bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Future Digital Pharmacological Prescriptions Between Therapy Adherence and Integrated Healthcare Personal Plans
Authors: Andreoni Giuseppe
Published: December 2024

The medical prescription is a most used and common tool to deliver clinical instructions for healthcare actions to the patient and among all the clinical actors involved in the process. Today this informative process is implemented by a paper sheet different in each country for format and content. In Italy it contains a limited set of instructions and mainly reports administrative data, so missing the main function to provide information and to act as a pro-memoria tool (about therapy parameters like dosage, assumption plan, interactions) for the patients. This is a factor affecting therapeutical adherence and, consequently, efficacy. New digital technologies offer the new e-health services to empower patients, caregivers, and clinical operators in the frame of the 5-P medicine for a more personalized and accurate approach. This process should involve also the first step towards health which is represented by the access to healthcare and the consequent prescription (pharmaceutical or diagnostic or therapeutical). This chapter discusses the current situation of processes driven by medical prescriptions, their formats, and their expected evolution in the frame of the new digital medicine vision.
Einleitung
Authors: Grafe Silke , Trefzger Thomas , Siller Hans-Stefan , Eisenmann Maria , Füting-Lippert Angelika
Published: December 2024

Angesichts der Bedeutung digitaler Medien für Lebens- und Arbeitsbereiche sind Medienkompetenz und Medienbildung zu wichtigen Voraussetzungen für die Teilhabe am gesellschaftlichen Leben geworden (Tulodziecki et al., 2021). Der Umgang mit digitalen Medien und Technologien sowie deren kritische Reflexion sind bedeutsame fächerübergreifende und fachintegrative Aufgaben für Schule und Unterricht (Schelhowe et al., 2009). Der universitären Lehrpersonenbildung kommt somit die wichtige Aufgabe zu, digitalisierungsbezogene Kompetenzen von Lehramtsstudierenden zu fördern, um diese auf das Lehren und Lernen mit digitalen Medien und die Wahrnehmung medien- und technologiebezogener Erziehungs- und Bildungsaufgaben vorzubereiten (Tulodziecki, 2012; Eickelmann et al., 2016; van Ackeren, 2019).
Nachhaltiges Lernen an der Hochschule: Untersuchungen zu Randbedingungen der positiven Effekte von digitalen Übungstests auf das Behalten von Lehrinhalten
Authors: Glaser Julia , Richter Tobias
Published: December 2024

Lernen begleitet uns unser Leben lang, von der frühkindlichen Bildung über Schule, Ausbildung und Universität bis hin zum Lernen im Beruf. Vieles von dem, was wir lernen, wird aber rasch wieder vergessen. Die Nutzung von Übungstests ist eine Lernstrategie, die zum Erwerb nachhaltigen Wissens beiträgt, also Wissen, das dauerhaft zur Verfügung steht und abgerufen werden kann, wenn es benötigt wird. In einem Zyklus mit drei Experimenten im Rahmen regulärer Psychologievorlesungen im Lehramtsstudium wurde erforscht, ob der positive Effekt von digitalen (Online-)Übungstests auf das Behalten (Testungseffekt) von Personen- oder Situationsmerkmalen abhängt und auch das Behalten von Vorlesungsinhalten fördert, die nicht direkt getestet wurden (Transfer). In Experiment 1 lag der Schwerpunkt auf Lernermerkmalen wie Motivation, Prüfungsängstlichkeit oder Vorwissen als potenziellen Moderatoren. Experiment 2 befasste sich mit Transfereffekten auf Vorlesungsinhalte, die in den Übungstests nicht direkt enthalten waren. In Experiment 3 wurde untersucht, ob eine metakognitive Aktivierung den Testungseffekt noch verstärken kann. Alle drei Experimente wurden mit Lehramtsstudierenden durchgeführt und hatten einen ähnlichen Aufbau: Die Studierenden nahmen regulär an ihren universitären Veranstaltungen teil (Lernphase), beantworteten im Nachgang online Fragen zur Sitzung (Übungstests) und wurden zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt nochmals abgefragt (kriterialer Test). Der Testungseffekt konnte in allen drei Experimenten nachgewiesen werden, allerdings nur für direkt getestetes Wissen. Transfereffekte für verwandtes, nicht getestetes Wissen traten nicht auf. Weder Lernermerkmale noch die metakognitive Aktivierung schienen einen Einfluss auf die Effektivität des Testens zu haben. Der Testungseffekt scheint also eine sehr wirksame Lernstrategie zu sein, die sich sinnvoll und in Form von Online-Übungstests auch ökonomisch in der Hochschullehre einsetzen lässt und unabhängig von Lernermerkmalen zu besseren Lernergebnissen führt. Die Übungstests sollten aber die gesamte Bandbreite relevanter Inhalte abdecken, da Transfereffekte zu nicht getesteten Inhalten nicht zu erwarten sind.
Jüdische Zeitschriften deutscher Sprache
Authors: Vanassche Tom
Published: December 2024

