bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract WP74: Streamlined Data Management and Escalation Process for Stroke Team Performance Improvement Initiatives Using SharePoint™
Authors: Gaffney Denise , Santosa Rhendy , Mkrtumyan Alvina , Taleb Shayandokht , Salinas Jackalyn , Cheng Pamela , Le Duy , Sangha Navi , Ajani Zahra
Published: January 2025

Background:
Efficient data management and escalation processes are crucial for facilitating continuous improvement initiatives. Stroke care necessitates quick identification of opportunities for improvement (OFIs) related to core measures and performance improvement initiatives (PI). This abstract presents an overview of a tailored data management and escalation process designed to enhance stroke team performance through the utilization of SharePoint™.

Methods:
SharePoint™ list was configured to simultaneously capture OFIs identified by the stroke team. An automated email notification system triggers a prompt alert to the assigned parties, including unit department administrators and stroke champions, regarding the new entry. The assigned parties receive the email notification along with an audit link, granting them direct access to the corresponding audit form. Stakeholders then analyze the OFIs, develop action plans and assess trends in the data. This process supports continuous learning and adaptation, enabling the stroke team to refine strategies and optimizes compliance with The Joint Commission stroke standards.

Results:
From October 2021 through July 2024, 2,292 escalations were issued. The mean number of escalations per unit was 134.82. Most departments (8 out of 17) have escalations between 0 and 50. The highest number of escalations were in the ICU 639 (28%), followed by Interventional Radiology 542 (24%), and PACU 226 (10%). There were a total of 22,668 site visits to the SharePoint™ site, with 210 unique viewers. Figure 1 shows the SharePoint™ entry form that is utilized for escalation and analysis. Figure 2 displays PowerBI™ visualization depicting the unit summary of escalations by month, unit, and OFI type. Figure 3 demonstrates the site usage traffic.

Conclusion:
The data management and escalation process outlined in this abstract represents a paradigm shift in stroke team performance improvement strategies. By harnessing the capabilities of SharePoint™ and leveraging automated notifications, real-time data analytics, and collaborative action planning, healthcare organizations can effectively navigate the complexities of performance improvement in a rapidly evolving landscape. This process not only enhances operational efficiency but also empowers stakeholders to drive meaningful change, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and enhanced quality of care driven by sustainable PI.
Abstract WP87: Keeping Everyone In The Loop: A Nurse Navigator’s Role in Tracking, Reporting, and Ensuring Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation in Ischemic Stroke Patients after Implantable Loop Recorder Insertion
Authors: Wildasin Amy
Published: January 2025

Introduction:
Continuous electrocardiographic monitoring using an implantable loop recorder (ILR) can facilitate the detection of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation episodes. At our institution, ILRs are monitored by cardiology but treated by neurology when inserted after an ischemic stroke. When loop monitors showed positive results, we identified a break in communication between cardiology and neurology. We investigated whether the nurse navigator (NN) can bridge the gap in delayed communication between neurology, cardiology, and atrial fibrillation treatment.

Methods:
Using a prospectively maintained Comprehensive Stroke Center database, we reviewed our ischemic stroke patients with implantable loop recorders from January 2024 to July 2024. After insertion the NN logs the patient into the database and tracks the patient’s monthly interrogation report. When positive, the neurology provider who last saw the patient is notified via a priority message in the EMR. The NN continues to track the patient until the neurologist initiates a treatment plan. Variables include the type of device, time from admission to loop insertion, and patient compliance with monitoring.

Results:
From Jan 2024- July 2024, 62 individuals were implanted with a loop recorder. 7 patients had Biotronik ICM loop recorders, 13 had Boston Scientific Lux loop recorders, 35 had Medtronic Lux loop recorders, and 7 had Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry Devices (MCOT). The median time from implantation to the first detected atrial fibrillation was 115.7 days. The total positive detection of atrial fibrillation was 12 cases. The total number of patients who had detected atrial fibrillation in less than 30 days was 2.

Conclusion:
The comprehensive role of the nurse is pivotal in ensuring the successful integration of ILRs into patient care, from preparation for implantation to post-operative follow-up and data interpretation. The NN collaborates closely with the healthcare team to analyze data retrieved from ILRs, facilitating timely and accurate diagnoses. After implementing this program, the NN identified and ensured treatment was started for 12 out of 62 patients who tested positive for atrial fibrillation between Jan 2024 and June 2024. In doing so, the NNimproves patient outcomes, enhances the overall efficacy of loop recorder use in clinical practice, and ensures the timely treatment of positive atrial fibrillation findings.
Predicting Atrial Fibrillation After Stroke by Combining Polygenic Risk Scores and Clinical Features
Authors: Tack Reinier WP , Tan Benjamin Yong-Qiang , Senff Jasper Rudolf , Prapiadou Savvina , Kimball Tamara N , Khurshid Shaan , Ashburner Jeffrey M , Jurgens Sean J , Singh Sanjula D , Weng Lu-Chen , Gunn Sophia , Roselli Carolina , Lunetta Kathryn L. , Benjamin Emelia J. , Ellinor Patrick T , Rosand Jonathan , Mayerhofer Ernst , Lubitz Steven A , Anderson Christopher D.
Published: January 2025

Background:
Since treatment with anticoagulants can prevent recurrent strokes, identification of patients at risk for incident AF after stroke is crucial. We aimed to investigate whether the addition of AF polygenic risk scores (PRS) to existing clinical risk predictors could improve prediction of AF after stroke.

