bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neglected Bilateral Shaft Femur Fracture – A Case Report
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India., Lakhani Karan R , Chaudhary Sumedh D ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India., Sakharkar Nilesh S ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India., Phuphate Akshay ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India., Tawri Pratik ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India., Jogani Abhinav ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Published: December 2024

Introduction: Most patients with these injuries are taken to hospitals frequently for specialized orthopedic treatment. However, because quackery is a common practice in the many regions, it is common in underdeveloped nations, particularly in rural India, for these injuries to be initially overlooked. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of open intramedullary nailing in the treatment of patients with neglected bilateral fracture shaft femurs in terms of union achievement and functional outcomes.

Case Report: The first presentation was a 27-year-old male patient with bilateral untreated malunited shaft femur fractures that had occurred 10 months prior. The patient had a history of a car accident that resulted in bilateral shaft femur fractures. We aimed to treat both fractures simultaneously in a single setting with open reduction and femoral nailing. The patient has followed up for 10 months after surgery with full weight bear walking without support and can sit cross legged and squat.

Conclusion: The prognosis is typically poorer for neglected femoral shaft fractures than for those that are treated immediately. Any surgeon who works in low facilities setting needs to be aware of difficulties in the management of neglected or non-union shaft femur fracture.

Keywords: Neglected, quackery, open reduction, malunion.
Displaced Jeffery Type 2 Radial Neck Fracture Managed by a Modified Métaizeau Technique: A Case Report
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India., Dharmshaktu Ganesh Singh , Dharmshaktu Ishwar Singh ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India., Yadav Krishna Dev Singh ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India.
Published: December 2024

Introduction: The radial neck fractures in children are uncommon injures and more so in the settings of an associated elbow dislocation. Radial neck fracture, with 90° posterior rotation of the articular surface with respect to its normal axis, is a characteristic feature of rare Jeffery type 2 injury. This injury pattern is reported as sporadic reports or small series in the literature. Most of the reported cases have been managed by operative intervention with either open or percutaneous reduction and K-wire fixation. Despite the fact that isolated radial neck fractures have been managed frequently by the retrograde intra-medullary wire fixation technique as described by Métaizeau, its modified utilization as standalone treatment has rarely been described for Jeffery type 2 injury, to the best knowledge of the authors.

Case Report: We, hereby report our experience of a displaced Jeffery type 2 radial neck fracture, associated with the posterior elbow subluxation in a 13-year-old male. The injury was finally treated with open relocation of the displaced radial head to the radius neck followed by retrograde fixation of the radial head with one retrograde intramedullary K-wire as a modified Métaizeau technique. Gradual healing of the fracture, stable elbow, and painless activities of daily living were noted along with normal regain of pre-injury elbow function. No complication or instability was noted and excellent Mayo Elbow performance score in the follow-up of 13 months.

Conclusion: The peculiar injury pattern of Jeffery type 2 radial neck fracture warrants early recognition and appropriate management for the optimal functional outcome and also to avoid complication. Open reduction of the displaced radial head and fixation with Métaizeau technique is viable option for the management of this rare injury.

Keywords: Elbow injury, pediatric elbow, pediatric fracture, radial neck fracture, elbow dislocation.
Flutter Analysis Based on the New Numerical Model IAR-99 HAWK Empty Equipped Configuration Aircraft
Authors: VLADIMIRESCU Tudor , FUIOREA Ion , VLADIMIRESCU-jr Tudor
Published: December 2024

