bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter and 2D shear wave elastography in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Authors: Cannella Roberto , Agnello Francesco , Porrello Giorgia , Spinello Alessandro Umberto , Infantino Giuseppe , Pennisi Grazia , Cabibi Daniela , Petta Salvatore , Bartolotta Tommaso Vincenzo
Published: October 2024

Purpose

To assess the performance and the reproducibility of ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) in patients with biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Methods

This study included consecutive adult patients with MASLD who underwent ultrasound with UGAP, 2D-SWE and percutaneous liver biopsy. The median values of 12 consecutive UGAP measurements were acquired by two independent radiologists (R1 and R2). Hepatic steatosis was graded by liver biopsy as: (0) < 5%; (1) 5–33%; (2) > 33–66%; (3) > 66%. Areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated to determine the diagnostic performance. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

A hundred patients (median age 55.0 years old) with MASLD were prospectively enrolled. At histopathology, 70 and 42 patients had grade ≥ 2 and 3 steatosis, respectively. Median UGAP was 0.78 dB/cm/MHz (IQR/Med: 5.55%). For the diagnosis of grade ≥ 2 steatosis, the AUCs of UGAP were 0.828 (95% CI: 0.739, 0.896) for R1 and 0.779 (95% CI: 0.685, 0.856) for R2. The inter- and intra-operator reliability of UGAP were excellent, with an ICC of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87–0.95) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92–0.96), respectively. The median liver stiffness was 6.76 kPa (IQR/Med: 16.30%). For the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis, 2D-SWE had an AUC of 0.862 (95% CI: 0.757, 0.934), and the optimal cutoff value was > 6.75 kPa with a sensitivity of 80.6% and a specificity of 75.7%.

Conclusion

UGAP and 2D-SWE provide a good performance for the staging of steatosis and fibrosis in patients with MASLD with an excellent intra-operator reliability of UGAP.

Key Points

QuestionHow well do ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) perform for quantifying hepatic steatosis and fibrosis?

FindingsUGAP had a maximum AUC of 0.828 for the diagnosis of grade ≥ 2 steatosis, and 2D-SWE had an AUC of 0.862 for diagnosing advanced fibrosis.

Clinical relevanceUGAP and 2D-SWE allow rapid, reproducible, and accurate quantification of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis that can be used for the noninvasive assessment of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
Lost jobs, new jobs and optimal tax-transfer reforms
Authors: Colombino Ugo , Islam Nizamul
Published: October 2024

Automation and globalisation imply deep changes in the labour market. An important policy issue is whether and how the tax-transfer rules should be reformed to help coping with those changes. While the prevailing response has consisted of more sophisticated designs of mean-testing and targeting, we also witness an increasing interest in policies inspired by simplicity. Using a combination of behavioural microsimulation and numerical optimization, we look for a (social welfare) optimal tax-transfer rule within a flexible class where total household disposable income is a 4th-degree polynomial in total household taxable income plus a constant. We use a model of household labour supply that makes it possible to account for equilibrium constraints and evaluate the effects of changes of the labour demand scenario. Beside the (observed) Status quo scenario, we consider two alternative stylized cases: the “Jobless” scenario and the “Polarised” scenario. We simulate and compare the social welfare attained by the current tax-transfer rules under the three scenarios and the social welfare attained by the different polynomial optimal tax-transfer rules identified in each scenario. We present results using the 2015 EU-SILC data sets for France, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg. The polynomial optimal rules are social welfare superior to the current ones in all the countries and under all the scenarios and—with the exception of Luxembourg—are close to a Universal Basic Income (or a Negative Income Tax) plus a not-too progressive tax rule (close to a Flat Tax).
Stability of hydrous basaltic melts at low water fugacity: evidence for widespread melting at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary
Authors: Putak Juriček Marija , Keppler Hans
Published: October 2024

The upper mantle low velocity zone is often attributed to partial melting at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. This implies that basaltic melts may be stable along plausible geotherms due to the freezing point depression in the presence of water and other incompatible impurities. However, the freezing point depression (ΔT) as a function of water content in the near-solidus basaltic melt (cH2O) cannot be precisely determined from peridotite melting experiments because of difficulties in recovering homogeneous basaltic glasses at high pressures. We therefore used an alternative approach to reinvestigate and accurately constrain the ΔT–cH2O relationship for basaltic melts at the low water fugacities that are expected in the upper mantle. Internally heated pressure vessel (IHPV) experiments were performed at water-saturated conditions in the anorthite-diopside-H2O system at confining pressures of 0.02 to 0.2 GPa and temperatures between 940 and 1450 ℃. We determined the water-saturated solidus, and obtained ΔT by combining our data with reports of dry melting temperatures in the anorthite-diopside system. In another series of experiments, we measured water solubility in haplobasaltic melts and extrapolated cH2O to pressures and temperatures of the water-saturated solidus. By combining the results from these two series of experiments, we showed that the effect of water on ΔT was previously underestimated by at least 50 ℃. The new ΔT–cH2O relationship was then used to revise predictions of melt distribution in the upper mantle. Hydrous melt is almost certainly stable beneath extensive regions of the oceanic lithosphere, and may be present in younger and water-enriched zones of the subcontinental mantle.
Nonparametric Bayesian estimation in a multidimensional diffusion model with high frequency data
Authors: Hoffmann Marc , Ray Kolyan
Published: October 2024

