bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunomodulatory effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and the use of natural products to ameliorate its immunotoxic effects: A review
Authors: Kipkoech Gilbert , Jepkorir Mercy , Kamau Sally , Wanyoko Alice , Kibunja Susan , Amozi Jeremiah Rechard , Masese Johnson , Ntui-Njock Vincent , Mutai Charles , Mwitari Peter
Published: February 2025

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a potent mycotoxin, is known to be an immunotoxic agent that causes various immune system disorders. It can cause immunosuppression by direct toxic effect on the host or by its ability to interfere with the immune response and thereby lead to secondary infections. The immunomodulatory effects of AFB1 and its metabolites have been reported in many studies. Yet, the exact mechanisms responsible for these immunomodulatory effects are still obscure. This review summarizes the current findings on the interaction between AFB1 and the host immune system, while also highlighting other potential mechanisms involved in AFB1-induced immunosuppression. These potential mechanisms include modulation of cytokine production, production of inflammatory mediators and their receptors, activation of pro-inflammatory pathways, alteration in cell surface receptors involved in T cell activation and regulation of apoptosis. The review also discusses the findings on natural products that have been found capable of inhibiting AFB1-induced immunosuppression in various animal models. With the latest exploration of natural products as a solution, the burden of aflatoxicosis in society is likely to subdue. Some of the promising natural products that have been highlighted to have ameliorative effects include grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE), bentonite clay, smectites clay and Spirulina plantesis among others. Considering the seriousness of aflatoxicosis in the public domain and lack of effective management approaches, there is an urgent need for more research to understand AFB1-induced immunotoxicity and possible remedies.
“I always wondered if my baby is able to feel my love for them” - Development and pilot testing of two behavioural feedback strategies designed to improve maternal self-efficacy
Authors: Prioreschi Alessandra , James Deborah M , Pearson Rebecca M , Smith Antonia , Norris Shane A , Rennie Kirsten L
Published: February 2025

Background The aim of this pilot study was to describe the development of, and qualitatively test the acceptability and feasibility of providing feedback on two behaviors in the context of supportive approaches to improve maternal self-efficacy. We hypothesised that providing individual behavioural feedback to mothers in a socially vulnerable context, when later embedded in supportive intervention approaches, may improve maternal self-efficacy and ultimately promote infant development. Methods Feedback was developed following expert consultation with working groups, and included graphical feedback on mother and infant movement behaviours measured using accelerometry, as well as video feedback of mother-infant interactions using first person observation head cameras. Mothers wore the devices for one week, following which individual feedback on movement behaviours and mother-infant interactions was delivered at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. We adapted an established and published strengths based approach as a guide for health workers to feedback video and accelerometer data. Feasibility and acceptability were tested by conducting focus group discussions with a sample of 8 mothers of infants aged 4-months from South Africa using a semi-structured interview guide. Results Mothers included in this study were generally single, unemployed, and less than half had completed formal schooling. Most mothers had two or more children, and lived in informal housing (such as shacks and small, temporary prefabricated structures) with only outdoor toilet facilities available. The feedback was found to be both feasible, and largely acceptable in this context and compliance was 100%. Conclusion We have been able to develop feedback with the potential to sensitise mothers to their infants’ behaviours. When embedded in a supportive intervention, these feedback modalities have the potential to improve mother’s self-efficacy through increasing feelings of competence and reflexive functioning.
Do Reductions in Search Costs for Partial Information on Online Platforms Lead to Better Consumer Decisions? Evidence of Cognitive Miser Behavior from a Natural Experiment
Authors: Jiang Dorothy Lianlian , Ye Shun , Zhao Liang , Gu Bin
Published: February 2025

Online platforms increasingly utilize technologies like artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered tools to reduce consumers’ search costs and simplify decision making. However, these tools often target specific types of information, leading to what we term "search cost reduction for partial information." Although designed to assist consumers, our study highlights their unintended consequence: these tools can induce "cognitive miser" behavior, where consumers focus on easily accessible information while neglecting other critical details. This behavior can ultimately result in poorer decision making. Using a natural experiment on Yelp, we evaluated the impact of its AI-powered image categorization feature, introduced in 2015 to reduce the search costs of review images. Through a difference-in-differences design and text analysis of consumer complaints, we found that this feature negatively affected decision quality. These findings carry important implications for platform managers and policymakers. Although search cost reduction tools can improve efficiency, they also risk biasing consumer attention toward easily accessible information at the expense of holistic decision making. Online platforms could mitigate these effects by complementing AI-empowered search cost reduction features with tools that emphasize information requiring greater cognitive effort, thereby ensuring balanced consumer awareness. We recommend that platform designers carefully evaluate the broader impacts of such tools to better support consumer decision making.
Mass Shootings and Their Impact on Retail
Authors: Chiong Khai , Kim Seung Mok (Simon) , Kim TI Tongil
Published: February 2025

