bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased retinal thickness in sarcoidosis patients with ocular system involvement visualized with optical coherence tomography: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Byg Keld-Erik , Ellingsen Torkell , Wied Jimmi , Peiris Michella , Lowater Simon Joel , Sejbaek Tobias , Grauslund Jakob
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the thickness of retinal structures in patients with neurosarcoidosis (NS) and ocular sarcoidosis (OS). We compared the central macular thickness (CMT), retinal thickness (RT), central nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness using optical coherence tomography. In a cross-sectional study, we categorized 97 sarcoidosis patients (185 eyes) into four groups: patients without ocular or central nervous system sarcoidosis (Non-Ocular/Non-CNS, n = 53), patients with OS (Ocular, n = 13), patients with NS (CNS, n = 16), and patients with combined OS and NS (Ocular/CNS, n = 15). The mean age was 51 (14) years. We found no overall difference between the groups in the CMT (p = 0.3), RT (p = 0.9), RNFL (p = 0.3), and GCL measurements (p = 0.9). Only in patients with a disease duration of more than five years, the CMT was significantly thicker in the Ocular group (278 μm, p < 0.001), the CNS group (267 μm, p = 0.04), and the Ocular/CNS group (268 μm, p = 0.04), compared to the Non-Ocular/Non-CNS group (249 μm). The RT was significantly thicker in the Ocular group (296 μm, p = 0.008) and the Ocular/CNS group (291 μm, p = 0.03) compared to the Non-Ocular/Non-CNS group (283 μm). In the RNFL measurements, the Ocular group (33.7 μm, p = 0.002) was thicker than the Non-ocular/Non-CNS group (29.1 μm). We found an increased retinal thickness in patients with ocular sarcoidosis and long disease duration.
Historical data provide new insights into inheritance of traits important for diploid potato breeding
Authors: Śliwka Jadwiga , Wasilewicz-Flis Iwona , Jakuczun Henryka , Janiszewska Marta , Smyda-Dajmund Paulina , McLean Karen , Zimnoch-Guzowska Ewa , Bryan Glenn J. , Sharma Sanjeev Kumar
Published: February 2025

Key message

Using a diploid potato diversity panel of 246 breeding lines, a genotyping-by-sequencing and a GWAS approach, we mapped QTL for ten traits important to potato breeders, including two previously unmapped traits: boiled tuber taste and pollen fertility.

Potato breeding at the diploid level has a long history and has gained new impetus recently, when F1 hybrid breeding was made possible with the discovery of a dominant gene for self-compatibility. Our study deploys a unique diploid diversity panel with a broadened cultivated potato gene pool obtained as a result of introgressing valuable traits from wild potato relatives into the Solanum tuberosum background. Using historical phenotyping data collected between 1979 and 2017 for 246 diploid potato clones and high-density genotyping-by-sequencing, we mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for tuber yield, mean tuber weight, tuber shape and regularity, tuber eye depth, purple tuber skin colour, flesh colour, tuber starch content, boiled tuber taste (flavour) and pollen fertility. We found some QTL located in genomic regions described in earlier studies, e.g. the QTL for the tuber flesh colour on chromosome 3 overlapping with the location of beta-carotene hydroxylase gene. We identified novel QTL for mean tuber weight on chromosomes 8, 9 and 11 and for purple tuber skin colour on chromosomes 6, 7 and 8. QTL for boiled tuber taste and pollen fertility estimated by Lactofuchsin staining have not been mapped before. We found two regions on chromosome 10 affecting the boiled tuber taste, and QTL on chromosomes 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 for pollen fertility. Considering the increased interest in diploid hybrid potato breeding, the results presented here hold greater relevance and provide novel targets for potato breeding and research at the diploid level.
Geometry-dependent reduced-order models for the computation of homogenized transfer properties in porous media, part II: electrical double layer effects
Authors: Moreau Antoine , Allery Cyrille , Millet Olivier , Falaize Antoine
Published: February 2025

A reduced-order model (ROM) based on proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is proposed to solve fastly the strongly nonlinear elementary cell problem derived from the periodic homogenization of the Nernst-Planck-Poisson-Boltzmann equations. In previous works, multiscale models have been developed, in order to take separately into account the macro- and microscopical aspects of ionic diffusion, under the assumption that the porous medium consists of the periodic repetition of a single microscopic representative elementary volume (REV). More recently, a numerical method based on POD-ROM has been developed in order to take into account the variability of the REV at the macroscopical scale, which involves the numerical resolution of a large amount of instances of the cell problem. Presently, this method is extended to the case where the REV’s size is of the order of the Debye length and where the adsorption during the transfer of ions by the solid–fluid interface is considered.
Larval fish abundance classification and modeling through spatio-temporal point processes approach
Authors: Lo Galbo Giada , Adelfio Giada , Cuttitta Angela , Patti Bernardo , Torri Marco
Published: February 2025

