bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating false positive rates of standard and hierarchical measures of metacognitive accuracy
Authors: Rausch Manuel , Zehetleitner Michael
Published: September 2023

A key aspect of metacognition is metacognitive accuracy, i.e., the degree to which confidence judgments differentiate between correct and incorrect trials. To quantify metacognitive accuracy, researchers are faced with an increasing number of different methods. The present study investigated false positive rates associated with various measures of metacognitive accuracy by hierarchical resampling from the confidence database to accurately represent the statistical properties of confidence judgements. We found that most measures based on the computation of summary-statistics separately for each participant and subsequent group-level analysis performed adequately in terms of false positive rate, including gamma correlations, meta-d′, and the area under type 2 ROC curves. Meta-d′/d′ is associated with a false positive rate even below 5%, but log-transformed meta-d′/d′ performs adequately. The false positive rate of HMeta-d depends on the study design and on prior specification: For group designs, the false positive rate is above 5% when independent priors are placed on both groups, but the false positive rate is adequate when a prior was placed on the difference between groups. For continuous predictor variables, default priors resulted in a false positive rate below 5%, but the false positive rate was not distinguishable from 5% when close-to-flat priors were used. Logistic mixed model regression analysis is associated with dramatically inflated false positive rates when random slopes are omitted from model specification. In general, we argue that no measure of metacognitive accuracy should be used unless the false positive rate has been demonstrated to be adequate.
Self-supervised anomaly detection based on foreground enhancement and autoencoder reconstruction
Authors: Zhao Lijie , Chai Yuan , Zhang Qichun , Karimi Hamid Reza
Published: September 2023

Anomaly detection algorithms typically utilize generative models to reconstruct anomaly regions. Post-processing is used to pinpoint the anomalies. However, the paucity of real-world anomaly samples and the complex image backgrounds pose significant challenges for anomaly detection. The work innovatively proposed a self-supervised anomaly detection method. An efficient channel attention mechanism in the autoencoder was introduced to improve the reconstruction performance. Besides, a foreground enhancement strategy was designed to distinguish the foreground from the background by maximizing the inter-class variance. The strategy reduced the effect of background noises and simulated various anomalies that were rare in real samples. The MVTecAD and BTAD datasets were used to experiment with anomaly detection and location. Experimental results demonstrated that our method achieved higher AUC and AP scores at both the image level and pixel level compared to other advanced methods. In particular, the average AP score increased by 12.5% at the pixel level.
Indoor air quality for heritage objects and human health: just a different interpretation of the same measurements?
Authors: Carro Gustavo , Schalm Olivier , Storme Patrick , Blanckaert Griet , Demeyer Serge
Published: September 2023

The environmental conditions in a conservation-restoration studio for paintings induce an inherent risk to objects of art and to humans working on those objects. They are both subject to (sometimes dangerous) chemical substances and fluctuations in environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, relative humidity). In this paper, we report on a measuring campaign which lasted more than a year collecting data about the air quality within a painting studio of a higher education institute. An existing algorithm assessed the indoor air quality for heritage objects using international air quality standards. This contribution presents a new algorithm to assess indoor air quality for human health relying on thresholds imposed by legislation and recommended by reference institutes. This algorithm has been applied to the same measuring campaign. The assessments illustrate that the same environmental conditions have a different impact on canvas paintings, panel paintings, students, and staff. Air quality is thus a relative concept that depends on the object/subject that is considered in the analysis.

Graphical abstract
A systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the relationship between metabolic syndrome and the incidence of thyroid diseases
Authors: Alwan Heba , Ribero Valerie Aponte , Efthimiou Orestis , Del Giovane Cinzia , Rodondi Nicolas , Duntas Leonidas
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To assess the prospective association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), its components, and incidence of thyroid disorders by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

A systematic search was performed in Ovid Medline, Embase.com, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception to February 22, 2023. Publications from prospective studies were included if they provided data on baseline MetS status or one of its components and assessed the incidence of thyroid disorders over time. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for developing thyroid disorders.

Results

After full-text screening of 2927 articles, seven studies met our inclusion criteria. Two of these studies assessed MetS as an exposure (N = 71,727) and were included in our meta-analysis. The association between MetS at baseline and incidence of overt hypothyroidism at follow-up yielded an OR of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52–1.16 for two studies, I2 = 0%). Pooled analysis was not possible for subclinical hypothyroidism, due to large heterogeneity (I2 = 92.3%), nor for hyperthyroidism, as only one study assessed this association. We found evidence of an increased risk of overt (RR: 3.10 (1.56–4.64, I2 = 0%) and subclinical hypothyroidism (RR 1.50 (1.05–1.94), I2 = 0%) in individuals with obesity at baseline. There was a lower odds of developing overt hyperthyroidism in individuals with prediabetes at baseline (OR: 0.68 (0.47–0.98), I2 = 0%).

