bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmentally adjusted technical efficiency and the impact of energy and transport taxes on the eco-efficiency index of Greek industry
Authors: Bampatsou Christina , Halkos George , Gkampoura Eleni-Christina
Published: February 2024

This study aims to investigate the ecological efficiency of industry in Greece through a sector-wise framework using data envelopment analysis and considering three different types of environmental emissions. Through this quantification, it is possible to determine the degree of internalization of the environmental impact for each sector of the Greek economy. This fact supports the administrative decision-making process for the planning of sustainable industrial development. Subsequently, the effect of energy and transportation taxes on the eco-efficiency index is examined. It is shown that the revenues from the collection of environmental taxes in Greece have not been sufficiently used to improve eco-efficiency. This fact underlines the need to achieve long-term economic development that is compatible with environmental goals and social needs through appropriate strategic decisions and measures. It also highlights the need to create a well-designed tax system in order to reduce environmental pollution and improve environmental quality.
Random Variate Generation for the First Hit of a Ball for the Symmetric Stable Process in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$
Authors: Devroye Luc , Nolan John P.
Published: February 2024

We provide uniformly efficient random variate generators for a collection of distributions for the hits of the symmetric stable process in $$\mathbb {R}^d$$

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Policy Evolution and Lessons Learned from China’s Efforts to Eliminate Leprosy
Authors: Liu Ying
Published: February 2024

The prevention and treatment of leprosy is a public health and social issue of global concern. China has become the first country in the world to put forward a proposal on the elimination of the harm caused by leprosy. This paper briefly introduces the status of the spread of leprosy in China, and systematically reviews the evolution of policies and measures at different stages of the disease in China, from the serious epidemic of leprosy to the control of the infection, to the basic elimination, and to the elimination of the hazards. On this basis, five main lessons learned from the control and elimination of leprosy in China were also summarized. These provide the basis for promoting the complete global elimination of leprosy and preventing its re-transmission, thereby benefiting all those who still suffer from the scourge of leprosy.
Effectiveness of the continuous professional development training on upper primary mathematics and science and elementary technology teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Rwanda
Authors: Nkundabakura Pheneas , Nsengimana Theophile , Uwamariya Eugenie , Nyirahabimana Pascasie , Nkurunziza Jean Baptiste , Mukamwambali Concilie , Dushimimana Jean Claude , Batamuliza Jane , Byukusenge Celine , Iyamuremye Aloys
Published: February 2024

This research aimed to determine the influence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training offered by Rwanda Quality Basic education for Capital Human Development Project (RQBEHCD) sub-component 1.2 on upper primary teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in mathematics and science, and elementary technology (SET) subjects. The study adopted an explanatory sequential design to collect and analyze data. Quantitative data were collected from Mathematics and SET achievement tests while qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interview. Quantitative data were collected from 290 participants including 166 male and 124 female teachers. On the other side, the qualitative data were collected from 20 teachers including 12 males and 8 females selected randomly. Descriptive and inferential statistics (repeated measures Analysis of Variance were used to analyze quantitative data while interpretive and thematic analysis were used to analyze qualitative data. The results found high statistical significance in mean scores of mathematics teachers between pre and post-test, with a p < 0.001, medium learning gain of 0.37, and an effect size of 0.450. However, there were no significant differences found between male and female teachers (p > 0.05). Likewise, SET teacher's results showed a significant difference in mean score between pre and post-test with p < 0.01, learning gain of 0.20, and effect size of 0.432 but no significant difference was found between male and female teachers (p > 0.05). In addition, the qualitative results indicated that the CPD program enhanced engagement, interest, confidence, and self-efficacy in teaching Mathematics and Science. Thus, we recommended that the CPD program should be done nationwide to maintain teachers’ PCK in mathematics and science.
Deep Learning for Natural Language Processing
Authors: Surdeanu Mihai , Valenzuela-Escárcega Marco Antonio
Published: February 2024

Deep Learning is becoming increasingly important in a technology-dominated world. However, the building of computational models that accurately represent linguistic structures is complex, as it involves an in-depth knowledge of neural networks, and the understanding of advanced mathematical concepts such as calculus and statistics. This book makes these complexities accessible to those from a humanities and social sciences background, by providing a clear introduction to deep learning for natural language processing. It covers both theoretical and practical aspects, and assumes minimal knowledge of machine learning, explaining the theory behind natural language in an easy-to-read way. It includes pseudo code for the simpler algorithms discussed, and actual Python code for the more complicated architectures, using modern deep learning libraries such as PyTorch and Hugging Face. Providing the necessary theoretical foundation and practical tools, this book will enable readers to immediately begin building real-world, practical natural language processing systems.
The Philosophy of Evolutionary Theory
Authors: Sober Elliott
Published: February 2024

