bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges of Arbitration in the Western Balkans
Authors: Meskic Zlatan
Published: January 2025

The Western Balkan States have enormous potential to further develop arbitration as the most attractive method of alternative dispute resolution. The courts in this region are overburdened. The litigation in commercial cases takes too long. Arbitration should benefit from the lack of efficiency in litigation, but it does not. This paper aims to determine the challenges for arbitration in the Western Balkans to reach its full potential. Besides some legislative restrictions, the paper identifies gaps in legal education as one of the important reasons behind the small number of cases before local arbitration institutions. While it is true that arbitration institutions should do more to keep their arbitration rules attractive, this is usually not the reason for parties not to choose arbitration. The stakeholders simply lack awareness of all the benefits of arbitration. The expertise is present only in small circles of professionals, making it difficult to promote the use of arbitration for a broader audience.
Expanding the Dispute Resolution Toolbox for Investment Disputes: Opportunities for Dispute Prevention and Mediation in the Western Balkans
Authors: Brodlija Fahira
Published: January 2025

The multiple ongoing reform processes of investment law and investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) opened the space to reconsider the default reliance on investment arbitration and to reimagine the role of dispute prevention and amicable settlement mechanisms in this space. Such mechanisms entail several benefits for States, including cost and time efficiency, more leverage and control in the course and outcome of disputes, and the restoration of trust in ISDS more broadly. Dispute prevention mechanisms and mediation have emerged as viable reform options, gaining growing support from States (including the EU and its Member States), investors, and international organizations (UNCITRAL, the World Bank Group, etc.) alike. While dispute prevention mechanisms take different shapes and forms in different countries, amicable settlement (including negotiations, conciliation and mediation) has been available in international investment treaties for decades, in the so-called “cooling-off” period. Nevertheless, it has not been effectively used in ISDS, due to a variety of factors, ranging from the preference for third-party adjudication, motivated by the desire of the competent authorities to avoid personal liability resulting from settlements with foreign investors, and/or a lack of capacities. The Western Balkans governments, navigating the ISDS reform process, while progressing on their path to EU accession, are a good case study for the challenges and opportunities of integrating dispute prevention and mediation into the State toolbox for investment dispute resolution. This chapter will address the regional and international, as well as legal and institutional frameworks for dispute prevention and mediation, the obstacles and challenges in the Western Balkans, and the emerging new structures and best practices, which establish a promising model for the region, with tailored solutions for each State. The chapter will offer perspectives for dispute prevention and mediation as staples of the investment protection frameworks in the Western Balkans on their path to the EU, and as future EU Member States.
Plea Bargaining and Guilty Plea as Negotiated Justice Instruments in Macedonian Criminal Trials
Authors: Lažetić Gordana , Misoski Boban
Published: January 2025

The authors elaborate on the practical implementation of the two newly enacted elements for negotiated justice within the Macedonian criminal procedure. In this occasion, the authors perform research of the practical implementation of the sentence bargaining and guilty plea in front of the courts for the period of seven years. Authors conclude that instead of having a wider use of these negotiated instruments in practice and by that improving the efficiency and efficacy of the Macedonian courts, the contrary situation can be observed, as the number of cases resolved through these instruments are declining. The chapter analyses the reasons for such situation and provides theoretical and practical possible solutions for improvement of the observed trend in the use of these negotiated justice instruments.
Some Peculiarities of the Legal Framework on Commercial Arbitration in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Grbo Zinka , Halilović Sevleta
Published: January 2025

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, arbitration emerges as a promising mechanism for resolving disputes, especially those involving foreign parties. Nevertheless, an overview of the legal framework shows several obstacles that impede this from becoming a reality. Upon examination of the legal framework, a patchwork of laws governing arbitration, dispersed across B&H’s territorial units, is revealed. However, even fragmented, this framework provides a solid ground for arbitration proceedings to be conducted. This is shown by analyzing certain aspects of arbitration, including arbitrability, arbitrator appointments, arbitration agreements, and awards, shedding light on both strengths and weaknesses. Although there is room for improvement in the legal framework, its current deficiencies cannot be the sole reason why arbitration proceedings rarely occur in B&H. The paper also explores the current state of play of institutional arbitration, through the analysis of the Court of Arbitration attached to the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, identifying areas for improvement. Ultimately, the authors advocate for a human-centered approach to arbitration reforms, emphasizing clarity, efficiency, and accessibility. By addressing the system’s challenges with empathy and pragmatism, B&H can unlock the full potential of arbitration as a cornerstone of dispute resolution.
Challenges in the Process of Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards in the Republic of North Macedonia
Authors: Kocev Ljuben
Published: January 2025