Starting from the evaluation of presence-only data, and according to stochastic processes theory, we propose a classification method for unknown larval fish specimens, which is based on Local Indicators of Spatio-Temporal Association (LISTA). LISTA functions are typically used to evaluate the presence of clustered local second-order structures in spatio-temporal data. Here, these tools were applied to the classification of two rare species of mesopelagic fish larvae belonging to the genus Vinciguerria (V. attenuata and V. poweriae), detected in the Strait of Sicily, from 1998 to 2016. To evaluate the dependence of larval fish abundance spatio-temporal distributions from covariates, with the aim of understanding their impact on the reproducing activity of Vinciguerria spp., we fit a thinned inhomogeneous multitype spatio-temporal Poisson point process model. According to the goodness-of-fit evaluation, based on second-order diagnostics, the spatio-temporal Poisson point process model perfectly fits larval fish abundance’ presence-only data, after the classification procedure. We classify units representing spatio-temporal events by a LISTA functions-based classification procedure of local interaction. In addition, a stochastic processes’ model for the evaluation of presence-only data from an inferential point of view is estimated, accounting for covariates and sampling bias correction. The modeling analysis is carried out before and after the classification procedure, with the aim to evaluate the difference in terms of interpretation and diagnostics.
Aquatic macrophyte dynamics in the Danube Inland Delta over the past two decades: homogenisation or differentiation of taxonomic and functional community composition?
Authors: Beracko Pavel , Kubalová Silvia , Matečný Igor
Published: February 2025

Our study provides insights into the spatio-temporal dynamics of macrophyte assemblages in the Danube Inland Delta, situated in the northwest part of the Pannonian lowland on the Slovak-Hungarian border. A total of 63 aquatic plant species were recorded at six monitored sites during the years 2003–2020, including 1 endangered, 2 vulnerable, and 1 neophyte species. Macrophyte data from long-term monitoring were used to test the hypothesis that aquatic plant assemblages in the hydrologically disturbed Danube riverscape have become more taxonomically and functionally similar over the past 17 years. Although a decline in the taxonomic and functional richness of macrophyte assemblages was observed at most monitoring sites, no evident year-to-year decrease in their heterogeneity was noted for either aspect of biodiversity. However, a significant decline in taxonomic and functional richness, as well as in the heterogeneity of the macrophyte community across the entire monitored area, was observed during the study period. While a decrease in species number represented approximately one species per year, the taxonomical beta diversity, including its taxonomical turnover component, also declined, with a mean annual decrease of 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively. Using abundance class data, the mean annual decrease in beta diversity was 0.6%. A time-series analysis of macrophyte functional traits (growth form, dispersal unit, and strategy) revealed that aquatic plant assemblages from different monitoring sites converged toward a narrower range of functional structure. The mean annual decline in macrophyte functional heterogeneity was 0.7% based on abundance class data and approximately 0.3% based on incidence data.
An efficient computational model for single-molecule optoelectronic devices
Authors: Bottacin Alberto , Mo Fabrizio , Spano Chiara Elfi , Ardesi Yuri , Piccinini Gianluca , Graziano Mariagrazia
Published: February 2025

The growing interest in tuning the conduction properties of single-molecule junctions has drawn attention to studying their interaction with incident electromagnetic fields. The theoretical complexity of this problem necessitates the use of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics combined with quantum electrodynamics, leading to extremely time-consuming simulations. In this work, we propose a computationally efficient algorithm, which combines EE-BESD—an efficient and effective simulator of current–voltage characteristics in dark conditions—with approximated models for light interaction, specifically the Tien-Gordon and Floquet models. We validate EE-BESD-PAT through comparison with ab initio calculations and experimental data from the literature. Our computational model demonstrates good agreement with both experimental and density functional theory calculations, demonstrating that the proposed method is a promising computationally efficient tool without sacrificing accuracy.
Evaluation of the effect of red cabbage waste on performance, egg quality, and yolk oxidative stability of laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica)
Authors: Gümüş Erinç , Sevim Behlül , Sırakaya Selim , İriş Canan , Kahraman Oğuzhan , Sarmiento-García Ainhoa
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the effects of red cabbage waste (RCW) as a dietary supplement on the performance, egg quality, and oxidative stability of yolk in laying Japanese quails. Given its rich phenolic content, RCW has been investigated as a natural feed additive to reduce food waste and enhance poultry diets. In a six-week trial, 120 quails were divided into 4 groups with 5 replicates and fed diets with 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% RCW. Performance parameters, internal and external egg quality, and antioxidant status were measured. RCW supplementation had no significant impact on overall quail performance. Quails fed with 0.5% RCW showed notable improvements in internal egg quality, especially in the albumen index, Haugh unit, and eggshell thickness. Additionally, incorporating 0.5% RCW into the diet improved the yolk’s antioxidant activity, as evidenced by reduced MDA levels. However, other egg quality traits, including the antioxidant capacity of the yolk, had deteriorated with concentrations above 0.5%, indicating that a moderate inclusion of 0.5% RCW is the most favourable option. The findings underscore that RCW could be sustainably used to improve egg quality without compromising performance, while managing food waste, presenting a potential circular economy solution. Nevertheless, further research is encouraged to optimize RCW levels and fully understand its benefits in poultry feed.
Reprogramming the tumor microenvironment by targeting cytidine deaminase in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors: implications for the role of P2Y6 receptors
Authors: Shatat Abdel-Aziz S.
Published: February 2025

Immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), anti-cancer vaccines and adoptive T cell transfer, are promising treatments for cancer patients. However, ICI have not shown therapeutic benefit for most mismatch repair-proficient colorectal and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors (PDAC), which are aggressive and deadly (Li et al. in Biomedicines 12:2175, 2024). Tumor metabolism can enhance immunological tolerance, but hinder immune cell function. In a recent publication in Nature Cancer, Scolaro et al. (Scolaro et al. in Nature Cancer 5:1206–1226, 2024) showed that cytidine deaminase (CDA) upregulation may play a crucial role in shaping the immunosuppressive landscape of human PDAC and other tumors. CDA targeting in pancreatic cancer cell lines led to reduced tumor growth, weight and total regression after treatment aimed at the programmed cell death protein 1 receptor (PD-1) immune checkpoint protein. CDA inhibition, both genetically and pharmacologically, overcame immunotherapy resistance in PDAC models. CDA targeting in PDAC cells altered the tumor microenvironment (TME), enabling T cells to respond to anti-PD-1. In mice with sgNT and sgCda tumors receiving anti-PD-1 treatment, they reduced the number of CD8+ T cells. CDA reduction in cancer cells makes tumors more sensitive to immunotherapy, presumably by overcoming immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and forcing them to adopt an immunostimulatory phenotype. The study also found that cancer cells produce a TME rich in UDP (and UTP) by taking advantage of the CDA-mediated pyrimidine salvage pathway. This setting inhibits the recruitment and activation of CD8+ T cells by promoting the infiltration and immunosuppressive characteristics of P2Y6 receptor–expressing TAMs.
Was Sozialarbeiter_innen können sollten
Authors: Wagner Leonie
Published: February 2025

Der Beitrag thematisiert die Diskussion um die Frage einer Aufnahme von Desaster(Risk)Management in Studiengänge Soziale Arbeit und spricht dabei erforderliche Kompetenzen und Inhalte an. Anschließend stellt er ein Weiterbildungsmodell aus Großbritannien vor, das versucht, solche Kompetenzen und Inhalte herauszuarbeiten.
Is ypN Sufficient to Stage Gastric Cancer Patients After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?
Authors: Natalizi Nicola , Graziosi Luigina , Di Schiena Fabiola , Donini Annibale
Published: February 2025

The accuracy of the eighth American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) ypTNM staging system on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate staging systems using the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) and the lymph node ratio (LNR) evaluation. We evaluated a case series of 45 GC patients who underwent radical gastric resection after neoadjuvant therapy in a single western center. The median age was 65 years old. The men/women ratio was 1.5. Data collection was conducted from January to December 2023 with a median follow-up of 76 months. Both 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) and 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. We also evaluated the survival prognostic impact of ypN, yLNR, and yLODDS staging systems. The 5y-OS of the different pN staging categories was, respectively, pN0 90%, pN1 71.43%, pN2 50%, and pN3 46.87%. The 5y-OS of the different LNR staging subgroups was, respectively, LNR0 90%, LNR1 80%, LNR2 66.67%, and LNR3 27.71%. The 5y-OS of the different LODDS staging categories was, respectively, LODDS1 85.71%, LODDS2 77.78%, LODDS3 66.67%, and LODD4 27.71%. Instead, the 10y-OS in the ypN group was, respectively, N0 90%, N1 53.57%, N2 50%, and N3 46.87%. The 10y-OS in LNR group was LNR0 90%, LNR1 80%, LNR2 50%, and LNR3 27.71%, and the 10y-OS in LODDS classification was LODDS1 85.71%, LODDS2 77.78%, LODDS3 50%, and LODD4 27.71%. We did not find a statistical difference in DFS according to the pN staging system (p = 0.12). On the contrary, we showed a statistically significant difference in 5 and 10y-DFS according to LNR and LODDS staging categories (p = 0.018 and p = 0.026, respectively). The 5 and 10y-DFS in the different LNR categories were, respectively, LNR0 80.8% and 80.8%, LNR1 75% and 75%, LNR2 64.81% and 42.88%, and LNR3 41.56% and 41.56%. The 5 and 10y-DFS of the different LODDS categories were, respectively, LODDS1 72.92% and 72.92%, LODDS2 83.33% and 83.33%, LODDS3 68.57% and 50.67%, and LODD4 41.56% and 41.56%. Many survival prognostic factors were analyzed as age, tumor site, tumor size, surgery, T categories, histological subtype groups, number of metastatic nodes, N ratio, and LODDS. After, we compared the three lymph node staging systems ypN, yLNR, and yTLM. The metastatic lymph node ratio could represent a more reliable staging system regardless of the examined number of lymph nodes. On the other hand, LODDS can provide more information than pN. The pN only measures the absolute number of positive lymph nodes and does not provide additional information. In addition, LODDS is more acceptable than pN because it contains more information related to the status of lymph nodes. Our results confirm that a novel established staging system based on LODDS and lymph node ratio could offer a good survival stratification in GC patients receiving NAC.
Note on the Metric Entropy for Multivalued Maps
Authors: Andres Jan , Ludvík Pavel
Published: February 2025

