bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerebral activation caused by dental sounds: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Karibe Hiroyuki , Koeda Michihiko , Kato Yuichi , Hama Tomoko , Tanaka Satoshi , Tateno Amane , Suzuki Hidenori , Okubo Yoshiro
Published: February 2024

Dental drilling sounds can induce anxiety in some patients. This study aimed to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess the relationship between dental fear and auditory stimuli. Thirty-four right-handed individuals (21 women and 13 men; average age, 31.2 years) were selected. The level of dental fear was assessed using the dental fear survey (DFS). Based on a threshold DFS score > 52, participants were categorized into two groups: dental fear (DF) group (n = 12) and control group (n = 22). Two types of stimuli were presented in a single session: dental and neutral sounds. Cerebral activation during the presentation of these sounds was evaluated using contrast-enhanced blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI. In the DF group, dental sounds induced significantly stronger activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus (one-sample t test, P < 0.001). In contrast, in the control group, significantly stronger activation was observed in the bilateral Heschl’s gyri and left middle frontal gyrus (one-sample t test, P < 0.001). Additionally, a two-sample t test revealed that dental sounds induced a significantly stronger activation in the left caudate nucleus in the DF group than in the control group (P < 0.005). These findings suggest that the cerebral activation pattern in individuals with DF differs from that in controls. Increased activation of subcortical regions may be associated with sound memory during dental treatment.
Toward an ontology for EA modeling and EA model quality
Authors: Schoonderbeek Jan A. H. , Proper Henderik A.
Published: February 2024

Models have long since been used, in different shapes and forms, to understand, communicate about, and (re)shape, the world around us; including many different social, economic, biological, chemical, physical, and digital aspects. This is also the case in the context of enterprise architecture (EA), where we see a wide range of models in many different shapes and forms being used as well. Researchers in EA modeling usually introduce their own lexicon, and perspective of what a model actually is, while accepting (often implicitly) the accompanying ontological commitments. Similarly, practitioners of EA modeling implicitly also commit to (different) ontologies, resulting in models that have an uncertain ontological standing. This is because, for the subject domain of enterprise architecture models (as opposed to the content of such models), no single ontology has gained major traction. As a result, studies into aspects of enterprise architecture models, such as “model quality” and “return on modeling effort”, are fragmented, and cannot readily be compared or combined. This paper proposes a comprehensive applied ontology, specifically geared to enterprise architecture modeling. Ontologies represent structured knowledge about a particular subject domain. It allows for study into, and reasoning about, that subject domain. Our ontology is derived from a theory of modeling, while clarifying concepts such as “enterprise architecture model”, and introduces novel concepts such as “model audience” and “model objective”. Furthermore, the relevant interrelations between these different concepts are identified and defined. The resulting ontology for enterprise architecture models is represented in OntoUML, and shown to be consistent with the foundational ontology for modeling, Unified Foundational Ontology.
Deep learning based computer aided diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: a snapshot of last 5 years, gaps, and future directions
Authors: Bhandarkar Anish , Naik Pratham , Vakkund Kavita , Junjappanavar Srasthi , Bakare Savita , Pattar Santosh
Published: February 2024

Alzheimer’s disease affects around one in every nine persons among the elderly population. Being a neurodegenerative disease, its cure has not been established till date and is managed through supportive care by the health care providers. Thus, early diagnosis of this disease is a crucial step towards its treatment plan. There exist several diagnostic procedures viz., clinical, scans, biomedical, psychological, and others for the disease’s detection. Computer-aided diagnostic techniques aid in the early detection of this disease and in the past, several such mechanisms have been proposed. These techniques utilize machine learning models to develop a disease classification system. However, the focus of these systems has now gradually shifted to the newer deep learning models. In this regards, this article aims in providing a comprehensive review of the present state-of-the-art techniques as a snapshot of the last 5 years. It also summarizes various tools and datasets available for the development of the early diagnostic systems that provide fundamentals of this field to a novice researcher. Finally, we discussed the need for exploring biomarkers, identification and extraction of relevant features, trade-off between traditional machine learning and deep learning models and the essence of multimodal datasets. This enables both medical, engineering researchers and developers to address the identified gaps and develop an effective diagnostic system for the Alzheimer’s disease.
Autoencoders and their applications in machine learning: a survey
Authors: Berahmand Kamal , Daneshfar Fatemeh , Salehi Elaheh Sadat , Li Yuefeng , Xu Yue
Published: February 2024

Autoencoders have become a hot researched topic in unsupervised learning due to their ability to learn data features and act as a dimensionality reduction method. With rapid evolution of autoencoder methods, there has yet to be a complete study that provides a full autoencoders roadmap for both stimulating technical improvements and orienting research newbies to autoencoders. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of autoencoders, starting with an explanation of the principle of conventional autoencoder and their primary development process. We then provide a taxonomy of autoencoders based on their structures and principles and thoroughly analyze and discuss the related models. Furthermore, we review the applications of autoencoders in various fields, including machine vision, natural language processing, complex network, recommender system, speech process, anomaly detection, and others. Lastly, we summarize the limitations of current autoencoder algorithms and discuss the future directions of the field.
UoloNet: based on multi-tasking enhanced small target medical segmentation model
Authors: Zhang Kejia , Zhang Lan , Pan Haiwei
Published: February 2024

