bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Les enjeux de la motivation salariale dans les entreprises Marocaines : cas des entreprises IT et d’énergie
Authors: Azouggarhe Ikrame , Madhat Fatimazahra , Bourekkadi Salniane
Published: August 2023

La question de la performance a toujours constitué l’une parmi les principales préoccupations des dirigeants de toute entreprise, au point qu’elle est toujours inscrite au sommet de leur agenda, dot l’objectif escompté est de s’améliorer vers les plus hauts niveaux e vue d’impulser l’émergence d’une entreprise capable de produire des services de qualité, innovante, compétitive et créatrice de la richesse et de la valeur durable. La motivation salariale est devenue l’une des principales composantes du portefeuille de cette performance qui pousse à repenser la relation Entreprise-Salarié. Le but de notre recherche est de faire sortir les nouveaux enjeux naissants au sein des entreprises IT et d’énergie dans le contexte actuel marqué par des mutations internationales profondes engendrant une crise énergétique mondiale et une infrastructure digitale vulnérable. Le présent article s’appuie en premier lieu sur une étude statistique basée sur un questionnaire qui sert à collecter les réponses d’un échantillon des employeurs ainsi que des salariés de ces deux tranches de secteurs d’activité et qui nous offre les principaux résultats suivants :La bonne partie des salariés ont une impression favorable au chantier de la motivation salariale au sein de leurs entreprises, la plupart aime son travail et il s’engage à titre volontaire à un travail supplémentaire s’il est exigé.de même leurs entreprises s’engagent d’accorder des primes occasionnelle et également sur la base des primes du rendement, changent avec eux dans le cadre d’une communication interne les principaux éléments à rajouter en fonction de leurs besoins, s’intéressent ainsi à une motivation immatérielle malgré son faible pourcentage, des étapes ont été franchies mais il reste des enjeux à redéfinir qui s’adaptent aux spécificités du secteur des technologie de l’information et d’énergie.
Exploring user acceptance of medical e-appointment systems for mental healthcare: A systematic literature review
Authors: Khalil Loubna , Serhier Zineb
Published: August 2023

Currently, various digital platforms are available to facilitate medical appointment-making; their use supports a value proposition to optimize patient-physician transactions and reduce the workload associated with traditional medical appointment-making. Studies on online medical appointment systems focus on their effectiveness, their contribution to improving healthcare services, the causes and effects of missed appointments, and user satisfaction with these systems. Unfortunately, there is very little earlier research that addresses the user acceptance of medical e-appointment systems. Hence, this study aims to synthesize research that has assessed the acceptance and use of MEAS in a mental healthcare setting. The literature search was conducted using four databases: Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Of the 805 studies collected, 11 empirical studies with a focus on applying theories and models of technology acceptance and use with publication dates ranging from 2012 to 2023 were analyzed in depth. The main results confirmed that no studies have been conducted to assess the acceptance of medical e-appointment scheduling systems for mental healthcare in a Moroccan context. There is a lack of research analyzing the acceptance mechanism from a healthcare provider’s perspective. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and its extensions and the continuance intention of use model are the most common models to explain what sustains the adoption of these systems. The results allowed us to also identify 35 determinants of the adoption of these tools: the quality of the relationship quality with the healthcare service, the quality of the system, effective communication about these systems, perceived usefulness, ease of use, satisfaction, and trust were the most influential factors in the adoption of MEAS.
La sensibilisation environnementale des ressources humaines dans les EEP marocains, une bonne pratique de RSE à retenir
Authors: El Medaker Reda , Mchich Rachid , Loukil Said
Published: August 2023

La responsabilité sociale est aujourd’hui une préoccupation partagée par l’ensemble des acteurs économiques. Cet article se focalise sur l’aspect environnemental, et plus particulièrement sur la sensibilisation des employés des établissements publics et des entreprises au Maroc, afin d’évaluer la situation de cette “boîte noire” dans ce contexte. Nous présentons les résultats d’une petite enquête menée auprès des responsables et employés de ces organisations, dans le but d’observer leur niveau de sensibilisation à la protection de l’environnement, la relation de leurs Établissements et Entreprises Publics (EEP) avec ce processus de sensibilisation, ainsi que leurs perspectives d’avenir. Ce thème vise à ouvrir la voie à des recherches sur les pratiques de responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RSE) dans ce secteur, et à souligner l’importance de ces stratégies pour le secteur lui-même et pour ses parties prenantes. La sensibilisation des employés est un élément clé de l’intégration efficace des pratiques responsables dans les activités quotidiennes des organisations publiques. En comprenant le niveau actuel de sensibilisation, les responsables peuvent élaborer des plans d’actions pour renforcer cette conscience environnementale.
Vers une nouvelle relation : la Construction du couple conjugal via les groupes Facebook et son empreinte énergétique sur l’environnement
Authors: Rguibi Oumaima , Bouasria Leila
Published: August 2023

Les groupes Facebook représentent un nouveau lieu de rencontre, ajoutant aux lieux existants un espace émergent de premier contact. Notre étude s’est appuyée sur une approche qualitative via entretiens semi-directifs et ethnographie virtuelle à travers l’observation participante de deux groupes Facebook. Cette recherche a permis d’appréhender les diverses modalités de rencontre au sein d’un groupe Facebook, mettant en lumière une dimension importante de ces groupes, à savoir le partage d’intimité de la vie de couple. Par ailleurs, elle m’a permis d’exposer la consommation énergétique résultant de l’usage intensif des réseaux sociaux numériques.

