bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of different maxillary advancement protocols in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate: a finite element analysis
Authors: Akdemir Guleser , Gorucu-Coskuner Hande
Published: April 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress distributions and possible amount of movement in the maxillofacial region resulting from different maxillary advancement protocols in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Materials and methods

A unilateral cleft lip and palate model (CLP model) with Goslon score 4 was created for finite element analysis. Three different protocols were compared: Group 1: usage of a face mask with elastics placed at a 30? angle to the occlusal plane over a conventional acrylic plate; Group 2: usage of a face mask with elastics placed at a 30? angle to the occlusal plane over miniplates placed in the infrazygomatic crest region; Group 3: usage of elastic from the menton plate placed in the mandible to the infrazygomatic plates in the maxilla.

Results

Dental effects were greater in the maxillary protraction protocol with a face mask over a conventional acrylic plate (Von Misses Stress Values; Group 1?=?cleft side:0.076, non-cleft side:0.077; Group 2?=?cleft side:0.004, non-cleft side: 0.003; Group 3?=?cleft side:0.0025; non-cleft side:0.0015), whereas skeletal effects were greater in maxillary protraction protocols with face mask using skeletal anchorage (Von Misses Stress Values; Group 1:0.008; Group 2:0.02; Group 3:0.0025). The maximum amount of counterclockwise rotation of the maxilla as a result of protraction was observed in traditional acrylic plate face mask protocol, and the minimum amount was observed by using elastics between infrazygomatic plates and menton plate.

Conclusions

In individuals with unilateral cleft lip and palate with Goslon score 4, it was observed that the skeletally anchored face mask caused more skeletal impact and displacement than both the traditional acrylic plate face mask model and the pure skeletally supported maxillary protraction model.

Clinical relevance

When planning maxillary protraction treatment in patients with cleft lip and palate, it should be considered that more movement in the sagittal plane might be expected on the cleft side than the non-cleft side, and miniplate and screws on the cleft side are exposed to more stress when using infrazygomatic plates as skeletal anchorage.
Saline paleo-water mass transfer induced by piston flow in the continental alluvial aquifer of the Oltrepò Pavese plain (Po Plain, northern Italy)
Authors: Pilla Giorgio , Torrese Patrizio
Published: April 2024

Hydrochemical and geophysical methods were used to assess saline paleo-water mass transfer induced by piston flow in the alluvial aquifer of the Oltrepò Pavese plain (northern Italy). The surface aquifer shows salinity contamination from a Tertiary substrate of marine origin, due to mixing of the shallower fresh groundwater with the Po Plain’s deep brines. The study also used continuous monitoring of groundwater electrical conductivity, temperature and piezometric levels. Well logging and geophysical imaging, conducted at different times, revealed that the contamination varies over time, and that the water salinity and the depth of the transition zone (between the surface freshwaters and the deep saline waters) are subject to modifications. This is due to a pressure transfer—and, subsequently, mass transfer−from the groundwater circuits of the nearby Apennine mountains. It suggests that a hydraulic connection exists between the fractured Apennine water circuits and the deeper Mio-Pliocene and Tertiary saline-water circuits found below the plain’s alluvial aquifer. Coinciding with significant recharge episodes that affect Apennine water circuits (prolonged rainfall and snow melt at mid-high altitudes), there is a pressure transfer transmitted along the water circuits in which saline water resides, providing an impulse to rise along the discontinuities and reach the alluvial aquifer. The conceptual model is supported by evidence that wells constructed in correspondence to hydraulically active tectonic discontinuities are affected by the arrival of saline waters with variable delays, while wells sited in sectors not affected by tectonic discontinuities are diluted by ‘fresh’ waters connected to alluvial aquifer recharge.
An assessment of the durability of untreated and water repellent-treated cultural heritage stone (Döğer tuff-Turkey) by salt mist and salt crystallization tests
Authors: Çelik Mustafa Yavuz , Güven Özlem
Published: April 2024

Salt mist and salt crystallization tests were conducted to determine the resistance of the untreated and water-repellent-treated Döğer tuff samples to salt damage. The Döğer tuffs are of volcanic origin and consist of porous pyroclastic rocks. A series of characterization studies were performed to determine the physicochemical and chemical properties (XRF), mineralogical-petrographic characteristics (polarizing optical microscopy, XRD, and SEM), and pore-size distribution (MIP) of the Döğer tuff prior to the aging tests. Following the aging experiments, the changes in weight, ultrasound pulse velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, and variations in pore size distribution were examined in the tested tuffs. In addition, SEM studies were conducted to analyze the microstructures. The untreated tuff samples were more severely affected by salt crystallization. The increases in dry weight for untreated and water-repellent-treated Döğer tuff samples were 0.27% and 0.13% after 60 cycles of salt mist exposure and 7.2% and 3.76% after salt crystallization cycles using a sodium chloride solution, respectively. Both conditions resulted from the accumulation of NaCl crystals on the tuff surface and within the pores. Salt crystal formation in a sodium sulfate solution led to dry weight change of 2.02% and 0.29% in the untreated and water-repellent-treated samples, respectively. The uniaxial compressive strength of the untreated tuff samples decreased by 36.71% in the presence of sodium chloride solution and by 72.58% in the presence of sodium sulfate solution. The ultrasound pulse velocity values decreased in all tuff samples after the salt crystallization test. However, the Döğer tuff samples were still distinguishable after both tests and their physical integrity remained intact.
Does the composition of environmental regulation matter for ecological sustainability? Evidence from Fourier ARDL under the EKC and LCC hypotheses
Authors: Bozatli Oguzhan , Akca Hasim
Published: April 2024

