bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring influencing factors and facilitating strategies for self-directed learning from the perspective of medical trainees: a multicentre qualitative study in China
Authors: Du Xiangyu , Du Jiayi , Shang Lin , Yin Zhao , Jiang Li
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Exploration of influencing factors and promotion strategies for self-directed learning (SDL) is a current research hotspot. However, there is a dearth of relevant research among medical trainees. The objective of the present study was to explore the perceptions of SDL among medical trainees, while also identifying the multidimensional factors associated with SDL and potential facilitating strategies from the perspective of medical trainees.

Design

This multicentre qualitative study used focus group discussions to gather insights into SDL, analysed through thematic analysis. NVivo V.12 was used for efficient data management and processing.

Setting

Four focus group discussions were held at three large tertiary hospitals in mainland China from December 2022 to July 2023.

Participants

This study used purposive sampling to recruit eligible participants from the selected hospitals, primarily through instructor recommendations. Recruitment was further supported by snowball sampling, where trainees who completed the interviews referred additional participants. Medical trainees from three major tertiary hospitals in mainland China were ultimately invited to participate in the study.

Results

A total of four focus group discussions were conducted involving 17 medical trainees. Thirteen themes were summarised and assigned into three categories: (1) perceptions of SDL among medical trainees, (2) multidimensional factors affecting SDL among medical trainees and (3) potential improvement strategies.

Conclusion

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of medical trainees regarding SDL across various grades and hospitals in mainland China. The participants universally acknowledged the significance of SDL and expressed a strong aspiration to enhance their competence in this area. The study identified that the factors influencing SDL abilities are multifaceted, highlighting the need for tailored intervention strategies to address these challenges effectively.
The River study: the first prospective multicenter trial of a novel venous sinus stent for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: Patsalides Athos , Fargen Kyle M , Davies Jason M , Boddu Srikanth R , Dinkin Marc , Priest Ryan , Pomeranz Howard D , Gobin Y Pierre , Siddiqui Adnan H
Published: February 2025

Background

The River stent is the first stent specifically designed for intracranial venous sinuses. We report the 1-year results of the River trial, performed to obtain Humanitarian Device Exemption approval of the River stent in the United States (US).

Methods

The River trial was a prospective, open-label, multicenter, single-arm trial which enrolled 39 subjects at 5 US centers. Eligible patients had clinical diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) with severe headaches or visual field loss and had failed medical therapy. The primary safety endpoint was the 1-year rate of major adverse events compared with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting using historical controls. The primary benefit endpoint was a composite at 1 year of clinical improvement and absence of venous sinus stenosis. Secondary endpoints included improvement in pulsatile tinnitus, visual symptoms, quality of life (QOL) scores, and medications.

Results

All procedures were technically successful. There was one serious adverse event, a gastrointestinal hemorrhage observed 2 months after the procedure while the patient was still on dual antiplatelet therapy. The primary safety endpoint was met with a rate of major adverse event of 5.4% versus 51.7% for CSF shunts. The primary benefit endpoint was achieved in 60% of trial participants. Additional improvements were also observed in opening CSF pressure, headaches, papilledema, pulsatile tinnitus, visual symptoms, and QOL scores. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that subjects with minimal or absent papilledema at baseline showed similar improvement compared with subjects with papilledema at baseline, in terms of headaches, pulsatile tinnitus, and QOL.

Conclusions

The River study 1- year results establish safety and suggest efficacy for venous sinus stenting in IIH subjects who have failed medical therapy.
Syn- and post-depositional influences on reservoir quality of the Aptian Dariyan Formation, eastern Persian Gulf
Authors: Jafarian Arman , Kakemem Umid , Husinec Antun , Mehrabi Hamzeh , Pouyafard Zahra , Ghasemi Mohammadfarid , Senemari Saeedeh , Saboor Abdus , Wang Chengshan
Published: February 2025

The Aptian Dariyan (Shuaiba) Formation, a major Cretaceous reservoir in the Middle East, remains poorly understood regarding the influence of depositional facies and diagenetic processes on reservoir quality. This research addresses the gap through an integrated analysis of facies, petrophysics, and geochemistry on a continuous, 104.5-m-long core from an oil/gas field in the eastern Persian Gulf. Employing fully automated techniques, we identified hydraulic flow units (HFUs). We classified nine carbonate facies into three distinct facies associations, arranged from shallowest to deepest: inner ramp (lagoon and shoals), shallow open-marine mid-ramp, and deep open-marine (outer ramp and intrashelf basin). These facies associations exhibit a stacking pattern delineating five third-order transgressive-regressive sequences. The identified HFUs include the barrier unit (HFU1), the baffle unit (HFU2), and the normal unit (HFU3), assessed based on lithological and petrophysical attributes. The normal unit, characterized by good storage capacity but poor to moderate flow capacity, highlights the complexity of reservoir quality. The Dariyan Formation is predominantly composed of mud-supported textures formed in warm, tropical waters. Additionally, late diagenetic cementation severely obstructed pore spaces, altered primary rock characteristics and reduced effective flow capacity.
New Spectral Algorithms for Refuting Smoothed k-SAT
Authors: Guruswami Venkatesan , Kothari Pravesh K. , Manohar Peter
Published: February 2025

