bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Level Calculation and Influencing Factors of Single-Step Locks with Water-Saving Basins
Authors: Xu Duo , Li Zhonghua , An Jianfeng
Published: October 2024

During the water level design process of lock with water saving basins (WSBs), it's an important part that to determine the water level and head of the WSB, and there are many influencing factors in the process. This paper derives and establishes calculation formulas for evaluating the water level and the water head of the single-step lock with WSBs, which integrates the total head of ship lock, the upper and lower stream water level variation, the number of the WSB levels and area of the WSB, and the remaining head. On the basis of formulas, the influence of factors such as the upper and lower stream water level variation, the number of the WSB levels and the area of the WSB on the water level and the water head of the WSB are analyzed, and the control conditions of the integrated and decentralized arrangement of WSBs and water-saving rates of replenishment and overflow operations are calculated. The results show that when total head of the lock is constant, head of the WSB decreases with the increase of the area of the WSB and the number of the WSB levels, and the increase of the number of the WSB levels is greater than the increase of the area of the WSB; when the number of levels and area of the WSB increase to a certain level, the reduction of the water head of the WSB becomes slow; the highest and lowest water levels of the WSB are controlled by the maximum variation of the downstream and upstream water levels respectively. Finally, the water levels and the water head of difference WSB schemes are calculated and compared in a 60m single-level ship lock, and a reasonable water level scheme of WSB is proposed.
Influence of Water Molecules on the Interfacial Structures and Energy Storage Behavior of Ionic Liquid Electrolytes
Authors: Xu Chenxuan , Qian Xu , Gu Xingxing , Yang Junjie
Published: October 2024

Ionic liquids have been considered as promising electrolytes for supercapacitors due to the wide electrochemical stability window. However, water molecules inevitably damage the electrochemical properties of ionic liquids due to the hygroscopic property. This paper reveals the effect of water molecules on the interfacial structure and energy storage performance of ionic liquids using the atomistic simulations. Unlike neat ionic liquids, the Helmholtz region for humid ionic liquids is mainly composed of BMI cations and water molecules. Importantly, water molecules primarily accumulate in the buffer region between BMI cation and graphene electrode, especially at the high negative charges, which is the crucial factor to induce the hydrogen evolution reactions for the decreased electrochemical stability window. More interestingly, the dielectric properties of water molecules in the buffer layer are beneficial for lowering the electric potentials for higher capacitive performance. The differential capacitance of [BMI+][BF4−]/H2O electrolyte exhibits a bell-shaped curve with a maximum value of ~5.0 F/cm2 at 0.75 V. The revealed insights are important for understanding the water effect in ionic liquid-based supercapacitor energy storage.
Scaled Global Operators and Fueter Variables on Non-zero Scaled Hypercomplex Numbers
Authors: Alpay Daniel , Cho Ilwoo , Vajiac Mihaela
Published: October 2024

In this paper we describe the rise of global operators in the scaled quaternionic case, an important extension from the quaternionic case to the family of scaled hypercomplex numbers $$\mathbb {H}_t,\, t\in \mathbb {R}^*$$

H
t

,

t
∈

R

∗

, of which the $$\mathbb {H}_{-1}=\mathbb {H}$$

H

-
1

=
H

is the space of quaternions and $$\mathbb {H}_{1}$$

H
1

is the space of split quaternions. We also describe the scaled Fueter-type variables associated to these operators, developing a coherent theory in this field. We use these types of variables to build different types of function spaces on $$\mathbb {H}_t$$

H
t

. Counterparts of the Hardy space and of the Arveson space are also introduced and studied in the present setting. The two different adjoints in the scaled hypercomplex numbers lead to two parallel cases in each instance. Finally we introduce and study the notion of rational function.
On Isolated Singularities for the Stationary Navier–Stokes System
Authors: Tartaglione Alfonsina
Published: October 2024

The classical problem of removable singularities is considered for solutions to the stationary Navier–Stokes system in dimension $$n\ge 3$$

n
≥
3

and an old theorem of Shapiro (TAMS 187:335–363, 1974) is recovered and extended to solutions in a half ball vanishing on the flat boundary. Moreover, for $$n=4$$

n
=
4

it is proved that there are not distributional solutions, smooth away from the singularity and such that $$u(x)=O(|x|^{-1})$$

u

(
x
)

=
O
(
|
x

|

-
1

)

.
Psychotherapeutische Interventionen bei Burnout – Ein Umbrella-Review und Impulse für die Therapie
Authors: Kern Sarah , Jerg-Bretzke Lucia , Beschoner Petra
Published: October 2024

Hintergrund

Burnout stellt keine eigenständige medizinische Diagnose nach ICD-11 dar, jedoch leiden laut Studienlage viele Menschen daran. Dies hat auch erhebliche volkswirtschaftliche und gesundheitspolitische Konsequenzen, da Burnout oftmals mit Arbeitsunfähigkeit und erheblichen Folgeerkrankungen einhergeht. Diese Arbeit soll einen Überblick über bereits angewandte und evaluierte Therapieansätze für Burnout vorstellen und zusätzlich aufzeigen, in welchem Bereich vielversprechende, jedoch noch wenig erforschte therapeutische Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten für Betroffene liegen.

Methoden

Systematische Literaturrecherche von 2010 bis 2024 in PubMed und Google Scholar für ein Umbrella-Review. Suchbegriffe waren: „burnout“, „therapy“ und „intervention“, kombiniert mit „systematic review“, „meta-analysis.“ Insgesamt 10 systematische Reviews bzw. Metaanalysen entsprachen den Einschlusskriterien.

