bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Familienlotsin – psychosoziale Unterstützung für die ganze Familie
Authors: Scheiner Carsten , Burak Esma
Published: September 2024

Um Angehörige von psychisch erkrankten Menschen zu entlasten und ihnen ein passendes und ortsnahes Unterstützungsangebot zu unterbreiten, wurde am Zentrum für Psychosoziale Medizin in Heidelberg eine Familienlotsin etabliert. Wir stellen das Projekt vor und beleuchten Entwicklungen, Chancen und Herausforderungen.
Nahrung für die Seele
Authors: Fischer Martina , Jansen Heike
Published: September 2024

Gesunde Ernährungsmuster können helfen, depressive Symptome zu reduzieren. Doch wie gelingt es, depressiv erkrankte Menschen bei der Ernährung pflegerisch zu unterstützen und Verhaltensänderungen anzustoßen?
Executive functions and functioning in women with fibromyalgia
Authors: Mendonça Bárbara Thais Veras de , Machado Valter , Silva Guilherme Gomes , Dias Natália Martins
Published: September 2024

Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain that is associated with sleep, emotional, and cognitive disturbances, including in executive functions (EFs).

Objective To investigate the relationship between EFs and functionality in women with FM.

Methods The study included 17 women with FM, aged between 30 and 59 years, with no history of neurological disease. The EFs were assessed using the Digit Span Subtest (DS), Five Digit Test, Trail Making Test (TMT), Corsi Block-Tapping Task, Hayling Test (HT), and Verbal Fluency Task. Functionality was evaluated through the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. The Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Brief Pain Inventory were used to measure depression, anxiety, and pain, which were controlled in the statistical analyses.

Results The FM patients showed longer response latency on the HT and TMT. They made fewer errors on part B of the HT, and they performed worse on the DS backward and on the Corsi Block-Tapping Task forward and backward. There were moderate correlations in the expected direction between performance on the Corsi Block-Tapping Task backward and interference at work, as well as between the time to complete part B of the Trail Making Test – B (TMT-B) and fatigue. An unexpected relationship was found between errors on part B of the HT and interference at work.

Conclusion The results suggest lower efficiency in processes such as inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, difficulties in working memory and non-executive processes such as processing speed. Even with pain, anxiety, and depression controlled, some relationships between EFs and functionality were observed, indicating that these symptoms do not fully explain this relationship. We suggest that cognition, particularly EFs, and broader measures of functionality be considered in the evaluation of FM.
Conducting polymer hydrogels for biomedical application: Current status and outstanding challenges
Authors: Horrocks Matthew S. , Zhurenkov Kirill E. , Malmström Jenny
Published: September 2024

Conducting polymer hydrogels (CPHs) are composite polymeric materials with unique properties that combine the electrical capabilities of conducting polymers (CPs) with the excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility of traditional hydrogels. This review aims to highlight how the unique properties CPHs have from combining their two constituent materials are utilized within the biomedical field. First, the synthesis approaches and applications of non-CPH conductive hydrogels are discussed briefly, contrasting CPH-based systems. The synthesis routes of hydrogels, CPs, and CPHs are then discussed. This review also provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements and applications of CPHs in the biomedical field, encompassing their applications as biosensors, drug delivery scaffolds (DDSs), and tissue engineering platforms. Regarding their applications within tissue engineering, a comprehensive discussion of the usage of CPHs for skeletal muscle prosthetics and regeneration, cardiac regeneration, epithelial regeneration and wound healing, bone and cartilage regeneration, and neural prosthetics and regeneration is provided. Finally, critical challenges and future perspectives are also addressed, emphasizing the need for continued research; however, this fascinating class of materials holds promise within the vastly evolving field of biomedicine.
Local cryptic diversity in salinity adaptation mechanisms in the wild outcrossing
Brassica fruticulosa
Authors: Busoms Silvia , da Silva Ana C. , Escolà Glòria , Abdilzadeh Raziyeh , Curran Emma , Bollmann-Giolai Anita , Bray Sian , Wilson Michael , Poschenrieder Charlotte , Yant Levi
Published: September 2024

It is normally supposed that populations of the same species should evolve shared mechanisms of adaptation to common stressors due to evolutionary constraint. Here, we describe a system of within-species local adaptation to coastal habitats,
Brassica fruticulosa,
and detail surprising strategic variability in adaptive responses to high salinity. These different adaptive responses in neighboring populations are evidenced by transcriptomes, diverse physiological outputs, and distinct genomic selective landscapes. In response to high salinity Northern Catalonian populations restrict root-to-shoot Na
+
transport, favoring K
+
uptake. Contrastingly, Central Catalonian populations accumulate Na
+
in leaves and compensate for the osmotic imbalance with compatible solutes such as proline. Despite contrasting responses, both metapopulations were salinity tolerant relative to all inland accessions. To characterize the genomic basis of these divergent adaptive strategies in an otherwise non-saline-tolerant species, we generate a long-read-based genome and population sequencing of 18 populations (nine inland, nine coastal) across the
B. fruticulosa
species range. Results of genomic and transcriptomic approaches support the physiological observations of distinct underlying mechanisms of adaptation to high salinity and reveal potential genetic targets of these two very recently evolved salinity adaptations. We therefore provide a model of within-species salinity adaptation and reveal cryptic variation in neighboring plant populations in the mechanisms of adaptation to an important natural stressor highly relevant to agriculture.
Numerical modelling and experimental investigation of incremental sheet metal forming of Aluminum Alloy Al 3003-O
Authors: Habbachi Marwen , Baksa Attila
Published: September 2024

