bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative Synthesis of Au Nanoparticle‐Trapped Flexible Macrocrystals: Achieving Stable Black Crystal Wires with Broadband Absorption
Authors: Hu Jiuyi , Zheng Shaohui , Xu Jiayu , Feng Ri , Li Tingting , Wang Ting , Zhang Weina , Liu Wenjing , Saleem Faisal
Published: August 2024

In optical materials, the development of absorbers for a wide spectrum is a focal point of research. A pivotal challenge lies in ensuring the stability and durability of optical absorbers, particularly at elevated temperatures. This study introduces a novel approach to creating absorbers with diverse colors, focusing on the synthesis and properties of black crystal wires. In contrast to black gold nanoparticle (Au NP) precipitates, which change color within hours under similar conditions, the method involves strategically trapping Au NPs within defects during the growth of single crystals. This results in black crystal wires that not only exhibit broadband absorption but also maintain exceptional stability even under prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The method also involves the controlled synthesis of colorless and red crystal wires. As a proof of concept, these stable black Au crystal wires demonstrate superior performance in photothermal conversion applications. The methodology, derived from the crystal growth process, presents a defect template that offers a novel approach to material design. Furthermore, these unique crystals, available in various colors, hold significant promise for a range of unexplored applications.
The Steelmaking Transformation Process and Its Consequences for Slag Utilization
Authors: Ehrenberg Andreas
Published: August 2024

The main challenge of the European steel industry for the next decade is the steel production transformation process. Many steel producers aim to avoid their CO2 emissions by substituting the CO2‐intensive blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace route by a gas‐based direct reduced iron (DRI) process combined with an electric smelting process. Thus, the well‐known latent hydraulic granulated blast furnace slag (GBS) will vanish step by step. For more than 140 years, this slag has been used as a supplementary cementitious material due to its clinker reduction potential and from there its CO2 reduction potential for the cement and concrete production. Moreover, slag cements offer some special technical advantages. Whereas the solid‐state DRI process itself does not generate any slag, the different electric smelting processes will produce liquid steel or “electric” pig iron, respectively, together with very different types of slags. However, specific slag/metal ratios, resulting slag volumes, chemical and mineralogical composition, and physical properties of the new slags are yet unknown. Therefore, their cementitious and environmental properties are also still unknown. Different current and scheduled projects aim mainly to enable the different types of new slags to substitute GBS to continue the successful cross‐industrial cooperation between steel and cement industry.
Microstructural Evolution and Hot Deformation Behavior of Cu‐Containing Twinning‐Induced Plasticity Steel
Authors: Feng Yang , Yuan Xiaoyun , Zhao Yang , Chen Liqing
Published: August 2024

High manganese twinning‐induced plasticity (TWIP) steels with excellent strength and plasticity have promising applications in automotive manufacturing, but limited corrosion resistance affects their further development. Alloying with Cu is a viable solution to improve corrosion resistance. However, there remains a paucity of research concerning the effect of Cu on the hot deformation behavior of TWIP steels. So, the investigation of the recrystallization behavior and microstructural evolution in Fe‐23Mn‐6Cr‐3Al‐0.2C‐xCu (x = 0, 2.5) TWIP steels has been conducted using uniaxial hot compression test. The results reveal that Cu alloying exerts minimal influence on the high‐temperatur flow behavior, with dynamic recrystallization emerging as the predominant softening mechanism in Cu‐containing TWIP steels. However, owing to the drag effect of solute atoms, Cu alloying increases the activation energy for hot deformation and marginally reduces hot workability. Fine recrystallized grains in Cu‐containing TWIP steels can be achieved by hot deformation at lower temperatures and strain rate regions. The recrystallization behavior of Cu‐containing TWIP steels hot deformed at low temperatures and high strain rates is obviously inhibited by the increase of the activation energy and stacking fault energy, coupled with the hindering effect of Cu solute atoms clustered at grain boundaries on grain boundary migration.
Numerical Investigation on Transient Flow and Inclusion Removal Behavior in Tundish During Ladle Change Process
Authors: Zhang Zhi‐Xiao , Wang Han , Qu Tian‐Peng , Wang De‐Yong , Li Xiang‐Long , Hu Shao‐Yan , Tian Jun , Zhou Xing‐Zhi , Yang Zheng‐Hong
Published: August 2024

The removal of inclusion particles is an important function of tundish metallurgy. During ladle change, the liquid level fluctuation around the ladle shroud is severe, which may affect the effectiveness of inclusion removal. In the present study, the fluid flow characteristics and inclusion‐removal behavior in the tundish during ladle change are investigated by numerical simulation method. And the effectiveness of flow control devices on the flow characteristics of molten steel is evaluated. It is found that the escape rate of inclusion particles during ladle change is ordered as emptying process < steady process < filling process. The proper combination of weir, dam, and turbulence inhibitor can optimize the conditions for the floating and removal of inclusion particles to the greatest extent. In the tundish with weir and dam, the escape rates of inclusion particles with sizes of 10, 50, and 100 μm throughout the entire ladle change period are respectively reduced by 9.8%, 1.6%, and 1.4%, compared to not using flow control devices. With a combination of weir, dam, and turbulence inhibitor, the escape rates of the three types of inclusion particles are reduced by 24.7%, 9.9%, and 1.2%, respectively.
Making Switches: Key Strategic Decisions When Moving From a Local, Independent Operator to a Wholly Owned Subsidiary
Authors: Petersen Bent , Benito Gabriel R. G.
Published: August 2024

