bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Safety, Quality, and Appropriateness Across Michigan Using Blinded Cross-Institutional Peer Review
Authors: Spehar Stephanie M. , Seth Milan , Collins John F. , Dixon Simon R. , Pielsticker Elizabeth , Lee Daniel , Zainea Mark , LaLonde Thomas , Arora Dilip , Sukul Devraj , Gurm Hitinder S.
Published: February 2025

BACKGROUND:

Several quality improvement initiatives have focused on the quality gap in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), yet significant variations in quality persist. Our objective was to use a novel blinded peer review system to evaluate PCI quality, safety, and appropriateness across Michigan.

METHODS:

Single-vessel PCI cases were randomly selected from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium registry across Michigan (2018–2020), and anonymized angiograms and pertinent case records were uploaded to a secure server. Cases were reviewed by blinded interventional cardiologists internal and external to the institution, using a standardized peer review form and rated on procedural quality, safety, and appropriateness. We compared appropriateness ratings between reviewers and registry-based appropriateness criteria.

RESULTS:

We conducted 1627 independent peer reviews of 961 cases; 23.7% of cases were for non–ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, and 36.4% were for ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. The majority (96.4%) of reviewers rated angiogram quality as excellent or adequate. Reviewers noted a complication or suboptimal result in 11.1% of reviews; 44.0% of these were deemed avoidable. Most PCI procedures were considered appropriate or may be appropriate, (87.1%) by all those reviewing. Reviewers were less likely to categorize PCI cases as appropriate compared with registry-based appropriate use criteria definitions (73.1% versus 93.3%). The percentage of cases rated as both appropriate/may be appropriate and technically competent ranged from 76.7% to 100% across sites.

CONCLUSIONS:

While the overall quality and appropriateness of PCI in Michigan are high, key opportunities to improve care were identified. Additional studies are needed to assess the utility of expanding this approach across the United States.
Body Composition Risk Assessment of All‐Cause Mortality in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Completing Cardiac Rehabilitation
Authors: Yan Kimberly L. , Liang Icy , Ravellette Keeley , Gornbein Jeffrey , Srikanthan Preethi , Horwich Tamara B.
Published: February 2025

Background

Obesity, measured by body mass index, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the role of body composition, including body fat percentage and lean body mass (LBM), in cardiovascular outcomes has not been well studied in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aims to evaluate the association of body composition with cardiovascular outcomes and all‐cause mortality in patients with CAD.

Methods and Results

Body composition was obtained via bioelectrical impedance analysis from 1291 patients with CAD before starting cardiac rehabilitation. Patients were divided into quintiles by body composition and analyzed in total and after sex stratification. All‐cause mortality and a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events, including acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization, heart failure hospitalization, and stroke, were primary study outcomes. In the total cohort adjusted analyses, body mass index, body fat percentage, and LBM were not predictors of all‐cause mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events. In sex‐stratified analyses, among women, the third LBM quintile was associated with decreased risk of all‐cause mortality compared with the lowest LBM quintile (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.01–0.57];
P
=0.01). No other body composition variables were associated with all‐cause mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events in either sex.

Conclusions

In women with CAD, moderate LBM was associated with lower mortality when compared with low LBM, whereas body fat percentage and body mass index were not associated with mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events in either sex. Future research studying the implications of changes in body composition on outcomes in men and women with CAD is warranted.
Protocol‐Driven Best Practices and Cardiogenic Shock Survival in Asian Patients
Authors: Leung Calvin , Fong Yan Hang , Chiang Michael Chi Shing , Wong Ivan Man Ho , Ho Cheuk Bong , Yeung Yin Kei , Leung Chung Yin , Lee Pok Him , So Tai Chung , Cheng Yuet Wong , Chui Shing Fung , Chan Alan Ka Chun , Wong Chi Yuen , Chan Kam Tim , O'Neill William W. , Lee Michael Kang Yin
Published: February 2025

Background

Cardiogenic shock carries high mortality. This study investigated the relationship between protocol‐advocated best practices and outcomes.

Methods

Patients with cardiogenic shock supported by Impella CP in an Asian tertiary cardiac center were evaluated for 30‐day post percutaneous ventricular assist device (PVAD) survival after adopting a standardized protocol emphasizing early mechanical circulatory support (shock‐to‐PVAD time ≤180 minutes), pulmonary artery catheterization for invasive hemodynamics, and safe vascular access.

Results

Of 109 consecutive patients (mean age 58.5±11.2, 80.7% male, 67% acute myocardial infarction, 33% acute decompensated heart failure), 45 (41.3%), 33 (30.3%), and 31 (28.4%) were in SCAI Shock Stages C, D, and E, respectively. A suggestive trend of improving 30‐day survival was observed (56.8%, 63.9%, and 72.2% in successive one thirds, P1, P2, and P3 of patients), paralleling a similar trend in achievement of best practices. Patients achieving all 3 best practices significantly increased from 35.1% (P1) to 52.8% (P3) (
P
=0.026). Median shock‐to‐PVAD time reduced from 5 [interquartile range: 2–23] hours (P1) to 1.5 [1–5] hours (P3) (
P
for trend=0.014), whereas pulmonary artery catheterization utilization (80.6–86.1%) and device‐related major vascular complications (5.6–8.4%) remained relatively stable. Achieving more best practices was significantly associated with better 30‐day survival, with patients achieving all 3, 2, and ≤1 best practices had 30‐day survival rates of 75.0%, 63.6%, and 35.7%, respectively (
P
=0.043). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, shock‐to‐PVAD time >180 minutes remained an independent predictor of mortality (
P
=0.031).

