bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Work of Art as Alienating Labour: Barton Fink (1991) and the End of Jewish Modernity
Authors: Koutsourakis Angelos
Published: January 2025

The final Chapter of this section discusses the Coen Brothers’ film Barton Fink (1991) as a reflection on the end of the Jewish modernity. Drawing on Enzo Traverso’s work, which describes Jewish modernity – of which Kafka was part of – as a vibrant intellectual and political culture instigated by people of Jewish origins committed to the project of universal emancipation, the Chapter begins with a definition of the key term and its history. The Chapter links the film’s references to the Jewish leftist playwright/scriptwriter Clifford Odets with issues of artistic estrangement within Hollywood. I conclude with an analysis of the film as a parable of Jewish assimilation (a key theme in Kafka’s work too), which points to an era of political deradicalization. In these terms, the film goes beyond the specific cultural context of Red Hollywood and indicates the rupture between the Jewish diaspora and the political left in Europe and the USA after WWII.
Fernando Arrabal and the Persistence of the Spanish Civil War
Authors: Koutsourakis Angelos
Published: January 2025

This is the first Chapter of the second section of the book, which focuses on Kafkaesque films which respond to fascism and its legacies. The Chapter opens with a brief analysis of the crisis and delegitimization of anti-fascist historiography in film studies and the Humanities as a whole; it suggests that the tendency to commemorate the victims of the fascist past tends at times to neglect their political struggles and/or utopian visions. I then close-read two films directed by Fernando Arrabal, who is largely known for his pioneering work in the theatre. Drawing on scholarship on multimedia modernism by Julian Murphet, Laura Marcus and David Trotter, I discuss Arrabal’s multimedia aesthetic in his novel Baal Babylone (Baal Babylon, 1959) and its transposition to film. This is followed by an analysis of The L'arbre de Guernica (The Tree of Guernica, 1975) as a film that brings together the Kafkaesque and Artaudian aesthetic as also manifested in Arrabal’s panic theatre work.
Yeats and The Savoy : French Decadence and Irish Poetry
Authors: Creasy Matthew
Published: January 2025

This chapter explores the influence of French culture and cultural politics upon Yeats’s writings at the fin de siècle. More particularly, it considers the consequences of Yeats’s Parisian visits and French connections through exploring the his contributions to the short-lived periodical, The Savoy (1896), edited by Arthur Symons. Yeats’s involvement with this periodical offers a focal point for exploring broader tensions in this period between the demands of nationality and the appeal of cosmopolitanism, in the form of French Decadence. The chapter argues, however, that the synergies between the values of The Savoy and Yeats at this time, including a marked investment in recent French literature, were not at odds with the poet’s developing cultural nationalism. Rather, both were complexly intertwined.
Late Yeats, Print and Symbolic Book Design: The Case of Responsibilities
Authors: Holdeman David
Published: January 2025

This chapter focuses on the physical state and spiritual significance of the book for Yeats. It traces how the poet’s preoccupation with symbolic book design developed over time, from an early fascination that sought to give books magical agency, via a scepticism that after 1900 instead more overtly embraced orality, to a measured re-engagement with the symbolic power of the book in the second decade of the century. The volume of Responsibilities, as printed by both the Cuala Press in 1914 and Macmillan in 1916, is presented as a key point of transition, establishing a position and a template of book design that would serve Yeats in his later career.
Poetry, Painting and Posterity: Yeats as Example and Burden
Authors: Homem Rui Carvalho
Published: January 2025

This chapter looks at how later poets have negotiated with the precedent of Yeats’s ekphrastic verse. It outlines how portraiture operates as something of a master trope in Yeats’s poetics, and also notes a perceived homology in play between portraiture and the poetic genre of lyric. This forms the basis for a series of close readings of poems by Medbh McGuckian, Sinéad Morrissey and Seamus Heaney. Yeats’s complex, overlapping investments in portraiture and the lyric, often invoked as intertexts, offer a clear starting point for these poets’ contrasting engagements with vision and the visual arts. McGuckian and Morrisey’s poems are shown to engage critically with the manner in which women were viewed and represented both by Yeats and more generally within the Irish imagination. Heaney’s preceding confrontation is more invested in the complex dynamics of artistic self-making. Nevertheless, the chapter identifies common and distinctly Yeatsian ground in how all these poets affirm the aesthetic and cognitive benefits of straddling the borders between the visual and the verbal arts.
EXPERIMENTAL REGULATION OF RUSSIA'S FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS IN THE CONTEXT OF EURASIAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
Authors:   All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, KHALIPOV SERGEY V.
Published: January 2025

Objectives of the study. The article proposes to pay attention to the scientific category of a legal experiment for its subsequent analysis in public law regulation of foreign trade in goods. The theoretical bases of experimental legislating, prerequisites of adoption and features of experimental legal acts, criteria for measuring of the obtained results are investigated. Examples of legal experiments in the sphere of foreign trade turnover are considered. The proposed types of wording and peculiarities of the experimental method in improvement of the institution of customs control, in introduction of new schemes of interaction between the state and business are considered to see if they are applicable. The possibility of experimental regulation of cross-border electronic trade in goods is mentioned. The forced (unplanned) legal acts aimed at ensuring economic and food stability of the Union member states are highlighted.

