bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body size mediates latitudinal population differences in the response to chytrid fungus infection in two amphibians
Authors: Meurling Sara , Siljestam Mattias , Cortazar-Chinarro Maria , Åhlen David , Rödin-Mörch Patrik , Ågren Erik , Höglund Jacob , Laurila Anssi
Published: December 2023

Factors behind intraspecific variation in sensitivity to pathogens remain poorly understood. We investigated how geographical origin in two North European amphibians affects tolerance to infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a generalist pathogen which has caused amphibian population declines worldwide. We exposed newly metamorphosed individuals of moor frog Rana arvalis and common toad Bufo bufo from two latitudinal regions to two different BdGPL strains. We measured survival and growth as infections may cause sub-lethal effects in fitness components even in the absence of mortality. Infection loads were higher in B. bufo than in R. arvalis, and smaller individuals had generally higher infection loads. B. bufo had high mortality in response to Bd infection, whereas there was little mortality in R. arvalis. Bd-mediated mortality was size-dependent and high-latitude individuals were smaller leading to high mortality in the northern B. bufo. Bd exposure led to sub-lethal effects in terms of reduced growth suggesting that individuals surviving the infection may have reduced fitness mediated by smaller body size. In both host species, the Swedish Bd strain caused stronger sublethal effects than the British strain. We suggest that high-latitude populations can be more vulnerable to chytrids than those from lower latitudes and discuss the possible mechanisms how body size and host geographical origin contribute to the present results.
The feasibility of a multidimensional intervention in lymphoma survivors with chronic fatigue
Authors: Bøhn SKH , Oldervoll LM , Reinertsen KV , Seland M , Fosså A , Kiserud C , Skaali T , Nilsen TS , Blomhoff R , Henriksen HB , Lie HC , Berge T , Fjerstad E , Wisløff T , Slott M , Zajmovic I , Thorsen L
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Chronic fatigue (CF) affects 25–30% of lymphoma survivors, but interventions designed to reduce fatigue are lacking. The main aim of this study was to test the feasibility of a multidimensional intervention study in lymphoma survivors with CF. Secondary aims were to describe individual changes in fatigue, quality of life (QoL) and physical performance from pre (T0) to post (T1) intervention.

Methods

This feasibility study was as a one-armed intervention study performed in 2021. Hodgkin or aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors received mailed study information and Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire and were asked to respond if they suffered from fatigue. The 12-week intervention included patient education, physical exercise, a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-based group program and nutritional counselling. Feasibility data included patient recruitment, completion of assessments, adherence to the intervention and patient-reported experience measures. Participants responded to questionnaires and underwent physical tests at T0 and T1.

Results

Seven lymphoma survivors with CF were included. Of all assessments, 91% and 83% were completed at T0 and T1, respectively. Adherence to the interventional components varied from 69% to 91%. At T1, all participants rated exercise as useful, of whom five rated the CBT-based program and five rated individual nutritional counselling as useful. Five participants reported improved fatigue, QoL and physical performance.

Conclusion

Lymphoma survivors with CF participating in a multidimensional intervention designed to reduce the level of fatigue showed high assessment completion rate and intervention adherence rate. Most of the participants evaluated the program as useful and improved their level of fatigue, QoL and physical performance after the intervention.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04931407. Registered 16. April 2021-Retrospectively registered. https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04931407
Handling uncertainty issue in software defect prediction utilizing a hybrid of ANFIS and turbulent flow of water optimization algorithm
Authors: Elsabagh M. A. , Emam O. E. , Gafar M. G. , Medhat T.
Published: December 2023

During the development cycle of software projects, numerous defects and challenges have been identified, leading to prolonged project durations and escalated costs. As a result, both product delivery and defect tracking have become increasingly complex, expensive, and time-consuming. Recognizing the challenge of identifying every software defect, it is crucial to foresee potential consequences and strive for the production of high-quality products. The goal of software defect prediction (SDP) is to identify problematic locations within software code. This study presents the first experimental investigation utilizing the turbulent flow of water optimization (TFWO) in conjunction with the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) to enhance SDP. The TFWO_ANFIS model is designed to address the uncertainties present in software features and predict defects with feasible accuracy. Data are divided randomly at the beginning of the model into training and testing sets to avoid the local optima and over-fitting issues. By applying the TFWO approach, it adjusts the ANFIS parameters during the SDP process. The proposed model, TFWO_ANFIS, outperforms other optimization algorithms commonly used in SDP, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), gray wolf optimization (GWO), differential evolution (DE), ant colony optimization (ACO), standard ANFIS, and genetic algorithm (GA). This superiority is demonstrated through various evaluation metrics for four datasets, including standard deviation (SD) scores (0.3307, 0.2885, 0.3205, and 0.2929), mean square error (MSE) scores (0.1091, 0.0770, 0.1026, and 0.0850), root-mean-square error (RMSE) scores (0.3303, 0.2776, 0.3203, and 0.2926), mean bias error (MBE) scores (0.1281, 0.0860, 0.0931, and 0.2310), and accuracy scores (87.3%, 90.2%, 85.8%, and 89.2%), respectively, for the datasets KC2, PC3, KC1, and PC4. These datasets with different instances and features are obtained from an open platform called OPENML. Additionally, multiple evaluation metrics such as precision, sensitivity, confusion matrices, and specificity are employed to assess the model’s performance.
Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility/resistance to cefiderocol: which are the best present and future therapeutic alternatives?
Authors: Le Terrier Christophe , Freire Samanta , Nordmann Patrice , Poirel Laurent
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the different present and future therapeutic β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) alternatives, namely aztreonam-avibactam, imipenem-relebactam, meropenem-vaborbactam, cefepime-zidebactam, cefepime-taniborbactam, meropenem-nacubactam, and sulbactam-durlobactam against clinical isolates showing reduced susceptibility or resistance to cefiderocol in Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Methods

