bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discovering what young adults want in electronic interventions aimed at reducing alcohol‐related consequences
Authors: Mackey Chelsea D. , Sibik Gage L. , Szydlowski Victoria , Blayney Jessica A. , Lee Christine M. , Larimer Mary E. , Hultgren Brittney A.
Published: October 2024

Background

Despite intervention efforts, negative alcohol‐related consequences continue to impact young adults. Most alcohol interventions focus on reducing alcohol consumption; however, previous research indicates that focusing solely on alcohol use may not decrease consequences. Additionally, many alcohol interventions have diminishing engagement, and few are designed with young adults involved in the development process. Drawing on user‐centered design, this study sought to understand young adult perceptions, preferences, and needs for electronic interventions specifically aimed at reducing alcohol consequences.

Methods

Using semi‐structured qualitative interviews, 21 young adult drinkers (ages 18–24; 57.1% female) shared their opinions regarding the need for electronic interventions (i.e., mobile or web‐delivered) to reduce alcohol consequences as well as their preferences for content, features, and ways to increase engagement. Interviews were coded and analyzed using a multi‐step thematic analysis approach.

Results

As part of our discovery phase of intervention development, content coding revealed four main themes. Participants perceived several benefits of interventions focused on alcohol consequences, such as promoting mindful alcohol use and reducing alcohol‐related harms. Participants also discussed perceived limitations of such programs, including believing consequences from drinking are unavoidable, necessary for learning, and associated with peer pressure. Preferences for features included real‐time tracking, personalized feedback, and psychoeducation along with preferences for design including non‐judgmental framing, interactive content, and a user‐friendly platform.

Conclusions

Engaging end users early in the development process is a valuable approach to increase intervention relevancy with the target population. This can also inform intervention content and design to maximize engagement and satisfaction (e.g., framing, features, and interactivity) while also reducing barriers identified early on (e.g., peer pressure).
Healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns and sperm quality from the Led‐Fertyl study
Authors: Davila‐Cordova Estefanía , Salas‐Huetos Albert , Valle‐Hita Cristina , Fernández de la Puente María , Martínez María Ángeles , Palau‐Galindo Antoni , Del Egido‐González Claudia , Manzanares‐Errazu José María , Sánchez‐Resino Elena , Salas‐Salvadó Jordi , Babio Nancy
Published: October 2024

Background

Dietary patterns may affect sperm quality, but the scientific evidence is limited.

Objective

To evaluate the association between adherence to different a‐priori dietary patterns and sperm quality parameters in healthy reproductive‐age men.

Materials and methods

A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted using data from 200 young men enrolled in the Led‐Fertyl study. Tertiles of six a‐priori dietary patterns were estimated: four healthy dietary patterns [Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Healthful Plant‐Based Diet Index (hPDI) and EAT‐Lancet Score], and two unhealthy dietary patterns [Western Diet and Unhealthful Plant‐Based Diet Index (uPDI)]. Sperm quality parameters (count, concentration, vitality, total and progressive motility, and normal morphology) were considered the main outcomes.

Results

Compared with the lowest tertile, participants in the highest MEDAS tertile had higher total sperm count (β = 3.2;95%CI: 1.0, 5.5) and concentration (β = 1.8;95%CI: 0.6, 3.0), and total (β = 8.2;95%CI: 1.3, 15.1) and progressive motility (β = 7.1;95%CI: 0.2, 14.0). Similarly, participants in the highest hPDI tertile had higher total sperm count (β = 3.4;95%CI: 1.4, 5.5) and concentration (β = 1.2;95%CI: 0.0, 2.3) compared with those in the lowest tertile. When these dietary patterns were modelled as continuous variables (for each 1‐point increment in the specific score), an inverse association was found between the uPDI and Western and total sperm count [(β = ‐2.7;95%CI: ‐4.8, ‐0.7) and (β = ‐3.8;95%CI: ‐5.8, ‐1.7), respectively] and sperm concentration [(β = ‐1.2;95%CI: ‐2.4, ‐0.1) and (β = ‐1.7;95%CI: ‐2.8, ‐0.5), respectively]. Compared with participants in the lowest tertile, those in the highest uPDI tertile presented higher odds of abnormal sperm concentration (OR: 4.6;95%CI: 1.0, 19.9) and one or more seminogram abnormalities (OR: 2.3;95%CI: 1.1, 5.0).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that higher adherence to healthy dietary patterns (Mediterranean and healthful plant‐based diet) was positively associated with better sperm quality parameters, in contrast, greater adherence to unhealthy dietary patterns was inversely associated.
Looking beyond the eyes of the patient: The importance of effective communication in the treatment of age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Scheffer Mariska , Menting Juliane , Rausch‐Koster Petra , van Nispen Ruth , van Dulmen Sandra
Published: October 2024

Purpose

Patients with exudative and nonexudative age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) can experience physical, mental, social, administrative or financial burden that are associated with the treatment of this progressive chronic disease. The role of healthcare providers in supporting patients who experience high treatment burden can be important, especially when it comes to effective communication. Despite previous research underlining the need to improve patient‐provider communication in AMD care, patient experiences with communication, and how these are related to perceived treatment burden, remain underexplored.

