bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypertext, Hyperlinks, and the World Wide Web
Authors: Lang Susan , Baehr Craig
Published: September 2023

Hypertext, defined at the most essential level as “linked text,” and the hyperlink (shortened to simply “link”) serves as the foundation of much writing in digitally native spaces, impacting print-based writing. The World Wide Web has stood for nearly three decades as the primary implementation space for hypertextual writing. The characteristics of hyperlinking, intertextuality, multi-pathed organization, hypermedia, content forms, and collaborative authoring practices have come to replace print-based writing conventions as the dominant features of electronic-based ones. Research has been conducted on hypertext and the World Wide Web since their inception by computer scientists and writing specialists, among others, to better understand technological needs, writing pedagogies and practices, as writers work from an increasingly diverse input base—from computers to tablets to mobile devices.
Digital Note-Taking for Writing
Authors: Pitura Joanna
Published: September 2023

Note-taking is prevalent in academia—it is the basis of scholarly work, i.e. searching for information, collecting and reading literature, writing and collaborating, referred to as a “primitive” that assists these information activities (e.g., Palmer, C. L., Teffeau, L. C., & Pirmann, C. M. (2009). Scholarly information practices in the online environment: Themes from the literature and implications for library service development. OCLC Research. https://accesson.kisti.re.kr/upload2/i_report/1239602399570.pdf). Researchers and higher education students take notes throughout the inquiry cycle, i.e. while designing research, collecting data, analysing data, and writing the report. In addition, with written assignments being a considerable part of student academic work, notes are taken in the writing process, from generating ideas for writing tasks, through text planning and drafting to its editing. As this process may be challenging, digital note-taking has the potential to facilitate writing in academic contexts (Matysek, A., & Tomaszczyk, J. (2020). Digital wisdom in research work. Zagadnienia Informacji Naukowej—Studia Informacyjne, 58(2A(116A)), 98–113. https://doi.org/10.36702/zin.705). Yet, despite the availability of literature concerning formal requirements of writing, such as style, structure, referencing, etc., relatively little literature deals with the note-taking activity that assists academic writing, and even less with digital note-taking. In order to bridge this gap, this chapter focuses on the note-taking activity and shows how digital tools can support note takers in the academic writing context.
Targeting Completeness: Using Closed Forms for Size Bounds of Integer Programs
Authors: Lommen Nils , Giesl Jürgen
Published: September 2023

We present a new procedure to infer size bounds for integer programs automatically. Size bounds are important for the deduction of bounds on the runtime complexity or in general, for the resource analysis of programs. We show that our technique is complete (i.e., it always computes finite size bounds) for a subclass of loops, possibly with non-linear arithmetic. Moreover, we present a novel approach to combine and integrate this complete technique into an incomplete approach to infer size and runtime bounds of general integer programs. We prove completeness of our integration for an important subclass of integer programs. We implemented our new algorithm in the automated complexity analysis tool to evaluate its power, in particular on programs with non-linear arithmetic.
Weighted Path Orders Are Semantic Path Orders
Authors: Saito Teppei , Hirokawa Nao
Published: September 2023

We explore the relationship between weighted path orders and (monotonic) semantic path orders. Our findings reveal that weighted path orders can be considered instances of a variant of semantic path orders that comprise order pairs. This observation leads to a generalization of weighted path orders that does not impose simplicity on their underlying algebras. As a result, the generalized version is capable of proving termination of term rewrite systems beyond the realm of simple termination. In order to assess practicality we provide experimental data comparing generalized weighted path orders with the original ones as well as other well-known classes of reduction orders.
Isopropyl alcohol inhalation versus 5-HT3 antagonists for treatment of nausea: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Kimber James S. , Kovoor Joshua G. , Glynatsis John M. , West Samuel J. , Mai Thi Thien Nhi , Jacobsen Jonathan Henry W. , Ovenden Christopher D. , Bacchi Stephen , Hewitt Joseph N. , Gupta Aashray K. , Edwards Suzanne , Taverner Fiona J. , Watson David I.
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Nausea is a common and unpleasant sensation for which current therapies such as serotonin (5-HT3) antagonists are often ineffective, while also conferring a risk of potential adverse events. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) has been proposed as a treatment for nausea. We aimed to compare IPA with 5-HT3 antagonists for the treatment of nausea across all clinical settings.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, CENTRAL and CINAHL were searched from inception to 17 July 2023 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing inhaled IPA and a 5-HT3 antagonist for treatment of nausea. Severity and duration of nausea, rescue antiemetic use, adverse events and patient satisfaction were the outcomes sought. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2. Random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. Combination of meta-analyses and narrative review was used to synthesise findings. The evidence was appraised using GRADE.

Results

From 1242 records, 4 RCTs were included with 382 participants. Participants receiving IPA had a significantly lower mean time to 50% reduction in nausea (MD − 20.06; 95% CI − 26.26, − 13.85). Nausea score reduction at 30 min was significantly greater in the IPA group (MD 21.47; 95% CI 15.47, 27.47). IPA led to significantly reduced requirement for rescue antiemetics (OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.37, 0.95; p = 0.03). IPA led to no significant difference in patient satisfaction when compared with a 5-HT3 antagonist. The overall GRADE assessment of evidence quality ranged from very low to low.