Ergebnisse

In 5 Reviews bzw. Metaanalysen wurde bei den untersuchten Therapieansätzen eine spezielle Berufsgruppe fokussiert (Pflegefachkräfte, Ärzte und Lehrer), die anderen bezogen sich auf Studenten oder verschiedene Personengruppen. In 7 Arbeiten wurden die Effekte von Achtsamkeitstraining auf Burnout gezeigt. Für kognitive Verhaltenstherapie (KVT) wurde Effekte in 4 Arbeiten nachgewiesen. Als wirksam erwiesen sich auch die Akzeptanz- und Commitment-Therapie (ACT) sowie die Rational-Emotive-Therapie (RET).

Diskussion

Es muss noch erforscht werden, ob etablierte Gedanken- und Verhaltensmuster durch die genannten Ansätze der Burnout-Therapie auch langfristig verändert werden. Der berufliche Kontext sollte mehr Beachtung finden. Hilfreich erscheinen hier ressourcenorientierte Ansätze, die Aspekte wie Optimismus, Kontrollerleben, Selbstwirksamkeit und Selbstakzeptanz einbeziehen.
Pirfenidone mitigates demyelination and electrophysiological alterations in multiple sclerosis: Targeting NF-κB, sirt1, and neurotrophic genes
Authors: Abo-Elsoud Reda A. A. , Ali Eman A. , Al-Gholam Marwa A. , Rizk Mohamed S. , Elseadawy Rasha S. A. , Ameen Omnia
Published: October 2024

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system associated with progressive neurodegeneration. Pirfenidone (Pir) is a well-known antifibrotic agent; however, Pir’s function in MS is little explored. We evaluated the neuroprotective effects of Pir in MS and its possible underlying mechanisms. Forty male Swiss mice were divided equally into control, cuprizone (CPZ), Pir, and CPZ + Pir groups. Assessment of motor function was conducted using neurobehavioral tests, EMG, and nerve conduction velocity (NCV). Mice’s brains were extracted to measure oxidative stress, neuroinflammatory markers, and the expression of neurotrophic genes. The corpus callosum and the sciatic nerve were subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. The CPZ group was associated with significant reductions in muscle power, frequency of contraction, sciatic NCV, SOD, IL-10, SIRT1, NGF, and neuregulin-1. Significant increases in MDA, TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-17, TGF-β, and NF-κB were also detected. Multiple areas of partially demyelinated nerve fibers in the corpus callosum, the loss of oligodendrocyte nuclei, and increased microglia and astrocytes were also observed. The sciatic nerve revealed partial demyelination with significantly reduced myelin basic protein (MBP) expression. Pir significantly restored motor function, demyelination, and neurodegenerative changes induced by CPZ. Besides the antifibrotic action of Pir, we concluded that it improves motor function in MS by alleviating the demyelinating process and neurodegeneration. Its potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifibrotic properties could be contributing factors. These effects could be mediated by modulating the NF-κB, SIRT1, NGF, and neuregulin-1 pathways. Pir is a promising agent for treating MS.
PET/CT imaging of differentiated and medullary thyroid carcinoma using the novel SSTR-targeting peptide [18F]SiTATE – first clinical experiences
Authors: Kunte Sophie C. , Wenter Vera , Toms Johannes , Lindner Simon , Unterrainer Marcus , Eilsberger Friederike , Jurkschat Klaus , Wängler Carmen , Wängler Björn , Schirrmacher Ralf , Tiling Maximilian W. , Sheikh Gabriel T. , Mehrens Dirk , Brendel Matthias , Rübenthaler Johannes , Auernhammer Christoph J. , Spitzweg Christine , Unterrainer Lena M. , Holzgreve Adrien
Published: October 2024

Purpose

The novel 18F-labeled somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-directed radiotracer [18F]SiTATE demonstrated promising results for the imaging of various SSTR-expressing tumor types. Although thyroid carcinomas (TC) express SSTR, data on [18F]SiTATE PET/CT imaging in TC are lacking. This study explores the use of [18F]SiTATE PET/CT in a patient cohort with histologically proven TC.

Methods

As part of a prospective observational study at a single tertiary cancer center, 21 patients with TC (10 medullary (MTC) and 11 differentiated (DTC)) who underwent at least one [18F]SiTATE PET/CT were included (37 scans in total). Mean SUVmax and SUVmean of tumoral lesions, mean total-tumor-volume (TTV), and whole-body (WB)-SUVmax and WB-SUVmean on PET with their standard deviations (SDs) were determined. PET parameters were correlated to clinical parameters including tumor marker levels (thyroglobulin for DTC, calcitonin for MTC).

Results

89 lesions were included in the analysis. Metastases were localized in the bone, lymph nodes, lung, soft tissue, and thyroid bed. Osseous (31 lesions; SUVmax 8.6 ± 8.0; SUVmean 5.8 ± 5.4) and nodal (37 lesions; SUVmax 8.7 ± 7.8; SUVmean 5.7 ± 5.4) metastases showed the highest uptake. The MTC disease burden on PET significantly correlated with the calcitonin tumor marker level (e.g., TTV: r = 0.771, r2 = 0.594, p = 0.002). For DTC, no such correlation was present.

