bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on engine cooling system condition monitoring based on deep digital twin
Authors: Wang Jian , Huang Ying , Wei Liguo , Wang Xu
Published: February 2025

Cooling system is a crucial subsystem essential for the engines, and its condition monitoring plays an important role in the engine safety and reliability. This paper proposes an innovative deep digital twin (DDT) model that combines Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) based ensemble learning and Stacked Sparse Autoencoder (SSAE) based deep learning to enhance the sensitivity and accuracy of engine cooling system condition monitoring (CM). The Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) algorithm is employed to generate coolant temperature baselines of healthy state under varying operational conditions. Then, taking the coolant temperature as the characteristic parameter, the health feature extraction model is constructed using Stacked Sparse Autoencoder (SSAE) network to extract the feature representations from coolant temperature under different health states. Specifically, to enhance the efficiency of feature extraction, this paper introduced modifications to the structure of the SSAE. To assess the health state of the cooling system quantitively, the probability density function (PDF) of the feature representations was calculated, with Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence serving as the health indicators (HI). The severity of cooling system’s degradation was indicated by comparing the deviation in KL divergence between healthy and degradation states. Simulation and experimental data validation demonstrate the capability of the proposed method in cooling system condition monitoring.
Enterotoxemia in a 2-day-old lamb produced by a Clostridium perfringens type D lambda toxin–positive strain
Authors: Moctezuma Kaylin , Acevedo Hernando D. , Henderson Eileen E. , Asin Javier , Adaska John M. , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: February 2025

Clostridium perfringens type D is a gram-positive bacterium that causes enterotoxemia in sheep, goats, and, less frequently, other animals. This microorganism encodes 2 major toxins, alpha (CPA) and epsilon (ETX). Enterotoxemia occurs when epsilon prototoxin (pETX) is produced in the intestine and is activated by one or more proteases before being absorbed into the general circulation. Traditionally, it was believed that neonatal animals were not susceptible to type D enterotoxemia due to the trypsin-inhibitory action of colostrum in the intestinal tract and the lack of protease activation of pETX, although cases of enterotoxemia have been reported in 2 neonatal goat kids. A 2-d-old lamb, with a history of frailty, hunched posture, shallow breathing, and diarrhea followed by death, was submitted for postmortem examination and diagnostic workup. Autopsy revealed hydropericardium, pulmonary edema, and congested intestines. Histologically, there was pulmonary congestion and edema, and intestinal congestion. C. perfringens type D carrying the gene for lambda toxin was isolated from the small intestine and colon. Both CPA and ETX were detected in the small intestine and colon contents. We speculate that lambda toxin (a protease) activated pETX, and that ETX, in turn, produced enterotoxemia in this lamb.
Experiences of Parents and Caregivers With Transgender Children: A Critical Review
Authors: Hynes Brothers Kristen
Published: February 2025

Children and youth who are gender diverse have markedly improved outcomes when their parents support them. Despite this, there has been minimal research on these parents until recently. This critical review includes qualitative studies published between 2008 and 2023. Findings included themes concerning the variety of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions parents have when their children come out as trans, the transformative experiences of parents, and the kinds of support parents generally need. The findings demonstrate some consistencies in parental experiences across geographic and demographic profiles while also offering insights into the nuances of parenting a transgender child in today’s social and political environment. This review provides a counter-discourse to that of grief and loss that suggests parenting a transgender child is as transformative for the parents as their children.
Predicting the Feasibility of Local Tissues in Recurrent Palate Fistula Repair: A New Scoring System
Authors: Guray Seyda , Kalem Uğur Kaan
Published: February 2025

Objective

This study aimed to assess the impact of structural changes from repeated failed surgeries on outcomes and develop a scoring system to evaluate local palatal tissue usability in recurrent fistula repairs.

Design

A retrospective study of 51 patients with prior failed fistula surgeries using a novel scoring system for palatal tissue evaluation.

Setting

The study was conducted at a tertiary care center for craniofacial surgery.

Patients, Participants

51 patients with recurrent palatal fistulas and at least 1prior failed surgery were included. Standardized preoperative photographs were taken.

Interventions

Patients underwent palatal fistula repair. Outcomes were assessed 12 months postoperatively, and patients were grouped by success. Two surgeons applied the scoring system to assess scar condition (evaluated by color), rugae presence, remnant flap (RF), and number of failed surgeries (NFSs).

Main Outcome Measure(s)

The primary measure was the correlation between scoring system criteria and surgical outcomes, with statistical analysis determining predictive value.

