bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of low-frequency dorsal root ganglion stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain
Authors: Piedade G. S. , Gillner S. , McPhillips P. S. , Vesper J. , Slotty P. J.
Published: January 2023

Background

The role of stimulation parameters, especially stimulation frequency is not well understood in dorsal root ganglion stimulation. Previous studies documented higher effectiveness for frequencies as low as 20 Hz, but there is evidence that even lower values could lead to better outcomes. In this study, we investigate the influence of low-frequency DRG-S.

Method

This is a randomized double-blind clinical trial with a crossover design. Patients with an already implanted DRG-S system were included and randomly tested with 4 Hz, 20 Hz, 60 Hz, and sham stimulation. Amplitude was adjusted to subthreshold values for each frequency. Each frequency was tested for 5 days, followed by a 2-day washout period. Patients were assessed using VAS, McGill Pain Questionnaire, EQ-5D-5L, and Beck Depression Inventory.

Results

Seventeen patients were in included. Time between inclusion in this study and primary implant was 32.8 months. Baseline stimulation frequency was 20 Hz in all patients. Mean baseline pain intensity was VAS 3.2 (SD 2.2). With 4-Hz stimulation, VAS was 3.8 (SD 1.9), with 20 Hz VAS 4.2 (SD 2.0) and with 60 Hz VAS 4.6 (SD 2.7). Worst pain control was seen with sham stimulation with a VAS of 5.3 (SD 3.0). Stimulation with 4 Hz achieved lower VAS scores, but this was only statistically significant when compared to sham (p = 0.001). A similar trend favoring 4-Hz stimulation was seen using the Beck Depression Inventory, but in this case no statistical significance was found. Outcomes of McGill Pain Questionnaire and EQ-5D-5L favored 20 Hz stimulation, but again without statistical significance.

Conclusions

Low-frequency stimulation was not significantly better than classic 20-Hz stimulation in relieving pain intensity; the study might however be underpowered. Longer washout and observational periods might also be necessary to show clear differences in frequency response.
Translating and embedding equity-thinking into climate adaptation: an analysis of US cities
Authors: Cannon Clare , Chu Eric , Natekal Asiya , Waaland Gemma
Published: January 2023

Cities increasingly recognize the importance of furthering social equity in their climate adaptation planning. Such efforts are often in response to grassroots mobilizations, yet it is not clear to what extent they translate into urban coalitions, policy designs, and implementation efforts within city governments. In this paper, we respond to this knowledge gap by assessing how equity-thinking is translated into cities’ adaptation decision-making and governance arrangements, especially in ways that can lead to more inclusive and just climate adaptation outcomes for historically marginalized communities. We analyze adaptation plans for the 25 largest US cities using deductive and inductive coding strategies to uncover the ideas, rhetoric, and processes that guide equitable plans. We then map these outcomes of equity-thinking across procedural, distributive, and recognitional categories. Our analysis lends support to the operation of two social constructivist mechanisms of equity-thinking in adaptation planning—namely ideology and recognition. In an ideology-driven pathway, where beliefs are shared, adaptation efforts are mobilized through local actors and within public agencies who decide on the appropriateness of social equity definitions. Recognition-driven pathways occur when climate equity rhetoric is reflected and normalized through adaptation planning procedures, where cities strive to be early adopters of equitable climate strategies. This result therefore highlights the multiple ways urban leaders, decision-makers, and planners can have in steering policies and designing different planning and implementation processes.
Prognostic factors of IgA nephropathy presenting with mild proteinuria at the time of diagnosis (a multicenter cohort study)
Authors: Shirai Sayuri , Yasuda Takashi , Kumagai Hiroo , Matsunobu Hanako , Ichikawa Daisuke , Shibagaki Yugo , Yasuda Yoshinari , Matsuzaki Keiichi , Hirano Keita , Kawamura Tetsuya , Suzuki Yusuke , Maruyama Shoichi
Published: January 2023

Background

Clinical factors affecting renal prognosis in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and low urinary protein excretion (U-Prot) remain unclear. This study evaluated such factors in patients with clinical grade I (CG-I) IgAN with U-Prot < 0.5 g/day.

Methods

This secondary analysis of a previous retrospective study included 394 patients with CG-I IgAN. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of a 1.5-fold increase in serum creatinine levels from baseline. Factors related to renal prognosis were examined using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. CG-I was divided into C-Grade Ia (CG-Ia) (n = 330) with baseline eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and C-Grade Ib (CG-Ib) (n = 64) with baseline eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Outcome incidence was compared between conservative and aggressive therapy (corticosteroids and/or tonsillectomy) groups.

Results

Overall outcome incidence was significantly higher in CG-Ib than in CG-Ia; the cumulative incidence was significantly higher in CG-Ib (hazard ratio, 9.67; 95% confidence interval, 2.90–32.23). Older age, higher IgA levels, eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, lower eGFR at baseline were independent prognostic factors for CG-I. Older age, lower eGFR, higher IgA levels at baseline, and U-Prot remission at 1-year post-diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for CG-Ib. Aggressive therapy tended to suppress the cumulative outcome incidence compared with conservative therapy in CG-Ib (p = 0.087).

