bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic value of heart rate variability for risk of serious adverse events in continuously monitored hospital patients
Authors: Aagaard Nikolaj , Olsen Markus Harboe , Rasmussen Oliver Wiik , Grønbaek Katja K. , Mølgaard Jesper , Haahr-Raunkjaer Camilla , Elvekjaer Mikkel , Aasvang Eske K. , Meyhoff Christian S.
Published: August 2024

Technological advances allow continuous vital sign monitoring at the general ward, but traditional vital signs alone may not predict serious adverse events (SAE). This study investigated continuous heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring’s predictive value for SAEs in acute medical and major surgical patients. Data was collected from four prospective observational studies and two randomized controlled trials using a single-lead ECG. The primary outcome was any SAE, secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality and specific non-fatal SAE groups, all within 30 days. Subgroup analyses of medical and surgical patients were performed. The primary analysis compared the last 24 h preceding an SAE with the last 24 h of measurements in patients without an SAE. The area under a receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) quantified predictive performance, interpretated as low prognostic ability (0.5–0.7), moderate prognostic ability (0.7–0.9), or high prognostic ability (> 0.9). Of 1402 assessed patients, 923 were analysed, with 297 (32%) experiencing at least one SAE. The best performing threshold had an AUROC of 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63–0.71) for predicting cardiovascular SAEs. In the surgical subgroup, the best performing threshold had an AUROC of 0.70 (95% CI 0.60–0.81) for neurologic SAE prediction. In the medical subgroup, thresholds for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular, infectious, and neurologic SAEs had moderate prognostic ability, and the best performing threshold had an AUROC of 0.85 (95% CI 0.76–0.95) for predicting neurologic SAEs. Predicting SAEs based on the accumulated time below thresholds for individual continuously measured HRV parameters demonstrated overall low prognostic ability in high-risk hospitalized patients. Certain HRV thresholds had moderate prognostic ability for prediction of specific SAEs in the medical subgroup.
The Role of Religious Comfort and Strain on Social Well-Being among Emerging Adults in Poland: Serial Mediation by Meaning Making Processes
Authors: Krok Dariusz , Szcześniak Małgorzata , Zarzycka Beata
Published: August 2024

Religious struggles tend noticeably to influence the sphere of social well-being in emerging adulthood as individuals modify their religious beliefs and practices, form personal identity patterns, and rediscover new life purpose and values. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether meaning-making and meaning in life (presence and search) can serially mediate the hypothesized links between religious comfort vs. strain and social well-being. Self-report measures of religious struggles, meaning-making, meaning in life, and social well-being were completed by 368 emerging adults (aged 18 to 29, 52.2% female). The serial mediation analysis showed that the relationship between religious comfort vs. strain and social well-being was mediated by meaning-making and presence of meaning, but not by a search for meaning. These results suggest that religious struggles may represent unique aspects of developmental spiritual processes in emerging adulthood with implications for social well-being.
Size scale effect on mass burning flux and flame behavior of solid fuels
Authors: Sun Peiyi , Zhang Tianhang , Huang Xinyan
Published: August 2024

The study investigates the horizontal fuel size effect on free-burning fires for PMMA plates and wood cribs. The fuel size effect on mass burning flux and flame behavior is mainly discussed and compared with typical pool fires. For the PMMA plate and liquid pool, when the fuel size is small (< 10 cm), either the 3D sidewall burning of PMMA or the container wall heated by flame can promote the burning flux at the horizontal projection area. As the fuel size increases, these side wall burning or heating effects decrease, causing the drop in burning flux with fuel scale for both the PMMA plate and liquid pool. For small-scale wood cribs, fire cannot self-sustain due to the large airflow cooling. With the increase in wood crib size, the burning rate first remains constant and then gradually increases, driven by the enhanced internal radiation. As the fuel size increases above 20–30 cm, the flame radiation dominates the burning flux for all fuel types. Fire dynamics simulator (FDS) was adopted to simulate the horizontal size effect by setting a varied fire source (horizontal projection) area. First, the flame geometry and heat release rate (HRR) of simulations were validated against experimental results. Subsequently, the validated fire model generates cases covering a broad range of fire scales. Finally, a new correlation of flame height with the fire heat release rate and fuel size is proposed, and its prediction capability is validated in the numerical fire modeling. This study quantifies the size effect on the burning rate for common solid fuels and provides valuable information for the numerical modeling of multi-scale fires.
Thermal and hydraulic characteristics of a single reverse nanofluid jet in a double-wall cooling configuration
Authors: Ibrahim Hady M. , Hassan Muhammed A. , Ahmed Abdallah , Kayed Hatem
Published: August 2024