Natural selection, mutation, and adaptation are well-known and central topics in Darwin's theory of evolution and in the 20th - and 21st -century theories which grew out of it, but many other important topics are used in evolutionary biology that raise interesting philosophical questions. In this book, Elliott Sober  analyses a much larger range of topics, including fitness, altruism, common ancestry, chance, taxonomy, phylogenetic inference, operationalism, reductionism, conventionalism, null hypotheses and default reasoning, instrumentalism versus realism, hypothetico-deductivism, essentialism, falsifiability, the principle of parsimony, the principle of the common cause, causality, determinism versus indeterminism, sensitivity to initial conditions, and the knowability of the past. Sober's clear philosophical analyses of these key concepts, arguments, and methods of inference will be valuable for all readers who want to understand evolutionary biology in both its Darwinian and its contemporary forms.
Improving pilots’ tactical decisions in air combat training using the critical decision method
Authors: Mansikka H. , Virtanen K. , Lipponen T. , Harris D.
Published: February 2024

In fighter pilot training, much of upgrade pilots’ (UPs’) learning takes place during mission debriefs. A debrief provides instructor pilots (IPs) the opportunity to correct situation awareness (SA) upon which the UPs base their tactical decisions. Unless the debrief is conducted with proper depth and breadth, the IPs’ feedback on UPs’ SA and tactical decision-making may be incomplete or false, resulting in poor, or even negative learning. In this study, a new debrief protocol based on the Critical Decision Method (CDM) is introduced. The protocol specifically addresses the SA of UPs. An evaluation was conducted to examine if a short CDM training programme to IPs would enhance their ability to provide performance feedback to UPs regarding their SA and tactical decision-making. The IPs were qualified flying instructors and the UPs were air force cadets completing their air combat training with BAe Hawk jet trainer aircraft. The impact of the training intervention was evaluated using Kirkpatrick’s four-level model. The first three levels of evaluation (Reactions, Learning and Behaviour) focused on the IPs, whereas the fourth level (Results) focused on the UPs. The training intervention had a positive impact on the Reactions, Learning and debrief Behaviour of the IPs. In air combat training missions, the UPs whose debriefs were based on the CDM protocol, had superior SA and overall performance compared to a control group.
Brain over brawn: Job polarisation, structural change, and skill prices
Authors: Paweenawat Sasiwimon Warunsiri , Liao Lusi
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the relationship between occupational skills and wages in Thailand using the Labour Force Survey from 1985 to 2020. We quantify the contribution of changes in the skill requirement and highlight the increase in the return on the ‘brain’ and the decrease in the penalty on ‘brawn’, which helps explain the wage distribution changes across periods. We further explore the polarisation in the labour market and analyse the changes in the wage distribution by applying the decomposition method proposed by Firpo et al (2009). Our results suggest that wage dispersion increases in the top end over the first two time periods but decreases in the third time period, while it continues to decrease in the lower end of the distribution.
Emissary to Jews in the Diaspora and to Some Non-Jews, Champion of Jewish Monotheism and Circumspect of Diaspora Judaism: Paul of Tarsus in the Book of Acts
Authors: Stenschke Christoph
Published: February 2024

In Christian tradition, Paul is the apostle to the nations. However, his portrayal in the Book of Acts is more nuanced. For a longer period, Paul's ministry is limited to Jews. Only from Acts 13 onwards does Paul slowly emerge as ministering to non-Jews. Yet even then, Paul remains foremost an emissary to diaspora Judaism. In its apology for Paul and his disputed way of including non-Jews into the people of God, Acts emphasises that Paul did so without diminishing the priority of Israel, as a staunch proponent of Jewish monotheism and in a way that took full account of the precarious situation of diaspora Judaism.
Reading the Gospel of Luke's Walk to Calvary as a Funeral Procession: A Study of Luke 23.27–8
Authors: Closterman Wendy E.
Published: February 2024

This study offers a fresh explanation for the characterisation of the women in Luke 23.27 as mourning. It argues that the uniquely Lukan material of women mourning on the walk to Calvary subtly fashions that walk into a funeral procession. The phrase μὴ κλαίɛτɛ in the following verse, Luke 23.28, recalls accounts of Jesus bringing the dead to life earlier in the Gospel, thereby evoking the concept of resurrection. Luke 23.27-8 works in conjunction with material later in Chapter 23 about the ritual preparation of Jesus’ body, to portray funerary ritual for Jesus conducted in reverse (the funeral procession precedes rather than follows the preparation of the body). This inverted order of funeral allusions adds extra resonance to the endpoint of the Gospel, casting it as the logical culmination of a reverse funeral—the resurrection of Jesus from death to life. The interpretation in this paper highlights one way that lived ritual experiences among the Gospel's readers, in this case, the paradigm of funeral ritual, informed the narrative technique in the Gospel of Luke, complementing other well-recognised uses of Greco-Roman rhetorical devices and literary themes.
The Wrath of the Deities and The Privileged Deceased: Narrating Death in the Associational Rupture at Thessalonica
Authors: Longenecker Bruce W.
Published: February 2024

