bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field deployable trace radioisotope analysis through combined electrochemical and alpha spectroscopy methods
Authors: Giglio Daryl , Cho Sung Gu , Oksuz Ibrahim , Remy Jarod , Kandlakunta Praneeth , Hlinka Vasil , Downing Greg , Co Anne C. , Cao Lei R.
Published: January 2025

A method for depositing actinides directly onto a 4H-SiC Schottky barrier diode (SBD) detector as a field deployable actinides sensor was developed to enable off-site analysis, shortening the time to obtain critical information such as elements, concentration, and/or isotopic ratio related to the radiological situation. A thin film of Hg was first electrodeposited onto the Pt contact of the SiC diode, followed by chronoamperometric deposition of microgram levels of actinides under conventional control conditions. The 4H-SiC diode maintained consistent functionality through the electrodeposition process and showed resolved alpha-energy spectra that contained accurate isotopic information demonstrating the feasibility of a combined chemical and radiological sensor for field actinide detection and quantification.
Computational screening and molecular dynamics of natural compounds targeting the SH2 domain of STAT3: a multitarget approach using network pharmacology
Authors: Kumar Sachindra , Kumar B. Harish , Nayak Raksha , Pandey Samyak , Kumar Nitesh , Pai K. Sreedhara Ranganath
Published: January 2025

SH2 (Src Homology 2) domains play a crucial role in phosphotyrosine-mediated signaling and have emerged as promising drug targets, particularly in cancer therapy. STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3), which contains an SH2 domain, plays a pivotal role in cancer progression and immune evasion because it facilitates the dimerization of STAT3, which is essential for their activation and subsequent nuclear translocation. SH2 domain-mediated STAT3 inhibition disrupts this binding, reduces phosphorylation of STAT3, and impairs dimerization. This study employed an in silico approach to screen potential natural compounds that could target the SH2 domain of STAT3 and inhibit its function. The phytomolecules (182455) were retrieved from the ZINC 15 database and were docked using various modes like HTVS, SP, and XP. The phytomolecules exhibiting higher binding affinity were selected. MM-GBSA was performed to determine binding free energy, and the QikProp tool was utilized to assess the pharmacokinetic properties of potential hit compounds, narrowing down the list of candidates. Molecular dynamics simulations, thermal MM-GBSA, and WaterMap analysis were performed on compounds that exhibited favorable binding affinities and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Based on docking scores and binding interactions, ZINC255200449, ZINC299817570, ZINC31167114, and ZINC67910988 were identified as potential STAT3 inhibitors. ZINC67910988 demonstrated superior stability in molecular dynamics simulation and WaterMap analysis. Furthermore, DFT was performed to determine energetic and electronic properties, and HOMO and LUMO sites were predicted for electronic structure calculation. Additionally, network pharmacology was performed to map the compounds’ interactions within biological networks, highlighting their multitarget potential. Compound-target networks elucidate the relationships between compounds and multiple targets, along with their associated pathways and help to minimize off-target effects. The identified lead compound showed strong potential as a STAT3 inhibitor, warranting further validation through in vitro and in vivo studies.

Graphical abstract
Morphological operators that considerably improve the generalised hough transform
Authors: Baykal Ibrahim Cem
Published: January 2025

Hough Transform has difficulty detecting short lines. One way to improve the results is to oversample images in order to make those short lines longer. Unfortunately, this method is computationally expensive. In this article, three new binary morphological operators are introduced that can stretch binary edge images. The first operator thins the output of the edge detector so that the second one can stretch it. The Stretch operator does not alter the coordinates of the end points of a line (other than multiply by 3) nor make it thicker. The third one, the smooth operator, is designed for smoothing the jaggedness of the lines stretched by the stretch operator. These operators are a computationally efficient way of improving the results of the Hough Transform for lines, circles and other shapes. All of the operators are implemented using the OpenCV library and the source code is publicly shared on GitHub.
Damage location in mechanical structures by multi-objective pattern search
Authors: Günther Christian , Hofmeister Benedikt , Hübler Clemens , Jonscher Clemens , Ragnitz Jasper , Schubert Jenny , Steinbach Marc C.
Published: January 2025

We propose a multi-objective global pattern search algorithm for the task of locating and quantifying damage in flexible mechanical structures. This is achieved by identifying eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes from measurements and matching them against the results of a finite element simulation model, which leads to a nonsmooth nonlinear bi-objective parameter estimation problem. A derivative-free optimization algorithm is required since the problem is nonsmooth and also because complex mechanical simulation models are often solved using commercial black-box software. Moreover, the entire set of non-dominated solutions is of interest to practitioners. Most solution approaches published to date are based on meta-heuristics such as genetic algorithms. The proposed multi-objective pattern-search algorithm provides a mathematically well-founded alternative. It features a novel sorting procedure that reduces the complexity in our context. Test runs on two experimental structures with multiple damage scenarios are used to validate the approach. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm yields accurate damage locations and requires moderate computational resources. From the engineer’s perspective it represents a promising tool for structural health monitoring.
The life project account of eating disorders: agency in the pursuit of dietary goals
Authors: Benschop Cato , Kalis Annemarie
Published: January 2025

