bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shades of evidence: a review of skin color reporting in melanoma-related randomized controlled trials
Authors: Curtis Deven P. , Salmen Natasha L. , Baumann Anthony N. , Busby Justine F. , Brodell Robert T.
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To examine the rate of skin color reporting in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving melanoma in the top ten highest dermatology journals by impact factor over the past four decades.

Methods

A systematic review of RCTs involving melanoma within the top ten dermatology journals, as determined by impact factor, was conducted from inception to July 10th, 2023. Studies were included if they reviewed the diagnosis and/or treatment of melanoma, were RCTs, directly involved patients and were written in English. Studies were characterized as positive for reporting skin of color (SOC) if the demographic data in the results or methods sections included any of the following: race, ethnicity, skin of color, Fitzpatrick scale, sunburn tendency, phototype, skin type, or skin tone.

Results

Out of 76 studies initially identified, only 49 articles met inclusion criteria. Of these 49 articles, only 24 articles recorded data of skin color from their demographics (49%). Subgroup analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the rate of reporting between studies grouped by decade (p = 0.779) or by study location (p = 0.763).

Conclusion

Darker skin tones can disguise melanotic skin lesions. Less than 50% of RCTs related to melanoma in the top ten international dermatology journals included skin color within their results section to characterize study participants. This has a negative impact on our understanding of this potentially devastating disease.
Shift invariance of half space integrable models
Authors: He Jimmy
Published: January 2025

We formulate and establish symmetries of certain integrable half space models, analogous to recent results on symmetries for models in a full space. Our starting point is the colored stochastic six vertex model in a half space, from which we obtain results on the asymmetric simple exclusion process, as well as for the beta polymer through a fusion procedure which may be of independent interest. As an application, we establish a distributional identity between the absorption time in a type B analogue of the oriented swap process and last passage times in a half space, establishing the Baik–Ben Arous–Péché phase transition for the absorption time. The proof uses Hecke algebras and integrability of the six vertex model through the Yang–Baxter and reflection equations.
Almost automorphic and bijective factors of substitution shifts
Authors: Bustos-Gajardo Alvaro , Kellendonk Johannes , Yassawi Reem
Published: January 2025

In this article we completely characterise constant length substitution shifts which have a proper almost automorphic factor, or which have a bijective substitution factor such that the factor map is injective on at least one point. Our approach is algebraic: we characterise these dynamical properties in terms of a finite semigroup defined by the substitution. We characterise the existence of almost automorphic factors in terms of Green’s

$${\mathcal {R}}$$

R

-relation and the existence of bijective factors in terms of Green’s

$${{\mathcal {L}}}$$

L

-relation. Our results are constructive.
Scapegoating international students for the rental crisis? Insights from large-scale evidence (2017–2024) in Australia
Authors: Mu Guanglun Michael , Soong Hannah
Published: January 2025

Traditional international student destinations in the West are grappling with the thorny issue of rental crisis. In this challenging context for all, international students are caught within the political whims that blame them for the crisis. In this paper, we draw on large-scale evidence from Australia — including data collected at 76 time points from 2017 to 2023 at the national level and 79 time points from 2017 to 2024 at the capital city level — to investigate the statistical relationship between international student numbers and rental costs for local residents, while accounting for vacancy rate and rental inflation. Our findings challenge the politicised connection between international student numbers and rental costs. This study, the first of its kind in Australia and among the most recent internationally, makes a significant contribution by providing an evidence-grounded rebuttal against scapegoating international students for the rental crisis. It also enriches the emerging literature on international student housing, which we frame as part of a broader problematic termed “international studentification”. We caution against politicising international students in Australia and beyond, inviting future research to explore alternative pathways to establish a more just policy environment that enacts social and housing equity.
Antithrombotic therapy and the risk of pocket hematoma after subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation
Authors: Pepplinkhuizen S. , Kors N. , de Veld J. A. , Dijkshoorn L. A. , Bijsterveld N. R. , de Weger A. , Smeding L. , Wilde A. A. M. , Olde Nordkamp L. R. A. , Knops R. E.
Published: January 2025

Background

Little data exists regarding the optimal antithrombotic strategy during S-ICD implantation to prevent pocket hematomas. This study explores the association between perioperative antithrombotic management and the occurrence of pocket hematoma following S-ICD implantation.

Methods

All patients who underwent de novo S-ICD implantation between February 2009 and January 2023 at Amsterdam UMC were included. Data was collected retrospectively from electronic patient records. Clinically significant pocket hematomas were defined as an accumulation of blood at the pocket site within 30 days after implantation.