Arbitration is increasingly becoming the preferred method for the resolving of international cross-border disputes among business persons. One of the main advantages of arbitration is that arbitral awards are more easily recognized and enforced than judicial awards, mainly due to the New York Convention. Consequently, the process of recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards has a pivotal role in facilitating international trade and investment by providing a mechanism that enables the parties to easily enforce awards rendered in arbitration proceedings. In the Republic of North Macedonia, as in many countries of the Western Balkans, arbitration is still in its early stages, and arbitration practice remains relatively low. As a result, arbitration-related issues pose challenges to national courts and all relevant stakeholders. While national courts have a pro-arbitration attitude, there were some instances in the past where the courts, and the legal system at large, have failed to adhere to international standards to the detriment of the parties involved in the arbitration process. The chapter aims to provide an analysis of the challenges that have arisen in the past concerning the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards, through the analysis of the laws and procedures related to the process, as well as an analysis of relevant case law.
Decentral Implementation of EU International Investment Protection Policy and Its Implications for Countries in the Western Balkans
Authors: Böhme Bianca
Published: January 2025

This chapter examines the decentralized implementation of EU international investment protection policy and its implications for Western Balkan countries. With the Treaty of Lisbon granting the EU exclusive competence over foreign direct investment, a new centralized approach was adopted. However, due to the stagnation of EU-level agreements, investment protection increasingly relies on Member States’ BITs, overseen by the European Commission. The chapter explores how this shift affects Western Balkan countries, especially those aspiring EU accession. It discusses the necessary alignment of BITs with evolving EU standards, including substantive and procedural changes, and the broader implications for investment treaty practices in the region. The analysis highlights the challenges faced by these countries in harmonizing their agreements with EU policies and the potential impact on their accession processes.
Unitarity and Strong Graded Locality of Holomorphic Vertex Operator Superalgebras with Central Charge at Most 24
Authors: Gaudio Tiziano
Published: January 2025

We prove that all nice holomorphic vertex operator superalgebras (VOSAs) with central charge at most 24 and with non-trivial odd part are unitary, apart from the hypothetical ones arising as fake copies of the shorter moonshine VOSA or of the latter tensorized with a real free fermion VOSA. Furthermore, excluding the ones with central charge 24 of glueing type III and with no real free fermion, we show that they are all strongly graded-local. In particular, they naturally give rise to holomorphic graded-local conformal nets. In total, we are able to prove that 910 of the 969 nice holomorphic VOSAs with central charge 24 and with non-trivial odd part are strongly graded-local, without counting hypothetical fake copies of the shorter moonshine VOSA tensorized with a real free fermion VOSA.
Predictors and Implications of Myocardial Injury in Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Hess Felix , McGinnis Julian , Baki Enayatullah , Wiltgen Tun , Müller Arne , Maegerlein Christian , Kirschke Jan , Zimmer Claus , Hemmer Bernhard , Wunderlich Silke , Mühlau Mark
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Myocardial injury, indicated by an elevation of high-sensitive cardiac Troponin (hs-cTnT), is a frequent stroke-related complication. Most studies investigated patients with ischemic stroke, but only little is known about its occurrence in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This study aimed to assess the frequency, predictors, and implications of myocardial injury in ICH patients.

Methods

Our retrospective analysis included 322 ICH patients. We defined myocardial injury as an elevation of hs-cTnT above the 99th percentile (i.e. 14 ng/L). Acute myocardial injury was defined as either a changing pattern of > 50% within 24 h or an excessive elevation of initial hs-cTnT (> 52 ng/L). 3D brain scans were assessed for ICH visually and quantitatively by a deep learning algorithm. Multiple regression models and Voxel-based Lesion-Symptom Mapping (VLSM) were applied.

Results

63.0% (203/322) of patients presented with myocardial injury, which was associated with more severe strokes and worse outcomes during the in-hospital phase (P < 0.01). Acute myocardial injury occurred in 24.5% (79/322) of patients. The only imaging finding associated with acute myocardial injury was midline shift (69.8% vs. 44.6% for normal or stable hs-cTnT, P < 0.01), which also independently predicted it (odds ratio 3.29, confidence interval 1.38–7.87, P < 0.01). In contrast, VLSM did not identify any specific brain region significantly associated with acute myocardial injury. Acute myocardial injury did not correlate with preexisting cardiac diseases; however, the frequency of adverse cardiac events was higher in the acute myocardial injury group (11.4% vs. 4.1% in patients with normal and/or stable patterns of hs-cTnT, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Myocardial injury occurs frequently in ICH and is linked to poor outcomes. Acute myocardial injury primarily correlates to space-occupying effects of ICH but is less dependent on premorbid cardiac status. Nonetheless, it is associated with a higher rate of adverse cardiac events.
Aktuelles zu chirurgischen Therapieoptionen bei chronisch-entzündlichen Darmerkrankungen
Authors: Kneist Werner
Published: January 2025

Im Bereich der chirurgischen Behandlung chronisch-entzündlicher Darmerkrankungen (CED) gibt es national und international Leitlinien und Entwicklungen, die zu einer besseren Versorgung der Patienten beitragen. Die wichtigen Empfehlungen beziehen sich zunehmend auf individualisierte und minimal-invasive Ansätze mit Integration neuer Techniken. Die Indikation zur abdominellen Operation bleibt an eine Spezialisierung gebunden, nicht zuletzt um Sequenztherapie und Multimodalität in ihrer Bedeutung für die Risikominimierung und Ergebnisverbesserung auch weiterhin einschätzen zu können. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sollen zentrale chirurgische Aspekte der CED Therapie kurz vorgestellt und aktuell eingeordnet werden.
Arthroskopische Arthrolyse
Authors: Quiroz Del Bianco Alexandre , Hirschmann Michael T. , Mengis Natalie , Toth Laszlo , Koch Matthias , Ammann Elias
Published: January 2025

