bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Plastic Packaging from Sorted Municipal Waste and Its Life Cycle Assessment Using Digital Product Passports
Authors: Berg Elena , Wagner Pia , Grünert Gonsalves , Mayer Johannes , Leuchtenberger Lisa , Niemietz Philipp , Bergs Thomas , Dahlmann Rainer
Published: December 2024

Plastic waste from packaging is being repurposed to create new products with similar processing and usage properties as virgin plastics. Understanding its composition, degradation processes, and recycling steps is essential to open up new fields of applications. To shed light on sustainable uses of recycled plastics in packaging, this paper presents interdisciplinary research which investigates and connects three areas to a holistic product view from the material to the end of production. The first area focusses on the exploration of recyclate applications by analysing and processing different recyclates and design-recyclates to identify their potential in plastic packaging products. In the second research area an evaluation model to assess the ecological sustainability of plastic packaging is developed, considering factors like material composition and processing methods. The final area focuses on developing a platform-supported information system for sharing relevant sustainability data, considering mechanisms to enhance data sharing.

The challenges and opportunities of using recyclates in packaging are examined through a demonstrator product—a recyclable stand-up pouch which also contains recyclates. The analysis involves production, life cycle assessment, and utilising platforms for data sharing throughout its life cycle. The paper delves into methods to combine the practical analysis of material behaviour, the mechanisms to use and share the resulting material, machine and process data and the sustainability assessment of this data.
Adaptive Unscrewing Automation for Electric Motors
Authors: Schmidt Patrick Alexander , Schmutzler Florian , Löffler David , Fritsch Christian , Frieß Uwe
Published: December 2024

This paper presents the development of solutions for the autonomous disassembly of electric motors, a vital component in the realm of e-mobility. With the escalating growth in electric vehicle (EV) production, exemplified by the registration of 10.8 million EVs worldwide in 2022 and the substantial sales of specific electric motor models, the importance of efficient recycling and disassembly processes has become more pronounced. Recognizing this, our project “Zirkel” aims to address the challenges of circular economy and resource efficiency through innovative disassembly techniques.

Our methodology involved comprehensive pre-disassembly workshops to familiarize ourselves with the electric motor as a component, understanding its structure, and identifying potential challenges in the disassembly process. The workshops provided crucial insights into the specificities of electric motors used in popular EV models like the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4, paving the way for the development of an autonomous disassembly system.

The technical challenges in developing this system were manifold, tackled through a multi-staged approach that integrates both sensorial and mechanical processes. This approach allowed us to efficiently navigate the complexities associated with the disassembly of electric motors, ensuring a balance between precision and practicality.

In the demonstrator section of the paper, we elucidate the step-by-step process of overcoming these technical hurdles, detailing the development stages and the innovative solutions we employed. This includes the use of advanced automated techniques, adaptive designs, and automation of previously manual processes.
Diskussion
Authors: Noesen Melanie
Published: December 2024

In den vorigen Kapiteln habe ich herausgearbeitet, dass das Portfolio zum einen als Instrument für die Umsetzung einer kompetenzorientierten, standardisierten Leistungsbeurteilung, zum anderen als Werkzeug der Inklusionsförderung eingesetzt werden kann. Für die Realisierung beider Zielsetzungen ist es sicherlich nicht allein maßgebend, kann jedoch ein Gelingensfaktor neben anderen darstellen. Weiter schafft die Verfolgung beider Zielvorstellungen systeminhärente Widersprüche, die sich in den didaktischen Praktiken, hier ganz besonders in der Portfolioarbeit, auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen äußern.
Einführung
Authors: Braese Stephan , Waldschmidt Christine
Published: December 2024

Die Einleitung zum Handbuch „Sprachkulturen“ geht aus von der Geschichte des – zunächst normativen – Begriffs ‚Sprachkultur‘ und beschreibt, wie diesem eine stärker sozial- und kulturgeschichtliche Bedeutung zuwuchs, die sich für differierende Sprachgebrauchsformen auch innerhalb einer Sprache interessiert. Anknüpfend an Hinweise Dan Diners sowie an eine Monographie Stephan Braeses wird die Spezifik einer Praxis deutscher Sprachkulturen von Juden und Jüdinnen beschrieben, die seit der Haskala im Spannungsfeld von sprachassimilativen und die deutsche Sprache für jüdische Belange reklamierenden Tendenzen eine eigene (literarische) Produktivität entfaltet.
Deutsch als jüdische Sprache im Widerstreit – Überblicksartikel
Authors: Braese Stephan
Published: December 2024

Seit der jüdischen Aufklärung zielten zahlreiche Initiativen darauf, die deutsche Sprache als ein Medium zu gewinnen, in dem genuin jüdische Themen verhandelt werden konnten und durch das Jüdisch-Sein keineswegs geschwächt, sondern gestärkt werden konnte. Allerdings war eine solche Stellung der deutschen Sprache als einer jüdischen Sprache auch innerhalb der jüdischen Gemeinschaften äußerst umstritten: Zu verschiedenen Zeiten und an verschiedenen Orten stand das Deutsche in direkter, scharfer Konkurrenz mal zum Jiddischen, mal zum Hebräischen. Die Auseinandersetzung mit diesem Konflikt prägt die Texte zahlreicher deutschsprachig-jüdischer Autor:innen bis in die Gegenwart. – Since the Jewish Enlightenment, many Jewish writers attempted to conceptualize the German language as an idiom that could express and discuss genuine Jewish subjects in a manner that might actually strengthen rather than weaken Jewishness. This function of the German language as a Jewish language has, however, been controversial among the Jewish communities. At different times and in various places, German was in stiff competition with Jewish or Hebrew. This challenge has left its mark in many texts of German speaking Jewish writers into the present.
Von der Einsetzung als ‚biblische Sprache‘
Authors: Bodenheimer Alfred
Published: December 2024

