bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De novo drug design as GPT language modeling: large chemistry models with supervised and reinforcement learning
Authors: Ye Gavin
Published: April 2024

In recent years, generative machine learning algorithms have been successful in designing innovative drug-like molecules. SMILES is a sequence-like language used in most effective drug design models. Due to data’s sequential structure, models such as recurrent neural networks and transformers can design pharmacological compounds with optimized efficacy. Large language models have advanced recently, but their implications on drug design have not yet been explored. Although one study successfully pre-trained a large chemistry model (LCM), its application to specific tasks in drug discovery is unknown. In this study, the drug design task is modeled as a causal language modeling problem. Thus, the procedure of reward modeling, supervised fine-tuning, and proximal policy optimization was used to transfer the LCM to drug design, similar to Open AI’s ChatGPT and InstructGPT procedures. By combining the SMILES sequence with chemical descriptors, the novel efficacy evaluation model exceeded its performance compared to previous studies. After proximal policy optimization, the drug design model generated molecules with 99.2% having efficacy pIC50 > 7 towards the amyloid precursor protein, with 100% of the generated molecules being valid and novel. This demonstrated the applicability of LCMs in drug discovery, with benefits including less data consumption while fine-tuning. The applicability of LCMs to drug discovery opens the door for larger studies involving reinforcement-learning with human feedback, where chemists provide feedback to LCMs and generate higher-quality molecules. LCMs’ ability to design similar molecules from datasets paves the way for more accessible, non-patented alternatives to drug molecules.
A generalisable tool path planning strategy for free-form sheet metal stamping through deep reinforcement and supervised learning
Authors: Liu Shiming , Shi Zhusheng , Lin Jianguo , Yu Hui
Published: April 2024

Due to the high cost of specially customised presses and dies and the advance of machine learning technology, there is some emerging research attempting free-form sheet metal stamping processes which use several common tools to produce products of various shapes. However, tool path planning strategies for the free forming process, such as reinforcement learning technique, derived from previous path planning experience are not generalisable for an arbitrary new sheet metal workpiece. Thus, in this paper, a generalisable tool path planning strategy is proposed for the first time to realise the tool path prediction for an arbitrary sheet metal part in 2-D space with no metal forming knowledge in prior, through deep reinforcement (implemented with 2 heuristics) and supervised learning technologies. Conferred by deep learning, the tool path planning process is corroborated to have self-learning characteristics. This method has been instantiated and verified by a successful application to a case study, of which the workpiece shape deformed by the predicted tool path has been compared with its target shape. The proposed method significantly improves the generalisation of tool path planning of free-form sheet metal stamping process, compared to strategies using pure reinforcement learning technologies. The successful instantiation of this method also implies the potential of the development of intelligent free-form sheet metal stamping process.
Hybrid intelligence failure analysis for industry 4.0: a literature review and future prospective
Authors: Mokhtarzadeh Mahdi , Rodríguez-Echeverría Jorge , Semanjski Ivana , Gautama Sidharta
Published: April 2024

Industry 4.0 and advanced technology, such as sensors and human–machine cooperation, provide new possibilities for infusing intelligence into failure analysis. Failure analysis is the process of identifying (potential) failures and determining their causes and effects to enhance reliability and manufacturing quality. Proactive methodologies, such as failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and reactive methodologies, such as root cause analysis (RCA) and fault tree analysis (FTA), are used to analyze failures before and after their occurrence. This paper focused on failure analysis methodologies intelligentization literature applied to FMEA, RCA, and FTA to provide insights into expert-driven, data-driven, and hybrid intelligence failure analysis advancements. Types of data to establish an intelligence failure analysis, tools to find a failure’s causes and effects, e.g., Bayesian networks, and managerial insights are discussed. This literature review, along with the analyses within it, assists failure and quality analysts in developing effective hybrid intelligence failure analysis methodologies that leverage the strengths of both proactive and reactive methods.
Suppression of Type I Interferon Signaling in Myeloid Cells by Autoantibodies in Severe COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Aoki Ami , Iwamura Chiaki , Kiuchi Masahiro , Tsuji Kaori , Sasaki Atsushi , Hishiya Takahisa , Hirasawa Rui , Kokubo Kota , Kuriyama Sachiko , Onodera Atsushi , Shimada Tadanaga , Nagaoka Tetsutaro , Ishikawa Satoru , Kojima Akira , Mito Haruki , Hase Ryota , Kasahara Yasunori , Kuriyama Naohide , Nakamura Sukeyuki , Urushibara Takashi , Kaneda Satoru , Sakao Seiichiro , Nishida Osamu , Takahashi Kazuhisa , Kimura Motoko Y. , Motohashi Shinichiro , Igari Hidetoshi , Ikehara Yuzuru , Nakajima Hiroshi , Suzuki Takuji , Hanaoka Hideki , Nakada Taka-aki , Kikuchi Toshiaki , Nakayama Toshinori , Yokote Koutaro , Hirahara Kiyoshi
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Auto-antibodies (auto-abs) to type I interferons (IFNs) have been identified in patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), suggesting that the presence of auto-abs may be a risk factor for disease severity. We therefore investigated the mechanism underlying COVID-19 exacerbation induced by auto-abs to type I IFNs.