Conclusions

We were unable to draw firm conclusions regarding the association between MetS and the incidence of thyroid disorders due to the limited number of available studies and the presence of important heterogeneity in reporting results. However, we did find an association between obesity at baseline and incidence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism.
Development of a transformer model for predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Sato Masaya , Moriyama Makoto , Fukumoto Tsuyoshi , Yamada Tomoharu , Wake Taijiro , Nakagomi Ryo , Nakatsuka Takuma , Minami Tatsuya , Uchino Koji , Enooku Kenichiro , Nakagawa Hayato , Shiina Shuichiro , Koike Kazuhiko , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Tateishi Ryosuke
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely accepted, minimally invasive treatment modality for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accurate prognosis prediction is important to identify patients at high risk for cancer progression/recurrence after RFA. Recently, state-of-the-art transformer models showing improved performance over existing deep learning-based models have been developed in several fields. This study was aimed at developing and validating a transformer model to predict the overall survival in HCC patients with treated by RFA.

Methods

We enrolled a total of 1778 treatment-naïve HCC patients treated by RFA as the first-line treatment. We developed a transformer-based machine learning model to predict the overall survival in the HCC patients treated by RFA and compared its predictive performance with that of a deep learning-based model. Model performance was evaluated by determining the Harrel’s c-index and validated externally by the split-sample method.

Results

The Harrel’s c-index of the transformer-based model was 0.69, indicating its better discrimination performance than that of the deep learning model (Harrel’s c-index, 0.60) in the external validation cohort. The transformer model showed a high discriminative ability for stratifying the external validation cohort into two or three different risk groups (p < 0.001 for both risk groupings). The model also enabled output of a personalized cumulative recurrence prediction curve for each patient.

Conclusions

We developed a novel transformer model for personalized prediction of the overall survival in HCC patients after RFA treatment. The current model may offer a personalized survival prediction schema for patients with HCC undergoing RFA treatment.
Horizontally Affine Functions on Step-2 Carnot Algebras
Authors: Le Donne Enrico , Morbidelli Daniele , Rigot Séverine
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we introduce the notion of horizontally affine, h-affine in short, function and give a complete description of such functions on step-2 Carnot algebras. We show that the vector space of h-affine functions on the free step-2 rank-n Carnot algebra is isomorphic to the exterior algebra of $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

. Using that every Carnot algebra can be written as a quotient of a free Carnot algebra, we shall deduce from the free case a description of h-affine functions on arbitrary step-2 Carnot algebras, together with several characterizations of those step-2 Carnot algebras where h-affine functions are affine in the usual sense of vector spaces. Our interest for h-affine functions stems from their relationship with a class of sets called precisely monotone, recently introduced in the literature, as well as from their relationship with minimal hypersurfaces.
Epidemiology of Spinocerebellar Ataxias in Europe
Authors: De Mattei Filippo , Ferrandes Fabio , Gallone Salvatore , Canosa Antonio , Calvo Andrea , Chiò Adriano , Vasta Rosario
Published: September 2023

Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a heterogenous group of rare neurodegenerative conditions sharing an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. More than 40 SCAs have been genetically determined. However, a systematic review of SCA epidemiology in Europe is still missing. Here we performed a narrative review of the literature on the epidemiology of the most common SCAs in Europe. PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE were searched from inception until 1 April 2023. All English peer-reviewed articles published were considered and then filtered by abstract examination and subsequently by full text reading. A total of 917 original articles were retrieved. According to the inclusion criteria and after reviewing references for useful papers, a total of 35 articles were included in the review. Overall, SCA3 is the most frequent spinocerebellar ataxia in Europe. Its frequency is strikingly higher in Portugal, followed by Germany, France, and Netherlands. None or few cases were described in Italy, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Finland, and Norway. SCA1 and SCA2 globally displayed similar frequencies, and are more prevalent in Italy, United Kingdom, Poland, Serbia, and France.
Assessing the Potential of Data Augmentation in EEG Functional Connectivity for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Jia Hao , Huang Zihao , Caiafa Cesar F. , Duan Feng , Zhang Yu , Sun Zhe , Solé-Casals Jordi
Published: September 2023

Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals are acquired non-invasively from electrodes placed on the scalp. Experts in the field can use EEG signals to distinguish between patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and normal control (NC) subjects using classification models. However, the training of deep learning or machine learning models requires a large number of trials. Datasets related to Alzheimer’s disease are typically small in size due to the lack of AD patient samples. The lack of data samples required for the training process limits the use of deep learning techniques for further development in clinical settings. We propose to increase the number of trials in the training set by means of a decomposition–recombination system consisting of three steps. Firstly, the original signals from the training set are decomposed into multiple intrinsic mode functions via multivariate empirical mode decomposition. Next, these intrinsic mode functions are randomly recombined across trials. Finally, the recombined intrinsic mode functions are added together as artificial trials, which are used for training the models. We evaluated the decomposition–recombination system on a small dataset using each subject’s functional connectivity matrices as inputs. Three different neural networks, including ResNet, BrainNet CNN, and EEGNet, were used. Overall, the system helped improve ResNet training in both the mild AD dataset, with an increase of 5.24%, and in the mild cognitive impairment dataset, with an increase of 4.50%. The evaluation of the proposed data augmentation system shows that the performance of neural networks can be improved by enhancing the training set with data augmentation. This work shows the need for data augmentation on the training of neural networks in the case of small-size AD datasets.
A multi-objective reinforcement learning approach for furniture arrangement with optimal IEQ in multi-occupant offices
Authors: Ribino Patrizia , Bonomolo Marina
Published: September 2023