We consider nonparametric Bayesian inference in a multidimensional diffusion model with reflecting boundary conditions based on discrete high-frequency observations. We prove a general posterior contraction rate theorem in

$$L^2$$

L
2

-loss, which is applied to Gaussian priors. The resulting posteriors, as well as their posterior means, are shown to converge to the ground truth at the minimax optimal rate over Hölder smoothness classes in any dimension. Of independent interest and as part of our proofs, we show that certain frequentist penalized least squares estimators are also minimax optimal.
Effectiveness of an interactive online group intervention based on pain neuroscience education and graded exposure to movement in breast cancer survivors with chronic pain: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Martínez-Miranda Patricia , Jiménez-Rejano José Jesús , Muñoz-Fernández María Jesús , García-Muñoz Cristina , Casuso-Holgado María Jesús
Published: October 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness, compared with usual care, of an interactive online group programme combining pain neuroscience education (PNE) and graded exposure to movement (GEM) for improving quality of life and pain experience in breast cancer survivors with chronic pain.

Methods

This single-blind randomised controlled trial included a sample of 49 breast cancer survivors who were randomly assigned to two groups (experimental: n = 22 and control: n = 27). The experimental group received a 12-week person-centred online programme based on pain neuroscience education and therapeutic yoga as gradual exposure to movement, while the control group continued with their usual care. The primary outcome was quality of life (FACT–B + 4); the secondary outcomes were related to the experience of chronic pain (pain intensity, pain interference, catastrophizing, pain self-efficacy, kinesiophobia, and fear avoidance behaviours). All variables were assessed at four time points (T0, baseline; T1, after PNE sessions; T2, after yoga sessions; T3, at 3-month follow-up). For data analysis, ANOVA (2 × 4) analysis of variance (95% CI) was used when outcomes were normally distributed. If not, within-group and between-group comparisons were calculated.

Results

Thirty-six participants were included in the analysis (control group, 22; experimental group, 14). A significant time * group effect was observed in favour of the experimental group regarding the global quality of life score (p = 0.010, ηp2 = 0.124). Significant differences in favour of the experimental group were observed for pain intensity, pain interference, catastrophizing, and pain self-efficacy. These differences persisted at follow-up.

Conclusions

An online intervention based on PNE and GEM appears to be more effective than usual care for improving quality of life in breast cancer survivors with chronic pain, as a time per group interaction was reported. In addition, the intervention also significantly improved the participants’ experience of chronic pain. However, due to the study limitations further research is needed.

Trial record: NCT04965909 (26/06/2021).
Atrophy of cerebellar lobule VI and primary motor cortex in cervical dystonia - a region of interest-based study
Authors: Grimm Kai , Sadeghi Fatemeh , Schön Gerhard , Okar Abdullah , Gelderblom Mathias , Schulz Robert , Zittel Simone
Published: October 2024

Background

Recently, a network model of cervical dystonia (CD) has been adopted that implicates nodes and pathways involving cerebellar, basal-ganglia and cortico-cortical connections. Although functional changes in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical network in dystonia have been reported in several studies, structural information of this network remain sparse.

Objective

To characterize the structural properties of the cerebellar motor network in isolated CD patients. This includes cerebellar lobules involved in motor processing, the dentate nucleus (DN), the thalamus, and the primary motor cortex (M1).

Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging data of 18 CD patients and 18 healthy control subjects were acquired. In CD patients, the motor part of the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale was assessed to evaluate motor symptom severity. The volume of cerebellar lobules I-VI and VIII, the DN and thalamus, and the cortical thickness (CT) of M1 were determined for a region of interest (ROI)-based quantitative analysis. Volumes/CT of these ROIs were compared between groups and associated with motor symptom severity in patients.

Results

The volume of lobule VI and the CT of M1 were reduced in CD patients. The volumes of the other ROIs were not different between groups. No association was identified between the structural properties of lobule VI or M1 and the severity of CD motor symptoms.