Methods

We evaluated plasma from 123 patients with COVID-19 to measure auto-abs to type I IFNs. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patients with auto-abs and conducted epitope mapping of the auto-abs.

Results

Three of 19 severe and 4 of 42 critical COVID-19 patients had neutralizing auto-abs to type I IFNs. Patients with auto-abs to type I IFNs showed no characteristic clinical features. scRNA-seq from 38 patients with COVID-19 revealed that IFN signaling in conventional dendritic cells and canonical monocytes was attenuated, and SARS-CoV-2-specific BCR repertoires were decreased in patients with auto-abs. Furthermore, auto-abs to IFN-α2 from COVID-19 patients with auto-abs recognized characteristic epitopes of IFN-α2, which binds to the receptor.

Conclusion

Auto-abs to type I IFN found in COVID-19 patients inhibited IFN signaling in dendritic cells and monocytes by blocking the binding of type I IFN to its receptor. The failure to properly induce production of an antibody to SARS-CoV-2 may be a causative factor of COVID-19 severity.
Long Time Dynamics of Quasi-linear Hamiltonian Klein–Gordon Equations on the Circle
Authors: Feola Roberto , Giuliani Filippo
Published: April 2024

We consider a class of Hamiltonian Klein–Gordon equations with a quasilinear, quadratic nonlinearity under periodic boundary conditions. For a large set of masses, we provide a precise description of the dynamics for an open set of small initial data of size $$\varepsilon $$
ε
showing that the corresponding solutions remain close to oscillatory motions over a time scale $$\varepsilon ^{{-\frac{9}{4}+\delta }}$$

ε

-

9
4

+
δ

for any $$\delta >0$$

δ
>
0

. The key ingredients of the proof are normal form methods, para-differential calculus and a modified energy approach.
An Implicitly Extended Crank–Nicolson Scheme for the Heat Equation on a Time-Dependent Domain
Authors: Frei Stefan , Singh Maneesh Kumar
Published: April 2024

We consider a time-stepping scheme of Crank–Nicolson type for the heat equation on a moving domain in Eulerian coordinates. As the spatial domain varies between subsequent time steps, an extension of the solution from the previous time step is required. Following Lehrenfeld and Olskanskii (ESAIM: M2AN 53(2):585–614, 2019), we apply an implicit extension based on so-called ghost-penalty terms. For spatial discretisation, a cut finite element method is used. We derive a complete a priori error analysis in space and time, which shows in particular second-order convergence in time under a parabolic CFL condition. Finally, we present numerical results in two and three space dimensions that confirm the analytical estimates, even for much larger time steps.
Reversible jump attack to textual classifiers with modification reduction
Authors: Ni Mingze , Sun Zhensu , Liu Wei
Published: April 2024

Recent studies on adversarial examples expose vulnerabilities of natural language processing models. Existing techniques for generating adversarial examples are typically driven by deterministic hierarchical rules that are agnostic to the optimal adversarial examples, a strategy that often results in adversarial samples with a suboptimal balance between magnitudes of changes and attack successes. To this end, in this research we propose two algorithms, Reversible Jump Attack (RJA) and Metropolis–Hasting Modification Reduction (MMR), to generate highly effective adversarial examples and to improve the imperceptibility of the examples, respectively. RJA utilizes a novel randomization mechanism to enlarge the search space and efficiently adapts to a number of perturbed words for adversarial examples. With these generated adversarial examples, MMR applies the Metropolis–Hasting sampler to enhance the imperceptibility of adversarial examples. Extensive experiments demonstrate that RJA-MMR outperforms current state-of-the-art methods in attack performance, imperceptibility, fluency and grammar correctness.
The interplay between membrane viscosity and ligand-binding receptor kinetics in lipid bilayers
Authors: Bernard Chiara , Carotenuto Angelo Rosario , Pugno Nicola Maria , Deseri Luca , Fraldi Massimiliano
Published: April 2024

Plasma membranes appear as deformable systems wherein molecules are free to move and diffuse giving rise to condensed microdomains (composed of ordered lipids, transmembrane proteins and cholesterol) surrounded by disordered lipid molecules. Such denser and thicker regions, namely lipid rafts, are important communication hubs for cells. Indeed, recent experiments revealed how the most of active signaling proteins co-localize on such domains, thereby intensifying the biochemical trafficking of substances. From a material standpoint, it is reasonable to assume the bilayer as a visco-elastic body accounting for both in-plane fluidity and elasticity. Consequently, lipid rafts contribute to membrane heterogeneity by typically exhibiting higher stiffness and viscosity and by locally altering the bilayer dynamics and proteins activity. A chemo-mechanical model of lipid bilayer coupled with interspecific dynamics among the resident species (typically transmembrane receptors and trasporters) has been recently formulated to explain and predict how proteins regulate the dynamic heterogeneity of membrane. However, the explicit inclusion of the membrane viscosity in the model was not considered. To this aim, the present work enriches the constitutive description of the bilayer by modeling its visco-elastic behavior. This is done through a strain-level dependent viscosity able to theoretically trace back the alteration of membrane fluidity experimentally observed in lipid phase transitions. This provides new insights into how the quasi-solid and fluid components of lipid membrane response interact with the evolution of resident proteins by affecting the activity of raft domains, with effects on cell mechano-signaling.
Exploring API behaviours through generated examples
Authors: Karlsson Stefan , Hughes John , Jongeling Robbert , Čaušević Adnan , Sundmark Daniel
Published: April 2024

