bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Dress Is Not a Yes: Towards an Indirect Mouse-Tracking Measure of Men’s Overreliance on Global Cues in the Context of Sexual Flirting
Authors: Landwehr Ingo , Mundloch Katrin , Schmidt Alexander F.
Published: February 2024

Assessing another person’s intention to flirt and, relatedly, their sexual interest is based on the interpretation and weighting of global (e.g., clothing style) and specific (e.g., facial expression) cues. Since cue incongruency increases the risk of erroneous judgments and thus can entail undesirable outcomes for both parties involved, detection of an individual propensity for overly relying on global (sexual) rather than specific (affective) cues is of social and clinical-forensic importance. Using a purpose-designed and pre-validated stimulus set, we developed a mouse-tracking task as an indirect behavioral measure for males’ overreliance on global cues (OGC) in the context of sexual flirting. In a convenience sample of heterosexual cisgender men (N = 79), experimentally induced sexual arousal was shown to increase the probability of OGC as a function of task difficulty (i.e., congruent or incongruent combinations of global and specific cues displayed by a potential female flirting partner). While error rate and reaction time proved to be indicators of OGC, the spatial measures maximum deviation and area under the curve provided less consistent results. In addition, error rate suggested sex drive and sexual objectification to act as moderators of the relationship between sexual arousal and OGC. Exploratory analysis further revealed a theoretically meaningful pattern of correlations between mouse-tracking measures and self-report measures of problematic (e.g., disinhibited, exploitative) sexuality. Implications of the results are discussed and a framework for differentiating potential causes of OGC (i.e., misperception, lack of self-control, and egocentric hedonism) is proposed.
Plant distribution and conservation in mediterranean islands’ lentic wetlands: there is more than aquatic species
Authors: Fois Mauro , Cuena-Lombraña Alba , Artufel Mathieu , Attard Vincent , Cambria Salvatore , Farrugia Krista , Marignani Michela , Minissale Pietro , Pace Andrea , Sciandrello Saverio , Tankovic Eva , Bacchetta Gianluigi
Published: February 2024

This study investigates the distribution and conservation status of plant species in lentic wetlands of Mediterranean islands. Field data on vascular macrophytes were collected from the online national databases of the “Conservation of the island wetlands of the Mediterranean Basin” (MedIsWet). A comprehensive inventory of wetlands was conducted, and information on the main anthropogenic impacts and conservation priorities was compiled. In addition to all vascular hygro- and hydrophytes, we retained information on those species typically adapted to environments with intermittent or temporary wetness. A significant knowledge gap regarding the distribution and conservation of plant species in Mediterranean wetlands was found. A lower endemism rate was observed particularly in coastal wetlands. However, approximately 25% of species, mainly with relatively wide distribution, were identified as endangered or with unknown conservation status. Including all macrophytes adapted to seasonal wetness is crucial when considering wetland conservation efforts. The research emphasised the importance of considering diverse wetland types, including seasonal and permanent, natural and artificial, for effective plant conservation. Artificial wetlands emerged as potential habitats with considerable biodiversity conservation value. This study provides a comprehensive inventory of wetlands and valuable insights into the distribution, ecology, and conservation relevance of aquatic macrophytes in Mediterranean islands. The research enhances our understanding of biogeographic patterns and processes, offers critical information for the management and conservation of Mediterranean island wetlands, and presents a replicable approach that can be applied to other wetland contexts.
Adaptation of fen peatlands to climate change: rewetting and management shift can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offset climate warming effects
Authors: Bockermann Carla , Eickenscheidt Tim , Drösler Matthias
Published: February 2024

In Germany, emissions from drained organic soils contributed approximately 53.7 Mio. t of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq) to the total national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2021. In addition to restoration measures, shifting management practices, rewetting, or using peatlands for paludiculture is expected to significantly reduce GHG emissions. The effects of climate change on these mitigation measures remains to be tested. In a 2017 experimental field study on agriculturally used grassland on organic soil, we assessed the effects of rewetting and of predicted climate warming on intensive grassland and on extensively managed sedge grassland (transplanted Carex acutiformis monoliths). The testing conditions of the two grassland types included drained versus rewetted conditions (annual mean water table of − 0.13 m below soil surface), ambient versus warming conditions (annual mean air temperature increase of + 0.8 to 1.3 °C; use of open top chambers), and the combination of rewetting and warming. We measured net ecosystem exchange of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide using the closed dynamic and static chamber method. Here, we report the results on the initial year of GHG measurements after transplanting adult Carex soil monoliths, including the controlled increase in water level and temperature. We observed higher N2O emissions than anticipated in all treatments. This was especially unexpected for the rewetted intensive grasslands and the Carex treatments, but largely attributable to the onset of rewetting coinciding with freeze–thaw cycles. However, this does not affect the overall outcomes on mitigation and adaptation trends. We found that warmer conditions increased total GHG emissions of the drained intensive grassland system from 48.4 to 66.9 t CO2-eq ha−1 year−1. The shift in grassland management towards Carex paludiculture resulted in the largest GHG reduction, producing a net cooling effect with an uptake of 11.1 t CO2-eq ha−1 year−1. Surprisingly, we found that this strong sink could be maintained under the simulated warming conditions ensuing an emission reduction potential of − 80 t CO2-eq ha−1 year−1. We emphasize that the results reflect a single initial measurement year and do not imply the permanence of the observed GHG sink function over time. Our findings affirm that rewetted peatlands with adapted plant species could sustain GHG mitigation and potentially promote ecosystem resilience, even under climate warming. In a warmer world, adaptation measures for organic soils should therefore include a change in management towards paludiculture. Multi-year studies are needed to support the findings of our one-year experiment. In general, the timing of rewetting should be considered carefully in mitigation measures.
Engaging children in developing algorithmic thinking and debugging skills in primary schools: A mixed-methods multiple case study
Authors: Wong Gary K. W. , Jian Shan , Cheung Ho-Yin
Published: February 2024