Conclusions

Achievement of protocol‐advocated best practices, especially early shock recognition and prompt PVAD support in appropriate patients, was associated with improved outcomes with PVAD use in cardiogenic shock. Future studies are suggested to confirm the benefits of a protocolized approach and evaluate the value of individual best practices.
Genome‐Wide Association Study for Resting Electrocardiogram in the Qatari Population Identifies 6 Novel Genes and Validates Novel Polygenic Risk Scores
Authors: Khan Nahin , Shaar Abdullah , Kunji Khalid , Khan Atlas , Elshrif Mohamed , Bashir Mohammed , Ali Mohammed Thamer , Al Haj Zen Ayman , Kiryluk Krzysztof , Nemer Georges , Fahed Akl C. , Saad Mohamad
Published: February 2025

Background

Electrocardiography is one of the most valuable noninvasive diagnostic tools in determining the presence of many cardiovascular diseases. Genetic factors are important in determining ECG abnormalities and their link to cardiovascular diseases. Genome‐wide association studies and polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been conducted for various ECG traits such as QT interval and QRS duration. However, these studies mainly focused on cohorts of European descent.

Methods

In this cohort study, genome‐wide association studies for 6 ECG traits (RR, PR, corrected QT interval [QTc], QRS, JT, and
P
wave duration) were conducted in a Middle Eastern cohort from the Qatar Precision Health Institute, comprising 13 827 subjects with whole‐genome sequence data. Middle Eastern PRSs were developed using clumping and thresholding, and their performance was compared with 26 published PRSs. Genetic predisposition to long QT syndrome was explored using rare variant analysis.

Results

Seventy‐four independent loci were obtained with genome‐wide significance across the 6 traits (
P
<5×10
−8
). Of the 74 loci, 67 (90.5%) were previously reported, and 7 loci (9.5%) were novel and contained 6 genes:
STAC
and
CSMD1
for PR,
ANK1
and
NCOA2
for QRS,
LSP1
for QTc, and
MKLN1
for
P
wave duration. All 26 published PRSs showed good performance in our cohort. PGS002276 showed the best performance for QTc (
R
2
=0.059,
P
=4.83×10
−185
), PGS002166 showed the best performance for QRS (
R
2
=0.024,
P
=1.53×10
−75
), and PGS000905 showed the best performance for PR (
R
2
=0.053,
P
=2.57×10
−165
). Some of these PRSs were associated with cardiovascular diseases. For example, PGS003500, a QTc PRS, was significantly associated with cardiomyopathy (odds ratio per 1 SD=1.58 [95% CI, 1.23–2.01];
P
=2.42×10
−4
). Middle Eastern PRSs substantially outperformed published PRSs and did not perform well in the UK Biobank data. Ten pathogenic variants, including 3 that are specific to Qatari individuals, were observed in 17 long QT syndrome genes and were carried by 19 individuals. The QTc average was larger for mutation carriers (415.6±23.5 versus 402.3±18.5 in noncarriers). Five‐year follow‐up data did not show a significant change in ECG patterns, regardless of mutation status and PRS values. Four of 2302 individuals had prolonged QTc intervals over the 2 time points.

Conclusions

In this first genome‐wide association study for ECG traits in the Middle East using whole‐genome sequence data, 7 novel loci (6 genes) were identified. Published PRSs performed well, but newly developed Middle Eastern–specific PRSs performed the best. Novel variants in long QT syndrome genes were observed for the first time in Qatari individuals. Follow‐up data did not show significant changes in ECG patterns.
Protective Effect on Spinal Cord Injury of Prophylactic Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage in Extensive Aortic Arch Repair for Type A Aortic Dissection: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhou Chenyu , Hou Bin , Zhang Kai , Gao Shiqi , Cao Fangfang , Ji Yumeng , Xie Enzehua , Qiu Jiawei , Qiu Juntao , Yu Cuntao
Published: February 2025

Background

Cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) is commonly used to manage spinal cord injury (SCI) after aortic surgery. However, there is still limited evidence regarding its effectiveness in patients with type A aortic dissection undergoing total arch replacement plus frozen elephant trunk procedure.

Methods

A total of 1931 patients were retrospectively enrolled between 2010 and 2023. Patients with high‐risk postoperative SCI (N=445) were divided into 2 groups: with or without prophylactic CSFD to evaluate the protective effect of prophylactic CSFD. Patients with postoperative SCI (N=119) were divided into 3 groups, without CSFD, therapeutic CSFD, and prophylactic CSFD, and analyzed to compare the treatment effect of different CSFD strategies.

