bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translating gardens into accessible multisensory tours for blind and partially sighted visitors: an exploratory case study
Authors: Wang Xi
Published: March 2024

This paper presents an exploratory case study which illustrates the first stage of our multi-stage methodology for translating gardens into a multisensory and accessible tour for blind and partially sighted (BPS) visitors and gathering feedback to be used in a future project on producing a smart audio descriptive guide to assist BPS visitors to appreciate gardens in a multisensory way. The key research questions are: how can the multisensory potential of gardens be translated into an accessible experience for BPS visitors? and to what extent can a smart audio descriptive guide enable access to gardens and provide multisensory visitor experiences primarily for BPS visitors? Our multi-stage methodology begins with an exploratory case study in which a group of BPS visitors were led by a human guide on a tour of the historic Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. The first stage involved the tour guide and accessibility expert working closely together to plan the multisensory garden tour. Then the actual tour of the gardens was carried out with a small group of BPS visitors. In-tour questions for the BPS visitors stimulated reflection and feedback, and interviews were carried out at the end of the tour. The paper presents some of the more significant observations which emerged from the tour, and draws conclusions about the extent to which a smart audio descriptive guide could provide many of the benefits of a human guide, and its advantages and inherent limitations. Some of these findings are relevant to those planning similar visits in other garden venues, including for broadening the application for universal access.
The causal relationship between sleep disturbances and the risk of frailty: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Lu Zong-Xiao , Sang Ni , Liu Rong-Chao , Li Bo-Han , Zhang Meng-Yao , Zhang Ming-Hui , Cheng Meng-Cheng , Wu Guo-Cui
Published: March 2024

Objective

Adequate sleep is closely related to people's health. However, with increasing age, the quality of sleep worsens. At the same time, among elderly individuals, frailty is also a disturbing factor, which makes elderly individuals more vulnerable to negative factors. To explore the relationship between the two, we conducted this study.

Methods

In this paper, independent genetic variations related to insomnia, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness were selected as IVs, and related genetic tools were used to search published genome-wide association studies for a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main Mendelian randomization analysis method. Cochran's Q test was used to test heterogeneity, MR‒Egger was used to test horizontal pleiotropy, and the MR-PRESSO test was used to remove outliers.

Results

According to our research, insomnia (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.03–1.17, P = 2.59e−97), long sleep duration (OR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.37–1.17, P = 0.02), short sleep duration (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.22–1.38, P = 2.23e−17) and daytime sleepiness (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.25–1.77, P = 0.96e−4) had a bidirectional causal relationship with frailty.

Conclusions

Our research showed that there is a causal relationship between sleep disturbances and frailty. This result was obtained by a TSMR analysis, which involves the use of genetic variation as an IV to determine causal relationships between exposure and outcome. Future TSMR studies should include a larger sample for analysis.
Boosting deep neural networks with geometrical prior knowledge: a survey
Authors: Rath Matthias , Condurache Alexandru Paul
Published: March 2024

Deep neural networks achieve state-of-the-art results in many different problem settings by exploiting vast amounts of training data. However, collecting, storing and—in the case of supervised learning—labelling the data is expensive and time-consuming. Additionally, assessing the networks’ generalization abilities or predicting how the inferred output changes under input transformations is complicated since the networks are usually treated as a black box. Both of these problems can be mitigated by incorporating prior knowledge into the neural network. One promising approach, inspired by the success of convolutional neural networks in computer vision tasks, is to incorporate knowledge about symmetric geometrical transformations of the problem to solve that affect the output in a predictable way. This promises an increased data efficiency and more interpretable network outputs. In this survey, we try to give a concise overview about different approaches that incorporate geometrical prior knowledge into neural networks. Additionally, we connect those methods to 3D object detection for autonomous driving, where we expect promising results when applying those methods.
On Giving Meanings to Programs
Authors: Cardone Felice
Published: March 2024

In a short section on the semantics of programs within his discussion of program correctness, Primiero seems to endorse the received view on the Scott-Strachey approach to denotational semantics as directly related to correctness. While this is true to some extent, I argue that the mathematical entities associated with programs play a lesser role in reasoning on program correctness, while the mathematical foundations of denotational semantics, namely the theory of domains, have contributed significantly to the conceptual understanding of programming and of computation in general
Technologies, Inbetweenness and Affordances
Authors: Koutamanis Alexander
Published: March 2024

