bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the Need for Breast Imaging in Young Women with Clinically Significant Breast Pain and a Normal Physical Breast Examination
Authors: Rotbart Noa , Kaminsky Oleg , Aranovich David , Shochat Tzipora , Atar Eli , Grubstein Ahuva
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Although breast pain as a sole symptom is very rarely associated with cancer, national guidelines recommend that all women with a complaint of breast pain have to be referred for ultrasound evaluation. This study sought to investigate the necessity of this practice. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in consecutive women aged between 17 and 39 years, at average risk of breast cancer who presented at a major tertiary breast clinic with clinically significant breast pain (unilateral, unifocal, and noncyclic) in 2017–2023. Data on background, physical examination, imaging, and pathology were collected from the electronic medical records and analyzed by outcome. Results: The cohort included 814 women. Among the 574 women (70%) with a normal physical breast examination, ultrasound revealed normal findings or BI-RADS 1–2 lesions in 499 (87%), BI-RADS 3 lesions in 59 (10%), and BI-RADS 4 lesions in 16 (3%). Biopsies, performed in 30 BI-RADS 3 lesions and all BI-RADS 4 lesions, were benign. Half of the 337 patients with available follow-up data continued to attend the breast clinic (mean 3.5 ± 2.2 years). Among the 240 women (30%) with a palpable abnormality on breast examination, ultrasound revealed normal or benign BI-RADS 2 findings in 112 (47%), BI-RADS 3 lesions in 69 (29%), and BI-RADS 4–5 lesions in 59 (25%). Biopsies performed in BI-RADS 3 lesions (12%) were all benign. Biopsies, performed in all BI-RADS 4–5 lesions, yielded malignant pathology in 16 lesions (7%) (including IDC, DCIS, or angiosarcoma). The overall breast cancer risk was 2%. Ultrasound sensitivity was 94%, specificity 85%, and negative predictive value 99%. The negative predictive value for dedicated physical examination without imaging was 100%. The biopsy-proven positive predictive value was 0 in patients with a normal breast examination compared to 18% in patients with a palpable finding on breast examination (p = 0.0017). Conclusion: A subset of women <40 years old with average breast cancer risk and breast pain, who would normally be referred for imaging, can be triaged by a dedicated physical examination. Limiting ultrasound evaluation to those with palpable findings will spare patients and the healthcare system unnecessary radiology and biopsy studies.
Analysis of Village Government Financial Management Performance in Deli Serdang
Authors: Nasution Dito Aditia Darma , Welly Yerisma , Sianipar Martin Yehezkiel
Published: January 2025

The aim of this research is to determine the performance of village financial management in Batang Kuis District, Deli Serdang Regency. Data collection in this research used a questionnaire, namely the sample used a purposive sampling method, the research units were the Village Head, Village Secretariat, Village Treasurer or Head of Finance, Section Head, Head of Village Affairs and Village Consultative Body. The number of samples in this study (8 respondents in each village with a total of 9 villages), the analysis method used multiple regression. The results of the research found that Village Apparatus Capacity, Financial Reporting, Quality of BPD Supervision and Village Assistance have a positive and significant influence on village financial management performance in Batang Kuis District, Deli Serdang Regency, both partially and simultaneously.
História oral e patrimônio cultural: potencialidades e transformações
Authors: Martins Rodrigo Nogueira
Published: January 2025

Resenha do livro "História oral e patrimônio cultural: potencialidades e transformações", de Leticia Bauer e Viviane Trindade Borges,  São Paulo: Editora Letra e Voz, 2018.
Vps4a Mediates a Unified Membrane Repair Machinery to Attenuate Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Huang Xiaozhi , Zhang Jiayin , Xu Chen , Cao Ranran , Jiang Peijun , Ji Xue , Wang Wenyi , Huang Zhishan , Han Peidong
Published: January 2025

BACKGROUND:

Cardiac ischemia/reperfusion disrupts plasma membrane integrity and induces various types of programmed cell death. The ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) proteins, particularly AAA-ATPase Vps4a (vacuolar protein sorting 4a), play an essential role in the surveillance of membrane integrity. However, the role of ESCRT proteins in the context of cardiac injury remains unclear.

METHODS:

We simultaneously visualized the formation of membrane blebs and the subcellular translocation of Vps4a during a variety of cell death programs in primary cardiomyocytes.
Vps4a
cardiomyocyte-specific knockout and overexpression mice were generated and characterized. In vivo and ex vivo surgeries were performed to determine the effects of altered Vps4a expression levels on plasma membrane repair and cell survival. Given the role of Ripk3 (receptor-interacting kinase 3)-mediated pore formation in regulating cell membrane integrity, hearts from
Ripk3
and
Vps4a
double-knockout mice were examined. The sequential recruitment of upstream ESCRT components that promote the translocation of Vps4a to injured sites was also assessed using genetic gain- and loss-of-function approaches. Finally, we overexpressed a mutated form of Vps4a with defective ATPase activity and investigated its function during cardiomyocyte membrane repair.

