bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Behavioral Compliance on Weight-Loss and Metabolic Profile in a Smartphone App-Based Lifestyle Intervention or Plus Dietitian Supporting: A Randomized and Controlled Trial Among Chinese
Authors: Li Xue , Lu Ling , Sun Liang , Xie Yunxia , Huang Kang , Yuan Changzheng , Chen Liying , Lin Xu
Published: January 2025

Mobile health technologies provided innovative solutions for lifestyle interventions and offered reliable methods to evaluate behavioral phenotypes during such interventions. To systematically quantify the impacts of behavioral compliance on weight-loss and metabolic profiles during lifestyle intervention, a total of 395 Chinese adults with overweight/obesity (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) or central obesity (waistline ≥ 90 cm for men or ≥ 80 cm for women) were randomly assigned to a smartphone app-based arm (SAA, n = 197) or smartphone app plus dietitian arm (SADA, n = 198) for 6 months. Compliance scores (0–5) were determined based on fulfilling five behavioral tasks: completing online courses, wearing a smart band, and recording weight, food intake, and blood pressure. SADA had greater weight-loss (− 4.94% vs. − 2.28%, p < 0.001) and lower triglyceride, but higher HDL-C levels (both p < 0.05) than SAA after six months. Between-group weight-loss differences were attenuated at compliance scores ≥ 3 (SADA: − 6.30% vs. SAA: − 4.79%, p = 0.07). Mediation analysis suggested that compliance scores explained approximately 30% of the additional weight loss in the SADA (p < 0.001), and self-weighing was the primary mediator (p < 0.05). Higher educational levels, greater initial weight loss, self-perceived simplicity, and satisfaction with the program were potential determinants of intervention compliance. Overall, the superior weight loss and metabolic improvements in the SADA group could be mediated by behavioral compliance, which was possibly influenced by some demographic and intervention response features. Our findings highlighted the roles of behavioral phenotypes and adherence in app-based lifestyle interventions, and added evidence for the future development of more precise strategies in long-term weight management.
Deep learning models and the limits of explainable artificial intelligence
Authors: Bjerring Jens Christian , Mainz Jakob , Munch Lauritz
Published: January 2025

It has often been argued that we face a trade-off between accuracy and opacity in deep learning models. The idea is that we can only harness the accuracy of deep learning models by simultaneously accepting that the grounds for the models’ decision-making are epistemically opaque to us. In this paper, we ask the following question: what are the prospects of making deep learning models transparent without compromising on their accuracy? We argue that the answer to this question depends on which kind of opacity we have in mind. If we focus on the standard notion of opacity, which tracks the internal complexities of deep learning models, we argue that existing explainable AI (XAI) techniques show us that the prospects look relatively good. But, as it has recently been argued in the literature, there is another notion of opacity that concerns factors external to the model. We argue that there are at least two types of external opacity—link opacity and structure opacity—and that existing XAI techniques can to some extent help us reduce the former but not the latter.
Enacting efficient markets: The performativity of quantitative easing
Authors: Cassar Dylan
Published: January 2025

Quantitative easing (QE) has been a favourite tool of central banks in their post-financial crisis monetary policy apparatus. Social science literature has interpreted QE as a shift away from performative governance characterising pre-crisis monetary policy. With reference to the Bank of England’s experience, I offer a reinterpretation of QE as a performative intervention in the conditions of financial markets, as an attempt to alter the state of financial markets away from dysfunctionality and towards efficiency. I claim that, following the financial crisis, the model of complete and efficient markets – a mainstay in central banking prior to the crisis – was transformed from a real-world approximation to a ‘performative object’ to be achieved. In deploying the balance sheet, central banks attempt to performatively enact complete and efficient markets. The article rejects the claim of discontinuity between pre-crisis and post-crisis monetary policy, arguing that QE is a continuation of inflation targeting though with important innovations. While pre-crisis performativity relied on central bankers’ communicative framing of market expectations, QE is performative via the ontological shaping of financial markets, driven by epistemic models. The article relies on a set of 51 interviews with central bankers and financial market participants and a corpus of documents.
Revolutionary Love: Toward the Abolition of Anti-Black Colonial Desire
Authors: Sharma Alisha
Published: January 2025

Luce Irigaray offers a critical account of feminist desire in response to Hegelian, Freudian, and Lacanian models of desire based on lack. However, she reproduces anti-Black and colonial logics within her feminist, supposedly liberatory accounts of desire, thereby creating false utopias and limiting possibilities for liberatory struggle. This article brings Irigaray’s This Sex Which Is Not One (1985) into conversation with theorists in critical Black studies. Drawing on Denise Ferreira da Silva’s articulation of Unpayable Debt (2022) and Joy James’ concept of the captive maternal (James 2015; James 2016; James 2021; James 2022), I offer a radical proposal for the abolition of desire. Following revolutionary abolitionisms’ dual method of destruction and creation, I theorize both the destruction of the death-dealing concepts and practices of desire, as well as a sketch of revolutionary love as the inventive dimension of the abolition of desire. The features of revolutionary love that I engage include a valuing of freedom by any means necessary (including sacrifice) and a commitment to social life that honors and defends unpayable debts. Revolutionary love embodies difference without separability, toward the abolition and decolonization of the (colonial, anti-Black, racial capitalist, cisheteropatriarchal) world as we know it, rather than its reformation.
Examining the impact of clinical features and built environment on risk of hospital onset Clostridioides difficile infection
Authors: Singh Priti , Reid Endia , Smyer Justin , Martin Jennifer , Odei James , Hebert Courtney , Kline David
Published: January 2025