Entering a foreign market entails making the important mode decision of how to operate there. But the initial mode choice is not always forever and may be reassessed as business circumstances change. The mode shifting process—that is, how switches from one mode to another unfold—has scarcely been described, so we lack a systematic outline of this process. In this article, we take a first step toward such an outline. Adopting the established distinction between the formation and implementation phases of strategy making and execution, we describe the critical strategic decisions managers need to make about how to carry out a mode switch. Regarding the formation phases, we discuss the identification and consideration of entry mode switches as viable options, and whether companies plan or not for such shifts. Regarding the implementation phases, we differentiate between the integrating and collaborating decisions that define the type of switches made by companies.
The Enablers and Interdependencies of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management: Evidence From Luxury Products
Authors: Quttainah Majdi Anwar , Singh Priya
Published: August 2024

Blockchain is a technology that combines a set of properties to guarantee network security, transparency, and visibility, including a decentralized structure, distributed notes and storage mechanism, consensus algorithm, intelligent contracts, and asymmetric encryption. Supply chain management activities, including supply chain management provenance, business process reengineering, and security enhancement, have enormous potential to be transformed by blockchain. This research uses the integrated interpretive structural modeling–cross‐impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (ISM‐MICMAC) technique to ascertain the hierarchical relationships and to comprehend the severity of interrelationships among various components in tackling our research questions. In MICMAC analysis, the enablers were classified into four categories based on their dependence and driving powers. The combined ISM‐MICMAC methodology employed for this study relies on experts’ individual evaluations and subjective assessments. Therefore, even with extreme caution, it is impossible to guarantee that the results are entirely devoid of personal biases. To further validate the linkages discovered in this study, we suggest employing more multiple‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) methodologies and comparing the results with those of our research. Another method for confirming the results of the current study is to use an empirical research design based on survey methods.
Review: Impact of food safety on global trade
Authors: Tibebu Abebe , Tamrat Habtamu , Bahiru Adane
Published: August 2024

Food safety encompasses the supply and assurance of safe, high‐quality food for consumers. It is a crucial aspect of food security, gaining greater global attention due to the increasing number of widespread foodborne incidents. International trade is expanding as countries increasingly rely on each other to secure a sufficient and diverse food supply. Beyond this, concerns about food safety have become more prevalent due to various factors. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the effects of food safety–associated risks on the international trade of food and related products. A total of 37 published studies retrieved using different search engines were included in this review. This review revealed that because of rapid population growth and rising food demand in developing nations, agricultural intensification is growing. It has been found that foodborne illnesses and associated discrepancies can impede the international trade of food commodities. Trade bans due to the fear of foodborne illnesses are growing. The consequences of foodborne diseases are multifaceted and include financial losses from trade restrictions, medical costs for prevention or control, resource depletion and a decline in food production. The overall effects are increased international trade tensions and livelihood vulnerability to poverty, notably for small‐scale livestock producers. Potential food contaminants include microbes, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, heavy metals and fraudulent such as improper food processing, mislabelling, poor packaging, adulteration and substitution. Hence, countries are encouraged to harmonize the rights and duties set by the World Trade Organization under sanitary and phytosanitarys to maximize their advantages in global markets. Based on this evidence, we recommend that each country develop and integrate regulations that would ensure the safety of both domestic and international food production systems. Furthermore, the global community should either revise the current functioning food regulatory and monitoring body or establish a more genuine collaborative network.
Accessibility in Technology-Enhanced Curricula: A Comparative Study in Portugal, Turkey, and Lithuania
Authors: Valūnaitė-Oleškevičienė Giedrė , Çavuşoğlu Ebru , Duarte Carlos
Published: August 2024

While using technology to enhance teaching and learning, it is essential to make sure that none of the learners is excluded. Therefore, curriculum design should be done in such a way that it should not be left to students to adapt. This chapter focuses on the legal prerequisites officially applied in each researched country. According to the survey on the EU law on accessibility, the constitutions of Lithuania and Portugal foresee the availability of education for all citizens. Also, the currently available constitution in Turkey recognizes accessibility to education. Recently, the European Accessibility Act covered accessibility matters of products and services and requires legal adaptation in all the member countries, which lays a sound background for accessibility implementation in education. The current study analyzes the curricula of the translation courses of the Translation and Interpreting Department of Samsun University in Turkey, the Language Sciences Department of Lisbon University in Portugal, and the Institute of Humanities of Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania by checking how the four main principles of digital accessibility (perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust) are observed in the existing curricula. The analysis identifies the need for practical recommendations in the analyzed curricula on how teaching and assessment methods could be applied to ensure fair and equal possibilities and observing the four key digital accessibility principles in the study process. The practical points should serve as a key factor for improving and creating curricula for technology-enhanced teaching and learning in translation studies.
Assessing the Impact of Assistive Technologies on the Lives of the Hearing Impaired: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Bahçekapılı Ekrem , Ayaz Ahmet
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an in-depth examination of assistive technologies designed to address the challenges faced by individuals with hearing impairments. Section 1 highlights the communication barriers and social interactions. Sect. 2 explores the effectiveness of these assistive technologies  through bibliometric analysis, revealing how technological advancements are shaping trends in this field. The aim of this chapter is to elucidate how technological aids developed for individuals with hearing impairments support equal opportunities in every aspect, from education to professional life.
A Multimodal Approach for Improving a Dialogue Agent for Therapeutic Sessions in Psychiatry
Authors: Gabor-Siatkowska Karolina , Stefaniak Izabela , Janicki Artur
Published: August 2024

