bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
AI Affordances and EFL Learners' Speaking Engagement: The Moderating Roles of Gender and Learner Type
Authors: Huang Fang , Peng Dingyang , Teo Timothy 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTContextualised in the AI–supported English‐speaking learning, this study examined the roles of AI affordances in influencing EFL learners' emotional, cognitive, and behavioural speaking engagement, and explored the moderating roles of gender and learner types (on‐campus vs. on‐job) in influencing AI‐supported English‐speaking engagement. Data collected from 332 Chinese EFL learners (159 on‐campus and 173 on‐job learners) were analysed by using structural equation modelling. Results indicated that Chinese EFL learners perceived AI affordances to be significant in influencing their emotional, cognitive and behavioural engagement in practicing their spoken English. The results from the PLS‐SEM model revealed that AI affordances accounted for 54.7%, 52.4% and 56.0% of the variance in emotional engagement, cognitive engagement and behavioural engagement, respectively. Learner type was not found to significantly moderate the relationships between AI affordances and speaking engagement. Gender was found to be a significant moderator for the AI affordances–behavioural engagement and AI affordance–cognitive engagement relationships. These findings enrich existing literature about AI–empowered speaking engagement and provide practical implications for English teachers to design effective speaking‐teaching models.
Affected and Intrinsic Authenticity: Navigating Internalized Gay Ageism on LGBTQ+ Homestay Platforms
Authors: Mellors Joseph , Egdell Valerie 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTIn our paper, we draw on 14 in‐depth interviews with 11 self‐identified gay men aged 50–74 years who host on LGBTQ+ homestay platforms. We examine how they navigate the interplay of age, gender, and sexuality through claims of authenticity, highlighting how these hosts manage authenticity amidst normative expectations and shedding light on identity dynamics for marginalized groups. Our analysis reveals the complexities of authenticity in self‐presentation, highlighting tensions between personal identity and societal, gendered, and age‐related expectations, as well as the perceived gap between inclusivity claims and actual experiences. We also explore the intersection of economic necessity and identity negotiation. We find that older hosts may adjust their presentation to align with beauty norms or market pressures, prioritizing affected authenticity to increase their chances of securing bookings. We distinguish between affected and intrinsic authenticity, showing how hosts adapt their presentation to external demands in specific contexts, while potentially maintaining intrinsic authenticity elsewhere. This framework offers insights for future research on how societal pressures and economic factors influence authenticity claims, exploring the balance between affected and intrinsic authenticity and its implications for individual agency and organizational dynamics.
Be Our (Uninvited) Guest. Experiences and Challenges of International Doctoral Students in the Czech Republic
Authors: Urban Marek , Kallová Nikola , Avilés Dany Josué Vigil , Jang Yeaeun , Urban Kamila 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTWhile extensive research addresses the working conditions of international Ph.D. students in Western countries, only little explores their experiences within Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. CEE countries favour masculine values, hierarchical structures and conservatism, and English does not serve as a primary language in both academic and non‐academic contexts. This study, involving seventeen international Ph.D. students in the Czech Republic, aimed to elucidate their experiences through in‐depth phenomenological interviews. Inductive analysis uncovered common challenges of international Ph.D. students, including language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, discrimination by university staff and gender biases. Participants also highlighted gaps in support and unclear career prospects, which contributed to increased uncertainty. To remain resilient, the participants emphasised the need for self‐care, intrinsic motivation and self‐regulation. The study suggests that enhancing university language access, equity policies, mental health services and career development programming could dramatically improve inclusiveness.
