bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Weyl’s Law for the Steklov Problem on Surfaces with Rough Boundary
Authors: Karpukhin Mikhail , Lagacé Jean , Polterovich Iosif
Published: August 2023

The validity of Weyl’s law for the Steklov problem on domains with Lipschitz boundary is a well-known open question in spectral geometry. We answer this question in two dimensions and show that Weyl’s law holds for an even larger class of surfaces with rough boundaries. This class includes domains with interior cusps as well as “slow” exterior cusps. Moreover, the condition on the speed of exterior cusps cannot be improved, which makes our result, in a sense optimal. The proof is based on the methods of Suslina and Agranovich combined with some observations about the boundary behaviour of conformal mappings.
An Adaptive Consensus Based Method for Multi-objective Optimization with Uniform Pareto Front Approximation
Authors: Borghi Giacomo , Herty Michael , Pareschi Lorenzo
Published: August 2023

In this work we are interested in stochastic particle methods for multi-objective optimization. The problem is formulated via scalarization using parametrized, single-objective sub-problems which are solved simultaneously. To this end a consensus based multi-objective optimization method on the search space combined with an additional heuristic strategy to adapt parameters during the computations is proposed. The adaptive strategy aims to distribute the particles uniformly over the image space, in particular over the Pareto front, by using energy-based measures to quantify the diversity of the system. The resulting gradient-free metaheuristic algorithm is mathematically analyzed using a mean-field approximation of the algorithm iteration and convergence guarantees towards Pareto optimal points are rigorously proven. In addition, we analyze the dynamics when the Pareto front corresponds to the unit simplex, and show that the adaptive mechanism reduces to a gradient flow in this case. Several numerical experiments show the validity of the proposed stochastic particle dynamics, investigate the role of the algorithm parameters and validate the theoretical findings.
Results after intraoperative open and endovascular revascularization of acute mesenteric ischemia requiring a laparotomy
Authors: Kapalla Marvin , Choubey Rahul , Weitz Jürgen , Reeps Christian , Wolk Steffen
Published: August 2023

Background

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a dreaded condition with a difficult diagnosis and high mortality. Due to different baseline situations, the frequently performed comparison between endovascular and open surgical treatment is interfered with selection bias. The purpose of this study was to review outcomes in AMI treatment with an open or endovascular approach in association with laparotomy and to evaluate the endovascular-first strategy in similar clinical situations.

Methods

The clinical data of 74 patients treated for AMI from 2007 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed and compared. In-hospital mortality was appointed as the primary study endpoint. Risk factors for mortality were identified by using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

In total, 61 patients (82%) were treated open surgically (OT) and, 13 patients (18%) with an endovascular approach (ET) in combination with laparatomy. The etiology of AMI was 49% arteriosclerotic and 51% thromboembolic occlusions. The total in-hospital mortality manifested at 43% (n =32) (OT 41% vs. ET 53.8%; P=0.54). As independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality, pneumatosis intestinalis (P=0.01), increased lactate concentration (P=0.04), and ischemic intestinal sections (P=0.01) were identified. Additionally, on univariate analysis patient age, congestive heart failure (> NYHA II) and atrial fibrillation were related with higher mortality.

Conclusions

Morbidity and mortality of AMI remains at a high level. Conventional open or intraoperative endovascular therapy achieved similar results in patients with indication for laparotomy. Advanced disease stage with ischemic intestinal sections at presentation and cardiovascular comorbidities were associated with adverse outcome.
Inactivating TDP2 missense mutation in siblings with congenital abnormalities reminiscent of fanconi anemia
Authors: Zagnoli-Vieira Guido , Brazina Jan , Van Den Bogaert Kris , Huybrechts Wim , Molenaers Guy , Caldecott Keith W. , Van Esch Hilde
Published: August 2023

Mutations in TDP2, encoding tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2, have been associated with a syndromal form of autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia, type 23 (SCAR23). This is a very rare and progressive neurodegenerative disorder described in only nine patients to date, and caused by splice site or nonsense mutations that result in greatly reduced or absent TDP2 protein. TDP2 is required for the rapid repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by abortive DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2) activity, important for genetic stability in post-mitotic cells such as neurons. Here, we describe a sibship that is homozygous for the first TDP2 missense mutation (p.Glu152Lys) and which presents with clinical features overlapping both SCAR23 and Fanconi anemia (FA). We show that in contrast to previously reported SCAR23 patients, fibroblasts derived from the current patient retain significant levels of TDP2 protein. However, this protein is catalytically inactive, resulting in reduced rates of repair of TOP2-induced DNA double-strand breaks and cellular hypersensitivity to the TOP2 poison, etoposide. The TDP2-mutated patient-derived fibroblasts do not display increased chromosome breakage following treatment with DNA crosslinking agents, but both TDP2-mutated and FA cells exhibit increased chromosome breakage in response to etoposide. This suggests that the FA pathway is required in response to TOP2-induced DNA lesions, providing a possible explanation for the clinical overlap between FA and the current TDP2-mutated patients. When reviewing the relatively small number of patients with SCAR23 that have been reported, it is clear that the phenotype of such patients can extend beyond neurological features, indicating that the TDP2 protein influences not only neural homeostasis but also other tissues as well.
Single-row versus transosseous technique in the arthroscopic treatment of rotator cuff tears: a meta-analysis
Authors: De Giorgi S. , Ottaviani G. , Bianchi F. P. , Delmedico M. , Suma M. , Moretti B.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This study aims to compare single-row suture-anchors (SA) versus transosseous arthroscopic (TO) technique in the treatment of patients with rotator cuff tears in terms of clinical structural outcomes at atleast 24 months of follow-up.

