bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust multi‐loop control of a floating wind turbine
Authors: Stockhouse David , Pusch Manuel , Damiani Rick , Sirnivas Senu , Pao Lucy
Published: September 2023

A principal challenge facing the control of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) is the problem of instability, or “negative damping,” when using blade pitch feedback to control generator speed. This closed‐loop instability can be attributed to non‐minimum phase zeros in the transfer function from blade pitch to generator speed. Standard approaches to improving stability and performance include robust tuning of control gains and introducing multiple feedback loops to respond to platform motion. Combining these approaches is nontrivial because multiple control loops complicate the impact of coupling in the system dynamics. The single‐loop approach to analyzing stability robustness neglects inter‐loop coupling, while a simplistic multi‐loop approach is highly sensitive to dimensional scaling and overestimates the robustness of the single‐loop controller. This work proposes a sensitivity representation that separates some of the natural FOWT dynamic coupling into a parallel feedback loop in the sensitivity function loop to address both of these concerns. The modified robustness measure is used with a simplified linear FOWT model to optimize scheduled multi‐loop control parameters in an automated tuning procedure. This controller is implemented for the 10‐MW Ultraflexible Smart FLoating Offshore Wind Turbine (USFLOWT) and compared against conventional single‐ and multi‐loop controllers tuned using frequency‐domain analysis and high‐fidelity OpenFAST simulations. The multi‐loop robust controller shows the highest overall performance in generator speed regulation and tower load reduction, though consideration of power quality, actuator usage, and other structural loading leads to additional trade‐offs.
Bioenergy updates and prospects for decarbonization in the ASEAN region: A review on logistical concerns and potential solutions
Authors: Balanay Raquel , Halog Anthony
Published: September 2023

Association of Southeast Asian Economies (ASEAN's) logistical concerns and support for bioenergy production from biomass waste are consolidated to discuss the updates and the areas needing modification/improvement to sustain the increasing trend of bioenergy production and consumption amidst food security and other ecological issues in the region. A systematic narrative review was conducted to address the current information scarcity on bioenergy logistics and discuss methods for moving forward. Regardless, the biofuels supply chain primarily supports biofuels and has numerous logistical concerns, including feedstock, conversion, and generation. The ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation has coordinated the ASEAN's present bioenergy development that shows slow yet determined steps. As a result of policies and mandates, bioenergy production has progressed steadily, as well as a continuous improvement of current energy logistics (mostly fossil fuel‐based) to increase biofuel deployment. The current logistics for bioenergy is still lacking and technologically ill‐equipped, with significant inefficiency and sub‐optimality issues. Huge support to re‐engineer and retool bioenergy logistics is necessary to make bioenergy competitive with fossil fuels in ASEAN countries with varying economic and modernization status. Regional cooperation is key in developing an efficient and optimal logistical system for bioenergy in ASEAN, which needs to be supported with intensified R&D, smart solutions, green financing, incentive system, risk management, and policy frameworks. Green logistics is advocated to push forward decarbonizing the future across the ASEAN region with bioenergy.

This article is categorized under:

Sustainable Energy > Bioenergy

Climate and Environment > Net Zero Planning and Decarbonization

Sustainable Development > Goals

Climate and Environment > Circular Economy
Cyclin‐dependent kinases: Masters of the eukaryotic universe
Authors: Pluta Aleksandra J. , Studniarek Cécilia , Murphy Shona , Norbury Chris J.
Published: September 2023

A family of structurally related cyclin‐dependent protein kinases (CDKs) drives many aspects of eukaryotic cell function. Much of the literature in this area has considered individual members of this family to act primarily either as regulators of the cell cycle, the context in which CDKs were first discovered, or as regulators of transcription. Until recently, CDK7 was the only clear example of a CDK that functions in both processes. However, new data points to several “cell‐cycle” CDKs having important roles in transcription and some “transcriptional” CDKs having cell cycle‐related targets. For example, novel functions in transcription have been demonstrated for the archetypal cell cycle regulator CDK1. The increasing evidence of the overlap between these two CDK types suggests that they might play a critical role in coordinating the two processes. Here we review the canonical functions of cell‐cycle and transcriptional CDKs, and provide an update on how these kinases collaborate to perform important cellular functions. We also provide a brief overview of how dysregulation of CDKs contributes to carcinogenesis, and possible treatment avenues.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA‐Protein Complexes

RNA Processing > 3′ End Processing

RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing
Fokus Häusliche Pflege – der Ansatz der subjektorientierten Qualitätssicherung
Authors: Büscher Andreas , Klie Thomas
Published: September 2023

Die Diskussion um die Qualität professioneller Pflegeangebote begleitet die Pflegeversicherung seit ihren Anfängen – nicht zuletzt vor dem Hintergrund ihrer wettbewerblichen Ausrichtung. Die Frage, welche Qualität ambulante, teilstationäre und stationäre Pflegeeinrichtungen und -dienste erbringen können und sollen und wie sichergestellt werden kann, dass sie es auch tatsächlich tun, bestimmt seit mehr als einem Vierteljahrhundert die Qualitätsdiskussion.