Methods

A survey was distributed among Dutch patients with AMD, which contained questions on several aspects of communication with the patient's ophthalmologist, such as the Quality Of communication Through the patients' Eyes (QUOTE‐COMM, including task‐, affect‐ and therapy‐oriented communication) questionnaire. Patients were primarily enlisted through a patient association.

Results

A total of 162 patients completed the questionnaire, of which 133 provided fully completed responses. While patients reported positive experiences with affect‐oriented communication of their ophthalmologist, they rated task‐ and therapy‐oriented communication as below their expectations. Most patients wished to receive (additional) information on AMD‐related costs (71%), future perspectives (71%) and coping with negative emotions pertaining to the disease (68%). Both lower experience scores on task‐ and affect‐oriented communication and lower self‐efficacy were associated with higher administrative burden and mental burden among patients.

Conclusion

Our study shows that current communication, information provision and decision‐making do not fully meet patients' needs and preferences. Enhancing patient‐provider communication seems important, as effective dialogue is likely to diminish patients' perceived treatment burden.
Cooling and physiology during parent cuddling infants with neonatal encephalopathy in usual care: CoolCuddle‐2 study
Authors: Chakkarapani Ela , Ingram Jenny , Stocks Stephanie , Beasant Lucy , Odd David ,   CoolCuddle‐2 study research team
Published: October 2024

Aim

CoolCuddle, enabling parents to cuddle their babies with neonatal encephalopathy (NE) during therapeutic hypothermia and intensive care (TH), was developed in research settings. To determine the impact of implementing CoolCuddle in usual care in six diverse neonatal intensive care units on the cooling process and intensive care.

Methods

This vital sign cohort study embedded within the CoolCuddle implementation study enrolled 36 infants receiving TH for NE. Nurses received training on CoolCuddle and a standard operating procedure using an instruction video. After consenting, parents experienced up to 2 h of CoolCuddle with 30 min of pre‐ and post‐cuddle observation. We used multilevel, clustered linear modelling to assess the physiological stability in temperature, cardio‐respiratory and neurophysiology across the CoolCuddle.

Results

In 60 CoolCuddles over 93.12 h, respiratory parameters, heart rate or neurological function did not vary between the epochs (p > 0.05). During cuddle, sleep–wake cycling on amplitude‐integrated EEG increased (p = 0.008) and there was weak evidence of lower pain scores (p = 0.08). No adverse effects were observed.

Conclusion

Implementing CoolCuddle with support in usual practice maintained physiological stability and did not significantly affect the cooling process or intensive care, and may improve infant comfort. Ongoing monitoring of adverse effects when implementing CoolCuddle is recommended.
Surgical excision and omentalisation of mineralised paraprostatic cysts with concurrent ureteroneocystostomy and perineal herniorrhaphy in a 9‐year‐old male entire Bearded Collie
Authors: Moses WB , Tipler AE
Published: October 2024

This case report describes the diagnosis, management and the short‐ and long‐term outcomes of a dog with paraprostatic cysts and associated perineal herniation. A 9‐year‐old male entire Bearded Collie was referred for a caudal abdominal mass and right perineal hernia noted on routine examination. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging of the abdomen demonstrated a large bilobed fluid filled structure adjacent to the prostate, extending into the peritoneal cavity and the right perineal space, causing perineal herniation and partial obstruction of the right ureter. Surgical excision of the mass was performed and ureteroneocystostomy was required due to involvement of the right ureter. Excisional biopsy, omentalisation of the prostate and right‐sided herniorrhaphy utilising an internal obturator muscle flap was performed. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of paraprostatic cyst with extensive osseous metaplasia and multifocal chronic‐active interstitial prostatitis. The dog re‐presented 16 months later with a left‐sided perineal hernia and a left‐sided herniorrhaphy was performed. Twenty‐nine months after the initial surgery the dog presented with stranguria associated with recurrent bilateral perineal herniation and a retroflexed urinary bladder. Cystopexy and colopexy were performed. No sign of recurrence of the paraprostatic cysts was noted intraoperatively. This is the first reported case of surgical excision of paraprostatic cysts with concurrent ureteroneocystostomy. To the authors knowledge, this is also the longest reported case follow up (>4 years) of a dog following complete excision of paraprostatic cysts.
Seamless and Aligned Texture Optimization for 3D Reconstruction
Authors: Wang Lei , Ge Linlin , Zhang Qitong , Feng Jieqing
Published: October 2024

