bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Inside I Am Crying, Outside I Am Smiling”: Vicarious Trauma Among Emerging Violence Prevention Researchers in South Africa
Authors: Richardson Pascal , Dumani Noxolo
Published: February 2025

The existing literature on vicarious trauma primarily focuses on clinical and counseling psychologists, social workers, and first-responders in the Global North, with limited research conducted on researchers and academics, particularly within the South African context. Considering the prevalence of crime, violence, and trauma-based research in South Africa, it is crucial to examine the emotional well-being of researchers in this field. Our article addresses this gap by analyzing personal experiences and reflections of emerging scholars through a collective autoethnography. We draw from personal journals and reflective narratives to shed light on the challenging circumstances researchers face and how vicarious trauma can contribute to personal growth and development. Our findings highlight themes such as fear, hypervigilance, distrust, anger, helplessness, as well as positive experiences like involvement, social support, and community building. We make recommendations which aim to address how violence research is conceptualized and operationalized, and we provide suggestions to address these challenges at an individual, institutional, and systemic level.
EXPRESS: Overestimating Stars, Underestimating Numbers: The Hidden Impact of Rating Formats
Authors: Sirwani Deepak , Kumar Srishti , Thomas Manoj
Published: February 2025

Some retailers use stars, while others use Arabic numerals to present product ratings. Do consumers evaluate product ratings differently depending on the format? Which format more accurately represents the true magnitude of ratings? Across 12 experiments, we find that neither format is veridical. Consumers overestimate fractional star ratings (e.g., [Formula: see text]) and underestimate fractional Arabic numerals (e.g., 3.5). The overestimation of graphical ratings arises from the visual-completion effect: when the visual system perceives an incomplete image of a star, it instinctively activates the complete image, causing consumers to anchor their magnitude judgments on rounded-up numbers (i.e., evaluation of [Formula: see text] is anchored on [Formula: see text]). Importantly, our results show that this overestimation of star ratings can be mitigated by using visually complete stars (e.g., [Formula: see text]). Conversely, the underestimation of Arabic numeral ratings stems from the left-digit effect, which leads consumers to anchor magnitude judgments on rounded-down numbers (i.e., evaluation of 3.5 is anchored on digit 3). Thus, both star and Arabic numeral ratings are systematically misestimated by consumers, with the extent of misestimation varying based on the fractional value and the star-filling technique employed. These findings demonstrate that prevalent rating formats are misleading, highlighting the need for new industry standards.
From Mourning to Healing: Continuing Bonds With Strangers in Chinese Social Media
Authors: Hu Anqi , Jiang Hong
Published: February 2025

The study examined the distinctive characteristics and underlying motivations of communication behaviours within the comment sections of Weibo posts belonging to deceased strangers. Taking the comment section of the last post of deceased user @Zoufan on Weibo, one of the most influential social media platforms in China, as a case study, the study adopted the humanities computing method to develop an artificial ‘close reading’ based on quantitative descriptions and topic clustering of the texts of more than 80,000 comments. Findings showed that in China, people engage in conversations with other mourners, the deceased, and themselves on the deceased’s Weibo. Mourners built a social support network through emotional communication among mourners and constructed continuing bonds with the deceased through self-expression. The motivations of the mourning practices are self-help mental healing. The findings contribute to the scholarship on stranger mourning and the mediatization of mourning practices and dialogic healing in China.
Addressing severe alcohol withdrawal with bromocriptine: A case series
Authors: Chattopadhyay Sayantan , Basak Ayan , Mukherjee Sukriti
Published: February 2025

Objective

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome poses a significant health burden worldwide, with its prevalence steadily rising in countries like India due to high rates of alcohol use disorders. The treatment landscape for alcohol withdrawal syndrome is evolving with the introduction of bromocriptine offering a promising adjunctive treatment for patients resistant to standard benzodiazepine therapy.

Methods

We report two cases from India of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome successfully treated with bromocriptine.

Results

There were clinically significant improvements in both patients with regard to Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms in a relatively short time span.

Conclusions

Bromocriptine represents an addition to the therapeutic options for alcohol withdrawal syndrome management, offering symptom relief, improving clinical outcomes, and addressing the neuropsychiatric burden associated with the condition.
Inability to Protect: Mexican State Capacity and Expert Witnessing in United States Asylum Claims
Authors: Gellman Mneesha
Published: February 2025

This article focuses on how the Mexican state remains unable to protect certain categories of people based on particular identity characteristics. I draw on examples of gang-related corruption within the police and the judiciary, as well as the impact of cultures of violence and impunity on vulnerable categories of citizens, especially women and girls. I also explain some of what expert witnesses can contribute to United States immigration courts. Based on my longitudinal scholarly research on violence in Mexico, combined with experience as an expert witness in U.S. asylum cases for claimants from Mexico, I argue that Mexico’s inability to protect women and girls coexists with its democratic status and has direct implications on forced migration from Mexico to the United States. In addition, I exposit that expert witnesses play a significant role in illuminating gaps between legal protections and their application in practice.
“Asylum, it’s not a real thing anymore:” Paralegal and Temporal Modalities for Excluding U.S. Asylum Seekers from Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Garni Alisa , Orozco Citlally , Melander Lisa
Published: February 2025