Nicht Gegenstand der Qualitätsdiskussion war der Bereich der pflegerischen Langzeitversorgung, der bereits vor der Pflegeversicherung den größten Teil dieser Versorgung ausgemacht hat: die häusliche Pflege durch die An- und Zugehörigen pflegebedürftiger Menschen – aber auch Alleinstehender. Seit 1999 weist die Pflegestatistik verlässlich aus, dass die größte Gruppe der Leistungsempfängerinnen und -empfänger der Pflegeversicherung aus denjenigen besteht, die sich für die Geldleistung nach § 37 SGB XI entschieden haben. Dies bedeutet, dass sie einen Geldbetrag erhalten und die Pflege zu Hause im Rahmen ihrer Möglichkeiten selbst organisieren. Mit dem Bezug der Geldleistung gehen sie die Verpflichtung ein, je nach Pflegegrad zwei- oder viermal im Jahr einen Beratungsbesuch nach § 37 Abs. 3 SGB XI durch einen ambulanten Pflegedienst oder eine anerkannte Beratungsstelle zu erhalten. Abgesehen von dieser verpflichtenden Unterstützung bleiben diese Pflegearrangements sich selbst überlassen.
Primärqualifizierende Pflegestudiengänge im Überblick
Authors: Meng Michael , Hofrath Claudia , Peters Miriam , Hamel Lucas , Klein Bettina , Dorin Lena
Published: September 2023

Der akademische Bildungsweg für Pflegende wird durch das Pflegeberufegesetz erstmals als weiterer Regelfall neben der generalistischen Pflegeausbildung vorgesehen. In der pflegewissenschaftlichen Forschung liegen eine steigende Anzahl an Studien vor, die empirische Belege dafür liefern, dass sich ein höheres Bildungsniveau der Pflegenden insgesamt positiv auf die Versorgungsqualität auswirkt. Wie jedoch kann dieser Mehrwert operationalisiert und gemessen werden? Wie gestaltet sich die Einführungsphase der neuen Studiengänge in Deutschland? Welche Rahmenbedingungen finden die Studierenden vor? Und welche Einsatzbereiche sind für akademisch qualifizierte Pflegefachpersonen denkbar? Zur Beantwortung dieser und weiterer Fragestellungen wurde (a) 2022 eine Sondererhebung des BIBB-Pflegepanels zur aktuellen Situation der Hochschulen durchgeführt. Zudem wurde (b) ein Rapid Review zum Thema „Patientenbezogener Mehrwert des Einsatzes von Pflegefachpersonen mit akademischer Ausbildung“ ausgearbeitet.

Zwischen Januar 2022 und April 2022 fand eine bundesweite Querschnittbefragung unter Hochschulen mit primärqualifizierenden Pflegestudiengängen statt. Dies geschah im Rahmen des BIBB-Pflegepanels, eines nach § 60 Pflegeberufe-Ausbildungs- und Prüfungsverordnung (PflAPrV) neu etablierten Monitorings zur Pflegebildung nach dem Pflegeberufegesetz in Deutschland. Zur Untersuchung des patientenbezogenen Mehrwerts akademisch ausgebildeter Pflegender wurde ein systematisches Rapid Review durchgeführt.
Möglichkeiten der Qualitätsmessung anhand von Routinedaten in der ambulanten Pflege
Authors: Wehner Kathrin
Published: September 2023

Die Versorgung in der eigenen häuslichen Umgebung ist für viele pflegebedürftige Menschen von großer Bedeutung. Neben Angehörigen spielen ambulante Pflegedienste eine zunehmend wichtige Rolle für die Gewährleistung der häuslichen Versorgung. Ein Viertel der zu Hause betreuten pflegebedürftigen Menschen wird gemeinsam mit oder vollständig durch einen ambulanten Pflegedienst versorgt. Die Themen Qualität und Qualitätsentwicklung und -sicherung der ambulanten pflegerischen Versorgung sind daher zunehmend Gegenstand pflegefachlicher und politischer Diskussionen. Eine Möglichkeit zur Messung von Versorgungsqualität ist die Nutzung von Routinedaten von Kranken- bzw. Pflegekassen. Für die stationäre Langzeitpflege liegen bereits Ansätze für die Qualitätsmessung mittels Routinedaten vor. Für die ambulante Pflege gibt es diesbezüglich noch keine Überlegungen. Im Rahmen einer Forschungsarbeit wurde nun die generelle Nutzbarkeit von Routinedaten auch für die ambulante Pflege untersucht. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass eine Reihe von qualitätsrelevanten Versorgungsaspekten in der ambulanten Pflege anhand von Routinedaten operationalisierbar ist. Die Mehrzahl der identifizierten Versorgungsaspekte ist jedoch nicht über Routinedaten abbildbar. Hierfür wären, vor allem für den Regelungsbereich des SGB XI, grundlegende Anpassungen der gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen erforderlich.
Public Reporting der Qualität der Leistung der Langzeitpflege
Authors: Meyer Gabriele , Berg Almuth
Published: September 2023

Der Beitrag diskutiert die öffentliche Berichterstattung (Public Reporting) von Indikatoren relevanter Versorgungsaspekte in Pflegeeinrichtungen als mögliche Strategie zur Qualitätsverbesserung durch Transparenz. Am Beispiel der anhaltend hohen und änderungsresistenten Verordnungsraten von Antipsychotika in deutschen Pflegeheimen werden internationale Ansätze entsprechender Qualitätsberichterstattung vorgestellt. Aber auch wenn Public Reporting Potenzial verspricht, scheinen komplexe Maßnahmenpakete erforderlich zu sein. Um Unsicherheiten im Hinblick auf wirksames und sicheres Public Reporting zu überwinden, müssen prospektive Evaluationen erfolgen, die mehrdimensionale Ergebnisparameter und unbeabsichtigte Wirkungen berücksichtigen.

