bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust anomaly detection via adversarial counterfactual generation
Authors: Liguori Angelica , Ritacco Ettore , Pisani Francesco Sergio , Manco Giuseppe
Published: July 2024

The capability to devise robust outlier and anomaly detection tools is an important research topic in machine learning and data mining. Recent techniques have been focusing on reinforcing detection with sophisticated data generation tools that successfully refine the learning process by generating variants of the data that expand the recognition capabilities of the outlier detector. In this paper, we propose $$\textrm{ARN}$$
ARN
, a semi-supervised anomaly detection and generation method based on adversarial counterfactual reconstruction. $$\textrm{ARN}$$
ARN
exploits a regularized autoencoder to optimize the reconstruction of variants of normal examples with minimal differences that are recognized as outliers. The combination of regularization and counterfactual reconstruction helps to stabilize the learning process, which results in both realistic outlier generation and substantially extended detection capability. In fact, the counterfactual generation enables a smart exploration of the search space by successfully relating small changes in all the actual samples from the true distribution to high anomaly scores. Experiments on several benchmark datasets show that our model improves the current state of the art by valuable margins because of its ability to model the true boundaries of the data manifold.
Archetypes of blockchain-based business models in enterprise networks
Authors: Grünewald Alexander , Gürpinar Tan , Culotta Carina , Guderian Alicia
Published: July 2024

Many enterprises are currently engaged in developing blockchain-based business models. Enterprise networks offer a variety of potential applications for blockchain solutions as they benefit from transparency and security as well as automation of handling data, material, and financial flows along their supply chains. Despite profound potentials, the indicated business models are still in their early stages and need further investigation. To provide an overview of existing blockchain-based business models in the context of enterprise networks, the underlying paper designs a multidimensional taxonomy and identifies several archetypes of blockchain-based businesses. For the taxonomy development, data from 101 blockchain start-ups serves as a basis for empirical validation. Using hierarchical clustering and the k-means method, seven archetypes that sharpen the understanding of how blockchain solutions affect business models in enterprise networks and enable new business models are derived. The proposed work results are intended to be applied in future research and practice to classify and assess the integration of blockchain solutions into existing business models and to support developing new ones that leverage emerging technological capabilities.
Enhanced Domain Adaptation for Foot Ulcer Segmentation Through Mixing Self-Trained Weak Labels
Authors: Hresko David Jozef , Drotar Peter , Ngo Quoc Cuong , Kumar Dinesh Kant
Published: July 2024

Wound management requires the measurement of the wound parameters such as its shape and area. However, computerized analysis of the wound suffers the challenge of inexact segmentation of the wound images due to limited or inaccurate labels. It is a common scenario that the source domain provides an abundance of labeled data, while the target domain provides only limited labels. To overcome this, we propose a novel approach that combines self-training learning and mixup augmentation. The neural network is trained on the source domain to generate weak labels on the target domain via the self-training process. In the second stage, generated labels are mixed up with labels from the source domain to retrain the neural network and enhance generalization across diverse datasets. The efficacy of our approach was evaluated using the DFUC 2022, FUSeg, and RMIT datasets, demonstrating substantial improvements in segmentation accuracy and robustness across different data distributions. Specifically, in single-domain experiments, segmentation on the DFUC 2022 dataset scored a dice score of 0.711, while the score on the FUSeg dataset achieved 0.859. For domain adaptation, when these datasets were used as target datasets, the dice scores were 0.714 for DFUC 2022 and 0.561 for FUSeg.
Syndemic Psychosocial Conditions among Youth Living with HIV: a Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Wiginton John Mark , Amico K. Rivet , Hightow-Weidman Lisa , Sullivan Patrick , Horvath Keith J.
Published: July 2024

Drug use, mental distress, and other psychosocial factors threaten HIV care for youth living with HIV (YLWH). We aimed to identify syndemic psychosocial patterns among YLWH and examine how such patterns shape HIV outcomes. Using baseline data from 208 YLWH enrolled in an HIV treatment adherence intervention, we performed latent class analysis on dichotomized responses to 9 psychosocial indicators (enacted HIV stigma; clinical depression and anxiety; alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drug misuse; food and housing insecurity; legal history). We used multinomial logistic regression to assess latent class-demographic associations and the automatic Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method to assess HIV outcomes by class. Mean age of participants was 21 years; two thirds identified as cis male, 60% were non-Hispanic Black, and half identified as gay. Three classes emerged: “Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic” (n = 29; 13.9%), “Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic” (n = 35, 17.1%), and “Syndemic-free” (n = 142, 69.0%). Older, unemployed non-students were overrepresented in the “Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic” class. Missed/no HIV care appointments was significantly higher in the “Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic” class (81.4%) relative to the “Syndemic-free” (32.8%) and “Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic” (31.0%) classes. HIV treatment nonadherence was significantly higher in the “Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic” class (88.5%) relative to the “Syndemic-free” class (59.4%) but not the “Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic” class (70.8%). Lack of HIV viral load suppression was non-significantly higher in the “Polydrug-Socioeconomic Syndemic” class (29.7%) relative to the “Syndemic-free” (16.2%) and “Distress-Socioeconomic Syndemic” (15.4%) classes. Polydrug-using, socioeconomically vulnerable YLWH are at risk for adverse HIV outcomes, warranting tailored programming integrated into extant systems of HIV care.
Approximate dynamic programming for liner shipping network design
Authors: Lee Sangmin , Boomsma Trine Krogh , Holst Klaus Kähler
Published: July 2024