Die Hinwendung deutschsprachiger Jüdinnen und Juden seit dem 18. Jahrhundert zur Bibel, die sich in zahlreichen Übersetzungen äußerte, dürfte weniger eine Rückkehr zu einem Ursprung hinter den rabbinischen Schriften, sondern ein Schritt in die Moderne gewesen sein. Für die Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts lässt sich zeigen, wie sich durch ein innovatives Umgehen mit den biblischen Inhalten neue literarische Formen biblischen Sprechens bilden, die von Anlehnungen an deutschsprachige Übersetzungen und ihrer Ironisierung ebenso geprägt sind wie vom Willen, diesen Sprechduktus bewusst zu sprengen. – The focus of German-speaking Jews on the Bible since the 18th century, which manifested itself in numerous translations, may have been less a return to an origin beyond the rabbinic scriptures than a step into modernity. On the basis of examples from 20th century literature, it will be shown how new literary forms of biblical speech are created through an innovative grappling with biblical content characterized by classical borrowings from German translations and their ironization, as well as by the will to consciously break with this style of speech.
Mehrsprachigkeit und Literatur – Überblicksartikel
Authors: Blum-Barth Natalia
Published: December 2024

Nach der Differenzierung zwischen textübergreifender und textinterner Mehrsprachigkeit wird auf translinguales Schreiben als Erbe der Moderne eingegangen. Der Forschungsüberblick fokussiert verschiedene Termini der Mehrsprachigkeit und erörtert zentrale Forschungspositionen. Im Hauptteil werden drei Formen der literarischen Mehrsprachigkeit – manifeste, latente und exkludierte – sowie ihre Realisierungsformen besprochen und an zahlreichen Textbeispielen dokumentiert. An einer Passage aus Vielleicht Esther von Katja Petrowskaja wird die latente Präsenz des Russischen in der deutschen Sprache des Textes aufgezeigt. – After differentiating between cross-textual and text-internal multilingualism, translingual writing as a legacy of modernity is addressed. The research overview focuses on various terms of multilingualism and discusses central research positions. In the main part, three forms of literary multilingualism – manifest, latent and excluded – as well as their forms of realization are discussed and documented in numerous text examples. A passage from Vielleicht Esther by Katja Petrowskaja reveals the latent presence of Russian in the German language of the text.
Zwei- und Mehrsprachigkeit von 1848 bis zum Postexil
Authors: Kucher Primus-Heinz
Published: December 2024

Ausgehend von der globalen Dimension von Zwei- und Mehrsprachigkeit zeichnet der Beitrag die Bedeutung von Sprache und Mehrsprachigkeit im Kontext der jüdischen Emanzipationsbewegung seit der Aufklärung insbesondere in ethnisch-kulturell polyphonen, aber auch konfliktträchtigen Räumen Zentraleuropas nach. Er versucht Interaktionsmodi in deutschsprachig-jüdischen Schreibpraktiken ebenso sichtbar zu machen wie mehrsprachige Neupositionierungen und Transfers im Exil- und Immigrations-Kontext mit einem Ausblick auf die Gegenwart. – Starting out from the global dimension of bilingualism and multilingualism, this article traces the significance of language and multilingualism within the Jewish emancipation movement since the age of Enlightenment with particular reference to culturally polyphonic and simultaneously conflictual areas of Central Europe. Modes of interaction in German-Jewish strategies of writing as well as plurilingual repositionings and transfers within the context of exile and immigration experience up to the present are exposed.
Die deutsche Sprache im Salon
Authors: Rom Sharon
Published: December 2024

Rahel Varnhagen und Rebecca Friedländer waren, obwohl Vertreterinnen des progressiven Berliner Salons, mit Selbstzweifeln und Kritik an ihren sprachlichen Fähigkeiten konfrontiert. Mit ihren Defiziten gingen die beiden Frauen unterschiedlich um: Während Rahel Varnhagen ihre Sprachverwendung produktiv nutzbar machte und Unzulänglichkeiten als authentische Zeugnisse ihres sprachlichen Ausdrucks aufwertete, versuchte Friedländer, sie durch eine übermäßige Nachahmung literarischer Traditionen zu kompensieren. – Although Rahel Varnhagen and Rebecca Friedländer were representatives of the progressive Salon in 19th century Berlin, they were confronted with self-doubts as well as criticism regarding their linguistic abilities. The two women had different approaches when it came to dealing with their deficits: While Rahel Varnhagen made productive use of her language and valorised inadequacies as authentic testimonies to her linguistic expression, Friedländer attempted to compensate for them through excessive imitation of literary traditions.
Influence of dosimetry accuracy on the correlation with treatment outcome in a preliminary PSMA radiopharmaceutical therapy study
Authors: Hu Jiaxi , Seifert Robert , Karkampouna Sofia , Gomes Carlos Vinicius , Xue Song , Afshar-Ormieh Ali , Rominger Axel , Shi Kuangyu
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Despite the potential of dosimetry in optimizing personalized radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), its limited clinical implementation impedes the development of simplified protocols for routine adoption. However, simplifications may introduce errors in dosimetry, prompting questions about their impact on clinical practice.

