bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Plenum and Cage-level Filter Exhaust Dust PCR Testing to Soiled Bedding Sentinel Mice (Mus musculus) on an IVC Rack
Authors: Williams Wendy R , Lane Shawn P , Perkins Cheryl , Henderson Ken
Published: March 2024

The use of soiled-bedded sentinels (SBSs) has historically been the standard for colony health surveillance monitoring at our institution. With the advent of newer technologies in which dust collected from filters is tested by PCR, we compared traditional SBS with PCR testing of both exhaust air dust collected from a filter in the downstream vertical plenum (exhaust dust test [EDT]) and the SBS cage-level exhaust filter (SCEF). Our hypothesis was that both methods of filter testing would identify more pathogens than SBS testing. Twenty-five individually ventilated mouse racks that used disposable caging were sanitized and placed into rotation. Rack plenums were tested by PCR to verify negative results before the study start. Exhaust dust collection media were placed in the exhaust plenum (n = 25). SBS cages were placed on each side of the rack with 2 mice per cage (n = 42 mice), with the remaining cage slots occupied by research animals. At each triweekly cage change, the exhaust air filters were carefully removed from the cage top, placed in sterile 50-mL conical tubes, and pooled for submission. After 3 mo, the SBS mice were tested via serology for bacterial and viral agents and by PCR for Helicobacter species, pinworms, and ectoparasites. In addition, the EDT filter and SCEF were collected for PCR to evaluate for the same agents. Our results indicate that the SCEF consistently detected agents more frequently than the EDT filter placed in the plenum and that the EDT filter media detected agents more frequently than did the SBS mice. Our data suggest that both PCR methods of detection are superior to SBS for individually ventilated disposable rodent cages and that the SCEF is superior to EDT. These data supported our movement of institution toward environmental monitoring as a method of rodent colony health surveillance.
Venipuncture Site Influences Blood-drop Volume in C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Lavin Elizabeth S , Feldman Erica R , Soprano Scott M , Moore Elizabeth S
Published: March 2024

Many experiments require the collection of serial blood samples from mice. However, the size of mice limits the volume of blood that can be safely collected as a survival procedure. In IACUC protocols, investigators may report the amount of blood they collect from mice as a number of drops. Many institutions, including ours, use an anecdotal conversion factor (1 drop of mouse blood = 25 µL) to ensure that blood-collection volumes are compliant with institutional guidelines. To our knowledge, previous work has not experimentally determined the volume of a drop of mouse blood. In this 10-wk crossover experiment, 2 phlebotomists bled 30 C57BL/6J mice from 3 sites (facial, saphenous, and tail) using one or 2 different needle gauge sizes per site. Male and female mice were weighed weekly and divided among 5 groups (n = 6): left and right tail vein, left and right saphenous vein, and facial vein. A single blood drop from each site was weighed, and the volume of each drop was calculated using the average blood density determined from 8 mice terminally bled at the end of the study. Venipuncture site and side significantly influenced blood-drop weight and thus calculated volume. Facial vein puncture produced the largest drop volume (mean: 21.7 µL), followed by the saphenous vein (mean: 9.97 µL) and tail vein (mean: 4.96 µL). Collection from the facial vein was associated with more hemorrhage and morbidity. Left-sided venipuncture was associated with slightly larger-volume blood drops, though the effect size of side was small. The results of this study may be useful in more accurately estimating blood loss via conversion of drops to volume. Our data indicate that blood collection from saphenous and tail veins minimizes blood loss relative to facial vein puncture and may optimize both serial collection of small-volume blood samples and animal welfare.
Effect of Health Education on Environmental Health on Changes in Health Behavior in Students at SDN 1 Sembulung, Cluring District, Banyuwangi
Authors: Gufron Wahyudi  , Febrika Devi Nanda  , Rahmawati Raharjo
Published: March 2024

According to the 2020 Indonesian Health Profile, the coverage of SD/MI schools that provide health services in Indonesia in 2020 is 84.7%. There are 2 provinces with the highest coverage that have provided health services, namely DKI Jakarta and Central Kalimantan. The province with the lowest coverage of SD/MI schools providing health services is Papua (11.9%). Aim of this research is to know influence of health education about environmental health to healthy lifestyle student of SDN 1 Sembulung. This research used pre experiment design by using Equivalent Time Sample Design. Population of the research was 101 respondents who are class student 4,5,6 at SDN 1 Sembulung Banyuwangi and sample 50 respondents were sampled using Quota Sampling. Data collection used questionnaire after participating in health education or not and then the data was tasted using Chi Square test.Result of the research indicated that most students have less behavior 92% but not give health education 7 of 25or 28%.Who have good behavior and statistical result sig 5% with (df) I and show that 0.000 < 0.05 or 21.33 > 3.84 so Ho rejected Ha accepted.It means there is influence of health education about environmental health to healthy lifestyle student of SDN 1 Sembulung Cluring Banyuwangi. Therefore, health education on healthy lifestyle behavior can be enhanced to make good healthy lifestyle behaviors. In an effort to change the health behaviors of students author provides health education about environmental health, and creating a clean and healthy lifestyle. And supporting the clean Friday program implemented by the Regent Banyuwangi.
Analisis Kemampuan Berpikir Kreatif Siswa dalam Menyelesaikan Masalah Matematika pada Materi Trigonometri Berdasarkan Prestasi Siswa
Authors: Nurdiana Ani , Caswita Caswita
Published: March 2024

