bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental and numerical investigation of hysteretic earthquake behavior of masonry infilled RC frames with opening strengthened by adding rebar-reinforced stucco
Authors: Tekeli Hamide , Yüksel Ceyhun , Anıl Özgür , Mutlu Erkan Okay
Published: March 2024

Adding a reinforced stucco layer to the masonry infill walls is a preferred method for strengthening RC frame system structures with an easy-to-apply method that does not require a long time, is economical, and does not require detailed and extensive workmanship. However, no research has been discovered as a result of the extensive literature review that investigates the effects of masonry-infilled RC frames strengthened with a reinforced stucco layer on the seismic performance of openings that must be due to architectural requirements such as doors, windows, installations, and similar ventilation systems. As a result, an experimental study was planned to investigate the effects of the dimensions and location of the opening in the masonry infill walls on the performance of the strengthening method with the reinforced stucco layer. The applied strengthening method increased the ultimate load capacity, initial stiffness, and energy dissipation capacity values of reinforced concrete frames with masonry infill walls by 83%, 226%, and 62%, respectively, but resulted in a 38% decrease in displacement-ductility ratios. The study found that the openings in the masonry infill walls harm the performance of the strengthening technique by adding a rebar-reinforced stucco layer and decreasing the success level. When the opening size increased, and the opening was located at the corner of the masonry wall, the performance of the applied strengthening technique was negatively affected and decreased. Furthermore, nonlinear numerical analyses of the experiments conducted as part of the study were performed using ABAQUS finite element software. The numerical analysis results were compared to the experimental results. It has been determined whether numerical analysis models are compatible with experimental results.
Prey killing rate of a generalist predator may be enhanced by macronutrient manipulation
Authors: Toft Søren , Albuquerque Constança , Degn Nina , Kjærby Hjalte , Kyneb Sarah
Published: March 2024

Generalist arthropod predators forage not only to gain energy and nutrients, but also to obtain a balanced intake of macronutrients (the intake target). We test two opposite hypotheses concerning the predation rate of nutritionally imbalanced predators: It will increase (1) if the prey is rich in macronutrients that the predator is short of, or (2) if the prey is low in macronutrients that the predator is short of. We used the wolf spider Pardosa amentata (Clerck) as the predator and nutritionally manipulated Drosophila melanogaster Meigen as prey. We completed a full factorial experiment with eight treatment groups, in which we measured predation, consumption and prey utilization of high-protein (HP) and high-lipid (HL) flies by spiders that were previously treated with either HP- or HL-flies for two or six days. The results supported hypothesis 2. Whether spiders had been previously fed HP-or HL-flies, those that were tested against the same type of fly killed more than those tested against the opposite type of fly. A likely explanation for this result is that the predator will be unable to reach its macronutritional intake target by continued feeding on the same prey. It will stay nutritionally imbalanced and continue to catch prey in an attempt to redress its imbalance. In natural systems, predation rates may thus be increased by the widespread mismatch between predators’ nutritional demands and what is available in prey. In practical biological control, it suggests a beneficial effect of feeding the predator prior to release with the pest it is intended to control.
Orbital dynamics of smart dust with Poynting–Robertson and solar wind drag
Authors: Vadlamani Vinayak , Gurfil Pini
Published: March 2024

Smart dust devices are tiny systems-on-a-chip platforms capable of sensing, storing and transmitting data wirelessly as part of a large network with distributed capabilities. Previous works investigated the long-term orbital evolution of smart dust in space by studying the combined effect of gravitational perturbations, solar radiation pressure (SRP) and atmospheric drag. In the current work, the problem of finding long-term orbital equilibria conditions for smart dust is recast and extended to include Poynting–Robertson and Solar Wind (PRSW) drag. By including the PRSW effects and defining new equilibrium conditions on the orbital orientation, some additional partial equilibrium solutions are found. Moreover, it is shown that even though PRSW is not dominant compared to SRP or $$J_2$$

J
2

, it still influences the evolution of the relative Sun-orbit orientation. For orbits with higher initial perigee altitudes, where drag and $$J_2$$

J
2

effects subside, it is shown that PRSW influences long-term orbital behavior, and should be considered in the orbit design scheme of smart dust devices.
Exploring Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans as Mediators of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Neurogenesis
Authors: Petersen Sofia I. , Okolicsanyi Rachel K. , Haupt Larisa M.
Published: March 2024

