bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Klimakommunikation und Klimaservice
Authors: Schuck-Zöller Susanne , Abeling Thomas , Bender Steffen , Groth Markus , Keup-Thiel Elke , Molitor Heike , Sander Kirsten , Seipold Peer , Vilsmaier Ulli
Published: February 2024

Um auf den Klimawandel reagieren zu können, werden Klimaschutz und Anpassung an den Klimawandel zunehmend aufeinander bezogen. Die Dringlichkeit des Problems hat Auswirkungen auf die Wissenschaftskommunikation und ebenso auf die Forschung gezeitigt, die sich inzwischen um den Bereich des Klimaservice' erweitert hat. Dieses Kapitel geht der Frage nach: Was wird unter Klimakommunikation und Klimaservice verstanden und was leisten diese im Zusammenhang mit dem Klimawandel? Wissenschaftstheoretische Fragestellungen, die sich daraus ergeben, werden skizziert. Darauf aufbauend lassen sich Voraussetzungen, Chancen und Herausforderungen einer erfolgreichen Umsetzung dieser neuen wissenschaftlichen und kommunikativen Aktivitäten benennen.
Klimawandel und Extremereignisse: Temperatur inklusive Hitzewellen
Authors: Friedrich Karsten , Deutschländer Thomas , Kreienkamp Frank , Leps Nora , Mächel Hermann , Walter Andreas
Published: February 2024

Haben sich extreme Temperaturereignisse in der Vergangenheit in Deutschland verändert? Welche Veränderungen sind in der Zukunft zu erwarten? Die Antworten auf diese Fragen variieren je nach Prozess, Region, Jahreszeit, Indikator und Bezugszeitraum. Anders als für andere Extremereignisse sind in Bezug auf die Temperaturentwicklung inzwischen relativ sichere Aussagen möglich. Das Kapitel stellt die meteorologischen Kennzahlen vor und widmet sich Untersuchungen auf Tagesbasis sowie der Auswertung länger andauernder Perioden, sowohl am oberen als auch am unteren Ende der Temperaturskala. Der Fokus liegt dabei allerdings auf heißen Tagen oder Hitzewellen. Von der beobachteten Zunahme solcher Ereignisse in der nahen Vergangenheit wird der Bogen geschlagen zur möglichen zukünftigen Entwicklung und Auftrittswahrscheinlichkeit extremer Temperaturereignisse.
Der Klimawandel: Auswirkungen auf Winde und Zyklonen
Authors: Pinto Joaquim G. , Feser Frauke , Ludwig Patrick , Reyers Mark
Published: February 2024

Für das zukünftige Klima ist eine Verschiebung des Gebietes über dem Nordatlantik, in dem Zyklonen bevorzugt in Richtung Europa ziehen wahrscheinlich, was die Windaktivitäten stark beeinflussen wird. Beobachtungen der vergangenen Jahrzehnte und Klimaprojektionen zeigen für das zukünftige Klima eine starke zwischenjährliche Schwankung der Zyklonenaktivität über dem Nordatlantik. In diesem Kapitel werden beobachtete Trends den Ergebnissen der Klimamodellierung zukünftiger Windaktivitäten gegenübergestellt. Der Beitrag diskutiert die Robustheit der Ergebnisse und stellt dar, warum extreme Sturmereignisse künftig häufiger auftreten könnten.
How Cities Shape Our Experience
Authors: Pineda Victor Santiago
Published: February 2024

Cities need to be places of inclusion, belonging, and access. Failing to do so leads to social and economic costs for citizens, such as the marginalization and exclusion of persons with disabilities and older persons from participating in important services and activities. The construction industry shapes our built environment and has a significant role to play in ensuring cities are places of inclusion and access to create a more equitable future for us all. However, current practices within the construction industry are failing to accommodate persons with disabilities and older persons. Inclusive practices in construction management require technical approaches that support project delivery. The construction industry can inform and support policy objectives, but it is lacking in its management approach to ensure accessibility for all. There is a need for integrated approaches that are embedded in the standard operating procedures of cities, companies, and the wider construction industry to absorb the costs of accessibility over the life cycle of building or infrastructure developments. City leaders and construction companies must engage local communities in participatory planning and share effective processes and best practices for incorporating accessibility principles into their projects.
Making and Measuring Progress in Radically Inclusive Cities
Authors: Pineda Victor Santiago
Published: February 2024

The cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi can serve as useful examples of the journey cities can undertake toward radical inclusion for persons with disabilities in the context of rapid urbanization. The actions of these cities over previous decades provide examples of practical approaches to building more inclusion and belonging by design. The management, governance, and strategies they undertook demonstrate how consistent and measurable progress toward inclusion, equity, and accessibility can be effectively designed and executed. Two frameworks, the DisCo Policy Framework and the Iceberg of Inequality Model, can be used to complement these city-based case studies. The DisCo Policy Framework is a tool for evaluating inclusive urban development and has five interrelated criteria for assessment. The Iceberg of Inequality Model shows the hierarchical structure of primary rights and capabilities. These tools can be used to benchmark progress toward radical inclusion and form part of a multidimensional and cross-sectional toolkit for key stakeholders to undo decades old errors and omissions in broad based planning, policy, and design. The UN Habitat III Conference also highlighted six key areas for advancing equity, access, and inclusion in cities as well as the need for political commitment to inclusive urbanization.
Shedding light on dark bubble cosmology
Authors: Basile Ivano , Danielsson Ulf , Giri Suvendu , Panizo Daniel
Published: February 2024

