bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selection and characterization of DNA aptamers targeting the surface borrelial protein CspZ with high-throughput cross-over SELEX
Authors: Guérin Mickaël , Vandevenne Marylène , Matagne André , Aucher Willy , Verdon Julien , Paoli Emmeline , Ducrotoy Jules , Octave Stéphane , Avalle Bérangère , Maffucci Irene , Padiolleau-Lefèvre Séverine
Published: January 2025

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most prevalent tick-borne illness, with an estimated 700 000 cases annually in the United States and Europe. LB diagnosis based on two-tiered serology remains controversial due to its indirect nature and low sensitivity during the early stage of the disease. Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that exhibit high selectivity and specificity for their target due to their unique three-dimensional structure. By applying cross-over-SELEX process, an enrichment of DNA oligonucleotide sequences against a surface protein ofBorrelia, named CspZ, has been performed and monitored using absorbance at 260 nm, melting curves and NGS analyses. Beyond sequence enrichment, oligonucleotides binding to CspZ were observed during the selection rounds by Dot Blot and beads assays. Thirteen unique and highly redundant oligonucleotide sequences have been further characterized using multiple approaches such as Dot Blot, BioLayer Interferometry and Surface Plasmon Resonance. The selected aptamers showed KDvalues from tens of nanomolar to the micromolar range by BLI and SPR. Two aptamers, characterized by flow cytometry and epifluorescence microscopy, were able to specifically recognizeBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto. This novel strategy holds promise for the development of an improved diagnosis assay.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

HIGHLIGHTS

DNA aptamers were selected by cross-over SELEX.

Aptamers’ KDs ranged from tens of nanomolar to the micromolar range.

Aptamer characterization was performed by Dot Blot, beads assay, BLI, and SPR.

Interaction withBorreliawas tested by flow cytometry and epifluorescence microscopy.

Aptamers bind to both the recombinant and borrelial surface CspZ protein.
Unpolarized valence GPDs and form factors of the pion in the modified chiral quark model
Authors: Nematollahi H. , Azizi K.
Published: January 2025

We calculate the valence generalized parton distribution functions (GPDs) of pion at zero skewness applying a theoretical approach in which the valence GPDs are related to valence quark distribution functions, directly. To this end, we use the results of modified chiral quark model (χQM) for the valence quark distributions of pion obtained in our previous work. We also determine the electromagnetic and gravitational form factors of pion and compare the results of our theoretical model for valence GPDs and form factors of pion with the results of some other models and available experimental data.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Anomalous
U(1)A
couplings and the Columbia plot
Authors: Giacosa Francesco , Kovács Győző , Kovács Péter , Pisarski Robert D. , Rennecke Fabian
Published: January 2025

When the quark masses are lighter than those in QCD, the standard lore is that a chiral transition of first order must emerge for three light flavors. Recently, however, numerical simulations on the lattice suggest that the chiral transition is of second order in the chiral limit. Using an extended linear sigma model in the mean field approximation, we study the relation between terms which break the anomalous, U(1)A symmetry and the order of the chiral phase transition, especially how a chiral transition of second order can arise for three massless flavors. We note that in an (unphysical) region of the “Columbia” phase diagram, when the strange quark mass is light and negative, corresponding to topological angle θ=π, the CP symmetry is spontaneously broken.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Photon vortex generation from nonlinear Compton scattering in Feynman approach
Authors: Maruyama Tomoyuki , Hayakawa Takehito , Hajima Ryoichi , Kajino Toshitaka , Cheoun Myung-Ki
Published: January 2025

In the present study, we show the calculation of nonlinear Compton scattering with circularly polarized photons in a cylindrical coordinate using Feynman diagram to calculate photon vortex generation in intermediate states considering conservation of angular momentum. We take two different vortex wave functions based on Bessel function for the emitted photon and the electron after emission of the photon, which are the eigenstate of the z component of the total angular momentum (zTAM) when a particle propagates along the z axis. The result shows that when an electron absorbs N photons a photon vortex with a zTAM=N is predominantly radiated, but there are still very small contributions of photons with a zTAM=(N−1) and (N+1) due to the spin flip of the initial electron. This means even when an electron absorbs only a single photon, the electron may emit a photon vortex of a zTAM of 2ℏ. However, the numerical calculations show that the contribution of the spin flip is four orders of magnitude smaller than that of the dominant radiation. We also discuss the circular polarization for the generated photon vortices.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Generalized black hole entropy is von Neumann entropy
Authors: Kudler-Flam Jonah , Leutheusser Samuel , Satishchandran Gautam
Published: January 2025