Restoring the appearance of the model is a crucial step for achieving realistic 3D reconstruction. High‐fidelity textures can also conceal some geometric defects. Since the estimated camera parameters and reconstructed geometry usually contain errors, subsequent texture mapping often suffers from undesirable visual artifacts such as blurring, ghosting, and visual seams. In particular, significant misalignment between the reconstructed model and the registered images will lead to texturing the mesh with inconsistent image regions. However, eliminating various artifacts to generate high‐quality textures remains a challenge. In this paper, we address this issue by designing a texture optimization method to generate seamless and aligned textures for 3D reconstruction. The main idea is to detect misalignment regions between images and geometry and exclude them from texture mapping. To handle the texture holes caused by these excluded regions, a cross‐patch texture hole‐filling method is proposed, which can also synthesize plausible textures for invisible faces. Moreover, for better stitching of the textures from different views, an improved camera pose optimization is present by introducing color adjustment and boundary point sampling. Experimental results show that the proposed method can eliminate the artifacts caused by inaccurate input data robustly and produce high‐quality texture results compared with state‐of‐the‐art methods.
GS‐Octree: Octree‐based 3D Gaussian Splatting for Robust Object‐level 3D Reconstruction Under Strong Lighting
Authors: Li J. , Wen Z. , Zhang L. , Hu J. , Hou F. , Zhang Z. , He Y.
Published: October 2024

The 3D Gaussian Splatting technique has significantly advanced the construction of radiance fields from multi‐view images, enabling real‐time rendering. While point‐based rasterization effectively reduces computational demands for rendering, it often struggles to accurately reconstruct the geometry of the target object, especially under strong lighting conditions. Strong lighting can cause significant color variations on the object's surface when viewed from different directions, complicating the reconstruction process. To address this challenge, we introduce an approach that combines octree‐based implicit surface representations with Gaussian Splatting. Initially, it reconstructs a signed distance field (SDF) and a radiance field through volume rendering, encoding them in a low‐resolution octree. This initial SDF represents the coarse geometry of the target object. Subsequently, it introduces 3D Gaussians as additional degrees of freedom, which are guided by the initial SDF. In the third stage, the optimized Gaussians enhance the accuracy of the SDF, enabling the recovery of finer geometric details compared to the initial SDF. Finally, the refined SDF is used to further optimize the 3D Gaussians via splatting, eliminating those that contribute little to the visual appearance. Experimental results show that our method, which leverages the distribution of 3D Gaussians with SDFs, reconstructs more accurate geometry, particularly in images with specular highlights caused by strong lighting. The source code can be downloaded fromhttps://github.com/LaoChui999/GS-Octree.
TaNSR:Efficient 3D Reconstruction with Tetrahedral Difference and Feature Aggregation
Authors: Lv Zhaohan , Bao Xingcan , Tang Yong , Zhao Jing
Published: October 2024

Neural surface reconstruction methods have demonstrated their ability to recover 3D surfaces from multiple images. However, current approaches struggle to rapidly achieve high‐fidelity surface reconstructions. In this work, we propose TaNSR, which inherits the speed advantages of multi‐resolution hash encodings and extends its representation capabilities. To reduce training time, we propose an efficient numerical gradient computation method that significantly reduces additional memory access overhead. To further improve reconstruction quality and expedite training, we propose a feature aggregation strategy in volume rendering. Building on this, we introduce an adaptively weighted aggregation function to ensure the network can accurately reconstruct the surface of objects and recover more geometric details. Experiments on multiple datasets indicate that TaNSR significantly reduces training time while achieving better reconstruction accuracy compared to state‐of‐the‐art nerual implicit methods.
A TransISP Based Image Enhancement Method for Visual Disbalance in Low‐light Images
Authors: Wu Jiaqi , Guo Jing , Jing Rui , Zhang Shihao , Tian Zijian , Chen Wei , Wang Zehua
Published: October 2024

Existing image enhancement algorithms often fail to effectively address issues of visual disbalance, such as brightness unevenness and color distortion, in low‐light images. To overcome these challenges, we propose a TransISP‐based image enhancement method specifically designed for low‐light images. To mitigate color distortion, we design dual encoders based on decoupled representation learning, which enable complete decoupling of the reflection and illumination components, thereby preventing mutual interference during the image enhancement process. To address brightness unevenness, we introduce CNNformer, a hybrid model combining CNN and Transformer. This model efficiently captures local details and long‐distance dependencies between pixels, contributing to the enhancement of brightness features across various local regions. Additionally, we integrate traditional image signal processing algorithms to achieve efficient color correction and denoising of the reflection component. Furthermore, we employ a generative adversarial network (GAN) as the overarching framework to facilitate unsupervised learning. The experimental results show that, compared with six SOTA image enhancement algorithms, our method obtains significant improvement in evaluation indexes (e.g., on LOL, PSNR: 15.59%, SSIM: 9.77%, VIF: 9.65%), and it can improve visual disbalance defects in low‐light images captured from real‐world coal mine underground scenarios.
Exploring Fast and Flexible Zero‐Shot Low‐Light Image/Video Enhancement
Authors: Han Xianjun , Bao Taoli , Yang Hongyu
Published: October 2024

