bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) an alternative to plain radiography in assessments of dental disease? A study of method agreement in a medically compromised patient population
Authors: Lindfors Ninita , Ekestubbe Annika , Frisk Fredrik , Lund Henrik
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Poor oral health and dental infections can jeopardize medical treatment and be life-threatening. Due to this, patients with head and neck malignancies, generalized tumor spread, organ transplant, or severe infection are referred for a clinical oral and radiographic examination. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic agreement of three radiographic modalities: intraoral radiographs (IO), panoramic radiographs (PX), and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for diagnosis of dental diseases.

Materials and methods

Three hundred patients were examined with IO, PX, and CBCT. Periapical lesions, marginal bone level, and caries lesions were diagnosed separately by four oral radiologists. All observers also assessed six teeth in 30 randomly selected patients at two different occasions. Kappa values and percent agreement were calculated.

Results

The highest Kappa value and percent agreement were for diagnosing periapical lesions (0.76, 97.7%), and for the assessment of marginal bone level, it varied between 0.58 and 0.60 (87.8–89.3%). In CBCT, only 44.4% of all teeth were assessable for caries (Kappa 0.68, 93.4%). The intra-observer agreement, for all modalities and diagnoses, showed Kappa values between 0.5 and 0.93 and inter-observer agreement varied from 0.51 to 0.87.

Conclusions

CBCT was an alternative to IO in diagnosing periapical lesions. Both modalities found the same healthy teeth in 93.8%. All modalities were performed equally regarding marginal bone level. In caries diagnosis, artifacts were the major cause of fallout for CBCT.

Clinical relevance

Intraoral radiography is the first-hand choice for diagnosing dental disease. For some rare cases where intraoral imaging is not possible, a dedicated panoramic image and/or CBCT examination is an alternative.
Virtual reality (VR) as a testing bench for consumer optical solutions: a machine learning approach (GBR) to visual comfort under simulated progressive addition lenses (PALs) distortions
Authors: García García Miguel , Sauer Yannick , Watson Tamara , Wahl Siegfried
Published: January 2024

For decades, manufacturers have attempted to reduce or eliminate the optical aberrations that appear on the progressive addition lens’ surfaces during manufacturing. Besides every effort made, some of these distortions are inevitable given how lenses are fabricated, where in fact, astigmatism appears on the surface and cannot be entirely removed, or where non-uniform magnification becomes inherent to the power change across the lens. Some presbyopes may refer to certain discomfort when wearing these lenses for the first time, and a subset of them might never adapt. Developing, prototyping, testing and purveying those lenses into the market come at a cost, which is usually reflected in the retail price. This study aims to test the feasibility of virtual reality (VR) for testing customers’ satisfaction with these lenses, even before getting them onto production. VR offers a controlled environment where different parameters affecting progressive lens comforts, such as distortions, image displacement or optical blurring, can be inspected separately. In this study, the focus was set on the distortions and image displacement, not taking blur into account. Behavioural changes (head and eye movements) were recorded using the built-in eye tracker. We found participants were significantly more displeased in the presence of highly distorted lens simulations. In addition, a gradient boosting regressor was fitted to the data, so predictors of discomfort could be unveiled, and ratings could be predicted without performing additional measurements.
SRRM2 may be a potential biomarker and immunotherapy target for multiple myeloma: a real-world study based on flow cytometry detection
Authors: Guo Jinjing , Zhang Zhiye , Wang Huiping , Li Qian , Fan Mengmeng , Zhang Wanqiu , Tao Qianshan , Wang Zhitao , Ling Chun , Xiao Hao , Gao Zhimai , Zhai Zhimin
Published: January 2024

Serine/arginine repetitive matrix 2 (SRRM2) has been implicated in tumorigenesis, cancer development, and drug resistance through aberrant splicing; however, its correlation with multiple myeloma (MM) has not been reported. We investigated the potential of SRRM2 as a biomarker and immunotherapeutic target in MM by examining its expression in MM cells using flow cytometry. Our study included 95 patients with plasma cell disease, including 80 MM cases, and we detected SRRM2 expression on plasma cells and normal blood cells to analyze its relationship with clinical profiles. We found widespread positive expression of SRRM2 on plasma cells with little expression on normal blood cells, and its expression on abnormal plasma cells was higher than that on normal plasma cells. Comparative analysis with clinical data suggests that SRRM2 expression on plasma cells correlates with MM treatment response. MM patients with high SRRM2 expression had higher levels of serum β2-mg and LDH, ISS staging, and plasma cell infiltration, as well as high-risk mSMART 3.0 stratification and cytogenetic abnormalities, particularly 1q21 amplification. In patients with previous MM, high SRRM2 expression on plasma cells was associated with higher plasma cell infiltration, high-risk mSMART 3.0 risk stratification, cytogenetic abnormalities, more relapses, and fewer autologous stem cell transplant treatments. In summary, SRRM2 may serve as a novel biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for MM. Its expression level on plasma cells can help in risk stratification of MM and monitoring of treatment response.
Dynamical inspection game with continuous strategies
Authors: Merlone Ugo , Orlando Giovanni , Dal Forno Arianna
Published: January 2024