It has been argued that, while the individual terms in the generalized entropy, Sgen=A/4GN+Sext, are ill-defined in the semiclassical limit, their sum is well-defined if one takes into account perturbative quantum gravitational effects. The first term diverges as GN→0, and the second diverges due to the infinite entanglement across the horizon which is characteristic of type III von Neumann algebras. It was recently shown that the von Neumann algebra of observables “gravitationally dressed” to the mass of a Schwarzschild-AdS black hole or the energy of an observer in de Sitter spacetime admit a well-defined trace. The algebras are type II∞ (which does not admit a maximum entropy state) and type II1 (which admits a maximum entropy state) respectively, and the von Neumann entropy of “semiclassical” states was found to be (up to an additive constant) the generalized entropy. However, these arguments rely on the existence of a stationary “equilibrium (KMS) state” and do not apply to, for example, black holes formed from gravitational collapse, Kerr black holes, or black holes in asymptotically de Sitter spacetime. These spacetimes are stationary but not in thermal equilibrium. In this paper, we present a general framework for obtaining the algebra of “gravitationally dressed” observables for a linear, Klein-Gordon field on any spacetime with a (bifurcate) Killing horizon. We prove, assuming the existence of a stationary state—which is not necessarily KMS—and suitable asymptotic decay of solutions, a “structure theorem” that the algebra of “gravitationally dressed” observables always contains a type II factor of observables “localized” on the horizon. These assumptions have been rigorously proven in most cases of interest in this paper. Applying our general framework to the algebra of observables in the exterior of an asymptotically flat Kerr black hole where the fields are dressed to the black hole mass and angular momentum we find that the algebra is the product of a type II∞ algebra on the horizon and a type I∞ algebra at past null infinity. The full algebra is type II∞, and the von Neumann entropy of semiclassical states is the generalized entropy. In the case of Schwarzschild-de Sitter, despite the fact that we must introduce an observer, the algebra of observables dressed to the perturbed areas of the black hole and cosmological horizons is the product of type II∞ algebras on each horizon. The entropy of semiclassical states is given by the sum of the areas of the two horizons as well as the entropy of quantum fields in between the horizons. Our results suggest that in all cases where there exists another “boundary structure” (e.g., an asymptotic boundary or another Killing horizon) the algebra of observables is type II∞ and in the absence of such structures (e.g. de Sitter spacetime) the algebra is type II1.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Local description of decoherence of quantum superpositions by black holes and other bodies
Authors: Danielson Daine L. , Satishchandran Gautam , Wald Robert M.
Published: January 2025

It was previously shown that if an experimenter, Alice, puts a massive or charged body in a quantum spatial superposition, then the presence of a black hole (or more generally any Killing horizon) will eventually decohere the superposition. This decoherence was identified as resulting from the radiation of soft photons/gravitons through the horizon, thus suggesting that the global structure of the spacetime is essential for describing the decoherence. In this paper, we show that the decoherence can alternatively be described in terms of the local two-point function of the quantum field within Alice’s lab, without any direct reference to the horizon. From this point of view, the decoherence of Alice’s superposition in the presence of a black hole arises from the extremely low frequency Hawking quanta present in Alice’s lab. We explicitly calculate the decoherence occurring in Schwarzschild spacetime in the Unruh vacuum from the local viewpoint. We then use this viewpoint to elucidate (i) the differences in decoherence effects that would occur in Schwarzschild spacetime in the Boulware and Hartle-Hawking vacua; (ii) the difference in decoherence effects that would occur in Minkowski spacetime filled with a thermal bath as compared with Schwarzschild spacetime; (iii) the lack of decoherence in the spacetime of a static star even though the vacuum state outside the star is similar in many respects to the Boulware vacuum around a black hole; and (iv) the requirements on the degrees of freedom of a material body needed to produce a decoherence effect that mimics that of a black hole.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Topological phases for extended objects: Semiclassical phase-space approach with tensorial coordinates
Authors: Palumbo Giandomenico
Published: January 2025

It has long been established that certain higher-dimensional topological phases of matter support extended objects like quasistrings and quasimembranes in their bulk states. In this study, we investigate the physics of these topological systems using a phase-space approach in the semiclassical regime, incorporating tensorial coordinates related to the extended objects. Specifically, we explore the semiclassical currents associated to open quasistrings in topological phases in three spatial dimensions, considering the presence of both coordinate-space Kalb-Ramond fields and momentum-space tensor Berry connections. Our results show that the currents associated to the endpoints of open quasistrings on the system’s boundary exhibit a quantum Hall response. This formalism accurately reproduces the boundary response as predicted by an Abelian BF theory proving a novel way to study extended objects in topological matter.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Extrapolation to the complete basis-set limit in density-functional theory using statistical learning
Authors: Speckhard Daniel T. , Carbogno Christian , Ghiringhelli Luca M. , Lubeck Sven , Scheffler Matthias , Draxl Claudia
Published: January 2025

