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Evaluating causes and gestures: source-related and crossmodal features in the perception of environmental sounds
No full textCommunication through auditory cues often evokes associations to other sensory modalities. In film music, for instance, a descending pitch contour commonly resembles a falling motion. Such crossmodal associations to physical actions or shapes are here termed sound gestures and can naturally occur in environmental sounds. Little is known about how reliably listeners perceive gestures in such environmental contexts and how salient the gesture-relevant auditory feature needs to be. This article reports on an exploratory study concerning the identification of sound gestures by crossmodal matching using analogous visualizations. The study considered gesture-related factors, such as auditory salience and contour complexity, and explored whether a concurrent evaluation of features related to the environmental sound source or cause would affect gesture identification. Twenty untrained listeners evaluated sound gestures occurring in environmental sounds, e.g., pitch contour when switching a vacuum cleaner on and off, loudness contour of a ball dropping. Participants evaluated 28 environmental sounds in three variants (original, isolated gesture, hybrid) and had to identify the sound gesture among four visualized options while also inferring the underlying environmental source or cause through verbal description and rating their confidence in identifying the source/cause. Based on features describing the macro contour of gestures, participants correctly identified 81-83% of all gestures. Manipulated sounds that emphasized gesture salience yielded only slight improvements of identification accuracy compared to original environmental sounds. Participants were more confident in identifying the source/cause in sounds containing pitch gestures than those containing loudness gestures, while lexical and semantic diversity in describing underlying materials (source) and actions (cause) varied considerably. For both groups, however, measures for gesture identification and the evaluation of underlying materials and actions correlated only weakly, suggesting task independence. Overall, findings suggest that untrained listeners perceive sound gestures in environmental sounds and can reliably use them to form crossmodal associations, while also evaluating properties related to the sound source and cause. For one, the perception of environmental sounds may evoke crossmodal links, while the reliable identification of sound gestures highlights their utility to crossmodal control or search interfaces.</p
Is social jetlag associated with physical fitness among Spanish adolescents? Insights from the EHDLA study
No full textBackground: The misalignment of sleeping times during weekdays/weekends (i.e., social jetlag) is particularly common among adolescents and plausibly associated with their physical fitness. However, literature on this topic is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between social jetlag and physical fitness in Spanish adolescents.Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on cross-sectional data from the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) study among 812 adolescents (54.9% girls) aged 12–17 years from the Valle de Ricote (Region of Murcia, Spain). Social jetlag was calculated from self-reported data on bedtimes and wake times for weekdays and weekends. Physical fitness was evaluated with the Assessing the Levels of Physical Activity and Fitness (ALPHA-FIT) for children and adolescents and included cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, speed agility, and flexibility.Results: The analysis revealed significant negative associations between worse social jetlag and detrimental overall physical fitness (unstandardized beta coefficient [B] = −0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.09, −0.02; p = 0.002), cardiorespiratory fitness (B = −1.28; 95% CI −2.22, −0.34; p = 0.008), and lower body muscular fitness (B = −2.01; 95% CI −3.90, −0.12; p = 0.038) after the adjustment for potential covariates (age, sex, socioeconomic status, physical activity level, sedentary behavior, nocturnal sleep duration, energy intake, and body mass index). In contrast with other fitness components, a significant positive association was identified between social jetlag and speed agility (B = 0.07; 95% CI 0.00, 0.14; p = 0.049).Conclusions: In adolescents, social jetlag is significantly linked to poorer physical fitness, especially for cardiorespiratory fitness and lower-body muscular fitness. Maintaining regular and well-synchronized sleep could be crucial for optimizing physical health and preventing the decline of physical fitness during adolescence.</p
An automated method of streamlining waiting list by clinical risk fast-tracking for patients awaiting TAVR: SWIFT TAVR algorithm
No full textIntroduction: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is increasingly in demand for treating severe aortic stenosis in a variety of surgical risk profiles. This means increasing wait times and elevated morbidity and mortality on the waitlist. To address this, we developed the SWIFT TAVR algorithm to prioritize patients based on clinical risk and reduce wait times. Methods: The SWIFT algorithm, implemented in Microsoft Excel, calculates a clinical risk score from three parameters: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), peak aortic valve gradient, and syncope. Scores categorize patients into four prioritisation profiles: high (9–10 points), intermediate (4–8 points), low (2–3 points), and minimal (0–1 point). The study prospectively applied the SWIFT algorithm to patients in 2022 (SWIFT group) and retrospectively to a 2021 cohort (CONTROL group). Outcomes measured were wait times from consultation to procedure and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) while awaiting TAVR. Results: A total of 228 patients were included (117 SWIFT, 111 CONTROL). There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between groups (p > 0.05). Overall wait times were significantly shorter in the SWIFT group (21 vs 28 weeks, p </p
