bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early brain stroke detection using multilayer perceptron of convolutional neural network-based residual network
Authors: Sree Usha , Krishna Praveen , Rao Dr. Ch. Mallikarjuna , Parameshwari Lalitha
Published: January 2025

Background

Stroke, medically known as the brain attack, refers to the stoppage or stoppage of blood from flowing into a particular region of the brain, or even from the breaking of a vessel, causing injury to and death of areas of the brain. It presents a medical emergency, with the potential of severe long-term neurological impairment, disability, and even death; thus, urgent detection and treatment are needed.

Objective

The study aims to develop a novel Multilayer Perceptron of Convolutional Neural Network-based Residual Network (MLPCNNbRN) for early brain stroke detection, focusing on improving the accuracy and reliability of detecting subtle stroke patterns in medical images.

Methods

The MLPCNNbRN provided resented in the context of residual connections within an architecture designed for deep network training in medical images. This allowed the overall model to learn complex relations very effectively. The system was implemented in the Python framework. Its performance was compared with other methods. The key metrics used in the evaluation were accuracy, precision, recall, and F-score.

Results

The MLPCNNbRN model demonstrated superior performance compared to existing methods, achieving higher levels of accuracy in stroke detection. Specifically, the model improved overall accuracy, precision, recall, and F-score, showcasing its robustness in identifying subtle stroke patterns.

Conclusion

The proposed MLPCNNbRN system enhances early brain stroke detection by extracting hierarchical features and residual network learning, offering a more accurate and reliable approach than previous methods. This system has the potential to aid medical professionals in timely diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Influence of cutter terminology on the functionality of additive manufactured Inconel 718 alloy
Authors: Gowthaman S
Published: January 2025

The surface morphological features of a mechanical component play an essential role on its functionality while it is in usage. Further, the occurrence of poor surface morphological features on the Additively Manufactured (AM) alloys leads to invoking an adverse impact on the functional behavior of manufactured components. In this study, the impact of machining circumstances and tool terminology during slot milling operation on the surface morphological features of additively manufactured Inconel 718 alloy have been examined under dry-cutting circumstances, and found that the cutter terminology has invoked a bigger influence on the surface morphological features such as Sa, Ssk, etc. of additively manufactured Inconel 718 alloy trailed by the machining circumstances, owing to its bigger impression on the machining behavior. Moreover, the statistical tool such as ANOVA, the ratio of signal-to-noise study and regression methods are employed to determine the dominant machining factor and tool terminology which helps to achieve better machining behavior which leads to invoke greater surface features.
Lung cancer diagnosis with GAN supported deep learning models
Authors: ÇAY Talip
Published: January 2025

Background

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, making early diagnosis crucial for improving treatment success and survival rates. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as biopsy and manual CT image interpretation, are time-consuming and prone to variability, highlighting the need for more efficient and accurate tools. Advances in deep learning offer promising solutions by enabling faster and more objective medical image analysis.

Objective

This study aims to classify benign, malignant, and normal lung CT images using advanced deep learning techniques, including a specially developed CNN model, to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Methods

A dataset of 1097 lung CT images was balanced using GANs and preprocessed with techniques like histogram equalization and noise reduction. The data was split into 70% training and 30% testing sets. Models including VGG19, AlexNet, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and a custom-designed CNN were trained. Additionally, Faster R-CNN-based region proposal methods were integrated to enhance detection performance.

Results

The custom CNN model achieved the highest accuracy at 99%, surpassing other architectures like VGG19, which reached 97%. The Faster R-CNN integration further improved sensitivity and classification precision.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate the effectiveness of GAN-supported deep learning models for lung cancer classification, highlighting their potential clinical applications for early detection and diagnosis.
Filial Piety Across Sociocultural Context and the Life Span
Authors: Kyeong Yena , Yu Meryl , Tiemeier Henning , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , Setoh Peipei
Published: January 2025

Filial piety—children’s respect, duty, and care toward parents—is often misconceptualized despite its role in intergenerational relationships and aging societies globally. We challenge three prevalent misconceptions about filial piety: that it solely involves unwavering obedience to parents, that it exists only in Asian cultures, and that it exclusively concerns caregiving to older adult parents. Drawing from cross-cultural and developmental research, we propose an integrative framework incorporating three main dimensions (i.e., beliefs and values, affect, and behaviors) that evolve across historical time and developmental stages. This framework conceptualizes filial piety as a dynamic and multidimensional construct that varies systematically across sociocultural contexts, age groups, and historical periods. We conclude with directions for future research, specifically focusing on distinguishing dimensions of filial piety, methodological approaches for studying these developmental trajectories, and implications for understanding intergenerational relationships in context.
Electroacupuncture improves cognitive impairment after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway
Authors: Zhou Feng , Wang Zhenzhi , Xiong Kang , Fu Xiaoman , Jiang Hongru , Zhang Meiling , Wang Qiang , Wang Yuan
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Cognitive impairment (CI) is highly prevalent in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patients. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway plays a critical role in neuronal survival in a variety of central nervous system injuries. This study aimed to determine whether electroacupuncture (EA) at Yintang and LI20 ameliorates SAH-CI in a rat model and to examine whether it modulates the PI3K/AKT pathway by administering a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) versus dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) vehicle.

