11237 research outputs found
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``Monkey yodels''- frequency jumps in New World monkey vocalizations greatly surpass human vocal register transitions
No full textWe investigated the causal basis of abrupt frequency jumps in a unique database of New World monkey vocalizations. We used a combination of acoustic and electroglottographic recordings in vivo, excised larynx investigations of vocal fold dynamics, and computational modelling. We particularly attended to the contribution of the vocal membranes: thin upward extensions of the vocal folds found in most primates but absent in humans. In three of the six investigated species, we observed two distinct modes of vocal fold vibration. The first, involving vocal fold vibration alone, produced low‑frequency oscillations, and is analogous to that underlying human phonation. The second, incorporating the vocal membranes, resulted in much higher‑frequency oscillation. Abrupt fundamental frequency shifts were observed in all three datasets. While these data are reminiscent of the rapid transitions in frequency observed in certain human singing styles (e.g. yodelling), the frequency jumps are considerably larger in the nonhuman primates studied. Our data suggest that peripheral modifications of vocal anatomy provide an important source of variability and complexity in the vocal repertoires of nonhuman primates. We further propose that the call repertoire is crucially related to a species’ ability to vocalize with different laryngeal mechanisms, analogous to human vocal registers.</p
Does climate change risk impact insurance credit risk? Cross country evidence
No full textWhile climate change poses a significant financial risk to the insurance industry, research has not yet examined the impact on the insurer's credit risk. This study investigates the impact of climate change risks on credit risk for insurance firms. We develop a novel climate risk measure by contrasting four key components: hydrological risks, temperature extremes, extreme weather events, and water related risks. Utilizing this comprehensive measure, we analyse a global sample of 150 insurance firms across 31 countries from 2001 to 2022. Our findings reveal a significant negative relationship between climate change risks and credit risk, measured by Z‐score, F‐score, and Altman's Z‐score. This suggests that climate risks increase the likelihood of insurance firm defaults. These findings highlight the urgency for proactive climate risk management in the financial sector, including enhanced risk assessment methodologies and adaptation strategies. This research offers valuable insights for various stakeholders in the financial sector including policy makers, credit rating agencies and investors to better understand and manage climate risk exposure in the insurance industry.</p
The impact of generative AI on school music education: Challenges and recommendations
No full textThe widespread application of generative artificial intelligence (AI) poses both opportunities and challenges in formal music education. Students can now effortlessly compose using simple text prompts with AI music generators, a situation which encourages innovative pedagogical approaches and democratizes creativity in the music classroom. However, concerns about cultural bias, originality, equity, and the ethical use of generative AI in school music education require careful regulation. This article highlights both the potential benefits and risks through a review of current applications of generative AI in music education, in the process proposing a set of policy recommendations that can serve to ethically and effectively guide its use. These include enhancing AI literacy among students and teachers, developing assessment frameworks that reflect the collaborative nature of AI-assisted music creation, defining acceptable boundaries in terms of ensuring equitable access to AI tools, and providing professional development opportunities for music teachers. By maintaining an awareness of technological advancements and their impact on students’ musical engagement, school music education can remain relevant to young people’s evolving musical experiences while simultaneously preparing them to engage confidently, creatively, and critically with the complex landscape of generative AI.</p
Potentialities and critical issues of liquid biopsy in clinical practice: an umbrella review
No full textBackground: Liquid biopsy (LB) is a laboratory test performed on a fluid sample aiming at analyzing molecular data derived from circulating cells and related entities, or from nucleic acids. This umbrella review aims to map and evaluate the evidence supporting the use of LB in medicine across different medical specialities and conditions.Methods: We searched three repositories from database inception up to October 1, 2023 and we included meta-analyses of observational studies reporting data on the use of LB, compared to gold standard, and its accuracy (area under the curve, AUC).Results: Among 726 articles initially screened, 42 systematic reviews were included. Most of the outcomes explored (202/211) were related to cancer. We found that 75/211 had an excellent accuracy (AUC >0.90), with one comparison with an AUC equal to 1, i.e., Cell-Free Human Papillomavirus DNA (cfHPV-DNA) for HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. However, considering published meta-analyses, all the outcomes were graded as very low on the GRADE criteria, and the heterogeneity was never reported.Discussion: The literature about LB is rapidly increasing and some promising data about precision oncology are now available. However, this umbrella review on existing meta-analyses highlighted some critical issues for providing quantitative estimations on the different roles of LB.</p
Economic aspects of national telecommunications/ICTs: Output Report on ITU-D. Question 4/1 for the study period 2022-2025.