Recovery from eating disorders is known to be difficult. Individuals with eating disorders are generally poorly responsive to change: their eating behaviour is rigid, and they are often inflexible as regards their eating-related goals. This opens up questions about their agency in eating. Why do individuals with eating disorders not “just stop” performing problematic eating behaviour, despite the enormous burden this behaviour may inflict in their lives? In this article, we seek to answer this question by providing a clear view of individuals’ own role in the development of and recovery from their eating disorders. Specifically, we adopt a situated perspective on agency to explain the poor responsiveness to change characteristic of these conditions. We suggest that in the pursuit of eating-related goals, individuals with eating disorders develop a project-like relation to eating, which not only pervasively changes the arrangement and content of their lives, but also their lives’ meaning. On this basis, we argue that the goal-inflexibility and rigidity of eating behaviour often ascribed to them might not be grounded in disorders or impairments of agency, but can in fact be understood in terms of their agency in eating. This is what we call the “life project account” of eating disorders.
Acteoside as a Multi-target Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agent: An In-Silico Study
Authors: Shode Francis O. , Amobonye Ayodeji , Pillai Santhosh , Govender Penny P. , Govender Krishna K.
Published: January 2025

This study utilized a comprehensive computational approach to identify multi-targeted drug molecules against prominent SARS-CoV-2 druggable proteins. This is considered imperative as the damaging effects of the virus still lingers as a global threat and because of the increasing awareness of the enhanced therapeutic efficacy of multi-target drug. Thus, we investigated and identified novel therapeutic interventions for SARS-CoV-2 from an array of previously reported natural antiviral compounds. The systematic virtual screening was achieved by predicting the interaction potential of the selected natural lead molecules with important SARS-CoV-2 target proteins and comparing their binding energies with that of currently approved COVID-19 drugs, some of which are also the target proteins’ co-crystallized ligands. Out of the 22 selected compounds, Acteoside (Act) was identified as the most promising, as it exhibited remarkable molecular interactions with docking scores of − 11.68, − 9.81, − 8.64, − 10.38, − 11.75 and − 6.68 kcal/mol with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, TMPRSS2, Cath L, RdRp, Sgp, and hACE2, respectively. The one-compound-multi-target prospect of Act was also demonstrated by its strong hydrogen bonding interactions with the active sites residues of the proteins. Furthermore, the stability of Act in the protein binding pockets were demonstrated by the binding free energies of − 76.7491, − 53.3057, − 54.4685, and − 45.7573 kcal/mol recorded for the 7BQY-Act, 7MEQ- Act, 5MQY-Act, 7BV2-Act complexes respectively; all which competed more favourably than the co-crystallized ligands during the 200 ns simulation. All our findings suggest Act as a potent multi-target anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent that can serve as the lead for the development of effective therapeutics against the virus.

Graphical Abstract
Development of a new flippase-dependent mouse model for red fluorescence-based isolation of KRASG12D oncogene-expressing tumor cells
Authors: Hrckulak Dusan , Onhajzer Jakub , Krausova Michaela , Stastna Monika , Kriz Vitezslav , Janeckova Lucie , Korinek Vladimir
Published: January 2025

Proto-oncogene KRAS, GTPase (KRAS) is one of the most intensively studied oncogenes in cancer research. Although several mouse models allow for regulated expression of mutant KRAS, selective isolation and analysis of transforming or tumor cells that produce the KRAS oncogene remains a challenge. In our study, we present a knock-in model of oncogenic variant KRASG12D that enables the “activation” of KRASG12D expression together with production of red fluorescent protein tdTomato. Both proteins are expressed from the endogenous Kras locus after recombination of a transcriptional stop box in the genomic DNA by the enzyme flippase (Flp). We have demonstrated the functionality of the allele termed RedRas (abbreviated KrasRR) under in vitro conditions with mouse embryonic fibroblasts and organoids and in vivo in the lung and colon epithelium. After recombination with adenoviral vectors carrying the Flp gene, the KrasRR allele itself triggers formation of lung adenomas. In the colon epithelium, it causes the progression of adenomas that are triggered by the loss of tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli (APC). Importantly, cells in which recombination has successfully occurred can be visualized and isolated using the fluorescence emitted by tdTomato. Furthermore, we show that KRASG12D production enables intestinal organoid growth independent of epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling and that the KRASG12D function is effectively suppressed by specific inhibitor MRTX1133.
Analyzing the impacts of race, addiction, drug type, and criminal record on public support for criminalized and medicalized sentencing approaches toward illegal drug use
Authors: Caliman Carolina R. , Berryessa Colleen M.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study examines how a defendant’s addiction, prior criminal record, race, and drug type impact public support for criminalized and medicalized sentencing approaches to illegal drug use, as well as how such support may be moderated by participants’ levels of essentialist thinking.

