bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Highly stable narrow-bandwidth all-polarization-maintaining semiconductor saturable absorber mirror Yb-doped fiber laser
Authors: Ma Jiasai , Jiang Wenguang , Pan Jianxun
Published: February 2025

A highly stable narrow-bandwidth semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) passively mode-locked ytterbium-doped (Yb-doped) fiber laser with an all-polarization-maintaining (all-PM) structure is realized in a linear cavity. A 1064.4 nm picosecond (ps) laser pulse with an output power of 16.6 mW is obtained, which corresponds to a pulse duration of 13.7 ps. The 3 dB spectral bandwidth of the laser pulse is 0.19 nm, which is provided by the narrow bandwidth fiber Bragg grating. The repetition rate is 27.4 MHz, and the measured signal-to-noise ratio is close to 70 dB, demonstrating the excellent stability of the mode-locking operation in the Yb-doped fiber laser. The all-PM SESAM fiber laser can achieve self-starting operation and long-term stable operation, and is expected to be a seed source for high-power ultrashort pulsed lasers.
Temperature dependence compensation of X-ray spectrometry with MiniPIX Timepix3 SiC detector
Authors: Kurucova N. , Granja C. , Hladik D. , Sagatova A. , Zatko B.
Published: February 2025

Timepix3 is a hybrid pixel radiation detector, from the CERN-designed Timepix family,
which contains 65.536 pixels. The detectors based on Timepix3 read-out chips have started to be
used in a wide range of applications, such as medicine, particle physics, neutron detection and
space applications. For applications in harsh environments such as space, particle therapy and
nuclear power engineering, silicon carbide (SiC) stands as suitable semiconductor sensor thanks to
its chemical stability, wide temperature operation range and enhanced radiation hardness. Newly
developed MiniPIX Timepix3 SiC cameras are undergoing physical and operating tests for various
applications. Since their main applications are in harsh environments where they are exposed to a
wide range of temperatures, it is important to examine and describe the behaviour of these
detectors under the influence of different temperatures. Consequently, it is necessary to
compensate these temperature effects. Thus, this study investigates the temperature dependence of
the spectral (deposited energy) response of the Timepix3 detectors equipped with a 4H-SiC sensor
over a temperature range of 10∘C to 60∘C, with a per-pixel energy calibration
performed at 20∘C. The detector was exposed to fluorescence X-rays with energies between
8 keV and 58 keV and between 31 keV and 40 keV from the radioactive sources 133Ba and
152Eu, respectively. It was found that with increasing temperature there is a shift of the
energy spectra to lower values, which increases with increasing incident energy. A compensation
method is proposed to correct for the distortion in the measured energy range.
Orbital angular momentum of polarization distributions of light
Authors: Kovalev Alexey A , Kotlyar Victor V , Stafeev Sergey S
Published: February 2025

We investigate a new quantity for describing vector light fields with polarization singularities. Similar to the polarization singularity index (PSI), it describes the average angular velocity of the changing polarization direction. Similar to the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of scalar fields, averaging is done over the whole transverse plane and with a weight function equal to the intensity. Therefore, we call this quantity the OAM of polarization. For a cylindrical vector beam, it coincides with its order, equal to the PSI. For several other vector fields, the OAM of polarization is derived analytically and confirmed by numerical computation. It can be measured using a quarter-wave plate, a polarizer, and two cylindrical lenses. A potential application area is optical communications using vector light beams.
Mid-infrared comb generator using cascaded high-speed lithium niobate modulators
Authors: Ren Dezheng , Ming Xianshun , Ma Kai , Shi Lei , Sun Qibing , Wang Leiran , Zhao Wei , Zhang Wenfu
Published: February 2025

Mid-infrared (MIR) optical frequency combs can be used as coherent light sources in various fields, including molecular detection and optical communication. However, convenient generation of portable MIR frequency combs remains challenging, mainly limited by practical pump sources and accessible integrated devices. Here, we present an efficient method toward MIR microcomb generation using cascaded high-speed electro-optic (EO) modulators. By making full use of the EO effect in thin-film lithium niobate and the flexibility of segmented electrodes, intensity and phase modulators with a 3 dB bandwidth of 110 GHz can be achieved. Together with precise time delay control and other functional devices, this approach enables the realization of broadband EO microcombs with spectral coverage of ⩾60 nm centered at 3 μm while under a power of ∼5 mW. The proposed scheme holds the advantage of low power threshold and eliminates the requirement for pump frequency sweeping, making it compatible with current chip-scale pump sources. Consequently, this technique opens new avenues for the integration of MIR microcombs.
Application of machine learning for fault diagnosis and operational efficiency in EV motor test benches using vibration analysis
Authors: S RaviKumar , Pandian C K Arvinda , Hameed Syed Shaul , Muralidharan V , Syed Wahid Ali M
Published: February 2025