Prestasi belajar siswa menjadi salah satu indikator yang dapat digunakan untuk melihat kualitas siswa dalam memahami ilmu pengetahuan. Prestasi belajar juga dapat menjadi ciri keseriusan yang ditunjukkan oleh siswa dan sebagai kriteria penilaian institusi dalam pendidikan, siswa yang memilki kemampuan prestasi yang tinggi belum tentu memiliki kreatifitas yang tinggi pula. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis sejauh mana kemampuan berpikir kreatif yang dimiliki siswa SMA dalam menyelesaikan masalah matematika pada materi Trigonometri berdasarkan prestasi siswa. Metode penelitian ini adalah kualitatif dengan teknik analisis data secara deskriptif kualitatif yaitu reduksi data, tringgulasi data, menganalisis hasil tes tertulis dan wawancara dan penarikan kesimpulan. Lokasi penelitian dilaksanakan disalah satu SMA swasta di Lampung. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan yakni tes dan wawancara. Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah 3 siswa berprestasi di kelas X dengan peringkat 1-3 umum. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa siswa peringkat 1 memiliki kemampuan berfikir kreatif sedang, siswa peringkat 2 memiliki kemampuan berfikir kreatif rendah, dan siswa peringkat 3 memiliki kemampuan berfikir kreatif tinggi.
Penerapan Pendekatan Matematika Realistik Berbantuan Media Tangram dalam Pembelajaran Matematika Materi Kekongruenan dan Kesebangunan (Penelitian Eksperimen di SMP Negeri 6 Tondano)
Authors: Rori Deais Nadya Debora , Sulistyaningsih Murni , Mangobi James
Published: March 2024

Pembelajaran yang menerapkan pendekatan dan media pembelajaran yang tidak sesuai akan mengakibatkan rata-rata hasil belajar siswa rendah. Oleh karena itu, dengan melakukan penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui rata-rata hasil belajar siswa dengan menerapkan Pendekatan Matematika Realistik berbantuan Media Tangram dalam pembelajaran matematika materi kekongruenan dan kesebangunan. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian eksperimen semu pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain penelitian Quasi Experiment. Populasi yang diambil adalah semua siswa kelas IX SMP Negeri 6 Tondano tahun pelajaran 2023/2024 yang terdiri dari dua kelas dan sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas IX A berjumlah 20 orang sebagai kelas eksperimen dan siswa kelas IX B yang berjumlah 20 orang sebagai kelas kontrol. Instrumen dalam penelitian ini adalah tes essay yang digunakan untuk pengumpulan data dan uji-t untuk mengetahui rata-rata dua kelompok untuk menganalisis data. Dari analisis data yang sudah dilakukan, diperoleh bahwa rata-rata hasil belajar siswa yang di ajar dengan menerapkan Pendekatan Matematika Realistik berbantuan Media Tangram lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan rata-rata hasil belajar siswa yang tidak menerapkan Pendekatan Matematika Realistik berbantuan Media Tangram.
Implementasi Permainan Tic-Tac-Toe sebagai Konteks Pembelajaran Matematika pada Materi Keliling Bangun Datar dalam Menanamkan Kemampuan Pemecahan Masalah Siswa Sekolah Dasar
Authors: Utami Alfida Mukti , Adelia Ratna , Kurniawati Irna , Damayanti Erna , Damara Tio Deny , Pramudiani Puri
Published: March 2024

Matematika sangat berperan penting bagi kehidupan. Dengan begitu peserta didik memerlukan pembelajaran matematika di sekolah sebagai bekal kehidupan peserta didik. Namun, permasalahan terkait rendahnya kemampuan peserta didik dalam memecahkan masalah matematis berdampak bagi pemahaman peserta didik dalam materi matematika. Sehingga penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menanamkan kemampuan pemecahan masalah peserta didik pada materi keliling bangun datar melalui permainan Tic-Tac-Toe yang diadaptasi dari papan geoboard dengan berdasarkan pada pendekatan Pendidikan Matematika Realistik Indonesia. Lokasi penelitian ini terletak di salah satu sekolah dasar negeri di Jakarta Timur dengan subjek penelitian sebanyak 29 peserta didik kelas IV. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah metode kualitatif deskriptif melalui wawancara, observasi, dan studi dokumentasi. Hasil yang diperoleh pada penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa permainan Tic-Tac-Toe dapat membantu peserta didik dalam memecahkan masalah yaitu menentukan keliling bangun datar serta peserta didik antusias dalam mengikuti pembelajaran di kelas. Media permainan Tic-Tac-Toe dapat dijadikan salah satu konteks dalam mengajarkan konsep keliling bangun datar kepada peserta didik sekolah dasar.
A new standard model of cosmology: Time-varying fundamental constants and the evolution of the universe
Authors: Bakalian Faez
Published: March 2024

