bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementing strategies to improve uptake of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in gender-affirming care: a mixed-methods implementation study
Authors: Kamran Rakhshan , Jackman Liam , Goodwin Charlie , Laws Anna , Stepney Melissa , Harrison Conrad , Jain Abhilash , Rodrigues Jeremy
Published: April 2024

Importance

The Practical Guide to Implementing PROMs in Gender-Affirming Care (PG-PROM-GAC) is an evidence-based resource, which was developed in response to international calls for improved patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) implementation in gender-affirming care. The PG-PROM-GAC has the potential to improve PROM implementation; however, its real-world effectiveness has not yet been investigated.

Objective

Investigate effectiveness and fidelity of three implementation strategies from the PG-PROM-GAC in a real-world gender clinic setting.

Design

Interrupted time series mixed-methods study investigating response rates to a PROM deployed alongside implementation strategies from the PG-PROM-GAC; and open-ended feedback on the fidelity and effectiveness of implementation strategies.

Setting

Participants were recruited from a National Health Service (NHS) gender clinic.

Participants

Eligible participants were being seen at an NHS gender clinic for an appointment during the study period, and were invited to participate in this study via email.

Intervention

Three implementation strategies from the PG-PROM-GAC deployed alongside a PROM.

Main outcome(s) and measure(s)

Response rates were calculated at 2-week intervals, in line with the deployment of each implementation strategy. Open-ended responses were thematically analysed by two researchers following guidance from implementation science and interpretation from Normalisation Process Theory.

Results

A total of 28 participants were included in this study with a mean (SD) age of 39 (17) years. In general, participants rated education material for PROMs as the most important for PROM implementation, and accessibility options for PROMs as the second most important. Response rates to PROM completion dropped as the study progressed, as the burden of reviewing implementation strategies increased. Results were used to construct recommendations for future PROM implementation efforts.

Conclusions and relevance

The PG-PROM-GAC and implementation strategy materials developed from this study (ie, educational video on PROMs co-developed with key stakeholders) can be used by clinicians, researchers and policymakers to lead PROM implementation efforts in gender-affirming care.
Programme theories to describe how different general practitioner service models work in different contexts in or alongside emergency departments (GP-ED): realist evaluation
Authors: Cooper Alison , Edwards Michelle , Davies Freya , Price Delyth , Anderson Pippa , Carson-Stevens Andrew , Cooke Matthew , Dale Jeremy , Donaldson Liam , Evans Bridie Angela , Harrington Barbara , Hepburn Julie , Hibbert Peter , Hughes Thomas C , Porter Alison , Siriwardena Aloysius Niroshan , Watkins Alan , Snooks Helen , Edwards Adrian
Published: April 2024

Background

Addressing increasing patient demand and improving ED patient flow is a key ambition for NHS England. Delivering general practitioner (GP) services in or alongside EDs (GP-ED) was advocated in 2017 for this reason, supported by £100 million (US$130 million) of capital funding. Current evidence shows no overall improvement in addressing demand and reducing waiting times, but considerable variation in how different service models operate, subject to local context.

Methods

We conducted mixed-methods analysis using inductive and deductive approaches for qualitative (observations, interviews) and quantitative data (time series analyses of attendances, reattendances, hospital admissions, length of stay) based on previous research using a purposive sample of 13 GP-ED service models (3 inside-integrated, 4 inside-parallel service, 3 outside-onsite and 3 with no GPs) in England and Wales. We used realist methodology to understand the relationship between contexts, mechanisms and outcomes to develop programme theories about how and why different GP-ED service models work.

Results

GP-ED service models are complex, with variation in scope and scale of the service, influenced by individual, departmental and external factors. Quantitative data were of variable quality: overall, no reduction in attendances and waiting times, a mixed picture for hospital admissions and length of hospital stay. Our programme theories describe how the GP-ED service models operate: inside the ED, integrated with patient flow and general ED demand, with a wider GP role than usual primary care; outside the ED, addressing primary care demand with an experienced streaming nurse facilitating the ‘right patients’ are streamed to the GP; or within the ED as a parallel service with most variability in the level of integration and GP role.

Conclusion

GP-ED services are complex . Our programme theories inform recommendations on how services could be modified in particular contexts to address local demand, or whether alternative healthcare services should be considered.
Understanding what leaders can do to facilitate healthcare workers’ feeling valued: improving our knowledge of the strongest burnout mitigator
Authors: Stillman Martin , Sullivan Erin E , Prasad Kriti , Sinsky Christine , Deubel Jordyn , Jin Jill O , Brown Roger , Nankivil Nancy , Linzer Mark
Published: April 2024

Aim

Feeling valued is a striking mitigator of burnout yet how to facilitate healthcare workers (HCWs) feeling valued has not been adequately studied. This study discovered factors relating to HCWs feeling valued so leaders can mitigate burnout and retain their workforce.

Method

The Coping with COVID-19 survey, initiated in March 2020 by the American Medical Association, was distributed to 208 US healthcare organisations. Of the respondents, 37 685 physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and other clinical staff answered questions that assessed burnout, intent to leave and whether they felt valued.