Methods

The systematic review was performed according to “PRISMA guidelines” (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses), in order to identify all the studies comparing clinical, both subjective and objective, outcomes with 24 months follow-up minimum in patients undergoing arthroscopic RC repair with the SR and TO technique. OVID-MEDLINE®, Cochrane, SCOPUS and PubMed were searched from January 2010 to October 2022 to identify relevant studies, using the following key words, that were combined together to achieve maximum search strategy sensitivity: “Rotator cuff tear” OR “repair” OR “shoulder” OR “reconstruction” OR “suture” OR “arthroscopic” OR “single-row” OR “transosseous”.

Results

Six papers were finally analyzed in this meta-analysis. The weighted mean difference on Constant scores and for ASES for studies considering suture-anchors (SA) group showed good outcomes. The weighted mean difference of Constant scores and of ASES for TO (transosseous) group showed good outcomes. The weighted mean difference of CONSTANT for TO versus SA groups showed no differences in the outcomes of SA and TO techniques for the repair of Rotator Cuff Tears at minimum 24 months follow-up.

Conclusions

The Arthroscopic transosseous rotator cuff repair technique and SA (suture-anchor) technique both lead to significant short-term improvement and satisfactory subjective outcome scores with low complication/failure rates. No differences were found in the final outcome between the two techniques.
Algebraically explainable controllers: decision trees and support vector machines join forces
Authors: Jüngermann Florian , Křetínský Jan , Weininger Maximilian
Published: August 2023

Recently, decision trees (DT) have been used as an explainable representation of controllers (a.k.a. strategies, policies, schedulers). Although they are often very efficient and produce small and understandable controllers for discrete systems, complex continuous dynamics still pose a challenge. In particular, when the relationships between variables take more complex forms, such as polynomials, they cannot be obtained using the available DT learning procedures. In contrast, support vector machines provide a more powerful representation, capable of discovering many such relationships, but not in an explainable form. Therefore, we suggest to combine the two frameworks to obtain an understandable representation over richer, domain-relevant algebraic predicates. We demonstrate and evaluate the proposed method experimentally on established benchmarks.
Ein neues Rettungskonzept für Schwerstverletzte in militärischen und zivilen Großschadenslagen: DRONEVAC
Authors: Schmidbauer W. , Jänig C. , Vits E. , Gruebl T. , Sauer S. , Weller N. , Kehe K. , Holzapfel F. , Lüth T. , Kanz K. G. , Rittinghaus E. , Biberthaler P.
Published: August 2023

Sowohl zivile Großschadenslagen wie z. B. die Starkregenkatastrophe 2021 in Rheinland-Pfalz und Nordrhein-Westfalen als auch der Angriffskrieg in der Ukraine machen deutlich, dass in der zivilen wie in der militärischen Notfall- und Rettungsmedizin immer wieder die Herausforderung bestehen wird, eine größere Anzahl an Opfern lokalisieren, stabilisieren, evakuieren und möglichst schnell in Behandlungseinrichtungen transportieren zu müssen. Dabei ist neben einer nichtausreichenden Transportkapazität häufig auch ein Mangel an Fachpersonal zu kompensieren. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit, neue Entwicklungen und Technologien auf ihr Potenzial zu überprüfen, zukünftig das Management und die Bewältigung von Großschadenslagen zu verbessern.

Der Einsatz von Drohnen, also unbemannten (Luft‑)Fahrzeugen, bietet für diese Szenarien multiple Möglichkeiten, von der Aufklärung über logistischen Support bis hin zum Patiententransport mit telemedizinischer Behandlungssteuerung und -überwachung während des Transports.

Das DRONEVAC-Konzept beruht auf dem Einsatz von unbemannten (Luft‑)Fahrzeugen (DROhNen), die mit medizinischer Ausrüstung und telemedizinischer Anbindung ausgestattet sind, um Patienten schneller, personalsparend und sicher zu finden und zu evakuieren (EVACuation).
On the dimension of the algebras of local infinitesimal isometries of 3-dimensional special sub-Riemannian manifolds
Authors: Grochowski Marek
Published: August 2023

Suppose that we are given a contact sub-Riemannian manifold (M, H, g) of dimension 3 such that the Reeb vector field is an infinitesimal isometry (such manifolds will be referred to as special). For a point $$q\in M$$

q
∈
M

denote by $$\mathfrak {i}^*(q)$$

i

∗

(
q
)

the Lie algebra of germs at q of infinitesimal isometries of (M, H, g). It is proved that for a generic point $$q\in M$$

q
∈
M

, $$\dim \mathfrak {i}^*(q)$$

dim

i

∗

(
q
)

can only assume the values 1, 2, 4. Moreover, $$\dim \mathfrak {i}^*(q) = 4$$

dim

i

∗

(
q
)

