bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rooting students in their botanical history: A method to engage students in botany and herbaria
Authors: Krosnick Shawn , Moore Kelly
Published: November 2024

Societal Impact Statement

Plants are essential for all life on earth, supporting ecosystems and providing vital resources such as food, medicine, and materials. However, botanical education has been neglected in K‐12 curricula, leading to limited plant awareness. Our project introduced 10 educational modules that connected high school students to their botanical heritage through herbarium curation. Students were engaged because of the emphasis on a personal connection to plants, fostering a deeper interest in botany and citizen science. This approach suggests that curricula emphasizing personal connections can enhance student engagement and should be prioritized to strengthen environmental and botanical education.

A lack of plant awareness in human society has led to a view of plants as less important than animals. Since plants make up the bulk of biomass on earth and provide food, medicine, and shelter, increasing plant awareness is essential to our society's survival.

In this study, we examine the effectiveness of 10 educational modules designed for use with high school students to engage them in botany and the importance of herbaria. Students explore botanical concepts by starting with their own family history. What plants were important to their ancestors? They choose a plant species and go through the process of identifying, collecting, pressing, mounting, and digitizing their herbarium specimen.

The study comprised pre‐ and post‐assessments, student descriptions regarding plant significance, and teacher interviews with module reflections. Significant improvements were noted in students' ability to perceive plants and identify plant groups post‐intervention. Students exhibited nuanced shifts in attitudes toward science topics, with varying degrees of change observed. Common themes emerged in student descriptions, reflecting diverse perceptions of plants within familial contexts. Teacher interviews highlighted interest in plants, curriculum gaps, and increased student engagement through module activities.

Overall, the collaborative approach presented a promising way to increase plant awareness, emphasizing the importance of integrating botanical education into standardized curricula to inspire future generations of plant scientists and promote the value of herbaria in addressing global challenges. Continued efforts in this direction are crucial for fostering plant appreciation and preparing students for environmental stewardship.
In Situ X‐Ray Absorption Studies on Local Structure of Annealed Metallic Glasses FeGaB and FeCoSiB
Authors: Hayen Nicolas , Jordt Philipp , Hövelmann Svenja C. , Petersdorf Lukas , Mewes Mathis , Thormählen Lars , Meyners Dirk , Sun Nian X. , Sternemann Christian , Paulus Michael , Lützenkirchen‐Hecht Dirk , Murphy Bridget M.
Published: November 2024

The microscopic structure of Fe‐based metallic glasses (FeGaB) and (FeCoSiB) is investigated during in situ thermal annealing using extended X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) above the Fe–K and Co–K absorption edges. FeGaB exhibits a phase transition above 450 °C, changing from amorphous glass to a partially crystalline structure. Its medium‐range structure after this transition is modeled from crystalline α‐Fe and reference structures, combined with amorphous nearest‐neighbor (NN) contributions of . Local order in the glass phase is described with the same model, restricted to NN interactions. Changes in the amorphous structure occur at annealing temperatures which coincide with typical observations of changes in magnetic behavior. Meanwhile, in FeCoSiB, the EXAFS response is highly different between the Fe–K and Co–K absorption edges. EXAFS oscillations on the Fe edge are strongly suppressed, as opposed to the Co edge which shows typical amplitudes. Limited resolution in this data set allows modeling only in the first amorphous shell, based on the NN distances from FeCo. The cause of the two materials’ different EXAFS behavior at Fe–K despite similar iron content and identical experimental conditions is currently unknown and subject of further investigation.
Using a Small Hexapod Robot to Pick up Large Cylinders for Munitions Response
Authors: Gong Yifeng , Pan Mingyu , Daltorio Kathryn A.
Published: November 2024

In shallow water environments, traditional technologies face challenges in retrieving unexploded ordnance (UXO). We present an innovative and safe alternative robotic platform to replace traditional divers in this dangerous task. A waterproof 18‐DOF legged robot MR. Crab has been developed specifically for the purpose of locating and recovering UXO. Utilizing walking legs for both locomotion and manipulation, the robot demonstrates the capability to pick up inert UXO weighing at 2.78 kg (half of the robot's mass) with one pair of walking legs and 10.5 kg (184% of robot's mass) when utilizing all three pairs of legs. To enhance our understanding of gripping capacity, static analysis was conducted to predict the maximum weight of graspable UXO with respect to UXO radii, revealing that the weight of graspable UXO increases with its radius. A modified wave gait was developed to enable the robot to move while carrying a UXO with its middle pair of legs. For easier control, a user‐friendly GUI had been built for remote teleoperation, which also integrated two current sensors to assist human operators in determining the tightness of the UXO grip. Additionally, an automatic gripping algorithm was developed to efficiently place the robot in the optimal gripping position and grab the inert UXO. To validate its performance in real‐world environments, MR. Crab was tested at Lake Erie, demonstrating its ability to traverse the wave zone and retrieve a UXO.
Survival causal rule ensemble method considering the main effect for estimating heterogeneous treatment effects
Authors: Wan Ke , Tanioka Kensuke , Shimokawa Toshio
Published: November 2024