No full textWork undertaken in the ITU-D study period 2022-2025, has underlined the ongoing importance
of the consideration of economic aspects in national telecommunications/ICT, and this work is
expressed in a significant increase in Question 4/1 topics.
Of the 16 topics which were set by the World Telecommunication Development Conference
(WTDC), this report contains useful information on new types and forms of investment (Chapter
1), the impact of telecommunication/ICTs on national economy/GDP (Chapter 2), the economic
value of personal data usage (Chapter 3), economic incentives for bridging the digital divide
(Chapter 4), economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the scope of telecommunication/
ICT (Chapter 4), and economic aspects of digital transformation (Chapter 4).
Together with the previous report on Question 4/1 for ITU-D study period 2018-2021160 (revised
in 2025, by adding new information based on contributions received during ITU-D Study
period 2022-2025161), which concentrates on topics of cost models for services provided over
NGN networks (Chapter 1), national aspects of significant market power (SMP) (Chapter 1),
infrastructure and spectrum sharing (Chapter 2), consumer price and tariff evolution (Chapter
3), and development of mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) (Chapter 4), both deliverables
provide telecommunications/ICT economic-related information, useful for developing countries.</p
PREDICT breast v4.0: an update to the PREDICT breast prognostic model
No full textObjective: The PREDICT breast prognostic and treatment benefit model has undergone several revisions since its release. The latest version (v3.1) was developed using a data set of 35,474 cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2017 in a single region of England. PREDICT breast provides predicted outcomes at 5, 10 and 15 years, but most clinicians use the 10-year outcomes for decision making. The purpose of this study was to reparameterize the model using a larger data set from across the UK and to compare the performance of v4.0 with that of v3.1. Results: There were 172,208 eligible cases randomly split 50:50 into model development and validation data sets. Cox proportional hazards models were derived for estrogen receptor negative and estrogen receptor positive cancer for breast cancer specific mortality with a third model for non-breast cancer mortality. In cases with at least 5 years follow-up and censored at 10 years, the model was well-calibrated with a less than 5% difference between observed and predicted breast cancer deaths. Model discrimination was also good with AUCs in the validation data of 0.735 and 0.794 for ER negative and ER positive cases respectively. Calibration and discrimination were slightly improved compared to PREDICT breast v3.1.</p
‘I never thought of myself as a veteran’: written reflections on veteran identity by ex-servicewomen in Wales
No full textIntroduction: Although over 2 50 000 women in England and Wales have served in the armed forces, veteran research has historically focused on men, with only 2% of international studies including women. This study examines how veteran identity, defined as the significance of military service to one’s self-concept, shapes ex-servicewomen’s connection to the veteran community. Methods: Qualitative written reflections were collected from 21 ex-servicewomen. Participants reflected on their perception of what constitutes a veteran, and whether the term ‘veteran’ formed part of their identity. The researchers employed reflexive thematic analysis, using NVivo V.14. Results: Participants generally understood the official UK government definition of a veteran. Additionally, women’s understanding of the meaning of the term veteran was related to someone having served in the military, having shared core values relating to military service and preconceived associations of the term veteran with men, older age and particular conflicts. In relation to their own veteran identity, results indicate that while some participants experienced a sense of pride and belonging tied to their veteran identity, others struggled with feelings of unworthiness, especially if they had shorter service periods or non-combat roles. Many participants also described a delayed identification with veteran status due to stereotypical perceptions and negative in-service experiences. Conclusions: This study aligns with previous evidence that ex-servicewomen struggle to identify with the term veteran. Both stereotypical societal perceptions of who a veteran is, often older men with combat experience and longer terms of service, and negative military experiences were factors related to women’s non-identification or delayed identification with their veteran identity. This study underscores the importance of peer support opportunities for ex-servicewomen. For some, engaging with other ex-servicewomen and participating in the veteran community was a factor in developing connection to being a veteran, which they previously had not identified with.</p