Results

All criteria correlated with NFS and recurrence ( P < 0.001), but only rugae, RF, and NFS showed strong associations with recurrence. Scar condition evaluated by color had lower correlations with rugae ( r = 0.461), RF ( r = 0.458), and NFS ( r = 0.239). The final scoring system was simplified to 3 variables: rugae, RF, and NFS.

Conclusions

The revised scoring system effectively predicts success in recurrent palatal fistula repairs. Scores above 2 indicate a high risk of recurrence, suggesting alternative approaches when using local tissues.
Wear micromechanisms in mixer blades in the iron ore sinter manufacturing process
Authors: Wanderley Eduardo Viana , Pereira Igor Cezar , Teles Vinícius Carvalho
Published: February 2025

Increasing pig iron production has led to a shortage of refined raw materials, resulting in smaller iron ore, which complicates its direct use in blast furnaces. Sintering fines have emerged as a viable alternative, with intensive mixers potentially increasing sintering speed by 10–12%. However, the components of these mixers experience severe wear due to contact with abrasive particles. This study aims to identify the predominant wear mechanisms on mixer blades in an iron ore sinter plant and to develop a laboratory methodology to simulate these mechanisms. A method based on ASTM G65 was developed to reproduce the wear observed in the field accurately. Four materials were evaluated: high-chromium white cast iron (WCI), AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel, and two hard coatings according to DIN 8555 standards (E-10-UM-65 GRTZ and E-6-UM-60 R). These materials were characterized in terms of hardness, Vickers microhardness, microstructure, and wear mechanisms through scanning electron microscopy. Comparing field and laboratory results, the methodology proved effective in simulating the tribological system. WCI showed 303% better wear resistance than E-10-UM-65 GRTZ, while the other materials performed worse. Field tests revealed that the E-6-UM-60 R coating was ineffective, suffering early wear and exposing the substrate, leading to a high wear rate. Laboratory tests showed that AISI 304 stainless steel performed the worst, highlighting the difficulty of replicating real wear conditions. The study also found that hardness does not directly correlate with wear resistance, suggesting that microstructure plays a decisive role in material selection for this application.
Applying intelligent personal assistants to develop fluency and comprehensibility, and reduce accentedness in EFL learners: an empirical study of Google Assistant
Authors: Fathi Jalil , Rahimi Masoud , Teo Timothy
Published: February 2025

Considering the contribution of intelligent personal assistant (IPA) platforms to English as a foreign language (EFL) speaking courses and the insufficiency of research in this regard, the current study applied a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of Google Assistant, an IPA platform, on EFL learners’ International English Language Testing System (IELTS) speaking test marks and their fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness. Two intact classes at a language institute were chosen and randomly assigned to an IPA class with 20 EFL learners and a non-IPA class with 23 EFL learners. The IPA learners interactively and individually communicated with Google Assistant by giving commands/requests/questions, and the non-IPA learners communicated the same commands/requests/questions with their peers interactively. The IELTS speaking skill test, the fluency, comprehensibility, and accentedness scales, and an individual semi-structured interview were used to collect the necessary quantitative and qualitative data. One-way between groups analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), applied to analyse the quantitative data, revealed that the IPA and non-IPA speaking instruction developed the EFL learners’ IELTS speaking test marks, fluency, and comprehensibility, and reduced their accentedness. The former (i.e. the IPA instruction) outperformed the latter (i.e. the non-IPA instruction) in developing IELTS speaking test marks and comprehensibility, and reducing accentedness. Thematic analysis, applied to analyse the qualitative data, uncovered several themes and categories that indicated the IPA learners’ positive attitudes and perceptions towards the use of Google Assistant for interactive, one-to-one speaking activities. The findings suggested effective techniques for integrating IPAs into EFL speaking courses to enhance IELTS speaking test marks, fluency, and comprehensibility, and reduce accentedness in EFL learners.
Catch 22: Institutional ethics and researcher welfare within online extremism and terrorism research
Authors: Whittaker Joe , Pearson Elizabeth , Mattheis Ashley A , Baaken Till , Zeiger Sara , Atamuradova Farangiz , Conway Maura
Published: February 2025

