bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Registration accuracy comparing different rendering techniques on local vs external virtual 3D liver model reconstruction for vascular landmark setting by intraoperative ultrasound in augmented reality navigated liver resection
Authors: Sheriff Nonkoh J. , Thomas Michael , Bunck Alexander C. , Peterhans Matthias , Datta Rabi Raj , Hellmich Martin , Bruns Christiane J. , Stippel Dirk Ludger , Wahba Roger
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Augmented reality navigation in liver surgery still faces technical challenges like insufficient registration accuracy. This study compared registration accuracy between local and external virtual 3D liver models (vir3DLivers) generated with different rendering techniques and the use of the left vs right main portal vein branch (LPV vs RPV) for landmark setting. The study should further examine how registration accuracy behaves with increasing distance from the ROI.

Methods

Retrospective registration accuracy analysis of an optical intraoperative 3D navigation system, used in 13 liver tumor patients undergoing liver resection/thermal ablation.

Results

109 measurements in 13 patients were performed. Registration accuracy with local and external vir3DLivers was comparable (8.76 ± 0.9 mm vs 7.85 ± 0.9 mm; 95% CI = -0.73 to 2.55 mm; p = 0.272). Registrations via the LPV demonstrated significantly higher accuracy than via the RPV (6.2 ± 0.85 mm vs 10.41 ± 0.99 mm, 95% CI = 2.39 to 6.03 mm, p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant positive but weak correlation between the accuracy (dFeature) and the distance from the ROI (dROI) (r = 0.298; p = 0.002).

Conclusion

Despite basing on different rendering techniques both local and external vir3DLivers have comparable registration accuracy, while LPV-based registrations significantly outperform RPV-based ones in accuracy. Higher accuracy can be assumed within distances of up to a few centimeters around the ROI.
Levels of plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D and risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a large Danish primary health care population
Authors: Rohold Cecilie Korneliusen , Jørgensen Henrik Løvendahl , Vojdeman Fie Juhl , Madsen Christian Medom , Olsen Anja , Heegaard Anne-Marie , Lind Bent Struer , Tjønneland Anne , Schwarz Peter , Gæde Peter Haulund
Published: September 2024

Aims

Plasma levels of Vitamin D (25(OH)D) have been suggested as a predictor for developing type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate if a measurement of plasma 25(OH)D could predict the development of type 2 diabetes in a cohort of 222,311 individuals from primary healthcare in Denmark.

Methods

The CopD-study database containing data from the Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory on blood tests conducted from April 2004 to January 2012 was used for identification of the study population. Incident type 2 diabetes was then defined as having at least two redeemed prescriptions of antidiabetics or at least two hospital contacts due to type 2 diabetes or one redeemed prescription and one hospital contact regarding type 2 diabetes.

Results

A total of 222,311 individuals were included in the study, of whom 7652 (3.4%) developed type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period of minimum one year. Individuals who developed type 2 diabetes had a significantly lower median 25(OH)D level than persons in the non-diabetes group. The hazard ratio for development of type 2 diabetes increased by 15% per 10 n mol/L decrease in 25(OH)D level.

Conclusion

In this study of 222,311 persons from primary health care in Denmark, we found a clear inverse relationship between 25(OH)D and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Further studies should be conducted to clarify the mechanisms behind the relationship between 25(OH)D and type 2 diabetes and the effect of oral vitamin D supplementation on the development of type 2 diabetes.
Improving the Annotation Process in Computational Pathology: A Pilot Study with Manual and Semi-automated Approaches on Consumer and Medical Grade Devices
Authors: Cazzaniga Giorgio , Del Carro Fabio , Eccher Albino , Becker Jan Ulrich , Gambaro Giovanni , Rossi Mattia , Pieruzzi Federico , Fraggetta Filippo , Pagni Fabio , L’Imperio Vincenzo
Published: September 2024

The development of reliable artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in pathology often depends on ground truth provided by annotation of whole slide images (WSI), a time-consuming and operator-dependent process. A comparative analysis of different annotation approaches is performed to streamline this process. Two pathologists annotated renal tissue using semi-automated (Segment Anything Model, SAM)) and manual devices (touchpad vs mouse). A comparison was conducted in terms of working time, reproducibility (overlap fraction), and precision (0 to 10 accuracy rated by two expert nephropathologists) among different methods and operators. The impact of different displays on mouse performance was evaluated. Annotations focused on three tissue compartments: tubules (57 annotations), glomeruli (53 annotations), and arteries (58 annotations). The semi-automatic approach was the fastest and had the least inter-observer variability, averaging 13.6 ± 0.2 min with a difference (Δ) of 2%, followed by the mouse (29.9 ± 10.2, Δ = 24%), and the touchpad (47.5 ± 19.6 min, Δ = 45%). The highest reproducibility in tubules and glomeruli was achieved with SAM (overlap values of 1 and 0.99 compared to 0.97 for the mouse and 0.94 and 0.93 for the touchpad), though SAM had lower reproducibility in arteries (overlap value of 0.89 compared to 0.94 for both the mouse and touchpad). No precision differences were observed between operators (p = 0.59). Using non-medical monitors increased annotation times by 6.1%. The future employment of semi-automated and AI-assisted approaches can significantly speed up the annotation process, improving the ground truth for AI tool development.
Aetiological Naturalism in the Philosophy of Medicine: A Shaky Project
Authors: Davini Claudio
Published: September 2024

