bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a novel high-frequency reciprocal structure fiber optical pulsed current sensor
Authors: Mao Zhiling , Lan Tao , Bai Zeqi , Zhang Han , Wang Ke , Ding Weixing , Wu Jie , Dong Qilong , Zhou Yongkang , Mao Wenzhe , Wu Zhengwei , Wu Jiaren , Zu Yiming , Deng Peng , Lu Pengcheng , Wei Zian , Wen Xiaohui , Wang Hai , Zhou Chu , Liu Ahdi , Xie Jinlin , Li Hong , Liu Wandong , Xiao Chijin , Zhuang Ge
Published: January 2025

A novel all-fiber optic current sensor (FOCS) is designed specifically for the measurement of large transient currents based on the Faraday effect. A reciprocal symmetric structure is incorporated into the optical sensing loop, and the current dependent phase demodulation is achieved by using a passive optical fiber coupler and the homodyne detection scheme. This design offers several advantages, including structural simplicity, high voltage insulation, low noise, high linearity, and excellent frequency response, and is highly suitable for use in any system of high-voltage, high-power, and high-frequency in nature. A current source based on fast capacitor discharge is used for the bench-test of the FOCS system, and several laser sources with different wavelengths and linewidths have been used to test the FOCS performance. Experimental results show that the phase noise of the laser is independent of both wavelength and linewidth. The sensitivity of the FOCS system has been calibrated against a commercial Rogowski current sensor. This FOCS offers precise and flexible high-current pulse measurements with a measured phase noise of 1.4 × 10−3 rad, using a 1550 nm laser with a 1 kHz linewidth. The fully reciprocal sensing loop ensures that the phase noise remains unchanged as the loop length increases. These features make the FOCS a robust and adaptable tool for high-precision current sensing in challenging environments. Finally, the FOCS system has consistently demonstrated its superior and stable performance in terms of high-frequency response and low noise with minimal dependence on the laser parameters.
A simple cavity-enhanced laser-based heater for reflective samples
Authors: Golibrzuch Kai , Wodtke Alec M.
Published: January 2025

Surface science instruments require excellent vacuum to ensure surface cleanliness; they also require control of sample temperature, both to clean the surface of contaminants and to control reaction rates at the surface, for example, for molecular beam epitaxy and studies of heterogeneous catalysis. Standard approaches to sample heating within high vacuum chambers involve passing current through filaments of refractory metals, which then heat the sample by convective, radiative, or electron bombardment induced heat transfer. Such hot filament methods lead to outgassing of molecules from neighboring materials that are inadvertently heated; they also produce electrons and ions that may interfere with other aspects of the surface science experiment. Hot filaments may even disintegrate when used in the presence of gases introduced to induce surface reactions on the sample. Optical heating using lasers can deliver energy directly to the sample, ensuring that only the sample is heated and surroundings within the vacuum chamber are not, while simultaneously eliminating the need for hot filaments. Despite this advantage, optical heating is not commonly employed—such methods are considered complex, expensive, and unreliable. More fundamentally, surface scientists are often interested in metallic samples, whose reflectivity may limit the efficiency of laser heating. In this paper, we describe a simple and inexpensive sample heater based on a commercial diode laser, whose heating efficiency is enhanced by a concave aluminum mirror placed behind the sample. The geometry of the reflector and sample ensures that a stable optical cavity is produced. Using only 26 W of laser power directed to the sample with a fiber optic, a 1-cm diameter × 2-mm thick Pt sample could be heated to 1400 K within 1 min. Excellent programmable temperature control and long-term temperature stability are also demonstrated. Sample heating to 900 °C was performed with negligible increase in chamber pressure. The entire setup comprises components costing less than typical electron bombardment heaters.
Optimal power-law fluid flow in tree-like branching networks with self-similar and uniform roughness models
Authors: Fontana João V. , Garg Ashish
Published: January 2025

This study presents an analytical model for the flow of a power-law non-Newtonian fluid through a roughened tree-like branching network under volume and surface area constraints. We assume steady-state, axisymmetric, and laminar flow with non-slip boundary conditions along the network walls. We investigate and compare two different roughness models. In the first model, the roughness length scale is self-similar and aligns with the branching network pattern, while in the second model, the surface roughness length scale is uniform. We find that in the case of the self-similar roughness model, the effective conductance remains the same as that of the smooth network. However, in the case of the uniform roughness model, the effective conductance presents an overall decrease. We argue that the uniform roughness model is a more realistic one. Furthermore, the optimal effective conductance, Eopt, and the critical diameter ratio βc, are analyzed as functions of network geometry and fluid rheology. Under both volume and surface area constraints, increasing geometrical parameters such as the number of daughter branches and network generations, generally reduced Eopt, especially for shear-thickening fluids, while shear-thinning fluids were less affected. In macroscopic networks, where roughness is relatively small, the effect of roughness on Eopt is negligible; however, in microscopic networks, where roughness approaches the scale of the diameters of the smallest branches, it leads to pronounced conductance reduction. Furthermore, networks under surface area constraint show significantly lower Eopt values compared to volume-constrained systems. Moreover, we find that the uniform surface roughness model predicts scaling laws for optimal flow (at βc) that vary with all geometrical and rheological parameters. Finally, for macroscopic networks under the uniform roughness assumption, an approximation for βc was derived using linearization with respect to the roughness intensity parameter, and it was found to be in good agreement with the full model equations.
Establishment and application of a zebrafish model of Werner syndrome identifies sapanisertib as a potential antiaging drug
Authors: Ma Jianlong , Chen Yang , Song Jingmei , Ruan Qingfeng , Li Lianghui , Luo Lingfei
Published: January 2025

