bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photochemical Fabrication of Ag‐Modified Hierarchical Cu@Cu2O/CuO Nanocomposite Toward Room Temperature NO2 Detection
Authors: Gu Xin , Zhu Diancheng , Xu Shouxi , Hu Jing , Cheng Miao , Wei Tao , Liu Qianqian , Wang Ruirui , Li Wanfei , Ling Yun , Liu Bo
Published: September 2024

Developing room temperature (RT) gas sensor based on metal oxide semiconductor material has long been challenging. Herein, a 1D hierarchical Ag‐modified Cu@Cu2O/CuO nanocomposite has been designed by low‐temperature etching self‐assembly combined with photochemical deposition method based on Cu nanowires (NWs). After a step of alkaline solution etching, the surface of Cu NWs is self‐assembled to form a hierarchical Cu@Cu2O/CuO, and then Ag nanoparticles are modified on its surface by photochemical deposition to obtain the desired material. All the preparation processes are carried out at RT and have good controllability. When applied as sensing material, the optimal Cu@Cu2O/CuO/Ag nanocomposite exhibits high response of ≈337.0 to 10 ppm NO2 with excellent selectivity and fast response/recovery (60/400 s) at 25 °C. It is worth noting that such a strategy of loading Ag nanoparticles improves its gas sensitivity by about 42.4 times, and the resulting sensor shows good sensitivity and screening ability to NO2 in the low concentration range. Finally, the nanostructure of the material is characterized systematically and the sensing mechanism is discussed.
Category Theory for Aristotelian Diagrams: The Debate on Singular Propositions
Authors: De Klerck Alexander , Vignero Leander , Demey Lorenz
Published: September 2024

The theoretical study of Aristotelian diagrams is at an all-time high since the conception of logical geometry. This framework studies Aristotelian diagrams in a systematic way, revealing many links with contemporary mathematics (esp. algebra). Most recently, this has led to the introduction of several notions of morphism between Aristotelian diagrams, which we are studying in the context of category theory. This is not merely a mathematical enterprise, but also carries major philosophical importance. As a proof of concept of this claim, we investigate the historically rich discussion on the status of singular propositions. It has been debated for centuries whether these should be viewed as a special kind of universal propositions or particular propositions, or as a third, completely separate kind. Interpreting each of these views as a morphism in one of our categories, we obtain a clean picture of the entire discussion in a single image. Additionally, we apply the machinery from category theory (in casu, the notion of equalizer) to make some interesting comparative observations regarding the three views on singular propositions.
Can Euler Diagrams Improve Syllogistic Reasoning in Large Language Models?
Authors: Ando Risako , Ozeki Kentaro , Morishita Takanobu , Abe Hirohiko , Mineshima Koji , Okada Mitsuhiro
Published: September 2024

In recent years, research on large language models (LLMs) has been advancing rapidly, making the evaluation of their reasoning abilities a crucial issue. Within cognitive science, there has been extensive research on human reasoning biases. It is widely observed that humans often use graphical representations as auxiliary tools during inference processes to avoid reasoning biases. However, currently, the evaluation of LLMs’ reasoning abilities has largely focused on linguistic inferences, with insufficient attention given to inferences using diagrams. In this study, we concentrate on syllogisms, a basic form of logical reasoning, and evaluate the reasoning abilities of LLMs supplemented by Euler diagrams. We systematically investigate how accurately LLMs can perform logical reasoning when using diagrams as auxiliary input and whether they exhibit similar reasoning biases to those of humans. Our findings indicate that, overall, providing diagrams as auxiliary input tends to improve models’ performance, including in problems that show reasoning biases, but the effect varies depending on the conditions, and the improvement in accuracy is not as high as that seen in humans. We present results from experiments conducted under multiple conditions, including a Chain-of-Thought setting, to highlight where there is room to improve logical diagrammatic reasoning abilities of LLMs.
Building a Large Dataset of Human-Generated Captions for Science Diagrams
Authors: Sato Yuri , Suzuki Ayaka , Mineshima Koji
Published: September 2024

Human-generated captions for photographs, particularly snapshots, have been extensively collected in recent AI research. They play a crucial role in the development of systems capable of multimodal information processing that combines vision and language. Recognizing that diagrams may serve a distinct function in thinking and communication compared to photographs, we shifted our focus from snapshot photographs to diagrams. We provided humans with text-free diagrams and collected data on the captions they generated. The diagrams were sourced from AI2D-RST, a subset of AI2D. This subset annotates the AI2D image dataset of diagrams from elementary school science textbooks with types of diagrams. We mosaicked all textual elements within the diagram images to ensure that human annotators focused solely on the diagram’s visual content when writing a sentence about what the image expresses. For the 831 images in our dataset, we obtained caption data from at least three individuals per image. To the best of our knowledge, this dataset is the first collection of caption data specifically for diagrams.
KIELER: A Text-First Framework for Automatic Diagramming of Complex Systems
Authors: Kasperowski Maximilian , Rentz Niklas , Domrös Sören , von Hanxleden Reinhard
Published: September 2024

In Model-Driven Engineering, editing models is typically not merely a purely textual endeavor, but rather a mix between textual and graphical editors and views. Both have their advantages and use cases where either textual or diagrammatic representations are better suited to edit and understand models. Therefore, a modeling framework offering the best of both worlds can be advantageous.

