bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contemporary Applied Linguistics Research
Authors: Prior Matthew T.
Published: February 2025

In this commentary, I will offer some thoughts on the preceding chapters and their contributions
to reflective and reflexive research in Applied Linguistics. We must, of course, first acknowledge that contemporary
Applied Linguistics is a multidisciplinary field — no longer confined to linguistics, nor reducible to second (i.e.,
additional or foreign) language acquisition or English Language
Teaching (ELT).1 I will begin with a brief historical snapshot
of developments across the field to locate this volume in relation to ongoing scholarly conversations. I then examine
some of the ways reflection and reflexivity have been defined and applied in qualitative inquiry, before concluding
with some suggestions for advancing both theory and practice.
Towards Just Industrial Heritage Tourism: The Case of Visiting Slovenian Mines
Authors: Farrell Barbara Pavlakovič , Pozvek Nejc
Published: February 2025

This case study presents the transition of Slovenia’s former and still operating mines and the development of their tourism offerings. The change towards the tourism sector is an opportunity to revitalise industrial heritage areas and re-use abandoned facilities. Furthermore, the new job positions could be a chance for the re-activation of the industry’s former employees. These workers can be reintegrated into the economy through participation in a tourism product in the context of industrial heritage tourism. The results of the research show that former mineworkers have undergone a just transition – some retired with the help of retirement incentives, and others were reintegrated into similar production industries or into mine heritage tourism. The latter were given secure jobs in a comparable position with equivalent benefits and development possibilities. The study highlights the importance of just transition and just tourism. Though we have examined the case of mineworkers in this study, the findings could be applied to any industry with the potential of being transformed into a tourism offering. Moreover, the entire tourism industry should follow the ambitious goals of implementing the principles of just tourism.

Information

© The Authors 2025
Study of super flexible mixed phase piezoresistive pressure sensor
Authors: Li Chen , Li Xia , Zhao Zhenghan , Wang Zhihua
Published: February 2025

To compensate for the growing need for flexibility in pressure sensing wearable devices, solid-liquid mixed phase sensors have been improved to meet application needs. Compared to the all solid state counterparts, these sensors exhibit an improvement in flexibility, conductivity and hydrophilicity. A highly flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor utilising a porous structure made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/CNT/C₃H₈O₃ composites is introduced in this study. The porous structure was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Response and release times were demonstrated to be rapid, approximately 43 ms and 62 ms, respectively. Mechanical testing revealed a tensile strength of 0.06 Mpa and a Young's modulus of 0.0723, while the compressive strength was recorded at 0.0876 Mpa with a Young's modulus of 0.142. Durability assessments indicated consistent performance across 6,000 cycles and notable hydrophilicity.Compared to conventional PDMS hybrid carbon nanotube-based sensors, this new sensor exhibited improvements in flexibility and conductivity by approximately 50 and 40 times, respectively. Its applications include detection of mouse button clicks, monitoring of human pinky joint motions, and recognition within pressure arrays. The sensor discussed holds significant potential for advancements in human-computer interaction and wearable technology sectors.
On concentric fractal spheres and spiral shells
Authors: Chrontsios-Garitsis Efstathios-K
Published: February 2025

We investigate dimension theoretic properties of concentric topological spheres, which are fractal sets emerging both in pure and applied mathematics. We calculate the box dimension and Assouad spectrum of such collections, and use them to prove that fractal spheres cannot be shrunk through consecutive disjoint similar copies into a point at a polynomial rate. We also apply these dimension estimates to quasiconformally classify certain spiral shells, a generalization of planar spirals in higher dimensions. This classification also provides a bi-Hölder map between shells and constitutes an addition to a general programme of research proposed by Fraser (2021 Nonlinearity
34 3251–70).
Effect of flipped classroom in a rural school with limited technology resources and infrastructure in a Latin-American country
Authors: Conza José , Pazmino Arturo
Published: February 2025

In physics education, the perception of a low level of significant learning has been evident regarding one-dimensional motion in Ecuador; this may be due to the lack of modernization in teaching methods, which have remained rooted in traditional education. From this perspective, the present research work is focused on analysing the implication of using an active learning strategy, such as the flipped classroom, and its impact on learning about one-dimensional motion. For this purpose, a control and an experimental group was selected in which a pre-test and post-test were applied. These tests were analysed using the statistical methods of Shapiro Wilk, Levene test, t-Student and Mann–Whitney U test, for data analysis and verification of the research hypothesis. In addition, the Cohen coefficient was used to know the impact of this methodology, and the Hake statistic to know the gains of each question and analyse those with the greatest gain to identify the strategies and resources used that led to this achievement. Based on these considerations, it is concluded that flipped classroom improves learning in movement in one dimension, even in the most adverse scenarios where the technological resources are not available to achieve optimal learning of the subject.
Comparison of simulated backgrounds with in-orbit observations for HXI onboard ASO-S
Authors: Wang Hao Xiang , Zhang Zhe , Liu Wei , Jiang Xiankai , Chen Dengyi , hu yiming , Su Yang
Published: February 2025

