bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted delivery of antitubercular drugs using glucan lipid particles
Authors: Jaecklein Eleni , Papavinasasundaram Kadamba , Ostroff Gary R. , Sassetti Christopher , Soto Ernesto R.
Published: February 2025

Simpler, safer, and faster chemotherapeutic regimens for tuberculosis and other respiratory mycobacterial infections are an urgent need. Many current therapies suffer from suboptimal drug exposure and dose-limiting systemic adverse effects, challenges that could be addressed via controlled delivery of drugs to the primary site of infection. We sought to address this need by designing a flexible formulation platform that targets drugs to the lung macrophages that concentrate at infectious foci. Our approach is based on an encapsulation strategy in which drugs or specifically designed prodrugs are captured in the hydrophobic core of a glucan-lipid particle (GLP). We show chemically diverse antimycobacterial drugs can be efficiently and stably encapsulated within GLP and that these microparticles can be engineered to release drugs upon low pH or reducing conditions that occur upon phagocytosis by macrophages. Encapsulated formulations of clofazimine, isoniazid, and linezolid retain activity against intracellular
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb) in an
ex vivo
model, demonstrating efficient drug delivery and release. Intranasal administration of GLP-clofazimine to
Mtb
-infected mice effectively concentrates the drug in the lung and reduces bacterial burden, whereas GLP-delivered linezolid was systemically distributed and failed to inhibit bacterial growth in the lung. This work establishes GLPs as a promising platform for targeted antibiotic delivery to the lung and also illustrates pharmacokinetic parameters that must be considered in future development.

IMPORTANCE

Tuberculosis (TB) causes an estimated 10.8 million cases each year and remains one of the leading causes of infectious death. Effective treatment is complicated due to the lengthy drug regimen required to prevent relapse and treatment failure. A primary challenge is delivering drugs effectively to lung granulomas, where TB bacteria can persist. Here, we developed yeast-derived glucan lipid microparticles (GLPs) as a novel delivery system to efficiently encapsulate and deliver TB drugs directly to lung tissue via intranasal administration. Of the formulations evaluated, GLP-encapsulated clofazimine achieved increased lung drug levels and reduced bacterial burden in TB-infected mice. The use of GLPs offers a promising approach to improve TB treatment by enabling targeted drug delivery to infection sites within the lungs.
Determination of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
MexXY-OprM substrate profile in a major efflux knockout system reveals distinct antibiotic substrate classes
Authors: Kavanaugh Logan G. , Hariharan Shraddha M. , Conn Graeme L.
Published: February 2025

Defining the substrates of resistance-nodulation-division systems is often complicated by the presence of multiple systems in a single bacterial species. Using a major efflux knockout strain, we developed a
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
system that enables controlled expression of MexXY-OprM in the absence of background efflux complexes with overlapping substrate profiles. This system identified three groups of potential substrates: substrates, partial substrates, and nonsubstrates, and defined trimethoprim as a new substrate for MexXY-OprM.

IMPORTANCE

Increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a major public health concern. One way bacteria can sustain growth in the presence of antibiotics is through active removal of these molecules via efflux pumps. In
Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
expression of the MexXY-OprM efflux pump is induced by treatment with certain antibiotics, resulting in the efflux of a diverse set of antimicrobials. Here, we designed an inducible system that allows for the determination of preferred antibiotic substrates for efflux by MexXY-OprM in a major efflux knockout strain. We show there are three distinct substrate classes—substrates, partial substrates, and nonsubstrates—and, for the first time, that the clinically important antibiotic trimethoprim is a substrate for MexXY-OprM. Our system’s flexible design will enable future studies of other
P. aeruginosa
efflux systems that can tease apart the overlapping substrate profiles of multidrug efflux pumps that can contribute to treatment failures.
Mass Spectra of New Heterocycles: XXVIII. Electron Impact and Chemical Ionization Mass Spectra of 3- and 5-(1H-Pyrrol-1-yl)- and 3-(1-Methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)thiophen-2-amines
Authors: Klyba L. V. , Sanzheeva E. R. , Nedolya N. A. , Tarasova O. A.
Published: February 2025