Conclusion

Our data demonstrate high feasibility of [18F]SiTATE PET/CT in a small cohort of patients with MTC and DTC. The use of [18F]SiTATE may overcome logistical disadvantages of 68Ga-based tracers and facilitate SSTR-targeted PET/CT imaging of thyroid carcinoma.
High pressure and high temperature Brillouin scattering measurements of pyrope single crystals using flexible CO2 laser heating systems
Authors: Kurnosov A. , Criniti G. , Boffa Ballaran T. , Marquardt H. , Frost D. J.
Published: October 2024

Single-crystal Brillouin scattering measurements are important for interpreting seismic velocities within the Earth and other planetary interiors. These measurements are rare, however, at temperatures above 1000 K, due to the fact that the transparent samples cannot be heated by common laser heating systems operating at a wavelength on the order of 1 μm. Here we present Brillouin scattering data on pyrope collected at pressures up to 23.8 GPa and temperatures between 850 and 1900 K using a novel CO2 laser heating system confined in either a flexible hollow silica waveguide or an articulated arm with mirrors mounted in each junction to direct the laser to the exit point. Pyrope has been chosen because it has been extensively studied at high pressures and moderate temperatures and therefore it is an excellent sample for bench-marking the CO2 laser heating system. The new high-temperature velocity data collected in this study allow the room pressure thermal parameters of pyrope to be constrained more tightly, resulting in values that reproduce the temperature dependence of the unit-cell volume of pyrope measured in recent studies at ambient pressure. Aggregate wave velocities of pyrope calculated along an adiabat using the thermoelastic parameters determined in this study are larger than those obtained using published values, implying that velocities for many mantle components may be underestimated at mantle temperatures because high temperature experimental data are lacking.
Vine Copula-Based Classifiers with Applications
Authors: Şahin Özge , Joe Harry
Published: October 2024

The vine pair-copula construction can be used to fit flexible non-Gaussian multivariate distributions to a mix of continuous and discrete variables. With multiple classes, fitting univariate distributions and a vine to each class lead to posterior probabilities over classes that can be used for discriminant analysis. This is more flexible than methods with the Gaussian and/or independence assumptions, such as quadratic discriminant analysis and naive Bayes. Some variable selection methods are studied to accompany the vine copula-based classifier because unimportant variables can make discrimination worse. Simple numerical performance metrics cannot give a full picture of how well a classifier is doing. We introduce categorical prediction intervals and other summary measures to assess the difficulty of discriminating classes. Through extensive experiments on real data, we demonstrate the superior performance of our approaches compared to traditional discriminant analysis methods and random forests when features have different dependent structures for different classes.
Comparison of commercial targeted amplicon sequencing assays for human remains identification casework
Authors: McNevin Dennis , Watson Jessica , Grisedale Kelly , Dahal Ayusha , Goodwin Corey , Ward Jodie
Published: October 2024

Targeted amplicon sequencing (TAS) facilitates the genotyping of forensically informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using massively parallel sequencing (MPS). For human remains identification, where any extracted DNA is likely to be degraded, TAS may succeed when short tandem repeat (STR) profiling using capillary electrophoresis fails. Further, as well as yielding identity information, SNPs can provide information about ancestry, phenotype, kinship and paternal lineage (Y chromosome haplotypes). Two TAS platforms were compared in this study: Ion AmpliSeq™ panels coupled with Ion Torrent sequencing on an Ion GeneStudio™ S5 Plus System, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific, and the ForenSeq® Kintelligence Kit coupled with Illumina sequencing on the MiSeq FGx® Sequencing System, manufactured by QIAGEN. Four Ion AmpliSeq™ panels (Precision ID Identity, Precision ID Ancestry, DNA Phenotyping and HID Y-SNP) share 177 SNPs with the ForenSeq® Kintelligence Kit and all five were used to profile the DNA extracted from the petrous part of the temporal bone from six skeletonised cadavers. Of the 6 × 177 = 1,062 SNP genotype comparisons, 1,055 (99%) were concordant between the Ion AmpliSeq™ panels and Kintelligence Kit. Of the seven (< 1%) non-concordant SNPs, only three of them (0.3%) would have resulted in erroneous genotypes being reported as a result of allele dropout by either assay, using our optimised relative variant frequency windows for allele calling. We conclude that both the Ion AmpliSeq™ panels and the ForenSeq® Kintelligence Kit were suitable for TAS applied to the human remains in this study.
Anti-factor is FPT Parameterized by Treewidth and List Size (but Counting is Hard)
Authors: Marx Dániel , Sankar Govind S. , Schepper Philipp
Published: October 2024

In the general AntiFactor problem, a graph G and, for every vertex v of G, a set

$$X_v\subseteq {\mathbb {N}}$$

X
v

⊆
N

of forbidden degrees is given. The task is to find a set S of edges such that the degree of v in S is not in the set

$$X_v$$

X
v

. Standard techniques (dynamic programming plus fast convolution) can be used to show that if M is the largest forbidden degree, then the problem can be solved in time

$$(M+2)^{{\operatorname {tw}}}\cdot n^{{\mathcal {O}}(1)}$$

(
M
+
2
)

tw

·

n

O
(
1
)

if a tree decomposition of width

$${\operatorname {tw}}$$

tw

is given. However, significantly faster algorithms are possible if the sets

$$X_v$$

X
v

are sparse: our main algorithmic result shows that if every vertex has at most

$$x$$

x

forbidden degrees (we call this special case AntiFactor
x), then the problem can be solved in time

$$(x+1)^{{\mathcal {O}}({\operatorname {tw}})}\cdot n^{{\mathcal {O}}(1)}$$

(
x
+
1
)

O
(
tw
)

·

n

O
(
1
)