The Hard X-ray Imager (HXI) payload, a component of China's Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S) satellite, is designed to observe solar X-ray emissions in the 30-200 keV range, with the aim of investigating non-thermal physical processes during solar flares. Before launch, Geant4 simulations were employed to assess the on-orbit background of the HXI instrument, evaluating its performance and potential to achieve its scientific objectives. This study addresses issues identified in previous simulations and conducts further analyses to examine the distribution of background counts across the 99 detectors. The results demonstrate alignment between simulations and observations at low and medium geomagnetic latitudes; however, challenges persist at high geomagnetic latitudes due to limitations in the current albedo photon model. This investigation provides insights into background sources from various particles, enhances understanding of space background characteristics, and offers guidance for background subtraction in imaging processes.
Development of experimental units in optics for inquiry-based laboratory
Authors: Ceháková Lydia , Kopřiva Tomáš
Published: February 2025

Our aim is to showcase inquiry-based experiment units used in laboratory environment and the process of bringing them into practice. The units are focused on experiments in optics for upper secondary students. Worksheets guiding the students through each unit were created and the units were tested by the total of 88 students. We present these worksheets for experimental sets prepared for the Interactive Physics Laboratory operated by the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University as well as review of units based on students’ feedback.
Teaching and learning quantum entanglement: a discussion on different perspectives
Authors: Faletič Sergej , Michelini Marisa , Pospiech Gesche
Published: February 2025

One of the central features of quantum physics is entanglement. It is crucial for understanding the theory, and its applications, especially in quantum technologies. At the 2023 GIREP meeting, the GIREP Thematic Group “Teaching and learning quantum physics” addressed three fundamental topics for discussion: 1) Theoretical approaches and conceptual reconstruction of entanglement, 2) Role of representation and visualization in teaching entanglement, and 3) Empirical research on teaching and learning entanglement. Invited interested parties participated with their contribution to shed light on the specific challenges and solutions to address this fundamental feature of quantum physics. We present the main results.
Investigating Pre-Service Physics Teachers’ Understanding of Functions, Formulae and Equations in the Laboratory: A Pilot Study
Authors: Gkioka Olga
Published: February 2025

The paper reports results from a study designed to identify pre-service physics teachers’ (PSTs) understanding of mathematical expressions in the undergraduate physics laboratory. One physics experimental practice is the analysis and explanation of experimental evidence whereby, PSTs calculate slopes for line graphs and rates of change along curved graphs and interpret them. Sixteen PSTs participated. Data sources included the lab reports PSTs submitted after each experiment, mid-term and final exam papers and follow-up interviews (based on lab reports). In addition, for the research purposes of the study, the PSTs designed and performed the insulation experiment, an experiment they had not performed before and for which they did not know any results a priori. We found that PSTs made sense of physics equations as “formulae”; that is for calculations only. They could not attribute a physical meaning to the concept of slope of line graphs. They had also difficulties in linking instantaneous rates of change with the derivative of a function in order to calculate instantaneous rates along a curved graph. Implications for instructional practice and further research are discussed.
Microscopic characterization of the superconducting thin films of the (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Can-1CunOy on LaAlO3 substrate
Authors: Zhu Ping , Guo Yanqun , Zeng Zhigang , Xu Zhihang , Sun Ruoxian , Liu Zhiyong , Cai Chuanbing
Published: February 2025

The cuprate superconductors with transition temperature over 100 K are mainly Hg-based, Tl-based, Bi-based and Cu-based. The transition temperature of the Cu -based superconductor (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy reaches up to 117 K, while exhibiting the highest irreversible field (15 T @ 86 K), without toxic elements, and with low anisotropy. This greatly enhances its applicability in strong magnetic fields, making it highly competitive. However, the growth of (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy bulk materials requires high temperature and high pressure, which greatly limits the practical application of (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy. After investigation, it was found that thin films of (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy can be grown using pulsed laser deposition and molecular beam epitaxy without the need for high pressure. In this paper, a-axis (Cu,C)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy thin films were successfully grown on LaAlO3 single crystal substrate by pulsed laser deposition. However, the film exhibits a relatively low transition temperature of approximately 60 K. Herein, to ascertain the film's microscopic structure, transmission electron microscopy illustrates that the film also contains additional minor superconducting phases such as (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Ca1Cu2Oy, (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Ca2Cu3Oy, and (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Ca4Cu5Oy in addition to the desired phase (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy. Furthermore, due to the epitaxial growth of the film with a significant lattice mismatch, it experiences tensile strain. (Cu1-xCx)Ba2Ca3Cu4Oy is easily to intergrow of phases with different n to minimize strain. The combination of these two factors contributes to the relatively low superconducting transition temperature in the film. In addition, a greater degree of disorder would reduce the superconducting transition temperature further.
Condition monitoring of Friction Stir Welding tool with vibration signals using support vector machine classifiers
Authors: K Balachandar , R Jegadeeshwaran , G Sakthivel , T Mohanraj
Published: February 2025