Drawing from interviews with 39 online extremism and terrorism researchers, this article provides an empirical analysis of these researchers’ experiences with institutional ethics processes. Discussed are the harms that these researchers face in the course of their work, including trolling, doxing, and mental and emotional trauma arising from exposure to terrorist content, which highlight the need for an emphasis on researcher welfare. We find that researcher welfare is a neglected aspect of ethics review processes however, with most interviewees not required to gain ethics approval for their research resulting in very little attention to researcher welfare issues. Interviewees were frustrated with ethics processes, indicating that committees oftentimes lacked the requisite knowledge to make informed ethical decisions. Highlighted by interviewees too was a concern that greater emphasis on researcher welfare could result in blockages to their ‘risky’ research, creating a ‘Catch 22’: interviewees would like more emphasis on their (and colleagues’) welfare and provision of concomitant supports, but feel that increased oversight would make gaining ethics approval for their research more difficult, or even impossible. We offer suggestions for breaking the impasse, including more interactions between ethics committees and researchers; development of tailored guidelines; and more case studies reflecting on ethics processes.
AI chatbot accountability in the age of algorithmic gatekeeping: Comparing generative search engine political information retrieval across five languages
Authors: Kuai Joanne , Brantner Cornelia , Karlsson Michael , Van Couvering Elizabeth , Romano Salvatore
Published: February 2025

This study investigates the performance of search engine chatbots powered by large language models in generative political information retrieval. Applying algorithmic accountability as a central theme, this research (a) assesses the alignment of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot responses with timely political information, (b) investigates the factual correctness and transparency of chatbot-sourced synopses, (c) examines the adherence of chatbots to democratic norms and impartiality ideals, (d) analyzes the sourcing and attribution behaviors of the chatbots, and (e) explores the universality of chatbot gatekeeping across different languages. Using the 2024 Taiwan presidential election as a case study and prompting as a method, the study audits responses from Microsoft Copilot in five languages. The findings reveal significant discrepancies in information readiness, content accuracy, norm adherence, source usage, and attribution behavior across languages. These results underscore the contextual awareness when applying accountability assessment that looks beyond transparency in AI-mediated communication, especially during politically sensitive events.
Curricula, sustainable literacy and decarbonisation: The Net-Zero challenge for tourism educators in Ireland
Authors: Conefrey Anita , Hanrahan James , McTiernan Conor , Carty John , Byrne Deirdre
Published: February 2025

This paper focuses on the area of sustainable literacy and the role of tourism higher education in providing skilled graduates to facilitate the transition towards Net-Zero emissions. Taking a knowledge management perspective, curricula are assessed based on their adherence to explicit knowledge stocks identified as key elements of sustainable literacy. Desk-based research was conducted to develop a quantitative research analysis tool. A case study approach was applied to the Republic of Ireland to assess the higher education provider’s provision of sustainable literacy. The findings identified that third-level tourism degrees have a significant knowledge gap in the area of sustainable literacy, particularly in the area of measuring and monitoring emissions to facilitate the transition towards Net-Zero emissions before 2050. These findings are helpful for practitioners and educators alike to increase the standards required in the workforce.
Towards a Contextualised Understanding of Youth Justice Policy-Making: What, Who and How?
Authors: Case Stephen
Published: February 2025

Youth justice policy making has been conceptualised as a reductionist, linear and decontextualised process dominated by governmental actors producing static policy ‘products’. However, semi-structured interviews with a range of expert policy actors illuminated youth justice policy-making (YJPM) as a complex, dynamic social construction shaped through relationships across professional contexts. Analyses discerned coherence from chaos in YJPM contexts characterised by simultaneous stability-change, conflict-ambivalence, short-termism and precarity. YJPM contexts were constructed and experienced by experts working in governmental and non-governmental contexts as the relational and dynamic features shaping the mechanisms through which policies are made and operate over time at multiple different levels of the social system.
An improved approach for compressive sensing of vibration signals considering spectral leakage effect
Authors: Dong Guan-Sen , Wan Hua-Ping , Luo Yaozhi , Li Binbin , Xu Xian
Published: February 2025

Vibration data often carries important information about the dynamic characteristics of structures, but continuous collection of high-frequency vibration data can create practical challenges (e.g., transmission and storage of large amounts of data). Compressive sensing (CS), which integrates data acquisition and compression utilizing the sparse nature of signals, shows promise in mitigating the practical challenges of data measurement, transmission, and storage. The presence of side lobes in the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of vibration signals, known as the spectral leakage effect, adversely impacts the sparsity of these signals. This, in turn, diminishes the effectiveness of CS algorithms. Built with three key modifications, this study proposes a spectral compressive sampling matching pursuit (CoSaMP) algorithm to alleviate the effect of spectral leakage. First, the redundant DFT dictionary is incorporated to consider the spectral leakage effect. Second, a coherence-inhibiting large component identification step replaces the original one, addressing the coherence issues due to the redundant DFT dictionary. Third, Ridge regression supersedes the least squares in the estimation step to improve the reconstruction accuracy. The proposed spectral CoSaMP algorithm is validated by the simulated data from a frame structure and the field data collected from a long-span cable-stayed bridge. The influence of related parameters (i.e., frequency redundancy indicator, coherence threshold, sparsity level, and regularization parameter of Ridge regression) is extensively investigated, and recommended parameter settings are provided. Moreover, the superiority of spectral CoSaMP over classic CS algorithms (including classic CoSaMP, [Formula: see text]-norm regularized optimization, and Bayesian CS) on the reconstruction accuracy of vibration signals is demonstrated through comparative studies.
Sexual Violence Against University Students in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review
Authors: Steven Mzilangwe Ester , González-Rojo Elena , Lindkvist Marie , Goicolea Isabel , Kaaya Sylvia , Kyungu Nkulu Kalengayi Faustine
Published: February 2025