Most contributions on the inspection game concern arm control and disarmament; recently some contributions have considered organizational settings. We consider an inspection game where a principal chooses to inspect or not inspect and an agent simultaneously can either work or shirk. Combined payoffs are maximized when the principal does not inspect and the agent works while the unique Nash equilibrium of the stage game is in mixed strategies with positive probabilities of inspecting/shirking. To overcome this difficulty we introduce a continuous action version of the inspection game which extends the original formulation and discuss the existence of the Nash equilibria in pure strategies depending on the convexity of the cost functions we consider. Then, as most of the interactions in organizations develop over time, we propose a dynamic model with adaptive adjustment. We address some characteristics of the dynamic behavior of the game and the bifurcations observed, through both analytical and numerical methods. For the dynamical game we determine the fixed points, and study their stability. Fixed points are related to the Nash equilibria of the continuous inspection game and the collectively optimal outcome is obtained as a fixed point that is just virtual. Our findings are interpreted in terms of stakeholders theory, relational contracts and negotiation.
Enhancing e-grocery order fulfillment: improving product availability, cost, and emissions in last-mile delivery
Authors: Ekren Banu Y. , Perotti Sara , Foresti Laura , Prataviera Lorenzo
Published: January 2024

This paper studies e-grocery order fulfillment policies by leveraging both customer and e-grocery-based data. Through the utilization of historical purchase data, product popularity trends, and delivery patterns, allocation strategies are informed to optimize performance metrics such as fill rate, carbon emissions, and cost per order. The study aims to conduct a sensitivity analysis to identify key drivers influencing these performance metrics. The results highlight that fulfillment policies optimized with the utilization of the mentioned data metrics demonstrate superior performance compared to policies not informed by data. These findings underscore the critical role of integrating data-driven models in e-grocery order fulfillment. Based on the outcomes, a grocery allocation policy, considering both proximity and product availability, emerges as promising for simultaneous improvements in several performance metrics. The study recommends that e-grocery companies leverage customer data to design and optimize delivery-oriented policies and strategies. To ensure adaptability to new trends or changes in delivery patterns, continual evaluation and improvement of e-grocery fulfillment policies are emphasized.
A conceptual model for educating design thinking dispositions
Authors: Thuan Nguyen Hoang , Antunes Pedro
Published: January 2024

Design thinking dispositions are essential for students to understand why design thinking knowledge should be applied to perform specific tasks. However, few studies are focused on teaching design thinking dispositions. This study proposes a conceptual model that supports teaching design thinking dispositions to address this gap. The model was instantiated in an undergraduate course. Students’ reflections about the course were collected to evaluate the model. The use of the model is also demonstrated by considering different teaching scenarios. This study contributes to better teaching and learning design thinking dispositions based on a unique model that helps educators organize their design thinking courses. The study also derives some implications for educators. While teaching design thinking knowledge and skills is essential, developing students’ design thinking dispositions is equally essential.
Device infection in patients undergoing pacemaker or defibrillator surgery: risk stratification using the PADIT score
Authors: de Heide John , van der Graaf Marisa , Holl Marijn J. , Hoogendijk Mark G. , Bhagwandien Rohit E. , Wijchers Sip A. , Theuns Dominic A. M. J. , Szili-Torok Tamas , Zijlstra Felix , Lenzen Mattie J. , Yap Sing-Chien
Published: January 2024

Background

The use of an antibacterial envelope is cost-effective for patients at high risk of developing cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infection. The identification of these high-risk patients may be facilitated using a clinical risk score. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the PADIT score for identifying high-risk patients in patients undergoing a CIED procedure in a tertiary academic center.

Methods

This was a retrospective single-center study of consecutive patients undergoing a CIED procedure between January 2016 and November 2021. Patients who received an antibacterial envelope were excluded from this study. The primary endpoint was hospitalization for a CIED infection in the first year after the procedure.

Results

A total of 2333 CIED procedures were performed in the study period (mean age 61.6 ± 16.3 years, male sex 64.5%, previous CIED infection 1.7%, immunocompromised 5.4%). The median PADIT score was 4 (interquartile range, 2–6). CIED infection occurred in 10 patients (0.43%). The PADIT score had good discrimination in predicting major CIED infection (C-statistic 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54 to 0.86, P = 0.03). Using an optimal PADIT score cut-off value of 7, the risk of CIED infection was higher in the patients with a PADIT score of ≥ 7 in comparison to those with a lower PADIT score (1.23% vs. 0.26%, P = 0.02; odds ratio 4.8, 95% CI 1.4 to 16.6, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

The PADIT score is a clinically useful score for identifying patients at high risk of developing CIED infection. The use of an antibacterial envelope in these high-risk patients may be cost-effective.