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is an unconventional sheet metal forming technique that can be widely used in the automotive, medical, and aerospace industries. The final product is achieved by moving a rotating tool along a defined spiral or profile tool path controlled by a CNC milling machine. A truncated cone shape was modeled in single point incremental forming (SPIF) to investigate the influence of step size, and sheet initial thickness parameters on the forming force components Fx
, Fy
, Fz
during the forming process.
Measuring the effects of faults for the rotational characteristics of small plastic gears
Authors: Marada Imre , Bihari János
Published: September 2024

The measurement of the recirculation torque on the input side of the gearbox is a commonly used method for gear drives. This can also be suitable for detecting the effects of periodically occurring faults on small plastic gears, for example the faults of the tooth thickness or pitch. In this article, we investigate the tooth thickness faults of small plastic gears manufactured with an SLA 3D printer. In our work, we first determine the fluctuation of chordal tooth thickness by microscopic examination. Then, using a special device, we measure the same fluctuation in the recirculation torque curve. In addition, we also examine some cases where the tooth thickness is decreased or increased with a great extent.
A hierarchy of thermal processes collapses under catalysis
Authors: Son Jeongrak , Ng Nelly H Y
Published: September 2024

Thermal operations (TO) are a generic description for allowed state transitions under thermodynamic restrictions. However, the quest for simpler methods to encompass all these processes remains unfulfilled. We resolve this challenge through the catalytic use of thermal baths, which are assumed to be easily accessible. We select two sets of simplified operations: elementary TO (ETO) and Markovian TO (MTO). They are known for their experimental feasibility, but fail to capture the full extent of TO due to their innate Markovianity. We nevertheless demonstrate that this limitation can be overcome when the operations are enhanced by ambient-temperature Gibbs state catalysts. In essence, our result indicates that free states within TO can act as catalysts that provide the necessary non-Markovianity for simpler operations. Furthermore, we prove that when any catalyst can be employed, different thermal processes (TO, ETO, and MTO) converge. Notably, our results extend to scenarios involving initial states with coherence in the energy eigenbasis, a notoriously difficult process to characterise.
Additive manufacturing of heat-resistant aluminum alloys: a review
Authors: Wu Chaoqun , Wen Jianyu , Zhang Jinliang , Song Bo , Shi Yusheng
Published: September 2024

The capability for synergistic advancements in both making and shaping afforded by additive manufacturing (AM) enables the flexible production of high-performance components. Boosted by the growing demand for heat-resistant aluminum alloys in the moderate-temperature weight-critical applications, AM of heat-resistant aluminum alloys constitutes a burgeoning field. Although numerous advances have emerged in recent years, there remains a gap in the review literature elucidating the newly-developed alloy systems and critically evaluating the efficacy. This state-of-the-art review presents a detailed overview of recent achievements on the heat-resistant aluminum alloy development. It begins with the introduction of various AM technologies and the pros and cons of each technique are evaluated. The enhancement mechanisms associated with printability and high-temperature properties of AM aluminum alloys are then delineated. Thereafter, the various additively manufactured aluminum alloy systems are discussed with regard to the microstructure, heat resistance and high-temperature performance. An emphasis is put on the powder bed fusion-laser beam (PBF-LB) as it has garnered significant attention for heat-resistant aluminum alloys and the vast majority of the current studies are based on this technique. Finally, perspectives are outlined to provide guidance for future research.
Assessing non-nested configurations of multifidelity machine learning for quantum-chemical properties
Authors: Vinod Vivin , Zaspel Peter
Published: September 2024

Multifidelity machine learning (MFML) for quantum chemical properties has seen strong development in the recent years. The method has been shown to reduce the cost of generating training data for high-accuracy low-cost ML models. In such a set-up, the ML models are trained on molecular geometries and some property of interest computed at various computational chemistry accuracies, or fidelities. These are then combined in training the MFML models. In some multifidelity models, the training data is required to be nested, that is the same molecular geometries are included to calculate the property across all the fidelities. In these multifidelity models, the requirement of a nested configuration restricts the kind of sampling that can be performed while selection training samples at different fidelities. This work assesses the use of non-nested training data for two of these multifidelity methods, namely MFML and optimized MFML (o-MFML). The assessment is carried out for the prediction of ground state energies and first vertical excitation energies of a diverse collection of molecules of the CheMFi dataset. Results indicate that the MFML method still requires a nested structure of training data across the fidelities. However, the o-MFML method shows promising results for non-nested multifidelity training data with model errors comparable to the nested configurations.
Watt’s fair in Mumbai: intermediaries’ impact on energy justice in informal settlements
Authors: Peddibhotla Ananya , Haldar Stuti , Bazaz Amir
Published: September 2024