RESULTS:

Ischemia/reperfusion stimulation or forced induction of apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis in primary cardiomyocytes leads to membrane blebbing and the exposure of phosphatidylserine to the extracellular space. In response to injury, Vps4a promptly translocates to injured sites to reseal damaged membranes.
Vps4a
gain- and loss-of-function in the postnatal stage minimally affects cardiac structure formation and function. However, in the context of ischemia/reperfusion stimulation, overexpression of
Vps4a
protects cardiomyocytes against injury, whereas
Vps4a
-deficient hearts are more susceptible to cell damage. Additionally,
Ripk3
deletion abrogates the detrimental effects of
Vps4a
deficiency during ischemia/reperfusion injury, and the Ca
2+
-Alix-Ist1 axis plays an essential role in recruiting Vps4a to the injured site. Mechanistically, Vps4a promotes the shedding of plasma membrane blebs to restrict permeability to the extracellular environment, and the surveillance of membrane integrity requires the ATPase activity of Vps4a.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results demonstrate that Vps4a-mediated plasma membrane repair is an intrinsic cell protection machinery that antagonizes cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury, and our findings may contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies towards attenuating cardiac injury.
Translational network neuroscience: Nine roadblocks and possible solutions
Authors: Fekonja Lucius S. , Forkel Stephanie J. , Aydogan Dogu Baran , Lioumis Pantelis , Cacciola Alberto , Lucas Carolin Weiβ , Tournier Jacques-Donald , Vergani Francesco , Ritter Petra , Schenk Robert , Shams Boshra , Engelhardt Melina Julia , Picht Thomas
Published: January 2025

Translational network neuroscience aims to integrate advanced neuroimaging and data analysis techniques into clinical practice to better understand and treat neurological disorders. Despite the promise of technologies such as functional MRI and diffusion MRI combined with network analysis tools, the field faces several challenges that hinder its swift clinical translation. We have identified nine key roadblocks that impede this process: (a) theoretical and basic science foundations; (b) network construction, data interpretation, and validation; (c) MRI access, data variability, and protocol standardization; (d) data sharing; (e) computational resources and expertise; (f) interdisciplinary collaboration; (g) industry collaboration and commercialization; (h) operational efficiency, integration, and training; and (i) ethical and legal considerations. To address these challenges, we propose several possible solution strategies. By aligning scientific goals with clinical realities and establishing a sound ethical framework, translational network neuroscience can achieve meaningful advances in personalized medicine and ultimately improve patient care. We advocate for an interdisciplinary commitment to overcoming translational hurdles in network neuroscience and integrating advanced technologies into routine clinical practice.
Multilayer network analysis across cortical depths in 7-T resting-state fMRI
Authors: Kotlarz Parker , Lankinen Kaisu , Hakonen Maria , Turpin Tori , Polimeni Jonathan R. , Ahveninen Jyrki
Published: January 2025

In graph theory, “multilayer networks” represent systems involving several interconnected topological levels. One example in neuroscience is the stratification of connections between different cortical depths or “laminae,” which is becoming noninvasively accessible in humans using ultrahigh-resolution functional MRI (fMRI). Here, we applied a multilayer graph theory to examine functional connectivity across different cortical depths in humans, using 7-T fMRI (1-mm3 voxels; 30 participants). Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signals were derived from five depths between the white matter and pial surface. We compared networks where the interregional connections were limited to a single cortical depth only (“layer-by-layer matrices”) with those considering all possible connections between areas and cortical depths (“multilayer matrix”). We utilized global and local graph theory features that quantitatively characterize network attributes including network composition, nodal centrality, path-based measures, and hub segregation. Detecting functional differences between cortical depths was improved using multilayer connectomics compared with the layer-by-layer versions. Superficial depths of the cortex dominated information transfer, and deeper depths drove clustering. These differences were largest in frontotemporal and limbic regions. fMRI functional connectivity across different cortical depths may contain neurophysiologically relevant information; thus, multilayer connectomics could provide a methodological framework for studies on how information flows across this stratification.
Test-retest reliability of dynamic functional connectivity parameters for a two-state model
Authors: Fang Xiaojing , Marxen Michael
Published: January 2025

Reliability of imaging parameters is of pivotal importance for further correlation analyses. Here, we investigated the test-retest reliability of two dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) brain states and related parameters for different scan length, atlases with 116 versus 442 regions, and data centering in 23 participants and reproduced the findings in 501 subjects of the Human Connectome Project. Results showed an integrated and a segregated brain state with high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values of the states between sessions (0.67 ≥ ICC ≥ 0.99). The most reliable dFC parameter was state prevalence with an ICC ≈ 0.5 for ∼15 min of uncentered data, while other parameters, such as mean dwell time, were much less reliable. While shorter scans and within-subject data centering further reduce reliability, the atlas choice had no effects. Spearman’s correlations among dFC parameters strongly depend on data centering. The effect of global signal regression and a higher number of states is discussed. In conclusion, we recommend formulating hypotheses on cross-sectional differences and correlations between dFC measures of brain integration and other subject-specific measures in terms of state prevalence, especially in small-scale studies.
Whole-brain causal discovery using fMRI
Authors: Arab Fahimeh , Ghassami AmirEmad , Jamalabadi Hamidreza , Peters Megan A. K. , Nozari Erfan
Published: January 2025