Materials and methods

In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 21 patients diagnosed with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who underwent multiple cycles of 177Lu-PSMA-617 RPT treatment. Cumulative dosimetry of all the treatment cycles was calculated using both the standard multi-time point dosimetry (MTPD) method and the single time-point dosimetry (STPD, Hänscheid approximation) method for the same cohort. Their correlations with treatment outcome (PSA decline rate and overall survival, OS) and complication risk (anaemia grade) were investigated. The Fisher's Z-Transformed test was performed to statistically evaluate the difference between the correlations.

Results

STPD showed a non-significant difference in correlation with PSA decline rate, despite a mean percentage error (MPE) of up to 36.44% in tumor dosimetry compared to MTPD (MTPD: rho = -0.39, p < 0.001; STPD: rho = -0.46, p < 0.001; Z = 0.58, p = 0.56). Both STPDtotal and MTPDtotal demonstrated a significant impact on OS (STPDtotal: Hazard Ratio = 1.05, p < 0.05, log-transformed MTPDtotal: Hazard Ratio = 3.41, p < 0.05, log-transformed STPDtotal: Hazard Ratio = 8.06, p < 0.05). Additionally, despite a MPE of up to -40.26% in bone marrow dosimetry, STPD showed a non-significant difference in correlation with anemia grade (MTPD: rho = 0.35, p < 0.001; STPD: rho = 0.40, p < 0.001; Z = -0.39, p = 0.70).

Conclusion

The preliminary findings from a small cohort indicate that the reduced accuracy of a clinically simplified protocol may not diminish the clinical therapy outcome predictive value of dosimetry. Future thorough systematic investigations may be needed to determine the clinically acceptable level of accuracy for dosimetry.
Organization of the stalk system on electrocytes in mormyrid weakly electric fish Campylomormyrus compressirostris
Authors: Baumann Otto , Cheng Feng , Kirschbaum Frank , Tiedemann Ralph
Published: December 2024

The adult electric organ in weakly electric mormyrid fish consists of action-potential-generating electrocytes, structurally and functionally modified skeletal muscle cells. The electrocytes have a disc-shaped portion and, on one of its sides, numerous thin processes, termed stalklets. These unite to stalks leading to a single main stalk that carries the innervation site. Here, we describe the 3-dimensional layout of the stalklet/stalk system in adult Campylomormyrus compressirostris by differential interference contrast microscopy and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Using antibodies against Na+/K+-ATPase α-subunit and plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase, we show that these ion pumps are differentially distributed over the stalklet/stalk system, with plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase being enriched on the stalklet membrane. Stalklets are distributed and organized in a quite uniform pattern on the posterior face of the electrocyte disc and fuse to terminal stalks. The latter then unite in a mostly dichotomic mode to stalks of increasing thickness, with the main stalk measuring about 100 µm in diameter. We further analyse the structural organization of stalklets and stalks, with a characteristic cytoskeletal system of bundled actin filaments in the centre and nuclei in subsurface position. These results suggest that the stalklet/stalk system is adapted in its structural layout to generate an action potential highly synchronized over the entire disc-portion of the electrocyte, accounting for the short electric organ discharge in this species. Our results suggest that actin-related proteins overexpressed in electrocytes, as shown previously by transcriptome analysis, may be involved in the organization of the unique F-actin system in stalklets and stalks.
DIVI-Positionspapier Rettungsdienst 2030: Strategien für eine nachhaltige präklinische Notfallversorgung
Authors: Bathe Janina , Häske David , Savinsky Godo , Jacob Matthias
Published: December 2024

Der deutsche Rettungsdienst steht vor erheblichen Herausforderungen, die durch Fachkräftemangel, demografischen Wandel und sinkende Gesundheitskompetenz der Bevölkerung verschärft werden. Um die Versorgung zu verbessern, wird eine effizientere Nutzung der Ressourcen sowie eine stärkere Integration aller beteiligten Berufsgruppen gefordert. Notfälle, die keinen Arzt erfordern, überlasten häufig die Rettungssysteme, weshalb qualifizierte Notfallsanitäter mehr Verantwortung übernehmen sollten. Zudem spielt die Leitstelle eine zentrale Rolle bei der effizienten Steuerung der Notfallressourcen. Es wird eine Erweiterung der verfügbaren Einsatzmittel, einschließlich telemedizinischer Lösungen, vorgeschlagen. Erste-Hilfe-Apps könnten ebenfalls helfen, lebensrettende Maßnahmen früher einzuleiten. Die Weiterentwicklung des Berufsbilds des Notfallsanitäters, einschließlich der Möglichkeit zur Akademisierung, soll helfen, das Personal langfristig zu binden und die Qualität der Notfallversorgung zu erhöhen. Die Einführung eines Telenotarztsystems ergänzt die Präsenznotärzte, deren Einsätze auf komplexe und lebensbedrohliche Fälle konzentriert werden sollten. Notärzte müssen umfassend qualifiziert sein, um komplexe Situationen adäquat zu bewältigen. Insgesamt erfordert ein zukunftsfähiges Rettungssystem eine reibungslose Zusammenarbeit aller Beteiligten, klare Zuständigkeiten und fortlaufende Qualitätskontrollen. Darüber hinaus ist die Implementierung einer einheitlichen standardisierten digitalen Dokumentation entlang der Rettungskette eine wesentliche Voraussetzung für die effektive intersektorale Zusammenarbeit sowie für die Qualitätssicherung in der Notfallversorgung.
A novel 3D image registration technique for augmented reality vision in minimally invasive thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy
Authors: Peek J. J. , Zhang X. , Hildebrandt K. , Max S. A. , Sadeghi A. H. , Bogers A. J. J. C. , Mahtab E. A. F.
Published: December 2024

