bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The caretaker-reversible Tarsorrhaphy
Authors: Lu Jonathan E. , Ho Tiffany , Chin Desmond , Ryu Christine , Zhang-Nunes Sandy 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose
To present a modification of the reversible tarsorrhaphy that can be opened and reclosed as necessary by caretakers and the patient.

Methods
Retrospective case series of patients who underwent the reversible tarsorrhaphy.
Materials included intravenous (IV) tubing as bolsters and 4–0 polypropylene suture. The 4–0 suture is first passed through and through one end of IV tubing approximately 20 mm in length. Starting on the lateral upper lid and approximately 4 mm above the lash line, the suture is placed through the skin and into the tarsus. The suture exits through the eyelid gray line. These steps through the eyelid are repeated in the opposite direction. An air knot is tied above the upper eyelid near the base of IV tubing. A second air knot can be tied higher to provide a handle easily allowing the caretaker to close the eyelid.

Results
Included were 13 patients (ages 21–95-yeas), indications included lagophthalmos secondary to cicatricial changes from burns (2), keratouveitis (1), neurogenic palsy (3), neurotrophic ulcer (6), and cicatricial changes from skin cancer (1). There were no reported difficulties in maintaining the tarsorrhaphy by either family members or healthcare providers. The first tarsorrhaphy for each patient lasted between 3–19 weeks, with an average of 8 weeks. All were well tolerated.

Conclusions
The caretaker-reversible tarsorrhaphy can be used as a temporizing measure. The technique balances the need for ocular protection with the need for examination/treatment by health care professionals and, equally importantly, the patients and caretakers.
A cortical field theory – dynamics and symmetries
Authors: Cooray Gerald K. , Cooray Vernon , Friston Karl 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe characterise cortical dynamics using partial differential equations (PDEs), analysing various connectivity patterns within the cortical sheet. This exploration yields diverse dynamics, encompassing wave equations and limit cycle activity. We presume balanced equations between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal units, reflecting the ubiquitous oscillatory patterns observed in electrophysiological measurements. Our derived dynamics comprise lowest-order wave equations (i.e., the Klein-Gordon model), limit cycle waves, higher-order PDE formulations, and transitions between limit cycles and near-zero states. Furthermore, we delve into the symmetries of the models using the Lagrangian formalism, distinguishing between continuous and discontinuous symmetries. These symmetries allow for mathematical expediency in the analysis of the model and could also be useful in studying the effect of symmetrical input from distributed cortical regions. Overall, our ability to derive multiple constraints on the fields — and predictions of the model — stems largely from the underlying assumption that the brain operates at a critical state. This assumption, in turn, drives the dynamics towards oscillatory or semi-conservative behaviour. Within this critical state, we can leverage results from the physics literature, which serve as analogues for neural fields, and implicit construct validity. Comparisons between our model predictions and electrophysiological findings from the literature — such as spectral power distribution across frequencies, wave propagation speed, epileptic seizure generation, and pattern formation over the cortical surface — demonstrate a close match. This study underscores the importance of utilizing symmetry preserving PDE formulations for further mechanistic insights into cortical activity.
Intersections of Compassion, Science, and Spiritual Care in Global Health for Public Health Benefits
Authors: Daniel Orogun , Harris Harriet 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAcross the globe, spiritual care is offered by individuals, healthcare chaplains, and humanitarian, social and related spiritual groups on account of zeal, voluntary and paid services. Sometimes, services are provided without understanding the connectivity of compassion, spiritual care, and scientific protocols. There are instances where health professionals and managers disagree with spiritual caregivers or reject spiritual services because of poor service deliveries in conflict with healthcare protocols. Against this background, this article focuses on how spiritual care services can be provided scientifically to improve service delivery. It presents leading questions to link the scientific and compassionate approach to spiritual care. These include-What is science? What is compassion? What is spiritual care? What makes compassion and spiritual care scientific? Are there tenets of compassion in religions? How are compassion, science and spiritual care linked? What are the implications of the intersections for public health and safety? Hopefully, the provided answers may improve the service delivery performance of spiritual caregivers and their collaboration with healthcare professionals, social workers, and related groups.
Advanced exergy-based environmental analysis of a cogeneration system used for ceramic industry
Authors: Caglayan Hasan , Caliskan Hakan , Hong Hiki 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
In this study, life cycle assessment-based advanced exergoenvironmental analysis is performed to the cogeneration system of a ceramic industry for five different reference environmental states (between 10 and 30 °C) by considering four different climatic conditions. The designed system works in the direction of reducing carbon emissions due to natural gas consumption as well as energy saving for better industrial ecology. Advanced exergoenvironmental analysis is performed to the cogeneration system with gas turbine (COGEN) used in the ceramic industry which includes air compressor, combustion chamber, gas turbine, pipe line, ground tile dryer (GD) and wall tile dryer (WD) components. It is seen that the relationship between the components in the system is generally weak, and the main reason for this is that 95% of the total environmental impact rate consists of endogenous environmental impact rates. In addition, it is determined that the first components to focus on in the system are WD and GD, which have higher environmental impact rates than other components at all dead state temperatures.
Emotional parameter estimation from emo-soundscapes dataset using Deep Convolutional Autoencoders
Authors: Serradilla Francisco , San Juan Álvaro , Martínez-Iñigo David 
Published: October 2024

