bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Past, Present, and Future Therapeutic Strategies for NF-1-Associated Tumors
Authors: Na Brian , Shah Shilp R. , Vasudevan Harish N.
Published: May 2024

Purpose of Review

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is a cancer predisposition syndrome caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene that encodes the neurofibromin protein, which functions as a negative regulator of Ras signaling. We review the past, current, and future state of therapeutic strategies for tumors associated with NF-1.

Recent Findings

Therapeutic efforts for NF-1-associated tumors have centered around inhibiting Ras output, leading to the clinical success of downstream MEK inhibition for plexiform neurofibromas and low-grade gliomas. However, MEK inhibition and similar molecular monotherapy approaches that block Ras signaling do not work for all patients and show limited efficacy for more aggressive cancers such as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and high-grade gliomas, motivating novel treatment approaches.

We highlight the current therapeutic landscape for NF-1-associated tumors, broadly categorizing treatment into past strategies for serial Ras pathway blockade, current approaches targeting parallel oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways, and future avenues of investigation leveraging biologic and technical innovations in immunotherapy, pharmacology, and gene delivery.
Contentious Origins of Authoritarian Social Protection: China’s “Threat-Driven” Strategy in Redistribution
Authors: Zhu Hongshen
Published: May 2024

Despite the lack of electoral accountability, China has built an expanding welfare system that is set to include most citizens. Why does China defy the conventional prediction of an exclusive authoritarian welfare state? This paper looks at the critical time when China first established its social security system in the 1990s and argues that the state adopts a “threat-driven strategy” where the redistribution effort varies with the expected collective action of economic losers. Analyzing an original granular county-level dataset of China’s laid-off workers and social security taxation, the paper finds that a group of newly emerged economic losers, precipitated by state policy, drives the local states’ efforts to redistribute. In particular, the number of laid-off state-owned enterprise workers explains 46% of the variations in social security collection among non-state-owned enterprises. Instrumental variable estimation, with legacy state-owned enterprises established in historical contingencies as the instrument for laid-off workers, shows consistent results. Further analysis on mechanisms demonstrates that layoffs lead to an increase in SOE protests, which in turn foster greater redistribution.
Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Pretreatment and Nanoparticles in Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion Using Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Ajayi-Banji Ademola , Pourhashem Ghasideh , Rahman Shafiqur , Feng Xiaoyu
Published: May 2024

The yield of green energy from solid-state anaerobic co-digestion (SSAD) has recently been enhanced by incorporating innovative pretreatment methods and nanoparticles. However, the environmental consequences of employing new processes have not been fully examined. In this study, the environmental impacts of three high-methane-yielding scenarios including SSAD of corn stover blended with dairy manure (DM) denoted as (SYM1), calcium hydroxide-pretreated corn stover (CpCS) blended with DM (SYM2), and the CpCS blended with DM and nanoparticles (SYM3) were assessed and compared the baselines of solid-state and semi-solid-state anaerobic digestion using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The approach investigated the best management practices that would result in high methane yield and low environmental impact. Results of the life cycle assessment indicate the inclusion of calcium hydroxide and nanoparticle has minimal negative environmental impact. There was an environmental gain in GWP when corn stover was co-digestion with DM (SYM1) relative to DM mono-digestions (baselines) and the carbon footprint of SYM1 was less by more than 85% compared to SYM2 and SYM3. However, the large volume of untreated corn stover harnessed for SYM1 scenario resulted in over 75% fossil fuel depletion compared to the other scenarios. The surplus methane from the SYM3 (at least twofold of other scenarios and baselines) in conjunction with being the least with the environmental implication makes the scenario the most attractive option for on-farm practice capable of harnessing the growing organic waste volume. These outcomes can guide trade-off between pretreatment and nanoparticle application to reduce solid-state anaerobic digestion’s negative environmental impact.
How Can Citizen Science in a Botanical Garden Enrich the Discipline of Ethnobotany?
Authors: Mulhauser Blaise , Gaille Elodie
Published: May 2024

Citizen science is a tool that makes it possible to design large-scale studies while developing dialogues among people. It has developed in many fields, such as ecology, biodiversity studies, climatology, and sociology. Done properly, it can help produce a large amount of data that can later be analyzed using statistical tools. Can ethnobotany also benefit from such investigations? Based on three citizen science projects carried out in a botanical garden, this paper explores the possibility of developing ethnobotanical citizen science research in a context other than that of fieldwork. Examples include a literacy laboratory within a multicultural exhibit (2018), a survey on the uses of medicinal plants during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (2021), and a call for testimonials about and recipes for medicinal plants from around the world (2020–2023). This approach, enriched by the citizens themselves, is in keeping with the aspirations of the ethnobiologists who have called for a paradigm shift following the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived as a tipping point. Citizen science practices implemented in a museum institution, such as a botanical garden, thus make it possible to carry out multicultural surveys and discuss results with people in an open dialogue.
A review on the geotechnical design and optimisation of ultra-long ore passes for deep mass mining
Authors: Salmi Ebrahim F. , Phan Tan , Sellers Ewan J. , Stacey Thomas R.
Published: May 2024