MIC values of aztreonam, aztreonam-avibactam, cefepime, cefepime-taniborbactam, cefepime-zidebactam, imipenem, imipenem-relebactam, meropenem, meropenem-vaborbactam, meropenem-nacubactam, sulbactam-durlobactam, and cefiderocol combined with a BLI were determined for 67, 9, and 11 clinical Enterobacterales, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii isolates, respectively, showing MIC values of cefiderocol being ≥1 mg/L. If unavailable, the respective β-lactam breakpoints according to EUCAST were used for BL/BLI combinations.

Results

For Enterobacterales, the susceptibility rates for aztreonam, cefepime, imipenem, and meropenem were 7.5%, 0%, 10.4%, and 10.4%, respectively, while they were much higher for cefepime-zidebactam (91%), cefiderocol-zidebactam (91%), meropenem-nacubactam (71.6%), cefiderocol-nacubactam (74.6%), and cefiderocol-taniborbactam (76.1%), as expected. For P. aeruginosa isolates, the higher susceptibility rates were observed for imipenem-relebactam, cefiderocol-zidebactam, and meropenem-vaborbactam (56% for all combinations). For A. baumannii isolates, lower susceptibility rates were observed with commercially or under development BL/BLI combos; however, a high susceptibility rate (70%) was found for sulbactam-durlobactam and when cefiderocol was associated to some BLIs.

Conclusions

Zidebactam- and nacubactam-containing combinations showed a significant in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility to cefiderocol. On the other hand, imipenem-relebactam and meropenem-vaborbactam showed the highest susceptibility rates against P. aeruginosa isolates. Finally, sulbactam-durlobactam and cefiderocol combined with a BLI were the only effective options against A. baumannii tested isolates.
Hardness and approximation of submodular minimum linear ordering problems
Authors: Farhadi Majid , Gupta Swati , Sun Shengding , Tetali Prasad , Wigal Michael C.
Published: December 2023

The minimum linear ordering problem (MLOP) generalizes well-known combinatorial optimization problems such as minimum linear arrangement and minimum sum set cover. MLOP seeks to minimize an aggregated cost $$f(\cdot )$$

f
(
·
)

due to an ordering $$\sigma $$
σ
of the items (say [n]), i.e., $$\min _{\sigma } \sum _{i\in [n]} f(E_{i,\sigma })$$

min
σ

∑

i
∈
[
n
]

f

(

E

i
,
σ

)

, where $$E_{i,\sigma }$$

E

i
,
σ

is the set of items mapped by $$\sigma $$
σ
to indices [i]. Despite an extensive literature on MLOP variants and approximations for these, it was unclear whether the graphic matroid MLOP was NP-hard. We settle this question through non-trivial reductions from mininimum latency vertex cover and minimum sum vertex cover problems. We further propose a new combinatorial algorithm for approximating monotone submodular MLOP, using the theory of principal partitions. This is in contrast to the rounding algorithm by Iwata et al. (in: APPROX, 2012), using Lovász extension of submodular functions. We show a $$(2-\frac{1+\ell _{f}}{1+|E|})$$

(
2
-

1
+

ℓ
f

1
+
|
E
|

)

-approximation for monotone submodular MLOP where $$\ell _{f}=\frac{f(E)}{\max _{x\in E}f(\{x\})}$$

ℓ
f

=

f
(
E
)

max

x
∈
E

f

(

{
x
}

)

satisfies $$1 \le \ell _f \le |E|$$

1
≤

ℓ
f

≤

|
E
|

. Our theory provides new approximation bounds for special cases of the problem, in particular a $$(2-\frac{1+r(E)}{1+|E|})$$

(
2
-

1
+
r
(
E
)

1
+
|
E
|

)

-approximation for the matroid MLOP, where $$f = r$$

f
=
r

is the rank function of a matroid. We further show that minimum latency vertex cover is $$\frac{4}{3}$$