Conclusions. Comparative analysis of the theory and practice of experimental regulation of foreign trade in goods indicates an active interest of legislating bodies in the method of a legal experiment. Experimental acts are used in customs, customs tariff, non-tariff and other spheres that have a legal impact on foreign trade relations. Each level of regulatory competencies (union, national) allows for legal experimentation. Experimental legislating is marked by different names of documents (experiment, pilot project, temporary order), but has one main feature-it is in force temporarily. It is a temporary character of legal regulation of foreign trade in goods that distinguishes legal experimentation from regular legislating.
POLICY OF THE BRICS COUNTRIES IN THE FIELD OF DIGITALIZATION OF EDUCATION: DIGITALIZATION AS THE BASIS OF MODERN DIALOGUE OF CULTURES
Authors:   Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, KOZINA YU.P. , BOGDANOVA N.V.
Published: January 2025

Research objective. This article is devoted to the digitalization of education in the BRICS countries. It is highlighted that digitalization at the present stage of the development of our society has affected various spheres of public life, and the spheres of education and culture are no exceptions. This trend reflects the relevance of this work. The purpose of this work is to consider the relationship between the digitalization of education and changes in the parameters of the dialogue of cultures in the digital era as both digitalization and education are closely intertwined with the concept of dialogue of cultures in the modern world. Methodology. The basis of this work is represented by the methods of analysis of scientific literature, analysis of the documents of the BRICS countries on the digitalization of education, and synthesis is used to bring together fragmented information from various sources.

Findings. Within the framework of this article, various stable trends associated with the process of transformation of education in the digital era are presented. Moreover, the strategies of the BRICS countries in the field of digitalization of education are analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of this process are noted from the perspective of intensifying the dialogue of cultures.
SOCIOCULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS IN SMALL SINGLE-INDUSTRIAL CITIES OF RUSSIA AS INDICATORS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY
Authors:   Sociological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Branch of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, MISHCHENKO A.S.
Published: January 2025

Small single-industrial cities of Russia are the most unfavorable in terms of the environmental situation that has developed in them. The author studied the existing socio-ecological situations in such cities using his own concept describing the socio-ecological situation as the interaction of natural conditions and society in a given territory. The study was aimed at an in-depth study of grassroots environmental initiatives and local environmental movements as important elements of the socio-ecological system capable of influencing the socio-ecological situation. The purpose of the study was to identify and describe the characteristics of the emergence and functioning of grassroots local environmental initiatives and assess their potential in the formation of civil activists and political leaders, as well as assess their ability to influence the socio-ecological situation in the places of their action. The results of the study showed that grassroots environmental movements are indeed a reserve for recruiting civil activists and political leaders. The emergence of grassroots environmental movements can serve as indicators of social anxiety, since environmental risks are one of the main components of global risks. Grassroots environmental movements are centers for the formation of local environmental culture in their communities and their transmitters to territorial communities.
THE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS (GR) CLUSTER IN THE SYSTEM OF BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS IN MODERN RUSSIA: TECHNOLOGICAL AND PROCEDURAL ASPECTS
Authors:   Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russian Federation, ZUBOV V.V.
Published: January 2025

In this publication, the author attempts to comprehensively disclose leading GR-technologies and describe the procedural aspect of relations between government and business in the Russian political order. Methodology is based on clustering methods, definition analysis, case study, historical retrospective, legal dogma, comparison and comparison. The author identifies the following ways of participation of the business community in GR-relationships: structural pressure (subordination of decisions of public authorities to the actions of economic actors), including the formal incorporation of business representatives into the state apparatus, instrumental pressure (conclusion of one-time formal and informal agreements), including the “exchange” of funds for preferences from interested officials, financial pressure (monopolization of significant assets or property rights in the hands of large business and/or the establishment of extensive majority control over such resources), the activities of legal business associations, unions, associations and self-regulatory organizations, pressure through saturation of the state budget. In conclusion, obstacles are indicated that impede or hinder the full institutionalization of government relations practices as an independent type of management: the lack of legislative permission to conduct professional lobbying activities, the habit of large managers to the so-called manual management, which pushes them to personal involvement in establishing contacts with civil servants, lack of professional GR-managers with an expert and analytical bias.
SELF-TAXATION OF THE URAL PEASANTS IN THE 1920-1930S
Authors:   Nosov Magnitogorsk state technical University, Magnitogorsk, Russian Federation, FILATOV V.V.
Published: January 2025