Understanding the behaviour of a system’s API can be hard. Giving users access to relevant examples of how an API behaves has been shown to make this easier for them. In addition, such examples can be used to verify expected behaviour or identify unwanted behaviours. Methods for automatically generating examples have existed for a long time. However, state-of-the-art methods rely on either white-box information, such as source code, or on formal specifications of the system behaviour. But what if you do not have access to either? This may be the case, for example, when interacting with a third-party API. In this paper, we present an approach to automatically generate relevant examples of behaviours of an API, without requiring either source code or a formal specification of behaviour. Evaluation on an industry-grade REST API shows that our method can produce small and relevant examples that can help engineers to understand the system under exploration.
A Method for Automatic Three-Dimensional Particle Tracing Under Laboratory Conditions Using Dynamic X-Ray Computed Microtomography
Authors: Siebert Judith Marie Undine , Odenbach Stefan
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a method for particle tracing in laboratory X-ray micro-computed tomography (µCT) using an adjusted Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm combined with least squares ellipse fitting (LSF). For method testing, a setup for the investigation of deep bed filtration (DBF) has been used as an example of a complex process that can be elucidated with such a method. Particle tracking with tomography systems requires high-temporal resolution which can only be achieved with synchrotron radiation computer tomography. Therefore, in this work, it has been demonstrated that instead of particle tracking, particle tracing in opaque systems such as DBF can be performed in laboratory µCT systems. To achieve particle tracing, dynamic µCT scans with a duration between 30 and 110 s combined with an exposure time of 0.13 s/projection were executed and during the scan time the filtration was performed, causing parabola shaped motion artefacts. The developed method exploits the motion artefacts created by the particle motion during the scan. It could be shown that it is possible to trace particles in complex structures within only one 30 s scan. Furthermore, through trace length and time, it is possible to determine the average velocity. Whereby, the accuracy and limits depend on the particle size, particle velocity/data rate and the X-ray attenuation of particle and medium.
Molecular investigation and genetic characterization of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in cats referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in Northern Italy
Authors: Gallina Laura , Facile Veronica , Roda Nicola , Sabetti Maria Chiara , Terrusi Alessia , Urbani Lorenza , Magliocca Martina , Vasylyeva Kateryna , Dondi Francesco , Balboni Andrea , Battilani Mara
Published: April 2024

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is responsible for feline leukemia syndrome in domestic cats. The prevention and control of disease caused by FeLV are primarily based on vaccination and identification and isolation of infected subjects. Antigen diagnostic methods, which are the most widely used in clinical practices, can be associated to molecular tests to characterize the FeLV detected. In this study, a quantitative SYBR Green Real-Time PCR (qPCR) assay was used to detect FeLV proviral DNA in blood samples from antigen positive cats referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in Northern Italy in 2018–2021. To genetically characterize the identified viruses, a portion of the viral envelope (env) gene was amplified using six different end-point PCRs and sequenced. Twenty-two of 26 (84.6%) cats included in the study tested positive by qPCR assay. This suggests a high performance of the qPCR adopted but further studies are required to investigate the cause of discordant results between the antigen test and qPCR in four cats. From env gene analysis, 15/22 qPCR-positive cats were infected by FeLV subtype A and 5/15 shown coinfection with subtype B.
Study on the Effect of Different Feeding Structures on the Performance of Graphene Strips Reconfigurable LWA
Authors: Malhat Hend Abd El-Azem , Elhenawy Abdelkarim S. , Al-Shalaby Noha A. , Zainud-Deen Saber H.
Published: April 2024

This paper introduces a comparative study on the effect of using different feeding structures on the radiation characteristics of graphene strips leaky wave antenna (GS-LWA) at 2 THz. The effect of different plane wave launchers on the radiation characteristics of GS-LWA is investigated. A planar substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) horn antenna is investigated. It provides a peak gain of 18.2 dBi with a bandwidth of 21.95% and a SLL of 10.6 dB. End-fire radiation from parabolic reflector is employed to launch plane-wave in the GS-LWA. A matching BW of 0.82 THz is achieved with peak gain of 18 dBi. A coplanar fed Yagi-Uda like structure element is studied using a single element and two elements array. The two elements provided the highest matching of -40 dB over BW of 6% and gain of 16.5 dBi. Finally, tapered microstrip line is investigated, it introduces the lowest SLL − 16.1 dB with a gain of 17.5 dBi and BW of 39.57% (1.5–2.24 THz). The selection of proper feeding structure depends on the matching BW, peak radiated gain, and the lowest SLL. A full analysis of the GS-LWA from different feeding methods is presented.
Primary immune regulatory disorders (PIRD): expanding the mutation spectrum in Turkey and identification of sixteen novel variants
Authors: Aykut Ayca , Durmaz Asude , Karaca Neslihan , Gulez Nesrin , Genel Ferah , Celmeli Fatih , Cogurlu M. Tuba , Akcan Mediha , Cicek Dilek , Cipe Funda Erol , Kiykim Ayca , Yıldıran Alisan , Unluhizarci Kursad , Kilic Sara Sebnem , Aksu Guzide , Ardeniz Omur , Kutukculer Necil
Published: April 2024

