bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of exergy in a dimple-roughened solar thermal collector using MATLAB simulation
Authors: Kumar Raj , Sethi Muneesh , Thakur Abhishek , Rana Adit , Goel Varun , Lee Daeho , Singh Tej
Published: December 2024

In the current study, the performance of a dimple-roughened solar thermal collector (DRSTC) is investigated within a (

$${\text{Re}}_{\text{xx}}$$

Re
xx

) range that spans from 3000 to 48,000. Under constant solar intensity (

$${I}_{\text{sr}}$$

I
sr

=1000

$${\text{Wm}}^{-2}$$

Wm

-
2

), relative roughness height (

$${e}_{\text{d}}/{D}_{\text{h}}$$

e
d

/

D
h

) varied from 0.021 to 0.036, relative roughness pitch (

$$p/{e}_{\text{d}}$$

p
/

e
d

) from 10 to 20, arc angle (

$${\alpha }_{\text{a}}$$

α
a

) from 45 to 60°, and temperature rise parameter from 0.003 to 0.02, and the proposed model predicts exergy efficiency of the SAH, and the results obtained can be used as reference for the design of new solar thermal systems. The assessment makes use of advanced MATLAB simulations in order to evaluate the exergetic efficiency

$${(}\eta_{{{\text{ex}}}} )$$

(

η
ex

)

of a DRSTC. At lower

$${\text{Re}}_{\text{xx}}$$

Re
xx

values,

$${(}\eta_{{{\text{ex}}}} )$$

(

η
ex

)

increases uniformly; however, stabilization and decline occur at higher

$${\text{Re}}_{\text{xx}}$$

Re
xx

values. The highest

$${(}\eta_{{{\text{ex}}}} )$$

(

η
ex

)

for the DRSTC is 1.47% under a temperature rise parameter

$$(\Delta T/I_{{{\text{sr}}}} )$$

(
Δ
T
/

I
sr

)

of 0.0071

$${\text{Km}}^{2}{\text{W}}^{-1}$$

Km

2

W

-
1

for obtaining optimum values of

$${e}_{\text{d}}/{D}_{\text{h}}$$

e
d

/

D
h

= 0.036,

$$p/{e}_{\text{d}}$$

p
/

e
d

= 10, and

$$\alpha_{a}$$

α
a

= 60°. This research illustrates the usefulness of MATLAB for solar energy system analysis and optimization by integrating simulation and experimental data. This investigation further supports the feasibility of the proposed collector design.
Differential item functioning between English, German, and Spanish PROMIS® physical function ceiling items
Authors: Plessen Constantin Yves , Fischer Felix , Hartmann Claudia , Liegl Gregor , Schalet Ben , Kaat Aaron J. , Pesantez Rodrigo , Joeris Alexander , Heng Marilyn , Rose Matthias ,   the AOBERT Consortium, Vrahas Mark , Gwilym Stephen E. , Orth Marcel , Braun Benedikt J. , Augat Peter , Rothrock Nan E. , Di Mascio Livio , Pohlemann Tim , Jayakumar Prakash , Dobele Stefan , Jaegar Martin
Published: December 2024

Purpose

We investigated the validity of the German and Spanish translations of 35 new high functioning items added to the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) Physical Function item bank 2.0. We assessed differential item functioning (DIF) between three general population samples from Argentina, Germany, and the United States.

Methods

PROMIS Physical Function data was collected in online panels from 3601 individuals (mean age, 41.6 years old; range, 18–88 years; 53.7% female). Of these, 1001 participants completed the Spanish version, 1000 completed the German version, and 1600 completed the English version. DIF was assessed by a multiverse analysis that systematically varied analytic choices across the entire range of plausible options within the logistic ordinal regression framework.

Results

Translated items generally met the assumptions of unidimensionality, monotonicity, and local independence. The 272 different analyses suggest consistent DIF between languages in four items. Test characteristic curves suggested that the magnitude and impact of DIF on the test scores were negligible for all items at the test level. After correcting for potential DIF, we observed greater scoring for physical functioning in Argentina compared to the US, Cohen’s d = 0.25, [0.17, 0.33], and Argentina compared to Germany, Cohen’s d = 0.23, [0.15, 0.32].