Objective

Environmental features of a patient’s room depend on the patient’s level of acuity and their clinical manifestations upon admission and during their hospital stay. In this study, we wish to apply statistical methodology to explore the association between room features and hospital onset infections caused by Clostridioides difficile (HO-CDI) while accounting for room assignment.

Method

We conducted a nested case–control study using retrospective electronic health record (EHR) data of patients hospitalized at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) between January 2019 and April 2021. We collected clinical information and combined that with room-based information, collected as surveys. Data were analyzed to assess the association between room factors and HO-CDI.

Results

2427 patients and 968 unique rooms were included in the study. Results indicated protective effects for rooms with cubical curtains near the patient (OR = 0.705, 95% CI = 0.549–0.906), rooms with separate shower units (OR = 0.674, 95% CI = 0.528–0.860), rooms with wall-mounted toilets (OR = 0.749, 95% CI = 0.592–0.950), rooms with sliding bathroom doors (OR = 0.593, 95% CI = 0.432–0.816), and sliding door knobs (OR = 0.593, 95% CI = 0.431-0.815). Rooms with manual paper towel dispensers had increased odds of HO-CDI (OR = 1.334, 95% CI = 1.053–1.691) compared to those with automatic towel dispensers.

Conclusion

Results suggest possible association between specific room features and HO-CDI, which could be further investigated with techniques like environmental sampling. Moreover, findings from the study offer valuable insights for targeted intervention measures.
National analysis of hospital-presenting suicidal ideation and self-harm among males
Authors: Wilson Michael J. , Byrne Sadhbh J. , Fisher Krista , Seidler Zac E. , Kavalidou Katerina
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

There is evidence of increasing rates of hospital presentations for suicidal crisis, and emergency departments (EDs) are described as an intervention point for suicide prevention. Males account for three in every four suicides in Ireland and are up to twice as likely as females to eventually die by suicide following a hospital presentation for suicidal crisis. This study therefore aimed to profile the characteristics of ED presentations for suicidal ideation and self-harm acts among males in Ireland, using clinical data collected by self-harm nurses within a dedicated national service for crisis presentations to EDs.

Methods:

Using ED data from 2018–2021, variability in the sociodemographic characteristics of male presentations was examined, followed by age-based diversity in the characteristics of presentations and interventions delivered. Finally, likelihood of onward referral to subsequent care was examined according to presentation characteristics.

Results:

Across 45,729 presentations, males more commonly presented with suicidal ideation than females (56% v. 44%) and less often with self-harm (42% v. 58%). Drug- and alcohol-related overdose was the most common method of self-harm observed. A majority of males presenting to ED reported no existing linkage with mental health services.

Conclusions:

Emergency clinicians have an opportunity to ensure subsequent linkage to mental health services for males post-crisis, with the aim of prevention of suicides.
How does stigma impact acts of compassion among people with borderline personality disorder
Authors: Street-Mattox Catrin , Broome Matthew R. , Ng Fiona , Griffiths Lowri , Jordan Gerald
Published: January 2025

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly stigmatised mental disorder. A variety of research exists highlighting the stigma experienced by individuals with BPD and the impacts of such prejudices on their lives. Similarly, much research exists on the benefits of engaging in compassionate acts, including improved mental health recovery. However, there is a notable gap in understanding how stigma experienced by people with BPD acts as a barrier to compassion and by extension recovery. This paper synthesises these perspectives, examining common barriers to compassionate acts, the impact of stigma on people with BPD, and how these barriers are exacerbated for individuals with BPD due to the stigma they face. The synthesis of perspectives in the article highlights the critical role of compassion in supporting the recovery of individuals with BPD, while also revealing the significant barriers posed by stigma. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between compassion and stigma, informing the development of targeted interventions to promote well-being and recovery for individuals with BPD.
From bad to worse: Follower reactions to escalating unethical behaviors of leaders
Authors: Waples Ethan P. , Osburn Holly K. , Leon Matthew , McKee Victoria P.
Published: January 2025

The present study focuses on the Charismatic, Ideological, and Pragmatic Theory of leadership, examining how sensemaking mitigates follower reactions after unethical leader behavior. We examine the impact of ethical misconduct type on follower outcomes, specifically whether CIP leaders are able to justify unethical behavior to maintain follower attitudes toward the leader. Participants assumed the role of an employee for a fictional oil and gas exploration company, encountering the company’s C, I, or P chief executive officer (CEO) through a video-taped speech discussing the state and vision of the organization. Participants read ethical misconduct related to “people” or ethical misconduct related to “tasks or resources” by the organization’s CEO. Finally, participants were provided (or not provided) a video-taped justification of the ethical misconduct. A three-way interaction revealed the impact of ethical misconduct type is key to leader sensemaking. Implications are discussed.
Government Investment Stimulus and Household Balance Sheet Externalities
Authors: Bhardwaj Abhishek , Mukherjee Saptarshi
Published: January 2025

