bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating a Conducive Zone for Innovation in Children’s Social Care
Authors: Lefevre Michelle , Temperley Julie , Goldsmith Carlie , Hampson Martha
Published: February 2025

Innovation activity in child and family services has accelerated over the past 2 decades, particularly in England, where substantial government investment in pilots, diffusion activities and evaluations has created an emerging body of literature on effective approaches and characteristics of efficient practice systems. However, the literature on the interplay of enabling or impeding factors and processes at a local and national level tends towards the descriptive, while theorisation of the underlying dynamics remains limited. This paper presents the findings of a framework analysis produced through integrating thematic insights from a narrative review of academic and grey literature with those drawn from interviews with 21 expert informants engaged in social care innovation within the UK within policy, leadership or researcher roles. Analysis enabled five clusters of ‘conditional parameters’ to emerge, covering: mobilisers; system capabilities; design and implementation features; organisational culture, climate and processes; and the macro context. Three or four conditional parameters are identified per category, each outlining factors and processes that could either facilitate an innovation or create barriers that needed to be overcome. To achieve an environment most conducive to innovation, attention needs to be paid to the interplay of these conditions, recognising that their operation and influence might be occurring out of awareness and scrutiny. Innovation is found to be best facilitated by a stable, well‐supported workforce that feels energised and confident to create and implement change. This requires developing a supportive, collaborative, relational culture and climate of mutual trust, where reflexive supervisory and evaluatory mechanisms follow the human‐centred grain of professional practice and where staff feel safe to experiment and make mistakes. This can enable a conducive zone for innovation to open up, even where policy drivers and the availability of resources are less than optimum.
Estimation of Bridge Girder Cumulative Displacement for Component Operational Warning Using Bayesian Neural Networks
Authors: Lei Xiaoming , Sun Zhen , Wang Ao , Guo Tong , Nagayama Tomonori
Published: February 2025

The main girders of suspension bridges experience significant deformation due to temperature variations, wind dynamics, and vehicle loads, causing movement at the girder ends and friction among components such as bearings, expansion joints, and viscous dampers. Early warning of the component anomaly is vital for preventive maintenance. This paper develops a two‐stage framework for predicting girder end displacement to facilitate anomaly detection. First, a Bayesian neural network is employed to predict girder end cumulative displacement, accounting for uncertainties inherent in the prediction process. Second, an anomaly detection algorithm utilizing a Mahalanobis distance–based approach is implemented to provide warnings to operations based on both measured and predicted data. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated using data collected from multiple loads and displacement responses of a suspension bridge. The analysis reveals that the GEV distribution is highly proficient in capturing the underlying pattern of the cumulative displacement indicator, enabling the establishment of an appropriate threshold. This method proves successful in identifying anomalies in critical components such as viscous dampers, enhancing predictive and preventive maintenance practices and contributing to the longevity and safety of bridge infrastructure.
Novel

KCNJ2

Mutation in Familial Periodic Paralysis With Ventricular Dysrhythmia
Authors: Ai Tomohiko , Fujiwara Yuichiro , Tsuji Keiko , Otani Hideo , Nakano Shozo , Kubo Yoshihiro , Horie Minoru
Published: July 2002

Background
—

Mutations in the
KCNJ2
gene, which codes cardiac and skeletal inward rectifying K
+
channels (Kir2.1), produce Andersen’s syndrome, which is characterized by periodic paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, and dysmorphic features.

Methods and Results
—

In 3 Japanese family members with periodic paralysis, ventricular arrhythmias, and marked QT prolongation, polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism/DNA sequencing identified a novel, heterozygous, missense mutation in
KCNJ2
, Thr192Ala (T192A), which was located in the putative cytoplasmic chain after the second transmembrane region M2. Using the
Xenopus
oocyte expression system, we found that the T192A mutant was nonfunctional in the homomeric condition. Coinjection with the wild-type gene reduced the current amplitude, showing a weak dominant-negative effect.

Conclusions
—

T192, which is located in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate binding site and also the region necessary for Kir2.1 multimerization, is a highly conserved amino acid residue among inward-rectifier channels. We suggest that the T192A mutation resulted in the observed electrical phenotype.
De Profundus: Adumbrative Reflections?
Authors: Kade Richard
Published: July 2002

Leonardo was a man who designed war engines. He also anatomized, stripped The flesh from the body And saw the soul; made perspective From a flat sheet flex Round as a moving limb. Transmuted the past to the future In a credible flying device. He inspired a journal's creation over four centuries later; A journal of fine art that grips The same universe as Leonardo And fills it with vigor. That covers the whole field of inquiry made possible with Modern scientific techniques. The art is new. The journal is Leonardo. Subscription is a solid chunk of man's future.
The Functional Point of View: New Artistic Forms for Programmed Literary Works
Authors: Bootz Philippe
Published: July 2002