Results

A total of 347 patients were included of which 224 (64.6%) patients used antithrombotic therapy pre-implantation. The median age at implantation was 50 years (IQR 36–61 years), 33.4% of the patients were female, and the majority of implants were intermuscular (90.2%). A total of 18 patients (5.2%) developed a clinically significant pocket hematoma. There were significantly more pocket hematomas in patients with continued vitamin K antagonists (VKA) compared to patients with interrupted VKA (27.3% (6/22) vs. 4.3% (2/47), respectively, p = 0.01), and continuation of VKA was an independent predictor for pocket hematoma formation in the VKA group (p = 0.04). Moreover, continuation of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with ticagrelor was associated with significantly more pocket hematomas post-implantation compared to continuation of DAPT with clopidogrel (4/12 vs. 1/28, respectively, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Continuation of VKA during S-ICD implantation was associated with an increased risk of pocket hematoma formation compared to interruption of VKA. This supports the need for specific perioperative antithrombotic therapy guidelines for S-ICD implantations to reduce the risk of pocket hematomas.

Graphical Abstract
The Classification of Two Lines Mahavier Products
Authors: Gril Rogina Rene , Brian Will
Published: January 2025

For non-negative real numbers r and

$$\rho $$

ρ

, with

$$r< 1 < \rho $$

r
<
1
<
ρ

, let

$$L_{r,\rho }$$

L

r
,
ρ

be the union of two straight line segments in

$$[0,1]\times [0,1]$$

[
0
,
1
]
×
[
0
,
1
]

with slopes r and

$$\rho $$

ρ

, one from (0, 0) to (1, r) and the other from (0, 0) to

$$(\frac{1}{\rho },0)$$

(

1
ρ

,
0
)

. Recent work in Banič et al.
(2024) and Gril Rogina (J Dyn Control Syst. 2023;29:1525–45) gives a partial characterization of the forward Mahavier products of such closed relations. But this work in Banič et al.
(2024) and Gril Rogina (J Dyn Control Syst. 2023;29:1525–45) leaves open the problem of whether certain classes of these Mahavier products contain any pairwise homeomorphic continua. In this paper, we show that any two of the continua in the above mentioned classes are homeomorphic, thus completing the classification of these Mahavier products.
Generative Artificial Intelligence Use in Healthcare: Opportunities for Clinical Excellence and Administrative Efficiency
Authors: Bhuyan Soumitra S. , Sateesh Vidyoth , Mukul Naya , Galvankar Alay , Mahmood Asos , Nauman Muhammad , Rai Akash , Bordoloi Kahuwa , Basu Urmi , Samuel Jim
Published: January 2025

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) has transformative potential in healthcare to enhance patient care, personalize treatment options, train healthcare professionals, and advance medical research. This paper examines various clinical and non-clinical applications of Gen AI. In clinical settings, Gen AI supports the creation of customized treatment plans, generation of synthetic data, analysis of medical images, nursing workflow management, risk prediction, pandemic preparedness, and population health management. By automating administrative tasks such as medical documentations, Gen AI has the potential to reduce clinician burnout, freeing more time for direct patient care. Furthermore, application of Gen AI may enhance surgical outcomes by providing real-time feedback and automation of certain tasks in operating rooms. The generation of synthetic data opens new avenues for model training for diseases and simulation, enhancing research capabilities and improving predictive accuracy. In non-clinical contexts, Gen AI improves medical education, public relations, revenue cycle management, healthcare marketing etc. Its capacity for continuous learning and adaptation enables it to drive ongoing improvements in clinical and operational efficiencies, making healthcare delivery more proactive, predictive, and precise.
Competitive signaling and cellular communications in myocardial infarction response
Authors: Nair Vishnu , Demitri Christian , Thankam Finosh G.
Published: January 2025

Cell communication and competition pathways are malleable to Myocardial Infarction (MI). Key signals, transcriptive regulators, and metabolites associated with apoptotic responses such as Myc, mTOR, and p53 are important players in the myocardium. The individual state of cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and macrophages in the heart tissue are adaptable in times of stress. The overlapping communication pathways of Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and c-Kit exhibit the involvement of important factors in cell competition in the myocardium. Depending on the effects of these pathways on genetic expression and signal amplification, the proliferative capacities of the previously stated cells that make up the myocardium, amplify or diminish. This creates a distinct classification of “fit” and “unfit” cells. Beyond straightforward traits, the intricate metabolite interactions between neighboring cells unveil a complex battle. Strategic manipulation of these pathways holds translational promise for rapid cardiac recovery post-trauma.
Applying an Equity Lens to Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions: a Systematic Review of Subgroup Findings from Experimental Evaluations
Authors: Buckley Pamela R. , Gust Charleen J. , Coffin Sarah Gonzalez , Aikawa Sheba M. , Steeger Christine M. , Pampel Fred C.
Published: January 2025

