bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of RFLP in V-Model methodology for the interdisciplinary development of Digital Twins
Authors: Fett Michel , Wilking Fabian , Goetz Stefan , Wartzack Sandro , Kirchner Eckhard
Published: February 2025

Digital Twins have numerous potentials like performance analysis, condition monitoring or process optimization. As the development of Digital Twins is a highly interdisciplinary task, it poses challenges and is therefore rarely utilized. This contribution considers the interdisciplinary development of Digital Twins as an interplay between sensors, models and IT infrastructure. It builds on previous publications that deal with the domains of models, sensors and IT infrastructures in the context of Digital Twins as well as domain-specific development procedures. For this purpose, the V‑model of VDI 2206 is used and modified for the context of the Digital Twin. In order to integrate the findings of the preliminary work into the V‑model at a more concrete level, they are sorted into an RFLP framework, which in turn is integrated into the V‑model. The resulting development approach covers the entire development process at a transferable, abstract level, while at the same time providing concrete steps at a directly applicable level. The results are illustrated using an exemplary application of an industrial gearbox.
Income and wage inequalities from automation. A European perspective
Authors: Lenzi Camilla , Panzera Elisa
Published: February 2025

The literature on the automation-employment nexus has expanded significantly and rapidly over the last decade, highlighting both a contraction in employment, wages, and the labour share, as well as an increase in wage inequalities. Drawing on a large-scale analysis of all European (EU27 + UK) NUTS2 regions during the period 2011–2019, this paper re-examines these claims and highlights a decoupling between wage and income inequalities. This decoupling may be driven by reallocation effects across sectors and ripple effects that induce substantial downward pressure on wages.
Wasp pollination and pollinator filtering by dense hairs at the floral tube entrance in Marsdenia tinctoria (Apocynaceae)
Authors: Mochizuki Ko , Watanabe-Taneda Ayako
Published: February 2025

The physical filtering of pollinators is an important factor influencing pollination effectiveness. This study explored the potential functions of dense hairs that completely obstruct the entrance of floral tube in Marsdenia tinctoria by characterizing the flowers of this species, as well as its pollinators and their behavior. The corolla was white upon blooming in the morning, then turned yellow at night, and the flower finally dropped by the third morning. The hairs tended to be disheveled in yellow-petaled flowers. Pollination success increased with floral age. Direct observations of flowers in natural M. tinctoria populations over a period of 32 h recorded 126 visitors, of which 70% were wasps. We observed pollinia attached to the mouthparts of wasps, carpenter bees, and honeybees, but not to those of butterflies, moths, flies, or ants. Detailed examination of insect mouthparts and floral morphology indicated that insect visitors that acted as pollinators had mouthparts longer than the floral tubes, equipped with hairs to which pollinia could attach. The mouthparts of potter wasps were often covered with pollinaria, carrying on average 30–75 pollinia. The dense floral hairs were penetrated by large-bodied visitors, and blocked smaller visitors. Disturbance of these floral hairs allowed smaller insects to access nectar, suggesting that the hairs function in preventing nectar theft by smaller insects. This study presents the first case of wasp pollination in the genus Marsdenia and provides insights into the potential function of its dense floral hairs, a synapomorphy of this genus, in filtering floral visitors.
On Common Zeros of Characters of Finite Groups
Authors: Lewis Mark L. , Morotti Lucia , Pacifici Emanuele , Sanus Lucia , Tong-Viet Hung P.
Published: February 2025

Let G be a finite group, and let

$$\textrm{Irr}(G)$$

Irr
(
G
)

denote the set of the irreducible complex characters of G. An element

$$g\in G$$

g
∈
G

is called a vanishing element of G if there exists

$$\chi \in \textrm{Irr}(G)$$

χ
∈
Irr
(
G
)

such that

$$\chi (g)=0$$

χ
(
g
)
=
0

(i.e., g is a zero of

$$\chi $$

χ

) and, in this case, the conjugacy class

$$g^G$$

g
G

of g in G is called a vanishing conjugacy class. In this paper we consider several problems concerning vanishing elements and vanishing conjugacy classes; in particular, we consider the problem of determining the least number of conjugacy classes of a finite group G such that every non-linear

$$\chi \in \textrm{Irr}(G)$$

χ
∈
Irr
(
G
)

vanishes on one of them. We also consider the related problem of determining the minimum number of non-linear irreducible characters of a group such that two of them have a common zero.
EmoReflex: an AI-powered emotion-centric developer insights platform
Authors: Madampe Kashumi , Grundy John , Nguyen Minh , Welstead-Cloud Ellen , Huynh Vinh Tuan , Doan Linh , Lay William , Hashim Sayed
Published: February 2025

