bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron probe microanalysis of UO2 for stoichiometry determination
Authors: Wright K E , Adkins C
Published: February 2025

Oxygen-metal ratios are important to the study of irradiated nuclear oxide fuel. Critical performance metrics such as thermal conductivity, constituent redistribution, and melting temperature depend on the degree of departure from UO2.00 stoichiometry and in which direction (hyper- or hypo-stoichiometric) the departure has occurred. This study examined three sintered pellets with compositions of UO2.00, UO2.02, UO2.21 and one un-sintered pellet with a composition of UO2.16. When analysed via electron probe microanalysis, Al-coated pellet accuracy ranged from −1.0 % to 19.4 % while Ir-coated pellet accuracy ranged from −0.5 % to 4.6 %. For both analysis sets the un-sintered pellet exhibited the largest accuracy error. While some pellet heterogeneity contributed to lower-than-expected precision, this method appears suitable for characterising oxygen-metal ratios in irradiated uranium oxide fuels.
Perception with percipience
Authors: Pettit Philip
Published: February 2025

Percipience involves the exercise of judgment and reasoning in relation to perception. All animals rely on direct, causal interaction with their environment to endorse the perceptual predication of properties to objects; all shift attention sub-intentionally, often in pursuit of other intentional goals; and all dismiss or neglect perceptions that prove behaviorally misleading. But equipped with percipience, the humanoids can increase the range of properties perceived, can regulate their attention intentionally in seeking the answers to various questions, and can judge and believe that things are not as they are perceived to be rather than investing perception with unquestioned authority: they can distinguish appearance from reality, finding their way to aesthetic appreciation and speculative thought. Percipience can also enhance the awareness of what they perceive, which they share with the non-percipient, transforming their consciousness-in-perception. And it can enable them, unlike other perceivers, to enjoy consciousness-of-perception: to be able to recognize as such the perceptual states in which their world is presented, and possibly mis-presented, to them.
A Musician for Hire
Authors: Winters Ben
Published: February 2025

Chapter 2 examines the nature of Korngold’s contracts with Warner Bros. Although he was never employed on a permanent full-time contract, Korngold signed regular agreements between 1934 and 1946, and each of these documents reveals something about his developing relationship with the studio. As a composer under contract, he had as much or as little autonomy as any other musician working in the collaborative atmosphere of a movie studio. One of the more persistent myths about Korngold concerns the apparently special terms under which he operated at Warner Bros.—including the freedom to always choose the films on which he worked and his supposed ownership of the music he produced. This chapter challenges those myths, drawing upon evidence from the archives to provide a fuller picture of his contractual arrangements with Warner Bros.
Introduction to the Handbook
Authors: LeBaron-Black Ashley B , Kelley Heather , Sorgente Angela
Published: February 2025

Emerging adults across the globe face significant financial challenges, yet managing finances is a pivotal aspect of becoming an adult. This introduction chapter presents our evidence-based, application-centered handbook that lays the foundation for understanding financial literacy in emerging adulthood, framing it as a multifaceted concept essential for navigating this life stage. We outline the book’s structure, beginning with theoretical models and key components of financial literacy, such as financial knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. We then highlight the unique financial realities and aspirations of emerging adults, such as career development and achieving financial independence, as well as diverse personal and societal factors (e.g., socioeconomic vulnerability, culture, race) affecting this process. Finally, we emphasize the importance of targeted interventions—like parental guidance and educational programs—in fostering financial well-being.
Emerging Adults’ Financial Attitudes
Authors: Lutter Sonya , Saxey Matthew T
Published: February 2025

In this chapter, we describe how emerging adults’ financial attitudes take form. During the crucial developmental period of emerging adulthood, financial attitudes can shift quickly and vastly—and we provide a few reasons why. Indeed, we delineate how emerging adults’ family of origin experiences, individual demographic characteristics, and social influences could shape their financial attitudes. Financial attitudes are especially important during this period because they can have long-term effects on emerging adults’ financial outcomes, such as financial behaviors. Understanding emerging adults’ financial attitudes provides the space for designing policy, programs, and interventions to promote financial attitudes that are associated with financial flourishing. Two suggested implementation strategies include gender-based programming and peer ambassadors for social media messaging. We also provide directions for future research throughout the chapter.
Emerging Adults’ Consumption and Borrowing Behavior
Authors: Jian Xiao Jing , Alyssa Scott
Published: February 2025