Methods

This study is a fully-crossed, randomized experiment with a lay public sample (N = 1208).

Results

Public support for medicalized approaches to sentencing was significantly higher for oxycodone and heroin. Support for criminalized approaches was significantly higher for crack and cocaine, and when the defendant was Hispanic, Black, or had a violent criminal record. Essentialist thinking generally predicted increased support for criminalized approaches, but increased support for medicalized approaches when addiction was known.

Conclusions

This research highlights the role of different factors in shaping public support for drug sentencing approaches, as well as suggests that public attitudes about drugs are deeply intertwined with societal narratives about race, addiction, and criminality.
Ethics that Fails to Regulate War, Ethics that Enhances War
Authors: Lingis Alphonso , Komesaroff Paul
Published: January 2025

This short perspective piece argues that wars are often conducted in settings where ethical injunctions are ignored or overridden and where ethical oversight is avoided or circumvented. This is particularly the case with intrastate conflicts and is exacerbated by novel military technologies. In these and other settings ethics is often invoked actually to promote or prolong war.
Bullying and anxiety/depressive symptoms in Latinx adolescents living with obesity: the mediating role of self-esteem
Authors: Lovan Padideh , Boga Devina J. , Lozano Alyssa , Graefe Beck , Hodge Shanelle , Estrada Yannine , Lee Tae Kyoung , Prado Guillermo
Published: January 2025

Bullying is a serious public health issue for adolescents in the United States. Previous studies have demonstrated associations between self-esteem, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and bullying victimization (BV); however, these relationships have not been extensively studied considering the overlap of social identities of Latinx adolescents living with obesity and overweight (LAWO), who are more likely to be victims of bullying. The current study aims to address these gaps by examining the relationship between BV and anxiety/depressive symptoms and the role of self-esteem while considering sex differences among LAWO (N = 139; female: n = 77, 55.4%; mean age = 12.9 years). Results for overall group showed that BV significantly predicted anxiety/depressive symptoms and self-esteem significantly mediated this relationship. Multigroup mediation analysis resulted in significant mediation by self-esteem for females. Results suggest that interventions that target self-esteem and consider culture would be beneficial for female LAWO.
The dark side of humor: analyzing the relationship between dark triad traits, humor styles, and bullying in university students
Authors: Antoniadou Nafsika , Kokkinos Constantinos M.
Published: January 2025

This research uses a self-report questionnaire to examine how humour styles based on Martin’s taxonomy (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating) may moderate the relationship between Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and bullying behaviors among 662 university students. Significant positive correlations between Dark Triad traits and bullying emerged, as well as gender, with males scoring higher in all variables. Moderation analyses showed that affiliative humour reduced the impact of narcissism on bullying, while aggressive enhanced it. Additionally, self-enhancing and aggressive humour increased the impact of psychopathy on bullying behaviors. These results suggest that humour styles play a crucial role in the dynamics of bullying in relation to Dark Triad personality traits, offering new insights for intervention strategies.
Advances in pancreatic cancer treatment
Authors: Taghizadeh Hossein
Published: January 2025

Pancreatic cancer, one of the most challenging malignancies to treat, is characterized by poor survival rates. The identification of novel effective therapies, optimization of treatments for the elderly population, and elucidation of the role of chemoradiotherapy are critical issues. Recent studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2024 annual meeting have demonstrated advancements in the treatment of this aggressive disease. This review summarizes three notable studies: the phase I trial of IBI389, the phase II GIANT trial, and the phase II/III GABARNANCE trial, each contributing new insights into therapeutic strategies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
The past, present, and future of social media marketing ethics
Authors: Granstedt Anna
Published: January 2025

As social media increasingly permeates everyday life, ethical concerns about its use are coming into sharper focus. At the same time, the ethical issues involved in social media marketing have received somewhat limited attention from marketing research and practice. Therefore, many scholars are calling out for a better understanding of the role of ethics in social media marketing decisions. Current marketing ethics theories do not sufficiently consider the unique dynamics of social media. To aid researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, we propose a theoretical framework to address issues in social media marketing ethics built on theories of normative and descriptive ethics. This framework considers the normative and descriptive ethics within firm-internal and firm-external factors in the fields of law, regulation and norms, platform conditions, and stakeholder value. Then, applying a thematically built systematic literature review, we identify and discuss five distinct themes of research in social media marketing ethics: (I) advertising and customer–brand relationships; (II) the dark side of social media; (III) privacy; (IV) fake news; and (V) emerging research. These themes and their implications are discussed using the proposed theoretical framework. Our study provides a comprehensive overview and synthesis of ethical challenges in social media marketing and suggests possible research avenues for the future. In doing so, it outlines pressing issues that require attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to ensure an ethically sustainable approach to social media marketing.
Preparation of RGO with Enhanced Electrical Conductivity: Effects of Sequential Reductions of L-Ascorbic Acid and Thermal
Authors: Öztekin Dilek , Arbağ Hüseyin , Yaşyerli Sena
Published: January 2025