We discuss Public Reporting of indicators relevant for the long-term care of older people as strategy to improve quality through transparency. The constantly high prescription rate of antipsychotics in German nursing homes is taken as an example to introduce international approaches of Public Reporting. Even though Public Reporting seems to be promising, more complex interventions comprising further components of quality improvement are likely to be more effective. To overcome uncertainties regarding the effectiveness and safety of Public Reporting, prospective evaluations assessing multidimenisonal outcomes and adverse effects should be carried out.
Othering am Beispiel von Migration: Wie aus sozialen Kategorien die Anderen entstehen
Authors: Akbulut Nurcan , Razum Oliver
Published: September 2023

‚Migranten‘ und ‚Geflüchtete‘ werden häufig als Andere kategorisiert in einem Prozess, der als Othering (Veranderung) bezeichnet wird. Am Beispiel von (Flucht‑)Migration entwickeln wir eine Definition des Begriffs Othering, um ihn für die Analyse gesundheitlicher Ungleichheiten nutzbar zu machen. Othering verstehen wir dabei als einen gesellschaftlichen Prozess, der Unterschiede so konstruiert und klassifiziert, dass bestimmte Gruppen als wesentlich Andere sozial sichtbar werden. Dem Prozess des Othering liegt zum einen eine diskursive Praxis zugrunde, die Differenzen markiert und damit Menschen zu sichtbar Anderen macht. Zum anderen beruht er auf einer Machtasymmetrie, die es ermöglicht, Menschen zu kategorisieren und damit als anders zu markieren.

Othering beruht nicht allein auf ablehnenden Einstellungen einzelner Personen oder Gruppen. Vielmehr ist Othering das Resultat eines umfassenden und historisch gewachsenen Systems von Überzeugungen, die durch Machtbeziehungen Glaubwürdigkeit erlangen. Insofern verstehen wir Othering als einen machtvollen Prozess, der über Diskriminierungskonzepte, die auf bloße Kategorisierungsprozesse gründen, wesentlich hinausgeht. Das Othering-Konzept hebt sich von anderen Konzepten der Ungleichheit ab, indem es die epistemische Ebene als wesentlichen Faktor für Ungleichheit einbezieht. Othering erzeugt nicht nur begrifflich die Anderen, sondern begründet zugleich eine diskursive Legitimation für den ungleichen Umgang mit dem Anderen.

Ausgehend von unserem Verständnis von Othering stellen wir praxisbezogene Ergebnisse zu den Auswirkungen des Othering auf die Gesundheitsversorgung von ‚Migranten‘ und ‚Geflüchteten‘ dar.
Brain oxidative stress mediates anxiety-like behavior induced by indomethacin in zebrafish: protective effect of alpha-tocopherol
Authors: Pinheiro Jessica , Pinheiro Emerson , de Deus Gustavo Ramalho , Saito Geovanna , Luz Waldo Lucas , Assad Nadyme , da Cunha Palheta Melk Roberto , de Jesus Oliveira Batista Evander , Morais Suellen , Passos Adelaide , Oliveira Karen Renata Herculano Matos , Herculano Anderson Manoel
Published: September 2023

Rationale

Indomethacin (INDO) is a widely utilized non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) with recognized effect on the central nervous system. Although previous reports demonstrate that prolonged treatment with indomethacin can lead to behavioral alterations such as anxiety disorder, the biochemical effect exerted by this drug on the brain are not fully understood.

Objectives

The aim of present study was to evaluate if anxiety-like behavior elicited by indomethacin is mediated by brains oxidative stress as well as if alpha-tocopherol, a potent antioxidant, is able to prevent the behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by indomethacin treatment.

Methods

Zebrafish were utilized as experimental model and subdivided into control, INDO 1 mg/Kg, INDO 2 mg/Kg, INDO 3 g/Kg, α-TP 2 mg/Kg, α-TP 2 mg/Kg + INDO 1 mg/Kg and α-TP + INDO 2 mg/Kg groups. Vertical distributions elicited by novelty and brain oxidative stress were utilized to determinate behavioral and biochemical alterations elicited by indomethacin treatment, respectively.

Results

Our results showed that treatment with indomethacin 3 mg/kg induces animal death. No changes in animal survival were observed in animals treated with lower doses of indomethacin. Indomethacin induced significant anxiogenic-like behavior as well as intense oxidative stress in zebrafish brain. Treatment with alpha-tocopherol was able to prevent anxiety-like behavior and brain oxidative stress induced by indomethacin.

Conclusions

Data presented in current study demonstrated for the first time that indomethacin induces anxiety-like behavior mediated by brain oxidative stress in zebrafish as well as that pre-treatment with alpha-tocopherol is able to prevent these collateral effects.
Patient-specific targeted analysis of circulating tumour DNA in plasma is feasible and may be a potential biomarker in UTUC
Authors: Mu Ninni , Jylhä Cecilia , Axelsson Tomas , Sydén Filip , Brehmer Marianne , Tham Emma
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The prognosis of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is associated with tumour grade (G) and stage. Despite preoperative risk stratification and radical treatment, recurrence and progression are common. Thus, prognostic and monitoring biomarkers are needed. This feasibility study aimed to investigate if targeted analyses on circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in plasma could identify tumour-specific gene variants, and thus have potential for further evaluation as a biomarker in UTUC.