Despite significant research, discovering causal relationships from fMRI remains a challenge. Popular methods such as Granger causality and dynamic causal modeling fall short in handling contemporaneous effects and latent common causes. Methods from causal structure learning literature can address these limitations but often scale poorly with network size and need acyclicity. In this study, we first provide a taxonomy of existing methods and compare their accuracy and efficiency on simulated fMRI from simple topologies. This analysis demonstrates a pressing need for more accurate and scalable methods, motivating the design of Causal discovery for Large-scale Low-resolution Time-series with Feedback (CaLLTiF). CaLLTiF is a constraint-based method that uses conditional independence between contemporaneous and lagged variables to extract causal relationships. On simulated fMRI from the macaque connectome, CaLLTiF achieves significantly higher accuracy and scalability than all tested alternatives. From resting-state human fMRI, CaLLTiF learns causal connectomes that are highly consistent across individuals, show clear top-down flow of causal effect from attention and default mode to sensorimotor networks, exhibit Euclidean distance dependence in causal interactions, and are highly dominated by contemporaneous effects. Overall, this work takes a major step in enhancing causal discovery from whole-brain fMRI and defines a new standard for future investigations.
A Reconsideration of the Issue of Authorship in the Vinaya
Authors: Shiri Yael
Published: January 2025

When discussing the transmission of the Monastic Codes (Vinaya) that have come down to us, we often opt to speak of their “authors,” implying a sense of agency and intention in the formation of these complex and narrative-laden compositions. This article, focusing in particular on the Mūlasarvāstivāda-vinaya, offers a reconsideration of these historic agents and possibly their own self-representation. The various Buddhist Monastic Codes were said to be transmitted by proficient “Bearers of the Discipline” – the vinayadharas. Who were the vinayadharas? Did they merely transmit existing utterances, or perhaps fashion and reshape the tradition as authors? In a section of their law code (the Śayanāsanavastu), the vinayadharas of the Mūlasarvāstivādin fraternity describe their role in their own words. By closely reading this description, this article will address the questions above in the hope of contributing to the discussion on issues such as authorship, creativity, and agency in the Buddhist textual tradition.
Malesherbia dillonii (Malesherbioideae, Passifloraceae) a new species endemic to southern Peru
Authors: QUIPUSCOA-SILVESTRE VICTOR , BALVIN-AGUILAR MARGARITA , HOXEY PAUL D.
Published: January 2025

A new species, Malesherbia dillonii, endemic to southern Peru, is described and illustrated. The species is characterized as a strongly aromatic subshrub with linear, hirsute, pinnately lobed leaves; flowers white, tube long obconical with 23–30 mm length. A key to the Malesherbia species recorded in southern Peru, a comparative table of diagnostic characters among related species, the conservation status according to IUCN and a distribution map are provided.
The Influence of North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature and Sea Ice in the Barents Sea on Spring Mongolian Cyclone Activity
Authors: Wang Jing , Chen Lei , Li Shuanglin
Published: January 2025

The Mongolian cyclone, a type of extratropical cyclone, significantly impacts regional weather. This study objectively identifies and tracks the Mongolian cyclone during spring (March–May) from 1950 to 2022, analyzing the relationships between its interannual variability, atmospheric circulations, sea surface temperature (SST), and Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC). The results show that the negative height anomaly over Lake Baikal is a key circulation system for the abnormal increase in spring Mongolian cyclones. The anomalous decrease in North Atlantic SST during spring leads to a negative east Atlantic/western Russia (EA/WR) pattern, resulting in a negative height anomaly over Lake Baikal. Additionally, the reduction in Barents Sea SIC weakens the polar vortex circulation, contributing to the negative anomaly over Lake Baikal and promoting Mongolian cyclone development. Numerical simulations confirm these observations, indicating that both the negative anomalies in North Atlantic SST and Barents Sea SIC independently affect the interannual variation in spring Mongolian cyclone frequency. Furthermore, the combined effect of SST and SIC anomalies has a more pronounced influence on spring Mongolian cyclone activity compared to their individual effects.