Aging is a complex process that affects multiple organs, and the discovery of a pharmacological approach to ameliorate aging is considered the Holy Grail of medicine. Here, we performed an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea forward genetic screening in zebrafish and identified an accelerated aging mutant named
meteor
(
met
), harboring a mutation in the
Werner syndrome RecQ
-
like helicase
(
wrn
) gene. Loss of
wrn
leads to a short lifespan and age-related characteristics in the intestine of zebrafish embryos, such as cellular senescence, genomic instability, and epigenetic alteration. Therefore, we conducted a screening of antiaging drugs using the
met
mutant and revealed that sapanisertib effectively ameliorated most of the aging phenotypes of the mutant. Mechanistically, the geroprotective effects of sapanisertib may be attributed to inhibition of mTORC1/2. Furthermore, sapanisertib also attenuated chronological aging in wild-type aged zebrafish and replicative-senescence in human foreskin fibroblasts. Taken together, our study introduces a unique and efficient model for large-scale antiaging drug screening in vertebrates and suggests sapanisertib as a potential therapeutic option for treating premature aging and promoting healthy aging.
Activation of the conserved Hippo kinases by inflammasome-triggered proteolytic cleavage controls programmed cell death in macrophages
Authors: Su Yu-Ting , Quagliato Sydney M. , St. Louis Brendyn M. , Abdelaziz Mohamed H. , He Yuan , Bondage Devanand , Lehman Stephanie S. , Lee Pei-Chung
Published: January 2025

The mammalian Hippo kinases, MST1 and MST2, regulate organ development and suppress tumor formation by balancing cell proliferation and death. In macrophages, inflammasomes detect molecular patterns from invading pathogens or damaged host cells and trigger programmed cell death. In addition to lytic pyroptosis, the signatures associated with apoptosis are induced by inflammasome activation, but how the inflammasomes coordinate different cell death processes remains unclear. Here, we identify the crucial role of MST1/2 in inflammasome-triggered cell death. Macrophages proteolytically convert full-length MST1/2 into the MST1/2 N-terminal fragments (MST1/2-NT) when the NLRC4 inflammasome detects flagellin from the pathogenic bacterium,
Legionella pneumophila
. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by the damage-associated molecular pattern, extracellular ATP, also produces MST1/2-NT. Caspase-1, the protease activated by these inflammasomes, directly cleaves MST1/2, and blockage of caspase-1 inhibits MST1/2-NT production in macrophages challenged with
L. pneumophila
. Importantly, MST1/2-NT production is critical for macrophages to trigger a set of death processes associated with apoptosis upon inflammasome activation and knocking out
Mst1/2
causes dysregulated gasdermin protein cleavage for pyroptotic death. Furthermore, macrophages lacking MST1/2 have increased susceptibility to virulent
L. pneumophila,
revealing that the Hippo kinases are important restriction factors against the pathogen. These findings demonstrate that proteolytic cleavage of MST1/2 induced by inflammatory stimuli is an immune pathway to regulate programmed cell death in macrophages and uncover a unique link between the tumor-suppressive Hippo kinases and the inflammasomes in innate immunity.
International comparison CCQM-P229 pilot study to measure line intensities of selected 12C16O transitions
Authors: Hodges J T , Bielska K , Birk M , Guo R , Li G , Lim J S , Lisak D , Reed Z D , Wagner G
Published: January 2025

Main text

We present primary spectroscopic measurements of line intensities in the 3-0 vibrational band of 12C16O. This international measurement campaign was organized under the auspices of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) and involved six laboratories carrying out independent measurements of more than forty rotation-vibration transitions. A total of three measurement techniques on samples of pure carbon monoxide were applied in this intercomparison, including Fourier transform spectroscopy, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, and cavity mode dispersion spectroscopy. Using advanced spectroscopic line shape models and thorough characterization of instrument response to analyze the measured spectra, artifact-free measurements of line intensities were obtained by each laboratory. Average intensities were weighted by the inverse of the combined variance determined from rigorous estimates of combined systematic and statistical uncertainties. Results for all lines from five of the laboratories were scattered about the weighted mean value by nominally one part per thousand. Comparison of the weighted integrated band intensity with quantum-chemical calculations differed by nominally one part per ten thousand, thus demonstrating excellent agreement between experiment and theory. These results serve as an experimental benchmark for assessing the uncertainty in theoretical calculations, and they reveal the benefits of coordinated experiments that leverage complementary and independent primary measurements from contributing laboratories.