Abstract

Dark bubble cosmology is an alternative paradigm to compactification, which can circumvent issues of moduli stabilization and scale separation. In this paper we investigate how electromagnetic fields can be incorporated in this framework. Worldvolume fields backreact on the ambient universe in which the bubble expands, which in turn affects the energy-momentum distribution and the effective gravity induced on the brane. We compute these effects, showing that the resulting four-dimensional cosmology consistently includes electromagnetic waves.
Analytic States in Quantum Field Theory on Curved Spacetimes
Authors: Strohmaier Alexander , Witten Edward
Published: February 2024

We discuss high energy properties of states for (possibly interacting) quantum fields in curved spacetimes. In particular, if the spacetime is real analytic, we show that an analogue of the timelike tube theorem and the Reeh–Schlieder property hold with respect to states satisfying a weak form of microlocal analyticity condition. The former means the von Neumann algebra of observables of a spacelike tube equals the von Neumann algebra of observables of a significantly bigger region that is obtained by deforming the boundary of the tube in a timelike manner. This generalizes theorems by Araki (Helv Phys Acta 36:132–139, 1963) and Borchers (Nuovo Cim (10) 19:787–793, 1961) to curved spacetimes.
Evaluation of different isotope dilution mass spectrometry strategies for the characterization of naturally abundant and isotopically labelled peptide standards
Authors: Nicolás Carcelén Jesús , Potes Rodríguez Helí , González-Gago Adriana , Marchante-Gayón Juan Manuel , Ballesteros Alfredo , González José Manuel , García Alonso José Ignacio , Rodríguez-González Pablo
Published: February 2024

Natural abundance and isotopically labelled tryptic peptides are routinely employed as standards in quantitative proteomics. The certification of the peptide content is usually carried out by amino acid analysis using isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) after the acid hydrolysis of the peptide. For the validation and traceability of the amino acid analysis procedure, expensive certified peptides must be employed. In this work we evaluate different IDMS alternatives which will reduce the amount of certified peptide required for validation of the amino acid analysis procedure. In this context, the characterization of both natural and isotopically labelled synthetic angiotensin I peptides was carried out. First, we applied a fast procedure for peptide hydrolysis based on microwave-assisted digestion and employed two certified peptide reference materials SRM 998 angiotensin I and CRM 6901-b C-peptide for validation of the hydrolysis procedure. The amino acids proline, leucine, isoleucine, valine, tyrosine, arginine and phenylalanine were evaluated for their suitability for peptide certification by IDMS by both liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC)–MS/MS. Then, natural angiotensin I and 13C1-labelled angiotensin I were synthesized in-house and purified by preparative liquid chromatography. The concentration of the 13C1-labelled angiotensin I peptide was established by reverse IDMS in its native form using SRM 998 angiotensin I as reference. The concentration of the natural synthesized peptide was determined by IDMS both using the 13C1-labelled peptide in its native form and by amino acid analysis showing comparable results. Finally, the synthetic naturally abundant angiotensin I peptide was employed as “in-house” standard for the validation of subsequent peptide characterization procedures. Therefore, the novelty of this work relies on, first, the development of a faster hydrolysis procedure assisted by focused microwaves, providing complete hydrolysis in 150 min, and secondly, a validation strategy combining GC–MS and LC–MS/MS that allowed us to certify the purity of an in-house-synthesized peptide standard that can be employed as quality control in further experiments.

Graphical abstract
Changes in Microbial Composition During the Succession of Biological Soil Crusts in Alpine Hulun Buir Sandy Land, China
Authors: Duan Yulong , Li Yuqiang , Zhao Jianhua , Zhang Junbiao , Luo Chun , Jia Rongliang , Liu Xinping
Published: February 2024

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered “desert ecosystem engineers” because they play a vital role in the restoration and stability maintenance of deserts, including those cold sandy land ecosystems at high latitudes, which are especially understudied. Microorganisms participate in the formation and succession of biocrusts, contributing to soil properties’ improvement and the stability of soil aggregates, and thus vegetation development. Accordingly, understanding the composition and successional characteristics of microorganisms is a prerequisite for analyzing the ecological functions of biocrusts and related applications. Here, the Hulun Buir Sandy Land region in northeastern China—lying at the highest latitude of any sandy land in the country—was selected for study. Through a field investigation and next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq PE300 Platform), our goal was to assess the shifts in diversity and community composition of soil bacteria and fungi across different stages during the succession of biocrusts in this region, and to uncover the main factors involved in shaping their soil microbial community. The results revealed that the nutrient enrichment capacity of biocrusts for available nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total content of water-soluble salt, available potassium, soil organic matter, and available phosphorus was progressively enhanced by the succession of cyanobacterial crusts to lichen crusts and then to moss crusts. In tandem, soil bacterial diversity increased as biocrust succession proceeded but fungal diversity decreased. A total of 32 bacterial phyla and 11 fungal phyla were identified, these also known to occur in other desert ecosystems. Among those taxa, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria significantly increased and decreased, respectively, along the cyanobacterial crust–lichen–moss crust successional gradient. However, for Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Acidobacteria their changed relative abundance was significantly hump-shaped, increasing in the shift from cyanobacterial crust to lichen crust, and then decreasing as lichen crust shifted to moss crust. In this process, the improved soil properties effectively enhanced soil bacterial and fungal community composition. Altogether, these findings broaden our understanding about how soil microbial properties can change during the succession of biocrusts in high-latitude, cold sandy land ecosystems.
In vitro conversion of ellagic acid to urolithin A by different gut microbiota of urolithin metabotype A
Authors: He Fuxiang , Bian Yingying , Zhao Yaling , Xia Mengjie , Liu Shu , Gui Jiajin , Hou Xiaoyue , Fang Yaowei
Published: February 2024

