bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cooperative learning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: the predictive power of teacher expertise
Authors: Ries Nora , Wolf Kristin , Baier-Mosch Franziska , Roth Annika , Kunter Mareike
Published: June 2024

The present study aimed to investigate the relative predictive power of teachers’ beliefs about cooperative learning, their participation in professional development courses on cooperative learning, emotional exhaustion, and the frequency of cooperative learning implementation before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic for the frequency of cooperative learning implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two hundred and sixty-eight German teachers participated in an online survey in the spring of 2021 (retrospective self-reports, cross-sectional). The study revealed three key findings: first, teachers used cooperative learning significantly less often in face-to-face teaching during the pandemic than before the pandemic. Second, teachers’ positive beliefs about cooperative learning and their participation in professional development courses predicted the frequency of cooperative learning implementation before the pandemic. But, third, neither of these aspects of teachers’ expertise predicted the implementation of cooperative learning in face-to-face teaching during the pandemic. Only the frequency of implementation before the pandemic predicted implementation during the pandemic which may point to the value of routine in times of crisis. Our findings suggest that the predictive power of aspects of teacher expertise (such as their beliefs) varies with contextual conditions.
Same and different are additive presupposition triggers
Authors: Mikkelsen Line , Hardt Daniel
Published: June 2024

We propose an account of interpretive effects involving same and different, relying on two claims: the first is that same and different are able to take scope, and the second is that they are presuppositional. On this account, same and different are decomposed into two parts: an additive operator TOO and a (non-)identity predicate. We argue that this account provides a more parsimonious account of well-known properties of same and different, such as the distinction between internal and external readings, as well as the parallelism effects discovered by Hardt and Mikkelsen (Linguist Philos 38:289–314, 2015). We also present a solution to a previously unexplained puzzle involving comparatives.
Growing on patch boundaries of heterogeneous soils promotes root growth but not the total biomass of naturalized alien and native plants
Authors: Wei Guan-Wen , van Kleunen Mark
Published: June 2024

Background and aims

Soil heterogeneity has been found to promote plant invasion, as many naturalized alien species benefit more from nutrient-rich patches than native species do. However, it remains unclear whether naturalized alien species also benefit more from growing on patch boundaries than from growing in the patch centres of heterogeneous soils.

Methods

We experimentally tested whether the planting position changes the effect of soil heterogeneity on the growth of native and naturalized alien plants. We created pots with heterogeneous soils consisting of patches of sand, peat-based potting substrate (peat) and a 1:1 sand-peat mixture, and homogenous soils consisting of the mixture only. In each pot, we planted three plants of one of five native or five naturalized alien species, either on the boundaries between or in the centres of the soil patches.

Results

Individual plant growth increased when the plant had direct access to the peat patches. This positive effect of peat on plant growth tended to be more pronounced for the naturalized alien species than for the natives. The populations of naturalized alien species also tended to benefit more, in terms of total biomass, from soil heterogeneity than the natives did. Belowground biomass of the plant populations, was not significantly affected by soil heterogeneity, but was larger when plants grew on the patch boundaries instead of in the centres.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that soil heterogeneity promotes the growth of naturalized alien plants over native plants. Moreover, being positioned on the boundary of strongly contrasting patches might provide benefits to plant growth.
Evaluating Effects of Multilevel Interventions on Disparity in Health and Healthcare Decisions
Authors: Jackson John W. , Hsu Yea-Jen , Zalla Lauren C. , Carson Kathryn A. , Marsteller Jill A. , Cooper Lisa A. , Investigators the RICH LIFE Project
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we introduce an analytic approach for assessing effects of multilevel interventions on disparity in health outcomes and health-related decision outcomes (i.e., a treatment decision made by a healthcare provider). We outline common challenges that are encountered in interventional health disparity research, including issues of effect scale and interpretation, choice of covariates for adjustment and its impact on effect magnitude, and the methodological challenges involved with studying decision-based outcomes. To address these challenges, we introduce total effects of interventions on disparity for the entire sample and the treated sample, and corresponding direct effects that are relevant for decision-based outcomes. We provide weighting and g-computation estimators in the presence of study attrition and sketch a simulation-based procedure for sample size determinations based on precision (e.g., confidence interval width). We validate our proposed methods through a brief simulation study and apply our approach to evaluate the RICH LIFE intervention, a multilevel healthcare intervention designed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in hypertension control.
Dual-Earner Couples’ Gender Role Attitudes and Their Parental Leave Decisions: A Longitudinal Study of Partner Influences
Authors: Stertz Anna M. , Wiese Bettina S.
Published: June 2024