Quantitative analysis looked at odds of burnout and intent to leave among the highest versus lowest feeling valued (FV) groups. Open-ended comments provided by 5559 respondents with high or low sense of FV were analysed to understand aspects of work life that contributed to FV.

Results

Of 37 685 respondents, 45% felt valued; HCWs who felt highly valued had 8.3 times lower odds of burnout and 10.2 lower odds of intent to leave than those who did not feel valued at all. Qualitative data identified six themes associated with FV: (1) physical safety, (2) compensation and pandemic-related finances, (3) transparent and frequent communication, (4) effective teamwork, (5) empathetic and respectful leaders, and (6) organisational support.

Conclusion

This US study demonstrates that FV correlates with burnout and intent to leave, yet only 45% of HCWs feel valued. Six themes link to interventions leaders can follow to facilitate HCWs FV and potentially reduce burnout and increase retention for a challenged healthcare workforce.
Mental health, subjective experiences and environmental change
Authors: Zaragoza Bernal Juan Manuel
Published: April 2024

This article responds to Coope’s call for the medical humanities to address the climate crisis as a health issue. Coope proposes three areas for progress towards ecological thinking in healthcare, with a focus on ecological mental health. The article emphasises the need to understand the cultural dimensions of mental health and proposes an interdisciplinary approach that integrates insights from the arts and humanities. It examines the impact of climate change on mental health, drawing onThe Rockefeller Foundation - Lancet Commission on Planetary Healthand recent studies. The discussion focuses on the intersection of mental health, subjective experience and environmental change. Focusing on emotional experiences as constructed from biological and cultural elements, the article proposes a holistic approach to mental health. It proposes two converging lines of research, in constant interaction: first, a historical and cultural research of those concepts, practices and symbols related to the environment, emphasising a cultural history of nature; and second, a synchronous research, drawing on anthropology, sociology and participatory art-based research, to understand how these aforementioned elements influence our current relations with nature. The article concludes by emphasising the urgency of developing narratives and histories that redirect temporal trajectories towards a better future, while respecting and acknowledging diverse narratives of individual experience. It calls for collaborative efforts from the medical humanities to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the complex relationship between mental health, nature and ecological crisis.
Matrix element corrections in top quark decays for the $$t\overline{t}W^{\pm }$$ process
Authors: Frederix Rikkert , Gellersen Leif , Nasufi Jasmina
Published: April 2024

We present a method that allows enabling matrix element corrections (MECs) in Pythia8 with MC@NLO matching, without incurring double counting. MECs are an interesting feature that may contribute to the accuracy of theoretical predictions, alongside matching and merging. We directly compare our method to a specific choice of settings in Pythia8, which can remove double-counting for MECs in certain processes. We show results by taking the $$t\overline{t}W$$

t

t
¯

W

process as an example. This choice allows us to study the impact of decay MECs in the $$2\textrm{SS}\ell $$

2
SS
ℓ

and $$3\ell $$

3
ℓ

final states. We find that jet-related observables receive these corrections unevenly throughout the phase space. They can contribute up to $$\pm 6\%$$

±
6
%

in certain regions.
A comparative study of wormhole geometries under two different modified gravity formalism
Authors: Kiroriwal Sweeti , Kumar Jitendra , Maurya S. K. , Chaudhary Sourav
Published: April 2024

In the current article, we discuss the wormhole geometries in two different gravity theories, namely $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{Q, T})$$

F
(
Q
,
T
)

gravity and $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{R, T})$$

F
(
R
,
T
)

gravity. In these theories, $$\texttt{Q}$$
Q
is called a non-metricity scalar, $$\texttt{R}$$
R
stands for the Ricci scalar, and $$\texttt{T}$$
T
denotes the trace of the energy–momentum tensor (EMT). The main goal of this study is to comprehensively compare the properties of wormhole solutions within these two modified gravity frameworks by taking a particular shape function. The conducted analysis shows that the energy density is consistently positive for wormhole models in both gravity theories, while the radial pressure is positive for $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{Q, T})$$

F
(
Q
,
T
)

gravity and negative in $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{R, T})$$

F
(
R
,
T
)

gravity. Furthermore, the tangential pressure shows reverse behavior in comparison to the radial pressure. By using the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov (TOV) equation, the equilibrium aspect is also described, which indicates that hydrostatic force dominates anisotropic force in the case of $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{Q, T})$$

F
(
Q
,
T
)

gravity theory, while the reverse situation occurs in $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{R, T})$$

F
(
R
,
T
)

gravity, i.e., anisotropic force dominates hydrostatic force. Moreover, using the concept of the exoticity parameter, we observed the presence of exotic matter at or near the throat in the case of $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{Q, T})$$

F
(
Q
,
T
)

gravity while matter distribution is exotic near the throat but normal matter far from the throat in $$\texttt{F}(\texttt{R, T})$$