L’objectif de cet article est de comprendre en quoi le groupe Facebook peut constituer un espace de rencontre pour les jeunes aujourd’hui et comment cela se fait au détriment de la consommation énergétique associée à une utilisation intensive de la plateforme.
La communication territoriale et les enjeux du développement local : une revue de littérature
Authors: Chafik Miryam , El Abbadi Abderrazzak
Published: August 2023

De nos jours, l’on assiste à un essoufflement des anciens modèles de la gouvernance, fondés qu’ils sont sur une conception unidirectionnelle et verticale de l’action publique. Il s’ensuit que le fossé se creuse entre les citoyens et les acteurs publics, entraînant à terme une crise de légitimité qui se traduit par une désaffection à l’égard des décideurs publics. Nous essaierons dès lors de montrer, dans un premier lieu, après avoir exploré ses aspects conceptuels et ses multiples fonctions, comment la communication territoriale permet de revitaliser la sphère publique en mettant le citoyen au coeur de la chose publique. Dans un second lieu, nous tenterons d’articuler cette dimension participative de la communication avec la question du développement local en mettant en exergue les moyens à même de mettre sur pied une démocratie locale où le citoyen sera à la fois acteur et partenaire pour relever le défi du développement.
How Corporate Brands Communicate their Higher Purpose on Social Media: Evidence from Top Global Brands on Twitter
Authors: Rudeloff C. , Michalski P.
Published: August 2023

Rising expectations in society for moral brand behavior have increased the relevance of brand purpose communication on social media. Nevertheless, there is a lack of fundamental research in this area. This study therefore examines brand purpose communication on Twitter, particularly with regard to the values addressed and the communication strategies implemented by corporate brands as well as the corresponding user engagement. A quantitative content analysis of 30 corporate Twitter accounts from 10 industries (n = 6000) shows that brand purpose is communicated across all brands and industries. The values of solidarity and sustainability are in the foreground. In an industry comparison, the FMCG industry and the financial services industry communicate most frequently on brand purpose issues, whereas the media industry and the luxury goods industry do so only marginally. Corporate brands predominantly use information strategy to communicate their brand purpose, although the involvement strategy leads to more engagement. Overall, the analysis shows that the potential of brand purpose communication is not being exploited to the same extent in all industries.
Quantitative spatial resolution enhancement of reflection matrix optical coherence tomography for deep-tissue imaging
Authors: Cao Jing , Fu Ling , Wang Pinghe , Liu Qian
Published: August 2023

Multiple scattering poses a fundamental limitation in deep imaging, especially for high-resolution optical imaging methods. The amalgamation of reflection matrix measurements and optical coherence tomography (OCT) has afforded significant advantages for deep imaging through highly scattering media. To empirically exhibit the superior performance of reflection matrix OCT (RMOCT), this study proposes a unique method to ascertain the actual resolutions at each imaging point. In contrast to conventional theoretical lateral resolutions, these resolutions are derived by applying time-reversal decomposition to the time-gated reflection matrix. Moreover, the concept of contribution rate, which quantifies the imaging contributions for each point, is introduced by considering the local imaging point itself and its neighboring points. The contribution rate provides a quantitative evaluation of the imaging quality afforded by a system. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the comprehensive assessment of the practical performance of RMOCT in terms of actual resolving power and imaging quality.
Single-molecule tracking to determine the abundances and stoichiometries of freely-diffusing protein complexes in living cells: Past applications and future prospects
Authors: Prindle Joshua Robert , de Cuba Olivia Isabella Christiane , Gahlmann Andreas
Published: August 2023

Most biological processes in living cells rely on interactions between proteins. Live-cell compatible approaches that can quantify to what extent a given protein participates in homo- and hetero-oligomeric complexes of different size and subunit composition are therefore critical to advance our understanding of how cellular physiology is governed by these molecular interactions. Biomolecular complex formation changes the diffusion coefficient of constituent proteins, and these changes can be measured using fluorescence microscopy-based approaches, such as single-molecule tracking, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. In this review, we focus on the use of single-molecule tracking to identify, resolve, and quantify the presence of freely-diffusing proteins and protein complexes in living cells. We compare and contrast different data analysis methods that are currently employed in the field and discuss experimental designs that can aid the interpretation of the obtained results. Comparisons of diffusion rates for different proteins and protein complexes in intracellular aqueous environments reported in the recent literature reveal a clear and systematic deviation from the Stokes–Einstein diffusion theory. While a complete and quantitative theoretical explanation of why such deviations manifest is missing, the available data suggest the possibility of weighing freely-diffusing proteins and protein complexes in living cells by measuring their diffusion coefficients. Mapping individual diffusive states to protein complexes of defined molecular weight, subunit stoichiometry, and structure promises to provide key new insights into how protein–protein interactions regulate protein conformational, translational, and rotational dynamics, and ultimately protein function.
Preferential nucleation of (O, Y/La/Ce/Hf)-core nano-clusters in multi-element micro-alloyed ferritic alloys: A first-principles study
Authors: Gong Yuxiang , He Shiyu , Zhang Jianning , Wang Yiren , Jiang Yong
Published: August 2023