This study examined the developmental process of children’s computational thinking using block-based programming tools, specifically algorithmic thinking and debugging skills. With this aim, a group of children (N = 191) from two primary schools were studied for two years beginning from the fourth grade, as they engaged in our block-based programming curriculum in their primary schools. A mixed-methods multiple case study was designed with pre- and posttests, classroom observations and postintervention interviews. The statistical results showed that students’ algorithmic thinking and debugging skills significantly increased through our intervention, with girls gaining more on algorithmic thinking. During the students’ learning process, we found that they demonstrated behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement while acquiring these skills in schools. This study presents the key to student engagement contributing to the process of computational thinking development, with implications for the design of future computational learning in primary school.
Subject dependent speech verification approach for assistive special education
Authors: Zeki Umut , Karanfiller Tolgay , Yurtkan Kamil
Published: February 2024

The developmental, characteristics and educational competencies of students who need special education are developing slowly in compared to their agemates. This is because their expressive language is different. In order to overcome these challenges, assistive technologies can be used under the supervision of the teachers. In this paper, a person dependent speech verification approach is proposed for special education students. The system verifies the speech of special education students in various ways. Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is employed for the classification task. Audio signals that are collected as datasets are accomplished by collecting samples from the real education centers involving special education students. For each subject, a different CNN is trained. Obtained audio signals undergo a frequency domain transform, and then their spectrograms are computed. The spectrogram images of every audio sample are then processed as inputs to the CNN. In this way, better representations of the audio signals are achieved where the spectrogram images of the audio files of different subjects are discriminable. This is also the result of special education students’ personal and unique speaking styles. The proposed approach is tested on the dataset that is constructed by real subject recordings. The system achieves promising results by performing comparable recognition accuracies of around 96%.
Effect of seawater temperature and pH on the sperm motility of the European eel
Authors: Sanchez Malbelys P. , França Thales S. , González-López Wendy A. , Morini Marina , Asturiano Juan F. , Pérez Luz
Published: February 2024

The current climate change situation could bring critical effects for marine species, especially those already considered endangered. Although some species can adapt fast to the environmental changes, it is necessary to get into the worst scenario and develop tools to anticipatedly assess the physiological effects of such environmental change. With this purpose, our study aims to determine the effect of a range of seawater temperatures and pHs on sperm motility in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Low seawater pH (6.5–7.4) decreased the eel sperm motility in comparison to the control (pH = 8.2). We also studied the combined effect of the pH of the artificial seminal plasma (the plasma where the sperm cells are suspended) with the pH of Artificial Sea Water (ASW, pH 7.8 or and 8.2). We did not find statistical differences in sperm motility and kinetic parameters caused by the artificial seminal plasma pH. However, seawater pH induced significantly higher values of total sperm motility, and the percentage of fast spermatozoa with a pH of 8.2 in comparison with a pH of 7.8. In contrast, the seawater temperature did not affect sperm motility parameters or sperm longevity. To study the effect of the interaction between seawater temperature and pH on sperm motility, two temperatures: 4 and 24 °C, and two pHs 7.8 and 8.2, were tested. There were significant differences between temperature and pH in several kinetic parameters and, in general, the lowest values were observed in the samples activated at low temperature and low pH (4 °C, pH 7.8). This work suggest that eel sperm motility and kinetics will not be affected by the expected changes in pH or temperature due to the climate change.
Topological and dynamical properties of Torelli groups of partitioned surfaces
Authors: Baik Hyungryul , Shin Hyunshik , Tranchida Philippe
Published: February 2024

Putman introduced a notion of a partitioned surface which is a surface with boundary with decoration restricting how the surface can be embedded into larger surfaces, and defined the Torelli group of the partitioned surfaces. In this paper, we study some topological and dynamical aspects of the Torelli groups of partitioned surfaces. More precisely, first we obtain upper and lower bounds on the cohomological dimension of Torelli groups of partitioned surfaces and show that those two bounds coincide when at most three boundary components are grouped together in the partition of the boundary. Second, we study the asymptotic translation lengths of Torelli groups of partitioned surfaces on the corresponding curve complexes. We show that the minimal asymptotic translation length asymptotically behaves almost like the reciprocal of the Euler characteristic of the surface. This generalizes the previous result of the first and second authors on Torelli groups for closed surfaces.
Long-term clinical outcomes of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia
Authors: Mavris Neofytos , Amer Radgonde
Published: February 2024

Purpose

To present the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with sympathetic ophthalmia (SO).

