bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐Purity Template‐Free Mesoporous Silica Synthesized FROM Coal Fly Ash
Authors: Manyepedza Thapelo , Gaolefufa Emmanuel , Beas Isaac N. , Kabomo Moses T. , Modukanele Bakang
Published: February 2024

The study demonstrates a new method to create high‐purity mesoporous silica from coal fly ash without using structure‐directing agents. Divided into two stages, the process involves pre‐treating the ash with Na2CO3, calcination, cooling, washing, and drying to yield a dehydrated sample. Subsequently, silica synthesis occurs through an acid refluxing technique using thermally activated coal fly ash with Na2CO3. Key factors impacting synthesis include acid content and liquid‐to‐solid ratio. The study extensively employs various characterization methods like XRF, XRD, FTIR, and BET analysis, revealing a 99.1 % purity in silica content, a surface area of 793.51 m2/g, and a pore size of 3.9 nm. Optimal conditions for this synthesis involve 80 °C temperature, 2‐hour reaction time, 25 % hydrochloric acid concentration, and a 10 : 1 liquid‐to‐solid ratio. FTIR spectra demonstrate similarities between the obtained silica and commercial Sigma Aldrich silica. This innovative approach presents a promising avenue for generating top‐quality silica from coal fly ash, potentially diversifying applications across industries reliant on high‐performance silica materials.
Self‐Powered Colorful Dynamic Electrowetting Display Systems Based on Triboelectricity
Authors: Dai Xingyi , Yang Jingkun , Shu Chang , Liang Qihua , Han Jiaxin , Wu Yinghui , Chen Miao , Cao Yajun , Ju Xiangrong , Sun Hailing , Huang Long‐Biao , Zhou Guofu
Published: February 2024

Electrowetting displays (EWDs) based on microfluidics are highly sought after in the fields of electronic devices, smart homes, and information communication. However, the power supply of the EWD systems for visually engaging multi‐color displays remains a big challenge. Herein, self‐powered colorful dynamic display systems are developed by integrating the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) with the EWD device. The TENG is designed with a nanotube‐patterned surface and can generate open‐circuit voltages ranging from 30 to 295 V by controlling the contact area. The wetting property of the micro‐droplet exhibits a response to the applied voltage, enabling the triboelectricity‐triggered electrowetting‐on‐dielectric. Driven by the voltage of 160 V, the monochromatic EWD exhibits bright color switching from magenta to transparent with a pixel aperture ratio of 78%, and the recovery process can be rapidly completed. Furthermore, the self‐powered colorful dynamic EWD system can be achieved. By selectively applying the voltage to the pixels in the three monochromatic layers that constitute the colorful EWD, the wetting properties of the fluids can be controlled, allowing for colorful dynamic display. This work contributes to the advancement of color display technology for portable and wearable electronic ink displays, indoor and outdoor sports equipment, and information communication.
Hybrid KuFaI: A novel secure key generation algorithm using fast independent component analysis for physical layer security techniques
Authors: Sarsodia Tapesh , Bhatt Uma Rathore , Upadhyay Raksha , Bhat Vijay
Published: February 2024

Many real‐world applications, such as smart cities, industrial automation, health care, and so forth, utilize IoT‐enabled devices as a part of wireless networks. IoT devices must have low power and low computation complexity requirements with proper measures of security challenges. Since traditional cryptography techniques are not computationally efficient, other alternatives, such as physical layer key generation (PLKG), is one of the attractive means to achieve security. In this paper, we propose to use a fast independent component analysis (FICA) based KuFaI (Kurtosis and FICA) algorithm for a secured PLKG system. This method reduces data dimensions and improves system performance regarding Bit Disagreement Rate (BDR) and randomness. In KuFaI, we rearrange the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) data set using FICA and then select components based on the kurtosis function. Results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed algorithm is far better than the previously used PCA‐based algorithm.
Institutional Votes at the XX International Botanical Congress, Madrid, 2024: Report of the Committee on Institutional Votes
Authors:   Committee on Institutional Votes,   Members of the Committee, Ulloa Ulloa Carmen , Turland Nicholas J. , Freire‐Fierro Alina , Ge Bin‐Jie , Milne Josephine , Muasya A. Muthama , Proćków Jarosław , Iturriaga Teresa
Published: February 2024

The Committee on Institutional Votes was established at the XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC), in Shenzhen in 2017, with the mandate to maintain a list of institutions and their allocated votes for the upcoming IBC, the next of which will be the XX IBC in Madrid in July 2024. Institutions worldwide were informed of the mechanism to apply for one or more institutional votes or to request a change in previously allocated votes. Forty applications were received by the Committee, of which 28 were from institutions new to the list, 9 requested an increase in allocated votes and 3 requested no change to allocated votes. All requests were accepted, two of them partly so. Adjustments were also made for two institutions that had been closed or transferred. The Committee sent a draft of this report together with the revised list for Madrid to the General Committee for final approval, as required by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. The General Committee approved the list, which is now presented here. The total number of institutions on the list is 572; the total number of institutional votes that could potentially be exercised is 970. Only 30.4% of institutions exercised their votes in Shenzhen in 2017. Institutions are urged to exercise their votes in Madrid in 2024, and instructions for this are provided.
Let's Hear it from Them: An Interview‐Based Exploration of Male Teachers' Perceptions of Gender Imbalance in the English Language Teaching Profession
Authors: Wright Natalia
Published: February 2024