The global containerised trade heavily relies on liner shipping services, facilitating the worldwide movement of large cargo volumes along fixed routes and schedules. The profitability of shipping companies hinges on how efficiently they design their shipping network; a complex optimization problem known as the liner shipping network design problem (LSNDP). In recent years, approximate dynamic programming (ADP), also known as reinforcement learning, has emerged as a promising approach for large-scale optimisation. This paper introduces a novel Markov decision process for the LSNDP and investigates the potential of ADP. We show that ADP methods based on value iteration produce optimal solutions to small instances, but their scalability is hindered by high memory demands. An ADP method based on a deep neural network requires less memory and successfully obtains feasible solutions. The quality of solutions, however, declines for larger instances, possibly due to the discrete nature of high-dimensional state and action spaces.
A Comparison of Evaluation Methodologies of the Fractal Dimension of Premixed Turbulent Flames in 2D and 3D Using Direct Numerical Simulation Data
Authors: Herbert Marco , Chakraborty Nilanjan , Klein Markus
Published: July 2024

A Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) database of statistically planar flames ranging from the wrinkled flamelets to the thin reaction zones regime and DNS data for a Bunsen premixed flame representing the wrinkled flamelets regime have been utilised to evaluate the fractal dimensions of flame surfaces using the filtering dimension method, the box-counting algorithm and the correlation dimension approach. The fractal dimension evaluated based on the fully resolved three-dimensional data has been found to be reasonably approximated by adding unity to the equivalent fractal dimension evaluated based on two-dimensional projections irrespective of the methodology of extracting fractal dimension. This indicates that the flame surface can be approximated as a self-similar fractal surface for the range of Karlovitz and Damköhler numbers considered here. While all methods, provide results identical to each other for benchmark problems, it has been found that the fractal dimension evaluation based on box-counting method provides almost identical results as that obtained using the filtering dimension method for both three and two dimensions, while the fractal dimensions based on the correlation dimension tend to be slightly smaller. The findings of the current analysis have the potential to be used to reliably estimate the actual fractal dimension in 3D based on experimentally obtained 2D binarised reaction progress variable field. The inner cut-off scales estimated based on all three methodologies yield comparable results in terms of order of magnitude with the box-counting method predicting a smaller value of inner cut-off scale in comparison to other methods. The execution times for fractal dimension extraction based on filtering dimension and box-counting methodologies are found to be comparable but the correlation dimension method is found to be considerably faster than the two alternative approaches and provides results consistent with theoretical bounds in all cases.
Cross-boundary effects of human impacts on animal assemblages in the coastal zone
Authors: Ballantyne Jasmine A. , Henderson Christopher J. , Olds Andrew D. , Schlacher Thomas A. , Elliott Brittany B. , Gilby Ben L.
Published: July 2024

Human impacts on ecosystems often transcend ecosystem boundaries and environmental realms, complicating ecosystem assessment, conservation, and management. Whether and how different impacts affect ecosystems in distinct but adjacent domains remains untested in many settings, and is rarely tested concurrently at the same spatial scales. In this study, we quantified the effects of coastal urbanisation on the structure of terrestrial coastal vertebrate assemblages (including birds, reptiles and mammals using baited trail cameras) and marine surf zone fish assemblages (using baited underwater videography) at 100 sites along 50 km of beach in eastern Australia. Sites occurred along a gradient of intensities of urban land conversion in the hind dunes. While the effects of urbanisation on the species sampled were pervasive across both ecosystems, the area of urbanised land mattered more for the coastal vertebrates observed, while proximity to urbanised land was more important for the surf zone fish observed. Here, fewer individuals and species of coastal vertebrates were found at sites with a greater extent of urbanised land within 5 km. Conversely, fish assemblages were more diverse in the surf zones abutting urban areas and more abundant at sites approximately 150 m from urbanised land. The spatial properties of these landscapes, including proximity to headlands for coastal vertebrates and reefs for fish, modified the effects of urbanisation. Our findings suggest that urbanisation can have ecologically nuanced effects that are detectable across the land-sea boundary, and stress the importance of landscape context when assessing and conserving animal assemblages in and around coastal cities.
Assessing spatial thermal comfort and adaptation measures for the Antalya basin under climate change scenarios
Authors: Isinkaralar Oznur , Sharifi Ayyoob , Isinkaralar Kaan
Published: July 2024