Governments deny people’s internationally recognized rights to asylum by preventing them from arriving in territories where they may request asylum and by using case law to restrict eligibility. While research tends to focus on either deflection or restriction tactics, this paper builds on studies that examine the interaction between them. To further examine the interaction between these “bordering” practices at and beyond the physical U.S. border, we conducted two years of ethnographic research with asylum seekers in three ICE detention centers, one district of the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” and via Title 42 expulsions. We show how paralegal manipulations of time interact with spatial and legal modalities of exclusion to deflect asylum seekers from Latin America and the Caribbean in particular. The result for people who are subjected to these processes is compounded trauma inflicted through a paradoxical combination of state violence and statelessness in the United States and abroad.
Wealth promotes generosity? The role of individual wealth on children’s allocation decisions
Authors: Peng Qingfeng , Li Mei , Li Hong
Published: February 2025

This study explores the development of children’s equity behaviors in the context of resource inequality. A total of 181 Asian children (50.8% female) aged 6–8 years and from medium socioeconomic backgrounds were randomly assigned to either resource-advantaged (rich) or resource-disadvantaged (poor) conditions. The children acted as allocators and distributed additional resources to recipients in both the first- and third-party allocation scenarios. The results showed that 8-year-olds, but not 6- and 7-year-olds, demonstrated a tendency to prioritize need-based allocation when they were wealthier, allocating a greater share to poor recipients. Even in third-party distribution tasks, children engaged more in need-based allocation behaviors because of their resource advantages. These findings emphasize how the social comparison of resources influences children’s distribution behavior and have theoretical implications for understanding the development of charitable human behavior in early childhood within the context of economic inequality.
ESCO1 as a novel predictive biomarker and potential therapeutic target in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Teng Yang , Li Sixiu , Zhang Zhifang , Wang Weinan , Yuan Xueli , Li Jianye , Zhang Shiying , Cui Yanhong
Published: February 2025

Background:

Establishment of sister chromatid cohesion N-acetyltransferase 1 (ESCO1) plays an important role in mitosis and is involved in tumor progression of human bladder and prostate cancer. However, its pathological effects on renal cell cancer (RCC) remain unknown. Here, we aimed to assess the impact of ESCO1 down-regulation in RCC cells and explore its role as potential prognosis biomarker for RCC.

Methods:

This is a retrospective study. Tumor samples from 263 RCC patients were collected, and survival data were analyzed to detect the relationship between ESCO1 expression and patient survival. For mechanistic exploration, the impact of silence ESCO1 on proliferation, migration and apoptosis were studied in ESCO1-knockdown RCC cells.

Results:

Significantly over-expression of ESCO1 was observed in renal tumor tissues. ESCO1 expression was related to the malignant degree and a high expression was associated with unfavorable prognosis in RCC patients. Moreover, down-regulation of ESCO1 attenuated cell proliferation and migration. The flow cytometry assay revealed that the knockdown of ESCO1 inhibited RCC cells from entering the G1 phase.

Conclusions:

The increased ESCO1 expression in renal tumor tissues might be a useful biomarker for prognosis of RCC patients. Knockdown of ESCO1 undermined proliferation, migration of renal cancer cells, and induced the apoptosis of renal cancer cells.
Examining the relationships among self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and self-worth of adolescent singers in structural equation modeling
Authors: Xu Kexin
Published: February 2025

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships among self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and self-worth of adolescent singers, and how each construct functions in high school choir. The second purpose was to understand the degree to which these constructs predicted singing participation after high school graduation. Participants consisted of 215 high school students enrolled in choir from five public high schools in the United States. The majority of participants reported their self-identified gender as female (61.9%, n = 133), with 27.0% reporting as male ( n = 58), and 11.2% preferring to indicate other ( n = 24). IBM SPSS Statistics 28 and Lavaan were used for data analysis. Physiological states were the only significant predictor of singing self-efficacy, p < .05. A significant and positive relationship was found between self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation for singing. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effect of self-worth on the relationship between self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, revealing a significant and negative interaction effect in the model, p < .001. Furthermore, the moderation model was a significantly better fit than the direct effect model, p < .001. Participants’ plans to continue participating in singing were positively related to intrinsic motivation and mastery experiences.
Depressive Symptoms and Epistemological Approaches: A Qualitative Study Among Psychiatrists: Symptômes dépressifs et approches épistémologiques : une étude qualitative auprès de psychiatres
Authors: Piaux Clémence , Bourquin Céline , Stiefel Friedrich
Published: February 2025

Background

The study aimed to investigate how psychiatrists handle the diagnosis and treatment of depression in the adult.