Significance Statement

The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of the relationship between interannual variations in spring Mongolian cyclone frequency, sea surface temperature, and Arctic Sea ice concentration. The Mongolian cyclone can result in severe weather phenomena, such as strong winds and sandstorms, which significantly impact both human lives and property. Given the context of global warming, predicting Mongolian cyclone has become increasingly uncertain. Our research findings suggest that the anomalous decrease in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures and the reduction of sea ice concentration in the Barents Sea significantly influence the frequency of spring Mongolian cyclone.
Severe Weather Verification of a FV3-LAM regional ensemble during the 2022 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment
Authors: Johnson Marcus , Snook Nathan , Park Jun , Xue Ming , Brewster Keith A. , Supinie Timothy , Hu Xiao-Ming
Published: January 2025

As part of the 2022 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment, the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms produced FV3-LAM real-time ensemble forecasts to study its use in convection-allowing ensemble forecasts for the severe weather forecasting problem and to inform the optimization of the upcoming operational Rapid Refresh Forecast System. We evaluate deterministic and ensemble forecasts in terms of surrogate severe weather reports (SSRs) and surrogate severe probability forecasts (SSPFs) created from simulated 0–3- and 2–5-km updraft helicity (UH), and 10-m wind speed. Forecasts are verified against observed storm reports (OSRs) and observed severe probabilistic fields (OSPFs) derived from tornado and hail, wind, and all types of local storm reports, and 0600 UTC Day 1 convective outlooks issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) for three cases.

UH ensemble SSPFs have better reliability and discrimination when verified with OSRs from all storm reports. Spatial smoothing generally increases reliability while smaller smoothing lengths optimize discrimination ability. Case studies demonstrate that UH SSPFs are consistent with SPC Day 1 convective outlooks, indicating that these forecasts are qualitatively similar to operational guidance. The ensemble mean of SSRs is generally more skillful than individual members when based on UH, but not 10-m wind. In fact, SSRs and SSPFs based on 10-m wind display little skill predicting severe wind events; we therefore conclude that UH seems to better inform severe hazard risk, even compared to prognosed surface wind speed. Model resolution dictates its ability to prognose rotating updrafts and severe wind.
Sociological Solutions: Building Communities of Hope, Justice, and Joy
Authors: Misra Joya
Published: January 2025

In her ASA presidential address, Misra calls for making solution-oriented, community-engaged, and participatory research more central in the discipline. She argues that solution-oriented work can strengthen the discipline, clarifying the promise and importance of sociology. She first discusses how sociologists engage in solution-oriented work that they communicate publicly. She then uses her collaborative work to suggest how to design research geared toward solving social problems. She emphasizes how feminist and decolonial methods that bring sociological researchers into collaborative and participatory partnerships with broader communities can develop transformative solutions, building communities of hope, justice, and joy. After discussing sociological approaches that empower communities, she emphasizes recognizing, valuing, and centering community-engaged research in the discipline.
A systematic review of neurocognition and social cognition in body dysmorphic disorder
Authors: Katrina Holmes à Court , Malcolm Amy , Toh Wei Lin , Rossell Susan L
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Neurocognitive underpinnings are implicated in the aetiology and maintenance of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD); however, inconsistent findings across a range of neurocognitive domains suggest that a comprehensive synthesis of the literature using a hierarchical framework of neurocognition is needed.

Methods:

A final search across OVID Medline, PsycNET, Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted on 20 June 2024 to identify research that examined performance on behavioural tasks of objective neurocognition in BDD. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Fifty-four studies aligned with the following inclusion criteria: (1) full-text; (2) peer-reviewed; (3) published in English; (4) employed a neurocognitive task with an objective outcome and (5) involved a case-controlled paradigm consisting of BDD and healthy control samples. Findings were synthesised according to neurocognitive sub-domains viewed as a hierarchy from basic to higher-level domains.

Results:

Neurocognitive differences in BDD relative to controls were identified at almost all levels of the hierarchy, most consistently in the upper domains of executive function and social cognition. Vulnerabilities were also demonstrated in the sub-domains of visual perception of faces, Gestalt processing, selective attention to faces and verbal memory. Methodological limitations or the influence of neurocognitive sub-groups may contribute to inconsistencies across the literature.

Conclusions:

Although neurocognitive differences appear central to BDD, a picture of neurocognitive heterogeneity emerged with the salience of stimuli important and a likely bias to local-over-global processing demonstrated across the domains.
More Equality for Women Does Mean Less War: Descriptive Representation, Legislative Votes, and International Conflict
Authors: Kikuta Kyosuke
Published: January 2025

Although the pacifying effect of gender equality is said to be a near-consensus, the causal mechanisms remain underspecified, and causal identification is weak. I address those shortcomings by providing the first causal evidence regarding the effects of women’s legislative representation on the state’s foreign military actions. I argue that women legislators affect foreign policies via legislative votes, and hence that the effect depends on whether military deployment requires legislative approval. I test the hypotheses by exploiting as-if random variation in mixed-gender close races and classifying the gender of 270,553 candidates in 253 legislative elections across 50 countries. The analysis indicates that women’s close victories reduced the state’s military actions but only with legislative veto power. The analysis of legislative votes also suggests that women legislators influenced other legislators and substantially reduced votes for military deployment. These results imply the crucial roles of legislatures in the gender-peace thesis.
Validation and Application of a Perception of Community Adaptive Capacity to Coastal Hazards Measure
Authors: Pilgreen Daniel G. , Kyle Gerard T. , Ross Ashley D.
Published: January 2025