This study quantifies the substantial economic cost of mass shootings on the U.S. retail sector using detailed debit/credit card transactions data from individual retail businesses.
Reportagens sobre os profissionais de enfermagem no enfrentamento à pandemia da Covid-19
Authors: Dourado Joao Victor Lira , Paula Paulo Henrique Alexandre de , Sánchez Edna Johana Mondragón , Costa Maria Isabelly Fernandes da , Mesquita Kirley Kethellen Batista , Pinheiro Patrícia Neyva da Costa
Published: February 2025

Objetivo: identificar em reportagens de jornais sobre a situação dos profissionais de enfermagem no enfrentamento à pandemia da Covid-19. Método: estudo documental desenvolvido em 11 jornais de circulação digital, consultados de março a junho de 2022, com leitura inicial de títulos, manchetes, leads e imagens. De posse do material, realizaram-se a captação e a organização das informações, que foram submetidas à análise de conteúdo. Resultados: a maioria das reportagens eram de jornais internacionais, publicadas entre fevereiro e maio de 2020 e apresentavam conteúdos em forma de depoimentos e fotografias. Elaboraram-se quatro categorias: significados atribuídos pela população no enfrentamento ao novo coronavírus; atuação dos profissionais de enfermagem na assistência à saúde; situação dos profissionais de enfermagem nos serviços de saúde; e perspectivas dos profissionais de enfermagem na pandemia. Considerações finais: nacional e internacionalmente, os profissionais de enfermagem foram reconhecidos como essenciais no enfrentamento da pandemia.
Sequelae of Paediatric Musculoskeletal Infections
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh., Behera Prateek , Gupta Vikas ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Central Institute of Orthopaedics, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Gupta Shubhangi ,   University of North Dakota, USA
Published: February 2025

Musculoskeletal infections (MskI) are one of the leading causes of morbidity
in children. In neonates and infants, they can result in deaths, too, if timely
treatment is not initiated. Of the several factors contributing to the
development of sequelae, late presentation, delay in diagnosis, and failure in
initiation of appropriate treatment are considered important. Chronic
osteomyelitis is often a continuation of untreated or incompletely treated
osteomyelitis. The management of chronic osteomyelitis rests on the pillars of
extensive surgical debridement and appropriate antibiotic therapy. The
diseased bones might get fractured and need to be supported till union, which
invariably happens inappropriately treated patients. In young children,
osteomyelitis and septic arthritis tend to be frequently present concomitantly,
and the infection can result in the destruction of the epiphysis, too. These
children with damaged epiphysis have poor outcomes despite best of the
efforts to restore function. Physis can also be involved in MskI, resulting in
formation of physeal bar that can result in growth arrest. This bar can result in a
shortened limb, angular deformity, or both. Management of these conditions
includes physeal bar excision wherever suitable or correction of angular
deformity by osteotomies. Length can be gained concomitantly using ring
external fixators.
Keywords: Musculoskeletal infections, Osteomyelitis, Sequelae, Growth
arrest, Physeal bar
Primary Pyogenic Abscess in an Immunocompetent Child: An Indian Perspective
Authors:   Department of Orthopedics, K.B Bhabha Municipal General Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,, Keny Swapnil , Parekh Harsh ,   Department of Orthopedics, K.B Bhabha Municipal General Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,, Chaudhary Janki ,   Department of Orthopedics, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital and Medical College, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India., Gokhale Nikhil ,   Department of Orthopedics, K.B Bhabha Municipal General Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,, Modi Nihar ,   Department of Orthopedics, K.B Bhabha Municipal General Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Pyogenic psoas abscess (PPA) is a rare but severe condition. Previously linked to tuberculosis, it’s now seen with diverse causes. This case report details the diagnosis and management of PPA in a healthy Indian child, initially suspected of having hip issues.

Case Report: A 5-year-old girl was brought for pain in her right hip and lower back, and fever for 3 days. She was irritable and unable to walk. She was febrile (101°F), irritable, and toxic with her right lower limb flexed 30° at the hip with all its movements restricted and painful. Inguinal lymph nodes were palpable. Blood tests showed elevated white blood cell count (18,000 × 109/L) and inflammatory markers, with a negative Mantoux test. Radiographs of the lumbosacral spine were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large abscess in the right psoas and iliacus muscles, measuring 6.8 × 3.3 × 3 cm. She underwent open drainage through a retroperitoneal approach, and samples were sent for bacteriological analysis. The wound was irrigated and closed over a drain. Post-operatively, she received Linezolid being culture positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Her pain reduced by the 3rd day and she was discharged with oral antibiotics. She walked at 6 weeks and was symptom-free on follow-up.

Conclusion: This case highlights the crucial need to consider PPA in children showing hip pain, limping, and infection signs. Due to its subtle presentation and similarity to septic arthritis, high suspicion is essential. Timely imaging and proper treatment, such as drainage and antibiotics, can ensure positive results.