In this chapter, we review the research literature on the consumption and borrowing behavior of emerging adults. Research indicates that emerging adults have different patterns in consumption compared to other age groups. They are encouraged to engage in sustainable consumption behaviors and reduce less desirable consumption behaviors such as conspicuous consumption and overspending. To make ends meet, many emerging adults borrow funds from various sources to smooth out their consumption at their low-income, high-consumption life-cycle stage, compared to older populations. Desirable borrowing behaviors help these emerging adults better manage their finances for achieving financial flourishing and overall well-being. At the chapter’s end, we discuss future directions for research on the consumption and borrowing behaviors of emerging adults.
Cultural and Racial Considerations in Financial Literacy
Authors: Friedlmeier Mihaela , Dang Phuc
Published: February 2025

Financial literacy provides an essential foundation for the flourishing of emerging adults around the world. Ethnic, cultural, and cross-cultural considerations in connection to financial literacy (e.g., knowledge, skills, attitudes), behaviors, and well-being of emerging adults help us understand unique but also universal challenges in the 21st century. While scholars have examined aspects of the culture–finances link in some world regions (e.g., North America, Australia, Europe), there is limited published literature from other parts of the world (e.g., Asia, Africa, South America). The current chapter first introduces the concept of (national) culture and identifies important cultural dimensions in connection to financial literacy. A review of the relevant literature from around the world is presented, followed by culturally sensitive suggestions for flourishing financially in emerging adulthood.
Financial Education of Emerging Adults
Authors: Porto Nilton , Carroll Kathryn A
Published: February 2025

We review four possible sources of financial education for emerging adults: college, work, the military, and on their own via free access resources. For each, we discuss benefits, challenges, and current trends. This chapter primarily focuses on the experience of U.S. emerging adults due to greater data availability, although international examples and research are also discussed. To examine the relationships between prior financial education, literacy, and behaviors, we also provide an example of financial education in action. We use a survey with emerging adults enrolled at a 4-year public university in the Southern United States to examine differences between financial education groups (those with and without prior financial education). We find that a general education college financial course may be one way to help address potential discrepancies between these financial education groups. Finally, we discuss needs and areas for improvement and advancement in current financial education programming and dissemination.
Conclusion and Future Research Directions
Authors: Danes Sharon M
Published: February 2025

The important study of the financial journey of emerging adults is in its infancy. This book captures what we currently know about financial literacy and how it relates to the flourishing and floundering of emerging adults. This chapter summarizes the current state of financial literacy research. It also provides questions, challenges, and ideas for future research. Suggestions include: (1) establishing more precise conceptual definitions, (2) collecting samples more representative of the emerging adult population, (3) collecting longitudinal data to reflect the fluctuating nature of financial decision-making and behavior over time (turning and tipping points), (4) utilizing qualitative methodologies to capture nuances of decision-making and financial capability, (5) transitioning from financial literacy to financial capability as a research focus, (6) introducing the financial capability systems theory (FCST), and (7) capturing perceptions and comprehensions underlying financial capability identity verification as motivators of the financial decision process.
Altruistic ToN
Authors: Zhang Yaning
Published: February 2025

This chapter introduces altruistic ToN, which corresponds to the Commission’s institutional facet as a judicial trustee. As the first ideal type of the Commission’s enforcement forbearance, altruistic ToN argues that enforcement leniency enables the Commission to cope with inherent deficiencies of the EU legal order and thus maintain its stability. Through the infringement case against unlawful restrictions on pharmaceutical parallel trade by three member states, this chapter traces how enforcement leniency in this case navigates the Commission through a litigation dilemma that pits the protection of human life against the integrity of the internal market law. This case study demonstrates that ToN is not necessarily a ‘malady’ of the rule of law, as it has the potential, at least temporarily, to mitigate the deficiencies of the EU legal order.
Egocentric ToN
Authors: Zhang Yaning
Published: February 2025

This chapter introduces egocentric ToN, which corresponds to the Commission’s institutional facet as a political agent. Building upon the classic argument that the Commission uses targeted enforcement to advance its legislative agenda in the Council, egocentric ToN adds that strategic enforcement can also impose policy change directly on member states, regardless of the supranational legislative process. To illustrate the logic of egocentric ToN, this chapter focuses on the relinquishment of the defence offset autonomy of the Czech government. To outlaw defence offset—a long-standing protective procurement practice in the EU, the Commission utilized the infringement case against a problematic defence contract of Prague as a bargaining chip to force the latter to give up its defence offset programme. This case shows that the enforcement discretion of the Commission can have autonomous policy impact, only if the functional concerns of member states are sufficiently addressed.
Conclusion
Authors: Zhang Yaning
Published: February 2025

This chapter summarizes the main findings of the previous chapters and discusses the theoretical and normative implications of enforcement forbearance. The empirical evidence of the four in-depth case studies of ToN collectively demonstrates that the proposed conceptualization and typology of ToN are highly valid and promising. Additionally, findings from the case studies also add to the broad scholarly discussions such as the judicial relations between the Commission and the Court of Justice. More importantly, this book shows that the legitimacy of enforcement forbearance is far from certain, and it largely rests on the specific enforcement motives of the Commission and its legitimation efforts. All these complexities around enforcement forbearance require follow-up research into the generality of ToN in the EU and other regional or international organizations.
Introduction
Authors: Kubátová Hana
Published: February 2025