4
3

-approximable, by which we also lower bound the integrality gap of its natural LP relaxation, which might be of independent interest.
A Row Displacement Correction Algorithm for High-speed and Accurate Terahertz Raster Scanning Imaging
Authors: Zhu Ting , Chen Hao , Liu Kai , Fang Guangyou , Chen Xuequan
Published: December 2023

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopic imaging has become a common and useful technique for various interdisciplinary studies. Raster scan is still the most general and reliable imaging modality due to the lack of matrix detectors. In terahertz raster scanning imaging, row displacements occur due to the use of a two-way continuous scanning mode, the lack of delay line triggering, or other technical factors. The displacements result in image distortion which significantly affects the subsequent data analysis. In this article, a row displacement correction algorithm based on a genetic algorithm is proposed. The algorithm corrects images based on the principle that row displacements result in an increase of high-frequency components of the Fourier spectrum transformed along the image column direction. The algorithm performance is comprehensively verified by both numerical simulation and experimental data, showing a promising effectiveness and robustness on different sample types, shapes, orientations, and spatial distributions. The algorithm corrects the displacements numerically regardless of the causing factors, offering a wide adaptability for various THz systems to improve the scanning efficiency and image quality.
The ascending chain condition on principal right ideals for semigroup constructions
Authors: Miller Craig
Published: December 2023

We call a semigroup $${\mathcal {R}}$$
R
-noetherian if it satisfies the ascending chain condition on principal right ideals, or, equivalently, the ascending chain condition on $${\mathcal {R}}$$
R
-classes. We investigate the behaviour of the property of being $${\mathcal {R}}\text {-noetherian}$$

R
-noetherian

under the following standard semigroup-theoretic constructions: semidirect products, Schützenberger products, free products, Rees matrix semigroups, Brandt extensions, Bruck–Reilly extensions and semilattices of semigroups.
Improvement of motion artifacts using dynamic whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging
Authors: Kaji Tomohito , Osanai Kouji , Takahashi Atsushi , Kinoshita Atsushi , Satoh Daiki , Nakata Tomoaki , Tamaki Nagara
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Serial dynamic whole-body PET imaging is valuable for assessing serial changes in tracer uptake. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the improvement of motion artifacts in patients using serial dynamic whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglyucose (FDG) PET/CT imaging.

Materials and methods

In 797 consecutive patients, serial 3-min dynamic whole-body FDG PET imaging was performed seven times, at 60 or 90 min after FDG administration. In cases with large body motion during imaging, we tried to improve the images by summing the images before body motion. An image quality study was performed on another 50 patients without obvious body motion using the same acquisition mode.

Results

Obvious body movement was observed in 106 of 797 cases (13.3%), and severe motion artifacts which interfered image interpretation were observed in 18 (2.3%). In these 18 cases, summation of the images before the body movement enabled us to obtain images that excluded the effect of the body motion. In the visual evaluation of the image quality in another 50 patients studied, acceptable image quality was obtained when 2 or more times the serial 3-min image data were added.

Conclusion

Serial dynamic whole-body FDG PET imaging can minimize body motion artifacts by summation of the images before the body motion. Such serial dynamic study may be a choice for PET imaging to eliminate motion artifacts.
Solid tumours showing oligoprogression to immune checkpoint inhibitors have the potential for abscopal effects
Authors: Ito Makoto , Abe Souichiro , Adachi Sou , Oshima Yukihiko , Takeuchi Arisa , Ohashi Wataru , Iwata Takashi , Ogawa Tetsuya , Ota Akiko , Kubota Yasuaki , Okuda Takahito , Suzuki Kojiro
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Given the uncertainty surrounding the abscopal effect (AE), it is imperative to identify promising treatment targets. In this study, we aimed to explore the incidence of AE when administering radiotherapy to patients with oligoprogressive solid tumours while they are undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Materials and methods

In this multicentre prospective observational study, oligoprogressive disease was defined as a < 20% increase in lesions compared to > 2 months before enrolment. We enrolled patients who requested radiotherapy during the ICI rest period between 2020 and 2023. AE was considered present if ≥ 1 non-irradiated lesion decreased by ≥ 30% before the next line of systemic therapy started.

Results

Twelve patients were included in this study; the common primary lesions were in the lungs (four patients) and kidneys (three patients). AEs were observed in six (50%) patients, with a median time to onset of 4 (range 2–9) months after radiotherapy. No significant predictors of AEs were identified. Patients in the AE group had a significantly better 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate than those in the non-AE group (p = 0.008). Two patients from the AE group were untreated and progression-free at the last follow-up. Four (33%) patients experienced grade 2 toxicity, with two cases attributed to radiotherapy and the other two to ICI treatment. No grade 3 or higher toxicities were observed in any category.

Conclusion

Patients with oligoprogressive disease may be promising targets with potential for AEs. AEs can lead to improved PFS and, in rare cases, to a certain progression-free period without treatment.