Purpose

In this feasibility study, we aimed to create a dedicated pulmonary augmented reality (AR) workflow to enable a semi-automated intraoperative overlay of the pulmonary anatomy during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS).

Methods

Initially, the stereoscopic cameras were calibrated to obtain the intrinsic camera parameters. Intraoperatively, stereoscopic images were recorded and a 3D point cloud was generated from these images. By manually selecting the bifurcation key points, the 3D segmentation (from the diagnostic CT scan) was registered onto the intraoperative 3D point cloud.

Results

Image reprojection errors were 0.34 and 0.22 pixels for the VATS and RATS cameras, respectively. We created disparity maps and point clouds for all eight patients. Time for creation of the 3D AR overlay was 5 min. Validation of the point clouds was performed, resulting in a median absolute error of 0.20 mm [IQR 0.10–0.54]. We were able to visualize the AR overlay and identify the arterial bifurcations adequately for five patients. In addition to creating AR overlays of the visible or invisible structures intraoperatively, we successfully visualized branch labels and altered the transparency of the overlays.

Conclusion

An algorithm was developed transforming the operative field into a 3D point cloud surface. This allowed for an accurate registration and visualization of preoperative 3D models. Using this system, surgeons can navigate through the patient's anatomy intraoperatively, especially during crucial moments, by visualizing otherwise invisible structures. This proposed registration method lays the groundwork for automated intraoperative AR navigation during minimally invasive pulmonary resections.
A study on the marine propulsion plant system by simulating the numerical modelling on Simulink/Matlab: a case study of passenger ship
Authors: Tran Tien Anh , Shaheen Momina
Published: December 2024

The improvement of ship performance and propulsive efficiency has been addressed in this article. In this research, the comparative study has been investigated for a certain passenger vessel with the research results of Stapersma and Woud in their research “Matching Propulsion Engine with Propulsor” that has been published on Journal of Marine Engineering & Technology. After that, the marine propulsion plant system will be researched to enlarge the operational ranges between marine propeller-shaft system- marine diesel engines. A case study of passenger ship has been applied from this research namely Sea life Legend 02 in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. The marine propulsion plant system of passenger ship will be designed in the Simulink/Matlab platform. Each functional block will be presented for the devices of the marine propulsion plant system, including the diesel engine, generator, shaft system, and marine propeller. The improvement of marine propulsion plant will be conducted on this proposed numerical model. The collected results have been shown the priority features of the marine propulsion plant system and they are fundamental to enlarge the propulsion performance of ship. The research results would be analyzed and validated with the actual marine propulsion plant system. This article is significant for ship-operators and ship-owners in the management of marine propulsion plant system for ships nowadays.
Primary phosphate mineralization in mandibular elements of middle paleozoic archaeostracans from Spain
Authors: Martí Mus Mónica , López-Rojas Victor
Published: December 2024

Archaeostracans are an early fossil crustacean group linked to malacostracans. The earliest archaeostracans are late Cambrian, but the group diversified mostly in the Silurian and Devonian. Complete specimens are known from konservat-lagerstätten, but loose mandibular elements are relatively abundant in decalcified, acid resistant residues of middle Palaeozoic carbonates. These mandibular elements have been assumed to be originally heavily sclerotized and secondarily phosphatized, but have received little attention in the scientific literature. In the present study, we describe isolated mandibular elements, gnathal lobes (likely belonging to a single archaeostracan species), from the middle Palaeozoic of the Cordoba Province, Spain, and provide evidence that they were originally mineralized with calcium phosphate. Our results are in accordance with recent evidence that malacostracans use calcium phosphate to strengthen mechanically challenged areas of their cuticle, particularly the wear prone mandibular surfaces, and support the hypothesis of a dual calcium phosphate/carbonate mineralization system evolving early in arthropods.
Atmospheric and Po River Discharge Anomalies in 2017: Impacts on Water Properties of the Adriatic Sea and North Ionian Sea
Authors: Babagolimatikolaei Javad
Published: December 2024