We define the text-first approach to combine the textual and diagrammatic representations by automatically synthesizing the textual model into a diagram. We present the KIELER text-first diagramming framework and its take on current challenges for model visualization and compare it to the diagram-first approach, as exemplified by the GLSP framework.
Domain-Specific Rules Override Aesthetic Graph Drawing Criteria: An Exploration of User-Generated Diagrams
Authors: Helmke Stefan , Doğan Kerem , Scheffler Robert , Wrobel Gregor
Published: September 2024

This paper investigates the impact of domain-specific rules on classical aesthetic graph drawing criteria. In the field of graph drawing, several aesthetic criteria are understood to improve the comprehensibility of graphs. Domain experts consider the technical implementation in the real world resulting in domain-specific rules for graph drawing, and some of these rules contradict general aesthetic criteria. Experts and novices drew graphs from scratch in two controlled experiments. In the first experiment, the participants modeled a fictional social scenario with graphs. In the second experiment, the diagrams represented digital twins of energy systems. The experiment analysis shows that some classical criteria like reducing crossings are less relevant for domain experts while others, like minimizing bends, are still important.
Generating Qualitative Descriptions of Diagrams with a Transformer-Based Language Model
Authors: Schorlemmer Marco , Ballout Mohamad , Kühnberger Kai-Uwe
Published: September 2024

To address the task of diagram understanding we propose to distinguish between the perception of the geometric configuration of a diagram from the assignment of meaning to the geometric entities and their topological relationships. As a consequence, diagram parsing does not need to assume any particular a priori interpretations of diagrams and their constituents. Focussing on Euler diagrams, we tackle the first of these subtasks—that of identifying the geometric entities that constitute a diagram (i.e., circles, rectangles, lines, arrows, etc.) and their topological relations—as an image captioning task, using a Vision Transformer for image recognition combined with language model GPT-2 to generate qualitative spatial descriptions of Euler diagrams with an encoder-decoder model. Due to the lack of sufficient high-quality data to train the pre-trained language model for this task, we describe how we generated a synthetic dataset of Euler diagrams annotated with qualitative spatial representations based on the Region Connection Calculus (RCC8). Results showed over 95% accuracy of the transformer-based language model in the generation of meaning-carrying RCC8 specifications for given Euler diagrams.
Stem Life: A Framework for Understanding the Prebiotic-Biotic Transition
Authors: Fournier Gregory P.
Published: September 2024

Abiogenesis is frequently envisioned as a linear, ladder-like progression of increasingly complex chemical systems, eventually leading to the ancestors of extant cellular life. This “pre-cladistics” view is in stark contrast to the well-accepted principles of organismal evolutionary biology, as informed by paleontology and phylogenetics. Applying this perspective to origins, I explore the paradigm of “Stem Life,” which embeds abiogenesis within a broader continuity of diversification and extinction of both hereditary lineages and chemical systems. In this new paradigm, extant life’s ancestral lineage emerged alongside and was dependent upon many other complex prebiotic chemical systems, as part of a diverse and fecund prebiosphere. Drawing from several natural history analogies, I show how this shift in perspective enriches our understanding of Origins and directly informs debates on defining Life, the emergence of the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA), and the implications of prebiotic chemical experiments.
Reducing energy consumption in musculoskeletal MRI using shorter scan protocols, optimized magnet cooling patterns, and deep learning sequences
Authors: Afat Saif , Wohlers Julian , Herrmann Judith , Brendlin Andreas S. , Gassenmaier Sebastian , Almansour Haidara , Werner Sebastian , Brendel Jan M. , Mika Alexander , Scherieble Christoph , Notohamiprodjo Mike , Gatidis Sergios , Nikolaou Konstantin , Küstner Thomas
Published: September 2024

Objectives

The unprecedented surge in energy costs in Europe, coupled with the significant energy consumption of MRI scanners in radiology departments, necessitates exploring strategies to optimize energy usage without compromising efficiency or image quality. This study investigates MR energy consumption and identifies strategies for improving energy efficiency, focusing on musculoskeletal MRI. We assess the potential savings achievable through (1) optimizing protocols, (2) incorporating deep learning (DL) accelerated acquisitions, and (3) optimizing the cooling system.

Materials and methods

Energy consumption measurements were performed on two MRI scanners (1.5-T Aera, 1.5-T Sola) in practices in Munich, Germany, between December 2022 and March 2023. Three levels of energy reduction measures were implemented and compared to the baseline. Wilcoxon signed-rank test with Bonferroni correction was conducted to evaluate the impact of sequence scan times and energy consumption.

Results

Our findings showed significant energy savings by optimizing protocol settings and implementing DL technologies. Across all body regions, the average reduction in energy consumption was 72% with DL and 31% with economic protocols, accompanied by time reductions of 71% (DL) and 18% (economic protocols) compared to baseline. Optimizing the cooling system during the non-scanning time showed a 30% lower energy consumption.