=
4

if and only if the curvature function determined by the canonical sub-Riemannian connection is constant in a neighborhood of q. The latter case is possible if (M, H, g) is locally isometric, in a neighborhood of q, to a left-invariant sub-Riemannian structure on a 3-dimensional Lie group.
Chemical ecology of triatomines: current knowledge and implications for Chagas disease vector management
Authors: Alavez-Rosas David , Vargas-Abasolo Reyna , Albores-Flores Claudia I. , Meneses-Arias María Guadalupe , Gutiérrez-Cabrera Ana Erika , Benelli Giovanni , Cruz-López Leopoldo , Córdoba-Aguilar Alex
Published: August 2023

Triatomines (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae), commonly known as conenose or kissing bugs, includes species of outstanding medical importance given their role as vectors of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), the aetiological agent of Chagas disease. Herein, we present an updated review of the chemical ecology of triatomines, with special reference to molecules involved in the communication of these insects. Infochemicals, including hormones and semiochemicals (pheromones and allelochemicals), have a pivotal role in mediating information and shaping interactions within and between triatomines, during distinct behavioural contexts. We analyse the new findings about the chemical composition of alarm, aggregation and sex pheromones, as well as on cuticular hydrocarbons, host attractants and repellents. We also discuss how triatomine hormones may serve as communication signals and highlight the importance of the reverse chemical ecology approach in studying the complex chemoecology of these arthropod vectors. In the final section, we outline how knowledge about triatomine chemical ecology can be used for implementing real-world control operations with proven epidemiological impact.
Adherence to complementary feeding indicators and their associations with coexisting forms of malnutrition in children aged between 6 to 23.9 months of age
Authors: Khaliq Asif , Nambiar Smita , Miller Yvette , Wraith Darren
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship between different complementary feeding (CF) indicators and coexisting forms of malnutrition (CFM) in Pakistan.

Methodology

This study involves secondary data analysis of eight national and regional datasets of Pakistan, which were retrieved from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and UNICEF. From these datasets, data of children aged between 6 to 23.9 months was analysed after excluding incomplete and/or invalid data related to their feeding practices and anthropometry. Thus, data of 30,097 Pakistani children between the ages of 6 to 23.9 months was analysed in this study using Jamovi software.

Results

The prevalence of CFM in this sample of children was 28.1%. Cereals and dairy were chiefly used for CF. With the exception of continuation of breastfeeding and coadministration of breastmilk with solid/semi-solid/soft food, adherence to all other CF indicators (minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, iron & folate consumption, egg & flesh food consumption, zero vegetable & fruit consumption) were associated with reduced odds of various forms of CFM.

Conclusion

Nutritional adversities in children may be prevented by improving the dietary diversity, meal frequency, protein consumption, iron & folic acid (IFA) use, and food fortification.
The role of semantic assessment in the differential diagnosis between late-life depression and Alzheimer’s disease or amnestic mild cognitive impairment: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Invernizzi Sandra , Bodart Alice , Lefebvre Laurent , Loureiro Isabelle Simoes
Published: August 2023

Object

The cognitive complaints encountered in late-life depression (LLD) make it difficult to distinguish from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on an analysis of neurocognitive disorders. The hypothesis of the early impairment of semantic memory in AD and aMCI is considered a potential differential cognitive clue, but the absence of this impairment has not yet been confirmed in  LLD.

Method

Based on the PRISMA method, we systematically seek neuropsychological assessments of individuals with LLD, the present study included 31 studies representing 3291 controls and 2820 people with LLD. Wherever possible, studies that tested simultaneously groups with LLD, AD (or aMCI) were also included. The results of the group of neuropsychological tasks relying on semantic memory were analyzed in two groups of tasks with high- or low-executive demand. The mean average effect of LLD was calculated and compared to the incremental effect of aMCI or AD on the scores. Linear regressions including education, age, and severity and type of depression were run to seek their power of prediction for the mean average effects.

Results

LLD has a medium effect on scores at semantic and phonemic fluency and naming and a small average effect on the low-executive demand tasks. Differences in education is a predictor of the effect of LLD on phonemic fluency and naming but not on semantic fluency or on low-executive demand tasks. Except for semantic fluency, aMCI did not demonstrate an incremental effect on the scores compared to LLD, while AD did, for all the tasks except phonemic fluency.