Categorization of technologies by the order of their inbetweenness is a useful device for parsing complex structures info fundamental parts and understanding the application of a technology. This promises a coherent foundation for explaining how we deploy technologies in design, in particular with respect to the affordances they create. By connecting the categorization of technologies to the matching of user effectivities to features of the environment in affordances, the paper proposes an approach to the transparent description of the assemblages produced by design in terms of which technologies are involved and how they connect to each other, to the wider environment and to users. For affordances, this improves specificity concerning the features of the environment that are directly relevant to an interaction and the connections between these features and the rest of the environment. With respect to technologies, it helps understand not only why a technology may be used under certain circumstances but also abuse and underperformance. Finally, it supports design by providing means for parsing complex situations into chains of technologies between animals and environments. This helps explain how technologies modify effectivities, environments or relations between the two and how this affects design performance.
Fire-Retarding Asphalt Pavement for Urban Road Tunnels: A State-of-the-Art Review and Beyond
Authors: Jiang Xi , Zhu Hehua , Yan Zhiguo , Zhang Fengshou , Huang Xinyan , Leng Zhen , Yan Chuanqi , Hua Nan , Lu Dong , Zhang Xuehui , Xiao Rui
Published: March 2024

With the rapid urbanization and development of metropolises, urban road tunnels have been constructed at an increasing rate, significantly alleviating urban traffic pressure, and improving urban resilience. Fire hazards have become a major threat to modern road tunnels due to the growing popularity of electric vehicles and high-density transportation of goods, particularly flammable materials. Asphalt pavements, as an essential component of road tunnels, may release harmful effluences and smoke under high temperatures, exacerbating the fire and adding risk to life safety. It is hence critical to investigate fire-retarding asphalt materials and their potential use in urban road tunnels pavements. This paper provides a comprehensive review of fire-retarding asphalt pavements for urban road tunnel pavements. The review covers tunnel fire generation mechanisms, evaluation methods, flame retardants for asphalt pavements, and recent developments in flame retardant technologies. By investigating these aspects, this paper aims to better understand the flammability of asphalt mixtures and asphalt pavements in urban road tunnels, promote the research of flame-retardant technology, and ultimately reduce the damage and loss caused by asphalt road tunnel fire accidents. Additionally, this study identifies the limitations of current research and provides an outlook for future research to contribute to the resilience of urban road tunnel structures and the longer service life of asphalt pavement in semi-closed road tunnels.
Do stingray feeding pits enhance intertidal macrobenthic biodiversity?
Authors: Barnes Richard S. K. , Cottrell Lily G.
Published: March 2024

Little is known of the macrobenthos supported within stingray feeding pits. Compared to adjacent unpitted areas during low tide, macrobenthic abundance and biodiversity within the stingray pits might be expected to be (i) greater, the water-retaining pits functioning like rock pools; (ii) no different, since macrofaunal recolonisation can occur very rapidly; or (iii) less, consequent on the substratum changes that typify depressions in soft sediments. In both (i) and (iii) differences in composition of the supported assemblages would be expected, though not in (ii). To differentiate between these alternative hypotheses, faunal characteristics within intertidal stingray pits were compared to those in the adjacent background sandflat in Moreton Bay, Queensland, where the prey of the rays are the decapod crustaceans Trypaea and Mictyris that otherwise structure the benthic system. Results generally (though not totally) support hypothesis (ii), it being consistently found that feeding pits supported less macrobenthic abundance than the surrounding sandflat but subequal taxon density, evenness and patchiness of their faunas, and their taxonomic compositions were very similar. Such feeding pits undoubtedly structure many intertidal sandflats and increase both their topographical complexity and their habitat diversity, but this is not reflected in increased macrobenthic biodiversity.
Media Reform as Transformation Tool: A Hegemonic Gap in Environmental Research and Policy
Authors: Lahsen Myanna
Published: March 2024

Sustainability researchers are writing much about levers for transformations towards sustainability but too little about the most powerful means available for obstructing and activating them: mass-reaching media systems. How media systems are structured and governed form a profoundly important meta-level layer of decision-making that ought to be central in the study of environmental politics and in environmental policymaking. A politics- and media-focused account of the rise of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency of Brazil illustrates the essential role of media systems and the need for new principles, structures, and policies for their governance if the interlinked goals of democracy, equity, and environmental protection are to be achieved. The pervasive inattention to this in environmental research reinforces hegemonic forces and needs to be widely discussed, understood, and overcome to achieve much needed just transformations towards sustainability.
Examining Conduct Problems in a Community Sample during Middle Childhood: The Role of Frontal EEG Asymmetry, Temperament, and Working Memory
Authors: Zerrouk Mohamed , Ann Bell Martha
Published: March 2024