Results

Prophylactic CSFD significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative SCI in high‐risk patients (26.9% versus 17.7%,
P
=0.029), further supported by matching weights analysis of propensity score and conditional logistic regression. Analyses of the SCI population revealed less severe SCI symptoms in patients with prophylactic CSFD, as assessed by the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (adjusted
P
<0.05). Multivariable ordinal logistic regression showed that compared with those without CSFD, prophylactic CSFD (
P
=0.003) but not therapeutic CSFD (
P
=0.981) was beneficial to the in‐hospital recovery of postoperative SCI. Long‐term SCI outcomes did not differ among groups.

Conclusions

A prominent protective effect on SCI occurrence and recovery after the total arch replacement plus the frozen elephant trunk procedure was observed with prophylactic CSFD use in patients with type A aortic dissection. However, the effectiveness of therapeutic CSFD fell short of significance.
Phyllognathia ceratophthalma (Balss, 1913) (Decapoda, Palaemonidae) is a brittle star predator
Authors: Ivanov Yury , Anker Arthur
Published: February 2025

Two individuals of the palaemonid shrimp Phyllognathia cerathophthalma (Balss, 1913) were observed feeding on brittle stars (Ophiuroidea) in Bali, Indonesia. One of the shrimps was observed capturing, subduing, and devouring Ophiactis savignyi (Müller & Troschel, 1842) (Ophiactidae), whereas the other was observed feeding on a detached arm of Ophiothrix sp. (Ophiotrichidae). Therefore, P. ceratophthalma joins a small ecological guild of shrimps, which are also phylogenetically related, specialized in the predation of echinoderms, together with its congener P. simplex Fujino, 1973 and the harlequin shrimp Hymenocera picta Dana, 1852.
Effects of high temperature on reproductive characteristics and hormones of female Eriocheir sinensis during reproduction (Brachyura, Varunidae)
Authors: Shen Chenchen , Feng Guangpeng , Liu Jianyi , Huang Xiaorong , Wang Haihua
Published: February 2025

Under the influence of global warming, excessive temperatures may affect adult female Eriocheir sinensis at a sensitive stage, changing the reproductive process, which is critical for the persistence of populations. Thus, the effects of high temperature on the reproductive performances and hormone changes of female E. sinensis were analysed. The results showed that the mating and spawning rates were maintained at >80% at 10–25°C and at 10–15°C, respectively. However, the spawning rate was only 16.67 ± 40.82% at 25°C. It is inferred that the spawning behaviour is more affected by high temperature, and 25°C had an adverse effect on the spawning rate. The reproductive performances (egg production, fecundity and reproductive index) of female crabs at 15°C were better than in other temperature groups. Meanwhile, the levels of DHP (17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3-one) and E2 (estradiol-17β) decreased at 25°C after spawning, indicating that 25°C might restrain the synthesis of sex hormone, which may lead to a inferior spawning rate. The results can provide a reference for the reproductive performances of female E. sinensis under high temperatures, which is conducive to the protection of E. sinensis under global warming.
Complete mitogenomic and phylogenetic characteristics of three parthenogenetic Artemia populations (Branchiopoda, Anostraca)
Authors: Han Xuekai , Zhang Rui , Liu Xue , Li Ke , Gao Meirong , Zhang Chi , Sui Liying
Published: February 2025

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genomes of three parthenogenetic Artemia populations were sequenced and analysed. The results indicate that these three genomes are similar in length (15 633-15 639 bp). Furthermore, the organization and order of all three genomes are identical, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes and 2 rRNA genes, as well as a major non-coding region (CR), with high AT bias. Furthermore, both the genetic distance and the phylogenetic analysis showed that the genus Artemia constitutes a monophyletic group, and the parthenogenetic Artemia populations here studied show the closest relationship with Artemia urmiana. This study provides baseline information on Artemia mitogenomes for further research on the taxonomy and evolutionary genetics of the genus, and thereby contributes to the conservation of Artemia germplasm resources.
Cosmological Thinking in Kant’s Critique of Judgment: Thinking the End and Avoiding the End
Authors: Nuzzo Angelica
Published: February 2025

This essay discusses the “cosmological” issue of the End in the second part of Kant’s Critique of Judgment. At stake is the problem of thinking, reflectively and according to the principle of nature’s formal purposiveness, the end of life and the end of Nature as a whole. The claim is that Kant’s transcendental investigation, generally oriented to the question of “origin,” labors to block out the issue of the End. This is particularly remarkable and indeed problematic in the Critique of Judgment, which is concerned thematically with the topic of life and living nature.
The Shape of History
Authors: Masny Michal
Published: February 2025