Die Arthrofibrose des Knies tritt vorwiegend postoperativ oder nach Knieverletzungen auf und führt zu erheblichen Einschränkungen der Beweglichkeit sowie zu Schmerzen, was die Lebensqualität und Funktion der Patienten stark beeinträchtigt. Die Erkrankung ist durch eine ungewöhnliche Vermehrung der periartikulären extrazellulären Matrix infolge einer entzündlichen Fehlregulation gekennzeichnet. Man unterscheidet zwischen der sekundären Form, die nach chirurgischen Eingriffen oder Traumata entsteht, und der seltenen primären Arthrofibrose ohne erkennbare Ursache. Die arthroskopische Arthrolyse stellt eine minimal-invasive und risikoarme Behandlung dieser Erkrankung dar. Die präoperative Diagnostik und Ursachenabklärung ist Voraussetzung für die optimale Operationsplanung und erfolgreiche Ergebnisse. Eine systematische Herangehensweise für Portalwahl und Sequenz der Arthrolyse kann helfen, auch bei ausgeprägter Arthrofibrose auf arthroskopischem Weg eine Verbesserung der Beweglichkeit und im Idealfall eine Wiederherstellung der Gelenkfunktion zu gewährleisten. Dieser Artikel gibt Einblick in die präoperative Diagnostik, Indikationsstellung, technische Aspekte und Ergebnisse der arthroskopischen Arthrolyse.
Sexual orientation stereotypes and job candidate screening: why gay is (mostly) OK
Authors: Sterkens Philippe , Dalle Axana , Wuyts Joey , Pauwels Ines , Durinck Hellen , Baert Stijn
Published: January 2025

To explain the conflicting findings on hiring discrimination against applicants in a same-sex marriage, we explore the perceptual drivers behind employers’ evaluations. Therefore, we conduct a vignette experiment among recruiters, for which we test systematically selected stereotypes from earlier studies. We find causal evidence for distinct effects of same-sex marriage on candidate perceptions and interview probabilities. In particular, interview probabilities are positively (negatively) associated with the stereotype of women (men) married to a same-sex partner as being more (less) pleasant to work with compared to candidates in a different-sex marriage. In addition, interview chances are negatively associated with the stereotype of candidates in a same-sex marriage as being more outspoken. Furthermore, our data align well with the idea of a concentrated discrimination account, whereby a minority of employers who hold negative attitudes towards individuals in same-sex marriages are responsible for most instances of hiring discrimination.
Management Strategies for Truncus Arteriosus: A Comparative Analysis of Staged vs. Primary Repair
Authors: Kobayashi Yasuyuki , Sano Shunji , Narumiya Yuto , Kimura Ayari , Suzuki Etsuji , Kasahara Shingo , Kotani Yasuhiro
Published: January 2025

We reviewed the outcomes of truncus arteriosus repair (primary vs. staged repair incorporating bilateral pulmonary artery banding), focusing on survival, reintervention, and functional data. We analyzed 39 patients who underwent a first intervention for truncus arteriosus (staged, n = 19; primary, n = 20) between 1992 and 2022. The median follow-up period was 8.0 (2.2–13.2) years. Survival, freedom from reoperation, and freedom from catheter intervention were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. High-risk patients were defined as those with a weight ≤ 2.5 kg, ≥ moderate truncal valve regurgitation, interrupted aortic arch, or preoperative shock. In the staged group, patients with a median weight of 2.6 kg had a median intensive care unit stay of 5 days and no hospital mortality after bilateral pulmonary artery banding. At repair, the staged group had a larger conduit for the right ventricular outflow tract (14 vs. 12 mm; P = .008). Catheter intervention on the branch pulmonary artery was required in 67% of patients in the staged group, but right ventricular end-diastolic pressure at follow-up was comparable between the groups (P = .541). Survival rates were higher among high-risk patients in the staged group (87.5% vs. 21.4% at 15 years; P = .004) but were comparable between groups for standard-risk patients (P = 1.000). Bilateral pulmonary artery banding was a safe, effective procedure. Reintervention for branch pulmonary artery was common but did not affect functional outcomes. Staged repair may play a pivotal role regarding survival in high-risk patients, and risk stratification is vital.
Radiotherapy improves stress urinary incontinence but impairs pelvic floor function in endometrial cancer patients: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Erkılınç Selçuk , Çakır Ilker , Karataşlı Volkan , Can Behzat , Ata Can , Avşar Aytuğ , Solmaz Ulaş , Sancı Muzaffer , Bildacı Tevfik Berk
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Investigating the impact of radiotherapy on urinary incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction in endometrial cancer patients.