India’s ongoing energy transitions are a systemic response to addressing critical challenges associated with climate change. Importantly, it leverages decarbonization as a strategic pivot to simultaneously mitigate and adapt to climate risks. The decarbonization agenda is largely skewed towards mitigation, struggling with adaptation alignments. Energy justice is a core dimension of adaptation intervention and it is important to explore how energy justice is or can be conceptualized and delivered as the decarbonization agenda is underway. Existing research suggests that, in the cities of the Global South, active involvement of intermediaries becomes a pivotal anchor and pathway to access infrastructure services, especially in low-income and informal settlements. Importantly, advocacy efforts by intermediaries also tackle existing injustices that restrict these settlements from accessing essential infrastructure services. Intermediaries become especially important in cities like Mumbai, where 41% of the people live in informal settlements (slums). Using Mumbai as a case study, this paper explores two questions in the context of intermediaries, energy access, and energy justice. First, how do intermediaries engage with infrastructure and governance structures to enable access to electricity in informal settlements? Second, does this ‘intermediation’ deliver just outcomes? Empirical fieldwork reveals that intermediaries serve as a quasi-political counterbalance by engaging in ‘politics from the bottom’ to articulate justice concerns, mobilize stakeholders, and produce knowledge that feeds back into the intermediation process. We argue that this is important if we need to ensure that energy transitions do not create systemic inequities and that the benefits of the ongoing transition are widespread and just.
Introduction—(Re)defining Membership? Current and Future Perspectives for EU Differentiated Integration
Authors: Fromage Diane
Published: September 2024

This chapter sets the background and the analytical framework for this edited volume, which aims at: (a) (re)defining membership in today’s EU and (b) at drawing a balance on the state of differentiated integration, while examining how it could and should continue to evolve in the future. Indeed, while EU membership could, at first sight, appear to be a straightforward concept to defined (art. 2 Treaty on Europpean Union), a closer examination reveals a myriad of nuances. Some EU states do not (fully) participate in all EU policies, while non-EU states sometimes participate in (some) EU policies indeed. Therefore, both internal and external differentiation exists within the EU and in its relationship to third states. Based on the analyses presented by the various contributors to this edited volume, it is posited that EU membership, though possibly a fuzzy concept if considered from a non-strictly legal perspective, still clearly differentiates Member States from third states. It is, however, contended that the EU may need to distinguish between full and associate members in the future, especially if new states join in the near future.
EU Norm Diffusion to Switzerland: EU Policies À la carte and Integration in Pieces?
Authors: Ott Andrea , Pirker Benedikt
Published: September 2024

Next to the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, Switzerland is involved in the closest form of ‘integration without accession’ of any EU non-member. This contribution explores a unique example of piecemeal integration whose design has come under increased pressure from the EU and Swiss sides, but for different reasons. The EU sets more and more conditions to enable third-country integration into EU policies and especially the internal market. Switzerland, in turn, expects more flexibility from the EU side with the Swiss conditions of cooperation. These perspectives will be analyzed against the backdrop of the EU’s norm diffusion to Switzerland.
Sex and the Ancient City
Authors: McClure Laura
Published: September 2024

This chapter turns to the historical context in which hetaeras lived and worked, examining the traces of historical hetaeras in contemporary fifth- and fourth-century sources, such as comedy and oratory, material evidence such as inscriptions and archaeological assemblages and structures, and the historical writings of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. The likelihood that a hetaera actually existed increases with the number of cross-references to her presence in a variety of sources, particularly in material evidence such as inscriptions, as persons familiar to male jurors and spectators in oratory and comedy, as interlocutors in Socratic dialogues, and their association with specific events and individuals. This chapter argues that by drawing parallels between what we know of Phryne and these contemporary sources, it is possible to imagine her as a historical figure, not just a literary invention. It begins with a look at the mythic origins of prostitution and its link to Athens’ emergent democracy and the worship of Aphrodite. It then considers the spaces in which hetaeras and sexual laborers moved and intersected with their clients, including brothels and private residences, and their spatial mobility as migrants and metics. The economic aspects of commercial sex are then explored, including pricing, taxation, and the potential for social mobility, independence, and wealth as predominantly women-owned businesses. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a few historical hetaeras from the fifth and fourth centuries as a way of framing and constructing Phryne’s biography.
The Prosecution of Phryne
Authors: McClure Laura
Published: September 2024