Electric vehicles represent the forthcoming path of the automotive sector. The drive motor plays a pivotal role in the functionality of an ‘electric vehicle’. Crucial aspect lies in the testing of electric motors, utilizing motor testing apparatus to validate essential parameters. Mitigating of challenges associated with helical gear configuration incorporated within the motor testing apparatus could significantly improve testing efficiency and facilitate a more seamless production line flow in the manufacturing of electric vehicles. This study aims to enhance the motor test bench apparatus through the adjustment of critical design parameters employing vibration signal analysis and machine learning methodologies. Prior to the extraction of quantitative data, vibrational signals are gathered under varying gear configurations within the context of this study. The integration of the accelerometer into the system is facilitated through a Data Acquisition (DAQ) firmware, supplemented by MATLAB programmed directives for the purpose of data collection. Subsequently, ‘machine learning’ algorithms (classifiers) such as Naive Bayes and Decision Trees, including Fine Trees, Medium Trees, and Coarse Trees are utilized to classify these identified features. These algorithms are utilized to categorize the obtained signals into normal and faulty/defect categories ‘with and without a 0.25 KW’ load for each scenario and the effectiveness of the algorithms is assessed. This work has explored the application of machine learning techniques for fault diagnosis for improving the operational efficiency in EV motor test benches through advanced vibration analysis.
Optimizing heat transfer in microchannel heat ex-changers: a comparative analysis of channel geometry and nanofluids through CFD and experimental approaches
Authors: Lalagi Gururaj , Nagaraj P B , Omkaresh B R , Sharief Hashim Rehman
Published: February 2025

This study uses CFD simulations and experimental methods to investigate the impact of channel geometry and nanofluid concentration on heat transfer performance in microchannel heat exchangers. Results show that increasing nanoparticle concentrations and mass flow rates enhance heat transfer in rectangular and circular channels. At a nanoparticle concentration of 0.05% and a Reynolds number of 500, circular channels demonstrated superior heat transfer performance compared to rectangular channels. Nusselt numbers increased by 18.16% for rectangular and 24.55% for circular channels on average. Pressure drops for both geometries also increased, with a 17.57% rise for rectangular and 16.74% for circular channels relative to the base fluid. Additionally, the pressure drop was 4.72% higher in rectangular channels than in circular ones. Lower Reynolds numbers significantly reduced friction factors, with the minimum friction observed at 0.01% nanofluid concentration. Circular channels exhibited lower friction than rectangular channels across different nanofluid concentrations. CFD and experimental results were in close agreement, particularly regarding pressure drop and temperature, confirming the accuracy of the analysis.
Memory and Narrative Ethics
Authors: Lothe Jacob
Published: February 2025

This book explores how different forms of narrative maintain and extend our knowledge of the Holocaust at this critical moment in history, when the last survivors are passing away. It develops and uses an original approach that combines key aspects of narrative studies, memory studies, narrative ethics, narrative hermeneutics, and narrative psychology. The book shows that testimony, narrative fiction, and film play a key role in forming our individual and collective memory of Nazi Germany’s mass murder of six million Jews. Inspired by narrative hermeneutics, these narrative analyses are linked to and supplement one another in a historicizing movement. After having discussed testimonies given by four Jewish women in Chapter 1, Chapters 2 and 3 analyze three nonfiction films, Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935), Alain Resnais’s Night and Fog (1956), and Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah (1985). Chapters 4–7 discuss four novels and one film that, albeit in different ways and more or less directly, are framed and characterized by the historical event of the Holocaust: Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones (2006), Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day (1989), James Ivory’s film adaptation The Remains of the Day (1993), W. G. Sebald’s Austerlitz (2001), and Jenny Erpenbeck’s The End of Days (2012). The interpretations demonstrate that written narratives and film narratives can be constructive responses to the ethical challenge of remembering the Holocaust.
Introduction
Authors: Lothe Jacob
Published: February 2025

The introduction begins by discussing the image on the book’s cover: Georg W. Fossum’s photograph of the ship Donau, which on November 26, 1942, left Oslo with 529 Norwegian Jews on board – nearly all of whom were murdered in Auschwitz. A premise for the book is that in Holocaust testimony, narrative fiction, and film, memory and narrative ethics are closely, even inescapably, linked and therefore need to be considered together rather than separately. The introduction outlines how the book does this: inspired by narrative studies and narrative hermeneutics, it discusses verbal fiction and film as narratives possessed of, and distinguished by, a series of constituent elements – formal, semantic, cognitive, affective – that identify and shape ethical issues through a narrative communication consisting of authors/directors, narrators, characters, and readers/viewers. While the author’s perspective on, and distance from, the Holocaust inform his or her interpretation of the event, so do those of the reader or viewer.
Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah
Authors: Lothe Jacob
Published: February 2025

