bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupancy of acoustically tagged oceanic manta rays, Mobula birostris, in Bahia de Banderas, Mexico
Authors: Domínguez-Sánchez P. Santiago , Širović Ana , Fonseca-Ponce Iliana A. , Zavala-Jiménez Aldo A. , Rubin Robert D. , Kumli Katherine R. , Ketchum James T. , Galván-Magaña Felipe , Wells R. J. David , Stewart Joshua D.
Published: September 2023

The oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is an endangered species commonly seen at oceanic islands and seamounts; however, seasonal aggregations have been described in highly productive, coastal areas. Oceanic manta rays are found in high numbers seasonally in Bahía de Banderas, Mexico, a unique nearshore aggregation site for the species. We used acoustic telemetry to examine the influence of environmental variables on the occurrence of 66 tagged oceanic manta rays over a seven-year period from 2015 to 2021. Seasonal trends in oceanic manta ray occurrence showed a peak in detections from January to March, and another peak from May to early October. Oceanic manta rays were present when the temperature ranged between 25 °C and 29 °C, the southward wind speeds ranged between 3 and 5 m s–1, the westward wind speed between 2.5 and 4.5 m s–1. Furthermore, oceanic manta rays’ presence was higher at high and low tides and when Chlorophyll-a values ranged between 2.5 and 7 mg m3-1. Results also suggest that El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) had a strong effect on oceanic manta ray presence in the bay, which is consistent with previous studies. The detections of oceanic manta rays in the south of the bay, were greater in the morning hours, suggesting that during the night they may move to deeper waters, similar to other reported studies of manta and devil rays. Our model suggested a tag retention time of 300 days. This study serves as a baseline for future management plans for the species to minimize impacts on this population from human activities occurring in close proximity to oceanic manta ray aggregation sites.
Aversive reinforcement improves visual discrimination learning in free-flying wasps (Vespula vulgaris)
Authors: Dyer Adrian G. , Howard Scarlett R.
Published: September 2023

Understanding and assessing the capacity for learning, memory, and cognition in non-model organisms is a growing field. In invertebrate cognition, eusocial hymenopteran species such as honeybees, bumblebees, and ants are well-studied for their learning and memory abilities due to decades of research providing well-tested methods of training and assessing cognition. In the current study, we assess the use of different conditioning methods on visual learning in a non-model hymenopteran species which is becoming increasingly used in learning and memory tasks, the European wasp (Vespula vulgaris). We trained individual wasps to learn to discriminate between perceptually similar colours using absolute conditioning (reward on target stimulus in the absence of distractors), appetitive differential conditioning (reward on target stimulus and no outcome for incorrect stimulus), or appetitive-aversive differential conditioning (reward on target stimulus and aversive outcome for incorrect stimulus). When trained with absolute conditioning, wasps were unable to learn to discriminate between perceptually similar colours. However, when trained with appetitive differential conditioning or appetitive-aversive differential conditioning, wasps were able to learn to discriminate between two similar colours, although they performed best when an aversive reinforcement was provided during training. Our results show similarities to learning behaviour in honeybees and bumblebees, and provide insight into the learning and cognition of a non-model invertebrate. Our findings provide important comparative data to aid in understanding the evolution of learning and memory in hymenopterans.

Significance statement

Foraging insects such as bees, ants, and wasps visit a variety of food sources such as flowers, insect prey, and rotting fruit. Many of these insects must learn and recall resource traits such as location, scent, shape, colour, and size. To understand the process of learning in insects which are comparatively less studied than those such as honeybees and bumblebees, we trained wasps to discriminate between two similar colours using three different types of conditioning methods. Wasps were best able to learn to discriminate between the similar colours when trained with appetitive-aversive differential conditioning, where a reward is provided for a correct choice and an aversive outcome was providing for an incorrect choice. Our results show that similar to popular invertebrate cognition models, wasp learning is improved when an aversive outcome is introduced for incorrect choices.
Were camptodactyly and boutonniere deformity considered pathological in late fifteenth century Italy? Evidence from the sculptures of Francesco di Simone Ferrucci (1437–1493)
Authors: Albury W. R. , Weisz G. M.
Published: September 2023