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) concerns several aspects of environmental comforts, such as thermal, visual and acoustics comfort. In particular, IEQ plays a relevant role in workers’ satisfaction since it strongly influences health, well-being, and productivity. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that the furniture configuration in working spaces affects the occupant’s comfort perception. Nevertheless, IEQ has been either neglected or partially addressed in the context of interior design. The contribution of this paper is to introduce a novel method for furniture layout optimisation in terms of IEQ requirements in multi-occupant offices. In particular, we explore the furniture arrangement task as a Multi-Objective Markov Decision Process (MOMDP), which is solved by a reinforcement learning (RL) agent. The goal is to determine optimal workstation positions that maximise workers’ IEQ satisfaction and functional aspects of working spaces under analysis. Firstly, we formulated the furniture layout task as a MOMDP problem by defining reward functions in terms of thermal, acoustics and visual comfort. Then, we train the RL agent to produce optimal/suboptimal layout patterns through a Q-learning-based algorithm. We conducted experiments in two different offices. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed multi-objective RL approach is able to determine optimal furniture arrangements that provide a balance among office occupants in terms of IEQ satisfaction. Moreover, numerical results show that the proposed approach can be a valuable tool for evaluating the conformity to the environmental comfort standard of working environments during the furniture layout design phase instead of applying corrections during the post-occupancy evaluation.
Evaluation of Koga irrigation water in Mecha district, Amhara Region, as an example of irrigation water quality in Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Lewoyehu Mekuanint , Fentahun Dagnachew , Addisu Solomon
Published: September 2023

Irrigation water quality impacts plant growth, crop production, and public health. Thus, understanding the trends in irrigation water quality is important to manage public health, and optimize crop production. The Koga region in Ethiopia is a developing area where crops are an important food source for a growing population, and irrigation is critical to supply additional food crops and secure food insecurity issues. This study measures physiochemical and biological parameters to assess the suitability of Koga irrigation water for crops intended for human consumption. In March 2022, irrigation water samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical and biological qualities. Kelley’s ratio, magnesium danger, and sodium absorption ratio were calculated from the data obtained. Results showed that the turbidity (174.33–259.00 NTU), total suspended solids (80.33–175.00 mg/L), total alkalinity (143.33–195.33 mg/L), total hardness (150.67–224.6 mg/L), SO42−(43.96–73.00 mg/L), PO43−(56.27–87.43 mg/L), and BOD5 (63.23–95.40 mg/L) levels surpassed the recommended limit of FAO(35 NTU,50 mg/L,100 mg/L,100–150 mg/L,20 mg/L,3 mg/L and 30 mg/L, respectively). BOD5 levels of the tested water samples exceeded the permissible limit set by the EU (10 mg/L). The coliform and fecal coliform levels in all sampled waters were higher than the zero/100 mL limits of the EU and WHO set for irrigation water. The studied water samples were found to be unsuitable for the cultivation of crops and vegetables since TA, PO4−3, and NO3− levels exceeded the tolerance limit of the crops and vegetables cultivated in the site, while the coliform and BOD5 levels surpassed their tolerable limits. Consequently, it is not recommended to eat crops and vegetables without first properly preparing them. The results showed improper ratio of Mg2+:Ca2+ and Na+:Ca+2, and a magnesium hazard was foreseen. This study showed that the turbidity, total suspended solids, total alkalinity, total hardness, SO42−, PO43−, BOD5, and the coliform levels of the studied irrigation water samples of the Koga irrigation project were not found within the safe limits of FAO, WHO, EU, and irrigation water quality limits of different nations, even though additional samples evaluating seasonal fluctuations are needed to fully assess the water quality.
Customized influence maximization in attributed social networks: heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms
Authors: Liang Jun-Chao , Gong Yue-Jiao , Wu Xiao-Kun , Li Yuan
Published: September 2023

The influence maximization problem is one of the most fundamental topics in social networks. However, most existing studies have focused on non-attributed networks, neglecting the consideration of users’ properties during information propagation. Additionally, specific scenarios may involve external queries that target a particular subset of users, which has not been adequately addressed in prior research. To address these limitations, this study first formulates the customized influence maximization (CIM) problem in the context of attributed social networks. The node score and influence probability are derived by fully considering the user’s attributes and the external queries. Then, we develop two algorithms to identify a group of most influential nodes in CIM. The first is a heuristic algorithm based on discounted degree, which is able to find relatively high-quality solutions in a short time. The second is a meta-heuristic algorithm, which makes several adjustments to the original ant colony algorithm to make it efficient to the CIM problem. Specifically, multiple CIM-related heuristics are derived, and a heuristic adaptation strategy is designed to automatically assign the heuristic information to ants according to the search environments and stages. Extensive experiments show the promising performance of our proposed algorithms in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and robustness.
Charting our sustainability journey within the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at University College London
Authors: Bakkalci Deniz , Farley Martin , Kessler Francesca , Cheema Umber
Published: September 2023