Chapter 3 considers the French director Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah (1985) as a response to Night and Fog; although Lanzmann does not refer to Resnais, the two documentaries are intertextually related. Lanzmann takes issue with several of Resnais’s choices – choices that, for both directors, are not just formal but also ethical. While Resnais, via the voiceover commentary written by Jean Cayrol, warns against forgetting the horrors of the concentration camps of the Second World War a decade after the events occurred, Lanzmann, resisting the use of voiceover as well as documentary footage in a film made thirty years later, uses film form to demonstrate the need to remember the Holocaust by talking to people who survived the event. Discussing the narrative ethics of Lanzmann as director and interviewer, as well as that of his interviewees, the chapter concentrates on the interviews with Simon Srebnik, Franz Suchomel, Abraham Bomba, Filip Müller, and Raul Hilberg.
Jonathan Littell’s Les Bienveillantes (The Kindly Ones)
Authors: Lothe Jacob
Published: February 2025

Discussing the French-American author Jonathan Littell’s Les Bienveillantes (The Kindly Ones), the chapter starts by stating that this 1000-page novel, first published in French in 2006, presents the reader with a very considerable ethical challenge since its one and only narrator is a Nazi perpetrator who does not regret, and even cunningly defends, his actions during the Second World War, including his involvement in the Holocaust. Key questions asked in the chapter include: how does the narrator remember? What does he include in and what does he exclude from his narrative, and why? As many perpetrators have been reluctant to talk or write about their involvement in the Holocaust, Littell exploits the resources of fiction to compensate for a narrative gap, a missing link in our knowledge about the Nazis’ mass murder of six million Jews.
‘Without a Suite, Without a Court, Without Power’? Entertainment, Court, and the City
Authors: Jaffré Marc W S
Published: February 2025

Chapter 5 deals with the functions that entertainment fulfilled at Louis XIII’s court, emphasizing its importance for the nobility and its impact on the court’s splendour. The chapter explores the tension between the monarch’s private tastes and the public expectations surrounding royal entertainment. Through an analysis of hunting, court ballets, real tennis, music, and carrousels, the chapter demonstrates that Louis XIII’s entertainment practices clashed with public expectations and became increasingly ‘private’ as the reign wore on. This was not an act of royal absolute power or a conscious decision to restrict access to the monarch. Instead, it considerably damaged Louis’s royal image. The reason why Louis’s entertainment practices had such a lasting impact on his reputation is because court entertainment fulfilled important functions for the nobility aside from glorifying the monarch. Courtiers sought to influence the king’s tastes in order to gain favour and build intimacy with the monarch and relied on feasting to cement political bonds and construct a client network. Louis XIII’s failure to deliver entertainment suitable to their needs forced them to look to other hosts. Royal family members struggled to pick up the slack because of their difficult relationship with Louis, and Cardinal Richelieu’s attempts were too heavy-handed. Courtiers increasingly looked to noble hosts in Paris to produce ballets and host salons. But this did not lead to the development of a distinct urban culture, meaning that these amusements remained for the duration of Louis’s reign an extension of court culture.
Conclusion
Authors: Jaffré Marc W S
Published: February 2025

This chapter opens with a reflection on how the confusion and disorder of the court could be perceived by contemporaries as being full of grandeur and majesty. The conclusion demonstrates that the disorder of the court was inevitable precisely because the court was so important to courtiers and because they were so invested in defining their place within it. The court’s disorder cannot therefore be viewed as a sign the court was faltering. On the contrary, the court remained throughout the realm a central node for politics, a force for cohesion, an instrument for military resolutions when cohesiveness broke down, a crucial cultural centre, and a magnet for the great nobility, financiers, and merchants alike. The development of Louis XIII’s court suggests that state institutions evolved due to organic processes resulting from perpetual negotiation between the interests and the pressures of all those who had a stake in it—not according to a modernizing plan set up by the monarch or Cardinal Richelieu. The conclusion invites further research into the courts of Anne of Austria’s regency and of Louis XIV before Versailles in order to build a fuller understanding of how, why, and when Louis XIV’s Versailles model came into being. It also encourages researchers to think about these changes more in terms of the pressures placed on the court by the nobility, financiers, and merchants, rather than focusing on Louis XIV’s personality or needs. Finally, the conclusion invites readers to reflect on the parallels between their own behaviour and that of Louis XIII’s courtiers and to understand their own agency in effecting change within the institutions they inhabit.
TiltRec: An ultra-fast and open-source toolkit for cryo-electron tomographic reconstruction
Authors: Jiao Yanxin , Li Hongjia , Xue Yang , Yang Guoliang , Qi Lei , Zhang Fa , Zang Dawei , Han Renmin
Published: February 2025

Background

Cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has revolutionized our ability to observe structures from the subcellular to the atomic level in their native states. Achieving high-resolution reconstruction involves collecting tilt series at different angles and subsequently backprojecting them into three-dimensional (3D) space or iteratively reconstructing them to build a 3D volume of the specimen. However, the intricate computational demands of tomographic reconstruction pose significant challenges, requiring extensive calculation times that hinder efficiency, especially with large and complex datasets.

Results

We present TiltRec, an open-source toolkit that leverages the parallel capabilities of CPUs and GPUs to enhance tomographic reconstruction. TiltRec implements six classical tomographic reconstruction algorithms, utilizing optimized parallel computation strategies and advanced memory management techniques. Performance evaluations across multiple datasets of varying sizes demonstrate that TiltRec significantly improves efficiency, reducing computational times while maintaining reconstruction resolution.

