bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative AI models for clinical decision-making: predicting blastocyst formation and quality from time-lapse embryo images up to embryonic day 3
Authors: Yanai Akihiro , Horie Akihito , Sakurai Azusa , Imakita Sachi , Nakamura Mitsuhiro , Ikeda Asami , Shitanaka Shimpei , Ohara Tsutomu , Nakakita Baku , Ueda Akihiko , Kitawaki Yoshimi , Sagae Yusuke , Okunomiya Asuka , Mandai Masaki
Published: February 2025

Accurate embryo assessment on embryonic day 3 of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is crucial for deciding whether to continue the culture until day 5 (blastocyst stage) or opt for earlier transfer or cryopreservation. Prolonged culture often improves pregnancy outcomes in patients with multiple high-quality embryos, but may offer limited benefits for older patients or those with few available embryos. To address this clinical challenge, analyzing embryo quality in early stages by artificial intelligence (AI) can be useful. We retrospectively analyzed images of 7,111 two-pronuclear embryos (Veeck grade ≤3) using four different time-lapse incubators.
 We fine-tuned ImageNet-1k-pretrained NASNet-A Large to automatically classify each time-lapse image into 17 morphological categories, including cell stages and Veeck grades 1-3. This model achieved 95% cell-stage accuracy on the test set. We combined these annotations with age at egg retrieval in a gradient boosting framework (XGBoost) to predict blastocyst formation, good blastocysts, and poor blastocyst + arrested embryos (PBAE). The ROC AUCs were 0.87, 0.88, and 0.87 for blastocyst formation, good blastocysts, and PBAE, respectively, indicating good predictive performance for day 3 embryo assessment. Notably, the PBAE model reached a precision-recall AUC of 0.90, accurately identifying embryos unlikely to benefit from extended culture.
 This revolutionary AI prediction model could ensure transparency and addresses the "black box" limitation often associated with AI. By integrating a high-accuracy auto-annotation pipeline with interpretable AI (via SHapley Additive exPlanations), our device-independent approach supports appropriate embryo-specific decisions, potentially reducing unnecessary culture, optimizing workflows, and improving clinical outcomes in ART.
Genomic Insights into the Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Zoonotic Potential ofCampylobacter fetusAcross Diverse Hosts and Geographies
Authors: Paintsil Ellis Kobina , Adu-Asiamah Cynthia Kyerewaa , Boahen Kennedy Gyau , Akenten Charity Wiafe , Kwarteng Alexander , Berg Stefan , Obiri-Danso Kwasi , May Jürgen , Dekker Denise , Ofori Linda Aurelia
Published: February 2025

Background

Campylobacter fetuscauses reproductive diseases in livestock and zoonotic infections in humans, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Despite its significance, its genomic characteristics are poorly understood. This study analyzed 114 publicly availableC. fetusgenomes to provide global insights into its genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns, and zoonotic risk.

Results

A total of 32 distinct sequence types (STs), ranging from ST-1 to ST-74, were identified across 111 of the 114C. fetusgenomes, spanning six continents and diverse hosts (cattle, humans, sheep, and reptiles). ST-4 was the most prevalent (n = 45), followed by ST-3 (n = 8). A significant proportion (90.9%; n/N=40/44) ofC. fetussubsp.venerealis(Cfv) and its biovar intermedius (Cfvi) were assigned to ST-4. Despite being isolated from five continents, Cfv and Cfvi genomes clustered closely, forming distinct branches at the biovar level; however, six Cfv genomes were located within Cfvi clades, suggesting a shared evolutionary lineage. In contrast,C. fetussubsp.testudinum(Cft) genomes, exhibiting 20 distinct STs, formed distinct clades from Cfv, Cfvi, andC. fetussubsp.fetus(Cff). While Cfv genomes from North America and Cfvi genomes from South America formed distinct geographic clusters, Cff genomes displayed no clear geographical patterns, with branches containing strains from multiple continents, indicating a globally dispersed distribution. Pangenomic analysis revealed pronounced clustering within Cft, characterized by unique gene presence/absence patterns. Five distinct AMR genes were detected, withtet(O)(n = 3) being the most common. Horizontal gene transfer analysis identified 140 genomic islands across 41 genomes, and virulence factor analysis revealedcheYas the sole conserved virulence gene across 35 genomes.

Conclusion

These findings provide critical insights into the genomic diversity, zoonotic potential, and global distribution ofC. fetus, emphasizing the need for integrated genomic and epidemiological strategies to assess its impact on human and animal health.
Behavioural separation of face memory and face perception
Authors: Kadlec Jan , Walsh Catherine R. , Wilf Meytal , Rissman Jesse , Ramot Michal
Published: February 2025