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are major public health issues worldwide, with over 38 million people living with AD and approximately 48 million people (27–69 million) experiencing TBI annually. Neurodegenerative conditions are characterised by the accumulation of neurotoxic amyloid beta (Aβ) and microtubule-associated protein Tau (Tau) with current treatments focused on managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying cause. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are a diverse family of macromolecules that interact with various proteins and ligands and promote neurogenesis, a process where new neural cells are formed from stem cells. The syndecan (SDC) and glypican (GPC) HSPGs have been implicated in AD pathogenesis, acting as drivers of disease, as well as potential therapeutic targets. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) provide an attractive therapeutic option for studying and potentially treating neurodegenerative diseases due to their relative ease of isolation and subsequent extensive in vitro expansive potential. Understanding how HSPGs regulate protein aggregation, a key feature of neurodegenerative disorders, is essential to unravelling the underlying disease processes of AD and TBI, as well as any link between these two neurological disorders. Further research may validate HSPG, specifically SDCs or GPCs, use as neurodegenerative disease targets, either via driving hMSC stem cell therapy or direct targeting.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical abstract: Heparan sulfate proteoglycans as regulators of human mesenchymal stem cell neurogenesis. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and genetic factors increase Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk (yellow). Potential AD treatment targets (green) include human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Manipulating pathway and growth factor interactions with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) could regulate hMSC neurogenesis, potentially offering functional neural stem cell transplants as AD treatments
“Mathematics is a battle, but I’ve learned to survive”: becoming a disabled student in university mathematics
Authors: Nieminen Juuso Henrik , Reinholz Daniel L. , Valero Paola
Published: March 2024

In university mathematics education, students do not simply learn mathematics but are shaped and shape themselves into someone new—mathematicians. In this study, we focus on the becoming of disabled mathematical subjects. We explore the importance of abilities in the processes of being and becoming in university mathematics. Our interest lies in how teaching and assessment practices provide students with ways to understand themselves as both able and disabled, as disabilities are only understood with respect to the norm. We analyse narratives of nine university students diagnosed with learning disabilities or mental health issues to investigate how their subjectivity is constituted in discourse. Our analysis shows how the students are shaped and shape themselves as disabled mathematicians in relation to speed in mathematical activities, disaffection in mathematics, individualism in performing mathematics, and measurability of performance. These findings cast light on the ableist underpinnings of the teaching and assessment practices in university mathematics education. We contend that mathematical ableism forms a watershed for belonging in mathematics learning practices, constituting rather narrow, “normal” ways of being “mathematically able”. We also discuss how our participants challenge and widen the idea of an “able” mathematics student. We pave the way for more inclusive futures of mathematics education by suggesting that rather than understanding the “dis” in disability negatively, the university mathematics education communities may use dis by disrupting order. Perhaps, we ask, if university mathematics fails to enable accessible learning experiences for students who care about mathematics, these practices should indeed be disrupted.
On icicle ripples
Authors: Worster M. Grae
Published: March 2024

Natural icicles have an overall conical shape modulated by surface ripples. It has been noted from many observations of icicles formed in nature and in the laboratory that the wavelength of the ripples has a very narrow spectrum between about 8 and 12 mm and that, as time evolves, the phase of the ripples migrates upwards. In this pedagogical review, I explore some of the physical mechanisms that can cause and mediate the formation and migration of ripples on icicles using simple mathematical models. To keep the mathematics more straightforward and transparent, I confine attention to two dimensions. A key physical parameter is the surface tension between the film of water that coats an icicle and the air that surrounds it, which causes a phase shift between the film–air interface and the ice–film interface. I show that the wavelength of ripples is dominantly proportional to the cube root of the square of the gravity-capillary length times the thickness of the water film. At high film-flow rates, advection-dominated heat transfer coupled with the interfacial phase shift becomes the dominant driver of instability. Gibbs–Thomson undercooling provides an unexpectedly large stabilisation of small wavelengths at these large flow rates, sufficient to maintain wavelength selection at millimetre scales.
Should We Increase Young People’s Voting Power?
Authors: Angell Kim
Published: March 2024

This paper argues that democratic collectives have reason to increase the voting power of their younger members. It first presents an intuitive case for weighted voting in general, before drawing support from a prominent principle of democratic inclusion – the all-affected principle. On a plausible understanding of that principle, a decision may affect people to varying degrees, and this variation should be reflected in the strength of their say. The paper then argues that exposure time to a decision’s effects is typically a good proxy for tracking such variation, such that collectives have reason to gradually reduce their members’ voting power as they grow older. This holds, for example, in the ordinary parliamentary elections in representative democracies. It is then argued that we may build a similar case for age-weighting on a plausible version of the all-affected principle’s main rival, the all-subjected principle. The paper ends by addressing various objections. It argues that none of them undermine the case for age-weighting, and that some might even support age-weighting over its non-weighted (‘one person, one vote’) alternative.
Clinician perspectives on policy approaches to genetic risk disclosure in families
Authors: Phillips Amicia , Vears Danya F. , Van Hoyweghen Ine , Borry Pascal
Published: March 2024

