bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interconnected Stressors and Well-being in Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Lin Liangquan , Zhang Xinqing , Wang Peng
Published: January 2025

Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in healthcare systems, but their demanding work significantly impacts their mental and physical health, affecting patient care. This study investigates the interplay of work environment, doctor-patient relationships, media influence, and self-reported health among healthcare professionals. This study employed a stratified sampling approach to survey 8386 healthcare professionals from 40 hospitals across 8 provinces in China. Gaussian Graphical Modeling was used to analyze factors impacting well-being, including physical and mental health, work environment, doctor-patient relationship, and media influence. Network visualization identified key nodes, and the accuracy and stability of the network were assessed. The work environment emerged as a critical bridging factor in the interconnected network. Strong correlations were observed within the work environment cluster, covering aspects related to career, financial, and working conditions. Mental health issues like anxiety and depression also demonstrated moderate co-occurrence. Centrality analysis further identified key nodes associated with job satisfaction, physical fatigue, and mental health symptoms. Work environment plays a central factor interconnecting healthcare professionals' mental health, physical health, doctor-patient relationships, and media influence. Key insights include strong correlations within the work environment cluster, co-occurrence of mental health issues, and the close relationship between physical and psychological well-being. Addressing workplace stressors, fostering positive doctor-patient relationships, and mitigating negative media portrayals can contribute to a healthier environment for healthcare professionals. Comprehensive programs addressing both mental and physical health needs, including mental health screenings, stress management techniques, and promoting physical activity, are crucial.
The Role of Cultural Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence in the Internationalization of SMEs: Does Global Mindset Matter?
Authors: Mammadov Avaz , Wald Andreas
Published: January 2025

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly face the imperative of internationalization to remain competitive. Owner-managers of SMEs, who predominantly act as decision-makers, encounter multifaceted challenges in navigating cross-cultural complexities. These challenges can pose significant obstacles to successful expansion into international markets, and prior research has often overlooked the role of owner-managers in SME internationalization models. This study investigates how specific managerial competencies, namely cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ), influence the degree of internationalization (DOI) of SMEs. Additionally, it examines the mediating role of owner-managers’ global mindset (GM) in this relationship. Based on upper echelons theory, which posits that top managers’ characteristics shape organizational outcomes, the study reveals how these individual-level competencies impact SME internationalization efforts. Data were collected from 399 SME owner-managers in Norway and Azerbaijan, utilizing structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships. Results indicate that higher levels of CQ and EQ among owner-managers positively influence the DOI of SMEs, with GM partially mediating these relationships. This study enhances the body of knowledge on CQ, EQ, and SME internationalization by introducing a comprehensive DOI measurement approach that considers both the proportion and geographic dispersion of foreign sales. Furthermore, this research addresses a significant gap by incorporating GM into the explanation of the SME internationalization process. Finally, it extends theoretical understanding by exploring the often-overlooked application of upper echelons theory to the context of SME internationalization, highlighting the crucial role of specific managerial competencies as drivers of internationalization.
Inflammatory Heart Disease in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
Authors: La Vecchia Giulia , Del Buono Marco Giuseppe , Bonaventura Aldo , Vecchiè Alessandra , Moroni Francesco , Sanna Tommaso , Abbate Antonio
Published: January 2025

Purposeof the Review

In this review article, we aim to provide an overview of the pathophysiology, the clinical features, the therapeutic management and prognosis of patients affected by Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS) with cardiac involvement, focusing on myocarditis and pericarditis.

Recent Findings

MIS is a multiorgan hyperinflammatory condition due to a cytokine storm following (within 4–12 weeks) SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection. First described in children, it also affects young adults without comorbidities, predominantly males with highly heterogeneous clinical manifestations, including cardiac involvement.

Pericardial and myocardial involvement are prevalent among patients affected by MIS leading to different clinical manifestations including myocarditis with arrhythmias, acute heart failure and cardiogenic shock that significantly affect the patient's prognosis. The heterogeneity of its clinical features and the significant overlap with other hyperinflammatory diseases make the diagnosis particularly challenging. Moreover, the evidence on the efficacy of pharmacological treatments targeting the hyperinflammatory response is scarce, as well as data on long-term prognosis.
Sexuelle Gewalt in der Hochschullehre
Authors: Wittfeld Meike
Published: January 2025

Sexuelle Gewalt ist für die Hochschullehre ein herausforderndes Thema, weil es in mehrerlei Hinsicht emotional belastend ist. Gerade in Seminaren sind die Erfahrungen der Studierenden sehr heterogen. Aufgabe von Dozierenden ist es, einen sicheren Raum zu schaffen, in dem Wissen über das Thema vermittelt werden kann, ohne besonders vulnerable Personen zu beschädigen.
A microcontextual investigation of Later Stone Age ash deposits and associated interment of human remains at Faraoskop Rock Shelter, South Africa
Authors: Stahlschmidt Mareike C , Power Robert C , Heinrich Susann , Poggenpoel Cedric , Parkington John
Published: January 2025

