bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing the accuracy of a multivariable prediction model to identify medical patients suitable for Same Day Emergency Care services
Authors: Atkin C. E. , Gallier S. , Hodson J. , Li L. , Evison F. , Reddy-Kolanu V. , Sapey E.
Published: October 2024

Objectives

To test the performance of the Glasgow Admission Prediction Score (GAPS) and Ambulatory Score (Amb score), and derive and validate a novel score for the identification of Emergency Department (ED) attendances suitable for treatment by Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services.

Design

Retrospective diagnostic study using routinely collected data from electronic healthcare records.

Setting

Three hospitals in the diverse urban setting of Birmingham, UK, between April 2023-March 2024.

Participants

Adult patients with an unplanned hospital attendance requiring internal medicine assessment.

Main Outcome Measures

Suitability for treatment by SDEC services, defined as being discharged alive with a length of stay of <12 hours (“LOS<12”).

Results

Data were included for 152,877 attendances, with a median age of 58 years (interquartile range: 38 to 76), and of which 54.3% were by female patients and 68.4% of White ethnicity; the outcome of LOS<12 was achieved in 45.0% (N=68,752). The GAPS and Amb score had moderate predictive accuracy, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) of 0.741 (95% CI: 0.738 to 0.744) and 0.733 (95% CI: 0.730 to 0.736), respectively. A novel score was produced, comprising the factors from the GAPS and Amb score, as well as the National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and primary presenting complaint. When applied to an internal validation set (N=27,078), the resulting SDEC Triage Tool (SDEC-T) achieved an AUROC of 0.850 (95% CI: 0.845 to 0.854), with performance being similar across the three hospitals (AUROC range: 0.845 to 0.858).

Conclusions

The novel score derived within this diverse cohort has superior accuracy to the existing Amb score and GAPS for the identification of patients suitable for treatment in SDEC.
A meta-analysis of genetic variant pathogenicity and sex differences inUBQLN2-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Thumbadoo Kyrah M. , Nementzik Laura R. , Swanson Molly E.V. , Dieriks Birger V. , Dragunow Michael , Faull Richard L. M. , Curtis Maurice A. , Blair Ian P. , Nicholson Garth A. , Williams Kelly L. , Scotter Emma L.
Published: October 2024

Ubiquilin 2, encoded by the X-linkedUBQLN2gene, is a ubiquitin-binding quality control protein. PathogenicUBQLN2genetic variants cause X-linked dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and/or frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD), however, clinical phenotypes from these variants show striking inter- and intra-familial heterogeneity. Further, there are manyUBQLN2variants whose significance to disease is uncertain. Here, we examine the pathogenic potential ofUBQLN2variants reported in individuals with ALS/FTD and their non-symptomatic relatives. Meta-analysis from 27 published studies identified 186 affected individuals and 51 asymptomatic carriers, each harbouring one of 43 uniqueUBQLN2coding variants. Features of identified variants, including evolutionary conservation, minor allele frequencies, localisation to protein domains, andin silicopredictions of pathogenicity were compiled. Per biological sex, clinical features were compared betweenUBQLN2variants segregated by pathogenicity. PathogenicUBQLN2variants carriers, of which most are familial ALS cases, showed a sex-specific difference in age at onset wherein males developed disease on average 18.15 years prior to females (29.54 ± 11.9 versus 47.69 ± 13.4 years; p<0.0001), with no change in disease duration (p=0.6400).UBQLN2variants of uncertain significance showed a bimodal distribution of onset age per sex suggesting a mixture of true benign and true pathogenic variants. In human brain tissue, two maleUBQLN2p.Thr487Ile (ALS-FTD and ALS) cases showed a greater burden of ubiquilin 2 aggregates than a related female case (ALS-FTD). These robust sex-specific differences in ALS/FTD presentation in carriers of pathogenicUBQLN2variants may improve predictions of ALS/FTD risk in carriers, aiding in diagnosis and disease management.
The phase separation landscape of genome-wide genetic perturbations
Authors: Heidenreich Meta , Mathur Saurabh , Shu Tong , Xie Ying , Sriker David , Dubreuil Benjamin , Holt Liam , Levy Emmanuel D.
Published: October 2024

Biomolecular organization is central to cell function. While phase separation is a key mechanism orchestrating this organization, we lack a comprehensive view of genes that can globally influence this processin vivo. To identify such genes, we combined functional genomics and synthetic biology. We developed a bioorthogonal system that can identify changes in the intracellular milieu that globally tune phase separation. We measuredin vivophase diagrams of a synthetic system across >25 million cells in 2,888 yeast knockouts, and identified 68 genes whose deletion alters the phase boundaries of the synthetic system, an unexpected result given the system’s bioorthogonal design. Genes involved in TORC1 signaling and metabolism, particularly carbohydrate-, amino acid- and nucleotide synthesis were enriched. The mutants that changed phase separation also showed high pleiotropy, suggesting that phase separation interrelates with many aspects of biology.

