Immersive virtual reality (IVR) provides great potential to experimentally investigate effects of peers on student learning in class and to strategically deploy virtual peer learners to improve learning. The present study examined how three social-related classroom configurations (i.e., students' position in the classroom, visualization style of virtual avatars, and virtual classmates' performance

The complex topography in mountainous regions, exemplified by factors like slope aspect, leads to noticeable variations in vegetation patterns, which are fundamental for understanding mountain ecosystems. However, a consistent global-scale quantification of topography's influence on vegetation patterns is still lacking. Here, we utilize two phenological metrics as proxies for vegetation-maximum ve

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the world, leading to a significant burden to patients and the healthcare system. It is characterised by rapid and irregular atrial contractions stemming from disorganised electrical activity in the atria. The atrioventricular (AV) node regulates heart rate during AF by filtering electrical impulses from the atria.However, for persistent AF

This study analyzes the relationship between drought processes and crop yields in Moldova, together with the effects of possible future climate change on crops. The severity of drought is analyzed over time in Moldova using the Standard Precipitation Index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, and their relationship with crop yields. In addition, rainfall variability and its re

Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The prevalence of these conditions is approximately 0.7%. With the advent of new treatments and improved management algorithms throughout the last century, the mortality rates associated with these conditions have decreased steeply. However, IBD is still a major cause of lifetime morbidity.

This chapter sets the stage for examining gendered disinformation within feminist foreign policy analysis. It traces the rise of gendered disinformation as a security threat, emphasising the transformative impact of digital technologies and social media on the dissemination and logic of disinformation strategies. The chapter explores how authoritarian regimes and actors use gendered disinformation

The landscape of healthcare is experiencing a digitalization shift, transferring many medical activities to the patients’ homes, a phenomenon commonly referred to as Hospital-at-Home. While Internet of Things (IoT) devices facilitate the building of such systems, there is a need for powerful middleware that encapsulates device-to-device communication, and enables the construction of user-friendly,

Background: Indoor lighting, exposure to outdoor daylight, physical activity and sleep interact to influence functioning, mood and cicadian rhythm. Older adults (≥ 65 years), who often spend more time at home, are less physically active and experience more sleep problems, could benefit from strategies to support behavioural change and self-managed modifications in the home. The study’s primary objBackgroundIndoor lighting, exposure to outdoor daylight, physical activity and sleep interact to influence functioning, mood and cicadian rhythm. Older adults (≥ 65 years), who often spend more time at home, are less physically active and experience more sleep problems, could benefit from strategies to support behavioural change and self-managed modifications in the home. The study’s primary objec

We address the recognized person-to-person Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) calibration problem and tackle session-dependency through the use of unsupervised canonical polyadic (CP) tensor decomposition. For a motor imagery task, the approach reveals universal structures within EEG data, common between subjects and prominent for a certain task. Further, we develop a novel similarity measure that inc

Static program analysis plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and security of software applications by detecting bugs and potential vulnerabilities in the code. Traditionally, these analyses are performed offline, either as part of the continuous integration/continuous deployment pipeline or overnight on the entire repository. However, this delayed feedback disrupts developer productivity,

Pancreatic cancer is often detected at a late stage and usually leads to significant morbidity and deaths1. The 5-year survival rate for those with pancreatic cancer detected at a resectable stage is 25%, compared with a 5-year survival rate of 3% for those with pancreatic cancer that is not resectable2–4. Some 20% of patients have resectable disease at the time of diagnosis, underscoring the nece

Background: Lifestyle choices, metformin, and dietary supplements may prevent GDM, but the effect of intervention characteristics has not been identified. This review evaluated intervention characteristics to inform the implementation of GDM prevention interventions. Methods: Ovid, MEDLINE/PubMed, and EMBASE databases were searched. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR

Groundwater is an essential resource for drinking water, food production, and industrial applications worldwide. Over-exploitation and pollution pose significant risks to groundwater sustainability. Groundwater models can be powerful tools for optimizing use, managing risks, and aiding decision making. For this purpose, models should assimilate pertinent data and quantify uncertainties in outcomes

The Module Learning With Errors (MLWE)-based Key Encapsulation Mechanism (KEM) Kyber is NIST's new standard scheme for post-quantum encryption. As a building block, Kyber uses a Chosen Plaintext Attack (CPA)-secure Public Key Encryption (PKE) scheme, referred to as Kyber.CPAPKE. In this paper we study the robustness of Kyber.CPAPKE against key mismatch attacks.We demonstrate that Kyber's security

Over the last two decades, there has been a huge increase in our understanding of microbial diversity, structure and composition enabled by high-throughput sequencing technologies. Yet, it is unclear how the number of sequences translates to the number of cells or species within the community. In some cases, additional observational data may be required to ensure relative abundance patterns from s

Ocean microbes are fundamental for the functioning of the Earth system. Yet, our understanding of how they are reacting to global change in terms of evolution is limited. Microbes typically grow in large populations and reproduce quickly, which may allow them to rapidly adapt to environmental stressors compared to larger organisms. However, genetic evidence of contemporary evolution in wild microb