Conclusion

Assessment of semantic memory can be a discriminating clue for the distinction between depression and Alzheimer’s disease but some methodological variables are highly influential to the scores, especially education. However, high-executive semantic tasks alone do not allow us to clearly distinguish LLD from AD or aMCI, as both pathologies seem to have a largely dialectical influential relationship, but low-executive semantic tasks appear as more sensible to this pathological distinction.
Superiority of a Representative MRI Flow Waveform over Doppler Ultrasound for Aortic Wave Reflection Assessment in Children and Adolescents With/Without a History of Heart Disease
Authors: Mynard Jonathan P. , Kowalski Remi , Harrington Hilary A. , Kondiboyina Avinash , Smolich Joseph J. , Cheung Michael M. H.
Published: August 2023

Wave separation analysis (WSA) reveals the impact of forward- and backward-running waves on the arterial pressure pulse, but the calculations require a flow waveform. This study investigated (1) the variability of the ascending aortic flow waveform in children and adolescents with/without a childhood heart disease history (CHD); (2) the accuracy of WSA obtained with a representative flow waveform (RepFlow), compared with the triangulation method and published ultrasound-derived adult representative flow; (3) the impact of limitations in Doppler ultrasound on WSA; and (4) generalizability of results to adults with a history of CHD. Phase contrast MRI was performed in youth without (n = 45, Group 1, 10–19 years) and with CHD (n = 79, Group 2, 7–18 years), and adults with CHD history (n = 29, Group 3, 19–59 years). Segmented aortic cross-sectional area was used as a surrogate for the central pressure waveform in WSA. A subject-specific virtual Doppler ultrasound was performed on MRI data by extracting velocities from a sample volume. Time/amplitude-normalized ascending aortic flow waveforms were highly consistent amongst all groups. WSA with RepFlow therefore yielded errors < 10% in all groups for reflected wave magnitude and return time. Absolute errors were typically 1.5–3 times greater with other methods, including subject-specific (best-case/virtual) Doppler ultrasound, for which velocity profile skewing introduced waveform errors. Our data suggest that RepFlow is the optimal approach for pressure-only WSA in children and adolescents with/without CHD, as well as adults with CHD history, and may even be more accurate than subject-specific Doppler ultrasound in the ascending aorta.
TMEM44 as a Novel Prognostic Marker for Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma is Associated with Tumor Invasion, Migration and Immune Infiltration
Authors: Tian Jie , Sun Liang , Wan Lisong , Zou Haibin , Chen Jitao , Liu Fei
Published: August 2023

Transmembrane (TMEM) proteins are integral membrane proteins that traverse biological membranes. Several members of the TMEM family have been linked to the development and progression of various tumors. However, the specific role and mechanism of TMEM44 in tumor biology remain largely unexplored. In this study, we initially conducted an extensive analysis using the TCGA database to investigate the expression patterns and survival associations of TMEM44 across various human tumors. Subsequently, we focused on KIRC and found a significant correlation between TMEM44 expression and this particular cancer type. To validate our findings, we performed western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays to confirm the expression levels of TMEM44 in KIRC. Following this, we employed a series of functional assays, including CCK8 viability assay, EDU incorporation assay, wound healing assay, and transwell migration assay, to investigate the biological role of TMEM44 in KIRC. We observed a significant upregulation of TMEM44 expression in KIRC, indicating its potential involvement in the pathogenesis of this cancer. We intervened in the expression of TMEM44 in KIRC cells and found significant inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in KIRC cells. Furthermore, our findings indicated that TMEM44 could serve as an independent prognostic factor in KIRC, highlighting its potential clinical significance. Consequently, TMEM44 holds promise as both a prognostic biomarker and a prospective therapeutic target for KIRC.
An optimized explainable artificial intelligence approach for sustainable clean water
Authors: Ezzat Dalia , Soliman Mona , Ahmed Eman , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: August 2023

Water, sanitation, and hygiene are essential components of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Goal 6 is dedicated to guarantee all societies have access to water and sanitation. Water quality (WQ) assessment is crucial to ensure the availability of clean water. This paper presents an approach called AHA–XDNN for predicting WQ. The proposed approach is based on three pillars to predict WQ with high accuracy and confidence, namely, deep neural networks (DNN), artificial hummingbird algorithm (AHA), and explainable artificial intelligence. The proposed approach involves five phases: data preprocessing, optimization, training, and evaluation. In the first phase, problems such as unwanted noise and imbalance are addressed. In the second phase, AHA is applied to optimize the DNN model’s hyper-parameters. In the third phase, the DNN model is trained on the dataset processed in the first phase. The performance of the optimized DNN model is evaluated using four measurements, and the results are explained and interpreted using SHapley additive exPlanations. The proposed approach achieved an accuracy, average precision, average recall, average F1-score of 91%, 91%, 91.5%, and 91% on the test set, respectively. By comparing the proposed approach with existing models based on artificial neural network (ANN), the proposed approach was able to outperform its counterparts in terms of average recall and average F1-score.
On the benefits of insurance and disaster risk management integration for improved climate-related natural catastrophe resilience
Authors: Sheehan Barry , Mullins Martin , Shannon Darren , McCullagh Orla
Published: August 2023

