bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction of a meteorological application system based on BDS ground-based augmentation network and water vapor products validation
Authors: Du Mingbin , Cao Yunchang , Liang Hong , Hu Heng , Wang Haishen , Song Shuli , Jiao Guoqiang
Published: April 2024

The national Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) ground-based augmentation network (BGAN) of China is constructed with the existing GNSS observation resources of industrial sectors and local governments, based on the concept of joint building and sharing with sustainable development. This study provides a detailed introduction to the design, construction and operation of a meteorological application system based on BGAN, and validation of its water vapor products. BDS and GPS real-time observation of atmospheric water vapor is achieved nationwide in China and multi-GNSS applications. Through the application of multi-GNSS data and validation of the water vapor products from 2018 to 2020, the accuracy of precipitable water vapor (PWV) derived from BDS only is equivalent to that from GPS only. The root mean square error (RMSE) between them is about 2 mm with high correlation coefficient. Based on radiosonde data, the validation is conducted with the products of BDS-PWV, GPS-PWV, and Combined-PWV derived with multi-GNSS of BDS and GPS. The error characteristics of the three products show a consistent trend over the months. The bias is relatively small. The RMSE of the three products is in the range of 2.18–2.73 mm. The BDS-PWV has the largest RMSE, followed by GPS-PWV, and Combined-PWV has the smallest RMSE.
More than a simple fixed action pattern: Yawning in drills
Authors: Galotti Alice , Fausti Giulia , Casetta Grazia , Nolfo Andrea Paolo , Maglieri Veronica , Palagi Elisabetta
Published: April 2024

In the last decade, increasing attention has been devoted to exploring some aspects of yawning in non-human animals. With their chin red mark, bony paranasal swellings, male large brains and long canines, drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus) offer a robust model for testing hypotheses on the phenomenon. We identified two yawn variants (covered, YCT and uncovered teeth, YUCT) which differ in terms of recruitment of muscular action units (AUs). We tested the effects of several variables (sex, dominance rank, context) on the duration of the yawn and the probability of YCT or YUCT occurrence. We found that males performed longer and more YUCT than females. These findings support the Brain Cooling Hypothesis suggesting that those species showing large brains tend to display larger and longer yawns. We also tested the State Changing Hypothesis predicting the presence of a temporal association of yawning and ongoing behavioral transitions. A sequential analysis revealed that after 30 s following a yawn, drills were significantly more likely to change their behavioral state. Through the observation of yawning, conspecifics might gain knowledge of impending state changes. Seeing other’s yawns increased the probability of a similar response in the observers, thus suggesting the presence of yawn contagion in drills. Although the dataset needs to be expanded, our findings indicate that yawning is variable in drills, it can be associated with subjects’ state changes, and the imminent shifts can be perceived/processed by conspecifics.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-factor stock trading strategy based on DQN with multi-BiGRU and multi-head ProbSparse self-attention
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Gu Yuchen , Ge Yebo
Published: April 2024

Reinforcement learning is widely used in financial markets to assist investors in developing trading strategies. However, most existing models primarily focus on simple volume-price factors, and there is a need for further improvement in the returns of stock trading. To address these challenges, a multi-factor stock trading strategy based on Deep Q-Network (DQN) with Multi-layer Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (Multi-BiGRU) and multi-head ProbSparse self-attention is proposed. Our strategy comprehensively characterizes the determinants of stock prices by considering various factors such as financial quality, valuation, and sentiment factors. We first use Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) to classify turning points for stock data. Then, in the reinforcement learning strategy, Multi-BiGRU, which holds the bidirectional learning of historical data, is integrated into DQN, aiming to enhance the model’s ability to understand the dynamics of the stock market. Moreover, the multi-head ProbSparse self-attention mechanism effectively captures interactions between different factors, providing the model with deeper market insights. We validate our strategy’s effectiveness through extensive experimental research on stocks from Chinese and US markets. The results show that our method outperforms both temporal and non-temporal models in terms of stock trading returns. Ablation studies confirm the critical role of LightGBM and multi-head ProbSparse self-attention mechanism. The experiment section also demonstrates the significant advantages of our model through the presentation of box plots and statistical tests. Overall, by fully considering the multi-factor data and the model’s feature extraction capabilities, our work is expected to provide investors with more precise trading decision support.