Secondary Abstract

Irradiating solid tumours in patients with oligoprogressive disease during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy may be a promising target with the potential for abscopal effects (AEs). AEs can lead to improved progression-free survival and, in rare cases, to a certain progression-free period without treatment.
The Concept of De-assimilation: The Example of Jews in Poland
Authors: Krajewski Stanisław
Published: December 2023

After the 1968 emigration, very few Jews remained in Poland, and even more miniscule was the number of “Jewish Jews.” Since then the number has grown somewhat, and much of it is due to the process of de-assimilation; i.e., some people with Jewish ancestors raised in completely Polonized families began to recover, reclaim, and readapt their Jewish background. An analysis of this phenomenon is offered with a series of putative reasons for its occurrence. The individuals constituting the “products” of de-assimilation are the majority of Polish Jews today and form much of the current leadership. While individuals everywhere can strengthen their ties to the Jewish people and can experience teshuvah or another kind of “Judaization,” the process of de-assimilation does not seem to be reducible to those moves. It begins with no Jewish identity, and is highly dependent on the attitudes and cultural trends in the majority society. It does not remove the de-assimilationists from the majority culture. The phenomenon is general and deserves to be studied as a sociological mechanism working in other cases of assimilation to a majority culture. In the Jewish case, it is especially dramatic. Probably the first example can be found in the evolution of the Marrano communities settled in Holland. The presence of de-assimilation seems to differentiate some European, first of all East European, communities from the globally dominant American and Israeli ones. Probably this rather new concept is needed to describe a significant part of the world of the Jews of twenty-first century Europe.
Averaged versus individualized: pragmatic N-of-1 design as a method to investigate individual treatment response
Authors: Serpico Davide , Maziarz Mariusz
Published: December 2023

Heterogeneous treatment effects represent a major issue for medicine as they undermine reliable inference and clinical decision-making. To overcome the issue, the current vision of precision and personalized medicine acknowledges the need to control individual variability in response to treatment. In this paper, we argue that gene-treatment-environment interactions (G × T × E) undermine inferences about individual treatment effects from the results of both genomics-based methodologies—such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genome-wide interaction studies (GWIS)—and randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Then, we argue that N-of-1 trials can be a solution to overcome difficulties in handling individual variability in treatment response. Although this type of trial has been suggested as a promising strategy to assess individual treatment effects, it nonetheless has limitations that limit its use in everyday clinical practice. We analyze the existing variability within the designs of N-of-1 trials in terms of a continuum where each design prioritizes epistemic and pragmatic considerations. We then support wider use of the designs located at the pragmatic end of the explanatory-pragmatic continuum.
Investigation of the confinement effect on fluid-phase behavior in shale oil reservoirs during CO2 injection process
Authors: Dou Xiangji , Zhang Yisong , Guo Jing , Qian Kun
Published: December 2023

Due to the confinement effect of nanopores, the fluid-phase behavior of shale oil reservoirs is much different from that of conventional reservoirs. The accurate description of the phase change characteristics of fluid in nanopores is the basis to design development plan, production system, and EOR methods of shale oil reservoirs. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation was employed to analyze the phase behavior of single-component system and hydrocarbon–CO2 mixture system in organic nanopores. The results show that the confinement effect on the phase change pressure of the single-component system is influenced by the distribution of the electron cloud. The phase change pressure of hydrocarbons with even distribution of the electron cloud would be increased, while that of CO2 would be decreased due to the instantaneous dipole moment. In addition, as the length of carbon chains increases, the confinement effect on hydrocarbons becomes stronger. When the temperature increases, the confinement effect becomes weaker. In the hydrocarbon–CO2 mixture system, when the occurrence condition changes from bulk to the nanopore of 5 nm, the bubble point pressure decreases by 39.21–68.85%, and the critical temperature and pressure decrease by 75.98% and 7.13%, respectively. On the whole, the P–T phase envelope is shrunken under the confinement effect. CO2 is much easier to be miscible with shale oil in nanopores. Moreover, full mixing and keeping in single liquid phase of CO2–hydrocarbons mixture system can reduce the adsorption of hydrocarbons on organic pore walls. Therefore, CO2 injection could be a feasible method to enhance oil recovery in the matrix of shale oil reservoirs.
Shaping climate change discourse: the nexus between political media landscape and recommendation systems in social networks
Authors: Sakieh Yousef
Published: December 2023