Representations of disease in Renaissance paintings have been discussed in medical literature, in the context of historical epidemiology, as potential sources of information about the incidence and appearance of particular conditions in earlier times. The present study seeks to show how Renaissance art can also contribute to historical nosology by casting light on the question of whether particular conditions recognized as abnormal today were understood as pathological in the past. The hands of two Renaissance Madonna figures are examined in sculptures produced by Francesco di Simone Ferrucci (1437–1493). Because the Virgin Mary was considered physically perfect by believers, and because Francesco was a successful producer of devotional sculptures for a wide audience, it is highly probable that any abnormal conditions found in the hands of Madonnas sculpted by him would not have been regarded as pathological at the time. The sculptures examined appear to depict camptodactyly and boutonniere deformity in the hands of Madonna figures. These uncommon conditions are also found in Renaissance artworks that show other individuals of high social status, but their presence in the hands of the Madonna gives the strongest indication that they were not considered pathological, due to religious belief in the Virgin’s physical perfection. Examination of Madonna figures in late fifteenth century Renaissance art can contribute to historical nosology by identifying abnormal conditions that were not regarded as pathological at the time. The examples of such conditions identified in the present study are camptodactyly and boutonniere deformity.
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis: a 3-year follow-up study
Authors: Holm-Yildiz Sonja , Krag Thomas , Witting Nanna , Pedersen Britt Stævnsbo , Dysgaard Tina , Sloth Louise , Pedersen Jonas , Kjær Rebecca , Kannuberg Linda , Dahlqvist Julia , de Stricker Borch Josefine , Solheim Tuva , Fornander Freja , Eisum Anne-Sofie , Vissing John
Published: September 2023

Background and objectives

Primary hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) is an inherited channelopathy most commonly caused by mutations in CACNA1S. HypoPP can present with different phenotypes: periodic paralysis (PP), permanent muscle weakness (PW), and mixed weakness (MW) with both periodic and permanent weakness. Little is known about the natural history of HypoPP.

Methods

In this 3-year follow-up study, we used the MRC scale for manual muscle strength testing and whole-body muscle MRI (Mercuri score) to assess disease progression in individuals with HypoPP-causing mutations in CACNA1S.

Results

We included 25 men (mean age 43 years, range 18–76 years) and 12 women (mean age 42 years, range 18–76 years). Two participants were asymptomatic, 21 had PP, 12 MW, and two PW. The median number of months between baseline and follow-up was 42 (range 26–52). Muscle strength declined in 11 patients during follow-up. Four of the patients with a decline in muscle strength had no attacks of paralysis during follow-up, and two of these patients had never had attacks of paralysis. Fat replacement of muscles increased in 27 patients during follow-up. Eight of the patients with increased fat replacement had no attacks of paralysis during follow-up, and two of these patients had never had attacks of paralysis.

Discussion

The study demonstrates that HypoPP can be a progressive myopathy in both patients with and without attacks of paralysis.
Low skeletal muscle mass and liver fibrosis in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Naume Marie Mostue , Jørgensen Marianne Hørby , Høi-Hansen Christina Engel , Nielsen Maja Risager , Born Alfred Peter , Vissing John , Borgwardt Lise , Stærk Dorte Marianne Rohde , Ørngreen Mette Cathrine
Published: September 2023

The purpose of the study was to conduct a nutritional and metabolic assessment of children with cerebral palsy, including an investigation of liver status, body composition, and bone mineral density. In this cross-sectional study we included 22 children with cerebral palsy. By using ultrasound, transient elastography, dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan, blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and a three-day diet registration, the nutritional and metabolic status was evaluated. Liver fibrosis and steatosis were found in four patients (18.2%), all with severe motor impairments, low skeletal muscle mass, and epilepsy. All patients with liver involvement had normal liver-related blood samples. Decreased bone mineral density was found in 26.3%, and 91.0% had low skeletal muscle mass. Fat mass and muscle mass were significantly lower in the patients with severe motor impairments compared to the patients with less severe motor impairments. Within the children classified as ‘underweight’ or ‘normal’ according to body mass index, body fat determined by DXA scan was normal or high in 50% of these patients.

Conclusions: This study is the first to report liver fibrosis and steatosis in children with cerebral palsy. Possible causes of liver fibrosis and/or steatosis are altered body composition with low skeletal muscle mass, decreased mobility and medical drug intake. Further investigations of liver involvement and risk factors are needed.

What is Known:• Children and adolescents with cerebral palsy are at risk of malnutrition and altered body composition, both of which can lead to fatty liver disease.• It is unknown whether children with cerebral palsy are at increased risk of metabolic disturbances such as fatty liver disease.

What is New:• Altered body composition and low skeletal muscle mass, regardless of ambulation is present in 91% of the children with cerebral palsy.• Liver fibrosis and/or steatosis were found in 18.2% of the patients. Possible causes are altered body composition, decreased mobility and medical drug intake.
KIF11 serves as a cell cycle mediator in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Zhu Liwen , Chen Chuqin , Kang Meiyun , Ma Xiaopeng , Sun Xiaoyan , Xue Yao , Fang Yongjun
Published: September 2023

Objective

To identify key gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and their enriched biological functions and signaling pathways.

Methods

Array data of the GSE73578 dataset, involving 46 childhood ALL samples, were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Hub modules associated with childhood ALL were screened out by WGCNA. Enriched biological functions and signaling pathways were then identified by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Hub genes were selected by overlapping those between down-regulated genes in GSE73578, GSE4698 and the hub module. Guilt by association (GBA) was adopted to verify the function of the identified KIF11 gene and to predict its target genes. Regulatory effects of KIF11 on the proliferation and cell cycle progression of ALL in vitro were determined by cytological experiments.

