bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of and factors associated with a treatment delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with gastrointestinal cancer in Europe
Authors: Roderburg Christoph , Loosen Sven H. , Leyh Catherine , Joerdens Markus S. , Mohr Raphael , Luedde Tom , Alymova Svetlana , Klein Isabel , Kostev Karel
Published: July 2023

Background

Recent studies have raised the issue of delayed cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the extent of delays and cancellations in cancer treatment, screening and diagnosis varied widely by geographic region and study design, highlighting the need for further research.

Methods

We used the Oncology Dynamics (OD) database featuring data from a cross-sectional, partially retrospective survey to analyze treatment delays in 30,171 GI cancer patients from five European countries (Germany, France, UK, Spain, and Italy). Risk factors for treatment delays were identified using multivariable logistic regression models.

Results

Treatment delays were documented in 1342 (4.5%) of the study patients, with most patients having a delay of less than 3 months (3.2%). We observed decisive differences of treatment delay in relation to geographical, healthcare- and patient-related factors. Treatment delay was highest in France (6.7%) and Italy (6.5%) and lowest in Spain (1.9%, p < 0.001). 5.9% of patients treated at general hospitals but only 1.9% of those treated by office-based physicians experienced treatment delays (p < 0.001). Moreover, the difference between lines of therapy was highly significant and ranged from 7.2% for early-stage patients in primary therapy to 2.6% in advanced/metastatic cancer patients receiving 4th or later line therapy (p < 0.001). Finally, the proportion of cases with delayed treatments increased from 3.5% in asymptomatic patients (ECOG 0) to 9.9% in bedridden patients (ECOG IV, p < 0.001). Results were confirmed in multivariable logistic regression models.

Our data highlight the problem of delayed treatment of tumor patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identified risk factors for delayed treatment, such as poor general health or treatment in smaller hospitals, offer starting points for future concepts of “pandemic preparedness”.
Fitted avatars: automatic skeleton adjustment for self-avatars in virtual reality
Authors: Ponton Jose Luis , Ceballos Víctor , Acosta Lesly , Ríos Alejandro , Monclús Eva , Pelechano Nuria
Published: July 2023

In the era of the metaverse, self-avatars are gaining popularity, as they can enhance presence and provide embodiment when a user is immersed in Virtual Reality. They are also very important in collaborative Virtual Reality to improve communication through gestures. Whether we are using a complex motion capture solution or a few trackers with inverse kinematics (IK), it is essential to have a good match in size between the avatar and the user, as otherwise mismatches in self-avatar posture could be noticeable for the user. To achieve such a correct match in dimensions, a manual process is often required, with the need for a second person to take measurements of body limbs and introduce them into the system. This process can be time-consuming, and prone to errors. In this paper, we propose an automatic measuring method that simply requires the user to do a small set of exercises while wearing a Head-Mounted Display (HMD), two hand controllers, and three trackers. Our work provides an affordable and quick method to automatically extract user measurements and adjust the virtual humanoid skeleton to the exact dimensions. Our results show that our method can reduce the misalignment produced by the IK system when compared to other solutions that simply apply a uniform scaling to an avatar based on the height of the HMD, and make assumptions about the locations of joints with respect to the trackers.
A large-scale web accessibility analysis considering technology adoption
Authors: Martins Beatriz , Duarte Carlos
Published: July 2023

This paper reports the results of the automated accessibility evaluation of nearly three million web pages. The analysis of the evaluations allowed us to characterize the status of web accessibility. On average, we identified 30 errors per web page, and only a very small number of pages had no accessibility barriers identified. The more frequent problems found were inadequate text contrast and lack of accessible names. Additionally, we identified the technologies present in the websites evaluated, which allowed us to relate web technologies with the accessibility level, as measured by A3, an accessibility metric. Our findings show that most categories of web technologies impact the accessibility of web pages, but that even for those categories that show a negative impact, it is possible to select technologies that improve or do not impair the accessibility of the web content.
Wellbeing Outcomes and Risk and Protective Factors for Parents with Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds from the Middle East in the First 1000 Days: A Systematic Review
Authors: Winter Amelia Kate , Due Clemence , Ziersch Anna
Published: July 2023