Der Artikel stellt die These auf, dass jüdische Zeitschriften maßgeblich an der Gestaltung und Entfaltung einer Sprachkultur beteiligt waren, die seit der Haskala zunehmend die deutsche Sprache für die Artikulation von jüdischem Selbstbewusstsein verwendete, während die Bedeutung des Hebräischen nach dem Höhepunkt der Haskala allmählich abnahm. Obwohl diese Entwicklung nicht geradlinig verlief, berufen sich Intellektuelle in der deutschsprachig-jüdischen Presse nach 1945 weiterhin, wenn auch oft implizit, auf diese Tradition. – In this article, we argue that Jewish magazines were central to shaping a linguistic culture in which the German language had increasingly been invoked to articulate a Jewish self-consciousness, while the importance of Hebrew steadily declined after the heyday of the Haskala. While this was certainly not a straightforward evolution, we note that intellectuals writing in the German-Jewish press after 1945 still invoked, albeit often tacitly, this tradition.
Sprachkrisen im Kontext kontroverser Zugehörigkeit
Authors: Hahn Hans-Joachim
Published: December 2024

Zusammenfasung

Sprachkrisen bilden einen zentralen Aspekt deutschsprachig-jüdischer Literatur, der im Kontext der Zuschreibungen durch die nichtjüdischen Mehrheitsgesellschaften steht und mit dem Eintritt von Jüdinnen und Juden in die deutsche Sprachgemeinschaft im ausgehenden 18. Jahrhundert verbunden ist. Im Artikel wird in exemplarischen Konstellationen nachvollzogen, wie sich diese Besonderheit jüdischer Autorschaft in deutscher Sprache als unterstellte Normabweichung seither immer wieder, auf je spezifische Weise, aktualisierte, was hier am Beispiel von Berthold Auerbach, Fritz Mauthner, Jakob Wassermann und Theodor W. Adorno dargestellt wird. – Crises of language compose a central aspect of German-speaking Jewish literature, which stands within the context of the attributions made by non-Jewish majority societies towards Jews and is linked with the entrance of Jews into the German community of language at the end of the 18th century. In this article it will be demonstrated how this special characteristic of Jewish authorship in German appears as divergent from the supposed language norm and has been reactivated ever since; this will be shown especially referring to Berthold Auerbach, Fritz Mauthner, Jakob Wassermann, and Theodor W. Adorno.
Die Sprachenfrage im Reformjudentum, im Zionismus und in Palästina/Israel
Authors: Neuburger Twito Karin
Published: December 2024

Das Verhältnis der Juden zur deutschen Sprache vom Reformjudentum über den Zionismus bis in die Gegenwart des Staates Israel weist im Überblick zwei Tendenzen auf, die sich weniger widersprechen, als dass sie sich gegenseitig bedingen. Zum einen Katalysator und Indikator der Zugehörigkeit zum deutschen Volk, zum anderen aber geradezu Ausdruck jüdischer Identität wirkt die deutsche Sprache im Zusammenspiel mit dem Hebräischen assimilatorisch und dissimilatorisch zugleich. Die Fortsetzung dieses Zusammenspiels, die u. a. der paradigmatischen Funktion des Deutschen als Bildungssprache der Moderne geschuldet ist, lässt sich auch im Hebräischen des jüdischen Staates beobachten. – In the transition from Reform Judaism through Zionism to the State of Israel, two tendencies manifest themselves with regard to how Jews related to the German language – tendencies that seem contradictory, but are actually interdependent. As a catalyst for and indicator of belonging to the German people, on the one hand, and as expression of Jewish identity on the other, the German language in interplay with Hebrew fosters both assimilation and dissimilation. The continuation of this interplay, which also stems from the paradigmatic function of German as language of the educated in the modern world, continues to show itself in the Hebrew culture of the Jewish state.
Wissenschaftsorientiertes Philosophieren mit der PhEx-Box
Authors: Breitwieser Anna
Published: December 2024

Lernende auf den Umgang mit den vielfältigen Fragen und Problemen unserer Welt vorzubereiten, verlangt sowohl die Beschäftigung mit wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen als auch all den philosophischen Argumenten und Theorien, die damit in Zusammenhang stehen. Allerdings gibt es kaum unterrichtspraktische Instrumente, die beide Perspektiven reflexiv verbinden. Für den Philosophieunterricht hat Bettina Bussmann den Phänomenkoffer entwickelt. Dieser ist darauf ausgerichtet, durch freies und assoziatives Fragen alltägliche Gegenstände zu erkunden. Das Stellen von wissenschaftlichen, philosophischen und kreativ-spekulativen Fragen dient als Impuls, um philosophische Gespräche anzuregen. In naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichtsfächern kommen oftmals Experimentierboxen zum Einsatz, die im Gegensatz dazu einen gezielt empirisch-experimentellen Zugang zu den Gegenständen wählen. Ziel dieses Aufsatzes ist es, das interdisziplinäre Potential des Phänomenkoffers zu erschließen und um das Konzept der Experimentierbox zu erweitern. So werden Philosophieren und Experimentieren zu einer Synthese gebracht und interdisziplinäre Verständigungs- und Reflexionsprozesse ermöglicht.
A Magnetovariational Survey at Lampedusa Island for Investigating the Ambient Noise and the Subsoil Electrical Conductivity
Authors: Regi Mauro , Del Corpo Alfredo , Di Mauro Domenico , Lepidi Stefania , Bagiacchi Paolo , Benedetti Giovanni
Published: December 2024

