bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation on the flow field characteristics of viscoelastic fluid around a cylinder
Authors: Chen Yu , Fu Zaiguo , Xue Meng , Weng Peifen , Liu Jiang
Published: January 2025

Viscoelastic fluids, as an important class of non-Newtonian fluids, have been widely utilized across diverse industries, including chemical engineering, petroleum, and biomedicine. To investigate the flow characteristics of viscoelastic fluids around a cylinder, this study conducted viscoelastic tests on polyacrylamide (PAM) solutions of different concentrations and performed experiments using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) at a moderate Reynolds number. Furthermore, the experimental data were statistically analyzed using a self-programmed algorithm, and the corresponding flow field characteristics were extracted. The results indicate that as the increase in Weissenberg number (Wi), the time-averaged flow velocity decreases, and the viscoelastic fluid effectively suppresses vortex shedding in the cylinder wake. The time-averaged spanwise vorticity decreases, and the vortex influence range narrows by 60%. These findings demonstrate that the enhancement of viscoelasticity can significantly enhance flow field stability during the flow around a cylinder.
Numerical analysis of inflow equivalence ratio on jet-induced oblique detonation waves
Authors: Zhang Chenfei , Zhang Guoqing
Published: January 2025

As a hot topic in the research of hypersonic engines, oblique detonation engines have attracted the focus of researchers around the world in recent years. In an attempt to eliminate the possible reflux region structure commonly observed near the corner of the upper boundary of the oblique detonation combustion chamber in practical applications, as well as to effectively regulate both the initiation and surface positions of the oblique detonation wave (ODW), this research employs a scheme characterized by setting jet nozzles on the wedge surface. In the meantime, by solving the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations containing the source terms of chemical reaction, this research further investigates the foregoing phenomena. Relevant research findings reveal that introducing a jet with sufficient total pressure onto the wedge surface is beneficial to realize the early ODW initiation and furnish effective control over its initiation position. While significantly reducing the area of the reflux region, the proposed method is capable of avoiding the formation of a Mach reflection structure by varying the position and total pressure of the jet. Furthermore, with the help of this method, the existence of viscosity will advance the jet-controlled ODW’s initiation position. Moreover, the proposed method characterized by the jet-controlled ODW is suitable for diverse incoming flow equivalence ratios (ERs).
Design of test-chamber shape for portable electronic nose
Authors: Cai Jie , Ding Wendou , Wang Mei
Published: January 2025

To address environmental protection needs, enhancing the stability, reproducibility, and sensitivity of electronic noses is vital. In this study, two different three-dimensional test chamber models are designed, and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) is utilized to investigate the airflow behavior as it passes through the test chamber containing metal oxide gas sensors. The results show that the area of the high-velocity airflow distribution is increased in the improved chamber, and the airflow direction and magnitude above different sensors are more uniform. This allows the sensor array to be more effectively exposed to the airflow, thereby enhancing sensor sensitivity. Moreover, the recirculation region in the flow field is significantly reduced in size, and the gas concentration above the sensors changes more rapidly after gas introduction, leading to a substantial reduction in the sensor response time.
Vibration characteristics of the time-dependent stiffness oscillator system based on finite difference method
Authors: Zhang Yu , Wang Minqing , Guo Zhiwei , Sheng Meiping , Li Yinling
Published: January 2025

The vibration characteristics of the time-dependent stiffness oscillator system are thoroughly studied in this research. A theoretical vibration calculation model of the time-dependent stiffness oscillator system is established to assess the time-dependent system’s vibration reduction performance. The finite element method results validated the accuracy of the proposed theoretical model. Additional results indicate that the periodic time-dependent stiffness destroys the system’s steady-state vibration response and achieves the dispersion of concentrated energy at the model frequency, which results in the vibration of the time-dependent stiffness oscillator system at the modal frequency being significantly reduced. The time-dependent system has given a new vibration-reduction method, which has great vibration-reduction prospects in the application in the future.
Relevance without Minimality
Authors: Yablo Stephen
Published: January 2025

In this chapter, Stephen Yablo develops a theory of the concept of the relevance of a circumstance to an outcome. He takes as his starting point the minimal sufficiency model of relevance, according to which a circumstance is relevant to an outcome if it forms part of some circumstance that (i) suffices for that outcome and (ii) has no proper part which would also suffice for that outcome. But the minimal sufficiency model encounters problems when one considers infinitary cases. To solve these problems, Yablo appeals to the notion of ways in which a circumstance can obtain. This allows him to define a graded notion of sufficiency, such that a circumstance might have parts which are sufficient for an outcome without being as sufficient for that outcome. Incorporating the idea of graded sufficiency into the minimal sufficiency model gives us the idea that a circumstance is relevant to an outcome if it forms part of some circumstance that (i) suffices for that outcome and (ii) has no proper part which suffices for that outcome as fully.
Introduction
Authors: Boyd Neil
Published: January 2025