This chapter considers the most important strand of Phryne’s biography, her notorious impiety trial and her instant acquittal brought about by the spectacle of her naked body as represented by Athenaeus. This memorable event introduces and frames the subject of her public nudity at the Eleusinia and Posidonia, as the inspiration for Apelles’ Anadyomene and Praxiteles’ Cnidian Aphrodite, and her dedication of the Eros at Thespiae. Athenaeus’ framework indicates how the fourth-century narrative of Phryne’s trial, probably the most reliable strand of her biography, gradually became closely intertwined with her artistic receptions not only in antiquity but also in the post-classical period as explored in the introduction. According to ancient accounts, the charges were brought against Phryne by a former lover, the orator Euthias, while her current lover, the orator Hyperides, came to her rescue and defended her. The two speeches, defense and prosecution, were well known in antiquity and preserved into the Byzantine period. This chapter argues first for the historical authenticity of the trial by examining parallels of litigation involving women in forensic oratory, the legal meaning of asebeia, and examples of this type of trial, mostly famously that of Socrates, and the cultural mindset of suspicion that fostered this type of allegation during the fourth century. New forms of worship, whether informal thiasoi, bands of worshippers that sang and danced in honor of traditional gods, or foreign ecstatic cults, many associated with women, may have motivated the charges against Phryne. By situating the disrobing within fourth-century Athenian legal and religious practices together with a close reading of Athenaeus’ language, the chapter shows that the disrobing had multiple cultural associations from the late classical to Second Sophistic period, suggesting its original intent was not erotic but rather a form of emotional appeal intended to elicit sympathy in the jurors.
Misaligned America
Authors: Stephanopoulos Nicholas O
Published: September 2024

This chapter summarizes what’s known about alignment in contemporary American politics. The news isn’t good. Misalignment is widespread with respect to each major governmental output: officeholders’ partisanship, officeholders’ representation, and policy outcomes themselves. Pervasive misalignment is also evident whether all people’s views are taken into account or just those of the median individual. And misalignment persists at every governmental level: in congressional and state legislative districts as well as in jurisdictions spanning municipalities, states, and the federal government as a whole. Once upon a time, de Tocqueville could write about democracy in America. Today, a more apt moniker would be misalignment in America.
The Society of (Economic) Equals
Authors: Néron Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2024

This chapter aims to articulate the relational case for workplace democracy. It lays out its main normative intuition concerning how our main economic institutions actually function, that is, that the pervasiveness of certain logics of hierarchies and subordination in our corporate societies represents a genuine threat to the ideal of society of equals. From a relational point of view, what is so unique about the contemporary business firm is its capacity to easily make a mockery of democratic equality and to make relations of hierarchy, subordination, and inferiority predominate in the lives of large number of citizens. It is the corporate embodiment of the conservative aesthetics of inequality, without any democratic counterresponse. Facing such a machine at enhancing social hierarchies, the goal of a relational conception of workplace democracy should be to give us tools to articulate a critique of these patterns and the contours of a more democratic response.
What Do Bosses Get?
Authors: Néron Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2024

This chapter deals with issues related to the rise of executive compensation and the ever-increasing gap between executives’ and workers’ pay. It first proposes a typology of the various objections to high executive compensation, and then aims to articulate the most serious version of the egalitarian objection to it. It argues that the best way to think about inequality in pay is not through the lens of (in)efficiency or even through the lens of distributive unfairness, but through the lens of class analysis. In itself, the spectacular rise of executive compensation since the 1970s represents one of the key components of our neoliberal regime of inequality, and many of the arguments, discourses, rhetorics, and imaginaries encountered in this book significantly participated to it. Therefore, studying executive compensation does not simply mean studying an “applied object” among others, it represents a deep dive into our neoliberal condition and its social imaginaries.
Keepers of the Common Good
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

A study of constitutional authority from the perspective of the people, the method social enquiry, the object social understanding. How the people assess the constitutional order; a discourse emerges, a lower register; contrast with another discourse, the upper register embedded in official presentation of constitutional authority. From history and experience the two registers are drawn. The constitutional field is entered and examined to show relations between the discourses. Several models of rule, of constitutional authority, are proposed, based on patterns of opinion of the people; the advantages and disadvantages of each are assessed from the point of view of the people. A fourth model, the people as keepers of the common good, is proposed, the appeal explained, and the evidence assembled.
Hume’s Philosophical Eye
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