Evidence reveals that minoritized groups face disparities, underscoring the need for interventions to address behavioral health inequities. This review examined which minoritized populations are represented in evidence-based preventive interventions (EBPIs) and whether they equitably benefit from these programs. Using the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development online clearinghouse, we synthesized findings from 240 high-quality experimental evaluations of EBPIs conducted in the U.S. between 2010 and 2023 and performed a descriptive analysis based on consensus coding to assess (1) the prevalence of culturally tailored EBPIs; (2) how frequently tests for subgroup effects were conducted; and (3) whether subgroup tests indicated differential benefits for minoritized groups. We found few culturally tailored interventions (31%), with 4% evaluating EBPIs developed for African American or Black populations and 1% for Hispanic or Latino youth. Additionally, only 25% and 15% tested for subgroup effects by race and ethnicity, respectively. For other subgroups, few (28%) evaluations included effects by economic disadvantage while 47% examined outcomes by binary gender categories. Essentially no reports tested for subgroup effects by sexual identity, location, or nativity status. Encouraging findings were that EBPIs more often benefited racial and ethnic minoritized groups, and there was an upward trend in reporting subgroup tests across time. EBPIs should test for subgroup effects to answer the questions of “what works for whom?” and “in which settings?” and to better understand the generalizability of findings. Investments are needed in culturally grounded programs developed for historically marginalized populations and trials of EBPIs that investigate mitigating health disparities.
A Model for Understanding and Expanding the Scope of Critical Thinking
Authors: Normile Ian H.
Published: January 2025

In this article I draw on existing theory in a project of synthesis and integration to develop a terminological, conceptual, and graphic model for understanding the scope of critical thinking. I begin by showing why the idea of critical scope matters. I then develop a model that maps the scope of critical thinking across individual, sociocultural, and existential domains, in conjunction with the ontological, epistemological, emotional, and political dimensions. Building on this, I outline the relationships between contexts, critical frameworks, and metacritique as essential to understanding the scope of critical thinking. The model also includes a means for organising the attributes (character traits) of critical thinkers. This project provides resources to encourage and guide critical thinking at a more expansive scope in education, society, and daily life by helping people to understand the contours and potential confines of criticality. This has profound implications for education and society, helping to improve the rigour, reach, and diversity of critical thinking. This model is far from complete, and designed to invite ongoing engagement, including critique. It is intended as a rubric to prompt and inspire, not as a device to ‘measure’ or ‘assess’ critical thinking. Educationally, the intention is to provide resources for understanding, negotiating, and facilitating critical thinking at an expansive scope.
Synthetic biology: supporting an anti-reductionist view of life
Authors: Rijssenbeek Julia
Published: January 2025

The life sciences have evoked long-standing philosophical debates on a system view of life versus a reductionist view that reduces the complexity of life-forms to parts-based entities that can be described purely mechanistically. This paper examines how current scientific advances in the life sciences can contribute to an anti-reductionist concept of life. It does so by looking at synthetic biology, a discipline within the life sciences that has an ambiguous relationship to this debate. While the field’s engineering approach to life could be considered a manifestation of a reductionist view of life, it also builds on a more holistic, systems view of life. This paper analyses recent scientific practices taking place within synthetic biology that seem to challenge the reductionist view of life. After analyzing the main anti-reductionist philosophical accounts of life, I ask how synthetic biology practices can support these accounts of life by considering living systems as processual, collaborative, and cognitive, and life versus nonlife on a more gradual scale. This empirically informed paper contributes to the literature by drawing observations about the concept of life by connecting the following: the reductionist view in the life sciences, the different anti-reductionist metaphysical stances in the philosophy of biology, and the emerging practices in synthetic biology. The paper concludes that synthetic biology can support anti-reductionist views of life in the philosophy of biology.
Dietary flaxseed: Cardiometabolic benefits and its role in promoting healthy aging
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Jassal Davinder S. , Ravandi Amir , Lehoczki Andrea
Published: January 2025

Flaxseed, a rich source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, and soluble fiber, has attracted attention for its potential to improve multiple cardiometabolic risk factors. While its benefits are well-recognized, comprehensive evaluations of its direct impact on clinical outcomes, such as the prevention or progression of cardiometabolic diseases, remain limited. Additionally, its potential to support healthy aging and longevity through fundamental biological mechanisms has not been fully elucidated. This review synthesizes existing research on flaxseed supplementation, highlighting its effects on cardiometabolic risk factors and outcomes, the underlying biological mechanisms, and its broader implications for health promotion and aging. Findings demonstrate that flaxseed supplementation significantly improves several cardiometabolic risk factors, including body weight, body mass index, lipid levels, blood pressure, glycemic measures, markers of inflammation (e.g., C-reactive protein and interleukin-6), oxidative stress, and liver enzymes. Blood pressure reductions range from approximately 2 to 15 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 1 to 7 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure, with the magnitude influenced by dose, duration, and baseline risk profiles. While direct evidence linking flaxseed to the prevention of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease is limited, its bioactive components—ALA, lignans, and fiber—are strongly associated with reduced risks of these conditions. The benefits of flaxseed are mediated through multiple pathways, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improved lipid levels, improved glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, modulation of gut microbiota, and enhanced vascular health. Beyond cardiometabolic outcomes, flaxseed may influence key biological processes relevant to aging, underscoring its potential to promote healthy aging and longevity. Optimal cardiometabolic benefits appear to be achieved with ground whole flaxseed at doses of ≥ 30 g/day for at least 12 weeks, particularly among individuals at high cardiometabolic risk. Future research should focus on elucidating flaxseed’s mechanisms of action, clarifying its role in disease prevention, and refining dietary recommendations to harness its potential for cardiometabolic health and aging interventions.
Learning to thrive through autonomy: a thematic analysis of the role of recalled parental autonomy in the transition to motherhood
Authors: Lee Kang Qi , Barlas Joanna , Gill Davinder
Published: January 2025