The First 1000 Days (the period from conception to a child’s second birthday) is an important developmental period. However, little is known about experiences of parents with refugee and migrant backgrounds during this period. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Publications were identified through searches of the Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus databases, critically appraised, and synthesised using thematic analysis. A total of 35 papers met inclusion criteria. Depressive symptomatology was consistently higher than global averages, however maternal depression conceptualisations differed across studies. Several papers reported changes in relationship dynamics as a result of having a baby post-migration. Consistent relationships were found between social and health support and wellbeing. Conceptualisations of wellbeing may differ among migrant families. Limited understanding of health services and relationships with health providers may impede help-seeking. Several research gaps were identified, particularly in relation to the wellbeing of fathers, and of parents of children over 12 months old.
Effective virus-specific T-cell therapy for high-risk SARS-CoV-2 infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients: initial case studies and literature review
Authors: Gopcsa László , Réti Marienn , Andrikovics Hajnalka , Bobek Ilona , Bekő Gabriella , Bogyó Judit , Ceglédi Andrea , Dobos Katalin , Giba-Kiss Laura , Jankovics István , Kis Orsolya , Lakatos Botond , Mathiász Dóra , Meggyesi Nóra , Miskolczi Gottfried , Németh Noémi , Paksi Melinda , Riczu Alexandra , Sinkó János , Szabó Bálint , Szilvási Anikó , Szlávik János , Tasnády Szabolcs , Reményi Péter , Vályi-Nagy István
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic
has exacerbated mortality rates among immunocompromised patients, accentuating the need for novel, targeted therapies. Transplant recipients, with their inherent immune vulnerabilities, represent a subgroup at significantly heightened risk. Current conventional therapies often demonstrate limited effectiveness in these patients, calling for innovative treatment approaches. In immunocompromised transplant recipients, several viral infections have been successfully treated by adoptive transfer of virus-specific T-cells (VST). This paper details the successful application of SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T-cell therapy, produced by an interferon-γ cytokine capture system (CliniMACS® Prodigy device), in three stem cell transplant recipients diagnosed with COVID-19 (case 1: alpha variant, cases 2 and 3: delta variants). These patients exhibited persistent SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity accompanied by bilateral pulmonary infiltrates and demonstrated only partial response to standard treatments. Remarkably, all three patients recovered and achieved viral clearance within 3 to 9 weeks post-VST treatment. Laboratory follow-up investigations identified an increase in SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cells in two of the cases. A robust anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (S1/S2) IgG serological response was also recorded, albeit with varying titers. The induction of memory T-cells within the CD4 + compartment was confirmed, and previously elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels normalized post-VST therapy. The treatment was well tolerated with no observed adverse effects. While the need for specialized equipment and costs associated with VST therapy present potential challenges, the limited treatment options currently available for COVID-19 within the allogeneic stem cell transplant population, combined with the risk posed by emerging SARS-CoV-2 mutations, underscore the potential of VST therapy in future clinical practice. This therapeutic approach may be particularly beneficial for elderly patients with multiple comorbidities and weakened immune systems.
Crafting Social Integration? Welfare State and Volunteering Across Social Groups and Policy Areas in 23 European Countries
Authors: Ackermann Kathrin , Erhardt Julian , Freitag Markus
Published: July 2023

The beneficial role of voluntary work for social integration makes it an important aspect of social cohesion. Thus, there is broad interest in understanding the individual and contextual foundations of volunteering. With regard to the latter, a particular focus is on the role of policies and institutions of the welfare state. They might set incentives for civic engagement and create new scope for voluntary work (crowding-in thesis), but they might also make it redundant (crowding-out thesis). We follow the argument that generous welfare states enable volunteering and assume that two mechanisms are at work. First, they establish a general culture of helping and caring for others in a society (cultural mechanism). Second, they provide those who benefit or potentially benefit from welfare state policies with resources and the abilities to engage in volunteering (resource mechanism). Thus, welfare benefits in specific areas of the welfare state are expected to increase volunteering among members of targeted groups (e.g., the elderly if pensions are high). To test these arguments, our empirical analysis combines country-level data of area-specific welfare benefits with survey data of around 29,000 respondents from 23 countries included in the most recent European Value Survey 2017/2018. We estimate hierarchical regression models with cross-level interactions to test whether particular groups of society are activated by general and area-specific welfare programs to become volunteers. Our findings show that volunteering is generally higher in more generous welfare states, lending support to the crowding-in thesis. Area- and group-specific analyses indicate that the resource mechanism works for some groups but not for all. Pension welfare strengthens volunteering among the retired and the elderly. Unemployment welfare reinforces volunteering among the less educated, but these results are slightly less robust, and we do not find support for higher levels of volunteering among the actually targeted group of unemployed persons.
Repression, Prävention und die Dunkelziffer: Zur geheimen Prostitution und dem unbekannten Ausmaß der syphilitischen „Durchseuchung“ in Berlin im 19. Jahrhundert
Authors: Ledebur Sophie
Published: July 2023

Im frühen 19. Jahrhundert rückte die heimliche und sanitätspolizeilich nicht kontrollierbare Ausübung der Prostitution und mit ihr die gefürchteten Ansteckungen mit der Syphilis in den Fokus breiter Aufmerksamkeit. Sowohl seitens der kommunalen Verwaltung als auch der Polizei und Sanitätspolizei ging man davon aus, dass die Zahl der klandestinen Prostituierten ungleich höher sei als die der behördlich registrierten Frauen. Analog dazu meinte man nur von einem Bruchteil des ‚realen‘ Ausmaßes der venerischen Infektionen Kenntnis zu haben. Die „Dunkelziffer“ dieser beiden eng miteinander assoziierten Geschehnisse trieb die Maßnahmen zu deren Aufdeckung und Erfassung vor sich her. Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich zum einen mit der Praxis der legislativen Vorgaben und der polizeilichen Kontrollen der im Geheimen agierenden Frauen wie auch der seit den 1820er-Jahren forcierten Nachverfolgung der Infektionsketten und erster präventiv motivierter gesundheitspolitischer Ansätze. Analysiert wird zum anderen die Wirkmächtigkeit des Postulats der fehlenden Daten. Die unumstößliche Gewissheit von der Existenz der zahlreichen nicht erfassten Fälle und das offensive Ausstellen kaum auslotbarer Bedrohungen waren ein inhärenter Bestandteil sowohl repressiver als auch präventiver Vorgehensweisen im Dickicht urbaner Gefahren.
Micropropagation of iraca palm (Carludovica palmata Ruiz y Pav) using a temporary immersion system
Authors: Minchala-Buestán Nube , Hoyos-Sánchez Rodrigo A. , Correa-Londoño Guillermo A.
Published: July 2023

