bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matching Compound Prototypes for Few-Shot Action Recognition
Authors: Huang Yifei , Yang Lijin , Chen Guo , Zhang Hongjie , Lu Feng , Sato Yoichi
Published: April 2024

The task of few-shot action recognition aims to recognize novel action classes using only a small number of labeled training samples. How to better describe the action in each video and how to compare the similarity between videos are two of the most critical factors in this task. Directly describing the video globally or by its individual frames cannot well represent the spatiotemporal dependencies within an action. On the other hand, naively matching the global representations of two videos is also not optimal since action can happen at different locations in a video with different speeds. In this work, we propose a novel approach that describes each video using multiple types of prototypes and then computes the video similarity with a particular matching strategy for each type of prototypes. To better model the spatiotemporal dependency, we describe the video by generating prototypes that model the multi-level spatiotemporal relations via transformers. There are a total of three types of prototypes. The first type of prototypes are trained to describe specific aspects of the action in the video e.g., the start of the action, regardless of its timestamp. These prototypes are directly matched one-to-one between two videos to compare their similarity. The second type of prototypes are the timestamp-centered prototypes that are trained to focus on specific timestamps of the video. To deal with the temporal variation of actions in a video, we apply bipartite matching to allow the matching of prototypes of different timestamps. The third type of prototypes are generated from the timestamp-centered prototypes, which regularize their temporal consistency while serving as an auxiliary summarization of the whole video. Experiments demonstrate that our proposed method achieves state-of-the-art results on multiple benchmarks.
Removal of Humic Acid from Water by Adsorption Using Chitosan and Metal Organic Framework ZIF 8 Loaded Chitosan Adsorbents
Authors: Hilmioglu Nilufer , Yumat Esra
Published: April 2024

Water is the most necessary need for life on the earth. There are a lot of organic pollutants in water. One of the organic pollutants is natural organic substances. Humic acid, a natural organic substance, turns into very harmful substances along with other pollutants. In this study, the humic acid removal from aqueous solution by adsorption using chitosan and chitosan/ZIF 8 composite spheres was examined. Chitosan spheres cross-linked with epichlorohydrin (ECH) and composite spheres consisting of metal organic framework ZIF8 and chitosan were prepared as adsorbents. Equilibrium, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies were investigated for humic acid adsorption by pristine chitosan-ECH and composite chitosan/ZIF 8 adsorbents. Chemical adsorption was found to be compatible with the Freundlich isotherm model and the pseudo-first-order kinetic model for pure chitosan adsorbents. Studies were carried out using chitosan/ZIF8 composite adsorbent, and the most suitable models for chemical adsorption were determined as Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic model. The response surface method was applied with the design expert program to determine the optimum experimental conditions. The adsorption tests were carried out using chitosan-ECH, ZIF 8 and chitosan/ZIF 8 adsorbents for specified optimum conditions, and the humic acid removal was determined as 95.1%, 98.3%, and 97.3%, respectively. In addition, desorption was performed using chitosan-ECH and chitosan/ZIF 8 spheres, and the desorption efficiency was found to be 20.9% and 82.5%, respectively. It has been observed that the developed adsorbents have potential in removing humic acid from water.
Data-Driven Modeling for the Prediction of Stack Gas Concentration in a Coal-Fired Power Plant in Türkiye
Authors: Mohammadi Mandana , Saloglu Didem , Dertli Halil , Mohammadi Mitra , Ghaffari-Moghaddam Mansour
Published: April 2024

In this research, deep learning and machine learning methods were employed to forecast the levels of stack gas concentrations in a coal-fired power plant situated in Türkiye. Real-time data collected from continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) serves as the basis for the predictions. The dataset includes measurements of carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), oxygen (O2), and dust levels, along with temperatures recorded. For this analysis, deep learning methods such as multi-layer perceptron network (MLP) and long short-term memory (LSTM) models were used, while machine learning techniques included light gradient boosted machine (LightGBM) and stochastic gradient descent (SGD) models were applied. The accuracy of the models was determined by analysing their performance using mean absolute error (MAE), root means square error (RMSE), and R-squared values. Based on the results, LightGBM achieved the highest R-squared (0.85) for O2 predictions, highlighting its variance-capturing ability. LSTM excelled in NOx (R-squared 0.87) and SO2 (R-squared 0.85) prediction, while showing the top R-squared (0.67) for CO. Both LSTM and LGBM achieved R-squared values of 0.78 for dust levels, indicating strong variance explanation. Conclusively, our findings highlight LSTM as the most effective approach for stack gas concentration forecasting, closely followed by the good performance of LightGBM. The importance of these results lies in their potential to effectively manage emissions in coal-fired power plants, thereby improving both environmental and operational aspects.