The Adriatic Sea’s heat and salt budget depends on three factors: atmospheric forcing, river runoff, and flux from the Ionian Sea. In 2017, an increase in salinity was observed in the Adriatic Sea. However, limited research has been conducted to precisely understand the internal factors (atmospheric forcing and river runoff) of the Adriatic contributing to this high salinity. In this study, we investigate the impact of atmospheric forcing and Po River discharge on the Adriatic Sea’s heat and salt budget, focusing on the years 2017 and 2018. Using an ocean model, we found that the Adriatic Sea experienced a loss of net atmospheric heat flux and a decrease in Po River discharge in 2017, leading to notable changes in its heat and salt budget compared to 2018. Specifically, the Adriatic Sea lost 20–30% more net heat flux in 2017 than in 2018. Substantial variations in temperature and salinity fluxes were observed, with a 9,000 ℃ m3/s increase in temperature flux and an 8,000 P.S.U m3/s rise in salinity flux in the southern Adriatic during 2018. Changes in surface circulation patterns indicated heightened gyre strength in the southern Adriatic and strengthened east–west currents in the Ionian Sea during the summer of 2018. The decrease in river discharge from the Po River resulted in an increase of 0.2–0.3 P.S.U in salinity in the Adriatic Sea, contributing to a density increase of 0.2–0.4 kg/m3. These findings underscore the sensitivity of the Adriatic Sea to atmospheric forcing and Po River discharge, which have implications for our understanding of global warming.
Effects of humic and fulvic acids on forage production and grain quality of triticale under various soil salinity levels
Authors: Mosaad Ibrahim S. M. , Selim El-Metwally M. , Gaafar Doaa E. M. , Al-Anoos Mohamed A. T.
Published: December 2024

The problem of soil salinity poses a significant challenge to global agriculture, adversely affecting crop development and yield. Triticale, a hybrid cereal crop, shows promise due to its resilience and adaptability. However, high soil salinity can hinder its full potential. Humic substances, derived from organic matter decomposition, have been found to enhance plants' ability to withstand environmental stress. This research aims to investigate the impact of humic compounds, particularly humic and fulvic acids, on triticale development, yield components, and biochemical composition. The study was conducted in three locations with varying salinity levels in northern Egypt over two consecutive winter seasons. The results showed that humic substances had a positive effect on various growth parameters, including plant height and root length. Additionally, they led to significant increases in fresh fodder production, relative water content, and 1000-grain weight, mitigating the detrimental effects of soil salinity. The presence of humic substances also positively influenced several physiological aspects of plants, such as increased chlorophyll content, reduced proline accumulation, and enhanced protein and carbohydrate levels, particularly under saline conditions. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between plant characteristics influenced by humic substances, indicating their potential to improve growth, photosynthesis, and yield. These findings underscore the potential benefits of supplementing triticale crops with humic materials to enhance productivity and quality in saline soils. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and optimize their application in practical agricultural settings.
Efficient single-channel current measurements of the human BK channel using a liposome-immobilized gold probe
Authors: Hirano Minako , Asakura Mami , Ide Toru
Published: December 2024

The human BK channel (hBK) is an essential membrane protein that regulates various biological functions, and its dysfunction leads to serious diseases. Understanding the biophysical properties of hBK channels is crucial for drug development. Artificial lipid bilayer recording is used to measure biophysical properties at the single-channel level. However, this technique is time-consuming and complicated; thus, its measurement efficiency is very low. Previously, we developed a novel technique to improve the measurement efficiency by rapidly forming lipid bilayer membranes and incorporating ion channels into the membrane using a hydrophilically modified gold probe. To further improve our technique for application to the hBK channel, we combined it using the gold probe with a liposome fusion method. Using a probe on which liposomes containing hBK channels were immobilized, the channels were efficiently incorporated into the lipid bilayer membrane, and the measured channel currents showed the current characteristics of the hBK channel. This technique will be useful for the efficient measurements of the channel properties of hBK and other biologically important channels.

Graphical abstract
Plant community, geomorphology, and macrobenthos as drivers of spatial variations in soil carbon and nitrogen in a coastal shoal
Authors: Lyu Qing , Zhou Ke , Liu Shi-Xian , Cheng Hai-Feng , Zhang Wei , Tian Yuan , Zhu Ke-Hua , Chen Hua-Yu , Li Zeng-Feng , Zhou Zeng , Ge Zhen-Ming
Published: December 2024

Coastal salt marsh wetlands are crucial reservoirs of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). However, the effects of plant type, geomorphology, and macrobenthos on spatial variations in soil C and N in coastal wetlands remain unclear. In this study, the spatial distribution of soil C and N components was investigated in a coastal wetland (Jiuduansha Shoal) in the Yangtze Estuary, and plant type distribution, plant biomass, soil properties, and macrobenthos species and biomass along the geomorphological gradient were measured. The results showed that the amounts and stocks of soil total C, soil organic C, soil total N, and soil microbial biomass C and N at the Spartina alterniflora (SA) and Phragmites australis (PA) sites were significantly higher than those at the bare mudflat (BM) sites. The soil and microorganism C and N variables showed a remarkable increasing trend from low- to high-elevation sites. The abundance of macrobenthos at the Scirpus mariqueter site was the highest among the plant communities and was significantly higher than that at the Zizania latifolia (ZL) and BM sites. The air-free dry weight (AFDW) of macrobenthos in the PA community was the highest among the communities. The variability in soil C and N was mainly sensitive to plant biomass, soil water content, bulk density, macrobenthos AFDW, particle size, electrical conductivity, and nutrient levels. We suggest that the synergetic effects of biotic and abiotic factors in the intertidal environment need to be fully considered in assessing and managing the C and N pools of coastal salt marshes in East China.
Enhanced PM2.5 prediction in Delhi using a novel optimized STL-CNN-BILSTM-AM hybrid model
Authors: Sreenivasulu T. , Rayalu G. Mokesh
Published: December 2024