Methods

Retrospective review of patients’ medical files between 2002 and 2022.

Results

Included were seven patients (four males). The mean ± SD age at presentation was 37.9 ± 22.5 years. Four patients had co-morbidities: three had diabetes mellitus type 2 and one had Turner Syndrome. Trauma was the inciting event in six patients and postoperative endophthalmitis in one patient. Decreased visual acuity (VA) was the leading symptom in the sympathizing eye and all of the patients presented with panuveitis. The mean ± SD interval between the triggering incident and the onset of SO in six cases was 4.3 ± 4.2 months. One case presented 30 years following the eye injury. Five patients underwent enucleation/evisceration of the exciting eye. The mean ± SD presenting LogMAR BCVA in the sympathizing eye was 0.57 ± 0.82, and the final LogMAR BCVA was 0.61 ± 0.95. Inflammation was completely controlled in 5 patients at a mean ± SD of 8.55 ± 9.21 months following the institution of immunomodulatory therapy, and it was partially controlled in 2 patients. VA deteriorated in all 3 diabetic patients and improved or remained stable in the 4 young and healthy patients. The mean ± SD follow-up period after achieving drug-free remission was 28 ± 22.8 months. The mean ± SD follow-up time was 6.8 ± 5.6 years.

Conclusions

SO is one of the most sight-threatening conditions, affecting the healthy eye. In this cohort, the favorable visual outcome was especially seen in young and healthy individuals. Visual prognosis is directly related to prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Interface Gain-of-Function Mutations in TLR7 Cause Systemic and Neuro-inflammatory Disease
Authors: David Clémence , Badonyi Mihaly , Kechiche Robin , Insalaco Antonella , Zecca Marco , De Benedetti Fabrizio , Orcesi Simona , Chiapparini Luisa , Comoli Patrizia , Federici Silvia , Gattorno Marco , Ginevrino Monia , Giorgio Elisa , Matteo Valentina , Moran-Alvarez Patricia , Politano Davide , Prencipe Giusi , Sirchia Fabio , Volpi Stefano , Masson Cécile , Rice Gillian I. , Frémond Marie-Louise , Lepelley Alice , Marsh Joseph A. , Crow Yanick J.
Published: February 2024

TLR7 recognizes pathogen-derived single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), a function integral to the innate immune response to viral infection. Notably, TLR7 can also recognize self-derived ssRNA, with gain-of-function mutations in human TLR7 recently identified to cause both early-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuromyelitis optica. Here, we describe two novel mutations in TLR7, F507S and L528I. While the L528I substitution arose de novo, the F507S mutation was present in three individuals from the same family, including a severely affected male, notably given that the TLR7 gene is situated on the X chromosome and that all other cases so far described have been female. The observation of mutations at residues 507 and 528 of TLR7 indicates the importance of the TLR7 dimerization interface in maintaining immune homeostasis, where we predict that altered homo-dimerization enhances TLR7 signaling. Finally, while mutations in TLR7 can result in SLE-like disease, our data suggest a broader phenotypic spectrum associated with TLR7 gain-of-function, including significant neurological involvement.
Anti-Candida Antibodies of Patients with Invasive Candidiasis Inhibit Growth, Alter Cell Wall Structure, and Kill Candida albicans In Vitro
Authors: Carrano Giulia , Arrieta-Aguirre Inés , Díez Ander , Bregón-Villahoz Marta , Fernandez-de-Larrinoa Iñigo , Moragues María-Dolores
Published: February 2024

Invasive candidiasis (IC), caused by Candida yeasts, particularly Candida albicans, poses a significant threat with high mortality rates. Diagnosis is challenging due to Candida's common presence in human microbiota. To address this, our research group developed an immunofluorescence assay detecting Candida albicans Germ Tube Antibodies (CAGTA) in IC patients. CAGTA, indicative of invasive processes, is associated with a lower mortality rate in ICU patients. Based on this premise, this study aims to provide results regarding the lack of knowledge about the potential activity of CAGTA against invasive infections in humans caused by the fungus Candida albicans. Therefore, in order to characterize the activity of CAGTA produced by patients with IC, we used sera from 29 patients with IC caused by either C. albicans or non-albicans Candida species. Whole serum IgG antibodies were fractionated into anti-blastospores, CAGTA-enriched, and purified CAGTA and the assessments included XTT colorimetric assays for metabolic activity, CFU counts for viability, and microscopy for growth, viability, and morphological analysis. The CAGTA-enriched IgG fraction significantly reduced the metabolic activity and viability of C. albicans compared to anti-blastospores. Purified CAGTA altered germ tube cell wall surfaces, as revealed by electron microscopy, and exhibited fungicidal properties by DiBAC fluorescent staining. In conclusion, antibodies in response to invasive candidiasis have antifungal activity against Candida albicans, influencing metabolic activity, viability, and cell wall structure, leading to cell death. These findings suggest the potential utility of CAGTA as diagnostic markers and support the possibility of developing immunization protocols against Candida infections.
TSCF: An Improved Deep Forest Model for Time Series Classification
Authors: Dai Mingxin , Yuan Jidong , Liu Haiyang , Wang Jinfeng
Published: February 2024