Conclusion

Implementing energy-saving strategies, including economic protocols, DL accelerated sequences, and optimized magnet cooling, can significantly reduce energy consumption in MRI scanners. Radiology departments and practices should consider adopting these strategies to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Clinical relevance statement

MRI scanner energy consumption can be substantially reduced by incorporating protocol optimization, DL accelerated acquisition, and optimized magnetic cooling into daily practice, thereby cutting costs and environmental impact.

Key Points

Optimization of protocol settings reduced energy consumption by 31% and imaging time by 18%.

DL technologies led to a 72% reduction in energy consumption of and a 71% reduction in time, compared to the standard MRI protocol.

During non-scanning times, activating Eco power mode (EPM) resulted in a 30% reduction in energy consumption, saving 4881 € ($5287) per scanner annually.
Comparative analysis of the efficacy and complications of mid-urethral slings when inserted either in isolation or in conjunction with pelvic organ prolapse surgery
Authors: Pérez Esther Ruiz , De Miguel Manso Sonia , García García Elena , Tejedor Julio Alberto Gobernado , Díaz-Heredero Álvaro Sanz , Del Nogal Lidia Casamayor , Martínez Sandra Canales , Pascual Jimena Bayón
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a highly prevalent condition that affects between 20 and 50% of the female population. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) can coexist with SUI and both can be addressed through a vaginal approach. However, it is unclear whether simultaneous surgery for these two conditions can influence the outcome of incontinence treatment.

Objective

To evaluate the objective and subjective effectiveness of the transobturator suburethral (TO) band by comparing two groups: group A, of patients undergoing surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) by insertion of TO mesh, and group B, formed for patients requiring simultaneous correction of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in addition to TO mesh insertion.

Materials and methods

This is an observational, descriptive and retrospective study in which 91 patients participated: 33 (group A) underwent surgery for SUI and 58 (group B) underwent corrective surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and TO band simultaneously.

Variables included: total urinary continence, objective urinary continence, subjective urinary continence (satisfaction levels and two validated questionnaires (PGI-1 and ICIQ-SF)) and complications.

Results

Regarding total continence, from the seventh to the ninth year, statistically significant differences were observed, with total continence being higher in group A. Objective continence decreased in both groups during the follow-up period.

No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding subjective urinary continence (ICIQ-SF) and the degree of improvement after surgical treatment (PGI-1). The level of satisfaction after surgery was high in both groups. Regarding complications, there were no statistically significant differences.

Conclusions

Isolated surgery for SUI could be considered more effective in achieving total and objective continence. However, the insertion of the TO band in both cases improves subjective urinary continence and quality of life with great safety and without differences regarding complications.
Effects of muscle quantity, muscle quality, and phase angle on whole-body reaction time in 5164 adults aged 20–91 years
Authors: Fukuda Wataru , Yoshihisa Takeshi , Yamada Yosuke
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Muscle quantity, defined as appendicular lean mass (ALM); muscle quality, defined as the ratio of muscle strength to ALM; and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived phase angle (PhA) are determinants of physical performance. We examined whether muscle quality indices were significant predictors of the whole-body reaction time (WBRT) in healthy female and male adults aged 20–91 years.

Methods

Data from 5164 adults (2869 women and 2295 men; mean age ± standard deviation, 60.9 ± 15.6 years) were analyzed. Height and weight were measured, and body mass index was calculated. ALM was estimated using a previously validated 8-electrode multi-frequency BIA. PhA was measured at 50 kHz using a BIA device. Knee extension strength (KES), leg extension power (LEP), and flexibility were examined. The ALM to weight (ALM/weight), KES to ALM (KES/ALM), and LEP to KES (LEP/KES) ratios were calculated. In the WBRT test, participants were asked to stand on a force plate and jump upright as quickly as possible in response to a light stimulus. The WBRT was divided into the response initiation and motion execution phases.

Results

ALM/weight, KES/ALM, LEP/KES, PhA, and flexibility were significant independent predictors of WBRT and the time of the motion execution phase (p < 0.001). However, PhA was not a significant predictor of the time of response initiation phase.

Conclusion

Muscle quantity (ALM/weight), muscle quality (KES/ALM and LEP/KES), PhA, and flexibility are determinants of WBRT test performance, particularly in the motion execution phase.
Short-term primary and revision modular dual-mobility cup total hip arthroplasty outcomes in high-risk dislocation patients: a retrospective study
Authors: Ruusiala Martta , Miettinen Hannu , Kettunen Jukka , Kröger Heikki , Miettinen Simo
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Modular dual-mobility cups (MDMCs) have a lower risk for dislocation after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The primary aims of our study were to analyze implant survivorship and to determine complications, especially dislocation, and revision rates of primary THAs used for hip fracture patients and for revision THAs. Secondary aims were to evaluate mortality after MDMC surgery and to find out if introduction of MDMC at our institution (Kuopio University Hospital, Finland) have decreased dislocation rate.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study consisted of 101 MDMC patients who were consecutively operated at our institution between April 1, 2018 and June 30, 2020. The implant survival rate, complications and mortality were evaluated with minimum of 2-year follow-up. Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to find out yearly dislocation rates following THA at our institution.