Griffiths and Matthewson (2018) employ the selected effects theory to contend that disease involves the impairment of the normal functioning of biological items. Since the selected effects theory focuses on the past effects of those items, I refer to their proposal as “aetiological naturalism”. In this paper, I argue that aetiological naturalism cannot constitute an adequate theory of disease. This is due to the fact that the selected effects theory, which lies at the heart of aetiological naturalism, is flawed. One promise of the selected effects theory is indeed that it is able to account for our normative intuitions about dysfunctional biological items by grounding them on the concept of natural selection incorporated in the selected effects theory itself, where this promise rests upon its claim that appealing to the fitness-enhancing effect of biological items can always explain why they persisted in a population. However, I contend that the naturalisation of normativity cannot be cashed out in terms of biological items’ past effects by discussing two biological phenomena: phenotypic plasticity and negative frequency-dependent selection. I illustrate that in both cases the selected effects theory cannot recognise adaptive items as having a selected effects function, therefore preventing the possibility to assign them any dysfunction. The normative force of the selected effects theory is consequently much diminished, leading in turn to a weakening of aetiological naturalism, given that such project actually relies on the assumed normative force of the selected effects theory itself.
The Promise and Challenges of Integrating Biological and Prevention Sciences: A Community-Engaged Model for the Next Generation of Translational Research
Authors: Leve Leslie D. , Kanamori Mariano , Humphreys Kathryn L. , Jaffee Sara R. , Nusslock Robin , Oro Veronica , Hyde Luke W.
Published: September 2024

Beginning with the successful sequencing of the human genome two decades ago, the possibility of developing personalized health interventions based on one’s biology has captured the imagination of researchers, medical providers, and individuals seeking health care services. However, the application of a personalized medicine approach to emotional and behavioral health has lagged behind the development of personalized approaches for physical health conditions. There is potential value in developing improved methods for integrating biological science with prevention science to identify risk and protective mechanisms that have biological underpinnings, and then applying that knowledge to inform prevention and intervention services for emotional and behavioral health. This report represents the work of a task force appointed by the Board of the Society for Prevention Research to explore challenges and recommendations for the integration of biological and prevention sciences. We present the state of the science and barriers to progress in integrating the two approaches, followed by recommended strategies that would promote the responsible integration of biological and prevention sciences. Recommendations are grounded in Community-Based Participatory Research approaches, with the goal of centering equity in future research aimed at integrating the two disciplines to ultimately improve the well-being of those who have disproportionately experienced or are at risk for experiencing emotional and behavioral problems.
Economic Disparities, Life Events, and the Gender Mental Health Gap
Authors: Nguyen Thi Thao , Nguyen Kim Huong , Rohde Nicholas
Published: September 2024

This paper studies factors explaining the gender mental health gap using Australian data. We show that men have significantly higher mean outcomes and the left tail of the combined distribution is disproportionately female. Using regression-based decompositions, we examine the degree that both socioeconomic inequalities and life experience account for this phenomenon. We find that disparities in income play a substantial role, and subject to an assumption of exogeneity, would be enough to account for the gender gap amongst individuals with very poor psychological wellbeing. We also examine the mental health effects of various negative life experience, such as the death of a family member or being a victim of violence. At the individual level, these variables have large effect sizes but are not strongly correlated with gender to explain our mental health disparities.
A scoping review on adult patients with de novo glomerular diseases following COVID-19 infection or vaccine
Authors: Qi Liam , Deep Aman , Fox Jordan , Yii Mark , Rahman Muhammad , Myint Mar , Myat Htoo , Thet Zaw
Published: September 2024

Background

There are increasing reports of glomerular disease (GD) following COVID-19 infection and vaccination. Current evidence on the possible link between COVID-19 infection or vaccination and GD is conflicting.

Objective

The present study undertakes a scoping review of research to describe the relationship between COVID-19 infection and vaccination with GD and the common management strategies and overall outcomes of the disease to identify knowledge gaps and guide further research.

Eligibility criteria

All original research studies published in English until 5th September 2022 were considered for inclusion in the review. Exclusion criteria were animal studies, autopsy studies, and data involving patients who were paediatric patients (< 16 years), were transplant recipients, had a recurrence of glomerular disease, had concomitant cancer or non-COVID-19 infection which may cause glomerular disease, or did not receive a renal biopsy.

Sources of evidence

The five electronic databases searched were MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Cochrane.

Methods

Two separate search strings related to COVID-19, and glomerular disease were combined using the Boolean operator ‘AND’. Filters were used to limit publications to original research studies published in English. Search results from each database were imported into Covidence software (www.covidence.org) and used for de-duplication, article screening, and data extraction. Descriptive analyses were used to summarise demographics, diagnoses, and treatment outcomes.