With an increasing focus on precision medicine in medical research, numerous studies have been conducted in recent years to clarify the relationship between treatment effects and patient characteristics. The treatment effects for patients with different characteristics are always heterogeneous, and therefore, various heterogeneous treatment effect machine learning estimation methods have been proposed owing to their flexibility and high estimation accuracy. However, most machine learning methods rely on black‐box models, preventing direct interpretation of the relationship between patient characteristics and treatment effects. Moreover, most of these studies have focused on continuous or binary outcomes, although survival outcomes are also important in medical research. To address these challenges, we propose a heterogeneous treatment effect estimation method for survival data based on RuleFit, an interpretable machine learning method. Numerical simulation results confirmed that the prediction performance of the proposed method was comparable to that of existing methods. We also applied a dataset from an HIV study, the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 175 dataset, to illustrate the interpretability of the proposed method using real data. Consequently, the proposed survival causal rule ensemble method provides an interpretable model with sufficient estimation accuracy.
Finite difference simulations for Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman model of MHD Oldroyd B fluid flow past a permeable sheet containing microorganisms
Authors: Saha Kajal Chandra , Saha Goutam , Alhazmi Hadil , Mohammed Najla A. , Khan Waqar A. , Aljohani Abdulrahman F. , Alzahrani Jawaher , Khan Ilyas
Published: November 2024

This study explores the behavior of gyrotactic microorganisms swimming on a stretching surface in a non‐Newtonian Oldroyd B fluid. The study considers the combined effects of magnetohydrodynamic, Buongiorno and the Darcy–Forchheimer‐Brinkman models. Additionally, the effects of Soret–Dufour, thermophoresis, Brownian motion, viscous dissipation, thermal relaxation time, and thermal generation/absorption with heat flux are investigated. The relevant problems are mathematically formulated, and the ordinary differential equation is obtained by applying appropriate transformations to the governing equations. The finite difference technique is then used to solve the equation. Velocity, temperature, concentration, and microorganism profiles are graphed to analyze the behavior of the flow in the presence of motile gyrotactic microorganisms under various physical and bio‐convection parameters. It is demonstrated that the skin friction of Oldroyd B fluid is affected by the Deborah number and mixed convection parameter. Bio‐convection parameters reduce the local Nusselt number and enhance transfer of motile microorganisms. However, increasing bio‐convection parameters decrease the Sherwood number, resulting in slower mass transfer from the surface.
Co-creation for Sustainable Well-being: A Value-Driven Initiative in Bangladeshi Higher Education
Authors: Islam Md Mahbubul , Islam Mohammad Aminul , Rashid Masud Ur , Islam Md Imamul , Al Mansur Ahmed , Mohiuddin Mohammad Golam
Published: November 2024

The chapter highlights a value-driven initiative of co-creation in teaching and learning in higher education institutions to address the needs that emerged among local communities. The study presents three cases from three universities in Bangladesh. Findings demonstrate that staff-student co-creation can be applied as an inclusive tactic for facilitating teaching and learning in higher education. It can also build awareness among learners as active well-being agents. The pedagogical approaches endorsed several sustainable development goals (SDGs) and accrued cumulative social, economic and environmental values for the local community. The analysis of the cases offers significant implications for educators, researchers, and policymakers in academia and beyond.
Complex symplectic contractions and 3d mirrors
Authors: Dancer Andrew , Grimminger Julius F. , Martens Johan , Zhong Zhenghao
Published: November 2024

Abstract

We propose magnetic quivers for the complex-symplectic contraction spaces, which are related to implosions and have a natural interpretation in terms of the Moore-Tachikawa category. We use 3-d mirrors to provide computational checks.
The magnetic maze: a system with tunable scale invariance
Authors: Zhou Tian-Gang , Winer Michael , Swingle Brian
Published: November 2024

Abstract

Random magnetic field configurations are ubiquitous in nature. Such fields lead to a variety of dynamical phenomena, including localization and glassy physics in some condensed matter systems and novel transport processes in astrophysical systems. Here we consider the physics of a charged quantum particle moving in a “magnetic maze”: a high-dimensional space filled with a randomly chosen vector potential and a corresponding magnetic field. We derive a path integral description of the model by introducing appropriate collective variables and integrating out the random vector potential, and we solve for the dynamics in the limit of large dimensionality. We derive and analyze the equations of motion for Euclidean and real-time dynamics, and we calculate out-of-time-order correlators. We show that a special choice of vector potential correlations gives rise, in the low temperature limit, to a novel scale-invariant quantum theory with a tunable dynamical exponent. Moreover, we show that the theory is chaotic with a tunable chaos exponent which approaches the chaos bound at low temperature and strong coupling.
Analyzing the effects of minimum wages: a microeconomic approach
Authors: Thielen Clemens , Weinschenk Philipp
Published: November 2024