The metabolite urolithin A, a metabolite of the dietary polyphenol ellagic acid (EA), has significant health benefits for humans. However, studies on the gut microbiota involved in ellagic acid metabolism are limited. In this study, we conducted in vitro fermentation of EA using human intestinal microbiome combined with antibiotics (vancomycin, polymyxin B sulfate, and amphotericin B). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis demonstrated that the production capacity of urolithin A by gut microbiota co-treated with polymyxin B sulfate and amphotericin B (22.39 µM) was similar to that of untreated gut microbiota (24.26 µM). Macrogenomics (high-throughput sequencing) was used to analyze the composition and structure of the gut microbiota. The results showed that the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum in the gut microbiota without antibiotic treatment or co-treated with polymyxin B sulfate and amphotericin B during EA fermentation was higher than that in other antibiotic treatment gut microbiota. Therefore, B. longum, B. adolescentis, and B. bifidum may be new genera involved in the conversion of EA to urolithin A. In conclusion, the study revealed unique interactions between polyphenols and gut microbiota, deepening our understanding of the relationship between phenolic compounds like EA and the gut microbiota. These findings may contribute to the development of gut bacteria as potential probiotics for further development.

Key points

• Intestinal microbiome involved in ellagic acid metabolism.

• Gram-positive bacteria in the intestinal microbiome are crucial for ellagic acid metabolism.

• Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bifidobacterium bifidum participate in ellagic acid metabolism.
Cortical Divisive Normalization from Wilson–Cowan Neural Dynamics
Authors: Malo Jesús , Esteve-Taboada José Juan , Bertalmío Marcelo
Published: February 2024

Divisive Normalization and the Wilson–Cowan equations are well-known influential models of nonlinear neural interaction (Carandini and Heeger in Nat Rev Neurosci 13(1):51, 2012; Wilson and Cowan in Kybernetik 13(2):55, 1973). However, they have been always treated as different approaches and have not been analytically related yet. In this work, we show that Divisive Normalization can be derived from the Wilson–Cowan dynamics. Specifically, assuming that Divisive Normalization is the steady state of the Wilson–Cowan differential equations, we find that the kernel that controls neural interactions in Divisive Normalization depends on the Wilson–Cowan kernel but also depends on the signal. A standard stability analysis of a Wilson–Cowan model with the parameters obtained from our relation shows that the Divisive Normalization solution is a stable node. This stability suggests the appropriateness of our steady state assumption. The proposed theory provides a mechanistic foundation for the suggestions that have been done on the need of signal-dependent Divisive Normalization in Coen-Cagli et al. (PLoS Comput Biol 8(3):e1002405, 2012). Moreover, this theory explains the modifications that had to be introduced ad hoc in Gaussian kernels of Divisive Normalization in Martinez-Garcia et al. (Front Neurosci 13:8, 2019) to reproduce contrast responses in V1 cortex. Finally, the derived relation implies that the Wilson–Cowan dynamics also reproduce visual masking and subjective image distortion, which up to now had been explained mainly via Divisive Normalization.
Probing nonlinear excitation conditions: photoluminescence and nonlinear absorption studies in laser-irradiated dielectrics
Authors: Sneftrup Peter S. , Juergens Peter , Michele Vincenzo De , Andrade José R. C. , Vrakking Marc J. J. , Balling Peter , Mermillod-Blondin Alexandre
Published: February 2024

Understanding the fundamentals of laser-matter interactions is crucial for developing and optimizing ultrafast laser processing strategies. In optically transparent solids, the key event by which energy is deposited in the material is through the generation of an electron–hole plasma via nonlinear excitation mechanisms. As the energy stored in the plasma relaxes, local distortions of the lattice may occur, such as point defects. These defects give rise to new discrete energy states located in the bandgap. In this study, we investigate how the presence of these energy states influences the transmission of ultrashort near-infrared laser pulses in fused silica. Experimental results of laser pulse transmission and photoluminescence from defects are correlated with optical microscopy of the irradiated spots, allowing us to identify different nonlinear interaction regimes. Numerical simulations indicate that photo-induced defects influence the nonlinear losses of ultrashort laser pulses and explain why a non-destructive damage regime with detectable excitation is only observed for a narrow intensity range in multipulse experiments.
Difference in one-year late lumen loss between high- and low-dose paclitaxel-coated balloons for femoropopliteal disease
Authors: Kodama Kenji , Soga Yoshimitsu , Tomoi Yusuke , Sakai Nobuaki , Imada Kazuaki , Katsuki Tomonori , Tabata Hiroyuki , Ando Kenji , Nakagawa Yoshihisa
Published: February 2024