The Introduction establishes the central concern of the book, revolving around how Christian nationalism gave rise to the Slovak state while also enabling genocide. Christian nationalism, it explains, provided the ideological terrain on which the regime and those at the edges collaborated to envision and work toward a racial society centered around the privileged Slovak and Christian nation. It also introduces arguments about the significant role played by meso-level actors, teachers, doctors, and clergy especially, in translating and molding concepts introduced from above. These arguments lay the groundwork to help the reader understand conceptually that the interplay between the center and the edges, and between the elites and the masses, shaped how the official state ideology of Christian nationalism materialized on the ground in the form of communal complicity in genocide. Next, it provides an overview of the historical and geographical scope of the study, the types of sources used, and how this work enhances a larger body of scholarship that has elided the significance of Slovakia to the history of the Holocaust, the intertwined relationship between Slovak formal independence and the Holocaust, and the complexities of complicity with Jozef Tiso’s regime in the eastern peripheries. Finally, the chapter explains the book’s structure and key terms used throughout the book.
The Edges
Authors: Kubátová Hana
Published: February 2025

The chapter moves to the edges of the newly independent nation, a rural region in flux. Eastern Slovakia, and its Šariš Zemplín County in particular, held a significant place in the collective imagination of the nation. It was the supposed birthplace of the nation and the stronghold of its religious beliefs. However, being situated on the fringes of the Slovak people, especially along the contested eastern borderlands, these areas posed challenges to the vision of discipline and progress of the fascist regime. Eastern Slovakia was a diverse region, encompassing various ethnic groups, such as Slovaks with both Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic traditions, Czechs, Hungarians, Rusyns, and the largest Jewish and Romani populations in the country. It was also the least developed region of the state, and, as such, reliant on support from the central authorities. Nevertheless, and as revealed here, eastern Slovakia was not merely a passive object of the regime; it possessed its own agency. This chapter argues that the eastern borderlands of the state, with its different categories of people and groups, could make or break the fascist order. This explains why the peripheries of the state came to be at the core of the regime’s operations: it was here that the state’s boundaries were shaped, and it was here that the state’s ideology was ultimately put to the test.
Student Activities in Public Universities
Authors: Ramzy Farah
Published: February 2025

This chapter follows the emergence of Student Activities, a cluster of new organizations of which the main form was a set of simulation models (e.g., Model United Nation), in Egyptian public universities in the late 1990s. Student Activities reflected the neoliberal mission of higher education and contributed to consolidating it. Nonetheless, they reveal the complexities of authoritarian neoliberalism and of its impact on students and student politics both before and after 2011. While Student Activities intersected with the socio-economic visions of Mubarak’s and later El-Sisi’s regime, various dynamics of politicization resulted from students’ negotiation of the potentialities of the space and the meaning of its activities: critique of the regime, intersections with protest movements and parties, adaptations of Islamist discourses, and action towards broader social change. Dynamics of politicization coexisted with active strategies of depoliticization that actors pursued, inevitably due to their neoliberal logic, and due to the necessity to survive in an increasingly restrictive environment.
Artificial Intelligence assisted detection of large vessel occlusion on CT angiography in acute stroke patients: A multi-reader multi-case study
Authors: Nagaratnam K , Mathieson P , Podlasek A , Slade P , Ford G A , Cox A , Briggs J H , Woodhead Z V J , Harston G
Published: February 2025

Objectives

We assessed the impact of artificial intelligence software (e-CTA, Brainomix) on clinical decision-making in patients with suspected acute ischemic stroke.

Methods

A retrospective, multi-reader-multi-case crossover design compared readers' performance with versus without software support. Twenty cases were included, 10 with large vessel occlusion (LVO) and 10 without LVO. Twenty one NHS clinicians, representing intended software users ranging in experience, conducted two sessions (washout period >2 weeks). In session one, software support was provided for 10 randomly selected cases. In session two, support allocation was reversed. Outcome measures included LVO detection, collateral scoring, diagnosis, treatment decision, time taken and confidence.

Results

Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of LVO detection improved with imaging software for LVO detection, with increased confidence and reduced time taken. There was no significant difference in collateral scoring or diagnoses.

Conclusion

e-CTA can improve performance of NHS clinicians when interpreting acute stroke imaging.