Human Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEIs) encompass a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders, ranging from mild cases to severe, life-threatening types. Among these, Primary Immune Regulatory Disorders (PIRDs) constitute a subset of IEIs characterized by diverse clinical phenotypes, prominently featuring severe atopy, autoimmunity, lymphoproliferation, hyperinflammation, autoinflammation, and susceptibility to malignancies. According to the latest report from the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), PIRDs arise from mutations in various genes including LYST, RAB27A, AP3B1, AP3D1, PRF1, UNC13D, STX11, STXBP2, FAAP24, SLC7A7, RASGRP1, CD70, CTPS1, RLTPR, ITK, MAGT1, PRKCD, TNFRSF9, SH2DIA, XIAP, CD27 (TNFRSF7), FAS (TNFRSF6), FASLG (TNFSF6), CASP10, CASP8, FADD, LRBA, STAT3, AIRE, ITCH, ZAP70, TPP2, JAK1, PEPD, FOXP3, IL2RA, CTLA4, BACH2, IL2RB, DEF6, FERMT1, IL10, IL10RA, IL10RB, NFAT5, TGFB1, and RIPK1 genes. We designed a targeted next-generation sequencing (TNGS) workflow using the Ion AmpliSeq™ Primary Immune Deficiency Research Panel to sequence 264 genes associated with IEIs on the Ion S5™ Sequencer. In this study, we report the identification of 38 disease-causing variants, including 16 novel ones, detected in 40 patients across 15 distinct PIRD genes. The application of next-generation sequencing enabled rapid and precise diagnosis of patients with PIRDs.
Bioinformatics Approach to Identify the Pathogenetic Link of Gut Microbiota-Derived Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Ding Liang , Wang Jianing , Qiu Sha , Ren Zhizhen , Li Yuantao , An Pengpeng
Published: April 2024

Stroke is a life-threatening condition that impairs the arteries and causes neurological impairment. The incidence of stroke is increasing year by year with the arrival of the aging population. Thus, there is an urgent need for early stroke diagnosis. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can modulate the central nervous system and directly and indirectly impact behavioral and cognitive functions. This study aimed to investigate the connection between SCFA metabolism and stroke development via bioinformatic analysis. Initially, the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and immune cell infiltration analysis were performed based on RNA data from stroke patients to comprehend the mechanisms governing stroke pathogenesis. The functional analysis, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI), was performed based on the Differentially Expressed Gene (DEG) selected by the limma package. 1220 SCFA metabolism-related genes screened from Genecards databases were intersected with 242 genes in main modules determined by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), and the final 10 SCFA key genes were obtained. GO analysis revealed that these genes were involved in immune response processes. Through lasso regression analyses, we established a stroke early diagnosis model and selected 6 genes with diagnostic value. The genes were validated by the area under curve (AUC) values and had a relatively good diagnostic performance. Finally, 4 potential therapeutic drugs targeting these genes were predicted using the Drug Signatures Database (DSigDB) via Enrichr. In conclusion, this paper analyzes the involvement of SCFAs in the complex gut-brain axis mechanism, which contributes to developing new targets for treating central nervous system diseases and provides new ideas for early ischemic stroke diagnosis.
The U-shaped association between serum osmolality and 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Liang Minghao , Xu Yifei , Ren Xiuhong , Huang Di , Jin Minyan , Qiu Zhanjun
Published: April 2024

Background

Sepsis is a recognized global health challenge that places a considerable disease burden on countries. Although there has been some progress in the study of sepsis, the mortality rate of sepsis remains high. The relationship between serum osmolality and the prognosis of patients with sepsis is unclear.

Method

Patients with sepsis who met the criteria in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database were included in the study. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined using multivariable Cox regression. The relationship between serum osmolality and the 28-day mortality risk in patients with sepsis was investigated using curve fitting, and inflection points were calculated.

Results

A total of 13,219 patients with sepsis were enrolled in the study; the mean age was 65.1 years, 56.9 % were male, and the 28-day mortality rate was 18.8 %. After adjusting for covariates, the risk of 28-day mortality was elevated by 99% (HR 1.99, 95%CI 1.74-2.28) in the highest quintile of serum osmolality (Q5 >303.21) and by 59% (HR 1.59, 95%CI 1.39-1.83) in the lowest quintile (Q1 ≤285.80), as compared to the reference quintile (Q3 291.38-296.29). The results of the curve fitting showed a U-shaped relationship between serum osmolality and the risk of 28-day mortality, with an inflection point of 286.9 mmol/L.