We conducted a magnetovariational field investigation at Lampedusa island (Italy), in the proximity to the geomagnetic observatory of Lampedusa. Data were collected from March 19 to March 23, 2022, using vector fluxgate magnetometers, configured in different spatial arrangements for two main purposes: (a) estimating the spatial distribution of potential anthropogenic noise; (b) identifying different conductivity structures beneath the observatory’s surroundings. The results obtained by means of the 1-D gradient method on simultaneous measurements indicate a very low ambient noise level, likely originating north of the geomagnetic observatory. Hypothetical event analysis, combining data from eleven sites with temporary magnetometer installations, reveals the presence of at least three distinct strata in the crust: a highly conductive layer positioned between two more resistive layers, located west of the observatory.
An All-Standard-Cell-Based Synthesizable SAR ADC with Inverter-Cell-Based Capacitive DAC
Authors: Li Shuowei , Yang Zunsong , Iizuka Tetsuya
Published: December 2024

This paper proposes an 8-bit synthesizable SAR ADC with inverter-cell-based capacitive digital-to-analog converters (CDACs). An inverter-cell-based capacitor is proposed by connecting the supply and ground ports of the inverter cells together but leaving them floated to suppress the voltage dependence to be suitable for employment in an ADC with moderate resolution. Furthermore, an inverter-cell-based analog switch is proposed to be employed in S/H and CDAC to achieve a fully standard-cell-based design without any custom-designed cells. The prototype is fabricated in a 65 nm standard CMOS process occupying 0.19 mm2. With a Nyquist input, the SFDR and SNDR reach 53.6 dB and 46.2 dB at 2.92 MS/s respectively without calibration. The power consumption is 425 $${\mu }$$
μ
W from a 1.2 V supply, which leads to the Walden FoM of 0.86 pJ/conv.-step.
Bounded symbiosis and upwards reflection
Authors: Galeotti Lorenzo , Khomskii Yurii , Väänänen Jouko
Published: December 2024

In Bagaria (J Symb Log 81(2), 584–604, 2016), Bagaria and Väänänen developed a framework for studying the large cardinal strength of downwards Löwenheim-Skolem theorems and related set theoretic reflection properties. The main tool was the notion of symbiosis, originally introduced by the third author in Väänänen (Applications of set theory to generalized quantifiers. PhD thesis, University of Manchester, 1967); Väänänen (in Logic Colloquium ’78 (Mons, 1978), volume 97 of Stud. Logic Foundations Math., pages 391–421. North-Holland, Amsterdam 1979) Symbiosis provides a way of relating model theoretic properties of strong logics to definability in set theory. In this paper we continue the systematic investigation of symbiosis and apply it to upwards Löwenheim-Skolem theorems and reflection principles. To achieve this, we need to adapt the notion of symbiosis to a new form, called bounded symbiosis. As one easy application, we obtain upper and lower bounds for the large cardinal strength of upwards Löwenheim–Skolem-type principles for second order logic.
Crashworthiness topology optimisation of a crash box to improve passive safety during a frontal impact
Authors: Silva Christian J. G. , Lopes Rogério F. F. , Domingues Tiago M. R. M. , Parente M. P. L. , Moreira Pedro M. G. P.
Published: December 2024

This paper focuses on the application of topology optimisation algorithms to improve the crashworthiness of heavy passenger vehicles, in frontal impact conditions. The objective is to find the optimal arrangement of material to minimise compliance, satisfying a volume constraint. Ultimately, it is intended to analyse the influence of this component in the energy absorption capability of the vehicle structure during a crash. Crashworthiness design plays a crucial role in the automotive industry, particularly in enhancing passenger safety. It aims to develop structures that can absorb more energy while minimising intrusion, to maintain the driver’s survival space. If so, crashworthiness design deals with conflicting objectives, and optimisation methods can be used to find a compromise between these parameters. The application of topological optimisation in the context of vehicle structure crashworthiness is still limited, mainly due to the high computational costs associated with crash simulations that deem these approaches impractical. To tackle this difficulty, this study performed the optimisation process on a single component, a crash box, employing optimisation algorithms built within a Matlab code, that iteratively interfaces with Abaqus® where the non-linear crash simulation is performed. Afterwards, the optimised component was incorporated into the coach chassis baseline and tested using an already established finite element model on VPS/PamCrash®, simulating a frontal impact, according to the ECE R29 regulation. The application of this methodology demonstrated that evolutionary algorithms can effectively be applied for topology optimisation under crashworthiness conditions, generating an optimised crash box that improves the crashworthiness metrics of the coach baseline structure.
Isoperimetric conditions, lower semicontinuity, and existence results for perimeter functionals with measure data
Authors: Schmidt Thomas
Published: December 2024

We establish lower semicontinuity results for perimeter functionals with measure data on $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

and deduce the existence of minimizers to these functionals with Dirichlet boundary conditions, obstacles, or volume-constraints. In other words, we lay foundations of a perimeter-based variational approach to mean curvature measures on $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

capable of proving existence in various prescribed-mean-curvature problems with measure data. As crucial and essentially optimal assumption on the measure data we identify a new condition, called small-volume isoperimetric condition, which sharply captures cancellation effects and comes with surprisingly many properties and reformulations in itself. In particular, we show that the small-volume isoperimetric condition is satisfied for a wide class of $$(n{-}1)$$

(
n
-
1
)

-dimensional measures, which are thus admissible in our theory. Our analysis includes infinite measures and semicontinuity results on very general domains.
Methodology for pediatric head computed tomography image segmentation and volumetric calculation using a tablet computer and stylus pen
Authors: Hashimoto H. , Shimada M. , Takemoto O. , Chiba Y.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

This study presents a MATrix LABoratory (MATLAB)-based methodology for calculating intracranial volumes from head computed tomography (CT) data and compares it with established methods.