Genomic sequencing has emerged as a powerful tool with significant implications for patients and their relatives, however, empirical evidence suggests that effective dissemination of risk information within families remains a challenge. Policy responses to address this issue vary across countries, with Belgium notably lacking specific regulations governing nondisclosure of genetic risk. In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians from Belgian clinical genetics centers to gain insight into their perspectives on policy approaches to the disclosure of genetic risk within families. Using real-world examples of legislation and court rulings from France, Australia, and the UK, we explored clinician viewpoints on the roles and responsibilities of both patients and clinicians in the family communication process. Clinicians expressed confusion regarding what was legally permissible regarding contacting at-risk relatives. While there was a consensus among participants that patients have a responsibility to inform their at-risk relatives, participants were hesitant to support the legal enforcement of this duty. Clinicians mostly recognized some responsibility to at-risk relatives, but the extent of this responsibility was a subject of division. Our findings highlight the need for a comprehensive policy that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of clinicians and patients to inform at-risk relatives. Furthermore, the study underscores the practical challenges clinicians face in supporting patients through the complex process of family communication, suggesting a need for additional resources and the exploration of alternative approaches to communication.
Podcasting for Public Knowledge: A Multiple Case Study of Scholarly Podcasts at One University
Authors: Persohn Lindsay , Letourneau Rayna , Abell-Selby Emma , Boczar Jason , Symulevich Allison , Szempruch Jessica , Torrence Matthew , Woolf Thomas , Holtzman Audrey
Published: March 2024

Through a lens for engaged scholarship (Boyer in Journal of Public Service and Outreach, 1(1), 11–20, 1996) this multiple case study (Merriam, 1996) explores the potential of scholarly podcasts for public knowledge dissemination, highlighting the misalignment of university impact metrics with this medium. Our team collected qualitative and numerical data from six podcasters across our university system. We identify metrics for assessing scholarly podcast value, offer recommendations for institutional communication, and share our insights and challenges. Data analysis suggests that a Listen Score (Listen Notes, ND) and an increasing Podcast Success Index (Singh et al. JMIR Medical Education, 2(2), 1–10, 2016) may be consistent with a wider reach. Consistent production and promotion are key and infrastructure support for scholarly podcasters is necessary.
Reconciling Ireland’s climate ambitions with climate policy and practice: challenges, contradictions and barriers
Authors: Slevin Amanda , Barry John
Published: March 2024

Often perceived as a green nation, Ireland’s climate action reputation ranges from being regarded as a climate ‘laggard’ to being applauded as one of the first states to introduce supply-side ‘keep it in the ground’ (KIIG) legislation. In line with UNFCCC and IPCC advice, Ireland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. However such ambitions have not yet translated into sufficient transformations required to achieve the goals of a Paris Agreement compliant pathway. Major challenges surround Ireland’s transition to net zero, for example, the country’s fossil fuel dependency means oil and gas (mostly imported) account for around 80% of primary energy while emissions from agriculture, transport and electricity generation are increasing, rather than decreasing. Ireland is failing to meet national and EU GHG reduction targets, has had to buy emissions quotas to comply with legal requirements, and its interim 2030 target is below the EU’s Climate Law ambition. Contradictory policies, especially those influenced by ROI’s neoliberal orientation, undermine climate action and mean Ireland struggles to achieve GHG reductions, despite the state’s climate change legislation and policies. Concentrating on supply-side climate policy, this article examines key issues hampering Ireland’s ability to reconcile its climate ambitious with policy and practice. Adopting a critical political economy analysis, we explore multi-level drivers of climate and energy policies, examining challenges like the war in Ukraine, which prompted the Irish state to re-consider where and how it sources gas and oil, in turn threatening existing KIIG measures. In critically analysing challenges and contradictions, we identify multiple ideological, political and economic factors, in particular, the neoliberal, globalised economic model influencing the State’s current unsustainable, risky and contradictory policy direction. We conclude by articulating specific barriers hampering Ireland’s climate ambitions that must be addressed to enable a just transition to a sustainable future.
The Behavioral Education in Social Media (BE-Social) Program for Postgraduate Academic Achievement: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tarifa-Rodriguez Aida , Virues-Ortega Javier , Calero-Elvira Ana
Published: March 2024