The objective of the study is to investigate the difference in 1-year late lumen loss (LLL) between the high- (IN.PACT Admiral) and low-dose (Lutonix) paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB). Although a recent randomized clinical trial demonstrated no difference in efficacy endpoint between high- and low-dose PCB, it remains unclear whether high-dose PCB was superior to low-dose PCB in actual clinical practice. We enrolled 64 patients with 67 de novo femoropopliteal lesions who underwent PCB angioplasty at Kokura Memorial Hospital from May 2014 to March 2020 and subsequent follow-up angiography after 1 year. The primary endpoint was 1-year LLL, whereas the secondary endpoints were binary restenosis and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) after 1 year. The high- and low-dose PCB groups had 45 and 22 lesions, respectively. Although the low-dose PCB group had higher rates of coronary artery disease, hemodialysis, and chronic limb-threatening ischemia than the high-dose PCB group, the latter had a longer lesion length and more lesions with a TASC classification C or D than the former. The high-dose PCB group had a significantly lower LLL than the low-dose PCB group (0.40 ± 1.05 vs. 1.19 ± 1.03 mm; P = 0.003, respectively). Moreover, the high-dose PCB group had significantly lower rates of binary restenosis at 1 year than the low-dose PCB group (22.2% vs. 50.0%; P = 0.02, respectively). Moreover, negative LLL was only observed in the high-dose PCB group (33.3% vs. 0%, P = 0.005). The high-dose PCB group had a significantly lower LLL than the low-dose PCB group.
High-dose glucocorticoids in COVID-19 patients with acute encephalopathy: clinical and imaging findings in a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Rhally Alexandra , Bommarito Giulia , Uginet Marjolaine , Breville Gautier , Stancu Patrick , Accorroni Alice , Assal Frédéric , Lalive Patrice H. , Lövblad Karl-Olof , Allali Gilles
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Acute encephalopathy (AE) has been described as a severe complication of COVID-19. Inflammation has been suggested as a pathogenic mechanism, with high-dose glucocorticoids (GC) showing a beneficial effect. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological features in a group of COVID-19 AE patients who received GC treatment (GT) and in a non-treated (NT) group.

Method

Thirty-six patients with COVID-19 AE (mean age 72.6 $$\pm$$
±
11 years; 86.11% men) were evaluated for GC treatment. Twelve patients (mean age 73.6 $$\pm$$
±
4.5 years; 66.67% men) received GC, whereas 24 patients who showed signs of spontaneous remission were not treated with GC (mean age 70.1 $$\pm$$
±
8.6 years; 95.83% men). Differences in clinical characteristics and correlations with imaging features were explored.

Results

The GT group showed signs of vulnerability, with a longer hospitalization (p = 0.009) and AE duration (p = 0.012) and a higher hypertensive arteriopathy (HTNA) score (p = 0.022), when compared to NT group. At hospital discharge, the two groups were comparable in terms of clinical outcome (modified Rankin scale; p = 0.666) or mortality (p = 0.607). In our whole group analyses, AE severity was positively correlated with periventricular white matter hyperintensities (p = 0.011), deep enlarged perivascular spaces (p = 0.039) and HTNA score (p = 0.014).

Conclusion

This study suggests that, despite signs of radiological vulnerability and AE severity, patients treated by high-dose GC showed similar outcome at discharge, with respect to NT patients. Imaging features of cerebral small vessel disease correlated with AE severity, supporting the hypothesis that brain structural vulnerability can impact AE in COVID-19.
Long-term occlusal tooth wear at the onset of permanent dentition
Authors: Schmid Thomas , Dritsas Konstantinos , Gebistorf Meret , Halazonetis Demetrios , Katsaros Christos , Gkantidis Nikolaos
Published: February 2024

Objectives

This study quantified the long-term occlusal wear in the natural posterior teeth and the associations per tooth type within the dentition.

Methods

The sample included 70 orthodontically treated subjects (52 females and 18 males; median age, 14.3 years), followed for a 12.7-year period. They were consecutively selected with no tooth wear–related criteria. Post-treatment (T1) and follow-up dental casts (T2) were scanned and superimposed through three-dimensional methods. Occlusal wear volume of posterior teeth and tooth wear patterns were investigated through non-parametric statistics and analysis of covariance.

Results

There were no significant differences between contralateral teeth. The average occlusal wear per posterior tooth was 2.3 mm3, with 65.2% of teeth showing values greater than 1 mm3. Males, mandibular teeth, and first molars exhibited slightly greater wear levels than females (median, 2.57 and 2.21 mm3, respectively;p = 0.005), maxillary teeth, and first or second premolars, respectively. In all first premolars and in the mandibular second premolars, the buccal cusps were primarily affected with no other distinct patterns. There were weak to moderate correlations between tooth types, apart from certain strong correlations detected in males.

Conclusions

Posterior tooth wear was highly prevalent after a 13-year period starting at the onset of permanent dentition. The detected patterns are in accordance with the concept of canine guidance occlusion that is transforming into group synergy through function.

