, and 9.9–18.4%. The LCAC4 is confirmed to be a perfect adsorbent in the elimination of a single gaseous stream at 45 °C + 0 RH%. Regeneration showed that the LCAC4 maintained more than 25% of the initial adsorption capacity after five repeated adsorption–desorption cycles. The promising properties of LCAC4 are recommended to be exploited for the other volatile organic compounds in the gas phase in indoor environments, under the best conditions.
Influence of state-of-the-art laboratory techniques on the phenotyping of women with polycystic ovary syndrome in the clinical setting
Authors: Luque-Ramírez M. , Martínez-García M. Á. , Insenser M. , Fernández-Durán E. , Quintero-Tobar A. , Fiers T. , Kaufman J-M. , García-Cano A. M. , Rosillo Coronado M. , Nattero-Chávez L. , Escobar-Morreale H. F.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Evidence-based guidelines for the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) recommend clinical laboratories use liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) for diagnosing biochemical hyperandrogenism. However, automated immunoassays are still mostly used in routine laboratories worldwide. Another hurdle for PCOS phenotyping in the clinical setting is ultrasound assessment of polycystic ovarian morphology. We address the impact of using state-of-the-art (LC–MS/MS) and of an anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) assay on the diagnosis of PCOS in routine practice.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, we included 359 premenopausal women consecutively evaluated because of symptoms of functional androgen excess or hyperandrogenemia, and finally diagnosed with PCOS. Patients were submitted to routine phenotyping based on serum androgen measurements by immunoassays and an ovarian ultrasound when necessary. Samples of all patients were also assayed by LC–MS/MS for hyperandrogenemia and for circulating AMH.

Results

The observed agreement between immunoassays and LC–MS/MS in identifying hyperandrogenemia was poor [78.0%; k(95%CI): 0.366 (0.283;0.449)]. The observed agreement between ultrasound and increased AMH was 27.3% [(95%CI): 0.060 (0.005; 0.115)]. Using LC–MS/MS changed PCOS phenotypes in 60(15.8%) patients. Fifty-two (18.3%) individuals with hyperandrogenemia by routine immunoassays no longer presented with androgen excess by LC–MS/MS. Overall diagnostic agreement between routine assessment using immunoassays and ultrasound and that derived from LC–MS/MS and the addition of AMH to US was moderate [weighted κ (linear weights): 0.512 (0.416;0.608)].

Conclusions

Immunoassays used in routine practice are unacceptably inaccurate for phenotyping women with PCOS. Our data cast some doubts upon the interchangeability of serum AMH and ultrasound examination for the diagnosis of PCOS.
Air pollution and kidney cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dahman Lina , Gauthier Victoria , Camier Aurore , Bigna Jean Joel , Glowacki François , Amouyel Philippe , Dauchet Luc , Hamroun Aghiles
Published: June 2024

Background

Although several risk factors of kidney cancer have already been well-addressed, many remain underappreciated, such as chronic exposure to air pollution. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the association between air pollutant exposure and the risk of kidney cancer.

Methods

With an exhaustive search equation including keywords related to air pollution and kidney cancer on EMBASE, PubMed, Web of science, Cochrane Library and CINAHL database, we identified all relevant articles published before March 23rd, 2023 (Prospero registration number: CRD42020187956). Using random-effects meta-analysis, we present pooled hazard ratios (with their respective 95% confidence interval) associated with a 10 µg/m3 increase in each pollutant level. Heterogeneity was quantified by the I2 statistic. Risks of methodological and publication bias were also both assessed using appropriate tools.

Results

Of the 1919 records identified, our review included 19 articles (13 cohort, 5 registry-based and 1 case–control studies), of which 9 were suitable for the meta-analysis. We found a significantly increased risk of kidney cancer incidence for a 10 μg/m3 elevation of both particulate matter of less than 10 µm (PM10) (HR = 1.29 [1.10; 1.51], I2 = 0%, p = 0.002) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (HR = 1.10 [1.03; 1.18], I2 = 20%, p = 0.004). Secondary analyses also suggest an increased risk of kidney cancer-related morbidity-mortality associated with PM10 exposure.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings suggest a potential association between exposure to increased levels of PM10 and NO2 and the risk of kidney cancer. These results should nonetheless be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of included studies and their significant risk of methodological bias.

