bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognosis of fall risk in home care clients: A noninvasive approach using survival analysis
Authors: Lillelund Christian Marius , Harbo Michael , Pedersen Christian Fischer
Published: July 2024

Aim

The present study has designed, implemented, and evaluated a machine learning model that can predict fall risk and fall occurrence in community-dwelling elderly based on their home care usage.

Subjects and methods

A dataset consisting of 2542 weekly home care records for 1499 citizens (59% female, 41% male) with a mean age of 77 years (SD 10 years) was collected from a large municipality in Denmark. The data were recorded between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. The dataset was divided into two cohorts. Subsequently, five machine learning-based survival analysis models were trained and evaluated using cross-validation.

Results

The CoxBoost model showed the best discriminative performance with a mean 0.64 (95% CI 0.57–0.72) Harrell’s concordance index, indicating better ranking than chance-level by 14% on average. However, the model could not accurately predict when the next fall would take place.

Conclusions

The proposed method enables professionals to assess individual fall risk by using home care records from an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. This facilitates the initiation of targeted fall-prevention programs for those at highest risk. Additionally, it is expected that a risk-based approach can lead to a lower number needed to treat (NNT), indicating greater effectiveness of health interventions.
Pressure drop and bubble velocity in Taylor flow through square microchannel
Authors: Kurimoto Ryo , Hayashi Kosuke , Tomiyama Akio
Published: July 2024

Interface tracking simulations of gas–liquid Taylor flow in horizontal square microchannels were carried out to understand the relation between the pressure drop in the bubble part and the curvatures at the nose and tail of a bubble. Numerical conditions ranged for 0.00159 ≤ CaT ≤ 0.0989, 0.0817 ≤ WeT ≤ 25.4, and 8.33 ≤ ReT ≤ 791, where CaT, WeT, and ReT are the capillary, Weber, and Reynolds numbers based on the total volumetric flux. The dimensionless pressure drop in the bubble part increased with increasing the capillary number and the Weber number. The curvature at the nose of a bubble increased and that at the tail of a bubble decreased as the capillary number increased. The variation of the curvature at the tail of a bubble was more remarkable than that at the nose of a bubble due to the increase in the Weber number, which was the main cause of large pressure drop in the bubble part at the same capillary number. The relation between the bubble velocity and the total volumetric flux was also discussed. The distribution parameter of the drift-flux model without inertial effects showed a simple relation with the capillary number. A correlation of the distribution parameter, which is expressed in terms of the capillary number and the Weber number, was developed and was confirmed to give good predictions of the bubble velocity.
‘I Can Only Do My Best and Leave the Rest to God”: Religious/Spiritual Coping Strategies of African Nurses in the UK
Authors: Karaba Florence
Published: July 2024

Research on racism in the workplace has long focused on organizational remedies for this moral problem. Given the acknowledged inadequacies of organizational solutions such as anti-racism training, attention is now turning to how immigrants manage their individual experiences of racism in a western context. Employing an agentic lens, this article describes a qualitative study of 43 African nurses in the UK in which their capacity for withstanding workplace racism is examined. It investigates how participants draw upon a range of religious coping strategies to make sense of and respond to racism. The data indicate that African nurses rely on specific coping strategies at different points in time and across various contexts, adapting their coping approaches to accommodate their personal growth and individual experiences. This underscores the versatility, context-dependency, and temporal aspects of religious coping among immigrants. The study’s findings are particularly interesting given the limited role that religion plays in western organizations.
Biodegradable chitosan hydrogel film incorporated with polyvinyl alcohol, chitooligosaccharides, and gallic acid for potential application in food packaging
Authors: Bhowmik Shuva , Agyei Dominic , Ali Azam
Published: July 2024

The food and beverage industry worldwide is trying to switch to using environment-friendly and bio-degradable materials in food packaging to avoid environmental concerns of using petroleum-derived plastic (synthetic polymers) materials. In this study, chitosan (CH) hydrogel films were fabricated by using its derivative chitooligosaccharides (COS) as an additive, polyvinyl alcohol as a plasticiser, and bioactive gallic acid as a cross-linker. The physical, mechanical, structural, barrier (e.g., moisture, water vapour permeability (WVP), and UV-barrier property), thermal properties, and biodegradation patterns of fabricated films were investigated. The use of bio–composite in CH films exhibited a synergistic effect. A film with a homogenous/smooth surface and excellent mechanical and thermal properties was obtained. Additionally, incorporating COS and gallic acid reduced the moisture content, WVP, and transparency. Moreover, the films exhibited good colour, strong UV-barrier properties, and good biodegradable capacity in soil. The results suggest that eco-friendly CH hydrogel films have promising potential to be used in food packaging.
Exploring the impact of automated written corrective feedback on the academic writing skills of EFL learners: An activity theory perspective
Authors: Rahimi Masoud , Fathi Jalil , Zou Di
Published: July 2024