Some philosophers believe in improvement: they think that the world is a better place than it used to be, and that future generations will fare even better. Others see decline: they claim that the condition of humanity has deteriorated and will continue to do so. Much ink has also been spilt over what explains these historical patterns. These two disagreements about the shape of history concern largely descriptive issues. But there is also a third, purely normative question that has been neglected: is it better if a history features a pattern of improvement rather than deterioration, holding other things equal? This paper develops an answer to this normative question and explores some of its implications for matters related to the future of humanity.
Neo-Latin: Literature
Authors: Maes Isabelle , Maleux Maxime , Smets Simon , Van Rooy Raf , Marsico Clementina , Luggin Johanna , Schaffenrath Florian , Šubarić Lav
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Neo-Latin Studies.
Romanian Studies: Literature
Authors: Stan Adriana
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Romanian Studies.
Italian Studies: Duecento and Trecento (Excluding Dante)
Authors: Griffin Jamie L.
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Italian Studies.
Italian Studies: Cinquecento
Authors: Guassardo Giada
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Italian Studies.
Irish Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature, Medieval Period
Authors: Brinkman-Schwartz Caitlyn , Bond West David
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Irish Studies.
Irish Studies: Language, Linguistics, and Literature, Modern Period
Authors: Ní Mhurchú Síle
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2022 and 2023 in the area of Irish Language Studies.
Russian Studies: Literature to 1700
Authors: Panova Olga B. , Mitchell Peter J.
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Russian Studies.
Francophone and French Studies: Speculative Studies
Authors: Lord Christina
Published: February 2025

This is a critical bibliographical survey of academic studies published in 2023 in the area of Francophone and French Studies.
The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism, written by Torkil Lauesen
Authors: Stoiljkovic Ivan
Published: February 2025

Torkil Lauesen’s analysis and practice is rooted in the understanding of imperialism as a major factor in the development of capitalism. It foregrounds the experience of the Global South and takes seriously revolutionary movements that won state power outside of the imperial core. The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism is openly activist writing with an eye to the practical that has for far too long been missing from western academia.
The Socialist Transitional State and the Contradictions of the Multipolar World-system
Authors: Lauesen Torkil
Published: February 2025

The article analyses the role of the socialist transitional state in the emerging multipolar world-system. In the first section, I present the concept of the socialist transitional state. Using the analytic tool of the principal contradiction I describe the transformation from the bipolar world-system, into the unipolar world-system during neoliberal globalization, and finally into the into multipolarity. With the concept of the transitional state and multipolarity in place, I discuss how they interact in the world-system. First their position vis-à-vis a declining U.S. hegemony. Then I examine the contradictions within the multipolar world-system. Finally, I draw some strategic conclusions from this analysis, which can be useful in the future struggle to end capitalism and build socialism.
الأمثال الشَّحْرِيَّة: ذاكرة الثقافة الشفوية في ظفار، عُمان
Authors: الشحري محمد مستهيل
Published: February 2025

ملخص البحث

‫يمكن القول بأن الأمثال الشحرية تشكّل جزءًا أساسيًا من الذاكرة الثقافية التواصلية ومن الخزان الثقافي الخاص في هذه الديار عبر التاريخ والتي تعكس بلا شك علاقة الإنسان بالأرض واستمراريته في أرض ظفار. يتناول البحث عددًا من الأمثال المنطوقة التي تعبر عن ثقافة مجتمعية تعتمد على الذاكرة في التواصل واكتساب المعرفة وتداول الثقافة. تكشف الأمثال عن المصادر الأولية في الثقافة الشعبية ومدى ارتباطها بالمعتقد الديني أو العرف الاجتماعي. وتتناول جزءا من ثقافة المجتمع تجاه المرأة فتقدر المرأة وتثمن دورها الاجتماعي، وتوضح الأمثال الشحرية عن نمط اقتصادي رعوي يشارك فيه الرجال والنساء معًا.‬
A Minaic Dedicatory Inscription by the Wife of King Waqahʾīl Ṣādiq
Authors: Al-Said Said
Published: February 2025

This study examines a newly discovered Minaic inscription that documents for the first time the wife of the Minaean king, Waqahʾīl Ṣādiq, offering sacrifices to the Minaean deity Wadd and dedicating both herself and her possessions to his protection. The research aims to analyze the inscription in terms of its structure and meaning while also exploring the implications of its vocabulary by comparing it to other ancient South Arabian inscriptions and Semitic languages. In addition, the study attempts to date the inscription to the reign of King Waqahʾīl Ṣādiq, probably around the 3rd century BCE.
Higher Precision of Memory for Time Using Verbal-Numerical Versus Visuospatial Reports
Authors: Di Ghionno Monica , Frisoni Matteo , Tosoni Annalisa , Committeri Giorgia , Sestieri Carlo
Published: February 2025

A reliable method for exploring the temporal representation of past events is to assess the time of occurrence of discrete stimuli extracted from the original experience on a horizontal timeline representing the event duration. Previous studies using a visual analog scale (VAS) indicate that temporal judgments about movie segments from a commercial movie can be very precise, even when using long audiovisual material at encoding. This result might reflect the benefit of relying on an explicit visuospatial representation of the encoded material when making temporal judgments. To test this hypothesis, the present study compared the temporal memory performance when human observers reported their judgments using either a visual analog scale or verbal-numerical reports, using both a between-subject and a within-subject design. Participants encoded a ∼90 min movie and the next day provided time-of-occurrence judgments on a series of video clips extracted from the movie. In both the within- and the between-subject design, we observed a higher memory precision in the verbal-numeral compared to the visuospatial VAS condition. The results do not align with the idea of a spatial representational bias for temporal memory judgments and suggest a previously unknown memory facilitation effect when temporal memory is assessed using verbal-numerical reports.
Innovating Amid Disruption: Patterns of Change and Priorities in Technical Education During COVID-19
Authors: Wang Xueli , Wickersham Kelly , Lee Yen
Published: February 2025