Methods

Regions of interest (ROI) were manually segmented on CT images using a stylus pen, facilitated by mirroring a computer desktop onto a tablet. The volumetric process involved three main steps: (1) calculating the volume of a single voxel, (2) counting the total number of voxels within the segmented ROI, and (3) multiplying this voxel count by the single-voxel volume. This method was applied to 83 pediatric head CT scans from patients with minor head trauma, and the volumetric results were compared with those obtained from OsiriX.

Results

A paired t-test revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between volumes obtained with our MATLAB-based method and those from OsiriX, with our method measuring 0.32% higher. However, an unpaired t-test found no statistically significant differences between the volumetric population groups (p = 0.84).

Conclusion

The significant difference identified by the paired t-test likely reflects statistical distinctions arising from differences in the calculation methods of the two approaches. Conversely, the unpaired t-test suggests no statistically detectable differences between the volumetric populations. Although this does not imply that the two methods produce identical results, the volumetric populations derived from our method may originate from the same underlying population as those obtained using OsiriX. By taking these points into account, our method has the potential to serve as a valuable tool for volumetric measurements.
Seasonality of feedback mechanisms involved in Pacific coastal Niño events
Authors: Rudloff Daniel , Lübbecke Joke F. , Wahl Sebastian
Published: December 2024

The 2017 Pacific Coastal Niño Event was the strongest of its type. It caused torrential rainfall and devastating flooding in Peru and Ecuador and thus rapidly caught the attention of the scientific community. From reanalysis data, three similar events, occurring in 2008, 2012 and 2014, are identified which are however all weaker, peaked later during the year and led to very little socioeconomic impact. This study focuses on the role of seasonality for the evolution and impact of Coastal Niño events. Reanalysis products as well as historical simulations from a coupled climate model and targeted model sensitivity experiments are utilized to assess the seasonal varying contributions of surface heat fluxes, horizontal advection and subsurface processes to the modulation of sea surface temperatures off the Peruvian coast. As the atmospheric conditions underlay a strong seasonal cycle with convection only occurring between December and April, warm events in this season are shown to lead to stronger precipitation anomalies. Pacific coastal Niño events in general are shown to be primarily forced via oceanic processes, but in individual cases local atmospheric forcing plays an important role. However, there is a very high variability between the individual events, with especially the 2017 event standing out due to its forcing, timing, strength and associated precipitation response.
Assessment of insulin-degrading enzyme inhibitor for the treatment of corneal erosion in a rat model
Authors: Issac Levy , Dolev Dollberg , Irit Bahar , Assaf Dotan , Levy Issac
Published: December 2024

Background

Diabetes poses a risk to diabetic keratopathy in up to two-thirds of patients. Insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is a protease that can break down insulin and several growth factors and may impair wound healing. Increased IDE levels have been found in fluid from diabetic skin ulcers. This study sought to determine the effect of IDE inhibitor on corneal wound healing in a rat model.

Methods

Thirty-four male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: no diabetes and streptozocin-induced diabetes. Six weeks later, a 4-mm central corneal erosion was created under anesthesia in the right eye of all rats. In each group, half the rats were treated with ADT21 drops (IDE inhibitor) and half with NaCl 0.9% (sham) drops, four times daily. Image J analysis was performed to evaluate the area of erosion and healing rate.

Results

There was a trend for more rapid healing in rats treated with IDEI than NaCl drops, regardless of the diabetic condition. Comparison of erosion closure over time revealed that the wounds closed significantly more quickly in the non-diabetic rats treated with IDEI than in the non-diabetic rats treated with NaCl (p = 0.045), overall mean closure time 56.00 h, 95% CI [50.54, 61.46]. No such difference was seen in the diabetic group.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study to test ADT21 drops as a novel treatment for corneal wound repair. Our results suggest a potential benefit of IDE inhibitor for treating corneal injury.
Reference values for the adolescent post version of the Postconcussion Symptom Inventory from the German general population
Authors: Zeldovich Marina , Krol Leonie , Timmermann Dagmar , Gioia Gerard , Cunitz Katrin , Buchheim Anna , von Steinbuechel Nicole
Published: December 2024

The present study aims at providing reference values from the general pediatric population for the German version of the 21-item self-report post version of the Postconcussion Symptom Inventory for adolescents aged 13–17 years (PCSI-SR13) following pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI). A total of N = 950 adolescents completed an adapted version of the PCSI-SR13. Prior to establishing reference values using percentiles, psychometric properties (i.e., reliability and factorial validity) and regression analyses were examined to identify factors contributing to PCSI-SR13 scores. In addition, construct assessment in the general population sample was compared to that in the pTBI sample (N = 234) using measurement invariance analyses and direct comparisons at the score levels. The results indicate good reliability (Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω of 0.97 each). The four-factor structure covering physical, emotional, cognitive, and fatigue symptom groups could be replicated with χ
2(183) = 995.96, p < 0.001, χ
2/df = 5.44, CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.068 (0.064, 0.073), SRMR = 0.03. With minor restrictions, the assessment of symptoms was comparable between the general population and the pTBI samples. Participants in the pTBI sample reported a significantly higher symptom burden than those in the general population sample. Reference values were provided using the total sample without further stratification.