Environmental policies typically involve the definition of a goal and the use of some policy tools to achieve this goal. As one of the most critical objectives of countries is to ensure environmental sustainability, they use effective instruments such as environmental regulations, which are important public economy instruments. This study aims to test the impact of environmental regulations on the load capacity factor and ecological footprint in Turkey using data from 1990 to 2020 and the novel Fourier augmented autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model. We categorize environmental regulations into market-based, command and control, and technology support policies. This reveals the relative effectiveness of environmental regulation components. We also question the role of renewable energy and the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and Load Capacity Curve (LCC) hypotheses. The findings indicate that market-based regulations increase environmental sustainability by improving environmental quality. Again, command and control and technology support policies have no impact on the ecological balance. Therefore, we prove that the components of environmental regulations can have different impacts on environmental quality and sustainability. Moreover, we confirm the improving role of renewable energy on environmental quality. Thus, we support the view that environmentally friendly renewable energy policies are critical for environmental sustainability. Finally, we show that the EKC and LCC hypotheses are valid in Turkey during the analyzed period. Policymakers must restructure command and control regulations and technology support policies in an incentive-based, flexible, and cost-effective manner to improve environmental quality in Turkey.

Graphical abstract
An exploratory study on manifesting decision-inertia in a 360-degree extended reality terrorist incident
Authors: May Brandon , Milne Rebecca , Dalton Gary , Meenaghan Amy , Shawyer Andrea
Published: April 2024

Emergency response decision making is crucial in managing critical incidents; however, several studies have demonstrated the negative effects of decision inertia. Understanding the manifestation and impact of decision inertia, as well as utilising extended reality (XR) technology with 360-degree immersion, should enhance decision making in high-stress environments and improve emergency response efforts. This study investigated decision inertia, using 109 participants, in an XR 360-degree environment and its impact on decision-making outcomes. The findings revealed that participants often opted for a sub-optimal outcome, and decision inertia scores varied across these outcomes. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that decision inertia scores significantly predicted decision outcomes, with higher decision inertia scores associated with sub-optimal decision-making. Participants prior moral decision-making did influence subsequent immersive reality decision outcomes and demonstrated a Bayesian updating effect. The Structured Tabular Thematic Analysis highlighted the importance of information validity, decision confidence, and scenario fidelity in decision-making within the immersive environment. The study provides insights into decision inertia in immersive virtual reality critical incidents and offers practical solutions for improving decision-making processes in emergency response contexts.
CHEKG: a collaborative and hybrid methodology for engineering modular and fair domain-specific knowledge graphs
Authors: Angelis Sotiris , Moraitou Efthymia , Caridakis George , Kotis Konstantinos
Published: April 2024

Ontologies constitute the semantic model of Knowledge Graphs (KGs). This structural association indicates the potential existence of methodological analogies in the development of ontologies and KGs. The deployment of fully and well-defined methodologies for KG development based on existing ontology engineering methodologies (OEMs) has been suggested and efficiently applied. However, most of the modern/recent OEMs may not include tasks that (i) empower knowledge workers and domain experts to closely collaborate with ontology engineers and KG specialists for the development and maintenance of KGs, (ii) satisfy special requirements of KG development, such as (a) ensuring modularity and agility of KGs, (b) assessing and mitigating bias at schema and data levels. Toward this aim, the paper presents a methodology for the Collaborative and Hybrid Engineering of Knowledge Graphs (CHEKG), which constitutes a hybrid (schema-centric/top-down and data-driven/bottom-up), collaborative, agile, and iterative approach for developing modular and fair domain-specific KGs. CHEKG contributes to all phases of the KG engineering lifecycle: from the specification of a KG to its exploitation, evaluation, and refinement. The CHEKG methodology is based on the main phases of the extended Human-Centered Collaborative Ontology Engineering Methodology (ext-HCOME), while it adjusts and expands the individual processes and tasks of each phase according to the specialized requirements of KG development. Apart from the presentation of the methodology per se, the paper presents recent work regarding the deployment and evaluation of the CHEKG methodology for the engineering of semantic trajectories as KGs generated from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) data during real cultural heritage documentation scenarios.
Machine learning-based detection of TEC signatures related to earthquakes and tsunamis: the 2015 Illapel case study
Authors: Fuso Federica , Crocetti Laura , Ravanelli Michela , Soja Benedikt
Published: April 2024