Graphical abstract
Enhancing robustness in asynchronous feature tracking for event cameras through fusing frame steams
Authors: Xu Haidong , Yu Shumei , Jin Shizhao , Sun Rongchuan , Chen Guodong , Sun Lining
Published: June 2024

Event cameras produce asynchronous discrete outputs due to the independent response of camera pixels to changes in brightness. The asynchronous and discrete nature of event data facilitate the tracking of prolonged feature trajectories. Nonetheless, this necessitates the adaptation of feature tracking techniques to efficiently process this type of data. In addressing this challenge, we proposed a hybrid data-driven feature tracking method that utilizes data from both event cameras and frame-based cameras to track features asynchronously. It mainly includes patch initialization, patch optimization, and patch association modules. In the patch initialization module, FAST corners are detected in frame images, providing points responsive to local brightness changes. The patch association module introduces a nearest-neighbor (NN) algorithm to filter new feature points effectively. The patch optimization module assesses optimization quality for tracking quality monitoring. We evaluate the tracking accuracy and robustness of our method using public and self-collected datasets, focusing on average tracking error and feature age. In contrast to the event-based Kanade–Lucas–Tomasi tracker method, our method decreases the average tracking error ranging from 1.3 to 29.2% and boosts the feature age ranging from 9.6 to 32.1%, while ensuring the computational efficiency improvement of 1.2–7.6%. Thus, our proposed feature tracking method utilizes the unique characteristics of event cameras and traditional cameras to deliver a robust and efficient tracking system.
Training in Trauma-Responsive and Anti-racist Telehealth: A Model for Behavioral Health Clinicians and Providers
Authors: Rubio Ritchie J.
Published: June 2024

Telehealth's uptake in behavioral health services has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many clinicians continue to lack focused training in providing trauma-informed and culturally-responsive telehealth care. This article outlines a model curriculum that was created to instruct and coach behavioral health providers in California on how to integrate anti-racist and trauma-responsive techniques into telehealth. Topics like evidence-based trauma therapies, racial/ethnic trauma, marginalized communities, digital divide, and provider selfcare were all covered in the nine-part curriculum. Every three-hour session included evidence-informed didactic content, telehealth skills practice, and concrete planning for implementation. Trauma-responsive frameworks such as the tri-phasic model of trauma recovery (Herman in Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—From domestic abuse to political terror, Basic Books, 2015) and the neurosequential model of therapeutics (Perry in The handbook of therapeutic care for children, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London, 2020) served as the foundation for the sessions. The Tools to Improve Practice (TIPs) website was created as a supplementary digital resource portal to support clinicians with continuous implementation. This model illustrates a replicable approach to strengthening workforce capacity and competence in trauma-responsive, anti-racist telehealth practices.
Evaluation of indigenous isolates of Beuveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) against the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover
Authors: Baki Derya , Erler Fedai
Published: June 2024

The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the most important pests and causes major damage to cultivated plants in Turkey. It has recently become a serious problem in Antalya (southwestern Turkey) due to its high resistance to insecticides used. To address this problem, the present study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of five indigenous Beuveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Deuteromycotina: Hyphomycetes) isolates (BbFn-2, BbKm-2, BbSr-2, BbDs-4, and BbDm-2) with high virulence in previous studies against the pest. All the isolates were tested at five different conidial concentrations (1 × 105, 1 × 106, 1 × 107, 1 × 108 and 1 × 109 conidia mL−1) against the nymphs and adults of A. gossypii using Petri dish and pot trials in the laboratory. The results from the bioassays showed that virulence of the isolates increased significantly with elapsed time up to 10 days after inoculation. All five B. bassiana isolates at the highest concentration (1 × 109 conidia mL−1) caused mortalities ranged from 83.3% to 100% in both nymphs and adults 10 days post-treatment. While the LT50 and LT95 values of the isolates were 1.72–2.12 days and 4.81–8.49 days, respectively, for the nymphs, they were calculated for the adults as 1.65–2.54 days and 4.66–12.93 days, respectively. Results of the phylogenetic analysis showed that these five B. bassiana isolates had high similarities (ranging from 99 to 100%) with the other B. bassiana isolates in GenBank. All the results suggest that above-mentioned five indigenous B. bassiana isolates have significant biocontrol potential against A. gossypii.
Fast topological signal identification and persistent cohomological cycle matching
Authors: García-Redondo Inés , Monod Anthea , Song Anna
Published: June 2024