Enhancing mine energy efficiency and productivity necessitates the implementation of longer ore passes, exceeding 300 m, to optimise material transport in underground mass mining. This research has revealed sporadic historical use of extremely long ore passes, stretching beyond 500 m and reaching up to 650–700 m, in both surface and underground settings. However, the scarcity of available data related to the primary engineering, geological, and geotechnical risks associated with the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of long ore passes implies an urgent need for research into strategies to mitigate uncertainties in the design and optimisation of these passes. A comprehensive gap analysis from available ore pass projects worldwide, compiling various geological and geotechnical parameters affecting the ore passes’ design and optimisation, identifies new techniques for designing these critical rock structures, highlights deficiencies in current methodologies, and shows areas for enhancement through expert elicitation techniques and risk assessment methods. Key utilisation scenarios for ore passes exceeding 300 m in length were also identified within the research and categorised into the design phase, emphasising stability, inclination, and gate loading, and the construction phase, including drilling, blasting, raiseboring, and support and lining, and the operational phase, encompassing flow dynamics, hang-ups, and ore fragmentation consequences. Insights gleaned from this comprehensive literature review and gap analysis provide a robust foundation for geotechnical engineers involved in the design of long and ultra-long ore passes for deep mass mining. These findings can empower engineers by enabling them to proactively anticipate, effectively respond to, and continually learn from the challenges inherent in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of ultra-long and long ore passes. Further research is needed to facilitate energy-efficient material transfer in deep mass mining, including proper design and implementation of passes in uncertain geological conditions. This includes techniques for investigating the long-term stability of ore passes, enhancing the understanding of the risk of structural failure, improving characterisation of rock fragments, investigating flow dynamics, identifying better liner materials, methods for determining optimal pass placement, improving surveying and monitoring techniques, quantifying the rheological behaviour of muck and wet muck for flowability assessment, assessing the impact of mining-induced stresses on the stability of long ore passes, and developing safer and more efficient techniques for the mitigation and recovery of hang-ups.
HDRC: a subjective quality assessment database for compressed high dynamic range image
Authors: Liu Yue , Ni Zhangkai , Chen Peilin , Wang Shiqi , Kwong Sam
Published: May 2024

Evaluating the quality of high dynamic range (HDR) images has emerged as a challenging and contemporary topic with the proliferation of HDR content. In this work, a new HDR compression (HDRC) database is proposed, aiming to provide a benchmark for the development of full-reference HDR image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms when facing the latest HDR compression distortions. In particular, the proposed HDRC database is the first HDR-IQA database to incorporate Versatile Video Coding (VVC) compression distortions, closely associated with practical application scenarios. Furthermore, the proposed HDRC database is currently the largest HDR-IQA database, including 80 reference images and 400 distorted images. Extensive experiments are conducted by studying the performance compared to existing HDR-IQA databases when evaluating three HDR-specific IQA models and nine IQA models prevalent for low dynamic range (LDR) content, revealing the challenges the proposed HDRC database brings. The results indicate that the existing IQA models demonstrate noticeable decreases in accuracy when assessing new compression distortions, underscoring the need for the development of novel HDR-IQA models. Consequently, the suggested HDRC database can serve as a potential database for HDR-IQA research, fostering a comprehensive exploration of the associated fields.
Worrying with Children and Water in ECEC: Exploring the Pedagogical framing Effects of Actions for Climate Change
Authors: White E. Jayne , Williams Ngaroma , Martin Kaitlyn
Published: May 2024

Based on Sustainable Development Goals, a recent flurry of activity has begun concerning the responsibilities of teachers to support young children in recognising and responding to aspects of climate change. Less, however, is understood about the emotional impact of these interventions on children themselves, or the extent to which the way they are framed can impact on the actions that follow. The extent to which children are encouraged to worry about water and their responsibilities concerning its sustainability is of relevance to the children of Aotearoa New Zealand and orients the focus of this paper. Walking with 3–4-year-old children over several days across three early childhood education and care sites located near waterways in the South Island, researchers share examples of worrying that took place for these children as we walked together with water. Utilising Bilandzic et al. (Sci Commun 39:466–491, 2017) goal frames to analyse their significance, the ways children worried are explored in a series of narratives that identify as series of positive and negative frames and their consequences. The paper concludes by highlighting the considerable effects of worrying and their consequences for activating children towards climate action. Teachers are invited to take a nuanced view that ameliorates the counter-productive outcomes of negative frames that can immobilise action, in contemplation of positive frames with water as a relational encounter with potential for empowerment and change. As such, a shift from emphasising activities for climate change to the framings that orient their significance through children’s worrying encounters with and about water.
A simple and unified protocol to purify all seven Escherichia coli RNA polymerase sigma factors
Authors: Kędzierska Barbara , Stodolna Aleksandra , Bryszkowska Katarzyna , Dylewski Maciej , Potrykus Katarzyna
Published: May 2024