Results

The cumulative estimate implant survival after MDMC in the primary THA group was 97% at 2 years, and in the revision THA group, it was 90% at 2 years. Dislocation was a rare complication in the primary THA group (1.4%), while it was common in revision THA group (12.9%). The cumulative estimate for mortality after MDMC in the primary THA group was 13% at 2 years, and in the revision group, it was also 13% at 2 years. The yearly number of patients who had re-hospitalization period due to THA dislocation decreased 46% after implementation of MDMC.

Conclusion

Short-term survival and complication rates after MDMC were excellent after primary THA and moderate after revision THA. Implementation of MDMC THA for hip fracture patients seems to have effectively decrease dislocation rate during a short follow-up.
MILP and PSO approaches for solving a hydropower reservoirs intraday economic optimization problem
Authors: Castro-Freibott Rodrigo , García-Castellano Gerbolés Carlos , García-Sánchez Alvaro , Ortega-Mier Miguel
Published: September 2024

Short-term hydropower generation with several water reservoirs requires deciding, for each moment in time, the volume of water (outflow) that is released from every reservoir to be turbined and generate energy. Knowing the price of energy at every time period, the objective is to maximize the income earned from the generated energy. In this paper, we present (1) a Hydropower Reservoirs Operation Optimization problem with a higher level of detail than those found in the literature, encompassing temporal delays, water hammer effects, and increased temporal discretization, among others features, and (2) two distinct approaches for addressing this problem: MILP and PSO. These methods are compared across instances of varying nature to evaluate their performance. We make our code available on GitHub: https://github.com/baobabsoluciones/flowing-basin.
Convergent evolution revealed by paraphyly and polyphyly of many taxa of oribatid mites: A molecular approach
Authors: Cordes Peter , Pan Xue , Murvanidze Maka , Seniczak Anna , Scheu Stefan , Schaefer Ina , Maraun Mark , Heimburger Bastian
Published: September 2024

A reliable phylogeny is crucial for understanding the evolution and radiation of animal taxa. Phylogenies based on morphological data may be misleading due to frequent convergent evolution of traits—a problem from which molecular phylogenies suffer less. This may be particularly relevant in oribatid mites, an ancient soil animal taxon with more than 11,000 species, where the classification of species into high-ranking taxa such as superfamilies is equivocal. Here, we present a molecular phylogeny of 317 oribatid, 4 astigmatid and 17 endeostigmatid mite species/taxa based on 18S rDNA sequences. We aimed at testing the validity of the 41 superfamilies of oribatid mites recognized by Norton and Behan-Pelletier (in Krantz and Walter, A manual of Acarology, 3rd ed., Texas Technical University Press, Lubbock, 2009). The results indicate that 17 of the 41 oribatid mite superfamilies are monophyletic but that 18 superfamilies are paraphyletic or polyphyletic (5 superfamilies were only included with one species and Microzetoidea were not included). Our findings point to the importance of convergent evolution in polyphyletic oribatid mite taxa. Convergent evolution and the old age of mites likely resulted in a mosaic-like distribution of morphological characters impeding phylogenetic reconstructions based on morphology, calling for molecular approaches to improve oribatid mite systematics.
Computation in Context
Authors: Curtis-Trudel André
Published: September 2024

Unlimited pancomputationalism is the claim that every physical system implements every computational model simultaneously. Some philosophers argue that unlimited pancomputationalism renders implementation ‘trivial’ or ‘vacuous’, unsuitable for serious scientific work. A popular and natural reaction to this argument is to reject unlimited pancomputationalism. However, I argue that given certain assumptions about the nature of computational ascription, unlimited pancomputationalism does not entail that implementation is trivial. These assumptions concern the relativity and context sensitivity of computational ascription. Very roughly: relative to a specific, contextually salient way of regarding a physical system computationally, the claim that that system implements a specific computational model is as non-trivial as one could reasonably want.
Identification of Capsicum species from Colombia by DNA barcoding and high resolution melting (HRM) analysis
Authors: Viáfara-Vega Ronald A. , Cárdenas-Henao Heiber
Published: September 2024

DNA barcoding allows the use of molecular markers to differentiate the species of an interest group. This is especially useful when morphological characters are insufficient due to high similarity between species. The genus Capsicum contains some species that are difficult to determine by taxonomic means, in particular the annuum complex. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the discriminatory ability of two molecular markers in Colombian Capsicum accessions, including three wild species belonging to the Andean clade of the genus. A total of 95 Capsicum accessions, representing eight species, were genotyped by high resolution melting analysis (HRM) using the Waxy and C2_At5g04590 markers. Waxy could discriminate the Andean clade species (C. rhomboideum, C. dimorphum and C. lycianthoides), C. baccatum, C. pubescens and C. chinense, while C2_At5g04590 could discriminate C. frutescens, C. annuum var. annuum and C. annuum var. glabriusculum. Hence, a combination of the two markers could be used for discrimination of the eight species including the wild variety of C. annuum: C. annuum var. glabriusculum. Most nucleotide substitutions and indels were found in the sequences of the three Andean species, indicating that the Andean clade has a high genetic diversity compared to the other species. The incorporation of more wild species and varieties in this study allowed to correct the power of both markers to discriminate Capsicum species, besides the registration of new haplotypes.
Using a modified Delphi procedure to select a PRO-CTCAE-based subset for patient-reported symptomatic toxicity monitoring in rectal cancer patients
Authors: Geurts Yvonne M. , Peters Femke , Feldman Esther , Roodhart Jeanine , Richir Milan , Dekker Jan Willem T. , Beets Geerard , Cnossen Jeltsje S. , Bottenberg Patricia , Intven Martijn , Verheij Marcel , de Ligt Kelly M. , Walraven Iris
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Standardized patient-reported outcomes (PRO) monitoring during and after rectal cancer treatment provides insight into treatment-related toxicities patients experience and improves health-related quality-of-life as well as overall survival. We aimed to select a subset of the PRO version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) for standardized monitoring of treatment-related symptomatic toxicities in rectal cancer.