Low‐light image/video enhancement is a challenging task when images or video are captured under harsh lighting conditions. Existing methods mostly formulate this task as an image‐to‐image conversion task via supervised or unsupervised learning. However, such conversion methods require an extremely large amount of data for training, whether paired or unpaired. In addition, these methods are restricted to specific training data, making it difficult for the trained model to enhance other types of images or video. In this paper, we explore a novel, fast and flexible, zero‐shot, low‐light image or video enhancement framework. Without relying on prior training or relationships among neighboring frames, we are committed to estimating the illumination of the input image/frame by a well‐designed network. The proposed zero‐shot, low‐light image/video enhancement architecture includes illumination estimation and residual correction modules. The network architecture is very concise and does not require any paired or unpaired data during training, which allows low‐light enhancement to be performed with several simple iterations. Despite its simplicity, we show that the method is fast and generalizes well to diverse lighting conditions. Many experiments on various images and videos qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate the advantages of our method over state‐of‐the‐art methods.
PCLC‐Net: Point Cloud Completion in Arbitrary Poses with Learnable Canonical Space
Authors: Xu Hanmo , Shuai Qingyao , Chen Xuejin
Published: October 2024

Recovering the complete structure from partial point clouds in arbitrary poses is challenging. Recently, many efforts have been made to address this problem by developing SO(3)‐equivariant completion networks or aligning the partial point clouds with a predefined canonical space before completion. However, these approaches are limited to random rotations only or demand costly pose annotation for model training. In this paper, we present a novel Network for Point cloud Completion with Learnable Canonical space (PCLC‐Net) to reduce the need for pose annotations and extract SE(3)‐invariant geometry features to improve the completion quality in arbitrary poses. Without pose annotations, our PCLC‐Net utilizes self‐supervised pose estimation to align the input partial point clouds to a canonical space that is learnable for an object category and subsequently performs shape completion in the learned canonical space. Our PCLC‐Net can complete partial point clouds with arbitrary SE(3) poses without requiring pose annotations for supervision. Our PCLC‐Net achieves state‐of‐the‐art results on shape completion with arbitrary SE(3) poses on both synthetic and real scanned data. To the best of our knowledge, our method is the first to achieve shape completion in arbitrary poses without pose annotations during network training.
Faster Ray Tracing through Hierarchy Cut Code
Authors: Xiang WeiLai , Liu FengQi , Tan Zaonan , Li Dan , Xu PengZhan , Liu MeiZhi , Kou QiLong
Published: October 2024

We propose a novel ray reordering technique designed to accelerate the ray tracing process by encoding and sorting rays prior to traversal. Our method, called “hierarchy cut code”, involves encoding rays based on the cuts of the hierarchical acceleration structure, rather than relying solely on spatial coordinates. This approach allows for a more effective adaptation to the acceleration structure, resulting in a more reliable and efficient encoding outcome. Furthermore, our research identifies “bounding drift” as a major obstacle in achieving better acceleration effects using longer sorting keys in existing reordering methods. Fortunately, our hierarchy cut code successfully overcomes this issue, providing improved performance in ray tracing. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, showing up to a 1.81 times faster secondary ray tracing compared to existing methods. These promising results highlight the potential for further enhancement in the acceleration effect of reordering techniques, warranting further exploration and research in this exciting field.
FSH3D: 3D Representation via Fibonacci Spherical Harmonics
Authors: Li Zikuan , Huang Anyi , Jia Wenru , Wu Qiaoyun , Wei Mingqiang , Wang Jun
Published: October 2024

Spherical harmonics are a favorable technique for 3D representation, employing a frequency‐based approach through the spherical harmonic transform (SHT). Typically, SHT is performed using equiangular sampling grids. However, these grids are non‐uniform on spherical surfaces and exhibit local anisotropy, a common limitation in existing spherical harmonic decomposition methods. This paper proposes a 3D representation method using Fibonacci Spherical Harmonics (FSH3D). We introduce a spherical Fibonacci grid (SFG), which is more uniform than equiangular grids for SHT in the frequency domain. Our method employs analytical weights for SHT on SFG, effectively assigning sampling errors to spherical harmonic degrees higher than the recovered band‐limited function. This provides a novel solution for spherical harmonic transformation on non‐equiangular grids. The key advantages of our FSH3D method include: 1) With the same number of sampling points, SFG captures more features without bias compared to equiangular grids; 2) The root mean square error of 32‐degree spherical harmonic coefficients is reduced by approximately 34.6% for SFG compared to equiangular grids; and 3) FSH3D offers more stable frequency domain representations, especially for rotating functions. FSH3D enhances the stability of frequency domain representations under rotational transformations. Its application in 3D shape reconstruction and 3D shape classification results in more accurate and robust representations. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/Miraclelzk/Fibonacci-Spherical-Harmonics.
Evolutive 3D Urban Data Representation through Timeline Design Space
Authors: Gautier C. Le Bihan , Delanoy J. , Gesquière G.
Published: October 2024