Methods:
Patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke at Massachusetts General Hospital between 2003-2017 were included. Clinical AF risk was estimated using the Re-CHARGE-AF model and genetic risk was estimated using a contemporary AF PRS from 1,093,050 variants. Patients were divided into clinical and genetic risk tertiles. Cox proportional hazards models at different follow-up windows were fit, and C-indices and percentile-based Net Reclassification Index (NRI) were used to determine improvement of clinical risk models with the addition of AF PRS.

Results:
Of 1004 stroke survivors, 900 (90%) were non-Hispanic White, 413 (41%) were female, and the mean age was 67 (SD 14). Of 1004 survivors, 239 (23.8%) had prevalent AF and 87/765 (11.4%) of the remaining patients developed incident AF during 5 years of follow-up. AF PRS was associated with greater risk of incident AF after stroke (HR 1.16 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.94-1.44] per 1 SD increase), although the association was not statistically significant. PRS improved discrimination in the first month (AUC 0.78 [95% CI 0.70-0.82] vs AUC 0.71 [95% CI 0.60-0.82], p = 0.05), with more modest estimates across longer time windows.

Conclusion:
Addition of an AF PRS to clinical risk models may improve identification of individuals at risk of AF after stroke, particularly within the first month.
The Unbearable Lightness of Free-Thinking
Authors: Pomata Gianna
Published: January 2025

My contribution focuses on a hitherto unnoticed aspect of early modern epistemic culture: the fact that the term “capriccio” was used in seventeenth-century natural philosophy and medicine to indicate conjecture, hypothesis, or theory. The term conveyed, in this context, a negative view of theory as mere opinion or “fancy.” Right at the same time, in contrast, “capriccio” was acquiring a positive currency in the arts. It appears that a “capricious” style became fashionable in the arts right when it was being frowned upon in the sciences. What was the meaning of these parallel and contrasting trends? I will argue that the negative meaning of “capriccio” in the sciences indicated: (1) the changing relationship of theory and observation in the seventeenth century, which privileged observation over theory; (2) the beginning of a divergence between acceptable styles of thinking in scientific and artistic cultures, which would more fully develop in later periods.
Navigating Power and Identity
Authors: Sharabi Asaf
Published: January 2025

This article explores the fluid gender identity of a local deity in the Western Himalayas, contextualized within both divine and human societal structures from the 19th century to the present. Based on fieldwork in Himachal Pradesh, India, the study examines the transformation of the deity’s gender identity from a goddess to a male deity in the 19th century—a shift that locals strategically employed to support political and territorial claims. In contrast, the deity is now primarily emphasized as the goddess Durga, reflecting cultural and social changes within the community, as well as evolving perceptions of divine hierarchies between gods and goddesses. The article argues that this renewed focus on the deity’s feminine identity serves as a symbolic resource for the local community. Thus, while in the 19th century, divine hierarchy was seen as existing between gods and goddesses, in the 21st century, it is perceived as between the principal divinities of the pan-Hindu pantheon and the local gods of human origin. The article demonstrates how widely held beliefs in South Asia regarding the fluid identities of gods and goddesses are adapted and rationalized by human communities to interpret and legitimize divine roles across historical contexts, yielding both political and symbolic benefits.
A contribution to Philippine Psychodidae (Diptera) mainly from emergence traps at streams in Palawan, with two new genera and five new species
Authors: Wagner Rüdiger , Freitag Hendrik
Published: January 2025

Two new genera and five new species of Psychodinae, namely Archipelomyia coronata gen. n. et sp. n., Neotelmatoscopus expectandus sp. n., Nototelmatoscopus cabayuganensis sp. n., Palawanmyia styltenaculata gen. n. et sp. n. and Paramormia serrata sp. n. are described based on male specimens collected from the island and intra-Philippine biogeographic region of Palawan. Brunettia (Horobrunettia) amoena Quate or a currently morphologically indistinguishable species is recorded for the first time from the island. Diagnostic characters are illustrated by line drawings. Problems with the generic assignment of the new species are discussed. Two Psychodinae larvae, Neotelmatoscopus sp. and an unidentified morph, are recorded from one of the collecting sites and illustrated using photomicrographs. Aspects of emergence trap collection and taxonomic impediments in Oriental Psychodidae are briefly elaborated upon. An updated checklist of Psychodidae recorded from the Philippines is provided.
World as Critical Medium
Authors: Figlerowicz Matylda
Published: January 2025