Keywords: Pediatric, pyogenic psoas abscess, immunocompetent, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hip pain, surgical drainage, antibiotic therapy.
Revision of Multiple Revised Hinge Total Knee Replacement -a Rare Case Report
Authors:   Dr. Muthus Super Speciality Orthopaedic Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India., Meignanagure Muthusaravanakumar , Dhakshinamurthi Yogadeepan ,   Dr. Muthus Super Speciality Orthopaedic Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India., Elangovan Sathyamoorthy S. ,   Dr. Muthus Super Speciality Orthopaedic Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India., Shetty Ganesh Ramesh ,   Dr. Muthus Super Speciality Orthopaedic Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Revision total knee replacements are very common now a days. Most common causes include early total knee replacement and increased life expectancy. Proper pre-operative planning and assessment are crucial for the appropriate management of revision cases.

Case Report: An 83-year-old gentleman came with a history of right knee pain and instability for past 1 year. He underwent bilateral TKR 20 years back, after which he underwent two revisions for his right knee 5 and 10 years following the first surgery. Intraoperatively, femoral and tibial components were found stable, and only poly wear was noted with hinge breakage and cement mantle interposition; hence, only hinge revision was done.

Conclusion: Not all cases of revision need complete component replacement. Addressing intraoperative findings and appropriate management prevents complications.

Keywords: Revision TKR, hinje knee, polywear, cement mantle, varus instability.
Internal Plate Fixation of Comminuted Fracture of the Distal End of the Tibia and Fibula Using a Single-Incision Technique: A Novel Approach and a Series of Nine Cases
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India,, Gupta Tej Pratap , Singh Narender ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India,, Rai SK ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Military Hospital, Ambala, Haryana, India,, Philip Vivek Mathew ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India,, Sharma Ritesh ,   Department of Anaesthesia, Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi, India.
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Comminuted fractures of the distal end of the tibia and fibula usually occur due to high-velocity trauma, and the tibia, being subcutaneous in this area, is prone to wound healing risks and complications. Fixation typically involves two separate incisions, medial and lateral, which pose risks of wound healing complications and devascularization of the distal tibia. This study aims to present a novel single anterolateral incision approach for the internal fixation of distal tibia and fibula fractures to minimize soft-tissue complications.

Case Report: Nine patients were treated with internal plate fixation for their comminuted fractures of the distal end of the tibia and fibula using a single-incision technique. The cohort included six male and three female patients, with a mean age of 31.8 years (range 17–59).

Conclusion: We present nine cases of comminuted fractures of the distal end of the tibia and fibula treated with a single-incision technique for internal plate fixation, resulting in satisfactory outcomes without any wound healing complications.

Keywords: Fracture, distal tibia, distal fibula, anatomy, incision.
Subchondral Cellular Density Decreases with Increasing Grade of Cartilage Degeneration in Knee Osteoarthritis – An Ex vivo Histopathological Analysis
Authors:   [1] Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Karur, Tamil Nadu, India, [2] Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, [3] Orthopaedic Research Group, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India,, Muthu Sathish , Kandasamy Ragavi ,   Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Karur, Tamil Nadu, India., Palanisamy Suryaprabha ,   Department of Pathology, Government Medical College, Karur, Tamil Nadu, India., Palaniappan Arun Anand ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Karur, Tamil Nadu, India,
Published: February 2025

Introduction: Subchondral milieu has been the region of interest in recent clinical trials demonstrating it as an effective treatment focus in knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, a systematic analysis of the subchondral cell population density is lacking in knee OA. Hence, this study aims to analyze the cell population density of the subchondral zone for every stage of cartilage degeneration to analyze the rationale behind this evolving treatment method for knee OA.

Materials and Methods: This is an ex vivo histopathological analysis of the distal femur and proximal tibia articular specimens from the patients undergoing total knee replacement for primary knee OA between November 2023 and March 2024. Two pathologists independently graded and analyzed the subchondral cell density based on the International Cartilage Repair Society cartilage injury grading system.

Results: We noted a significant association between the grade of cartilage degeneration and the subchondral cell density (r = 0.831, P < 0.001). We noted a statistically significant decrease in the cell density for every stage of cartilage injury compared to the control (P < 0.001). We also noted a significant decrease in cell density between the early and late stages of cartilage degeneration (P < 0.001). We did not note any significant difference in the cell density between the tibial and femoral articular cartilage for every grade of cartilage degeneration analyzed (P = 0.432).

Conclusion: Subchondral cell density decreases significantly with increasing grade of degeneration in knee OA. Subchondral milieu warrants attention to be considered as a potential treatment focus that could alter the disease progression in knee OA.

