bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is there an impact of the Structural Funds in innovation on business performance? Analysis through the ERDF-Innterconecta programme in Andalusia
Authors: Sande Veiga Diego
Published: January 2025

Andalusia, a Spanish Autonomous Community with a Convergence objective under the European Union, has had to manage a relevant volume of European resources for regional innovation throughout the last two European Programming periods, namely 2007–2013 and 2014–2020. For this reason, studying the impact on business results of European Funds for innovation is key to understanding the policy effects. This is why the ERDF-Innterconecta programme (the largest programme financed to support business innovation in Spain), belonging to the Technology Fund and the Smart Growth Programme, is analyzed. The proposed analysis seeks to identify whether there has been an impact of the subsidies on Andalusian companies. In this sense, two indicators have been studied: annual results and profitability. To this end, the beneficiary companies have been studied according to their size, participation in innovation and role in the financed projects, which constitutes an original research approach. The study shows poor results for the participating companies, which would indicate a wide margin for improvement in the planning and execution of these policies.
Anti-angiogenic therapy as potential treatment for adenomyosis
Authors: Harmsen Marissa J. , Juffermans Lynda J. M. , Kroon Muara O. , Griffioen Arjan W. , Huirne Judith A. F.
Published: January 2025

Adenomyosis is characterized by abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea and subfertility. Increased expression of angiogenesis markers in adenomyosis presents a treatment opportunity and was studied in an adenomyosis mouse model. Mice were administered tamoxifen (1 mg/kg) on neonatal days 2–5. At six weeks of age, mice received oral treatment with axitinib 3 mg/kg (‘dose I/AX3’, n = 34), axitinib 25 mg/kg (‘dose II/AX25’ n = 34), or with vehicle-only (‘placebo’, n = 34). The prevalence and severity of adenomyosis were assessed. An adenomyosis severity index was calculated by multiplying mean grade/mouse by the percentage affected surface area. Angiogenesis-related gene expression was evaluated using real-time quantitative PCR. 101 mice completed adenomyosis induction and could be analyzed. The prevalence of adenomyosis was 30/33 (90.0%) in dose I, 29/34 (85.3%) in dose II, and 30/34 (88.2%) in placebo treated mice (p = 0.78). High grade (2/3) adenomyosis was significantly less prevalent in mice treated with axitinib dose II (n = 19, 55.9%) than in the placebo group (n = 27, 79.4%, p < 0.05). The adenomyosis severity index was reduced by 48% in the axitinib-treated groups (dose I, p < 0.05). The expression of angiogenic growth factors was reduced in the dose I and II axitinib-treated groups compared to the placebo-treated group. Following these promising first results, further research should focus on commonality among different angiostatic drugs, potential side effects, as well as the method and timing of application.
Transfer learning in agriculture: a review
Authors: Hossen Md Ismail , Awrangjeb Mohammad , Pan Shirui , Mamun Abdullah Al
Published: January 2025

The rapid growth of the global population has placed immense pressure on agriculture to enhance food production while addressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges such as biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate variability. Addressing these challenges requires adopting modern techniques and advancing agricultural research. Although some techniques, such as machine learning and deep learning, are increasingly used in agriculture, progress is constrained by the lack of large labelled datasets. This constraint arises because collecting data is often time-consuming, labour-intensive, and requires expert knowledge for data annotation. To mitigate data limitations, transfer learning (TL) offers a viable solution by allowing pre-trained models to be adapted for agricultural applications. Many researchers have demonstrated TL’s potential to advance agriculture. Despite its importance, there is a lack of a comprehensive review, which could be essential to guide researchers in this field. Given the significance and the lack of a review paper, this paper provides a review dedicated to TL in agriculture, offering three main contributions. First, we provide an in-depth background study on TL and its applications in agriculture. Second, we offer a comprehensive examination of TL-based agricultural applications, covering pre-trained models, dataset sources, input image types, implementation platforms, and TL approaches. Third, based on an exploration of the existing studies, we identify the challenges faced when applying TL in agriculture. Finally, to address the identified challenges, we recommend suggestions for future research directions.
Intelligent Cinematography: a review of AI research for cinematographic production
Authors: Azzarelli Adrian , Anantrasirichai Nantheera , Bull David R.
Published: January 2025