This essay analyzes the functioning of a text that was designed to be read in a private context, that uses the computer as an active tool during the reading, and that can be published on a permanent medium such as CD-ROM. The work is approached in its dual functioning mode: synchronic and diachronic. A functional model is proposed, which involves an analysis of the functions that operate in the communication process between the reader and the author. In this model, the work appears as a process and no longer as an object. The reading and the materialization of the object read become interdependent. The author analyzes the relationships between readability and faithfulness in the resulting work, properties that may be incompatible in the final text.
Large Scale Neurocognitive Networks Underlying Episodic Memory
Authors: Nyberg Lars , Persson Jonas , Habib Reza , Tulving Endel , McIntosh Anthony R. , Cabeza Roberto , Houle Sylvain
Published: July 2002

Large-scale networks of brain regions are believed to mediate cognitive processes, including episodic memory. Analyses of regional differences in brain activity, measured by functional neuroimaging, have begun to identify putative components of these networks. To more fully characterize neurocognitive networks, however, it is necessary to use analytical methods that quantify neural network interactions. Here, we used positron emission tomography (PET) to measure brain activity during initial encoding and subsequent recognition of sentences and pictures. For each type of material, three recognition conditions were included which varied with respect to target density (0%, 50%, 100%). Analysis of large-scale activity patterns identified a collection of foci whose activity distinguished the processing of sentences vs. pictures. A second pattern, which showed strong prefrontal cortex involvement, distinguished the type of cognitive process (encoding or retrieval). For both pictures and sentences, the manipulation of target density was associated with minor activation changes. Instead, it was found to relate to systematic changes of functional connections between material-specific regions and several other brain regions, including medial temporal, right prefrontal and parietal regions. These findings provide evidence for large-scale neural interactions between material-specific and process-specific neural substrates of episodic encoding and retrieval.
Computing the Optimally Fitted Spike Train for a Synapse
Authors: Natschläger Thomas , Maass Wolfgang
Published: July 2002

Experimental data have shown that synapses are heterogeneous: different synapses respond with different sequences of amplitudes of postsynaptic responses to the same spike train. Neither the role of synaptic dynamics itself nor the role of the heterogeneity of synaptic dynamics for computations in neural circuits is well understood. We present in this article two computational methods that make it feasible to compute for a given synapse with known synaptic parameters the spike train that is optimally fitted to the synapse in a certain sense. With the help of these methods, one can compute, for example, the temporal pattern of a spike train (with a given number of spikes) that produces the largest sum of postsynaptic responses for a specific synapse. Several other applications are also discussed. To our surprise, we find that most of these optimally fitted spike trains match common firing patterns of specific types of neurons that are discussed in the literature. Hence, our analysis provides a possible functional explanation for the experimentally observed regularity in the combination of specific types of synapses with specific types of neurons in neural circuits.
Adding Lateral Inhibition to a Simple Feedforward Network Enables It to Perform Exclusive-Or
Authors: Smith Leslie S.
Published: July 2002

A simple laterally inhibited recurrent network that implementse xclusive-or is demonstrated. The network consists of two mutually inhibitory units with logistic output function, each receiving one external input and each connected to a simple threshold output unit. The mutually inhibitory units settle into a point attractor. We investigate the range of steepness of the logistic and the range of inhibitory weights for which the network can perform exclusive-or.
Discontinuities in Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Gavaldà Ricard , Siegelmann Hava T.
Published: July 2002

This article studies the computational power of various discontinuous real computational models that are based on the classical analog recurrent neural network (ARNN). This ARNN consists of finite number of neurons; each neuron computes a polynomial net function and a sigmoid-like continuous activation function. We introduce arithmetic networks as ARNN augmented with a few simple discontinuous (e.g., threshold or zero test) neurons. We argue that even with weights restricted to polynomial time computable reals, arithmetic networks are able to compute arbitrarily complex recursive functions. We identify many types of neural networks that are at least as powerful as arithmetic nets, some of which are not in fact discontinuous, but they boost other arithmetic operations in the net function (e.g., neurons that can use divisions and polynomial net functions inside sigmoid-like continuous activation functions). These arithmetic networks are equivalent to the Blum-Shub-Smale model, when the latter is restricted to a bounded number of registers.

With respect to implementation on digital computers, we show that arithmetic networks with rational weights can be simulated with exponential precision, but even with polynomial-time computable real weights, arithmetic networks are not subject to any fixed precision bounds. This is in contrast with the ARNN that are known to demand precision that is linear in the computation time.