Results

WGCNA showed that the yellow module was the most relevant to childhood ALL treatment, containing 698 genes that were enriched in cell division, mitotic nuclear division, DNA replication and DNA repair, cell cycle, DNA replication and the P53 signaling pathway. The KIF11 gene was screened out and predicted as a cell cycle mediator in childhood ALL. Knockdown of KIF11 in ALL cells inhibited cell proliferation and arrested cell cycle progression in G2/M phase.

Conclusions

The KIF11 gene is critical in the treatment process of childhood ALL, which is a promising therapeutic target for childhood ALL.
Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract: antenatal diagnosis, management and counselling of families
Authors: Walker Emma Y. X. , Winyard Paul , Marlais Matko
Published: September 2023

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract are collectively one of the most commonly diagnosed antenatal conditions. Clinicians have several tools available to diagnose anomalies, including imaging, biomarkers, family history and genetic studies. In certain cases, antenatal interventions such as vesico-amniotic shunting may be considered to improve postnatal outcomes.

Congenital kidney anomalies detected antenatally can vary in clinical significance from almost no impact postnatally to significant morbidity and perinatal mortality. Prognosis broadly depends on kidney size, structure and amount of amniotic fluid, alongside genetics and family history, and progression on subsequent scans. It is important to counsel parents appropriately using a parent-focused and personalised approach. The use of a multidisciplinary team should always be considered.
Strategies for difficult times: physiological and morphological responses to drought stress in seedlings of Central European tree species
Authors: Niemczyk Marzena , Thomas Barb R. , Jastrzębowski Szymon
Published: September 2023

Key message

Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris seedlings conserve soil water and are more sensitive to drought showing photoinhibition even under moderate stress, while Quercus robur and Fagus sylvatica seedlings have higher soil water uptake, they show photoinhibition only under severe drought.

Drought is an important factor in ecological change and species distribution shifts. We conducted a greenhouse experiment with seedlings of four Central European tree species: Pinus sylvestris (PS), Picea abies (PA), Fagus sylvatica (FS), and Quercus robur (QR) to investigate their response to drought. We monitored maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) during a 60-day drought treatment and measured above- and below-ground characteristics as morphophysiological responses to drought stress. Due to the fast, juvenile growth of the deciduous species (FS and QR), they had higher soil water uptake and suffered more quickly from severe drought than conifers (PS and PA). The deciduous species maintained a higher Fv/Fm, until volumetric water content (VWC) was very low (< 5%), oscillating within a narrow safety margin. Both conifers PA and PS conserved soil water; photoinhibition in these species occurred at VWC of 14.5% and 5.5%, respectively. There were no differences in height between drought-stressed and irrigated seedlings, while drought reduced all root characteristics of the deciduous seedlings. Our study revealed trade-offs between different water management strategies, growth rate, and photoinhibition during the juvenile growth stage of our focal species. For climate change adaptation, anisohydric deciduous tree species seem to be more suitable. However, PS, with its water-conserving management and low photoinhibition threshold, holds promise for successful regeneration on drought-prone sites. Since species selection is critical for forest sustainability, our study contributes to the broader discussion of tree species' drought resistance during the vulnerable juvenile phase in the face of climate change.
Expert design thinking workshops to analyze users’ perceived applicability of NUTRI-ONCOCARE algorithm to prevent and treat malnutrition in cancer patients under routine clinical practice conditions in Spain: the ALLIANCE study
Authors: Grande Enrique , Moreno Fernando , Trigo José , Capdevila Jaume , Abilés Jimena , Sirvent Mariola , Garrido-Siles Margarita , Olveira Gabriel , Ocón Julia , Soto Maria Luisa Fernández
Published: September 2023

Purpose

NUTRI-ONCOCARE algorithm has been developed to identify and treat patients with solid tumors who are at risk of malnutrition. The present study is aimed at analyzing users’ opinion about this new tool and at assessing whether it is perceived as useful to achieve the behavioral change required for a successful integration of nutritional assessment into routine cancer care.

Methods

Design thinking Double Diamond process was applied. A multidisciplinary team composed of ten potential end-users (four oncologists, three endocrinologists, one nutritionist, and two hospital pharmacists) participated in three different workshops aiming to analyze the different tasks included within the NUTRI-ONCOCARE algorithm.

Results

Users agreed on the need to perform nutritional assessment around cancer diagnosis and through the course of the disease using standardized tools included in hospital nutritional protocols and involving healthcare professionals with nutrition expertise. Nutritional evaluation and intervention should be individual and comprehensive, considering not only nutritional parameters but also patients’ functional status. According to participants’ opinion, the implementation of nutritional screening in routine clinical practice is limited by the lack of time and staff to conduct nutritional assessments, the low level of nutrition expert participation, and the poor support provided by hospital managers, which are often unaware of nutrition’s impact in cancer care.