Conclusions

TiltRec effectively addresses the computational challenges associated with cryo-ET reconstruction by fully exploiting parallel acceleration. As an open-source tool, TiltRec not only facilitates extensive applications by the research community but also supports further algorithm modifications and extensions, enabling the continued development of novel algorithms.

Availability and implementation

The source code, documentation, and sample data can be downloaded at https://github.com/icthrm/TiltRec.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Speech outcomes in cochlear implant users depend on visual cross-modal cortical activity measured before or after implantation
Authors: Paul Brandon T , Trinh Vincent , Chen Joseph , Le Trung , Lin Vincent , Dimitrijevic Andrew
Published: February 2025

Cochlear implants can partially restore hearing function in deaf individuals, but long-term speech listening outcomes vary widely across cochlear implant users. Visual cross-modal plasticity, where auditory cortical neurons upregulate visual inputs to assist visual processing, is one factor proposed to worsen cochlear implant users’ speech outcomes because it may limit auditory processing capability. However, evidence for this view is conflicting, and the relationship of cross-modal activity to speech perception may depend on other variables such as the type of visual activity and when it is assessed. To clarify, we measured visual cross-modal activity during a silent lip reading task using EEG in a cross-sectional, observational study. The study tested visual brain activation in 14 individuals prior to receiving a cochlear implant, 15 individuals tested at least 1 year after receiving and using a cochlear implant and 13 typical hearing controls who did not use a cochlear implant or hearing aid. Cross-modal responses to the onset of a visual event were positively correlated to speech outcomes in cochlear implant users tested after surgery but were negatively correlated in those tested prior to cochlear implant surgery. In addition, cross-modal increases in neural oscillatory power in the alpha band (8–12 Hz) arising in the lip reading task were associated with worse speech outcomes in both cochlear implant user groups. Taken together, results redress claims that cross-modal plasticity is maladaptive for speech outcomes and instead suggest that this relationship depends on the time point of testing, stage of sensory processing and likely the relevance of the stimulus for speech. In addition, findings form the basis for new neural markers that are predictive of cochlear implant users’ long-term speech ability.
Beating heart superior caval vein replacement for giant venous aneurysm: a case report
Authors: Osipenko Kira , Zimpfer Daniel , Anwar Maria , Mahr Stephane , Werner Paul
Published: February 2025

Background

Superior vena cava (SVC) aneurysms are rare vascular anomalies, with less than 80 cases reported worldwide. Large aneurysms carry a risk of rupture and thrombosis, eventually necessitating surgical intervention.

Case Summary

We present the case of a 68-year-old male with a progressively enlarging SVC aneurysm and a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The patient underwent successful caval resection and replacement with a 20 mm expanded Polytetraflouroethylene (ePTFE) graft, accompanied by left atrial appendage exclusion and pulmonary vein isolation. The recovery from surgery was uneventful, and postoperative imaging confirmed excellent graft patency with no signs of thrombosis or recurrence at the three-month follow-up.

Discussion

This case highlights the successful management of a large SVC aneurysm through complete resection and prosthetic replacement with a 20 mm ePTFE graft, with the first documented use of this technique in an adult patient. Caval resection and graft replacement ensure complete excision of affected tissue, minimizing the risk of recurrence after surgery for complex SVC aneurysms.
The Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genomes of Amoebophrya sp. ex Karlodinium veneficum
Authors: DeMontigny Wesley , Bachvaroff Tsvetan
Published: February 2025

Dinoflagellates are a diverse group of microplankton that include free-living, symbiotic, and parasitic species. Amoebophrya, a basal lineage of parasitic dinoflagellates, infects a variety of marine microorganisms, including harmful-bloom-forming algae. Although there are currently three published Amoebophrya genomes, this genus has considerable genomic diversity. We add to the growing genomic data for Amoebophrya with an annotated genome assembly for Amoebophrya sp. ex Karlodinium veneficum. This species appears to translate all three canonical stop codons contextually. Stop codons are present in the open reading frames of about half of the predicted gene models, including genes essential for cellular function. The in-frame stop codons are likely translated by suppressor tRNAs that were identified in the assembly. We also assembled the mitochondrial genome, which has remained elusive in the previous Amoebophrya genome assemblies. The mitochondrial genome assembly consists of many fragments with high sequence identity in the genes but low sequence identity in intergenic regions. Nuclear and mitochondrially-encoded proteins indicate that Amoebophrya sp. ex K. veneficum does not have a bipartite electron transport chain, unlike previously analyzed Amoebophrya species. This study highlights the importance of analyzing multiple genomes from highly diverse genera such as Amoebophrya.
Comparing the predictors of mutability among healthy human tissues inferred from mutations in single-cell genome data
Authors: Oman Madeleine , Ness Rob W
Published: February 2025