The presence of gender disparities, marked by a shortage of male teachers, has been a longstanding concern within the TESOL profession. Drawing on the concept of human flourishing, which advocates for equality and respect beyond gender and social standing, this research seeks to challenge gender stereotyping in foreign language teaching. Guided by personal observations and the stories of three male English language teachers, this article seeks to answer how male ESL/EFL teachers perceive gender playing out in their careers. By examining their perezhivaniya, or lived experiences, the study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the gender dynamics within TESOL, filling a critical gap in the existing literature and offering new insights into the subjective emotional experiences shaping the professional lives of male teachers in this field. The research demonstrates how the feminization of the ELT environment affects their sense of self‐worth and fulfillment and ultimately their commitment to stay in the profession.
English Language Teachers' Emotional Vulnerability in the Era of Self‐Branding on Social Media
Authors: Nejadghanbar Hassan , Song Juyoung , Hu Guangwei
Published: February 2024

This study aimed to explore English language teachers' vulnerability and identity negotiation in relation to self‐branding on social media. It focused on 15 Iranian teachers' experiences in teaching and self‐promotion on Instagram through narrative frames and follow‐up interviews. The analysis of the teacher narratives demonstrated that the new online context that valorizes visibility by demanding audience appealing content and personalities generated a great amount of vulnerability among the language teachers. The results evidenced the teachers' constant struggles in competing against those who seemingly possess superior skills and resources for self‐promotion and their resistance to the “rules of the game” in gaining quick visibility. They shed light on language teachers' vulnerability and identity negotiation in their efforts to present themselves as authentic and legitimate teachers on Instagram against popular, self‐branded individuals. Highlighting the intersection of language teaching, emotion, and identity, this study provides theoretical and pedagogical implications for language teacher identity in a shifting teaching context.
Possible Qualification Pathways for In Silico Methodologies
Authors: Viceconti Marco , Serigado Alexandre , Rousseau Cécile F. , Voisin Emmanuelle M.
Published: February 2024

Regulatory science is ultimately a matter of trust. You need to trust that certain evidence, when obtained with certain methodologies, is sufficient to inform about a new medical product's safety and/or efficacy.
Joining Voices for Social Inclusion: Activism and Resilience of Professionals Working with People in Situations of Vulnerability
Authors: Costa Ana Luísa , Coimbra Susana
Published: February 2024

Activism in educational, social, and community intervention is widespread in literature as an essential professional role in promoting inclusion and social justice for people in situations of vulnerability. Professionals who work with these populations are in a privileged position for informal and situated learning and engagement with professional activism. This contribution reflects upon the many obstacles that may hinder its more prominent expression, but also on its outcomes in terms of learning inclusion, resilience and the process of overcoming the challenges evident in (re)building of professional identities. This involves considering processes that can be decisive in the way people in situations of vulnerability are perceived, heard, supported, empowered, and included.
The quantum focusing conjecture and the improved energy condition
Authors: Ben-Dayan Ido
Published: February 2024

Abstract

By rearranging its terms, the Quantum Focusing Conjecture (QFC) can be viewed as a quantum energy condition, and we can consider various limits. A recent restricted version is a limiting form where the quantum focusing vanishes Θ → 0, and has been proven for Braneworld scenario. As a result, we derive an improved quantum null energy condition (INEC) $$ {T}_{kk}\ge \frac{\mathrm{\hbar}}{2\pi \mathcal{A}}\left({S}_{\textrm{out}}^{\prime \prime }-\frac{1}{2}\theta {S}_{\textrm{out}}^{\prime}\right) $$

T
kk

≥

ħ

2
π
A

S
out

′
′

−

1
2

θ

S
out
′

, that can be proven with field theory techniques. We sketch the beginning of a proof, and briefly discuss possible interpretations in the absence of one.
Turbulence on open string worldsheets under non-integrable boundary conditions
Authors: Ishii Takaaki , Kitaku Ryo , Murata Keiju , Yoo Chul-Moon
Published: February 2024

Abstract

We demonstrate the turbulent dynamics of the Nambu-Goto open string in the AdS3 spacetime. While the motion of a classical closed string in AdS is known to be integrable, the integrability of an open string motion depends on the boundary conditions at the string endpoints. We numerically solve the equations of motion of the open string under the boundary conditions where the endpoints are i) fixed to a finite radial coordinate in AdS, and ii) free. For i), we find turbulence on the string, that shows a cascade in the energy and angular momentum spectra. This result indicates the non-integrability of the open string with this type of boundary conditions. For ii), we find no turbulence. This is consistent with the integrability of the open string with the free boundary conditions.
5d SCFTs from isolated complete intersection singularities
Authors: Mu Jisheng , Wang Yi-Nan , Zhang Hao N.
Published: February 2024