Recent psychological and management science shows that it is important to build community at work. Answers regarding the building of community at work generally eluded researchers and practitioners until conceptual and empirical analyses were conducted in the past decade or so. The book explores my journey as a scientist and consultant on the topic of community at work, and I hope that my efforts over the years can inspire and help you on your journey to conceive and implement practices that can enhance a culture of community in organizations.
Amanda’s Journey Begins and the Concept of Community
Authors: Boyd Neil
Published: January 2025

Since the beginning of management, employees and managers alike have been searching for ways to be happy and productive at work. The academic study and application of research findings in this area began with the famous Hawthorne studies, grew exponentially during the quality-of-work-life movement of the 1960s, and continue to be something of a holy-grail topic for managers and scholars today. Among the plethora of concepts and models that attempt to explain how to create emotionally satisfying and behaviorally productive work settings, it is ironic that the topic of community at work has been underexplored. Anecdotally, when asked what people like about their workplace, it is not uncommon to hear sentiments emphasizing communal relationships such as “Here, I’m part of a community” or “We’re like a family.” In recent years, management scholars have given increased attention to the topic of developing communities in organizational settings.
Putting It All Together and Building Community
Authors: Boyd Neil
Published: January 2025

The chapter explores how to create communities at work and shares practical insights on how employees and managers can achieve it. It explains how to begin measuring, studying, and designing communities at work. Communities at work can shape a better future where employees can experience thriving lives, and where managers can satisfy goals under their charge. Considering that large numbers of employees are unhappy with their work and work contexts, developing communities at work might just be one of the most pressing problems facing management today. Engaging in academic learning and research in a search for a greater understanding of community in many organizations can aid in the creation of work communities.
The Emergence of the Basque Peace Movement
Authors: Argomaniz Javier
Published: January 2025

This chapter sheds light on why sustained collective action against ETA in the Basque region did not occur until the mid-1980s. This period is when changes in the political opportunity structure (the creation of a united front by the main Basque parties on the question of terrorism) facilitated the growth of the Basque peace movement. Chapter 3 discusses the origins and evolution of the movement, analyzing its strategies, goals, framing processes, repertoire of contention, and organizational structure. It highlights the normative entrepreneurship and the socialization function these social actors played and how their ideational work undermined ETA’s pillars of support. Focusing on the work of the two major peace organizations (Gesto por la Paz and Elkarri), the chapter explores how their activism systematized the social response to terrorism, improving on the intermittent and ad-hoc public reactions that had characterized the period before their arrival.
The “Peace Process,” Civil Action, and ETA’s End
Authors: Argomaniz Javier
Published: January 2025

Chapter 5 explores the process of consultation within the Izquierda Abertzale that shifted the movement away from the armed struggle by persuading a cornered ETA leadership to abandon its faltering campaign. The chapter focuses on how the civil society organization Lokarri (Elkarri’s successor) influenced the long internal deliberations that led to the abertzale’s eventual renunciation of violence. Their work with international mediators and abertzale politicians in the so-called peace process created a framework that allowed ETA to announce a permanent cessation of activities in 2011. In a similar vein, the contribution at a later stage (2011–2018) by other civil society organizations—Lokarri’s successor (Foro Social), Bake Bidea, and Artisans of Peace—served to smooth out the final stages of the process and facilitate ETA’s disarmament.
Identities Matter
Authors: Ju Angela
Published: January 2025

Identities Matter: Politics of Immigration and Incorporation investigates how grandchildren of immigrants belonging to groups that have achieved high socioeconomic status choose which identities to leverage in the host country’s political arena. The two groups upon which this study focuses are Japanese Brazilians and Jewish Brazilians. While the scholarship on political incorporation often assumes that minoritized populations want to integrate into the mainstream society, this study finds that these two groups often leverage their social identities based on the type of discrimination they experience. One central paradox is that although more Jewish Brazilians expressed believing that there is discrimination against Jewish people in Brazil than Japanese Brazilians believing that there is discrimination against Japanese people in Brazil, more Japanese Brazilians reported that there is discrimination against the color/racial category with which they identify than Jewish Brazilians. This paradox regarding beliefs about discrimination explains the higher propensity for ethnic voting among Jewish Brazilian interviewees when compared to Japanese Brazilian interviewees and the greater support for racial quota programs among Japanese Brazilian interviewees when compared to Jewish Brazilian interviewees. These two groups, rather than pursue strategies of political and social integration, have sought to leverage ties with their Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries of association to increase their prestige and status within existing racial and ethnic hierarchies in Brazil, a developing country.
Identities of Japanese Brazilians and Jewish Brazilians
Authors: Ju Angela
Published: January 2025