Earthquakes and tsunamis can trigger acoustic and gravity waves that could reach the ionosphere, generating electron density disturbances, known as traveling ionospheric disturbances. These perturbations can be investigated as variations in ionospheric total electron content (TEC) estimated through global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receivers. The VARION (Variometric Approach for Real-Time Ionosphere Observation) algorithm is a well-known real-time tool for estimating TEC variations. In this context, the high amount of data allows the exploration of a VARION-based machine learning classification approach for TEC perturbation detection. For this purpose, we analyzed the 2015 Illapel earthquake and tsunami for its strength and high impact. We use the VARION-generated observations (i.e., dsTEC/dt) provided by 115 GNSS stations as input features for the machine learning algorithms, namely, Random Forest and XGBoost. We manually label time frames of TEC perturbations as the target variable. We consider two elevation cut-off time series, namely, 15° and 25°, to which we apply the classifier. XGBoost with a 15° elevation cut-off dsTEC/dt time series reaches the best performance, achieving an F1 score of 0.77, recall of 0.74, and precision of 0.80 on the test data. Furthermore, XGBoost presents an average difference between the labeled and predicted middle epochs of TEC perturbation of 75 s. Finally, the model could be seamlessly integrated into a real-time early warning system, due to its low computational time. This work demonstrates high-probability TEC signature detection by machine learning for earthquakes and tsunamis, that can be used to enhance tsunami early warning systems.
Rising temperatures favour defence-suppressing herbivores
Authors: Teodoro-Paulo Jéssica , Deere Jacques A. , Valeriano-Santos João , Charlesworth Steven , Duncan Alison B. , Kant Merijn R. , Alba Juan M.
Published: April 2024

Rising temperatures due to climate change are predicted to accelerate the life cycle of arthropod herbivores thereby exacerbating pest formation. Notorious pests like spider mites thrive in areas with high temperatures (32–35 °C), and it is predicted that the size and number of such areas will expand in the coming decades. Higher temperatures can directly accelerate population growth, but also indirectly affect them through changes in the plant's defensive mechanisms. Spider mites have been shown to adapt to plant defences, with natural selection favouring defence-suppressing traits. However, it is not known to what extent suppression is affected by rising temperatures and how this might tie into the rate of adaptation and pest damage. In this study, we investigated the effect of two temperatures (25 °C and 32 °C), on the spider mite–tomato interaction, predicting the influence of rising temperatures on favouring defence-adapted mites. We found that all mite strains caused more plant damage at 32 °C, but temperature did not affect the overall patterns of induction and suppression of defence genes. Although fecundity was higher for all strains at 32 °C, juvenile and adult survival was lower, especially for inducer mites. With these data, we parametrized population models for the two strains over three months, indicating that suppressor mites might displace inducers at the higher temperature, either when it is constant or in the form of heat waves. Our models predict that in areas with higher temperatures, defence-suppressing mites are favoured, which will accelerate and consequently spur pest formation.
Prospects of perfusion contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CE-US) in diagnosing axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer: a comparison with lymphatic CE-US
Authors: Mori Naoko , Li Li , Matsuda Masazumi , Mori Yu , Mugikura Shunji
Published: April 2024

Accurate diagnosis of lymph node (LN) metastasis is vital for prognosis and treatment in patients with breast cancer. Imaging 1modalities such as ultrasound (US), MRI, CT, and 18F-FDG PET/CT are used for preoperative assessment. While conventional US is commonly recommended due to its resolution and sensitivity, it has limitations such as operator subjectivity and difficulty detecting small metastases. This review shows the microanatomy of axillary LNs to enhance accurate diagnosis and the characteristics of contrast-enhanced US (CE-US), which utilizes intravascular microbubble contrast agents, making it ideal for vascular imaging. A significant focus of this review is on distinguishing between two types of CE-US techniques for axillary LN evaluation: perfusion CE-US and lymphatic CE-US. Perfusion CE-US is used to assess LN metastasis via transvenous contrast agent administration, while lymphatic CE-US is used to identify sentinel LNs and diagnose LN metastasis through percutaneous contrast agent administration. This review also highlights the need for future research to clarify the distinction between studies involving “apparently enlarged LNs” and “clinical node-negative” cases in perfusion CE-US research. Such research standardization is essential to ensure accurate diagnostic performance in various clinical studies. Future studies should aim to standardize CE-US methods for improved LN metastasis diagnosis, not only in breast cancer but also across various malignancies.
Isotopic Evidence for Socio-economic Dynamics Within the Capital of the Kingdom of Alwa, Sudan
Authors: Ciesielska Joanna A. , Le Roux Petrus , Scott Erin , Lucas Mary , Roberts Patrick
Published: April 2024