A new theoretical framework is presented to explain the evolution of the universe based on the time-varying properties of the fundamental constants. A static universe with time-varying constants can explain the origin of the cosmic microwave background radiation, CMB anisotropies, the CMB cold spot, the observed redshift-distance modulus data, the origin and composition of dark matter in the universe, galaxy cluster mass estimates, Milky Way galaxy luminosity estimates, population II stellar properties, vacuum-photon interactions, energy cycling between matter, radiation and vacuum field components, time-varying Higgs mechanism and particle mass, and the observed matter-antimatter dichotomy. This is a complete theoretical framework that explains the observable universe and resolves many of the issues with modern-day cosmology.
Optimized multichannel tDCS protocol for clinical use in patients with major depressive disorder: A randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Salehinejad Mohammad Ali , Abdi Marzieh , Dadashi Mohsen , Zolghadriha Ahmad , Salvador Ricardo , Ruffini Giulio , Nitsche Michael A.
Published: March 2024

Application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been increased in neuropsychiatric disorders, especially depression, in the last decade. Despite promising results, the clinical efficacy of tDCS is still under debate and researchers and clinicians try to maximize efficacy by developing optimized/individualized protocols. In this randomized sham-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial, we optimized a stimulation protocol for increasing and decreasing activity in the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). 60 patients with major depression were recruited and randomly assigned to active conventional tDCS (N=20), active multichannel tDCS (N=20), or sham tDCS (N=20) groups. Patients in each group received 30 sessions of active or sham tDCS for 5 days per week. In the multichannel optimized tDCS, electrical current was delivered via 7 small electrodes (11 mm in diameter) with 2 mA intensity with a maximum total injected current set to 4.0 mA. In the conventional tDCS (2 mA intensity, electrode size of 35 cm2) and sham Tdcs, anodal and cathodal electrodes were placed over the left and right DLPFC respectively. Symptoms severity (measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale- HDRS, Beck Depression Inventory- BDI-II, and Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale- MADRS) were assessed before the intervention, after sessions 10th, 20th, and right after the intervention (session 30th), and 1 and 3 months following the intervention. Compared to the sham group, both active tDCS groups significantly reduced depressive symptoms up to 3 months following the intervention, and the therapeutic effects were observed from session 10th only in the multichannel tDCS groups. Furthermore, the effect size from the optimized multichannel protocol was significantly larger than the conventional tDCS. These data suggest that optimized multichannel tDCS might maximize therapeutic efficacy in major depression.
On eikonal and black hole entropy
Authors: Hadi Miftachul
Published: March 2024

We formulate the eikonal equation in (3+1)-dimensional spherically symmetric curved space-time using Clebsch variables. We assume that the mass is the mass of a black hole and it is related to a black hole entropy through its area. Singularity is considered as the extremely high-speed changing of the phase.
A New Measure of Affective Polarization
Authors: Campos Nicolas , Federico Christopher
Published: March 2024

Affective polarization has emerged as an important construct in the literature onpartisanship. However, most efforts to measure it have relied on simple pre-existingindices, potentially missing the complexity of affective polarization. In this article, weaddress these concerns by reconceptualizing and deriving a new measure of affectivepolarization. Drawing on the notion of political sectarianism from Finkel et al. (2020)and other lines of research in political behavior and social psychology, we develop andvalidate a novel multidimensional measure of affective polarization consisting of threeparts: othering, aversion, and moralization. Our analyses yield a valid and reliablenine-item measure with three subdimensions. These subdimensions and the full scalebroadly correlate with various measures of political identity, anti-democratic elite ac-tion, and political violence. Importantly, we find that the subdimensions have differentpatterns of correlation with key criterion variables, suggesting that othering, aversion,and moralization are distinct components of affective polarization.
A multidimensional examination of vowel-related articulatory deficits in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Thompson Austin , Kim Yunjung
Published: March 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the perceptual, acoustic, and kinematic differences between speakers with and without dysarthria due to Parkinson’s disease (PD) across conversational, less clear, and more clear clarity conditions.Methods: Forty participants, including 22 with PD and 18 controls, read three phrases aloud using conversational, less clear, and more clear speaking conditions. Acoustic and kinematic measures were obtained from the diphthong /aɪ/ and selected vowels in the sentences. A total of 368 listeners from crowdsourcing provided ratings for intelligibility and articulatory precision. Linear mixed-effects models were employed to examine (1) baseline conversational speaker group differences for perceptual, acoustic, and kinematic measures, and (2) clarity-related changes across the selected measures.Results: In the baseline conversational condition, speakers with PD were perceived as less intelligible and precise. However, none of the acoustic or kinematic measures differed between the speakers with and without PD. When asked to modify clarity, both speaker groups successfully modified various acoustic and kinematic measures, resulting in perceptual changes in intelligibility and articulatory precision. However, speakers with PD showed a reduced magnitude of change compared to HC speakers.Conclusions: The findings generally support the efficacy of clear speech as a behavioral treatment cue. However, the findings also highlight a large variability in strategies employed by speakers to modify their speech clarity.
EStreams: An Integrated Dataset and Catalogue of Streamflow, Hydro-Climatic Variables and Landscape Descriptors for Europe
Authors: M. do Nascimento Thiago V. , Rudlang Julia , Höge Marvin , van der Ent Ruud , Chappon Máté , Seibert Jan , Hrachowitz Markus , Fenicia Fabrizio
Published: March 2024