This chapter introduces the book’s central question: why do two third-generation Brazilian groups of high socioeconomic status pursue politics and leverage their social identities differently? It articulates the argument of the book that integration is not necessarily desired or advantageous to descendants of immigrant groups who are associated with countries that are currently more economically developed than their host country. The chapter discusses case selection reasoning for the city of São Paulo, the country of Brazil, and the Japanese and Jewish communities. It also provides the historical context of Japanese and Jewish immigration into Brazil, Japan–Brazil and Israel–Brazil relations, and an explanation of the book’s research design. The chapter concludes with synopses of the chapters in the book.
Leveraging Identities with Associated Countries
Authors: Ju Angela
Published: January 2025

This chapter demonstrates how ethnic community-based organizations link the political interests of both Brazil and the heritage countries to the social interests of the Japanese Brazilian and Jewish Brazilian communities. Case studies of Japanese Brazilian and Jewish Brazilian ethnic community-based organizations, the Centro de Informação e Apoio ao Trabalhador no Exterior (Center of Information to the Worker Abroad) and the Confederação Israelita do Brasil (Israelite Confederation of Brazil) are introduced. While participating in these organizations may reinforce the perceived foreignness of Brazilians of Japanese and Jewish heritage, these transnational organizations enhance the prestige of these communities in Brazil. An adaptation of Margaret Keck and Kathryn Sikkink’s (1998) four categories of transnational politics (information politics, symbolic politics, leverage politics, and accountability politics) explains the efficacy of the ethnic community-based organizations.
Introduction: Appraising Concepts
Authors: Queloz Matthieu
Published: January 2025

Underscoring the importance of the demand for reasons to reason in certain terms, this chapter introduces the book’s overall project—to develop a needs-based framework for concept appraisal—and motivates its focus on thick normative concepts. By tightly linking certain empirical conditions to certain normative consequences, such concepts inexorably drive us towards certain beliefs, which makes them powerful tools of influence; at the same time, they are sociohistorically variable, leaving us more freedom not to think in those terms at all. This makes such concepts particularly liable to raise the question of why to prefer them over alternatives. An overview of the book’s structure and themes rounds out the introduction. If the primary theme of the book is reasons for concept use, its secondary theme is how the demand for such reasons drives foundationalist theorizing and the tidy-minded pursuit of theoretical virtues, and why these should sometimes be resisted.
Confidence, Reflection, and Knowledge
Authors: Queloz Matthieu
Published: January 2025

Setting out from the phenomenon of concept loss, this chapter develops the notion of confidence in concepts. Confidence sustains engaged concept use. When shaken by confrontations with alternative ways of thinking, however, confidence comes to require reasons—especially when the confrontations invite reflection on the contingency of our concepts more than they invite moral appraisal requiring engaged concept use. This creates room for a helpful form of relativism. The chapter then considers how reflection on the contingency of concepts affects the knowledge possessed under these concepts. Drawing on the notion of confidence, a plausible interpretation of Williams’s notorious thesis that reflection can destroy knowledge is advanced. But it is argued that this epistemic loss can be our ethical gain, and that, pace Williams, reflection can also strengthen our confidence by yielding a different form of knowledge: the metaconceptual knowledge that the concepts in question are the right ones for us.
The Nano Exposure Quantifier: a quantitative model for assessing nanoparticle exposure in the workplace
Authors: Vermoolen Ruby , Franken Remy , Krone Tanja , Shandilya Neeraj , Goede Henk , Ben Jeddi Hasnae , Kuijpers Eelco , Ge Calvin , Fransman Wouter
Published: January 2025

Exposure to manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) is a growing concern for occupational health and safety. Reliable methods for assessing and predicting MN exposure are essential to mitigate associated risks. This study presents the development of the Nano Exposure Quantifier (NEQ), a mechanistic model designed to assess airborne MN exposure in the workplace. By utilizing a dataset of 128 MN measurements from existing exposure studies, the model demonstrates its effectiveness in estimating MN exposure levels for particles smaller than 10 µm. The NEQ provides estimates in terms of particle number concentration accompanied by a 95% confidence interval (CI), enabling a comprehensive assessment of MN exposure. The NEQ includes 2 quantitative models: a simplified tier 1 model and a more comprehensive tier 2 model. Both tier 1 and tier 2 models exhibit robust performance, with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.57 and 0.62, respectively. The models exhibit a moderate level of error, as indicated by residuals’ standard deviation of 4.10 for tier 1 and 3.90 for tier 2. The tier 1 model demonstrates a slightly higher overestimation bias (1.15) compared to the tier 2 model (0.54). Overall, the NEQ offers a practical and reliable approach for estimating MN exposure in occupational settings. Future validation studies will investigate the impact of initial calibration efforts, heteroscedasticity, and further refine the model’s accuracy.
Associations between cumulative poverty and children’s academic outcomes: Absolute versus relative poverty
Authors: Lee Kyunghee
Published: January 2025