This article looks at the role played by the analysis of Indigenous literatures in the emergence of current theories of world literature, focusing particularly on how they feature prominently in David Damrosch’s What Is World Literature? It argues that the study of Indigenous Latin American texts, and of the way they speak of the world, emphasizes the need for an increased attention to layers of mediation – and as such, it’s crucial to Damrosch’s redefinition of world literature, and to the renewed interest in the field at the turn of the 21st century. Through the analysis of Ateri Miyawatl’s Neijmantototsintle – La tristesa és un ocell – Sadness is a bird (2018), it asks how world literature can participate in the continued efforts to create research practices and disciplinary structures that move away from (neo)colonial and imperialist frameworks. By positing the world as a critical medium, this essay claims that such understanding of the world helps us give up on the pretense of immediate access. It makes world literature a medium of scholarly engagement conscious of its mediation and of the asymmetry of literary worlds.
The Periodic Table of Literature
Authors: Tihanov Galin
Published: January 2025

This article reflects on the genealogy of what the author terms Occidentocentrism: the resilient belief that Western literatures are qualified and entitled to furnish a natural observation platform, a vantage point from which to spectate and judge the literatures of other cultural zones whose formation proceeded, for some not inconsiderable time, along a different path and following rather different assumptions. The framework posited by the classificatory interpretation of literature along the axes of language, genre, and period has been casting a long shadow over how we assign value to literature; these questions of axiology can only be properly addressed if we remain alert to the changing regimes of relevance that bestow significance on literature today.
Manipulated Translation, Politicized Canon
Authors: Zhang Zhen
Published: January 2025

The novel The Gadfly (1897) enjoyed enormous popularity in the Soviet Union, China, and other socialist countries in the twentieth century. The novel was first canonized in the Soviet Union, listed as an extracurricular reading for middle school students, and then canonized in China in the 1950s and early 1960s. Instead of inviting open-ended interpretations, the authorities endorse a politicized interpretation of the novel, portraying the Catholic hero “Gadfly” as a romantic revolutionary fighting for national independence. In contrast to its immediate success in socialist countries, the novel is hardly known and even largely forgotten in the West. This essay looks into the translation, circulation, and reception of the novel in the Soviet Union and China, particularly the political power structures inherent in the processes of its canonization in these socialist countries. Despite the political effort to elevate it to the status of a literary canon in the socialist bloc, the novel never entered a canon of world literature as such, which, I argue, should be tested out by its intrinsic literary values and appreciated by worldwide communities of enlightened readers, free from heavy-handed political interventions and ideological manipulation.
The Flight from the Feminine and Femmephobia in the Critical Study of Men and Masculinities
Authors: Allan Jonathan A.
Published: January 2025

In this article, I reflect on the role and importance of femininity in theories of masculinity. Indeed, I suggest there is an ongoing method that demands the “flight from the feminine” within the field of masculinities itself. Recent theoretical innovations in the field have sought to (re)appropriate the feminine and make it masculine. Thus, when men do care work, they are doing “caring masculinity,” for example. Throughout the field, I not only document a commitment to masculinity but also, and importantly, femmephobia. This essay, therefore, thinks carefully, critically, and provocatively about how femmephobia is deployed, why it is, and what it means for the field of masculinity studies, as well as the field’s near-complete exclusion of male femininity. I argue that if the field is feminist, as it so often contends, it must engage with femme theory, femininity, and account for its own femmephobia.
Femmephobia & the Mental Load in Academia
Authors: Scott Jocelyne Bartram
Published: January 2025

In this article, I extend the existing theoretical foundation on the mental load to the realm of academia. Using autoethnographic analysis paired with femme theory (Hoskin 2017), I argue that my experience of the mental load within academia distinctly illustrates the denigration of femininity and feminine traits while simultaneously relying upon them for the success and functionality of the workplace. As a result of sharing these autoethnographic vignettes and highlighting these experiences, I advocate for mechanisms to intervene into these phenomena, which impact the professional climate and experience for feminized academics. Ultimately, I highlight a few immediate practical applications for examining our own work cultures and advocating for cultures that are less femmephobic and which more readily recognize the value and contributions of feminized labor including the critical role of the mental load.
A review of the ground spider genus Trichothyse Tucker, 1923 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)
Authors: SANKARAN PRADEEP M. , HADDAD CHARLES R. , TRIPATHI RISHIKESH
Published: January 2025