Methods

Nine UTUC patients with genetically characterised tumours were included in this prospective pilot study. Two tumour-specific variants were chosen for targeted analyses with multiplex droplet digital PCR on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma at diagnosis or from recurrence.

Results

Of six patients with diagnostic plasma samples, ctDNA was detected in four with G2 or G3 tumours and tumours > 300m2 in size. Three of these patients progressed in their disease and the fourth had the largest G3 tumour at sampling. In contrast, the two patients with undetectable ctDNA in diagnostic plasma had a G1 tumour and G3 carcinoma in situ (CIS), respectively. The patient with G3 CIS had detectable ctDNA later during follow-up and progressed thereafter with aggressive intravesical recurrence and CT-scan-verified CIS progression in the upper urinary tract. In three patients with small recurrent G1 or G2 tumours, none had detectable ctDNA in plasma and all were progression free.

Conclusion

Our early findings demonstrate that ctDNA in plasma can be detected by targeted analysis in patients with UTUC. However, further studies are needed to determine its role as a potential biomarker.
The influence of e-learning on the study life and psychology of medical freshmen
Authors: Yu Wei-Ping , Li Li , Li Jian-Feng , Song Yang , Yu Bo
Published: September 2023

Background

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, people have been fighting the pandemic for 2 years. Throughout the course of civilization, human beings are never the party of compromise. After a period of exploration, people's lives began to undergo adaptive changes. At the same time, the exposed problems are also becoming increasingly serious. The new virus has forced people to adopt quarantine and control to avoid its spread in the population. As is known, medical studies are notoriously difficult and challenging; therefore, whether such a situation would have an impact on medical freshmen led to the study.

Methods

Based on the literature review, factor analysis, and structural equation model, we explore the relationship between learning cognition, learning behavior, and learning environment during online learning for medical freshmen. Learning behaviors include interactive communication, self-discipline mechanism, and learning in class and after class. The learning environment includes the learning environment and the network environment.

Findings

It was found that learning behavior has a significant positive influence on learning cognition. Although the direct influence of the learning environment on learning cognition is not significant, it can positively influence learning behavior and then promote learning cognition through the masking effect.

Suggestions

This paper suggests strengthening the platform construction and network support, improving the online teaching ability of college teachers, and standardizing the corresponding teaching reward and punishment system. The medical information 'learning environment' should be improved, which will then stimulate the learning enthusiasm of the medical freshmen. The monitoring and improvement of students' psychological conditions should be strengthened. In this way, online teaching can be carried out steadily under a more perfect system.
Dessins D’Enfants, Brauer Graph Algebras and Galois Invariants
Authors: Malić Goran , Schroll Sibylle
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we associate a finite dimensional algebra, called a Brauer graph algebra, to every clean dessin d’enfant by constructing a quiver based on the monodromy of the dessin. We show that Galois conjugate dessins d’enfants give rise to derived equivalent Brauer graph algebras and that the stable Auslander-Reiten quiver and the dimension of the Brauer graph algebra are invariant under the induced action of the absolute Galois group.
Dual selective knowledge transfer for few-shot classification
Authors: He Kai , Pu Nan , Lao Mingrui , Bakker Erwin M. , Lew Michael S.
Published: September 2023

Few-shot learning aims at recognizing novel visual categories from very few labelled examples. Different from the existing few-shot classification methods that are mainly based on metric learning or meta-learning, in this work we focus on improving the representation capacity of feature extractors. For this purpose, we propose a new two-stage dual selective knowledge transfer (DSKT) framework, to guide models towards better optimization. Specifically, we first exploit an improved multi-task learning approach to train a feature extractor with robust representation capability as a teacher model. Then, we design an effective dual selective knowledge distillation method, which enables the student model to selectively learn knowledge from the teacher model and current samples, thereby improving the student model’s ability to generalize on unseen classes. Extensive experimental results show that our DSKT achieves competitive performances on four well-known few-shot classification benchmarks.
Face-on map of the molecular disc and 3-kpc expanding ring of the galaxy based on a high-accuracy rotation curve
Authors: Sofue Yoshiaki
Published: September 2023

We analyze the longitude-velocity diagram (LVD) of 12CO-line emission from archival data and use the most accurate rotation curve (RC) of the Milky Way to transform radial velocity to face-on position in the galactic plane. We point out that the face-on transformation is highly sensitive to the adopted RC, especially in the inner Milky Way, in the sense that deviations of the RC from the true rotation velocity lead either to an artifact hole or overcrowded concentration along the tangent circle for over- or under-estimated RC, respectively. Even if the RC is sufficiently accurate, non-circular motion such as with the 3 kpc expanding ring introduces significant artifacts in the resulting face-on-map, as long as a circular rotation is assumed. On the other hand, if we properly take into account the non-circular motion, it can be used to solve the near-far degeneracy problem of determination of kinematic distance. We thus propose a new method to solve the degeneracy by incorporating the expanding motion of a ring or arms. We apply the method to the LVD of the 3-kpc expanding ring and present its face-on map projected onto the galactic plane for the first time.
Disentangling the roles of aneuploidy, chromosomal instability and tumour heterogeneity in developing resistance to cancer therapies
Authors: Andrade Joana Reis , Gallagher Annie Dinky , Maharaj Jovanna , McClelland Sarah Elizabeth
Published: September 2023