A long-standing debate in neuropsychology concerns whether perception and memory function as independent systems or interact to support cognition. To investigate this, we developed the Face Memory and Perception (FMP) task, a novel paradigm designed to systematically disentangle whether and how these processes interact under different conditions. Across four independent datasets with over 800 participants in total, we observed consistent evidence that face perception and working memory operate independently when task demands are low, but in more complex conditions, these processes appear to interact. Notably, this interaction emerged only when the interference directly involved face-processing mechanisms, and did not arise from a general increase in cognitive load. Rather than the use of shared resources by overlapping cognitive processes, this interaction was driven by a shift in behavioural strategy from holistic to feature-based face processing as a result of maintenance-disrupting interference. These results underscore the fundamental independence of perception and working memory while also explaining some of the conditions under which interactions might be observed.
Immunological and Antigenic Signatures Associated with Chronic Illnesses after COVID-19 Vaccination
Authors: Bhattacharjee Bornali , Lu Peiwen , Monteiro Valter Silva , Tabachnikova Alexandra , Wang Kexin , Hooper William B. , Bastos Victoria , Greene Kerrie , Sawano Mitsuaki , Guirgis Christian , Tzeng Tiffany J. , Warner Frederick , Baevova Pavlina , Kamath Kathy , Reifert Jack , Hertz Danice , Dressen Brianne , Tabacof Laura , Wood Jamie , Cooke Lily , Doerstling Mackenzie , Nolasco Shadan , Ahmed Amer , Proal Amy , Putrino David , Guan Leying , Krumholz Harlan , Iwasaki Akiko
Published: February 2025

COVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of COVID-19 deaths. Yet, a small fraction of the population reports a chronic debilitating condition after COVID-19 vaccination, often referred to as post- vaccination syndrome (PVS). To explore potential pathobiological features associated with PVS, we conducted a decentralized, cross-sectional study involving 42 PVS participants and 22 healthy controls enrolled in the Yale LISTEN study. Compared with controls, PVS participants exhibited differences in immune profiles, including reduced circulating memory and effector CD4 T cells (type 1 and type 2) and an increase in TNFα+ CD8 T cells. PVS participants also had lower anti-spike antibody titers, primarily due to fewer vaccine doses. Serological evidence of recent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation was observed more frequently in PVS participants. Further, individuals with PVS exhibited elevated levels of circulating spike protein compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal potential immune differences in individuals with PVS that merit further investigation to better understand this condition and inform future research into diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
Explainable machine learning for health disparities: type 2 diabetes in theAll of Usresearch program
Authors: Kambara Manoj S. , Chukka Onyinye , Choi Kathryn J. , Tsenum Joseph , Gupta Sonali , English Nolan J. , Jordan I. King , Mariño-Ramírez Leonardo
Published: February 2025

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality and a disproportionate impact on minority groups. Machine learning (ML) is increasingly used to characterize T2D risk factors; however, it has not been used to study T2D health disparities. Our objective was to use explainable ML methods to discover and characterize T2D health disparity risk factors. We applied SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), a new class of explainable ML methods that provide interpretability to ML classifiers, to this end. ML classifiers were used to model T2D risk within and between self-identified race and ethnicity (SIRE) groups, and SHAP values were calculated to quantify the effect of T2D risk factors. We then stratified SHAP values by SIRE to quantify the effect of T2D risk factors on prevalence differences between groups. We found that ML classifiers (random forest, lightGBM, and XGBoost) accurately modeled T2D risk and recaptured the observed prevalence differences between SIRE groups. SHAP analysis showed the top seven most important T2D risk factors for all SIRE groups were the same, with the order of importance for features differing between groups. SHAP values stratified by SIRE showed that income, waist circumference, and education best explain the higher prevalence of T2D in the Black or African American group, compared to the White group, whereas income, education and triglycerides best explain the higher prevalence of T2D in the Hispanic or Latino group. This study demonstrates that explainable ML can be used to elucidate health disparity risk factors and quantify their group-specific effects.

Author Summary

While machine learning (ML) methods hold great promise for epidemiological studies, their practical utility is limited by interpretability. Increasingly complex ML models are great at predicting disease risk, but how they arrive at a given prediction is often obscured by model complexity. Explainable ML is an emerging discipline that seeks to render ML models more transparent by elucidating how and why input features contribute to output predictions. This study reports a novel application of explainable ML to epidemiology, focusing on type 2 diabetes (T2D) as a paradigm of health disparities. We found that ML classifiers were able to accurately model T2D disparities, for a large cohort of Black, Hispanic, and White Americans, and explainable ML revealed which risk factors contributed to the observed disparities and how. The results demonstrate that explainable ML can be a powerful tool for the discovery and characterization of health disparity risk factors.
Microglia regulate neuronal activity via structural remodeling of astrocytes
Authors: Gu Ning , Makashova Olena , Laporte Celeste , Chen Chris Q. , Li Banruo , Chevillard Pierre-Marie , Lean Graham , Yang Jieyi , Wong Calvin , Fan Jonathan , Sharif Behrang , Saud Susana Puche , Hubacek Misha , Choe Katrina Y. , Khoutorsky Arkady , Bourque Charles W. , Prager-Khoutorsky Masha
Published: February 2025