Advances in knowledge

This paper provides new evidence that AI decision support software has the capacity to improve the performance of representative users in the NHS when interpreting imaging to identify patients for acute stroke treatments.
PEAR: privacy-preserving and effective aggregation for byzantine-robust federated learning in real-world scenarios
Authors: Sun Han , Zhang Yan , Zhuang Huiping , Li Jiatong , Xu Zhen , Wu Liji
Published: February 2025

Federated learning (FL) enables collaborative training of global models among distributed clients without sharing local data. Secure aggregation, a new security primitive of FL, enhances the confidentiality of data and model parameters. Unfortunately, privacy-preserving (PP) FL is vulnerable to common poisoning attacks by Byzantine adversaries. Existing defense strategies mainly focus on identifying abnormal local gradients over plaintexts, which provides a weak privacy guarantee. In PPFL, adversaries can escape existing defenses by uploading encrypted poisonous gradients. In addition, most mainstream aggregation algorithms assume that clients’ local training data is uniformly distributed, Independent and Identically Distributed (IID), which is unrealistic for real-world FL scenarios where data are only stored on large-scale terminal devices. To address these issues, we propose PEAR, a PP aggregation strategy based on single key-dual server CKKS full homomorphic encryption in real-world distributed scenarios, which can resist encrypted poisoning attacks. Specifically, we use cosine similarity to measure the distance between encrypted gradients. Then, we propose a novel Byzantine-tolerance aggregation mechanism using cosine similarity, which includes trust score generation that can tolerate differentiated local gradients and a two-step weight generation method that considers both the degree of gradient deviation in direction and training data size. This mechanism can achieve robustness for both IID and non-IID data without compromising privacy. Our extensive evaluations for two typical poisoning attacks on different datasets show that PEAR is robust and effective in IID and non-IID data and outperforms existing mainstream Byzantine-robust algorithms, especially achieving 16.4% to 53.2% testing error rate reduction in non-IID settings with significant label distribution and quantity skew while maintaining the same efficiency as FedAvg.
Identification and functional characterization of genes associated with anthocyanin acylation in blueberry
Authors: Mengist Molla F , Abid Muhammad Ali , Grace Mary H , Seth Romit , Bassil Nahla , Kay Colin D , Dare Andrew P , Chagné David , Espley Richard V , Neilson Andrew , Lila Mary Ann , Ferruzzi Mario , Iorizzo Massimo
Published: February 2025

Blueberry is promoted as a super food with several health properties derived from chlorogenic acid and anthocyanin. Previous studies indicated that anthocyanin acylation and the content of chlorogenic acid could affect their level of absorption and biological activity. In this study, a genome-wide association study was performed to identify loci associated with anthocyanin and chlorogenic acid and characterize the candidate genes controlling anthocyanin acylation. Two stable loci controlling anthocyanin acylation and glucose specific glycosylation were confirmed on chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively, while no stable loci associated with chlorogenic acid were identified. Two acyl-CoA acyltransferases named VcBAHD-AT1 and VcBAHD-AT4, were identified as best candidate genes controlling anthocyanin acylation. Interestingly, the two genes clustered in acyl-CoA acyltransferases clade III, a clade that is not commonly associated with anthocyanin acylation. A Virus-induced gene silencing approach optimized for silencing VcBAHD-AT1 and VcBAHD-AT4 in the whole blueberry fruits, confirmed the role of these two genes in anthocyanin acylation. Overall, this study establishes the foundation to develop a molecular marker to select for higher acylated anthocyanin and delivered a method for rapid functional characterization of genes associated with other fruit related traits in blueberry. Also, the study adds evidence that during the evolution of acyl-CoA acyltransferases multiple routes led to the emergence and/or fixation of the anthocyanin acyltransferase activity. These outcomes advance knowledge about the genes controlling anthocyanin acylation in blueberries and that extend to other plants. Selecting new blueberry cultivars with higher acylated anthocyanin levels could potentially increase absorption of this health related bioactive.
ADAM: Automated Digital phenotyping And Morphological texture analysis of bone biopsy images using deep learning
Authors: Bharadwaj Satvika , Lima Florence , Pathak Tilak Bahadur , Dhamdhere Rohan , Fu Pingfu , Malluche Hartmut , Rao Madhumathi , Madabhushi Anant
Published: February 2025