Conclusions

Experts recognized the importance of considering nutritional status in cancer patients and identified the opportunity provided by the NUTRI-ONCOCARE algorithm for this purpose, as it meets main requirements for being used routinely in clinical practice.
Neural nets for sustainability conversations: modeling discussion disciplines and their impacts
Authors: Pugh Katrina , Musavi Mohamad , Johnson Teresa , Burke Christopher , Yoeli Erez , Currie Emily , Pugh Benjamin
Published: September 2023

We live in the age polarization, where conversations on matters of sustainability more often produce acrimony or stalemate than productive action. Better understanding conversation features and their impacts may lead to better innovation, solution-design, and ongoing collaboration. We describe a study to test alternate machine learning models for classifying six “discussion disciplines”, which are conversation features associated with rhetorical intent. The model providing the best outcome used the Bi-directional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) layered with a Residual Network (ResNet). The training data were 1135 utterances from Maine aquaculture town hall-like meetings and similar conversations, which had been hand-coded for the discussion disciplines. In addition, we generated 300 phrases corresponding to three conversation outcomes: Intent-to-Act, Options-Generation, and Relationship-Building. We then used the trained model and information retrieval to classify a large corpus of 591 open-source transcripts, containing over 21,000 utterances. A binary logistic regression analysis showed that two discussion disciplines, “Inclusion” and “Courtesy,” had positive, statistically significant, impacts on Intent-to-act: a 10 percentage point increase in the share of the Inclusion or Courtesy yielded a 45% or 34% increase, respectively, in the likelihood of Intent-to-Act. This study shows the applicability of neural networks in modeling conversations and identifying the dialog acts that can provide measurable and predictable impact on conversation outcomes. Conversational intelligence can support a variety of human interactions, such as town halls, policy-deliberations, private–public partnerships, and sustainability teamwork.
Stability of Hardy Littlewood Sobolev inequality under bubbling
Authors: Aryan Shrey
Published: September 2023

In this note we will generalize the results deduced in Figalli and Glaudo (Arch Ration Mech Anal 237(1):201–258, 2020) and Deng et al. (Sharp quantitative estimates of Struwe’s Decomposition. Preprint http://arxiv.org/abs/2103.15360, 2021) to fractional Sobolev spaces. In particular we will show that for $$s\in (0,1)$$

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Energy load forecasting: one-step ahead hybrid model utilizing ensembling
Authors: Tsalikidis Nikos , Mystakidis Aristeidis , Tjortjis Christos , Koukaras Paraskevas , Ioannidis Dimosthenis
Published: September 2023

In the light of the adverse effects of climate change, data analysis and Machine Learning (ML) techniques can provide accurate forecasts, which enable efficient scheduling and operation of energy usage. Especially in the built environment, Energy Load Forecasting (ELF) enables Distribution System Operators or Aggregators to accurately predict the energy demand and generation trade-offs. This paper focuses on developing and comparing predictive algorithms based on historical data from a near Zero Energy Building. This involves energy load, as well as temperature data, which are used to develop and evaluate various base ML algorithms and methodologies, including Artificial Neural Networks and Decision-trees, as well as their combination. Each algorithm is fine-tuned and tested, accounting for the unique data characteristics, such as the presence of photovoltaics, in order to produce a robust approach for One-Step-Ahead ELF. To this end, a novel hybrid model utilizing ensemble methods was developed. It combines multiple base ML algorithms the outputs of which are utilized to train a meta-model voting regressor. This hybrid model acts as a normalizer for any new data input. An experimental comparison of the model against unseen data and other ensemble approaches, showed promising forecasting results (mean absolute percentage error = 5.39%), particularly compared to the base algorithms.
Explanation Paradigms Leveraging Analytic Intuition (ExPLAIn)
Authors: Jansen Nils , Nolte Gerrit , Steffen Bernhard
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we present the envisioned style and scope of the new topic “Explanation Paradigms Leveraging Analytic Intuition” (ExPLAIn) with the International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT). Intention behind this new topic is to (1) explicitly address all aspects and issues that arise when trying to, if possible, reveal and then confirm hidden properties of black-box systems, or (2) to enforce vital properties by embedding them into appropriate system contexts. Machine-learned systems, such as Deep Neural Networks, are particularly challenging black-box systems, and there is a wealth of formal methods for analysis and verification waiting to be adapted and applied. The selection of papers of this first Special Section of ExPLAIn, most of which were co-authored by editorial board members, is an illustrative example of the style and scope envisioned: In addition to methodological papers on verification, explanation, and their scalability, case studies, tool papers, literature reviews, and position papers are also welcome.
Automatic music emotion classification model for movie soundtrack subtitling based on neuroscientific premises
Authors: Lucia-Mulas Maria Jose , Revuelta-Sanz Pablo , Ruiz-Mezcua Belen , Gonzalez-Carrasco Israel
Published: September 2023