The concrete damages of climate change are intensifying, and adaptation efforts of actors around the world are increasing, especially in coastal regions. Recommending adaptation measures for specific regions and sectors and determining long-term strategies for mitigating global climate change is essential for reducing vulnerability to climate change. This research aims to estimate the changes in climatic parameters and thermal comfort zones to determine concrete targets and offer suggestions for sectors affected by possible changes. The changes that will occur until 2100 in the Antalya basin, which is located in the southernmost part of Türkiye and is a significant hub for agricultural production and tourism, were monitored spatially using Discomfort Index (DI) and Effective Temperature taking wind velocity (ETv). The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP): SSP 245 and SSP 585 predict that the quite cool areas prevailing in the area, according to ETv, will shrink by 24% and 46%, respectively, and the prevailing cold areas, according to DI, will shrink by 45% and 56%, respectively. By 2100, 5% of the area, according to SSP 245, and 25%, according to SSP 585, will turn into hot areas and move away from the comfort level. The fact that critical regions are areas with high vitality in terms of coastal tourism shows the need to prioritize adaptation policies. These discoveries are discussed in the context of critical issues such as water scarcity and food security, contributing to policy-making for effective management by suggesting specific adaptation measures.
Investigation of Eighth-Grade Students’ processes of solving skill- based science questions by eye tracking technique
Authors: Özdemir Şeyma , Tosun Cemal
Published: July 2024

The aim of this study was to determine the visual measurement results related to the behavior/processes of solving skill-based science questions of eighth grade students by eye tracking technique. Non-experimental quantitative research method was used in the research and visual measurement results were supported by heat maps and eye splash movements. Nine questions, with difficulty and discrimination indexes calculated, were applied to 56 eighth grade students. Data were collected with a skill-based test, eye tracking device, think-aloud protocols and a perception scale towards next generation science questions. The data obtained from the eye tracking device was examined using Gaze Viewer software and the results were shown as images. The results revealed that visual measurement results differed according to gender and 2023 high schools entrance exam scores. Additionally, negative relationships were found between visual measurement results and students’ practice test scores and their perceptions towards solving next generation science questions. It was determined that average duration of fixation had a significant predictive effect on students’ self-efficacy levels for solving next generation science questions.
Innovative bedding materials for compost bedded pack barns: enhancing dairy cow welfare and sustainable dairy farming
Authors: Eberl Daniela T. , Smith Marshall J. , Megram Oliver J. , Mayhew Megan M. , Willoughby Debra , White Samuel J. , Wilson Philippe B.
Published: July 2024

Compost bedded pack (CBP) barns are an innovative housing system that improves the comfort and welfare of dairy cows, compared to cubicle style housing or free stalls with artificial surfaces, such as rubber or concrete. This type of bedding system also has the potential to improve lameness scores, overall health, welfare, and productivity of dairy cows. In CBP barns, carbon materials or organic materials are composted in the barn while being used as bedding for livestock. The animals pass manure on these surfaces providing the nitrogen, microorganisms, and moisture necessary for the composting process. Historically, dry sawdust originating from mills, furniture and pallets have been used as a substrate for compost. However, due to these materials becoming increasingly expensive and hard to source, other materials have been trailed as potential substitutes. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in making dairy production more environmentally friendly by reducing carbon footprint. This review summarises and highlights appropriate alternative materials that, subject to their management, can be successfully used in the CBP barn system. This will act as an aid for farmers and decision makers when choosing materials to be incorporated in CBP barns. Using alternative materials to sawdust, wood chips and wood shavings, which are the current industry standard, will contribute to a more circular economy and sustainable dairy production, while simultaneously contributing to sustainable development goals, and improved animal health and welfare.
Theory and Experiment of the Soret Forced Rayleigh Scattering Technique for Mass Diffusion Coefficient Measurement of Binary Liquid Mixtures
Authors: Matsuura Hiroaki , Nagasaka Yuji
Published: July 2024

Mass diffusion coefficient measurement techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution have become essential for the research and development of leading-edge technology in a wide range of cross-disciplinary fields, but cannot be achieved using conventional methods. We provide a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental investigations on Soret forced Rayleigh scattering (SFRS), a grating excitation technique (GET) for measuring the mass diffusion coefficient of binary liquid mixtures. SFRS utilizes the Soret effect to create micrometer-order periodic spatial concentration modulation in a sample due to the absorption of an optical interference grating generated by two intersecting heating laser beams. The decay of the concentration modulation by the mass diffusion process within several milliseconds is detected by the diffraction of a probing beam. The theoretical considerations regarding deviations from the ideal mass diffusion conditions are the effects of: (1) the Gaussian beam intensity distribution, (2) the light absorbing material and (3) the cell wall. The proper settings for the optical system are also analyzed, e.g., the effect of coherency and polarization of the heating laser and the effect of the z-direction length of the interference region. We also consider the frame of reference, center of gravity invariance and effect of convection, which are particularly important for mass diffusion experiments. Using the correct implementation of the theory, the optimal SFRS apparatus design and its appropriate use are described in detail. Finally, two successful applications of SFRS are demonstrated using visible light laser heating and mid-wavelength infrared gas laser heating.
A comprehensive survey on linear programming and energy optimization methods for maximizing lifetime of wireless sensor network
Authors: Machiwa Erick J. , Masanja Verdiana G. , Kisangiri Michael F. , Matiko Joseph W.
Published: July 2024