When nontrivial periodic functions (e.g., fractional part, sine, tangent) are added to arithmetic networks, the resulting networks are computationally equivalent to a massively parallel machine. Thus, these highly discontinuous networks can solve the presumably intractable class of PSPACE-complete problems in polynomial time.
Performing a Cult
Authors: Ensemble Critical Art
Published: July 2002

The Critical Acts Ensemble, CAE for short, is a tightly knit group of artists exploring intersection between art, technology, critical theory, and political activism. We have given CAE a big chunk of space to present and explain their work. Added to that is a critical essay by TDR Contributing Editor Rebecca Schneider.
BULLSEYE: A Compact, Camera-Based, Human-Machine Interface
Authors: Andersson R. L. , Gibbon D. C. , Lyons R. P.
Published: July 2002

BULLSEYE is a flexible, computer input device that operates by generating and analyzing the image of known “props” at 60 Hz to determine position, orientation, and user-controlled internal state variables. The compact device, containing both the camera and processing engine, has been built and fielded. This paper provides an overview of the concept and hardware, then examines the problems and design strategies associated with the interrelated areas of the environment, prop design, and color detection.
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation and Cold War–Era Defense Procurement: A Challenge to Military-Industrial Complex Theory
Authors: Gholz Eugene
Published: July 2002

The extraordinary year-to-year continuity in the list of top Cold War aerospace suppliers has led many analysts to adopt theories of a military-industrial complex (MIC). The collapse of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation, once the second-largest manufacturer in the United States and a leading defense contractor, belies their approach. This article recounts the histories of Curtiss-Wright's three independent divisions and uses these to test the MIC theory against three other explanations of the pattern of Cold War defense procurement: the technological imperative, the bureaucratic-strategic perspective, and free-market competition. The bureaucratic-strategic theory is most consistent with the case-study evidence.
Occurrence of the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis in Lebanon
Authors: Ibrahim Said , Saad Adib , Haydock Patrick P.J. , Al-Masri Youssef
Published: July 2002

The potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis is recorded for the first
time in Lebanon. Eleven out of 65 sampled fields in the central Bekaa were
positive. The determination was confirmed using various techniques. Le
nématode à kyste de la pomme de terre, Globodera rostochiensis, est signalé
pour la première fois au Liban. Il a été détecté dans 11 des 65 champs
échantillonnés dans la vallée centrale de la Bekaa. La détermination a été
confirmée à l’aide de différentes techniques.
Microbial Dysbiosis, Titanium Release, and Peri-implantitis
Authors: Kotsakis G.A. , Ganesan S.M.
Published: February 2025

The peri-implant mucosal barrier is a unique microenvironment where host-microbiome interactions take place on the surface of an implanted biomaterial. Therefore, peri-implant immunity not only is quintessential to oral health but also contributes to the maintenance of the biomaterial-tissue equilibrium in health. This review delves into the intricate interplay between host factors, biomaterial properties, and the microbiome with a focus on the mechanisms underlying peri-implant dysbiosis. Investigations into this complex milieu have led to the emerging understanding of titanium particles released from the implant as significant exposomes. When biomaterial breakdown occurs, implant degradation products form particles that are released in the peri-implant crevice, exerting profound effects on the local immune surveillance. Comparative analyses with natural dentition highlight the distinct immune responses elicited by titanium particles, thereby implicating them as a key modulator of peri-implant dysbiosis that differentiates peri-implant from periodontal inflammation. Nonetheless, disruptions in the homeostatic balance of host-biomaterial interactions are linked to pathogenic shifts of the peri-implant microbiome that are correlated with titanium particles in humans. Collectively, it is now well established that to elucidate the mechanisms governing peri-implant dysbiosis, this triangle of host-microbiome-biomaterial has to be conjointly investigated. This review highlights findings from studies that have underscored the multifaceted nature of peri-implant dysbiosis, emphasizing the intricate crosstalk between host immunity, biomaterial characteristics, and microbial ecology. These findings suggest that the titanium particle exposome may alter key inflammatory cascades in the peri-implant tissues including toll-like receptor activation and inflammasome and complement signaling, which lead to nonresolving destructive inflammation. The presence of abiotic danger signals in the form of implant degradation products in peri-implant tissues may make antimicrobial monotherapies largely ineffective for managing peri-implantitis. In turn, the future of peri-implantitis therapy seems to lie in the development of targeted host modulatory interventions against titanium-mediated inflammatory pathways.
Discrimination and Oral Health Impact: Moderating Role of Sex and Sexuality
Authors: Soares G.H. , Sethi S. , Jessani A. , Jamieson L.
Published: February 2025

This study investigated whether sex assigned at birth and sexuality have a moderating role on the effect of discrimination on oral health impacts among adolescents. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a sample representative of all Australian adolescents aged 14 to 15 y ( N = 2,905), we employed propensity score overlap weights to achieve covariate balance between participants exposed and unexposed to discrimination. Various forms of discrimination were examined: due to cultural background, due to mental health condition, due to sexual orientation, and due to sex assigned at birth. Oral health impact was assessed using the PedsQ Oral Health Scale. Poisson regression with robust variance was conducted including sex, sexual attraction, and discrimination as interaction terms. The sample included 1,407 females (49%) and 336 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) individuals (11%). More than 22% experienced at least 1 form of discrimination in the previous 6 mo. Findings from the overlap weighting analysis revealed that, in general, females had higher proportions of oral health impact compared with males, whereas sexually diverse youth tended to have worse oral health outcomes compared with non-LGBQ youth. A 2-fold higher prevalence rate of oral health impacts was found for sexually diverse females exposed to discrimination due to cultural background (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36–2.44) and due to mental health conditions (95% CI: 1.62–2.46). The largest effects of discrimination on oral health impacts were consistently observed among sexually diverse females. This novel study provides evidence on the moderating role of sex and sexuality in the relationship between discrimination and oral health among adolescents.
Can Non-specific Blood Inflammatory Biomarkers Predict Recovery in Acute Transient Psychotic Disorder? A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Prakash Jaya , Kar Sujita Kumar , Ali Wahid , Dalal Pronob Kumar
Published: February 2025