Carludovica palmata is a Neotropical plant with a promising potential for the agroindustry. It is an important source of fibers used to manufacture handmade goods. Colombia is one of the leading countries in the production of this species; however, it lacks efficient techniques for its propagation. We developed a protocol for massive micropropagation of C. palmata using a temporary immersion bioreactor (TIB) system. Immersion frequency, immersion time, culture medium volume, and explant density were evaluated using a split-split-plot design. The variables evaluated were the number and length of shoots and roots, the number of leaves, and the dry weight of shoots. The performance of three micropropagation systems, TIB, semi-solid medium, and liquid medium, was evaluated using a generalized randomized block design. Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium with 1.0 mg L−1 of 6-benzylaminopurine, 0.5 mg L−1 of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid, and 20 g L−1 of sucrose added to it was used. The results obtained show a frequency of 12 h with an immersion time of 1 min improved the length of shoots, roots, and number of leaves, and dry weight. A volume of 20 mL/explant was found to be an adequate condition to increase the number and length of shoots, the number of leaves, and the dry weight. According to the optimization module, the factor levels that will maximize the evaluated variables are a 1-minute immersion of the tissues in the culture medium with a frequency of 12 hours each time, with 175 mL of culture medium per bioreactor and density of 10 explants. In conclusion, TIB was shown to be efficient for massive micropropagation of C. palmata compared with conventional methods.
Statin Intolerance: an Overview of US and International Guidance
Authors: Cheeley Mary Katherine , Clegg Katarina , Lockridge Connor , Schubert Tyler J. , Jones Laney K.
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

To review recent international and domestic definitions, considerations, and treatment algorithms for statin intolerance, and specifically, statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS).

Recent Findings

Multiple organizations around the world have produced guidance documents to aid clinicians on managing statin intolerance. A common theme resides among all the guidance documents that most patients can tolerate statins. For those patients who cannot, healthcare teams need to evaluate, rechallenge, educate, and ensure adequate reduction of atherogenic lipoproteins.

Statin therapy remains the cornerstone of lipid-lowering therapies to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and reduce mortality and morbidity. The common theme throughout all these guidance documents is the importance of statin therapy to reduce ASCVD and continual adherence to treatment. Because adverse events occur and inhibit patients from achieving adequate lowering of their atherogenic lipoproteins, trial and rechallenge of statin therapy, as well as addition of non-statin therapies, especially in high-risk patients, is also undisputed. The main differences stem from laboratory monitoring and the classification of the severity of the adverse effect. Future research should focus on consistently diagnosing SAMS so that these patients can be easily identified in the electronic health records.
The Effect of Perioperative Auditory Stimulation with Music on Procedural Pain: A Narrative Review
Authors: Frickmann Fabienne C. S. , Urman Richard D. , Siercks Kaya , Burgermeister Gabriel , Luedi Markus M. , Lersch Friedrich E.
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

Music therapy has seen increasing applications in various medical fields over the last decades. In the vast range of possibilities through which music can relieve suffering, there is a risk that—given its efficacy—the physiological underpinnings are too little understood. This review provides evidence-based neurobiological concepts for the use of music in perioperative pain management.

Recent Findings

The current neuroscientific literature shows a significant convergence of the pain matrix and neuronal networks of pleasure triggered by music. These functions seem to antagonize each other and can thus be brought to fruition in pain therapy. The encouraging results of fMRI and EEG studies still await full translation of this top-down modulating mechanism into broad clinical practice.

We embed the current clinical literature in a neurobiological framework. This involves touching on Bayesian “predictive coding” pain theories in broad strokes and outlining functional units in the nociception and pain matrix. These will help to understand clinical findings in the literature summarized in the second part of the review. There are opportunities for perioperative practitioners, including anesthesiologists treating acute pain and anxiety in emergency and perioperative situations, where music could help bring relieve to patients.
Toward Blood-Based Precision Medicine: Identifying Age-Sex-Specific Vascular Biomarker Quantities on Circulating Vascular Cells
Authors: Fang Yingye , Chen Ling , Imoukhuede P. I.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Abnormal angiogenesis is central to vascular disease and cancer, and noninvasive biomarkers of vascular origin are needed to evaluate patients and therapies. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are often dysregulated in these diseases, making them promising biomarkers, but the need for an invasive biopsy has limited biomarker research on VEGFRs. Here, we pioneer a blood biopsy approach to quantify VEGFR plasma membrane localization on two circulating vascular proxies: circulating endothelial cells (cECs) and circulating progenitor cells (cPCs).

