bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The paradox of women’s marital freedom: nonlinear individualization in post-reform China
Authors: Zhong Chensi , Wilkinson Jennifer
Published: January 2025

The individualization thesis has been widely applied to explain women’s increasing autonomy in romantic relationships and marital decisions across both Western and non-Western contexts. In China, individualization is believed to have enhanced women’s freedom in love and marriage, supported by the 1950 Marriage Law, which abolished arranged marriages and granted women equal legal status to men. However, Chinese women still face notable constraints in exercising full autonomy over their choice of partners and the timing of marriage. Parental involvement in matchmaking, pressure from media discourses that stigmatize “leftover women”, and social expectations continue to define women’s happiness in relation to timely marriage and childbearing. Importantly, Confucian family and gender norms now appear to have a greater influence on women’s romantic choices than they did during the early reform era. With the “return” of Confucian marital values and increasing parental involvement in matchmaking, does the individualization thesis still sufficiently explain Chinese women’s marital freedom? By addressing the “nonlinear” aspect of second modernity, this article aims to deconstruct the concept of “traditions” within the marital sphere. It argues that traditions have re-emerged in an “evolved” form, blending both traditional and modern requirements within China’s unique context of individualization. The nonlinear nature of individualization offers a dynamic perspective for understanding the complex relationship between tradition and modernity in rapidly transforming societies like China.
Finnish teachers’ mindsets and conceptions of neuroplasticity
Authors: Jääskö-Santala Kati , Laine Sonja , Tirri Kirsi
Published: January 2025

Teachers’ mindsets play a significant role in supporting and advancing students’ learning trajectories. While considerable research has focused on the impact of teacher mindsets on instructional practices and motivational factors, less attention has been paid to their understanding of neuroplasticity – one of the fundamental concepts behind a growth mindset – and its potential link with mindsets. The purpose of this study is to examine Finnish pre- and in-service elementary school and special education teachers’ (N = 312) mindsets and conceptions of neuroplasticity, which were measured using an online survey. Using exploratory factor analysis, we examined the factor structure of the instrument measuring conceptions of neuroplasticity. We identified one factor, “Scientific knowledge about the brain,” with an acceptable internal consistency. By contrast, the items of the other factor, “Neuromyths,” were examined individually because they lacked the necessary internal consistency. In line with previous Finnish studies, the teachers tended toward a growth mindset, and their mindsets were more growth-oriented regarding intelligence than giftedness. Moreover, we found that being a pre-service teacher explained stronger growth mindset tendency toward intelligence based on the results of regression analysis. Furthermore, teachers´ understanding of neuroplasticity was grounded in scientific knowledge. Regarding the connection between mindsets and conceptions of neuroplasticity, we found a relationship between mindsets about intelligence and giftedness, and certain neuromyth items. Further research is required to explore the extent to which mindsets play a potential role in either promoting or reducing misconceptions related to the brain and learning.
Perpetration of non-consensual sharing of sexual content among adolescents: socio-moral and emotional competencies, gender-based attitudes, and sexual behavior correlates
Authors: Durán-Guerrero Estrella , Sánchez-Jiménez Virginia
Published: January 2025

Social networks allow adolescents new ways to interact and explore their sexuality, facilitating the development of sexual and personal identity. However, the online context also can contribute to the development of new forms of online sexual aggressions, such as non-consensual sharing of sexual content (NCS). NCS consists in the forwarding sexually explicit media of a person without their consent, violating the victim’s integrity and privacy. There is little knowledge about NCS in Spanish adolescents, so the present study aimed to explore the prevalence of this new form of online sexual violence and possible socio-moral, emotional and behavioral correlates, considering dating experiences and gender differences. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1027 adolescents (47.3% girls) from Seville and Huelva (Spain). Prevalence results indicated that 14.4% of adolescents were engaged in NCS perpetration. Dating experience was not associated with the involvement in NCS. Boys reported higher prevalences of forwarding pictures (5.9% and 1.6%) and videos (3.1% and 0.6%) of other peers without their consent than girls. Linear regression analyses showed that moral identity was associated with less NCS perpetration. Moral disengagement, sexism, exploratory behaviors and anger regulation were associated with higher levels of NCS. These results describe NCS as an aggressive behavior with relevant moral and ethical implications but also sustained by sexism and inequality. Future prevention programs should incorporate moral development content and provide adolescents with the competencies to explore their sexuality in a healthy and safe way, respecting their own and other people’s boundaries.
Reduction of fluid noise in modern aircraft hydraulics by integrated broadband attenuators
Authors: Klaerner Matthias , Kroll Lothar , Metzler Dirk , Eberl Richard , De Lima Leonardo Zanetti , Kloft Peter , Kusserow Torsten , Sander Martin , Thielecke Frank
Published: January 2025