After creating a new Finite Elements Model (FEM) of the aircraft IAR-99 HAWK using special elements, the team decided to validate the results by performing a free-free vibrations analysis on this model. In this presentation we have described the finite elements used and their peculiarities, the finite elements model obtained for the aircraft IAR-99 HAWK and the results of the free-free vibrations analysis obtained in the empty equipped configuration. The results of the theoretical free-free vibrations obtained for the IAR-99 HAWK in the empty equipped configuration are presented and compared to those obtained from ground tests, thus confirming the accuracy of the new Finite Element Model (FEM). The aerodynamic idealization of the IAR-99 aircraft was made using the DLM method for subsonic flow, also considering the load-bearing surface/fuselage interference and aims to determine the generalized aerodynamic forces that occur on one mode of vibration due to the influence of another mode of vibration. The flutter calculation for the IAR-99 HAWK empty equipped configuration aircraft was made using the p-K methodology presented in the MSC.Nastran program, using the vibration modes obtained on the basis of the new finite element model and the matrix of generalized aerodynamic forces in subsonic flow.
NF-κB, neutrophil extracellular traps, and microglial in mice with Streptococcus suis serotype 2 meningitis infection
Authors: Susilawathi Ni Made , Adi Tarini Ni Made , Arijana I Gusti Kamasan Nyoman , Sriwidyani Ni Putu , Pramitasuri Tjokorda Istri , Sudewi Anak Agung Raka , Mahardika I Gusti Ngurah Kade
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND Streptococcus suis is the most frequent etiology of zoonotic bacterial meningitis, potentially initiating an outbreak. Acute bacterial meningitis caused by S. suis has various manifestations, often accompanied by sepsis with multiple organ involvement. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern of S. suis outgrowth in the brain, which is associated with nuclear factor-κappaB (NF-κB) activation, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) release (NETosis), and microglial activation as three crucial pathological mechanisms of bacterial meningitis.
METHODS This study used 64 female BALB/c mice aged 6 weeks and weighed 18−20 g, grouped into infected and non-infected as the control group. Both groups were administered 1 ml of S. suis serotype 2 suspension (1 × 107 colony forming-unit/ml) and normal saline intraperitoneally. The bacterial colony count of S. suis was evaluated, along with NF-κB and NET levels in blood and brain, as well as meningeal inflammation and microglial activation in the brain at Days 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-infection.
RESULTS The invasion of S. suis into the brain slightly induced NF-κB activation, leading to a burst of inflammatory responses, neutrophil infiltration with NET releases, and microglia activation that co-occurred, showing their peaks on Days 3 and 5 after onset.
CONCLUSIONS The S. suis invasion into the mice’s brain increased NF-κB activation, NETosis, and microglia activation during S. suis meningitis infection.
“A Few Funny Things”: Hemingway’s Early Interest in Spanish History and Politics
Authors: Murad David
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Critical discourse often overlooks or devalues Hemingway’s attention to Spanish history and politics prior to the mid-1930s. While early Spanish-related works, such as The Sun Also Rises or “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” are admittedly less engaged with politics than later Civil War stories, I challenge perceptions of Hemingway’s early ignorance of or disinterest in Spanish politics—sentiments too readily accepted when focusing so much on Hemingway and Spain through bullfighting. Reading his Star reporting and early correspondences alongside Spanish political history provides contextual markers that enrich the respective stories and themes—and shows Hemingway as a politically-inclined, even if not always publicly political, writer.
“He did not need to get his map out”: Spatial Insularity in Hemingway’s Early Nick Adams Stories
Authors: Godfrey Laura
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Most readers now recognize the topophrenic quality of Ernest Hemingway’s writing: his textual places become a rich bricolage of memories, associations, and layers of history, and Hemingway’s landscapes are consistently complicated by comparisons with other stories from other places. By the time he began the focused composition of his earliest Nick Adams stories, Hemingway had already spent years immersed in cultures and countries far outside of America’s borders. Yet these earliest Michigan-set stories show little interest in comparative, cosmopolitan place-awareness. Instead, this essay examines the way that Hemingway’s conception of story-spaces and storyworlds seems to deliberately contract, rather than expand, revealing a far narrower literary cartography.
Bodhisattvas’ Companions: The Lion, Hou, and Diting
Authors: Lo Hui-chi
Published: December 2024

Abstract: This paper analyzes the elusive appearance of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva’s Hou mount. It examines the unexplored rules for portraying Hou and resolves confused identities between Mañjuśrī and Avalokiteśvara in late Ming and Qing Buddhist art. In earlier history, Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and Kṣitigarbha all had lion companions. As the Avalokiteśvara belief became extremely popular in the late Ming, her central position in the Three Great Beings (Avalokiteśvara, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra) triad was accentuated, and her mount needed to be superior to a lion. Artists resorted to features of the mythical animals in the court officials’ rank badge system to create Hou. When features such as hoofs, horns, scales, and barbels appear on a lion, viewers can tell that the quadruped is Hou. Artists also applied these rules when creating Kṣitigarbha’s companion, Diting. However, Kṣitigarbha’s unique iconographic traits enable viewers to recognize him without hesitation.
Atheist Religion and Worldly Redemption in China: The 1922 Anti-Christian Movement
Authors: Xu Aymeric
Published: December 2024

Abstract: The Anti-Christian Movement started out as a nationalist and cultural movement. Although scientific rationality invalidated theistic religion for many New Culturalist intellectuals, they shared the aspiration for the creation of an atheist religion that related personal moral rectitude to the worldly redemption of national salvation. Following the intervention of the Comintern and the Chinese Communist Party, the Movement took a political turn with a communist overtone. The political atheist religion of communism progressively overshadowed the atheist religion that stressed individual moral improvement. The latter was considered to be too impotent to bring about sociopolitical changes in comparison to political organization and mobilization that communism promised to concretize. As such, the shift of the intellectual and political paradigms in which the Anti-Christian Movement developed in a time scope of five years presented a panorama of the trajectory of the New Culture Movement, and its political legacy continued to inform China’s propaganda of faith after 1949.
Re-Education as Conversion: “Thought Reform” of Buddhists on Mount Jiuhua in the People’s Republic of China, 1949–1966
Authors: Ouyang Nan
Published: December 2024