Despite being a quintessential example of a hard problem, the quest for finding fast algorithms for deciding satisfiability of propositional formulas has occupied computer scientists both in theory and in practice. In this article, we survey recent progress on designing algorithms with strong refutation guarantees for
smoothed
instances of the

k

-SAT problem. Smoothed instances are formed by slight random perturbations of arbitrary instances, and their study is a way to bridge the gap between worst-case and average-case models of problem instances. Our methods yield new algorithms for smoothed

k

-SAT instances with guarantees that match those for the significantly simpler and well-studied model of
random
formulas. Additionally, they have led to a novel and unexpected line of attack on some longstanding extremal combinatorial problems in graph theory and coding theory. As an example, we will discuss the resolution of a 2008 conjecture of Feige on the existence of short cycles in hypergraphs.
Why Do Students Struggle In CS Theory Courses So Much?
Authors: Dougherty Ryan E.
Published: February 2025

Theory courses are required within CS curricula because of their far-reaching impacts on what makes the CS field special, namely what limits there are for computers. Students nearly universally find this course frustrating and challenging as it often requires formal proofs and reasoning. We in the CER community have long had issue with determining where the underlying cognitive barriers are with students in these courses, and how to address them. Various strategies–such as in-class examples, lecture techniques, course structure adjustments, and visual aids–have been explored. However, none have led to substantial progress in identifying the core issues. In this opinion article I give my hypothesis as to what I believe the central fundamental issue is, and that it has not yet been explored within a CER setting. If we as a community want to bridge the gaps students have within formal courses like theory, we need to face it head-on.
A Survey on Hypergraph Mining: Patterns, Tools, and Generators
Authors: Lee Geon , Bu Fanchen , Eliassi-Rad Tina , Shin Kijung
Published: February 2025

Hypergraphs, which belong to the family of higher-order networks, are a natural and powerful choice for modeling group interactions in the real world. For example, when modeling collaboration networks, which may involve not just two but three or more people, the use of hypergraphs allows us to explore beyond pairwise (dyadic) patterns and capture groupwise (polyadic) patterns. The mathematical complexity of hypergraphs offers both opportunities and challenges for hypergraph mining. The goal of hypergraph mining is to find structural properties recurring in real-world hypergraphs across different domains, which we call patterns. To find patterns, we need tools. We divide hypergraph mining tools into three categories: (1) null models (which help test the significance of observed patterns), (2) structural elements (i.e., substructures in a hypergraph such as open and closed triangles), and (3) structural quantities (i.e., numerical tools for computing hypergraph patterns such as transitivity). There are also hypergraph generators, whose objective is to produce synthetic hypergraphs that are a faithful representation of real-world hypergraphs. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of hypergraph mining, covering patterns, tools, and generators. We provide comprehensive taxonomies for each and offer in-depth discussions for future research on hypergraph mining.
EV-GazeLock: A User Authentication System Based on Micro Eye Movement with Event Cameras
Authors: Zhao Yishuo , Song Xurui , Huang Xinger , Tian Shujie , Zhou Yuanfeng
Published: February 2025

Off-the-shelf VR/AR head-mounted devices are increasingly integrating eye tracking as a novel human-computer interaction interface, enabling new applications in virtual environments. The distinct and reproducible patterns of eye movements among individuals present an opportunity for user identification, known as eye authentication. However, current eye authentication solutions face limitations due to the low temporal resolution of CMOS/CCD cameras, leading to accuracy issues in robust authentication. Moreover, CMOS cameras capturing detailed appearance around the eye region raise concerns about privacy leakage. To overcome these challenges, we propose leveraging event cameras for eye authentication. Event cameras encode per-pixel intensity changes as an asynchronous event stream with high temporal resolution (tens of microseconds), capable of capturing subtle identity-related characteristics from eye movements, termed micro-motion. This paper introduces EV-GazeLock, a novel authentication approach based on eye movements captured by event cameras. EV-GazeLock uses only event streams as input and extracts identity-related characteristics through a custom MicroFlow network designed for spatial-temporal feature extraction from micro-motion. This effectively distinguishes eye movements between different users while avoiding recording detailed eye appearance. Extensive evaluations on multiple datasets demonstrate that EV-GazeLock significantly outperforms several state-of-the-art gaze authentication or recognition methods. Ablation studies further validate the design efficacy of MicroFlow, reinforcing the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Harnessing Graphene for Soil Remediation: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions in Sustainable Development
Authors: Mahajan Priyanka , Khanna Virat , Sharma Vibhu
Published: February 2025