After Paul, Silvanus and Timothy left Thessalonica, members of the fledgling Christ group in that city experienced death within their social network. Opinions differ as to whether the authors’ comments in 1 Thess 4.13–18 are addressing puzzlement internal to the Christ group alone, or whether these recent deaths also played into the wider discourse of the city. In addressing this issue, I adopt the view, propounded especially by Richard Ascough, that the Thessalonian Christ group had its origins in a civic association. In contrast to Ascough, I propose that the association did not undergo a complete ‘conversion’ to a new deity; instead, it experienced a rupture in its membership, with some members splitting off to form a new assembly of Christ-devotion. This ‘ruptured association’ scenario offers a different explanation than Ascough's regarding the issue the authors of 1 Thess were addressing in 4.13–18. The argument draws upon comparanda from the database of Greco-Roman associations and offers an interpretation in closer alignment with the primary emphasis of the text.
Suing for Peace at Any Cost? Reading the Parable of the Two Kings (Luke 14.31–2) in Times of War
Authors: Zamfir Korinna
Published: February 2024

The paper re-examines the parable of the king pondering about engaging in war with a more powerful enemy (Luke 14.31–2), focusing on questions commonly asked in antiquity and still relevant today with respect to war and suing for peace. These regard the cause of the war and the reasons for fighting, the tension between bravery and wisdom, the circumstances that may contribute to the defeat of a superior army and the costs of peace making. I explore this parable in the context of other Lukan passages touching on the topic of war and peace. I challenge the assumption that Luke was a pacifist, and I argue that the parable cannot provide answers to contemporary questions about the ethics of peace and war.
Postsocialism in International Relations: Method and critique
Authors: Aradau Claudia
Published: February 2024

While postcolonial approaches to International Relations have offered new concepts, methods, and political imaginaries of global politics, postsocialism has been absent as an analytical and political approach. Postsocialism has been mainly a descriptive term naming the temporal transition of the Second World to liberal democracy and market economy or the geopolitical space of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Building on literature that has connected postsocialism and postcolonialism analytically and politically, particularly feminist work that has reclaimed postsocialism to understand the global legacies of socialism in the present, this article proposes to unpack dimensions of postsocialism as method and critique. Postsocialism as method attends to how socialist legacies endure and are transformed in the present while holding together contradictions and ambivalences. Postsocialism as critique is oriented to transversal solidarities and the epistemic vocabularies that can undergird these struggles. To trace these dimensions of method and critique, the article is situated empirically within debates about borders and migration. Postsocialism is not intended to replace or displace other critical approaches but to pluralise our vocabularies and multiply political interventions.
Dry storage alters intraspecific variation in phenotypic traits at early life stages: evidence from a dominant alpine meadow species
Authors: Chen Dali , Yuan Haiying , Bao Jinglong , Zhao Xiaohua , Fu Xiuzhen , Hu Xiaowen
Published: February 2024

The intraspecific variations of phenotypic traits in the early life stages, such as seed germination and seedling establishment, are important components affecting species adaptation and differentiation. As one of the most common ways in which seeds are maintained, dry storage usually affects these traits, by either increasing or decreasing variation among populations. However, little is known about how the interaction between dry storage and population variation of a species affects the performance and adaptability of early life-cycle traits. In this study, we conducted experiments with seeds from ten populations of Elymus nutans along an altitudinal gradient on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Fresh seeds and seeds stored dry for 6 months were used to quantify the temperature thresholds for germination, determine seedling emergence and survival in two common gardens and examine the correlation between these traits and environmental conditions of population provenance. Dry storage increased germination percentage, germination speed and seedling emergence, and decreased intraspecific variation in germination traits of seeds (reduced by 33.36, 52.05 and 20.45% for Tb, θT(50) and σθT, respectively). Dry storage had little effect on the intraspecific variation of seedling emergence and survival. In addition, the temperature threshold for germination cannot be used to predict seedling emergence and survival in either common garden, regardless of whether seeds were stored or not. These results indicated that it is feasible to use dry-stored seeds to evaluate and select suitable provenances in ecological restoration, and using dry-stored seeds in ecological restoration projects is expected to achieve better vegetation restoration results than fresh seeds. On the other hand, the status of seeds (fresh vs. dry stored) should be considered in an evaluation of the adaptive value of plant functional traits, especially in the early life stages, otherwise, inconsistent conclusions may be drawn.
Kollegiale Beratung in der generalistischen Pflegeausbildung
Authors: Schochow Maximilian , Rettig Christin , Latzkow Kerstin
Published: February 2024

Zusammenfassung: Das Konzept Kollegiale Beratung ist Bestandteil der generalistischen Pflegeausbildung. Wir haben einen Ansatz zur Implementierung des Konzepts in der Ausbildung entwickelt. Dieser kombiniert Theorie und Simulation kollegialer Beratung miteinander. Parallel zur Implementierung wurde eine Begleitstudie durchgeführt. Im Folgenden werden die Implementierung und die Ergebnisse der Studie diskutiert.
Sedimentary Records in the Lesser Antilles Fore‐Arc Basins Provide Evidence of Large Late Quaternary Megathrust Earthquakes
Authors: Seibert C. , Feuillet N. , Ratzov G. , Beck C. , Morena P. , Johannes L. , Ducassou E. , Cattaneo A. , Goldfinger C. , Moreno E. , Bieber A. , Bénâtre G. , Caron B. , Caron M. , Casse M. , Cavailhes T. , Del Manzo G. , Deschamps C. E. , Desiage P. A. , Duboc Q. , Fauquembergue K. , Ferrant A. , Guyard H. , Jacques E. , Laurencin M. , Leclerc F. , Patton J. , Saurel J. M. , St‐Onge G. , Woerther P.
Published: February 2024