Highlights

- A synthetic protein system reveals the genetic and environmental tunability of protein phase separation

- Genetic knockouts affecting phase separation are highly pleiotropic

- Carbohydrate, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism contribute to modulating phase separation potential

- Protein phase separation is a globally tunable property of the intracellular environment
Comprehensive Proteomic Characterization of the Intra-Golgi Trafficking Intermediates
Authors: Sumya Farhana Taher , Aragon-Ramirez Walter S. , Lupashin Vladimir V
Published: October 2024

Intracellular trafficking relies on small vesicular intermediates, though their specific role in Golgi function is still debated. To clarify this, we induced acute dysfunction of the Conserved Oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex and analyzed vesicles from cis, medial, and trans-Golgi compartments. Proteomic analysis of Golgi-derived vesicles from wild-type cells revealed distinct molecular profiles, indicating a robust recycling system for Golgi proteins. Notably, these vesicles retained various vesicular coats, while COG depletion accelerated uncoating. The increased overlap in molecular profiles with COG depletion suggests that persistent defects in vesicle tethering disrupt intra-Golgi sorting.

Our findings reveal that the entire Golgi glycosylation machinery recycles within vesicles in a COG-dependent manner, whereas secretory and ER-Golgi trafficking proteins were not enriched. These results support a model in which the COG complex orchestrates multi-step recycling of glycosylation machinery, coordinated by specific Golgi coats, tethers, Rabs, and SNAREs.
The Mendelian randomization analysis of trace elements Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Iron, and Phosphate with congenital foot deformities.
Authors: long ling , Gu Jiaxiang , you haifeng , xiang xiaobing , wu wenyu , Deng Gaorong
Published: October 2024

Congenital foot deformities are complex diseases influenced by genetic, environ mental, and nutritional factors. In recent years, research has increasingly focused on the effects of trace elements during pregnancy (such as zinc, selenium, copper, iron, and phosphate) on fetal development. Although observational studies sug gest that these trace elements may be associated with congenital deformities, their causal relationship remains unclear. This study employs the Mendelian Random ization method, using genetic variants as instrumental variables for analysis.The results show that although the OR for Zinc is 92.21 (95% CI: 0.0008–10098024, p = 0.445), for Selenium the OR is 6.21×10-6 (95% CI: 2.71×10-15–14233.68, p = 0.276), for Copper the OR is 0.96 (95% CI: 0.823–1.128, p = 0.646), for Iron the OR is 0.023 (95% CI: 2.10×10-8–24289.32, p = 0.593), and for Phosphate the ORis 0.96 (95% CI: 0.667–1.374, p = 0.812). These data did not reach statistical significance, suggesting that the causal relationship between the levels of these trace elements and congenital foot deformities is unclear. However, further anal ysis revealed that selenium may reduce the risk of congenital foot deformities by regulating the gut microbiota class.Bacilli, with a significant interaction observed between selenium and this microbiota. Although sensitivity analyses (IVW and MREgger methods) were unable to confirm the direct effect of selenium on con genital foot deformities, considering the role of class.Bacilli.id.1673 strengthened selenium’s indirect effect. Despite the overall results not reaching statistical sig nificance, this study provides new clues for further exploration of the complex relationships between trace elements, gut microbiota, and congenital deformities, particularly the potential role of gut microbiota in modulating the relationship between nutritional elements and developmental abnormalities.
Cortical networks with multiple interneuron types generate oscillatory patterns during predictive coding
Authors: Lee Kwangjun , Pennartz Cyriel M.A. , Mejias Jorge F.
Published: October 2024

Predictive coding (PC) proposes that our brains work as an inference machine, generating an internal model of the world and minimizing predictions errors (i.e., differences between external sensory evidence and internal prediction signals). Theoretical models of PC often rely on high-level approaches, and therefore implementations detailing which neurons or pathways are used to compute prediction errors or adapt the internal representations, as well as their level of agreement with biological circuitry, are currently missing. Here we propose a computational model of PC, which integrates a neuroanatomically informed hierarchy of cortical areas with a precise laminar organization and cell-type-specific connectivity between pyramidal, PV, SST and VIP cells. Our model efficiently performs PC, even in the presence of external and internal noise, by forming latent representations of naturalistic visual input (MNIST, fashion-MNIST and grayscale CIFAR-10) via Hebbian learning and using them to predict sensory input by minimizing prediction errors. The model assumes that both positive and negative prediction errors are computed by stereotypical pyramidal-PV-SST-VIP circuits with the same structure but different incoming input. During sensory inference, neural oscillatory activity emerges in the system due to interactions between representation and prediction error microcircuits, with optogenetics-inspired inactivation protocols revealing a differentiated role of PV, SST and VIP cell types in such dynamics. Finally, our model shows anomalous responses to deviant stimuli within series of same-image presentations, in agreement with experimental results on mismatch negativity and oddball paradigms. We argue that our model constitutes an important step to better understand the circuits mediating PC in real cortical networks.