Participants

Psychiatrists ( N = 17) of the French-speaking Canton of Vaud (Switzerland), working in public institutions or in private sector (cabinets), having different theoretical backgrounds depending on their training (systemic, cognitive-behavioural or psychodynamic) and different duration of clinical experiences were included in the study.

Methods

A clinical vignette presenting a young man with depressive symptoms of moderate intensity having experienced multiples losses during the development and recent past was presented to the participants. Participants were invited to read the vignette and react (“thinking aloud”), followed by an invitation to elaborate on the diagnosis and treatment.

Results

A heterogeneous approach towards the diagnosis and treatment of depression was observed. Without a consensus regarding the diagnosis of depressions, two distinct ways to understand the clinical vignette emerged: one pathogenic, identifying the underlying causes of the depressive symptoms, and the other nosological, based on diagnostic criteria. Consequently, proposition for treatment also diverged ranging from psychotherapy, psychotropic medication, complementary and alternative treatments, and paramedical approaches such as ergo- and socio-therapy, at times leaving the choice up to the patient. Possible explanations for this diversity are a more or less strict adherence to diagnostic criteria used by the psychiatrists, be they ICD or DSM, the double training as psychiatrist and psychotherapist which is mandatory in Switzerland, a certain prudence regarding psychiatric diagnoses by fear of stigmatisation, attention to the therapeutic alliance or divergent views on the theoretical and conceptual understanding of depression.

Conclusion

The results of this study underline the importance to include the epistemology of psychiatric disorders in training to raise awareness and conscientization regarding the influence of epistemological aspects on attitudes and approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders.
Impact of doping vanadium pentoxide in poly (O-toluidine) on improving electrical conductivity and dielectric characteristics
Authors: Praveen H , Girish Chandran V
Published: February 2025

Poly ( O-toluidine) (POT) doped with vanadium pentoxide (POT- nV2O5) nanocomposites have been synthesized by In – Situ chemical polymerization method for dielectric property and electrical conductivity. The POT has been added with V2O5 with various weight percentages, like 25, 50, and 75 wt%, respectively. These samples undergo structural, morphological, thermal, dielectric, and DC electrical conductivity analyses. From XRD data, the addition of V2O5 results in changes and crystallinity. FTIR spectrum conforms the presence of C = C stretching band of quinoid ring for poly ( O - toluidine) doped with 75 wt% (PV75) at 1651 cm−1, bands observed at 1105 cm−1, 1110 cm−1, 1194 cm−1, is attributes due to benzoid ring of POT. PV75 reveals hybridization of vanadium pentoxide in POT at 540 cm−1 due to improved crystallinity and more saturated bonds, POT doped with 50 wt% of vanadium pentoxide (PV50) and PV75 exhibit good thermal stability and residual mass. Particles in PV75 SEM images exhibit globular shape in cluster groups around the POT by homogenous nucleation. The dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity (σDC) increase with temperature and dopant weight percentage. Dielectric permittivity ranges from 1.85 F/m to 24.5 F/m and σDC starts from 0.58 × (10−5) S/cm to 2.21× (102) S/cm.
Relationships of PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales with other validated HRQoL instruments in braced idiopathic scoliosis patients: An age and curve severity-specific analysis
Authors: Chan Kai Chun Augustine , Chan Kai Him Ambrose , Wong See Laam , Cheung Jason Pui Yin , Cheung Prudence Wing Hang
Published: February 2025

Purpose: This study aims to investigate if the addition of PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales (PedsQL) with other validated instruments in day-to-day clinical context is feasible. Methods: Patients with idiopathic scoliosis who were undergoing brace treatment and aged 8–18 were asked to fill in the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales, SRS-22r and EQ5D questionnaires at the spine specialist outpatient clinic and were followed up at 6 months by phone consultation. Questionnaire scores at baseline and follow-up were compared. Correlation of score changes of different questionnaires were tested. Results: A total of 232 patients (58 males, 174 females) were included. PedsQL school functioning scores and total scores at follow-up were lower than at baseline ( p < 0.001), with greatest reductions in school functioning domain (range: −2.8 ± 7.0 to −5.1 ± 3.6). For those aged 13–18 years, changes of PedsQL school functioning correlated with changes of SRS total score ( r = 0.20; p = 0.042). For patients with baseline major Cobb angle >30°, changes in PedsQL physical functioning correlated with SRS domain score changes in function ( r = 0.25; p = 0.017), pain ( r = 0.24; p = 0.021) and SRS total score ( r = 0.26; p = 0.016). Both changes in PedsQL school functioning ( r = 0.23; p = 0.032) and total score ( r = 0.22; p = 0.043) correlated with SRS total score changes. Conclusion: PedsQL was sensitive to changes of HRQoL together with SRS-22r and EQ-5D-Y-5L questionnaires. Changes in PedsQL scores were related to changes in SRS-22r scores in patients of 13–18 years with more severe curves (>30°). PedsQL is recommended to be used in conjunction with validated instruments like SRS-22r with its ability to assess changes of patient’s school functioning and overall HRQoL. The short-term nature of our study highlighted the need for future research with a larger cohort and longer duration to investigate long-term HRQoL outcomes assessed by individual questionnaires.
Effects of four-week mindfulness training on job pressure, burnout, and coping strategies in sports coaches: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tian Qianqian , Cheng Liang
Published: February 2025