This paper offers the first comprehensive review of artificial intelligence (AI) research in the context of real camera content acquisition for entertainment purposes and is aimed at both researchers and cinematographers. Addressing the lack of review papers in the field of intelligent cinematography (IC) and the breadth of related computer vision research, we present a holistic view of the IC landscape while providing technical insight, important for experts across disciplines. We provide technical background on generative AI, object detection, automated camera calibration and 3-D content acquisition, with references to assist non-technical readers. The application sections categorize work in terms of four production types: General Production, Virtual Production, Live Production and Aerial Production. Within each application section, we (1) sub-classify work according to research topic and (2) describe the trends and challenges relevant to each type of production. In the final chapter, we address the greater scope of IC research and summarize the significant potential of this area to influence the creative industries sector. We suggest that work relating to virtual production has the greatest potential to impact other mediums of production, driven by the growing interest in LED volumes/stages for in-camera virtual effects (ICVFX) and automated 3-D capture for virtual modeling of real world scenes and actors. We also address ethical and legal concerns regarding the use of creative AI that impact on artists, actors, technologists and the general public.
Adaptive graph diffusion networks: compact and expressive GNNs with large receptive fields
Authors: Sun Chuxiong , Zhang Muhan , Hu Jie , Gu Hongming , Chen Jinpeng , Yang Mingchuan
Published: January 2025

Graph neural networks (GNNs) are widely used in graph-based tasks, but deep GNNs often suffer from oversmoothing. Existing effective deep GNNs have various shortcomings including redundant complexity, oversimplified architecture, or predefined parameters. To address these issues, we propose adaptive graph diffusion networks (AGDNs), a class of compact and expressive GNNs that can effectively leverage deep neighborhood information. We introduce hopwise attention and hopwise convolution with positional embeddings for learning nodewise and channelwise hop weights, respectively, which overcomes oversmoothing and ensures a powerful ability to learn arbitrary filters in the spectral domain. Our experiments demonstrate that AGDNs can effectively learn various filters on images and exhibit superior performance on diverse and challenging open graph benchmark datasets for node classification and link prediction tasks while maintaining moderate complexity and fast running time.
Examining the Effects of Family-Implemented Literacy Interventions for School-Aged Children: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dahl-Leonard Katlynn , Hall Colby , Cho Eunsoo , Capin Philip , Roberts Garrett J. , Kehoe Karen F. , Haring Christa , Peacott Delanie , Demchak Alisha
Published: January 2025

There is considerable research evaluating the effects of family members implementing shared book reading interventions, especially during early childhood. However, less is known about the effects of family members providing instruction to help their school-aged children develop literacy skills, including both code-focused and meaning-focused skills that facilitate reading comprehension. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to describe and evaluate recent research examining the effects of at-home, family-implemented literacy interventions for school-aged children. A total of 25 interventions across 22 studies (12 with group designs and 10 with single-case experimental designs) were analyzed. The average effect on combined literacy outcomes was estimated as g = 0.36 (p < .01; Q = 191.83; I
2 = 36.17) for group design studies and g = 1.50 (p < .01; Q = 114.58; I
2 = 38.58) for single-case experimental design studies. Notably, for group design studies, effects varied by literacy outcome type. The mean effect for code-focused outcomes (i.e., PA, decoding/word reading, spelling, text reading) was g = 0.28 (p < .01) and the mean effect for meaning-focused outcomes (i.e., vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading comprehension) was g = 0.41 (p < .01). Overall, these findings support the implementation of family-delivered literacy interventions to improve literacy outcomes for school-aged children. At the same time, this meta-analysis revealed the paucity of research examining the effects of family-implemented literacy interventions, especially for older children, indicating a need for more research on this topic.
“Open Sourcing” Workflow and Machine Learning Approaches for Attributing Obsidian Artifacts to Their Volcanic Origins: A Feasibility Study from the South Caucasus
Authors: Hnila Pavol , Frahm Ellery , Gilibert Alessandra , Bobokhyan Arsen
Published: January 2025

Traditionally, reliable obsidian sourcing requires expensive calibration standards and extensive geological reference collections as well as experience with statistical processing. In the South Caucasus — one of the most obsidian-rich regions on the planet — this combination of requirements has often restricted sourcing studies because few projects have geological reference collections that cover all known obsidian sources. To test an alternative approach, we conducted “open sourcing” using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses of geological specimens with three key changes to the conventional method: (1) commercially available calibration standards were replaced with a loanable Peabody-Yale Reference Obsidians (PYRO) set, (2) a comprehensive geological reference collection was replaced with a published dataset of consensus values (Frahm, 2023a, 2023b), and (3) processing in statistical packages was replaced with two semiautomated machine-learning workflows available online. For comparison, we used classification by-eye with JMP 17.2 statistical software. Furthermore, we propose a new method to evaluate calibrations, which streamlines comparisons and which we refer to as a symmetric difference ratio (SDR). The results of this feasibility study demonstrate that this “open sourcing” workflow is reliable, yet currently only in combination with classification by-eye. When the consensus values were combined with the machine-learning solutions, the classification results were unsatisfactory. The most encouraging aspect of our alternative “open sourcing” workflow is that it enables correct source identification without physically measuring reference collections, therefore surmounting an obstacle that, until now, has severely limited archaeological research. We anticipate that rapid developments in machine-learning will also soon improve the workflow.
ShuttleFlow: learning the distribution of subsequent badminton shots using normalizing flows
Authors: Lien Yun-Hsuan , Lian Chia-Tung , Wang Yu-Shuen
Published: January 2025