The deep forest presents a novel approach that yields competitive performance when compared to deep neural networks. Nevertheless, there are limited studies on the application of deep forest to time series classification (TSC) tasks, and the direct use of deep forest cannot effectively capture the relevant characteristics of time series. For that, this paper proposes time series cascade forest (TSCF), a model specifically designed for TSC tasks. TSCF relies on four base classifiers, i.e., random forest, completely random forest, random shapelet forest, and diverse representation canonical interval forest, allowing for feature learning on the original data from three granularities: point, subsequence, and summary statistics calculated based on intervals. The major contribution of this work, is to define an ensemble and deep classifier that significantly outperforms the individual classifiers and the original deep forest. Experimental results show that TSCF outperforms other forest-based algorithms for solving TSC problems.
Healthcare consumer acceptability of routine use of the EQ-5D-5L in clinical care: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Snowdon David A. , Collyer Taya A. , Marsh Lucy , Srikanth Velandai , Beare Richard , Baber Stephanie , Naude Kim , Andrew Nadine E.
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Patient reported outcome measures, such as the EQ-5D-5L, provide a measure of self-perceived health status or health-related quality of life. Understanding the consumer acceptability of a patient reported outcome measure can help to decide about its implementation across a healthcare organisation and possibly increase the likelihood of its use in clinical care. This study established the acceptability of the EQ-5D-5L from the perspective of clients receiving healthcare, and determined if acceptability varied by client sub-types.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey explored clients’ experience of the EQ-5D-5L. Eligible clients were aged ≥ 18 years and completed the EQ-5D-5L on admission and discharge to one of two multi-disciplinary community health services. Likert scale items explored acceptability, and open-ended questions determined if the EQ-5D-5L reflects experience of illness. Associations between acceptability and client characteristics were established using χ2 test. Open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Most of the 304 clients (mean age 70 years, SD 16) agreed that the EQ-5D-5L: was easy to use/understand (n = 301, 99%) and useful (n = 289, 95%); improved communication with their therapist (n = 275, 90%); and made them feel more in control of their health (n = 276, 91%). Most clients also agreed that they wished to continue using the EQ-5D-5L (n = 285, 93%). Clients aged ≥ 60 years reported lower acceptability. Clients noted that the EQ-5D-5L did not capture experience of illness related to fatigue, balance/falls, cognition, and sleep.

Conclusion

The EQ-5D-5L is acceptable for use in care but does not capture all aspects of health relevant to clients, and acceptability varies by subgroup.
Enhancement of in vitro production of tropane alkaloids and phenolic compounds in Hyoscyamus niger by culture types and elicitor treatments
Authors: Albayrak İlknur , Demirci Tunahan , Baydar Nilgün Göktürk
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to determine the effects of 24-epibrasinolide (EBL) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatments on growth parameters and secondary metabolite synthesis in adventitious root and cell suspension cultures of Hyoscyamus niger. Therefore, different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 mg L−1) of EBL alone and combined with 224.3 mg L−1 (1 mM) MJ were applied to root and cell suspension cultures. 2 mg L−1 and 1 mg L−1 EBL were determined as the treatments in which the highest values were obtained in terms of growth criteria in root and cell cultures, respectively. In root cultures, the highest scopolamine accumulation (2.57 mg g−1) was obtained from the combination of 2 mg L−1 EBL and MJ, while the highest value (0.66 mg g−1) for hyoscyamine was observed in the roots treated with 1 mg L−1 EBL and MJ. In cell cultures, 2 mg L−1 EBL for scopolamine and 0.5 mg L−1 EBL for hyoscyamine were found to be the best applications and calculated as 0.51 µg g−1 and 0.28 µg g−1, respectively. EBL and MJ treatments also stimulated total phenolic content (TPC). The highest TPC in root cultures was detected as 18.01 mg g−1 with the combination of MJ while in cell cultures, maximum TPC was observed in cells applied with 2 mg L−1 EBL and MJ as 11.56 mg g−1. When EBL and MJ were applied to root and cell suspension cultures, significant changes occurred in the amount of phenolic compounds. Co-application of EBL and MJ significantly increased the amount of gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid in root cultures. The application of 2 mg L−1 EBL was determined as the most suitable application for gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid in cell cultures. It was also found that the metabolite production performance of adventitious roots was higher than that of cells. In conclusion, it was suggested that the use of MJ and EBL may be a promising strategy to enhance the accumulation of scopolamine, hyoscyamine and phenolics in root and cell cultures of H. niger.
Analysing Coastal Flood Risk: Assessing the Impact on Critical Water Infrastructures
Authors: Couñago Estefanía , García-Pintos Adela , Caballero Gloria , León-Mateos Fernando
Published: February 2024