Accurate air pollution predictions in urban areas facilitate the implementation of efficient actions to control air pollution and the formulation of strategies to mitigate contamination. This includes establishing an early warning system to notify the public. Creating precise estimates for PM2.5 air pollutants in large cities is a challenging task because of the numerous relevant factors and quick fluctuations. This study introduces a novel hybrid model named STL-CNN-BILSTM-AM. It combines the seasonal-trend decomposition method with LOESS (STL) to simplify learning tasks and increase prediction accuracy for complex, nonlinear time-series data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) extract features from decomposed components of PM2.5 and other feature variables, such as pollutants and meteorological variables. Bidirectional long-short-term memory (BILSTM) uses these features to extract temporal relationships, enabling the forecasting of daily PM2.5 levels at four locations in Delhi. This hybrid model uses attention mechanisms to extract the most significant information, as well as Bayesian optimization to tune the hyperparameters. The suggested model greatly improved performance in all four regions used in this study, as evidenced by the findings. We compared it with the CNN-BILSTM, BILSTM, LSTM, and CNN models, and the suggested model outperformed the state-of-the-art models by utilizing STL decomposition components and other features. The overall results show that the STL-CNN-BILSTM-AM is better at predicting air quality, especially the concentration of PM2.5 in cities when the data has a high seasonal trend and is complex.

Graphical Abstract
Cooperative midcourse guidance law with target changing and communication topology switching
Authors: Zhang R. , Fang Y. , Chen Z. , Guo H. , Fu W.
Published: December 2024

This paper proposes a cooperative midcourse guidance law with target changing and topology switching for multiple interceptors intercepting targets in the case of target loss and communication topology switching. Firstly, a three-dimensional guidance model is established and a cooperative trajectory shaping guidance law is given. Secondly, the average position consistency protocol of virtual interception points is designed for communication topology switching, and the convergence of the average position of virtual interception points under communication topology switching is proved by Lyapunov stability theory. Then, in the case of the target changing, the target handover law and the handover phase guidance law are designed to ensure the acceleration smoothing, at last, the whole cooperative midcourse guidance law is given based on the combination of the above guidance laws. Finally, numerical simulation results show the effectiveness and the superiority of the proposed cooperative midcourse guidance law.
Method of fault prediction for avionics components based on stacking regression
Authors: Li W.H. , Li G. , Liu Y. , Ma J.T. , Wu Z.D. , Tang X. , Sun W.C. , Wen T.Z.
Published: December 2024

As avionics systems become increasingly complex, traditional fault prediction methods are no longer sufficient to meet modern demands. This paper introduces four advanced fault prediction methods for avionics components, utilising a multi-step prediction strategy combined with a stacking regressor. By selecting various standard regression models as base regressors, these base regressors are first trained on the original data, and their predictions are subsequently used as input features for training a meta-regressor. Additionally, the Tree-structured Parzen Estimator (TPE) algorithm is employed for hyperparameter optimisation. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed stacking regression methods exhibit superior accuracy in fault prediction compared to traditional single-model approaches.
Reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute uncomplicated bronchitis: a systemwide quality improvement project
Authors: Williams Sabrina , Engels Julie , Ogrin Sara , Rossman Nolan , Olivero Rosemary
Published: December 2024

This systemwide quality improvement project examined whether a bundle of antimicrobial stewardship interventions reduced the proportion of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions in ambulatory encounters for adults with acute uncomplicated bronchitis. There was an overall reduction in the proportion of inappropriate prescriptions from pre- to postinterventions (44.9%–32.5% [P < 0.001]).
Characterising the short- and long-term impacts of tropical cyclones on mangroves using the Landsat archive
Authors: Asbridge Emma , Krause Claire , Lucas Richard , Owers Christopher J. , Rogers Kerrylee , Lymburner Leo , Mueller Norman , Ai Emma , Wong Sebastian
Published: December 2024

Tropical cyclones can significantly impact mangrove forests, with some recovering rapidly, whilst others may change permanently. Inconsistent approaches to quantifying these impacts limit the capacity to identify patterns of damage and recovery across landscapes and cyclone categories. Understanding these patterns is critical as the changing frequency and intensity of cyclones and compounding effects of climate change, particularly sea-level rise, threaten mangroves and their ecosystem services. Improvements in Earth observation data, particularly satellite-based sensors and datacube environments, have enhanced capacity to classify time-series data and advanced landscape monitoring. Using the Landsat archive within Digital Earth Australia to monitor annual changes in canopy cover and extent, this study aims to quantify and classify immediate and long-term impacts of category 3–5 cyclones for mangroves in Australia. Closed canopy mangrove forests experienced the greatest immediate impact (loss of canopy cover). Most immediate impacts were minor, implying limited immediate mortality. Impacts varied spatially, reflecting proximity to exposed coastlines, cyclone track and forest structure (height, density, condition and species). Recovery was evident across all cyclones, although some areas exhibited permanent damage. Understanding the impacts and characteristics of vulnerable and resilient forests is crucial for managers tasked with protecting mangroves and their services as the climate changes.
Double EPW sextics associated with Gushel–Mukai surfaces
Authors: Beri Pietro
Published: December 2024

Works by O’Grady allow to associate with a two-dimensional Gushel–Mukai (GM) variety, which is a K3 surface, a double Eisenbud–Popescu–Walter (EPW) sextic. We characterize the

$K3$

surfaces whose associated double EPW sextic is smooth. As a consequence, we are able to produce symplectic actions on some families of smooth double EPW sextics which are hyper-Kähler manifolds.