In recent years, UNET (Ronneberger et al. 2015) and its derivative models have been widely used in medical image segmentation with more superficial structures and excellent segmentation results. Due to the lack of modeling for the overall characteristics of the target, the division tasks of minor marks will produce some discrete noise points, resulting in a decline in model accuracy and application effects. We propose a multi-tasking medical image analysis model UoloNet, a YOLO-based (Redmon et al. 2016; Shafiee et al. 2017) object detection branch is added based on UNET. The shared learning of the two tasks through semantic segmentation and object detection has promoted the model’s mastery of the overall characteristics of the target. In the reasoning stage, merging the two functions of object detection and semantic segmentation can effectively remove discrete noise points in the division and enhance the accuracy of semantic segmentation. In the future, the object detection task will be the problem of excessive convergence of semantic segmentation tasks. The model uses CIOU (Zheng et al. 2020) losses instead of IOU losses in YOLO, which further improves the model’s overall accuracy. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified both in the MRI dataset SEHPI, which we posted and in the public dataset LITS (Christ 2017).
Software development metrics: to VR or not to VR
Authors: Moreno-Lumbreras David , Robles Gregorio , Izquierdo-Cortázar Daniel , Gonzalez-Barahona Jesus M.
Published: February 2024

Context

Current data visualization interfaces predominantly rely on 2-D screens. However, the emergence of virtual reality (VR) devices capable of immersive data visualization has sparked interest in exploring their suitability for visualizing software development data. Despite this, there is a lack of detailed investigation into the effectiveness of VR devices specifically for interacting with software development data visualizations.

Objective

Our objective is to investigate the following question: “How do VR devices compare to traditional screens in visualizing data about software development?” Specifically, we aim to assess the accuracy of conclusions derived from exploring visualizations for understanding the software development process, as well as the time required to reach these conclusions.

Method

In our controlled experiment, we recruited N=32 volunteers with diverse backgrounds. Participants interacted with similar data visualizations in both VR and traditional screen environments. For the traditional screen setup, we utilized a commercially available set of interactive dashboards based on Kibana, commonly used by Bitergia customers for data insights. In the VR environment, we designed a set of visualizations, tailored to provide an equivalent dataset within a virtual room. Participants answered questions related to software evolution processes, specifically code review and issue tracking, in both VR and traditional screen environments, for two projects. We conducted statistical analyses to compare the correctness of their answers and the time taken for each question.

Results

Our findings indicate that the correctness of answers in both environments is comparable. Regarding time spent, we observed similar durations, except for complex questions that required examining multiple interconnected visualizations. In such cases, participants in the VR environment were able to answer questions more quickly.

Conclusion

Based on our results, we conclude that VR immersion can be equally effective as traditional screen setups for understanding software development processes through visualization of relevant metrics in most scenarios. Moreover, VR may offer advantages in comprehending complex tasks that require navigating through multiple interconnected visualizations. However, further experimentation is necessary to validate and reinforce these conclusions.
A comprehensive review on the effect of turbulence promoters on heat transfer augmentation of solar air heater and the evaluation of thermo-hydraulic performance using metaheuristic optimization algorithms
Authors: Pramod G. K. , Arunachala U. C. , Madhwesh N. , Manjunath M. S.
Published: February 2024

Solar air heaters are characterized by poor thermal performance due to limited heat transfer capability of air, thereby necessitating the need for design modifications. Among a different system performance augmentation technique, turbulence promotors are widely used owing to its effectiveness. Based on design parameters such as geometry, size, pitch and arrangement of turbulence promoters, varying levels of heat transfer increment with the pressure drop penalty is achievable. This led to the development of new designs which could offer on optimum thermo-hydraulic performance for a wide range of Reynolds number. Such research invariably requires a thorough insight of data related to various design parameters and optimal thermal–hydraulic performance range. This article provides a detailed overview of various turbulence promotor designs and their optimal thermal–hydraulic performance ranges compiled from a wide spectrum of experimental and numerical studies. Apart from outlining the general flow characteristics of each turbulator design, this study also evaluates different metaheuristic optimization algorithm such as bonobo optimization (BO), particle swarm optimization and teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm for enhancing the thermal–hydraulic performance parameter (THPP). The study shows that the BO algorithm does not exhibit local trapping due to its self-adapting nature of the optimized parameters which makes it a promising choice for THPP optimization studies in air heater applications. The extensive review also shows that the arrangement pattern of rib turbulator plays a key role in thermo-hydraulic performance augmentation. Based on the BO optimization analysis, the range of THPP is determined for the optimized geometry of turbulence promoters. In the pool of rib design, transverse prism rib, multi-V-rib, multi-V-shaped rib with staggered rib, sinewave-shaped rib with gap and S-shaped ribs exhibits an optimal THPP range of 2.05–3.32, 2.43–2.94, 3.00–3.61, 1.58–3.40 and 2.05–3.74, respectively. Other turbulence promotor designs such as winglet vortex generator, dimple protrusion in arc shape and multi-V-baffles exhibits optimal THPP range of 1.95–2.2, 2.44–3.68 and 1.75–2.01, respectively. At the end, the study proposes key research gaps such as the use of combined ribs and vortex generators and discrete fin arrays of different geometry as future scope of research.

