bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Latin America: Comparative Outcomes According to Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Lanas Fernando , Serón Pamela , Muttel Cheryld
Published: January 2025

Latin America is a region with more than 40 countries and almost 650 million inhabitants who mostly share a Hispanic heritage, speak Latin languages, and have cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as the leading cause of death. However, there are significant differences in the prevalence of CVD risk factors and prognosis. Socioeconomic disadvantages, including less access to education, are important determinants of those differences, both between and within countries; the poor and less-educated individuals face an increased risk due to a higher prevalence of sedentarism, smoking, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, but also have less awareness of disease and limited access to health care, that leads to an increase in incidence and mortality from CVD.

Regional initiatives following WHO directions have been implemented in most countries, mainly for the control of smoking, obesity, and hypertension, leading to an overall reduction in age-adjusted CVD mortality, but with marked differences between countries. Additionally, some clinical trials have shown the benefits of complex interventions, addressing several aspects of CVD risk factor controls, but they are still waiting for proof of widespread implementation. Any initiative should address the socioeconomic disadvantages to improve health and equity.
A comprehensive review of factors affecting growth and secondary metabolites in hydroponically grown medicinal plants
Authors: Venkatasai Neeharika Narisepalli , Shetty Devija N. , Vinay Chigateri M. , Sekar Mahendran , Muthusamy Annamalai , Rai Padmalatha S.
Published: January 2025

Main conclusion

Optimizing environmental factors can significantly increase the growth and secondary metabolite synthesis of hydroponically grown medicinal plants. This approach can help increase the quality and quantity of pharmacologically important metabolites to enhance therapeutic needs.

Medicinal plants are key therapeutic sources for treating various ailments. The increasing demand for medicinal plants has resulted in the overharvesting of these plants in their natural habitat, which can lead to their extinction in the future. Soil-based cultivation faces challenges, such as a lack of arable land, drastic climatic changes, and attacks by soil-borne pathogens. To overcome these challenges, hydroponic cultivation, known as soilless cultivation, is a sustainable method. The yield and quality of medicinal plants depend on environmental factors, such as nutrients, pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, light, nanoparticles, phytohormones, and microorganisms. This article explores the impact of these environmental factors on the growth and secondary metabolite content of hydroponically grown medicinal plants. Our review reveals how environmental factors qualitatively and quantitatively influence the growth and secondary metabolites of medicinal plants grown in hydroponic systems and how these factors can be integrated into the enhancement of therapeutic compounds.

Graphical abstract
Human-biting behaviour of Leptoconops irritans (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in a touristic area of the Balearic Islands (Spain)
Authors: González Mikel Alexander , Barceló Carlos , Rodríguez-López Aroa , Figuerola Jordi , Miranda Miguel Ángel
Published: January 2025

Biting midges of genus Leptoconops Skuse 1889 are small blood-feeding insects recognized as highly irritating diurnal pests in certain regions around the globe. In Europe, their presence is poorly documented, except in France and Italy. Following reports of human discomfort in a tourist area of Menorca, Balearic Islands (Spain), a small-scale study was conducted to identify the biting species and assess their preferred biting sites using a human-landing assay along a habitat gradient in a coastal dune area. Leptoconops irritans (Noé, 1905) was identified based on morphological features and DNA barcoding. This species reached high densities (average rates of 3.3 landings/min), particularly near coastal dune vegetation. No statistically significant differences were found among the four main body sites for landings of L. irritans (F
3,6.023 = 1.80, p = 0.250): head (n = 91, 53.8%), lower extremities (n = 39, 23.1%), upper extremities (n = 37, 21.9%), and other covered areas (n = 2, 1.2%). Landing preferences varied among the three volunteers, and bites progressed differently. This study represents the second documented case of Leptoconops midges causing human discomfort in Spain. We hope this research will stimulate further interest in this understudied genus, which has been largely overlooked across much of Europe.
The current state and future direction of childcare for cancer patients: a narrative review
Authors: Yusuf Hasiya , Kumar Abhishek
Published: January 2025

Purpose

One in four patients diagnosed with cancer are parents to dependent children. For these patients, childcare services are needed to overcome the time demands of cancer treatment. Despite the childcare support needs and its potential impact on treatment outcomes, targeted childcare services for cancer patients remain limited. This review highlights the state of childcare services and strategies to address the current chasm in childcare for parents diagnosed with cancer.

Methods

A comprehensive search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase was conducted and 77 studies in the English Language on Childcare services for parents with cancer published between January 1990 and May 2024 were identified and reviewed.

Findings.

The burden of cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment imposes physical, psychological, financial, and time constraints on cancer patients with young dependents. Many cancer patients with children miss treatment appointments and encounter treatment delays due to challenges with childcare. Limited access to childcare is further exacerbated by the financial and time toxicities of cancer and unconventional treatment needs such as emergency department visits, fatigue, and other complications of cancer treatment. So far, only one cancer-center-linked childcare program exists in the U.S., highlighting the scale of unmet need for childcare support in cancer patients.