The behavior of previously unknown 3- and 5-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)- and 3-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)thiophen-2-amines under electron impact (70 eV) and chemical ionization (reactant gas methane) has been studied. The title compounds were synthesized in one pot from lithiated 1-propa-1,2-dien-1-yl-, 1-prop-2-yn-1-yl-, and 1-methyl-2-prop-1-yn-1-yl-1H-pyrroles, isothiocyanates, and methyl iodide. Under electron impact, all compounds formed stable molecular ions (M
+·
, I
rel 100%) which underwent fragmentation along two common pathways, C–N bond cleavage in the amine substituent with charge localization on the sulfur atom and generation of [M – R]+ ions (first pathway) and [M – Me]+ ions (second pathway). An exception was N-butyl-substituted thiophenamine which showed no [M – Me]+ ion in the mass spectrum. The stability of these ions depended on the nature of the R substituent. Thus, the [M – R]+ ion peak (R = Alk) had the highest intensity (I
rel 28–91%), whereas the [M – R]+ ions (R = Ar) were the least abundant (I
rel 3–8%). In contrast, the intensity of the [M – Me]+ ion peak in the mass spectra of N-aryl-substituted thiophenamines (I
rel 28–52%) was higher than the intensity of the corresponding ion peak of N-alkyl analogues (I
rel 14–41%), except for N-ethyl-3-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)thiophen-2-amine, in the spectrum of which the intensity of the [M – Me]+ ion peak was 57%. The [M – R]+ and [M – Me]+ ions derived from all N,N-dimethylthiophen-2-amines had the same m/z value and structure. The third fragmentation pathway was observed only for N-alkylthiophenamines; it involved α-cleavage in the amine substituent with charge localization on the exocyclic nitrogen atom. The fragmentation pathways of ions derived from all thiophenamines studied were proposed on the basis of analysis of tandem mass spectra (MS2). All 3-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)thiophen-2-amines under chemical ionization with methane as reactant gas easily underwent protonation, charge transfer, and electrophilic addition processes, and the resulting M
+·
, [M + H]+ and [M + Et]+ gave high-intensity peaks in the mass spectra.
Ultrasonographic evaluation of acute idiopathic scrotal wall oedema in adults
Authors: Desale Prasad Sanjay , Mishra Gaurav , Dhande Rajasbala , Parihar Pratapsingh
Published: February 2025

Acute idiopathic scrotal wall oedema is an uncommon cause of acute scrotal oedema that usually affects the paediatric population and is rarely encountered in adults. It frequently goes away without the need for surgery, presenting as sudden scrotal oedema and erythema. Acute idiopathic scrotal wall oedema is diagnosed and distinguished from other scrotal disorders by clinical examination and ultrasonography, which includes the distinctive ‘fountain sign’. A variety of clinical and radiological variables are included in the differential diagnosis and were carefully ruled out in this instance. Antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are used to treat acute idiopathic scrotal oedema conservatively; full recovery usually happens within a week. Though inadvertently discovered in this case, epididymal cysts may or may not be relevant in acute idiopathic scrotal wall oedema. When assessing acute scrotal oedema, especially in uncommon circumstances, acute idiopathic scrotal wall oedema should be considered in order to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention and associated risks.
Spontaneous subdural haematoma secondary to undiagnosed metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors: Takahashi Toshiaki , Kozai Landon , Macapagal Sharina , Nishimura Yoshito
Published: February 2025

A man in his 80s presented with 3 weeks of lower back pain, generalised weakness, poor appetite and intermittent melena, without genitourinary symptoms or recent trauma. CT showed an old L1 compression fracture and new sclerotic lesions in the L3 and L4 vertebrae, as well as mildly enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. 3 days later, he returned to the emergency department with worsening symptoms, including new left hemiparesis. A head CT revealed a right subdural haematoma (SDH) with a midline shift. Despite treatment for disseminated intravascular coagulation, the patient’s condition deteriorated, leading to a suspicion of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. An autopsy revealed disseminated metastatic adenocarcinoma with dura and leptomeningeal metastases, ultimately causing spontaneous SDH and subsequent transtentorial herniation. This case highlights the impact of anchoring bias in clinical decision-making and the importance of early recognition of underlying malignancy as the aetiology of spontaneous SDH in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of metastatic cancer.
Combined chylothorax and chylopericardium: a complication of central venous catheter-related thrombosis
Authors: Tharapoom Sasathorn , Luangrungruang Kritsada , Chindamporn Pornprapa
Published: February 2025

Central venous catheter-related thrombosis can lead to the concurrent occurrence of chylothorax and chylopericardium. This article reports a case of end-stage kidney disease with long-term dialysis catheter use, resulting in central vein stenosis and the rare complication of combined chylothorax and chylopericardium.
Time to breastfeeding cessation and its predictors among mothers of index children aged 2–3 years in Bedele Town, Southwest Ethiopia: a community-based retrospective follow-up study
Authors: Tesfa Fedasa , Debele Gebiso Roba , Tsegaye Dereje
Published: February 2025

Background

Breastfeeding ensures the survival and health of a child. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continuing for up to 2 years. However, the duration of breastfeeding is below what is recommended globally. In Ethiopia, more than a quarter of mothers stop breastfeeding before the second birth date. Information on time to breastfeeding cessation and its predictors is needed to address this issue.

Objective

To assess the time to the cessation of breastfeeding and its predictors among mothers who have children aged two to 2–3 years in southwest Ethiopia, 2022.

Methods: A community-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted among 471 randomly selected mothers with children aged 2–3 years in Southwest Ethiopia from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022. An interviewer-administered pre-questionnaire was used to collect the data. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 4.6 and exported to STATA version 14.1 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable survival models were fitted. The Weibull proportional hazard model was used to identify predictors for time to breastfeeding cessation.