Traditional remediation strategies for soil contamination are inadequate due to various technical and economic gaps. Interest in nanomaterials (NMs), particularly two-dimensional (2D) NMs, is growing as these materials have become the essential components of different technologies, including energy storage, biosensors, and environmental remediation owing to large surface area, high surface functionalities, and outstanding electrical and thermal properties. The flourishing field of nanotechnology and NMs has attracted the attention of environmentalists and technologists for their integration into the field of soil remediation, as water remediation has already been studied to a larger extent. Therefore, this review has been designed to explore and analyse the role of graphene, its derivatives and their nanocomposites, one of the most emerging 2D materials in the field of environmental remediation, in mitigating soil contamination. The underlying mechanisms, namely, adsorption and catalytic degradation of the emerging soil pollutants, have been explored along with discussing the studies linked with the real-world implication of this technology. Further, the environmental and health impacts of graphene has also been highlighted, which is accumulated in the soil after reaction. Too optimise the soil remediation process by graphene and its derivatives, the challenges involved have also been discussed along with suggestive future strategies.
Magnetic Properties of Bilayer Penta-Graphene-Like Nanostructures: A Monte Carlo Study
Authors: fadil Zakaria , Raorane Chaitany Jayprakash , El Fdil R , Kim Seong Cheol , Alsayyari Abdulrahman A , Mahmoud Khaled H.
Published: February 2025

This study explores the magnetic properties of bilayer Penta-graphene-like nanostructures using Monte Carlo simulations, focusing on the effects of temperature, exchange interactions, crystal field anisotropy, and external magnetic fields. The analysis reveals how these factors govern magnetic phases, transitions, and overall stability. Furthermore, it examines spin alignment dynamics and phase boundaries, highlighting the potential of these nanostructures for advanced spintronic devices, high-density magnetic memory, and precision sensors, owing to their highly tunable magnetic responses.
Obtaining Dialdehyde Carboxymethylcellulose Through Microwave Treatment
Authors: Goyibnazarov I. Sh. , Yuldoshov Sh. A. , Sarymsakov A. A. , Yunusov Kh. E. , Yarmatov S. S. , Shukurov A. I. , Bobomurodova M. S. , Wan Yi
Published: February 2025

In this study, we investigated the process of obtaining dialdehyde carboxymethylcellulose (DCMC) with a high molecular mass and aldehyde content (AC) through periodate oxidation under microwave irradiation. We examined the effects of periodate oxidation time, sodium periodate (NaIO4) concentration, and pH value of the solution under microwave treatment on the molecular mass, aldehyde group content, and yield of DCMC. Optimal conditions for the periodate oxidation reaction under microwave irradiation (microwave power level set at 10% or 70 W) were identified as follows: a reaction time of 10 min, oxidant concentration of 2.5% (with a molar ratio of carboxymethylcellulose to NaIO4 of 1:1), and pH of 3.5. Under these conditions, the oxidation degree of DCMC obtained by microwave treatment was 82%, with a molecular mass of 141 kDa, a polydispersity of 1.4%, and a product yield of 70%. The obtained samples were analyzed using a variety of methods including chemical analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscope (AFM), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Assessing the Advantages of Sorghum–Haricot Bean Intercropping Over Sole Cropping and Productivity via Competitive Indices in Ethiopia’s Highland Regions
Authors: Ashenafi Mitiku , Wodimu Tiglu , Tenaye Sintayehu , Kebede Temesgen , Alemu Derib
Published: February 2025

There is a critical need to address declining farm size‐related land productivity for sustainable agricultural production in Ethiopia. Intercropping cereals, such as sorghum, with grain legumes can result in a farm‐wide production plan that tackles both financial and environmental concerns. A randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment was conducted in 2022 and 2023 in Gambella Regional State, southwest highlands of Ethiopia. In the current study, we aimed to assess the effects of plant population ratios and varieties of haricot bean intercropping with sorghum for the better management of resources using various competitive indices. The 13 treatments employed in the study were as follows: 100% sorghums plus 25% haricot bean varieties (Nasir, Awash, and local); 100% sorghums plus 50% haricot bean types (Nasir, Awash, and local); and 100% sorghums plus 75% haricot bean varieties (Nasir, Awash, and local). The findings demonstrated that the Nasir variety, at 50% of the stand count, produced the highest grain yield (2.87 t ha−1) of main (sorghum) and intercropped (haricot bean) (2.73 t ha−1), which was significantly greater than the sole sorghum by 13.86% and sole haricot bean by 9.44%. As opposed to producing either species as a solitary crop, intercropping sorghum with haricot beans boosted the efficiency of land usage and produced greater total yields. Sorghum intercropped with haricot bean variety Nasir at 50% stand count showed better yield advantages and land use efficiency than another intercropping system, as evidenced by the higher land equivalent ratio (LER) 2.28 and monetary advantage index (MAI) 9463.36 than any other intercropping system. In light of its superior compatibility over other population densities and haricot bean varieties tested in the study, intercropping sorghum with haricot bean variety Nasir at a stand count of 50% is advised for the study region.
Effect of High‐Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy on Hypoxemia in Patients After Esophagectomy
Authors: Shen Yumei , Xu Yi , Xu Fanglan , Wang Xiaofan , Duan Shanzhou , Chen Yongbing
Published: February 2025

Background: Patients with esophageal cancer (EC) who have undergone esophagectomy are at risk of developing hypoxemia and encountering postoperative complications. It is essential to ascertain whether the high‐flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy offers superior clinical efficacy compared to conventional oxygen therapy (COT).