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM.
A novel frequency attention mechanism for FEM-assisted bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Luo Shuyang , Liu Yinghao , Zhou Qi , Hu Jiexiang , Cao Longchao
Published: January 2025

Class imbalance remains a persistent challenge for intelligent fault diagnosis (IFD) algorithms in practical applications. Expanding imbalanced data sets using finite element model (FEM) data offers a promising solution. However, significant distributional discrepancies between FEM data and actual measured signals pose challenges for effective information fusion. In this study, we propose a novel FEM-assisted fault diagnosis paradigm to address the class imbalance issue by combining domain adversarial (DA) strategies with an adaptive fault frequency attention module (AFFAM). First, we apply the variational mode decomposition algorithm to partition the frequency spectrum, facilitating model optimization through the incorporation of prior knowledge, thus laying a foundation for subsequent multi-dimensional feature extraction. We then employ the proposed AFFAM to extract multi-dimensional features from the input, enabling the model to integrate information from different granularity levels and bridging the information gap between simulated and real-world data. Finally, data integration is achieved through a data analysis strategy. The DA-AFFAM framework is validated using a customized bearing test bench. Results indicate that the classification accuracy for multi-class imbalance problems reaches 92.88%, even with a class imbalance ratio of 200:1.
High-luminescence polymer/ceramic pressure-sensitive paint employing low-refractive-index silica nanoparticles
Authors: Okawa Masaki , Ikami Tsubasa , Yamagishi Yuma , Watanabe Kanako , Nagai Hiroki
Published: January 2025

Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) is an optical pressure-measurement technique that uses oxygen quenching. In unsteady PSP measurements, PSPs necessitate not only pressure sensitivity and response speed but also higher luminescence intensity. In this study, spherical silica nanoparticles are mixed into the paint to achieve a brighter luminescence. We prototype PSPs using particle size and mixing ratio as parameters and evaluate their performance. The results exhibit the luminescence intensity changes due to the low refractive index of silica; the smaller the particle size and the higher the particle ratio, the stronger the luminescence intensity. Silica-based PSPs are approximately 1.5 times brighter than titania-based PSP; which have frequently been used in previous studies. Additionally, a comprehensive performance investigation indicates that the silica-based PSP with the brightest formulation has a pressure sensitivity of 0.72 %/kPa with a response speed of 11.0 µs. These results prove that the higher luminescence is compatible with the high sensitivity and fast response using low-refractive index nanoparticles.
Scenario of a mildly stable transition from codimensional one Anosov diffeomorphism to a DA-diffeomorphism
Authors: Kruglov E V , Petrova Iu E , Pochinka O V
Published: January 2025

Smale proposed to modify the hyperbolic automorphism of the n-torus of codimension 1 in the neighbourhood of a fixed point by surgical operation to obtain the so-called DA-diffeomorphism. However, the corresponding arc of diffeomorphisms is not even mildly stable. The hypothesis of constructing a mildly stable arc between the Anosov diffeomorphism and the DA diffeomorphism was formulated by Newhouse et al. A detailed construction of such an arc is carried out in this paper.
Detection and correction of translational motion in SPECT with exponential data consistency conditions
Authors: Bui My Hoang Hoa , Robert Antoine , Etxebeste Ane , Rit Simon
Published: January 2025

Objective. Rigid patient motion can cause artifacts in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images, compromising the diagnosis and treatment planning. Exponential data consistency conditions (eDCCs) are mathematical equations describing the redundancy of exponential SPECT measurements. It has been recently shown that eDCCs can be used to detect patient motion in SPECT projections. This study aimed at developing a fully data-driven method based on eDCCs to estimate and correct for translational motion in SPECT. Approach. If all activity is encompassed inside a convex region K of constant attenuation, eDCCs can be derived from SPECT projections and can be used to verify the pairwise consistency of these projections. Our method assumes a single patient translation between two detector gantry positions. The proposed method estimates both the three-dimensional shift and the motion index, i.e. the index of the first gantry position after motion occurred. The estimation minimizes the eDCCs between the subset of projections before the motion index and the subset of motion-corrected projections after the motion index. Results. We evaluated the proposed method using Monte Carlo simulated and experimental data of a NEMA IEC phantom and simulated projections of a liver patient. The method’s robustness was assessed by applying various motion vectors and motion indices. Motion detection and correction with eDCCs were sensitive to movements above 3 mm. The accuracy of the estimation was below the 2.39 mm pixel spacing with good precision in all studied cases. The proposed method led to a significant improvement in the quality of reconstructed SPECT images. The activity recovery coefficient relative to the SPECT image without motion was above 90% on average over the six spheres of the NEMA IEC phantom and 97% for the liver patient. For example, for a