Keywords: Histopathology, knee osteoarthritis, subchondral zone, mesenchymal stromal cells, regenerative medicine.
A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and benefits of tranexamic acid injections for primary unilateral total knee replacement
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Nagpur, Nagpur, India, Bhavani Prashant , Math Suhas Aradhya Bhikshavarthi ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, Roy Mainak ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, India, Reddy Mulagondla Harshavardhan ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Nagpur, Nagpur, India, Das Deepanjan ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Nagpur, Nagpur, India, Priyanshu Priyanshu ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS Nagpur, Nagpur, India
Published: February 2025

Introduction: One of the primary issues following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is blood loss. According to the research, tourniquet time which works by inducing fibrinolysis activity is one of the primary factors contributing to blood loss. This element gives the surgeon the chance to reduce blood loss, which subsequently avoids allogenic blood transfusion and any associated risks. Both oral and intravenous administrations of tranexamic acid (TXA) are acceptable. There is disagreement over the ideal administrative mode. Because TXA is delivered locally, it has a higher chance of being both safe and effective at the target site due to the drug’s low systemic absorption.

Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective trial involving 50 unilateral TKA procedures. In 25 TKR following closure, intra-articular TXA was administered, and in 25 TKR, 0.9% normal saline of equivalent volume was provided. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and the number of patients needing blood transfusions and blood collection in the drain after surgery were used to gauge the effectiveness. Complications were assessed using lower leg Doppler ultrasonography to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Results: Despite the control group receiving more blood transfusions, we observed a substantial decrease in hemoglobin in the TXA group (P < 0.002) and a significant decrease in drain collection (95% CI: 203.8–406.2, P < 0.001). There were no DVT patients in.

Conclusion: TXA injected intra-articularly appears to be a safe and effective way to lessen post-TKA blood loss and the need for blood transfusions.

Keywords: Tranexamic acid injections, Total knee arthroplasty, Blood loss reduction, Deep vein thrombosis; Post-operative complications
A Photography of Relation: Indigeneity, Anti-Imperialism, and Tina Modotti's Visual Language of Liberation
Authors: Mahler Anne Garland
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This essay argues for a reexamination of the work of renowned Italian-born photographer Tina Modotti through the lens of "relational aesthetics." Studying her photography in Mexico alongside her involvement in the Anti-Imperialist League of the Americas (La Liga Antimperialista de las Américas, LADLA), this essay uses LADLA's newspaper El Libertador and personal papers from Modotti and LADLA leaders to outline how Modotti's photography engaged LADLA's organizing across extractive economies and depicted its focus on Indigenous communities. Modotti's work, particularly on extractive and agricultural economies, is mainly focused on the relation between subjects, which she uses to advance an artistic expression of her political vision. After providing historical context for Modotti's political activism and for LADLA, the essay reinterprets her photography to examine how it wrestles with the visual language needed for LADLA's project and contains many of the same tensions and contradictions of LADLA itself.
The Insult Is in the FAQ
Authors: Barrick Samantha
Published: February 2025

Abstract: There is a buzzing insurgence of interest in medical humanities, narrative medicine, and related arts-based programming aimed at ameliorating some of the tragic failings of our contemporary medical complex and the capitalistic grip it struggles within. This paper examines popular questions posed at the intersections of medicine and arts/humanities* to reveal underlying relationships of power, economy, and malappropriated™ imaginative labor in medical education and clinical settings. To do so, the author presents responses to three exemplary FAQs in unabashedly subjective manifestations of language including sarcasm, lyric, lament, defiance, and poetic wit, then organizes this data into four separate categories: Reframing Retorts, Analogies , S tage Whispers , and Apologetics . This method was not informed by a desire to forge a common language (we can each keep our own TYVM), but rather to place meaning halfway between these systems of knowledge production as a temporary compromise both enterprises can learn from; a sort of consensual linguistic drag, if you will. The results of this probe and analysis are presented in easy-to-skim charts for those even marginally interested in uncovering what is at stake in these imperfect, albeit inspiring, unions. Finally, the author proposes a new form of validating instrument to collect further data and seeks to transmit generalizable knowledge that can deepen our relationships to those around us at these intersections and beyond. A question emerges: is the way humanists and artists are treated in medical institutions analogous to the ways the internal lives of physicians are treated? * Can one really conflate art = humanities? Are they really in the same boat? The author acknowledges this uneasy melding, and asserts that the balance of similarities vs. differences is "context dependent." Read on . ** Nota bene, the author is a poet and her biases towards, and knowledge of, poetics are disproportionately represented in her discussion of "the humanities."
Scapegoat, Superspreader, Slut: Promiscuity and the Myth of Patient Zero in Soderbergh's Contagion (2011)
Authors: Bracken Rachel Conrad
Published: February 2025

Abstract: Steven Soderbergh's pandemic thriller Contagion (2011) remains a timely meditation on the global capitalist networks and quotidian, interpersonal interactions through which infectious disease spreads, with reviews and analyses of the film commending its scientific accuracy and chilling presage of COVID-19. The film's sexualized patient zero plotline demands further scrutiny, however. This essay first traces the evolution of the myth of patient zero throughout the twentieth century, documenting how it fuses the highly stigmatized concepts of scapegoat, superspreader, and slut into both a seemingly innocuous stock character and an established feature of outbreak narrative. Contextualizing Contagion 's infidelity plot through the myth of patient zero, this essay then critiques the film's patriarchal and homophobic impulses, encouraging us to reimagine our conceptions of risk, blame, and social connection.
Contagious Sympathies in The Last Man
Authors: Walters Darby Wood
Published: February 2025

