bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 and Conflict Research Spaces
Authors: Gillooly Shauna N. 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
The intersection of conflict research and research ethics is already a complex and fraught one, particularly in exchanges between researchers from the Global North and researched communities from the Global South. There are many examples (and years) of exploitation, fraud, and violence in these exchanges, and more recent scholarship on fieldwork ethics has established new norms of reciprocal exchange rather than exploitation in these relationships. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, asymmetric access to health care, and global vaccine inequality has added yet another layer of complexity here. How do we continue move forward with the push to make our research exchanges ethical while dealing with the additional complexity of the pandemic? In this article, I reflect on the ethics of these exchanges and concerns around security for interlocutors in replacing in person fieldwork with virtual fieldwork, drawing from examples of my own doctoral dissertation research in the Pacific region of Colombia, which was interrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19. In this article, I describe how a turn to the digital archives helped mitigate additional ethical and security concerns that arose as a result of the pandemic.
Can learning a new language make you better at maths? A meta-analysis of foreign language learning and numeracy skills during early adolescence
Authors: Nucette Alejandra , Hamamura Takeshi , Leitao Suze , Biedermann Britta 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis explore the correlation between foreign language instruction and mathematical skills in young adolescents, highlighting the significance of high school mathematical education and the adaptability of the adolescent brain. Focused on students starting second language programs between ages 8 and 13, following PRISMA guidelines, this review included 25 studies (1978–2020) with 785,552 participants. Using a random-effects model, the overall effect size revealed a statistically significant relationship between our variables, indicating a threefold higher likelihood of passing or achieving higher grades in mathematical tests for language-learning students. Moderating variables analyses identified socioeconomic status (SES) and intervention length as influencers of observed heterogeneity, with SES being the primary factor. Sensitivity analyses, including adding potentially missing studies and removing outliers, confirmed the robustness of the overall effect. Nonetheless, additional research is needed to enhance global diversity and comprehensively understand the interplay between language learning and cognitive function.
Kant on the ‘Wise Adaptation’ of Our Cognitive Faculties: The Limits of Knowledge and the Possibility of the Highest Good
Authors: Shaul Dylan 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
This article provides a new reconstruction and evaluation of Kant’s argument in §IX of the second Critique’s Dialectic. Kant argues that our cognitive faculties are wisely adapted to our practical vocation since their failure to supply theoretical knowledge of God and the immortal soul is a condition of possibility for the highest good. This new reconstruction improves upon past efforts by greater fidelity to the form and content of Kant’s argument. I show that evaluating Kant’s argument requires settling various other issues in the interpretation of his moral philosophy, e.g. his account of moral psychology, motivation, education, and development.
Civiles Principes and Persian Despots: Alexander Severus’ Admission Ritual in the Historia Augusta
Authors: Lindholmer Mads Ortving 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThis article argues that the Historia Augusta retrojected fourth-century rituals of the imperial court into its presentation of the reign of Severus Alexander in order to criticise the “oriental” and un-Roman practices of the contemporary emperors of the fourth century. The Historia Augusta’s two descriptions of Alexander Severus’ admission ritual (salutatio) are suffused with fourth-century ritual elements which have no place in the early third century. A simplistic reading might interpret these anachronisms as evidence of the HA’s sloppiness and incompetence. However, I argue instead that they are conscious and deliberate. These two descriptions highlight a contrast between the adoratio of the fourth century and the restrained and moderate civilitas of the traditional princeps, and the descriptions also innovatively present the adoratio as Persian. This article thus demonstrates the contemporary political argument of the Historia Augusta, which sought to contribute to wider intellectual debates about the ideal emperor and the importance of civilitas in the fourth century.