New axial piston pumps with fixed displacement volumes, such as the high efficient power package (HEPP) pumps operate at variable rotational speeds and thus variable flow rates in a wide range. Using intelligent pump control systems, small and light packages are possible. In contrast, the fluid pulsations vary due to the rotational speed and have to be controlled avoiding stress or wear in the hydraulic system components (e.g. seals of tubing) and potentially impacting cabin noise. Due to the excitation frequencies, a broadband silencer for high pressure applications is required. This is realised by a multi-Helmholtz-resonator (MHR) concept within one cylindrical volume. The design will be adapted for pump-specific frequency characteristics in aircraft hydraulic conditions and fine adjusted during test verification by means of an adjustable tube-inside a pressure shell. For cost, weight and complexity reason a common broadband attenuator is integrated in the hydraulic circuit connecting the two redundant HEPP motorpumps. The attenuator position is optimised to achieve maximal acoustic performance and minimize pulsation stress on the pump, especially at the main operating point. The proof of concept has been achieved experimentally comparing a HEPP piston pump with and without the MHR.
Symmetry in the developmental stages of permanent human teeth: a comparative study between maxilla and mandible
Authors: Haghi Ashtiani G. , Davies J. A. , Liversidge H. M.
Published: January 2025

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess symmetry of developmental stage of permanent teeth between the left and right side of the jaw, as well as between the maxilla and the mandible.

Methods

A sample of 150 panoramic radiographs of individuals aged 6–20 years (69 males, 81 females) were selected from an open-access radiographic collection (Maxwell Museum of Anthropology’s orthodontic collection, Albuquerque, USA). All developing immature permanent teeth (n = 489) were scored by the first author using Moorrees and Demirjian tooth stages. Symmetry of developing teeth was assessed between the left and right sides of the jaw, as well as between the maxilla and the mandible using McNemar test with p < 0.05 considered significant.

Results

No significant differences were found comparing left and right sides within the maxilla (n = 489), (McNemar, p = 0.759 M, p = 0.736 D), or within the mandible (McNemar, p = 0.262 M, p = 0.707 D) using either tooth scoring method. Percentage agreement for individual teeth between left and right sides was least for third molars. Significant differences were observed comparing maxillary and mandibular teeth for both tooth scoring methods (n = 978), (McNemar, p = 0.00 M, p < 0.001 D). Percentage agreement for individual teeth between the maxilla and mandible was least for incisors.

Conclusion

In the present sample, differences in tooth formation were not significantly different in left and right side of the jaw while a significant difference (p = 0.00 M, p < 0.001 D) was observed between maxilla and mandible.
Enhanced-Similarity Attention Fusion for Unsupervised Cross-Modal Hashing Retrieval
Authors: Li Mingyong , Ge Mingyuan
Published: January 2025

Although the fact that current methods have some effects, unsupervised cross-modal hashing methods still face several common challenges. First of all, the text features that have been collected from text data are not comprehensive enough to provide sufficient guidance for building textual modal similarity matrices. Secondly, the fusion of similarity matrices from different modalities lacks adaptability, leading to a less accurate final similarity matrix. This work suggests Enhanced Similarity Attention Fusion Hashing (ESAFH) as a remedy for these problems. Firstly, we construct a text encoder to enrich text features, an adjacency matrix is built to represent the association relationship between pairs of samples. Additionally, it is thought that features can be extracted from the sample and its semantic neighbor samples to enhance text features. Furthermore, we enhance the original similarity matrix by incorporating related information. This step aims to improve the accuracy of similarity estimation by considering the enriched text features obtained in the previous step. Finally, we introduce an enhanced attention fusion mechanism. This mechanism adaptively fuses the similarity matrices from different modalities, creating a unified inter-modal similarity matrix. This fused matrix guides the learning of hash functions by preserving the most relevant information from each modality. Through comprehensive experiments on the three popular datasets, the suggested ESAFH method is thoroughly assessed. The findings show that on these datasets, ESAFH performs satisfactorily in cross-modal retrieval tasks. In conclusion, by boosting text features, improving the similarity matrix, and utilizing an attention fusion mechanism, ESAFH solves the shortcomings of current methods.
Recent advances in organic fluorophores as anti-counterfeit agents: an up-to-date review
Authors: Akshaya N , Thomas Annette , Martis Glanish Jude , Gaonkar Santosh L.
Published: January 2025

The problems of counterfeiting and duplicating valuable products such as confidential papers, banknotes, passports, nationality cards, and other vital documents have been increased exponentially. This poses a major challenge for companies, governments and for customers as well. According to a report published in 2017, the market for counterfeiting was found to be 107.26 billion dollars annually which increased to 206.57 billion dollars in 2021. Researchers are constantly looking for various strategies to effectively combat the problem of counterfeiting. Fluorescent molecules such as stimuli-responsive molecules, aggregation induced emission (AIE) luminogens such as tetraphenylethylene (TPE), heterocyclic complexes and photochromic-infused nanoparticles have been used to develop efficient security inks with maximum security and quick authentication. This review discusses various types of organic fluorophores used for developing safe inks and anti-counterfeit labels in recent years. This would help researchers in this field choose and design suitable molecules or derivatives for developing solutions for counterfeiting practices.