Grounded in the activity theory, we adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of automated written corrective feedback (AWCF) on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ academic writing skills (i.e. task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexicon, and grammatical range and accuracy). To this end, two intact classes were selected and randomly assigned to an electronic class (30 EFL learners), receiving AWCF electronically, and a non-electronic class (26 EFL learners), receiving written corrective feedback (WCF) non-electronically. Both groups of learners engaged in interactive writing activities guided by the principles of the activity theory, which capitalised on the roles of writing collaboration, social environment, and the mediation of electronic/nonelectronic artefacts to develop the writing skills. The required quantitative and qualitative data were collected via IELTS academic writing Task 1 and Task 2, a stimulated recall technique, and an individual semi-structured interview. The results of one-way ANCOVA indicated that the electronic learners outperformed their non-electronic counterparts in writing performance, task achievement, and grammatical range and accuracy, whilst no significant differences were found between the two groups’ coherence and cohesion and lexicon. The stimulated recall technique, conducted with seven electronic EFL learners, confirmed the electronic learners’ behavioural, cognitive, and affective engagement with the AWCF. The individual semi-structured interview, conducted with the same electronic learners, also indicated the electronic learners’ positive and negative attitudes and perceptions towards the AWCF, further corroborating the findings. Pedagogical implications are discussed within the framework of the activity theory to clarify how instructional procedures and learning environments can be designed to more effectively contribute to EFL learners’ interactive writing activities and, hence, their writing skills development.
Adopting automated bug assignment in practice — a longitudinal case study at Ericsson
Authors: Borg Markus , Jonsson Leif , Engström Emelie , Bartalos Béla , Szabó Attila
Published: July 2024

[Context] The continuous inflow of bug reports is a considerable challenge in large development projects. Inspired by contemporary work on mining software repositories, we designed a prototype bug assignment solution based on machine learning in 2011-2016. The prototype evolved into an internal Ericsson product, TRR, in 2017-2018. TRR’s first bug assignment without human intervention happened in April 2019. [Objective] Our study evaluates the adoption of TRR within its industrial context at Ericsson, i.e., we provide lessons learned related to the productization of a research prototype within a company. Moreover, we investigate 1) how TRR performs in the field, 2) what value TRR provides to Ericsson, and 3) how TRR has influenced the ways of working. [Method] We conduct a preregistered industrial case study combining interviews with TRR stakeholders, minutes from sprint planning meetings, and bug-tracking data. The data analysis includes thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and Bayesian causal analysis. [Results] TRR is now an incorporated part of the bug assignment process. Considering the abstraction levels of the telecommunications stack, high-level modules are more positive while low-level modules experienced some drawbacks. Most importantly, some bug reports directly reach low-level modules without first having passed through fundamental root-cause analysis steps at higher levels. On average, TRR automatically assigns 30% of the incoming bug reports with an accuracy of 75%. Auto-routed TRs are resolved around 21% faster within Ericsson, and TRR has saved highly seasoned engineers many hours of work. Indirect effects of adopting TRR include process improvements, process awareness, increased communication, and higher job satisfaction. [Conclusions] TRR has saved time at Ericsson, but the adoption of automated bug assignment was more intricate compared to similar endeavors reported from other companies. We primarily attribute the difference to the very large size of the organization and the complex products. Key facilitators in the successful adoption include a gradual introduction, product champions, and careful stakeholder analysis.
Testing the past: can we still run tests in past snapshots for Java projects?
Authors: Maes-Bermejo Michel , Gallego Micael , Gortázar Francisco , Robles Gregorio , Gonzalez-Barahona Jesus M.
Published: July 2024

Building past snapshots of a software project has shown to be of interest both for researchers and practitioners. However, little attention has been devoted specifically to tests available in those past snapshots, which are fundamental for the maintenance of old versions still in production. The aim of this study is to determine to which extent tests of past snapshots can be executed successfully, which would mean these past snapshots are still testable. Given a software project, we build all its past snapshots from source code, including tests, and then run the tests. When tests do not result in success, we also record the reasons, allowing us to determine factors that make tests fail. We run this method on a total of 86 Java projects. On average, for 52.53% of the project snapshots on which tests can be built, all tests pass. However, on average, 94.14% of tests pass in previous snapshots when we take into account the percentage of tests passing in the snapshots used for building those tests. In real software projects, successfully running tests in past snapshots is not something that we can take for granted: we have found that in a large proportion of the projects we studied this does not happen frequently. We have found that the building from source code is the main limitation when running tests on past snapshots. However, we have found some projects for which tests run successfully in a very large fraction of past snapshots, which allows us to identify good practices. We also provide a framework and metrics to quantify testability (the extent to which we are able to run tests of a snapshot with a success result) of past snapshots from several points of view, which simplifies new analyses on this matter, and could help to measure how any project performs in this respect.
On the Combinatorial Acceptability Entropy Consensus Metric for Multi-Criteria Group Decisions
Authors: Goers Jana , Horton Graham
Published: July 2024