RNA polymerase sigma factors are indispensable in the process of bacterial transcription. They are responsible for a given gene’s promoter region recognition on template DNA and hence determine specificity of RNA polymerase and play a significant role in gene expression regulation. Here, we present a simple and unified protocol for purification of all seven Escherichia coli RNA polymerase sigma factors. In our approach, we took advantage of the His8-SUMO tag, known to increase protein solubilization. Sigma factors were first purified in N-terminal fusions with this tag, which was followed by tag removal with Ulp1 protease. This allowed to obtain proteins in their native form. In addition, the procedure is simple and requires only one resin type. With the general protocol we employed, we were able to successfully purify σD, σE, σS, and σN. Final step modification was required for σF, while for σH and σFecI, denaturing conditions had to be applied. All seven sigma factors were fully functional in forming an active holoenzyme with core RNA polymerase which we demonstrated with EMSA studies.
Designing specific tools to enhance the numeracy of adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Gaunt Lorraine Vera , Visnovska Jana
Published: May 2024

Numeracy is important for everyday life. Being numerate has a positive impact on the quality of life of individuals, with positive economic, health, and social outcomes. Despite this, little is known about the role of numeracy in the lives of adults with intellectual disability (ID). Design research has been used to develop ways to support mathematical learning for typically developing students. This study investigates the use of design research to develop context-specific, physical tools to support adults with intellectual disability to improve their numeracy capabilities and engagement in daily tasks. Using observation and interview data, findings demonstrate increased engagement and participation in the numeracy demands of these tasks. Participants reported positive perceptions of improved competence and independence. This study demonstrates the application of design research to the field of numeracy for adults with intellectual disability, and the usefulness of designing context-specific tools to support their numeracy development and independence.
A method to account for diversity of practices in Conservation Agriculture
Authors: Ferdinand Manon S. , Baret Philippe V.
Published: May 2024

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is actively promoted as an alternative farming system that combines environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Three pillars define CA: (i) minimum mechanical soil disturbance, (ii) permanent soil organic cover, and (iii) species diversification. The local context, constraints, and needs of the farmers influence the translation of the pillars into practices. Currently, there is no method for categorizing this diversity of CA practices, which hampers impact assessment, understanding of farmer choices and pathways, stakeholder communication, and policymaking. This paper presents a systematic method to identify and categorize the diversity of CA practices at the regional level, anchored in the three pillars and based on practices implemented by CA farmers. The classification method is grounded on the intersection of an archetypal analysis and a hierarchical clustering analysis. This method was used to study CA practices in Wallonia, Belgium, based on a survey of practices in a sample of 48 farmers. Combining the two clustering methods increases the proportion of classified farmers while allowing for the distinction between three CA-types with extreme and salient practices, and two intermediate CA-types comprising farmers whose practices fall between these references. The study reveals that three explanatory factors influence the implementation of CA practices in Wallonia: (i) the proportion of tillage-intensive crops and (ii) temporary grasslands in the crop sequence, and (iii) the organic certification. These factors lead to trade-offs that hinder the three pillars of CA from being fully implemented simultaneously. This new classification method can be replicated in other regions where CA is practiced, by adapting input variables according to context and local knowledge.
Interleukin-6 as a critical inflammatory marker for early diagnosis of surgical site infection after spine surgery
Authors: Roch Paul Jonathan , Ecker Carolin , Jäckle Katharina , Meier Marc-Pascal , Reinhold Maximilian , Klockner Friederike Sophie , Lehmann Wolfgang , Weiser Lukas
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Early diagnosis of surgical site infections (SSIs) could prevent surgical revision. Inflammatory markers (IMs), such as procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), seem more accurate in diagnosing SSI than C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count. The aim was to compare the predictive values of CRP, WBC count, PCT, IL-6, and TNF-α in SSI detection.

Methods

A total of 130 patients undergoing dorsal spondylodesis from 2019 to 2024 were enrolled in a prospective diagnostic study at a maximum care spine center. IMs were measured preoperatively and on the postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Patients with high suspicion of SSI underwent revision surgery. SSI was diagnosed when the microbiological evidence was positive. Patients were divided a posteriori into the non-infection and infection groups.