The genus Trichothyse Tucker, 1923 is presently represented by four southern African species, T. africana (Tucker, 1923), T. hortensis Tucker, 1923 and T. subtropica Lawrence, 1927, known only from their females, and T. fontensis Lawrence, 1928, known only from the male. In this paper, the genus is reviewed and the latter three species are redescribed. The previously unknown female of T. fontensis is described for the first time. The female of Xerophaeus zuluensis Lawrence, 1938 is redescribed, its previously unknown male is described for the first time, and the species is hereby transferred to Trichothyse as T. zuluensis (Lawrence, 1938) comb. nov. A new species known from both sexes, T. karoo Haddad & Sankaran sp. nov., is described from South Africa, and the hitherto unknown male of T. jodhpurensis (Gajbe, 1993) comb. nov. is described for the first time, together with a redescription of its female. Eleven species and one subspecies are transferred from Poecilochroa Westring, 1874 sensu lato to Trichothyse, two of which are of African distribution [T. antineae (Fage, 1929) comb. nov. and T. pugnax (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1874) comb. nov.], nine that are distributed in the Palaearctic Region [T. furcata (Simon, 1914) comb. nov., T. golan (Levy, 1999) comb. nov., T. hamipalpis (Kroneberg, 1875) comb. nov., T. ilkerakkusi (Coşar, Danişman & Marusik, 2024) comb. nov., T. jodhpurensis comb. nov., T. loricata (Kritscher, 1996) comb. nov., T. perversa (Simon, 1914) comb. nov., T. poonaensis (Tikader, 1982) comb. nov. and T. senilis auspex (Simon, 1878) comb. nov.], and one that has an extended distribution in both the Palaearctic Region and Africa [T. senilis (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) comb. nov.].
Niwaella tigrina, a new species of spined loach from the Poyang Lake system of Jiangxi Province, East China
Authors: ZHANG HAI-XIN , ZHANG YAN-PING , CHEN WEN-JING , ZHANG E.
Published: January 2025

A new species of the spiny loach genus Niwaella is described herein from the Xiu-Shui river, an affluent of Lake Poyang in Jiangxi Province, China. This species is distinguished from all other congeneric species in China due to having a unique body coloration, comprising 20-25 transverse black bars on the dorsum and upper part of the flank. Other characteristics, though not exclusive to this species, include an indistinct blackish mid-dorsal stripe from the nape to the caudal-fin base, a lower jaw fully covered by the lower lip; 17-20 black vertical bars on the lower part of flank, a short suborbital spine with a shorter processus latero-caudalis that is less than one-fifth the length of the processus medio-caudalis, and seven branched dorsal-fin rays. The validity of the new species is corroborated by its monophyly, as evidenced by phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene.
Simple Random Sampling and Effective Use of Additional Resources
Authors: Sharma Gurumayum Sandweep , Singh Salam Opendra , Sinha Bikas K.
Published: January 2025

SRSWR and SRSWOR sampling designs have been in use since the time we got to know about these basic designs. Also, relative comparison between the sampling strategies based on these two basic designs has been made and documented in the published literature. We propose to discuss one such interesting comparison made recently by Bagchi and Sinha 8 which may have gone unnoticed. We hope that this article will throw some new light on fascinating and popular comparisons between the two folklore designs and will reduce the admittedly acceptable gap between the two popular strategies based on them.
EXPRESS: Can Marketing Enable Firms to Counter Import Competition? Evidence from the China Shock
Authors: Ramani Nandini
Published: January 2025

Increasingly, United States (US) firms have been threatened by import competition. For example, Chinese imports to the US increased from USD 18.97 billion in 1991 to USD 536.26 billion in 2022. Yet little research has examined the role of marketing in combating import competition. Addressing this gap, the author combines developments in the upper echelons, dynamic capabilities, and resource-based view perspectives to develop hypotheses of how marketing can help incumbent firms overcome import competition. To achieve identification, the author exploits the exogenous shock of conferral of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status to China that differentially exposed US industries to import competition. The hypotheses are tested using a differences-in-differences estimation on 7,197 firm-year observations. The findings indicate that import competition hurts incumbent firms’ revenue growth. However, incumbent firms’ marketing department power and market-based assets (strategic differentiation and customer relationship capital) mitigate the adverse effects of import competition on revenue growth. The findings, which highlight the hitherto overlooked role of marketing in countering import competition, extend theory and generate practical implications.
Fixed-time consensus tracking control of multiple nonholonomic dynamics under disturbance
Authors: You Henghao , Gu Fengyi , Jia Juntao
Published: January 2025