Author summary

Predictive coding (PC) suggests that the brain constantly generates expectations about the world and updates these expectations based on incoming sensory input. While this theory is widely accepted, we still lack detailed models that show how specific neurons and brain circuits might carry out these processes. Here, we present a computational model which addresses this gap by including biologically plausible brain circuitry with specific types of neurons (pyramidal, PV, SST, and VIP cells) and their connections. It efficiently learns to form internal representations of visual information and uses them to predict sensory input, adjusting its predictions when errors occur. We found that particular types of neurons play different roles in these processes, and that neural oscillations emerge during the training and inference processes. Our model also replicates neural patterns observed in experiments where unexpected stimuli appear. By integrating anatomical and functional details, our work brings us closer to understanding how the brain uses predictive coding at the circuit level.
Dysregulating mTORC1-4E-BP2 signaling in GABAergic interneurons impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory
Authors: Huang Ziying , Wiebe Shane , Nagpal Anmol , Choi Junghyun , Walters Caleb , Mahmood Niaz , Khoutorsky Arkady , Lacaille Jean-Claude , Sonenberg Nahum
Published: October 2024

Memory formation is contingent on molecular and structural changes in neurons in response to learning stimuli—a process known as neuronal plasticity. The initiation step of mRNA translation is a gatekeeper of long-term memory by controlling the production of plasticity-related proteins in the brain. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) controls mRNA translation, mainly through phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E)-binding proteins (4E-BPs) and ribosomal protein S6 kinases (S6Ks). mTORC1 signaling decreases throughout brain development, starting from the early postnatal period. Here, we discovered that in mice, the age-dependent decrease in mTORC1 signaling occurs selectively in excitatory but not inhibitory neurons. Using a gene conditional knockout (cKO) strategy, we demonstrate that either up- or downregulating the mTORC1-4E-BP2 axis in GAD65 inhibitory interneurons, but not excitatory neurons, results in long-term object recognition and object location memory deficits. Our data indicate that the mTORC1 pathway in inhibitory but not excitatory neurons plays a key role in memory formation.
Off-shell pion properties: Electromagnetic form factors and light-front wave functions
Authors: Leão Jurandi , de Melo J. P. B. C. , Frederico T. , Choi Ho-Meoyng , Ji Chueng-Ryong
Published: October 2024

The off-shell pion electromagnetic form factors are explored with corresponding off-shell light-front wave functions modeled by constituent quark and antiquark. We apply the Mandelstam approach for the microscopic computation of the form factors relating the model parameters with the pion decay constant and charge radius. Analyzing the existing data on the cross sections for the Sullivan process, H1(e,e′,π+)n [H. P. Blok (Jefferson Lab Fπ Collaboration), Charged pion form factor between Q2=0.60, and 2.45  GeV2. I. Measurements of the cross section for the H1(e,e′π+)n reaction, .], we extract the off-shell pion form factor using the relation derived from the generalized Ward-Takahashi identity for the pion electromagnetic current. They are compared with our previous results [H.-M. Choi , Pion off-shell electromagnetic form factors: Data extraction and model analysis, .] from exactly solvable manifestly covariant model of a (3+1)-dimensional fermion field theory. We find that the adopted constituent quark model reproduces the extracted off-shell form factor F1(Q2,t) from the experimental data within a few percent difference and matches well with our previous theoretical simulation which exhibits a variation of about 10% for the extracted off-shell pion form factor g(Q2,t). We also identify the pion valence parton distribution function (PDF) and transverse momentum distribution (TMD) in terms of the light-front wave function and discuss their off-shell properties.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Extended scotogenic model of neutrino mass and proton decay
Authors: Nomura Takaaki , Popov Oleg
Published: October 2024

The current article presents an extension of the classical scotogenic neutrino mass paradigm, where the three issues in particle physics: dark matter, smallness of neutrino mass, and stability of the proton are interconnected. The scenario encompasses the neutrino mass as well as the proton decay as a consequence of an existence of the dark matter. The study successfully achieves the correlation between the naturally small neutrino masses and naturally long proton lifetime in the present paradigm. Furthermore, all relevant cosmological, collider, and flavor physics constraints are incorporated in the detailed analysis. The scotogenic fermionic dark matter with the mass in the range from 100 GeV to 10 TeV successfully satisfies all relevant constraints. The valid range of 2.51×10−5<λ<2×10−3 is obtained for the 2HDM λ coupling. We give a brief discussion, as well as outline some of the future prospects.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Axion baryogenesis puts a new spin on the Hubble tension
Authors: Co Raymond T. , Fernandez Nicolas , Ghalsasi Akshay , Harigaya Keisuke , Shelton Jessie
Published: October 2024