Studying mutation in healthy somatic tissues is the key for understanding the genesis of cancer and other genetic diseases. Mutation rate varies from site to site in the human genome by up to 100-fold and is influenced by numerous epigenetic and genetic factors including GC content, trinucleotide sequence context, and DNAse accessibility. These factors influence mutation at both local and regional scales and are often interrelated with one another, meaning that predicting mutability or uncovering its drivers requires modelling multiple factors and scales simultaneously. Historically, most investigations have focused either on analyzing the local sequence scale through triplet signatures or on examining the impact of epigenetic processes at larger scales, but not both concurrently. Additionally, sequencing technology limitations have restricted analyses of healthy mutations to coding regions (RNA-seq) or to those that have been influenced by selection (e.g. bulk samples from cancer tissue). Here, we leverage single-cell mutations and present a comprehensive analysis of epigenetic and genetic factors at multiple scales in the germline and 3 healthy somatic tissues. We create models that predict mutability with on average 2% error and find up to 63-fold variation among sites within the same tissue. We observe varying degrees of similarity between tissues: the mutability of genomic positions was 93.4% similar between liver and germline tissues, but sites in germline and skin were only 85.9% similar. We observe both universal and tissue-specific mutagenic processes in healthy tissues, with implications for understanding the maintenance of germline vs soma and the mechanisms underlying early tumorigenesis.
Effects of electron beam irradiation on structural, physicochemical and functional properties of highland barley Rice
Authors: Chen Xuecong , Kuang Jiwei , Wu Jing , Zhang Chengping , Zhang Jianling , Dang Bin
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to explore the effects of electron beam irradiation (EBI) at varying doses (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 kGy) on the functional properties of highland barley rice (HBR), focusing on structural changes in starch and protein. As irradiation doses increased, the water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and swelling degree of HBR significantly improved, while solubility and gelatinization viscosity decreased (P < 0.05). Analyses using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that higher irradiation doses (≥6 kGy) disrupted starch granules and promoted aggregation of starch and protein. The crystalline form of starch remains unchanged after irradiation, but the short-range ordered structure is disrupted and the degree of crystallinity is reduced; the β-sheets content in the secondary structure of proteins decreases while the random coils increases. Thus, the application of electron beam irradiation at doses ranging from 6 ~ 10 kGy can be utilized in the modification of starch and proteins. This serves as a theoretical foundation for the application of EBI in the processing of HBR and the enhancement of the properties of starch and proteins.
Hydrogen sulfide enhances the competitiveness of Spartina alterniflora in cadmium polluted coastal wetlands
Authors: Zhuo Chongyu , He Chunjiang , Liu Jing , Li Jian , Lyu Huihua , Leng Zhanrui , Cui Jian , Jiang Shan , Du Daolin
Published: February 2025

The invasion of Spartina alterniflora (SA) has led to significant hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production in coastal wetlands. The phytotoxic S2- plays a critical role in elemental biogeochemistry and may contribute to the successful invasion of SA in areas contaminated with heavy metals. To explore how H2S influences nutrient uptake and energy utilization in SA and the native Phragmites australis (PA) under cadmium (Cd) stress, and to uncover the mechanisms by which H2S facilitates SA invasion, a hydroponic experiment was conducted. This experiment included three Cd concentrations (0, 1, and 2 mg Cd L-1) and three H2S treatments (inhibiting H2S synthesis, simulating an external H2S source, and an untreated control). Results revealed that H2S plays a crucial role in balancing the uptake of Mg, Mn, Ca, and Zn in SA, mitigating Cd-induced damage to the photosynthetic system, and enhancing nutrient and energy accumulation under Cd stress. In contrast, H2S was toxic to PA, increasing lipid peroxidation, inhibiting growth, and disrupting mineral uptake, particularly of Ca. This exacerbated the detrimental effects of Cd on the photosynthetic system and nutrient accumulation in PA. In summary, irrespective of Cd treatment, H2S enhanced energy accumulation, mineral uptake, and growth in SA compared to PA. It potentially supported the ecological niche competition within the coastal wetlands during the invasion of SA into PA habitats. Consequently, inhibiting endogenous H2S synthesis in SA may offer a potential strategy for controlling its invasion.
Nostalgia in Politics
Authors: Goidel Spencer , Goidel Kirby , Kellstedt Paul M
Published: February 2025

Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to voters that, if elected, he would “make America great again.” Trump’s explicitly nostalgic appeal was rooted in the collective perception, shared by at least some voters, that life was better (and simpler) in the past. Nostalgic appeals have a long history in American politics. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan was co-opted from Reagan’s “let’s make America great again.” Despite their long history, we suspect that, as nostalgic appeals have become central to the Republican Party’s messaging, nostalgia-susceptible voters have sorted into the Republican Party. Recently, scholars have attempted to better understand the political consequences of nostalgia on voting for populist parties, both in general and specifically for Donald Trump. We make three contributions to the literature. First, using an open-ended prompt, we consider more carefully what people mean when they say they long for the “good old days.” Second, we use these open-ended responses to inform our measurement of nostalgia and whether it reflects a longing for the past or pessimism about the future. In doing so, we show the importance of religiosity and media consumption (i.e., Fox News) as predictors of individual-level nostalgia. Third, we connect our measure of nostalgia to vote choice during the 2022 midterm election—demonstrating that the effects are broader than support for Donald Trump. Overall, we contend that if one is to fully understand contemporary politics, one needs to know how nostalgia influences political attitudes and behaviors.
The Long-Run Effects of America’s Largest Residential Racial Desegregation Program: Gautreaux
Authors: Chyn Eric , Collinson Robert , Sandler Danielle H
Published: February 2025