Methods: Clinical data from 80 patients who experienced hypoxemia subsequent to radical esophagectomy were retrospectively collected at our institution spanning January 2020 to December 2022. The whole cohort was divided into two groups: the HFNC group and the COT group. Following oxygen administration, we evaluated the variations in arterial blood gas parameters and infection indices within each group, in addition to scrutinizing the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications.

Results: The HFNC group was associated with a better oxygenation index (Fgroup = 41.779, p < 0.001) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (Fgroup = 16.760, p < 0.001) compared with the COT group. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in the reduction of C‐reactive protein (Fgroup = 17.603, p < 0.001) and neutrophil count (Fgroup = 4.395, p = 0.039) in the HFNC group compared with the COT group after 3 days of oxygen therapy. Notably, patients treated with HFNC exhibited a markedly reduced risk of developing postoperative complications, especially pneumonia (p = 0.039).

Conclusion: HFNC outperformed COT in enhancing oxygenation and reducing carbon dioxide levels and infection indices among patients with hypoxemia after radical resection of EC and also lowered the risk of postoperative pneumonia.
Splenic Artery Embolization for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Caused by Hemosuccus Pancreaticus
Authors: Gutu Evghenii , Casian Dumitru , Smolnitchi Roman , Culiuc Vasile , Scureac Andrei
Published: February 2025

Hemosuccus pancreaticus (HP) is a rare but potentially life‐threatening condition, characterized by upper gastrointestinal bleeding from the ampulla of Vater, often originating from a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the peripancreatic arteries. Despite its rarity, HP presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to its elusive clinical presentation and complex underlying pathophysiology. In this case report, we presented a compelling instance of HP, diagnosed in a 48‐year‐old man, complicated with gastrointestinal bleeding and severe anemia successfully managed with urgent endovascular intervention. We highlighted the importance of early recognition, prompt intervention, and interdisciplinary collaboration in achieving favorable outcomes in patients afflicted by this distinctly unusual condition.
Optimal Design of Battery Energy Storage System Controllers for Damping Low‐Frequency Oscillations
Authors: Hasanvand Saeed , Sobhani Hossein , Mardaneh Mohammad , Khooban Mohammad-Hassan
Published: February 2025

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) have recently been utilized in power systems for various purposes. Integrating these devices into power systems can enhance the damping capability of subsynchronous oscillations. The interaction between the control modes of the BESS and synchronous machines, as well as the control parameters of the BESS, reduces subsynchronous oscillations. To damp oscillations and improve dynamic stability, this work develops a linear model of a power system integrated with a BESS to investigate small‐signal stability. The gain tuning of the BESS controller is formulated as an optimization problem and is solved using a fuzzy‐based algorithm. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated under various operating conditions. Furthermore, the proposed method is compared with a power system stabilizer (PSS) damping controller, and the results demonstrate the superiority of the BESS damping method in mitigating subsynchronous oscillations and enhancing the dynamic stability of power systems. Lastly, eigenvalue analysis is employed to determine the permissible ranges of BESS parameters for stable power system operation.
Maxillary Anterior Root Position/Angulation and Alveolar Bone Thickness in the Saudi Population: Implications for Implant Therapy
Authors: Fathi Wesam , Alkheraije Kadi
Published: February 2025

Background: Immediate implant placement has been considered a rapid and relatively efficient oral rehabilitation method that restores functional and esthetic demands. Understanding the anatomical tooth position and the natural dimensions of the alveolar ridge would facilitate proper treatment planning for immediate implants particularly in the esthetic zone. Therefore, the present study aims to use cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images to evaluate sagittal root position (SRP), tooth angulation within the alveolar ridge, and measuring labial and palatal alveolar bone thickness at maxillary anterior teeth.

Materials and Methods: CBCT images of 102 Saudi adult subjects were used to evaluate the maxillary anterior teeth for three main parameters: SRP classification, root angulation in the alveolar bone, and labial and palatal bone thickness.

Results: A total of 612 teeth were evaluated. Three hundred eighty‐three teeth were classified as SRP Class I; majority of canines (75%), 46.08% of lateral incisors and 66.67% of central incisors. For SRP Class I, 46.5% of the teeth belong to females and 53.5% to males. In SRP Class II, 71.1% are female and 28.9% are male. SRP Class III has 33.3% females and 66.7% males. For SRP Class IV, 57.3% are female and 42.7% are male. Males have statistically significant thicker labial bone at canines and lateral incisors, at 2, 4, and 6 mm. However, males have statistically significant thicker bone at central incisors in palatal measurements and at the apex.