Abstract: In The Last Man , Mary Shelley relies on theories of Romantic medicine that give her an unconventional way to conceptualize and narrate time and space. For the Romantics, organs, bodies, and communities were all intimately connected through "sympathy." The Last Man carefully employs the connection between biological sympathy and contagious disease to consider how suffering inhabits space. Lionel's individual suffering intertwines with the global suffering from the fictional plague of the novel, which threatens the boundaries of both Europe and the white, European body much as its non-fictional counterpart, cholera, does. As time and history grind to a halt, space is disconcertingly reconfigured by shrinking geographical distances between Black and white bodies, which threatens the cohesion of white identity even as it reinforces its sovereignty.
An Appetite for Injection: Addiction, Gender, and Race in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four (1890)
Authors: Markley Hannah
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This essay explores representations of injection in nineteenth-century medical and literary culture. Through an analysis of medical texts, I show how injection came to be understood through descriptions of racial and gender difference borrowed, in part, from literary culture. By unpacking how moments of injection, perforation, and interpretive crisis in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four rely on tropes of race, gender, and sexuality that nineteenth-century physicians used to understand addiction, this essay underscores the importance of the hypodermic needle for the invention of addiction as a concept ineluctably shaped by the social and political hierarchies of British imperial culture.
Race, Gender, and Genetic Privacy in Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind and Meri Nana-Ama Danquah's Willow Weep for Me
Authors: Hagaman Sarah , Clayton Jay
Published: February 2025

Abstract: This essay analyzes two 1990s memoirs of women struggling with hereditary mental illness, who express anxiety about revealing their conditions and about whether their revelations will violate the privacy of their close relations. Midcentury confessional poetry influences the modes of self-disclosure in Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind (1995) and Meri Nana-Ama Danquah's Willow Weep for Me (1998), though the memoirs feature concerns about genetics and biological psychiatry absent from the 1960s confessional poetry. As we show, the language surrounding mental illness structures women's privacy in clinical settings and contains gendered and racial barriers to authentic self-representation. Intersectional language allows women to give voice to their conditions and to access a private identity on their own terms.
The Modern Transcendent Moment and Postmodern Perpetual Present: A Passage from the Sublime to the Mundane
Authors: Ahmed Rizwan Saeed , Abbas Yasir
Published: February 2025

Abstract: Modernists T. S. Eliot's and W. B. Yeats's treatment of the transcendent moment, and postmodernists Samuel Beckett's and Graham Swift's handling of the perpetual present form two conflicting time worlds. The modernists' transcendent moment signifies a temporary release from the progressive stream of time. As a sudden flash of awareness, it offers a transcendental vision of reality. Contrariwise, the postmodernists' perpetual present is cut off from the past as well as the future, suggesting the infinite time of the middle. It is dissociated from a transcendent reality and has no room for revelatory moments, which establishes its bleak character.
The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Outer Space Capabilities
Authors: Ben-Itzhak Svetla
Published: February 2025

Abstract: The ongoing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into outer space capabilities represents a transformative shift in how operations beyond Earth are conducted. AI technologies are now essential across various areas, including remote sensing, satellite communications, space situational awareness (SSA), spacecraft and astronaut health monitoring, and autonomous spacecraft navigation. AI-driven analytics, for instance, enable rapid processing of vast amounts of data collected by Earth observation satellites, improving climate science, resource management, and disaster response. In SSA, AI algorithms enhance the detection, tracking, and prediction of space objects' movements, thereby reducing the risks of collision and contributing to the sustainable use of orbital resources. AI also plays a critical role in monitoring the health of spacecraft and astronauts operating in the harshness of space. In deep-space exploration, AI-driven technologies enable autonomous spacecraft operations, optimizing navigation and scientific activities. This paper examines these and other applications of AI in space operations and discusses key operational, environmental, ethical, and legal challenges associated with its use. It concludes that AI has been a powerful complement to human capabilities and is likely to remain so, provided that human analytical skills and technological literacy continue to be cultivated.
Extended OCT depth range and phase stability using ultrasonically-sculpted optical waveguides
Authors: Liu Junze , Lobo Lloyd , Yang Hang , Karimi Yasin , Ho Kevin , Chamanzar Maysamreza , Park B. Hyle
Published: February 2025