There is a need to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures. The effects of climate change have already led to increased flooding of critical water infrastructure. Furthermore, predictions indicate that more infrastructures will be affected in the future. Currently, methods for accurately quantifying the economic losses resulting from sea level rise and extreme weather events are lacking. This article proposes a risk assessment methodology for coastal flooding in the Galicia region of Spain. The method estimates the losses incurred by water infrastructure and indirect industry losses due to the interruption of water infrastructure services. The results indicate that losses currently exceed 90 million euros due to extreme weather events. In the most pessimistic scenario, these losses increase to 127 million euros in 2050 and 451 million euros in 2100. In both cases, indirect industry losses account for more than 80% of the total losses.
Cwikel–Lieb–Rozenblum inequalities for the Coulomb Hamiltonian
Authors: Selvi Andrés Díaz
Published: February 2024

We prove sharp Cwikel–Lieb–Rozenblum type inequalities for the Coulomb Hamiltonian in dimension higher than five. We furthermore show that the classical constant obtained from Weyl asymptotics doesn’t hold in dimensions four and five.
Calf circumference as a surrogate indicator for detecting low muscle mass in hospitalized geriatric patients
Authors: Kiss Caroline M. , Bertschi Dominic , Beerli Nadine , Berres Manfred , Kressig Reto W. , Fischer Andreas M.
Published: February 2024

Background

Sarcopenia is characterized by low muscle strength, decreased muscle mass, and decline in physical performance. While the measurements of muscle strength and physical performance are easy to perform, an accurate evaluation of muscle mass is technically more demanding. We therefore evaluated the suitability of calf circumference (CC) as a clinical indicator for muscle mass.

Methods

In a cross-sectional single-centre study, geriatric inpatients were assessed for sarcopenia according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) consensus. Calf circumference was tested for correlation with appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI). Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to calculate the discriminatory value of the CC cut-off values to differentiate patients above and below ASMI cut-offs for sarcopenia.

Results

In this study population (n = 305, age 83.5 ± 7.0 years, BMI 25.7 kg/m2, 65.6% female), the prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.6%. In subjects with low ASMI, mean CC was 29.5 ± 3.4 cm for females and 32.0 ± 3.4 cm for males. A positive relationship between CC and ASMI was found. The optimized cut-off value for CC to identify patients with low ASMI was <31.5 cm for females (sensitivity 78%, specificity 79%), and <33.5 cm for males (sensitivity 71%, specificity 62%).

Conclusion

In clinical settings where imaging technology for muscle mass quantification is not available, simple calf circumference measurement may be used as a dependable indicator for low muscle mass in older adults.
A Multiscale View of Verbal Behavior
Authors: Simon Carsta
Published: February 2024

In order to introduce a new way of understanding human speech, the article connects two independent lines of Skinner’s research: his work on verbal behavior and on connecting behavior analysis to evolution. The article discusses an empirical study as an example motivated by this connection. Similar to biologists’ suggestion that natural selection can operate on multiple nested levels, Baum (The Behavior Analyst, 36(2), 283–293, 2013) argues that operant behavior is best understood in terms of nested units. Because verbal behavior is operant behavior, Baum’s view should apply to verbal behavior. We conducted the first experiment designed to explore empirical implications of applying this framework. Six pairs of native Norwegian speaking participants communicated verbally while solving a puzzle task together. We investigated if verbal signals occurred to aid navigation between nested levels of the task. 25,191 words were transcribed, revealing that “Ok” was most frequently spoken at the start of the whole activity with a decreasing trend when starting the description of lower-level units, whereas “Også” / “Og så” (“and” / “and well”) became more frequent as the level of activity decreased. “Ja” (“yes”) most frequently concluded all activity levels. These findings can benefit future studies aiming at experimentally manipulating the verbal stimuli found to guide movement between activity levels. The conceptual argument and empirical example are spelled out to inspire further refinements of the connection between verbal behavior and evolution.
Geologic causatives of the stratigraphic and structural heterogeneties of Baharyia formation, based on their seismic interpretation, Razzak field, Western Desert, Egypt
Authors: Metwally Mostafa M. , El-Ata Ahmed S. A. Abu
Published: February 2024

