bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 Is Required for Human Umbilical Cord–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell–Mediated Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy
Authors: Liu Guangyang , Wang Herui , Zhang Chenliang , Li Xin , Mi Yi , Chen Yaoyao , Xu Liqiang , Miao Li , Long Haomiao , Liu Yongjun
Published: January 2025

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, chronic inflammatory disease characterized by altered levels of inflammatory cytokines. One of the key cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of RA is tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), which plays a crucial role in the differentiation of T cells and B cells and serves as a primary trigger of inflammation and joint damage in RA. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have shown potential in alleviating the symptoms of RA. Previous in vitro studies indicate that TNF-α secreted by T cells can activate NF-κB in human MSCs, thereby triggering the immunoregulatory capacity of MSCs in a manner dependent on tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Inspired by these findings, we aimed to evaluate whether TNFR1 determine the therapeutic effects of hUC-MSCs on RA. First, we investigated whether TNFR1 is necessary for hUC-MSCs to inhibit TNF-α production of PBMCs, a source of elevated TNF-α in patients. Through coculture experiment, we confirmed that this inhibition was dependent on TNFR1. Subsequently, we administered hUC-MSCs or siTNFR1-MSCs to DBA/1J male mice with collagen-induced arthritis. The results indicated that hUC-MSCs significantly alleviated the pathological features of RA and suppressed the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6 in peripheral blood, also in a manner dependent on TNFR1 either. Given the dramatic pathologic differences between hUC-MSCs and siTNFR1-MSCs treatments, we questioned whether production of growth factors and chemokines was significantly influenced by TNFR1. Consequently, we stimulated hUC-MSCs or siTNFR1-MSCs through IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6, and profiled growth factors and chemokines in serum, which revealed significant changes of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), as well as chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-8, and RANTES. In summary, our findings suggest that TNFR1 may determine whether hUC-MSCs will gain abilities of anti-inflammation and tissue regeneration.
Lived Experiences of Problematic Internet Use Among Male Adolescents: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Singh Sanchita , Kumar Navin , Reddy Annapally Sadananda
Published: January 2025

Background:

In the era of globalization, constant Internet access has led to problematic Internet use ( PIU) among adolescents, negatively impacting their cognitive processes, emotions, and behavior.

Objective:

This qualitative study explores the effects of PIU among 15 self-identified male adolescents, aged 10 to 14 years (median age = 14.1), from northern Indian cities through the lens of transcendental phenomenological inquiry.

Methods:

Through purposive sampling, homogeneous groups were formed, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using Giorgi’s method.

Results:

Four themes have emerged: antecedents of PIU (psychological vulnerabilities, social influence, and validation), PIU symptoms (cognitive and behavioral preoccupation and compulsive behavior), consequences of PIU (psychological, physical, interpersonal, academic, and positive impacts), and desire to change (recognition of negative impact, seeking support, and exploration of strategies).

Conclusion:

The study highlights the severe negative consequences of PIU and the need for urgent psychosocial interventions, and most adolescents expressed a desire to change their PIU.
Hands-Off Ethiopia: Western Interventions and Netizen Reactions in the Ethiopian Civil War, 2020–2022
Authors: Bitew Birhanu
Published: January 2025

This study aims to assess the role of social media in fostering social movements, using the #NoMore campaign as a case study. #NoMore was a social media campaign launched by Ethiopian diaspora members in North America to counter Western interventions in the internal affairs of Ethiopia during the civil war of 2020–2022. The civil war occurred between the federal government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) following an attack by the TPLF forces on the Ethiopian army. The study is a qualitative inquiry that gathers data from interviews, reviews of social media content and secondary sources including books, articles and working papers. The findings of the study reveal that social media platforms, notably Twitter, were utilised by #NoMore activists who supported the federal government to create networks, coordinate offline protests and organise fundraising campaigns. The study also highlights that social media platforms function as battlegrounds for discursive conflict, where activists supporting opposing factions engage in heated debates reminiscent of actual battlefields. This is evidenced by the opposing reactions to the #NoMore campaign by activists who aligned with the TPLF’s cause. This group of activists initiated the #KnowMore campaign, advocating that before rejecting Western intervention with a ‘no more’ stance, it is imperative to first ‘know more’ about the atrocities inflicted upon Tigrean civilians.
The Role of the Sagittal Pars Inclination Angle in the Development of a Spondylolysis
Authors: Hussein Mohsin , Azzopardi Christine , Bendi Srinivasa Rao , Hassan Faizul , Bhogal Gurjit , Iyengar Karthikeyan P. , Mehta Jwalant , Botchu Rajesh
Published: January 2025

Background and Aims:

Spondylolysis refers to a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis. We investigated if there is a correlation between a novel measurement, the sagittal pars inclination angle and the incidence of spondylolysis (pars defect) in adolescent and young adult patients.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, UK (a tertiary referral orthopaedic centre) over two years identifying 37 Adult patients under the age of 30 years who had a computed tomography (CT) scan of the lumbar spine. In total 255 pars interarticularis, from levels L2 to L5, were analysed in 37 patients (19 male, 18 female). The pars interarticularis were divided into two groups: (1) pars intact ( N = 217) and (2) pars defect ( N = 38). Statistical analysis of each group and vertebral level was performed including load measurements.