The number of people with mental health problems is increasing in today’s societies. Unfortunately, there are still not enough experts (psychiatrists, psychotherapists) available. To address this issue, our research team developed a goal-directed therapeutic dialogue system named Terabot to assist psychiatric patients. This system features a voice interface, enabling verbal communication between the patient and the dialogue agent in Polish. Utilizing the RASA framework, the dialogue system is enhanced with text-based emotion and intention recognition. This enables the dialogue system to react “empathically,” i.e., considering the patient’s emotions. The purpose of Terabot is to provide extra support for mental health patients who require additional therapy sessions due to limited access to medical personnel. This will not replace drug treatment but rather serve as additional therapy sessions. Our study consisted of therapy sessions of patients talking to Terabot, conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw, Poland. During these sessions, we observed several issues that have led either to interrupting the therapeutic session or worsening the patient’s performance of the relaxation exercise. We suggest addressing these problems by implementing an eye-tracker in our dialogue system to make the dialogue flow more human-like. We propose a feedback loop in which the eye-tracker provides essential data back to the RASA framework. This gives additional information to the framework, and a more appropriate response can be given to the patient. Our main aim is to establish a feedback loop that will likely impact the way the conversation is conducted. Thanks to this, the dialogue system may perform better. As a result, the dialogue agent’s responses can be improved, resulting in a more natural, human-like flow of conversation.
Contemporary Art and Audio Accessibility from Translation Studies: An Essential Binomial in Current Artistic Creations
Authors: Pérez de Zafra Arrufat María Asunción , Domínguez Escalona David
Published: August 2024

BioArt is an interdisciplinary research project that focuses on contemporary art. It aims to advance the field of universal accessibility in experimental artistic spaces, emphasizing multisensory experiences. Utilizing a phased methodology that includes a literature review and sensory element analysis, the project identifies innovative practices for creating accessible multisensory exhibitions. In collaboration with researchers and artists with and without disabilities, the exhibition aims to blur the boundaries of the conventional concert hall and exhibition room by creating experimental visual and sound works based on the analysis of movement patterns in individuals with permanent or temporary disabilities, such as Parkinson's disease tremors or spinal cord injuries. Bioart will offer accessible experiences targeting diverse groups, such as visitors with hearing impairments. This chapter explores the barriers present in contemporary exhibitions and addresses them by implementing alternative accessibility measures for the deaf and hard of hearing. These measures include vibrating backpacks to translate the music track played in the room's soundscape, sign language translation, easy-to-read displayed information, and multichannel information. Contemporary art can provide fully accessible experiences for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors when considering them from the concept design, even if the sound is a key concept. For this purpose, new approaches and accessibility solutions have to be considered to translate the sound experience through other channels (haptic, visual, or the sense of smell). Expected benefits include empowering attendees with diverse abilities, fostering social inclusion, and inspiring future international endeavors in the realm of accessible contemporary arts.
Introduction
Authors: Zhao Yu , Zheng Kun , Wang Chaolin
Published: August 2024

For rock engineering projects, the cutting and fragmenting of rocks has attracted much attention. Exploring the fracture characteristics of rocks is helpful in achieving efficient and sustainable excavation for mining and tunneling engineering.
Review of Fracture Criteria
Authors: Zhao Yu , Zheng Kun , Wang Chaolin
Published: August 2024

Under the combined-mode I/II loading, by taking into account the non-singular and singular terms of the solution established by Williams.
Comb channel lightcone bootstrap: triple-twist anomalous dimensions
Authors: Harris Sebastian , Kaviraj Apratim , Mann Jeremy A. , Quintavalle Lorenzo , Schomerus Volker
Published: August 2024

Abstract

We advance the multipoint lightcone bootstrap and compute anomalous dimensions of triple-twist operators at large spin. In contrast to the well-studied double-twist operators, triple-twist primaries are highly degenerate so that their anomalous dimension is encoded in a matrix. At large spin, the degeneracy becomes infinite and the matrix becomes an integral operator. We compute this integral operator by studying a particular non-planar crossing equation for six-point functions of scalar operators in a lightcone limit. The bootstrap analysis is based on new formulas for six-point lightcone blocks in the comb-channel. For a consistency check of our results, we compare them to perturbative computations in the epsilon expansion of ϕ3 and ϕ4 theory. In both cases, we find perfect agreement between perturbative results and bootstrap predictions. As a byproduct of our studies, we complement previous results on triple-twist anomalous dimensions in scalar ϕ3 and ϕ4 theory at first and second order in epsilon, respectively.
Electric dipole moments of charged leptons in models with pseudo-Dirac sterile fermions
Authors: Abada Asmaa , Toma Takashi
Published: August 2024