Objective/Research Question: The global pandemic has caused major disruptions to technical education, a leading innovator in providing students with the most up-to-date education and training as they transition into careers. Although there is growing evidence of instructional changes in higher education more broadly in response to COVID-19, we have yet to learn what has happened in community colleges and specifically technical education. This study examines what new policies, practices, and initiatives pertaining to technical education emerged as a result of COVID-19, along with prominent patterns and themes that underlie the uncovered changes and innovations. Methods: We leveraged the concept of disruptive adaptation, technical college system media sources, and cutting-edge text mining techniques to present a portrait of the changes and innovations that emerged in technical education during the pandemic across a statewide technical college system. Results: Findings revealed seven key areas of change and innovation: technology/material access for virtual learning, instructional adaptations, student support, college operations, return to campus, COVID-19 and community support, and new initiatives. Four themes underlie the emerging patterns and priorities: access and flexibility, holistic support for students, community focus, and agility to innovate. Conclusions/Contributions: Our study points to community colleges’ and technical education’s commitment to students amid disruptions, as well as the need for a focus on faculty support and development and sustained diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Moreover, through the lens of disruptive adaptation, the pandemic has served as a catalyst accelerating technical education innovation in widespread and overlapping ways within the college, community, and beyond.
Intersections of Engagement and Student Characteristics: Assessing Predictors of Success in Community College
Authors: Wang Yi , Dika Sandra L. , D’Amico Mark M. , Cox Kyle , Bohlig E. Michael
Published: February 2025

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to explore effective predictors of student success through examining concurrent and predictive validity evidence for the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) engagement indicators using data from three community colleges (CC) in North Carolina. Methods: We obtained a deidentified dataset that merged responses to the CCSSE with institutional transcript, enrollment, and outcome data for 1,227 North Carolina community college students who completed the CCSSE between 2017 and 2019. Demographic variables and CCSSE engagement scores were used as independent variables, while concurrent and future success outcomes (academic progress, persistence, credential completion, and vertical transfer) were examined as dependent variables. Analytic approaches included linear and logistic regression. Results: Among the demographic factors, traditional age and underrepresented minority status were negatively associated with at least one concurrent outcome yet positively associated with persistence or transfer. Five of the eight engagement factors were significantly related to concurrent outcomes, while only three were associated with future outcomes. Interaction with faculty and peers was a positive predictor for all outcomes except transfer. Conclusions/Contributions: This study contributes to the literature on the validity of engagement factors in predicting educational outcomes of community college students and provides valuable insights into the intertwined effects of student engagement and individual characteristics. The results highlight the need for longitudinal examination of engagement, and for higher education policies and practices that promote meaningful engagement across diverse groups of community college students to support their educational journeys.
Cosmos (κόσμος) in the Gospel of John: Humanity and the Nonhuman Creation
Authors: Shoukry Zacharias
Published: February 2025

There is a tendency in recent Johannine scholarship to understand κόσμος in the majority of instances in the Gospel of John as ‘humanity’. It is assumed that the meaning ‘creation’ is appropriate only in a few occurrences. In this article, I want to challenge this consensus in three steps. First, a survey of the scholarship on the Johannine use of κόσμος will focus on the question of whether there is an anthropocentric bias in the history of reception. Second, a semantic analysis will explore the possible passages in which the κόσμος cannot be reduced to humanity but also includes nonhuman creation. Third, an eco-hermeneutical outlook will set the debate in the context of the ecological crisis and focus on the interdependence between humanity and the rest of the cosmos. Is it time to rethink the meaning of κόσμος in light of the climate crises? Does God only love humanity or does he care about his whole creation (3.16)? Is Jesus, according to 4.42, only the savior of humans or also of the ‘more than human creation’? And if so, does doing the works of God (6.28) imply caring for the creation?
The Salvation to All Creation Motif in Rom. 8.18–25: Implications for Asase Yaa Care in Ghana
Authors: Aryeh Daniel Nii Aboagye
Published: February 2025

This article explores the impetus towards creation care that can be found in Rom. 8.18–25, particularly in dialogue with the Ghanaian Akan concept of Asase Yaa (Mother Earth). New Testament scholars have variously interpreted Rom. 8.18–25 to emphasize the contrast between the two ages or aeons, the eschatological glory of believers, the cosmological theory of κτίσις, and the relationship between humans and inanimate creatures. This study draws on the analytical lens of socio-rhetorical criticism propounded by Vernon K. Robbins (1996) to re-interpret Rom. 8.18–25, with particular focus on the terms κτίσις (creation, creature) and ἐλπίς (hope). It attempts to construct the world in the text by examining what the implied author expects from the implied reader, and how the world in front of the text—in particular Ghanaian Christians—can interpret the text in light of Asase Yaa and the ecological threats that illegal mining poses to the creation. This exercise makes Rom. 8.18–25 a lived Pauline text that can readily resonate in the Ghanaian Christian context as a biblical passage advocating care for creation.
Antibiotic Use Can be De-escalated During Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy: A Bacterial Culture-Based Study
Authors: Wu Bingbing , Chen Xiao , Huang Junwei
Published: February 2025