Previous literature shows that aspects of temperament, executive functioning, and EEG frontal asymmetry are related to externalizing behaviors in children. We examined whether frontal EEG asymmetry measured at age 6 would moderate the impact of negative affectivity, attentional control, and working memory at age 6 on conduct problems at age 9. Behavioral tasks were given to assess children’s attentional control and working memory. Parents completed questionnaires about their children’s negative affectivity and conduct problems. Results showed that greater negative affectivity reported at age 6 predicted for more conduct problems reported at age 9, regardless of EEG frontal asymmetry. Lower levels of attentional control and working memory at age 6 predicted for more conduct problems reported at age 9 when children also exhibited greater left EEG frontal asymmetry, which has been linked to approach motivation. These findings illustrate the importance of assessing multiple intrinsic factors, both independent and interactive, that contribute to children’s conduct problems.
Generalized Inversion of Nonlinear Operators
Authors: Gofer Eyal , Gilboa Guy
Published: March 2024

Inversion of operators is a fundamental concept in data processing. Inversion of linear operators is well studied, supported by established theory. When an inverse either does not exist or is not unique, generalized inverses are used. Most notable is the Moore–Penrose inverse, widely used in physics, statistics, and various fields of engineering. This work investigates generalized inversion of nonlinear operators. We first address broadly the desired properties of generalized inverses, guided by the Moore–Penrose axioms. We define the notion for general sets and then a refinement, termed pseudo-inverse, for normed spaces. We present conditions for existence and uniqueness of a pseudo-inverse and establish theoretical results investigating its properties, such as continuity, its value for operator compositions and projection operators, and others. Analytic expressions are given for the pseudo-inverse of some well-known, non-invertible, nonlinear operators, such as hard- or soft-thresholding and ReLU. We analyze a neural layer and discuss relations to wavelet thresholding. Next, the Drazin inverse, and a relaxation, are investigated for operators with equal domain and range. We present scenarios where inversion is expressible as a linear combination of forward applications of the operator. Such scenarios arise for classes of nonlinear operators with vanishing polynomials, similar to the minimal or characteristic polynomials for matrices. Inversion using forward applications may facilitate the development of new efficient algorithms for approximating generalized inversion of complex nonlinear operators.
Strain-induced solid-state coating of TWIP steel sheets with zinc
Authors: Lapovok Rimma , Berner Alex , Bisht Anuj , Acharya Srijan , Vahid Alireza , Rabkin Eugen
Published: March 2024

We propose the strain-induced solid-state coating process of twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel with zinc, achieved through concurrent rolling of TWIP steel and zinc sheets. Our study explores the effects of strain, strain rate, and rolling temperature on the morphology and intermixing at the Zn-TWIP steel interface. We found that two simultaneous mechanisms are responsible for the formation of a joint interface between the sheets in the rolling temperature range of 100–380 °C, namely mechanical intermixing at the interface and accelerated diffusion along moving dislocations and other defects introduced during rolling. Since it is impossible to deconvolute these mechanisms, we introduced the concept of an ‘apparent diffusion coefficient’ to represent the diffusion-like mass transfer resulting from mechanical intermixing and diffusion. These diffusion coefficients were determined by primary electron energy variation method in scanning electron microscope and by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in transmission electron microscope. Notably, these diffusion coefficients were found to be higher than the grain boundary diffusion coefficients of Zn in γ-Fe, primarily due to the dynamic nature of interface microstructure formation during rolling.
Drought and vegetation restoration lead to shifts in soil microbial diversity and co-occurrence networks in California coastal prairie
Authors: Yang Xuechen , Loik Michael E. , Wu Xuefeng , Luong Justin C. , Wei Xiaowei , Li Lu-Jun
Published: March 2024

Background and aims

Both drought and vegetation restoration can have dramatic effects on plant community composition, but how they influence soil microbial community diversity, structure, and co-occurrence networks remain less well known.

Methods

To better understand the regulatory mechanisms of drought and vegetation restoration on soil microorganisms, we planted 12 native species in precipitation manipulation experimental plots in an invaded coastal grassland in California, USA. We measured soil bacterial and fungal community composition by amplicon sequencing, and quantified plant species richness and coverage in the third experimental year.

Results

Our results showed that drought significantly altered soil bacterial diversity and composition; however, neither drought nor vegetation restoration had significant effects on fungal diversity and composition. The control plots had the most cooperative interactions (greatest number of correlations) among bacterial and/or fungal species, while drought plots yielded the most complex co-occurrence network with the highest modularity and clustering coefficient. Structural equation modeling revealed that plant species richness, net gains, and soil moisture played dominant roles in shaping bacterial community structure. Drought and bacterial community structure directly affected fungal community structure. Plant dominant species cover, common species cover, and bacterial diversity were the key drivers in regulating the microbial co-occurrence network complex.