Conclusions

Our findings support the universal applicability of PROMIS Physical Function items across general populations in Argentina, Germany, and the U.S. The sensitivity analyses indicate that the identification of DIF items was robust for different data analytic decisions. Multiverse analysis is a promising approach to address lack of clear cutoffs in DIF identification.
Effect of explant type and growth regulators on in vitro regeneration of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Al-Amar rootstock
Authors: Elmoreigi Rasha Ahmed , El-Maaty Shereen Abu , Hassanen Sabah Anwar , Aly Hussein Ebtissam Hussein
Published: December 2024

Apricot is a highly recalcitrant species for shoot regeneration in addition the plant regeneration capacity is strongly genotype – dependent. Thus, this study aimed to establish in vitro regeneration of the Egyptian Al-Amar apricot rootstock. Two explant types (Cotyledon and hypocotyl) were cultured on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with three concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) in combination with eight concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The cotyledons showed direct somatic organogenesis as the explants formed buds directly on regeneration media. The highest percentage of cotyledons producing buds was 78.00% when cultured on WPM containing 13.62 µM TDZ and 2.46 µM IBA. In contrast hypocotyls expressed indirect somatic organogenesis, as the explants produced callus first before bud formation. The highest percentage was 96.87% in hypocotyls cultured on WPM fortified with 15.89 µM TDZ and 1.61 µM NAA. The shoot proliferation was achieved when buds from cotyledons and hypocotyls were cultured on Soot Regeneration Medium (SRM) supplemented with 8.87 µM 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.54 µM NAA. The highest shoot formation with an average of 6.4 shoots per explant was obtained from hypocotyls, while an average of 2.0 shoots per explants was achieved from cotyledons. The regenerated shoots were rooted on WPM including 9.80 µM IBA. The results revealed that the regeneration of Al-Amar rootstock was more successful through hypocotyls and could therefore facilitate its genetic manipulation.
Wages and capital returns in a generalized Pólya urn
Authors: Gottfried Thomas , Grosskinsky Stefan
Published: December 2024

It is a widely observed phenomenon that wealth is distributed significantly more unequally than wages. In this paper we study this phenomenon using a new extension of Pólya’s urn, modelling wealth growth through wages and capital returns. We focus in particular on the role of increasing return rates on capital, which have been identified as a main driver of inequality, and labor share, the second main parameter of our model. We fit the parameters from real-world data in Germany, so that simulation results reproduce the empirical wealth distribution and recent dynamics in Germany quite accurately, and are essentially independent from initial conditions. Our model is simple enough to allow for a detailed mathematical analysis and provides interesting predictions for future developments and on the importance of wages and capital returns for wealth aggregation. We also provide an extensive discussion of the robustness of our results and the plausibility of the main assumptions used in our model, and identify possible policy implications.
FEM simulation of breast deformation with semi-fluid representation
Authors: Takahashi Shota , Fujimoto Hiroshi , Nasu Katsuhiro , Nakaguchi Toshiya , Ienaga Naoto , Kuroda Yoshihiro
Published: December 2024

Purpose

In image-guided surgery for breast cancer, the representation of the breast deformation between planning and surgery plays a key role. The breast deforms significantly and behaves as a fluid with some constraints. Concretely, the deep fat layer in the breast deforms fluidly due to its incomplete fixation to the chest wall, while the anchoring structures by fascia avoid excessive deformation. In this study, we propose a method to simulate the semi-fluid deformation of the breast, considering the fluidic properties of the adipose tissue under the constraints of the anchoring structures.

Methods

The proposed method prioritizes anatomical features of the breast, enhancing tissue mobility near the chest wall and modeling the anchoring structure of the fascia along the inframammary fold. To simulate semi-fluid deformation, constraint force from anchoring structure is applied to prone-positioned breast model, using a finite element method.

Results

The results of the evaluation indicate a tumor center registration error of 11.87 ± 4.05 mm. Additionally, we verified how semi-fluid representation affects the registration error. The tumor’s Hausdorff distance decreased from 12.89 ± 6.24 mm to 11.50 ± 4.38 mm with considering semi-fluidity.