This paper introduces ShuttleFlow, a simple yet effective model designed to forecast badminton shot types and shuttle positions. This tool could be invaluable for coaches, enabling them to identify opponents’ weaknesses and devise effective strategies accordingly. Given the inherent unpredictability of player behaviors, our model leverages conditional normalizing flow to generate the distributions of shot types and shuttle positions. This is achieved by considering the players and their preceding shots on the court. To augment the performance of our model, especially in predicting outcomes for players who have not previously competed against each other, we incorporate a novel regularization term. Additionally, we utilize Poisson disk sampling to reduce sample redundancy when generating the distributions. Compared to state-of-the-art techniques, our results underscore ShuttleFlow’s effectiveness in forecasting shot types and shuttle positions.
Exploring Maternal Resilience among Predominantly Low-Income and Minoritized Women
Authors: Wakeel Fathima , Corcino-Davis Yalitza , Everman Samara , Manz Patricia H. , Ledis Gabriella
Published: January 2025

Background

Research has increasingly explored maternal resilience or protective factors that enable women to achieve healthier maternal and child outcomes. However, it has not adequately examined maternal resilience using a culturally-relevant, socio-ecological lens or how it may be influenced by early-life stressors and resources. The current study contributes to the literature on maternal resilience by qualitatively exploring the salient multi-level stressors and resources experienced over the lifecourse by predominantly low-income and minoritized women.

Procedures

Data are from 19 women who were either adult mothers with children under 18 years of age living at home or reproductive-aged. Respondents completed semi-structured interviews, and grounded theory analyses identified themes related to stressors experienced and resilience resources utilized over the lifespan.

Results

Four domains relating to maternal stress and resilience, including stressors (caregiving stress, family conflict, and deaths in the family), traumas (abandonment, domestic violence, child abuse, and substance misuse), coping mechanisms (positive mindset, faith, activities, and movement, healthy eating, self-regulation, and self-love/care), and supports (family, friends, spouses/partners, community members, and religious institutions), emerged from the data. Familial relationships were perceived as the most significant support as well as the biggest source of stress and trauma.

Conclusions

As proposed by the socio-ecological framework, our findings suggest that components of maternal resilience exist at the individual (i.e., positive mindset, faith, self-regulation, self-love, and positive health behaviors), interpersonal (i.e., support from family, friends, and partner), and community (i.e., support from community members and religious organizations) levels.
On estimations of Dawn spacecraft’s capture probability into 1:1 ground-track resonance around Vesta
Authors: Boumchita Wail , Feng Jinglang , Neishtadt Anatoly
Published: January 2025

This paper develops semi-analytical and analytical methodologies to estimate the probability of the Dawn spacecraft being captured into a 1:1 ground-track resonance around Vesta. The spacecraft, using low-thrust propulsion, approached the asteroid Vesta, and one significant challenge during this phase is crossing ground-track resonances with the asteroid. As the capture phenomenon is dependent on the initial condition of the trajectory, it is necessary to accurately estimate the probability of such a capture. Firstly, the system dynamics are described by a model incorporating Hamiltonian perturbations from the irregular gravitational field up to the second degree and order, and continuous low-thrust that is constant in magnitude and directed in the opposite direction of the spacecraft’s velocity. The resonance region is enclosed by separatrices which are approximated with a fourth-order polynomial for quantitative analysis. The Hamiltonian, serving as a proxy for the system’s energy, changes when the spacecraft crosses the separatrices, and these changes are quantified using a global adaptive quadrature method. Finally, the probability of capture into ground-track resonance is estimated based on the energy change across the separatrices, and the accuracy and efficiency of the developed semi-analytical and analytical methodologies are investigated by comparing them to numerical simulations based on the perturbed Hamilton’s equations of motion. This research makes a significant contribution to the field of astrodynamics by providing a systematic and efficient approach to estimating the probability of resonance capture.
Can feedback from students to teachers improve different dimensions of teaching quality in primary and secondary education? A hierarchical meta-analysis
Authors: Röhl Sebastian , Bijlsma Hannah , Schwichow Martin
Published: January 2025

This meta-analysis summarizes the available evidence on the effectiveness of student feedback interventions in primary and secondary schools on different aspects of teaching quality. It aims to examine indications of success conditions for an effective use of student feedback in practice. The analysis included 23 studies with 314 effect sizes. We estimated an overall weighted mean effect size of d = 0.27 based on a three-level random-effects model. For effectiveness with respect to various dimensions of teaching quality, only minor and mostly nonsignificant differences were found. Further moderator analyses showed larger effect sizes for studies in which teachers received support for interpreting student feedback and implementing changes in their teaching. Moreover, studies in which teachers were encouraged to discuss the feedback with their students have larger effect sizes than studies in which teachers were not encouraged to do so. Item and answering scale characteristics also showed significant effects on the effectiveness of student feedback. Implications for further research and the use of student feedback in schools are discussed.
Metabolic profiles of meconium in preeclamptic and normotensive pregnancies
Authors: Toivonen Elli , Sikkinen Jutta , Salonen Anne , Kärkkäinen Olli , Koistinen Ville , Klåvus Anton , Meuronen Topi , Heini Tuomas , Maltseva Arina , Niku Mikael , Jääskeläinen Tiina , Laivuori Hannele
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common vascular pregnancy disorder affecting maternal and fetal metabolism with severe immediate and long-term consequences in mothers and infants. During pregnancy, metabolites in the maternal circulation pass through the placenta to the fetus. Meconium, a first stool of the neonate, offers a view to maternal and fetoplacental unit metabolism and could add to knowledge on the effects of PE on the fetus and newborn.