Objective: To explore the possibility of reducing the use of antibiotics after transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA). Method: A retrospective study was conducted on patients with thyroid tumors who were diagnosed and underwent surgical treatment at our hospital from 2022 to 2024. Patients diagnosed with T1-stage differentiated thyroid cancer or a benign retrosternal goiter <4 cm with cosmetic needs were included in the current study. Drainage fluid was cultured on the first postoperative day. The differences in infection rates, bacterial culture results, and antibiotic use between patients with clean incisions and those with clean-contaminated incisions were compared. Results: There were no signs of infection in the postoperative drainage fluid or delayed healing due to surgical cavity infection. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative infection or the results of bacterial culture between clean and clean-contaminated incisions or between the groups with and without antibiotic use for clean-contaminated incisions. The proportion of pathogenic bacteria in clean-contaminated incisions was significantly greater than that in clean incisions, while bacteria cultured in clean incisions were mostly common colonizing bacteria. Conclusion: Pathogenic bacteria may indeed exist in the operative cavity of the TOETVA regardless of whether antibiotics are used during the perioperative period. With adequate drainage, the absence of the routine administration of antibiotics or only preventive antibiotics during the perioperative period does not increase the infection rate.
Clarifying the Construct of Supervisor Support for Recovery and Its Impact on Employee Recovery Experiences
Authors: Zhu Ze , Kuykendall Lauren , Baines Julia I. , Zhang Bo
Published: February 2025

Insufficient recovery from work stress is a pernicious issue for many workers. This study aims to understand the important role that supervisors play in employees’ recovery experiences. Specifically, we (1) proposed an expanded conceptualization of supervisor support for recovery (SSR), and (2) developed and validated a measure consistent with this expanded conceptualization. We refined the conceptualization of SSR with four dimensions: refraining from communicating about work during nonwork time, refraining from requiring work during nonwork time, modeling recovery, and encouraging recovery. These dimensions align with the recovery literature, which highlights the necessity of refraining from recovery-hindering behaviors to reduce energy exertion and engaging in recovery-promoting behaviors to provide recovery opportunities. The recovery-promoting dimensions also align with key themes of role modeling and encouragement emphasized in social cognitive theory. Based on the conceptualization, we further developed and validated an SSR scale using three different designs (cross-sectional, supervisor-subordinate dyadic, time-separated) in six studies. Results showed that SSR was distinct from related supervisor constructs (e.g., leader-member exchange and family supportive supervisor behaviors), was positively associated with recovery experiences, and provided further insight into recovery experiences, over and above the other supervisor constructs. This study provides a foundation for future research to better understand how supervisors can support employee recovery from work stress.
The Role of Inclusive Leadership: In Reducing Disability Accommodation Request Withholding
Authors: Zhu Xiji , Jiang Feng , Volpone Sabrina D. , Baldridge David C. , Li Ran
Published: February 2025

Workplace disability accommodations are intended to help level the playing field and create more accessible, inclusive workplaces. Yet, research shows that people with disabilities often experience insufficient accommodations as a result of both employers’ and employees’ attitudes about accommodations. The current work seeks to shed new light on psychological processes underlying disability accommodation request withholding. To do so, we draw upon a relational framework and use social tuning theory to develop a model examining the relationship between inclusive leadership and accommodation request withholding, as mediated by employees’ perceived disability stigma and moderated by disability severity and relational-interdependent self-construal. We tested our model across two studies with Chinese employees—including a survey study with three waves of data from 290 employees with physical disabilities and an experimental-causal-chain designed vignette study with 526 participants. Our findings indicated that inclusive leadership was associated with employees’ lower perceived disability stigma, and that was related to reduced accommodation request withholding. Furthermore, this relationship was more pronounced in employees with higher disability severity and relational-interdependent self-construal. Our research provides novel insights for disability diversity management, particularly around the role of inclusive leadership in fostering enabling workplace environments.
The Associations of Family Communication Patterns With Young Adults’ Depression in Hungary and China: The Mediating Role of Maternal Psychological Control
Authors: Li Xiaoxia , Zhang Yan Bing
Published: February 2025

In this survey study ( N = 235), we examined the associations among young adults’ perceptions of family communication patterns (FCPs), maternal psychological control (MPC), and depression in Hungary and China. The results revealed that Chinese young adults reported higher levels of family conformity orientation, MPC, and depression compared to their Hungarian counterparts. Additionally, Chinese and Hungarian young adults reported similar levels of family conversation orientation. Furthermore, results indicated that conversation orientation was a direct negative predictor of young adults’ depression. Lastly, conformity orientation was a positive indirect predictor of depression through MPC. These findings underscore the significant roles of general FCPs and specific parental behaviors play in the mental well-being of young adults.
From Hobbits to Harry Potter: A Psychological Perspective on Fantasy
Authors: Webster Russell J. , Weisberg Deena Skolnick , Saucier Donald A.
Published: February 2025