Few randomized controlled trials have evaluated social media study groups as educational aids in the context of online and blended teaching programs. We present the Behavioral Education in Social Media (BE-Social) intervention package, which integrates key evidence-informed behavioral intervention strategies delivered through a closed social media study group. BE-Social combines instructor-mediated cooperative learning and self-management training via multimedia posts and video modeling. Forty-six students were randomly assigned to a default online program (control) group or default online program plus BE-Social (intervention) group. Intervention outcomes included academic performance and social media engagement (reactions, comments). A mixed-effect ANOVA showed that individuals in the BE-Social group attained higher academic performance, F (1, 46) = 18.37, p < .001, η2 = .34). On average, the intervention produced a 20-point increase in academic performance over a 100-point scale and significant increases in social media engagement. A parallel single-subject analysis revealed that intervention gains were not always consistent across participants. Findings are consistent with the view that social media platforms provide a prosthetic social milieu that can enrich traditional education by maximizing social rewards through increased interaction opportunities and timely positive feedback. We propose the digital environment reward optimization hypothesis to denote these processes.
Subsidies or green taxes? Evaluating the distributional effects of housing renovation policies among Dutch households
Authors: Fernández Alejandro , Haffner Marietta , Elsinga Marja
Published: March 2024

Despite persistent housing affordability issues, energy policy and housing renovation are usually investigated separately from housing costs other than energy. Researchers have examined the financial viability of renovation attending to building conditions and the socio-economic characteristics of their occupants. However, the distributional impacts of renovation incentives and the potential of fiscal policy to redistribute housing costs remain understudied. Dutch fiscal policy, favouring homeownership, offers a relevant context to evaluate how property taxation can boost renovation rates. The novelty of this paper resides in investigating the impact of two policies, the current direct subsidy and a proposal for a green tax, on both the financial viability of renovation and the subsequent distribution of housing costs. The proposed green tax combines energy efficiency and taxation of property revenue. We employ a model considering marginal costs of housing renovation, obtained from a government dataset, and marginal benefits, drawn from a hedonic regression. We assess the distributional impacts of different policy scenarios by examining changes in user costs across income deciles. Our findings indicate that existing renovation subsidies exacerbate the regressive distributional impacts resulting from the current housing taxation system in the Netherlands. Introducing energy-efficiency-linked property taxation can make homeownership fiscality less regressive while incentivising housing renovation. Ultimately, this study highlights the importance of incorporating housing affordability as a fundamental element in renovation policies to balance environmental and distributional objectives.
Are the Italian microzonation level 2 abacuses applicable in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) plain? Comparison between the national abacuses and the numerically simulated amplification factors and between the derived elastic response spectra
Authors: Pazzi Veronica , Beltrame Chantal , Taverna Perla , Peressi Gabriele , Costa Giovanni
Published: March 2024

Seismic shaking of an area is strongly affected by the local geology. The so-called local site effects must be considered for the estimation of seismic effects on structures and urban planning. Thus, the seismic microzonation is the process aimed at identifying and mapping the subsoil local response in a given area, usually at urban/municipality scale and in terms of ground shaking parameters and susceptibility to ground instabilities. In Italy, for areas that can be schematised as a 1D subsoil model (e.g. alluvial plain), a simplified approach is proposed to quantify the seismic amplification (amplification factor, AF). This approach consists of tables of correspondences, called seismic abacuses, available for the whole national area as well as for some regional territories, and derived for simplified subsoil models. In this work, the results of the comparison between the AF values retrieved from national abacuses applied in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) plain municipalities and those from 1D numerical simulations are presented. In general, the abacuses underestimate the local seismic site effects a part for sites with a shallow bedrock. No correlations/trends were identified between the AF derived from abacuses and those from numerical simulations. Moreover, considering the elastic acceleration response spectra, it emerges that in the 49.5% of the FVG analysed sites the abacuses approach, even though it underestimates the real seismic response, is a more suitable approximation compared to the soil class simplified approach proposed by the Italian regulation. Finally, what emerges is that the limit of 30 m, as indicated in the Italian regulation, to consider a deep or shallow bedrock seams underestimated, and the AFs are not correlated with the seismic bedrock depth when it is higher than 100 m.
Numerical solution of the boundary value problems for the biharmonic equations via quasiseparable representations
Authors: Ben-Artzi M. , Eidelman Y. , Fishelov D.
Published: March 2024

The paper incorporates new methods of numerical linear algebra for the approximation of the biharmonic equation with potential, namely, numerical solution of the Dirichlet problem for

$$ \left( \frac{d}{dx}\right) ^4u(x)+c(x)u(x)=\phi (x),\quad 0<x<1. $$

d

dx

4

u

(
x
)

+
c

(
x
)

u

(
x
)

=
ϕ

(
x
)

,

0
<
x
<
1
.

High-order discrete finite difference operators are presented, constructed on the basis of discrete Hermitian derivatives, and the associated Discrete Biharmonic Operator (DBO). It is shown that the matrices associated with the discrete operator belong to a class of quasiseparable matrices of low rank matrices. The application of quasiseparable representation of rank structured matrices yields fast and stable algorithm for variable potentials c(x). Numerical examples corroborate the claim of high order accuracy of the algorithm, with optimal complexity O(N).
Fine-tuning root exudation sampling procedures– evaluating the effect of sampling solution volume and the suitability of Micropur as microbial activity inhibitor
Authors: Otxandorena-Ieregi Uxue , Santangeli Michael , Aleksza David , Hann Stephan , Oburger Eva
Published: March 2024

Background and aim

Root exudates are the main drivers of plant-microbes-soil interactions. There are several approaches to collect root exudates, but critical methodological evaluation remains limited. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of the applied sampling solution volume and to test the suitability of Micropur as microbial activity inhibitor during the exudate sampling process.

