bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intact ultrafast memory consolidation and learning dynamics in children and adults with autism and neurotypicals with autism traits
Authors: Nagy Cintia Anna , Hann Flóra , Brezóczki Bianka , Farkas Kinga , Vékony Teodóra , Pesthy Orsolya , Nemeth Dezso
Published: February 2025

To comprehend learning processes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is crucial to examine memory consolidation. The discovery of ultrafast memory consolidation has emerged in the last five years. These studies have revealed that learning can take place not only during practice but also during ultrashort (<1 min) rests between practice blocks, termed ultrafast offline learning. To date, no study has investigated this fundamental learning mechanism in autistic individuals. Therefore, we conducted a series of research with three different samples: 1) children, 2) adults, and 3) neurotypical adults with distinct levels of autistic traits. Participants performed a well-established probabilistic learning task, allowing us to measure statistical learning (i.e., probability-based regularities) and general skill learning (i.e., speed-up regardless of probabilities) separately. Individual differences in online (during blocks) and offline (between blocks) changes of statistical learning were observed. Regarding general skill learning, performance improved between blocks and deteriorated during practice. The results of individual studies indicate that neither ASD status nor the extent of autistic traits influenced the ultrafast consolidation or the dynamics of learning. Our results suggest that ultrafast memory consolidation, a fundamental learning mechanism, is intact in autism.
Response to the CMA’s SMS investigations into Apple and Google
Authors: Xiao Leon Y.
Published: February 2025

This is a response to the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ‘Invitation to comment: SMS investigations into Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems’ (‘Invitation’).
From Curiosity, to Wonder, to Creativity: a Cognitive Developmental Psychology Perspective
Authors: Bazhydai Marina , Westermann Gert
Published: February 2025

This chapter is published in an open access book: https://library.oapen.org/viewer/web/viewer.html?file=/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/41804/Schinkel%20OA%20inc%20cover.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yFull citation: Bazhydai, M., & Westermann, G. (2020). From curiosity, to wonder, to creativity: a cognitive developmental psychology perspective. In A. Schinkel (Ed.), Wonder, education, and human flourishing. (pp.144-182). Amsterdam: VU University Press. In the present chapter, we review the state of the cognitive developmental research on the topics of curiosity, wonder and creativity, with a special focus on successful methodological approaches, as well as challenges for the experimental study of their cognitive underpinnings. The chapter comprises four main sections: 1) Curiosity, where we focus on children’s active exploration, information seeking, and question asking; 2) Wonder, where we emphasize affective response, reflection, and pursuit of further knowledge; 3) Creativity, where we discuss capacities such as generating ideas, original transformations, and novel combinations; and 4) Relationship between curiosity, wonder and creativity, where we propose that these links are complex and dynamic; concluding with suggestions for future research to understand their interrelations as they unfold developmentally.
A Novel KEER-SEN Solution Satisfying SO(2) Symmetry via Laurent Series Expansion
Authors: Chen Wen-Xiang
Published: February 2025

We propose a novel KEER-SEN solution satisfying the SO(2) symmetry group, derived using a Laurent series expansion technique. Building upon stationary Euclidean solutions to the vacuum Einstein equations and incorporating recent advances in generating stationary fields, our method integrates variation-of-constants and nonlinear superposition techniques. This approach provides new insights into axially symmetric gravitational fields, extends the Kerr-NUT solution framework, and unifies several classical methods. Detailed derivations, numerical simulations, and discussions of physical implications (including dilaton and axion effects) are presented. The expanded version includes a more extensive historical overview of axisymmetric solutions, a deeper discussion of the formalism behind Laurent series expansions in gravitational contexts, and an in-depth analysis of the physical significance of KEER-SEN solutions in modern theoretical and astrophysical research.
When “Self-Harm” Means “Suicide”: A Topic Modeling Study of Adolescent Online Help-Seeking for Self-Harm
Authors: Lind Monika Neff , Razi Afsaneh , Scholten Hanneke , George Madeleine J , De Choudhury Munmun , Granic Isabela , Lal Shalini , Wisniewski Pamela J. , Allen Nicholas B.
Published: February 2025

Introduction: The 15-20% of adolescents worldwide who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) face an increased risk of transitioning from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt. To resist NSSI urges, young people often seek peer support online. We examined adolescent help-seeking on a purpose-built online mental health peer support platform, which is a critically understudied help-seeking venue.Methods: Adolescents’ help-seeking posts in the “Self Harm” category on a large online peer support platform (575,261 posts from 114,937 users) were analyzed using topic modeling. We assessed the prevalence of NSSI-related topics versus morbid/suicidal topics.Results: Our 12-topic model produced interpretable themes. Three main findings emerged: posts included little information about the context of self-harm behavior; there was minimal evidence of pro-self-harm content in posts; and the primary topics of the posts were evenly split between NSSI-related topics and morbid/suicidal topics.Conclusion: Our findings have important implications for online mental health communities: requiring users to select a narrow category for their post may limit contextual information; moderation of pro-self-harm content may reduce its prevalence; and the absence of dedicated spaces for suicidal users may funnel those users into NSSI-focused spaces, potentially increasing risk for all users.
Petrographical evidence of the >1000 km voyage of a white pumice raft that arrived at the Ogasawara and Nansei Islands after the October 2023 earthquakes in the southern Izu Islands
Authors: Yoshida Kenta , Hiramine Reona , Ishimura Daisuke , Sato Tomoki , Maruya Yu
Published: February 2025