Histomorphometric analysis of undecalcified bone biopsy images provides quantitative assessment of bone turnover, volume, and mineralization using static and dynamic parameters. Traditionally, quantification has relied on manual annotation and tracing of relevant tissue structures, a process that is time-intensive and subject to inter-operator variability. We developed ADAM, an automated pipeline for digital phenotyping, to quantify tissue and cellular components pertinent to static histomorphometric parameters such as bone and osteoid area, osteoclast and osteoblast count, and bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) area. The pipeline allowed rapid generation of delineated tissue and cell maps for up to 20 images in less than a minute. Comparing deep learning-generated annotation pixels with manual annotations, we observed Spearman correlation coefficients of ρ = 0.99 for both mineralized bone and osteoid, and ρ = 0.94 for BMAT. For osteoclast and osteoblast cell counts, which are subject to morphologic heterogeneity, using only brightfield microscopic images and without additional staining, we noted ρ = 0.60 and 0.69, respectively (inter-operator correlation was ρ = 0.62 for osteoclast and 0.84 for osteoblast count). The study also explored the application of Morphological Texture Analysis (MTA), measuring relative pixel patterns that potentially vary with diverse tissue conditions. Notably, MTA from mineralized bone, osteoid, and BMAT showed differentiating potential to identify common pixel characteristics between images labeled as low or high bone turnover based upon the final diagnostic report of the bone biopsy. The AUC-ROC obtained for BMAT MTA features as a classifier for bone turnover, was 0.87, suggesting that computer-extracted features, not discernable to the human eye, hold potential in classifying tissue states. With additional evaluation, ADAM could be potentially integrated into existing clinical routines to improve pathology workflows and contribute to diagnostic insights into bone biopsy evaluation and reporting.
An Inception transformer-based weighted prototype network for few-shot defect recognition of wheelset bearing
Authors: Deng Feiyue , Huang Zeheng , Hao Rujiang , Gu Xiaohui , Yang Shaopu
Published: February 2025

The low incidence of failures and high randomness in high-speed train wheelset bearings pose significant challenges in identifying bearing defects under few-shot sample conditions. An Inception transformer (IFormer)-based weighted prototype network is proposed for few-shot recognition of wheelset bearing defect images. To capture subtle differences in few-shot samples, an IFormer network integrating the strengths of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and Transformers is adopted in the prototype representation space. A multi-path fusion attention mechanism (MPAM)-based weighting prototype block is introduced to assign weights to features of same-class samples, thus enhancing the representation of target class prototypes. By integrating the modified cost function (MCF), the proposed model can more accurately evaluate the similarity between query samples and class prototypes. Extensive experiments on a public steel plates surface defects dataset and the self-constructed train wheelset bearing defect (TWBD) dataset demonstrate the robustness of the proposed model compared to other state-of-the-art few-shot learning models. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed model has been validated through a series of ablation experiments and visualization analyses. The proposed approach shows potential as a tool to facilitate intelligent recognition of train wheelset bearing images under few-shot sample conditions.
Self-regulation of high-redshift black hole accretion via jets: challenges for SMBH formation
Authors: Su Kung-Yi , Bryan Greg L , Haiman Zoltán
Published: February 2025

The early growth of black holes (BHs) in atomic-cooling halos is likely influenced by feedback on the surrounding gas. While the effects of radiative feedback are well-documented, mechanical feedback, particularly from AGN jets, has been comparatively less explored. Building on our previous work that examined the growth of a 100 M⊙ BH in a constant density environment regulated by AGN jets, we expand the initial BH mass range from 1 to 104 M⊙ and adopt a more realistic density profile for atomic-cooling halos. We reaffirm the validity of our analytic models for jet cocoon propagation and feedback regulation. We identify several critical radii-namely, the terminal radius of jet cocoon propagation, the isotropization radius of the jet cocoon, and the core radius of the atomic-cooling halo-that are crucial in determining BH growth given specific gas properties and jet feedback parameters. In a significant portion of the parameter space, our findings show that jet feedback substantially disrupts the halo‘s core during the initial feedback episode, preventing BH growth beyond 104 M⊙. Conversely, conditions characterized by low jet velocities and high gas densities enable sustained BH growth over extended periods. We provide a prediction for the black hole mass growth as a function of time and feedback parameters. We found that, to form a supermassive BH (>106M⊙) within 1 Gyr entirely by accreting gas from an atomic-cooling halo, the jet energy feedback efficiency must be $\lesssim 10^{-4} \dot{M}_{\rm BH} c^2$ even if the seed BH mass is 104M⊙.
Typical and disrupted small-world architecture and regional communication in full-term and preterm infants
Authors: Hu Huiqing , Coppola Peter , Stamatakis Emmanuel A , Naci Lorina
Published: February 2025