Aneuploidy is defined as the cellular state of having a number of chromosomes that deviates from a multiple of the normal haploid chromosome number of a given organism. Aneuploidy can be present in a static state: Down syndrome individuals stably maintain an extra copy of chromosome 21 in their cells. In cancer cells, however, aneuploidy is usually present in combination with chromosomal instability (CIN) which leads to a continual generation of new chromosomal alterations and the development of intratumour heterogeneity (ITH). The prevalence of cells with specific chromosomal alterations is further shaped by evolutionary selection, for example, during the administration of cancer therapies. Aneuploidy, CIN and ITH have each been individually associated with poor prognosis in cancer, and a wealth of evidence suggests they contribute, either alone or in combination, to cancer therapy resistance by providing a reservoir of potential resistant states, or the ability to rapidly evolve resistance. A full understanding of the contribution and interplay between aneuploidy, CIN and ITH is required to tackle therapy resistance in cancer patients. However, these characteristics often co-occur and are intrinsically linked, presenting a major challenge to defining their individual contributions. Moreover, their accurate measurement in both experimental and clinical settings is a technical hurdle. Here, we attempt to deconstruct the contribution of the individual and combined roles of aneuploidy, CIN and ITH to therapy resistance in cancer, and outline emerging approaches to measure and disentangle their roles as a step towards integrating these principles into cancer therapeutic strategy.
Safety and blood levels of daratumumab after switching from intravenous to subcutaneous administration in patients with multiple myeloma
Authors: Yamaoka Kenta , Irie Kei , Hiramoto Nobuhiro , Hirabatake Masaki , Ikesue Hiroaki , Hashida Tohru , Shimizu Tadashi , Ishikawa Takayuki , Muroi Nobuyuki
Published: September 2023

The intravenous administration (IV) of daratumumab sometimes causes an infusion reaction and needs a long infusion time. Recently, a subcutaneous formulation (SC) of daratumumab, which has fewer infusion reactions and shorter administration time, was approved. However, because SC has a fixed dose, overdosing is a concern for patients with low body weights. In this study, we investigated the safety and blood levels of daratumumab after switching from IV to SC in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients who switched from IV to SC of daratumumab between June 2021 and May 2022 at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital were included in the study. Blood daratumumab levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Safety after switching from IV to SC was evaluated for six months and graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0. The median body weight of ten patients included in the analysis was 57.4 kg (range: 45.0–74.4). Blood daratumumab levels were significantly increased after switching to SC (p = 0.002); median through concentration at the last IV dose was 403.6 μg/mL (range: 96.3–776.3) and that at the third SC dose was 557.1 μg/mL (range: 288.3–997.2). Grade 1–2 injection site reactions were observed in six patients (60.0%) after switching to SC. A new grade 3 adverse event was observed in only one patient (neutropenia). The blood levels of daratumumab were significantly increased after switching from IV to SC in patients with MM; however, the dosage was tolerable.
On the validity of retrospective predictive performance evaluation procedures in just-in-time software defect prediction
Authors: Song Liyan , Minku Leandro L. , Yao Xin
Published: September 2023

Just-In-Time Software Defect Prediction (JIT-SDP) is concerned with predicting whether software changes are defect-inducing or clean. It operates in scenarios where labels of software changes arrive over time with delay, which in part corresponds to the time we wait to label software changes as clean (waiting time). However, clean labels decided based on waiting time may be different from the true labels of software changes, i.e., there may be label noise. This typically overlooked issue has recently been shown to affect the validity of continuous performance evaluation procedures used to monitor the predictive performance of JIT-SDP models during the software development process. It is still unknown whether this issue could potentially also affect evaluation procedures that rely on retrospective collection of software changes such as those adopted in JIT-SDP research studies, affecting the validity of the conclusions of a large body of existing work. We conduct the first investigation of the extent with which the choice of waiting time and its corresponding label noise would affect the validity of retrospective performance evaluation procedures. Based on 13 GitHub projects, we found that the choice of waiting time did not have a significant impact on the validity and that even small waiting times resulted in high validity. Therefore, (1) the estimated predictive performances in JIT-SDP studies are likely reliable in view of different waiting times, and (2) future studies can make use of not only larger (5k+ software changes), but also smaller (1k software changes) projects for evaluating performance of JIT-SDP models.
A user study for evaluation of formal verification results and their explanation at Bosch
Authors: Kaleeswaran Arut Prakash , Nordmann Arne , Vogel Thomas , Grunske Lars
Published: September 2023

Context

Ensuring safety for any sophisticated system is getting more complex due to the rising number of features and functionalities. This calls for formal methods to entrust confidence in such systems. Nevertheless, using formal methods in industry is demanding because of their lack of usability and the difficulty of understanding verification results.

Objective

We evaluate the acceptance of formal methods by Bosch automotive engineers, particularly whether the difficulty of understanding verification results can be reduced.