The seismic potential of the Lesser Antilles subduction zone is poorly known and highly debated. Only two damaging earthquakes have been reported in the historical period, in 1839 and 1843, but their sources and magnitude are still uncertain. Global Navigation Satellite Systems and coral data contradict each other, and no conclusion has been reached on the coupling ratio of the plate interface. Given the threat posed by the possible occurrence of a large megathrust earthquake, it is crucial to gain information on prehistorical events. We present the results of a submarine paleoseismological study that covers an exceptional ∼120 Kyr‐long period. We studied the sediments sampled in six up to 26 m‐long piston cores collected in deep fore‐arc basins located over the epicentral region of the 1843 earthquake. Using a multiproxy approach combining geophysical, geochemical, and sedimentological analysis, biostratigraphy and radiocarbon dating, we identified, characterized, and dated numerous event deposits that we then correlated with the sampled basins over an up to 160 km‐long area. We show that at least 33 earthquakes likely triggered these sediment remobilizations in the last 120 Kyr. Four of these events promoted exceptional deposits of turbidites + homogenites. From peak ground acceleration calculated for potential earthquakes occurring on various faults, and the absence of deposits linked to the historical earthquakes, we propose that the sources are likely megathrust earthquakes. Over the last 60 Kyr, we inferred at least three 15–25 Kyr‐long seismic cycles in which the recurrence times of earthquakes shortens from ∼5 to ∼2 Kyr.
Determination of Trace Elemental Composition of CaCO3: Application to Mass Limited Abiogenic and Biogenic Carbonates
Authors: Satya Chanakya I. V. , Misra Sambuddha
Published: February 2024

An improved method for accurate and precise determination of metal to calcium ratio in mass limited calcium carbonate samples has been developed. We used an Agilent®5800 ICP‐OES for major element (Na/Mg/Sr to Ca) and an Agilent®8900 ICP‐QQQ‐MS for minor and trace element (Li/B/Na/Mg/Al/Mn/Fe/Zn/Sr/Cd/Ba/U to Ca) ratio determination. We report a long‐term precision of ≤1% (1σ) by repeat analysis, spread over ≥6 analytical sessions, of multiple external standards that spanned a large range of concentration. We quasi‐quantitatively eliminated potential matrix effect from high [Ca] by concentration matching samples and standards (∆[Ca] ≤ ±5%) during both ICP‐OES and ICP‐QQQ‐MS sessions. The ICP‐OES analyses were done on 200 μl of sample at 60 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼30 μg of CaCO3 per analysis. Whereas trace element analyses by ICP‐QQQ‐MS required ∼150 μl of sample at 20 ppm [Ca], consuming ∼7.5 µg of CaCO3 per analysis. Thus, the present method allows for high precision determination of TE/Ca in <40 μg of CaCO3. We present a comprehensive approach for optimization of ICP‐OES sensitivity and stability to select elemental (Ca/Na/Mg/Sr) wavelengths with minimal interferences, high sensitivity and linearity. For choice of Ca lines, we focused on the minimization of self‐matrix effect. For the ICP‐MS method, we improved reproducibility and precision by lowering [Ca] of analyte and preconditioning of cones. Furthermore, the present method allows for precise B/Ca determination sans the use of HF matrix. In summary, we present an easily adoptable method based on readily available instrumentation for determining element‐to‐calcium ratios that is suitable for analyzing mass‐limited carbonate samples.
The Influence of Freshwater Input on the Evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño
Authors: Aroucha L. C. , Lübbecke J. F. , Körner M. , Imbol Koungue R. A. , Awo F. M.
Published: February 2024

Benguela Niño events are characterized by strong warm sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies off the Angolan and Namibian coasts. In 1995, the strongest event in the satellite era took place, impacting fish availability in both Angolan and Namibian waters. In this study, we use direct observations, satellite data, and reanalysis products to investigate the impact that the up‐until‐now unnoticed mechanism of freshwater input from Congo River discharge (CRD) and precipitation had on the evolution of the 1995 Benguela Niño. In the onset phase of the event, anomalous rainfall in November/December 1994 at around 6°S, combined with a high CRD, generated a low salinity plume. The plume was advected into the Angola‐Namibia region in the following February/March 1995 by an anomalously strong poleward surface current generated by the relaxation of the southerly winds and shifts in the coastal wind stress curl. The presence of this low surface salinity anomaly of about −2 psu increased ocean stability by generating barrier layers, thereby reducing the turbulent heat loss, since turbulent mixing acted on a weak vertical temperature gradient. A mixed layer heat budget analysis demonstrates that southward advection of Angolan waters drove the warming at the onset, while reduced mixing played the main role at the event's peak. We conclude that a freshwater input contributed to the SST increase in this exceptionally strong event and suggest that this input can influence the SST variability in Angola‐Namibia waters through a combination of high CRD, precipitation, and the presence of a strong poleward surface current.
Neutralization of Anthropogenic Acidic Particles by NH3 From Wildfire Over Tropical Peatland
Authors: Budisulistiorini Sri Hapsari , Yang Liudongqing , Chen Jing , Cheng Manqiu , Kuwata Mikinori
Published: February 2024