Recommendation systems have become ubiquitous, and they actively participate in creating our individual and collective identity. In this paper, the diffusion of climate change information has been studied based on YouTube’s recommendation system and the political media landscape. The YouTube channels of CNN, BBC News and Fox News, as the most popular channels, respectively, for Left, Center and Right parties, were explored using web scraping and social network analysis to check what kind of recommended content will pop up if a user looks for climate change videos. Using an agent-based modeling approach, the competition between Left, Center and Right media in pushing their own narrative of climate change in society was simulated. The results suggest YouTube’s recommendation algorithm is highly biased since most of the recommended content was from the same channel fitting their own political agenda. The agent-based modeling indicates the size of a network is a decisive factor in further spread of a message as Left media always dominated Center and Right media in pushing their own perspective on climate change regardless of higher weights assigned to Right media. This study shed light on how public perception on climate change can be shaped by recommendation systems and digital companies.
Clinical phenotype and outcome of persistent SARS-CoV-2 replication in immunocompromised hosts: a retrospective observational study in the Omicron era
Authors: Götz Veronika , Mathé Philipp , Agarwal Prerana , Hornuss Daniel , Pfau Stefanie , Panning Marcus , Prager Eric , Voll Reinhard E. , Engelhardt Monika , Frye Björn C. , Bamberg Fabian , Fuchs Jonas , Müller Matthias , Wagner Dirk , Rieg Siegbert
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study aims to describe clinical, virological and radiological characteristics as well as treatment strategies and outcomes of immunocompromised patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of immunocompromised patients at the University Medical Center Freiburg between 01/2022 and 05/2023. Patients with substantial immunosuppression and persistent SARS-CoV-2 detection (Ct-value < 30 after 14 days) were included.

Results

36 patients in our cohort reported mainly fever, dyspnoea or continuous cough. Viral load was significantly higher in concurrent samples taken from the lower respiratory tract (Ct-value = 26) than from the upper respiratory tract (Ct-value = 34). Time of detectable viral RNA after start of antiviral treatment was shorter in patients receiving two antivirals (median 15 days vs. 31 days with one antiviral agent). Short-course antiviral therapy (≤ 5 days) was less efficient in reduction of symptoms and viral load than prolonged therapy > 10 days. In 30% (8/27) of patients with repeated CT scans, we found the emergence of chronic pulmonary changes, which were more frequently in patients with B cell depletion (37%, 7/19) compared to patients with organ transplantation (12%, 2/17).

Conclusion

Ongoing SARS-CoV-2 replication in the lower respiratory tract is a relevant differential diagnosis in patients with severe immunosuppression and continuous cough, fever or dyspnoea even if nasopharyngeal swabs test negative for SARS-CoV-2. Especially in B cell-depleted patients, this may lead to inflammatory or fibrotic-like pulmonary changes, which are partially reversible after inhibition of viral replication. Antiviral therapy seems to be most effective in combination and over a prolonged period of time of > 10 days.

Trial registration number

DRKS 00027299.
Discovering the core stakeholders in the Nigerian urban water supply system
Authors: Gyau Baffour Awuah Kwasi , Bijimi Charles Kyom
Published: December 2023

Core stakeholders’ engagement and involvement are now a sine qua non of resources administration and management. This followed the emergence of pluralistic forms of governance, which call for greater democracy and emphasises transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and engagement as credentials for sustainable resource management. Nigeria has embraced these pluralistic forms of governance in its water sector as part of efforts to promote sustainable water resource management. However, to successfully engage and involve core stakeholders in the face of myriad urban water supply challenges and achieve optimal outcomes remain a challenge as it is unclear who the core stakeholders are. This study examines Nigerian’s urban water supply system and the extent of the interests of the stakeholders to identify the core stakeholders as an input towards facilitating sustainable water resources management in the country based on a survey of urban water supply experts in the country. The study finds 15 core or primary stakeholders out of 25 stakeholders and note that their core stakeholder status is linked to their direct involvement or connection with the water supply system and its successful running, which is rooted in them being customers or investors or regulators and enforcers of regulation, funders, supervisors, and the need to respect community and social interests. The study concludes that whilst the engagement of all stakeholders is good for sustainable water resources management in Nigeria, engagement, and involvement of the 15 core stakeholders is paramount to the sustainable and successful operations of the country’s urban water supply system.
Let’s just work together! Paper, laptop, and tablet as equally effective tools for groupwork in college
Authors: Sage Kara , Stockdale Kayden , Mauer Larissa
Published: December 2023

Students often recruit digital devices to complete their classroom activities. To determine best practices for the classroom, the present study explored the use of tablets relative to laptops and paper in the understudied context of brief, in-person, small group academic tasks. One-hundred twenty small groups of two to three undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one device (paper, laptop, or tablet) and one set-up (a single shared device or multiple individual devices) in a 3 × 2 between-subjects design. Data were collected in 2019 –2021. Students completed one group task that culminated in a knowledge quiz and a second group task that culminated in writing their own quiz together. They then individually rated group members as well as reported their perceptions of satisfaction, effort, and difficulty. Open-ended questions further assessed their perceptions of technology and the three devices in question. Results showed equivalency in group outcomes and individual perceptions across devices and set-ups, with very few exceptions. Quantitative and qualitative data supported that students found advantages and drawbacks to each device and believed that all were effective tools in such a context. Educators must consider the affordances of different technologies when encouraging their use in the classroom but should be open to students using their device of choice for groupwork.
CO2 removal characteristics of a novel type of moss and its potential for urban green roof applications
Authors: Seo Ye-Bin , Dinh Trieu-Vuong , Kim Seungjae , Baek Da-Hyun , Jung Kweon , Kim Jo-Chun
Published: December 2023