Human beings are generally captivated by fantasy—a distinct form of fiction—but there has been relatively little research in the behavioral sciences specifically on this subject (as defined in this article). This article integrates research from different areas of psychology and the humanities to provide a theoretical and methodological foundation from which behavioral scientists can conduct systematic empirical investigations of the relationship between fantasy and diverse psychological phenomena. First, this article establishes a working definition of fantasy, differentiating fantasy from other types of fiction (e.g., horror, science-fiction) and magical thinking/beliefs (e.g., superstition, religion). Second, we review the cognitive bases for creating and engaging with fantasy. Third, we discuss extant research on fantasy in multiple areas of psychology (e.g., learning, clinical/counseling, creativity, terror management) using both child and adult samples, while reviewing key individual differences in fantasy orientation (e.g., fantasy proneness, absorption) and highlighting gaps that require more empirical research. This review illustrates that it is worthwhile to expand research efforts on this construct throughout the behavioral sciences.
Religious Freedom in Mixed Denomination Marriages in the Polish-Ruthenian (Ukrainian/Belarusian) Cultural Borderland at the Turn of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
Authors: Guzowski Piotr , Poniat Radosław
Published: February 2025

This article analyzes the phenomenon of mixed marriages in the areas belonging to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth whose society was religiously and ethnically diversified. Special attention is paid to the cultural Polish-Ruthenian borderland in two regional contexts: Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Belarusian, whose population was Roman Catholic (a minority) and the majority Greek Catholic. Based on the census like material, we found that the households of mixed marriages accounted for between 5 and 20 percent of all those recorded in the sources, and there was a good chance in family relationships that both spouses and their children would keep their denomination.
Role of Race and Gender of Pedagogical Agents in Multimedia Learning
Authors: Zhao Fangzheng , Mayer Richard E. , Adamo-Villani Nicoletta , Mousas Christos , Choi Minsoo , Hauser Klay
Published: February 2025

Do students learn from video lessons presented by pedagogical agents of different racial and gender types equivalently to those delivered by a real human instructor? How do the race and gender of these agents impact students’ learning experiences and outcomes? In this between-subject design study, college students were randomly assigned to view a six 9-minute video lesson on chemical bonds, presented by pedagogical agents varying in gender (male, female) and race (Asian, Black, White), or to view the original lesson with a real human instructor. In comparing learning with a human instructor versus with a pedagogical agent of various races and genres, ANOVAs revealed no significant differences in learning outcomes (retention and transfer scores) or learner emotions, but students reported a stronger social connection with the human instructor over pedagogical agents. Students reported stronger positive emotions and social connections with female agents over male agents. Additionally, there was limited evidence of a race-matching effect, with White students showing greater positive emotion while learning with pedagogical agents of the same race. These findings highlight the limitations of pedagogical agents compared to human instructors in video lessons, while partially reflecting gender stereotypes and intergroup bias in instructor evaluations.
The Role of Theory of Mind in Facial Recognition of Chinese Children with Dyslexia
Authors: Wang Li-Chih , Cheng Mei-Chih , Tsai Hung-Ju
Published: February 2025

This study investigates facial recognition and the role of theory of mind in Chinese children with dyslexia, addressing a significant gap in research on nonalphabetic dyslexia. Participants were 174 children (85 with dyslexia, 89 typically developing) in Grades 4–6 in Taiwan. Facial recognition, theory of mind, and visual perception were assessed using standardized tests and a researcher-made task. Results revealed that children with dyslexia performed significantly worse on facial recognition tasks than their typically developing peers, even when controlling for visual perception. Furthermore, visual perception emerged as a strong predictor of facial recognition in both groups. Theory of mind also associated significantly with facial recognition, but only for the dyslexia group. These findings underscore the importance of the role social-cognitive skills play in visual perception for this population. The findings suggest that interventions for Chinese children with dyslexia should address both visual and social-cognitive skills to improve facial recognition and social interactions.
Criticism of Witness: Paul Fussell and the Rhetorical Irony of Modern Memory
Authors: Roling Joshua
Published: February 2025

This article proposes that Paul Fussell's body of scholarship, while ostensibly anti-war, ironically romanticizes the experience of suffering in war. While many scholars have suggested that Fussell uses his own biography to explicate the First World War, this essay argues that Fussell's oeuvre creates a class system based on those who have suffered in battle and those left ignorant of the realities of battle to reclaim the social status he lost during his time in the army and at war. Ultimately, Fussell class system limits the voices capable of producing scholarship related to war and reduces the conceptual potential of war literature criticism.
Violence and nicotine replacement therapy in a high dependency mental health unit
Authors: Spiers Alistair , Chin Chew Sok , Ng Kyle YuWei , Taran Michael , Thornton Phoebe , Theodoros Theo , Coleman Mat
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Nicotine withdrawal is associated with aggression on mental health wards. This study examined whether the introduction of an inhaled form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) improved acceptability and reduced observed aggression on a high dependency mental health unit (HDU), at a tertiary level metropolitan hospital.