Background:

Inflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. This study aimed to measure the inflammatory marker (serum prolactin, serum cortisol, C-reactive protein [CRP], erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), total leucocyte count, and differential leucocyte count) in drug naïve patients of the first episode of acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) at baseline and their alterations after three months of antipsychotic treatment.

Methods:

This prospective study estimated the change of inflammatory biomarkers in patients with ATPD over three months, along with the change in psychopathology and global functioning. Attempts were taken to compare the trend of change in inflammatory biomarkers with clinical improvement.

Result:

A total of 157 patients with ATPD were screened to recruit 78 patients, of which only 33 patients were followed up till three months from the point of recruitment. More than three-fourths of the patients improved significantly during the brief follow-up period. Patients who improved substantially with antipsychotic drug treatment had a significantly lower age and age at the onset of psychiatric illness. The patients who improved also had a significant reduction in total leucocyte count, absolute neutrophil count, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio from baseline to three-month follow-up. Duration of untreated illness had a significant positive correlation ( P = .042; r = 0.401) with the ESR.

Conclusion:

Inflammatory biomarkers are raised in drug naïve patients with ATPD, which improves with antipsychotic drug treatment, indicating a possible role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of ATPD.
“The Dream Team”: Using a Health Equity and Social Justice Lens to Define the “T” in CIT
Authors: Taylor Sabrina , Ross Heather
Published: February 2025

In the continuing wake of a historic reform movement that began in 2020, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs are enjoying a moment in the national spotlight. Much of this attention is negatively focused on police officers and the departments in which they serve. However, police represent just one of a trio of stakeholders commonly associated with CIT, including community advocacy groups and mental health providers. The negative attention can be frustrating for police and other criminal justice professionals because they have no direct control over health care and how it is provided. Indeed, even the local governments that oversee most of the criminal justice activity associated with CIT have little direct control over health care infrastructure. However, local governments do directly control much of the infrastructure that influences underlying conditions of health such as access to clean water, sanitation, education, housing, and employment. Health equity and social justice frameworks make clear that multiple sectors need to collaborate and strategically plan a multi-pronged approach to addressing health equity, including mental health. The Memphis Model of CIT implementation, when properly understood, can provide an effective roadmap grounded in health equity and social justice to enable local communities to address systemic challenges.
Patient-Derived Tumor Organoids: A Platform for Precision Therapy of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Li Yiran , Wu Wei , Yao Jiaxin , Wang Suidong , Wu Xiufeng , Yan Jun
Published: February 2025

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a significant cause of cancer-related mortality on a global scale. It is a highly heterogeneous cancer, and the response of patients to homogeneous drug therapy varies considerably. Patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) represent an optimal preclinical model for cancer research. A substantial body of evidence from numerous studies has demonstrated that PDTOs can accurately predict a patient’s response to different drug treatments. This article outlines the utilization of PDTOs in the management of CRC across a range of therapeutic contexts, including postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, palliative chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, targeted therapy, third-line and follow-up treatment, and the treatment of elderly patients. This article delineates the manner in which PDTOs can inform therapeutic decisions at all stages of CRC, thereby assisting clinicians in selecting treatment options and reducing the risk of toxicity and resistance associated with clinical drugs. Moreover, it identifies shortcomings of existing PDTOs, including the absence of consistent criteria for assessing drug sensitivity tests, the lack of vascular and tumor microenvironment models, and the high cost of the technology. In conclusion, despite their inherent limitations, PDTOs offer several advantages, including rapid culture, a high success rate, high consistency, and high throughput, which can be employed as a personalized treatment option for CRC. The use of PDTOs in CRC allows for the prediction of responses to different treatment modalities at various stages of disease progression. This has the potential to reduce adverse drug reactions and the emergence of resistance associated with clinical drugs, facilitate evidence-based clinical decision-making, and guide CRC patients in the selection of personalized medications, thereby advancing the individualized treatment of CRC.
New materialism, whiteness and the politics of vitality: Rethinking activity/passivity in critical security studies
Authors: Brito Tarsis
Published: February 2025