Between the sixth and fifteenth c. CE, a vast expanse of central and southern Sudan belonged to the kingdom of Alwa, ruled from the urban metropolis of Soba. Renewed investigation of the city unearthed a small cemetery in the northern part of the site. The heterogeneity of burial practices raised some questions as to the cultural and religious affinities of the deceased and suggested potential multiculturalism of the local urban population. We applied isotopic analyses to investigate the origins of the people buried at Cemetery OS and their concomitant ways of life. Non-concordance of 87Sr/86Sr and δ18O values with local hydro-geological background speaks to the mixing of water sources as a result of residential mobility. The concordance of human and faunal strontium and oxygen results, combined with elevated δ13C values corresponding to almost exclusive reliance on C4 produce, points to the possibility of seasonal movement of people with their herds between the Nile valley and the adjacent grasslands. Despite the turn of the medieval Nubian economy towards settled agriculture, by revealing the granular specificities of human adaptation in challenging ecosystems, our results produce the first insight into the enduring diversification of economic production, even in urbanized settings, and persisting participation of local peoples in agro-pastoral symbiosis.
Characteristics of Received HIV Prevention Advocacy from Persons Living with HIV in Uganda, and Associations with HIV Testing and Condom Use Among Social Network Members
Authors: Wagner Glenn J. , Bogart Laura M. , Matovu Joseph K.B. , Okoboi Stephen , Gwokyalya Violet , Klein David J. , Ninsiima Susan , Green Harold D.
Published: April 2024

Receiving peer advocacy has been shown to result in increased HIV protective behaviors, but little research has gone beyond assessment of the mere presence of advocacy to examine aspects of advocacy driving these effects. With baseline data from a controlled trial of an advocacy training intervention, we studied characteristics of HIV prevention advocacy received among 599 social network members of persons living with HIV in Uganda and the association of these characteristics with the social network members’ recent HIV testing (past six months) and consistent condom use, as well as perceived influence of advocacy on these behaviors. Participants reported on receipt of advocacy specific to HIV testing and condom use, as well as on measures of advocacy content, tone of delivery, support for autonomous regulation, and perceived influence on behavior. Receiving HIV testing advocacy and condom use advocacy were associated with recent HIV testing [65.2% vs. 51.4%; OR (95% CI) = 1.77 (1.11–2.84)], and consistent condom use with main sex partner [19.3% vs. 10.0%; OR (95% CI) = 2.16 (1.12–4.13)], respectively, compared to not receiving advocacy. Among those who received condom advocacy, perceived influence of the advocacy was positively correlated with consistent condom use, regardless of type of sex partner; support of autonomous regulation was a correlate of consistent condom use with casual sex partners, while judgmental advocacy was a correlate of consistent condom use with serodiscordant main partners. Among those who received testing advocacy, HIV testing in the past 6 months was positively correlated with receipt of direct support for getting tested. In multiple regression analysis, perceived influence of both HIV testing and condom use advocacy were positively correlated with advocacy that included access information and support of autonomous regulation; confrontational advocacy and judgmental advocacy were independent positive correlates of perceived influence of testing and condom use advocacy, respectively. These findings support associations that suggest potential benefits of peer advocacy from PLWH on HIV testing and condom use among their social network members, and indicate that advocacy content, tone of delivery, and support of autonomous regulation advocacy may play an important role in the success of advocacy.
Cub model-based clustering of Likert-type data with a tourist satisfaction application
Authors: Biasetton Nicolò , D’Urso Pierpaolo , Disegna Marta , Salmaso Luigi
Published: April 2024

In investigating customer satisfaction with products or services, the most popular approach still relies on interviews or questionnaires to obtain consumers’ opinions, and responses are usually measured by means of Likert-type scales. However, Likert-type data are inherently imprecise and uncertain. Thus, to obtain reliable analysis using such data, an a-posteriori correction must be adopted. The fuzzification procedure is the most common a-posteriori way to deal with uncertainty of Likert-type data. In this study, an alternative method to address the uncertainty of such data when used as input of a cluster analysis is proposed. The suggested method is based on the CUB model and the Fuzzy C-Medoids Clustering of Mixed Data algorithm and it is theoretically and empirically presented using real case study data. Advantages of the FCMd-CUB method are discussed in the conclusion section.
Partially non-ergodic ground motion model for the Bucaramanga seismic nest in Northern South America (NoSAm Nest GMM)
Authors: Pajaro Cesar A. , Arteta Carlos A. , Mercado Vicente , Montejo Julián , Arcila Mónica , Abrahamson Norman A.
Published: April 2024