This study examines associations between poverty, measured as absolute or relative poverty, and children’s test scores using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data to determine (1) whether adverse influences of poverty on test scores would be similar by relative versus absolute guidelines and (2) whether this would become greater as children grow older. After variable selection and data alignment, corresponding to children’s ages, this study used a linear mixed model including both fixed and random effects. The gaps (marginal mean difference) between poor and non-poor increase when measured for absolute poverty than for relative poverty (Beta-coefficients for absolute poverty, −1.99 and −2.26 and relative poverty, −0.71 and −0.96, for math and reading, respectively). Early test scores (5–6) are positively associated with scores measured at later ages (elven to twelve years). Race/ethnicity, maternal education and cognitive test scores, family support, number of children, and birth year were shown to impact children’s scores. The official definition of absolute poverty in the USA determines eligibility for government means-tested assistance programs. The eligibility requirement should be increased to match the relative poverty line by allocating at least the same amount per person for each child equal to an adult and by adjusting marginally increased amount for older children.
General dermatology & dermatology in primary health care
Authors: Gaston James , Moussa Anthony , Su John C , Daniel Benjamin S
Published: January 2025

A 14-year-old girl presented with a four-day history of an intensely pruritic and burning rash on her bilateral forearms, appearing ten days after a black henna tattoo application. This case explores the approach to paraphenylenediamine contact dermatitis and differential diagnoses.
Research on the application of deep learning in low-carbon supply chain management
Authors: Zhao Tian , Lou Junting
Published: January 2025

This study proposes a deep learning-based framework to improve the efficiency and sustainability of LCSCM. Firstly, a multi-scale time series decomposition LSTM (MS-TDLSTM) model is proposed, which combines empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and attention mechanism to capture multi-scale characteristics of carbon emission data. Secondly, a multi-objective optimization model based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is designed. Through soft constraint multi-objective reinforcement learning, the prediction and optimization processes are integrated into a unified system, and intelligent decision-making of LCSCM is realized.
Mythologized Counter-Futures and Self-Protective Consumption: A Netnography of Doomsday Preppers
Authors: Jones Hunter , Arnould Eric J
Published: January 2025

Despite recognizing several ways consumers respond to perceived systemic risk scenarios, prior research emphasizes a general trend toward the privatization of risk, in which individual consumers are responsibilized for managing systemic risk scenarios through their consumption. However, prior work in this area blurs the distinction between responsibilized consumption aimed at self-protection versus preventing or reducing the likelihood of risk scenarios. Moreover, it does not explain how many consumers come to prioritize the former over the latter. To explore how this occurs, this netnography investigates doomsday preppers, consumers preparing for perceived catastrophic and systemic risk scenarios by stockpiling consumer goods, acquiring prosumptive knowledge, and cultivating survival skills. Drawing from the marketplace myths literature, this article introduces the concept of mythologized counter-futures to illustrate how preppers mobilize marketplace myths to socially construct future risk scenarios. Through mythic prefiguration, many preppers’ mythologized counter-futures ameliorate anxiety associated with vulnerability-inducing systemic risk scenarios and pattern anticipatory consumption toward self-protective consumption rather than risk-scenario preventive consumption. The analysis makes novel contributions to the literature on the social construction of risk, consumer responsibilization, consumer vulnerability, consumer timework, and marketplace myths.
Dynamics of price formation on complex networks
Authors: Civilini Andrea , Latora Vito
Published: January 2025

Networks mediate our economic interactions. From spatial networks representing transportation routes, to more abstract networks of similarity among products, we interact, trade, and compete over networks with a complex structure. Nevertheless, classical economic models of how prices are formed under competition, such as the Edgeworth and the Hotelling models, completely neglect the network structure of real markets. Here, we introduce a dynamical model of price formation, where sellers and buyers are placed on the nodes of a network with any arbitrarily complex topology. Buyers are modeled as random walkers with perfect or limited information about the market, and their distribution depends on the prices and positions of sellers. Concurrently, sellers dynamically adjust their prices to maximize their payoff, based on the current distribution of buyers. These two dynamical processes coevolve and we show that, depending on the positions of the sellers and on the level of information available to the buyers, the model can either converge to fixed prices, or produce cycles of different amplitudes and periods, similar to those observed in real-world markets. By unveiling how competition depends dynamically on the structure of a market, our model allows to quantify the strength of competition in real-world markets and also to identify the most profitable locations for a seller. We use urban street patterns of different cities from all over the world, as examples of spatial networks, to illustrate a novel measure of node centrality, which ranks nodes based on the payoff earned by a seller placed on that node.
Insights into drug adverse reactions prediction through Mendelian randomization: a review
Authors: Huang Zhuanqing , Gong Hui , Sun Xuemin , Yi Wenqi , Liang Shiyang , Yang Sen , Sun Qi , Yan Xiaochuan
Published: January 2025