This study examines how men and women in heterosexual partnerships influence each other’s parental leave decisions through their gender role attitudes. We differentiate between attitudes toward women’s parental role, women’s worker role, men’s parental role, and men’s worker role, and consider the role of traditional gender ideology denoting an attitude of negatively evaluating mothers’ employment when children are young. We investigated communal traits as a potential moderator to better understand partner effects, i.e., one partner’s role attitudes affecting the other partner’s leave decision. We analyzed longitudinal data from N = 365 heterosexual, mainly German dual-earner couples, collected between pregnancy and about 18 months after the birth of their first child, using the actor-partner interdependence model. We examined mothers’ and fathers’ attitudes toward all five types of gender roles and found that both mothers and fathers were influenced in their leave decisions by their partners’ attitudes toward early maternal employment. Mothers whose partners were more traditional in this regard took longer leaves; fathers whose partners were more traditional took shorter leaves. Fathers’ leave length was also influenced by their partners’ attitudes toward men’s worker role, with more traditional attitudes resulting in shorter leaves. The latter relationship was moderated by fathers’ communal traits, such that more communal fathers were more strongly influenced by their female partners’ attitudes. Overall, this research extends the understanding of mutual influences and decision-making dynamics in dual-earner couples in the early family phase.
Egalitarian gender role attitudes give girls the edge: Exploring the role of students’ gender role attitudes in reading and math
Authors: Taraszow Tatjana , Gentrup Sarah , Heppt Birgit
Published: June 2024

Gender differences in reading and math have been reported for many years. Girls outperform boys in reading (representing a school domain stereotyped as female); boys often perform slightly better in math (a stereotypical male domain). Research has so far investigated the contribution of domain-specific academic self-concepts and interests as well as gender stereotypes to these gender differences. Students’ gender role attitudes (GRAs) and their relation with gender disparities in school performance, however, have been studied little. This study examines if students’ GRAs contribute to explaining boys’ higher math achievement and girls’ higher reading achievement. Using PISA-2009 data from Germany, the sample included 9,460 grade nine students (49.70% girls; Mage = 15.61 years). Regression analyses revealed that egalitarian GRAs are beneficial for all students. Still more so for girls, egalitarian GRAs help girls perform particularly well in reading and compensate for possible disadvantages in math. In reading, girls with egalitarian GRAs reached higher performance scores than boys with egalitarian GRAs. In math, girls with egalitarian GRAs scored nearly as high as boys with egalitarian GRAs. Boys also benefited from egalitarian GRAs, although not as much as girls. Although gender disparities in reading and math achievement were explained only partly by students’ GRAs, supporting boys and girls in endorsing egalitarian GRAs is worthwhile as they may help to increase societal gender equality more broadly.
Linguistics-based dialogue simulations to evaluate argumentative conversational recommender systems
Authors: Di Bratto Martina , Origlia Antonio , Di Maro Maria , Mennella Sabrina
Published: June 2024

Conversational recommender systems aim at recommending the most relevant information for users based on textual or spoken dialogues, through which users can communicate their preferences to the system more efficiently. Argumentative conversational recommender systems represent a kind of deliberation dialogue in which participants share their specific beliefs in the respective representations of the common ground, to act towards a common goal. The goal of such systems is to present appropriate supporting arguments to their recommendations to show the interlocutor that a specific item corresponds to their manifested interests. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary argumentation-based conversational recommender model based on cognitive pragmatics. We also present a dialogue simulator to investigate the quality of the theoretical background. We produced a set of synthetic dialogues based on a computational model implementing the linguistic theory and we collected human evaluations about the plausibility and efficiency of these dialogues. Our results show that the synthetic dialogues obtain high scores concerning their naturalness and the selection of the supporting arguments.
Domain Generalization via Ensemble Stacking for Face Presentation Attack Detection
Authors: Muhammad Usman , Laaksonen Jorma , Romaissa Beddiar Djamila , Oussalah Mourad
Published: June 2024

Face presentation attack detection (PAD) plays a pivotal role in securing face recognition systems against spoofing attacks. Although great progress has been made in designing face PAD methods, developing a model that can generalize well to unseen test domains remains a significant challenge. Moreover, due to the different types of spoofing attacks, creating a dataset with a sufficient number of samples for training deep neural networks is a laborious task. This work proposes a comprehensive solution that combines synthetic data generation and deep ensemble learning to enhance the generalization capabilities of face PAD. Specifically, synthetic data is generated by blending a static image with spatiotemporal-encoded images using alpha composition and video distillation. In this way, we simulate motion blur with varying alpha values, thereby generating diverse subsets of synthetic data that contribute to a more enriched training set. Furthermore, multiple base models are trained on each subset of synthetic data using stacked ensemble learning. This allows the models to learn complementary features and representations from different synthetic subsets. The meta-features generated by the base models are used as input for a new model called the meta-model. The latter combines the predictions from the base models, leveraging their complementary information to better handle unseen target domains and enhance overall performance. Experimental results from seven datasets—WMCA, CASIA-SURF, OULU-NPU, CASIA-MFSD, Replay-Attack, MSU-MFSD, and SiW-Mv2—highlight the potential to enhance presentation attack detection by using large-scale synthetic data and a stacking-based ensemble approach.
Temporally Dynamic, Cohort-Varying Value-Added Models
Authors: Page Garritt L. , San Martín Ernesto , Irribarra David Torres , Van Bellegem Sébastien
Published: June 2024