Conclusion

Atrophy within the cerebellum and M1 contributes to CD’s complex motor network pathology. Further investigations are needed to ascertain the mechanisms underlying the local volume loss.
Guérinite Ca6(HAsO4)3(AsO4)2∙10.5H2O – a revision of the mineral formula
Authors: Liebhart Irene , Rieck Branko , Giester Gerald
Published: October 2024

A single crystal of guérinite from the Plaka Mine, Lavrion, Greece, was examined by X-ray diffraction. The mineral crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with unit cell parameters a = 17.628 (2), b = 6.728 (1), c = 23.384 (3) Å, β = 90.68 (1)°, V = 2773.4 (6) Å3. The originally reported mineral formula Ca5(HAsO4)2(AsO4)2∙9H2O, Z = 5 should be revised to Ca6(HAsO4)3(AsO4)2∙10.5H2O, Z = 4. Accordingly, guérinite is no longer considered a polymorph to ferrarisite. The structure is characterized by complex layers consisting of corner- and edge sharing of CaOn (n = 7, 8) polyhedra and arsenate groups. The connection between these units is achieved exclusively via hydrogen bonding.
Impacted third molar surgery in older patients—Is patient´s age really a risk factor for complications?
Authors: Dudde Florian , Giese Manfred , Schuck Oliver , Krüger Christina
Published: October 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of patients´ age on perioperative complications in impacted third molar surgery and how established risk factors are affected by age.

Materials and methods

The clinical findings, digital panoramic radiographs and perioperative data of 200 patients (554 impacted third molars) that had been subjected to tooth extraction, from July 2023 until July 2024, were analyzed. Perioperative complications (Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) hypesthesia, oroantral communication (OAC), lingual nerve (LN) hypesthesia, postoperative bleeding, postoperative infection) as well as impaction patterns and risk factors (angulation type, bone coverage, depth- and risk scores) were analyzed by age (cut-off 30 years).

Results

The population was divided into two groups by age (Group A =  ≥ 30 years (n = 52) vs. Group B =  < 30 years (n = 148)). Upper third molars showed significantly deeper bone coverage, higher depth scores, higher risk scores and different angulation types in patients aged < 30 years. Mandibular third molars showed significantly deeper bone coverage, higher depth scores, higher risk scores according and different angulation types in patients aged ≥ 30 years. However, IAN hypesthesia, LN hypesthesia, postoperative bleeding and postoperative infection did not show any significant differences regarding patients’ age.

Conclusion

The current findings suggest that age (cut-off 30 years) does not statistically correlate with a higher risk for postoperative complications in impacted third molar surgery in contrast to recent publications.

Clinical relevance

In contrast to recent publications, the present study falsified a positive correlation between patients’ age and the occurrence of postoperative complications in impacted third molar surgery. Therefore, other risk factors should be investigated in order to minimize these procedure specific complications.
New scattered subspaces in higher dimensions
Authors: Bartoli Daniele , Giannoni Alessandro , Marino Giuseppe
Published: October 2024

Over the past few decades, there has been extensive research on scattered subspaces, partly because of their link to MRD codes. These subspaces can be characterized using linearized polynomials over finite fields. Within this context, scattered sequences extend the concept of scattered polynomials and can be viewed as geometric equivalents of exceptional MRD codes. Up to now, only scattered sequences of orders one and two have been developed. However, this paper presents an infinite series of exceptional scattered sequences of any order beyond two which correspond to scattered subspaces that cannot be obtained as direct sum of scattered subspaces in smaller dimensions. The paper also addresses equivalence concerns within this framework.
Wear and roughness analysis of two highly filled flowable composites
Authors: Checchi Vittorio , Generali Luigi , Corciolani Laura , Breschi Lorenzo , Mazzitelli Claudia , Maravic Tatjana
Published: October 2024

This in vitro study aimed to evaluate surface roughness and wear of highly filled flowables and traditional packable composites. Additionally, the effect of polymerization time on these parameters was evaluated. Two flowable higly filled composites (CMf—Clearfil Majesty ES flow-low viscosity, Kuraray and GUf—Gaenial Universal Injectable, GC) and two packable composites (CM—Clearfil Majesty ES-2, Kuraray and GU—Gaenial A'CHORD, GC) were used to create 160 specimens (n = 40;8 × 6 × 4mm). For each tested material, two subgroups were considered according to the polymerization time (n = 20): 10 s or 80 s. After setting, the specimens were subjected to chewing simulations (240.000 cycles, 20N), and wear was measured by the laser integrated in the chewing simulator. The surface roughness was measured using a rugosimeter, before and after chewing cycles. Two representative specimens per group were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM). Data were collected and statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). Wear analysis highlighted statistically significant differences between the groups: CMf10-CMf80 (p = 0.000), CMf10-CM10 (p = 0.019), CMf10-GUf10 (p = 0.002), CM10-CM80 (p = 0.000), CM80-GUf80 (p = 0.02), GUf10-GUf80 (p = 0.000), GUf10-GU10 (p = 0.043) and GU10-GU80 (p = 0.013). Statistically significant differences in surface roughness were highlighted between the groups: CMf10-CMf80 (p = 0.038), CMf80-CM80 (p = 0.019), CMf80-GU80 (p = 0.010), CM80-GUf80 (p = 0.34) and GUf80-GU80 (p = 0.003). Surface roughness and wear of highly filled flowable composites were comparable to that of traditional paste composites. Furthermore, a longer curing time leads to an improvement in the mechanical properties of the composites. Highly filled flowables can be a valid alternative to paste composites in occlusal areas due to its similar surface roughness and wear values, especially when overcured.
Understanding responses of people with ASD in diverse reasoning tasks: A formal study
Authors: Braüner Torben , Ghosh Aishwarya , Ghosh Sujata
Published: October 2024