In the history of the Soviet state, the phenomenon of self-taxation of the rural population is of particular scientific interest. When studying the tax policy of our country in the 1920s and 1930s, one cannot ignore additional payments by the population along with the agricultural tax. Self-taxation had various forms: monetary, in-kind, and labor participation. Although the chosen topic has been studied by historians, it has not lost its relevance, since it can be studied from the point of view of domestic history, economic history, and the history of the state and law. Finding itself in the most difficult economic conditions, the country's leadership during the years of the new economic policy decided to use the initiative of the peasantry to improve life in the countryside, their cultural and economic needs with the help of voluntary self-taxation at first. After the grain procurement crisis of 1927/28, self-taxation changed from independent management of peasants’ funds to a mandatory element of the rural economy, when the forced confiscation of peasant funds served as an instrument for encouraging villagers to sell grain and other products on unfavorable terms. The purpose of the study is to reveal the features of the transformation of self-taxation from voluntary to compulsory using the example of the Urals, the largest region of the country. The object of study was the Ural peasantry. The subject of the study is the influence of the authorities, through legislation, on the independent, feasible participation of peasants in the development of rural infrastructure; the transformation of self-taxation into a mandatory payment; and the reflection of villagers on innovations in tax policy. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the comprehensive and systematic analysis of self-taxation in the Ural region based on numerous historical and legal sources, usually introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The results of the conducted research showed that the authorities violated the initially defined rights of peasants to free expression of will in solving pressing cultural and social issues. Self-taxation became a mandatory, compulsory part of replenishing the rural budget.
THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL TRYGVE LIE'S ACTIVITIES IN 1946-1949: AMERICAN PRESS ASSESSMENTS
Authors:   Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation, MOSKVIN I.L. , ZAPARIY YU.V.
Published: January 2025

According to Russian historiography, UN Secretary-General Trygve Lie became a pro-Western politician from the very beginning. Based on the analysis of publications from the leading American newspapers of the 1940s, The New York Times and The Washington Post, the authors of the article show that T. Lie often became the object of criticism by journalists. The article reveals the specifics of coverage of the Secretary General's work in the American press. In the press, the UN Secretary-General was often accused of sympathizing with Soviet initiatives and criticizing their policies, and whole discussions about collective security took place. It is concluded that the assessments of T. Lie's activities fluctuated depending on the situation in the international arena, the opinions of publishers and publicists, as well as changes in the foreign policy interests of the Truman administration. Based on the analysis of sources, it is shown that the activities of the Secretary General during this period were not perceived as pro-American in the United States itself. In the period 1946 to 1949. T. Lee sought to mediate between the United States and the USSR. Leaders of both superpowers often found his active position irritating, preferring a more obedient head of an international peacekeeping organization.
Capstone 2.0: Elevating Research through AI Literacy
Authors: McQueen Shannon
Published: January 2025

As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the landscape of political analysis and research, equipping students with AI literacy has become essential for a changing job market and world. This paper explores the integration of AI literacy into a senior political science capstone course (PSC 401). I review emerging literature on AI’s role in the classroom and present pedagogical strategies I used to embed AI competencies within this senior capstone course. Additionally, I share survey findings that capture student perspectives on the value, challenges, and opportunities encountered in this course when using AI, offering insights for future curriculum development.
De tollos, barros y cínicos: léxico y caracterización en un políptico métrico de «El acero de Madrid», de Lope de Vega
Authors: Sánchez Jiménez Antonio
Published: January 2025

Este trabajo estudia una célebre comedia de Lope de Vega, El acero de Madrid, partiendo de un detalle lexicográfico que permite analizar cómo el Fénix caracteriza a los personajes, amén de reflexionar sobre mecanismos presentes no solo en esta comedia, sino en otras muchas de Lope. Concretamente, examinamos dos cancioncillas populares que glosan Lisardo, Riselo y Beltrán en los actos I y II. En primer lugar, estudiamos el sentido de la palabra «tollo», que aparece en la segunda glosa, recurriendo a testimonios de los lexicógrafos del momento y a otras ocurrencias del peculiar vocablo en la obra lopesca. En segundo lugar, analizamos las glosas en el contexto de una práctica de Lope: los sonetos y octavas alternadas (en díptico o políptico). En tercer lugar, reflexionamos sobre la genealogía de los comentarios que pronuncian Riselo y Beltrán en estas glosas, que estudiamos recurriendo a otras comedias de Lope y a La Dorotea, así como a una tradición que en último término se remonta a La Celestina.
Góngora glosemático
Authors: Bonilla Cerezo Rafael
Published: January 2025