Understanding the emergence of complex cognition in the neonate is one of the great frontiers of cognitive neuroscience. In the adult brain, small-world organization enables efficient information segregation and integration and dynamic adaptability to cognitive demands. It remains unknown, however, when functional small-world architecture emerges in development, whether it is present by birth and how prematurity affects it. We leveraged the world's largest fMRI neonatal dataset—Developing Human Connectome Project—to include full-term neonates (n = 278), and preterm neonates scanned at term-equivalent age (TEA; n = 72), or before TEA (n = 70), and the Human Connectome Project for a reference adult group (n = 176). Although different from adults', the small-world architecture was developed in full-term neonates at birth. The key novel finding was that premature neonates before TEA showed dramatic underdevelopment of small-world organization and regional communication in 9/11 networks, with disruption in 32% of brain nodes. The somatomotor and dorsal attention networks carry the largest spatial effect, and visual network the smallest. Significant prematurity-related disruption of small-world architecture and reduced efficiency of regional communication in networks related to high-order cognition, including language, persisted at TEA. Critically, at full-term birth or by TEA, infants exhibited functional small-world architecture, which facilitates differentiated and integrated neural processes that support complex cognition. Conversely, this brain infrastructure is significantly underdeveloped before infants reach TEA. These findings improve understanding of the ontogeny of functional small-world architecture and efficiency of neural communication, and of their disruption by premature birth.
The Insect Vector, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama Exhibits a Lower Level of Fatty Acids Upon Infection with the Phytopathogenic Bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’
Authors: Killiny Nabil , Rashidi Mahnaz
Published: February 2025

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is the main vector for the bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, which is associated with citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing. D. citri transmits ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ during its feeding on citrus phloem sap. Transmission occurs in a circulative, propagative, and persistent manner. ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ has a small genome (1.2 Mb). Therefore, it acquires most of its nutrients and energetic nucleotides from its hosts. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ infection on the level of the free fatty acids in its vector. The fatty acids were extracted from adult D. citri using ethyl acetate, derivatized with boron trifluoride-methanol, and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Nine fatty acids were identified in the D. citri extracts. Oleic acid was the most predominant fatty acid followed by stearic and palmitic acid, whereas the rest of the fatty acids were present in low amounts. In general, the levels of the detected fatty acids in ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’-infected D. citri were lower than those found in healthy psyllids. Our findings showed that, the reduction of fatty acids in ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’-infected psyllids resulted from the higher activity of β-oxidation to generate acetyl-CoA, which causes more production of ATP. Our results indicated that ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ may enhance the β-oxidation of fatty acids in its vector insect to fulfill its nutrient and energetic nucleotide requirements.
Prospective Qualitative Study on Impact of Headache Surgery on Quality of Life: Are We Ready for Headache Surgery Outcome Measures?
Authors: Afifi Ahmed M. , Lyon Sarah , Gutierrez-Meza Diana , Alagoz Esra , Edalatpour Armin , Israel Jacqueline S.
Published: February 2025

Background:

Migraines are common and are associated with significant morbidity to patients and cost to the healthcare system. Headache surgery (HS) has emerged as a treatment option for patients with symptoms refractory to medical management, but its impact on patients’ quality of life is incompletely understood. This study analyzed, via in-depth prospective patient interviews, patient perceptions of and experience with HS.

Methods:

Patients with history of migraines who were scheduled for HS were invited to participate in this study. Semistructured interviews were conducted by trained qualitative interviewers in the pre/postoperative periods. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded utilizing NVivo 12 Software, and queried to assess the impact of surgery on domains such as work, relationships, headache severity, and medication use. Predominant themes were identified and compared among subjects in the preoperative/postoperative periods. Subjects were recruited until thematic saturation was achieved.

Results:

Eleven patients were enrolled in this study. Nine patients completed preoperative/postoperative interviews an average of 1 month before and 33 months following surgery. Compared with the preoperative interview, postoperative transcript analysis revealed reduced migraine severity, greater ability to participate in work and personal relationships, improved medication efficacy, and better ability to control headaches. These shifting domains facilitated a transition in patient cognitive allocation with reduced migraine predominance in the postoperative setting.

Conclusions:

This novel study assessed the impact of HS on the quality of life in a prospective, qualitative manner. Our results suggest that HS may reduce migraine severity, improve patients’ ability to work and engage in relationships, and improve patients’ mental health overall.
Thermoneutral-housed rats demonstrate impaired perivascular adipose tissue and vascular crosstalk
Authors: Henckel Melissa M. , Chun Ji Hye , Knaub Leslie A. , Pott Gregory B. , James Georgia E. , Hunter Kendall S. , Shandas Robin , Walker Lori A. , Reusch Jane E-B , Keller Amy C.
Published: February 2025

Objective:

Vascular pathology, characterized by impaired vasoreactivity and mitochondrial respiration, differs between the sexes. Housing rats under thermoneutral (TN) conditions causes vascular dysfunction and perturbed metabolism. We hypothesized that thoracic perivascular adipose tissue (tPVAT), a vasoregulatory adipose depot known to have a brown adipose tissue (BAT) phenotype, remodels to a mainly white adipose (WAT) phenotype in rats housed at TN, driving diminished vasoreactivity in a sex-dependent manner.