Recent studies have shown that in some reasoning tasks people with Autism Spectrum Disorder perform better than typically developing people. This paper compares four such tasks, namely a syllogistic task, two decision-making tasks, and a task from the heuristics and biases literature, the aim being to identify common structure as well as differences. In the terminology of David Marr’s three levels of cognitive systems, the tasks show commonalities on the computational level in terms of the effect of contextual stimuli, though an in-depth analysis of such contexts provides certain distinguishing features in the algorithmic level. We also make some general remarks on our approach, so as to set the stage for further studies in the area which could provide a better understanding of the reasoning process of ASD individuals.
A hybrid approach for Bengali sentence validation
Authors: Sikder Juel , Chakraborty Prosenjit , Das Utpol Kanti , Dhar Krity
Published: October 2024

Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and is widely used in Bangladesh and West Bengal in India. Due to the growing accessibility of the internet and smart devices, the use of digital text material and documents in Bengali is growing with time. An automated Bengali Sentence Validation System is proposed in this study to effectively determine the correctness of sentences in such extensively available Bengali content. As far as we know, no substantial work has been done in the field of Bengali Sentence Validation utilizing deep learning approaches. Due to the lack of linguistic resources, sophisticated Natural Language Processing tools, and benchmark datasets, developing an automated Sentence Validation System for a limited-resource language like Bengali is challenging. Additionally, Bengali Sentences come in two morphological varieties (Sadhu-bhasha and Cholito-bhasha), making the validation process more challenging. The proposed automated Bengali Sentence Validation system contains the CNN-BiLSTM hybrid classifier model. As of now, there is no standard dataset for Bengali sentence validation. Due to the lack of a standard dataset, we collected Bengali sentences from different sources in Bangladesh and developed a Bengali Sentence Validation (BSV) Dataset with around 5000 labelled sentences arranged into two categories such as correct and incorrect. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system outperformed other classifier models and existing approaches for Bengali Sentence Validation and is able to categorize a wide range of Bengali sentences based on their correctness. The system’s F1 score for the Bengali Sentence Validation is 98%.
A scoping review of evidence on routine cervical cancer screening in South Asia: investigating factors affecting adoption and implementation
Authors: Rajkhowa Priyobrat , Mathew Mebin , Fadra Razeena , Saha Soumyajit , Rakshitha K. , Narayanan Prakash , Brand Helmut
Published: October 2024

Need

Cervical cancer is a major global public health issue, particularly affecting low and middle-income countries, distinctly in the South Asian region. This geographical region lacks a well-organized routine cervical screening program. Consequently, this scoping review aimed to investigate the evidence on factors influencing the adoption and implementation of routine cervical cancer screening in South Asia.

Methods

Adopting the “Arksey and O’Malley and Levac et al.” methodology, databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus were scrutinized in the pursuit of relevant studies. Subsequently, the collected data were synthesized by adopting the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) model.

Results

A total of 837 records were initially identified and screened for eligibility, including 55 studies. The successful adoption and implementation of cervical cancer screening in South Asia encounter numerous obstacles within the health system, including the absence of a comprehensive program protocol for screening, inadequate health infrastructure, and the presence of multiple sociocultural factors, such as social stigma, low levels of education, and concerns related to modesty.

Conclusion

To optimize adoption and implementation, it is imperative to construct a customized policy framework that incorporates a risk communication strategy tailored to the specific contexts of these nations. Drawing insights from the experiences of South Asian countries in executing cervical cancer screening programs can inform the formulation of policies for similar healthcare initiatives aimed at facilitating the expansion of HPV vaccination efforts.
Artificial intelligence-enhanced detection of subclinical coronary artery disease in athletes: diagnostic performance and limitations
Authors: Kübler Jens , Brendel Jan M. , Küstner Thomas , Walterspiel Jonathan , Hagen Florian , Paul Jean-François , Nikolaou Konstantin , Gassenmaier Sebastian , Tsiflikas Ilias , Burgstahler Christof , Greulich Simon , Winkelmann Moritz T. , Krumm Patrick
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This study evaluates the diagnostic performance of artificial intelligence (AI)-based coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) and assessing fractional flow reserve (FFR) in asymptomatic male marathon runners.

