bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neurological deterioration after acute ischemic stroke: A common phenomenon with important implications
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhao Min , Qiao Yue , Li Sijie , Ji Xunming , Zhao Wenbo
Published: January 2025

Background：Neurological deterioration following acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a common clinical phenomenon associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, neurological deterioration can be attributed to diverse mechanisms in different clinical contexts. Further, there is still a lack of standard and well-recognized definitions of neurological deterioration, which compounds the complexities and challenges of its early identification and management of neurological deterioration. As AIS becomes increasingly common, the need to address neurological deterioration after AIS in clinical practice and further improve functional outcomes is becoming more urgent.
Summary: To facilitate earlier recognition and more precise interventions, in this review, we comprehensively outline the evolution of the definition of neurological deterioration, its incidence in various patient groups, and the potential underlying causes rooted in multiple pathophysiological mechanisms. We further highlight the diverse risk factors associated with neurological deterioration and provide an overview of the scientific basis and practical applications of preventative and therapeutic strategies.
Key messages: Early identification and management of neurological deterioration in AIS patients is crucial but challenging due to lack of unified assessment criteria and diverse mechanisms. Standardizing definitions and developing targeted strategies based on pathological mechanisms and pharmacological profiles are needed to improve outcomes.
The Mechanisation of Inference: Venn’s Logical-Diagram Machine
Authors:   Tallinn University of Technology, Moktefi Amirouche
Published: January 2025

It is well known that John Venn introduced an ingenious diagrammatic scheme in his 1880 paper “On the Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of Propositions and Reasonings.” It is less known that Venn also described there two plans for logical machines, inspired by his diagrams. These machines were said to be analogous to the machine that William S. Jevons constructed a few years
earlier. However, Venn had “no high estimate . . . of the interest or importance” of such machines. He argued that such devices perform only a small part of the process required to solve logical problems. Consequently, the help that is offered is very slight. Given that Venn’s machine is founded on his diagrams, one may wonder what Venn’s discussion of logic machines teaches us about his diagrams. The paper argues that Venn failed to notice that his diagrams are vulnerable to the same criticisms that he raised against logic machines.
“My Little Cyborg”: Human, Machine, and the Philosophical Paradoxes of Difficult Humanism
Authors:   Almaty Humanitarian-Economic University, Turarbekova Laura , Nurysheva Gulzhikhan ,   Kazakh State University, Sartayeva Raushan ,   Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies, Müürsepp Peeter
Published: January 2025

In many ways, ideas about humans and humanity (often contested in modern decolonisation studies) are rooted in the Western European tradition. The humanities themselves arise from the European Renaissance. Thus, addressing the question of the importance of technology for modern humanities research leads to the question of the essence of the human and the technical. To answer this
question, the authors turn to the interpretations of twentieth-century Western European thinkers, since Europe is the source of (sometimes contradictory) ideas about humanity. Every attempt at a philosophical analysis of the problem of modern technologies returns to the question about humans, their past, their future and, of course, their present.
This article considers some philosophical, anthropological, and medical aspects of the process of cyborgisation of a modern human—from the implantation of microchips into human organs to the complete replacement of some organs with artificial ones, or even the creation of additional organs that do not exist in nature. The problem statement is accompanied by a philosophical analysis of texts by different European authors who have addressed the problems of technology.
Technology, which inevitably accompanies humanity throughout the history of its existence, puts a person face to face with the radically Other, inhuman machine. Thus, a technical object is a product of culture and at the same time produces an ethos, a habitat. Cyborg, the technical improvement of human nature, derives from a purely human way of existence, but also produces a special world of
technically advanced people—those who already possess non-human properties and qualities. What, then, is a cyborg? Is domestication possible by introducing technical, inanimate objects into living human beings? Will this process lead to the creation of a new cyborg ethics or to the destruction of humans and their replacement by the machine?
Estudo de caso aplicado AMBICOOP: cooperativa de geração de energias sustentáveis e saneamento rural Toledo-PR: produto II
Authors: Soares Fabio Rubens ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Lima Heleno Quevedo de ,   Universidade Federal do ABC, Garcilasso Vanessa ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Ferraz Junior Antônio Djalma ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Varkulya Junior Americo , Perecin Danilo
Published: January 2025