We show that a rotating axion field that makes a transition from a matterlike equation of state to a kinationlike equation of state around the epoch of recombination can significantly ameliorate the Hubble tension, i.e., the discrepancy between the determinations of the present-day expansion rate H0 from observations of the cosmic microwave background on one hand and type Ia supernovae on the other. We consider a specific, UV-complete model of such a rotating axion and find that it can relax the Hubble tension without exacerbating tensions in determinations of other cosmological parameters, in particular the amplitude of matter fluctuations S8. We subsequently demonstrate how this rotating axion model can also generate the baryon asymmetry of our Universe, by introducing a coupling of the axion field to right-handed neutrinos. This baryogenesis model predicts heavy neutral leptons that are most naturally within reach of future lepton colliders, but in finely tuned regions of parameter space may also be accessible at the high-luminosity LHC and the beam dump experiment SHiP.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Probing double-distribution-function models in discrete-velocity Boltzmann methods for highly compressible flows: Particles-on-demand realization
Authors: Hosseini S. A. , Bhadauria A. , Karlin I. V.
Published: October 2024

The double distribution function approach is an efficient route toward an extension of kinetic solvers to compressible flows. With a number of realizations available, an overview and comparative study in the context of high-speed compressible flows is presented. We discuss the different variants of the energy partition, analyses of hydrodynamic limits, and a numerical study of accuracy and performance with the particles on demand realization. Out of three considered energy partition strategies, it is shown that the nontranslational energy split requires a higher-order quadrature for proper recovery of the Navier-Stokes-Fourier equations. The internal energy split, on the other hand, while recovering the correct hydrodynamic limit with fourth-order quadrature, comes with a nonlocal—both in space and time—source term that contributes to higher computational cost and memory overhead. Based on our analysis, the total energy split demonstrates the optimal overall performance.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Correlation Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Massaro Gianlorenzo , Pepe Francesco V. , D’Angelo Milena
Published: October 2024

Hyperspectral imaging aims at providing information on both the spatial and the spectral distribution of light, with high resolution. However, state-of-the-art protocols are characterized by an intrinsic trade-off imposing to sacrifice either resolution or image acquisition speed. We address this limitation by exploiting light intensity correlations, which are shown to enable overcoming the typical downsides of traditional hyperspectral imaging techniques, both scanning and snapshot. The proposed approach also opens possibilities that are not otherwise achievable, such as sharper imaging and natural filtering of broadband spectral components that would otherwise hide the spectrum of interest. The enabled combination of high spatial and spectral resolution, high speed, and insensitivity to undesired spectral features shall lead to a paradigm change in hyperspectral imaging devices and open up new application scenarios.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Mathematical structures in quantum physics education for high school students: Unveiling the power of Dirac notation for conceptual and problem-solving proficiency
Authors: Merzel Avraham , Weissman Efraim Yehuda , Katz Nadav , Galili Igal
Published: October 2024

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research.] Teaching quantum physics (QP) to high school (HS) students is gaining momentum, necessitating the exploration of various effective methods. Specifically, the research on quantitative teaching methods is still in its early stages. Understanding the power of Dirac notation (DN) in teaching is crucial for grasping the complexities of QP, as it provides a concise and powerful symbolic framework that facilitates both conceptual and computational understanding. This study investigates the proficiency of HS students in interpreting, producing, and manipulating DN within QP. Utilizing qualitative content analysis of student responses to various tasks, quizzes, and final tests, the study aims to uncover the sensemaking opportunities DN provides and the difficulties students encounter. The findings indicate that DN facilitates both conceptual understanding and quantitative problem solving in QP by enabling students to interpret and produce representations of quantum states. The results highlight the importance of extensive practice and well-structured teaching sequences in developing DN proficiency, reinforcing the role of DN as an effective tool for teaching QP at the HS level. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on integrating mathematical modeling in physics education, emphasizing the potential of DN in enhancing students’ grasp of QP concepts and their application in problem solving.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Confinement Modulates Axial Patterning in Regenerating Hydra
Authors: Maroudas-Sacks Yonit , Garion Liora , Suganthan S. , Popović Marko , Keren Kinneret
Published: October 2024