We aim to estimate school value-added dynamically in time. Our principal motivation for doing so is to establish school effectiveness persistence while taking into account the temporal dependence that typically exists in school performance from one year to the next. We propose two methods of incorporating temporal dependence in value-added models. In the first we model the random school effects that are commonly present in value-added models with an auto-regressive process. In the second approach, we incorporate dependence in value-added estimators by modeling the performance of one cohort based on the previous cohort’s performance. An identification analysis allows us to make explicit the meaning of the corresponding value-added indicators: based on these meanings, we show that each model is useful for monitoring specific aspects of school persistence. Furthermore, we carefully detail how value-added can be estimated over time. We show through simulations that ignoring temporal dependence when it exists results in diminished efficiency in value-added estimation while incorporating it results in improved estimation (even when temporal dependence is weak). Finally, we illustrate the methodology by considering two cohorts from Chile’s national standardized test in mathematics.
In their Ideal Future, Are Preservice Teachers Willing to Integrate Technology in Their Teaching and why?
Authors: Duan Suzhen , Exter Marisa , Li Qing
Published: June 2024

Preservice teachers’ beliefs regarding technology integration significantly influence their future teaching practices. This qualitative study examines the beliefs and intentions of 51 preservice teachers within the context of technology integration in their envisioned teaching scenarios. Thematic analysis identified three primary themes. Firstly, participants expressed their intentions to integrate technology into teaching, with 74% exhibiting a high intention, 22% moderate, and 4% low. Secondly, value beliefs encompassed positive perceptions supported by interest and usefulness, including eight roles of technology (e.g., facilitators, quality enhancers) and four concerns (e.g., equity, safety). Negative beliefs such as distraction were also identified. Thirdly, pedagogical beliefs varied, with 49% holding student-centered views, 37% being teacher-centered, and 14% balanced perspectives. Crosstab analysis explored relationships between technology integration intention levels, value beliefs, and pedagogical beliefs. These findings offer insights into preservice teachers’ beliefs on technology integration, informing teacher education programs and strategies to enhance technology integration in classrooms.
A Systematic Review of Vegetation Indices for Potato Growth Monitoring and Tuber Yield Prediction from Remote Sensing
Authors: Mukiibi A. , Machakaire A. T. B. , Franke A. C. , Steyn J. M.
Published: June 2024

Crop intelligence and yield prediction of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) are important to farmers and the processing industry. Remote sensing can provide timely information on growth status and accurate yield predictions during the growing season. However, there is limited documentation on the most suitable vegetation indices (VIs) and optimal growth stages for acquiring remote sensing imagery of potato. To address this knowledge gap, a systematic review was conducted. Original scientific manuscripts published between 2000 and 2022 were identified using various databases. The findings indicate that satellite imagery is the most widely used source of remote sensing data for tuber yield prediction, whereas unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVs) and handheld sensors are more frequently applied for growth monitoring. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), red-edge chlorophyll index (CIred-edge), green chlorophyll index (CIgreen), and optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI) are the most frequently used VIs for the growth and yield estimation of potato. The tuber initiation stage was found to be the most appropriate stage for remote sensing data acquisition. This review will assist potato farmers, agronomists and researchers in selecting the most suitable VIs for monitoring specific growth variables and selecting the optimal timing during the growing season to obtain remote sensing images.
Interactive analysis of the results of NET-VISA, a Bayesian inference system, in CTBTO’s International Data Centre bulletin production
Authors: Ali Sherif Mohamed , Qorbani Ehsan , Le Bras Ronan , Rambolamanana Gérard
Published: June 2024

The Global Association model is a crucial tool in seismic data analysis at the International Data Centre (IDC) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. However, it faces challenges due to its limitations in accurately associating seismic events on a global scale. Over the past years, attempts have been undertaken to tackle these issues by introducing the Network Processing Vertically Integrated Seismic Analysis (NET-VISA) algorithm, specifically designed to enhance seismic event association across the globe. NET-VISA uses a machine learning Bayesian approach to solve the automatic association problem. NET-VISA has been implemented in operation as an additional automatic event scanner tool since January 2018. In this study, we assess the effect of the NET-VISA automatic scanner on the IDC output REB and LEB bulletins. We used three distinct time periods to evaluate the NET-VISA performance. The results show a 4.6% increase in the number of LEB events after including the NET-VISA scanner in operation, with an average of 7 additional events per day, and an increase of 17.90% in the number of scanned events. A comparison between the different bulletins in distinct periods shows NET-VISA is beneficial to build more valid events, providing opportunities to improve nuclear-test-ban monitoring. However, NET-VISA exhibits slightly reduced performance for events occurring at depths exceeding 300 km.
Was ist der Gegenstand der Fiskalsoziologie? Ein Plädoyer für die Kategorie des Steuerstaats
Authors: Döpking Lars
Published: June 2024