(
2
,
2
,
2
)

cm translation in the middle of the liver acquisition, the activity recovery coefficient was improved from 35% (non-corrected projections) to 99% (motion-corrected projections). Significance. The study proposed and demonstrated the good performance of translational motion detection and correction with eDCCs in SPECT acquisition data.
The effect of Rare Earth (RE) elements on corrosion and mechanical properties of Magnesium (Mg) alloys: a review
Authors: Wang XueYi , Liu WeiFeng , Dong Xiongbo , Li Na , Zheng Yongtao , Zhao Huan
Published: January 2025

Despite their many advantages, the widespread application of magnesium (Mg) alloys is hindered by their high corrosion rates and poor ductility and formability. One effective method for enhancing both the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties, such as ductility, of Mg alloys is through alloying with Rare Earth (RE) elements. These elements have recently garnered significant attention due to their beneficial properties, including an electrode potential similar to that of Mg and their capacity to refine grain size, which contributes to reduced corrosion rates and enhanced alloy strength. This paper explores the common forms of Mg corrosion and elucidates the mechanisms by which RE elements improve corrosion resistance and mechanical behavior in Mg-RE alloys. It also provides a detailed analysis of how each RE element alters the corrosion behavior of Mg-based alloys. By integrating RE elements, it is possible to control corrosion and improve mechanical properties through mechanisms like solid solution strengthening, grain refinement, and the formation and distribution of secondary phases.
A comparison of effective field theory models of redshift space galaxy power spectra for DESI 2024 and future surveys
Authors: Maus M. , Lai Y. , Noriega H.E. , Ramirez-Solano S. , Aviles A. , Chen S. , Fromenteau S. , Gil-Marín H. , Howlett C. , Vargas-Magaña M. , White M. , Zarrouk P. , Aguilar J. , Ahlen S. , Alves O. , Brieden S. , Brooks D. , Burtin E. , Claybaugh T. , Cole S. , Dawson K. , Icaza-Lizaola M. , de la Macorra A. , de Mattia A. , Doel P. , Ferraro S. , Findlay N. , Forero-Romero J.E. , Gaztañaga E. , Gontcho S.Gontcho A. , Hahn C. , Honscheid K. , Ishak M. , Kremin A. , Landriau M. , Le Guillou L. , Manera M. , Miquel R. , Mueller E. , Nadathur S. , Niz G. , Palanque-Delabrouille N. , Percival W.J. , Poppett C. , Prada F. , Rezaie M. , Rocher A. , Rossi G. , Sanchez E. , Schlegel D. , Schubnell M. , Sprayberry D. , Tarlé G. , Yuan S. , Zhao R. , Zhou R. , Zou H.
Published: January 2025

In preparation for the next generation of galaxy redshift surveys, and in particular the year-one data release from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), we investigate the consistency of a variety of effective field theory models that describe the galaxy-galaxy power spectra in redshift space into the quasi-linear regime using 1-loop perturbation theory. These models are employed in the pipelines velocileptors, PyBird, and Folpsν
. While these models have been validated independently, a detailed comparison with consistent choices has not been attempted. After briefly discussing the theoretical differences between the models we describe how to provide a more apples-to-apples comparison between them. We present the results of fitting mock spectra from the AbacusSummit suite of N-body simulations provided in three redshift bins to mimic the types of dark time tracers targeted by the DESI survey. We show that the theories behave similarly and give consistent constraints in both the forward-modeling and ShapeFit compressed fitting approaches. We additionally generate (noiseless) synthetic data from each pipeline to be fit by the others, varying the scale cuts in order to show that the models agree within the range of scales for which we expect 1-loop perturbation theory to be applicable. This work lays the foundation of Full-Shape analysis with DESI Y1 galaxy samples where in the tests we performed, we found no systematic error associated with the modeling of the galaxy redshift space power spectrum for this volume.
Validation of the DESI 2024 Lyman alpha forest BAL masking strategy
Authors: Martini P. , Cuceu A. , Ennesser L. , Brodzeller A. , Aguilar J. , Ahlen S. , Brooks D. , Claybaugh T. , de Belsunce R. , de la Macorra A. , Dey Arjun , Doel P. , Forero-Romero J.E. , Gaztañaga E. , Gontcho S.Gontcho A. , Guy J. , Herrera-Alcantar H.K. , Honscheid K. , Karaçaylı N.G. , Kisner T. , Kremin A. , Lambert A. , Le Guillou L. , Manera M. , Meisner A. , Miquel R. , Montero-Camacho P. , Moustakas J. , Niz G. , Palanque-Delabrouille N. , Percival W.J. , Pérez-Ràfols I. , Poppett C. , Prada F. , Ravoux C. , Rezaie M. , Rossi G. , Sanchez E. , Schlegel D. , Schubnell M. , Seo H. , Sprayberry D. , Tan T. , Tarlé G. , Walther M. , Weaver B.A. , Zou H.
Published: January 2025