Graphical abstract
Capacity curves for monitored existing buildings and within- and between-building variability of secant stiffness
Authors: Ghimire Subash , Guéguen Philippe
Published: April 2024

In this study, accelerometric data from seven Japanese buildings under long-term monitoring were analysed to explore the variability of the buildings’ co-seismic response over time and its within- and between-building components, using co-seismic capacity curves developed in acceleration-displacement-response-spectrum format. The data include the 2011 Tohoku Mw9.1 earthquake, which caused building damage of different levels of severity, and the time-varying actual capacity curves were analysed considering earthquakes before and after 2011. Result showed that the initial slope of the capacity curves reflects the amount of damage. The between-building and within-building components of the variability are discussed by comparing a single building and several buildings in the same class for several earthquakes. Finally, the epistemic uncertainty of seismic risk assessment studies is discussed in relation to the selection of a generic capacity model for all buildings in a single class.
Studies on the host selection of a weed biological control candidate facilitate pre-release environmental safety assessments
Authors: Subedi Bijay , Schwarzländer Mark , Eigenbrode Sanford D. , Harmon Bradley L. , Weyl Philip
Published: April 2024

Pre-release host specificity testing can reliably predict the environmental safety of weed biological control agent (BCA) candidates but typically does not consider their host-finding behavior. Therefore, BCA candidates that do not utilize non-target plants in the field post-release, despite development on such plants in pre-release tests, may be prematurely disqualified for release. We addressed this issue with the seedpod weevil Ceutorhynchus peyerimhoffi, a BCA candidate for the invasive Eurasian mustard Isatis tinctoria. Ceutorhynchus peyerimhoffi weevils, both naive and experienced, were tested for their responses to olfactory, visual, and combined olfactory and visual cues of Braya alpina, Caulanthus heterophyllus, and the US federally listed Boechera hoffmannii. These responses were compared to I. tinctoria or control treatments in a modified Y-tube olfactometer set-up. Naïve and weevils with prior experience on I. tinctoria responded with attraction to olfactory, visual, and combined cues of I. tinctoria. In contrast, there was no attraction by either naïve or experienced weevils to non-target plant cues, except for attraction to C. heterophyllus combined cues by experienced weevils. Furthermore, visual cues of B. alpina and B. hoffmannii were repellent to experienced weevils, and olfactory cues of B. alpina were repellent to naïve weevils. We conclude that C. peyerimhoffi uses visual and olfactory cues to discriminate between its host plant I. tinctoria and North American non-targets. Behavioral host selection studies involving multimodal cues can provide a mechanistic explanation of host selection and complement environmental safety assessments of weed BCA candidates.
Assessing the impact of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi on artisanal fisheries in the Venice Lagoon: an interdisciplinary approach
Authors: Piccardi F. , Poli F. , Sguotti C. , Tirelli V. , Borme D. , Mazzoldi C. , Barausse A.
Published: April 2024

The sea walnut, Mnemiopsis leidyi, has invaded and expanded throughout the whole Mediterranean Sea basin. Large blooms were recorded also in the Venice Lagoon (Italy), an ecosystem rich with biodiversity which supports multiple services, including artisanal fishery production. To investigate M. leidyi impacts on lagoon artisanal fisheries, we combined fishers’ local ecological knowledge, fishery landing time series analysis, and field sampling. Firstly, we interviewed artisanal fishers to date the blooms of M. leidyi. Secondly, we analyzed long-term fishery landings records to detect whether changes in landings quantity and composition were related to the ctenophore invasion. Thirdly, we sampled catches of the lagoon fyke nets. This interdisciplinary approach overcame the weaknesses of single methodologies and allowed us to reconstruct the temporal phases of M. leidyi invasion in the Venice Lagoon. Moreover, our results indicate that the lagoon landings significantly declined with the blooms, paralleled by the increase of water temperature. Finally, we showed that the mechanical obstruction of the nets, caused by the massive ctenophore blooms, strongly impacts fishing activities. Our results are a first step in assessing the short and long-term impacts of this invasive species on lagoon ecosystems, including its socioeconomic consequences, whose better understanding is fundamental to inform mitigation and adaptation measures.
Ecosystem changes in eight Danish lakes after zebra mussel invasion
Authors: Søndergaard Martin , Johansson Liselotte S. , Andersen Per , Jeppesen Erik
Published: April 2024

Invasion of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) can have profound effects on lake ecosystems. We investigated the overall ecological effects after invasion and fast expansion of zebra mussels in eight lakes in Denmark belonging to the same watercourse systems but with different morphological and eutrophication characteristics. A few years after the invasion, most of the lakes had experienced profound changes in lake water quality, e.g. chlorophyll a had been reduced by 18–62% and Secchi depth had increased by 38–171%. Nutrient concentrations also decreased, total phosphorus to 37–64% and total nitrogen to 49–77% of pre-invasion concentrations. Seasonally, differences between both summer and winter phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations diminished, suggesting a change in internal nutrient cycling after the invasion. In most lakes, the abundance of submerged macrophytes rose substantially, and often coverage increased by a factor 10 or more, and the maximum colonisation depth increased by up to 5.4 m. Plant species numbers increased markedly in four of the six lakes with macrophyte data. The fish community changed towards higher dominance of potential piscivorous perch and an increase in their body size. The profound effects of zebra mussel invasion may affect lake management and how ecological quality should be interpreted.
Impulsive Decision-Making, Affective Experiences, and Parental History of Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors within Parent-Adolescent Dyads
Authors: Sheehan Ana E. , Salvador Paula Yoela , Bounoua Nadia , Sadeh Naomi
Published: April 2024