Conclusion

The results showed that the use of semi-fluid representation tends to reduce registration errors. Therefore, it was suggested that the proposed method could improve the accuracy of breast posture conversion.
Familienerweiterung aus der Perspektive des Paares
Authors: Willen Sebastian
Published: December 2024

Die Zwei-Kind-Familie stellt ein in allen gesellschaftlichen Gruppen etabliertes und vielgelebtes Familienmodell dar. Obwohl der Wunsch nach einem zweiten Kind in der Bevölkerung weitverbreitet ist, sind empirische Forschungsarbeiten nur rudimentär vorhanden, die den Entscheidungsprozess für ein zweites Kind innerhalb von Paarbeziehungen untersuchen. Dies kann darauf zurückgeführt werden, dass im Vergleich zu einer Familiengründung mögliche Einschnitte in der Biografie des Einzelnen und im Zusammenleben der Partner ein wesentlich geringeres Ausmaß einnehmen. Auf Basis des Beziehungs- und Familienpanels („pairfam“) und unter Verwendung eines im Längsschnitt spezifizierten multivariaten Probit-Modells wird die Entscheidung für ein zweites Kind als das Resultat eines innerpartnerschaftlichen Aushandlungsprozesses analysiert. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass der Entscheidung für die Geburt eines zweiten Kindes eine wechselseitige Einflussnahme der Partner vorausgeht. Maßgeblich wird die Entscheidungsfindung vom Zeitpunkt der Geburt des ersten gemeinsamen Kindes und vom Alter des weiblichen Partners bestimmt. Des Weiteren erweisen sich eine traditionelle geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsteilung bei gleichzeitiger Erwerbspartizipation der Frau sowie eine informelle Unterstützung aus dem sozialen Netzwerk des männlichen Partners als besonders förderlich für die Geburt eines zweiten gemeinsamen Kindes.
Religion Welcome Here: A Pluriversal Approach to Religion and Global Bioethics
Authors: Jecker N. S. , Atuire C. A. , Ravitsky V. , Ghaly M. , Vaswani V. , Voo T. C.
Published: December 2024

This paper sets forth and defends a pluriversal approach to religion in the context of an increasingly global bioethics. Section I introduces a pluriversal view as a normative technique for engaging across difference. A normative pluriversal approach sets five constraints: civility, change from within, justice, non-domination, and tolerance. Section II applies a pluriversal approach to religion. It argues that this approach is epistemically just, recognizes diverse standpoints, and represents a productive, preferred, way to tackle global bioethics concerns. Section II also considers an opposing viewpoint, which holds that religious perspectives have no place in bioethics. We show that this viewpoint would have adverse effects on bioethics publishing, conferencing, and training programmes. The paper concludes (in Section III) that bioethicists should engage with people who hold different worldviews, including religious worldviews, and should do so in accordance with pluriversal ethical constraints.
Parental Psychosocial Variables and Glycemic Control in T1D Pediatric Age: A Systematic Review
Authors: Costa Vasco , Pereira Bárbara , Patton Susana R. , Brandão Tânia
Published: December 2024

Purpose of Review

This review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the relationship between parental psychosocial (e.g., fear of hypoglycemia, stress and family conflict) and glycemic outcomes in children between the age of 1–10 years old.

Recent Findings

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) in young children can be very complex to manage for their parents since they are the main individuals responsible for T1D tasks. Also, parental psychological adjustment impacts children’s glycemic outcomes.

This systematic review was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. The search process was conducted in four databases from 2019 to 2024. From a total of 215 studies, 5 were included. We identified five studies that found direct associations between parental psychosocial variables and children's glycemic outcomes. These findings suggest a unidirectional perspective, evidencing the need to examine the longitudinal interplay between these variables. In sum, promoting parental psychological interventions may be fundamental for enhancing children’s glycemic outcomes.
Unveiling the research landscape of planetscope data in addressing earth-environmental issues: a bibliometric analysis
Authors: Pham-Duc Binh , Nguyen Ho , Nguyen-Quoc Hau
Published: December 2024

The PlanetScope (PS) satellite constellation, developed by Planet Labs Inc., represents a significant advancement in Earth observation, offering high spatial resolution and daily revisit capabilities. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of PS satellite imagery, exploring its utilization in scientific research from 2017 to 2023. Using data extracted from the Scopus database, 582 documents were analyzed to uncover the publication trends, key research disciplines, collaboration networks, and research themes related to PS imagery. The results highlight the increasing use of PS data in Earth and Planetary Sciences, Environmental Science, and Computer Science, with a notable concentration of research outputs from the United States, China, and Brazil. Furthermore, our findings indicate that PS data is applied in diverse fields, including land use/land cover classification, agriculture, environmental monitoring, and disaster assessment. Notably, machine learning techniques are increasingly applied to PS data, enhancing analysis capabilities. Despite the growing adoption of PS imagery, challenges related to data access, particularly in low-income regions, were identified, and PS data often plays a secondary or supplementary role in many studies. Recommendations for enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration, expanding open-access data programs, and integrating advanced processing techniques are proposed to maximize the impact of PS data in addressing global environmental challenges. This study provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of PS-based research, emphasizing the potential of PS data and identifying areas for future exploration.
Outcomes of allogeneic SCT versus tisagenlecleucel in patients with R/R LBCL and poor prognostic factors
Authors: Hayashino Kenta , Terao Toshiki , Nishimori Hisakazu , Kitamura Wataru , Kobayashi Hiroki , Kamoi Chihiro , Seike Keisuke , Fujiwara Hideaki , Asada Noboru , Ennishi Daisuke , Fujii Keiko , Fujii Nobuharu , Matsuoka Ken-ichi , Maeda Yoshinobu
Published: December 2024