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can provide label-free cross-sectional imaging of tissue microstructure over 2-3 mm of depth with micron-scale resolution. While phase-based functional extensions including angiography and polarization-sensitive OCT greatly expand the utility of OCT, the fixed lenses typically used to focus light into a sample couples the lateral resolution with the depth of focus. Ultrasonically-sculpted virtual optical waveguides provides an alternative for the terminal focusing element in an OCT sample arm. Ultrasonic pressure applied to a medium modulates its refractive index and can be used to create a refractive index gradient similar to that in a GRIN lens. We have recently demonstrated that a cylindrical ultrasound transducer can be used in the sample arm of a spectral-domain OCT system.1 We present demonstration that an ultrasound-based virtual lens can provide sufficient phase-stability for flow imaging, and that near-beam waist lateral resolution can be maintained over an extended depth range.
Four-dimensional imaging based on a binocular chiral metalens: publisher’s note
Authors: Zhang Lingyun , Yang Jianing , Zhang Li , Jing Xiaoli , Liang Chao , Zhang Chi , Xiong Chengsong , Zhang Zhongshan , Ma Bo , Xing Fei , Zhao Xiaoguang
Published: February 2025

This publisher’s note contains a correction to Opt. Lett. 50, 1017 (2025)10.1364/OL.545263.
Ethylene signals through an ethylene receptor to modulate biofilm formation and root colonization in a beneficial plant-associated bacterium
Authors: Carlew T. Scott , Brenya Eric , Ferdous Mahbuba , Banerjee Ishita , Donnelly Lauren , Heinze Eric , King Josie , Sexton Briana , Lacey Randy F. , Bakshi Arkadipta , Alexandre Gladys , Binder Brad M.
Published: February 2025

Ethylene is a plant hormone involved in many aspects of plant growth and development as well as responses to stress. The role of ethylene in plant-microbe interactions has been explored from the perspective of plants. However, only a small number of studies have examined the role of ethylene in microbes. We demonstrated that Azospirillum brasilense contains a functional ethylene receptor that we call Azospirillum Ethylene Response1 (AzoEtr1) after the nomenclature used in plants. AzoEtr1 directly binds ethylene with high affinity. Treating cells with ethylene or disrupting the receptor reduces biofilm formation and colonization of plant root surfaces. Additionally, RNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics showed that ethylene causes wide-spread metabolic changes that affect carbon and nitrogen metabolism. One result is the accumulation of poly-hydroxybutyrate. Our data suggests a model in which ethylene from host plants alters the density of colonization by A. brasilense and re-wires its metabolism, suggesting that the bacterium implements an adaptation program upon sensing ethylene. These data provide potential new targets to regulate beneficial plant-microbe interactions.
Epidemiological surveillance and phylogenetic diversity of Orthohantavirus hantanense using high-fidelity nanopore sequencing, Republic of Korea
Authors: Park Kyungmin , Kim Jongwoo , Noh Juyoung , Kim Seong-Gyu , Cho Hee-Kyung , Kim Kijin , Seo Ye-rin , Lim Taehun , Lee Seonghyeon , Lee Jaeyeon , Lim Seung In , Joo Young Hoon , Lee Buddle , Yun Seok Hyeon , Park Changbo , Kim Won-Keun , Song Jin-Won
Published: February 2025

Background

Orthohantavirus hantanense (HTNV) poses a substantial global public health threat due to its role in causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). HTNV outbreaks are particularly prevalent in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces of the Republic of Korea (ROK). This study aimed to evaluate the application of advanced nanopore sequencing and bioinformatics to generate complete genome sequences of HTNV, with the objective of accurately identifying infection sources and analyzing their genetic diversity.

Methodology/Principal findings

In 2022 and 2023, we collected 579 small mammals from 11 distinct locations across Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces, as well as in Gwangju Metropolitan City, ROK. Among these, 498 Apodemus agrarius specimens were subjected to an epidemiological survey to investigate HTNV infections. The serological and molecular positivity of HTNV were found to be 65/498 (13.1%) and 17/65 (26.2%), respectively. Furthermore, 15 whole-genome sequences of HTNV were obtained from rodents in Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces. We developed a novel amplicon-based nanopore sequencing approach to acquire high-fidelity and precise genomic sequences of HTNV. Genome exchange analysis revealed three reassortant candidates, including heterogeneous L segments, from Paju-si and Yeoncheon-gun in Gyeonggi Province.

Conclusion/Significance

Our findings enhance the resolution of the spatiotemporal genomic surveillance of HTNV by consistently providing new viral sequences and epidemiological data from HFRS-endemic regions in the ROK. This report signifies a notable advancement in nanopore sequencing techniques and bioinformatics, offering a robust platform for genome-based diagnostics and sophisticated phylogenetic analyses of orthohantaviruses, which are essential for public health strategies aimed at controlling HFRS.
Machine learning-based analyzing earthquake-induced slope displacement
Authors: Wang Jiyu , Shahani Niaz Muhammad , Zheng Xigui , Hongwei Jiang , Wei Xin
Published: February 2025