In this paper, the fixed-time consensus tracking problem is investigated for a multi-agent system with nonholonomic dynamics under the disturbances with unknown upper bounds. For an undirected communication graph, fixed-time distributed state observers and input observers are respectively proposed to estimate state and input of leader system. To deal with the unknown upper-bound disturbance, a second-order sliding mode super-twisting structure adaptive disturbance observer is developed to estimate disturbance in fixed time. Then, by resorting to the estimated information and adding a power integrator method, a novel nonlinear controller is designed for tracking the leader state in fixed-time under disturbance. Moreover, the fixed-time consensus analysis is showed, and the upper bound of settling time is calculated without dependence on initial states even in the presence of disturbance. Finally, numerical examples are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed procedure.
Impact of the Changing Tax Environment on Investments and Productivity: Financial Structure and the Corporation Income Tax
Authors: GREENWALD BRUCE , STIGLITZ JOSEPH E.
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the consequences of the corporation income tax when firms face financial constraints; that is, they are either credit- or equity-rationed. (These financial constraints can, in turn, be explained as the natural consequences of informational asymmetries that are pervasive in the capital market.) The paper shows that the effect of such taxes may be more related to average tax rates than to the marginal effective tax rates on which recent literature, analyzing the incidence of such taxes in neoclassical firms, has focused. For firms that are equity- (but not credit-) constrained, the reduction in retained earnings reduces their willingness to undertake risky investments, including R&D expenditures which enhance productivity in the long run. More generally, the impact of the tax depends on the structure of taxes as much as it does on the level (the provisions for tax deductibility of interest, the tax treatment of capital gains, and so forth), and an analysis requires taking into account the combined effects of the corporation and individual income tax structures. For instance, for firms that are neither equity-nor credit-constrained, the fact that interest payments are tax-deductible implies that there are no marginal distortions with respect to the level of investment. Higher differential taxes on equity may induce some firms to decide not to issue equity. This financial decision will be accompanied by a discrete reduction in the level of investment.
Evidence on Surrogates for Earnings Expectations Within a Capital Market Context
Authors: HOPWOOD WILLIAM S. , MCKEOWN JAMES C.
Published: January 2025

This study compares the abilities of statistical model forecasts with financial analyst forecasts to serve as surrogates for market expectations of quarterly and annual earnings per share. For both annual and interim earnings expectations, statistical model forecast errors were found to be associated with risk-adjusted security returns, even with financial analysts' forecast errors held constant. Similarly, financial analysts’ forecast-error associations were found to be significant after controlling for statistical model forecast errors.

Additional tests were performed on the null hypothesis that the financial analysts exploit all information used by the time-series models. The data indicate rejection of this hypothesis for both annual and interim forecasts. Finally, forecast error analysis supports previous research in finding that analysts’ forecasts are more accurate than those of statistical models. However, this superiority disappears after controlling for hypothesized timing advantages favoring the analysts.
What Determines Earnings-Price Ratios: Revisited
Authors: ZAROWIN PAUL
Published: January 2025

The earnings-price ratio is believed to capture the market’s assessment of the equity’s risk and earnings growth prospects. Prior research, however, has found that neither risk nor growth can explain persisting cross-sectional differences in earnings-price ratios. This paper shows that persisting cross-sectional differences in forecasted long-term earnings growth are the dominant source of variation in earnings-price ratios, and that the conclusions of prior research were due to the use of realized growth as a proxy for forecasted growth, since the two measures are not highly correlated. Other factors, such as risk (beta), forecasted short-term growth, and accounting method seem to be relatively less important in determining earnings-price ratios.
Role of technology enablers for implementation of HR analytics in the Indian IT sector: A mediation analysis
Authors: Vadithe Rakesh Naik , Kesari Bikrant
Published: January 2025

Background

Technological advancements offer the potential to transform HR practices, but the effectiveness of human resource (HR) analytics implementation remains contingent upon various technologies.

Objective

This study explores the impact of various technological enablers on implementing HR analytics within the Indian IT sector. Furthermore, the study explores the mediating effects of automated decision-making and managerial efficiency in the relationship between HR analytics and organizational performance.

Methodology/design

Drawing upon resource-based view (RBV) theory. Data was collected from 663 employees across various IT sectors in India. To validate the proposed model, PLS-SEM was utilized through Smartpls 4.0.

Findings

The findings show that technology enablers such as big data, chatbots, social media networks, and artificial intelligence have a positive impact on HR analytics implementation. Furthermore, the study reveals automated decision-making and managerial efficiency as partial mediators in the relationship between HR analytics and organizational performance.