Objectives

To compare meconium metabolome of infants from PE and normotensive pregnancies.

Methods

A cohort of preeclamptic parturients and normotensive controls were recruited in Tampere University Hospital during 2019–2022. Meconium was sampled and its metabolome analyzed using liquid chromatography– mass spectrometry in 48 subjects in each group.

Results

Differences in abundances of 1263 compounds, of which 19 could be annotated, were detected between the two groups. Several acylcarnitines, androsterone sulfate, three bile acids, amino acid derivatives (phenylacetylglutamine, epsilon-(gamma-glutamyl)lysine and N-(phenylacetyl)glutamic acid), as well as caffeine and paraxanthine were lower in the PE group compared to the control group. Urea and progesterone were higher in the PE group.

Conclusion

PE is associated with alterations in the meconium metabolome of infants. The differing abundances of several metabolites show alterations in the interaction between the fetoplacental unit and mother in PE, but whether they are a cause or an effect of the disorder remains to be further investigated.
Superior performance in classification of breast cancer molecular subtype and histological factors by radiomics based on ultrafast MRI over standard MRI: evidence from a prospective study
Authors: Jeong Juhyun , Ham Sungwon , Seo Bo Kyoung , Lee Jeong Taek , Wang Shuncong , Bae Min Sun , Cho Kyu Ran , Woo Ok Hee , Song Sung Eun , Choi Hangseok
Published: January 2025

Purpose

To compare the performance of ultrafast MRI with standard MRI in classifying histological factors and subtypes of invasive breast cancer among radiologists with varying experience.

Methods

From October 2021 to November 2022, this prospective study enrolled 225 participants with 233 breast cancers before treatment (NCT06104189 at clinicaltrials.gov). Tumor segmentation on MRI was performed independently by two readers (R1, dedicated breast radiologist; R2, radiology resident). We extracted 1618 radiomic features and four kinetic features from ultrafast and standard images, respectively. Logistic regression algorithms were adopted for prediction modeling, following feature selection by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. The performance of predicting histological factors and subtypes was evaluated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). Performance differences between MRI methods and radiologists were assessed using the DeLong test.

Results

Ultrafast MRI outperformed standard MRI in predicting HER2 status (AUCs [95% CI] of ultrafast MRI vs standard MRI; 0.87 [0.83–0.91] vs 0.77 [0.64–0.90] for R1 and 0.88 [0.83–0.91] vs 0.77 [0.69–0.84] for R2) (all P < 0.05). Both ultrafast MRI and standard MRI showed comparable performance in predicting hormone receptors. Ultrafast MRI exhibited superior performance to standard MRI in classifying subtypes. The classification of the luminal subtype for both readers, the HER2-overexpressed subtype for R2, and the triple-negative subtype for R1 was significantly better with ultrafast MRI (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Ultrafast MRI-based radiomics holds promise as a noninvasive imaging biomarker for classifying hormone receptors, HER2 status, and molecular subtypes compared to standard MRI, regardless of radiologist experience.
Unraveling dolomite dissolution stoichiometry in circumneutral to alkaline pH environments
Authors: Bibi Irshad , Amin Aniqa , Haese Ralf R. , Niazi Nabeel Khan
Published: January 2025