Results

IMs of 118 patients (66.9 ± 13.0 years, 61.0% females) were measured. Fifteen of the 118 patients (12.7%) developed an SSI. The groups differed with respect to existing hypertension, number of instrumented segments, region of surgery, CRPPOD1,7, PCTPOD7, and IL-6POD3,5,7. Binary logistic regression for SSI detection including these parameters showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95% CI 0.79–0.98; P < 0.001). The main effect for SSI detection was maintained by IL-6POD7 (odds ratio = 1.13; 95% CI 1.05–1.23; P = 0.001), which itself showed an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.75–0.97).

Conclusion

Compared to CRP, WBC count, PCT, and TNF-α, IL-6 seems to be the critical IM for the early detection of an SSI.

Trial registration

drks.de: DRKS00033773, date of registration: 29.02.2024, retrospectively registered; Postoperative Markers of Inflammation in Spine Surgery (POMIS) Trial.
Ultrafast reversible phase engineering in MoTe2 thin film via polaron formation
Authors: Kim Ji-Hee , Schönhoff Gunnar , Lorke Michael , Wehling Tim O. , Yee Ki-Ju
Published: May 2024

The emergence of various polymorphs in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides provides an opportunity for robust phase engineering by temperature, strain, laser irradiation, and external charge doping (Keum in Nat. Phys. 11:482, 2015; Song in Nano Lett. 16:188, 2016; Cho in Science 349:625, 2015; Kim in Nano Lett. 17:3363, 2017). This provides means to develop homojunction of metal–semiconductor, enhance mobility, reduce contact resistance, and observe novel quantum critical phenomena in mesoscopic systems. The rich physics paves the way for ultrafast light-induced switching/memory devices and optical data processing in optoelectronics. However, the fundamental temporal evolution of the laser-driven phase transformation, in particular regarding heat and charge carriers, remains elusive. We report an ultrafast reversible structural transformation in MoTe2 by coherent phonon dynamics through polaron formation at room temperature. At a high photon density, the generated coherent phonons are coupled with excitons to form polarons. The strong exciton–phonon coupling disturbs and dephases the coherent phonons of the semiconducting 2H phase in MoTe2, and generates lattice distortions to further stabilize new coherent phonons of the metallic 1T’-phase, manifested by the emergence of the corresponding phonons in each phase. This structural transformation is fully reversible within a few picoseconds by switching on/off the laser. The nonlinear response of the phonon intensity to the excited carrier density in the intermediate region indicates a gradual structural transformation through coexisting 2H and 1T’ phases.
ALM for insurers with multiple underwriting lines and portfolio constraints: a Lagrangian duality approach
Authors: Castillo Camilo , Serrano Rafael
Published: May 2024

We investigate how an insurance firm can optimally allocate its assets to back up liabilities from multiple non-life business lines. The insurance risks are modeled by a multidimensional jump-diffusion process that accounts for simultaneous claims in different insurance lines with policy limits. We use Lagrangian convex duality techniques to derive optimal investment-underwriting strategies that maximize the expected utility from dividends and final wealth over a finite horizon. We examine how risk aversion, prudence, portfolio constraints, and multivariate insurance risk affect the firm’s earnings retention. We obtain explicit solutions for optimal strategies under constant relative risk aversion preferences. Finally, we illustrate our results with numerical examples and show the impact of co-integration for asset-liability management with multiple sources of insurance risk.
Poisson and Szegö kernel scaling asymptotics on Grauert tube boundaries (after Zelditch, Chang and Rabinowitz)
Authors: Paoletti Roberto
Published: May 2024

We review and elaborate on recent work of Chang and Rabinowitz on scaling asymptotics of Poisson and Szegö kernels on Grauert tubes, providing additional results that may be useful in applications. In particular, focusing on the near-diagonal case, we give an explicit description of the leading order coefficients, and an estimate on the growth of the degree of certain polynomials describing the rescaled asymptotics. Furthermore, we allow rescaled asymptotics in a range $$O\left( \lambda ^{\delta -1/2}\right) $$

O

λ

δ
-
1
/
2

in all the variables involved, where $$\lambda \rightarrow +\infty $$

λ
→
+
∞

is the asymptotic parameter, rather than rescale according to Heisenberg type.
An attention mechanism module with spatial perception and channel information interaction
Authors: Wang Yifan , Wang Wu , Li Yang , Jia Yaodong , Xu Yu , Ling Yu , Ma Jiaqi
Published: May 2024