The Bucaramanga seismic nest has the highest concentration in volume of intermediate depth seismic events with light and moderate magnitudes (Mb > 4.8) worldwide. Despite the nest depth (Zhypo ≥ 100 km), these events play a crucial role in the seismic hazard assessment for several cities in northern South America (NoSAm), particularly those situated close to their epicenters. Moreover, these earthquakes are widely felt across the country, even hundreds of kilometers away from the nest. This paper assesses the performance of commonly used subduction intraslab Ground Motion Models (GMMs) in predicting the updated nest database gathered and processed by the Colombian Geological Survey. This analysis confirms the necessity of a partially non-ergodic ground motion model for estimating the spectral accelerations produced by Bucaramanga nest earthquakes in northern South America. The GMM presented herein is the first model developed specifically for seismic nests in the region and is conceived as a regionalization of the recent NGA-Sub Abrahamson and Gülerce (Earthq Spectra 38(4):2638−2681, 2022) GMM. Additionally, we provide estimates of the variance components at both the earthquake and station levels and compare the developed GMM with the spectral accelerations recorded for typical earthquakes, for the highest magnitude earthquake in the database, and for a recent Bucaramanga nest earthquake having a moment magnitude over 5.
Altered biological control species interactions despite phenological synchrony along an urban–rural temperature gradient
Authors: Keller Joseph A. , Shea Katriona
Published: April 2024

Biological control programs provide simplified systems in which to investigate the influence of temperature on trophic interactions. We investigated the interaction between the invasive thistle Carduus nutans and its specialist herbivore, the biological control agent weevil Rhinocyllus conicus, along a temperature gradient spanning an urban-to-rural urbanization gradient in central Pennsylvania. As expected, more urbanized sites were warmer than rural sites. Nevertheless, C. nutans phenology was only slightly earlier at warmer sites, and the timing of observations of adult R. conicus on thistles did not shift earlier, leaving synchrony apparently unchanged. Despite unchanged phenological matching, seasonal patterns in weevil damage varied with temperature: early-appearing capitula at warmer sites were more heavily damaged than early capitula at cooler sites, yet overall a lower proportion of capitula was damaged at warmer sites. Rising temperatures may therefore reduce effectiveness of R. conicus for C. nutans control, as more capitula escape damage. Biological control systems and naturally occurring temperature gradients are useful systems in which to investigate climate change impacts, but a focus on the phenology of organisms’ presence or absence may not be sufficient; our study demonstrates that consideration of the interaction itself may be necessary.
Rewet without regret? Nutrient dynamics in fen peat exposed to different rewetting degrees
Authors: van der Laan Annick , van Dijk Jerry , Rebel Karin T. , Wassen Martin J.
Published: April 2024

All over the world, peatlands have been drained, often for agricultural purposes, resulting in CO2 emissions, soil subsidence and biodiversity loss. To combat these negative effects, drained peatlands are being rewetted, but knowledge of the effects of rewetting on peat biogeochemistry is still incomplete, especially since a variety of rewetting methods and rewetting degrees exists. We conducted a mesocosm experiment in which we exposed 100 intact agricultural fen peat cores (80 cm, 20 cm Ø) to five different water levels (0, 20, 40, 60 cm and variable—surface), two nutrient application levels to mimic continued agricultural use, and two water origins. Over an eight-month period, we harvested above-ground plant biomass five times and sampled pore water at two depths each month. Samples were analysed for nutrients. Our results show increased phosphate and ammonium availability upon fully rewetting (0 cm—surface) and less so under partially rewetted circumstances (20 cm—surface). Above-ground biomass was strongly affected by nutrient application, especially in the high water level treatments. Vegetation was primarily N-limited, and N in the vegetation decreased with increasing water levels, indicating stronger nitrogen limitation upon rewetting. We conclude that nature restoration under fully rewetted conditions will likely be challenging as a result of the large release of nutrients from the system which may also affect surrounding nature areas. Furthermore, we conclude that partial rewetting combined with low-intensity agricultural use can be a solution to slow down the adverse effects of drainage, although this will lead to decreased agricultural production.
An efficient improved exponential distribution optimizer: application to the global, engineering and combinatorial optimization problems
Authors: Houssein Essam H. , Saeed Mahmoud Khalaf , Hu Gang , Al-Sayed Mustafa M.
Published: April 2024

Population-based meta-heuristic optimization algorithms play a vital role in addressing optimization problems. Nowadays, exponential distribution optimizer (EDO) can be considered to be one of the most recent among these algorithms. Although it has achieved many promising results, it has a set of shortcomings, for example, the decelerated convergence, and provides local optima solution as it cannot escape from local regions in addition to imbalance between diversification and intensification. Therefore, in this study, an enhanced variant of EDO called mEDO was proposed to address these shortcomings by combining two efficient search mechanisms named orthogonal learning (OL) and local escaping operator (LEO). In mEDO, the LEO has been exploited to escape local optima and improve the convergence behavior of the EDO by employing random operators to maximize the search process and to effectively discover the globally optima solution. Then the OL has been combined to keep the two phases (i.e., exploration and exploitation) balanced. To validate the effectiveness and performance of the mEDO algorithm, the proposed method has been evaluated over ten functions of the IEEE CEC’2020 test suite as well as eight real-world applications (engineering design optimization problems), Furthermore we test the applicability of the proposed algorithm by tackling 21 instance of the quadratic assignment problem (QAP). The experimental and statistical results of the proposed algorithm have been compared against seven other common metaheuristic algorithms (MAs), including the basic EDO. The results show the supremacy of the mEDO algorithm over the other algorithms and reveal the applicability and effectiveness of the mEDO algorithm compared to well-established metaheuristic algorithms. The experimental results and different statistical measures revealed the reliability and applicability of the mEDO method in solving the global, engineering design, and combinatorial optimization problems by achieving a reasonable solution in terms of scoring a global optima solutions and avoiding premature convergence by increasing the population’s diversity.
Chain-imprimitive, flag-transitive 2-designs
Authors: Amarra Carmen , Devillers Alice , Praeger Cheryl E.
Published: April 2024