Adverse drug reactions pose a significant threat to patient safety and public health and often become apparent only after widespread clinical use. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis is a valuable tool that can be used to infer causality by using genetic variants as instrumental variables, which can predict the occurrence of adverse drug reactions before they occur. Compared with traditional observational studies, MR Analysis can reduce the potential bias of confounding factors. This article reviews the principles of MR Analysis and its application in the prediction of adverse drug reactions, the challenges and future directions, and summarizes how to harness the power of this innovative epidemiological method to put us at the forefront of improving drug safety assessment and personalized medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine for premature ventricular contraction caused by obstructive sleep apnea: A case report and literature review
Authors: Yue Qing-Qing , Hao Yi-Fang , Li Ting , Miao Han-Ying , Chen Bing-Chang , Li Sheng-Yao
Published: January 2025

Rationale:

Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a common type of arrhythmia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common trigger for this condition. Some patients still have PVC, even if ventilation is improved by wearing a respirator. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of arrhythmia treatment, and this is the first report of a patient with PVC caused by OSA treated with TCM. Twenty-four-hour Holter showed that the number of PVCs decreased from 8968 to 0 before and after TCM treatment, and discomfort symptoms disappeared completely.

Patient concerns:

A 37-year-old middle-aged man, with no history of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or other underlying diseases, had been suffering from OSA for over 1 year and currently uses a respirator to sleep. He was diagnosed with PVC at Beijing Anzhen Hospital 1 year ago and had been taking propafenone hydrochloride tablets following the physician’s advice, but palpitation had not been relieved. The patient did not consider surgery and hoped to take TCM to treat the palpitations.

Diagnoses:

The patient was diagnosed with PVC. After excluding other factors that could cause PVC, it was ultimately considered that the patient’s PVC was related to OSA.

Interventions:

The patient visited Xiyuan Hospital on December 5, 2023, on the basis of existing Western medicine and TCM, using the modified Huanglian Wendan Decoction.

Outcomes:

After taking TCM for 21 days, the Holter tests were conducted again. The results showed that the number of PVCs decreased from 8968 to 0 within 24 hours. Meanwhile, his palpitations were relieved, and the dosage of propafenone hydrochloride tablets was halved. After 7 days, he did not experience any discomfort; therefore, propafenone hydrochloride tablets were discontinued and TCM was exclusively administered. He received 7 additional courses in TCM. During the final consultation on April 23, 2024, the patient reported no discomfort, and snoring improved.

Lessons:

After treatment with TCM, the patient’s palpitations disappeared completely and snoring improved, which proved that TCM can treat PVC caused by OSA. To verify this conclusion, more high-quality research is necessary to establish the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of TCM in treating PVC caused by OSA.
Efficacy of toothpaste containing OPTIMEALTH® OR in inhibiting dental plaque and gingivitis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Fu Yimin , Yang Yong , Mu Keyun , Zhou Yuye , Chai Hui
Published: January 2025

Background:

This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the effects of 2% OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste in regulating dental plaque microbiota and alleviating gingivitis.

Methods:

Subjects were randomly assigned to the placebo group and test group. They were instructed to brush their teeth with placebo toothpaste (placebo group) or OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste (test group) for a continuous 4 weeks. Clinical indices of plaque index, gingival index, and bleeding on probe (%) were examined, and images of dental plaque staining were captured at baseline and after 2 and 4 weeks. The plaque microbiome was analyzed by 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing at baseline and after 4 weeks.

Results:

Thirty-two participants with similar characteristics were recruited. After using OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste for 4 weeks, a decrease of 27.05% (P < .01), 8.29% (P > .05), and 47.44% (P < .05) in plaque index, gingival index, and bleeding on probe (%) scores was observed compared to the baseline, respectively. The extent of decline in these indices is greater than that in the placebo group. A decrease in dental plaque could be observed after 2 and 4 weeks in the test group. The 16s rDNA sequencing results showed that the observed species index and Chao index, but not the Shannon index and beta diversity, were reduced significantly after using OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste for 4 weeks. In addition, compared with the placebo group, using OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste reduced the abundance of bacterial species such as Veillonella parvula and Prevotella denticola.

Conclusion:

Brushing teeth with 2% OPTIMEALTH® OR-fortified toothpaste could effectively reduce dental plaque and regulate plaque microbiota.
Assessing the impact of comorbidities on disease severity in COVID-19 patients requires consideration of age
Authors: Wang Aili , Li Kun , Sun Hui , Wang Yuan , Liu Huaie
Published: January 2025

Older age and comorbidities are risk factors for increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, but few studies have explored their interaction. This study aimed to assess the actual impacts of these factors on disease severity in COVID-19. The enrolled COVID-19 patients were divided into 4 age subgroups (≤44, 45–59, 60–74, and ≥75 years). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between comorbidities and disease severity; Kappa consistency test was implemented to verify the study results. Of the 1663 patients with COVID-19, 287 had severe disease. The disease severity was correlated with the age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index in each age group. In the 4 subgroups, the odds ratio of age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index declined with age. After removing age interference, diabetes and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases were the main risk factors for severe disease in patients aged <75 years, whereas only chronic lung disease was associated with disease severity in patients aged ≥75 years. When comorbidities alone were used to predict disease severity, only the predictions were consistent with real outcomes in patients aged ≥75 years, compared with the predictions of high-risk comorbidities mentioned in World Health Organization and Chinese guidelines (Kappa 0.106, P < .05). Although older age and comorbidities were risk factors for severe COVID-19, their effects on disease severity varied across age groups. Additionally, comorbidities had a greater impact on COVID-19 severity in younger patients.
Effect of Tai Ji and/or Qigong on patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Authors: Liu Hongliang , Cheng Ningchang
Published: January 2025

Background:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Tai Ji and Qigong are traditional Chinese meditative movements, benefit COPD patient’s physical and mental health.