The high creep strength and high radiation resistance of nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) have been generally attributed to the high-density precipitation of (O, Y)-core nano-clusters and nano-oxides. In this work, the early-stage nucleation of (O, X)-core (X = La, Ce, and Hf) nano-clusters (NCs) with respect to (O, Y)-core NCs in multi-element micro-alloyed NFAs was investigated using first-principles calculations. Their competitive precipitation preference and possible growth sequence were predicted. The (O–O) pair was suggested as the most fundamental core of all types of NCs. Yttrium always has the strongest affinity with the (O–O) pairs to initiate the nucleation of NCs during the early-stage nucleation. Under the absence or depletion of yttrium, other types of (O, X)-core (X = La, Ce, Hf) structures could form, leading to different nucleation paths with the preference ordering of (O, La)-core > (O, Ce)-core > (O, Hf)-core. NC nucleation and composition in NFAs would, thus, strongly depend on the number availabilities of micro-alloying solute species in the neighborhood of the (O–O) pairs.
Ultrafast single-pulse all-optical switching in synthetic ferrimagnetic Tb/Co/Gd multilayers
Authors: Hintermayr Julian , Li Pingzhi , Rosenkamp Roy , van Hees Youri L. W. , Igarashi Junta , Mangin Stéphane , Lavrijsen Reinoud , Malinowski Grégory , Koopmans Bert
Published: August 2023

In this work, we investigate single-shot all-optical switching (AOS) in Tb/Co/Gd/Co/Tb multilayers in an attempt to establish AOS in synthetic ferrimagnets with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. In particular, we study the effect of varying Tb thicknesses to disentangle the role of the two rare-earth elements. Even though the role of magnetic compensation has been considered to be crucial, we find that the threshold fluence for switching is largely independent of the Tb content. Moreover, we identify the timescale for the magnetization to cross zero to be approximately within the first ps after laser excitation using time-resolved magneto–optic Kerr effect. We conclude that the switching is governed mostly by interactions between Co and Gd.
Transparent and tunable water-based metamaterial absorber with low infrared emissivity
Authors: Chang Qi , Wu Wenxing , Ma Yunpeng , Ji Xuebin , Ji Jinzu
Published: August 2023

A transparent and tunable metamaterial absorber with simultaneously low infrared (IR) emissivity is proposed in this Letter. The designed structure consists of an infrared shielding layer (IRSL), a radar absorber layer (RAL), and an air/water dielectric layer with an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) backplane. Both the IRSL and RAL are made of ITO films and polyethylene terephthalate substrates, so the absorber exhibits optical transparency. By changing the thickness of the water layer, the 90% absorption band can be converted from 7.6–12.5 to 12.8–18.2 GHz. The absorber is polarization insensitive and stable at wide incidence angles. The IR emission value of IRSL is 0.24. Both numerical simulations and experimental measurements demonstrated the good performance of the proposed structure, indicating its great potential applications in multi-spectrum compatible stealth.
A free-swimming tadpole model based on immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method and its application
Authors: Jiang Si-Ying , Yu Jun , Wang Jun , Li Dong-Fang , Xu Yuan-Qing
Published: August 2023

A two-dimensional (2D) free-swimming tadpole model is built in this study using the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. The tadpole is developed by connecting a passive elliptical head with a beating tail. This developed tadpole is capable of controlling the tail swing amplitude to change the swimming speed and achieve the desired swimming direction by attaching an angle offset on the tail axis. The hydrodynamics of the proposed tadpole model in swimming is investigated by regulating the width of the confined space. To be specific, three points are summarized below. First, a lower swimming speed will be produced in a narrower channel under the identical swimming pattern. Second, under the effect of a slight swing strength, a small-scale disturbance is triggered to the surrounding fluid, and a small swimming speed will be generated. Third, a relatively small or excessive swimming speed adversely affects the stability of its swimming. Moreover, a perception-response strategy for the tadpole is further formulated to achieve its autonomous locomotion control. A virtual perceptive field is proposed as the visual range, which is conducive to implementing tadpole motion control based on a set of mechanical response rules. With the above-mentioned improvements, the tadpole can effectively achieve obstacle avoidance in sophisticated obstacle array environments and tracking sine curve routines. Accordingly, this study can provide a valuable reference for the theoretical design of underwater bionic tadpole-like robots.
Scattering cross sections and collision integrals for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions
Authors: Ding Zi , Qin Zhi , Buchowiecki Marcin , Liu Linhua
Published: August 2023