Conclusion

There is a U-shaped relationship between serum osmolality and the 28-day mortality risk in patients with sepsis. Higher or lower serum osmolality is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with sepsis. Patients with sepsis have a lower risk of mortality when their osmolality is 285.80-296.29 mmol/L.
The CJEU’s Strict and Effective Interpretations of the Exceptions and Limitations of the InfoSoc Directive: Origin Over Flexibility
Authors: Lin Xi
Published: April 2024

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) maintains strict interpretation and effective interpretation to guide its harmonisation of the exceptions and limitations (E&Ls) in Art. 5 of Directive 2001/29/EC (the InfoSoc Directive). Its application of the two discourses is often regarded as enabling flexibility in copyright at different levels. This article rejects this argument and posits that the CJEU maintains them to harmonise the InfoSoc E&Ls with different origins. To verify the hypothesis, it categorises the discourses guiding the CJEU’s harmonisation by their defining features and the E&Ls of the InfoSoc Directive based on whether they have their origins in the Berne Convention. Based on the categorisations, it empirically examines the distribution of strict interpretation and effective interpretation in different categories of E&Ls. The distribution reveals a correlation between the application of strict interpretation and the E&Ls without origin in the Berne Convention and between the application of effective interpretation and the E&Ls with origin in the Berne Convention. Based on the correlation, applying effective interpretation should enable greater flexibility than strict interpretation when it is applied to the E&Ls without origin in the Berne Convention, especially to permit uses enabled by new technologies.
Dual in-situ observation of tribochemical and morphological evolution of single-layer WS2 and multi-layer WS2/C coatings
Authors: Liu Yuzhen , Han Jae-Ho , Xu Shusheng , Jung Young Chan , Kim Dae-Eun
Published: April 2024

The outstanding tribological performance of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is attributed to their unique sandwich microstructure and low interlayer shear stress. This advantageous structure allows TMDs to demonstrate exceptional friction reduction properties. Furthermore, the incorporation of TMDs and amorphous carbon (a-C) in multi-layer structures shows excellent potential for further enhancing tribological and anti-oxidation properties. Amorphous carbon, known for its high ductility, chemical inertness, and excellent wear resistance, significantly contributes to the overall performance of these multi-layer coatings. To gain an in-depth understanding of the tribological mechanism and evolution of TMDs’ multi-layer coatings, a dual in-situ analysis was carried out using a tribometer equipped with a 3D laser microscope and a Raman spectrometer. This innovative approach allowed for a comprehensive evolution of the tribological, topographical, and tribochemical characteristics of both single-layer WS2 and multi-layer WS2/C coatings in real time. The findings from the dual in-situ tribotest revealed distinct failure characteristics between the single-layer WS2 coating and the multi-layer WS2/C coating. The single-layer WS2 coating predominantly experienced failure due to mechanical removal, whereas a combination of mechanical removal and tribochemistry primarily influenced the failure of the multi-layer WS2/C coating. The tribological evolution process of these two coatings can be classified into four stages on the basis of their tribological behavior: the running-in stage, stable friction stage, re-deposition stage, and lubrication failure stage. Each stage represents a distinct phase in the tribological behavior of the coatings and contributes to our understanding of their behavior during sliding.
Enhancing Procedural Writing Through Personalized Example Retrieval: A Case Study on Cooking Recipes
Authors: Mejia-Domenzain Paola , Frej Jibril , Neshaei Seyed Parsa , Mouchel Luca , Nazaretsky Tanya , Wambsganss Thiemo , Bosselut Antoine , Käser Tanja
Published: April 2024

Writing high-quality procedural texts is a challenging task for many learners. While example-based learning has shown promise as a feedback approach, a limitation arises when all learners receive the same content without considering their individual input or prior knowledge. Consequently, some learners struggle to grasp or relate to the feedback, finding it redundant and unhelpful. To address this issue, we present , an adaptive learning system designed to enhance procedural writing through personalized example-based learning. The core of our system is a multi-step example retrieval pipeline that selects a higher quality and contextually relevant example for each learner based on their unique input. We instantiate our system in the domain of cooking recipes. Specifically, we leverage a fine-tuned Large Language Model to predict the quality score of the learner’s cooking recipe. Using this score, we retrieve recipes with higher quality from a vast database of over 180,000 recipes. Next, we apply to select the semantically most similar recipe in real-time. Finally, we use domain knowledge and regular expressions to enrich the selected example recipe with personalized instructional explanations. We evaluate in a 2x2 controlled study (personalized vs. non-personalized examples, reflective prompts vs. none) with 200 participants. Our results show that providing tailored examples contributes to better writing performance and user experience.
Association between Fusarium head blight resistance and grain colour in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Trávníčková Martina , Chrpová Jana , Palicová Jana , Kozová Jana , Martinek Petr , Hnilička František
Published: April 2024