Abstract

In this work, we address the impact of a small lepton number violation on charged lepton electric dipole moments — EDMs. Low-scale seesaw models protected by lepton number symmetry and leading to pseudo-Dirac pairs in the neutrino heavy spectrum provide a natural explanation for the smallness of neutrino masses with potentially testable consequences. Among which, it was thought that the small mass gap in each pair of pseudo-Dirac neutrinos may induce important contribution to the charged lepton EDMs. Recently, it has been shown that the contribution from some of the Feynman diagrams to charged lepton EDMs exactly cancel by virtue of the Ward-Takahashi identity in quantum electrodynamics. We thus consider here the Standard Model minimally extended with pairs of pseudo-Dirac sterile fermions and derive the complete analytical formula at two loops for the charged lepton EDMs. In addition, we numerically evaluate the order of the predicted EDMs consistent with the experimental bounds and constraints such as neutrino oscillation data, charged lepton flavour violating processes, sterile neutrino direct searches, meson decays, sterile neutrino decays, and cosmological and astrophysical observations. We find that, in the minimal setup accommodating neutrino data (masses and mixings) with only two pseudo-Dirac pairs, the predicted electron EDM is $$ \mathcal{O}\left({10}^{-36}\right) $$
O

10

−
36

e cm, at most, which is much smaller than the current experimental bound and even future sensitivity. Hopefully, the electron EDM might reach future sensitivity, once extra pseudo-Dirac neutrinos are taken into account. The analytical formulae we derive are generic to any model involving pseudo-Dirac pairs in the heavy neutrino spectrum.
On gauge amplitudes first appearing at two loops
Authors: Dixon Lance J. , Morales Anthony
Published: August 2024

Abstract

We study scattering amplitudes in massless non-abelian gauge theory where all outgoing gluons have positive helicity. It has been argued recently by Costello that for a particular fermion representation (8 fundamentals plus one antisymmetric-tensor representation in SU(N)) the one-loop amplitudes vanish identically. We show that this vanishing leads to previously-observed identities among one-loop color-ordered partial amplitudes. We then turn to two loops, where Costello has computed the all-plus amplitudes for this theory, as rational functions of the kinematics for any number of gluons using the celestial chiral algebra (CCA) bootstrap. We show that in dimensional regularization, these two-loop amplitudes are not rational, and they are not even finite as ϵ → 0. However, the finite remainder for four gluons agrees with the formula by Costello. In addition, we provide a mass regulator for the infrared-divergent loop integrals; with this regulator, the CCA bootstrap formula is recovered exactly. Finally, we use the CCA bootstrap to compute the double-trace terms in the theory at two loops for an arbitrary number of gluons.
Autoencoder-driven clustering of intersecting D-brane models via tadpole charge
Authors: Ishiguro Keiya , Nishimura Satsuki , Otsuka Hajime
Published: August 2024

Abstract

We study the well-known type IIA intersecting D-brane models on the $$ {T}^6/\left({\mathbb{Z}}_2\times {\mathbb{Z}}_2^{\prime}\right) $$

T
6

/

ℤ
2

×

ℤ
2
′

orientifold via a machine-learning approach. We apply several autoencoder models with and without positional encoding to D6-brane configurations satisfying certain concrete models described in ref. [1] and attempt to extract some features which the configurations possess. We observe that the configurations cluster in two-dimensional latent layers of the autoencoder models and analyze which physical quantities are relevant to the clustering. As a result, it is found that tadpole charges of hidden D6-branes characterize the clustering. We expect that there is another important factor because a checkerboard pattern in two-dimensional latent layers is observed in the clustering.
Symmetric and Dual PRFs from Standard Assumptions: A Generic Validation of a Prevailing Assumption
Authors: Bellare Mihir , Lysyanskaya Anna
Published: August 2024

A two-input function is a dual PRF if it is a PRF when keyed by either of its inputs. Dual PRFs are assumed in the design and analysis of numerous primitives and protocols including HMAC, AMAC, TLS 1.3 and MLS. But, not only do we not know whether particular functions on which the assumption is made really are dual PRFs; we do not know if dual PRFs even exist. What if the goal is impossible? This paper addresses this with a foundational treatment of dual PRFs, giving constructions based on standard assumptions. This provides what we call a generic validation of the dual PRF assumption. Our approach is to introduce and construct symmetric PRFs, which imply dual PRFs and may be of independent interest. We give a general construction of a symmetric PRF based on a function having a weak form of collision resistance coupled with a leakage hardcore function, a strengthening of the usual notion of hardcore functions we introduce. We instantiate this general construction in two ways to obtain two specific symmetric and dual PRFs, the first assuming any collision-resistant hash function and the second assuming any one-way permutation. A construction based on any one-way function evades us and is left as an intriguing open problem.
Buyers’ welfare maximizing auction design: comment
Authors: Knyazev Dmitriy
Published: August 2024