Results:

In the pars intact group ( N = 217), the sagittal mean ± standard deviation (SD) pars inclination angle for the pars intact group was 17.91 ± 5.62°. In the pars defect group ( N = 38), the mean ± SD sagittal pars inclination angle was 35.95 ± 6.42°. A two-tailed P value was less than .0001. There was an increase in the normal sagittal pars angle from L2 to L5.

Conclusion:

In this study, an increased sagittal pars inclination angle demonstrated a significant association with spondylolysis. Its implications in the management of athletic individuals, surgical planning and indeed a true causative relationship are yet to be evaluated in future studies.
Family ties and social capital among grand slam tennis champions
Authors: Novak Dario , Oršolić Mario , Barbaros Petar , Suzuki Etsuji , Subramanian S.V.
Published: January 2025

As a competitive sport, tennis demands a comprehensive understanding of the factors which contribute to success at different levels of performance. In order to clarify the aforementioned, the aim of this study was to explore and understand the perspective of tennis players, at differing levels of success, and the impact of social capital on their sporting careers. A particular emphasis was put on an elite group of tennis players who succeeded in reaching the pinnacle of success by winning a Grand Slam title. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 tennis players, including 10 Grand Slam winners. Upon transcription, the interviews were analyzed by using reflexive thematic analysis. Family presence and support during the challenges faced by tennis players emerged as a clear research topic following the research analysis. The perspectives of tennis players on the influence of social capital on long-term sports development and achievements revealed that the family plays a key role in the process of raising and supporting tennis players. In order to improve the long-term sports development of tennis players, families must ensure and provide a more significant role in the accrual of social capital, however it is not necessarily a sufficient condition to success.
Craniosynostosis: Quantifying Differences in Skull Architecture
Authors: Menville Jesse E. , Shinde Nidhi , Collins Scott , Jiao Zhicheng , Persad-Paisley Elijah M. , Baranwal Navya , Woo Albert S.
Published: January 2025

Craniosynostosis, a condition marked by the premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, exhibits diverse phenotypes. This study aims to advance the understanding of these phenotypes beyond the conventional 2-dimensional analysis by focusing on identifying indicators of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) such as bony thinning or irregularities in skull morphology.

A retrospective review was conducted for all pediatric patients with midline craniosynostosis who presented to our tertiary academic center for evaluation. Control patients were carefully selected to match for age, sex, and weight. All computed tomography data were segmented in 3-dimensional Slicer and then delineated along with suture lines into occipital, parietal, and frontal segments. Main outcome measures included general skull shape (assessed via measures of flatness and surface area to volume ratio) and skull topography (analyzed via measures of bone thickness, surface variance, and surface standard deviation).

Forty-one patients with midline craniosynostoses were identified (22 metopic and 19 sagittal). Patients with sagittal craniosynostosis had significantly angulated frontal and occipital bones, reflective of the frontal bossing and occipital bulleting commonly seen in this population, and significantly flatter parietal bones, reflective of limited growth along with the transverse axis. Interestingly, evaluation of bone topography revealed that patients with sagittal craniosynostosis had significantly higher parietal bone surface variance, reflective of gyral impressions secondary to increased ICP. In contrast, patients with metopic craniosynostosis had statistically flatter frontal bones—reflective of limited anterior brain growth caused by the fused metopic suture—with minimal impacts to parietal or occipital bones.
Cytotoxicity of Nanocarrier-Based Drug Delivery in Oral Cancer Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Saghiri Mohammad A. , Saini Ravinder S. , Heboyan Artak
Published: January 2025

Background

Oral cancer remains 1 of the biggest health care challenges; it has a poor response to treatment, and treatment often results in severe side effects. Nano-targeted drug carrier-assisted drug delivery systems can improve the benefits of targeted drug delivery and treatment efficacy. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of targeted nano carrier drug delivery systems on the management of oral cancer.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Scopus using PRISMA guidelines, to identify relevant in vitro and in vivo (human) studies. Studies evaluating the impact of nanocarrier-based delivery systems on oral cancer cells or human models were selected. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random-effects models via RevMan 5.4, and heterogeneity among studies was assessed.