The wireless sensor network (WSN) is considered as a network, encompassing small-embedded devices named sensors that are wirelessly connected to one another for data forwarding within the network. These sensor nodes (SNs) follow an ad-hoc configuration and are connected with the Base Station (BS) through the internet for data sharing. When more amounts of data are shared from several SNs, traffic arises within the network, and controlling and balancing the traffic loads (TLs) are significant. The TLs are the amount of data shared by the network in a given time. Balancing these loads will extend the network’s lifetime and reduce the energy consumption (EC) rate of SNs. Thus, the Load Balancing (LB) within the network is very efficient for the network’s energy optimization (EO). However, this EO is the major challenging part of WSN. Several existing research concentrated and worked on energy-efficient LB optimization to prolong the lifetime of the WSN. Therefore, this review collectively presents a detailed survey of the linear programming (LP)-based optimization models and alternative optimization models for energy-efficient LB in WSN. LP is a technique used to maximize or minimize the linear function, which is subjected to linear constraints. The LP methods are utilized for modeling the features, deploying, and locating the sensors in WSN. The analysis proved the efficacy of the developed model based on its fault tolerance rate, latency, topological changes, and EC rates. Thus, this survey briefly explained the pros and cons of the developed load-balancing schemes for EO in WSN.
Synthesis and characterization of crystalline cristobalite alpha low silicon dioxide nanoparticles: a cost-effective anode for lithium-ion battery
Authors: Thombare Sohan , Patil Rohan , Humane Ranjit , Kale Bharat , Kalubarme Ramchandra , Malavekar Dhanaji , Khot Sambhaji , Phadatare Manisha , Lokhande Chandrakant
Published: July 2024

Silicon dioxide (SiO2 or Silica) is one of the most prevalent substances in the crust of the Earth. The main varieties of crystalline silica are quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite. When applied as a material for energy, it is affordable and eco-friendly. The SiO2 is considered as electrochemically inactive toward lithium. The SiO2 exhibits low activity for diffusion and inadequate electrical conductivity. As the particle size of SiO2 decreases, the diffusion pathway of Li-ions shortens, and the electrochemical activity is promoted. In investigation, Cost-effective synthesis approach was employed to produce crystalline cristobalite alpha low silicon dioxide nanoparticles (CCαL SiO2 NPs) derived from Oryza sativa (rice) husk using a solvent extraction modification technique. The objective was to fabricate an cost-effective future anode nanomaterial that could reduce the significant volume expansion growth, pulverization, and increase electrical conductivity of CCαL SiO2 NPs anode and develop high specific capacity for Lithium-ion battery (LiB). To study the phase and purity of the SiO2, a variety of characterization methods, including X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Infra-Red Spectroscopy, Surface area analysis, Raman Shift analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Contact angle measurement, Post-mortem X-ray diffraction, and Post-mortem field emission scanning electron microscopy were employed. This cost-effective synthesis of CCαL SiO2 NPs anode was first reported in this work.
Perimenopausal and Menopausal Mammary Glands In A 4-Vinylcyclohexene Diepoxide Mouse Model
Authors: Saeki Kohei , Ha Desiree , Chang Gregory , Mori Hitomi , Yoshitake Ryohei , Wu Xiwei , Wang Jinhui , Wang Yuan-Zhong , Wang Xiaoqiang , Tzeng Tony , Shim Hyun Jeong , Neuhausen Susan L. , Chen Shiuan
Published: July 2024

As both perimenopausal and menopausal periods are recognized critical windows of susceptibility for breast carcinogenesis, development of a physiologically relevant model has been warranted. The traditional ovariectomy model causes instant removal of the entire hormonal repertoire produced by the ovary, which does not accurately approximate human natural menopause with gradual transition. Here, we characterized the mammary glands of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD)-treated animals at different time points, revealing that the model can provide the mammary glands with both perimenopausal and menopausal states. The perimenopausal gland showed moderate regression in ductal structure with no responsiveness to external hormones, while the menopausal gland showed severe regression with hypersensitivity to hormones. Leveraging the findings on the VCD model, effects of a major endocrine disruptor (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs) on the mammary gland were examined during and after menopausal transition, with the two exposure modes; low-dose, chronic (environmental) and high-dose, subacute (experimental). All conditions of PBDE exposure did not augment or compromise the macroscopic ductal reorganization resulting from menopausal transition and/or hormonal treatments. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that the experimental PBDE exposure during the post-menopausal period caused specific transcriptomic changes in the non-epithelial compartment such as Errfi1 upregulation in fibroblasts. The environmental PBDE exposure resulted in similar transcriptomic changes to a lesser extent. In summary, the VCD mouse model provides both perimenopausal and menopausal windows of susceptibility for the breast cancer research community. PBDEs, including all tested models, may affect the post-menopausal gland including impacts on the non-epithelial compartments.
The Simplified Approach to the Bose Gas Without Translation Invariance
Authors: Jauslin Ian
Published: July 2024