Background

This study addresses the gap in evidence-based interventions for work stress, burnout, and coping strategies among sports coaches, which are critical for their psychological health and performance.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the novel application of a mindfulness training program to alleviate stress, burnout, and enhance coping strategies among sports coaches.

Methods

Sixty-one coaches were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 30) and control group (n = 31). The experimental group completed a four-week, twice-weekly 90-min mindfulness training. Assessments included the five facets mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ) and measures of job pressure, burnout, and coping strategies, with analyses of correlations and linear regressions between mindfulness and these factors.

Results

The FFMQ correlated negatively with various stressors (R ranging from −0.331 to −0.943, p < 0.001) and burnout indicators (R = −0.414 to −0.480, p < 0.001). Job pressure predicted mindfulness levels (β = −0.973), with a predictive model: Y = 206.275–0.973 * job pressure. The experimental group's FFMQ scores rose by 13.9% at week four (p = 0.003), with reductions in job pressure, external competition, and negative coping (7.4%, 20.3%, and 18.1% respectively, p < 0.05). They also outperformed the control group in FFMQ scores and stress measures at week four (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

A four-week mindfulness program significantly enhances mindfulness, reduces job stress, burnout, and negative coping among sports coaches, underscoring its potential as an evidence-based intervention for improving work performance and mental health.
The Social Response to Survivors of Attempted Intimate Partner Homicide
Authors: Avieli Hila
Published: February 2025

Research on women survivors of attempted intimate partner homicide and their postattack experiences, including the response from family, friends, and institutions like police and welfare agencies, is limited. Using the disenfranchized grief framework, this study explores survivors’ perceptions of the social response to their experiences. Thirteen participants were interviewed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, yielding four themes: (a) detachment and disregard; (b) disbelief and victim blame; (c) lack of institutional support, and (d) marginality in the legal process. The study findings suggest that both individuals and institutions failed to acknowledge and validate the participants’ experiences and thereby hindered their healing process.
Multi-path neural network based on mp-MRI for predicting muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Yu Jie , Cai Lingkai , Chen Chunxiao , Fu Xue , Xiao Yueyue , Wang Liang , Zeng Qinghua , Sun Xueying , Wang Gongcheng , Shao Qiang , Yang Xiao , Lu Qiang
Published: February 2025

Purpose

To assist doctors in clinical diagnosis, we propose a multipath deep learning (MP-DL) model to distinguish between muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and synthesized samples.

Methods

The proposed MP-DL model integrates T2-weighted image (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging (DCE) branches, combining high-level features from these sequences. Multichannel inputs, including the original image, segmented bladder, and region of interest from the T2WI branch, enhance the focus on the tumor region. InceptionV3 served as the model backbone for feature extraction with a multitask framework in the DWI and DCE branches. Synthesized samples were generated to supplement missing DWI and DCE sequences, enlarging the sample size and boosting model performance. Evaluation through five-fold cross-validation and internal-external testing demonstrated the model's robustness and generalization capabilities.

Results

The dataset consisted of 401 cases (287 NMIBC and 114 MIBC cases), which included a training set of 313 cases (containing partly synthesized DWI and DCE samples), validation of 26 cases, internal testing of 34 cases, and external testing of 28 cases. In the internal testing, the model achieved area under curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 scores of 0.914, 0.835, 0.880, 0.817, and 0.761, respectively. In the external testing, the results were 0.821, 0.814, 0.730, 0.845, and 0.619, respectively. The model performance surpasses that of medical professionals in internal testing while outperforming urologists and approaching senior radiologists in external testing.