We document spillover effects of government policies promoting capital investment on household financial choices and wealth accumulation. Using individual-level data on employment outcomes and household balance sheets, we find that increase in accelerated depreciation limits increases the layoff probability of routine workers and reduces their stock share of liquid wealth relative to non-routine workers. Background risk due to the policy is mitigated when workers have access to generous unemployment insurance benefits. Finally, we show that such portfolio rebalancing adversely impacts investment returns and the wealth accumulation of routine workers.
Exploration of cognitive flexibility and emotion recognition in adolescents with eating disorders
Authors: Celik Buyukceran Ozge , Yurumez Esra , Colak Burcin , Gunaydin Meltem , Oncu Bedriye
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

This study compared cognitive flexibility (CF) and emotion recognition (ER) in adolescents with eating disorders (ED) to a healthy group.

Methods:

Forty healthy individuals aged 12–18 years with no psychiatric diagnosis and 46 patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge eating disorder (BED) according to DSM-5 criteria participated. CF was assessed using the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS), Stroop Test, and Berg Card Sorting Test (BCST), while ER was evaluated using the test of perception of affect via nonverbal cues.

Results:

CFS scores were lower in the ED group compared to the control group. Neuropsychological test results indicated similar BCST perseverative error percentages among ED patients and controls. However, while the BED group demonstrated greater difficulties with inhibitory control, as shown in the Stroop Test, the BN and AN groups performed similarly to the control group. ER performance was similar across groups, although the AN subgroup exhibited heightened recognition of negative emotions, particularly disgust and fear.

Conclusions:

This study highlights unique and shared neurocognitive patterns related to CF and ER profiles of ED patients. Despite self-reports of greater cognitive rigidity among ED patients, objective tests did not consistently confirm it. Notably, BED patients exhibited inhibitory control challenges, aligning with impulsive tendencies. ER abilities were similar to controls; however, the AN subgroup showed heightened sensitivity to certain negative emotions, such as disgust. These findings underscore the need for further research with larger, more balanced samples to explore how CF and ER vary across developmental stages and subtypes.
Green Regionalism in World Trade Law
Authors: Hsieh Pasha L.
Published: January 2025

Multifaceted geopolitical conflicts have led to disruptions in the trade regime and multilateral negotiations. As a paradigm shift, green regionalism has emerged as a new normative process for regional economic frameworks to integrate and operationalize environmental sustainability. The article offers the first interdisciplinary analysis of green regionalism in world trade law. It argues that green regionalism, which has evolved amid various waves of global regionalism, constructs the normative foundation for ‘Trade and Sustainability 2.0’. The article employs the concept of recognition in international relations to unveil the motivations and actions of major states in catalyzing green regionalism. Legal and political challenges confronting the Environmental Goods Agreement of the World Trade Organization, environmental agreements, and mega-trade agreements are also examined. Second, the article explores the multipolar frameworks for implementing green regionalism. Case studies involving recent developments of US and EU trade pacts, as well as of new Asia-Pacific green economy agreements, shed light on the trade-sustainability nexus. Hence, the theoretical and empirical implications of the research are valuable for devising trade law approaches to advancing Sustainable Development Goals.
Technological vulnerability among the higher-educated: implications for party preferences
Authors: Knotz Carlo Michael
Published: January 2025

The higher-educated were long supposed to be winners of technological change, but recent evidence indicates that they feel (and are) increasingly exposed to the risk of technological redundancy. Based on what is known about how lower- to medium-skilled workers respond to technological exposure, this new sense of vulnerability among the higher-educated could have significant political effects – specifically increased support for right-wing populist parties – but empirical evidence on this is still lacking. I address this gap and investigate the effects of technological vulnerability on the party preferences of the higher-educated using survey data from the 2022 Risks that Matter survey. I find that feeling technologically vulnerable does indeed increase support for populist right-wing parties and reduce support for left parties among the higher-educated. I also conduct mediation analyses to explore the mechanisms behind these patterns and find evidence for a significant but substantively small mediation effect of social policy preferences.
Is there a mental health diagnostic crisis in primary care? Current research practices in global mental health cannot answer that question
Authors: Kohrt Brandon A. , Gurung Dristy , Singh Ritika , Rai Sauharda , Neupane Mani , Turner Elizabeth L. , Platt Alyssa , Sun Shifeng , Gautam Kamal , Luitel Nagendra P. , Jordans Mark J.D.
Published: January 2025