Evaluation of seismic attributes and seismic reflection characteristics analysis of Razzak Field was undertaken by subdividing the study area rock units. There are four seismo-facies units of varying parameters from top to bottom. These units are comparable to the Apollonia and Khoman Formations; the Abu-Roash Formation; Baharyia Formation and Alamein Formation. The seismo-facies unit 1 of the Apollonia and Khoman Formations reveal parallel to sub-parallel layering, with thickness increases northwards. The lithological distribution consists of limestone with minor clay intercalations with facies varying from middle neritic graded to outer neritic. Unit 2 of the Abu-Roash Formation shows divergent layering, with a thickness increasing gradually northwards and eastwards. The lithological distribution shows predominance of carbonate, sandstone occurring in minor portions and laterally graded into shale with littoral facies ranging to inner and middle neritic facies. Unit 3 of the Baharyia Formation reveals chaotic and oblique layering with a time thickness increases towards northeast and southwest parts, the lithological distribution exhibited sand and shale with minor limestone streaks, with facies varied changed from continental to inner-middle neritic, unit 4 of the Alamein Formation shows variation from parallel-subparallel orientation to oblique and chaotic with thickness increasing towards northwards and eastwards, the lithological distribution exhibited dolomitic limestone with minor streaks of limestone with facies varied from middle neritic facies to outer neritic and bathyal. Finally, the results are integrated to build up a seismo-stratigraphic model of the evaluated area of the northwestern Desert of Egypt. Seismic interpretation involves the construction of structure contour maps, in terms of time and depth, on the tops of the Apollonia, Abu-Roash, Baharyia and Alamein Formations. These maps show three structural closures, due to folding, that are dissected by NW–SE faults, analysis of relevant structural and stratigraphic seismic attributes such as root-mean-square amplitude, local structural dip, variance, ISO frequency component, sweetness and acoustic impedance average energy applied on reservoir tops, to enhance the visibility of faults, geological interpretation and the physical parameters of the subsurface related to lithology and stratigraphy for reservoir characterization. Finally, the results obtained are used to construct a seismic structural model. Integration of seismic and stratigraphic data is used to build a geological model of the northwestern Desert of Egypt.
Earth observation technologies, policies and legislation for the coastal flood risk assessment and management: a European perspective
Authors: Velegrakis A. F. , Chatzistratis D. , Chalazas T. , Armaroli C. , Schiavon E. , Alves B. , Grigoriadis D. , Hasiotis T. , Ieronymidi E.
Published: February 2024

The aim of this contribution is to provide a brief overview of the current and future earth observation (EO) technologies that can be used to assess and manage the EU coastal flood risk, together with the pertinent international and EU policies and legislation. The review has shown that EOs have become an indispensable technology for the assessment and management of the coastal flood risk, and their role will increase further in the future when EO information of higher resolution and accuracy become available. With regard to the relevant policies and legislation, their common thread is associated with the promotion and facilitation of the development of appropriate data and tools for high-quality and timely geo-spatial information based on EO technologies. In Europe, in particular, this development is promoted and facilitated by an array of international and supra-national (EU), interacting policies and legislation. It appears, however, that additional initiatives and technological progress in EO functionalities and the information technology are needed together with more targeted policy and legislation frameworks to provide vital information for the management of the coastal flood risk.
Development of photocatalytic and electrocatalytic coatings via thermal spraying for environmental and energy storage applications: a short review
Authors: Yu Zexin , Wang Botong , Gui Longen , Liu Meimei , Liu Shaowu , Moliere Michel , LIAO Hanlin
Published: February 2024

With the development of society, human beings are facing environmental problems and an energy crisis worldwide. In this context, photocatalysis and electrocatalysis represent promising technologies to help solving these issues. Up to now, most of the catalysts intended for these usages are prepared via time-consuming wet-chemical approaches, e.g. hydrothermal or sol–gel methods. Moreover, these techniques produce powdery catalysts which need not only a post-filtration step, but also a shaping by a binder for their final applications, which makes the manufacturing cumbersome. Thermal spraying is currently a well-established deposition technique that is capable of elaborating a wide series of functional coatings based on all classes of materials (metals, polymers, ceramics) and featuring tunable compositions as well as micro- and nanostructures. In particular, thermal involving liquid feedstock, and more specifically precursor solutions or suspensions, have allowed generating a wide range of coating thicknesses, from the ten-micron to the submicron/nano scale, increasing thereby the possibilities for enhancing catalytic performances. The present review sets out marking researches relating to the preparation and testing of (i) some photocatalytic coatings intended for the degradation of aqueous organic pollutants and (ii) electrocatalytic coatings investigated as potential energy storage devices. This paper will not only deal with the preparation of catalysts via different thermal spray processes, but also will cover the adjustment of phase compositions and microstructures that are rendered possible when using liquid feedstock thermal spray techniques with the prospect of optimizing the catalytic performances.
High expression of PAFAH1B3 results in poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma patients and is associated with tumor cell pyroptosis genes
Authors: Hu Bowen , Du Lingyu , Yuan Guangda , Yang Yong , Li Ming , Tan Jie
Published: February 2024

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common cancer with a poor prognosis. Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, isoform Ib, gamma subunit 29 kDa (PAFAH1B3) plays an important role in the development of many types of human malignancies. However, the precise role and mechanisms of PAFAH1B3 in LUAD are still unknown.Therefore, we will initially explore the effect of PAFAH1B3 on LUAD in this study.

Methods

In this study, we first performed a pan-cancer analysis of PAFAH1B3 expression and prognosis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) data, and GEPIA database. Next, the relationship between PAFAH1B3 expression and LUAD immune infiltration and pyroptosis-related genes was explored by GEPIA database and TIMER database. The effect of PAFAH1B3 on LUAD was further explored by CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell assays. Finally, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that may be involved in the regulation of PAFAH1B3 was explored using Starbase database analysis.