The ability of music to induce emotions has been arousing a lot of interest in recent years, especially due to the boom in music streaming platforms and the use of automatic music recommenders. Music Emotion Recognition approaches are based on combining multiple audio features extracted from digital audio samples and different machine learning techniques. In these approaches, neuroscience results on musical emotion perception are not considered. The main goal of this research is to facilitate the automatic subtitling of music. The authors approached the problem of automatic musical emotion detection in movie soundtracks considering these characteristics and using scientific musical databases, which have become a reference in neuroscience research. In the experiments, the Constant-Q-Transform spectrograms, the ones that best represent the relationships between musical tones from the point of view of human perception, are combined with Convolutional Neural Networks. Results show an efficient emotion classification model for 2-second musical audio fragments representative of intense basic feelings of happiness, sadness, and fear. Those emotions are the most interesting to be identified in the case of movie music captioning. The quality metrics have demonstrated that the results of the different models differ significantly and show no homogeneity. Finally, these results pave the way for an accessible and automatic captioning of music, which could automatically identify the emotional intent of the different segments of the movie soundtrack.
Multi-directional Interaction Force Control with an Aerial Manipulator Under External Disturbances
Authors: Malczyk Grzegorz , Brunner Maximilian , Cuniato Eugenio , Tognon Marco , Siegwart Roland
Published: September 2023

To improve accuracy and robustness of interactive aerial robots, the knowledge of the forces acting on the platform is of uttermost importance. The robot should distinguish interaction forces from external disturbances in order to be compliant with the firsts and reject the seconds. This represents a challenge since disturbances might be of different nature (physical contact, aerodynamic, modeling errors) and be applied to different points of the robot. This work presents a new $$\hbox {extended Kalman filter (EKF)}$$

extended Kalman filter (EKF)

based estimator for both external disturbance and interaction forces. The estimator fuses information coming from the system’s dynamic model and it’s state with wrench measurements coming from a Force-Torque sensor. This allows for robust interaction control at the tool’s tip even in presence of external disturbance wrenches acting on the platform. We employ the filter estimates in a novel hybrid force/motion controller to perform force tracking not only along the tool direction, but from any platform’s orientation, without losing the stability of the pose controller. The proposed framework is extensively tested on an omnidirectional aerial manipulator (AM) performing push and slide operations and transitioning between different interaction surfaces, while subject to external disturbances. The experiments are done equipping the AM with two different tools: a rigid interaction stick and an actuated delta manipulator, showing the generality of the approach. Moreover, the estimation results are compared to a state-of-the-art momentum-based estimator, clearly showing the superiority of the EKF approach.
A physical neuroscience-themed escape room: Design, implementation, and students’ perceptions
Authors: Lim Iris
Published: September 2023

Teaching soft skills like team dynamics and critical thinking in content-heavy higher education curriculum can be challenging. Employing educational escape rooms is a novel game-based learning strategy in various disciplines, including health sciences. Escape rooms provide the opportunity for a group to work together as they solve puzzles within a limited time. The skills harnessed and developed within the game by participants are parallel to these soft skills. The present study sought to design a neuroscience-themed physical escape room for the purpose of soft skills development and obtain feedback from undergraduate biomedical or health science students following the completion of the room. Likert-type scale statements in the feedback survey regarding the enjoyability, teamwork development and critical thinking within the game scored positively. Unsurprisingly, the recurring positive theme in the qualitative responses collected revolved around how participants found the activity fun and how it encouraged them to think critically. The present findings suggest that this escape room can in a brief period encourage students to employ communication and teamwork skills and naturally comes with an element of fun, making the experience memorable and engaging.
Chromosome evolution in Iberolacerta, a genus that deviates from the standard karyotype formula of Lacertidae
Authors: Naveira Horacio , Rojo Verónica , Gómez-Seoane Iván , Ferguson-Smith Malcolm A. , Pereira Jorge C. , Martínez-Lage Andrés
Published: September 2023

This paper describes the preparation of flow-sorted chromosome paints from the Iberian Rock lizard Iberolacerta monticola, exemplifying their subsequent use in cross-species comparisons of chromosome painting. We carried out comparative analyses of chromosome evolution in the congeneric species I. galani and I. bonnali, as well as in two other species of Lacertini (Lacerta schreiberi and Timon lepidus) whose sex chromosomes were also studied through comparative genomic hybridization. Most species of Lacertini possess a diplod number of 2n = 38, with 36 acrocentric macrochromosomes and 2 microchromosomes. However, the nine species included in the genus Iberolacerta do not possess microchromosomes. Furthermore, very conspicuous differences from the standard Lacertini karyotype were observed in the three Pyrenean species of this genus, which included several biarmed metacentrics and a Z1Z2W multiple sex-chromosome system. With the possible exception of L. schreiberi, all the species of the family Lacertidae described to date appear to share homologous Z chromosomes, which date back to the last common ancestor of the whole group. We provide conclusive evidence that L. schreiberi should no longer be considered an exception to this rule, and demonstrate that the loss of microchromosomes in Iberolacerta was produced by their fusion to a middle-sized chromosome. Furthermore, we show that the multiple sex-chromosome system of the Pyrenean species of Iberolacerta originated from the fusion of the ancestral W chromosome with one of the shortest autosomes, and provide additional evidence of the fast evolution of DNA sequences linked to the W chromosome in Lacertini.
Fluoride stress affects seed germination and seedling growth by altering the morpho-physiology of an African local bean variety
Authors: Chahine Sara , Melito Sara , Giannini Vittoria , Seddaiu Giovanna , Roggero Pier Paolo
Published: September 2023