Clinical relevance

The widespread tooth wear occurrence and the high intra- and inter-individual variability underline the need for individual patient monitoring to identify high-risk patients at early stages.
Surface enhanced substrate simulation optimized coupled PLS model for quantitative detection of acetone in transformer oil
Authors: Qian Yihua , Wang Qing , Pan Siwei , Yang Zhuang , Yang Dingkun
Published: February 2024

Acetone is a reliable index to evaluate the aging state of oil paper insulation. It is of great significance to study a fast, highly sensitive and accurate method of detecting acetone in oil to ensure the safe and stable operation of oil-immersed transformers. In this paper, a method based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy for the detection of acetone in oil is investigated. Based on the mechanism of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a simulation model of surface-enhanced substrate was constructed using COMSOL software, and it was determined that the enhancement effect was better when silver nanowires/zinc oxide nanorods (Ag/ZnO) composite structure was selected. Ag/ZnO substrates were prepared by solvothermal method and experimentally tuned and characterized to obtain SERS substrates with high enhancement properties. The substrate coupled partial least square (PLS) model was used to establish a method for the detection of acetone in insulating oils, and its limit of quantification for acetone was 0.003 mg/g, which meets the requirements for engineering testing.
Convex hulls of monomial curves, and a sparse positivstellensatz
Authors: Averkov Gennadiy , Scheiderer Claus
Published: February 2024

Consider the closed convex hull K of a monomial curve given parametrically as

$$(t^{m_1},\ldots ,t^{m_n})$$

(

t

m
1

,
…
,

t

m
n

)

, with the parameter t varying in an interval I. We show, using constructive arguments, that K admits a lifted semidefinite description by

$$\mathcal {O}(d)$$

O
(
d
)

linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), each of size

$$\left\lfloor \frac{n}{2} \right\rfloor +1$$

n
2

+
1

, where

$$d= \max \{m_1,\ldots ,m_n\}$$

d
=
max
{

m
1

,
…
,

m
n

}

is the degree of the curve. On the dual side, we show that if a univariate polynomial p(t) of degree d with at most

$$2k+1$$

2
k
+
1

monomials is non-negative on

$${\mathbb {R}}_+$$

R
+

, then p admits a representation

$$p = t^0 \sigma _0 + \cdots + t^{d-k} \sigma _{d-k}$$

p
=

t
0

σ
0

+
⋯
+

t

d
-
k

σ

d
-
k

, where the polynomials

$$\sigma _0,\ldots ,\sigma _{d-k}$$

σ
0

,
…
,

σ

d
-
k

are sums of squares and

$$\deg (\sigma _i) \le 2k$$

deg
(

σ
i

)
≤
2
k

. The latter is a univariate positivstellensatz for sparse polynomials, with non-negativity of p being certified by sos polynomials whose degree only depends on the sparsity of p. Our results fit into the general attempt of formulating polynomial optimization problems as semidefinite problems with LMIs of small size. Such small-size descriptions are much more tractable from a computational viewpoint.
Deep Learning for Automated Detection and Localization of Traumatic Abdominal Solid Organ Injuries on CT Scans
Authors: Cheng Chi-Tung , Lin Hou-Hsien , Hsu Chih-Po , Chen Huan-Wu , Huang Jen-Fu , Hsieh Chi-Hsun , Fu Chih-Yuan , Chung I-Fang , Liao Chien-Hung
Published: February 2024

Computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used diagnostic modality for blunt abdominal trauma (BAT), significantly influencing management approaches. Deep learning models (DLMs) have shown great promise in enhancing various aspects of clinical practice. There is limited literature available on the use of DLMs specifically for trauma image evaluation. In this study, we developed a DLM aimed at detecting solid organ injuries to assist medical professionals in rapidly identifying life-threatening injuries. The study enrolled patients from a single trauma center who received abdominal CT scans between 2008 and 2017. Patients with spleen, liver, or kidney injury were categorized as the solid organ injury group, while others were considered negative cases. Only images acquired from the trauma center were enrolled. A subset of images acquired in the last year was designated as the test set, and the remaining images were utilized to train and validate the detection models. The performance of each model was assessed using metrics such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value based on the best Youden index operating point. The study developed the models using 1302 (87%) scans for training and tested them on 194 (13%) scans. The spleen injury model demonstrated an accuracy of 0.938 and a specificity of 0.952. The accuracy and specificity of the liver injury model were reported as 0.820 and 0.847, respectively. The kidney injury model showed an accuracy of 0.959 and a specificity of 0.989. We developed a DLM that can automate the detection of solid organ injuries by abdominal CT scans with acceptable diagnostic accuracy. It cannot replace the role of clinicians, but we can expect it to be a potential tool to accelerate the process of therapeutic decisions for trauma care.
Hatchery practices for Patella aspera and P. ordinaria: evaluating culture vessels requirements
Authors: Castejón Diego , Sousa Pedro , Andrade Carlos A. P.
Published: February 2024