Impulsive decision-making, particularly during states of affective intensity, is associated with greater risk of engagement in self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) during adolescence. The proximal (dyadic parent-adolescent affect and impulsivity) and distal (family history of SITBs) risk factors that occur within the family system could be relevant processes at stake in the intergenerational transmission of risk. The current study tests the interdependence of parent-adolescent factors associated with risk for SITBs and probes the extent to which parent-adolescent affective states influence their own (actor-effects) and each other's (partner-effects) impulsive decision-making, and further whether these relationships are moderated by a parent’s history of SITBs. Participants included 212 (106 dyads) community parents and their adolescents who completed self-report and behavioral tasks related to positive and negative affective states, impulsive decision-making, and lifetime history of SITBs. Application of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed a partner-effect where greater parent negative affect in the past week was associated with elevated adolescent impulsive decision-making among families with a history of SITBs (Estimate = 0.66, Standard Error = 0.13, p < 0.001). In addition, a significant actor-effect was observed where greater positive affect was associated with decreased impulsive decision-making among adolescents (Estimate = -0.21, Standard Error = 0.10, p = 0.03), however, moderating effects of parent history of SITBs were not detected. Findings from the present study shed light on the interdependence of affect and impulsivity within parent-adolescent dyads, and the extent to which these interactions may be particularly salient for families with known vulnerabilities for SITBs.
Attracting new audiences to high culture: an analysis of live broadcasted performing arts at cinema theaters
Authors: Gutierrez-Navratil Fernanda , Perez-Villadoniga Maria J. , Prieto-Rodriguez Juan
Published: April 2024

The aim of this paper is to analyze the potential contribution of broadcasting live performing arts in movie theaters to the democratization of high culture. To accomplish this, we analyze the profile of attendees to these events to explore whether this new form of cultural consumption can attract individuals who do not normally attend live performances, thereby renewing high-brow audiences. Using data from the Spanish Survey of Cultural Habits and Practices in Spain (2018–2019), we find that individuals who frequently attend movies are more likely to attend live opera broadcasts in movie theaters, even those who do not consume live opera or even do not listen to opera at all. This is a positive insight suggesting that this initiative may be successful to engage new audiences to high culture.
Counting butterflies—are old-fashioned ways of recording data obsolete?
Authors: Kühn Elisabeth , Harpke Alexander , Schmitt Thomas , Settele Josef , Kühn Ingolf
Published: April 2024

Citizen Science projects aim to make data entry as easy as possible and often provide online data recording or data recording with an App. However, many participants cannot or do not want to use these possibilities and record their data the “old-fashioned” way with pen on paper. We ask whether the quality of data recorded in the “old-fashioned” way (transect walkers record their data with pen on paper) is of the same, better or worse quality than data recorded “online” (transect walkers enter their data via an online tool). We use the project “Butterfly Monitoring Germany” as an example, where we identify three different types of volunteers: those who enter their data online, those who send their data to the project coordination via email in different formats and those who send their data to the project coordination via ordinary mail. We observed minor quantitative differences for transect walkers not entering their data online but significant qualitative differences. Transect walkers who send their data via email record significantly more data for some rare or difficult to determine species. This is essential to properly calculate these species’ trends. In addition, the results of a questionnaire showed that “old fashioned” transect walkers did not use the online data entry because (i) data entry takes too long, (ii) is too cumbersome, (iii) they have bad or no internet connection or (iv) lack of technical capabilities. Accounting for different preferences of Citizen Scientists, different ways of data-submission should be made available (e.g. online, via app, or the old-fashioned way on paper). For the future, projects that collect large amounts of Citizen Science data should further develop low-threshold input data pipelines.

Implications for insect conservation

Our results show that data recorded in the old-fashioned way contributes significantly to increasing data quality. It is therefore very important to continue to enable different forms of data recording in the future. Furthermore, it is crucial to keep in mind that Citizen Science projects are only partly for the sake of science, but also volunteers should benefit by being part of a community and having access to information about (butterfly) biodiversity.
Mediating Effects of Resilience Between Mindfulness, Self-compassion, and Psychological Distress in a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Ueno Yuki , Amemiya Rei
Published: April 2024