Increased fluorine pollution represents a serious limitation for the productivity of important crops such as beans. The present study was conducted to detect antagonistic/synergistic ion mobility during seed germination in the presence of F contamination (KF and NaF). NaCl was used as a benchmark. The results showed that germination of Jesca, an African (Tanzania) bean variety, significantly dropped with high F levels (10% KF and 3% NaF). High F levels reduced Jesca growth and decreased root and shoot biomass (by 50% and 95% with KF and NaF, respectively). NaF 200 mg kg−1 had the most depressive effect on the seedling stage. Elevated F levels negatively affected seedling health, revealing toxicity symptoms such as chlorophyll degradation and low photosynthetic activities that degraded after a threshold level of 80 mg kg−1. In addition, an inhibitory effect of F on the mineral status of the seedlings, especially on the Ca content, was observed. An opposite trend of endogenous Ca response to NaCl stress was observed. Indeed, while endogenous Ca content increased with increasing NaCl concentration, it decreased when the F level increased. Therefore, tolerance to F at the germination and seedling stages might be used as a criterion for selecting F-tolerant bean varieties.
Wind dispersal differences between rotifer cryptic species: a proof of principle from a wind tunnel experiment
Authors: Arenas-Sánchez Cristina , Brendonck Luc , García-Roger Eduardo M. , Carmona María José , Ortells Raquel
Published: September 2023

Wind is expected to be one of the main vectors of passive dispersal for small zooplankters between discrete, unconnected habitats. However, little is known about the differences in the dispersal capacity of species in relation to their propagule traits. Here we assessed the effect of volume and weight of diapausing eggs and substrate granulometry on the dispersal departure propensity of two differently body-sized rotifer species belonging to the Brachionus plicatilis complex using a wind tunnel experiment. Diapausing eggs of the larger species were also larger but, counterintuitively, were lifted by the wind to a greater extent than those of the smaller one. Further, diapausing eggs on the finer substrate were more exposed to the wind than those over the coarser one, and therefore higher departure rates were observed in the former. Overall, results show that wind is a relevant dispersal vector for the rotifers of the B. plicatilis species complex, with egg morphological traits and substrate granulometry being important factors modulating their dispersal. This study is a proof of concept for the departure phase of dispersal. Further studies on transfer and settlement phases are needed to get a complete picture of the dispersal potential of these organisms.
.NET/C# instrumentation for search-based software testing
Authors: Golmohammadi Amid , Zhang Man , Arcuri Andrea
Published: September 2023

C# is one of the most widely used programming languages. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no work in the literature aimed at enabling search-based software testing techniques for applications running on the .NET platform, like the ones written in C#. In this paper, we propose a search-based approach and an open source tool to enable white-box testing for C# applications. The approach is integrated with a .NET bytecode instrumentation, in order to collect code coverage at runtime during the search. In addition, by taking advantage of Branch Distance, we define heuristics to better guide the search, e.g., how heuristically close it is to cover a branch in the source code. To empirically evaluate our technique, we integrated our tool into the EvoMaster test generation tool and conducted experiments on three .NET RESTful APIs as case studies. Results show that our technique significantly outperforms gray-box testing tools in terms of code coverage.
“In Defence of Jus Ad Bellum Criteria”
Authors: Pattison James
Published: September 2023

In this contribution, I defend the standard list of jus ad bellum principles. In The Ethics of War and the Force of Law: A Modern Just War Theory, Uwe Steinhoff endorses only three principles of jus ad bellum (right intention, just cause, and proportionality) and claims that the others are redundant. I argue that, although fundamentally all jus ad bellum principles can be reduced to proportionality, in practice it is vital to retain the main jus ad bellum criteria as separate principles.
The effects of targeted political advertising on user privacy concerns and digital product acceptance: A preference-based approach
Authors: Baum Katharina , Abramova Olga , Meißner Stefan , Krasnova Hanna
Published: September 2023