In group decisions, achieving consensus is important, because it increases commitment to the result. For cooperative groups, Combinatorial Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis (CMAA) is a group decision framework that can achieve consensus efficiently. It is based on a novel Combinatorial Acceptability Entropy (CAE) consensus metric. As an output measure, the CAE metric is unique in its ability to identify the evaluations that have the greatest impact on consensus and to prevent premature consensus. This paper is intended to complement the original CMAA publication by providing additional insights into the CAE consensus metric. The design requirements for the CAE algorithm are presented, and it is shown how these requirements follow from the properties of cooperative decisions. The CAE-based consensus-building algorithm is contrasted both qualitatively and quantitatively with a representative example of the conventional input distance and input averaging approach to multi-criteria consensus-building. A simulation experiment illustrates the ability of the CAE-based algorithm to converge quickly to the correct decision as defined for cooperative decisions. The metric is able to meet a new, more stringent definition of hard consensus. The CAE approach highlights the need to distinguish between competitive and cooperative group decisions. Attention in the literature has been paid almost exclusively to the former type; the CAE approach demonstrates the greater efficiency and effectiveness that can be achieved with an approach that is designed specifically for the latter.
Viscosity of Hydrogen and Methane Blends: Experimental and Modelling Investigations
Authors: Owuna Friday Junior , Chapoy Antonin , Ahmadi Pezhman , Burgass Rod
Published: July 2024

Understanding of thermophysical and transport properties of H2-NG blends are needed for the gradual introduction of hydrogen into the national gas grid. A capillary tube viscometer was used to measure the viscosity of hydrogen + methane blends (with hydrogen mole fraction = 0, 0.1000, 0.1997, 0.5019, and 1) at temperatures from 213 to 324 K and pressures up to 31 MPa. A total 147 experimental viscosity measurements were made for the three H2 + CH4 blends and compared against the predictions of five different viscosity models: a one-reference corresponding states (Pedersen) model, a two-reference corresponding states (CS2) model, an extended corresponding states (ECS) model, a corresponding states model derived from molecular dynamic simulations of Lennard Jones (LJ) fluids, and a residual entropy scaling (SRES) method. All the model predictions showed a relatively low deviation compared to the measured viscosities. The density required for viscosity model predictions were computed using Multi-Fluid Helmholtz Energy Approximation (MFHEA) equations of state (EoS). To check the experimental procedure and applicability of the viscometer equipment, viscosity validation measurements were carried out for propane, hydrogen, and methane. The measured viscosities of the pure components were in good agreement with the respective viscosity models with AARD of 0.24%, 0.25%, and 0.58% for propane, hydrogen, and methane, respectively.

Graphical Abstract
Capillary Viscometry for Routine Measurements of Newtonian Liquids
Authors: Sequeira Maria C. M. , Caetano Fernando J. P. , Fareleira João M. N. A.
Published: July 2024

Viscosity is a thermophysical property of paramount importance, being essential for many scientific and industrial applications. The most common instruments for its measurement are glass capillary viscometers. Therefore, the use of capillary viscometers is widespread both in industry and in research. The range of viscosities of interest range from lower than that of water to several orders of magnitude higher values, the measurement of which requires different capillary viscometers. Most of the practical applications concern routine instruments, mainly for quality control. One main issue for the utilization of capillary viscometers relates to the need for their calibration, assuring its traceability to the water primary viscosity standard, to certify its worldwide validity. The present paper focuses on capillary instruments dedicated to perform viscosity measurements on Newtonian organic liquids at atmospheric pressure, as it is assumed that is the most widespread type of application for these viscometers. Capillary viscometry has a completely well-defined working equation, namely, the Hagen–Poiseuille equation. However, the practical performance of the measuring instruments deviates from that working equation. Most of those deviations are currently considered by many users. However, some of those deviations have not reached that status yet, like those concerning the effects due to the surface tension of the sample on the measurements. All these aspects are summarized and analyzed in the present article, together with a brief general description of the most common types of capillary viscometers, namely, the Ostwald and the constant-level or Ubbelohde instruments.
ChatGPT Unveiled: Understanding Perceptions of Academic Integrity in Higher Education - A Qualitative Approach
Authors: Karkoulian Silva , Sayegh Niveen , Sayegh Nadeen
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this research is to gain a complete understanding of how students and faculty in higher education perceive the role of AI tools, their impact on academic integrity, and their potential benefits and threats in the educational milieu, while taking into account ways to help curb its disadvantages. Drawing upon a qualitative approach, this study conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of faculty members and students in higher education, in universities across Lebanon. These interviews were analyzed and coded using NVivo software, allowing for the identification of recurring themes and the extraction of rich qualitative data. The findings of this study illuminated a spectrum of perceptions. While ChatGPT and AI tools are recognized for their potential in enhancing productivity, promoting interactive learning experiences, and providing tailored support, they also raise significant concerns regarding academic integrity. This research underscores the need for higher education institutions to carefully navigate the integration of AI tools like ChatGPT. It calls for the formulation of clear policies and guidelines for their ethical and responsible use, along with comprehensive support and training. This study contributes to the existing literature by presenting a comprehensive exploration of the perceptions of both students and faculty regarding AI tools in higher education, through a qualitative rich approach. By delving into the intricate dynamics of ChatGPT and academic integrity, this study offers fresh insights into the evolving educational landscape and the ongoing dialogue between technology and ethics.
Drones in the Airspace of the Republic of Poland - steps to Safe Flights of UAS Over Poland
Authors: Gugała-Szczerbicka Agnieszka , Fortońska Agnieszka
Published: July 2024