Recent years have witnessed increasing research interest in the collective impact of resilience, mindfulness, and self-compassion on individuals’ mental health. This longitudinal study examined the mediating effects of resilience approximately one year after the baseline assessment on baseline mindfulness, baseline self-compassion, and psychological distress approximately two years after the baseline assessment. The study involved 486 Japanese participants, surveyed at three different time points, spaced one year apart. Mediation analysis revealed two distinct pathways: (1) an indirect effect of mindfulness on psychological distress mediated by resilience, and (2) an indirect effect of self-compassion on psychological distress mediated by resilience. However, no statistically significant direct effects of mindfulness and self-compassion on psychological distress were observed. These findings suggest a fully mediated model for psychological distress with resilience serving as the mediator. The mediation model promotes mindfulness and self-compassion as practices that foster the expansion of psychological resources associated with resilience, such as attentional control and emotional regulation, ultimately leading to fewer psychological distress.
Beta diversity partitioning reveals homogenization in bird community composition within the forest-agriculture landscape of the northern Taiwan coast
Authors: Shih Yu-Ting , Wang Hsiang-Hua , Fu Shu-Wei , Su Sheng-Hsin , Koh Chao-Nien
Published: April 2024

Context

This study examined how human-induced landscape changes affected bird diversity in mountain villages with mixed forests and cultivated fields.

Objectives

We focused on the bird species composition (beta diversity) to determine whether species homogenization varied with forest cover differences. This study developed it as a novel metric potentially quantifying homogenization level comparison in species functional groups.

Methods

Bird surveys were conducted at 27 sites with forest cover scattered from 0 to 100%. Bird species were divided into forest birds and nonforest birds. Beta diversity was partitioned into turnover and nestedness-resultant components, and their contribution ratio to Sørensen beta was used to examine the effect of forest cover and pairwise cover difference.

Results

Our results indicated that forest birds exhibited low turnover and low nestedness, whereas nonforest birds exhibited nestedness distribution characteristics. The nestedness-resultant contribution ratio of nonforest birds was higher, driven by forest cover difference (slope = 0.0080, Pseudo R2 = 0.35**) than that of forest birds (slope = 0.0018, Pseudo R2 = 0.02**). Thus, we quantify the result of forest cover decreased lead to the dominated by nestedness species in nonforest birds.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the distinct effects of environmental changes on these two bird functional groups. Although the Sørensen beta diversity increases with forest cover decrease, most are contributed by nestedness-resultant nonforest birds and lead to homogenization. Thus, it is recommended that conservation plans should separately address forest and nonforest bird species to avoid the risk of underestimating species homogenization due to anthropogenic land-use and habitat degradation.
Influence of short-term configurations of a mouth deviation on river hydraulics: the Pescara River case study
Authors: Celli Daniele , Pasquali Davide , Di Nucci Carmine , Di Risio Marcello
Published: April 2024

This paper aims to emphasize the importance of simulating river hydrodynamics for all the stages of river mouth deviations, since their potential influence on the flood hazard assessment. The case study of the Pescara River mouth deviation in the Abruzzo Region, Italy, has been considered. Only the realized steps of the project have been analyzed, for which the sea level at the mouth has turned out to not remarkably change for the considered layouts. Consequently, flooded areas and flow velocity do not significantly vary between the analyzed configurations. The adopted modeling chain has proved to be a suitable tool to support engineers, contractors, and controlling authorities in the different project phases.
What can writing-process data add to the assessment of spelling difficulties?
Authors: Wengelin Åsa , Kraft Sanna , Thurfjell Fredrik , Rack John
Published: April 2024

Spelling difficulties are commonly associated primarily with spelling errors. However, it is not uncommon for spelling challenges to transform the whole writing process into a formidable struggle. This paper delves into the exploration of whether and to what extent analyses of children’s writing processes can enhance our understanding of their difficulties, potentially contributing to the assessment of spelling challenges. We focused particularly on the degree of hesitation within words and the ability to detect and correct spelling errors among children with and without reading and spelling difficulties, as well as how these processes impact the quality and lexical diversity of their texts. Additionally, we sought to contribute to disentangling the influence of spelling and decoding abilities on these processes. A cohort of 47 children, aged 10–13, participated in the study, comprising 16 typically developing children, 16 with predominantly spelling difficulties, and 15 with both reading and spelling difficulties. Our analysis encompassed their spelling performance in both standardized tests and task-oriented writing samples, as well as an examination of their pausing and revision behaviour. As expected, we found robust correlations between the children’s spelling test scores and the proportions of spelling errors in their texts. Furthermore, our findings indicated that children encountering spelling difficulties exhibited a reduced ability to detect and correct errors compared to their peers without such challenges. Additionally, they displayed a slightly higher tendency to experience word-internal interruptions, aligning with prior research. The children who also had reading difficulties produced fewer words and processed words more slowly compared to children in both the other groups. Intriguingly, process data did not reliably predict text characteristics, suggesting that dysfluent writing may not significantly detriment the overall quality of the text, contrary to our initial expectations based on prevailing writing development models. Nevertheless, the study revealed considerable individual variation, with some participants demonstrating a high degree of struggling and dysfluency, resulting in poorer text outcomes, but also others whose struggling processes led to better outcomes. We posit that the crucial aspect lies in identifying these individuals within a classroom context and gaining insights into their processes to provide them with appropriate, formative feedback and adequate writing tools to facilitate their writing.
Boomerang children and parental retirement outcomes
Authors: Seiter Grant M. , Lopez Mary J. , Slavov Sita Nataraj
Published: April 2024