Large-sample hydrology datasets have become increasingly available, contributing to significant scientific advances. However, in Europe, only a few such datasets have been published, capturing only a fraction of the wealth of information from national data providers in terms of available spatial density and temporal extent. We present “EStreams”, an extensive dataset of hydro-climatic variables and landscape descriptors and a catalogue of openly available stream records for 17,130 European catchments. Spanning up to 120 years, the dataset includes streamflow indices, catchment-aggregated hydro-climatic signatures and landscape attributes (topography, soils, geology, vegetation and landcover). The catalogue provides detailed descriptions that allow users to directly access streamflow data sources, overcoming challenges related to data redistribution policies, language barriers and varied data portal structures. EStreams also provides Python scripts for data retrieval, aggregation and processing, making it dynamic in contrast to static datasets. This approach enables users to update their data as new records become available. Our goal is to extend current large-sample datasets and further integrate hydro-climatic and landscape data across Europe.
An Information-Theoretic Analysis of Targeted Regressions during Reading
Authors: Wilcox Ethan Gotlieb , Pimentel Tiago , Meister Clara , Cotterell Ryan
Published: March 2024

Regressions, or backward saccades, are common during reading, accounting for between 5% and 20% of all saccades. And yet, relatively little is known about what causes them. We provide an information-theoretic operationalization for two previous qualitative hypotheses about regressions, which we dub reactivation and reanalysis. We argue that these hypotheses make different predictions about the pointwise mutual information or pmi between a regression’s source and target. Intuitively, the pmi between two words measures how much more (or less) likely one word is to be present given the other. On one hand, the reactivation hypothesis predicts that regressions occur between words that are associated, implying high positive values of pmi. On the other hand, the reanalysis hypothesis predicts that regressions should occur between words that are disassociated with each other, implying negative, low values of pmi. As a second theoretical contribution, we expand on previous theories by considering not only pmi but also expected values of pmi, E[pmi], where the expectation is taken over all possible realizations of the regression’s target. The rationale for this is that language processing involves making inferences under uncertainty, and readers may be uncertain about what they have read, especially if a previous word was skipped. To test both theories, we use contemporary language models to estimate pmi-based statistics over word pairs in three corpora of eye tracking data in English, as well as in six languages across three language families (Indo-European, Uralic, and Turkic). Our results are consistent across languages and models tested: Positive values of pmi and E[pmi] consistently help to predict the patterns of regressions during reading, whereas negative values of pmi and E[pmi] do not. Our information-theoretic interpretation increases the predictive scope of both theories and our studies present the first systematic crosslinguistic analysis of regressions in the literature. Our results support the reactivation hypothesis and, more broadly, they expand the number of language processing behaviors that can be linked to information-theoretic principles.
The Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) Study neuropsychology battery of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA): Design overview and initial validation
Authors: Phillips Natalie , Fogarty Jennifer , Pilon Randi , Whitehead Victor , Best Sarah , Di Prospero Cynthia , Fouquet Celine , Beuk Jonathan , Mohades Zia , Das Samir , Beaudoin Camille , Henri-Bellemare Charlie , Anderson Nicole D. , Belleville Sylvie , Brambati Simona Maria , Einstein GIllian , McLaughlin Paula , Chertkow Howard , Borrie Michael
Published: March 2024

The Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) is an observational study of 1100+ participants from across the dementia spectrum. We describe the development and features of the Neuropsychological Research Battery, which assesses learning and memory, processing speed, attention, executive function, visuoperceptual processing, and language. We report preliminary results (Fourth Data Release) from 60 cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults, 56 participants with normal cognition but subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 104 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 48 with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). The tests were sensitive to performance differences between the diagnostic groups. Regression models indicated associations with age, education, and sex on multiple test scores. Future work will: (1) increase the educational diversity and sex balance of the participant cohorts, (2) determine the psychometric properties of the battery, (3) establish normative data from control participants, and (4) examine longitudinal data on individuals at risk for dementia and across the dementia spectrum.COMPASS-ND (Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia) est une étude d'observation portant sur plus de 1,100 participants de l'ensemble du spectre des troubles neurocognitifs. Nous décrivons le développement et les caractéristiques de la batterie de recherche neuropsychologique, qui évalue l'apprentissage et la mémoire, la vitesse de traitement, l'attention, les fonctions exécutives, le traitement visuoperceptuel et le langage. Nous présentons les résultats préliminaires (quatrième publication des données) obtenus auprès de 60 personnes âgées sans trouble cognitif (CN), 56 participants ayant une cognition normale mais un déclin cognitif subjectif (SCD), 104 personnes atteintes d'un trouble cognitif léger (MCI) et 48 personnes atteintes de la maladie d'Alzheimer (AD). Les tests étaient sensibles aux différences de performance entre les groupes de diagnostic. Les modèles de régression ont indiqué des associations avec l'âge, l'éducation et le sexe sur les scores des tests multiples. Les travaux futurs viseront à (1) augmenter la diversité de l'éducation et l'équilibre entre les sexes dans les cohortes de participants, (2) déterminer les propriétés psychométriques de la batterie, (3) établir des données normatives à partir de contrôles, et (4) examiner les données longitudinales sur les individus à risque de troubles neurocognitifs et sur l'ensemble du spectre des troubles neurocognitifs.
Online-induced acute stress: sex-dependent improvements in executive function in older adults
Authors: Hawari Lyla , Bogdanov Mario , Suissa Léah , Otto A. Ross , Sharp Madeleine
Published: March 2024