Psychometric evaluation of EQ-5D-5L in OHCA survivors from the TTM2 trial: a post hoc analysis
No full textAimsOur aim was to investigate the psychometric properties of the health assessment instrument EQ-5D-5L in OHCA survivors.MethodsWe included survivors from the Targeted Hypothermia versus Targeted Normothermia after OHCA (TTM2) trial, who completed EQ-5D-5L at 6 months. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the hypothesised unidimensional latent structure of EQ level sum score (EQ LSS), summarizing scores across Mobility, Self-care, Usual activities, Pain/discomfort, and Anxiety/depression. Differential item functioning was evaluated for age. We examined internal consistency and precision for the EQ LSS. We evaluated construct validity of EQ LSS, EQ value and EQ VAS, using the modified Rankin Scale and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, representing functional outcome and cognitive function—two common health challenges experienced by OHCA survivors.Results783 of 939 (84%) eligible survivors were included. Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit and strong factor loadings for all dimensions (0.61–0.90). We observed a significant but negligible effect of age on Mobility (β = 0.29, p ConclusionThe psychometric properties of EQ LSS support its use to measure health status in OHCA research. The strong association between health and functional dependency indicate robust and comparable construct validity for EQ LSS, EQ value, and EQ VAS in this sample.</p
Velocity and Acceleration-Based Differential Plyometric Training Effects on Young Basketball Players
No full textThis study aimed to examine the impact of velocity and acceleration-based differential plyometric jump training on physical performance of youth basketball players. Twenty-six trained youth male players (14.5 ± 1.7 years; U14 [n = 14], U16 [n = 5], and U18 [n = 7]) were grouped into experimental and control groups. The experimental group completed two sessions per week of velocity-based differential plyometric training for 14 weeks (3 sets x 5 jumps with 20-s intervals of passive recovery between jumps and 2-min breaks between sets). Before each repetition, participants received verbal instruction to perform a different fluctuation. The control group continued regular training. Bilateral and unilateral countermovement jump (CMJ) height, the 20-m sprint test, and the Modified 505 Agility (M505) test were evaluated before and after the intervention. The training program yielded statistically significant improvements in the experimental group's CMJ bilateral jump height. Additionally, moderate improvements in the CMJR (Countermovement Jump Right Leg) and M505R (Modified 505 Agility Right) tests (BF10 > 3 to 10) were observed after the training program (δ ranged from 0.66 to 1.12). The control group demonstrated moderate improvements in the M505R (Modified 505 Agility Right) and M505L (Modified 505 Agility Left) tests (BF10 > 3 to 10) (δ = 0.65). Models combining different variables provided the best fit for the data in different physical variables. The results indicate that velocity and acceleration-based differential plyometric training can be a suitable strategy for improving physical performance of youth basketball players.</p
A Model for Understanding and Expanding the Scope of Critical Thinking
No full textAbstract
In this article I draw on existing theory in a project of synthesis and integration to develop a terminological, conceptual, and graphic model for understanding the scope of critical thinking. I begin by showing why the idea of critical scope matters. I then develop a model that maps the scope of critical thinking across individual, sociocultural, and existential domains, in conjunction with the ontological, epistemological, emotional, and political dimensions. Building on this, I outline the relationships between contexts, critical frameworks, and metacritique as essential to understanding the scope of critical thinking. The model also includes a means for organising the attributes (character traits) of critical thinkers. This project provides resources to encourage and guide critical thinking at a more expansive scope in education, society, and daily life by helping people to understand the contours and potential confines of criticality. This has profound implications for education and society, helping to improve the rigour, reach, and diversity of critical thinking. This model is far from complete, and designed to invite ongoing engagement, including critique. It is intended as a rubric to prompt and inspire, not as a device to ‘measure’ or ‘assess’ critical thinking. Educationally, the intention is to provide resources for understanding, negotiating, and facilitating critical thinking at an expansive scope.</p
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