This work investigates the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of a novel reverse jet impingement cooling 3-D module for high-power systems, entailing a single jet impinging upon a concave hemispherical surface within a double-wall cooling configuration. Water-based nanofluids, with Al2O3 and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), were subject to a comprehensive examination at a range of Reynolds numbers from 10,000 to 40,000. The computational framework utilized the volume of fluid (VOF) model for precise phase interface tracking, along with the

$$k-\omega$$

k
-
ω

SST turbulence model. The results demonstrated that nanofluids have remarkable heat transfer enhancement, compared to water. The maximum Nusselt number augmentation reached 61.76% and 77.47% for 2.0% Al2O3 and 0.04% MWCNT nanofluids, respectively. The thermal performance improved when escalating nanoparticle concentration and Reynolds numbers, reaching a cooling module’s thermal resistance of only 0.0266 K W−1. However, mild increments in pressure drop of up to 7.80 and 3.04% were noticed at the lowest Reynolds number for the two nanofluids, respectively. MWCNT nanofluids exhibited superior thermal enhancement over their Al2O3 counterparts despite their lower concentrations. The greatest combined thermo-hydraulic performance was attained with a 0.04% MWCNT nanofluid at a Reynolds number of 20,000, where the energy performance was boosted by 77%, compared to water. The study identified significant conjugate heat transfer effects, demonstrating how temperature gradients within the solid walls directly influenced heat transfer coefficients and thermal resistances within the fluid phase. These findings provide a deeper understanding of thermal management strategies for high-power systems.

Graphic abstract
Brown bear habitat use patterns across 19 years of population expansion in the Cantabrian Mountains
Authors: Nogueira Carolina , Hipólito Dário , Pando Doriana , Carvalho João , Fonseca Carlos , Hartasánchez Alfonso , Magadan José Ramón , Rosalino Luís M. , Torres Rita T. , Hartasánchez Roberto , Ferreira Eduardo
Published: August 2024

Context

Large carnivores have faced severe extinction pressures throughout Europe during the last centuries, where human-induced disturbances reached unprecedented levels. In the late twentieth century, the Cantabrian brown bear population was on the verge of extinction, due to poaching. Yet, the end of the last century was a turning point for this population. Presence data on the western Cantabrian subpopulation was collected since the beginning of the century and insights provided by this long-term monitoring may be useful for brown bear conservation.

Objectives

Here, we aim to: (i) identify the landscape features relevant to bears’ recovery; and (ii) understand if and how the landscape use patterns by bears changed over time.

Methods

We tested the influence of landscape structure (i.e., composition and configuration) on bear occurrence patterns using MAXENT in three periods representative of land cover change.

Results

Despite variation across the 19-year monitoring period, brown bears were more often detected near broad-leaf forests and bare rock areas and at lower to intermediate altitudes, but avoided arable lands, permanent crops, and burnt areas. Human population density or distance to roads—often used for modelling habitat suitability for Cantabrian brown bears—were not identified as relevant variables for this brown bear subpopulation. Artificial areas were identified as relevant landscape features, but not as disturbance.

Conclusions

These findings reinforce the importance of preserving bears’ native habitats and provide new insights, namely on the use of humanized landscapes.
Weak Ergodicity in G-NHMS
Authors: Vassiliou P.-C.G.
Published: August 2024

In the present we provide the definition of the new concept of the General Non-Homogeneous Markov System (G-NHMS) and establish the expected population structure of a NHMS in the various states. These results will be the basis to build on the new concepts and the basic theorems of what follows.We then establish the set of all possible expected relative distributions of the initial number of memberships at time t and all possible expected relative distributions of the expansion memberships at time t. We call this set the general expected relative population structure in the states of a G-NHMS. We then proceed by providing the new definitions of weak ergodicity in a G-NHMS and weak ergodicity with a geometrical rate of convergence. We then prove the Theorem 4 which is a new building block in the theory of G-NHMS. We also prove a similar theorem under the assumption that relative expansion of the population vanishes at infinity.We then provide a generalization of the coupling theorem for populations. We proceed then to study the asymptotic behavior of a G-NHMS when the input policy consists of independent non-homogeneous Poisson variates for each time interval $$\left( t-1,t\right] $$

t
-
1
,
t

. It is founded in Theorem 7 that it displays a kind of weak ergodicity behavior, that is, it converges at each step to the row of a stable matrix. This row is independent of the initial distribution and of the asymptotic input policy unlike the results in previous works. Hence it generalizes the result in that works. Finally we illustrate our results numerically for a manpower system with three states.
Flourishing at the end of life
Authors: Symons Xavier , Rhee John , Tanous Anthony , Balboni Tracy , VanderWeele Tyler J.
Published: August 2024