Conclusion: There are significant differences in how canines, lateral, and central incisors are distributed across SRP classifications (p  < 0.001). Canines show high frequency in Class I, but low in Class II. Lateral incisors have more even distribution between Class I and II. Central incisors follow similar pattern to canines with high Class I. The variations in SRP class and the gender differences in bone thickness identified in the current study confirm the necessity of personalized treatment plans to enhance immediate or even delayed implant placement success rates.
Exploring Ternary Essential Oil Mixtures of Moroccan Artemisia Species for Larvicidal Effectiveness Against Culex pipiens Mosquitoes: A Mixture Design Approach
Authors: Alami Abdellatif , Ez zoubi Yassine , Fadil Mouhcine , Annemer Saoussan , Bassouya Mohammed , Moustaid Wafae , Farah Abdellah
Published: February 2025

Essential oils (EOs) have gained significant attention for their biopesticidal properties in pest management. This study investigates the insecticidal potential of EOs extracted from the aerial parts of three indigenous Artemisia species—Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia arborescens, and Artemisia campestris—collected from various provenances in Morocco. The EOs were tested individually and in combination against Culex pipiens (C. pipiens) larvae to explore potential synergistic interactions using a mixture design methodology. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC‐FID) analyses revealed quantitative and qualitative variations in the chemical composition of the oils. The primary constituents of A. absinthium were identified as thujone (32.20% ± 2.65%), camphor (19.95% ± 2.64%), and chamazulene (19.58% ± 2.33%). In A. arborescens, thujone (52.05% ± 3.84%), camphor (10.71% ± 3.08%), and eucalyptol (4.79% ± 1.53%) were the major components, while A. campestris comprised camphor (18.98% ± 2.65%), car‐3‐en‐5‐one (11.25% ± 2.33%), and thujone (6.63% ± 1.67%). When applied individually, all three EOs exhibited significant larvicidal activity against C. pipiens larvae, with A. arborescens showing the highest efficacy (LC50 11.11 μg/mL (5.45 ± 22.62)) compared to A. absinthium (LC50: 16.98 μg/mL (6.73 ± 27.39)) and A. campestris (LC50: 19.07 μg/mL (13.57 ± 23.38)). In mixture experiments, the mixture design outcomes reveal that the ternary formulation comprising 58% A. absinthium, 26% A. arborescens, and 16% A. campestris emerged as the most effective blend, achieving complete larval eradication. This study highlights the potential of Artemisia EO combinations as a sustainable and effective alternative for managing mosquito vectors of disease.
Blockade of the PGE2 pathway inhibits the growth of PTEN deficient HNSCC tumors
Authors: Nguyen Jacqueline P. , Na'ara Shorook , Woerner Liam C. , VanLandingham Nathan K. , Hoerner Marius , Santuray Rodell T. , Blum Kelly , Kim Mi-Ok , Johnson Daniel E. , Grandis Jennifer R.
Published: February 2025

Increased PI3K signaling as a result of PIK3CA mutation or amplification or decreased expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) is one of the most common alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). PTEN negatively regulates PI3K signaling and its downstream effectors including COX2. COX2 mediates the synthesis of PGE2 which contributes to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. PGE2 also binds to one or more EP receptors (EP1-EP4) and promotes the growth of tumor cells via activation of EP2 and EP4. However, the role of PGE2 in PTEN-deficient HNSCC is incompletely understood. Here, we assessed PGE2 signaling in PTEN-deficient HNSCC and evaluated the effect of aspirin or TPST-1495, a dual EP2/EP4 antagonist, on the growth of PTEN knockout (KO) and PIK3CA-altered HNSCC tumors in immunocompetent mice. Our results demonstrated that aspirin selectively inhibits the growth of PTEN KO HNSCC tumors. TPST-1495 inhibited tumor growth and substantially increased the anti-tumor activity of the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD1. To date, there are no FDA-approved therapies for PI3K pathway-altered HNSCC. Our findings suggest that NSAIDs demonstrate anti-tumor activity in PTEN-deficient or PI3K-altered tumors whereas EP2/EP4 targeting may augment FDA-approved anti-PD1 therapy in HNSCC.
Immunotherapy and cellular therapies for cancers in kidney transplant patients
Authors: Merzkani Massini , Attieh Rose Mary , Jhaveri Kenar D. , Murakami Naoka
Published: February 2025

Background
Kidney transplant is a treatment of choice for end-stage kidney disease, with longer survival and better quality of life post-transplant. However, long-term immunosuppression comes with an increased risk of cancer and infection. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death after kidney transplant. While novel cancer therapies become available, transplant recipients are usually excluded from clinical trials
Summary
In this review, we summarize the updated knowledge on immunosuppression management in kidney transplant recipients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) therapy, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies.
Key Messages
Transplant nephrologists should be empowered to participate in the decision making of cancer treatment together with patients, care partners and oncologist, by managing immunosuppression.
Impact of Perfectionism, Cognitive Style and Emotional Schema on Popular Psychology: a Regression Analysis
Authors: Omrani-shishavan Arezou , Zeynali-Tazehkandi Mahdi , Aminpoor Hasan
Published: February 2025