The first goal of this note is to highlight several discrepancies in the proofs of the recent paper by Vivas and Sirvent (Discrete Contin Dyn Syst Ser B 27(11):6589–6604, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3934/dcdsb.2022010). The results in question, which relate metric and topological entropies for multivalued maps and can be referred to as “half variational principles” for multivalued maps, are pioneering in this field. Our second goal is to provide revised statements accompanied by correct proofs. By employing the concept of

$$h_+$$

h
+

entropy for multivalued maps, developed in our earlier papers, we were able to partially strengthen the results of Vivas and Sirvent and establish the “full variational principle” for a special subclass of multivalued lower semicontinuous maps with convex compact values on a compact subset of a Banach space. However, our approach requires two rather restrictive additional assumptions, which were also used by Vivas and Sirvent in another related context.
Searching for linear structures in the failure of the Stone-Weierstrass theorem
Authors: Caballer Marc , Dantas Sheldon , Rodríguez-Vidanes Daniel L.
Published: February 2025

We investigate the failure of the Stone-Weierstrass theorem focusing on the existence of large dimensional vector spaces within the set

$$\mathcal {C}(L, \mathbb {K}) {\setminus } \overline{\mathcal {A}}$$

C

(
L
,
K
)

\

A
¯

, where L is a compact Hausdorff space and

$$\mathcal {A}$$

A

is a self-adjoint subalgebra of

$$\mathcal {C}(L, \mathbb {K})$$

C
(
L
,
K
)

that vanishes nowhere on L but does not necessarily separate the points of L. We address the problem of finding the precise codimension of

$$\overline{\mathcal {A}}$$

A
¯

in a broad setting, which allows us to describe the lineability of

$$\mathcal {C}(L, \mathbb {K}) {\setminus } \overline{\mathcal {A}}$$

C

(
L
,
K
)

\

A
¯

in detail. Our analysis yields both affirmative and negative results regarding the lineability of this set. Furthermore, we also study the set

$$(\mathcal {C}(\partial {D}, \mathbb {C}) {\setminus } \overline{\text {Pol}(\partial {D})}) \cup \{0\}$$

(
C

(
∂
D
,
C
)

\

Pol
(
∂
D
)

¯

)
∪

{
0
}

, where

$$\text {Pol}(\partial {D})$$

Pol
(
∂
D
)

is the set of all complex polynomials in one variable restricted to the boundary of the unit disk. Recent lineability properties are also taken into account.
Causal association of sarcopenia-related traits with brain cortical structure: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhan Yuxuan , Zhang Zhiyun , Lin Siyi , Du Bang , Zhang Kai , Wu Jian , Xu Hongxia
Published: February 2025

Background

Patients with sarcopenia often experience cognitive decline, affecting cortical structures, but the causal link remains unclear. We used bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore the relationship between sarcopenia-related traits and cortical structure.

Methods

We selected genetic variables from genome-wide association study data. Three different MR methods were used: inverse-variance weighted analysis, MR-Egger regression, and the weighted median test. For significant estimates, we further conducted Cochran’s Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, leave-one-out analyses, and MR-PRESSO to assess heterogeneity.

Results

In forward MR analysis, appendicular lean mass (ALM) decreased the thickness (TH) of lateral occipital gyrus and increased the TH of pars opercularis gyrus (β = -0.0079 mm, 95% CI: -0.0117 mm to -0.0041 mm, P < 0.0001; β = 0.0080 mm, 95% CI: 0.0042 mm to 0.0117 mm, P < 0.0001). In reverse MR analysis, a significant negative correlation was found between the TH of bankssts and ALM, while positive correlations were observed between the TH of frontal pole, rostral anterior cingulate, temporal pole, and ALM. The TH of temporal pole was positively correlated with right hand grip strength (HGS-R) (β = 0.1596 mm, 95% CI: 0.1349 mm to 0.1843 mm, P < 0.0001), and the TH of pars triangularis was positively correlated with left-hand grip strength (HGS-L) (β = 0.3251 mm, 95% CI: 0.2339 mm to 0.4163 mm, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Sarcopenia-related traits and cortical structure have bidirectional effects, supporting the muscle-brain axis theory. This links sarcopenia to neurocognitive diseases and provides new strategies for the prevention and intervention of both sarcopenia and cognitive decline.
Metalinguist: enhancing hate speech detection with cross-lingual meta-learning
Authors: Hashmi Ehtesham , Yayilgan Sule Yildirim , Abomhara Mohamed
Published: February 2025

The rise of social media has led to an increase in hate speech. Hate speech is generally described as a deliberate act of aggression aimed at a particular group, intended to harm or marginalize them based on specific attributes of their identity. While positive interactions in diverse communities can greatly enhance confidence, it is important to acknowledge that negative remarks such as hate speech can weaken community unity and present a significant impact on people’s well-being. This highlights the need for improved monitoring and guidelines on social media platforms to protect individuals from discriminatory and harmful actions. Despite extensive research on resource-rich languages, such as English and German, the detection and analysis of hate speech in less-resourced languages, such as Norwegian, remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, our study leverages a metalinguistic approach that uses advanced meta-learning techniques to enhance the detection capabilities across bilingual texts, effectively linking technical advancements directly to the pressing social issue of hate speech. In this study, we introduce techniques that adapt models that deal with hate speech detection within the same languages (intra-lingual), across different languages (cross-lingual), and techniques that adapt models to new languages with minimal extra training, independent of the model type (cross-lingual model-agnostic meta-learning-based approaches) for bilingual text analysis in Norwegian and English. Our methodology incorporates attention mechanisms (components that help the model focus on relevant parts of the text) and adaptive learning rate schedulers (tools that adjust the learning speed based on performance). Our methodology incorporates components that help the model focus on relevant parts of the text (attention mechanisms) and tools that adjust the learning speed based on performance (adaptive learning rate schedulers). We conducted various experiments using language-specific and multilingual transformers. Among these, the combination of Nor-BERT and LSTM with zero-shot and few-shot model-agnostic meta-learning achieved remarkable F1 scores of 79% and 90%, highlighting the effectiveness of our proposed framework.
Enhanced power demand forecasting for Bangladesh: using feature engineering associated with environmental and economic impact
Authors: Islam Muhammad Tanveer , Turja Sartaj Aziz , Habib Ahsan
Published: February 2025