Graphical Abstract
UAV-enabled software defined data collection from an adaptive WSN
Authors: Karegar Pejman A. , Al-Hamid Duaa Zuhair , Chong Peter Han Joo
Published: April 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based data gathering from wireless sensor networks is one of the recent research topics that has currently attracted research interest. One of the challenges for the UAV-aided WSN data collection efforts is to design an energy-efficient UAV/drone communication with arbitrarily dispersed ground sensors by improving the ground network structure. This paper aims to develop a technique titled UAV Fuzzy Travel Path' that supports UAV smooth path design and enables ground network topology shifting. A comprehensive UAV-based data collection model is proposed to enable dynamic orchestration/re-orchestration of wireless ground sensors to jointly improve network performance and UAV path fluidity. This provides a more flexible ground network framework that can be restructured based on network demands and UAV optimal paths, effectively allowing for a software-defined network concept. The main contribution of this work is the implementation of the software-defined wireless sensor network on the ground network that adaptably supports the movement of the UAV and enhances the communication network’s energy efficiency with a proposed latency analytical analysis via network orchestration/re-orchestration phases. The main significance of this research is in offering a flexible span for UAV path design than being fixed in one strict route for data gathering purposes. Four various simulation tools are employed for modelling and performance evaluation, namely MATLAB, CupCarbon, Contiki-Cooja and Mission Planner. The proposed software-defined ground network system demonstrates encouraging results in terms of network performance metrics including energy consumption of UAV versus ground sensor nodes energy usage, packet delivery rate, and the communication time of the ground orchestrated or/and re-orchestrated network.
Temperature Dependent Dynamic Response of Open-Cell Polyurethane Foams
Authors: Morrison D. , Morton J. , Foster M. , Lamberson L.
Published: April 2024

Background

Polyurethane foams have many uses ranging from comfort fitting seats and shoes to protective inserts in helmets and sports equipment. Current military helmet designs employ foam pads of varying densities and bulk material properties to help absorb energy from impacts ranging from quasi-static to ballistic level strain-rates.

Objective

This study aims to analyze the thermomechanical uniaxial compression behavior of a high density liner foam pad and a low density liner foam pad used in the Advanced Combat Helmet. These experiments were conducted under strain-rates of $$10^2$$

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and under temperature conditions ranging from -20 to 40 °C. This temperature range was chosen to simulate desert and arctic conditions, with a strain-rate regime chosen to represent loads that would occur often throughout the life of the helmet, such as drops, bumps from riding in a vehicle, or heavy collisions from falling.

Method

Multiple experimental apparatuses were used in this study, including a Shimadzu TCE-N300 thermostatic chamber (used to create the varying temperature environments) and a custom-built drop-test system (used to induce intermediate strain-rates). Every experiment was paired with two accelerometers and a high speed camera used for Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to analyze sample deformation and resultant acceleration. The foam’s mechanical response and energy absorption properties were investigated from the measured stress-strain curves. Additionally, each foam composition was analyzed with X-ray computed micro-tomography (XCT) to investigate microstructure properties pre and post-mortem.

Results

Results show that temperature decreased the energy absorption of the low density composition by 48% ± 5% as temperature changed from -20 °C to 40 °C, while energy absorption increased by 53% ± 16% for the high density composition over the same temperature.

Conclusion

A comparison between the loading response and the material’s density characteristics revealed that the foam’s mechanical properties are heavily dependent on strain-rate applications, as well as environmental factors including temperature. Several important characteristics surrounding each foam composition’s deformation mechanics and damage tolerance as a result of temperature are discussed.
Increases in regional brain volume across two native South American male populations
Authors: Chaudhari Nikhil N. , Imms Phoebe E. , Chowdhury Nahian F. , Gatz Margaret , Trumble Benjamin C. , Mack Wendy J. , Law E. Meng , Sutherland M. Linda , Sutherland James D. , Rowan Christopher J. , Wann L. Samuel , Allam Adel H. , Thompson Randall C. , Michalik David E. , Miyamoto Michael , Lombardi Guido , Cummings Daniel K. , Seabright Edmond , Alami Sarah , Garcia Angela R. , Rodriguez Daniel E. , Gutierrez Raul Quispe , Copajira Adrian J. , Hooper Paul L. , Buetow Kenneth H. , Stieglitz Jonathan , Gurven Michael D. , Thomas Gregory S. , Kaplan Hillard S. , Finch Caleb E. , Irimia Andrei
Published: April 2024

Industrialized environments, despite benefits such as higher levels of formal education and lower rates of infections, can also have pernicious impacts upon brain atrophy. Partly for this reason, comparing age-related brain volume trajectories between industrialized and non-industrialized populations can help to suggest lifestyle correlates of brain health. The Tsimane, indigenous to the Bolivian Amazon, derive their subsistence from foraging and horticulture and are physically active. The Moseten, a mixed-ethnicity farming population, are physically active but less than the Tsimane. Within both populations (N = 1024; age range = 46–83), we calculated regional brain volumes from computed tomography and compared their cross-sectional trends with age to those of UK Biobank (UKBB) participants (N = 19,973; same age range). Surprisingly among Tsimane and Moseten (T/M) males, some parietal and occipital structures mediating visuospatial abilities exhibit small but significant increases in regional volume with age. UKBB males exhibit a steeper negative trend of regional volume with age in frontal and temporal structures compared to T/M males. However, T/M females exhibit significantly steeper rates of brain volume decrease with age compared to UKBB females, particularly for some cerebro-cortical structures (e.g., left subparietal cortex). Across the three populations, observed trends exhibit no interhemispheric asymmetry. In conclusion, the age-related rate of regional brain volume change may differ by lifestyle and sex. The lack of brain volume reduction with age is not known to exist in other human population, highlighting the putative role of lifestyle in constraining regional brain atrophy and promoting elements of non-industrialized lifestyle like higher physical activity.
Personal und Qualifikation im Ganztag
Authors: Sauerwein Markus , Danner Annalena
Published: April 2024