El presente artículo-reseña arroja nueva luz sobre la traducción española del Ensayo sobre las Soledades de Góngora de Giovanni Sinicropi (Sevilla, Athenaica, 2023). Este libriccino del gran italianista se publicó hace cuarenta y ocho años (Saggio sulle Soledades di Góngora, Bologna, Cappelli, 1976) y ha pasado de puntillas entre la flor del gongorismo. Excepción hecha de los aplausos de Antonio Carreira (1986 y 1998), apenas se detecta su rastro en las principales ediciones y monografías del último medio siglo. Se lo contextualiza aquí dentro de la querelle entre Maurice Molho y Robert Jammes a finales de la década de los setenta, profundizando en su cuestionamiento de la estilística de Dámaso Alonso, la optimización de la glosemática de Louis Hjelmslev (las dicotomías sustancia y forma, expresión y contenido, esquema y norma, uso y acto) y su apuesta por una lectura de las cultísimas silvas que adelanta la épica revelación de Mercedes Blanco en su Góngora heroico (2012).
Innovaciones textuales en un incunable sevillano: La «Caída de príncipes» (Ungut y Polono) de Boccaccio
Authors: González Ramírez David
Published: January 2025

En este trabajo se traza un panorama general sobre los problemas que presenta la traducción del De casibus virorum illustrium de Boccaccio en la España del siglo XV, cuyos testimonios conservados (manuscritos e incunable) son copias de un arquetipo perdido. Se realiza un sintético estado de la cuestión para explicar la problemática textual y se examinan las innovaciones que presenta el incunable.
A Living Classroom: Ongoing Revolutions at Boston’s Old North Church and Historic Site
Authors: Crumley Jaimie , Matthews Catherine , Spence Emily
Published: January 2025

Boston’s Old North Church and Historic Site welcomes about 200,000 visitors annually. Many arrive at the three-century-old church as part of their patriotic pilgrimage along Boston’s Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path that includes museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and some historic markers believed to represent critical moments in early American history. Most visitors to Old North expect to learn more about silversmith and patriot Paul Revere’s “midnight ride” and the lanterns that hung in the Old North Church steeple on April 18, 1775. However, when they stand inside the historic edifice, they quickly discover that it has unexpected stories to tell. The Old North Church functions as a living classroom. Its materiality introduces visitors to the hard histories of slavery, colonialism, racism, and religious conflicts.

This article shows the evolution of interpretations of the Old North Church. The staff at Old North Illuminated, the non-profit organization that preserves and interprets the church’s history, relies upon the materiality of the church alongside new archival research to reinterpret its history. The current on-site interpretation reflects the staff’s growing awareness of the church’s complicity in histories of racism, slavery, and colonialism in the Atlantic World. Critical research discoveries since 2016, paired with the racial reckonings of the past 10-15 years, have allowed the staff to reinterpret the church’s history in more inclusive ways that will enable visitors to engage with the inequitable revolutions of our times.
Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan Dengan Lama Hari Rawat Pasien BPJS Kesehatan di Rumah Sakit Mardi Waluyo Kota Metro
Authors: Atmojo Catur Yuli , Elasari Yunina , Surmiasih Surmiasih , Nugroho Tri Adi
Published: January 2025

Latar Belakang: Lama rawat inap (LOS) merupakan salah satu indikator keberhasilan perawatan pasien di rumah sakit. Rawat inap yang lama menyebabkan meningkatnya biaya perawatan sebaliknya rawat inap yang terlalu pendek akan meningkatkan risiko rawat berulang pasien. Mayoritas pasien rawat inap di Indonesia adalah pasien BPJS Kesehatan dengan sistem pembayaran berbasis paket klaim ina-cbgs berupaya mempersingkat waktu rawat pasien untuk menghindari kerugian ekonomi sehingga nilai LOS masih di bawah 6-9 hari.
Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan lama hari rawat pasien BPJS kesehatan di Rumah Sakit Mardi Waluyo Kota Metro.
Metode: Jenis Penelitian observational analysis dengan mengumpulkan data secara retrospektif menggunakan desain cross-sectional. Teknik total sampling digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu seluruh peserta BPJS Kesehatan yang dirawat di RS Mardi Waluyo Kota Metro pada tahun 2022 sebanyak 13.903 pasien. Data dianalisis dengan uji Chi Square.
Hasil: Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat hubungan yang signifikan antara umur (p=<0,001); jenis kelamin (p=<0,001); kelas perawatan (p=0,001), jenis penyakit (p=0,001); dan jumlah diagnosis penyakit (p=<0,001) dengan lama hari rawat (LOS).
Kesimpulan: Disarankan pada rumah sakit untuk melakukan analisis yang lebih mendalam tentang faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan lama hari rawat agar pelayanan yang diberikan kepada pasien lebih efektif dan efisien serta dapat meningkatkan kepuasan pasien
Post-immersive Listening: Perspectives on the Mediation of Sonic Environments
Authors: Chattopadhyay Budhaditya
Published: January 2025