Methods:

Notably, 129 male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into Blank, Sham, SAH and SAH + EA groups (Experiment 1, n = 54) and SAH, SAH + EA, SAH + LY294002, SAH + EA + LY294002 and SAH + EA + DMSO groups (Experiment 2, n = 75). Garcia scoring was used to evaluate neurological function. The moisture content of the rat brain was determined by dry‒wet method. The Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory function. Pathological changes in neurons in the hippocampus were observed via hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining. The number of surviving neurons and the percentage of apoptotic cells in the hippocampus were detected via Nissl and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins was detected via Western blotting.

Results:

The results indicated that EA intervention after SAH reduced brain water content, enhanced Garcia scores, improved neurological function and behavioral markers of CI, and increased the number of surviving neurons in the hippocampus. Moreover, EA significantly increased the expression of AKT, phosphorylated (p)-AKT, PI3K, p-PI3K, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, p-GSK-3β and B cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 proteins, and decreased the expression of Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) and caspase-3. In addition, the effects of EA were abolished by LY294002.

Conclusion:

EA appeared to improve CI in a rat model of SAH through the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Study of Russian accounting documents on birch bark from the eleventh to the fifteenth century using the digital archive
Authors: Karelskaia Svetlana , Zuga Ekaterina
Published: January 2025

The article is devoted to the analysis of documents on birch bark – unique monuments of Russian written culture, the research of which is currently ensured by the digital database, ‘Old Russian documents on birch bark’. Birch bark documents were widely used in accounting practice in Russia in the eleventh to fifteenth centuries. They combine the characteristics of paperless and written sources and occupy an intermediate position between tally sticks, wooden rods, runic inscriptions and ledgers. The currently accessible documents on birch bark were studied using quantitative methods and tools of the digital database of birch bark documents and the national corpus of the Russian language. In this way, it was possible to identify the main techniques and methods of organisation of accounting in Old Rus’ and types of accounting records on birch bark, as well as the continuity of such organisation of accounting in Russian accounting practice in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Demographic and mental health characteristics of individuals in the NSW Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI), Community Living Supports and HASI Plus
Authors: Low Gary KK , Li Jason , Hielscher Emily , Sheanoda Veronica , Govindasamy Sumathi , Marasha Fadzi
Published: January 2025

Objective

To investigate the demographic characteristics associated with mental health recovery measures among individuals accessing the Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI) program over a 19-year period.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted from January 2004 to October 2023. The Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule (CANSAS) and Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) were used as measures of mental health recovery.

Findings

A total of 2350 people with an average age of 42 years old were included. Female accounts for 46.0% of the total. The proportion of unmet needs in the CANSAS reduced from a median of 33.3% of the first follow-up to 5.8% in the 20th follow-up. The average RAS scores were above three, indicating agree and strongly agree in all domains and improved in each follow-up. First Nations were associated with higher unmet needs in ‘psychotic symptoms’, ‘safety to others’ and ‘transport’ CANSAS domains, and LGBTI had reduced RAS scores in all domains.

Conclusion

HASI program engagement is associated with the reduction of unmet needs and improvement of the recovery of individuals with severe mental illness. Age, sex, gender, LGBTI, First Nations and country of birth were associated with changes in the CANSAS and RAS outcomes.
Only a “Longish” Tail
Authors: Liebowitz Stan , Ward Michael , Zentner Alejandro
Published: January 2025

Prior to the Internet, many industries catering to mass audiences, particularly entertainment industries, tended to have very skewed sales distributions with most sales volume accruing to a small share of products (titles) generally known by terms such as “blockbusters.” The long tail hypothesis claims that increased Internet usage will weaken the dominance of blockbusters in these industries, so that the large number of obscure products, in aggregate, will become an important, perhaps primary, portion of the market. Such a change would have significant implications for firms’ operations. We test this hypothesis for the book industry with two analyses. First, using unusually rich data on book sales, we examine the temporal share of sales taken by niche titles as Internet retailing grew from obscurity to ubiquity. Changes in the distribution of sales by title popularity are weakly consistent with the direction of the hypothesis but not with the magnitude. Second, we exploit the 2011 bankruptcy of the Borders bookstore chain, and the resulting sudden shutdown of all its physical stores as a natural experiment. This analysis also finds a shift in sales away from the most successful titles. But the major beneficiaries are not the most obscure titles but instead titles that would regularly be found in most bookstores. Both analyses support a version of the long tail where the share of obscure titles changes from one very small value to a somewhat greater but still very small value. These results are inconsistent with proposed radical changes in management practices to accommodate a presumed large increase in product variety.
Liposomal bupivacaine as one component of the postoperative management of limb amputations in cats: a retrospective study
Authors: Schrock Kelly , Gallaher Hayley M , Wilson Deborah V , Beaty Brenda
Published: January 2025