AbstractPredicting the emotional responses of humans to acoustic features in the surrounding environment has a highly potential of applications in different fields, ranging from videogames, therapeutic use of virtual reality to the emotional design of spaces according to their expected use. In this paper we model the estimation process of the classical emotion characterization parameters (arousal and valence) from sounds. By means of convolutional neural networks and convolutional autoencoders, the model is adjusted for the prediction of these parameters from a standard dataset [1], improving the results obtained in previous literature. The relevance of the work, apart from improving the results due to the use of autoencoders, is that it eliminates the need to compute handcrafted features, thus demonstrating the ability of convolutional neural networks to treat raw information. Other main contributions of the paper is a new way to visualize the errors in the joint estimation of arousal and valence that facilitates the evaluation of the results obtained by the models. Finally, the use of bootstrap to estimate the confidence intervals of the MSE and r2 of Deep Learning models shows that in comparison to non-overlapping samples, overlapping samples introduces performance bias.
Atmospheric Pressure Portable Catalytic Thermal Plasma System for Fast Synthesis of Aqueous NO3 and NO2 Fertilizer from Air and Water
Authors: Ghorui Srikumar , Tiwari Nirupama , Parab Harshala 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMeaningful deployment of plasma water-based nitrogen fixation in agricultural application is hindered primarily due to its poor synthesis rate in compact systems. The study reports a directly deployable thermal plasma based portable catalytic compact system, offering typical synthesis rate as high as 1035 mg/min for nitrate and 635 mg/min for nitrite directly from naturally abundant atmospheric air and water. Developed technology is clean, sustainable, easily decentralizable, and completely free from fossil fuels and harmful intermediates like ammonia. The system avoids safety hazards and costs related to the requirements of continuous energy resources, pressurized environment for synthesis, regulated storage, refrigeration need, transportation of raw materials and distribution of fertilizer, as may be required by other competing technologies. Described system, consisting of air plasma torch, reaction chamber, water injection manifold and catalytic bed creates a unique nascent reactive plasma environment at ambient pressure that auto activates the catalyst in the field of thermal plasma for highly efficient fixation of nitrogen. Presented results indicate that use of combination catalysts with mechanically enhanced surface area allows drastic enhancement in the nitrogen fixation. Possible reaction chemistries, results of trials with different catalysts, time evolution of concentration, auto-conversion from nitrite to nitrate in aqueous media, time stability of concentration of the synthesized nitrate and observed remarkable effectiveness in the actual field trials are presented. Achieved synthesis rates are compared with those reported in literature in the area of thermal and non-thermal plasma.
Agency at a distance: learning causal connections
Authors: Gärdenfors Peter , Lombard Marlize 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn a series of papers, we have argued that causal cognition has coevolved with the use of various tools. Animals use tools, but only as extensions of their own bodies, while humans use tools that act at a distance in space and time. This means that we must learn new types of causal mappings between causes and effects. The aim of this article is to account for what is required for such learning of causal relations. Following a proposal by Grush and Springle, we argue that learning of inverse mappings from effects to causes is central. Learning such mappings also involves constraints based on monotonicity, continuity and convexity. In order for causal thinking to extend beyond space and time, mental simulations are required that predict the effects of actions. More advanced forms of causal reasoning involve more complicated forms of simulations.
Blue carbon dynamics across a salt marsh-seagrass ecotone in a cool-temperate estuary
Authors: Engelbrecht Tiaan , von der Heyden Sophie , Ndhlovu Andrew 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackgroundSeagrass and salt marsh ecosystems are recognised for their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation given their carbon storage potential. However, factors driving variability in blue carbon ecosystems are understudied, yet are important to account for.AimsExamine the variability of sediment organic carbon (SOC) and its drivers (seagrass morphometrics and sediment nutrients) at different spatial scales; > 1 km, ~ 150 m and ~ 10 m across the salt marsh-seagrass ecotone.MethodsWe collected the top 5 cm of sediment in the Olifants River Estuary, a cool-temperate system in South Africa. Using a line transect approach, we sampled across the salt marsh-seagrass ecotone (~ 10 m) in triplicate transects (~ 50 m apart) at three sampling sites (1–3 km) and analysed for SOC and elemental nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) content. Seagrass morphometrics (shoot density, leaf length and number per shoot) were measured.ResultsThere was significant (P < 0.05) spatial heterogeneity in SOC stocks between sites (1–3 km) and between salt marshes and seagrass, but low variability at ~150 m. We detected a significant decrease in SOC from salt marsh towards the seagrass edge, with seagrass SOC remaining uniform. Nitrogen content was positively correlated with SOC in seagrass and salt marshes (P < 0.05), but seagrass morphometrics were not significant drivers of SOC.ConclusionsThe dynamics of blue carbon differ between salt marshes and seagrass, with spatial heterogeneity of SOC at scales > 1 km, suggesting that future BC assessments need to account for spatial heterogeneity to improve the accuracy of carbon removal estimates.
Bhutanese Primary Science Teachers’ Epistemic Beliefs of Science
Authors: Dorji Karma , Namgyel Thinley 
Published: October 2024