Method

We perform two different exploratory studies. First, we conduct a user survey to explore challenges in identifying inconsistent specifications and using formal methods by Bosch automotive engineers. Second, we perform a one-group pretest-posttest experiment to collect impressions from Bosch engineers familiar with formal methods to evaluate whether understanding verification results is simplified by our counterexample explanation approach.

Results

The results from the user survey indicate that identifying refinement inconsistencies, understanding formal notations, and interpreting verification results are challenging. Nevertheless, engineers are still interested in using formal methods in real-world development processes because it could reduce the manual effort for verification. Additionally, they also believe formal methods could make the system safer. Furthermore, the one-group pretest-posttest experiment results indicate that engineers are more comfortable understanding the counterexample explanation than the raw model checker output.

Limitations

The main limitation of this study is the generalizability beyond the target group of Bosch automotive engineers.
Efficacy of allogenous fascia lata grafts in the management of lower eyelid retraction
Authors: Prinz Julia , Hartmann Kathi , Migliorini Filippo , Hamesch Karim , Walter Peter , Fuest Matthias , Kuerten David
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To report on the use of allogenous fascia lata (FL) grafts in patients with lower eyelid retraction (LER).

Methods

In this retrospective study, a consecutive series of 27 patients (39 eyes) with LER who underwent lower eyelid elevation with FL was included. Examinations including measurement of the palpebral fissure vertical height (PFVH), the inferior scleral show distance, the margin reflex distance 2 (MRD 2), and the evaluation of conjunctival hyperemia were conducted at baseline and after a mean postoperative time of 25.9 ± 25.5 (5.0–81.0, median 13.0, last follow-up) months in all patients.

Results

At the last follow-up, a significant reduction of the PFVH (11.3 ± 1.7 versus 12.8 ± 2.1 at baseline, p < 0.001), the inferior scleral show distance (0.7 ± 1.0 mm versus 2.1 ± 1.1 at baseline, p < 0.001), and the MRD 2 (6.4 ± 0.9 versus 7.8 ± 1.3 at baseline, p < 0.001) occurred. The conjunctival hyperemia grading score (McMonnies) was significantly reduced (1.8 ± 0.7) at the last follow-up compared to baseline (2.6 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). No case of ectropion or entropion was observed at the last follow-up visit.

Conclusion

In this case series, lower eyelid elevation with FL grafts as a spacer led to a significant reduction of the PFVH, MRD 2, inferior scleral show distance, and conjunctival hyperemia. No severe surgery-related complications occurred.
Preliminary assessment of portable sleep monitoring for diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in children
Authors: Xian Zhi-xiong , Wang Xin , Chen Yong-chao , Teng Yi-shu
Published: September 2023

Objective

By observing the differences in sleep parameters between portable sleep monitoring (PM) and polysomnography (PSG) in children, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic value and feasibility of PM in children with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Study design

This prospective study enrolled consecutive children (aged 3–14 years) with suspected OSA in Shenzhen Children’s Hospital. They had PSG and PM in the sleep laboratory. Clinical parameters of the two sleep monitoring methods were compared.

Results

A total of 58 children participated. They were classified into two groups according to age: 28 children aged 3 to 5 years and 30 children aged 6 to 14 years. No significant differences were observed in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2), and mean oxygen saturation (MSaO2) between PM and PSG, but the sleep efficiency with PM was significantly higher (3–5 years age: 92.2 ± 11.3% vs 85.2 ± 14.3%, 6–14 years age: 93.2 ± 14.5% vs 84.8 ± 16.3%, both P < 0.05) than the sleep efficiency with PSG. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a strong correlation between AHI, LSaO2, MSaO2, and sleep efficiency measured by PSG and PM. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that PM was a reliable diagnostic tool for OSA. PM has high sensitivity (3–5 years age: 95.8%, 6–14 years age: 96.3%) and low specificity (3–5 years age: 25.0%, 6–14 years age: 33.3%) for OSA in children. Thus, there is a low rate of missed diagnoses, but there is some inaccuracy in excluding children who do not have OSA.

Conclusion

The results showed that PM has a good correlation with the various parameters of PSG. PM may be a reliable tool for diagnosing moderate and severe OSA in children, especially those who cannot cooperate with PSG or who have limited access to PSG.
A new fractional Cattaneo model for enhancing the thermal performance of photovoltaic panels using heat spreader: energy, exergy, economic and enviroeconomic (4E) analysis
Authors: El-Gazar Eman F. , Hassan Hamdy , Rabia Sherif I. , Hu Changhong , Zahra Waheed K.
Published: September 2023

A new fractional non-Fourier (Cattaneo) photovoltaic (PV) model is presented to enhance the thermal performance of a PV system combined with a heat spreader (HS). The fractional Cattaneo model is shown to be effective in examining transient processes across the entirety of a PV system, in contrast to the conventional Fourier model’s inability to predict system performance. Consequently, a comparison is conducted between the classical Fourier model with the fractional Fourier and fractional Cattaneo models for the PV system. The impact of using an aluminum heat spreader, with rectangular and trapezoidal shapes, has been developed under hot and cold climate conditions. The findings show that adding a trapezoidal heat spreader reduced the cell temperature by 20 K in summer and 12 K in winter. The reduction in the PV temperature led to an enhancement in daily average power by approximately 28% and 37% in hot and cold weather, respectively. Moreover, economic, exergoeconomic, and enviroeconomic assessment is introduced. The outcomes revealed that the electrical production costs of the rectangular and trapezoidal HS systems are 0.272 and 0.214 $/kWh, respectively, while about 0.286 $/kWh for the conventional PV panel. Based on the environmental study, the estimated CO2 reduction for PV, PV with rectangular HS, and PV with trapezoidal spreader is 0.5504, 0.7704, and 0.8012 tons, respectively. Finally, real experimental data are used to validate the fractional Cattaneo model. The results demonstrate that there is a great fitting with the measured data, with errors in PV power and exergy efficiency of just 0.628% and 3.84%, respectively, whereas their corresponding values for the classical model are 5.72 and 13.13%.
Biomonitoring of manganese metal pollution in water and its impacts on biological activities of Biomphalaria alexandrina snail and larvicidal potencies
Authors: Ibrahim Amina Mohamed , Abdel-Haleem Ahmed Abdel-Salam , Taha Rania Gamal
Published: September 2023