Evaluating adaptive capacities that support the resilience of at-risk communities can be from an objective (top-down) approach or from a subjective (bottom-up) approach. While both approaches are valuable, there remains a need for quantitative subjective measures that complement objective measures by grounding understanding in community members’ perceptions and experiences. To address this need, a 12-item self-report assessment scale of community adaptive capacity to coastal hazards was developed and validated using data collected from two samples of Texas Gulf Coast residents. Findings support the psychometric validity and reliability of the measure and indicate that at-risk coastal communities in Texas can be meaningfully segmented using the measure. The perception of greater adaptive capacity, real, or otherwise, may ameliorate natural hazard concerns and inflate beliefs about preparedness. As such, subjective measures are important companions to objective measures of adaptive capacity and can offer opportunities to identify mismatches between top-down approaches to building adaptive capacity and community perceptions.
State Finance in India: Emerging Issues and Fiscal Challenges
Authors: Chakraborty Pinaki , Bhadra Kausik K.
Published: January 2025

There have been significant post-pandemic fiscal corrections in India at the Union and State levels. Our analysis shows that excessive fiscal corrections by some States coupled with the emergence of revenue deficits resulted in underutilisation of fiscal space and lower capital expenditure than its potential at the State level. However, many fiscal risks remain. Some of the major risks include increasing off-budget operations by the States. The study notes that a future bailout of distribution companies (DISCOMs) may significantly reduce fiscal space for development spending at the State level. The study concludes that State-specific fiscal risks need appropriate policy consideration for a sustainable fiscal recovery.

JEL Codes: H72, H74
Immersing Undergraduate Students in Diasporic Experiences: Black Studies, Study Away, and Afro-Puerto Rico
Authors: Tonnette Gaines Leah
Published: January 2025

This research is a critical assessment of the dimensions and impacts of a study away course to Puerto Rico, where students were immersed in Afro-Puerto Rican history, culture, and experiences. The course facilitated space for students to learn about the experiences of the diaspora from the perspectives of the diaspora, connect with Afro-Puerto Rican community organizations, and conduct research around a complex question or problem centering Afro-Puerto Rico. The study away course discussed in this paper demonstrates one method to expose undergraduate students to travel, high-impact learning experiences, and Black Studies research. Sharing such pedagogies is vital to strengthen teaching practices and advance the discipline. This work seeks to contribute to ongoing conversations about the role of Black Studies in higher education and underscores the course’s necessity, particularly in states like Florida, where such classes face increasing political challenges. By sharing the significance of these educational experiences, this research emphasizes the important role high-impact practices can play in enriching students’ academic journeys and advocating for the continued relevance of Black Studies.
Narrowing Finland's Cold War Neutrality Narrative
Authors: Uutela Marjo
Published: January 2025

The present study examines how Finland's Cold War neutrality narrative was reformulated when Finnish diplomats engaged in dialogue with their German colleagues in the early 1990s. The article locates the reformulation of the neutrality narrative on the diplomatic stage and argues that updating neutrality began when diplomats had to position their country anew in international interactions. Furthermore, the article demonstrates how redefining Finland's neutrality narrative was a slow and complicated process. Even though Finland's neutrality policy was officially narrowed to military non-alignment in March 1992, traces of Finland's Cold War neutrality remained for example in the attitudes towards the use of force in crisis management operations. The novelty of the research lies in its archives-centric approach. While this is a traditional approach in international history, archival research is rare in memory studies.c
Institutional Cultural Norms, Cultural Motives for College and Adjustment: Cultural Mismatch Theory in the Chinese Context
Authors: Lu Yun , Zhu Yiling , Huang Weidi , Zhou Chaoyi , Shen Zhanren , Qiu Yun , Ke Yu , Zong Xinyu , Guo Qing , Yashengjiang Maidinuer , Man Jian
Published: January 2025

Cultural mismatch theory attempts to explain how the independent, middle-class culture of U.S. higher education may inadvertently contribute to creating and maintaining social class inequalities for students from interdependently oriented, working-class background. The current research was the first attempt to examine the theory’s cross-cultural applicability in the Chinese context. Validating the main claims of cultural mismatch theory, more selective Chinese universities endorsed significantly more independent values but similar interdependent values as their less-selective counterparts (Study 1), and first-generation college students endorsed significantly more interdependent motives for college than their continuing-generation counterparts (Studies 2, 3). Somewhat different from prior findings in the U.S., which found holding interdependent models of self to robustly predict negative outcomes, results revealed nuanced cultural advantage for holding independent models of self for Chinese students in terms of lower depression (Study 2) and higher daily sense of fit over a 2-week span (Study 3). The Chinese university culture did not seem to exert unequal cultural barriers through a lack of interdependent norms, but an overemphasis of independent norms. The cross-cultural perspective helps contextualize institutionalized cultural mismatch in the culture of the larger society.
Coping With Hanged Ghosts: Rationalizing the Prevention of Suicide by Hanging in Early Modern China
Authors: Chang Che-chia
Published: January 2025