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the zoo of 5d superconformal field theories (SCFTs) constructed from M-theory on Isolated Complete Intersection Singularities (ICIS). We systematically investigate the crepant resolution of such singularities, and obtain a classification of rank ⩽ 10 models with a smooth crepant resolution and smooth exceptional divisors, as well as a number of infinite sequences with the same smoothness properties. For these models, we study their Coulomb branch properties and compute the flavor symmetry algebra from the resolved CY3 and/or the magnetic quiver. We check the validity of the conjectures relating the properties of the 5d SCFT and the 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 SCFT from IIB superstring on the same singularity. When the 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 SCFT has a Lagrangian quiver gauge theory description, one can obtain the magnetic quiver of the 5d theory by gauging flavor symmetry, which encodes the 5d Higgs branch information. Regarding the smoothness of the crepant resolution and integrality of 4d Coulomb branch spectrum, we find examples with a smooth resolved CY3 and smooth exceptional divisors, but fractional 4d Coulomb branch spectrum. Moreover, we compute the discrete (higher)-symmetries of the 5d/4d SCFTs from the link topology for a few examples.
An explicit expression of generating function for one-loop tensor reduction
Authors: Hu Chang , Li Tingfei , Shen Jiyuan , Xu Yongqun
Published: February 2024

Abstract

This work introduces an explicit expression for the generating function for the reduction of an n-gon to an (n – k)-gon. A novel recursive relation of generating function is formulated based on Feynman Parametrization in projective space, involving a single ordinary differential equation. The explicit formulation of generating functions provides crucial insights into the complex analytic structure inherent in loop amplitudes.
Gravitational waves from composite dark sectors
Authors: Pasechnik Roman , Reichert Manuel , Sannino Francesco , Wang Zhi-Wei
Published: February 2024

Abstract

We study under which conditions a first-order phase transition in a composite dark sector can yield an observable stochastic gravitational-wave signal. To this end, we employ the Linear-Sigma model featuring Nf = 3, 4, 5 flavours and perform a Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis computation also accounting for the effects of the Polyakov loop. The model allows us to investigate the chiral phase transition in regimes that can mimic QCD-like theories incorporating in addition composite dynamics associated with the effects of confinement-deconfinement phase transition. A further benefit of this approach is that it allows to study the limit in which the effective interactions are weak. We show that strong first-order phase transitions occur for weak effective couplings of the composite sector leading to gravitational-wave signals potentially detectable at future experimental facilities.
Asymptotic Weyl double copy in Newman-Penrose formalism
Authors: Mao Pujian , Zhao Weicheng
Published: February 2024

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a self-contained investigation of the Weyl double copy in the Newman-Penrose formalism. We examine the Weyl double copy constraints for the general asymptotically flat solution in the Newman-Unti gauge. We find that two transparent solutions of the asymptotic Weyl double copy constraints lead to truncated solutions for both linearized and Einstein gravity theory where the solutions are in the manifest form of Petrov type N or type D in the Newman-Unti gauge.
Long-term results and quality of life after stapled hemorrhoidopexy vs Doppler-guided HAL-RAR: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Lauricella Sara , Palmisano Dario , Brucchi Francesco , Agoglitta Domenico , Fiume Massimiliano , Bottero Luca , Faillace Giuseppe
Published: February 2024

Aim

The study aimed to evaluate and compare the short and long-term outcomes of doppler-guided (DG) hemorrhoidal artery ligation and rectoanal repair (HAL-RAR) using a wireless-doppler-guided probe and stapled hemorrhoidopexy (SH) for treatment of II–III hemorrhoids.

Methods

This cohort study included patients who underwent HAL-RAR (n = 89) or SH (n = 174) for grade II-III hemorrhoids between January 2020 and December 2021. After propensity score matching at a 1:1 ratio, 76 patients for each group were analyzed. Short and long-term outcomes were collected. Pain was measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at POD1, POD 10, 1 month, and 6 months after surgery. The enrolled patients completed the Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score and Short Health ScaleHD quality of life (HDSS/SHS QoL) questionnaire preoperatively and during a regular follow-up visit at 24 months after surgery.

Results

Groups exhibited comparable overall postoperative complication rates (23% HAL-RAR/ 21% SH; p = 0.295). Postoperative pain via VAS showed median scores of 4, 3, 1, 1 for HAL-RAR and 6, 4, 2, 1 for SH at POD1, POD10, 1 month, and 6 months, respectively (p =  < 0.001, 0.004, 0.025, 0.019). At a median follow-up of 12 months, the recurrence rate was 10.5% in the HAL-RAR group and 9.2% in the SH group (p = 0.785), respectively. At 24 months, 15.7% of HAL-RAR patients and 19.7% of SH patients remained symptomatic (p = 0.223). Median post-op QoL index was 1 (HAL-RAR) and 0.92 (SH), p = 0.036.

Conclusions

HAL-RAR is a safe and feasible technique in treating grade II-III hemorrhoids showing better outcomes in terms of postoperative pain and QoL.