Result

The overall incidence of early cessation of breastfeeding was found to be 11.05 per 1000 person-months of the follow-up period. Nearly a quarter (23.38%) of mothers ceased breastfeeding early. Educational status (diploma and above) (AHR=2.49: 95% CI (1.27, 4.90)), not bottle feeding (AHR=0.32, 95% CI(0.13, 0.76)), complementary feeding before 6 months (AHR=1.82, 95% CI(1.40, 2.37), ≥4 ANC follow-up (AHR=0.60; 95% CI (0.37, 0.96)), number of children (2–4) (AHR=2.82, CI (1.73, 4.61)) and (>4) (AHR=3.66, CI (1.36, 9.87)) were independent predictors of early cessation of breastfeeding.

Conclusion

The time to breastfeeding cessation was higher than that reported in previous studies. Therefore, strengthening maternal health education and breastfeeding counselling at both the health facility and community levels is recommended.
Health-related adverse work outcomes associated with post COVID-19 condition: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Naik Hiten , Zhu Bingyue , Er Lee , Sbihi Hind , Janjua Naveed Z , Smith Peter M , Tran Karen , Levin Adeera , Zhang Wei
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Symptoms from post COVID-19 condition (PCC) can impair functioning in working-age adults. However, there is uncertainty about the relationship between PCC and work outcomes. This study aimed to assess health-related adverse work outcomes in individuals with a PCC history compared with others who had COVID-19.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study in which participants in British Columbia (BC) completed an online questionnaire. Participants comprised adults who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR at least 2 years before questionnaire completion and were working age (18–64) at the time of infection. PCC status was determined by self-report. The health-related adverse work outcomes evaluated included change in occupation or employer, reduced workload, increased sick days compared with before COVID-19, early retirement and indefinite sick leave. Analyses were weighted to reflect the characteristics of individuals who had COVID-19 in BC. Propensity score overlap weighting was used to adjust for relevant sociodemographic and clinical covariates.

Results

Among 1106 participants, 966 (87.3%) were employed when they contracted SARS-CoV-2 and included in analyses. Of these participants, 47.8% were female, the median age was 37 and 46.9% had a PCC history. Compared with other individuals who had COVID-19, those with a PCC history were more likely to have had a health-related adverse work outcome (46.5% vs 24.9%; adjusted OR (aOR) 2.6 (95% CI 1.7 to 4.0)) and reported a greater number of sick days in the first 2 years since contracting SARS-CoV-2 (adjusted mean difference 43 days (95% CI 20 to 65)). The risk of a health-related adverse work outcome was especially high in those with post-COVID-19 fatigue (aOR 4.6 (95% CI 2.7 to 7.9)), fever (aOR 4.0 (95% CI 1.7 to 9.6)), weakness (aOR 3.8 (95% CI 2.2 to 6.3)), palpitations (aOR 3.3 (95% CI 2.0 to 5.0)) and brain fog (aOR 3.2 (95% CI 2.0 to 5.0)).

Conclusions

PCC is associated with health-related adverse work outcomes. This is an important consideration for clinicians, employers and health system leaders.
Early plasma ferritin concentrations are not associated with time to red cell transfusions in extremely and very preterm neonates: a prospective single-site observational study
Authors: O'Reilly Daniel , Fox Áine , Murphy Lauren , Murphy Claire , Glynn Anna-Claire , Kelleher Grainne , Ni Ainle Fionnuala , McCallion Naomi
Published: February 2025

Objective

To assess the relationship between plasma ferritin concentrations and (1) antenatal factors and (2) requirement for red cell transfusion.

Study design

This single-site prospective study recruited infants in the first week of life who were born <32 weeks’ corrected gestational age and did not receive a red cell transfusion prior to sampling. Ferritin concentrations were assessed on discard plasma taken as part of routine neonatal investigations in the first week of life (median day of life=3, IQR 2–5 days). Reasons for delivery, placental histology and demographics were recorded.

Results

Plasma ferritin concentrations were not significantly associated with birth weight or gestational age in this cohort of extremely/very preterm neonates (n=114: n=26, <28 weeks’ corrected gestational age; n=88, 28–32 weeks’ corrected gestational age). Neonates exposed to chorioamnionitis had an increased ferritin concentration versus those who were not. Neonates exposed to pre-eclampsia had a significantly lower ferritin concentration than those who were not. Early ferritin concentration was not associated with time to transfusion in a time to event analysis.

Conclusions

Plasma ferritin concentrations in very/extremely preterm neonates are variable and associated with the intrauterine environment. Ferritin concentration was not predictive of time to transfusion in this cohort and was not significantly different at smaller birth weight or earlier gestation. This is important for considerations of iron storage in very preterm neonates and its developmental consequences.
Using the capture-recapture method to ascertain the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among elite military personnel
Authors: Lovalekar Mita , Keenan K A , Cruz D E , Steele E J , Beals K , Nindl B C
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Injury epidemiology research traditionally uses a single musculoskeletal injury (MSI) data source, such as injury self-report (ISR) or medical record-review (MRR). MSI data obtained from ISR may be incomplete due to recall issues, and MRR data may be incomplete if medical attention was not sought, which is especially problematic in military populations. The objective of this analysis was to determine the ascertainment-corrected incidence of MSI among Special Forces (SF) military personnel using a novel statistical technique, capture-recapture (CRC).