Cities are constantly changing to adapt to new societal and environmental challenges. Understanding their evolution is thus essential to make informed decisions about their future. To capture these changes, cities are increasingly offering digital 3D snapshots of their territory over time. However, existing tools to visualise these data typically represent the city at a specific point in time, limiting a comprehensive analysis of its evolution. In this paper, we propose a new method for simultaneously visualising different versions of the city in a 3D space. We integrate the different versions of the city along a new way of 3D timeline that can take different shapes depending on the needs of the user and the dataset being visualised. We propose four different shapes of timelines and three ways to place the versions along it. Our method places the versions such that there is no visual overlap for the user by varying the parameters of the timelines, and offer options to ease the understanding of the scene by changing the orientation or scale of the versions. We evaluate our method on different datasets to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of the different shapes of timeline and provide recommendations so as to which shape to chose.
Disk B‐spline on 𝕊2: A Skeleton‐based Region Representation on 2‐Sphere
Authors: Zheng Chunhao , Zhao Yuming , Wu Zhongke , Wang Xingce
Published: October 2024

Due to the widespread applications of 2‐dimensional spherical designs, there has been an increasing requirement of modeling on the 𝕊2 manifold in recent years. Due to the non‐Euclidean nature of the sphere, it has some challenges to find a method to represent 2D regions on 𝕊2 manifold. In this paper, a skeleton‐based representation method of regions on 𝕊2, disk B‐spline(DBSC) on 𝕊2 is proposed. Firstly, we give the definition and basic algorithms of DBSC on 𝕊2. Then we provide the calculation method of DBSC on 𝕊2, which includes calculating the boundary points, internal points and their corresponding derivatives. Based on that, we give some modeling methods of DBSC on 𝕊2, including approximation, deformation. In the end, some stunning application examples of DBSC on 𝕊2 are shown. This work lays a theoretical foundation for further applications of DBSC on 𝕊2.
Symmetric Piecewise Developable Approximations
Authors: He Ying , Fang Qing , Zhang Zheng , Dai Tielin , Wu Kang , Liu Ligang , Fu Xiao‐Ming
Published: October 2024

We propose a novel method for generating symmetric piecewise developable approximations for shapes in approximately global reflectional or rotational symmetry. Given a shape and its symmetry constraint, the algorithm contains two crucial steps: (i) a symmetric deformation to achieve a nearly developable model and (ii) a symmetric segmentation aided by the deformed shape. The key to the deformation step is the use of the symmetric implicit neural representations of the shape and the deformation field. A new mesh extraction from the implicit function is introduced to construct a strictly symmetric mesh for the subsequent segmentation. The symmetry constraint is carefully integrated into the partition to achieve the symmetric piecewise developable approximation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm over various meshes.
FastFlow: GPU Acceleration of Flow and Depression Routing for Landscape Simulation
Authors: Jain Aryamaan , Kerbl Bernhard , Gain James , Finley Brandon , Cordonnier Guillaume
Published: October 2024

Terrain analysis plays an important role in computer graphics, hydrology and geomorphology. In particular, analyzing the path of material flow over a terrain with consideration of local depressions is a precursor to many further tasks in erosion, river formation, and plant ecosystem simulation. For example, fluvial erosion simulation used in terrain modeling computes water discharge to repeatedly locate erosion channels for soil removal and transport. Despite its significance, traditional methods face performance constraints, limiting their broader applicability.

In this paper, we propose a novel GPU flow routing algorithm that computes the water discharge in 𝒪(log n) iterations for a terrain with n vertices (assuming n processors). We also provide a depression routing algorithm to route the water out of local minima formed by depressions in the terrain, which converges in 𝒪(log2 n) iterations. Our implementation of these algorithms leads to a 5× speedup for flow routing and 34 × to 52 × speedup for depression routing compared to previous work on a 10242 terrain, enabling interactive control of terrain simulation.
Thai pharmacogenomics database −2 (TPGxD‐2) sequel to TPGxD‐1, analyzing genetic variants in 26 non‐VIPGx genes within the Thai population
Authors: John Shobana , Klumsathian Sommon , Own‐eium Paravee , Charoenyingwattana Angkana , Eu‐ahsunthornwattana Jakris , Sura Thanyachai , Dejsuphong Donniphat , Sritara Piyamitr , Vathesatogkit Prin , Thongchompoo Nartthawee , Thabthimthong Wiphaporn , Teerakulkittipong Nuttinee , Chantratita Wasun , Sukasem Chonlaphat
Published: October 2024

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed pharmacogenomics (PGx), enabling thorough profiling of pharmacogenes using computational methods and advancing personalized medicine. The Thai Pharmacogenomic Database‐2 (TPGxD‐2) analyzed 948 whole genome sequences, primarily from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) cohort. This study is an extension of the previous Thai Pharmacogenomic Database (TPGxD‐1) and specifically focused on 26 non‐very important pharmacogenes (VIPGx) genes. Variant calling was conducted using Sentieon (version 201808.08) following GATK's best workflow practices. We then annotated variant call format (VCF) files using Golden Helix VarSeq 2.5.0. Star allele analysis was performed with Stargazer v2.0.2, which called star alleles for 22 of 26 non‐VIPGx genes. The variant analysis revealed a total of 14,529 variants in 26 non‐VIPGx genes, with TBXAS1 had the highest number of variants (27%). Among the 14,529 variants, 2328 were novel (without rsID), with 87 identified as clinically relevant. We also found 56 known PGx variants among the known variants (n = 12,201), with UGT2B7 (19.64%), CYP1B1 (8.9%), SLCO2B1 (8.9%), and POR (8.9%) being the most common. We reported a high frequency of intermediate metabolizers (IMs) in CYP2F1 (34.6%) and CYP4A11 (8.6%), and a high frequency of decreased functional alleles in POR (53.9%) and SLCO1B3 (34.9%) genes. This study enhances our understanding of pharmacogenomic profiling of 26 non‐VIPGx genes of notable clinical importance in the Thai population. However, further validation with additional computational and reference genotyping methods is necessary, and novel alleles identified in this study should undergo further orthogonal validation.
Endoscopic ultrasound‐assisted removal of an intrahepatic bile duct stone
Authors: Matsubara Saburo , Suda Kentaro , Nagoshi Sumiko
Published: October 2024