Enhancing Parasocial Brand Experience and Brand Equity: Unleashing the Advantages of ChatGPT Service
Authors: Wang Shuman , Yuan Chunlin , Moon Hakil , Kim Kyung Hoon 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTThis study proposes a comprehensive framework with which to examine the relationships between ChatGPT service, parasocial brand experience, and brand equity, and the moderating effect of consumer innovativeness in technology. A structured web‐based survey was administered to 210 respondents who were experienced in understanding and using AI‐based technology during April–July 2023. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships between variables. The findings show that the advantages of ChatGPT service positively affect parasocial brand experience, and the parasocial brand experience positively affects brand equity. Parasocial brand experience mediates the relationships between ChatGPT service advantages and brand equity. Consumer innovativeness in technology acts as a moderator on the relationships proposed in this research model. Given that there is little relevant research on ChatGPT marketing from a parasocial brand experience perspective, this study expands the understanding of the use of ChatGPT tools in brand marketing, and provides theoretical and practical insights for marketing academics and practitioners.
Using Experience Based Co‐Design to Develop a Novel Psychological Intervention With People With Intellectual Disabilities and Stakeholders
Authors: Hewitt Olivia , Langdon Peter E. , Larkin Michael 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundPsychological interventions need to be adapted for use with people with intellectual disabilities to ensure they are engaging, accessible and effective. Co‐design allows the experiences of service users and stakeholders to actively shape and develop interventions, to ensure their accessibility.MethodAn adapted model of Experience Based Co‐Design (EBCD) was used to co‐develop a novel, mental imagery‐based psychological intervention for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and anxiety. Involvement in EBCD was evaluated for people with intellectual disabilities and stakeholders using both quantitative and qualitative methods.ResultsNumerous concrete and specific intervention adaptations arose and were implemented. Our findings indicated that all participants were able to engage fully with EBCD, and that participants found the process a positive experience.ConclusionsEBCD has likely resulted in a more accessible and engaging intervention which can be now tested within a larger study.
A Microsurgical Approach for Esthetic Improvement of Compromised Interdental Papillae
Authors: Nordland W. Peter , Aguon Ixciuh‐Tasi G. 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTObjectiveAlthough interdental papilla augmentation has been thought to be impossible or at best unpredictable, microsurgical, connective tissue grafting to achieve papilla augmentation is the focus of this paper.OverviewTwo cases of severely traumatized interdental papillae are reconstructed through microsurgical connective tissue grafting. Because the surgical site is so small, access to this area can be very challenging necessitating microscopic magnification. Soft tissue augmentation was accomplished using microscalpels expressly designed to allow customization and bendability with a blade width of less than a millimeter. Magnification of the surgical site also permits visibility and accessibility. A special form of suspensory suturing safeguards tissue positioning during the healing process.ConclusionThis paper demonstrates that correction of iatrogenic defects traumatizing the interdental papillae can be accomplished.
Investigation of Gait Characteristics and Kinematic Deviations in Rare Genetic Disorders with Instrumented Gait Analysis
Authors: Kınacı‐Biber Esra , Gys Lis , Jansen Anna C. , Schoonjans An‐Sofie , Van Dijck Anke , Kooy R. Frank , Van de Walle Patricia , Hallemans Ann 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTBackgroundDravet Syndrome (DS), Helsmoortel‐Van Der Aa Syndrome (HVDAS) and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) are rare genetic syndromes, sharing intellectual disability (ID) and motor delay. In DS, two distinct gait patterns, crouch and non‐crouch, have been described using instrumented 3D gait analysis (i3DGA). This cross‐sectional study measures gait in participants with TSC and HVDAS. The findings are compared to the known crouch and non‐crouch gait patterns observed in DS and to typical gait.MethodsParticipants (6–22 years) with DS (n = 37; 19 crouch and 18 non‐crouch), HVDAS (n = 12) or TSC (n = 8) were compared with typically developing (TD) peers (n = 33). All participants underwent i3DGA (Plugin Gait model processed with Vicon Nexus and MATLAB®) to investigate spatiotemporal and lower‐limb kinematics.ResultsAll three genetic syndromes showed increased step width. Participants with HVDAS and DS, but not participants with TSC walked with decreased step length and velocity compared to TD. HVDAS demonstrated increased knee flexion during the stance phase, lack of hip extension during pre‐swing, and increased ankle dorsiflexion during some phases of the gait cycle (p < 0.001). Additionally, HVDAS showed similar kinematic deviations to DS‐NonCrouch. No significant differences were found in terms of kinematics between TSC and TD peers (p > 0.05).ConclusionThe current study reveals differences in gait characteristics from typical functional gait in rare genetic disorders. DS‐Crouch, DS‐NonCrouch and HVDAS display a more impaired gait from a biomechanical perspective than TSC. The variability of clinical and genetic features might explain heterogeneity in gait deviations and should be further explored.