Method

A comparative study was conducted between endometrial cancer patients who underwent radiotherapy and those who did not receive adjuvant therapy. Patients were assessed during their first follow-up visit at third month post-radiotherapy or post-surgery. Demographic data and physical examinations were conducted, along with the administration of validated questionnaires. Turkish validated Incontinence Severity Index (ISI), Incontinence Impact Questionairre-7 (IIQ-7) and 20 ıtem Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Index (PFDI-20) were applied to the all patients.

Results

The study comprised 37 patients in the non-radiotherapy group and 41 patients in the radiotherapy group. Comparable demographics were observed between the two groups. Vaginal length was notably longer in the non-radiotherapy group, and the Q-tip test angle was significantly greater in this group. A higher incidence of stress urinary incontinence and higher scores on the Incontinence Severity Index were noted in the non-radiotherapy group. Conversely, the radiotherapy group exhibited significantly higher scores on the Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Index components and total score. Urogenital Distress Inventory scores were similar between the groups.

Conclusion

Radiotherapy showed mixed effects on pelvic floor function in endometrial cancer patients. While it potentially improved stress urinary incontinence, it was associated with unfavorable outcomes in overall pelvic floor dysfunction.
Learning in public goods games: the effects of uncertainty and communication on cooperation
Authors: Orzan Nicole , Acar Erman , Grossi Davide , Rădulescu Roxana
Published: January 2025

Communication is a widely used mechanism to promote cooperation in multi-agent systems. In the field of emergent communication, agents are typically trained in specific environments: cooperative, competitive or mixed-motive. Motivated by the idea that real-world settings are characterized by incomplete information and that humans face daily interactions under a wide spectrum of incentives, we aim to explore the role of emergent communication when simultaneously exploited across all these contexts. In this work, we pursue this line of research by focusing on social dilemmas. To do this, we developed an extended version of the Public Goods Game, which allows us to train independent reinforcement learning agents simultaneously in different scenarios where incentives are (mis)aligned to various extents. Additionally, agents experience uncertainty in terms of the alignment of their incentives with those of others. We equip agents with the ability to learn a communication policy and study the impact of emergent communication in the face of uncertainty among agents. Our findings show that in settings where all agents have the same level of uncertainty, communication can enhance the cooperation of the whole group. However, in cases of asymmetric uncertainty, the agents that do not face uncertainty learn to use communication to deceive and exploit their uncertain peers.
Enhanced model for abstractive Arabic text summarization using natural language generation and named entity recognition
Authors: Essa Nada , El-Gayar M. M. , El-Daydamony Eman M.
Published: January 2025

With the rise of Arabic digital content, effective summarization methods are essential. Current Arabic text summarization systems face challenges such as language complexity and vocabulary limitations. We introduce an innovative framework using Arabic Named Entity Recognition to enhance abstractive summarization, crucial for NLP applications like question answering and knowledge graph construction. Our model, based on natural language generation techniques, adapts to diverse datasets. It identifies key information, synthesizes it into coherent summaries, and ensures grammatical accuracy through deep learning. Evaluated on the EASC dataset, our model achieved a 74% ROUGE1 score and a 97.6% accuracy in semantic coherence, with high readability and relevance scores. This sets a new standard for Arabic text summarization, greatly improving NLP information processing.
Artificial intelligence for segmentation and classification in lumbar spinal stenosis: an overview of current methods
Authors: Verheijen E. J. A. , Kapogiannis T. , Munteh D. , Chabros J. , Staring M. , Smith T. R. , Vleggeert-Lankamp C. L. A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a frequently occurring condition defined by narrowing of the spinal or nerve root canal due to degenerative changes. Physicians use MRI scans to determine the severity of stenosis, occasionally complementing it with X-ray or CT scans during the diagnostic work-up. However, manual grading of stenosis is time-consuming and induces inter-reader variability as a standardized grading system is lacking. Machine Learning (ML) has the potential to aid physicians in this process by automating segmentation and classification of LSS. However, it is unclear what models currently exist to perform these tasks.

Methods

A systematic review of literature was performed by searching the Cochrane Library, Embase, Emcare, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for studies describing an ML-based algorithm to perform segmentation or classification of the lumbar spine for LSS. Risk of bias was assessed through an adjusted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale that was more applicable to ML studies. Qualitative analyses were performed based on type of algorithm (conventional ML or Deep Learning (DL)) and task (segmentation or classification).

Results

A total of 27 articles were included of which nine on segmentation, 16 on classification and 2 on both tasks. The majority of studies focused on algorithms for MRI analysis. There was wide variety among the outcome measures used to express model performance. Overall, ML algorithms are able to perform segmentation and classification tasks excellently. DL methods tend to demonstrate better performance than conventional ML models. For segmentation the best performing DL models were U-Net based. For classification U-Net and unspecified CNNs powered the models that performed the best for the majority of outcome metrics. The number of models with external validation was limited.