Flourishing is an increasingly common construct employed in the study of human wellbeing. But its appropriateness as a framework of wellbeing at certain stages of life is contested. In this paper, we consider to what extent it is possible for someone to flourish at the end of life. People with terminal illness often experience significant and protracted pain and suffering especially when they opt for treatments that prolong life. Certain aspects of human goods, however, that are plausibly constitutive of flourishing—such as meaning and purpose, deep personal relationships, and character and virtue—can be uniquely realised when life is ending. We argue that there is a qualified sense in which one can flourish at the end of life but that one must make important modifications to the criteria implicit in conventional conceptions of flourishing. We close with a discussion of the empirical assessment of wellbeing at the end of life and explore the possibility of introducing a flourishing measure in palliative care practice.
A Lewisian regularity theory
Authors: Andreas Holger , Günther Mario
Published: August 2024

In this paper, we develop a non-reductive variant of the regularity theory of causation proposed in Andreas and Günther (Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 105: 2–32, 2024). The variant is motivated as a refinement of Lewis’s (Journal of Philosophy 70:556–567, 1973) regularity theory. We do not pursue a reductive theory here because we found a challenge for Baumgartner's (Erkenntnis 78:85–109, 2013) regularity theory which applies to our previous theory as well. The challenge is sidestepped by a framework of law-like propositions resembling structural equations. We furthermore improve the deviancy condition of our previous theory. Finally, we show that the present theory can compete with the most advanced regularity and counterfactual accounts.
Less is more, or is it? Age and Gender Differences in How Students Build Momentum toward College Graduation
Authors: Bahr Peter Riley , Boeck Claire A. , Chen Yiran , Clasing-Manquian Paula
Published: August 2024

Do older community college students build momentum toward graduation differently than their younger peers? One-third of students in community colleges are 25 years of age or older, and these students tend to have lower rates of graduation than their younger peers. Yet, we know little about how the factors that influence college graduation differ across the wide range of ages found among community college students. Using multilevel statistical models to analyze data for Ohio’s community colleges, we investigate how the relationships between early academic momentum and the likelihood of completing a postsecondary credential vary by age. We disaggregate results by gender in light of prior evidence of differences in the educational experiences and outcomes of adult men and women. The measures of momentum, all observed in the first year in community college, include credits earned, credit success rate, enrollment continuity, passing college-level math, and passing college-level English. The college graduation outcomes, observed over six years, include earning a postsecondary certificate, earning an associate degree from a community college, and earning a baccalaureate degree from a four-year institution. We find some differences and some similarities in how older and younger students build momentum toward a postsecondary credential, and how these patterns differ for men and women, revealing fruitful opportunities to strengthen the outcomes of older students.
Measuring Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Teaching Inquiry-Based Science and the Nature of Scientific Inquiry
Authors: Toma Radu Bogdan , Yánez-Pérez Iraya , Meneses-Villagrá Jesús Ángel
Published: August 2024

Inquiry-based science teaching (IBST) is a key goal of science education reforms worldwide. Recent research highlights the importance of infusing inquiry teaching with knowledge about the nature of scientific inquiry, and not just focusing on procedural skills to do inquiry. However, such an endeavour requires teachers to have high levels of self-efficacy. Given the lack of valid and reliable measurement instruments for Spanish-speaking teachers, the present study adapted and validated Aydeniz et al. Science and Education, 30(1), 103–120, (2021) Inquiry-Based Science Teaching Efficacy Scale (IBSTES, Science & Education, 30:103–120). Confirmatory factor analysis on data from 428 pre-service teachers in kindergarten and elementary school revealed a two-factor structure, which is consistent with the conceptual framework of IBST. The two factors measured self-efficacy beliefs regarding (1) helping students improve their understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and (2) helping students develop procedural skills for conducting scientific inquiry. Both factors demonstrated very high reliability (> 0.90), as assessed by Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega. This latent structure was invariant across genders, suggesting that the instrument can be used with both male and female prospective teachers, allowing for gender comparisons. This study is the first of its kind to validate in Spanish a self-efficacy scale for IBST that specifically tackles the epistemological understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry. The Spanish IBSTES provides a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners to assess and support teacher self-efficacy, which is essential for the success of educational reforms.
New taxa of quill mites (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) parasitising aquatic birds of the Faroe Islands
Authors: Skoracki Maciej , Haarder Simon
Published: August 2024

The paper presents descriptions of new taxa and new records of quill mites of the family Syringophilidae Lavoipierre, 1953 (Acari: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) parasitising aquatic birds in the Faroe Islands, Denmark. Sulisyringophilus jenskjeldin. gen., n. sp., is described from the northern gannet, Morus bassanus (Linnaeus) (Suliformes: Sulidae). The new genus, Sulisyringophilus, is new genus differs from the morphologically similar genus Procellariisyringophilus Schmidt and Skoracki, 2007 by the presence of lateral hypostomal teeth and leg setae vsII in females, the features which are absent in the latter. A new species Charadriphilus lymnocryptesn. sp. is described from the jack snipe, Lymnocryptes minimus (Brünnich) (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae). Additionally, two rarely recorded species, Niglarobia ereuneti Kethley, 1970, and Creagonycha lara Kethley, 1970, are reported from two charadriiform hosts: the semipalmated sandpiper, Calidris pusilla (Linnaeus) and the black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla (Linnaeus), respectively.
Socio-environmental drivers of human-nature interactions in urban green spaces
Authors: Joo Hogyeum Evan , Clark Jeffrey A. G. , Kremer Peleg , Aronson Myla F. J.
Published: August 2024