Conclusion

We conclude that soil bacterial and fungal communities differ in their responses to abiotic and biotic environmental changes, which may weaken the interspecies interactions among soil microorganisms.
Learning to ride the high growth “Rollercoaster”: the role of publicly funded business accelerator programmes
Authors: Brown Ross , Rees-Jones Rachael
Published: March 2024

High growth firms (HGFs) are a vital determinant of regional economic competitiveness. This paper examines the effectiveness of a Welsh publicly funded business accelerator programme (BAP) designed to nurture HGFs via relational support measures. The paper teases out both the support requirements sought by high growth entrepreneurs, together with the perceived effectiveness of the programme’s offering. Hitherto, the literature has been silent in terms of the mental well-being and psychological resilience of founders of HGFs. This study discovered how mental well-being and psychological resilience of entrepreneurs was very acutely and detrimentally affected when experiencing periods of rapid firm growth. The research also uncovered a disconnect between the support needs of HGFs and those provided by BAPs. To help develop the capabilities and durability of entrepreneurs, “growth readiness” coaching together with psychological resilience training seem appropriate policy measures to help entrepreneurs successfully navigate turbulent episodes of high growth.
Sexuality of People with Intellectual Disabilities: Dynamic with Parents and Social Services Personnel in a Chinese Context
Authors: Lam Angus Y. K. , Yau Matthew K. S. , Franklin Richard C. , Leggat Peter A.
Published: March 2024

Sexuality is a valuable part of people’s lives, including people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Parents and social services personnel are significant parties for promoting the autonomy of people with ID regarding sexuality, although evidence reveals their actions tend to be in the opposite direction. Sexual attitudes do not emerge solely as personal or individual but evolve from interactions with others in a particular sociocultural environment. To explore the sexuality of people with ID, this study set out to understand the dynamic of people with ID, parents and social services personnel within the cultural context of Hong Kong. In total, 19 participants including people with mild ID, parents and social services personnel were recruited. Individual interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and dramaturgy. Findings revealed the participants’ experiences, obstacles, and underlying feelings regarding the sexuality of people with ID, and the phenomenon, “not taking action” formed by all the groups. Chinese Confucian culture was revealed as the factor influencing the dynamic on the issues of sexuality. With respect to cultural expectations, government and social services agency leadership should take the lead to adopt an evidence-based sex education protocol.
Comparative analysis of CAMS aerosol optical depth data and AERONET observations in the Eastern Mediterranean over 19 years
Authors: Tuna Tuygun Gizem , Elbir Tolga
Published: March 2024

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is an essential metric for evaluating the atmospheric aerosol load and its impacts on climate, air quality, and public health. In this study, the AOD data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) were validated against ground-based measurements from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, a region characterized by diverse aerosol types and sources. A comparative analysis was performed on 3-hourly CAMS AOD values at 550 nm against observations from 20 AERONET stations across Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Egypt, and Turkey from 2003 to 2021. The CAMS AOD data exhibited a good overall agreement with AERONET AOD data, demonstrated by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.77, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.08, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.11. Nonetheless, spatial and temporal variations were observed in the CAMS AOD data performance, with site-specific correlation coefficients ranging from 0.57 to 0.85, the lowest correlations occurring in Egypt and the highest in Greece. An underestimation of CAMS AOD was noted at inland sites with high AOD levels, while a better agreement was observed at coastal sites with lower AOD levels. The diurnal variation analysis indicated improved CAMS reanalysis performance during the afternoon and evening hours. Seasonally, CAMS reanalysis showed better agreement with AERONET AODs in spring and autumn, with lower correlation coefficients noted in summer and winter. This study marks the first comprehensive validation of CAMS AOD performance in the Eastern Mediterranean, offering significant enhancements for regional air quality and climate modeling, and underscores the essential role of consistent validation in refining aerosol estimations within this complex and dynamic geographic setting.
Water’s path from moss to soil Vol. 2: how soil-moss combinations affect soil water fluxes and soil loss in a temperate forest
Authors: Gall Corinna , Nebel Martin , Scholten Thomas , Thielen Sonja M. , Seitz Steffen
Published: March 2024

Mosses are key components of many ecosystems and particularly related to water cycling. In principle, the importance of mosses for water-related processes is known; however, their influence is rarely quantified in scientific studies. To fill this research gap, this study concentrates on the influence of mosses of different species on surface runoff, the amount of percolated water, soil loss, and the temporal dynamics of soil water content. For this purpose, an experimental approach consisting of an ex situ rainfall simulation (45 mm h− 1 for 30 min) with infiltration boxes equipped with biocrust wetness probes was applied. On average, mosses significantly reduced surface runoff by 91% and soil loss by almost 100%, while the amount of percolated water was increased by 85% compared with bare soils. These processes were superimposed by desiccation cracks, and partly water repellency, with the result that the respective influences could not be quantified individually. However, by simultaneously measuring the water content in the substrates during rainfall simulations, we were able to achieve a better understanding of the water flows in the substrates. For instance, water content at 3 cm substrate depth was higher under mosses than in bare soils, implying that mosses facilitated infiltration. In this study, we were able to demonstrate that mosses play an important role in soil hydrology and in protecting the soil from erosion, and it is imperative that further experiments will be conducted to elucidate the apparently underestimated effects of mosses and their specific traits on soil water fluxes and sediment transport.
Research Progress on the Experimental Model and Underlying Mechanistic Studies of Tension-Type Headaches
Authors: Fu Guo-jing , Wang liu-ding , Chi Xian-su , Liang Xiao , Wei Jing-jing , Huang Zhi-hong , Shen Wei , Zhang Yun-ling
Published: March 2024