New materialist thought has become particularly influential in critical security studies over the past decade. Advocating for an understanding of security that comprises and does justice to the vibrant, unpredictable and active role of materiality, scholars have significantly contributed to an array of debates within critical security studies. Engaging with post/decolonial, critical race studies and feminist literatures, this article offers a critique of new materialism that focuses on its embracement of ideas of vitality, activity and movement as a way to overcome modernity’s pervasive subject/object dualisms. My argument is that this stance risks reifying an activity/passivity hierarchy that has been centrally interwoven with colonial, racial and gendered dynamics of subjugation. The idea is that new materialism’s incisive critique has often failed to interrogate colonial modernity’s abjection of passivity itself, a process that has been paramount in the historical production and securing of whiteness. This article’s goal, however, is not only to push the analytical and political boundaries of new materialism. By rethinking the racial-colonial underpinnings of this activity/passivity hierarchy, the article also offers promising research avenues for critical security studies which help us understand and interrogate racial-colonial security structures and practices of policing, violence and exploitation.
Female Entrepreneurs’ Thirst for Knowledge and the Dark Side of Customer Learning Actions
Authors: Marvel Matthew R. , Wolfe Marcus T. , Neubert Emily , Kuratko Donald F. , Bacq Sophie
Published: February 2025

This study investigates whether male and female entrepreneurs exhibit systematic differences in the customer learning actions they pursue, and how those actions convert to venture performance. Drawing from a dyadic sample of founders and startup advisors in the high-technology context, we explore the effects of two alternative customer learning actions—customer involvement as an information source (CIS) and customer involvement as co-developers (CIC). We find that, compared to male entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs engage in higher levels of both types of customer learning actions (CIS and CIC). Contrary to research from the large established firm context, we find CIS and CIC have conflicting startup performance implications—CIS is beneficial, but CIC is detrimental.
Feasibility Study of a Culturally Tailored Support Group Program for the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Caregivers of Individuals Living With Dementia
Authors: Yiu Hing Cheung , Zang Yuli , Choi Kai Chow , Chau Janita Pak Chun
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

Culturally tailored support group interventions can help family caregivers. Little is known about the impacts of integrating philosophical thoughts in the interventions on the psychosocial wellbeing of family caregivers of persons with dementia.

Methodology:

A program integrating Chinese philosophies was provided to caregivers in the intervention group. A total of 33 and 30 caregivers in Hong Kong joined the intervention and control groups. They were asked to complete pre- and post-tests to assess their psychosocial health.

Results:

There were significant positive changes for the level of satisfaction with social support ( p < .05) and general quality of life ( p < .05). There were also significant improvements in the four aspects of coping (positive reframing: p < .01; planning: p < .05; humor: p < .01; religion: p < .01).

Discussion:

The intervention could provide insight into how culturally tailored interventions can improve the psychosocial wellbeing of family caregivers in Chinese communities.
Spinning the Wheel: The Effectiveness of Gamification in Service Recovery
Authors: Nazifi Amin , Roschk Holger , Marder Ben , Leclercq Thomas
Published: February 2025

This research offers insights into the efficacy of gamification in a failure-recovery context, that is, providing recovery through a gamified experience. Using one field study and three online experiments across different contexts (i.e., retail, restaurant, gym, and hotel), we show that a gamified recovery (i.e., compensation offered through a spin-the-wheel game) can have a positive effect on recovery satisfaction. This effect is mediated by the perceived enjoyment of the game and is moderated by customer choice, failure severity, compensation level, and time pressure. Specifically, we find that gamification has a positive recovery effect when customers are offered a choice, when the failure is mild, when customers receive full compensation or overcompensation (i.e., when they experience a sense of winning), and when they do not face time pressure. However, gamification can backfire and have a negative effect when a failure is severe, when customers receive only partial compensation (i.e., when they experience a sense of loss), and when they face time pressure. Finally, a single-paper meta-analysis provides aggregated evidence of these effects. For managers, our findings provide initial evidence of the usefulness of this recovery strategy and explain how it should be implemented.
Language exposure and English digital reading achievement in East Asia: Examining the role of students’ socioeconomic status
Authors: Luo Shuqiong , Fu Lingyi , King Ronnel B , Leung Shing On
Published: February 2025

In recent years, the importance of language exposure and socioeconomic status (SES) in shaping learners’ language learning outcomes has gained significant attention in language educational studies. However, studies that directly investigated the correlation between language exposure from parents and peers, SES, and English digital reading achievement remained limited. This present study examined how language exposure from parents and peers interacted with SES in predicting English digital reading achievement among the three East Asian economies using the PISA 2018 data with 7,703 student participants from Macao, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Results from the Pearson correlation and hierarchical linear regression revealed: (1) that there is a negative relationship between language exposure from parents and English digital reading achievement; (2) that language exposure from best friends and siblings showed a positive influence on English digital reading achievement; and (3) that the effects of language exposure from schoolmates differed among the three economies. Although SES exerted a significant and positive impact on English digital reading achievement among the three East Asian economies, SES did not moderate the relationship between language exposure and English digital reading achievement. Implications and limitations are discussed.
There’s more than one way to get information from infographic glyphs: Evidence that people use both area and height to extract information
Authors: Hill Andrew , Imokhai Oshiorenua
Published: February 2025