In an earlier paper published in this journal, Bauer (2023) claims to have constructed an auction format that maximizes buyers’ welfare. We note that the characterization of such a mechanism in Proposition 1 of Bauer (2023) is incomplete because it does not precisely specify the payment rule. Because of that, the discussion following this proposition is misleading and the mechanism proposed in the example is not incentive compatible. The complete characterization of the optimal mechanism is the one from Krishna and Perry (1998).
Development and validation of the UHPLC-MS/MS method for the quantitative determination of 25 PFAS in dried blood spots
Authors: Galletto Martina , Ververi Christina , Massano Marta , Alladio Eugenio , Vincenti Marco , Salomone Alberto
Published: August 2024

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic fluorine-containing compounds largely used in industrial and consumer applications. They tend to bioaccumulate in the human body after intake from various sources in daily life. Following repeated exposure to PFAS, a broad range of adverse health outcomes has been reported. Consequently, monitoring PFAS levels in human blood is of paramount importance for public health policies. In contrast with traditional venipuncture, dried blood spots (DBS) constitute a reliable, cheap, and less invasive technique to allow microsampling by capillary blood collected on a specific device. This work aimed to develop and validate an innovative analytical method, combining quantitative DBS with UHPLC-MS/MS instrumentation to identify and quantify 25 PFAS. The extraction procedure was developed and optimized within the range 2–100 ng/mL. Specifically, fortified blood was applied on Capitainer®B devices providing 10 μL of blood volume through a microfluidic channel. After 3 h of drying, the extraction was performed by methanol under sonication, followed by centrifugation. Then, the extraction solvent was evaporated; the residue was reconstituted with the mobile phase solution. The validated method evidenced good sensitivity, with limits of detection ranging from 0.4 ng/mL (PFODA, PFOS) to 1.0 ng/mL (PFOA, 3,6-OPFHpA). The ± 20% acceptability criteria established for intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy were fulfilled for all analytes. High recovery—above 80%—was recorded, whereas significant matrix effect resulted in ion enhancement (> 50%) for 13 analytes. In conclusion, the proposed workflow proved to be reliable, fit for purpose, and easily adaptable in the laboratory routine.

Graphical Abstract
On the monoid of order-preserving transformations of a finite chain whose ranges are intervals
Authors: Fernandes Vítor H.
Published: August 2024

We give a presentation for the monoid $$\mathscr{I}\mathscr{O}_n$$

I

O
n

of all order-preserving transformations of an n-chain whose ranges are intervals. We also consider the submonoid $$\mathscr{I}\mathscr{O}_n^-$$

I

O
n
-

of $$\mathscr{I}\mathscr{O}_n$$

I

O
n

consisting of order-decreasing transformations, for which we determine the cardinality, the rank and a presentation.
Heat vulnerability: health impacts of heat on older people in urban and rural areas in Europe
Authors: Fastl Christina , Arnberger Arne , Gallistl Vera , Stein Viktoria K. , Dorner Thomas E.
Published: August 2024

Exposure to extreme heat is associated with both increased morbidity and mortality, especially in older people. Health burdens associated with heat include heat stroke, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, heart failure and arrhythmia, pulmonary diseases but also injuries, problems with activities of daily living, and mental disorders. In Europe, there are remarkable spatial differences in heat exposure between urban and less populated areas. In Austria, for example, there is a significant gradual association between population density and the number of heat days, where the gradient of urbanization also follows the gradient of sea level. The European population is continuously ageing, especially in rural areas. Older adults are especially vulnerable to negative health consequences resulting from heat exposure, due to a lack of physiological, social, cognitive, and behavioral resources. Older people living in urban areas are particularly at risk, due to the urban heat island effect, the heat-promoting interplay between conditions typically found in cities, such as a lack of vegetation combined with a high proportion of built-up areas; however, older people living in rural regions often have less infrastructure to cope with extreme heat, such as fewer cooling centers and emergency services. Additionally, older adults still engaged in agricultural or forestry activities may be exposed to high temperatures without adequate protection or hydration. More research is required to examine factors responsible for heat vulnerability in older adults and the interactions and possibilities for increasing resilience in older urban and rural populations to the health consequences of heat.
The impact of a primary brain tumor diagnosis on caregivers: Insights from the patients’ perspective
Authors: Willis Kelcie D. , Reid Morgan P. , Fox Amber , Kleva Christopher S. , Sherwood Paula , Loughan Ashlee R.
Published: August 2024

Purpose

The diagnosis of a primary brain tumor (PBT) causes significant distress for the caregiver-patient dyad, warranting increased supportive care intervention. Although researchers have previously assessed caregivers’ perceptions of their own supportive care needs, no study to date has identified how patients perceive the caregiving experience and/or patients’ recommendations for integrating supportive care of caregivers in neuro-oncology. This qualitative study examined caregiver distress as well as caregiver supportive care needs from the patients’ perspective to inform future intervention development.