Conclusion

IPA may provide rapid, effective relief of nausea when compared with 5-HT3 antagonists.
Outcomes of Metaplastic Breast Cancer Versus Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Tan YuPing , Yang Biao , Chen YuHong , Yan Xi
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to compare the survival outcomes of metaplastic breast cancer (MPBC) with triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) and identify prognostic factors that influence the survival outcomes of MPBC patients and TNBC patients.

Methods

Patients with nonmetastatic MPBC or TNBC were reviewed from our database. Patients’ clinicopathologic and molecular features were analyzed with respect to outcomes, including disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Propensity score matching (PSM) with a one‐to‐three matching between MPBC patients and TNBC patients was performed.

Results

A total of 857 female patients (76 MPBC patients and 781 TNBC patients) were included in this study. A subgroup of triple‐negative MPBC (n  =  60) was matched with TNBC (n  =  180) cases based on patient characteristics and treatments. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that the MPBC group was associated with worse OS and DFS before (P  =  0.0046 both) and after (P  =  0.011 and P  =  0.0046, respectively) PSM. Multivariable analysis revealed that a higher T stage (T > 2) (P  =  0.032) and higher lymph node stage (N3 vs. N0‐2, P  =  0.012) were associated with worse OS after PSM. For DFS, the MPBC group (P  =  0.012), higher T stage (T > 2) (P  =  0.032), and higher lymph node stage (N3 vs. N0‐2, P  =  0.045) were associated with worse DFS. Among the 76 MPBC patients, a higher T stage and mesenchymal differentiation were associated with worse OS (pT1/2 vs. pT3/4 and mesenchymal differentiation vs. other subtypes, P  =  0.007 and P  =  0.011, respectively).

Conclusions

Compared with TNBC, MPBC was associated with worse OS and DFS. Mesenchymal differentiation has a worse DFS than other subtypes of MPBC.
To shield or not to shield: shielding may have unintended effects on patient dose in CT
Authors: Larjava Heli Riitta Sinikka , Eneh Chibuzor T. M. , Niiniviita Hannele M.
Published: September 2023

Objectives

The aim of the patient out-of-plane shield is to reduce the patient radiation dose. Its effect on tube current modulation was evaluated with the out-of-plane shield visible in the localizer but absent in the scan range in chest CT with different CT scanners.

Methods

An anthropomorphic phantom was scanned with six different CT scanners from three different vendors. The chest was first scanned without any shielding, and then with the out-of-plane shield within the localizer but outside the imaged volume. All pitch values of each scanner were used. The tube current values with and without the out-of-plane shield were collected and used to evaluate the effect of overscanning and tube current modulation (TCM) on patient radiation dose.

Results

The highest increase in cumulative mA was 217%, when the pitch was 1.531. The tube current value increased already 8.9 cm before the end of the scanned anatomy and the difference between the tube current of the last slices (with and without the out-of-plane shield in the localizer) was 976%.

Conclusion

Applying an out-of-plane shield outside the scanned volume but visible in the localizer images may increase the patient dose considerably if the scanner’s TCM function is based only on localizer images.

Clinical relevance statement

The use of an out-of-plane shield in CT may strongly increase the tube current modulation and thus provide the patient with a higher radiation dose.

Key Points

• Applying an out-of-plane shield outside the scanned volume but visible in the localizer images may increase patient radiation dose considerably.

• The effect is visible with scanners that use solely localizer-based tube current modulation.

• Features like overscanning may be difficult for the user to notice when planning the scanning, and yet they may affect tube current modulation and through it to patient dose.
Bone turnover in lactating and nonlactating women
Authors: Nerius Lena , Vogel Mandy , Ceglarek Uta , Kiess Wieland , Biemann Ronald , Stepan Holger , Kratzsch Jürgen
Published: September 2023

Purpose

During lactation, bone turnover increases, reflecting the mobilization of Calcium from maternal skeletal stores and resulting in bone loss. However, mechanisms are not yet fully understood, and previous studies have been comparatively small. We aim to assess bone metabolism during lactation by comparing bone-metabolism-related-parameters between large cohorts of lactating and nonlactating women.

Methods

In a retrospective cohort study, we recruited 779 postpartum women and 742 healthy, nonpregnant, nonlactating controls. Postpartum women were examined 3 and 6 months after delivery and retrospectively assigned to either the exclusively breastfeeding (exc-bf) group if they had exclusively breastfed or the nonexclusively breastfeeding (nonexc-bf) group if they had not exclusively breastfed up to the respective visit. Serum levels of PTH, Estradiol, total Calcium, Phosphate, and bone turnover markers (ßCTX, P1NP, Osteocalcin) were compared between the groups.