Conclusions

This research contributes to the literature on HR analytics implementation and also provides actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers within organizations, ultimately fostering organizational excellence in a technology-driven era.
It’s Not Too Late: Physical and Social Activity Slow Cognitive Decline in Those Living With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Dhakal Usha , McLaughlin Sara J. , Kim Seonjin , Vivoda Jonathon M. , Roberts Amy Restorick , Brown J. Scott
Published: January 2025

Current evidence concerning the effect of physical activity and social engagement on cognitive functioning in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is underdeveloped. Drawing upon cognitive reserve theory, we used linear mixed models to investigate the impact of physical activity and social engagement on cognitive functioning in older adults living with MCI utilizing 16 years of data from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 1462). The average cognitive score (sum of immediate and delayed word recall, serial seven subtraction test, counting backwards, range: 0–27) at baseline was 9.6, with the average score decreasing by 0.14 points each year. Controlling for covariates, each unit increase in physical activity and social engagement, respectively, reduced the effect of time on cognitive functioning by 0.01 (β = 0.007, p < .0001) and 0.03 (β = 0.029, p = .04) points, small effects that accumulate over time. Findings suggest that greater physical activity and social engagement offer cognitive protection among older adults experiencing MCI.
Microstructure evolution and mechanical characteristics of interface migration zone in friction stir lap welded superlight duplex Mg–Li alloy LZ91
Authors: Chenchen Yuan , Li Hui , Gao Enzhi Z , Tang Yang , Xu Rongzheng Z , Deng Changjie J
Published: January 2025

The superlight duplex Mg–Li alloy LZ91 was successfully friction stir lap welded (FSLW) using a high rotational speed of 2000 rpm and the welding speed was 800 mm/min with a traditional H13 tool. The tensile-shear load of the joint was about 2.01 kN with a width of 12 mm, and the microhardness of nugget zone (about 52 HV) was significantly higher than that of the base material (about 47.8 HV). The fracture occurred along the interface distortion zone, showing the characteristic of shear fracture, indicating that this is the weak location of the joint. In addition, it is found that the β phase grains grow up at the interface distortion zone in the FSLW joint. However, the α phase grain is refined with continuously strengthened mechanical action, and distributed in the boundaries of β phase grains. The dislocation density varies with the deformation degree and the difference of the heat input, the highest at the nugget zone interface, the second at the cold interface near the original interface, and the lowest at the hook interface. Moreover, the dislocation density of α phase grains is always higher than that of β phase grains.
Placating Policy: Setting and Implementing Policy for Wicked Educational Issues
Authors: Nir Adam E. , Vayzer Hany
Published: January 2025

Focusing on the core-curriculum policy enacted in the Israeli educational system and imposed on the ultra-orthodox (UO) Jewish sector, the study attempts to answer the following question: How do politicians act when obliged to set and implement a policy for a wicked problem they wish to avoid?

Data analysis revealed five features characterizing politicians’ reluctance to initiate the policy: procrastination, deception, reliance on secondary arrangements, wording open for interpretation, and flexible inception.

Evidence indicated that policy-makers articulated a “ placating policy,” creating an illusion that students coming from the UO sector study the core curriculum and that the issue is managed.
Validating the Protective Factors of Monogamy Theory?
Authors: Davala Marissa A.
Published: January 2025

Monogamy or fidelity is a common relationship structure and can be traumatic when violated. The Protective Factors of Monogamy Theory was presented in previous research to explain how people successfully maintain monogamy. The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of the relationship between the factors. A total of 35 components were extracted and accounted for 84% of the variance explained with a reliability score of .941.
Use of digital facilitation to support the use of digital services in general practice in England: An interview study with key stakeholders
Authors: Treadgold Bethan Mair , Winder Rachel , Atherton Helen , Bryce Carol , Campbell John , Marriott Christine , Newbould Jenny , Stockwell Stephanie , Pitchforth Emma
Published: January 2025

Objective

Digital services in primary care are becoming more common, yet access to and use of services can create inequities. Our aim was to explore the drivers, priorities, and evolving policy context influencing digital facilitation in primary care as reported by national, regional and local level stakeholders in England.

Methods

We conducted online semi-structured qualitative interviews with stakeholders, including those in NHS England organisations, local commissioners for health care, statutory and third sector organisations, those working within the research community, and digital platform providers. Interviews were analysed using a thematic approach.

Results

The majority of stakeholders worked in national level roles, in commissioning or statutory and third sector organisations working in relation to digital inclusion and patient access. Demographic inequalities, poor usability of digital primary care services, and low digital skills were perceived to comprise some of the barriers facing patients in accessing and using digital primary care services. Demand pressures in general practice, inconsistent training opportunities in digital services for staff, and conflicting perceptions around who should be responsible in organising digital facilitation were reported as barriers in the organisation and provision of digital facilitation in primary care. Stakeholders shared future visions for digital primary care and recommended focusing on establishing the concept of digital facilitation and promoting the benefits in its adoption.