Metal pollution has many dangerous environmental and human health consequences due to the bioaccumulation in the tissues. The present study aims to measure the bioaccumulation factor of the manganese (Mn) heavy metal in Biomphalaria alexandrina snails’ tissues and water samples. The current results showed the concentration of Mn heavy metal in water (87.5 mg/l) and its bioaccumulation factor in Helisoma duryi tissue was higher than that in tissues of Physa acuta and B. alexandrina snails. Results showed that 87.5 mg/l Mn concentration had miracidicidal and cercaricidal activities. Also, this concentration decreased the mean total number of the hemocytes after exposure for 24 h or 48 h, while increasing both the mean mortality and phagocytic indices of the hemocytes of exposed snails. It caused alterations in the cytomorphology of the hemocytes of exposed snails after 24 or 48 h, where the granulocytes had irregular cell membranes and formed pseudopodia. Besides, levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E) were increased after exposure to 87.5 mg/l Mn metal compared to the control group. Also, it increased MDA (malonaldehyde) and TAC (total antioxidant capacity) contents, while decreasing SOD (superoxide dismutase). Besides, it caused significant histopathological damages in both hermaphrodite and digestive glands, represented in the degeneration of the gonadal, digestive, secretory cells, and the connective tissues. Therefore, B. alexandrina might be used as a sensitive bioindicator of pollution with Mn heavy metal to avoid ethics rules; besides, they are readily available and large in number.
Discrimination of human and animal bloodstains using hyperspectral imaging
Authors: Cooney Gary Sean , Köhler Hannes , Chalopin Claire , Babian Carsten
Published: September 2023

Blood is the most encountered type of biological evidence in violent crimes and contains pertinent information to a forensic investigation. The false presumption that blood encountered at a crime scene is human may not be realised until after costly and sample-consuming tests are performed. To address the question of blood origin, the novel application of visible-near infrared hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is used for the detection and discrimination of human and animal bloodstains. The HSI system used is a portable, non-contact, non-destructive method for the determination of blood origin. A support vector machine (SVM) binary classifier was trained for the discrimination of bloodstains of human (n = 20) and five animal species: pig (n = 20), mouse (n = 16), rat (n = 5), rabbit (n = 5), and cow (n = 20). On an independent test set, the SVM model achieved accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity values of 96, 97, 95, and 96%, respectively. Segmented images of bloodstains aged over a period of two months were produced, allowing for the clear visualisation of the discrimination of human and animal bloodstains. The inclusion of such a system in a forensic investigation workflow not only removes ambiguity surrounding blood origin, but can potentially be used in tandem with HSI bloodstain age determination methods for rapid on-scene forensic analysis.
Dual RNase activity of IRE1 as a target for anticancer therapies
Authors: Bartoszewska Sylwia , Sławski Jakub , Collawn James F. , Bartoszewski Rafał
Published: September 2023

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular mechanism that protects cells during stress conditions in which there is an accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). UPR activates three signaling pathways that function to alleviate stress conditions and promote cellular homeostasis and cell survival. During unmitigated stress conditions, however, UPR activation signaling changes to promote cell death through apoptosis. Interestingly, cancer cells take advantage of this pathway to facilitate survival and avoid apoptosis even during prolonged cell stress conditions. Here, we discuss different signaling pathways associated with UPR and focus specifically on one of the ER signaling pathways activated during UPR, inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1). The rationale is that the IRE1 pathway is associated with cell fate decisions and recognized as a promising target for cancer therapeutics. Here we discuss IRE1 inhibitors and how they might prove to be an effective cancer therapeutic.

Graphical abstract
Potential Consciousness of Human Cerebral Organoids: on Similarity-Based Views in Precautionary Discourse
Authors: Diner Sarah
Published: September 2023