Results

Bone turnover markers were significantly increased in exc-bf and nonexc-bf women compared with the controls (all ps < .001). ßCTX was approximately twice as high in exc-bf women than in the controls. PTH levels were marginally higher in exc-bf (p < .001) and nonexc-bf women (p = .003) compared with the controls (6 months). Estradiol was suppressed in exc-bf women compared with the controls (p < .001, 3 months).

Conclusion

Exc-bf and even nonexc-bf states are characterized by an increase in bone formation and resorption markers. The PTH data distribution of exc-bf, nonexc-bf, and control groups in the underpart of the reference range suggest that lactational bone loss is relatively independent of PTH.
Ochratoxin A biodegradation by Agaricus campestris and statistical optimization of cultural variables
Authors: Söylemez Tuncay , Yamaç Mustafa , Eninanç Ayşe Betül , Yıldız Zeki
Published: September 2023

The goal of this study is to identify the optimum conditions for ochratoxin A (OTA) biodegradation by the supernatant of Agaricus campestris strain. The Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken methods were used to determine optimum OTA degradation conditions of Agaricus campestris under various incubation conditions. The Plackett–Burman method was planned through 16 varied experiments with 15 variants. The three most potent variants, sucrose, yeast extract and wheat bran, were selected using the Box–Behnken methodology. Ochratoxin A biodegradation ratio of 46.67% has been specified in only 1 h under ideal growing conditions. This is the first report on the optimization of OTA biodegradation by Agaricus campestris. When compared to previously published articles, it can be asserted that Agaricus campestris has promise based on its OTA biodegradation ratio in only 1 h of reaction time.
Effects of a homework implementation method (MITCA) on school engagement
Authors: Vieites T. , Díaz-Freire F. M. , Rodríguez S. , Rodríguez-Llorente C. , Valle A.
Published: September 2023

MITCA (homework implementation method) was born with the purpose of turning homework into an educational resource capable of improving the self-regulation of learning and the school engagement of students. In this article, following the current theoretical framework, we evaluate the impact of the MITCA method on school engagement in students in the 5th and 6th years of Primary Education. While the control group of students who did not participate in the 12 weeks of MITCA (N = 431; 61% of 5th grade) worsened significantly in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, these pre-post differences do not reach significance for the group that has participated in MITCA, even observing a tendency to improve. After the intervention, the students who participated in MITCA (N = 533; 50.6% of 5th grade) reported greater emotional and behavioral engagement than the students in the control group. MITCA students showed positive emotions, were happier in school and were more interested in the classroom, paid more attention in class, and were more attentive to school rules. The conditions of the tasks’ prescription proposed by MITCA would not only restrain the lack of engagement but would also improve students’ emotional and behavioral engagement in school found in the last years of Primary Education. In the light of the results, a series of educational strategies related to the characteristics of these tasks, such as the frequency of prescription and the type of correction are proposed.
Biomechanical characterization of tissue types in murine dissecting aneurysms based on histology and 4D ultrasound-derived strain
Authors: Hegner Achim , Cebull Hannah L. , Gámez Antonio J. , Blase Christopher , Goergen Craig J. , Wittek Andreas
Published: September 2023

Abdominal aortic aneurysm disease is the local enlargement of the aorta, typically in the infrarenal section, causing up to 200,000 deaths/year. In vivo information to characterize the individual elastic properties of the aneurysm wall in terms of rupture risk is lacking. We used a method that combines 4D ultrasound and direct deformation estimation to compute in vivo 3D Green-Lagrange strain in murine angiotensin II-induced dissecting aortic aneurysms, a commonly used mouse model. After euthanasia, histological staining of cross-sectional sections along the aorta was performed in areas where in vivo strains had previously been measured. The histological sections were segmented into intact and fragmented elastin, thrombus with and without red blood cells, and outer vessel wall including the adventitia. Meshes were then created from the individual contours based on the histological segmentations. The isolated contours of the outer wall and lumen from both imaging modalities were registered individually using a coherent point drift algorithm. 2D finite element models were generated from the meshes, and the displacements from the registration were used as displacement boundaries of the lumen and wall contours. Based on the resulting deformed contours, the strains recorded were grouped according to segmented tissue regions. Strains were highest in areas containing intact elastin without thrombus attachment. Strains in areas with intact elastin and thrombus attachment, as well as areas with disrupted elastin, were significantly lower. Strains in thrombus regions with red blood cells were significantly higher compared to thrombus regions without. We then compared this analysis to statistical distribution indices and found that the results of each aligned, elucidating the relationship between vessel strain and structural changes. This work demonstrates the possibility of advancing in vivo assessments to a microstructural level ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Triggers affecting crayfish burrowing behaviour
Authors: Peeters Edwin T. H. M. , de Vries Robin , Elzinga Jesper , Ludányi Mercédesz , van Himbeeck Robbert , Roessink Ivo
Published: September 2023