F
(
R
,
T
)

gravity case. In conclusion, precise wormhole models can be created with a potential NEC and DEC violation at the throat of both wormholes while having a positive energy density, i.e., $$\rho >0$$

ρ
>
0

.
Unitary (semi)causal quantum-circuit representation of black hole evaporation
Authors: Broda Bogusław
Published: April 2024

A general structure of unitary evolution (evaporation) of the black hole, respecting causality imposed by the event horizon (semicausality), has been derived and presented in the language of quantum circuits. The resulting consequences for the evolution of the corresponding entanglement entropy and the entropy curve have been determined. As an illustration of the general scheme, two families of qubit toy models have been discussed: tensor product models and controlled non-product models.
F(R) gravity dark energy model of an interaction between dark radiation and dark matter
Authors: Qi Yannan , Yang Weiqiang , Wang Yitao , Han Tianyi , Wu Yabo
Published: April 2024

In this work, we will study the late-time dynamic evolution of the F(R) gravity dark energy model of an interaction between dark radiation and dark matter. We explore the possibility of the apparent extra dark radiation being linked directly to the physics of cold dark matter (CDM). In particular, we consider a generic scenario where dark radiation, as a result of an interaction, is produced directly by a fraction of the dark matter density effectively decaying into dark radiation. The decay process is controlled by its rate $$Q=\alpha H\rho _{dm}$$

Q
=
α
H

ρ

dm

, where $$\alpha $$
α
is the (constant) dimensionless parameter quantifying the strength of the decay mechanism, for the weak coupling between dark matter and dark radiation $$\alpha \ll 1$$

α
≪
1

. We will solve the field equations numerically by using the statefinder function $$y_{H}$$

y
H

to appropriately represent the field equation. The F(R) gravity model we consider is described by a nearly $$R^{2}$$

R
2

-model at early epochs and at late-time the model mimic the $$\Lambda $$
Λ
-Cold-Dark-Matter model ($$\Lambda CDM$$

Λ
C
D
M

), and we fine tune the parameters to achieve viability and compatibility with the latest Planck constraints at late-time. Furthermore, we consider the behavior of several well-known statefinder quantities, we find that statefinder diagnostic and Om diagnostic can not only break the degeneracy of different parameter values in the F(R) gravity dark energy model, but also effectively distinguish the difference between the F(R) gravity model and the $$\Lambda CDM$$

Λ
C
D
M

model. At last, we compared the theoretical results with the SNIa data.
Propagation and fluxes of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in $$\varvec{f(R)}$$ gravity theory
Authors: Sarmah Swaraj Pratim , Goswami Umananda Dev
Published: April 2024

In this work, we study the effect of diffusion of ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) protons in the presence of turbulent magnetic fields (TMFs) in the light of the f(R) theory of gravity. The f(R) theory of gravity is a successful modified theory of gravity in explaining the various aspects of the observable Universe including its current state of expansion. For this work, we consider two most studied f(R) gravity models, viz., the power-law model and the Starobinsky model. With these two models, we study the diffusive character of the propagation of UHECR protons in terms of their density enhancement. The density enhancement is a measure of how the density of CRs changes due to their diffusion in the intergalactic medium and interaction with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. Ankle, instep and Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff are all spectrum characteristics that extragalactic UHECRs acquire when they propagate through the CMB. We analyse all these characteristics through the diffusive flux as well as its modification factor. Model dependence of the modification factor is minimal compared to the diffusive flux. We compare the UHECR proton spectra calculated for the considered f(R) gravity models with the available data of the Telescope Array (TA) and Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO). We see that both models of f(R) gravity predict energy spectra of UHECRs with all experimentally observed features, which lay well within the range of combined data of both experiments throughout the energy range of concern. It is to be noted that our present work is only to investigate the possible effects of f(R) gravity theory on the UHECRs propagation, using pure proton composition as a simplified case study since protons are least affected by magnetic fields. Hence, at this stage, our results cannot be used to favor or disfavor f(R) cosmology over $$\Lambda $$
Λ
CDM cosmology as more work is needed in this regard.
Interactions of the pseudoscalar meson octet and the baryon decuplet in the continuum and a finite volume
Authors: Ji Teng , Dong Xiang-Kun , Meißner Ulf-G.
Published: April 2024

This study focuses on the interaction of the pseudoscalar meson octet and the baryon decuplet. In the continuum, it is observed that several$$J^{P}=\frac{3}{2}^-$$JP=32-baryon resonances can be produced by the Weinberg-Tomozawa interaction in unitarized chiral perturbation theory, including theN(1875),$$\Sigma (1670)$$Σ(1670),$$\Sigma (1910)$$Σ(1910),$$\Xi (1820)$$Ξ(1820)and$$\Omega (2012)$$Ω(2012). Among them, the$$\Xi (1820)$$Ξ(1820)and$$\Sigma (1670)$$Σ(1670)may exhibit a potential two-pole structures. The unitarized chiral perturbation approach is then applied as the underlying theory to predict the energy levels of these systems in a finite volume. These energy levels are well described by theK-matrix parameterization constrained by flavor SU(3) symmetry. With the parameters from the best fits, the poles extracted from theK-matrix parameterization closely correspond to those derived from the underlying chiral effective field theory, as long as they are close to physical region and not significantly higher than the lowest relevant threshold.
Segmentation using large language models: A new typology of American neighborhoods
Authors: Singleton Alex D. , Spielman Seth
Published: April 2024