Der Rechtsanspruch auf ganztägige Bildung und Betreuung im Primarbereich führt zu einem enormen Personalbedarf, der rechnerisch wahrscheinlich nicht mit Fachkräften zu decken sein wird (Rauschenbach et al. 2021). Dies führt bereits jetzt dazu, dass pädagogische Lai*innen bzw. pädagogisch unqualifiziertes Personal im schulischen Ganztag tätig sind. Empirisch zeigt sich, dass Fachpersonal die in der Ausbildung angeeigneten Wissensbestände in der Praxis nicht nutzt. Auch eine nachhaltige Veränderung der pädagogischen Einstellungen durch das Studium kann nicht konstatiert werden. Professionspolitisch gleichen diese Argumentationslinien einem Desaster. Der Beitrag untersucht empirisch, ob pädagogische Fachkräfte über mehr Wissen über den Ganztag verfügen, kindorientierter eingestellt sind und ein höheres Reflexionsniveau erreichen als pädagogische Lai*innen. Professionalität wird hierbei definiert über eine Orientierung am Kind (anstelle von schulischen Vorgaben), das Wissen über die Qualität von Ganztagsangeboten und die Reflexivität des eigenen Handelns respektive den Umgang mit pädagogischen Antinomien. Theoretisch gerahmt wird dies durch ein kompetenz- und strukturtheoretisches Professionsverständnis. Es zeigt sich, dass die Qualifikation durchaus einen Effekt auf die Kindorientierung und die Reflexivität der Befragten hat.
Complete infinite-time mass aggregation in a quasilinear Keller–Segel system
Authors: Winkler Michael
Published: April 2024

Radially symmetric global unbounded solutions of the chemotaxis system $$\left\{ {\matrix{{{u_t} = \nabla \cdot (D(u)\nabla u) - \nabla \cdot (uS(u)\nabla v),} \hfill & {} \hfill \cr {0 = \Delta v - \mu + u,} \hfill & {\mu = {1 \over {|\Omega |}}\int_\Omega {u,} } \hfill \cr } } \right.$$

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The role of teacher professional networks in Egypt’s mathematics education reform
Authors: Makramalla Mariam , Stylianides Andreas J.
Published: April 2024

Situated in the education reform launched by the Egyptian Ministry of Education (MOE), which called for a socially-foreign shift away from memorization-based mathematics instruction, this paper explores the role of school-based teacher professional networks in implementing reform. Adopting the Goodson Change Model as a theoretical framework, we map out the power play between external agency (national society), internal agency (teacher professional networks) and the personal agency of individual teachers. Using an embedded case study model and a dataset consisting of the recordings of two full-day focus group discussions with teacher professional networks at two national schools, we contrast the two cases from the perspective of teacher group tensions and power dynamics in relation to the reform implementation. In one case, the teacher professional network (internal agency) was dominantly embracing the change, thus empowering the local teacher (personal agency) and enforcing its dogma on its stationed national society (external agency). In the other case, the teacher as a personal agent was solely attempting to break through both layers of internal and external agency. Our findings cast light on the role of teacher professional networks in curricular reform contexts, particularly within a collective cultural setup such as Egypt. Implications for the role of teacher professional networks in the diffusion of reform initiatives are discussed in light of the findings.
Enhanced autopsy triage (EA-Triage) in drug-related deaths: integrating quick toxicological analysis and postmortem computed tomography
Authors: Kisbye Lea Wold , Rickert Annika , Hasselstrøm Jørgen Bo , Andersen Charlotte Uggerhøj , Lund Henriette Askjær , Rohde Marianne Cathrine , Boel Lene Warner Thorup
Published: April 2024

The objective was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of an enhanced autopsy triage (EA-Triage) setup consisting of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), simulated quick toxicological analysis (sQTA), external examination, and case information in determining cause of death (COD) in persons with past or current use of illegal drugs (drug-related deaths). Information on drug-related deaths selected for medico-legal autopsy in 2020–2021 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark, was analyzed retrospectively. The included cases underwent conventional autopsy, PMCT, and systematic toxicological analysis. A board-certified forensic pathologist, who was blinded to the internal examination and COD from the medico-legal autopsy, determined COD based on the EA-Triage setup. 154 cases with a median age of 40.6 years (range 17–70 years, 82% males) were included. The COD determined by medico-legal autopsy and that determined by EA-Triage matched in 113 cases (73%), including those with an unknown COD. EA-Triage and medico-legal autopsy determined unknown COD in 45 (29%) and 5 cases (3%), respectively. Excluding cases with an unknown COD, EA-Triage predicted COD in 109 cases (71%); of those, 72 (66%) had no unexplained case circumstances or suspicion of a criminal act. In these 72 cases, the CODs determined by EA-Triage and medico-legal autopsy matched in 71 cases (99%), and the sensitivity and specificity for detecting lethal intoxication were 100% and 90%, respectively. EA-Triage showed strong diagnostic accuracy for determining COD in drug-related deaths. This method may be suitable for enhancing preautopsy triage and guiding police investigations at an early stage.
Real-world data of HER2-negative early breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline and/or taxane regimens in Japan
Authors: Shimomura Akihiko , Sagara Yasuaki , Koto Ryo , Fujiwara Masakazu , Kanemura Yuka , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Saji Shigehira
Published: April 2024