As the share of U.S. adult children living with their parents increases, it is important to understand how children who “boomerang” back home impact their parents in their pre-retirement and post-retirement years. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine the effects of boomerang children on their parents’ labor market expectations and choices, as well as on their wealth, health, and life satisfaction. Event study analysis suggests that boomerang children return home due to short-term instabilities, such as negative shocks to marriage, income, and employment. We find that boomerang children are associated with a small increase in their parents’ subjective probability of working after age 65, and with a temporary increase in their parents’ non-housing debt. However, in the aggregate, we find no clear evidence that boomerang children impact parents’ current or future labor market choices, overall wealth, health, or life satisfaction. (We do find some evidence of an increase in hours worked among parents in the bottom wealth decile). One possible explanation for the lack of aggregate impact is that boomerang children contribute to household expenses. We find that boomerang events are associated with an increase in financial transfers from children to parents, particularly among parents in the bottom half of the wealth distribution.
Geodiversity of research: geographical topic focus, author location, and collaboration. A case study of SDG 2: zero hunger
Authors: Purnell Philip J.
Published: April 2024

This bibliometric study examined three aspects of geodiversity of research, namely the geographical topic focus of the study, author location, and international collaboration dynamics. The publication dataset comprised 60,000 papers from the Dimensions database that have been associated with hunger research using Digital Science’s machine learning algorithm that enhances expert led search strategies. As the research was related to hunger, papers were mapped on to the Global Hunger Index country categories as convenient classification. Only 41% of hunger-related publications that focus on countries most affected by hunger feature authors affiliated to institutions in those countries. Even fewer of those publications feature locally based authors in first or last position. These numbers gradually reverse as the level of hunger declines. We analyse sample papers in an attempt to understand the reasons for these trends. These included differences in research infrastructure, sub-authorship recognition such as acknowledgements, and limitations of the relationship between country mention and real topical focus. We did not find evidence of widespread differences between senior and overall authorship and consequently urge caution before judging international collaborations as ‘helicopter’ research based only on author country affiliations and authorship position.
“We are together, but each of us separately.” Friendship as a close legal relationship
Authors: Drapalska-Grochowicz Marlena
Published: April 2024

Friendship is undoubtedly perceived by individuals as a close relationship—based on a special bond and commitment. However, it is a relationship that is very limitedly regulated by the law and is not explicitly labeled as close by legislators. In this study, three research goals were set. The first goal is to determine how friendship is characterized in legal acts, legal literature, and judicial decisions. Marriage, parenthood, or even romantic relationships are to some extent protected by the law, each to varying degrees. Friendship, on the other hand, differs as it does not appear in legal acts in the context of interpersonal relations. Nevertheless, friendship is not absent from legal discourse. This is because, at times, the object of protection in Polish law is not so much marriage, parenthood, etc., but broadly defined "closeness." For this reason, it was determined if and when friendship is considered a "close relationship" (goal 2). Third, with reference to the results obtained earlier, the costs and benefits of the residual coverage of friendship under the law were considered (goal 3). The primary context for these considerations was Polish legislation with incidental references to other legal systems.
A gamified social robotics platform for intensive therapies in neurorehabilitation
Authors: Pulido José Carlos , Fuentetaja Raquel , García Enrique , García Melania , Abuín Vanesa , González José Carlos , Iglesias Ana , Fernández Fernando
Published: April 2024

The use of social assistive robots for interactive stimulation has strong potential in neurorehabilitation therapies. It is of particular interest in the case of pediatric patients to promote children’s motivation and adherence, specially when those robots are able of guide gamified activities, as it is the case of NAOTherapist. NAOTherapist is a Social Assistive Robotics (SAR) platform for hands-off rehabilitation based on upper-limb activities, that was originally designed for pediatric patients with Cerebral Palsy (CP) or Obstetric Braxial Plexus Palsy (OBPP). Formerly, it endowed the therapists with tools to perform rehabilitation exercises. This paper proposes the gamification of NAOTherapist in order to incorporate additional characteristics which allow its intensive use in new rehabilitation procedures, such as the Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT). This intensive therapy setting involves daily activities in several consecutive days, which require a strong engagement of the patients with the therapeutic methods and the acceptation of the NAOTherapist as a rehabilitation system. The gamified system shows very accurate results considering the different aspects defined in the USUS methodology; namely Usability, Social acceptance, User experience and Societal impact.
A Toolkit for Delirium Identification and Promoting Partnerships Between Carers and Nurses: A Pilot Pre–Post Feasibility Study
Authors: Aggar Christina , Craswell Alison , Bail Kasia , Compton Roslyn M. , Hughes Mark , Sorwar Golam , Baker James , Greenhill Jennene , Shinners Lucy , Nichols Belinda , Langheim Rachel , Wallis Allison , Bowen Karen , Bridgett Hazel
Published: April 2024