Results

After full-text assessment, 15 research articles were included [14 in vitro studies and 1 randomized controlled trial (RCT)]. In the meta-analysis, the pooled data (IC50) for the impact of the nanocarrier delivery system vs control on oral cancer was −7.67 (95% CI: −41.77, 26.43), with a high heterogeneity ( I 2 = 92%, P < 0.00001). Moreover, in vitro studies had a medium risk of bias, while the RCT had some concerns in the randomization domain.

Conclusion

Nanocarrier-based drug delivery has been found to be a superior approach compared to drug delivery in free form, increasing the efficacy and safety of oral cancer treatment.
“She Looks Like She’d Be a Filthy Pig in Bed”: Online Misogyny and Denigration of Women Politicians
Authors: Lacalle Charo , Gómez-Morales Beatriz , Vicent-Ibáñez Mireya , Narvaiza Sara
Published: January 2025

This article summarizes the main results of a study about the disparagement of women politicians in Spain. The thematic analysis of 1,245 comments spontaneously posted on the Burbuja.info forum reveals that the commenters feel entitled to humiliate and disparage the eight female politicians embattled by the hate speech posts. While the main targets of this form of harassment have been women representatives of left-wing parties, the focus of the disparaging attacks has been the female body. This explains why those who were overweight were the most vilified, even during periods when they had a lower profile in the media.
Mental Health Vulnerabilities and Environmental Justice: A Collaborative Online International Learning Experience
Authors: Newman Sara J. , Baker Melanie , Hammonds Linda Sue
Published: January 2025

Collaboration and intercultural interaction and engagement are relevant to all aspects of higher education including distance/remote/virtual courses. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) experiences connect students in different countries and provide them with meaningful and significant opportunities for global and intercultural exposure. Such an educational environment enhances students’ cultural awareness and knowledge, and guides their personal, relational, and professional actions. Accordingly, engagement in COIL experiences can increase students’ understanding of and ability to respond to significant global health-care issues both locally and internationally and to recognize their impact on mental health, and can lead to reflection and awareness that will endure beyond students’ individual class experiences. One of these urgent issues is mental health vulnerabilities associated with environmental justice issues. This article describes participation in an international collaborative experience between the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, and the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama, USA.
Anticipating impending peripheral intravenous catheter failure: A diagnostic accuracy observational study combining ultrasound and artificial intelligence to improve clinical care
Authors: Bahl Amit , Johnson Steven , Mielke Nicholas , Blaivas Michael , Blaivas Laura
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) failure occurs in approximately 50% of insertions. Unexpected PIVC failure leads to treatment delays, longer hospitalizations, and increased risk of patient harm. In current practice there is no method to predict if PIVC failure will occur until it is too late and a grossly obvious complication has occurred. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the diagnostic accuracy of a predictive model for PIVC failure based on artificial intelligence (AI).

Methods:

This study evaluated the capabilities of a novel machine learning algorithm. The algorithm was trained using real-world ultrasound videos of PIVC sites with a goal of predicting which PIVCs would fail within the following day. After training, AI models were validated using another, unseen, collection of real-world ultrasound videos of PIVC sites.

Results:

2133 ultrasound videos (361 failure and 1772 non-failure) were used for algorithm development. When the algorithm was tasked with predicting failure in the unseen collection of videos, the best achieved results were an accuracy of 0.93, sensitivity of 0.77, specificity of 0.98, positive predictive value of 0.91, negative predictive value of 0.93, and area under the curve of 0.87.

Conclusions:

This proprietary and novel machine learning algorithm can accurately and reliably predict PIVC failure 1 day prior to clinically evident failure. Implementation of this technology in the patient care setting would provide timely information for clinicians to plan and manage impending device failure. Future research on the use of AI technology and PIVCs should focus on improving catheter function and longevity, while limiting complication rates.
Study on partial ER fluid hybrid two-lobe hole-entry journal bearing with genetic algorithm for bionic surface
Authors: Yadav Saurabh Kumar , Kushare Prashant , Patil Atulkumar
Published: January 2025

This work focuses on ER (Electrorheological) fluid-based hybrid hole-entry journal bearings, which studies the effect of ER fluid with partial electric field on the tribological nature of two-lobe bearings with bionic textured surfaces. The design of bionic textures, by virtue of their capacity to influence fluid flow, load capacity, and friction reduction for the enhancement of bearing performance, has been analytically investigated. The integration of ER fluid subjected to partial electric field along with bionic textured surfaces displays an optimistic improvement in performance metrics of bearings, which clearly manifests through preliminary results. Notably, the optimization of bionic textures through genetic algorithms resulted in a 13.04% reduction in friction coefficient and a significant increase in load capacity. The combination of partial ER fluid lubrication and bionic textures also improved fluid film stiffness by up to 66.11%, further enhancing stability and overall bearing efficiency. The obtained results are expected to further enhance design and development activities of high-performance hybrid journal bearings for numerous industrial applications.
A time series analysis of Medicare-reimbursed telepsychiatry consultations across Australian states and territories before and after telehealth item expansion: Enabling policy can improve access to care
Authors: Woon Luke Sy-Cherng , A Maguire Paul , Reay Rebecca E , Smith David , Bastiampillai Tarun , Looi Jeffrey CL
Published: January 2025

Objective

We aimed to examine the associations of telepsychiatry consultations with the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) telehealth policy changes (pandemic-related expansion and subsequent consolidation).