AbstractEpistemic beliefs of science (EBS) are considered to have a strong influence on how science teachers view science itself and carry out science teaching. To this end, Bhutanese primary science teachers, as much as secondary science teachers, are expected to possess sophisticated EBS. While this is one of the aims of the Bhutanese science education system, there is little to no information regarding Bhutanese primary science teachers’ EBS. Hence, this cross-sectional study examined EBS held by primary science teachers from three districts in Bhutan. One hundred and ninety-five (N = 195) primary science teachers took part in the study using a total population sampling design. Data collected using the Epistemic Beliefs of Science Questionnaire (EBSQ) were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Findings revealed that Bhutanese primary science teachers from three districts in Bhutan held naive EBS in several aspects of source, certainty, development, and justification dimensions of scientific knowledge. The chi-square test of independence (χ2) revealed that there were no significant relationships between Bhutanese primary science teachers’ EBS and their teaching background (p > .05). The one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), while showed significant differences in certainty dimension, revealed that were no significant differences among Bhutanese primary science teachers’ EBS in other dimensions based on their academic qualifications (p > .05). The implications of research findings to the Ministry of Education, science curriculum documents, and teacher preparation are discussed.
Socioeconomic Disparities in Family Well-Being, Family Communication Quality, and Personal Happiness among Chinese: Findings from Repeated Cross-Sectional Studies in 2016–2023
Authors: Sze Katherine Y.P. , Ho Sai Yin , Lai Agnes Yuen Kwan , Sit Shirley Man Man , Lam Tai Hing , Wang Man Ping 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSignificant socioeconomic changes in Hong Kong have coincided with a conspicuous knowledge gap regarding the impact of disparities on family well-being, family communication quality, and personal happiness. To examine changes on family well-being, family communication quality, and personal happiness before, during, and after the 2019 social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Five repeated territory-wide cross-sectional surveys were conducted from 2016 to 2023, using telephone and online surveys on 27,074 adults in Hong Kong. Respondents rated their family health, happiness, harmony (family 3Hs), family communication quality, and personal happiness on scales of 0–10. Family well-being was the sum of family 3Hs divided by three (0–10). Trends by socioeconomic factors were analysed using linear prediction and multiple linear regression, weighted for sex and age. Highest scores for all outcomes were observed in 2016 and 2017, followed by a noticeable decline in 2020 and 2021, with the lowest scores recorded in 2023 except for personal happiness with its lowest score recorded in 2021. The decline since 2021 was most noticeable with low monthly household income (predicted margins in 2023 ranged from 5.55 to 6.46 for ≤ HK$19,999; 5.62 to 6.51 for HK$20,000–39,999; 5.81 to 6.78 for ≥ HK$40,000), but no differences were observed by education level. Female, older age, and higher monthly household income were significantly associated with higher family well-being, family communication quality, and personal happiness (all P < 0.001). Higher education level was only significantly associated with personal happiness (P = 0.008). We have first shown socioeconomic disparities in the declining family well-being, family communication quality, and personal happiness from 2016 to 2023 in Hong Kong. These alarming findings require targeted interventions and policies aimed at addressing these disparities and improving wellbeing in the population.
Stress Corrosion Cracking of Manganese Bronze in Water
Authors: Manz Olaf , Kral Milo 
Published: October 2024