Graphical abstract
‘Something is dropped out of the journey of life’: perceived spaces of opportunity among people with dementia
Authors: Gadd Katri , Mauranen Katariina , Issakainen Mervi , Ervasti Kaijus , Mäki-Petäjä-Leinonen Anna , Solje Eino
Published: February 2024

Dementia brings forth different kinds of challenges to manage everyday life. Comprehension of the multidimensional nature of the challenges, varying from spatiotemporal disorientation to fears or lack of services gives us tools with which living as a good life as possible with dementia can be supported. The time-geography offers a useful approach to delve into the experiences of people by focusing on what individuals try/want to do in their environment and how they try to manage with growing difficulties. The time-geographic approach acknowledges individually perceived spaces of opportunities as being assembled of several human and non-human elements. This relational approach enhances understanding how the multiple interconnections among elements of disparate dimensions of time–space transform the lives of people with dementia illustrating the possible constraints and incentives they encounter in their activities. In this article, we examine the possible challenges people with dementia experience in their lives by using the time-geographical approach. In doing so, we demonstrate topics such as social relations and spatiotemporal shrinkage affecting the well-being of the participants. Moreover, we stress the need to conceptualize indirect constraints in the time-geographic approach.
Vibrational properties of a mononuclear dysprosium containing singlemolecule magnet
Authors: Tummeley Marco A. M. , Hoock Maren H. , Gröpl Konstantin , Pfleger Rouven , Hochdörffer Tim , Hunsicker Tim , Wolny Juliusz A. , Zhao Jiyong , Lavina Barbara , Hu Michael Y. , Toellner Thomas , Alp Ercan E. , Kämmerer Hagen , Anson Christopher E. , Powell Annie K. , Schünemann Volker
Published: February 2024

Dysprosium(III)-containing single-molecule magnets (SMMs) show blocking of the molecular magnetization and hysteresis effects in one molecule. They belong to the class of the best performing SMMs at present. Here, we present first results of 161Dy-Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS) experiments on the dysprosium(III) complex [Dy(H2dapp)(NO3)2](NO3) with H2dapp being 2,6-bis((E)-1-(2-(pyridine-2-yl)-hydrazineylidene)ethyl)pyridine. For the 161Dy-NRVS experiments a compact novel He flow cryostat was used at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratories, which enables low temperature NRVS experiments in helium vapour circumventing the often-observed difference between sensor read and “real” sample temperature in mostly used LHe and/or closed cycle cryostats with the NRVS sample being in vacuum. To explore the vibrational modes of the molecule simulations based on first density functional theory (DFT) calculations are presented.
The environmental and economic effects of international cooperation on restricting fossil fuel supply
Authors: van Asselt Harro , Fragkos Panagiotis , Peterson Lauri , Fragkiadakis Kostas
Published: February 2024

Achieving the Paris Agreement’s global temperature goal of keeping warming well below 2 °C and ideally 1.5 °C requires limiting fossil fuel production. In the United Nations climate change negotiations, this need is only beginning to be acknowledged. Nevertheless, as some countries have already adopted supply-side climate policies, initial cooperative activities have started, and calls grow for a fossil fuel treaty, questions arise about the prospects and possible effects of international cooperation on limiting fossil fuel supply. Combining qualitative insights on possible participants in a supply-side coalition with a quantitative analysis based on integrated assessment general equilibrium modelling, this article addresses these questions. Through k-means clustering based on fossil reserves per capita, fossil fuel rents and existing supply-side policies, we first identify which (groups of) countries are most likely to lead the formation of an international supply-side coalition, and which (groups of) countries are likely to follow. Drawing on these insights, we develop several scenarios for the evolution of international supply-side coalitions and compare these to a business-as-usual scenario. By doing so, we demonstrate the global and regional environmental, trade and macroeconomic effects of international cooperation on limiting fossil fuel supply and combining fossil supply restrictions with carbon pricing to meet the Paris goals. Our findings underscore the importance of pursuing supply-side and ambitious demand-side climate policies in parallel, and identify the scope and coverage, size of the coalition, and incentives for participation as key design elements for an international supply-side coalition.
Surface Tracking Controls of an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle with Fixed Sonar Ray Measurements in Tunnel-Like Environments
Authors: Kim Jonghoek
Published: February 2024