Abstract: The socialist transformation of Chinese Buddhism began with socialist re-education aimed at ideologically converting the clergy into citizens of the PRC. This study focuses on the process that took place on Mount Jiuhua, a renowned Buddhist mountain. It investigates the formats, procedures, and impact of re-education on the clergy, primarily based on archival sources. It argues that local cadres used education to compel clerics to display loyalty to the CCP and the regime and endorse the policy on “freedom of religious belief.” The cadres also conducted political investigations to assign political labels to clerics. The value of the clergy for united front work led the cadres to use persuasion and sometimes coercion, rather than violent methods, in education. The clerics’ reactions varied depending on personal characteristics (e.g., age, religious qualifications, personal aspirations). This study sheds new light on the dynamics of grassroots state-religion power struggles.
The Motivational Drivers of Sport Fans’ Watching Intention of Athlete Live Streaming
Authors: Jiang Stella Benqiao , Choi Jun Woo , Norris Braden E. , Byon Kevin K. , Williams Antonio S. , Pedersen Paul M.
Published: December 2024

Abstract: As an emerging area of social media, live streaming (i.e., the broadcasting of content in real time through an online service) has been attracting viewers around the world. While live streaming is quickly becoming popular, there is still much to explore involving athletes’ participation in this specific segment of the industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the motivational drivers of athlete live streaming and sport fans’ continuous intention to watch such content. With consumption decisions becoming more consumer based compared to previous times when outlets had more control over what was watched, the uses and gratifications theory helps guide research uncovering how sport fans make decisions about what they want to watch. Data were collected from 280 participants who met the criteria of a screening question regarding athlete live streaming consumption through Amazon M-Turk. A total of 25 items were adapted from several sport consumption, live streaming, and athlete studies. Among seven motivations, athlete identification, athlete support, acquisition of knowledge, and socialization were significant predictors of users’ continuous watching intention of athlete live streaming, while escape, entertainment, and physical skill of the athletes were not proven to be statistically significant on continuous watching intention. The results add to the literature in sport media by unearthing the motivational drivers associated with watching athlete live streaming through the lens of uses and gratifications theory. In addition to the scholarly contribution, the findings of this study will be useful for practitioners such as content creators, managers, and marketers in the development of tailored management and marketing strategies related to sport fans and their consumption of athlete live streaming services.
Nationalized Vantage Points: News Media Ecology Structures Within the U.S. and Chinese Coverage of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games
Authors: Billings Andrew C. , Tomsett Spencer M. , Guo Sitong , Xu Qingru
Published: December 2024

Abstract: In hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Beijing became the first city to ever host both a Summer and Winter Olympics— but it did so during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 200 news articles (half from China, half from the United States) were analyzed to determine whether differences in media ecologies were rendered pertaining to the type of coverage, focus on home nation athletes, the amount of focus on the host nation and pandemic handling, and the valence of the content regarding hosting and pandemic handling. Results indicate that while the type of coverage was similar (prioritizing competition, then hosting, and then pandemic-related aspects), the amount of focus and degree of valence was significantly different, with Chinese news outlets only mentioning the pandemic in relation to other larger themes and providing a more positive spin on both hosting duties and pandemic handling. The United States also devoted considerably more focus on home-nation athletes than did China. Implications for media ecology and elements of national public relations for both nations are advanced.
The Provenance of a Pali- and Thai-Language Manuscript at the Rollins College Library: A Buddhist Book of Merit and Its Long Journey from Southeast Asia to America
Authors: Zhang Wenxian
Published: December 2024

Abstract: Through researching the provenance of a Buddhist manuscript written in the Pali and Thai languages currently held at Rollins, this article seeks to answer the question of how a religious document created in Thailand ended up in a liberal arts college library in America. Regarded as an act of devotion by many Buddhist followers in Southeast Asia, the use of folding manuscripts (samut khoi) has been observed for centuries. The folding manuscripts served as handbooks and chanting manuals for Buddhist monks, who often recited in religious ceremonies while paying tributes to the deceased, with the hope of reincarnation in a heavenly realm. Acquired by Henry Harkness while serving in the British colonial forces in Asia in the early nineteenth century and later donated by Howard Kelly in 1932 to support Professor Edwin Grover's course, The History of Books, at Rollins College, the large leporello manuscript contains five Pali texts in Khom script and one Thai text in Khom Thai script. Both scripts are variations of ancient Khmer script and have been extensively used in Thailand. The long journey of this samut khoi from Thailand to America not only shows the growth of Buddhism and the popular religious practice in Southeast Asia, but also reflects the colonial history in Asia and the rise of "Oriental Studies" in the West. By focusing on the background of the Pali- and Thai-language manuscript and through careful examinations of both Henry Harkness and Howard Kelly's lives, this article also sheds light on the practice of manuscript collection in the Western tradition and the act of philanthropy in America.
Reproductions of Lost Manuscripts in the Rand Collection
Authors: Lemke Benedikt
Published: December 2024