Application of AI-based Models for Online Fraud Detection and Analysis
No full textFraud is a prevalent offence that extends beyond financial loss, causing psychological and physical harm to victims. The advancements in online communication technologies alowed for online fraud to thrive in this vast network, with fraudsters increasingly using these channels for deception. With the progression of technologies like AI, there is a growing concern that fraud will scale up, using sophisticated methods, like deep-fakes in phishing campaigns, all generated by language generation models like ChatGPT. However, the application of AI in detecting and analyzing online fraud remains understudied. We conduct a Systematic Literature Review on AI and NLP techniques for online fraud detection. The review adhered the PRISMA-ScR protocol, with eligibility criteria including relevance to online fraud, use of text data, and AI methodologies. We screened 2,457 academic records, 350 met our eligibility criteria, and included 223. We report the state-of-the-art NLP techniques for analysing various online fraud categories; the training data sources; the NLP algorithms and models built; and the performance metrics employed for model evaluation. We find that current research on online fraud is divided into various scam activitiesand identify 16 different frauds that researchers focus on. This SLR enhances the academic understanding of AI-based detection methods for online fraud and offers insights for policymakers, law enforcement, and businesses on safeguarding against such activities. We conclude that focusing on specific scams lacks generalization, as multiple models are required for different fraud types. The evolving nature of scams limits the effectiveness of models trained on outdated data. We also identify issues in data limitations, training bias reporting, and selective presentation of metrics in model performance reporting, which can lead to potential biases in model evaluation.</p
Prevalence of loneliness and social isolation amongst individuals with severe mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textAims: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the prevalence and antecedents/outcomes of loneliness and social isolation among individuals with severe mental disorders (SMD), such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder.Methods: Five well-known electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched (plus a hand search). Observational studies that report the prevalence and, if available, antecedents and consequences of loneliness/isolation among individuals with SMD were included. Key characteristics were extracted, and a meta-analysis was performed. Our systematic review was preregistered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024559043). The PRISMA guidelines were followed. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) standardized critical appraisal tool developed for prevalence studies was applied to assess the quality of the included studies.Results: The initial search yielded 4506 records, and after duplicate removal and screening, a total of 10 studies were finally included. The studies included used data from Europe, Asia, North America, and Oceania. Two studies employed a longitudinal design, while all other studies had a cross-sectional design. Most of the studies included between 100 and 500 individuals with SMD. All studies involved both male and female participants, with women typically comprising about 40% of the sample. The average age of participants often ranged from approximately 30 to 40 years. The estimated prevalence of loneliness was 59.1% (95% CI: 39.6% to 78.6%, I2 = 99.3, P Conclusions: The present systematic review with meta-analysis identified high levels of loneliness and objective social isolation among those with SMD. These findings stress the importance of monitoring and addressing social needs in this vulnerable group, which may have a positive effect on the life quality of individuals with SMD. Future research in neglected regions (e.g. South America and Africa) is recommended. Different diagnoses within severe mental disorders should be distinguished in future studies. Furthermore, additional longitudinal studies are required to explore the antecedents and consequences of loneliness and social isolation among individuals with SMD.</p
The relationship between response rate and survival benefits in randomized immunotherapy studies
No full textUnderstanding the relationship between the Objective Response Rate (ORR) and survival outcomes, notably Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS), is relevant for assessing the efficacy of regimens in oncology. We evaluate the relationship between ORR, PFS and OS in immuno-oncology (IO) trials. Data from 68 clinical trials submitted to the FDA were evaluated, examining immunotherapy regimens, notably immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-programmed death (ligand)-1 [anti-PD-(L)1], cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors and combination therapies [e.g., IO + IO, anti-PD-L1 + chemotherapy, anti-PD-L1 + CTLA-4, anti-PD-L1 + TKI (tyrosine kinase inhibitors)]. Studies were included based on their reporting of ORR, PFS, and OS. Of the 68 clinical trials reviewed, 55 were included in the analysis. The correlation between ORR and PFS was moderate across most immunotherapy regimens, indicating that ORR can serve as a useful predictor of short-term disease