Conclusion: For the German post version of the PCSI-SR13, reference values are now available for direct score comparisons and for drawing conclusions about the clinical relevance of the reported symptoms, while considering the prevalence in a comparable general population without a history of pTBI.

Trial registration: The study is retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register and in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ID DRKS00032854).

What is Known:

• Pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is a major cause of death and disability, with a wide range of incidence rates and symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and recovery.• The Postconcussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI), including recently translated and validated German versions, is a recommended tool for measuring self-reported symptoms in affected children and adolescents.

What is New:

• This study provides German-specific reference values for the PCSI-SR13, allowing health care professionals to better differentiate between symptoms that may occur in the general adolescent population with and without chronic health conditions and those caused by pTBI.• It highlights that adolescents with chronic health conditions but without a history of pTBI often report higher levels of emotional symptoms and fatigue, emphasizing the importance of a nuanced clinical assessment, including medical history.
Transösophageale Echokardiographie bei kritisch kranken Patienten im Schockraum
Authors: Weißler Simon , Scheyer Daniel , Sixt Stephan , Kienbaum Peter , Knapp Jürgen , Hammer Niels , Heinen Yvonne , Bernhard Michael
Published: December 2024

Die Echokardiographie ist ein zentrales Element in der Diagnostik von Patienten in der Notfall- und Intensivmedizin. Die transösophageale Echokardiographie (TEE) kann im Gegensatz zur transthorakalen Echokardiographie (TTE) unabhängig von Patientenhabitus, Beatmung und Lagerung durchgeführt werden und liefert dadurch eine konstant gute Bildqualität. Relevante Pathologien und reversible Ursachen eines Herz-Kreislauf-Stillstands (z. B. Lungenarterienembolie, Perikardtamponade) können schnell diagnostiziert und damit einer Behandlung zugänglich werden. Zusätzlich bleiben im Rahmen der kardiopulmonalen Reanimation ununterbrochene Thoraxkompressionen während der Diagnostik mittels TEE gewährleistet und es kommt zu keiner diagnostikbedingten Verlängerung der „no-flow-time“ (Unterbrechung der Thoraxkompressionen während der kardiopulmonalen Reanimation). Einige Studien beschreiben auch den Nutzen der TEE zur Termination der Reanimationsmaßnahmen bei ausbleibender mechanischer Herzaktivität. Ein weiteres Anwendungsgebiet der TEE stellt die Implantation und (Re‑)Positionierung der Kanülierung von Kreislaufunterstützungssystemen (z. B. „extracorporeal life support“, ECLS) dar. Zusammengefasst ist die TEE ein sicheres, schnell erlernbares und der TTE in einigen Aspekten überlegenes Verfahren zur Diagnostik von Schockraumpatienten. Die TEE kann bei ausreichender Expertise zu einem diagnostischen Instrument im Rahmen der kardiopulmonalen Reanimation werden. Die Anwendungsgebiete, Vorteile und potenzielle Risiken der TEE im Rahmen der Versorgung kritisch kranker Schockraumpatienten, einschließlich Reanimationssituationen, sollen dargestellt werden.
A prospective study comparing highly qualified Molecular Tumor Boards with AI-powered software as a medical device
Authors: Bando Hideaki , Naito Yoichi , Yamada Tomoyuki , Fujisawa Takao , Imai Mitsuho , Sakamoto Yasutoshi , Saigusa Yusuke , Yamamoto Kouji , Tomioka Yutaka , Takeshita Nobuyoshi , Sunami Kuniko , Futamura Megumi , Notake Chiemi , Aoki Satoko , Okano Kazunori , Yoshino Takayuki
Published: December 2024

Background

The implementation of cancer precision medicine in Japan is deeply intertwined with insurance reimbursement policies and requires case-by-case reviews by Molecular Tumor Boards (MTBs), which impose considerable operational burdens on healthcare facilities. The extensive preparation and review times required by MTBs hinder their ability to efficiently assess comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) test results. Despite attempts to optimize MTB operations, significant challenges remain. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of QA Commons, an artificial intelligence-driven system designed to improve treatment planning using CGP analysis. QA Commons utilizes a comprehensive knowledge base of drugs, regulatory approvals, and clinical trials linked to genetic biomarkers, thereby enabling the delivery of consistent and standardized treatment recommendations. Initial assessments revealed that the QA Commons’ recommendations closely matched the ideal treatment recommendations (consensus annotations), outperforming the average results of MTBs at Cancer Genomic Medicine Core Hospitals.

Methods

A clinical performance evaluation study will be conducted by comparing the QA Commons’ treatment recommendations with those of the Academia Assembly, which includes medical professionals from the Cancer Genomic Medicine Core and Hub Hospitals. One hundred cases selected from the “Registry of the Academia Assembly,” based on defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, will be analyzed to assess the concordance of recommendations.