There has been great interest in better understanding software engineer emotions during development. But how to do this? We built a prototype AI-powered Emotion-centric Developer Insights Platform, EmoReflex, to support developers to report and reflect how they feel when working on various tasks across different metrics. It also assists their managers to get insights into their team’s emotional health, and provides them with recommendations to guide them handle the team’s emotional wellbeing. We present our tool prototype and evaluation results generated by a user study conducted with two user groups consisting of twenty developers and twenty managers. We present some design implications derived from our user study that can be used to inform design decisions in emotion-centric software development tools.
Constraining genetic symbolic regression via semantic backpropagation
Authors: Reissmann Maximilian , Fang Yuan , Ooi Andrew S. H. , Sandberg Richard D.
Published: February 2025

Evolutionary symbolic regression approaches are powerful tools that can approximate an explicit mapping between input features and observation for various problems. However, ensuring that explored expressions maintain consistency with domain-specific constraints remains a crucial challenge. While neural networks are able to employ additional information like conservation laws to achieve more appropriate and robust approximations, the potential remains unrealized within genetic algorithms. This disparity is rooted in the inherent discrete randomness of recombining and mutating to generate new mapping expressions, making it challenging to maintain and preserve inferred constraints or restrictions in the course of the exploration. To address this limitation, we propose an approach centered on semantic backpropagation incorporated into the Gene Expression Programming (GEP), which integrates domain-specific properties in a vector representation as corrective feedback during the evolutionary process. By creating backward rules akin to algorithmic differentiation and leveraging pre-computed subsolutions, the mechanism allows the enforcement of any constraint within an expression tree by determining the misalignment and propagating desired changes back. To illustrate the effectiveness of constraining GEP through semantic backpropagation, we take the constraint of physical dimension as an example. This framework is applied to discover physical equations from the Feynman lectures. Results have shown not only an increased likelihood of recovering the original equation but also notable robustness in the presence of noisy data.
Is Anxiety Affecting the Adoption of ChatGPT in University Teaching? A Gender Perspective
Authors: Bolívar-Cruz Alicia , Verano-Tacoronte Domingo
Published: February 2025

The emergence of ChatGPT and other AI-based tools has revolutionized the professional and educational world. This paper aims to analyze the factors that may lead university teachers to consider adopting ChatGPT in their work. This study examines how some relevant Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model variables (effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and performance expectancy), technology-related anxiety and gender influence teachers’ intentions to use ChatGPT. A questionnaire was developed and sent to professors at Spanish public universities, resulting in a sample of 249 valid responses. The results indicate that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, anxiety related to student learning and gender are the main determinants of the intention to use ChatGPT by teachers. After conducting an exploratory analysis segmented by gender, it was found that men and women analyze the possibility of adopting ChatGPT through different variables. For male teachers, performance expectancy and facilitating conditions are the variables that affect the intention to use ChatGPT. In contrast, female teachers’ intention is influenced by anxiety related to student learning and anxiety related to technology use, in addition to performance expectancy and facilitating conditions. Therefore, these results suggest that it is crucial to consider individual perceptions, gender as well as contextual factors when promoting the adoption of tools such as ChatGPT among university teachers. Educational institutions should provide teachers with the skills needed to create, adapt and use information and communication technologies, especially those based on generative AI. This training should adopt new strategies that take gender differences into account.
Papillary craniopharyngioma management in the era of BRAF and MEK inhibition
Authors: Damante Mark , Cua Santino , Kreatsoulas Daniel , Giglio Pierre , Ghalib Luma , Biswas Chandrima , Wu Kyle C. , Prevedello Daniel M.
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Papillary craniopharyngioma is a rare entity, demonstrating BRAF-V600E mutations in approximately 95% of patients. Recently, a phase 2 trial of patients treated with surgery and BRAF/MEKi demonstrated 91% reduction in residual tumor volume. This study allowed for additional treatments at the discretion of the treatment team without reporting subsequent rates of endocrinopathy or visual decline. We aimed to evaluate the possibility of employing BRAF/MEKi without the need for adjuvant radiotherapy therapies.

Methods

A retrospective report of two patients treated with resection and BRAF/MEKi without additional treatment were analyzed. Patient demographics, treatment characteristics, pre- and post-treatment radiographic volumes, adverse events, and endocrinologic and visual outcomes, were recorded and analyzed.

Results

Two patients underwent subtotal resection followed by BRAF/MEKi without adjuvant treatment. Mean length of BRAF therapy was 21.4 months and MEKi therapy was 12.94 months. Mean preoperative nodule volume was 0.33 cm [3] and 2.29 cm [3] and cystic volume was 5.04 cm [3] and 6.18 cm [3] in case 1 and case 2, respectively. Neither patient received radiation. Grade 3 cardiotoxicity developed in case 1 after 6.5 months, with function recovering completely following discontinuation of MEKi. BRAF therapy was discontinued electively after 23.5 months. The second patient remains on dual inhibition therapy without toxicity. For these cases, post-treatment nodule volumes are 0.07 cm [3] (98.4% reduction) and 0.04 cm [3] (99.2% reduction), respectively, and cystic volume 0.0 cm [3] in both patients. Progression free survival is 100% with a mean follow up of 36-months.