The Later Stone Age site Faraoskop Rock Shelter yielded the human remains of twelve individuals in an ash-rich sedimentary sequence that also preserved anthropogenic bedding features. This geoarchaeological study is concerned with the sedimentary context of the human remains, the reconstruction of the human activities that formed the ash deposits as well as the bedding features and the paleoenvironmental conditions during site occupation. To investigate these topics, we employed micromorphological analyses on the deposits coupled with micro-Fourier-Transform-Infrared spectroscopy and phytolith analysis. This approach enabled us to reconstruct site use patterns as well as paleoenvironmental conditions. Our analysis shows a break in site occupation between the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits at the site and before and after the interment of the 12 individuals. The Holocene ash deposits pre-dating the interments result from continuous use of hearths at a central location of the shelter with an increase in fire intensity over time. Site occupants also repeatedly used plant bedding features as living surfaces around the fires and phytolith analysis revealed the particular use of eudicots for some of these bedding features. The occupation of the site took place during grassland regimes with a shift to a shrubbier environmental context during the Holocene. Unfortunately, the direct interment context of the human remains was not available for this study and it remains open what cultural practises may have been preserved in the burial sediments.
Eurasian Beaver (Castor Fiber) Reintroduction: A Nutrient Mitigation Solution for Lowland Chalk Streams?
Authors: Cooper Richard James , Cabrales Samuel , Freeman Eleanor , Holroyd Erin , Wyatt Joe , Tosney Jonah
Published: January 2025

Globally scarce and ecologically valuable, the lowland chalk streams of southern and eastern England experience extensive eutrophication pressures arising from intensive agriculture. Mitigation measures are required to restore natural chalk stream functioning and the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) could provide a solution. Here, we investigated the impact upon chalk stream hydrochemistry of the reintroduction of beavers to a 6-ha enclosure on the headwaters of the River Glaven, Norfolk. Over a two-year period (March 2022 – May 2024), 190 river water samples were collected across control and impact sites displaying minor-to-major hydrological disturbance from beaver activity, with samples analysed for nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Results revealed significant reductions in nutrient concentrations downstream of the beaver enclosure (NO3 = -43%; PO4 = -51%), as well as significantly lower concentrations relative to the agricultural control site (NO3 = -64%; PO4 = -86%). Conversely, DOC concentrations were significantly higher downstream of the enclosure (+ 94%) and compared to the control (+ 272%). Greater reductions in nitrate and phosphate during the summer (NO3 = -47%; PO4 = -61%) compared to winter (NO3 = -37%; PO4 = -38%) indicated biological assimilation within the beaver wetland as a likely causal mechanism, whilst lower dissolved oxygen concentrations within the beaver ponds indicated a role for denitrification in nitrate removal. Overall, these results demonstrate that beaver wetlands can significantly mitigate eutrophication risk in agriculturally impacted chalk streams and provides further evidence in support of their wider reintroduction to English catchments.
Quantitative failure analysis for IoT systems: an integrated model-based framework
Authors: Abdulhamid Alhassan , Kabir Sohag , Ghafir Ibrahim , Lei Ci
Published: January 2025

The widespread adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) systems emphasises the need for dependable performance. However, challenges emerge due to the inadequacy of informal failure analysis models in evaluating the complex and distributed nature of IoT designs. These challenges can lead to inconsistencies, complicated system modifications, and extended development timelines. This paper presents a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach to create an integrated quantitative analysis framework for assessing the reliability of IoT systems. This approach simplifies the modelling and analysis of failure behaviours in IoT design, linking failure models to system design using standard engineering frameworks. Based on descriptions of IoT systems, the integrated approach establishes a traceability link between the system description and the analysable artefacts generated, such as stochastic Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Bayesian network (BN) models, which are essential for effective failure analysis of IoT systems. The approach demonstrates how to quantify system-level failures, identify and prioritise the weakest links in the design, and show how targeted modifications can improve the overall reliability of IoT systems. An illustrative case study on IoT is included to highlight the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed framework.
Exploring the protective role of metformin and dehydrozingerone in sodium fluoride-induced neurotoxicity: evidence from prenatal rat models
Authors: Ahuja Tejas , Begum Farmiza , Kumar Gautam , Shenoy Smita , Kumar Nitesh , Shenoy Rekha R.
Published: January 2025