Methods

We performed a time series analysis of MBS telepsychiatry usage (January 2016–December 2023) using state/territory-level Medicare panel data. Linear regression analyses with panel-corrected standard error and autocorrelation were performed for telepsychiatry consultations (overall and age and sex subgroups). Telehealth policies, rural psychiatrist availability (rural psychiatrists per 100,000 population) and their interaction were the independent variables. The models were adjusted for pandemic lockdown severity (Stringency Index) and population size.

Results

Telehealth expansion and consolidation were associated with substantial increases in telepsychiatry consultations, with larger increases in the consolidation phase. Given the telehealth policy changes, lower per capita rural psychiatrists were associated with more telepsychiatry consultations. Males and older people (>65 years) showed greater relative consultation increases. Policy change-related telepsychiatry increases varied amongst states and territories.

Discussion

There was sustained telepsychiatry usage when it became more readily available, beyond the direct impact of acute pandemic lockdowns. Telehealth-enabling policies may contribute to fulfilling unmet mental health needs and improving access to psychiatric care amongst Australians. Further in-depth research in this area is needed.
Effect of yogic breathing practice on all-round well-being of teenagers
Authors: Subramanian Saumya , Saisudha Bharathi , Kanchibhotla Divya
Published: January 2025

Adolescence is a critical life period that marks the transition into adulthood. This novel study aims to evaluate the benefits of 4- day intervention, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), a breathing technique, on the emotional, mental, and cognitive health of teenagers. Open label trial tests were administered at pre-intervention, immediately after SKY, and after 40 days of SKY practice. Cognitive abilities of 275 adolescents were tested using the Six letter cancellation test. Mental well-being was assessed using the World Health Organization-five Index (WHO-5), and Emotional well-being using the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) questionnaire. The Results were analyzed using a paired-sample t test. The results showed an improvement in cognitive abilities for 71% of the study population as measured by the six-letter cancellation test, better mental health scores for 86%, and better SDQ scores for 95% of the population after SKY practice.
Doing the Unspeakable: Material Participation in Reprod-estr-uctive Labour
Authors: Ourabah Massilia
Published: January 2025

This article examines everyday labours of life-maintenance – cooking, cleaning, child-rearing – for what they tell us about participation in a moment of environmental devastation. Building on feminist theories of reproductive labour, I use the term reprod-estr-uctive labour to explore a contemporary tension: how to reproduce life in a dying world? What forms of participation is this tension producing? This article is based on qualitative work with French families and weaves together: (eco)feminist theories of reproductive labour and care work, ethics of care, (Feminist) Science and Technology Studies, theories of environmental and epistemic justice, (Rancièrian) critique of pedagogy, and ecological thinking. It argues that reprod-estr-uctive labour offers speechless participation for speechless times. Reprod-estr-uctive labour allows a space for material participation which is particularly worthy of attention in a moment where words seem to fail us. How can we possibly talk about it (climate changing, species dying, oceans rising)? In the impossibility of expressing concern, doing care remains. The article contextualises material participation in a logocentric political regime which predominantly situates participation in public-oriented discourse. Yet having no words for it does not mean not caring about/for it. This article argues that the environmental situation accentuates two problems with logocentric politics: first, it calls us to the materiality of our Earthly footing, which makes ever-more problematic the disregard for unspoken, material, life-tending labours; second, it produces a moment of epistemic instability that questions the very possibility of an expert metadiscourse on the catastrophe. Attention to the material everyday can alert us to participation done in gendered, classed, and raced ways. This has the potential of decluttering our democratic imagination. It can help us move past dichotomies that pit those who care about the environment against those who do not, by reminding us that some who might not express audible concern can nevertheless care.
Heritage Language Maintenance and family relationship dynamics: A children’s perspective
Authors: Gorter Marianne , Berardi-Wiltshire Arianna
Published: January 2025

Aims and objectives:

This qualitative research investigates the complexities around Heritage Language Maintenance (HLM) efforts and their implications for family relationships.

Methodology:

The topic was explored via an in-depth case study drawing on narrative data from a Catalan immigrant mother to New Zealand, and her two New-Zealand-born daughters.