Conclusions

The MP-DL model, incorporating synthesized samples, shows promise in preoperative MIBC prediction, potentially aiding primary urologists and radiologists.
EXPRESS: Understanding the role of response latency on position bias in tourists’ online travel planning
Authors: Hrankai Richard , Chan Irene Cheng Chu , SENBETO Dagnachew L
Published: February 2025

This study investigates position bias in tourist decision-making, focusing on how response time influences preferences for sequentially presented information online. Using a best–worst scaling experiment and discrete choice modeling, findings reveal two distinct classes of decision-makers based on cognitive engagement. Individuals with shorter response latency exhibit a pronounced preference for top-listed attributes, indicating a primacy effect; those with longer response latency show a more balanced evaluation of options. Moreover, the time spent on deliberation correlates with preferences, suggesting that response time is a significant factor in position bias. Findings provide valuable insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying position bias in the online decision-making process. Study results also shed light on the contextual and individual factors associated with position bias, which provide managerial implications to enhance marketing strategies by tailoring them to decision-making styles.
Person-first and identity-first language: A text-mining exploration of how geneticists discuss autism
Authors: Kasmire J , Ciucă Andrada , Moldovan Ramona
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Current discussions surround whether ‘person-first language’ (PFL) such as ‘patient with autism’ and ‘identity-first language’ (IFL) such as ‘autistic patient’ is most sensitive and appropriate. There is language guidance when talking about disability and race, ethnicity, and ancestry in genetics research, but not around PFL and IFL. We applied natural language processing (NLP) methods to PFL and IFL in published in genetics research, focussing on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Methods: Of the approximately 38,000 abstracts accepted in European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) conference between 2001 and 2021, almost 5000 contained autism keywords. NLP analysis of these explored PFL and IFL use over time, in combination with specific nouns, and in combination with each other. Results: 262 instances of PFL and 264 instances of IFL showed similar, common and consistent use over time. Straightforward matches (e.g. ‘patient with ASD’ or ‘ASD patient’) accounted for most uses, with subtle differences in the frequently co-occurring nouns. 50 abstracts used both patterns, typically with one example of each. Conclusions: NLP can quantify use, timing and context for PFL and IFL in research articles. Consequently, NLP can support the development of language style guidelines or to evaluate their effectiveness.
Examining the dynamics between teacher unions and governments in shaping teacher professionalism: Education standards in New Zealand
Authors: Niu Huidan
Published: February 2025

This article explores the role of teacher unions in shaping teacher professionalism discourses in New Zealand. Through an analysis of organisational documents and mainstream public media reports from recent decades, the article contends that tension and cooperation serve as defining characteristics in the relationship between teacher unions and governments, particularly concerning professional matters. While teacher unions generally strive to collaborate with governments on professional issues, an underlying sense of mistrust and tension remains deeply ingrained in their relationship. This article sheds light on this dynamic by examining the introduction and implementation of two significant education policies during the 2000s and 2010s: the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and the National Standards. While these two education policies are official achievement and assessment standards implemented in secondary and primary school education, respectively, the two main teacher unions responded differently. This divergence in stances on education standards policies presents an intriguing area for investigation. This article highlights the often-overlooked role of teacher unions in shaping professionalism discourses, particularly through their critical interactions with the government. It delves into the political dynamics and competing ideologies that influence the broader landscape of teacher professionalism.
Comparative Analysis for Classification of Rice Genotype Using Statistical and Artificial Neural Network Models on the Basis of Maturity
Authors: Gupta Shavi , Sharma Manish , Jasrotia Nishant , Mahajan Sunali
Published: February 2025

Classification is that arena of science which deals with grouping of objects on the basis of information available about objects. It plays a significant role for planning purposes in agriculture system. This study aims at comparing classification techniques through statistical as well as artificial neural network models for the primary data related to 140 rice genotypes from the trial laid in SKUAST, Jammu on the basis of maturity. And, the characters like yield per plant, number of days for 50% flowering, number of days for full flowering, plant height, number of effective tillers per plant, panicle length, grain length, grain width and ratio of grain length & grain width acts as supporting variables for classification. The statistical model used for classification technique was ordinal logistic regression model whereas in case of artificial neural network, multilayered perceptron neural network was used. The class variable number of days for 50% flowering was categorized into three classes and was considered as dependent variable and all other characters as independent variables. The ability measures of classification such as Accuracy Rate, Kappa Statistics, Average precision and Average Recall were used for testing samples. It is observed that Multilayered Perceptron Neural Network performed better than Ordinal Logistic Regression for classifying rice genotypes for different classes of number of days for 50% flowering on the basis of classification ability measures. Number of days for full flowering was found to be important attributing character for classification on the basis of maturity.
Investigating the Interplay of Thermal, Lighting, and Acoustics in Intensive Care for Enhanced Patient Well-being and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Jonescu Emil E. , Litton Edward , Farrell Benjamin
Published: February 2025