Sexual violence (SV) is pervasive on university campuses worldwide, with alarmingly high reported rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite the high reported rates of SV victimization on campuses, existing evidence has not been critically synthesized to give a comprehensive picture of the problem’s extent, common forms, risk factors, and (knowledge about) victims and perpetrators in SSA countries. We aimed to map the existing literature on SV prevalence, types, risk factors, victims, perpetrators, and consequences among university students on campuses in SSA. We included articles focusing on university students from SSA countries published in English or French language from 2014 to 2023. We identified 543 records from nine databases; Academic Search Premier; CINAHL; EMBASE; MEDLINE; PsychINFO; PubMed; Scopus; SocINDEX; and Web of Science, 82 of which met our inclusion criteria. Retrieved articles covered only one-third of the sub-Saharan region, mostly focusing on female students and victims. Prevalence of different forms of SV varied among countries; authors attributed these variations to differences in time frame, forms of SV, how they were defined, and the tools used. Young female students were identified as common victims, while male teachers and students were common perpetrators. We used the socio-ecological model to summarize risk and protective factors associated with SV victimization and listed the health, social, and economic consequences of SV victimization. Despite these consequences, victims rarely seek help, whether from informal sources or authorities. We call for comprehensive studies in SSA that include both genders and focusing on victims and perpetrators, and address service access barriers.
Improvement of crashworthiness of pickup vehicle for frontal and side collision using Finite Element analysis
Authors: Gashu Adane , Nallamothu Ramesh Babu
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to enhance the existing vehicle’s structural reaction to a frontal and side impact collision. Energy-absorbing parts, a sturdy frame design, and enhanced crash performance are used to produce improvements based on the outcomes of the current model. When conducting the analysis, 3D modeling is done using CATIA, and FEM analysis is done using LS-DYNA. After adjustment, the ability to stabilize the momentum, the impact force during a crash, and the relation between internal energy and deformation is discussed; in doing so, the impact force is reduced by 7.82% and a 3.52% increment of energy is absorbed during a frontal collision. The side structure of the modified model also provided additional 162 mm space protection for the occupant, a reduction of impact force by 14.4%, and absorbed additional 7.6% energy. The new model generates more moment force that stabilizes fast as compared to the current, and also the relationship between energy absorbed and deformation is seen that with less deformation, the new model absorbs more energy. In conclusion, it can be claimed that the updated model considerably improved the pickup vehicle’s safety and crashworthiness without affecting the vehicle’s weight or appearance.
Personalized workload management in badminton using a machine learning model
Authors: Musa Rabiu Muazu , Abdul Majeed Anwar P. P. , Musawi Maliki Ahmad Bisyri Husin , Kosni Norlaila Azura
Published: February 2025

Badminton is a demanding sport that requires effective workload management to enhance performance and prevent injuries. This study developed a machine learning-based Decision Tree (DT) model to create personalized workload management strategies for 73 young elite badminton players, averaging 6 years of experience. Players underwent anthropometric and fitness assessments, with external loads measured via triaxial accelerometers and internal loads through rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during training and competition. K-means clustering categorized players into high, moderate, and low external workload levels. High-load players were generally older, taller, heavier, and exhibited superior flexibility, grip strength, and countermovement jump performance. Moderate-load players excelled in balance and leg endurance, while low-load players showed greater upper body strength, quicker reaction times, and higher perceived exertion. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of tree depth on model performance, followed by a comparative assessment of the Decision Tree (DT) model and multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR). The results demonstrated that the DT model outperformed the MLR, achieving 92% accuracy in predicting external loads compared to the MLR's 57%. This highlights the DT model's superior capability to provide tailored workload recommendations, thereby enhancing athletic performance and reducing the risk of injury.
Inequalities in job and income loss in countries with high prevalence of informal employment in Sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 crisis
Authors: Contreras Ivette , Oseni Gbemisola , Palacios-Lopez Amparo , Pieters Janneke , Weber Michael
Published: February 2025