Forecasting power demand is crucial for developing countries like Bangladesh for various reasons including resource planning due to limited resources. Limited research was found on short-term power demand forecasting of Bangladesh. In this study, a preprocessing pipeline is proposed to generate powerful features including hourly demand, weather and economic data to generate both short- and medium-term load forecasting. Our method achieved the lowest 2.3% MAPE on PGCB dataset in forecasting energy loads for January and February 2024. The efficacy of the generated features, produced from pre-processing pipeline, was validated by utilising 2 machine-learning models including FB-Prophet and LSTM.
A Question of Commitment: Investigating How Citizens Perceive Parties' Programmatic Responses to Competition
Authors: Habersack Fabian
Published: February 2025

Political parties vary in their responses to electoral challenges, including the rise of populist competitors. To address these challenges, they sometimes engage with peripheral issues located outside their ideological comfort zones, and at other times they adhere more closely to their core policies. Although these patterns are well-documented, voters' perceptions thereof remain under-examined. This article argues that voters evaluate parties' claims not just based on the direction of their policy engagement – positive or negative – but also based on the commitment behind these actions, distinguishing ideological commitment from strategic manoeuvres. Employing a pre-registered vignette experiment, the article shows that voters differentiate responses to core versus peripheral issues, regardless of their personal agreement with the policies. Populist attitudes further moderate these perceptions, as voters with such views are typically more sceptical of parties' motives, limiting the impact of party behaviour on perceived commitment primarily to non-populist individuals. This highlights the importance of perceived commitment in elections and the constraints parties face in responding to competition.
Transition of solitary waves and undular bore from basin to channel with opposing current
Authors: Salemink-Harry Samuel T. , Yeh Harry
Published: February 2025

Evolution of solitary waves and an undular bore intruding through an abrupt transition from a wide basin into a narrow channel with opposing current is investigated. The laboratory experiments are performed in a wave tank that is crafted to achieve a steady and symmetrical shallow-water jet in the basin. The channel has a breadth comparable to the wave lengths, and the flow has Froude number approximately 0.1. The opposing current amplifies and slows the incoming waves on the jet in the basin, but the propagation speed is faster than the local Doppler effect of the current due to the influence of the wave propagating in the flank of the jet. At the channel mouth, the wave amplitude is enhanced due to the waveform altered by the current in the basin, although the amplification in the upstream channel is similar with and without the current. The longer incident waves have greater amplification into the channel. The leading wave of the undular bore is impacted by the opposing flow and transition similarly to the solitary waves. In contrast, the subsequent waves of the undular bore have a complex phase interference on the jet that causes disconnection in the lateral wave formation across the breadth of the jet. At the transition, the subsequent waves exhibit greater amplification than the leading one due to accumulated wave energy at the channel mouth. The intrusion of the undular bore against the current further enhances a rise in mean water level in the channel.
ARITHMETIC-GEOMETRIC MEAN SEQUENCES OVER FINITE FIELDS
$\mathbb {F}_q$
, WHERE
$q\equiv 5$
(mod 8)
Authors: BÁTOROVÁ NATÁLIA , GAJOVIĆ STEVAN
Published: February 2025

Arithmetic-geometric mean sequences were already studied over the real and complex numbers, and recently, Griffin et al. [‘AGM and jellyfish swarms of elliptic curves’, Amer. Math. Monthly130(4) (2023), 355–369] considered them over finite fields

$\mathbb {F}_q$

for

$q \equiv 3 \pmod 4$

. We extend the definition of arithmetic-geometric mean sequences over

$\mathbb {F}_q$

to

$q \equiv 5 \pmod 8$

. We explain the connection of these sequences with graphs and explore the properties of the graphs in the case where

$q \equiv 5 \pmod 8$

.
Substantive Representation of Women: Empirical Evidence
Authors: Kläy Yves , Eichenberger Reiner , Portmann Marco , Stadelmann David
Published: February 2025

We identify women’s revealed preferences for legislative proposals to investigate substantive representation of women. We then examine whether female or male politicians in parliament are more responsive to revealed female preferences using data on 47,527 decisions made by all 777 Swiss parliamentarians between 1996 and 2022. Holding party and constituent preferences constant, our results show differences in the substantive representation of women between female and male politicians for legislative proposals related to social policies. For all policies unrelated to social issues, we find that female politicians are no more responsive to female preferences than male politicians. Heterogeneity analyses show that differences in the substantive representation of women by male and female politicians on social policy issues do not depend on the socialization of the politicians, or the underlying political incentives and constraints.
Who’s to Blame? Post-conflict Violence, Political Messaging, and Attitudes Towards Peace Agreements
Authors: Wyer Frank
Published: February 2025