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study used two sources of MSI data (ISR and MRR) collected at SF military installations. The CRC analysis, using the Chapman modification of the Lincoln-Petersen estimator, was conducted to assess the completeness of MSI data and to estimate the 1-year ascertainment-corrected cumulative MSI incidence.

Results

MSI data were available for 335 SF personnel (age: 28.9±6.2 years). At the time the study was conducted, only men could qualify as SF personnel. The percentage of participants identified as injured were 31.3% in the ISR, 26.6% in the MRR and 14.0% in both sources. The CRC estimate of the number of injured participants was 197.8 (95% CI 169.7, 225.8), with a CRC estimated 1 year cumulative incidence of 59.0% (95% CI 50.7%, 67.4%). Overall ascertainment was good (74.3%), but was relatively lower for spine MSI (49.0%) as compared with lower (73.7%) or upper (72.7%) extremity MSI. Ascertainment was highest for fractures (79.5%) versus strain (60.0%) or sprain (68.3%).

Conclusions

This was the first study to apply the CRC technique to estimate MSIs among SF personnel, who are at a very high risk of sustaining MSIs. Completeness of the MSI data varied by the MSI anatomic location and type. Further research into the application of the CRC technique in military populations is warranted, to provide an accurate estimate of the MSI burden.
Developing new equations for maximum scour depth near tandem, side-by-side, and eccentric piers
Authors: Nandi Buddhadev , Das Subhasish
Published: February 2025

There is a significant gap in the study of interference effects on side-by-side, tandem, and eccentric piers, which is critical for bridge design. This study investigates how hydraulic parameters affect the maximum scour depth (dm). These are pier spacings, flow intensity, flow shallowness, flow skew angle, sediment coarseness, sediment gradation, and time. Three different sets of equations are proposed to determine the dm around side-by-side, tandem and eccentric piers, considering multiple factors and comparing them with existing literature. The accuracy of the equations is evaluated using statistical parameters such as correlation coefficient (R), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), normalized root-mean-square-error (NRMSE) and index agreement (IA). The tandem front pier equation shows the highest accuracy with R=0.91, NSE=0.83, NRMSE=0.23, and IA=0.95. Likewise, the tandem rear pier equation excels in the highest accuracy with R=0.83, NSE=0.69, NRMSE=0.31, and IA=0.90. This research improves the robustness of scour prediction equations for two-piers by studying influential parameters.
Community-Engagement in Nature-Positive Food Systems Programming in East and South Africa: A Review
Authors: Zurba Melanie , Wang Yuge , Salomons Michael
Published: February 2025

There is strong and rapid momentum in the international conservation and developments spaces towards ‘nature-positive’ systems and programs. Nature positive food programs and/or interventions exist in a variety of social and geographic contexts. Alongside the movement towards nature-positives systems is a need to work towards social justice, community engagement, and collaboration in the delivery of new programs and approaches. To support the transition and future research in this area we conducted a review that focused regionally on East and South Africa. The focus on these regions was determined based on their long histories of food programs and increasing attention on new nature-positive food programming. Key findings from our review include clear links between actors at different regional scales, such as international agencies, research institutes, governments, and local NGOs; significant barriers to community engagement opportunities in nature-positive food systems seem to fit within three distinct categories (social, environmental, and political/strategic ); and lastly, we find that the outcomes of nature-positive food system programs include benefits for the natural environment (i.e., environmental conservation and management, wildlife conservation, and soil quality improvement) as well as benefits for local communities (i.e., alleviating social issues such as poverty, food insecurity, and gender inequality).
Matching and positivity beyond minimal coupling in effective theories of photons and gravitons
Authors: Alviani Edoardo , Falkowski Adam
Published: February 2025

We study the low-energy effective theories of photons and gravitons, matching them at one loop to a UV completion with a massive spinning matter particle. The matter is allowed to have non-minimal electromagnetic and gravitational interactions. We construct the one-loop 4-photon and 4-graviton helicity amplitudes with matter in the loop carrying anomalous multipole moments, and we read off the Wilson coefficients in the effective theory below the matter particle mass. Much as in the case of minimal coupling, the Wilson coefficients beyond the leading order turn out to be confined to small islands in the much larger theory space allowed by existing positivity constraints.
THE WEAK ORDER FOR STRATONOVICH STOCHASTIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION USING THE TRIVIAL METHOD
Authors: ALNAFISAH YOUSEF
Published: February 2025

This paper investigates the use of weak convergence in Stratonovich stochastic differential equations (SDEs), shifting the focus from the robust convergence techniques previously employed. We introduce a novel application of the trivial coupling method within the weak convergence framework, specifically addressing non-invertible equations. Our approach simplifies the handling of random scenarios and computational tasks, with potential applications spanning physics, biology, and engineering. We provide a detailed account of the method, including its theoretical background and practical implementation using MATLAB. Our results confirm the validity of our approach, demonstrating its effectiveness even with degenerate diffusion coefficients. This advancement in weak convergence strategies offers new insights and practical solutions for complex systems and opens avenues for further research.
Blockchain Security and Privacy: Threats, Challenges, Applications, and Tools
Authors: Alghuried Ahod , Alkinoon Mohammed , Mohaisen Manar , Wang An , Zou Cliff C. , Mohaisen David
Published: February 2025