Significance

This paper adds a new perspective in comparing the HAL-RAR and SH, focusing the attention on the patients and not surgical techniques. A long and difficult follow-up was completed to fully understand the long-term results and the impact on the QoL of the patients who underwent these procedures.
Varus osteotomy as a salvage procedure for young patients with symptomatic patellofemoral arthritis and valgus malalignment at short- to mid-term follow-up: a case series
Authors: Hinz Maximilian , Weyer Maximilian , Brunner Moritz , Fritsch Lorenz , Otto Alexander , Siebenlist Sebastian , Achtnich Andrea
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to report the clinical, functional and radiological outcome following varus osteotomy as a salvage procedure in young to middle-aged patients with patellofemoral arthritis (PFA) and associated valgus malalignment. It was hypothesized that a significant improvement in knee function and reduction in pain would be achieved. Moreover, no conversion to patellofemoral joint arthroplasty could be observed.

Material and methods

Patients (< 50 years of age) that underwent varus osteotomy between 08/2012 and 01/2020 for the treatment of symptomatic PFA and associated valgus malalignment were consecutively included (minimum follow-up: 24 months). Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM; International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form [IKDC]), Visual Analog Scale [VAS] for pain, Tegner Activity Scale [TAS], and satisfaction with the postoperative results (1–10-scale, 10 = highest satisfaction) and weight-bearing whole-leg anteroposterior radiographs were conducted pre- and postoperatively. The change in PROM and femorotibial angle (FTA) were tested for statistical significance.

Results

In total, 12 patients (14 knees) were included (66.7% female; mean age: 33.8 ± SD 6.6 years). In ten cases, lateral opening-wedge distal femoral osteotomies (DFO) were performed, of which three cases included a concomitant femoral derotation. Three medial closing-wedge DFO and one medial closing-wedge high tibial osteotomy were performed. At follow-up (55.3 ± 29.3 months), a significant improvement in knee function (IKDC: 56.4 ± 14.4 to 69.1 ± 11.2, p = 0.015) and reduction in pain (VAS for pain: 3.5 [interquartile range 2.3–5.8] to 0.5 [0–2.0], p = 0.018) were observed. Patients were able to reach their preoperative sporting activity level (TAS: 3.0 [3.0–4.0] to 3.5 [3.0–4.0], p = 0.854) and were highly satisfied with the postoperative result (9.0 [6.5–10]). Additionally, a significant correction of valgus malalignment was observed (5.0° ± 2.9° valgus to 0.7° ± 3.2° varus, p < 0.001). Regarding complications, two re-osteosyntheses were performed due to loss of correction and delayed union. No conversion to patellofemoral arthroplasty occurred.

Conclusion

In patients with symptomatic PFA and associated valgus malalignment, varus osteotomy as a salvage procedure achieved a significant improvement in knee function and reduction in pain. No conversion to patellofemoral joint arthroplasty occurred at short- to mid-term follow-up.

Level of evidence

Retrospective case series, Level IV.
Cannabis smoking and abdominal wall reconstruction outcomes: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Maskal S. , Foreman J. M. , Ellis R. C. , Phillips S. , Messer N. , Melland-Smith M. , Beffa L. R. A. , Petro C. C. , Prabhu A. S. , Rosen M. J. , Miller B. T.
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Despite increasing use of cannabis, literature on perioperative effects is lagging. We compared active cannabis-smokers versus non-smokers and postoperative wound morbidity and reoperations following open abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR).

Methods

Patients who underwent open, clean, AWR with transversus abdominis release and retromuscular synthetic mesh placement at our institution between January 2014 and May 2022 were identified using the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative database. Active cannabis-smokers were 1:3 propensity matched to non-smokers based on demographics and comorbidities. Wound complications, 30 day morbidity, pain (PROMIS 3a-Pain Intensity), and hernia-specific quality of life (HerQles) were compared.

Results

Seventy-two cannabis-smokers were matched to 216 non-smokers. SSO (18% vs 17% p = 0.86), SSI (11.1% vs 9.3%, p = 0.65), SSOPI (12% vs 12%, p = 0.92), and all postoperative complications (46% vs 43%, p = 0.63) were similar between cannabis-smokers and non-smokers. Reoperations were more common in the cannabis-smoker group (8.3% vs 2.8%, p = 0.041), driven by major wound complications (6.9% vs 3.2%, p = 0.004). No mesh excisions occurred. HerQles scores were similar at baseline (22 [11, 41] vs 35 [14, 55], p = 0.06), and were worse for cannabis-smokers compared to non-smokers at 30 days (30 [12, 50] vs 38 [20, 67], p = 0.032), but not significantly different at 1 year postoperatively (72 [53, 90] vs 78 [57, 92], p = 0.39). Pain scores were worse for cannabis-smokers compared to non-smokers at 30 days postoperatively (52 [46, 58] vs 49 [44, 54], p = 0.01), but there were no differences at 6 months or 1 year postoperatively (p > 0.05 for all).