The feasibility of a novel type of moss (Parkortanso No. 1 synthesized from Racomitrium japonicum, Dozy and Molk) to capture CO2 in urban areas was demonstrated. The effects of light intensity (500, 1000, and 1500 µmol/m2.s), ambient temperature (10 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C), age (1-year-old and 3 years old), and leaf color (bright and dark green) on the CO2 removal caused by the moss concerned were investigated. It was determined that stronger light intensity resulted in higher CO2 removal by the target moss. The moss showed the best CO2 capture at 25 °C, while the CO2-capturing capacities declined when the ambient temperatures were 10 °C and 35 °C. Three years old bright green moss was found to have higher CO2-capturing capacity than 1 year old. Similarly, bright green moss exhibited the best CO2 uptake out of the mosses concerned. The highest net CO2 emission of the moss was − 1.94 ± 0.72 kgCO2/m2.year, which was comparable to other moss and plant species. Consequently, the bright green and old Parkortanso No. 1 moss are recommended for a green roof application in terms of CO2 capture.

Graphical Abstract
The Russia Sanctions
Authors: Abely Christine
Published: December 2023

In The Russia Sanctions, Christine Abely examines the international trade measures and sanctions deployed against Russia in response to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Abely situates contemporary sanctions within their larger historical and economic backgrounds and provides a uniquely accessible analysis of the historic export controls and import restrictions enacted since 2022. She argues that these sanctions have affected, and will continue to affect, global trading patterns, financial integration, and foreign policy in novel ways. In particular, she examines the effects of sanctions on energy, food, fertilizer, the financial system, and the global use of the US dollar, including trends of de-dollarization. Coverage includes sanctions against oligarchs, the freezing and seizure of assets, and steps taken to make sanctions more effective by promoting financial transparency worldwide.
Early Christianity in Alexandria
Authors: Litwa M. David
Published: December 2023

Alexandria was the epicenter of Hellenic learning in the ancient Mediterranean world, yet little is known about how Christianity arrived and developed in the city during the late first and early second century CE. In this volume, M. David Litwa employs underused data from the Nag Hammadi codices and early Christian writings to open up new vistas on the creative theologians who invented Christianities in Alexandria prior to Origen and the catechetical school of the third century. With clarity and precision, he traces the surprising theological continuities that connect Philo and later figures, including Basilides, Carpocrates, Prodicus, and Julius Cassianus, among others. Litwa demonstrates how the earliest followers of Jesus navigated Jewish theology and tradition, while simultaneously rejecting many Jewish customs and identity markers before and after the Diaspora Revolt. His book shows how Christianity in Alexandria developed distinctive traits and seeded the world with ideas that still resonate today.
1 – 2 Samuel
Authors: Sweeney Marvin A.
Published: December 2023

In this commentary to 1–2 Samuel, Marvin Sweeney focuses on the qualities of leadership displayed by the major characters of the book. He reads 1–2 Samuel in relation to Machiavelli's The Prince and Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which provide a comparative evaluation of the qualities of leadership displayed by Eli, Samuel, Saul, David, Ish-Bosheth, Abner, Abshalom, Joab, and others. Additionally, Sweeney provides an analysis of the synchronic, literary structure of Samuel, as well as a new theory regarding its composition. He also re-evaluates the role of 2 Samuel 21–24 within the synchronic literary structure of the book, arguing that the so-called Succession Narrative in 2 Samuel 9–20 is a northern Israelite composition that stands as a component of the Jehu Dynastic History. Highlighting the geography and cities of the land of Israel, Sweeney's commentary enables readers to understand the role that the land of Israel plays in the narrative of the book of Samuel.
A continuing clinical education course to maintain clinical competencies and foster new clinical knowledge during the graduate school years of MD-PhD training
Authors: Cochrane Graham D. , Anwar Shima D. , Weaver Alice N. , Brosius Stephanie N. , Poholek Catherine H. , Allen Heather , Seay Randy L. , Lorenz Robin G. , Payne Gregory A. , Geisler William M.
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

Most students in MD-PhD programs take a leave of absence from medical school to complete PhD training, which promotes a natural loss of clinical skills and knowledge and could negatively impact a student’s long-term clinical knowledge. To address this concern, clinical refresher courses in the final year of PhD training have traditionally been used; however, effectiveness of such courses versus a longitudinal clinical course spanning all PhD training years is unclear.

Methods:

The University of Alabama at Birmingham MD-PhD Program implemented a comprehensive continuing clinical education (CCE) course spanning PhD training years that features three course components: (1) clinical skills; (2) clinical knowledge; and (3) specialty exposure activities. To evaluate course effectiveness, data from an anonymous student survey completed at the end of each semester were analyzed.