Conclusion

and relevance.

Providing non-traditional childcare services, home-based or hospital-based childcare structures, and financial assistance through medical institutions, professional organizations, insurance payers, and government-funded programs could bridge the current gap in childcare needs for parents with a cancer diagnosis.
Variations of plerocercoid infection rates in fish communities across Spanish mountain lakes
Authors: Sánchez-Hernández Javier , Jiménez-Corbacho Carlos , García‐Gómez Guillermo , García-Astillero Ariadna , Arranz Ignasi
Published: January 2025

Plerocercoid infection rates in fish may result from factors influencing individual and species-specific susceptibility to procercoid infection in copepods. In this paper, we examine the infection rates of fish communities in Spanish mountain lakes by Ligula plerocercoids and explore potential factors that may influence the differences across 9 fish species and 13 lake systems. This study is the first to report the presence of plerocercoids in endemic Bermejuela del Esla (Achondrostoma asturicense), with prevalence rates ranging from 0 to 42.5%. We significantly observed low feeding intensities (gut fullness) and gonadal atrophy in infected A. asturicense compared to non-infected individuals, but zooplankton was absent in the gut contents of A. asturicense. We posit that the absence of fish-eating birds in high-altitude lakes, along with fish abundance and species-specific differences in fish foraging behaviours, likely explains the geographical variations in plerocercoid prevalence across lake-dwelling fish communities.
Measuring adaptive expertise and adaptive performance in (becoming) healthcare professionals: a scoping review of measurement instruments
Authors: Hissink Elske , Pelgrim Els , Nieuwenhuis Loek , Bus Lotte , Kuijer-Siebelink Wietske , van der Schaaf Marieke
Published: January 2025

Professional work in healthcare is increasingly disruptive, requiring professionals to be flexible and adaptable. Research on adaptive expertise and adaptive performance in healthcare has grown, and operationalisation and measurement of these concepts are crucial to meet professionals’ evolving needs. This study provides an overview of measurement instruments for adaptive expertise and adaptive performance in (becoming) healthcare professionals, including an evaluation of their operationalisations and the amount of evidence supporting their quality. A scoping review was conducted, including an analysis of operationalisations and the amount of evidence supporting the quality of instruments, based on the criteria outlined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (2014). Seventeen articles were included, comprising nineteen measurement instruments, three of which were specifically developed for the healthcare domain. The instruments, categorized into six types, varied in the nature and volume of evidence supporting their quality. Analysis of the operationalisations led to a clearer understanding of the concepts, with themes emerging around adaptive expertise and adaptive performance. The study reveals a dominance of self-evaluation and job requirement instruments, while other methods, such as design scenarios, mixed-methods instruments, and collegial verbalization, are underrepresented. Instruments developed specifically for healthcare need further validation and reliability testing. The categorization of subscales into 13 themes provides further clarification of the concepts and suggestions for future research. Instruments to measure adaptive expertise and adaptive performance are limited and vary in conceptualisation, operationalisation and quality. Further research is needed to improve the validity and reliability of healthcare-specific instruments.
Comparison of global and regional myocardial blood flow quantification using dynamic solid-state detector SPECT and Tc-99 m-sestamibi or Tc-99 m-tetrofosmin in a routine clinical setting
Authors: Wieting Wiebke , Bengel Frank M. , Diekmann Johanna
Published: January 2025

Solid-state detector single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) enables the acquisition of dynamic data for calculation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR). Here, we report about our experiences on routine clinical use and robustness using Tc-99 m-sestamibi and Tc-99 m-tetrofosmin. 307 patients underwent dynamic list-mode myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and standard static MPI for clinical workup of coronary artery disease on a dedicated cardiac SPECT camera. After exclusion of 33 scans, 274 scans were eligible for MBF and MFR calculation using a 1‐tissue‐compartment model. Attenuation correction was performed for all patients using an external computed tomogram. Patients underwent stress-only scans, both stress and rest scans or rest-only scans using Tc-99 m-tetrofosmin or Tc-99 m-sestamibi. 30 patients without known cardiovascular comorbidities and without perfusion defect on static scans were compared in a sub analysis. Global stress myocardial blood flow (MBF) was significantly higher than rest MBF (2.3 vs. 1.1 ml/min/g; p < 0.001), and showed a high variability among individuals. Global myocardial flow reserve (MFR) was 2.1 (range 0.5–7.8). An analysis of 30 patients without known cardiovascular comorbidities yielded similar stress MBF measures for Tc-99 m-sestamibi and Tc-99 m-tetrofosmin (3.1 ± 1.2 vs. 2.8 ± 0.9 ml/min/g; p = 0.429). The use of attenuation correction lead to systematically lower MBF measures. Patients who underwent a one-day protocol had notably higher rest MBF (1.2 ± 0.5 vs. 1.0 ± 0.46 ml/min/g; p = 0.009) and consequently a lower MFR. Summed defect scores from standard static scans and presence of cardiovascular comorbidities negatively impacted MBF and MFR. Quantitative SPECT MBF and MFR in a clinical routine setting yields flow measures in range of expectation at an albeit wide range and is comprehensibly linked with results from standard static scan and patients history of cardiovascular diseases. Use of one-day protocols and attenuation correction systematically alters quantitative results. However, SPECT-derived MBF and MFR lack clinical reliability due to less validated reference ranges and high inter-individual variability.