Abstract: During the Second World War, a great number of medieval manuscripts were lost. In many instances, researchers have had to rely on cursory descriptions since, frequently refraining from considering lost manuscripts at all as a result. This annotation provides a catalog of recently found reproductions of several lost manuscripts that were commissioned by Edward K. Rand (†1945). Today, these reproductions and Rand's handwritten notes on several lost manuscripts are preserved in the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (MN) as part of the Rand-Collection.
Impact of the local labor market on the pathways of early school dropout in Morocco: the case of working children: a spatial analysis
Authors: Ibourk Aomar , Raoui Soukaina
Published: December 2024

Abstract: This study analyzes the influence of local labor market characteristics on student dropout pathways in Morocco. Beyond individual determinants, early school leaving may depend on dropouts’ local environment. This study mobilized original empirical material that combines individual and spatial data from Morocco’s 75 provinces. First, we conducted a cartographic analysis of 10- to 14-year-old children who left the education system and were employed in the Moroccan space. Second, we analyzed the spatial impact of risks related to local labor market specificities on early school leaving. The results revealed a local labor market impact on the decision to drop out of school children who left school to enter the labor market early. Therefore, the spatial transmission cut-off of intergenerational school failure requires multidimensional action in areas with a high risk of dropping out. Our findings indicate a need for coherent and transversal public action (education/employment) and improved social and spatial targeting of social protection to improve local labor market functioning and secure educational and professional trajectories of pupils in compulsory education.
Work Without Workers: Commemoration as Repression in the Construction of Brasilia (1950s–1970s)
Authors: Caballero Miguel
Published: December 2024

ABSTRACT: The construction of Brasilia (1956-1960) was followed by a gradual process of attempted eviction of the construction workers that had built the city from the ground up. Known as candangos , the construction workers were celebrated as modern workers and simultaneously despised as unable to become modern citizens. They wanted to inhabit the city they had built. However, the government never conceived them as Brasilia's potential inhabitants and ignored their claims to land and city rights. This article explores unexamined archival material and non-fictional literary works from the 1950s-1970s to disentangle soft-power strategies carried out to silence the candangos, while seemingly commemorating their construction feat. Combining theories of developmentalism, monument conservation and defacement, labor, and protest, the article argues that the Brazilian government and private companies ultimately conceived the construction of Brasilia as a utopia of work without workers. It also asserts that Brasilia was a paradigmatic case showing that the history of modern commemoration is inherently linked to the history of modern silencing and repression.
Three-stage training strategy phase unwrapping method for high speckle noises
Authors: Li Kejia , Zhao Zixin , Zhao Hong , Zhou Menghang , Jin Luo , Danyun Wang , Zhiyu Wang , Zhang Lu
Published: December 2024

Deep learning has been widely used in phase unwrapping. However, owing to the noise of the wrapped phase, errors in wrap count prediction and phase calculation can occur, making it challenging to achieve high measurement accuracy under high-noise conditions. To address this issue, a three-stage multi-task phase unwrapping method was proposed. The phase retrieval was divided into three training stages: wrapped phase denoising, wrap count prediction, and unwrapped phase error compensation. In the first stage, a noise preprocessing module was trained to reduce noise interference, thereby improving the accuracy of the wrap count prediction and phase calculation. The second stage involved training the wrap count prediction module. A residual compensation module was added to correct the errors from the denoising results generated in the first stage. Finally, in the third stage, the phase error compensation module was trained to correct errors in the unwrapped phase calculated in the second stage. Additionally, a convolution-based multi-scale spatial attention module was proposed, which effectively reduces the interference of spatially inconsistent noise and can be applied to a convolutional neural network. The principles of the multi-task phase unwrapping method based on a three-stage training strategy were first introduced. Subsequently, the framework and training strategies for each stage were presented. Finally, the method was tested using simulated data with varying noise levels. It was compared with TIE, iterative TIE, the least squares phase unwrapping method, UNet, phaseNet2.0, and DeepLabV3 + with a phase correction operation, demonstrating the noise robustness and phase retrieval accuracy of the proposed method.
Single transverse-mode and single longitudinal-mode parity-time symmetric Fabry-Perot laser array
Authors: Zhang Ruigang , Yang Sikang , Han Yu , Lu Yu , Wu Tiange , Tang Zihao , Liu Deming , Zheng Shuang , Zhang Minming
Published: December 2024