Conclusion

The expected outcomes suggest that QA Commons could reduce the workload of MTB members, standardize the quality of MTB discussions, and provide consistent outcomes in repeated patient consultations. In addition, the global expansion of QA Commons could promote worldwide adoption of Japan’s pioneering precision oncology system.
PhD candidates’ and supervisors’ wellbeing and experiences of supervision
Authors: Tikkanen Lotta , Ketonen Elina , Toom Auli , Pyhältö Kirsi
Published: December 2024

PhD candidates’ wellbeing has become a global concern over the past decade, and the topic has been addressed in several studies. At the same time, PhD supervisors’ wellbeing has remained largely unexplored. Also, most studies about supervisors’ and supervisees’ wellbeing have focused on negative aspects, such as stress and burnout, and they have generally ignored positive aspects, such as work engagement. For this study, we explored the variations in PhD candidates’ and supervisors’ occupational wellbeing regarding experienced burnout and engagement. In addition, we explored whether the perceptions of the quantity and quality of supervision were related to such variations among PhD candidates and supervisors. Overall, 768 PhD candidates and 560 supervisors from a research-intensive, multidisciplinary university participated in this quantitative study, and questionnaire data from the study were analysed using latent profile analysis. Four engagement–burnout profiles were identified among PhD candidates and supervisors, each showing unique combinations of the levels of the dimensions that were measured. The results showed that the supervisory experience was related to the wellbeing of both the PhD candidates and the supervisors, in terms of engagement and burnout, but in slightly different ways. The findings imply that developing functional supervisory practices is an investment not only in degree completion, but also in supervisors’ and supervisees’ wellbeing.
On the non-substantiality of logic: a case study
Authors: Carrara Massimiliano , Strollo Andrea
Published: December 2024

One of the goals of the natural sciences– for example biology– is to provide new information about certain phenomena with previously unknown nature. Their contribution to our knowledge is substantial. From this perspective, logic is seemingly not substantial. Sometimes, logic’s insubstantiality is taken for granted while explaining the alleged insubstantiality of other notions. For example, according to truth deflationism, truth is a non-substantial notion in the sense of being a logical property. However, it is not fully clear to what such an insubstantiality amounts. It is also debatable whether logic really is insubstantial. In this paper, we aim to clarify this issue by proposing a formal way of looking at it. In particular, we used the notion of conservativity, which has already been used by truth deflationism, for a similar aim. We show that if insubstantiality is read in terms of conservativity, then classical logic is substantial. We then argue that such a verdict of substantiality can be resisted if precise stances on certain prima facie unrelated issues of philosophy of logic are taken, or an anti-exceptionalist view is adopted.
Microstructure Formation in Hypoeutectic Alloys in the Fe–C–B–Cr–W System
Authors: Schaefer Hendric Maxwell , Lentz Jonathan , Röttger Arne , Weber Sebastian
Published: December 2024

This work investigates the influence of tungsten (W) on the microstructure of alloys in the system Fe–C–B–Cr. The main goal is to examine the effect of W-additions on the microstructure and especially the potential stabilization of primary or eutectic borides in alloys with the compositions of Fe–0.4C–1B–2.5Cr + W. Thermodynamic equilibrium and Scheil–Gulliver calculations are performed to identify microstructurally significant alloy-compositions which are also devoid of borocarbides at austenitizing temperature. Accordingly, laboratory melts are cast, samples are swaged, austenitized, quenched and tempered. Additionaly, a near-equilibrium state is created by a diffusion annealing step to validate the equilibrium calculation. The resulting microstructures are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that swaging can effectively convert the eutectic network into a powder-metallurgical-like spherical and isotropic hard phase dispersion without introducing microscopic or macroscopic defects. W-additions lead to the stabilization of eutectic FeWB and B-rich M23(B,C)6 carboborides as opposed to C-rich M23(C,B)6 formed in the quarternary Fe–C–B–Cr system. Thus, the chemical binding of B in M23(B,C)6 leads to a significant destabilization of the M2B-type borides FeWB and (Fe,Cr)2B. The results show that W-addition strongly influences the solidification reaction of Fe–Cr–C–B–W alloys and thus the present phases, even after diffusion annealing.
Simulating effects of sensor-to-segment alignment errors on IMU-based estimates of lower limb joint angles during running
Authors: Potter Michael V.
Published: December 2024

Wearable inertial measurement units offer opportunities to monitor and study running kinematics in relatively unconstrained environments. However, there remain many challenges for accurately estimating joint angles from inertial measurement unit sensor data. One important challenge involves determining the sensor-to-segment alignment parameters which specify the relative positions and orientations between the sensor and anatomical coordinate frames. Errors in these parameters can lead to errors in joint angle estimates, so it is important for practitioners, researchers, and algorithm developers to understand the required accuracy of sensor-to-segment alignment parameters for different applications. In this study, 480,000 simulations were used to investigate the effects of varying levels of simultaneous sensor-to-segment alignment errors on the accuracy of joint angle estimates from an inertial measurement unit-based method for running. The results demonstrate that accurate lower limb joint angle estimates are obtainable with this method when sensor-to-segment alignment errors are low, but these estimates rapidly degrade as errors in the relative orientations between frames grow. The results give guidance on how accurate sensor-to-segment alignment parameters must be for different applications. The methods used in this paper may also provide a valuable framework for assessing the impact of simultaneous sensor-to-segment alignment errors for other inertial measurement unit based algorithms and activities.
The nutritional feed gap: Seasonal variations in ruminant nutrition and knowledge gaps in relation to food security in Southern Africa
Authors: Cooke Andrew S. , Machekano Honest , Gwiriri Lovemore C. , Tinsley Jonathan H. I. , Silva Gleise M. , Nyamukondiwa Casper , Safalaoh Andrew , Morgan Eric R. , Lee Michael R. F.
Published: December 2024