This study investigated the efficacy of tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for patients with relapsed and/or refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) with poor prognostic factors, defined as performance status (PS) ≥ 2, multiple extranodal lesions (EN), chemorefractory disease, or higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Overall, the allo-SCT group demonstrated worse progression-free survival (PFS), higher non-relapse mortality, and a similar relapse/progression rate. Notably, the tisa-cel group showed better PFS than the allo-SCT group among patients with chemorefractory disease (3.2 vs. 2.0 months, p = 0.092) or higher LDH (4.0 vs. 2.0 months, p = 0.018), whereas PFS in the two cellular therapy groups was similar among those with PS ≥ 2 or multiple EN. Survival time after relapse post-cellular therapy in patients with poor prognostic factors was 1.6 with allo-SCT and 4.6 months with tisa-cel. These findings were confirmed in a propensity score matching cohort. In conclusion, tisa-cel resulted in better survival than allo-SCT in patients with poor prognostic factors. However, patients who relapsed post-cellular therapy had dismal outcomes regardless of therapy. Further strategies are warranted to improve outcomes in these patients.
N6-methyladenosine-modified SRD5A3, identified by IGF2BP3, sustains cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer
Authors: Liao Kai , Li Jing , He Caixian , Peng Jiyong
Published: December 2024

Resistance to cisplatin-based chemotherapy limits the clinical benefit to some bladder cancer patients, and understanding the epigenetic regulation mechanism of cisplatin (CDDP) resistance in bladder cancer from the perspective of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification may optimize CDDP-based treatments. The study identified SRD5A3 as an oncogene for bladder cancer and stabilized by a m6A reader, IGF2BP3, to sustain CDDP resistance. Our results revealed that the expression of SRD5A3 was elevated in human bladder cancer tissues and cell lines, and this elevation was more evident in CDDP-resistant T24 and 5637 cells. Results of CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, EdU staining, and flow cytometric analysis revealed that SRD5A3 knockdown and IGF2BP3 knockdown reduced cell proliferation and prevented chemoresistance in CDDP-resistant T24 and 5637 cells. Results of methylated RNA immunoprecipitation-PCR, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, and luciferase reporter assay showed IGF2BP3 recognized the SRD5A3 m6A modification and stabilized its mRNA. Nude mice implanted subcutaneously with CDDP-resistant T24 cells were injected intraperitoneally with CDDP (2 mg/kg) every 3 days for 35 days and the results demonstrated that SRD5A3 knockdown and IGF2BP3 knockdown effectively inhibited the tumor growth in subcutaneous implantation model. Collectively, the study unveils that IGF2BP3-mediated SRD5A3 m6A modification facilitates bladder cancer progression and induces CDDP resistance, providing rational therapeutic targets for bladder cancer patients.
The Value of Price
Authors: Baravalle Lorenzo , Jonathan Roffé Ariel , Luque Victor J. , Ginnobili Santiago
Published: December 2024

The Price equation provides a comprehensive representation of evolutionary processes. Since its original formulation by George Price, it has been used to model a variety of phenomena in quantitative genetics and related fields. However, there is no consensus on the explanatory power of the equation. In this article we aim to clarify its place within modern evolutionary theory. To this end, we first state the basic concepts from which the Price equation can be derived as a theorem. From this axiomatization, we conclude that the Price equation is not explanatory in itself. It merely provides a phenomenological description of evolutionary processes. We argue that its role is analogous to that of Galilean kinematics in classical mechanics. Both the Price equation and Galilean kinematics function as conceptual frameworks that define the basic features of the behavior of a class of systems. Practitioners are encouraged to theorize further on these frameworks to find the possible explanation of this behavior in various specific scenarios. Thus, despite its phenomenological character, the Price equation integrates different fields of evolutionary biology by providing a common formalization of their shared explanandum.
Das „Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile“: Übersetzung ins Deutsche, kulturelle Adaption und Pretest
Authors: Schönfelder Birgit , Mayer Hanna , Hahn Sabine
Published: December 2024