Methods

Using Zea mays L. as model plant and the soil-hydroponic hybrid exudate sampling approach, we tested the effect of different sampling solution volumes and different Micropur concentrations on maize root exudation. Additionally, a sterile hydroponic-only experiment was conducted to monitor potential effects of Micropur on maize physiology. Photometric and LC-TOF-MS analyses were used to reveal the effect of different conditions on root exudation and plant stress response.

Results

Our results demonstrated that both, the sampling volume as well as the presence or absence of microbial activity inhibitor can significantly affect obtained exudation results. Carbon exudation rates were underestimated when using a small sampling volume relative to the root biomass. Even though the overall C exudation was minimally affected by microbial degradation, the addition of Micropur (≥ 5 mg L−1) significantly reduced the decomposition of 14C citric acid. Maize plants did not show any stress symptoms upon exposure to different concentrations of MP but root membrane permeability and exudation were negatively affected when using MP concentrations >5 mg L−1.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of thoroughly evaluating experimental procedures and delivers relevant insights supporting future experimental designs targeting root exudates.
“Failure-to-warn” when giving advice to students? No evidence for an ethnic bias among teacher students in Germany
Authors: Nishen Anna K. , Kessels Ursula
Published: March 2024

Receiving appropriate, unbiased advice from their teachers is important for students’ smaller- and larger-scale educational decisions. However, teachers’ concerns about being or appearing to be prejudiced may interfere and lead them to provide encouraging advice to students belonging to negatively stereotyped groups even when it is not warranted (failure-to-warn phenomenon). In this experimental study, we aimed to replicate findings from the US and tested whether teacher students in Germany provided overly encouraging advice regarding the academic plans of a student with a Turkish (vs. German) name. Teacher students (n = 174) saw the overly ambitious timetable of a (supposed) student with a Turkish or German name and gave advice online on rating scales and in an open-response format. In their advice, they indicated, among others, the perceived demands of the timetable, possible affective and social consequences for the student, and the need to reconsider the timetable. Contrary to expectations and findings from the US, our analyses did not indicate differences in the advice that students with Turkish vs. German names received. Instead, teacher students warned students with a Turkish and German name equally of the difficulties associated with their potential timetable. We discuss both methodology- and theory-related potential explanations for these unexpected findings.
On the Evolution and Determinants of Water Efficiency in the Regions of Spain
Authors: Buendía Hernández Asensio , André Francisco Javier , Santos-Arteaga Francisco Javier
Published: March 2024

Economic growth in Spain has largely relied on certain water-intensive sectors including construction, leisure, and agriculture; but considerable heterogeneity is found across the country’s regions, both in terms of water stress and economic structure. Using Data Envelopment Analysis and a panel Tobit model, we analyze the determinants of water efficiency in Spain, differentiating by groups of agents (companies, households, and municipalities) and paying particular attention to inter-regional differences and specifically the sectoral structure of the various regions. To the best of our knowledge, such an analysis has never before been conducted with a focus on Spain’s economy. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of considering the circular aspects of water management by including treated wastewater and recycled water in our analysis. We argue that this approach provides more credible and accurate measures of efficiency as well as more robust results around the key driving and explanatory factors. Our analysis reveals that water efficiency has a very significant inertia component with respect to one-year and even two-year lags, and this is found to react positively to water scarcity. Moreover, water efficiency depends on income in a nonlinear way, and it is sensitive to the economic structures of the diverse regions, with more efficient regions tending to export more at the national level. In terms of policy implications, our results provide an empirical basis from which to advocate for water tariffication as a means to spur efficiency.
The duration of lithium use and biological ageing: telomere length, frailty, metabolomic age and all-cause mortality
Authors: Mutz Julian , Wong Win Lee Edwin , Powell Timothy R. , Young Allan H. , Dawe Gavin S. , Lewis Cathryn M.
Published: March 2024