AbstractContinuous and centrifugal cast manganese bronze parts (C86300) experienced intergranular cracking in as few as 24 h after being stored outside. C-ring tests according to ASTM G38 were conducted to assess the material’s susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility and found that water was the most likely agent. The failure mechanism has been identified as intergranular SCC due to a combination of residual stress from a rough machining operation and water from rain or dew. To prevent cracking, a stress relief heat treatment immediately after the rough machining operation is recommended.
How global spine sagittal alignment and spinal degeneration affect locomotive syndrome risk in the elderly
Authors: Khasawneh Ramada R. , Abu-El-Rub Ejlal , Almazari Rawan. A. , Mustafa Ayman G. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Background
The aim of this study was to delineate the features of the locomotive syndrome (LS) risk stage in the elderly population, encompassing global spine sagittal alignment, visible spinal degenerative changes on plain radiographs, muscle strength, physical capabilities, and low back pain (LBP).

Methods
The study enrolled 232 subjects, evaluated using plain radiographs. The evaluation included measurements of lumbar lordosis (LLA), thoracic kyphosis (TKA), spinal inclination (SIA) angles, and sagittal vertical axis. Assessments included lumbar osteophyte formation (LOF) and lumbar disc height (LDH) to examine spinal degenerative changes. LS evaluation used the locomotive syndrome risk test based on LS risk criteria, classifying participants into no risk, stage 1 LS, and stage 2 LS groups. Using a visual analogue scale (VAS), we investigated the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and assessed physical performances across these groups.

Results
There were 132 participants with no LS risk, 71 with stage 1 LS risk, and 29 with stage 2 LS risk. As LS risk increased, LBP prevalence and VAS scores rose, physical abilities, and back muscle strength decreased. TKA showed no variation across groups, while LLA decreased with advancing LS risk stage. Except for L1–L2 and L5–S1, lumbar disc height (LDH) decreased with higher LS risk stages. LOF occurrence increased notably with higher LS risk stages. Spinal inclination angle (SIA) significantly increased with advancing LS risk stages.