Background

Anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapy regimens are established treatments for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2-negative early-stage breast cancer with high risk of recurrence. This study examined the prevalence of these chemotherapy regimens as perioperative therapy, the patterns of retreatment, and factors influencing prescription choices in Japan.

Methods

This observational cohort study focused on high-risk early-stage breast cancer patients not undergoing anti-HER2 therapy, utilizing data from a hospital-based claims database in Japan spanning from April 2008 to September 2021.

Results

Of 42,636 high-risk patients who underwent breast cancer surgery, 32,133 (75.4%) were categorized as having luminal-type (received endocrine therapy) and 10,503 (24.6%) as having triple-negative cancer (not receiving any endocrine therapies). Most patients (98.7%) with luminal-type breast cancer received perioperative therapy, and 40.3% of those received anthracycline/taxane. In the triple-negative group, 57.0% of all patients received perioperative therapy and of those, 93.4% received anthracycline/taxane. Being over 40 years old, having an early stage (clinical stage ≤ II), and receiving treatment in non-specialized facilities were associated with less use of anthracycline/taxane in the luminal-type group. For the triple-negative group, associated factors with less use of anthracycline/taxane included being over 60 years old, treatment in small hospital (capacity < 200 beds), and treatment in non-specialized facilities.

Conclusions

Approximately half the patients in both the luminal-type and triple-negative groups were prescribed anthracycline and/or taxane for perioperative chemotherapy. The choice was associated with patient age, cancer stage, and the scale and specialization of the treatment facilities. This study sheds light on the current state of breast cancer treatment practices in Japan.
Social Elastic Band with Prediction and Anticipation: Enhancing Real-Time Path Trajectory Optimization for Socially Aware Robot Navigation
Authors: Pérez Gerardo , Zapata-Cornejo Noé , Bustos Pablo , Núñez Pedro
Published: April 2024

As social robots are projected to become an integral part of human life in the coming decades, their ability to adapt movement and trajectory when in proximity to people is essential for ensuring social acceptance during human-robot interaction. A key aspect of this adaptability involves predicting and anticipating human intents during robot navigation. Despite significant strides in the social navigation of autonomous robots within human environments, opportunities for advancements in related algorithms persist. This paper presents a novel real-time path trajectory optimization algorithm for socially aware robot navigation, grounded in the social elastic band concept, incorporating prediction and anticipation of human movements to adapt its forward velocity. Building upon the elastic band framework introduced in the 1990s for adapting robot trajectories in dynamic environments, our proposal of social elastic band differentiates between objects and human presence. This distinction allows for the definition of social interaction spaces and their relationship to the elastic band, facilitating the generation of socially accepted paths that rapidly adapt to environmental changes without causing a disturbance. Integrated into the SNAPE social navigation framework, the algorithm has been tested and validated through simulations and real-world experiments in various environments.
A new layered rock constitutive model incorporating confining pressure and bedding angle weights based on orthogonal matrix analysis
Authors: Liu Haiyan , Zuo Jianping , Topal Erkan , Liu Yanjun , Lei Bo , Li Danqi
Published: April 2024

Under the combined influences of confining pressure, lithology and bedding, the deformation and failure characteristics of layered rocks become more complex posing a significant challenge in safe underground excavations. In this study, two groups of specimens were prepared with various bedding angles including 0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, and 45°. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to analyze the mineral composition and internal microstructures of the specimens. Triaxial compression tests were conducted on the specimens subject to different confining pressures. Then, orthogonal matrix analysis was utilized to determine the specific influence weights of confining pressure, lithology, and bedding on peak differential stress, elastic modulus and peak strain of the rock samples. Finally, by implementing the proposed weight matrix, a statistical damage constitutive model for the layered rock under the coupled effects of confining pressure, lithology, and bedding was developed. It was found that the peak stress difference, cohesion, and internal friction angle decrease as the bedding angle increases, while the elastic modulus increases with the bedding angle. Additionally, the two groups of specimens exhibited distinct failure patterns under the influence of bedding angle and confining pressure. The averaged influence weights of confining pressure, lithology, and bedding on the rock deformation and failure characteristics are 40.99%, 23.87%, and 35.14%, respectively. The analytical simulation results were validated with the experimental results in this study and literature confirming the capability of the proposed constitutive model for capturing the stress–strain behavior of layered rock with various bedding angles subject to different confining pressures.
The S100 family is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune cell infiltration in pan-cancer
Authors: Liang Xiaojie , Huang Xiaoshan , Cai Zihong , Deng Yeling , Liu Dan , Hu Jiayi , Jin Zhihao , Zhou Xinyu , Zhou Hongsheng , Wang Liang
Published: April 2024

Background

The S100 protein family is a group of small molecular EF-hand calcium-binding proteins that play critical roles in various biological processes, including promotion of growth, metastasis and immune evasion of tumor. However, the potential roles of S100 protein family expression in tumor microenvironment (TME) cell infiltration in pan-cancer remain elusive.