Graphical abstract
Coupling Derivation of Optimal-Order Central Moment Bounds in Exponential Last-Passage Percolation
Authors: Emrah Elnur , Georgiou Nicos , Ortmann Janosch
Published: January 2025

We introduce new probabilistic arguments to derive optimal-order central moment bounds in planar directed last-passage percolation. Our technique is based on couplings with the increment-stationary variants of the model, and is presented in the context of i.i.d. exponential weights for both zero and near-stationary boundary conditions. A main technical novelty in our approach is a new proof of the left-tail fluctuation upper bound with exponent 3/2 for the last-passage times.
Progress and prospects in antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Chwalenia Katarzyna , Wood Matthew J. A. , Roberts Thomas C.
Published: January 2025

Recent years have seen enormous progress in the field of advanced therapeutics for the progressive muscle wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In particular, four antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies targeting various DMD-causing mutations have achieved FDA approval, marking major milestones in the treatment of this disease. These compounds are designed to induce alternative splicing events that restore the translation reading frame of the dystrophin gene, leading to the generation of internally-deleted, but mostly functional, pseudodystrophin proteins with the potential to compensate for the genetic loss of dystrophin. However, the efficacy of these compounds is very limited, with delivery remaining a key obstacle to effective therapy. There is therefore an urgent need for improved ASO technologies with better efficacy, and with applicability to a wider range of patient mutations. Here we discuss recent developments in ASO therapies for DMD, and future prospects with a focus on ASO chemical modification and bioconjugation strategies.
Psychometric properties and post-hoc CAT analysis of the pediatric PROMIS® item banks anxiety and depressive symptoms in a combined Swedish Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and School sample
Authors: Blomqvist Ida , Chaplin John Eric , Henje Eva , Dennhag Inga
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The objective of this study is to assess the psychometric properties and reliability of the Swedish Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item banks for anxiety and depressive symptoms with item response theory analysis and post-hoc computerized adaptive testing in a combined Swedish Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) and school sample.

Methods

Participants (n = 928, age 12–20) were recruited from junior and high schools and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics in the region of Västerbotten. Unidimensionality, local independence, and monotonicity was tested. We fitted a graded response model to the data and tested differential item functioning (DIF) for sex, age group, sample type, and language (Swedish vs. U.S.). Moreover, a post-hoc computer adaptive testing (CAT) simulation was performed. All analysis were made in R.

Results

Unidimensionality, local independence, and monotonicity were acceptable. The graded response model yielded acceptable item fit, discriminative, and threshold values for all items in both item banks. DIF for language (Swedish vs. U.S.) was found for two items from the anxiety and one item from the depressive symptoms item banks. A Stocking-lord transformation was used for the items displaying language DIF, and post-hoc CAT simulations were performed. The post-hoc CAT simulation showed reliability around 0.9 for both Swedish and official U.S. item parameters T-scores calibration from within normal limits to severe anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

The Swedish pediatric PROMIS item banks of anxiety and depressive symptoms are appropriate to assess mild to severe symptoms of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Swedish school- and CAP samples.
Upcycling industrial peach waste to produce dissolving pulp
Authors: Plakantonaki Sofia , Zacharopoulos Nikolaos , Christopoulos Miltiadis , Kiskira Kyriaki , Markou Giorgos , Tsakanika Lamprini-Areti , Priniotakis Georgios
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the production of high-purity cellulose pulp from peach (Prunus persica) fruit wastes generated during the processing of a Greek compote and juice production industry. A three-step chemical process is used, including alkaline treatment with NaOH, organic acid (acetic and formic) treatment, and hydrogen peroxide treatment, with the goal of cellulose extraction and purification. A fractional factorial design optimized reagent levels, revealing the strong influence of NaOH concentration on α-cellulose content and degree of polymerization. The extraction yield ranged between 9.7 and 12.3%, and a yield of 11.6% was achieved under the optimal conditions (NaOH, 3%w/v; acid-to-solid ratio, 6 l/kg; H2O2, 0.5% v/v) of the factorial experiment. The resulting samples were further characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TGA techniques. The results of the XRD and FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of cellulose, with a crystallinity index of approximately 57%, balancing strength and reactivity. The SEM analysis demonstrated a strong morphological similarity between the extracted pulp and commercial dissolving-grade pulp (Södra Purple), while images of the raw material confirmed effective purification. Additional evaluations included color, lightness, and lignin content. These findings suggest that cellulose extracted from peach waste is suitable for textile applications, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional cellulose sources and supporting industrial resource efficiency.