We consider 2-designs which admit a group of automorphisms that is flag-transitive and leaves invariant a chain of nontrivial point-partitions. We build on our recent work on 2-designs which are block-transitive but not necessarily flag-transitive. In particular we use the concept of the “array” of a point subset with respect to the chain of point-partitions; the array describes the distribution of the points in the subset among the classes of each partition. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions on the array in order for the subset to be a block of such a design. By explicit construction we show that for any $$s \ge 2$$

s
≥
2

, there are infinitely many 2-designs admitting a flag-transitive group that preserves an invariant chain of point-partitions of length s. Moreover an exhaustive computer search, using Magma, seeking designs with $$e_1e_2e_3$$

e
1

e
2

e
3

points (where each $$e_i\le 50$$

e
i

≤
50

) and a partition chain of length $$s=3$$

s
=
3

, produced 57 such flag-transitive designs, among which only three designs arise from our construction—so there is still much to learn.
Broadening the Notion of Peer-To-Peer Interactions When Young Children Engage With Digital Technology
Authors: Nolan Andrea , Moore Deborah
Published: April 2024

Young children engage with digital technologies from a very young age. Often this is considered detrimental to their social development as it is seen as a socially isolating experience. This paper presents the findings of an Australian Research Council funded research project that focused on what characterises infants and toddlers peer-to-peer interactions while engaging with digital technologies such as iPads. The project involved five Family Day Care educators and 23 children aged 8 to 36 months from diverse cultural backgrounds, over a three-year period from an Australian state. The data analysed consisted of researcher recorded and educator recorded videos of the children engaging in experiences involving digital technologies in their family day care programs. These experiences were chosen by the educators after attending a professional development session. A broader understanding of the notion of interactions is proposed to fully appreciate and represent the many peer-to-peer interactions observed. Through a social capital lens, there were elements of social networks, trust and reciprocity evident.
The Impact of Oral Language and Transcription Skills on Early Writing Production in Kindergarteners: Productivity and Quality
Authors: Rodríguez Cristina , Jiménez Juan E. , Balade Jennifer
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to investigate the roles of transcription skills and oral language abilities in predicting writing quality and productivity among Spanish-speaking kindergarten children (N = 159). Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study examined associations between these foundational skills and writing outcomes. The model demonstrated excellent fit, with significant relationships between observed measures and their respective latent variables. Transcription skills were found to robustly predict both writing quality and productivity, while oral language was a significant predictor only for writing quality. A notable covariance was observed between transcription and oral language constructs, emphasizing their interconnected influence on early writing development. The study’s findings contribute to the current discourse by aligning with the ‘not-so-simple’ view of writing, challenging conventional notions that prioritize transcription skills over oral language in early writing. These results have important implications for designing comprehensive early childhood literacy programs and suggest that both transcription and oral language abilities should be integrated for holistic writing development. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.
The underestimated preventive effects of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening: re-analysis and meta-analysis of randomized trials
Authors: Brenner Hermann , Heisser Thomas , Cardoso Rafael , Hoffmeister Michael
Published: April 2024

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS), which is less invasive, resource intensive and costly than colonoscopy, is among the recommended screening options for colorectal cancer (CRC). Four large randomized trials consistently reported statistically significant, albeit modest effects of screening by FS on CRC incidence. However, their effect estimates included cancers that were already prevalent at recruitment and could not have been prevented by screening. We performed a re-analysis and meta-analysis of two of the trials (including the largest one) to estimate reduction of truly incident cases by a single FS offered between 55 and 64 years of age among the “at risk study population” without prevalent CRC at recruitment. In meta-analyses of data reported after more than 15 years of follow-up, relative risk (95% CI) in intention-to-screen and per-protocol analyses were 0.71 (0.66–0.76) and 0.59 (0.55–0.65) for any CRC, and 0.52 (0.47–0.57) and 0.34 (0.30–0.39) for distal CRC, respectively. These results indicate much stronger effects than those suggested by the original reports and imply that a single screening FS can prevent approximately two out of three distal incident CRC cases within 15 + years of follow-up.
Statistical Reappraisal of the Wax and Mercury Methods for Shrinkage Limit Determinations of Fine-Grained Soils
Authors: Soltani Amin , Azimi Mahdieh , O’Kelly Brendan C. , Baghbani Abolfazl , Taheri Abbas
Published: April 2024