David Hume's idea was that constitutional authority depends on the opinion of the people. Opinion is guided by the concern for social goods, of which justice is foundational, permeating social relations of many kinds. The need for the power of the state to coordinate social relations and collective action to achieve common ends is examined. The chapter concludes by noting that historical authority brings rights. A system of authority, once established and publicly recognized, gives rise to a social convention to accept and comply. The concept of a social sphere is introduced to enrich the account. Social spheres shape opinion, set standards, and hold out sanctions.
Rule by Representatives Re-presented
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter XIV examines rule by representative rule. Leaders have power to govern but remain accountable to voters. Two models: the agency approach, where people elect agents to act for them, and the substitution approach, where representatives act in place of the people. A practical model of representative governance, emphasizing elected leaders’ responsibilities to the electors. The origins of rule by representatives are uncovered, one stemming from princely rule, the other from the people ruling themselves. The case is presented for a deeper connection between elected officials and constituents, suggesting a shift towards a more engaged form of governance where the electorate actively monitors and influences their representatives.
Is Buddhism without rebirth ‘nihilism with a happy face’?
Authors: Baker Calvin
Published: September 2024

I argue against pessimistic readings of the Buddhist tradition on which unawakened beings invariably have lives not worth living due to a preponderance of suffering (duḥkha) over well-being.
Domestic violence and servile vulnerability in the House of the Vettii, Pompeii
Authors: Levin-Richardson Sarah
Published: September 2024

This article explores the susceptibility of enslaved household members to physical and sexual violence, using the House of the Vettii at Pompeii as a case study. It first re-examines the house’s material evidence (including frescoes of cupids and psyches performing manual labour and statuettes of children with bound hands) to highlight previously overlooked similarities with the real tasks and punishments that enslaved children and adults might have faced. To give a vivid sense of the physical and affective dimensions of violence in this house, the article then offers an archive-based short story (using critical fabulation, a methodology developed by Saidiya Hartman to study trans-Atlantic slavery) about a real enslaved woman named Eutychis, whom graffiti record as a prostituted homeborn slave (verna). Ultimately, the article illuminates both the acute and long-lasting forms of violence that enslaved individuals encountered on a regular basis.
Leveraging independence in high-dimensional mixed linear regression
Authors: Wang Ning , Deng Kai , Mai Qing , Zhang Xin
Published: September 2024

We address the challenge of estimating regression coefficients and selecting relevant predictors in the context of mixed linear regression in high dimensions, where the number of predictors greatly exceeds the sample size. Recent advancements in this field have centered on incorporating sparsity-inducing penalties into the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, which seeks to maximize the conditional likelihood of the response given the predictors. However, existing procedures often treat predictors as fixed or overlook their inherent variability. In this paper, we leverage the independence between the predictor and the latent indicator variable of mixtures to facilitate efficient computation and also achieve synergistic variable selection across all mixture components. We establish the non-asymptotic convergence rate of the proposed fast group-penalized EM estimator to the true regression parameters. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated through extensive simulations and an application to the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia dataset for the prediction of anticancer drug sensitivity.
On the Way to Be(Coming) a Social Worker: Phenomenological Reflections by Social Work Students on Their Final Year as a Site of Professional Identity Exploration
Authors: Malka Menny
Published: September 2024

In the field of social work research and practice, considerable focus has been placed on the preparedness of students as they transition from being students to becoming professionals. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the processes that occur during the final academic year of their training—a critical transition period that requires a deeper examination. Using a qualitative approach, the study examined the phenomenological perspectives of twenty-nine social work students at an Israeli university during the final academic year of their bachelor’s degree, employing the photovoice methodology. Content analysis of the results identified four key characteristics of the final academic year: (1) the liminal-transitional nature of identity work during the final year; (2) separation from the student identity; (3) the doorknob effect; and (4) entering the professional shoes. The research results are discussed and conceptualised within the framework of the theory of liminality, highlighting its relevance to understanding the transition processes that characterise professional identity work. Additionally, the study explores the implications of liminality in preparing students for entering the job market, particularly considering the distinction between being a professional and becoming a professional.
Structural lesions and transcriptomic specializations shape gradient perturbations in Wilson disease
Authors: Hu Sheng , Li Chuanfu , Wang Yanming , Wei Taohua , Wang Xiaoxiao , Dong Ting , Yang Yulong , Ding Yufeng , Qiu Bensheng , Yang Wenming
Published: September 2024