Conclusion

Cannabis smokers will likely experience similar complication rates after clean, open AWR, but should be counseled that despite similar wound complication rates, the severity of their wound complications may be greater than non-smokers.
The validation of a Japanese version of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q)
Authors: Taniguchi Seira , Marumoto Kohei , Kajiyama Yuta , Revankar Gajanan , Inoue Michiko , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Kayano Rika , Mizuta Eiji , Takahashi Ryuichi , Shirahata Emi , Saeki Chizu , Ozono Tatsuhiko , Kimura Yasuyoshi , Ikenaka Kensuke , Mochizuki Hideki
Published: February 2024

Objective

This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q) and investigate its validity and reliability.

Methods

After translating the NFOG-Q according to a standardised protocol, 56 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) were administered it. Additionally, the MDS-UPDRS parts II and III, Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage, and number of falls over 1 month were evaluated. Spearman’s correlation coefficients (rho) were used to determine construct validity, and Cronbach’s alpha (α) was used to examine reliability.

Results

The interquartile range of the NFOG-Q scores was 10.0–25.3 (range 0–29). The NFOG-Q scores were strongly correlated with the MDS-UPDRS part II, items 2.12 (walking and balance), 2.13 (freezing), 3.11 (freezing of gait), and 3.12 (postural stability) and the postural instability and gait difficulty score (rho = 0.515–0.669), but only moderately related to the MDS-UPDRS item 3.10 (gait), number of falls, disease duration, H&Y stage, and time of the Timed Up-and-Go test (rho = 0.319–0.434). No significant correlations were observed between age and the time of the 10-m walk test. The internal consistency was excellent (α = 0.96).

Conclusions

The Japanese version of the NFOG-Q is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the severity of freezing in patients with PD.
Finding microbial composition and biological processes as predictive signature to access the ongoing status of mangrove preservation
Authors: de Carvalho Fabíola Marques , Laux Marcele , Ciapina Luciane Prioli , Gerber Alexandra Lehmkuhl , Guimarães Ana Paula C. , Kloh Vinícius Prata , Apolinário Moacir , Paes Jorge Eduardo Santos , Jonck Célio Roberto , de Vasconcelos Ana Tereza R.
Published: February 2024

Mangroves are complex land-sea transition ecosystems whose microbiota are essential for their nutrient recycling and conservation. Brazil is the third-largest estuarine area in the world and “Baía de Todos os Santos” (BTS) is one of the largest bays of the country, with wide anthropogenic exploration. Using a metagenomic approach, we investigated composition and functional adaptability as signatures of the microbiome of pristine and anthropized areas of BTS, including those under petroleum refinery influence. The taxonomic analysis showed dominance of sulfate-reducing Desulfobacteraceae, Rhodobacteraceae, and Flavobacteriaceae. Taxa were significantly diverse between pristine and disturbed areas. Disturbed mangroves showed a notary increase in abundance of halophilic, sulfur-related, and hydrocarbon-degrading genera and a decrease in diatoms compared to pristine area. The metabolic profile of BTS mangroves was correlated with the differentially abundant microbiota. Two ecological scenarios were observed: one marked by functions of central metabolism associated with biomass degradation and another by mechanisms of microbial adaptability to pollution conditions and environmental degradation. Part of the microbiome was distinct and not abundant in Brazilian estuarine soils. The microbiome signature observed in each BTS mangrove reflects how human actions impact the diversity of these ecosystems and also emphasize their role in attempting to restore disturbed mangroves. The microbiome may act as a potential biological indicator of the preservation status of these soils, despite the limitation of soil property conditions. Additionally, our data pointed to metagenomics as an additional tool for environmental assessment and reinforced the need for protective measures for the mangroves under study.
A Systematic Review on the Factors Affecting Chinese International Students’ Mental Health
Authors: Xie Lindai , Xu Yaoying
Published: February 2024

Psychological stress among college students is significantly higher than that among the general population, and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of many college students. However, relatively little research has focused on Chinese international students’ (CISs) mental health in the USA. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that may affect Chinese international students’ mental health through a systematic review of the literature. We reviewed refereed empirical research articles published during 2010–2021 and explored the factors identified in these articles that affect the mental health status of CISs who are attending US universities. A total of 49 articles (31 quantitative, 15 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed and analyzed. Through this review, we identified three main categories of factors: personal, environmental, and behavioral. We further examined specific factors under each category. Results demonstrate 104 personal factors, 68 environmental factors, and 18 behavioral factors that affect CISs’ mental health status. Findings suggest that many factors may trigger CISs’ mental health, but little was known about causal factors, which point to future research on intervention studies to identify causal relationships between variables. Practical implications are discussed.
Categorization and correlational analysis of quality factors influencing citation
Authors: Khatoon Asma , Daud Ali , Amjad Tehmina
Published: February 2024