Methods

Adults with PBT (N = 15; Mage = 45; 53% female; 93% White) were divided into four, 90-min focus groups moderated by a clinical neuropsychologist. Patients responded to semi-structured interview questions regarding various supportive care needs throughout the course of disease. Each discussion was transcribed and coded using thematic content analysis and NVivo software. Inter-rater reliability was excellent (MKappa = 0.92, range = 0.85–0.93).

Results

Seven distinct codes related to PBT caregivers emerged and were classified into two broader themes: Caregiver Impact (47% of coded content) and Caregiver Support (53% of coded content). Caregiver Impact refers to patients’ perspective of the practical and emotional demands of caregiving. Under Caregiver Support, patients cited a strong need for increased support of caregivers, including bereavement care, individual psychotherapy, and joint caregiver-patient dyad sessions.

Conclusion

Patients with PBT expressed profound concerns regarding the demands of caregiving and its impact on the well-being of their loved ones. Findings emphasize the need for comprehensive dyadic support in neuro-oncology throughout the disease trajectory to enhance the overall quality-of-life for both patients and their caregivers.
From Revisions to Insights: Converting Radiology Report Revisions into Actionable Educational Feedback Using Generative AI Models
Authors: Lyo Shawn , Mohan Suyash , Hassankhani Alvand , Noor Abass , Dako Farouk , Cook Tessa
Published: August 2024

Expert feedback on trainees’ preliminary reports is crucial for radiologic training, but real-time feedback can be challenging due to non-contemporaneous, remote reading and increasing imaging volumes. Trainee report revisions contain valuable educational feedback, but synthesizing data from raw revisions is challenging. Generative AI models can potentially analyze these revisions and provide structured, actionable feedback. This study used the OpenAI GPT-4 Turbo API to analyze paired synthesized and open-source analogs of preliminary and finalized reports, identify discrepancies, categorize their severity and type, and suggest review topics. Expert radiologists reviewed the output by grading discrepancies, evaluating the severity and category accuracy, and suggested review topic relevance. The reproducibility of discrepancy detection and maximal discrepancy severity was also examined. The model exhibited high sensitivity, detecting significantly more discrepancies than radiologists (W = 19.0, p < 0.001) with a strong positive correlation (r = 0.778, p < 0.001). Interrater reliability for severity and type were fair (Fleiss’ kappa = 0.346 and 0.340, respectively; weighted kappa = 0.622 for severity). The LLM achieved a weighted F1 score of 0.66 for severity and 0.64 for type. Generated teaching points were considered relevant in ~ 85% of cases, and relevance correlated with the maximal discrepancy severity (Spearman ρ = 0.76, p < 0.001). The reproducibility was moderate to good (ICC (2,1) = 0.690) for the number of discrepancies and substantial for maximal discrepancy severity (Fleiss’ kappa = 0.718; weighted kappa = 0.94). Generative AI models can effectively identify discrepancies in report revisions and generate relevant educational feedback, offering promise for enhancing radiology training.
Mutations of CYP1B1 and FOXC1 genes for childhood glaucoma in Japanese individuals
Authors: Fuse Nobuo , Kimura Masae , Shimizu Ai , Koshiba Seizo , Hamanaka Teruhiko , Nakamura Makoto , Ishida Nobuo , Sakai Hiroshi , Ikeda Yoko , Mori Kazuhiko , Endo Atsushi , Nagasaki Masao , Katsuoka Fumiki , Yasuda Jun , Matsubara Yoichi , Nakazawa Toru , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: August 2024

Purpose

To explore the frequency and positions of genetic mutations in CYP1B1 and FOXC1 in a Japanese population.

Study design

Molecular genetic analysis.

Methods

Genomic DNA was extracted from 31 Japanese patients with childhood glaucoma (CG) from 29 families. We examined the CYP1B, FOXC1, and MYOC genes using Sanger sequencing and whole-exome sequencing (WES).

Results

For CYP1B1, we identified 9 families that harbored novel mutations, p.A202T, p.D274E, p.Q340*, and p.V420G; the remaining mutations had been previously reported. When mapped to the CYP1B1 protein structure, all mutations appeared to influence the enzymatic activity of CYP1B1 by provoking structural deformity. Five patients were homozygotes or compound heterozygotes, supporting the recessive inheritance of the CYP1B1 mutations in CG. In contrast, four patients were heterozygous for the CYP1B1 mutation, suggesting the presence of regulatory region mutations or strong modifiers. For the FOXC1 gene, we identified 3 novel mutations, p.Q23fs, p.Q70R, and p.E163*, all of which were identified in a heterozygous state. No mutation was found in the MYOC gene in these CG patients. All individuals with CYP1B1 and FOXC1 mutations were severely affected by early-onset CG. In the CYP1B1-, FOXC1-, and MYOC-negative families, we also searched for variants in the other candidate genes reported for CG through WES, but could not find any mutations in these genes.