Methods

Using quantitative flow cytometry, we examined VEGFR expression on cECs and cPCs in four age-sex groups: peri/premenopausal females (aged < 50 years), menopausal/postmenopausal females (≥ 50 years), and younger and older males with the same age cut-off (50 years).

Results

cECs in peri/premenopausal females consisted of two VEGFR populations: VEGFR-low (~ 55% of population: population medians ~ 3000 VEGFR1 and 3000 VEGFR2/cell) and VEGFR-high (~ 45%: 138,000 VEGFR1 and 39,000–236,000 VEGFR2/cell), while the menopausal/postmenopausal group only possessed the VEGFR-low cEC population; and 27% of cECs in males exhibited high plasma membrane VEGFR expression (206,000 VEGFR1 and 155,000 VEGFR2/cell). The absence of VEGFR-high cEC subpopulations in menopausal/postmenopausal females suggests that their high-VEGFR cECs are associated with menstruation and could be noninvasive proxies for studying the intersection of age-sex in angiogenesis. VEGFR1 plasma membrane localization in cPCs was detected only in menopausal/postmenopausal females, suggesting a menopause-specific regenerative mechanism.

Conclusions

Overall, our quantitative, noninvasive approach targeting cECs and cPCs has provided the first insights into how sex and age influence VEGFR plasma membrane localization in vascular cells.
Influence of Tubular Braid’s Structures on Wicking Behaviours: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Ghamkhar Ghazal , Arianpour Mehrdad , Bodaghi Mahdi
Published: July 2023

Avoiding wicking in a suture to recover the wound and avoid infection is critical. In this paper, the capillary rise method is applied to evaluate the wicking property of tubular braided structures. Effects of the tubular braid’s structural parameters, namely braid angle, interlacement pattern, structural axis, and the position of the yarns parallel to the axis are investigated. The results indicate that with the increase in braid angle, the wicking height descends and has the greatest effect on the wicking property among the studied parameters. It is also observed that under the same braid angle, the wicking height of the Two over Two braid is larger than the regular braid. Moreover, the presence of core yarns in a braided structure increases the wicking height. Among the studied parameters, the structural axis does not have a significant effect on this behavior. The results of statistical study confirm the experimental data and show that it is better to use biaxial braided structures with a regular pattern in the production of braided sutures. This work not only examines some factors effect on a vital feature of the braided suture but also underlines the importance of choosing the braid suture.

Graphical abstract
Achieving high-performance sodium metal anodes: From structural design to reaction kinetic improvement
Authors: Xu Jing , Yang Jianhao , Qiu Yashuang , Jin Yang , Wang Tianyi , Sun Bing , Wang Guoxiu
Published: July 2023

Sodium metal is one of the ideal anodes for high-performance rechargeable batteries because of its high specific capacity (~ 1166 mAh·g−1), low reduction potential (−2.71 V compared to standard hydrogen electrodes), and low cost. However, the unstable solid electrolyte interphase, uncontrolled dendrite growth, and inevitable volume expansion hinder the practical application of sodium metal anodes. At present, many strategies have been developed to achieve stable sodium metal anodes. Here, we systematically summarize the latest strategies adopted in interface engineering, current collector design, and the emerging methods to improve the reaction kinetics of sodium deposition processes. First, the strategies of constructing protective layers are reviewed, including inorganic, organic, and mixed protective layers through electrolyte additives or pretreatments. Then, the classification of metal-based, carbon-based, and composite porous frames is discussed, including their function in reducing local deposition current density and the effect of introducing sodiophilic sites. Third, the recent progress of alloys, nanoparticles, and single atoms in improving Na deposition kinetics is systematically reviewed. Finally, the future research direction and the prospect of high-performance sodium metal batteries are proposed.
Measuring technical efficiency for multi-input multi-output production processes through OneClass Support Vector Machines: a finite-sample study
Authors: Moragues Raul , Aparicio Juan , Esteve Miriam
Published: July 2023

We introduce a new method for the estimation of production technologies in a multi-input multi-output context, based on OneClass Support Vector Machines with piecewise linear transformation mapping. We compare via a finite-sample simulation study the new technique with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate technical efficiency. The criteria adopted for measuring the performance of the estimators are bias and mean squared error. The simulations reveal that the approach based on machine learning seems to provide better results than DEA in our finite-sample scenarios. We also show how to adapt several well-known technical efficiency measures to the introduced estimator. Finally, we compare the new technique with respect to DEA via its application to an empirical database of USA schools from the Programme for International Student Assessment, where we obtain statistically significant differences in the efficiency scores determined through the Slacks-Based Measure.
Dickinsonia tenuis reported by Retallack et al. 2021 is not a Fossil, Instead an Impression of an Extant ‘fallen beehive’ by S.K. Pandey, Shamim Ahmad and Mukund Sharma. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.99, 2023, pp.311-316
Authors: E. Bickford Marion , Basu Abhijit
Published: July 2023