Online platforms have broadened the opportunities of people to interact with nature through community/citizen science, especially in urban areas. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the social and environmental factors that influence nature interactions in cities. Here, we aim to identify the social and environmental predictors that impact nature interactions, by combining citizen science data with environmental and demographic data in New York City. We applied generalized linear models to identify which of 12 social and environmental factors influence nature interactions in public parks (n = 355) in the Borough of Queens, New York, New York (USA) in two scenarios, small-medium sized parks only (n = 355) and all parks (n = 359). We used iNaturalist records, including the number of users (Observers), Observations, Observed Biodiversity, and a calculated interaction effect (number of users × observations, Interaction), as metrics of nature interactions. For small-medium parks, all nature interactions were significantly influenced by park area, canopy cover, percent population with blood pressure and asthma conditions, noise, and summer mean temperature. Observers and Interaction were positively associated with median income. Observers, Observations, and Interaction were predicted by percent water cover, impervious cover, distance to public transportation, and ethnic diversity. In the analysis that included all parks, the results were similar with minor differences. This study demonstrates a holistic approach to a very specific type of human-nature interaction newly made available with technological advances, seen through an interdisciplinary lens and will help inform planners, residents, and city government on creating more interactive and socio-environmentally beneficial urban green spaces.
Specific leaf area and its within-individual variation in understory evergreen and deciduous woody species in New Zealand
Authors: Jo Insu , Maule Hamish , Brandt Angela J.
Published: August 2024

Specific leaf area (SLA) plays a critical role in carbon assimilation and nutrient cycling. While leaf habit (deciduous vs. evergreen) has often been recognized as a reliable predictor of SLA—with deciduous species typically having higher mean SLA values due to lower concentration of structural components compared to evergreens—high variation in SLA among evergreen species suggests further investigation of variation for species with this leaf habit could improve predictions of SLA effects on community and ecosystem processes. Furthermore, the presence of leaves of different ages in evergreen plants, emerging over multiple years, could amplify the within-individual variation in SLA, which remains underexplored. Here we report variations of SLA measured from c. 2000 leaves collected from 36 individuals across 19 woody species in an understory environment in New Zealand (NZ). We found that while most deciduous species, predominantly non-native, clustered towards higher SLA values, evergreen species presented a wide SLA spectrum. Moreover, we found that while being deciduous, having a smaller leaf size, and younger leaves, collected from lateral branches, correlated with elevated SLA values, the leaf habit did not primarily drive the within-individual SLA variation. Instead, smaller leaf size emerged as a significant predictor of within-individual SLA variation. The branch-order effect on SLA underscores a methodological consideration: accurate estimation of total leaf area in evergreen trees requires representative sampling across all branch orders. Our study also highlights the need for integrating leaf traits such as leaf size and branch order into functional trait analyses. Further research is vital to understand the underlying mechanisms of these trait variations and their impacts on ecosystem functioning.
Factors predictive of extensive use of CPAP treatment in obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Doghman Fatma , Ballo Haitham , Anttalainen Ulla , Saaresranta Tarja
Published: August 2024

Aim

In patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), the benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy are increased for every additional hour of daily CPAP usage. However, the data of predictors of extensive usage is scarce, if any. Therefore, we evaluated potential predictors affecting extensive treatment usage.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we compiled an institutional cohort of consecutive patients diagnosed with who started CPAP therapy 1999–2022 and were included in a wireless telemonitoring system in May 2022 (N = 14,394). Patients using CPAP device ≥ 9 h/d were stratified into a younger (< 65 years; N = 124) and an older group (≥ 65 years; N = 131).

Results

We found 255 patients (male 61%) eligible for our study, with a median age of 65 (interquartile range, IQR 55–73) years, and mean body mass index (BMI) of 36 ± 6.9 kg/m2. Median CPAP use was 10 h/d (IQR 10–11). BMI and depressive symptoms (DEPS) in the younger group were higher than in the older group (37.9 ± 7 vs. 34.6 ± 6.4 kg/m2, p < 0.001 and 11 (IQR 5–20) vs. 7 (IQR 5–14), p = 0.01, respectively). During follow-up, the BMI of the younger group increased (39.9 ± 12.5 kg/m2 vs. 37.9 ± 7 kg/m2, p = 0.009). DEPS values decreased in the younger group and became comparable between the groups. In multivariate models, the baseline BMI independently predicted extensive CPAP use among the younger age group, and the mask leak among the older group.