Acidity is an essential characteristic of aerosol particles that influences chemical and physical properties. Aerosol particles in tropical Asia, such as Singapore, have been reported as highly acidic due to intense anthropogenic sulfur emissions. At the same time, the region has also been experiencing wildfire over tropical peatlands, which is recognized as an intense source of NH3. Here, we investigated the role of NH3 from wildfire on aerosol particles in Singapore by employing the aerosol mass spectrometric technique. The observation was conducted both during wildfire haze (2015 October and 2019 September–October) and non‐haze (2018 October and 2019 April) periods. The observation result demonstrated that inorganic ionic species in Singapore were neutralized by NH4+ during the haze periods. Namely, the degree of neutralization of aerosol particles (i.e., measured NH4+ concentration/predicted NH4+ concentration by assuming that NH4+ fully neutralized SO42−, NO3−, and Cl−) was lower than 0.77during the non‐haze periods. On the other hand, the corresponding values were higher than 0.93 during the haze periods. In addition, NO3− concentration during the daytime of the haze period in 2015 was higher than that in other observation periods. A thermodynamic model calculation suggested that the regime shifts from the “NH3 sensitive region” to the “NH3 and HNO3 sensitive region” or “HNO3 sensitive region” might have occurred during the haze period. In the future, continuous monitoring of both gas‐ and particle‐phase inorganic chemical species will need to be conducted to investigate the impact of wildfire haze on atmospheric chemical processes in more detail.
Water Vapor Variability in the Thermosphere of Mars During Mars Years 32–36
Authors: Girazian Z.
Published: February 2024

Using Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution observations, we characterize the variability of water vapor in the Martian thermosphere during Mars Years 32–36. Near a fixed atmospheric pressure level of ∼5 × 10−7 Pa, the typical water density is 1.7 (±1.0) × 103 cm−3 and the typical water mixing ratio is 14.6 (±9.0) ppm. Thermospheric water levels are higher during the southern spring and summer seasons when Mars is near perihelion and there is significant dust loading in the lower atmosphere. However, the seasonal variation is not the same from year‐to‐year, likely due to annual differences in dust loading. Water vapor abundance is highly correlated with the amount of dust in the lower atmosphere, and increases during both regional and global dust storms. Additionally, there is a local time asymmetry with higher mixing ratios observed during morning local times, potentially caused by atmospheric circulation. Our results support previous work that found increased dust levels allow more water to be supplied directly to the thermosphere.
A clinical microscopy dataset to develop a deep learning diagnostic test for urinary tract infection
Authors: Liou Natasha , De Trina , Urbanski Adrian , Chieng Catherine , Kong Qingyang , David Anna L. , Khasriya Rajvinder , Yakimovich Artur , Horsley Harry
Published: February 2024

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common disorder. Its diagnosis can be made by microscopic examination of voided urine for markers of infection. This manual technique is technically difficult, time-consuming and prone to inter-observer errors. The application of computer vision to this domain has been slow due to the lack of a clinical image dataset from UTI patients. We present an open dataset containing 300 images and 3,562 manually annotated urinary cells labelled into seven classes of clinically significant cell types. It is an enriched dataset acquired from the unstained and untreated urine of patients with symptomatic UTI using a simple imaging system. We demonstrate that this dataset can be used to train a Patch U-Net, a novel deep learning architecture with a random patch generator to recognise urinary cells. Our hope is, with this dataset, UTI diagnosis will be made possible in nearly all clinical settings by using a simple imaging system which leverages advanced machine learning techniques.
Home and wild food procurement were associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in two rural US states
Authors: Niles Meredith T. , McCarthy Ashley C. , Malacarne Jonathan , Bliss Sam , Belarmino Emily H. , Laurent Jennifer , Merrill Scott C. , Nowak Sarah A. , Schattman Rachel E.
Published: February 2024