Prediction of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) tool conditions has been a major highlight in recent years. Continuous monitoring and prediction of tool life is the most difficult task on the industrial side. This is because the occurrence of high temperatures and numerous vibrations during the welding process can affect tool life. Aluminium (Al5083) and Magnesium (AZ31B) alloys are selected as a workpiece and H13 tool steel is selected as a tool for the FSW process. The FSW was carried out with different tool conditions namely, Good condition, air gap between tool and workpiece, misalignment of workpieces, one side lift in base metals, and notch in workpieces. A piezoelectric transducer helps extract the vibration signal from the rotating tool. From the vibration signals, statistical features are extracted and these features are used as input for the Support Vector Machine (SVM) Machine Learning (ML) classifiers. The various SVM algorithms are used to classify the tool condition. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) was developed to monitor the state of the tool, which is an added benefit.Results demonstrate that the SVM model can accurately classify different tool conditions, providing valuable insights into tool health and facilitating timely maintenance interventions. The Fine Gaussian SVM performs better with 95% and 88.6% accuracy in predicting tool conditions for Al5083 and Mg AZ31B alloy respectively. The proposed SVM-based condition monitoring represents a significant step towards automated, real-time tool condition assessment in FSW, promising enhancements in process reliability and efficiency.
A referendum on reform: the 1831 General Election
Authors: Aidt Toke S , Franck Raphaël
Published: February 2025

Obtaining a one-vote majority in the House of Commons in March 1831 was insufficient for the Great Reform Act to succeed. It needed to overcome the next roadblock: gaining support from the voters of the Unreformed Parliament in the 1831 General Election. This chapter uses this election, which was in practice a referendum on the reform question, to examine the link between the threat of revolution and democratisation. Between the 1830 and 1831 General Election, a major rural uprising—the Swing riots—engulfed rural England. The econometric analysis relates the number of these riots happening near each of the English constituencies to the share of seats won by pro-reform politicians. The Swing riots induced voters to vote for pro-reform politicians after experiencing first-hand the violence of the riots, and that, in turn, returned a pro-reform majority to the Commons. The threat of revolution was key in overcoming this roadblock.
Jewish Law and International Law: The Future
Authors: Broyde Michael J , Elazar-De Mota Yehonatan
Published: February 2025

In this forward-looking chapter, the authors envision how Jewish law and international law might collaborate more closely to address future global challenges, such as climate change, human rights, and conflict resolution. The chapter proposes that Jewish legal principles—especially those related to justice, ethics, and peace—could play a crucial role in shaping a more just and equitable international legal order. It also explores how Jewish law may evolve through continued engagement with international norms, offering potential frameworks for future collaboration. The chapter concludes with a call for ongoing dialogue between Jewish and international legal scholars, emphasizing the potential for these two systems to learn from and complement each other in addressing global challenges.
XeroGraph: enhancing data integrity in the presence of missing values with statistical and predictive analysis
Authors: Mousafi Alasal Laila , Hammarlund Emma U , Pienta Kenneth J , Rönnstrand Lars , Kazi Julhash U
Published: February 2025

Motivation

Missing data present a pervasive challenge in data analysis, potentially biasing outcomes and undermining conclusions if not addressed properly. Missing data are commonly classified into Missing Completely at Random (MCAR), Missing at Random (MAR), and Missing Not at Random (MNAR). While MCAR poses a minimal risk of data distortion, both MAR and MNAR can seriously affect the results of subsequent analyses. Therefore, it is important to know the type of missing data and appropriately handle them.

Results

To facilitate efficient handling of missing data, we introduce a Python package named XeroGraph that is designed to evaluate data quality, categorize the nature of missingness, and guide imputation decisions. By comparing how various imputation methods influence underlying distributions, XeroGraph provides a systematic framework that supports more accurate and transparent analyses. Through its comprehensive preliminary assessments and user-friendly interface, this package facilitates the selection of optimal strategies tailored to the specific missing data mechanisms present in a dataset. In doing so, XeroGraph may significantly improve the validity and reproducibility of research findings, making it a valuable tool for professionals in data-intensive fields.

Availability and implementation

XeroGraph is compatible with all operating systems and requires Python version 3.9 or higher. It can be freely downloaded from PyPI (https://pypi.org/project/XeroGraph). The source code is accessible on GitHub (https://github.com/kazilab/XeroGraph), and comprehensive documentation is available at Read the Docs (https://xerograph.readthedocs.io). This software is distributed under the Apache License 2.0.
EpicPred: Predicting phenotypes driven by epitope binding TCRs using attention-based multiple instance learning
Authors: Jeon Jaemin , Yu Suwan , Lee Sangam , Kim Sang Cheol , Jo Hye-Yeong , Jung Inuk , Kim Kwangsoo
Published: February 2025

Motivation

Correctly identifying epitope binding TCRs is important to both understand their underlying biological mechanism in association to some phenotype and accordingly develop T-cell mediated immunotherapy treatments. Although the importance of the CDR3 region in TCRs for epitope recognition is well recognized, methods for profiling their interactions in association to a certain disease or phenotype remains less studied. We developed EpicPred to identify phenotype specific TCR-epitope interactions. EpicPred first predicts and removes unlikely TCR-epitope interactions to reduce false positives using the Open-set Recognition. Subsequently, multiple instance learning was used to identify TCR-epitope interactions specific to a cancer type or severity levels of COVID-19 patients.