Functional dysregulations in multiple regions are caused by excessive copper deposition in the brain in Wilson disease (WD) patients. The genetic mechanism of WD is thought to involve the abnormal expression of ATP7B in the liver, whereas the biological and molecular processes involved in functional dysregulation within the brain remain unexplored. The objective of this study was to unravel the underpinnings of functional gradient perturbations underlying structural lesions and transcriptomic specializations in WD. In this study, we included 105 WD patients and 93 healthy controls who underwent structural and functional MRI assessments. We used the diffusion mapping embedding model to derive the functional connectome gradient and further employed gray matter volume to uncover structure–function decoupling for WD. Then, we used Neurosynth, clinical data, and whole-brain gene expression data to examine the meta-analytic cognitive function, clinical phenotypes, and transcriptomic specializations related to WD gradient alterations. Compared with controls, WD patients exhibited global topographic changes in the principal pramary-to-transmodal gradient. Meta-analytic terms and clinical characteristics were correlated with these gradient alterations in motor-related processing, higher-order cognition, neurological symptoms, and age. Spatial correlations revealed structure–function decoupling in multiple networks, especially in subcortical and visual networks. Within the cortex, the spatial association between gradient alterations and gene expression profiles has revealed transcriptomic specilizations in WD that display properties indicative of ion homeostasis, neural development, and motor control. Furthermore, for the first time, we characterized the role of the ATP7B gene in impacting subcortical function. The transcriptomic specializations of WD were also associated with other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Finally, we revealed that structural lesions and gradient perturbations may share similar transcriptomic specializations in WD. In conclusion, these findings bridged functional gradient perturbations to structural lesions and gene expression profiles in WD patients, possibly promoting our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the emergence of complex neurological and psychiatric phenotypes.
Association between frailty and subsequent disability trajectories among older adults: a growth curve longitudinal analysis from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004–19)
Authors: Woldemariam Selam , Oberndorfer Moritz , Stein Viktoria K , Haider Sandra , Dorner Thomas E
Published: September 2024

Frailty is associated with adverse health outcomes in ageing populations, yet its long-term effect on the development of disability is not well defined. The study examines to what extent frailty affects disability trajectories over 15 years in older adults aged 50+. Using seven waves of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the study estimates the effect of baseline frailty on subsequent disability trajectories by multilevel growth curve models. The sample included 94 360 individuals from 28 European countries. Baseline frailty was assessed at baseline, using the sex-specific SHARE-Frailty-Instrument (SHARE-FI), including weight loss, exhaustion, muscle weakness, slowness, and low physical activity. Disability outcomes were the sum score of limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and Instrumental ADL (IADL). Analyses were stratified by sex. Over 15 years, baseline frailty score was positively associated with disability trajectories in men [βADL = 0.074, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.064; P = .083; βIADL = 0.094, 95% CI = 0.080; P = 0.107] and women (βADL = 0.097, 95% CI = 0.089; P = .105; βIADL = 0.108, 95% CI = 0.097; P = .118). Frail participants showed higher ADL and IADL disability levels, independent of baseline disability, compared with prefrail and robust participants across all age groups. Overall, participants displayed higher levels of IADL disability than ADL disability. Study findings indicate the importance of early frailty assessment using the SHARE-FI in individuals 50 and older as it provides valuable insight into future disability outcomes.
The Night Divide: Gender-Specific Trajectories of Sleep Disturbances Among Multiple Cohorts of Aging Populations
Authors: Chen Jen-Hao
Published: September 2024

Objectives

Sleep disturbances in later life are prevalent and can profoundly impact health and well-being. However, whether and how trajectories of sleep disturbances vary as people age by gender and across age cohorts remains unexplored. This study applies an integrated theoretical framework to understand gender-specific trajectories of sleep disturbances over time and how they vary by cohort.

Methods

Accelerated longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 20,947; M = 8,562, F = 12,385) was analyzed to investigate gender-specific trajectories of sleep disturbances and potential cohort variations. Weighted growth curve model was applied with sociodemographic and health-related variables. Men and women were analyzed separately.

Results

Results showed that sleep disturbances increased with age in men, but not in women. Also, younger cohorts of men increased sleep disturbances over time at a slower rate than older cohorts. Among men, health profiles accounted for the association between age and sleep disturbances. Among men and women, younger cohorts started with higher levels of sleep disturbances around midlife. When examining specific types of sleep disturbance separately, having trouble falling asleep was the type that drove the observed patterns in men. For women, there was no association between age and any individual type of sleep disturbance.

Discussion

This study shows that men, rather than women, tend to experience increasing sleep disturbances with age, with some variations across cohorts. These findings imply that different strategies for men and women and targeted timing over the life course would be most effective at promoting sleep health in American men and women.
Joint PP and PS AVA inversion using an acceleration algorithm and a multi-trace strategy
Authors: Geng Weiheng , Lu Wenkai , Li Jingye , Chen Xiaohong
Published: September 2024

Exploration utilizing converted wave (PS) technology has garnered considerable interest in recent years owing to its ability to provide distinct insights into subsurface properties compared to compressional waves (PP). PS wave is particularly advantageous for accurately determining S-wave velocity (${{V}_S}$) and bulk density ($\rho $), whereas PP wave is better suited for assessing P-wave velocity (${{V}_P}$). Thus, theoretically, joint PP and PS AVA inversion can yield precise results for ${{V}_P}$, ${{V}_S}$, and $\rho $. However, a critical step before joint inversion is PP and PS registration, which is prone to causing lateral discontinuity in the inversion outcomes. To mitigate this issue, we present a simultaneous multi-trace joint inversion method. The method can improve the lateral consistency of inversion results by imposing lateral continuity constraints on the elastic parameters being inverted. Nevertheless, this simultaneous multi-trace inversion method inherently increases computational burden. To enhance algorithmic efficiency without sacrificing inversion precision, we implement an acceleration strategy. Synthetic and real data examples demonstrate that the proposed method offers remarkable performance in enhancing computational efficiency and lateral continuity compared to the conventional methods.
Seismic property prediction using deep learning in LN area, Tarim Basin, China
Authors: Li Jianjun , Zhang Haining , Liu Yongfu , Zhou Jingping , Sun Xiaoming
Published: September 2024