Methods

We used a mixed methods approach including a literature review, and semi-structured interviews with health care providers (HCPs) involved in rectal cancer care and rectal cancer patients. Results from literature and interviews were summarized and used in a modified Delphi procedure to select a PRO-CTCAE subset specific for rectal cancer.

Results

Twenty-six PRO-CTCAE symptomatic toxicities were identified from literature. Fifteen HCPs from multiple disciplines (medical, radiation and surgical oncology), and a heterogeneous group of fifteen rectal cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy and/or surgery, participated in semi-structured interviews. Ten HCPs (67%) and nine patients (90%) participated in the first Delphi round. The final selected PRO-CTCAE core-subset contained 16 symptomatic toxicities: ‘diarrhea’, ‘fecal incontinence’, ‘constipation’,‘bloating of the abdomen’, ‘pain in the abdomen’, ‘vomiting’, ‘decreased libido’, ‘pain during vaginal sex’, ‘ability to achieve and maintain erection’, ‘fatigue’, ‘anxiety’, ‘feeling that nothing could cheer you up’, ‘urinary incontinence’, ‘painful urination’, ‘general pain’, and ‘hand-foot syndrome’.

Conclusion

Based on a comprehensive mixed methods study, a PRO-CTCAE subset for standardized treatment-related symptomatic toxicity monitoring in rectal cancer was identified. Assessment of the effectiveness and compliance of symptomatic toxicity monitoring using this subset is recommended.
Location, Location, Quality:The Fixed Differentiation Principle
Authors: Cohen Alon , Heifetz Aviad
Published: September 2024

This work revisits the classic spatial duopoly location-then-prices competition with quadratic transportation costs, in the presence of vertical differentiation. We show that contrary to the substitutability between horizontal and vertical differentiation that has appeared thus far in the literature, higher-quality asymmetry does not affect locational differentiation in equilibrium. While the better-quality seller indeed approaches the city center, the worse-quality seller is simultaneously driven further away from the city, and ultimately out of the market when quality differences become large enough. Interestingly, although vertical differentiation weakens competition, total welfare increases – even when the better-quality seller ultimately monopolizes the market.
Multimodal nonlinear correlates of behavioural symptoms in frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Zamboni Giovanna , Mattioli Irene , Arya Zobair , Tondelli Manuela , Vinceti Giulia , Chiari Annalisa , Jenkinson Mark , Huey Edward D. , Grafman Jordan
Published: September 2024

Studies exploring the brain correlates of behavioral symptoms in the frontotemporal dementia spectrum (FTD) have mainly searched for linear correlations with single modality neuroimaging data, either structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or fluoro-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). We aimed at studying the two imaging modalities in combination to identify nonlinear co-occurring patterns of atrophy and hypometabolism related to behavioral symptoms. We analyzed data from 93 FTD patients who underwent T1-weighted MRI, FDG-PET imaging, and neuropsychological assessment including the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Frontal Systems Behavior Scale, and Neurobehavioral Rating Scale. We used a data-driven approach to identify the principal components underlying behavioral variability, then related the identified components to brain variability using a newly developed method fusing maps of grey matter volume and FDG metabolism. A component representing apathy, executive dysfunction, and emotional withdrawal was associated with atrophy in bilateral anterior insula and putamen, and with hypometabolism in the right prefrontal cortex. Another component representing the disinhibition versus depression/mutism continuum was associated with atrophy in the right striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex for disinhibition, and hypometabolism in the left fronto-opercular region and sensorimotor cortices for depression/mutism. A component representing psychosis was associated with hypometabolism in the prefrontal cortex and hypermetabolism in auditory and visual cortices. Behavioral symptoms in FTD are associated with atrophy and altered metabolism of specific brain regions, especially located in the frontal lobes, in a hierarchical way: apathy and disinhibition are mostly associated with grey matter atrophy, whereas psychotic symptoms are mostly associated with hyper-/hypo-metabolism.
Geotourism and Geoeducation: A Holistic Approach for Socioeconomic Development in Rural Areas of Los Santos Municipality, Santander, Colombia
Authors: Carrillo-Hernández Yeison Mauricio , Ríos-Reyes Carlos Alberto , Villarreal-Jaimes Carlos Alberto
Published: September 2024