This article describes a case study of our journey to running more sustainable labs within the Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom. Through the setting up of a self-assessment team within the division, we asked the key question, ‘what does sustainability mean in science and how will we apply this to our academic Division?’ Our division’s sustainability team took on the challenges to tackle unsustainable practise, primarily within our laboratories. By considering and implementing simple steps within our research department, we have reduced lab waste as well as decreased our overall carbon emission. We have clarified our hallmarks of sustainability and seek to share our changed practices to provide clear and easy guidance for how to make medical research divisions sustainable based on the actions taken in our labs. This study provides guideline on how to make academic research more sustainable by describing simple steps to implement in the laboratories. These steps were described using Division of Surgery and Interventional Science at UCL as a case study. The division’s sustainability team develops sustainable lab practices, which has led to reduction in lab waste and carbon emissions.
Analysis of the pulsating properties of a high-pressure water jet generated in a self-excited head for erosion processing
Authors: Szada-Borzyszkowska Monika , Kacalak Wojciech , Banaszek Kamil , Borkowski Przemysław J. , Szada-Borzyszkowski Wiesław
Published: September 2023

Water jet is an extensively used method for materials processing due to the possibility of operating in different environments (air, water), its safety during working with hazardous materials, and efficiency while cutting hard and brittle rock blocks. In this article, we have presented results of the research on processing aerated concrete by means of pulsating water jest. The discontinuity in water flow through the nozzle was achieved using an own-construction self-excited head. The intermittent flow had the greatest effect during operating in water environment. Machining efficiency for continuous and pulsating water jest was indicated by measuring erosive effects on processed materials. The occurrences of pulsations were confirmed while measurement of water jet thrust forces acting on piezoelectric sensor. It was concluded that pulsating water jet had greater processing effectiveness in a certain circumstances compared to the continuous flow, during the surface processing of concrete blocks.
The Seroprevalence of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Hemodialysis Patients in Oman: A National Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Al Shukri Intisar , Al Wahaibi Adil , Al kindi Hanan , Al-Maimani Yaqoub , Al Maani Amal , Alqayoudhi Abdullah , Methew Mersum C. , Pradeesh Jini , Al Abrawi Raiya , Debs Abdo , Mansoor Nabila , AlRahbi Ahmed , Al Balushi Wadha , Alharrasi Mahmood , Al Mamari Badriya , Soliman Magda Fakhry , Alsenaidi Afraa , Al Alawi Mohammed , Al Ismaili Omaima , Al-Abri Seif , Al-Jardani Amina
Published: September 2023

Background

HCV infection in hemodialysis units is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The risk of HCV infection among dialysis patients is higher compared to the general population due to high potential blood exposures in hemodialysis settings. This study aims to assess the national HCV seroprevalence in selected dialysis units and to determine the risk factors for acquiring HCV infection.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 January to 31 March 2021. A total of 734 patients from 11 hemodialysis centers in Oman were included. Samples were tested simultaneously for HCV antibodies and HCV RNA. HCV genotyping was determined in all viremic patients. Demographic and hemodialysis center related data were gathered and their association with the positive HCV serology were explored using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Out of 800 patients selected from 11 dialysis units for the study, 734 patients (91.8%) were included. The overall seroprevalence of HCV infection among hemodialysis patients was 5.6%. (41/734). HCV RNA was detected in 31.7% (13/41) of seropositive hemodialysis patients. The most common genotype was subtype 1a, followed by subtype 3. Variables associated with high HCV prevalence were family history of HCV and duration of dialysis.

Conclusion

The prevalence of infection within hemodialysis patients in Oman has significantly decreased but remained higher than the general population. Continuous monitoring and follow-up, including periodic serosurvey and linkage to care and treatment are recommended. Additionally, practice audits are recommended for identifying gaps and ensuring sustainability of best practices and further improvement.
Performance of a Chemical Heat Blanket in Dry, Damp, and Wet Conditions Inside a Mountain Rescue Hypothermia Wrap
Authors: Greene Mike , Long Geoff , Greene Karen , Wilkes Matt
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Casualties with accidental hypothermia are evacuated using multilayer wraps, typically including a chemical heat blanket (CHB), a vapor barrier, and an insulating outer bag. We investigated CHB performance against dry, damp, and wet fabric, in a multilayer wrap, in response to a case report indicating diminished performance when wet.