In low- and middle-income countries, fewer than 1 in 10 people with mental health conditions are estimated to be accurately diagnosed in primary care. This is despite more than 90 countries providing mental health training for primary healthcare workers in the past two decades. The lack of accurate diagnoses is a major bottleneck to reducing the global mental health treatment gap. In this commentary, we argue that current research practices are insufficient to generate the evidence needed to improve diagnostic accuracy. Research studies commonly determine accurate diagnosis by relying on self-report tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. This is problematic because self-report tools often overestimate prevalence, primarily due to their high rates of false positives. Moreover, nearly all studies on detection focus solely on depression, not taking into account the spectrum of conditions on which primary healthcare workers are being trained. Single condition self-report tools fail to discriminate among different types of mental health conditions, leading to a heterogeneous group of conditions masked under a single scale. As an alternative path forward, we propose improving research on diagnostic accuracy to better evaluate the reach of mental health service delivery in primary care. We recommend evaluating multiple conditions, statistically adjusting prevalence estimates generated from self-report tools, and consistently using structured clinical interviews as a gold standard. We propose clinically meaningful detection as ‘good-enough’ diagnoses incorporating multiple conditions accounting for context, health system and types of interventions available. Clinically meaningful identification can be operationalized differently across settings based on what level of diagnostic specificity is needed to select from available treatments. Rethinking research strategies to evaluate accuracy of diagnosis is vital to improve training, supervision and delivery of mental health services around the world.
Oligodendrocyte precursor cells facilitate neuronal lysosome release
Authors: Fang Li-Pao , Lin Ching-Hsin , Medlej Yasser , Zhao Renping , Chang Hsin-Fang , Guo Qilin , Wu Zhonghao , Su Yixun , Zhao Na , Gobbo Davide , Wyatt Amanda , Wahl Vanessa , Fiore Frederic , Tu Szu-Min , Boehm Ulrich , Huang Wenhui , Bian Shan , Agarwal Amit , Lauterbach Marcel A. , Yi Chenju , Niu Jianqin , Scheller Anja , Kirchhoff Frank , Bai Xianshu
Published: January 2025

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) shape brain function through many non-canonical regulatory mechanisms beyond myelination. Here we show that OPCs form contacts with their processes on neuronal somata in a neuronal activity-dependent manner. These contacts facilitate exocytosis of neuronal lysosomes. A reduction in the number or branching of OPCs reduces these contacts, which is associated with lysosome accumulation and altered metabolism in neurons and more senescent neurons with age. A similar reduction in OPC branching and neuronal lysosome accumulation is seen in an early-stage mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Our findings have implications for the prevention of age-related pathologies and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Rising infrastructure inequalities accompany urbanization and economic development
Authors: Pandey Bhartendu , Brelsford Christa , Seto Karen C.
Published: January 2025

Impending global urban population growth is expected to occur with considerable infrastructure expansion. However, our understanding of attendant infrastructure inequalities is limited, highlighting a critical knowledge gap in the sustainable development implications of urbanization. Using satellite data from 2000 to 2019, we examine country-level population-adjusted biases in infrastructure distribution within and between regions of varying urbanization levels and derive four key findings. First, we find long-run positive associations between infrastructure inequalities and both urbanization and economic development. Second, our estimates highlight increasing infrastructure inequalities across most of the countries examined. Third, we find greater future infrastructure inequality increases in the global south, where inequalities will rise more in countries with substantial urban primacy. Fourth, we find that infrastructure inequality may evolve differently than economic inequalities. Overall, advancing sustainable development vis-à-vis urbanization and economic development will require intentional infrastructure planning for spatial equity.
Kinetic and isothermal study of dye absorption using pre-treated natural fabrics using polyamine compounds
Authors: Reda Eman M. , Othman Hanan A. , Ghazal Heba , Hassabo Ahmed G.
Published: January 2025

The study examined the use of cationic polymers (Polyethyleneimine and chitosan) in treating fabrics like cotton, wool, and cotton/wool (70/30) to improve their dyeability and printability. The study examined factors such as dye concentration, time, and temperature for the dyeing process. Results showed that all dyed and printed fabrics treated with polyethyleneimine and chitosan increased color strength by significant percentages. Fastness properties, such as washing, rubbing, acidic and alkaline perspiration, and lightness, improved significantly. Fabric roughness, tensile strength, and elongation decreased by about 4-10% for each fabric. Additionally, the dyed and printed fabrics showed high resistance to bacteria and fungi. The study contributed to reducing chemicals used in traditional dyeing processes by a significant percentage, as the dyeing bath contained only the treated sample and dye solution. Furthermore kintic and isothermal study was investigated to explain the behaviour of treated fabrics for dye absorption.
Renal dysfunction contributes to deteriorated survival outcomes in patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding: insights from a cohort study of 1160 cases
Authors: Simon Orsolya Anna , Frim Levente , Farkas Nelli , Sipos Zoltán , Vörhendi Nóra , Boros Eszter , Pálinkás Dániel , Teutsch Brigitta , Kalló Patrícia , Vass Vivien , Szentesi Andrea , Hágendorn Roland , Hegyi Péter , Erőss Bálint , Szabó Imre
Published: January 2025