Advances in research on human cerebral organoids (HCOs) call for a critical review of current research policies. A challenge for the evaluation of necessary research regulations lies in the severe uncertainty about future trajectories the currently very rudimentary stages of neural cell cultures might take as the technology progresses. To gain insights into organotypic cultures, ethicists, legal scholars, and neuroscientists rely on resemblances to the human brain. They refer to similarities in structural or functional terms that have been established in scientific practice to validate organotypic cultures as models for brain research. In ethical discourse, however, such similarities are also used to justify assumptions about the potential risk to cause harm to HCOs. Ethicists assume that as the technology advances, organotypic cultures will increasingly resemble the human brain, raising more complex ethical issues. I argue that such reasoning is not justified given the heterogeneity of HCOs that have been modified to enable scientists to pursue their research goals. I then discuss the implications this line of thought has for advocates of the precautionary principle, focussing on those suggestions which propose adopting research regulations to the presence of bodily warning signs deemed worthy of protection. In doing so, I illustrate that the prevalent assumptions on similarity in ethical discourse ultimately risk disproportionately restricting research. I conclude that given the severe uncertainty about the technology’s future development, ethical discourse might benefit from narrowing the time frame for anticipation.
The Inventory of Problems–29 is a Cross-Culturally Valid Symptom Validity Test: Initial Validation in a Turkish Community Sample
Authors: Akca Ali Y. E. , Tepedelen Mehmed S. , Uysal Burcu , Erdodi Laszlo A.
Published: September 2023

Because the actuarial evidence base for symptom validity tests (SVTs) is developed in a specific population, it is unclear whether their clinical utility is transferable to a population with different demographic characteristics. To address this, we report here the validation study of a recently developed free-standing SVT, the Inventory of Problems-29 (IOP-29), in a Turkish community sample. We employed a mixed design with a simulation paradigm: The Turkish IOP–29 was presented to the same participants (N = 125; 53.6% female; age range: 19–53) three times in an online format, with instructions to respond honestly (HON), randomly (RND), and attempt to feign a psychiatric disorder (SIM) based on different vignettes. In the SIM condition, participants were presented with one of three scripts instructing them to feign either schizophrenia (SIM-SCZ), depression (SIM-DEP), or posttraumatic stress disorder (SIM-PTSD). As predicted, the Turkish IOP–29 is effective in discriminating between credible and noncredible presentations and equally sensitive to feigning of different psychiatric disorders: The standard cutoff (FDS ≥ .50) is uniformly sensitive (90.2% to 92.9%) and yields a specificity of 88%. Random responding produces FDS scores more similar to those of noncredible presentations, and the random responding score (RRS) has incremental validity in distinguishing random responding from feigned and honest responding. Our findings reveal that the classification accuracy of the IOP–29 is stable across administration languages, feigned clinical constructs, and geographic regions. Validation of the Turkish IOP–29 will be a valuable addition to the limited availability of SVTs in Turkish. We discuss limitations and future directions.
Statistical Appraisal of Major Ion Chemistry of Groundwater: A Case Study from a River-Bounded Rural Area
Authors: Hota Soumya Ranjan , Hota Rabindra Nath , Goswami Shreerup
Published: September 2023

The present study deals with the application of statistical methods like correlation, factor, cluster and multiple regression analyses to interpret the controlling processes influencing the hydrogeochemisty of a river-dominated area. The groundwater is alkaline and hard but suitable for drinking. Most of the parameters show significant positive correlations with each other. The first three factors explain 83.884% of the variance and can be used to assess the dominant hydrochemical processes in operation. The first factor with strong loadings on total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, HCO3- and F- is the salinity factor. It is geogenic in nature and constituent ions are derived from weathering of basement rocks. The second factor with strong loadings on K+, NO3,- SO42-and Cl- is anthropogenic as the first three ions are present in fertilizers used by people to increase crop production and the fourth is derived from domestic wastes. The third factor strongly loaded on pH and total alkalinity (TA) is the alkalinity factor. The cluster analysis replicates the results of the factor analysis. The multiple regression analysis suggests that Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3- and SO42- contribute significantly to the bulk chemical composition of the groundwater. The chemical constituents of the groundwater may be attributed to the effects of weathering, mineral dissolution, drainage wastes, septic tank leakage, irrigation-return-flows, chemical fertilizers and/or increase or decrease of chemical variables due to dissolution, precipitation, ion exchange, etc. The study illustrates the usefulness of statistical methods as an effective tool for interpretation of the controlling processes of groundwater chemistry.
Algal symbionts of the freshwater sponge Ephydatia muelleri
Authors: Hustus Katelyn , Díez-Vives Cristina , Mitsi Konstantina , Nutakki Jasmine , Kering Victor , Nguyen Ivy T. , Spencer Mayra Gomes , Leys Sally P. , Hill Malcolm S. , Riesgo Ana , Hill April L.
Published: September 2023

The freshwater sponge, Ephydatia muelleri, is an emerging model system for studying animal:microbe symbioses. Intracellular green microalgae are one of the more common symbionts that live in a facultative mutualism with E. muelleri. While these symbioses have long been known, the identity of the algal symbionts in E. muelleri cells has not been studied in detail. Here, we isolate and characterize endosymbiotic algae from E. muelleri collected from different geographic locations. We find that the algae can be transmitted through asexually produced gemmules and importantly that they can form symbioses with different, differentiated sponge cell types in the adult sponge. Our findings indicate that at least two algal lineages form endosymbioses with E. muelleri. One of the lineages includes species commonly found in samples from two locations in Canada and one in the United States (clade 1: closely related to Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa). The other clade includes algae found in sponges from one site in Maine, USA, and Lewiniosphaera symbiontica, which is a strain isolated in 1956 from the freshwater sponge Spongilla. We compared microbiomes found in cultures of microalgae as well as the original sponge hosts, and found that very similar bacterial microbiomes associate with both clades (91 orders of Bacteria are shared among the samples we compared). The microbiomes found in the cultures resemble, with a high degree of overlap, the microbiome associated with the sponge host.