Semiconductor laser arrays may provide a viable avenue in scaling up the radiance. However, due to the competition of multiple transverse and longitudinal modes, realizing single-mode laser array has been a long-standing challenge. In this study, we demonstrate electrically pumped single-mode semiconductor Fabry-Pérot (FP) laser arrays by exploiting the emerging non-Hermitian parity-time (PT) symmetry photonic design. The uniform laser array consists of a main array with four-ridge as gain lattice and a coupled loss lattice with the same array structure. We propose a method to control the output mode characteristics of the PT-symmetric laser array and achieve single transverse-mode and single longitudinal-mode operation, with the side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) improving from a typical value of less than 5 dB to 22.8 dB. The emission power of PT-symmetric laser array is about five times higher than that of the single-ridge laser with the same current density. Our PT-symmetric laser array could find potential applications in integrated optoelectronic devices for optical communication and ranging systems.
Strategies for Implementing a Single-detector Polarization-encoded Quantum Key Distribution Receiver
Authors: Simmons Cameron , Donaldson Ross
Published: December 2024

Discrete-variable quantum key distribution (QKD) requires the use of highly sensitive single-photon detectors (SPD) to detect decoded quantum states.
These can form a significant portion of the cost and the physical layer vulnerabilities in a QKD system.
Previously, a single-detector architecture which reduced the cost of simple, polarization-encoded fiber QKD systems was proposed, which decoded polarization states into varying fiber delays before reaching a single SPD.
We describe the parameter space available for a single detector receiver and, using simulation, optimise performance for a given example.
It is demonstrated that the order of state delays can be changed to reduce quantum bit error rate (QBER), and that delay change between states need only exceed some small minimum value in the ns range, which saves on fiber length, weight and cost, as well as loss.
We also explore time gating and efficient (asymmetric basis selection) BB84 to reduce QBER.
This work improves the understanding and performance of single-SPD-based QKD receivers, allowing simpler and more robust receivers with fewer physical loopholes and a lower cost, reducing the barrier to entry of fiber QKD.
Revisiting the double-slit experiment of light: from wave theory to pulse theory
Authors: lyu zhiwei , Lv Nan , Lyu Tong
Published: December 2024

The double-slit interference experiment has long been regarded as a cornerstone of the wave theory of light. However, optical interference patterns are absent in everyday life, prompting many scientists to question the validity of the experiment under specific conditions. Until now, no experiments have definitively challenged this theory. Here, we revisit double-slit experiment through experimental validation. Results show that light and dark fringes are not caused by light wave interference, but rather by diffraction from vertical walls of the slits. This discovery challenges the conventional wave interference theory and presents a new perspective on the pulse nature of light, where overlapping spectra enhance energy without cancelation. This research offers novel insights into the nature of light and introduces new perspectives for optical research.
Advanced DL-based Image Processing for φ-OTDR-based Road-traffic Parameter Estimation
Authors: Colares Robson , Mello Darli , Rittner Leticia , Conforti Evandro
Published: December 2024

We apply vision transformers (ViTs) in a distributed fiber optic sensing system to evaluate road traffic parameters in smart cities. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) are also assessed for benchmarking. The experimental setup is based on a direct-detection phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer implemented using a narrow linewidth source. The monitored fibers are buried in the university campus, creating a smart city environment. Backscattered traces are consolidated into space-time matrices, illustrating traffic patterns and enabling analysis through image processing algorithms. The ground truth is established by traffic parameters obtained by processing video camera images monitoring the
same street using the YOLOv8 model. The results indicate that ViTs outperform CNNs for estimating the number of vehicles and the mean vehicle speed. While the ViT necessitates a significantly larger number of parameters, its complexity is similar to that of the CNN when considering multiply-accumulate operations and random access memory usage. The processed dataset has been made publicly available for benchmarking.
Born’s rule and Planck’s energy from quantum interferometry
Authors: Duarte Francisco
Published: December 2024

Born’s rule and Planck’s quantum energy equation are derived from quantum
interferometry principles. The derivation of Born’s rule is transparent, brief,
and is based on the Dirac-Feynman interferometric principle. The derivation
of Planck’s equation relies on N-slit interferometric experimental observations
and a heuristic approach.
Robust chiral optical force via electric dipole interactions, inspired by a sea creature
Authors: Cameron Robert P. , McArthur Duncan , Yao Alison , Vogeley Nick , Wang Daqing
Published: December 2024

Inspired by a sea creature, we identify a robust chiral optical force that pushes the opposite enantiomers of a chiral molecule towards regions of orthogonal linear polarization in an optical field via electric dipole interactions. Our chiral optical force can be orders of magnitude stronger than others proposed to date and applies to essentially all chiral molecules, including isotopically chiral varieties which are notoriously difficult to separate using existing methods. We propose a realistic experiment supported by full numerical simulations, potentially enabling optical separation of opposite enantiomers for the first time.
In situ fiber-optic detection of photocorrosion in electrochemically grown CuO photocathodes
Authors: Huang Tiansheng , Wu Tongyu , Fang Qi , Luo Guangzheng , Sun Li-Peng , Guan Bai-Ou
Published: December 2024