Data and analysis:

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, using a narrative inquiry approach that provided a quasi-longitudinal component in the form of retrospective reflections from the participants within their ‘generational unit’. Using a reflexive thematic analysis approach, themed HLM practices involved immersion-method, awareness-raising for the heritage language (HL) and culture, and annual visits to the home country.

Findings and conclusions:

The overall outcome of HLM efforts was generally successful, but the process entailed significant, not always positive, impacts on the participants’ individual lives and their mutual relationships. Some of these pertained to linguistic power struggles, feelings of isolation, and a sense of non-belonging. Findings also suggest that the strong link with their HL and cultural identity played a role in shaping the daughters’ agency to maintain HL, ultimately leading to an improved relationship with their mother and contributing to the family’s overall well-being.

Originality:

Focusing on the (adult) children’s experiences and perspectives on successful HL transmission, the present research deepens our understanding of the family dynamics involved with HLM.

Significance/implications:

This article provides fresh insights into the challenges that immigrant families may be facing as a result of their HL-transmission attempts. Developing a full linguistic repertoire including both the HL and societal-dominant language is essential for children to participate in society and life at home, where HL symbolizes the family’s shared cultural identity. The implications of this study are therefore significant to language policymakers and language education sector whose efforts are aimed at promoting and supporting successful additive bi/multilingualism in children with an HL background.
On search of optimal FDM parameter settings for reduced dimensional error using entropy-PCA-TOPSIS and regression machine learning techniques
Authors: Mohammed Raffic N , Ganesh Babu K , Dharani Kumar S , Parrthipan BK
Published: January 2025

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a fascinating additive manufacturing technique that has the potential to create prototypes and industrial-grade parts from thermoplastic filaments processed through the extrusion technique. Higher processing time, poor surface finish, and low dimensional accuracy are the major barriers to adopting this technique on a wider scale in industries. The current research has focused on identifying the optimal factor settings for minimizing the dimensional deviations in a simple cuboid model with a circular hole at the center. The study has considered six different FDM factors, such as layer thickness, extrusion temperature, print bed temperature, print speed, raster angle, and part orientation, to understand its impact on errors in dimensional attributes such as length, width, thickness, and hole diameter for nylon filament reinforced with aramid fibers at 8% composition. The measured values are further analyzed for international tolerance (IT) grades, length, and width, resulting in IT08 to IT14, thickness, and hole diameter tolerance grade values ranging from IT09 to IT14. Entropy and principal component analysis methods have been deployed for criteria weight evaluation, and different weight values have been assigned to the experimental outcomes. Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) based ranking of alternatives correlates 72.34% (Entropy vs Principal component analysis), with the worst ranked alternative as similar. Regression models developed have R-sq values of 98.15%, 86.27%, 97.63%, and 99.96% for accurately predicting length, width, thickness, and hole diameter changes, respectively. Adaboost algorithm outperformed in training and testing closeness coefficient values with superior performance at all the considered split ratios. The decision tree structure developed indicates layer thickness is significant over the change in length, part orientation has significance over the change in width and hole diameter, and raster angle is significant towards thickness, respectively. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images ensure the presence of pores and partially solidified material in the printed samples.
Investigating the Tenant Selection Practices of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Landlords on Long Island
Authors: Davis Jenna , Cassel Amanda
Published: January 2025

Landlords are powerful vectors of residential sorting, opening up or constraining access to stable housing, neighborhood choice, and social opportunity. Although previous research has explored how landlords’ behaviors shape housing outcomes, existing research has not investigated the tenant selection practices of accessory dwelling unit (ADU) property owners. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 25 ADU owner-occupiers on Long Island who rent out their units and found that ADU landlords exercised a high level of discretion when selecting tenants, some of which were rooted in race, ethnic, class, and gender-based biases. We further found that the legal status of an ADU can empower tenants and scramble typical power relations observed in landlord-tenant relationships. Furthermore, the legal status of a unit can empower neighbors to become powerful actors in tenant selection. Our research highlights how individual behaviors and the prevailing regulatory context interact to harden social inequalities in the rental market.
A comparative study of municipal fiscal responses to the COVID-19 and the Great Recession
Authors: Yazici Aydemir Nisa , Wang Xiaoheng , Wu Yonghong
Published: January 2025

This research investigates municipal fiscal policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing them to those during the Great Recession using a deductive two-stage approach. First, to illustrate the general trends in municipal fiscal policy responses to these two crises, it compares municipal fiscal policy responses for 100 major U.S. cities. Then, through an in-depth investigation of four selected cities, it explores unique fiscal reactions to similar financial and environmental challenges. Providing a current overview of municipal fiscal responses, this study informs policymakers about dynamics in fiscal policy formulation across diverse fiscal environments.
Participatory Research With Children: From Child-Rights Based Principles to Practical Guidelines for Meaningful and Ethical Participation
Authors: Angelöw Amanda , Psouni Elia
Published: January 2025