We consider existing reliable data indicate the depositional age of the uppermost sandstone (Maihar Sandstone) of the Vindhyan Supergroup to be closer to 1000 Ma. We consider the penultimate statement by Pandey et al. (2023) “… the Maihar Sandstone is deposited within the Ediacaran Period” (our italics) is erroneous. In this note, we address both the dubious geochronology and the dubious biostratigraphy called on by Pandey et al. (op. cit.), and comment on the impropriety of changing extant stratigraphy on the basis of either.
Solving all the world’s energy problems for once and forever
Authors: Schubert Peter
Published: July 2023

The ultimate baseload power is that which can be delivered from orbit, especially if constructed from in situ materials. Power satellites can deliver GW-class power to municipal statistical areas and industrial parks using wireless power transfer from phased array antennae. Two recent innovations allow for a low specific cost (USD/kWh) at maturity, along with a small carbon footprint (gCO2(eq)/kWh). Remote from cities, local power and heat can be produced from non-food biomass. For villages and settlements in rural areas, agricultural residues can be converted to a tar-free hydrogen-rich syngas suitable for hydrogen extraction or as a fuel for an electrical generator (fuel cell or internal-combustion engine). This proven technology provides always-on power to off-grid locations, as well as heat for cooking or sterilization. Furthermore, with dry feedstock, the process generates biochar that can augment soil productivity, and be carbon-negative as well. Mineral ash from biomass conversion includes silica that can be reduced, with biochar, to produce metallurgical grade silicon. That silicon can be made porous with a chemical etch, and treated with a transition metal to produce a hydrogen storage medium. The parasitic energy loss of charging and discharging catalytically-modified porous silicon is very low, and it has negligible leakage. These qualities make for an ideal choice in fuel cell vehicles and portable electronics. Hydrogen can come from biomass in the countryside, or from powersat electrolysis during periods of low demand in the city. Taken together, these complementary technologies can power all of human needs for all time to come.
Existence and uniqueness of maximal solutions to SPDEs with applications to viscous fluid equations
Authors: Goodair Daniel , Crisan Dan , Lang Oana
Published: July 2023

We present two criteria for the existence and uniqueness of a maximal strong solution for a general class of stochastic partial differential equations. Each criterion has its corresponding set of assumptions and can be applied to viscous fluid equations with additive, multiplicative or a general transport type noise. In particular, we apply these criteria to demonstrate well-posedness results for the 3D SALT [Stochastic Advection by Lie Transport, (Holm in Proc R Soc A Math Phys Eng Sci 471:20140963, 2015)] Navier–Stokes Equation in velocity and vorticity form, on the torus and the bounded domain respectively.
Learning from cancer to address COVID-19
Authors: Oláh Edit
Published: July 2023

Patients with cancer have been disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Knowledge collected during the last three decades of cancer research has helped the medical research community worldwide to respond to many of the challenges raised by COVID-19, during the pandemic. The review, briefly summarizes the underlying biology and risk factors of COVID-19 and cancer, and aims to present recent evidence on cellular and molecular relationship between the two diseases, with a focus on those that are related to the hallmarks of cancer and uncovered in the first less than three years of the pandemic (2020–2022). This may not only help answer the question “Why cancer patients are considered to be at a particularly high risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness?”, but also helped treatments of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The last session highlights the pioneering mRNA studies and the breakthrough discovery on nucleoside-modifications of mRNA by Katalin Karikó, which led to the innovation and development of the mRNA-based SARSCoV-2 vaccines saving lives of millions and also opened the door for a new era of vaccines and a new class of therapeutics.
Comparison of the Big Five and the HEXACO Models of Personality in the Prediction of Emotional Wellbeing: an Experience Sampling Study
Authors: Pilch Irena
Published: July 2023

Although the associations between personality traits and subjective wellbeing (SWB) are well established, personality still remains important in the research on SWB. The big five/five factor model of personality is the most frequently used by SWB researchers. However, there is a possibility that an alternative six-factor personality model (HEXACO), which broadens personality structure with a sixth factor (honesty-humility), might also be useful when wellbeing is of interest. In the current study (N = 669) we try to assess which of the two personality models constitutes a better taxonomic framework for SWB research. To measure wellbeing as both a momentary and more stable phenomenon, an experience sampling procedure was used. Personality was assessed with the HEXACO-60 and the TIPI personality questionnaires. The current study findings showed some predictive advantages of the big five/five factor model over the HEXACO in predicting both momentary and stable wellbeing. However, both personality models added the unique variance to the prediction of SWB. Based on the results of the study, the recommendations for researchers investigating general personality traits in the context of subjective wellbeing are provided.
DC-SHAP Method for Consistent Explainability in Privacy-Preserving Distributed Machine Learning
Authors: Bogdanova Anna , Imakura Akira , Sakurai Tetsuya
Published: July 2023