Neuron-glia interactions play a central role in regulating synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. Structural plasticity of astrocytes is associated with numerous physiological and pathological conditions, however, the mechanism underlying this process remains unknown. To examine the basis for structural astrocyte plasticity, we used the classic example of the loss of astrocytic processes that takes place in the hypothalamic magnocellular system during chronic high-salt intake. We discovered that a high-salt diet triggers a local accumulation of reactive microglia around vasopressin-secreting neurons, but not in other brain areas. Microglia phagocytose astrocytic processes, reducing astrocytic coverage of vasopressin neurons. The pruning of astrocytic processes impairs synaptic glutamate clearance, enabling activation of extrasynaptic glutamate NMDA receptors and increasing the activity of vasopressin neurons. Inhibiting microglia-mediated astrocyte pruning attenuates the increased neuronal activity and vasopressin-dependent hypertensive phenotype of rats fed high-salt diet. Thus, microglia orchestrate neuron-glia interactions and regulate neuronal activity through astrocyte pruning.
Glutamate and early functional NMDA Receptors promote axonal elongation modulating both actin cytoskeleton dynamics and H2O2production dependent on Rac1 activity
Authors: Muñoz-Palma Ernesto , Wilson Carlos , Hidalgo Cecilia , González-Billault Christian
Published: February 2025

NMDA Receptors (NMDARs) have essential functions in the nervous system, including neuronal maturation, neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Following membrane depolarization and glutamate activation, NMDARs mediate Ca2+influx into neurons, activating Ca2+signaling cascades with key roles in neuronal function. However, no studies have been reported on the roles of glutamate and NMDARs during early neuronal development. Although NMDARs classically act at the postsynaptic membrane, the present results indicate that neurons express functional NMDARs during polarity acquisition and localize them in the axonal compartment early in development; at this stage, cultured neurons spontaneously release glutamate. In addition, pharmacological and genetic experiments for NMDARs loss- and gain-of-function modulated neuronal polarization and axonal elongation antagonistically. An intracellular mechanism involving Ca2+release from the endoplasmic reticulum, activation of the Rho GTPase Rac1, and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements at the axonal growth cone couples these morphological changes. Moreover, NMDAR activity regulates the physiological intracellular production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via a Rac1/NADPH oxidase complex to support neuronal development. Optogenetic Rac1 activation simultaneously promoted lamellipodia formation and H2O2production suggesting functional coupling between these seemingly unconnected events. The mechanism presented here involves a dual function for the Rac1 protein that depends on glutamate and NMDAR activity. Based on these findings, we suggest that early physiological and spontaneous glutamate release activates NMDARs to promote early neuronal development before synapse formation, indicating that glutamate is necessary for neurotransmission, early neuronal development, and axonal growth.
Convergent and selective representations of pain, appetitive processes, aversive processes, and cognitive control in the insula
Authors: Kwon Mijin , Bo Ke , Botvinik-Nezer Rotem , Kragel Philip A. , Van Oudenhove Lukas , Wager Tor D. ,   The Affective Neuroimaging Consortium
Published: February 2025

Regions that respond to multiple types of information (“convergence zones”) are crucial for the brain to generate coherent experiences and behaviors. The insular cortex, known for its functional diversity, has been hypothesized to be a key convergence hub, yet empirical evidence identifying how and where convergence occurs is incomplete. To address this gap, we analyzed functional convergence across four key task domains—somatic pain, non-somatic appetitive processes, aversive processes, and cognitive control—in a large-scale Bayesian mega-analysis of fMRI data (N=540, systematically sampled from 36 studies). Bayes Factor analyses identified both convergent zones responding to multiple domains and selective zones responding to single domains. Results revealed a hierarchical convergence architecture, with a multi-domain convergence zone in bilateral dorsal anterior insula surrounded by zones showing progressively increasing convergence. Functional decoding and coactivation analyses further support the insula’s role as a convergence hub, while cytoarchitectonic and neurotransmitter profiling characterizes the potential neuroanatomical underpinnings subserving convergent and domain-selective function. Overall, our results demonstrate a structured functional topography in the insula that bridges specialized and convergent processing, providing a potential neural basis for how diverse information streams combine into unified subjective experiences.
The architecture, assembly, and evolution of a complex flagellar motor
Authors: Feng Xueyin , Tachiyama Shoichi , He Jing , Zhu Siqi , Zhao Hang , Botting Jack M. , Liu Yanran , Chen Yuanyuan , Hua Canfeng , Lara-Tejero María , Baker Matthew A. B. , Gao Xiang , Liu Jun , Gao Beile
Published: February 2025

Bacterial flagella drive motility in many species, likely including the last bacterial common ancestor1,2. Knowledge of flagellar assembly and function has mainly come from studies ofEscherichia coliandSalmonella enterica, which have simple flagellar motors3–7. However, most flagellated bacteria possess complex motors with unique, species-specific adaptations whose mechanisms and evolution remain largely unexplored8–10. Here, we deploy a multidisciplinary approach to build a near-complete model of the flagellar motor inCampylobacter jejuni, revealing its remarkable complexity in architecture and composition. We identify an E-ring around the MS-ring, a periplasmic cage with two distinctive conformations, and an intricate interaction network between the E-ring and cage. These scaffolds play critical roles in stabilizing and regulating 17 torque-generating stator complexes for optimal motility. In-depth evolutionary analyses uncover the ancient origin and prevalence of the E-ring in flagellated species of the domainBacteriaas well as a unique exaptation of type IV pili components PilMNOPQF in the ancestral motor of the phylumCampylobacterota. Collectively, our studies reveal novel mechanisms of assembly and function in complex flagellar motors and shed light on the evolution of flagella and modern bacterial species.
Phase transitions in the spin-
12
Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the dimerized diamond lattice
Authors: Bärwolf Ronja , Sushchyev Alexander , Parisen Toldin Francesco , Wessel Stefan
Published: February 2025