Acute stress is a ubiquitous feature of everyday life, affecting young and old alike. Though it is generally thought to exert detrimental effects on executive functions, the effects of acute stress on cognitive processing have largely been studied in younger, college-aged populations. In this study we tested the effects of acute stress on working memory and executive control in a large sample of male and female middle and older-aged participants using a fully remote online stress paradigm. Participants (n=132, age: 43-74) were randomly assigned to either a control or stress condition, which consisted of a challenging arithmetic task with false normative feedback and distressing videos. All participants rated their affective state and perceived stress levels throughout the experiment. To evaluate the effects of stress on cognitive performance, participants completed a spatial working memory task (Corsi block tapping) before and after the manipulation as well as a verbal working memory task (n-back) and executive control task (Stroop color-word interference) after the manipulation. As expected, the Stress group reported significantly worse mood than the control group, indicating the effectiveness of our online protocol. Behaviorally, we found a generally beneficial effect of stress on cognitive performance, though, notably, stress-induced benefits varied by sex in a task-dependent manner. Our results suggest that in middle and older aged adults acute stress is generally associated with improvements rather than impairments in executive function, which may reflect the ability to recruit additional resources for cognitive processing in a way that is sex dependent.
Revealing Attentional Biases in Conspiracy Theory Believers
Authors: Komáromy Zsuzsa , Lorusso Aline Moore , van der Wal Reine C , Hortensius Ruud
Published: March 2024

Valuable insights have been gained from studies on the subjective experience of belief in conspiracy theories. However, the focus on explicit processes might overlook relevant underlying cognitive processes. In this paper we take a different approach and explore the existence of an attentional bias among conspiracy theory believers. As an implicit measure of this attentional bias, we employ a colour-naming task containing topic- and conspiracy-related words. We hypothesized that 1) believers exhibit an attentional bias towards conspiracy-related words, 2) this bias is larger compared to non-believers, and 3) it is associated with self-reported conspiracy beliefs. In two experiments (total n = 418) conspiracy believers and non-believers completed the colour-naming task and we found support for believers’ conspiracy-related attentional bias. These findings contribute to understanding the self-sustaining nature of conspiracy beliefs, suggesting that believers may perceive or attend to information differently than non-believers. The results also indicate the promise of an implicit measure of conspiracy theory belief.
Advancing with Age: Older Adults Excel in Comprehension of Novel Metaphors
Authors: Ichien Nick , Stamenkovic Dusan , Whatley Mary , Castel Alan , Holyoak Keith
Published: March 2024

To address controversy concerning whether metaphor comprehension relies more heavily on analogical reasoning (supported by fluid intelligence) or on conceptual combination (supported by crystalized intelligence), we compared performance of younger and older adults. In two experiments, healthy older adults (54–88 years) scored lower on a measure of fluid intelligence (Ravens Progressive Matrices) but higher on a measure of crystalized intelligence (Mill Hill Vocabulary Test) relative to younger adults (18–34 years). Groups were equally successful in comprehending relatively easy metaphors (Study 1), but older adults showed a striking advantage over younger adults for novel literary metaphors (Study 2). Mixed-effects modeling showed that measures of fluid and crystalized intelligence each made separable contributions to metaphor comprehension for both groups, but older adults relied more on crystalized intelligence than did younger adults. These age-related dissociations clarify cognitive effects of aging, and highlight the importance of crystalized intelligence for metaphor comprehension at all ages.
Measuring serious violence: comparison of police-recorded and self-reported data
Authors: Cornish Rosie , Teyhan Alison , Tilling Kate , Macleod John , Brennan Iain
Published: March 2024