Livestock production is critical to food security and rural livelihoods across Southern Africa. Despite progress in livestock science research in recent years, the seasonal availability and quality of feed remains one of the key challenges to livestock productivity in Southern Africa. In particular, dry weather conditions, the lack of rain and lower temperatures in the dry season cause herbaceous plants to die back and browse species to defoliate, limiting the abundance, quality, and variety of feed available. This creates a ‘Nutritional Feed Gap’, defined here as the combined effect of the sharp reduction in both forage quantity and quality from the wet to the dry season and the risk that it poses to ruminant production systems and the food security of the people and communities reliant on them. Understanding the nature and extent of how seasonality impacts ruminant production potential can thus contribute towards mitigating negative impacts of extreme weather and climate change on food systems. In this review, we characterise this nutritional feed gap in terms of forage abundance and nutrition as well as discussing how climate change may shape the future nutritional landscape. Whilst some forage nutrient concentrations varied little by season, crude protein and phosphorus were consistently found to decrease from the wet season to the dry season. We also identify a shortfall in primary research that assess both forage quality and quantity simultaneously, which forms part of a broader knowledge gap of our limited understanding of the impact of limiting factors to ruminant production on short and long-term food security across Southern Africa.
Are Probiotics Beneficial or Harmful for Pancreatic Cancer Outcomes?
Authors: Lee Tae Seung
Published: December 2024

Pancreatic cancer is influenced by interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Specifically, CD8 + T cells impact prognosis by eliminating cancer cells. Recent studies have revealed that microbiomes are present in pancreatic tissues and may affect tumor growth and immune responses. Additionally, recent studies revealed that the abundance of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Peptoniphilus are associated with poor pancreatic cancer prognosis. This study investigates the role of oral probiotics in influencing pancreatic cancer outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed patients aged ≥ 18 years with pathologically confirmed pancreatic cancer from Seoul National University Hospital between January 2011 and January 2023. We investigated progression-free survival and overall survival between the control group and the probiotics group. Among pancreatic cancer patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy without radiotherapy and resection, there was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) when comparing the control group to the probiotics group (median: 10 months (9–11) vs. 12 months (9–19), p = 0.026). Regardless of the type of probiotics, oral probiotics may have a positive impact, but further research is still needed to understand the underlying immunological mechanisms.
Identification of quantitative trait loci for in vitro plant regeneration from leaf microexplants in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Authors: Słomnicka Renata , Cieplak Magdalena , Antosiewicz Magda , Sadłos Alicja , Galczak Aleksandra , Kaźmińska Karolina , Bartoszewski Grzegorz
Published: December 2024

Plant regeneration in tissue cultures is crucial for the application of biotechnological methods to plant breeding. However, the genetic basis of in vitro plant regeneration is not fully understood. For cucumber, regeneration protocols from different types of explants have been reported, but thus far, the molecular basis of regeneration from cotyledon explants has only been studied. The aim of this work was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for in vitro plant regeneration from cucumber leaf microexplants. Plant regeneration was evaluated using a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a cross between line B10, characterized by high regeneration efficiency, and the low regeneration efficiency line Gy14. All RILs were scored for frequency of callus formation, organogenesis, and shoot regeneration. RILs with regeneration efficiencies higher than that of line B10 have been observed. QTLs for the frequency of organogenesis and shoot regeneration were identified. All the QTLs were mapped on cucumber chromosome 6, explaining 11.9 to 20% of the phenotypic variance. The major-effect QTL for organogenesis or6.1 was located on the upper arm of chromosome 6. The QTLs for shoot regeneration frequency, sr6.1A and sr6.1B, were located on the lower arm of chromosome 6. Analysis of the genomic region corresponding to these QTLs combined with gene expression profiling revealed that CsARF6 and CsWOX9 are gene candidates underlying these QTLs. This study is a step toward identifying the genes controlling the ability of cucumber plant regeneration from leaf explants.
An integrated framework for collaborative product design and assembly based on STEP compatible ontology model in cloud manufacturing
Authors: Zaringhalam SeyedehTina , Khalilzadeh Mohammad , Fatahi Valilai Omid
Published: December 2024