Insurance serves modern society and commerce by pooling risk to reduce the economic impact of disasters. Concurrently, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) scientists, responders and policymakers are co-developingproactiveresilience and mitigation strategies with European citizens against accelerating climate-related natural catastrophes. The increasing frequency and severity of natural catastrophes exacerbates the insurance coverage gap by incurring even greater losses for (re)insurers, leading to higher premiums in exchange for cover or the withdrawal of services entirely. This paper presents a conceptual framework for cross-sectoral collaboration between the insurance and DRM communities towards open, transparent and optimised disaster risk management for all EU citizens and businesses. Furthermore, this research identifies key enabling technologies (satellite, drone, artificial intelligence, blockchain) and novel risk transfer mechanisms with the potential to accelerate societal resilience to climate disasters through effective risk management. The study emphasises the critical role of the insurance industry in effective DRM and highlights where insurers could take amoreactive role across the temporal plane of a natural disaster by engaging in ex-ante interventions to protect those vulnerable to climate change-related risk.
Advance of echocardiography in cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Liang Shichu , Liu Zhiyue , Li Qian , He Wenfeng , Huang He
Published: August 2023

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) occurs when the insoluble fibrils formed by misfolded precursor proteins deposit in cardiac tissues. The early clinical manifestations of CA are not evident, but it is easy to progress to refractory heart failure with an inferior prognosis. Echocardiography is the most commonly adopted non-invasive modality of imaging to visualize cardiac structures and functions, and the preferred modality in the evaluation of patients with cardiac symptoms and suspected CA, which plays a vital role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and long-term management of CA. The present review summarizes the echocardiographic manifestations of CA, new echocardiographic techniques, and the application of multi-parametric echocardiographic models in CA diagnosis.
Metaphyton contributes to open water phytoplankton diversity
Authors: Lukács Áron , Szabó Sándor , T-Krasznai Enikő , Görgényi Judit , Nemes-Kókai Zsuzsanna , B-Béres Viktória , Borics Gábor
Published: August 2023

In contrast to pelagic and benthic realms of the aquatic ecosystems, studies on the metaphytic habitats remain underrepresented in the literature. However, this realm may have a potential impact on composition and diversity of the open water assemblages through metacommunity processes (source-sink dynamics, mass-effect) especially in small ponds with extended littoral zone. Using a limnocorral experiment we studied how metaphyton affects diversity and composition of open water phytoplankton in a small eutrophic pond in the vegetation period. The three habitats (metaphyton, isolated and non-isolated open water) showed considerable differences in their taxa and functional group composition. Abundance-based diversity measures did not reveal remarkable differences among the assemblages of the three habitats. However, taxonomic and functional richness of the metaphyton and the non-isolated part of the pelagial significantly exceeded that of the limnocorral. Incidence-based similarity index values also showed closer resemblance of the metaphyton and plankton samples compared to that of the limnocorral. In the case of several functional groups, their functional redundancy in the metaphyton exceeded that in the open water areas. These results suggest that the metaphyton provides a refuge for several euplanktic elements that survive in the littoral and occasionally enrich the phytoplankton of the open water areas, representing that a within–lake metacommunity processes shape the composition and functioning of the open water areas in standing waters.
Analyzing the Patterns of Questioning Chains and Their Intervention on Student Learning in Science Teacher Preparation
Authors: Wang Jianlan , Wang Yuanhua , Moore Yanhong , Sneed Stacey , Thacker Beth , Hart Stephanie
Published: August 2023

Questioning is a critical instructional strategy for teachers to support students’ knowledge construction in inquiry-oriented science teaching. Existing literature has delineated the characteristics and functions of effective questioning strategies. However, attention has been primarily cast on the format of questioning like open-ended questions in prompting student interactions or class discourses, but not much on science content embedded in questions and how they guide students toward learning objectives. Insufficient attention has been cast on the connection between a chain of questions used by a teacher in the attempt to scaffold student conceptual understanding, especially when students encounter difficulties. Furthermore, existing methods of question analysis from massive information of class discourses are unwieldy for large-scale analysis. Science teacher education needs an instrument to assess a large sample of Pre-service Teachers’ (PST) competencies of not only asking open-ended questions to solicit students’ thoughts but also analyzing the information collected from students’ responses and determining the logical of consecutive responses. This study presented such an instrument for analyzing patterns of 60 PST’s questioning chains from when they taught a science lesson during a methods course and another lesson during student teaching. Cohen’s Kappa was conducted to examine the inter-rater reliability of the coders. The PST’s orientations from the two videos were determined and the correlation between them was compared to test the validity of this instrument. Consideration of the data from this instrument identified patterns of the PSTs’ science teaching, discussed the importance of guiding questions in inquiry teaching, and suggested quantitative studies with this instrument.
Synthesize and characterization of Ag-CuO/rGO nanoparticles as a filler of the PVDF polymer to improve its polar β phase and electrical conductivity for polymer batteries applications
Authors: El-Masry Mai M.
Published: August 2023