We use a microeconomic approach to analyze the effects of minimum wages. Agents are allowed to have different productivities at different principals as well as different costs of working. We obtain several new and interesting effects. Minimum wages could influence the generated surplus when leaving employment unaffected, and destroy jobs that generate relatively high levels of surplus when affecting employment. Furthermore, minimum wages could harm agents even if these stay employed, while principals could benefit from them. We provide a complete characterization of the effects and show that these hold independently of the specific bargaining procedure and information structure.
The Ashley and Patterson (1986) test for serial independence in daily stock returns, revisited
Authors: Ashley Richard A. , Najafi Faezeh
Published: November 2024

We update and extend the non-parametric test proposed in Ashley and Patterson (J Financ Quant Anal 21:221–227, 2014) – of the proposition that the (pre-whitened) daily stock returns for a firm are serially independent, and hence unpredictable from their own past. That paper applied this test to daily returns from 1962 to 1981 for several U.S. corporations and aggregate indices, finding mixed evidence against this null hypothesis of serial independence. The returns dataset is updated here to include thirteen firms which are currently more relevant, and the sample is extended through the end of 2023. We also update the simulation methodology here to properly account for the conditional heteroskedasticity in the daily returns data, so that the present results should now be more statistically reliable. The results are broadly in line with our earlier results, but they do suggest further avenues of research in this area.
A possible role of plasmin-dependent activation of TGF-β in cancer-associated thrombosis: Implications for therapy
Authors: Smeda Marta , Maleki Ebrahim H. , Jasztal Agnieszka
Published: November 2024

While the prevalence of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is high in cancer patients, its molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Moreover, the risks of recurrent CAT events and mortality remain high in cancer patients despite the introduction of anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy. Here, we discuss the possibility that increased plasmin activity driven by anticoagulant/antiplatelet treatment might be the major mechanism responsible for the activation of an excess of cancer-derived transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) originating from cancer cells and the tumour microenvironment. Hence, high coagulation and fibrinolysis rates in cancer patients may be linked to high rates of TGF-β activation, especially the excess of TGF-β derived from cancer cells. In turn, high TGF-β activation could contribute directly to maintaining high thrombotic risk and CAT recurrence in cancer patients since TGF-β signalling increases gene expression and secretion of the fibrinolysis inhibitor plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1). Thus, TGF-β could directly contribute to the high number of deaths among patients with cancer experiencing CAT, despite anticoagulant/antiplatelet treatment. In a longer-term perspective, increased TGF-β activation, by supporting a pro-coagulant cancer microenvironment, might also accelerate cancer progression. This review aims to discuss the published evidence that might support the scenario described above, and to put forward the hypothesis that cancer patients experiencing CAT events would largely benefit from anti-TGF-β therapy.
Understanding practicing and assessment of 21st-century skills for learners in makerspaces and FabLabs
Authors: Ioannou Andri , Miliou Ourania , Adamou Maria , Kitsis Andreas , Timotheou Stella , Mavri Aekaterini
Published: November 2024

Despite the opportunities that makerspaces and FabLabs offer for the development of 21st-century skills, understanding how these skills are being practiced and assessed in these spaces has been proven challenging. In this work, we address this gap through an interview study investigating 13 maker-educators’ practices across different makerspaces and FabLabs. The findings reveal that, in general, maker-educators’ practice is not guided by any formal 21st century skills framework. Instead, they draw ideas from their national school curricula, literature, and primarily their own experiences and perceived best practices in their contexts. They report evidence of practicing 21st-century skills, most frequently referring to five skills: collaboration, creativity, communication, life/social skills, and problem-solving. Yet, they do not explicitly assess the development of these skills, for reasons that have to do with (i) the practical nature of making, which emphasizes the development of a tangible result and not skills development as such, (ii) the demanding nature of the making activities, which requires a lot of hands-on time, leaving no room for assessment, (iii) the making ethos, which presents maker-educators with choices around what to pursue and how to go about it, and cannot restrict making activities within the boundaries of formal assessment practices. The study helped to document some making practices linked to the practicing of 21st-century skills, as reported by the participating maker-educators. Future work could focus on the design of assessment practices and tools that can help to capture and advance the development of 21st-century skills in maker contexts, while respecting the openness in the making ethos.
Placental abruption and perinatal mortality in twins: novel insight into management at preterm versus term gestations
Authors: Lee Rachel , Brandt Justin S. , Ananth Cande V.
Published: November 2024