Dora Dean and the Performance of Black Womanhood in the “Coon Song” Craze
Authors: Proctor Elea 
Published: December 2024

Abstract
During the ragtime craze at the turn of the twentieth century, the popular repertoire of “coon songs” was coupled with a robust style of vocal delivery called “coon shouting.” This vocal technique was associated with white women—the most famous “coon shouters” of the day—who, like the performers of the nineteenth-century minstrel show, claimed to have studied so-called authentic Black performance in order to replicate it on stage. Performing the “coon song” repertoire, these women sang, often from a Black male protagonist's point of view, about the trials and tribulations of Black life and romance. How did the dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality in this repertoire change when it was performed by Black women? This article addresses this question by examining caricatures of Black womanhood within the “coon song” genre and by exploring the phenomenon of Black women performing the “coon song” repertoire, using the career of vaudeville performer Dora Dean (1872–1949) as a case study. I track Dean's participation in the “coon song” craze through an archival survey of sheet music and newspaper reviews dating from the height of her career (ca. 1896–1914). Using these sources, I explore the recurring theme of racial passing and the ubiquity of caricatures derived from blackface minstrelsy within Dean's “coon song” repertoire. I argue that Dean successfully navigated stereotypes of Black women's femininity, sexuality, and morality in her performances of “coon songs” and, in the process, subverted stereotypes of Black life, romance, and vocal sound.
Co-targeting of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor to decrease immunotherapeutic resistance in CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like and Down syndrome acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Balestra Tommaso , Niswander Lisa M , Bagashev Asen , Loftus Joseph P , Ross Savannah L , Chen Robert K , McClellan Samantha M , Junco Jacob J , Bárcenas López Diego A , Rabin Karen R. , Fry Terry J , Tasian Sarah K 
Published: December 2024

AbstractCRLF2 rearrangements occur in >50% of Ph-like and Down syndrome (DS)-associated B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and induce constitutive kinase signaling targetable by the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib under current clinical investigation. While chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CART) immunotherapies have achieved remarkable remission rates in children with relapsed/refractory B-ALL, ~50% of CD19CART-treated patients relapse again, many with CD19 antigen loss. We previously reported preclinical activity of thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor-targeted cellular immunotherapy (TSLPRCART) against CRLF2-overexpressing ALL as an alternative approach. In this study, we posited that combinatorial TSLPRCART and ruxolitinib would have superior activity and first validated potent TSLPRCART-induced inhibition of leukemia proliferation in vitro in CRLF2-rearranged ALL cell lines and in vivo in Ph-like and DS-ALL patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. However, simultaneous TSLPRCART/ruxolitinib or CD19CART/ruxolitinib treatment during initial CART expansion diminished T cell proliferation, blunted cytokine production, and/or facilitated leukemia relapse, which was abrogated by time-sequenced/delayed ruxolitinib co-exposure. Importantly, ruxolitinib co-administration prevented fatal TSLPRCART cytokine-associated toxicity in ALL PDX mice. Upon ruxolitinib withdrawal, TSLPRCART functionality recovered in vivo with clearance of subsequent ALL rechallenge. These translational studies demonstrate an effective two-pronged therapeutic strategy that mitigates acute CART-induced hyperinflammation and provides potential anti-leukemia ‘maintenance’ relapse prevention for CRLF2-rearranged Ph-like and DS-ALL.
A critical role of action-related functional networks in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome
Authors: Baldermann Juan Carlos , Petry-Schmelzer Jan Niklas , Schüller Thomas , Mahfoud Lin , Brandt Gregor A. , Dembek Till A. , van der Linden Christina , Krauss Joachim K. , Szejko Natalia , Müller-Vahl Kirsten R. , Ganos Christos , Al-Fatly Bassam , Heiden Petra , Servello Domenico , Galbiati Tommaso , Johnson Kara A. , Butson Christopher R. , Okun Michael S. , Andrade Pablo , Domschke Katharina , Fink Gereon R. , Fox Michael D. , Horn Andreas , Kuhn Jens , Visser-Vandewalle Veerle , Barbe Michael T. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractGilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS) is a chronic tic disorder, characterized by unwanted motor actions and vocalizations. While brain stimulation techniques show promise in reducing tic severity, optimal target networks are not well-defined. Here, we leverage datasets from two independent deep brain stimulation (DBS) cohorts and a cohort of tic-inducing lesions to infer critical networks for treatment and occurrence of tics by mapping stimulation sites and lesions to a functional connectome derived from 1,000 healthy participants. We find that greater tic reduction is linked to higher connectivity of DBS sites (N = 37) with action-related functional resting-state networks, i.e., the cingulo-opercular (r = 0.62; p < 0.001) and somato-cognitive action networks (r = 0.47; p = 0.002). Regions of the cingulo-opercular network best match the optimal connectivity profiles of thalamic DBS. We replicate the significance of targeting cingulo-opercular and somato-cognitive action network connectivity in an independent DBS cohort (N = 10). Finally, we demonstrate that tic-inducing brain lesions (N = 22) exhibit similar connectivity to these networks. Collectively, these results suggest a critical role for these action-related networks in the pathophysiology and treatment of GTS.