Conclusions

Policy that is specific to digital facilitation and not just to digital services is required to establish clear lines of responsibility, investment in staff time and training, and the development of digital services that work well for various groups of patients and practice staff. A multi-organisational working team involving decision-makers and those working on the ground in general practice is encouraged to establish principles for supporting patients and staff in accessing and using digital primary care services in the NHS in England.
Advances in AI-powered civil engineering throughout the entire lifecycle
Authors: Xu Gang , Guo Tong
Published: January 2025

With the rapid advancement of technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has gained widespread applications across various fields, including civil engineering. This paper provides a comprehensive review of AI’s significant roles in design optimization, construction management, structural health monitoring (SHM), and smart city management. AI enhances the scientific and creative dimensions of civil engineering by optimizing design schemes, generating innovative solutions, and improving efficiency. In construction management, AI streamlines processes by enabling better schedule control, cost and quality management, and safety monitoring. In SHM, AI facilitates more accurate fault detection, health assessment, and lifespan prediction, improving the safety, durability, and resilience of infrastructure. AI’s role in smart cities and infrastructure management further supports the efficient governance of urban planning, traffic control, and maintenance operations. However, challenges remain, including integrating AI with legacy infrastructure, ensuring data privacy and security, and overcoming scalability issues in real-world applications. The combination of AI with blockchain technology addresses transparency and security concerns, as demonstrated by emerging pilot projects. Additionally, integrating deep learning with big data will further enhance decision-making capabilities. As interdisciplinary research deepens and intelligent construction technologies become more prevalent, AI-powered civil engineering will advance toward more sustainable, efficient, and innovative practices, ultimately reshaping the field and meeting the demands of future urban development.
Bi-level programming model for military supply chain coordination with contracts based on particle swarm optimization algorithm
Authors: Shen Yachen , Xiang Huachun , Li Jing
Published: January 2025

A scientific and reasonable model for military supply chain coordination with contracts can effectively reduce the overall cost of the supply chain, increase the profits of supply chain members, achieve supply chain coordination, and balance the interests of all relevant parties. Aiming at the military supply chain coordination with contracts under normal order demand, this paper first explains the concept and main characteristics of the military supply chain, defines the concept of supply chain coordination, analyzes the supply chain coordination mechanism, and puts forward the hypotheses of modeling. Based on the bi-level programming theory, the minimum total cost of military enterprises and maximum profit of manufacturers are further taken as the objectives of the upper and lower levels, and such factors as cost of means of production, ordering cost of parts, inventory cost, cost of late delivery and penalty cost are taken into account in this paper. On this basis, a bi-level programming model for military supply chain coordination with contracts is built. The model is then solved by hierarchical particle swarm optimization (HPSO), and specific operation steps are given. Finally, the model is verified in terms of rationality and feasibility through case analysis.
Effective damage detection on curved structures using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer
Authors: Nam Hyeonwoo , Kim Bugon , Kong Yeseul , Park Gyuhae
Published: January 2025

Conventional laser scanning techniques that employ scanning laser Doppler vibrometers (LDVs) excel at inspecting flat, plate-like structures but produce errors when examining complex, three-dimensional (3D) structures without prior knowledge of the structure’s geometry. Herein, we propose a novel approach that integrates an LDV with a laser distance meter (LDM) and performs 3D shape estimation using compensation algorithms to minimize errors caused by the nonuniform scan spacing resulting from curved surfaces. The LDM, in conjunction with Galvo mirrors, facilitates the acquisition of 3D point clouds representing the curved surfaces of the structure, thereby outlining its geometry during the 3D shape estimation process. Spacing errors, calculated by subtracting neighboring points with nonuniform spacing arising from curvature variations, are effectively mitigated. The proposed method not only compensates for these spacing errors but also creates an optimal, adaptive scan grid tailored for different 3D structures. By ensuring uniform laser scan spacing on curved surfaces, this technique reduces potential errors resulting from spacing discrepancies. Experiments conducted on aluminum and composite structures reflecting the curvature of an aircraft wing demonstrated the improved accuracy on curved surfaces achievable using this technique.
Strength prediction of axial fiber-reinforced 3D5D circular braiding composites
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhang Yueyi , Zhang Shengyu , Yang Xinglin , Chen Shuheng
Published: January 2025

At the microscale, a unit cell model of axially-reinforced three-dimensional five-directional (3D5D) circular woven composite materials was established based on the spatial topology of the unit cell. This model considers the changes in cross-sectional shape of the yarns due to mutual compression and incorporates periodic boundary conditions for the circular unit cell. Combining this unit cell model with an progressive damage approach and failure models for the yarn bundles, a strength prediction model for the axially-reinforced 3D5D circular woven composite materials was developed. The model was used to simulate the damage evolution of the fibers and matrix under progressively increasing tensile loads. The tensile strength predicted by the strength prediction model is 420 MPa, with a deviation of 5.12% compared to the experimental value. The failure modes of the axially-reinforced 3D5D circular woven composites are predominantly fiber tensile failure and fiber-matrix interfacial cracking. The damage evolution sequence shows that matrix failure occurs first, followed by fiber-matrix interfacial cracking, and finally fiber tensile failure.
Trends in Dupilumab-Related Payments to Physicians Across Five Specialties
Authors: Hsiao Zoe , Torabi Sina J. , Kuan Edward C.
Published: January 2025

Background

Dupilumab was first approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for atopic dermatitis and has since been approved for many other indications. The use of dupilumab has grown, but industry payments to physicians have yet to be explored.