Conclusions

Utilizing surgery and BRAF/MEKi without adjuvant radiation, we demonstrate excellent disease control with reversible toxicity. Avoiding additional treatments may spare vital functions and unnecessary procedures.
Wealth and Income Stratification by Social Class in Five European Countries
Authors: Gil-Hernández Carlos J. , Salas-Rojo Pedro , Vidal Guillem , Villani Davide
Published: February 2025

Wealth is a central determinant of life chances and intergenerational status persistence in modern societies. Despite increasing attention, sociologists traditionally overlooked its role in class-based economic disparities, while most economists focused on the elites’ accumulation. This article combines sociological and economic perspectives to test whether big occupational classes, the most standardised and operationalisable approach, depict the wealth distribution. Drawing from the Luxembourg Wealth Study (2002–2018) in five European countries, we explore (1) how wealth is distributed and stratified by big occupational classes over time and cross-nationally and (2) to what extent classes account for aggregate wealth inequality trends compared with income. Unlike bold claims on class 'death' or 'decomposition', inequality of outcomes in wealth accumulation is firmly rooted across big occupational classes in contemporary capitalism, potentially harming social mobility in future generations. Still, occupational classes better capture between-group income inequality and stratification than wealth, emphasising the importance of economic resources beyond labour market attachment. Against the backdrop of previous research and our findings, we discuss the role of wealth in contemporary class analysis.
Inference on diffusion processes related to a general growth model
Authors: Albano Giuseppina , Barrera Antonio , Giorno Virginia , Torres-Ruiz Francisco
Published: February 2025

This paper considers two stochastic diffusion processes associated with a general growth curve that includes a wide family of growth phenomena. The resulting processes are lognormal and Gaussian, and for them inference is addressed by means of the maximum likelihood method. The complexity of the resulting system of equations requires the use of metaheuristic techniques. The limitation of the parameter space, typically required by all metaheuristic techniques, is also provided by means of a suitable strategy. Several simulation studies are performed to evaluate to goodness of the proposed methodology, and an application to real data is described.
Microplastic uptake by birds: from observation to development of a novel seed coating to prevent bird predation of corn seeds
Authors: Accinelli Cesare , Bruno Veronica , Abbas Hamed K. , Morena Chiara , Khambhati Vivek H. , Shier Wayne T.
Published: February 2025

The occurrence of microplastics in soil is an emerging issue that not only impacts soil ecology but also has the potential to affect terrestrial birds foraging in agricultural fields. Foraging birds may unintentionally take up soil-borne microplastics along with soil adhering to crop residues and seeds of cultivated species. Microplastic uptake by foraging terrestrial bird species, including Pica pica (magpie), Corvus cornix (hooded crow), and Columba palumbus (common wood pigeon), studied using camera traps, showed that the risk of MP uptake by these birds microplastics from compostable plastic bags was elevated by 27 and 78% when the microplastic particles were associated with corn seed grits or corn seeds, respectively. When these film fragments were coated with a slurry containing tannic acid, saponin, and juglone, microplastic uptake was significantly reduced. Similarly, coating corn seeds with this repellent slurry reduced seed predation by birds up to 86%, and completely wrapping corn seeds with a repellent plastic film resulted in no observed seed predation by birds. The same results were obtained when the wrapping film was replaced by a seed coating containing hairy cotton fibers which may have triggered a feather fear or repulsion response in the birds. This study demonstrated that covering corn seeds with natural repellents or hairy filaments provided complete protection from bird predation.
Galanthus subalpinus (Amaryllidaceae): a new species of snowdrop from the Western Balkans
Authors: Davis Aaron P. , McEnery Ian , Csiba Laszlo , Márquez-Corro José Ignacio , Leitch Ilia J.
Published: February 2025

Galanthus subalpinus (Amaryllidaceae), a new snowdrop species endemic to the Western Balkans (North Macedonia and Kosovo) is described and illustrated. Morphological differences between the new species and the similar Galanthus species, G. nivalis and G. graecus, are reported and discussed, in combination with DNA sequence data from plastid (trnL-trnF, matK) and nuclear (ribosomal ITS) markers and genome size. Line drawings, photographs of habitat and morphology, a distribution map and a preliminary conservation assessment are provided. The genome size (1C-value) of G. bursanus, G. samothracicus and G. × valentinei nothosubsp. subplicatus are reported for the first time.
Stress field and safe drilling mud weights in the Shizigou salt system of Yingxiongling, Qaidam Basin, China
Authors: Liu Jihan , Luo Gang , Wang Mingwen
Published: February 2025