Methods:

We searched the following 7 databases Web of Science, EBSCO, Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library online, and CNKI from inception to July 2023. Any RCTs managed with Tai Ji and/or Qigong on stable COPD were eligible without age, and comparison management restrict, however should be published in English. Outcome measures comprised pulmonary function, 6WMT, physical and/or cognitive function, and any assessment of people QoL.

Results:

Tai Ji and/or Qigong significant increased %PredFEV1 on stable COPD people (MD: 3.46, 95% CI: 1.69–5.23), and 6MWT (MD: 45.07, 95% CI: 31.16–58.97). 5/6 studies reported a meaningful change in CAT/SGRQ total (MD: −4.04, 95% CI: −7.76 to −0.32; MD: −11.95, 95% CI: −21.22 to −2.68). However, 6MWT, CAT and SGRO total were debated on high heterogeneity.

Conclusion:

Tai Ji and Qigong increase %PredFEV1 and promote QoL. However, the evidences are not sufficient, a proper subgroup analysis should be considered.
Anti-inflammatory potential of royal jelly in multiple sclerosis disease: a double randomized clinical trial
Authors: Sabbagh Susan , Eslamifar Zahra , Behzadifard Saba , Tabandeh Mohammad Reza , Zandi Mohammad Reza , Behzadifard Mahin
Published: January 2025

Introduction:

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. Royal jelly (RJ), a nutrient-rich substance known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, holds potential in impeding disease progression by mitigating inflammatory processes and oxidative stress. This study was undertaken to explore the impact of RJ on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in individuals diagnosed with MS.

Methods:

This randomized clinical trial involved the allocation of 35 MS patients into two groups: intervention (n = 19) and control (n = 16). The intervention group received daily 500 mg RJ capsules for a duration of 2 months, while the control group received placebo capsules. Prior to and following the intervention, the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was ascertained for the patients. Furthermore, the serum levels of inflammatory markers interleukin (IL-1B), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interferon (IFN), in addition to the oxidative stress indices catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase, and nitric oxide were evaluated. The data were analyzed using the GraphPad Prism software.

Results:

After the intervention, the mean EDSS score significantly decreased in the case group compared to pre-intervention (P < 0.05). Levels of MDA, IL-1B, TNF, and IFN significantly decreased in the case group post-intervention (P < 0.05). Additionally, a significant increase in CAT enzyme levels was observed in the case group after two months (P < 0.05). In contrast, the control group showed a significant increase in MDA levels after 2 months compared to baseline (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that RJ supplementation may have beneficial effects on inflammatory markers, oxidative stress indices and quality of life in MS patients.
Expanded Forehead Flaps Based on the Frontal Branch of the Superficial Temporal Artery: Patterns, Techniques, and Outcomes in Cervicofacial Reconstruction
Authors: Zhang Zixuan , Dai Xinyue , Zang Mengqing , Zhu Shan , Li Shanshan , Chen Zixiang , Jin Shengyang , Liu Yuanbo
Published: January 2025

The expanded forehead flap based on the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery (STA-Fbr) is a versatile technique for reconstructing cervicofacial defects. The aim of this study was to summarize STA-Fbr forehead flap harvesting patterns. Between July 2003 and July 2023, 66 patients (43 males) underwent face and neck defect reconstruction using STA-Fbr-based forehead flaps. These were divided into pattern I (vascular-pedicled) and pattern II (cutaneous-pedicled) flaps. Pattern II was subdivided into unilateral (IIa) and bilateral (IIb) cutaneous-pedicled flaps. Pattern IIa flaps were categorized as traditional or scarless based on pedicle location. Of the 66 flaps, 62 survived without perfusion-related complications. There were 10 Pattern I and 56 pattern II flaps (11 traditional IIa, 19 scarless IIa, and 26 IIb). Venous congestion occurred in 3 pattern I and 1 scarless IIa flap. After conservative management, 3 flaps survived; 1 pattern I flap developed distal necrosis. Defects were located in the temporal region, eyebrow, eyelid, nose, cheek, ear, mentum, and neck. Expanders ranged from 50 to 400 mL (average: 236 mL), with expansion times of 3 to 16 months (average: 5.9 mo). Defect dimensions ranged from 3 × 2 cm to 27 × 8 cm (average: 10.8 × 5.3 cm), and flap dimensions ranged from 4 × 3 cm to 30 × 9 cm (average: 16.3 × 6.6 cm). The STA-Fbr-based forehead flap remains a reliable and effective option for cervicofacial defect reconstruction, delivering functional and aesthetic outcomes. Successful surgery requires thorough anatomical knowledge, meticulous flap design, and in-depth patient communication.
Palliative radiotherapy for the hemostasis of bleeding tumors: an overview of the most recent literature
Authors: Guhlich Manuel , Verschuren Pieter , Oldenburger Eva
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