This paper uses high frequency phone survey data from 4 Sub-Saharan African countries with high levels of informality (Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda) to analyze the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on work (including wage employment, self-employment, and farm work) and income, as well as heterogeneity by gender, family composition, education, age, pre-COVID-19 industry of work, and between the rural and urban sectors. The paper links phone survey data collected throughout the pandemic to pre-COVID-19 face-to-face survey data to track the employment of respondents who were working before the pandemic and analyze individual-level indicators of job loss and re-employment as a way to measure changes in work in informal economies. Finally, it analyzes both immediate impacts, during the first few months of the pandemic, as well as longer-run impacts through February/March 2021. The findings show that in the early phase of the pandemic, women, young, and urban workers were significantly more likely to lose their jobs. A year after the onset of the pandemic, these inequalities disappeared, and education became the main predictor of joblessness. The analysis finds significant rural/urban, age, and education gradients in household level income loss. Households with income from non-farm enterprises were the most likely to report income loss, in the short run as well as the longer run.
A post-marketing disproportionality analysis of the safety of ribociclib based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System
Authors: Xu Jiayan , Wang Ruo , Shen Kunwei
Published: February 2025

Background:

Although there are reports of adverse events (AEs) of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, the safety of ribociclib alone has not yet been comprehensively evaluated in real-world clinical practice.

Objectives:

To investigate the overall real-world safety profile of ribociclib by mining data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Design:

A retrospective disproportionality analysis was conducted based on the FAERS database.

Methods:

We processed reports from the first quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2023 and applied disproportionality analysis using four different methods: reporting odds ratio, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and multi-item gamma Poisson shrinker.

Results:

A total of 12,885 AE reports of ribociclib as the primary suspect were enrolled. 48.81% of AEs occur within 60 days of ribociclib administration. Blood and lymphatic system disorders and abnormalities in investigation at the system organ class level showed statistically significant signals in all four methods. Nausea ( n = 1426), neutropenia ( n = 940), vomiting ( n = 863), white blood cell count decreased ( n = 812), and alopecia ( n = 536) turned out to be the five most frequent AEs at the preferred term level. Twenty-eight AEs undiscovered in the label were newly identified. Neutropenia, as a widely recognized AE, was observed to potentially result in more serious outcomes than previously anticipated ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

This study utilized the FAERS database to analyze real-world AE signals associated with ribociclib following its market approval. We characterized the clinical profiles of reported AEs and found some significant signals consistent with previous clinical trials. In addition, several AEs not included in the drug label or exhibiting unexpected severity were detected. These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians and highlight directions for further causality-focused research to validate the observed results.
Artful Approaches for the Study of Multiracial Student Experiences: Not Artifact, But Aperture
Authors: Mohajeri Orkideh , Malaney-Brown Victoria K.
Published: February 2025

Within higher education, various methodologies are used to collect data on student experiences, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. This paper highlights the importance of attending to artful methodologies particularly when learning with/from mixed and multiracial postsecondary students. We share three artful productions generated by multiracial undergraduate and graduate students from three separate studies, conducted over a range of time from 2017 to 2020. We argue that in each case, the art itself goes far beyond an artifact or “thick description” and instead serves as an aperture to new possibilities for inquiry and analysis. Not only are artful methods a generative form of inquiry with/on multiracial postsecondary students, but also the artful productions of these students can guide and shape continued, future scholarship in this area. Implications are discussed for research and postsecondary students in institutions of higher education.
Reduction of intercalation in the thin film of cadmium sulfide (CdS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles by adding the second surfactant mercapto ethanol
Authors: Suryajaya Suryajaya , Putra Edy Giri Rachman , Patriati Arum , Urrahmi Nisa , Marhamah Marhamah , Suarso Eka , Sari Nurma , Nabok Alexei
Published: February 2025

This article reports on the formation and characterization of extremely small CdS and ZnS semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) using a mixture of surfactants, mercaptoethane sulfonate, and mercaptoethanol in different concentrations (from 0.1 mM to 1.4 mM) to control the particles’ sizes. UV-visible spectroscopy study of the solution of CdS NPs showed significant blue spectral shifts from 512 nm (bulk CdS) to about 409 nm. While for ZnS NPs colloid, the shifts is from 335 nm (bulk ZnS) to about 290 nm. The spectral shift are caused by the quantum confinement of carriers in NPs, which allowed us to determine the radii of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles of about 1.86 and 1.68 nm. These results were confirmed by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements on CdS and ZnS NPs which yielded 1.6 and 1.2 nm in radius. The introduction of mercaptoethanol as a second surfactant did not significantly change the NPs’ sizes of about 1.9 nm for CdS and ZnS. Still, it reduces the ion interaction in the electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition of CdS and ZnS NPs. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of such thin films confirmed the wurzite structure of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles. The lattice parameters obtained are a = 4.160 Ǻ and c = 6.756 Ǻ for CdS. While ZnS lattice parameters are a = 3.820 Ǻ and c = 6.260 Ǻ. The size of lattice crystals of CdS and ZnS nanoparticles was found to decrease as mercaptoethanol concentration increased from 0.1to 1.4 mM.
Enhanced Performance and Structural Dynamics of CNT/PU Wrapped Yarns
Authors: Si Suqiu , Sun Lingyu , Huang Dan , Zhou Bangze , Yin Siyi , Xu Fujun , Liu Wei
Published: February 2025

Carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn-based wearable technologies have garnered interest, due to their excellent electrical conductivity, high aspect ratio and excellent flexibility. However, their low abrasion resistance and restricted elongation are always problems that significantly limit their industrial applicability. This paper describes a wrapping technique by winding the CNT yarn onto PU filaments, adjusting the yarn’s winding turns at 400, 1600, and 12,000 t/m per minute. By using a twist rate of 900 t/m and winding turns at 12,000 t/m, a conductive core–shell structure with the CNT yarn as skin yarn and the PU yarn as core yarn was achieved. The CNT/PU yarn exhibited consistent elctrical resistance over a strain range of 30%. Furthermore, with a low trigger voltage of 3.5 V, the surface temperature of the wrapped yarn could reach 84.8°C, showing stable electrothermal performance and a slight temperature fluctuation in the stretching or bending states. The CNT/PU yarns have a wide range of applications in the field of human motion monitoring and electrical heating.
Interpreting is an emotional effort: Public service interpreters’ coping strategies in emotionally charged situations
Authors: Leanza Yvan , Pointurier Sophie , Duchesne Laurie
Published: February 2025

Public service interpreters are at risk of burnout and vicarious trauma, as are all practitioners in the helping professions. A few rare studies on this subject show the almost systematic absence of support offered to interpreters to face these challenges. Furthermore, training and theories describing the practice of interpreting ignore the emotional aspect of this type of work. The main objective of this study is to highlight the strategies used by interpreters to cope with emotionally charged interventions. Following an exploratory and qualitative design, 21 sign and speech language interpreters agreed to recount a significant event in their careers. These narratives were subjected to a deductive thematic analysis according to three theoretical frameworks, thus allowing to highlight the relational dynamics during an interpreted intervention (stances and positionings) and the necessary cognitive efforts. Four coping strategies emerged from the analysis. Two are collaborative and seem to lead to a satisfactory resolution of the event, even if the emotional load is strong and poses significant challenges during the intervention. The other two have an obstructive impact on the communication. Taken together, the results of this study show that public service interpretation is an emotional as well as a cognitive and relational effort.
Theater Scene Description for Human-Scene Interaction
Authors: Delloul Khadidja , Benhamida Leyla , Larabi Slimane
Published: February 2025

Entertainment venues like theaters are key to social engagement, but the lack of assistive technologies for people with visual impairments limits their participation. Our research aims to enhance theater accessibility using computer vision techniques to detect visual information about objects and actor gestures and convey them to blind audiences through non-visual modalities. In this work, we focus on providing a novel dataset, TS-RGBD, containing theater scenes to guide the development of computer-vision-based systems for theater scene description. It includes RGB, depth, and skeleton sequences captured by Microsoft Kinect in a theatrical setting. The dataset features untrimmed theater scenes as well as trimmed sequences consisting of individual gestures for actor gesture recognition. We test state-of-the-art image captioning models on untrimmed scenes, revealing that dense captioning models generate redundant captions with fixed numbers, leading to imprecise descriptions and a lack of context. These challenges hinder visually impaired individuals from comprehending theater scenes descriptions effectively. Additionally, we assess the performance of skeleton-based graph convolution networks for human action recognition in a theater environment using trimmed skeleton sequences. The results highlight limitations in recognizing human actions in this setting. Based on these findings, we propose solutions for overcoming these challenges, paving the way for future improvements in making theater performances more accessible to individuals with visual impairments.
Maintaining trust and seeking support: a qualitative study of family caregivers’ experiences interacting with health care services for home-dwelling older people with mental health problems
Authors: Sunde Olivia Sissil , Alteren Johanne , Kleiven Ole T. , Ytrehus Siri
Published: February 2025

Background

Enhanced interactions between family caregivers and health care services can improve the care provided to older people and assist caregivers in managing their responsibilities more effectively. However, there are several barriers to involving families in care, and we need more knowledge to understand different aspects of interactions. This study with family caregivers of home-dwelling older people with mental health problems aimed to explore caregivers’ experiences and perceptions of their role in interactions with health care services.