Unplanned meetings can stem from complex movements across geographies, with serendipity playing a key role. Media artist Budhaditya Chattopadhyay unexpectedly meets researcher Budhaditya Chattopadhyay at a café in Budapest. This is their eighth meeting, following previous encounters in Copenhagen (2017), Den Haag (2021c), Kolkata (2021b), Berlin (2022a), Beirut (2022b), Basel (2023), and Rampurhat (2024). Each interaction has fostered a reflexive exchange of ideas, merging their artistic and theoretical perspectives on sound, listening, migratory experiences, and decolonial activism. Despite the differing lenses they bring, their conversations generate new insights. In the bustling café, surrounded by disengaged students emblematic of the isolation in European universities, the two engage in thoughtful discussions on acoustic ecologies, sonic environments, field recording, and audiovisual media. Their dialogue embodies a spirit of camaraderie, underscoring the value of interdisciplinary exchanges in nurturing knowledge and understanding across artistic and scholarly domains.
Electromagnetic deformable mirror fabricated using silicon micromachining and stress-resilient assembly
Authors: Man Wenkuan (Kevin) , Bifano Thomas
Published: January 2025

Introduction: This work presents a prototype electromagnetic actuation deformable mirror (DM) assembly with stress-resilient face sheet design.

Methods: The DM face sheet design includes slender micromachined silicon pillars that are integrated with a silicon face sheet to reduce unpowered face sheet surface distortion caused by actuator adhesion stress.

Results: The assembled deformable mirror prototype allowed bi-directional actuation with total stroke exceeding 20 μm. A two-step control method was used to improve the prototype dynamic performance, allowing settling time on the order of 1 ms. Prescribed references shapes were made on the prototype deformable mirror using closed-loop control.

Discussion: While the simplified DM produced in this work has only 19 actuators and therefore has limited capacity to control complex shapes, the design and fabrication processes described and demonstrated in this work provide a promising approach to development of high-stroke magnetic DMs.
Effects of cereal rye residue biomass and preemergence herbicide on the emergence of troublesome southeastern weed species
Authors: Kumari Annu , Price Andrew J. , Li Steve , Gamble Audrey , Jacobson Alana
Published: January 2025

Cover crops are increasingly adopted to suppress weed growth and reduce reliance on chemical herbicides. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the emergence and growth response of troublesome southeastern weeds to various cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) residue levels. Trays planted with Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia L.), ivyleaf morningglory (Ipomoea hederacea), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L.) seeds mixed with soil were covered uniformly by four different levels of cereal rye biomass. The following field experiment was conducted at two locations in Alabama in a split-plot design, with the main plot factor being four seeding rates of cereal rye to obtain various cereal rye biomass. Subplot factors were preemergence herbicide flumioxazin and non-treated (NT) check. The greenhouse results demonstrated reduced seed emergence and lower weed biomass for Palmer amaranth, sicklepod, and large crabgrass in plots with higher cereal rye residue biomass compared to those with lower biomass. In both greenhouse and field conditions, the emergence of ivyleaf morningglory was not affected by the increasing biomass of cereal rye residue. Palmer amaranth seed emergence was the most sensitive to increasing biomass residue due to its small seed size. Cereal rye biomass and Palmer amaranth counts were strongly negatively correlated with a Pearson’s coefficient (r) of 0.83 while weakly negatively correlated for ivyleaf morningglory with 0.49. In conclusion, increasing the biomass of cereal rye residue is effective in suppressing Palmer amaranth seed emergence but not ivyleaf morningglory. The flumioxazin treatment demonstrated 95%–90% control for Palmer amaranth and ivyleaf morningglory, while the NT check exhibited 50% control of Palmer amaranth and 30% control of ivyleaf morningglory by cereal rye biomass alone. In conclusion, a sufficient amount of cereal rye biomass can effectively suppress the emergence and growth of weeds, particularly Palmer amaranth.
Longitudinal impact of cross-clamp duration on postoperative sleep disturbance and quality of life in elderly cardiac surgery patients: a secondary analysis of the MINDDS trial
Authors: Namirembe Grace E. , Sparling Jamie , Novak Alexis , Mueller Ariel , Bertsch Julia , Wiredu Kwame , Qu Jason Z. , Brandon Westover M. , Houle Timothy T. , Akeju Oluwaseun
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the enduring impact of cross-clamp duration on postoperative sleep disturbance and functional outcomes (up to 180 days) in cardiac surgery patients.

Design

This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomized, double-blind trial comparing dexmedetomidine to placebo for delirium prevention (Minimizing ICU Neurological Dysfunction with Dexmedetomidine-induced Sleep).

Setting

Data from patients recruited at a tertiary medical center in Boston, Massachusetts, between March 2017 and February 2022 were analyzed in January 2024.

Participants

The study included 394 patients aged ≥60 who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Interventions

The primary exposure was cross-clamp time, while secondary exposures included surgical type [isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or not] and dexmedetomidine randomization.