This study emphasizes the untapped geotourism and geoeducation potential in the Mesa de Los Santos region, situated within the Chicamocha Canyon in Colombia, renowned for its abundant geoheritage. Despite the region's geological richness, geotourism development opportunities have been overlooked, leaving its geoheritage largely unexplored for tourism. Focused on the georoute Refugio La Roca—Los Santos, the study identifies key geosites with significant potential for future geotourism endeavors. The Mesa de Los Santos region boasts a complex geological history and diverse geodiversity shaped by various natural phenomena. However, its full geotourism potential remains undiscovered. The georoute, incorporating natural and cultural heritage, is strategically designed for geotourism and geoeducation, aiming at fostering geoconservation in rural areas. Educational and interpretive panels are employed as didactic resources to enlighten tourists about the natural phenomena shaping the landscape, enhancing their overall experience and understanding. By integrating geoethical considerations into geosite management, the study proposes achieving sustainable geoconservation in the Chicamocha Canyon territory. This approach not only contributes to preserving the region's geological uniqueness but also provides a platform for socio-economic development in rural areas. The study envisions creating meaningful experiences that attract tourists while benefiting local communities, thereby promoting holistic and sustainable rural development.
Investigation of Effective Notch Stress at the Root of the Rib-to-Deck Weld in an OSD Box Girder Bridge Considering the Wheel Load Position
Authors: Uaje Mark Joel Bañares , Murakoshi Jun
Published: September 2024

Fatigue cracks have been reported in orthotropic steel deck bridges under severe traffic conditions in Japan, particularly root-deck and bead cracks, which initiate from the root of the rib-to-deck weld. The local stress directly influencing crack initiation was investigated using a finite element model based on a section of an actual bridge with a high incidence of cracks. The analysis focused on the weld root at the floor beam intersection and the span center of the bridge section. The model was subjected to loading in the transverse and longitudinal direction of the bridge combined with various wheel load configurations. The effect on the local stress properties was analyzed using the effective notch stress approach. A load position slightly off-center of the U-rib resulted in peak stress at the study locations. Its principal stress direction angle around the notch suggests a root-deck type of crack initiation. Testing several pavement stiffnesses revealed that using an SFRC pavement resulted in a 76%–84% reduction of peak effective notch stress compared to asphalt pavement. Furthermore, varying weld configurations demonstrated that lowering the weld penetration rate could alter the local stress position, influencing the crack initiation direction.
Production of hydrochar from the hydrothermal carbonisation of food waste feedstock for use as an adsorbent in removal of heavy metals from water
Authors: Pasipanodya Danai , Seedat Naadhira , Patel Bilal , Roopchund Rishen
Published: September 2024

In this research, discarded butternut peels were converted into hydrochar products through hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC), with adjustments made to the temperature (ranging from 180 to 260℃) and residence time (spanning 45–180 min). The findings indicated that both the temperature and time of carbonisation significantly influenced the yield of hydrochar (HC), as well as its physiochemical and structural properties. Higher temperatures and prolonged residence time led to decreased yield, elevated fixed carbon content and an increased fuel ratio. Furthermore, raising the process conditions increased HHV and reduced the oxygen-containing functional groups. The HC yield dropped from 28.75 to 17.58% with increased carbonisation temperature and time. The findings of this study also suggest that modified hydrochar is a promising material for removing heavy metals from wastewater. It is a relatively low-cost and abundant material that can be produced from various biomass feedstocks, including food waste. In addition, it is a sustainable and environmentally friendly option for wastewater treatment. Hydrochar-based systems offer several advantages over traditional methods of heavy metal removal, such as chemical precipitation and ion exchange. The unique physicochemical characteristics of hydrochar, including its porous structure and oxygen-rich functional groups, offer a high surface area and more binding sites for heavy metal ions. By changing the physicochemical properties of hydrochar with chemicals like phosphoric acid, it is possible to increase its adsorption capacity. The Freundlich isotherm was the best fit for the adsorption data for all three metal ions (Pb2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+), indicating that the adsorption process is multilayer and heterogeneous.
Perchlorate in antarctica, origin, effects, treatments, environmental fate, and astrobiological perspectives: a review
Authors: Acevedo-Barrios R. , Puentes Martínez D. A. , Hernández Rocha I. O. , Rubiano-Labrador C. , De la Parra-Guerra A. C. , Carranza-López L. , Monroy-Licht A. , Leal M. A. , Tovar D.
Published: September 2024