Crosslinking degree variations enable programming and controlling soft fracture via sideways cracking
Authors: Moreno-Mateos Miguel Angel , Steinmann Paul 
Published: December 2024

AbstractLarge deformations of soft materials are customarily associated with strong constitutive and geometrical nonlinearities that originate new modes of fracture. Some isotropic materials can develop strong fracture anisotropy, which manifests as modifications of the crack path. Sideways cracking occurs when the crack deviates to propagate in the loading direction, rather than perpendicular to it. This fracture mode results from higher resistance to propagation perpendicular to the principal stretch direction. It has been argued that such fracture anisotropy is related to deformation-induced anisotropy resulting from the microstructural stretching of polymer chains and, in strain-crystallizing elastomers, strain-induced crystallization mechanisms. However, the precise variation of the fracture behavior with the degree of crosslinking remains to be understood. Leveraging experiments and computational simulations, here we show that the tendency of a crack to propagate sideways in the two component Elastosil P7670 increases with the degree of crosslinking. We explore the mixing ratio for the synthesis of the elastomer that establishes the transition from forward to sideways fracturing. To assist the investigations, we construct a novel phase-field model for fracture where the critical energy release rate is directly related to the crosslinking degree. Our results demonstrate that fracture anisotropy can be modulated during the synthesis of the polymer. Then, we propose a roadmap with composite soft structures with low and highly crosslinked phases that allow for control over fracture, arresting and/or directing the fracture. The smart combination of the phases enables soft structures with enhanced fracture tolerance and reduced stiffness. By extending our computational framework as a virtual testbed, we capture the fracture performance of the composite samples and enable predictions based on more intricate composite unit cells. Overall, our work offers promising avenues for enhancing the fracture toughness of soft polymers.
Shear capacity of corrugated web steel beams strengthened with CFRP strips
Authors: EL Aghoury Mohamed A. , Dyab Alshaymaa K. , Ibrahim Sherif M. , Saddek Amr B. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractIn recent years, there has been significant advancement in strengthening techniques for steel structures using carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP). While numerous studies have focused on CFRP strengthening of steel beams with flat webs, similar investigations on corrugated web steel beams (CWSBs) remain limited despite their increasing application in various steel structures. This study presents numerical and analytical investigations aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of CFRP strengthening for CWSBs and developing a design procedure to predict the shear buckling capacity of strengthened CWSBs. The research employs a finite element (FE) model developed using ANSYS software, validated against previous experimental work by the same authors, which accurately reflects the overall behavior of CWSBs. A parametric study is conducted on 105 CWSBs using the validated FE model to assess the impact of various geometrical parameters, including beam web slenderness ratio, length and thickness of CFRP strips, and different CFRP strip schemes. Results demonstrate that CFRP strengthening can enhance the shear capacity of CWSBs by up to 74.50%. The study identifies the arrangement of CFRP strips on both sides of the web as the most effective parameter for controlling the efficiency of the CFRP strengthening technique. Conversely, changes in CFRP strips up to 70% of web height have minimal effect. A proposed design procedure for predicting the design shear buckling strength of CFRP-strengthened CWSBs shows good consistency with FE model results.