The emergence of a new user of the airspace of the Republic of Poland, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - drones, as part of regular flights, implies the need not only to provide an appropriate legal framework, but also to rebuild the entire air traffic management ecosystem for the integration of manned and unmanned aviation. The first attempts to include UAS in the integrated air traffic system in the Warsaw FIR were based on the electronic/digital planning, coordination and management of UAS flights called Pansa UTM (Polish Air Navigation Services Agency Unmanned Traffic Management). This system is an innovative solution used by the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) and potential drone users. The operation and development of the Pansa UTM system generates the need for air traffic management entities to take specific actions by planning and establishing regulations, rules, safety criteria and flight conditions for the new airspace user. This requires involvement in projects, pilotages and technology demonstrators aimed at creating adequate tools for the safe implementation of UAS flights in Poland. These activities, both already implemented and at the planning stage, aim to achieve a state in which it will be possible to talk about integrated and safe controlled air traffic over Poland. Due to the dynamic nature of the subject matter, this study is only an attempt to present a number of projects undertaken by a wide range of aviation-related entities that may allow achieving an acceptable level of air traffic management over the territory of the Republic of Poland.
Design of magnetic kappa-carrageenan-collagen bioinks for 3D bioprinting
Authors: Almeida Duarte , Küppers Freya , Gusmão Afonso , Manjua Ana C. , Ferreira Catarina F. R. , Portugal Carla A. M. , Silva João C. , Sanjuan-Alberte Paola , Ferreira Frederico Castelo
Published: July 2024

Bioprinting approaches are of great promise for tissue engineering applications as they allow the fabrication of constructs able to mimic native tissues’ mechanical and topographical features. Additional control over cells fate can be enhanced using stimuli-responsive materials, requiring the development of novel bioinks for this purpose. In this study, bioinks comprising κ-carrageenan, collagen, and magnetic nanoparticles were designed for 3D bioprinting applications. The characterization of this material was performed, where mechanical compressive tests yielded Young’s moduli ranging from 8.25 to 18.4 kPa. Rheological assessments also revealed the shear-thinning behavior of the bioinks and a temperature-dependent gelation. The capability of these bioinks to produce 3D constructs by extrusion bioprinting was established through the printability evaluation and the development of complex structures, supporting the viability and proliferation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Finally, as proof-of-concept, it was observed that the secretome of bioprinted MSCs stimulated with an external magnetic field of 80 mT was able to increase the number of tubes formed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells.
The Use of Multisensory Environments with Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review
Authors: Stephenson Jennifer , Carter Mark
Published: July 2024

Multi-sensory rooms were originally intended as a leisure option for people with severe disabilities living in institutions. Their use has extended far beyond this and proponents, particularly equipment suppliers, continue to claim a range of benefits beyond provision of a leisure experience. We review the literature on the effects of MSEs on people with developmental disabilities other than autism spectrum disorders. The research examined was predominately of very poor quality, limiting conclusions that can be drawn. MSEs were used in a variety of ways with the wide range of outcomes measured addressing reduction of challenging behaviours and promoting more desirable behaviours. The majority of reported results were mixed or negative, with better quality studies more likely to report no effects. Overall, based on the available evidence, the use of MSEs cannot be recommended as an intervention option for individuals with developmental disabilities, but they may have a limited role as a leisure option.
Perceived Impact of Gambling Advertising can Predict Gambling Severity among Patients with Gambling Disorder
Authors: Lopez-Gonzalez Hibai , Granero Roser , Fernández-Aranda Fernando , Griffiths Mark D. , Jiménez-Murcia Susana
Published: July 2024