Determining risk factors and consequences of serious violence requires accurate measures of violence. Self-reported and police-recorded offending are subject to different sources of bias.Our objectives were to compare risk of self-reported and police-recorded serious violence in late adolescence and early adulthood using linked UK birth cohort and police data, and to examine the association between cohort participation at different ages and police-recorded violence.We included individuals in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who had received fair processing materials and had not opted out of linkage to police records (n=12,662). Self-reported violence in the past year ranged from 5.3% (25 years) to 12.9% (20 years) among males and 3.2% (17, 22, 24 and 25 years) to 6.4% (18 years) among females. Police-recorded serious violence was lower at all ages, peaking at 17-18 years (1.7% among males, 0.5% among females). Study participation was lower among people who went on to have or had a record for police-recorded serious violence. At younger ages (in this case participation by mothers) this association was explained by socio-demographic and other factors.A key advantage of linkage to police records is it enables outcomes to be measured irrespective of study participation. However, police data undercounts serious violence. Further, observational studies may also underestimate violence as individuals with police-recorded serious violence are less likely to participate in research. Combining the two sources of data may overcome some of these issues, but careful thought would need to be given to the potential sources of bias present in each.
The cost of Open Access: Comparing public projects’ budgets and Article Processing Charges expenditure
Authors: Alonso-Álvarez Patricia , Sastrón-Toledo Pablo , Mañana-Rodríguez Jorge
Published: March 2024

Open Access (OA) publication often entails payment of Article Processing Charges (APCs), particularly in the so-called Hybrid and Gold journals. The growth of Gold OA publications linked to the development of OA mandates has forced funders, research institutions, and researchers to develop strategies to pay APCs. Thus, this research tries to estimate the percentage of the budget of the projects funded by the Spanish State Plan for the Generation of Knowledge and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R&D&I, Spain's two main public project funding calls in Spain. The period studied is 2013-2019. Additionally, we study the relationships between publication intensity, funding attraction, and the availability of OA journals with APC expenditure at the area level. The results show that €43.67 million were spent on APCs, with most projects spending 3-8% of their budgets. However, numerous outliers with rates over 10% suggest further study on the role of APCs in the financial performance of the research activity. Estimations shown in the paper have to be taken cautiously as the APCs of the publications related to the projects studied in this analysis might not have been fully paid with the projects’ budget but using other funding strategies. Further research is needed to address the researchers’ decisions better when paying APCs. Finally, publication intensity, funding attraction, and the availability of OA journals are highly correlated with the investment in APCs in different fields. These results show that the current APC framework affects disciplines differently and raises questions about alternative publishing and funding models.
Barometer für die Wissenschaft - Ergebnisse der Wissenschaftsbefragung 2023
Authors: Fabian Gregor , Heger Christophe , Fedzin Merritt
Published: March 2024

The Scientists Survey was initiated in 2010 by the Institute for Research Information and Quality Assurance and since 2016 has been conducted by the DZHW. It is intended as a long-term barometer for science. Because the 2023 edition was the fourth wave after 2010, 2016 and 2019/20, many topics, such as attitudes and opinions on science policy for example, can be examined over time in trends analyses. Additionally, the timing of the surveys waves has enabled a particular set of research questions: while the current cohort was surveyed directly at the end of the pandemic, the preceding wave (end of 2019 to February 2020) took place directly before the start of the first extensive restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This "historical coincidence" gives insights into the way researchers worked in the time before, during and after the pandemic. In the current Barometer, we have dedicated a section to the pandemic and its impact on working conditions in science.
Adapting to AI: How Will Generative AI Affect Work? How Should We Respond?
Authors: Cohen Joseph Nathan
Published: March 2024

A discussion paper directed towards nonspecialist educators who are contemplating the fallout of Generative AI on university curricula in sociology and similar fields.
Interaction and Affect are Key: Understanding Technology Demonstrators for Science Communication on Dialogue Events
Authors: Bobbe Tina , Weidmüller Lisa , Engesser Sven , Krzywinski Jens
Published: March 2024

Demonstrators are out-of-the-lab artefacts that embody current technological research. Due to their interactive, exhibit-like nature, demonstrators have great potential to engage the public with future technologies. While demonstrators are already used for this purpose in practice, there is a gap regarding how to measure demonstrator experience and its impact on knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding the demonstrated technology. We propose a research model and test it using data from a field study combining systematic observation of visitors engaging with a demonstrator and a standardized follow-up survey (n = 87). Results indicate that affect and tangible interaction are important qualities for demonstrator-based science communication.
Applying root cause analysis to determine the most effective media literacy strategy for preventing susceptibility to political misinformation
Authors: Harich Jack
Published: March 2024

The impact of political misinformation on democratic systems has grown increasingly detrimental. Interventions have proven largely ineffective. This article makes three innovative contributions to create a comprehensive theory and media literacy strategy for preventing susceptibility to political misinformation. First, it applies root cause analysis to find the problem’s main root cause: low political truth literacy. Second, it constructs a simulation model to identify the feedback loop structure of the problem and the two components of the main root cause: logical truth quotient and appropriate action quotient. Both are presently low and must be raised to at least medium to prevent voter susceptibility to political misinformation. Third, an experiment is used to measure root cause presence and demonstrate the potential of raising both components in a cost-efficient manner. Multiple solution elements will be required for efficient full root cause resolution.
Inteligencia Artificial: Gobernanza y Legitimidad
Authors: Gil Olga
Published: March 2024