Graphical Abstract
Microbiotope selection in saproxylic bees and wasps (Hymenoptera, Aculeata): cavity-nesting communities in forests and wooded pastures are affected by variation in openness but not deadwood
Authors: Perlik Michal , Ambrozova Lucie , Jirku Daria , Jirku Miloslav , Sebek Pavel
Published: January 2024

Saproxylic insects are an important component of forest biodiversity; however, their ecological requirements are mostly studied on beetles, while other groups are less considered. Aculeate Hymenoptera provide valuable ecosystem services, and some rely on deadwood cavities. We studied cavity-nesting aculeate Hymenoptera using wooden trap-nests set in a heterogeneous partially rewilded woodland area in Central Bohemia, Czech Republic, and tested their nesting preferences in association with canopy openness, amount of deadwood, and the diversity of surrounding vegetation types. We used 100 trap-nests in five microbiotopes—forest edge, shady closed-canopy forest, open patches in closed-canopy forest, open-grown trees in wooded pasture, and shady groves in wooded pasture, over 2 years. We reared 824 specimens belonging to 26 species of saproxylic hymenopterans. We found no effect of microbiotope on total species richness and richness of nest parasites, but richness of nest builders was highest in forest edge and lowest in open-grown trees in wooded pasture. Species composition of hymenopterans was driven by a wider habitat context: despite the proximity of the habitats, the forest, especially closed-canopy patches, hosted a different community, dominated by wasps, than open wooded pasture. Moreover, open patches in forest differed in composition from the closed-canopy patches, suggesting that in production forests, the diversity of saproxylic hymenopterans may be limited by the overall low share of open canopy stages. Deadwood (amount and diversity) did not affect the saproxylic bees and wasps in any way.

Implications for insect conservation

Our results support conservation measures leading to diversification of the forest canopy and vegetation structure in order to support rich communities of saproxylic Hymenoptera, especially in protected areas.
Label synchronization for Hybrid Federated Learning in manufacturing and predictive maintenance
Authors: Llasag Rosero Raúl , Silva Catarina , Ribeiro Bernardete , Santos Bruno F.
Published: January 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the future of industries by introducing new paradigms. To address data privacy and other challenges of decentralization, research has focused on Federated Learning (FL), which combines distributed Machine Learning (ML) models from multiple parties without exchanging confidential information. However, conventional FL methods struggle to handle situations where data samples have diverse features and sizes. We propose a Hybrid Federated Learning solution with label synchronization to overcome this challenge. Our FedLabSync algorithm trains a feed-forward Artificial Neural Network while alerts that it can aggregate knowledge of other ML architectures compatible with the Stochastic Gradient Descent algorithm by conducting a penalized collaborative optimization. We conducted two industrial case studies: product inspection in Bosch factories and aircraft component Remaining Useful Life predictions. Our experiments on decentralized data scenarios demonstrate that FedLabSync can produce a global AI model that achieves results on par with those of centralized learning methods.
New optical quantum hyperbolic recursional ferromagnetic microscale
Authors: Körpinar Talat , Körpinar Zeliha
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we construct properties of quasi recursional normal electromagnetic flexible elastic quasi microscale beams in terms of quasi normalized operator. We give new characterizations for ferromagnetic electric normalized quasi optimistic density with quasi frame. Finally, we design optical applications for recursional electromagnetic flexible elastic quasi microscale beam with optical quasi resonator.
The Effect of Nb, Ta, and Ti on the Oxidation of a New Polycrystalline Ni-Based Superalloy
Authors: Wo J. W. X. , Hardy M. C. , Stone H. J.
Published: January 2024

The effect of variations in Nb, Ta, and Ti concentrations in exchange for Al on the oxidation resistance of a new polycrystalline Ni-based superalloy (C19) was studied in air at 800 °C for up to 1000 h. An external scale of Ti-doped Cr2O3 and a sub-scale of discontinuous Al2O3 intrusions formed on the surface of all the studied alloys. Contrary to other reports, increasing the Nb concentration improved the oxidation performance and may have promoted the formation of a CrTaO4 layer, thereby reducing oxygen ingress. The addition of Ta also significantly improved oxidation resistance and reduced the depth of the Al2O3 intrusions. Increasing the Ti concentration did not significantly affect the oxidation performance, potentially due to the relatively low Ti concentrations investigated. Several of the studied alloys with modified Ta and Ti concentrations showed regions of continuous Al2O3 scale formation, suggesting that the compositions are in a transition regime between Cr2O3-forming and Al2O3-forming behaviour. The findings suggested that part of the Ti content in C19 could potentially be replaced with Nb, Ta and/or other elements to further enhance oxidation resistance and other desirable properties. Overall, the insights gained could serve as a guide to optimise the composition of C19 and similar alloys for enhanced oxidation resistance.
Signal, error, or bias? exploring the uses of scores from observation systems
Authors: White Mark , Klette Kirsti
Published: January 2024