Graphical Abstract
MXene-Based Perfect Absorber Design and Refractive Index Sensing Performance
Authors: Korkmaz Huseyin
Published: January 2025

In this study, a MXene-based electromagnetic absorber with a simple design at terahertz frequencies is proposed. An absorber that has a MXene layer drilled into with square and circular cavities and a thin aluminum layer as a reflector was examined. With the proper design of the structure dimensions, a MXene-based refractive index sensor with a dual-band at THz frequency and

$$99.93\%$$

99.93
%

and

$$97.85\%$$

97.85
%

absorption levels were obtained. The proposed design achieved 1983 and 1935 Q-factor values at frequencies of 0.446 THz and 0.583 THz, respectively. The proposed sensor with fractional bandwidth of

$$0.050\%$$

0.050
%

and

$$0.052\%$$

0.052
%

has sensitivity values of 686.2 and 557.6 (GHz/RIU). The figure of merit of the proposed sensor is calculated as 3049.8 and 1852.5 (1/RIU), and the proposed sensor is compared with sensor available in the literature. Since the designed absorber can detect refractive index changes, it also has potential applications in the identification of biological samples.
Manufacturing ownership rights in practice: Property dynamics in an urban poor settlement in Mumbai—The exemplary case of Dharavi
Authors: Patil Varun , Fuchs Martin
Published: January 2025

This paper presents a case study of Dharavi, an urban poor settlement in Mumbai, often called Asia’s largest slum. It seeks to understand the ownership of urban property through an empirical—anthropological and sociological—study asking how various socially disadvantaged groups “do” property on the ground and try to thicken their claims on tenements and land. Advancing the analytics of legal pluralism, the paper shows how different legal registers of property interact in property conflicts over urban renewal and exposes their hybrid character. Refining the formal/informal binarity, the article shows how legal dimensions are woven into the livelihood strategies of urban poor and are reshaped in their everyday struggles for recognition as legitimate urban citizens who try to strengthen their right to the city.
Fast polynomial arithmetic in homomorphic encryption with cyclo-multiquadratic fields
Authors: Blanco-Chacón Iván , Pedrouzo-Ulloa Alberto , Njah Nchiwo Rahinatou Y. , Barbero-Lucas Beatriz
Published: January 2025

We discuss the advantages and limitations of cyclotomic fields to have fast polynomial arithmetic within homomorphic encryption, and show how these limitations can be overcome by replacing cyclotomic fields by a family that we refer to as cyclo-multiquadratic. This family is of particular interest due to its arithmetic efficiency properties and to the fact that the Polynomial Learning with Errors (PLWE) and Ring Learning with Errors (RLWE) problems are equivalent for it. Likewise, we provide exact expressions for the condition number for any cyclotomic field, but under what we call the twisted power basis. As a tool for our result, we obtain refined polynomial upper bounds for the condition number of cyclotomic fields with up to 6 different primes dividing the conductor. From a more practical side, we also show that for this family, swapping between NTT (Number Theoretic Transform) and coefficient representations can be achieved at least twice faster than for the usual cyclotomic family.
A bibliometric analysis of the 50 most cited articles on acromioclavicular joint reconstruction
Authors: O’Dwyer L. , Murphy B. , Davey M. S. , Morrissey D. , Cassidy J. T.
Published: January 2025

The aim is to identify the 50 most cited papers and thus the most influential papers pertaining to ACJ reconstruction, and specifically, analysing the level of evidence (LOE), article content, journals occurring, and countries represented within the 50 most cited. A search of the Web of Science database was carried out using the following terms: “Acromioclavicular joint” OR “AC joint” (Topic) AND Reconstruction OR Repair (Topic). The top 50 relevant articles were analysed in relation to citations, citation density, geographic origin of the article, year published, and article type. The articles were cited a total of 6053 times. The most cited article was cited 347 times. The highest citation density was 20.02, with a mean citation density of 7.71 ± 4.13. Seventy per cent of the articles involved clinical research, 74% of which involved level IV evidence. Fifty-two per cent of the articles were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM). Most authors originated from USA (n = 26 or 52%), followed by Germany (n = 14 or 28%). This study revealed a paucity of articles with higher LOE among the most cited. Eight of the top 10 are either theoretical or biomechanical studies, and one reports an examination technique. Only two of the top 10 reported outcomes following surgical intervention and can thus directly guide treatment. Future research in the area of ACJ reconstruction should focus on generating high-quality interventional studies capable of informing/impacting patient care. Publishing in journals such as AJSM or Arthroscopy may lead to more citations.
Wandering and Wondering with Natural Stones: Unusual Geoscience Communication and Education Experiences in Constructed Spaces in Brazil and Finland
Authors: Eerola Toni
Published: January 2025