This paper studies the effects of the largest residential racial desegregation initiative in U.S. history, the Gautreaux Assisted Housing Program. From the late 1970s to the 1990s, Gautreaux moved thousands of Black families into predominantly white neighborhoods to support racial and economic integration. We link historical program records to administrative data and use plausibly exogenous variation in neighborhood placements to study how desegregating moves impact children in the long-run. Being placed in the predominantly white neighborhoods targeted by the program significantly increases children’s future lifetime earnings and wealth. These moves also increase the likelihood of marriage and particularly raise the probability of being married to a white spouse. Moreover, placements through Gautreaux impact neighborhood choices in adulthood. Those placed in predominantly white neighborhoods during childhood live in more racially diverse areas with higher rates of upward mobility nearly 40 years later.
Virtually the same, but remotely different: health professionals, parents and children’s experiences of remote out-patient consultations
Authors: Saron Holly , Cleary Gavin , Marson Anthony , Ainsworth Jenny , Downing Jennifer , Sandars John , Whitty Laura , Cheetham Shabnam , Sinha Ian , Carter Bernie , Pain Clare E
Published: February 2025

Objective

To explore experiences, benefits and concerns associated with remote (telephone/video) consultations from the perspectives of children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), their parents, and health professionals (HPs) who were members of a multidisciplinary team in a paediatric rheumatology setting.

Methods

Qualitative design (Interpretive Description) utilising observation of remote (telephone/video) consultations and remote follow-up interviews with children and young people (7–18 years) with JIA, their parents, and HPs. The setting was a tertiary paediatric rheumatology clinic in a hospital in Northwest England. Two groups of experts-by-experience (children, young people, parents) provided high quality input into study design and dissemination materials. Data analysis used reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

Thirty-seven participants were observed (11 video, 5 telephone consultations): HPs (n = 8); mothers (n = 11); fathers (n = 3); children and young people (n = 15). Parents (n = 7), children and young people (n = 8) and HPs (n = 7) were interviewed. The overarching theme was that remote consultations were ‘virtually the same but remotely different’ to face-to-face hospital-based consultations. Four sub-themes were identified: It’s a catch-up rather than a check-up; A sense of familiarity but a shift in dynamics; Minimising disruption and burden; and, Being ‘seen’ but seen differently.

Conclusions

Overall, remote consultations were viewed positively, bringing benefits to children, young people, and parents. There was a notable transition in responsibility towards children and young people and/or their parents for reporting and recognising disease flare, compared with face-to-face consultations. Optimising the experience of remote consultations though better preparation, information and education for children, young people, parents and HPs is needed.
Unravelling the challenges of mycetoma: a case series highlighting diagnostic dilemmas and therapeutic triumphs
Authors: Mathur Mahesh , Thakur Neha , Jaiswal Sunil , Regmi Sandhya , Paudel Supriya
Published: February 2025

Mycetoma is a chronic suppurative granulomatous infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions and is caused by filamentous aerobic bacteria (actinomycetoma) or true fungi (eumycetoma), representing 60% and 40% of cases worldwide, respectively. The causative organism enters into the subcutaneous tissue, usually of the foot, from contaminated soil or vegetative material through inoculation from a thorn prick, or repeated trauma. It commonly affects men, farmers and field workers. Differentiating eumycetoma from actinomycetoma can be challenging but is required before starting prolonged treatment. One of our patients presented with lesions on the thigh and in a sporotrichoid pattern that is atypical, while the other two patients were treated with antifungal medication for eumycetoma for years without proper investigation and improvement. Early diagnosis of actinomycetoma is mandatory to prevent tissue destruction, bone invasion and ultimate loss of function by proper investigative workup, histopathology and direct microscopy of discharge. We here report three cases of actinomycetoma with clinical and microbiology profiles treated successfully with tablets of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazoleand amoxicillin–clavulanic acid along with folic acid as proposed by the Cochrane systemic review protocol 2018.
K-Complex morphological alterations in insomnia disorder and their relationship with sleep state misperception
Authors: Gorgoni Maurizio , Fasiello Elisabetta , Leonori Valerio , Galbiati Andrea , Scarpelli Serena , Alfonsi Valentina , Annarumma Ludovica , Casoni Francesca , Castronovo Vincenza , Ferini-Strambi Luigi , De Gennaro Luigi
Published: February 2025