Becoming a mother requires the continual redefinition of current self-identity. This can be challenging for women who struggle being autonomous due to unfulfilled core emotional needs from early interactions with primary caregivers. Existing literature on the impact of early experiences on motherhood is largely quantitative and focuses on adverse childhood experiences and broad parenting constructs. Informed by the findings of our quantitative study (Leong et al., 2024), this secondary predominately qualitative study explored primiparous mothers’ perceptions of both adverse and positive experiences of parental autonomy, and how they draw upon those experiences in early motherhood. The sample comprised 15 first-time mothers in their first-year post-birth, aged 18–36, recruited in Singapore from a large mixed-method study which examined the impact of early experiences of being parented on postnatal mental health. Referencing specific interactions on the Positive Parenting Schema Inventory (PPSI; Louis et al., 2020a) and the Young Parenting Inventory Revised (YPI-R2; Louis et al., 2018), semi-structured interviews were conducted with the mothers on their perceptions of parental autonomy and how those experiences impacted their parenting style, sense of competence and postnatal mental health. Interview transcripts were analysed drawing upon guidelines and principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Three broad themes were generated; (i) making sense of autonomy; (ii) learning to thrive through autonomy; and (iii) striving for balance through autonomy. The findings highlight the instrumental role of parental autonomy and culture in the transition to motherhood and inform the design and implementation of postnatal mental health services, parenting programmes and future research.
Anticancer effect of the antirheumatic drug leflunomide on oral squamous cell carcinoma by the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis
Authors: Niwata Chieko , Nakagawa Takayuki , Naruse Takako , Sakuma Miyuki , Yamakado Nao , Akagi Misaki , Ono Shigehiro , Tobiume Kei , Gao Jing , Jimi Eijiro , Ohta Kouji , Aikawa Tomonao
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Leflunomide (LEF) is a conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug and suppresses T-cell proliferation and activity by inhibiting pyrimidine synthesis using dihydroorotase dehydrogenase (DHODH); however, several studies have demonstrated that LEF possesses anticancer and antiangiogenic effects in some malignant tumors. Therefore, we investigated the anticancer and antiangiogenic effects of LEF on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

To evaluate the inhibitory effect of LEF on OSCC, cell proliferation and wound-healing assays using human OSCC cell lines were performed. The DHODH inhibitory effect of LEF was evaluated by Western blot. To assess the suppression of pyrimidine biosynthesis induced by LEF on OSCC, cell proliferation assays with or without uridine supplementation were performed. The antiangiogenic effect of LEF was evaluated by in vitro tube formation assay using immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which were electroporatically transfected with hTERT. The tumor-suppressive effect of LEF in vivo was examined in both immunodeficient and syngeneic mice by implanting mouse OSCC cells. Tumor vascularization was evaluated by immunohistochemistry of the tumor extracted from syngeneic mice.

Results

LEF dose-dependently inhibited OSCC proliferation and migration. LEF significantly inhibited DHODH expression, and uridine supplementation rescued the inhibitory effect of LEF. LEF dose-dependently suppressed endothelial tube formation. In the animal study, LEF significantly suppressed tumor growth in both immunodeficient and syngeneic mice. Histologically, LEF decreased DHODH expression and tumor vascularization.