Both food insecurity and home and wild food procurement (HWFP), including gardening, increased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet little evidence has demonstrated what impact HWFP had on food security. Using data from a representative sample of nearly 1000 residents in the two most rural US states (Vermont and Maine) conducted via an online survey in Spring/Summer 2021, as well as matching techniques, we compare food security outcomes among households who did and did not participate in HWFP in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of respondents engaged in HWFP in some way during the first year of the pandemic, with food insecure households more likely to do HWFP. Furthermore, HWFP early in the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with improved food security in the 9–12 months later, though these improvements were primarily associated with newly, not chronically, food insecure households. Newly and chronically food insecure households were more likely to want to continue these activities in the future, but also exhibited greater barriers to land access and costs associated with these activities. These results suggest that HWFP may provide food security improvements for certain households that utilize them, especially during crisis situations. Future research about HWFP should continue to explore multiple HWFP strategies, their barriers, and their potentially myriad relationships to food security, diet, and health outcomes, especially with longitudinal data.
Effect of a retinoic acid analogue on BMP-driven pluripotent stem cell chondrogenesis
Authors: Mancini Fabrizio E. , Humphreys Paul E. A. , Woods Steven , Bates Nicola , Cuvertino Sara , O’Flaherty Julieta , Biant Leela , Domingos Marco A. N. , Kimber Susan J.
Published: February 2024

Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint condition, leading to articular cartilage (AC) degradation, chronic pain and immobility. The lack of appropriate therapies that provide tissue restoration combined with the limited lifespan of joint-replacement implants indicate the need for alternative AC regeneration strategies. Differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into AC progenitors may provide a long-term regenerative solution but is still limited due to the continued reliance upon growth factors to recapitulate developmental signalling processes. Recently, TTNPB, a small molecule activator of retinoic acid receptors (RARs), has been shown to be sufficient to guide mesodermal specification and early chondrogenesis of hPSCs. Here, we modified our previous differentiation protocol, by supplementing cells with TTNPB and administering BMP2 at specific times to enhance early development (referred to as the RAPID-E protocol). Transcriptomic analyses indicated that activation of RAR signalling significantly upregulated genes related to limb and embryonic skeletal development in the early stages of the protocol and upregulated genes related to AC development in later stages. Chondroprogenitors obtained from RAPID-E could generate cartilaginous pellets that expressed AC-related matrix proteins such as Lubricin, Aggrecan, and Collagen II, but additionally expressed Collagen X, indicative of hypertrophy. This protocol could lay the foundations for cell therapy strategies for osteoarthritis and improve the understanding of AC development in humans.
Linking gene expression to clinical outcomes in pediatric Crohn’s disease using machine learning
Authors: Chen Kevin A. , Nishiyama Nina C. , Kennedy Ng Meaghan M. , Shumway Alexandria , Joisa Chinmaya U. , Schaner Matthew R. , Lian Grace , Beasley Caroline , Zhu Lee-Ching , Bantumilli Surekha , Kapadia Muneera R. , Gomez Shawn M. , Furey Terrence S. , Sheikh Shehzad Z.
Published: February 2024

Pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized by a severe disease course with frequent complications. We sought to apply machine learning-based models to predict risk of developing future complications in pediatric CD using ileal and colonic gene expression. Gene expression data was generated from 101 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) ileal and colonic biopsies obtained from treatment-naïve CD patients and controls. Clinical outcomes including development of strictures or fistulas and progression to surgery were analyzed using differential expression and modeled using machine learning. Differential expression analysis revealed downregulation of pathways related to inflammation and extra-cellular matrix production in patients with strictures. Machine learning-based models were able to incorporate colonic gene expression and clinical characteristics to predict outcomes with high accuracy. Models showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.84 for strictures, 0.83 for remission, and 0.75 for surgery. Genes with potential prognostic importance for strictures (REG1A, MMP3, and DUOX2) were not identified in single gene differential analysis but were found to have strong contributions to predictive models. Our findings in FFPE tissue support the importance of colonic gene expression and the potential for machine learning-based models in predicting outcomes for pediatric CD.
Simulating real-life scenarios to better understand the spread of diseases under different contexts
Authors: Blanco Rafael , Patow Gustavo , Pelechano Nuria
Published: February 2024

Current statistical models to simulate pandemics miss the most relevant information about the close atomic interactions between individuals which is the key aspect of virus spread. Thus, they lack a proper visualization of such interactions and their impact on virus spread. In the field of computer graphics, and more specifically in computer animation, there have been many crowd simulation models to populate virtual environments. However, the focus has typically been to simulate reasonable paths between random or semi-random locations in a map, without any possibility of analyzing specific individual behavior. We propose a crowd simulation framework to accurately simulate the interactions in a city environment at the individual level, with the purpose of recording and analyzing the spread of human diseases. By simulating the whereabouts of agents throughout the day by mimicking the actual activities of a population in their daily routines, we can accurately predict the location and duration of interactions between individuals, thus having a model that can reproduce the spread of the virus due to human-to-human contact. Our results show the potential of our framework to closely simulate the virus spread based on real agent-to-agent contacts. We believe that this could become a powerful tool for policymakers to make informed decisions in future pandemics and to better communicate the impact of such decisions to the general public.
Knee biomechanics variability before and after total knee arthroplasty: an equality of variance prospective study
Authors: Kowalski Erik , Catelli Danilo S. , Dervin Geoffrey , Lamontagne Mario
Published: February 2024