Purpose of Review

Tension-type headaches (TTH) significantly diminish patients’ quality of life and increase absenteeism, thereby imposing a substantial economic burden. Animal models are essential tools for studying disease mechanisms and drug development. However, until now, little focus has been placed on summarizing the animal models of TTH and associated mechanistic studies. This narrative review discusses the current animal models of TTH and related mechanistic studies to provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of and treatments for TTH.

Recent Findings

The primary method for constructing an animal model of TTH involves injecting a solution of pain relievers, such as adenosine triphosphate, nerve growth factor, or a high concentration of salt solution, into the neck to initiate harmful cervical muscle responses. This model enables the examination of the interaction between peripheral muscles and central sensitization, which is crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of TTH. Mechanistic studies based on this model have investigated the effect of the P2X receptor antagonist, P2X7 receptor blockade, the P2Y1 receptor agonist 2-MESADP, P2Y1 receptor antagonist MRS2179, nitric oxide synthase inhibitors, and acetylsalicylic acid.

Despite notable advancements, the current model of TTH has limitations, including surgical complexity and the inability to replicate chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). To gain a more comprehensive understanding and develop more effective treatment methods, future studies should focus on simplifying surgical procedures, examining other predisposing factors, and establishing a model for chronic TTH. This will offer a deeper insight into the pathophysiological mechanism of TTH and pave the way for improved treatment approaches.
Xanthoma of the Jaw Bones: Cases Series and Review of Literature
Authors: Venkat Shankar , Islam Mohammed N. , Bhattacharyya Indraneel , Cohen Donald M. , Kratochvil F. James , Woods Tina R. , Ganatra Seema , Alramadhan Saja A.
Published: March 2024

Background

Intraosseous xanthomas are rare benign lesions sometimes associated with excess lipid production. Xanthoma of the jaw bones (XJB) was first reported in 1964, and fewer than 50 cases have been reported in the English literature to date. The etiopathogenesis of XJB is highly suggestive of a reactive process or a metabolic condition.

Method

Seven cases of XJBs were retrieved from the archives of 4 oral and maxillofacial pathology services. Clinical, radiographic and histopathologic features of all these cases were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemical (IHC) stains for S100 and CD68 were performed.

Results

All seven cases involved the mandible. Patients’ age ranged between 13 and 69 years with an evenly distributed female to male ratio. One patient had a medical history of hyperlipidemia, but the medical and dental histories of the others were unremarkable. For most cases, XJB was an incidental finding discovered during routine radiographic examination. Swelling and cortical expansion were noted in a few cases. Radiographically, cases typically presented as either well-defined multilocular or unilocular lesions, which were either radiolucent or mixed radiolucent/radiopaque. All the lesions were treated with surgical curettage and no recurrence was observed during subsequent follow-ups. Each of the seven cases exhibited sheets of foamy macrophages. The diagnosis is established by exclusion of entities with overlapping microscopic features and involved correlation with the clinical, histological, radiographic and IHC profiles. Immunohistochemically, all the cases expressed diffuse positivity for CD68 and were negative for S100.

Conclusion

XJB is a rare lesion of unknown etiology, which may mimic other benign or reactive jaw lesions. Due to its rarity and the potential diagnostic challenges it presents, clinicians must remain vigilant and consider CXJ in their differential when assessing radiolucent jaw anomalies.
Sea level rise and extreme events along the Mediterranean coasts: the case of Venice and the awareness of local population, stakeholders and policy makers
Authors: Anzidei Marco , Alberti Tommaso , Vecchio Antonio , Loizidou Xenia , Orthodoxou Demetra , Serpelloni Enrico , Falciano Antonio , Ferrari Claudia
Published: March 2024