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of liposomal bupivacaine (LB) as part of an opioid-sparing multimodal analgesic protocol on postoperative pain control in cats undergoing limb amputation surgery compared with traditional pain management protocols more heavily reliant on injectable opioid and non-opioid analgesics.

Methods

Medical records of 29 cats that underwent forelimb or hindlimb amputation were reviewed to evaluate postoperative systemic pain medications utilized, appetite and time to discharge as presumptive gauges of postoperative pain. Statistical analysis of the data included Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test and Fisher’s exact test.

Results

Of the 29 cats, seven (24%) did not receive LB and 22 (76%) did. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the outcome variables evaluated. The median time to eating was similar (6.0 h in the LB group vs 5.0 h in the non-LB group), the median time to discharge was shorter in the LB group (25.0 h vs 42.0 h in the non-LB group) and the median time to discontinuation of opioids in the LB treatment group was shorter than the non-LB group (18.0 h in LB group vs 22.0 h non-LB). A lower proportion of the LB group needed adjuvant systemic analgesics compared with the non-LB group (5% LB vs 29% non-LB).

Conclusions and relevance

The addition of liposomal bupivacaine to an analgesic protocol after limb amputation in cats is associated with reduced opioid dosing, earlier return to eating and earlier hospital discharge. The use of LB may minimize the negative side effects associated with systemic opioid administration and therefore decrease patient morbidity. Future studies are needed to definitively compare LB efficacy and safety for postoperative pain control and traditional systemic analgesic medications.
Therapeutic alliance within trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy: A systematic review
Authors: Skiest Hannah E , Milliken Anna L , Limbers Christine A
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review to describe the empirical support on TF-CBT and therapeutic alliance. Three electronic databases (PsychInfo, Web of Science, and SCOPUS) were searched through October 2023. Quantitative studies containing TF-CBT and measures of alliance were included. A total of 3,036 studies were screened, resulting in 15 quantitative studies being included in the review and charted. The Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields tool was used to check quality. Results suggest the importance of building early alliance, highlight differences in alliance perspectives between raters, and emphasize the strong influence caregivers have on children’s perceptions of treatment. The review is limited by moderate-to-weak methodological rigor among studies and a relatively small number of studies available for review indicating the need for future methodologically rigorous research on this topic. This work did not receive funding, and authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Proposing and refining a physical activity intervention for individuals living with COPD
Authors: Michalovic Emilie , Liska Tayah M. , Jensen Dennis , Saletsky Lauren , Osborne Meaghan , Sweet Shane N
Published: January 2025

Preliminary test a two stage, self-determination theory (SDT) and participation-based physical activity and peer support intervention for individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In Stage 1, four focus groups were conducted to provide insights about individuals’ needs and experiences with physical activity. In Stage 2, four individuals with COPD aged 76–90 years (50% female) participated in an eight-week online physical activity and peer support intervention. Pre-post assessments evaluated acceptability, feasibility, and functioning. Participants ( n = 14; 36% female) identified that a physical activity-based program using functional task-based exercises and peer support is acceptable for adults with COPD in Stage 1. Three of the four participants improved their satisfaction with and self-reported participation in physical activity in Stage 2. Participants reported the intervention supported their psychological needs, associated with SDT. The online, peer support, participation-based physical activity intervention is feasible in its virtual delivery for physical activity promotion for individuals with COPD.
Iconoclastic critics? Understanding the ‘just like a religion’ critique
Authors: Boland Tom
Published: January 2025