Esta obra tem como principal objetivo apresentar o estudo de caso do Projeto Biogás da cidade de Toledo (PR) – pioneiro de produção de biogás – e, com ele, a obtenção de eletricidade, o que pode ser replicado a outras regiões do país, incrementando ainda mais a matriz energética brasileira com o uso de fontes renováveis e o reaproveitamento de resíduos. O Projeto, realizado com apoio da Cooperativa de Geração de Energias Sustentáveis e Saneamento Rural – AMBICOOP, tem como objetivo a produção de biogás através de dejetos animais de 41 produtores/as da região. Isso significa que os efluentes da criação de animais serão coletados e destinados para produção de biogás em uma taxa de coleta de efluentes de aproximadamente 1000 metros cúbicos por hora (m³/hora). Considerando seu potencial de mitigação de impactos ambientais e sua capacidade de produção de biogás nessa escala, este projeto é inédito no país e se destaca pela inovação de um projeto-piloto que permite a sua reprodução em outros lugares do Brasil. Esta obra faz parte do Projeto Sistemas de Energia do Futuro III.
Estresse acadêmico e transtorno de compulsão alimentar em estudantes de medicina durante a pandemia do coronavírus
Authors: Melo Nathallya Thamyres dos Santos , Santos Luiza Freire de Almeida Barros dos , Santos Maria Eduarda Barbosa Abrantes , Santana Tânia Flaiane de , De Morais Thawane Maria Pereira , Ferreira Alberto Gorayeb
Published: January 2025

Introduction: medical students have high levels of stress due to being exposed to intense responsibilities and direct contact with human suffering. These factors predispose to the occurrence of eating disorders, commonly binge eating disorder. Objective: to highlight academic stress factors and maladaptive eating behaviors in medical students at Faculdade Pernambucana de Saúde (FPS), as well as the influence of the experienced pandemic scenario. Method: this is a cross-sectional study. Medical students from all FPS periods were invited to participate in this research, which was approved by the Research Ethics Committee with CAAE: 53687821.6.0000.5569. Information was obtained through a sociodemographic questionnaire that included validated scales for assessing academic stress (NISESTE) and binge eating (ECAP/BES). Data were correlated by Kendall's correlation coefficient in addition to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Normality test for quantitative variables. A value of p < 0.05 was considered. Results: data was obtained from 230 students and more than 90% of them had severe or moderate binge eating (AB), with half (50.9%) reporting the occurrence of compulsive eating episodes during the coronavirus pandemic. Difficulty concentrating in class/teacher and concern with internships (Factors 4 and 5) were the most common academic stress factors, and the perception of inferiority (factor 6) was statistically correlated (P<0.05) with the occurrence of HERE. Conclusion: it was identified that AC occurred in most medical students and was correlated with academic stress factors. It was also suggested that the social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic had an influence on the manifestation of episodes of compulsive eating.
Análise dos modos de Figurativização e Tematização do Maracatu do Baque Solto
Authors: Ferreira Raissa D'aquila
Published: January 2025

Este artículo se dedica a analizar los modos de figuración y tematización del Maracatu del Baque Solto, o Rural, con enfoque en la presentación del grupo más tradicional de esa expresión cultural, la Cambinda Brasileira. Con más de cien años de historia en el Engenho do Cumbe en Nazaré de la Mata, es una referencia en la folia de Maracatu. Utilizando el enfoque de la semiótica francesa como método analítico, el artículo investiga cómo la Cambinda Brasileira construye sus significados representaciones a través de elementos como gestos, ropa, objetos, movimientos y discurso. Además, destaca la importancia de profundizar los estudios folclóricos, especialmente en relación a expresiones culturales marginalizadas y subalternizadas por la clase dominante, como es el caso del Maracatu del Baque Solto. Sobre todo, a través del análisis semiótico, es posible comprender mejor la relación entre la Cambinda y la construcción de lo que se llama "cultura brasileña", permitiendo una mayor valoración y preservación de esta manifestación cultural única.
Drei pseudepigraphische Prophetenschutzbriefe aus dem Jemen
Authors: Hünefeld Kerstin
Published: January 2025

Im Zentrum dieses Artikels stehen drei pseudepigraphische Prophetenschutzbriefe aus dem Jemen, deren judäo-arabische Abschriften aus dem 18. – 20. Jahrhundert stammen und als Fälschungen gelten. Obwohl sie im Kern wahrscheinlich auf echte Schutzabkommen zurückgehen, wurden sie in ihrer heute bekannten Form von Mitgliedern der jüdischen Gemeinde selbst verfasst oder redaktionell bearbeitet. Dieser Artikel geht den Fragen nach, in welchen konkreten historisch-politischen Kontexten diese Schreiben entstanden sind, welche Motive und Texte der islamischen Literatur in diese eingearbeitet, und wie diese weiterentwickelt wurden, damit sie erfolgreich im zaiditisch-jemenitischen – und wahrscheinlich tribalen – Kontext angewandt werden konnten. Damit gibt der Artikel Einblicke in die Handlungsstrategien von „Schutzbefohlenen Untertanen“ (ḏimmīs) und in ihre Kenntnisse der islamischen Geschichts- und Rechtsliteratur.