Methods

We wrapped a torso manikin in a base layer, CHB, vapor barrier, casualty bag, and vacuum mattress, recording CHB panel temperatures at intervals of up to 7 h. Experimental conditions were dry, damp, and wet clothing, with 2 blankets tested in each condition. We subsequently used a forward-looking infrared camera to assess whether the panels heated evenly and heat flux sensors to quantify heat transfer across 2 dry, 1 damp, and 1 wet fleece under CHB panels.

Results

Chemical heat blankets maintained heat output for >7 h inside the wraps. Median (IQR) panel steady state temperatures were 52°C (39–56°C) against dry fleece, 41°C (36–45°C) against damp fleece, and 30°C (29–33°C) against wet fleece. Peak panel temperature was 67°C. The heat flux results indicated that CHBs generated similar quantities of heat in dry and damp conditions, as the lower temperatures were compensated by more efficient transfer of heat across the moist clothing layer. Chemical heat blanket heat output was diminished in wet conditions.

Conclusions

Rescuers should cut off saturated clothing in a protected environment before wrapping casualties, but damp clothing need not be removed. Because of the high peak temperatures recorded on the surfaces of CHBs, they should not be placed directly against skin, and compression straps should not be placed directly over CHBs.
From Indigenous philosophy in environmental education to Indigenous planetary futures: what would it take?
Authors: Williams Lewis
Published: September 2023

The past two decades have seen a proliferation of Indigenous philosophy in environmental education. Much of this anti and decolonial work has made significant advances in deconstructing western modernist subjectivities; re-embedding and re-situating Indigenous and western relational epistemologies into human-earth relationality, including critical inquiry into questions of positionality, power-knowledge and human and more-than-human agency. Less articulated, however is the potential of these practices to address large scale and interrelated global challenges associated with climate and cultural-ecological crisis which coincide with the intensification of late capitalism, colonialism, and white supremacism. Relatedly, at global levels human rights approaches to planetary wellbeing continue to predominate and prominent international agreements such as UNDRIP, SDG, IPCCC and the Global Compact for Migration remain siloed from one another. Providing a broad sketch of these themes I then propose a whakapapa or kinship-based approach to life as laying the conceptual foundation for three regenerative place-based strategies which I subsequently introduce. Each strategy treats contemporary global challenges as interconnected and positions Indigenous knowledges and lifeways as playing a crucial role in addressing these. Moving from Indigenous philosophy in environmental education to broad intersectoral action, these strategies also make the interconnections between individual, collectivist, and structural approaches to Indigenous-led intergenerational resilience as one means to support our collective action toward healing human-environmental relations.
THE WISE MAN AND THE SEA: EPICUREANS ON SEA STORMS, SHIPWRECK, AND CHANCE
Authors: Nijs Wim
Published: September 2023

The idea that the sea is a dangerous and alien element in which one is at the mercy of higher powers, is deeply imbedded in Mediterranean culture, and has many parallels in Greek and Roman literature. From an Epicurean point of view, however, such higher powers belong to the realm of irrational beliefs which could threaten one's ἀταραξία (‘peace of mind’). What counts in Epicureanism is the rational calculus of all factors in order to minimize the influence of τύχη (‘chance’) on one's endeavours. This article explores how the Epicureans thought about the sea and its many dangers. It tries to establish under which circumstances the sage will travel by sea and gives special attention to Diogenes of Oenoanda's letter (fr. 71 + NF 214 + fr. 72 + fr. 70) about the shipwreck of Niceratus and his friends’ failure to minimize the agency of chance.
‘DON'T LET ME BECOME A COMIC SHIT-POT!’: SCATOLOGY IN ARISTOPHANES’ ASSEMBLYWOMEN
Authors: Scott Naomi
Published: September 2023

This article examines scatology in Aristophanes Assemblywomen, and argues that the play sets out to subvert comedy's normal scatological poetics. Old Comedy is usually a genre characterized by corporeal and scatological freedom. The constipation scene in Assemblywomen 311–73 is therefore highly unusual, since, while its language is scatological almost to the point of excess, it spotlights not scatological freedom but scatological obstruction. This article argues that this inversion is expressly linked to the play's reversal of gender roles as part of its ‘women on top’ plot, which is in turn conceived as a direct challenge to Old Comedy's normative poetics. The article further suggests that recognizing the Assemblywomen's less than straightforward relationship to the norms of Old Comedy may help us to reassess how, and indeed whether, we should use Aristophanes’ plays to make conjectures about the genre as a whole.
Greek literature
Authors: Heath Malcolm
Published: September 2023