Contemporary commentators, primarily on the broad right, tend to critique their opponents as being ‘just like a religion’, invoking figures of zealots, dogma, mantras, high priests and so forth. While openness to debate is often a key value of these commentators, this discursive manoeuvre tends to position the other as an unthinking ideologue or a duplicitous manipulator, not worth engagement. This critique has become commonplace from books to social media, disfiguring opponents as ‘post-modernists’, ‘critical social justice’ or ‘woke’ in a negative valance. These ‘iconoclastic critics’ position themselves as reasonable, dedicated to debate, and describe opponents via a dichotomy of ideology and critique, employing metaphors of depth. Crucially, they tend to distort or disfigure their opponents’ claims, redescribing them through religious metaphors. This analysis informs a reflexive consideration of critical discourse generally and considers the extent to which characteristics of this ‘iconoclastic critique’ are shared across political divides.
The application of computer-aided music and art in preschool education of disability and health integration
Authors: Lou Xingming , Huang Jinling
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study is to explore the application of computer-assisted technology in the field of music and art, especially the role and influence of integrated preschool education. Based on the theoretical framework of computer-assisted education, combined with the teaching practice of music and art education, this paper constructs a set of evaluation model for the integration of disability and health in preschool education by means of questionnaire survey and data collection. In the section of data analysis, the research uses a variety of data processing techniques to evaluate the teaching effect of music and art, and carries on a detailed empirical analysis. The results show that computer-aided music and art education can bring positive learning experience to preschool children in disability and health integrated preschool education, and the evaluation model shows strong stability and accuracy. But at the same time, the research also reveals the challenges of data quality, sample selection, and the limitations of the model itself, which provides the direction for the follow-up research. In general, this study provides a strong theoretical support for the application of computer-aided music and art in the preschool education of integration of people with and without disability, and helps to promote the development and progress in this field.
Probabilistic damage analysis of rebar corrosion in recycled aggregate concrete using sideband intensity-based nonlinear ultrasonic technique
Authors: Hu Bo , Kundu Tribikram
Published: January 2025

The inherent inferiority of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) necessitates a keen focus on the heightened susceptibility of its steel reinforcement to corrosion. Therefore, accurately predicting the long-term corrosion of steel reinforcement in RAC structures is of significant importance. A series of samples of recycled concrete with embedded steel reinforcement were cast and subjected to accelerated electrochemical corrosion tests. Meanwhile, the extent of corrosion in the reinforcement subjected to varying durations of testing was monitored using a nonlinear ultrasonic technique, with the sideband intensity index (SII) employed to quantify the degree of corrosion damage. Nonlinear statistical regression analysis was performed to establish the correlation between SII and the duration of corrosion. A probabilistic damage analysis was conducted based on the three-parameter Weibull distribution model, followed by the generation of lifetime distribution plots based on the concept of reliability/lifespan. Subsequently, the relationship between corrosion time and damage parameters under different reliability probabilities was determined. The newly developed probabilistic corrosion damage model can estimate the service life for a given duration of corrosion at a specified reliability index. The probabilistic corrosion damage model can serve as a reference for maintenance, design, and lifespan prediction of RAC structures in corrosive environments.
Casing integrity diagnosis using wellhead-based electromagnetic time domain reflectometry: laboratory study
Authors: Wang Jiannan , Wu Yuxin , Abdulhameed Diana , Luo Lingqing , Tao Gang , Xu David
Published: January 2025

In this study, extensive double-blind laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate a novel, noninvasive method for diagnosing casing integrity using electromagnetic time-domain reflectometry (EM-TDR). This method transmits a high-frequency electromagnetic pulse into the casing and records reflected signals from integrity-related impedance changes at the wellhead. The experiments included three casing sizes—7, 5.5, and 4.5 inches in diameter—with various machined features and natural corrosion to simulate casing degradation. Over 60% of the features were less than 50% of the casing thickness, and more than 65% were narrower than a 45° azimuthal angle on the casing’s outer surface. All features larger than 1 cubic inch were successfully detected using EM-TDR. For machined features smaller than 0.1 cubic inch, identification rates were 94%, 90%, and 93% for the 7-, 5.5-, and 4.5-inches casings, respectively. For features between 0.1 and 1 cubic inch, detection rates were 90%, 89%, and 83%, respectively. In the cemented segment of the 4.5-inch casing, 50% of features between 0.1 and 1 cubic inch were identified, and reflections from the cement–air interface were also observed. Among natural corrosion features, 63.5% were detected. These results indicate that the EM-TDR method can serve as a rapid screening tool to complement existing high-resolution imaging or logging methods for monitoring casing integrity.
Early childhood professional well-being in Nova Scotia: A mixed methods study
Authors: Larson Elizabeth Jean , McIsaac Jessie-Lee
Published: January 2025