Results

From six public TCR databases, 244,552 TCR sequences and 105 unique epitopes were used to predict epitope binding TCRs and to filter out non-epitope binding TCRs using the open-set recognition method. The predicted interactions were used to further predict the phenotype groups in two cancer and four COVID-19 TCR-seq datasets of both bulk and single-cell resolution. EpicPred outperformed the competing methods in predicting the phenotypes, achieving an average AUROC of 0.80 ± 0.07.

Availability and implementation

The EpicPred Software is available at https://github.com/jaeminjj/EpicPred.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
LAsting Symptoms after Oesophageal Resectional Surgery (LASORS): multicentre validation cohort study
Authors: Paine Heidi , Chidambaram Swathikan , Johar Asif , Maynard Nick , Lagergren Pernilla , Griffiths Ewen A , Behrens Paul , Singh Pritam , Abbassi-Ghadi Nima , Preston Shaun R , Vohra Ravinder S , Gossage James , Underwood Tim , Dai Nick , O’Neill J Robert , Awad Sherif , Mohammadi Borzoueh , Dawas Khaled , Qureshi Yassar , Alkhaffaf Bilal , Jones Rhys , Hanna George B , Markar Sheraz R
Published: February 2025

Background

Long-term symptom burden and health-related quality-of-life outcomes after curative oesophageal cancer treatment are poorly understood. Existing tools are cumbersome and do not address the post-treatment population specifically. The aim of this study was to validate the six-symptom LASORS tool for identifying patients after curative oesophageal cancer treatment with poor health-related quality of life and to assess its clinical utility.

Methods

Between 2015 and 2019, patients from 15 UK centres who underwent curative-intent oesophageal cancer treatment, and were disease-free at least 1 year after surgery, were invited to participate in the study and complete LASORS and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OG25 questionnaires. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to examine the accuracy of the LASORS tool for identifying patients with poor health-related quality of life.

Results

A total of 263 patients completed the questionnaire. Four of the six LASORS symptoms were associated with poor health-related quality of life: reduced energy (OR 2.13 (95% c.i. 1.45 to 3.13)); low mood (OR 1.86 (95% c.i. 1.20 to 2.88)); diarrhoea more than three times a day unrelated to eating (OR 1.48 (95% c.i. 1.06 to 2.07)); and bloating or cramping after eating (OR 1.35 (95% c.i. 1.03 to 1.77)). The LASORS tool showed good diagnostic accuracy with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.858 for identifying patients with poor health-related quality of life.

Conclusion

The six-symptom LASORS tool generated a reliable model for identification of patients with poor health-related quality of life after curative treatment for oesophageal cancer. This is the first tool of its kind to be prospectively validated in the post-esophagectomy population. Clinical utility lies in identification of patients at risk of poor health-related quality of life, ease of use of the tool, and in planning survivorship services.
Antibiotic treatment and survival in patients with resected, early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma receiving chemotherapy
Authors: Gong Emma , Fulop Daniel J , Serebrenik Joyce , Labiner Arielle J , Cohen Deirdre J , Sigel Keith M , Lucas Aimee L
Published: February 2025

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a clinically challenging malignancy, largely due to chemoresistance. Bacteria within the PDAC microbiome may mediate chemoresistance, suggesting that alteration of the microbiome with antibiotics could improve chemotherapy response.

Methods

We utilized the SEER-Medicare database to select patients with resected, early-stage PDAC diagnosed between 2007 and 2017. The primary outcome of this study was overall survival (OS). Receipt of antibiotic treatment within one month after adjuvant chemotherapy initiation was determined from Medicare claims data. Propensity scores (PSs) were used to match patients who received antibiotics with patients who did not receive antibiotics. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate 5-year OS rates, and cox regression analysis was used to assess association between receiving antibiotics and OS. All hypotheses were 2-sided.

Results

Of the 712 patients with resected, early-stage PDAC, 629 (88.3%) were treated with adjuvant gemcitabine and 177 (24.9%) received antibiotics in the one month following chemotherapy initiation. The mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 73.7 (5.1) years and patients were mostly women, White, and from metropolitan areas in the northeastern or western US. A total of 143 PS-matched pairs were evaluated. Among patients treated with gemcitabine, antibiotic treatment was associated with a 37% improvement in OS and a 30% improvement in cancer-specific survival.