An earthquake swarm occurred at Sofu Seamount near Izu-Torishima in the Izu-Ogasawara (Bonin) Arc, Japan, on 8 October 2023, followed by the arrival of unexpectedly-large tsunamis over a wide area of the Pacific coast of southwest Japan. On 20 October, aerial observation identified floating pumice rafts extending for ~80 km in the area the seamount, which were subsequently sampled and found to comprise white-colored rhyolitic pumice containing dark-colored patches. Subsequently, in the summer and autumn of 2024, white pumice, which can be clearly distinguished from the pre-existing gray and black pumice from recent eruptions of oceanic volcanoes, was stranded on the coasts of the Nansei and Izu-Ogasawara Islands. This study presented petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the white drift pumice to investigate the dispersal of the small scale pumice rafting. White pumice clasts were collected at Okinawa (Nansei Islands) and Hahajima (Ogasawara Islands), and found to have the same petrographic and geochemical characteristics. The clasts consist of microlite-free white pumice with fine vesicles and gray-colored frothy patches, similar to the clasts collected immediately after the earthquake swarm at Sofu Seamount in October 2023. In addition, the clasts contain black enclaves containing Mg-rich olivine and clinopyroxene, and Ca-rich plagioclase. Although the white pumice clasts collected at similar times included those with different characteristics, the finding of the same pumice type over a distance of >1000 km suggests that the pumice clasts drifted over a wide area despite the small size of the pumice rafts.
A Systems-Level Approach to Extracting Oxygen from Lunar Regolith via Molten Regolith Electrolysis
Authors: Runyon Kirby , Berdis Jodi , Summers Bob , Clyde Brenda , Hibbitts Karl , Nord Michael , Fuhrman Wes
Published: February 2025

We present a top-level architecture for extracting up to 10 metric tonnes per year of oxygen from lunar regolith by means of Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) using less than 30 kW from vertical solar arrays and a regolith excavator. This System Integration Study identifies specific technology which could be engineered together in the near term into a single system and lander provided focused funding.
Airborne remote sensing of concurrent submesoscale dynamics and phytoplankton
Authors: Lang Sarah , Omand Melissa , Lenain Luc
Published: February 2025

Submesoscale dynamics can induce significant vertical fluxes of phytoplankton, nutrients, and carbon, resulting in biological and climatological impacts such as enhanced phytoplankton production, phytoplankton community shifts, and carbon export. However, resolving these dynamics is challenging due to their rapid evolution (hours to days) and small spatial scales (1-10 km) of variability. The Modular Aerial Sensing System (MASS), an airborne instrument package measuring concurrent ocean dynamics and hyperspectral ocean color, provides a powerful tool to study the influence of submesoscale dynamics on phytoplankton and carbon. In this study, we present the first airborne observations pairing snapshots of sub-kilometer ocean velocities and their derivatives (i.e. vorticity, divergence, and strain) with concurrent ocean color and sea surface temperature. We developed airborne proxies of chlorophyll-a and particulate organic carbon, which explained about 70.7% and 65.6% of in situ variability without the need for atmospheric correction, suggesting that MASS can detect shifts in phytoplankton distributions. We also explored relationships between concurrent vorticity, divergence, strain, sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, and hyperspectral variables to illuminate the submesoscale processes that alter phytoplankton distributions. This study demonstrates the value of merging bio-optical and physical airborne remote sensing data to better understand the influence of submesoscale dynamics on oceanic ecosystems and organic carbon. We highlight the potential for suborbital remote sensing to quantify processes that impact phytoplankton ecosystems and carbon transport without the spatiotemporal aliasing affecting in situ sensors.
A Review of Multi-Energy Systems from Resiliency and Equity Perspectives
Authors: Hinkelman Kathryn , Flores Garcia Juan Diego , Wang Jing , Anbarasu Saranya , Zuo Wangda
Published: February 2025

Energy infrastructure systems need to maintain resilient operation in the presence of more intense and frequent disasters, which are disproportionately challenging for low-income and disadvantaged communities. Leveraging local natural resources with renewable energy sharing opportunities, multi-energy systems (MES) – or energy hubs – are technologically viable solutions to this challenge, but their wide-scale adoption for these purposes are not well understood. To this end, this paper comprehensively reviews MES literature from both resiliency and equity perspectives. The goal is to understand synergies and disparities among literature regarding these two perspectives, under a changing climate and a long-term goal of decarbonization. The results found that papers including equity are statically more likely to involve fully renewable energy systems (highly significant, p<0.001), while middle income countries tend to adopt renewable/carbon-producing energy systems more frequently than high income countries (weakly significant, p=0.011). Mobile storages are implemented independently of resilience and equity scopes, and it is increasingly common to integrate multiple storage types within a MES. Sector coupling with two energy types improved the resiliency index the most (73% difference between baseline and proposed MES), suggesting two-type systems are favorable compared to single-networks or more complex configurations. While some preliminary studies indicate lower operational costs and higher resilience can synergistically be achieved, more MES case studies are required to understand the life cycle costs of resilient design and operating schemes.
The role of age and anthropomorphism in perceptions of good digital teammates
Authors: Curley Taylor M , Fallon Corey K. , Hartzler Beth M. , Blaha Leslie M.
Published: February 2025

The role of age in technology use is often examined in the context of applied gerontology (e.g., Czaja, 2021) or treated as a continuous variable to be controlled; however, age has been shown to have a reliable effect on perceptions of technology in large number of studies (Schaefer et al., 2016). The present study examined the extent to which age is associated with perceptions of good human and device teammates using latent factor analyses of responses to a large-scale survey. Results indicate that perceptions of good characteristics of technology, but not human, teammates change with age, particularly for aspects related to objective task performance and interpersonal communication. We demonstrate that these relationships are related to factors such as individual differences in anthropomorphism across the lifespan. These results underscore the importance of accounting for individual differences in perceptions of technology related to age.
Translating, adapting and validating the Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ) for the Italian population
Authors: Lisi Matteo P. , Verga Chiara , Aglioti Salvatore Maria , Fusaro Martina
Published: February 2025