Graphical perception studies have largely focused on how accurate participants can be at extracting quantitative information from glyphs in various visualization types, including infographics. However, most studies assume that there is only one correct way to encode information, for example to compare two circles the encoding mechanism must be relative area. We suspect that this assumption is over-simplistic, especially for glyphs that have an obvious two- dimensional structure, and that some participants use relative height instead. This is a crucial, but it seems often overlooked, aspect of graphical perception studies, and indeed of data visualization in general. If participants are not using the same encoding mechanism that the designer has used, this represents a clear systematic bias that can induce large errors in viewers’ estimates. We therefore assessed which encoding mechanism was being used for several glyphs, including bars, squares, circles, triangles and human icons. We found that almost half of participants’ estimates were likely based on the encoding mechanism of relative height, not area, for all two-dimensional glyphs. A strong relationship was found between the relative size of the two glyphs being compared and the encoding mechanism used. Participants were much more likely to choose relative height if the smaller glyph was over 60% of the size of the larger glyph. In contrast for the one-dimensional glyph (bar), almost all participants chose relative height as the encoding mechanism. This study therefore shows the importance of considering what encoding mechanisms participants could use, and thus tailoring infographics and visualizations to avoid such ambiguity.
Effective Herbal Cocktail Strategies and Mechanisms in Cancer Treatment
Authors: He Tian , Zhang Yifan , Deng Di , Yang Zhiwen , Zhu Qi , Sun Qianhui , Lu Tao
Published: February 2025

Systematic treatment and cocktailed drug applications have become a paradigm shift for cancer therapy. This study aims to explore the highly potent herbal cocktail strategies and pharmacological mechanisms, by which herbal medicines are effective in cancer treatment. A total of 397 cases of clinically reported cancer treatments with pure herbs were scrutinized, and the herbal prescription rules were systematically analyzed. The core prescriptions and their pharmacological mechanisms were revealed. The results unveiled specific rules for effective herbal treatment of cancer, including boosting energy metabolism, inhibiting tumor proliferation, improving digestion and defecation, enhancing blood circulation, promoting gas exchange, and facilitating water and toxic substance metabolism. Pharmacologically, anti-cancer effects are achieved through the manipulation of PI3K-Akt, IL-17, HIF-1, VEGF, TNF, Wnt, and other pathways. Following this unfolded integrative prescription rule, herbal therapy demonstrated remarkable effects in clinical practices, from which a few representative cases are presented herein.
Atrial Fibrillation Surgery in the Era of Minimally Invasive Surgery: Biatrial Versus Left Atrial Maze
Authors: Sharaf Omar M. , Murillo-Solera Alexandra , Beaver Thomas M.
Published: February 2025

Objective:

Atrial fibrillation management is rapidly evolving, particularly for patients who are intolerant to medical therapy. Several catheter-based, surgical, and hybrid approaches currently exist, each with unique benefits that may be harnessed to provide optimal outcomes for these patients. This review focuses on the use of a biatrial lesion set versus an isolated left atrial lesion set for ablation.

Methods:

Major representative articles for each ablation strategy were identified and included. Terms searched on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus included “atrial fibrillation ablation,” “atrial fibrillation surgery,” and “maze procedure,” among others. Additional articles were included based on expert opinion.

Results:

The complete Cox maze biatrial lesion set has the highest efficacy but requires cardiopulmonary bypass. An isolated left atrial lesion set can also be performed, and these approaches are often less invasive but not as efficacious as the traditional complete maze operation.

Conclusions:

Although biatrial ablation may carry a higher risk of conduction abnormalities than isolated left atrial ablation in the setting of atrial fibrillation, biatrial ablation is more efficacious in maintaining sinus rhythm.
When Do Broken Campaign Promises Matter? Evidence From Four Experiments
Authors: Zoizner Alon , Amsalem Eran
Published: February 2025

Campaign promises are a central mechanism for voters to hold politicians accountable, and information about their breakage or fulfillment features prominently in the media during election campaigns. Despite the importance of campaign promises, previous research yields conflicting expectations regarding their influence on citizens. Some theories suggest citizens vote based on policy performance and, therefore, consistently penalize actors who break their promises. Other theoretical accounts, however, argue that exposure to information during election campaigns often has minimal effects on citizens due to strongly held prior beliefs and partisan motivations. The goal of the current study is to address these competing claims by systematically testing the conditions under which citizens penalize politicians for breaking promises. We conducted four experiments (total N = 7,030), three of them preregistered, in two countries under varying political conditions. We find that (1) broken promises decrease domain-specific evaluations of leaders but have little impact on evaluations of actors’ overall performance; (2) broken promises have limited effects when people have strong priors about the political actor who made the promise; and (3) citizens downplay and rationalize promises broken by ingroup, but not outgroup, leaders. These results suggest that even though information about broken promises is salient in campaign communications, its impact on citizens is context-dependent and often quite limited.
Fuchsite and other Cr-rich phyllosilicates in ultramafic enclaves from the Almadén mercury mining district, Spain
Authors: Morata D. , Higueras P. , Domínguez-Bella S. , Parras J. , Velasco F. , Aparicio P.
Published: July 2002