The establishment of the body plan is a major step in animal morphogenesis. The role of mechanical forces and feedback in patterning the body plan remains unclear. Here we explore this question by studying regenerating Hydra tissues confined in narrow cylindrical channels, which constrain their morphology. We find that frustration between the orientation of the channel and the inherited axis in the regenerating tissues can lead to the formation of a multiaxial body plan. The morphological outcome is directly related to the pattern of nematic topological defects that emerges in the organization of the supracellular actomyosin fibers. When the inherited axis, which can be read out from the initial alignment of the supracellular fibers in the confined spheroid, is parallel to the channel's axis, the tissue regenerates normally into animals with a single body axis aligned with the channel. However, regenerating spheroids that are confined in a frustrated perpendicular configuration often develop excess defects (including negatively charged −1/2 defects) and regenerate into multiaxial morphologies. The influence of mechanical constraints on the regenerated body plan argues against an axial patterning mechanism that is based solely on inherited gradients of biochemical morphogens. We further show that the dependence of the regeneration outcomes on the initial tissue orientation can be recapitulated by a biophysical model, which considers the coupled dynamics of the nematic organization of the actomyosin fibers and a morphogen concentration field, incorporating a mechanochemical feedback loop involving strain-dependent morphogen production at defect sites.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
A study of structural effects on the focusing and imaging performance of hard X-rays with 20–30 nm zone plates
Authors: Tong Xujie , Dhamgaye Vishal , Chen Qiucheng , Wu Qingxin , Deng Biao , Zhang Ling , Fox Oliver , Wang Hongchang , Zhao Jun , Chen Yifang , Xu Zijian , Li Peng , Sawhney Kawal
Published: October 2024

Hard X-ray microscopes with 20–30 nm spatial resolution ranges are an advanced tool for the inspection of materials at the nanoscale. However, the limited efficiency of the focusing optics, for example, a Fresnel zone plate (ZP) lens, can significantly reduce the power of a nanoprobe. Despite several reports on ZP lenses that focus hard X-rays with 20 nm resolution – mainly constructed by zone-doubling techniques – a systematic investigation into the limiting factors has not been reported. We report the structural effects on the focusing and imaging efficiency of 20–30 nm-resolution ZPs, employing a modified beam-propagation method. The zone width and the duty cycle (zone width/ring pitch) were optimized to achieve maximum efficiency, and a comparative analysis of the zone materials was conducted. The optimized zone structures were used in the fabrication of Pt-hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) ZPs. The highest focusing efficiency of the Pt-HSQ-ZP with a resolution of 30 nm was 10% at 7 keV and >5% in the range 6–10 keV, whereas the highest efficiency of the Pt-HSQ-ZP with a resolution of 20 nm was realized at 7 keV with an efficiency of 7.6%. Optical characterization conducted at X-ray beamlines demonstrated significant enhancement of the focusing and imaging efficiency in a broader range of hard X-rays from 5 keV to 10 keV, demonstrating the potential application in hard X-ray focusing and imaging.
Synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization of defect-rich forsterite as a representative phase of Martian regolith
Authors: Jundullah Hanafi Muchammad Izzuddin , Bastonero Lorenzo , Murshed Mohammad Mangir , Robben Lars , Dononelli Wilke , Kirsch Andrea , Marzari Nicola , Gesing Thorsten M.
Published: October 2024

Regolith draws intensive research attention because of its importance as the basis for fabricating materials for future human space exploration. Martian regolith is predicted to consist of defect-rich crystal structures due to long-term space weathering. The present report focuses on the structural differences between defect-rich and defect-poor forsterite (Mg2SiO4) – one of the major phases in Martian regolith. In this work, forsterites were synthesized using reverse strike co-precipitation and high-energy ball milling (BM). Subsequent post-processing was also carried out using BM to enhance the defects. The crystal structures of the samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction and total scattering using Cu and synchrotron radiation followed by Rietveld refinement and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, respectively. The structural models were deduced by density functional theory assisted PDF refinements, describing both long-range and short-range order caused by defects. The Raman spectral features of the synthetic forsterites complement the ab initio simulation for an in-depth understanding of the associated structural defects.
Metadata harvesting for digital library integration in Ukraine: a comparative study of the OAI-PMH protocol and VuFind’s efficacy
Authors: Novytskyi Oleksandr
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to the problem of building an environment to support scientific research in connection with the development of Open Science in Ukraine.

Design/methodology/approach

An overview of modern portals for aggregating scientific data was conducted. Analysis of available tools and identifying problems that arise when collecting data from digital libraries and journals was conducted. The validity of choosing VuFind as a tool that allows building an extraction–transformation–loading (ETL) approach for data aggregation and bringing the format and values of metadata fields to one view was experimentally verified.

Findings

During the experimental verification, problems related to the fact that the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) protocol does not have strict requirements for the data structure, which lead to the complexity of integration, despite the fact that this protocol occupied a leading position, were noted. To simplify these problems, an ETL approach that allowed for the use of ontological methods (e.g. data mapping, linked data and dictionaries to improve the semantics of data for integration processes) was considered. A review of the possibilities of modern tools for OAI-PMH integration, which were actively supported and developed, was conducted.