Measurements and main results

The primary outcome was sleep quality, assessed using the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance questionnaire at 30, 90, and 180 days postoperatively. Secondary outcomes encompassed cognitive function and health-related quality of life in various domains. Sleep quality, measured by PROMIS scores, showed improvement over time, and did not differ based on cross-clamp duration (MD 0.74 points, 95% CI: −0.57, 2.07), procedure type (MD 2.14 points, 95% CI: 0.29, 3.99), or dexmedetomidine (MD 0.9 points, 95% CI: −1.33, 1.5). However, isolated CABG patients reported sleep disturbance at all time points. Notably, extended cross-clamp time (>90 min) significantly worsened the trajectories of mental health (90-day: MD −2.37 points, 95% CI: −4.35, −0.39; 180-day: MD −2.68 points, 95% CI: −4.62, −0.73) and applied cognition (180-day: MD: −2.59 points, 95% CI: −4.49, −0.68).

Conclusion

Regardless of the duration of the cross-clamp, sleep quality tends to improve over time following cardiac surgery. However, cross-clamp times that last longer than 90 min have been identified as a risk factor for self-reported declines in mental health and applied cognition.
Groundwater denitrification using electro-assisted autotrophic processes: exploring bacterial community dynamics in a single-chamber reactor
Authors: Toledo-Alarcón Javiera , Ortega-Martinez Eduardo , Pavez-Jara Javier , Franchi Oscar , Nancucheo Ivan , Zuñiga-Barra Héctor , Campos Jose Luis , Jeison David
Published: January 2025

Nitrate, a major groundwater pollutant from anthropogenic activities, poses serious health risks when present in drinking water. Denitrification using bio-electrochemical reactors (BER) offers an innovative technology, eco-friendly solution for nitrate removal from groundwater. BER use electroactive bacteria to reduce inorganic compounds like nitrate and bicarbonate by transferring electrons directly from the cathode. In our work, two batch BER were implemented at 1V and 2V, using anaerobic digestate from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant as inoculum. Nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, total ammoniacal nitrogen, and 16S rRNA analysis of bacterial community, were monitored during BER operation. The results showed effective nitrate removal in all BERs, with denitrification rate at 1V and 2V higher than the Control system, where endogenous respiration drove the process. At 1V, complete nitrate conversion to N2 occurred in 4 days, while at 2V, it took 14 days. The slower rate at 2V was likely due to O2 production from water electrolysis, which competed with nitrate as final electron acceptor. Bacterial community analysis confirmed the electroactive bacteria selection like the genus Desulfosporosinus and Leptolinea, confirming electrons transfer without an electroactive biofilm. Besides, Hydrogenophaga was enhanced at 2V likely due to electrolytically produced H2. Sulfate was not reduced, and total ammoniacal nitrogen remained constant indicating no dissimilatory nitrite reduction of ammonia. These results provide a significant contribution to the scaling up of electro-assisted autotrophic denitrification and its application in groundwater remediation, utilizing a simple reactor configuration-a single-chamber, membrane-free design- and a conventional power source instead of a potentiostat.
Automated diagnosis and grading of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration based on a modified YOLO framework
Authors: Wang Aobo , Wang Tianyi , Liu Xingyu , Fan Ning , Yuan Shuo , Du Peng , Zou Congying , Chen Ruiyuan , Xi Yu , Gu Zhao , Song Hongxing , Fei Qi , Zhang Yiling , Zang Lei
Published: January 2025

Background

The high prevalence of low back pain has led to an increasing demand for the analysis of lumbar magnetic resonance (MR) images. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a deep-learning-assisted automated system for diagnosing and grading lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration based on lumbar T2-weighted sagittal and axial MR images.

Methods

This study included a total of 472 patients who underwent lumbar MR scans between January 2021 and November 2023, with 420 in the internal dataset and 52 in the external dataset. The MR images were evaluated and labeled by experts according to current guidelines, and the results were considered the ground truth. The annotations included the Pfirrmann grading of disc degeneration, disc herniation, and high-intensity zones (HIZ). The automated diagnostic model was based on the YOLOv5 network, modified by adding an attention module in the Cross Stage Partial part and a residual module in the Spatial Pyramid Pooling-Fast part. The model’s diagnostic performance was evaluated by calculating the precision, recall, F1 score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

In the internal test set, the model achieved precisions of 0.78–0.91, 0.90–0.92, and 0.82 and recalls of 0.86–0.91, 0.90–0.93, and 0.81–0.88 for disc degeneration grading, disc herniation diagnosis, and HIZ detection, respectively. In the external test set, the precision values for disc degeneration grading, herniation diagnosis, and HIZ detection were 0.73–0.87, 0.86–0.92, and 0.74–0.84 and recalls were 0.79–0.87, 0.88–0.91, and 0.77–0.78, respectively.