We also provide bounds for the automorphism group of GM varieties in dimension 2 and higher.
Why European Social Sciences and Humanities Advocacy Matters
Authors: Lombardo Gabi
Published: December 2024

This article highlights the importance of European scientists, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, in shaping global research policies through active advocacy in science policy. The European Union (EU) is a significant transnational research funder, largely through its multiannual Framework Programmes, such as Horizon Europe (2020–2027), which support collaboration between researchers worldwide. This funding drives innovation and societal benefit, influencing global standards on topics like sustainability, cultural heritage, and data protection. The EU’s openness to consultation makes it unique compared to countries like the United States and China, where funding decisions are decided top-down by governments and policymakers. Thus, European humanities and social science researchers have a unique opportunity to shape the political research agenda. To strengthen this advocacy, three practical steps await researchers: (1) understand national research narratives, (2) ensure research impacts policymaking, and (3) support international research organisations.
L'inconfort ou l'indifférence ? Comprendre l'opposition aux mesures visant à contrer la mésinformation au Québec
Authors: Lavigne Mathieu
Published: December 2024

Malgré l'attention accordée à l'enjeu de la mésinformation au cours des dernières années, peu d’études ont examiné l'appui des citoyens pour les mesures visant à y faire face. À l'aide de données récoltées lors des élections québécoises de 2022 et de modèles par blocs récursifs, cet article montre que l'appui aux interventions contre la mésinformation est élevé en général, mais que les individus ayant une idéologie de droite, appuyant le Parti conservateur du Québec et n'ayant pas confiance dans les médias et les scientifiques sont plus susceptibles de s'y opposer. Ceux qui ne sont pas préoccupés par l'enjeu, priorisent la protection de la liberté d'expression ou adhèrent aux fausses informations y sont aussi moins favorables. Les résultats suggèrent que dépolitiser l'enjeu de la mésinformation et travailler à renforcer la confiance envers les institutions pourraient augmenter la légitimité perçue et l'efficacité de notre réponse face à la mésinformation.
Sociolinguistics of hope: Language between the no-more and the not-yet
Authors: Silva Daniel N. , Borba Rodrigo
Published: December 2024

Sociolinguistics has recently turned its attention to the production of hope in language. Although hope is dismissed in several everyday and academic discourses as escapism or cruel optimism, if investigated ethnographically, the affect and practice of hope emerge contextually as both practical reason and semiotic ideology with important political implications. The articles in this special issue variously engage with hope as situated action whereby individuals and communities struggle for material resources, reorient temporality, recalibrate registers, create alliances, and reflexively engage with social practice to build forms of life that in many ways resist despair and paralysis. While the collection of articles gathered here does not share a single view of hope, a common thread is that hope in different ways coheres with the Brazilian Portuguese esperançar—that is, hope not as sheer or passive waiting but as pragmatic and reflexive action. (Sociolinguistics of hope, affect, practical reason, language ideology, ethnography)
Examining Mehrtens’ (Counter)modernism in captivity: On Bernard d’Orgeval’s mathematical research in the Oflags
Authors: Friedman Michael
Published: December 2024

Argument

What kind of mathematical research activities took place in prisoner of war camps in Germany during the Second World War? And can one inspect such activities in order to re-examine, on the one hand, Herbert Mehrtens’ analysis of the modernism/counter-modernism divide of early twentieth-century mathematics, and on the other, his research on the instrumentalization of mathematics during the war? Closely examining the work carried out in the field of algebraic geometry by the French mathematician Bernard d’Orgeval, who was held in three of such camps between 1940 and 1945, the paper aims not only to unfold this unique episode in the history of mathematics, presenting it as an ephemeral configuration, but also to show the limitations of Mehrtens’ approach and the narrative of modern and counter-modern mathematics.
Trajectories of children’s intrusive grief and association with baseline family and child factors and long-term outcomes in young adulthood
Authors: Sandler Irwin , Tein Jenn-Yun , Hoppe Rebecca , Uhlman Rana , Wolchik Sharlene
Published: December 2024