Conclusion

BMI at baseline in the younger and mask leak in the older group could be independent predictive factors for extensive use of CPAP.
Assessing the circularity and sustainability of circular carpets — a demonstration of circular life cycle sustainability assessment
Authors: Luthin Anna , Crawford Robert H. , Traverso Marzia
Published: August 2024

Purpose

Robust assessments are needed to identify the best circular economy (CE) approaches related to their contribution to achieving a CE by simultaneously considering the complexity of the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic, social). In this regard, the circular life cycle sustainability assessment (C-LCSA) framework was recently developed. This study aimed to demonstrate its applicability and capability of identifying trade-offs and interlinkages between the different dimensions using a case study of different CE approaches to carpet tiles.

Methods

C-LCSA integrates circularity and life cycle sustainability assessments (LCSA). Thus, this study applied the material circularity indicator (MCI) in parallel to life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (S-LCA). The last technique was applied as social hotspot assessment. Five CE approaches of carpet tiles produced in the US, including strategies like reducing the consumption of primary materials through recycled and bio-based feedstock or replacing carpet tiles for a longer overall service life, as well as recycling, were assessed and compared to their mainly linear counterpart.

Results and discussion

The study revealed that recycling carpet tiles containing recycled and bio-based materials at the end-of-life (EoL) resulted in the lowest global warming potential (8.47 kg CO2 eq.) and the highest circularity (MCI value of 0.76, with 1 indicating the maximum level of circularity) compared to the other scenarios. However, this scenario had a trade-off with a higher acidification potential (0.039 kg SO2 eq.) and higher costs (US$19.98) compared to the disposal scenario. On the other hand, the scenario using primary, non-bio-based materials in production and disposing of the carpet tiles at their EoL performed the worst in circularity (MCI value of 0.11) and implied high environmental impacts while being more cost-effective (US$10.27).

Conclusions

C-LCSA transparently revealed interlinkages in terms of circularity and the overall sustainability performance of different CE approaches. While no significant differences in terms of social hotspots were identified, approaches associated with a higher circularity and improved environmental performance in most impact categories tended to result in higher costs. This emphasized the need for individual and holistic assessments of the new CE approach to identify and address trade-offs. To enhance and foster C-LCSA in academia and industry, further studies applying the framework to different sectors are encouraged.
Modular Ontologies for Genetically Modified People and their Bioethical Implications
Authors: So Derek , Sladek Robert , Joly Yann
Published: August 2024

Participants in the long-running bioethical debate over human germline genetic modification (HGGM) tend to imagine future people abstractly and on the basis of conventionalized characteristics familiar from science fiction, such as intelligence, disease resistance and height. In order to distinguish these from scientifically meaningful terms like “phenotype” and “trait,” this article proposes the term “persemes” to describe the units of difference for hypothetical people. In the HGGM debate, persemes are frequently conceptualized as similar, modular entities, like building blocks to be assembled into genetically modified people. They are discussed as though they each would be chosen individually without affecting other persemes and as though they existed as components within future people rather than being imposed through social context. This modular conceptual framework appears to influence bioethical approaches to HGGM by reinforcing the idea of human capacities as natural primary goods subject to distributive justice and supporting the use of objective list theories of well-being. As a result, assumptions of modularity may limit the ability of stakeholders with other perspectives to present them in the HGGM debate. This article examines the historical trends behind the modular framework for genetically modified people, its likely psychological basis, and its philosophical ramifications.
“A Picture Paints a Thousand Words”—A Systematic Review of the Ethical Issues of Prenatal Ultrasound
Authors: Favaretto M. , Rost M.
Published: August 2024

Prenatal ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic examination. Despite the recognized diagnostic value, this technology raises complex ethical questions. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis that coherently maps the ethical challenges raised by prenatal ultrasound examination, both 2D and 3D. We performed a systematic literature review. Six databases were systematically searched. The results highlight how concerns related to beneficence, informed consent, and autonomy are mainly related to routine use of prenatal ultrasound in the clinical context, while considerations linked to overmedicalization of pregnancy, discrimination, and fetal ontology were often reported in relation to the impact ultrasound is having on medicine and society. Ethical issues in the context of pre-abortion ultrasound, obstetric practices in low-income settings, and keepsake ultrasound imaging were also greatly discussed. Since prenatal ultrasound practices critically impact pregnant people’s autonomy and their role within pregnancy, we conclude that information providing strategies should be developed to appropriately inform pregnant people about the nature, purpose, risks, and choices revolving around prenatal ultrasound. In addition, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the social and clinical dimensions of prenatal ultrasound, future research should focus on examining if and how such dimensions should be reconciled.
Bioarchaeological Perspectives on Late Antiquity in Dalmatia: Paleogenetic, Dietary, and Population Studies of the Hvar—Radošević burial site
Authors: Zagorc Brina , Blanz Magdalena , Gelabert Pere , Sawyer Susanna , Oberreiter Victoria , Cheronet Olivia , Chen Hao Shan , Carić Mario , Visković Eduard , Olalde Iňigo , Ivanova-Bieg Maria , Novak Mario , Reich David , Pinhasi Ron
Published: August 2024