How do episodes of post-conflict violence affect public support for peace? I argue that political messaging about who or what is to blame can influence how violence affects attitudes towards peace agreements. I test this argument in Colombia, a country which has experienced violence after a 2016 peace agreement, and where rival political camps debate whether government failures or noncompliance by rebels is to blame. In an experiment with 1466 respondents in conflict and non-conflict zones, I paired news about post-conflict violence with information supporting these competing messages. I find that emphasizing rebel culpability reduced support for peace agreements, but emphasizing poor government implementation did not have a strong countervailing effect. A probe of the mechanisms suggests that while emphasizing rebel culpability increased perceptions that rebels alone were to blame, emphasizing government implementation failures led respondents to conclude that both parties were to blame, limiting the effectiveness of this message.
Optimizing intensive grazing: A comprehensive review of rotational grassland management, innovative grazing strategies, and infrastructural requirements
Authors: Maher Paul J. , Egan Michael , Murphy Michael D. , Tuohy Patrick
Published: February 2025

Grazing is a crucial component of dairy farms across many regions of the world. This review explores challenges related to grazing infrastructure and opportunities for future improvement. Farmers who aim to increase pasture utilisation face heightened inter-animal competition necessitated by pasture restriction to achieve target post-grazing sward heights. Increasing the frequency of fresh pasture allocation beyond once per day has been observed to reduce milk production in primiparous animals, due to intensified competition for limited feed resources. Implementing grazing paddocks tailored for 24 to 36 hour allocations helps to mitigate inter-animal competition while concurrently preventing the grazing of fresh regrowth. Crucial to this approach is establishing farm roadway infrastructure, that allows access to all sections of the grazing platform. However, the development of these roadway networks has often occurred without a comprehensive assessment of their impact on the efficiency of the dairy herd’s movement between grazing paddocks and the milking parlour. The efficiency of the dairy herd’s movement is most significantly influenced by the location of the milking parlour within the grazing platform. Extreme walking distances or challenging terrain on farm roadways may have an impact on milk production per cow. Factors such as farm roadway surface quality and width significantly influence cow throughput on farm roadways. Recent studies have highlighted inadequate roadway widths on many farms relative to their herd size, while surface condition may also be limiting cow throughput on these farms. Enhancing roadway width and surface condition of farm roadways may improve labour efficiency on commercial farms.
Dietary L-arginine for sows minimizes the variability of piglets at birth
Authors: Moreira Rennan Herculano Rufino , Fidelis Pedro Henrique da Silva , Garbossa Cesar Augusto Pospissil , Fonseca Leonardo da Silva , Silva Marilane das Dôres , Matias de Oliveira Radan Elvis , Silva Camilla Mendonça , Ferreira Rôny Antônio , Cantarelli Vinicius de Souza , de Abreu Márvio Lobão Teixeira
Published: February 2025

The objective of the trial was to evaluate the effects of arginine supplementation in the feed of gestating sows on the variability of piglet birth weight. The weight of the piglets was evaluated using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. This arrangement included no supplementation or supplementation with 1.0% L-arginine, combined in three periods. Period 1: from days 25 to 53 of gestation, providing 23 g/day from days 25 to 28 and 18 g/day from days 29 to 53 of gestation; period 2: from days 30 to 60 of gestation and from day 80 of gestation to farrowing, providing 18 g/day in the first period and 45 g/day in the second period; and period 3, from day 85 of gestation to delivery, with 24 g/day was provided from day 85 until farrowing, and 28 g/day from days 85 to 107, increasing to 56 g/day from day 108 until farrowing. Supplementation with 1.0% of L-arginine reduced the percentage of total piglets born and piglets born alive with less than 800 g by 2.26 and 2.05 percentage points, respectively; and increased the percentage of total piglets born and piglets born alive between 1601 and 1800g by 5.89 and 6.08 percentage points, respectively. Supplementing with 1.0% of L-arginine, improves litter uniformity, with an average reduction of 4.06 percentage points in the piglet population of less than 1180 g and an increase in the piglet population of 1180 to 1890 g by 4.70 percentage points.
Corpus linguistics for language teaching and learning: A research agenda
Authors: Curry Niall , McEnery Tony
Published: February 2025

This agenda identifies future research trajectories for the corpus revolution, proposing five specific research tasks designed to explore and advance the application of corpus linguistics in language education. These tasks focus on: (1) contrastive data-driven learning, (2) the development of corpus research for informing national language curricula, (3) the use of artificial intelligence for corpus informed language teaching and learning, (4) the reconsideration of the design and development of pedagogical corpora, and (5) the need for stakeholder engagement with corpus research design. Addressing these tasks requires a unified and collaborative effort as they sit at a number of key intersections in corpus applications to language pedagogy. We ask scholars executing them to engage in broad and cooperative research to meet the evolving needs of learners globally, to examine the potential of corpus linguistics for addressing new challenges in language education, and to influence and shape future directions in applied linguistics.
A UNIFIED THEORY FOR ARMA MODELS WITH VARYING COEFFICIENTS: ONE SOLUTION FITS ALL
Authors: Karanasos Menelaos , Paraskevopoulos Alexandros G. , Magdalinos Tassos , Canepa Alessandra
Published: February 2025