Online businesses are increasingly relying on targeted advertisements as a revenue stream, which might lead to privacy concerns and hinder product adoption. Therefore, it is crucial for online companies to understand which types of targeted advertisements consumers will accept. In recent years, users have been increasingly targeted by political advertisements, which has caused adverse reactions in media and society. Nonetheless, few studies experimentally investigate user privacy concerns and their role in acceptance decisions in response to targeted political advertisements. To fill this gap, we explore the magnitude of privacy concerns towards targeted political ads compared to “traditional” targeting in the product context. Surprisingly, we find no notable differences in privacy concerns between these data use purposes. In the next step, user preferences over ad types are elicited with the help of a discrete choice experiment in the mobile app adoption context. Our findings suggest that while targeted political advertising is somewhat less desirable than targeted product advertising, the odds of choosing an app are statistically insignificant between two data use purposes. Together, these results contribute to a better understanding of users’ privacy concerns and preferences in the context of targeted political advertising online.
Case report. Hydronefrose veroorzaakt door hernia inguinalis
Authors: Wijngaard Sophie M. , Boer Gert-Jan , Courrech Staal Ewout F. W. , Yska Marit J. , Klaassen René A.
Published: September 2023

Samenvatting

Een hernia inguinalis is een veelvoorkomende aandoening. Een zeldzamer fenomeen is het herniëren van de ureter, hetgeen kan leiden tot hydronefrose. Bij een obese patiënt werd een hernia inguinalis gezien waarbij een herniatie van de linker ureter de oorzaak bleek te zijn van hydronefrose en bijkomende achteruitgang van de nierfunctie. Het risico van een Lichtenstein-procedure werd te groot beschouwd vanwege de centrale vetverdeling. Om de nierfunctie te behouden, werd een nefrostomiekatheter geplaatst en herstelde de nierfunctie gedeeltelijk. Patiënt startte met een gecombineerde leefstijlinterventie. Na gewichtsreductie onderging de patiënt alsnog een Lichtenstein-procedure. Hierna kon de nefrostomiekatheter worden verwijderd met behoud van nierfunctie.
Viscous Effect on Solitary Kelvin Wave in Open Cylindrical Channel under Precession
Authors: Alshoufi Hajar
Published: September 2023

Viscous effect is introduced into the system of Navier–Stokes equations, that were derived to study the solitary Kelvin mode in an open cylindrical channel that precesses. Accordingly, three new weakly nonlinear models were derived: Korteweg–de Vries-Burgers, and two new Benjamin–Bona–Mahony-Burgers. The first was solved analytically by discussing the phase solution and numerically using an implicite finite difference method to track the solution with time under diffusion effect. The second two models were solved numerically only using the Quartic B-Spline collocation method. By manipulating the scaling the first model included only the gravity force effect, and the second included both gravity and Coriolis forces. The numerical method is tested experimentally by comparing the velocity solutions with ADV signal extracted from the ADV measurements under bore conditions, and the amplitude solution with the solitary kelvin mode.
Assessing Farm Efficiency Through Quantities or Revenues and Costs: Does It Matter?
Authors: Tirkaso Wondmagegn Tafesse , Hansson Helena
Published: September 2023

We examined the effect of using input and output quantities as compared with costs and revenues when estimating farm-level efficiency scores and ranking. We used farm-level data from the 2015 Ethiopia Rural Socioeconomic Survey (ERSS) where production inputs and outputs in quantities as well as monetary units could be distinguished. Average technical efficiency scores of 72.2% and 68.6%, respectively, were found for analysis based on quantities and on costs and revenues. Efficiency ranking differed significantly. Results suggest that type of data compilation introduces bias to the efficiency assessment and that conclusions may be unclear, which complicates policy advice.
A folding wing system for guided ammunitions: mechanism design, manufacturing and real-time results with LQR, LQI, SMC and SOSMC
Authors: Sayıl A. , Erden F. , Tüzün A. , Baykara B. , Aydemir M.
Published: September 2023

In the present work, a folding wing system (FWS) was developed for guided ammunitions, so that the swept-back angle could be adjusted during both gliding and diving phases. Unlike previous designs, the FWS does not have any fixing mechanisms or brake elements, and it provides folding functionality to reduce the drag force during the terminal phase. We conducted mechanism design, manufactured the FWS, performed system identification and designed various controllers including linear quadratic regulator (LQR), linear quadratic integrator (LQI), sliding mode control (SMC) and second-order sliding mode control (SOSMC) to adjust and hold the desired swept-back angles. Then, the performance of the FWS was tested experimentally under two different flight scenarios, with and without aerodynamic loads. While all controllers operated with almost zero steady-state error (SSE) in the absence of aerodynamic loads, the SOSMC was the most effective controller under aerodynamic loads, considering SSE, delay, chattering, and energy consumption.
Best practices for weight at work research
Authors: Lemmon Grace , Jensen Jaclyn M. , Kuljanin Goran
Published: September 2023