Collisions between nitrogen (N) and nitrogen ion (N+) are fundamental phenomena in the Earth and planetary atmospheres. In this work, we carried out a theoretical study of collision data for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions, including scattering cross sections and collision integrals. Potential energy curves of N2+ are obtained using the state-of-the-art ab initio method and then used to provide the input for calculations of resonant charge exchange and elastic cross sections. The inelastic (corresponding to the resonant charge exchange process), elastic, and total collision integrals for N(4S)–N+(3P) and N(4S)–N+(1D) interactions are computed at 500 − 50 000 K. An analysis of the collision integrals shows that the elastic collision process should not be neglected for odd-order collision interactions at low temperatures and still makes a small contribution at high temperatures. Note that this is the first time that the cross sections and collision integrals for the N(4S)–N+(1D) interaction are calculated using ab initio potential energy points. The obtained cross sections and collision integrals are essential to model the transport properties of the related plasmas.
Enhanced sensitivity and thermal tolerance in tunnel magnetoresistance sensor using Ta-doped CoFeSiB soft magnetic layer
Authors: Nakano Takafumi , Fujiwara Kosuke , Tsunoda Masakiyo , Kumagai Seiji , Oogane Mikihiko
Published: August 2023

We developed a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor consisting of a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a CoFeSiB amorphous soft magnetic layer. This multilayer structure is promising for a high-sensitivity sensor because a giant TMR ratio of the MTJ and a small anisotropy field Hk of the free layer can be obtained simultaneously. However, the soft magnetic properties of the CoFeSiB layer disappear when it is annealed at above the crystallization temperature (around 300 °C), which determines the thermal tolerance of the TMR sensor and limits improvements to the sensor's sensitivity and applications. In this study, we doped the CoFeSiB layer with various amounts of Ta to raise its crystallization temperature. TMR sensors using the Ta-doped CoFeSiB layers showed thermal tolerance to annealing temperatures above 425 °C, whereas the sensor with the undoped CoFeSiB layer was tolerant to annealing temperatures up to 325 °C. As well, the Ta doping effectively reduced Hk of the CoFeSiB layer, which resulted in a sensitivity of 50%/Oe, over three times higher than the sensor with the undoped CoFeSiB layer. These results pave the way toward next-generation TMR sensors having higher sensitivity and wider applicability.
Research on adaptive state prediction method for the metering error of capacitor voltage transformer
Authors: Zhu Zhang , Binbin Li , Jianyi Xue , Lijian Ding
Published: August 2023

A capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) is widely used in high voltage power systems because of its good insulation performance. However, the structure of CVT is more complex and the stability of its metering error is poor, which easily causes the loss of power metering. The conventional evaluation method for the metering error of CVT is to compare and calibrate with a standard transformer under off-line condition in a fixed period. Because of the long evaluation period, it is impossible to accurately predict the state change of CVT metering error, which is of more significance practically. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an adaptive state prediction method: Analyze the measurement data of CVT using principal component analysis method under the constraint of electrical physical relationship, the metering of CVT is mapped to residual and score (CRS) statistic. For this way, the self-evaluation of CVT metering error in real-time is realized without a standard transformer to get the high frequency time series of error data. According to the measurement data of CVT in process, the CRS statistics are batch processed adaptively, and the prediction model of CRS statistics is established based on the time series analysis. Experiments show that the method can accurately predict the state change of CVT metering error, and the prediction error is better than 15%. It is helpful to promote the development of CVT metering error detection into on-demand detection.
Numerical and experimental study on vortex optimization in the forebay of a Sandy River
Authors: Wang Haidong , Li Chunguang , Lu Suiju , Yang Cheng , Huang Lingxiao
Published: August 2023

Because the movement of water and sediment is complex, the flow pattern in a forebay can be disordered, which can significantly affect the pumping efficiency of a pump station. Using a pumping station in Ningxia, a multiphase water–sand flow model is built based on field measurements and practical engineering. The vortex flow pattern and the cause of sediment deposition are analyzed by numerical simulations and experiments. Furthermore, 36 rectification measures are proposed to improve the vortex flow pattern and sediment deposition in the forebay. The results show that various rectification measures can correct the flow pattern disorder in the horizontal section of the forebay at different angles. However, the correction effect is not obvious in the slope section. For the first time, a combination plan of adding plates to the back wall of the pumping station is proposed. This strategy not only improves the vortex area of the horizontal section of the forebay but also diverts the vortices of the slope section, reducing the vortex range and the sediment content. At the same time, the flow velocity uniformity of the inlet section of the combined optimal solution increases by 19.22%, and the shear angle decreases by 8.81°. The combination of numerical simulation and experimental analysis demonstrates the accuracy of the combined plan, corrects the flow pattern in the forebay, and reduces the sediment content.
Controlled orientation and microstructure of p-type SnO thin film transistors with high-k dielectric for improved performance
Authors: Ryu Seung Ho , Jeon Jihoon , Park Gwang Min , Kim Taikyu , Eom Taeyong , Chung Taek-Mo , Baek In-Hwan , Kim Seong Keun
Published: August 2023