Conclusions

Our analyses of 29 CG families revealed 9 families with point mutations in the CYP1B1 gene, and four of those patients appeared to be heterozygotes, suggesting the presence of complex pathogenic mechanisms. FOXC1 appears to be another major causal gene of CG, indicating that panel sequencing of CYP1B1 and FOXC1 will be useful for diagnosis of CG in Japanese individuals.
Outcome research on esophagectomy analyzed using nationwide databases in Japan: evidences generated from real-world data
Authors: Kakeji Yoshihiro , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Watanabe Masayuki , Kono Koji , Ueno Hideki , Doki Yuichiro , Kitagawa Yuko , Takeuchi Hiroya , Shirabe Ken , Seto Yasuyuki
Published: August 2024

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is a highly invasive gastrointestinal surgical procedure. The National Clinical Database (NCD) of Japan, initiated in 2011, has compiled real-world data on esophagectomy, one of nine major gastroenterological surgeries. This review examines outcomes after esophagectomy analyzed using the Japanese big databases. Certification systems by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery (JSGS) and the Japan Esophageal Society (JES) have shown that institutional certification has a greater impact on short-term surgical outcomes than surgeon certification. Minimally invasive esophagectomy has emerged as a viable alternative to open esophagectomy, although careful patient selection is crucial, especially for elderly patients with advanced tumors. The NCD has significantly contributed to the assessment and enhancement of surgical quality and short-term outcomes, while studies based on Comprehensive Registry of Esophageal Cancer in Japan (CRECJ) have provided data on patient characteristics, treatments, and long-term outcomes. The JES has conducted various questionnaire-based retrospective clinical reviews in collaboration with authorized institutions certified by JES. The Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) database provides administrative claims data including itemized prices for surgical, pharmaceutical, laboratory, and other inpatient services. Analyzing these nationwide databases can offer precise insights into surgical quality for esophageal cancer, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes.
Lighting up aggregate emission of perylene diimide by leveraging polymerization-mediated through-space charge transfer and π-π stacking
Authors: Ye Suiying , Füglistaller Désirée , Tian Tian , Manian Anjay , Kumar Sudhir , Nardo Celine , Christofferson Andrew J. , Russo Salvy P. , Shih Chih-Jen , Leroux Jean-Christophe , Bao Yinyin
Published: August 2024

The molecular engineering of fluorescent organic/polymeric materials, specifically those emitting in the deep red to near-infrared spectrum, is vital for advancements in optoelectronics and biomedicine. Perylene diimide (PDI), a well-known fluorescent scaffold, offers high thermal and photophysical stability but suffers from fluorescence quenching in solid or aggregate states due to intense π-π interactions. To mitigate this, simple and versatile methods for strong PDI aggregate emission without extensive synthetic demands are highly desirable but still lacking. Here, we report a straightforward strategy to enhance the solid-state emission of PDI by introducing certain degree of through-space charge transfer (TSCT) via controlled radical polymerization, which can efficiently distort the typical face-to-face PDI stacking, enabling greatly enhanced deep red emission. This is achieved by growing electron-donating star-shape styrenic (co)polymers from a multidirectional electron-accepting PDI initiator. The incorporation of polycyclic aromatic monomers further shifted the emission into the near-infrared region, albeit with a reduced intensity. Overall, the emission of the PDI-based TSCT polymers can be systematically manipulated by leveraging the balance between PDI stacking and the TSCT degree, as confirmed by both experimental study and theoretical calculations. Our approach circumvents complex synthetic procedures, offering highly emissive materials with large Stokes shifts and showing broad potential for optoelectronic technology.
Peronospora species on Myosotis – a showcase for the uncharted diversity of a highly diverse and specialised downy mildew genus
Authors: Mu Man , Choi Young-Joon , Thines Marco
Published: August 2024

Peronospora is the largest genus of obligate biotrophic oomycetes, causing downy mildew disease on various cultivated and ornamental plants worldwide. Despite the known high host specificity in Peronospora, many host–pathogen combinations have not been thoroughly investigated with respect to their phylogenetic relationships. This is especially the case for groups in which only one species has been described on a host genus. In this study, we highlight the fact that Peronospora is still vastly underexplored by investigating 48 specimens of Peronospora parasitic on the ornamental plant genus Myosotis (Boraginaceae). Morphology and multigene phylogenetic relationships revealed six new Peronospora species parasitic on Myosotis, with one species parasitising the widely cultivated species Myosotis sylvatica, providing further evidence that Peronospora species are generally highly host-specific. As a consequence, Peronospora occurrences on the several hundred plant species that are not type host species for a described Peronospora species should be re-examined, as they might represent species overlooked in previous studies.
Auswirkungen staatlicher Parteienfinanzierung und parlamentarischer Repräsentanz bei Landtagswahlen: Eine Regressions-Diskontinuitäts-Analyse
Authors: Baumert Jona-Frederik
Published: August 2024