Methods

Herein, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the expression patterns of the S100 protein family in pan-cancer, meticulously examining their correlation with characteristics of TME cell infiltration. The S100 score was constructed to quantify S100 family expression patterns of individual tumors.

Results

The S100 family was a potent risk factor in many cancers. Clustering analysis based on the transcriptome patterns of S100 protein family identified two cancer clusters with distinct immunophenotypes and clinical characteristics. Cluster A, with lower S100 expression, exhibited lower immune infiltration, whereas, Cluster B, with higher S100 expression, featured higher immune infiltration. Interestingly, Cluster B had a poorer prognosis, likely due to an immune-excluded phenotype resulting from stromal activation. The analysis revealed robust enrichment of the TGFb and EMT pathways in the cohort exhibiting high S100 score, alongside a positive correlation between the S100 score and Treg levels, suggesting the manifestation of an immune-excluded phenotype in this group. Moreover, S100 families were associated with the prognosis of 22 different cancers and a noteworthy association was observed between high S100 score and an unfavorable response to anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapy. Consistent findings across two independent immunotherapy cohorts substantiated the advantageous therapeutic outcomes and clinical benefits in patients displaying lower S100score.

Conclusion

Our analysis demonstrated the role of S100 family in formation of TME diversity and complexity, enabling deeper cognition of TME infiltration characterization and the development of personalized immunotherapy strategies targeting S100 family for unique tumor types.
Analysis of the Sapphire Fiber Fabry-Perot Interferometer Fringe Visibility under Different Excitation Conditions
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Tang Rui , Zhang Dongsheng , Yang Minghong
Published: April 2024

In this paper, a theoretical analysis of how the excitation conditions affect the sapphire fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (SFPI) visibility was performed. The conditions were considered, in which an SFPI was excited by a single-mode fiber (SMF), a multimode fiber (MMF), and a fiber collimator. The finite difference method (FDM) was used to realize the numerical solution of the modal electric fields, and then, the modal excited distributions in the sapphire fiber and the SFPI visibility were calculated. The results showed that different numbers of modes were excited in sapphire fibers under different excitation conditions and finally affected the fringe visibility of the SFPI. The fiber collimator excited the fewest modes and the visibility remained at the highest level. Finally, an experiment was performed, and the experimental results agreed well with the theoretical results.
Chronic kidney disease and risk of bloodstream infections and sepsis: a 17-year follow-up of the population-based Trøndelag Health Study in Norway
Authors: Liyanarachi Kristin Vardheim , Mohus Randi Marie , Rogne Tormod , Gustad Lise Tuset , Åsvold Bjørn Olav , Romundstad Solfrid , Solligård Erik , Hallan Stein , Damås Jan Kristian
Published: April 2024

Purpose

Bloodstream infections (BSI) and sepsis are important causes of hospitalization, loss of health, and death globally. Targetable risk factors need to be identified to improve prevention and treatment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and risk of and mortality from BSI and sepsis in the general population during a 22-year period.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study among participants in the population-based Norwegian HUNT Study, where 68,438 participated. The median follow-up time was 17.4 years. The exposures were estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin–creatinine ratio (ACR) in urine. The outcomes were hazard ratios (HR) of hospital admission or death due to BSI or sepsis. The associations were adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, obesity, systolic blood pressure, smoking status, and cardiovascular disease.

Results

Participants with eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.732 had HR 3.35 for BSI (95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.12–5.3) and HR 2.94 for sepsis (95% CI 1.82–4.8) compared to normal eGFR (≥ 90 ml/min/1.732). HRs of death from BSI and sepsis were 4.2 (95% CI 1.71–10.4) and 4.1 (95% CI 1.88–8.9), respectively. Participants with severely increased albuminuria (ACR > 30 mg/mmol) had HR 3.60 for BSI (95% CI 2.30–5.6) and 3.14 for sepsis (95% CI 1.94–5.1) compared to normal albumin excretion (ACR < 3 mg/mmol). HRs of death were 2.67 (95% CI 0.82–8.7) and 2.16 (95% CI 0.78–6.0), respectively.

Conclusion

In this large population-based cohort study, CKD was clearly associated with an increased risk of BSI and sepsis and related death.
Kennzeichen von Menschen mit einer Ortsfixierung – eine explorative Sekundäranalyse
Authors: Berger Bianca , Graeb Fabian , Essig Gundula , Reiber Petra , Wolke Reinhold
Published: April 2024

Hintergrund

Ein zentrales Phänomen im Zusammenhang mit Mobilitätseinschränkungen und Bettlägerigkeit ist die Ortsfixierung. Dieses wurde bislang kaum untersucht; empirische Belege zu Kennzeichen liegen kaum vor.