Innovation in limpet production requires knowledge of the optimal qualities and limitations of the culture vessels. Two limpet species from Madeira fishery, Patella aspera and P. ordinaria, were used to evaluate the influence of culture vessel shape (microtubes, test tubes, centrifuge tubes, specimen cups, disposable cups, vials, flasks and beakers), composition (polypropylene and glass), volume (1.5 ml to 1.5 L) and stocking density on oocyte incubation and larval culture through nine assays. Moreover, three assays evaluated the use of microtubes and the isolation of trochophores, instead of pediveligers, for eventual settlement induction. The results showed effective hatching in most culture vessels regardless of composition or volume, except when the shape of the bottom caused oocyte clustering. Larval culture was not influenced by any variable under scrutiny (shape, composition, volume or rearing density). Microtubes were useful for settlement, while the placement of trochophores in the settling vessels, instead of pediveligers, proved inefficient and even led to failed cultures. The best settlement was obtained when the pediveligers were isolated from the water column of the beakers and transferred to clean vessels with renewed water and coralline algae as substrate. The current findings could be extrapolated to other marine invertebrates that share similar life stage requirements.
Left atrial strain is associated with long-term mortality in acute coronary syndrome patients
Authors: Pedersson Philip Rüssell , Skaarup Kristoffer Grundtvig , Lassen Mats Christian Højbjerg , Olsen Flemming Javier , Iversen Allan Zeeberg , Jørgensen Peter Godsk , Biering-Sørensen Tor
Published: February 2024

To investigate the long-term prognostic value of the left atrial (LA) strain indices – peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS), peak conduit strain (PCS), and peak atrial contractile strain (PACS) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients in relation to all-cause mortality. This retrospective study included ACS patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and examined with echocardiography. Exclusion criteria were non-sinus rhythm during echocardiography, missing images, and inadequate image quality for 2D speckle tracking analysis of the LA. The endpoint was all-cause death. Multivariable Cox regression which included relevant clinical and echocardiographic measures was utilized to assess the relationship between LA strain parameters and all-cause mortality. A total of 371 were included. Mean age was 64 years and 76% were male. Median time to echocardiography was 2 days following PCI. During a median follow-up of 5.7 years, 83 (22.4%) patients died. Following multivariable analysis, PALS (HR 1.04, 1.01–1.06, p = 0.002, per 1% decrease) and PCS (HR 1.05, 1.01–1.09, p = 0.006, per 1% decrease) remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality. PALS and PCS showed a linear relationship with the outcome whereas PACS was associated with the outcome in a non-linear fashion such that the risk of death increased when PACS < 18.22%. All LA strain parameters remained associated with worse survival rate when restricting analysis to patients with left atrial volume index < 34 ml/m2. Reduced LA function as assessed by PALS, PCS, and PACS were associated with an increased risk of long-term mortality in patients with ACS.

Graphical abstract
Human emergency behaviour and psychological stress characteristic mining based on large-scale emergencies
Authors: Luo Yi , Yang Xiaoping , Li Xiaoming , Chen Zhenzhen , Liu Fangyuan
Published: February 2024

Human emergency behaviour and psychological stress response in emergencies are important scientific issues in basic emergency management research. The analysis of the dynamic characteristics of large-scale human behaviour based on electronic footprint data provides a new method for quantitative research on this problem. Previous studies usually assumed that human behaviors were randomly distributed in time, but few studies have studied the psychological stress response of human groups under the influence of emergencies and carried out prediction methods through social media data. Based on the data from five emergencies and daily events in the Qzone, this paper explores the statistical characteristics of human communication behaviors such as time, space and social interaction. The research results reveal the psychological evolution of human groups when they encounter public security emergencies by analysing the causes of individual psychological stress responses in the group. We find that the time interval between people’s posting behaviour and interactive comment behaviour in mobile QQ space before and after an emergency can be approximately described by a power-law distribution. The time interval distribution of Posting and reply is an obvious heavy-tailed distribution. These behavioural characteristics are consistent with people’s psychological stress characteristics. Individual psychological stress responses gradually evolve into social-psychological responses with changes in behavioural characteristics. The greater the social-psychological stress response is, the more panic the public will be, which will cause the outbreak of group irrational behaviour. The research results are theoretically helpful in understanding the impact of emergencies on human communication behaviour patterns and reveal the psychological stress process of mass panic in large-scale emergencies.
Integrated geochemical and magnetic potentially toxic elements assessment: a statistical solution discriminating anthropogenic and lithogenic magnetic signals in a complex area of the southeast Nile Delta
Authors: Guda Alshymaa Mohammad , El Kammar Ahmed Mohamed , Abu Salem Hend Saeed , Abu Khatita Atef Mohammady , Mohamed Mohamed Abdelwahed , El-Hemaly Ibrahim Aly , Abd Elaal Esmat Mohamed , Odah Hatem Hamdy , Appel Erwin
Published: February 2024