This article focuses on three pseudepigraphic protection letters from Yemen, ascribed to the Prophet Muḥammad. The Judaeo-Arabic copies of these texts date back to the 18th to 20th century in Yemen and are considered forgeries. Although they may partially derive from genuine treaties, they have been found to be authored or edited in their current form by members of the Jewish community. This article explores the historical and political contexts in which these protection letters were likely written, how they were adapted from Islamic literary texts, and later modified to be applied in the Yemeni-Zaydī – and possibly tribal – context. In doing so, the article sheds light on the agency and strategies Yemeni Jews applied while being dhimmīs, as well as the “protected people”‘s knowledge of Islamic historical and legal literature
Monotheism of the Divine Names and Attributes as a Defining Criterion of Salafism
Authors: Ťupek Pavel , Beránek Ondřej
Published: January 2025

This study examines how Saudi Salafism, as a modern ideological construct, has gradually linked the theological teachings about the monotheism of the Divine names and attributes (tawḥīd al-asmāʾ wa-l-ṣifāt) of the Ḥanbalī scholar Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328) with the teachings of his later Ḥanbalī fellow Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (1703/04–1792). Within this process, the topic has been turned from a peripheral one into a crucial criterion of defining “Salafī-ness” as such. In this sense, to be a Salafī means to be a follower of the Divine names and attributes in the Ḥanbalī interpretation of Ibn Taymiyya as opposed to the mainstream Ashʿarī (and Māturīdī) theology. This criterion, as the authors argue, has been instrumentalized as a tool of claiming one’s legitimacy and superiority.
Historiography of Falsafa in Post-Qajar Iran: Its History and Classification
Authors: Amin Beidokhti Hanif
Published: January 2025

The historiography of falsafa in Persian as a genre of philosophical literature is a young phenomenon, rooted in the encounter of the Iranian philosophical community with modern European philosophy. European historiography of philosophy as a discipline is itself modern and was initiated in the eighteenth century and evolved thereafter with the historiography of falsafa as its by-product. Despite its relative youth, Persian historiography of falsafa has yielded considerable outcomes. This paper outlines the historical trajectory leading to the emergence of this new genre of philosophical literature in Iran. It then provides a classification of these works and highlights their salient features. This body of literature offers insights not only for philosophers but also for scholars of cultural studies, social sciences, and political sciences, given that Persian historiographies, like their European counterparts, have also been employed to endorse political or religious identities through the construction of nativist or non-nativist grand narratives.
The Right to Education in the Mother Tongue for National Minorities in Albania
Authors: Kume Enida
Published: January 2025

In Albanian national legislation the right to education in the mother tongue for national minorities is defined in accordance with the principles and requirements of Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and other international agreements in the field of human rights. The analysis of the Albanian national legislative framework that regulates the implementation of this right, evaluation and analysis of the perceptions and opinions of the citizens belonging to the national minorities regarding to their opportunities for education in the mother tongue and the identification of the problems that must be solved to fulfill this right, are the subject of this paper.
Classifying Muslims in Contemporary Europe
Authors: Latif Muhammad Asad
Published: January 2025

Since the late 20th century, how Muslims should be categorised has dominated public discourse in countries where Muslims make up most of the minority. This research compares how Muslims are classified in the UK and Germany in terms of their state, education, and self-identification. Scholar contend, has a lengthy history and explain that Muslims in Germany via the prism of religion, but the history of anti-Muslim racism and anti-black racism is entwined because of semitic and anti-Black racism, which is ultimately the result of colonial hegemony. The topic of how to categorize Muslims has dominated public conversation in nations with most Muslims since the late 20th century. Scholar question widely held beliefs about what it means to be a Muslim through this multidimensional ethnographic and historical investigation, highlighting the significance of the interaction between sociopolitical categories and self-identifications.
The “Sky Optick”
Authors: Warwick Genevieve
Published: January 2025

In a contextualising analysis of early modern ocular instruments, this article studies the expanded field of optics surrounding the so-named “Galilean revolution” of scientific vision. From the telescope, to the microscope, and the “sky optick” or scioptic ball, it examines a spectrum of camera obscura constructed in a variety of forms and sizes, and the nomenclature through which they were known. These ranged from portable tent-cameras for topographical surveys; to smaller box-cameras; to the “sky optick,” a camera obscura in the form of an eyeball. The article analyses their component material parts and etymological nomenclatures in order to understand what and how they were understood to “see.” Collectively, this essay argues, these artefacts informed the “Galilean revolution” of early modern vision, in demonstrating the authority of documented visual evidence as the future of scientific research.
Anelastic Convective Entities. Part 2: Adjustment processes and convective cold top
Authors: Kuo Yi-Hung , Neelin J. David
Published: January 2025