If you cast your mind back to 2016 you may (or may not) recall Brill's Companion to Nonnus of Panopolis: a substantial volume, comprising thirty-two chapters in 754 pages of text, together with twenty-six pages of preliminaries, seventy-seven pages of bibliography, and forty-one pages of indices. Prudent readers should be cautious when handling a blockbuster volume on this scale; the risk of dropping one and a half kilos of scholarly text on one's foot is not to be treated with careless abandon. There is, then, something to be said in favour of less demanding but more accessible starting points for the exploration of the Nonnian landscape. For most readers, Robert Shorrock's The Challenge of Epic. Allusive Engagement in the Dionysiaca (2001) and The Myth of Paganism. Nonnus, Dionysus and the World of Late Antiquity (2011) would provide a more readily accessible resource. Admittedly, accessible guidance is not easy to find when it has been swamped by a tsunami of impressive editorial scholarship: for example, Konstantinos Spanoudakis, Nonnus of Panopolis in Context; Camille Geisz, A Study of the Narrator in Nonnus of Panopolis’ Dionysiaca. Storytelling in Late Antique Epic; Herbert Bannert and Nicole Kröll's Nonnus of Panopolis in Context II. Poetry, Religion, and Society; and Filip Doroszewski and Katarzyna Jażdżewska's Nonnus of Panopolis in Context III. Old Questions and New Perspectives. As for Nonnus’ Paraphrase of John's Gospel, I confess that I have barely had time to glance at it in its entirety. Perhaps I should have been paying more selective attention to Nonnus, and less to everything else.
Greek history
Authors: Vlassopoulos Kostas
Published: September 2023

I commence this review with a major contribution to the study of women in the ancient Greek world. The public invisibility of women in the poleis of the archaic and classical period is a well-known phenomenon; equally well-known is the fact that this starts to change from the Hellenistic period onwards, when developments in the culture of evergetism and in honorific practices created a niche for women to be publicly visible and honoured by their communities. Przemysław Sierkierka, Krystyna Stebnicka, and Aleksander Wolicki have published a two-volume collection of all public honorific inscriptions for Greek women from the classical to the Roman imperial period. The work excludes honorific inscriptions for Hellenistic queens and female members of the Roman imperial family, thus focusing on honours for Greek citizen women and foreign women. The first volume includes a book-size introduction to the history of public honours for Greek women, examining diachronic changes and offering an overview of the language of inscriptions and the repertory of honours provided. At the same time, the introduction offers an extensive discussion of the role of women in the public life of Greek cities in the long term. The first volume also includes the corpus of inscriptions from Aegean Greece, the Balkans, and Sicily and Italy in the West; the second volume largely focuses on Asia Minor, while also including the few relevant inscriptions from Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, and Cyrenaica. Each inscription is described in detail, while the Greek text is accompanied by an English translation and followed by a focused commentary. In line with the other major corpus under review here, this editorial choice to provide translation, bibliography, and commentary will make these volumes an impressive research tool for both specialists and non-specialists. I admit that I was really surprised by the quantity of the surviving material: the volume includes 1128 inscriptions from 238 communities. While many of these inscriptions are short, formulaic, and repetitive, the information provided on a substantial number is truly fascinating for Greek social history and the history of women.
Art and archaeology
Authors: Hales Shelley
Published: September 2023

The most significant book of this review is Richard Beacham and Hugh Denard's Living Theatre in the Ancient Roman House, a volume in which the authors’ previous accomplishments, expertise in theatre and leading roles at Kings Visualisation Laboratory (which is reflected in the use of digital visualizations throughout the volume, both to recreate architectural spaces and to test the viability of painted architecture), is brought to bear on domestic space. The subject, epic length, and format of the book immediately evoke the memory of Cambridge University Press's last major publication on wall painting, Eleanor Leach's 2004 The Social Life of Painting in Ancient Rome and on the Bay of Naples and the comparison shows up very sharply the development of attitudes towards both wall painting and its theatrical referents in the last twenty years. In Leach's book, much was made of the theatrical influence on Pompeian interiors, particularly in the architectural Second Style and the Fourth Style. Leach relied on the theatre in order to search for signs of actual theatrical influence on frescoes painted in these styles, for example discussing whether their scenographic ‘sets’ were based on permanent or temporary theatres, and then to tie the way the two styles presented theatrical performance to the political circumstances of the times in which they flourished. Leach saw Second Style as a reflection of the active competition of elites during the late republic whilst Fourth Style was symptomatic of the tyranny of the Neronian age, in which these same elites were now largely reduced to passive spectators of the emperor's performance.
Understanding trade-offs in stellarator design with multi-objective optimization
Authors: Bindel David , Landreman Matt , Padidar Misha
Published: September 2023

In designing stellarators, any design decision ultimately comes with a trade-off. Improvements in particle confinement, for instance, may increase the burden on engineers to build more complex coils, and the tightening of financial constraints may simplify the design and worsen some aspects of transport. Understanding trade-offs in stellarator designs is critical in designing high performance devices that satisfy the multitude of physical, engineering and financial criteria. In this study, we show how multi-objective optimization (MOO) can be used to investigate trade-offs and develop insight into the role of design parameters. We discuss the basics of MOO, as well as practical solution methods for solving MOO problems. We apply these methods to bring insight into the selection of two common design parameters: the aspect ratio of an ideal magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and the total length of the electromagnetic coils.
Examining the development of information needs assessment tools for use in the cancer context: A scoping and critical review
Authors: Thiessen Maclean , Harris Daranne , Tang Patricia A. , Bouchal Shelley Raffin , Sinclair Shane
Published: September 2023

Background

Information needs are one of the most common unmet supportive care needs of those living with cancer. Little is known about how existing tools for assessing information needs in the cancer context have been created or the role those with lived cancer experience played in their development.