In this study, we calculate stress perturbations around the salt diapir in the Shizigou salt system of Qaidam Basin, China, by using a three-dimensional finite element model. Our goal is to identify safe mud weight windows around the salt in this complex region. We establish the salt-system geomechanical model by integrating seismic and logging data and inputting rock material properties and regional background stress field. The results show that the presence of the gypsum salt layer and structural decoupling lead to variations in principal stress directions (
$$\:{\sigma\:}_{2}$$
and
$$\:{\sigma\:}_{3}$$
) above and below the salt. Stress perturbations around salt rocks, or mechanical compaction effects from the salt rocks, are closely related to their geometric shapes and regional background stress field. Mismatches between the hydrostatic drilling fluid (mud) pressure and formation pressure can induce the drilling accidents. Therefore, based on model stress results, formation pore fluid pressure, and the Drucker–Prager plastic criterion, we conduct a drilling risk assessment. We find that drilling through large-scale concave salt structures is relatively safe with wide safe drilling windows, but at other locations, safe drilling windows are narrow. The stricter condition (wellbore collapse width less than 120°) reduces the range of the safe drilling window at salt convexities by 60%. Our study, through the establishment of a geomechanical model, provides practical insights for reducing drilling risks and designing drilling mud weights and routes.
β-Hydroxybutyrate mitigates the detrimental effects of high glucose in human retinal pigment epithelial ARPE-19 cells
Authors: Argentino Francesca , Mallardo Marta , Costagliola Ciro , Daniele Aurora , Nigro Ersilia
Published: February 2025

High glucose leads to cellular damage and dysfunction in the retina. Dietary interventions, including the use of ketogenic diets, have been explored for their potential to reduce the adverse effects of hyperglycemia. β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a ketone body, has immune and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to investigate whether BHB ameliorates the harmful effects induced by high glucose in ARPE-19 cells, a model of retinal pigment epithelium. We investigated the effects induced by high glucose and/or BHB on viability, migration, colony-forming ability, cell cycle progression and cytokine production. Our data indicate that high glucose significantly reduces the viability of ARPE-19 cells with no significant changes in apoptosis or autophagy, while inducing cell cytostasis. On the other hand, BHB exerts a protective effect on ARPE-19 cells under hyperglycemic conditions improving cell viability and alleviating glucose-induced cell cycle arrest. Additionally, BHB treatment affects the expression of IL-8 and IL-17α, as well as of MCP-1, modulating the inflammatory response, cell migration and wound healing. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential protective role of BHB against the detrimental effects induced by high glucose on ARPE-19 cells. These findings support the use of ketone bodies in mitigating high glucose-induced cellular damage. Future research will be critical to translate these findings to the clinical practice for metabolic diseases.
Oral nonabsorbable antibiotics for prevention of recurrent cholangitis; a brief report study
Authors: Fortún Jesús , Rodríguez-Gandía Miguel Angel , Pintado Vicente , Martín-Dávila Pilar , García-González Miguel , Graus Javier , Martín-Mateos Rosa , Fuente Javier Sáez de la , Muriel Alfonso , Moreno Santiago
Published: February 2025

Background

Patients with recurrent cholangitis are at risk of developing life-threatening sepsis. Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) involving oral nonabsorbable antibiotics has been primarily applied to children undergoing Kasai portoenterostomy surgery.

Methods

In this study, SDD containing colistin, tobramycin, and nystatin was administered to eight patients with recurrent cholangitis, and the incidence density before and after SDD administration was analyzed.

Results

The overall incidence density of cholangitis requiring hospital admission was 0.37 per 100 patient days during the SDD period and was significantly lower than observed before SDD administration (1.05 per 100 patient days) [RR: 0.35 (95% CI: 0.21–0.59); p: <0.001, two-sided]. This was not associated with an increased risk of resistance during SDD administration.

Conclusion

In this study SDD reduced by 65% the frequency and severity of recurrent cholangitis. In addition, this procedure is patient-friendly and microbiologically safe.
Institutionelle Designfehler im Kontext des Gesundheitswesens: Zur epistemischen Handlungsfähigkeit von Personen mit Behinderung oder chronischer Erkrankung
Authors: Hänel Hilkje C.
Published: February 2025

Ausgehend von standpunkttheoretischen Überlegungen soll gezeigt werden, dass behinderte und chronisch kranke Personen notwendige Erkenntnisse über Gestaltungsfehler von Institutionen des Gesundheitswesen haben können; einerseits, indem sie aufgrund ihrer Abhängigkeit von diesen Institutionen Probleme wahrnehmen, die von anderen übersehen werden und, andererseits, weil sie bereits Handlungsstrategien der Navigation dieser Institutionen entwickelt haben, die zur Fehlerbehebung herangezogen werden können. Dabei liegt ein Fokus auf sogenannten dominanten Intelligibilitätsrahmen, die dazu führen, dass Institutionen des Gesundheitssystems schon in ihrer Gestaltung problematische Züge annehmen können. Wohingegen sich die bisherige Forschung auf sogenannte interpersonale Probleme innerhalb von Institutionen (zum Beispiel aufgrund von problematischen Vorurteilen oder Unwissen von Akteuer*innen innerhalb der Institutionen) fokussiert, soll hier das folgende Problem beleuchtet werden: Trotz der Tatsache, dass die in Gesundheitsinstitutionen beschäftigten Akteur*innen einen moralischen Anspruch an ihr Handeln anlegen (diese berufsethischen Wertevorstellungen spiegeln sich zumindest teilweise in den Berufsordnungen der jeweiligen Landesärztekammern oder Gelöbnissen wie der Genfer Deklaration des Weltärztebundes und werden populärwissenschaftlich durch Hippokratischen Eid beschrieben), lassen sich gerade auch im Gesundheitswesen problematische epistemische Praktiken auffinden, die – so die These des Artikels – bereits im Design der jeweiligen Institution angelegt sind und nicht in den spezifischen Handlungen der dort Beschäftigten.
Role of strategies used by young people for dealing with emotional distress: a qualitative study in deprived urban neighborhoods in Latin America
Authors: Jaramillo Isabela Osorio , Gomez-Restrepo Carlos , Brusco Luis Ignacio , Diez-Canseco Francisco , Fung Catherine , Ariza-Salazar Karen , Olivar Natividad , Toyama Mauricio , Sureshkumar Diliniya Stanislaus , Uribe-Restrepo José Miguel , Carbonetti Fernando Luis , Vilela-Estrada Ana L. , Priebe Stefan
Published: February 2025