Using a combination of unbiased quantum Monte Carlo simulations and a decoupled dimer mean-field theory, we investigate the thermal and quantum phase transitions of the spin-12 Heisenberg model on the dimerized diamond lattice. We find that at sufficiently strong dimerization the system exhibits a quantum disordered ground state, in contrast to the antiferromagnetic phase stabilized at weak dimerization. We determine the quantum critical point and examine the thermodynamic responses in both regimes. The ratio for the critical interdimer (Jc) to intradimer (JD) coupling is obtained as Jc/JD=0.3615(5). Our results show that the decoupled dimer mean-field theory well captures the competition between the local singlet formation and the antiferromagnetic ordering tendency, and thus provides an appropriate qualitative description of this three-dimensional quantum magnet, in contrast to the conventional mean-field decoupling. We also examine the differences in the ordering temperatures between the antiferromagnetic and the ferromagnetic spin-12 Heisenberg model on the diamond lattice based on quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
NLO EW corrections to tau pair production via photon fusion in Pb-Pb ultraperipheral collisions
Authors: Jiang Jun , Lu Peng-Cheng , Si Zong-Guo , Zhang Han , Zhang Xin-Yi
Published: February 2025

We study the next-to-leading order (NLO) electroweak (EW) corrections to the γγ→τ+τ− process in a Pb-Pb ultraperipheral collision (UPC). We find that the EW correction δσEW decreases the total cross section σNLO=σLO+δσEW by −3% at Pb-Pb center-of-mass energy sNN=5.02  TeV. The weak correction plays a significant role whose contribution is about–4 times that of QED. The CMS and ATLAS Collaborations use the reaction γγ→τ+τ− in Pb-Pb and proton-proton UPCs to constrain tau’s anomalous magnetic moment aτ. By parametrizing the γττ vertex with two form factors F1,2, the cross section can be written as σaτ=σLO+δσaτ, where δσaτ is proportional to aτ. The impact of NLO EW corrections on aτ bounds in a Pb-Pb UPC is limited, as the current experimental bounds are loose. We also find that various differential distributions of the two ratios dσNLO/dσLO and dσaτ/dσLO have different line shapes. This work is significant to precisely study the interaction of γττ via the γγ→τ+τ− process.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
How social network structure impacts the ability of zealots to promote weak opinions
Authors: Tunstall Thomas
Published: February 2025

Social networks are often permeated by agents who promote their opinions without allowing for their own mind to be changed. Understanding how these so-called "zealots" act to increase the prevalence of their promoted opinion over the network is important for understanding opinion dynamics. In this work, we consider these promoted opinions to be "weak" and therefore less likely to be accepted relative to the default opinion in the network. We show how the proportion of zealots in the network, the relative strength of the weak opinion, and the structure of the network impact the long-term proportion of those in the network who subscribe to the weak opinion.

Published by the American Physical Society
2025
Compact laser-driven plasma X-ray source for time-resolved diffraction, spectroscopy and imaging experiments at ELI Beamlines
Authors: Pulnova Y. , Parkman T. , Angelov B. , Baranova I. , Zymaková A. , Cipiccia S. , Fardin L. , Yorke B. A. , Antipenkov R. , Peceli D. , Hort O. , Mai D.-D. , Andreasson J. , Nejdl J.
Published: February 2025

In this work, experimentally measured characteristics of a kilohertz laser-driven Cu plasma X-ray source that was recently commissioned at the ELI Beamlines facility are reported. The source can be driven either by an in-house developed high-contrast sub-20 fs near-infrared terawatt laser based on optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification technology or by a more conventional Ti:sapphire laser delivering 12 mJ and 45 fs pulses. The X-ray source parameters obtained with the two driving lasers are compared. A measured photon flux of the order up to 1012 Kα photons s−1 (4π)−1 is reported. Furthermore, experimental platforms for ultrafast X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy based on the reported source are described.
Investigation on the factors influencing the continuation intention to use digital wallet in the rural parts of India using extended UTAUT2
Authors: Lakshmanan Kiruthikasri , Shanmugavel Nagarajan
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study aims to identify the significant factors that influence the continuation intention (CI) to use a digital wallet in the regions with low technology infrastructure and among the consumers possessing low levels of digital and financial literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the study were collected from the rural parts of South India with 295 digital wallet users. Co-variance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) (CB-SEM) using maximum likelihood estimation method and Bayesian SEM (BSEM) approaches were executed to test the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable and to ensure the validation of the proposed hypothetical model.