Background

Delirium is frightening for people experiencing it and their carers, and it is the most common hospital-acquired complication worldwide. Delirium is associated with higher rates of morbidity, mortality, residential care home admission, dementia, and carer stress and burden, yet strategies to embed the prevention and management of delirium as part of standard hospital care remain challenging. Carers are well placed to recognize subtle changes indicative of delirium, and partner with nurses in the prevention and management of delirium.

Objective

To evaluate a Prevention & Early Delirium Identification Carer Toolkit (PREDICT), to support partnerships between carers and nurses to prevent and manage delirium.

Design

A pre–post-test intervention and observation study.

Main Measures

Changes in carer knowledge of delirium; beliefs about their role in partnering with nurses and intended and actual use of PREDICT; carer burden and psychological distress. Secondary measures were rates of delirium.

Participants

Participants were carers of Indigenous patients aged 45 years and older and non-Indigenous patients aged 65 years and older.

Intervention

Nurses implemented PREDICT, with a view to provide carers with information about delirium and strategies to address caregiving stress and burden.

Key Results

Participants included 25 carers (43% response rate) (n = 17, 68% female) aged 29–88 (M = 65, SD = 17.7 years). Carer delirium knowledge increased significantly from pre-to-post intervention (p =  < .001; CI 2.07–4.73). Carers’ intent and actual use of PREDICT was (n = 18, 72%; and n = 17, 68%). Carer burden and psychological distress did not significantly change. The incidence of delirium in the intervention ward although not significant, decreased, indicating opportunity for scaling up.

Conclusion

The prevention and management of delirium are imperative for safe and quality care for patients, carers, and staff. Further comprehensive and in-depth research is required to better understand underlying mechanisms of change and explore facets of nursing practice influenced by this innovative approach.
In Situ Analysis of Stress and Microstructure Evolution during Welding of High-Alloy Steels Using Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Diffraction
Authors: Hempel Nico , Nitschke-Pagel Thomas , Klaus Manuela , Apel Daniel , Genzel Christoph , Dilger Klaus
Published: April 2024

Constrained thermal expansion and contraction during welding cause a compression-tension cycle and plastic deformation in the heat-affected zone, leading to work hardening. The nature of this hardening effect—isotropic or kinematic—determines the final local yield stress and thus affects the residual stress state. Therefore, mechanical hardening must be modeled correctly in welding simulations for accurately predicting welding residual stresses. Previous studies, relying on comparisons with experimental ex situ results, led to different recommendations regarding the choice of the hardening model and thus require clarification. In this work, the stress evolution in the heat-affected zone of a tungsten inert gas weld is studied in situ using energy-dispersive x-ray diffraction and a novel method of stress analysis based on crystallite anisotropy. Additionally, microstructural information is gathered through line profile analysis. Results are shown for both austenitic and ferritic high-alloy steels and compared to ex-situ results including a validation of the new method of stress analysis. Finally, conclusions on the nature of work hardening are drawn.
Many-option collective decision making: discrete collective estimation in large decision spaces
Authors: Shan Qihao , Mostaghim Sanaz
Published: April 2024

Collective consensus forming in spatially distributed systems is a challenging task. In previous literature, multi-option consensus-forming scenarios, with the number of options being smaller or equal to the number of agents, have been well studied. However, many well-performing decision-making strategies on a few options suffer from scalability when the number of options increases, especially for many-option scenarios with significantly more options than agents. In this paper, we investigate the viabilities of discrete decision-making strategies with ranked voting (RV) and belief fusion (DBBS) decision mechanisms in many-option scenarios with large decision spaces compared to the number of agents. We test the investigated strategies on an expanded discrete collective estimation scenario where the decision space can be expanded using two factors: a higher number of environmental features and/or finer decision space discretization. We have used a continuous collective consensus forming strategy, linear consensus protocol (LCP), as a baseline. Our experimental results have shown that, although susceptible to environmental influences, discrete decision-making strategies can reliably outperform those of LCP in terms of error and convergence time at the tested sizes of decision space. We have also shown that the two factors that lead to the expansion of the decision space have different impacts on performances for both RV and DBBS strategies, due to differences in the correlations between the discrete options. When facing a higher number of features, both discrete strategies experience a smaller error and a significant increase in decision time, while a finer decision space discretization has a negative influence on all considered metrics.
Evolving Applications of Echocardiography in the Evaluation of Left Atrial and Right Ventricular Strain
Authors: Serafin Adam , Kosmala Wojciech , Marwick Thomas H.
Published: April 2024

Purpose of Review

Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) can assess myocardial motion in non-LV chambers—including assessment of left atrial (LA) and right ventricular (RV) strain. This review seeks to highlight the diagnostic, prognostic, and clinical significance of these parameters in heart failure, atrial fibrillation (AF), diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension (PH), tricuspid regurgitation, and heart transplant recipients.