Material and methods

We prospectively recruited 100 asymptomatic male marathon runners over the age of 45 for CAD screening. CCTA was analyzed using AI models (CorEx and Spimed-AI) on a local server. The models focused on detecting significant CAD (≥ 50% diameter stenosis, CAD-RADS 3, 4, or 5) and distinguishing hemodynamically significant stenosis (FFR ≤ 0.8) from non-significant stenosis (FFR > 0.8). Statistical analysis included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy.

Results

The AI model demonstrated high sensitivity, with 91.2% for any CAD and 100% for significant CAD, and high NPV, with 92.7% for any CAD and 100% for significant CAD. The diagnostic accuracy was 73.4% for any CAD and 90.4% for significant CAD. However, the PPV was lower, particularly for significant CAD (25.0%), indicating a higher incidence of false positives.

Conclusion

AI-enhanced CCTA is a valuable non-invasive tool for detecting CAD in asymptomatic, low-risk populations. The AI model exhibited high sensitivity and NPV, particularly for identifying significant stenosis, reinforcing its potential role in screening. However, limitations such as a lower PPV and overestimation of disease indicate that further refinement of AI algorithms is needed to improve specificity. Despite these challenges, AI-based CCTA offers significant promise when integrated with clinical expertise, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and guiding patient management in low-risk groups.
Association of youth climate change worry with present and past mental health symptoms: a longitudinal population-based study
Authors: Vergunst Francis , Prentice Caitlin M. , Orri Massimiliano , Berry Helen L. , Paquin Vincent , Vitaro Frank , Tremblay Richard , Côté Sylvana M. , Geoffroy Marie-Claude
Published: October 2024

Young people are worried about climate change but the association with current and past mental health symptoms is rarely examined in longitudinal population-based samples. Drawing on a population-based birth cohort from the Canadian province of Quebec (n = 1325), this study used a cross-over design to (1) test the association between climate change worry at age 23-years and concurrent mental health symptoms assessed on standardised instruments, and (2) test the association between adolescent (15 and 17 years) symptoms of anxiety, depression, inattention-hyperactivity, and aggression-opposition and climate worry at age 23-years. Participant sex, cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, and parental mental health were adjusted for. Descriptive statistics showed that most participants were worried about climate change: 190 (14.3%) were extremely worried, 383 (28.9%) were very worried, 553 (41.7%) were somewhat worried, and 199 (15.0%) were not at all worried. In analysis 1, worry about climate change was associated with significantly higher concurrent anxiety, depression, and self-harm symptoms, even after adjustment for adolescent symptoms. In analysis 2, anxious adolescents were significantly more likely to be extremely worried about climate change six years later (RRR = 1.51, 95%CI = 1.10–2.07), while aggressive-oppositional adolescents were significantly less likely to be somewhat worried (RRR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.63–0.0.99), very worried (RRR = 0.61, 95%CI = 0.48–0.78), or extremely worried (RRR = 0.51, 95%CI = 0.37–0.72). Taken together, participants who were worried about climate change had more concurrent mental health symptoms but were also more likely to have prior symptoms. Adolescents with higher anxiety were more likely to worry about climate change in early adulthood, while those with higher aggression-opposition were less likely to worry. Future studies should track climate worry longitudinally alongside symptoms using prospective follow-up studies.
Is there a direct benefit of using electronic commerce and electronic banking in mitigating climate change?
Authors: Manta Alina Georgiana , Doran Nicoleta Mihaela , Hurduzeu Gheorghe , Bădîrcea Roxana Maria , Doran Marius Dalian , Manta Florin Liviu
Published: October 2024

The main objective of the study is to highlight the impact that the use of electronic commerce (e-commerce), electronic banking (e-banking) services have on climate change in European Union (EU) countries. Thus, we built a panel model to evaluate the correlations between e-commerce, e–banking, electronic sales channels, and climate change mitigation during 2011–2022 period for the EU countries. Furthermore, we applied the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) method including three independent variables that evaluate the use of digital commerce applications and the dependent variable for climate change. A significant revelation of the study is the positive contribution of e-commerce activities to climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the role of e-banking in decreasing the consequences of climate change. However, the study also uncovers a more complex aspect regarding electronic sales channels. It finds that not all forms of electronic sales are effective in reducing climate change impacts. Thus, the study highlights the potential benefits of e-commerce and e-banking in the context of climate change mitigation, while also warning against a one-size-fits-all approach to the adoption of digital commerce models. These findings have important implications for policymakers, businesses, and researchers aiming to align digital transformation with sustainable development goals.
Adapting to Competition: Solar PV Innovation in Europe and the Impact of the ‘China Shock’
Authors: Andres Pia
Published: October 2024

