134125 research outputs found
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Cognitive rehabilitation benefits cancer survivors: Single-case design randomised case series
No full textContext: Some cancer survivors experience post-treatment mental and/or physical health symptoms impacting quality of life, such as cognitive decline. There is limited access to evidence-based individualised interventions for cognitive concerns of cancer survivors. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an individually delivered Responding to Cognitive Concerns − Individual (ReCogI) program, adapted from manualised cognitive behavioural group program Responding to Cognitive Concerns (ReCog), and to assess whether ReCogI influenced perceived cognitive function and health following cancer treatment. Methods: A single-case experimental intervention design was used within a case series, with random allocation to a 3- or 4-week baseline period. Five cancer survivors completed ReCogI and questionnaires regarding program satisfaction, cognitive function, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep. Results: Four of five participants showed statistically reliable individual improvement in at least one of two measures of self-reported cognitive functioning using the Reliable Change Index. However, neither cognitive measure was reliably higher during intervention than baseline when participant results were combined together to estimate between-case standardised mean difference. A participant satisfaction measure demonstrated high satisfaction with ReCogI (M = 4.6/5, SD = 0.55). Conclusion: ReCogI showed preliminary indications of feasibility and acceptability for assisting adult cancer survivors who report cognitive problems.No Full Tex
Axial compressive behavior and modeling of FRP-confined limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) concrete
No full textDespite the promising outlook of limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) concrete, steel reinforcements are still required for LC3 concrete in engineering applications. Alternatively, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) confinement is a well-established reinforcement method and a reliable substitute for traditional reinforcing steel. Using carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), this study presents the first investigation into the axial compressive behavior of CFRP-confined LC3 concrete cylinders by testing 24 specimens with different concrete grades, confinement levels, and calcined clay replacement rates. The results showed two types of axial stress-strain responses: FRP-confined LC3 normal strength concrete (NSC) exhibited a typical “bi-linear” response, while FRP-confined LC3 high performance concrete (HPC) showed a “stress reduction-recovery” behavior. However, increasing the number of FRP layers could alleviate the stress reduction severity. The LC3 HPC had a smaller initial ascending slope and a lower concrete strength than the HPC without LC3 replacement. Furthermore, the initial ascending slope may decrease further with increasing calcined clay replacement rates. The adequate confinement thresholds for FRP-confined LC3 HPC required either an actual confinement ratio of at least 0.05 or a confinement stiffness ratio of at least 0.025. Moreover, two existing design-oriented models were revised to predict the axial compressive stress-strain behavior of FRP-confined LC3 concrete, and demonstrated strong agreements.No Full Tex
Defect-rich curved MoS2 with atomically dispersed Co for efficient alkaline HER via a mechanochemical strategy
No full textWater electrolysis holds significant promise for hydrogen production, however, its commercial feasibility relies on the development of cost-effective and efficient catalysts. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an earth-abundant material with low hydrogen adsorption free energy, is a promising candidate, yet its performance is limited by the low density of active edge sites. In this work, a CoO-assisted mechanochemical ball-milling strategy is used to produce defect-rich, Co-dispersed, curved MoS2 catalysts with significantly enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Co-milling commercial MoS2 with CoO simultaneously exfoliates bulk MoS2 into few-layer nanosheets, generates abundant structural defects (e.g., sulfur vacancies), incorporates Co atoms in situ into the MoS2 lattice, and induces pronounced nanosheet curvature. This unique one-step process dramatically reduces MoS2 particle size and activates otherwise inert basal planes; concurrently, the curvature-elongated Mo–Mo bonds and tuned local electronic structure facilitate rapid hydrogen adsorption/desorption kinetics. The optimized curved Co,O@MoS2 electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding HER performance, requiring only a 94 mV overpotential to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline electrolyte. These results establish CoO-assisted ball milling as a scalable and effective route to synthesize high-performance MoS2-based electrocatalysts.No Full Tex
The power of place-based Future Visioning: Centring climate justice in urban adaptation