Magnetic proxy approaches proved to be efficient for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution assessment when targeting forests or areas with a homogenous background where anthropogenic magnetic signals could be easily distinguished. Here, we present a multidisciplinary approach for magnetic susceptibility ($$x$$
x
) and HM assessment in a complex area in the Nile Delta, where geogenic input, land use, and various industries with different fly ash and surface water emissions interfere. Statistical analysis discriminates between the effects of lithologic elements and the concentrations of toxic anthropogenic elements. The studied elements are classified into lithogenic and anthropogenic-related (HMs, Au industry, and fertilizers industry) groups with maximum contamination levels of eight anthropogenic-related and highly toxic PTEs (Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb, Hg, and As) in the Akrasha industrial area (pollution load index = 15.84). Considering the whole data set, the numerical correlation of $$x$$
x
with most PTE concentrations and the pollution load index (PLI) is weak, while it is moderate to strong with lithogenic elements. However, a comparison of lithogenic elements and PTE concentrations along with x-values in two separate clusters supports the correspondence of lithology with elevated x-values in silt and clay-rich soil samples as well as HM concentration in industrial sandy soils. Correspondence between magnetic maps and chemistry data with land use reflects the potential of magnetic proxy methods for qualitative PTE pollution pre-delineation of the polluted spots, provided that lithological conditions are carefully considered.
Recent increase in tree damage and mortality and their spatial dependence on drought intensity in Mediterranean forests
Authors: Rebollo Pedro , Moreno-Fernández Daniel , Cruz-Alonso Verónica , Gazol Antonio , Rodríguez-Rey Marta , Astigarraga Julen , Zavala Miguel A. , Gómez-Aparicio Lorena , Andivia Enrique , Miguel-Romero Sofía , Ruiz-Benito Paloma
Published: February 2024

Context

Global change is leading to more frequent and intense tree damage and mortality events. Drought-induced tree mortality is occurring worldwide leading to broad-scale events, but the spatial patterns of tree damage and mortality, their underlying drivers and their variation over time is largely unknown.

Objectives

We investigated the spatial patterns of tree damage and mortality across Mediterranean forests of the Iberian Peninsula, the underlying effects of stand structure and climate, and how the spatial patterns and relationships with underlying drivers changed over time.

Methods

We used the Spanish Forest Inventory to analyse the autocorrelation in tree damage and mortality across forest types, hurdle-gamma models to quantify the effect of stand structure and climate on tree damage and mortality, and cross-correlograms to assess their spatial dependence and its change over time.

Results

We observed a greater magnitude and a stronger autocorrelation in tree damage than mortality, with positive aggregation up to 20 kms. There was a spatial dependence between tree damage and mortality with their drivers, with spatial aggregation increasing with water availability, drought intensity and stand structure. The spatial dependence of tree damage and mortality with the underlying drivers increased over time, particularly for drought intensity.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the combined effect of intense competition and drought could favour more extensive die-off and tree mortality events, providing key information for identifying vulnerable areas and the planning of adaptation measures.
A Hybrid Model Based on Convolutional Neural Network and Long Short-Term Memory for Multi-label Text Classification
Authors: Maragheh Hamed Khataei , Gharehchopogh Farhad Soleimanian , Majidzadeh Kambiz , Sangar Amin Babazadeh
Published: February 2024

Multi-label text classification (MLTC) is a popular method for organizing electronic documents, which is crucial for accessing and processing data. As the number of classes increases, learning multi-label data will be challenging. The number of possible states for various labels increases exponentially, and learning algorithms in single-label data cannot be used to solve these problems. In the meantime, using single-label data algorithms could be very time-consuming. In MLTC, complexity costs should be reduced. Deep-learning neural networks that can learn intricate patterns are used in many real-world problems because of their high power and accuracy. This paper proposed a hybridization of the long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and the convolutional neural network (CNN) method for MLTC. The proposed model uses LSTM to enhance CNN to improve the proposed model’s accuracy. Also, the competitive search algorithm (CSA) is used to improve the LSTM hyperparameters. The LSTM hyperparameters play an important role in increasing the detection accuracy. The CSA algorithm finds the best values for the hyperparameters by searching the problem space. It was tested on four different datasets of multi-label texts: Reuters-21578, RCV1-v2, EUR-Lex, and Bookmarks. The result showed that the proposed model performed better than CNN and LSTM-CSA in terms of accuracy percentage and that it has improved by an average of more than 10%. Also, the results show that the LSTM-CSA model has higher detection accuracy compared to LSTM—Gradient-based optimizer (GBO) and LSTM—whale optimization algorithm (WOA).
Science Textbooks: Aids or Obstacles to Inquiry Teaching? Science Teachers’ Experiences in Norwegian Secondary Schools
Authors: Isaksen Marianne , Ødegaard Marianne , Utsi Tove Aagnes
Published: February 2024

Textbooks have several important functions in science education. By interviewing six teachers, this study shows how secondary school science teachers perceive and use textbooks as resources, especially in inquiry teaching. The results show that textbooks aid inquiry teaching by offering teachers easily accessible suggestions for practical and inquiry activities in accordance with the curriculum to be implemented in science lessons in addition to presenting scientific content adapted to students’ level in which they can use to easily link theory to their practical inquiry. However, the use of textbook inquiry activities can restrict the degrees of freedom in implementing inquiries, as textbooks are perceived to rarely include inquiry activities with many degrees of freedom. In addition, some teachers adjust their textbook inquiry activities to have fewer degrees of freedom to meet the challenges they experience, such as time pressure and uncertainty about students achieving curriculum content knowledge goals. These results build important knowledge about textbooks’ role in planning and implementing inquiry teaching in science. They should be of interest to teacher education programme developers and textbook authors who desire to contribute to a more inquiry-oriented practice in school science teaching.
Homophily and its effects on collaborations and repeated collaborations: a study across scientific fields
Authors: Santos João M. , Horta Hugo , Feng Shihui
Published: February 2024