Die makroskopische Fiskalsoziologie plagt ein Kategorienproblem: Sie lässt offen, ob es sich bei der Einheit ihres Vergleichs um Welten, Familien, Systeme, Regime oder Strukturen von Besteuerung handelt. Diese kategoriale Unbestimmtheit verweist auf theoretische Probleme. Denn indem die Literatur ihr Erkenntnisobjekt – Steuern – primär als Ausdruck von Ideen, Mentalitäten, innenpolitischen Konflikten oder ökonomischen Faktoren begreift, übergeht sie ihre soziologische Qualität als fiskalische Beziehung. Fasst man diese dagegen ins Auge, lassen sich steuerliche Gebilde nicht nur adäquater beschreiben. Vielmehr sorgt dies auch dafür, dass Steuern selbst eine erklärende Rolle zukommt: Welche fiskalischen Beziehungen wie gestiftet werden, zeitigt in dieser Perspektive je unterschiedliche politische und soziale Effekte. Um dies einzuholen schlägt der Beitrag vor, die Kategorie des Steuerstaats zu revitalisieren. In Abgrenzung zu überlieferten Ansätzen wird darunter das Zentrum eines Netzes fiskalischer Beziehungen verstanden, in denen die Geltung und der Inhalt von Steuerordnungen verhandelt werden und deren Wandel sich in vier Prozessbegriffen – Professionalisierung, Durchstaatlichung, Politisierung, Geofiskalisierung – abbilden lässt. Die Vorteile des Begriffs werden anhand eines kurzen Vergleichs des italienischen und deutschen Steuerstaats demonstriert, bevor abschließend für eine komparative Steuerstaatsforschung plädiert wird.
Honey bee protein and lipid nutrition in avocado and blueberry agroecosystems with conventional and organic management
Authors: Diaz Tsiri , del-Val Ek , Vega Ernesto , Contreras-Garduño Jorge , Larsen John
Published: June 2024

Honey bees play a crucial role in agricultural production. Farmers rely on commercial bee pollination to obtain optimal yields, and beekeepers on the income from pollination fees. However, commercial pollination confronts honey bees with pests and pathogens, pesticides, and low-quality food, which in many cases do not fulfill the minimal nutritional requirements of honey bees. In this work, we evaluated honey bee nutrition in avocado and blueberry plantations under organic and conventional management, by assessing the nutritional quality of pollen and bee bread based on their protein, fatty acid, and microbial content, and by analyzing honey bee health through the examination of abdominal fatty acid profiles and head protein content. Low protein content in honey bee hemolymph was evident under conventional management. Regardless of management, avocado pollen showed higher protein levels, which were translated into higher honey bee head protein levels being 60% higher in avocado under conventional management when compared to blueberry under the same management. However, higher protein levels in avocado pollen were also translated into lower amounts of fatty acids in bee bread and in honey bee fat. In particular, the total amount of fatty acids in bee bread from conventional management was 50% lower than that from organic management. Additionally, the saturated fatty acids in conventional blueberries were lower compared to that of organic blueberries. Crop system and bee bread microbial composition altered the plant-honey bee nutrition cascades transforming pollen to bee bread with increased amount of saturated, unsaturated, and total fatty acids. In conclusion, both crop species and crop systems determine honey bee nutrition through alterations in the pollen transformation, affecting protein and fatty acid assimilation.
Characterization of the Expressions and m6A Methylation Modification Patterns of mRNAs and lncRNAs in a Spinal Cord Injury Rat Model
Authors: Liu Xin , Li Zhiling , Tong Juncheng , Wu Fan , Jin Hui , Liu Kaiqing
Published: June 2024

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious central nervous system disease with no effective treatment strategy presently due to its complex pathogenic mechanism. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification plays an important role in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, our understanding of the potential mechanisms of messenger RNA (mRNA) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) m6A methylation in SCI is currently limited. Here, comprehensive m6A profiles and gene expression patterns of mRNAs and lncRNAs in spinal cord tissues after SCI were identified using microarray analysis of immunoprecipitated methylated RNAs. A total of 3745 mRNAs (2343 hypermethylated and 1402 hypomethylated) and 738 lncRNAs (488 hypermethylated and 250 hypomethylated) were differentially methylated with m6A modifications in the SCI and sham rats. Functional analysis revealed that differentially m6A-modified mRNAs were mainly involved in immune inflammatory response, nervous system development, and focal adhesion pathway. In contrast, differentially m6A-modified lncRNAs were mainly related to antigen processing and presentation, the apoptotic process, and the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway. In addition, combined analysis of m6A methylation and RNA expression results revealed that 1636 hypermethylated mRNAs and 262 hypermethylated lncRNAs were up-regulated, and 1571 hypomethylated mRNAs and 204 lncRNAs were down-regulated. Furthermore, we validated the altered levels of m6A methylation and RNA expression of five mRNAs (CD68, Gpnmb, Lilrb4, Lamp5, and Snap25) and five lncRNAs (XR_360518, uc.393 + , NR_131064, uc.280 − , and XR_597251) using MeRIP-qPCR and qRT-PCR. This study expands our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying m6A modification in SCI and provides novel insights to promote functional recovery after SCI.
A prognostic nomogram to predict the cancer-specific survival of patients with initially diagnosed metastatic gastric cancer: a validation study in a Chinese cohort
Authors: Zhao Ziming , Dai Erxun , Jin Bao , Deng Ping , Salehebieke Zulihaer , Han Bin , Wu Rongfan , Yu Zhaowu , Ren Jun
Published: June 2024

Background

Few studies have been designed to predict the survival of Chinese patients initially diagnosed with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). Therefore, the objective of this study was to construct and validate a new nomogram model to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in Chinese patients.