Lithium is an established first-line treatment for bipolar disorder. Beyond its therapeutic effect as a mood stabiliser, lithium exhibits potential anti-ageing effects. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the duration of lithium use, biological ageing and mortality. The UK Biobank is an observational study of middle-aged and older adults. We tested associations between the duration of lithium use (number of prescriptions, total duration of use and duration of the first prescription period) and telomere length, frailty, metabolomic age (MileAge) delta, pulse rate and all-cause mortality. Five hundred ninety-one individuals (mean age = 57.49 years; 55% females) had been prescribed lithium. There was no evidence that the number of prescriptions (β =  − 0.022, 95% CI − 0.081 to 0.037, p = 0.47), the total duration of use (β =  − 0.005, 95% CI − 0.023 to 0.013, p = 0.57) or the duration of the first prescription period (β =  − 0.018, 95% CI − 0.051 to 0.015, p = 0.29) correlated with telomere length. There was also no evidence that the duration of lithium use correlated with frailty or MileAge delta. However, a higher prescription count and a longer duration of use was associated with a lower pulse rate. The duration of lithium use did not predict all-cause mortality. We observed no evidence of associations between the duration of lithium use and biological ageing markers, including telomere length. Our findings suggest that the potential anti-ageing effects of lithium do not differ by the duration of use.
Ready to Implement? An Exploration of K12 Faculty’s Preparedness to Create Inclusive Learning Environments
Authors: Herman Kristin , Baaki John
Published: March 2024

Understanding how to create trauma-informed learning environments which can contribute to learner empowerment is the focus of this phase of an ongoing education design research project. As embedding opportunities for social-emotional learning (SEL) competency development has proven to help all students develop a sense of belonging within their educational environments (Cooper, 2014), a classroom climate that promotes these opportunities proves a useful metric by which to define inclusive learning environments. Internal and external factors K-12 faculty perceive as affecting their ability to create inclusive learning environments for increasingly diverse student bodies are examined. Observations are used to understand the extent to which faculty perception informs classroom practice. As K12 teachers are often collaborators in design and implementation of inclusive environments, an understanding of the extent to which these individuals conceptualize terms such as “belonging” is critical.
Wie gelingt eine soziallagenbezogene Impfprävention? Ein Beispiel der Coronaimpfkampagne des Landes Bremen
Authors: Richter Hanna , Kühne Lisa , Quante-Brandt Eva , Mugo Faith
Published: March 2024

Einleitung

Die nationale Impfstrategie in Deutschland sieht vor, dass möglichst viele Menschen gegen das SARS-CoV-2-Virus („severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2“) geimpft werden. Dazu ist eine hohe Impfbereitschaft entscheidend, die allerdings durch eine Vielzahl von Faktoren beeinflusst wird. Unter Verwendung des 5‑C-Modells des individuellen Impfverhaltens von Betsch et al. wird in diesem Artikel die Umsetzung der nationalen Impfstrategie im Land Bremen analysiert. Ziel ist die Darstellung der Umsetzung der nationalen Impfstrategie sowie das Aufzeigen von Gelingensbedingungen für soziallagenbezogene Präventionsmaßnahmen.

Methode

Die Corona-Impfkampagne des Landes Bremen wird dargestellt auf Basis systematischer Recherchen bei den Behörden auf Bundes- und Landesebene und Auskünften der für die Umsetzung verantwortlichen Träger. Die Standorte und die Kapazitäten der zentralen und dezentralen Impfzentren und der Impftrucks in Begleitung der Gesundheitsfachkräfte im Quartier werden aufgezeigt.

Ergebnisse

Die Impfstrategie kennzeichnet sich durch zentrale und dezentrale Impfangebote, eingebettet in die aufsuchende Arbeit von Gesundheitsfachkräften im Quartier, in Stadtteilen mit hohem Bedarf. Zentrale Gelingensfaktoren waren die flexiblen, wohnortnahen Impfangebote durch dezentrale Impfzentren und Impftrucks in den Stadtteilen sowie eine vertrauensvolle und niedrigschwellige Aufklärungsarbeit durch die Gesundheitsfachkräfte im direkten Wohnumfeld.

Diskussion

Mit der Umsetzung einer soziallagenbezogenen Impfprävention wurden auch jene Einwohner:innen erreicht, die aufgrund ihrer sozialen Lage weniger empfänglich für Präventionsmaßnahme sind, die aber besonders in der COVID-19-Pandemie („coronavirus disease 2019“) Unterstützungsbedarfe aufwiesen. Durch die Möglichkeit der wohnortnahen Impfung und der effektiven Informationsarbeit der Gesundheitsfachkräfte im Quartier wurden individuelle und strukturelle Hindernisse beseitigt. Somit spielt die Anschlussfähigkeit von Maßnahmen an die Lebenswelt der Dialoggruppen und die Zusammenarbeit von verschiedenen Akteuren eine zentrale Rolle, um die Inanspruchnahme von Impf- und Präventionsmaßnahmen zu steigern.
Committed Democrats? How Trade-off Specific Cues Affect Expressions of Support for Liberal and Democratic Principles
Authors: Isermann Lukas , Gärtner Lea , Schoen Harald
Published: March 2024