This paper introduces 3-D surface tracking control of an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) in tunnel-like environments. Consider the case where a sonar transducer in the UUV does not rotate, and it only emits fixed sonar ray reporting a simple distance measurement. This reduces the power consumption of the UUV, while reducing the UUV’s size and price. The UUV is controlled to proceed in tunnel-like environments, while maintaining a predefined distance from the tunnel boundaries. For maintaining a predefined distance from tunnel boundaries, the UUV uses fixed sonar rays surrounding it. As far as we know, our article is novel in developing 3-D surface tracking controls of tunnel-like environments utilizing an UUV with fixed sonar rays surrounding it. MATLAB simulations are used for demonstrating the performance of the proposed tracking controls.
Proportional variation and scaling in the hindlimbs of hopping mammals, including convergent evolution in argyrolagids and jerboas
Authors: Jones Megan E. , Travouillon Kenny , Janis Christine M.
Published: February 2024

Bipedal hopping is a mode of locomotion seen today in four rodent lineages and one clade of marsupials. The Argyrolagidae, marsupials from the Oligocene to Pliocene of South America, have also been considered to be hoppers. These lineages all convergently evolved similar general morphologies, with elongated hindlimbs, reduced forelimbs, and elongated tails, and their similarities and variations may be informative in understanding the evolution of hopping in mammals. This study uses principal components analysis and log-log regressions to investigate variation in the hindlimb proportions of these hopping mammals and how this relates to body mass. We find that the distribution of hopping mammal masses is bimodal, divided at roughly 500 g. These two domains among hopping mammals may reflect optimisation for different forms of hopping locomotion; species under 500 g tend to have more elongated metatarsals relative to the rest of their hindlimbs, perhaps to facilitate rapid vertical jumps for predator evasion, a behaviour not seen in larger hoppers. Despite this bimodal distribution in body mass, hindlimb proportions cluster more by clade than mass, with some similarities among clades being especially noteworthy. The jerboas (Dipodidae, Rodentia) and Argyrolagidae share a particularly extreme degree of metatarsal elongation. The drivers of this convergence are unclear, but we hypothesise that the elongation may be related to the reduction/fusion of metatarsals in these groups, or a greater reliance on bipedality at slow speeds, as jerboas are known to utilise multiple bipedal gaits in addition to hopping.
Biodegradable Conducting PVA-Hydrogel Based on Carbon Quantum Dots: Study of the Synergistic Effect of Additives
Authors: Gamboa Jillian , Paulo-Mirasol Sofia , Espona-Noguera Albert , Enshaei Hamidreza , Ortiz Sergi , Estrany Francesc , Ginebra Maria-Pau , Torras Juan
Published: February 2024

Conductive hydrogels are becoming one of the most important milestones for the development of new scaffolds, biosensors, supercapacitors, and green electronics within the field of biomedicine. In this work, we study the effect of different types of electroactive additives such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), tannic acid, and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), to form different poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogels with enhanced electrochemical properties. Different physicochemical tests are carried out to characterize the different PVA-based hybrid hydrogels and the rates of their degradation and loss of electroactivity throughout an eight-week biodegradation process. This work shows the individual and synergistic effects of the additives on various mechanical properties, including storage modulus and swelling ratio, and electrochemical properties of the PVA hydrogel. The additives have proven to enhance the electroactivity of the PVA-based hydrogels but as well their degradation. Finally, the use of the new hydrogel as a pressure sensor is also investigated. The study provides an insight on the potential use of CQDs, in synergy with other electroactivity enhancers, in the fabrication of novel hybrid conducting hydrogels in green electronics.

Graphical Abstract
Lifetime Upward Economic Mobility and US-Born Latina Women’s Preterm Birth Rates
Authors: Feister John , Najera Clarissa , Rankin Kristin , Collins James W
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To determine whether Latina women’s upward economic mobility from early-life residence in impoverished urban neighborhoods is associated with preterm birth (< 37 weeks, PTB) .

Methods

Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on the Illinois transgenerational birth-file with appended US census income information for Hispanic infants (born 1989–1991) and their mothers (born 1956–1976).

Results

In Chicago, modestly impoverished-born Latina women (n = 1,674) who experienced upward economic mobility had a PTB rate of 8.5% versus 13.1% for those (n = 3,760) with a lifelong residence in modestly impoverished neighborhoods; the unadjusted and adjusted (controlling for age, marital status, adequacy of prenatal care, and cigarette smoking) RR equaled 0.65 (0.47, 0.90) and 0.66 (0.47, 0.93), respectively. Extremely impoverished-born Latina women (n = 2,507) who experienced upward economic mobility across their life-course had a PTB rate of 12.7% versus 15.9% for those (n = 3,849) who had a lifelong residence in extremely impoverished neighborhoods, the unadjusted and adjusted RR equaled 0.8 (0.63. 1.01) and 0.95 (0.75, 1.22), respectively.