Stratigraphy and faults provide the framework for subsurface sequences and structural information, forming the basis for high-precision reservoir parameter prediction. However, reservoir parameter prediction often relies on sparse stratigraphic interpretations based on existing manual interpretations. There is a certain connection between stratigraphic and fault interpretations and reservoir parameter predictions. Therefore, this paper proposes a fully automated workflow from stratigraphic and fault interpretation to reservoir modeling. First, using known sparse expert stratigraphic interpretation results as constraints, three-dimensional implicit model construction is achieved through deep learning networks in the working area. That model incorporates all stratigraphic and fault information, thereby enabling detailed stratigraphic framework interpretation. Second, based on this implicit model, an initial reservoir parameter model is built by integrating well-logging information. Finally, using this model and seismic data as input, with target reservoir parameters as output, a two-dimensional deep learning training network is established to achieve the three-dimensional characterization of reservoir parameters. Applying this method in the LN area of Tarim Basin, based on automatically interpreting fault and stratigraphic horizons results, the predicted results of reservoir parameters such as gamma and impedance guided by this stratigraphic construction model are generally consistent at blind wells. This study demonstrates that the automated workflow can achieve results consistent with geological understanding in practical applications.
Propositional logic and modal logic—A connection via relational semantics
Authors: Zhong Shengyang
Published: September 2024

In this paper, by slightly generalizing an observation of Dalla Chiara and Giuntini in their chapter on quantum logic in Handbook of Philosophical Logic, we propose a relational semantics for propositional language with negation and conjunction, which unifies the relational semantics of intuitionistic logic and that of ortho-logic. We study the semantic and syntactic consequence relations and prove the soundness and completeness theorems for five propositional logics: $\textbf{BL}$, $\textbf{PL}$, $\textbf{IL}$, $\textbf{OL}$ and $\textbf{CL}$. Moreover, we prove that they can be translated into the modal logics $\textbf{K}$, $\textbf{T}$, $\textbf{S4}$, $\textbf{KTB}$ and $\textbf{S5}$, respectively, and thus establish a systematic connection between propositional logics and modal logics. The paper ends with a discussion about the possibility and difficulty of incorporating disjunction into our framework.
Co-designing a Vaping Cessation Program for Australian Young Adults: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Rahman Nicola , Sebar Bernadette , Sofija Ernesta
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Australian young adults (YA) report difficulties in quitting vaping. This study sought to understand what a vaping cessation program should look like from the perspective of current and former vapers, and professionals/experts involved in this health space, to inform the development of a conceptual model.

Aims and Methods

Data collection was informed by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) using co-design methodology to explore vaping cessation. Interactive workshops and semi-structured interviews were held online between March 2023 and January 2024, with data from participants’ narratives and written materials thematically analyzed.

Results

YAs (18–24 years) identifying as current or former vapers (n = 15) and health professionals/experts’(n = 13) insights informed the model framework, incorporating three main elements based on environmental, personal, and behavioral factors shaping vaping cessation. Four design considerations were identified; the program needs to be affordable, accessible, appropriate, and adaptable. YAs expressed a strong preference to share their quitting journey with peers, endorsing a digital forum providing a hybrid framework of support.

Conclusions

Vaping cessation is nuanced and complex requiring a multi-faceted approach targeted to the specific needs of the young adult population.

Implications

The findings can be used to inform the development of a vaping cessation program tailored to YA in Australia and other similar contexts. YA perceived sharing the quitting journey and being inspired by the lived experience of others as critical components for successful vaping cessation. SCT is demonstrated to be a valuable behavior change framework for understanding vaping cessation and should be considered in future research on intervention development.
Associations of Close Social Connections With Smoking and Vaping: A Population Study in England
Authors: Jackson Sarah E , Squires Hazel , Shahab Lion , Tattan-Birch Harry , Buckley Charlotte , Purshouse Robin C , Brown Jamie
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Studies consistently demonstrate smoking is a socially contagious behavior, but less is known about the influence of social connections on vaping. This study examined associations between having close social connections who smoke or vape and relevant smoking and vaping outcomes.

Aims and Methods

This was a representative cross-sectional survey of adults (≥16 years) in England. Participants (n = 1618) were asked how many people they discuss important matters with (ie, close social connections) and how many of them smoke/vape. We tested associations between (1) smoking and (2) vaping among close social connections and participants’ own smoking and vaping status; harm perceptions of e-cigarettes (among current smokers); attempts and success in quitting smoking (among past-year smokers); and use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid (among past-year smokers who tried to quit).