Findings

The results showed that trust, incentives, technology satisfaction (TS), facilitating condition, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, habit and hedonic motivation significantly influenced the CI to use a digital wallet. In addition, incentives positively impact habit for the CI to use a digital wallet.

Research limitations/implications

The present study is based on the samples from the regions with low technology infrastructure and among the consumers possessing low levels of digital and financial literacy in the rural parts of South India, which limits the generalisation of results.

Practical implications

The results provide impetus to the government, digital wallet marketers and users regarding how the CI to use a digital wallet can be encouraged among the low-adoption regions.

Originality/value

This study remains unique as the assessment of CI to use a digital wallet was conducted in low-adoption regions (rural parts of India) in extending Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 with TS. A comparison of results arrived from CB-SEM with those of the BSEM ensures that the validation of the hypothetical model is found to be another major methodological contribution towards the consumer behaviour literature.
The role of perceived value in shaping consumer intentions: a longitudinal study on green agricultural foods
Authors: Chen Yen-Cheng , Tsui Pei-Ling , Lan Bo-Kai , Lee Ching-Sung , Chiang Ming-Chen , Tsai Mei-Yi , Lin Yi-Hua
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This study examines the temporal dynamics of consumer attitudes, perceived value and purchase intentions toward green agricultural foods, addressing critical gaps in the literature on sustainable consumption behaviours. It emphasises the mediating role of perceived value and its evolution over time, offering insights into consumer decision-making processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal design was adopted, collecting data through structured questionnaires from primary household food purchasers in northern Taiwan at baseline, three months and six months. Analytical techniques, including multiple regression, mediation analysis and repeated measures ANOVA, were employed to examine relationships and track changes over time.

Findings

The results reveal that consumer attitudes positively influence perceived value, which fully mediates the relationship with purchase intentions. Temporal analysis indicates significant increases in perceived value and purchase intentions over six months, demonstrating that sustained exposure to green agricultural foods reinforces consumer commitment and pro-environmental behaviours. Attitudes alone do not directly predict purchase intentions without the mediation of perceived value, highlighting the critical role of perceived benefits in driving long-term sustainable consumption.

Practical implications

This study provides actionable insights for enhancing the perceived value of green agricultural foods. Businesses should prioritise health and environmental benefits, while policymakers can design campaigns and incentives to promote sustainable dietary habits, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 12.

Originality/value

By exploring the mediating role of perceived value in transforming positive consumer attitudes into purchase intentions, this study highlights how perceived value, shaped by health and environmental benefits, drives consumer behaviour. These findings contribute valuable insights for enhancing market appeal and supporting sustainable food marketing strategies.
Logistic-Grey-Markov prediction model
Authors: Zhang Lei , Li Ruijiang , Chen Jia
Published: February 2025

Purpose

In this study, a novel grey combined model, termed the logistic-Grey-Markov model, is proposed. This model aims to construct a relation function between transition probabilities and residual errors and fully utilize the information from residual errors to calculate optimal transition probabilities for more accurate predictions.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this issue, the logistic function is introduced and improved to accommodate different types of samples. Then the improved logistic function is applied to construct a relation function between transition probabilities and sample residual errors. Additionally, to obtain the optimal coefficients in the relation function, a least square objective function is constructed, and the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is employed. With these optimal coefficients, the relation function can fully utilize the information of residual errors and calculate the optimal transition probabilities.

Findings

The improved logistic function in the logistic-Grey-Markov model ensures that the information from sample residual errors is fully utilized and case studies demonstrate that the proposed logistic-Grey-Markov model can effectively improve the prediction accuracy.

Originality/value

One of the strengths of the Grey-Markov model is its ability to predict outcomes with small and highly volatile samples. However, the prediction accuracy is not ideal due to the information waste of residual errors, especially when only a small sample size is available. The proposed logistic-Grey-Markov model can fully utilize the information in residual errors to calculate the optimal transition probabilities and improve the accuracy of the Grey-Markov model.
Regulating the tribological properties of pored PTFE using PVA-based oil gel
Authors: Lian Jingru , Fan Xiaobing , Xu Bin , Li Shan , Tian Zhiqing , Wang Mengdan , Pan Bingli , Liu Hongyu
Published: February 2025

Purpose

This paper aims to regulate the oil retention rate and tribological properties of pored polytetrafluoroethylene (PPTFE) using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based oil gel.

Design/methodology/approach

PPTFE was first prepared by using citric acid (CA) as an efficient pore-making agent. Subsequently, PVA and chitosan solution was introduced into the pores and experienced a freezing-thawing process, forming PVA-based gels inside the pores. Then, the PPTFE/PVA composite was impregnated with polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200), yielding an oil-impregnated PPTFE/PVA/PEG200 composite.

Findings

It was found that the oil-impregnated PPTFE/PVA/PEG200 composite exhibited advanced tribological properties than neat PTFE with reductions of 53% and 70% in coefficient of friction and wear rate, respectively.