Recent Findings

Impaired LA strain reflects worse LV diastolic function in individuals with and without HF, and this is associated with decreased exercise capacity. Initiating treatments targeting these functional aspects may enhance exercise capacity and potentially prevent heart failure (HF). Impaired LA strain also identifies patients with a high risk of AF, and this recognition may lead to preventive strategies. Impaired RV strain has significant clinical and prognostic implications across various clinical scenarios, including HF, PH, tricuspid regurgitation, or in heart transplant recipients.

STE should not be limited to the assessment of deformation of the LV myocardium. The use of LA and RV strain is supported by a substantial evidence base, and these parameters should be used more widely.
Foaming Properties and Foam Structure of Milk Determined by Its Protein Content and Protein to Fat Ratio
Authors: Ho Thao M. , Xiong Xiaoying , Bhandari Bhesh R. , Bansal Nidhi
Published: April 2024

Milk proteins, integral to stable foam production, exhibit seasonal and type-dependent variations. Understanding the impact of protein levels with and without fat on foaming properties is essential for selecting suitable milk types and controlling the foaming process. In this study, we employed steam injection and mechanical mixing to assess foamability, foam stability, and foam structure of (1) reconstituted skim milk powder dispersions (1.5–15% solids concentration, corresponding to 0.5–5.0% protein), (2) reconstituted whole milk powder and commercial whole milk dispersions (0.5% protein), and (3) whole milk with added skim milk powder and milk protein concentrate (3.5 and 4% protein) and butter milk powder (0.5 and 1% total solid content). Results reveal that increasing solids concentration from 1.5 to 15% significantly increased lactose content, viscosity, and surface tension. However, these changes did not impact foamability or foam stability, while slightly decreasing air bubble size. At 0.5% protein, skim milk powder dispersions demonstrated higher foam volume (16 times greater) and more stable foam compared to reconstituted whole milk powder and whole milk dispersions, despite similar foam structure and appearance. These findings emphasize the substantial influence of the protein/fat ratio on milk’s foaming properties. Additionally, the addition of skim milk powder, milk protein concentrate, or butter milk powder at the investigated content did not affect the foaming properties of whole milk.
Base Editors-Mediated Gene Therapy in Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Hematologic Diseases
Authors: Zhang Chengpeng , Xu Jinchao , Wu Yikang , Xu Can , Xu Peng
Published: April 2024

Base editors, developed from the CRISPR/Cas system, consist of components such as deaminase and Cas variants. Since their emergence in 2016, the precision, efficiency, and safety of base editors have been gradually optimized. The feasibility of using base editors in gene therapy has been demonstrated in several disease models. Compared with the CRISPR/Cas system, base editors have shown great potential in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and HSC-based gene therapy, because they do not generate double-stranded breaks (DSBs) while achieving the precise realization of single-base substitutions. This precise editing mechanism allows for the permanent correction of genetic defects directly at their source within HSCs, thus promising a lasting therapeutic effect. Recent advances in base editors are expected to significantly increase the number of clinical trials for HSC-based gene therapies. In this review, we summarize the development and recent progress of DNA base editors, discuss their applications in HSC gene therapy, and highlight the prospects and challenges of future clinical stem cell therapies.

Graphical Abstract
Mindfulness, Phenomenology, and Psychological Science
Authors: Lundh Lars-Gunnar
Published: April 2024

Most present-day research on mindfulness treats mindfulness as a variable that is studied in relation to other variables. Although this research may provide us with important knowledge at the population level and mechanism level, it contributes little to our understanding of the phenomenon of mindfulness as it is experienced and enacted at the person level. The present paper takes a person-oriented phenomenological perspective on mindfulness, comparing this perspective with that of von Fircks’ (2023). In a first part of the paper, mindfulness is discussed as a phenomenological practice that can be studied by means of experimental phenomenology. It is argued that there is room for the development of an immense variety of personalized mindfulness practices that may serve people’s health and well-being. The second part of the paper contains a brief discussion of the possible role of mindful observation and reflection in psychological research. It is argued that mindfulness skills may be important both for improving the quality of phenomenological observation and to facilitate creative thinking in connection with the development of psychological theory. A main implication is that an integration between mindfulness and phenomenology may serve as an important part of this process.
Finding an autonomous path to positive change: a self-determination theory view of daily change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Zampetakis Leonidas A. , Arvanitis Alexios
Published: April 2024