Blockchain technology has heralded a new era in digital innovation, revolutionizing our approach to designing and building distributed applications in the digital sphere. Blockchain technology operates as an immutable digital ledger, where each entry representing a digital transaction is indelible and cannot be altered once established. Initially designed as the fundamental framework for cryptocurrencies, blockchain has outgrown its original purpose, demonstrating significant potential in various industries and offering a variety of security and privacy features. Our study provides a thorough and current survey of blockchain applications, security, privacy concepts, primitives, and threat models. It stands out by concentrating on how blockchain technology intersects with emerging fields like IoT, EVs, FinTech, and healthcare systems in a single framework. To provide security and privacy features, blockchain systems employ different foundational notions and primitives while tackling diverse adversarial scenarios with various capabilities and goals. This study presents a fresh examination of the current state of applications, security and privacy notions and primitives, and threat models in blockchain systems. Additionally, this work highlights existing gaps in knowledge and outlines open questions, aiming to stimulate interest in further advancements in the field.
Effect of PVdF Binder Content on Dry-Sprayed Graphite Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicle Applications
Authors: Barreras-Uruchurtu J. Alberto , Besnard Nicolas , Paul Clément , Marchal Lauréline , Devisme Samuel , Lestriez Bernard
Published: February 2025

This study explores the fabrication of graphite/PVdF electrodes using electrostatic dry spray-coating, a solvent-free and energy-saving process. We analyzed the effects of different PVdF concentrations (1.5%, 3.0%, and 4.0% in weight) on the morphology, mechanical properties, and electrochemical performance of the electrodes fabricated. We found that increasing PVdF binder concentration enhances mechanical properties such as peel strength, elastic modulus, and hardness due to improved particle cohesion and mechanical interlocking. However, it also increases electrical resistivity and tortuosity, as the insulating binder disrupts electronic conduction pathways and obstructs ion diffusion. These properties were quantitatively linked to several morphological parameters: the fraction of PVdF covering graphite particles, the volume and contact surface area of PVdF agglomerates. An optimal PVdF concentration is crucial for balancing these properties. The electrode with 3.0% stands out, delivering superior performance with a delithiation capacity of 193 mAh g−1 and a capacity retention of 97% at the 100th cycle in 4 mAh cm−2 pouch-cell format full cells.
Laser-Assisted rGO: A Metal-Free Electrochemical Sensor for Detection of Neurotransmitter Dopamine
Authors: Bala Kanchan , Aggarwal Nupur , Anand Gagan , Ravi Karthikeyan , Kumar Naveen
Published: February 2025

The present report portrays the laser-assisted synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (LrGO) and its structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties were investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis of LrGO revealed a persistent corrugated structure of rGO sheets and confirmed due to the existence of characteristics (002) and (111) peaks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed major peaks for -OH stretching at 3401 cm−1, C=C stretching at 1601 cm−1, and lattice vibrational modes at 467 cm−1, indicating a reduction of graphene oxide. The microstructural analysis of LrGO depicted stacked layers of LrGO with identifiable edges and folding due to the strong van der Waals forces. The superior sensitivity and electrocatalytic activity of dopamine (DA)-detecting approach by the LrGO/Pt electrode revealed from electrochemical studies using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were characterized, and enhanced peak currents were reproduced. High stability and efficiency were shown by this LrGO/Pt electrode, which makes the material a promising candidate for further research in sensitive and selective DA detection.
Individual variation in the functional lateralization of human ventral temporal cortex: Local competition and long-range coupling
Authors: Blauch Nicholas M. , Plaut David C. , Vin Raina , Behrmann Marlene
Published: February 2025

The ventral temporal cortex (VTC) of the human cerebrum is critically engaged in high-level vision. One intriguing aspect of this region is its functional lateralization, with neural responses to words being stronger in the left hemisphere, and neural responses to faces being stronger in the right hemisphere; such patterns can be summarized with a signed laterality index (LI), positive for leftward laterality. Converging evidence has suggested that word laterality emerges to couple efficiently with left-lateralized frontotemporal language regions, but evidence is more mixed regarding the sources of the right-lateralization for face perception. Here, we use individual differences as a tool to test three theories of VTC organization arising from: 1) local competition between words and faces driven by long-range coupling between words and language processes, 2) local competition between faces and other categories, 3) long-range coupling with VTC and temporal areas exhibiting local competition between language and social processing. First, in an in-house functional MRI experiment, we did not obtain a negative correlation in the LIs of word and face selectivity relative to object responses, but did find a positive correlation when using selectivity relative to a fixation baseline, challenging ideas of local competition between words and faces driving rightward face lateralization. We next examined broader local LI interactions with faces using the large-scale Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset. Face and tool LIs were significantly anti-correlated, while face and body LIs were positively correlated, consistent with the idea that generic local representational competition and cooperation may shape face lateralization. Last, we assessed the role of long-range coupling in the development of VTC lateralization. Within our in-house experiment, substantial positive correlation was evident between VTC text LI and that of several other nodes of a distributed text-processing circuit. In the HCP data, VTC face LI was both negatively correlated with language LI and positively correlated with social processing in different subregions of the posterior temporal lobe (PSL and STSp, respectively). In summary, we find no evidence of local face-word competition in VTC; instead, more generic local interactions shape multiple lateralities within VTC, including face laterality. Moreover, face laterality is also influenced by long-range coupling with social processing in the posterior temporal lobe, where social processing may become right-lateralized due to local competition with language.
The Constitution of the Scientific Observation Site (15th–18th Century)
Authors: Deias Dalia
Published: February 2025