Background

Many young people achieve recovery from mental health problems by using strategies to manage emotional distress and enhance well-being. Given that little is known about the functions of these strategies, especially in Latin American countries, this study aims to describe the usefulness of the resources used by youth from deprived urban neighborhoods in Bogotá (Colombia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Lima (Perú) in managing emotional distress.

Methods

112 in-depth interviews about strategies for dealing with emotional distress and their perceived function were conducted with young people from three Latin American cities. The sample included young adults and adolescents in a longitudinal cohort study. A thematic content analysis was carried out.

Results

Participants identify different functions linked to their strategies to cope with emotional distress or increase their well-being. However, "coping with distress," "perceived support," and "distraction" are the three main functions of the strategies used by them in situations of emotional distress. Each of these functions comprises several aspects, some of which overlap between functions, such as motivation, emotional expression, companionship, and regulation.

Conclusion

The variety of functions linked to the strategies used by young people to cope with emotional distress or enhance their well-being could guide the facilitation of a favorable social and interpersonal context through public policies and a community approach that promotes young people's access to strategies to cope with emotional distress.
Analysing complexity in approach control units of metroplex airspaces: insights from air traffic controllers
Authors: Kaçar E. , Aybek Çetek F. , Dönmez K.
Published: February 2025

Safe and efficient flight operations depend on effective air traffic management and the decision-making skills of air traffic control officers (ATCOs). However, managing air traffic in terminal control areas (TMAs), especially in approach control units, is challenging due to the complexity of the airspace. This is particularly evident in metroplex airspaces like the Istanbul TMA, which features multiple civil and military airports, diverse approach systems, and heavy traffic volumes, all contributing to an exceptionally complex operational environment. This study examines how experienced ATCOs perceive airspace complexity, focusing on approach control units within TMAs. Using Istanbul TMA as a case study, the research combines qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse the factors contributing to complexity. In the first phase, the Content Validity Method (CVM) is used to identify and confirm the key factors influencing airspace complexity. In the second phase, the Best-Worst Method (BWM) is applied to measure the importance of these factors. The study involves two groups of ATCOs: 40 in the first group and 20 in the second. The results reveal that ‘conflicts’ are the most critical factor affecting airspace complexity, highlighting the importance of conflict resolution in air traffic control. Other significant factors include rules and procedures, airspace design and traffic density. This study provides clear insights into the challenges of managing TMA, especially in metroplex airspace. Identifying and analysing the key factors offers valuable guidance for improving air traffic management and supporting ATCOs in making better decisions.
Measuring the value of water quality improvements for recreation use on an urban river: a travel cost contingent behavior approach
Authors: Chakrabartty Joy Deep , Parsons George R
Published: February 2025

We estimate the value of water quality improvements for recreational activities on and near the Brandywine Creek in Delaware. We divide water-based recreational activities into two groups: water-contact and non-water-contact. We then consider the behavioral change of the recreationists in each group when faced with water quality improvements posed in a stated preference (contingent behavior) survey. We use five common physical attributes of water quality in the contingent behavior analysis: water clarity, catch rate of fish, safety of eating fish, safety for swimming, and ecological health. The survey was constructed in such a way that each of these attributes of water quality is valued. The per-trip value for water quality improvements ranged from $4 to $63 for contact use and from $4 to $29 for non-contact use depending on which and how many attributes of water quality improve. Even though we measure sizable benefits, rough cost estimates appear to make it difficult for incremental improvements to exceed costs unless attribute improvement is widespread.
Examining the impact of treatment guidelines on outpatient antibiotic prescription trends at a cancer center in Pakistan
Authors: Abbas Salma , Aslam Seemal , Batool Sara , Zafar Mahnoor , Khaliq Sadia , Fatima Momal , Shehzad Iraj , Arslan Muhammad , Attiq Iqra , Shehbaz Muhammad , Khan Anum , Raza Muhammad Ali , Zulfiqar Hamza , Mahmood Ahsan , Sultan Faisal
Published: February 2025

Objective:

To assess the impact of treatment guidelines on the trends of outpatient antibiotic prescription among pediatric and adult patients at a cancer center in Pakistan.