Seeking a family of models filling the hierarchy between steady plumes and cloud-resolving simulations, Part I of this study presented a formulation termed anelastic convective entities (ACEs). The solution includes pressure-mediated nonlocal effects in both vertical and horizontal and thus yields time-dependent simulations of convective updrafts, downdrafts and other aspects of convection even for a single column interacting with a fixed environment through dynamically determined inflow and outflow. Here we show how a straightforward iteration of that formulation can capture interactions among entities in a variety of choices for the geometry of the interactions. Using an oceanic sounding to contrast with land cases in Part 1, we first illustrate that a single ACE can exhibit ongoing time-dependent evolution depending, e.g., on choices in the parameterized turbulence. For a case in which a single ACE with fixed environment would yield a near-steady deep-convective state, we examine the adjustment process in a multi-ACE prototype for adjustment within a climate model grid cell. This embedded ACE configuration exhibits time-dependent stratiform cloud expansion through convective outflow modified by dynamic feedbacks. The grid-scale adjustment process includes not only traditional warming by large-scale descent, but also captures the spread of the convective cold top. The formulation also illustrates the possibility of multi-hour time lag before the transition to deep convection, and remote initiation by small vertical velocities in the grid-cell environment. Comparing 1-, 2-, 4- and 8-ACE instances suggests promise as a potential convective-parameterization class between traditional- and super-parameterization, while providing a sandbox to aid understanding of convective and adjustment processes.
Collective Narratives and Traditional Values in Meetings to Promote Peace: The Case of Religious Jewish and Muslim Women in Israel
Authors: Kalagy Tehila , Layosh Bella
Published: January 2025

This study examined collective narratives and interactions among religious Muslim women and ultra-Orthodox Jewish women during meetings designed to promote dialogue. The dialogue group consisted of 10 women leaders from each of the two patriarchal communities who met regularly over 3 years (2018–2021); conversations were summarized, recorded, and transcribed by the researchers, and the data were categorized into three themes based on the model developed by Sagy et al. (2002). This model investigates collective narratives of the in-group and the out-group via legitimacy, empathy, and anger. This work revealed several important findings. First, there was meaningful dialogue that occurred between the participants. This dialogue led to better understanding of the collective narratives of others and the ability to identify certain similarities between the groups. In addition, while the women who participated in the dialogue group were familiar with the limitations of gender within traditional society, they also discovered advantages that contributed to a common, respectful dialogue. Finally, the duration of the conversations and the tolerance of the women created trust and a desire to promote neighborly relations. These findings indicate that the presence of women in peace discussions is quite effective and could potentially lead to applicable nonviolent practices.
Disparities in COVID-19 Cases, Deaths, and Vaccination, by Race and Ethnicity and Asian Ethnic Groups, Santa Clara County, California, 2020-2021
Authors: Lin Wen , Swart Madeleine , Stoddard Pamela , Kelsey Kate , Sujeer Anandi , Hoover Christopher M. , Enanoria Wayne
Published: January 2025

Objectives:

Disaggregated data on Asian ethnic groups are needed to identify health disparities among Asian people. We examined COVID-19 incidence, deaths, and vaccinations among Asian ethnic groups in Santa Clara County, California.

Methods:

We extracted data on SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations from December 15, 2020, through August 6, 2021, from the California Reportable Diseases Information Exchange and the California Immunization Registry. We assigned Asian ethnic group based on name for missing self-reported information. We calculated age-adjusted rates and rate ratios of infections and deaths and percentages of vaccinations by race and ethnicity and Asian ethnic group. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to examine factors associated with COVID-19 deaths.

Results:

Although Asian residents had the lowest rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections per 100 000 people (1801.9; 95% CI, 1771.5-1832.7) among all racial and ethnic groups, when disaggregated by Asian ethnicity, Filipino (3169.0; 95% CI, 3049.1-3292.4) and Vietnamese (3008.4; 95% CI, 2916.9-3102.1) residents had the highest age-adjusted rates. Asian (38.7; 95% CI, 33.7-44.3) and non-Hispanic White (42.3; 95% CI, 37.5-47.5) residents had the lowest rate of COVID-19 deaths compared with all other racial and ethnic groups; however, Filipino (67.6; 95% CI, 49.1-90.8) and Vietnamese (63.7; 97% CI, 48.9-81.6) residents had significantly higher rates than the aforementioned groups did. Among all racial and ethnic groups, Asian residents had the highest completion rate of primary COVID-19 vaccine series by August 6, 2021 (87.0%; 95% CI, 86.8%-87.3%). Within Asian ethnic groups, Filipino residents had the lowest vaccination rate (65.0%; 95% CI, 64.4%-65.6%).