Surface water inhabiting crayfish are well-known for the impact on their surroundings. This impact has been related to loss of biodiversity and deteriorating water quality for invasive crayfish. Crayfish dig burrows for various reasons like lack of natural shelters, avoiding an upcoming drought, or high crayfish density and this may lead to increased sediment transport and accelerated bank instability. All crayfish are considered to have burrowing capability, but not all species have been observed burrowing. Studies comparing this behaviour among different species in standardized ways are scarce. Crayfish burrowing was investigated under standardized laboratory conditions to reveal differences among species and their sex. All studied species occur in the Netherlands and were the native Astacus astacus (Linnaeus, 1758), the Eurasian Pontastacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823) and the invasive North American Faxonius virilis (Hagen, 1870), F. limosus (Rafinesque 1817), Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852), Procambarus acutus (Girard 1852), and P. clarkii (Girard, 1852). As burrowing triggers were evaluated presence of shelter, increased light intensity, increased water temperature, and increased crayfish density. Results showed species-specific and sometimes sex-specific differences in burrowing behaviour among crayfish. The response to burrowing triggers was also species-specific and no two species reacted identical to all triggers. Absence of shelter was a strong driver to burrow for A. astacus, F. limosus and F. virilis, while increased light intensity triggered burrowing behaviour in P. leptodactylus, P. acutus and P. clarkii and lowered activity of F. limosus. Burrowing behaviour of P. clarkii was mostly influenced by increased water temperature. Significant differences between females and males were observed for P. leptodactylus, P. leniusculus and P. acutus in the shelter, increased density and increased water temperature treatment, respectively. Understanding the triggers that invoke burrowing may help managing populations of these invasive species.
Dose-related responses of broiler chickens to black velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) stem bark supplementation: carcass characteristics, organ weight and intestinal biometry
Authors: Ogbuewu Ifeanyichukwu P. , Mbajiorgu Christian A.
Published: September 2023

Carcass characteristics, organ weights, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with black velvet tamarind (Dialium guineense) stem bark (BSB) were assessed. Two hundred, day-old Ross 308 broilers were divided into 4 groups of 50 chickens, and each group replicated five times. Each group were assigned to one experimental diet in a completely randomised design designated T0 (0), T1 (0.5), T2 (1.0) and T3 (1.5 g BSB/kg feed). Data obtained on carcass characteristics, organ weights, and intestinal biometry were analysed statistically. Results showed that BSB was low in crude protein (6.42%) and high in crude fibre (30.65%) and ash (9.35%). Broiler chickens fed diet T1 had significantly higher (P < 0.05) breast and drumstick weights than those offered the other 3 diets. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the abdominal fat pad, liver, proventriculus, gizzard weight, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens in all the groups. Results also showed that dietary BSB supplementation level had a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) on breast, drumstick, liver, proventriculus weight, abdominal fat pad, and intestinal biometry of broiler chickens. In contrast, dietary BSB supplementation levels had linear effect (P < 0.05) on gizzard weight. It can be concluded that BSB is rich in ash and fibre, and is suitable as a feed additive in broiler chicken diets at a level not beyond 0.5 g/kg feed for best organ weight, carcass yield, intestinal biometry. Thus, there is potential to utilize BSB for improved productivity of broiler chickens.
Prominent Themes and Blind Spots in Diversity and Inclusion Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: van Bommel H. M. , Hubers F. , Maas K. E. H.
Published: September 2023

This study aims to examine the development of diversity and inclusion (D&I) literature and identify its prominent themes and blind spots. The research was conducted using bibliometric analysis on the Web of Science database and included 2510 publications. Results showed that the development of D&I literature had increased exponentially since the 1960s, mainly due to different political and societal events. The geographic development showed that research was primarily conducted in developed countries where quotas and other legislation are implemented. The thematic development revealed a stable but narrow focus on diversity management, board diversity, and team diversity, with little attention to inclusion. The keyword analysis strongly emphasized surface-level diversity, such as gender, race, and cultural diversity, while deep-level diversity received less attention. This study concludes that previous D&I literature has mainly focused on the financial effects of D&I and neglected other elements, such as the effects on social performance, its ethical implications, and the relationship between diversity and inclusion. The study recommends future research to expand the interpretation of diversity, examine the relationship between diversity and inclusion, and explore the effects of diversity on non-financial outcomes such as social performance and ethics. This study provides a valuable contribution to the field of business ethics by highlighting the blind spots in D&I literature and encouraging future research to consider the ethical implications of diversity in the workplace.
Assessing Household’s Municipal Waste Segregation Intentions in Metropolitan Cities of Pakistan: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Akmal Tanzila , Jamil Faisal , Raza Muhammad Haseeb , Magazzino Cosimo , Hussain Babar
Published: September 2023

There is a growing concern about inappropriate waste disposal and its negative impact on human health and the environment. The objective of this study is to understand household waste segregation intention considering psychological, institutional, and situational factors simultaneously. Insights into the motivations of household waste segregation drivers may assist in a better knowledge of how to pursue the most efficient and effective initiatives. For this purpose, data from a representative sample comprising 849 households is obtained from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). The empirical analysis employs a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, showing that policy instruments have significant direct and indirect impacts on households’ segregation intentions. The results highlight that government policy instruments strengthen personal and perceived norms for waste segregation intentions, resulting in an external intervention that would encourage intrinsic motivation. Therefore, policy actions become the main entry point for initiating waste segregation behavior. Public policy must continue to emphasize waste segregation since it may help resource recovery. This is imperative because the environment is a shared resource, and its conservation increases social welfare.
Hungarian population norms for the 15D generic preference-accompanied health status measure
Authors: Nikl Anna , Janssen Mathieu F. , Brodszky Valentin , Rencz Fanni
Published: September 2023

Objectives

15D is a generic preference-accompanied health status measure covering a wide range of health areas, including sensory functions. The aim of this study was to establish population norms for the 15D instrument in Hungary.