A new explicit solution representation is provided for ARMA recursions with drift and either deterministically or stochastically varying coefficients. It is expressed in terms of the determinants of banded Hessenberg matrices and, as such, is an explicit function of the coefficients. In addition to computational efficiency, the proposed solution provides a more explicit analysis of the fundamental properties of such processes, including their Wold–Cramér decomposition, their covariance structure, and their asymptotic stability and efficiency. Explicit formulae for optimal linear forecasts based either on finite or infinite sequences of past observations are provided. The practical significance of the theoretical results in this work is illustrated with an application to U.S. inflation data. The main finding is that inflation persistence increased after 1976, whereas from 1986 onward, the persistence declines and stabilizes to even lower levels than the pre-1976 period.
The Collapse of the Civil Rights Coalition: Congress and the Politics of Antibusing Legislation, 1966–86
Authors: Jenkins Jeffery A. , Peck Justin
Published: February 2025

The legislative coalition responsible for passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act did not set out to use busing as a means to end school segregation. When it came time to implement relevant portions of the law, however, busing became the primary method for reversing “separate but equal” education. In this paper, we provide a legislative policy history detailing the unanticipated, but nearly two-decade long, congressional battle over busing. Through a detailed examination of congressional hearings, floor debate, and roll-call votes, we shed light on the collapse of the pro-civil rights coalition responsible for the landmark achievements of the early 1960s. In its place emerged a new, bipartisan, and interregional bloc of lawmakers—led by southern Democrats and Republicans but joined by a pivotal group of (ostensibly liberal) northern Democrats—who were opposed to efforts by the Supreme Court and administrative state to end school segregation in the North as well as the South.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation training decreases anxiety levels in parents of infants with congenital heart disease
Authors: Machado Desiree S. , Vazquez-Colon Zasha , Botelho Victoria , Garvan Cynthia , Lopez-Colon Dalia , Rodriguez Daniel , Breault Leah , Philip Joseph , Barwick Laurel , Pareja Jennifer Munoz , Melchior Camila , Azeka Estela , Cascio Erica
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

Fear of cardiac arrest among parents of infants with heart disease can cause stress and anxiety. Literature is scarce on the effects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training (CPRt) on anxiety and stress of parents. We analysed the impact of CPRt on anxiety, stress, and comfort levels on parents of infants with heart disease.

Methods:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and choking relief manoeuvre (CRM) comfort level, Parental State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Parenting Stress Index (PSI) scores were prospectively collected pre-, immediately post-, and 3 months post-CPRt.

Results:

There were 97 participants: 80% (n = 78) mothers/grandmothers and 20% (n = 19) fathers. The mean (SD) age of participants was 28.7 (5.6) years old. There was a significant decrease in STAI across the three time points collected; STAI decreased by 12% from baseline to immediately post-CPRt and 19% from baseline to 3 months post-CPRt (p < .0001). There were no significant changes in PSI across the time points. Baseline to immediately post-teaching, we found that CPRt significantly increased comfort performing CPR, CRM, and comfort in knowing what to do (p=< .001, p=< .001, p=< .001, respectively). Comfort levels persisted elevated when comparing pre- to 3 months post-CPRt (p=< .001, p= .002, p= .001, respectively), maintaining at least a 177% average increase up to 3 months post-CPRt for all aspects.

Conclusion:

CPRt can aid in improving anxiety and comfort levels of parents of infants with heart disease around hospital discharge. Parental preparedness and reassurance to know what to do in emergency situations can be enhanced by a simple intervention such as CPRt.
Risk of late sudden death after surgery for congenital heart disease
Authors: Needleman Joseph S. , Whitehill Robert D. , Claxton J’Neka S. , McCracken Courtney , Zmora Rachel , Vinocur Jeffrey M. , Oster Matthew E. , Kochilas Lazaros
Published: February 2025

Background:

Sudden cardiac death is a significant concern among patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). We assessed the risk of remote sudden cardiac death after congenital heart surgery.

Methods:

Patients undergoing congenital heart surgery before 21 years of age between 1982 and 2003 in the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium registry were linked to National Death Index data through 2019. Sudden cardiac death was defined as death associated with a cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation diagnosis code. Standardised mortality ratios relative to the general population were calculated using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Results:

Among 30,566 patients discharged after their initial surgery, 2,718 deaths occurred over a median period of 23 years (IQR 19–27). Of 463 (17%) sudden cardiac deaths, the median age was 1.7 years (IQR 0.5–16.5). The mean incidence was 7 per 10,000 person-years (95% CI: 0.64–0.77), ranging from 2.7 for left-to-right shunt lesions to 37 for single-ventricle physiology. Cardiac comorbidities including heart failure (13.6%) and arrhythmias (7.1%) were more frequent among sudden cardiac death patients. Standard mortality ratios for sudden cardiac death were elevated across all CHD types, ranging from 8.0 (95% CI: 6.3–9.6) for left-to-right shunts to 107.7 (95% CI: 88.9–126.5) for single-ventricle physiology.