The numerical precision of density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations depends on a variety of computational parameters, one of the most critical being the basis-set size. The ultimate precision is reached in the limit of a complete basis set (CBS). Our aim in this work is to find a machine-learning model that extrapolates finite basis-size calculations to the CBS limit for periodic crystal structures. We start with a data set of 63 binary solids investigated with two all-electron DFT codes, and FHI-aims, which employ very different types of basis sets. A quantile-random-forest model and a symbolic regression approach using the SISSO model are used to estimate the total-energy correction with respect to a fully converged calculation as a function of the basis-set size. The random-forest model achieves a symmetric mean absolute percentage error of lower than 25% for both codes and outperforms previous approaches in the literature. SISSO outperforms the random forest model for the code. Our approach also provides prediction intervals, which quantify the uncertainty of the models' predictions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Metallic and ferromagnetic carbon allotrope discovered using molecular precursors
Authors: Fang Hong , Therrien Joel , Jena Puru
Published: January 2025

Although carbon materials are known for their versatile structures and properties, a crystalline phase of carbon being both metallic and ferromagnetic is yet to be found. Here, using an organic molecular precursor 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene (C6H12) and a comprehensive theoretical study, we have discovered a metastable crystalline carbon phase that is both metallic and ferromagnetic under ambient conditions. The new carbon structures, produced by stacking puckered layers of 4,6-membered rings, are found to exhibit exotic electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties originating from a special sp2−sp3 bonding topology. These findings open the prospect of realizing the metallic and ferromagnetic carbon allotrope in practice.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Formation of Rydberg crystals induced by quantum melting in one dimension
Authors: Zeybek Zeki , Schmelcher Peter , Mukherjee Rick
Published: January 2025

Quantum fluctuations in frustrated systems can lead to the emergence of complex many-body phases. However, the role of quantum fluctuations in frustration-free lattices is less explored and could provide an interesting avenue for exploring new physics, and perhaps is easier to realize compared to frustrated lattice systems. Using Rydberg atoms with tunable interactions as a platform, we leverage strong van der Waals interactions and obtain a constrained model in one dimension with nonlocal fluctuations given by dipolar interactions alongside local fluctuations. The combined effect of such processes leads to intrinsically quantum-ordered Rydberg crystals through the order-by-disorder mechanism. Finite-size analyses indicate that combined fluctuations drive the transition from disordered to ordered phases, contrary to the expected direction. We provide a theoretical description to understand the physics of order-by-disorder in one-dimensional systems, which are typically seen only in higher dimensions.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
When engagement meets departure: how social capital, social engagement and social support impact churn within online health communities
Authors: Zhang Zizhong , Lu Mingjiang
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Online health communities can be both supportive and vulnerable and highly rely on stable engagement from core members. Understanding the factors affecting core member churn is vital. This study examines a hair-loss-related online health community, taking a meso-level community approach. It investigates how users’ potential social capital, proactive social engagement and received social support in the community influence their churn.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected the complete dataset spanning 13 years from a hair-loss-related online health community in mainland China. It identified 4,270 core users with over ten posted messages each, along with their associated text. Social network analysis and survival analysis were then used to calculate user node centrality and create a hazard model for user churn.

Findings

The findings indicate that increased social capital and social support can help prevent churn. However, higher social engagement alone does not directly reduce users’ likelihood to withdraw. Instead, users are more likely to stay in the community when highly engaged if they also receive substantial social support. Social support emerges as a critical factor in this mechanism.

Originality/value

This study innovatively adopts a meso-level community perspective, investigating user churn within an online health community for individuals with a self-limiting condition – hair loss. The research probes the interactive effects of user engagement and social support on churn within the online health community. Advice on sustaining member participation is given based on the findings as well as Chinese culture.
Does ChatGPT affect users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities?
Authors: Li Guo , Zhu Mark Xuefang
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of ChatGPT on users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online question-and-answer (Q&A) communities based on social exchange theory and stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a Chinese online Q&A community, and the difference-in-differences (DID) model was employed to verify the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that ChatGPT negatively impacts users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities, with variations observed across different knowledge domains.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to examine the impact of ChatGPT on users’ continuous knowledge contributions in online Q&A communities. The findings provide valuable insights for community managers to develop strategies for mitigating the effects of ChatGPT on online Q&A communities.
How sustainability committees moderate the link between ESG performance and environmental innovation in European firms?
Authors: Alodat Ahmad Yuosef , Hao Yunhong , Nobanee Haitham
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper investigates the moderating role of sustainability committees in the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and environmental innovation within European nonfinancial firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes data from 691 nonfinancial sector firms operating within EU states from 2013 to 2022. It employs regression analysis to examine the correlation between ESG performance and environmental innovation, considering the moderating effect of sustainability committees.