The quality of the scientific publication plays an important role in generating a large number of citations and raising the work's visibility. According to several studies, the number of citations has been actively used to measure the quality of the publications. Existing studies have identified the document-related factors, author-related factors, journal-related factors, and altmetrics as the factors that influence the citations of an article. However, the majority of the stated indicators for determining the quality of a publication involve factors from the publication that are related to the author or venue of an article but these are not related to the content of the article. The factors related to the quality of publication are ignored by existing literature. The purpose of this research is to identify, categorize, and correlate the quality criteria that influence citations. As a result, a systematic literature review (SLR) is undertaken for factor categorization, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (PCC) is calculated to quantify the impact of factors on citations. The SLR collects relevant articles from several data sources from 2013 to 2022 and categorizes factors impacting citations. A subset of factors is identified from DBLPV13 dataset and correlation of these factors with citations is studied to observe the impact of these factors on citations. The factors include Readability, Recency, Open Access, Hot topics, Abstract Length, Paper Title Length, and Page Count. Pearson’s correlation is performed to test the impact of aforementioned factors on citations. It can be observed from correlational analysis that Recency, Open Access, Hot topics, Abstract Length, page count have a favorable impact on citations, whereas Readability, Paper title length has a negative relationship with citations. The relationship among the factors is nonlinear therefore Spearman’s Correlation is computed for comparison with existing studies and has been undertaken to validate the empirical and correlational analytic results. The study has contributed by identifying, categorizing, and correlating the quality factors that need to be prioritized. Apart from the broad and more obvious features, it is determined that there is a need to investigate quality-related factors of the article that are related to the contents of the article.
Application of DNA barcodes in the genetic diversity of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Kazakhstan
Authors: Zheng Ziwei , Zeng Weixin , Wang Suwen , Tan Wenbo , Lu Xiaobo , Kairullayev Kenesbay , Mi Ligu , Hazihan Wurelihazi , Liu Gang , Yang Meihua , Wang Yuanzhi
Published: February 2024

Forty-five tick species have been recorded in Kazakhstan. However, their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships, particularly when compared to ticks in neighbouring countries, remain unclear. In the present study, 148 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence data from our laboratory and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) data were used to address this knowledge gap. Phylogenetic analyses showed that i) Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (Koch, 1844) ticks from Jambyl Oblast (southeastern Kazakhstan) and Gansu Province (northwestern China) constituted a newly deviated clade; and ii) Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1974) ticks from South Kazakhstan Oblast were closer to those in Romania and Turkey. The network diagram of haplotypes showed that i) the H-1 and H-2 haplotypes of Dermacentor marginatus (Sulzer, 1776) ticks from Zhetisu and Almaty were all newly evolved; and ii) the H-3 haplotypes of Haemaphysalis erinacei (Pavesi, 1884) from Almaty Oblast and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (northwestern China) were evolved from the H-1 haplotype from Italy. In the future, more COI data from different tick species, especially from Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries, should be employed in the field of tick DNA barcoding.
Initial Development and Validation of the Brief Internalized Heterosexist Racism Scale for Gay and Bisexual Black Men: A Measure of Internalized Heterosexist Racism
Authors: James Drexler
Published: February 2024

We introduce internalized heterosexist racism (IHR), or the internalization of damaging stereotypes, harmful beliefs, and negative attitudes about being a sexual minority person of color. We also present the initial development and validation of the Brief Internalized Heterosexist Racism Scale for gay and bisexual Black men (IHR-GBBM), a unidimensional, 10-item measure of IHR. Exploratory factor analyses on an internet-obtained sample of gay and bisexual Black men (N = 312; Mean age = 30.36 years) show that the IHR-GBBM had evidence of good internal consistency, and good convergent, discriminant, concurrent, and incremental validity. The IHR-GBBM was positively correlated with internalized racism, internalized heterosexism, and discrimination (racist, heterosexist). IHR was also negatively correlated with race stigma consciousness, weakly positively correlated with sexual identity stigma consciousness, but not correlated with either race identity, sexual identity, or social desirability. Hierarchical regressions showed that the IHR-GBBM explained an additional variance of 2.8% and 3.1% in anxiety symptoms and substance use coping, respectively, after accounting for (1) sociodemographics, (2) internalized racism and internalized heterosexism, and (3) an interaction of internalized racism and internalized heterosexism. Older participants and those who were “out” about their sexual identity reported lower IHR. Those who did not know/want to report their HIV status reported greater IHR. Results revealed no sexual identity, sexual position, relationship status, income, education, or employment status differences in IHR. We hope the development of the IHR-GBBM spurs future research on predictors and consequences of IHR. We discuss limitations and implications for the future study of internalized heterosexist racism.
Wrong hypotheses in the generalized RTBP
Authors: Elipe Antonio
Published: February 2024

Generalized restricted three body problems consist of adding some extra hypotheses to the Restricted three body problem (RTBP) in order to have a new problem, not very different of the original RTBP. However, not any additional hypothesis is allowed; it must satisfy the laws of Physics. Among the several generalizations found in literature, we prove that at least there are two hypotheses that cannot be used, namely: 1) Perturbation in Coriolis and/or centrifugal forces, and 2) primaries are spheroids moving on elliptical orbits.
NAIP Gene Deletion and SMN2 Copy Number as Molecular Tools in Predicting the Severity of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Abd El Mutaleb Abdel Nasser H. , Ibrahim Fawziya A. R. , Megahed Fayed A. K. , Atta Ahmed , Ali Bahy A. , Omar Tarek E. I. , Rashad Mona M.
Published: February 2024