The research aim is to predict popular psychology based on perfectionism, cognitive style, and emotional schema. The population of the study included men, and women aged 20 to 60 living in the city. According to Krejcie & Morgan’s table, 383 people were selected using a non-proportional stratified random sampling method. To collect data, a popular psychology questionnaire, Hill’s perfectionism questionnaire, Leahy’s emotional schema questionnaire, and Witkin’s cognitive style test were employed. The results showed that there was a significant and positive impact of perfectionism (The Beta coefficient = 0.18, p-value < 0.05) and emotional schema (The Beta coefficient = 0.30, p-value < 0.05) on popular psychology; while there was no correlation between cognitive style and popular psychology which its equation can be presented as PP = 0.3ES + 0.18P + 1.11. Regarding the model, R2 = 0.14 indicates that the model explains 14% of the variances in popular psychology.
Can Social Cognitive Theory Reduce Gender Inequality in Digitization among Women in Agricultural Activities in Tanzania?
Authors: John Yuslida
Published: February 2025

This research examines the role of social cognitive theory in reducing gender inequality in the introduction of digitization among agriculturists’ women in Tanzania. This follows the low pace of digitalization adoption among women in the agriculture sector in Tanzania. The study experience from women farmers in two villages such as Membe and Chinangali in the Chamwino district in the Dodoma region with structural equation modeling indicates that social cognitive theory in terms of self-efficacy, observed learning, and observed behavior can influence digitization among agriculturalist women in Tanzania. While digitization has become inevitable in all sectors, with no exception to agriculture, understanding factors that motivate digitization among women farmers is critical given the low rate of adoption, despite the greater number of women involved in the sector.
Causal Reasoning about Illnesses and Remedies by Puerto Rican Parents Living in the United States
Authors: Pineda Evelyn , Trujillo Hernandez Graciela , Yoo Seung Heon , Rosengren Karl S.
Published: February 2025

This study examined how Puerto Rican parents living in the United States reason about illnesses and remedies. Special focus is placed on the influence of Puerto Rican cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs due to the influence of Taino, West African, Spanish, and U.S. beliefs and customs. Parents of 3.5 to 12-year-old children from the Rochester, NY area were asked to complete a questionnaire centered on their beliefs and an open-ended interview that explored how one could get sick and treated for biological illnesses (e.g., the common cold, COVID-19, cancer). Although participants reported religious, spiritual, and mystical beliefs in the questionnaire, they provided scientific explanations for illness and remedies in the interview. This study provides novel findings on how individuals of Puerto Rican descent understand illnesses and remedies and the variation across individuals. This study provides strong evidence for the variation in coexistence of beliefs within this population.
Markets, Religion, Community Size and the Evolution of Fairness? Not Really
Authors: Deb Angarika
Published: February 2025

An influential account of human fairness has suggested that norms of equity and fairness evolved as community sizes grew, markets and institutions stabilised and world religions came about. The account rests on the assumptions that humans predominantly interacted with kin in the evolutionary past, lived in genetically related groups and did not have formal norms of cooperation. In this article I present anthropological evidence to the contrary. Contemporary hunter-gatherer societies from around the globe live in nomadic camps with fluid membership and low genetic relatedness; cooperate extensively based on principles of need, and equity; have high prevalence of food sharing, cooperative hunting and alloparenting; and demonstrate formal norms of redistribution for essential goods. I suggest therefore, that this account of fairness is in need of revision. Fairness – understood as equity in distributions – is not a recently evolved disposition in market-integrated societies; but has likely existed in hunter-gatherers too.
Practice as Philosophy
Authors: Addona Victoria
Published: February 2025

The Florentine architect Bernardo Buontalenti’s only sustained commentary on his profession is found not in a treatise but in the margins of Domenico Mellini’s tract, Discorso contro il moto perpetuo (1587). While Mellini relied upon Aristotelian doctrine to disprove Buontalenti’s claimed invention of a perpetual motion machine, the architect corrected him by asserting the primacy of practical knowledge over theoretical reasoning. This paper examines incidents of late sixteenth-century Florentine architect-engineers writing against intellectual and institutional authorities, often in unexpected formats including marginalia, drawings, and self-published pamphlets. It explores their contributions in the context of a transitional moment in the history of architectural professionalization—the foundation of art academies. Challenging humanistic doubts on practical knowledge and an increasingly specialized definition of the architect as artist, late sixteenth-century architect-engineers increasingly upheld material and technical experimentation as modes of rational thought providing more direct and truthful knowledge of the natural world.
‘I Don’t Know If You Have Experience with Meditation?’
Authors: Grenz Sabine
Published: February 2025