The simplified approach to the Bose gas was introduced by Lieb in 1963 to study the ground state of systems of interacting Bosons. In a series of recent papers, it has been shown that the simplified approach exceeds earlier expectations, and gives asymptotically accurate predictions at both low and high density. In the intermediate density regime, the qualitative predictions of the simplified approach have also been found to agree very well with quantum Monte Carlo computations. Until now, the simplified approach had only been formulated for translation invariant systems, thus excluding external potentials, and non-periodic boundary conditions. In this paper, we extend the formulation of the simplified approach to a wide class of systems without translation invariance. This also allows us to study observables in translation invariant systems whose computation requires the symmetry to be broken. Such an observable is the momentum distribution, which counts the number of particles in excited states of the Laplacian. In this paper, we show how to compute the momentum distribution in the simplified approach, and show that, for the simple equation, our prediction matches up with Bogolyubov’s prediction at low densities, for momenta extending up to the inverse healing length.
Perceived Peer Integration, Parental Control, and Autonomy Support: Differential Effects on Test Anxiety during the Transition to Secondary School for Girls and Boys
Authors: Feige Paulina , Watermann Rainer
Published: July 2024

Although previous research has investigated the impact of parents and peers on test anxiety in secondary or tertiary education, little is known about younger students, especially during the transition to secondary school. Additionally, it is unclear whether these social factors affect girls’ and boys’ test anxiety differently. Therefore, the current study examined the role of perceived peer integration into the new class context, perceived parental control, and autonomy support on girls’ and boys’ test anxiety (worry and emotionality) during the transition to secondary school. Data from 1770 students (Mage = 10.47, SD = 0.56; 51% females) were analyzed before (4th grade) and after the transition (5th grade) using a multigroup (girls vs. boys) structural equation model. Both facets of test anxiety decreased from 4th to 5th grade. Perceived peer integration into the new class was only relevant for girls’ test anxiety, while parental control predicted post-transition test anxiety for boys. The results suggest that the perceived social environment is an important factor in helping students cope with the demands of the transition to secondary school.
Paired comparison of the analytical performance between the Oncomine™ Comprehensive Assay v3 and whole-exome sequencing of ovarian cancer tissue
Authors: Lopacinska-Jørgensen Joanna , Vestergaard Lau K. , Schejbel Lone , Høgdall Claus K. , Poulsen Tim Svenstrup , Høgdall Estrid V.
Published: July 2024

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been implemented in clinical oncology as a personalized medicine tool to identify targetable genetic alterations and to guide treatment decisions. However, the optimal NGS test strategy and target genes for clinical use are still being discussed. The aim was to compare the performance of the Oncomine™ Comprehensive Assay v3 (OCAv3) (targeted gene panel) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) to investigate somatic single and multiple nucleotide variants and small indels in ovarian cancer patients.

Methods and results

Genomic DNA was isolated from fresh frozen samples of five high-grade serous (HGSC) and three clear cell ovarian (oCCC) cancer patients. Exome sequencing libraries were prepared by using the Ion AmpliSeq Exome RDY kit, whereas libraries for OCAv3 were prepared using by Ion AmpliSeq™ Library Kit Plus. Sequencing was performed using the Ion S5XL System (Thermo Fisher Scientific). When including only variants classified as pathogenic, likely pathogenic or unknown significance based on ClinVar database verdicts and comparing overlapping regions covered both by the OCAv3 assay and WES, 23 variants were detected by both assays. However, OCAv3 detected additionally two variants: ARID1A: p.Gln563Ter and TP53: p.Ser261ValfsTer84 that have not passed WES filtering criteria due to low coverage.

Conclusions

With the present treatment possibilities, OCAv3 panel testing provided higher diagnostic yield due to better coverage. Our study emphasizes that WES, although offering the potential to identify novel findings in genes not covered by OCAv3, might overlook variants in genes relevant for OC.
Exploring different content creation and display methods for remote collaboration supported by eXtended reality: comparative analysis of distinct task scenarios
Authors: Marques Bernardo , Ferreira Carlos , Silva Samuel , Santos André , Santos Andreia , Dias Paulo , Santos Beatriz Sousa
Published: July 2024