Findings

The research reveals a significant and positive correlation between ESG performance and environmental innovation. Moreover, it demonstrates that sustainability committees play a positive moderating role in this relationship, indicating their importance in fostering environmental innovation within organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to European nonfinancial companies, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings. Additionally, the research focuses on the moderating role of sustainability committees, leaving room for further exploration of other governance mechanisms.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that implementing an ESG performance framework and establishing dedicated sustainability oversight mechanisms, such as sustainability committees, can enhance environmental innovation within organizations. This insight is valuable for strategic decision-making aimed at advancing both sustainability and innovation agendas.

Originality/value

This study addresses a gap in the literature by exploring the moderating effect of sustainability committees on the link between ESG performance and environmental innovation from various theoretical viewpoints. It contributes to the understanding of mechanisms that enhance environmental innovation within companies and provides practical implications for corporate reporting accuracy and sustainability initiatives.
The impact of digitalization on economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Emiru Tilahun Molla , Wajebo Temesgen
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between digitalization and economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study also aims to discuss the effects of digitalization on human capital, financial development, institutional quality and firm-level productivity and how these channels matter for the relationship between digitalization and economic activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs two-stage least squares (2SLS) on an unbalanced panel data set comprising 33 SSA countries over the period from 1996 to 2019. This methodology addresses the potential endogeneity between digitalization and economic activity.

Findings

The results indicate that digitalization has a statistically significant positive effect on the level of per capita GDP in SSA countries. Specifically, a one percentage point increase in the digitalization index is associated with a 2.13% increase in gross domestic product per capita. The study discusses some of the channels through which this effect manifests.

Originality/value

The study comprehensively examines the impact of digitalization on economic activity in SSA. The study also attempts to address the potential endogeneity issues in the relationship and discusses the mechanisms at work.
Chip warpage and stress analysis in power modules of different substrate configurations
Authors: Gharaibeh Mohammad A.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to use rigorous finite element simulations to investigate the impact of different substrate systems on the warpage behavior of silicon (Si) chips of power modules exposed to thermal loading.

Design/methodology/approach

Three common substrate systems: direct copper bonded (DCB), insulated metal substrate (IMS) and printed circuit board (PCB) configurations examined. In addition, three lead-free bonding materials: silver-tin transient liquid phase (TLP), sintered silver (Ag) and sintered copper (Cu). This results in nine assembly configurations. Finite element models of the electronic modules are developed using ANSYS to apply thermal loads from room temperature to 250°C to induce deformations, strains and stresses in the electronic structure. Accordingly, the silicon chip deformations and maximum principal stresses of each assembly configuration are thoroughly examined.

Findings

The results indicate that DCB-based power modules markedly reduce Si die warpage and maximum principal stresses, suggesting enhanced resistance to thermal loads. In contrast, IMS systems exhibit the highest levels of die warpage and out-of-plane deformation. PCB substrates, however, induce the highest maximum principal stress values in the silicon die, potentially leading to accelerated crack initiation and propagation. While the die attach system has a minimal effect on die warpage, the silver-tin TLP bonds generate significantly higher die stresses compared with sintered Ag and sintered Cu, which both result in reduced stresses.

Originality/value

Power electronics exceptionally rely on ceramic-based and polymer-based substrate systems due to their superior thermal conductivity, heat resistance and electrical insulation properties. The strategic selection of substrate structures can significantly enhance the robustness of power. Ultimately, the findings of this research provide valuable insights for the design of highly reliable and efficient power modules subjected to thermal stress.
Facilitators and inhibitors of Lean Service 5.0: an assessment from the knowledge waste management perspective
Authors: Bonamigo Andrei , Barbosa Arielle da Silva , Rocha Enzo De Almeida Santana , Werner Steffan Macali
Published: January 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the facilitators and inhibitors of Lean Service 5.0 from a knowledge management perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

First, it was conducted a systematic literature review based on the systematic search flow method of Ferenhof and Fernandes (2016), and finally, the authors conducted a content analysis based on Bardin (2011).

Findings

A total of five facilitators were found in the literature: digital transformation, structured communication flow, top management commitment, training and team commitment; and four inhibitors, among them: sociocultural problems, limited knowledge, negative impacts of top management commitment and lack of integration between technologies, that interfere at knowledge management. Based on the findings, a framework that correlates facilitators and inhibitors of Lean Service 5.0 by the knowledge management view was constructed.

Research limitations/implications

The systematic review conducted is not limited to one specific area of service sectors and/or research area. The content analysis can present limitations of content in the function of disponibility and detailment of information presented in the paper analyzed.

Practical implications

The findings in this research and the framework developed allow to provide support to people managers and decision-makers at organizations, in other to formulate strategies to encourage Knowledge Management in service organizations, as well as mitigate inhibitors to the adoption of Lean Service 5.0 in organizations. Furthermore, the findings of this study can provide support to develop procedures, techniques and metrics for the maturity of Lean Service 5.0 from a Knowledge Management perspective.