Conclusions:

Differences in COVID-19 incidence, deaths, and vaccinations among Asian ethnic groups highlight the importance of data collection of ethnic groups as a standard practice.
Cutaneous Involvement of the Ear as the Sole Presenting Symptom in Recurrent Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Case Report
Authors: Kim Stephanie S. , Sriharan Aravindhan , Lee Andrew Y. , McCool Ryan R.
Published: January 2025

Cutaneous involvement of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is rare but has been previously documented to involve the head and neck region. Generally, involvement to the ears is limited to the ear lobule; however, this study presents a unique case of recurrent CLL with cutaneous involvement overlying the auricular ear. The presentation was initially concerning for possible perichondritis but remained unresponsive to antibiotics and steroids. Eventual punch biopsy confirmed the recurrent CLL, although the lesion also presented with unique pathology, notably associated granulomata. This case demonstrates auricular involvement of CLL with unique pathology and highlights the importance of a widened differential and early, definitive tissue biopsy when evaluating refractory inflammation of the external ear.
Some contradictions of the welfare state: Revisited
Authors: Ó RÁLAIGH CHRIS
Published: January 2025

It is now 40 years since the publication of Claus Offe's classical paper, Some Contradictions of the Modern Welfare State. Much change has occurred to the form and content of welfare states over the intervening years, yet in addition to change, continuities are very much evident, and it is this constellation of developments – alongside anniversarial convenience – which has motivated a re-examination of Offe's seminal work on the contradictions of welfare states. This anniversary article re-introduces and provides a critique of the original paper before moving on to a historical comparison of the major political economic and societal differences which sets the scene for a concluding review of the major contradictions within welfare states in contemporary times. The paper argues that the core historical contradiction identified by Offe – that between the accumulation requirements of capital and the legitimation requirements of political elites to satiate the welfare needs of populations – remains at the core of contemporary contradictions.
On Omitted Variables, Proxies, and Unobserved Effects in Empirical Regression Analysis
Authors: Du Shihan , Wilke Ralf Andreas , Homrighausen Pia
Published: January 2025

Any result from regression analysis may be subject to omitted variable bias of unknown magnitude and direction as, in practice, no dataset contains all the variables of the population model. At the same time, many variables are irrelevant and don’t contribute to the analysis. This paper explores which combination of data sources or structures will produce the best results and should be made available to the research community. We present a unified statistical framework that nests and comparable sets of constraints that characterize the effectiveness of these approaches in reducing omitted variable bias. We demonstrate our framework by estimating a wage and labor market transition model using German administrative data with a large set of linked survey variables. Overall, we find that unobserved effects panel data models with a restricted set of regressors are preferable to cross-sectional analysis with an extended set of variables. Consequently, we recommend that data providers supply administrative panel data for key variables instead of conducting extensive cross-sectional surveys.
Quantitative evaluation of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration: a comparison of ultrashort time-to-echo T2* with T1rho relaxometry
Authors: Wu Li-Lan , Huang Shun-Fa , Zhu Liu-Hong , Liu Hao , Zhou Jian-Jun
Published: January 2025

Background

Early detection of changes in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) has great clinical significance. T1rho and UTE-T2* relaxometry are capable of providing information about biochemical changes in IVDD. However, they have not been previously analyzed and compared directly in the same patients.

Purpose

To assess and compare the potential of T1rho and UTE-T2* in the diagnosis of early IVDD in vivo.

Material and Methods

The UTE-T2* and T1rho values of 389 lumbar discs (L1/2–L5/S1) in 78 individuals were measured in three segmented disc regions. The lumbar intervertebral disc was graded using the 5-level Pfirrmann grading system and divided into three categories. Statistical analysis was performed on the regional differences of UTE-T2* and T1rho relaxometry and correlation with IVDD.

Results

Both UTE-T2* and T1rho values were negatively correlated with Pfirrmann grade ( P < 0.001). They showed strong correlations with Pfirrmann grade in NP (r = −0.725 and −0.743, respectively; P < 0.001). Diagnostic accuracy of detecting early IVDD was better with T1rho than UTE-T2* value in AAF and NP, with areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.834–0.934 (both P < 0.05). For advanced lumbar IVDD, UTE-T2* value showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy than T1rho in all segments with AUCs in the range of 0.743–0.893 ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

UTE-T2* relaxometry provided another promising magnetic resonance imaging sequence for quantitatively evaluating lumbar IVDD, especially for detection of the advanced stage of IVDD. In addition, the T1rho value is superior to UTE-T2* in detecting early lumbar IVDD.
Effects of epidural dexmedetomidine on patient-controlled epidural analgesia after total knee arthroplasty: a single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study
Authors: Han Seong Min , Kwon So Young , Kim Jaesuk , Kang Jae Hyuk , Joo Jin Deok
Published: January 2025

Objective

To evaluate the impact of adding epidural dexmedetomidine to low-concentration patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) on pain control and side effects in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

In this double-blind study, American Society of Anesthesiologists I to II patients undergoing TKA were assigned to receive 0.125% bupivacaine + fentanyl 4 µg/mL (group R) or 0.1% bupivacaine + fentanyl 2 µg/mL with an epidural injection of dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg (group D). The primary outcomes were the effectiveness of postoperative pain control as assessed by the numeric pain rating scale (NRS) and the incidence of side effects. Secondary outcomes included hemodynamic parameters (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate), motor block assessment, sensory block duration, analgesia duration, and the need for additional analgesia.