Ziel und Methodik

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Ermittlung von Kennzeichen einer Ortsfixierung. In den Projekten PEPKO und IKK-PEP erfolgte die Einschätzung des Mobilitätsstatus bei Gästen der Tagespflege und bei Pflegeheimbewohner*innen. Dabei wurde u. a. der Grad der Ortsfixierung erfasst. Um sich dem Phänomen anzunähern, wurden diese Daten einer Sekundäranalyse unterzogen. Die Gelegenheitsstichprobe aus 4 Tagespflegen und 4 stationären Pflegeeinrichtungen umfasst 77 Personen.

Ergebnisse

Von 77 Personen sind 33 (42,9 %) ortsfixiert. Die Personen mit einer Ortsfixierung weisen einen schlechteren Mobilitätsstatus auf (EBoMo Score Mdn 44 vs. 54 Punkte; p < 0,001), benötigen häufiger ein Hilfsmittel für Mobilität (93,9 % vs. 47,7 %; p < 0,001), berichten eine niedrigere gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität (Mdn 0,47 vs. 0,93; p < 0,001) und nehmen mehr Medikamente ein (10 vs. 6; p = 0,015). Die Häufigkeit verschiedener chronischer Erkrankungen unterscheidet sich nur teilweise, aber in der Gruppe der ortsfixierten Personen sind signifikant häufiger Herzrhythmusstörungen (30,3 % vs. 11,4 %; p = 0,038) und Paresen/Plegien anzutreffen (21,2 % vs. 4,5 %; p = 0,024), eine Demenz dagegen seltener (18,2 % vs. 40,9 %; p = 0,033).

Schlussfolgerung

Das Phänomen Ortsfixierung ist in beiden Settings häufig anzutreffen. Größere Studien, insbesondere mit Fokus auf Prävalenz und Risikofaktoren, sind erforderlich, um wirksame präventive Konzepte, die letztlich auch Bettlägerigkeit gezielt vorbeugen können, zu entwickeln.
Generalization of Direct Adaptive Control Using Fractional Calculus Applied to Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Aburakhis Mohamed , Ordóñez Raúl
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a new direct adaptive control (DAC) technique using Caputo’s definition of the fractional-order derivative. This is the first time a fractional-order adaptive law is introduced to work together with an integer-order stable manifold for approximating the uncertainty of a class of nonlinear systems. The DAC approach uses universal function approximators such as multi-layer perceptrons with one hidden layer or fuzzy systems to approximate the controller. This paper presents a new lemma, which elucidates and clarifies the link between the Caputo and the Riemann–Liouville definitions. The introduced lemma is useful in developing a Lyapunov candidate to prove the stability of using the proposed fractional-order adaptive law. This is further explained by a numerical example, which is provided to elucidate the practicality of using the fractional-order derivative for updating the approximator parameters. The main novelty of the results in this paper is a rigorous stability proof of the fractional DAC approach for a class of nonlinear systems that is subjected to unstructured uncertainty and deals with the adaptation mechanism using a traditional integer-order stable manifold. This makes the control scheme easier to implement in practice. The fractional-order adaptation law provides greater degrees of freedom and a potentially larger functional control structure than the conventional adaptive control. Finally, the paper demonstrates that traditional integer-order DAC is a special case of the more general fractional-order DAC scheme introduced here.
Real-world use of oral versus subcutaneous semaglutide in a cohort of type 2 diabetic patients: which option to which patient?
Authors: Formichi C. , Baronti W. , de Gennaro G. , Cerrai Ceroni M. , Nigi L. , Rizzo L. , Dotta F.
Published: April 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the variables influencing the therapeutic choice toward oral versus subcutaneous semaglutide in a cohort of diabetic subjects.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data of 292 patients followed at the Diabetes Unit of the University Hospital of Siena and the Hospital of Grosseto, who were prescribed oral (n = 115) or subcutaneous (n = 177) semaglutide between October 2021 and October 2022.

Results

Oral semaglutide was preferentially prescribed in older subjects with longer disease duration in replacement of other antidiabetic drugs, while subcutaneous semaglutide was preferentially prescribed in add-on to metformin in subjects with higher body weight and BMI. After 6 months, both formulations significantly improved glycemic control and body weight, however injectable semaglutide showed a greater efficacy on A1c levels, weight loss, BMI and waist circumference reduction. No differences were found in terms of adverse events.