At a crossroads: Historicizing encounters with new racializations in the Central American and Mexican migratory landscape
Authors: Winters Nanneke , Fouratt Caitlin E. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThis collection explores how contemporary racialization processes shape and are shaped by migration dynamics in the Central American and Mexican context. Marked by histories of migration and displacement, the region has become a critical crossroads for increasingly diverse populations on the move, from journeys of African, Asian, and Caribbean migrants through the region en route North, to dramatic increases in forced migration within Latin America. Drawing on ethnographic research from Costa Rica, southern Honduras, the Mexico‐Guatemala border, and Tijuana, Mexico, the contributions examine encounters between migrants and local communities in spaces defined by histories of marginalization, displacement, and nation‐building. This introduction underscores racialization as a central lens for understanding the experiences of people on the move, emphasizing how global migration regimes intersect with local inequalities to shape reception, exclusion, and belonging. By historicizing migration discourse and practice, the collection contributes to broader debates on mobility and belonging in the Americas.
Grateful Liars Gain Reliance in Reciprocal Relationships: Exploring the Potential Role of Gratitude in Mitigating the Impact of Lying
Authors: Yamamoto Akitomo 
Published: February 2025

AbstractDespite the general inclination of grateful individuals toward moral behavior, their actions may not always align with morality, such as if they conceal the dishonest behavior of benefactors. In this preregistered study, the author investigated how laypeople evaluate a grateful beneficiary (Person A) who lies to cover up their benefactor's (Person B's) dishonest behavior. Study 1 provided a basic exploration of situations without mentioning incentives for lying, whereas Study 2 examined situations wherein explicit incentives (i.e., shared project responsibilities) were presented. The results of both vignette experiments, each comprising three comparisons with their respective baselines, can be summarized in three points. First, the inclusion of Person A's gratitude context did not significantly increase participants' willingness to forgive them for covering up Person B's negligence at work. Second, participants' willingness to affiliate with Person A remained mostly unchanged compared with various baselines. Third, participants were more likely to expect Person A to reciprocate favors. In conclusion, lies stemming from gratitude foster neither forgiveness nor a desire for affiliation but help the individual gain reliance in reciprocal relationships.
A Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS‐42) Study on the Mental Health Conditions of Japanese Employees
Authors: Holzapfel Niklas 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThe prevalence of work‐related mental disorders in Japan has been increasing in recent years, amplifying concerns surrounding the psychological wellbeing of Japanese employees. The aim of this psychometric study was to evaluate the mental health conditions of Japan's workforce by utilizing the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS‐42), a widely known self‐reporting 42‐item questionnaire that measures depression, anxiety, and stress. A nationwide survey was performed with a research sample of N = 1,174 Japanese employees aged between 23 and 61 years (M = 34.86 years, SD = 5.71 years). The results indicate that the employees' psychological wellbeing aligns with the observed national increased prevalence of occupational health issues: depression scores exceeding the normal range were evident in 1,145 (97.53%) of the study participants, with 1,165 (99.23%) scoring above the normal range for anxiety and 1,037 (88.33%) for stress. The DASS‐42 mean scores indicate that Japanese employees are typically subject to severe depression, extremely severe anxiety, and moderate stress. It was also found from one‐way analysis of variance and the independent samples t‐test that psychological distress is more prevalent in women than in men, whereas age and education do not necessarily predict the development of depression, anxiety, and stress. However, it was observed that individuals working in certain occupation sectors, such as agriculture and finance, may be at a heightened risk of developing mental disorders.