Method

This retrospective cohort study included tobacco smokers admitted to the HDU over two consecutive years, following a smoking ban at the hospital. Transdermal patch and gum forms of NRT were available in the first year, with an inhaled form introduced the following year. Aggression was quantified using the Brøset violence checklist. Statistical analysis included the chi-squared test of independence and student’s t-test.

Results

Of the 89 people admitted, 85% smoked tobacco. Of these, 71% had a history of violence and 33% had been incarcerated for this. NRT use increased from 26% to 33% in the second year. Use of NRT was associated with a significant reduction in aggression across the study period, and the overall aggression was lower in the second year.

Conclusion

Greater choice of NRT agents can lead to improved use and acceptance, associated with reduced inpatient aggression. Acceptance, dosing and administration of NRT can all be improved by assertive policy.
The risks of exposure to surgical smoke in operating room staff: A cross-sectional observational study
Authors: Gjini Enkeleda , Terzoni Stefano , Carelli Lara , Lodini Roberta , Ferrara Filippo , Rosato Mattia , Ricci Cristian , Santoro Giusy , Ferrara Paolo
Published: February 2025

Background

Electromedical equipment, widely used in surgical procedures, generates a gaseous byproduct called surgical smoke (SS) that is potentially harmful to healthcare personnel in the operating theater. Surgical smoke evacuation devices have proven effective in limiting staff exposure but are not always adequately used in the operating room. The potential risks of such exposure could be better explored in the literature, and in-depth studies are lacking in the Italian setting.

Objective

To study individual health impact and knowledge by operating room staff regarding exposure to surgical smoke during professional activity.

Methods

Cross-sectional observational study on a convenience sample. All healthcare personnel working within the operating compartment of a public hospital in Lombardy, Northern Italy, were invited to answer a survey questionnaire created according to literature evidence.

Results

101 healthcare professionals responded; 91.1% reported one or more symptoms attributable to SS exposure. Surgical face masks were the most frequent devices against SS (75.2%). 44.6% of the sample did not know what devices are recommended against SS exposure.

Conclusions

Improving the healthcare professionals’ knowledge of the danger related to SS is crucial to protecting their health in the surgical compartment.
Which Prognostic Models Best Predict Clinical Disease Progression, Worsening, and Activity in People with Multiple Sclerosis? A Cochrane Review Summary with Commentary
Authors: Amatya Bhasker , Khan Fary
Published: February 2025

Background

Prognostic models have the potential to support people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) and clinicians in treatment decision-making, enable stratified and precise interpretation of interventional trials, and offer insights into disease mechanisms. Despite many researchers being involved in developing these models to predict clinical outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS), no widely accepted prognostic model is currently used in clinical practice.

Objective

Commentary on the review by Reeve et al. (2023) to identify and summarise multivariable prognostic models, and their validation studies for quantifying the risk of clinical disease progression, worsening, and activity in pwMS.

Methods

This review included studies evaluating statistically developed multivariable prognostic models aiming to predict clinical disease progression, worsening, and activity, as measured by disability, relapse, conversion to definite MS, conversion to progressive MS, or a composite of these in adult individuals with MS.

Results

The review included 57 studies, comprising 75 model developments, 15 external validations, and six author-reported validations. Only two models were validated multiple times externally, and none by independent researchers. The outcomes evaluated included disease progression (41%), relapses (8%), conversion to definite MS (18%), and conversion to progressive MS (28%). All models required specialist skills, 59% needed specialized equipment, and 52% lacked sufficient details for application or independent validation. Reporting quality was poor, and most models had a high risk of bias. The findings suggest increases in the number of participants on treatment, diverse diagnostic criteria, the use of biomarkers, and machine learning over time.

Conclusions

Despite the development of many prognostic prediction models in pwMS, current evidence is insufficient to recommend any of these models for clinical use due to the high risk of bias, poor reporting, and lack of independent validation. The review's findings necessitate a cautious approach to integrating existing MS prognostic models into rehabilitation practice.
How Forced Versus Selective Exposure Matters for the Influence of Emotional Appeals About Climate Change in a Sample of Americans
Authors: Skurka Chris , Romero-Canyas Rainer , Joo Helen H. , Niederdeppe Jeff
Published: February 2025

Researchers studying the influence of strategic science messages have overlooked the fact that people are selective in the content they consume. In this experiment, participants were “forced” to view one of three climate appeals (threat, humor, informational), reflecting the typical between-subjects experiment, or they were permitted to choose between one of these appeals (or topical alternatives), reflecting real-world media choice. Compared with forced exposure, choice exposure resulted in slightly less reactance and slightly greater enjoyment, appreciation, and persuasion outcomes—even after accounting for self-selection biases. These findings underscore the value of treating research participants as selective consumers of science content.