Within the context of topological data analysis, the problems of identifying topological significance and matching signals across datasets are important and useful inferential tasks in many applications. The limitation of existing solutions to these problems, however, is computational speed. In this paper, we harness the state-of-the-art for persistent homology computation by studying the problem of determining topological prevalence and cycle matching using a cohomological approach, which increases their feasibility and applicability to a wider variety of applications and contexts. We demonstrate this approach on a wide range of real-life, large-scale, and complex datasets. We extend existing notions of topological prevalence and cycle matching to include general non-Morse filtrations. This provides the most general and flexible state-of-the-art adaptation of topological signal identification and persistent cycle matching, which performs comparisons of orders of ten for thousands of sampled points in a matter of minutes on standard institutional HPC CPU facilities.
How the EU AI Act Seeks to Establish an Epistemic Environment of Trust
Authors: Ho Calvin Wai-Loon , Caals Karel
Published: June 2024

With focus on the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the digital health context, we consider the following questions: How does the European Union (EU) seek to facilitate the development and uptake of trustworthy AI systems through the AI Act? What does trustworthiness and trust mean in the AI Act, and how are they linked to some of the ongoing discussions of these terms in bioethics, law, and philosophy? What are the normative components of trustworthiness? And how do the requirements of the AI Act relate to these components? We first explain how the EU seeks to create an epistemic environment of trust through the AI Act to facilitate the development and uptake of trustworthy AI systems. The legislation establishes a governance regime that operates as a socio-epistemological infrastructure of trust which enables a performative framing of trust and trustworthiness. The degree of success that performative acts of trust and trustworthiness have achieved in realising the legislative goals may then be assessed in terms of statutorily defined proxies of trustworthiness. We show that to be trustworthy, these performative acts should be consistent with the ethical principles endorsed by the legislation; these principles are also manifested in at least four key features of the governance regime. However, specified proxies of trustworthiness are not expected to be adequate for applications of AI systems within a regulatory sandbox or in real-world testing. We explain why different proxies of trustworthiness for these applications may be regarded as ‘special’ trust domains and why the nature of trust should be understood as participatory.
The AI community building the future? A quantitative analysis of development activity on Hugging Face Hub
Authors: Osborne Cailean , Ding Jennifer , Kirk Hannah Rose
Published: June 2024

Open model developers have emerged as key actors in the political economy of artificial intelligence (AI), but we still have a limited understanding of collaborative practices in the open AI ecosystem. This paper responds to this gap with a three-part quantitative analysis of development activity on the Hugging Face (HF) Hub, a popular platform for building, sharing, and demonstrating models. First, various types of activity across 348,181 model, 65,761 dataset, and 156,642 space repositories exhibit right-skewed distributions. Activity is extremely imbalanced between repositories; for example, over 70% of models have 0 downloads, while 1% account for 99% of downloads. Furthermore, licenses matter: there are statistically significant differences in collaboration patterns in model repositories with permissive, restrictive, and no licenses. Second, we analyse a snapshot of the social network structure of collaboration in model repositories, finding that the community has a core-periphery structure, with a core of prolific developers and a majority of isolate developers (89%). Upon removing these isolates from the network, collaboration is characterised by high reciprocity regardless of developers’ network positions. Third, we examine model adoption through the lens of model usage in spaces, finding that a minority of models, developed by a handful of companies, are widely used on the HF Hub. Overall, the findings show that various types of activity across the HF Hub are characterised by Pareto distributions, congruent with open source software development patterns on platforms like GitHub. We conclude with recommendations for researchers, and practitioners to advance our understanding of open AI development.
Anticlastogenic activity of ethanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria fruit (ELSF) against cyclophosphamide induced genotoxicity in mice
Authors: Kolure Rajini , Penumallu Naveen Reddy , Thakur Sneha , De Somnath , Boddu Suhasini , Vinaitheerthan Nachammai , Godela Ramreddy , Santhepete Nanjundaiah Manjula
Published: June 2024

To investigate the potential of ethanolic extracts of Lagenaria siceraria fruit (ELSF) in protecting against cyclophosphamide (CP)—induced genotoxicity in Swiss albino mice. The study used a pre-treatment approach with ELSF given orally to the animals at two different doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) for 14 days straight. The CP induction group was given prior treatment for 14 days with ELSF (100 and 200 mg/kg) and the positive control group received an i.p (single intraperitoneal) cyclophosphamide dose (40 mg/kg) as the induction agent. The frequency of CP-induced micronuclei and damage to DNA was assessed as hallmark in bone marrow cells isolated form mouse. Study findings revealed that ELSF pre-treatment significantly lowered the frequency of CP-induced micronuclei and DNA damage in mouse bone marrow cells. The suppression effect as protectant was observed at both doses of ELSF (100 and 200 mg/kg). The study demonstrated that ELSF has potential chemoprotective properties against CP-induced genotoxicity. The findings suggest that ELSF could be a natural and safe approach to protecting healthy cells from the harmful effects of chemotherapy. Further clinical investigation warrants the ameliorative potential of ELSF in cancer treatment.