Results

Both groups achieved similar pain control as indicated by NRS scores. However, group D experienced lower rates of urinary retention and pruritus, whereas sedation in the recovery room was greater in group D. Group R had significantly higher systolic pressure in the recovery room. group D exhibited significantly lower heart rates at 5 and 10 minutes.

Conclusions

Low-concentration PCEA with epidural dexmedetomidine provides similar analgesia after TKA as high-concentration PCEA with fewer side effects.
Towards understanding the drilling-induced subsurface damage mechanism of SiCp/Al composite based on microscale numerical modeling and experimental analysis
Authors: Liu Junjie , Liu Chang , Xu Weiwei , Hou Zhaoxin , Gao Lei
Published: January 2025

SiC particle reinforced aluminum matrix (SiCp/Al) composite is one of the key light metal matrix composites in the aerospace and electronics industries due to its outstanding material properties. However, the drilling-induced subsurface damage is crucial for its reliable application. This paper focuses on the subsurface damage mechanism (particle damage and crack damage) in the drilling of SiCp/Al composites based on microscale numerical modeling and experimental analysis. The proposed numerical model effectively simulates particle damage, including fracture and spalling. The crack formation and propagation mechanism are revealed. Specifically, stress concentration at the particle tip is the initial formation of the crack, and plastic deformation of the matrix material promotes the crack to extend to the subsurface, and eventually, the crack convergence damage is formed in combination with other cracks. The drilling-induced subsurface damage depth is determined based on microhardness tests, approximately 180–220 μm. The study provides a theoretical basis for the low damage machining of SiCp/Al composites.
Testing a Multidimensional Factor Structure of the Self-Control Scale
Authors: Collison Katherine L. , Lynam Donald R. , Du Tianwei V. , South Susan C.
Published: January 2025

The Self-Control Scale (SCS) is one of the most widely used measures in the clinical, personality, and social psychology fields. It is often treated as unidimensional, even though no research supports such a unidimensional factor structure. We tested the factor structure in an undergraduate sample as well as a community sample used for additional confirmatory analyses. Factors from the best-fitting confirmatory models were correlated with putatively related and distinct constructs to assess their (dis)similarities. Consistent with hypotheses, the best-fitting factor structure consisted of multiple, correlated factors; however, none of the factor solutions met pre-specified fit criteria. Several additional analyses were conducted beyond the preregistered analyses to find a reasonably fitting factor solution. Ultimately, study findings support a two-factor solution using the items of the Brief Self-Control Scale. Results are discussed for the full 36-item scale as well as the brief, 13-item scale. We conclude with lessons learned from a Registered Report focused on factor analysis.
Macrophage Polarisation in the Tumour Microenvironment: Recent Research Advances and Therapeutic Potential of Different Macrophage Reprogramming
Authors: Guo Rongqi , Wang Rui , Zhang Weisong , Li Yangyang , Wang Yihao , Wang Hao , Li Xia , Song Jianxiang
Published: January 2025

Background

Macrophages are a critical component of the innate immune system, derived from monocytes, with significant roles in anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activities. In the tumour microenvironment, however, macrophages are often reprogrammed into tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), which promote tumour growth, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance.

Purpose

To review recent advancements in the understanding of macrophage polarisation and reprogramming, highlighting their role in tumour progression and potential as therapeutic targets.

Research Design

This is a review article synthesising findings from recent studies on macrophage polarisation and reprogramming in tumour biology.

Study Sample

Not applicable (review of existing literature).

Data Collection and/or Analysis

Key studies were identified and summarised to explore mechanisms of macrophage polarisation and reprogramming, focusing on M1/M2 polarisation, metabolic and epigenetic changes, and pathway regulation.

Results

Macrophage reprogramming in the tumour microenvironment involves complex mechanisms, including phenotypic and functional alterations. These processes are influenced by M1/M2 polarisation, metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming, and various signalling pathways. TAMs play a pivotal role in tumour progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance, making them prime targets for combination therapies.