Hintergrund

Aufgrund der demografischen Alterung und der komplexen physischen, psychischen und sozialen Bedürfnisse älterer Menschen sind diese eine wichtige Patientengruppe im Akutkrankenhaus. Krankenhausaufenthalte können ohne altersgerechte Pflege die unabhängige Ausübung der Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens der älteren Patienten verschlechtern.

Ziel

Das Ziel war die Übersetzung und kulturelle Adaption des „Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile“ in die deutsche Sprache zur Einschätzung altersgerechter Pflege in deutschsprachigen Krankenhäusern.

Methoden

Das „Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile“, das die altersgerechte Versorgung von älteren Patienten im Akutkrankenhaus auf institutioneller und personeller Ebene einschätzt, wurde nach Übersetzung ins Deutsche einer quantitativen und qualitativen Testung unterzogen.

Ergebnisse

Die Überprüfung der Inhaltsvalidität ergab für den Scale Content Validity Index – Average einen Mittelwert von 0,86 (Relevanz) und 0,92 (Übersetzung). Das Cognitive Debriefing des übersetzten „Geriatric Institutional Assessment Profile“ ergab die Notwendigkeit zu weiteren sprachlichen Adaptionen. Zudem zeigten sich Mängel in der theoretischen Fundierung des Instruments.

Schlussfolgerungen

Altersgerechte Krankenhausaufenthalte sind ein aktuelles Thema von hoher Relevanz für die Betroffenen und die Gesundheitsversorgung. Benötigt werden ein theoretisch fundierter Fragebogen und ein strukturiertes Vorgehen, um durch gesicherten Erkenntnisgewinn zur Praxisentwicklung beizutragen.
Biased teacher expectations of students with migration backgrounds: Analysis with nationality stereotype clusters
Authors: Neuenschwander Markus P. , Garrote Ariana
Published: December 2024

Student migration backgrounds and socioeconomic status can bias teacher expectations. Such expectations can lead to discrimination as they are the basis for unfair teacher assessment and exclusion from learning opportunities. To identify students at risk of experiencing low biased expectations, researchers used a grouping of nationalities based on the stereotype content dimensions of competence and warmth. The migration backgrounds of 1036 students in grades 4–6 in Switzerland were grouped into four clusters (i.e., 1 = competent, warm; 2 = medium competent, cold; 3 = incompetent, cold; 4 = incompetent, warm). Students without migration backgrounds served as reference group. Blockwise multilevel regression analyses showed that teacher expectations for student mathematical achievement were lower for students in cluster 2 compared to the reference group of students without migration backgrounds after controlling for mathematics achievement, the highest value of the parents’ occupations (HISEI), and home language. Similar results were found for teacher expectations in German. Stepwise logistic multilevel regression analyses indicated that students with migration backgrounds from cluster 2 were significantly more likely expected by teachers to enter a school track with basic demands than students without migration backgrounds after controlling for achievement in mathematics and German, HISEI, and home language. Thus, some students with migration backgrounds are particularly at risk of being discriminated against by teachers. These findings must be discussed in teacher education and used to develop preventive strategies, considering the negative influence of biased low teacher expectations on students’ educational careers and, therefore, their participation in society.
Computational Methods in Landscape Ecology
Authors: Hesselbarth Maximilian H. K. , Nowosad Jakub , de Flamingh Alida , Simpkins Craig E. , Jung Martin , Gerber Gemma , Bosch Martí
Published: December 2024

Purpose of Review

Landscapes can be defined as mosaics of different land covers, habitats, ecosystems, or land-use systems. The link between spatial heterogeneous patterns and ecological processes is the core concept in the research field of landscape ecology. Nowadays, advanced computational methods are essential to the field due to its cross-disciplinary nature, the increasing availability of data, and the complexity of landscape systems.

Recent Findings

This review provides an overview of recent developments in computational methods that have advanced the research field of landscape ecology. We focus on key topics such as spatial patterns, connectivity, landscape genetics, sampling, simulations and modeling, and spatial planning.