Twins suffer a disproportionately higher burden of adverse perinatal outcomes than singletons. However, the degree to which preterm delivery shapes the relationship between abruption and perinatal mortality in twins is unknown. Through causal mediation decomposition, we examine how preterm delivery mediates the effect of abruption on perinatal mortality among twins using the US-matched multiple birth data (1995–2000). We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) from Cox models with gestational age as the timescale. We decomposed the total effect (TE) into counterfactual natural direct (NDE) and natural indirect (NIE) effects. 557,220 matched twin births, 1.3% (n = 7032) resulted in abruption with higher perinatal mortality rates than non-abruption births (143 versus 36 per 1000 births, respectively) and a 4.53-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.23, 4.82) increased hazard of perinatal mortality. HRs for NDE and NIE were 3.05 (95% CI: 2.84, 3.24) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.49, 1.47, 1.50), respectively, and the proportion mediated (PM) was 41%. PM increased as the gestational age at delivery decreased. Associations persisted after correction for unmeasured confounders. The best strategies to improve perinatal delivery are delivery when abruption complicates twin pregnancies at term gestations and expectant management (avoiding early preterm delivery), if feasible, when abruption complicates twin pregnancies at preterm gestations.
Report of a novel missense TDP1 variant in a Pakistani family affected with an extremely rare disorder congenital spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy type 1 (SCAN1)
Authors: Ahmad Riaz , Sayyad Filza , Naeem Muhammad , Houlden Henry
Published: November 2024

Background

Spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy type 1 (OMIM: 607250) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) gene. Only a single missense variant (p.His493Arg) in this gene has been reported. This variant was found in three Arab families with a possible common founder effect.

Methods and Results

We report a female patient born to a consanguineous Pakistani family segregating autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy type 1. The patient presents additional clinical features distinct from previously reported Arab families including congenital onset of the disease. We performed whole exome sequencing with the patient’s DNA and identified a novel missense variant (NC_000014.9:g.89991982C > T; p.His478Tyr) in exon 13 of the TDP1 gene. Sanger sequencing was performed to verify the autosomal recessive segregation of the p.His478Tyr variant in the family.

Conclusion

The current study expands both the clinical and mutation spectrum of the TDP1 associated spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy type 1 and increases the body of evidence that supports the pathogenic role of TDP1 in cerebellar ataxias with peripheral neuropathy.
Testing the meshing hypothesis in prospective teachers: Are there effects of matching learning style and presentation mode on learning performance and on metacognitive aspects of learning?
Authors: Melzner Lena , Kappes Cathleen
Published: November 2024

Learning styles are a popular concept in the educational field, although there is no empirical evidence that matching learning materials to an individual’s learning style actually enhances learning outcomes (the so called meshing hypothesis). In this online study, the meshing hypothesis was tested in a sample of prospective teachers (N = 222) employing the revised Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire (VVQ-R). In a between-subjects design, participants were presented with either visual or verbal learning materials (figures vs. texts) of the same content based on actual course material. There was no significant interaction between presentation mode and learning styles on learning outcome, revealing no advantage of matching learning style and presentation mode. Similarly, learning styles did not predict judgements of learning (JOL) or confidence ratings for the matching presentation mode. In sum, the study provides further evidence that considering learning style in teaching methods such as presentation mode is not beneficial. Importantly, the present study used ecologically valid learning materials and a sufficiently powered sample. Moreover, as in previous studies, attitudes towards learning styles and their implementation in the classroom were very positive in the present sample. Teaching about the theoretical and empirical background of learning styles somewhat decreased these positive attitudes.
Comparing PFAS analysis in batch leaching and column leaching tests
Authors: Kalbe Ute , Piechotta Christian , Bandow Nicole
Published: November 2024

Laboratory leaching tests are tools to assess the mobility of environmental contaminants released from granular materials. Comparative leaching tests were performed using four PFAS-contaminated soils whose concentration patterns of 10 selected perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) differed due to the two types of contamination sources. This study aimed to evaluate the equivalence of two usual laboratory-scale leaching test procedures, batch and column percolation tests, at liquid-to-solid ratios (L/S) of 2 l/kg, which is the current practice within the German assessment framework, and 10 l/kg (relevant for some EU regulations such as the landfill directive). The differences between the replicates of leaching tests investigating PFAS were smaller for column percolation tests than for batch tests, probably mainly due to the greater sample size and the better representativeness of the sample portion analyzed. It was observed that batch tests overestimate the release of shorter-chain PFAS, whereby the effect was greater with carboxylic than with sulfonic acids. Currently, the limits of detection of analyses given by the DIN standard with regard to PFCA and PFSA in soils are partly not sufficient to detect very low contents, whereas the detection of selected PFCA and PFSA in eluates is more sensitive, in accordance with the available standards. This results in limitations when calculating mass balances.
Beyond batch experiments: unveiling the potential of bimetallic carbon xerogels for catalytic wet peroxide oxidation of hospital wastewater in continuous mode
Authors: Santos Silva Adriano , Roman Fernanda Fontana , Ribeiro Rui Sérgio , Garcia Juan , Gomes Helder Teixeira
Published: November 2024