This article presents the synthesis and characterization of Ag-CuO/rGO nanoparticles, which serve as a filler for the PVDF polymer to enhance its polar β phase and electrical conductivity for possible use in polymer batteries. The Ag-CuO/rGO nanoparticles were prepared through a straightforward hydrothermal method and incorporated into a PVDF matrix using a solution casting technique. Various techniques were employed to examine the structure, crystallinity, dielectric, and electrical properties of the PVDF/Ag-CuO/rGO nanocomposites. The results revealed that the Ag-CuO/rGO nanoparticles incorporated within the PVDF matrix, promoting the formation of the polar β phase of PVDF. The PVDF/Ag-CuO/rGO nanocomposites displayed a higher dielectric constant and lower dielectric loss compared to pure PVDF. As the Ag-CuO/rGO content increased, so did the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites, reaching a value of 1.23 × 10− 3 S/cm at 2.5 Wt% Ag-CuO/rGO loading. The enhanced electrical conductivity was attributed to the conductive networks formed by both the Ag-CuO/rGO nanoparticles and the polar β phase of PVDF. These findings indicate that PVDF/Ag-CuO/rGO nanocomposites hold promise for different applications such as polymer batteries.
Motion-aware and data-independent model based multi-view 3D pose refinement for volleyball spike analysis
Authors: Liu Yanchao , Cheng Xina , Ikenaga Takeshi
Published: August 2023

In the volleyball game, estimating the 3D pose of the spiker is very valuable for training and analysis, because the spiker’s technique level determines the scoring or not of a round. The development of computer vision provides the possibility for the acquisition of the 3D pose. Most conventional pose estimation works are data-dependent methods, which mainly focus on reaching a high level on the dataset with the controllable scene, but fail to get good results in the wild real volleyball competition scene because of the lack of large labelled data, abnormal pose, occlusion and overlap. To refine the inaccurate estimated pose, this paper proposes a motion-aware and data-independent method based on a calibrated multi-camera system for a real volleyball competition scene. The proposed methods consist of three key components: 1) By utilizing the relationship of multi-views, an irrelevant projection based potential joint restore approach is proposed, which refines the wrong pose of one view with the other three views projected information to reduce the influence of occlusion and overlap. 2) Instead of training with a large amount labelled data, the proposed motion-aware method utilizes the similarity of specific motion in sports to achieve construct a spike model. Based on the spike model, joint and trajectory matching is proposed for coarse refinement. 3) To finely refine, a point distribution based posterior decision network is proposed. While expanding the receptive field, the pose estimation task is decomposed into a classification decision problem, which greatly avoids the dependence on a large amount of labelled data. The experimental dataset videos with four synchronous camera views are from a real game, the Game of 2014 Japan Inter High School of Men Volleyball. The experiment result achieves 76.25%, 81.89%, and 86.13% success rate at the 30mm, 50mm, and 70mm error range, respectively. Since the proposed refinement framework is based on a real volleyball competition, it is expected to be applied in the volleyball analysis.
Compound Dihuang Granule Changes Gut Microbiota of MPTP-Induced Parkinson’s Disease Mice via Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Signaling
Authors: He Zhu-qing , Huan Peng-fei , Wang Li , He Jian-cheng
Published: August 2023

Intestinal microbiota was connected to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) pathology. The ancient Chinese medication for PD is Compound Dihuang Granule (CDG), and we found a neuroprotective function in treating the constipation of PD patients. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action still needs to be clarified. We predicted the probable targets of CDG against PD through Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) network pharmacology and verified the analysis through animal experiments in vivo. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis screened PD-related genes, including Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1), Nuclear Factor- Kappa B (NF-κB), and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses proved that the NF-κB and toll-like receptor signaling pathways serve a key function in CDG therapy of PD. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that CDG strongly connected to TLR4/NF-κB. Experiments findings indicated that CDG improved the damage of dopaminergic neurons and gut microbial dysbiosis, ameliorated motor impairments, and suppressed the PD-associated inflammation and oxidative stress in mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahy dropyridine (MPTP). CDG suppressed the inflammatory proteins in the colon and protected the intestinal barrier. Overall, CDG improved gut microbial in PD by blocking the pathway of TLR4/NF-κB.
The explanatory nature of constraints: Law-based, mathematical, and causal
Authors: Ross Lauren N.
Published: August 2023

This paper provides an analysis of explanatory constraints and their role in scientific explanation. This analysis clarifies main characteristics of explanatory constraints, ways in which they differ from “standard” explanatory factors, and the unique roles they play in scientific explanation. While current philosophical work appreciates two main types of explanatory constraints, this paper suggests a new taxonomy: law-based constraints, mathematical constraints, and causal constraints. This classification helps capture unique features of constraint types, the different roles they play in explanation, and it includes causal constraints, which are often overlooked in this literature.
Incorporating (variational) free energy models into mechanisms: the case of predictive processing under the free energy principle
Authors: Piekarski Michał
Published: August 2023

The issue of the relationship between predictive processing (PP) and the free energy principle (FEP) remains a subject of debate and controversy within the research community. Many researchers have expressed doubts regarding the actual integration of PP with the FEP, questioning whether the FEP can truly contribute significantly to the mechanistic understanding of PP or even undermine such integration altogether. In this paper, I present an alternative perspective. I argue that, from the viewpoint of the constraint-based mechanisms approach, the FEP imposes an important constraint, namely variational free energy, on the mechanistic architecture proposed by PP. According to the constraint-based mechanisms approach, high-level cognitive mechanisms are integral parts of extensive heterarchical networks that govern the physiology and behavior of agents. Consequently, mechanistic explanations of cognitive phenomena should incorporate constraints and flows of free energy as relevant components, given that the implemented constraints operate as long as free energy is available. Within this framework, I contend that the FEP provides a relevant constraint for explaining at least some biological cognitive mechanisms described in terms of Bayesian generative models that minimize prediction errors.
Polystyrene and low-density polyethylene pellets are less effective in arsenic adsorption than uncontaminated river sediment
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Kien , Li Xiaowei , Ren Lei , Huang Yuhan , Zhou John L.
Published: August 2023