Raising public awareness of geosciences is an interesting field with potential for diverse experiments in geoscience communication. Such experiments can also be multi- and cross-disciplinary by mixing geosciences, arts, and humanities. Natural stones are an asset for such activities in constructed environments. Here, examples of such experiences are reported from Finland and Brazil. In the Brazilian experience, geoaesthetics and psychogeography were applied in shopping malls in Florianópolis in 2002–2004. Geography students located, mapped, described, and documented natural stones found in walls, balconies, floors, and columns of the malls by wandering. This “odd” activity was considered as a “performance” in the semi-public space. The reactions of customers towards the activity were also observed. The unusual behavior of the students aroused the curiosity of passersby, as well as of security staff, and for this reason, permission was needed to carry out the exercise. In the example from Finland, an urban geowalk took place during an International Performance Festival in the downtown area of Turku in 2014. Beyond the above-mentioned concepts and activities, georhythmics was also applied. The geological meaning of natural stones and their importance in architecture and for society were explained to the participants. This was also reinforced by sensorial and corporeal exercises involving the simulation of geological processes, i.e., georhythmics. These multidisciplinary and artistic interventions in constructed spaces were interesting and useful experiences. They involved the adaptation, development, and application of uncommon practices in unusual places for geoscience communication and education, mixing art, geology, architecture, and vanguard anti-art concepts. Such practices may help to raise public awareness of geosciences. They lift natural stones from their familiar urban contexts to enable appreciation of their origin, geoaesthetics, and applications.
Drivers of Soil Carbon Variability in North America’s Prairie Pothole Wetlands: A Review
Authors: Chizen Chantel J. , Bedard-Haughn Angela K.
Published: January 2025

There is an ongoing demand for region-specific soil organic carbon estimates to support sustainable land management and inform carbon credit programs. The Prairie Pothole Region is prominent agricultural area that extends through Canada and the United States, and features a significant number of wetlands commonly referred to as prairie potholes. The contribution of these wetlands to landscape-level soil organic carbon storage is complex and may not be consistent across the region as influenced by several environmental and management factors. This study reviews existing literature to identify the main factors that contribute to variability in soil organic carbon stocks in prairie pothole wetlands. Soil organic carbon stock data from 10 studies in the Prairie Pothole Region were summarized through a meta-analysis. Variable importance and regression analyses were used to assess which factors explain variability in soil organic carbon. Wetland class explained up to 26.6% of the variability in soil organic carbon. Other important factors included ecoregion as well as land management. There were significant differences in average wetland soil organic carbon stocks across the ecoregions. Data limitations restricted our ability to accurately estimate the stocks for wetland class and land management. The findings from this study highlighted the need for targeted studies in the Northern short grassland ecoregion as well as studies that consider wetland classes under various land uses. To advance wetland carbon research in the Prairie Pothole Region, recommendations were provided on landscape-level carbon modelling, soil carbon measurement and monitoring, and improved wetland classification systems.

Graphical Abstract
Free Vibration of MEE Plate with Honeycomb Core Subjected to Thermomechanical Loads
Authors: Eroğlu Mustafa
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper examines the vibration buckling of a sandwich nanoplate. The top and bottom layers are piezoelectric Barium Titanate (BaTiO3) and Cobalt Ferrite (CoFe2O4), while the core is a metal (Ti6Al4V) honeycomb.

Methods

Nonlocal strain gradient elasticity and sinusoidal higher-order deformation theories were applied. The sandwich nanoplate’s motion equations were calculated using Hamilton’s principle and the piezoelectric surface plates’ magnetostrictive, electroelastic, and thermal properties. Next, Navier equations were solved. The study considered the geometric properties of the honeycomb-shaped core of the sandwich nanoplate, its nonlocal characteristics, temperature change, and the effects of electric and magnetic potentials. The study aimed to examine the sandwich nanoplate’s dimensionless fundamental natural frequencies.

Results

Considering the given context, the natural frequencies decrease significantly when the temperature difference is applied to the sandwich nanoplate, which has a metal honeycomb structure at its core. Vibration buckling takes place at around 1980 K. In addition, when the thickness ratio of the honeycomb structure is increased, the natural frequencies decrease, whereas they increase with an increase in the edge ratio.

Conclusion

This research presents innovative findings regarding the creation and utilization of nanosensors, transducers, and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) engineered for high-temperature environments, enhancing the current state-of-the-art in nanoscale-free vibration analysis.
African American College Students’ Contextual Emotion Expression
Authors: Brown Deon W. , Lozada Fantasy T. , Serpell Zewelanji N. , Dzokoto Vivian A. , Dunsmore Julie C.
Published: January 2025