Despite its relatively high hole mobility, the electrical performance of p-type SnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) lags behind that of n-type oxide TFTs. In this study, we present an approach to enhance the performance of p-type SnO TFTs by utilizing an atomic-layer-deposited SnO/high-k structure, with crystalline HfO2 (c-HfO2) serving as a high-k dielectric. However, the grain boundaries on the c-HfO2 surface influenced the microstructure and orientation of the SnO layer, resulting in a random orientation and surface roughening. To address this issue, we modified the c-HfO2 surface with an amorphous ultrathin Al2O3 layer to eliminate the grain boundaries on the deposition surface. This enabled the alignment of the (00l) SnO planes parallel to the substrate surface and provided a smooth surface. Moreover, the introduction of ultrathin Al2O3 into SnO/high-k stacks substantially improved the electrical performance of p-type SnO TFTs. Our findings highlight the potential of integrating van der Waals semiconductors with high-k dielectrics, facilitating opportunities for advanced device applications.
Optically pumped magnetometers based on pseudo-random-bit-sequence phase modulation
Authors: Ma Ning , Duan Lihong , Fang Xiujie , Xing Bozheng , Ma Danyue , Lu Jixi , Han Bangcheng
Published: August 2023

A high-sensitivity atomic magnetometer based on broad linewidth laser pumping is demonstrated. The broad linewidth laser was obtained by broadening a narrow linewidth laser utilizing an external phase modulator driven by a pseudo-random-bit-sequence (PRBS) waveform. This ingenious optical pumping scheme can significantly enhance the signal response and suppress light shift noise, as well as can reduce the gradient of electron spin polarization and improve the stability of magnetometers. Compared with a narrow linewidth laser pumping scheme, the response of the magnetometer is increased by 56%, experimentally. The relative polarization gradient is reduced from 9.8%/cm to better than 4%/cm by setting PRBS with a bit rate of 16 GHz. This scheme can also be applied to many other fields such as noninvasive bio-magnetic imaging and atomic spin gyroscopes.
p-orbital half-metallicity in metal-free AsN2 monolayer with robust ferromagnetism
Authors: Zhao Pei , Wang Qiang , Ru Jindou , Liang Yan
Published: August 2023

Two-dimensional (2D) metal-free half-metals, the embodiment of abundance ability and intrinsic completely spin-polarization, have attracted increasing interest in the fields of both scientific and technological aspects recently. Based on first-principles, we demonstrate that the metal-free honeycomb lattice of stoichiometry AsN2 exhibits unique electronic structure that results in the complete polarization of p-orbitals at the Fermi level, leading to intrinsic half-metallic behavior. In addition, the AsN2-based spin valve is evaluated by quantum transport simulations, which shows 100% magnetoresistance. Moreover, we find that this ferromagnetism is robust against various perturbations, including strain, carrier doping, electric field, and substrate. These findings provide important foundation for the future spintronics investigations and applications.
Phase transition induced threshold resistive switching in two-dimensional VTe2 nanosheets for Boolean logic operations
Authors: Zhong Lun , Li Mengdie , Yan Shuangjing , Jie Wenjing
Published: August 2023

Vanadium chalcogenides have been extensively studied owing to the diverse crystallographic structures with various stoichiometric ratios. The metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) widely reported in vanadium chalcogenides is a rapid reversible phase transition that requires small energy, demonstrating potential applications in memory devices. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) vanadium telluride (VTe2) nanosheets are prepared by the chemical vapor deposition method. The synthesized VTe2 nanosheets exhibit volatile threshold switching (TS) behaviors due to the MIT phase transition, which can be further confirmed by the temperature dependent TS behaviors. The TS memristor demonstrates good stability and high reliability with up to 1000 continuous and repeatable writing/erasing operations. Furthermore, based on the TS behaviors, the fabricated memristor can be utilized to implement basic Boolean logic operations of “OR,” “AND,” and “NOT.” This study not only demonstrates the TS behaviors in the 2D VTe2 nanosheets owing to the MIT phase transition but also shows the potential applications of the TS devices in Boolean logic operations.
Huge magnetostriction in superconducting single-crystalline BaFe1.908Ni0.092As2
Authors: Zhang Minjie , Wu Jiating , Shi Ke , Ling Langsheng , Tong Wei , Xi Chuanying , Pi Li , Wosnitza J. , Luo Huiqian , Wang Zhaosheng
Published: August 2023