This study aimed to prepare reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with high electrical conductivity by changing the reduction sequences with environmentally friendly L-ascorbic acid and H2 at moderate temperature. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by the modified Hummers method using graphite. The characteristic peak at about 2θ:10° was observed in the XRD pattern, and the oxygen-containing functional groups determined by FTIR analyses indicate the successful preparation of graphene oxide (GO) In order to investigate the removal of oxygen-containing functional groups from GO and the restoration of the graphene structure, XRD, ATR-FTIR, XPS, and Raman analysis were performed. Also, SEM images were taken to see the change in the morphology of the materials. Electrical conductivity measurements of prepared GO and RGO materials were performed using the four-point probe method. RGO-AA-T material, to which first chemical and then thermal reduction is applied, was found to have the highest electrical conductivity value of 1.97 × 104 Sm−1 with the highest ratio of C/O:15.5 among other RGOs. XRD and Raman analysis results showed that the initial application of chemical reduction allowed the formation of fewer graphene layers and denser sp2 domains responsible for the highest electrical conductivity among other materials. The sequence of chemical and thermal treatment significantly enhances the electrical conductivity of RGO by effectively removing oxygen functional groups, maximizing the restoration of sp2 domains, and preserving structure. These results indicate that the chemical and thermal reduction sequence is very important in improving electrical conductivity. The chemical and thermal reduction applied in this study is a very promising method, and ten times higher electrical conductivity can be achieved compared to the literature.
Naming, Stimulus Equivalence and Relational Frame Theory: Stronger Together than Apart
Authors: Regaço Alceu , Harte Colin , Barnes-Holmes Dermot , Leslie Julian , de Rose Julio C.
Published: January 2025

Research on human language started to change when Murray Sidman and colleagues demonstrated that a participant was able to derive unreinforced stimulus relations after conditional discrimination training. This work provided the basis for a novel approach to research on symbolic behavior and fostered the development of three main theoretical accounts: stimulus equivalence (SE), relational frame theory (RFT), and naming theory (NT). These accounts unfolded in the last decades of the twentieth century, promoting intense debate and discussion within behavior analysis. Although experimental research emerging from these three accounts is still highly active today, the theoretical discussions have, to a large extent, faded. Considering the importance of rekindling a dialogue, this article aims to describe the differences among the three accounts, but focus on their common points. We conclude by arguing that developing a more complete behavior-analytic account of human language would be served best by considering both research and theoretical analyses of SE, RFT and NT. Finally, we provide examples of two successful research groups that adopted this approach and in doing so have advanced our understanding of language within behavior analysis.
In Which Scenarios Do Preceptors and Students Agree, Disagree, or Remain Neutral About Learner Mistreatment?
Authors: Colón-López Alejandra , Zinski Anne
Published: January 2025

Objective

In recent years, nearly half of graduating medical students in the USA and Canada reported personal mistreatment experiences during training. Prior scholarship reports heterogeneous opinions of learner mistreatment behaviors among trainees, and resulting unaligned perceptions may influence reporting, feedback, and policy. However, fewer studies compare students’ and preceptors’ views about learner mistreatment using vignettes of student-preceptor interactions.

Methods

We surveyed 141 students and 203 preceptors at an MD-granting institution. Participants indicated their agreement on a 5-point scale on whether behaviors in 17 written vignettes constituted learner mistreatment. Descriptive statistics and bivariate tests were executed to identify areas in which students’ and preceptors’ mistreatment views differed.

Results

Student and preceptor responses converged on 12 of 17 vignettes. More students agreed that vignettes describing a student being addressed by another student’s name and an example of public embarrassment constitutes learner mistreatment. More preceptors agreed that addressing students with terms of endearment and denying training opportunities based on career choice constitute learner mistreatment. The proportion of preceptors who selected neutral responses was higher than that of students for nearly all vignettes.

Conclusion

When presented with written vignettes, students’ and preceptors’ perceptions of learner mistreatment were not consistent. This study highlights potential gaps in students’ and preceptors’ mistreatment perceptions, including differences in participants’ decisions to remain “neutral.” To prevent and address learner mistreatment, follow-up research is warranted to support the development and honing of shared definitions and examples of mistreatment, as well as targeted programming for students and preceptors.
Patriarchy, Fertility and Excess Female Child Mortality in India
Authors: Singh Abhishek , Kumar Kaushalendra , McDougal Lotus , Chokhandre Praveen Kumar , Singh Ajeet Kumar , Upadhyay Ashish Kumar , James K. S. , Raj Anita
Published: January 2025