While the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) does not address research, it instigated a recognition that decisions concerning children and youth must be based on knowledge of their experiences from their own perspective and consider their specific views and wishes, highlighting their right to be heard. Participatory research underscores this right, arguing the engagement of children and youth throughout the research process. Studies indicate positive socioemotional and cognitive outcomes for youth co-researchers. It is reasonable to also expect gains in terms of research relevance and quality. However, guidelines are urgently needed, to help establish reproducible research practices and align with child-rights based processes. Based on UNCRC principles for ethical and meaningful child participation, we thus conceptualize practical guidelines for participatory research with children and youth, which we illustrate with concrete practices how children/youth can be included as co-researchers in processes that are safe, empowering, and relevant.
Computational assessment of winglet-induced variations in pressure coefficients on NACA 4418 aircraft wings
Authors: Abdullah Md. , Abedin Mohammad Zoynal
Published: January 2025

This study presents a computational analysis of the effects of winglets on the aerodynamic performance of NACA 4418 aircraft wings, focusing on the variations in pressure coefficients. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, we evaluated the aerodynamic behavior of NACA 4418 wings under various flight conditions. The primary objective was to determine how winglets influence the distribution of pressure across the wing surface, which directly affects lift and drag characteristics. Our simulations utilized a high-fidelity turbulence model to accurately capture the complex flow dynamics near the wing surface. The results indicate a significant modification in the pressure coefficient distribution due to the winglet, particularly at the wing tips with NACA 4418 using the angles of attack (AoA) at 4°, 0°, 4°, 8°, 12°, 16°, 20° and 24° for velocity of 30 m/s, where the reduction in vortex strength leads to decreased induced drag. The results reveal that the pressure coefficient becomes high at 20%C, then decreases to a minimum value at 45%C and then rises gradually up to again a higher value at 80%C for the angles of attack of − 4° and 0° at three airfoil velocity. However, for the angles of attack of 4°, 8°, 12°, 16°, 20° and 24°, the pressure coefficient becomes minimum at 20%C, then gradually increases and finally becomes maximum at 80%C for three airfoil velocities. This is encountered due to the orientation of airfoil’s lower and higher surface. This research provides insights into the design and optimization of winglets for better aerodynamic performance of aircraft wings.
Promoting team learning in schools: considering the role of team-based HRM practices (THRM)
Authors: Runhaar Piety , Bednall Timothy , Bouwmans Machiel , Yang Huadong
Published: January 2025

Schools worldwide are implementing team structures as means to cope with ever increasing and changing demands, such as more diverse student population and calls for digitalization. For teams to be effective, team learning is needed. However, research shows that this requires a dramatical change in teachers’ attitude and behaviour. The current study examines to what degree and how Team-based Human Resources Management (THRM)—referring to HR practices targeted at enhancing teachers’ abilities, their motivation and opportunities to engage in team learning—can stimulate team learning within teams, specifically teachers’ engagement in information processing and boundary crossing. Analyses of three waves of survey data, among over 600 teachers working in Dutch institutions for vocational education and training, show that THRM indeed contributes to team learning. Not all but specific THRM practices – e.g., acknowledging individuals’ contribution to team achievements - were positively related to the initial levels of team learning and both forms of team learning appeared to reinforce change in the other. THRM practices thus indirectly affected change in team learning by activating the initial levels of each learning activity. The findings conclude with theoretical implications and formulate practical recommendations for school leaders.
Enhancing deep convolutional neural network models for orange quality classification using MobileNetV2 and data augmentation techniques
Authors: Huong Phan Thi , Hien Lam Thanh , Son Nguyen Minh , Tuan Huynh Cao , Nguyen Thanh Q.
Published: January 2025

This study introduces significant improvements in the construction of deep convolutional neural network models for classifying agricultural products, specifically oranges, based on their shape, size, and color. Utilizing the MobileNetV2 architecture, this research leverages its efficiency and lightweight nature, making it suitable for mobile and embedded applications. Key techniques such as depthwise separable convolutions, linear bottlenecks, and inverted residuals help reduce the number of parameters and computational load while maintaining high performance in feature extraction. Additionally, the study employs comprehensive data augmentation methods, including horizontal and vertical flips, grayscale transformations, hue adjustments, brightness adjustments, and noise addition to enhance the model's robustness and generalization capabilities. The proposed model demonstrates superior performance, achieving an overall accuracy of 99.53%∼100% with nearly perfect precision, recall of 95.7%, and F1-score of 94.6% for both “orange_good” and “orange_bad” classes, significantly outperforming previous models which typically achieved accuracies between 70% and 90%. While the classification performance was near-perfect in some aspects, there were minor errors in specific detection tasks. The confusion matrix shows that the model has high sensitivity and specificity, with very few misclassifications. Finally, this study highlights the practical applicability of the proposed model, particularly its easy deployment on resource-constrained devices and its effectiveness in agricultural product quality control processes. These findings affirm the model in this research as a reliable and highly efficient tool for agricultural product classification, surpassing the capabilities of traditional models in this field.
Comparative study on the performance of different table tennis rubbers
Authors: Jia Mingshun , Sun Bo , Jia Mingxue , Liu Yuxi , Zhang Delong
Published: January 2025