No full textFuture Visioning (FV) is emerging as a critical area for climate adaptation science, policy, and practice. Yet, experiences tend to be led by government institutions or powerful stakeholders, leaving out relevant voices for climate justice. This article highlights the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives in shaping future visions for risk-informed planning and adaptation in cities. The paper examines data from normative FV engagements conducted in four contexts in Tanzania, Palestine, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The analysis reveals various logics used to express place-based injustices and the extent to which these inform visions for resilient future urban environments. By adopting a comparative approach, the research analyses results both within cities - focusing on narratives and scenarios emerging from different social groups - and across cities, exploring emerging global narratives on desired urban development in a context of rapid urbanisation, multi hazard risks and climate change. Our findings highlight the complex nature of visions, which intersect universalistic values with situated experiences and lived injustices. Further research on this topic should explore how intersectional future thinking can drive specific planning trade-offs, as well as its tangible influence on urban planning paradigm shifts and processes amidst rapid urban change.No Full Tex
From temporal thumbnail to semantics: Debiasing multi-view action recognition
No full textMulti-view action recognition remains challenging due to view variation and the difficulty of modeling dynamic motion. Through systematic analysis, we identify two previously overlooked sources of bias that hinder generalization and robustness, especially under occlusion and complex motion: static bias within each view and view bias caused by asymmetric information across views. To mitigate these biases, we propose the Debiased Temporal-Semantic Fusion Network (DTSF). DTSF introduces a Temporal Snapshots Module that explicitly disentangles static and dynamic information via down-sampled frame embeddings, and a Mamba-based semantic uncertainty fusion mechanism that adaptively weights multi-view features during aggregation. DTSF achieves state-of-the-art performance, reaching 97.0% on N-UCLA and 96.7% on NTU-RGB+D, while maintaining high efficiency, requiring only 1.35 h of training, 725.08 GFLOPs, and 25.4 M parameters on N-UCLA. Extensive ablation studies and visualizations on N-UCLA and CASIA further demonstrate the effectiveness and interpretability of the proposed method. The code will be released at https://github.com/lwxfight/debiasedNet.No Full Tex
Solicitation and extraordinarily prolonged and vigorous mating behaviour by Tooth-billed Bowerbirds Scenopoeetes dentirostris; Ptilonorhynchidae
No full textSolicitation, apparent insemination and subsequent prolonged vigorous mounting by male Tooth-billed Bowerbirds Scenopoeetes dentirostris are described from automatic video camera recordings set at ground display courts. Prolonged and persistent, post-cloacal contact, mounting by the male grasping the female by her nape to then repeatedly violently tumble and roll together for extended periods with loud male vocalisations is documented. Such potentially predator-attracting behaviour is contrary to the otherwise cryptic foraging and nesting behaviour of this species. This behaviour is extraordinary in terms of bowerbird mating behaviour specifically and passerine behaviour generally.No Full Tex
Leveraging Workcation to Enhance Employee Retention: Perspectives From the Job Demands–Resources Model
No full text“Workcation” can be understood as a strategic HR intervention that integrates work responsibilities with vacation, signifying a paradigm shift in the traditional delineation between professional responsibilities and leisure time. Drawing upon the job demand–resource model, this study investigates how and under what conditions workcation experience impacts employee retention within Chinese internet-based enterprises. Analyzing data from 377 employees with prior workcation experience, the findings reveal that workcation has both direct and indirect effects on retention through job crafting. However, perceived compulsory citizenship behavior fails to significantly mediate the nexus between workcation and retention. Moreover, a supportive culture emerges as a critical moderator, amplifying the positive effects of workcation on job crafting while reducing the adverse influence of perceived compulsory citizenship behavior. These results illuminate the strategic significance of leveraging workcation as an innovative and transformative HRM paradigm to address talent retention challenges within the intensely competitive milieu of the Chinese internet sector. The study delves into the intricate mechanisms underpinning workcation, contributing to theory and practice while charting advanced strategies for sustainable organizational success in rapidly evolving professional landscapes.No Full Tex
Progression of structural lung disease and lung function in adolescents with cystic fibrosis
No full textBackground
Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease begins early in life and progresses throughout childhood into adolescence. Children completing the Australasian CF Bronchoalveolar Lavage (ACFBAL) trial were followed longitudinally (CF-FAB study) to determine progression of CF lung disease during adolescence using visual and automatic methods and to correlate CT-derived metrics with spirometry outcomes.
Methods
CTs from start and end visits of CF-FAB (mean 24 [SD 12] months apart) were analysed using visual PRAGMA-CF scoring and automatic bronchus-artery (BA) analysis. PRAGMA-CF assessed %Disease by summing %Bronchiectasis, %Mucus plugging, % Airway wall thickening on inspiratory scans and %Trapped air on expiratory scans. The BA-analysis segments the bronchial tree, identifies segmental bronchi (G0) and distal generations (G1, G2, G3…), measures diameters of bronchial outer wall (Bout), inner wall (Bin), wall thickness (Bwt), and artery (A), and computes BA-ratios (Bout/A, Bin/A, Bwt/A, Bwa/Boa[=bronchial wall area/bronchial outer area]) to evaluate bronchial dilatation and wall thickening.