The current study aimed to explore patterns of self-reported emotion expression across familial and college campus contexts among African American college students and the associations of these patterns with contextual features on college campuses (i.e., racial demographics of the university overall and students’ friend group and racial discrimination experiences). Theoretical support included Triple Quandary Theory and emotional development models. Online survey data from 169 self-identified African American college students (62.4% female; M
age = 20.60) across three college campuses were analyzed to compare reports of emotion expression with family members and emotion expression on campus. Additionally, family and campus emotion expression reports were analyzed via latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify latent profiles of emotion expression and their predictors. Four profiles of emotion expression across familial and college campus contexts emerged: Positive Low Expressors (n = 55; 32%), High Family – Low Campus Expressors (n = 44; 26%), Consistent Expressors (n = 37; 22%), and Low Family Positive – Consistent Negative Expressors (n = 33; 20%). College campus type was not a significant predictor of profile membership. However, campus experiences of racial discrimination and racial composition of friend group were significant predictors. African American college students’ varying emotion expression in familial domains relative to public domains (i.e., college campuses) may reflect variation in their racial experiences. These findings have implications for a contextual based understanding of African Americans’ emotional competence, broadly, and the necessity for colleges to consider how campus experiences shape African American college students’ emotional functioning.
Sacral Alar-Iliac (SAI) screw diameter is not associated with pelvic fixation failure for neuromuscular scoliosis patients
Authors: Tetreault Tyler A. , Myers Annika Y. , Valenzuela-Moss Jaqueline , Wren Tishya A. L. , Heffernan Michael J. , Andras Lindsay M.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Determine if Sacral Alar-Iliac (SAI) screw diameter is associated with pelvic fixation failure in pediatric patients with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) treated with posterior spinal fusion (PSF).

Methods

NMS patients from a single institution who underwent PSF with bilateral SAI screw fixation from 2010 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical parameters, SAI screw sizes, and radiographic outcomes were analyzed. Patients with greater or less than two SAI screws, > 21 years old, or with < 2 years of radiographic follow-up were excluded.

Results

142 patients had 284 SAI screws placed. Mean(± SD) age was 13.6 ± 2.7 years. Preoperative curve magnitude averaged 84.3 ± 29.1°. Mean patient weight was 36.4 ± 14.1kg and BMI was 18 ± 5.1. Radiographic follow-up averaged 4.6 ± 2.0 years. Most screws (234/284,82.4%) were < 8.5 mm and 7.5 mm screws were most frequently used (158/248,55.6%). Mean screw diameter was 7.4 ± 0.7 mm. Patients with greater age, weight, and BMI trended towards larger screws. Three patients had five screw complications (1 screw fracture and 4 set screw dislodgments). One screw fracture (1/284,0.4%;7.5 mm diameter) and contralateral set screw dislodgement occurred in a patient at 14 months but was not revised. One patient who had bilateral set screws dislodge 3 months after PSF underwent revision. The remaining patient was asymptomatic and was observed. Screw diameter was not associated with risk of postoperative complications (p = 0.245).

Conclusion

SAI screw fracture is rare after PSF in pediatric patients with NMS. Contrary to pelvic fixation in adults, smaller diameter SAI screws, which may be optimal in patients with smaller anatomy, were not associated with increased risk of screw failure.

Level of evidence

III.
Approaching the Past through Practice: Reconstruction of a Historical Greenlandic Dog Sled
Authors: Vitale Emma
Published: January 2025

Since the emergence of the Thule culture (AD 1200), dog sledding has been perceived as a central means of transportation in traditional Inuit life in the Arctic. However, there is an absence of research concerning Inuit dog-sled technology and the tradition of the craft. This study investigates the Inuit dog-sled technocomplex using enskilment methodologiesby employing experimental and ethno-archaeological observations to explore the relationship between knowledge and technical practice. It involves the reconstruction of a historical West Greenlandic dog sled, shedding light on carpentry techniques and construction processes. This method emphasizes the interaction between humans, technology, and time, providing essential practical data for future archaeological and historical research, particularly for comprehending fragmented archaeological remains. By focusing on process rather than end product, this research provides insight into understanding Inuit dog sled technology and the complexity of the practice. The connection between artifacts and materially situated practice is demonstrated through the reconstruction of a dog sled, which illustrates the value of physicality in enskilment. It highlights how experimental archaeology can improve our insights into the historical and prehistoric Arctic societies’ technologies, economies, and practices.
Taxing data when the United States disagrees
Authors: Diniz Magalhães Tarcísio , Christians Allison
Published: January 2025

What is the best way to tax data-driven business models without contravening the existing global quasi-constitutionalist order on tax, trade, and investment law? A number of countries in Europe and around the world have begun imposing standalone digital services taxes pending multilateral agreement on a coordinated reform of bilateral income tax treaties (aka the OECD-G20/Inclusive Framework’s ‘Pillar 1’). But if Pillar 1 fails to materialise and countries go forward with unilateral digital services taxes, the United States and U.S. firms will likely seek redress using domestic measures as well as trade and investment treaties where applicable. This Article argues that in the face of such U.S. resistance, EU member states and countries elsewhere ought to reconsider using the income tax system to achieve their goals instead. We first review the events that led countries to avoid the income tax in favour of standalone taxes only to become embroiled in domestic U.S. trade policies. We then explain how European and other source jurisdictions for business services related to data collection, mining, and commercialisation could revisit the income tax to get to the same tax base, namely by taking an ambulatory interpretation approach to provisions in existing tax treaties in a way that renders possible to accommodate withholding taxes on those services. We show that an ambulatory interpretation approach could achieve the underlying goals of taxing data-driven businesses, in some cases even without any domestic law or treaty reform, with treaty-based rules for dispute resolution a ready tool to draw upon if and when the United States disagrees.
Skeptical Disagreement is a Kind of Deep Disagreement
Authors: Miranda Vilchis Rogelio
Published: January 2025