The review highlights key innovations, challenges, and potential future directions in the field, emphasizing the role of computational methods in addressing complex ecological questions.
EnConv: enhanced CNN for leaf disease classification
Authors: Thanjaivadivel M. , Gobinath C. , Vellingiri J. , Kaliraj S. , Femilda Josephin J. S.
Published: December 2024

Detecting leaf diseases in plants is essential to maintain crop yield and market value. Machine learning has shown promise in detecting these diseases as it can group data into predetermined categories after examining it from various angles. However, machine learning models require a thorough knowledge of plant diseases, and processing time can be lengthy. This study proposes an enhanced convolutional neural network that utilizes depthwise separable convolution and inverted residual blocks to detect leaf diseases in plants. The model considers the morphological properties and characteristics of the plant leaves, including color, intensity, and size, to categorize the data. The proposed model outperforms traditional machine learning approaches and deep learning models, achieving an accuracy of 99.87% for 39 classes of different plants such as tomato, corn, apple, potato, and more. To further improve the model, global average pooling was used in place of the flatten layer. Overall, this study presents a promising approach to detect leaf diseases in plants using an enhanced convolutional neural network with depthwise separable convolution and inverted residual blocks. The results show the potential benefits of using this model in agriculture to improve the early detection of plant diseases and maintain crop yield and market value.
Human pose feature enhancement for human anomaly detection and tracking
Authors: Nou Sotheany , Lee Joong-Sun , Ohyama Nagaaki , Obi Takashi
Published: December 2024

Human pose, represented as a set of keypoints, is a principal feature in pose-based human anomaly detection and tracking. However, using keypoint alone for both tasks encounter loss during heavy occlusion or missed keypoint detection, which leads to lower the model’s performance. To address these challenges, we propose a method that employs multi-object tracking as the tracker, incorporating human pose estimation to maintain robust tracking even when keypoint detection fails. Additionally, we introduce a pose selection module that selects the most appropriate pose and recovers the incomplete pose of each individual target. Accurately determining the most representative pose of each individual is crucial, as it enhances the precision of activity recognition and improves anomaly detection accuracy. Our pose selection module leverages various pose estimation models to generate diverse pose candidates for each tracked object, and then the similarity scores between those poses are computed to identify the most significant one. Our approach demonstrates improved performance, achieving an accuracy of up to 86.4%, surpassing state-of-the-art methods.
Worked Bone, Antler, Ivory, and Keratinous Materials
Authors: DiBattista Adam
Published: December 2024

This Element addresses the study and documentation of objects made from the durable materials of animal bodies, including bone, antler, ivory, and keratinous tissues. This category of artifacts is common across cultures and regions, yet often escapes close study. The Element aims to be a guide to understanding and documenting worked animal objects for those without a background in zooarchaeology or experience with such artifacts. This Element provides a means of identifying and distinguishing animal materials by emphasizing the value of caution and making full documentation of all observations. Using illustrations and descriptions to help researchers understand the structure of these materials, the volume introduces the terminology and diagnostic factors that differentiate animal materials. It also outlines the techniques craftspeople used to modify animal materials in the past. Finally, this Element presents recording strategies for individuals wishing to study assemblages from archaeological excavations.
Semantics and Deep Learning
Authors: Abzianidze Lasha , Bylinina Lisa , Paperno Denis
Published: December 2024

This Element covers the interaction of two research areas: linguistic semantics and deep learning. It focuses on three phenomena central to natural language interpretation: reasoning and inference; compositionality; extralinguistic grounding. Representation of these phenomena in recent neural models is discussed, along with the quality of these representations and ways to evaluate them (datasets, tests, measures). The Element closes with suggestions on possible deeper interactions between theoretical semantics and language technology based on deep learning models.
Crisis Policymaking in the EU
Authors: Kriesi Hanspeter
Published: December 2024

This Element compares crisis-specific policymaking, its causes and consequences, at the two levels of the EU polity during the COVID-19 and the refugee crisis 2015–16. In both crises, EU policymaking responded to exogenous pressure and was dominated by executive decision-making. Still, it also differed in three critical aspects: it was much more salient, consensual, and effective during the COVID-19 than the refugee crisis. The present study accounts for both similarities and differences, which it attempts to explain by features of the nature of the crises. The key argument of the study is that the policymaking process during crises is, to a large extent, determined by the crisis situation – the crisis-specific functional problem pressure, the institutional context (of the EU polity), and the corresponding political pressure at the origin of a given crisis. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
The Evolution of Codes of Conduct to Ensure Labor Rights in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Vandenbroucke Sarah
Published: December 2024