Conclusions for Practice

Latina women’s upward economic mobility from early-life residence in modestly impoverished urban neighborhoods is associated with a decreased risk of PTB. A similar trend is absent among their peers with an early-life residence in extremely impoverished areas.
TRPM2 knockdown attenuates myocardial apoptosis and promotes autophagy in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice via regulating the MEK/ERK and mTORC1 signaling pathway
Authors: Hu Feng , Lin Chaoyang
Published: February 2024

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication of diabetes. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) activity increases in diabetic oxidative stress state, and it is involved in myocardial damage and repair. We explore the protective effect of TRPM2 knockdown on the progression of DCM. A type 2 diabetes animal model was established in C57BL/6N mice by long-term high-fat diet (HFD) feeding combined with a single injection of 100-mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Genetic knockdown of TRPM2 in heart was accomplished by the intravenous injection via the tail vein of adeno-associated virus type 9 carrying TRPM2 shRNA. Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes was exposed to 45 mM of high-glucose (HG) stimulation for 72 h in vitro to mimic the in vivo conditions. Western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry and fluorescence, electron, CCK-8, and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the phenotype of cardiac inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis, and autophagy. Mice with HFD/STZ-induced diabetes exhibited systolic and diastolic dysfunction, as demonstrated by increased myocardial apoptosis and autophagy inhibition in the heart. Compared to control group, the protein expression of TRPM2, bax, cleaved caspase-3, and P62 was significantly elevated, and the protein expression of bcl-2 and LC3-II was significantly decreased in the myocardial tissues of the HFD/STZ-induced diabetes group. Knockdown of TRPM2 significantly reversed the HFD/STZ-induced myocardial apoptosis and autophagy inhibition. TRPM2 silencing attenuated HG-induced apoptosis and autophagy inhibition in primary cardiomyocytes via regulating the MEK/ERK mTORC1 signaling pathway. TRPM2 knockdown attenuates hyperglycemia-induced myocardial apoptosis and promotes autophagy in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice or HG-stimulated cardiomyocytes via regulating the MEK/ERK and mTORC1 signaling pathway.
The relationship between pathological brain activity and functional network connectivity in glioma patients
Authors: Zimmermann Mona L. M. , Breedt Lucas C. , Centeno Eduarda G. Z. , Reijneveld Jaap C. , Santos Fernando A. N. , Stam Cornelis J. , van Lingen Marike R. , Schoonheim Menno M. , Hillebrand Arjan , Douw Linda
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Glioma is associated with pathologically high (peri)tumoral brain activity, which relates to faster progression. Functional connectivity is disturbed locally and throughout the entire brain, associating with symptomatology. We, therefore, investigated how local activity and network measures relate to better understand how the intricate relationship between the tumor and the rest of the brain may impact disease and symptom progression.

Methods

We obtained magnetoencephalography in 84 de novo glioma patients and 61 matched healthy controls. The offset of the power spectrum, a proxy of neuronal activity, was calculated for 210 cortical regions. We calculated patients’ regional deviations in delta, theta and lower alpha network connectivity as compared to controls, using two network measures: clustering coefficient (local connectivity) and eigenvector centrality (integrative connectivity). We then tested group differences in activity and connectivity between (peri)tumoral, contralateral homologue regions, and the rest of the brain. We also correlated regional offset to connectivity.

Results

As expected, patients’ (peri)tumoral activity was pathologically high, and patients showed higher clustering and lower centrality than controls. At the group-level, regionally high activity related to high clustering in controls and patients alike. However, within-patient analyses revealed negative associations between regional deviations in brain activity and clustering, such that pathologically high activity coincided with low network clustering, while regions with ‘normal’ activity levels showed high network clustering.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that pathological activity and connectivity co-localize in a complex manner in glioma. This insight is relevant to our understanding of disease progression and cognitive symptomatology.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Distinctive structural and biophysical features of Sol–Gel synthesized Alumino/Silicate glass–ceramic containing Cerium oxide
Authors: Aboelwafa M. A. , Abdelghany A. M. , Oraby A. H. , Meikhail M. S.
Published: February 2024

The presented work sheds light on the impact of CeO2 content and sintering temperatures on the microstructure and physical characteristics of Soda-Lime-Alumino Silicate Glass Ceramics for possible use in dental applications. Samples of nominal composition 45SiO2-15Al2O3-(20-x)NaO2-(20-x)CaO-2xCeO2, (x = 1–5) were successfully synthesized via the sol–gel technique. Synthesized samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction scan (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) supplemented with an EDX and calculate roughness parameters in addition to physical properties such as (density, free volume, oxygen packing density, etc.). XRD reveals that 850 °C is the optimal temperature to transform samples to their corresponding glass–ceramic derivative, leading to the rearrangement of Qn Si in the glass network. The rearrangement was explained through FTIR, Raman, and the surface morphology of samples. In addition, the increased density is attributed to the high compactness of the glass ceramic formed resulting from the addition of CeO2, which improves the durability and hardness of the samples.
Dynamics of generalized time-fractional viscous-capillarity compressible fluid model
Authors: Az-Zo’bi Emad A. , Alomari Qais M. M. , Afef Kallekh , Inc Mustafa
Published: February 2024