Methods

2000 members of the Hungarian adult general population participated in an online cross-sectional survey in August 2021. The sample was broadly representative in terms of gender, age groups, highest level of education, geographical region, and settlement type. Index values were derived using the Norwegian 15D value set. In addition to providing population norms, mean index values were computed for 32 physical and 24 mental health condition groups.

Results

Most respondents (78.7%) reported problems in at least one 15D domain. The most problems were reported with sleeping (50.7%), followed by vitality (49.2%), distress (43.6%), discomfort and symptoms (31.2%), depression (31.1%), sexual activities (29.6%), breathing (28.1%), and vision (27.8%). The mean 15D index value was 0.810. With advancing age categories, the 15D index values showed an inverse U-shaped curve. Generally, mean index values in respondents with mental health conditions were lower [range 0.299 (post-traumatic stress disorder) to 0.757 (smoking addiction)] than those of respondents with physical conditions [range 0.557 (liver cirrhosis) to 0.764 (allergies)].

Conclusions

This study provided 15D population norms of the Hungarian general population; furthermore, this is the first study to provide population norms for the 15D in any country. The values established in this study can serve as benchmarks for evaluating efficacy outcomes in clinical trials, quantifying disease burden and identifying unmet needs.
A curated multivariate approach to study efficacy and optimisation of a prototype vaccine against teladorsagiasis in sheep
Authors: Palarea-Albaladejo Javier , McNeilly Tom N. , Nisbet Alasdair J.
Published: September 2023

This work discusses and demonstrates the novel use of multivariate analysis and data dimensionality reduction techniques to handle the variety and complexity of data generated in efficacy trials for the development of a prototype vaccine to protect sheep against theTeladorsagia circumcinctanematode. A curated collection of data dimension reduction and visualisation techniques, in conjunction with sensible statistical modelling and testing which explicitly model key features of the data, offers a synthetic view of the relationships between the multiple biological parameters measured. New biological insight is gained into the patterns and associations involving antigen-specific antibody levels, antibody avidity and parasitological parameters of efficacy that is not achievable by standard statistical practice in the field. This approach can therefore be used to guide vaccine refinement and simplification through identifying the most immunologically relevant antigens, and it can be analogously implemented for similar studies in other areas. To facilitate this, the associated data and computer codes written for the R open system for statistical computing are made freely available.
Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) Across China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran: Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Measurement Invariance, and Network Analysis
Authors: Li Li , Chen I-Hua , Mamun Mohammed A. , al Mamun Firoj , Ullah Irfan , Hosen Ismail , Malik Najma Iqbal , Fatima Abiha , Poorebrahim Ali , Pourgholami Morteza , Potenza Marc N. , Lin Chung-Ying , Pakpour Amir H.
Published: September 2023

The popularity and advancement of smartphones generate a new phenomenon of smartphone addiction. To promote early identification of individuals at risk of smartphone addiction, healthcare providers could assess if an individual has nomophobia (i.e., anxiety and worry of having no smartphone at hand). The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) across four countries: China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran. Via cross-sectional design and convenience sampling, 7871 participants (5969 Chinese, 534 Bangladeshi, 666 Pakistani, and 702 Iranian) completed the NMP-Q. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and network analysis were used to examine the psychometric properties of the NMP-Q across the four countries. CFA identified a four-factor structure (Tucker-Lewis index = 0.934, comparative fit index = 0.943, standardized root mean square residual = 0.037, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.079) for the NMP-Q, and the four-factor structure was measurement invariant across genders and countries. Network analysis results supported the CFA findings via visualized correlations among the NMP-Q items. The four-factor structure of the NMP-Q was consistently found in the four countries of China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iran, indicating that the NMP-Q includes four specific domains. Measurement invariance suggests the NMP-Q may effectively assess nomophobia across genders and countries.
Mathematical Characterization of Private and Public Immune Receptor Sequences
Authors: Böttcher Lucas , Wald Sascha , Chou Tom
Published: September 2023