Touch is fundamental to human interaction and well-being, as physical contact often conveys warmth and connection. This study translated and validated the Touch Experiences and Attitudes Questionnaire (TEAQ) in an Italian sample with the aim of offering a culturally appropriate tool to assess diverse touch-related behaviors and attitudes. The Italian TEAQ was administered to 301 participants aged 20 to 66 years (M = 31.78, SD = 10.02). A multidimensional graded response model and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to establish construct validity, while convergent validity was assessed through correlations with the Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM) and Touch Avoidance Questionnaire (TAQ). Discriminant validity was evaluated using the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and associations with mirror-touch synaesthesia (MTS) were also examined. Gender differences in touch attitudes and experiences were assessed.Results demonstrated good fit indices and supported the original six-factor structure: Friends and Family Touch (FFT), Current Intimate Touch (CIT), Childhood Touch (ChT), Attitude to Self-Care (ASC), Attitude to Intimate Touch (AIT), and Attitude to Unfamiliar Touch (AUT). Internal consistency was high across subscales (Cronbach’s α: 0.81–0.92). Significant correlations between TEAQ subscales and TAM/TAQ scores indicated good convergent validity, while generally low correlations with BFI traits supported discriminant validity, aside from expected associations with Extraversion and Agreeableness. Significant correlations between TEAQ subscales and MTS screening tool scores underscored the role of sensory processing in touch experiences. Gender differences were consistent with cross-cultural findings, with females scoring higher on FFT, CIT, and ASC, and males scoring higher on AUT.These results confirm the reliability and validity of the TEAQ within the Italian context, underscoring its utility for assessing touch attitudes and experiences. Future research should explore broader applications across varied demographics and clinical populations, especially because of the possible post-pandemic changes of attitudes towards touch.
The Buddhabrot Fractal as a Recurring Motif in Art from Altered States of Mind
Authors: Shirley Harry
Published: February 2025

The Buddhabrot, a fractal visualization of the Mandelbrot set, has emerged as a recurring motif in psychedelic and schizophrenic art, suggesting a deep-rooted connection between altered states of consciousness and archetypal imagery. This paper explores how individuals experiencing psychedelic visions or schizophrenia spontaneously produce imagery that mirrors the Buddhabrot’s recursive, fractal-like structure. Drawing on Jungian psychology, we argue that this phenomenon is not coincidental but indicative of the Buddhabrot as a psychoid archetype, existing at the threshold of psyche and matter. Through comparative analysis of artwork from psychiatric archives, online psychedelic art communities, and historical visionary artists, we demonstrate that the Buddhabrot's manifestation. The findings suggest that altered states of mind allow access to deep fractosymbolic realities embedded within the psyche, where fractal geometry and archetypal symbology are one and the same.
Motivation for Sport: A Comparison Between Perfectionism and Excellencism in Self-Determination Theory
Authors: Boivin Thomas , Pétrin-Pomerleau Philippe , Gaudreau Patrick
Published: February 2025

Abstract Perfectionism creates motivational conflicts, but the extant literature repeatedly found positive associations between perfectionistic standards and autonomous motivation. Researchers did not distinguish between perfectionistic standards and the pursuit of excellence, which may explain their somewhat unexpected results. Based on the Model of Excellencism and Perfectionism (MEP), we recruited 328 sport participants to investigate the unique associations of perfectionism (i.e., perfectionistic standards) and excellencism with sport motivations. We hypothesized that perfectionism should primarily be associated with controlled types of motivation and amotivation, while excellencism would only predict autonomous types of motivation. As expected, results of structural equation modeling showed that excellencism was a positive and significant predictor of intrinsic, integrated, and identified motivation. Mean scores of introjected motivation, external motivation and amotivation were very low in this sample, thus we carried zero-inflated negative binomial structural equation modeling. The probability of reporting zero introjected motivation, external motivation and amotivation was positively associated with excellencism. The probability of reporting zero external motivation was negatively associated with perfectionism. We concluded that pursuing excellencism rather than perfectionistic standards should be encouraged, as it is associated with autonomous motivation in sport. Our results support the need to separate the pursuit of high and perfectionistic standards to better understand the sport motivation of perfection strivers. Our findings with sport participants are relevant to recreational sporting activities in which people participate mostly out of autonomous motivation.Keywords: Perfectionism, Excellencism, Motivation, Sport
The role of playing informed in minimizing subsequent harms in problem gambling: Brief research review
Authors: Barboianu Catalin
Published: February 2025

Understanding the interconnectedness of the gambling harms is essential for developing comprehensive strategies to mitigate the damage caused by problem gambling. Central to this effort is the concept of playing informed. The current review synthesizes current research on the cascading harms in relation to the critical role of informed gambling in the reduction of these harms, while pointing out interdisciplinary connections that might contribute to this research for crystallizing an adequate conceptual and theoretical framework.
Regions of Evidence: a Bayesian method for assessing the impact of prior evidence on the credibility of hypotheses
Authors: Höfler Michael , Miller Robert
Published: February 2025

Bayesian inference allows researchers to evaluate whether a hypothesis on an effect (e.g. effect > 0, effect > Δ) is credible given data and a prior distribution that expresses how an analyst assesses other evidence beyond the data. However, the recipients of an analysis may have different priors, so it remains unclear whether the hypothesis is credible to them. For normally distributed estimates and priors, the ‘sufficiently sceptical prior’ and the associated ‘critical prior interval’ address this problem by asking how strongly one must believe in the absence of an effect in order to be convinced otherwise by the data. Scepticism is expressed in the prior by an expected effect of 0, while the largest standard deviation that makes an effect credible is calculated from the data. We extend this one-dimensional approach by also addressing sensitivity against the second dimension, the prior expectation to vary, that is, including advocacy priors that favour a positive or negative effect. We present a visual tool, called the Region of Evidence (RoE), which shows all normal priors for which the posterior probability that a hypothesis is true exceeds the critical value 1 - α. By requiring only a data estimate and its standard error, it can be applied to any published result. The article describes an open source implementation in R and a standalone web application for use outside of R. Its use is demonstrated with a simple hypothetical example and a real data example of Esketamine treatment in patients with severe major depression.
Social Ecology of Complex Thinking
Authors: Conway Lucian Gideon , Wales Kendra , Graham Sarah E. , Wright Nathan D. , Smith Emily A. , Heller Kaylin I. , Nichols Jaclyn L.
Published: February 2025