Popular and influential social commentators have called organizations complicit in perpetuating weight-based bias and mistreatment. Although our field has advanced our understanding of the economic consequences of being fat at work (e.g., salary; job performance; and promotions), we urgently need more research on the interpersonal experiences of this swath of workers so that we can appropriately advise organizations. In this article, we describe how organizational psychology researchers can answer this call to do more research on weight at work (a) even while feeling uncomfortable with a topic that can feel personal, medicalized, and/or overly intertwined with other DEI-based topics; (b) by incorporating insightful research from outside disciplines that centers weight controllability and weight-based mistreatment deservedness; and, critically, (c) while approaching weight at work research with a respectfulness that conveys an understanding of the complexities intertwining weight, health, and personal agency. In culmination, this article offers to our field a flexible, living document entitled Best Practices for Weight-Based Research in Organizational Studies.
Telehealth in the Metaverse: Legal & Ethical Challenges for Cross-Border Care in Virtual Worlds
Authors: Solaiman Barry
Published: September 2023

This article examines the legal and ethical challenges for the provision of healthcare in the metaverse. It proposes that the issues arising in the metaverse are an extension of those found in telehealth and virtual health communities, albeit with greater complexity. It argues that international collaboration between policymakers, lawmakers, and researchers is required to regulate this space and facilitate the safe and effective development of meta-medicine.
When Public Health Goes Wrong: Toward a New Concept of Public Health Error
Authors: Bavli Itai
Published: September 2023

Studies of public health decisions that have had harmful effects tend to disagree about what constitutes a public health error. Debates exist about whether public health errors must be culpable or not, as well as about what the criteria for judging public health errors should be.
“Out Like a Lion:” Terminating the COVID-19 National Public Health Emergency
Authors: Hodge James G.
Published: September 2023

From its inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruptive force on U.S. health care and public health systems. President Biden’s announced termination of the national public health emergency on May 11, 2023 portends a return to normalcy and relief for Americans from the greatest infectious disease scourge the nation has ever faced. In reality, closing out this pandemic presents a tempest of legal and practical complications.
Battles Over Medication Abortion Threaten the Integrity of Drug Approvals in the U.S.
Authors: Bendicksen Liam , Kesselheim Aaron S.
Published: September 2023

Legal challenges to the FDA’s approval of mifepristone have destabilized patients’ ability to access controversial medicines like medication abortion. We argue that federal courts’ receptiveness to this litigation undermines the coherence and integrity of prescription drug regulation in the U.S.
The Road to Universal Coverage: Where Are We Now?
Authors: Johnson Micah , El-Sayed Abdul
Published: September 2023

Note

The following was written as a commentary on an article we published in our Spring 2023 issue, “’Comprehensive Healthcare for America’: Using the Insights of Behavioral Economics to Transform the U. S. Healthcare System,” by Paul C. Sorum, Christopher Stein, and Dale L. Moore. This commentary should have appeared alongside that article. We apologize to the authors and our readers for the error.
Risk Reduction Policies to Reduce HIV in Prisons: Ethical and Legal Considerations and Needs for Integrated Approaches
Authors: Das Sayantanee , Ladha Sameer , Klitzman Robert
Published: September 2023

The United States has the fastest growing prison population in the world, and elevated incarceration rates, substance use, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence are fueling each other. Yet without a national guideline mandated for HIV care within the prison system, standards for state and federal prisons vary greatly.
Perron’s capacity of random sets
Authors: Gauvan Anthony
Published: September 2023

We answer in a probabilistic setting two questions raised by Stokolos in a private communication. Precisely, given a sequence of random variables $\left\{X_k : k \geq 1\right\}$ uniformly distributed in $(0,1)$ and independent, we consider the following random sets of directions
\begin{equation*}\Omega_{\text{rand},\text{lin}} := \left\{ \frac{\pi X_k}{k}: k \geq 1\right\}\end{equation*}and
\begin{equation*}\Omega_{\text{rand},\text{lac}} := \left\{\frac{\pi X_k}{2^k} : k\geq 1 \right\}.\end{equation*}

We prove that almost surely the directional maximal operators associated to those sets of directions are not bounded on $L^p({\mathbb{R}}^2)$ for any $1 \lt p \lt \infty$.
Toll Disputes, Grain Marketing, and Economic Culture in England, c. 1550–1800
Authors: Taylor Hillary
Published: September 2023

Tolls were not only fundamental to the operation of early modern English markets, but also had the capacity to generate tensions that belied their seemingly unremarkable role in contemporary economic affairs. Yet, tolls and toll disputes have received little attention in studies of market regulation and have also been neglected in studies of the politics of grain supply and marketing. This article revives tolls as an object of enquiry and suggests that they occupied an ambiguous position within early modern English economic culture. Tolls raised complex questions about how self-interest operated in a society that conceptualized bargaining primarily in communal terms and emphasized the social and moral obligations that should underpin it. While this was arguably true of tolls on all goods, it was especially true of tolls on grain – a commodity that occupied a singular place in contemporary socio-economic relations. By examining how competing parties in toll disputes articulated and sought to defend their interests, and how their respective tactics changed over time, this article sheds new light on the dynamics involved in England’s transition from one way of thinking about economic activity to another.