Gut Microbiota Predicts Treatment Response to Empagliflozin Among MASLD Patients Without Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ng Ho Yu , Zhang Lina , Tan Jing Tong , Hui Rex Wan Hin , Yuen Man Fung , Seto Wai Kay , Leung Wai K. , Cheung Ka Shing 
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACTBackground and AimWe aimed to investigate whether gut microbiota could predict the treatment response to pharmacological agents among metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) patients without diabetes mellitus (DM), as data are lacking.MethodsWe prospectively followed up non‐diabetic MASLD patients who used empagliflozin. Clinical, anthropometric, laboratory assessments and magnetic resonance imaging‐proton density fat fraction (MRI‐PDFF) were performed from baseline to week 52 (EOT). Baseline stool samples were collected, and shotgun DNA metagenomic sequencing was performed to profile microbiome. The primary outcome was treatment response to empagliflozin at EOT, defined as MRI‐PDFF decline ≥ 30% at EOT from baseline. Linear discriminant analysis [LDA] effect size was used to identify putative bacterial species. Multivariable logistic regression was used to derive adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of outcome with bacterial species by adjusting for clinical factors.ResultsTwenty‐two (48.9%) of 45 patients (median age: 56.9 years [IQR: 51.0–63.2]; male: 23 [51.1%]) achieved treatment response at EOT. There was difference in alpha diversity (Shannon index: p < 0.001; Simpson index: p = 0.001) and beta diversity (p = 0.048) in baseline microbiome between treatment response and non‐response groups. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (log10LDAscore = 4.27), Lachnospira pectinoschiza (log10LDAscore = 3.99), Anaerostipes hadrus (log10LDAscore = 3.98), Roseburia faecis (log10LDAscore = 3.97), Roseburia inulinivorans (log10LDAscore = 3.58) and Agathobaculum butyriciproducens (log10LDAscore = 2.77) were enriched in the treatment response group. L. pectinoschiza (aOR: 34.1; p = 0.015), A. hadrus (aOR:35.0; p = 0.032) and A. butyriciproducens (aOR:22.3; p = 0.023) independently predicted treatment response but not clinical factors. These three species collectively predicted treatment response with AUROC of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.80–0.99).ConclusionsCertain gut bacterial species, particularly the combination of A. hadrus, L. pectinoschiza and A. butyriciproducens, may predict treatment response to empagliflozin in MAFLD patients without DM.
Harnessing novel cytidine deaminases from the animal kingdom for robust multiplexed base editing in rice
Authors: Contiliani Danyel Fernandes , Sretenovic Simon , Dailey Micah , Zhou Man , Cheng Yanhao , Creste Silvana , Xiao Shunyuan , Qi Yiping 
Published: February 2025

SummaryCRISPR‐Cas‐based cytosine base editors (CBEs) are prominent tools that perform site‐specific and precise C‐to‐T conversions catalysed by cytidine deaminases. However, their use is often constrained by stringent editing preferences for genomic contexts, off‐target effects and restricted editing windows. To expand the repertoire of CBEs, we systematically screened 66 novel cytidine deaminases sourced from various organisms, predominantly from the animal kingdom and benchmarked them in rice protoplasts using the nCas9‐BE3 configuration. After selecting candidates in rice protoplasts and further validation in transgenic rice lines, we unveiled a few cytidine deaminases exhibiting high editing efficiencies and wide editing windows. CBEs based on these cytidine deaminases also displayed minimal frequencies of indels and C‐to‐R (R = A/G) conversions, suggesting high purity in C‐to‐T base editing. Furthermore, we highlight the highly efficient cytidine deaminase OoA3GX2 derived from Orca (killer whale) for its comparable activity across GC/CC/TC/AC sites, thus broadening the targeting scope of CBEs for robust multiplexed base editing. Finally, the whole‐genome sequencing analyses revealed very few sgRNA‐dependent and ‐independent off‐target effects in independent T0 lines. This study expands the cytosine base‐editing toolkit with many cytidine deaminases sourced from mammals, providing better‐performing CBEs that can be further leveraged for sophisticated genome engineering strategies in rice and likely in other plant species.