In 2020, during the height of COVID, I conducted research in the German-speaking area that revealed a complexity of power relations between the secular and the religious as well as between different religious branches. The aim of this article is a methodological contribution to post-secular research. Starting from the underlying question of how we interact with our participants in order to allow for unspeakable discourses from a secular/-ist perspective, the article engages in-depth with excerpts from qualitative empirical interviews and explores how discourses of cultural memory resonate in them. Based on an interpretative methodology inspired by diffractive reading, which takes the cultural history of secularisation and its discursive memory as a prism to differentiate power discourses, it focuses on the discourses of gender, colonialism, and pathologisation as well as on their entanglement with each other. While discourses of gender and colonialism have been the subject of a large body of research in empirical religious studies already, this article adds an analysis of pathologisation.
Disobedient Humanitarianism: Moral Experiences of Aid in the Arabian Desert (1962–1970)
Authors: Gorin Valérie
Published: February 2025

Drawing from ethnographic scholarship on experienced moralities in aid work, this article interrogates the engagement of humanitarian delegates in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mission during the civil war in Yemen (1962–1970). Working in difficult and remote conditions, the ICRC delegates developed paradoxical relationships with the environment, the climate, and the populations, which both fascinated and intimidated them. Their sensorial and affective responses shaped their collective experiences in the desertic and mountainous landscapes and enhanced their convictions to act in front of extreme suffering in the midst of conflict. This influenced the decision-making process of one man in particular, André Rochat, the head of mission, who developed a pragmatic spirit of initiative that went sometimes beyond his professional duties. By exposing the moral dilemmas these delegates went through, the article discusses how this led to a disobedient form of action against normative institutional frameworks.
The Afobaka Dam
Authors: Price Richard
Published: February 2025

This article argues that the Afobaka Dam in Suriname, completed in 1965, which created one of the world’s largest reservoirs, sank 43 Saamaka and several Ndyuka/Okanisi villages, and forcibly displaced 6,000 people from their homes, should be considered a crime against humanity. It describes the origins of the engineering project, the interactions between the Suriname government and the Saamakas, the “transmigration” villages built to house the displaced people, and the continuing deleterious effects of the dam. Evidence is provided from affidavits of Saamakas and outside experts before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2007, as well as the author’s interviews with participants—both government officials and Saamakas—since the 1960s.
Space in Movies: Continuity and Perceptual Load Guide Spatial Judgements
Authors: Candan Şimşek Ayşe , Aydın Tolgahan , Demirgüneş Ece Aleyna , Şafak Pelin Su
Published: February 2025

Movies often require viewers to form complex spatial maps due to the constant movement of the camera. In the present study, we investigated the role of perceptual load (high vs low) and screen orientation (regular vs mirrored) on people’s judgements of spatial relations in movie scenes. We manipulated perceptual load as the complexity of information in the background and screen orientation as the position of actors in the original video compared to a mirrored version, which flipped the actor positions 180° on the horizontal axis halfway into the video. In Experiment 2, we introduced a cue (either on the actor or on the background) to draw attention to the spatial relations in the first half of the video, which represented the regular orientation. To explore these variables in a more controlled setting, we filmed simple activity videos in the laboratory in Experiment 3. Overall, the results indicated that preference for the most recent spatial orientation significantly decreased, and reaction times increased when actor positions reversed halfway into the scene. Also, high perceptual load or cues on actors increase the chance that the viewer might shift from the original spatial-temporal framework. The results suggest that continuity of actor positions appears to be the most crucial factor for forming and updating spatial representations in movie sequences. Nonetheless, scene background is also considered by the viewers as a part of the active mental model as a contextual cue to anchor actor positions.
Tree form and anatomical determinants of maximum potential height, with focus on North American conifers
Authors: Jagels Richard , Wason Jay
Published: February 2025

Tree form can determine biomechanical strategies for attaining maximum height growth. In an earlier paper, tree height in five global forest regions was linked to increasing bending stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MOE) and, in three of those regions, height was independent of bending strength (modulus of rupture, MOR), as approximates with slender column buckling theory. But, in Latin American and North American angiosperm forests, tall trees exhibited a relationship with bending strength in addition to the relationship between height and stiffness. Here we compared forest characteristics of the five regions and determined that greater species diversity likely introduced more competition with the development of larger and broader crown size. These trees no longer approximate the slender column model and consequently result in shorter trees. Since conifers do approximate slender column buckling theory, we used the inverse relationship between tracheid length and microfibril angle (MFA), a determinate of tracheid tensile strength and stem stiffness, to show that tracheid length for 37 North American conifers correlates with current tree height. This correlation mimics that of stiffness with tree height, providing evidence that tracheid length could be used as a predictor of potential tree height. Eight conifers (four southern pines, bald cypress, sugar pine, Sitka spruce and coast redwood) with the longest tracheids revealed current maximum heights that are less than tracheid length would predict. They are currently restricted to seasonally wet habitats that fail to provide the tropical rainforest conditions from which they were excluded by angiosperms in the evolutionary past. Current rapid climate change leading to drier conditions could further reduce maximum height development in these conifer giants.
Maine de Biran
Authors: Devarieux Anne , Emma-Adamah Victor
Published: February 2025