Results:

Five hundred and ninety-seven surveys were completed by MD-PhD students from fall 2014 to 2022. Survey responses indicated that the majority of students found the course helpful to: maintain clinical skills and knowledge (544/597, 91% and 559/597, 94%; respectively), gain exposure to clinical specialties (568/597, 95%), and prepare them for responsibilities during clinical clerkships. During semesters following lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, there were significant drops in students’ perceived preparedness.

Conclusions:

Positive student survey feedback and improved preparedness to return to clinic after development of the course suggests the CCE course is a useful approach to maintain clinical knowledge during research training.
Quantitative Analysis of United States National Guard COVID-19 Disaster Relief Activities April-June 2020
Authors: Davis Terri , Pilcher Katherine , Novaro Reis , Hertelendy Attila J , Hart Alexander , Nouaime Georgina , Ciottone Gregory R
Published: December 2023

Objective:

This study interprets data from NG situation reports (SITREPS) given to the National Guard Bureau (NGB) by each state national guard headquarters regarding their COVID-19 relief efforts from April to June 2020. This is the first published study about NG disaster relief utilizing quantitative data provided by the United States (US) military.

Methods:

The SITREPS of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands for the dates of April 10, May 6, May 16, and June 3, 2020 were examined by two authors, to analyze the state NG activities.

Results:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NG primarily provided security, performed COVID-19 testing, ran COVID-19 shelters, provided food assistance, transported supplies, aided mortuaries, supported warehouses, and deployed medical personnel to hospitals. Numerical data about the services provided, such as quantity, was rare, but is included as available.

Conclusions:

The United States National Guard provided assistance to their local citizens in multiple essential areas. This elucidation of the uses of the National Guard should be considered during future governmental disaster preparedness planning efforts and can be extrapolated to international military disaster relief.
Winston Churchill versus E. D. Morel, Dundee, 1922, and the Split in the Liberal Party
Authors: Tomlinson Jim
Published: December 2023

In the November 1922 general election in the two-member seat of Dundee, Winston Churchill, Liberal member of Parliament for the city since 1908, lost his seat to Edwin Scrymgeour (Prohibitionist) and E. D. Morel (Labour). Before 1914, Morel, like Churchill, had been a member of the Liberal Party, and this article compares the political trajectory of Churchill and Morel across the war period in order to understand how their positions had diverged. While still a Liberal in party affiliation in 1922, Churchill was en route back to the Conservative Party, while Morel had become a prominent figure in the Labour Party. In examining this divergence, the aim is to shed light on one of the key issues of British politics in early twentieth-century Britain: the divisions in the Liberal party that undermined its place as one of the two leading political parties. The purpose is not to displace arguments about long-run socioeconomic change undermining the Liberals, nor of the severe impact of total war on Liberal thinking about the scope of state action; rather, it is to use this example to also stress the significance for the party of sharp divergences over war and peace, and more broadly, the conduct of foreign policy.
Between Peretz Smolenskin and Ahad Ha’am: The Forgotten Historiography of the Jewish National Movement Hibbat Zion
Authors: Yedidya Asaf
Published: December 2023

When we study the Jewish-national historiography of the last quarter of the 19th century, there is a tendency to pass directly from Smolenskin’s doctrine to the Zionist-cultural approach of Ahad Ha’am and his students, omitting the works written in between. However, even before the emergence of Ahad Ha’am as a cultural icon in the Jewish national movement, some Hibbat Zion activists engaged in Hebrew cultural activities directed at shaping national Jewish consciousness. The main figures in this trend were Saul Pinchas Rabinowitz and Avraham Shalom Friedberg. Their world view was based on education that advocated proto-nationalism: Jewish solidarity, love of the Hebrew language, promoting Hebrew newspapers, and preserving Jewish tradition. To this they added settlement in Eretz Israel as a solution for the harsh conditions of the Jews in Russia. They edited literary and scientific collections in Hebrew and Jewish historiography and wrote historical monographs and biographies. In this way, they sought to introduce national historical protagonists instead of the Hasskala’s pantheon of historical characters to vividly illuminate periods of historical “golden ages” suited to the national ideology and teach the lesson of historical history—that Hibbat Zion is the solution to the plight of Jews and Judaism.
The Dream of Psychosocial Thinking
Authors: Mukherjee Ankhi
Published: December 2023

This essay is a response to four peer reviews of Unseen City, touching on the key ideas showcased in each: the move in community psychoanalysis from an authoritative scripting of the cure to elaborations of care; the role of the public clinic in the global city; the post colonial uncanny; the contribution of literature to the psy-disciplines.
On stable commutator length of non-filling curves in surfaces
Authors: Forester Max , Malestein Justin
Published: December 2023

We give a new proof of rationality of stable commutator length (scl) of certain elements in surface groups: those represented by curves that do not fill the surface. Such elements always admit extremal surfaces for scl. These results also hold more generally for non-filling$1$–chains.
LAGOA SALGADA: AN OVERVIEW OF A BRAZILIAN HYPERSALINE LAGOON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OVER THE LAST 5000 YEARS USING RADIOCARBON DATE CORRECTIONS
Authors: Oliveira M I , Carvalho C , Assumpção A , Macario K , Amaral D , Barbosa C F , Oliveira F , Bahniuk A , Vasconcelos C , Cruz A , Blanco A
Published: December 2023