Examining carbonate dissolution kinetics at mineral-water interface is crucial to understand numerous environmental and geochemical processes, including global carbon cycling, CO2 sequestration in deep geological reservoirs, and trace elements release in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Here we explored the effect of circumneutral to alkaline pH solutions (pH 6–11) on dissolution kinetics of pure dolomite and Ca and Mg release stoichiometry in flow-through reactor experiments at 25 ± 1 °C. Results revealed that the dolomite dissolution rates obtained from effluent Ca and Mg concentrations (RCa and RMg in mol/cm2/s) were dependent on input solution pH and HCO3
− log activity. The pH dependence of dissolution rates showed two distinct trends, i.e., at circumneutral pH ranging between 6 and 8, the dissolution rate decreased with increasing pH, with minimum rate at pH 8. While in the highly alkaline pH range (pH 9–11), the dolomite dissolution rate increased with an increasing pH. Irrespective of the input pH, the dolomite dissolution rates indicated a reverse relationship with HCO3
− log activity, with the lowest dissolution rate (RCa = 3.80 × 10–12 mol/cm2/s) at pH 8 where HCO3
− log activity attained the highest value (− 3.957). The lower RCa and RMg obtained at pH 8 compared to all the other pH could possibly be attributed to an inhibition caused by high HCO3
− log activity in solution at this pH. Dolomite dissolution rates were non-stoichiometric at all the experimental pH values, showing higher preferential Ca over Mg release (RCa > RMg) whereas an opposite trend was observed at pH 8, with RCa < RMg at the steady state. Saturation index values calculated using geochemical speciation modelling were positive for Mg-bearing minerals (brucite, dolomite, artinite) at alkaline pH of 10–11, indicating favourable conditions for their precipitation under studied conditions. This study provides insights on the significance of log ion activities of HCO3
− and Me-OH+ under varying pH for elucidating the dissolution mechanism of dolomite in circumneutral to alkaline aqueous environments.
Modelling the Dissolutive Wetting of Slag-Oxide System at High Temperatures
Authors: Yang Mingrui , Yan Zhiming , Li Zushu , Lv Xuewei , Bai Chenguang
Published: January 2025

A model of the dissolutive wetting process for slag-oxide systems is developed, based on the assumption that the shape of the liquid slag droplet on a solid surface is a spherical cap. The model incorporates key factors such as substrate density, slag density, viscosity, as well as the dissolution rate. Numerical simulations are performed using an iterative calculation method, which reveals the spreading dynamics of the dissolutive wetting process. Experimental data for the wetting of slags, including CaO–Fe2O3, CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO on Al2O3, Fe2O3 and MgAl2O4 substrates, were used to validate the model, showing good agreement with the predicted results. The calculated dynamic results indicate that the apparent contact angle (α
apt) decreases rapidly at first, followed by a slower decline due to a lower dissolution rate. The wetting process is primarily governed by the dissolution rate, which is significantly influenced by the dissolution driving force (ΔC = C
sat − C
L) rather than the slag viscosity. The development of this model enhances the understanding of the dynamic dissolutive wetting process, including time variation in droplet size, formation of corrosion pit, and changes in liquid composition and its properties.
Application of silver and selenium nanoparticles to enhance plant-defense response against biotic stressors
Authors: Batista Anielkis , Mai Van Chung , Sadowska Katarzyna , Labudda Mateusz , Jeandet Philippe , Morkunas Iwona
Published: January 2025

The present review discusses the role of silver (AgNPs) and selenium (SeNPs) nanoparticles at different concentrations in the regulation of plant defence responses to the biotic stressors. Study of the role of the above nanoparticles (NPs) has generated considerable interest because these caused significant changes in the framework of plant growth and their metabolism and play an important role in responses to biotic stress factors. Numerous results of metabolomics studies provide evidence that NPs change the profile of metabolites and their concentrations. NPs were applied as potential tools to improve the growth of plants, plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and food production, but research on the environmental safety of their use in agriculture is still necessary. The response of plants to the application of NPs depends on their concentration, plant species, exposure time and stage of development.
Nanoindentation Crack Suppression and Hardness Increase in SrTiO3 by Dislocation Engineering
Authors: Zhang Jiawen , Preuß Oliver , Fang Xufei , Lu Wenjun
Published: January 2025

Dislocations in functional oxides have sparked interest in the potential they hold for harvesting both enhanced mechanical and functional properties for next-generation electronic devices. This has motivated the recent research endeavor to achieve tunable dislocation density and plastic zone size in functional oxides. However, the dislocation density-dependent micro-/nanomechanical properties in functional ceramics have yet to be assessed, which will be critical for the design of reliable electronic devices in the near future. In this work, we use a model material, single-crystal SrTiO3, as one of the most widely used substrates for oxide electronics, to assess the hardness and fracture behavior at micro-/nanoscale by pre-engineering the dislocation densities from ~ 1010 m-2 up to ~ 4.0 × 1014 m-2. We find crack suppression and enhanced hardness during nanoindentation in samples with pre-engineered dislocations. Post-indentation analysis using transmission electron microscopy revealed the critical role of pre-existing dislocations in regulating the crack suppression and increased hardness in SrTiO3. The results can help guide the design of mechanically reliable electronics via dislocation engineering.
Novel Surgical Initiatives in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours
Authors: Ritter Alina S. , Poppinga Jelte , Steinkraus Kira C. , Hackert Thilo , Nießen Anna
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

Neuroendocrine tumours (NET) are rare entities arising from hormone producing cells in the gastroentero-pancreatic (GEP) tract. Surgery is the most common treatment of GEP-NETs.

Recent Findings

Improvements in surgical techniques allow for more locally advanced and metastasised GEP-NETs to be resected. Laparoscopic and robotically--assisted approaches are increasingly being utilised in the resection of selected GEP-NETs and are facilitated by novel intraoperative tumour localisation tools and parenchyma-sparing methods. At the same time, some authors suggest that indications for formal resections of small well differentiated non-functioning pancreatic NETs and appendiceal NETs should be more restrictive.