In the United States, recent changes to the National Statistical System have amplified the geographic-demographic resolution trade-off. That is, when working with demographic and economic data from the American Community Survey, as one zooms in geographically one loses resolution demographically due to very large margins of error. In this paper, we present a solution to this problem in the form of an AI based open and reproducible geodemographic classification system for the United States using small area estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS). We employ a partitioning clustering algorithm to a range of socio-economic, demographic, and built environment variables. Our approach utilizes an open source software pipeline that ensures adaptability to future data updates. A key innovation is the integration of GPT4, a state-of-the-art large language model, to generate intuitive cluster descriptions and names. This represents a novel application of natural language processing in geodemographic research and showcases the potential for human-AI collaboration within the geospatial domain.
INTELLIGENT EXTRACTION OF COMPLEXITY TYPES IN FRACTAL RESERVOIR AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO ESTIMATE TRANSPORT PROPERTY
Authors: JIN YI , ZHAO BEN , YANG YUNHANG , DONG JIABIN , SONG HUIBO , TIAN YUNQING , PAN JIENAN
Published: April 2024

Fractal pore structure exists widely in natural reservoir and dominates its transport property. For that, more and more effort is devoted to investigate the control mechanism on mass transfer in such a complex and multi-scale system. Apparently, effective characterization of the fractal structure is of fundamental importance. Although the newly emerged concept of complexity assembly clarified the complexity types and their assembly mechanism in a fractal system, equivalent extraction of the complexity types is the key for effective characterization. For these, we proposed a deep learning-based method to extract the original and behavioral complexity assembled in bed-packing fractal porous media for simplification and without loss of generality. In detail, the UNeXt network model was trained to obtain the independent connected regions of scaling objects with different scales, the edge detection and clustering analysis algorithms were employed to extract the number-size relationship between two successive scaling objects, and the unique inversion of fractal behavior was realized by taking the number-size model and fractal topography together. Consequently, an equivalent characterization method for fractal complex pore structure was developed based on the concept of complexity assembly. Our investigation provides a theoretical guidance and method reference for the quantitative characterization of fractal porous media that will guarantee the fundamental requirement for the accurate evaluation of the transport properties of natural reservoir.
A Theoretical Study of the Representational Power of Weighted Randomised Univariate Regression Tree Ensembles
Authors: Ahmad Amir , Halawani Sami M. , Kumar Ajay , Hashmi Arshad , Jarrah Mutasem , Ahmad Abdul Rafey , Abbas Zia
Published: April 2024

Univariate regression trees have representation problems for non-orthogonal regression functions. Ensembles of univariate regression trees have better representational power. In some cases, weighted ensembles have shown better performance than unweighted ensembles. In this paper, we study the properties of ensembles of regression trees by using regression classification models. We propose a theoretical framework to study the representational power of infinite-sized weighted ensembles, consisting of randomised finite-sized regression trees. We show for some datasets that the weighted ensembles may have better representational power than unweighted ensembles, but the performance is highly dependent on the weighting scheme and the properties of datasets. Our model cannot be used for all the datasets. However, for some datasets, we can accurately predict the experimental results of ensembles of regression trees.
Sleipner 26 years: how well-established subsurface monitoring work processes have contributed to successful offshore CO
2
injection
Authors: Furre A.-K. , Warchoł M. J. , Alnes H. , Pontén A. S. M.
Published: April 2024

In August 2022, the world's longest running offshore industrial CO
2
injection project celebrated its 26-year anniversary. During these years, the Sleipner CO
2
injection project has been invaluable in demonstrating that offshore CO
2
storage is feasible, safe, and efficient. We will here show how time-lapse seismic monitoring of the CO
2
plume development has revealed depositional architecture in the Utsira Formation, and how thin mudstone layers have contributed to distributing the CO
2
in a larger rock volume, promoting trapping by dissolution. The relatively shallow depth (800–1000 m) of Utsira Formation in the Sleipner area also makes the Sleipner CO
2
injection site a good proxy for understanding the effects of overburden stratigraphy for deeper injection sites, giving important knowledge of detectability of thin, shallow CO
2
accumulations. Finally, we will show how the experience from Sleipner CO
2
injection has built confidence when planning monitoring programmes for future CO
2
injection sites.
Influences of bedding angle and soaking time on the mechanical behaviour of silty mudstone: laboratory testing and theoretical modelling
Authors: Yu Guang-Tao , Fu Hong-Yuan , Gao Qian-Feng , Zeng Ling , Li Jia-Jun
Published: April 2024