Ensuring the transparency of machine learning models is vital for their ethical application in various industries. There has been a concurrent trend of distributed machine learning designed to limit access to training data for privacy concerns. Such models, trained over horizontally or vertically partitioned data, present a challenge for explainable AI because the explaining party may have a biased view of background data or a partial view of the feature space. As a result, explanations obtained from different participants of distributed machine learning might not be consistent with one another, undermining trust in the product. This paper presents an Explainable Data Collaboration Framework based on a model-agnostic additive feature attribution algorithm (KernelSHAP) and Data Collaboration method of privacy-preserving distributed machine learning. In particular, we present three algorithms for different scenarios of explainability in Data Collaboration and verify their consistency with experiments on open-access datasets. Our results demonstrated a significant (by at least a factor of 1.75) decrease in feature attribution discrepancies among the users of distributed machine learning. The proposed method improves consistency among explanations obtained from different participants, which can enhance trust in the product and enable ethical application in various industries.
Publishing in a Medieval Monastery
Authors: Pohl Benjamin
Published: July 2023

This Element contributes to the burgeoning field of medieval publishing studies with a case study of the books produced at the Benedictine monastery of Engelberg under its celebrated twelfth-century abbot, Frowin (1143–78). Frowin was the first abbot of Engelberg whose book provision policy relied on domestic production serviced by an internal scribal workforce, and his tenure marked the first major expansion of the community's library. This Element's in-depth discussion of nearly forty colophons inscribed in the books made for this library during Frowin's transformative abbacy offers a fresh perspective on monastic publishing practice in the twelfth century by directing our view to a mode of publication that has received only limited attention in scholarship to date.
Atheists and Atheism before the Enlightenment
Authors: Hunter Michael
Published: July 2023

Anxiety about the threat of atheism was rampant in the early modern period, yet fully documented examples of openly expressed irreligious opinion are surprisingly rare. England and Scotland saw only a handful of such cases before 1750, and this book oﬀers a detailed analysis of three of them. Thomas Aikenhead was executed for his atheistic opinions at Edinburgh in 1697; Tinkler Ducket was convicted of atheism by the Vice-Chancellor's court at the University of Cambridge in 1739; whereas Archibald Pitcairne's overtly atheist tract, Pitcairneana, though evidently compiled very early in the eighteenth century, was ﬁrst published only in 2016. Drawing on these, and on the better-known apostacy of Christopher Marlowe and the Earl of Rochester, Michael Hunter argues that such atheists showed real 'assurance' in publicly promoting their views. This contrasts with the private doubts of Christian believers, and this book demonstrates that the two phenomena are quite distinct, even though they have sometimes been wrongly conﬂated.
The Stories of Similes in Greek and Roman Epic
Authors: Beck Deborah
Published: July 2023

Just as the story of an epic poem is woven from characters and plot, so too the individual similes within an epic create a unique simile world. Like any other story, it is peopled by individual characters, happenings, and experiences, such as the shepherd and his flocks, a storm at sea, or predators hunting prey. The simile world that complements the epic mythological story is re-imagined afresh in relation to the themes of each epic poem. As Deborah Beck argues in this stimulating book, over time a simile world takes shape across many poems composed over many centuries. This evolving landscape resembles the epic story world of battles, voyages, and heroes that comes into being through relationships among different epic poems. Epic narrative is woven from a warp of the mythological story world and a weft of the simile world. They are partners in creating the fabric of epic poetry.
Finite-time ADRC formation control for uncertain nonaffine nonlinear multi-agent systems with prescribed performance and input saturation
Authors: Zhang Zhixiong , Yang Kaijun , Ouyang Lingcong
Published: July 2023

This paper explores finite-time formation control of multi-agent systems (MASs) with high-order nonaffine nonlinear dynamics and saturated input. Based on active disturbance rejection control theory, extended state observer is employed to identify unknown nonaffine nonlinear functions in MASs. The proposed control law consisting of backstepping control, tracking differentiator, and finite-time performance function is adopted for MASs to achieve the desired formation while reaching performance requirements. An auxiliary dynamic compensator is introduced to correct the control deviation caused by input saturation. Lyapunov stability theory is utilized to analyze the stability of the closed-loop system, which guarantees that the formation tracking error can asymptotically converge to an arbitrarily small neighborhood around zero in finite time. Finally, the simulation results show that compared to the adaptive, cooperative learning, and virtual structure methods, the proposed control algorithm has stronger tracking ability and faster setting time (1.8 s) under the influence of nonaffine nonlinear uncertainties. The integral square error for the formation control strategy in this paper is 0.16, which is much smaller than the abovementioned methods and is therefore provided to manifest the validity and feasibility of the proposed control strategy.
Profiles of word-finding difficulties in school-aged children
Authors: BOURASSA BÉDARD Vincent , TRUDEAU Natacha , MACLEOD Andrea A. N.
Published: July 2023