Social implications

The findings point that people management and culture development turned to continuous improvement by the dissemination of knowledge has been shown as a key element to the success of Lean Service 5.0. Thus, the development of people skills to explicit knowledge is a crucial factor in dealing with inhibitors of lean management in service organizations.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that identifies facilitators and inhibitors to adopting and managing Lean Service 5.0 from a knowledge management view; besides, presents a framework to guide service professionals in the implementation and maintenance of Lean Service 5.0.
Chinese Pangolin Changes Local Vertebrate Assemblages and Contributes to Their Interspecific Interactions by Burrowing and Revisitation
Authors: Sun Song , Mao Ruirui , Dou Hongliang , Gao Haiyang , Wang Ying , Zhang Yaqian , Wu Fei , Kuang Yuanwen , Xiao Zhishu , Hua Yan
Published: January 2025

The burrow microhabitats created by burrowing mammals, as a hotspot for biodiversity distribution in ecosystems, provide multiple critical resources for many other sympatric species. However, the cascading effects of burrow resources on sympatric animal community assemblages and interspecific interactions are largely unknown. During 2020–2023, we monitored 184 Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) burrows using camera traps to reveal the burrow utilization patterns of commensal species. We totally recorded up to 57 species, with 19 mammal species, 32 bird species, and 1 reptile species recorded in the burrows revisited by Chinese pangolin, with 19 mammal species and 25 bird species in the non‐revisited burrows. Among them, most bird species as peripheral species primarily utilize soil mounds while most mammal species as burrow‐used species utilize burrow tunnels. The structure of animal communities in the burrows revisited by Chinese pangolins is more complex than that in the burrows not revisited. Furthermore, the positive correlation between community species in pangolin‐revisited burrows is also stronger. Our results demonstrate that the presence and repeated visitation by Chinese pangolins could enhance positive interactions (i.e., the emergence of one species promotes the emergence of another) among species that utilize the burrow resources (particularly, burrow‐used species). Our study provides the first evidence that the ecological role of the Chinese pangolin and its associated burrow microhabitats in promoting the coexistence of burrowing commensals and the restoration of Chinese pangolin populations may potentially contribute to the restoration of local biodiversity and ecological processes.
Support groups for family members of older adults in residential aged care: A pilot feasibility study
Authors: Dunkerley Sofie , Bhar Sunil , Bhowmik Jahar , Almond Helen , Nedeljkovic Maja , Brydon Aida , Wissmann Denise , Silver Mark , Linossier Jenny
Published: January 2025

Objectives

There are limited mental health support services in Australia that address the well‐being of family members of aged care residents. The aim of this project was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of an online program designed to support residents' families.

Methods

This one‐arm mixed methods project examined uptake, attendance and retention patterns, satisfaction and experience with the service, and pre‐ and postoutcomes with respect to depressive and anxiety symptoms and loneliness. The sample comprised 38 participants.

Results

The uptake, attendance and retention rates were high: 86%, 87% and 95%, respectively. Participants were satisfied with the content and format of the program. The benefits of participation included the following: connecting with peers, developing emotional well‐being strategies, and learning about dementia and mental health issues. Suggestions for improving the program included the following: offering additional sessions and an option for meeting face‐to‐face. Symptoms of depression and anxiety improved significantly from pre‐ to postintervention time points, but loneliness did not statistically reduce over time.

Conclusions

This study found the family support group feasible and acceptable, and showed preliminary indications of effectiveness for improving depressive and anxiety symptoms for families of aged care residents.
Testing the interrelationship between area deprivation and ethnic disparities in sentencing
Authors: Pina‐Sánchez Jose , Morales Ana , Guilfoyle Eoin , Veiga Ana , Geneletti Sara
Published: January 2025

In the examination of sentencing disparities, hypotheses related to social class have been relatively overlooked compared to explanations centered on offenders' ethnicity. This oversight is regrettable as both factors often intertwine. In this study, we investigate the mediating and moderating effects between offenders' residential area deprivation and their ethnic background using administrative data encompassing all offences processed through the England and Wales Crown Court. Our findings reveal the following: (i) substantial ethnic disparities among drug offenders, but mostly non‐existent across other offence categories; (ii) area deprivation does not explain away the observed ethnic disparities, but pronounced area disparities are found for breach and assault offenses, wherein offenders living in deprived areas are penalized compared to their more affluent counterparts; and (iii) ethnicity and area deprivation interact, but only for breach offenses.
Time to weight plateau with tirzepatide treatment in the SURMOUNT‐1 and SURMOUNT‐4 clinical trials
Authors: Horn Deborah B. , Kahan Scott , Batterham Rachel L. , Cao Dachuang , Lee Clare J. , Murphy Madhumita , Gonsahn‐Bollie Sylvia , Chigutsa Farai , Stefanski Adam , Dunn Julia P.
Published: January 2025