This study is aimed at evaluating the neurotoxic effects of chronic exposure of sodium fluoride (NaF) in developmental stages in rat using prenatal models. NaF (100 ppm, orally) dosing via drinking water was given to pregnant rats in disease group. In the treatment groups, Metformin & Dehydrozingerone (DHZ) (200 mg/kg) were administered orally along with NaF, and the dosing was continued throughout the gestation and lactation periods to the pups until the end of experiment. Behavioural studies like Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT), Open Field & Actophotometer test and biochemical estimations like Acetylcholinesterase (AchE), Glutathione (GSH), Malondialdehyde (MDA) were conducted on animals followed by histopathological image analysis. It was observed that NaF exposure significantly decreased learning, memory and locomotor ability (at p < 0.05, p ≤ 0.01) in rat pups and was also able to induce anxiety like behavior. Levels of AchE (p ≤ 0.001) and MDA (p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.001) was found to be significantly elevated and GSH levels were significantly decreased (p ≤ 0.01, p ≤ 0.001) in hippocampus and frontal cortex in the disease group. Histopathological image analysis showed presence of degenerated neurons in hippocampus of disease group. From this study, it was observed that treatment with Metformin and DHZ, was able to significantly ameliorate the cognitive impairments, improve the condition of oxidative stress and decrease neuronal degeneration in NaF fed rat pups. These results established the protective role of Metformin and DHZ in NaF induced neurodevelopmental toxicity with particular emphasis on their antioxidant properties.
Identification of novel CDH23 heterozygous variants causing autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss
Authors: Liao Baoqiong , Xie Wuming , Liu Rutian , Zhang Qi , Xie Ting , Jia Dan , He Shuwen , Huang Hailong
Published: January 2025

Background

Hearing loss adversely impacts language development, acquisition, and the social and cognitive maturation of affected children. The hearing loss etiology mainly includes genetic factors and environmental factors, of which the former account for about 50–60%.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the genetic basis of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) by identifying and characterizing novel variants in the CDH23 gene. Furthermore, it seeks to determine the pathogenic potential of the noncanonical splice site variant c.2398-6G > A.

Methods

Comprehensive clinical evaluation and whole-exome sequencing (WES) were performed on the girl. The WES analysis revealed two novel variants in the CDH23 gene, associated with nonsyndromic deafness 12 (DFNB12). To further explore the pathogenicity of these variants, functional studies involving in vivo splicing analysis were performed on the novel noncanonical splice site variant, c.2398-6G > A, which was initially classified as a variant of uncertain significance (VUS).

Results

Whole-exome sequencing of the patient identified two compound heterozygous variants in CDH23: c.2398-6G > A, a noncanonical splice site variant, and c.6068C > A (p. Ser2023Ter), a nonsense mutation. In vitro splicing assays demonstrated that c.2398-6G > A caused aberrant splicing, leading to a frameshift (p. Val800Alafs*6) and the production of a truncated protein, as confirmed by structural protein analysis. The study revealed novel mutations as likely pathogenic, linking both variants to autosomal recessive NSHL.

Conclusions

Our analyses revealed novel compound heterozygous mutations in CDH23 associated with autosomal recessive NSHL, thereby expanding the mutational landscape of CDH23-related hearing loss and increasing knowledge about the CDH23 splice site variants.
Trust, Explainability and AI
Authors: Baron Sam
Published: January 2025

There has been a surge of interest in explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). It is commonly claimed that explainability is necessary for trust in AI, and that this is why we need it. In this paper, I argue that for some notions of trust it is plausible that explainability is indeed a necessary condition. But that these kinds of trust are not appropriate for AI. For notions of trust that are appropriate for AI, explainability is not a necessary condition. I thus conclude that explainability is not necessary for trust in AI that matters.
Anthropometric Measurements and Laboratory Methods for Pregnancy: An Update Review to Evaluation of Body Composition
Authors: Açar Yasemin , Köksal Eda
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

The aim of this review is to summarize and put into context the current evidence on anthropometric measurements and laboratory methods used in the evaluation of body composition in pregnancy, in the light of current studies.

Recent Findings

Protecting women's health during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period is important for maternal health. Pregnancy is a critical period during which the female body undergoes significant changes to support fetal growth and development. Maternal changes in body composition are associated with fatal development and maternal health during pregnancy. Anthropometry is a simple, reliable, and low-cost method that can be applied globally in primary care for evaluating maternal nutritional status. Maternal anthropometry is important in predicting various complications that may occur during pregnancy, such as intrauterine growth retardation and the risk of low birth weight. In this context, anthropometric measurements such as body weight, skinfold thickness, and middle upper arm circumference, and laboratory methods such as body water, body density, bioelectrical impedance analysis, ultrasound, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging are frequently used in estimating the body composition of pregnant women. In addition to body weight gain monitoring, it is possible to determine the body composition of a pregnant woman by using different anthropometric measurements and the proposed equations.