Late Antiquity Dalmatia was a time and place of political unrest in the Roman Empire that influenced the lives of those in that region. The Late Antique burial site of Hvar – Radošević, spanning the 3rd to 5th centuries CE, is located on the Croatian Dalmatian island of Hvar. Given the time frame and location on a busy marine trade route, the study of this burial site offers us a glimpse into the lives of the Late Antique population living on this island. It comprises 33 individuals, with 17 buried within a confined grave tomb and the remaining individuals buried in separate locations in the tomb's proximity. The study aims to provide a new perspective on the lives of people on the island during those times by studying ancestry, population structure, possible differences within the buried population, dietary habits, and general health. The genetic analysis of the ancestral origins of the individuals buried at Hvar – Radošević revealed a diverse population reflective of the era's genetic variability. The identification of genetic outliers suggests a range of ancestries from distinct regions of the Roman Empire, possibly linked to trade routes associated with the Late Antique port in ancient Hvar. Stable isotope ratio analysis (δ13C and δ15N) indicated a diet mainly consisting of C3 plants, with minimal consumption of marine foods. High childhood mortality rates, physiological stress markers, and dental diseases suggest a low quality of life in the population. Assessment of kinship and dietary patterns revealed no discernible distinctions between individuals buried within the tomb and those buried outside, indicative of an absence of differential burial practices based on social status and familial ties among this specific buried population.
Food environment change on wild food consumption in rural Tanzania
Authors: Olesen Rasmus Skov , Powell Bronwen , Kilawe Charles Joseph , Rasmussen Laura Vang
Published: August 2024

In this longitudinal study we explore how changes in food environments have shaped the acquisition and consumption of wild foods among people living near forests. Our study conceptually improves food environment frameworks by including evidence on changes in wild food consumption. We used data collected in both the dry and rainy seasons in 2009 and 2021/2022 in four villages in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Across data collections, we conducted qualitative interviews, focus groups and repeated household surveys, including questions on dietary intake, food sources, agricultural practices, and use of wild resources. We found that the proportion of people who collected wild foods within the past seven days had declined from 90 to 61% in the dry season and from 99 to 72% in the wet season. The main reasons were 1) decreased availability caused by, for example, loss of biodiversity, 2) lack of access due to government forest regulations, and 3) increased desirability towards marked-based foods. Our results show how changes in both availability, access and desirability of wild foods have shifted dietary choices from wild foods towards cultivated and purchased foods. Also, we see less widespread consumption of sentinel food groups such as dark green leafy vegetables. Our results highlight the need for an additional dimension in existing food environment frameworks: “Legal access to wild resources” that would cover access to wild foods. This dimension is important as loss of legal access and declining consumption can have negative dietary implications, since the most commonly consumed wild foods, such as leafy vegetables, are nutritionally important.
Technology Transfer and Imitation in a Cournot Oligopoly
Authors: Mallios Aineas Kostas
Published: August 2024

I examine and compare patent licensing by fixed fee and unit royalty under Cournot competition. I consider licensing by an incumbent patent holder to one or two other competing firms that can obtain a patented technological improvement through technology transfer or imitation. Assuming that imitation is perfect, certain, instantaneous, and non-infringing, I analyze the effects of licensing on market structure, firms’ individual profits, and consumer surplus. This provides a theoretical framework that explains when technology licensing is superior to imitation for both firms and consumers, what is the optimal licensing choice for firms, and how imitation affects firms’ licensing behavior and competition in a highly concentrated industry. In particular, I show that licensing through a unit royalty is preferable to licensing through a fixed fee for a patent holder, while licensing through a fixed fee is at least as beneficial as licensing through a unit royalty for consumers. Moreover, the patent holder can use licensing to prevent imitation, but cannot use it selectively to affect competition, at least before the patent expires and when one of the competing firms can imitate. I contribute to the literature that considers the patent holder as a producer by showing how technology licensing can affect competition and improve consumer surplus in oligopolistic industries. This is important for policy makers to identify when technology licensing is used strategically to transfer surplus from consumers to producers.
Benchmarking Quantum Generative Learning: A Study on Scalability and Noise Resilience using QUARK
Authors: Kiwit Florian J. , Wolf Maximilian A. , Marso Marwa , Ross Philipp , Lorenz Jeanette M. , Riofrío Carlos A. , Luckow Andre
Published: August 2024

Quantum computing promises a disruptive impact on machine learning algorithms, taking advantage of the exponentially large Hilbert space available. However, it is not clear how to scale quantum machine learning (QML) to industrial-level applications. This paper investigates the scalability and noise resilience of quantum generative learning applications. We consider the training performance in the presence of statistical noise due to finite-shot noise statistics and quantum noise due to decoherence to analyze the scalability of QML methods. We employ rigorous benchmarking techniques to track progress and identify challenges in scaling QML algorithms, and show how characterization of QML systems can be accelerated, simplified, and made reproducible when the QUARK framework is used. We show that QGANs are not as affected by the curse of dimensionality as QCBMs and to which extent QCBMs are resilient to noise.
Nanoporous carbons from hydrothermally pre-treated avocado waste: experimental design, hydrogen storage behavior, and energy distribution analysis
Authors: Mohale Lehlohonolo , Abdulsalam Jibril , Mulopo Jean
Published: August 2024

Avocado waste, which includes the peel and seed, is a promising biomass source for highly porous materials crucial to establishing an economical and efficient hydrogen economy. Hydrothermally pre-treated avocado waste was explored as a precursor for biocarbon optimized for hydrogen storage, employing the design of experiment to vary activation temperature and impregnation ratio. The resulting optimized biocarbon, synthesized at 800 °C with a 1:3 impregnation ratio, exhibited appreciable hydrogen uptake at 77 K and 1 bar, surpassing some reported literature values. Notably, the optimized biocarbon (AC200), hydrothermally pretreated at 200 °C, demonstrated a remarkable 3.07 wt% hydrogen uptake, attributed to its narrower micropores facilitating extensive adsorption. The study employed a modified Langmuir model incorporating homotattic patch approximation for a universal isotherm model, providing insights into the surface characteristics of the optimized biocarbon in terms of adsorption site availability and energy distribution. The modeling offers insight into the heterogeneous surface characteristics, specifically regarding the availability of adsorption sites, elucidating the distinct behavior exhibited by each optimized biocarbon.
Fish consumption, cognitive impairment and dementia: an updated dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Godos Justyna , Micek Agnieszka , Currenti Walter , Franchi Carlotta , Poli Andrea , Battino Maurizio , Dolci Alberto , Ricci Cristian , Ungvari Zoltan , Grosso Giuseppe
Published: August 2024

Background

Cognitive impairment is projected to affect a preponderant proportion of the aging population. Lifelong dietary habits have been hypothesized to play a role in preventing cognitive decline. Among the most studied dietary components, fish consumptionhas been extensively studied for its potential effects on the human brain.

Aims

To perform a meta-analysis of observational studies exploring the association between fish intake and cognitive impairment/decline and all types of dementia.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases was performed to identify observational studies providing quantitative data on fish consumption and outcomes of interest. Random effects models for meta-analyses using only extreme exposure categories, subgroup analyses, and dose-response analyses were performed to estimate cumulative risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The meta-analysis comprised 35 studies. Individuals reporting the highest vs. the lowest fish consumption were associated with a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment/decline (RR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75, 0.90, I2 = 61.1%), dementia (RR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.93, I2 = 38.7%), and Alzheimer’s disease (RR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.96, I2 = 20.3%). The dose-response relation revealed a significantly decreased risk of cognitive impairment/decline and all cognitive outcomes across higher levels of fish intake up to 30% for 150 g/d (RR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.95). The results of this relation based on APOE ε4 allele status was mixed based on the outcome investigated.

Conclusions

Current findings suggest fish consumption is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment/decline in a dose-response manner, while for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease there is a need for further studies to improve the strength of evidence.
Image-based quantitative probing of 3D heterogeneous pore structure in CBM reservoir and permeability estimation with pore network modeling
Authors: Liu Peng , Zhao Yulong , Zhao Zhengduo , Yang Huiming , Nie Baisheng , He Hengyi , Li Quangui , Bao Guangjie
Published: August 2024

Coalbed methane (CBM) recovery is attracting global attention due to its huge reserve and low carbon burning benefits for the environment. Fully understanding the complex structure of coal and its transport properties is crucial for CBM development. This study describes the implementation of mercury intrusion and μ-CT techniques for quantitative analysis of 3D pore structure in two anthracite coals. It shows that the porosity is 7.04%–8.47% and 10.88%–12.11%, and the pore connectivity is 0.5422–0.6852 and 0.7948–0.9186 for coal samples 1 and 2, respectively. The fractal dimension and pore geometric tortuosity were calculated based on the data obtained from 3D pore structure. The results show that the pore structure of sample 2 is more complex and developed, with lower tortuosity, indicating the higher fluid deliverability of pore system in sample 2. The tortuosity in three-direction is significantly different, indicating that the pore structure of the studied coals has significant anisotropy. The equivalent pore network model (PNM) was extracted, and the anisotropic permeability was estimated by PNM gas flow simulation. The results show that the anisotropy of permeability is consistent with the slice surface porosity distribution in 3D pore structure. The permeability in the horizontal direction is much greater than that in the vertical direction, indicating that the dominant transportation channel is along the horizontal direction of the studied coals. The research results achieve the visualization of the 3D complex structure of coal and fully capture and quantify pore size, connectivity, curvature, permeability, and its anisotropic characteristics at micron-scale resolution. This provides a prerequisite for the study of mass transfer behaviors and associated transport mechanisms in real pore structures.
The Politics of Germany’s eco-social transformation
Authors: Finkeldey Jasper , Fischer Torben , Theine Hendrik , Bohnenberger Katharina
Published: August 2024