Conclusion

LEF is a potent anticancer agent with antiangiogenic effects on OSCC and might be clinically applicable to OSCC by drug repositioning.
Propensity-score matched outcomes of minimally invasive and open pelvic exenteration in locally advanced rectal cancer
Authors: Emile Sameh Hany , Horesh Nir , Garoufalia Zoe , Gefen Rachel , Dourado Justin , Salama Ebram , Wexner Steven D.
Published: January 2025

Pelvic exenteration (PE) entails an en bloc resection of locally advanced primary or recurrent rectal cancer. This study aimed to assess the short-term and survival outcomes of minimally invasive (MI)- and open PE. A retrospective cohort analysis of patients with stage III rectal adenocarcinoma treated with PE from the National Cancer Database (2010–2019) was conducted. Open and MI-PE were matched for baseline and treatment characteristics using 2:1 propensity score matching. Primary outcomes were 30- and 90-day mortality; secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission, hospital stay, surgical margins, lymph node yield, and overall survival (OS). PE was performed in 1010 (1.9%) of 52,242 patients; 705 (69.8%) were open and 304 were (30.2%) MI procedures. After matching, 169 patients in the MI-PE group were matched to 338 patients in the open PE group. The matched cohort included 507 patients (54.2% female). Hospital stay was shorter after MI compared to open PE (median: 6 vs. 8 days, p < 0.001). MI and open PE had similar odds of 30- (OR: 0.33, p = 0.306) and 90-day mortality (OR: 0.29, p = 0.113), and comparable rates of positive surgical margins (12.7% vs. 15%, p = 0.586) and suboptimal lymph node yield (19% vs. 26%, p = 0.096). MI-PE had a similar OS to open surgery (82.5 vs. 77.5 months, p = 0.281). Robotic-assisted PE was associated with significantly lower odds of conversion to open surgery (OR: 0.15, p = 0.003) and shorter hospital stay (median: 5 vs. 7 days, p = 0.026) than laparoscopic PE. MI-PE provided similar pathologic and survival outcomes to open PE with comparable short-term mortality rates and significantly shorter hospital stays.
Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Use of a Roving Mass with Rotary Inertia for Crack Detection in Beam-Like Structures
Authors: Sun X. , Ilanko S. , Mochida Y. , Tighe R. C. , Mace B. R.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Natural frequency is a global dynamic parameter that normally contains limited spatial information on a crack in a structure. However, recently a theoretical concept that a roving mass with rotary inertia causes sudden frequency shifts when located near the crack location has been proposed as a method of locating cracks, although experimental verification is still lacking. This study fills this gap in knowledge, by investigating the measurability of the frequency shift as a roving body passes a crack.

Methods

Natural frequencies were measured through impact hammer tests and compared with frequencies calculated using the dynamic stiffness method and finite element method.

Results

The results show that the natural frequency shift could be clearly measured for a beam featuring a medium sized crack. For smaller cracks, while numerical results show that the current method would still enable the identification of their locations as frequency shifts are in the measurable range, the number of locations at which the measurement needs to be taken can be very large.

Conclusions

This study provides insights into the practical feasibility of the roving mass technique for crack detection.
Global Harmonization of Biosimilar Development by Overcoming Existing Differences in Regional Regulatory Requirements - Outcomes of a Descriptive Review
Authors: Kirchlechner Thomas M. , Cohen Hillel P.
Published: January 2025

Global harmonization of biosimilar developmental requirements will facilitate development leading to increased patient and societal benefits. However, there are several technical and regulatory hurdles that must be addressed to harmonize the regulatory requirements in different countries and regions. At times, there is a requirement for use of locally sourced reference product, forcing biosimilar developers to repeat analytical or clinical comparability studies against reference product batches sourced from within a given country. While most health authorities no longer require comparative animal toxicology studies of the proposed biosimilar and reference product, these are still required in several countries, forcing biosimilar companies to conduct such studies or risk non-approval of their product. At times, different health authorities request different clinical study designs. In some jurisdictions there is a requirement to generate clinical data in local ethnic populations. Some health authorities require a hybrid label that combines clinical data from the reference biologic and the biosimilar, in the patient leaflet. Recommendations are provided to address each of these hurdles to facilitate global regulatory harmonization of biosimilars. Overcoming these barriers will ultimately increase patient access to these medicines in all regions while providing financial relief to healthcare systems.
Early Intervention in Component and Composite Skills for Arithmetic Decomposition
Authors: Patterson Ally , Moyher Robin , Pasnak Robert , Kaminski Barbara J.
Published: January 2025

As early as first grade, some children are more likely than others to perform arithmetic using inefficient or other overt counting strategies. To partially address this problem, the primary investigator developed a skill hierarchy with procedures based on applied behavior analysis. The novel early-intervention program included a combination of instructional videos and live rehearsal to teach children how to decompose and accurately solve complex addition problems using only “mental math.” Six first graders who did not use decomposition strategies at baseline participated in a single-subject, multiple-probe across participants design. Participants first learned component decomposition skills to identify ones and tens place digits, add tens place values, and retrieve simple addition facts. However, despite mastery of these skills, participants did not use the composite decomposition skill spontaneously when presented with complex addition problems. The primary investigator then provided training on how to apply the component skills to the composite skill. Following training, participants immediately used the composite skill to solve random, complex addition problems with sums up to 198. Results suggest that, through explicit instruction informed by skill hierarchies, children who do not use broadly applicable and efficient methods of solving math problems may come to match their peers in more challenging, mathematics-related activities.
“We Learn How to Stay Out of Trouble”: Children in Conflict with the Law’s Perspectives on Mentorship as a Diversion Programme in Tshwane, South Africa
Authors: Zitha Moitsadi , van Rensburg Shandré Kim Jansen
Published: January 2025