This study examines the influence of homophily on research collaborations across all scientific fields, noting the role of ascribed, acquired, geographical, current career, and educational and career history attributes. Our analysis builds on previous studies by adopting a comparative approach across scientific fields and examining the effect of homophily on repeated collaborations. Our findings reveal physical proximity as a universal driver of collaboration across all scientific fields, both for overall collaborations and as a maintainer of collaborative endeavors. We also note that most attributes that are responsible for overall collaborations are similar to the attributes that play a role in maintaining them, with a few exceptions, notably when it comes to institutional characteristics. Our results also show the complex role of career history attributes, such as job variety and international mobility, in influencing the likelihood of collaboration. This study sheds light on the intricate interplay of different attributes in shaping scientific collaborations, underscoring the need for a multidisciplinary approach in future homophily studies and nuanced strategies for fostering collaborations across different scientific fields.
Lower flexibility and range of motion in prepubertal soccer players: a pilot study
Authors: Pinto Daniele , Bonaldi Lorenza , Pirri Carmelo , Fontanella Chiara Giulia , Stecco Carla
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Even if sport practice is essential for children’s health, in the last years, an increased number of studies recorded injuries from the age of 12 years. In the multifactorial nature of injuries, a reduction in flexibility and/or range of motion is hypothesized to play a role. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze the flexibility and range of motion of soccer players in the prepubertal age.

Methods

In this pilot transversal study, we investigated through various mobility tests (ankle wall test, sit and reach test, and active straight leg raise test) a population of 78 prepubertal soccer players (male, 12 ÷ 14 years old, BMI 18.472 ± 2.18 kg/m2).

Results

The results showed a significant reduction in their flexibility and range of motion compared to the reference values reported in clinical guidelines, and this decrement increased with the years of soccer history and age.

Conclusions

The lower flexibility and range of motion confirmed the importance of planning an adequate training to prevent their limitation with repercussions on body growth.
Uptake, translocation, and metabolization of amitriptyline, lidocaine, orphenadrine, and tramadol by cress and pea
Authors: Detzlhofer Anna , Grechhamer Christian , Madikizela Lawrence , Himmelsbach Markus , Mlynek Franz , Buchberger Wolfgang , Klampfl Christian W.
Published: February 2024

The uptake, translocation, and metabolization of four widely used drugs, amitriptyline, orphenadrine, lidocaine, and tramadol, were investigated in a laboratory study. Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) were employed as model plants. These plants were grown in tap water containing the selected pharmaceuticals at concentrations ranging from 0.010 to 10 mg L−1, whereby the latter concentration was employed for the (tentative) identification of drug-related metabolites formed within the plant. Thereby, mainly phase I metabolites were detected. Time-resolved uptake studies, with sampling after 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 days, revealed that all four pharmaceuticals were taken up by the roots and further relocated to plant stem and leaves. Also in these studies, the corresponding phase I metabolites could be detected, and their translocation from root to stem (pea only) and finally leaves could be investigated.
Cyclic liquefaction resistance of MICP- and EICP-treated sand in simple shear conditions: a benchmarking with the critical state of untreated sand
Authors: Ahenkorah Isaac , Rahman Md Mizanur , Karim Md Rajibul , Beecham Simon
Published: February 2024

In the present study, the undrained cyclic behaviour of biotreated sands using microbial and enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation was investigated for a wide range of initial void ratio after consolidation ($$e_{0}$$

e
0

), initial effective normal stress ($$\sigma^{\prime }_{{{\text{N}}_{0} }}$$

σ

N
0

′

) and calcium carbonate content (CC) under direct simple shear (DSS) testing conditions. The critical state soil mechanics framework for untreated sand was first established using a series of drained and undrained (constant volume) tests, which served as a benchmark for evaluating the undrained cyclic liquefaction behaviour of untreated and biotreated sands. The results indicated that the modified initial state parameter ($$\psi_{{{\text{m}}_{{0}} }}$$

ψ

m
0

) in DSS condition showed a good correlation with instability states and phase transformation under monotonic shearing. In undrained cyclic DSS loading condition, samples displayed cyclic mobility indicated by an abrupt accumulation of large strain or $$\sigma^{\prime }_{{N_{0} }}$$

σ

N
0

′

transiently reaching zero or a sudden build-up of excess pore water pressure. The linkage between static and cyclic liquefaction was established for untreated and biotreated sand specimens based on the equivalence of characteristic soil states. The number of cycles before liquefaction (NL) for the biotreated sand specimens was mainly controlled by the cyclic stress ratio, $$e_{0}$$

e
0

, $$\sigma^{\prime }_{{{\text{N}}_{{0}} }}$$

σ

N
0

′

and CC. For a similar initial state prior to undrained cyclic loading, the biotreated specimens required a larger NL compared to the untreated sand. The cyclic resistance ratio at NL = 15 (CRR15) increased with decreasing $$\psi_{{{\text{m}}_{{0}} }}$$

ψ

m
0

for the untreated sand, while the CRR15 for biotreated sand increased with increasing CC and decreasing $$\sigma^{\prime }_{{N_{0} }}$$

σ

N
0

′

.