Because of the hazards associated with handling mercury, most standards organizations have withdrawn the conventional mercury (displacement) method (MM) for shrinkage limit (SL) determination of fine-grained soils. Despite attempts to substantiate the wax (coating) method (WM), which is presently the only standardized MM-testing alternative, the geotechnical community remains somewhat hesitant of its adoption in routine practice. To encourage more widespread use of WM-testing, this study re-examines the level of agreement between the MM- and WM-deduced SL parameters (i.e., SLMM and SLWM, respectively). This was achieved by performing comprehensive statistical analyses on the largest and most diverse database of its kind, to date, entailing SLMM:SLWM measurements for 168 different fine-grained soils having wide ranges of plasticity characteristics (i.e., liquid limit = 31.6–362.0%, plasticity index = 8.2–318.0% and SLMM = 7.1–42.0%). Furthermore, an attempt was made to evaluate the SLWM (in lieu of the SLMM) parameter for performing preliminary soil expansivity assessments using existing SLMM-based classification approaches. It was demonstrated that the MM and WM methods do not produce identical SL values for a given fine-grained soil under similar testing conditions, with their discrepancy being systematic and hence likely arising from the differences between the materials (mercury versus wax) and methodologies involved in performing these tests. New SLWM → SLMM conversion relationships were established, allowing SLMM to be deduced as a function of SLWM with high accuracy. Hence, when inputting SLWM in SLMM-based empirical correlations to predict other geoengineering design parameters, the newly proposed conversion relationships can be employed to minimize systematic prediction errors. It was also demonstrated that plasticity-based correlations, at best, can only provide a rough approximation of SLMM. Hence, when the SL is desired, WM-testing or any other alternative method that directly and reliably measures the soil shrinkage factors should be retained. Finally, the same soil-expansivity rankings, as obtained for existing classification systems employing SLMM results, are achieved using SLWM measurements (i.e., without the need of applying SLWM → SLMM conversion equations).
Increasing outer membrane complexity: the case of the lipopolysaccharide lipid A from marine Cellulophaga pacifica
Authors: Andretta Emanuela , De Chiara Stefania , Pagliuca Chiara , Cirella Roberta , Scaglione Elena , Di Rosario Martina , Kokoulin Maxim S. , Nedashkovskaya Olga I. , Silipo Alba , Salvatore Paola , Molinaro Antonio , Di Lorenzo Flaviana
Published: April 2024

Gram-negative bacteria living in marine waters have evolved peculiar adaptation strategies to deal with the numerous stress conditions that characterize aquatic environments. Among the multiple mechanisms for efficient adaptation, these bacteria typically exhibit chemical modifications in the structure of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a fundamental component of their outer membrane. In particular, the glycolipid anchor to the membrane of marine bacteria LPSs, i.e. the lipid A, frequently shows unusual chemical structures, which are reflected in equally singular immunological properties with potential applications as immune adjuvants or anti-sepsis drugs. In this work, we determined the chemical structure of the lipid A from Cellulophaga pacifica KMM 3664T isolated from the Sea of Japan. This bacterium showed to produce a heterogeneous mixture of lipid A molecules that mainly display five acyl chains and carry a single phosphate and a D-mannose disaccharide on the glucosamine backbone. Furthermore, we proved that C. pacifica KMM 3664T LPS acts as a weaker activator of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) compared to the prototypical enterobacterial Salmonella typhimurium LPS. Our results are relevant to the future development of novel vaccine adjuvants and immunomodulators inspired by marine LPS chemistry.
Investigating Parental Observations of Early Autism Development in Simplex and Multiplex Families
Authors: Cleary Dominique B. , Maybery Murray T. , Waddington Hannah , Macaskill Ella , Whitehouse Andrew J.O.
Published: April 2024

Past research has highlighted the importance of early identification of developmental differences to improve targeted access to early interventions or supports. As such, it is of particular importance in the context of children at elevated likelihood of autism (such as where an older sibling has a diagnosis of autism), to better understand when and which early concerns are important as predictors of which children will benefit from pre-diagnostic supports. This study explored the number and frequency of retrospective parent reported concerns within the first year of life for children diagnosed with autism, both those who had an older sibling diagnosed with autism and those who did not, as well as for undiagnosed siblings. We found that at both 0–6 and 7–12 months, the only factor related to the presence or absence of early parent reported concerns was child diagnostic status, with the presence of reported early concerns more likely for children with a diagnosis of autism. These findings suggest that for children at elevated likelihood of autism, parents’ concerns are driven primarily by developmental differences, with child’s birth order and sibling diagnostic status not impacting on parent early concerns.
Community Priorities for Outcomes Targeted During Professional Supports for Autistic Children and their Families
Authors: Sulek Rhylee , Edwards Chris , Monk Ruth , Patrick Lee , Pillar Sarah , Waddington Hannah
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Professional supports play an important role in aiding autistic children’s learning, participation, and overall wellbeing. Yet, limited research exists on stakeholders’ perspectives and preferences regarding targeted outcomes for children undergoing support facilitated by professionals. This study investigated stakeholder views on the priority and appropriateness of outcomes intentionally targeted during the provision of supports to autistic children.