South Africa has seen a surge in child offending. Child offenders commit violent crimes such as armed robbery, housebreaking, rape and murder. Conversely, not all child offenders commit violent crimes. Many child offenders are detained for minor charges such as shoplifting, theft and possession of illegal substances. Most of these children face numerous levels of adversity, including poverty, dysfunctional households and limited parental involvement. Responses to child criminal behaviour accentuate rehabilitation through measures such as diversion. Narrative accounts of children in conflict with the law who underwent mentorship programmes, as a diversion initiative, are scarce and underrepresented. Through a qualitative inquiry, 13 children who completed the National Youth Development Outreach (NYDO) Centre’s Mentoring Diversion Programme were interviewed and data were analysed thematically. Findings provided insight into the participants’ background and context, the mentor–mentee relationship, responsibility, effectiveness of the programme, and aftercare support. This paper contributes to scientific research and is conducive to curtailing child offending.
Accentuation explains the difference between choice and rejection better than compatibility: A commentary on Chandrashekar et al. (2021)
Authors: Ganzach Yoav
Published: January 2025

In this comment, I examine the results of two studies (Shafir, 1993 and Chandrashekar et al., 2021) that relied on the same stimuli to examine the effect of framing selection tasks in terms of choosing versus rejecting, and discuss how, despite the failure of the later study to replicate the results of the earlier one, analyzing the similarities and differences between the two advances our understanding of the processes underlying decisions in general, and decision in such tasks in particular.
Turbulent kinetic energy budget in compressible turbulent mixing layers: effects of large-scale structures
Authors: Wang Xiaoning , Guo Jing , Wang Jianchun , Chen Shiyi
Published: January 2025

Direct numerical simulations of temporally developing compressible mixing layers have been performed to investigate the effects of large-scale structures (LSSs) on turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budgets at convective Mach numbers ranging from

$M_c=0.2$

to

$1.8$

and at Taylor Reynolds numbers up to 290. In the core region of mixing layers, the volume fraction of low-speed LSSs decreases linearly with respect to the vertical distance at a Mach-number-independent rate. The contributions of low-speed LSSs to TKE, and its budget, including production, dissipation, pressure-strain and spatial diffusion terms, are primarily concentrated in the upper region of mixing layer. The streamwise and vertical mass flux coupling terms mainly transport TKE downwards in low-speed LSSs, and their magnitudes are comparable to the other dominant terms. Near the edges of LSSs, the sources and losses of all three components of TKE are completely different to each other, and dominated by turbulent diffusion, pressure diffusion, pressure-strain and dissipation terms. The TKE, their total variation and dissipation are significantly amplified at edges of low-speed LSSs, especially at the upper edge. This observation supports the existence of amplitude modulation exerted by the LSSs onto the near-edge small-scale structures in mixing layers. The level of amplitude modulation is strongest for the vertical velocity, followed by the streamwise velocity, and weakest for the spanwise velocity. Additionally, the amplitude modulation effect decreases significantly with increasing convective Mach number. The results on the amplitude modulation effect is helpful for developing predictive models of budget terms of TKE in mixing layers.
Industrial Distraction
Authors: O’Connor Cailin , Freeborn David Peter Wallis
Published: January 2025

There are myriad techniques industry actors use to shape the public understanding of science. While a naive view might assume these techniques typically involve fraud or outright deception, the truth is more nuanced. This paper analyzes industrial distraction, a common technique where industry actors fund and share research that is accurate, often high quality, but nonetheless misleading on important matters of fact. This involves reshaping causal understanding of phenomena with distracting information. Using case studies and causal models, we illustrate how this impacts belief and decision making even for rational learners, informing science policy and debates about misleading content.
The Nun in the Parmenides: Not Another Exaiphnês
Authors: Pavani Anna
Published: January 2025

After some preliminary remarks about Plato’s use of the adverb nun, I explain what the nun is by offering a close textual analysis of the key passage in which it is explicitly addressed (Parm. 151e3–153b7). Its metaxu nature, between duration and limit, requires one to consider another temporal notion of the second part of the Parmenides that is metaxu, namely the exaiphnês. I explain why the nun does not conceptually overlap with the exaiphnês, arguing moreover that there is no model where both notions fit, but rather a model accounting for a switch and another one accounting for continuous change.
Hybrid wellbeing and the value of freedom
Authors: Intropi Pietro
Published: January 2025