Accurate evaluation of anthropometric measurements and body composition in pregnant women is important in protecting the health of the mother and baby and in the early diagnosis of complications that may occur during pregnancy.
Adaptive Gaussian Mixture Filtering for Multi-sensor Maneuvering Cislunar Space Object Tracking
Authors: Iannamorelli John L. , LeGrand Keith A.
Published: January 2025

Successful space domain awareness (SDA) requires maintaining track custody of cooperative and noncooperative cislunar space objects (CSOs) through both ballistic and maneuvering trajectories. The surveillance of CSOs is particularly challenging due to the underlying chaotic multi-body dynamics, which makes uncertainty propagation more difficult when compared to Keplerian orbits. While methods exist for tracking cooperative spacecraft using high accuracy range measurements, the problem of passive noncooperative maneuvering CSO tracking has received considerably less attention. In this paper, CSO motion is modeled as a jump Markov system (JMS), where the CSO modality is unknown and subject to random switching. A novel adaptive Bayesian filter is proposed and shown to successfully maintain CSO track custody through both ballistic and maneuvering phases of an Artemis I-like trajectory.
Enhancing Coping Self-efficacy and Well-being: A Multi-context Study of an Emotion Regulation Program for Preservice Teachers
Authors: Wang Hui , Böke Bilun Naz , Chan Wing Yan , Heath Nancy
Published: January 2025

Globally, pre-service and early career teachers report high levels of stress and emotion regulation difficulties, leading to high rates of burnout and attrition in the first five years of the profession. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development and evaluation of programming to support pre-service teachers’ emotion regulation and stress management and examine the relevance of the program across cultural contexts. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a program for preservice teachers’ emotion regulation and stress management in Montreal-Canada and Hong Kong-China. Participants were 378 preservice teachers, with 158 from Hong Kong (81.6% women; program group: n = 70) and 220 from Canada (85.9% women; program group: n = 157). Data were collected at three points: before the program, immediately after the program, and two to four weeks after the program. The findings from the latent growth models suggested that both Canadian and Hong Kong program groups displayed significant improvements in coping self-efficacy after participating in the program whereas no changes were detected for well-being. Moreover, the Canadian sample demonstrated significantly higher baseline coping self-efficacy compared to the Hong Kong Chinese sample. Gender and age, considered as covariates in the study, did not yield any significant findings. The study provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of emotion regulation programming for preservice teachers’ coping abilities and emphasizes that such benefits can be comparable across contexts.
On maximal almost balanced non-overlapping codes and non-overlapping codes with restricted run-lengths
Authors: Stanovnik Lidija , Moškon Miha , Mraz Miha
Published: January 2025

This paper concerns non-overlapping codes, block codes motivated by synchronisation and DNA-based storage applications. Most existing constructions of these codes do not account for the restrictions posed by the physical properties of communication channels. If undesired sequences are not avoided, the system using the encoding may start behaving incorrectly. Hence, we aim to characterise all non-overlapping codes satisfying two additional constraints. For the first constraint, where approximately half of the letters in each word are positive, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the code’s non-expandability and improve known bounds on its maximum size. We also determine exact values for the maximum sizes of polarity-balanced non-overlapping codes having small block and alphabet sizes. For the other constraint, where long sequences of consecutive equal symbols lead to undesired behaviour, we derive bounds and constructions of constrained non-overlapping codes. Moreover, we provide constructions of non-overlapping codes that satisfy both constraints and analyse the sizes of the obtained codes.
Pedestrian safety and efficiency at emerging alternative intersection designs with three-phase traffic signals
Authors: Luo Zhiliang , Molan Amirarsalan Mehrara , Hummer Joseph E. , Osafo-Gyamfi Stephen , Pande Anurag
Published: January 2025

Pedestrian performance of many existing intersections is poor mainly due to the minimum considerations afforded in old designs. Innovative (alternative) intersection designs may achieve better performance through a reduction in vehicle-pedestrian conflicts, cycle lengths, and pedestrian crossing distances. The focus of this manuscript is on pedestrian performance at five types of innovative intersection designs with three critical signal phases. These intersections include partial continuous flow (CFI), thru-cut, partial median U-turn (MUT), reversed reduced conflict intersection (reverse RCI) and a combination of continuous flow intersections (at one crossover) and a median U-turn (at another crossover). As four of these intersection designs (all alternatives listed except the partial CFI) are relatively new, there are currently no publications available regarding their pedestrian performance, to the best knowledge of the authors. The evaluation was done through a wide range of simulation scenarios in PTV VISSIM and through the application of NCHRP Report 948’s 20-flag method. We found that the service provided by three-phase designs may be better than a conventional design with a four-phase traffic signal. We expect that the findings of our analyses will motivate departments of transportation to test their own three-phase solutions in an attempt to improve a restricted spot.
Red cell microparticles produced using high-pressure extrusion enhance both primary and secondary hemostasis
Authors: Sama Snigdha , Cho Sunjoo , Rehni Ashish K. , Jy Wenche , Dave Kunjan R.
Published: January 2025

Background

Current therapies to treat excessive bleeding are associated with significant complications, which may outweigh their benefits. Red blood cell-derived microparticles (RMPs) are a promising hemostatic agent. Previous studies demonstrated that they reduce bleeding in animal models, correct coagulation defects in patient blood, and have an excellent safety profile. However, their exact mechanism of action is not known. We investigated the potential role of RMPs on primary and secondary hemostasis.