The global yield of wheat is limited by Fusarium head blight (FHB), the most damaging disease of wheat accompanied by mycotoxin contamination. Use of resistant cultivars, from an economical point of view, is the most effective control method for plant diseases. Many naturally occurring secondary metabolites in plants are involved in resistance mechanisms against FHB, especially phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties which caused various colouration of the grain in wheat. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the resistance of wheat with different grain colour on the base of accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) in grain and other important FHB traits after inoculation with Fusarium culmorum. Visual symptom score (VSS), Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and reduction of grain weight per spike (GWS-R) were determined. This study compared current conventional red wheat cultivars and coloured-grain wheat cultivars or lines with blue aleurone, purple pericarp, red grain and white grain. It was found that the cultivars with a purple pericarp (e.g. Rufia) had the lowest DON content and FDK. Statistically significant interactions between grain colour and year were found for all the variables: DON, VSS, FDK, GWS-R. Red grain materials had the lowest DON levels of all the groups studied in 2016 and 2017, but not in 2018. The most constant and second lowest DON levels in all three years were found in the cultivars/lines with purple pericarp.
Does categorizing scale scores with cutoff points affect hypothesis-testing results?
Authors: Sayili Ugurcan , Siddikoglu Esin , Turgut Deniz , Arisli Hamza Emre , Ceyhan Betul , Gunver Mehmet Guven , Ozel Yildiz Sevda , Yurtseven Eray , Erginoz Ethem
Published: April 2024

Background

The aim of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis test results after categorizing the scale scores with cut-off points and to assess whether similar results would be obtained in that best represent the categories.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted between March 15 and 20, 2023 via the Lime Survey. The questionnaire included questions about the sociodemographic and life characteristics of the participants and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). Four groups (minimal, mild, moderate, severe depression) were formed using the cutoff points. Data analysis was performed with all participants and referred to as the conventional analysis group. Then, six subanalysis groups were determined to best represent the groups formed according to the BDI-II. In each BDI-II category, six subanalysis groups were created, including those between Q1–Q3 (IQR group), including those within ± 1 std, including those between 5p–95p (90% of the sample), including those between 2.5p–97.5p (95% of the sample). In addition, 100 different samples were randomly selected containing 50% of each group.

Results

Of the 1950 participants, 84.7% (n = 1652) were female and 15.3% (n = 298) were male. In terms of depression, it was observed that the significance varied in the analysis groups for sex (p = 0.039), medication use (p = 0.009) and age (p = 0.010) variables. However, these variables were not significant in some of the subanalysis groups. On the other hand, a p < 0.001 value was obtained for income, physical activity, health perception, body shape perception, life satisfaction, and quality of life variables in terms of depression in the conventional analysis group, and it was seen that the significance continued in all subanalysis groups.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that variables with p < 0.001 in the conventional analysis group maintained their significance in the other analysis groups. In addition, as the p value got closer to 0.05, we observed that the significance changed according to different cutoff points in the analysis groups. In addition, 50% randomly selected samples support these results. At the end of our study, we reached results that support the necessity of secondary tests in the evaluation of scales. Although further studies are needed, we anticipate that our study will shed light on other studies.
Metaphysics and the Sciences
Authors: Morganti Matteo
Published: April 2024

This Element presents and critically examines the relationship between metaphysics and the sciences. Section 1 provides a brief introduction. Section 2 looks at the methodological issues that arise when metaphysics and science get into contact, which is a much-debated aspect of the larger dispute concerning philosophical 'naturalism' and 'anti-naturalism'. A taxonomy of possible views is offered. Section 3 looks more specifically at milder forms of naturalism about metaphysics, which attempt in various ways to make it 'continuous' with science while preserving some degree of autonomy for it. Section 4 adds some reflections on what might be regarded as the most pressing open problem when it comes to doing scientifically oriented metaphysics (but also when practising metaphysics or science in isolation): the problem concerning theory choice and the value of non-empirical factors in determining which explanation of certain phenomena should be preferred.
Healthcare personnel opinions regarding the feasibility of a risk-tailored approach to contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the acute care setting
Authors: O’Hara Lyndsay M. , Harris Anthony D. , Calfee David P. , Snyder Graham M. , Cottam James , O’Hara Nathan N. , Martin Elise M.
Published: April 2024

“All or none” approaches to the use of contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) both fail to recognize that transmission risk varies. This qualitative study assessed healthcare personnel perspectives regarding the feasibility of a risk-tailored approach to use contact precautions for MRSA more strategically in the acute care setting.
The best at the top? Candidate ranking strategies under closed list proportional representation
Authors: Crutzen Benoît S. Y. , Konishi Hideo , Sahuguet Nicolas
Published: April 2024