Diverse T and B cell repertoires play an important role in mounting effective immune responses against a wide range of pathogens and malignant cells. The number of unique T and B cell clones is characterized by T and B cell receptors (TCRs and BCRs), respectively. Although receptor sequences are generated probabilistically by recombination processes, clinical studies found a high degree of sharing of TCRs and BCRs among different individuals. In this work, we use a general probabilistic model for T/B cell receptor clone abundances to define “publicness” or “privateness” and information-theoretic measures for comparing the frequency of sampled sequences observed across different individuals. We derive mathematical formulae to quantify the mean and the variances of clone richness and overlap. Our results can be used to evaluate the effect of different sampling protocols on abundances of clones within an individual as well as the commonality of clones across individuals. Using synthetic and empirical TCR amino acid sequence data, we perform simulations to study expected clonal commonalities across multiple individuals. Based on our formulae, we compare these simulated results with the analytically predicted mean and variances of the repertoire overlap. Complementing the results on simulated repertoires, we derive explicit expressions for the richness and its uncertainty for specific, single-parameter truncated power-law probability distributions. Finally, the information loss associated with grouping together certain receptor sequences, as is done in spectratyping, is also evaluated. Our approach can be, in principle, applied under more general and mechanistically realistic clone generation models.
Selbstbezug in videobasierten Unterrichtsreflexionen von Lehramtsstudierenden im Bachelor
Authors: Merkert Alexandra , Lohse-Bossenz Hendrik , Neuber Katharina , Lenske Gerlinde
Published: September 2023

Die Reflexion von Unterrichtsvideos hat sich als wichtiges Instrument zur Verbindung von Theorie und Praxis im Lehramtsstudium etabliert. Videos ermöglichen es, Unterrichtssituationen theoriebasiert zu analysieren, d. h. Lehrhandlungen und deren Folgen zu beschreiben, zu interpretieren und ggf. Handlungsalternativen zu entwickeln. Sie erlauben eine Art stellvertretende Erfahrung, die einer anschließenden Reflexion zugänglich ist. Neben den genannten analytischen mentalen Prozessen verlangt Unterrichtsreflexion auch, dass die stellvertretenden Erfahrungen bzw. die daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnisse auf die eigene Person bezogen werden. Dieser Selbstbezug kann als ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Reflexionsprozesses betrachtet werden. Näher zu erforschen gilt es, welche Dimensionen hinsichtlich des Selbstbezugs unterschieden werden können und inwiefern es Lehramtsstudierenden bereits zu Beginn ihres Studiums gelingt, diesen vertieft herzustellen. Analysiert wurden dazu die qualitativen Daten von 133 Lehramtsstudierenden im Bachelor. Klassifiziert und empirisch besetzt werden konnten fünf Dimensionen des Selbstbezugs (1. Kompetenzen, 2. Passung und Identifikation, 3. Werte und Überzeugungen, 4. persönlicher Lerneffekt und 5. Emotionen). Diese sind potenziell für Erweiterungen offen. Betrachtet wurde außerdem die Tiefe der Selbstbezüge. Im Rahmen von Korrelationsanalysen wurde darüber hinaus ihr Zusammenhang mit dem situationalen Interesse sowie der Motivation, einen Selbstbezug herzustellen, untersucht. Erwartungsgemäß verfassten situational stärker interessierte und zur Herstellung eines Selbstbezugs motivierte Studierende tendenziell umfangreichere Selbstbezüge. Die Mehrheit fokussierte sich jedoch auf eine Dimension. Es gelang allerdings nicht allen Studierenden, einen Selbstbezug herzustellen. Das entwickelte Analyseschema steht auch zukünftigen Forschungsprojekten zur Verfügung und ist auf Basis des Interraterverfahrens als hinreichend intersubjektiv nachvollziehbar zu bezeichnen. Die klassifizierten Dimensionen können darüber hinaus als Anregung für die Reflexion von (videographierten) Unterrichtssituationen in Studium und Weiterbildung genutzt werden.
Energy Production Features of Miscanthus Pellets Blended with Pine Sawdust
Authors: Mohammadi Ali , Anukam Anthony Ike , Ojemaye Mike , Nyamukamba Pardon , Yamada Toshihiko
Published: September 2023

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the qualities of Miscanthus pellets blended with pine sawdust at various ratios (Miscanthus/pine sawdust—0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and 100:0) and relate them to energy generation potential under typical production conditions of the widely used bioenergy production technologies according to literature. Samples of each material were milled to the required sizes and blended in the proportions mentioned above. Water was added (6%) to each mixture to achieve a uniform moisture content of 10% on wet basis. The mixtures were then subjected to pressure agglomeration in the form of mechanical compression using a single pellet press so that homogeneously sized fuel pellets were obtained. Thereafter, the pure and blended pellet samples were examined using a range of analytical techniques to reveal any alterations in characteristics important to the utilization of the pellets as a green energy source. The results showed that, although temperature variations generally caused an estimated 6% moisture loss on a wet basis during pelleting with positive influence on the features of the pellets, the quality of the pellets in terms of ash composition (2–4%), hardness (41–46 kg/pellet), and heating value (20–21 MJ/kg) was in general more desirable for the blended pellets than for pure Miscanthus pellet. Structural analysis also revealed low levels of hydrophobic groups in the blends relative to pure Miscanthus, which were consistent with the fractions of pine sawdust and were also the reason for the pellets’ increased hardness.
Myeloid sarcoma and pathological fracture: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Takeyasu Sho , Morita Ken , Saito Seitaro , Toho Masanori , Oyama Takashi , Obo Takafumi , Taoka Kazuki , Shimura Arika , Maki Hiroaki , Shibata Eisuke , Watanabe Yusuke , Suzuki Fumio , Zhang Liuzhe , Kobayashi Hiroshi , Hinata Munetoshi , Kurokawa Mineo
Published: September 2023