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The Wolf Spider Tigrosa helluo Uses Visual Associative and Beacon Landmarks During Water Maze Navigation Tasks
Authors: Weidman Riko , Persons Kelsey , Persons Matthew
Published: October 2024

Wolf spiders can learn simple spatial navigation tasks. Previous studies have shown that the wolf spider Tigrosa helluo can use environmental edge features (reference frame landmarks) to learn the location of a dry target in flooded T‐mazes; however, the relative importance of different types or numbers of landmark cues to spatial learning remains unknown. We used a modified open arena water maze and recorded the ability of adult female T. helluo to find a target reward (a dark and dry cup) among cups that were identical to the target but flooded. We measured variation in spatial learning by measuring time to target with no landmark (control), with a beacon (a landmark that is part of the target), with an associative cue (a landmark associated with a specific navigational action), and with both a beacon and an associative cue (N = 92 subjects, n = 23 per landmark cue treatment). For each treatment, we tested females for five trials each on four consecutive days, with the last trial on the fourth day having an altered target location, totaling 19 training trials and one reversal trial (1840 trials). We found that spiders took significantly less time to find the target over subsequent trials within a day and learned more quickly when landmark cues were present, but we found no difference in the type or number of landmark features in the meantime to target entrance. After learning a target location, moving the landmark significantly increased the mean time to target entrance in the combined beacon and associative cue treatment relative to other treatments. Our results indicate that wolf spiders use visual beacons and associative cue landmarks alone or in combination and that performance improves across trials when landmarks are present and deteriorates more when multiple landmarks are moved.
Genetic Stock Identification Reveals Mismatches Between Management Areas and Population Genetic Structure in a Migratory Pelagic Fish
Authors: Seljestad Gaute Wilhelmsen , Quintela María , Bekkevold Dorte , Pampoulie Christophe , Farrell Edward D. , Kvamme Cecilie , Slotte Aril , Dahle Geir , Sørvik Anne Grete , Pettersson Mats E. , Andersson Leif , Folkvord Arild , Glover Kevin A. , Berg Florian
Published: October 2024

Sustainable fisheries management is important for the continued harvest of the world's marine resources, especially as they are increasingly challenged by a range of climatic and anthropogenic factors. One of the pillars of sustainable fisheries management is the accurate identification of the biological units, i.e., populations. Here, we developed and implemented a genetic baseline for Atlantic herring harvested in the Norwegian offshore fisheries to investigate the validity of the current management boundaries. This was achieved by genotyping > 15,000 herring from the northern European seas, including samples of all the known populations in the region, with a panel of population‐informative SNPs mined from existing genomic resources. The final genetic baseline consisted of ~1000 herring from 12 genetically distinct populations. We thereafter used the baseline to investigate mixed catches from the North and Norwegian Seas, revealing that each management area consisted of multiple populations, as previously suspected. However, substantial numbers (up to 50% or more within a sample) of herring were found outside of their expected management areas, e.g., North Sea autumn‐spawning herring north of 62° N (average = 19.2%), Norwegian spring‐spawning herring south of 62° N (average = 13.5%), and western Baltic spring‐spawning herring outside their assumed distribution area in the North Sea (average = 20.0%). Based upon these extensive observations, we conclude that the assessment and management areas currently in place for herring in this region need adjustments to reflect the populations present. Furthermore, we suggest that for migratory species, such as herring, a paradigm shift from using static geographic stock boundaries towards spatial dynamic boundaries is needed to meet the requirements of future sustainable management regimes.
The essence of contextual therapy, its place in the field of family therapy, and its role in the future
Authors: Ducommun‐Nagy Catherine
Published: October 2024