Does socio-ecological context influence individual thought complexity? The phenomenological gap between culture-level ecological variables and individual complexity is large, and yet socio-ecological theory suggests the larger cultural context could systematically influence individual thought complexity. The present 3 studies evaluate this relationship by using culture-level ecological stressors to predict individual integrative complexity of political speeches (Studies 1 and 2) or a survey of socioecological stressor recognition to predict the complexity of open-ended opinion statements from laypersons (Study 3). Specifically, Study 1 evaluated political speeches across 9 nations from 1990 to 2023, and Study 2 evaluated political speeches across 50 U.S. states from 2000 to 2023. Increased culture-level resource scarcity was associated with lower individual-level complexity in both Studies 1 and 2, but increased economic inequality/diversity was associated with lower complexity only across nations in Study 1. Using a nationwide survey of American participants, Study 3 showed that increased awareness of socioecological stressors decreased complexity. Analysis of complexity subtypes suggest these effects are likely due to both cognitive strain (all three studies) and strategic defensive of beliefs (Study 3). This multi-method, multi-national set of findings suggests that socio-ecological theories can be better applied to understand the ecological origins of complex thought.
How Often is “Often”? Improving Assessment of the Externalizing Spectrum Using Absolute Frequency
Authors: Petersen Isaac T. , Demko Zachary , Doebler Philipp , Sabel Loreen , Oleson Jacob , Krueger Robert
Published: February 2025

Nearly all questionnaires of externalizing problems use vague quantifiers of relative frequency (e.g., rarely/sometimes/often) or true/false statements. Vague quantifiers have many problems, including imprecision and low interpretability. An alternative is numeric quantifiers that quantify, in absolute frequency, how many times the person engaged in the behavior during a given timeframe. This study evaluates whether absolute frequency provides utility for assessing the externalizing spectrum. Participants included adults recruited online and college students, for a combined sample of 1,237 adults (290 males; 947 females) spanning 18–92 years of age. A subset of items was adapted from the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory to assess absolute frequency, supplemented with additional items to ensure broad coverage. Using a 30-day reference period, participants indicated how many times they engaged in each behavior per day, per week, in the past month, or in the prior year. Externalizing problems showed age-related decreases from early to later adulthood. On average, men showed greater externalizing problems than women in early and older adulthood; women showed greater externalizing problems than men in middle adulthood. Latent scores derived from absolute frequency items demonstrated convergent validity with a widely used measure of externalizing problems (Adult Self-Report), discriminant validity with respect to internalizing problems, and criterion and incremental validity in relation to functional impairment and inhibitory control. Count data led to greater precision—less uncertainty in the estimate of each person’s level of externalizing problems—than dichotomized versions of the items. Findings suggest there is key utility in assessing absolute frequency of externalizing behavior.
Psychological and Linguistic Features in the Natural Language of Black Individuals Experiencing Mental Health Symptoms
Authors: Dollarhide Lauren , Dykeman Cass
Published: February 2025

The importance of language has always been prevalent in the Black community, but no corpus linguistics studies examining language of Black individuals as it relates to their mental health exists. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the language used by Black individuals discussing their mental health utilizing Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. Posts from the subreddit r/blackmentalhealth were analyzed to explore various linguistic patterns. The results of this study showed differences in the use of several linguistic processes (e.g., first-person plural and third-person plural), which may suggest an emphasis on collectivism within the Black community. The findings in this study offer guidance for the treatment of Black individuals and their mental health and highlight implications for future research and practice.
Are Low-Cost EEG Systems Viable for Cognitive Neuroscience Research?
Authors: D'Amico Alessandro , de Virginia R.
Published: February 2025

Collecting human electroencephalography (EEG) data can be prohibitively expensive for many researchers. Low-cost, consumer-grade amplifi ers have been around for over a decade, but their viability for cognitive neuroscience research remains mostly unexplored. In this study, we simultaneously recorded data from eight EEG channels using the low-cost OpenBCI Cyton and the high-cost, state-of-the-art Brain Vision BrainAmp. We analyzed three well-studied event-related brain potential (ERP) components (P3b, N4, ERN) and found that there were no significant differences between the signals recorded from the BrainAmp and Cyton, and that both amplifiers adequately captured all three components. We conclude that the Cyton is suitable for traditional ERP-based cognitive neuroscience research, although it has limitations that are discussed.
Cliopatria - A geospatial database of world-wide political entities from 3400BCE to 2024CE
Authors: Bennett James S , Mutch Erin , Toleffson Andrew , Chalstrey Ed , Benam Majid , Cioni Enrico , Reddish Jenny , Zsambok Jakob , Levine Jill , Cook C. Justin , François Pieter , Hoyer Daniel , Turchin Peter
Published: February 2025

The scientific understanding of the complex dynamics of global history – from the rise and spread of states to their declines and falls, from their peaceful interactions with economic or diplomatic exchanges to violent confrontations – requires, at its core, a consistent and explicit encoding of historical political entities, their locations, extents and durations. Numerous attempts have been made to produce digital geographical compendia of polities with different time depths and resolutions. Most have been limited in scope and many of the more comprehensive geospatial datasets must either be licensed or are stored in proprietary formats, making access for scholarly analysis difficult. To address these issues we have developed Cliopatria, a comprehensive open-source geospatial dataset of worldwide states, political groups, events, and rulers from 3400BCE to 2024CE. Presently it comprises over 1600 political entities sampled at varying timesteps and spatial scales. Here, we discuss its construction, its scope, and its current limitations.
Trends in biodiversity finance terminology, actors and networks over two decades
Authors: Evans Megan C , Barnes Susan , Bui Hang Thanh , Nepal Dharana , Bazbauers Adrian Robert , zu Ermgassen Sophus
Published: February 2025