Single- and bimetallic carbon xerogels were prepared by incorporating iron and iron-cobalt precursors during their synthesis, respectively, and tested in the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) of ibuprofen spiked into a simulated matrix in batch mode. The bimetallic catalyst outperformed single and non-metallic catalyst by 25 and 85% after 360 min of reaction, at mild temperature (30 °C). The best-performing catalyst was further used to treat hospital wastewater in a CWPO system operating in full continuous mode. Process optimization was carried out considering different catalyst loads, temperatures, and pH. The results obtained showed that the best conditions are initial pH 3, T = 80 °C, and a catalyst load of 35.4 mg cm−3. Having maintained values of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removals as high as 80% after 24 h of continuous operation, the results herein reported revealed the high potential of the bimetallic carbon xerogel for CWPO of hospital wastewater beyond conventional applications in batch mode. Despite some catalytic deactivation, the bimetallic carbon xerogel still delivered a mineralization degree as high as 55% of the initial total organic carbon (TOC) content of the hospital wastewater in the third 24-h cycle of CWPO in continuous mode of operation with successive catalyst reuse, as opposed to a 73% TOC removal in the first cycle. Therefore, our results open prospects for the implementation of CWPO for hospital wastewater treatment in continuous mode of operation.
Institutional Complementarity and Substitution in Indian Multinational Enterprises’ Cross-Border Investment Decisions
Authors: Nayyar Rishika , Luiz John M.
Published: November 2024

The assumption that better institutions are favoured in multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) location choices has been questioned in terms of whether emerging market MNEs might have different capabilities associated with the institutional conditions in their home country that they may exploit when internationalizing. They might seek to expand both to better institutional environments (institutional substitution) and to other emerging market environments (institutional complementarity). We examine if elements of institutional complementarity and substitution are evident in the internationalization decisions of Indian MNEs, and whether there are boundary conditions or limits attached to the benefits of these two effects. Our arguments are tested on a sample of Indian MNEs’ cross-border acquisitions between 2002 and 2021. The study differentiates between institutional distance effects in terms of both magnitude and direction, and institutional quality. We raise the notion of “institutional ranges or thresholds” (different points on the institutional profile distribution representing varying levels of institutional quality) and explicitly seek to identify such thresholds where the effects of institutional complementarity and substitution may set in and/or disappear, and why that may be the case.
The future of cognitive strategy-enhanced persuasive dialogue agents: new perspectives and trends
Authors: Chen Mengqi , Guo Bin , Wang Hao , Li Haoyu , Zhao Qian , Liu Jingqi , Ding Yasan , Pan Yan , Yu Zhiwen
Published: November 2024

Persuasion, as one of the crucial abilities in human communication, has garnered extensive attention from researchers within the field of intelligent dialogue systems. Developing dialogue agents that can persuade others to accept certain standpoints is essential to achieving truly intelligent and anthropomorphic dialogue systems. Benefiting from the substantial progress of Large Language Models (LLMs), dialogue agents have acquired an exceptional capability in context understanding and response generation. However, as a typical and complicated cognitive psychological system, persuasive dialogue agents also require knowledge from the domain of cognitive psychology to attain a level of human-like persuasion. Consequently, the cognitive strategy-enhanced persuasive dialogue agent (defined as CogAgent), which incorporates cognitive strategies to achieve persuasive targets through conversation, has become a predominant research paradigm. To depict the research trends of CogAgent, in this paper, we first present several fundamental cognitive psychology theories and give the formalized definition of three typical cognitive strategies, including the persuasion strategy, the topic path planning strategy, and the argument structure prediction strategy. Then we propose a new system architecture by incorporating the formalized definition to lay the foundation of CogAgent. Representative works are detailed and investigated according to the combined cognitive strategy, followed by the summary of authoritative benchmarks and evaluation metrics. Finally, we summarize our insights on open issues and future directions of CogAgent for upcoming researchers.
When is optimistic Expectation Most Beneficial? Optimistic expectations, conscientiousness and academic performance in a sample of freshman students
Authors: Icekson Tamar , Slobodin Ortal
Published: November 2024

Previous studies have shown that a significant proportion of first-year students tend to maintain favorable self-assessments regarding future performance, displaying a pronounced optimism. This longitudinal study examined how expectations of future performance among freshman students are associated with their actual end-of-degree achievements. Based on the investment theory, we also examined the moderating role of the personality trait of conscientiousness in this relationship. Expectations of future performance at the end-of-first year and conscientiousness levels of 115 freshman students were assessed as predictors of their average academic score at the end-of-the degree. Multiple hierarchical regressions demonstrated that after controlling for high school scores, students who expected better end-of-first-year grades achieved actual better scores at graduation than those who provided lower estimates of their achievements. Results also showed that conscientiousness moderated the expectation-performance relationship, so that it was stronger for students with higher expectations than for students with lower ones. Higher levels of conscientiousness were more beneficial for optimistic students than students with pessimistic views of their performance.
Poincaré-Lelong Type Formulas and Segre Numbers
Authors: Andersson Mats
Published: November 2024