Scores from observational measures of teaching have recently been put to many uses within school systems, including communicating a standard of practice and providing teacher feedback, identifying teachers for professional development, monitoring system equity, and making employment decisions. In each of these uses, observation scores are interpreted as representing some aspect of the enacted instruction or teachers’ capacity to enact instruction, as seen through the observation systems lens for understanding teaching quality. The quality of these interpretations, or the extent to which observation scores are composed of a signal that accurately reflects the interpretation, has important implications for the overall validity of uses of observation systems. Starting from an explicit conceptualization of instruction, this paper combines generalizability theory and hierarchical linear modelling approaches to decompose observation scores to explore the extent to which scores from observation systems are composed of signal, error, and bias across four different uses (i.e., teacher feedback, professional development, monitoring system equity, and employment decisions) of scores. We show that the quality of observation scores may depend more on what scores are interpreted as representing (i.e., the proposed use) than on the specific observation rubric being used. Further, we show that rater errors and biases are a major threat to any attempt to interpret observation scores as capturing the observation system’s understanding of teaching quality. We discuss implications for using scores from observation systems.
Understanding STEM Outcomes for Autistic Middle Schoolers in an Interest-Based, Afterschool Program: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Murthi Kavitha , Chen Yu-Lun , Martin Wendy , Riccio Ariana , Patten Kristie
Published: January 2024

Current research underscores that there are only a few evidence-based programs that teach STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as part of their curriculum, especially for autistic students. Even fewer programs focus on engineering and design learning. Hence, we developed an informal afterschool maker program to develop autistic and non-autistic students’ interests in engineering to understand their experiences learning STEM concepts and values while applying the engineering mindset to develop projects. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand students’ experiences participating in STEM activities in the maker club. We interviewed twenty-six students (seventeen autistic and nine non-autistic), nine teachers, and thirteen parents representing diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds across three public middle schools in a large urban metropolitan city between 2018 and 2019. Our thematic analysis yielded four themes: (1) active participation in STEM; (2) curiosity about STEM topics, concepts, and practices, (3) capacity-building to engage in STEM learning; and 4) understanding of the importance of STEM education in daily life. The results of this study enabled us to understand that students were deeply engaged with the content and curriculum of our program, expanded their knowledge base about scientific concepts, used engineering-specific scientific terminologies, and engaged with the engineering design process to conceptualize, test, improvise, and problem-solve. Furthermore, this afterschool engineering education program created a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for students to build engineering readiness skills.
Entrepreneurial governance and the nature of the entrepreneurial firm
Authors: Grandori Anna
Published: January 2024

Everyone uses—but no one defines—the term “entrepreneurial firm.” Nobel laureate Oliver Williamson described the entrepreneurial firm as “a special challenge” to the theory of the firm. Organization scholars struggle with the “evergreen problem” of whether “entrepreneurial organizations are distinct from established organizations.” Building on a rarely used distinction in early transaction cost economics between “capitalist,” “entrepreneurial,” and “collective” enterprises, an entrepreneurial governance mode is here dimensionalized and distinguished from other modes of governing an enterprise. The critical dimension is the allocation of property rights, whereby entrepreneurial governance can be characterized as a hybrid between capital governance and labor governance. This notion is then used to derive the conditions that other relevant legal and organizational traits of the entrepreneurial firm should satisfy to be compatible with this hybrid character. The conclusions indicate three main trails for a new research agenda in a structural view of entrepreneurship: new organizational dimensions and forms; the design of ownership structures; and entrepreneurship and law.
Don’t get it wrong! On understanding and its negative phenomena
Authors: Yu Haomiao , Petkov Stefan
Published: January 2024

This paper studies the epistemic failures to reach understanding in relation to scientific explanations. We make a distinction between genuine understanding and its negative phenomena—lack of understanding and misunderstanding. We define explanatory understanding as inclusive as possible, as the epistemic success that depends on abilities, skills, and correct explanations. This success, we add, is often supplemented by specific positive phenomenology which plays a part in forming epistemic inclinations—tendencies to receive an insight from familiar types of explanations. We define lack of understanding as the epistemic failure that results from a lack of an explanation or from an incorrect one. This can occur due to insufficient abilities and skills, or to fallacious explanatory information. Finally, we characterize misunderstanding by cases where one’s epistemic inclinations do not align with an otherwise correct explanation. We suggest that it leads to potential debates about the explanatory power of different explanatory strategies. We further illustrate this idea with a short meta-philosophical study on the current debates about distinctively mathematical explanations.
Predictors of acute kidney injury after percutaneous nephrolithotomy in adult patients: prospective observational study
Authors: Hasan Ahmed Mahmoud , Riyad Ahmed Mahmoud , Ahmed Mostafa AbdelRazek
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To assess the frequency and the predictive factors of Acute Kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL).