Methods:

Male and female Wistar rats were housed at either room temperature (RT) or TN. We measured changes in tPVAT morphology, vasoreactivity in vessels with intact tPVAT or transferred to tPVAT of the oppositely-housed animal, vessel stiffness, vessel mitochondrial respiration and cellular signaling.

Results:

Remodeling of tPVAT was observed in rats housed at TN; animals in this environment showed tPVAT whitening and displayed diminished aortae vasodilation (P < 0.05), different between the sexes. Juxtaposing tPVAT from RT rats onto aortae from TN rats in females corrected vasodilation (P < 0.05); this did not occur in males. In aortae of all animals housed at TN, mitochondrial respiration was significantly diminished in lipid substrate experiments (P < 0.05), and there was significantly less expression of phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (peNOS) (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

These data are consistent with TN-induced remodeling of tPVAT, notably associated with sex-specific blunting of vasoreactivity, diminished mitochondrial respiration, and altered cellular signaling.
Association of perfusate cytokine concentrations during liver graft ex-situ normothermic perfusion to donor type and postoperative outcomes
Authors: Pezzati Daniele , Torri Francesco , Franzini Maria , Balzano Emanuele , Catalano Gabriele , Tincani Giovanni , Bronzoni Jessica , Martinelli Caterina , Trizzino Arianna , Petagna Lorenzo , Carrai Paola , Petruccelli Stefania , Masini Matilde , Rotondo Maria Isabella , Babboni Serena , Del Turco Serena , Morganti Riccardo , De Tata Vincenzo , Biancofiore Giandomenico , Peris Adriano , Lazzeri Chiara , Basta Giuseppina , Paolicchi Aldo , Ghinolfi Davide
Published: February 2025

Background:

The use of the so-called extended criteria donors increases the number of grafts available for transplantation. Many studies reported their good outcomes but their use is debated due to increased risk of complications. Ex situ liver perfusion has reduced graft discard rate and helped to test their function before implantation. Cytokines are known to be involved in ischemia reperfusion injury but their potential to predict liver function during normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to compare cytokines levels during NMP in 3 different types of donors (DBD, DCD II, DCD III) and correlate these data to postoperative clinical and biochemical outcomes.

Methods:

All DBDs older than 70 years and DCDs transplanted after NMP were included. IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were measured during NMP and correlated with clinical outcomes.

Results:

Thirty liver grafts were transplanted after NMP: 16 DBD, 7 DCD-II and 7 DCD-III. There were 6 cases of EAD (20.0%), 10 of PRS (33.3%) and 11 cases of AKI (36.7%), with no major differences among groups. A positive correlation was found between perfusate IL-6 levels and the bilirubin peak within 7 days after LT while IL-10 was associated with the ICU stay and TNF-α to the INR peak within 7 days. IL-6 was negatively associated to post-operative ALT levels, IL-10 to bilirubin peak. A correlation between higher IL-6 levels at 2h and graft loss was found.

Conclusions.

This is the first study to compare cytokines profile during NMP in three different types of donors and correlate it to clinical outcomes. A correlation between IL-6 concentration and graft failure was found. The role and the significate of inflammatory markers in MP perfusate and their potential to assess graft viability and the risk of post-LT complications has to be further addressed.
Effectiveness of psychotherapy for Hwa-Byung: A systematic review of interventional studies
Authors: Kwon Chan-Young , Lee Boram
Published: February 2025

Background:

This systematic review aimed to review and synthesize the effects of different psychotherapies on Hwa-Byung (HB), a Korean culture-bound syndrome.

Methods:

Ten electronic databases were comprehensively searched for interventional studies on psychotherapy, including language-based communication, for patients with HB, published until July 2023. The Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool and risk-of-bias in non-randomized studies of interventions were used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results:

Nine studies including 7 controlled clinical trials were included. Interventions encompassed 6 types: acceptance and commitment therapy, Adlerian counseling, integrated counseling, emotional freedom technique, art therapy, and psychotherapeutic programs for HB treatment. Except for the 2 types of counseling, all interventions were implemented in a group format, with total sessions ranging from 4 to 15 (average 8.11). Most interventions significantly improved HB symptoms compared to the waitlist or before-and-after comparisons. In the before-after comparison, the most frequently reported outcome of effectiveness was the HB Scale total score (100%, 6/6), followed by state anger (50%, 3/6), and state anxiety (50%, 2/4). For other outcomes, statistically significant positive results were reported in less than half of the cases, or there were only a small number of reported cases.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this systematic review comprehensively investigated the effectiveness of psychotherapy for HB and found evidence for some psychotherapies not previously presented in the clinical practice guidelines for HB. However, methodological limitations, including the lack of an appropriate control group, make it difficult to obtain high-quality evidence on psychotherapy for HB.
Personalized aesthetic management of skeletal Class II malocclusion with a combined approach of orthodontic, orthognathic, and prosthodontic treatment: A case report
Authors: Nie Jinhan , Hu Min , Qi Huichuan , Mao Zhi , Wu Zhina , Duan Mengna , Wu Guomin , Yang Xue , Zhang Yi
Published: February 2025

Rationale:

The 6 elements of orofacial harmony play a crucial role in establishing individual aesthetics in orthodontics and orthognathic treatments. The use of digital tools streamlines multidisciplinary treatment processes and facilitates the attainment of precise outcomes.