Accurately evaluating earthquake-induced slope displacement is a key factor for designing slopes that can effectively respond to seismic activity. This study evaluates the capabilities of various machine learning models, including artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) in analyzing earthquake-induced slope displacement. A dataset of 45 samples was used, with 70% allocated for training and 30% for testing. To improve model robustness, repeated 5-fold cross-validation was applied. Among the models, XGBoost demonstrated superior predictive accuracy, with an R2 value of 0.99 on both the train and test data, outperforming ANN, SVM, and RF, which had R2 values of 0.63 and 0.80, 0.87 and 0.86, 0.94 and 0.87 on the train and test data, respectively. Sensitivity analysis identified maximum horizontal acceleration (kmax = 0.714) as the most influential factor in slope displacement. The findings suggest that the XGBoost model developed in this study is highly effective in predicting earthquake-induced slope displacement, offering valuable insights for early warning systems and slope stability management.
Photodiagnosis and photodynamic recognition of cervical cancer with SEM and AFM images
Authors: AYTAÇ Sevcan , ÖZBEY Gürkan
Published: February 2025

So far, the number of patients who die from cancer is quite high. Continuation of early detection research is important to reduce the number of deaths due to cancer. At the time of the literature review, images of the same patients taken from Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) for early diagnosis of cervix cancer have not been addressed to date. This article, Photodiagnosis and Photodynamics with SEM and AFM images are valuable in recognizing cervical cancer and starting treatment early. Simultaneous examination of the, Photodiagnosis and Photodynamics with SEM and AFM cervix images of patients will provide us with a far more powerful solution than a one-way solution. Daubechies (db2, db3, db4, and db5), Coiflet (coif5, coif4, coif3, and coif2), Symlet (sym5, sym4, sym3, and sym2), and Biorthogonal (bior1.3, bior2.8, bior1.5, and bior3.3) 16 discrete wavelet transformation families (DWTF) have been applied to AFM and SEM images. One approximate and three detail coefficients have been obtained for each one AFM and SEM cervix images. Homogeneity, contrast, angular second moment, entropy, mean, standard deviation, correlation, cluster prominence, dissimilarity, and cluster shade values have been calculated for each of these one approximate and three detail coefficients. The classification rate found by the averages of the results obtained from the DWTF_JSD, DWTF_HD and DWTF_TD algorithms for AFM and SEM cervix images are 98.29% and 97.10%, respectively. According to these results, it has been determined that SEM images have lower classification rate than AFM images. It has been also observed that the surface roughness of the mAFM images was larger than nAFM and bAFM images. But, it was observed that the volume of particles of the mAFM images has been smaller than nAFM and bAFM images.
Beijing’s Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World, Joshua Kurlantzick (2022)
Authors: Zhang Li , Liu Zhaoning
Published: February 2025

Review of: Beijing’s Global Media Offensive: China’s Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World, Joshua Kurlantzick (2022)

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 560 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-19751-576-1, h/bk, £27.99
Trans-Folk as Cultural Resistance and Identity Reconstruction in Plurinational Spain
Authors: Monferrer Palmer Aina
Published: February 2025

This article explores Iberian trans-folk, a recent musical phenomenon that revives traditional music through underground and urban aesthetic codes, primarily punk and rave. Based on a corpus of musical collectives active in 2022, the research applies Stratum Theory (Hartmann and Copland) to conduct a six-level semiotic analysis: timbre, rhythm, melody, harmony, lyrics, and audiovisual elements. The results reveal that these groups, such as Califato 3/4, Chill Mafia, and Palmer, reinterpret Iberian periphery identities by blending traditional roots with contemporary expressions and critical values. The study concludes that Iberian trans-folk represents a form of cultural revaluation and resistance against music industry absorption, promoting local identities in a context of global crisis. The prototypical bands of the phenomenon we have studied are Califato 3/4, Rodrigo Cuevas, Chill Mafia, Boyanka Kostova, Baiuca and Palmer.
Prevención y afrontamiento del miedo escénico en música. Propuesta didáctica para alumnos de Bachillerato
Authors: Espín Soler Francisco José
Published: February 2025

Esta investigación se centra en el modo en que influyen las distorsiones cognitivas en nuestras emociones cotidianas y cómo dichas emociones, cuando son de sesgo negativo, pueden ser eliminadas y sustituidas por parte del alumnado, por otro tipo de pensamientos positivos que aumenten su confianza de cara a una futura actuación musical delante de un público. El objetivo es, por tanto, aumentar la confianza y la motivación del estudiante de Bachillerato de cara a una actuación en público, haciéndole ver que emociones negativas como la vergüenza se producen de forma inconsciente en todas las personas y que estas pueden disminuir la calidad de nuestra interpretación o actuación si se piensan de manera consciente y repetitiva. La metodología que vamos a desarrollar es de tipo descriptiva en la que expondremos a nuestros alumnos diferentes conocimientos sobre ansiedad escénica, para que intenten evitarla. Los resultados aportan claves didácticas y propuestas que pueden favorecer un descenso de la aparición de esta, si ya se ha producido. Como conclusión final, de muestra cómo el estudiante que tiene una futura actuación pública, ya sea un concierto o un musical, en el caso de alumnos de Bachillerato, son susceptibles de tomar sus propias decisiones, y sobre todo pensamientos, reducir su preocupación de cara a dicha interpretación, enfrentándose y disminuyendo la ansiedad escénica si ya se ha producido, aumentando al mismo modo su motivación y confianza.
Altas capacidades y música. propuesta de intervención socioemocional en el aula
Authors: Jiménez García Mariana
Published: February 2025