Fuchsite and other Cr-rich phyllosilicates, paragenetic with dolomite, are present in some ultramafic enclaves from the ‘frailesca’ rock (a lapilli- to block-size pyroclastic lithic-tuff), in the Almadén mercury mining district, Spain. Analyses (EMPA and TEM) of fuchsite and Cr-chlorite showed a relatively large range in levels of Cr2O3. Petrographic relationships between these phyllosilicates and primary relics of Cr-spinel crystals, as well as their high Cr content, indicate that these Cr-rich minerals originated from primary chromian spinels through an early hydrothermal alteration stage. The hydrothermal fluids accounting for this early alteration would be of relatively high temperature, high aCO2 and aK, and variable aNa/K. In a later alteration stage, fuchsite was partially or totally replaced by illite and Cr-illite, giving rise to an argillitic alteration.
Reactions of smectites with binuclear oxobridged iron complexes of N-alkyl-N,N-bis (2-pyridylmethyl)amines
Authors: Dick S. , Weiss A.
Published: July 2002

Cationic binuclear oxo- and carboxylate bridged Fe(III) complexes of N-alkyl-N,Nbis(2-pyridylmethyl)amines are introduced into the interlayer region of smectites by cation exchange reactions. The reaction can be divided into three steps. After a predominant loading of external surfaces, cation exchange sites at internal surfaces react, accompanied by considerable stmctaral expansion. Both reaction stages belong to the steep section of the exchange isotherms. At a certain loading, which depends on the complex substituents and the layer charge of the smectite, the isotherms become flat. With bulky shaped complex cations and highly charged smectites, exchange is not quantitative; vermiculite-type minerals show a very small complex uptake. For this behaviour, both thermodynamic and kinetic reasons must be considered. From these results the number of cation exchange positions at external surfaces of smectite crystals may be estimated.
Apparent pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite solid solutions in charnockites: the Shevaroy Hills Massif, Tamil Nadu, S India and the Bamble Sector, SE Norway
Authors: Harlov D. E.
Published: July 2002

Examples of apparent exsolution lamellae and lenticular blebs of chalcopyrite in pyrrhotite are described in orthopyroxene-bearing granulite facies rocks from two, oxidized (log10fO2= −14 to −11), widely separated, well characterized high grade terranes: the Bamble Sector, SE Norway (795°C, 7.5 kbar) and the Shevaroy Hills Massif, Tamil Nadu, S India (750°C, 7.5 kbar). These exsolution features only occur in isolated pyrrhotite grains and not in integral pyrrhotite-pyrite-chalcopyrite-magnetite grain clusters which essentially represent an oxidation equilibrium. Reintegration of these chalcopyrite exsolution features back into the pyrrhotite host indicate Cu contents ranging from 1 to 5 wt.% in good agreement with experimental observations which indicate that pyrrhotite can take up to 7 wt.% Cu at temperatures above 800°C at pressures of ∼1 bar. This suggests that under high grade conditions these chalcopyrite exsolution features were in solid solution with pyrrhotite. Whether Cu stabilizes pyrrhotite at higher oxygen fugacities or these chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite grains represent a metastable phase is uncertain. One possibility is that the isolated pyrrhotite grains with chalcopyrite lamellae could represent grains that were preferentially not exposed to infiltrating fluids, which oxidized the pyrrhotites in other areas of the sample. A second possibility is that either these grains had enough Cu to stabilize them during pervasive infiltration of oxidizing fluids or that they represent a metastable phase with respect to the overall oxygen fugacity of the sample. The two conclusions that can be drawn from these observations are, firstly, that it is possible for pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite to form a limited solid solution at granulite facies temperatures and pressures under relatively high oxidizing conditions, i.e. 1.5 log units above fayalite-magnetite-quartz, at 800°C and 8 kbar. Secondly, this limited solid solution should have some bearing on the stability of pyrrhotite with respect to co-existing magnetite and pyrite as a function of the oxidation state of the rock, be it inherited or fluid induced.
Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 serves as an inhibitory receptor that modulates platelet responses to collagen
Authors: Patil Sonali , Newman Debra K. , Newman Peter J.
Published: July 2002