Semiconductor metal oxides with narrow bandgap have emerged as a promising platform for photoelectrochemical reactions, yet their photoelectron-induced photocorrosion effect has been a limitation for their wider applications. Understanding the conversion processes concomitant with photoelectrochemical reaction at the electrode–electrolyte interface plays a crucial role in revealing the corrosion mechanisms and advancing the development of efficient photocathodes. However, accurately and in situ tracking these dynamic chemical events remains a great challenge due to the fact that reaction processes occur at nanoscale interfaces. Here, we track the electrochemical growth and conversion of copper nanostructures at interface by the evanescent field of the surface plasmon wave by using a gold-coated optical fiber as an electrochemical electrode and light sensing probe. The results exhibit correlation between redox processes of copper species and plasmonic resonances. Furthermore, in situ fiber-optic detection reveals the photocorrosion dynamics under photoelectrochemical reaction, including photoelectron-induced self-reduction of copper oxide and self-oxidation of cuprous oxide. These demonstrations facilitate not only the diagnosis for the health condition of photocathode nanomaterial, but also the understanding of the underlying reaction mechanism, and thus are potentially crucial for advancing the development of highly efficient photocathodes in future energy applications.
Experiences, impacts, and requirements of synchronous video consultations between nurses, allied health professionals, psychological therapists, and adult service-users: A review of the literature
Authors: Mcvey Lynn , Fitzgerald Martin , Montague Jane , Sutton Claire , Branney Peter , Briggs Amanda , Chater Michael , Edwards Lisa , Eyers Emma , Khan Karen , Olanrewaju Zaid Olayiwola , Randell Rebecca
Published: December 2024

Background

Telemedicine is increasingly used within healthcare worldwide. More is known about its efficacy in treating different conditions and its application to different contexts than about service-users’ and practitioners’ experiences or how best to support implementation.

Aims

To review adult service-users’ experiences of synchronous video consultations with nurses, allied health professionals and psychological therapists, find out how consultations impact different groups of service-users and identify requirements for their conduct at individual, organisational, regional, and national levels.

Method

CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO Scopus were searched for papers published between 01/01/2018 and 19/03/2021. One reviewer independently reviewed citations and a second reviewed those excluded by the first, in a liberal accelerated approach. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and data were synthesised narratively.

Results

65 papers were included. Service-users’ experiences of video consultations ranged from feelings of connection to disconnection and ease of access to challenges to access. Many were excluded from video consultation services or research, for example because of lack of access to technology. Individual service-users required clear orientation and ongoing technical support, whereas staff needed support to develop technical and online-relational skills. At organisational levels, technology needed to be made available to users through equipment loan or service models such as hub-and-spoke; services required careful planning and integration within organisational systems; and security needed to be assured. Regional and national requirements related to interorganisational cooperation and developing functionality.

Conclusion

To support safe and equitable video consultation provision, we recommend: (1) providers and researchers consider how to maximise participation, for example through inclusive consent processes and eligibility criteria; (2) sharing video consultation user guides and technical support documentation; and (3) continuing professional development for practitioners, focusing on the technical and relational skills that service-users value, such as the ability to convey empathy online.
Application of improved ant-lion algorithm for power systems
Authors: Wang Wenjing , Zhou Renjun
Published: December 2024

An improved ant-lion algorithm is proposed to solve the load allocation problem to improve the efficiency of load allocation in the power system. The global search capability and optimization performance of the algorithm have been significantly improved by introducing elite weights and chaotic search mechanisms. The innovation of the research lies in not only optimizing economic goals, but also considering environmental goals, achieving dual optimization of economy and environment. The average running time of the proposed algorithm in Sphere function and Griebank function was 2.67s and 1.64s, respectively. The required number of iterations was significantly better than other algorithms. In the verification of solving economic load dispatch, the improved ant-lion optimizer achieved a total fuel cost reduction of 0.10% -2.39% and 6% in both 3-unit and 6-unit simulations, respectively, compared to the other three algorithms. In the verification of solving environmental and economic load dispatch, considering the valve point effect, this proposed optimization scheme had a total fuel cost of 622.46 $/hr and a total emission of 0.20 tons/h. The total objective function was 1542.54 $/hr, which was an average reduction of 53.55 $/hr compared to the other five algorithms. Therefore, improving the ant-lion optimizer can enhance its optimization performance. The improved ant-lion optimizer has positive application significance in power system load dispatch and can achieve superior load dispatch results.
Consistency and flexibility of character in free-ranging male African elephants across time, age, and social contexts
Authors: O’Connell-Rodwell Caitlin E. , Berezin Jodie L. , Kinzley Colleen , Freeman Patrick T. , Sandri Monica N. , Kieschnick Dustin , Rodwell Timothy C. , Abarca Mariana , Hayssen Virginia
Published: December 2024