In the field of deep learning, the attention mechanism, as a technology that mimics human perception and attention processes, has made remarkable achievements. The current methods combine a channel attention mechanism and a spatial attention mechanism in a parallel or cascaded manner to enhance the model representational competence, but they do not fully consider the interaction between spatial and channel information. This paper proposes a method in which a space embedded channel module and a channel embedded space module are cascaded to enhance the model’s representational competence. First, in the space embedded channel module, to enhance the representational competence of the region of interest in different spatial dimensions, the input tensor is split into horizontal and vertical branches according to spatial dimensions to alleviate the loss of position information when performing 2D pooling. To smoothly process the features and highlight the local features, four branches are obtained through global maximum and average pooling, and the features are aggregated by different pooling methods to obtain two feature tensors with different pooling methods. To enable the output horizontal and vertical feature tensors to focus on different pooling features simultaneously, the two feature tensors are segmented and dimensionally transposed according to spatial dimensions, and the features are later aggregated along the spatial direction. Then, in the channel embedded space module, for the problem of no cross-channel connection between groups in grouped convolution and for which the parameters are large, this paper uses adaptive grouped banded matrices. Based on the banded matrices utilizing the mapping relationship that exists between the number of channels and the size of the convolution kernels, the convolution kernel size is adaptively computed to achieve adaptive cross-channel interaction, enhancing the correlation between the channel dimensions while ensuring that the spatial dimensions remain unchanged. Finally, the output horizontal and vertical weights are used as attention weights. In the experiment, the attention mechanism module proposed in this paper is embedded into the MobileNetV2 and ResNet networks at different depths, and extensive experiments are conducted on the CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100 and STL-10 datasets. The results show that the method in this paper captures and utilizes the features of the input data more effectively than the other methods, significantly improving the classification accuracy. Despite the introduction of an additional computational burden (0.5 M), however, the overall performance of the model still achieves the best results when the computational overhead is comprehensively considered.
Quick Fix Solutions-Anticorruption as Core/Peripheral Modality of the ‘Rule of Law’
Authors: Iancu Bogdan
Published: May 2024

Anticorruption has become the fulcrum of conditionalities for unstable democracies. In the EU, antigraft packages formed the common denominator of stabilization policies for Romania, Bulgaria, the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine. Union conditionalities trailed broader international trends and campaigns. The shift led to a crescendo of institutional innovations. Discursively, it generated a degree of conceptual overlap: anticorruption, for peripheral stabilization purposes, equates with the rule of law. I argue that the exclusive stress on anticorruption as a panacea for the (semi)periphery is fraught with perplexities. Paradoxically, in systems that can be reliably described as corrupt, the policy has a propensity to be derailed from its ostensible purposes. This danger results partly from categorial tensions between RoL normativity, on the one hand, and, on the other, the ethical purism and policy quantification inextricably linked with anticorruption. In the context of peripheral crusades, tendencies towards legal instrumentalism and populist emotionalism are exponentially higher than in stable jurisdictions. Consequently, unidirectional attempts to stabilize such systems by way of repressive anticorruption backfire. Likelier results are instability or forms of stability that might not correspond to central, received understandings of how a rule of law liberal-democratic system should operate. By the same token, in the integrated transnational constitutional system located at the intersection of EU and Council of Europe guarantees, “reverse conformities” tend to upset core tenets and representations of the rule of law. The paper argues that anticorruption policies, albeit eminently useful, should be fettered by rule of law constraints, not equated with the notion of the rule of law.
Industrial Ecotechnological Assessment of Lime as a Sustainable Substitute for Desulfurization of Cast Iron
Authors: Adhiwiguna I. , Vellayadevan K. , Tekneci Y. , Walz M. , Algermissen D. , Deike R.
Published: May 2024

This study comprehensively assesses the ecotechnological consideration and perspective of implementing a lime-based desulfurization process in the cast iron industry to replace the utilization of magnesium partially. By adopting an injection process to introduce the lime powder into molten cast iron, this research elucidated that the new alternative concept can successfully be integrated with daily operations without any disparities in cast iron quality, as proved by the production of cast iron products with vermicular graphite. A mixture of lime powder and carbon was utilized, and it was substantiated that the aim of a sulfur content lower than 0.015% can be reliably achieved. Furthermore, an ecological analysis was also conducted to justify the possible environmental advantages. The results indicated that considering the cradle-to-gate approach, the maximum amount of CO2eq connected to the lime-based desulfurization is approximately 43 g for 1 kg of desulfurized cast iron. This amount of calculated emission is still expected to be lower than the minimum calculated emission associated with the magnesium-based process, which can reach an amount of 76 g for a similar functional unit.

Graphical Abstract
On the Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Wrought and AM 17-4 Precipitation-Hardenable Stainless Steels Under Rapid Heating
Authors: Mates S. P. , Habib S. , Zuback J. , Zhang F.
Published: May 2024