The present study investigates the relationship between employee daily social and temporal comparison and positive change in the form of change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB-CH). Using insights from self-determination theory, social comparison theory and the two-facet model of authentic and hubristic pride, we tested two distinct process models in this relationship, namely an autonomous and a controlled path. The autonomous path represents the expression of intrinsic growth tendencies relating to prosociality, creativity and healthy emotion regulation. We hypothesized that this expression is instigated by the experience of growth denoted by favorable, downward temporal comparisons and leads to authentic, rather than hubristic, pride. Subsequently, proceeding through the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs, the path eventually leads to OCB-CH. Participants from various occupational sectors (N=68) responded to a daily diary questionnaire (N=340) at the end of each of five working days. Multilevel mediational analyses supported the autonomous path: on days when employees perceived themselves as engaging in more downward temporal comparison, they were more likely to engage in OCB-CH via the experience of authentic pride and satisfaction of the basic psychological needs. These findings expand self-determination theory by revealing why downward temporal comparison information fosters proactive behaviors within organizational contexts in general and the initiation of positive change in the form of OCB-CH in particular.
Low sadness and high happiness facial prevalence to others' suffering in intimate partner violence against women perpetrators: influence of emotional decoding deficits
Authors: Comes-Fayos J. , Romero-Martínez A. , Lila M. , Martínez M. , Moya-Albiol L.
Published: April 2024

An aligned facial response to others' emotions has been linked to adaptive social interactions. Interestingly, maladjusted emotional response has been recognized as a significant risk factor for intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). However, the facial response of IPVAW perpetrators to others' negative emotions remains unclear. The present study analyzes the emotional facial response, as well as self-reported emotions, of IPVAW perpetrators (n = 55) compared to controls (n = 48) during a violence-focused empathic induction task using the "FaceReader" facial coding software. Additionally, we explored the emotional decoding influence on their emotional facial responsiveness. Compared to controls, IPVAW perpetrators exhibited a lower prevalence of sadness facial expression and a higher prevalence of happiness facial expressions during the task, along with reduced self-reported emotionality. Coherently, the lower the sadness facial expression, the lower the self-reported sadness and tenderness. Finally, poorer emotional decoding and belonging to the IPVAW group explained the lower prevalence of sadness and higher prevalence of happiness facial expressions. Our findings provide further evidence supporting a distinctive emotional response pattern to others’ suffering in IPVAW perpetrators. This study provides a promising direction to address the IPVAW occurrence by treating relevant socioaffective deficits, such as emotional responsiveness or emotional decoding.
Real-time identification and visualization of Egyptian blue using modified night vision goggles
Authors: Nicola Marco , Gobetto Roberto , Bazzacco Alessandro , Anselmi Chiara , Ferraris Enrico , Russo Alfonsina , Masic Admir , Sgamellotti Antonio
Published: April 2024

The possibility to use light in the visible spectrum to induce near-infrared luminescence in some materials, particularly Egyptian blue and related pigments, offers a significant advantage in terms of their detection. Since 2008, this property has been exploited to reveal the presence of those pigments even in tiny amounts on ancient and decayed surfaces, using a technical-photography method. This paper presents a new type of imaging device that enables real-time, easy, and inexpensive identification and mapping of Egyptian blue and related materials. The potential of the new tool is demonstrated by its effectiveness in detecting Egyptian blue within some prestigious sites: (a) Egyptian findings at Museo Egizio, Turin; (b) underground Roman frescoes at Domus Aurea, Rome; and (c) Renaissance frescoes by Raphael, Triumph of Galatea and Loggia of Cupid and Psyche, at Villa Farnesina, Rome. The device is based on night vision technology and allows an unprecedented fast, versatile, and user-friendly approach. It is employable by professionals including archeologists, conservators, and conservation scientists, as well as by untrained individuals such as students or tourists at museums and sites. The overall aim is not to replace existing photographic techniques but to develop a tool that enables rapid preliminary recognition, useful for planning the work to be carried out with conventional methods. The ability to immediately track Egyptian blue and related pigments, through real-time vision, photos, and videos, also provides a new kind of immersive experience (Blue Vision) and can foster the modern use of these materials in innovative applications and future technologies.
Homemade algebraic geometry: celebrating Enrique Arrondo’s 60th birthday
Authors: Marchesi Simone , Tocino Alicia
Published: April 2024

In this survey we recognize Enrique Arrondo’s contributions over the whole of his  career, recalling his professional history and collecting the results of his mathematical production.