Methods

We conducted individual in-depth interviews with ten family caregivers. Braun and Clark’s thematic approach guided the analysis.

Results

We identified two main themes. The first is the balancing act of managing trust: family caregivers navigating the caring role between empowering autonomy and taking responsibility. The second is the caregiver’s role in a complex care context: family caregivers seeking knowledge, recognition, and support from professional caregivers.

Conclusions

Managing older people’s trust is pivotal to family caregivers’ interactions with health care services. These caregivers carefully balance two crucial aspects: empowering older people’s autonomy and ensuring adequate health care by sharing information. To effectively involve families in the care of older people, this study highlights the need for health care services to consider the competence and time required to balance the dual responsibility of providing optimal care for older people while attending to the needs of family caregivers.
In search of common ground - nephrologists’ experiences in preparing and informing patients on the path to end-stage kidney disease
Authors: Lindberg Jenny , Johansson Mats , Broström Linus
Published: February 2025

Background

Patient education and dialogue are important when choosing a future treatment strategy for patients with chronic kidney disease. To support patients in their decision-making process, it is critical to provide information in a way that patients can understand. This study was conducted to understand how nephrologists view the goals of information sharing, the challenges involved, and the strategies used as part of treatment planning.

Methods

This study had a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with 14 practicing nephrologists working in different hospitals in Sweden and with experience in providing information to patients approaching the need for dialysis. The interviews were conducted in 2022. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

The results are presented thematically under the headings Objectives, Content, Challenges, and Strategies. Participants tried to find common ground with patients, in terms of shared knowledge, shared views on the appropriate decision-making process, and ultimately also agreement on which treatment option was best. There was a tension between allowing patients to make their own decisions and guiding patients to make decisions with the best outcomes as judged by the nephrologist. Achieving common ground was not always possible, both because of factors related to the patient’s preferences or limited capacity, and because of boundaries set by the physician to protect the patient from unwarranted or harmful information. Dealing with competing sources of information was seen as challenging. The nephrologists felt a professional responsibility for their treatment recommendations, combined with uncertainty about which patient would benefit from dialysis and when to start.

Conclusions

Planning future treatment for patients with chronic kidney disease involves a complex information process that leaves room for both paternalism and respect for autonomy. Nephrologists face many competing challenges when discussing treatment options with patients. These challenges should be taken into account in the development of support for nephrologists in the area of information sharing.
Urinary function, sexual function and quality of life after prostate low-dose-rate brachytherapy: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Mäkelä Lauri , Mikkola Arto , Pétas Anssi , Visapää Harri
Published: February 2025

Background

Prostate cancer is most commonly diagnosed at a localized stage, allowing the majority of patients to receive curative treatment. The prognosis is often favorable, and there are numerous treatment options available, emphasizing the importance of assessing the side effects associated with each treatment. Low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy is one such treatment option, supported by robust evidence regarding its efficacy and side effects. However, most published data primarily rely on physician-assessed toxicity, which may underestimate the patient's experience of side effects. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the urinary side effects of LDR brachytherapy, with a focus on patient-reported outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective study included 199 patients treated with LDR-brachytherapy years 2000-2012 at Helsinki University Hospital. Questionnaires used to assess urinary toxicity were International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and The Danish Prostatic Symptom Score (DAN-PSS). Additionally, sexual function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Urinary function was assessed with flowmetry, reporting peak flow rate and postvoid residual measurement.

Results

There was a deterioration in urinary function during the first six months post-procedure, as evidenced by a decline in the urinary function questionnaires and uroflowmetry measurements. For most patients, this deterioration was transient, with median symptom scores returning to baseline after one year. A slight discrepancy was observed between patient-reported outcome measures and urinary function assessed by flowmetry.

Conclusions

LDR brachytherapy is a well-tolerated treatment for localized prostate cancer. While many patients experience acute side effects that subside relatively quickly, there is a small risk of prolonged side effects. This risk should be thoroughly discussed with patients when making treatment decisions.
Retention of Ti Si snap versus locator attachments with retention sil in two-implant retained mandibular overdentures: an in vitro study
Authors: Mourad Dina , El-mahrouky Nesrin A. , El-Dayem Mohamed A. Abd , Shawky Yasser M.
Published: February 2025

Background

Primary retention and progressive loss of retention of various attachment systems are critical elements in appropriate attachment selection; nevertheless, research on attachment retention reveals a broad spectrum of retention values for the same attachment system and between various systems. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to compare the retention of two different types of attachments (Ti Si snaps and locators) in two-implant-retained mandibular overdentures.