Post-dispersal male African elephants (Loxodonta africana) live within complex social networks. To quantify the consistency of male elephant character (or personality) within these networks, we employed behavioral repeatability analysis tools across social and environmental contexts. We collected behavioral data from thirty-four individually-identified male elephants at the same waterhole over five field seasons (2007–2011) in Etosha National Park, Namibia. Using repeatability models to assess ten behavioral categories, we found five behaviors (affiliation, aggression, dominance, self-directed anxious, and self-directed comfort) were consistent at the individual level. Some of these behaviors were also repeatable, depending on social context. In particular, the presence of younger males and a keystone male (i.e., the most dominant and socially-integrated individual during our study period) had the biggest impact on adult male behaviors. Surprisingly, the presence of elephants in musth had little impact. Finally, we found that younger individuals were more alike in their overall character profiles than older males, further supporting the hypothesis that male elephants develop unique, yet socially-flexible character types as they age. These results demonstrate that male elephants possess distinct character traits that are also behaviorally adaptable, depending on the social context. Overall, our research further highlights the complexity of male elephant individuality and social dynamics that might be leveraged to improve in-situ and ex-situ management and conservation decisions for the species.
Dissociation of mitochondrial and ribosomal biogenesis during thallium administration in rat kidney
Authors: Sugahara Sho , Unuma Kana , Wen Shuheng , Funakoshi Takeshi , Aki Toshihiko , Uemura Koichi
Published: December 2024

Thallium (Tl) is a heavy metal with toxicity comparative to other heavy metals such as As, Cd, and Hg. Nevertheless, fewer studies have been reported concerning the molecular mechanism of Tl toxicity as compared to other heavy metals. To obtain insight into Tl toxicity in the kidney, rats were intraperitoneally administered Tl2SO4 (30 mg/kg), and the kidneys were removed 2 or 5 days later to examine the effects of Tl. Transcriptome analysis using DNA microarray of the rat kidney 2 and 5 days after Tl administration showed that cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins are the most upregulated category; many of the genes involved in ribosome biosynthesis were upregulated by Tl administration. This upregulation was associated with the activation of eukaryotic transcription initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), implying that increased ribosome biogenesis was linked to the subsequent activation of protein translation. In contrast, decreased mitochondrial biogenesis was revealed via proteomic analysis. Although we found an increase in Myc, a positive regulator of both ribosomal and mitochondrial biogenesis, decreased levels of NRF1 and TFAM, positive regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis whose gene expression is directory activated by Myc, were paradoxically observed. Taken together, differing responses of ribosomes and mitochondria to Tl toxicity were observed. Failure of transmission of the Myc signal to NRF1/TFAM might be involved in the observed disruption of coordinated responses in mitochondria and ribosomes during Tl administration in rat kidney.
Living restricted lives ‐ Understanding the impact of isolation, social distancing and other restriction measures on older care home residents and their relatives in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Sims Sarah , Desai Amit , Harris Ruth , Rafferty Anne Marie , Hussein Shereen , Adams Richard , Rees Lindsay , Brearley Sally , Fitzpatrick Joanne M.
Published: December 2024

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, care homes for older adults in England implemented isolation, social distancing and other restriction measures to help protect residents from contracting the virus. Little was known about the physical and psychological impacts that these measures would have upon residents and their relatives.

Aim

To explore the experiences of residents and their relatives of living restricted lives during the pandemic.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted as part of a 12-month, mixed-methods, phased design. From six purposively sampled care homes in England, 17 purposively sampled residents (all older adults) and 17 purposively sampled relatives participated in an individual, on-line interview, where they discussed their experiences of the restrictive measures implemented within their care home. Interviews were audio- and video-recorded with participants’ permission and analysed using an inductive orientation to thematic analysis, with coding and theme development driven by the data content.

Results

Participants’ experiences of care home restrictions varied; their impact was influenced by the existing pattern of relationships that residents and their relatives maintained within and beyond the care home. It was further influenced by the fact that many residents and relatives were still learning how to manage their relationships in the new context of living in a care home. Social distancing measures made care homes feel less homely and denied residents, staff and relatives physical touch and other forms of non-verbal communication. Many residents expressed a broad sense of gratitude that was associated with safety and well-being beyond the pandemic. As older adults, they put the pandemic, and its associated restrictions, within the larger context of their lives.