Results
120 children (median age 13 years, IQR 11.4-14) contributed 115 start and 105 end scans. Eleven children were treated with CFTR modulators prior to the start of the study and four received the treatment during the study. Progression was found in PRAGMA-CF %Bronchiectasis (p=0.02) and %Mucus plugging (p=0.02), and Bout/A (p=0.01), Bwt/A (p<0.001), and Bwa/Boa (p<0.001). Spirometry outcomes showed no significant decline. BA-metrics correlated more strongly with spirometry outcomes than PRAGMA-CF scores.
Conclusion
Heterogeneous progression of structural lung disease in children with CF during adolescence was detected using visual PRAGMA-CF scores and automatic BA-analysis. Spirometry outcomes showed no significant decline.No Full Tex
Bilateral frontal periventricular nodular heterotopia: a distinctive cortical malformation
No full textBackground and objectives: Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) is a common malformation of cortical development. We describe a distinctive imaging phenotype characterized by bilateral small heterotopic nodules of grey matter in the frontal periventricular regions, with an overview of the clinical, imaging, and genetic features. Methods: Investigators reviewed available brain MRI studies, clinical records and genetic findings of 32 individuals with bilateral frontal PVNH, ascertained from multiple centres between 1996 and 2021. Results: The imaging phenotype consists of multiple, small, bilateral nodules of PVNH maximal along the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles. Frontal PVNH was associated with heterogeneous, often subtle, additional brain malformations in 72 % (23/32) individuals. The clinical phenotype was variable and included mild focal epilepsy in 7/32 and mild-moderate cognitive impairment or developmental delay in 13/32. Microarray was normal in 13/16 and exome or genome sequencing normal in 8/13 where testing was performed. A genetic diagnosis was achieved in seven patients; pathogenic chromosome deletions of 7q11.23 and 7p22.1, pathogenic intragenic variants in KANSL1, STXBP1 and MAP1B (mother-daughter pair), and a combined 13q12.12 deletion (containing SACS) and an intragenic SACS variant. Discussion: Bilateral frontal PVNH has a variable clinical phenotype, but generally milder sequelae than other forms of bilateral PVNH. A genetic diagnosis was made by chromosome microarray alone in 13 % or by exome or genome sequencing in 38 % where access to testing was available, with no recurrent genetic cause being found. Our PVNH cohort data suggest that PVNH could be classified in three main groups: FLNA-associated “classic” bilateral frontocentral PVNH, posterior/infrasylvian PVNH and this third pattern of bilateral frontal PVNH, accounting for ∼10 % of all cases of PVNH.No Full Tex
Genome-Guided Discovery and Heterologous Biosynthesis of Alkylresorcinols by Collaborating Highly Reducing and Type III Polyketide Synthases
No full textThe rice sheath rot pathogens Sarocladium attenuatum and Sarocladium oryzae share a conserved biosynthetic gene cluster (sarc), which encodes colocalized highly reducing polyketide synthases (HR-PKSs) and type III polyketide synthases (T3PKSs). Heterologous expression of the sarc cluster in the Aspergillus nidulans strain LO8030 led to the production of six previously unreported alkylresorcinols, sarocladones A-D (1-4) and H-I (5-6), along with three putative artifacts arising from 4, sarocladones E-G (4a-4c). Biological screening revealed that 1 and 4c both exhibit mild cytotoxicity against murine NS-1 myeloma cells, with IC50 values of 13 μM and 9 μM, respectively. In addition, 1, 3, 6 and 7 displayed antiphagocytotic activity against THP1 macrophages. Subsequent bioinformatic analysis identified a homologous biosynthetic gene cluster (col) in the genome of the fungal plant pathogen Colletotrichum fructicola. To expand the structural diversity of alkylresorcinols, we employed a gene-mixing strategy, coexpressing the HR-PKS gene colA with the T3PKS gene sarcB in A. nidulans. This resulted in the production of two new sarocladone analogues, collecladones A (7) and B (8), lacking the C-2-C-3 double bond present in the sarocladones. These findings establish HR-PKS-T3PKS collaboration as an underexplored source of fungal chemical diversity.No Full Tex