Conclusion

DL models achieve excellent performance for segmentation and classification tasks for LSS, outperforming conventional ML algorithms. However, comparisons between studies are challenging due to the variety in outcome measures and test datasets. Future studies should focus on the segmentation task using DL models and utilize a standardized set of outcome measures and publicly available test dataset to express model performance. In addition, these models need to be externally validated to assess generalizability.
Outcome of conservative treatments in patients with TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture or disc perforation
Authors: Kong Mi-Sun , Huh Kyung-Hoe , Kho Hong-Seop
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of comprehensive conservative treatments in patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective study of thirty-one consecutive patients with findings of TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation using magnetic resonance imaging. Comprehensive stomatognathic system assessments were performed. Comprehensive treatment modalities were applied to each patient and treatment outcomes were analyzed. The changes in patient-reported symptoms and comfortable mouth opening (CMO) and maximum mouth opening (MMO) distances were analyzed between the baseline and after treatment.

Results

Twenty-eight females and three males were included in this study. Four patients (12.9%) reported a history of facial injury and another four (12.9%) reported having rheumatoid arthritis. Unilateral chewing was the most frequently reported parafunctional habit, followed by clenching. The mean treatment duration was 24.3 ± 11.1 months. Most of the patients received more than one type of treatment. Both CMO and MMO distances increased significantly (P < 0.001) after treatment. Approximately three-quarters of patients reported partial improvement in symptoms, and one-fourth reported complete improvement.

Conclusions

Comprehensive conservative treatments were effective and should be applied first in patients with TMJ retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation.

Clinical relevance

Conservative treatments are recommended for patients with severe damage to the TMJ structures, such as retrodiscal layer rupture and/or disc perforation, before applying surgical approach.
Gonadal miRNomes and transcriptomes in infected fish reveal sexually dimorphic patterns of the immune response
Authors: van Gelderen Tosca A. , Debnath Pinky , Joly Silvia , Bertomeu Edgar , Duncan Neil , Furones Dolors , Ribas Laia
Published: January 2025

Fish disease outbreaks caused by bacterial burdens are responsible for decreasing productivity in aquaculture. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms activated in the gonads after infections is pivotal for enhancing husbandry techniques in fish farms, ensuring disease management, and selecting the most resilience phenotype. The present study, with an important commercial species the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), an important commercial species in Europe, examined changes in the miRNome and transcriptome 48 h after an intraperitoneal infection with Vibrio anguillarum. The findings indicate that following infection, testes exhibited more pronounced alterations in both the miRNome and transcriptome. Specifically, males showed approximately 26% more differentially expressed genes in testicular genes compared to females (2,624 vs. 101 DEGs). Additionally, four miRNAs (miR-183-5p, miR-191-3p, miR-451-5p, and miR-724-5p) were significantly expressed post-infection in males, while none were identified in females. Interestingly, upon deep analysis of sexual dimorphic gene modules, a larger number of miRNAs were identified in infected females targeting genes related to the immune system compared to infected males. These results suggest that fish ovaries demonstrate greater resilience in response to infections by suppressing genes related to the immune system through a post-transcriptional mechanism performed by miRNAs. In contrast, testes activate genes related to the immune system and repress genes related to cellular processes to cope with the infection. In particular, the crosstalk between the miRNome and transcriptome in infected males revealed a pivotal gene, namely, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (igfbp), acting as a gene network hub in which miR-192-3p was connected. The current study elucidated the need to comprehend the basic immune regulatory responses associated with miRNAs and gene regulation networks that depend on fish sex. The data reveal the importance of considering sex as a factor in interpreting the immune system in fish to generate efficient protocols to prevent outbreaks in fish farms.
An Intensified Cereal Push-Pull System Reduces Pest Infestation and Confers Yield Advantages in High-Value Vegetables
Authors: Chidawanyika Frank , Omuse Evanson R. , Agutu Lavender O. , Pittchar Jimmy O. , Nyagol Dickens , Khan Zeyaur R.
Published: January 2025

Crop diversification is associated with ecosystem services that can improve yield. We integrated tomatoes and kales within the cereal push-pull technology (PPT), to form the vegetable integrated push-pull (VIPP), and explored the influence of these cropping systems on pest and disease management, and subsequent yield of the vegetables. Aphids and diamondback moths (DBM), the major pests in kale production, together with grasshoppers were consistently lower in the VIPP plots. Low incidences and damage by leafminers, whiteflies and fruitflies on tomatoes were observed in VIPP plots compared to plots of tomato intercropped with maize (control). The severity of black rot and leaf curl on kales and leaf spots on tomatoes were less in VIPP compared to control. We recorded good quality and high yield of tomato and kale grown in VIPP plots rather than control plots. We demonstrate that spatial crop diversification such as integrating vegetables such as kale and tomato in a push-pull system can boost yield and maintain crop integrity.
Integration of Engineering Practices into Primary Science Classrooms
Authors: García-Carmona Antonio , Muñoz-Franco Granada , Cruz-Guzmán Marta
Published: January 2025