Originality/value

This paper was an attempt to outline the problems that arose in integrating resources, with the aim of developing future integration protocols that would have simple means of semantic data validation and built-in ETL mechanism.
Lightweight concrete crack detection based on spiking neural networks
Authors: Ye Wujian , Huang Hao , Zhang Boning , Liu Yijun , Lin Ziqi
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Most existing methods for concrete crack detection are based on deep learning techniques such as convolutional neural networks. However, these models, due to their large memory footprint, high power consumption and insufficient feature extraction capabilities, face challenges in mobile applications. To address these issues, this paper proposes a lightweight spiking neural network detection model.

Design/methodology/approach

This model achieves fast and accurate crack detection. Firstly, the Gabor-Spiking (GS) module preprocesses input images, extracting texture features and edge features of crack images through Gabor filter convolution modules and spiking convolution modules, respectively. Next, the multiscale residual (MR) module is designed, composed of convolutional layers and residual modules of various scales, to process the fused features and perform crack detection.

Findings

Experimental results demonstrate that the model’s size can be reduced to 4.6 MB, achieving accuracy improvements to 87.3 and 96.4% on the SDNET and OCD datasets, respectively.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a lightweight spiking neural network detection model based on the GS module for edge texture feature fusion and the MR module for crack detection.
Climate-sensitive training for sustainable business in Dickson County with global applications
Authors: Bilderback Stephanie
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the implementation and impact of climate-sensitive training programs tailored to the specific climate risks and business needs of Dickson County, Tennessee. It aims to emphasize the importance of integrating climate adaptation strategies into business training and to propose a replicable model that can be adapted to regions facing similar challenges, contributing to global sustainability efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses Dickson County’s climate profile as a case study, analyzing its impact on local businesses in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. This paper integrates theoretical frameworks, including organizational learning and adaptive capacity, to provide practical strategies for climate-sensitive training. It further incorporates insights from local institutions, industry partnerships and public data, using a qualitative approach to analyze key themes related to training effectiveness and sustainability.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that climate-sensitive training significantly enhances the resilience and sustainability of businesses by preparing them to address local climate challenges. Critical factors for successful implementation include stakeholder engagement, industry-specific customization and the continuous evaluation of training outcomes. The model presented shows promise for broader applicability in other regions, especially when localized climate data and collaborative efforts are integrated.

Originality/value

This paper provides a novel, region-specific approach to climate-sensitive training, distinguishing itself by combining theoretical insights with practical strategies for businesses. By focusing on localized adaptation and stakeholder collaboration, the model addresses an existing gap in the literature on climate adaptation training for smaller, climate-vulnerable regions. This work offers a replicable and scalable framework that contributes to the global discourse on sustainable development and climate resilience in business practices.
Barriers influencing the sustainable development of community-based tourism (CBT): evidence from Ciaotou heritage village in Taiwan
Authors: Liang Austin Rong-Da , Loo Poh Theng , Kuan Fu-Yung
Published: October 2024

Purpose

In recent years, community-based tourism (CBT) in the global market has been combined with specific themes in order to establish various tourism activities. Relatively few studies have comprehensively investigated how this type of CBT should be developed. Therefore, this study takes CBT with festival themes combined with community characteristics as a case study, which explores what obstacles exist in CBT with a combination of community characteristics – the industrial history of sugar factories and external themes, such as, formal flower displays.

Design/methodology/approach

The thematic analysis is employed for data analysis of interviews. All interview participants were stakeholders.

Findings

This study identifies five types of obstacles: policy-related, environmental-related, innovation-related, industry-related and communication-related. Based on these findings, it is vital to consider both community and other characteristics of CBT. At the same time, after evaluating the rational perceptions of different stakeholders within the same type of obstacle, this study proposes a more specific and comprehensive development strategies for CBT.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of community agricultural tourism which collected the viewpoints of different stakeholders – tourists, residents, community associations, local businesses and the government. This study employs in-depth analysis of external policies and environmental and agricultural factors to discover and develop relevant coping strategies and implications.
Individual decision styles as predictors for bias susceptibility and bias blind spots in managerial decisions
Authors: Muntwiler Christian , Eppler Martin J. , Unfried Matthias , Buder Fabian
Published: October 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to managerial decision styles, following the General Decision-Making Style Inventory, as potential predictors of individual bias awareness and bias blind spots, with a focus on the rational decision style.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a survey of 500 C-1 level managers within Forbes 2000 companies. It explores their decision styles and their assessments of their own and others’ decision behavior.

Findings

The results show that the awareness of one’s own susceptibility to biases and bias blind spots is highly dependent on an individual’s (self-declared) decision style and type of cognitive bias; decision-makers with a strong tendency toward a rational or spontaneous decision style see themselves as less vulnerable to cognitive biases but also show a much stronger bias blind spot than those with a tendency toward other decision styles. Meanwhile, decision-makers with a strong tendency toward an intuitive decision style tend to recognize their own vulnerability to cognitive biases and even show a negative blind spot, thus seeing themselves as more affected by cognitive biases than others.