This research explores the interplay among noise levels, thermal conditions, and lighting intensity in an intensive care unit (ICU), focusing on preserving circadian rhythm and promoting nighttime sleep to advance patient-centric care. This investigation assesses lighting levels (Lux), natural versus artificial light ratios, ICU room temperature, and correlations with acoustic data during a field research period and examines the collective impact of patient exposure to sleep linked to delirium and health outcomes, addressing critical gaps in understanding. Findings reveal that noise levels between 60 and 90 dB(A) during patient occupancy exceed sleep disruption thresholds, with daytime averages of 53.6 dB(A) and nighttime averages of 48.5 dB(A) surpassing recommended criteria. Temperature fluctuations, often outside the optimal sleep range, and suboptimal diurnal variations impact patient comfort and clinician challenges. Lux levels mostly fall short of the optimum range, affecting circadian rhythms. Temporal distinctions of these environmental factors directly impact clinicians and patients, with correlated spikes in noise, lighting, and temperature during admission periods requiring heightened attention for optimal care. These cumulative impacts necessitate clinicians to navigate challenges and ensure consistent and effective care. Patients experience sleep disruptions, highlighting the need for a holistic healthcare design addressing interconnected environmental dynamics. The findings underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches to healthcare design, optimizing the ICU environment for patient-centric care and supporting healthcare professionals’ well-being. Recommendations include targeted interventions to improve sleep, reduce delirium incidence, and enhance recovery, advancing ICU design for better patient outcomes; and facilitating effective communication among healthcare practitioners.
‘See what you feel’: The impact of visual scale distance in haptic-to-visual crossmodal matching
Authors: Daneyko Olga , Frisco Francesca , Maravita Angelo , Zavagno Daniele
Published: February 2025

Two experiments were conducted to explore the impact of the distance of a visual scale employed in the crossmodal matching method dubbed See What You Feel (SWYF) used to study the Uznadze haptic aftereffect. Previous studies reported that SWYF leads to a general underestimation of out-of-sight handheld spheres, which seems to increase with visual scale distance. Experiment 1 tested the effect of visual scale distance in haptic-to-visual crossmodal matching. A 19-step visual scale, made of actual 3D spheres (diameters ranging from 2.0 to 5.6 cm), was set at one of three possible distances (30, 160, 290 cm); participants’ task was to find the matching visual spheres for four out-of-sight handheld test spheres (diameters 3.0, 3.8, 4.6, 5.0 cm). Results confirmed the underestimation effect and only partially confirmed the role of scale distance. Experiment 2 investigated the role of scale distance in a visual-to-visual matching task in which the same visual scale was employed, set at one of three distances (37, 160, 290 cm). Participants’ task was to find a match for the same four test stimuli. Results showed no statistical difference between matched and actual sphere sizes with distance 37 cm; underestimations were observed with the far distances, thus reflecting overestimations of scale sphere sizes. Results from both experiments allow us to conclude that the underestimation effect observed with SWYF is a general feature of haptic-to-visual crossmodal matching, and that the SWYF method is a valuable tool for measuring haptic size perception with handheld stimuli when the visual scale is set at a visually comfortable peripersonal distance.
An uncommon presentation of discoid lupus suggesting systemic evolution
Authors: Nateghi Ariana , Desrochers Julie
Published: February 2025

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic autoimmune condition primarily affecting the head and neck, with palmoplantar involvement (ppDLE) being an uncommon presentation. We present a case of a 46-year-old male with ppDLE and rare perineal involvement, confirmed through biopsy and serological findings, including positive RNP and Sm antibodies. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical presentations of DLE, which may indicate a higher risk of systemic progression and require tailored management strategies.
Composing climate change as a matter of everyday living: Thinking against displacement
Authors: van Balen Sophie , van Oorschot Irene
Published: February 2025

In light of societal pushback against climate policy implementations and in response to the call for imaginations of (alternative) futures beyond the cold numbers of climate projections, this article considers how climate change urges us to rethink our relationship with the future. Drawing on feminist perspectives on living in times of climate intrusion, we theoretically explore a contrast between attempts to master futures and attention for futures as generated in everyday living. Attempts to master climate futures, we show drawing on focus group conversations that took place in the Netherlands in 2021 and 2022, tend to displace climate change from the here and now of lived experience, thereby depoliticising it in specific ways. Thinking against the four displacements traced throughout our data, this article makes the case for relocating climate change in the here and now. In so doing, we advance conversations on how to continue living in presents marked by (disruptive) climate change and engage the question how climate change can be made public and imagined otherwise.
Online moving of Chinese boys’ love fans: A platform ecology perspective
Authors: Zhang Lin
Published: February 2025