Methods

To evaluate the effects of RMPs, prepared using high-pressure extrusion, on primary hemostasis, we employed platelet aggregometry with platelet inhibitors, eptifibatide, and ticagrelor, with and without RMPs. To evaluate their effects on secondary hemostasis, we employed thromboelastography with plasma deficient in factors VII, VIII, IX, XI, and XII with and without RMPs.

Results

We found that RMPs significantly increased collagen-induced platelet aggregation. However, there were no significant differences with and without RMP in the presence of the platelet inhibitors, indicating that RMPs may work through these receptors, either directly or indirectly. For secondary hemostasis, RMPs significantly decreased clotting times for plasma deficient in factors VII, VIII, IX, and XI but not in XII.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that RMPs enhance primary hemostasis and both pathways of secondary hemostasis.
Hans Georg Feichtinger: from abstract to numerical harmonic analysis
Authors: Gröchenig Karlheinz
Published: January 2025

This article pays homage to the life and work of Hans Georg Feichtinger. It focusses on his major mathematical achievements and important professional aspects.
Modeling hydraulic jump roller length on rough beds: a comparative study of ANN and GEP models
Authors: Elshaarawy Mohamed Kamel , Hamed Abdelrahman Kamal
Published: January 2025

Hydraulic jumps (HJs) play a vital role in energy dissipation in hydraulic systems and are critical for the effective design of water management structures. This study employed Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Gene Expression Programming (GEP) models to predict the roller length ratio (L*) of HJs over rough beds. The analysis utilized a dataset of 367 experimental observations with a 70–30 training and testing split. Comprehensive data descriptions were conducted, ensuring a detailed understanding of the inputs, including the upstream Froude number (F*), the ratio of initial to sequent HJ depth (H* = h2/h1), and the ratio of channel bed roughness to initial HJ depth (K* = ks/h1). Descriptive statistics revealed moderate variability and mostly symmetric distributions, making the dataset suitable for predictive modeling. A sensitivity analysis was conducted and confirmed that the depth ratio (H*) had the highest influence on L*, followed by F* and K*. The ANN model achieved a training R2 of 0.937 and a testing R2 of 0.935, with RMSEs of 1.737 and 1.719, respectively. The GEP model demonstrated a training R2 of 0.941 and a testing R2 of 0.930, with RMSEs of 1.682 and 1.780. Both models displayed reliable predictive capabilities, with minimal bias and consistent performance in unseen data, supported by comprehensive error distribution analysis and uncertainty evaluations. Moreover, the models demonstrated a high level of agreement with prior research results, highlighting the importance of thorough data characterization and model validation. Thus, ANN and GEP models have been recognized as effective techniques for predicting hydraulic jump length.

Graphical Abstract
Effect of process parameters on the corrosion characteristics of friction stir welded aluminum alloy AA2014-T6
Authors: Ashok S.K. , Shanmugam D. , Ponni Alias Sathya S. , Jayaraj M.
Published: January 2025

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a method of solid-state welding used to connect difficult-to-weld materials, such as aluminium alloy and magnesium alloy that cannot be joined using conventional welding techniques. This paper investigates the impact of FSW parameters on the corrosion characteristics of friction stir-welded AA2014-T6 aluminium alloy. Experiments were conducted in accordance with the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array by varying tool rotation speed, weld speed, and axial force across three levels. The FSW joints of the aluminium alloy AA2014-T6 were subjected to corrosion test using the electro-chemical workstation CHI660C. The Tafel plots and the corrosion rates were obtained from the corrosion tests. It was observed from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results of the corrosion rates, that the tool rotation speed is the most persuading factor in controlling the corrosion rate. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the corroded samples were analysed for the presence of pitting spots and its density.
Divorce Petitions by Trafficked Women Denied: Legal Consciousness, Circuit of Commerce and the State
Authors: Xu Xiangning
Published: January 2025

This paper explores the reasons that divorce petitions by trafficked women in China were denied in courts in the wake of the chained woman incident. The author collected and examined divorce verdicts involving trafficked women from China Judgements Online. Among 100 unique cases, 87 were denied in their first attempts. Most of these cases were treated in the same way as regular divorce cases, with trafficking allegations either blatantly ignored or dismissed as irrelevant. The author argues that the systematic denials and ignoring of trafficking allegations is enabled by a hegemonic legal consciousness within the Circuit of Trafficking that includes not only parties directly engaged in trafficking activities, but also state actors such as the judges and legislators who prioritise “family” preservation and social stability over the rights and well-being of trafficked women. Without addressing and changing this hegemonic legal consciousness, any reform, if it should take place, would be rendered futile in practice.
Exploring Differences in Stroke Treatment Between Urban and Rural Hospitals: A Thematic Analysis of Practices in Canada
Authors: Forward Adam , Sahli Aymane , Evans Richard , Kamal Noreen
Published: January 2025