Conclusions

Understanding the mechanisms underlying macrophage polarisation and reprogramming offers promising avenues for developing therapies to counteract tumour progression. Future research should focus on translating these insights into clinical applications for effective cancer treatment.
The Effect of Extending the Window to Disenroll From Medicare Advantage Among Post-Acute Users
Authors: Achola Emma M. , Trivedi Amal N. , Kim Daeho , Meyers David J. , Varma Hiren , Keohane Laura M.
Published: January 2025

Post-acute care users in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans may seek coverage changes if facing issues with plan benefits. In 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services extended the deadline to disenroll from an MA plan from February 14 to March 31 and, for the first time, permitted beneficiaries to switch to a different MA plan instead of traditional Medicare. Using 2016–2019 Medicare administrative data, we implemented a difference-in-differences approach to evaluate the impact of this policy on disenrollment from a plan within 1 month of initiating skilled nursing facility or home health services. When MA disenrollment rules became more flexible, overall rates of exiting MA plans did not change. Switching to a different MA plan increased after the policy change, but this outcome was so rare that this increase did not affect overall rates of exiting MA plans.
To Disclose or Not to Disclose: A Comprehensive Analysis Into the Article Transparency of News Websites
Authors: Dubèl Roeland , Boukes Mark , Trilling Damian
Published: January 2025

An increasing part of the public is distrustful toward journalism. Transparency has been advocated to counter this trend. Therefore, the question arises to what extent news outlets have implemented transparency. General content analyses of the implementation of transparency routines are scarce. We try to add to the literature by conducting a generic quantitative content analysis on the prevalence of a diverse set of transparency routines over multiple news outlets. We also assessed whether transparency not only differs between outlets but also within outlets; namely, between hard vs. soft news section items. We hypothesized that digital-native, public, and quality news outlets and hard news section items would be relatively more transparent. After analyzing 27,096 news items from six news outlets, we find that the outlets differed in the extent to which and areas in which they had implemented transparency: (a) The digital-native news outlet was more transparent than legacy news outlets, except for author transparency, (b) the public news outlet was more transparent in terms of news updates and source use compared to commercial news outlets, but less so in terms of authors and production processes, (c) no substantial systematic differences were found in the extent of transparency implementation between quality and popular news outlets, and (d) hard news section items were only more transparent in source use than in soft news section items. As being one of the only generic quantitative content analyses, this study has contributed to our understanding of the different patterns across news outlets in transparency implementation.
Who’s at the Bottom of the Hiring List? Exploring the Compounding Effects of Applicant Race and Offense History on Employability
Authors: Patel Meera , Batastini Ashley B. , Lightsey Owen R. , Lease Suzanne H. , Ellmo Frances , Schauss Eraina
Published: January 2025

Justice-involved persons, especially people of color and those convicted of a sexual offense, experience bias and other barriers when seeking employment. However, there is no research on the synergistic effects of race and sexual offense history on employment-related outcomes. This study examined whether a hypothetical job applicant’s race (Black vs. White) and/or sexual offense history (sexual, non-sexual, or no history) impacted hiring decisions and employment-related outcomes. Results revealed no significant main effects of applicant race and no interaction between applicant race and offense history across all employment-related outcomes. However, participants were less likely to endorse hiring the applicant and desired greater social distance from the applicant if he had a prior sexual offense compared with those having a non-sexual offense. This finding suggests applicants with a known sexual offense history may be more frequently passed up for jobs than other justice-involved applicants for reasons unrelated to the job itself.
Impact of practice changes on catheter-related exit-site and bloodstream infection rates in a Canadian hemodialysis center: A retrospective study
Authors: Lawrence Courtney K , Boyce Michelle L , Weisensel Stephanie , Sathianathan Chris , Verrelli Mauro , Zelenitsky Sheryl A
Published: January 2025

Background:

Hemodialysis vascular access predisposes patients to exit-site infections (ESIs) and bloodstream infections (BSIs), resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. The objective was to characterize hemodialysis catheter-related (CR) ESIs and BSIs while considering potential factors associated with infection.

Methods:

The study period was selected to coincide with new CR-infection prevention measures at the midpoint. These included masking during exit-site care, using chlorhexidine-alcohol versus povidone-iodine antiseptic, administering cefazolin prophylaxis with central venous catheter (CVC) insertions, and reducing temporary CVC use for chronic hemodialysis starts. Data were collected retrospectively, including patient characteristics, hemodialysis history, CVC details, and CR-infections. Quarterly infection rates were calculated per 1000 CVC days, and potential factors associated with infection were investigated. Modeling was used to characterize infection rates and covariates over time.

Results:

Over 39 months, data for 267 patients, 499 CVCs, and 114,825 CVC days were captured. During the study period, there were 113 ESIs and 64 BSIs, with >80% of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. ESI and BSI rates were 0.98 and 0.56 per 1000 CVC days, respectively. There were significant reductions in infection rates over time. The ESI rate dropped when new CR-infection prevention measures were introduced ( p < 0.01), from a mean of 1.28 to 0.73 per 1000 CVC days ( p = 0.003). The rate of BSI trended downward to a low of 0.10 per 1000 CVC days in the last quarter of the study. The BSI rates associated with temporary and permanent CVCs were 1.25 and 0.53 per 1000 CVC days, respectively ( p = 0.1). There was a strong correlation between the declining BSI rates and declining temporary CVC use over time (rho = 0.73, p = 0.005).