In Chinese culture, there has been a longstanding belief that if an individual commits suicide by hanging in a specific location, similar incidents will recur in that same place. This is because the process of reincarnation is contingent upon the resolution of any residual grievance, without which the spirit of the deceased person would keep inciting others to die by the same means. As hanged ghosts (Ch. diaosi gui) are seen as the essential cause of suicide, exorcism rituals are called for to address them and break the unfortunate loop. This article examines the evolution of the concept of hanged ghost in Chinese society, revealing that early modern philosophers, physicians, and forensic practitioners sought to demystify this phenomenon in order to alleviate social fears towards suicidal hanging. The article argues that initiatives aimed at medicalization and destigmatization of suicide were already in progress during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.
Exploring Gender-Based Disparities in Finalist Technical-Tactical Actions: A Study of Amateur and Professional Padel Players
Authors: Fernández de Ossó Ana Isabel , Conde-Ripoll Rafael , Muñoz Diego , Escudero-Tena Adrián
Published: January 2025

Our aim in this study was to analyze gender differences across amateur and professional padel players related to the last shot of each rally. We analyzed a total of 180 games per category (professional and amateur), with 90 games for each gender. We performed descriptive and inferential analyses, including the Chi-square (χ2) statistical test, the Cramer’s V coefficient (Vc), subsequent Z-tests and corrected standard residuals (CSR). Results revealed that male amateurs produced more winners than female amateurs (CSR = 3.2). Conversely, male professionals exhibited more forced errors (CSR = 3.0) than female professionals, while female professionals committed more unforced errors (CSR = 3.8). In addition, there was a significant relationship between the type of the last shot played and player gender among amateurs, particularly when the last shot resulted in a winner ( p < .001) or an unforced error ( p = .011). Similarly, among professionals, there was a significant relationship between gender and last shot play when the last shot was a forced error ( p = .009). Likewise, there was a relationship between the court zone and gender in amateur padel, when the last shot was an unforced error ( p = .002) and among professionals, when the last shot was a winner ( p = .001). In conclusion, the type of technical-tactical action, its effectiveness, and the area of the court were influenced by the players’ sex in both amateur and professional padel.
Differential Item Functioning Analysis of Likert Scales: An Overview and Demonstration of Rating Scale Tree Model
Authors: Effatpanah Farshad , Ravand Hamdollah , Doebler Philipp
Published: January 2025

An important psychometric property in educational and psychological testing is differential item functioning (DIF), assessing whether different subgroups respond differently to particular items within a scale, despite having the same overall ability level. In fact, DIF occurs when respondents with the same underlying trait level have different probabilities of selecting specific response categories, depending on their subgroup membership. This study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of rating scale tree (RStree) model in detecting DIF of Likert-type scales across age and gender in social sciences. Compared to the conventional DIF methods, a priori specification of groups for detecting DIF is not required in the RStree model. The study used item responses of 721 English as a foreign language (EFL) students to a cognitive test anxiety scale. The analysis of the RStree model generated three non-predefined nodes, with slight variations in item difficulties. Four items of the scale were flagged as DIF items. Results showed that age does not have any impact on the performance of respondents, whereas gender has a role in generating DIF in test anxiety. The findings also indicated the effectiveness of the RStree model in reflecting the underlying interaction between the covariates and the scale items.
HBCUs and Economics—A Crucial Step in the Pipeline
Authors: Smith Chantal D. , Swinton Omari H.
Published: January 2025

In 1987, economist Barbara A.P. Jones centered her National Economic Association Presidential Address on the status of economics departments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Using the New Moton Guide to American Colleges with a Black Heritage: 1982–1983, she discovered that slightly more than 50 of these institutions include economics as a major field of study. Dr. Jones speaks on various aspects of economics programs at HBCUs, from placement (business school or college of arts and sciences [COAS]), curricula, and degrees (BS, BA, BBA), faculty (both in terms of doctoral studies and ethnicity), and student outcomes as they relate to the stated goals of the NEA of increasing the supply of Black economists. While there are numerous studies, articles, and reports regarding the status and importance of HBCUs to the education of Black American students, little focus has been placed specifically on economics programs as these institutions. This article considers the production of economics baccalaureate degrees at HBCU economics programs to assess their actual and potential role in increasing and diversifying the supply of Black economists.
Peak serum lactate as a robust predictor of imminent death in life-sustaining treatment decisions: A study of 73,927 patients
Authors: Kim Dong Jung , Kim Hyun Joo , Chang Hyoung Woo
Published: January 2025

Objective:

The physician order for life-sustaining treatment has been implemented in clinical practice for several years. However, the determination that a patient is in the terminal phase of life, a prerequisite for the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, lacks objective criteria. This study aimed to evaluate whether hyperlactatemia could serve as a reliable objective indicator for determining the terminal phase.