Low cost solar energy is key to enabling the transition away from fossil fuels. Despite this, the European Union followed the United States’ example in imposing anti-dumping tariffs on solar panel imports from China in 2013, arguing that Chinese panels were unfairly subsidised and harmed its domestic industry. This paper examines the effects of Chinese import competition on firm-level innovation in solar photovoltaic technology by European firms using a sample of 10,137 firms in 15 EU countries over the period 1999–2020. I show that firms which were exposed to higher import competition innovated more if they had a relatively small existing stock of innovation, but less if their historical knowledge stock fell within the top 10th percentile of firms in the sample. This suggests that newer firms were more able to respond to increased competition by innovating, while firms with a large historical stock of innovation may have been locked into old technological paradigms. As firms with a smaller knowledge stock tended to innovate more overall, trade with China appears to have been beneficial in encouraging innovation among the most innovative firms. However, I also find evidence that import competition increased the probability of exit among firms in the sample.
Far-Zone Effects for Spherical Integral Transformations II: Formulas for Horizontal Boundary Value Problems and Their Derivatives
Authors: Šprlák Michal , Pitoňák Martin
Published: October 2024

Integral formulas represent a methodological basis for the determination of gravitational fields generated by planetary bodies. In particular, spherical integral transformations are preferred for their symmetrical properties with the integration domain being the entire surface of the sphere. However, global coverage of boundary values is rarely guaranteed. In practical calculations, we therefore split the spherical surface into a near zone and a far zone, for convenience, by a spherical cap. While the gravitational effect in the near zone can be evaluated by numerical integration over available boundary values, the contribution of the far zone has to be precisely quantified by other means. Far-zone effects for the isotropic integral transformations and those depending on the direct azimuth have adequately been discussed. On the other hand, this subject has only marginally been addressed for the spherical integral formulas that are, except for other variables, also functions of the backward azimuth. In this article, we significantly advance the existing geodetic methodology by deriving the far-zone effects for the two classes of spherical integral transformations: (1) the analytical solutions of the horizontal, horizontal–horizontal, and horizontal–horizontal–horizontal BVPs including their generalisations with arbitrary-order vertical derivative of respective boundary conditions and (2) spatial (vertical, horizontal, or mixed) derivatives of these generalised analytical solutions up to the third order. The integral and spectral forms of the far-zone effects are implemented in MATLAB software package, and their consistency is tested in closed-loop simulations. The presented methodology can be employed in upward/downward continuation of potential field observables or for a quantification of error propagation through spherical integral transformations.
Academics’ intention to sustain new teaching practices after the COVID-19 pandemic: Examined through the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Broadbent J. , Bearman M. , Boud D. , Dawson P.
Published: October 2024

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education teachers, having transitioned to new teaching methodologies, including online learning and modified assessment strategies, face the question: Do they intend to revert to pre-pandemic ways of operating or retain their new practices? A university-wide invitation with an incentive resulted in 63 academics from all four faculties of the university participating in this study. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this exploratory research assessed the roles of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control in determining academics’ intentions to maintain instructional shifts. Collectively, these elements robustly predicted intention, explaining 38% of the variance. Notably, our findings revealed that fostering a positive attitude towards these changes was the sole unique driver for wanting to maintain them. Without a conducive attitude to teaching, the efforts of others and perceived control become inconsequential in effecting educational change. Within the limitations of a small sample size, our study offers an understanding of the variables influencing academics’ intentions to sustain shifts in teaching practices. Such knowledge can guide future decision-making in higher education environments, especially when substantial transformation is required.
Observation of deep currents around a seamount between the Japan and Kuril trenches
Authors: Ueno Takeru , Fujio Shinzou , Yanagimoto Daigo
Published: October 2024

Hydrographic observations and two-year current measurements revealed the flow around the Erimo Seamount between the Japan and Kuril trenches. Northward currents were observed to flow both around the seamount and on the eastern flank of the trench. Since the dissolved oxygen concentration of the former is higher than that of the latter, these currents correspond to the western and eastern branch currents of the deep western boundary current in the North Pacific, respectively. The western branch current forms a Taylor cap over the seamount, although during certain periods, it joins the eastern branch current. During such periods, a strong jet forms around the seamount and the Taylor cap is washed away. Such alternately intensified currents are consistent with previous observations of the Japan Trench. On the western flank of the trench, a southward current flows near the seafloor, while an eastward current is formed at a depth of 3360 m due to the confluence of the currents from north and south.
Who is Getting the Message? Sociodemographic Factors and Gambling Behavior Associated with Awareness of the Swedish National Self-Exclusion Registry Spelpaus.se
Authors: González Díaz Katya , Lagerlund Magdalena , Rostila Mikael , Cisneros Örnberg Jenny
Published: October 2024