Broad absorption line quasars (BALs) exhibit blueshifted absorption relative to a number
of their prominent broad emission features. These absorption features can contribute to quasar
redshift errors and add absorption to the Lyman-α (Lyα) forest that is unrelated to
large-scale structure. We present a detailed analysis of the impact of BALs on the Baryon Acoustic
Oscillation (BAO) results with the Lyα forest from the first year of data from the Dark Energy
Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The baseline strategy for the first year analysis is to mask all
pixels associated with all BAL absorption features that fall within the wavelength region used to
measure the forest. We explore a range of alternate masking strategies and demonstrate that these
changes have minimal impact on the BAO measurements with both DESI data and synthetic data. This
includes when we mask the BAL features associated with emission lines outside of the forest region
to minimize their contribution to redshift errors. We identify differences in the properties of
BALs in the synthetic datasets relative to the observational data, as well as use the synthetic
observations to characterize the completeness of the BAL identification algorithm, and demonstrate
that incompleteness and differences in the BALs between real and synthetic data also do not impact
the BAO results for the Lyα forest.
Detective quantum efficiency of a dual-energy photon-counting X-ray
detector with charge sharing compensation
Authors: Lee Junho , Yoo Seungjun , Oh Seokwon , Lim Chang Hwy , Park Jong-Won , Kim Ho Kyung
Published: January 2025

Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) are an attractive technology; they
provide multiple- or dual-energy (DE) images after a single X-ray
exposure. We evaluated the fundamental imaging performance of a CdTe-based
DE PCD embedded with an optional anticoincidence (AC) function that
aggregates the signals spread over neighboring pixels and casts this
sum to the pixel that represents the highest signal. Furthermore,
we compared the performance of this CdTe-based DE PCD with conventional
flat-panel detectors (FPDs) using the same X-ray spectrum (70 kV
and 21-mm aluminum filtration). The AC option improves the modulation-transfer
function of the PCD by suppressing the possible double counting induced
by a Cd or Te K-edge characteristic X-ray photon, which causes
a count in a pixel in the proximity of the photoelectric event. These
characteristic X-ray interactions correlate between low- and high-energy
images, resulting in a cross noise-power spectrum (NPS) whose magnitude
decreases with increasing spatial frequency. In contrast, the AC option
produces an uncorrelated NPS. The detective quantum efficiencies (DQEs)
of the DE PCD with AC-off and -on were identical, when the cross-NPS
was compensated for, to those for the images obtained by summing low-
and high-energy images. Furthermore, the DQE performance of the PCD
was not degraded upon lowering the air kerma levels and even dominated
that of the FPDs.
Characterization and simulation of AlGaN barrier structure effects in normally-off recessed gate AlGaN/GaN MISHEMTs
Authors: Liu An-Chen , Chen Hsin-Chu , Tu Po-Tsung , Chen Yan-Lin , Chen Yan-Chieh , Yeh Po-Chun , Wu Chih-I , Chang Shu-Tong , Kao Tsung-Sheng , Kuo Hao-Chung
Published: January 2025

The objective of this study is to optimize the trade-off between threshold voltage (VTH) and maximum drain current (ID,max) in recessed gate AlGaN/GaN metal insulator semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MISHEMT) using atomic layer etching (ALE) technology, with technical computer-aided design (TCAD) simulations assisting in the analysis of the underlying mechanisms to demonstrate the high performance and reliability of GaN-based power application. A normally-off recessed gate MISHEMT with varying AlGaN remaining thickness (2 nm, 3 nm, and 5 nm) was fabricated using the ALE process, ensuring precise etch depth and minimal surface damage. The device with a 5 nm AlGaN remaining thickness exhibited excellent performance, with an ID,max current of 347 mA mm−1, a VTH of +2.6 V, and a breakdown voltage (BV) of 830 V, compared to the AlGaN barrier with remaining thicknesses of 3 nm and 2 nm, which only reached 120 V and 75 V, respectively. The different recessed gate AlGaN remaining electric field distribution results were verified according to TCAD simulations. This is attributed to the hot electrons effect under the action of the high electric field to promote electrons to overcome potential energy barriers that are injected into a buffer, barrier, or insulating layers and trapped there, degrading off-state BV capability.
Effect of lithium slag on freeze-thaw resistance of concrete
Authors: Mao Yangming , Zhai Wenqiang , Qi Liangjie
Published: January 2025