Originality/value

This study shows an efficient strategy to regulate the tribological property of PTFE using a PVA-based oil-containing gel.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2024-0432/
Does age composition influence financial sector development in Sub-Saharan Africa region? The role of economic globalization
Authors: Pal Shreya , Mahalik Mantu Kumar , Mallick Hrushikesh , Patel Gupteswar , Heshmati Almas
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Considering the panel data from 1984 to 2020, this study examines the impact of demographic structure (young age, working age and old age manpower) on financial development in 44 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Following the World Bank’s classification, the SSA region is sub-sampled into 21 low-income, 18 lower-middle-income and five upper-middle-income countries to separately study these groups, along with studying for the whole region in a panel.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from the literature, it incorporates economic growth, economic globalization and inflation as a set of control variables in the financial sector development function. This study employed PCSEs and FGLS regression methods along with applying the FMOLS test for results robustness.

Findings

The result of PCSEs and FGLS evidences an adverse impact of the young and old age population on financial development for the entire SSA region, low-income and lower- and middle-income countries, but the same is found to be positively related to financial development in the upper- and middle-income countries. We observed varying effects of economic growth, economic globalization and inflation for different groups within the SSA region.

Originality/value

From the policy perspective, it suggests that policymakers of the groups of low-income and lower-middle-income countries need to scrutinize the adverse effects of the young and old-age populations on financial sector development and should also be taken seriously in the formulation of their long-term financial development policies.
Embrace or discard? Cultural perceptions of dark tourism among local residents in developing country
Authors: Aleshinloye Kayode D. , Erul Emrullah , Omitola Adetola A. , Rodrigues Vieira Tkatch Juliana , Gunduz Songur Aysegul
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Residents’ understanding of the development and promotion of dark tourism cannot be universally assumed due to cultural and traditional disparities across different geographical regions. Using the social exchange theory (SET) and the cognitive appraisal theory (CAT) as the theoretical baseline for exploring the residents’ cultural perception of dark tourism development and promotion. The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to comprehend the residents’ perspectives about the meaning, values and cultural interpretation of dark tourism; second, to explore the residents’ attitudes from both an emotional and economic interface to dark tourism development and promotion in their community.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach with purposive and snowball sampling strategies, 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents or natives of the Jesse community, selected from both within and outside the community.

Findings

Our research revealed that the residents’ emotions about the fire disaster transcend the prospect of economic empowerment the dark tourism concept could bring to the community. Besides, the respondents struggled to understand the meanings of dark tourism, but the younger respondents tended to welcome the idea more than the older ones.

Practical implications

The study findings emphasized the importance of stakeholders in engaging the residents in designing and managing community tourism initiatives. This will prevent conflict with cultural traditions and ensure tourism sustainability.

Originality/value

A novel study using the SET and CAT models to examine community perspectives on dark tourism from sub-Sahara Africa, providing an alternative viewpoint to Western interpretations and representation.
Abundance and reproduction behavior data for waterbirds (Anatidae, Rallidae, Charadriiforms, Podicipediforms) breeding in European France based on a probability sampling design
Authors: Guillemain Matthieu , Aubry Philippe , Caizergues Alain , Couzi Laurent , Dupuy Jérémy , Francesiaz Charlotte , Joyeux Emmanuel , Quaintenne Gwenaël
Published: February 2025

Appropriate management of wildlife requires sound knowledge and high‐quality data about species distributions, abundance, and trends in numbers. From a legal standpoint, Article 12 of the European “Birds” Directive requires Member States to report on breeding populations sizes. Acquiring such data is difficult owing to the wide distribution of most species and the multispecies nature of surveys. We relied on a stratified two‐stage spatial sampling design to assess breeding population size of waterbirds in European France. The data come from 2428 grid cells of 500 m × 500 m surveyed by territory or spot mapping three times at one‐month interval between 15 March and 15 June during the springs of 2021 or 2022. Individual bird location within each grid cell and their breeding behavior were recorded. A total of 6938 grid cell visits were undertaken, yielding 64,731 observations accounting for 132,292 individuals. These data are primarily aimed to assess the breeding population size of the 25 most common waterbirds (the population size estimates will be presented in a future article). However, because the location and time of observation of all individuals, as well as their behavior, are recorded, questions such as intra‐ and interspecific distribution rules, or habitat selection processes, can be addressed with this dataset too. As observers were also incited to record all other species among Anatidae, Rallidae, Charadriiforms and Podicipediforms, this dataset also provides robust original data on exotic and rare birds. The detailed Metadata and complete data set are available in MetaCat in JaLTER at https://jalter.diasjp.net/data/ERDP-2025-02.
Through the eyes of the child: Children's experiences of family therapy in Malta
Authors: Abdilla Tivona Vella , Scerri Clarissa Sammut
Published: February 2025