Graphical Abstract
Lipid Levels and Lung Cancer Risk: Findings from the Taiwan National Data Systems from 2012 to 2018
Authors: Chen Jung-Yueh , Chi Nai-Hui , Lee Ho-Shen , Hsiung Chia-Ni , Wu Chang-Wei , Fan Kang-Chi , Lee Meng-Rui , Wang Jann-Yuan , Ho Chao-Chi , Shih Jin-Yuan
Published: January 2025

Background

Lipids are known to be involved in carcinogenesis, but the associations between lipid profiles and different lung cancer histological classifications remain unknown.

Methods

Individuals who participated in national adult health surveillance from 2012 to 2018 were included. For patients who developed lung cancer during follow-up, a 1:2 control group of nonlung cancer participants was selected after matching. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to explore the associations between lipid profiles, different lung cancer histological classifications and epidermal growth factor receptor mutation statuses. Subgroup, sensitivity, and dose‒response analyses were also performed.

Results

A total of 4,704,853 participants (30,337 lung cancer participants and 4,674,516 nonlung cancer participants) were included. In both the main and sensitivity analyses, the associations remained constant between lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and a higher risk of lung cancer (main analysis: odds ratio: 1.13 [1.08–1.18]) and squamous cell carcinoma (1.29 [1.16–1.43]). Hypertriglyceridemia was associated with a lower risk of adenocarcinoma (0.90 [0.84–0.96]) and a higher risk of small cell lung cancer (1.31 [1.11–1.55]). Hypercholesterolemia was associated with a lower risk of squamous cell carcinoma (0.84 [0.76–0.94]). In the subgroup analysis, lower HDL cholesterol levels were associated with greater risk across most subgroups. HDL cholesterol levels also demonstrated a dose‒response association with the development of lung cancer.

Conclusions

The distinct associations between specific lipid profiles and lung cancer subtypes suggest that lipid metabolism may play different mechanistic roles in lung cancer development.
Reversibility of acrocyanosis and improvement of capillaroscopic pattern in a patient with polycythemia vera treated with ruxolitinib: a case report
Authors: Nigro Angelo
Published: January 2025

This case report describes the clinical course of a 78-year-old patient diagnosed with polycythemia vera (PV), who presented with pronounced acrocyanosis of the hands in 2021. The patient was treated with hydroxyurea (oncocarbide), and nailfold capillaroscopy revealed an “abnormal pattern” characterized by pronounced architectural disarray and capillary tortuosity, which is uncommon in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). In 2023, owing to suboptimal symptom management and hematological side effects, the treatment was switched to ruxolitinib, which led to significant clinical improvements by 2024, including near-complete resolution of acrocyanosis and substantial improvement in capillaroscopic abnormalities, with only residual capillary tortuosity noted. This case emphasizes the need for individualized therapeutic interventions for PV, and underscores the potential role of ruxolitinib in ameliorating microvascular dysfunction.
Beyond Borders: An Empirical Analysis of the “Fresh From Florida” State Marketing Program
Authors: Magnier Alexandre , Chen Lijun Angelia , Kassas Bachir , Morgan Kimberly
Published: January 2025

In this paper, we examine the effect of the “Fresh From Florida” marketing program on the preferences of consumers located in geographically distant regions. We administered a choice experiment to consumers from the Northeastern region of the US, the Eastern region of Canada, and from Florida. Our findings show that the logo recall rate is significant for out-of-state consumers. While the WTP for the “Fresh from Florida” attribute is not statistically significant for Northeastern US respondents, logo recall positively influences the WTP. Logo recall positively affects WTP in Canada, but only for respondents with positive or neutral opinions of Florida.
Pulmonary aspergillosis in US Veterans with COVID-19: a nationwide, retrospective cohort study
Authors: Swinnerton Kaitlin , Fillmore Nathanael R. , Oboho Ikwo , Grubber Janet , Brophy Mary , Do Nhan V , Monach Paul A , Branch-Elliman Westyn
Published: January 2025

Background:

COVID-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) was described early in the pandemic as a complication of SARS-CoV-2. Data about incidence of aspergillosis and characteristics of affected patients after mid-2021 are limited.

Methods:

A retrospective, nationwide cohort of US Veterans with SARS-CoV-2 from 1/1/2020 to 2/7/2024 was created. Potential cases of aspergillosis ≤12 weeks of a SARS-CoV-2 test were flagged electronically (based on testing results indicative of invasive fungal infection, antifungal therapy, and/or ICD-10 codes), followed by manual review to establish the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis. Incidence rates were calculated per 10,000 SARS-CoV-2 cases. Selected clinical characteristics included age >70, receipt of immune-compromising drugs, hematologic malignancy, chronic respiratory disease, vaccination status, and vaccine era. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the independent effects of these variables via adjusted odds ratios (aOR).