Advancements in surgery allows for tissue-sparing resections of GEP-NETs. Indications for surgical resection and the extent of the procedure are highly dependent on GEP-NET size, localisation and grading. Robotically assisted surgeries with intraoperative ultrasound and visualisation methods as well as vessel-sparing radical retrograde lymphadenectomies for small intestinal NETs seem to be the future of GEP-NET surgery.
How Painful are Lumbar Hernias? A Comprehensive Review of Intervention Strategies
Authors: Moreno-Gómez-Toledano Rafael , Méndez-Mesón Irene , Aguado-Henche Soledad , Sebastián-Martín Alba , Grande-Alonso Mónica
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

Low back pain (LBP) is considered an important issue of public health, with annual prevalence estimations almost achieving 60% of the worldwide population. Available treatments have a limited impact on this condition, although they allow to alleviate pain and recover the patient’s quality of life. This review aims to go deeper on the understanding of this condition, providing an updated, brief, and concise whole picture of this common musculoskeletal problem.

Recent Findings

Scientific literature, current clinical practice and clinical guidelines are summarized, focusing on three key aspects: classification of LBP, diagnosis of symptomatic lumbar hernia, and intervention strategies (conservative, surgical, and pharmacological). Benefits and drawbacks of each approach are tackled.

The most appropriate intervention for LBP suffers is hitherto a conservative treatment based on therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and therapeutic education on the neurophysiological mechanisms of pain. Whether patient's condition is severe, does not improve with conservative treatment, or presents neurological symptoms, then surgical intervention is recommended. The efficiency of pharmaceutical approaches for LBP lacks high-quality evidence-based studies, and still needs to be in-depth explored. Current treatments help to improve symptoms and patient’s perspectives. However, further research in the field of herniated discs is essential in order to seek a therapy that could definitely cure or eliminate this condition.
Development and preliminary validation of the dyadic sexual self-esteem inventory
Authors: Wehrli Fabienne S. V. , Weitkamp Katharina , Bodenmann Guy
Published: January 2025

Previous research has consistently shown a close relationship of sexual health with the dynamics within a romantic relationship. However, most measurements in this field have traditionally focused solely on the individual level, thus neglecting relationship aspects. In the present study, we introduce a new theoretical framework and the Dyadic Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory (DSSEI) as a measurement tool designed to evaluate sexual self-esteem from an interpersonal perspective. Using data from individuals in monogamous relationships (N = 784), we conducted confirmatory factor analyses, tested measurement invariance, and assessed the instrument’s reliability and validity. The results demonstrate that the DSSEI is a reliable and valid 30-item tool that consists of one higher-order factor (Dyadic Sexual Self-Esteem), five second-order factors (Evaluation of the Self, Perceived Partner’s Influence on Self, Perceived Partner’s Self-Evaluation, Perceived Influence on Partner, Couple Evaluation) and ten first-order factors that differentiate between sexual self-worth and sexual self-efficacy within dyadic sexual self-esteem. The DSSEI exhibits partial scalar invariance across gender and measurement points for the second-order factors. Reliability analyses demonstrate good internal consistency and stability over time. The validity analyses incorporated Pearson product-moment correlations and regression analyses, revealing significant associations between dyadic sexual self-esteem and sexual self-esteem, sexual subjectivity, self-esteem, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and emotional intimacy. Additionally, the DSSEI differentiates between individuals with and without sexual dysfunction and between those with high and low relationship satisfaction. The DSSEI has implications for both sexual health research and clinical practice and adds to an understanding of couples’ sexual interactions as a product of their dyadic experiences rather than the sum of individual predispositions.
“Leaky Weirs” capture alluvial deposition and enhance seasonal mountain-front recharge in dryland streams
Authors: Norman Laura M. , Uhlman Kristine , Coy Hanna A. , Wilson Natalie R. , Bennett Andrew M. , Gray Floyd , Ehrenberg Kurt T.
Published: January 2025

“Leaky weirs” are rock structures installed in dryland streams, which are anchored into exposed bedrock, loosely cemented, and designed to allow water to slowly pass through. They are being tested at a ranch in southeastern Arizona, USA, to restore and conserve the historic range and desert wetlands. Data are collected to assess how leaky weirs impact surface water, subsurface water, and groundwater recharge—including stream discharge, timing, and depth of infiltration, and groundwater elevations. Three adjacent watersheds, two with outlets just below leaky weirs and one with leaky weirs farther upstream, were instrumented with water-level loggers, wildlife cameras, and crest stage instruments with temperature sensors in the soil. As most groundwater recharge is assumed to be focused along the mountain fronts in this region, mountain-block recharge is also evaluated to differentiate between the two using isotope analyses. Finally, a single, late-season flood event is scrutinized to consider the leaky weir effect on all monitored components in the water budget. Results indicated groundwater flow is primarily from the mountains to the east via older, regional mountain-block recharge. However, the development of shallow alluvial aquifers is supported by the leaky weirs, that slow flows, capture permeable sediments, and allow infiltration, thus enhancing mountain-front recharge. In turn, these new pockets of water help support the restoration of historic wetlands. Sediment accumulates where leaky weirs are installed, reducing flashy peak flows, and resulting in a series of infiltration ponds along the channel that support vegetation during growing seasons and recharge the shallow aquifer during non-growing seasons.
The use of multiple evidence base methods to enrich climate change research and knowledge in the Arctic
Authors: Heatta Máret J. , Hausner Vera Helene , Utsi Tove Aagnes
Published: January 2025

Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) is increasingly used along with scientific knowledge (SK) to understand climate change. The multi evidence base (MEB) offers ways of combining knowledge systems together. Nonetheless, there is little guidance on how to use MEB approaches in research. Our aim is to systematically evaluate empirical cases using MEB approaches in Arctic climate change research; and explore ILK inclusion in research stages. The mapping followed the ROSES protocol, which provides a checklist of details to be included in the review. The literature search identified 1483 records referring to MEB approaches. We identified seven papers applying the cross-fertilization and nine applying the coproduction approach to combine ILK with SK. The theory of change framework was used to evaluate participation, revealing a distinct difference between the approaches in participant involvement in the research stages. Regardless of MEB approach, the output and outcome of the cases were less clear.
Parametric symplectic jet interpolation
Authors: Andrist Rafael B. , Huang Gaofeng , Kutzschebauch Frank , Schott Josua
Published: January 2025

We prove a parametric jet interpolation theorem for symplectic holomorphic automorphisms of

$$\mathbb {C}^{2n}$$

C

2
n

with parameters in a Stein space. Moreover, we provide an example of an unavoidable set for symplectic holomorphic maps.
An optimal control problem with respect to variable thicknesses for a vibrating elastic plate in a contact with a rigid obstacle
Authors: Bock Igor
Published: January 2025

We deal with an optimal control problem governed by a hyperbolic variational inequality describing perpendicular vibrations of a simply supported anisotropic elastic plate against a rigid obstacle. A variable thickness of a plate plays the role of a control variable. The state problem is not uniquely solved. In order to overcome the problem of a priori estimates of states we restrict the admissible set to solutions obtained through a penalization method. We verify the existence of an optimal thickness function as a limit of the sequence of thicknesses solving the case of the penalized state problem.
Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 Garnet Claddings for YAG Fiber Lasers
Authors: Drazin J. W. , Schlup A. , Gray B. , Martinez A. , McGarvey S. , Hay R. S.
Published: January 2025

The feasibility of cladding single-crystal YAG fibers with melted Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 garnet (CGGG), with a melting point of 1370–1385 °C, was investigated. CGGG was melted and crystallized on single-crystal Y3Al5O12 (YAG) plates and fibers at controlled temperatures and heating/cooling rates. CGGG precursors were coextruded with single-crystal YAG fibers, melted, and crystallized using a travelling furnace, and using laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG). Single-crystal YAG fibers were also dip-coated with molten CGGG. The CGGG microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy, SEM, electron back-scatter diffraction, and TEM. In experiments with YAG plates, chemically induced grain boundary migration was observed at the CGGG-YAG interface. The CGGG viscosity was too low to apply thick claddings by dip coating in melt or by use of a traveling furnace, but this was not an issue for the LHPG based method. For cladding applied by LHPG,a ~ 1–2 μm thick layer intermediate in composition between CGGG and YAG was observed. All the CGGG claddings were polycrystalline, regardless of the method used; none were epitaxial with YAG. Cladding microstructures and the merit of the various cladding methods are discussed.
Calderón–Zygmund Estimates for the Fractional p-Laplacian
Authors: Diening Lars , Nowak Simon
Published: January 2025

We prove fine higher regularity results of Calderón-Zygmund-type for equations involving nonlocal operators modelled on the fractional p-Laplacian with possibly discontinuous coefficients of VMO-type. We accomplish this by establishing precise pointwise bounds in terms of certain fractional sharp maximal functions. This approach is new already in the linear setting and enables us to deduce sharp regularity results also in borderline cases.
Public Engagement with Science
Authors: Potochnik Angela , Jacquart Melissa
Published: January 2025

'Public engagement with science' is gaining currency as the framing for outreach activities related to science. However, knowledge bearing on the topic is siloed in a variety of disciplines, and public engagement activities often are conducted without support from relevant theory or familiarity with related activities. This first Element in the Public Engagement with Science series sets the stage for the series by delineating the target of investigation, establishing the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and community partnerships for effective public engagement with science, examining the roles public engagement with science plays in academic institutions, and providing initial resources about the theory and practice of public engagement with science. Useful to academics who would like to conduct or study public engagement with science, but also to public engagement practitioners as a window into relevant academic knowledge and cultures. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.
Growing Hope
Authors: von Mossner Alexa Weik
Published: January 2025