control. However, the correlation between ORR and OS was weaker, especially in trials including combination therapies, indicating that ORR alone may not reliably predict long-term survival outcomes. ORR predicts PFS better in first-line treatment but declines in later lines and remains a weak OS predictor overall. Differing degrees of correlation between ORR and survival metrics, particularly across treatment lines and combinations, are observed. While ORR can serve as a surrogate marker for PFS in IO trials, its utility in predicting OS is restricted and the interpretation of the relationship between ORR and PFS or OS is a key limitation. Rather, a decline in PFS with increasing ORR may reflect trial differences rather than a direct relationship. Future analyses should adopt better methodologies to capture these dynamics and focus on improving surrogate endpoints for immunotherapy to improve clinical trial design and patient outcomes.</p
The impacts of smoked cigarette butt leachate on a common freshwater gastropod, Lymnaea stagnalis
No full textCigarette butts (CBs) are one of the most littered items worldwide. As litter they present physical (plastic fibres and burnt tobacco) and chemical (compounds retained on the filter and in the tobacco) contamination with detrimental effects on the receiving ecosystem. There is however a dearth of research on their effects and on the ability of organisms to recover from exposure. Here, the effects of CBs on mortality, growth, feeding, egg production and hatching success of the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis), were investigated, but also their recovery post-exposure. Individuals were exposed to CB leachate at either 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5 or 1 CB L−1 for four weeks and subsequently they were allowed to recover for a further three weeks without contamination. The presence of CB leachate increased mortality and decreased egg production, egg viability, and growth of snails. Feeding rate was not affected by the presence of CB during exposure phase. All variables showed evidence of recovery once not exposed to the contaminant. Mortality decreased, growth in shell length and biomass increased whilst egg production and viability increased to the same level as controls. This study found that even environmentally realistic concentrations of CB leachate (0.25 CB L−1) can cause mortality and decreased reproductive success of aquatic snails. The improvement of these responses after removal of the leachate indicates that preventing or removing CBs could restore affected ecosystems.</p
The rural socio-sustainable entrepreneur: constructing and navigating context in Italy's Mezzogiorno
No full textThis thesis examines how rural entrepreneurs in the southern Mezzogiorno region of Italy actively construct and navigate their complex socioeconomic context whilst seeking to ensure business sustainability and community survival. Notwithstanding decades of economic disparity between north and south and ongoing rural demographic decline, these entrepreneurs demonstrate remarkable capabilities for creating viable businesses while preserving community wellbeing in a context characterised by contracting demand, resource constraints, weak institutional support, limited infrastructure and brain drain, making traditional development approaches often inadequate.This research employs phenomenographic analysis of interviews carried out with 24 rural entrepreneurs in combination with some 200 hours of field observations to identify the three key ways rural entrepreneurs navigate, engage with and build their surrounding context in Villaggio (a pseudonym) in the rural community of Basilicata. I conceptualise these individuals as guardians of community fortunes, extending their purpose beyond achieving individual success to preserve collective wellbeing. To do so, they navigate strategically between formal and informal economic structures, creating socially-legitimate operations that span both domains; and perform gender roles tactically, with female entrepreneurs developing both intramural and breaking free approaches to address differing gender expectations in domestic and business contexts. I bring these findings together in a model of the rural socio-sustainable entrepreneur (RSSE.) This captures how entrepreneurs simultaneously respond to and reshape their environment through five interconnected dimensions: active context creation and navigation; formal/informal economic navigation; gender performance and role navigation; resource optimization and network management; and community guardianship and resilience building. At the core, the RSSE emerges as a context creator and navigator focused on enhanced business and community sustainability. The research extends theoretical understanding of rural entrepreneurship by contributing to fourth wave contextualization theory, advancing institutional asymmetry frameworks, and applying gender performativity concepts to rural contexts in the Mezzogiorno, while offering valuable insights into sustainable development pathways for marginalized areas. These findings also have implications for policymakers seeking to develop more targeted and culturally-sensitive interventions in support of rural entrepreneurship in economically marginalized regions.</p
St Andrews Referral Delay in Skin Cancer (StARDISC): a study of keratinocyte skin cancer time to treatment, growth, invasiveness, British Association of Dermatologists risk factors and excision adequacy
No full textAbstract
Background
British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) guidelines for managing basal (BCC) and squamous (SCC) cell skin carcinomas are distinct; however, there is a paucity of evidence relating to the histopathological behaviour of SCC and BCC over time, and the implications this has for management guidelines.