Silty mudstone is highly susceptible to the influence of hot and humid environments, leading to the deterioration of its mechanical properties presenting a geohazard and even resulting in geological disasters. Accurately characterizing the effects of bedding and water–rock interaction on the mechanical behaviour of silty mudstone is a crucial prerequisite for the protection and reinforcement of silty mudstone slopes. To this end, uniaxial compression tests and Brazilian splitting tests were conducted to examine the mechanical properties of bedded silty mudstone. Based on the test results, the effects of bedding angle and soaking time on mechanical properties such as tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of bedded silty mudstone were revealed. The test results showed that the tensile strength increased exponentially with increasing bedding angle. The observed split failure patterns of bedded silty mudstone encompassed splitting–pulling damage, shear damage and splitting damage. The uniaxial compressive strength of silty mudstone exhibited a U-shaped variation with an increase in bedding angle. The specimen with a bedding angle of 45° had the lowest uniaxial compressive strength at 7.64 MPa. Furthermore, the elastic modulus of silty mudstone was positively correlated with the bedding angle. The failure patterns of bedded silty mudstone under uniaxial compression included splitting-tension damage, shear-slip damage and splitting-shear damage. The saturated tensile strength, uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of bedded silty mudstone exhibited an exponential decrease with increasing soaking time. The test data confirmed the applicability of the Jaeger equation to the uniaxial compressive strength of bedded silty mudstone. Subsequently, a modified Hoek–Brown failure criterion was derived by combining fracture mechanics theory and test results and introducing a softening factor. The parameters
A
,
D
and
m
in the above failure criterion decreased exponentially with increasing soaking time and an empirical Hoek–Brown failure criterion considering the soaking time was established. Compared with previous theoretical models, this model is more adaptable to the actual engineering situation, which results in more accurate calculations.
Interactions for Socially Shared Regulation in Collaborative Learning: An Interdisciplinary Multimodal Dataset
Authors: Li Yante , Liu Yang , Nguyen Andy , Shi Henglin , Vuorenmaa Eija , Järvelä Sanna , Zhao Guoying
Published: April 2024

Socially shared regulation plays a pivotal role in the success of collaborative learning. However, evaluating socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) proves challenging due to the dynamic and infrequent cognitive and socio-emotional interactions, which constitute the focal point of SSRL. To address this challenge, this article gathers interdisciplinary researchers to establish a multimodal dataset with cognitive and socio-emotional interactions for SSRL study. Firstly, to induce cognitive and socio-emotional interactions, learning science researchers designed a special collaborative learning task with regulatory trigger events among triadic people for the SSRL study. Secondly, this dataset includes various modalities like video, Kinect data, audio, and physiological data (accelerometer, EDA, heart rate) from 81 high school students in 28 groups, offering a comprehensive view of the SSRL process. Thirdly, three-level verbal interaction annotations and nonverbal interactions including facial expression, eye gaze, gesture, and posture are provided, which could further contribute to interdisciplinary fields such as computer science, sociology, and education. In addition, comprehensive analysis verifies the dataset’s effectiveness. As far as we know, this is the first multimodal dataset for studying SSRL among triadic group members.
Verifiable Quantum Advantage without Structure
Authors: Yamakawa Takashi , Zhandry Mark
Published: April 2024

We show the following hold, unconditionally unless otherwise stated, relative to a random oracle:

—

There are NP
search
problems solvable by quantum polynomial-time (QPT) machines but not classical probabilistic polynomial-time (PPT) machines.

—

There exist functions that are one-way, and even collision resistant, against classical adversaries but are easily inverted quantumly. Similar counterexamples exist for digital signatures and CPA-secure public key encryption (the latter requiring the assumption of a classically CPA-secure encryption scheme). Interestingly, the counterexample does not necessarily extend to the case of other cryptographic objects such as PRGs.

—

There are unconditional publicly verifiable proofs of quantumness with the minimal rounds of interaction: for uniform adversaries, the proofs are non-interactive, whereas for non-uniform adversaries the proofs are two message public coin.

—

Our results do not appear to contradict the Aaronson-Ambanis conjecture. Assuming this conjecture, there exist publicly verifiable certifiable randomness, again with the minimal rounds of interaction.

By replacing the random oracle with a concrete cryptographic hash function such as SHA2, we obtain plausible Minicrypt instantiations of the above results. Previous analogous results all required substantial structure, either in terms of highly structured oracles and/or algebraic assumptions in Cryptomania and beyond.
COER: A Network Interface Offloading Architecture for RDMA and Congestion Control Protocol Codesign
Authors: Wu Ke , Dong Dezun , Xu Weixia
Published: April 2024

RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) networks require efficient congestion control to maintain their high throughput and low latency characteristics. However, congestion control protocols deployed at the software layer suffer from slow response times due to the communication overhead between host hardware and software. This limitation has hindered their ability to meet the demands of high-speed networks and applications. Harnessing the capabilities of rapidly advancing Network Interface Cards (NICs) can drive progress in congestion control. Some simple congestion control protocols have been offloaded to RDMA NICs to enable faster detection and processing of congestion. However, offloading congestion control to the RDMA NIC faces a significant challenge in integrating the RDMA transport protocol with advanced congestion control protocols that involve complex mechanisms. We have observed that reservation-based proactive congestion control protocols share strong similarities with RDMA transport protocols, allowing them to integrate seamlessly and combine the functionalities of the transport layer and network layer. In this article, we present COER, an RDMA NIC architecture that leverages the functional components of RDMA to perform reservations and completes the scheduling of congestion control during the scheduling process of the RDMA protocol. COER facilitates the streamlined development of offload strategies for congestion control techniques —specifically, proactive congestion control —on RDMA NICs. We use COER to design offloading schemes for 11 congestion control protocols, which we implement and evaluate using a network emulator with a cycle-accurate RDMA NIC model that can load Message Passing Interface (MPI) programs. The evaluation results demonstrate that the architecture of COER does not compromise the original characteristics of the congestion control protocols. Compared with a layered protocol stack approach, COER enables the performance of RDMA networks to reach new heights.
Performance-Aware Trust Modeling within a Human–Multi-Robot Collaboration Setting
Authors: Rabby Md Khurram Monir , Khan Mubbashar Altaf , Jiang Steven Xiaochun , Karimoddini Ali
Published: April 2024

In this study, a novel time-driven mathematical model for trust is developed considering human–multi-robot performance for a Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) framework. For this purpose, a model is developed to quantify human performance considering the effects of physical and cognitive constraints and factors such as muscle fatigue and recovery, muscle isometric force, human (cognitive and physical) workload, workloads due to the robots’ mistakes, and task complexity. The performance of multi-robot in the HRC setting is modeled based upon the rate of task assignment and completion as well as the mistake probabilities of the individual robots. The human trust in HRC setting with single and multiple robots is modeled over different operation regions, namely unpredictable region, predictable region, dependable region, and faithful region. The relative performance difference between the human operator and the robot is used to analyze the effect on the human operator’s trust in robots’ operation. The developed model is simulated for a manufacturing workspace scenario considering different task complexities and involving multiple robots to complete shared tasks. The simulation results indicate that for a constant multi-robot performance in operation, the human operator’s trust in robots’ operation improves whenever the comparative performance of the robots improves with respect to the human operator performance. The impact of robot hypothetical learning capabilities on human trust in the same HRC setting is also analyzed. The results confirm that a hypothetical learning capability allows robots to reduce human workloads, which improves human performance. The simulation result analysis confirms that the human operator’s trust in the multi-robot operation increases faster with the improvement of the multi-robot performance when the robots have a hypothetical learning capability. An empirical study was conducted involving a human operator and two collaborator robots with two different performance levels in a software-based HRC setting. The experimental results closely followed the pattern of the developed mathematical models when capturing human trust and performance in terms of human–multi-robot collaboration.
Conservatism, the Far Right, and the Environment
Authors: Bryant Jesse Callahan , Farrell Justin
Published: April 2024

Sociology operates with an impoverished understanding of conservatism and the natural environment. The discipline's focus on antiregulatory and antiscience dimensions of conservative politics can obscure a more comprehensive, historically deep, and theoretically rich understanding of conservatism's connection to nature. We review and integrate sociological research with a large multidisciplinary global literature on conservative and far right environmental thought. Our analysis shows an intellectual tradition built around three commitments concerning the moral order of nature and society: naturalism, organicism, and pastoralism. Rather than being antiscientific, these traditions have drawn heavily on natural science for their authority. After tracing their history, we consider several contemporary manifestations, sometimes in ways that are counterintuitive to sociology's dominant understanding of conservatism. Conservative thought, including its far right edges, maintains a firm hold on global politics while climate change transforms the planet. To better understand these dynamics, sociology must continue to integrate work from other socioenvironmental fields. This review begins to correct this neglect and charts a path for future research at this increasingly impactful intersection.
Coupled Electrochemical-Thermo-Stress Analysis for Methanol-Fueled Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Li Gang , Liao Yunfeng , Cheng Junfang , Huo Haibo , Xu Jingxiang
Published: April 2024

A three-dimensional model of a methanol-fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that sufficiently considers the rib structure to understand the effects of operating conditions on a methanol-fueled SOFC is developed. The model considers the coupling of electrochemical reactions, mass transport, heat transfer, and thermal stress. The overall performance of the methanol-fueled SOFC is investigated under the influence of operating voltage, steam-to-carbon ratio, and porosity. The results indicate that as the operating voltage increases, the overall anode switches from exothermic to endothermic, and the stress of the anode first decreases and then increases. As the steam-to-carbon ratio increases, the overall temperature of the anode decreases. However, when the steam-to-carbon ratio is less than 1, the temperature at the inlet is lower than the ambient temperature. Meanwhile, the first principal stress on the anode increases as the steam-to-carbon ratio increases. Increasing the porosity reduces the length of the three-phase boundary, thereby decreasing the current density and the overall temperature and thermal stress on the anode. This study revealed the effects of operating conditions on the methanol-fueled SOFC, especially on the rib, and contribute to controlling the operant conditions for SOFC fueled by a mixture of steam and methanol.
Electrochemical Analysis of an Electrolyte-Supported Solid Oxide Cell-Based MK35x Stack during Long-Term Electrolysis Operation
Authors: Riegraf Matthias , Szabo Patric , Lang Michael , Costa Rémi , Rothe Stefan , Megel Stefan , Kusnezoff Mihails
Published: April 2024