Methods:

In this retrospective cohort study, we included 73,927 patients admitted to our institution from 2018 to 2023 who had at least one blood lactate measurement. We collected data on the highest blood lactate level measured during hospitalization, mortality, medical department, and intensive care unit (ICU) details. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality, and we analyzed how well the highest lactate level during hospitalization predicted 30-day mortality across different age groups, medical departments, and ICUs.

Results:

Among the patients, 5493 died within 30 days of the maximum lactate measurement. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for predicting 30-day mortality based on the maximum lactate level was 0.870 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.865–0.875) in all patients, indicating high accuracy. Setting the cutoff for the maximum lactate level at 20 mmol/L resulted in a precision of 87% and specificity of 99.8%. Subgroup analyses by age, medical department, and ICU yielded consistent results.

Conclusions:

Severe hyperlactatemia during hospitalization showed high precision and specificity for predicting 30-day mortality across various patient groups. These findings suggest that hyperlactatemia could serve as an objective auxiliary indicator for determining the terminal phase, potentially improving consistency in end-of-life decision-making in clinical practice.
The Saga of Scripture: How Should the Bible's “Grand Narrative” Impact Preaching in a Postmodern World
Authors: Greene Bob C.
Published: January 2025

In a postmodern world marked by diverse perspectives and skepticism, preaching can be enriched by embracing the Bible’s “grand narrative” of creation, fall, and redemption. This metanarrative provides a unifying framework that connects individual passages, revealing their coherence and relevance within the broader biblical story. By highlighting these connections, preachers help postmodern listeners see the bigger picture, making isolated passages more meaningful. Postmodernism often breeds skepticism about absolute truth. However, by presenting the Bible as a coherent story that addresses humanity’s fundamental questions, preachers can engage with doubt while pointing to a greater narrative that offers meaning and purpose. In a context where stories are valued, the grand narrative offers an effective structure for preaching. Preachers can use biblical narratives to illustrate and embody the larger story, making their message relatable and engaging. Ultimately, the Bible’s grand narrative provides a compelling foundation for preaching in a postmodern world. By weaving together themes of creation, fall, and redemption, preachers can offer a coherent, relevant, and hopeful message that speaks to the deepest longings and questions of postmodern listeners.
Atonement: Its Changing Theological Meaning and Influence
Authors: Morishima Yutaka
Published: January 2025

The aim of this article is to first investigate the history of the English usage of “atonement” as a theological term and the confusion caused by it, uncovering the cause of this confusion. Secondly, it examines how the original interpersonal concept of the term was lost and explores the recovery of the original concept and its influence. Finally, it introduces the fact that the concept of personality was lost in Japanese translation and highlights its contemporary issues. The term “atonement,” originally created as a translation of the Latin word “reconciliation,” lost its connection to its original concept. This article demonstrates that the cause lies in the history of English Bible translation. Firstly, it confirms the understanding of the term as translated by William Tyndale. Tyndale originally used atonement to mean “recovery of a relationship between people” in the New Testament, but the Old Testament uses the same word to mean “expiation.” However, the Bible translators after him starting with translation of the Old Testament, were likely not aware of the theological intent in its Old Testament use, and automatically limited its use to “expiation”. Then, it acknowledges that due to the limited use of atonement in the King James Version and the Geneva Bible, which adopted only the passages used by Tyndale in the Old Testament, the personal concept of reconciliation was lost from atonement and was replaced with the word “expiation.” Furthermore, it confirms that this understanding of atonement has persisted in Bible translations to this day. However, it points out that since F. D. Maurice, related concepts have been reintroduced, leading to a flourishing of theological studies on atonement. Finally, it reports that a similar process has occurred in Japanese translation. This study offers a valuable contribution to modern theology of the atonement.
“More Than Human Expectation: Our God of Mercy and Justice” Princeton Theological Seminary Fall 2024 Convocation Address
Authors: Smith Mark S.
Published: January 2025

This address explores the nature of biblical metaphor for the divine, both in broad terms and specifically in terms of the Sodom and Gomorrah story in Genesis 18–19. Drawing some threads from this exploration, the piece concludes with reflections on the current conflict in Gaza.
Savoring Matters: The Impact of Tourist Sharing on Well-being
Authors: Tang Binli , Yang Xiaojie , Luo Zhidan
Published: January 2025