Sea level rise (SLR) is among the major climate change effects threating the coasts of the Mediterranean basin, which are increasingly exposed to coastal flooding, especially along the low lying coastal plains, river deltas, lagoons and reclamation areas. Coastal erosion, beach retreat and marine flooding are already causing unprecedented environmental and socio-economic impacts on coastal populations. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) these effects are expected to worsen by 2100 and beyond with a projected global SLR up to about 1 m above the current level. This study provides an overview of the Mediterranean basin, focusing on the vulnerable city of Venice, which is particularly exposed to marine flooding due to SLR and land subsidence. We show the current and future sea level trend as well as a flooding scenarios in the absence of the Experimental Electromechanical Module (MoSE), which is protecting the city of Venice since 2020. To understand the awareness of citizens in Venice to address SLR, we have engaged a group of stakeholders through a structured participatory process to develop solution-oriented, case-specific and site-specific Policy Tools. Our results show that the Policy Tools contain relevant, effective and implementable actions stemming from stakeholder interaction and consensus building, identifying relevant issues that should be considered for SLR adaptation policies. A more extensive participation in public processes is required to materialize the Policy Tools into concrete actions to help vulnerable areas adapt to the expected SLR by the end of this century.
Optical solitons for dispersive concatenation model with power-law of self-phase modulation: a sub-ODE approach
Authors: Zayed Elsayed M. E. , Gepreel Khaled A. , El-Horbaty Mahmoud , El-Shater Mona , Biswas Anjan , Yildirim Yakup , Alshomrani Ali Saleh
Published: March 2024

This work retrieves a plethora of optical soliton solutions to the dispersive concatenation model with power-law of self-phase modulation. The implementation of the sub-ODE method and its variations and versions yielded such soliton solutions. The intermediary functions were Weierstrass’ elliptic functions as well as Jacobi’s elliptic functions. Their special cases gave way to soliton solutions. In particular, for Jacobi’s elliptic functions, when the modulus of ellipticity approached unity, the soliton solutions have naturally emerged.
Evaluation of next-generation sequencing versus next-generation flow cytometry for minimal-residual-disease detection in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Zhou Mo , Chen Yan , Gong Yanlei , Zhu Mingqing , Cen Jiannong , Pan Jinlan , Yan Lingzhi , Shang Jingjing , Jin Song , Shi Xiaolan , Yao Weiqin , Yan Shuang , Wu Depei , Chen Suning , Fu Chengcheng , Yao Li
Published: March 2024

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in minimal-residual-disease (MRD) monitoring in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

Methods

This study analyzed 60 Chinese MM patients. During MRD monitoring in these patients’ post-therapy, clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) rearrangements were detected via NGS using LymphoTrack assays. MRD monitoring was performed using NGS or next-generation flow cytometry (NGF), and the results were compared. Additionally, the sensitivity and reproducibility of the NGS method were assessed.

Results

The MRD detection range of the NGS method was 10–6–10–1, which suggested good linearity, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.985 and a limit of detection of 10–6. Intra- and inter-assay reproducibility analyses showed that NGS exhibited 100% reproducibility with low variability in clonal cells. At diagnosis, unique clones were found in 42 patients (70.0%) with clonal IGH rearrangements, which were used as clonality markers for MRD monitoring post-therapy. Comparison of NGS and NGF for MRD monitoring showed 79.1% concordance. No samples that tested MRD-positive via NGF were found negative via NGS, indicating the higher sensitivity of NGS. MRD could be detected using NGS in 6 of 7 samples before autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, and 5 of them tested negative post-transplantation. In contrast, the NGF method could detect MRD in only 1 sample pre-transplantation.

Conclusion

Compared with NGF, NGS exhibits higher sensitivity and reproducibility in MRD detection and can be an effective strategy for MRD monitoring in Chinese MM patients.
Connecting Human and Information Resources in the Generation of Competitive Advantage
Authors: Camisón-Haba Sergio , Clemente-Almendros José Antonio , Gonzalez-Cruz Tomás
Published: March 2024

A key trend in recent decades is a growing standardisation of tangible digital resources. This trend coexists with development in the most advanced organisations of high-level technological, human and organisational resources teams built around advanced digital solutions. Digitisation has increased information asymmetries in organisations. However, it has changed the nature of the assets that support them. Accordingly, their effects are independent if unaccompanied by complementary investments in organisational design and human capital. This article focuses on relationships between information and cognitive asymmetries, their effects on developing strategic capabilities and their impact on competitive position. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was run on a data set of 418 Spanish tourism firms. The results show the positive effects of the interaction between human resources and information assets in strengthening the competitive position of modern organisations.
Recurrence in acromegaly: two tertiary centers experience and review of the literature
Authors: Cremaschi A. , Sala E. , Lavezzi E. , Carosi G. , Del Sindaco G. , Mangone A. , Mungari R. , Pagnano A. , Indirli R. , Ferrante E. , Mazziotti G. , Locatelli M. , Lasio G. , Arosio M. , Lania A. G. , Mantovani G.
Published: March 2024

Background

Recurrence of acromegaly after successful surgery is a rare event, but no clear data are reported in the literature about its recurrence rates. This study aimed to evaluate the recurrence rate in a series of acromegalic patients treated by transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) with a long follow-up.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 283 acromegalic patients who underwent TSS at two pituitary units in Milan (Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico and IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital). The diagnosis and recurrence of acromegaly were defined by both elevated IGF-1 levels and a lack of GH suppression based on appropriate criteria for the assay used at the time of diagnosis.