. That is, AntiFactor
x is fixed-parameter tractable parameterized by treewidth

$${\operatorname {tw}}$$

tw

and the maximum number

$$x$$

x

of excluded degrees. Our algorithm uses the technique of representative sets, which can be generalized to the optimization version, but (as expected) not to the counting version of the problem. In fact, we show that #AntiFactor
1 is already #

$$[1]$$

[
1
]

-hard parameterized by the width of the given decomposition. Moreover, we show that, unlike for the decision version, the standard dynamic programming algorithm is essentially optimal for the counting version. Formally, for a fixed nonempty set

$$X$$

X

, we denote by

$$X$$

X

-AntiFactor the special case where every vertex v has the same set

$$X_v=X$$

X
v

=
X

of forbidden degrees. We show the following lower bound for every fixed set

$$X$$

X

: if there is an

$$\epsilon >0$$

ϵ
>
0

such that #

$$X$$

X

-AntiFactor can be solved in time

$$(\max X+2-\epsilon )^{{\operatorname {tw}}}\cdot n^{{\mathcal {O}}(1)}$$

(
max
X
+
2
-
ϵ
)

tw

·

n

O
(
1
)

given a tree decomposition of width

$${\operatorname {tw}}$$

tw

, then the counting strong exponential-time hypothesis (#SETH) fails.
Realizations of Multiassociahedra via Rigidity
Authors: Crespo Ruiz Luis , Santos Francisco
Published: October 2024

Let$$\Delta _{k}(n)$$Δk(n)denote the simplicial complex of$$(k+1)$$(k+1)-crossing-free subsets of edges in$${\left( {\begin{array}{c}[n]\\ 2\end{array}}\right) }$$[n]2. Here$$k,n\in \mathbb {N}$$k,n∈Nand$$n\ge 2k+1$$n≥2k+1. Jonsson (2003) proved that [neglecting the short edges that cannot be part of any$$(k+1)$$(k+1)-crossing],$$\Delta _{k}(n)$$Δk(n)is a shellable sphere of dimension$$k(n-2k-1)-1$$k(n-2k-1)-1, and conjectured it to be polytopal. The same result and question arose in the work of Knutson and Miller (Adv Math 184(1):161-176, 2004) on subword complexes. Despite considerable effort, the only values of (k, n) for which the conjecture is known to hold are$$n\le 2k+3$$n≤2k+3(Pilaud and Santos, Eur J Comb. 33(4):632–662, 2012.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejc.2011.12.003) and (2, 8) (Bokowski and Pilaud, On symmetric realizations of the simplicial complex of 3-crossing-free sets of diagonals of the octagon. In: Proceedings of the 21st annual Canadian conference on computational geometry, 2009). Using ideas from rigidity theory and choosing points along the moment curve we realize$$\Delta _{k}(n)$$Δk(n)as a polytope for$$(k,n)\in \{(2,9), (2,10) , (3,10)\}$$(k,n)∈{(2,9),(2,10),(3,10)}. We also realize it as a simplicial fan for all$$n\le 13$$n≤13and arbitraryk, except the pairs (3, 12) and (3, 13). Finally, we also show that for$$k\ge 3$$k≥3and$$n\ge 2k+6$$n≥2k+6no choice of points can realize$$\Delta _{k}(n)$$Δk(n)via bar-and-joint rigidity with points along the moment curve or, more generally, via cofactor rigidity with arbitrary points in convex position.
Utility of routine postoperative imaging in adults undergoing primary ventriculoperitoneal shunts
Authors: Alnaser Adnan R. , Alnsour Abed , Pathmanaban Omar N. , Maye Helen , McMahon Catherine , Bailey Matthew , Waqar Mueez
Published: October 2024

Background

There is currently no consensus on the usefulness of postoperative imaging after ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of routine postoperative imaging (CT head scans and radiographs) following primary VP shunt insertion in a general adult population treated at a tertiary neurosurgical centre.

Methods

Patients undergoing primary VP shunt insertion between 2017–2021 were included. Actions taken based on routine postoperative imaging and need for subsequent shunt revision were recorded.

Results

236 patients were included. The median age was 63 years (range 17–90). There was a slight female preponderance (121/236, 51.3%). The median follow-up was 38.5 months (3.1 – 60.5 months). Acute intervention was employed in 9 patients (3.9%) on the basis of routine postoperative CT head scan. Routine postoperative radiographs did not result in reoperation. Around a quarter (28.8%) of patients had a shunt revision, most of whom underwent urgent primary shunt insertions. Postoperative ventricular catheter characteristics (position of shunt tip, tip relation to septum pellucidum, and intraventricular catheter distance) were not predictive of shunt revision. Surgical urgency (emergency vs. elective procedures) was associated with long-term shunt revision (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.42 – 5.53, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Routine postoperative imaging rarely led to reoperation in adult patients undergoing primary VP shunt insertion. Patients undergoing emergency shunt insertions were at the highest risk for requiring revision.
Exact methods for the Selective Assessment Routing Problem
Authors: Salvà Soler Joan , Hemmelmayr Vera C. , Raidl Günther R.
Published: October 2024

The Selective Assessment Routing Problem (SARP) is a problem in humanitarian logistics addressing the site selection and routing decisions of rapid needs assessment teams which aim to evaluate the post-disaster conditions of different community groups, each carrying a distinct characteristic. The aim is to construct an assessment plan that maximizes the covering of different characteristics in a balanced way. We explore exact approaches based on mixed integer linear programming. Different mathematical formulations are presented, and theoretical results regarding their strengths are derived. The models are experimentally evaluated on a set of test instances including a real-world scenario.
Sexual and Affectionate Behaviors and Satisfaction for Adults in Romantic Relationships: A Latent Profile Analysis
Authors: Clark Alyssa N. , Lefkowitz Eva S.
Published: October 2024