Conclusion

The proposed model demonstrated a relatively high diagnostic and classification performance and exhibited considerable consistency with expert evaluation.
Recent advances in plant kinetochore research
Authors: Kozgunova Elena
Published: January 2025

Faithful chromosome segregation is crucial for cell division in eukaryotes, facilitated by the kinetochore, a multi-subunit protein complex that connects chromosomes to the spindle microtubules. Recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of kinetochore function in plants, including surprising findings about spindle assembly checkpoint, the composition of the inner kinetochore and unique kinetochore arrangement in holocentric Cuscuta species. Additionally, some kinetochore proteins in plants have been implicated in roles beyond chromosome segregation, such as cytokinesis regulation and involvement in developmental processes. This review summarizes recent insights into plant kinetochore biology, compares plant kinetochores with those of animals and fungi, and highlights key open questions and potential future directions in the field.
Clinical burden of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in France
Authors: Charron Philippe , Zema Carla , Cotté François-Emery , Herquelot Eléonore , Krause Taryn , Daydé Florent , Trochu Jean-Noël
Published: January 2025

Background

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can be genetic and occurs as obstructive and non-obstructive 21 subtypes. Little is known about the clinical burden of the obstructive subtype of HCM at a national 22 level, and how it may differ by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Therefore, this study 23 aimed to describe the clinical burden of patients hospitalized with obstructive HCM from a 24 nationwide study in France.

Methods

This retrospective, longitudinal, observational study was performed using data from the French National Health Data System. All adult patients (≥ 18 years old) with a hospitalization related to obstructive HCM [International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code I42.1], or at least one hospitalization with ICD-10 code I42.2 or I42.9 and at least one code for septal reduction therapy between 2012 and 2018 were included. Patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year. NYHA class was assigned using an algorithm based on treatment and symptom codes. Treatment patterns and clinical outcomes by NYHA class over time were examined.

Results

Overall, 6,823 patients with obstructive HCM were included (54.7% male, mean [standard deviation (SD)] age 66.2 [16.7] years). At inclusion, the proportion of patients in NYHA classes I, II, III, and IV were 4%, 32%, 60%, and 4%, respectively. Over the follow-up [mean (SD) follow-up: 4.4 (2.5) years; cumulative patient follow-up: 30,021 patient-years], 73% of patients remained in the same NYHA class, 14% of patients worsened, and 13% improved. At inclusion, 22% of patients had no HCM-related treatment, 56% were receiving β-blockers, 12% calcium-channel blockers, and 11% a combination of both. The incidence of cardiovascular-related hospitalization was high (35,436 hospitalizations; 117,229 per 100,000 patient-years) and this risk increased with NYHA class (from 81,247 per 100,000 patient-years for NYHA class I/II patients to 140,790 per 100,000 patient-years for NYHA class III/IV patients, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Patients with obstructive HCM are at high risk of death and cardiovascular outcomes, especially those in higher NYHA classes. Despite current therapeutics, the clinical burden of symptomatic obstructive HCM remains high, supporting the need for additional therapies.
Mindfulness and decision-making for teachers—the mediating role of self-esteem and the moderating role of experience
Authors: Almohammadi Afaf S.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the relationship between mindfulness, self-esteem, and decision-making. The study focused to examine the relationship primarily between mindfulness and decision-making, with self-esteem as a mediator and experience as a moderator among teachers in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A survey was conducted among teachers in Saudi Arabia and was completed by 525 teachers (67.8% were females and 32.2% were males, with an average age of 38.25 years, standard deviation [SD] = 8.72). Participants were Arabic-speaking teachers who were selected from public and private schools in Saudi Arabia. They were selected via direct contact with schools in Riyadh. Using the snowball spreading techniques, the teachers were recruited from elementary, middle, and high schools. Adolescent and Adult Mindfulness Scale (AAMS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Decision-Making Scale were used to obtain information on the variables.

Results

Mindfulness was significantly and positively correlated with decision-making and positive self-esteem and negatively correlated with negative self-esteem. Decision-making was significantly positively correlated with positive self-esteem and negatively correlated with negative self-esteem. Moreover, positive self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and decision-making, indirectly. However, mindfulness was not predicted by decision-making through negative self-esteem. A multigroup analysis showed that the mediational model was moderated by high teaching experience.

Conclusion

The results prove that mindfulness and self-esteem are associated with decision-making. Self-esteem and mindfulness for teachers increase their awareness of the problems they face daily in the classroom. Additionally, more experienced teachers are more confident and portray better decision-making skills.
The role of immunity in insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Zhang Qixuan , Yang Zhe , Ou Xiangyang , Zhang Mengying , Qin Xiangyu , Wu Gengxiang
Published: January 2025

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent disorder of the endocrine system with significant clinical implications, often leading to health complications related to adipose tissue accumulation, including obesity, insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. While the precise pathogenesis of PCOS remains unclear, it is now recognized that genetic, endocrine, and metabolic dysregulations all contribute significantly to its onset. The immunopathogenesis of PCOS has not been extensively explored, but there is growing speculation that immune system abnormalities may play a pivotal role. This chronic inflammatory state is exacerbated by factors such as obesity and hyperinsulinemia. Therefore, this review aims to elucidate the interplay between IR in PCOS patients, the controlled immune response orchestrated by immune cells and immunomodulatory molecules, and their interactions with adipocytes, hyperandrogenemia, chronic inflammation, and metabolic homeostasis.
Two-layer optimization model of distribution network line loss considering the uncertainty of new energy access
Authors: Ma Xiping , Dong Xiaoyang , Xiao Haitao , Li Yaxin , Xu Rui , Wei Kai , Cai Juanjuan , Wei Juan
Published: January 2025

The integration of a distributed generator (DG) into the distribution network alters the topology structure and power flow distribution, subsequently causing changes in network loss. Moreover, existing distribution network optimization methods face high computational complexity, low efficiency, and susceptibility to local optima. This article proposes a scenario generation method using a generative adversarial network (GAN) to handle the uncertainty associated with DGs and constructs a two-layer optimization model for the distribution network. The upper layer model determines the installation location and capacity of distributed power and energy storage systems with the lowest economic cost. The lower layer model establishes an optimization model, including wind, solar, and storage, with active power network loss and voltage deviation as objective functions. Both layers are solved using the Improved Whale Optimization algorithm (IWOA). Then, the IEEE-33 node distribution system was taken as a simulation example to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed model and algorithm.
Investigation of a transformer-based hybrid artificial neural networks for climate data prediction and analysis
Authors: Liu Shangke , Liu Ke , Wang Zheng , Liu Yuanyuan , Bai Bin , Zhao Rui
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Climate change isone of the major challenges facing the world today, causing frequent extreme weather events that significantly impact human production, life, and the ecological environment. Traditional climate prediction models largely rely on the simulation of physical processes. While they have achieved some success, these models still face issues such as complexity, high computational cost, and insufficient handling of multivariable nonlinear relationships.

Methods

In light of this, this paper proposes a hybrid deep learning model based on Transformer-Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) to improve the accuracy of climate predictions. Firstly, the Transformer model is introduced to capture the complex patterns in cimate data time series through its powerful sequence modeling capabilities. Secondly, CNN is utilized to extract local features and capture short-term changes. Lastly, LSTM is adept at handling long-term dependencies, ensuring the model can remember and utilize information over extended time spans.

Results and Discussion

Experiments conducted on temperature data from Guangdong Province in China validate the performance of the proposed model. Compared to four different climate prediction decomposition methods, the proposed hybrid model with the Transformer method performs the best. The resuts also show that the Transformer-CNN-LSTM hybrid model outperforms other hybrid models on five evaluation metrics, indicating that the proposed model provides more accurate predictions and more stable fitting results.
Characteristics of the macroinvertebrate community structure and their habitat suitability conditions in the Chishui River
Authors: Li Xinyu , Yan Long , Zhi Xu , Hu Peng , Shang Chongju , Zhao Baolong
Published: January 2025

Introduction

As an important tributary of the upper Yangtze River without dams, the study of the macroinvertebrate community structure and habitat suitability conditions in the Chishui River holds significant implications for water ecological conservation and restoration.

Methods

In order to explore the species composition, community characteristics and their ecological needs of macroinvertebrates in the Chishui River, 26 sampling sites were deployed in the Chishui River in this study in March (dry season), July (wet season), and November (normal season) of 2023 and performed community structure analysis.

Results

A total of 153 macroinvertebrate taxa were identified, with 62 taxa recorded in the dry season, 46 in the wet season and 115 in the normal season. The assemblage was predominantly composed of aquatic insects from the EPT group (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera). The results of ANOSIM analysis indicate that the species composition of macroinvertebrates varies significantly across different water periods. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Margalef index were significantly higher during the normal season compared to the dry and wet seasons. In contrast, the Pielou index and Simpson index remained relatively stable, suggesting a higher level of evenness in community structure across the different water periods. Based on the habitat suitability curves, Corbicula fluminea and Heptagenia prefer environments with high flow velocities and substrate particle sizes (D50) smaller than 300 mm. Hydropsyche sp.1 and Baetis thrive in environments with medium to low water depths, high flow velocities, and D50 ranging from 100 to 300 mm. Caridina favor deeper waters, low flow velocities, and larger substrate particles. The GAM fitting results revealed that the number of macroinvertebrate taxa increased with rising pondus hydrogenii (pH) and electrical conductivity (EC) levels. Species richness initially declined and then rose within certain thresholds of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. The optimal conditions for macroinvertebrate communities in the Chishui River were determined to be a DO concentration of 9.8 mg/L and an NH3-N concentration of 0.12 mg/L.

Discussion

Overall, the macroinvertebrate community structure in the Chishui River is significantly influenced by factors such as water quality, flow velocity, and substrate particle size, and it demonstrates strong adaptability to seasonal variations.