The integration of engineering practices into science education began to be explicitly promoted in the early twenty-first century and has since spread to many countries through recent curricular reforms. Despite this is fostered from the initial levels of education, there remains limited information on how to conduct it effectively in the classroom. To address this gap, a systematic review of studies published during the period 2001–2021 was conducted, focusing on the integration of engineering practices into primary education (6–12 years) science classes. A total of 24 studies were selected and analyzed to respond to how engineering practices are integrated into science classes, which engineering practices and science content are chosen, what challenges students are often faced with, and what evidence supports this curricular integration. The findings reveal that the predominant integration model is one that subordinates science to engineering learning using the project-based or design-based learning approach and teamwork. The most recurrent combination of engineering practices in the same learning situation is the one that includes “design solutions” and “obtaining, evaluating and/or communicating information,” while the use of computational thinking was not addressed in the studies analyzed. Regarding science content, studies suggest that virtually any topic can be useful to integrate engineering practices, normally aimed at designing or constructing artifacts. However, the evidence found on the educational benefits and feasibility of integrating engineering practices into primary science education shows a still inconclusive scenario. The study concludes with a discussion of its limitations and implications for future research and practice.
An mTOR inhibitor discovery system using drug-sensitized yeast
Authors: Breen Anna K. , Thomas Sarah , Beckett David , Agsalud Matthew , Gingras Graham , Williams Judd , Wasko Brian M.
Published: January 2025

Inhibition of the target of rapamycin (TOR/mTOR) protein kinase by the drug rapamycin extends lifespan and health span across diverse species. However, rapamycin has potential off-target and side effects that warrant the discovery of additional TOR inhibitors. TOR was initially discovered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) which contains two TOR paralogs, TOR1 and TOR2. Yeast lacking functional Tor1 are viable but are hypersensitive to growth inhibition by TORC1 inhibitors, which is a property of yeast that can be exploited to identify TOR inhibitors. Additionally, yeast lacking FK506-sensitive proline rotamase (FPR1) or containing a tor1-1 allele (a mutation in the Fpr1-rapamycin binding domain of Tor1) are robustly and selectively resistant to rapamycin and analogs that allosterically inhibit TOR activity via an FPR1-dependent mechanism. To facilitate the identification of TOR inhibitors, we generated a panel of yeast strains with mutations in TOR pathway genes combined with the removal of 12 additional genes involved in drug efflux. This creates a drug-sensitive strain background that can sensitively and effectively identify TOR inhibitors. In a wild-type yeast strain background, 25 µM of Torin1 and 100 µM of GSK2126458 (omipalisib) are necessary to observe TOR1-dependent growth inhibition by these known TOR inhibitors. In contrast, 100 nM Torin1 and 500 nM GSK2126458 (omipalisib) are sufficient to identify TOR1-dependent growth inhibition in the drug-sensitized background. This represents a 200-fold and 250-fold increase in detection sensitivity for Torin1 and GSK2126458, respectively. Additionally, for the TOR inhibitor AZD8055, the drug-sensitive system resolves that the compound results in TOR1-dependent growth sensitivity at 100 µM, whereas no growth inhibition is observed in a wild-type yeast strain background. Our platform also identifies the caffeine analog aminophylline as a TOR1-dependent growth inhibitor via selective tor1 growth sensitivity. We also tested nebivolol, isoliquiritigenin, canagliflozin, withaferin A, ganoderic acid A, and taurine and found no evidence for TOR inhibition using our yeast growth-based model. Our results demonstrate that this system is highly effective at identifying compounds that inhibit the TOR pathway. It offers a rapid, cost-efficient, and sensitive tool for drug discovery, with the potential to expedite the identification of new TOR inhibitors that could serve as geroprotective and/or anti-cancer agents.
Role for neurological and immunological resilience in the pathway of the aging muscle powerpenia: InCHIANTI study longitudinal results
Authors: Pellegrino Raffaello , Paganelli Roberto , Di Iorio Angelo , Candeloro Matteo , Volpato Stefano , Bandinelli Stefania , Moretti Antimo , Iolascon Giovanni , Tanaka Toshiko , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: January 2025

The neuromuscular junction shows several degenerative changes with aging, resulting in a reduction of transmission efficacy. These changes, paired with low-grade chronic inflammation, were considered triggers of the aging muscle processes. The main objective of this study is to assess the role of leukocyte count–derived ratios, nerve conduction velocity (NCV), and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) in determining time-dependent reduction in lower limb muscle explosive strength, a condition that has been defined as powerpenia. The InCHIANTI study enrolled a representative sample from the registry lists of two towns in Tuscany, Italy. Baseline data were collected in 1998, with follow-up visits every 3 years. For the purpose of this analysis, we used 1229 subjects and 3814 follow-up assessments. Subjects with lower values of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (ML-ratio) had higher nerve conduction velocity and higher proximal and distal action potential values; moreover, considering the interaction between age for ML-ratio effect, a statistically significant direct association is found with all the electromyography-parameters. Lower limb muscle power shows a gender dimorphism, male subjects having higher values at baseline, but experiencing steeper decline rate during the follow-up, compared to females. Muscle power was inversely associated with ML-ratio, proximal CMAP, distal CMAP, and NCV. Moreover, we found a direct and statistically significant second-order interaction (age for ML-ratio), meaning that at the same age, increasing ML-ratio increases lower limb muscle power. Lastly, also body composition variation across aging is directly associated with lower limb muscle power. Reduced immunological and neurological homeostasis affects the powerpenia phenotype in a large representative sample of Italian men and women.
Contrasting effects of plant and animal residue biochars on soil health, carbon stability, and crop yield
Authors: Sapkota Sundar , Ghimire Rajan , Brewer Catherine E. , Fernando Shermal
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Agricultural residues have the potential to be used for biochar production and utilization as a soil amendment. However, the decomposition dynamics of plant and animal residue biochar and their impacts on soil health and carbon (C) stability have not been well studied. This study evaluated soil health, crop productivity, greenhouse gas emissions, and C mineralization kinetics after amendment with agricultural residue biochar.