Objectives

This review aimed to characterize the development and intended use of existing cancer specific information needs assessment tools.

Methods

A systematic scoping review was conducted using a peer-reviewed protocol informed by recommendations from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Prefered Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist.

Results

Twenty-one information needs assessment tools were included. Most tools were either breast cancer (n = 8) or primary tumor nonspecific (n = 8). Patients and informal carers participated in initial identification of questionnaire items in the minority of cases (n = 6) and were more commonly involved in reviewing the final questionnaire before use or formal psychometric testing (n = 9). Most questionnaires were not assessed for validity or reliability using rigorous quantitative psychometric testing.

Significance of results

Existing tools are generally not designed to provide a rigorous assessment of informational needs related to a specific cancer challenge and are limited in how they have been informed by those with lived cancer experience. Tools are needed that both rigirously address information needs for specific cancer challenges and that have been developed in partnership with those who have experienced cancer. Future directions should include understanding barriers and facilitators to developing such tools.
The Oxidation States of Iron in Dry and Wet Olivine: A Thermodynamic Model
Authors: Muir Joshua M. R. , Jollands Michael , Zhang Feiwu
Published: September 2023

The oxidation state of iron in olivine is an important control on many of its properties but is poorly constrained in mantle conditions. In this work Density Functional Theory is used to build a thermodynamic model of Fe oxidation states and incorporation mechanisms as a function of silica activity (αSiO2), pressure (P), temperature (T), oxygen fugacity (fO2), and the concentrations of Fe, H2O, Ti, and Al. Total Fe3+/∑Fe, Fe oxidation pathways and by‐products of Fe oxidation (such as Mg and Si vacancies) have a complex dependence upon αSiO2, P, T, and fO2, which are difficult to capture using simple Arrhenius relations and experiments over limited ranges. Our model predicts that in the conditions of the upper mantle, depth is the strongest control on Fe3+/∑Fe and that this relationship is strongly nonmonotonic and varies over several orders of magnitude. Fe3+/∑Fe is predicted to always be low reaching a maximum of 0.003 at around 100 km depth under normal mantle conditions though the presence of large amounts of water could increase this value further (0.03 with 500 ppmw water). While the Ferric iron concentration is predicted to be low, the concentration of Mg and Si vacancies—and thus vacancy dependent properties such as diffusion and likely strength—are predicted to be primarily a function of iron oxidation. These properties are predicted to vary by multiple orders of magnitude across the depth range of the upper mantle and thus olivine is predicted to have highly dynamic rather than static properties.
Dendritic Growth Patterns in Rocks: Inverting the Driving and Triggering Mechanisms
Authors: Liu Chong , Calo Victor M. , Regenauer‐Lieb Klaus , Hu Manman
Published: September 2023

Mineral precipitation can form complex patterns under non‐equilibrium conditions, in which two representative patterns are rhythmic Liesegang stripes and fractal dendrites. Interestingly, both patterns occur in the same rock formations, including various dendritic morphologies found in different rocks, such as limestone and sandstone. However, the underlying mechanism for selecting the vastly different mineral precipitation patterns remains unclear. We use a phase‐field model to reveal the mechanisms driving pattern selection in mineral precipitation. Simulations allow us to explore the effects of diffusion parameters on determining the dendritic morphologies. We also propose a general criterion to distinguish the resulting dendrites in simulations and field observations based on a qualitative visual distinction into three categories and a quantitative fractal dimension (FD) phase diagram. Using this model, we reproduce the classified dendrites in the field and invert for the key parameters that reflect the intrinsic material properties and geological environments. This study provides a quantitative tool for identifying the morphology selection mechanism with potential applications to geological field studies, exploration for resource evaluation, and other potential industrial applications.
Mesospheric Water Vapor in 2022
Authors: Nedoluha Gerald E. , Gomez R. Michael , Boyd Ian , Neal Helen , Allen Douglas R. , Lambert Alyn , Livesey Nathaniel J.
Published: September 2023

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga undersea volcano in January 2022 injected water vapor to altitudes as high as 53 km, but also an unprecedented and much larger amount of water vapor into the stratosphere. Several months after the eruption, measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and from three ground‐based Water Vapor Millimeter Wave Spectrometer instruments began to measure record‐high amounts of water vapor in the mesosphere over a wide range of latitudes. While there are indications that some of this mesospheric increase in water vapor was probably caused by the Hunga Tonga eruption, variations in water vapor mixing ratios also depend on dynamical factors. The phase of the QBO in 2015 was similar to that in 2022, and we make use of this similarity in order to better understand what role dynamics played in establishing the unusually large 2022 water vapor mixing ratios, both in the upper and lower mesosphere.
Ethnicity/race, parent educational attainment, and obesity associated with prediabetes in children
Authors: Ghaddar Reem , Hudson Erin A. , Jeans Matthew R. , Vandyousefi Sarvenaz , Landry Matthew J. , Davis Jaimie N.
Published: September 2023

Background/objectives

Obesity and other predictors of type 2 diabetes disproportionally affect Hispanic and Black children in the US compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) children. Yet, the prevalence of prediabetes in children remains unestablished, and guidelines for screening young children are lacking. This study examined the relationships between demographic factors and prediabetes in vulnerable youth in central Texas.