Results

After surgery, 143 patients (50%) were defined as not cured, 132 (47%) as cured and 8 (3%) as partially cured because of normalization of only one parameter, either IGF1 or GH. In the cured group, at the last follow-up (median time 86.8 months after surgery), only 1 patient (0.7%) showed full recurrence (IGF-1 + 5.61 SDS, GH nadir 1.27 µg/l), while 4 patients (3%) showed only increased IGF1. In the partially cured group at the last follow-up, 2/8 (25%) patients showed active acromegaly (IGF-1 SDS + 2.75 and + 3.62; GH nadir 0.6 and 0.5 µg/l, respectively).

Conclusions

In the literature, recurrence rates range widely, from 0 to 18%. In our series, recurrence occurred in 3.7% of patients, and in fewer than 1%, recurrence occurred with elevation of both IGF-1 and the GH nadir. More frequently (25%), recurrence came in the form of incomplete normalization of either IGF-1 or GH after surgery.
Macro-financial policy at the crossroad: addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation - introduction to the special issue
Authors: D’Orazio Paola , Schäfer Dorothea , Stephan Andreas
Published: March 2024

This special issue of the Eurasian Economic Review delves into the critical relationships between macro-financial policy frameworks and environmental sustainability, emphasizing the urgent challenges posed by climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. These environmental crises pose significant threats to global economic and financial stability, underscoring the necessity of integrating environmental considerations into macro-financial policies to foster sustainability and resilience in economic policymaking. Through a collection of research papers, this issue explores innovative strategies for developing comprehensive policy frameworks that harmonize monetary, financial, and fiscal policies with environmental objectives. It emphasizes the need for advanced methods to assess and manage the financial risks of climate change and environmental degradation. Underscoring the need for a multidisciplinary approach, the research advocates for the collaboration of economists, environmental scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to develop effective macro-financial policies. These policies aim to mitigate environmental risks, enhance environmental sustainability, and preserve biodiversity. The issue calls for further research to refine models that accurately predict the macro-financial impacts of environmental risks and assess the effectiveness of policy measures, paving the way for a sustainable future in the face of escalating environmental challenges.
Integrated approach for groundwater potential exploration in Abbay River Basin, East Africa
Authors: Yoshe Agegnehu Kitanbo
Published: March 2024

This paper presents and examines groundwater potential zones with the help of remote sensing and GIS methods for controlling and investigating the geospatial data of each parameter. Groundwater is a very important source for water supply and others, considering its availability, quality, cost, and time-effectiveness to develop. It is virtually everywhere and yet variable in quantity. Because of several conditions, such as rapid population growth, urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural development, groundwater sources are under severe threat. Climate change plays an important role in the quality and quantity of groundwater potential. In addition, climate change severely affects parameters that influence groundwater recharge. Unreliable exploitation and poor quality of surface water resources tend to increase the decline in groundwater levels. Hence, it is necessary to identify groundwater potential zones that can be used to optimize and monitor groundwater resources. This study was conducted in the Abbay River Basin and identifies the location of groundwater potential for developing new supplies that could be used for a range of purposes in the study area, where groundwater serves as the main source for agricultural purposes rather than surface water. Seven selected parameters—lineament density, precipitation, geology, drainage density, land use, slope, and soil data—were collected, processed, resampled, projected, and reclassified for hydrological analysis. For the generation of groundwater zones, weightage was calculated using an analytical hierarchy method, reclassified, ranked, and overlaid with GIS. The obtained results of weightage were lineament density (37%), precipitation (30%), geology (14%), drainage density (7%), land use land cover (5%), slope (4%), and soil (3%). The consistency ratio estimated for this study was 0.089, which was acceptable for further analysis. Based on the integration of all thematic layers and the generated groundwater potential zones, the map was reclassified into five different classes, namely very good, good, moderate, poor, and very poor. The results of this study reveal that 1295.33 km2 of the study area can be considered very poor, 58,913.1 km2 is poor, 131,323 km2 is moderate, 18,557 km2 is good, and 311.5 km2 is very good. Any groundwater management project performed in the better regions would offer the greatest value. A similar study would be valuable before planning any water resource development activity, as this would save the expense of comprehensive field investigations. This study also demonstrates the importance of remote sensing and GIS techniques in mapping groundwater potential at the basin scale and suggests that similar methods could be applied across other river basins.
Road traffic flow and air pollution concentrations: evidence from Japan
Authors: Nishitateno Shuhei , Burke Paul J. , Arimura Toshi H.
Published: March 2024