Conclusions

Antibiotic treatment in the one month following adjuvant gemcitabine initiation was associated with improved survival. These findings provide additional support for the hypothesis that antibiotic treatment may alter the pancreatic microbiome in a manner that reduces chemoresistance, potentially improving PDAC outcomes.
Representativeness of electronic referral to smoking treatment trials in adult primary care
Authors: Kim Nayoung , Kirsch Julie , Millevolte Rosina , Oguss Madeline K , Fraser David L , Kobinsky Kate , Piper Megan E , Cook Jessica W , Schlam Tanya R , Baker Timothy B , Fiore Michael C , Kathuria Hasmeena , McCarthy Danielle E
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Some populations are under-represented in smoking treatment research. Electronic health record (EHR)-enabled referral of patients who smoke may enhance representativeness of clinical trial samples. This study assessed the representativeness of smoking treatment trial electronic referral (e-referral), exclusion, enrollment, and engagement in primary care.

Methods

Eighteen adult primary care clinics in 2 healthcare systems offered patients who smoked e-referral to smoking reduction or cessation treatment trials. Extracted EHR data were analyzed to compare rates of e-referral and enrollment across patient groups defined by sex, age, race, ethnicity, and insurance status. Trial eligibility screening data were analyzed to identify differential exclusion of patient groups by sex, race, or neighborhood disadvantage.

Results

Overall, 23.3% of eligible patients were e-referred, with elevated e-referral rates among women, African American, Medicaid-eligible, and middle-aged patients. Among e-referred patients, 20.5% were excluded at trial eligibility screening, with exclusions elevated for women, minoritized individuals, and individuals from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Overall, 7.0% of patients who smoked enrolled in a smoking treatment trial, with enrollment rates elevated among women, those over age 44, and, in one health system, African American patients. Most enrollees (>87%) initiated counseling and enrollees completed 52.4%-79.9% of counseling sessions, with older, college-educated, and lower-income enrollees attending more sessions.

Conclusions

Proactive e-referral in primary care may improve representation of certain groups (e.g., African American and Medicaid-eligible patients) in smoking treatment trials, but differential exclusion at eligibility screening may reduce sample representativeness. Relaxing non-essential eligibility criteria may enhance inclusion of minoritized and disadvantaged populations in smoking treatment research.

Implications

Electronic referral of adult primary care patients who smoke to smoking cessation and reduction trials may enhance referral of high-priority populations (e.g., African American patients and those eligible for Medicaid) to tobacco treatment trials. Relaxing treatment trial inclusion criteria may enhance representation of minoritized and disadvantaged patients in treatment trials.
Italian Literature and the Academies
Authors: Everson Jane E.
Published: February 2025

This article explores the emergence of Italian learned academies, beginning with the Accademia degli Intronati in Siena in the sixteenth century. Fueled by elite humanist education and advancements in printing, these academies grew to over two thousand, attracting diverse memberships and focusing on scholarly pursuits. Notable institutions like the Intronati and Congrega dei Rozzi emphasized the study of canonical writers such as Dante and Petrarch, fostering dynamic literary discussions and engaging in debates over Italian vernacular and Aristotle’s Poetics. They also cultivated the composition of lyric poetry and promoted vernacular theater. As the seventeenth century unfolded, academies expanded their scope to include scientific topics and new literary genres such as mock heroics. However, their influence on vernacular literature began to wane, leading to the establishment of the Arcadia in 1690. By the end of the century, the once-elusive “panther” of Italian academies had been tamed, reflecting their historical significance and the evolving cultural landscape.
A Maltese Perspective of Sex: a Maltese cross-sectional study
Authors: Bartolo Matthew , Marmara Vincent , Cassar Danica , Miclet Arianna
Published: February 2025

Background

This research constitutes a pioneering cross-sectional investigation into sexual behaviors within the Maltese population, centered on the examination of meaning of sex, sex frequency, sex duration, sexual satisfaction, and discussions about sex.

Aim

The aim of this study is to explore how the Maltese define the term “sex” and with whom they discuss sexual matters while testing the hypotheses that the frequency and duration of sexual activity, as well as the discussion of sexual matters, influence sexual satisfaction.

Methods

Data were collected via a computer-assisted telephone interview method, using a randomized sample of 400 Maltese adults aged 18 and above. The questionnaire included 33 items addressing various aspects of sexual behavior. The responses were analyzed using SPSS, applying Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis, and chi-square tests to assess relationships between variables.

Outcomes

To gauge participants’ sexual satisfaction, respondents were tasked with rating their contentment with their sexual lives on a scale from 1 to 5.

Results

Results revealed that 26.9% of respondents defined sex as a “sexual act between two persons,” while 26.8% linked it to “an act of love.” Few participants associated sex with pleasure or intimacy, reflecting possible conservative cultural influences. A majority (61.7%) felt comfortable discussing sexual matters with their partners, while only 26.6% were comfortable doing so with friends. The average sexual frequency was 5.69 times per month. Sexual satisfaction was positively correlated with frequency as individuals reporting more frequent sex were generally more satisfied with their sex lives. However, no significant association was found between the duration of sexual activity and sexual satisfaction.

Clinical translation

The study’s clinical implications provide valuable insights for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers grappling with sexual health concerns within the Maltese population.

Strengths and limitations

This pioneering study provides new insights into sexual behaviors in Malta, with stratified sampling enhancing the sample’s representativeness. However, social desirability and recall bias may affect the accuracy of self-reported data, and the focus on age, gender, and relationship status overlooks other factors, such as cultural or religious influences, that may offer a deeper understanding of sexual behaviors.