Design:

Retrospective observational study conducted between July 1st 2018 and July 31st 2023.

Methods:

We determined the indication for antibiotics and the frequency of guideline-discordant prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), urinary tract infection (UTI), and diarrhea. The χ2 test was used to assess the impact of treatment guidelines on antibiotics prescribed for these indications.

Results:

The top indications for antibiotic prescription were skin and skin structure infection (SSSI) (n = 5159; 21.5%), URTI (n = 2760; 11.5%) and UTI (n = 2686; 11.2%). Amoxicillin-clavulanate (n = 7964; 33.3%), was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic. A large proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for URTI, diarrhea, UTI, and LRTI were either inappropriate (n = 6695; 86.5%) or unnecessary (n = 5534; 71.5%). Results revealed a statistically significant decline in the proportion of inappropriate antibiotics for UTI (91.3% vs 84.0%; P ≤ .001) and diarrhea (92.6% vs 87.0%; P = .031) and unnecessary antibiotics for diarrhea (90.2% vs 83.2%; P = .016) with the introduction of treatment guidelines. We noted a higher proportion of unnecessary prescriptions for LRTI (41.7% vs 31.7%; P = .003) and inappropriate antibiotics for UTI (95.1% vs 87.4%; P = .011) for pediatric patients.

Conclusion:

Misuse of outpatient antibiotics is common. Diarrhea, URTI, UTI, and LRTI are high-priority conditions for outpatient oncology-focused prescriber education and stewardship interventions.
A temporal network analysis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis symptoms
Authors: Panayi Peter , Contreras Alba , Peters Emmanuelle , Bentall Richard , Hardy Amy , Berry Katherine , Sellwood William , Dudley Robert , Longden Eleanor , Underwood Raphael , Steel Craig , Jafari Hassan , Mason Liam , Varese Filippo
Published: February 2025

Background

Symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) may play a role in the maintenance of psychotic symptoms. Network analyses have shown interrelationships between post-traumatic sequelae and psychosis, but the temporal dynamics of these relationships in people with psychosis and a history of trauma remain unclear. We aimed to explore, using network analysis, the temporal order of relationships between symptoms of cPTSD (i.e. core PTSD and disturbances of self-organization [DSOs]) and psychosis in the flow of daily life.

Methods

Participants with psychosis and comorbid PTSD (N = 153) completed an experience-sampling study involving multiple daily assessments of psychosis (paranoia, voices, and visions), core PTSD (trauma-related intrusions, avoidance, hyperarousal), and DSOs (emotional dysregulation, interpersonal difficulties, negative self-concept) over six consecutive days. Multilevel vector autoregressive modeling was used to estimate three complementary networks representing different timescales.

Results

Our between-subjects network suggested that, on average over the testing period, most cPTSD symptoms related to at least one positive psychotic symptom. Many average relationships persist in the contemporaneous network, indicating symptoms of cPTSD and psychosis co-occur, especially paranoia with hyperarousal and negative self-concept. The temporal network suggested that paranoia reciprocally predicted, and was predicted by, hyperarousal, negative self-concept, and emotional dysregulation from moment to moment. cPTSD did not directly relate to voices in the temporal network.

Conclusions

cPTSD and positive psychosis symptoms mutually maintain each other in trauma-exposed people with psychosis via the maintenance of current threat, consistent with cognitive models of PTSD. Current threat, therefore, represents a valuable treatment target in phased-based trauma-focused psychosis interventions.
State capacity, military modernisation, and balancing: A conditional model of state capacity neoclassical realism
Authors: Borges Lauro , Smith Nicholas Ross , Eslami Mohammad
Published: February 2025

Typically, neoclassical realist scholars who prioritise state capacity as an intervening variable in their studies have often implied that states directly convert increased state capacity into improved military capabilities, leading them to engage in internal balancing and, occasionally, war. This article argues that the causal chain from state capacity to military modernisation and balancing is not as straightforward as the existing literature makes it look like. Using Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a plausibility-probe study, we propose that before states move from underbalancing to balancing, the process by which state capacity is translated into improved military capabilities might depend on conditional mechanisms. This novel theoretical model is labeled ‘conditional state capacity neoclassical realism’ and provides more case-specific explanatory power than the old state capacity theory.
Telesio on Natural Paradoxes: A Metaphysics from Marginal Cases
Authors: Muratori Cecilia
Published: February 2025

The foundation of Telesio’s physics is remarkably straightforward: he assumes that every phenomenon is explained by referring to the agency of two main principles, heat and cold. Yet, Telesio’s apparently simple physics leads to paradoxes when dealing with two specific problems which Aristotle had already discussed: the explanation of how rivers form and of how insects might be generated in a furnace. If water is simply earth made fluid by the action of the heat, why do rivers maintain a regular course, and how can the flow of water remain constant? And if generation can occur whenever spirit is enclosed to form a living being, thanks solely to the action of the heat, would it not be possible for animals to be generated by controlling any source of heat? This essay shows that Telesio’s answers to these questions reveal his approach to metaphysics, and that this in turn must trigger a historiographical reassessment of the portrait of Telesio at the threshold of modernity.
Pricing and distribution in global value chain regulation
Authors: Eller Klaas Hendrik
Published: February 2025