In this special issue, we aim to study the places where observations, experiments, studies and instruments were practised, in France, between the fifteenth century and the end of the eighteenth century. We want here to react to previous existing studies on scientific observation, by focusing on the new and fundamental aspect of places and material conditions of observation and, complementary to the literature, by using especially images. While the prevailing literature has described places of observational practice (called observatories, laboratories, ateliers …) isolating them from their political, social and cultural context, these places were not created as a defined and complete category but they were imagined by the actors, cared for over time and adapted to all kinds of material needs.
A new species of ?Diploctenium (Anthozoa: Meandrinidae) from the Trihueco Formation (Lower Paleocene), south-central Chile
Authors: COLLADO GONZALO A. , GALLEGUILLOS FERNANDO F.
Published: February 2025

The genus Diploctenium comprises extinct corals that inhabited Europe, Africa, and West Asia from the Upper Cretaceous to the Lower Paleocene. This paper presents the first formal description of a species of this genus in Chile. Named ?Diploctenium chilensis sp. nov., this fossil was discovered in the Trihueco Formation within the Arauco Basin in the south-central region of the country, dating back to the Paleocene. The new species bears resemblance to Diploctenium zuffardii, one of the youngest fossils of the genus found in the Maastrichtian Age near the end of the Late Cretaceous in Libya. ?Diploctenium chilensis sp. nov. is also the first species of the genus to be described from the Americas.
1. Terms and Methodology
Authors: Haydar Adnan
Published: February 2025

The opening chapter introduces the topic of Lebanese Zajal and its practitioners, starting with the definition and etymology of basic terms in both the Hispano-Arabic context and the Lebanese tradition necessary for the metrical analysis that follows. The method used in the scansion of zajal meters is spelled out, highlighting the role of music and chorus in proper scansion of lines. A strong argument is made for the inclusion of stress in scansion, which, historically, has been overlooked.
Measurements from Inside Hurricane Ian using a Mobile Instrumentation Network
Authors: Ringhausen Jacquelyn , Alford Addison , Brauer Noah , Calhoun Kristin , Chmielewski Vanna , Waugh Sean
Published: February 2025

To enhance the understanding of hurricane electrification and hazards, an unprecedented assortment of instruments which include a mobile lightning mapping array (LMA), a mobile research radar, sounding units, and four mobile mesonets were used to collect in-situ measurements during the landfall of Hurricane Ian (2022). In particular, this was the first ever targeted research effort to use a mobile LMA for a landfalling hurricane to record the 3D structure of lightning flashes before and after landfall in both the eyewall and surrounding rainbands. Contained within this paper, we describe the deployment in detail and provide a first look at the observed data collected. Observations of the total 3D lightning inside a hurricane in combination with frequent soundings and mobile radar helps provide context to how and why certain areas of a hurricane become electrified, and has the potential to be used operationally to monitor severe convection and intensity changes in hurricanes. The data collected from Hurricane Ian will be useful for a better understanding of the long-term lightning trends in hurricanes.
The Weakening of the Lagged Relationship between the Indian Ocean Basin Mode and Central Pacific ENSO in Recent Decades: Influence of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Zhao Xia , Yang Guang , Zhang Yazhou , Yuan Dongliang , Liu Lin , Liu Baochao
Published: February 2025

The present study examines the interdecadal variability in the lagged relationship between the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) and central Pacific (CP) ENSO events in recent decades via observational data and phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) model data. It is found that the teleconnection between the winter-to-spring IOB and CP ENSO a year later has changed since 2000. Prior to 2000, IOB warming (cooling) triggered CP La Niña (El Niño) through wind anomalies over the Indo-Pacific. However, the interbasin connection between the IOB and CP ENSO weakened after 2000 owing to the weak linkage between the IOB and zonal wind anomalies in the tropical western Pacific. Furthermore, sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the tropical Atlantic Ocean (TAO) could play a crucial role in the interdecadal variability of the IOB–CP ENSO relationship. Prior to 2000, the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans were coupled. The covariability between the IOB and TAO SSTAs has led to an increase in CP ENSO intensity in the ensuing seasons by surface wind variation over the tropical western Pacific. However, after 2000, the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans were decoupled, with a weakening contribution to surface wind variation in the western Pacific, resulting in the weakening of the IOB–CP ENSO relationship. These findings are corroborated by CMIP6 model simulations.