Research investigating association between patriarchy and demographic behavior is limited in India. The only study on this subject utilized 1981 Indian Census data to examine associations between patriarchy and fertility. We examined the association of patriarchy, measured using India Patriarchy Index (IPI), with total fertility rate (TFR) and excess female child mortality in India. Additionally, we examined independent associations of the 5 dimensions included in the IPI with the two outcomes. We used univariate and bivariate Local Indicators of Spatial Autocorrelation, multivariable ordinary least squares and spatial error- regressions to examine the associations. Spatial heterogeneity beyond the north–south divide was evident in the spatial association of IPI with TFR and excess female child mortality. Results show positive association of IPI with TFR and excess female child mortality. While son preference and socio-economic domination were positively associated with TFR, domination of men over women and son preference were positively associated with excess female child mortality. This study is the first of its kind to examine the association of a novel measure of patriarchy with TFR and excess female child mortality. As patriarchy is deep-rooted in Indian society, a great deal of effort is needed to shift these traditionally held social norms and practices.
Adversarialism and power-sharing: the effect of political competition on the management-performance relationship
Authors: Bello-Gomez Ricardo A. , Avellaneda Claudia N. , Olvera Johabed G.
Published: January 2025

We analyze the moderating effect of political contexts on the management-performance relationship. Dissimilar party systems generate different patterns of political competition, such as adversarialism versus power-sharing. We argue adversarialism strengthens the effect of chief executives’ experience on government performance by offering more incentives for competition and accountability, compared to power-sharing systems. Although Colombian and Mexican subnational governments share several institutional similarities, Mexico exhibits more adversarial competition, compared to Colombia’s power-sharing tradition. Therefore, governors’ background experience should be more strongly associated with gubernatorial performance in Mexico than in Colombia. We built panel data sets for the 32 Mexican states and the 32 Colombian departamentos by collecting governors’ biographical information, regional characteristics, and performance indicators for education (high school enrollment) and health (infant mortality rate). Findings indicate governors’ experience enhances performance in Mexican states, but not in Colombian departamentos. These suggest political competition patterns condition the role of executive experience on performance.
Can “energy-saving and emission reduction” demonstration city pilot alleviate carbon inequality in Chinese cities?
Authors: Fang Yong , Li Minghao , Chen Xueyan , Wang Chuyuan
Published: January 2025

As a pivotal element in China’s pursuit of a sustainable development model, green fiscal policies have become increasingly important amid the exacerbation of global climate conditions. Regrettably, little attention has been paid to comprehending the carbon allocation effects of the implementation of these policies. This study focuses on the “National Comprehensive Demonstration City of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Fiscal Policy” (ESER policy) as the focal point of analysis. Using a multi-period difference-in-differences model, we assessed the implications of ESER policies on carbon inequality. This study further explored asymmetry, mechanism effects, and heterogeneity. Our empirical findings demonstrate that the ESER policy directly reduced carbon inequality by 11.4% in the demonstration cities. This conclusion withstood rigorous testing, including parallel trend assessments, robustness analyses, and endogeneity diagnostics. Moreover, the ameliorative implications of the ESER policy on carbon inequality in demonstration cities are predominantly realized by facilitating cleaner production technological innovation, end-of-pipe treatment technological innovation, industrial structure rationalization, and industrial structure optimization. Furthermore, the ameliorative implications of the ESER policy on carbon inequality were conspicuous in the upper quantiles. Finally, the urban magnitude, geographical location, resource endowment, and innovation foundation of a demonstration city exert diverse influences on policy implementation. These empirical results provide valuable guidance for the Chinese government in formulating climate policies with a focus on carbon equity considerations.
Meinongianism
Authors: Reicher Maria Elisabeth
Published: January 2025

Meinongianism (named after Alexius Meinong) is, roughly, the view that there are not only existent but also nonexistent objects. In this book, Meinong's so-called object theory as well as “neo-Meinongian” reconstructions are presented and discussed, especially with respect to logical issues, both from a historical and a systematic perspective. Among others, the following topics are addressed: basic principles and motivations for Meinongianism; the distinction between “there is” (“x”) and “exists” (“E!”); interpretations and kinds of quantification; Meinongianism, the principle of excluded middle and the principle of non-contradiction; the nuclear-extranuclear distinction and modes of predication; varieties of neo-Meinongianism and Meinongian logics.
Worldmaking and Cuneiform Antiquity
Authors: Rochberg Francesca
Published: January 2025

Objects of knowledge exist within material, immaterial, and conceptual worlds. Once the world is conceived from the perspective of others, the physical ontology of modern science no longer functions as a standard by which to understand other orderings of reality, whether from ethnographical or historical sources. Because premodern and non-western sources attest to a plurality of sciences practiced in accordance with different ways of worldmaking from that of the modern West, their study belongs to the history of science, the philosophy of science, and the sociology of science, as well as the anthropology of science. In Worldmaking and Cuneiform Antiquity, Francesca Rochberg extends an anthropology of science to the historical world of cuneiform texts of ancient Babylonia. Exploring how Babylonian science has been understood, she proposes a new direction for scholarship by recognizing the world of ancient science, not as a less developed form of modern science, but as legitimate and real in its own right.
In Response to Constitutional Crisis: The Latent Carl Schmitt in Zhang Junmai’s Political Thought
Authors: Chen Dandan
Published: January 2025