Remote collaboration using eXtended Reality (XR) has been explored to establish a common ground between physically distributed individuals. To achieve usable and impactful solutions, it is paramount to understand how different content creation and display methods contribute to the work effort of each member (remote and on-site). Additionally, explore how various task scenarios influence the collaborative process, specifically examining how activities with unique characteristics and complexities affect remote work. Hence, the question arises, ’How do different display and interaction methods impact the collaborative process within specific task domains?’ In this paper, two user studies with 30 distinct participants each are described, focusing on different content creation support (Laptop Computer; Video Wall & Keyboard; Interactive Projector) and display methods (Hand-Held Device (HHD); HHD & Articulated Support; Head-Mounted Display (HMD)) for remote and on-site collaborators respectively, during scenarios of remote guidance. Plus, different physical tasks were considered for each study (Lego pieces assembly; Tangram puzzle assembly; Maintenance procedures; Resource management in a map; Training activity in a laboratory classroom), to understand which method stands out according to the characteristics of the said tasks. We report the results obtained, suggesting that for the remote part of the collaborative process, using a Video Wall & Keyboard appears to be more suitable for tasks associated with maintenance procedures, learning, and training activities. As for the on-site part, using HMD was considered the better option for maintenance, and learning tasks, closely followed by HHD & Articulated Support.
Fishing in the gene-pool: implementing trawl-associated eDNA metaprobe for large scale monitoring of fish assemblages
Authors: Maiello Giulia , Bellodi Andrea , Cariani Alessia , Carpentieri Paolo , Carugati Laura , Cicala Davide , Ferrari Alice , Follesa Cristina , Ligas Alessandro , Sartor Paolo , Sbrana Alice , Shum Peter , Stefani Matteo , Talarico Lorenzo , Mariani Stefano , Russo Tommaso
Published: July 2024

Marine biodiversity monitoring in the Mediterranean’s increasingly threatened ecosystems is crucial for effective ecosystem conservation and management. Here, we leveraged the Mediterranean International Trawl Survey program (MEDITS) to implement eDNA sampling through the recently tested ‘metaprobe’ procedure and characterize fish assemblages in three separate areas off the Italian coasts: Northern Adriatic Sea (NoAS), Ligurian and Northern Tyrrhenian Sea (LNTS), and Sardinian Sea (SaS). By combining the information from two homologous mitochondrial 12S metabarcodes––i.e., Elas02 and Tele02 targeting elasmobranchs and teleosts, respectively––we identified 108 species, over 60% of which overlapped with those caught by the trawl net. We produced an accurate reconstruction of fish community composition of the examined sites, reflecting differences in species assemblages linked with both geographic area and depth range. Metaprobe eDNA data consistently returned a biodiversity ‘bonus’ mostly consisting of pelagic taxa not captured through bottom trawl surveys, including rare and endangered taxa (e.g., elasmobranchs). Overall, the spatial characterisation of the assemblages across the surveyed areas was better delineated and more robust using eDNA metabarcoding than trawl data. Our results support the operationalisation of the metaprobe as a simple, inexpensive, versatile sampling tool, in association with pre-existing ship surveys, to overcome many of the limitations of marine data collection and strengthen marine management.
Dynamic Logics of Diffusion and Link Changes on Social Networks
Authors: Baccini Edoardo , Christoff Zoé , Verbrugge Rineke
Published: July 2024

This paper introduces a comprehensive logical framework to reason about threshold-driven diffusion and threshold-driven link change in social networks. It considers both monotonic dynamics, where agents can only adopt new features and create new connections, and non-monotonic dynamics, where agents may also abandon features or cut ties. Three types of operators are combined: one capturing diffusion only, one capturing link change only, and one capturing both at the same time. We first characterise the models on which diffusion of a unique feature and link change stabilise, whilst discussing salient properties of stable models with multiple spreading features. Second, we show that our operators (and any combination of them) are irreplaceable, in the sense that the sequences of model updates expressed by a combination of operators cannot always be expressed using any other operators. Finally, we analyse classes of models on which some operators can be replaced.
Proposal of Troglocephalinae n. subfam. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) to accommodate existing and two new monocotylids from the gills of rhinopristiform shovelnose rays
Authors: Vaughan David B. , Hansen Haakon , Chisholm Leslie A.
Published: July 2024