Results

Adults with ≥1 close social connection who smoke were more likely than those with none to smoke themselves (32.8% vs. 9.4%; ORadj = 7.23[95% CI: 4.74 to 11.0]) and had an uncertain lower likelihood to quit (12.2% vs. 19.8%; ORadj = 0.46[0.17–1.23]). Those with ≥1 close social connection who vape were more likely than those with none to vape themselves (29.6% vs. 6.3%; ORadj = 5.16[3.15–8.43]) and to use e-cigarettes in their most recent attempt to quit (57.0% vs. 27.9%; ORadj = 18.0[1.80–181]), and had an uncertain higher likelihood to perceive e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes (30.8% vs. 12.2%; ORadj = 2.37[0.82–6.90]).

Conclusions

In England, we replicated well-established associations with smoking and found similar evidence for vaping. People were much more likely to vape and to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking if they had close social connections who vaped.

Implications

The cross-sectional design means it is not clear whether smoking/vaping among close social connections influences people to smoke/vape themselves, or whether people who smoke/vape select to form close social connections with others who similarly smoke/vape. Further research is required to establish causality. If the associations we observed are causal, interventions that encourage smokers to switch to vaping may have positive spillover effects on social connections’ perceptions of e-cigarettes and the use of these products to support smoking cessation.
Diagnostic Performance of Unstimulated IFN-γ (IRISA-TB) for Pleural Tuberculosis: A Prospective Study in South Africa and India
Authors: Christopher Devasahayam J , Esmail Aliasgar , Scott Alex J , Wilson Lindsay , Randall Philippa , Thangakunam Balamugesh , Shankar Deepa , Rajasekar Sekar , Christudass Christhunesa S , Kühn Louié , Swanepoel Jeremi , Perumal Tahlia , Pooran Anil , Oelofse Suzette , Dheda Keertan
Published: September 2024

Background

Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is the most common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in many settings. The diagnostic performance of the frontline polymerase chain reaction–based GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) remains suboptimal (sensitivity of ∼30%), but data are limited. Improved diagnostic approaches are urgently needed to detect extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in tuberculosis (TB)-endemic settings.

Methods

This multicenter, prospective cohort study evaluated the diagnostic performance of a rapid (same-day) interferon gamma rapid immunosuspension assay (IRISA-TB) in patients with presumed TPE from South Africa and India. Participants underwent pleural biopsy, and testing with other available same-day diagnostic assays (adenosine deaminase [ADA], Xpert Ultra, and IRISA-TB) was concurrently undertaken. The reference standard for TB was microbiological and/or histopathological confirmation using pleural fluid and/or pleural biopsy samples.

Results

A total of 217 participants with presumed TPE were recruited (106 from South Africa, 111 from India). The sensitivity of IRISA-TB (cut-point 20.5 pg/mL) was significantly better than that of Xpert Ultra (81.8% [70.4–90.2] vs 32.9% [22.1–45.1]; P < .001) and ADA at the 40 IU/mL cut-point used in India (81.8% [70.4–90.2] vs 53.8% [41.0–66.3]; P  = .002). Compared with ADA at the 30 IU/mL cut-point used in South Africa, IRISA-TB had a higher specificity (96.6% [90.3–99.3] vs 87.1% [78.6–93.2]) and a higher positive predictive value (94.7% [85.5–97.3] vs 81.8% [72.4–88.5]). The negative predictive value (NPV; rule-out value) of IRISA-TB was significantly better than that of Xpert Ultra (87.5% [83.2–93.0] vs 64.9% [61.1–68.6]; P < .001) and ADA at the 40 IU/mL cut-point (87.5% [83.2–93.0] vs 74.1% [68.7–79.0]; P < .001).

Conclusions

IRISA-TB demonstrated markedly better sensitivity and NPV than Xpert Ultra and excellent specificity for the diagnosis of TPE. These data have implications for clinical practice in TB-endemic settings.
Public Debt, Economic Growth, and Inflation Dynamics in Malawi
Authors: Bangara Bertha Chipo
Published: September 2024

Rising public debt has been an issue of concern among developing countries and the burden that it exerts on indebted countries has been a subject of debate among economists, academics, policy makers, and the general public. This paper investigates the relationship between public debt, economic growth, and inflation dynamics in Malawi over the period 1984–2020. It employs the autoregressive-distributed lag and the error correction models. The findings reveal that domestic and external debt have a positive and significant impact on economic growth, while total public debt has a negative and significant impact on economic growth in the long run. This indicates the need for the government to focus on the long-run effects of rising total public debt and debt-to-GDP ratio, since in the long run, rising public debt becomes a heavy burden, with negative consequences for the economy.