Las Altas Capacidades representan, tal y como establece la Ley Orgánica 3/2020, de 29 de diciembre, por la que se modifica la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, de 3 de mayo, de Educación en su artículo 71 a Alumnado con Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo (ACNEAE) quienes deben tener asegurados recursos específicos en el ámbito educativo debido a las necesidades derivadas de requerir una atención educativa diferente a la ordinaria. Por ello, se hace necesario ofertar una respuesta adecuada a sus necesidades y características no solo académicas, también personales.
De la unión de ambas disciplinas deriva el principal objetivo de esta propuesta, ofertar un programa destinado a trabajar el área emocional de este alumnado a través de la música en alumnado de 6º de Educación Primaria. Mediante sesiones con el alumnado propuestas en el aula de referencia, así como el trabajo con el equipo docente del centro y las familias. Los resultados muestran una mejora en el estado socioemocional del alumnado con Altas Capacidades trabajado a través de las actividades musicales.
Enhancing attention restoration in adults through immersive experiences in aquatic landscapes
Authors: STOCCO ALICE , PRANOVI FABIO
Published: February 2025

It is widely recognized that contact with Nature has a positive impact on our mental well-being. However, quantifying these benefits is not always straightforward: psychological benefits are commonly assessed using subjective tools, and establishing a precise cognitive response associated with the feeling of well-being is difficult. Furthermore, existing research has primarily focused on the effects of terrestrial landscapes, such as forests and urban parks, neglecting other types of ecosystems. As a result, the potential of aquatic ecosystems and their landscapes for reconnecting people with Nature, and helping in mental fatigue relief, has been rarely evaluated. In this study, we present the results of an ecopsychology experiment that aimed to objectively measure the restorative value of a lagoon ecosystem in Italy. After assessing the participants’ connectedness to Nature using psychometric scales, we administered a test that requires active and prolonged attention to quantitatively measure their attentional performance. Following this, the group engaged in an excursion along a trail, surrounded by the lagoon environment. At the conclusion of the excursion, we measured participants' scores on a second attention test to evaluate the possible effects of the immersive experience in Nature. Impressively, most participants exhibited improved performance on the attention test and completed the task significantly faster after the excursion with an average reduction of 47.2±35.0 seconds (21.7% less than the time taken for the test before the excursion, p-value<0.05). Moreover, participants assigned a higher restorative value to landscape views that included water than those without water. Our findings confirm the essential role of Nature in contributing to human mental well-being and suggest that spending time in coastal and lagoon ecosystems, with their distinctive elements, can significantly enhance efficiency for tasks requiring prolonged active attention while fostering relaxation and contemplation.
A Family With Multiple Lynch Syndrome Mutations: Navigating Counseling Complexities
Authors: Silva-Smith Rachel , Manso Gretter , Sussman Daniel Andrew
Published: February 2025

Families with multiple Lynch syndrome pathogenic variants present unique challenges in genetic counseling and clinical management. We report a family with pathogenic variants in multiple mismatch repair genes identified through multigene panel testing. Key issues highlighted by this case include recognizing when comprehensive genetic testing is necessary, tailoring management to specific genetic mutations, and ensuring accurate communication. This case highlights potential pitfalls in risk assessment and counseling for complex Lynch syndrome families.
Kinetic Study and Optimization of Tetramethylthionine Chloride Photodegradation by Iron-Perylene MOF with Hydrogen Peroxide Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Fathurrahman Muhammad , Zulys Agustino , Gunlazuardi Jarnuzi
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to synthesize and characterize an iron-perylene metal-organic framework (MOF) as a photocatalyst for the degradation of tetramethylthionine chloride in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Iron-based MOF with perylene-3,4,9,10-tetra carboxylate (PTC) ligands was produced through a solvothermal technique and was characterized for its morphology, optical properties, surface area, thermal stability, and electrochemical behavior. The results showed that Fe-PTC MOF had a tubular crystalline structure with an average crystal size of 51 nm, a bandgap energy of 1.94 eV, and was responsive to visible light. Thermal analysis revealed a significant weight loss of 63.53% between 390 °C and 490 °C due to the decomposition of the organic linker, with an exothermic heat release of 5.97 J/mg. Electrochemical characterization showed an onset oxidation potential of 0.641 V (vs. Standard Hydrogen Electrode (NHE)) and a calculated Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) energy level of –1.299 V, indicating potential applications in photocatalytic and photovoltaic technologies. Photocatalytic activity tests demonstrated that the degradation of tetramethylthionine chloride followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, and optimization using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) identified the optimal conditions for degradation: 1.5 mg of photocatalyst, 0.2 M H2O2 concentration, and 133 min of contact time. These results underscore the effectiveness of Fe-PTC MOF in treating dye-contaminated textile wastewater under illumination with visible light.