Methods

A prospective observational work. Demographic, preoperative laboratory data, stone characteristics, and intraoperative and postoperative data were gathered. Perioperative AKI had been defined as an elevation in serum creatinine by ≥ 0.3 mg/dl within 48 h, or ≥ 1.5 times baseline, or urine volume less than 0.5 ml/ kg/hour for 6 hours. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive factors of AKI. ROC curves were utilized to determine the cutoff values of the risk variables. P-values were deemed statistically significant when they were less than 0.05.

Results

A total of 418 participants had been involved. The frequency of AKI was 13.9, and 17.2% of patients with AKI developed CKD. The risk factors were age > 46.5 years, smoking, BMI > 28.5 kg/m2, hypertension, diabetes, utilization of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), haemoglobin < 10.8 gm/dl, baseline creatinine > 1.41 mg/dl, eGFR < 65.2 ml/min./1.73 m2, serum uric acid > 5.2 mg/dl, stone volume > 1748 mm3, large tract size, long operative time, and intra-operative bleeding. Patients with AKI had a notably extended duration of hospitalization (3.2 days ± 0.45 vs 2.1 ± 0.42, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Perioperative AKI occurred in 13.9% of individuals undergoing PNL. Identification and optimization of the risk factors and meticulous technique during PNL procedures should be attempted to decrease the risk of AKI.
Rethinking Polyp Segmentation From An Out-of-distribution Perspective
Authors: Ji Ge-Peng , Zhang Jing , Campbell Dylan , Xiong Huan , Barnes Nick
Published: January 2024

Unlike existing fully-supervised approaches, we rethink colorectal polyp segmentation from an out-of-distribution perspective with a simple but effective self-supervised learning approach. We leverage the ability of masked autoencoders–self-supervised vision transformers trained on a reconstruction task–to learn in-distribution representations, here, the distribution of healthy colon images. We then perform out-of-distribution reconstruction and inference, with feature space standardisation to align the latent distribution of the diverse abnormal samples with the statistics of the healthy samples. We generate per-pixel anomaly scores for each image by calculating the difference between the input and reconstructed images and use this signal for out-of-distribution (i.e., polyp) segmentation. Experimental results on six benchmarks show that our model has excellent segmentation performance and generalises across datasets. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/GewelsJI/Polyp-OOD.
Research Progress on the Use of Metformin in Leukemia Treatment
Authors: Wang Qian , Wei Xudong
Published: January 2024

Opinion statement

Metformin is a first-line drug in the clinical treatment of type 2 diabetes. Its main molecular mechanism involves the activation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which regulates cell energy metabolism. Many clinical studies have shown that metformin can reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer in patients with or without diabetes. In vitro studies also confirmed that metformin can inhibit proliferation, promote apoptosis, and enhance the response of cells to chemical drugs and other anticancer effects on a variety of leukemia cells. In recent years, leukemia has become one of the most common malignant diseases. Although great progress has been made in therapeutic approaches for leukemia, novel drugs and better treatments are still needed to improve the therapeutic efficacy of these treatments. This article reviews the application status and possible mechanism of metformin in the treatment of leukemia to further understand the anticancer mechanism of metformin and expand its clinical application.
Differences in experiences of discrimination: an investigation of personality and person based characteristics in a twin difference design
Authors: Klatzka Christoph H. , Hahn Elisabeth , Spinath Frank M.
Published: January 2024

Although discrimination experiences are widespread, experiences of discrimination are not equally distributed among potentially affected groups. Despite the fact that the empirical literature offers a broad variety of potential variables that are associated with discrimination experiences, these variables are seldom contrasted, and potential confounds are not conclusively controlled for. Especially for controlling confounds, twin difference designs constitute an advantageous approach. The aim of this study was to identify variables that lead to a higher probability to experience discrimination, and then model these variables in a twin difference design to test whether they exert quasi-causal effects. For this purpose, longitudinal data from the German Twin study TwinLife were analyzed using mixed logistic models with over 1,000 twin pairs. Migration history was the strongest predictor of discrimination experiences across all analyses. Lower self-esteem showed quasi-causal associations to discrimination experiences, underpinning the consequences discrimination experiences might have on self-evaluation. However, initial self-esteem can also function as a cognitive concept guiding future interpretations of potentially discriminating events. Although other personality based features also showed significant associations, this study casts doubt that personality factors can be conclusively regarded as antecedents of discrimination experiences.
Predicting solute transfer rate in patients initiating peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Jaques David A. , Davenport Andrew
Published: January 2024

Background

While assessment of membrane characteristics is fundamental to peritoneal dialysis (PD) prescription in patients initiating therapy, peritoneal equilibration test has theoretical and practical drawbacks. We wished to determine whether an equation using simple clinical variables could predict fast (above population mean) peritoneal solute transfer rate without dialysate sampling.