Insomnia disorder (ID) is characterized by electroencephalographic indexes of hyperarousal, often associated with the underestimation of sleep duration (i.e., sleep state misperception). Albeit NREM sleep K-complexes (KCs) are involved in sleep protection and arousal, only a few studies investigated their alterations in ID with heterogenous findings, and results about their possible relationship with sleep state misperception are missing. The study aims to assess KCs in ID and their relationship with sleep state misperception, also considering their correlation with sleep architecture (i.e., the large-scale organization of sleep). Nineteen ID patients (12 F; age: 42.4±12.1 y) and 18 healthy controls (HC; 10 F; age: 41.6±11.9 y) underwent a night of home polysomnography and completed sleep diaries upon awakening. KC density, amplitude and area under the curve were assessed in midline frontal, central, and parietal derivations. Sleep state misperception was investigated by considering polysomnographic and subjective total sleep time (TST). We found reduced anterior KC morphology (i.e., amplitude and area under the curve) in ID patients compared to HCs, which was associated with TST underestimation. KC morphology was negatively associated with N3 latency, sleep fragmentation and arousal indexes, and positively related with N3 percentage and sleep efficiency. Our findings suggest an impaired sleep protection mechanism expressed by altered KCs morphology in ID involved in sleep state misperception. The observed correlations support the view of KC as forerunner of Slow Wave Sleep and protector of sleep continuity. A better understanding of sleep-protecting mechanisms alteration as a predisposing and/or maintaining factor of ID is needed.
Regulation of peripheral glucose levels during human sleep
Authors: Yang Xuefeng , Fedumenti Fernando Tavares , Niethard Niels , Hallschmid Manfred , Born Jan , Rauss Karsten
Published: February 2025

Studies in rats indicate that oscillatory signatures of memory processing during sleep, and specifically hippocampal sharp wave-ripples, also regulate peripheral glucose concentration. Here, we examined whether there is a similar link between such signatures of memory processing and glucose regulation during sleep in healthy humans. We obtained polysomnographic recordings and continuous recordings of peripheral interstitial glucose levels (1 sample/min) from 10 participants (5 females) during two consecutive nights. Temporal relationships between EEG events of interest and glucose levels were examined using cross-correlation functions and time-event histograms. Confirming the findings in rats, we find that sleep spindles, a core signature of sleep-dependent memory processing, are followed within 1-6 min by a robust decrease in glucose concentrations. By contrast, slow oscillation events hallmarking slow wave sleep (SWS) were followed, with a lag of 5-11 min, by an increase in glucose levels. Transitions into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were followed by a glucose decrease after 10-14 min, whereas awakenings and microarousals were linked to immediate glucose increases. These temporal relationships indicate a sleep-specific regulation of peripheral glucose concentrations that is linked to both signatures of sleep-dependent memory processing as well as the macro-architecture of sleep. They possibly reflect noradrenergic regulation of sympathetic activity via the brainstem locus coeruleus, and may be of relevance in clinical conditions with concurrent disturbances of sleep and glucose regulation.
Adjacent Segment Pathology After Short-Segment Posterior Lumbar Fusion
Authors: Horne Fielding , Louis Atherton Mara , Motiei-Langroudi Rouzbeh
Published: February 2025

Study Design:

Retrospective review of 363 patients who underwent posterior lumbar fusion (PLF).

Objective:

Adjacent segment pathology (ASP) is a major and common event in patients who have undergone PLF. The objective of this study is to determine if ASP is due to accelerated processes following fusion or to pre-existing degeneration.

Summary of Background Data:

ASP is defined as degenerative changes that occur 1–2 levels above or below the site of fusion in patients. The etiology of ASP is a topic of debate.

Methods:

Preoperative MRIs of 363 individuals who underwent PLF within L2–L3, L3–L4, and L4–L5 at the University of Kentucky between 2010 and 2020 were assessed for evidence of pre-existing degeneration. Measures of degeneration included Pfirrmann grade, modified Pfirrmann grade, disc height, and facet hyperintensity width. Demographic measures, including age, sex, smoking status, and BMI were also assessed.

Results:

Throughout the follow-up period, 30.0% of patients evaluated were found to have ASP. 83.7% of these happened at the level below and 16.3% happened at the level above the fusion. Paired sample t testing indicated that only disc height was significantly different in the adjacent levels in those who developed ASP. There was no significant difference between the 2 levels for Pfirrmann grade, modified Pfirrmann grade, and facet T2 hyperintensity. Among degenerative measures, only disc height was different (lower) in the level below PLF compared with above, before fusion. Age, sex, and smoking status were not significantly different between those who developed ASP and those who did not (P=0.68, 0.81, 0.23, respectively).