Dynamic large-strain plasticity problems in metals can produce temperatures high enough to alter the microstructure, but the limited time-at-temperature prevents complete transformation, thereby making the material strength time-dependent. Precipitation reactions (age-hardening) are an important class of transformations that can create time-dependent dynamic plasticity under rapid heating and loading. This work explores the dynamic behavior of a precipitation-hardenable stainless steel (17-4) produced by wrought and Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods with a rapidly-heated Kolsky bar technique. Wrought 17-4, a martensitic stainless steel, is examined in three common heat treatments (solution-treated, peak-aged and over-aged) at temperatures up to 1000 °C and heating times limited to about three seconds. Solution-treated wrought 17-4 is observed to thermally-harden at aging temperatures (> 400 °C) due to rapid precipitate growth. Peak-aged precipitation strengthening becomes ineffective above 550 °C, as peak-aged material becomes indistinguishable from the solution treated-condition. Over-aged wrought 17-4 does not behave like either of the other conditions, owing to the effect of the extended heat treatment on the precipitates and on the martensite matrix. Stress-relieved AM 17-4 exhibits high dynamic strength and strain hardening at room-temperature due to its meta-stable austenite content and partial age-hardening during the build or stress-relief treatment. A plasticity model is developed for solution-treated wrought 17-4 that captures time-dependent aging effects that are derived from separate aging kinetics experiments. A separate model is developed for over-aged wrought 17-4 that contains no time-dependence as the precipitate population in this material appears to be more stable under rapid heating.
An Assessment of South African Chromite Sand Crushing Ratio
Authors: Kabasele Jonathan Kabadjundi , Nyembwe Kasongo Didier
Published: May 2024

Mechanical reclamation is the de facto method of sand recycling in most foundries used to limit sand dumping and adhere to environmental regulations. The latter metal casting imperatives align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Responsible Production (Goal 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.). The crushing ratio, which essentially assesses the propensity of the sand to produce fine particles during moulding operations, is a critical property to predict the effectiveness of the mechanical reclamation process. This study assesses the crushing ratio of South African chromite sand. Five samples from the top worldwide producers were evaluated and compared. Rod milling was used to simulate mechanical reclamation. After testing, it was found that this crushing ratio varies between 1.68 and 1.93 after 9 minutes. Good statistical linear correlations were established between the crushing ratio of samples with Cr/Fe ratio, chromite content, and grain size. The investigation contributes to additional knowledge of chromite sand for foundry applications.
Longitudinal Job Crafting Research: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Silapurem Likitha , Slemp Gavin R. , Jarden Aaron
Published: May 2024

This study updates and extends upon previous meta-analyses by examining the key antecedents and outcomes within the longitudinal job crafting literature. Using a robust statistical approach that disattenuates correlations for measurement error, we further extend past work by exploring the moderating effect of time on the relationship between job crafting and its key correlates. A systematic literature search gathered all current longitudinal research on job crafting, resulting in k = 66 unique samples in the current analysis. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted for overall job crafting and also for each individual facet of job crafting dimensions. Results showed that both overall job crafting and the individual facets of job crafting had moderate to strong, positive correlations with all variables included in this analysis, except for burnout and neuroticism which were negatively associated. A similar pattern of findings was largely present for all individual facets of job crafting. The exception to this was decreasing hindering demands crafting that had weak, negative associations with all correlates examined, except for burnout where a moderate, positive association was found. Findings from the moderation analysis for work engagement, job performance, and job satisfaction showed that although there was a clear downward trend of correlational effect sizes over time, they did not reach significance. The current study contributes to the job crafting literature by advancing previous meta-analyses, demonstrating the effect that job crafting has on positive work outcomes for both the employee and organisation over time. We conclude by exploring the implications for future research and practice.
Unwelcome Migrant Churches—A Case Study of the Portrayal of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in German-Speaking Online Press
Authors: van der Hoek Stefan
Published: May 2024

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the portrayal of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in German-speaking online press. Utilizing qualitative content analysis, this inquiry examines German-speaking media articles published from 1990 to 2021. Using the systematic methodology developed by Kuckartz and Rädiker, media contents are deconstructed into individual codes and categorized into thematic complexes. This approach provides an understanding of how the UCKG is portrayed in German-speaking online press and therefore may affect Brazilian migrants who are affiliated with the UCKG. The findings of this survey reveal a multifaceted picture of the UCKG and its representation in the German-speaking online press. Dominant themes include the church’s rapid global expansion, the centralization of the leader, and various criminal allegations, predominantly financial crimes and corruption. The study uncovers a consistent pattern of critical and often one-sided media portrayal, contrasting with academic perspectives highlighting the church’s adaptation and diversity in its European context. Additionally, the research illuminates how these media narratives potentially influence public perception and policy decisions regarding the UCKG in Germany. The implications of this study are significant for professionals in the field of migration and religion to gain insights into the complexities of working with religious communities, particularly those facing media scrutiny and public misperceptions.
Elucidating the Degradation Pathways of Human Insulin in the Solid State
Authors: Fagan Andrew , Bateman Lorraine M. , O’Shea Joseph P. , Crean Abina M.
Published: May 2024