Methods

We collected 328 patients with mGC from Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital as the training cohort and 60 patients from Xinyuan County People’s Hospital as the external validation cohort. Multivariate Cox regression was used to identify risk factors, and a nomogram was created to predict CSS. The predictive performance of the nomogram was evaluated using the consistency index (C-index), the calibration curve, and the decision curve analysis (DCA) in the training cohort and the validation cohort.

Results

Multivariate Cox regression identified differentiation grade (P < 0.001), T-stage (P < 0.05), N-stage (P < 0.001), surgery (P < 0.05), and chemotherapy (P < 0.001) as independent predictors of CSS. Nomogram of chemotherapy regimens and cycles was also designed by us for the prediction of mGC. Thus, these factors are integrated into the nomogram model: the C-index value was 0.72 (95% CI 0.70–0.85) for the nomogram model and 0.82 (95% CI 0.79–0.89) and 0.73 (95% CI 0.70–0.86) for the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. Calibration curves and DCA also demonstrated adequate fit and ideal net benefit in prediction and clinical applications.

Conclusions

We established a practical nomogram to predict CSS in Chinese patients initially diagnosed with mGC. Nomograms can be used to individualize survival predictions and guide clinicians in making therapeutic decisions.
New objective simple evaluation methods of amyloid PET/CT using whole-brain histogram and Top20%-Map
Authors: Okuyama Chio , Higashi Tatsuya , Ishizu Koichi , Oishi Naoya , Kusano Kuninori , Ito Miki , Kagawa Shinya , Okina Tomoko , Suzuki Norio , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Nagahama Yasuhiro , Watanabe Hiroyuki , Ono Masahiro , Yamauchi Hiroshi
Published: June 2024

Objective

This study aims to assess the utility of newly developed objective methods for the evaluation of intracranial abnormal amyloid deposition using PET/CT histogram without use of cortical ROI analyses.

Methods

Twenty-five healthy volunteers (HV) and 38 patients with diagnosed or suspected dementia who had undergone 18F-FPYBF-2 PET/CT were retrospectively included in this study. Out of them, 11C-PiB PET/CT had been also performed in 13 subjects. In addition to the conventional methods, namely visual judgment and quantitative analyses using composed standardized uptake value ratio (comSUVR), the PET images were also evaluated by the following new parameters: the skewness and the mode-to-mean ratio (MMR) obtained from the histogram of the brain parenchyma; Top20%-map highlights the areas with high tracer accumulation occupying 20% volume of the total brain parenchymal on the individual’s CT images. We evaluated the utility of the new methods using histogram compared with the visual assessment and comSUVR. The results of these new methods between 18F-FPYBF-2 and 11C-PiB were also compared in 13 subjects.

Results

In visual analysis, 32, 9, and 22 subjects showed negative, border, and positive results, and composed SUVR in each group were 1.11 ± 0.06, 1.20 ± 0.13, and 1.48 ± 0.18 (p < 0.0001), respectively. Visually positive subjects showed significantly low skewness and high MMR (p < 0.0001), and the Top20%-Map showed the presence or absence of abnormal deposits clearly. In comparison between the two tracers, visual evaluation was all consistent, and the ComSUVR, the skewness, the MMR showed significant good correlation. The Top20%-Maps showed similar pattern.

Conclusions

Our new methods using the histogram of the brain parenchymal accumulation are simple and suitable for clinical practice of amyloid PET, and Top20%-Map on the individual’s brain CT can be of great help for the visual assessment.
Dentate Gyrus Morphogenesis is Regulated by an Autism Risk Gene Trio Function in Granule Cells
Authors: Sun Mengwen , Xue Weizhen , Meng Hu , Sun Xiaoxuan , Lu Tianlan , Yue Weihua , Wang Lifang , Zhang Dai , Li Jun
Published: June 2024

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are reported as a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. The structural changes of brain regions including the hippocampus were widely reported in autistic patients and mouse models with dysfunction of ASD risk genes, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we report that deletion of Trio, a high-susceptibility gene of ASDs, causes a postnatal dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia with a zigzagged suprapyramidal blade, and the Trio-deficient mice display autism-like behaviors. The impaired morphogenesis of DG is mainly caused by disturbing the postnatal distribution of postmitotic granule cells (GCs), which further results in a migration deficit of neural progenitors. Furthermore, we reveal that Trio plays different roles in various excitatory neural cells by spatial transcriptomic sequencing, especially the role of regulating the migration of postmitotic GCs. In summary, our findings provide evidence of cellular mechanisms that Trio is involved in postnatal DG morphogenesis.
High Added Value Products from Agroindustrial Residues: Study on Microfibrillated Cellulose for Food Applications
Authors: Aguiló-Aguayo I. , Albaladejo P. , Gallur M. , Abadias M. , Ortiz J. , Viñas I. , Lafarga T.
Published: June 2024