There is growing evidence that gambling advertising disproportionately affects those experiencing more severe gambling harm. Such association has been studied by recruiting gamblers using online panels, by analysing registered users’ data from gambling websites, and through surveys and focus group interviews. However, it is thought that these methods tend to overestimate gambling severity. The present study employed a sample of gamblers with a verified gambling disorder diagnosis (N = 210, 7.1% females, Mage = 39.4 years) recruited for a period of under two years at a large public hospital. It examined the relationship between self-reported impact of gambling advertising, gambling preference (strategic versus non-strategic) and gambling modality (online versus in-person). The results indicated that higher perceived impact of gambling advertising predicted higher gambling severity, which supports previous findings obtained from non-clinical settings. However, contrary to what was expected, strategic gambling and online gambling were not associated with higher perceived impact of gambling advertising, even though these groups are believed to be exposed to more gambling marketing and advertising from gambling operators. The study aligns well with available scientific evidence proposing further restrictions on gambling advertising regulation due to their disproportionate impact on those already experiencing gambling harm.
Fragments maintain similar herpetofauna and small mammal richness and diversity to continuous habitat, but community composition and traits differ
Authors: Westaway Dylan M. , Jolly Chris J. , Watson David M. , Jessop Tim S. , Michael Damian R. , Linley Grant D. , Aristova Anna , Holmes Ben , Price Jodi N. , Ritchie Euan G. , Geary William L. , Buchan Anne , Loeffler Ella , Nimmo Dale G.
Published: July 2024

Context

Human disturbance has transformed ecosystems globally, yet studies of the ecological impact of landscape modification are often confounded. Non-random patterns of land clearing cause differing vegetation types and soil productivity between fragments in modified landscapes and reference areas—like national parks—with which they are compared.

Objectives

We sought to explore the influence of land modification on herpetofauna and small mammal communities using multiple biodiversity measures—species richness and diversity, individual species abundance, and community composition. We also aimed to investigate the role of traits such as diet, habitat breadth, and litter size in moderating species responses to land modification.

Methods

We established 100 sampling sites to survey herpetofauna and small mammals in 11 fragments in an agricultural landscape compared to 11 ecologically equivalent ‘pseudo-fragments’ in a nearby national park in south-eastern Australia. We selected pairs of fragments and pseudo-fragments of the same size and vegetation type, and used identical survey methods to sample pairs simultaneously, thereby controlling for numerous confounding factors, such as differing vegetation type, weather, and survey effort.

Results

Species richness and diversity were similar between fragments and pseudo-fragments. Despite this, we found community composition differed markedly—driven by the varying responses of individual species—indicating a shift in fauna communities associated with land modification. Fossorial habit, omnivorous diet, and broad habitat requirements led to higher abundance in fragments whilst arboreality, carnivorous diet, and narrow habitat requirements led to higher abundance in pseudo-fragments.

Conclusions

Although fragments hold similar numbers of species to continuous areas, they contain distinct and novel communities, and sustain high abundances of some species. These diverse communities are dominated by native species, including threatened species, and their distinctive composition is shaped by traits conducive to persistence amidst land modification. These novel communities may provide a reservoir of resilience in the face of environmental change and should be viewed as complementary to conservation areas.
FSPDD: A double-branch attention guided network for few-shot PCB defect detection
Authors: Shi Kehao , Xu Zhenyi , Cao Yang , Zhao Lijun , Kang Yu
Published: July 2024

During the production of printed circuit board (PCB), there will be defects due to inappropriate operations, which will affect the use of electronic products. Majority defect detection methods cost a large number of annotated samples to train detection models. However, PCB defect samples are difficult to collect. Moreover, existing few-shot object detection methods tend to extracting low-level features from support and query images via the shared backbone such as ResNet-50. However, it is not sufficient to obtain fine-grained prior guidance. To address the above issues, we propose a few-shot PCB defect detection model with double-branch attention. Specifically, the joint attention enhancement (JAE) module is proposed to fully mine effective information of query PCB images in multiple dimensions to enhance the representation of latent defects. Then, the multi-scale guidance (MSG) module is proposed to integrate prior knowledge within support PCB images into vectors to reweight query PCB images. Experiments on the PCB defect dataset demonstrate that AP of FSPDD outperforms state-of-the-art methods under different shot settings (k=1,2,3,5,10,30) and our proposed FSPDD has a good generalization ability, in which AP reachs 0.273 when $$k=30$$

k
=
30

and is 5.28% higher than SOTA methods.
Chemical composition of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 in the eastern Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Tutsak Ersin , Alfoldy Balint , Mahfouz Mohamed M. , Al-Thani Jassem A. , Yigiterhan Oguz , Shahid Imran , Isaifan Rima J. , Koçak Mustafa
Published: July 2024