Originality/value

To date, decision styles have not been used as a lens through which to view susceptibility to cognitive biases and bias blind spots in managerial decision-making. As demonstrated in this article, decision styles can serve as predictors of individual awareness and susceptibility to cognitive biases and bias blind spots for managers.
Improving accessibility, engagement and usefulness of online information literacy tutorials based on student feedback
Authors: Trask Gina M.
Published: October 2024

Purpose

In order to evaluate a new series of online information literacy tutorials, students in a first-year experience program were invited to take a perception survey. The survey asked respondents if they perceived the tutorials to be accessible, engaging and useful. The feedback informed changes to tutorial learning objects in order to improve student learning of information literacy concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a survey instrument comprised of quantitative and qualitative questions about online tutorial accessibility, engagement and usefulness. All students enrolled in first-year experience courses at the end of the Fall 2022 semester were invited to take the survey.

Findings

The results suggest that the majority of respondents perceive the tutorials as useful for completing college-level assignments (62.5%) and easy to access and navigate (85%). Ratings for engagement are mixed; less than half of respondents perceive the tutorials to be engaging (44%). Analysis of qualitative questions may point to a connection between the perceived usefulness of a tutorial and a user’s engagement with the material.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the evaluation of tutorials comprised of vendor-produced content mixed with institutionally created content. It includes the survey instrument designed to collect student perceptions of these tutorials.
Exploring financial graph literacy: determinants and influence on financial behavior
Authors: Barone Marco , Bussoli Candida , Fattobene Lucrezia
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Graphs are widely used in the banking and finance domain to support consumers’ decision-making process, but subjects differ in their ability to understand them. This study aims to detect the determinants of the ability to read and process financial information conveyed in the graphical format, i.e. financial graph literacy (FGL) and the relationship between FGL and subjects’ actual financial behavior (FB).

Design/methodology/approach

Data are collected by administering a structured questionnaire to the Italian adult population (n= 502). The survey includes different sections aimed at collecting information about sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables, financial literacy and FB. The econometric analyses are developed using OLS and Poisson regressions.

Findings

The results show that gender, geographical area, education, marital status and income are crucial determinants of FGL. Moreover, the analysis reveals that an increase in the FGL indicator is associated with a higher propensity for individuals to purchase banking or financial products or actively manage financial resources; results are robust, even controlling for financial knowledge.

Originality/value

Although previous research investigates the impact of graphs in financial decision-making, no studies measure the ability of consumers to read and interpret financial information conveyed in the graphical format. This study is the first to investigate the determinants of FGL and link it to actual FB. Implications for policymakers, regulatory and supervisory authorities and financial intermediaries are discussed.
Addressing health inequality and inequity for people with intellectual disabilities: a collective responsibility for all nurses
Authors: McMahon Martin , Doyle Carmel , Burke Éilish , Fleming Sandra , Cleary Michelle , Byrne Kathleen , McGlinchey Eimear , Keenan Paul , McCarron Mary , Horan Paul , Sheerin Fintan
Published: October 2024

Purpose

People with intellectual disabilities are high users of acute hospital care. Given their varied and often complex health-care needs, they often experience health inequalities and inequities, contributing to poorer health outcomes. As nurses are the largest health-care workforce with a patient-facing role, they have an important responsibility in meeting this populations health needs. The purpose of this paper is to explore key issues relating to the role nurses play in providing equitable health care for people with intellectual disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This service feature draws upon relevant literature to examine key contextual issues highlighting the importance of nurses in providing equitable health care for people with intellectual disabilities.

Findings

The findings from this service feature highlight the importance of nurses taking a leadership role in advocating for, and actively supporting the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Nurses’ leadership role, along with implementing reasonable adjustments, should be underpinned by education and training relating to the bespoke health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. This should help nurses promote the health and well-being of this population.

Originality/value

Addressing this populations health needs is a collective responsibility of all nurses. There are many examples of how nurses can be supported through policy, education, training and advocacy and this needs to be considered by key stakeholders and addressed as a matter of priority.
Women who pay their own brideprice: reimagining provider masculinity through Uganda's thriving wedding industry
Authors: Moore Erin V. , Schneidermann Nanna
Published: October 2024

In Uganda, the ‘traditional’ wedding, wherein a groom brings money and gifts to his father‐in‐law's home, has long been understood as the ultimate demonstration of a man's social maturity. Yet masculine adulthood is becoming increasingly elusive as weddings become more difficult to afford. Widespread unemployment has rendered most young men unable to fund the rituals while weddings themselves have become exceptionally lavish: brideprice payments now include ‘cows’, or millions of Ugandan shillings, as well as furniture sets, refrigerators, televisions, and even cars. With wedding expenses surging and their fiancés out of work, women have begun ‘paying their own brideprice’, as Ugandans say, by contributing substantially to wedding costs. In this article, we explore this oft‐debated phenomenon. We propose that the emergence of women who pay their own brideprice has invited a broad reimagining of the gendered economic ideologies that tether men to money under the rubric of provider masculinity. That celebratory, seemingly innocuous events such as weddings occasion the questioning of hegemonic forms of masculinity is particularly notable in Uganda, where gender conservatism dominates public discourse. Beyond Uganda, our case suggests revisiting the normative as a potent site for observing gendered social change.
How Principals Decide Which Students With Disability Sit Standardised Tests and the Implications for School Accountability*
Authors: de New John , Polidano Cain , Ryan Chris
Published: October 2024