Nowadays, new product development processes are encountering fast design and development cycles. This issue has become one the main competition factors among industries. Accordingly, companies make drastic efforts to enhance the quality and speed in the realm of designing and manufacturing by taking novel approaches. Using the potential of new technologies, they design and develop products worldwide, and integrate stakeholders in the collaborative process to achieve this goal. This study has aimed at laying a foundation to fulfill the requirements for globalized collaborative product development processes. This creates an opportunity for both an integrated and collaborative environment. As first objective, the paper has proposed STEP Standard-based model in the form of a cloud service model to create an integrated data structure for product design data while giving flexibility for service-oriented access to integrated model. For second objective, using the Ontology interoperability model, the collaborative design among the stakeholders has been enabled through smart interference control. This control interprets the data semantic to an ontology structure and detects the potential conflicts. The model supports two levels of parts in singular and collective form and based on the assembly scheme for collaborative design and development. Different facets of the proposed model are addressed to fulfill the necessity of real-time distributed collaboration in designing and assembling via a case study.
Investigating the psammophilic karyorelictean ciliate families Kentrophoridae and Cryptopharyngidae (Protista, Ciliophora): molecular phylogeny, geographic distributions and a brief revision including descriptions of a new genus, a new species and a new combination
Authors: Ma Mingzhen , Tang Danxu , Song Wen , Li Lifang , Dovgal Igor V. , Al-Rasheid Khaled A. S. , Hines Hunter N. , Yan Ying
Published: December 2024

Psammophillic ciliates are an integral part of the foodweb despite being underrepresented in terms of molecular phylogeny and modern taxonomy. To investigate the karyorelictean group, sampling was conducted in interstitial marine habitats in China for ciliates living between the sand grains, resulting in an examination of the families Cryptopharyngidae Jankowski, 1980 and Kentrophoridae Jankowski, 1980. Three species, i.e., Cryptopharynx setigerus Kahl, 1928, Kentrophoros fasciolatus (Sauerbrey, 1928) Foissner, 1995 and K. fistulosus (Fauré-Fremiet, 1950) Foissner, 1995, are clearly recognized as being cosmopolitan, while other species await further recording. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out based on updated data. These revealed that the families Cryptopharyngidae and Kentrophoridae are closely related, and most genera studied are monophyletic, although Cryptopharynx qingdaoensis n. sp. is located within the Kentrophoridae branch. Brief revisions of two genera, namely Cryptopharynx Kahl, 1928 and Kentrophoros Sauerbrey, 1928, are provided including keys to the identification of nine species belonging to the former and 12 species belonging to the latter. One new genus, Parakentrophoros n. gen., and one new species, Cryptopharynx qingdaoensis n. sp., are described and a new combination, Parakentrophoros canalis (Wright, 1982) n. comb., is established. Finally, it appears that the subapical oral apparatus undergoes a gradual degeneration process from Cryptopharyngidae to Kentrophoridae.
Putting power in perspective: a systematic review of power dynamics in social-ecological traps
Authors: Lambert-Peck Miles , Echaubard Pierre , Saito Osamu , Nishi Maiko
Published: December 2024

This paper explores the use of power and politics in empirical literature on social-ecological traps. Social-ecological traps describe conditions where self-reinforcing interactions between social and ecological elements perpetuate a system in an unfavorable or undesirable state. Researchers across disciplines have theorized the nature and composition of social-ecological traps. In this connection, critical viewpoints on resilience have recognized a growing need to investigate political context, power relations, and the unequal distribution of risks and benefits contributing to the capacity of communities to manage changing conditions. However, it remains unclear to what extent empirical studies support any theorized way of power and politics influencing trap dynamics. This paper reviews power dynamics in the existing literature and offers insight into how power influences the emergence and persistence of social-ecological traps. Through a systematic literature review, we examined how the concept of power has been used, explicitly and implicitly, in empirical social-ecological trap research. The review identified 40 publications, focusing mainly on coastal ecosystems and cultivated areas within Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia. Our results suggest that power is still poorly understood from both a conceptual and operational perspective within the social-ecological trap literature. A few studies that do center power in their analyses demonstrate that despite limited attention, there are clear instances where power intersects with social-ecological system dynamics to perpetuate resilient, yet undesirable outcomes. We point to the absence of empirical studies that systematically analyze power relationships and dynamics and highlight the need for further research that bridges socio-political and ecological analyses.
Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of carbon emission reduction potential of the transportation industry in China
Authors: Yang Qing , Zheng Yandi , Fu Lingmei
Published: December 2024

Scientific estimation of China's transport carbon reduction potential (CERP) and exploration of its temporal and spatial characteristics and influencing factors are important bases for formulating emission reduction policies. Based on the dual perspective of equity and efficiency, we assess the CERP of the transportation industry in 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2019 and analyze its spatio-temporal evolution characteristics using the Kernel density estimation method. Then, the Dagum Gini coefficient is used to measure the regional differences and sources of the CERP, and its influencing factors are analyzed with the help of the random effects panel Tobit regression model. The results show that: (1) from 2000 to 2019, the CERP of the transportation industry in China and the three regions show an oscillating upward trend, with a spatial pattern of "high in the west and low in the east". (2) The overall difference in the CERP of the transportation industry shows a fluctuating downward trend, and the difference in hypervariable density has the highest contribution rate. The inter-regional differences between the West and other regions are the largest, and the intra-regional difference pattern shows the pattern of western > central > east. (3) The technological improvement, industrial structure, and scale of transportation industry development have a significant positive impact on the CERP of the transportation industry. The influence of urbanization influence and environmental regulation have a significant negative influence.