Waste composition range from simple sugars to complex polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose, and hemicellulose, including more complex sources such as lignin, lipids, and proteins. This composition suggests its use as raw materials that can potentially be valued by different techniques and used as resources for new food additives, leading to economic and environmental benefits. In this work, the extraction and production of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) as the way forward to valorise agroindustrial residues. The high surface area and aspect ratio, rheological behaviour, water absorption and absence of cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of MFC studied in the present study facilitate its use in food applications as stabilizing and texturizer agent. This work has two main goals: The first goal is the production of MFC using a method based on the combination of green chemical and mechanical pre-treatment of the feedstock followed by a disintegration process of the cellulose obtained from agroindustrial residues. The results revealed that the different MFC obtained have a quality comparable with commercial MFC, which is reported by the determination of the Quality Index (QI). QI values between 50 and 63 are obtained with the agroindustrial subproducts tested. The MFC was also characterized using several techniques such as FTIR, SEM and TGA. The second goal is the MFC validation as thickener agent in food (mayonnaise, peach nectar, strawberry syrup and puree apple). First, a rheological study was carried out to observe the MFC thixotropic behaviour. Second, to evaluate techno-functional properties in-vivo, MFC was compared in terms of functionality with the seven additives commonly used in the industry: tare gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan, pectin, agar and gelatine. The results revealed that the sample with 0.1% MFC exhibited a reduced thixotropic behavior compared to the other samples (1, 1.5 and 2%). Compared with commercial gums, MFC exhibits the highest water activity (0.87 ± 0.00) and the most alkaline pH value (10.10 ± 0.01). In the in vivo dietary models, thermal stabilization values after 15 min at 85 °C indicate that gums perform better than MFC and carrageenan in mayonnaise stabilization. This study also reveals that gums are more effective in stabilizing the cloud, while gelatine or MFC-containing samples exhibit a higher cloud volume after 30 min of stabilization. Notably, the cloud suspension of peach nectar with MFC-containing samples compares favorably to the control without gums (20 to 40%). This comprehensive study underscores the potential of MFC as a versatile and eco-friendly alternative in food applications, aligning with the broader goals of sustainable waste management and environmentally conscious practices in the agroindustrial sector.

Graphical Abstract
Numerical Modelling of Debris Flows for Simulation-Based Decision Support: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Abraham Minu Treesa , Satyam Neelima , Kowalski Julia
Published: June 2024

Debris flows are catastrophic landslides owing to their very high velocities and impact. The number of such flows is likely to increase due to an increase of extreme weather events in a changing climate. At the same time, risk reduction and mitigation plans call for a quantitative assessment of the hazard. Numerical models are powerful tools in quantifying debris flows in terms of flow height and velocity with respect to both space and time, and to derive mitigation-relevant diagnostics such as impacted area. However, the current modelling practices possess critical challenges that limit their application in a forward-directed analysis to predict the debris flow’s impact. This work provides an overview of the past and current practices in debris flow modelling, their potential use in simulation-based decision support and the challenges and future research scope in computational debris flow modelling, based on the recent literature.
Neonatal cerebral ultrasound: anatomical variants and age-related diseases
Authors: Fichera Giulia , Stramare Roberto , Bisogno Gianni , Wyttenbach Rolf , Goeggel Barbara Simonetti , Del Grande Filippo , Giraudo Chiara , Lacalamita Marirosa Cristallo
Published: June 2024

Cerebral ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging technique widely used for the assessment of brain anatomy and diseases in neonates and infants. Indeed, it allows a precise characterization of common variants such as cavum septum pellucidum or diseases like intraventricular hemorrhage. The aim of this pictorial review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the main ultrasound features of the most common cerebral anatomical variants and disorders detectable by cerebral ultrasound using an age-related approach which could support non-subspecialized radiologists.
Theoretical and experimental research on static stiffness, performance, and lift-off characteristics of multi-layer gas foil thrust bearings
Authors: Hu Yang , Ding Pengjing , Wu Fangling , Wang Xiaojing , Liang Bo , Meng Yonggang
Published: June 2024

In this study, a new comprehensive fully coupled elastic-hydrodynamic model is developed for a multi-layer gas foil thrust bearing (GFTB). The interaction effects among the top foil, back board, middle foil, and bottom foil, as well as the Coulomb friction effect, are considered. The stiffness and static characteristics obtained by the experimental and theoretical approaches are in good agreement, which verifies the accuracy of the model. The contribution of each foil layer to the overall stiffness and the load-carrying mechanism are analyzed. Interaction effects of the load, preload, and rotational speed on the static performance are investigated comprehensively. Furthermore, start-stop tests are performed to achieve the lift-off speed, start-up torque, and shut-down torque under various operating conditions.
Visual-based vehicle detection with adaptive oversampling
Authors: Lim Chin Hong , Connie Tee , Ong Thian Song , Goh Michael Kah Ong
Published: June 2024