Conclusion
Participants diagnosed with LS exhibited an increased incidence of spinal degeneration, reduced LLA, and global spinal imbalance characterized by anterior spinal inclination.
The Role of Transurethral BPH Surgeries in Management of Urinary Symptoms in Prostate Cancer Patients, Narrative Review
Authors: Elsaqa Mohamed , El Tayeb Marawan M. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Purpose of Review
Prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) are two ubiquitous pathologies that may coexist. A significant percentage of patients with different stages of prostate cancer suffer lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to associated BPH. We aimed to review the literature regarding the role of transurethral surgeries in the management of prostate cancer patients and the different available management options.

Recent Findings
The evidence in literature for the use of BPH surgeries in prostate cancer patients is based mainly on low-quality retrospective studies. In patients on active surveillance, BPH surgeries are beneficial in relieving LUTS without oncological risk and can eliminate the contribution of adenoma to PSA level. In patients with advanced prostate cancer, palliative BPH surgery can relieve LUTS and urinary retention with unclear oncological impact; however some reports depict that the need for BPH surgery in advanced prostate cancer is associated with poorer prognosis. In patients receiving radiotherapy, various studies showed that transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is associated with increased radiotoxicity despite some recent reports encouraging the use of Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP) to improve urinary symptom scores before radiotherapy. The most commonly reported techniques utilized are TURP, photoselective vaporization of prostate (PVP) and HoLEP.

Summary
The use of BPH surgery is justified for relieving LUTS in selected prostate cancer patients on active surveillance or in advanced stages, however the use in the pre-radiotherapy settings remains controversial. Future prospective and randomized controlled trials are required for validating the benefits and assessing potential hazards.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Patient Presentation and Treatments in Head and Neck Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans
Authors: Patel Aman M. , Desai Amar D. , Revercomb Lucy , Behbahani Sara , Filimonov Andrey 
Published: October 2024

AbstractHead and neck dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (HNDFSP) is a rare neoplasm with a high rate of local infiltration and local recurrence but a low rate of distant metastasis. Given the limited literature on HNDFSP and existing studies pointing to possible racial and ethnic differences, further research is needed to understand important clinical correlates that may impact treatment and prognosis. The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for all cases of HNDFSP diagnosed from 2004 to 2016. Demographic characteristics of the included patients were compared using chi-squared and t-tests. Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess survival differences. Of the 778 included patients, 526 (67.6%) patients were white, 113 (14.5%) were black, 33 (4.2%) were Asian, 87 (11.2%) were Hispanic, and 19 (2.4%) were classified as Other. White patients presented at a significantly older age (43.8 years) than did black (38.9 years) and Hispanic patients (37.9 years) (p = 0.02). White patients with HNDFSP had significantly higher income status (p = 0.0001), were more likely to be insured (p = 0.0001), and were more likely to have a high school diploma (p = 0.0001). There were no significant racial differences in 5-year (96.1%) or 10-year (92.0%) overall survival. None of the variables yielded a statistically significant value in Cox analysis. Differences exist in HNDFSP presentation between racial groups. Specifically, differences in income, insurance status, education level, and age of presentation exist between these groups. Future studies focused on morbidity are needed to better understand the consequences of these difference on HNDFSP patients.
Bootstrapping Concepts via Hybridization: A Step-by-step Guide
Authors: De Benedetto Matteo , Poth Nina 
Published: October 2024

AbstractCarey’s (2009) account of bootstrapping in developmental psychology has been criticized out of a lack of theoretical precision and because of its alleged circularity (Rips et al. 2013, Cognition 128 (3): 320–330; Fodor 2010, Times Literary Supplement, 7–8; Rey 2014, Mind & Language 29 (2): 109–132). In this paper, we respond to these criticisms by connecting the debate on bootstrapping with recent accounts of conceptual creativity in philosophy of science. Specifically, we build on Nersessian’s (2010) hybrid-models-based theory of scientific conceptual change to develop a refined model of bootstrapping. The key explanatory feature of this model, which we will call hybrid bootstrapping, is the iterated hybridization of different representational domains. We show how hybrid bootstrapping can answer two major critiques that have been leveled against Carey’s account: the circularity challenge and the specification challenge.