Under closed-list proportional representation, a party's electoral list determines the order in which legislative seats are allocated to candidates. When candidates differ in their ability, parties face a trade-off between competence and incentives. Ranking candidates in decreasing order of competence ensures that elected politicians are most competent. Yet, party lists create incentives for candidates that may lead parties not to place their best candidates at the top of the list. We examine this trade-off in a game-theoretical model in which parties rank their candidates on a list, candidates choose their campaign effort, and the election is a team contest for multiple prizes. We analyze how the candidates’ objectives, voters’ attention and media coverage, incumbency, the number of parties competing in the election, and the electoral environment influence how parties rank candidates.
MORS INDIVIDVA AND AEQVA (SENECA, TROADES 401 AND 434)
Authors: Coomans Diane
Published: April 2024

This note highlights an original echo between two passages of Seneca's Troades that draws attention to one of Andromache's personality traits.
Protecting Your Friends: The Role of Connections in Division Manager Careers
Authors: Hadlock Charles J. , Huang Jing , Obermann Paul , Pierce Joshua R.
Published: April 2024

We find that division managers who are connected to the CEO are substantially less likely than others to depart from the firm and are more likely to be promoted. Connected managers are protected when performance is poor, and they display no special ability to improve performance given this protection. Connections matter more in weak governance/incentive environments, and the external labor market and stock market appear skeptical of connected managers’ talents. While much of the evidence suggests inefficient favoritism, connected managers are protected more in peripheral segments, suggesting a possible efficiency benefit in helping to resolve intrafirm information problems.
ETFs, Creation and Redemption Processes, and Bond Liquidity
Authors: Finnerty John D. , Reisel Natalia , Zhong Xun
Published: April 2024

We examine a link between bond exchange-traded fund (ETF) creation and redemption processes and the underlying bond market liquidity. Using daily creation and redemption data, we find that including a bond in a creation or redemption basket has a favorable impact on the bond’s liquidity for both high-yield and investment-grade markets. The improvement in liquidity persists during times of market stress with this impact being stronger for redemptions than creations. Our results suggest that ETF mispricing arbitrage explains the improvement in bond liquidity. However, we also find evidence that transaction costs and bond inventory management limit the ETF arbitrage.
Association of early tracheostomy with length of stay and mortality in critically ill patients
Authors: Patel Aman M , Patel Rushi , Revercomb Lucy , Cohen David Avery , Tseng Christopher C , Hsueh Wayne D , Filimonov Andrey
Published: April 2024

Background

The timing of tracheostomy for intensive care unit patients is controversial, with conflicting findings on early versus late tracheostomy.

Methods

Patients undergoing tracheostomy from 2001through 2012 were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III database. Early tracheostomy was defined as less than the 25th percentile of time from intensive care unit admission to tracheostomy (time to tracheostomy). Statistical analysis for tracheostomy timing on intensive care unit length of stay and mortality were conducted.

Results

Of the 1,566 patients that were included, patients with early tracheostomy had shorter intensive care unit length of stay (27.32 vs 12.55 days, p < 0.001) and lower mortality (12.9 per cent vs 9.0 per cent, p = 0.039). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found an association between increasing time to tracheostomy and mortality (odds ratio: 1.029, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.007–1.051, p = 0.009).

Conclusion

Our analysis revealed that patients with early tracheostomy were more likely to have shorter intensive care unit lengths of stay and lower mortality. Our data suggest that early tracheostomy should be given strong consideration in appropriately selected patients.
Personality changes related to presence and treatment of substance use (disorders): a systematic review
Authors: Juchem Christina M. , Bendau Antonia , Bandurski Leonie C. , Reich Nico J. , Baumgardt Saskia , Asselmann Eva
Published: April 2024

Heavy substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD) have complex etiologies and often severe consequences. Certain personality traits have been associated with an increased risk for SU(D), but far less is known about personality changes related to SU(D). This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on this research question. A systematic literature search was conducted from November 2022 to February 2023 in PubMed, EbscoHost, and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed original papers on SU(D)-related personality changes were included. Of 55 included studies, 38 were observational population-based studies and 17 were intervention studies. Overall, personality and SU measures, samples, study designs, and statistical approaches were highly heterogenous. In observational studies, higher SU was most consistently related to increases in impulsivity-related traits and (less so) neuroticism, while interventions in the context of SU(D) were mostly associated with increases in conscientiousness and self-efficacy and lasting decreases in neuroticism. Findings for traits related to extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness were mixed and depended on SU measure and age. Studies on bidirectional associations suggest that personality and SU(D) both influence each other over time. Due to their strong association with SU(D), impulsivity-related traits may be important target points for interventions. Future work may investigate the mechanisms underlying personality changes related to SU(D), distinguishing substance-specific effects from general SU(D)-related processes like withdrawal, craving, and loss of control. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine whether SU(D)-related personality changes vary by developmental stage and clinical features (e.g. initial use, onset, remission, and relapse).
The Committee on the Rights of the Child and Article 12: Applying the Lundy model to treaty body recommendations
Authors: Molloy Sean
Published: April 2024