Subjects/methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from 976 3rd–5th graders (7–12 years) who participated in TX Sprouts, a school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking trial in 16 elementary schools serving mainly children from minority backgrounds and lower-income households. Measures collected included age, sex, ethnicity, free/reduced-priced school lunch (FRL) status, parent educational attainment (questionnaires), BMI from height (stadiometer) and weight (TANITA scale), and prediabetes status from fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c. Regressions examined cross-sectional associations between demographics and FPG, HbA1c, and prediabetes.

Results

Children were 47% male, 67% Hispanic, and 10% Black, with a mean age of 9.3 years; 71% received FRL, 50% had overweight/obesity, and 26% had prediabetes. Prediabetes rates were 2.8 and 4.8 times higher in Hispanic and Black children compared to NHW children, respectively (p ≤ 0.001), and 1.5 times higher in children with obesity versus normal BMI (p = 0.02). Children of parents with only an 8th-grade education, some high school education, or a high school degree had 3.1, 2.7, and 2.2 times higher odds of having prediabetes compared to children of college graduates, respectively (p ≤ 0.004). Analyses with FPG and HbA1c yielded similar results.

Conclusion

These findings suggest a potential need for earlier screening, more comprehensive testing guidelines, and prevention programs tailored toward minority children, children with obesity, and children of parents with low educational attainment. Future research should explore this finding in a larger, nationally representative sample.
PD-L1 positive astrocytes attenuate inflammatory functions of PD-1 positive microglia in models of autoimmune neuroinflammation
Authors: Linnerbauer Mathias , Beyer Tobias , Nirschl Lucy , Farrenkopf Daniel , Lößlein Lena , Vandrey Oliver , Peter Anne , Tsaktanis Thanos , Kebir Hania , Laplaud David , Oellinger Rupert , Engleitner Thomas , Alvarez Jorge Ivan , Rad Roland , Korn Thomas , Hemmer Bernhard , Quintana Francisco J. , Rothhammer Veit
Published: September 2023

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Current therapies mainly target inflammatory processes during acute stages, but effective treatments for progressive MS are limited. In this context, astrocytes have gained increasing attention as they have the capacity to drive, but also suppress tissue-degeneration. Here we show that astrocytes upregulate the immunomodulatory checkpoint molecule PD-L1 during acute autoimmune CNS inflammation in response to aryl hydrocarbon receptor and interferon signaling. Using CRISPR-Cas9 genetic perturbation in combination with small-molecule and antibody-mediated inhibition of PD-L1 and PD-1 both in vivo and in vitro, we demonstrate that astrocytic PD-L1 and its interaction with microglial PD-1 is required for the attenuation of autoimmune CNS inflammation in acute and progressive stages in a mouse model of MS. Our findings suggest the glial PD-L1/PD-1 axis as a potential therapeutic target for both acute and progressive MS stages.
Stereospecific synthesis of silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes and general synthesis of chiral silyl Anions
Authors: Wang Xihong , Feng Chi , Jiang Julong , Maeda Satoshi , Kubota Koji , Ito Hajime
Published: September 2023

Silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes could potentially allow the formation of chiral silyl nucleophiles as well as the synthesis of various chiral silicon compounds. However, the synthesis of such silicon-stereogenic silylboranes has not been achieved so far. Here, we report the synthesis of silicon-stereogenic optically active silylboranes via a stereospecific Pt(PPh3)4-catalyzed Si–H borylation of chiral hydrosilanes, which are synthesized by stoichiometric and catalytic asymmetric synthesis, in high yield and very high or perfect enantiospecificity (99% es in one case, and >99% es in the others) with retention of the configuration. Furthermore, we report a practical approach to generate silicon-stereogenic silyl nucleophiles with high enantiopurity and configurational stability using MeLi activation. This protocol is suitable for the stereospecific and general synthesis of silicon-stereogenic trialkyl-, dialkylbenzyl-, dialkylaryl-, diarylalkyl-, and alkylary benzyloxy-substituted silylboranes and their corresponding silyl nucleophiles with excellent enantiospecificity (>99% es except one case of 99% es). Transition-metal-catalyzed C–Si bond-forming cross-coupling reactions and conjugate-addition reactions are also demonstrated. The mechanisms underlying the stability and reactivity of such chiral silyl anion were investigated by combining NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations.