bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards common prosperity: can Environmental regulations help narrow income gap in China?
Authors: Zhao Jun , Dong Kangyin Y. , Nepal Rabindra
Published: January 2025

Strict environmental regulations (ERs) may restrict enterprise activities and macroeconomic development, and thus affect the income distribution pattern of citizens in cities and villages in the country. To statistically explore the actual and special effect of ERs on income inequality, a panel threshold model is applied to check the nonlinearity of ERs-income inequality nexus, and the conclusion is verified by using robustness tests. In addition, whether the 12th Five-Year Plan, which focuses on ecological protection, will have a differentiated effect on the ERs-income inequality nexus is further discussed. We discover that: (1) both ERs and income inequality show substantial spatiotemporal features. Among them, the imbalance of ERs in each province is relatively prominent. Income inequality has gradually eased, and inequality is more severe in the west than in the east. (2) Significant threshold effect is found in ERs-income inequality nexus; specifically, ERs and income inequality show an inverted “U” type, that is, only after pollution investment reaches the threshold value can ERs become an essential driver to accomplish a purpose of national prosperity. (3) Prior to the 12th Five-Year Plan, ERs produce a modest influence on income gap. While after the emphasis on ecological civilization in the 12th Five-Year Plan, the improvement of pollution investment has become a powerful means for ERs to alleviate income inequality.
A healthy and reliable rating profile expansion approach to address data sparsity in food recommendation systems
Authors: Ahmadian Sajad , Rostami Mehrdad , Jalali Seyed Mohammad Jafar , Oussalah Mourad , Farrahi Vahid
Published: January 2025

Food recommendation systems have become increasingly popular due to the proliferation of online food service websites. Accordingly, the ratings assigned by users are one of the most important resources in these systems. However, users generally express their opinions about a few foods, which results in data sparsity. Furthermore, food recommendation is a health-critical task, as recommending unhealthy foods to users may threaten their health. In this paper, we developed a novel rating profile expansion approach for food recommenders that considers both health and reliability measures. This approach enhances the efficiency of the user’s rating profile by including healthy and reliable virtual ratings. Specifically, we introduce a probabilistic rating profile evaluation technique to determine whether a profile needs to be expanded. Then, those profiles with an insufficient number of ratings are automatically expanded by adding virtual ratings obtained using the opinions of users who belong to the target user’s community. For this purpose, the users are grouped using a novel time-aware community detection algorithm based on their preferences. Moreover, a health-aware reliability measure is proposed so that only the most reliable virtual ratings are accounted for in the target user’s rating profile expansion. Therefore, the developed approach not only mitigates issues stemming from sparse data in food recommendation systems but also makes them more effective in recommending healthy foods to users. Experiments conducted on two publicly available real-world datasets demonstrated that the developed system is superior to other baseline models.
Doubling the rate: improved error bounds for orthogonal projection with application to interpolation
Authors: Sloan Ian H. , Kaarnioja Vesa
Published: January 2025

Convergence rates for

$$L_2$$

L
2

approximation in a Hilbert space H are a central theme in numerical analysis. The present work is inspired by Schaback (Math Comp, 1999), who showed, in the context of best pointwise approximation for radial basis function interpolation, that the convergence rate for sufficiently smooth functions can be doubled, compared to the best rate for functions in the “native space” H. Motivated by this, we obtain a general result for H-orthogonal projection onto a finite dimensional subspace of H: namely, that any known

$$L_2$$

L
2

convergence rate for all functions in H translates into a doubled

$$L_2$$

L
2

convergence rate for functions in a smoother normed space B, along with a similarly improved error bound in the H-norm, provided that

$$L_2$$

L
2

, H and B are suitably related. As a special case we improve the known

$$L_2$$

L
2

and H-norm convergence rates for kernel interpolation in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces, with particular attention to a recent study (Kaarnioja, Kazashi, Kuo, Nobile, Sloan, Numer. Math., 2022) of periodic kernel-based interpolation at lattice points applied to parametric partial differential equations. A second application is to radial basis function interpolation for general conditionally positive definite basis functions, where again the

$$L_2$$

L
2

convergence rate is doubled, and the convergence rate in the native space norm is similarly improved, for all functions in a smoother normed space B.
Clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer: a multicenter, population-based cohort study
Authors: Rohan Thomas E. , Wang Yihong , Couch Fergus , Feigelson Heather Spencer , Greenlee Robert T. , Honda Stacey , Stark Azadeh , Chitale Dhananjay , Zhang Chenxin , Xue Xiaonan , Ginsberg Mindy , Loudig Olivier
Published: January 2025

Purpose

To study the association between clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer (IBC).

Methods

We conducted a case–control study nested in a multicenter, population-based cohort of 8175 women aged ≥ 18 years with DCIS diagnosed between 1987 and 2016 and followed for a median duration of 83 months. Cases (n = 497) were women with a first diagnosis of DCIS who developed a subsequent IBC ≥ 6 months later; controls (2/case; n = 959) were matched to cases on age at and calendar year of DCIS diagnosis. Univariable and multivariable conditional logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between the DCIS characteristics of interest (non-screen detection of DCIS, tumor size, positive margins, grade of DCIS, necrosis, architectural pattern, microcalcification, and estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status) and risk of IBC.

Results

In the total study population, the associations were largely null. In subgroup analyses, there were strong position associations with punctate necrosis (pre/perimenopausal women), detection by physical exam (postmenopausal women), architectural patterns other than the main types (breast-conserving surgery [BCS]), and DCIS margins (ipsilateral cases), and inverse associations with HER2 positivity (BCS) and microcalcification (mastectomy); however, the associated confidence intervals were mostly very wide.

Conclusion

The results of this study provide limited support for associations of the DCIS clinicopathologic characteristics studied here and risk of IBC.
Ethical Concerns with Referral to Privately-Owned Therapeutic Boarding Schools: The Case of Iowa's Midwest Academy
Authors: Kolbe Athena R.
Published: January 2025

This study examines the ethical dilemmas that social workers confront when referring to privately owned therapeutic boarding schools, using Iowa’s Midwest Academy as a case study. It critically examines the conflict between parental preferences for residential treatment and the growing body of evidence advocating for less restrictive, community-based interventions as more effective for adolescents. The research uncovers diverse parental motivations for choosing residential programs, from seeking a fresh start to implementing behavioral control strategies. These motivations are set against a backdrop of mental health and educational systems prioritizing evidence-based, regulated care approaches. Profound ethical concerns arise with placements in unregulated Troubled Teen Industry (TTI) facilities, which lack licensing, accreditation, and qualified mental health professionals, thereby posing grave risks to youth’s welfare. The case of the Midwest Academy is utilized to illustrate the ethical breaches, including allegations of abuse, neglect, and substandard mental health care, highlighting the dangers of such placements. The discussion extends to the responsibilities of social workers in making ethical referrals, emphasizing adherence to national and international ethical codes. Advocating for a cautious, principle-driven referral process, the paper argues for prioritizing accredited, evidence-based services to protect young clients and uphold the integrity of the social work profession. It concludes with a call for a collaborative decision-making process in managing complex referral scenarios, contributing to the discourse on ethical practices in social work and emphasizing the need for continuous scrutiny of referral practices to privately owned therapeutic programs.
A dialogue between Finite Fracture Mechanics and Phase Field approaches to fracture for predicting crack nucleation at the microscale
Authors: Jiménez-Alfaro Sara , Leguillon Dominique , Maurini Corrado , Reinoso José
Published: January 2025

Unraveling the material behavior at the microscale is one of the challenges of this century, demanding progress in experimental and computational strategies. Among the latter, two approaches are commonly applied for predicting crack nucleation. The Coupled Criterion (CC) and the Phase Field (PF) model, both depending on a material length parameter. In brittle materials at the macroscale, this parameter is significantly smaller than the specimen size. However, when the scale decreases, this material length might approach the structural dimensions. In this context, a comprehensive comparison between the two models is conducted, changing the ratio between the material length parameter and the dimensions of the specimen. Results indicate that when this ratio is sufficiently small predictions from both models coincide, otherwise both the CC and the PF model predict different results. Despite their differences, an agreement with experiments reported in the literature have been observed.
Progress on theory of planned behavior research: advances in research synthesis and agenda for future research
Authors: Hagger Martin S. , Hamilton Kyra
Published: January 2025

The theory of planned behavior is a social cognition theory that has been widely applied to identify the psychological determinants of intentions and behavior in health contexts. Our 2015 meta-analysis of theory applications in chronic illness contributed to a burgeoning evidence base comprising syntheses supporting theory predictions in health behavior. In this review, we identify limitations of prior meta-analyses of theory applications in health behavior and highlight salient evidence gaps, summarize how recent meta-analyses of the theory have addressed some of the limitations, outline outstanding research questions, and suggest future research syntheses, including those currently in progress, to resolve them. We point to recent and ongoing meta-analyses addressing theory hypotheses and assumptions not tested in previous syntheses, such as perceived behavioral control moderating effects and indirect effects of environmental (e.g., sociostructural variables) and intrapersonal (e.g., personality traits) determinants on health behavior mediated by theory constructs. We also highlight meta-analyses examining behavioral effects of constructs representing extended processes (e.g., habit, implicit cognition) in the context of the theory. Further, we summarize recent meta-analyses addressing directional and causal inferences in theory effects, including meta-analyses of longitudinal studies and experimental and intervention research. We also highlight attempts to test the mechanisms of action of interventions based on the theory including the change meta-analysis method and mediation analyses. We conclude by summarizing the advances that recent meta-analyses of the theory have made to the evidence base of health behavior determinants and interventions and highlighting suggestions for meta-analyses that will further progress the evidence base.
How and When Team Mindfulness Enables Us to Navigate Adversity: Survey and Field Experimental Evidence
Authors: Feng Xingyu , Long Tianyi , Han Ping
Published: January 2025

We developed and tested a model that illustrates the benefits of team mindfulness with respect to helping teams resist and bounce back from adversity. Based on the literature on team dynamics and conservation of resources (COR) theory, we propose that team mindfulness can facilitate task‐ and emotion-related interpersonal interactions, thus laying a solid foundation for team members to employ and acquire additional resources to cope with adverse events. We also explore the role of team task interdependence in these processes. We conducted two studies in an automobile manufacturing enterprise that was undergoing a business transformation: (1) a multi-wave, multisource survey of 176 manufacturing teams and (2) a field experiment in which 84 sales teams were assigned to either a mindfulness intervention or a control condition. The results largely support our model. Team mindfulness increases team resilience via team emotional support and information sharing. Team task interdependence amplifies the positive effects of team mindfulness on emotional support and information sharing such that the indirect effect of team mindfulness on resilience is strengthened when the level of task interdependence is high (rather than low). Our research extends the mindfulness literature and provides useful insights into ways of cultivating resilient teams.
Agent-constrained truthful facility location games
Authors: Deligkas Argyrios , Lotfi Mohammad , Voudouris Alexandros A.
Published: January 2025

We consider a truthful facility location game in which there is a set of agents with private locations on the line of real numbers, and the goal is to place a number of facilities at different locations chosen from the set of those reported by the agents. Given a feasible solution, each agent suffers an individual cost that is either its total distance to all facilities (sum-variant) or its distance to the farthest facility (max-variant). For both variants, we show tight bounds on the approximation ratio of strategyproof mechanisms in terms of the social cost, the total individual cost of the agents.
Disparities in Patient Demographics at a Student-Run Free Clinic: Comparing Clinic Utilization to City, State, and National Trends
Authors: Esser Katherine , McKeown Johnny , White Tatiana , Besly Steuart , Sim Julianna , Sparks Addison , Hatch Sydney , Paat Richard , Matus Coral
Published: January 2025

Background

With 8.4% of Americans uninsured, free clinics serve as essential safety nets for underserved populations. This study compared the demographics of the patients of a student-run free to Toledo, Ohio, and national census data to evaluate health needs, barriers to care, and the characteristics of the underserved population.

Methods

A retrospective review of 1,338 visits across five clinic sites was conducted from February 2023 to February 2024. Demographic variables, including race, insurance, education, sex, and primary language, were analyzed and compared to 2020 Census data from Toledo, Ohio, and the United States.

Results

Compared to Toledo, the clinic served 22.63% fewer White patients, 17.27% more Hispanic/Latino patients, and 5.62% fewer African American patients. Among clinic patients under 65 years, 61.91% were uninsured, compared to 8.3% in Toledo and 10.2% nationally. Non-English speakers were overrepresented (33.4% vs. 6.8% in Toledo and 9.5% nationally), with Spanish speakers making up 21.72% of clinic patients compared to 3.2% in Toledo. Educational attainment differed slightly, with fewer high school graduates (82.97% vs. 87.10% in Toledo) but more individuals with higher education degrees (27.10% vs. 19.6% in Toledo and 25.6% nationally).

Conclusions

This study underscores the demographic differences between CCC patients and city, state, and national populations, offering insight into the populations most reliant on free clinics. Policymakers and public health agencies must consider these disparities to tailor interventions addressing healthcare access and social determinants of health.
Incentive alignment in conjoint analysis: a meta-analysis on predictive validity
Authors: Schramm Joshua Benjamin
Published: January 2025

Conjoint analysis is a widely used method in market research for predicting consumer purchases, making predictive validity a central tenet. Conjoint analyses, however, are typically conducted in hypothetical settings, making them susceptible to hypothetical bias. One solution is incentive-aligning conjoint studies to trigger truthful answering behavior, thereby increasing the accuracy of predictions. However, despite incentive alignment’s conceptual appeal, practitioners rarely use it. One reason for this is the uncertainty of its effectiveness. This research systematically investigates the gains in predictive validity employing a meta-analysis of 134 effect sizes from 34 articles (N = 12,980). Incentive alignment increases the predictive validity (i.e., hit rate) by 12%, providing a significant increase in accuracy. In addition, its effectiveness is amplified when researching durable and service goods (vs. non-durable goods) and when the payout probability rises. In contrast to conventional wisdom, indirect (vs. direct) incentive procedures do not mitigate the positive effects on predictive validity. We hope to stimulate a rethink in practice to make more use of incentive alignment and help decide whether incentive alignment is worth the additional effort.
The impact of palliative care contact on the use of hospital resources at the end of life for brain tumor patients; a nationwide register-based cohort study
Authors: Nåhls Nelli-Sofia , Anttonen Anu , Nuutinen Mikko , Saarto Tiina , Carpén Timo
Published: January 2025

Purpose

The aim of this nationwide retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the timing of the first specialist palliative care (SPC) contact and its impact on the use of hospital resources at the end of life in patients with brain tumors.

Materials and methods

The analysis comprised 373 brain tumor patients who died during 2019 in Finland. Patients were divided into two groups according to the time of first SPC contact: early, i.e. first SPC contact more than 30 days before death, and late, i.e. no SPC contact or 30 days or less before death.

Results

216 (58%) were male, with a mean age of 67 years (range 18–94). SPC contact was established for 102 (27%) patients and the median time of first SPC contact before death was 76 days. Patients with an early SPC contact had fewer outpatient clinic contacts (28% vs. 53%; p-value < 0.001) and fewer hospitalization (10% vs. 37%; p-value < 0.001) in secondary care compared with patients with late SPC contact. Early SPC contact had no impact on emergency department contacts. Patients with early SPC contact were more likely to die at long term care facility or in SPC wards instead of hospital (p-value < 0.001) compared to patients with late SPC contact (hospital deaths 51% vs. 80%, respectively).

Conclusions

Early SPC contact reduced the burden on secondary care for brain tumor patients in the last months of life. Palliative care contact should be offered early to all brain tumor patients.
Literary Portraits of World War I Tirailleurs sénégalais: Lucie Cousturier’s Des Inconnus chez moi (1920), and Raymond Escholier’s Mahmadou Fofana (1928)
Authors: Comfort Kathy
Published: January 2025

The literary depictions of the tirailleurs sénégalais, the West African French colonial troops who fought in World War I, in novels published during the conflict and in the interwar years were often little more than racist caricatures. Two works from the interwar period, Lucie Cousturier’s Des Inconnus chez moi (1920) and Raymond Escholier’s Mahmadou Fofana (1928), based on the friendships the respective authors established with West African troops during the Great War, provide a counterpoint to the degrading portrayals of the tirailleurs. Cousturier, a painter, taught French to soldiers at the hivernage camp next to her villa in Fréjus while Escholier, the former curator of la Maison de Victor Hugo and le Petit Palais, led units of tirailleurs in battle on the Western Front and in Macedonia. Cousturier and Escholier build on their knowledge of art and literature to construct nuanced portraits of West African troops to restore the men’s humanity. Making use of metaphors from the natural world and allusions to literature and/or art, these two writers create characters that challenge the racist tropes associated with the tirailleurs sénégalais.
Value Creation for Healthcare Ecosystems through Artificial Intelligence Applied to Physician-to-Physician Communication: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rubinstein Beny , Matos Sergio
Published: January 2025

This study reviews the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing healthcare through an analysis of physician-to-physician communication. It seeks to identify the best practices for extracting value from professional medical chats (PMCs) and assess the impact of AI on patient outcomes and healthcare systems, emphasizing the integration of ethical and responsible AI practices. We conducted an extensive systematic literature review using the Web of Science Core Collection. Searches encompassed English-language articles published between January 2019 and July 2023 using keywords related to AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and physician communication. Of the 247 articles screened, 13 met the inclusion criteria given their in-depth analysis of AI in healthcare communication, methodological soundness, and relevance to clinical outcomes. The review provides insights into interprofessional communication dynamics, the advancement of NLP and deep learning in medical dialogues, and strategies for effective human-machine collaboration. Ethical considerations and the need for transparency in AI applications are key to these central findings. This study highlights the untapped potential of physician-generated real-world data in creating value for healthcare ecosystems. It advocates for a multidisciplinary strategy encompassing communication, education, and collaboration to advance AI in healthcare responsibly. Moreover, it suggests that by combining existing techniques in the AI discipline, including neural networks, generative AI, and genetic algorithms, as well as keeping a “physician in the loop” when building AI systems, we can have a significant impact on healthcare delivery and medical research.
Injustice without Victims or Arguments from Generational Overlap?: A Reply to Gosseries on Non-Identity
Authors: Gheaus Anca , Meijers Tim
Published: January 2025

Axel Gosseries considers, and partly defends, several strategies to address the non-identity problem (NIP). We engage critically with two strategies endorsed by Gosseries: the severance strategy and the overlap strategy. The latter comprises two different sub-strategies: the containment sub-strategy and the indirect sub-strategy. We believe that severance is less promising than Gosseries suggests. It comes at a high theoretical cost, which is important to acknowledge even if, ultimately, there is reason to pay it. The sub-strategies that comprise the overlap strategy are more promising, and they can justify more in terms of the scope and content of inter-generational justice than Gosseries suggests in his book. Endorsing the overlap strategies is attractive because doing so limits the need for impersonal considerations in theories of inter-generational justice.
Bending pharmaceutical science: epistemic diversity and regulation
Authors: Beyermann Jasper
Published: January 2025

The current regulatory regime for pharmaceuticals is criticized from a libertarian perspective for imposing the same risk–benefit analysis on all patients. The critics call for the abandonment of market access regulations. But the regulatory regime is also criticized by philosophers of science for applying too low epistemic standards, who call for stricter regulation. This article aims to engage the debate in a less polarized way, first by advancing the libertarian alternative to the current regime through an approach I call Certified Capitalism for Pharmaceuticals (CCP), without endorsing this view in the end; second, by developing an argument against all regulatory regimes without market access regulations, including CCP, based on the possibility that the pharmaceutical industry could bend pharmaceutical science to its interests in such a regime. Whether this argument is successful, or whether CCP is able to circumvent it, cannot be decided on the basis of the empirical information currently available. Third, these arguments lead to two further insights for a philosophy of science that takes the social embeddedness of science seriously: Market access regulations limit the bending of research by industry by limiting epistemic diversity. The patent system can be seen as the thread of a well-functioning scientific system because it can give some agents enough resources to bend science through industrial selection.
Pregnancy Complications and Long-Term Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Authors: Rabadia Soniya V. , Heimberger Sarah , Cameron Natalie A. , Shahandeh Negeen
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

Discuss the relationship between pregnancy complications and long-term atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk.

Recent Findings

A large body of research confirms an association between pregnancy complications and increased short and long-term ASCVD risk and seeks to understand mechanisms for these associations. Social determinants of health continue to have a critical impact on the prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and long term ASCVD risk. Of the APOs, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are associated with the highest ASCVD risk. Additionally, recent research shows an association between APOs and microvascular coronary heart disease.

APOs are associated with increased risk of ASCVD, however there is conflicting evidence on whether there is a causal relationship between APOs and ASCVD or if APOs are simply a marker of ASCVD risk. Current ASCVD risk models do not incorporate a history of APOs, therefore it is imperative that healthcare providers take a reproductive health history and account for pregnancy complications when counseling patients on long-term cardiovascular risk. Non-invasive modalities such as coronary artery calcium scoring can be considered as an adjunct, but further research is warranted to determine which patients would benefit most.
A behavioral perspective on visualization in manufacturing and operations management: a review, framework, and research agenda
Authors: Lindner Fabian , Reiner Gerald , Keil Sophia
Published: January 2025

Visualizations are ubiquitous in today's manufacturing operations, whether in the form of time series, scatter plots, flow charts, or dashboards. Managers, engineers, and shop-floor workers use visualizations to understand and act on production data for monitoring, problem solving, decision making, and strategy development. How we present the information we need influences our actions and behaviors. Therefore, we systematically review and analyze the current literature in manufacturing and operations management on visualizations and their relationship to behavioral operations in terms of social, cognitive, and emotional benefits as well as resulting performance improvements of production systems. Through content analysis of 64 papers from 1997 to 2023 across eight operational contexts and types of visualizations, we find typical purposes, benefits, and pitfalls where behavioral mechanisms are prevalent. Visualizations are used to facilitate knowledge explanation and sharing for improved communication and collaboration, or to reduce cognitive load and mental cost for increased quality and resource efficiency in task execution. The results are synthesized in an integrative framework that explains the links between visualizations and operations through their common behavioral mechanisms. We propose eight directions and map concrete hypotheses for future research in this area to promote the targeted development, deployment, and evaluation of visualizations in manufacturing considering behavioral and operational performance factors. Our study contributes to the emerging literature on visualizations in operations management, provides an overview and guidance for further efforts in this area, and helps practitioners reflect on and improve their design and use of visualizations, thereby advancing their management toolbox.
The ‘will of the People’ as means for pressuring the rule of law?
Authors: Steuer Max
Published: January 2025

Disputes pertaining to elections and referenda are most visibly associated with the power of the sovereign People, whereas constitutional courts are typically seen as countermajoritarian institutions. Abuse of elections and referenda by illiberal actors, who present themselves as embodiment of the “will of the People”, accelerates rule of law backsliding. Via engaging with the extent to which constitutional courts help prevent such abuse and thereby reduce pressure on the rule of law, this article shows how constitutional courts might—even inadvertently—strengthen illiberalism if they do not embrace more robust, constitutional conceptions of democracy in which democracy and the rule of law are inherently intertwined. The article differentiates between minimalist, middle-ranged and maximalist conceptions of democracy and emphasizes the rule of law beyond minimalism. Via an explorative contextual study of the Slovak Constitutional Court (SCC), which has dealt with elections and direct democracy on several occasions since its establishment including during de-democratization in 1994–1998, the article shows the extent to which the SCC, in these cases, framed democracy in tension with the rule of law. The Court managed to link elections as a key democratic institution to the rule of law, but failed to establish this link with referenda. The results demonstrate the judges’ indecisiveness over a conception of democracy that has limited the SCC’s potential to prevent rule of law backsliding via illiberal abuse of the “will of the People”. Furthermore, they indicate the importance of constitutional courts’ thinking explicitly about the rule of law as a democratic principle.
Abundance survey of crustacean “y-larvae” (Thecostraca: Facetotecta) over a fringing reef in Okinawa, Japan, with special reference to the two dominant planktotrophic and lecithotrophic naupliar types
Authors: Olesen Jørgen , Grygier Mark J. , Palero Ferran , Dreyer Niklas , Eibye-Jacobsen Danny , Fujita Yoshihisa
Published: January 2025

Facetotecta, or “y-larvae”, are mysterious planktonic crustaceans that are known only from their larval instars, but which are often assumed to be endoparasitic as adults. Dozens of mostly undescribed forms occur in the shallow-water plankton over a fringing reef at Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan. Recently, it has become possible to discriminate the different forms of their nauplius-stage larvae (“y-nauplii”) in a replicable way. A large year-to-year overlap in morphospecies recovered during fieldwork at Sesoko Island in 2018, 2019, and 2023 suggests that a full inventory is close at hand. To date, 49 morphospecies of y-nauplii (8 planktotrophic, 41 lecithotrophic) have been recognized in the area, among which three have been formally described. A detailed analysis of the temporal fluctuations in abundance during October 2023 showed that most morphospecies were rare, but two were particularly common: Type A*, a planktotroph with a long (> 3 weeks) period of naupliar development allowing for long-distance dispersal, and Type AG*, a lecithotroph with a short (3 days) period of development that implies rapid local recolonization. During the survey, both types showed distinct, largely non-overlapping peaks in abundance, related perhaps to their different dispersal/feeding strategies. An examination of the morphology of the swimming/feeding appendages in y-nauplii of Types A* and AG*, together with a mapping of feeding versus non-feeding nauplii on a recent comprehensive phylogeny of Facetotecta, suggests that broader taxonomic coverage of naupliar feeding structures in this group may provide useful information regarding the evolutionary direction of planktotrophy versus lecithotrophy in marine larvae.
Digital solutions supporting the quality-of-life of European cancer patients and their caregivers: a systematic literature review
Authors: Ancona Camilla , Caroppo Emanuele , De Lellis Pietro
Published: January 2025

Purpose

we investigate (a) the diffusion of digital solutions supporting the quality-of-life in cancer patients and their caregivers across cancer types and EU countries, (b) the key thematic areas on which they focus, and (c) their effectiveness in improving the quality-of-life with respect to traditional healthcare.

Methods

We searched articles from Embase, Scopus and PubMed in the last decade, and assessed their quality according to mixed methods appraisal tool. We compared the effectiveness of such tools and discussed the main gaps that emerged.

Results

49 studies were included (31 quantitative randomized control trials, 9 quantitative non-randomized, 4 quantitative descriptive, 3 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods). We observed a prevalence of studies from the Netherlands and Germany, and breast cancer patients are the most targeted by single-cancer type interventions. The key areas of interventions for e-health solutions are psychophysical well-being, management of physical distress, remote monitoring of vitals and symptoms, and empowerment and self-efficacy. The effectiveness of digital solutions is typically higher than traditional healthcare, especially for solutions focusing on psychosocial well-being.

Conclusions

This review showed a growing interest in digital solutions aimed at making the life of cancer patients and their caregivers easier, and their healthcare more patient-centered. The effectiveness of such interventions varies, but all the solutions are well accepted among the participants. Our findings provide evidence of the untapped potential of these digital tools, and of the need for their integration in the daily routine of cancer patients and their caregivers.
Revolutionizing ESCC prognosis: the efficiency of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) signature score
Authors: Wang Haixia , Ma Shaowei , Yang Zixin , Niu Ren , Zhu Haiyong , Li Shujun , Gao Shaolin , Li Zhirong , Tian Yanhua
Published: January 2025

Background

Patients suffer from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which is the ninth highly aggressive malignancy. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC) exert as major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), showing possible prognostic value in ESCC.

Methods

Transcriptome data and scRNA-seq data of ESCC samples were extracted from the GEO and TCGA databases. Tissue Specific Index (TSI) was defined to identify potential TIIC-RNAs from the TME. Twenty machine learning algorithms were further applied to evaluate the prognostic efficacy of TIIC signature score. Gene colocalization analysis was performed. Differences in CNV on chromosomes and SNP sites of prognostic model genes were calculated.

Results

The most reliable model of TIIC signature score was developed based on three prognostic TIIC-RNAs. It showed a higher C-index than any other reported prognostic models. ESCC patients with high TIIC signature score showed poorer survival outcomes than low TIIC signature score. The activity of most immune cells decreased with the increase of TIIC score. TIIC signature score showed difference in the expression levels and methylation levels of DEGs. There was also significant different correlation with the degree of CNV amplification and CNV deletion of the immune checkpoint genes. Gene colocalization analysis showed two prognostic model genes (ATP6V0E1 and BIRC2). MR analysis found that rs148710154 and rs75146099 SNP sites of TIIC-RNA gene had a significant correlation between them gastro-oesophageal reflux and ESCC.

Conclusion

TIIC signature score was the first time developed which provided a novel strategy and guidance for the prognosis and immunotherapy of ESCC. It also gave the evidence in the important role of immune cells from the TME in the treatment of cancers.
Essential oil and furanosesquiterpenes from myrrh oleo-gum resin: a breakthrough in mosquito vector management
Authors: Spinozzi Eleonora , Ferrati Marta , Baldassarri Cecilia , Rossi Paolo , Favia Guido , Cameli Giorgio , Benelli Giovanni , Canale Angelo , De Fazi Livia , Pavela Roman , Quassinti Luana , Giordani Cristiano , Araniti Fabrizio , Cappellacci Loredana , Petrelli Riccardo , Maggi Filippo
Published: January 2025

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors of various pathogens of public health concern and replacing conventional insecticides remains a challenge. In this regard, natural products represent valuable sources of potential insecticidal compounds, thus increasingly attracting research interest. Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. (Burseraceae) is a medicinal plant whose oleo-gum resin is used in food, cosmetics, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals. Herein, the larvicidal potential of its essential oil (EO) was assessed on four mosquito species (Aedes albopictus Skuse, Aedes aegypti L., Anopheles gambiae Giles and Anopheles stephensi Liston), with LC50 values ranging from 4.42 to 16.80 μg/mL. The bio-guided EO fractionation identified furanosesquiterpenes as the main larvicidal compounds. A GC–MS-driven untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed 32 affected metabolic pathways in treated larvae. The EO non-target toxicity on Daphnia magna Straus (LC50 = 4.51 μL/L) and its cytotoxicity on a human kidney cell line (HEK293) (IC50 of 14.38 μg/mL) were also assessed. This study shows the potential of plant products as innovative insecticidal agents and lays the groundwork for the possible exploitation of C. myrrha EO in sustainable approaches for mosquito management.

Graphical Abstract
Surgical Management of Perforated Peptic Ulcers
Authors: Stettler Gregory R. , Follette Craig J. , Avery Martin D.
Published: January 2025

Purpose of Review

Peptic ulcer disease is a common process which effects millions of people worldwide. Complications of peptic ulcer disease such as perforation can present as a surgical emergency.

Recent Findings

The approaches to surgical management have evolved over time. Both open and laparoscopic techniques can be utilized. Further, large or giant perforated peptic ulcers may require more complex surgical approaches as they can be a challenge to repair.

As the treatment for perforated peptic ulcer disease has evolved, several therapeutic pathways can be pursued. In a select few, a non-operative approach can yield satisfactory results. In those that need surgery, expeditious repair of the perforation is required. There are several approaches which include both open and laparoscopic techniques as well as advanced options utilized for the patient that presents with a large or giant perforated ulcer.
The Level of Academic Identities of Faculty Members Predicting Their Organizational Trust
Authors: Ayduğ Damla
Published: January 2025

The main aim of this study is to examine whether academic identities of the faculty members are statistically significant predictor on their organizational trust. The population of the study, which was designed as a correlational study, consisted of 37,868 faculty members working in state universities in Central Anatolia region. The sample of the study consisted of 396 faculty members which were selected via cluster sampling method. Data of the study were collected via “Personal Information Form, Academic Identity Scale and Organizational Trust Scale”. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and stepwise regression analysis. According to results of the study, faculty members’ opinions on academic identity and organizational trust are high. According to the regression analysis, it was determined that personal identity and values dimensions of academic identity predict about %16.7 of faculty members’ organizational trust levels. Accordingly, it was found that as the perceptions of faculty members regarding the dimensions of personal identity and values increased, their organizational trust levels also increased. It was determined that the social identity variable did not predict the organizational trust levels of the faculty members. It can be stated that in order to increase the organizational trust levels of academic staff, some measures should be taken to increase the individual identity dimension among the academic identity sub-dimensions. For this purpose, it can be suggested to organize activities such as workshops, interdisciplinary sharing meetings, global learning networks that will encourage activities such as curiosity, motivation to learn and critical thinking.
Runoff simulation and hydropower resource prediction of the Kaidu River Basin in the Tianshan Mountains, China
Authors: Zhang Jing , Xu Changchun , Wang Hongyu , Wang Yazhen , Long Junchen
Published: January 2025