Significance Statement

While the boreal winter-to-spring Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) contributes to the occurrence of central Pacific (CP) ENSO a year later, it remains unclear whether this predictor of CP ENSO has varied over time in recent decades. Moreover, it is uncertain whether a close relationship exists between the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) in the Atlantic Ocean and the interdecadal variability in the IOB–CP ENSO relationship. This study aims to understand the interdecadal variability in the connection between the IOB and CP ENSO after 1979, as well as the influence of the tropical Atlantic Ocean (TAO). Our analysis demonstrated that the lagged relationship between the IOB and CP ENSO has weakened since 2000. Furthermore, we discovered a close relationship between the SSTAs in the TAO and the interdecadal modulation of the IOB–CP ENSO relationship. These findings emphasize the significance of three-ocean interactions in the interdecadal variability of ENSO prediction.
Parenting and Young Adult Crime: The Enduring Effects of Parental Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: Copp Jennifer E. , Mumford Elizabeth A. , Taylor Bruce G.
Published: February 2025

Objectives

We draw on social learning theory to examine associations between parents’ attitudes, beliefs, and behavior and youth crime. Extending beyond prior work in the social learning tradition, we expand the scope of attitudes and beliefs that may elevate youths’ risk, recognizing that most interactions and communications involve noncriminal considerations.

Methods

Using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence ( n = 1,162), we explore the direct and indirect role of parental attitudes and behaviors on individuals’ self-reported crime using structural equation models.

Results

Our findings provide support for a social learning approach and demonstrate the ongoing role of parents through late adolescence to adulthood via direct and indirect pathways. We find that parental behaviors are associated with youths’ involvement in crime. In addition, parental influence processes help to shape youths’ own developing attitudes which, in turn, contribute to their risk of offending.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the need to direct additional attention to family influence processes to develop a comprehensive understanding of youth involvement in crime and to inform the development of programmatic efforts focused on disrupting the process of intergenerational transmission.
The ordinariness of life-making in displacement: Young Ukrainian workers’ care and work in Warsaw after 2022
Authors: Krivonos Daria
Published: February 2025

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among young Ukrainian nationals in Warsaw from 2020 to 2023, the article examines how the labour of social reproduction is placed on Ukrainian migrant workers, who are confronted with the responsibility of ensuring care for their families and communities in the context of forced displacement. The analysis puts the concept of ‘crisis ordinariness’ in dialogue with social reproduction feminism to offer the ‘ordinariness of life-making’ as a prism to examine the mundane and invisibilised labour of social reproduction performed by migrant communities alongside their ‘productive’ work lives in precarious labour markets. It is argued that forced displacement is not only a shock event and a disruption of the normal but a day-to-day problem of social reproduction, defined as the ability of individuals to maintain their lives daily. By focusing on ordinariness as opposed to emergency, the analysis demonstrates that it is the already-precarious migrant workers who bear the burden of ameliorating protracted ‘crisis’ through their reproductive labour. In particular, the article engages with the overlooked role of young people who care for their peers, co-nationals, siblings, parents and grandparents locally and transnationally.
The Green Card Drag: How Highly Skilled Asian Indian Immigrants Experience the US Immigration System
Authors: Gambol Brenda , Zvobgo Varaidzo , Sabharwal Meghna
Published: February 2025

Foreign-born Asian Indians in the United States are among the most highly educated and highly paid. A major facilitator of this population's migration has been the H-1B, a temporary work visa that has brought in foreign scientists and engineers since 1990. Immigration scholarship would regard H-1Bs’ high socioeconomic status as a factor that smooths their integration. Yet an aspect usually not associated with high-skilled migrants–legality–may be compromising the assimilation of Asian Indian professionals: over a million are “waiting in line,” or in queue, for legal permanent residency. The delay is significant. Asian Indians have the longest wait among all nationalities, and it is only becoming increasingly longer; scholars argue that many Asian Indians, especially newcomers, will never get a green card. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews with US technology workers from India, the following study is among the first of its kind: it examines how Asian Indians’ experience their temporary status, or “liminal legality.” Findings show that they encounter “legal dragging”: they are in line for a green card but are given no specific acquisition date. The legal dragging of the green card process leads to feelings of stagnation, uncertainty, and frustration. Furthermore, these feelings are gendered: women experience the additional worry of having to go back to a country where they will encounter greater gender inequality. Findings illustrate that legal status plays a role in Asian Indian lives and that it can impede on the mobility of the highly skilled.
Effects of FeO and w(CaO)/w(SiO2) on the viscosity and structure of CaO-7 mass pct MgO-15 mass pct Al2O3–SiO2–FeO slag melt
Authors: He Hongman , Li Tingle , Yang Songtao , Wang Qi , Sun Changyu , Huang Junchen , Wu Mingxin , Jiang Yongqiang
Published: February 2025