Water-soluble and trace metal species in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were determined for indoor and outdoor environments in Doha, Qatar. During the study period, PM2.5 concentrations showed significant variability across several indoor locations ranging from 7.1 to 75.8 μg m−3, while the outdoor mass concentration range was 34.7–154.4 µg m−3. The indoor and outdoor PM2.5 levels did not exhibit statistically significant correlation, suggesting efficient building envelope protection against outdoor PM2.5 pollution. Rather than outdoor sources, human activities such as cooking, cleaning, and smoking were the most significant influence on chemical composition of indoor PM2.5. NH4+ concentration was insufficient to neutralize SO42− indoors and outdoors, indicating the predominant presence of NH4HSO4. The enrichment factors indicated that outdoor Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, and Ni in PM2.5 mostly originated from crustal sources. In contrast, the remaining outdoor trace metals (Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and V) were mainly derived from anthropogenic sources. The indoor/outdoor concentration ratios revealed significant indoor sources for NH4+ and Cu. The crustal matter, water-soluble ions, and sea salt explained 42%, 21%, and 1% of the indoor PM2.5 mass, respectively. The same groups sequentially constituted 41%, 16%, and 1% of the outdoor PM2.5 mass.
DXA beyond bone mineral density and the REMS technique: new insights for current radiologists practice
Authors: Messina Carmelo , Fusco Stefano , Gazzotti Silvia , Albano Domenico , Bonaccorsi Gloria , Guglielmi Giuseppe , Bazzocchi Alberto
Published: July 2024

Osteoporosis is the most prevalent skeletal disorder, a condition that is associated with significant social and healthcare burden. In the elderly, osteoporosis is commonly associated with sarcopenia, further increasing the risk of fracture. Several imaging techniques are available for a non-invasive evaluation of osteoporosis and sarcopenia. This review focuses on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), as this technique offers the possibility to evaluate bone mineral density and body composition parameters with good precision and accuracy. DXA is also able to evaluate the amount of aortic calcification for cardiovascular risk estimation. Additionally, new DXA-based parameters have been developed in recent years to further refine fracture risk estimation, such as the Trabecular Bone Score and the Bone Strain Index. Finally, we describe the recent advances of a newly developed ultrasound-based technology known as Radiofrequency Echographic Multi-Spectrometry, which represent the latest non-ionizing approach for osteoporosis evaluation at central sites.
Wars Come and Go, International Society Changes, and Religions Endure: Narratives of Religious Actors on the Ukraine War
Authors: McLarren Katharina
Published: July 2024

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reactions by religious leaders have differed greatly, with the Shia Ayatollah blaming the United States for the war, the Catholic Pope calling the United Nations “impotent,” and the Dalai Lama stating that “war is outdated.” But has there been a change in any of these religious narratives when it comes to war? Does the Ukraine war signify a turning point, or can we observe more of the same? Embedded in an English School framework, this article conducts a narrative analysis to better understand whether and how the primary institutions of war and international law are being (re)interpreted. The article analyses these three religious actors’ narratives on the Ukraine war and compares them to their respective past war narratives. The article examines how these narratives reflect a strengthening and even an expansion or an undermining and thus weakening of international society, with a particular emphasis on the primary institutions of war and international law as well as the secondary institution of the United Nations. The article argues that at least for religious actors in international politics, the Ukraine war does not pose a formative event in global security policy. Instead, these actors may have missed a critical juncture for strengthening or even upholding international law.
Increased AGE Cross-Linking Reduces the Mechanical Properties of Osteons
Authors: Elnunu Ihsan S. , Redmond Jessica N. , Obata Yoshihiro , Woolley William , Kammer David S. , Acevedo Claire
Published: July 2024

The osteon is the primary structural component of bone, contributing significantly to its unique toughness and strength. Despite extensive research on osteonal structure, the properties of osteons have not been fully investigated, particularly within the context of bone fragility diseases like type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aims to isolate osteons from bovine bone, simulate the effects of increased advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in T2DM through ribosylation, and evaluate the mechanical properties of isolated osteons. Osteons extracted from the posterior section of bovine femur mid-diaphysis were processed to achieve a sub-millimeter scale for microscale imaging. Subsequently, synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography was employed to precisely localize and isolate the osteon internally. While comparable elastic properties were observed between control and ribosylated osteons, the presence of AGEs led to decreased strain to failure. Young’s modulus was quantified (9.9 ± 4.9 GPa and 8.7 ± 3 GPa, respectively), aligning closely with existing literature. This study presents a novel method for the extraction and isolation of osteons from bone and shows the detrimental effect of AGEs at the osteonal level.
Trace Mineral Source Influences Trace Mineral Solubility in Water and Mineral Binding Strength to Ruminal Digesta
Authors: Loh Huey Yi , Spears Jerry W. , Guimaraes Octavio , Miller Alexandra C. , Thorndyke Meghan P. , Thomas Tyler A. , Engle Terry E.
Published: July 2024