This study evaluated gait variability in patients before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using the equality of variance method to determine where variability differences occur in the movement cycle. Twenty-eight patients underwent TKA with cruciate-sacrificed implants. Patients underwent motion analysis which measured knee biomechanics as they walked overground at their preferred pace before and 12 months after TKA. Equality of variance results were compared with 14 healthy controls of similar age. Before surgery, patients had reduced knee extension moment variability throughout the early stance phase (4–21% gait cycle, p < 0.05) compared to controls. Knee power variability was lower preoperatively compared to controls for most of the stance phase (0–13% and 17–60% gait cycle, p < 0.05). Sagittal knee moment and power variability further decreased following TKA. Knee extension moment variability was lower postoperatively throughout stance phase compared to preoperatively (4–22% and 36–60% gait cycle, p < 0.05) and compared to controls (4–30% and 45–60% gait cycle, p < 0.05). Knee power variability remained lower following TKA throughout stance phase compared to preoperatively (10–24% and 36–58% gait cycle, p < 0.05) and controls (3–60% gait cycle, p < 0.05). TKA patients may be less stable, and this may be in part due to an unresolved adaptation developed while awaiting TKA surgery and the cruciate sacrificing design of the implants utilized in this study.
Drivers of spatio-temporal population dynamics of game species in a mountain landscape
Authors: Tasser Erich , Unterthurner Birgith , Agreiter Andreas , Gerstgrasser Lothar , Giardino Marco , Tappeiner Ulrike , Walde Janette , Rüdisser Johannes
Published: February 2024

Since the end of the nineteenth century, socio-economic changes have greatly altered the Central European landscape and the structural and functional quality of habitats. Urban sprawl areas have appeared, a reduction of multiple forest uses has resulted in the densification of forests and agricultural land use has changed fundamentally through specialisation and intensification. Many of these changes affect biodiversity. To determine the important drivers of spatio-temporal dynamics of the population of 28 game species, we first considered a total of 130 potential explanatory variables. Second, we aggregated the main drivers of single-species models for habitat guilds. Third, we evaluated the results to aid in the development and implementation of mitigation measures for different ecoregions. We used harvest data as a surrogate for population density from 1875 to 2014 in South Tyrol, Italy. In generalised linear models, we used environmental characteristics such as climate, landscape diversity and structures, land cover, hunting, wildlife diseases, competition and predation, land-use type, and intensity (including pesticide use) as explanatory variables to predict the spatio-temporal dynamics of game species. The important drivers are land use and management changes (intensification in the agriculturally favourable areas, extensification or abandonment in the unfavourable areas) as well as associated changes in the landscape features, diversity and structure, and hunting management. Climatic variables, interspecific competition and diseases only play a subordinate role. The dynamics of the habitat guilds and their drivers provide concrete indications for measures to maintain or improve the habitat quality for the investigated species. Particularly important are transfer payments to ensure extensive agricultural use, increasingly through the takeover of personnel costs, but also for the installation of an independent body that monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the measures.
Neuron-specific enolase at admission as a predictor for stroke volume, severity and outcome in ischemic stroke patients: a prognostic biomarker review
Authors: Mochetti Matheus Menão , Silva Estêvão Garcia Porello , Correa Adriana Aparecida Feltrin , Cabette Marcela Rocha , Perissinotti Iago Navas , E Silva Lucas Oliveira Junqueira , Pessoa Adriano de Souza , de Oliveira Rodrigo Cardoso , da Silva Luiz Fernando Ferraz , de Souza Heraldo Possolo , de Alencar Júlio César Garcia
Published: February 2024

An ideal blood biomarker for stroke should provide reliable results, enable fast diagnosis, and be readily accessible for practical use. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), an enzyme released after neuronal damage, has been studied as a marker for brain injury, including cerebral infarction. However, different methodologies and limited sample sizes have restricted the applicability of any potential findings. This work aims to determine whether NSE levels at Emergency Department (ED) admission correlate with stroke severity, infarcted brain volume, functional outcome, and/or death rates. A systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Each reviewer independently assessed all published studies identified as potentially relevant. All relevant original observational studies (cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional studies) were included. Eleven studies (1398 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Among these, six studies reported a significant correlation between NSE levels and stroke severity, while only one found no association. Four studies indicated a positive relationship between infarcted brain volume assessed by imaging and NSE levels, in contrast to the findings of only one study. Four studies identified an association related to functional outcome and death rates, while three others did not reach statistical significance in their findings. These data highlight that NSE levels at ED admissions proved to be a promising tool for predicting the outcome of ischemic stroke patients in most studies. However, they presented high discrepancies and low robustness. Therefore, further research is necessary to establish and define the role of NSE in clinical practice.
Scalar invariant transform based deep learning framework for detecting heart failures using ECG signals
Authors: Prusty Manas Ranjan , Pandey Trilok Nath , Lekha Pujala Shree , Lellapalli Gayatri , Gupta Annika
Published: February 2024