Methods

We measured peritoneal solute transfer rate, as determined by peritoneal equilibration test using the 4-h dialysate to plasma creatinine ratio, in consecutive PD outpatients attending a single tertiary hospital for their first clinical follow-up within 3 months of dialysis initiation. An equation estimating peritoneal solute transfer rate based on readily available clinical variables was generated in a randomly selected modeling group and tested in a distinct validation group.

Results

We included 712 patients, with 562 in the modeling group and 150 in the validation group. Mean age was 58.4 ± 15.9 with 431 (60.5%) men. Mean peritoneal solute transfer rate value was 0.73 ± 0.13. An equation based on gender, race, serum sodium and albumin yielded a receiving operator characteristics (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) to detect fast peritoneal solute transfer rate (> 0.73) of 0.74 (0.67–0.82). Estimated peritoneal solute transfer rate values based on percentiles 15th (> 0.66), 20th (> 0.68), 25th (> 0.69) and 30th (> 0.70) could rule out fast peritoneal solute transfer rate with negative predictive values of 100%, 93.5%, 84.2% and 80.0%, respectively.

Conclusions

An equation based on simple clinical variables allows ruling out fast transport in a significant proportion of patients initiating PD with a high degree of confidence without requiring dialysate sampling. This could prove useful in guiding dialysis prescription of PD patients in daily clinical practice, particularly in low-resource settings.

Graphical abstract
Parameter evaluation method of tight carbonate reservoir using electrical imaging pores diameter spectrum
Authors: Jiao Shixiang , Zhao Jun , Ren Xiaofeng , Wen Xiaofeng , Liu Anpei , Cai Fang , Yu Baocai , Lai Qiang
Published: January 2024

Currently, high-yield gas reservoirs have been discovered by exploring Lower Paleozoic tight carbonate oil and gas reservoirs in the Changqing area. These reservoirs, however, are impacted by subsequent karstification and diagenesis processes, leading to the formation of complex pore spaces with varying pore diameters ranging from microns to millimeters. Conventional well curves, with a resolution at the decimeter level, can only provide an overview of the reservoir porosity, making it challenging to evaluate the pore structure. On the other hand, electrical imaging logging data has a sampling interval of 0.1 inches and a resolution as fine as 5 mm, providing valuable information for pore structure evaluation in tight reservoirs. Since formation resistivity is influenced by factors like porosity, mud filtrate resistivity, and cementation, the cementation index serves as a reflection of the pore structure. Therefore, by calibrating the cementation index using data obtained from experiments at different scales, the pore structure parameters of tight carbonate reservoirs can be evaluated. This study conducted a comparison between numerous core experiments at various scales and both conventional and imaging log data. A method was proposed for extracting pore size distribution characteristics and calculating the pore size spectrum based on electrical imaging logging, ultimately leading to the establishment of a quantitative evaluation model for the pore structure of tight carbonate reservoirs. The results demonstrated improved accuracy and consistency in interpretation, as confirmed by well test data.
Performance comparison of a standing-wave thermoacoustic engine with different resonator shapes with air working gas
Authors: Bouramdane Zahra , Bah Abdellah
Published: January 2024

The resonator is one of the key components of thermoacoustic machines and the choice of its geometry is of course of crucial importance, as it determines the way the machine operates. The resonator must be designed so that the quality factor of the resonance is as high as possible and must satisfy the technological production constraints related to the high pressurization of the working fluid and the presence of temperature non-uniformities. The shape of the resonator can be modified to reduce certain loss phenomena, particularly on the walls, and to limit the formation of harmonics in the high-level acoustic field. In this work, an acoustic power losses analysis and a numerical study of a standing-wave TAE with air working gas, considering changes in resonator shape, are performed to investigate the effect of resonator geometry on the thermoacoustic energy conversion. The acoustic power dissipation in the resonator is analyzed based on the simplified thermoacoustic theory and the numerical study is conducted based on a 2D numerical model based on a CFD analysis. Results show that the shape of the resonator significantly affects the frequency, the temperature along the stack, and the acoustic pressure produced on the TAE. In addition, it is shown that the resonator composed of two different diameters showed its ability to produce a high acoustic pressure amplitude (20.5% than the iso-diameter resonator) and minimize the viscous and thermal losses.
A comparison of the use of traditional glazing and a novel concentrated photovoltaic glazing (CoPVG) for building solar gain analysis using IESVE
Authors: Chang Roma , Mondol Jayanta Deb , Smyth Mervyn , Zacharopoulos Aggelos , Pugsley Adrian
Published: January 2024