Results

The results found that PAFAH1B3 may be an oncogene in LUAD and has a significant adverse relationship with tumor immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers and pyroptosis-related gene expression. Meanwhile, cell experiments also found that PAFAH1B3 knockout significantly reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 cells.

Conclusions

PAFAH1B3 high expression in LUAD patients is associated with poor prognosis, tumor immune infiltration, and cell pyroptosis gene expression.
Association for the Study of Modern Italy (ASMI) Summer School 2023: conference report
Authors: Ferrara degli Uberti Carlotta , Brogi Chiara , Bertorelli Karen
Published: February 2024

This report is about the ASMI Summer School held in Pisa on 22–23 June 2023. The conference focused on twentieth-century history issues: gender studies, cultural studies, resistance studies, fascism studies and mafia studies, with the addition of a round table and two keynote lectures, which discussed the profession of the modern historian and the history of racism in Italy from the Second World War to the present.
Stratal overgeneration is necessary: metrically incoherent syncope in Southern Pomo
Authors: Kaplan Max J.
Published: February 2024

Southern Pomo (Pomoan, California) displays a process of rhythmic vowel deletion (syncope) reflecting two mutually incompatible metrical structures. This phenomenon, calledmetrical incoherence, can be derived by an ordered sequence of independent subgrammars, that is, strata. Metrical incoherence is under-attested crosslinguistically, and the stratal models of phonology necessary to generate it have been criticised for predicting counter-typological phenomena. Nevertheless, the Southern Pomo data cannot be generated in more restrictive frameworks. This article argues that overgeneration is a necessary property of the phonological component, and that metrical incoherence is rare because it is difficult to learn. In Southern Pomo, this difficulty appears to have caused grammatical competition and restructuring: a second pattern of syncope, occurring in only a limited context, suggests that learners have reanalysed the grammar as having consistent metrical structure across the derivation. This work thus supports the proposal that diachronic change – and therefore typology – is constrained by extragrammatical factors.
Archival plans, alterations, and 3D laser scanning of Erik Gunnar Asplund’s Stockholm Public Library
Authors: Fleming Patrick H. , Bergström Anders
Published: February 2024

Erik Gunnar Asplund’s Stockholm Public Library is considered an important building in the history of twentieth-century architecture, yet relatively few archival plans have been saved from the library’s extended design process from 1919–25 and its subsequent construction until opening in 1928. This work presents the first systematic review of the available, digitised archival plans from Sweden’s National Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes), and explains Asplund’s gradual design and development of the project. Subsequent alterations in the library are briefly summarised, followed by the results from an extensive 3D laser scanning process throughout and around the building as it undergoes a significant period of renovation and maintenance. The results from 3D laser scanning create the first comprehensive and detailed record of the building for supporting future research, teaching, and renovation work. This study emphasises the mutual benefits of combining historical and technological approaches, and conducting academic research in parallel with contemporary renovation projects of historical architecture.
Consumption Patterns of Benzodiazepines and Opioids Drawn from an Online Survey in the Early COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mielau Juliane , Evens Ricarda , Reiche Simon , Marek Roman , Moon Daa Un , Groß Elisa , Romanello Amy , Masah Dario Jalilzadeh , Brandt Lasse , Gutwinski Stefan , Montag Christiane , Majić Tomislav , Mick Inge Maria
Published: February 2024

Abstract: Aims: Investigation of altered consumption patterns of benzodiazepines and opioids during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study sample was extracted from an international web-based survey provided from April to August 2021 in 5 languages; completed by 5049 participants. A retrospective exploration of sociodemographic features, frequencies and dosages of benzodiazepine and opioid use and psychopathology was executed. Quantities of the respective substance use and consumers’ motivations for consumption pre-pandemic versus during the pandemic were compared. Associations between quantities, psychopathology, and positive effects of the substances, negative sequelae and concerns related to COVID-19 were examined. Results: A significant reduction of the consumption quantity was solely found for heroin users. Higher benzodiazepine consumption rates during the pandemic were marginally associated with a greater general psychopathology. Concerns related to the COVID-19 crisis were significantly positively correlated with the symptomatologies of the opioid and benzodiazepine users who presented a higher perception of life restriction. A significant reduction of reported motivations consumption was found for the motive partying. Conclusions: During the early COVID-19 pandemic the quantities and motives of consumption of sedatives and opioids remained mostly stable. The psychopathology of consumers was associated with specific concerns related to the pandemic.
Die Operationalisierte Psychodynamische Diagnostik des Kindes- und Jugendalters (OPD-KJ-2) im klinischen Alltag mit dem Plämokasten
Authors: Juen Florian , Reiffen-Züger Bertke , Lehmhaus Dagmar , Prentl Sabine , Moisl Sibylle , Züger Markus , Rexroth Iris , Marton Michael-Andor , Maurer Martin H.
Published: February 2024