Results

After removing duplicates, 6853 titles and abstracts were screened. Of the 188 studies included, 106 studies described 341 patients with GD following COVID-19 infection and 82 described 146 patients with GD following a COVID-19 vaccination. IgA nephropathy was the most common GD pathology reported following COVID-19 vaccination with GD most common following mRNA vaccines. Collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was the most common GD following COVID-19 infection. Immunosuppressive treatment of GD was more common in the vaccine cohort than in the infection cohort.

Conclusion

Despite the significant number of COVID-19 infections and vaccinations around the world, our understanding of GD associated with COVID-19 infection and vaccination remains poor, and more research is needed to understand the possible relationship better.
Experienced financial toxicity among long-term cancer survivors: results from a national cross-sectional survey
Authors: Klok Jente M. , Duijts Saskia F. A. , Engelen Vivian , Masselink Roel , Dingemans Anne-Marie C. , Aerts Joachim G. J. V. , Lingsma Hester F. , van Klaveren David
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Financial toxicity, the subjective distress caused by objective financial burden, significantly impacts cancer survivors. Yet, enduring effects on survivors remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the experienced objective financial burden and subjective financial distress in long-term cancer survivors.

Methods

A cross-sectional nationwide online survey of adult cancer survivors ≥ 5y after diagnosis were analyzed. Objective financial burden was measured via extra expenses and income loss, while subjective financial distress covered psychological well-being, coping and support-seeking behavior, and financial concerns. Groups were compared (i.e., having cancer vs. former patients) by t-tests and chi-squared tests. Financial toxicity was visualized with Sankey plots and sunburst diagrams.

Results

4,675 respondents completed the survey, of whom 2,391 (51%) were ≥ 5y after their cancer diagnosis. Among them, 75% experienced income loss and/or extra expenses after diagnosis. One-third of the previously employed respondents relied on work disability benefits. Further, ‘being unable to make ends meet’ increased from 2% before diagnosis to 13% ≥ 5y after diagnosis (p < .001). Additionally, 58% reported negative psychological impacts of financial toxicity, and 47% worried about their financial future.

Conclusions

Cancer survivors often face income loss and additional expenses, leading to ongoing financial difficulties that affect their psychological well-being. Despite this significant impact, there is a lack of guidance and support to help them manage these financial challenges. These findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to recognize and address the financial challenges.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

This study underscores the widespread financial challenges cancer survivors encounter, emphasizing the need for ongoing financial support and comprehensive assessments of their physical and psychological well-being.
PET radiomics-based lymphovascular invasion prediction in lung cancer using multiple segmentation and multi-machine learning algorithms
Authors: Hosseini Seyyed Ali , Hajianfar Ghasem , Ghaffarian Pardis , Seyfi Milad , Hosseini Elahe , Aval Atlas Haddadi , Servaes Stijn , Hanaoka Mauro , Rosa-Neto Pedro , Chawla Sanjeev , Zaidi Habib , Ay Mohammad Reza
Published: September 2024

The current study aimed to predict lymphovascular invasion (LVI) using multiple machine learning algorithms and multi-segmentation positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, offering new avenues for personalized treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes. One hundred and twenty-six patients with NSCLC were enrolled in this study. Various automated and semi-automated PET image segmentation methods were applied, including Local Active Contour (LAC), Fuzzy-C-mean (FCM), K-means (KM), Watershed, Region Growing (RG), and Iterative thresholding (IT) with different percentages of the threshold. One hundred five radiomic features were extracted from each region of interest (ROI). Multiple feature selection methods, including Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (MRMR), Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE), and Boruta, and multiple classifiers, including Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Logistic Regression (LR), XGBoost (XGB), Naive Bayes (NB), and Random Forest (RF), were employed. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) was also used to determine if it boosts the area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy (ACC), sensitivity (SEN), and specificity (SPE). Our results indicated that the combination of SMOTE, IT (with 45% threshold), RFE feature selection and LR classifier showed the best performance (AUC = 0.93, ACC = 0.84, SEN = 0.85, SPE = 0.84) followed by SMOTE, FCM segmentation, MRMR feature selection, and LR classifier (AUC = 0.92, ACC = 0.87, SEN = 1, SPE = 0.84). The highest ACC belonged to the IT segmentation (with 45 and 50% thresholds) alongside Boruta feature selection and the NB classifier without SMOTE (ACC = 0.9, AUC = 0.78 and 0.76, SEN = 0.7, and SPE = 0.94, respectively). Our results indicate that selection of appropriate segmentation method and machine learning algorithm may be helpful in successful prediction of LVI in patients with NSCLC with high accuracy using PET radiomics analysis.
Fuzzy deep visual panic detection
Authors: Lazzez Onsa , Hamdani Tarek M. , Chabchoub Habib , Ouhada Khmaies , Alimi Adel M.
Published: September 2024