The adsorption process of inorganic arsenic (As) plays an important role in its mobility, bioavailability, and toxicity in the river environment. In this work, the adsorption of dissolved arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) by microplastics (MPs) pellets (polystyrene (PS) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE)), river sediment, and their mixture were investigated to assess the adsorption affinities and mechanism. The adsorption kinetics showed slow and mild rising zones from the natural behavior of the chemical adsorption. The results indicated that both MP characteristics and water properties played a significant role in the adsorption behavior of inorganic As species. The As adsorption equilibrium was modeled well by both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and partly fitted with the Sips model suggesting that both mono-layer and multi-layer adsorption occurred during adsorption The spontaneous adsorption process for both As(III) and As(V) was evidenced by the adsorption thermodynamics. The maximum adsorption capacities of As(III) and As(V) reached 143.3 mg/kg and 109.8 mg/kg on PS in deionized water, which were higher than those on sediment-PS mixture (119.3 mg/kg, 99.2 mg/kg), which were all lower than on sediment alone (263.3 mg/kg, 398.7 mg/kg). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis identified that As(III) and As(V) interaction with sediment surface functional groups was the main adsorption mechanism from surface complexation and coordination. Two functional groups of polystyrene (-NH2, -OH) were mainly involved in the adsorption of inorganic As species on PS, while -COO- and -OH functional groups contributed to the adsorption mechanism of inorganic As species on LDPE. The findings provide valuable insight on the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of As(III) and As(V) in river systems in the presence of MPs particles. Both PS and LDPE were shown to be less effective than river sediment in the adsorption of As species from water, which provides a different perspective in understanding the scale of MPs impact in pollutant transport in the aquatic environment.

Graphical Abstract
Connecting Through Caregiving: Reappraising Intergeneration Relationship in Dementia Caregiving
Authors: Au Alma , Lai Daniel W. L. , Chow Amy Y. M. , Lai Simon , Cheng Sheung-Tak
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Dementia caregiving presents a challenge in life transition wherein the adult child is caring for his or her parents. The study examined the effects of a telephone-administered perspective-taking intervention for adult child caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia to reduce levels of depressive symptoms as well as presence and reaction to behavioral problems and also to enhance social support. The mediation effect of perspective-taking on depressive symptoms was also examined.

Method

A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted for 176 participants with 24 clusters for the 12-week Connecting Through Caregiving (CTC) intervention and Basic Skill Training (BSB). The CTC intervention integrated perspective taking with basic skill training. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms. The first secondary outcome was the presence and reaction to behavioral problems in the care-recipients. The second secondary outcome was social support. The trial also examined whether intervention effects were mediated by perspective-taking. Measures were obtained at baseline Week 1 (pre-intervention), Week 12 (post-intervention) and Week 24 (three-month follow up).

Results

Data was collected from 2018 to 2021. Ninety-one participants completed the intervention for CTC and eighty-five completed BSB. In terms of the primary outcome, as compared to the BSB group, the CTC group reported significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms. For the secondary outcomes, the CTC group also reported reduced perceived presence and reaction to behavioral and memory problems of the care recipient as well as increased social support. Perspective-taking was found to mediate between intervention and reduction of depressive symptoms of the caregiver. No moderation effect on the intervention was found for the presence of COVID-19.

Conclusion

The results provided support for the efficacy of the CTC telephone intervention. Findings have implications for enhancing sustainable care for non-digitalized older adults in the wider society.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03030027
Ist-Analysen, Theorien und Effekte in evaluierten Interventionen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung (BGF)
Authors: Blumentritt Sebastian , Luig Teresa , Schoch Nora , Enklaar Arnold , Englert Heike
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

Zur qualitätsbasierten Weiterentwicklung effizienter und bedarfsorientierter Maßnahmen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung (BGF) ist es von Interesse, einen Einblick in Ihren Aufbau, die Ausgestaltung und den Ablauf der Maßnahmen der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte zu erlangen.

Zielsetzung

Auf Basis der arbeitsschutzorientierten Leitlinien des GKV-Spitzenverbands wird untersucht, ob vor der Umsetzung von BGF-Maßnahmen Bedarfserhebungen mittels Ist-Analysen durchgeführt wurden. Zusätzlich wird betrachtet, ob die Analysen „weiche“ Faktoren wie Kultur, Führung und Beziehungsklima beinhalten. Weiter wird analysiert, welche wissenschaftlichen Theorien und Modelle den Maßnahmen zugrunde liegen. Zudem führt die Untersuchung eine Wirksamkeitsbetrachtung durch, um zu ermitteln, welche Effekte die Maßnahmen erzielten.