Conclusion

In our experience, injectable semaglutide is preferred in patients with excess weight and shorter disease duration, while the oral formulation was used later and especially after therapeutic failure of previous therapies. Follow-up data indicate similar tolerability and efficacy of both formulations, despite subcutaneous semaglutide demonstrated greater efficacy.
Surface Integrity of Binderless WC Using Dry Electrical Discharge Assisted Grinding
Authors: Lu Yanjun , Mou Xingyu , Xiao Huapan , Li Kangsen , Wang Chunjin
Published: April 2024

Binderless tungsten carbide (WC) is preferred for manufacturing tools, mould, and wear-resistant components. However, due to its high brittleness and hardness, the machined binderless WC surface is prone to generate microcracks and the machining efficiency is extremely low. Aiming at this difficulty, a clean and eco-friendly dry electrical discharge assisted grinding (DEDAG) method without any liquid medium was proposed for the processing of binderless WC. DEDAG principle was revealed and the DEDAG platform was first developed. A series of DEDAG, conventional dry grinding (CDG), and conventional wet grinding (CWG) experiments were conducted on binderless WC under different processing parameters. The current and voltage waveforms during the DEDAG process were observed, and the discharge properties were analyzed. The chip morphologies, surface hardness, residual stress, as well as surface and subsurface morphologies were analyzed. The results show that the surface hardness and roughness obtained by DEDAG are smaller than that by CDG or CWG. The measured residual tensile stress after CDG is larger against DEDAG. The ground surface by DEDAG has better crystal integrity than that by CDG. DEDAG can soften/melt workpiece material and diminish grinding chips, thereby promoting plastic removal and increasing processing efficiency. The influences of DEDAG parameters on the ground surface quality are also investigated, and the optimal DEDAG parameters are determined. With the increase of open-circuit voltage or grinding depth, the surface quality improves first and then worsens. The optimal open-circuit voltage is 40 V and the grinding depth ranges from 10 µm to 15 µm. This research provides a new idea for promoting the efficient and low-damage processing of binderless WC.
Representation learning of in-degree-based digraph with rich information
Authors: Sun Yan , Zhu Cun , Chen JianFu , Lan Kejia , Pei Jiuchang
Published: April 2024

Network representation learning aims to map the relationship between network nodes and context nodes to a low-dimensional representation vector space. Directed network representation learning considers mapping directional of node vector. Currently, only sporadic work on direct network representation has been reported. In this work, we propose a novel algorithm that takes into account the direction of the edge with text’s attribute of the node in directed network representation learning. We then define the matrix based on in-degree of Laplacian and signless Laplacian for digraph, and it utilizes web page datasets from universities in the USA to evaluate the performance of vertex classification. We compare our algorithm with other directed representation learning algorithms. The experimental results show that our algorithm outperforms the baseline by over 20% when the training ratio ranges from 10 to 90%. We apply the in-degree-Laplacian and In-degree-signless-Laplacian to directed representation learning, which is one of the main contributions of this algorithm. Additionally, we incorporate text information through matrix completion in directed network representation learning and the experimental results show an increase in performance of up to 20% compared to the baseline, especially when the training ratio is 10%.
Chemical looping reforming of the micromolecular component from biomass pyrolysis via Fe2O3@SBA-16
Authors: Li Yunchang , Zhang Bo , Yang Xiantan , Yang Bolun , Zhang Shengyong , Wu Zhiqiang
Published: April 2024

To solve the problems of low gasification efficiency and high tar content caused by solid–solid contact between biomass and oxygen carrier in traditional biomass chemical looping gasification process. The decoupling strategy was adopted to decouple the biomass gasification process, and the composite oxygen carrier was prepared by embedding Fe2O3 in molecular sieve SBA-16 for the chemical looping reforming process of pyrolysis micromolecular model compound methane, which was expected to realize the directional reforming of pyrolysis volatiles to prepare hydrogen-rich syngas. Thermodynamic analysis of the reaction system was carried out based on the Gibbs free energy minimization method, and the reforming performance was evaluated by a fixed bed reactor, and the kinetic parameters were solved based on the gas–solid reaction model. Thermodynamic analysis verified the feasibility of the reaction and provided theoretical guidance for experimental design. The experimental results showed that the reaction performance of Fe2O3@SBA-16 was compared with that of pure Fe2O3 and Fe2O3@SBA-15, and the syngas yield was increased by 55.3% and 20.7% respectively, and it had good cycle stability. Kinetic analysis showed that the kinetic model changed from three-dimensional diffusion to first-order reaction with the increase of temperature. The activation energy was 192.79 kJ/mol by fitting. This paper provides basic data for the directional preparation of hydrogen-rich syngas from biomass and the design of oxygen carriers for pyrolysis of all-component chemical looping reforming.
Nostalgia Promotes Positive Beliefs about College Belonging and Success among First-Generation College Students
Authors: Abeyta Andrew A. , Corley Dyron , Hasna Nafisa
Published: April 2024

First-generation college students often develop negative thoughts and expectations about whether they belong in college and whether they can be successful in college, and these negative thoughts play a major role in college retention and success. Nostalgia, a mixed but mostly positive emotional experience that involves reflecting on personally meaningful events from one’s life, has been found to promote an optimistic future orientation. We tested the applied value of nostalgia’s future-orienting capacity for fostering positive beliefs about college belonging and success among first-generation college students in 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, first-generation students who reflected on a nostalgic event from their past reported more positive beliefs about their potential to discover a sense of belonging in their college community, compared to first-generation students who reflected on an ordinary event. In Experiment 2, nostalgic reflection once again increased positive expectations for belonging in first-generation college students as well as optimism for academic success. We conclude that the power of nostalgia to promote a positive future orientation may be harnessed by institutions and programs looking to encourage belonging and optimism to help first-generation college students adjust to and succeed in college.
Epifaunal Communities in Floating Buoys on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, NE Atlantic Ocean)
Authors: Ugalde-Pozo Ainara , Riera Rodrigo
Published: April 2024