Objectives
To investigate the effect of lesion duration on keratinocyte skin cancer (KSC) growth, the development of high risk factors and excision margin adequacy; further aims included investigating the impact of the presence of high or very high risk histological parameters on excision rates and clearance margins.
Methods
A cohort study was undertaken with a random sample of patients referred to our Plastic Surgery Skin Cancer Centre with BCC and SCC from January to June 2019 inclusive. Data collected included patient demographics, referral source, lesion duration (first appearance to treatment), histological data, excision margins and skin cancer risk, as defined by BAD guidelines.
Results
In total, 728 patients were included [397 men, 331 women; median age 77 years (interquartile range 72–85)] who underwent 872 excisions (BCC, n = 454; SCC, n = 418). Longer lesion duration was associated with increased BCC (P 40 mm (P 6 mm (P 3 months had greater median surface areas (706.9 mm2 vs. 295.3 mm2; P < 0.001) and thicknesses (3.5 mm vs. 3 mm; P < 0.001) than those of ≤ 3 months’ duration; the same was found for median BCC surface area (263.9 mm2 vs. 131.9 mm2; P < 0.001). A general decline in the adequate excision of BCCs and SCCs was found with an increasing number of high- or very high risk parameters.
Conclusions
Longer lesion duration resulted in increased KSC thickness and surface area, and the increased presence of high risk factors as set out by the BAD. This was more common SCCs than for BCCs, and had a negative impact on surgical excision margins. Crucially, lesion duration was significantly associated with increased SCC (but not BCC) thickness at 3 months. Our results support BAD guidance on the management of KSC, identifying the highest risk lesions and informing the practice of skin cancer units.</p
Prevalence of current, daily, and heavy smokers among adolescents in 97 countries: a global population-based study
No full textPurpose: Understanding adolescent smoking behavior is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies; however, research on adolescent smoking remains limited. Thus, we investigated the global prevalence of current, daily, and heavy smokers among adolescents.Methods: We analyzed data obtained from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by the World Health Organization to investigate the prevalence of current, daily, and heavy smokers. A meta-analysis was performed to examine the prevalence of smoking behaviors based on country, region, income level, and Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) ratification status.Results: This study analyzed data from 498,981 school-going adolescents (48.49% male) across 97 countries. The overall prevalence of current smokers was 10.24% (95% confidence interval: 9.35–11.13). Among current smokers, 15.59% (14.03–17.16) were daily smokers, and among daily smokers, 20.64% (18.67–22.62) were heavy smokers. In metaregression analyses, low-income countries had lower current (−7.16% [−11.71 to −2.60]) and daily (−13.35% [−18.62 to −8.08]) smoking prevalence compared to high-income countries. Upper-middle income countries showed higher prevalence of heavy smoking (6.75% [1.90 to 11.61]) compared to high-income countries. In addition, countries that ratified FCTC within 0–10 years (−5.05% [−9.56 to −0.55]) and more than 10 years (−5.79% [−10.64 to −0.94]) had lower current smoking prevalence compared to nonratified countries. In contrast, FCTC ratification was not significantly associated with the prevalence of daily or heavy smoking.Discussion: While FCTC guidelines may effectively reduce the prevalence of current adolescent smokers, they may be less effective in preventing progression to daily and heavy smoking.</p
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