Methode

Das vorliegende Literatur-Review untersucht wissenschaftlich evaluierte BGF-Maßnahmen aus den Jahren 2000–2020. Hierzu wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche in den zwei elektronischen Datenbanken Scopus und Web of Science für den benannten Publikationszeitraum durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Die Einschlusskriterien erfüllten 41 Artikel. Nur 4 der Studien führten eine Ist-Analyse zur Bedarfsbestimmung von BGF-Maßnahmen durch. 25 Studien führten Ist-Analysen im Rahmen der Maßnahmen durch, alle waren arbeitsschutzorientiert. Vier Studien inkludierten in ihrer Erhebung zu Beginn Teilaspekte von weichen Faktoren. In 12 Studien wurden den evaluierten Interventionen unterschiedliche wissenschaftliche Theorien und Modelle zugrunde gelegt. Alle Studien berichteten mindestens für einzelne Untersuchungsparameter von positiven Effekten.

Schlussfolgerung

Vor dem Hintergrund des Strukturwandels der Wirtschaft und der beständig zunehmenden Humanisierung der Arbeit spielen wissenschaftsbasierte Analyseinstrumente zur Bedarfsbestimmung eine große Rolle. Zukünftige Analyseinstrumente sollten von der Wissenschaft konzipiert und erprobt werden und zusätzlich zur Arbeitsschutzorientierung die immateriellen, weichen Faktoren Kultur, Führung und Beziehungsklima beinhalten. Trotz der Empfehlungen, Maßnahmen auf Grundlage von Theorien und Modellen zu konzipieren, wurde dieses Potenzial von nur wenigen wissenschaftlich evaluierten Studien genutzt. Die Wirksamkeitsbetrachtung zeigt, dass alle Studien mindestens für Teile Ihrer Evaluation von positiven Effekten berichten. Dieses Untersuchungsergebnis des Reviews weist auf ein Publikationsbias hin.
Advancement and Applications of Nanotherapy for Cancer Immune Microenvironment
Authors: He Jun-ju , Li Qing-qing , Zhao Chen , Zhou Jin , Wu Jie , Zhang Hui-bo , Zhao Ya-qi , Zhang Hao-han , Lei Tian-yu , Zhao Xin-yi , You Zuo , Song Qi-bin , Xu Bin
Published: August 2023

Cancer treatment has evolved rapidly due to major advances in tumor immunity research. However, due to the complexity, heterogeneity, and immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumors, the overall efficacy of immunotherapy is only 20%. In recent years, nanoparticles have attracted more attention in the field of cancer immunotherapy because of their remarkable advantages in biocompatibility, precise targeting, and controlled drug delivery. However, the clinical application of nanomedicine also faces many problems concerning biological safety, and the synergistic mechanism of nano-drugs with immunity remains to be elucidated. Our study summarizes the functional characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of nanoparticles in the cancer immune microenvironment and how nanoparticles activate and long-term stimulate innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Finally, the current problems and future development trends regarding the application of nanoparticles are fully discussed and prospected to promote the transformation and application of nanomedicine used in cancer treatment.
Pathologic complete response and survival in HER2-low and HER2-zero early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Ilie Silvia Mihaela , Briot Nathalie , Constantin Guillaume , Roussot Nicolas , Ilie Alis , Bergeron Anthony , Arnould Laurent , Beltjens Françoise , Desmoulin Isabelle , Mayeur Didier , Kaderbhai Courèche , Hennequin Audrey , Jankowski Clémentine , Padeano Marie Martine , Costaz Helène , Amet Alix , Coutant Charles , Coudert Bruno , Bertaut Aurélie , Ladoire Sylvain
Published: August 2023

Background

Breast cancers without HER2 amplification but still expressing this membrane protein constitute a new entity called HER2-low tumors. It is important to characterize them in terms of sensitivity to treatment and prognosis.

Patients and methods

To investigate chemosensitivity and long-term prognosis of HER2-low early breast cancer (eBC), compared to HER2-0 tumors, we retrospectively retrieved clinicopathological characteristics, response to treatment, and survival data from 511 patients treated for eBC with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a French cancer center between 2007 and 2018. Factors associated with the achievement of pathologic complete response (pCR) and survival were studied among hormone receptor positive (HR+) and negative (HR–) eBC.

Results

A total of 280 HR+ (61% HER2-low), and 231 HR– (28% HER2-low) eBC were included. We found classical clinicopathological factors usually associated with chemosensitivity and prognosis, in both HR+ and HR– eBC. By uni- and multivariable analysis, HER2 status (low vs 0) was not independently associated with pCR, either in HR+ or HR– eBC. Relapse free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were not significantly different between HER2-low and HER2-0 among HR+ tumors. In contrast, among HR– negative tumors, RFS and OS were slightly better in HER2-0 eBC by univariable but not by multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

In eBC patients treated with NAC, taking into account HR expression subtype and other current clinicopathological features, HER2-low tumors did not appear to have different chemosensitivity or prognosis, compared to their HER2-0 counterparts.