This study examines the online moving of Chinese Boys’ Love (BL) fans through the lens of platform ecology, exploring how they navigate censorship and create opportunity spaces across multiple digital platforms. Employing mixed methods combining participant observation, in-depth interviews, and secondary data analysis, the research maps the complex tactics BL fans used to maintain their community and content in a restrictive digital environment. The findings reveal that fans move between commercial, fan-run, and outbound-link platforms, to access different types of content and spaces. By combining platform affordances, fans create opportunity spaces that fulfill their desires for BL content, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of increasing restrictions. The study contributes to both fan studies and platform studies by extending analyses beyond single-platform interactions and deepening the platform ecology heuristic. It highlights the importance of cross-platform mobility in equipping fan communities to withstand structural vulnerabilities imposed by censorship and platform governance. The research also integrates political-economic analysis with ecological thinking, balancing considerations of user agency and power imbalances.
A novel photocleavable amino-modified graphene for covalent purification of N-glycans from hepatocellular carcinoma patients’ serum for potential biomarkers discovery
Authors: Chao Xuyuan , Yang Shengjie , Zhang Baoying , Zang Xin , Zhang Jingyi , Liu Xizi , Chen Lu , Qi Lu , Xue Xiaofeng , Hu Han , Wang Xinghe
Published: February 2025

Glycosylation alterations have emerged as significant indicators in the landscape of cancer diagnosis, with aberrant N-glycans standing out as potential biomarkers. The existing methods for purifying N-glycans mainly rely on their hydrophilicity, affinity, and size. These methods exhibit relatively weak binding forces and low specificity based on non-covalent interactions. Moreover, the current liquid chromatography-based N-glycan purification and detection techniques must be bettered for clinical settings' rapid diagnostic requirements. Here, we have developed a method involving the covalent binding of graphene modified with photocleavable amino groups to N-glycans in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients' serum glycoproteins. The N-glycans are identified using MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, catering to the requirements of biological research and the diagnosis of liver cancer disease. Specifically, amino-functionalized graphene is linked with photocleavable groups bearing hydrazide functional group, then undergoes acyl hydrazone covalent reaction with aldehyde groups on the side chains of oxidized monosaccharides to capture the N-glycans. Finally, under UV irradiation at a wavelength of 356 nm for 15 s, the ortho-nitrobenzyl photocleavable groups undergo cleavage, completing the release of captured N-glycans, which are then subjected to MALDI-TOF/TOF MS mass spectrometry for detection. Our findings demonstrate significant differences in the N-glycan profiles between serum samples of liver cancer patients and healthy individuals. These differences are characterized by increased abundance and molecular weight of N-glycans. Through biomarker screening, one N-glycan with an m/z ratio of 1847.01 shows the potential to serve as a diagnostic biomarker for liver cancer (P < 0.05). Our research underscores the potential of photocleavable amino-modified graphene for detecting aberrant N-glycans in HCC patients' serum to elucidate the intricate between aberrant N-glycan alterations and HCC. This research paves the way for developing novel biomarkers, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic interventions to combat this complex disease.

Graphical Abstract
Report on the complete organelle genomes of Orobanche Filicicola Nakai ex Hyun, Y. S. Lim & H. C. Shin (Orobanchaceae): insights from comparison with Orobanchaceae plant genomes
Authors: Kim Sang-Chul , Kang Eun Su , Kim Tae-Hee , Choi Ye-Rim , Kim Hyuk-Jin
Published: February 2025

Background

Orobanche is a parasitic plant distributed in the temperate zone of Northern Hemisphere, with approximately 200 species found worldwide. In the Republic of Korea, two species of Orobanche, namely O. coerulescens Stephan ex Willd. and O. filicicola Nakai ex Hyun, Y. S. Lim & H. C. Shin, are present, with O. filicicola being endemic. Genome analysis of this species has not yet been performed, and characterizing its complete organelle genome will provide valuable insights into the phylogeny and genome evolution of parasitic plants.

Results

The chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes were analyzed, revealing distinct characteristics. The chloroplast genome is 91,529 bp long with a GC content of 33.6%, containing 33 protein-coding, 30 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes. In contrast, the mitochondrial genome is 1,058,991 bp long with a GC content of 45.5%, featuring 31 protein-coding, 16 tRNA, and 3 rRNA genes. The mitochondrial genome has over three times more simple sequence repeats and longer long repeats than the chloroplast genome. Analysis of synonymous codon usage in protein-coding genes from nine Orobanchaceae species revealed significant differences between chloroplasts and mitochondria, with codons ending in A or T exhibiting higher coding rates. Ka/Ks ratio calculations indicated that psbI and atpB had the smallest and largest ratios in chloroplasts, respectively, while ccmFC was identified as the only gene under positive selection in mitochondria genomes. Sequence alignment identified 30 homologous fragments between the two genomes, totaling 7,247 bp. Comparison of O. filicicola’s chloroplast genome with related species showed gene loss and conserved inverted repeat sequences. Numerous homologous collinear blocks were found in mitochondrial genomes of related species, but some regions lacked homology. Phylogenetic analysis indicated identical topologies for chloroplasts and mitochondria, with Orobanchaceae forming a strong monophyletic group.