Ensuring access to high-quality programs and services can improve children’s long-term health and education outcomes and reduce inequities in health, income, and education in the population. The professional well-being of those working in the early childhood education sector has been negatively associated with levels of turnover, which in turn can impact program quality more broadly. Considering the variability of professionals working in the field of early childhood, it is important to better understand how their experiences influence their professional well-being. This study aims to address this gap, through a mixed methods exploration of survey responses to items on an Early Childhood Professional Well-Being questionnaire. We conducted both an Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) on 27 items and also a conventional content analysis of one open-response item and then compared and contrasted results to create a fulsome illustration of patterns of early childhood professional well-being. The LPA revealed five distinct profiles of professional well-being: highest well-being, generally high well-being, active agency, comfortable well-being, and low wellbeing. Years of experience and newcomer status had a relationship to profile membership, with more years of experience associated with higher professional well-being and newcomer status with lower or medium levels of well-being. Our content analysis revealed mostly negative perspectives regarding professional well-being, most often due to various, overlapping external factors. Greater understanding of profile membership and what may impact it as well as the larger external systems that affect early childhood professionals will help to inform policy supports for professional well-being of specific individuals, thereby promoting professional wellbeing and, in turn, overall program quality.
Building the Netflix Brand: Franchise Logic, Authorship, and Distinction in the Promotion of Stranger Things
Authors: Antunes Filipa
Published: January 2025

The article explores how Netflix uses the promotional narratives of its content, specifically Stranger Things, to pursue control of its wider brand associations. The study applies thematic and discourse analysis to demonstrate how the brand narrative articulated in interviews with the Duffer Brothers (a set of key promotional paratexts) enforces strict interpretation boundaries for Stranger Things, its creators, and Netflix. Specifically, the promotional discourse (1) draws on the commercial structures and reception patterns of genre franchises and auteurism to produce alignment with the value systems of different audience markets, and (2) capitalizes on cultural oppositions between film and television to connect the Duffers’ original authorship to the idea of Netflix as a unique streaming platform. The article thus suggests a complex branding process at work in the marketing of Stranger Things, preoccupied with notions of authorship, distinction, and the need to navigate fragmented streaming audiences.
Information About the Gut Microbiome’s Connection to Health and Disease can Impact Knowledge: Feasibility of an Education-Based Intervention in a General Internal Medicine Clinic
Authors: Knudsen Benjamin , Narain Sasha , Moore Brad B. , Corr Patrick G. , Frame Leigh A.
Published: January 2025

The gut microbiome (gMicrobiome)—a dynamic ecosystem of microorganisms—is emerging as a correlate of healthy lifestyle. Patients may not be aware of this. General Internal Medicine patients completed surveys evaluating gMicrobiome knowledge, lifestyle knowledge, dietary intake, physical activity, sleep, and stress. Surveys were given pre-/post-education (n = 112) and at 1 month follow-up (n = 60). The educational-module comprised a video and handout describing how lifestyle enhances gMicrobiome and health outcomes. Post-educational-module, 9 of 19 (47%) statements showed favorable change in knowledge ( P < 0.05). Two statements reached statistical significance at 1-month follow-up: “Exercise influences the types of bacteria present in the digestive system” [7 (12%) to 24 (41%), P = 0.004] and “An inactive lifestyle promotes the growth of healthy types of digestive system bacteria” [12 (20%) to 24 (41%), P = 0.035]. We observed a small but favorable change in knowledge but not behavior. Large lifestyle changes are challenging to adopt, and education alone is necessary but insufficient for change. Our results confirm that education is a viable first step to establish the importance of pursuing lifestyle changes, perhaps moving from pre-contemplation to contemplation. Baseline knowledge in our participants was higher than anticipated, indicating that this intervention may have been too introductory. Future interventions should investigate baseline knowledge.
Application of deep residual networks to predict the effective properties of fiber-reinforced composites with voids
Authors: Karimian Mahdi , Hosseini Kordkheili Seyed Ali
Published: January 2025

A novel deep-learning method is adopted to predict effective mechanical properties of epoxy-based fiber-reinforced composites. In order to generate mechanical properties and image data for learning, appropriate RVEs together with periodic boundary conditions are used in FEMs. Using a random algorithm in RVEs, voids and fiber with different diameters are generated; the resulted composites consist of void and fiber volume fractions in the range of 0.00–0.03 and 0.40–0.65, respectively. To train, four different CNN (i.e. from a simple to deeper one) together with MSE loss function are used to increase the accuracy. The SGD with momentum and weight decay is used to minimize the loss function. Each of these four models is trained on each considered material, both separately and simultaneously. The performance and accuracy of these models on the train, valid, and test data are compared together. According to the results, ResNet model leads to the best results. It is noted that, all properties have an accuracy greater than 98.79%. The margin for all properties of carbon fibers is less than 4.3% and for glass fiber is less than 7.3%. Also, it is noted that, the proposed model has a good performance to predict mechanical properties with lesser computational cost.
Utility of modified endoscopic radial incision and selective cutting combined with short-term stenting for refractory stricture in patients undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection of superficial esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Chen Lu , Tang Xiajiao , Jiang Jingjing , Yin XiaoChun , Wang Yuxin , Li Mingyue , Shi Ruihua
Published: January 2025

Background:

Refractory esophageal stricture is the common complication of extensive endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), without satisfactory endoscopic treatment strategies. We evaluated the efficacy, safety, and long-term patency of the modified endoscopic radial incision and selective cutting combined with short-term stenting (RISC-STS) for the treatment of refractory esophageal stenosis.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study. Patients diagnosed with refractory esophageal stricture from June 2016 to June 2023 were enrolled. Efficacy, safety, and risk factors for dysphagia after RISC-STS operation were assessed.