The aim of this paper is to expose the intimate relationship between deep disagreements and skepticism. Philosophers have explored how deep disagreements lead to skepticism about their resolution at the metalevel (about whether one knows that P), but they have paid little attention to how they also lead to first- or object-level skepticism (about whether P is the case) and how skepticism also produces deep disagreements. I show how engaging in a discussion about any topic against a radical skeptic position always leads to deep disagreement. Furthermore, the disagreement engendered by radical skepticism is a kind of deep disagreement at the level of epistemic evaluation of propositions that covaries with deep disagreements at the object level. Deep disagreement and radical skepticism are intimately linked.
Caregiver characteristics and behaviors: quantitative associations with child depression amongst refugees in Uganda
Authors: Meyer Sarah R. , Mosha Neema , Kasujja Roscoe , Namukwaya Sarah , Upadhaya Nawaraj , Smallegange Eva S.
Published: January 2025

For refugee children, there are a number of risk factors for poor mental health and psychosocial well-being, many of them exacerbated for those refugee children living in low-resource settings. There is some evidence that caregiver warmth, parenting self-efficacy and positive relationships between caregivers and children can act as protective factors against poor mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. This study sought to assess if caregiver-level factors (parental warmth and affection, positive child-caregiver interaction and parenting self-efficacy) are protective for symptoms of child depression. To address these questions, a quantitative survey was implemented (n = 501) in the Imvepi refugee settlement in Uganda. Results indicated bivariate associations between several caregiver-level factors and child depression. However, in multivariate models, which included measures of economic stress, both parental warmth and affection and child-caregiver interaction were no longer significantly associated with child-reported depression. Parenting self-efficacy was found to be significantly associated with lower child-reported depression. These findings indicate the need to examine and explore how or if caregiver-level factors, such as warmth and parenting self-efficacy, as well as child-caregiver relationships overall, operate in the context of chronic stress. Whereas caregiver-level factors are potentially protective against poor mental health for refugee children, contextual factors, such as poverty and livelihood opportunities, may constrain the positive impacts of parenting.
Prospective, crossover, comparative study of two methods of chlorhexidine bathing
Authors: Hankins Richard Jordan , Handke Luke , Fey Paul D. , Cavalieri Ruth Jennifer , Cawcutt Kelly A. , Van Schooneveld Trevor , Lyden Elizabeth , High Robin , Rupp Mark E.
Published: January 2025

Background:

Bathing intensive care unit (ICU) patients with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) decreases healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The optimal method of CHG bathing remains undefined.

Methods:

Prospective crossover study comparing CHG daily bathing with 2% CHG-impregnated cloths versus 4% CHG solution. In phase 1, from January 2020 through March 2020, 1 ICU utilized 2% cloths, while the other ICU utilized 4% solution. After an interruption caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, in phase 2, from July 2020 through September 2020, the unit CHG bathing assignments were reversed. Swabs were performed 3 times weekly from patients’ arms and legs to measure skin microbial colonization and CHG concentration. Other outcomes included HAIs, adverse reactions, and skin tolerability.

Results:

411 assessments occurred after baths with 2% cloth, and 425 assessments occurred after baths with 4% solution. Average microbial colonization was 691 (interquartile range 0, 30) colony-forming units per square centimeter (CFU/cm2) for patients bathed with 2% cloths, 1,627 (0, 265) CFUs/cm2 for 4% solution, and 8,519 (10, 1130) CFUs/cm2 for patients who did not have a CHG bath (P < .001). Average CHG skin concentration (parts per million) was 1300.4 (100, 2000) for 2% cloths, 307.2 (30, 200) for 4% solution, and 32.8 (0, 20) for patients without a recorded CHG bath. Both CHG bathing methods were well tolerated. Although underpowered, no difference in HAI was noted between groups.