Deep visual data analysis from social network has become an increasingly important area of research. In fact, this form of assessment makes it viable to recognize new information on social users which incorporates emotions. In order to recognize users’ emotions and other latent attributes, most of the existing approaches have used textual data and have obtained accurate results. However, little attention has been paid to visual data that have become increasingly popular in recent years.This work describes how to develop a conceptual representation model for social network analysis and social emotion analysis based on the integration of fuzzy logic and ontological modeling. The primary aim is to create an ontology that can extract new information about a social user’s mood, which can be classified as panic, no-panic, or neutral. Fuzzy logic is necessary to deal with subjective data, as users share imprecise and vague data on their social profiles. Fuzzy logic has been observed as a successful method to capture the expression of emotions due to the fuzzy nature of emotions and the ambiguous definitions of emotion words. The proposed work investigate the role of fuzzy logic in social network analysis. This study simulate a fuzzy deep system integrated with ontology for classifying social visual data (shared images) into panic, no-panic or neutral classes in order to determine the social users’ stress intensity. The Social distancing and the huge amount of shared data in Tunisia were calculated to demonstrate this classification. The experiments performed in this paper aim to create not only a novel annotated visual database named visual panic database, but also a new semantic model for modeling users’ profiles, in social network, based on the combination between ontology and deep learning techniques. In this context, we will work in the future on the combination between a user’s visual and textual data in order to improve the performance of this recognition. The proposed fuzzy system reflected the viral proliferation in stressed users and achieved an accuracy of 87%.
Similarities and differences in Swiss general practices with and without nurse practitioners
Authors: Schlunegger Margarithe Charlotte , Palm Rebecca , Zumstein-Shaha Maya
Published: September 2024

Background

New care models are needed for the increasing elderly, chronically ill, and multimorbid population, especially in primary healthcare. Rural regions are particularly affected where bottlenecks in provision of care and a shortage of health professionals are emerging. To address these challenges, nurse practitioners have been implemented in Swiss general practices to improve primary healthcare of chronically ill people.

Aim

We aimed to explore Swiss primary healthcare delivery for chronically ill people in general practices with and without nurse practitioners and identify similarities and differences in these general practices.

Methods

We conducted multiple case studies. Data were collected using interviews, observations, patient records, and questionnaires. We described the similarities and differences by drawing on Wagner’s Chronic Care Model and applied deductive thematic cross-case analysis. We included five general practices located in rural areas in Switzerland, with nurse practitioners in two general practices. A total of 34 patients and 26 health professionals were included. The Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) reporting standards for organizational case studies were used.

Results

Similarities were that chronically ill patients valued to be perceived as a whole person; guidelines for multimorbidity and reimbursement of relevant services such as coordination were limited. Differences in general practices with nurse practitioners were unclear role allocation, criteria for patient referral were missing and interprofessional teams were in an extended process of change. Nurse practitioners provided a bridge between the general practices and local home healthcare organizations, thereby, strengthening interface management and obtaining a more comprehensive nursing perspective.

Conclusion

This study highlights that new models of care can better respond to patients’ needs as additional nursing skills are available. Interprofessional teams undergo substantial changes in the new care model requiring a revision of existing structures.
Linear Time Train Contraction Minor Labeling for Railway Line Capacity Analysis
Authors: Zhong Qinglun , Xu Ruihua
Published: September 2024

When no more than one train is feasibly contained in the separation headway times of two other trains, a triangular gap problem-based method is used to compute the consumed capacity in linear time. This is a strong condition limiting its applicability, while real-world operations often feature mixed traffic of various speeds, creating more complex structures beyond the characterization of a triangular gap. In this paper, we attempt to investigate the multi-train gap scenario and provide a general solution to the railway timetable structure and capacity analysis problem. Given a timetable, we use an incidence graph, the so-called train contraction minor, for representing the consecutive train operations and show that a longest path for spanning the compressed timetable is any path in a graph induced by some topological subsequence of trains that connects the predefined vertices in the train contraction minor. By vector-valued vertex labeling of this minor, we acquire an efficient algorithm that computes the consumed capacity of the timetable. Our algorithm runs in O(mn) time, where m and n are the number of trains and stations, respectively, and is free from the limitation and outperforms the near-linear time policy iteration implementation in the max-plus system of train operations. A toy example and a real-world case study demonstrate the effectiveness and computational performance of the proposed method. The proposed method based on train contraction minor contributes to the railway operations community by promoting the efficient computation of railway line capacity into linear time.
Parents’ learning in family literacy: a mixed-methods evaluation
Authors: Clymer Carol , Lee Jungeun , McLean Elisabeth L. , Prins Esther
Published: September 2024