In Germany, at first glance there is general political agreement between the green-progressive camp and the capitalist-industrial centre-right on the need for the eco-social transformation. However, there are considerable gaps between ambitions to implement policies towards an eco-social transformation and its actual implementation. As this Special Issue (SI) shows, the acceptance of green welfare systems or adding social policies to the green transition projects is not matched by substantial policies. The Special Issue offers eight original research papers on ideas, actors and conflicts and multi-level governance of the “Politics of Germany’s eco-social transformation”. Current trends point to a deepening marketization of green policies, a reluctance in lifestyle changes and dissonance in the design of concrete eco-social policies. The authors contribute to a better understanding of the political affordances and challenges of the eco-social transformation in Germany.
The association between medication use and health-related quality of life in multimorbid older patients with polypharmacy
Authors: Falke Charlotte , Karapinar Fatma , Bouvy Marcel , Emmelot Mariëlle , Belitser Svetlana , Boland Benoit , O’Mahony Denis , Murphy Kevin D. , Haller Moa , Salari Paola , Schwenkglenks Matthias , Rodondi Nicolas , Egberts Toine , Knol Wilma
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To explore the association between medication use-related factors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older hospitalised multimorbid patients with polypharmacy.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used the intervention arm data of the OPERAM trial (hospitalised patients ≥ 70 years with polypharmacy). HRQoL was assessed using the visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and the EQ-5D index score of the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Lower or higher EQ-VAS/EQ-5D was based on the median of the study population. Medication use-related factors included hyperpolypharmacy (≥ 10 medications), anticholinergic and sedative burden, appropriateness of medication (STOPP/START criteria), high-risk medication for hospital (re)admission, medication complexity and adherence. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between medication use-related factors and HRQoL.

Results

A total of 955 patients were included (mean age 79 years, 46% female, median EQ-VAS of 60, median EQ-5D of 0.60). Opioids use was associated with lower EQ-5D and EQ-VAS (aOR EQ-5D: 2.10; 95% CI 1.34–3.32, EQ-VAS: 1.59; 1.11–2.30). Hyperpolypharmacy (aOR 1.37; 1.05–1.80), antibiotics (aOR 1.64; 1.01–2.68) and high medication complexity (aOR 1.53; 1.10–2.15) were associated with lower EQ-VAS. A high anticholinergic and sedative burden (aOR 1.73; 1.11–2.69), presence of multiple prescribing omissions (aOR 1.94; 1.19–3.17) and benzodiazepine use (aOR 2.01; 1.22–3.35) were associated with lower EQ-5D. Especially in hyperpolypharmacy patients, high anticholinergic and sedative burden and medication complexity were associated with a lower HRQoL.

Conclusion

Several medication use-related factors are significantly associated with a lower HRQoL in hospitalised older patients. Medication complexity is a novel factor, which should be considered when evaluating medication use of older patients with hyperpolypharmacy.
Microphysiological systems for realizing microenvironment that mimics human physiology—functional material and its standardization applied to microfluidics
Authors: Ito Y. , Kawauchi I. , Yanagita Y. , Sakai Y. , Nishikawa M. , Arakawa H. , Kadoguchi M. , Tamai I. , Esashika K. , Takahashi J. , Ando O. , Satoh T. , Imai I. , Adachi S. , Chiba D. , Arai K. , Shiota K. , Sawaguchi T. , Yoshioka T. , Fujimoto T. , Yoshikuni T. , Mizuno A. , Aihara T. , Sakura T. , Kimura H. , Nakae H.
Published: August 2024

Microphysiological systems (MPS), also known as Organ(s)-on-Chip (OoC), are in vitro cell culture platforms that reproduce the function of cells/tissues/organs in a microenvironment. To closely mimic in vivo physiological functions, MPS must allow the cells to attain three-dimensional arrangements and be supplied with adequate oxygen and growth factors (via microfluidic channels). Furthermore, as MPS are mostly used in cell-based drug development assays, they must ensure easy analysis and high usability. To make MPS which conform to these various requirements, it is crucial to select appropriate materials; oftentimes, MPS-appropriate materials have been developed. Here, we review the functions and properties of materials used to make MPSs and summarize the specifications, considerations, and selection methods employed in choosing appropriate materials and technologies to fabricate MPS that meet standard requirements. Where possible, we give specific examples to explain several important functions. The functions of the chosen material for MPS depend on the context of use (COU) in the drug development process. Because of the diverse COUs, the material selection strategies and the processes used to fabricate required material functionalities are complex. We also discuss the importance of standardizing MPS material and recent international efforts made in this direction.