Growing Hope takes a closer look at how such narratives can carry the promise of a better future in the face of grim realities. It brings together two kinds of narratives that are rarely considered in conjunction: stories about urban community gardening and stories about vegan food justice. It shows that there is much common ground between these movements and that the stories told by them are worth exploring as part of a larger narrative about creating a better and more equitable future. In the United States, this is especially true for the stories told by and about people of color and their historically marginalized communities. Employing an econarratological approach informed by critical food studies, environmental justice ecocriticism, and transmedia studies, Growing Hope explores a selection of narratives about people who fight against food injustice and the ideologies sustaining it: stories about defiant gardening and culinary self-empowerment.
Linezolid and tedizolid adverse effects: a review on serotonin syndrome, myelosuppression, neuropathies, and lactic acidosis
Authors: Greenfield Adam , Deja Erin , Lee Kimberly , Sastry Sangeeta , Rittmann Barry
Published: January 2025

Oxazolidinone antibiotics—linezolid and tedizolid—are often used to treat multidrug-resistant infections. They are highly bioavailable and ideal for transition to enteral therapy when appropriate. However, multiple associated adverse effects are potentially treatment-limiting. The objective of this review is to discuss relevant adverse effects of linezolid and tedizolid, including serotonin syndrome, myelosuppression, neuropathies, and lactic acidosis, and their commonality in real-world experience in the last decade. Mitigation strategies, including the role of therapeutic drug monitoring, are also discussed.
Social virtue epistemology and epistemic exactingness
Authors: Harris Keith Raymond
Published: January 2025

Who deserves credit for epistemic successes, and who is to blame for epistemic failures? Extreme views, which would place responsibility either solely on the individual or solely on the individual’s surrounding environment, are not plausible. Recently, progress has been made toward articulating virtue epistemology as a suitable middle ground. A socio-environmentally oriented virtue epistemology can recognize that an individual’s traits play an important role in shaping what that individual believes, while also recognizing that some of the most efficacious individual traits have to do with how individuals structure their epistemic environments and how they respond to information received within these environments. I contribute to the development of such an epistemology by introducing and elucidating the virtue of epistemic exactingness, which is characterized by a motivation to regulate the epistemically significant conduct of others.
Gratitude and the web of knowledge
Authors: Green Adam
Published: January 2025

Epistemic trust in others frequently cannot be disentangled from interpersonal trust more generally, but the epistemic implications of how we affectively express our trust in others are under-investigated. This essay claims that gratitude, despite its empirically undeniable importance to human flourishing generally, is also important epistemically and in several intersecting ways. To be grateful to a person is to represent the world differently in key respects. Gratitude, even if it is for past non-epistemic benefits, should play an important role in shaping who we epistemically rely on. Gratitude for specifically epistemic benefits is an important way in which we show our attunement to epistemic value and contribute to the incentive structures that make much of our public knowledge and informational ecosystems possible. Likewise, ingratitude is a crippling epistemic vice that renders our dependence on quality sources of information fragile and vulnerable to capture by misinformation.
Estimated dietary flavonoid intake and major food contributors in the Portuguese population: results from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (IAN-AF 2015-2016)
Authors: Martins Sofia , Meireles Manuela , Caetano Estela , Correia Daniela , Carvalho Catarina , Campos Silva Catarina , Magalhães Vânia , Vilela Sofia , Lopes Carla , Torres Duarte
Published: January 2025

Flavonoids are a key class of polyphenols, i.e., phytochemical compounds present in foods and beverages, which have been described as having health benefits in preventing several chronic diseases. Estimating flavonoid intake has already been conducted in several countries but has yet to be performed in Portugal. This study included 5,005 participants aged 3-84 years and aimed to estimate dietary flavonoid intake in the Portuguese population, using data from the National Food and Physical Activity Survey 2015-2016, providing information on intake, main food contributors, and the socio-demographic factors associated with the intake. Food intake data from the Survey was converted to flavonoid intake using a database built to include the most updated USDA databases on flavonoids, isoflavones and proanthocyanidins, and the Phenol-Explorer database. The rationale for combining food consumption data and different flavonoid databases using the FoodEx2 classification system was established. Linear regressions assessed the associations between socio-demographic factors and dietary flavonoid intake. The total flavonoid intake of the Portuguese population was estimated to be 107.3 mg/day. Flavanols were the most representative subclass, followed by flavonols, anthocyanidins, flavanones, flavones and isoflavones. Fruits and vegetables were the primary food contributors, providing 31.5% and 12.4% of the total flavonoid intake. Adolescents had the lowest total flavonoid intake, and older adults had the highest. This study provides information on the Portuguese population’s dietary flavonoids, allowing for international comparisons. It can also streamline forthcoming investigations into the link between flavonoid consumption and its impact on health, contributing to the future establishment of dietary reference values.