Engaging in both sexual and affectionate behaviors with a romantic partner is often beneficial for adults’ sexual and relationship satisfaction and promotes relationship stability. However, prior research has primarily examined either adults’ sexual or affectionate behaviors, and has yet to explore patterns of sexual and affectionate behaviors and their associations with sexual and relationship satisfaction. In the current paper, we used a person-centered approach and latent profile analysis to identify specific profiles of adults’ physical behaviors in same-gender and mixed-gender relationships, and examined associations of these profiles with sexual and relationship satisfaction. Adults (N = 336, 85.4% LGBTQ+; 45% women, 30% men, 38.6% gender-diverse; M

age
 = 29.07 years) who were currently in a committed romantic partner relationship for at least six months completed online surveys. We found that a 3-profile solution best fit the data and identified the following profiles: Infrequent Physical Behaviors, Affection-focused Behaviors, and Comprehensive Physical Behaviors. Adults in the Infrequent Physical Behaviors profile were less sexually and relationally satisfied than adults in the other profiles. Adults in the Comprehensive Physical Behaviors profile were more sexually satisfied than the two other profiles. Further, profiles did not differ for mixed-gender compared to same-gender or gender-diverse couples. Our findings have implications for understanding the diversity in adults’ physical behavior patterns, including how clinicians might better support adults’ sexual and relationship satisfaction.
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Body Image Questionnaire Child and Adolescent Version
Authors: Blacker L. , Gupta M. , Quinn R. , Monzani B. , Jassi A. , Veale D. , Mataix-Cols D. , Krebs G.
Published: October 2024

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) typically develops during adolescence, but there has been little research evaluating assessment tools for BDD in youth. This study sought to provide a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of a brief self-report questionnaire of BDD symptoms, the Body Image Questionnaire Child and Adolescent version (BIQ-C), in both clinical and non-clinical adolescent samples. Properties of the BIQ-C were examined in 479 adolescents recruited through schools and 118 young people with BDD attending a specialist clinic. Sensitivity to change was additionally examined in a subgroup of the clinical sample who received treatment (n = 35). Exploratory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor structure provided the best fit for the data in the non-clinical sample. The two-factor solution was corroborated through confirmatory factor analysis as the best solution in the clinical sample, although it did not fulfil predefined fit thresholds The first factor encompassed preoccupation and repetitive behaviours, while the second included items assessing functional impairment. The BIQ-C showed good internal consistency across both samples, and convergent validity with other measures of BDD. Among those in the clinical sample who received treatment, BIQ-C scores decreased significantly, and BIQ-C change scores were highly correlated with change scores on the gold-standard clinician-rated measure of BDD symptom severity. These findings indicate that the BIQ-C is a suitable tool for assessing BDD symptoms in young people and measuring change during treatment.
Gesture Imitation Performance and Visual Exploration in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Latrèche Kenza , Kojovic Nada , Pittet Irène , Natraj Shreyasvi , Franchini Martina , Smith Isabel M. , Schaer Marie
Published: October 2024

Most studies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) support a decrement in imitation performance. Factors related to visual attention and motor execution have been proposed to explain this phenomenon in ASD. However, studies investigated imitation with various methods, leading to inconsistent findings. Here, we examine imitation performance related to visual attention and motor execution. We focused on the imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures, consistently reported as more affected than imitation of actions with objects in ASD. The imitation eye-tracking task consisted of a video of an actor demonstrating gestures and prompting children to imitate them. The demonstrations comprised meaningful and meaningless hand gestures, and meaningless facial gestures. We measured the fixation duration to the actor’ face during child-directed speech and gesture demonstrations. We video-recorded children to assess their performance. Our sample comprised 100 participants (3.55 ± 1.11 years old), including 84 children with ASD. The ASD and typically developing groups displayed the same visual attention toward gesture demonstrations, although children with ASD spent less time looking at the face during facial stimuli. Visual exploration of actors’ gestures did not influence imitation performance. Imitation of meaningful gestures was associated with less severe autistic symptoms, whereas imitation of meaningless gestures was correlated with higher non-verbal cognitive and fine-motor skills. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of imitation. We delineated the distinct nature of imitation of meaningful and meaningless gestures in children with ASD. We discuss clinical implications in relation to assessment and intervention programs.
Entrepreneurial University governance: The case of a Cooperative University
Authors: Rodríguez-Aceves Lucía , Couto-Ortega Maite , Minola Tommaso , Markuerkiaga Leire , Hahn Davide
Published: October 2024

This article presents a case study of the Cooperative University of Mondragon to explore the intricate processes through which higher education institutions (HEIs) adopt an entrepreneurial university (EU) framework across their three core missions: teaching, research, and community outreach. Using a qualitative research design, this study examines the organizational strategies that Mondragon University’s engineering faculty (MGEP) employs to embrace entrepreneurial behaviors (EBs), specifically by building on its peculiar cooperative governance model. The findings shed light on how MGEP, as a prominent example, leverages a long-term vision that centers its decision-making processes on entrepreneurship and the management tools and governance elements that favor collective participation and intrinsic motivation. This research advances our understanding of the evolving landscape of higher education and its entrepreneurial drift in the following ways: (1) by addressing the need for further exploration of governance in EUs; (2) by complementing existing studies on the role of university leadership in the adoption of EBs; and (3) by identifying strategies to overcome inherent barriers within large organizations that impede universities from being entrepreneurial. Overall, this study offers practical implications for the adoption of EBs in HEIs.
Assessing Territorial Units’ Contribution to Convergence Beyond Aggregate Measures: The Role of Neighbourhood
Authors: Bárcena-Martín Elena , García-Pardo Francisca , Muñoz-Fernández Ana , Pérez-Moreno Salvador
Published: October 2024