Conclusions:

Analysis suggests that in patients undergoing PLF, pre-existing degeneration plays an insignificant role in the development of ASP, and that postoperative acceleration of degenerative changes still represents the primary etiology of ASP.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Predictive Evaluation of Septal Cartilage-bone Complex for Rhinoplasty Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography
Authors: Seo Min-Gi , Jung Dong-Woo
Published: February 2025

Background:

Septal extension grafting (SEG) is commonly used for correcting Asian short noses. When septal cartilage is limited, septal bone can be included. This study evaluates the outcomes of SEG using a septal cartilage-septal bone complex (SCBC) and assesses preoperative cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for predicting septal bone suitability.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted of Korean women planned for SEG with SCBC from July 2021 to June 2022. Preoperative CBCT scans measured Hounsfield Unit (HU) values for septal cartilage, perpendicular plate of the ethmoid (PPE), and vomer. Of 27 patients, 19 underwent SEG with SCBC, whereas 8 did not due to unsuitable septal bone. Clinical outcomes and satisfaction were assessed through surveys and photographs.

Results:

For the 19 patients using SCBC, the average HU for PPE was 286.5 ± 126.6 (ratio 6.8 ± 2.1), and for vomer, HU was 230.3 ± 95.2 (ratio 5.7 ± 1.8). SEG significantly improved nasal length and tip projection, although tip softness was less favorable. Among the 8 patients not using SCBC, 5 had bones that were too thick and stiff (PPE: 667.8 ± 102.2, ratio 15.5 ± 2.7; vomer: 342.8 ± 55.1, ratio 8.1 ± 2.3), and 3 had fragile bones (PPE: 148.7 ± 45.4, ratio 3.1 ± 0.7; vomer: 199.0 ± 68.6, ratio 4.1 ± 0.9).

Conclusions:

SEG using SCBC effectively corrects short noses in Asian patients. Preoperative HU ratios from CBCT can help predict septal bone quality and guide surgical planning. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these findings.
Inpatient ophthalmology consultations for candidemia: a literature review and opinion
Authors: Mishra Amit V. , Loh Graeme K. , Ehmann David S.
Published: February 2025

Purpose of review

To examine the role of the ophthalmologist in screening for ocular candidiasis in patients with Candidemia.

Recent findings

Recent evidence has shown that previously published incidence rates of endophthalmitis in Candidemia were overestimating risk due to nonuniform guidelines. Newer data suggest a very low rate of endophthalmitis in the Candidemia population. There is currently a lack of definitive data proving that retinal findings lead to significant changes in the clinical management of patients with regards to systemic treatment and overall outcomes.

Given the low rates of endophthalmitis, minimal management changes with positive retinal findings, and recently published guidelines from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, we posit that ocular screening of all patients with Candidemia is not warranted. However, more research is required to better delineate high-risk features that could guide which patients would require ophthalmologic examination. Further collaboration between ophthalmology and infectious disease specialists is vital to create new evidence-based guidelines based on the recent data.
Infant Responses to Primary Immunization Following Vaccination in Pregnancy With Varying Doses of Recombinant Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Alone or Combined With Tetanus-Diphtheria
Authors: Puthanakit Thanyawee , Chokephaibulkit Kulkanya , Anugulruengkitt Suvaporn , Chaithongwongwatthana Surasith , Phongsamart Wanatpreeya , Wittawatmongkol Orasri , Rungmaitree Supattra , Tang Yuxiao , Kerdsomboon Chawanee , Yuwaree Vilasinee , Fortuna Librada , Mansouri Souad , Pham Hong Thai , Bhat Niranjan , Innis Bruce L.
Published: February 2025

Background:

Vaccination in pregnancy with recombinant pertussis vaccine results in similar or higher antibody levels in infants compared with chemically detoxified acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdapchem). We evaluated antibody responses to primary childhood vaccination in infants born to mothers vaccinated in pregnancy with recombinant pertussis vaccine containing 1, 2 or 5 µg genetically detoxified pertussis toxin (ap1gen, Tdap1gen, Tdap2gen or TdaP5gen) or Tdapchem.

Methods:

Infants (393) received diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis (DTwP) at 2, 4 and 6 months (3+0) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) at 2, 4 and 12 months of age (2+1). Serum IgG levels against pertussis toxoid (PT), filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), diphtheria toxoid (DT), tetanus toxoid (TT), PCV13 serotypes and PT-neutralizing antibody (PT-Nab) titers were assessed. PT-IgG ≥10 IU was used as a cutoff for potential protection in infants.

Results:

PT-IgG geometric mean concentrations (GMC) were ≥10 IU/mL at 5 and 7 months of age but waned below 10 IU/mL at 13 months in all groups. FHA-IgG GMCs and PT-Nab geometric mean titers were also below 10 IU/mL in all groups at 13 months of age. TT-IgG and DT-IgG seroprotection rates (≥0.1 IU/mL) ranged from 97.1% to 100% at 7 and 13 months. Postbooster PCV13-serotype-specific seroprotection rates (IgG ≥ 0.35 µg/mL) ranged between 87% and 100%. Antibody responses were comparable between groups after DTwP priming (7 months) and PCV13 priming (5 months) and booster vaccination (13 months).

Conclusions:

Childhood vaccine responses are comparable after mothers receive genetically or chemically detoxified acellular pertussis vaccines in pregnancy.