Democratic stability depends on citizens’ willingness to support the application of liberal and democratic principles. Yet recent experimental research leaves doubt whether the high levels of abstract support for liberal democratic norms found in the literature translate to individuals defending these norms, even against their own interests. We argue that support for liberal and democratic principles involves trade-offs when people can determine the costs and benefits of these principles for their own political agendas. In consequence, their support for the application of these norms differs from their abstract support for the same principles. Using data from two surveys on German citizens’ attitudes toward climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that trade-off specific cues affect people’s expressions of support for liberal and democratic norms in line with their interests. Individuals who are more concerned about a crisis are less willing to support norms that impede the implementation of their preferred policies. As support for the application of liberal and democratic norms significantly diverges from expressed levels of abstract support, the informative value of the latter regarding the stability of liberal democratic regimes is called into question.
A New Method for Evaluating the Influence of Coatings on the Strength and Fatigue Behavior of Flexible Glass
Authors: Langgemach Wiebke , Rädlein Edda
Published: March 2024

Flexible glass is an interesting substrate for a variety of displays, especially bendable or foldable ones, as it shows excellent surface properties and appealing haptics. With the necessary skill, flexible glass can be coated with thin films of different functionality, such as electrical or optical thin films, using plasma processes. In displays, thin film coatings such as transparent conductive electrodes and/or antireflective layer stacks are of major importance. Despite its attractive surface properties, however, flexible glass is still brittle, and its strength must be examined and monitored during any functionalization process, especially with regard to the fatigue behaviour. Currently, specific setups for cyclic fatigue testing of coated flexible glass are not available. Therefore, a new test method is presented herein for easy-to-handle rapid strength and fatigue testing using an endurance testing machine. This method overcomes two issues with the commonly used two-point bending test: the correct insertion of specimens is much easier, and both strength and fatigue testing using the same setup are now possible. Finite element method (FEM) simulation outcomes and first experimental simple fracture tests show that results comparable to those with a two-point bending test setup can be achieved with less effort. This makes it possible to analyze the fracture behaviour of flexible glass under cyclic loading and to evaluate the influence of thin film stress and other coating properties on its performance.

Graphical Abstract
When the road is rocky: Investigating the role of vulnerability in consumer journeys
Authors: Sudbury-Riley Lynn , Hunter-Jones Philippa , Al-Abdin Ahmed , Haenlein Michael
Published: March 2024

Journey research has primarily analyzed agentic, solo travelers making rational single-purchase decisions. In contrast, we examine a journey where consumers and their traveling companions are vulnerable and must navigate an unfamiliar service system. We explore how vulnerability shapes consumer journeys, how service and system factors impact vulnerability, and how traveling companions influence agency and vulnerability. Using data from an extensive study into end-of-life care, our results reveal novel insights into the role of consumer vulnerability throughout a journey. We show how the ebb and flow of consumer vulnerability shapes the journey, and how the journey shapes vulnerability. Traveling companions, themselves vulnerable, play a major role in influencing vulnerability and the journey itself. We offer managerial implications for organizations whose consumers are in vulnerable situations.
Brand transgressions: How, when, and why home country bias backfires
Authors: Davvetas Vasileios , Ulqinaku Aulona , Katsikeas Constantine S.
Published: March 2024

Despite heightened interest in brand transgressions among academics and practitioners, the literature remains silent about the influence of a brand’s origin on consumer responses to brand misconduct. This leaves managers unaware of how to adapt post-transgression recovery strategies at home and abroad. Contrary to the in-group country bias literature, we theorize an “origin-backfire” effect: consumers forgive domestic brand transgressions less. Analyzing experimental, social media, and secondary-longitudinal data, we find that consumers treat domestic brand transgressors as home-country traitors deserving punishment. Social identity threats mediate this effect and consumer ethnocentrism attenuates it. Transgressions’ damage on brand reputation and value is larger and takes longer to recover from in domestic markets. Managers can alleviate post-transgression backlash through communication framing that construes the transgression as a response to intergroup threats (in foreign markets) and through collective compensation strategies (in domestic markets). The findings reveal cross-national variability in transgressions’ experience, impact, and recovery and inform post-transgression repair strategies.
A scoping review of web-based, interactive, personalized decision-making tools available to support breast cancer treatment and survivorship care
Authors: Wojcik Kaitlyn M. , Kamil Dalya , Zhang Julia , Wilson Oliver W. A. , Smith Laney , Butera Gisela , Isaacs Claudine , Kurian Allison , Jayasekera Jinani
Published: March 2024

Purpose

We reviewed existing personalized, web-based, interactive decision-making tools available to guide breast cancer treatment and survivorship care decisions in clinical settings.