Troglocephalinae n. subfam. is proposed for Spinuris Doran, 1953, Neoheterocotyle Hargis, 1955, Anoplocotyloides Young, 1967, Troglocephalus rhinobatidis Young, 1967 (previously incertae sedis), Nonacotyle pristis Ogawa, 1991, Mehracotyle insolita Neifar, Euzet & Ben Hassine, 2002, Scuticotyle cairaen. gen. et sp., and Brancheocotyle imbricatan. gen. et sp. All members of the proposed new subfamily are gill parasites of shovelnose rays of the order Rhinopristiformes. The subfamilies Heterocotylinae Chisholm, Wheeler & Beverley-Burton, 1995, and Dasybatotreminae Bychowsky, 1957, are amended to exclude Spinuris, Nonacotyle, Neoheterocotyle, and Anoplocotyloides and Mehracotyle, respectively. Heterocotylinae includes gill parasites of members of the orders Myliobatiformes and Torpediniformes. Dasybatotreminae includes parasites of the gills and pharyngeal cavity of members of the orders Myliobatiformes and Rajiformes. A revised phylogeny of the Monocotylidae Taschenberg, 1879 is presented and discussed, based on 28S rDNA sequences, including new sequences for Myliocotyle pteromylaei Neifer, Euzet & Ben Hassine, 1999, Heterocotyle tokoloshei Vaughan & Chisholm, 2010, Neoheterocotyle robii Vaughan & Chisholm, 2010, and the two newly proposed species and genera. Additional locality records are also provided for Monocotylidae from off South Africa.
Enhanced Air Quality Prediction through Spatio-temporal Feature Sxtraction and Fusion: A Self-tuning Hybrid Approach with GCN and GRU
Authors: Liu Bao , Qi Zhi , Gao Lei
Published: July 2024

Accurate prediction of air quality change is essential for air pollution control and human daily mobility. Due to the strong spatial and temporal correlation of air quality changes, existing air quality prediction methods often face the problem of low prediction accuracy due to insufficient extraction of spatio-temporal features. In this paper, we proposed a self-tuning spatio-temporal neural network (ST2NN) to enhance air quality prediction. ST2NN model consisted of four modules. First, ST2NN model constructed a temporal feature extraction module and a spatial feature extraction module based on gated recurrent unit (GRU) and graph convolutional neural network (GCN), respectively, and the two feature extraction modules adopted a parallel structure, which could effectively extract the spatio-temporal features in data. Additionally, ST2NN model constructed a feature fusion module based on gating mechanism to delineate the contribution of spatio-temporal features to the predicted values. Further, ST2NN model constructed a Hyperband hyperparameter optimization module based on Hyperband optimization algorithm to automatically adjust the network hyperparameters. The structure of ST2NN model endowed it with excellent spatio-temporal feature extraction and parameter adaptability. ST2NN model was evaluated and compared with existing models, including convolutional long short-term memory neural network (ConvLSTM), GRU, combined convolutional neural network and long short-term memory neural network (CNN-LSTM), and GCN-LSTM for air quality index (AQI) prediction using data from twelve monitoring stations in Beijing, China. Across all four evaluation indexes, ST2NN model outperformed the comparative models, improving prediction accuracy by 0.51%-10.18% (measured using $${R}^{2}$$

R

2

). From the experimental results, it can be seen that ST2NN model constructed from the perspective of spatio-temporal feature extraction has better prediction performance compared with the existing air quality prediction model, which provides a new method for air quality prediction and has certain application value.
Site matters: site-specific factors control phosphorus retention in buffer strip soils under concentrated field runoff
Authors: Ramler David , Strauss Peter
Published: July 2024

Soil erosion from agricultural fields is a persistent ecological problem, potentially leading to eutrophication of aquatic habitats in the catchment area. Often used and recommended mitigation measures are vegetated filter strips (VFS) as buffer zones between arable land and water bodies. However, if they are designed and managed poorly, nutrients — especially phosphorus (P) — may accumulate in the soil. Ultimately, VFS can switch from being a nutrient sink to a source. This problem is further aggravated if the field runoff does not occur as uniform sheet flow, but rather in concentrated form, as is usually the case. To assess the impact of concentrated flow on VFS performance, we have taken soil core samples from field-VFS transition zones at six sites in Lower Austria. We determined a multitude of physical and chemical soil parameters, focusing on P fractions and indices. Our results revealed that concentrated flow can lead to an accumulation of P in the VFS. P levels in the VFS inside the area of concentrated runoff can be equal to or higher than in the field, even though they receive no direct fertilization. However, the concentration and distribution of nutrients in the fields and VFSs were also site-specific and affected by local factors such as the age of the VFS, cropping, and fertilization. Accordingly, there is a need for more sophisticated, bespoke VFS designs that can cope with site-specific runoff volumes and movements of nutrients that occur.
Global research progression on electro-catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells between 1992 and 2023 using bibliometric indicators
Authors: Magama Nolufefe , Ojemaye Mike O. , Manene Ntobeko C. , Okoh Omobola O. , Okoh Anthony I.
Published: July 2024

Over the past decades, there has been an increase in the awareness of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). This study analysed the research activities on electro-catalysts for DMFCs from 1992 to 2023 using bibliometric analysis. This was achieved by extracting the relevant data from web of science (https://www.webofknowledge.com), and retrieved data were analysed by using the Rstudio software. A total of 1912 documents were recovered from this database. Rstudio outputs were annual scientific production, most productive authors, top manuscripts per citations, corresponding author’s countries, total citations per country, most relevant sources, most relevant keywords, and research collaboration index. It was observed from the retrieved data that there is an increase in publications of research on electro-catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells from 1992 to 2020. A huge drop was observed from 2021 to 2023. The data provided a documents per author of 0.408 and authors per document of 2.45. It is observed that collaboration index is 2.48. China, USA, and Korea are the top 3 countries in both total citations and countries with most articles in this field. This study is of great help in informing communities, researchers, policy makers, and industries about the importance of DMFC development in providing alternative power source.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Occult Hypoxemia Prevalence and Clinical Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Parr Nicholas J. , Beech Erin H. , Young Sarah , Valley Thomas S.
Published: July 2024