While there have been significant advances in the development of peptide oral dosage forms in recent years, highlighted by the clinical and commercial success of approved peptides such as Rybelsus®, there remain several barriers in the way of broad range applicability of this approach to peptide delivery. One such barrier includes the poor physical and chemical stability inherent to their structures, which persists in the solid state although degradation typically occurs at different rates and via different pathways in comparison to the solution state. Using insulin as a model peptide, this work sought to contribute to the development of analytical techniques for investigating common insulin degradation pathways. Chemically denatured, deamidated and aggregated samples were prepared and used to benchmark circular dichroism spectroscopy, reverse phase HPLC and size exclusion chromatography methods for the investigation of unfolding, chemical modifications and covalent aggregation of the insulin molecule respectively. Solid state degraded samples were prepared by heating insulin powder at 60 °C and 75% relative humidity for 1, 3, 5 and 7 d, and the degradation profiles of the samples were evaluated and compared with those observed in solution. While no unfolding was observed to occur, significant deamidation and covalent aggregation were detected. Reductive disulfide bond cleavage using dithiothreitol allowed for separation of the insulin A- and B-chains, offering a facile yet novel means of assessing the mechanisms of deamidation and covalent aggregation occurring in the solid state.
Invasive meningococcal disease in older adults: current perspectives and call for action
Authors: Weil-Olivier Catherine , Taha Muhamed-Kheir , Leng Sean , Dinleyici Ener Cagri , Bonanni Paolo , Moya Elena , Leischker Andreas , Yezli Saber
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a devastating condition. While most attention is directed towards disease in children and adolescents, IMD poses an important cause of morbidity and mortality in adults ≥60 years. While immunization is a critical component of healthy ageing strategies, meningococcal immunization is not routinely offered to older adults. The aim of this review was to summarize clinical and epidemiological aspects of IMD and available immunization strategies, with a particular focus on disease in older individuals, to emphasize the importance of this rather neglected area.

Methods

An expert working group was established to evaluate clinical and epidemiological data to raise awareness of IMD in older individuals, and develop suggestions to improve the existing burden.

Results

Routine child and adolescent meningococcal immunization has substantially reduced IMD in these targeted populations. Consequently, prevalence and proportion of IMD among those ≥60 years, mostly unvaccinated, is increasing in developed countries (accounting for up to 25% of cases). IMD-related mortality is highest in this age-group, with substantial sequelae in survivors. IMD due to serogroups W and Y is more prevalent among older adults, often with atypical clinical features (pneumonia, gastrointestinal presentations) which may delay timely treatment.

Conclusions

IMD in older adults remains overlooked and greater awareness is required at clinical and societal levels. We encourage clinicians and immunization policy makers to reconsider IMD, with a call for action to remedy existing inequity in older adult access to protective meningococcal immunization.
Experiments with a set of cooperative enrichment devices used by groups of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
Authors: Matrai Eszter
Published: May 2024

Dolphins in the wild cooperate to find food, gain and maintain access to mating partners, look after their young ones, or for the sheer joy of play. Under human care, environmental enrichments provide mental and physical stimulation and opportunities for the dolphins to practice their natural abilities. In this review, I focus on a set of enrichment devices we designed for cooperative problem-solving. They allowed the dolphins to utilize and improve their cognitive skills, leading to improved socialization within the group. While the devices provided appropriate challenges to the dolphins, they also allowed the investigation of the impact of demographic and social factors on the cooperative actions. We found that age and relatedness had no impact on cooperation; in turn, cooperation increased with group size. In addition, during the use of these cognitive enrichments, partner preference and intersexual differences were revealed in cooperative actions. The novel multi-partner devices were not only used by dolphin pairs but also by dolphin trios and quartets, providing evidence for group-level cooperation. In addition, a novel food-sharing device was used prosocially by dolphin pairs. Finally, the introduction of these cognitive enrichments leads to measurable short- and long-term welfare improvement. Thus, the use of these cognitive enrichments paired with systematic data collection bridged science with welfare. Future studies will investigate intersexual differences in independent groups, the emergence and function of cooperative interactions, and the socio-dynamics using cognitive enrichments.
A global scale comparison of risk aggregation in AI assessment frameworks
Authors: Schmitz Anna , Mock Michael , Görge Rebekka , Cremers Armin B. , Poretschkin Maximilian
Published: May 2024

AI applications bear inherent risks in various risk dimensions, such as insufficient reliability, robustness, fairness or data protection. It is well-known that trade-offs between these dimensions can arise, for example, a highly accurate AI application may reflect unfairness and bias of the real-world data, or may provide hard-to-explain outcomes because of its internal complexity. AI risk assessment frameworks aim to provide systematic approaches to risk assessment in various dimensions. The overall trustworthiness assessment is then generated by some form of risk aggregation among the risk dimensions. This paper provides a systematic overview on risk aggregation schemes used in existing AI risk assessment frameworks, focusing on the question how potential trade-offs among the risk dimensions are incorporated. To this end, we examine how the general risk notion, the application context, the extent of risk quantification, and specific instructions for evaluation may influence overall risk aggregation. We discuss our findings in the current frameworks in terms of whether they provide meaningful and practicable guidance. Lastly, we derive recommendations for the further operationalization of risk aggregation both from horizontal and vertical perspectives.
Incorporating a Hands-On Device-Based Activity in a Human Factors Biomedical Engineering Course in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Vweza Alick O , Mehta Sara , Wettergreen Matthew , Saterbak Ann
Published: May 2024