Graphical abstract
Effect of ZnO nanoparticle on combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel engine powered by lemongrass biodiesel: an experimental approach
Authors: Gowthaman S. , Anu Karthi Swaghatha A. I. , Thangavel K. , Muthulakshmi L. , Paramasivam Prabhu
Published: June 2024

Biodiesel (BD) is one of the efficient alternative fuels for diesel engines (DE) which can be employed sans any modifications. The present study is focused on the extraction of BD from a lemongrass plant and analyzing combustion, efficiency, and emission characteristics of the DE by adding NPs at different concentrations to reduce both hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and NOx emissions simultaneously from the DE. The fuel samples were prepared by adding different dosages of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with neat lemongrass biodiesel (LGB) such as 50 ppm, 100 ppm, 150 ppm, 200 ppm, and 250 ppm per liter. From the results, it is found that the properties of BD were improved by the addition of ZnO NPs and it increased oxygen concentration in the sample resulting in better combustion and lower exhaust pollutants. The DE tested with the LGB + 150 ppm sample has registered maximum brake thermal efficiency (BTE) and lower specific fuel combustion (SFC) for all loading conditions compared to other samples. The value of heat release rate (HRR) and in-cylinder pressure are higher for LGB + 150 ppm due to its specific properties compared to other LGB blends. The presence of ZnO NPs in LGB has reduced harmful emissions from the DE such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and smoke by 4.01%, 5.56%, and 19.01%, when compared to neat LGB.
Qualitative Analysis of Inquiries Received by FDA Regarding Conduct of Clinical Trials during the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency
Authors: Kambere Marijo , Vu Hong , Kappel Dana , Oh Kukhwa , Budashewitz Philip , Concato John
Published: June 2024

Background

This report describes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) experience in establishing a dedicated mailbox, and in publishing related guidance, to address concerns among interested parties regarding the conduct of clinical trials during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).

Methods

Six hundred and thirty-four mailbox inquiries were received from March 2020 through February 2022. Qualitative methods were used to provide a structured description of, and identify common themes among, these inquiries.

Results

Most inquiries came from U.S.-based interested parties, including sponsors, industry trade associations, academic institutions, hospitals, clinics, research sites, trial participants, and individual persons. Approximately one-fifth of questions were related directly to COVID-19 (e.g., proposals for treatment); other inquiries were related to conduct of routine trial-related activities, and concerns were often focused on maintaining compliance with good clinical practice. In March 2020, FDA published a guidance titled Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; the document was subsequently revised eight times based in part on issues raised in mailbox inquiries.

Conclusions

The dedicated mailbox enabled expedited communication among invested parties during the COVID-19 PHE; FDA also provided updates of the aforementioned guidance. These efforts supported the continuance of ongoing trials and the initiation of new trials during the PHE in accordance with good clinical practice guidelines, thereby helping to ensure the safety of trial participants while maintaining the quality of trial data. By soliciting and responding to trial-related inquiries and addressing corresponding needs and concerns, FDA improved transparency and communication.
Does corruption affect development outcomes differently in sub-Saharan Africa? Fresh evidence from Ghana
Authors: Forson Joseph Ato
Published: June 2024

This study demonstrates that the effect of corruption on development might be dissimilar depending on how development is perceived. This study uses the linear and nonlinear ARDL bounds test estimation technique to cointegration with annual time series data (1980–2023 for WDI and 1995–2023 for Transparency International). Thus, the symmetric analysis reveals that corruption stimulates economic development in the long run; but in the short run, the effect is negative. However, the effect of corruption on sustainability is consistently negative in the short and long runs. The asymmetric analysis establishes a strong effect of corruption and corruption controls on economic development in the long run but with a weak effect in the short run. Yet, on sustainability, corruption has a weak consequence on genuine wealth per capita in the short run, but the long-run asymmetric effect is inconclusive. Governments in Africa, particularly Ghana must pay serious attention to the SDGs with recourse to the expedition of trial on environmental-related corruption cases. Strict adherence to environmental policies by MNEs must also be encouraged to stem the tide of the greenhouse effect (GHG).
Exploring ocean pH dynamics via a mathematical modeling with the Caputo fractional derivative
Authors: Naik Manisha Krishna , Baishya Chandrali , Premakumari R. N. , Veeresha P.
Published: June 2024