Conclusions:

Either CHG bathing method resulted in a significant decrease in microbial skin colonization with a greater CHG concentration and fewer organisms associated with 2% CHG cloths.
A modified Prandtl–Ishlinskii hysteresis model with dead-zone operators for a novel pouch-type actuator
Authors: Ma Zhuo , Wang Yingxue , Zheng Rencheng , Liu Haitao , Liu Jianbin
Published: January 2025

Pouch-type actuators have recently garnered significant interest and are increasingly utilized in diverse fields, including soft wearable robotics and prosthetics. This is largely due to their lightweight, high output force, and low cost. However, the inherent hysteresis behavior markedly affects the stability and force control of pouch-type driven systems. This study proposes a modified generalized Prandtl–Ishlinskii (MGPI) model, which includes generalized play operators, the tangent envelope function, and one-sided dead-zone operators, to describe the asymmetric and non-convex hysteresis characteristics of pouch-type actuators. Compared to a classical Prandtl–Ishlinskii (PI) model incorporating one-sided dead-zone functions, the MGPI model exhibits smaller relative errors at six different air pressures, demonstrating its capability to accurately describe asymmetric and non-convex hysteresis curves. Subsequently, the MGPI hysteresis model is integrated with displacement sensing technology to establish a load compensation control system for maintaining human posture. Four healthy subjects are recruited to conduct a 1 kg load compensation test, achieving efficiencies of 85.84%, 84.92%, 83.63%, and 68.86%, respectively.
Trajectorial dynamics of English in Rwanda
Authors: Isingoma Bebwa
Published: January 2025

This study aims to uncover the dynamics of the evolution of English in Rwanda, using Schneider's (2007) Dynamic Model. Even though Rwanda has had no history of British colonial rule or that of any other Anglophone country, it currently presents a situation of a non-postcolonial environment where English plays a preponderant role on a par with many dimensions of the status of English in Outer Circle counties such as Uganda or Ghana. Despite the fact that the Dynamic Model was primarily meant to account for the evolution of English in postcolonial environments, its applicability (with a few caveats) to the current linguistic situation in Rwanda provides a robust articulation of the trajectorial development of English in this country.
Understanding the meanings of ambiguous noun-noun compounds
Authors: Hamada Megumi , Alharbi Faisal Hamad
Published: January 2025

This study investigated whether nonnative speakers of English would be able to identify the meanings of ambiguous English noun-noun compounds, focusing on semantic relation between the modifier and head. English noun-noun compounds with varying degrees of ambiguity were selected through an analysis of contexts from COCA. The participants were two groups of college students, who were natives peakers of Arabic (n = 20) and Chinese (n = 20). The participants thought-aloud the meanings (more common vs. less common) of the English noun-noun compounds shown in the contexts. The overall accuracy was comparable between the groups, but by-item accuracy showed some differences in the meanings the groups identified more accurately.
Cross-language interactions of phonetic and phonological processes
Authors: Coetzee Andries W. , Henriksen Nicholas , García-Amaya Lorenzo
Published: January 2025

This paper explores how long-term bilingualism affects the production of intervocalic plosive consonants (/p t k b d ɡ/) in the speech of Afrikaans–Spanish bilinguals from Patagonia, Argentina. We performed sociolinguistic interviews with three speaker groups: L1-Afrikaans/L2-Spanish bilinguals (14 speakers, interviewed separately in Spanish and Afrikaans), L1-Spanish comparison speakers from Patagonia (10 speakers), and L1-Afrikaans comparison speakers from South Africa (11 speakers). We analyzed the speech data using three acoustic measures (constriction duration, relative intensity, and percent voicing) to examine the degree of lenition of the target plosives. The results demonstrate a complex interplay of factors that bring about cross-language influence, which varies based on the target phoneme and phonetic measure. Notably, the findings suggest that phenomena that are gradient phonetic processes in both languages of bilingual speakers (such as the lenition of voiceless plosives in Spanish and Afrikaans) pattern differently than phenomena that are phonological in one language but phonetic in the other (such as lenition of voiced plosives in Spanish versus Afrikaans).
Assessing accent anxiety: A measure of foreign English speakers’ concerns about their accents
Authors: Xue Qingyao , Noels Kimberly
Published: January 2025

Additional language speakers (ALSs) often experience anxiety due to challenges posed by their nonstandard pronunciation. Building on these insights, this paper introduces an instrument, the Accent Anxiety Scale (AAS), specifically designed to assess three sources of anxiety that are experienced by ALSs, including (a) apprehension about negative evaluations from other individuals due to their distinctive speech style, (b) concerns about rejection from the target language community because of their “foreign” pronunciation, and (c) anxieties over potential communication hurdles attributed to the intelligibility of their pronunciation. We evaluated the psychometric robustness of the AAS by analyzing data from a total of 474 immigrant and international student ALSs at a predominantly English-speaking Canadian university. Study 1 focused on immigrants (N = 203) and employed exploratory factor and correlational analyses to isolate a concise number of internally consistent and valid items for each subscale. Study 2 extended these analyses to international students (N = 153) and employed confirmatory factor and correlation analyses to further validate the AAS in this population. Study 3 examined international students (N = 118) at two time points to establish the AAS’s temporal stability. These studies yielded robust psychometric evidence for the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the AAS. The findings not only support the use of the AAS as a research instrument but also offer implications for pedagogical strategies aimed at alleviating ALSs’ accent anxiety.