Two experiments were conducted to examine the impact of trace mineral (TM) source on in vitro and in vivo solubility characteristics. Experiment 1: Hydroxy TM (HTM) and sulfate TM (STM) sources of Cu, Mn, and Zn were incubated separately in water for 24 h. Immediately after mixing, initial pH of each solution was greater (P < 0.03) for HTM compared to STM for all elements. Final pH tended to be greater for Cu (P = 0.09) and Zn (P = 0.07) from HTM compared to STM. Water solubility of Cu, Mn, and Zn from STM was greater (P < 0.01) than HTM sources. Experiment 2: Eight steers fitted with rumen cannula were blocked by body weight and randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of 10 mg Cu, 40 mg Mn, and 60 mg Zn/kg DM from either STM or HTM sources. Steers were individually fed a cracked corn-corn silage-based diet. Treatments were top-dressed daily. Rumen contents were collected at 0, 2, and 4 h post-feeding on d 1 and 14. On d 15, strained ruminal fluid and particle-associated microorganisms were obtained. Zinc was more tightly bound (P = 0.01) to the digesta in HTM-supplemented steers compared to STM on d 14. These data indicate that TM source influences pH and solubility of Cu, Mn, and Zn in water and may affect rumen soluble Cu concentrations and binding strength of Zn to solid digesta.
Assessment of Sports Concussion in Female Athletes: A Role for Neuroinformatics?
Authors: Edelstein Rachel , Gutterman Sterling , Newman Benjamin , Van Horn John Darrell
Published: July 2024

Over the past decade, the intricacies of sports-related concussions among female athletes have become readily apparent. Traditional clinical methods for diagnosing concussions suffer limitations when applied to female athletes, often failing to capture subtle changes in brain structure and function. Advanced neuroinformatics techniques and machine learning models have become invaluable assets in this endeavor. While these technologies have been extensively employed in understanding concussion in male athletes, there remains a significant gap in our comprehension of their effectiveness for female athletes. With its remarkable data analysis capacity, machine learning offers a promising avenue to bridge this deficit. By harnessing the power of machine learning, researchers can link observed phenotypic neuroimaging data to sex-specific biological mechanisms, unraveling the mysteries of concussions in female athletes. Furthermore, embedding methods within machine learning enable examining brain architecture and its alterations beyond the conventional anatomical reference frame. In turn, allows researchers to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of concussions, treatment responses, and recovery processes. This paper endeavors to address the crucial issue of sex differences in multimodal neuroimaging experimental design and machine learning approaches within female athlete populations, ultimately ensuring that they receive the tailored care they require when facing the challenges of concussions. Through better data integration, feature identification, knowledge representation, validation, etc., neuroinformaticists, are ideally suited to bring clarity, context, and explainabilty to the study of sports-related head injuries in males and in females, and helping to define recovery.
Has the European Union (tacitly) adopted a Trinko doctrine, giving priority to sector regulation?
Authors: Bergqvist Christian
Published: July 2024

In U.S. antitrust, a level of implied immunity is afforded to matters governed by sector regulation, often referred to as the “Trinko-doctrine.” In contrast, no such immunity is assumed in European Union competition law, where by contrast, there is only a very narrow regulatory defence if laws mandate a specific (anti-competitive) course of action. As always, matters are more nuanced in practice. Not only did the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Union’s highest legal authority, recently suggest an obligation to halt competition law investigation if sector regulations are available, this has tacitly been practiced for years, indicating a more complex relationship and a possible European Union Trinko-doctrine. Following the adoption of the EU’s Digital Market Act, this has relevance beyond the traditional regulated sector, warranting some considerations.
What’s behind Margin Status in Oral Cancer?
Authors: Piovesana Marco , Boscolo Nata Francesca , Gardenal Nicoletta , Tofanelli Margherita , Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Bussani Rossana , Tirelli Giancarlo
Published: July 2024