In this study, the effect of adding lithium slag (LS) as a supplementary cementitious material on the freeze–thaw resistance of concrete is experimentally investigated. In addition, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscope techniques have been employed to explore the morphology of hydration products and pore structure in concretes with varying LS contents to support the findings obtained from the experiments. The findings demonstrate that incorporating LS into concrete enhances its freeze–thaw resistance properties. Specifically, the addition of 10 wt% LS improves concrete matrix denseness, reducing internal connectivity and water intrusion, thereby enhancing freeze–thaw resistance. However, excessive amounts of LS can increase porosity, deteriorate the microstructure, and adversely affect freeze–thaw resistance. The research results can provide a reference value for freeze–thaw resistance of concrete in severe cold regions.
Independence for Children
Authors: Clayton Matthew
Published: January 2025

Independence for Children presents an alternative conception of parenting to those that have dominated our thinking about children and the family to date. It offers an elaboration and defence of anti-perfectionist parenting. The central argument of the book is that, as they develop, children become entitled to adopt and pursue their own conceptions of religion and human well-being. As young children, they are entitled to an upbringing that is informed by ideals and reasons they can later accept in the light of the religious or ethical values they go on to hold as adults. In short, parents and others owe children an upbringing from which they are not alienated later in life.

Parental anti-perfectionism suggests that parents should introduce their children to the various and sometimes competing views about our place in the universe and human flourishing and raise them to be respectful of the diversity of lifestyles within society. But it also argues that parents have no right to steer their children towards particular religious doctrines or conceptions of human flourishing, and that religious schools ought to be phased out. The book addresses several questions in the philosophy of upbringing, such as how we ought to understand the interests of children, the moral claims of parents, and what constitutes a valuable family life. It finishes by briefly exploring the implications of anti-perfectionist morality for how parents ought to approach issues concerning work, consumption, gender, and diet.
The Sovereignty of Reason
Authors: Cureton Adam
Published: January 2025

This chapter continues discussing the book’s fourth main question: What are the laws of reason through which we govern ourselves? The fourth feature of the Sovereignty Conception of Reason (SCR) is that our power of reason constitutively includes a set of formal and substantive principles of reason and that one of the substantive laws is a fundamental principle of justifiability that says that mental acts of competent rational persons are required by reason if and because those mental acts or things suitably related to them could or would be rationally endorsed by a set of rational people on the basis of their interests of reason. The aim of this chapter is to continue exploring the partial principle of justifiability that is included in the SCR by considering three of its distinctive elements and how they reflect and connect the main features of the SCR. This principle assesses mental acts of all kinds, not just our choices. It ascribes to mental acts the general normative status of being required by reason, while leaving open whether this is in all cases a moral status. And it interprets justifiability to persons in terms of their interests of reason, not their natural desires or independently existing values or reasons. The chapter them summarizes the SCR as a conception of autonomy or rational self-governance and suggests that it stands a decent chance at explaining a wide variety of ordinary ways of thinking and speaking about reason.
Introduction to Part II
Authors: Cureton Adam
Published: January 2025

This chapter introduces the second part of the book. The aims of Part II are to illustrate some practical implications of the Sovereignty Conception of Reason (SCR) in two related ways. It explores many substantive interests of reason that we have simply because we have the power of reason. It also considers some specific requirements of reason that follow from these substantive interests in combination with the Sovereignty Conception’s Partial Principle of Justifiability (SCR-PPJ). The substantive interests of reason and specific requirements they favor help us to interpret the main features of the SCR. They also suggest that, with further development, the SCR has significant potential to fit well with reflective common sense and ordinary language about the nature of a rational and reasonable person and what reason requires of us. This introductory chapter provides some background and context for the chapters of this part that follow. The chapter discusses the two main aims of Part II, describes the approach to addressing them as well as some of its limits, and characterizes the general argumentative strategy for moving from substantive interests of reason through the Sovereignty Conception of Reason’s Partial Principle of Justifiability to specific requirements of reason. The substantive final interests of reason and corresponding rational requirements that will be explored in Part II concern explanation, unity, specificity, harmony, knowledge, avoiding error, enlightenment, rational nature itself, several kinds of freedom, happiness, natural perfection, respect and expressions of respect, and friendship, community, and other forms of solidarity.
Explanation, Unity, Specificity, Affinity, and Harmony
Authors: Cureton Adam
Published: January 2025

As rational and reasonable people, we necessarily care about explanation, unity, specificity, affinity, and harmony for their own sake. We want explanations and cannot rest content with appeals to fate, luck, or “just-so” stories. We want systematicity and are unsatisfied with outliers, overgeneralizations, gaps, and heterogeneity. We want harmony and are disturbed by conflict and dissonance. Part of being a rational and reasonable person is to have innate and final drives to ask “why” questions about everything, to organize all things into systems, and to resolve any conflicts among them. This chapter explores these substantive final interests of reason by drawing on themes in Kant’s work and on reflective common sense. It also considers some presumptive laws of reason that are justifiable to rational persons on the basis of our interests of reason in explanation, unity, specificity, affinity, and harmony. As rational people with these interests of reason, we could or would support laws that presumptively require us to reflect and investigate in various ways, to make certain assumptions, to develop a systematically unified conception of happiness, to resolve disagreements among people, and to cooperate with them. Lying and intimidation tend to undermine these interests, for example the use of fear to discourage people from raising or pursuing “why” questions about religious matters. Our interests of reason in explanation, systematic unity, and harmony also favor presumptive laws that concern freedom of communication and thought, educating children, and affording people opportunities for careful reflection.
Freedoms
Authors: Cureton Adam
Published: January 2025