This paper examines two responses to the global constitutional crises in the twentieth century, with a focus on a comparison between Carl Schmitt, a notorious German political theorist and critic of liberal constitutionalism and Zhang Junmai, a constitutionalist in Republican China. After the First World War, both Germany and China experienced constitutional crises, which prompted critical reflections among intellectuals. My paper is the first to discover and examine the latent element of Carl Schmitt in Zhang Junmai’s acceptance of the Weimar Constitution. My research shows that Zhang’s 1930 article, “Hugo Preuss (Author of the New German Constitution), His Concept of the State and His Position in the History of German Political Theory” (德國新憲起草者柏呂斯之國家觀念及其在德國政治學說史上之地位) is his Chinese translation of Carl Schmitt’s 1930 article, “Hugo Preuss: His Concept of the State and His Position in German State Theory” (“Hugo Preuss: Sein Staatsbegriff und seine Stellung in der deutschen Staatslehre”). Instead of simply regarding Zhang’s writing as plagiarism, my paper interrogates the gaps between Carl Schmitt’s original text and Zhang’s translation. By examining the intertextual relation between Carl Schmitt and Zhang Junmai, this paper reveals a latent aspect of the spectrum of Constitutionalism in the twentieth century and shows a special dialogue between a German critic of constitutionalism and a Chinese constitutionalist.
An Existential Attention Norm for Affectively Biased Sentient Beings: A Buddhist Intervention from Buddhaghosa
Authors: SMITH SEAN M.
Published: January 2025

This article argues that our attention is pervasively biased by embodied affects and that we are normatively assessable in light of this. From a contemporary perspective, normative theorizing about attention is a relatively new trend (Siegel 2017: Ch. 9, Irving 2019, Bommarito 2018: Ch. 5). However, Buddhist philosophy has provided us with a well-spring of normatively rich theorizing about attention from its inception. This article will address how norms of attention are dealt with in Buddhaghosa’s (5th-6th CE) claims about how wholesome forms of empathy can go wrong. Through this analysis, I will show that Buddhist philosophers like Buddhaghosa think there is an existential norm of attention, one that commands us not just to pay attention to ourselves and the world properly, but one whereby we are exhorted to attend to ourselves in a way that gradually transforms our cognitive-emotional constitution so that we become liberated from suffering.
Forecasting mortality rates with functional signatures
Authors: Yap Zhong Jing , Pathmanathan Dharini , Dabo-Niang Sophie
Published: January 2025

This study introduces an innovative methodology for mortality forecasting, which integrates signature-based methods within the functional data framework of the Hyndman–Ullah (HU) model. This new approach, termed the Hyndman–Ullah with truncated signatures (HUts) model, aims to enhance the accuracy and robustness of mortality predictions. By utilizing signature regression, the HUts model is able to capture complex, nonlinear dependencies in mortality data which enhances forecasting accuracy across various demographic conditions. The model is applied to mortality data from 12 countries, comparing its forecasting performance against variants of the HU models across multiple forecast horizons. Our findings indicate that overall the HUts model not only provides more precise point forecasts but also shows robustness against data irregularities, such as those observed in countries with historical outliers. The integration of signature-based methods enables the HUts model to capture complex patterns in mortality data, making it a powerful tool for actuaries and demographers. Prediction intervals are also constructed with bootstrapping methods.
Investigation on the short-period eclipsing Am binary V404 Aur and GWGem
Authors: Tian Xiao-Man , Wang Zhi-Hua , Zhu Li-Ying , Wang Jing-Jing
Published: January 2025

The multi-colour complete light curves and low-resolution spectra of two short period eclipsing Am binaries V404 Aur and GW Gem are presented. The stellar atmospheric parameters of the primary stars were derived through the spectra fitting. The observed and TESS-based light curves of them were analysed by using the Wilson-Devinney code. The photometric solutions suggest that both V404 Aur and GW Gem are semi-detached systems with the secondary component filling its critical Roche Lobe, while the former should be a marginal contact binary. The

$O-C$

analysis found that the period of V404 Aur is decreasing at a rate of

$dP/dt=-1.06(\pm0.01)\times 10^{-7}\,\mathrm{d}\,\mathrm{ yr}^{-1}$

, while the period of GW Gem is increasing at

$dP/dt=+2.41(\pm0.01)\times 10^{-8} \mathrm{d}\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$