Both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease are risk factors for many outcomes of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). These are associated with higher mortality, longer hospitalisation, and greater need for transfusion in case of overt GIB. Our study aimed to further evaluate the role of kidney function in several clinical outcomes of GIB patients. The Hungarian Gastrointestinal Bleeding Registry collected data on all-cause GIB between 2019 and 2022. A multi-level data-validation system provided high-quality data, which was retrospectively analysed. Numerous primary (in-hospital mortality, discharge, need for endoscopic intervention, in-hospital rebleeding, length of hospitalisation, need for emergency surgery, need for endoscopic examination and need for intensive care unit) and secondary (detection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), recognition of cancer as the source of bleeding, need for any kind of transfusion or clotting factor, anticoagulation therapy) outcomes were observed. Descriptive statistical tools were used to summarize our data. Among others, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (ml/min/1.73 m2) was used as continuous variable, mean, standard deviation, median, interquartile range and minimum/maximum values were calculated. Reduced kidney function was associated with in-hospital mortality (eGFR: 42.63 ± 28.78 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 57.08 ± 26.62 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.001), need for red blood cells (RBC) transfusion (eGFR: 51.98 ± 27.90 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 60.11 ± 25.06 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.001) and clotting factor supplementation (eGFR: 47.40 ± 27.41 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 56.68 ± 27.02 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.001). Better eGFR values at admission were associated with discharge home after proper treatment, compared to any other outcome of the admission (eGFR: 58.12 ± 25.56 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 50.23 ± 29.69 ml/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.001), H. pylori positivity (eGFR: 59.63 ± 25.24 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 52.76 ± 25.44 ml/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.021) and the need for endoscopic intervention (eGFR: 58.65 ± 26.61 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 54.31 ± 27.64 ml/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.008). At admission, patients with better eGFR than 36.64 ml/min/1.73 m2 were discharged to their homes, mortality was higher with eGFR worse than 25.96 ml/min/1.73 m2, more RBC transfusion was needed if eGFR was lower than 49.61 ml/min/1.73 m2. Regulation of anticoagulation was examined extensively. Impaired kidney function at admission results higher in-hospital mortality in overt all-cause GIB and increases the need of RBC transfusion.
Error-driven upregulation of memory representations
Authors: Weuthen Alexander , Kirschner Hans , Ullsperger Markus
Published: January 2025

Learning an association does not always succeed on the first attempt. Previous studies associated increased error signals in posterior medial frontal cortex with improved memory formation. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms that facilitate post-error learning remain poorly understood. To address this gap, participants performed a feedback-based association learning task and a 1-back localizer task. Increased hemodynamic responses in posterior medial frontal cortex were found for internal and external origins of memory error evidence, and during post-error encoding success as quantified by subsequent recall of face-associated memories. A localizer-based machine learning model displayed a network of cognitive control regions, including posterior medial frontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, whose activity was related to face-processing evidence in the fusiform face area. Representation strength was higher during failed recall and increased during encoding when subsequent recall succeeded. These data enhance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of adaptive learning by linking the need for learning with increased processing of the relevant stimulus category.
Evaluating the potential of Pr2O3/C18H6Cu3O12 composites as positrodes with sustainable energy-power density for battery-supercapacitor hybrids
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad Zahir , Zakir Ayesha , Shah Syed Johar Ali , Dastageer Ghulam , Batoo Khalid Mujasam , Ijaz Muhammad Farzik
Published: January 2025

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), incorporating the benefits of batteries and supercapacitors (SCs), have drawn significant research attention.
Effect of HRTFs and head motion on auditory-visual localization in real and virtual studio environments
Authors: Riedel Stefan , Frank Matthias , Zotter Franz
Published: January 2025

When localizing sound sources in natural or virtual environments, multisensory integration that combines auditory and visual cues is often involved. This study aims to determine the effect of (non-)individual head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) on sound source localization in the presence of visual cues. 
Participants ($N=16$) were seated in a hemispherical loudspeaker arrangement, and their task was to indicate the perceived direction of pink-noise bursts. The conditions included localization of real loudspeakers and virtualized loudspeakers based on binaural rendering with (non-)individual HRTFs. The horizontal spacing of the visible loudspeakers was 30 degrees or larger and the vertical spacing was varied between 30 degrees and 15 degrees, to focus on vertical discrimination. 
The results of a static localization experiment (no head movements during playback) demonstrated an increased rate of vertical local confusions using non-individual binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs) of the KU100 dummy head compared to individual BRIRs. Dynamic auditory-visual localization with non-individual HRTFs suffered from vertical uncertainty and bias in the frontal area, where local confusion rates were consistent with the static experiment. 
In conclusion, the horizontal localization mapping of dynamic binaural rendering with non-individual HRTFs was comparable to real loudspeaker reproduction, while the vertical mapping was significantly impaired.
Investigating the kill cloud: information warfare, autonomous weapons & AI
Authors: Bhila Ishmael
Published: January 2025