Methods

The study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We searched PubMed and related databases for interactive web-based decision-making tools developed to support breast cancer treatment and survivorship care from 2013 to 2023. Information on each tool’s purpose, target population, data sources, individual and contextual characteristics, outcomes, validation, and usability testing were extracted. We completed a quality assessment for each tool using the International Patient Decision Aid Standard (IPDAS) instrument.

Results

We found 54 tools providing personalized breast cancer outcomes (e.g., recurrence) and treatment recommendations (e.g., chemotherapy) based on individual clinical (e.g., stage), genomic (e.g., 21-gene-recurrence score), behavioral (e.g., smoking), and contextual (e.g., insurance) characteristics. Forty-five tools were validated, and nine had undergone usability testing. However, validation and usability testing included mostly White, educated, and/or insured individuals. The average quality assessment score of the tools was 16 (range: 6–46; potential maximum: 63).

Conclusions

There was wide variation in the characteristics, quality, validity, and usability of the tools. Future studies should consider diverse populations for tool development and testing.

Implications for cancer survivors

There are tools available to support personalized breast cancer treatment and survivorship care decisions in clinical settings. It is important for both cancer survivors and physicians to carefully consider the quality, validity, and usability of these tools before using them to guide care decisions.
Real-world experience with pertuzumab and trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy in neoadjuvant treatment for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer: the NEOPERSUR study
Authors: Falcón González Alejandro , Cruz Jurado Josefina , Llabrés Valenti Elisenda , Urbano Cubero Rocío , Álamo de la Gala Maria Carmen , Martínez Guisado María Antonia , Álvarez Ambite Rocío , Rodríguez González Carlos José , Amérigo Góngora Marta , Rodríguez Pérez Lourdes , López Álvarez Pilar , Sánchez Rovira Pedro , González Flores Encarnación , Henao Carrasco Fernando , Bayo Calero Juan , Valero Arbizu María , Quílez Cutillas Alicia , Salvador Boffil Javier , Rubio Pérez Eloísa , Ruiz-Borrego Manuel
Published: March 2024

Purpose

HER2-targeted therapies have dramatically improved outcomes of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (BC), as demonstrated in neoadjuvant trials. This study aims to provide real-world evidence on the use and effectiveness of combined pertuzumab, trastuzumab and chemotherapy (CT) in early-stage HER2-positive BC.

Methods

A retrospective, multicentre study was conducted on patients diagnosed with HER2-positive early BC treated with neoadjuvant pertuzumab and trastuzumab plus CT at 13 Spanish sites. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR).

Results

A total of 310 patients were included. Pertuzumab and trastuzumab were combined with anthracyclines and taxanes, carboplatin and docetaxel, and taxane-based CT in 77.1%, 16.5%, and 6.5% of patients, respectively. Overall, the pCR rate was 62.2%. The pCR was higher amongst patients with hormone receptor-negative tumours and with tumours expressing higher levels of Ki-67 (> 20%). After postoperative adjuvant treatment, 13.9% of patients relapsed. Those patients who did not achieve pCR, with tumours at advanced stages (III), and with node-positive disease were more likely to experience distant relapse. Median overall survival (OS) and distant disease-free survival (D-DFS) were not reached at the study end. The estimated mean OS and D-DFS times were 7.5 (95% CI 7.3–7.7) and 7.3 (95% CI 7.1–7.5) years, respectively (both were significantly longer amongst patients who achieved pCR). Grade 3–4 anti-HER2 related toxicities were reported in six (1.9%) patients.

Conclusion

Neoadjuvant pertuzumab and trastuzumab plus CT achieve high pCR rates in real-life patients with HER2-positive early BC, showing an acceptable safety profile. Innovative adjuvant strategies are essential in patients at high risk of distant disease recurrence.
Fluctuations in Radiation Use Efficiency Throughout the Growth Cycle in Diploid Potato Crop
Authors: Saldaña-Villota Tatiana M. , Cotes-Torres José Miguel
Published: March 2024

The capture of incoming solar radiation under unlimited light, water, and nutrient conditions by plant canopies and converting it into biomass has been described as radiation use efficiency (RUE). RUE has been computed as a function of biomass accumulation and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation without considering the loss of photoassimilates due to respiratory processes. This study evaluated the RUE in diploid potato crop (Solanum phureja Juz. et Buk.) across six experiments in Colombia. Total biomass was measured during the crop season from the early vegetative stage through maturity. However, this proposal involves not only the total biomass accumulated concerning the amount of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted but also took into account the losses by respiration, following Thornley respiration approach. This research demonstrates that the RUE is not a constant value as the respiration process leads to RUE values being variable in a non-linear way over time. The daily RUE simulation, conducted through an interpolation process, revealed significant variation from emergence to the end of the cycle. This indicates an error in assuming a constant RUE throughout the entire growth period, particularly in assessing its physiological impact across the entire growth and development crop cycle.