Conclusions:

CR-ESI rates dropped significantly when new hemodialysis CR-infection prevention measures were introduced. CR-BSI rates declined over the study period, as did the use of temporary CVCs.
Development and validation of a prediction model for estimating patency rates after treatment of haemodialysis access dysfunction
Authors: Huo Guijun , Tang Yao , Xue Jianhui , Zheng Jin , Yao Zhichao , Zeng Yuqi , Cao Junjie , Huang Jian , Liu Zhanao , Zhou Dayong
Published: January 2025

Objective:

This study aims to develop a risk assessment model for predicting haemodialysis access dysfunction and to construct a nomogram.

Method:

The clinical data of patients with haemodialysis access dysfunction treated at our hospital from October 2020 to January 2024 were retrospectively analysed. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression method was used to filter variables and select predictors, while Cox regression was applied to filter variables and construct a nomogram. The discriminatory ability of the model was determined by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Calibration was evaluated using bootstrap internal validation and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test. The clinical utility and applicability of the model were assessed through decision curve analysis (DCA) and the clinical impact curve (CIC). Subgroup analysis of risk factors for haemodialysis access dysfunction was performed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves.

Result:

The study included 423 patients, and seven variables were used to construct the risk prediction model and nomogram for haemodialysis access dysfunction. The C-index of the prediction model was 0.783, and the time-dependent AUC (>0.8) at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post-surgery indicated strong discriminatory ability. The calibration curve and Hosmer–Lemeshow test demonstrated good agreement between the prediction of the nomogram and the observed values. The DCA and CIC curves further confirmed the clinical practicability of the model.

Conclusion:

A risk assessment model and nomogram for haemodialysis access dysfunction based on seven variables were successfully constructed. This model demonstrates good discrimination and calibration, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making and significant clinical utility.
Morality stories: How narratives define explanations of ethics
Authors: Haste Helen
Published: January 2025

Narratives underpin thinking about ethics and definitions of morality and this is important for education. Theories of ethical development and therefore of education rest on definitions of what constitutes ‘morality’, and on assumptions about how this develops in the individual, under what social and educational conditions. These ‘theories’ are based in scholarly philosophy and psychology, but also permeate ordinary lay thinking and everyday meaning-making. Different theories of morality and moral development are constructed on different ethical narratives which frame explanations, goals and beliefs about the processes of development. Different definitions of morality imply different routes to development and therefore also education strategies. The paper explores three narratives that inform current moral psychology: morality as reasoning, morality as virtue and morality as intuition or emotion. The theoretical model derives from the work of Lev Vygotsky; the intersection and interconnectedness of individual, dialogic and cultural processes. While each can be a distinct focus of research, none can be understood without recognising how it is interwoven with the others.
Acute Kidney Injury Due to Ureter Compression Following Iliac Venous Stenting
Authors: Staudacher Moritz , Schulze-Bauer Heike , Veser Julian , Hoebaus Clemens , Zierfuss Bernhard , Müller Markus , Gschwandtner Michael E. , Willfort-Ehringer Andrea , Steiner Sabine , Schlager Oliver
Published: January 2025

Purpose:

To report the occurrence of acute postrenal kidney failure caused by external ureteral obstruction after iliac venous stent placement.

Case report:

A 73-year-old male patient presented with a chronic swelling and feeling of heaviness of his right leg. The presence of venous thrombosis was excluded by duplex ultrasound (DUS). However, DUS revealed a high-grade non-thrombotic stenosis of the right external iliac vein which was confirmed by computed tomography venography. This stenosis was attributed to local scarring following prostatectomy, lymphadenectomy, and adjuvant radiation therapy for prostate cancer 7 years before. According to the clinical presentation, the patient underwent catheter-based revascularization by implantation of a dedicated venous stent in the external iliac vein. One day after this procedure, the patient experienced acute kidney failure, which was attributable to an incipient right-sided grade II hydronephrosis. Subsequent ureterorenoscopy demonstrated a stenotic lesion of the intermediate part of the ureter at the same level as the venous stent. Finally, ureteral stent placement resulted in the restoration of urinary drainage as well as resolution of acute kidney failure. This case report highlights the importance of considering nonvascular complications after venous stent placement and it stresses the importance of postprocedural clinical and laboratory surveillance and follow-up.

Clinical impact

In recent years the number of endovenous stent implantations has significantly increased. In patients with clinically relevant iliofemoral obstructions, endovenous stent placement potentially reduces related symptoms and improves quality of life. However, endovenous stent placement may have an impact on peri-vascular structures, such as the ureters. This case report highlights the awareness of potential nonvascular complications, which might be caused by iliofemoral stent implantation.