The aim of this study is to compare the difference in solar gain for an internal space when a novel Concentrated Photovoltaic Glazing (CoPVG) unit is compared against traditional glazing modules. The CoPVG is an innovative glazing system developed by Ulster University, that takes advantage of Total Internal Reflection (TIR) to direct solar radiation into the internal space during periods of low solar altitude (around winter) harnessing the thermal contribution of solar gain and daylight. During periods of higher solar altitude (around summer), the solar radiation is mostly directed onto embedded photovoltaic cells. Previous work assessed the concept’s optical functionality, through experimental measurement and computational ray-tracing. Dynamic simulation in Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) using a series of codes to represent the optical function of the CoPVG’s and Integrated Environmental Solutions Virtual Environment (IESVE) was validated by the experimental data. This work investigates methodologies in determining the transmissivty of the system in a dynamic simulation approach using ray tracing and Radiance in IESVE for visualisation, thereby building on the versability of this software to allow building designers and consultants to investigate energy and economic benefits of this system and systems like it in real building applications. The impact of integrating CoPVG as a replacement to traditonal glazing on a sun-facing building facade is assessed and the solar gain in the adjaciant space is compared throughout the year. During the summer months the integrated system reduces solar gain in the space by 34% but only 11% in the winter months, representing a reduction in the overall annual building energy needs. The study presents the potential economic and environmental savings provided by reduced cooling.
Early Modern Media Ecology
Authors: Marx Peter W.
Published: January 2024

The early modern world was as enigmatic as it was dynamic. New epistemologies and technologies, open controversies about the world and afterworld, encounters with various cultures, and numerous forms of entertainment wetted the appetite for ever-new sensational experiences, an emerging visual language, and different social constellations. Thaumaturgy, the art of making wonder, was the historical term under which many of these forms were subsumed: encompassing everything from magic lanterns to puppets to fireworks, and deliberately mingling the spheres of commercial entertainment, art, and religion. But thaumaturgy was not just an idle pastime but a vital field of cultural and intercultural negotiation. This Element introduces this field and suggests a new form of historiography-media ecology-which focuses on connections, formations, and transformations and takes a global perspective.
Building Capabilities for Earth System Governance
Authors: Prantl Jochen , Barros-Platiau Ana Flávia , Inoue Cristina Yumie Aoki , Pereira Joana Castro , Ribeiro Thais Lemos , Viola Eduardo
Published: January 2024

This Element develops a new Strategic Capabilities Framework for studying and steering complex socio-ecological systems. It is driven by the central question of what are the most essential capabilities that ought to be fostered for addressing the fundamental 21st Century environmental challenges and Earth system transformations. The author's objective is to innovate transformative ideas toward better climate and ocean governance that are of interest both to academics and policymakers in the field. Rather than investigating the design and effectiveness of institutions in governing the climate and the oceans, the authors offer an alternative approach starting from the assumption that global governance arrangements must be informed by the capabilities of the communities affected. This Element aims to offer out-of-the-box thinking about capabilities-focused and community-centered frameworks that align multi-level systems of governance with the fundamental challenges of global environmental change. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
The Secret Violence of Henry Miller
Authors: Masuga Katy
Published: January 2024

Henry Miller is a cult figure in the world of fiction, in part due to having been banned for obscenity for nearly thirty years. Alongside the liberating effect of his explicit treatment of sexuality, however, Miller developed a provocative form of writing that encourages the reader to question language as a stable communicative tool and to consider the act of writing as an ongoing mode of creation, always in motion, perpetually establishing itself and creating meaning through that very motion. Katy Masuga provides a new reading of Miller that is alert to the aggressively and self-consciously writerly form of his work. Critiquing the categorization of Miller into specific literary genres through an examination of the small body of critical texts on his oeuvre, Masuga draws on Deleuze and Guattari's concept of a minor literature, Blanchot's 'infinite curve,' and Bataille's theory of puerile language, while also considering Miller in relation to other writers, including Proust, Rilke, and William Carlos Williams. She shows how Miller defies conventional modes of writing, subverting language from within. Katy Masuga is Adjunct Professor of British and American literature, cinema, and the arts in the Cultural Studies Department at the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle.
Resolution enhanced sea ice concentration: a new algorithm applied to AMSR2 microwave radiometry data
Authors: Rusin Jozef , Lavergne Thomas , Doulgeris Anthony P. , Scott K. Andrea
Published: January 2024

Passive-microwave sea ice concentration (SIC) algorithms employ different frequencies and polarisations in their operational implementations. Commonly, these algorithms utilise combinations such as 19/37 GHz, yielding reduced measurement uncertainties but at a coarse spatial resolution. Alternatively, these algorithms can solely use 89 GHz, producing a higher spatial resolution but with increased measurement uncertainties. This study evaluates the application of a resolution-enhancing SIC algorithm (reSICCI3LF), initially developed for the coarser Special Sensor Microwave Imager / Sounder, on the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer. By applying reSICCI3LF, we aim to produce a 5 km SIC for 2013–2020 in the Fram Strait and the Barents and Kara Sea region that gains the benefits of both types of algorithms, high spatial resolution and low measurement uncertainty.