The Global Biodiversity Framework aims to shift financial flows into biodiversity by at least $700 billion per annum by 2030 and emphasises the role of the private sector in addressing the ‘biodiversity finance gap’. Here we apply a novel systematic review method to non-academic (‘grey’) literature coupled with natural language processing and social network analysis to identify trends in biodiversity finance terminology, actors and networks between 2000 to 2022. Our results illustrate the recent explosion in biodiversity finance grey literature since 2020, and increased prevalence of financial over conservation terminology. Text analysis shows the frequency with which mechanisms for generating private investment in nature are mentioned is greatly disproportionate to estimates of their current and projected role in overall biodiversity financing. Our findings highlight the growth in number and diversity of biodiversity finance actors over time, while also pointing to the centrality of a powerful few in driving financialised discourses.
Indigenous housing support in Australia: the lay of the land
Authors: Moskos Megan , Milligan Vivienne , Benedict Richard , Habibis Daphne , Isherwood Linda , van den Nouwelant Ryan
Published: February 2025

What this research is about: this research looked at how Indigenous housing is managed, funded and regulated in Australia. It looked at ways to support Indigenous Australians in making their own decisions about their housing.This research report is part of the AHURI Inquiry into developing a long-term governance and resource framework for sustainable and effective Indigenous housing. The research uses the term ‘Indigenous’ to refer to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.Why this research is important: the research provides a comprehensive overview of the current Indigenous housing system in Australia.Understanding Indigenous housing requirements is vital for developing future policies.
Utilization of Psyllium Husk for Development of Synbiotic Soy Yoghurt and Cow Milk Yoghurt
Authors: Parajuli Ranju , Karki Tika Bahadur , Karki Roman
Published: February 2025

A study was carried out incorporating fiber-rich psyllium husk into soy yoghurt to enhance its nutritional profile and functionality and compare it with that of cow milk yoghurt. Four different formulations of soy yoghurt and cow milk yoghurt each were made using psyllium husk as a prebiotic and ABT7 (mixed culture: L. bulgaricus, S. thermophillus, B. animalis) as probiotics, with the first batch of each serving as a control. The best formulation was chosen based on sensory attributes and the selected formulations were then physically and chemically analyzed for various parameters such as pH, titratable acidity, water syneresis, total soluble solid (TSS), total reducing sugar, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, total antioxidant activity, and microbial counts for 12 days with three days of time interval. The study found that synbiotic soy yoghurt specifically with 0.5% psyllium husk, had the highest nutritional value, high viability, phenolic, flavonoid, and anti-radical activity, with levels ranging from 8.15-8.32 log CFU/ml, 2.21-2.84%, 5.64- 25.53%, and 62-64% respectively and are significant (p<0.05) at 5% level of significance when stored for 12 days. The study revealed that the prepared synbiotic yoghurts were not suitable for storage beyond 12 days even at refrigeration temperature. However, the study resulted in the production of the fibre riched synbiotic soy yoghurt with best organoleptic and sensory properties within the storage period.
Cabinet Drying: a Better Method for Dehydration of Sweet Orange Slices Delivering High Quality Product With Superior Health Promoting Properties
Authors: Manandhar Utshah , Ojha Pravin , Maharjan Sophi , Adhikari Bibek , Karki Roman
Published: February 2025

The main aim of this research was to determine the best method for dehydration of sweet orange slices with peel and without peel, that will not only enhance the shelf life of sweet orange but also add value to it. Two dehydration method cabinet drying (drying at 60 ⁰C for 24 hours) and solar drying (drying under sunlight for 7 days) were tested. Prior to dehydration, the sweet oranges were washed with 200 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution for 1 minute to decrease the microbial population and theslices were treated with 1% sodium meta-bisulphite solution as a food preservative and enzyme inactivator. The physiochemical properties and bioactive components of the dried sweet orange slices were analyzed. The bioactive components such as ascorbic acid, polyphenol and antioxidant as well as physiochemical components such as acidity, reducing sugar, iron and phosphorous were significantly higher (p<0.5) in cabinet dried sweet orange slices in both cases (with and without peel) compared to solar dried sweet orange. Therefore, the cabinet drying is recommended for commercial drying of orange slices, which will deliver dried products with high quality and considerably enhance its commercial value.
Application of the differential GPS technique to monitor landslides: A case study of Dutti Landslide, Nepal
Authors: Gautam Ramesh , Gajurel Ananta Prasad , Upadhyaya Bala Ram , Pandey Kabita , Pratt-Sitaula Beth
Published: February 2025

Landslides are a major natural disaster in Nepal, particularly during the monsoon season. This study focuses on the Dutti Landslide in Kavrepalanchok District, Bagmati Province, which has been active for over 80 years, damaging farmland, displacing communities, and depositing sediment into rivers. The objective is to monitor the Dutti Landslide’s movement using DGPS technology to analyze its slip rate and direction while examining the correlation between rainfall patterns and landslide dynamics, specifically how seasonal precipitation affects the landslide’s behavior. Thirteen GPS monitoring stations were installed along the landslide’s crown and surrounding areas to record topographic movement from December 2021 to December 2022 using Differential GPS (DGPS) technology. Findings show a peak slip rate of 14.7 cm in August, correlating with high rainfall, suggesting that ground saturation plays a significant role in landslide acceleration. Additionally, agricultural practices, such as wet farming, contribute to the upward migration of the landslide crown. This study highlights the importance of DGPS in understanding landslide dynamics, revealing how seasonal rainfall and human activities intensify landslide movement. Results emphasize the need for ongoing monitoring and targeted risk mitigation strategies to address the challenges posed by landslide activity in this region.
‘सिटीहलको बुढो ज्यामीसँग’ कथामा प्रगतिवाद {Progressivism in the story 'With Old Jamie of City Hall'}
Authors: घिमिरे Ghimire माया Maya
Published: February 2025