In this study, the class imbalance issue in vehicle detection was addressed. Specifically, certain classes such as Tow Truck were found to have significantly fewer samples compared to others such as normal trucks. This imbalance could be adversely impacted algorithm performance, favouring abundant classes over underrepresented ones. After thorough analysis, an adaptive dataset augmentation approach was proposed for the underrepresented classes. Evaluation was first performed on classic and state-of-the-art object detection methods. All experiments were undertaken on a tiny dataset called Multimedia University Diversity Dataset (MMUVD). The fastest training process and the highest mean average precision (mAP), which stood at 0.686 for mAP50 and 0.439 for mAP50-95, were demonstrated by You Only Look Once version 8 nano (YOLOv8n). By applying adaptive oversampling to the dataset and retesting it again on YOLOv8n, mAP50 was improved to 0.950 and mAP50-95 to 0.717, respectively. Notably, the contribution lay in identifying the optimal detection algorithm for vehicle detection, and the proposed adaptive oversampling method ensured consistent performance across all classes, enhancing the overall accuracy and reliability of the system.
A Lipschitz metric for $$\alpha $$-dissipative solutions to the Hunter–Saxton equation
Authors: Grunert Katrin , Tandy Matthew
Published: June 2024

We explore the Lipschitz stability of solutions to the Hunter–Saxton equation with respect to the initial data. In particular, we study the stability of $$ \alpha $$
α
-dissipative solutions constructed using a generalised method of characteristics approach, where $$\alpha $$
α
is a function determining the energy loss at each position in space.
Circularity Reinforcement of Critical Raw Materials in Europe: A Case of Niobium
Authors: von Rennenberg Theresa , Yu Yifei , Fraccascia Luca , Yazan Devrim Murat
Published: June 2024

Critical Raw Materials attract increasing attention due to their depleting reserves and low recyclability. Niobium, one of the most rare and vital elements, is primarily found in Brazil. This research explores the potential impact of Circular Economy (CE) strategies on mitigating niobium's criticality within Europe. First, a niobium supply chain is designed and analysed by Enterprise Input–Output modelling. Second, the supply risk is calculated based on the criticality matrix proposed by the European Commission under three scenarios associated with resources, technologies, and policies. The results show that urban mining is a potential solution to reduce niobium’s criticality and mitigate its environmental impacts. A higher recycling input rate and/or a mix of recycling and substitution strategies is necessary to offset niobium’s criticality. Aligned with the CE action plan, the research offers a scientific foundation to strategically prevent the risk of niobium supply shortages.
Synergistically Augmenting Cancer Immunotherapy by Physical Manipulation of Pyroptosis Induction
Authors: Zhao Chenyang , Zheng Tingting , Wang Run , Lin Xiaona , Hu Zhengming , Zhao Zhuofei , Dai Zhifei , Sun Desheng
Published: June 2024

Pyroptosis is a newly recognized type of programmed cell death mediated by the gasdermin family and caspase. It is characterized by the formation of inflammasomes and the following inflammatory responses. Recent studies have elucidated the value of pyroptosis induction in cancer treatment. The inflammatory cytokines produced during pyroptosis can trigger immune responses to suppress malignancy. Physical approaches for cancer treatment, including radiotherapy, light-based techniques (photodynamic and photothermal therapy), ultrasound-based techniques (sonodynamic therapy and focused ultrasound), and electricity-based techniques (irreversible electroporation and radiofrequency ablation), are effective in clinical application. Recent studies have reported that pyroptosis is involved in the treatment process of physical approaches. Manipulating pyroptosis using physical approaches can be utilized in combating cancer, according to recent studies. Pyroptosis-triggered immunotherapy can be combined with the original anti-tumor methods to achieve a synergistic therapy and improve the therapeutic effect. Studies have also revealed that enhancing pyroptosis may increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to some physical approaches. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of the literature focusing on the associations between pyroptosis and various physical approaches for cancer and its underlying mechanisms. We also discussed the role of pyroptosis-triggered immunotherapy in the treatment process of physical manipulation.
Design principles for e-learning platforms featuring higher-education students’ enterprise systems end-user training
Authors: Wienand Mareen , Wulfert Tobias , Hoang Hiep
Published: June 2024

Enterprise systems are complex information systems that are inevitable for companies’ success. As enterprise systems are only successful when used continuously and efficiently by end-users, knowledge on how to use them has become an important skill for employees. Research and practice favor an early obtainment of these skills for employees. Thus, it is usual to train students in enterprise systems usage before they start their professional career. Even though in organizational settings e-learning based approaches gain momentum, adapting design instances of multi-purpose platforms like Udacity, Udemy or Coursera existing approaches directed at students are scarce. Nevertheless, a well-informed e-learning platform design can support the learning process. Therefore, we investigate the design of e-learning platforms featuring students’ enterprise system end-user training. To address the lack of guidance on designing such e-learning platforms, we proposed four meta-requirements and ten design principles to increase students’ learning success on e-learning platforms focusing on students’ end-user training. To achieve this goal and to ground our results on empiricism, we collected data about e-learning-platform design from three data sources: (1) We reviewed the existing literature, (2) carried out a multi-case analysis, and (3) derived insights from implementing an e-learning platform for students’ end-user training and thereby demonstrating the applicability of the design principles. Finally, we evaluated the implementation. Following the design principles, learning success should be increased by a flexible learning environment with easy access and use, propelled motivation, and fostered information exchange.
Revisiting the Global Methane Cycle Through Expert Opinion
Authors: Rosentreter Judith A. , Alcott Lewis , Maavara Taylor , Sun Xin , Zhou Yong , Planavsky Noah J. , Raymond Peter A.
Published: June 2024