Results:

Among 674,343 Veterans with SARS-CoV-2, 165 were electronically flagged for review. Of these, 66 were judged to be cases of aspergillosis. Incidence proportions ranged from 0.30/10,000 among patients with zero risk factors to 34/10,000 among those with ≥3 risk factors; rates were similar in the pre- and post-vaccination eras. The 90-day mortality among aspergillosis cases was 50%. In the multivariate analysis, immune suppression (aOR 6.47, CI 3.84–10.92), chronic respiratory disease (aOR 3.57, CI 2.10–6.14), and age >70 (aOR 2.78, CI 1.64–4.80) were associated with aspergillosis.

Conclusions:

Patients with underlying risk factors for invasive aspergillosis continue to be at some risk despite SARS-CoV-2 immunization. Risk in patients without immune suppression or preexisting lung disease is very low.
Association between social activities and risk of COVID-19 in a cohort of healthcare personnel
Authors: Shoemaker Holly , Li Haojia , Zhang Yue , Mayer Jeanmarie , Rubin Michael , Haroldsen Candace , Millar Morgan M. , Gesteland Per H. , Pavia Andrew T. , Keegan Lindsay T. , Cole Jessica Marie , Dorsan Egenia , Doane Matthew , Stratford Kristina , Samore Matthew
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Previous studies have linked social behaviors to COVID-19 risk in the general population. The impact of these behaviors among healthcare personnel, who face higher workplace exposure risks and possess greater prevention awareness, remains less explored.

Design:

We conducted a Prospective cohort study from December 2021 to May 2022, using monthly surveys. Exposures included (1) a composite of nine common social activities in the past month and (2) similarity of social behavior compared to pre-pandemic. Outcomes included self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infection (primary)and testing for SARS-CoV-2 (secondary). Mixed-effect logistic regression assessed the association between social behavior and outcomes, adjusting for baseline and time-dependent covariates. To account for missed surveys, we employed inverse probability-of-censoring weighting with a propensity score approach.

Setting:

An academic healthcare system.

Participants:

Healthcare personnel.

Results:

Of 1,302 healthcare personnel who completed ≥2 surveys, 244 reported ≥1 positive test during the study, resulting in a cumulative incidence of 19%. More social activities in the past month and social behavior similar to pre-pandemic levels were associated with increased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection (recent social activity composite: OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.02–1.21; pre-pandemic social similarity: OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.07–1.21). Neither was significantly associated with testing for SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions:

Healthcare personnel social behavior outside work was associated with a higher risk for COVID-19. To protect the hospital workforce, risk mitigation strategies for healthcare personnel should focus on both the community and workplace.
Congressional position-taking on punitive tariffs: president Trump’s 2018 auto tariff
Authors: Rocca Michael S. , Wang Miao
Published: January 2025

On 1 March 2018, President Trump declared a 25% tariff on certain steel imports by invoking Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. The tariff pitted two of America’s most storied and interconnected industries, steel and auto producers, against one another and made allies out of longtime bitter political opponents on Capitol Hill. Later that same year, President Trump doubled down on the steel tariff when he initiated a Section 232 investigation on auto and auto parts imports. The auto industry blasted the proposal, while steel offered its strong support. This paper examines the congressional response to President Trump’s proposed auto tariff. Specifically, we explain why 159 MCs signed a letter opposing the tariff. After controlling for other factors, such as district interests and campaign contributions, we find that ideology matters more than party affiliation on whether legislators signed the auto letter. We also find the second dimension of the DW-NOMINATE score to matter, suggesting the strong presence of intra-party cleavages. Our findings highlight the complex nature of trade policy as a domain of bipartisan agreement amidst broader political polarization and at a time when traditional party platforms on the issue are rapidly changing.
Worst-Case Performance for Real-Time Systems
Authors: Schoeberl Martin , Jellum Erling , Lin Shaokai , Jerad Chadlia , Maroun Emad Jacob , Lohstroh Marten , Lee Edward A
Published: January 2025

Real-time systems need to be built out of tasks for which the worst-case execution time is known. To enable accurate estimates of worst-case execution time, some researchers propose to build processors that simplify that analysis. These architectures are called precision-timed machines or time-predictable architectures. However, what does this term mean? This paper explores the meaning of time predictability and how it can be quantified. We show that time predictability is hard to quantify. Rather, the worst-case performance as the combination of a processor, a compiler, and a worst-case execution time analysis tool is an important property in the context of real-time systems. Note that the actual software has implications as well on the worst-case performance. We propose to define a standard set of benchmark programs that can be used to evaluate a time-predictable processor, a compiler, and a worst-case execution time analysis tool. We define worst-case performance as the geometric mean of worst-case execution time bounds on a standard set of benchmark programs.
Generative AI and international standardization
Authors: Hallensleben Sebastian
Published: January 2025