This article aims to present the basic tenets of contextual therapy and its treatment goals, methodology, and theory of change. It provides an orientation for readers who are new to the approach and should serve as an updated frame of reference for readers already familiar with it. An important contribution of this article is that it clarifies the place of contextual therapy in the vast field of family therapy and dispels some common misunderstandings about the path of its founder, Ivan Boszormenyi‐Nagy (1920–2007). Additionally, it demonstrates why contextual therapy should be counted among the postmodern, collaborative approaches to family therapy, which contradicts the usual view that it belongs to the earlier modern models of family therapy. Furthermore, it shows that contextual therapy is well‐equipped to incorporate the current and future contributions of human sciences and offers unique therapeutic resources to address the individual and relational consequences of injustices that should remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
AVOTREX: A Global Dataset of Extinct Birds and Their Traits
Authors: Sayol Ferran , Wayman Joseph P. , Dufour Paul , Martin Thomas E. , Hume Julian P. , Jørgensen Maria Wagner , Martínez‐Rubio Natàlia , Sanglas Ariadna , Soares Filipa C. , Cooke Rob , Mendenhall Chase D. , Margolis Jay R. , Illera Juan Carlos , Lemoine Rhys , Benavides Eva , Lapiedra Oriol , Triantis Kostas A. , Pigot Alex L. , Tobias Joseph A. , Faurby Søren , Matthews Thomas J.
Published: October 2024

Motivation

Human activities have been reshaping the natural world for tens of thousands of years, leading to the extinction of hundreds of bird species. Past research has provided evidence of extinction selectivity towards certain groups of species, but trait information is lacking for the majority of clades, especially for prehistoric extinctions identified only through subfossil remains. This incomplete knowledge potentially obscures the structure of natural communities, undermining our ability to infer changes in biodiversity across space and time, including trends in functional and phylogenetic diversity. Biases in currently available trait data also limit our ability to identify drivers and processes of extinction. Here we present AVOTREX, an open‐access database of species traits for all birds known to have gone extinct in the last 130,000 years. This database provides detailed morphological information for 610 extinct species, along with a pipeline to build phylogenetic trees that include these extinct species.

Main Types of Variables Contained

For each extinct bird species, we provide information on the taxonomy, geographic location, and period of extinction. We also present data on island endemicity, flight ability, and body mass, as well as standard measurements of external (matching the AVONET database of extant birds) and skeletal morphology from museum specimens where available. To ensure comprehensive morphological data coverage, we estimate all missing morphological measurements using a data imputation technique based on machine learning. Finally, we provide an R package to graft all extinct species onto a global phylogeny of extant species (BirdTree).

Spatial Location and Grain

Global.

Time Period and Grain

All known globally extinct bird species from 130,000 years ago up until 2024.

Major Taxa and Level of Measurement

Birds (Class Aves), species level.

Software Format

Spreadsheets (.csv) stored in Dryad.
Role of C–C chemokine receptor type 5 in pathogenesis of malaria and its severe forms
Authors: Ziliotto Marina , Ellwanger Joel Henrique , Kulmann‐Leal Bruna , Pontillo Alessandra , Chies José Artur Bogo
Published: October 2024

Malaria is a mosquito‐borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, responsible for a significant impact on public health in several tropical and sub‐tropical countries. The majority of infection cases are classified as uncomplicated malaria, causing mild symptoms such as fever and headache. However, the disease may progress to severe malaria and death if the infection is not properly treated. Furthermore, malaria poses a major concern for children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed individuals. Exacerbated inflammation is characteristic of severe malaria cases. The C–C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) is an important molecule for leukocyte migration and regulation of inflammation. Although widely known as an HIV‐1 co‐receptor, CCR5 also affects the susceptibility and progression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. There is evidence supporting the participation of CCR5 in malaria manifestations, with the evaluation of CCR5 gene expression levels suggested as a marker to monitor malaria severity. Certain genetic variants in the CCR5 gene affect CCR5 expression, potentially altering CCR5‐mediated inflammatory responses during malaria infection. However, the complex influences of CCR5 on malaria remain underexplored. Therefore, this review examines and updates the role of CCR5 in various contexts of malaria infection, including uncomplicated malaria, Plasmodium/HIV co‐infection, pregnancy and severe (cerebral) malaria.
Determinants of Household and Professional Forecasters’ Inflation Expectations in India
Authors: K. C. Irfan Ali , Adil Masudul Hasan
Published: October 2024

This study analyses and compares the determinants of inflation expectations among households and professional forecasters in India. To this end, we utilize quarterly survey data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), specifically the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH) and the Professional Forecasters’ Survey (SPF). The analysis employs a non‐recursive structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model to explore the relationships between variables. The impulse response function and variance decomposition analysis shed light on the response of inflation expectations to macroeconomic shocks. Our findings indicate that apart from conventional macroeconomic factors like realized inflation and monetary policy, exogenous factors such as oil prices significantly shape inflation expectations. Comparing IESH and SPF, we found out that household expectations are more sensitive to shocks related to food prices, reflecting the influence of food expenses on household decision‐making. Conversely, professional forecasters’ expectations are more influenced by core inflation. Finally, we observed that inflation expectations adjust more quickly than realized inflation in response to macroeconomic shocks, suggesting a leading role. This study is novel with the contribution to the existing literature as it provides a comparative analysis of determinants of inflation expectations between households and professional forecasters in India, while also considering inflation targeting as a significant factor.
Broken Time: On the Fragmentation of the Experience of Art School and the Impact on Identity Formation and Ttransformation
Authors: Quaife Magnus
Published: October 2024