Which implications follow for the value of freedom on a hybrid account of wellbeing that appeals to endorsement? On the basis of Olsaretti’s empirical claim that one is unlikely to endorse wellbeing when one is forced to achieve it, I show that standardly on the hybrid account there is a reason to protect people’s freedom to dysfunction, and hence that the freedoms to dysfunction are valuable. I also discuss whether freedom is non-specifically valuable on grounds of endorsement. I advance an epistemic version of freedom’s non-specific value that is especially relevant for a theory of justice that appeals to publicity.
Making Sense: Reading the Production Notes of Dark Things
Authors: KAPUR ANURADHA
Published: January 2025

This essay seeks to lay out the process that went into the making of Dark Things, which I co-directed with Deepan Sivaraman based on Ari Sitas's oratorio on the Silk Road, by repurposing the production notes of the performance, which opened in Delhi on 18 April 2018 at the Ambedkar University Delhi and later played at the International Festival of Kerala in January 2019. Both the method and the form of Dark Things, I suggest, were a collaboration. Collaboration as a method intimates collective creation, usually by means of improvisation, where authorship is distributed between theatre-makers (actors, scenographers, musicians) and materials (objects, site, landscape). Collaboration as form intimates that the performance's explicit grammar has been shaped by a sensuous give-and-take between the practitioner and the material. In this essay, I ask, from my perspective as a theatre-maker, how handling actual objects and tools obviously leaves an imprint on the performance, scenography, dramaturgy and mise en scène. In writing this article, I have retained the stylistic features of production notes – their provisionality and incompleteness; their sliding timescale; their looking forward to work that is to be done and backwards at work already done, marking failures, solutions and openings.
The Freak Onstage: Transformation of Life into Spectacle in Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes's El Gallo
Authors: SANTANA ANALOLA
Published: January 2025

Mexican theatre company Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes are world-renowned for their intensive laboratory processes leading up to unique, interdisciplinary performances that defy expected theatrical conventions. Their piece El Gallo (2009) is a poignant example of this company's capacity for innovation and social action. Here, actors are transformed into opera singers in a piece that is sung – in an entirely invented language – while inciting audiences to consider the anxieties that fuel the act of exposing one's body onstage, as fears over our own perceived differences prevent us from feeling ‘normal’ in a society that constantly judges us as we recognize the discriminatory power of social normativity.
Morbidity and Mortality of Drowning Children in Jerusalem District - Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Chavkin Maor , Ohana Sarna Cahan Lea , Shavit Itai , Brooks Rebecca , Sadeh Michal , Hashavya Saar , Gross Itai , Rekhtman David
Published: January 2025

Background:

Drowning persists as a preventable pediatric cause of severe morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate the risk factors, circumstances, and medical consequences associated with pediatric drowning incidents in order to identify patterns that can inform targeted interventions.

Methods:

This was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of pediatric drowning cases. The study encompassed children aged 0-18 years who presented to the pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) of Hadassah Medical Centers in Jerusalem from January 1, 2004 through April 30, 2023. Inclusion criteria were individuals with main registration diagnosis containing the terms “drowning” or “submersion.”

Results:

Analysis revealed 129 cases of pediatric drowning, males comprising 66% of the cohort. The average age was 4.9 years (SD = 4.5). Predominantly, drownings occurred in private (38%) or public pools (27.1%). Forty-eight percent of children required hospitalization in intensive care. Notably, children from the Arab minority were significantly younger at the time of drowning (3.8 years; P = .04) and were at elevated risk of severe neurologic outcomes necessitating rehabilitation (P = .03). Incidents occurring on weekends were associated with younger victim ages (3.5 years; P = .04) and with increased likelihood of outcomes necessitating rehabilitation (P = .04). Conversely, children from families with four or more siblings were notably older at the time of drowning (5.3 years; P = .01). No other statistically significant differences were observed among demographic groups.

Conclusions:

Strategies aimed at promoting child health and preventing drowning must surmount feasibility barriers. Intervention efforts should be tailored to populations at heightened risk, including younger children, minority groups, and incidents occurring during weekends.
A four-dimensional dosimeter and quality assurance phantom to quantify respiratory motion effects on the dose delivery for adaptive radiation therapy
Authors: Meyers Taylor , Alsbou Nesreen , Ahmad Salahuddin , Ali Imad
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

A 4D-dosimeter and quality assurance phantom prototype was developed to quantify the effects of respiratory motion.

Methods:

The dose distributions were measured using two-dimensional detectors that were mounted on a mobile platform capable of sinusoidal motion in one direction with different patterns using adjustable motion amplitude and frequency. The dose distributions were obtained from various treatment plans including conformal and intensity-modulated beams for both photon and proton therapy. Dose delivery and measurement were conducted using this 4D-dosimeter with the mobile phantom for different motion amplitudes (0–35 mm) and frequencies (0.25–0.33 Hz).