This analysis examines the time-fractional mixed hyperbolic-elliptic p-system of conservation laws by applying the new extended direct algebraic method. The p-system with generalized cubic van der Waals flux, and potential applications in the field of compressible isothermal viscosity-capillarity fluids, is investigated. In particular, this issue describes the longitudinal isothermal motion in elastic bars or fluids. A diverse periodic, kink, and singular soliton structures are extracted. The 3D dynamical behaviors and corresponding contour profiles of some obtained solitons are displayed. The fractional effects in the sense of Beta, M-truncated, and modified Riemann–Liouville, are discussed and illustrated. The method shows the straightforward, reliability, and efficiency for solving complex physical phenomena that is modeled by nonlinear partial differential equations.
Dynamic behavior of positron acoustic multiple-solitons in an electron–positron-ion plasma
Authors: Salam Md. Abdus , Akbar M. Ali , Ali M. Zulfikar , Inc Mustafa
Published: February 2024

We explore the dynamic characteristics of positron acoustic multiple-solitons in an unmagnetized plasma containing mobile cold positrons, Kappa-distributed superthermal hot electrons and positrons, and stationary positive ions. This study investigates the overtaking collisional effects, various parametric impacts, and phase shifts in the electron–positron-ion (e-p-i) plasma. Through the reductive perturbation technique, we derived the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation. The multiple-soliton solutions (MSS) are then obtained using the simplified Hirota method and Cole-Holf transformation. The investigation shows that the amplitudes and widths of multi-solitons decrease with the increasing hot positron concentration but increase with the increasing hot electron index parameter. The results are expected to help us understand the dynamics of waves propagation in the pulsar magnetosphere, the active galactic nuclei, the quasar’s relativistic jet, the inner region of the accretion disk surrounding a black hole, etc.
How (not) to integrate scientific and moral realism
Authors: Schäfer Leon-Philip
Published: February 2024

In this essay, I seek to clarify and defend a unified account of realism, i.e. a conception of realism that does not only apply to philosophy of science, but also acknowledges how realism is understood in other philosophical disciplines—particularly, how moral realism is treated in metaethics. I will argue that integrating scientific and moral realism is less straightforward than is commonly assumed, due to several substantial, but often unnoticed disanalogies that obtain between both views. As a consequence, scientific realists should consider modifying their traditional understanding and move towards an alternative conception of realism—one that is much more in line with the conception that moral realists usually adopt. Realism (about science or ethics) is, in the final analysis, best characterised as an alethic view which restricts itself to an idea about the objectivity of truth, rather than an epistemic view which underwrites more extensive theses concerning the accessibility of this truth for human knowledge.
Comparison of edge effects from well pads and industrial roads on mixed upland boreal forest vegetation in Alberta
Authors: Buss Jennifer , Dabros Anna , Higgins Kellina L. , Hammond H. E. James , Pinzon Jaime , Langor David W.
Published: February 2024

The industrial footprint of oil and gas extraction in Alberta, Canada dissects the landscape in a network of linear and polygonal disturbances such as roads and well pads. The changes to biotic and abiotic factors beyond the boundaries of these disturbances into the adjacent ecosystem are called edge effects. A common assumption is that edge effects are proportional to the width of the disturbance, with wider disturbances leading to deeper effects into the forest. The objective of this study is to compare edge effects on plant composition, seed dispersal distance, seed weight, and microclimate across three disturbance types: narrow (< 20 m) and wide (> 20 m) roads, and well pads (> 100 m; 1.9 ha) in upland boreal forests in the oil sands region of north-eastern Alberta. We sampled 1 m2 plots at six distances (0 m, 10 m, 15 m, 25 m, 50 m, and 75 m) along transects running perpendicular from the disturbance edge into the forest. Edge effects for plant communities were contained at the disturbance edge for all disturbance types considered. Understory species richness was lower at the disturbance edge and was dominated by introduced species and species with lighter seeds and with medium-distance dispersal mechanisms. Disturbance edges were characterized as having higher soil moisture content, higher soil temperature, and a thinner organic matter layer compared to the forest interior (> 10 m). With no effect of disturbance width on width of edge effects, our study does not support the assumption that narrower disturbances will necessarily result in narrower edge effects for vegetation and abiotic metrics.
Sour cherry seed proteins devoted to covalently bonded carbohydrate moieties: efficacy of transaction and carbohydrate type on amino acid distribution and emulsifier behavior
Authors: Akalan Merve , Başyiğit Bülent , Yücetepe Melike , Karakuş Mehmet Şükrü , Bayrak Akay Kamile , Karaaslan Asliye , Karaaslan Mehmet
Published: February 2024