Palliative radiotherapy is frequently applied for various indications, with hemostasis being a quite common one. However, while bleeding can occur at different sites and arise from various primary tumor types, clear guidelines for administering hemostatic radiotherapy are lacking. Additionally, most available data on hemostatic radiotherapy are retrospective, and often studies do not focus on hemostasis specifically. This review provides an overview of the most recent data on hemostatic radiotherapy to identify any research trends and focus areas for this specific topic.

Recent findings

This review confirms the value of radiation for tumor bleeding. Unfortunately, research in hemostatic radiotherapy predominantly continues to focus on retrospective analyses of treated patients. However, at least two prospective trials specifically investigating hemostasis have been published recently, both conducted in low-income countries.

Radiotherapy is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for bleeding tumors. As the incidence of advanced cancer rises in low- and middle-income countries, where resources are limited, further research should focus on hypofractionated regimens. Additionally, there is a need for comprehensive descriptions of contouring and treatment planning to optimize outcomes in these settings.
Cognitive disorders in patients with neuroimmunological disease
Authors: Restrepo-Martinez Miguel , Bell Vaughan , Ramirez-Bermudez Jesus
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), and autoimmune encephalitis can directly and indirectly affect brain function, leading to cognitive dysfunction or well characterized neurocognitive syndromes. However, these are often poorly characterized in the literature. Here, we review evidence on clinical manifestations, risk factors, their assessment and outcomes, and evidence for underlying mechanisms and associated biomarkers, if available.

Recent findings

Significant advances have been made in neurocognitive disorders associated with four categories of autoimmune disease: neurocognitive disorders due to autoimmune connective tissue diseases, neurocognitive disorders due to autoimmune demyelinating diseases of the CNS, neurocognitive disorders due to autoimmune encephalitis, and neurocognitive disorders due to cerebrovascular disease of autoimmune origin.

Autoimmune diseases should be considered as critical causal factors underlying new cases of neurocognitive disorder, especially in young patients. These diseases are mediated by immune system reactions involving antibody production, T-cell-mediated damage, and demyelination. Although the prognosis seems favourable in most conditions after immunotherapy, the magnitude of the therapeutic effect of immunotherapy on cognitive functioning remains unclear.
Biofluid biomarkers in distinguishing young-onset dementia from primary psychiatric disorders
Authors: Loi Samantha M. , Eratne Dhamidhu , Santillo Alexander F. , Velakoulis Dennis
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

There has been growing interest in the role of biofluid biomarkers to aid the diagnosis of dementia in older people. However, less attention has been given to younger people who have dementia (young-onset dementia), who frequently experience misdiagnoses of primary psychiatric disorders diagnostic delay and challenges accessing appropriate care.

Recent findings

We describe 12 studies from the previous 2 years of which the majority have investigated the role of neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) in blood and cerebrospinal fluid in distinguishing young-onset dementia from primary psychiatric disorders. Synaptic and astrocytic biomarkers were also investigated. Sample sizes ranged from n = 46 to n = 999 and studies were mostly from Australia and the Netherlands.

The major finding from this review was that NfL has very high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating a range of young-onset dementias (Alzheimer's dementia, behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia) from PPD (schizophrenia, bipolar affective and major depressive disorders). NfL is easily accessible via the blood, so there is significant potential that a blood test could be available to make this dichotomisation. Further research is required to support clinical translation such as changes of NfL with disease progression and standardising analytic techniques.
Points regarding neuroscience-based nomenclature: evaluating its impact on psychiatric residency training
Authors: De Troij Jeroen , Bervoets Chris
Published: January 2025

This study evaluates the impact of neuroscience-based nomenclature (NbN) training on psychiatric residents in Flanders, Belgium. Addressing Zemach et al.‘s findings on NbN’s potential, we investigated its application in clinical practice. We assessed changes in knowledge, prescribing habits, and communication skills through focus groups and a longitudinal survey. Our results indicated no statistically significant shifts post-training, highlighting the complexity of integrating NbN into clinical practice. These findings underscore the critical need for psychopharmacological nomenclature and psychopathology to evolve in tandem, ensuring that advancements in understanding mental disorders align with pharmacological education.
Ethnicity-matched case–control study reveals significant gut microbiota differences in Malaysian adults with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Letchumanan Geetha , Marlini Muhamad , Baharom Nizam , Lawley Blair , Syed Mohideen Fathima Begum , Jogulu Sathya Rao , Addnan Faizul Helmi , Nur Fariha Mohd Manzor , Omar Mohd Rahman , Pathmanathan Siva Gowri
Published: January 2025

Introduction. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global health issue projected to exceed 700 million cases by 2045. In Malaysia, T2DM prevalence has risen, with notable ethnic disparities.