Zusammenfassung: Fragestellung: Die OPD-KJ-2 ist ein etabliertes Manual zur Erfassung der Psychodynamik bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Veröffentlichungen zu Reliabilität und Validität beschränken sich aber vor allem (1) auf Jugendliche, (2) auf die erste Version des Manuals und nicht auf die überarbeitete OPD-KJ-2, (3) auf die Achsen Struktur und Konflikt, aber nicht auf die Achse Beziehung, und fokussieren auch nicht (4) auf die Anwendbarkeit im klinischen Alltag. Methodik: In der vorliegenden Studie wurden 42 Kinder im Alter von 6 bis 12 Jahren (Altersstufe 2 der OPD-KJ-2) mit und ohne psychische Erkrankung jeweils von zwei Rater_innen eingeschätzt. Die Befunderhebung erfolgte mittels eines klinischen Interviews mit Spielfiguren und -gegenständen anhand von Videoaufzeichnungen. Es wurde dabei die Interrater_innenreliabilität der OPD-KJ-2-Achsen überprüft. Ergebnisse: Die Gesamteinschätzung der Strukturachse gelingt ebenso wie die Einschätzung der vier Subdimensionen mit guter bis sehr guter Übereinstimmung. Das Vorhandensein einer relevanten Konfliktdynamik wird ebenso mit sehr hoher Übereinstimmung erkannt, während spezifische Konflikte nur in der klinischen Stichprobe gut erkannt werden. Die Einschätzung der Items der Beziehungsachse zeigen eine geringe Übereinstimmung. Schlussfolgerungen: Insgesamt kann die Anwendbarkeit der OPD-KJ-2 im klinischen Alltag insbesondere in der Einschätzung der Achse Struktur bestätigt werden. Es wird diskutiert, welche Faktoren für das teils heterogene Bild verantwortlich sein könnten.
b‐More‐Incomplete and b‐More‐Positive: Insights on a Robust Estimator of Magnitude Distribution
Authors: Lippiello E. , Petrillo G.
Published: February 2024

The b‐value in earthquake magnitude‐frequency distribution quantifies the relative frequency of large versus small earthquakes. Monitoring its evolution could provide fundamental insights into temporal variations of stress on different fault patches. However, genuine b‐value changes are often difficult to distinguish from artificial ones induced by temporal variations of the detection threshold. A highly innovative and effective solution to this issue has recently been proposed by van der Elst (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020jb021027) by means of the b‐positive estimator, which is based on analyzing only the positive differences in magnitude between successive earthquakes. Here, we demonstrate the robustness of the estimator, which remains largely unaffected by detection issues due to the properties of conditional probability. We illustrate that this robustness can be further improved by considering positive differences in magnitude, not only between successive earthquakes but also between different pairs of earthquakes. This generalized approach, defined as the “b‐more‐positive estimator,” enhances efficiency by providing a precise estimate of the b‐value while including a larger number of earthquakes from an incomplete catalog. However, our analysis reveals that the accuracy of the b estimators diminishes when earthquakes below the completeness threshold are included in the catalog. This leads to the paradoxical observation that greater efficiency is achieved when the catalog is more incomplete. To address this, we introduce the “b‐more‐incomplete estimator,” where the b‐more‐positive estimator is applied only after artificially filtering the instrumental catalog to make it more incomplete. Our findings show the superior efficiency of the b‐more‐incomplete method.
Sources and Distribution of Light NMHCs in the Marine Boundary Layer of the Northern Indian Ocean During Winter: Implications to Aerosol Formation
Authors: Tripathi Nidhi , Girach Imran A. , Kompalli Sobhan Kumar , Murari Vishnu , Nair Prabha R. , Babu S. Suresh , Sahu Lokesh Kumar
Published: February 2024

Non‐methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) are ubiquitous trace gases and profoundly affect the Earth's atmosphere and climate change. Mixing ratios of light NMHCs were measured over the northern Indian Ocean during winter‐2018 as part of the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases, and Radiation Budget (ICARB‐2018). Higher levels of NMHCs over the coastal regions were due to the efficient transport of anthropogenic and biogenic air masses and higher air‐sea exchanges due to the higher biological productivity. Although oceanic emissions dominated the open ocean, the transport of aged continental air also influenced the levels of some NMHCs. The higher and lower propane/ethane ratios of 2.41 ± 0.34 and 1.13 ± 0.78 ppbv ppbv−1 over coastal and open oceans indicated the prevalence of fresh and aged air masses, respectively. Ethene and propene show a strong correlation, but the ethene/propene ratios over open ocean (2.2 ± 0.25 ppbv ppbv−1) were slightly lower than the coastal region (2.5 ± 0.34 ppbv ppbv−1). Principal component analysis reveals the major associated sources identified in this study are from oceanic and nearby anthropogenic sources, explaining nearly 51% and 21% of variance. Light alkenes accounted for ∼70% of the total ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potential. A higher alkene/alkane ratio, strong correlation of alkene with organic aerosol mass, and new particle formation events highlight the role of alkenes in secondary aerosol formation over the equatorial Indian Ocean. Overall, the levels of NMHCs were much higher than those measured nearly two decades ago during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX)‐1999.