Conclusions

The Maltese population demonstrates a diverse understanding of “sex” while also revealing that most individuals feel comfortable discussing sexual matters with partners but not with friends; additionally, the population reports an average sexual frequency of 5 times per month, lasting between 26 and 45 minutes, with the majority expressing overall satisfaction with their sexual lives.
Deriving Insights From Open-Ended Learner Feedback: An Exploration of Natural Language Processing Approaches
Authors: Maslej Marta M. , Donner Kayle , Thakur Anupam , Islam Faisal , Costa-Dookhan Kenya A. , Sockalingam Sanjeev
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

Open-ended feedback from learners offers valuable insights for adapting continuing health education to their needs; however, this feedback is burdensome to analyze with qualitative methods. Natural language processing offers a potential solution, but it is unclear which methods provide useful insights. We evaluated natural language processing methods for analyzing open-ended feedback from continuing professional development training at a psychiatric hospital.

Methods:

The data set consisted of survey responses from staff participants, which included two text responses on how participants intended to use the training (“intent to use”; n = 480) and other information they wished to share (“open-ended feedback”; n = 291). We analyzed “intent-to-use” responses with topic modeling, “open-ended feedback” with sentiment analysis, and both responses with large language model (LLM)–based clustering. We examined outputs of each approach to determine their value for deriving insights about the training.

Results:

Our results indicated that because the “intent-to-use” responses were short and lacked diversity, topic modeling was not useful in differentiating content between the topics. For “open-ended feedback,” sentiment scores did not accurately reflect the valence of responses. The LLM-based clustering approach generated meaningful clusters characterized by semantically similar words for both responses.

Discussion:

LLMs may be a useful approach for deriving insights from learner feedback because they capture context, making them capable of distinguishing between responses that use similar words to convey different topics. Future directions involve exploring other methods involving LLMs, or examining how these methods fare on other data sets or types of learner feedback.
Border Digit Transposition and Intramedullary Nail Fixation for Third or Fourth Ray Amputation
Authors: Candela Xavier J. , Kotamarti Vasanth S. , Teunis Teun
Published: February 2025

Central ray amputation of the third or fourth finger leaves a gap between the remaining digits. This gap can allow small objects to fall out of the hand. The gap may be narrowed by suturing the remaining intermetacarpal ligaments or transposing the remaining border digit to the amputated ray. Both methods are often followed by prolonged immobilization to prevent gapping after suture repair and nonunion after transposition, respectively. We propose the use of an intramedullary nail for metacarpal fixation after ray transposition. This provides the advantage of early mobilization, potentially reducing stiffness and hardware irritation, thus enabling an early return to work.
The Effect of Touch Therapy on Symptoms and Psychosocial Variables in Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer
Authors: Muz Gamze , Bilgin Aylin , Yüce Gülyeter Erdoğan , Döner Ayser
Published: February 2025

Background

Touch therapy is used in the control of physical and psychological symptoms in cancer patients. However, its effectiveness has not been well studied.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of touch therapy intervention on symptoms and psychosocial factors for patients with cancer.

Method

Four electronic databases were used to identify all experimental studies that examine the effects of touch therapy on symptoms and psychosocial factors for patients with cancer. The standardized mean differences between groups in levels of symptoms and psychosocial factors for postintervention were computed for each study.

Result

The pooled results suggest that touch therapy intervention effectively reduces pain, fatigue, anxiety, and negative mood among patients with cancer postintervention. However, touch therapy intervention did not affect the quality of life and stress.

Conclusion

A significant effect of touch therapy was the reduction of physical and psychological symptoms in cancer patients.

Implications for Practice

Touch therapy could be safely integrated into the clinical practice of patients with cancer.
The Routine Collection of “Just-in-Case” Thyroid Aspirates for Molecular Testing at the Time of Initial Fine Needle Aspiration. Our Experience
Authors: Dawkins Adrian , Richards Dana , Sabujan Asmi , Nair Rashmi
Published: February 2025

Patients with Bethesda III/IV thyroid nodules may benefit from molecular testing in order to determine the likelihood of malignancy. The goal is to avoid unnecessary surgery for these often-benign nodules. The decision to acquire samples for molecular testing is typically made after formal cytologic interpretation. This creates anxiety and inconvenience for patients who must return for a repeat biopsy. We explored the impact of routinely collecting “just-in-case” samples from each thyroid nodule. Thus, a minimum of 4 samples were acquired from each nodule: 2 for routine cytologic analysis and 2 for possible genomic sequencing. Nodules subsequently determined to be Bethesda III/IV, were further evaluated by sending the prospectively acquired aspirates for genomic sequencing. Over a 7-month period, there were 69 consecutive patients with ages ranging from 24 to 88 years. There were 16 males and 63 females. Six patients had 2 nodules sampled, yielding total of 75 nodules. Of the 75 nodules, 4 (5.3%) were Bethesda I, 37 (49.3%) Bethesda II, 30 (40%) Bethesda III, 0 (0%) Bethesda IV, 1 (1.3%) Bethesda V, and 3 (4%) Bethesda VI. Of the 30 Bethesda III, 18 (60%) were deemed benign (4% risk of malignancy) by genomic testing. Nine (30%) were deemed 50% or 75% suspicious for malignancy. Two (6.7%) yielded insufficient material for analysis and 1 (3.3%) analysis was canceled because of nonpayment. There were no patient complications. Just-in-case samples prevented call-back of 40% of sampled nodules and thus deemed worthwhile and efficient despite adding an estimated 10 minutes to overall procedure time.
The growth benefits and toxicity of quinone synthesis are balanced by a dual regulatory mechanism and substrate limitations
Authors: Li Siliang , Zhang Jiangguo , Ajo-Franklin Caroline M. , Igoshin Oleg A.
Published: February 2025