Global value chains (GVCs) function as a distributive arrangement at a global scale, generating and relocating wealth while often exacerbating inequalities across and within countries. The recent rise in GVC-related regulation must hence also be assessed in its distributive implications. Human rights due diligence, the current heart of the playbook of GVC regulation, largely refrains from challenging lead firms’ business models, pricing strategies, and sourcing practices. Given thick evidence that sourcing squeeze translates into vulnerabilities on the ground that are conducive to rights violations, this lacuna significantly limits the potential of human rights due diligence to address wrongful conduct deeply entrenched in economic inequality, such as modern slavery. This article argues that human rights due diligence is marked by a ‘distributional self-restraint’, i.e., a self-inflicted reluctance to engage with deeper underpinnings or root causes of human rights violations. This self-restraint has a pedigree in the intellectual history of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and of human rights more broadly, as well as in the naturalizing narrative from neo-classical economics around ‘free markets’ and price formation that have immunized prices in value chains from being seen as conducive to harm. It also manifests itself in the legislative texts and debates around the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. To overcome such limitations, this article develops the notion of a reflexive governance of pricing and sourcing practices that requires companies to assess and reflect, with stakeholders at different tiers, the impact of lead firm pricing down the chain, especially on living wages and incomes.
A comprehensive review of the childhood vaccination landscape in Malaysia
Authors: Kamaruzaman Nor Kamila , Rizzi Marco , Attwell Katie
Published: February 2025

Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective and successful public health interventions to prevent infectious diseases. Governments worldwide have tried to optimize vaccination coverage, including using vaccine mandates. This review of recent literature and policy aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Malaysia’s childhood vaccination landscape. The document analysis was used to identify and examine information from government policy documents, official government media statements, mainstream news content, and research papers. Content analysis was then employed to analyze the gathered information. Despite the successes of Malaysia’s National Immunization Programme, a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases has raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy and refusal. Several contributing factors have been identified, including a preference for alternative medicines, doubts about halal status, fear of vaccine injury, concerns about the vaccines’ contents, conspiracy theories, as well as convenience and access barriers. While various initiatives have been implemented, Malaysia may consider using vaccine mandates, as several countries have recently done, as a potential policy intervention to address these challenges. This review benefits policymakers, epidemiologists, as well as researchers involved in regional or global policy planning and advocacy efforts. It also offers comprehensive insights into designing effective interventions and making informed policy decisions regarding childhood vaccination programmes.
Parasitism in wild penguin populations: a comprehensive global assessment of macro- and microparasites and their implications
Authors: Fusaro Bruno , Capasso Sofia , Barbosa Andrés , Ansaldo Martín , Zakrajsek Andrés , Diaz Julia I.
Published: February 2025

Penguins include 18 species of seabirds distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. Climate change is a growing problem that affects penguins, especially those living in Antarctica, making them some of the most currently endangered species. Loss of habitat, commercial fishing and infectious diseases spread by anthropogenic activities in the Southern Ocean are threats facing penguins. In addition, environmental changes affect the distribution of free-living species that act as intermediate hosts for parasites (e.g. krill, fish) and consequently their transmission dynamics and distribution. The present work aims to provide an update on macro- and microparasites recorded in all penguin species in wildlife. Based on published records from penguins, we provide a list of 157 parasite taxa recorded in all penguin species. The list includes 54 helminths, 45 arthropods, 39 bacteria and 19 protozoa reported in 207 scientific publications. Most papers were focused on the genus Spheniscus. In the analysis, we identify the distribution of parasites among hosts to better predict the disease risk facing their populations worldwide. Some pathogenic effects of the parasites found are discussed.
A first Triassic insect from Antarctica (Eisenhower Range, northern Victoria Land)
Authors: Lara María Belén , Bomfleur Benjamin , Brauckmann Carsten , Unverfärth Jan , Mörs Thomas , Möllmann Magali
Published: February 2025

We report here an isolated insect forewing from Triassic deposits of the Eisenhower Range, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Based on the reduced venation (e.g. well-developed pterostigma, Rs dichotomously branched, Rs and M vein with five branches each), we tentatively identify the specimen as belonging to Permochoristidae (Mecoptera). However, due to incomplete preservation of the forewing, we prefer a determination under open nomenclature until more material of this taxon is available. The new specimen represents the first insect described from the Triassic of Antarctica and the first fossil record of Mecoptera in the continent, supporting the worldwide distribution and a greater diversity of the family during Triassic times.
Beyond the Work Society? Social Policy and the Reduction of Working Time
Authors: Sage Daniel
Published: February 2025