This study explored children's experiences of family therapy. A mosaic approach with reflexive thematic analysis was used as the guiding methodology. The participants comprised seven children between the ages of six and 11 years. Rich data was gathered through child‐led tours, photographs of the therapy space, interviews and creative sessions with children plus interviews with five parents and four therapists. The findings indicate that the children considered family therapy to be an overall positive experience, thanks to the therapists, creative play‐based approaches and a therapy space that catered for them. Prior to starting therapy, children require more information about therapy to feel at ease. Creative approaches, together with caregivers' involvement, were identified as essential therapeutic tools with which to engage children in talk and play. Children's increased agency throughout the termination process is also essential. Suggestions for practice include a pre‐therapy booklet, using creative techniques as a primary tool when working with children, and ensuring an adequate therapy space. Suggestions for training include therapeutic skill development relating to working with children.  Suggestions for future research are also made. This study's strength is that it highlights and spotlights children's perspectives.
‘Staging’ divinatory economic performances: Comparing startup and MLM cryptocurrency projects
Authors: Yogarajah Yathukulan
Published: February 2025

This article offers ‘stages’, an original device, to sharpen the focus on a particular divinatory economic performance: the folding of imagined profitable futures into the present to create the impression that profitable futures are imminent or already realized. Drawing on ethnographic material from the startup and multi‐level marketing (MLM) cryptocurrency sectors, and utilizing ‘stages’ as a concept/pun – in the spatial and temporal sense – I show how economic performances must be ‘staged’ to convince people to invest. ‘Staging’ economic performances leads to creating a physical space of heightened excitement, expertise, and a temporal period that is experienced as urgent where one must think in an innovative way to bring about a profitable future. Under these conditions, ‘stages’ reveals how the line between a legitimate and an illegitimate project becomes indistinguishable to those on the ground. Doing your ‘due diligence’ to discern between the two is anything but straightforward. Despite claims by Euro‐American financial elites that startups and MLMs are polar opposites, this article demonstrates their striking similarity. More broadly, ‘stages’ reveals how economic performances gain efficacy, travel beyond specific sites, and come to act on people.
More‐than‐human charisma, iconic fossils, and palaeontologists in the United States
Authors: Shever Elana
Published: February 2025

This article develops a more‐than‐human conception of charisma to explain the interrelated magnetism of palaeontologists and prehistoric megafauna in the United States since the nineteenth century. It extends anthropological analysis of charisma to non‐human bodies, and argues that charisma is created by more‐than‐human processes involving tactile interactions among people and matter within particular social and political‐economic contexts. This historical and ethnographic study of a few iconic dinosaur specimens, and the famed scientists who have collected, studied, and mounted them, shows how the more‐than‐human charisma of vertebrate palaeontology has been shaped by the violent masculinity that rose to prominence in conjunction with the exploration and colonization of the western United States. It further demonstrates how the virile charisma of certain scientists and fossils continues to be a powerful force that mobilizes people to dedicate enormous resources and labour to them.
BLOOMBERG'S GLOBAL MAYORALTY: Philanthropy and the ‘Crisis of Capacity’ in City Government
Authors: Baker Tom , Sisson Alistair , McGuirk Pauline , Dowling Robyn , Maalsen Sophia
Published: February 2025

Bloomberg Philanthropies—the philanthropic organization of multibillionaire, CEO and former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg—has become a palpably influential node in global networks of urban policy knowledge generation and mobility. This article examines the formative conditions, scope and operations of Bloomberg's philanthropically funded complex of urban policy influence. It begins by outlining Bloomberg Philanthropies' ecosystem of urban initiatives, which offer funding, technical support and entry into communities of practice for city government partners. It then traces the styling of Bloomberg's New York City mayoralty into a symbol‐turned‐model of effective administration and its alignment with Bloomberg Philanthropies' efforts to address the ‘crisis of capacity’ in city government. From there, the article analyses the formation of partnerships between Bloomberg Philanthropies and city governments. We show how Bloomberg Philanthropies occupies a powerful meta‐governmental position: as a city‐administration‐at‐large, it orchestrates a global‐institutional field that promotes and resources the implementation of technocratic, superficially pre‐political ‘best process’. But its relevance depends on harmonizing its agenda with the current desires and practical possibilities of city government. We argue that these asymmetric but interdependent relationships are important for understanding Bloomberg's global mayoralty and the general practice of philanthropic meta‐governance it exemplifies.
NAVIGATING STATE SPACES: Methodological Insights and Reflections from Research in India, Mexico and Kenya
Authors: Reyes Carranza Mariana , Hoefsloot Fenna Imara , Gupta Neha , Muthama Dennis Mbugua , Flores Jesus
Published: February 2025

This collaborative essay provides a methodological reflection and a list of recommendations on the opportunities, uncertainties and limitations faced when researching state spaces in India, Mexico and Kenya. Drawing on recent fieldwork across these countries, we illuminate the complexities and challenges inherent in studying state institutions and their roles in territorial governance and urban management. Our analysis is informed by 12 months of combined remote and in‐person research, during which we employed ethnographic immersion and in‐depth interviews to explore the interplay between digitalization and state power. We offer collective reflections along three main lines. First, we address the elusive nature of the state, highlighting the challenges of gaining trust from elite government officers and the significance of engaging with nonstate actors who mediate relationships between citizens and bureaucratic entities. Second, we underscore the importance of critically reflecting on the researcher's positionality and identity, particularly when working in culturally unfamiliar settings. Third, we advocate for the value of maintaining openness to multidisciplinary dialog and emphasize the importance of engaging with anticolonial and feminist methodological approaches. We believe these insights and lessons will be valuable to other scholars and practitioners investigating the dynamics of state power in the digital age.
High‐resolution Geochemistry in the Lucaogou Formation, Junggar Basin: An Assessment of Heterogeneous Shale Resources
Authors: SUN Shijie , ZHANG Bin , WANG Xiaomei , TIAN Hua , ZHANG Shuichang , HOU Guiting
Published: February 2025