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the most prevalent autosomal recessive illnesses with type I being the most severe type. Genomic alterations including survival motor neuron (SMN) copy number as well as deletions in SMN and Neuronal Apoptosis Inhibitory Protein (NAIP) are greatly implicated in the emergence of SMA. However, the association of such alterations with the severity of the disease is yet to be investigated. This study was directed to elucidate the molecular assessment of NAIP and SMN genomic alterations as a useful tool in predicting the severity of SMA among patients. This study included 65 SMA pediatric patients (30 type I and 35 type II) and 65 healthy controls. RFLP-PCR was employed to determine the genetic polymorphisms of the SMN1, SMN2, and NAIP genes. In addition, qRT-PCR was used to identify the expression of the SMN1 and SMN2 genes, and serum levels of creatine kinase were measured using a colorimetric method. DNA sequencing was performed on some samples to detect any single nucleotide polymorphisms in SMN1, SMN2, and NAIP genes. All SMA patients had a homozygous deficiency of SMN1 exon 7. The homozygous deficiency of SMN1 exons 7 and 8, with the deletion of NAIP exon 5 was found among the majority of Type I patients. In contrast, patients with the less severe condition (type II) had SMN1 exons 7 and 8 deleted but did not have any deletions in NAIP, additionally; 65.7% of patients had multiple copies of SMN2. Analysis of NAIP deletion alongside assessing SMN2 copy number might enhance the effectiveness of the diagnosis that can predict severity among Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients.
Who Keeps Company with the Wolf will Learn to Howl: Does Local Corruption Culture Affect Financial Adviser Misconduct?
Authors: Pham Mia Hang , Nguyen Harvey , Young Martin , Dao Anh
Published: February 2024

Motivated by the increasing economic significance of investment advisory industries and the prevalence of wrongdoing in financial planning services, we examine whether, and to what extent, employee misconduct is shaped by their local corruption culture. Using novel data of more than 4.7 million adviser-year observations of financial advisers and the Department of Justice’s data on corruption, we find that financial advisers and advisory firms located in areas with higher levels of corruption are more likely to commit misconduct. These results hold for both individual advisor and firm level analyses and are robust to the use of various fixed effects, model specifications, proxies for corruption and misconduct, and an instrumental variable approach. Using the passage of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Provision, which provides incentives for reporting corruption incidences and thereby reduces the incentives for fraud, we find that the relation between local corruption culture and adviser misconduct is attenuated after the provision enacted by the SEC. Overall, our study highlights the externalities of corruption culture on individual ethics and the essential role of whistleblowing laws in reducing corruption-prone norms.
The multifunctional flexible conductive viscose fabric prepared by thiol modification followed by copper plating
Authors: Tan Xiaodong , Jiang Yingze , Puchalski Michał , Peng Qingyan , Hu Shi , Xiong Wei , Saskova Jana , Wiener Jakub , Venkataraman Mohanapriya , Militky Jiri
Published: February 2024

Based on the current rapid development of electronic products, the development of light-weight, processable, environmentally friendly, long-life, durable, less corrosive, and tunable conductive composite materials with multiple applications may be the development direction of next-generation electronic devices. In this work, for the first time, we employed 3-Mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-MT) to modify viscose nonwovens and enhance the copper plating process. The prepared samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscope + energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM + EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrical resistivity, anti-corrosion, Joule heating, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. Results showed that 3-MT was covalently bound to the viscose surface through hydrolysis and condensation reactions and introduced SH groups. WAXD confirmed that the thiol modification did not change the internal crystal structure of viscose and copper ions. TGA and surface morphology analysis confirmed that the modified viscose promoted the deposition of metal particles in the copper plating process due to the affinity of thiol to metal so that copper particles almost completely wrapped the viscose fibers. In addition, 3MT@Cu@Viscose exhibits extremely low surface and volume resistivity (346.6 and 333.2 mΩ·m), improved corrosion resistance (corrosion rate reduced by 58% compared to the unmodified sample), fast Joule heating response (within 10 s) in low voltage (1 V) and excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE > 50 dB). It showed great potential in future multi-functional electronic products such as electric heating sensors, smart clothing, and EMI shielding barrier.
Autoethnographic Reflections on Mental Distress and Medication Management: Conceptualising Biomedical and Recovery Models of Mental Health
Authors: Fox Joanna
Published: February 2024