. The period decrease of V404 Aur may mainly be caused by the combined effects of the angular momentum loss (AML) via an enhanced stellar wind of the more evolved secondary star and mass transfer between two components. The period increase of GW Gem supports the mass transfer from the secondary to the primary. Both targets may be in the broken contact stage predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillations theory and will eventually evolve to the contact stage. We have collected about 54 well-known eclipsing Am binaries with absolute parameters from the literature. The relations of these parameters are summarised. There are some components that have a higher degree of evolution. The majority of their hydrogen shell may have been stripped away and the stellar internal layer exposed. The accretion processes from such evolved components may be very important for the formation of Am peculiarity in binaries.
WHERE POWER LIES: LORDLY POWER CENTRES IN THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE c. 800–1200
Authors: Gould David , Creighton Oliver , Chaussée Scott , Shapland Michael , Wright Duncan W
Published: January 2025

Toward the end of the first millennium ad, a burgeoning class of secular elites emerged throughout western Europe who developed local power centres to denote their prestige. Seigneurial investment was prioritised towards residences, as well as churches and chapels, the two elements often paired into single places in the landscape. In England, our understanding of these complexes is limited due to scant excavated evidence and skewed by the impact of the Norman Conquest, after which castles became the dominant form of aristocratic site. Previous approaches have often fetishised defensibility and promoted notions of national exceptionalism, but a more meaningful understanding of these places can be gained by adopting a broad chronological and thematic remit. Drawing upon the results of the AHRC-funded research project ‘Where Power Lies’, this paper offers a foundational evaluation of the landscape evidence for lordly centres, presenting data on their distribution in two regions, complemented by results from intensive investigation of case study locations (Bosham, West Sussex and Hornby, North Yorkshire). This allows a wider range of material signatures from lordly centres to be characterised, resulting in greater comprehension of how elites in England shaped and experienced a Europe-wide phenomenon.
Echocardiographic predictors of surgical outcomes in pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and development of a discriminatory calculator: an Australian tertiary institution experience
Authors: Justo Edward , Tarca Adrian , McKinnon Elizabeth , Bruce Diane , Maslin Katie , MacDonald Bradley , Saundankar Jelena , Andrews David , Shipton Stephen , Yim Deane
Published: January 2025

Introduction:

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum is a rare congenital cardiac lesion with significant anatomical heterogeneity. Surgical planning of borderline cases remains challenging and is primarily based on echocardiography. The aim was to identify echocardiographic parameters that correlate with surgical outcome and to develop a discriminatory calculator.

Methods:

Retrospective review of all pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum cases at a statewide tertiary paediatric cardiac centre was performed between 2004 and 2020. Demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data were collected. Logistic regression was used to develop a discriminatory tool for prediction of biventricular repair.

Results:

Forty patients were included. Overall mortality was 27.5% (n = 11) and confined to patients managed as univentricular (11 vs 0, p = 0.027). Patients who underwent univentricular palliation were more likely to have an associated coronary artery abnormality (17 vs 3, p = 0.001). Fifteen surviving patients (51.7%) achieved biventricular circulation while 14 (48.3%) required one-and-a-half or univentricular palliation. Nineteen patients (47.5%) underwent percutaneous pulmonary valve perforation. No patients without tricuspid regurgitation achieved biventricular repair. The combination of tricuspid valve/mitral valve annulus dimension ratio and right ventricle/left ventricle length ratio identified biventricular management with a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 96%. An online calculator has been made available.

Conclusion:

Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum is a challenging condition with significant early and interstage morbidity and mortality risk. Patient outcomes were comparable to internationally reported data. Right ventricle/left ventricle length and tricuspid valve/mitral valve annulus dimension ratios identified a biventricular pathway with a high level of sensitivity and specificity. Absent tricuspid regurgitation was associated with a univentricular outcome.
Removal of a circumferentially torn stuck balloon from a calcified right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit
Authors: Aziz Omeir Ali , Khan Mohammad Asim , Sadiq Masood
Published: January 2025

We report a case of right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit angioplasty in which a valvuloplasty balloon ruptured circumferentially and was retained within the conduit. A high-pressure balloon was used to relieve the obstruction and free the ruptured balloon. The procedure was further complicated when the distal part of the balloon broke away from the proximal part during an attempt to retrieve it back into the femoral sheath. This report highlights the inappropriate use of a soft balloon in a calcified xenograft conduit, which led to a series of complications, and discusses potential strategies for managing these complications.
The prevalence of obesity in children with CHD: what has changed over the past decade in Southwestern Ontario?
Authors: Frewen Nathan , Sharma Ajaya , Subasri Mathushan , Miller Michael R. , Mansukhani Gitanjali , Filler Guido , Norozi Kambiz
Published: January 2025

Objective:

To assess the prevalence of obesity and investigate any changes in body mass index in children with CHD compared to age-matched healthy controls, in Southwestern Ontario.