This paper provides an analytical framework for the study of spatial income dynamics using the classical measures of

$$\sigma$$

σ

-convergence (reduction in dispersion) and

$$\beta$$

β

-convergence (poor areas grow more quickly than rich ones) linked by a re-ranking metric and reinterpreted based on the ‘leave no one behind’ principle. Our approach allows identifying the contribution of each territorial unit to each of the three facets of distributional change (

$$\sigma$$

σ

-convergence,

$$\beta$$

β

-convergence, and re-ranking), as well as gauging the part of each component of distributional change that corresponds to geographically neighbouring and non-neighbouring units. We illustrate our proposal by examining convergence across the census tracts of Malaga – the sixth most populated city of Spain – before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that while income convergence across Malaga’s census tracts tended to improve over the period 2015–2019, this process was interrupted during the first year of the pandemic, affecting some specific census tracts. We examine our outcomes by grouping the results into deciles and districts made up of specific census tracts. Finally, we analyse the impact of neighbours on regional convergence and each of its components. This spatial decomposition highlights the crucial role of the spatial component in the convergence process.
Effect of metallic materials on magnetic resonance image uniformity: a quantitative experimental study
Authors: Shimamoto Hiroaki , Felemban Doaa , Uchimoto Yuka , Matsuda Nobuhiko , Takagawa Naoko , Takeshita Ami , Iwamoto Yuri , Okahata Ryoko , Tsujimoto Tomomi , Kreiborg Sven , Mallya Sanjay M. , Yang Fan-pei Gloria
Published: October 2024

Objective

To assess quantitatively the effect of metallic materials on MR image uniformity using a standardized method.

Methods

Six types of 1 cm cubic metallic materials (i.e., Au, Ag, Al, Au–Ag–Pd alloy, Ti, and Co–Cr alloy) embedded in a glass phantom filled were examined and compared with no metal condition inserted as a reference. The phantom was scanned five times under each condition using a 1.5-T MR superconducting magnet scanner with an 8-channel phased-array brain coil and head and neck coil. For each examination, the phantom was scanned in three planes: axial, coronal, and sagittal using T1-weighted spin echo (SE) and gradient echo (GRE) sequences in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2119-07 standard. Image uniformity was assessed using the non-uniformity index (NUI), which was developed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), as an appropriate standardized measure for investigating magnetic field uniformity.

Results

T1-GRE images with Co–Cr typically elicited the lowest uniformity, followed by T1-GRE images with Ti, while all other metallic materials did not affect image uniformity. In particular, T1-GRE images with Co–Cr showed significantly higher NUI values as far as 6.6 cm at maximum equivalent to 11 slices centering around it in comparison with the measurement uncertainty from images without metallic materials.

Conclusion

We found that MR image uniformity was influenced by the scanning sequence and coil type when Co–Cr and Ti were present. It is assumed that the image non-uniformity in Co–Cr and Ti is caused by their high magnetic susceptibility.
Quantifying of highly radioactive and radiotoxic polonium-210 intake from cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.): impacts of different smoking and vaporization techniques
Authors: Wieczorek Jarosław , Boryło Alicja
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the radiation dose that humans receive from naturally occurring uranium-series radionuclides, with a focus on alpha-emitting polonium-210 (210Po), which has a half-life of 138.4 days. Polonium is efficiently absorbed by living organisms and is estimated to contribute approximately 7% of the total effective dose from ingested natural internal radiation. The primary source of atmospheric 210Po is the decay of radon-222 (222Rn), which precipitates onto land and water surfaces, including crops. In Cannabis sativa, 210Po accumulates primarily through direct deposition on leaf surfaces and from fertilizers, particularly phosphate fertilizers. This study examined 10 samples of dried hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) legally available in Poland, assessing 210Po concentrations through radiochemical analysis. Various consumption methods were analyzed, including smoking with a glass pipe, a water pipe (bong), a cigarette (joint or spliff), and vaporization. The desorption of 210Po during combustion and vaporization was measured, revealing significant differences based on the method used. Results showed that smoking with a glass pipe resulted in the highest desorption of 210Po (approximately 80%), while water pipe and blunt smoking exhibited lower desorption rates (around 40%). The efficiency of 210Po adsorption in filters varied, with water filters showing about 8% absorption and cellulose filters about 20%. Vaporization results indicated that the desorption of 210Po increased with temperature. These findings underscore the importance of considering the method of consumption when calculating the radiation dose from 210Po, as the differences can significantly impact the accuracy of dose assessments. The study highlights the need for further research to optimize safety guidelines for cannabis consumption in relation to radioactive contaminants.
Dual-energy CT late arterial phase iodine maps for the diagnosis of acute non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia
Authors: D’Angelo Tommaso , Bucolo Giuseppe M. , Yel Ibrahim , Koch Vitali , Gruenewald Leon D. , Martin Simon S. , Alizadeh Leona S. , Vogl Thomas J. , Ascenti Giorgio , Lanzafame Ludovica R. M. , Mazziotti Silvio , Blandino Alfredo , Booz Christian
Published: October 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy CT (DECT) iodine maps in comparison to conventional CT series for the assessment of non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI).