Whether students with disability should be included in standardised testing is a contentious issue. In this study, we provide the first empirical evidence on what happens when principals are given discretion over exempting students with disability. Using population administrative data of children with teacher‐identified low‐moderate disability, we find evidence of widespread exempting in their first national test (at 8–9 years old). Those who receive special education funding, a visible flag of disability, are 30 percentage points less likely to sit, controlling for teacher‐assessed student capabilities. We find no evidence that that the rate of indiscriminate exempting is linked to school competition, but find instead that it is linked to the presence of learning impediments. While not impacting overall school accountability, such behaviour potentially compromises accountability for special education programs and sends a bad signal to students with learning impairments.
The relationship between glucose patterns in OGTT and adverse pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies
Authors: Tang Wei‐Zhen , Cai Qin‐Yu , Zhao Yi‐Fan , Chen Hao‐wen , Lan Xia , Li Xia , Wen Li , Wang Ying‐Xiong , Liu Tai‐Hang , Wang Lan
Published: October 2024

Background

Traditional fixed thresholds for oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results may inadequately prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies. This study explores latent OGTT patterns and their association with adverse outcomes.

Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed 2644 twin pregnancies using latent mixture models to identify glucose level patterns (high, HG; medium, MG; and low, LG) and their relationship with maternal/neonatal characteristics, gestational age at delivery, and adverse outcomes.

Results

Three distinct glucose patterns, HG, MG, and LG patterns were identified. Among the participants, 16.3% were categorized in the HG pattern. After adjustment, compared with the LG pattern, the HG pattern was associated with a 1.79‐fold, 1.66‐fold, and 1.32‐fold increased risk of stillbirth, neonatal respiratory distress, and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, respectively. The risk of neonatal ICU admission for MG and HG patterns increased by 1.22 times and 1.32 times, respectively, compared with the LG pattern. As gestational weeks increase, although there is an overlap in the confidence intervals between the HG pattern and other patterns in the restricted cubic splines analysis, the trend suggests that pregnant women with the HG pattern are more likely to face risks of their newborns requiring neonatal intensive care unit admission, and adverse comprehensive outcomes, compared with other patterns. In addition, with age and body mass index increasing in HG mode, gestation weeks at delivery tend to be later than in other modes.

Conclusion

Distinct OGTT glucose patterns in twin pregnancies correlate with different risks of adverse perinatal outcomes. The HG pattern warrants closer glucose monitoring and targeted intervention.

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A Snakemake Toolkit for the Batch Assembly, Annotation and Phylogenetic Analysis of Mitochondrial Genomes and Ribosomal Genes From Genome Skims of Museum Collections
Authors: White Oliver W. , Hall Andie , Price Ben W. , Williams Suzanne T. , Clark Matthew D.
Published: October 2024

Low coverage ‘genome‐skims’ are often used to assemble organelle genomes and ribosomal gene sequences for cost‐effective phylogenetic and barcoding studies. Natural history collections hold invaluable biological information, yet poor preservation resulting in degraded DNA often hinders polymerase chain reaction‐based analyses. However, it is possible to generate libraries and sequence the short fragments typical of degraded DNA to generate genome‐skims from museum collections. Here we introduce a snakemake toolkit comprised of three pipelines skim2mito, skim2rrna and gene2phylo, designed to unlock the genomic potential of historical museum specimens using genome skimming. Specifically, skim2mito and skim2rrna perform the batch assembly, annotation and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal genes, respectively, from low‐coverage genome skims. The third pipeline gene2phylo takes a set of gene alignments and performs phylogenetic analysis of individual genes, partitioned analysis of concatenated alignments and a phylogenetic analysis based on gene trees. We benchmark our pipelines with simulated data, followed by testing with a novel genome skimming dataset from both recent and historical solariellid gastropod samples. We show that the toolkit can recover mitochondrial and ribosomal genes from poorly preserved museum specimens of the gastropod family Solariellidae, and the phylogenetic analysis is consistent with our current understanding of taxonomic relationships. The generation of bioinformatic pipelines that facilitate processing large quantities of sequence data from the vast repository of specimens held in natural history museum collections will greatly aid species discovery and exploration of biodiversity over time, ultimately aiding conservation efforts in the face of a changing planet.