Gap statement. The gut microbiota’s role in T2DM pathogenesis is well recognized, yet its composition in Malaysia’s ethnically diverse population remains underexplored.

Aim. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiota composition among T2DM and ethnicity-matched adults without diabetes (nonDM) in Malaysia.

Methodology. A case–control study was conducted with 45 T2DM and 45 nonDM participants matched by ethnicity from a primary care clinic in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Faecal DNA was subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing to identify microbiota diversity and composition differences and compare predicted functional capabilities. Correlations between bacterial taxa, clinical characteristics and dietary intake were analysed.

Results. T2DM participants showed decreased alpha diversity (observed, P-value=0.002, r=0.69; Shannon, P-value<0.001, r=0.73) and significant differences in beta diversity (permutational multivariate ANOVA, R²=0.036, P-value=0.001). Linear discriminant analysis effect size and multiple regression analysis, adjusted for covariates age, gender, BMI and intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre, identified the phylum Proteobacteria and genera Escherichia–Shigella to be increased, while the genera Anaerostipes and Romboutsia decreased in T2DM. These bacteria were associated with various clinical characteristics and dietary intake. However, these ‘potential biomarkers’ were not uniformly present across all participants, suggesting that individual bacterial taxa may not serve as universal biomarkers.

Conclusion. Significant gut microbiota differences exist between T2DM and nonDM individuals in Malaysia, indicating a dysbiosis characterized by increased pro-inflammatory bacteria and reduced short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in T2DM. While these findings highlight the potential functional relevance of gut microbiota in T2DM pathogenesis, addressing limitations such as participant matching for confounding factors in future studies could uncover additional significant differences in microbiota composition. Furthermore, the variability in taxa prevalence across individuals suggests that targeting microbial metabolic products may offer more promising strategies to inform microbiota-targeted interventions than relying solely on specific bacterial taxa as biomarkers.
Mutations in SOD1 induce ALS-related phenotypes in 3D iPSC-derived motor neuron (MN) spheroids
Authors: Castellanos-Montiel María José , Franco-Flores Anna Krystina , Nicouleau Michael , Haghi Ghazal , Lépine Sarah , Baeza Belén , Chen Carol X.-Q. , Goldsmith Taylor Morgan , Aprahamian Nathalia , Hua Doris , Chaineau Mathilde , Gursu Lale , Abdian Narges , Deneault Eric , Durcan Thomas Martin
Published: January 2025

A significant challenge in ALS research is the heterogeneity of the disease. Even mutations within the same gene can lead to different disease prognosis. For instance, in silico protein modeling predicts distinct properties for distinct SOD1 mutations. With this in mind, in this study, we generated and characterized 3D iPSC-derived MN spheroids carrying homozygous knock-in SOD1 mutations (D90A and G93A), as well as a double mutation (D90A/G93A), to evaluate potential synergistic effects. An isogenic control line with the same genetic background was used for phenotypic comparisons with the knock-in variants. Mutant SOD1 MN spheroids exhibited multiple ALS-related phenotypes including altered SOD1 expression, reduced cell viability, downregulation of neurofilament (NF) subunit expression, hypoactivity, and altered burst activity. Our results highlight the advantages of using 3D MN spheroids as a disease model and stress the importance of considering phenotype variability at the genetic level in ALS.
Mutation ages and population origins inferred from genomes in structured populations
Authors: Nagel Anna A. , Rannala Bruce
Published: January 2025

Inferring the time of origin (age) of mutations is an old question in population genetics and inferring their population of origin has become of particular interest with the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome. However, existing methods to infer mutation ages and populations of origin do not explicitly consider population structure, migration rates, and divergence times, which may bias estimates, and it is unclear how to even apply single-population estimators to structured populations. We develop a method to jointly estimate the time and population of origin of a mutation (as well as the ancestral and derived states) in a structured population using population genomic data and examine its statistical performance using simulations. Results indicate that mutation age and population of origin can be quite uncertain, even with long sequences or many samples, but this uncertainty is accurately captured using credible intervals/sets. The ancestral nucleotide state is relatively easy to infer. We apply our method to whole genome data from the 1000 Genomes Project, analyzing seven SNP mutations from six genes associated with human skin pigmentation for populations from Great Britain, China, and Kenya. Our results partially support previous conclusions, with the putative ancestral alleles from the literature matching our inferences, while the mutation age estimates only overlap in some cases. Furthermore, there are non-trivial posterior probabilities of recurrence for three of the mutations.