Genetic, phytochemical and morphological identification and genetic diversity of selected Moringa species
Authors: Hamada Fatma A. , Sabah Saleh S. , Mahdy Ehab M.B. , El-Raouf Hany S. Abd , El-Taher Ahmed M. , El-leel Omneya F.A. , Althobaiti Ashwaq T. , Ghareeb Mosad A. , Randhir Reena , Randhir Timothy O. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractMoringa is the sole genus in the family Moringaceae used for medicinal and nutrient purposes. Morphological features, phytochemical attributes, and molecular characterization were used for the genetic association and classification among Moringa oleifera, M. peregrina, and M. stenopetala. Moringa peregrina recorded a similarity of 84% lonely and placed M. stenopetala with M. oleifera into a cluster score with a similarity of 95.3%. M. peregrina is characterized by phenolic content (243 mg/100 g), flavonoids (7 mg/100 g), and antioxidant activity (1226.85 mg/100 g). GC-MS analysis revealed that M. oleifera contained twenty compounds with 2-decenal (E) (39.14%), 2-undecenal (15.51%), nonanal (3.60%), and 2-octenal, (E) (2.48%), while M. peregrina identified eighteen compounds with 2-decenal (Z) (25.42%), 2-docecen-1-al (9.35%), and 13-Docosenoic acid, methyl ester, (Z) (4.16%). M. stenopetala identified fifteen compounds containing 2-decenal (E) (26.67%), 2-undecenal (24.10%), and nonanal (4.40%). A broad sense of similarity has been scored between M. oleifera and M. stenopetala by the phytochemical compositions, especially the similarity in the main compounds such as 2-decenal (E), 2-undecenal, and nonanal. It can be concluded that efforts need to be expanded to pay attention to study Moringa taxa, due to the rarity of Moringa peregrina, and the focus should be on sustainable utilization and conservation. The potential of these taxa would greatly benefit indigenous species in terms of their maintenance, and there is a need for more comprehensive bio-prospecting studies. Therefore, this study evaluates the variability among Moringa and highlights the significance of leaf and seed ultrastructure to provide more information and evaluate potential approaches.
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of bioaerosols emissions from the domestic eastern wastewater treatment plant, Alexandria, Egypt
Authors: El-Bestawy Ebtesam , Ibrahim Mohammed Mahmoud , Shalaby El sayed Ahmed 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBioaerosol studies showed that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a significant source of bioaerosol emissions. In this study, 170 samples of total bacteria, total coliform, and total fungi were collected from 10 sites within a domestic WWTP, Alexandria, Egypt, using the sedimentation technique. According to the Index of Microbial Air Contamination (IMA) classes, the total bacteria range was 108–5120 CFU/dm2/hour, and all samples were classified as “very poor” except one sample of an office, which was classified as “poor.” The total coliform range was 0–565 CFU/dm2/hour, and 6 samples were classified as “very poor,” while one sample was classified as “poor.” The total fungi range was 0–209 CFU/dm2/hour, and 9 samples were classified as “very poor,” while 4 samples were classified as “poor.” After the conversion to CFU/m3, the counts of total bacteria, total coliforms, and total fungi were 897 − 42.7 × 103, 0–4.71 × 103, and 0–2.69 × 103 CFU/m3, respectively. Several identified bioaerosols have been reported before as a cause of human infections. They included Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Bacillus cereus, Alcaligenes faecalis, Klebsiella sp., Escherichia coli, Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus sp., Candida sp., and Rhodotorula sp. These results indicated an increased health risk to WWTP staff, which needs more attention and more efficient control measures.
Antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and phytochemical screening of Moringa oleifera leaves
Authors: El-Sherbiny Gamal M. , Alluqmani Amira J. , Elsehemy Islam A. , Kalaba Mohamed H. 
Published: December 2024

AbstractBacterial resistance to antibiotics remains a significant clinical challenge, contributing to persistently high rates of morbidity and mortality. Achieving treatment success is increasingly difficult, necessitating the evaluation of new antibiotics and complementary approaches, including source control and alternative therapies. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and phytochemical properties of Moringa oleifera leaf extract using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties of its major compound. The extract demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against standard strains and foodborne bacterial species. It also showed significant antioxidant potential, supported by the presence of high concentrations of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. HPLC analysis identified multiple bioactive compounds, with quercetin as the predominant component. The cytotoxicity study confirmed the safety of the extract at low and moderate concentrations, and ADMET analysis indicated favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics of quercetin. In conclusion, Moringa oleifera exhibits promising potential for medical and food industry applications due to its significant antibacterial and antioxidant activities, combined with a strong safety profile and rich phytochemical content.