Perchlorate (ClO4
−), which is a powerful endocrine disruptor affecting iodine fixation in the thyroid gland in humans and in biota, is a pollutant of natural and anthropogenic origin. For this reason, this pollutant must be eliminated from the ecosystems. It has been found in extreme environments such as Antarctica. ClO4
− reduction can be achieved with physicochemical treatments in small concentrations and through bacterial degradation. This is a cost-effective method, easy to implement, which makes it a viable method for the removal of perchlorate contamination in ecosystems. This review provides an updated discussion of reducing perchlorate contamination; that includes different perspectives of investigations related to its origin, use, effects on living beings; as well as the technologies used to eliminate this pollutant from the environment; its environmental fate in strategic ecosystems such as Antarctica in particular and astrobiological perspectives.
Maternal Streptococcus agalactiae colonization in Europe: data from the multi-center DEVANI study
Authors: Lohrmann Florens , Efstratiou Androulla , Sørensen Uffe B. Skov , Creti Roberta , Decheva Antoaneta , Křížová Pavla , Kozáková Jana , Rodriguez-Granger Javier , De La Rosa Fraile Manuel , Margarit Immaculada , Rinaudo Daniela , Maione Domenico , Telford John , Orefici Graziella , Kilian Mogens , Afshar Baharak , Melin Pierrette , Berner Reinhard , Hufnagel Markus , Kunze Mirjam ,   DEVANI Study Group, Poulsen K , Karstens L , Baldassarri L , Rigat F , Berardi A , Imperi M
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Despite national guidelines and use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP), Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococci (GBS)) is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns in Europe and the United States. The European DEVANI (Design of a Vaccine Against Neonatal Infections) program assessed the neonatal GBS infection burden in Europe, the clinical characteristics of colonized women and microbiological data of GBS strains in colonized women and their infants with early-onset disease (EOD).

Methods

Overall, 1083 pregnant women with a GBS-positive culture result from eight European countries were included in the study. Clinical obstetrical information was collected by a standardized questionnaire. GBS strains were characterized by serological and molecular methods.

Results

Among GBS carriers included in this study after testing positive for GBS by vaginal or recto-vaginal sampling, 13.4% had at least one additional obstetrical risk factor for EOD. The five most common capsular types (i.e., Ia, Ib, II, III and V) comprised ~ 93% of GBS carried. Of the colonized women, 77.8% received any IAP, and in 49.5% the IAP was considered appropriate. In our cohort, nine neonates presented with GBS early-onset disease (EOD) with significant regional heterogeneity.

Conclusions

Screening methods and IAP rates need to be harmonized across Europe in order to reduce the rates of EOD. The epidemiological data from eight different European countries provides important information for the development of a successful GBS vaccine.
Everyday ageism experienced by community-dwelling older people with frailty
Authors: Comerford Saidhbh , O’Kane Ellie , Roe Domhnall , Alsharedah Hamad , O’Neill Benny , Walsh Michael , Briggs Robert
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Ageism encapsulates stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination towards others or oneself based on age. While identified as the most frequent form of discrimination, relatively little work has captured the problem of day-to-day ageism faced by older people with frailty in community settings. The aim of this study therefore was to examine the prevalence of everyday ageism experienced by older people attending hospital-based ambulatory care services, and to clarify its association with measures of quality of life (QOL) and frailty.

Methods

A consecutive series (n = 100) of patients aged ≥ 70 years attending ambulatory care completed focused interviews. Day-to-day experience of ageism was measured with the everyday ageism scale, QOL was measured with the control autonomy self-realisation pleasure scale.

Results

Just over half of participants reported exposure to ageist messages; over 5/6 reported experiencing ageism in interpersonal interactions and 2/3 held some ageist beliefs themselves. Logistic regression demonstrated that experiencing ageism in interpersonal interactions was associated with a higher likelihood of internalised ageism [Adjusted Odds Ratio 6.02 (95% CI 1.70, 21.34); p = 0.005)]. Both ageism in interpersonal interactions [β = −5.22 (95% CI −9.52, −0.91); p = 0.018] and internalised ageism [β = −5.36 (95% CI −8.75, −1.97); p = 0.002] were associated with significantly lower QOL.

Discussion

This study highlights the striking prevalence of everyday ageism experienced by a cohort of community-dwelling older people with frailty and multimorbidity.

In the context of further projected demographic changes in coming decades, with increasingly higher proportions of older people worldwide, these findings highlight an important societal issue that needs to be addressed.

Graphical abstract
The effect of fluence rate and wavelength on the formation of protoporphyrin IX photoproducts
Authors: Ogbonna Sochi J. , Masuda Katsuyoshi , Hazama Hisanao
Published: September 2024

Photodynamic diagnosis and therapy (PDD and PDT) are emerging techniques for diagnosing and treating tumors and malignant diseases. Photoproducts of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) used in PDD and PDT may be used in the diagnosis and treatment, making a detailed analysis of the photoproduct formation under various treatment and diagnosis conditions important.

Spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analysis of photoproduct formation from PpIX dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide were performed under commonly used irradiation conditions for PDD and PDT, i.e., wavelengths of 405 and 635 nm and fluence rates of 10 and 100 mW/cm2. Irradiation resulted in the formation of hydroxyaldehyde photoproduct (photoprotoporphyrin; Ppp) and formyl photoproduct (product II; Pp II) existing in different quantities with the irradiation wavelength and fluence rate. Ppp was dominant under 635 nm irradiation of PpIX, with a fluorescence peak at 673 nm and a protonated monoisotopic peak at m/z 595.3. PpIX irradiation with 405 nm yielded more Pp II, with a fluorescence peak at 654 nm. A higher photoproduct formation was observed at a low fluence rate for irradiation with 635 nm, while irradiation with 405 nm indicated a higher photoproduct formation at a higher fluence rate.