Vehicular emissions are a major global health concern. The aim of this study is to examine the short-term relationship between road traffic flows and air pollution concentrations in Japan. Our approach involves matching hourly data from the 2015 Road Traffic Census to data from nearby air pollution monitoring and meteorological stations and estimating a dynamic panel model. We focus on four pollutants designated under the vehicle emission standards of Japan: nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The standard estimates indicate that short-run pollution concentration-road traffic flow elasticities are 0.04–0.05 for NOx, CO, and NMHC, and insignificant for PM2.5. Long-term effects are also estimated. We apply the estimates to a case study on the link between road traffic flows and meeting the new World Health Organization air quality guidelines.
Biochar-supported zero-valent iron enhanced arsenic immobilization in a paddy soil: the role of soil organic matter
Authors: Wang Shengsen , Li Wenjing , Ding Chengyu , Zhang Jian , Zhang Ni , Li Yuncong C. , Gao Bin , Wang Bing , Wang Xiaozhi
Published: March 2024

Arsenic (As) detoxification in polluted soils by iron-based materials can be mediated by the endogenous soil organic matter (SOM), nevertheless the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, endogenous SOM in a paddy soil was substantially removed to understand its roles on As immobilization by biochar-supported zero-valent iron (ZVI/BC). The results demonstrated that ZVI/BC application significantly decreased As bioavailability by 64.2% compared with the control soil under the anaerobic condition. XPS and HR-TEM suggested As immobilization by ZVI/BC mainly invoked the formation of ternary complexes (i.e., As-Fe-SOM). However, SOM depletion compromised the efficacy of ZVI/BC for As immobilization by 289.8%. This is likely because SOM depletion increased the fulvic acid and OH− contents in soils. Besides, ZVI/BC increased the proportion of As(III) in available As fraction, but SOM depletion altered the mechanisms associated with As(V) reduction. That is, As(V) reduction resulted from the reductive capacity of ZVI in the pristine soil, but the As(V)-reducing bacteria contributed greater to As(V) reduction in the SOM-depleted soil. Additionally, SOM depletion boosted the abundances of Fe(III)- and As(V)-reducing bacteria such as Bacillus and Ammoniphilus in soils, which enhanced the dissimilatory arsenate reduction. Thus, this work highlighted the importance of SOM in the remediation of As-contaminated soils by ZVI/BC.

Graphical Abstract
Asymptotic Errors in the Superconvergence of Discontinuous Galerkin Methods Based on Upwind-Biased Fluxes for 1D Linear Hyperbolic Equations
Authors: Lu Tianshi , Rahmati Sirvan
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we study the superconvergence of the semi-discrete discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for linear hyperbolic equations in one spatial dimension. The asymptotic errors in cell averages, downwind point values, and the postprocessed solution are derived for the initial discretization by Gaussian projection (for periodic boundary condition) or Cao projection Cao et al. (SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 5, 2555–2573 (2014)) (for Dirichlet boundary condition). We proved that the error constant in the superconvergence of order $$2k+1$$

2
k
+
1

for DG methods based on upwind-biased fluxes depends on the parity of the order k. The asymptotic errors are demonstrated by various numerical experiments for scalar and vector hyperbolic equations.
Prevalence of intimate partner violence in pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic in Qazvin-Iran 2021
Authors: Hadiloo Nahid , Lalooha Fatemeh , Sarichloo Mohammad Ebrahim , Oveisi Sonia
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) in pregnant women is considered one of the most important types of violence, which can include physical, psychological abuse and sexual violence. During the lockdown due to COVID-19, the home is at risk of becoming a very dangerous place for victims of domestic violence. We aimed to determine the prevalence of IPV and associated factors in pregnant women in Qazvin, Iran.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 450 pregnant mothers who were referred to the Kowsar Hospital Prenatal Clinic in Qazvin in 2021. Participants were assessed using a questionnaire consisting of four parts (demographic data, Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) for domestic violence, The Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) for IPV. Data were collected and analysis was performed via SPSS software version 22 using a non-parametric test; Mann–Whitney and × 2 tests.

Results

The overall prevalence of IPV was higher in pregnant women than their husbands in Qazvin. The most common form of IPV was psychological aggression (24.8%), followed by scale of injury (8.2%), physical (3.3%) and sexual (4.2%) violence. In addition, analysis of the AAS questionnaire shows that psychological violence is the most common form of domestic violence among pregnant women.

Conclusion

In this study, IPV in pregnant women has increased slightly compared to studies conducted in the years leading up to the COVID-19. Risk of IPV was not related to previous COVID-19 infection. Collaborative efforts between various stakeholders and policy actions must be taken to ensure the safety and protection of pregnant women during this challenging time.