The rate of weight reduction during obesity treatment declines over time and eventually reaches a weight plateau. We investigated factors associated with time to weight plateau (TTWP) in tirzepatide‐treated participants with obesity or overweight in a post‐hoc analysis of SURMOUNT‐1 and SURMOUNT‐4 trials. Participants adherent to tirzepatide treatment and achieving ≥5% weight loss by primary endpoint (week 72 SURMOUNT‐1; week 88 SURMOUNT‐4) were included. Weight plateau was defined as a weight change <5% over a 12‐week interval and all subsequent 12‐week intervals. TTWP was time from randomization to the start of the first 12‐week interval. Association between baseline characteristics and TTWP was assessed. Overall, 1438 participants in SURMOUNT‐1 and 259 in SURMOUNT‐4 were included. Across BMI categories (overweight, class I, II, and III), median TTWP in SURMOUNT‐1 was 24.3, 26.0, 36.1, and 36.1 weeks, respectively (p <.05, class II and III vs. overweight). By week 72, 90.2%, 88.9%, 87.6%, and 87.8% of participants in SURMOUNT‐1 had reached a weight plateau across respective BMI categories [Correction added on 22 January 2025, after first online publication: The “72%” has been changed to “72” in this version.]. Higher doses of tirzepatide (10/15 mg), younger age, and female sex were more likely to reach a weight plateau later. Results in SURMOUNT‐4 were similar. In this post‐hoc analysis, most participants reached a weight plateau by week 72. Higher doses of tirzepatide, younger age, and female sex were associated with a longer TTWP. Further research into modifiers of weight reduction phases with tirzepatide may inform treatment decisions for its use in chronic weight management. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifiers NCT04184622 (SURMOUNT‐1) and NCT04660643 (SURMOUNT‐4), available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/
Long‐term fasting induces a remodelling of fatty acid composition in erythrocyte membranes
Authors: Gewecke Katharina , Grundler Franziska , Ruscica Massimiliano , von Schacky Clemens , Mesnage Robin , Wilhelmi de Toledo Françoise
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Long‐term fasting (LF) activates an adaptative response to switch metabolic fuels from food glucose to lipids stored in adipose tissues. The increase in free fatty acid (FFA) oxidation during fasting triggers health benefits. We questioned if the changes in lipid metabolism during LF could affect lipids in cell membranes in humans. We thus analysed the FA composition in erythrocyte membranes (EM) during 12.6 ± 3.5 days of LF and 1 month after food reintroduction.

Methods

A total of 98 subjects out of three single‐arm interventional studies underwent a medical supervised long‐term fasting (12.6 ± 3.5 days) programme. The distribution pattern of 26 FA as well as the HS‐Omega‐3 Index were assessed in the EM using gas chromatography.

Results

Eighteen of 26 FA showed significant changes. Within the group of saturated FA, myristic (14:0) and stearic acid (18:0) decreased while palmitic (16:0) and arachid acid (20:0) increased. While most monounsaturated FA increased, trans fatty acids decreased or remained unchanged. Within the polyunsaturated FA, arachidonic (20:4n6) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n3) acid increased, while linoleic (18:2n6), alpha‐linolenic (18:3n3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n3) decreased. Consequently, the HS‐Omega‐3 Index increased. 11 out of the 18 FA with significant changes returned to baseline levels 1 month afterwards. Levels of linoleic and alpha‐linolenic acid increased over baseline levels.

Conclusions

Long‐term fasting triggers changes in the FA composition of EM.
How AI‐Enhanced Social–Emotional Learning Framework Transforms EFL Students' Engagement and Emotional Well‐Being
Authors: Zong Yue , Yang Lei
Published: January 2025

This study explores the transformative role of AI‐enhanced social–emotional learning (SEL) frameworks in improving the engagement and emotional well‐being of English as a foreign language (EFL) students in China. A survey was conducted among 816 undergraduate and postgraduate students from universities across five provinces, utilising convenience sampling. The research focused on how AI tools integrated into English learning contribute to student engagement and emotional stability. Data were analysed using SPSS for descriptive and regression analyses and AMOS for structural equation modelling. The findings highlight that AI‐enhanced SEL significantly boosts student engagement and emotional well‐being. By providing tailored learning experiences based on students' emotional and cognitive needs, AI systems facilitate better emotional regulation, increased focus and improved academic performance. The results suggest that AI‐enhanced SEL frameworks offer personalised support that not only enhances learning outcomes but also creates a more emotionally supportive environment, contributing to students' overall academic success and well‐being.
Navigating Adoption by Global South Users: The Case of Wikimedia Volunteers: Why It Is Important for Global Organizations to Accommodate Inclusive Research Teams
Authors: KRAMER‐COURBARIAUX CAMILLE , OFORI SASHA E.N.A , HAFISOU KALAMA
Published: January 2025

This case study explores the impact YUX, a pan‐African UX research and design agency, had on the Wikimedia Foundation's (WMF) work with volunteer communities in Africa. After an overview of WMF's motivation for focusing on the Global South and a description of the teams and the research methodology, it focuses on the insights that changed how WMF supports its organizer community, and how differences in positionality sparked debate. Key insights include developing non‐digital solutions, acknowledging that African participants leverage their volunteer work for personal growth, and addressing the uneven perception of Wikipedia as a neutral source of information.