This paper aims to analyze the characteristics and differences in the properties of four different table tennis racket rubbers (pips-out rubber, raw rubber, long rubber, and inverted rubber) in terms of velocity, spin, and control performances on non-spinning and spinning balls. The study captures a complete video image of the non-spinning ball at five different velocities, as well as topspin and backspin at five different rotation velocities, using a high-speed camera (1500 fps). The video recordings of the table tennis balls’ impact and reflex are analyzed using SIMI-Motion (Germany), extracting parameters such as incident and reflexed velocities, as well as incident and reflexed angles. The fitting equation between incident velocity and coefficient of restitution reveals a linear correlation ( R2>0.84) between incident velocity and coefficient of restitution for the four rubbers when a non-spinning ball impacts at different angles. This research provides quantification of the four commonly used types of rubbers internationally, which can serve as a valuable reference for players and coaches with different playing styles.
Engaging with NISO
Authors: Carpenter Todd , Griffey Jason
Published: January 2025

This paper provides an overview of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO)—who it is, how it is structured, what it does, how it does it, and who it serves. It also provides information on how NISO members and non-members alike can participate in NISO’s many global activities—activities that fill a major role in ensuring that the information community runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Expressed and Perceived Honesty Benefits Relationships Even When Couples Are Not Accurate
Authors: Le Bonnie M. , Chee Princeton X. , Shimshock Claire J. , Le Jenny D. V.
Published: January 2025

Honesty is a highly valued virtue, yet it can be challenging to enact when it may compromise our most valued relationships. We tested preregistered hypotheses examining the distinct effects of expressed, perceived, and accurate perceptions of honesty on well-being and change. Romantic partners ( Ncouples = 214; Nindividuals = 428) discussed a desired change in the lab and reported on outcomes concurrently and three months later. Honesty was self-reported and rated by observers, with correspondence between these measures observed. Results of multilevel response surface analyses showed that greater expressed and perceived honesty—but not accurate perceptions of honesty—predicted greater well-being, relationship satisfaction, and target motivation to change concurrently, with some benefits emerging over time. The current results indicate that honesty can benefit relationships even when the truth may hurt, with more expressed and perceived honesty fostering better relationships regardless of whether couples share in that perception of honesty.
Delving into the world of webCHAT – an e-mental health support service for distressed youths in Singapore
Authors: Lee Yi Ping , Lee Ying Ying , Otheman Hamidah Binte , Tang Charmaine , Subramaniam Mythily , Verma Swapna K
Published: January 2025

Background

Young people face high rates of mental health issues, yet many do not seek professional help. In 2017, CHAT launched webCHAT – a free, anonymous, one-on-one synchronous web-based text service managed by case managers (CMs) to support young people aged 16 to 30 who may be hesitant about engaging in face-to-face mental health services.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of users who accessed webCHAT for mental health support in Singapore.

Methods

A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using transcripts of webCHAT sessions to identify main themes.

Results

Many users accessed webCHAT to seek support with emotional and behavioural concerns, valuing its immediacy and anonymity over traditional appointment-based services. A desire to ‘get better’ and self-realisation emerged as important motivators for seeking help, with webCHAT offering a supportive space for reflection. Key barriers to seeking additional support included fear of stigma, concerns about leaving a ‘medical record’, potential hospitalisation, and treatment costs.

Conclusions

webCHAT appears to be a viable early intervention and preventive approach, providing young people with a pathway towards in-person support services. Professional guidance from CMs is essential in encouraging users to pursue further support, emphasising the importance of human expertise in digital mental health platforms. By fostering early help-seeking and self-realisation, webCHAT has the potential to reduce the long-term impact of mental health challenges. Future research could explore webCHAT's long-term effects and identify improvements to facilitate users’ transitions to in-person support.
Playing in Tongues: The Hammond Organ and Black Pentecostal Instrumentality
Authors: Shelley Braxton D.
Published: January 2025