Results:

The increase in motion amplitude increased the blurring of the dose distributions at the beam edges along the direction of motion and led to large dose discrepancies. This produced larger dose deficits inside the treatment planning volume (PTV) and increasing dose deposition in the surrounding normal tissue with increasing motion amplitudes. For both the IMRT and VMAT-treatment plans, the dose profile for each increased amplitude increment showed a reproducible flattening of the penumbra at the beam edge, all changing around the 40–60% isodose line.

Conclusion:

The 4D-dosimeter developed in this work provides a noble clinical tool to quantify the deviations in the dose distributions induced by respiratory motion.
Timing based clustering of childhood BMI trajectories reveals differential maturational patterns; Study in the Northern Finland Birth Cohorts 1966 and 1986
Authors: Heiskala Anni , Tucker J. Derek , Choudhary Priyanka , Nedelec Rozenn , Ronkainen Justiina , Sarala Olli , Järvelin Marjo-Riitta , Sillanpää Mikko J. , Sebert Sylvain
Published: January 2025

Background/Objectives

Children’s biological age does not always correspond to their chronological age. In the case of BMI trajectories, this can appear as phase variation, which can be seen as shift, stretch, or shrinking between trajectories. With maturation thought of as a process moving towards the final state - adult BMI, we assessed whether children can be divided into latent groups reflecting similar maturational age of BMI. The groups were characterised by early factors and time-related features of the trajectories.

Subjects/Methods

We used data from two general population birth cohort studies, Northern Finland Birth Cohorts 1966 and 1986 (NFBC1966 and NFBC1986). Height (n = 6329) and weight (n = 6568) measurements were interpolated in 34 shared time points using B-splines, and BMI values were calculated between 3 months to 16 years. Pairwise phase distances of 2999 females and 3163 males were used as a similarity measure in k-medoids clustering.

Results

We identified three clusters of trajectories in females and males (Type 1: females, n = 1566, males, n = 1669; Type 2: females, n = 1028, males, n = 973; Type 3: females, n = 405, males, n = 521). Similar distinct timing patterns were identified in males and females. The clusters did not differ by sex, or early growth determinants studied.

Conclusions:

Trajectory cluster Type 1 reflected to the shape of what is typically illustrated as the childhood BMI trajectory in literature. However, the other two have not been identified previously. Type 2 pattern was more common in the NFBC1966 suggesting a generational shift in BMI maturational patterns.
Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event
Authors: Rodiouchkina Katerina , Goderis Steven , Senel Cem Berk , Kaskes Pim , Karatekin Özgür , Böttcher Michael Ernst , Rodushkin Ilia , Vellekoop Johan , Claeys Philippe , Vanhaecke Frank
Published: January 2025

The Chicxulub asteroid impact event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ~66 Myr ago is widely considered responsible for the mass extinction event leading to the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. Short-term cooling due to massive release of climate-active agents is hypothesized to have been crucial, with S-bearing gases originating from the target rock vaporization considered an important driving force. Yet, the magnitude of the S release remains poorly constrained. Here we empirically estimate the amount of impact-released S relying on the concentration of S and its isotopic composition within the impact structure and a set of terrestrial K-Pg boundary ejecta sites. The average value of 67 ± 39 Gt obtained is ~5-fold lower than previous numerical estimates. The lower mass of S-released may indicate a less prominent role for S emission leading to a milder impact winter with key implications for species survival during the first years following the impact.
Gypsum heterogenous nucleation pathways regulated by surface functional groups and hydrophobicity
Authors: Guan Yan-Fang , Hong Xiang-Yu , Karanikola Vasiliki , Wang Zhangxin , Pan Weiyi , Wu Heng-An , Wang Feng-Chao , Yu Han-Qing , Elimelech Menachem
Published: January 2025

Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) plays a critical role in numerous natural and industrial processes. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms governing the formation of gypsum crystals on surfaces with diverse chemical properties remain poorly understood due to a lack of sufficient temporal-spatial resolution. Herein, we use in situ microscopy to investigate the real-time gypsum nucleation on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with −CH3, −hybrid (a combination of NH2 and COOH), −COOH, −SO3, −NH3, and −OH functional groups. We report that the rate of gypsum formation is regulated by the surface functional groups and hydrophobicity, in the order of −CH3 > −hybrid > −COOH > −SO3 ≈ − NH3 > − OH. Results based on classical nucleation theory and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that nucleation pathways for hydrophilic surfaces involve surface-induced nucleation, with ion adsorption sites (i.e., functional groups) serving as anchors to facilitate the growth of vertically oriented clusters. Conversely, hydrophobic surfaces involve bulk nucleation with ions near the surface that coalesce into larger horizontal clusters. These findings provide new insights into the spatial and temporal characteristics of gypsum formation on various surfaces and highlight the significance of surface functional groups and hydrophobicity in governing gypsum formation mechanisms, while also acknowledging the possibility of alternative nucleation pathways due to the limitations of experimental techniques.