Conclusion:

Sudden cardiac death risk is higher post-congenital heart surgery compared to the general population. Even patients with mild CHD are at risk, highlighting the need for long-term follow-up for all patients. Heart failure and arrhythmia prevalence suggest potential therapeutic targets to reduce sudden cardiac death risk.
Comparison of different approaches applied for surgical correction of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection
Authors: Fan Fan , Bai Song , Li Xiaofeng , Li Zhiqiang , Tong Feng , Guo Jian , Ding Nan , Guo Zhangke
Published: February 2025

Background:

Right anterolateral thoracotomy or left anterolateral thoracotomy applied to partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection correction have been reported to obtain cosmetic and less invasive outcomes as alternative approaches to median sternotomy. However, the application of different approaches is still confusing. We compared the perioperative and mid-term outcomes to seek indications of different approaches and guide surgical treatment of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Methods:

From July 2019 to August 2023, 44 patients who underwent surgical correction of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection were recruited. Of these, 13 (29.6%) patients who underwent median sternotomy were separated into M group, 28 (63.6%) patients who underwent right anterolateral thoracotomy were separated into R group, and three (6.8%) patients who underwent left anterolateral thoracotomy were separated into L group. Clinical data were reviewed and compared between each group.

Results:

In M group, direct anastomosis accounted for the most (7, 53.8%), in R group, intra-atrial rerouting accounted for the most (22, 78.6%), and in L group, direct anastomosis accounted for the most (3, 100%). R group had shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time (70.0 ± 32.4 vs113.1 ± 83.3, p = 0.029), shorter ICU stay (1.0 ± 0.2 vs 1.9 ± 1.7, p = 0.01), shorter postoperative stay (6.0 ± 1.2 vs 8.3 ± 5.0, p = 0.021), and fewer chest tube drainage (8.4 ± 4.3 vs 13.9 ± 10.2, p = 0.026) compared with M group. Three left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection in L group adopted off-pump approach.

Conclusions:

Median sternotomy S.V.C. can be applicable to all anatomic types of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection especially for complex types. Considering the minimally invasive advantages, we prefer applying right anterolateral thoracotomy for pulmonary vein connected to right atrium or proximal end of off-pump. Applying left anterolateral thoracotomy for left-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection without atrial septal defect by off-pump.
An innovative nurse practitioner-led service for children from families living in housing instability
Authors: Bell Alicia , Parry Yvonne K. , Ankers Matthew , Sivertsen Nina , Willis Eileen , Kendall Sally , Yin Huahua
Published: February 2025

Aim:

To report on the design and results of an innovative nurse practitioner (NP)-led specialist primary care service for children facing housing instability.

Background:

During 2017–2018, children aged 0–14 years represented 23% of the total population receiving support from specialist homeless services in Australia. The impact of housing instability on Australian children is considerable, resulting in disengagement from social institutions including health and education, and poorer physical and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Current services fail to adequately address health and educational needs of children facing housing insecurity. Research identifies similar circumstances for children in other high-income countries. This paper outlines the design, and reports on results of, an innovative NP-led primary care service for children facing housing instability introduced into three not-for-profit faith-based services in one Australian state.

Methods:

Between 2019 and 2021, 66 children of parents experiencing housing instability received standardized health assessment and referral where appropriate by a NP. Data from the standardized tool, such as condition and severity, were recorded to determine common conditions. In addition, comprehensive case notes recorded by the NP were used to understand potential causes of conditions, and referral needs, including potential barriers.

Findings:

The 66 children assessed were aged between 7 weeks to 16 years. Developmental delay, low immunization rates, and dental caries were the most common conditions identified. Access to appropriate services was inhibited by cost, disengagement, and COVID-19.

Conclusion:

Given their advanced skills and knowledge, embedding NPs in specialist homeless services is advantageous to help vulnerable children.
Considering family trees as a useful tool in family medicine: a systematic review
Authors: Tušek-Bunc Ksenija , Maksuti Alem , Rotar-Pavlič Danica
Published: February 2025

Aim:

The aim of this study was to perform a systematic literature review of the purpose, design, and use of family trees by family physicians (FPs).

Background:

Family trees offer a valuable contribution to understanding the relevance of the patient’s family history in comprehensive primary healthcare provision. There is little research on the role of family trees in the everyday practice of FPs. Studies often focus on specific diseases and their context: however, a comprehensive exploration of the usefulness of family trees is crucial for FPs.

Methods:

A systematic literature review was conducted through a keyword search in the PubMed and Cochrane databases. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria selected, 24 studies were identified and a qualitative analysis was performed.

Findings:

A total of 369 publications were identified across 32 fields. Twenty-four studies were included in the final analysis according to the QUOROM statement. The results underscore the role of family trees and highlight the value of this tool’s multidimensionality. The use of this tool directs FPs to consider a genetic cause and a possible referral to a geneticist. The value of a family tree lies in the personalized patient-oriented treatment in connection with hereditary risks for chronic diseases. For FPs, the greatest challenge in treating patients is determining their risk of developing a chronic disease or cancer. Using a family tree can improve the quality of their healthcare.