Conclusions

Characterizing the complete organelle genome of O. filicicola enabled a comprehensive analysis of the Orobanchaceae organelle genome, providing important baseline data for its structure and evolution.
Realizing the promise of machine learning in precision oncology: expert perspectives on opportunities and challenges
Authors: Nittas Vasileios , Ormond Kelly E. , Vayena Effy , Blasimme Alessandro
Published: February 2025

Background

The ability of machine learning (ML) to process and learn from large quantities of heterogeneous patient data is gaining attention in the precision oncology community. Some remarkable developments have taken place in the domain of image classification tasks in areas such as digital pathology and diagnostic radiology. The application of ML approaches to the analysis of DNA data, including tumor-derived genomic profiles, microRNAs, and cancer epigenetic signatures, while relatively more recent, has demonstrated some utility in identifying driver variants and molecular signatures with possible prognostic and therapeutic applications.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with academic and clinical experts to capture the status quo, challenges, opportunities, ethical implications, and future directions.

Results

Our participants agreed that machine learning in precision oncology is in infant stages, with clinical integration still rare. Overall, participants equated ongoing developments with better clinical workflows and improved treatment decisions for more cancer patients. They underscored the ability of machine learning to tackle the dynamic nature of cancer, break down the complexity of molecular data, and support decision-making. Our participants emphasized obstacles related to molecular data access, clinical utility, and guidelines. The availability of reliable and well-curated data to train and validate machine learning algorithms and integrate multiple data sources were described as constraints yet necessary for future clinical implementation. Frequently mentioned ethical challenges included privacy risks, equity, explainability, trust, and incidental findings, with privacy being the most polarizing. While participants recognized the issue of hype surrounding machine learning in precision oncology, they agreed that, in an assistive role, it represents the future of precision oncology.

Conclusions

Given the unique nature of medical AI, our findings highlight the field’s potential and remaining challenges. ML will continue to advance cancer research and provide opportunities for patient-centric, personalized, and efficient precision oncology. Yet, the field must move beyond hype and toward concrete efforts to overcome key obstacles, such as ensuring access to molecular data, establishing clinical utility, developing guidelines and regulations, and meaningfully addressing ethical challenges.
Environmental and health effects of the Barcelona superblocks
Authors: Pérez Katherine , Palència Laia , López Maria José , León-Gómez Brenda Biaani , Puig-Ribera Anna , Gómez-Gutiérrez Anna , Nieuwenhuijsen Mark , Carrasco-Turigas Glòria , Borrell Carme
Published: February 2025

Background

The superblocks model of Barcelona (Spain) seeks to reorganize the city based on reversing the distribution of public space between vehicles and people by prioritizing citizens, thus improving their environmental conditions and quality of life. The objective of this paper was to describe the effects on environmental, health and quality of life of the first three superblocks implemented, discuss the lessons learned, and provide recommendations for the future.

Methods

The evaluation included different approaches depending on the superblock analyzed: A pre-post-intervention health survey, environmental measures of air quality, the Microscale Audit of Urban Landscapes for Pedestrians (MAPS), an observational study on target areas of physical activity (SOPARC), ethnographic guerrilla studies, and focus groups.

Results

Residents and workers in all three of the evaluated superblocks reported a perceived improvement in well-being, tranquillity and quality of sleep, some reduction in noise and pollution and an increase in social interaction. The built environment of the superblocks clearly influenced walkability, and the lower car traffic volume improved air quality measures. In one of the superblocks, the same intervention calmed traffic in one of the areas but not in another.

Conclusions

Although on a small scale, this evaluation of the environmental, and health effects of the superblocks provides support for expanding the model to other areas of the city.
Providers’ insight into quality mental health services – Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) approach
Authors: Badu Eric , O’Brien Anthony Paul , Mitchell Rebecca , Osei Akwasi
Published: February 2025

Background

Evaluation frameworks are relevant to understanding health service providers’ views regarding existing services and possible improvements, but their application to mental health services is limited, particularly in Low Middle-Income Countries.

Aim/question

To identify a program theory that explains the contextual factors and mechanisms that could enhance mental health service outcomes in Ghana.

Method

A three-phase approach was followed: initial theory and assumption, analysis, and CMO configuration. Systematic reviews were used to develop a middle-range theory and assumptions in phase 1. A purposive sample of 30 mental health professionals was recruited to participate in in-depth interviews in phase 2. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data and further configure the CMO in phase 3.

Results

The analysis identified five CMO configurations: ripple effects and financing source sustainability; unavailability of modern equipment and logistics to support holistic services; promoting inclusivity and geographical proximity of services; information, sensitization, and awareness encourage mental health quality; and monitoring and evaluation improve mental health service quality.

Conclusion

This study concludes that government stakeholders should integrate mental health services into the ongoing insurance policy and provide adequate modern equipment and logistics. Moreover, mechanisms and priorities given to vulnerable consumers should be integrated into policies.