Our power of reason includes substantive final interests in promoting and protecting five distinct kinds of freedom that relate to our power of choice. We have interests of reason in preserving and protecting our ability to make choices, to choose without hindrance from our desires, feelings, and other incentives, to choose on the basis of a complete, accurate, and unified understanding of ourselves and our situation, to act in the ways we choose to act by choosing to do them, and to choose according to our own character. The aim of this chapter is to explore these five kinds of freedom that relate to our power of choice, to examine corresponding interests of reason we have in promoting and protecting these freedoms in everyone, and to explore some presumptive laws of reason favored by these interests. Each type of freedom, despite appearances, is compatible with our negative freedom to make choices without being caused or determined to do so. The interests of reason we have in promoting these freedoms support presumptive laws that fit well with ordinary ideas about the importance of promoting and protecting the freedom of everyone. Rational human persons who care about these freedoms in themselves and others could or would endorse laws of reason that presumptively prohibit various kinds of coercion, violence, deception, and manipulation, as well as ones that presumptively require us to break any habits we have, to exercise self-control, to choose for ourselves, and to develop and maintain our own character.
Thermophysical properties
Authors: Leachman Jacob W , Wilhelmsen Øivind , Matveev Konstantin I
Published: January 2025

This chapter starts with discussing the inter- and intra-molecular interactions of the two spin isomers of hydrogen, ortho- and parahydrogen, and how statistical mechanics can be used to derive thermodynamic properties. Next, it is shown how thermodynamic properties can be calculated using equations of state (EoS). Three types of EoS are discussed: quantum cubic, statistical associating fluid theory for variable quantum-corrected Mie potential (SAFT-VRQ Mie), and multiparameter. Situations are presented where different types of EoS are preferred. A brief discussion is provided on how to estimate transport properties of hydrogen, such as viscosity, thermal conductivity, and diffusion coefficients. Quantum-corrected density functional theory methods are demonstrated for predicting surface tensions of hydrogen and mixtures with good accuracy. Finally, the properties of solid hydrogen are discussed.
Para—orthohydrogen conversion
Authors: Leachman Jacob W , Wilhelmsen Øivind , Matveev Konstantin I
Published: January 2025

This chapter covers interconversion between ortho- and parahydrogen and sensing compositions. Parahydrogen is the populous form below 77 K and orthohydrogen is more prevalent at higher temperatures. Ortho–parahydrogen conversion has the largest energy per mass of any material phase change at cryogenic temperatures and occurs whenever hydrogen is not at the equilibrium composition for a given temperature. Isotopic—also known as natural or self—conversion is presented first, followed by non-isotopic—also known as catalyzed—conversion. Fundamentals of catalyzed converter design are discussed next. The chapter concludes with an overview of relative and absolute sensing techniques for measuring and verifying ortho–parahydrogen compositions.
2781 Improving MDT efficiency and staff satisfaction in frailty unit
Authors: Ekwegh U
Published: January 2025

Introduction

As part of a larger quality improvement project focused on improving the management of older people living with frailty attending the Manchester Royal Infirmary, a Frailty Same Day Emergency Care Unit (Frailty SDEC) was established. This would require the merging of three teams: the Front Door Frailty team, the Acute Therapy team and an established Nursing team on the allocated ward area. It became apparent that an intervention was required to improve team-working and efficiency among these clinicians who had never all worked together in the same space before.

Methods

Board Rounds are well established elsewhere in the hospital and are recommended by the Royal College of Physicians’ Principles for Best Practice. We therefore tested, through four Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, the approach to Multidisciplinary team (MDT) board rounds that would facilitate teamwork and efficiency in the team.

Results

Our main outcome measure was staff satisfaction. There is evidence that increased staff satisfaction improves patient outcomes; this is therefore an important metric. Furthermore, there would be other confounders on efficiency such that time to discharge would not have been an accurate measure of the impact of good board rounds. We therefore surveyed the MDT after 6 months of working through the PDSA cycles to compare the current practice with what had been the status quo at the start of the year. The overwhelming response (both quantitative and qualitative) was increased satisfaction with how the team was working together to improve patient care.

Conclusion

When setting up a new service, early attention must be given to how to ensure that newly created teams have their own personalised approach to collaborative MDT working, by establishing a Board Round culture that works for that team.
2831 Improving delirium assessment in the elderly; a systematic approach using 4AT as a screening tool for delirium
Authors: Jayakumar G , Abdulaziz M , Salem A
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Delirium, characterised by disturbances in attention and consciousness, is common in individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, particularly the elderly, but can affect people of any age. It can lead to significant morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospital stays, increased healthcare costs, and long-term cognitive decline. Despite its impact, delirium is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, underscoring the need for better diagnostic strategies. The 4AT tool, recognised by NICE, is valued for its rapid delirium assessment, unlike the AMT-10, which is more suited for chronic cognitive disorders.