Global warming is a complex problem with far-reaching global implications. One of its notable repercussions is the escalation of $$CO_2$$

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levels in the atmosphere, resulting in the phenomenon known as Ocean Acidification (OA). In this research, we have established a correlation between four key factors: marine species, human population, $$CO_2$$

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levels, and ocean pH. By formulating a Caputo fractional differential equation, we investigated the dynamics of these variables to evaluate the significance of this climatic phenomenon. The model analysis reveals that the rise in anthropogenic $$CO_2$$

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emissions causes a reduction in the ocean’s pH level and increases OA. This process, in turn, decreases the ocean’s ability to absorb $$CO_2$$

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, making it less effective in mitigating climate change. In this study, it was demonstrated that elevated levels of $$CO_2$$

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result in a reduction in pH levels, which in turn causes a decrease in the population of marine species that play a critical role in numerous economic sectors such as tourism, aquaculture, and fisheries. Moreover, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the influence exerted by the intrinsic growth rate of the human population. We examined various theoretical aspects, including the assessment of existence and uniqueness. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the effect of key parameters on the dynamics of the system using the generalized Adams–Bashforth–Moulton method.
Investigating primary pre-service teachers' perceptions of nonfiction picturebooks
Authors: Muela Diana , Tabernero Rosa , Hernández Lucía
Published: June 2024

This study explores the factors contributing to the imbalance between fiction and nonfiction materials in primary school classrooms, with a specific emphasis on the perspectives of prospective teachers. Employing a qualitative research approach, the investigation involved 30 student teachers who had completed the Children’s Literature course at a Spanish university. Semi-structured interviews, with questions validated by expert judges, were utilized to gather responses, which were subsequently transcribed and analyzed through coding, following a categorical framework refined post-response analysis. The primary findings indicate a restricted exposure to nonfiction picturebooks in familial and educational settings. Despite positive emotional responses from trainee teachers, the study reveals an inadequacy in their training, hindering the development of a comprehensive understanding and the reinforcement of self-efficacy for integrating nonfiction materials into future teaching practices. Furthermore, the research underscores a disparity between the perceived significance of nonfiction picturebooks for enhancing children’s multimodal reading and the inclination of trainee teachers to prioritize fiction due to a lack of confidence and previous exposure. As a result, the study proposes a reassessment of teacher training programs, recommending a more thorough focus on nonfiction materials and continuous professional development to address the disparity between beliefs and actual classroom practices.
Symmetric operator means
Authors: Uchiyama Mitsuru
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this paper is to extend symmetric means of multi-variable positive matrices to those of multi-variable positive operators on an infinite dimensional Hilbert space. We also consider the situations where symmetric means of operators A, B, C become linear combinations of them.
Microbiological quality of ready-to-eat street foods in Lisbon, Portugal
Authors: Barreira Maria J. , Marcos Silvia , Flores Cristina V. , Lopes Teresa T. , Moura Isabel B. , Correia Cristina B. , Saraiva Margarida , Batista Rita
Published: June 2024

Street food sector is an important component of the food distribution system in many cities. However, foods exposed for sale on the roadside are generally associated with conditions that favors its potential microbiological contamination. In this study, the microbiological quality of 118 ready-to-eat street foods sold in the metropolitan area of Lisbon, Portugal was evaluated. Mesophilic aerobic bacteria, yeasts, moulds, Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli were used as spoilage/hygiene indicators. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., coagulase-positive staphylococci (CPS), Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus and E. coli pathotypes implicated in gastrointestinal disease were used as food safety/hygiene indicators. Thirty-five (29.7%) of the samples were classified as satisfactory, 29 (24.6%) as questionable and 51 (43.2%) as unsatisfactory. Three samples (2.6%) were unsatisfactory/ potentially dangerous, due to the presence of the L. monocytogenes > 102 cfu/g and/or B. cereus > 105 and/or CPS > 104. B. cereus genes encoding causative toxins were detected in the strains isolated from two samples containing > 105 cfu/g. Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens and pathogenic E. coli were not detected in any of the examined samples. CPS was detected in 26.3% of the samples.

A significant relationship between microbiological quality and food groups, with the increase of questionable and unsatisfactory classifications for those samples including raw components, like fruits and vegetables, was observed (Fisher-Freeman-Halton = 29.01, p < 0.001). The obtained data highlights for the need of education and training of street-food vendors to improve the food safety management system in the place of sale.