This article attends to the social life of the Hammond organ in the Black Pentecostal imaginary, a theological, cultural, and musical phenomenon that calls attention to the social fact of instrumental timbre. Grounded in an analysis of Hammond organ solos by Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark, one of the most renowned organists in the Black gospel tradition, I argue that this gospel practice uses arresting timbral transformations to articulate the escalatory cultural logic that has elsewhere been termed “tuning up.” This “tuning up” achieves on the organ what is enacted by the transition from speech to song in the sermon and through a host of harmonic, metrical, and textural changes in the gospel song. Woven into a suite of idiomatic keyboard techniques, Clark’s idiom, and the broader performance practice she represents, deploys the 88 8888 888 drawbar registration that is explicitly discouraged in Hammond organ user manuals as a timbral telos—a defined ecstatic threshold that orients the sonic trajectory of an organ solo. Timbre is often seen as a multidimensional, indiscrete musical parameter. Yet this gospel organ technique shows how each nine-drawbar set provides the coordinates for its own distinct timbral space, enabling musicians to map these spaces onto corresponding paths of musical, spiritual, and physical intensification. Each of the journeys stages a moment of startling conversion, where one element of the instrument’s voice is overcome by another. Clark’s playing is an invaluable window into the confessional dimensions of gospel’s timbral practice. Building on scholarship in Black studies, music studies, critical organology, and religious studies, I argue that these points of inflection—which I refer to as flips—reveal a Black Pentecostal instrumentality, and the key to the Hammond organ’s appeal.
Theory and practice in training for public communication of science and technology: Perspectives on the creation of a professionalizing postgraduate programme in Mexico
Authors: García-Guerrero Miguel , García-Nava Ilse Magdalena
Published: January 2025

Action and reflection are fundamental to the advancement of public communication of science and technology (PCST). Effective professional training in this field must integrate both theoretical knowledge and practical application, tailored to the local context. This study arose from an initiative to establish a professionalizing master's programme in PCST at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico. Through a survey of 210 PCST practitioners across 28 Mexican states, this study identified pressing educational needs within the community. The findings revealed a strong demand for training in practical competencies, including science recreation activities, digital media and project development, alongside theoretical foundations such as science–society relations and narrative framing. These findings offer a basis for the creation of a specialized curriculum aimed at addressing gaps in PCST professionalization in Mexico, providing the opportunity for the master's PCST programme to become a crucial step towards formalizing the discipline in the region.
The Snow White Fantasy: The Dangers of Misunderstanding Social Exchange Theory in Human-Wildlife Encounter
Authors: Wallace Jacob Wesley , Chen Po-Ju
Published: January 2025

This case study focuses on the unknown risks and harm of wildlife supplementation due to misinterpreting the perceived relationship between humans and wildlife. Arizonian resident Lisa Williams is observed as a victim of these misconceptions after being killed by an Elk she attempted to feed. The cause of these misconceptions is explained through the lens of Social Exchange Theory. In addition, possible solutions to deter wildlife supplementation are introduced.
Leveraging National Survey Data to Examine and Extend Notions of Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Social Studies Instruction
Authors: Yoder Paul J. , Calkins Leona , Wiens Peter
Published: January 2025

A growing body of research on culturally and linguistically responsive social studies instruction continues to identify essential understandings regarding the teaching and learning of social studies among multilingual students. Yet a preponderance of these studies utilize ethnographic and other highly contextualized qualitative methods. In order to make this growing body of knowledge more accessible to a larger audience of researchers and educators, the present study examined pedagogical approaches and areas of curricular emphasis that social studies teachers reported using in the landmark Survey on the Status of Social Studies. The results of the present study deepen insights into the differentiation that social studies teachers of emergent bilingual students employ. Data analysis reveals that teachers with beginning emergent bilingual students, teachers with intermediate emergent bilingual students, and teachers without emergent bilingual students reported using instructional strategies and engaging curricular topics with different frequencies. The findings align common social studies approaches to the scholarship on culturally and linguistically responsive social studies instruction to provide a typology that extends the literature for social studies educators.
Nanoengineering analysis and chemical reactive progress of bioconvection flow of Oldroyd-B nanofluid with Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model
Authors: Rehman M. Israr Ur , Jamshed Wasim , Eid Mohamed R.
Published: January 2025

This article investigates the bioconvection flow of Oldroyd-B nanomaterial toward an exponentially stretched surface considering the effect of Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer, nonlinear thermal radiation, buoyancy driven forces, and Arrhenius chemical reaction. Features of heat transport are presented in the presence of activation energy and thermal distinction. The variations of thermophoretic and Brownian motion are taken into account in thermal and concentration distribution. Nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) are transformed into set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by utilizing appropriate variables. The transformed expression are implemented through the homotopy approach. The effects of numerous associated variables on velocity, thermal, concentration, motile microorganisms, and Nusselt number are explained graphically. It is illustrated that the velocity curve decays for dimensionless relaxation time while the opposite behavior is noticed for the porosity factor. Thermal and mass transport rate escalated for Brownian motion. The outcomes also revealed that the motile microorganism’s density declined with the bioconvection Lewis variable.