The “kill chain”—involving the analysis of data by human users of military technologies, the understanding of that data, and human decisions—has fast been replaced by the “kill cloud” that necessitates, allows, and exacerbates increased thirst for domination, violence against distant populations, and a culture of experimentation with human lives. This commentary reports an interdisciplinary discussion organised by the Disruption Network Lab that brought together whistleblowers, artists, and experts investigating the impact of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies on networked warfare. Exposing the problematics of networked warfare and the kill cloud, their colonial overtones, effects on human subjects in real life, erroneous scientific rationalities, and the (business) practices and logics that enable this algorithmic machinery of violence. The conference took place from the 29th of November to the 1st of December 2024 at the Kunstquartier Bethanien in Berlin, Germany.
Nitride thin films grown by thermal laser epitaxy
Authors: Kim Dong Yeong , Harbola Varun , Jung Seungwon , Lee Jinjoo , Roy Sukanya , Hensling Felix V. E. , Majer Lena N. , Wang Hongguang , van Aken Peter A. , Lopes Joao Marcelo J. , Aggarwal Neha , Mannhart Jochen , Braun Wolfgang
Published: January 2025

The growth of a wide range of binary nitride films with excellent properties is reported. These films are deposited by thermal laser epitaxy (TLE). If equipped with CO2–laser substrate heating, TLE allows growth temperatures ≫ 1000 °C combined with strong nitriding conditions, which are established by using ammonia (NH3) gas as a nitrogen precursor. Films deposited on c-plane sapphire substrates include semiconducting nitrides (BN, AlN, ScN, and YN), superconducting nitrides (TiN, VN, ZrN, and NbN), and magnetic nitrides (CrN and GdN). The superconducting transition temperatures of TiN, VN, ZrN, and NbN films are 5.7, 8.9, 8.9, and 16.9 K, respectively. The Néel temperature of CrN films is ≃280 K, and the Curie temperature of GdN films is 66 K; both lie within the reported ranges. The controlled fabrication of different phases of individual nitride compounds is explored, revealing that subnitride phases can be grown at lower NH3 pressures. This study also demonstrates the heteroepitaxial growth of multilayer nitride films on c-plane sapphire.
Reconfigurable scattering by liquid crystal–polymer composite
Authors: Guo Duan-Yi , Liu Yan-Ting , Tu Chen-Wei , Khoo Iam Choon , Lin Tsung-Hsien
Published: January 2025

Scattering phenomena offer significant application potential in fields such as high-resolution imaging, sensing, material characterization, and photonic computing due to their random-walk behavior and intricate spatial intensity statistics. A key to enhanced performance is to generate or reconfigure scattered light with tailored statistics to meet the specific requirements of various applications. Existing methods for reconfiguring scattering often rely on spatial light modulators and computational tools, which invariably involve complex algorithms and are constrained by limited spatial resolution and lack of control over polarization responses. In this work, we investigate the modulation of scattering statistics with a liquid crystal–polymer composite (LCPC) under varying applied voltages. By leveraging the electro-optic properties of LCPCs, the morphology and types of the reconfigured speckles can be dynamically adjusted between Rayleigh and non-Rayleigh with good stability. In addition, the polarization characteristics of the reconfigured speckles can be modulated, introducing another degree of freedom in scattering reconfiguration. These findings underscore the potential of LCPCs as a promising platform for reconfiguring scattering, offering new possibilities in adaptive optics, neuromorphic computing, and imaging-related applications.
Microring quantum cascade surface emitting lasers
Authors: Stark David , Beck Mattias , Faist Jérôme
Published: January 2025

We miniaturize a vertically coupled in-plane whispering gallery mode cavity incorporating a quantum cascade gain medium, aiming to realize the mid-infrared counterpart to the vertical cavity surface emitting laser. Building on previous work with linear microcavities, we introduce a new type of quantum cascade surface emitting laser (QCSEL) by miniaturizing a buried heterostructure ring cavity. At wavelengths of 4.5 and 8 μm, we investigate the optical losses for decreasing ring diameters while benchmarking the device performance against linear microcavities. We achieve an equivalent mirror reflectivity of 0.95 and demonstrate lasing with ring diameters as small as 50 μm. Finally, we report a continuous-wave threshold power dissipation of 274 mW for a 100 μm diameter ring QCSEL, characterized on wafer level at 20 °C.
Dynamic characteristic analysis and load design of large floating structures based on experimental design
Authors: Zhao Guofeng , Zhu Shifan
Published: January 2025

The regularity of the influence of wave parameters on the hydrodynamic response of ocean engineering structures under irregular waves is not easy to obtain. In order to make qualitative and quantitative analysis of the regularity, the hydrodynamic response of large-scale ocean engineering structures under different wave loads is experimentally designed and studied based on the experimental design method and the moving least squares–Kriging hybrid fitting method. The boundary element method based on potential flow theory is applied to calculate the frequency domain response of the structure, and the time domain response of the structure is calculated by the Fourier transform and convolution method. The results show that the mooring safety of structures cannot be evaluated based on the hydrodynamic response of structures under a single irregular wave condition or a response amplitude operator. The experimental design method based on the plane Monte Carlo method and Latin hypercube sampling method and the fitting method based on the moving least squares and Kriging methods can effectively evaluate the influence of wave parameters on the dynamic response of structures. The larger dynamic response amplitudes of the structure appear frequently under the low peak frequency irregular wave condition. Changing the number of sample points will influence the experimental design and fitting results, but when the number of sample points is enough, changing the number of sample points will not have a significant impact on the evaluation of the maximum dynamic response area and maximum response value of the structure (the maximum relative deviation in this paper is less than 5%).
Synthesis of substituted azines with the participation of 4-bromo-5-nitrophthalonitrile
Authors: Abramov Igor Gennad'evich , Zhandarev Valerii V , Smirnov Alexey V , Kalandadze Levan S , Goshin Mikhail E , Plakhtinskii Vladimir V
Published: January 2025