Let E and F be Hermitian vector bundles over a complex manifold X and let

$$g:E\rightarrow F$$

g
:
E
→
F

be a holomorphic morphism. We prove a Poincaré-Lelong type formula with a residue term

$$M^g$$

M
g

. The currents

$$M^g$$

M
g

so obtained have an expected functorial property. We discuss various applications: If F has a trivial holomorphic subbundle of rank r outside the analytic set Z, then we get currents with support on Z that represent the Bott-Chern classes

$${\hat{c}}_k(E)$$

c
^

k

(
E
)

for

$$k >\mathrm{rank \,}E-r$$

k
>

rank

E
-
r

. We also consider Segre and Chern forms associated with certain singular metrics on E. The multiplicities (Lelong numbers) of the various components of

$$M^g$$

M
g

only depend on the cokernel of the adjoint sheaf morphism

$$g^*$$

g
∗

. This leads to a notion of distinguished varieties and Segre numbers of an arbitrary coherent sheaf, generalizing these notions, in particular the Hilbert-Samuel multiplicity, in case of an ideal sheaf.
Synthesis of Brilliance Disperse Dyes Derived from Antipyrine and Their Dyeing Ability on Polyester Fabrics for Enhanced Fastness and Color Strength
Authors: Omar Alaa Z. , Mohamed Ahmed S. , Hamed Ezzat A. , El-Badry Susan M. , El-Atawy Mohamed A.
Published: November 2024

A series of five azo dyes derived from the diazonium salt of 4-aminoantipyrine and α- and β-naphthols and naphthalenediol were synthesized, and their chemical structures were identified by spectral measurements such as UV, FT-IR, and NMR, as well as elemental analysis. The chemical descriptor parameters of the synthesized dyes were computed using the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The dyes were classified as disperse dyes and were used to dye polyester fibers at high temperature and pH 4.0–5.0, utilizing acetic acid, while dispersing agents were added to enhance the stability and dispersion of the dyes. The color fastness properties of the dyed fibers were tested, and their color strength, reflectance, and dye exhaustion were measured. Finally, a plausible mechanism for the dyeing process was suggested.
Wie erkennt der innere Monatskalender von Tieren die richtige Mondphase?
Authors: Behrmann Elmar , Wolf Eva
Published: November 2024

Many marine animals time their reproduction according to moon phases. The marine bristle worm Platynereis dumerilii has a light-sensitive cryptochrome, L-Cry, that enables the bristle worm to synchronize its reproduction to the full moon phase. We found that L-Cry can discriminate between moonlight and sunlight and between moon phases. Additionally, structures of dark-adapted and light-activated L-Cry provided insights into its light activation mechanism.
Enzymrenaturierung durch sensorüberwachte Dialyse am Beispiel von Trypsin
Authors: Kurtze Ina , Berk Richard , Jörg Loreen Sophie
Published: November 2024

Protein renaturation as a necessary step in protein purification often comes with multiple drawbacks. Dialysis as an established and reproducible method of sample preparation has been optimized by scienova. We demonstrate a quick and effortless procedure to renaturate proteins while also maintaining control and knowledge about the dialysis process through data acquisition.
Einfluss nicht-codierender RNA-Interaktionen auf die Coronavirus-Infektion
Authors: Russow Jule Alina , Mahncke Cedric , Pfänder Stephanie
Published: November 2024

Coronaviruses have been shown to pose a significant risk for the human population. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), in particular, microRNA and long ncRNAs, have been increasingly recognized to be involved in multiple regulatory and cellular processes, including virus-host interactions. The aim of our DFG – Emmy Noether Projekt is to identify and elucidate the role of ncRNAs during coronavirus replication and immune control to provide novel opportunities to tackle critical interactions between viruses and the human host to enable the identification of targets for pharmaceutical intervention.
Desorption of Antibiotics from Granular Activated Carbon during Water Treatment by Adsorption
Authors: Rasouli Sadabad Hamed , Coleman Heather M. , Dooley James S. G. , Snelling William J. , O’Hagan Barry , Ganin Alexey Y. , Arnscheidt Joerg
Published: November 2024