Heart diseases are leading to death across the globe. Exact detection and treatment for heart disease in its early stages could potentially save lives. Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the tests that take measures of heartbeat fluctuations. The deviation in the signals from the normal sinus rhythm and different variations can help detect various heart conditions. This paper presents a novel approach to cardiac disease detection using an automated Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) system. Leveraging the Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) for unique ECG signal image feature extraction, our model classifies signals into three categories: Arrhythmia (ARR), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR). The proposed model has been evaluated using 96 Arrhythmia, 30 CHF, and 36 NSR ECG signals, resulting in a total of 162 images for classification. Our proposed model achieved 99.78% accuracy and an F1 score of 99.78%, which is among one of the highest in the models which were recorded to date with this dataset. Along with the SIFT, we also used HOG and SURF techniques individually and applied the CNN model which achieved 99.45% and 78% accuracy respectively which proved that the SIFT–CNN model is a well-trained and performed model. Notably, our approach introduces significant novelty by combining SIFT with a custom CNN model, enhancing classification accuracy and offering a fresh perspective on cardiac arrhythmia detection. This SIFT–CNN model performed exceptionally well and better than all existing models which are used to classify heart diseases.
Facilitation of sensorimotor temporal recalibration mechanisms by cerebellar tDCS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and healthy individuals
Authors: Schmitter Christina V. , Straube Benjamin
Published: February 2024

Core symptoms in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), like hallucinations or ego-disturbances, have been associated with a failure of internal forward models to predict the sensory outcomes of self-generated actions. Importantly, forward model predictions must also be able to flexibly recalibrate to changing environmental conditions, for example to account for additional delays between action and outcome. We investigated whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to improve these sensorimotor temporal recalibration mechanisms in patients and healthy individuals. While receiving tDCS on the cerebellum, temporo-parietal junction, supplementary motor area, or sham stimulation, patients with SSD and healthy control participants were repeatedly exposed to delays between actively or passively elicited button presses and auditory outcomes. Effects of this procedure on temporal perception were assessed with a delay detection task. Similar recalibration outcomes and faciliatory effects of cerebellar tDCS on recalibration were observed in SSD and healthy individuals. Our findings indicate that sensorimotor recalibration mechanisms may be preserved in SSD and highlight the importance of the cerebellum in both patients and healthy individuals for this process. They further suggest that cerebellar tDCS could be a promising tool for addressing deficits in action-outcome monitoring and related adaptive sensorimotor processes in SSD.
Metagenomic exploration of Andaman region of the Indian Ocean
Authors: Prasoodanan P. K. Vishnu , Kumar Sudhir , Dhakan Darshan B. , Waiker Prashant , Saxena Rituja , Sharma Vineet K.
Published: February 2024

Ocean microbiome is crucial for global biogeochemical cycles and primary productivity. Despite numerous studies investigating the global ocean microbiomes, the microbiome composition of the Andaman region of the Indian Ocean remains largely unexplored. While this region harbors pristine biological diversity, the escalating anthropogenic activities along coastal habitats exert an influence on the microbial ecology and impact the aquatic ecosystems. We investigated the microbiome composition in the coastal waters of the Andaman Islands by 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenomic shotgun sequencing approaches and compared it with the Tara Oceans Consortium. In the coastal waters of the Andaman Islands, a significantly higher abundance and diversity of Synechococcus species was observed with a higher abundance of photosynthesis pigment-related genes to adapt to variable light conditions and nutrition. In contrast, Prochlorococcus species showed higher abundance in open ocean water samples of the Indian Ocean region, with a relatively limited functional diversity. A higher abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes was also noted in the coastal waters region. We also updated the ocean microbiome gene catalog with 93,172 unique genes from the Andaman coastal water microbiome. This study provides valuable insights into the Indian Ocean microbiome and supplements the global marine microbial ecosystem studies.
Absence of lunar phobia in European swarming vespertilionid bats
Authors: Apoznański Grzegorz , Tuff Felix , Carr Andrew , Rachwald Alek , Marszałek Ewa , Marszałek Tomasz , Błesznowska Justyna , Kokurewicz Tomasz
Published: February 2024

“Lunar phobia” in bats has been widely discussed since its description in tropical bats in 1978. The phenomenon has been frequently contested and supported and was first reported in European bats in 2020. Our study seeks to clarify the debate by describing the relationship between the activity of selected swarming vespertilionid bats (Family: Vespertilionidae) and moonlight levels. To verify a potential connection to the latter, a swarming dataset was analysed in respect of estimated moonlight illumination. Moonlight estimates were based on geographical location and several lunar parameters, to accurately characterise the non-linear relationship between moon phase and illumination (lux). The swarming data consisted of 32 netting and 14 echolocation recording sessions collected between August and October 2014 and 2015. Our data included 3,265 netted bats from 13 species and 15,919 bat calls from 10 confirmed species. Data was collected at the large Central European hibernation/swarming site – Natura 2000 PLH080003 “Nietoperek” in western Poland (N 52.394400, E 15.480600). Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) determined insignificant relationships between bats and moonlight illumination. Our analysis confirms an absence of impact of moonlight intensity on swarming bats and thereby rejects the lunar phobia phenomena in at least six insectivorous bat species (Myotis myotis, M. daubentonii, M. nattereri, M. bechsteinii, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus) swarming in the autumn.