A challenge in building the biomedical engineering human factors course at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences was integrating meaningful direct experiences with medical products. The instructor also noticed a significant gap between the topics in the course and their surrounding clinical context, a low-income setting. Recognizing that devices should be designed and evaluated in the context of the local users’ needs and situations, new hands-on modules were created and implemented in this BME human factors course. Students were asked to critically evaluate and make recommendations to improve the human factors aspects of the software and hardware of the IMPALA, a vital signs monitoring device developed for use in Malawi. Engaging with this medical device, students observed and understood many issues discussed in human factors, including the design of ports, controls, and other user interfaces. The collaboration between the course and the IMPALA project harnessed the local expertise of students to improve the design of a new patient monitoring system. Thus, the IMPALA project itself benefited from this collaboration. Second, students greatly benefited from applying the class concepts to the IMPALA. Students were engaged far more during the interactive components than during the lecture components. Many students successfully translated their knowledge on human factors to their final-year design project.
Transforming healthcare delivery: next-generation medication management in smart hospitals through IoMT and ML
Authors: Rawas Soha
Published: May 2024

The management of medications is a crucial component of healthcare, and pharmaceutical errors can have detrimental effects on patients, healthcare professionals, and healthcare systems. By utilizing patient-specific data and cutting-edge technology like the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) and machine learning, customized drug management systems have the potential to increase patient safety and healthcare effectiveness. In this study, we reviewed a large body of literature on the subject of medication management in healthcare and the potential advantages of personalized medication management. We then assessed how IoMT and machine learning might be used to enhance medication management in smart hospitals. Then, we created a framework for assessing how personalized medication management utilizing IoMT and machine learning affects patient safety and healthcare effectiveness. Our study's findings demonstrate that in smart hospitals, tailored medication management with IoMT and machine learning can drastically lower medication errors while also enhancing patient safety and healthcare effectiveness. Our findings have important ramifications for the future of medication administration in smart hospitals, and we advise healthcare professionals and policymakers to give priority to integrating cutting-edge technology like IoMT and machine learning for customized medication management.
Optimization for industrial robot joint movement in non-horizontal 3D printing application
Authors: Lu Ming , Wu Hao , Yuan Philip F.
Published: May 2024

When a robot is printing a sequence of non-horizontal goal poses, its joint values often undergo significant variations, resulting in challenges such as singularities or exceeding joint limits. This paper proposes two new methods aimed at optimizing goal poses to solve the problem. The first method, employing an analytical approach, modifies the goal poses to maintain the 4th joint value of a 6-axis industrial robot at zero. This adjustment effectively reduces the motion range of the 5th and 6th axes. The second method utilizes numerical optimization to adjust the goal poses, aiming to minimize the motion range of all joints. Leveraging the analytical method to obtain one good initial value, numerical optimization is subsequently applied to complete the entire path optimization, creating an optimization workflow. It is also possible to use only analytical methods for computational efficiency. The feasibility and effectiveness of these two methods are validated through simulation and real project case.
Recalcitrant dissolved organic matter in lakes: a critical but neglected carbon sink
Authors: Xia Fan , Zhou Yongqiang , Zhou Lei , Zhang Yunlin , Jeppesen Erik
Published: May 2024

Lakes are hotspots for the biogeochemical processing of carbon, including dissolved organic matter (DOM). A less degradable fraction of DOM, preserved for a long time, can be categorized as recalcitrant DOM (RDOM). Lake RDOM is an important but neglected carbon sink, and its characteristics and transformation processes remain largely unknown.
Christian History Meets Constitutional History: John Courtney Murray’s Augustinian Political Theology of the American Founding
Authors: Wieboldt Dennis J.
Published: May 2024

Much has been written of John Courtney Murray’s reception of Thomas Aquinas. Although not totally misplaced, this near-exclusive attention to Aquinas’s role in Murray’s thought has obscured the contributions of an equally important figure—Augustine of Hippo—to Murray’s political theology. This article thus offers a novel survey of Murray’s seminal We Hold These Truths and reveals that Augustine’s theory of Divine Providence, as articulated in The City of God, circumscribed Murray’s Thomism. With the hope of reconciling differences between American Catholics and non-Catholics at mid-century, Murray relied upon two of the most influential theologians in western Christianity to assert that Divine Providence led the Founding Fathers to place the natural law and religious liberty at the foundation of the American republic.