Quinones play a central role in maintaining redox balance and conserving energy but can trigger oxidative stress at high levels. However, the mechanisms by which microbes regulate quinone levels remain poorly0020understood, hindering effective metabolic engineering to modulate microbes for quinone production. Here, we show that the synthesis of the menaquinone precursor DHNA in the lactic acid bacteriumLactococcus lactisis regulated by a combined genetic, enzymatic, and metabolic mechanism. Using synthetic biology approaches, we found that enzymes MenF and MenD both contribute to DHNA regulation, with MenD playing a more prominent role in controlling DHNA concentrations. A mathematical model elucidates a two-phase regulatory pattern resulting from the interplay of reversible flux and allosteric feedback inhibition, where either MenF or MenD can serve as the regulatory enzyme, depending on their relative expression ratio. Additionally, the overproduction of DHNA is constrained by substrate availability, ensuring a sufficient but not excessive DHNA level to benefit cell growth while mitigating cytotoxicity. Collectively, these mechanisms maintain a fine-tuned physiological quinone level and suggest that modulating substrate supplement and MenF-to-MenD ratio could be keys for engineering DHNA production
Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals a Role of Non-coding 3’-untranslated Region Variants Affecting Cleavage and Polyadenylation in Undiagnosed Rare Disorders
Authors: Kainov Y. , Dias C. , Hubbard T.
Published: February 2025

Cleavage and polyadenylation of mRNAs is essential for transcription termination and gene expression, yet variants disrupting conserved sequences essential to this process are often overlooked as putative causal variants in individuals with rare Mendelian disorders. Using deep learning models, we identified enrichment of ultrarare alleles predicted to disrupt polyadenylation in a large cohort of undiagnosed probands with rare disease disorders from the Genomics England 100kGP dataset. These alleles are predominantly located in the 3’ UTRs of genes where protein-coding variants have previously been identified as causal in rare diseases. Experimental validation of a putative causal variant predicted to disrupt polyadenylation of SLC16A2 in a proband with intellectual disability, confirmed the allele’s deleterious impact on gene expression.
Evaluating cotinine cutoffs and sociodemographic factors associated with exclusive heavy e-cigarette vaping behavior
Authors: Arun Adith S. , Shah Rishi , Lu Yuan , Baldassarri Stephen R. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use in previously tobacco-naïve individuals may increase the risk of nicotine addiction and adverse health outcomes, including lung injury and cardiovascular disease. This study identifies a subgroup of heavy exclusive e-cig vapers, characterizes their demographics, and establishes an optimal serum cotinine threshold to differentiate them from tobacco-naïve individuals.

Methods

We analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013– 2020) to characterize serum cotinine levels by e-cig use frequency. The optimal cotinine cutoff for identifying heavy exclusive vapers was 2.2 ng/mL (sensitivity 98%, specificity 96%).

We used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to identify the cotinine threshold for discriminating heavy exclusive e-cig vapers from tobacco-naïve individuals and logistic regression to explore sociodemographic factors.

Results

Exclusive heavy e-cig vapers—defined as those who vaped on four or more of the past five days—had mean cotinine levels (220 ± 38 ng/mL) comparable to cigarette smokers (212 ± 6 ng/mL). These vapers were more likely to be 12-18 (AOR 7.96; 95% CI: [3.38 – 18.7]) or 19-25 [AOR 7.36 [2.84 - 19]) years old and less likely to be female (AOR 0.3 [0.16-0.57]).

Conclusion

Heavy exclusive e-cig vapers had serum cotinine levels similar to cigarette smokers and were predominantly young males. Public health interventions should target this high-risk subgroup to reduce potential long-term health consequences.
TimeFlow: a density-driven pseudotime method for flow cytometry data analysis
Authors: Liarou Margarita , Matthes Thomas , Marchand-Maillet Stéphane
Published: February 2025