Objective

This study was conducted to assess the usage of the 4-AT tool in the assessment of delirium to aid in the early detection of delirium in the elderly population.

Method

The retrospective review of medical records over six months was conducted and divided into two cycles to evaluate delirium assessment using the 4AT. Initially, data from 59 patients 49 at FPH and 10 at WPH established a baseline of 4-AT usage across the trust. Post-intervention, 60 patient records were reviewed to reassess 4AT usage.

Interventions included

Results

Before the intervention, only 6.8% of patients were assessed using the 4AT tool, 55.9% with the AMT, and 37.2% without assessment. Post-intervention, the overall assessment rate rose to 62.7%, significantly increasing 4AT usage. Among 28 delirium-diagnosed patients, only 14.3% were screened with the 4AT, indicating room for further improvement.

Discussion and Conclusion

The increased use of the 4AT tool post-intervention highlights the effectiveness of educational initiatives in improving delirium screening. Early detection through the 4AT facilitates timely interventions and better patient outcomes. However, the small sample size and underutilisation among diagnosed patients suggest the need for ongoing efforts to improve its usage.
2666 End of life in care homes: what are the common prescribing patterns for residents in their last phase of life?
Authors: Reddick C , Paris HJ
Published: January 2025

Introduction

End-of-life (EOL) care in care homes includes patients experiencing ‘ordinary dying’ from dementia or frailty, alongside those with chronic diseases and cancer. Recognising non-specific decline is complex. The One Weston Care Home Hub (CHH) implements comprehensive EOL care, achieving 95% of deaths in the preferred place and prioritising a ‘good death’. Whilst ‘Just in Case’ (JIC) injectable medications are commonly prescribed, a broader understanding of prescribing patterns is useful for learning about medicines waste and recognition of dying. This study investigates the prevalence of common prescriptions and explores the need to re-evaluate anticipatory medications for care home residents.

Method

A qualitative audit evaluated EOL care prescribing practices in 100 care home deaths by examining medication management in patient notes. Data were collected retrospectively on parameters including the completion of palliative drug charts, issuing JIC medications, and the timeline from prescribing JIC medications to death. Information on medications administered within the last two weeks of life and the cause of death was also recorded.

Results

34% received no additional medications. Antibiotics were the most commonly issued medications; 31% patients received them, half in liquid form. Other prescriptions included oral or topical analgesia (21%), laxatives (9%), benzodiazepines (8%), and oral steroids (5%). Liquid preparations comprised half of the issued medications. 74% of patients had JIC medications issued a median of 23 days before death (range: 1–1244 days).

Discussion

The use of antibiotics in this cohort is complex: are they prescribed for successful treatment, or could braver decisions be made not to prescribe when recovery chances are limited? Injectable JIC medications are a timely proxy for recognising the terminal phase, but 26% of patients who died did not have these in place. Further study is required to determine if they were indeed not needed and how many of those prescribed were used.
2889 Pain control in musculoskeletal injuries of the elderly
Authors: Urrehman H , Elamurugan M , Maseko A , Abbott C
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are a common factor in acute presentations to the emergency department (ED). Effective pain management is crucial for patient comfort and recovery, yet pain control for MSK injuries admitted under the medical team often falls short of optimal standards. This quality improvement project aims to evaluate and enhance the prescription practices for pain relief in elderly patients with MSK injuries at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital (WMH) ED.

Methods

A two-cycle project was completed in which patients with MSK injuries were identified and reviewed regarding any pain relief they may have been prescribed (regular or PRN). Following cycle 1, interventions were put in place and prescribing practices were reassessed with a second cycle. Inclusion criteria: >60 years of age with MSK injury described in notes. Each cycle of data collection lasted a week, with a sample size of 17 and 14 patients respectively.

Results

Cycle 1 No pain relief- 33% PRN Only- 6% Regular Only- 50% Both- 11% A significant number of patients were not receiving adequate pain relief, highlighting the need for improved pain management protocols. Interventions- Educational posters were displayed around the emergency department and the frailty hub, and a presentation was given to the frailty team. Cycle 2 (post intervention) No pain relief- 14% PRN Only- 29% Regular Only- 21% Both- 36% Post-intervention results showed a marked improvement in pain management, with fewer patients receiving no pain relief and an increase in the combined use of PRN and regular pain relief.

Conclusion

The quality improvement project highlights the necessity for targeted interventions to enhance pain management for elderly patients with MSK injuries in the ED. Preliminary results suggest that increased awareness and education among medical staff can potentially improve pain relief prescription rates.