Recently there has been increased attention in critiques of paid work and calls for less work via working-time reduction. Yet except for universal basic income and the shorter working week, few have examined how welfare states, more broadly, can effectively reduce working-time. This article argues widespread change is required to effectively reduce working-time. First, it explores how welfare states have historically affected working-time. Second, it examines universal basic income and the shorter working week as conduits for working-time reduction. Third, the article analyses alternative ways that working-time reduction has been achieved in advanced welfare states through, for example, parental leave policies, sabbaticals, and annual leave entitlements. In doing so, it concludes with a ‘life-time’ perspective, whereby the goal of less work is imagined and achieved over a whole life. This holds the best hope for a gradual, but profound, change in social and cultural norms around paid work.
Maternal hyperglycemia and postnatal high-fat diet impair metabolic regulation and autophagy response in the liver of adult female rats
Authors: Cruz Larissa Lopes da , Sinzato Yuri Karen , Paula Verônyca Gonçalves , Fioretto Matheus Naia , Gallego Franciane Quintanilha , Barco Vinícius Soares , Camargo Ana Carolina Lima , Corrente José Eduardo , Justulin Luis Antonio , Rodrigues Tiago , Volpato Gustavo Tadeu , Damasceno Débora Cristina
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which the association between maternal hyperglycemia and postnatal high-fat diet (HFD) exposure compromises metabolic parameters and hepatic autophagy in adult female pups. For this, Sprague Dawley rats, female pups from nondiabetic (control = FC) or diabetic (FD) mothers, were fed a standard diet (SD) or HFD from weaning until adulthood (n minimum = 5 rats/group): FC/SD, FC/HFD, FD/SD, and FD/HFD. In adulthood, these rats were tested with the oral glucose tolerance test, euthanized, and serum biochemistry parameters were analyzed. Liver samples were collected to evaluate cytokines, redox status, and protein expression autophagy and apoptosis markers. Histomorphometric analyses and an assessment of lipofuscin accumulation were also performed to reflect incomplete autolysosomal digestion. The FC/HFD, FD/SD, and FD/HFD groups showed glucose intolerance and an increased number of hepatocytes. Furthermore, FD/SD and FD/HFD rats showed hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Adaptations in hepatic redox pathways were observed in the FD/SD group with increased antioxidant defense marker activity. The FD/SD group also exhibited increased autophagy protein expression, such as p-AMPK, LC3-II/LC3-I, and p62/SQSTM1, lipofuscin accumulation, and caspase-3 activation. After exposure to HFD, the adult female pups of diabetic rats had a reduced p-AMPK and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, the presence of steatosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The reduction of autophagy, stimulated by HFD, may be of vital importance for the susceptibility to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease induced by maternal diabetes.
Size‐Dependent Surface Charging of Lunar Cavities Exposed to the Solar Wind
Authors: Nakazono J. , Miyake Y.
Published: February 2025

Surface charging phenomena on the lunar surface are significantly influenced by topographical features such as craters, boulders, and cavities. This study employs Particle‐in‐Cell (PIC) simulations to explore how the size of surface cavities affects charging under typical solar wind conditions. Our results show that cavities smaller than the lunar sheath thickness develop strong positive potentials at the depths due to ion currents. However, as cavity size increases beyond the sheath thickness, the influence of ion currents is reduced, resulting in a more moderate potential change inside the cavities. This transition is driven by a shift from surface‐charge‐dominated to space‐charge‐dominated electrostatic structures, as larger cavities allow for greater electron inflow and contribution of the space charge. These findings suggest that both macroscopic and microscopic surface irregularities need to be evaluated according to their spatial scale when considering a global charging environment, which would be significant for understanding dust transport and potential breakdown processes.
Denoising Offshore Distributed Acoustic Sensing Using Masked Auto‐Encoders to Enhance Earthquake Detection
Authors: Shi Qibin , Denolle Marine A. , Ni Yiyu , Williams Ethan F. , You Nan
Published: February 2025

Offshore distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has emerged as a powerful technology for seismic monitoring, expanding the capacities of cable networks and coastal seismic networks to monitor offshore seismicity. However, offshore DAS data often combine signals unfamiliar to seismologists, including new types of instrumental noise and ocean signals that overprint those from tectonic sources, which may hinder seismological research. We develop a self‐supervised deep learning algorithm, a masked auto‐encoder (MAE), to denoise DAS data for seismological purposes. The model is trained on DAS recordings of local earthquakes with randomly masked channels acquired on fiber‐optic cables in the Cook Inlet offshore Alaska. To demonstrate the benefits of denoising for seismological research, we conduct the most fundamental steps to build any earthquake catalog: seismic phase picking, signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) estimation, and event association. We leverage the generalizability of ensemble deep learning models with cross‐correlation to predict phase picks with sufficient precision for post‐processing (e.g., earthquake location). The SNR of the denoised S waves of testing DAS data increased by 2.5 dB on average. The MAE denoised, on average, DAS data allows 2.7 times more S picks than the original noisy data for smaller regional earthquakes. The results demonstrate that our self‐supervised MAE can elevate the accuracy and efficiency of seismic monitoring with higher earthquake detectability.