Controlled by fluctuating paleoclimates and sedimentary environments, the organic and inorganic features of the Lucaogou Formation exhibit strong heterogeneity in the vertical profile, challenging conventional geological interpretation. To elucidate the possible influence of heterogeneity on resource evaluation, a high‐resolution sampling approach was applied to an 86.2 cm long core from the Lucaogou Formation of the Jimsar sag in the Junggar Basin. 86 sets of samples were micro‐drilled from the core and subjected to comparative Rock‐Eval pyrolysis. Following the classical guidelines, the organic abundance, kerogen type, and maturity of source rocks were exhaustively analyzed. Experimental results revealed that organic richness and composition vary significantly under different sedimentary backgrounds, which in turn leads to differential hydrocarbon generation. The combination of hydrocarbon generation, transport, and expulsion results in peculiar patterns for hydrocarbon accumulation in the Lucaogou Formation. Laminated shales in the Lucaogou Formation serve as both hydrocarbon source rocks and reservoirs, with laminae being migration pathways. Organic‐rich dolomites in the Lucaogou Formation have a considerable hydrocarbon‐generating capacity and present the characteristics of self‐generation and self‐storage. However, massive mudstones act purely as hydrocarbon source rocks.
Hydrothermal Control by Deep Hidden Faults on Geothermal Systems in Sedimentary Basins: A Case Study of the Cangdong Fault in the North China Basin
Authors: YIN Xiaoxiao , LIN Jianwang , LI Hu , LI Huanqing , DONG Lufei , YAN Jiaxian , ZHANG Sen , LI Zheng
Published: February 2025

Large basins are currently the global focus for geothermal development, with their hydrothermal system being controlled by a variety of factors, such as basement relief and fracture development. Donglihu is located at the north of the Cangxian uplift in the North China Basin, the concentrated geothermal resource development zone in North China. This study systematically collects temperature logging data and long‐term dynamic monitoring of water level and water quality as well as group well tracer test data carried out in this area in recent years, on the basis of which the hydrothermal controlling role of the deep hidden faults is systematically analyzed. The results show that the Cangdong fault communicates with different geothermal reservoirs in the shallow part and plays a specific role in the water‐heat channel of the local area. As a result, the high‐value area of the geothermal temperature gradient in the sedimentary layer of the Donglihu area is distributed around the Cangdong fault. The geothermal reservoir temperature of the Minghuazhen Formation within the influence of the fault is also significantly higher than the regional average, the hydraulic head of different geothermal reservoirs showing a consistent and synergistic trend. However, the water quality has been stable for many years without any apparent changes. This understanding has a particular significance for further deepening understanding of the geothermal genesis mechanism in sedimentary basins and guiding future geothermal exploration and development in the Donglihu area.
Petrogenesis and Metallogenic Implications of A‐type Granites in the Mid–Late Jurassic Dayishan Complex, Southern Hunan Province, South China
Authors: ZHANG Meng , JIANG Yaohui , LIU Yunchao , HAN Boning
Published: February 2025

The petrogenesis and genetic link to polymetallic mineralization of the granites in the Dayishan complex, southern Hunan province remain debated. Here, we present an integrated study on the petrology, zircon U‐Pb ages and whole‐rock geochemistry for this complex. Our findings indicate that the southern complex consists of (amphibole‐bearing) biotite granites and muscovite granites emplaced at 153–151 Ma, and the central and northern complex consists of two‐mica granites and tourmaline‐bearing muscovite granites, respectively with the former emplaced at 164 Ma and the latter at 150 Ma. The (amphibole‐bearing) biotite granites have SiO2 contents of 68.0–73.8 wt% and are enriched in alkalis and rare earth elements and depleted in Sr and Ba. They display Zr + Y + Ce + Nb > 350 ppm and 10000 × Ga/Al > 2.6 along with high zircon saturation temperatures (821–883°C). The two‐mica granites and (tourmaline‐bearing) muscovite granites have high SiO2 (74.4–77.3 wt%) and low Ga/Al, Zr + Nb + Ce + Y, K/Rb, Zr/Hf, and Nb/Ta along with low zircon saturation temperatures (709–817°C). Geochemical characteristics suggest that the (amphibole‐bearing) biotite granites are A‐type granites generated through shallow dehydration melting of early Paleozoic granitoids, and that the two‐mica granites and (tourmaline‐bearing) muscovite granites are fractionated A‐type granites produced through fractionation crystallization from the (amphibole‐bearing) biotite granites accompanied by fluid fractionation.