Although desorption of adsorbed pharmaceuticals from granular activated carbon (GAC) may inadvertently lead to their partial discharge with adverse effects on aquatic environments, there have only been a few reports of this phenomenon. This study has investigated desorption of antibiotics vancomycin and rifampicin from activated carbon in aqueous media regarding contact time and pH regime. Various characterizations of the three types of GAC were investigated. Then, antibiotics were loaded on them via adsorption. Subsequently desorption and re-adsorption of antibiotics were quantified for a range of contact times and ambient pH values. Within the first hour of a reversed concentration gradient at neutral pH, desorption released 2% to 54% of previously adsorbed antibiotics to water, which were subsequently re-adsorbed within 24 hours to four weeks with less than 1% antibiotics remaining in the liquid phase. Lower desorption was positively associated with higher GAC mesopore content and larger specific surface area. Effects of the ambient pH regime varied between studied adsorbents. The results are evidence that mesopore content and pore size in relation to the kinetic diameter of adsorbate molecules are important determinants of the extent of antibiotic desorption from GAC and the rates of subsequent re-adsorption. Physisorption was the dominant mechanism involved in both processes. Observed proportions and rates of antibiotic desorption suggest that selection of GAC properties should also consider their effects on unintended desorption and the re-adsorption during treatment processes in order to minimize potential pollution discharge or promotion of antibiotic resistance during treatment processes.
Exploring the impact of locking down citizen’s voice on citizen participation in local government budgeting during COVID-19 public restrictions in Zimbabwe
Authors: Chikerema Arthur Fidelis , Chakunda Vincent , Mukunyadze Tinashe
Published: November 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unmatched challenges for citizen participation worldwide in local government budgeting processes. Zimbabwe in particular was grappling with the pandemic’s effects and pre-existing governance issues. The pandemic ignited the central government to put COVID-19 public restrictions militating on citizen engagement in the budgeting process. The implemented measures were aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. While these measures were necessary for public health, they unintentionally constrained citizens’ ability to be unreservedly involved in local government decision-making. The paper employed a qualitative case study research design, employing interviews, Google Forms, and document analysis, to gather data exploring the experiences and perspectives of citizens, civil society organizations, and local government officials regarding the repercussions of constrained citizen participation in local government budgeting during the pandemic. The argument was hinged on the participatory theory based on two broad views: the normative and the instrumentalist perspectives. The paper notes that COVID-19 restrictions severely constrained citizen participation, limiting public input, deliberation, and accountability opportunities. The inability to convene public meetings, consultations, and workshops weakened the citizen-government engagement process, hindering transparency and the ability of citizens to influence resource allocation and stewardship. Furthermore, the restricted participation by marginalized communities exacerbates existing inequalities due to the technological divide hindering their ability to voice their concerns and interests in the budgeting processes. The paper calls for the exigent need for inventive methodologies to guarantee comprehensive and evocative citizen participation, by leveraging digital technologies and promoting alternative channels for engagement to augment citizen participation in local government budgeting.
Understanding Figures in Neuroscience Research
Authors: Lim Austin
Published: November 2024

This innovative text introduces neuroscience students to the visual language of scientific publications, teaching scientific literacy, research methods, and graphical literacy in an engaging way. Employing a 'pictures first' pedagogical approach, it walks the reader step-by-step through the interpretation of neuroscience figures and explains the principles of experimental design. The major research techniques – from neuroimaging, to behavioral methods, to genetics and comparative approaches – are explored, illuminating how they are represented graphically in journal articles, and their strengths and limitations as a research tool. More than 130 example figures provide experimental paradigms for the more difficult-to-visualize methods, and depict actual results taken from the recently published scientific literature. Data from several study designs are discussed, including clinical case studies, meta-analyses, and experiments from behavior to molecular genetics. Concrete examples of experiments are provided along with each method, helping students with the design of their own research questions.
The rationality wars: a personal reflection
Authors: Gigerenzer Gerd
Published: November 2024

During the Cold War, logical rationality – consistency axioms, subjective expected utility maximization, Bayesian probability updating – became the bedrock of economics and other social sciences. In the 1970s, logical rationality underwent attack by the heuristics-and-biases program, which interpreted the theory as a universal norm of how individuals should make decisions, although such an interpretation is absent in von Neumann and Morgenstern’s foundational work and dismissed by Savage. Deviations in people’s judgments from the theory were thought to reveal stable cognitive biases, which were in turn thought to underlie social problems, justifying governmental paternalism. In the 1990s, the ecological rationality program entered the field, based on the work of Simon. It moves beyond the narrow bounds of logical rationality and analyzes how individuals and institutions make decisions under uncertainty and intractability. This broader view has shown that many supposed cognitive biases are marks of intelligence rather than irrationality, and that heuristics are indispensable guides in a world of uncertainty. The passionate debate between the three research programs became known as the rationality wars. I provide a brief account from the ‘frontline’ and show how the parties understood in strikingly different ways what the war entailed.
Mechanical properties of pristine smectite clay minerals and clay–polymer hybrids studied by density functional theory
Authors: Bashir Sanam , Tunega Daniel , Scholtzová Eva
Published: November 2024