प्रस्तुत लेख पारिजातद्वारा लिखित ‘सिटीहलको बुढो ज्यामीसँग’ कथामा वर्गीय भेद, शोषण, उत्पीडन र वञ्चितीकरणको प्रयोजनजस्ता चारओटा विषयगत शोध्यसमस्याको विश्लेषणमा केन्द्रित छ । प्रगतिवाद विश्वसाहित्यका सन्दर्भमा बहुचर्चित माक्र्सको द्वन्द्वात्मक भौतिकवादी दर्शनमा आधारित सिद्धान्तका रूपमा परिचित छ । यसले कलासाहित्यलाई आर्थिक, सामाजिक, सांस्कृतिक प्रतिबिम्बनका रूपमा स्विकार्दै सर्वहारा वर्गको मुक्तिका लागि क्रान्तिलाई हतियार ठान्दछ । यसभित्र सबै प्रकारका विभेदका कारण अन्यायमा परी दमित, शोषित, पीडित हुन पुगेका सबै उत्पीडित तथा अधिकारबाट वञ्चित अटाउन सक्ने भए पनि यस अध्ययनमा समाजमा विद्यमान वर्गभेदका कारण शोषित, दमित, पीडित र अधिकारबाट वञ्चित निम्न वर्गीय श्रमिकको अवस्था र लेखकीय विचारधाराको विश्लेषण गरिएको छ । वर्गसङ्घर्षलाई आधार मानेर विश्लेषण गरिएको यस कथामा वर्गीय दृष्टिले सत्तासीन शासक वर्गको प्रभुत्वका कारण बुढो ज्यामीजस्ता निम्न वर्गीय श्रमिक भेदमा परी दमित, शोषित, पीडित भई अधिकारबाट समेत वञ्चित भएको निष्कर्ष निकालिएको छ । यस अध्ययनमा सामग्रीको सङ्कलन पुस्तकालयीय पद्धतिबाट गरिएको छ र पाठविश्लेषणमा आधारित गुणात्मक पद्धतिका माध्यमबाट अर्थापन भएको छ । अध्ययनमा समाजमा विद्यमान सामन्तवादी प्रवृत्तिका विरुद्ध श्रमिकहरू सङ्गठित हुनुपर्ने विषयलाई जोड दिँदै कथाका साक्ष्यका माध्यमबाट प्रगतिवादी चेतना पुष्टि भएको छ । सम्बोधित शैलीमा लेखिएको यस कथामा शोषित तथा उत्पीडित पात्र बुढो ज्यामीमा प्रतिरोधको भावना रहेको छैन तापनि लेखकीय विचारधारा श्रमिक र सङ्गठनमैत्री रहेको निष्कर्ष निकालिएको छ ।
शकुनि खण्डकाव्यमा वक्रता {Curvature in Shakuni Khandakavya}
Authors: गुरागाईँ Gurgai यज्ञप्रसाद Yajnaprasad
Published: February 2025

शकुनि खण्डकाव्य भुवनहरि सिग्देलद्वारा लिखित खण्डकाव्य हो । महाभारतकालीन पात्र शकुनिलाई प्रमुख पात्र बनाई उनका जीवन भोगाइलाई कथानकका रूपमा प्रस्तुत गरिएको यस खण्डकाव्यमा शकुनिलाई महाभारतमा भन्दा फरक अनुकूल चरित्रका रूपमा चित्रण गरिएको छ । यस काव्यमा के कस्ता वक्रताहरू प्रयोग भएका छन् भन्ने मूल प्राज्ञिक समस्याको समाधानार्थ यस लेखमा उक्त काव्यमा प्रयोग भएका वक्रताहरूको प्रयोगको अवस्था पत्ता लगाउने उद्देश्य राखिएको छ । यस काव्यमा प्रयोग भएका वक्रोक्तिको अध्ययन हालसम्म कसैले गरेको नपाइएकाले यस नवीन विषयको अध्ययनले अनुसन्धानगत रिक्ततालाई पूर्ति गर्नुका साथै अध्ययनको औचित्यलाई पनि पुष्टि गरेको छ । गुणात्मक ढाँचाको अवलम्बन गरी लेखिएको यस लेखमा प्राथमिक र द्वितीय दुवै स्रोतका सामग्रीको उपयोग गरिएको छ । यहाँ वर्णविन्यास वक्रता, पदपूर्वाद्र्ध वक्रता, पदपराद्र्ध वक्रता, अव्युत्पन्न वक्रता, वाक्य वक्रता, प्रकरण वक्रता र प्रबन्ध वक्रतासम्बद्ध काव्यका प्रयोगहरूलाई तथ्यका रूपमा लिई तिनको विश्लेषण गरिएको छ । लेखको अन्तमा उक्त काव्यमा वर्णविन्यास वक्रता, पदपूर्वाद्र्ध वक्रता, पदपराद्र्ध वक्रता, वाक्य वक्रता, प्रकरण वक्रता र प्रबन्ध वक्रताका विभिन्न भेदहरूको प्रयोगका कारण यो खण्डकाव्य सौन्दर्ययुक्त भएको निष्कर्ष निकालिएको छ ।
‘ठन्टी काकी’ कथामा लैङ्गिक उत्पीडन {Gender harassment in the story of 'Thanti Kaki'}
Authors: भण्डारी Bhandari हेमबहादुर Hembahadur
Published: February 2025