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare clinical entity that presents as an isolated proliferation of leukemic cells, concurrently with or at relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Myeloid sarcoma disrupts the normal architecture of its surrounding tissues. When it forms in long bones, it can cause their pathological fracture. We recently experienced a rare case of MDS presenting with myeloid sarcoma in the femur that eventually resulted in its pathological fracture. Detailed chromosomal analysis of the bone marrow cells suggested emergence of myeloid sarcoma during the fast-paced progression of MDS just after acquiring trisomy 22. A comprehensive review of previous cases of myeloid sarcoma-associated pathological fracture indicated possible involvement of structural rearrangements of chromosomes 9 and 22. Management of myeloid sarcoma should continue to improve, and clinicians should note that myeloid sarcoma with specific chromosomal alterations needs extra medical attention to prevent pathological fracture.
Development of a thyroid cancer prognostic model based on the mitophagy-associated differentially expressed genes
Authors: Sun Wencong , Wang Xinhui , Li Guoqing , Ding Chao , Wang Yichen , Su Zijie , Xue Meifang
Published: September 2023

Background

The prevalence of thyroid cancer (ThyC), a frequent malignant tumor of the endocrine system, has been rapidly increasing over time. The mitophagy pathway is reported to play a critical role in ThyC onset and progression in many studies. This research aims to create a mitophagy-related survival prediction model for ThyC patients.

Methods

Genes connected to mitophagy were found in the GeneCards database. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases provided information on the expression patterns of ThyC-related genes. To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), R software was employed. The prognostic significance of each DEG was assessed using the prognostic K-M curve. The prognostic model was built using LASSO, ROC, univariate, and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Finally, a nomogram model was developed to predict the survival outcome of ThyC patients in the clinical setting.

Results

Through differential analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, we screened 10 key genes related to mitophagy in ThyC. The risk model was eventually developed using LASSO and Cox regression analyses based on the six DEGs related to mitophagy. An altered expression level of a mitophagy-related prognostic gene, GGCT, was found to be the most significant one, according to the KM survival curve analysis. An immunohistochemical (IHC) investigation revealed that ThyC tissues expressed higher levels of GGCT than normal thyroid tissues. The ROC curve verified the satisfactory performance of the model in survival prediction. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the pathological grade, residual tumor volume, and initial tumor lesion type were significantly linked to the prognosis. Finally, we created a nomogram to predict the overall survival rate of ThyC patients at 3-, 5-, and 7- year time points.

Conclusion

The nomogram risk prediction model was developed to precisely predict the survival rate of ThyC patients. The model was validated based on the most significant DEG GGCT gene expression in ThyC. This model may serve as a guide for the creation of precise treatment plans for ThyC patients.
Optimal allocation model and method for parallel ‘reservoir and pumping station’ irrigation system under insufficient irrigation conditions
Authors: Wei Cong , Ge Hengjun , Cheng Jilin , Zhang Shaoqing
Published: September 2023

The effective regulation and storage of water resources by reservoirs in arid and semi-arid areas is important for alleviating water resource shortages. In this paper, multiple irrigation reservoirs and pumping stations are evaluated, according to their special hydraulic connections and used to establish the water resources optimal allocation model of the parallel ‘reservoir and pumping station’ irrigation system. The mathematical model takes the maximum total income of the whole irrigation area as the objective function, the water supply and spill of the reservoir and the water replenishment of the pumping station as the decision variables, and the system water supply, agricultural water rights, reservoir operation criteria as the constraints. A new multilevel decomposition aggregation dynamic programming (MDADP) algorithm is proposed to solve the complex nonlinear model and is compared with the real-coded genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, cat swarm optimization and whale optimization algorithm. From the analysis of optimality and the applicability of the algorithm, MDADP was found to be more suitable than the above heuristic models for solving problems in the field of the optimal allocation of water resources.
A federated approach for detecting data hidden in icons of mobile applications delivered via web and multiple stores
Authors: Cassavia Nunziato , Caviglione Luca , Guarascio Massimo , Liguori Angelica , Manco Giuseppe , Zuppelli Marco
Published: September 2023

An increasing volume of malicious software exploits information hiding techniques to cloak additional attack stages or bypass frameworks enforcing security. This trend has intensified with the growing diffusion of mobile ecosystems, and many threat actors now conceal scripts or configuration data within high-resolution icons. Even if machine learning has proven to be effective in detecting various hidden payloads, modern mobile scenarios pose further challenges in terms of scalability and privacy. In fact, applications can be retrieved from multiple stores or directly from the Web or social media. Therefore, this paper introduces an approach based on federated learning to reveal information hidden in high-resolution icons bundled with mobile applications. Specifically, multiple nodes are used to mitigate the impact of different privacy regulations, the lack of comprehensive datasets, or the computational burden arising from distributed stores and unofficial repositories. Results collected through simulations indicate that our approach achieves performances similar to those of centralized blueprints. Moreover, federated learning demonstrated its effectiveness in coping with simple “obfuscation” schemes like Base64 encoding and zip compression used by attackers to avoid detection.
Fourier method for the Neumann problem on a torus
Authors: Ashtab Z. , Morais J. , Porter R. Michael
Published: September 2023