Article 12 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires that states afford children the opportunity, subject to certain qualifications, to express their views on all matters that affect them. Alongside the substantive, procedural and normative significance of this right, Article 12 both reflects and contributes to progressive understandings of childhood more generally; it recognizes children as agentic beings ‘with integrity and personality and the ability to participate freely in society and articulate a view’. Nevertheless, the fulfilment of this legal right is often not realized, requiring ongoing efforts to help translate it into practice. This article examines how the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CommCRC), through recommendations to state parties issued as part of its monitoring function, can assist, or hinder the realization of Article 12. The primary argument advanced is that when issuing recommendations, the CommCRC ought to draw on the Lundy Model of Child Participation as an organizing concept- one utilized to weave together the substance of their recommendations in ways more instructive, useful, and impactful than the current approach.
‘Chile – Ballad of the Cameraman’: New Song and ‘Revolutionary’ South America in Wolf Biermann's Anthems of East German Critical Solidarity
Authors: CARLSON JULIUS REDER
Published: April 2024

Using GDR dissident singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann's ‘Chile – Ballade vom Kameramann’ as a point of departure, this article explores the role that ‘revolutionary’ South America and its musical corollary, the Nueva Canción, played in expressions of inner-communist critique in 1970s East Germany. Biermann's critique was Janus-faced. Lyrically, the ‘Chilean’ allegory of his ballad, in which a cameraman is murdered by a soldier, expressed support for the Allende administration while simultaneously destabilizing Soviet Bloc rhetoric. Musically, references to Nueva Canción music such as that of singer-songwriter Daniel Viglietti represented the anti-imperialist Other while simultaneously rejecting GDR-style socialist realism. On the one hand, Biermann's inspiration in South America can be heard as a colonizing gesture; on the other, it can be understood to reflect a provincialized East German society looking to the Third World for alternative sociopolitical – and musical – models.
Isaac Breuer's Antiliberal Neo-Kantianism and the Politicization of Jewish Ultra-Orthodoxy
Authors: Ben Ami Itamar
Published: April 2024

This article centers on the early writings of Isaac Breuer (1910–17), arguing that Breuer's radicalization of neo-Kantianism anchors his revolutionary call to politicize Jewish Orthodoxy. Moreover, it contends that neo-Kantianism, which is normally associated with liberal or social-democratic politics, was given a thoroughly antiliberal reading by Breuer that led to an antiliberal Orthodox politics. While the rise of non-Zionist political Orthodoxy is often regarded as an obsolete traditionalism unattuned to the nature of mass politics, Breuer's politicization of Orthodoxy reveals a coherent antiliberal political theory that addresses the aporias of the democratic age. Breuer uses neo-Kantianism to develop an anti-Weberian “science of politics” which attempts to overcome the modern plurality of values by positing Judaism as coercive public morality. Reading Breuer's Jewish writings through the lens of his quarrels with Weber, Stammler, and Cohen, this article explores Breuer's attempt to overcome the association of Kantian morality with liberalism, by legitimizing coercion politically, philosophically, and theologically. This enabled Breuer to criticize apolitical forms of Jewish Orthodoxy, Zionist programs to politicize Judaism, and democratic politics more generally.
Spontaneity and Control: Friedrich Hayek, Stafford Beer, and the Principles of Self-Organization
Authors: Hancock Max
Published: April 2024

Friedrich Hayek, the Austrian economist, and Stafford Beer, best known for engineering socialist Chile's CYBERSYN project, met exactly once, at the 1960 Symposium on the Principles of Self-Organization, hosted by the Biological Computer Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Independently, in the decade that followed, Beer and Hayek each sought to apply the principles of self-organization to the design of economic institutions. They were joined in the belief that the full enjoyment of human liberty would require a self-organizing world economy. To understand why, this article delves into the explanatory logic and intellectual history of “self-organization.” I use points of convergence between Beer's thought and Hayek's to reframe a key moment in the history of neoliberalism.
Intelligenzmessung in drei Minuten – Evaluation des mini-q und Konstruktion einer Parallelversion
Authors: Weise Julius J. , Becker Nicolas , Sparfeldt Jörn R.
Published: April 2024

Zusammenfassung: Zur ökonomischen Erfassung eines Intelligenzindikators in nur drei Minuten wurde der mini-q ( Baudson & Preckel, 2016 ), als deutschsprachige Adaptation und Weiterentwicklung von Baddeleys (1968) Reasoning Test, mit vielversprechenden Gütekennwerten vorgestellt. Im Beitrag wurde die psychometrische Güte des mini-q an einer unabhängigen Studierendenstichprobe überprüft und um eine neue Parallelversion erweitert ( mini-q B). In balancierter Reihenfolge bearbeiteten Lehramtsstudierende ( N = 163) beide Versionen. Die Summenwertverteilungen beider Versionen wiesen auf eine angemessene Varianz und keine bedeutsame Abweichung von einer Normalverteilung hin. Beide Versionen ( mini-q/ mini-q B) korrelierten bedeutsam untereinander (Paralleltestreliabilität: r = .76 bzw. .80) sowie mit dem IST-Screening ( r = .25/.47) und teils bedeutsam mit der Abiturnote ( r = −.07/−.25). Implikationen zur Eignung des mini-q und der neuen Parallelversion mini-q B als zeitökonomisch einsetzbare Intelligenzscreenings werden diskutiert.