Results:

Compared with clinical symptoms before RISC-STS, there was no significant improvement in the times of stricture recurred ( p = 0.75). However, the narrowest diameter of esophageal stenosis was significantly larger after RISC-STS treatment ( p = 0.04). Corresponding dysphagia scores after RISC-STS were obviously lowered according to the Mellow–Pinkas grading scale ( p = 0.002). More cases ((14 (60.87%) vs 5 (21.74%)) received valid symptom-relief periods after RISC-STS ( p = 0.0004). The complications of RISC-STS include perforation (4.35%), fever (4.35%), and pain (30.43%). Univariate Cox analysis suggested that resection length >7 cm of scar tissue was a risk factor for refractory dysphagia after RISC-STS.

Conclusion:

The present study revealed that RISC-STS is an effective and safe technique for refractory esophageal stricture with lower restenosis, higher valid symptom-relief rate, and fewer complications.
Fractured stories and voices of the future; coproduced research with young children and trees
Authors: Hackett Abigail , Kraftl Peter , Pool Steve , White Jan
Published: January 2025

What does it mean to bring very young children into conversations about climate change? Voices of the Future was a 3-year, multi-site project based in the UK, aiming to investigate treescapes through participatory research with children and young people. This paper focuses on a strand of the project that explored playing and making in and with treescapes, with children aged under 5 years and their grownups. We interrogate what it looks like to do coproduced participatory research about sustainable futures with young children and some of the tensions and contradictions that this kind of work brings into sharper relief. In particular, we describe moments of ‘off-task-ness’, and the resultant ways in which trees and children came in-and-out of focus in the research, as important for surfacing what we have called ‘fractured stories’. Fractured stories enabled us to imagine otherwise and to ask different questions. As a result, we offer five working principles, shaped by and emerging from our research and the fractured stories it produced, which may act as guidance for both future scholarship and practice with young children and trees.
Proxy and learning back-feeding: How older adults use smartphones in China
Authors: She Chengyu , Liu Yiting , Li Siyue
Published: January 2025

Digital back-feeding is a bottom-up process by which younger generations teach or assist older generations in digital access, usage, and literacy. This study aims to examine how two means of digital back-feeding—proxy back-feeding and learning back-feeding—might be differently impacted by older adults’ perceptions of smartphone use, as well as their impact on older adults’ digital literacy. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey ( n = 433) was conducted in mainland China. Our findings revealed that perceived usefulness and perceived risk of smartphone use were positively associated with older adults’ engagement with both proxy back-feeding and learning back-feeding. Perceived ease of use was found to be negatively associated with older adults’ engagement in proxy back-feeding. In addition, older adults’ digital literacy was found to be negatively associated with proxy back-feeding, but positively associated with learning back-feeding. Results suggest that digital back-feeding is a complicated process that may influence older adults’ digital literacy through different routes, which deserves further investigation to bridge digital divide intergenerationally.
How eHealth use and cancer information-seeking influence older adults’ acceptance of genetic testing: Mediating roles of PIGI and cancer worry
Authors: Zhu Yingxia , Xiao Qian Erica , Ao Man Chon , Zhao Xinshu
Published: January 2025

Objective

This study aims to investigate how eHealth use and information-seeking behavior affect older adults’ acceptance of genetic testing, focusing on their participation in genetic tests and their willingness to adopt lifestyle changes based on test results. The research highlights the mediating roles of the perceived importance of genetic information (PIGI) and cancer worry.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 4), conducted in 2020. The analysis included 1852 adults aged 60 and above. Two mediation models were tested using SPSS 25. Model 1 examined the relationship between eHealth use, perceived importance of genetic information (PIGI), and genetic test behavior. Model 2 analyzed how cancer information-seeking influences willingness to change lifestyle behavior (WCLB) based on genetic test results, with cancer worry as a mediator.

Results

Both models showed statistically significant mediation effects ( p < 0.05). Model 1 found that eHealth use positively influences genetic test behavior through PIGI. Model 2 revealed that cancer information-seeking indirectly impacts willingness to change lifestyle behavior (WCLB) based on the genetic test results via cancer worry, confirming a full mediation effect. Additionally, among demographic variables, educational level was the strongest predictor of genetic test behavior, while gender significantly predicted WCLB, with older female adults showing higher intentions to change their lifestyle based on genetic test results than males.