In the USA, comprehensive family literacy programs integrate adult education and parent education, interactive parent-child literacy activities, and early childhood education or school for children. Although parents’ learning is central to family literacy, research overwhelmingly focuses on children’s outcomes or positions parents as conduits of children’s learning. Thus, we know little about changes in parents’ language and literacy capabilities, self-concepts, social support systems, or other benefits. This study reports findings from a multi-year, mixed-methods evaluation of five family literacy programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Participants were primarily immigrant mothers. Qualitative data, along with statistically significant quantitative data from a pre-post survey (n = 139), demonstrate learning in four domains: educational, personal, social, and parenting. Specifically, parents developed literacy and language skills; enjoyed reading more and spent more time reading alone and with children; were more involved in everyday literacy practices; increased their self-confidence and self-esteem; provided support for each other, developed friendships, and built a sense of community; and increased support for and involvement in their children’s development, literacy, and education. These results build on prior research on parental outcomes and illustrate the value of using multi-faceted, holistic measures to examine how parents benefit from family literacy.
Metric geometry of spaces of persistence diagrams
Authors: Che Mauricio , Galaz-García Fernando , Guijarro Luis , Membrillo Solis Ingrid Amaranta
Published: September 2024

Persistence diagrams are objects that play a central role in topological data analysis. In the present article, we investigate the local and global geometric properties of spaces of persistence diagrams. In order to do this, we construct a family of functors $${\mathcal {D}}_p$$

D
p

, $$1\le p \le \infty $$

1
≤
p
≤
∞

, that assign, to each metric pair (X, A), a pointed metric space $${\mathcal {D}}_p(X,A)$$

D
p

(
X
,
A
)

. Moreover, we show that $${\mathcal {D}}_{\infty }$$

D
∞

is sequentially continuous with respect to the Gromov–Hausdorff convergence of metric pairs, and we prove that $${\mathcal {D}}_p$$

D
p

preserves several useful metric properties, such as completeness and separability, for $$p \in [1,\infty )$$

p
∈
[
1
,
∞
)

, and geodesicity and non-negative curvature in the sense of Alexandrov, for $$p=2$$

p
=
2

. For the latter case, we describe the metric of the space of directions at the empty diagram. We also show that the Fréchet mean set of a Borel probability measure on $${\mathcal {D}}_p(X,A)$$

D
p

(
X
,
A
)

, $$1\le p \le \infty $$

1
≤
p
≤
∞

, with finite second moment and compact support is non-empty. As an application of our geometric framework, we prove that the space of Euclidean persistence diagrams, $${\mathcal {D}}_{{p}}({\mathbb {R}}^{2n},\Delta _n)$$

D
p

(

R

2
n

,

Δ
n

)

, $$1\le n$$

1
≤
n

and $$1\le p<\infty $$

1
≤
p
<
∞

, has infinite covering, Hausdorff, asymptotic, Assouad, and Assouad–Nagata dimensions.
Toward a Better Understanding of Who Is Likely to Be Susceptible to the Effects of Rumination on Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms: An Explorative Analysis
Authors: Wahl Karina , Kollárik Martin , Heinzel Carlotta V. , Koch Stefan , Voderholzer Ulrich , Lieb Roselind
Published: September 2024

We previously found that rumination maintains obsessive–compulsive (OC) symptoms. Our goal was to explore the moderating roles of three characteristics in the immediate and intermediate effects of rumination on OC symptoms: trait rumination, severity of comorbid depressive symptoms, and the tendency to misinterpret the occurrence of unwanted intrusive thoughts as meaningful. We reanalyzed our previous study’s data and explored in a sample of 145 individuals diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) whether any of the three characteristics moderated the observed immediate and intermediate effects of rumination on OC symptoms. Only the tendency to misinterpret unwanted intrusive thoughts moderated the immediate and intermediate effects of rumination on OC symptoms. If this result is confirmed in future studies, individuals with OCD and a high tendency to misinterpret unwanted intrusive thoughts might benefit particularly from supplemental interventions targeting the reduction of excessive rumination.
Dynamic clustering based on Minkowski similarity for web services aggregation
Authors: Ayfan Suad Kamil , Al-Shammary Dhiah , Mahdi Ahmed M. , Sufi Fahim
Published: September 2024