पितृसत्तात्मक सङ्कथनमार्फत निर्मित प्रभुत्व तथा लैङ्गिक अधीनस्थता ‘ठन्टी काकी’ कथाको अन्तर्वस्तु हो । यस कथामा लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनको प्रक्रिया र कारण प्रस्तुत गरिएको छ । यसमा निम्नवर्गीय अवस्थाका कारण नारीमाथि भएको उत्पीडन र त्यसका पृष्ठभूमिमा निर्मित सामाजिक जटिलताको विषय उठान गरिएको छ । लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनको स्वरूप र प्रक्रिया यस कथाका मुख्य अनुसन्धेय पक्षहरू भएकाले प्रस्तुत लेखमा यिनै विषयलाई प्राज्ञिक समस्याका रूपमा अघि बढाइएको छ । लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनको स्वरूप र प्रक्रिया विश्लेषण तथा मूल्याङ्कन गर्ने उद्देश्यका साथ अघि बढाइएको यस अध्ययनमा वर्गीयता, पितृसत्ता, पितृसत्तात्मक सङ्कथन, सामाजिक शासनव्यवस्था र सामाजिक कुसङ्केतनजस्ता लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनका सूचकहरूलाई कृतिविश्लेषणको आधार बनाइएको छ । यसमा वर्गीयता, पितृसत्ता र सामाजिक शासनव्यवस्थाका पृष्ठाधारमा विकसित दमन, हिंसा र अन्यायलाई लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनको कारणका रूपमा विश्लेषण गरी यिनीहरूलाई उत्पीडन प्रक्रियाका उत्प्रेरकका रूपमा चिनाइएको छ । यसका साथै यस अध्ययनमा वर्गीयता सिर्जित असमानताका साथै पितृसत्तालाई लैङ्गिक उत्पीडनको प्रमुख कारणका रूपमा औँल्याइएको छ । प्रस्तुत लेखमा तत्कालीन नेपाली समाजका नारीको अधीनस्थ अवस्थाको समीक्षा गरी उनीहरूको असङ्गठित र कमजोर प्रतिरोध नै लैङ्गिक प्रभुत्वको कारण हो भन्ने निष्कर्ष निकालिएको छ ।
‘राजेन्द्र सुवेदीको महाप्रयाण’ निबन्धमा सृष्टिचिन्तन {Srishtichintan in the essay 'Rajendra Subedi's Mahaprayana'}
Authors: शर्मा Sharma सुधा  Sudha
Published: February 2025

प्रस्तुत आलेख राजेन्द्र सुवेदीद्वारा लिखित ‘राजेन्द्र सुवेदीको महाप्रयाण’ निबन्धमा सृष्टिचिन्तन विश्लेषण गर्न केन्द्रित रहेको छ । प्रस्तुत निबन्ध सुवेदीको ‘जीवन: गोप्य सिलबन्दी खाम (२०७१) मा सङ्ग्रहीत आत्मपरक निबन्ध हो । पुस्तकालयीय अध्ययनबाट सामग्री सङ्कलन गरिएको यस लेखमा विवेच्य निबन्धमा प्रयुक्त दर्शनपरक सृष्टिचिन्तनसम्बन्धी कथ्य र निबन्धकारका चिन्तनको विश्लेषण गर्नु सान्दर्भिक रहेको देखिन्छ र यहाँ वर्णनात्मक तथा व्याख्यात्मक विधि अवलम्बन गरिएको छ । पूर्वीय दर्शनका साङ्ख्य र वेदान्तदर्शनले प्रतिपादन गरेको सिद्धान्तअन्तर्गतको दार्शनिक मान्यताका रूपमा सृष्टिचिन्तन रहेको छ । यसै मान्यताका आधारमा रहेर यहाँ निबन्धभित्र रहेको सृष्टिचिन्तनको सूक्ष्म विवेचना गर्न निबन्धकारले भौतिक जगत्सँग आफ्नो भौतिक शरीरको तुलना गरी मृत्युपछिको परिकल्पनामा सृष्टिचिन्तनको सैद्धान्तिक आधार स्वीकार गरेका छन् । यहाँ सृष्टिको रहस्य, कारकतत्त्व र स्वरूप देखाउने काम भएको छ । यो सृष्टिको नियन्ता प्रकृति र पुरुष हो, संसारको उत्पत्ति पञ्चतत्त्वबाट भएजस्तै भौतिक शरीर पनि पाञ्चभौतिक तत्त्वको मेलबाट बनेको छ । यहाँ सृष्टिको निरन्तर गतिमा निबन्धकारको प्रादुर्भाव भएको सृिष्टचिन्तन प्रकट भएको छ । यो सृष्टिमा आउने–जानेक्रम निरन्तर चलिरहने हुँदा आफ्नो महाप्रयाण पनि नियमित प्रक्रिया हो भन्ने सृष्टिचिन्तन मुख्य विषय बनेर आएको छ । सुवेदीको ‘राजेन्द्र सुवेदीको महाप्रयाण’ निबन्ध पूर्वीय दार्शनिक चिन्तनका मान्यतामा सम्बन्धित भएकाले यसमा सृष्टिचिन्तन नै मुख्य विषय बनेको छ । पाञ्चभौतिक शरीर नै जगत् हो यसको समायोजनमा शरीरनिर्माण हुने र वियोजनमा प्रलय हुन्छ भन्ने पूर्वीय दर्शनका मान्यतालाई ल्याइएको छ ।
साकेला लोकगीतको विधाशास्त्रीय अध्ययन {A Philosophical Study of Sakela Folklore}
Authors: गौतम  Gautam तुलसीप्रसाद Tulsiprasad
Published: February 2025