Conclusion

The study highlights the pivotal roles of PIGI and cancer worry in shaping older adults’ acceptance of genetic testing, encompassing both performing genetic test behaviors and adopting lifestyle changes based on test results. These findings offer actionable insights for designing targeted health communication strategies and interventions to enhance genetic testing uptake and foster proactive health management among older populations.
What Happens in Vegas No Longer Stays in Vegas—Cybersecurity Attacks on Las Vegas Integrated Resorts
Authors: Bischoff Jared , Garlington Jaimi , Erdem Mehmet
Published: January 2025

Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important in the hospitality industry, particularly for large, integrated resorts that service a high volume of customers per year. Cyberattacks upon these venues results not only in loss of immediate revenue, but may also include disruption of operations, loss of customer trust, and damage to the resort’s brand name. The Las Vegas resort corridor on the Strip presents a unique environment in hospitality cybersecurity, in which the high concentration of integrated resorts renders this location a particular target for hackers. This case examines cyberattacks upon two high-profile Las Vegas integrated resort companies, MGM Grand and Caesars Entertainment, that occurred in 2023. The after-effects of each resort’s crisis management processes and remediation decisions are examined in detail. Implications for hoteliers and the hospitality industry are also discussed.
Decreasing Venous Thromboembolism With Anticoagulation in Plastic Surgery
Authors: Stein Michael J. , Pannucci Christopher
Published: January 2025

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a devastating complication in aesthetic plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons are advised to approach VTE prevention proactively by modifying the perioperative risk profile of their patients. Herein, the authors review the evidence of pharmacologic prevention of VTE in plastic surgery, caution surgeons that blanket treatment based on Caprini score alone should be avoided, and advocate for case-by-case individualized therapy for every patient. Methods: A review of evidence for the pharmacologic prevention of VTE in plastic surgery was performed. Results/Conclusion: A proactive approach to VTE prevention can be achieved by employing both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic evidence-based interventions. While the choice to use anticoagulation medications should be guided by calculation of a Caprini score for each patient, surgeons should continue to maintain their clinical judgment to prevent complications from over and under treatment.
Automated computed tomographic analysis of bronchial thickness and mucus plugs in bronchiectasis with asthma
Authors: van der Veer Tjeerd , Andrinopoulou Eleni-Rosalina , Makani Punitkumar , Braunstahl Gert-Jan , Tiddens Harm A.W.M.
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Bronchiectasis disease is characterised by cough, sputum, and exacerbations, with chest CT typically showing bronchial wall thickening, and mucus plugging in addition to bronchial dilation. Asthma is a common comorbidity and associated with increased, eosinophilic, airway inflammation. Automated measurements of bronchial wall thickening and mucus plugs may serve as biomarkers for inflammation and associated with clinical characteristics such as spirometry, blood eosinophil count, and disease severity in patients with bronchiectasis and asthma co-diagnosis.

Methods

In a cross-sectional retrospective cohort of 64 patients with bronchiectasis disease and asthma, we applied automated image analysis to assess bronchial dimensions and mucus plug metrics on chest CT scans. These metrics were correlated with spirometry,blood eosinophil counts as well as Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) and FEV1, Age, Colonization, Extension and Dyspnea (FACED) scores using correlations and multiple regression analyses.

Results

In 63 patients, bronchial wall thickness and mucus plugs were quantified. ] Negative correlations were observed between bronchial wall thickness markers and spirometry (Bwt/A and FEV1, r=-0.37; FEV1/FVC, r=-0.30). Mucus plugs correlated negatively with spirometry and positively with BSI and FACED scores (no.of mucus plugs and BSI,r=0.45). Correlations with blood eosinophil counts were very weak. In multiple regression analyses, independent associations were observed for FEV1,Pseudomonas aeruginosaand frequent exacerbations.

Conclusion

This study identified key relationships between automated measurements of bronchial wall thickness and mucus plugs with clinical characteristics, highlighting their potential as imaging biomarkers to enhance phenotyping, improve risk assessment, and facilitate tailored treatment strategies in bronchiectasis.
Designing Load-Bearing Bio-Inspired Materials for Simultaneous Static Properties and Dynamic Damping: Multi-Objective Optimization for Micro-Structure
Authors: Dong Bo , Jia Yunfei , Wang Wei
Published: January 2025