Why do we still persist today in describing Maine de Biran’s thought as “spiritualist,” even though it sets materialism and spiritualism back-to-back as speculative systems – already present in embryonic form within Cartesian doctrine – that run counter to inner experience and the true science of humankind? This article revisits the genesis of the discovery of a force that, according to its author, alone proves truly capable of grasping the feeling of effort or sense of self, something that no prior metaphysical or physiological explanation had succeeded in articulating. Such a force is not spiritual if by “spiritual” we mean a force divorced from all matter and any physiological conditions of its realization. Consequently, as Biran repeatedly insists, all discussions of spiritualism and materialism revolve around the ambiguity between the self (moi) and the soul (âme). To be a philosopher of consciousness, must one be a spiritualist?
Alienation and Self-Knowledge in Maine de Biran
Authors: Horton Sarah
Published: February 2025

For Maine de Biran, one knows oneself through effort. Crucially, effort involves both a force and a resistance: thus, I am the relation between my soul and my body. Biran may seem to bring the body wholly within the sphere of the self’s interiority, and, indeed, he has often been credited with discovering the lived body of phenomenology. This article argues, however, drawing on Emmanuel Falque’s recent reading of Biran, that the Biranian myself turns out to be, to an extent, external to itself. For the organic resistance that I encounter in all my actions, and that is necessary for me to act at all, can never be wholly transparent to me. The very possibility of self-knowledge thus depends on a certain obscurity, even a certain alienation. The article concludes with a brief consideration of the compatibility of Biran’s late, religious writing with his philosophy of effort.
Whose Agenda? Gender, Climate Change and Cooperation Policies in Tunisia
Authors: Pagano Carla
Published: February 2025

Tunisia has made an explicit commitment to climate action from a gendered perspective with the adoption of an Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change in 2022. The plan adds to an array of existing strategies that are challenging to implement. The country is among those in the MENA region most at risk from the impact of climate projections on socio-economic factors.

This paper draws on a review of the literature and legal and policy framework on climate change, along with an analysis of existing quantitative data on the Tunisian case. This is combined with qualitative empirical field research, conducted from April to August 2024 through in-depth interviews with national institutions (6), civil society (3), and key informants (4) and focus groups (6) with rightsholders of international cooperation programmes.

Using an intersectional feminist policy analysis framework combined with a socio- economic analysis, the paper provides an overview of Tunisia’s climate policies from a gender perspective. It addresses three specific areas of inquiry: first, the evolution of national strategies on climate over time and key inflection points in Tunisia’s political history and how they shaped climate policies; second, the scope for complementarity and trade-offs between international actors and domestic agency in Tunisia’s climate strategies; third, the paper analyses crucial elements of Tunisia’s gender climate governance and policies and highlights some critical issues for future research.
Gender and Climate Change Impacts in the MENA Region: Insights from Refugee Camps in Jordan
Authors: Chahin Houssam
Published: February 2025

This discussion paper focuses on the intersection between gender norms, climate change and displacement with a focus on Jordan, one of the driest countries in the region as well as a country hosting the world’s second-largest number of refugees per capita. We argue that to tackle the impacts of climate change in the region, climate action needs to adopt a gender sensitive approach at its heart. Drawing on UNHCR’s work in the region, we identify key pathways for gender inclusivity in climate action.
Lenin, Moribund Capitalism and the Global Crisis of Labor Movements
Authors: van der Linden Marcel
Published: February 2025

In the first decades after 1914, capitalism went through a deep crisis while labor movements actually gained strength. This was the time when Lenin and others developed the theory of an irreversible decline of world capitalism. From the 1950s onward, the crisis of capitalism appeared to be over and the labor movements seemed to become even stronger. In recent decades, however, we have seen a return of capitalist crises, but this time it has been accompanied by a second deep international crisis – that of the labor movements. We are therefore now confronted with a double crisis, of which the outcome is still unclear.
Frontiers of self-realisation. How (un)certainty and imaginaries shape fertility intentions in Italy and Norway
Authors: Bazzani Giacomo , Dommermuth Lars , Lappegard Trude , Vignoli Daniele
Published: February 2025

The prevalence of uncertainty and post-materialist values appears to contribute to the emergence of low-fertility patterns or even the prevalence of childlessness. This article casts doubt on this linear explanation, which seems to remove children from personal plans and aspirations. Drawing on a survey encompassing both open and closed questions to 837 heterosexual respondents from Norway and Italy, this study investigates both the enabling and hindering factors that affect fertility intentions. Employing a qualitative-driven mixed-methods approach, the results confirm the significant roles of uncertainty and self-realisation in the childbearing decision-making process, with the former being more pronounced in Italy and the latter in Norway. Additionally, fertility intentions can be considered as enhancing narratives of the self, often existing ‘despite’ uncertainty. In line with the concept of family formation as a ‘bricolage process’, we find that children may represent an opportunity for self-realisation, portraying a new type of children imaginary as ‘choice, pleasure, and social anchor’.