Background:

Treatment of acute ischemic stroke is highly time dependent, which relies heavily on each hospital’s ability and capacity. Designated stroke centers have been established across Canada, but there is still a divide between urban and rural hospitals. This study aims to understand the similarities and differences in their stroke treatment process workflow, incorporation of best practices and data collection.

Methods:

Interviews were conducted with clinicians in stroke centers across Canada to identify similarities and differences between provinces and hospital treatment capability. Semi-structured interviews were completed from September 15 to November 3, 2023, with clinicians and stroke coordinators using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

Fourteen participants were interviewed with representatives from four primary stroke centers and three comprehensive stroke centers across five provinces. Five primary themes were identified: 1) management of resources, 2) standardization of tasks, 3) data collection, 4) tool integration into workflow and 5) teamwork and experience. Participants in primary centers described limited resources to follow the patient through the entire treatment process, reliance on pre-notification times to prospectively search necessary patient information, using software to aid in calculating National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and being more cautious toward treating thrombolytics. Both center types discussed challenges with complete and accurate data collection.

Conclusions:

The overall stroke treatment process and information required across primary and comprehensive centers are similar. However, differences occur in the process due to limitations in resources, pre-arrival notification time, completeness and accuracy of data collected and comfort in treating with thrombolytics.
An environment-adaptive SAC-based HVAC control of single-zone residential and office buildings
Authors: Wang Xinlin , Mahdavi Nariman , Sethuvenkatraman Subbu , West Sam
Published: January 2025

This study introduces an advanced reinforcement learning (RL)-based control strategy for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, employing a soft actor-critic agent with a customized reward mechanism. This strategy integrates time-varying outdoor temperature-dependent weighting factors to dynamically balance thermal comfort and energy efficiency. Our methodology has undergone rigorous evaluation across two distinct test cases within the building optimization testing (BOPTEST) framework, an open-source virtual simulator equipped with standardized key performance indicators (KPIs) for performance assessment. Each test case is strategically selected to represent distinct building typologies, climatic conditions, and HVAC system complexities, ensuring a thorough evaluation of our method across diverse settings. The first test case is a heating-focused scenario in a residential setting. Here, we directly compare our method against four advanced control strategies: an optimized rule-based controller inherently provided by BOPTEST, two sophisticated RL-based strategies leveraging BOPTEST’s KPIs as reward references, and a model predictive control (MPC)-based approach specifically tailored for the test case. Our results indicate that our approach outperforms the rule-based and other RL-based strategies and achieves outcomes comparable to the MPC-based controller. The second scenario, a cooling-dominated environment in an office setting, further validates the versatility of our strategy under varying conditions. The consistent performance of our strategy across both scenarios underscores its potential as a robust tool for smart building management, adaptable to both residential and office environments under different climatic challenges.
Public Humanities, Then and Now
Authors: Mullen Mary L.
Published: January 2025

This essay considers how the nineteenth-century idea of the university as a refuge, constructed by thinkers like John Henry Newman, continues to shape contemporary universities and the field of public humanities. This vision of the university has lasting appeal for obvious reasons. In a culture predicated on speed, slowness is a political act. In a culture of hot takes, cold reasoning often provides necessary context, a wider view. And yet, as W. E. B. Du Bois warns, the “tenacious legend” of the Victorian university is dangerous because it separates the university from mass culture. Building on Du Bois’s thinking, the essay concludes that instead of seeking protection, enclosure, or recognition within university institutions, public humanities practitioners should seek refuge in the relationships of mutual responsibility they foster.
Foraging abilities and competitive interactions between two egg parasitoids of bagrada bug in California
Authors: Hougardy Evelyne , Rogers D. Valle , Hogg Brian N.
Published: January 2025

Bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive pest of cole crops in the United States. Because it also feeds on widespread weeds and persists in natural habitats surrounding crop fields, conventional control strategies are often ineffective at providing long-term control. One egg parasitoid, Gryon aetherium Talamas (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), is a promising biological control candidate because of its ability to parasitise B. hilaris buried eggs. Recently, adventive populations of G. aetherium were recovered from sentinel eggs in California along with a native egg parasitoid, Ooencyrtus californicus Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). A better understanding of these parasitoid species’ spatial preference for foraging and their possible competitive interactions will help evaluate their host suppression potential. We compared the foraging abilities of these two parasitoid species for eggs deposited below and above ground. We also investigated the effect of interspecific competition on host suppression and the ability of O. californicus to parasitise eggs previously parasitised by G. aetherium. G. aetherium parasitised naturally and manually buried eggs, whereas O. californicus did not. In another experiment, O. californicus parasitised eggs glued to cards, but not in the presence of sand. Results suggest that G. aetherium may be negatively affected by the presence of O. californicus, and there was a slight but significant reduction in total host mortality when the parasitoids were present together. However, the inability of O. californicus to forage in soil likely limits negative interactions between these two species, and the two parasitoids may ultimately complement each other.
Géographie politique de l'opinion publique québécoise et réévaluation du « mystère » de Québec
Authors: Gareau-Paquette Thomas , Daoust Jean-François
Published: January 2025

Une littérature importante en politique canadienne porte sur le(s) régionalisme(s) à l’échelle du pays, mais les dynamiques régionales intraprovinciales demeurent sous-étudiées. Dans cet article, nous analysons la géographie politique de l'opinion publique au Québec, où l'accent a été mis sur le « mystère de Québec », selon lequel la région de Québec se distingue du reste de la province, par exemple, en affichant des tendances conservatrices plus marquées. Nous produisons l'analyse la plus détaillée à ce jour des variations régionales des attitudes politiques au Québec, en comparant l'électorat de treize régions. Nos résultats mettent en évidence des variations régionales importantes tout en précisant et nuançant notre compréhension du « mystère de Québec ». Par exemple, la région est plus conservatrice sur la dimension économique et moins favorable à l'indépendance du Québec, mais pas plus conservatrice sur les attitudes culturelles. Nous concluons en offrant une perspective renouvelée sur les études régionales, suggérant l'existence d'autres « mystères » régionaux au moins aussi importants.
Palaeopteridium andrenelii sp. nov., a new noeggerathialean species from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Portugal with new insights on the Noeggerathiales
Authors: Correia Pedro , Góis-Marques Carlos A.
Published: January 2025

Noeggerathiales were until recently a group of plants with uncertain systematic position that existed in the Carboniferous and Permian times. Recent discoveries classify them as heterosporous progymnosperms. Despite the discovery of additional specimens, the group still remains highly artificial because their reproductive organs are rarely preserved in organic connection. Within the Carboniferous of Iberian Massif, the noeggerathialeans are poorly represented. Here, we describe Palaeopteridium andrenelii sp. nov. from the uppermost Carboniferous of Portugal. This is the second representative of Noeggerathiales reported in the Portuguese Carboniferous after Carlos Teixeira have described the noeggerathialean Rhacopteris gomesiana in the 1940s from Douro Carboniferous Basin (Stephanian C/lower Gzhelian, Upper Pennsylvanian). Palaeopteridium andrenelii was found in upper Asturian (upper Moscovian, Middle Pennsylvanian) strata from the classical Westphalian outcrops of Ervedosa, located in the region of Alto da Serra (Fânzeres), Gondomar, in northwestern Portugal. Two reproductive structures are associated with the frond of the new fossil species. Although not organically linked, both structures could belong to parent plant (frond) and represent possible detached macrosporangia. This reenforces the Palaeopteridium as a noeggerathialean and the first reproductive structures found for this genus.
The Invention of Gay Community in San Francisco, 1960–1970
Authors: Reithmayr Mori
Published: January 2025

Though historians have often traced the evolution of LGBT ‘communities’ in the United States, they have left the genealogy of queer ideas of ‘community’ underexamined. This article begins to address this lacuna by charting the bifurcated early history of these ideas in the nation’s ‘gay capital’, San Francisco. It identifies homophile activist José Sarria’s 1961 campaign for San Francisco city supervisor as the event that introduced the notion of a ‘gay community’ to lasting effect into local homophile organizing. Sarria’s camp mobilized the idea as a resistance tool for the fight against state repression. In the following years, the concept established itself across local homophile activism. Simultaneously with the rise of ‘gay community’, some homophile leaders also developed coalitional visions of ‘community’. These were inspired by Black freedom organizing and prioritized building community with other marginalized groups. Only a mid-1960s struggle over the orientation of the country’s first homophile community centre led to a lasting sidelining of this coalitional tradition. The reconstruction of this bipartite history challenges enduring myths of a monolithically conservative homophile movement, and helps explain the subsequent success of a homonormative gay politics in the late 1960s and 1970s.
The Indian National Army and the Making of Indian Nationalism in Japanese-Occupied Malaya
Authors: Lee Zardas Shuk-man
Published: January 2025