Conclusions

Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic is paramount for governments, societies, policy makers, care home providers, care homes and their staff, residents and their families and friends, and researchers. Our study makes an important contribution as one of the first to study the impact of implementing isolation, social distancing and other restrictive measures for care home residents and their relatives in England.
Amino acid T25 in the substrate-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 nsp5 is involved in viral replication in the mouse lung
Authors: Sugiura Yoshiro , Shimizu Kenta , Takahashi Tatsuki , Ueno Shiori , Tanigou Haruka , Amarbayasgalan Sodbayasgalan , Kamitani Wataru
Published: December 2024

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) non-structural protein 5 (nsp5) is a cysteine protease involved in viral replication and suppression of the host immune system. The substrate-binding domain of nsp5 is important for its protease activity. However, the relationship between nsp5 protease activity and viral replication remains unclear. We confirmed the importance of amino acid T25 in the nsp5 substrate-binding domain for viral replication using a split luciferase assay. By generating recombinant viruses using bacterial artificial chromosomes, we found that the proliferation of viruses with the T25I mutation in nsp5 was cell-dependent in culture. Furthermore, mice infected with the T25I mutant recombinant virus with a mouse acclimation backbone showed weight loss and increased lung viral load, similar to the wild-type (WT) infected group, up to 3 days after infection. However, after day 4, the lung viral load was significantly reduced in the T25I-infected group compared to that in the WT-infected group. This suggests that nsp5 T25 is involved in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2.
Prevalence of color vision deficiency in Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tilahun Mikias Mered , Sema Faisel Dula , Mengistie Berihun Aging , Abdulkadir Nardos Hussen , Jara Abdisa Gemedi
Published: December 2024

Background

Color vision deficiency (CVD) cause is the difficulty distinguishing colors, which can present vocational and avocational challenges. There is a lack of data on its overall prevalence of CVD. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the prevalence of CVD in Africa.

Methods

The protocol was registered with the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (protocol registration number: CRD42024510403). A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted via PubMed/MEDLINE/EMBASE, Google, and Google Scholar from February 2024 to May 28, 2024. The Johanna Bridges Institute quality appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of eligible articles. The pooled prevalence of CVD among Africans was estimated using a random effect model and expressed as prevalence and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Der Simonian-Laird weight. The I2 statistic test was used to measure heterogeneity, and subgroup analysis was performed based on country, source of population, and gender.

Result

A total of 502 initial studies were identified, and sixteen cross-sectional studies were included. The overall pooled prevalence of CVD in Africa was 2.71% (95% CI: 2.28,3.14, I2 = 72.6%, P<0.001). The prevalence among African males and females was 2.13% and 0.34%, respectively. The highest pooled prevalence was recorded in Ethiopia at 3.63% and the prevalence among primary and secondary school students was 2.96%. A funnel plot showed that all of the studies were symmetric, and the Egger test showed no publication bias.

Conclusion

The pooled prevalence of color vision deficiency in Africa was found to be 2.71%. The highest prevalence was reported in studies conducted among school-age children in Ethiopia. Establishing effective screening programs and raising public awareness are recommended as future steps.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of physical exercise non-adherence and its determinants among type 2 diabetic patients in Ethiopia
Authors: Abate Hailemicahel Kindie , Azage Abere Woretaw , Zegeye Alebachew Ferede , Tsega Sintayehu Sime , Agimas Muluken Chanie , Mekonnen Habtamu Sewunet , Nega Gashaw Adane , Beko Zarko Wako , Mekonnen Chilot Kassa
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Physical exercise non-adherence is one of the leading risk behavioral factors for type two diabetic patients and one of the leading causes of mortality of patients worldwide. Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the pooled prevalence and its determinants of non-adherence to physical exercise among type two diabetes adult patients in Ethiopia.

Methods

Studies were searched systematically using International databases from PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL. The quality of articles that were searched was assessed using the New Castle Ottawa scale for a cross-sectional study design. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 14 and a meta-analysis was carried out using a random effect model method. Assessment of the certainty evidence’s was done by applying the GRADE method. The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed for reporting results. The title and the protocol of this meta-analysis were registered at the online database PROSPERO registration number CRD42023430579.

Result

From the total 1711 records screened, 7 studies with 3437 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review. The estimated pooled prevalence of exercise non-adherence in Ethiopia was 50.59%. Being female (OR = 1.27, 95% CI (1.82, 1.97)), primary level education (OR = 1.19, 95% CI (1.01, 1.39)) and rural residency (OR = 4.87, 95% CI (2.80, 8.48)) were significantly associated with exercise non-adherence.

Conclusion

According to papers evaluated by the GRADE assessment the certainty of evidence’s was poor. More than half of the diabetes patients had physical exercise non-adherence. Strategies such as emotional support, health education, and emphasis on rural diabetic patients can improve the problem of non-adherence.