This article uses autoethnography to explore the author’s lived experiences of mental distress and how she has conceptualised and explained these symptoms to herself using both the biomedical and recovery models of care. Autoethnography is a process of personal reflection that enables connection between the personal and the political. Experiences of mental distress are recounted alongside the decision to reduce medication. This personal experience is then explored in the context of limited evidence base on the effectiveness of reducing medication and the situation in which prescribers often feel reluctant to recommend and support service users in these choices. Shared decision-making in medication management is introduced which is an approach which draws on the models of recovery and co-production challenging traditional biomedical approaches which locate the prescriber as expert. Moreover, the radical service user led model is highlighted, within which, the Hearing Voices Network and Open Dialogue offer alternative approaches which promote co-production and empowerment. The author connects the personal to the political and reflects on her dual identity as an expert-by-experience and social work academic. She details how she has drawn on biomedical explanations to describe her distress yet has been challenged by the recovery model throughout her journey of recovery. She concludes that her own position, in identifying herself as an academic and expert-by-experience is an important step in challenging notions of expertise and approaches to mental health care.
Towards design principles for an online learning platform providing reflective practices for developing employability competences
Authors: Heymann Perry , Hukema Marloes , van Rosmalen Peter , Beausaert Simon
Published: February 2024

Graduates require employability competences, such as flexibility and team working skills, to gain and maintain employment. Online learning platforms (OLPs) can provide students with resources for reflection, which is a key competence for employability. However, little is known about the design of OLPs meant to provide reflective practices that foster students’ employability competences. This research study aims to identify design principles of OLPs providing reflective practices that foster the development of employability competences. Five design principles were derived from thematic analysis following two focus group interviews with students and educational experts in this qualitative study: 1) Embed the OLP in curricular and institutional activities that foster competence development; 2) Facilitate the analysis of students’ current state regarding employability competences; 3) Provide recommendations and a repository with learning activities that help students to formulate goals and plan activities; 4) Facilitate the undertaking and recording of learning activities, supported by a blend of three forms of interaction (instructor-student; student–student or student-content); and 5) Foster reflection in and on action via opportunities for applying newly learned knowledge in different settings and reviewing activities via reflective journaling and knowledge sharing. This study is the first to conceptualise design principles for an OLP that is organised to provide reflective practices for the development of employability competences. The design principles were based on students’ and teachers’ experiences and are grounded in theory. They can inform future research as well as practitioners developing OLPs.
Root suppletion in Swedish as contextual allomorphy
Authors: Adamson Luke James
Published: February 2024

The present article provides a case study of the forms corresponding to the meaning ‘small’ in Swedish, which exhibit a number-based suppletive alternation: descriptively, liten appears in the singular while små appears in the plural. We demonstrate that this alternation is best treated as contextual allomorphy, and provide six arguments that favor this account over a plausible alternative, according to which the forms realize two distinct roots with different lexical semantics. We situate a Distributed Morphology-based account of the alternation within the broader context of inflection in the language, and address challenges and complications to the allomorphy approach from outside of the root’s ‘typical’ adjectival contexts, including adverbs and compounding. This study supports the existence of root suppletion conditioned by inflectional features, and has implications for our understanding of locality conditions on root suppletion as well as contextual allomorphy more broadly.
In situ tip-guided growth of nickel nanostructures through the application of electric current
Authors: Qu Boyi , van Benthem Klaus
Published: February 2024

Directional growth of individual nickel nanostructures guided by a nanoindentation tip was accomplished by in situ scanning electron microscopy. Agglomerates of nickel nanoparticles supported by nickel micropillars were electrically contacted with a conductive nanoindenter. Application of an electric bias led to dielectric breakdown of native surface oxide layers covering the nanoparticles and caused the formation of conductive pathways through particle agglomerates. Joule heating and mechanical retraction of the nanoindenter enabled growth of elongated nickel nanostructures through solid-state diffusion. Finite element modeling was used to estimate the amount of Joule heating and confirmed the activation of several mass transport mechanisms. The results of this study propose the ability of tip-guided growth of individual nanostructures with complex geometries and unprecedented feature sizes.

Graphical abstract
CONTINUITY OF THE DOUBLE LAYER POTENTIAL OF A SECOND ORDER ELLIPTIC DIFFERENTIAL OPERATOR IN SCHAUDER SPACES ON THE BOUNDARY
Authors: Lanza de Cristoforis Massimo
Published: February 2024

We prove the validity of a regularizing property on the boundary of the double layer potential associated with the fundamental solution of anonhomogeneoussecond order elliptic differential operator with constant coefficients in Schauder spaces of exponent greater or equal to two that sharpens classical results of N.M. Günter, S. Mikhlin, V.D. Kupradze, T.G. Gegelia, M.O. Basheleishvili and T.V. Burchuladze, U. Heinemann and extends the work of A. Kirsch who has considered the case of the Helmholtz operator.
Lying by explaining: an experimental study
Authors: Gaszczyk Grzegorz , Krogulska Aleksandra
Published: February 2024

The widely accepted view states that an intention to deceive is not necessary for lying. Proponents of this view, the so-called non-deceptionists, argue that lies are simply insincere assertions. We conducted three experimental studies with false explanations, the results of which put some pressure on non-deceptionist analyses. We present cases of explanations that one knows are false and compare them with analogical explanations that differ only in having a deceptive intention. The results show that lay people distinguish between such false explanations and to a higher degree classify as lies those explanations that are made with the intention to deceive. Non-deceptionists fail to distinguish between such cases and wrongly classify both as lies. This novel empirical finding indicates the need for supplementing non-deceptionist definitions of lying, at least in some cases, with an additional condition, such as an intention to deceive.