The Tianshan Mountains of Central Asia, highly sensitive to climate change, has been comprehensively assessed for its ecosystem vulnerability across multiple aspects. However, studies on the region’s main river systems and hydropower resources remain limited. Thus, examining the impact of climate change on the runoff and gross hydropower potential (GHP) of this region is essential for promoting sustainable development and effective management of water and hydropower resources. This study focused on the Kaidu River Basin that is situated above the Dashankou Hydropower Station on the southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, China. By utilizing an ensemble of bias-corrected global climate models (GCMs) from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model coupled with a glacier module (VIC–Glacier), we examined the variations in future runoff and GHP during 2017–2070 under four shared socio-economic pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) compared to the baseline period (1985–2016). The findings indicated that precipitation and temperature in the Kaidu River Basin exhibit a general upward trend under the four SSP scenarios, with the fastest rate of increase in precipitation under the SSP2-4.5 scenario and the most significant changes in mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, compared to the baseline period (1980–2016). Future runoff in the basin is projected to decrease, with rates of decline under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios being 3.09, 3.42, 7.04, and 7.20 m3/s per decade, respectively. The trends in GHP are consistent with runoff, with rates of decline in GHP under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios at 507.74, 563.33, 1158.44, and 1184.52 MW/10a, respectively. Compared to the baseline period (1985–2016), the rates of change in GHP under the SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios are −20.66%, −20.93%, −18.91%, and −17.49%, respectively. The Kaidu River Basin will face significant challenges in water and hydropower resources in the future, underscoring the need to adjust water resource management and hydropower planning within the basin.
Exploring chaos and stability: dynamic insights into the stochastic Davey-Stewartson system through advanced sensitivity analysis
Authors: Tariq Muhammad Moneeb , Riaz Muhammad Bilal , Kozubek Tomas , Aziz-ur-Rehman Muhammad
Published: January 2025

In this study, we investigate the stochastic Davey-Stewartson equation in the presence of noise. These two-dimensional integrable equations are higher-dimensional versions of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Davey-Stewartson equations are important in plasma physics, nonlinear optics, hydrodynamics, and other disciplines because the solutions they provide are valuable in understanding many complex physical phenomena. We employ a modified version of the

$$\left( \frac{G'}{G^2} \right)$$

G
′

G
2

approach to handle variable-coefficient systems with imaginary components, such as nonlinear Schrödinger systems. We have discovered a wide range of precise traveling wave solutions, including solitons, kink, periodic, and rational solutions. These solutions may have a significant impact in the domains of engineering and plasma physics. The presented techniques effectively achieve a variety of exponential solutions, including bright, dark, single, rational, and periodic solitary wave solutions. We used MATLAB to simulate our findings and provide 3D, 2D, and counter graphs that illustrate the impact of noise on the precise solutions of the stochastic Davey-Stewartson problem. We apply the Galilean transformation to derive the planar dynamical system, which enhances our understanding of the system’s dynamical analysis. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis to observe the systematic response to various initial conditions. This analysis focuses on the symmetrical aspects of the system and includes the illustration of phase portraits with equilibrium points. We also investigate the chaotic behavior of the planer dynamical system by introducing an additional external force. We predict the system’s behavior to increase the value of intensity and frequency. Our analysis reveals periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic processes.
Prevalence of Aggressive Acts Among 1- to 5-Year-Olds in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care
Authors: Solberg Mona E. , Alsaker Françoise D. , Opsahl Jon , Eidsør Mariann , Kvestad Ingrid
Published: January 2025

This cross-sectional study explores the age-prevalence of teacher-rated aggressive acts among 1-to-5-year-old children (N = 919, 49.8% girls) enrolled in 20 Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centers. Perpetration of physical-, verbal-, relational-, and object-related aggressive acts towards peers was examined as well as victimization by using the same four types of acts. In the literature, such acts have been studied both using the concepts of aggression and bullying. The prevalence of all forms of aggressive acts was higher among the 2-year-olds than the 1-year-olds. In the second year of life, more than 50% of the children used physical aggression at least 2–3 times a month. In children aged 3 years and older, the age-prevalence of physical aggressive acts declined, whereas verbal and relational acts increased or stabilized. Destroying belongings of peers occurred at low rates in Norwegian ECEC centers. The age-prevalence curves and absolute percentage levels for victimization and perpetration were similar. Our results suggest a general picture of similarities between girls and boys rather than differences. Among the 1- and 2-year-olds, there were no significant gender differences in any of the four aggression types for perpetration and victimization. The prevalence rates for girls and boys in relational perpetration and victimization were similar across all age categories. A significant gender difference in the prevalence of physical aggression appeared in the 3-year-olds. More consensus in definitions and measurements is called for including more research on the relation between general aggression and bullying behavior.