This research, introduces a new dynamic clustering method offering a new approach utilizing Minkowski Distance methods for calculating similarity of xml messages to effectively compress and aggregate them. The increase in Web services utilization has led to bottlenecks and congestion on network links with limited bandwidth. Furthermore, Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) based messaging system often utilized on the internet. It leads to interoperability by facilitating connection both users and their service providers across various platforms. The large amount and huge size of the SOAP messages being exchanged lead to congestion and bottlenecks. Aggregation tools for SOAP messages can effectively decrease the significant amount that traffic generated. This has shown a notable enhancement in performance. Enhancements can be made by using similarity methods. These techniques group together multiple SOAP messages that share a significant level of similarity. Present techniques utilizing grouping for aggregating XML messages have demonstrated efficiency and compression ratio limitations. Practically, the proposed model groups messages into clusters based on minimum distance, supporting Huffman (variable-length) and (fixed-length) encoding compressing for aggregating multiple compressed XML web messages into a single compact message. Generally, the suggested model’s performance has been evaluated through a comparison with K-Means, Principle Component Analysis (PCA) with K-Means, Hilbert, and fractal self-similarity clustering models. Minkowski distance clustering model has shown excellent performance, especially in all message sizes like small, medium, large, V.large. Technically, the model achieved superior average Compression Ratio and it has outperformed all other models.
Enhancing Soil Carbon Sequestration with C-Rich Carrier Materials from Spent Mushroom Substrate and Composted Wheat Straw: Implications for Smart Fertilizer Design
Authors: Calabi-Floody Marcela , Medina Jorge , Richardson Alan E. , Guarda-Reyes María Javiera , Villegas-Pizarro Pamela , Zirotti-Lecaros Isidora , Mora-Pérez Lizeth , Aponte Humberto , Knicker Heike , Rumpel Cornelia , de la Luz Mora María
Published: September 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of two carbon (C)-rich carrier materials derived from agricultural residues, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and composted wheat straw (CWS) for enhancing soil carbon stabilization in an Andisol, with a view towards their future application in smart fertilizer design. We investigated how their contrasting nitrogen contents and application rates affect soil organic carbon dynamics and contribute to sustainable soil management and climate change mitigation. Soil incubations were conducted over 365 days, during which C mineralization, enzymatic activities, and C and N sequestration were assessed. SMS addition at both low and high rates (0.5% and 1% soil C increase, respectively) enhanced soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization, increasing mean residence times (40.6 and 48.8 years) and half-life times (28.1 and 33.8 years) of the stable C pool compared to unamended soil (35.9 and 24.9 years). High-rate CWS application (1% soil C increase) promoted native SOC decomposition, increasing C losses (5.8%) and reducing C sequestration potential (96%). However, low-rate CWS application (0.5% soil C increase) showed promise, increasing mean residence time (46.8 years) and half-life time (32.4 years) of the stable C pool. Spearman correlations revealed positive associations between electrical conductivity, total N, humification indices, and C stabilization parameters, highlighting the importance of nutrient availability and humification potential for C stabilization. Incorporating C-rich carrier materials with balanced nutrient content, such as SMS, can enhance soil C stabilization and support climate-smart agriculture goals. Low-rate CWS application also shows potential as an alternative C-rich carrier material. However, careful consideration of application rates and material properties is crucial to avoid adverse effects on native SOC mineralization.
Dealing with Overparenting: Developmental Outcomes in Emerging Adults Exposed to Overprotection and Overcontrol
Authors: Urone Chiara , Verdi Chiara , Iacono Chiara Lo , Miano Paola
Published: September 2024

Overparenting is defined as a parenting style characterized by overprotection, overcontrol, and an excess of involvement in the life of one’s offspring. These types of parenting practices turn out to be particularly intrusive during the period of emerging adults in which the need for autonomy is the element that most characterizes this stage of development. The current review aimed at summarizing studies that considered the repercussions of overparenting’s dysfunctional behaviors on offspring during the developmental phase of emerging adulthood and was carried out using the new Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases. After having initially considered 832 papers, 31 studies were deemed eligible to be included in this review. The analysis of these studies showed that individuals subjected to overparenting are prone to developing various internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Internalizing symptoms are more prevalent and are often associated with conditions such as depression, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety. Pivotal recommendations have been suggested to reduce the impact of overparenting practices on the well-being of young adults. These include the development of coping strategies and the development of trust, resilience, and open communication within the supportive context of clinical intervention.
DSCI: a database of synthetic biology components for innate immunity and cell engineering decision-making processes
Authors: Zhang Chenqiu , Chen Tianjian , Li Zhiyu , Lu Qing , Luo Xiaotong , Cai Sihui , Zhou Jie , Ren Jian , Cui Jun
Published: September 2024

Although significant progress of clinical strategy has been made in gene editing and cell engineering in immunotherapy, it is now apparent that design and modification in terms of complex signaling pathways and motifs on medical synthetic biology are still full of challenges. Innate immunity, the first line of host defense against pathogens, is critical for anti-pathogens immune response as well as regulating durable and protective T cell-mediated anti-tumor responses. Here, we introduce DSCI (Database of Synthetic Biology Components for Innate Immunity,
https://dsci.renlab.cn/), a web-accessible and integrative database that provides better insights and strategies for innate immune signaling circuit design in biosynthesis. Users can interactively navigate comprehensive and carefully curated components resources that presented as visualized signaling motifs that participate in innate immunity. The current release of DSCI incorporates 1240 independent components and more than 4000 specific entries contextually annotated from public literature with experimental verification. The data integrated into DSCI includes the components of pathways, relationships between regulators, signal motifs based on regulatory cascades, and loop graphs, all of which have been comprehensively annotated to help guide modifications to gene circuits. With the support of DSCI, users can easily obtain guidance of gene circuits construction to make decision of cell engineering based on innate immunity. DSCI not only provides comprehensive and specialized resource on the biological components of innate immune synthesis, but also serves as a useful tool to offer modification or generation strategies for medical synthetic biology.
Stochastic gradient descent for barycenters in Wasserstein space
Authors: Backhoff Julio , Fontbona Joaquin , Rios Gonzalo , Tobar Felipe
Published: September 2024