Awareness and utilization of health interventions can be influenced by sociodemographic factors. These factors play a role in information processing, particularly regarding health messaging. The aim of this study is to analyze how different sociodemographic factors and gambling behaviors are associated with awareness of a (Swedish) gambling self-exclusion register. The study used data from the Swedish longitudinal gambling study (Swelogs) and analyzed n = 6720 participants from a stratified random sample of the Swedish population aged 18–84 years. Logistic regressions were conducted to analyze associations between sociodemographic characteristics, gambling behavior and awareness. Males with middle (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.32–2.19) and high income (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.19–2.09) and females with high (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.03–1.76) and middle-level education (OR = 1.35, CI = 1.04–1.76), had higher awareness of Spelpaus.se. Online gamblers with problematic gambling behavior were three times (OR = 3.69, 95% CI = 2.15–6.37) more likely to be aware than non-gamblers. Online gamblers born in Sweden were twice (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.19–3.19) as likely to be aware compared to those born outside of Europe. Males with high level of awareness had higher PGSI scores compared to women. Education could increase awareness of potential health risks and opportunities for intervention, particularly among women. Future interventions should be tailored to cater to the specific needs of individuals with lower levels of awareness, to facilitate enhancing their awareness and ultimately promoting a more equitable utilization of self-exclusion measures.
Defining common ground
Authors: Yalcin Seth
Published: October 2024

Stalnaker (Context, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2014) defends two ideas about common ground. The first is that the common ground of a conversation is definable in terms of an iterated propositional attitude of acceptance, so that p is common ground iff p is commonly accepted. The second is the idea that the “default setting" of conversational acceptance is belief, so that as a default, what is accepted in conversation coincides with what is (commonly) believed. In this paper, I argue that we should favor a pair of contrasting theses instead. First, I argue that we should identify the common ground with what is common knowledge about what is accepted, so that p is common ground iff it is common knowledge that p is accepted. Thus the attitude that is iterated in the definition of common ground is not acceptance but knowledge. Second, I argue that the “default setting" for conversational acceptance is not belief, but knowledge.
Healthcare providers' advocacy approaches and ethical challenges in delivering healthcare to undocumented migrants: a scoping review
Authors: Abdulrazeq Fayez , März Julian , Biller-Andorno Nikola , Gastmans Chris
Published: October 2024

Delivering healthcare to undocumented migrants presents a complex challenge for healthcare providers. Integrating advocacy efforts into their daily practices can be ambiguous in practical terms, stemming from the intricate task of addressing the health needs of this population while simultaneously advocating for their health rights within the constraints imposed on them. This study seeks to consolidate findings from literature regarding the advocacy approaches employed by healthcare providers and the correlated ethical challenges. We conducted a scoping review of qualitative literature by systematically searching four databases—PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cinahl, and Cochrane Library. For developing our search strategy, we employed the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) scheme. Our analysis followed the qualitative content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. 30 studies were included, revealing a cumulative total of 915 healthcare providers who were interviewed. A total of 30 themes emerged comprising 14 advocacy approaches and 16 ethical challenges. Healthcare providers made a deliberate choice to engage in advocacy, responding to injustices experienced by undocumented migrants. The spectrum of advocacy initiatives varied, encompassing voluntary participation in healthcare provision, empathetic understanding, and healthcare-focused strategies. We also identified numerous correlated ethical challenges, necessitating healthcare providers to strike a balance between their eagerness to assist and their professional competence, respect the autonomy of undocumented migrants, and establish trust with them. These findings not only offer practical guidance for healthcare providers to enhance accessibility to healthcare services for undocumented migrant patients but also foster awareness of the ethical challenges that may arise in their advocacy roles.
Computational Modelling of the Impact of Evaporation on In-Vitro Dermal Absorption
Authors: Deacon Benjamin N. , Silva Samadhi , Lian Guoping , Evans Marina , Chen Tao
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Volatiles are common in personal care products and dermatological drugs. Determining the impact of evaporation of volatiles on skin permeation is crucial to evaluate and understand their delivery, bioavailability, efficacy and safety. We aim to develop an in-silico model to simulate the impact of evaporation on the dermal absorption of volatiles.

Method

The evaporation of volatile permeants was modelled using vapour pressure as the main factor. This model considers evaporation as a passive diffusion process driven by the concentration gradient between the air-vehicle interface and the ambient environment. The evaporation model was then integrated with a previously published physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of skin permeation and compared with published in vitro permeation test data from the Cosmetics Europe ADME Task Force.

Results

The evaporation-PBPK model shows improved predictions when evaporation is considered. In particular, good agreement has been obtained for the distributions in the evaporative loss, and the overall percutaneous absorption. The model is further compared with published in-silico models from the Cosmetics Europe ADME Task Force where favourable results are achieved.