Standards complement regulation as frameworks for Artificial Intelligence governance. Within the European Union, this complementarity is laid down as the New Legislative Framework. Standards can be harmonised to provide a presumption of conformity with regulation. They draw legitimacy from the inclusion of all relevant stakeholders as well as the consensus principle although there are limitations in practice. At both European and international levels, standardisation for generative AI is still in its infancy due to standardisation following relying on a level of technical maturity. Therefore, most activity is currently seen in the policy domain. Potential directions for future generative AI standards are suggested. Generative AI drives the need for non-AI standards, too, especially in areas of digital trust and digital identity.
What Determines the Duration of Protest Events? Evidence from Africa
Authors: Lewis Jacob S. , Favell William
Published: January 2025

What determines why some protest events last only a single day while others can stretch over multiple days? This study presents the first cross-national quantitative analysis of the factors that shape protest event duration. This study argues that protest event duration is the function of factors that increase momentum (e.g. protest size, location and participants) while also examining whether repression attenuates such momentum. Using the Armed Conflict Location Event Data, this study employs two multilevel statistical methods to examine the factors that matter. First, the study examines the day-by-day factors that shape whether a protest will continue the next day. Second, the study examines the overall duration of events. The analyses find strong support that protests in capitals and urban areas, as well as protests featuring students, labour unions and professional organizations, last longer, while repression does truncate events.
How to Institutionalize Public Humanities Projects
Authors: Powers Peter Kerry
Published: January 2025

Public Humanities projects notoriously begin with the bootstrapping commitment of one or two long-suffering and visionary individuals. If they can make it past the turbulent narrows of their beginnings, they often only endure through unrecognized and little-rewarded labor. Gatherings of public humanists can be exercises in commiseration. When you determine that you have enough funding to last one more year, celebration is in order. Such travails naturally lead to the question of how public humanities programs can move beyond being nice extras to become more central to the concerns of our home institutions. How, in short, can the work of public humanists be institutionalized and become part of the everyday humdrum of academic life rather than the desperate scrabbling of the righteous, committed, frantic, and overtired?
The Cost of Political Action Committee Funding: Evidence on Political Action Committee Funding Refusal Across Candidate Race and Gender
Authors: Dudley Jennifer S. K. , Neff Olivia T.
Published: January 2025

Research on campaign finance suggests that Americans prefer candidates who are not funded by Political Action Committees (PACs). However, prior research has not examined how perceptions of a candidate who is PAC-funded vs. PAC-free might differ for racial minority and female candidates compared to White, male candidates. Using experimental vignettes, we test the causal impact of PAC funding, race, and gender on voter perceptions of the candidate. We find that refusing PAC funds, for example, is associated with appearing more ethical and more likely to work for voters’ interests over special interests, less corrupt, and more capable of winning elections. However, we show that race, more than gender, interacts with PAC funding to impact voter perceptions. We find that White female and male candidates benefit the most from PAC refusal. While Black female and male candidates receive little or no significant change in perceptions, Black PAC-funded candidates are perceived favorably compared to White PAC-funded candidates. Our results have implications for White and Black political candidates considering their funding strategies. Additionally, we contribute to existing literature by showing that refusing PAC funds status does not signal the same qualities for all candidates.
Indigenous Autonomy in Latin America: The Impact of the Indigenous Rights Revolution on the Study of Politics
Authors: Velasco Marcela , Kline Curtis
Published: January 2025

This paper asserts that critiques of political science for neglecting Indigenous politics highlight a critical gap that risks overlooking significant conceptual and practical innovations. It emphasizes how Indigenous autonomy claims challenge traditional notions of sovereignty. Scholars of Indigenous politics in Latin America, publishing in area studies journals, provide essential insights into these autonomy claims and contribute valuable perspectives to the discipline. We identify rigorous scholarly work in English language, peer-reviewed journals exploring Indigenous autonomy, conceptualizing it as a multifaceted notion that encompasses political visions, practices, and social movement agendas. Through a comprehensive meta-analysis of literature in Latin American area studies, we argue that this field offers four fundamental insights. First, Indigenous peoples deploy diverse strategies to assert their rights, positioning themselves as active citizens and political agents rather than passive groups. Second, the emergence of multicultural institutions that integrate individual and collective rights is fundamentally reshaping politics and citizenship, leading to innovative governance structures. Third, accumulation by dispossession remains a crucial driver of wealth creation, severely undermining Indigenous autonomy and degrading their environments. Finally, a renewed emphasis on Indigenous territorial autonomy decisively challenges conventional views of state sovereignty, as Indigenous peoples assert territorial and nonterritorial rights.
The Unbearable Opportunity Costs of the Political Science PhD: Evidence and Lessons from Canada
Authors: Jamal Bianca , Berdahl Loleen , Malloy Jonathan , Young Lisa
Published: January 2025