Patient concerns:

The patient required orthodontic treatment because of a convex profile. UR1 was missing because of trauma and was replaced with a fixed bridge.

Diagnoses:

The patient presented with a skeletal Class II relationship and a deep overbite. Diagnosis based on the 6 elements of orofacial harmony identified an overdeveloped maxilla, a relatively normal mandible, and an underdeveloped chin with a vertical growth pattern.

Interventions:

To address these issues, a combined orthodontic and orthognathic treatment plan was implemented with a detailed surgical protocol developed according to these 6 elements. Customized brackets and 3D-printed occlusal plates were used in this study. After completing orthodontic treatment, an anterior prosthesis was designed using 3D digital technology to restore occlusal function and enhance anterior aesthetics.

Outcomes:

Post-treatment, the patient demonstrated reduced facial convexity, a flattened nasolabial sulcus, balanced occlusal forces, and restored occlusal function.

Lessons:

The outcomes of this case highlight the crucial role of the 6 elements of orofacial harmony in guiding the design and aesthetic planning of orthodontic and orthognathic treatment. In addition, the use of personalized treatment tools significantly enhances the treatment accuracy.
Nevus lipomatosus superficialis mimicking ectopic breast tissue: A rare case report
Authors: Hwang Hui Beom , Yoon Sehoon , Hong Ki Yong
Published: February 2025

Rationale:

Diagnosis of solitary superficial lipomatous mass may vary depending on circumstances. Although preliminary diagnosis can be made through clinical symptoms and imaging studies, final diagnosis can change through histological examination. This is the first reported case of nevus lipomatosus superficialis (NLS) resembling ectopic breast tissue which may provide valuable insights for clinicians managing similar lesions.

Patient concerns:

A 41-year-old female had a solitary mass on her left lower flank, lasting more than 10 years with cyclic pain corresponding to her menstrual cycle.

Diagnoses:

A computed tomography scan suggested benign subcutaneous lipoma, but histopathological examination after surgery confirmed the diagnosis of NLS.

Interventions:

Surgical excision was performed without complications.

Outcomes:

No regrowth of the lipomatous mass was observed at the 6-month follow-up, and there was no recurrence of cyclic pain.

Lessons:

This report aims to discuss an unusual presentation of NLS that mimics ectopic breast tissue and causes cyclic pain related to the menstrual cycle. Understanding this case provides insights into the potential hormonal influence on focal adipose tumors and the challenges in differential diagnosis.
The impact of second-victim syndrome on staff well-being and practice
Authors: Alishaq Moza , kamal Hassan Asmaa , Assar Ahmed H. , Elfaki Somaia , Sobhi Mohamed Samia Mohmed , Abdelaliem Sally Mohammed Farghaly , Hassan Elkordy Mohammed
Published: February 2025

This study aimed to examine factors influencing psychological well-being and support among healthcare professionals involved in adverse event investigations, complaints, medical errors, and patient injuries from January 2020 to March 2022. The second-victim experience and support tool (SVEST) was used to assess second-victim experiences and support resources. Non-probability purposive sampling was employed, and data were collected through a Monkey Survey sent via email to around 150 clinicians (physicians, nurses, and pharmacists). A total of 100 responses were received. The inclusion criteria required participants to have been involved in adverse event investigations, complaints, medical errors, or patient-related injuries. The SVEST, with 29 items measured on a 5-point Likert scale, evaluated their perceptions of second-victim experiences and support resources. Institutional support was positively perceived by 55.0% of participants, with 52.0% feeling a range of coping resources was available. However, 31.0% felt their well-being was not adequately prioritized. Nonwork-related support was crucial, with 57.0% relying on friends and family. Professional self-efficacy was impacted, with 46.0% feeling inadequate and 39.0% experiencing self-doubt. Turnover intentions were notable, as 39.0% expressed a desire to leave patient care, and 34.0% considered quitting due to stress. This study highlights the need for targeted support systems to address second-victim experiences among healthcare professionals involved in adverse events. Enhancing institutional support, professional self-efficacy, and access to coping resources is crucial. Policymakers and healthcare leaders can help mitigate stress, decrease turnover intentions, and promote psychological resilience by fostering a supportive work environment and providing comprehensive resources, healthcare organizations can improve clinician well-being, reduce stress, and enhance patient care quality.