Conclusion

The evaporation of volatile permeants under finite dose in vitro permeation test conditions has been successfully predicted using a mechanistic model with the intrinsic volatility parameter vapour pressure. Integrating evaporation in PBPK modelling significantly improved the prediction of dermal delivery.
Exploring the Effect of Mathematics Skills on Student Performance in Physics Problem-Solving: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis
Authors: Tong Tong , Pi Feipeng , Zheng Siyan , Zhong Yi , Lin Xiaochun , Wei Yajun
Published: October 2024

Students’ success in physics problem-solving extends beyond conceptual knowledge of physics, relying significantly on their mathematics skills. Understanding the specific contributions of different mathematics skills to physics problem-solving can offer valuable insights for enhancing physics education. Yet such studies are rare, particularly at the high school level. This study addresses the underexplored area of this topic in secondary education by investigating the associations between physics problem-solving performance using a robust methodological framework. We applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify latent sub-mathmetics skills relevant to physics problem-solving and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the causal impact of these skills on students’ performance in physics. The study analyzed data from a municipal-wide assessment involving 1,878 grade 12 students in Southern China. The results demonstrate that mathematics skills impacting high school students’ physics problem-solving performance can be categorized into two sub skills, algebraic skills and geometric skills. It also indicates that algebraic skills have a stronger direct effect on physics problem-solving performance compared to geometric skills in high school setting. These findings suggest that integrating focused algebraic training within physics education can significantly improve student outcomes in STEM fields. We recommend that educators design curricula and instructional strategies that emphasize the development of algebraic skills necessary for solving complex physics problems. Additionally, these findings have important implications for policymakers, who should consider integrating targeted mathematics training within physics curricula to foster interdisciplinary learning and better prepare students for challenges in STEM education.
Conflicting Views of Nature and Their Impact on Evolution Understanding
Authors: Shtulman Andrew
Published: October 2024

In nature, competition within and between species is the norm, yet nature is also reputed to be a “peaceable kingdom” where animals cooperate rather than compete. This study explored how such contrasting views of nature influence students’ biological reasoning. College undergraduates (n = 165) assessed the prevalence of cooperative behaviors, such as food sharing and symbiotic cleaning, and competitive behaviors, such as cannibalism and parasitism, and these assessments were compared to their understanding of evolution as a process of differential survival and reproduction. Participants underestimated the prevalence of competitive behaviors relative to cooperative ones, particularly for behaviors directed toward other members of the same species, and the accuracy of their judgments predicted how well they understood evolution, even when controlling for other predictors of evolution understanding, including perceptions of within-species variation and perceptions of geologic time. These findings suggest that overly benevolent views of nature compete with more realistic views and may hamper our appreciation of the mechanisms of adaptation.
Spatial versus normal audio guides in exhibitions: Cognitive mechanisms and effects on learning
Authors: Glaser Manuela , Hug Laura , Werner Stephan , Schwan Stephan
Published: October 2024

The present paper examines possible benefits of spatial audio guides on learning outcomes in the spatial learning setting of an experimental exhibition and attempts to differentiate between different mechanisms underlying such an effect. In Experiment 1, we examined whether the spatial contiguity principle may be such a mechanism. A spatial audio guide was used that allows for perception of audio explanations either at the location of the exhibit (audio-visuo-spatially close) or within the headphones (audio-visuo-spatially distant). The results showed that with the external, exhibit-located compared to headphone-located presentation, memory of audio explanations was significantly better. No significant differences were found regarding text-picture-integration. However, these results cannot only be explained by audio-visuo-spatial contiguity but also by externalization and audio-spatial cueing. In Experiment 2, we therefore tried to disentangle these possible mechanisms and compared three conditions (audio explanations perceptually located within the exhibits, behind the visitors at the opposite wall, always at the same location in the room), thereby keeping externalization constant while varying audio-visuo-spatial contiguity and audio-spatial cueing. No significant differences between the conditions were found regarding memory of the audio explanations and text-picture integration, whereby memory of audio explanations in all conditions was at the same level as in the picture-located audio condition in the first experiment. This excludes spatial contiguity effects and audio-spatial cueing as explanations for the results in Experiment 1 and indicates a general externalization effect needing closer examination. The results are discussed regarding future studies and the use of spatial audio guides in museums and exhibitions.
Managing Shared Maritime Heritage: Australian Warships in Timor-Leste
Authors: Pearson Natali
Published: October 2024

This article examines the effective management and governance of World War II shipwrecks with a particular focus on two Australian wartime wrecks in Timor-Leste, HMAS Voyager and HMAS Armidale. With reference to international frameworks such as the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, as well as Timor-Leste’s evolving domestic regulations, this article explores the challenges in managing these shipwrecks and seeks to broaden the protection and preservation paradigm that defines approaches to other forms of underwater cultural heritage. Particular attention is given to balancing the interests of states, local communities and international actors, while addressing the legal, moral and environmental complexities and sensitivities associated with WWII wrecks. The article aims to contribute to the broader discourse on maritime heritage governance by providing insights into the complex and multiple challenges of managing WWII wrecks, within the context of a nation that only achieved lasting independence relatively recently.