New cyan-containing azines were synthesised by activated aromatic nucleophilic substitution for the bromine atom and the nitro group in 4-bromo-5-nitrophthalonitrile with bifunctional O-, N-, and S-nucleophiles.
Uterine organoids reveal insights into epithelial specification and plasticity in development and disease
Authors: Rizo Jason A. , Ahmad Vakil , Pru Jacob M. , Winuthayanon Sarayut , Challa Sridevi , Kim Tae Hoon , Jeong Jae-Wook , Spencer Thomas E. , Kelleher Andrew M.
Published: January 2025

Understanding how epithelial cells in the female reproductive tract (FRT) differentiate is crucial for reproductive health, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. At birth, FRT epithelium is highly malleable, allowing differentiation into various epithelial types, but the regulatory pathways guiding these early cell fate decisions are unclear. Here, we use neonatal mouse endometrial organoids and assembloid coculture models to investigate how innate cellular plasticity and external mesenchymal signals influence epithelial differentiation. Our findings demonstrate that uterine epithelium undergoes marked age-dependent changes, transitioning from a highly plastic state capable of forming both monolayered and multilayered structures to a more restricted fate as development progresses. Interestingly, parallels emerge between the developmental plasticity of neonatal uterine epithelium and pathological conditions such as endometrial cancer, where similar regulatory mechanisms may reactivate, driving abnormal epithelial differentiation and tumorigenesis. These results not only deepen our understanding of early uterine development but also offer a valuable model for studying the progression of reproductive diseases and cancers.
The construction of large-scale structure catalogs for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument
Authors: Ross A.J. , Aguilar J. , Ahlen S. , Alam S. , Anand A. , Bailey S. , Bianchi D. , Brieden S. , Brooks D. , Burtin E. , Carnero Rosell A. , Chaussidon E. , Claybaugh T. , Cole S. , Dawson K. , de la Macorra A. , de Mattia A. , Dey A. , Dey B. , Doel P. , Fanning K. , Ferraro S. , Ereza J. , Font-Ribera A. , Forero-Romero J.E. , Gaztañaga E. , Gil-Marín H. , Gontcho S.Gontcho A. , Gonzalez-Morales A.X. , Guy J. , Hahn C. , Heydenreich S. , Honscheid K. , Howlett C. , Ishak M. , Karim T. , Kirkby D. , Kisner T. , Kong H. , Kremin A. , Krolewski A. , Lambert A. , Landriau M. , Lasker J. , Guillou L.L. , Levi M.E. , Manera M. , Martini P. , McDonald P. , Meisner A. , Miquel R. , Moon J. , Moustakas J. , Muñoz-Gutiérrez A. , Myers A.D. , Nadathur S. , Napolitano L. , Newman J.A. , Nie J. , Niz G. , Palanque-Delabrouille N. , Percival W.J. , Poppett C. , Prada F. , Raichoor A. , Ravoux C. , Rezaie M. , Rosado-Marin A. , Rossi G. , Samushia L. , Sanchez E. , Schlafly E.F. , Schlegel D. , Seo H. , Smith A. , Sprayberry D. , Tarlé G. , Valcin D. , Vargas-Magaña M. , Weaver B.A. , Wilson M.J. , Yu J. , Zarrouk P. , Zhao C. , Zhou R. , Zou H.
Published: January 2025