The photoproduct formation with the irradiation conditions can be exploited for dosimetry estimation and may be used as an additional photosensitizer to improve the diagnostics and treatment efficacies of PDD and PDT. Differences in environmental conditions of the present study from that of a biological environment may result in a variation in the photoproduct formation rate and may limit their clinical utilization in PDD and PDT. Thus, further investigation of photoproduct formation rates in more complex biological environments, including in vivo, is necessary. However, the results obtained in this study will serve as a basis for understanding reaction processes in such biological environments.

Graphical abstract
Instant Sign Language Recognition by WAR Strategy Algorithm Based Tuned Machine Learning
Authors: Abd Al-Latief Shahad Thamear , Yussof Salman , Ahmad Azhana , Khadim Saif Mohanad , Abdulhasan Raed Abdulkareem
Published: September 2024

Sign language serves as the primary means of communication utilized by individuals with hearing and speech disabilities. However, the comprehension of sign language by those without disabilities poses a significant challenge, resulting in a notable disparity in communication across society. Despite the utilization of numerous effective Machine learning techniques, there remains a minor compromise between accuracy rate and computing time when it comes to sign language recognition. A novel sign language recognition system is presented in this paper with an exceptionally accurate and expeditious, which is developed upon the recently devised metaheuristic WAR Strategy optimization algorithm. Following the preprocessing, both of spatial and temporal features has been extracted using the Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Gray-level cooccurrence matrix (GLCM) methods. Afterward, the WAR Strategy optimization algorithm has been adopted in two procedures, first in optimizing the extracted set of features, and second to fine-tune the hyperparameters of six standard machine learning models in order to achieve precise and efficient sign language recognition. The proposed system was assessed on sign language datasets of different languages (American, Arabic, and Malaysian) containing numerous variations. The proposed system attained a recognition accuracy ranging from 93.11% to 100% by employing multiple optimized machine learning classifiers and training time of 0.038–10.48 s. As demonstrated by the experimental outcomes, the proposed system is exceptionally efficient regarding time, complexity, generalization, and accuracy.
A Novel Approach for Model Interpretability and Domain Aware Fine-Tuning in AdaBoost
Authors: Kiran Raj Joseph , Sanil J. , Asharaf S.
Published: September 2024

The success of machine learning in real-world use cases has increased its demand in mission-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles, healthcare and medical diagnosis, aviation and flight safety, natural disaster prediction, early warning systems, etc. Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) is an ensemble learning method that has gained much traction in such applications. Inherently being a non-interpretable model, the interpretability of the AdaBoost algorithm has been a research topic for many years. Furthermore, most of the research being conducted till now is aimed at explaining AdaBoost using perturbation-based techniques. The paper presents a technique to interpret the AdaBoost algorithm from a data perspective using deletion diagnostics and Cook’s distance. The technique achieves interpretability by detecting the most influential data instances and their impact on the feature importance of the model. This interpretability enables domain experts to accurately modify the significance of specific features in a trained AdaBoost model depending on the data instances. Unlike explaining AdaBoost using perturbation-based techniques, interpreting from a data perspective will enable it to debug data-related biases, errors and to impart the knowledge of the domain experts into the model through domain aware fine-tuning. Experimental studies were conducted with diverse real-world multi-feature datasets to demonstrate interpretability and knowledge integration through domain-aware fine-tuning.
(De)hydration Front Propagation Into Zero‐Permeability Rock
Authors: Schmalholz Stefan M. , Khakimova Lyudmila , Podladchikov Yury , Bras Erwan , Yamato Philippe , John Timm
Published: September 2024

Hydration and dehydration reactions play pivotal roles in plate tectonics and the deep water cycle, yet many facets of (de)hydration reactions remain unclear. Here, we study (de)hydration reactions where associated solid density changes are predominantly balanced by porosity changes, with solid rock deformation playing a minor role. We propose a hypothesis for three scenarios of (de)hydration front propagation and test it using one‐dimensional hydro‐mechanical‐chemical models. Our models couple porous fluid flow, solid rock volumetric deformation, and (de)hydration reactions described by equilibrium thermodynamics. We couple our transport model with reactions through fluid pressure: the fluid pressure gradient governs porous flow and the fluid pressure magnitude controls the reaction boundary. Our model validates the hypothesized scenarios and shows that the change in solid density across the reaction boundary, from lower to higher pressure, dictates whether hydration or dehydration fronts propagate: decreasing solid density causes dehydration front propagation in the direction opposite to fluid flow while increasing solid density enables both hydration and dehydration front propagation in the same direction as fluid flow. Our models demonstrate that reactions can drive the propagation of (de)hydration fronts, characterized by sharp porosity fronts, into a viscous medium with zero porosity and permeability; such propagation is impossible without reactions, as porosity fronts become trapped. We apply our model to serpentinite dehydration reactions with positive and negative Clapeyron slopes and granulite hydration (eclogitization). We use the results of systematic numerical simulations to derive a new equation that allows estimating the transient, reaction‐induced permeability of natural (de)hydration zones.