The currently ongoing scale-up of high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis (SOEL) requires an understanding of the underlying dominant degradation mechanisms to enable continuous progress in increasing stack durability. In the present study, the degradation behavior of SOEL stacks of the type “MK35x” with chromium-iron-yttrium (CFY) interconnects and electrolyte-supported cells (ESC) developed at Fraunhofer IKTS was investigated. For this purpose, the initial electrochemical performance of a 10-cell stack was characterized in various operating conditions in both fuel cell and electrolysis mode. Degradation was evaluated during galvanostatic steady-state steam electrolysis operation for more than 3000 h at an oxygen side outlet temperature of 816 °C and a current density of −0.6 A cm−2 and showed an average voltage evolution rate of −0.3%/kh demonstrating high stability. Initial and final characterization at the part load operating point at −0.39 A cm−2 and 800 °C led to the determination of a positive overall degradation rate of 0.4%/kh showing a considerable impact of the operating conditions on the degradation rate. By means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis it was shown that the stack’s ohmic resistance increased whereas the polarization resistance decreased most likely due to an enhancement in LSMM’/ScSZ oxygen electrode performance.
The electroneutral Na+-HCO3− cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) modulates colonic enterocyte pHi, proliferation, and migration
Authors: Jiang Min , Salari Azam , Stock Christian , Nikolovska Katerina , Boedtkjer Ebbe , Amiri Mahdi , Seidler Ursula E.
Published: April 2024

The transporter NBCn1 plays a central role in maintaining homeostasis within Caco2BBe colonic epithelial cells through its regulation of intracellular pH, matrix adhesion, migration, and proliferation. These observations yield valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of the aberrant upregulation of this transporter in human colorectal cancers.
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 promotes the biofunctions of perivascular preadipocytes mediated by Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway
Authors: Liu Zhiquan , Wang Jiayu , Tian Peiqing , Liu Yixuan , Xing Liyun , Fu Caihua , Huang Xianwei , Liu Ping
Published: April 2024

SGLT-1 is expressed in PVPACs and can affect preadipocyte glucolipid metabolism and vascular remodeling. SGLT-1 promotes the biofunctions of PVPACs mediated by Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Compared with caudal vein or intraperitoneal injection, the external application of lentivirus-based thermal gel around the carotid artery is an innovative attempt at vascular remodeling model, it may effectively avoid the transfection of lentiviral vector into the whole body of mice and the adverse effect on experimental results.
Nfe2l2/NRF2 Deletion Attenuates Tumorigenesis and Increases Bacterial Diversity in a Mouse Model of Lynch Syndrome
Authors: Haller Felix , Jimenez Kristine , Baumgartner Maximilian , Lang Michaela , Klotz Anton , Jambrich Manuela , Busslinger Georg , Müllauer Leonhard , Khare Vineeta , Gasche Christoph
Published: April 2024

Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most prevalent heritable form of colorectal cancer. Its early onset and high lifetime risk for colorectal cancer emphasize the necessity for effective chemoprevention. NFE2L2 (NRF2) is often considered a potential druggable target, and many chemopreventive compounds induce NRF2. However, although NRF2 counteracts oxidative stress, it is also overexpressed in colorectal cancer and may promote tumorigenesis. In this study, we evaluated the role of NRF2 in the prevention of LS-associated neoplasia. We found increased levels of NRF2 in intestinal epithelia of mice with intestinal epithelium–specific Msh2 deletion (MSH2ΔIEC) compared with C57BL/6 (wild-type) mice, as well as an increase in downstream NRF2 targets NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) and glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic subunit. Likewise, NRF2 levels were increased in human MSH2-deficient LS tumors compared with healthy human controls. In silico analysis of a publicly accessible RNA sequencing LS dataset also found an increase in downstream NRF2 targets. Upon crossing MSH2ΔIEC with Nrf2null (MSH2ΔIECNrf2null) mice, we unexpectedly found reduced tumorigenesis in MSH2ΔIECNrf2null mice compared with MSH2ΔIEC mice after 40 weeks, which occurred despite an increase in oxidative damage in MSH2ΔIECNrf2null mice. The loss of NRF2 impaired proliferation as seen by Ki67 intestinal staining and in organoid cultures. This was accompanied by diminished WNT/β-catenin signaling, but apoptosis was unaffected. Microbial α-diversity increased over time with the loss of NRF2 based upon 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of murine fecal samples. Altogether, we show that NRF2 protein levels are increased in MSH2 deficiency and associated neoplasia, but the loss of NRF2 attenuates tumorigenesis. Activation of NRF2 may not be a feasible strategy for chemoprevention in LS.