We present the technical details on how large-scale structure (LSS) catalogs are constructed from redshifts measured from spectra observed by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The LSS catalogs provide the information needed to determine the relative number density of DESI tracers as a function of redshift and celestial coordinates and, e.g., determine clustering statistics. We produce catalogs that are weighted subsamples of the observed data, each matched to a weighted `random' catalog that forms an unclustered sampling of the probability density that DESI could have observed those data at each location.
Precise knowledge of the DESI observing history and associated hardware performance allows for a determination of the DESI footprint and the number of times DESI has covered it at sub-arcsecond level precision. This enables the completeness of any DESI sample to be modeled at this same resolution.
The pipeline developed to create LSS catalogs has been designed to easily allow robustness tests and enable future improvements. We describe how it allows ongoing work improving the match between galaxy and random catalogs, such as including further information when assigning redshifts to randoms, accounting for fluctuations in target density, accounting for variation in the redshift success rate, and accommodating blinding schemes.
HOD-dependent systematics for luminous red galaxies in the DESI 2024 BAO analysis
Authors: Mena-Fernández J. , Garcia-Quintero C. , Yuan S. , Hadzhiyska B. , Alves O. , Rashkovetskyi M. , Seo H. , Padmanabhan N. , Nadathur S. , Howlett C. , Alam S. , Rocher A. , Ross A.J. , Sanchez E. , Ishak M. , Aguilar J. , Ahlen S. , Andrade U. , BenZvi S. , Brooks D. , Burtin E. , Chen S. , Chen X. , Claybaugh T. , Cole S. , de la Macorra A. , de Mattia A. , Dey Arjun , Dey B. , Ding Z. , Doel P. , Fanning K. , Forero-Romero J.E. , Gaztañaga E. , Gil-Marín H. , Gontcho S.Gontcho A. , Gutierrez G. , Guy J. , Hahn C. , Honscheid K. , Juneau S. , Kremin A. , Landriau M. , Le Guillou L. , Levi M.E. , Manera M. , Martini P. , Medina-Varela L. , Meisner A. , Miquel R. , Moustakas J. , Mueller E. , Muñoz-Gutiérrez A. , Myers A.D. , Newman J.A. , Nie J. , Niz G. , Paillas E. , Palanque-Delabrouille N. , Percival W.J. , Poppett C. , Pérez-Fernández A. , Rosado-Marin A. , Rossi G. , Ruggeri R. , Saulder C. , Schlegel D. , Schubnell M. , Sprayberry D. , Tarlé G. , Vargas-Magaña M. , Weaver B.A. , Yu J. , Zhang H. , Zou H.
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we present the estimation of systematics related to the halo occupation
distribution (HOD) modeling in the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) distance measurement of the
Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) 2024 analysis. This paper focuses on the study of HOD
systematics for luminous red galaxies (LRG). We consider three different HOD models for LRGs,
including the base 5-parameter vanilla model and two extensions to it, that we refer to as
baseline and extended models. The baseline model is described by the 5 vanilla HOD parameters, an
incompleteness factor and a velocity bias parameter, whereas the extended one also includes a
galaxy assembly bias and a satellite profile parameter. We utilize the 25 dark matter simulations
available in the AbacusSummit simulation suite at z=0.8 and generate mock catalogs for our different
HOD models. To test the impact of the HOD modeling in the position of the BAO peak, we run BAO
fits for all these sets of simulations and compare the best-fit BAO-scaling parameters α
iso
and α
AP between every pair of HOD models. We do this for both Fourier and configuration
spaces independently, using post-reconstruction measurements. We find a 3.3σ detection of
HOD systematic for α
AP in configuration space with an amplitude of 0.19%. For the other
cases, we did not find a 3σ detection, and we decided to compute a conservative estimation
of the systematic using the ensemble of shifts between all pairs of HOD models. By doing this, we
quote a systematic with an amplitude of 0.07% in α
iso for both Fourier and configuration
spaces; and of 0.09% in α
AP for Fourier space.
An analysis of parameter compression and Full-Modeling techniques with Velocileptors for DESI 2024 and beyond
Authors: Maus M. , Chen S. , White M. , Aguilar J. , Ahlen S. , Aviles A. , Brieden S. , Brooks D. , Claybaugh T. , Cole S. , de la Macorra A. , Dey Arjun , Doel P. , Ferraro S. , Findlay N. , Forero-Romero J.E. , Gaztañaga E. , Gil-Marín H. , Gontcho S.Gontcho A. , Hahn C. , Honscheid K. , Howlett C. , Ishak M. , Juneau S. , Kremin A. , Lai Y. , Landriau M. , Levi M.E. , Manera M. , Miquel R. , Mueller E. , Myers A.D. , Nadathur S. , Nie J. , Noriega H.E. , Palanque-Delabrouille N. , Percival W.J. , Poppett C. , Ramirez-Solano S. , Rezaie M. , Rocher A. , Rossi G. , Sanchez E. , Schlegel D. , Schubnell M. , Seo H. , Sprayberry D. , Tarlé G. , Vargas-Magaña M. , Weaver B.A. , Yuan S. , Zarrouk P. , Zhang H. , Zhou R. , Zou H.
Published: January 2025

In anticipation of forthcoming data releases of current and future spectroscopic surveys, we present the validation tests and analysis of systematic effects within velocileptors modeling pipeline when fitting mock data from the AbacusSummit N-body simulations. We compare the constraints obtained from parameter compression methods to the direct fitting (Full-Modeling) approaches of modeling the galaxy power spectra, and show that the ShapeFit extension to the traditional template method is consistent with the Full-Modeling method within the standard ΛCDM parameter space. We show the dependence on scale cuts when fitting the different redshift bins using the ShapeFit and Full-Modeling methods. We test the ability to jointly fit data from multiple redshift bins as well as joint analysis of the pre-reconstruction power spectrum with the post-reconstruction BAO correlation function signal. We further demonstrate the behavior of the model when opening up the parameter space beyond ΛCDM and also when combining likelihoods with external datasets, namely the Planck CMB priors. Finally, we describe different parametrization options for the galaxy bias, counterterm, and stochastic parameters, and employ the halo model in order to physically motivate suitable priors that are necessary to ensure the stability of the perturbation theory.