This paper handled the Maillard reaction under controlled conditions to conjugate sour cherry seed protein isolate (SCPI) with gum Arabic (GA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and pectin (P) polysaccharides. Characteristic investigations for conjugates were conducted by browning intensity, glycation degree, amino acid, FTIR, SEM, and TGA analyses. After glycation, the level of lysine and arginine declined. Conjugation process displayed beneficial efficacy on techno-functional attributes, namely solubility, water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, foaming capacity/stability and emulsion activity/stability of SCPI but maximum values in terms of these attributes were variable according to conjugate type. Stability index of emulsions stabilized by using conjugates including SCPI-GA (0.87 R), SCPI-CMC (0.94 R), and SCPI-P (0.95 R) was superior than that of SCPI alone (0.60 R). Centrifugal precipitation rate was 59.17, 36.04, 32.61, and 30.92% for emulsions prepared in the presence of SCPI, SCPI-GA, SCPI-CMC, and SCPI-P, respectively. Resilience to freeze-thawed, pH-shifting, various salt concentrations, and different temperature applications of emulsions were investigated to evaluate emulsifier behavior of protein and conjugates in food systems. Findings showed that emulsifying properties of the conjugates prepared using P and CMC came to the fore compared to SCPI alone and SCPI-GA.
Outdoor trends and indoor investigations of volatile organic compounds in two high schools of southern Italy
Authors: Bergomi Andrea , Mangia Cristina , Fermo Paola , Genga Alessandra , Comite Valeria , Guadagnini Silvia , Ielpo Pierina
Published: February 2024

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a class of ubiquitous substances that are present in outdoor and indoor air. They are emitted by a wide range of sources and can penetrate and accumulate specifically in indoor environments. Concern is growing among the scientific community regarding the potential health impacts of exposure to a high concentration of VOCs in indoor spaces. Due to their still-developing respiratory and immune systems, children may be the most fragile subjects in this regard, and therefore, the study of indoor air quality in schools is of the utmost importance. In this work, the concentrations of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and of 20 specific compounds belonging to this class were determined in a school in Squinzano, a town in the province of Lecce (Apulia region, southern Italy). Sampling was carried out in indoor (classrooms and bathrooms) and outdoor (terrace) areas using passive diffusive samplers for VOCs and photoionization detectors for TVOCs. Average concentrations of both TVOC (303 ± 47 µg m−3) and individual VOCs (< 0.5 µg m−3) were below levels of concern; however, specific indoor sources such as cleaning activities and student occupancy were responsible for peaks in TVOC concentrations above harmless levels for children and school staff. The data were then compared to the ones obtained in a similar study conducted in a school in Galatina, another town of the Apulia region, highlighting the impact of the surrounding outdoor environment on the indoor profile of VOCs.
Tourism in Protected Areas in Spain: Perception of Sustainable Development in Protected Areas with Different Levels of Protection
Authors: Pérez-Calderón Esteban , Miguel-Barrado Vanessa , Prieto-Ballester Jorge Manuel
Published: February 2024

Protected natural areas have become important tourist destinations around the world, and in Spain, national parks are the most representative figure of this type of enclave, having as one of its objectives to make conservation compatible with public use. One of its objectives is to make conservation compatible with public use. However, its restrictive legal regime prevents sustainability from being achieved. In this sense, UNESCO Global Geoparks emerges as an alternative figure with a vision more focused on socio-economic development. This paper compares the perception of sustainability in these two types of protected areas. For this purpose, a questionnaire was sent to the highest representatives of the municipalities closest to all the national parks and geoparks in Spain. The data analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling. The results of this study show a higher perception of sustainable development in geoparks than in national parks. In conclusion, very strict regulation of protected areas can be detrimental to tourism development and the population’s quality of life.
Child and Parent Mindfulness-Based Training Versus Medication for Childhood ADHD: A Randomised Clinical Trial
Authors: Meppelink Renée , de Bruin Esther I. , Zoller Brett Kosterman , Oort Frans J. , Bögels Susan M.
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Medication is the predominant treatment for childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but has side effects and limited longer-term effects. Mindfulness for children and their parents could be an alternative as it targets children’s core symptoms and supports parents. This study compared the effectiveness of a family mindfulness-based intervention to methylphenidate in children with ADHD.

Method

We conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and a preference trial (PT) for families who refused randomisation. Mindfulness (“MYmind”) consisted of 2-months weekly group-based 1.5-hr mindfulness sessions for children and parallel mindful parenting for their parents, plus a follow-up session 2 months later. Medication concerned 4-months short-acting methylphenidate. Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed using multilevel modelling. Both parents and adolescents (not children) completed questionnaires on child ADHD pre-treatment, and at 2-, 4-, and 10-months follow-up, whereas teachers and blind observers completed these questionnaires at pre-treatment and 2-months follow-up only. Similarly, neuropsychological attention measures were administered pre-treatment and at 2-months follow-up only.