The performance of iron-based superconductors in high magnetic fields plays an important role for their practical application. In this work, we measured the magnetostriction and magnetization of BaFe1.908Ni0.092As2 single crystals using pulsed magnetic fields up to 60 T and static magnetic fields up to 33 T, respectively. A huge longitudinal magnetostriction (of the order of 10–4) was observed in the direction of twin boundaries. The magnetization measurements evidence a high critical-current density due to strong bulk pinning. By using magnetization data with an exponential flux-pinning model, we can reproduce the magnetostriction curves qualitatively. This result shows that the magnetostriction of BaFe1.908Ni0.092As2 can be well explained by a flux-pinning-induced mechanism.
Development of the word order of the reflexive enclitic sě/se dependent on a finite verb in Czech
translations of the Gospel of Matthew from the 14th to the 21st century
Authors: Čech Radek , Kosek Pavel , Navrátilová Olga , Mačutek Ján
Published: August 2023

The paper studies the development of several properties of the reflexive enclitic
sě/se dependent on a finite verb in the Czech language. We focus on the word order position
of the reflexive and on the influence which the length of the initial phrase has on the position. We also investigate the shift of
the reflexive from an enclitic into a prosodically indifferent clitic. Nine Czech translations of the Gospel of Matthew from the
14th to the 21st century are used as language material.
Creative metaphors and non-propositional effects
Authors: Bardzokas Valandis
Published: August 2023

Over the last decade there has been growing relevance-theoretic interest in the interpretation of creative
metaphors. Much of this interest has focused on non-propositional aspects of interpretation: mental image effects/emotive effects.
Central to this enquiry is the following question: are non-propositional effects essential to the metaphorical interpretation
process? The implications of answering this question are important, since, if the answer is positive, then the delivery of
metaphorical interpretation depends, not only on utterance processing, but also on the hearer’s formation of mental images as well
as emotive experience. Relevance-theoretic studies argue that mental images do not fulfill an essential role in the metaphorical
interpretation process. While the supporting evidence is solid, it requires experimental substantiation. The current paper
responds to this requirement, taking on board emotive effects, too, apart from mental images. Ultimately, the current work
concludes that the role of non-propositional effects in metaphorical interpretation is not essential.
Plant species modifies the functional response of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) to Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae): implications for biological control
Authors: Skirvin D.J. , Fenlon J.S.
Published: August 2023

The functional response of the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot to eggs of its prey, the spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch was examined on three plant species. Experiments were done to determine whether differences in the functional response on the three plant species were due to the morphological features of the crop directly on the predator or through an effect of the plant species on the prey. The results show that crop morphology is the only factor influencing the predatory ability of P. persimilis on the three plant species. Fewer eggs were eaten on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. ‘Autumnal Blue’, the plant species with hairy leaves, and greater numbers of prey consumed on Choisya ternata, a species with smooth leaves. However, similarly few eggs were eaten on the smooth, but waxy leaved Euonymus japonicus as on Ceanothus thyrsiflorus, demonstrating that morphological characters of leaves other than the possession of hairs and trichomes may affect the rates of predation. The implications of these results for the tritrophic interactions between plant, predator and prey, and the development of suitable biological control strategies are discussed.
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) spread by the international trade in reptiles andtheir potential roles in dissemination of diseases
Authors: Burridge M.J.
Published: August 2023

The international trade in live reptiles has grown dramatically in the last decade. Since many of these reptiles are infested with ticks, the number of ticks introduced to new exotic locations has also increased. This is causing concern in importing countries such as the United States because some of the reptilian ticks are known to be vectors of diseases of veterinary and economic importance, such as heartwater. Rational measures to control these tick species and to eradicate new introductions have been slow to develop due in part to the scattered and often obscure sources of available data on the exotic ticks. This review is an attempt to collate information on the geographical distribution, host range, life cycle and associations with diseases for four Amblyomma species, A. marmoreum Koch, A. nuttalli Dönitz, A. sabanerae Stoll and A. sparsum Neumann, and for four Aponommaspecies, A. exornatum (Koch), A. flavomaculatum (Lucas), A. latum(Koch) and A. varanensis (Supino), that have recently been introduced into Florida, USA on imported reptiles.
Detection of Brugia malayi in laboratory and wild-caught Mansonioides mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) using Hha I PCR assay
Authors: Hoti S.L. , Vasuki V. , Lizotte M.W. , Patra K.P. , Ravi G. , Vanamail P. , Manonmani A. , Sabesan S. , Krishnamoorthy K. , Williams S.A.
Published: August 2023

An Hha 1 based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay developed for the detection of Brugia malayi, the causative agent of Brugian lymphatic filariasis, was evaluated for its sensitivity in the laboratory and for its usefulness in measuring changes in transmission of the disease in the field. Laboratory studies showed that the new assay was highly sensitive in comparison with the standard dissection and microscopy technique. The assay can detect as little as 4 pg of parasite DNA or a single microfilaria in pools of up to 100 mosquitoes. The optimum pool size for convenience was found to be 50 mosquitoes per pool. The efficacy of PCR assay was evaluated in filariasis control programmes in operation in endemic areas of Kerala State, South India. The infection rates obtained by the Hha I PCR assay and the conventional dissection and microscopy technique were 1.2% and 1.7% respectively in operational areas and 8.3% and 4.4% respectively, in check areas, which were not significantly different (P < 0.05). Thus, the Hha I PCR assay was found to be as sensitive as the conventional technique and hence it can be used as a new epidemiological tool for assessing parasite infection in field-collected mosquitoes.
Description of an invasive new species of Neotropical aleurodicine whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) – a case of complete or partial misidentification?
Authors: Martin J.H.
Published: August 2023