Methods

Biochar derived from cattle manure (CM), hemp wood (HW), and pecan wood (PW) were applied in soil at 1% w/w, and sorghum was cultivated for three months in greenhouse pots. Soils from the pot experiment were subsequently incubated in the laboratory for three months, and decomposition data were fitted to C mineralization kinetic models.

Results

Soil organic carbon (SOC) was 72% greater in PW-amended soils than in the control. The CM-amended soil had a 9% greater cation exchange capacity, 28% higher fungi/bacteria ratio, and 24% greater saprophytes than the control. While CM had 47% more grain yield than the control, plant residue biochar maintained greater gram-positive and actinobacteria abundances, and ultimately, more C at the end of laboratory incubation. Total C mineralized during 91-day incubation was lowest in HW and highest in CM. The first-order kinetic model best described C mineralization for PW and HW, while the double exponential model best fitted for CM-amended soils.

Conclusion

Plant residue biochars enhanced SOC storage, while manure biochar increased soil nutrients and crop yields. The difference in decomposition was related to the composition of plant and animal residue biochar.
Diagnosis and Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Without Obstructive Epicardial Stenosis
Authors: Ziada Khaled , Alkhawam Hassan , Hajeh Haidar , Modi Malak , Helmy Tarek
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

What is the pathophysiology and clinical findings as well as management of patients presenting with INOCA/MINOCA (Ischemia/Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries).

Recent Findings

INOCA/MINOCA has a complex pathophysiology.

In this review article, we aim to summarize the complex pathophysiology and clinical diagnosis, and review the current management options.
Observations on NIST SP 800-90B entropy estimators
Authors: Aslan Melis , Doğanaksoy Ali , Saygı Zülfükar , Sönmez Turan Meltem , Sulak Fatih
Published: January 2025

Random numbers play a crucial role in cryptography since the security of cryptographic protocols relies on the assumption of the availability of uniformly distributed and unpredictable random numbers to generate secret keys, nonce, salt, etc. However, real-world random number generators sometimes fail and produce outputs with low entropy, leading to security vulnerabilities. The NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-90 series provides guidelines and recommendations for generating random numbers for cryptographic applications and describes 10 black-box entropy estimation methods. This paper evaluates the effectiveness and limitations of the SP 800-90 methods by exploring the accuracy of these estimators using simulated random numbers with known entropy, investigating the correlation between entropy estimates, and studying the impacts of deterministic transformations on the estimators.
Cerebellar Development and the Burden of Prematurity
Authors: Muehlbacher Tobias , Dudink Jeroen , Steggerda Sylke J.
Published: January 2025

The role of the cerebellum in the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants has often been neglected. However, accumulating evidence indicates that normal cerebellar development is disrupted by prematurity-associated complications causing cerebellar injury and by prematurity itself. This hampers not only the normal development of motor skills and gait, but also cognitive, language, and behavioral development, collectively referred to as "developmental cognitive affective syndrome." In this comprehensive narrative review, we provide the results of an extensive literature search in PubMed and Embase to summarize recent evidence on altered cerebellar development in premature infants, focusing on neuroimaging findings, its causative factors and its impact on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
137Cs Distribution Coefficients in Seawater, Sedimentation Rates, and Remobilization in Sediment Cores from Masan Bay and Suyeong Bay, Korea
Authors: Kwon Hyeong Kyu , Park Jaehong , Kim Young-Il , Kim Guebuem
Published: January 2025