Tourist sharing is a significant source of well-being, yet the mechanisms through which it influences their well-being remain unclear. In particular, material sharing, a crucial aspect of tourist sharing, has not received the attention it deserves. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive investigation involving a questionnaire survey and four experiments. Our findings reveal that the well-being effect of material sharing is relatively stronger than that of experiential sharing, with savoring mediating the relationship between tourist sharing and well-being. Sharing channels moderate this well-being effect, whereby material sharing (vs. experiential sharing) activates higher well-being when tourists use offline channels for sharing. However, when tourists use online channels for sharing, experiential sharing (vs. material sharing) activates higher well-being. This paper introduces material sharing into the tourist sharing framework, highlighting the critical role of savoring in the well-being effect of tourist sharing, with practical implications for enhancing tourist well-being during sharing activities.
Civil Disobedience and Bottom-up Governance of Cannabis for Medicinal Use in Brazil: The Role of Patient Associations
Authors: Pereira Paulo José dos Reis
Published: January 2025

Access to cannabis for medicinal purposes in Brazil faces many restrictions. The country does not have a law establishing clear regulation for this issue, creating a context characterized as a “weak legal governance.” This allowed social actors to build their own dynamics of access to the plant and its products, often on the fringes of the law, by using strategic mechanisms of action. The most expressive case is the creation and functioning of non-profit cannabis patient associations (CPAs), whose activities have redefined the policy design “space” of cannabis medicinal use in the country. The specialized literature still lacks an analysis of these cases and their contribution to the new governance of cannabis regulations. The article intends to address this gap. To this end, a literature review in the field of public policy and related areas, as well as a qualitative analysis of secondary data, was conducted. To complement this information, primary data was collected through five semi-structured interviews with key representatives from CPAs and with the Legal Network for Drug Policy Reform. The conclusion is that Brazil has an alternative bottom-up cannabis regulation model created by a “leadership configuration” in which CPAs are protagonists. They assume this role by acting based on the idea of civil disobedience to the drug law and functioning as social devices for politicizing medical cannabis use. This alternative regulation promotes more democratic access to cannabis-based medicines but remains embedded in Brazil's racist and classist prohibitionist framework, adding a new layer to it rather than replacing it..
MultiSpace Deep Fascial Infection in the Head and Neck Patient Complicated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Case Report with a Literature Review
Authors: Fan Fengxia , Ni Hongli , Luo Wanjie , Yi Qingchuan
Published: January 2025

Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS) is the most prevalent and severe form of acute paralytic neuropathy, commonly triggered by infections and characterized by an abnormal autoimmune response. Reports of multispace deep fascial infection (DFI) in the head and neck complicated by GBS are exceedingly rare. We report a 69-year-old woman with DFI who developed postoperative limbs weakness. GBS was diagnosed after neurology consultation and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) puncture examination. Then the patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, as well as supportive care and rehabilitation exercise. After our treatment, the patient was discharged successfully. GBS is a rare complication after head and neck surgery. When progressive weakness occurs in patient of DFI, the possibility of GBS should be considered, and CSF and electrophysiological examinations should be performed as soon as possible. For patients with DFI complicated with GBS, prognosis depends on early diagnosis and treatment.
Seeing Through the Fog: The Ability to Resolve Ambiguity Reduces Dishonesty
Authors: Puntiroli Michael , Kandul Serhiy , Bezençon Valéry , Lanz Bruno
Published: January 2025

Ambiguity acts as a veil that can help conceal and justify dishonest behavior. While an individual’s ability to disambiguate information in a task may help remove the veil of ambiguity and thus promote honesty, the relationship between ambiguity, ability, and dishonesty is currently unexplored. To investigate this, we employed an experimental design where participants attempted to resolve an ambiguous task and reported their performance. Results showed that ambiguity and dishonesty increase in unison. Importantly, the participants who resolved ambiguity acted less dishonestly (Study 1). In Studies 2a, 2b, and 3, we increased participants’ ability by briefly training them to disambiguate the information presented in the task. The results showed that participants acted less dishonestly when their ability levels were increased. Overall, the findings indicate that dishonesty can be reduced not only by making tasks less ambiguous but also by enhancing an individual’s ability to successfully resolve ambiguity.
Impartial Intergenerational Beneficence: The Psychology of Feeling (Equal) Intergenerational Concern for All Future Generations
Authors: Syropoulos Stylianos , Law Kyle Fiore , Kraft-Todd Gordon , Young Liane
Published: January 2025

Across a series of eight high-powered studies ( N = 6,866), we develop a method for assessing impartial intergenerational beneficence, defined as intergenerational concern for all possible future generations. Across our studies, roughly 20% of participants displayed impartial intergenerational beneficence. Participants with impartial intergenerational beneficence expressed greater perceptions that future threats can be resolved, support for policies seeking to protect future generations of people, and a profound sense of responsibility for the long-term survival and prosperity of humanity. Similarly, associations with various future-oriented attitudes, patterns of prosociality, and longtermism-related behaviors and intentions were noted. This research thus introduces a method to capture impartiality in expressed intergenerational concern and finds that people who display impartial intergenerational concern endorse prosocial principles, such as altruism and utilitarianism, while also being more concerned about their own future, the future of others, and how they will be remembered by others.