We present and study a novel algorithm for the computation of 2-Wasserstein population barycenters of absolutely continuous probability measures on Euclidean space. The proposed method can be seen as a stochastic gradient descent procedure in the 2-Wasserstein space, as well as a manifestation of a law of large numbers therein. The algorithm aims to find a Karcher mean or critical point in this setting, and can be implemented ‘online’, sequentially using independent and identically distributed random measures sampled from the population law. We provide natural sufficient conditions for this algorithm to almost surely converge in the Wasserstein space towards the population barycenter, and we introduce a novel, general condition which ensures uniqueness of Karcher means and, moreover, allows us to obtain explicit, parametric convergence rates for the expected optimality gap. We also study the mini-batch version of this algorithm, and discuss examples of families of population laws to which our method and results can be applied. This work expands and deepens ideas and results introduced in an early version of Backhoff-Veraguas et al. (2022), in which a statistical application (and numerical implementation) of this method is developed in the context of Bayesian learning.
Impacts of AMOC Collapse on Monsoon Rainfall: A Multi‐Model Comparison
Authors: Ben‐Yami M. , Good P. , Jackson L. C. , Crucifix M. , Hu A. , Saenko O. , Swingedouw D. , Boers N.
Published: September 2024

A collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) would have substantial impacts on global precipitation patterns, especially in the vulnerable tropical monsoon regions. We assess these impacts in experiments that apply the same freshwater hosing to four state‐of‐the‐art climate models with bistable AMOC. As opposed to previous results, we find that the spatial and seasonal patterns of precipitation change are remarkably consistent across models. We focus on the South American Monsoon (SAM), the West African Monsoon (WAM), the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) and the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM). Models consistently suggest substantial disruptions for WAM, ISM, and EASM with shorter wet and longer dry seasons (−29.07%, −18.76%, and −3.78% ensemble mean annual rainfall change, respectively). Models also agree on changes for the SAM, suggesting rainfall increases overall, in contrast to previous studies. These are more pronounced in the southern Amazon (+43.79%), accompanied by decreasing dry‐season length. Consistently across models, our results suggest a robust and major rearranging of all tropical monsoon systems in response to an AMOC collapse.
The Sphericity Paradox and the Role of Hoop Stresses in Free Subduction on a Sphere
Authors: Chaillat Stéphanie , Gerardi Gianluca , Li Yida , Chamolly Alexander , Li Zhong‐Hai , Ribe Neil M.
Published: September 2024

Oceanic plates are doubly curved spherical shells, which influences how they respond to loading during subduction. Here we study a viscous fluid model for gravity‐driven subduction of a shell comprising a spherical plate and an attached slab. The shell is 100–1,000 times more viscous than the upper mantle. We use the boundary‐element method to solve for the flow. Solutions of an axisymmetric model show that the effect of sphericity on the flexure of shells is greater for smaller shells that are more nearly flat (the “sphericity paradox”). Both axisymmetric and three‐dimensional models predict that the deviatoric membrane stress in the slab should be dominated by the longitudinal normal stress (hoop stress), which is typically about twice as large as the downdip stress and of opposite sign. Our models also predict that concave‐landward slabs can exhibit both compressive and tensile hoop stress depending on the depth, whereas the hoop stress in convex slabs is always compressive. We test these two predictions against slab shape and earthquake focal mechanism data from the Mariana subduction zone, assuming that the deviatoric stress in our flow models corresponds to that implied by centroid moment tensors. The magnitude of the hoop stress exceeds that of the downdip stress for about half the earthquakes surveyed, partially verifying our first prediction. Our second prediction is supported by the near‐absence of earthquakes under tensile hoop stress in the portion of the slab having convex geometry.
Seasonal, Interannual and Long‐Term Variability of Sea Surface Temperature in the NW Iberian Upwelling, 1982–2020
Authors: Piedracoba S. , Pardo P. C. , Álvarez‐Salgado X. A. , Torres S.
Published: September 2024

Here the seasonal, inter‐annual and long‐term variability of satellite‐derived sea surface temperature (SST) was analyzed in the NW Iberian margin from 1982 to 2020 to explore spatial differences at high (5‐km) resolution. In‐situ temperature measurements from five coastal buoys were used to validate the satellite‐derived SST data, discarding pixels from areas close to the shoreline. Regional SST increased significantly from 0.07 to 0.25°C per decade, with the lowest rates in shelf waters directly affected by seasonal coastal upwelling. Upwelling filaments also contributed to dampen the temperature increase in the adjacent slope and ocean waters. The spatial variability observed in the amplitude and timing of the seasonal cycle of SST is directly related to hydrography and circulation patterns of the region such as upwelling events during summer and the development of the river's buoyant plume and the warm Iberian Poleward Current during winter.
Achievements, challenges, and future prospects for industrialization of perovskite solar cells
Authors: Yang Chuang , Hu Wenjing , Liu Jiale , Han Chuanzhou , Gao Qiaojiao , Mei Anyi , Zhou Yinhua , Guo Fengwan , Han Hongwei
Published: September 2024