Conclusion

An eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 is a significant predictor of renal prognosis in patients with IgAN and U-Prot < 0.5 g/day.
Accessibility engineering in web evaluation process: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ara Jinat , Sik-Lanyi Cecilia , Kelemen Arpad
Published: January 2023

Several works of literature contributed to the web evaluation process in recent years to promote digital inclusion by addressing several accessibility guidelines, methods, processes, and techniques. Researchers have investigated how the web evaluation process could be facilitated by including accessibility issues to obtain an inclusive and accessible solution to improve the user experience and increase user satisfaction. Three systematic literature reviews (SLRs) have been conducted in the context of past research, considering such research focuses. This paper presents a new SLR approach concerning accessibility in the web evaluation process, considering the period from 2010 to 2021. The review of 92 primary studies showed the contribution of publications on different phases of the web evaluation process mainly by highlighting the significant studies in the framework design and testing process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focused on the web accessibility literature reporting the engineering assets for evaluation of new accessible and inclusive web-based solutions (e.g., websites). Besides, in this study, we aim to provide a new direction to the web designers and developers with an updated view of process, methods, techniques, tools, and other crucial aspects to contribute to the accessible process enrichment, as well as depict the gaps and challenges that may be worthy to be investigated in the future. The findings of this SLR introduce a new dimension in web accessibility research on determining and mitigating the research gap of web accessibility issues for web designers, developers, and other practitioners.
CRISP: an archive for the site characterization of permanent Italian seismic stations
Authors: Mercuri A. , Cultrera G. , Minarelli L. , Quintiliani M. , Bordoni P. , Famiani D. , Casale P. , Pischiutta M. , Ladina C. , Cara F. , Di Giulio G. , Pucillo S. , Tarabusi G. ,   INGV CRISP Working Group, Amoroso S. , Azzaro R. , Bianconi R. , Branca S. , Cantore L. , Gomez Capera A. , Cattaneo M. , Cogliano R. , Di Naccio D. , Di Prima S. , Felicetta C. , Fodarella A. , Lovati S. , Mandiello A. G. , Marcocci C. , Mascandola C. , Massa M. , Milana G. , Morasca P. , Pacor F. , Paratore M. , Pessina V. , Puglia R. , Riccio G. , Santulin M. , Scaltrito A. , Scarfi L. , Tusa G. , Vassallo M. , Zuccarello L.
Published: January 2023

In this paper we describe an advanced database for the site characterization of seismic stations, named “CRISP—Caratterizzazione della RIsposta sismica dei Siti Permanenti della rete sismica” (http://crisp.ingv.it, quoted with https://doi.org/10.13127/crisp), designed for the Italian National Seismic Network (Rete Sismica Nazionale, RSN, operated by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). For each site, CRISP collects easily accessible station information, such as position, type(s) of instrumentation, instrument housing, thematic map(s) and descriptive attributes (e.g., geological characteristics, etc.), seismic analysis of recordings, and available geophysical investigations (shear-wave velocity [VS] profile, non-linear decay curve). The archive also provides key proxy indicators derived from the available data, such as the time-averaged shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 m from the surface (VS30) and site and topographic classes according to the different seismic codes. Standardized procedures have been applied as motivated by the need for a homogenous set of information for all the stations. According to European Plate Observing System infrastructural objectives for the standardization of seismological data, CRISP is integrated into pre-existing INGV instrument infrastructures, shares content with the Italian Accelerometric Archive, and complies map information about the stations, as well as local geology, through web services managed by Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale. The design of the CRISP archive allows the database to be continually updated and expanded whenever new data are available from the scientific community, such as the ones related to new seismic stations, map information, geophysical surveys, and seismological analyses.
Endotoxin content in neonatal formulas, fortification, and lactoferrin products: association with outcomes and guidance on acceptable limits
Authors: Kaufman David A. , Perks Patti H. , Greenberg Rachel G. , Jensen David
Published: January 2023

While endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) can be harmful and contribute to morbidity and mortality with Gram-negative sepsis or necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants, non-toxic amounts are produced as part of the neonatal microbiome and may be present in enteral nutrition and medications administered. The United States Food and Drug Administration has given guidance for endotoxin concentration limits for intravenous medications and fluids of 5 endotoxin units/kg/hour (120 endotoxin units/kg/day), but no guidance for amounts of endotoxin in enteral products. To determine baseline exposure to infants in the neonatal intensive care unit, we examined endotoxin content of enteral formulas and fortification used for preterm infants, as well as bovine lactoferrin products. We also examined endotoxin exposure and outcomes in very low birth weight infants. Endotoxin content was measured using kinetic chromogenic limulus amebocyte lysate analysis. Daily endotoxin exposure from enteral formulas ranged between < 75 to 7110 endotoxin units/kg and from lactoferrin products from 7 to 3720 endotoxin units/kg. In examining neonatal outcomes from a bovine lactoferrin product studied at three different escalating doses (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg/day), we measured endotoxin in the lactoferrin product and daily exposure was 1089 (N = 10), 2178 (N = 10) and 3287 (N = 11) endotoxin units/kg, respectively. There were no cases of necrotizing enterocolitis or mortality and no lactoferrin-related adverse effects in these patients. Enteral endotoxin daily exposures from lactoferrin products are similar to amounts in preterm enteral nutrition and appear safe and not associated with patient harm. Testing enteral products and establishing safety limits may improve care of high risk patients.
The impact of two Diaporthe species on Vaccinium corymbosum physiological performance under different water availability scenarios
Authors: Hilário Sandra , Pinto Glória , Monteiro Pedro , Santos Liliana , Alves Artur
Published: January 2023

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) are cultivated worldwide and represent an important asset for the Portuguese economy. Pathogen infection and water deficiency are known to affect crops productivity worldwide, thus limiting plant yield or fruit quality. Diaporthe is a cosmopolitan genus comprising plant pathogens and endophytes, that may switch their behavior to a pathogenic phase when the host is under environmental stress (e.g., drought, precipitation). Given the scarce physiological studies on blueberry plant- pathogen interactions, in this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of Diaporthe amygdali and D. eres on 9-month-old clonal blueberries under two different water scenarios: well-watered (WW) and water deficit (WD). Morphological (lesion length) and physiological parameters (water status, leaf gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, proline, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, starch, total soluble sugars, and lipid peroxidation) were assessed. Our results suggest that the irrigation regime applied was not sufficient to cause severe stress to plants. Under WW conditions, plants inoculated with D. eres may have used malondialdehyde content (MDA) as a signaling molecule. Although D. amygdali has caused plant mortality, this study shows that under WW conditions, plants manage to deal with pathogen attack, maintaining their physiological performance. This study also demonstrates that the interaction between fungal pathogens and water limitation seems to stimulate plant defense, through the accumulation of proline. Our findings offer crucial insights to understand how blueberry plants cope with infection by species of Diaporthe, and how plants can adapt to climate changes in the Mediterranean area (e.g., water scarcity).
End-to-end Precision Agriculture UAV-Based Functionalities Tailored to Field Characteristics
Authors: Raptis Emmanuel K. , Krestenitis Marios , Egglezos Konstantinos , Kypris Orfeas , Ioannidis Konstantinos , Doitsidis Lefteris , Kapoutsis Athanasios Ch. , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kompatsiaris Ioannis , Kosmatopoulos Elias B.
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a novel, low-cost, user-friendly Precision Agriculture platform that attempts to alleviate the drawbacks of limited battery life by carefully designing missions tailored to each field’s specific, time-changing characteristics. The proposed system is capable of designing coverage missions for any type of UAV, integrating field characteristics into the resulting trajectory, such as irregular field shape and obstacles. The collected images are automatically processed to create detailed orthomosaics of the field and extract the corresponding vegetation indices. A novel mechanism is then introduced that automatically extracts possible problematic areas of the field and subsequently designs a follow-up UAV mission to acquire extra information on these regions. The toolchain is finished by using a deep learning module that was made just for finding weeds in the close-examination flight. For the development of such a deep-learning module, a new weed dataset from the UAV’s perspective, which is publicly available for download, was collected and annotated. All the above functionalities are enclosed in an open-source, end-to-end platform, named Cognitional Operations of micro Flying vehicles (CoFly). The effectiveness of the proposed system was tested and validated with extensive experimentation in agricultural fields with cotton in Larissa, Greece during two different crop sessions.
Large-Scale Web Scraping for Problem Gambling Research: A Case Study of COVID-19 Lockdown Effects in Germany
Authors: Smith Elke , Michalski Simon , Knauth Kilian H. K. , Kaspar Kai , Reiter Nils , Peters Jan
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to prevent its spread have had a negative impact on substance use behaviour. It is likely that social distancing and lockdown measures have also altered gambling behaviour, for instance shifting from land-based to online gambling. We used large-scale web scraping to analyse posting behaviour on a major German online gambling forum, gathering a database of more than 200k posts. We examined the usage of different subforums, i.e. terrestrial, online gambling and problem gambling sections, and changes in posting behaviour related to the casino closures that were part of the nationwide restrictions in Germany in 2020. There was a marked increase in newly registered users during the first lockdown compared to the preceding weeks, an increase in the number of posts in the online gambling subforum and concurrent decrease in the terrestrial gambling subforum. Further, the number of short-latency replies was higher during the first lockdown compared to the preceding weeks. Many users who posted in both the online and terrestrial forum contributed at least once to the problem gambling subforum, implying that the topic of problem gambling is widely discussed. Our findings may indicate a shift from terrestrial to online gambling during lockdown, and mirror the general increase in screen time and usage of online platforms after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analyses help to identify lockdown-related effects on gambling behaviour. These potentially detrimental effects pose a special threat for individuals at risk and may require monitoring and special public health measures.
Patient Acceptance of Prescribed and Fully Reimbursed mHealth Apps in Germany: An UTAUT2-based Online Survey Study
Authors: Uncovska Marie , Freitag Bettina , Meister Sven , Fehring Leonard
Published: January 2023

The study aims to (1) investigate current levels of patient acceptance of mHealth in Germany; (2) determine the influencing factors of patients' intention to use, and (3) test the influence of prescription and reimbursement status on patient acceptance. Online survey with 1349 participants, of which 1051 were complete and included for statistical analysis, from a broad cross-section of the German population, addressing both users of mobile health (mHealth) applications and people without prior experience. SEM modeling based on a combination of two theoretical frameworks: the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and Health Protective Behavior Theories were used to assess acceptance. Users of mHealth in Germany are mostly patients between the ages of 30 – 50 with mental health or endocrine conditions. General willingness to use mHealth apps / DiGAs (mHealth apps fully reimbursed by social health insurance) is high at 76%, especially if they are governmentally certified, however only 27% of respondents were willing to pay out of pocket. With the exception of a spike in performance expectancy and data security, DiGAs lack a clear differentiation from mHealth apps. Perceived self-efficacy and performance expectancy are significant predictors of willingness to use digital health interventions; with age, attitude, and e-literacy being key demographic predictors. A key takeaway for regulators, providers of mHealth apps/ DiGAs, and other stakeholders involved in mHealth adoption is the importance of addressing negative beliefs early on, targeted communication around effortless usage of mHealth services across age groups and demographics, and focus on highlighting expected benefits of mHealth app/ DiGA usage.
Phase equilibria in the YbCl2–MCl (M = Li, Na, K) binary systems
Authors: Chojnacka Ida , Rycerz L. , Kapala J. , Gaune-Escard M. , Salamon M.
Published: January 2023

Differential scanning calorimetry technique was used to investigate phase equilibria in the YbCl2–MCl (M = Li, Na) binary systems. The YbCl2–LiCl system exhibits an eutectic located at YbCl2 mole fraction x = 0.415 (733 K) and a LiYb2Cl5 stoichiometric compound that is formed at 711 K and melts incongruently at 742 K. The YbCl2–NaCl system exhibits an eutectic located at YbCl2 mole fraction x = 0.559 (764 K). In both systems the formation of solid solutions in the MCl-rich side (M = Li, Na) has been found. The molar enthalpies of mixing (ΔHMIX) in the liquid YbCl2–MCl (M = Na, K) mixtures have been measured at 1085 K with a Calvet-type high temperature microcalorimeter in the entire range of composition. A negative value of mixing enthalpy was observed for all melts. The minimum value was of approximately: − 2.5, and − 7.5 kJ mol−1, for systems with NaCl and KCl, respectively. All the experimental results along with the available literature data were used to optimize the thermodynamic properties of the investigated systems using the CALPHAD method.
Making Sense of Science, University, and Industry: Sensemaking Narratives of Finnish and Israeli Scientists
Authors: Mäkinen Elina I. , Sapir Adi
Published: January 2023

Academic entrepreneurship and the commercialization of science have transformed higher education in recent decades. Although there is ample research on the topic, less is known about how individual scientists experience and perceive the transformation. Drawing on a narratological approach to sensemaking, this study examines how entrepreneurial scientists in Finland and Israel make sense of and narrate the perceived changes in the interface between science, university, and industry. An analysis of 53 semi-structured interviews reveals three sensemaking narratives demonstrating how scientists’ interactions with the industry have engendered perceived shifts in ‘regimes of value’ in universities. These narratives focus on: (1) bi-directional learning between academy and industry; (2) the use of new valuation devices and practices; and (3) changing relationships between scientists and universities. Our findings advance research on academic entrepreneurship by highlighting the coexisting regimes of value and the consequences they have for science, value, and power.
Towards a theory of morphosyntactic focus marking
Authors: Assmann Muriel , Büring Daniel , Jordanoska Izabela , Prüller Max
Published: January 2023

Based on six detailed case studies of languages in which focus is marked morphosyntactically, we propose a novel formal theory of focus marking, which can capture these as well as the familiar English-type prosodic focus marking. Special attention is paid to the patterns of focus syncretism, that is, when different size and/or location of focus are indistinguishably realized by the same form.

The key ingredients to our approach are that complex constituents (not just words) may be directly focally marked, and that the choice of focal marking is governed by blocking.
The semantics of applicativization in Kinyarwanda
Authors: Jerro Kyle
Published: January 2023

This article explores the role of semantics in argument realization by providing a lexical semantic account of the contribution of applicative morphology in the Bantu language Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). I propose that applicativization is best analyzed through a constraint on the paradigmatic relationship between applied and non-applied variants of a verb. Specifically, I argue that the applied variant requires an increase in lexical entailments associated with an internal argument of the predicate, and verb classes have varying lexicalized strategies for how they satisfy this constraint. Building on earlier work on Bantu applicatives, I argue that the syntactic and semantic contributions of an applicative operate independently but with all outputs being subject to the constraint on applicativization that I propose. Taking these facts together, this predicts a typology of three possible outputs for applicativization: one in which the applicative adds a new argument and associated thematic role (the function that is most frequently discussed), one in which the applicative has the effect of giving license to an unrealized participant entailed by the meaning of the verb, and one in which the applicative does not increase valence but rather modifies the thematic role of an existing internal argument. I describe three verb classes in Kinyarwanda which exemplify these three predicted types of output of applicativization. This approach thus subsumes previous observations about the varied functions of applicative morphology under a single analysis as well as builds on earlier work on paradigmatic argument alternations (such as the oblique alternations) by extending such approaches to valency-changing morphology.
A Rank Graduation Accuracy measure to mitigate Artificial Intelligence risks
Authors: Raffinetti Emanuela
Published: January 2023

A key point to assess the applications of machine learning models in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the evaluation of their predictive accuracy. This because the “automatic” choice of an action crucially depends on the made prediction. While the best model in terms of fit to the observed data can be chosen using a “universal” - and therefore automatable - criterion, based on the models’ likelihood, such as AIC and BIC, this is not the case for the best model in terms of predictive accuracy. To fill the gap, we propose a Rank Graduation Accuracy (RGA) measure which evaluates the concordance between the ranks of the predicted values and the ranks of the actual values of a series of observations to be predicted. We apply the RGA to a use-case that concerns the measurement of the financial risks that arise from crypto assets. The RGA appears as a “universal” alternative predictive model selection criterion that, differently from standard measures, such as the Root Mean Squared Error, is robust to the presence of outlying observations.
Recognizing the diversity in how students define belonging: evidence of differing conceptualizations, including as a function of students’ gender and socioeconomic background
Authors: Fernández Daniela P. , Ryan Michelle K. , Begeny Christopher T.
Published: January 2023

Sense of belonging is a fundamental human motivation and, in higher education settings, has been associated with students’ motivation and academic outcomes. However, less is known about the nuances of how students define belonging within a university context, and how their gendered and socio-economic identity-based experiences inform these definitions. Using a qualitative approach, we interviewed 36 UK university students to better understand (1) students’ definitions of belonging to university, and (2) how these conceptualizations are shaped by their experiences in terms of their gender, their socioeconomic status, and the intersection of these two identities. Interviews showed that students defined belonging in terms of social belonging. These definitions were shaped by their (a) cultural capital about university, (b) socioeconomic or gender identity experiences and (c) perceived similarity with other students. Indeed, despite the fact that students’ definitions of belonging were associated with how they have experienced belonging to university, identity-based experiences were mostly mentioned when they perceived they did not belong, which was framed as a “sense of anti-belonging”. Otherwise, students defined belonging as (a) being authentic, considering—for example—gender identity-based experiences of acceptance in university, or (b) sharing similar experiences with others, considering the importance of perceiving similarity with other students to feel they belong and, in some cases, being necessary to learn about university culture to perceive similarity with others. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in terms of how belonging conceptualisations are bound up in identity and context, opening questions about the consequences of inclusion and diversity policies in higher education.
The influence of individual, peer, and family factors on the educational aspirations of adolescents in rural China
Authors: Chen Xiaodi , Allen Jennifer L. , Hesketh Therese
Published: January 2023

Educational aspirations are an important predictor of academic outcomes. While there has been considerable research on educational aspirations in the West, there has been little research in East Asia, and the investigation of factors influencing adolescent aspirations has been neglected, particularly in rural areas. Drawing on ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory, this study investigated the associations between educational aspirations and factors at the individual, peer, and family levels among rural Chinese adolescents. A total of 606 students (Mage = 14.85 years; 50% boys) from a rural town in Central China completed questionnaires assessing their educational aspirations, individual factors (academic performance, academic self-perception, academic self-regulation, attitudes toward teachers, and goal valuation), and contextual factors (family socioeconomic status, parent and peer relationship quality, and parental and close friends’ aspirations). Individual factors and aspirations of others had significant direct effects on adolescents’ educational aspirations, while parent and peer attachments were significantly related to educational aspirations via individual factors. Family socioeconomic status was not significantly related to adolescents’ educational aspirations. The findings highlight the importance of individual factors as mechanisms explaining the link between contextual factors and rural Chinese adolescents’ educational aspirations. Our results suggest that interventions can be designed to increase and maintain the aspirations of rural Chinese youth by targeting multiple domains of influence.
Modeling Daily Reference Evapotranspiration from Climate Variables: Assessment of Bagging and Boosting Regression Approaches
Authors: T R Jayashree , Reddy NV Subba , Acharya U Dinesh
Published: January 2023

The increasing frequency of droughts and floods due to climate change has severely affected water resources across the globe in recent years. An optimal design for the scheduling and management of irrigation is thus urgently needed to adapt agricultural activities to the changing climate. The accurate estimation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0), a vital hydrological component of the water balance and crop water need, is a tiresome task if all the relevant climatic variables are unavailable. This study investigates the potential of four ensemble techniques for estimating precise values of the daily ET0 at representative stations in 10 agro-climatic zones in the state of Karnataka, India, from 1979 to 2014. The performance of these models was evaluated by using several combinations of climatic variables as inputs by using tenfold cross-validation. The outcomes indicated that predictions of ET0 by all four ensemble models based on all climatic variables were the most accurate in comparison with other input combinations. The random forest regressor was found to deliver the best performance among the four models on all measures considered (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, 1.0, root-mean-squared error, 0.016 mm/day, and mean absolute error, 0.011 mm/day). However, it incurred the highest computational cost, whereas the computational cost of the bagging model for linear regression was the lowest. The extreme gradient-boosting model delivered the most stable performance with a modified training dataset. The work here shows that these models can be recommended for daily ET0 estimation based on the users’ interests.
Nearly Five Times Higher than We Think: How Much People Underestimate the Amount of Alcohol in Popular Movies and What Predicts Underestimation?
Authors: Patsouras Maree , Riordan Benjamin C. , Morgenstern Matthis , Hanewinkel Reiner , Kuntsche Emmanuel
Published: January 2023

Reducing alcohol use is challenging due to the volume of alcohol shown in media and the relationship between exposure and use. It is unclear to what degree people are aware of and able to estimate alcohol exposure in the media, such as in movies. In this study, 609 Australian adults estimated the amount of alcohol exposure in up to 10 of 102 popular movies they remembered best. They reported when they last saw each movie, their alcohol use, age, and gender. Participants underestimated the amount of alcohol in movies by an average of 35.39 times. Movies classified as featuring adult content (PG-13 or R) and movies with the greatest amount of alcohol were particularly underestimated. Individual’s age, gender, alcohol use, or when the movie was last viewed had no effect on underestimation. In conclusion, due to the severe underestimation, alcohol exposure should be more seriously reviewed by governmental and medial organizations.
On Parameter Identifiability in Network-Based Epidemic Models
Authors: Kiss István Z. , Simon Péter L.
Published: January 2023

Modelling epidemics on networks represents an important departure from classical compartmental models which assume random mixing. However, the resulting models are high-dimensional and their analysis is often out of reach. It turns out that mean-field models, low-dimensional systems of differential equations, whose variables are carefully chosen expected quantities from the exact model provide a good approximation and incorporate explicitly some network properties. Despite the emergence of such mean-field models, there has been limited work on investigating whether these can be used for inference purposes. In this paper, we consider network-based mean-field models and explore the problem of parameter identifiability when observations about an epidemic are available. Making use of the analytical tractability of most network-based mean-field models, e.g. explicit analytical expressions for leading eigenvalue and final epidemic size, we set up the parameter identifiability problem as finding the solution or solutions of a system of coupled equations. More precisely, subject to observing/measuring growth rate and final epidemic size, we seek to identify parameter values leading to these measurements. We are particularly concerned with disentangling transmission rate from the network density. To do this, we give a condition for practical identifiability and we find that except for the simplest model, parameters cannot be uniquely determined, that is, they are practically unidentifiable. This means that there exist multiple solutions (a manifold of infinite measure) which give rise to model output that is close to the data. Identifying, formalising and analytically describing this problem should lead to a better appreciation of the complexity involved in fitting models with many parameters to data.
Gender-dependent impact of COVID-19 lockdown on metabolic and psychological aspects
Authors: Bonfrate Leonilde , Di Ciaula Agostino , Khalil Mohamad , Farella Ilaria , Chirico Roberta , Vilahur Gemma , Portincasa Piero
Published: January 2023

The first COVID-19 lockdown resulted in enforced quarantine of heavily affected areas with social isolation and related measures by several governments to slow the spread of the disease. The general population experienced several mental and lifestyle changes. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the metabolic and psychological effects induced by lifestyle changes during COVID-19 self-isolation among an Apulian overweight/obese cohort with metabolic disturbances. The study assessed anthropometric data (weight, abdominal circumferences), dietary habits (adherence to the Mediterranean diet, junk food score), lifestyle habits (i.e., smoking, and physical activity), levels of stress and anxiety, and depression. Subjects underwent bioumoral exams before and after self-isolation to monitor glycemic and lipid profiles. A total of 245 subjects (M:F = 118:127) have been included in the study. After lockdown, the number of obese subjects significantly increased in both sexes, and was higher in females than in males (P < 0.0001). Glycemic and lipid profiles worsened, with higher levels of insulinemia, lower levels of HDL cholesterol, and higher levels of triglycerides in females than in males. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and consumption of junk foods were altered in both groups, especially in females. Psychological aspects were significantly higher in females than in males. Finally, work activities and familial status strongly affected the metabolic and psychological profile. In conclusion, COVID-19 self-isolation induced changes in lifestyle and dietary habits with psychological distress and detrimental effects on metabolic patterns, which were more pronounced in female gender.
Implementation of recommendations on the check of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients undergoing coronary re-interventions
Authors: Walukiewicz Marcin , Rogowicz Daniel , Wołowiec Łukasz , Chudzińska Małgorzata , Sinkiewicz Anna , Grześk Grzegorz
Published: January 2023

Method

The study involved 905 patients after coronary interventions, qualified for invasive diagnosis due to symptomatic coronary disease.

Aim

The aim of this study was to check the implementation of recommendations on the control of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in patients undergoing re-interventions.

Results

Compared to elderly persons, younger people more often increased their physical activity (62 vs. 65 years, p = 0.009), stopped smoking (61 vs. 65 years, p < 0.001) and reduced alcohol consumption (62 vs. 65 years, p = 0.001). People with secondary and higher education increased their physical activity more often than those with primary education (51%, 31% vs. 23%, p = 0.006). Men more often than women decided to limit their alcohol consumption (48% vs. 37%, p = 0.007). Patients with a history of acute coronary syndrome were more likely to quit smoking and reduce their alcohol consumption than those without such a history (47% vs. 37%, p = 0.003 and 42% vs. 34%, p = 0.020, respectively). Only 2% of the subjects achieved the recommended LDL cholesterol values. Forty-eight percent were qualified for reinvasive procedures on the coronary arteries. Less than half of the patients undertook health-promoting behaviors that required modification of existing habits.

Conclusion

Age, gender, and education level influence pro-health behaviors. The majority of patients do not achieve the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides consistent with the ESC guidelines in the secondary prevention of coronary disease. Inadequate check of risk factors may result in faster disease progression and coronary re-interventions.
Research advances in the understanding of how exosomes regulate ferroptosis in cancer
Authors: Liu Jiaxuan
Published: January 2023

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that can release different bioactive substances to affect tumor cells and cell death pathways. As an important mediator of cell communication, exosomes participate in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. Ferroptosis, one of the newly defined forms of regulated cell death, is characterized by massive accumulation of iron ions and lipid peroxidation. An increasing number of studies have shown that ferroptosis plays an important role in malignant tumors. Moreover, exosomes have been recognized for their potential in cancer therapy based on ferroptosis. To further describe how could exosomes regulate ferroptosis in cancer and provide better understanding of the mechanisms involved, this paper reviews the definition as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis, including iron metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and so on. Then, we illustrated how could exosomes regulate the ferroptosis pathway and suggested their promising potential as a novel tumor therapy for cancer patients. Finally, we described the perspectives of ferroptosis by exosomes in tumor treatment. Therefore, exosomes have the potential to regulate ferroptosis in clinical cancer treatment.
Direct democracy and its integrity. The Italian 2020 and the Turkey 2017 constitutional referendums
Authors: Kersting Norbert , Regalia Marta
Published: January 2023

What is the role of referendums in different regimes from authoritarian electoral democracies to democratic systems? In this article we use the Direct Democracy Integrity Index to analyse the Turkish (2017) and Italian (2020) referendums to understand if they can be seen as contributing to majoritarianism or to consensus democracy, depending on rules such as who can call a referendum and on the integrity of the referendum itself and considering the misuse of the instrument by the executive especially in the initial phase of the referendum. Turkey and Italy are used as a most different systems design: a modern autocracy and a consolidated democracy are actually similar in their extensive and frequent use of nationwide constitutional referendums. We conclude that the constitutional referendum in modern autocratic Turkey contributed to majoritarian developments and strengthened the president, while in democratic Italy the referendum also offered incentives for minorities and regions to express dissent. Integrity was more problematic in the pre-referendum phase.
A policy cycle of electoral reform: comparing directly elected chief executives in Israel and Turkey
Authors: Krumm Thomas
Published: January 2023

In studying electoral reforms, the democratic context is often a neglected variable. Israel and Turkey, at different times with different levels of democracy, have implemented a similar reform, the direct election of the chief executive. While there were similar justifications at the time of the introduction, the reforms then took on different dynamics. In Israel the reform was reversed, while in Turkey it became the centrepiece of further autocratisation. Adapting a framework of policy-analysis, the article explores similarities and differences in both cases. It argues that the democratic environment turns out as an important factor to explain the different trajectories of seemingly similar policy reforms in both cases. While the reverse reform in the Israeli case is linked to advantages in processing expert and civil society information, the trajectory in the Turkish case is based on the different power structure in the course of presidentialisation. Applying a comparative policy analysis to these cases of electoral reform, the article concludes that the democratic environment, that is, the degree of freely available information, helps explaining the different trajectories in both cases.
Production of Metabolites in Microalgae Under Alkali Halophilic Growth Medium Using a Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Source
Authors: Roy Uttam K. , Wagner Jonathan , Radu Tanja
Published: January 2023

The production of metabolites in microalgae is influenced by extreme cultivation conditions. Bicarbonate is an inorganic carbon source for phototrophic microalgae culturing. In this study, the effect of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) (0.4–13 g L−1) on the accumulation of metabolites in Dunaliella tertiolecta biomass is presented. The highest levels of primary metabolites [lipid (239.6 ± 24.3 mg g−1), protein (336.2 ± 47.5 mg g−1)], secondary metabolites [total phenolic (12.8 ± 2.0 mg g−1), total flavonoid (14.4 ± 2.3 mg g−1), total ascorbate (4.7 ± 1.1 mg g−1)], and pigments [chlorophyll (27.2 ± 3.1 mg g−1), carotenoid (2.0 ± 0.1 mg g−1)] were observed when cells were grown with 5.7 g L−1 of DIC (NaHCO3). The highest biomass concentrations (1.5 ± 0.1 g L−1) were obtained for cells grown in a mixture of DIC (4.3 + 1.1 g L−1, NaHCO3 + Na2CO3). This study recommends the optimal levels of bicarbonate carbon of 5.7 g L−1 for maximising the generation of metabolites in the biomass. It also demonstrates that exogenous excessive DIC in the growth medium would be an effective stressor to produce high-value metabolites in Dunaliella or alkali-halophilic strains.

Graphical Abstract
Multivariate Gaussian processes: definitions, examples and applications
Authors: Chen Zexun , Fan Jun , Wang Kuo
Published: January 2023

Gaussian processes occupy one of the leading places in modern statistics and probability theory due to their importance and a wealth of strong results. The common use of Gaussian processes is in connection with problems related to estimation, detection, and many statistical or machine learning models. In this paper, we propose a precise definition of multivariate Gaussian processes based on Gaussian measures on vector-valued function spaces, and provide an existence proof. In addition, several fundamental properties of multivariate Gaussian processes, such as stationarity and independence, are introduced. We further derive two special cases of multivariate Gaussian processes, including multivariate Gaussian white noise and multivariate Brownian motion, and present a brief introduction to multivariate Gaussian process regression as a useful statistical learning method for multi-output prediction problems.
Non‐glandular findings on breast ultrasound. Part II: a pictorial review of chest wall lesions
Authors: Corvino Antonio , Catalano Orlando , Varelli Carlo , Cocco Giulio , Delli Pizzi Andrea , Corvino Fabio , Caiazzo Corrado , Tafuri Domenico , Caruso Martina
Published: January 2023

The breast ultrasound (US) field-of-view (FOV) includes glandular parenchyma as well as tissues located anterior to and posterior to it, up to pleural line. For that, it is possible to incidentally identify lesions unrelated to breast parenchyma during screening or diagnostic US; sometimes a palpable lump may be the reason of the imaging exam. Furthermore, abnormality related to chest wall are easier and more accurate detected after mastectomy. Hence, radiologists should know the US appearance of lesions which may develop from all tissues present in this region and displayed in the US FOV, without focusing only on glandular abnormalities while performing the exam. This is the second of a two-part series on non-glandular breast lesions; in detail, part two provide an overview of US appearance, differential diagnosis, and pitfalls of chest wall lesions. They may have an infectious, traumatic, inflammatory etiology or be benign or malignant neoplasms. The US role in the assessment of chest wall abnormalities is limited, usually computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance are requested as second-level imaging exams to characterize and to assess better their relationship with surrounding structures because of larger and panoramic view. Finally, US could be useful to guide biopsy.
Mfu16 is an unstable fire blight resistance QTL on linkage group 16 of Malus fusca MAL0045
Authors: Emeriewen Ofere Francis , Richter Klaus , Wensing Annette , Malnoy Mickael , Peil Andreas
Published: January 2023

A strong fire blight resistance QTL (Mfu10) was previously detected on linkage group 10 (LG10) of Malus fusca accession MAL0045, using several strains of the causative bacterium, Erwinia amylovora. As no strain capable of breaking the resistance of MAL0045 has been found, we hypothesized that another locus contributes to its fire blight resistance. However, none was detected with strains previously tested on the progeny. Here, an avrRpt2EA mutant strain (Ea1038) with the chromosomal S-allele deleted and complemented with the less aggressive C-allele, was used to phenotype MAL0045 × ‘Idared’ progeny. We performed phenotype-genotype analyses using the first genetic map of MAL0045, which is scarcely dense, and a recently constructed saturated map. As expected, Mfu10 was detected on LG10 with Ea1038, as was previously with other strains. Interestingly, a QTL with a logarithm of odds (LOD) thresholds of 5.5 and 2.9, significant at the genome-wide and chromosome levels, respectively, was detected with Ea1038 on LG16 (Mfu16) in a subset of 76 individuals, but only using the saturated map. Progenies carrying both Mfu10 and Mfu16 were significantly more resistant than progenies carrying only Mfu10. However, the LOD of Mfu16 diminished to 2.6 in a larger subset of individuals. We hypothesize that Mfu16 is present in the genome of MAL0045 albeit unstable in the progeny.