Synthesis of silylbut-1-en-3-ynes and buta-1,3-dienes as building blocks via hydrosilylation of 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)buta-1,3-diyne
Authors: Stefanowska-Kątna Kinga , Walkowiak Jędrzej , Franczyk Adrian 
Published: December 2024

AbstractThe selective and efficient synthesis of (E)-1,2,4-trisilylbut-1-en-3-ynes obtained via Pt-catalyzed hydrosilylation of 1,4-bis(trimethylsilyl)buta-1,3-diyne is described. Optimized reaction conditions (Pt(PPh3)4) or Pt2(dvs)3, 100 °C, toluene, 18 h) yielded compounds with high isolation yields (76–95%). The modification of (E)-1,2,4-trisilylbut-1-en-3-ynes was further tested in protodesilylation, halodesilylation, hydrosilylation, and Pd-based cross-coupling reactions, resulting in a broad spectrum of new products. These compounds represent new families of buta-1,3-dienes, (E,E)-2,3-bissilylbuta-1,3-dienes, (E,E)-1,2,3-trisilylbuta-1,3-dienes, and (E,E)-1,2,3-trisilylbuta-1,3-dienes, which are ideally suited to silicon-based transformations and are perfect models for the investigation of the reactivity of one silyl group in the presence of another.
Differential characteristics of vaginal versus endometrial microbiota in IVF patients
Authors: Polifke Alina , von Schwedler Annika , Gulba Rebecca , Bensmann Ralf , Dilthey Alexander , Nassar Najib N. R. , Finzer Patrick 
Published: December 2024

AbstractAbnormal female reproductive tract microbiota are associated with gynecological disorders such as endometriosis or chronic endometritis and may affect reproductive outcomes. However, the differential diagnostic utility of the vaginal or the endometrial microbiome and the impact of important technical covariates such as the choice of hypervariable regions for 16 S rRNA sequencing remain to be characterized. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare vaginal and endometrial microbiomes in IVF patients diagnosed with implantation failure (IF) and/or recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and to investigate the overlap between established vaginal and endometrial microbiome classification schemes. An additional aim was to characterize to which extent the choice of V1-V2 or V2-V3 16 S rRNA sequencing schemes influences the characterization of genital microbiomes. We compared microbiome composition based on V1-V2 rRNA sequencing between matched vaginal smear and endometrial pipelle-obtained biopsy samples (n = 71); in a sub-group (n = 61), we carried out a comparison between V1-V2 and V2-V3 rRNA sequencing. Vaginal and endometrial microbiomes were found to be Lactobacillus-dominated in the majority of patients, with the most abundant Lactobacillus species typically shared between sample types of same patient. Endometrial microbiomes were found to be more diverse than vaginal microbiomes (average Shannon entropy = 1.89 v/s 0.75, p = 10−5) and bacterial species such as Corynebacterium sp., Staphylococcus sp., Prevotella sp. and Propionibacterium sp. were found to be enriched in the endometrial samples. The use of two widely used clinical classification schemes to detect microbiome dysbiosis in the reproductive tract often led to inconsistent results vaginal community state type (CST) IV, which is associated with bacterial vaginosis, was detected in 9.8% of patients; however, 31,0% of study participants had a non-Lactobacillus-dominated (NLD) endometrial microbiome associated with unfavorable reproductive outcomes. Results based on V2-V3 rRNA sequencing were generally consistent with V1-V2-based; differences were observed for a small number of species, e.g. Bifidobacterium sp., Propionibacterium sp. and Staphylococcus sp. and with respect to slightly increased detection rates of CST IV and NLD. Our study showed that endometrial microbiomes differ substantially from their vaginal counterparts, the application of a trans-cervical sampling method notwithstanding. Characterization of endometrial microbiomes may contribute to the improved detection of women with an unfavorable reproductive outcome prognosis in IVF patients..