Objective

The study objective is to characterize the change in payments by pharmaceutical companies to physicians for dupilumab-related promotional activities.

Methods

Data from 2017 to 2023 was extracted from the Open Payments website and filtered to determine the number of dupilumab-related payments to physicians, the amounts of these payments, the number of unique physicians that were paid, and the amount of money going towards different payment purposes.

Results

In 2017, pharmaceutical companies paid a total of $6.1 million to allergists/immunologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, otolaryngologists, and pulmonologists for dupilumab-related activities. This amount grew to a total of $22.6 million in 2023. These specialties all experienced an increase in the number of unique physicians paid; the number of allergists/immunologists paid increased by 1.8-fold, dermatologists by 1.4-fold, gastroenterologists by 640-fold, otolaryngologists by 95-fold, and pulmonologists by 118-fold. Across all five specialties, pharmaceutical companies paid the most money for the purpose of non-consulting, non-continuing education speaker fees.

Conclusion

From 2017 to 2023, pharmaceutical companies have paid increasing numbers of payments to increasing numbers of unique allergists/immunologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, otolaryngologists, and pulmonologists for dupilumab-related promotional events.
Gender peer effects on students’ academic achievement among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Sun Skylar Biyang , Zhao Xiaohang
Published: January 2025

While there is a consensus among scholars regarding the positive impact of peers’ cognitive abilities on students’ academic performance, there remains limited knowledge regarding potential gender-based variations in this association, especially in the context of developing countries. Through an analysis of data from the China Educational Panel Survey and a quasi-experimental approach, our study has established a clear correlation between classmates’ cognitive abilities and academic outcomes. Furthermore, we have identified gender-specific peer effects on students’ academic achievements. Irrespective of the proportion of female students in a class, female students consistently derive academic benefits from high-ability male peers, while deriving relatively fewer benefits from high-ability female peers. Conversely, male students benefit from high-ability female peers primarily when females constitute the majority in the classroom. In predominantly male classrooms, male students benefit from high-ability male peers. Additionally, our findings support the notion that a higher percentage of female students in a classroom enhances the overall academic performance of students, particularly in underperforming classes.
Can intelligent virtual assistants improve cognitive function in older adults? A two-wave mediation study
Authors: Cai Tianxin , Ma Shilong , Zhong Renyao
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aims to investigate whether social networks and physical exercise mediate the relationship between new and constant use of intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) and cognitive function in older adults in China and explore the potential differences across living arrangements and education levels.

Methods

This study utilized nationally representative longitudinal data from 2018 to 2020, including a sample of 8343 older adults aged 60–80. A path-analytic model was employed to examine the relationship between IVAs use and cognitive function, as well as the mediating roles of social networks and physical exercise.

Results

Constant and new IVAs use significantly affected cognitive function, mediated by social networks and physical exercise. For older adults living alone, both types of IVAs use had positive direct and indirect effects. Those living with children benefited mainly from new IVAs use, with indirect effects through physical exercise. Among less educated older adults, only new IVAs use showed significant effects through social networks. For those with higher education, both constant and new IVAs use positively impacted cognitive function directly and indirectly.

Conclusions

The use of IVAs can significantly improve cognitive function in older adults, with social networks and physical exercise being important mediating pathways. Policy suggestions were provided based on these results.
Sustainability and Determinants of Entrepreneurship Propensity Among Young Graduates in Nigeria
Authors: Adelowo Caleb M. , Henrico Alfred
Published: January 2025

Creating and Sustaining entrepreneurship inclination among young and educated people are important pillars for building strong and prosperous economy. Studies have shown consistent improvement in entrepreneurship interest and practices among Nigerian undergraduates since the introduction of entrepreneurship education in 2006. However, it remains unclear whether they are able to sustain the interest after graduation and more importantly whether entrepreneurial interest is actually translated to self-employment. This study examines entrepreneurial inclination and practice among fresh graduates using a large-scale cross-sectional data collected through a self-reported validated structured questionnaire. The results showed higher entrepreneurial intention among the graduates than in previous datasets. Further analysis revealed that parent’s business experience, apprenticeship, having a business plan, and entrepreneurship education are positive significant factors influencing entrepreneurship activities among the graduates. Expectedly, age of the graduates is also found to be negatively significant to their entrepreneurial inclination, while gender and marital status are not significant. The study concludes with appropriate managerial and policy implications and suggests measures to sustain and strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems in the country.