Limited academic career prospects are pushing PhD graduates in political science and other disciplines to nonacademic careers. Understanding the mismatch between student and supervisor perceptions of doctoral career training is a starting point for suggesting program reforms. This research note examines the perceptions of PhD students and supervisors on doctoral career training. We compare results from two surveys of English-speaking Canadian universities on doctoral political science programs; one surveys PhD students and the other surveys supervisors. These survey results suggest that 1) students are more aware of the limited academic job market and interested in nonacademic careers than supervisors realize; 2) supervisors are unaware of the sunk costs PhD students face; 3) supervisors and students have different preferences for change in doctoral programs; and 4) students overestimate supervisors’ confidence in preparing them for nonacademic careers. Changes in program design can better meet student needs in these PhD programs.
Palaeomagnetic study of the Lorne Plateau Lavas, Scottish Caledonides: two emplacement episodes of normal polarity during the Pridoli-Lochkovian and a precisely dated Siluro-Devonian pole position
Authors: Piper J.D.A. , Kokelaar B.P. , Roberts A.P.
Published: January 2025

The Lorne Plateau lava succession of the north-west Grampian Highlands of Scotland is an early component of post-collisional Late Silurian to Early Devonian magmatism in the Orthotectonic Caledonides emplaced in two phases between the Late Silurian (425.0±0.7 Ma U-Pb zircon) and the Siluro-Devonian boundary at ∼419 Ma. Palaeomagnetic study comprising thermal demagnetization and component analysis embracing the time frame of the preserved succession yields a coherent mean direction of magnetization from 58 sites (D/I = 43.7/−47.4°, α95 = 4.0°). A palaeomagnetic fold test is significantly positive with sills intruding unlithified sediment on the island of Kerrera confirming primary remanence. The ∼600 m thick succession has uniform normal polarity throughout permitting correlation with the beginning of a normal polarity chron extending from ∼426 to 403 Ma. The pole position at 2.7°N, 317.3°E (dp/dm = 3.8/5.8°) predicts a palaeolatitude of 26°S and corresponds precisely with remanence in contemporaneous rocks from the Midland Valley of Scotland. Regional palaeofield directions are evaluated in the context of transpressional moulding of the Acadian Orogeny on the Great Glen Fault system (~416−380 Ma).
Local delta invariants of weak del Pezzo surfaces with the anti-canonical degree
$\geq 5$
Authors: Akaike Hiroto
Published: January 2025

The delta invariant interprets the criterion for the K-(poly)stability of log terminal Fano varieties. In this paper, we determine local delta invariants for all weak del Pezzo surfaces with the anti-canonical degree

$\geq 5$

.
Investor Attention and Insider Trading
Authors: Mansi Sattar , Peng Lin , Qi Jianping , Shi Han
Published: January 2025

We identify a new mechanism of opportunistic insider trading linked to attention-driven mispricing. Insiders are more likely to sell their company’s stock during periods of heightened retail attention and more inclined to buy when attention diminishes. The results are particularly pronounced for lottery-type stocks and firms with substantial retail ownership. We demonstrate that our findings—which relate to indicators of mispricing, retail order imbalances, and Robinhood herding episodes—extend to seasoned equity issuances and cannot be solely explained by firm fundamentals. Attention-based insider trading is less likely to result in SEC enforcement actions and persists across different regulatory regimes.
Morphological and molecular phylogeny of Clinostomum sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae, using DNA barcode from a South American freshwater fish
Authors: Gião T. , Müller M.I. , Yamada F. , Freitas F. , Leite L. , da Silva R.J. , de Azevedo R. , Abdallah V.
Published: January 2025

Here, we present a comprehensive morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis of Clinostomum sp. (Digenea: Clinostomidae) metacercariae parasitizing two freshwater fish species from Southeast Brazil: Serrasalmus spilopleura (piranha) and Callichthys callichthys (tambuatá). The morphological examination revealed distinct characteristics of metacercariae in each host. Using the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene barcode region, we obtained DNA sequences that allowed for accurate phylogenetic placement. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Clinostomum sp. HM41 (metacercariae), isolated from S. spilopleura, exhibited 86% similarity to Ithyoclinostomum yamagutii, while Clinostomum sp. HM125 (metacercariae), from C. callichthys, showed 98.7% similarity to Clinostomum sp. Cr_Ha1. The phylogenetic trees constructed through Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods indicated high biodiversity within the Clinostomum genus and strong support for distinct lineages. These findings enhance our understanding of the diversity and ecological distribution of Clinostomum species in South American freshwater environments.
First record of the cryptogenic amphipod Ampithoe bizseli (Ampithoidae) in the European Atlantic waters
Authors: Arduini Daniele , Mancini Emanuele
Published: January 2025

The amphipod Ampithoe bizseli Özaydinli and Coleman, 2012 is a cryptogenic species that was recently described in Turkey. Although to date it has only been recorded in the Mediterranean Basin, it is potentially native to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. During a macrozoobenthos sampling campaign carried out in the Canary Islands in 2023, 25 individuals of A. bizseli were found in association with some fish farm facilities. This work represents the first report of this amphipod in European Atlantic waters and increases knowledge of the ecology of this non-indigenous species.
Research on hybrid path planning of underground degraded environment inspection robot based on improved A* algorithm and DWA algorithm
Authors: Gu Congcong , Liu Songyong , Li Hongsheng , Yuan Kewen , Bao Wenjiie
Published: January 2025