We present the algorithm tuning, spectral analysis of spatial resolutions, and validation against the Round Robin Data Package of 0% and 100% SIC points and SIC derived from Landsat-8. The findings demonstrate that the reSICCI3LF algorithm produces a SIC field with fine details, achieving a balance between high spatial resolution and lower measurement uncertainties compared to a 89 GHz based SIC. Consequently, this resolution-enhanced SIC technique can potentially initialise higher-resolution coupled ocean and sea ice forecasting systems through data assimilation.
Implementation of an Awareness Level Training to Prepare the Workforce for Future Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Authors: Workman Brandon , Fulk Florence , Carreón Tania , Nabors Laura
Published: January 2024

Objective:

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the need for workforce awareness-level training for infectious disease outbreaks. A training program was created and evaluated to provide strategies for emergency preparedness as well as worker health and safety during a disease outbreak.

Methods:

Participants (N = 292) completed instructor-led synchronous online training modules between January 2022 and February 2023. Training covered 5 areas: vaccine awareness, infectious disease transmission and prevention, pandemic awareness, and inapparent infections, as well as workplace controls to reduce or remove hazards. Participants completed a survey before and after training to assess knowledge change in the five areas. Chi-square analyses assessed how predictors were related to knowledge change.

Results:

Overall, an increase in knowledge was observed between pre- (80.9%) and post-training (92.7%). Participants from small businesses, with less work experience, and in non-health care roles were under-informed. Knowledge of disease transmission and prevention improved for non-health care professions and workers with less experience. All participants gained knowledge in identifying and ranking safeguards to protect workers from injuries and illness at job sites.

Conclusions:

Training improved employee knowledge about safe work practices and pandemic preparedness. Studies should continue to evaluate the effectiveness of preparedness training to prepare the workforce for infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics.
Reducing plastic production: Economic loss or environmental gain?
Authors: Cordier Mateo , Uehara Takuro , Jorgensen Bethany , Baztan Juan
Published: January 2024

We reviewed economic and environmental studies on global plastic pollution and we estimate the global cost of actions toward zero plastic pollution in all countries by 2040 to be US$ 18.3–158.4 trillion (cost of a 47% reduction of plastic production included). If no actions are undertaken, we estimate the cost of damages caused by plastic pollution from 2016 to 2040 to be US$ 13.7–281.8 trillion. These ranges suggest it is possible that the costs of inaction are significantly higher than those of action. Plastic product sales will also generate a global benefit in the form of incomes (salaries, dividends etc.) estimated to be US$ 38.0 trillion over 2016–2040 in the case of inaction, and US$ 32.7–33.1 trillion in case of action. Calculating benefit minus costs provides the net benefits: US$ −120.4 to 19.7 trillion in case of action and US$ −243.8 to 24.3 trillion in case of inaction. Net benefit ranges suggest action and inaction will both be beneficial when considering the high estimates. However, the low estimates show net benefits might be negative, which suggests inaction might generate a net cost for society that will be twice the cost of action. Our estimates are preliminary (several cost and benefit data are lacking).
Current practices of Portuguese speech-language pathologists with preschool-age children with pragmatic impairment: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: PEREIRA Tatiana , RAMALHO Ana Margarida , LOUSADA Marisa
Published: January 2024

This study aims to investigate the practice patterns used by Portuguese speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with preschool-age children with pragmatic impairment and to identify the actual need(s) perceived by SLPs in this field. A total of 351 SLPs responded. The results reveal that 81.5 per cent of the respondents (n=286) reported working or had previously worked with preschool-age children with pragmatic impairment arising from autism spectrum disorder, developmental language disorder, or both. Considering the clinical practice, similarities and differences were found, many of which are due not to the inherent characteristics of each disorder but to the scarcity of research in clinical pragmatics. These results are also reflected in the needs perceived by SLPs and the degree of confidence with which they work with these children. Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed.
The Pandemic andPolitical Behavior: Staying the Course
Authors: Layman Geoffrey C. , Allen Levi G. , Kirk James R. G. , Marsh Wayde Z. C. , Radcliff Benjamin
Published: January 2024

Political Behavioris the official journal of the Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior organized section of the American Political Science Association. It publishes research on the political behavior of citizens, political activists, and political officeholders in the United States and around the world. From the perspective of its Journal Impact Factor, the journal’s reputation and impact have grown steadily in recent years. The first and last listed authors of this article served as co-editors-in-chief ofPolitical Behaviorfrom 2019 through 2022. The middle three listed authors served as editorial assistants during this same period.