In just over a decade, certified single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs) boast an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 26.1%. Such outstanding performance makes it highly viable for further development. Here, we have meticulously outlined challenges that arose during the industrialization of PSCs and proposed their corresponding solutions based on extensive research. We discussed the main challenges in this field including technological limitations, multi-scenario applications, sustainable development, etc. Mature photovoltaic solutions provide the perovskite community with invaluable insights for overcoming the challenges of industrialization. In the upcoming stages of PSCs advancement, it has become evident that addressing the challenges concerning long-term stability and sustainability is paramount. In this manner, we can facilitate a more effective integration of PSCs into our daily lives.
Valproic acid-induced teratogenicity is driven by senescence and prevented by Rapamycin in human spinal cord and animal models
Authors: Pietrogrande Giovanni , Shaker Mohammed R. , Stednitz Sarah J. , Soheilmoghaddam Farhad , Aguado Julio , Morrison Sean D. , Zambrano Samuel , Tabassum Tahmina , Javed Ibrahim , Cooper-White Justin , Davis Thomas P. , O’Brien Terence J. , Scott Ethan K. , Wolvetang Ernst J.
Published: September 2024

Valproic acid (VPA) is an effective and widely used anti-seizure medication but is teratogenic when used during pregnancy, affecting brain and spinal cord development for reasons that remain largely unclear. Here we designed a genetic recombinase-based SOX10 reporter system in human pluripotent stem cells that enables tracking and lineage tracing of Neural Crest cells (NCCs) in a human organoid model of the developing neural tube. We found that VPA induces extensive cellular senescence and promotes mesenchymal differentiation of human NCCs. We next show that the clinically approved drug Rapamycin inhibits senescence and restores aberrant NCC differentiation trajectory after VPA exposure in human organoids and in developing zebrafish, highlighting the therapeutic promise of this approach. Finally, we identify the pioneer factor AP1 as a key element of this process. Collectively our data reveal cellular senescence as a central driver of VPA-associated neurodevelopmental teratogenicity and identifies a new pharmacological strategy for prevention. These results exemplify the power of genetically modified human stem cell-derived organoid models for drug discovery.
Structural insights into human ABCD3-mediated peroxisomal acyl-CoA translocation
Authors: Li Yang , Chen Zhi-Peng , Xu Da , Wang Liang , Cheng Meng-Ting , Zhou Cong-Zhao , Chen Yuxing , Hou Wen-Tao
Published: September 2024

Human ABC transporters ABCD1–3 are all localized on the peroxisomal membrane and participate in the β-oxidation of fatty acyl-CoAs, but they differ from each other in substrate specificity. The transport of branched-chain fatty acids from cytosol to peroxisome is specifically driven by ABCD3, dysfunction of which causes severe liver diseases such as hepatosplenomegaly. Here we report two cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of ABCD3 bound to phytanoyl-CoA and ATP at resolutions of 2.9 Å and 3.2 Å, respectively. A pair of phytanoyl-CoA molecules were observed in ABCD3, each binding to one transmembrane domain (TMD), which is distinct from our previously reported structure of ABCD1, where each fatty acyl-CoA molecule strongly crosslinks two TMDs. Upon ATP binding, ABCD3 exhibits a conformation that is open towards the peroxisomal matrix, leaving two extra densities corresponding to two CoA molecules deeply embedded in the translocation cavity. Structural analysis combined with substrate-stimulated ATPase activity assays indicated that the present structures might represent two states of ABCD3 in the transport cycle. These findings advance our understanding of fatty acid oxidation and the molecular pathology of related diseases.
A systematic review and quality appraisal of guidelines and recommendations for home enteral tube feeding in adults
Authors: Korai Andriana , Thomson Isabella , Carey Sharon , Allman-Farinelli Margaret
Published: September 2024

Home Enteral Tube Feeding (HETF) is a viable option for people within primary care settings when oral intake is insufficient to meet nutritional needs. As HETF is not a risk-free therapy, guidelines exist to enable its safe provision. This review aims to summarise existing guidelines and their recommendations pertaining to the provision of HETF and appraise their methodological quality. A systematic review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews, PRISMA-checklist and a 2019 methodological guide specific to the review of clinical practice guidelines (PROSPERO registration: CRD42023456223). Records were sourced from five bibliographical databases (Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, Cinahl) and the grey literature (64 websites, seven guideline repositories). The AGREE-II tool was applied to eligible guidelines. The recommendations of guidelines meeting a predetermined threshold score (domain 3 ‘rigour of development’ score >70%) were extracted, grouped, and assessed using the AGREE-REX tool. A total of 2707 records were screened with 15 guidelines meeting eligibility criteria. The median (IQR) overall AGREE-II score (/7) of all guidelines was 3 (3–5) and only 3/15 guidelines achieved a domain 3 score >70%. The median (IQR) overall AGREE-REX score was 33% (26–37%). No recommendation group achieved a domain score above 70%. No guideline or recommendation group was suggested for use without modification. Key limitations included suboptimal stakeholder involvement and implementability, and lack of methodological transparency. Current HETF guidelines inadequately align with methodological standards. This review highlights key areas HETF guideline developers should consider to create more relevant and implementable guidelines.