Constructive debate arose because the WMF team had little knowledge of Africa, which obliged the African researchers to be comparative‐cultural experts and ethical champions. Although the emic perspective had been sought after, ultimately the more complex solutions the research recommended, such as enabling organizers to collect phone numbers, were not prioritized. Other recommendations were followed through on and the research led WMF to launch a community‐support group dedicated to African Wikipedia volunteers, and contributed to leveling up how WMF supports its volunteer community globally.
Fluid Friction: The Case for Friction in Public Safety Design
Authors: BURRAWAY JOSHUA
Published: January 2025

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO…

The moment she heard the beep come through her headset, Tess switched gears immediately. Moments earlier, she'd just wrapped up a non‐emergency 101 call with a man who had found himself face to face with a weasel in his back garden. She and her colleagues had been shaking their heads, chuckling away in disbelief at some of the benign, decidedly non‐emergency situations that are beamed into their ears – stray cats urinating on front lawns, a neighbor's tree trespassing across a garden fence, unanticipated weasels. There was nothing benign about this call though. The man on the other end, Sid, was inconsolable. He sounded elderly, soft and gravelly at the same time. His son had assaulted him and threatened to kill him. Where was his son now? Asleep on the sofa, passed out drunk. Sid didn't know what to do anymore. He loved his son – what father doesn't? – but he couldn't handle it anymore. He was terrified of him, especially when he'd been drinking. His son is a martial arts expert. A violent man, he repeats, over and over. Tess tries to keep Sid calm. The elderly voice is a torrent of grief, pain, and regret. But Tess needs to keep Sid focused. She needs to know the address. She needs to know the nature of the threat. Already, she's heard enough in these first few seconds to mark the call as the highest priority – her controller on the other side of the room dispatching officers to the address immediately. Sid wants to tell the whole story – which tumbles out of him in fits and spurts. How things took a turn when his wife died last year. How lonely he's felt. How much he wishes he could help his son. How much he loves him. But also, that he's afraid he'll wake up from his drunken stupor and kill him. Tess, though, doesn't have time for the whole story. She's assertive, cutting Sid off to get what she needs. His son's name and date of birth. The layout of the house. How much he has drunk. His attitude towards the police. Whether Sid has anywhere to hide until the police arrive. I don't know what to do, Sid repeats, lost in the paralyzing reality that he has been forced to call the police on his own son, knowing what this will mean for what little remains of their relationship. Tess has gotten the information she needs to wrap up the call, satisfied that the officers who arrive on scene have the context they need to make an optimal risk assessment. Tess takes a deep breath, finally allowing her tone to shift into a gentler, more compassionate register. She asks if Sid is okay. He doesn't answer. Instead, he sobs. She says she's sorry that this has happened to him, reassuring him that help is on the way. She tells him to call 999 if anything changes. The call ends and Tess takes another deep breath, waiting for the next beep.
Fluidity and Friction: An Experiment in Ethnographic Foresight
Authors: DUNCAN ERIN , LEE KAT , MICHEL ELLIE
Published: January 2025

Ethnography can be a divining rod for the future. Though speculative, the study of cultural signals to seed foresight creates a rich, provocative perspective that is difficult to dismiss, even in an always‐be‐shipping business context. Our presentation is a journey into our team's nascent foresight practice and our discovery of a secular trend that is creating friction for all of us, and in particular, for organizations that depend on clear, rectified data. ‘Beyond Binary’ encapsulates the social sea‐change taking place as identities are becoming increasingly fluid. Boundaries are dissolving, liminal spaces expanding. Language and meaning are being reclaimed, remade. We may be nearing the precipice of an organizational identity crisis. What are big data analytics in an era of mercurial data? How will we remake and recalibrate our tools and methods for understanding humanity at scale?
How Friction Led to a More Intentional Stakeholder Feedback Model for a Federal Research Program: Lessons Learned from Returning DNA Results to Our Participants
Authors: LANG BRIANA , SHELLEY JENNIFER , MEYER MONICA , PALACIOS VICTORIA
Published: January 2025