From 1942 to 1945, the Indian National Army (INA) and its civilian wing, the Indian Independence League (IIL), operated in Japanese-occupied Asia to prepare for wars against Britain. Led by first Rash Behari Bose and then Subhas Chandra Bose, the INA recruited members from diverse Indian communities in Asia. This article examines the spiritual training that the INA launched in Malaya in 1943 to unite Indians outside the subcontinent. Through twenty-three lectures, the spiritual training taught a strand of Indian nationalism by creating a historical narrative, which helped reproduce the Indian National Congress’s vision for India. Contrasting with existing literature that attributes the lectures solely to Chandra Bose, this article traces the lectures to the works of Behari Bose, Mohandas Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. It further argues that Behari Bose’s leadership of the IIL and the INA and the spread of Nehru’s political ideas in Malaya shaped the lectures. Accordingly, the article restores the importance of the lesser-known Behari Bose in the INA and the Indian independence struggle. More broadly, it demonstrates the relationship between violent and non-violent movements, and questions the historical memory about the anti-colonialists who worked with the Axis powers.
Childhood maltreatment and the structural development of hippocampus across childhood and adolescence
Authors: Doretto Victoria Fogaça , Salto Ana Beatriz Ravagnani , Schivoletto Sandra , Zugman Andre , Oliveira Melaine Cristina , Brañas Marcelo , Croci Marcos , Ito Lucas Toshio , Santoro Marcos , Jackowski Andrea P. , Bressan Rodrigo A. , Rohde Luis Augusto , Salum Giovanni , Miguel Eurípedes Constantino , Pan Pedro Mario
Published: January 2025

Background

Prior studies suggest that childhood maltreatment is associated with altered hippocampal volume. However, longitudinal studies are currently scarce, making it difficult to determine how alterations in hippocampal volume evolve over time. The current study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment and hippocampal volumetric development across childhood and adolescence in a community sample.

Methods

In this longitudinal study, a community sample of 795 participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in three waves spanning ages 6–21 years. Childhood maltreatment was assessed using parent-report and children´s self-report at baseline (6–12 years old). Mixed models were used to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment and hippocampal volume across time.

Results

The quadratic term of age was significantly associated with both right and left hippocampal volume development. High exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with reduced offset of right hippocampal volume and persistent reduced volume throughout adolescence.

Critically, the relationship between childhood maltreatment and reduced right hippocampal volume remained significant after adjusting for the presence of any depressive disorder during late childhood and adolescence and hippocampal volume polygenic risk scores. Time-by-CM and Sex-by-CM interactions were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The present study showed that childhood maltreatment is associated with persistent reduction of hippocampal volume in children and adolescents, even after adjusting for the presence of major depressive disorder and genetic determinants of hippocampal structure.
SFG and TG seropositivity in Humans suspected of TBD in Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Dzul Rosado Karla Rossanet , Peña Bates Carlos Aaron , Tello Martin Raúl , Noh-Pech Henry R. , Puerto Fernando I. , Omodior Oghenekaro
Published: January 2025

Since 1996, the incidence of rickettsiosis has been increasing in Yucatán, Mexico, but recent prevalence data are lacking. This study aimed to determine exposure to the Spotted Fever Group (SFG) and Typhus Group (TG) in human serum samples suspected of tick-borne diseases (TBD) between 2015 and 2022. A total of 620 samples were analysed using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) to detect IgG antibodies against SFG (Rickettsia rickettsii) and TG (Rickettsia typhi), considering a titer of ≥64 as positive. Results showed that 103 samples (17%) were positive for R. rickettsii and 145 (24%) for R. typhi, while 256 (41%) and 229 (37%) were negative, respectively. There was a cross-reaction in 244 samples (39%). Individuals with contact with vectors, such as ticks, showed significant exposure to fleas (p = 0.0010). The study suggests a high prevalence of rickettsiosis and recommends prospective studies to assess the disease burden and strengthen surveillance and prevention in Yucatán, considering factors like temperature and ecological changes.
A practical formalization of monadic equational reasoning in dependent-type theory
Authors: AFFELDT REYNALD , GARRIGUE JACQUES , SAIKAWA TAKAFUMI
Published: January 2025

One can perform equational reasoning about computational effects with a purely functional programming language thanks to monads. Even though equational reasoning for effectful programs is desirable, it is not yet mainstream. This is partly because it is difficult to maintain pencil-and-paper proofs of large examples. We propose a formalization of a hierarchy of effects using monads in the Coq proof assistant that makes monadic equational reasoning practical. Our main idea is to formalize the hierarchy of effects and algebraic laws as interfaces like it is done when formalizing hierarchy of algebras in dependent-type theory. Thanks to this approach, we clearly separate equational laws from models. We can then take advantage of the sophisticated rewriting capabilities of Coq and build libraries of lemmas to achieve concise proofs of programs. We can also use the resulting framework to leverage on Coq’s mathematical theories and formalize models of monads. In this article, we explain how we formalize a rich hierarchy of effects (nondeterminism, state, probability, etc.), how we mechanize examples of monadic equational reasoning from the literature, and how we apply our framework to the design of equational laws for a subset of ML with references.