Methods

A completely edentulous mandibular educational cast was scanned. An STL file including the implant beds and mucosal space was designed. Two implant analogs were incorporated into each model in the canine area bilaterally, and conventional overdentures were fabricated over two types of implant attachments, the Ti Si snap attachments and the locator attachments, with the use of Retention sil in both groups at the fitting surface of the overdenture. Each group contained five 3D-printed edentulous mandibular models. Retention was measured by using a universal testing machine after the models were subjected to cyclic loading. This measurement was carried out at the time of insertion, after 75,000 cycles (simulating 6 months of clinical use) and 150,000 cycles (simulating 12 months of clinical use). The means and standard deviations of the recorded readings were collected, tabulated, and statistically analyzed.

Results

Student’s t test revealed significant differences between the two groups. The Ti Si attachment group presented the highest retention rate at the time of insertion and after 6 months. However, there was no significant difference between the groups after 12 months. Both groups presented statistically significant changes in the mean retention value over time, as demonstrated by two-way ANOVA (time of insertion > six months > twelve months). Tukey’s post hoc test revealed a nonsignificant difference between six months and twelve months.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this study, the following conclusions can be drawn:
Blocking the SIRPα-CD47 axis promotes macrophage phagocytosis of exosomes derived from visceral adipose tissue and improves inflammation and metabolism in mice
Authors: Lin Yun-kai , Pan Yu-fei , Jiang Tian-yi , Chen Yi-bin , Shang Tai-yu , Xu Meng-you , Feng Hui-bo , Ma Yun-han , Tan Ye-xiong , Wang Hong-yang , Dong Li-wei
Published: February 2025

Background

Adipose tissue plays a pivotal role in systemic metabolism and maintaining bodily homeostasis. Exosomes from adipose tissues, known as AT-Exos, are recognized as important messengers in the communication between adipose tissue and other organs. Despite this, the alterations in exosome composition and the functional disparities among depot-specific AT-Exos in obesity remain elusive.

Methods

In this work, we utilized lipidomics and microRNA (miRNA) sequencing to elucidate the lipid and miRNA profiles of AT-Exos in a diet-induced obesity model. We identified obesity-related miRNAs in AT-Exos and further explored their mechanisms using gain- and loss-of-function experiments. To evaluate the metabolic effects of AT-Exos on adipocytes, we conducted RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and confirmed our findings through Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western bolt analyses. Meanwhile, a mouse model with intraperitoneal injections was utilized to validate the role of exosomes derived from visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT-Exos) in obesity progression in vivo. Finally, we explored potential therapeutic intervention strategies targeting AT-Exos, particularly focusing on modulating the SIRPα-CD47 axis to enhance macrophage phagocytosis using Leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice and SIRPα knock-out mice.

Results

Our study revealed that obesity-related metabolism affects the biological processes of AT-Exos, with depot-specific secretion patterns. In obesity, the lipidome profile of AT-Exos was significantly altered, and diet can modify the miRNA content and function within these exosomes, influencing lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways that contribute to metabolic dysregulation. Specifically, we identified that miR-200a-3p and miR-200b-3p promoted lipid accumulation in 3T3L1 cells partly through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that AT-Exos from different fat depots exerted distinct effects on adipocyte metabolism, with obese vWAT-Exos being notably potent in triggering inflammation and lipid accumulation in diet-induced obesity. Additionally, we found that inhibiting the SIRPα-CD47 axis can mitigate metabolic disorders induced by obese vWAT-Exos or ob/ob mice, partly due to the enhanced clearance of vWAT-Exos. Consistent with this, SIRPα-deficient mice exhibited a reduction in vWAT-Exos and displayed greater resistance to obesity.

Conclusions

This study elucidates that diet-induced obesity altered the lipid and miRNA profiles of AT-Exos, which involved in modulating adipocyte inflammation and metabolic balance. The SIRPα-CD47 axis emerges as a potential therapeutic target for obesity and its associated complications.
Lung organoids in COPD: recent advances and future prospects
Authors: Huo Yajie , He Shengyang , Chen Yan
Published: February 2025

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that is characterized by progressive airflow limitation, a high prevalence, and a high mortality rate. However, the specific mechanisms remain unclear, partly due to the lack of robust data from in vitro experimental models and animal models that do not adequately represent the structure and pathophysiology of the human lung. The recent advancement of lung organoid culture systems has facilitated new avenues for the investigation of COPD. Lung organoids are in vitro models derived from adult stem cells, human pluripotent stem cells, or embryonic stem cells, established through three-dimensional culture. They exhibit a high degree of homology and genetic consistency with human tissues and can better mimic human lungs in terms of function and structure compared to other traditional models. This review will summarise the generation process of lung organoids from different cell sources and their application in COPD research, and provide suggestions for future research directions.