Background

There is growing concern that pulse oximeters are routinely less accurate in hospitalized patients with darker skin pigmentation, in turn increasing risk of undetected (occult) hypoxemia and adverse clinical outcomes. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize evidence on racial and ethnic disparities in occult hypoxemia prevalence and clinical impacts of undetected hypoxemia.

Methods

Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant articles published through January 2024. Eligible studies must have been conducted among adults in inpatient or outpatient settings and report occult hypoxemia prevalence stratified by patient race or ethnicity, or clinical outcomes stratified by patient race or ethnicity and occult hypoxemia status. Screening for inclusion was conducted independently by two investigators. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were conducted by one investigator then checked by a second. Outcome data were synthesized using random-effects meta-analyses.

Results

Fifteen primary studies met eligibility criteria and reported occult hypoxemia prevalence in 732,505 paired oximetry measurements from 207,464 hospitalized patients. Compared with White patients, occult hypoxemia is likely more common among Black patients (pooled prevalence ratio = 1.67, 95% CI 1.47 to 1.90) and among patients identifying as Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, multiracial, or other race or ethnicity (pooled prevalence ratio = 1.39, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.64). Findings from studies reporting clinical outcomes suggest that Black patients with undetected hypoxemia may experience poorer treatment delivery outcomes than White patients with undetected hypoxemia. No evidence was found from outpatient settings.

Discussion

This review and included primary studies rely on self-identified race or ethnicity, which may obscure variability in occult hypoxemia risk. Findings underscore that clinicians should be aware of the risk of occult hypoxemia in hospitalized patients with darker skin pigmentation. Moreover, oximetry data from included studies suggests that the accuracy of pulse oximeters could vary substantially from patient to patient and even within individual patients.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO (CRD42023402152).
AdSegNet: a deep network to localize billboard in outdoor scenes
Authors: Dhang Sukriti , Zhang Mimi , Dev Soumyabrata
Published: July 2024

Over the past decade, there has been a remarkable expansion in the popularity of online videos, due to the variety of content that has become accessible on the internet. This expansion presents an opportunity for advertising and marketing agencies to take advantage of targeted advertisements. Targeted advertisements can be accomplished by replacing an existing advertisement within an image frame with a new one. There is a limited amount of research on the general task of localizing billboard or advertisement board in outdoor scenes. Therefore, in this study, we proposed a deep neural network that uses a fusion of VGG16 and SegNet architecture to accurately identify the location of an advertisement in an image frame. To evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method, we compare our proposed method to other semantic segmentation algorithms using a publicly available dataset of outdoor scenes annotated with binary maps of billboards. Our experimental results show that the proposed method achieves 98.58% training accuracy for billboard localization, while testing results gave 96.43% testing accuracy. Additionally, the low RMSE score of our AdSegNet model suggests that it can accurately determine the four corners of the billboard. Therefore, our approach could be beneficial to advertising and marketing agencies that seek to utilize targeted advertisements
Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentrations of Selenium Species Induced by Tofersen Administration in Subjects with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Carrying SOD1 Gene Mutations
Authors: Vinceti Marco , Urbano Teresa , Filippini Tommaso , Bedin Roberta , Simonini Cecilia , Sorarù Gianni , Trojsi Francesca , Michalke Bernhard , Mandrioli Jessica
Published: July 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain and spinal cord motor neurons. On 25 April 2023, the drug tofersen, an antisense oligonucleotide, received the US Food and Drug Administration approval for treating ALS in adults carrying mutations of the SOD1 gene. We aimed at assessing whether cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of selenium, an element of both toxicological and nutritional interest possibly involved in disease etiology and progression, are modified by tofersen administration. We determined concentrations of selenium species by anion exchange chromatography hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma-dynamic reaction cell-mass spectrometry and overall selenium by using inductively coupled plasma sector-field mass spectrometry, at baseline and 6 months after active tofersen treatment in ten Italian ALS patients carrying the SOD1 gene mutation. Concentrations of total selenium and many selenium species substantially increased after the intervention, particularly of inorganic (tetravalent and hexavalent) selenium and of the organic species selenomethionine and a compound co-eluting with the selenocystine standard. Overall, these findings suggest that tofersen treatment markedly alters selenium status and probably the redox status within the central nervous system, possibly due to a direct effect on neurons and/or the blood–brain barrier. Further studies are required to investigate the biological and clinical relevance of these findings and how they might relate to the pharmacological effects of the drug and to disease progression.