The Lagoa Salgada is located in the Paraíba do Sul river delta plain on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, and is one of the few lagoons in the world that have well-developed recent stromatolites. Lagoa Salgada is a hypersaline lagoon formed in a very complex environmental system subjected to terrestrial and oceanic influences under different sea level regimes and climate variations. In addition, sediment and stromatolites are characterized by unusually positive inorganic δ13C VPDB values. For this reason, it has been the target of several geological and paleoenvironmental studies, which, in their great majority, require a geochronological technique in order to determine the changes in the environment over time. When radiocarbon (14C) dating is used, it is necessary to consider some details as the source of 14C in the environment and perform 14C ages calibration accordingly. In the present paper, a bibliographic survey was carried out in order to review the data treatment and improve the environmental evolution discussion based on accurate calibration. Using the Marine20 curve and an undetermined ΔR, we generated growth and depositional models to establish an overview of the formation of this lagoon.
My History or Our History? Historical Revisionism and Entitlement to Lead
Authors: HAAS NICHOLAS , LINDSTAM EMMY
Published: December 2023

Ongoing, spirited debates from around the globe over statues, street names, symbols, and textbooks call for a greater understanding of the political effects of different historical representations. In this paper, we theorize that inclusive (exclusive) historical representations can increase (decrease) marginalized group members’ perceived centrality to the nation, entitlement to speak on its behalf, and likelihood of becoming leaders. In an online experiment in India ($ N=1,592 $), we randomly assign participants exercises sourced from official state textbooks containing either an exclusive, inclusive, or a neutral representation of history. We subsequently assess the supply of and demand for Muslim leadership using both an original, incentivized game and additional survey and behavioral measures. We find that inclusive historical narratives increase Muslim participants’ perceived centrality and entitlement, desire to lead, and demand for real-world Muslim leaders. Battles over history can carry consequences for the leadership ambitions of marginalized individuals, for themselves and their communities.
Kinematics and singularity analysis of a novel hybrid industrial manipulator
Authors: Modak Sadanand , K Rama Krishna
Published: December 2023

This paper proposes a new type of hybrid manipulator that can be of extensive use in industries where translational motion is required while maintaining an arbitrary end-effector orientation. It consists of two serially connected parallel mechanisms, each having three degrees of freedom, of which the upper platform performs a pure translational motion with respect to the mid-platform. Closed-form forward and inverse kinematic analysis of the proposed manipulator has been carried out. It is followed by the determination of all of its singular configurations. The theoretical results have been verified numerically, and the 3D modeling and simulation of the manipulator have also been performed. A simple optimal design is presented based on optimizing the kinematic manipulability, which further demonstrates the potential of the proposed hybrid manipulator.
OP06 Development Of A Tool To Support The Collection Of Policy-Relevant, Stakeholder-Informed Clinical Evidence For Innovative Digital Health Technologies
Authors: Von Huben Amy , Howell Martin , Norris Sarah , Howard Kirsten
Published: December 2023

Introduction

The number of studies on digital health technologies (DHTs) for remote treatment and patient self-management is increasing. Existing health technology assessment (HTA) frameworks for DHTs, which guide researchers in generating evidence suitable for HTA, do not cover all domains of the commonly used EUnetHTA Core Model, and DHT-specific considerations have not been informed by a large stakeholder preference study. Our aim was to develop a stakeholder prioritized, literature-informed checklist of DHT-specific considerations that aligns with the EUnetHTA model.

Methods

We conducted two systematic reviews to identify: (i) DHT evaluation frameworks published to March 2020 for content; and (ii) primary research on DHTs published from 1 January 2015 to 20 March 2020.

Stakeholder prioritization of issues was performed using a best-worst scaling preference study among a broad cross-section of patients, carers, health professionals, and the general population in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. Systematic review issues were prioritized and adapted for use as a practical checklist.

Results

DHT evaluation content was recommended by the 44 identified frameworks for 28 of the 145 issues in the EUnetHTA model and for 22 new DHT-specific issues. A coverage assessment of 112 clinical studies of remote treatment and self-management DHTs for patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes revealed that less than half covered DHT-specific content in all but one domain, or traditional HTA content in clinical effectiveness and ethical analysis. The preference survey of 1,251 stakeholders identified broad agreement on the 12 most important DHT attributes, six of which were related to safety. The most important attribute was “helps health professionals respond quickly when changes in patient care are needed”, which is not a focus of existing DHT HTA frameworks.

Conclusions

The review identified mismatches in the content generated by DHT clinical studies and that required for DHT-specific HTAs. These findings informed the development of an extended checklist comprising 22 stakeholder-prioritized DHT-specific considerations, which are aligned with the EUnetHTA model and will help ensure the planning of DHT-specific research generates evidence suitable for HTA.