Method

A survey of 181 participants (including 72 autistic adults, 85 parents, and 69 professionals) from Australia and New Zealand was conducted. Participants rated the appropriateness and priority of 47 potential child and parent outcomes within the context of support.

Results

The highest priority outcome was improving child mental wellbeing, with the lowest being reducing sensory seeking or avoidant behaviours. Priority ratings for certain outcomes differed based on the child’s age. Over half of the participants rated reducing sensory seeking/avoidant behaviours and reducing focused interests as inappropriate outcomes of supports. Further, variations in the appropriateness of outcomes differed among participant groups.

Conclusion

Reflecting the growing acceptance of neurodiversity-affirming practices, these results underscore support for targeting outcomes that are meaningful to the autistic and autism communities, with less emphasis on those which reflect neurotypical behavioural standards.
The first German total diet study: Analytical techniques to identify natural radionuclides in food samples
Authors: Hofmann Peggy , Achatz Michaela , Behrend Kerstin , Berg Tanja , Busse Christel , Guttmann Annett , Hummrich Holger , Lindtner Oliver , Lucks Christian , Manteufel Laura , Rast Maximilian , Sarvan Irmela , Schmidt Beate , Schmidt Klaus , Scholtysik Clemens , Walther Diana
Published: April 2024

Between 2016 and 2021, Germany’s first total diet study was performed to assess the variety of substances humans are exposed to by dietary intake. On a global scale rather unique, the natural radionuclides lead-210, uranium-234, uranium-238, radium-226, and radium-228 should be investigated in over 200 different food samples within that study. This paper serves as a guide how to successfully determine these natural radionuclides in very low concentrations in a variety of samples. Two independent laboratories were involved for comparison to assure the quality of the presented sample pretreatment and analyzing techniques.
Tort Law and Contractualism
Authors: Chau Peter
Published: April 2024

How can tort law be justified? There are well-known difficulties with the three traditional theories of tort law dominating the literature (namely, economic theory, corrective justice theory, and civil recourse theory). Recently, some have turned to moral contractualism in search of tort law’s foundation. One of the most prominent attempts was made by Gregory Keating. Keating’s account, however, has been subjected to powerful objections. In a recent paper, John Oberdiek, through a sympathetic critique of Keating’s account, develops a new version of contractualist tort theory that is alleged to be at once superior to the three traditional theories of tort law and immune to the objections to Keating’s account. The aim of my paper is to critically assess Oberdiek’s account; I will argue that, while Oberdiek’s account does improve upon Keating’s in some important respects, it is ultimately unsatisfactory.
Optimal species composition for stand establishment in root-rot infected forest areas
Authors: Ahtikoski Anssi , Honkaniemi Juha , Holmström Eero , Peltoniemi Mikko
Published: April 2024

Heterobasidion root rot causes severe problems in the coniferous dominated forests of Northern hemisphere by decreasing timber value, reducing tree growth and making trees prone to other disturbance agents such as wind and bark beetles. According to current practices an infected stand is protected by treating fresh stumps at final cutting and generating the stand with tree species other than the host to reduce the current infection levels. However, prevailing guidelines do not provide instructions how to manage the neighbouring stands around the already infected stand. In contrast to earlier studies, we expand the analysis to an entity (a landscape) consisting of both infected and uninfected stands so that stand establishment of uninfected area is taken into account, too. The objective of the study is to optimize stand establishment of the uninfected area so that the revenue losses are simultaneously minimized when the average carbon storage is maximized within the whole landscape (infected + uninfected). Our results demonstrate the complexity of Heterobasidion root rot management: the optimum stand establishment strategy differs depending on the geographic location and interest rate (i.e., yield on capital). Further, the results implicate that for successful fight against Heterobasidion root rot the magnitude of infected area as well as the severity of the infection need to be taken into account.
Smaller stencil preconditioners for linear systems in RBF-FD discretizations
Authors: Koch Michael , Le Borne Sabine , Leinen Willi
Published: April 2024

Radial basis function finite difference (RBF-FD) discretization has recently emerged as an alternative to classical finite difference or finite element discretization of (systems) of partial differential equations. In this paper, we focus on the construction of preconditioners for the iterative solution of the resulting linear systems of equations. In RBF-FD, a higher discretization accuracy may be obtained by increasing the stencil size. This, however, leads to a less sparse and often also worse conditioned stiffness matrix which are both challenges for subsequent iterative solvers. We propose to construct preconditioners based on stiffness matrices resulting from RBF-FD discretization with smaller stencil sizes compared to the one for the actual system to be solved. In our numerical results, we focus on RBF-FD discretizations based on polyharmonic splines (PHS) with polynomial augmentation. We illustrate the performance of smaller stencil preconditioners in the solution of the three-dimensional convection-diffusion equation.