In the 2nd century AD, Galen argued that the failure to remove any single ‘root’ of a malignant tumor could result in a local relapse. After nearly 2 millennia, this problem appears to be even more challenging due to our increased understanding of the complexity of tumor formation and spread. Pathological analysis of tumor margins under a microscope remains the primary and only accepted method for confirming the complete tumor removal. However, this method is not an all-or-nothing test, and it can be compromised by various intrinsic and extrinsic limitations. Among the intrinsic limitations of pathological analysis we recall the pathologist handling, tissue shrinkage, the detection of minimal residual disease and the persistence of a precancerous field. Extrinsic limitations relate to surgical tools and their thermal damage, the different kinds of surgical resections and frozen sections collection. Surgeons, as well as oncologists and radiotherapists, should be well aware of and deeply understand these limitations to avoid misinterpretation of margin status, which can have serious consequences. Meanwhile, new technologies such as Narrow band imaging have shown promising results in assisting with the achievement of clear superficial resection margins. More recently, emerging techniques like Raman spectroscopy and near-infrared fluorescence have shown potential as real-time guides for surgical resection.

The aim of this narrative review is to provide valuable insights into the complex process of margin analysis and underscore the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between pathologists, surgeons, oncologists, and radiotherapists to optimize patient outcomes in oral cancer surgery.
The role of emotions in climate change communication: Examining the effects of strategy and issue framing on emotional responses and online climate action intentions
Authors: Liu Shujun , Kuang Kai
Published: July 2024

The way in which climate change-related information is framed can influence not only cognitive outcomes but also emotional responses. This web-based experiment (n = 331) investigated the effects of strategy framing and issue framing on emotions and online climate action intentions in the context of climate relationship between China and the United States. Results indicated that strategy framing increased negative emotions (i.e., anxiety and anger), whereas issue framing triggered more positive emotions (i.e., pride and excitement). No significant difference was observed regarding climate action intentions between two groups. Additionally, anxiety and anger mediated the effects of message framing on online climate action intentions. Habitual worry about climate change and attitude toward China-U.S. climate collaboration moderated the effects of strategy framing and issue framing on discrete emotions. The findings offer theoretical insights regarding emotional responses to strategy framing and practical implications on climate communication.
Diagnosis and Management of Hypertension in Adolescents with Obesity
Authors: Chhabria Shradha M. , LeBron Jared , Ronis Sarah D. , Batt Courtney E.
Published: July 2024

Purpose of Review

Hypertension (HTN) and obesity are increasing in prevalence and severity in adolescents and have significant implications for long term morbidity and mortality. This review focuses on the diagnosis and management of HTN in adolescents with obesity with an emphasis on co-management of the two conditions.

Recent Findings

Recent studies affirm the increasing prevalence of abnormal blood pressures and diagnoses of HTN associated with increased adiposity. Current guidelines recommend routine screening with proper technique for HTN in patients with obesity. Additionally, obesity and HTN related co-occurring medical conditions should be evaluated as there is frequently a bidirectional impact on risk and outcomes. Importantly, advances in adolescent obesity management have subsequently led to positive implications for the management of obesity-related comorbidities such as HTN. The co-management of obesity and HTN is an emerging strategy for treatment and prevention of additional morbidity and mortality as patients progress to adulthood.

In adolescent patients with obesity, prompt recognition and appropriate diagnosis of HTN as well as related co-occurring conditions are necessary first steps in management. Co-management of obesity and HTN is likely to lead to improved outcomes. While lifestyle interventions serve as the foundation to this management, adjunctive and emerging therapies should be considered to adequately treat both conditions.
Control of visible-range transmission and reflection haze by varying pattern size, shape and depth in flexible metasurfaces
Authors: Maity Avijit , Biswas Vaswati , Vijaya R.
Published: July 2024

Cost-effective soft imprint lithography technique is used to prepare flexible thin polymeric surfaces containing a periodic arrangement of nanodimples and nanobumps of sub-micron size. Using a single master mold of self-assembled colloidal crystal, metasurfaces with different depths and heights of patterns with a fixed pitch are possible, which makes the process inexpensive and simple. These metasurfaces are studied for their diffuse and total transmission and reflection spectra in the visible range. The transmission haze and reflection haze are calculated from the measurements. The surface containing nanobumps of lesser pattern height result in higher values of reflection and transmission haze than from surfaces containing nanodimples of much higher depth for the same pitch. The haze is more dependent on the pattern depth or height and less dependent on the pitch of the pattern. Far-field transmission profiles measured in the same wavelength range from the patterned surfaces show that the scattering increases with the increase of the ratio of pattern depth/height to pitch, similar to the haze measurements conducted with a closed integrating sphere. These profiles show that the angular spread of scattered light in transmission is within 10°, explaining the reason for the relatively low transmission haze in all the patterned surfaces. Simulation results confirm that the nanobump pattern gives higher transmission haze compared to nanodimple pattern. By controlling the ratio of pattern depth/height to pitch of the features on these surfaces, both an increase in optical haze and a balance between total reflection intensity and total transmission intensity can be achieved.

Graphical Abstract