Biological load-bearing materials, like the nacre in shells, have a unique staggered structure that supports their superior mechanical properties. Engineers have been encouraged to imitate it to create load-bearing bio-inspired materials which have excellent properties not present in conventional composites. To create such materials with desirable mechanical properties, the optimum structural parameters combination must be selected. Moreover, the optimal design of bio-inspired composites needs to take into account the trade-offs between various mechanical properties. In this paper, multi-objective optimization models were developed using structural parameters as design variables and mechanical properties as optimization objectives, including stiffness, strength, toughness, and dynamic damping. Using the NSGA-II optimization algorithm, a set of optimal solutions were solved. Additionally, three different structures in natural nacre were introduced in order to utilize the better structure when design bio-inspired materials. The range of optimal solutions that obtained using results from previous research were examined and explained why this collection of optimal solution ranges is better. Also, optimal solutions were compared with the structural features and mechanical properties of real nacre and artificial biomimetic composites to validate our models. Finally, the optimum design strategies can be obtained for nacre-like composites. Our research methodically proposes an optimization method for achieving load-bearing bio-inspired materials with excellent properties and creates a set of optimal solutions from which designers can select the one that best suits their preferences, allowing the fabricated materials to demonstrate preferred performance.
Cobalt-induced oxidative stress and defense responses of Adhatoda vasica proliferated shoots
Authors: Radi Abeer A. , Farghaly Fatma A. , Al-Kahtany Fatma A. , Zaher Ahmed M. , Hamada Afaf M.
Published: January 2025

Background

Levels of heavy metal pollution are increasing due to industrial activities and urban expansion. While cobalt (Co) can be toxic to plants at high levels and isn’t considered essential, it plays a beneficial role in many enzymes and is critical for various biological functions. We conducted experiments to determine how Adhatoda vasica proliferated shoots react to exposure to various Co concentrations (50–1000 µM). We employed physiological and biochemical markers to elucidate the response mechanisms of this medicinal plant. The experiment was conducted in two replicates per treatment. The statistical analysis was based on data from four biological replicates per treatment.

Results

Interestingly, the lowest Co concentration (50 µM) increased proliferated shoot growth by 41.45%. In contrast, higher Co concentrations (100–1000 µM) had detrimental effects on proliferated shoot development, water content, and photosynthetic pigment concentrations. As Co concentration increased, proliferated shoots produced excessive concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This ROS overproduction is believed to be the primary cause of oxidative damage, as evidenced by the elevated concentrations (18.46%-72.84%) of malondialdehyde (MDA) detected. In response to Co stress, non-enzymatic antioxidants were activated in a concentration-dependent manner. Co administration significantly increased the concentrations of different stress-protective compounds in shoots, including total antioxidants (133.18%), ascorbic acids (217.94%), free and bound phenolics (97.70% and 69.72%, respectively), proline (218.59%), free amino acids (206.96%), soluble proteins (65.97%), and soluble carbohydrates (18.52%). FTIR analysis further corroborated changes in the chemical composition of proliferated shoots. The analysis revealed variations in the peaks associated with major macromolecules, including phenolic compounds, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, cellulose, hemicellulose, and sugars.

Conclusions

Our study offers the first comprehensive investigation into mechanisms by which Co stress triggers oxidative damage and alters functional groups in the medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica.
“The effect of intramuscular dexmedetomidine versus oral gabapentin premedication on the emergence agitation after rhinoplasty”. A prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial
Authors: Abdelaziz Tamer Samir Abdelsalam , Mohammed Elsayed Hatem Elsayed , Kamal Eldin Doaa Mohammed , Ibrahim Ismail Mohammed
Published: January 2025

Background

Emergence agitation EA is a state of confusion and harmful aggressiveness during recovery. It is a common complication after rhinoplasty, with risk of trauma, bleeding, and hemodynamic instability. Dexmedetomidine and gabapentin premedication could improve the quality of recovery after rhinoplasty.

Methods

One hundred fifty-three participants (ASA I-II, both sexes and age 18–40 years) scheduled for rhinoplasty were randomized into three groups. Group C didn’t receive premedication, Group D received intramuscular (IM) dexmedetomidine, and Group G received oral gabapentin. The degree of EA by Riker sedation-agitation scale (RSAS) during recovery, pain severity, and adverse events recorded.

Results

The results showed statistically significant differences in EA scores with the lowest values in group D (p-value 0.002). Moreover, the incidence of EA was 17.6% (9/51) in Group D, 41.2% (21/51) in Group G, and 56.9% (29/51) in Group C with P value < 0.001 and significant differences in VAS score at 4, 8, and 12 h with the highest median (range) values in group C 4(3–6) in comparison to group D 2(1–3) and group G 2(1–3) and p-value < 0.001; no significant differences in adverse events.

Conclusions

IM dexmedetomidine premedication was more efficient than gabapentin in the reduction of the emergence agitation incidence, severity, and postoperative pain scores after rhinoplasty in adults.

Clinical trial registration number ID

NCT05626998 on 25/11/2022.