The Fourier method approach to the Neumann problem for the Laplacian operator in the case of a solid torus contrasts in many respects with the much more straight forward situation of a ball in 3-space. Although the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map can be readily expressed in terms of series expansions with toroidal harmonics, we show that the resulting equations contain undetermined parameters which cannot be calculated algebraically. A method for rapidly computing numerical solutions of the Neumann problem is presented with numerical illustrations. The results for interior and exterior domains combine to provide a solution for the Neumann problem for the case of a shell between two tori.
Discriminative performance of pancreatic stone protein in predicting ICU mortality and infection severity in adult patients with infection: a systematic review and individual patient level meta-analysis
Authors: Zuercher Patrick , Moser André , Garcia de Guadiana-Romualdo Luis , Llewelyn Martin J. , Graf Rolf , Reding Theresia , Eggimann Philippe , Que Yok-Ai , Prazak Josef
Published: September 2023

Background

Several studies suggested pancreatic stone protein (PSP) as a promising biomarker to predict mortality among patients with severe infection. The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of PSP in predicting intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and infection severity among critically ill adults admitted to the hospital for infection.

Methods

A systematic search across Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and MEDLINE databases (1966 to February 2022) for studies on PSP published in English using ‘pancreatic stone protein’, ‘PSP’, ‘regenerative protein’, ‘lithostatin’ combined with ‘infection’ and ‘sepsis’ found 46 records. The search was restricted to the five trials that measured PSP using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique (ELISA). We used Bayesian hierarchical regression models for pooled estimates and to predict mortality or disease severity using PSP, C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) as main predictor. We used statistical discriminative measures, such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and classification plots.

Results

Among the 678 patients included, the pooled ICU mortality was 17.8% (95% prediction interval 4.1% to 54.6%) with a between-study heterogeneity (I-squared 87%). PSP was strongly associated with ICU mortality (OR = 2.7, 95% credible interval (CrI) [1.3–6.0] per one standard deviation increase; age, gender and sepsis severity adjusted OR = 1.5, 95% CrI [0.98–2.8]). The AUC was 0.69 for PSP 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.64–0.74], 0.61 [0.56–0.66] for PCT and 0.52 [0.47–0.57] for CRP. The sensitivity was 0.96, 0.52, 0.30 for risk thresholds 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3; respective false positive rate values were 0.84, 0.25, 0.10.

Conclusions

We found that PSP showed a very good discriminative ability for both investigated study endpoints ICU mortality and infection severity; better in comparison to CRP, similar to PCT. Combinations of biomarkers did not improve their predictive ability.
Herding behavior in the cryptocurrency market: the case of the Russia–Ukraine conflict
Authors: Le Hanh-Hong , Nguyen Binh Thanh , Thien Nguyen Nhan
Published: September 2023

This study investigates the herding behavior in the cryptocurrency market during the period of the Russia and Ukraine conflict using intraday cryptocurrency price data of the five largest cryptocurrencies in terms of market capitalization. The empirical results indicate an anti-herding behavior during the whole period of the conflict, especially after the conflict officially happens. The research contributes to the growing literature on herding behavior in the cryptocurrency market by using intraday data and examining the Russia–Ukraine conflict period.
Synchronous Chanting in Indonesian Social Movement Repertoires: A Tool for Emoting and for Manipulating Emoters
Authors: Angkasa William
Published: September 2023

Chanting has been in existence since time immemorial and is thought to emerge as a way to convey information about visceral and affective states. Chanting synchronously allows participants to synchronize their actions and affective states for it requires them to actively and coordinatively participate in it. This phenomenon can be observed in various social rituals across times and cultures all around the world, including in social movement repertoires, such as demonstrations and street protests. Since emotions play a pivotal role in social movements, gaining insights into how chanting can be used as a “tool” for emoting and evoking emotions in such contexts is useful. For this purpose, the lens of situated cognition and affectivity is used to analyze how activists' interactions during occurrences of synchronous chanting facilitate distributed emotions among the participating chanters. Looking at cases of social movements in Indonesia, a multi-ethnic nation-state, which has its own demonstration culture embedded in its sociocultural-historical context, it is argued that synchronous chanting as an emoting tool is coupled to Indonesian activists of various groups. Some of these chants even date back to more than two decades ago, beginning when Indonesian youth fought against the despotic regime of President Suharto and his New Order, to hundreds of years ago when the founding fathers fought against colonialism. Based on the said framework, the analysis concludes that synchronous chanting can be used as a tool for not only emoting but also manipulating people.