Pseudotime methods order cells undergoing differentiation from the least to most differentiated. We developed TimeFlow, a new method for computing pseudotime in multi dimensional flow cytometry datasets. TimeFlow tracks the differentiation path of each cell on a graph by following smooth changes in the cell population density. To compute the probability density function of the cells, it uses a normalizing flow model. We profiled bone marrow samples from three healthy patients using a 20-color antibody panel for flow cytometry and prepared datasets that ranged from 5,000 to 600,000 cells and included monocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes and B-cells at various maturation stages. TimeFlow computed fine-grained pseudotime for all the datasets, and the cell orderings were consistent with prior knowledge of human hematopoiesis. Experiments showed its potential in generalizing across patients and unseen cell states. We compared our method to 11 other pseudotime methods using in-house and public datasets and found very good performance for both linear and branching trajectories. TimeFlow's pseudotemporal orderings are useful for modelling the dynamics of cell surface proteins along linear trajectories. The biologically meaningful results in branching trajectories suggest the possibility of future applications with automated cell lineage detection. Code is available at https://github.com/MargaritaLiarou1/TimeFlow and bone marrow data will be accessible upon acceptance.
Targeting the ClpP-αSynuclein Interaction with a Decoy Peptide to Mitigate Neuropathology in Parkinson’s Disease Models
Authors: Hu Di , Sun Xiaoyan , Qi Xin
Published: February 2025

Parkinson’s disease (PD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative movement disorder, is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons and the accumulation of α-synuclein (αSyn)-rich inclusions. Despite advances in understanding PD pathophysiology, disease-modifying therapies remain elusive, underscoring gaps in our knowledge of its underlying mechanisms. Mitochondria are key targets of αSyn toxicity, and growing evidence suggests that αSyn-mitochondrial interactions contribute to PD progression. Our recent findings identify mitochondrial protease ClpP as a crucial regulator of αSyn pathology, with pathological αSyn binding to and impairing ClpP function, thereby exacerbating mitochondrial impairment and neurodegeneration. To disrupt this deleterious interaction, we developed a decoy peptide, CS2, which directly binds to the non-amyloid-β component (NAC) domain of αSyn, preventing its association with ClpP. CS2 treatment effectively mitigated αSyn toxicity in an αSyn-stable neuronal cell line, primary cortical neurons inoculated with αSyn pre-formed fibrils (PFFs), and DA neurons derived from PD patient-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Notably, subcutaneous administration of CS2 in transgenic mThy1-hSNCA PD mice rescued cognitive and motor deficits while reducing αSyn aggregation and neuropathology. These findings establish the ClpP-αSyn interaction as a druggable target in PD and position CS2 as a promising therapeutic candidate for PD and other αSyn-associated neurodegenerative disorders.
Wnt-Activated Immunoregulatory Myeloid Cells Prevent Relapse in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Offer a Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Alkhimovitch Anastasia , Miller Stephen D. , Ifergan Igal
Published: February 2025

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by recurrent inflammatory relapses and neurodegeneration. Myeloid cells play a critical role in shaping the inflammatory environment and influencing disease progression. Here, we demonstrate that activation of the Wnt signaling pathway reprograms myeloid cells into an immunoregulatory phenotype, leading to reduced neuroinflammation and disease severity. Using both experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and human-derived myeloid cells, we show that Wnt agonist treatment promotes the expression of inhibitory molecules such as PD-L1 and PD-L2, suppressing pro-inflammatory responses. In the chronic and relapsing-remitting EAE models, Wnt activation significantly reduced disease severity, immune cell infiltration into the CNS, and pathogenic T cell responses. Notably, in relapsing-remitting EAE, Wnt treatment prevented new relapses in a PD-L1–dependent manner, highlighting the crucial role of myeloid cell–mediated immune regulation. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for Wnt signaling in myeloid cell immunoregulation and suggest that targeting this pathway could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for MS and other autoimmune diseases.
A Non-Invasive Ultrasound-Based Model for Assessing Endometrial Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Bleeding
Authors: Khatoon Nagma , Mohsin Zehra , Wahab Shagufta , Akhtar Kafil
Published: February 2025

Aims

This study evaluates the risk of endometrial carcinoma in postmenopausal women presenting with bleeding using an ultrasound-based risk scoring system. It aims to integrate imaging parameters and clinical variables for improved differentiation between benign and malignant endometrial conditions.

Methods

A prospective analysis was conducted on postmenopausal women presenting with bleeding per vagina. Clinical variables including age, parity, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes were combined with ultrasound findings such as endometrial thickness, echogenicity, endo-myometrial interface, vascular patterns and Doppler scores. A comprehensive scoring system, based on International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) terminology, was employed to stratify patients’ risk levels. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by comparing the scoring system outcomes with histopathological findings.

Results

The ultrasound-based scoring system demonstrated significant diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between benign and malignant endometrial pathologies. Endometrial thickness greater than 4 mm, heterogeneous echogenicity, irregular endo-myometrial interface and increase vascular flow were identified as strong predictors of malignancy. The model achieved a high sensitivity and specificity, providing a non-invasive yet reliable tool for risk stratification in clinical settings. The findings emphasize the potential of an integrated ultrasound-based scoring system in guiding clinical decisions for postmenopausal women with bleeding.

Conclusion

We concluded that by incorporating both clinical and imaging parameters improves diagnostic accuracy, minimizes unnecessary invasive procedures, and aids in timely intervention.