Recent years have seen significant interest in the mechanical properties of clay–polymer hybrids due to their suitability for possible application as sustainable materials in green chemistry. The objective of the present study was to investigate the mechanical properties of clay–polymer hybrids and their corresponding pristine smectite clay minerals. The density functional theory (DFT) method, employing the D3 scheme for corrections of dispersion interactions, was used to calculate elastic constants (Cij) of models of pristine smectites, particularly montmorillonite, beidellite, saponite, and hectorite, and their hybrids built on the polymer poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), PMeOx. Following that, the elastic moduli, encompassing the bulk modulus (KVRH), shear modulus (GVRH), Young’s modulus (EVRH), and Poisson’s ratio (ν), were calculated. The results revealed a reduction in elastic constants and elastic moduli following the intercalation of smectite clay minerals with the PMeOx polymer. The findings highlighted a distinctive ranking of mechanical properties among pristine smectite clay minerals and clay–polymer hybrids, with hectorite and its hybrid (Htr-PMeOx) demonstrating better performance compared with saponite, montmorillonite, and beidellite and their respective hybrids.
Labour Standards in International Trade Agreements: A Rule of Law Perspective
Authors: Damjanovic Ivana , de Sadeleer Nicolas
Published: November 2024

Trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapters in international trade agreements include labour provisions with a view to prevent a “race to the bottom” and reaffirm the existing international labour commitments. When properly formulated and implemented, these provisions could have positive normative impacts on the international and domestic rule of law. This article provides a critical analysis of the evolution of labour standards in international trade agreements, particularly focusing on the European Union’s (EU) approach, in comparison with the approach in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). More specifically, it considers ways in which trade agreements contribute to the improvement of labour standards in domestic legal systems. While EU trade agreements embrace minimum standards under international labour law rather than higher standards that apply in the EU legal order, the article argues that there is at least a normative shift towards a more efficient implementation of labour rights through EU agreements, which could make a limited contribution to the rule of law.
Individual differences in overconfidence: A new measurement approach
Authors: Binnendyk Jabin , Pennycook Gordon
Published: November 2024

Overconfidence plays a role in a large number of individual decision biases and has been considered a ‘meta-bias’ for this reason. However, since overconfidence is measured behaviorally with respect to particular tasks (in which performance varies across individuals), it is unclear whether people generally vary in terms of their general overconfidence. We investigated this issue using a novel measure: the Generalized Overconfidence Task (GOT). The GOT is a difficult perception test that asks participants to identify objects in fuzzy (‘adversarial’) images. Critically, participants’ estimated performance on the task is not related to their actual performance. Instead, variation in estimated performance, we argue, arises from generalized overconfidence, that is, people indicating a cognitive skill for which they have no basis. In a series of studies (total N = 1,293), the GOT was more predictive when looking at a broad range of behavioral outcomes than two other overestimation tasks (cognitive and numeracy) and did not display substantial overlap with conceptually related measures (Studies 1a and 1b). In Studies 2a and 2b, the GOT showed superior reliability in a test–retest design compared to the other overconfidence measures (i.e., cognitive and numeracy measures), particularly when collecting confidence ratings after each image and an estimated performance score. Finally, the GOT is a strong predictor of a host of behavioral outcomes, including conspiracy beliefs, bullshit receptivity, overclaiming, and the ability to discern news headlines.
Log at first sight
Authors: Dubrulle Bérengère
Published: November 2024

A long-standing issue in pipe flow physics is whether the friction of the fluid follows a logarithmic or an algebraic decay. In 2005, McKeon et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 538, 2005, pp. 429–443) published a detailed analysis of new measurements in the Princeton facility, and apparently settled the debate by showing that ‘the log is the law’. Almost 20 years later, no better data are presently available to reinforce their statement. Still, the story may not be totally over, and this is bad news for mathematicians who were hoping to get a long awaited final answer to one of their most elusive questions.
Sorting capsules in microfluidic devices
Authors: Waters Sarah L.
Published: November 2024

In recent years, microfluidic systems have underpinned a wealth of biotechnology applications and proposed solutions for complex problems, including the sorting and enrichment of deformable particle suspensions. Motivated by such applications of microfluidic systems, Lu et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 923, 2021, A11) present a three-dimensional computational study of a train of deformable capsules flowing through a branched microchannel. Insights into the intricacies of the underlying complex fluid–structure interactions between the suspended capsules and the surrounding fluid can inform experimental scenarios whereby strong capsule interactions are avoided, facilitating precise operating control of microfluidic devices for sorting and enrichment.
Bubbling forth on thin films
Authors: Neufeld Jerome A.
Published: November 2024

The motion of a bubble of negligible viscosity, such as air, forced down a tube filled with a viscous fluid which wets the walls of the tube has become a classic of the fluid dynamical literature. The differential motion of the bubble and the fluid are determined by the thin film which surrounds the bubble, whose shape and thickness are set by the interplay between gradients in surface tension and viscous shear stresses. Bretherton (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 10, issue 2, 1961, p. 166) provided a first, clear mathematical analysis in the lubrication limit coupled with carefully constructed experimental confirmation of the thin films deposited by a bubble moving in the confining geometry of the capillary tube. Its lasting impact has been not only in the migration of bubbles, but in a host of related fluid dynamical, industrial, biological and environmental processes for which thin lubricating films on the sometimes convoluted geometries of complex microstructures, such as porous media, determine the large-scale behaviour.