Platelet responses to collagen are mediated by the combined actions of the integrin α2β1, which serves as a major collagen-binding receptor, and the GPVI/FcRγ-chain complex, which transmits collagen-specific activation signals into the cell interior through the action of an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif within the cytoplasmic domain of the FcRγ-chain. Despite much progress in identifying components of the signaling pathway responsible for collagen-induced platelet activation, virtually nothing is known about the regulatory elements that modulate this important hemostatic event. PECAM-1, a recently recognized member of the inhibitory receptor family, contains a functional immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif within its cytoplasmic domain that, when tyrosine phosphorylated, recruits and activates the protein–tyrosine phosphatase, SHP-2. To test the hypothesis that PECAM-1 functions to regulate GPVI/FcRγ-chain–mediated platelet activation, the responses of wild-type versus PECAM-1–deficient murine platelets to GPVI-specific agonists were compared. Four distinct GPVI/FcRγ-chain–dependent responses were found to be significantly exaggerated in platelets derived from PECAM-1–deficient mice, including Mg++-independent adhesion to immobilized fibrillar collagen, collagen-induced platelet aggregation, platelet aggregation induced by the GPVI-specific agonist collagen-related peptide, and GPVI/FcRγ-chain–induced dense granule secretion. Together, these data provide compelling evidence that PECAM-1 modulates platelet responses to collagen, and they implicate this novel member of the inhibitory receptor family in the regulation of primary hemostasis.
CrkL is an adapter for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and Syk
Authors: Oda Atsushi , Ochs Hans D. , Lasky Laurence A. , Spencer Susan , Ozaki Katsutoshi , Fujihara Mitsuhiro , Handa Makoto , Ikebuchi Kenji , Ikeda Hisami
Published: July 2002

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) and X-linked thrombocytopenia are caused by mutations of the WAS protein (WASP) gene. WASP may be involved in the regulation of podosome, an actin-rich dynamic cell adhesion structure formed by various types of cells. The molecular links between WASP and podosomes or other cell adhesion structures are unknown. Platelets express an SH2-SH3 adapter molecule, CrkL, that can directly associate with paxillin, which is localized in podosomes. The hypothesis that CrkL binds to WASP was, therefore, tested. Results from coprecipitation experiments using anti-CrkL and GST-fusion proteins suggest that CrkL binds to WASP through its SH3 domain and that the binding was not affected by WASP tyrosine phosphorylation. The binding of GST-fusion SH3 domain of PSTPIP1 in vitro was also not affected by WASP tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting that the binding of the SH3 domains to WASP is not inhibited by tyrosine phosphorylation of WASP. Anti-CrkL also coprecipitates a 72-kd protein, which was identified as syk tyrosine kinase, critical for collagen induced-platelet activation. CrkL immunoprecipitates contain kinase-active syk, as evidenced by an in vitro kinase assay. Coprecipitation experiments using GST-fusion CrkL proteins suggest that both SH2 and SH3 domains of CrkL are involved in the binding of CrkL to syk. WASP, CrkL, syk, and paxillin-like Hic-5 incorporated to platelet cytoskeleton after platelet aggregation. Thus, CrkL is a novel molecular adapter for WASP and syk and may potentially transfer these molecules to the cytoskeleton through association with cytoskeletal proteins such as Hic-5.
Reconstitution of bactericidal activity in chronic granulomatous disease cells by glucose-oxidase–containing liposomes
Authors: Gerber Claudia E. , Bruchelt Gernot , Falk Ulrike B. , Kimpfler Andrea , Hauschild Oliver , Kuçi Selim , Bächi Thomas , Niethammer Dietrich , Schubert Rolf
Published: July 2002

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited primary immunodeficiency characterized by phagocytes devoid of a functioning nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase. The failure of CGD phagocytes to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in a marked increase in the susceptibility of affected patients to life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. This study investigated whether loading of CGD phagocytes with glucose oxidase (GO)–containing liposomes (GOLs) could restore cellular production of bactericidal ROS (eg, H2O2 and HOCl) in vitro. Results indicate that GO encapsulated in liposomes enabled NADPH oxidase-deficient phagocytes to use H2O2 for the production of highly bactericidal HOCl. The intracellular colocalization of bacteria and liposomes (or liposome-derived ferritin) was demonstrated by confocal laser microscopy and electron microscopy. After uptake of GOLs (approximately 0.2 U/mL at 1 mM total lipid concentration, size approximately 180 nm), CGD granulocytes produced HOCl levels comparable to those of normal phagocytes. Remarkably, after treatment with GOLs, CGD phagocytes killed Staphylococcus aureus as efficiently as normal granulocytes. Moreover, treated cells retained sufficient motility toward chemotactic stimuli as measured by chemotaxis assay. Side effects were evaluated by measuring the H2O2 concentrations and the production of methemoglobin in whole blood. These studies revealed that H2O2 produced by GOLs was degraded immediately by the antioxidative capacity of whole blood. Elevated methemoglobin levels were observed only after application of extremely high amounts of GOLs (2 U/mL). In summary, the application of negatively charged GOLs might provide a novel effective approach in the treatment of patients with CGD at high risk for life-threatening infections.