This paper has recieved ICDS 2023 Award: It has been selected among "Best Papers" based on the reviews of the original submission, the camera-ready version, and the presentation during the conference [as seen in https://www.iaria.org/conferences2023/AwardsICDS23.html] The paper received an invitation to submit an extended article version to one of the IARIA Journals, and it has been published with date December 2023 with the tittle "AI Philosophy: Sources of Legitimacy to Analyze Artificial Intelligence". NOW, here is the traslation to Spanish: Ante los desafíos para la humanidad de los desarrollos disruptivos de la inteligencia artificial, este trabajo plantea discusiones desde diferentes perspectivas. Dichas perspectivas permiten plantear discusiones con científicos de diferentes campos, gobiernos, empresas y otros actores sociales sobre cuestiones relacionadas con la inteligencia artificial, la gobernabilidad y la legitimidad. El objetivo principal y el resultado del artículo es presentar un panel de control para el análisis de la gobernabilidad y la legitimidad de la inteligencia artificial, al que se denomina Gil Dashboard o Panel Gil. Este panel de control trata de resolver disputas de teoría política partiendo de enfoques clásicos para estudiar la gobernabilidad y la legitimidad. El panel de control también permite comparaciones en la gobernabilidad y la legitimidad de la IA en regímenes democráticos y no democráticos, en diferentes niveles de gobierno –tanto en los países Occidentales como en el Sur Global. Un resultado adicional es la aplicación del Panel al caso de China como estudio de caso. La aplicación del Panel de control permite 1) mostrar su valor como herramienta metodológica y analítica, y 2) arrojar una nueva mirada interpretativa y sugerente a los datos existentes en el caso chino. Inteligencia artificial; gobernanza; filosofía; ética; teoría política; China.
Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Junior High School Girls; A Literature Review
Authors: Affizie Godwin
Published: March 2024

The management of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in junior high schools is a significant issue that has recently gained attention. Menstrual hygiene is a problem that is often overlooked, despite efforts to address the issue. Menstruation is a natural biological process that is surrounded by stigma, myths, and taboos in several societies. For teenage girls, managing their menstrual hygiene is crucial to their overall health and reproductive health as well. Junior high school girls between the ages of 12 and 16 often lack adequate knowledge about menstruation and access to proper menstrual hygiene products. As a result, these girls face particular difficulties in managing their periods, which leads to absenteeism from school, an increased risk of infection, and negative emotional and psychological effects.
Immediate Implant Placement and Immediate Loading in the Aesthetic Zone: A flapless Approach
Authors: Pokharel Savvy , Dhami Bhageshwar , Paudel Shristi
Published: March 2024

Replacing missing or failing teeth with implants can be a clinical challenge, especially in the aesthetic area, because patients expect an esthetically ideal prosthesis besides the osseointegration of implants. In this regard, immediate placement of implants with immediate loading is preferred by the patients, for the fewer surgeries involved and the immediate restoration of the potential edentulous sites. This article aims to present a case report of immediate placement of implant and immediate loading of the maxillary right lateral incisor.
Enhance the coherence of open two-level system through the superposition of environments
Authors: Sun Jin-Chuan
Published: March 2024

Dynamics of a two-level system in the superposition of two dephasing environments with Ohmic-like spectral density is studied when considering initial system-environment correlations. The quantum system and one environment are treated as whole thermal equilibrium state, while the other environment is at thermal equilibrium state alone. Which environment the system interacts with is determined by an ancillary two-level system. When the system interacts with mixture of two sub-Ohmic environments, initial correlations can make the mixed dynamics non-Markovian. For two identical sub-Ohmic environments, if performing the projective measurement on the ancillary two-level system at the special time points, whatever the initial state of the system is, the coherence can be enhanced. For two different environments with βħω0/2>>, we get the approximate expression about the coherence of the system when measuring the ancillary two-level system.
Structural and dielectric characterization of Potassium diphosphate/Hydroxyapatite ceramic biocomposite
Authors: Pérez Valverde Maritza Iveth , García Zaldívar Osmany , Mendoza Álvarez María Eugenia
Published: March 2024

We study the KH2PO4 (KDP) /Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (HA) biocomposite to evaluate its electrical conductivity. It was prepared by manual grinding on a 1:3 molar ratio. Studies by X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy show a variation in the volume of the unit cell between KDP and HA and the disappearance of bands associated with KDP. Impedance spectroscopy was studied over a range of temperatures (25-80 ºC) and frequencies from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. It was found that the bulk resistance of the composite is higher in pure KDP. Using the Jonscher empirical expression suggest that the ionic hopping conduction mechanism is responsible for the conductivity behavior with hopping frequency of 1.21 x104 Rad at 80ºC.
Effect of self-lubricating carbon materials on the tribological performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene
Authors: Camacho N. , González Carmona J. M. , Espinosa-Arbeláez D. G. , Hernández-Bravo R. , Muñoz Saldaña J. , Mujica V. , Mondragón Rodríguez Guillermo César
Published: March 2024