Paraleyrodes pseudonaranjaesp. n. is here described, from material collected from invasive colonies affecting agriculture in Hong Kong, Hawaii and the USA (Florida). This species had previously been identified as P. naranjaeDozier, based on puparial characteristics, but comparison of adult males with male syntypes of P. naranjae has indicated that identification to be mistaken. An adult male has been selected as lectotype of P. naranjae, but the identity of the puparia of the original sample remains uncertain.
The biology of Diadromus collaris (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), a pupal parasitoid of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), and its interactions with Oomyzus sokolowskii (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Authors: Liu Shu-sheng , Wang Xin-geng , Shi Zu-hua , Gebremeskel F.B.
Published: August 2023

The ichneumonid Diadromus collaris (Gravenhorst) has been recorded in many parts of the world as an important parasitoid of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus), a serious pest of brassica vegetable crops worldwide. Some aspects of its biology and its interactions with Oomyzus sokolowskii(Kurdjumov), another major parasitoid of the same pest, were studied in the laboratory. At 25°C, female wasps did not have mature eggs in their ovaries until about 12 h after emergence. Both males and females mated successfully 24–48 h after emergence, and females started to oviposit one to two days after emergence. Unmated females produced male progeny only; mated females produced progeny of both sexes. The development rate of the parasitoid increased linearly with temperature from 15 to 30°C, with an estimated low temperature threshold of 7.4°C and a thermal constant of 225.1 day-degrees for development from egg to adulthood. Rates of survival from larva to adulthood were about 90% between 20 and 28°C and decreased as temperature decreased or increased. No immatures survived to adulthood at 35°C. When provided with honey solution, the females lived on average 8.3, 11.5 and 7.0 days, and parasitized 26, 44 and 46 host pupae at 20, 25 and 30°C, respectively. Female wasps could be stored at 15°C for up to four weeks without detrimental effects on reproduction. Females of D. collaris attacked host pupae already parasitized by O. sokolowskii, inserting their ovipositor into the hosts at a similar frequency as into unparasitized host pupae, but they did not lay eggs inside the hosts.
Developing and establishing bee species as crop pollinators: the example of Osmia spp. (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and fruit trees
Authors: Bosch J. , Kemp W.P.
Published: August 2023

The development of a bee species as a new crop pollinator starts with the identification of a pollination-limited crop production deficit and the selection of one or more candidate pollinator species. The process continues with a series of studies on the developmental biology, pollinating efficacy, nesting behaviour, preference for different nesting substrates, and population dynamics of the candidate pollinator. Parallel studies investigate the biology of parasites, predators and pathogens. The information gained in these studies is combined with information on the reproductive biology of the crop to design a management system. Complete management systems should provide guidelines on rearing and releasing methods, bee densities required for adequate pollination, nesting materials, and control against parasites, predators and pathogens. Management systems should also provide methods to ensure a reliable pollinator supply. Pilot tests on a commercial scale are then conducted to test and eventually refine the management system. The process culminates with the delivery of a viable system to manage and sustain the new pollinator on a commercial scale. The process is illustrated by the development of three mason bees, Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski), O. lignaria Say and O. cornuta (Latreille) as orchard pollinators in Japan, the USA and Europe, respectively.
Glossina swynnertoni(Diptera: Glossinidae): effective population size and breeding structure estimated by mitochondrial diversity
Authors: Marquez J.G. , Malele I.I. , Ouma J.O. , Krafsur E.S.
Published: August 2023

Nucleotide diversity was examined at mitochondrialCOIandr16S2loci in eightGlossina swynnertoniAusten collections from northern Tanzania and from a culture maintained by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Eighteen composite haplotypes were observed among 149 flies, two of which were common to all samples and 10 were private. Mean haplotype diversity was 0.59 and nucleotide diversity was 0.0013. There were excess singular haplotypes and mutation-drift disequilibrium suggesting that populations had experienced an earlier bottleneck and subsequent expansion. Factorial correspondence analysis showed that haplotype frequencies varied much more temporally (GST= 0.18) than spatially (GST= 0.04). The estimate of effective population sizeNein Tarangire was a harmonic mean ~50 reproductive flies averaged over ~47 generations. The mean rate of gene flow was estimated to be ~5±1 reproducing females per generation but inflated because of mutation-drift disequilibrium arising from likely earlier bottlenecks.
Effects of carbon dioxide on the searching behaviour of the root-feeding clover weevil Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Johnson S.N. , Zhang X.X. , Crawford J.W. , Gregory P.J. , Hix N.J. , Jarvis S.C. , Murray P.J. , Young I.M.
Published: August 2023