An accurate quantification of global methane sources and sinks is imperative for assessing realistic pathways to mitigate climate change. A key challenge of quantifying the Global Methane Budget (Saunois et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd‐12‐1561‐2020) is the lack of consistency in uncertainties between sectors. Here we provide a new perspective on bottom‐up (BU) and top‐down (TD) methane uncertainties by using an expert opinion analysis based on a questionnaire conducted in 2021. Expectedly, experts rank highest uncertainty and lowest confidence levels in the Global Methane Budget related to natural sources in BU budgets. Here, we further reveal specific uncertainty types and introduce a ranking system for uncertainties in each sector. We find that natural source uncertainty is related particularly to driver data uncertainty in freshwater, vegetation, and coastal/ocean sources, as well as parameter uncertainty in wetland models. Reducing uncertainties, most notably in aquatic and wetland sources will help balance future BU and TD global methane budgets. We suggest a new methane source partitioning over gradients of human disturbance and demonstrate that 76.3% (75.8%–79.4%) or 561 (443–700) Tg CH4 yr−1 of global emissions can be attributed to moderately impacted, man‐made, artificial, or fully anthropogenic sources and 23.7% (20.6%–24.2%) or 174 (115–223) Tg CH4 yr−1 to natural and low impacted methane sources. Finally, we identify current research gaps and provide a plan of action to reduce current uncertainties in the Global Methane Budget.
Sedimentology of Modern Bahamian Carbonate Slopes: Summary and Update
Authors: Fauquembergue K. , Mulder T. , Reijmer J. , Hanquiez V. , Betzler C. , Ducassou E. , Recouvreur A. , Principaud M. , Borgomano J. , Wilk S. , Poli E.
Published: June 2024

Slopes adjacent to the Bahamian carbonate platform revealed a large variety of depositional processes. In this study, we present a synthesis summarizing 109,000 km2 of bathymetric and reflectivity data with ∼7,900 km of seismic lines and 311 m of sediment cores that were obtained over the last 50 years. These data are used to develop a conceptual model of sedimentation patterns on Quaternary carbonate slope systems and their interaction with the adjacent shallow‐water carbonate platforms. Our data highlight that during the Quaternary, factors controlling large‐scale sedimentation on Bahamian slopes have numerous similarities as they have higher sedimentation rates during interglacials. At a small scale, every slope has its own characteristics that are contemporary controlled by two main characteristics: (a) facies on the adjacent shallow‐water platform, and (b) the impact of shallow‐ and deep‐water currents. Large‐scale tectonics influence sediment deposition as it determines the position of the islands and impacts platform facies distribution.
Dependence of Cloud Macrophysical Properties and Phase Distributions on Environmental Conditions Over the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean: Results From COMBLE and MARCUS
Authors: Xia Zeqian , McFarquhar Greg M.
Published: June 2024

The accurate representation of Cold Air Outbreaks (CAOs) and affiliated mixed‐phase boundary layer (BL) clouds in models is challenging. How BL cloud properties evolve during CAOs and their dependence on meteorological conditions is not well understood but is important for the simulation of Earth's energy budgets. Here the properties of polar BL clouds over the North Atlantic (NA) and Southern Ocean (SO) are compared using observations from the Measurements of Aerosol Radiation and CloUds over the SO (MARCUS) and CAOs in the Marine BL Experiment (COMBLE) conducted over the NA. MARCUS observations show a stronger BL inversion than COMBLE, with a higher mean EIS (estimated inversion strength)/LTS (lower tropospheric stability) of −0.03 K/13 K compared to COMBLE’s −3.2 K/9.3 K. 39% of CAOs observed during COMBLE were intense with M > 5 K, while MARCUS only had 1.3%. 78%/72% of clouds sampled in CAOs during COMBLE/MARCUS had cloud top heights <4 km. The mean BL cloud top height was over 400 m higher, and the BL was over 500 m deeper for M of 10 K compared to 0 K for both regions. MARCUS observed a 27% moister BL structure than COMBLE when M > 5 K due to stronger BL inversion trapping more moisture within the BL. Under the same LTS, EIS, and M conditions, MARCUS observed a 12% drier BL structure, and clouds were 46% more turbulent than COMBLE. During CAOs, 54% of single‐layer BL clouds sampled during MARCUS had liquid‐dominated bases compared to 39% during COMBLE.