Aiming at the problems of many path inflection points, unsmooth paths, and poor local obstacle avoidance in path planning of inspection robots in static-dynamic scenes under complex geological conditions in coal mine roadways, a hybrid path planning method based on the improved A* algorithm and dynamic window approach (DWA) algorithm is proposed. First, the inspection robot platform and system model are constructed. An improved heuristic function that incorporates target weight information is proposed based on the A* global path planning algorithm. Additionally, redundant nodes are eliminated, and the path is smoothed using the Floyd algorithm and B-spline curves. Second, the global path planning A* algorithm and the local path planning DWA algorithm are fused. The dynamic path planning is carried out by setting the key node information of the global path extracted from the improved A* algorithm as the local target point of the DWA algorithm. On this basis, a grid map is established to simulate and analyze the proposed path planning algorithm. Finally, the autonomous path planning and walking experiment of inspection robot in simulated roadway environment are carried out. The results show that the hybrid path planning method based on improved A* algorithm and DWA algorithm proposed in this paper is more efficient and safer, which can meet the motion requirements of inspection robot in coal mine roadway.
The Scale of Northern-ness
Authors: Ashmore Claire
Published: January 2025

This article identifies factors that affect local dialect recognition in the north of the East Midlands, England. Central to the argument is the local belief in a ‘scale of northern-ness’: the general impression that accent moves geographically across the East Midlands, transitioning gradually southwards from northern to southern English. This theory bears similarities with Upton's description of the Midlands region as a ‘transition zone’ (2012, 267). Two dialect recognition tasks were completed by three age groups of respondents based primarily in Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire. The results indicate that Sheffield voices were the most recognisable to the Chesterfield audience, perhaps because they differed from the East Midland voices in the sample. Respondents' ‘dialect image’ (Inoue 1999, 162) of East Midland voices led to some errors being made, with the key belief in the north of this region that ‘north is better’.
International law-making and the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea
Authors: Klein Natalie
Published: January 2025

The Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea is a recent initiative of the non-governmental organization (NGO), Human Rights at Sea, and provides an opportunity to examine how an NGO-led initiative may contribute to international law-making. This article compares the Geneva Declaration to other NGO-led endeavours that resulted in the adoption of international treaties, including the Ottawa Convention, Cluster Munitions Convention, and Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty. It also assesses how NGOs may contribute to the development of informal agreements that influence state decision-making. In doing so, the discussion draws on interviews with the drafters of the Geneva Declaration to further assess the possible trajectory of the instrument in international law-making. The experience of Human Rights at Sea in developing the Geneva Declaration provides a striking example of the current potential and limits of civil society actors in international law-making.
The Law and Political Economy of Business and Human Rights: From governance gaps to root causes
Authors: Kampourakis Ioannis , Lane Lottie
Published: January 2025

Business and Human Rights (BHR) scholarship has long recognized the exercise of corporate power as resembling functional sovereignty, advocating for the extension of the rule of law to private actors, establishing accountability regimes, and providing remedies for victims. With the proliferation of binding BHR instruments, such as human rights due diligence legislation, the BHR project finds itself at a critical juncture, where calls for hard obligations are no longer sufficient. Our article, and the broader Symposium, seek to push the boundaries of the discourse by interrogating the legal foundations of private power. Drawing from Law and Political Economy scholarship, we challenge the prevailing notion of ‘governance gaps’ that often frames BHR debates. Rather, we argue that the legal infrastructure itself enables and facilitates the forms of exploitation and structural inequality embedded in the global political economy, leading to predictable patterns of human rights violations. By uncovering the institutional foundations of private power, we also show how efforts to leverage mechanisms of private governance, including human rights due diligence, risk naturalizing corporate power and limiting institutional imagination. However, a critique only focused on institutional design does not sufficiently account for the hardwiring of social relations of global production and the systemic constraints these impose on projects of legal reform. Acknowledging these limitations, we outline two modes of critique: an ‘internal’ critique, which seeks to reimagine institutional frameworks, and an ‘immanent’ critique, which emphasizes the role of collective action and social movements in transforming the underlying social relations of production.
Patent ductus arteriosus closure in infants weighing less than 1500 g via a tiny microcatheter: a simple technique with zero-contrast exposure
Authors: Mohammad Nijres Bassel , Panicucci Thomas
Published: January 2025

Background:

Despite patent ductus arteriosus closure in premature infants is a relatively fast procedure, it involves specific steps for equipment exchange and the use of a 4-Fr catheter, which may be large for tiny infants, potentially causing haemodynamic instability or tricuspid valve regurgitation.