Material and Methods

We evaluated data from 142 patients (72 men; 50.7%) who underwent DECT between 2018 and 2022, with surgically confirmed diagnosis of NOMI. One board-certified radiologist performed region of interest (ROI) measurements in bowel segments on late arterial (LA) and portal venous (PV) phase DECT iodine maps as well as LA conventional series, in both ischemic and non-ischemic bowel loops, using surgical reports as reference standard, and in a control group of 97 patients. Intra- and inter-reader agreement with a second board-certified radiologist was also evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to calculate the optimal threshold for discriminating ischemic from non-ischemic bowel segments. Subjective image rating of LA and PV iodine maps was performed.

Results

DECT-based iodine concentration (IC) measurements showed significant differences in LA phase iodine maps between ischemic (median:0.72; IQR 0.52–0.91 mg/mL) and non-ischemic bowel loops (5.16; IQR 3.45–6.31 mg/ml) (P <.0001). IC quantification on LA phase revealed an AUC of 0.966 for the assessment of acute bowel ischemia, significantly higher compared to both IC quantification based on PV phase (0.951) and attenuation values evaluated on LA conventional CT series (0.828). Excellent intra-observer and strong inter-observer agreements were observed for the quantification of iodine concentration. Conversely, weak inter-observer agreement was noted for conventional HU assessments. The optimal LA phase-based IC threshold for assessing bowel ischemia was 1.34 mg/mL, yielding a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96.48%.

Conclusion

Iodine maps based on LA phase significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy for the assessment of NOMI compared to conventional CT series and PV phase iodine maps.
Characterization of transport optimizers via graphs and applications to Stackelberg–Cournot–Nash equilibria
Authors: Acciaio Beatrice , Neumann Berenice Anne
Published: October 2024

We introduce graphs associated to transport problems between discrete marginals, that allow to characterize the set of all optimizers given one primal optimizer. In particular, we establish that connectivity of those graphs is a necessary and sufficient condition for uniqueness of the dual optimizers. Moreover, we provide an algorithm that can efficiently compute the dual optimizer that is the limit, as the regularization parameter goes to zero, of the dual entropic optimizers. Our results find an application in a Stackelberg–Cournot–Nash game, for which we obtain existence and characterization of the equilibria.
Die Etablierung von Politischen Online-Influencer:innen (POI) in Konstellationen der öffentlichen Kommunikation
Authors: Nitschke Paula
Published: October 2024

Social-Media-Influencer:innen sind längst nicht mehr nur in der Werbung tätig und promoten Produkte, sondern sie äußern sich politisch und werden zu Akteur:innen in der politisch-medialen Öffentlichkeit. Doch wie ist das zu erklären? Wie schaffen es diese politisch-medialen Outsider, dass ihre Stimme Gewicht erhält und sie in Beziehungskonstellationen der öffentlichen Kommunikation aufgenommen werden? Um dies zu erklären, entwickelt der Artikel ein relationales Theoriekonzept. Dieses konzipiert die politisch-mediale Öffentlichkeit als Assemblage und argumentiert, dass sich Politische Online-Influencer:innen (POI) in Beziehungskonstellationen etablieren, weil sie im hybriden Mediensystem den Kommunikationsraum mit klassischen Intermediären teilen, weil ihre sozialen Beziehungen und ihr Status als Micro-Celebrities auf Social-Media-Plattformen als kapitalwerter Vorteil wirken und sich der Etablierungsprozess verstärkt, sobald sie durch erste Beziehungen mit klassischen Intermediären legitimiert werden. Die Etablierung wird als Prozess verstanden, der sich in der triadischen Beziehungskonstellation zwischen Influencer:innen, ihrem Publikum auf Social-Media-Plattformen und klassischen Intermediären aus Politik und Medien abspielt. Das relationale Theoriekonzept kombiniert Ansätze der politischen Kommunikations- und Journalismusforschung mit der Celebrityforschung und der Kapitaltheorie Pierre Bourdieus. Nachdem das relationale Theoriekonzept entworfen wurde, wird eine normative Bewertung der Beiträge von POI zur öffentlichen Kommunikation vorgenommen. Es werden Vermittlungsleistungen identifiziert, die neue Akteure wie die POI erbringen, und es wird auf die Gefahren eingegangen, welche die journalistisch anmutende Kommunikation durch Personen birgt, die nicht immer eine journalistische Ausbildung besitzen.
Effect of Horizontal Continuous Casting Parameters on Cyclic Macrosegregation, Microstructure, and Properties of High-Strength Cu–Mg Alloy Cast Rod
Authors: Strzępek Paweł , Mamala Andrzej , Boumerzoug Zakaria , Baudin Thierry , Brisset François , Zasadzińska Małgorzata , Noga Piotr
Published: October 2024

The objective of this paper is to present the effect of horizontal continuous casting parameters on macrosegregation and its effect on microstructures, textures, mechanical properties, and electrical resistivity of Cu–Mg alloy rod. By increasing the pulling distance and intermittent extraction time, chemical macrosegregation was observed along the longitudinal section of the cast rod, which reached a distance of 40 mm. Three areas were identified along the length of the material, especially at high pulling distance: with decreasing, quasi-stable, and increasing Mg concentration area. As the pulling distance increased, the difference in the observed extreme values of Mg concentration increased. Two distinct zones of different grain size were also observed. The first zone was formed of large columnar grains with a preferred direction of solidification $$\langle 100\rangle$$