In blast furnace smelting with high-alumina ore, the permeability of high-alumina slag affects operational stability. The viscosity of the melt is a critical determinant of slag permeability. However, the viscosity behaviour and structural characteristics of high-alumina slag melts containing FeO remain insufficiently understood. In this study, the rotating cylinder method and Raman spectroscopy were employed to investigate the effects of the FeO content (5–20 mass pct) and w(CaO)/ w(SiO2) (C/S, 1.2–1.6) on the viscosity and structural properties of a CaO-7 mass pct MgO-15 mass pct Al2O3–SiO2–FeO high-alumina slag melt. The experimental results show that the melt viscosity decreased with increasing FeO content and C/S ratio (from 1.2 to 1.4). However, when C/S was increased to 1.6, the viscosity initially increased and then decreased. The flow activation energy decreased with increasing FeO content and C/S. The thermal stability of the melt improved with higher FeO content, whereas it initially decreased and then increased with an increase in C/S. Raman spectroscopy results suggest that the viscosity reduction was primarily caused by the depolymerisation of silicate structures, involving the transformation of Q2 into Q1 and Q0, which led to an increase in the NBO/Si ratio. Increasing C/S from 1.4 to 1.5 caused an abnormal increase in viscosity, which can be attributed to the effect of ion arrangement densification outweighing that of silicate network depolymerisation. This study enhances the understanding of viscosity behaviour in high-alumina slag melts, providing a theoretical basis for the smelting of high-alumina ores.
Optimization of WEDM parameters for AZ91D magnesium biomaterial: A GRA-GA hybrid approach
Authors: Mariya Louis Diviya , Manivel Subramanian , Nagam Vinoth Babu , Thanigaiarasu Balasubramanian
Published: February 2025

Machining magnesium alloys using traditional methods pose several challenges which includes high flammability, accelerating wear, high material degradation, oxidation, and poor surface finish under machining forces. These challenges are overcome with non contact substrate type of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM). This study carried out WEDM of AZ91D magnesium alloy by conducting various experiments based on Taguchi L18 orthogonal array. The key attributes which influence WEDM such as wire feed rate (WF), fluid pressure (FP), gap voltage (GV), pulse on period (PTON), and pulse off period (PTOFF) were utilized to assess the quality characteristics like surface irregularity (Ra), material removal rate (MRR), and microhardness (MH). Additionally, a hybrid method combining gray relational analysis (GRA) with genetic algorithm (GA) were developed and applied to achieve multi objective optimization of quality characteristics. The effects of key attributes on the quality characteristics have been studied. The percentage improvement between the hybrid GRA-GA and GRA approach contributed 33.552% for MRR, 20.8619% for Ra, and 8.34% for MH. The percentage error difference between the expected and experimental values varies within the range of ±5%, which implies strong correlation. The optimal setting were fluid pressure:- 1 bar; pulse-on-period:- 125 µs; pulse-off period:- 60 µs; gap voltage:- 10 V; wire feed rate:- 4 mm/min for minimum material removal rate and surface irregularity and for maximum microhardness. The optimized parameters can enhance the accuracy and quality of machining for medical implants, leading to improved biocompatibility and reduced risk of complications.
Special Issue Interview with Dr. Amanda Baden
Authors: Branco Susan F.
Published: February 2025

This article presents an interview with Dr. Amanda L. Baden, Professor and Doctoral Program Director at Montclair State University and a licensed psychologist. Baden shares information on their rich adoption-focused research agenda and offers insight into emergent clinical and research areas of focus for adult adoptees and their families. Additionally, Baden provides recommendations for adoptee-identifying graduate students in mental health training programs.
Sentiment analysis: A machine learning utilisation for analyzing the sentiments of facebook and twitter posts
Authors: Mohammed Alsekait Deema , Fathi Hana , Abdallah Ibrahim Shimaa , Shdefat Ahmed Younes , Saleh Alattas Ahmed , Salama AbdElminaam Diaa
Published: February 2025

The article describes a novel sentiment analysis framework for social media platforms, based on a combination of five machine learning (ML) algorithms—Multinomial Naive Bayes, Random Forest Classifier, Gradient Boosting Classifier, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Decision Tree—and three deep learning (DL) algorithms—LSTM, MLP, and CNN. Using comprehensive datasets from Facebook and Twitter, the authors achieved remarkable results, with LSTM demonstrating superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 0.99, and excelling particularly with Facebook data. The authors illustrate the proposed method’s effectiveness through detailed performance metrics, comparing it against existing models. The proposed framework allows for improved accuracy by up to 20.9%, precision by 1.23%, recall by 11.11%, and F1-score by 3.61%. The new method’s effectiveness is confirmed by extensive evaluation on real-world datasets. These new research results enhance sentiment analysis and can be used for better public opinion understanding, business strategy formulation, and decision-making processes. The novelty and scientific contribution lie in integrating diverse algorithms to achieve higher accuracy and more reliable sentiment detection in social media contexts.