Results

In the RCT, 91 children with ADHD (Mage=11.29, range 9–18, 71% boys), 172 parents (91 mothers, 81 fathers), 81 teachers, and 85 observers participated, and in the PT, 29 children (Mage=11.57, 55% boys), 52 parents (28 mothers, 24 fathers), 24 teachers, and 26 observers. Medication was more effective than family mindfulness at 2 and 4 months on multi-informant questionnaires but not on objective (neuropsychological and blind observer) measures. Differences between treatments diminished at mid-term even though in the medication group treatment was continued after 2 months while the mindfulness training was already finished at 2 months. Differences between treatment groups disappeared at 10 months, but note that in the long-term, children from the mindfulness arm started taking medication and vice versa, so that we cannot be sure to what extent the long-term results are caused by mindfulness, medication, or its combination. Findings in the PT and according to PP analyses were similar. Note moreover that 1 in 4 children (26%) discontinued taking medication during the first 2 months versus almost no families (2%) discontinued mindfulness, suggesting that mindfulness was more easily accepted.

Conclusions

Overall, although mindfulness alone might not be sufficient for some families, family mindfulness training in general can be considered a non-pharmacological alternative or addition in the treatment of childhood ADHD.

Preregistration

https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/nl/trial/22179, 11.10.2013.
Development of Dynamic Micro- and Macroscopic Hybrid Model for Efficient Highway Traffic Simulation
Authors: Imai Yo , Fujii Hideki , Okano Kengo , Matsudaira Masaki , Suzuki Takahiro
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a dynamic hybrid traffic simulation model and its improvement. Here, a hybrid traffic simulation model is defined as a combination of multiple traffic models with different resolutions, which are dynamically switched to each other. The proposed model couples a microscopic and a macroscopic model. In a dynamic hybrid model, the application domains of micro- and macroscopic models can be switched during the simulation to achieve overall speed-up while keeping a high resolution of the area of interest. The authors extended an existing dynamic hybrid model to be applicable to highway merging sections. The proposed model was also validated by data obtained on an actual highway.
Analyzing in situ stresses and wellbore stability in one of the south Iranian hydrocarbon gas reservoirs
Authors: Sobhani Alireza , Kadkhodaie Ali , Nabi-Bidhendi Majid , Tadayoni Mehdi
Published: February 2024

This study aims to analyze in situ stresses and wellbore stability in one of the Iranian gas reservoirs by using well log data, including density, sonic (compressional and shear slowness), porosity, formation micro-image (FMI) logs, modular formation dynamics tester (MDT), and rock mechanical tests. The high burial depth, high pore pressure, and strike-slip stress regime of the field require an optimal design of geomechanical parameters based on an integrated data set consisting of static and dynamic data, which is available for this study. Firstly, poroelastic modulus and vertical stress were calculated. Afterward, the Eaton’s equation was used to estimate pore pressure from well logging data. The geomechanical parameters were also calibrated through the interpretation of image data, the use of the modular formation dynamics tester (MDT), and laboratory rock mechanic tests. Employing poroelastic equations, the lowest and highest horizontal stresses were calculated. It was shown that the maximum horizontal stress and minimum horizontal stress correspond to sigma H and sigma h, indicating the strike-slope fault regime. The findings of this research indicated that the equivalent mud weight (EMW) resulted in 10–13 ppg suitable for the Kangan Formation and 11–14 ppg suitable for the Dalan Formation. Additionally, the well azimuth in the NE-SW direction provided the best stability for drilling the encountered formations. Therefore, the results of this study serve as cost-effective tools in planning adjacent wells in carbonate formations of gas field to predict the wellbore stability and safe mud window.
Establishment of a clinical network for children with amelogenesis imperfecta and dentinogenesis imperfecta in the UK: 4-year experience
Authors: Monteiro J. , Balmer R. , Lafferty F. , Lyne A. , Mighell A. , O’Donnell K. , Parekh S.
Published: February 2024

Background

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) and dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) are two groups of genetically inherited conditions resulting in abnormal enamel and dentin formation, respectively. Children and young people may be adversely affected by these conditions, with significant reduction in oral health related quality of life. Dental management of children with AI and DI is often complex, which is exacerbated by the absence of clear referral pathways and scarce evidence-based guidelines.

Method

The need for increased knowledge and peer support led to the development of a group of UK paediatric dentists with a special clinical interest in the management of children with AI and DI.

Purpose

The aims of this paper are to describe the establishment of an AI/DI Clinical Excellence Network (AI/DI CEN) in paediatric dentistry including outputs and future plans, and to share our collective learning to help support others anywhere in the world advance the care of people with AI or DI.