Current understanding of word-finding (WF) difficulties in children and their underlying language processing deficit is poor. Authors have proposed that different underlying deficits may result in different profiles. The current study aimed to better understand WF difficulties by identifying difficult tasks for children with WF difficulties and by focusing on semantic vs. phonological profiles. Twenty-four French-speaking children with WF difficulties and 22 children without WF difficulties, all aged 7- to 12-years-old, participated. They were compared on a range of measures to cover the overall mechanism of WF and the quality of semantic and phonological representations. The largest differences were found on a parent questionnaire and a word definition task. Cluster analyses revealed “high performance” and “low performance” clusters, with intermediary groups. These clusters did not match the expected semantic vs. phonological profiles derived from models of lexical access, suggesting that WF difficulties may be linked to both semantic and phonological deficits.
Impact of overweight and obesity in the fetal cardiac function parameters in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy
Authors: Peixoto Alberto Borges , Bravo-Valenzuela Nathalie Jeanne , Martins Wellington P. , Tonni Gabriele , Moron Antonio Fernandes , Mattar Rosiane , Ruano Rodrigo , Rolo Liliam Cristine , Araujo Júnior Edward
Published: July 2023

Objective:

To assess the impact of overweight and obesity in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy on fetal cardiac function parameters.

Methods:

We performed a prospective cohort study of 374 singleton pregnant women between 20w0d and 36w6d divided into three groups: 154 controls (body mass index - BMI < 25 kg/m2), 140 overweight (BMI 25–30 kg/m2) and 80 obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Fetal left ventricular (LV) modified myocardial performance index (Mod-MPI) was calculated according to the following formula: (isovolumetric contraction time + isovolumetric relaxation time)/ejection time. Spectral tissue Doppler was used to determine LV and right ventricular (RV) myocardial performance index (MPI'), peak myocardial velocity during systole (S'), early diastole (E'), and late diastole (A').

Results:

We found significant differences between the groups in maternal age (p < 0.001), maternal weight (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001), number of pregnancies (p < 0.001), parity (p < 0.001), gestational age (p = 0.013), and estimated fetal weight (p = 0.003). Overweight pregnant women had higher LV Mod-MPI (0.046 versus 0.044 seconds, p = 0.009) and LV MPI' (0.50 versus 0.47 seconds, p < 0.001) than the control group. Obese pregnant women had higher RV E' than control (6.82 versus 6.33 cm/sec, p = 0.008) and overweight (6.82 versus 6.46 cm/sec, p = 0.047) groups. There were no differences in 5-min APGAR score < 7, neonatal intensive care unit admission, hypoglycemia and hyperglobulinemia between the groups.

Conclusions:

We observed fetal myocardial dysfunction in overweight and obese pregnant women with higher LV Mod-MPI, LV MPI' and RV E' compared to fetuses from normal weight pregnant women.
Agriculture 3.0: Preparing for a Drier Future in the Colorado River Basin
Authors: Palmer Jane
Published: July 2023

Years of drought and climate change are causing water resources to dwindle in the Colorado River Basin. But farmers and scientists are collaborating to learn how to grow crops with less water.
Effect of the Net Charges Carried by Dust on Martian Atmospheric Temperature
Authors: Gao Xuebang , Xie Li , Zhou Jùn
Published: July 2023

Dust particles suspended in the dusty Martian atmosphere are prone to being charged. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the net charges carried by dust particles on the radiative properties of Martian dust. We find that net charges carried by dust particles significantly alter the extinction properties and single scattering albedo of dust at thermal infrared radiation band, which results in an enhancement of the infrared heating rate, up to 6.36%. We show that the discrepancy between the atmospheric temperature predicted by the Mars Atmosphere Model and the one detected during the Mars rover landing is reduced to within 11% when the effect of the net charges carried by the dust is considered. Therefore, it is essential to consider the effect of the net charges carried by dust particles for an accurate characterization of the atmospheric temperature.
GPS Loss of Lock Events and Their Dependence on the Interplanetary Magnetic Field Orientation
Authors: Lovati G. , De Michelis P. , Consolini G. , Pezzopane M. , Pignalberi A. , Berrilli F.
Published: July 2023

The study investigates the influence of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation on loss of lock (LoL) events in Global Positioning System signals. We analyzed LoLs recorded on two Swarm satellites between July 2014 and December 2021, examining how the signs of the IMF Bx, By, and Bz components affect the distribution of events at high latitudes. Our results reveal an asymmetric distribution of LoL events over 75° magnetic latitude. In the Northern hemisphere, more events occur in the post‐noon sector with negative IMF By, and in the pre‐noon sector with positive IMF By. Conversely, in the Southern hemisphere, pre‐noon events increase with negative IMF By, while post‐noon events increase with positive IMF By. At lower latitudes (50°–75°), IMF By does not significantly affect the event distribution, which mainly concentrates in the night sector for both hemispheres. Additionally, we found a connection between IMF By and Bx, primarily due to the IMF spiral structure. Finally, we discuss our findings in the context of the SuperDARN data‐driven model of ionospheric convection patterns, which shows that LoL events frequently cluster in the cusp region, as well as the area where the two convection cells separate.
Glucose uptake and distribution across the human skeleton using state-of-the-art total-body PET/CT
Authors: Lu Weizhao , Duan Yanhua , Li Kun , Qiu Jianfeng , Cheng Zhaoping
Published: July 2023