This paper explores how increases in modularisation, elements of professional practice and even our relationship to screens and social media are amongst the factors that have changed the way time is experienced in higher fine art education. I draw upon my experience as a student, educator and pedagogical researcher to propose that identity formation and/or transformation are amongst the key functions of higher education in fine art in the West; that becoming an artist involves complex process of socialisation and individuation; and that these processes take time. I speculate that time is something which was once experienced comparatively smoothly but has been striated and fragmented by various factors including an increased focus on employability, the presence of social media, and not least various post Bologna interpretations at national or local level of the introduction of units and modules to comply with standardised credit systems. I propose that the combined effect of these factors amongst others distracts students from the middle by focusing them on micro destinations that deflect from developing a practice and impacts on these potentials.
Quick, Quick, Slow: Making Time for Sustainable Photography Practices in Contemporary Higher Education
Authors: Piper‐Wright Tracy , Jussa Tabitha
Published: October 2024

As environmental awareness grows, so do questions about the environmental impact of photography, in particular traditional film development and processing, which includes the use of plastics, gelatine and other environmentally harmful chemicals notwithstanding water usage and waste. Pioneering practice and research into sustainable alternatives to conventional processes has quickly established, supported by organisations such as The Sustainable Darkroom. Students in Higher Education are environmentally aware and prepared to take action to mitigate their impacts where possible. As such, there is a coalescence of perceptions within and beyond the classroom which asks to be addressed in the curriculum. This paper draws upon the research project Under a Green Light: A Darkroom for the Future which investigated how university darkroom practices can pivot toward more environmentally friendly methods. The paper describes the learning environment of the darkroom as a space of slowness, immersion and experimentation and the pedagogic value of this for photography students. The paper argues that incorporating environmental awareness into day‐to‐day teaching through systemic changes to process and practice, rather than through short term curriculum interventions, contributes to transformative learning experiences and promotes positive long‐term change.
The Climate‐Asthma Connection: Examining the Influence of Climate Change Anxiety on Asthma Control and Quality of Life: A Multi‐National Study
Authors: Atta Mohamed Hussein Ramadan , El‐Sayed Ahmed Abdelwahab Ibrahim , Taleb Fuad , Elsayed Shimmaa Mohamed , Al Shurafi Sharaf Omar , Altaheri Asmaa , Abdu almoliky Mokhtar , Asal Maha Gamal Ramadan
Published: October 2024

Aims

This study aims to identify the impact of climate change anxiety and asthma control on asthmatics' quality of life and examine the moderating role of climate change anxiety in this linkage.

Method

A multi‐national cross‐sectional study was conducted in four Arabian countries on 1266 asthmatics selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected from November 2023 to February 2024 using a climate anxiety scale, mini‐asthma quality of life questionnaire, and an asthma control questionnaire.

Results

Climate anxiety was higher among middle‐aged participants, as well as those with longer disease durations and previous hospitalisations. Climate anxiety showed strong negative correlations with asthma control (r = −0.704, p ≤ 0.05) and asthma quality of life (r = − 0.638, p ≤ 0.05). Climate anxiety and asthma control are powerful predictors of quality of life among asthmatics. Climate anxiety moderates the relationship between asthma control and quality of life, making it less positive (B = −0.094, p > 0.001). Covariates such as gender, age, comorbidities, employment status, disease duration, and previous hospitalisation showed significant associations with asthma quality of life.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Assessment and mitigation of climate anxiety among asthmatics is a key strategy for controlling asthma and improving the quality of life. So, nurses must incorporate climate anxiety assessment into the care plan for asthmatics.

Impact

Climate change is a global concern, and insights into how climate‐related psychological stressors exacerbate asthma symptoms and overall health outcomes are necessary. The findings provide actionable data for healthcare professionals to underscore the need for integrated healthcare approaches considering environmental and psychological factors.

Reporting Method

This study adheres to strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement.

Patient or Public Contribution

Clients with asthma across multiple nationalities actively contributed to our paper.
Mental Health Services for Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Qualitative Study of Patient Characteristics, Associated Factors and Consequent Needs for Adaptation in Assessment and Treatment
Authors: Karlsen Kjersti , Munkhaugen Ellen Kathrine , Fossum Hanne Kari , Bakken Trine Lise , Kildahl Arvid Nikolai
Published: October 2024

Background

Individuals with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of mental health disorders, but may struggle to access appropriate services. While assessment/treatment may need to be adapted, knowledge is limited about what such adaptations may entail.

Method

During a service development project, the participants (33 professionals, 13 family members) were asked to identify the characteristics/associated factors of individuals with intellectual disabilities and co‐occurring mental health disorders. Using thematic analysis, 1103 participant responses were analyzed to identify the needs for adaptation in assessment/treatment.

Results

Three core themes were identified: (1) A broader assessment: Gaining an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the individual's history, abilities and difficulties, (2) Adjusting/modifying existing treatment strategies, (3) Ensuring that the individual's day‐to‐day needs are met.

Conclusions

According to the participants, assessment/treatment of mental health disorder in this population requires more time and broader assessments are necessary. Family/caregiver involvement and cross‐service organisation/collaboration represent other important adaptations.