Ocean sprawl has become increasingly prevalent in marine environments. Artificial substrates, notably floating structures like buoys, have gained significant attention in recent years. They serve as valuable models for future studies aimed at understanding and mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems. We studied the epifauna from buoys at six different locations on the northern and southern coasts of the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Is., NE Atlantic Ocean). A total of 12,130 individuals belonging to 57 species were collected. The abundance of individuals was higher in the northern area, whereas the species richness was higher in the southern area. The n-MDS showed significant differences between localities, with Las Alcaravaneras being separated from the remaining ones. These dissimilarities were due to the differences in the abundances of the amphipods P. gammaroides and A. rubricata. The orientation was a pivotal factor in structuring these associated communities in floating buoys. As a preliminary approach, high biodiversity and species richness were observed in these buoys; hence, they have a high potential to be used as bioindicators of human disturbance.
Korpusgestützte Theoriebildung als hermeneutischer Prozess – iterativ-inkrementelle Entwicklung eines Kategoriensystems am Beispiel einer Theorie des Kommentierens
Authors: Bender Michael
Published: April 2024

In dem Beitrag wird korpusgestützte Theoriebildung als hermeneutischer Prozess beschrieben und hermeneutische Aspekte in den verschiedenen Phasen des Prozesses werden diskutiert. Exemplarisch wird dies anhand der Entwicklung einer Theorie des Kommentierens gezeigt, deren Kategoriensystem in einem iterativ-inkrementellen Prozess der Bildung und Überprüfung von Hypothesen sukzessive aufgebaut und abduktiv ausdifferenziert wird. Methodisch stehen Annotationsstudien im Mittelpunkt, kombiniert mit korpusstatistischen Methoden. Letztere dienen einerseits dem theoretischen Sampling und werden andererseits auf die dadurch spezifisch selektierten bzw. gebildeten (Sub)Korpora zur Mustererkennung angewendet. Hermeneutikkritische Aspekte werden aus drei Perspektiven diskutiert, die den Umgang mit Vorwissen und bestehenden Theorien, mit der hermeneutischen Zirkularitätsmetapher und mit Objektivierungsstrategien im interpretativen Forschungssetting umfassen.
The regenerative power of curriculum theorising: feminine wonderings/wanderings (without)
Authors: Du Preez Petro , Le Grange Lesley
Published: April 2024

Ubuntu-currere, resonates with Catherine Malabou’s concept of plasticity (inspired by the figuration of the salamander) in the sense that they are both regenerative processes although the former might be viewed as a macro-process and the latter a micro-process. Ubuntu-currere concerns the (ongoing) unfolding/becoming of the human in intra-action with other humans and more-than-human world - a re/generative process of mind-body-soul. In this article, author 1 narrates her story of becoming-woman through weaving together her engagement with the work of Catherine Malabou, including the notion of plasticity, and Le Grange’s ubuntu-currere. After the autobiophilosography of author 1, we draw on the concept curriculum as complicated conversation whereby author 2 engages in a diffractive reading of author 1’s autobiophilosography, through conceptually experimenting with Malabou’s references to wondering (French: admiration) and Barad’s notion of wondering/wandering (imagination). Curriculum as complicated conversation concerns processes in which curriculum scholars engage in open and frank intra-actions, by listening to others for the purpose of self-criticism. We propose that wandering/wondering could add yet another dimension to the notion of complicated conversation and contribute to thinking of alternative possibilities for the field and for the becoming of pedagogical lives.
A Comprehensive Machine and Deep Learning Approach for Aerosol Optical Depth Forecasting: New Evidence from the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Alban Ahmad Qadeib , Abulibdeh Ammar , Charfeddine Lanouar , Abulibdeh Rawan , Abuelgasim Abdelgadir
Published: April 2024

Accurate forecasting of environmental pollution indicators holds significant importance in diverse fields, including climate modeling, environmental monitoring, and public health. In this study, we investigate a wide range of machine learning and deep learning models to enhance Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) predictions for the Arabian Peninsula (AP) region, one of the world’s main dust source regions. Additionally, we explore the impact of feature extraction and their different types on the forecasting performance of each of the proposed models. Preprocessing of the data involves inputting missing values, data deseasonalization, and data normalization. Subsequently, hyperparameter optimization is performed on each model using grid search. The empirical results of the basic, hybrid and combined models revealed that the convolutional long short-term memory and Bayesian ridge models significantly outperformed the other basic models. Moreover, for the combined models, specifically the weighted averaging scheme, exhibit remarkable predictive accuracy, outperforming individual models and demonstrating superior performance in longer-term forecasts. Our findings emphasize the efficacy of combining distinct models and highlight the potential of the convolutional long short-term memory and Bayesian ridge models for univariate time series forecasting, particularly in the context of AOD predictions. These accurate daily forecasts bear practical implications for policymakers in various areas such as tourism, transportation, and public health, enabling better planning and resource allocation.