A growing number of studies have demonstrated that the skeleton is an endocrine organ that is involved in glucose metabolism and plays a significant role in human glucose homeostasis. However, there is still a limited understanding of the in vivo glucose uptake and distribution across the human skeleton. To address this issue, we aimed to elucidate the detailed profile of glucose uptake across the skeleton using a total-body positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. A total of 41 healthy participants were recruited. Two of them received a 1-hour dynamic total-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET scan, and all of them received a 10-minute static total-body 18F-FDG PET scan. The net influx rate (Ki) and standardized uptake value normalized by lean body mass (SUL) were calculated as indicators of glucose uptake from the dynamic and static PET data, respectively. The results showed that the vertebrae, hip bone and skull had relatively high Ki and SUL values compared with metabolic organs such as the liver. Both the Ki and SUL were higher in the epiphyseal, metaphyseal and cortical regions of long bones. Moreover, trends associated with age and overweight with glucose uptake (SULmax and SULmean) in bones were uncovered. Overall, these results indicate that the skeleton is a site with significant glucose uptake, and skeletal glucose uptake can be affected by age and dysregulated metabolism.
The regulatory role of lipophagy in central nervous system diseases
Authors: Lan Zhuo-qing , Ge Zi-yi , Lv Shu-kai , Zhao Bing , Li Cai-xia
Published: July 2023

Lipid droplets (LDs) are the organelles for storing neutral lipids, which are broken down when energy is insufficient. It has been suggested that excessive accumulation of LDs can affect cellular function, which is important to coordinate homeostasis of lipids in vivo. Lysosomes play an important role in the degradation of lipids, and the process of selective autophagy of LDs through lysosomes is known as lipophagy. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism has recently been associated with a variety of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, but the specific regulatory mechanisms of lipophagy in these diseases remain to be elucidated. This review summarizes various forms of lipophagy and discusses the role that lipophagy plays in the development of CNS diseases in order to reveal the related mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for these diseases.
Galectin-9 has non-apoptotic cytotoxic activity toward acute myeloid leukemia independent of cytarabine resistance
Authors: Choukrani Ghizlane , Visser Nienke , Ustyanovska Avtenyuk Natasha , Olthuis Mirjam , Marsman Glenn , Ammatuna Emanuele , Lourens Harm Jan , Niki Toshiro , Huls Gerwin , Bremer Edwin , Wiersma Valerie R.
Published: July 2023

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy still associated with poor survival rates, among others, due to frequent occurrence of therapy-resistant relapse after standard-of-care treatment with cytarabine (AraC). AraC triggers apoptotic cell death, a type of cell death to which AML cells often become resistant. Therefore, therapeutic options that trigger an alternate type of cell death are of particular interest. We previously identified that the glycan-binding protein Galectin-9 (Gal-9) has tumor-selective and non-apoptotic cytotoxicity towards various types of cancer, which depended on autophagy inhibition. Thus, Gal-9 could be of therapeutic interest for (AraC-resistant) AML. In the current study, treatment with Gal-9 was cytotoxic for AML cells, including for CD34+ patient-derived AML stem cells, but not for healthy cord blood-derived CD34+ stem cells. This Gal-9-mediated cytotoxicity did not rely on apoptosis but was negatively associated with autophagic flux. Importantly, both AraC-sensitive and -resistant AML cell lines, as well as AML patient samples, were sensitive to single-agent treatment with Gal-9. Additionally, Gal-9 potentiated the cytotoxic effect of DNA demethylase inhibitor Azacytidine (Aza), a drug that is clinically used for patients that are not eligible for intensive AraC treatment. Thus, Gal-9 is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of AML, including AraC-resistant AML, by inducing caspase-independent cell death.
Optimized superconductivity in the vicinity of a nematic quantum critical point in the kagome superconductor Cs(V1-xTix)3Sb5
Authors: Sur Yeahan , Kim Kwang-Tak , Kim Sukho , Kim Kee Hoon
Published: July 2023

CsV3Sb5 exhibits superconductivity at Tc = 3.2 K after undergoing intriguing two high-temperature transitions: charge density wave order at ~98 K and electronic nematic order at Tnem ~ 35 K. Here, we investigate nematic susceptibility in single crystals of Cs(V1-xTix)3Sb5 (x = 0.00-0.06) where double-dome-shaped superconducting phase diagram is realized. The nematic susceptibility typically exhibits the Curie‒Weiss behaviour above Tnem, which is monotonically decreased with x. Moreover, the Curie‒Weiss temperature is systematically suppressed from ~30 K for x = 0 to ~4 K for x = 0.0075, resulting in a sign change at x = ~0.009. Furthermore, the Curie constant reaches a maximum at x = 0.01, suggesting drastically enhanced nematic susceptibility near a putative nematic quantum critical point (NQCP) at x = ~0.009. Strikingly, Tc is enhanced up to ~4.1 K with full Meissner shielding realized at x = ~0.0075-0.01, forming the first superconducting dome near the NQCP. Our findings directly point to a vital role of nematic fluctuations in enhancing the superconducting properties of Cs(V1-xTix)3Sb5.