This study reports on the description of children’s distinct trajectories of intrusive grief, baseline predictors of grief trajectories, and the association of grief trajectories with mental health, substantive abuse and disordered grief six and fifteen years following baseline assessment. The study uses data on 244 parentally-bereaved children ages 8–16 at baseline. Four distinct trajectories were identified using Growth Mixture Modeling over four waves of assessment across 6 years. The trajectories were labeled high chronic grief, moderate chronic grief, grief recovery (starts high but decreases over 6 years of assessment) and grief resilience (chronic low grief). Baseline factors associated with chronic high or moderate chronic levels of grief included depression, traumatic cause of death (homicide or suicide), active inhibition of emotional expression, active coping, child age and gender. At the six-year assessment, trajectories were associated with internalizing mental health problems, higher level of traumatic grief, and aversive views of the self. At the fifteen-year assessment, trajectories were associated with intrusive grief. The results are interpreted in terms of consistency with prior evidence of children’s long-term grief, theoretical processes that may account for chronic grief and implications for the development of preventive and treatment interventions.
National Opera in a Transnational Age
Authors: Poriss Hilary
Published: December 2024

Nineteenth-century Italian opera scholars used to be the cool kids in town. During the 1990s, we swanned through annual meetings of the American Musicological Society, delighted that our field of study, long situated at the periphery of the discipline, was heading straight toward the centre. My decision to write a dissertation about Italian opera performers was not prompted by the siren song of potential trendiness; nevertheless, it was thrilling to be among the contributors to a collective effort that was perceived as being on the cutting edge, or at least as cutting edge as musicology could get at the time. It didn’t hurt either that this endeavour entailed touching down in Italy every now and again for some of the best parties (ahem, I mean, conferences) ever convened. I know I am idealising the past, but these thoughts came rushing back to me in a rosy hue a few months ago when a colleague approached me with this whopper: ‘Remember when nineteenth-century studies were hip? We’re the old-fashioned ones now.’ True, studies of Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi and their contemporaries are no longer in the vanguard, but books by Emanuele Senici, Mary Ann Smart and Francesca Vella demonstrate that there is still a lot of life left in the world of nineteenth-century Italian opera studies. We’re still very cool.
Diversity of embryos and seed dormancy in Rubiaceae: a taxonomic/phylogenetic and biogeographic perspective
Authors: Baskin Carol C. , Baskin Jerry M.
Published: December 2024

We have reviewed seed dormancy and germination in the Rubiaceae, the fourth-largest angiosperm family (in terms of species richness), in relation to ecology, life form, biogeography and phylogeny (subfamily/tribe). Life forms include trees, shrubs, vines and herbs, and tropical rainforest trees have the greatest number of tribes and species. The family has five kinds of embryos: investing, linear-full, linear-underdeveloped, spatulate and spatulate-underdeveloped, and seeds are non-dormant (ND) or have morphological (MD), morphophysiological (MPD) or physiological (PD) dormancy. Except for the occurrence of the investing embryo only in dry fruits of Dialypetalanthoideae, each kind of embryo is found in dry and fleshy fruits of Dialypetalanthodies and of Rubioideae. In tropical and temperate regions, there are species with ND seeds and others whose seeds have MD, MPD or PD. A complete seed dormancy profile (i.e. some species with ND seeds and others whose seeds have MD, MPD or PD) was found for tropical rainforest trees and shrubs and semi-evergreen rainforest shrubs. Dormancy-break occurs during cold or warm stratification or dry-afterripening, depending on the species. Some tropical species have long periods of dormancy-break/germination extending for 4–5 to 30–40 weeks. Soil seed banks are found in 5 and 15 tribes of Rubiaceae in tropical and temperate regions, respectively. With increased distance from the Equator, diversity of life forms and seed dormancy decreases, resulting in only herbs with PD at high latitudes. We conclude that the low species richness of Rubiaceae in temperate regions is not related to low diversity of seed dormancy/germination.
The multi-imperial dimensions in treaty-port Tianjin and its historiographical significance
Authors: Yang Taoyu
Published: December 2024

The modern history of Tianjin, a northern port city in China, offers an intriguing urban case for scholars interested in comparative colonial practices. From the 1860s to the 1940s, Tianjin was home to up to nine foreign concessions and a sequence of different Chinese municipalities. While much scholarship on colonial history has focused on the interactive dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized, Tianjin’s colonial past draws attention to the multiplicity, multilateralism and multilayered trajectories at the heart of the colonial experiences of both imperialist powers and the Chinese. At the heart of this short survey are some reflections on the multi-imperial dimensions of the city of Tianjin. It also explains how the multi-imperial dimensions operated in Tianjin in its treaty-port incarnation and offers some considerations of how the Tianjin case contributes to broader historiographical conversations germane to the imperial–global–urban complex.
Self-regulated learning strategies in L1 and L2 reading
Authors: Reyes Marta , Morales M. Julia , Bajo M. Teresa
Published: December 2024

English as a second language (L2) has become the medium of instruction in numerous contexts even though many people may have difficulties to read and study in L2. According to the self-regulated framework, metacognitive strategies are essential to achieve successful learning, but they are resource-consuming and their use might be compromised in demanding contexts such as learning in L2. In Experiment 1, nonbalanced bilinguals read high- and low-cohesion texts in L1 and L2 and self-rated their learning using a judgment of learning (JOL). Then, they answered open-ended questions and responded a customized questionnaire regarding their strategies. In Experiment 2, we introduced two bilingual groups varying in L2 proficiency. Overall, participants could adjust their JOLs and detect the difficulty of the texts correctly in L1 and L2. However, results evidenced some nuances in learning strategies related to L2 proficiency. We discuss these findings within the context of the self-regulated learning.