A modal theory of justification
Authors: Hirvelä Jaakko 
Published: February 2025

AbstractThis article develops a modal theory of justification, according to which a belief is justified if it is more possible that it amounts to knowledge than that it does not. The core of the theory is neutral between internalism and externalism and it solves two problems that extant modal accounts of justification suffer from. In developing the theory, an account of comparative possibility is provided to yield degrees of justification.
Aggregate turnover in a dryland red soil after long‐term application of chemical fertilizers or manure
Authors: Qiu Shaojun , Zhao Shicheng , Xu Xinpeng , Wang Xiubin , He Ping , Yu Xichu , Liu Kailou , Menon Manoj , Yang Huiyi , Christie Peter , Zhou Wei 
Published: February 2025

AbstractPhysical protection of carbon (C) in soil aggregates is an important mechanism affecting soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks but there is little information on the turnover dynamics of aggregates in dryland red soils after different long‐term fertilizer application practices. Different aggregate size classes in zero fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF) and chemical fertilizer combined with manure (MCF) treatments were examined. The RothC model was used to simulate C inputs based on SOC dynamics, the carbon, aggregation and structure turnover (CAST) model was used to evaluate soil structure and C sequestration at different aggregate size classes with time. MCF treatment significantly (p < .05) increased total macroaggregate C, and fractions of macroaggregate C compared with the other two treatments because C inputs and C sequestration rate increased significantly (p < .05) according to RothC model simulation. The CAST model performed well in simulating the changes in soil structure and organic C stocks in different aggregate size classes with time. The simulation results indicate that particulate organic matter (POM) is the primary source of aggregate turnover, that free silt‐clay particles have a more rapid turnover than the silt‐clay particles in other (larger) aggregates, and that the disruption criterion for aggregate distribution in CAST model parameters followed the sequence MCF > CF > CK in the low pH and low SOC red soil. Overall, the CAST model is a good tool for simulation of aggregate dynamics in red soil under different fertilizer application treatments.
The Shi variety corresponding to an affine Weyl group
Authors: Chapelier‐Laget Nathan 
Published: February 2025

AbstractLet be an irreducible Weyl group and its affine Weyl group. In this article we show that there exists a bijection between and the integral points of an affine variety, denoted , which we call the Shi variety of . In order to do so, we use Jian‐Yi Shi's characterization of alcoves in affine Weyl groups. We then study this variety further. We introduce a new representation of , called the ‐representation, and we highlight combinatorial and geometrical properties of the irreducible components of via this representation. We also show how the components are related to a fundamental parallelepiped .
Uniform bounds for the density in Artin's conjecture on primitive roots
Authors: Perucca Antonella , Shparlinski Igor E. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractWe consider Artin's conjecture on primitive roots over a number field , reducing an algebraic number . Under the Generalised Riemann Hypothesis, there is a density counting the proportion of the primes of for which is a primitive root. This density is a rational multiple of an Artin constant that depends on the largest integer such that . The aim of this paper is bounding the ratio , under the assumption that . Over , this ratio is between and 2, these bounds being optimal. For a general number field , we provide upper and lower bounds that only depend on .
Embedding finitely presented self‐similar groups into finitely presented simple groups
Authors: Zaremsky Matthew C. B. 
Published: February 2025

AbstractWe prove that every finitely presented self‐similar group embeds in a finitely presented simple group. This establishes that every group embedding in a finitely presented self‐similar group satisfies the Boone–Higman conjecture. The simple groups in question are certain commutator subgroups of Röver–Nekrashevych groups, and the difficulty lies in the fact that even if a Röver–Nekrashevych group is finitely presented, its commutator subgroup might not be. We also discuss a general example involving matrix groups over certain rings, which in particular establishes that every finitely generated subgroup of satisfies the Boone–Higman conjecture.