For over five decades, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the standard material for total knee replacements (TKR). Zero wear of the UHMWPE would be ideal; however, due to the natural knee movements, wear damage to the UHMWPE articulating surface is inevitable. The generated wear debris results in joint mechanical instability, reduced joint mobility, increased pain, and implant loosening. Because of these issues, the research on the materials in TKRs has increased their survival rate for up to 20 years; however, in younger patients, the durability of the UHMWPE component decreases due to increased physical activity. Hence there is a constant need for highly wear-resistant tribological pairs for TKRs. Carbon-based materials have an excellent balance between lubricating and mechanical properties and have shown great promise in tribological applications. This study used self-lubricating cubic titanium carbide (c-TiC) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve the UHMWPE wear resistance further. The combination of carbon-based materials decreased the material loss by about 41.7 % compared to the UHMWPE vs. bare steel ball tribological pair. The improvement, attributed to the c-TiC self-lubricating coating surface, is close to 5 %. Cold flow and burnishing were the predominant wear mechanisms observed in all the systems; more subtle wear processes were detected for the sliding couple with c-TiC self-lubricating coating. Meanwhile, polymer delamination and micrometer-sized debris formation were the main wear mechanisms in the UHMWPE-MWCNT vs. bare steel ball system. The adhesion work obtained from the electronic structure calculations shows a more significant interfacial interaction of the CNTs on the c-TiC surface. This interaction can be associated with the layer formation that protects the surface from wear and friction.
Cross-linking tendency and photo-oxidation degradation in Silane-grafted LDPE insulation under accelerated cyclic weathering aging
Authors: Afeissa S. , BOUKEZZI Larbi , Bessissa L.
Published: March 2024

Si-g-LDPE (Silane-grafted LDPE) is the based material of silane-crosslinked polyethylene (Si-XLPE) nominated to be used in renewable energy (photovoltaic) structures for the reason of its good behavior under weathering circumstances. The present study has an attempt to follow up the cross-linking process of Si-g-LDPE under cyclic accelerated weathering aging and to track its photo and thermo-oxidative degradation at both microscopic and macroscopic scales. The realized experiments consist to carry out cyclic accelerated weathering aging of 1152 hours, using QUV chamber, on films of Si-g-LDPE. The process of cross-linking is checked by using Hot-Set-Test measurements and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Evolution of mechanical properties and carbonyl index are used as relevant precursors of photo and thermo-oxidation degradation. Additional information on the microstructural changes (crystallinity) and on the optical properties is gained by using X-ray difractometry and UV-visible measurements. Our findings lead to a result that Si-g-LDPE has a big ability to crosslink under cyclic weathering aging. The elastic behavior of the material was enhanced gradually with increasing aging time. The elastic behavior enhancement is a consequence of crosslink network density increase. FTIR results support perfectly the Hot-Set-Test results by the increase of single or multi-siloxane linkages absorption bands. These linkages modify the digital fingerprint of the material. Our results ascertained also that we can relate the elongation at break and tensile strength changes to the changes in the carbonyl index. Both characteristics are related to the photo and thermo-oxidation degradation. Photo-oxidation degradation leads to the decrease of mechanical properties and to the increase of carbonyl index. An abrupt and sharp increase at the beginning of aging in the crystallinity of the material followed by a level-off state was observed. Finally, the optical properties (band gaps, Urbach energy and dielectric constant) are greatly affected by the weathering aging process.
Study of surface plasmon resonance with zirconium oxide multilayer coatings of silver and gold films: reflection polarization modes and sensitivity
Authors: Sánchez Hernández Hector Hugo , Pérez Abarca J. M. , Sánchez Soto E.
Published: March 2024

We propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on multilayer films with silver (Ag) and gold (Au) interfaces coated with a thin layer of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) in Kretschmann configuration. A dielectric layer of ZrO2 acts as the prism coating and the second layer is deposited after the metal film in the dielectric/metal/dielectric (DMD) system. In order to achieve the best design for the sensor, the dependence of the sensitivity on the angle of incidence and the thickness of the alternating layer is comprehensively explored. The polarization change results are shown with the angles Ψ and ∆ which are the traditional ellipsometry measurement angles of the optical properties of the DMD system. The advantage of Ag/ZrO2 multilayers over Au and Au/ZrO2 for SPR refractive index detection in terms of sensitivity, as well as the Ag/ZrO2 interface offers the possibility of studies with promising features for SPR users to generalize this type of interface. The proposed DMD sensor is expected to find application in biochemical sensing due to its resolution.
Interferometer study of radial and axial density evolution and temperature in N2 gas subjected to negative and positive corona discharges
Authors: LEMERINI Mostefa  , Ferouani A. K. , Sahlaou M.
Published: March 2024

In the present paper, we propose to make an optical diagnosis by laser interferometry to determine experimentally the density of neutral particles in a coronal discharge bathing in a gaseous medium N2. We are particularly interested in the measurement of variation of the optical path and therefore of the index of refraction which allows us to highlight the variation of the density of the neutrals in the discharge, and using a computer treatment (Pearce method) the refractive index of the medium is calculated to determine the spatial distribution of density and temperature (radial and axial) at the core of the corona discharge in two different situations (positive and negative). This optical diagnosis also allowed us to quantitatively determine the phenomenon of depopulation of neutral particles. These quantitative and experimental results are interesting because they allow a good correlation between the theoretical results obtained so far