The All of Us Research Program is dedicated to accelerating health research to enable individualized prevention, treatment, and care for all of us. Since the program's beginning, we have committed to returning research results to our participants, including personalized DNA results. Given the diversity of our participant population and their varied experiences with medical research, we knew returning results would require empathy and diligence. To ensure an inclusive and accessible experience for all participants, we introduced intentional friction by slowing down and soliciting feedback from our participants and other stakeholders. This paper describes the evolution of the “intentional” model for stakeholder feedback that our program will implement and continually improve upon in future initiatives.
The Uncommon Good: Making Room for Radical Transition Imaginaries
Authors: SUNGU AZRA , ASHTON WESLYNNE , SHEA MAURA , FORLANO LAURA
Published: January 2025

Public, social and community organizations are, in many locales, driving systems change toward social and economic equity, and environmental justice. But their visions for what achieving systems change should look like and what it will take to realize them are as diverse as the organizations pursuing them. Organizational coalitions are spaces where diverse groups converge to negotiate their distinct transition imaginaries: “collectively held, institutionally stabilized, and publicly performed visions of desirable futures” (Jasanoff and Kim 2015, 153) that suggest economic, social, and natural arrangements for the common good. These negotiations aim for reaching a shared purpose and set of goals that can guide the collective efforts. However, focusing on high‐level goals without contending with the diverse values and ethics that the collectives uphold can lead to a superficial and performative alignment that overshadows critical tensions, or worse, reinforcement of dominant ways of thinking that are at the root cause of the issues. As an alternative, manifesting diverse imaginaries can help uncover the diverse interpretations of futures suggested by high‐level transition goals, and move beyond the dominant narratives of progress towards more radical, yet actionable transition visions.

This article proposes a design‐driven collaborative sensemaking approach for manifesting the diverse transition imaginaries in emerging coalitions as a means to create more inclusive and pluralistic transition visions. We utilize narratives as a mechanism through which designers can uncover the distinct imaginaries that drive the existing initiatives, understand the tensions between the values and ethics underpinning these imaginaries, and activate alternative imaginaries in collective negotiations of transitions. We propose that, by employing discourse analysis in combination with design tools, transition practitioners can more meaningfully engage with alternative value systems and mindsets.
Friction between Reticence and Narrative in Local and Global Interconnections along the Ethical Canadian Diamond Supply Chain
Authors: ARMANO LINDA
Published: January 2025

This research analyses, through ethnographic research, the cultural interpretations of the global storytelling of Canadian ethical diamonds given by different subjects, belonging to diverse sociocultural and economic contexts, including staff of mining companies, indigenous communities, jewellers, and consumers. The study took place at the two ends of the diamond supply chain, in the Canadian Northwest Territories, where the mines and mining companies are located, and in two jewellery stores in Milan and Bologna, that sell Canadian diamonds. Introducing the concept of the Process of Argumentative Aphasia I highlight how the discourses of the participants in the research on Canadian ethical diamonds were becoming increasingly metaphorically unpronounceable and, therefore, misaligned with the official storytelling as I approached the mining context; whereas moving towards the sales contexts, the argumentative contents of the jewellers' and consumers' speeches were more aligned with the contents of the global advertising narratives on diamonds mined in Canada.
Breaking the Wall of Engineering and Culture: Applied Qualitative Research in Software Companies of LATAM Industrial Sector
Authors: SUNIAGA SALVADOR
Published: January 2025

This report condenses the learning of more than three years of ethnographies carried out in the Latin American industrial sector. We will rely mainly on the case of a Peruvian reseller company and local representative of a global 3D engineering software solution. The complete process of research proposal, demonstration of its advantages, resistances, methodology, findings, and application toward business strategies was executed between 2017 and 2020.

For this research, a method called Techno‐Ethnographic Consulting was planned, which combines in‐depth interviews with business deliverables for informants, specifically designed to obtain qualitative data in B2B industrial companies of technological products and services when the researcher is also a technical expert.

The researcher was a mechanical engineer with background in business anthropology and worked within the company as a member of the organization. The reseller business style is B2B, and its clients are industrial companies with design and manufacturing areas.
Government Forms as Friction: Identifying Opportunities for Innovation at the Intersection of Staff and Public Needs
Authors: LEVIN NADINE , GLIBBERY MATTHEW , LEE NICHOLE , AVALOS LIZ , BENDER DARCY
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the friction inherent in forms as they flow between government institutions and people. Drawing on two case studies–a street vending permit form and a building permit form–we explore how forms are a nexus of different goals, needs, processes, and constraints for the delivery of government services. We show how reducing some types of friction through digitization creates other types of friction. Here friction is both destructive and generative: moments of friction crystallize conflicting needs between government constituents and institutions, and also point towards holistic opportunities to improve the delivery of government services. This paper expands the ethnographic lens to focus on both government staff and the public, while also exploring the friction ethnographers encounter as they work in complex bureaucratic settings.