प्रस्तुत लेख किराँत राई जातिमा प्रचलित साकेला गीतको विधाशास्त्रीय अध्ययनमा केन्द्रित छ । यो अनुसन्धान गुणात्मक प्रकृतिको रहेको छ । यस अध्ययनका लागि सामग्रीको सङ्कलन स्थानीय स्रोतव्यक्ति र पुस्तकालय कार्यबाट गरिएको छ । साकेला गीत लोकगीतकै एक प्रकार भएको हुनाले यसको विश्लेषण लोकगीतकै विधागत तत्त्वहरूलाई आधार बनाई गरिएको छ । यसमा साकेला गीतको संरचना, कथ्य विषय, साकेलामा प्रस्तुत गरिने नृत्यढाँचा, प्रयोक्ता र प्रयोग क्षेत्र, भाषाशैली, लयविधान (स्थायी, अन्तरा र थेगो, वाद्यवादन), गायक÷गायिका आदिको अध्ययन गरी निष्कर्ष प्रस्तुत गरिएको छ । यस अध्ययनबाट साकेला गीत नेपालको पूर्वी क्षेत्रमा बसोबास गर्ने राई जातिमा प्रचलित तत्स्थानिक मौलिक विशेषता भएको सांस्कृतिक पर्वगीत हो । यस गीतले त्यस जातिको वेशभूषा, वाद्यवादन, चाडपर्व आदि सांस्कृतिक सम्पदालाई अभिव्यक्त गर्नाका साथै विधाशास्त्रीय दृष्टिले परिपूर्ण रहेको निष्कर्ष प्राप्त भएको छ ।
Exploring Research Culture in Care Homes to Identify the Barriers and Facilitators to Research: A Rapid Review
Authors: Hodge Gary , Burrows Lisa , Page Georgia , Pearce Susie
Published: February 2025

Context: There are more than 400,000 people living in just over 17,000 care homes in the UK. Nevertheless, the quantity of care home research taking place in these settings is limited. This has led to a knowledge gap that impacts on care home practices, resident health outcomes, and the development of policy.
Objectives: The objective of this rapid review is to explore what is known about the research culture within care homes, identify any barriers and facilitators to research, and provide evidence to inform future care home research practices.
Methods: This rapid review was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Rapid Review Methods Group (RRMG) interim guidance. Literature was searched across six electronic databases, the Cochrane Library, and a grey literature search. A narrative synthesis approach was used for analysis.
Findings: Twenty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Seven barriers and seven facilitators to research in care homes were identified. These included gatekeeping behaviours, and the need for good working relationships between researchers and care homes.
Limitations: International articles were included in this review. However, the majority of articles were fully or partly completed in the UK. International diversity in care home provision and research governance means there needs to be some caution in applying these findings.
Implications: The identification of the barriers and facilitators to research in care homes provides evidence to inform research practice, enhance access, and improve the facilitation and application of research in these settings. Increasing research in care homes will support the development of new knowledge and evidence to inform care policy and practice. This will not only benefit the residents of care homes, but also those who work with them.
Refurbishment of Aged PC Power Plants with Advanced USC Technology
Authors: Fukuda Masafumi , Sone Hideyuki , Saito Eiji , Tanaka Yoshinori , Takahashi Takeo , Shiibashi Akira , Iwasaki Jun , Takano Shinichi , Izumi Sakae
Published: February 2025

The capacity of PC power plants in Japan rose to 35GW in 2004. The most current plants have a 600 deg-C class steam temperature and a net thermal efficiency of approximately 42% (HHV). Older plants, which were built in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, will reach the point where they will need to be rebuilt or refurbished in the near future. The steam temperatures of the older plants are 538 deg-C or 566 deg-C. We have done a case study on the refurbishment of one of these plants with the advanced USC technology that uses a 700 deg-C class steam temperature in order to increase the thermal efficiency and to reduce CO2 emissions. The model plant studied for refurbishing has a 24.1MPa/538 deg-C /538 deg-C steam condition. We studied three possible systems for the refurbishing. The first was a double reheat system with 35MPa/700 deg-C /720 deg-C /720 deg-C steam conditions, the second one was a single reheat 25MPa/700 deg-C/720 deg-C system, the last one was a single reheat 24.1MPa/610 deg-C/720 deg-C system. In addition to these, the most current technology system with 600 deg-C main and reheat temperatures was studied for comparison. The study showed that the advanced USC Technology is suitable for refurbishing old plants. It is economical and environmentally-friendly because it can reuse many of the parts from the old plants and the thermal efficiency is much higher than the current 600 deg-C plants. Therefore, CO2 reduction is achieved economically through refurbishment.
UltraGen: a Proposed Initiative by EPRI to Advance Deployment of Ultra-Supercritical Pulverized Coal Power Plant Technology with Near-Zero Emissions and CO2 Capture and Storage
Authors: Wheeldon John , Parkes Jack , Dillon Des
Published: February 2025

UltraGen is an initiative proposed by EPRI to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of clean, efficient, ultra-supercritical pulverized coal (USC PC) power plants that are capable of meeting any future CO2 emissions regulations while still generating competitively-priced electricity. In addition to reducing CO2, these advanced systems will have to achieve near-zero emissions of criteria pollutants (SO2, NOX, and filterable and condensable particulate) and hazardous air pollutants such as mercury.
Creep Properties of Advanced Steels for High Efficiency Power Plants
Authors: Charit I. , Murty K.L. , Koch C.C.
Published: February 2025

Driven mainly by the environmental and economic concerns, there is an urgent need for increasing the thermal efficiency of fossil fuel power generation plants, which still languishes at around 32% under current practices. Several programs have been undertaken worldwide to address this issue. One of the immediate options is to increase the steam temperature and pressure (to the supercritical range). However, the current power plant materials appear to have inadequate creep resistance under these demanding conditions along with corrosion/oxidation problems. Hence, to meet these challenges a variety of new steels and stainless steels have been developed in the United States, Japan, and Europe. Alloy design and microstructural design approaches in developing these alloys (ferritic/martensitic, austenitic and oxide-dispersion- strengthened steels) will be briefly reviewed. Further, this paper presents creep data of these steels found in the literature in terms of Larson-Miller parameters (LMP). A detailed account of plausible creep micromechanisms in these advanced steels is also be summarized.