⟨
100
⟩

inclined to the axis of the wire, followed by a second zone formed of small grains of random texture. Consequently, difference in resistivity occurred from one zone to another and the resistivity increased from 37.5 to 41 nΩm. Likewise, the hardness varied between the values of 90 up and 110 Hv. The most homogenous chemical composition was obtained with up to 6 mm of pulling distance and up to 3 seconds of intermittent extraction time.
G.A.I.T: gait analysis interactive tool a pipeline for automatic detection of gait events across different motor impairments
Authors: Nocilli Matteo , Scafa Stefano , La Porta Nicolò , Ghislieri Marco , Agostini Valentina , Moraud Eduardo M. , Puiatti Alessandro
Published: October 2024

We introduce an open-access tool capable of automatically extracting the timing of gait events during unconstrained locomotion across different neuromotor impairments. The gait analysis interactive tool is conceived as an assistant for gait assessment studies, both in healthy participants or in people with motor impairments affecting gait symmetry, regularity, or balance, as usually encountered in patients with neurological disorders. Our open-access pipeline makes it possible to automatically identify the time of key gait events (heel strike, toe off) from a single gyroscope axis (lateral mid-axis), simplifying experimental protocols, and can easily be used in everyday life conditions. The code is user-friendly and interactive. At each stage of analysis, it allows for possible adjustments and manual corrections of undetected or mismatched events. To implement, test, and validate our algorithm, we used three different databases of gait recordings that span from healthy subjects to patients affected by Parkinson’s disease. The pipeline consists of three main sections that allow us to segment, identify, and eventually correct the events within the gait cycle. The algorithm achieved an average accuracy of 99.23% over healthy participants, either with average weight or overweight, and a performance of 94.84% over patients with Parkinson’s disease. Even if gait analysis is a widely studied problem, so far, no open-source algorithm is available. The present work provides an easy tool capable of working with a minimum set of sensors and without any expensive platform or camera-based system. Employing three databases widely different for the environment, and for the subjects’ age and motor impairments highlights the versatility of our approach.
Liberalization of the Systemic Glucose Management is Associated with a Reduced Frequency of Neuroglucopenia in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Kofler Mario , Lindner Anna , Rass Verena , Ianosi Bogdan A. , Putnina Lauma , Kindl Philipp , Schiefecker Alois J. , Gaasch Maxime , Beer Ronny , Rhomberg Paul , Thomé Claudius , Schmutzhard Erich , Pfausler Bettina , Helbok Raimund
Published: October 2024

Background

Pathologically low brain glucose levels, referred to as neuroglucopenia, are associated with unfavorable outcomes in neurocritical care patients. We sought to investigate whether an increase in serum glucose levels would be associated with a reduction of neuroglucopenia.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data, we included 55 consecutive patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage who underwent cerebral microdialysis (CMD) monitoring. Neuroglucopenia was defined as CMD-glucose levels < 0.7 mmol/l. We identified systemic glucose liberalization events, defined as a day with median serum glucose levels < 150 mg/dl, followed by a day with median serum glucose levels > 150 mg/dl, and compared concentrations of cerebral metabolites between these days. Unfavorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score ≥ 3 at 3 months after the bleeding.

Results

Episodes of neuroglucopenia were more frequent in patients with unfavorable outcome (19.8% [19.3–20.3%] vs. 10.9% [10.4–11.5%], p = 0.007). Sixty-nine systemic glucose liberalization events were identified in 40 patients. Blood glucose levels increased from 141.2 (138.7–143.6) mg/dl to 159.5 (157.0–162.2) mg/dl (p < 0.001), CMD-glucose levels increased from 1.44 (1.39–1.50) mmol/l to 1.68 (1.62–1.75) mmol/l (p = 0.001), and the frequency of neuroglucopenia decreased from 24.7% (22.9–26.5%) to 20.2% (18.7–21.8%) (p = 0.002) during these events. Liberalization was not associated with changes in CMD-lactate, CMD-pyruvate, CMD–lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, CMD-glutamate, or CMD-glycerol.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the liberalization of serum glucose concentrations to levels between 150 and 180 mg/dl was associated with a significant reduction of neuroglucopenia.
The endemic plant species of Ebo Forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon, with a new Critically Endangered cloud forest shrub, Memecylon ebo (Melastomataceae-Olisbeoideae)
Authors: Stone Robert Douglas , Tchiengué Barthelemy , Cheek Martin
Published: October 2024

We emphasise the urgent need to conserve the Ebo forest (Littoral Region, Cameroon), which holds 10 strict endemic plant species and 15 near endemics for a total of 25, a very high number far exceeding the threshold for its recent status as an Important Plant Area (IPA). We describe a further strict endemic species from the Ebo Forest, Memecylon ebo sp. nov. (Melastomataceae-Olisbeoideae), placed in sect. Afzeliana due to its ellipsoid, blue-green fruits. The yellow petals and jade green anther-connectives of M. ebo are unique in the genus Memecylon, which has >400 species ranging overall from Africa to the western Pacific. Memecylon ebo is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR], using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to its small range size and the extremely high and ongoing threats of logging at Ebo and also due to subsequent threats of potential oil palm plantation and mining projects. With the addition of Memecylon ebo, the tally of Critically Endangered plant species recorded from Ebo forest is now the highest of any IPA in Cameroon, equalling that of Ngovayang with 24 CR species.