In diesem Beitrag werden die Auswirkungen der staatlichen Parteienfinanzierung und parlamentarischen Repräsentanz auf den politischen Wettbewerb bei deutschen Landtagswahlen untersucht. Hierfür wird eine Regressions-Diskontinuitäts-Analyse auf bayesianischer Grundlage durchgeführt. Überschreitet eine Partei die Schwelle von einem Prozent der gültigen Stimmen, ab welcher sie Anspruch auf staatliche Gelder hat, steigt die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines erneuten Antretens bei der nächsten Wahl von 60 % auf 82 %. Parteien, welche die Fünf-Prozent-Hürde knapp überwinden und dadurch parlamentarische Repräsentanz erlangen, haben gegenüber knapp an der Hürde gescheiterten Parteien eine um 14 Prozentpunkte erhöhte Chance, bei der nächsten Wahl (erneut) im Parlament vertreten zu sein. Bei Durchführung von Robustheitstests reduziert sich dieser Effekt auf ca. 6 Prozentpunkte. Zwar sind die beiden Effekte nicht unmittelbar miteinander vergleichbar, da sie nur in der Nähe der jeweiligen Schwelle Gültigkeit besitzen und unterschiedliche abhängige Variablen betrachtet werden. Dennoch deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass der Einfluss der staatlichen Parteienfinanzierung bei Landtagswahlen bedeutender ist als derjenige der Fünf-Prozent-Hürde. Im Gegensatz zu der Wiederantritts- und Wiedereinzugswahrscheinlichkeit lässt sich weder an der Ein-Prozent-Schwelle noch der Fünf-Prozent-Schwelle ein signifikanter Effekt auf den Stimmenanteil bei der nächsten Wahl feststellen.
High-Temperature Steam Oxidation Behavior of VDM Alloy 699 XA Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Dudziak T. , Chandran P. , Nowak B. , Verma B. , Roth J.-P. , Rząd E. , Chat-Wilk K. , Polkowska A. , Samy V. Narayana , Reich S. , Jahns K. , Krupp U.
Published: August 2024

VDM alloy (AM) 699 XA (AM-XA) produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was subjected to steam oxidation at different high temperatures. Initial studies on mass gain of AM-XA at 650 °C after 500 hours revealed insignificant changes. Typical to high temperatures, a wide range of oxides were obtained at 750 and 950 °C associated with mass gain. To fully understand AM-XA material behavior at high temperatures, hot-rolled 699 XA (HR-XA) was also fabricated and tested under similar conditions. At 750 °C, HR-XA showed a higher mass gain in comparison with AM-XA, whereas at 950 °C mass gain of AM-XA overtook HR-XA. This anomalous behavior was related mostly to carbide formation. In-depth anomalous behavior of AM-XA is explained by investigating the microstructure and phase composition of the oxidation products formed.
Retrospective Radiology Research: Do We Need Informed Patient Consent?
Authors: Ongena Yfke , Kwee Thomas C. , Yakar Derya , Haan Marieke
Published: August 2024

While knowledge of the population’s view on the need for informed consent for retrospective radiology research may provide valuable insight into how an optimal balance can be achieved between patient rights versus an expedited advancement of radiology science, this is a topic that has been ignored in the literature so far. To investigate the view of the general population, survey data were collected from 2407 people representative of the Dutch population. The results indicate that for non-commercial institutions, especially hospitals (97.4 per cent), respondents agree with the retrospective use of imaging data, although they generally indicate that their explicit consent is required. However, most respondents (63.5 per cent) would never allow commercial firms to retrospectively use their imaging data. When including only respondents who completed the minimally required reading time of 12.3 s to understand the description about retrospective radiology research given in the survey (n = 770), almost all (98.9 per cent) mentioned to have no objections for their imaging data to be used by hospitals for retrospective research, with 57.9 per cent indicating their consent to be required and 41.0 per cent indicating that explicit patient consent to be unnecessary. We conclude that the general population permits retrospective radiology research by hospitals, and a substantial proportion indicates explicit patient consent to be unnecessary when understanding what retrospective radiology research entails. However, the general population’s support for the unrestricted retrospective use of imaging data for research purposes without patient consent decreases for universities not linked to hospitals, other non-commercial institutions, government agencies, and particularly commercial firms.
This (AI)n’t fair? Employee reactions to artificial intelligence (AI) in career development systems
Authors: Köchling Alina , Wehner Marius Claus , Ruhle Sascha Alexander
Published: August 2024

Organizations increasingly implement AI for career development to enhance efficiency. However, there are concerns about employees’ acceptance of AI and the literature on employee acceptance of AI is still in its infancy. To address this research gap, integrating justice theory, we investigate the effects of the deciding entity (human, human and AI, and AI) and the impact of the data source (internal data, external data), on employees’ reactions. Using a scenario-based between-subject design, displaying a common situation in organizations (N = 280) and an additional causal-chain-approach (N = 157), we examined whether a decrease of human involvement in decision making diminishes employees’ perceived fairness and satisfaction with the career development process and increases their perceived privacy intrusion. Although we also considered other data sources to moderate the proposed relationships, we found no support for interaction effects. Finally, fairness and privacy intrusion mediated the influence of the deciding entity and data source on turnover intention and employer attractiveness, while satisfaction with the process did not. By addressing how the employees react to AI in career development–showing the negative reactions, our study holds considerable relevance for research and practice.