The respiratory emission of CO2 from roots is frequently proposed as an attractant that allows soil-dwelling insects to locate host plant roots, but this role has recently become less certain. CO2 is emitted from many sources other than roots, so does not necessarily indicate the presence of host plants, and because of the high density of roots in the upper soil layers, spatial gradients may not always be perceptible by soil-dwelling insects. The role of CO2 in host location was investigated using the clover root weevil Sitona lepidus Gyllenhall and its host plant white clover (Trifolium repens L.) as a model system. Rhizochamber experiments showed that CO2 concentrations were approximately 1000 ppm around the roots of white clover, but significantly decreased with increasing distance from roots. In behavioural experiments, no evidence was found for any attraction by S. lepidus larvae to point emissions of CO2, regardless of emission rates. Fewer than 15% of larvae were attracted to point emissions of CO2, compared with a control response of 17%. However, fractal analysis of movement paths in constant CO2 concentrations demonstrated that searching by S. lepidus larvae significantly intensified when they experienced CO2 concentrations similar to those found around the roots of white clover (i.e. 1000 ppm). It is suggested that respiratory emissions of CO2 may act as a ‘search trigger’ for S. lepidus, whereby it induces larvae to search a smaller area more intensively, in order to detect location cues that are more specific to their host plant.
Field infestation, life history and demographic parameters of the fruit flyBactrocera invadens(Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa
Authors: Ekesi S. , Nderitu P.W. , Rwomushana I.
Published: August 2023

Field infestation rates of an invasive fruit fly species,Bactrocera invadensDrew Tsuruta & White on mango was determined at different localities in Kenya. At most of the locations and especially at low elevations,B. invadensfrequently shared the same fruit with the indigenous fruit fly speciesCeratitis cosyra(Walker) but often occurred at higher numbers thanC. cosyra. The level of infestation varied with location ranging from 3.0 to 97.2 flies per kg of fruit. There was a significant inverse relationship between numbers of flies per kg of fruit and elevation at which fruit was collected, suggesting thatB. invadensis a predominantly lowland pest. On an artificial diet, development ofB. invadensimmatures lasted 25 days; egg incubation required 1.2 days, larval development 11.1 days and puparia-adult development 12.4 days. About 55% of eggs developed to the adult stage. Life expectancy at pupal eclosion was 75.1 days in females and 86.4 days in males. Average net fecundity and net fertility were 794.6 and 608.1 eggs, respectively, while average daily oviposition was 18.2 eggs. Daily population increase was 11% and mean generation time was 31 days. Results are discussed in relation to the biology and ecology of the insect and in the development of mass rearing and control measures forB. invadens.
Shadows of Kerr–Vaidya-like black holes
Authors: Tan Hai Siong
Published: August 2023

In this work, we study the shadow boundary curves of rotating time-dependent black hole solutions which have well-defined Kerr and Vaidya limits. These solutions are constructed by applying the Newman–Janis algorithm to a spherically symmetric seed metric conformal to the Vaidya solution with a mass function that is linear in Eddington–Finkelstein coordinates. Equipped with a conformal Killing vector field, this class of solution exhibits separability of null geodesics, thus allowing one to develop an analytic formula for the boundary curve of its shadow. We find a simple power law describing the dependence of the mean radius and asymmetry factor of the shadow on the accretion rate. Applicability of our model to recent Event Horizon Telescope observations of M87

∗

and Sgr A

∗

is also discussed.
Sliced optimal transport on the sphere
Authors: Quellmalz Michael , Beinert Robert , Steidl Gabriele
Published: August 2023

Sliced optimal transport reduces optimal transport on multi-dimensional domains to transport on the line. More precisely, sliced optimal transport is the concatenation of the well-known Radon transform and the cumulative density transform, which analytically yields the solutions of the reduced transport problems. Inspired by this concept, we propose two adaptions for optimal transport on the 2-sphere. Firstly, as counterpart to the Radon transform, we introduce the vertical slice transform, which integrates along all circles orthogonal to a given direction. Secondly, we introduce a semicircle transform, which integrates along all half great circles with an appropriate weight function. Both transforms are generalized to arbitrary measures on the sphere. While the vertical slice transform can be combined with optimal transport on the interval and leads to a sliced Wasserstein distance restricted to even probability measures, the semicircle transform is related to optimal transport on the circle and results in a different sliced Wasserstein distance for arbitrary probability measures. The applicability of both novel sliced optimal transport concepts on the sphere is demonstrated by proof-of-concept examples dealing with the interpolation and classification of spherical probability measures. The numerical implementation relies on the singular value decompositions of both transforms and fast Fourier techniques. For the inversion with respect to probability measures, we propose the minimization of an entropy-regularized Kullback–Leibler divergence, which can be numerically realized using a primal-dual proximal splitting algorithm.