We measured 137Cs in seawater, particulate matter, and sediment cores from two coastal bays (Masan Bay and Suyeong Bay) in Korea in August 2016 and July 2017 to examine its deposition in water and remobilization in the sediments. The 137Cs activities in the bay seawaters were similar to those in the remote ocean seawaters, suggesting that there are no extra 137Cs inputs from land. We reconstructed the deposition history of 137Cs using the measured distribution coefficient (K
d) values in the bay, the known history of 137Cs activities in the remote ocean seawaters, and sediment ages based on the 210Pb method. The measured inventory of 137Cs in the sediment cores retained about 89–94% of the reconstructed 137Cs inventory in the same depths, but the measured distribution patterns were very different from the reconstructed profiles. The measured distributions of 137Cs were quite uniform and penetrated more deeply, with the peaks at a shallow oxic layer and around 1963, indicating significant post-depositional remobilization and redistribution due to changes in porewater chemistry with depth. The sedimentation rates (0.53–0.70 cm yr−1) derived from 137Cs in the two bays agree well with those (0.51–0.68 cm yr−1) derived from 210Pb. Thus, our results suggest that 137Cs can be used as an independent geochronological tracer in coastal sediments, but careful consideration is necessary for the remobilization of 137Cs in sediment cores.
Correlation between parathyroid adenoma volume and perioperative outcomes in primary hyperparathyroidism: Does the size matter?
Authors: Fiore Antonio , Eschlböck Sophie , Carlen Céline , Lazaridis Ioannis I. , Lalos Alexandros , Droeser Raoul , Delko Tarik , Posabella Alberto
Published: January 2025

Background

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) due to a parathyroid adenoma stands as one of the most prevalent endocrinological disorders, with focused parathyroidectomy being the established therapeutic strategy.

Aim

This study aims to investigate whether the volume of the pathological gland influences perioperative outcomes and postoperative morbidity.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 141 patients who underwent focused parathyroidectomy for PHPT at the University Hospital of Basel between 2007 and 2022.

Results

A total of 141 patients underwent surgery, with a mean age of 57.2 years and prevalence of women (64.5%).The volume of the lesion was divided into three groups (low < 1 ml, middle 1–1.99 ml, large > 2 ml) based on pathological specimen analysis. Preoperative calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) values were significantly higher in the large volume group compared to the low volume group (p < 0.05), while phosphate and vitamin D values were significantly lower (p < 0.05). A comparison of adenoma volume in symptomatic patients with asymptomatic patients revealed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.845) and the volume of the gland of any group did not influence the length of the operation (p = 0.173) and the perioperative morbidity (p = 0.108).

Conclusion

Compared to a volume of less than 1 ml, a parathyroid gland volume greater than 2 ml was associated with higher preoperative PTH and calcium levels and lower phosphate and vitamin D levels. The volume of the parathyroid gland does not seem to impact the clinical manifestations, or the incidence of perioperative complications.
Risk factors for survival after lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis: impact of colonization with multidrug-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Weingard Bettina , Becker Sören L. , Schneitler Sophie , Trudzinski Franziska C. , Bals Robert , Wilkens Heinrike , Langer Frank
Published: January 2025

Background

Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment option for patients with advanced cystic fibrosis. Chronic colonization of these recipients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens may constitute a risk factor for an adverse outcome. We sought to analyze whether colonization with MDR pathogens, as outlined in the German classification of multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria (MRGN), was associated with the success of lung transplantation.

Methods

We performed a monocentric retrospective analysis of 361 lung transplantations performed in Homburg, Germany, between 1995 and 2020. All recipients with a main diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (n = 69) were stratified into two groups based on colonization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in view of MRGN before transplantation: no colonization and colonization without (n = 23) or with (n = 46) resistance to three or four antibiotic groups (3MRGN/4MRGN). Multivariable analyses were performed including various clinical parameters (preoperative data, postoperative data).

Results

CF patients colonized with multidrug-resistant pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) classified as 3MRGN/4MRGN had poorer survival (median survival 16 years (without MRGN) versus 8 years (with MRGN), P = 0.048). Extracorporeal support (P = 0.014, HR = 2.929), re-transplantation (P = 0.023, HR = 2.303), female sex (P = 0.019, HR = 2.244) and 3MRGN/4MRGN (P = 0.036, HR = 2.376) were predictors of poor outcomes in the multivariate analysis. Co-colonization with the mold Aspergillus fumigatus was further associated with mortality risk in the 3MRGN/4MRGN group (P = 0.037, HR = 2.150).

Conclusion

Patients with cystic fibrosis and MDR colonization (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) are risk candidates for lung transplantation, targeted diagnostics and tailored anti-infective strategies are essential for survival after surgery. MDR colonization as expressed by MRGN may help to identify patients at increased risk to improve the organ allocation process.
"Am I the only one who will Spread the Virus?": Impact of Public Stigma Towards the East Asian Population Living in Spain Related to COVID-19
Authors: Muñoz-del-Pino Iris María , Saavedra-Macías Francisco Javier , Pérez-Vallejos Elvira
Published: January 2025

Previous studies have suggested that COVID-19 led to an increase in stigma towards the Asian population with a negative impact on their health. This study aims to explore this phenomenon and its impact on health through the qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 26 people of Asian origin living in Spain from September 2020 to September 2021. Among the results, it was found that, prior to the pandemic, discrimination was mostly verbal. After the outbreak of the pandemic, some participants, who were blamed and referred to as "COVID", experienced fear and physical aggression. Among the health effects, mental and social disturbances such as feeling like "permanent foreigners", worrying about being stigmatized or fear of interacting with others were prominent. The main protective factor was the support network, including education and community cohesion as main determinants. Future research is needed to analyse the evolution of this stigma after the pandemic and to explore in detail its impact on health.