Objectives:

This study aims to describe the early experience with a new technique designed to simplify transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure in premature infants. It enables the closure using the KA micro plug device via a single microcatheter without equipment exchanges and contrast exposure. This technique involves a simple modification of the microcatheter by creating a curved tip.

Methods:

This is a retrospective, single-institution study involving premature infants who underwent attempted transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure using a manually modified microcatheter of the KA micro plug device at Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

Results:

Five patients underwent transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure using a KA micro plug with a modified microcatheter. The procedure was successful in all patients, with no haemodynamic instability. The median (range) for procedural weight, time, and radiation dose were 1055 g (730–1330), 12 minutes (11–19), and 0.49 µGy.m2 (0.14–1), respectively. At a median follow-up of 1.1 months (0.17–2.6), all patients maintained good device position without residual shunt or other concerning echocardiogram findings.

Conclusions:

Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure in infants weighing less than 1500 g can be successfully performed using a KA micro plug device through a microcatheter with zero-contrast use, low radiation exposure, and a short procedure time.
Overcoming slaughter and processing capacity barriers to expanding grass-finished beef cattle production in the northeastern USA
Authors: Ge Houtian , Gómez Miguel I. , Peters Christian J.
Published: January 2025

There is growing interest in producing more beef from cattle raised in pasture-based systems, rather than grain-finishing feedlot systems in the USA. Given the availability of high-quality forage, pastureland, and markets in the northeastern USA, an expansion of beef production in the region contributes to a gradual shift toward grass-based finishing systems. However, the existing capacity of slaughter and processing facilities in the region is not sufficient to meet the service demand as grass-finished beef cattle production expands. This article examines slaughter and processing bottleneck problems under three scenarios of grass-finished beef production expansion. Through modeling the optimal utilization and expansion of currently existing plant capacity in the region, this study identifies capacity expansion solutions to overcome the emerging bottleneck problems. The plant utilization and expansion problem is formulated as an optimization model with the objective of minimizing total costs associated with cattle assembly, slaughter, processing, and distribution. Our results suggest that slaughter bottlenecks in New York State coincide with underutilized slaughter capacity in New England. Reducing plant numbers while increasing plant utilization rates or expanding the capacity of the remaining plants, would likely lead to greater cost savings.
Directional Selection and Evolution of Polygenic Traits in Eastern Eurasia: Insights from Ancient DNA
Authors: Piffer Davide
Published: January 2025

This study explores directional selection on physical and psychosocial phenotypes in Eastern Eurasian populations, utilizing a dataset of 1245 ancient genomes. By analyzing polygenic scores (PGS) for traits including height, educational attainment (EA), IQ, autism, schizophrenia, and others, we observed significant temporal trends spanning the Holocene era. The results suggest positive selection for cognitive-related traits such as IQ, EA and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), alongside negative selection for anxiety and depression. The results for height were mixed and showed nonlinear relationships with Years Before Present (BP). These trends were partially mediated by genetic components linked to distinct ancestral populations. Regression models incorporating admixture, geography, and temporal variables were used to account for biases in population composition over time. Latitude showed a positive effect on ASD PGS, EA and height, while it had a negative effect on skin pigmentation scores. Additionally, latitude exhibited significant nonlinear effects on multiple phenotypes. The observed patterns highlight the influence of climate-mediated selection pressures on trait evolution. Spline regression revealed that several polygenic scores had nonlinear relationships with years BP. The findings provide evidence for complex evolutionary dynamics, with distinct selective pressures shaping phenotypic diversity across different timescales and environments.
Evolution and Structure of a Heavy‐Precipitation‐Producing Quasi‐Linear Convective System Along a Mesoscale Outflow Boundary
Authors: Kang Yanzhen , Duan Yuhui , Liu Lei , Peng Xingdong , Liang Xiaogang , Liu Xi
Published: January 2025

This study explored the complex evolution mechanism and fine‐scale structures of a quasi‐linear convective system (QLCS) in the eastern Taihang Mountain from 1300 BST 12 to 0300 BST 13 August 2018 by using Doppler radar data, high‐resolution surface observations and sounding data. The QLCS which produced heavy precipitation was maintained as the southeasterly being lifted when flowed over a mesoscale outflow boundary (MOB) associated with a cold pool. Topographic blocking effect of Taihang Mountain and the cold environmental northeasterly enhanced the uplift of southeasterly at southwest and northeast of the MOB. Northeastward extension of the QLCS was promoted by the prevailing southeasterly airflow and high convective available potential energy. Meanwhile, the dry cold layer between 850 and 500 hPa obviously prevented southeastward movement of the QLCS. A clear increase of the disturbance pressure took place due to water loading increase other than the temperature dropping. Northwestward oriented “echo training” of convective cells facilitated the perfect‐structured QLCS to split into several meso‐β‐scale rain bands with irregular convergence along the MOB. Mesoscale convective vortices associated with slow‐moving strong convective echoes played an important role in middle part of the QLCS development which accounts for the heavy precipitation.