Prevention Relevance: Patients with LS have an early onset and high lifetime risk for colorectal cancer. In this study, we show that NRF2 protein levels are increased in MSH2 deficiency and associated neoplasia, but the loss of NRF2 attenuates tumorigenesis. This suggests that NRF2 may not be a tumor suppressor in this specific context.
Table S2 from Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant Referral and Evaluation among Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Georgia
Authors: Ross-Driscoll Katherine , Ayuk-Arrey Arrey-Takor , Lynch Raymond , McCullough Lauren E. , Roccaro Giorgio , Nephew Lauren , Hundley Jonathan , Rubin Raymond A. , Patzer Rachel
Published: April 2024

Multivariable adjusted probability of transplant referral, evaluation initiation and evaluation completion among HCC patients in Georgia accounting for death as a competing risk
TABLE 3 from Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant Referral and Evaluation among Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Georgia
Authors: Ross-Driscoll Katherine , Ayuk-Arrey Arrey-Takor , Lynch Raymond , McCullough Lauren E. , Roccaro Giorgio , Nephew Lauren , Hundley Jonathan , Rubin Raymond A. , Patzer Rachel
Published: April 2024

Associations between early-stage HCC patient characteristics and liver transplant evaluation in Georgia
TABLE 1 from Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant Referral and Evaluation among Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Georgia
Authors: Ross-Driscoll Katherine , Ayuk-Arrey Arrey-Takor , Lynch Raymond , McCullough Lauren E. , Roccaro Giorgio , Nephew Lauren , Hundley Jonathan , Rubin Raymond A. , Patzer Rachel
Published: April 2024

Distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics among patients with early-stage HCC diagnosed in Georgia (2010–2019)
FIGURE 2 from Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant Referral and Evaluation among Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Georgia
Authors: Ross-Driscoll Katherine , Ayuk-Arrey Arrey-Takor , Lynch Raymond , McCullough Lauren E. , Roccaro Giorgio , Nephew Lauren , Hundley Jonathan , Rubin Raymond A. , Patzer Rachel
Published: April 2024

Liver transplant referral and evaluation among patients diagnosed with early-stage HCC in Georgia, 2010–2019.
Data from Proteasome Inhibition Reprograms Chromatin Landscape in Breast Cancer
Authors: Kinyamu H. Karimi , Bennett Brian D. , Ward James M. , Archer Trevor K.
Published: April 2024

Abstract
The 26S proteasome is the major protein degradation machinery in cells. Cancer cells use the proteasome to modulate gene expression networks that promote tumor growth. Proteasome inhibitors have emerged as effective cancer therapeutics, but how they work mechanistically remains unclear. Here, using integrative genomic analysis, we discovered unexpected reprogramming of the chromatin landscape and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription initiation in breast cancer cells treated with the proteasome inhibitor MG132. The cells acquired dynamic changes in chromatin accessibility at specific genomic loci termed differentially open chromatin regions (DOCR). DOCRs with decreased accessibility were promoter proximal and exhibited unique chromatin architecture associated with divergent RNAPII transcription. Conversely, DOCRs with increased accessibility were primarily distal to transcription start sites and enriched in oncogenic superenhancers predominantly accessible in non-basal breast tumor subtypes. These findings describe the mechanisms by which the proteasome modulates the expression of gene networks intrinsic to breast cancer biology.
Significance:
Our study provides a strong basis for understanding the mechanisms by which proteasome inhibitors exert anticancer effects. We find open chromatin regions that change during proteasome inhibition, are typically accessible in non-basal breast cancers.
Clinical and Biochemical Analysis of Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase Deficiency Presented with Late-Onset Spinocerebellar Ataxia and Hemolytic Anemia
Authors: Al-Hatou Mohammed , Safan Abeer Sabry , Atta Mohamed A. , Siddiqi Maria
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), previously known as gamma-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase, is an essential rate-limiting step in glutathione synthesis. Glutathione modulates multitudes of critical cellular processes and scavenges free radicals. Its deficiency is reported to cause hemolysis of variable severity and is a rare cause of neurological abnormalities such as spinocerebellar ataxia. Clinical Presentation: We report a 55-year-old female patient with progressive late-onset ataxia, lower limb spasticity, and chronic hemolytic anemia found to have a GCLC pathogenic variant and low glutathione level. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head and cervical spine showed global cerebellar atrophy with widened folia and decreased diameter of the upper cervical spine. Blood workup revealed hemolytic anemia with genetic testing confirmed a homozygous variant, c.514 T>A in exon 4 of the GCLC gene, resulting in Ser172Thr (TCC>ACC). Management encompassed a multidisciplinary approach with a trial of high-dose alpha-lipoic acid, glutathione supplement, and physical therapy. Conclusions: GCLC deficiency manifesting with hemolysis has been reported in 12 cases worldwide from 6 independent families, with only 4 cases having additional neurological manifestations. To date, no specific GCLC gene mutation has been attributed to the reported neurological constellation of symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of late-onset spinocerebellar degeneration as a manifestation of c.514T>A (p. S172T) GCLC pathological variant genetic mutation.