Methods:

The body mass index z-scores of 1259 children (aged 2–18) with CHD were compared with 2037 healthy controls. The body mass index z-scores of children who presented to our paediatric cardiology outpatient clinic from 2018 to 2021 were compared with previously collected data from 2008 to 2010. A longitudinal analysis of patients with data in both cohorts was also completed.

Results:

In total, 21.4% of patients with CHD and 26.6% of healthy controls were found to be overweight or obese (p < 0.001). The 2018–2021 cohort of CHD patients and controls had significantly higher body mass index z-scores compared to the 2008–2010 cohort (p < 0.001). Longitudinal analysis showed that body mass index z-scores significantly increased over time for CHD patients with data in both cohorts (2018–2021: M = 0.59, SD = 1.26; 2008–2010: M = −0.04, SD = 1.05; p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of obesity in all children, irrespective of CHD, is rising. The coexistence of obesity and CHD may pose additional cardiovascular risks and complications.
Mechanisms of exercise-related neurocardiogenic syncope and the relationship between resting and dynamic cardiac testing
Authors: Conant Bradley J. , Becker Kristian C. , Hill Garick D. , Hebson Camden L. , Anderson Jeffrey B. , Statile Christopher J. , Lang Sean M. , Schneider Kristin , Thomas Cameron , Willis Martha W. , Powell Adam W.
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Syncope is common among pediatric patients and is rarely pathologic. The mechanisms for symptoms during exercise are less well understood than the resting mechanisms. Additionally, inert gas rebreathing analysis, a non-invasive examination of haemodynamics including cardiac output, has not previously been studied in youth with neurocardiogenic syncope.

Methods:

This was a retrospective (2017–2023), single-center cohort study in pediatric patients ≤ 21 years with prior peri-exertional syncope evaluated with echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise testing with inert gas rebreathing analysis performed on the same day. Patients with and without symptoms during or immediately following exercise were noted.

Results:

Of the 101 patients (15.2 ± 2.3 years; 31% male), there were 22 patients with symptoms during exercise testing or recovery. Resting echocardiography stroke volume correlated with resting (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) and peak stroke volume (r = 0.32, p = 0.009) by inert gas rebreathing and with peak oxygen pulse (r = 0.61, p < 0.0001). Patients with syncopal symptoms peri-exercise had lower left ventricular end-diastolic volume (Z-score –1.2 ± 1.3 vs. –0.36 ± 1.3, p = 0.01) and end-systolic volume (Z-score –1.0 ± 1.4 vs. −0.1 ± 1.1, p = 0.001) by echocardiography, lower percent predicted peak oxygen pulse during exercise (95.5 ± 14.0 vs. 104.6 ± 18.5%, p = 0.04), and slower post-exercise heart rate recovery (31.0 ± 12.7 vs. 37.8 ± 13.2 bpm, p = 0.03).

Discussion:

Among youth with a history of peri-exertional syncope, those who become syncopal with exercise testing have lower left ventricular volumes at rest, decreased peak oxygen pulse, and slower heart rate recovery after exercise than those who remain asymptomatic. Peak oxygen pulse and resting stroke volume on inert gas rebreathing are associated with stroke volume on echocardiogram.
Nourishing change in Houston, Texas: exploring grocery shopping behaviours and fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income families in the Brighter Bites program
Authors: Kwentua Victoria , Marshall Allison , Chuang Ru-Jye , Chen Jessica , Markham Christine , Mathur Mallika , Pomeroy Mike , Hall Megan , Sharma Shreela
Published: January 2025

Objective:

We qualitatively examine the grocery shopping behaviours and fruit and vegetable consumption of low-income families participating in the Brighter Bites program in Houston, Texas.

Design:

We used a single-group observational study design. We used (1) purposive sampling of schools and (2) convenience sampling of parents/caregivers to recruit participants. Research staff conducted three face-to-face qualitative focus groups in Spanish and English. Transcripts were coded using deductive and inductive reasoning.

Setting:

Three elementary schools serving low-income families in Houston, Texas, in February-May of 2022.

Participants:

Brighter Bites parents/caregivers from the 2021–2022 school year.

Results:

Three primary themes emerged: (1) child involvement in grocery shopping – most parents/caregivers shop with their children. Children sometimes bring their own grocery lists, select their produce or help by counting produce; (2) the importance of balancing quality and affordability of fruits and vegetables purchased – both when selecting stores and choosing produce; (3) exposure to new varieties and higher quality of fruits and vegetables through Brighter Bites programming – parents/caregivers reported purchasing new fruits and vegetables as a result of participating in Brighter Bites.

Conclusion:

Findings can inform nutrition education programming and policies targeting fruit and vegetable consumption for low-income families. Child involvement may be a good target for nutrition-based behaviour change programs. Nutrition programs and policies should consider both produce affordability and quality. Exposure and opportunities to try new fruits and vegetables can lead to future purchases of new produce. Findings can also inform grocery stores’ efforts to understand low-income families’ purchasing habits, preferences and priorities.