The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) marks a significant step in the evolution of transnational corporate governance, moving away from the predominantly voluntary nature of corporate social responsibility toward a more binding regulatory framework. A key feature of this shift is the introduction of mandatory requirements for companies to adopt codes of conduct—private policies that set out standards, such as labor rights, which must be enforced across global supply chains. As expectations grew for businesses to integrate human rights and environmental risk assessments into their due diligence processes,1 codes of conduct became an increasingly common way for companies to demonstrate their commitment to social and environmental concerns. Today, nearly 80 percent of European multinationals have adopted such codes.2
Emission Impossible? Corporations, Supply Chains, Courts, and Climate Change
Authors: Rudall Jason
Published: December 2024

The recent enactment of supply chain due diligence regulation in various jurisdictions prompts reflection on how the law might best incentivize corporations to mitigate the impact they have on the environment.1 Beyond these specific pieces of legislation, judicial actors are similarly playing a role in expanding the responsibility of corporations for the harm their operations, products, and services cause to people and the environment, including throughout their supply chains. In this context, the present contribution takes aim at corporate accountability for climate change and appraises a number of recent developments in domestic jurisdictions that evidence a trend toward supply chain emission responsibility. While the focus of this piece is the contribution of domestic courts, an emphasis is placed on the role that informal international law and global norms have played in the reasoning of those decisions or the claims of litigants. In particular, it highlights the persuasive authority that such international law instruments and initiatives have had in this context.
Human Rights or Private Rights? – Effective Protection of Victims in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Koenig Carsten
Published: December 2024

The business and human rights movement has made significant gains recently. After years of struggle, courts are increasingly embracing the idea of holding multinational corporations accountable for human rights abuses and environmental damage in countries of the Global South. Legislators are supplementing this with supply chain laws that impose due diligence obligations on multinationals, often backed by administrative sanctions. Civil liability for damages is less often provided, but hailed as a particular achievement in terms of the protection of victims. However, a closer look at civil liability in recent supply chain legislation adopted in Europe raises the question of whether the hallmark of such liability may actually be its greatest weakness. Supply chain liability is regularly linked to the breach of a due diligence obligation in relation to human rights abuses or environmental damage. This is typically based on international conventions that were not written for corporations and are difficult to apply in individual cases. In contrast, this essay argues that it is better to link supply chain liability to a violation of private rights, such as personal injury or property damage. This fits better with existing tort systems and ultimately benefits victims. The hallmark of supply chain liability should not be the link to human rights, but the establishment of duties of care across legal entities.
A structured approach to developing an introductory statistics course for graduate students: Using data to teach about data
Authors: Lee Lisa Eunyoung , Vyravanathan Sobiga , Panzarella Tony , Gillan Caitlin , Harnett Nicole
Published: December 2024

Background/Objective

It was identified in the largest graduate unit of the Faculty of Medicine of a major Canadian University that there was a critical unmet curricular need for an introductory statistics and study design course. Based on the collective findings of an external institute review, both quantitative and qualitative data were used to design, develop, implement, evaluate, and refine such a course.

Methods

In response to the identified need and inherent challenges to streamlining curriculum development and instructional design in research-based graduate programs representing many biomedical disciplines, the institute used the analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate instructional design model to guide the data-driven development and ongoing monitoring of a new study design and statistics course.

Results

The results demonstrated that implementing recommendations from the first iteration of the course (Fall 2021) into the second iteration (Winter 2023) led to improved student learning experience (3.18/5 weighted average (Fall 2021) to 3.87/5 (Winter 2023)). In the second iteration of the course, a self-perceived statistics anxiety test was administered, showing a reduction in statistics anxiety levels after completing the course (2.41/4 weighted average before the course to 1.65/4 after the course).

Conclusion

Our experiences serve as a valuable resource for educators seeking to implement similar improvement approaches in their educational settings. Furthermore, our findings offer insights into tailoring course development and teaching strategies to optimize student learning.
Plant taxonomic turnover and diversity across the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary in northeastern Montana
Authors: Wilson Deibel Paige K. , Wilson Mantilla Gregory P. , Strömberg Caroline A. E.
Published: December 2024

The Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction was a pivotal event in Earth history, the latest among five mass extinctions that devastated marine and terrestrial life. Whereas much research has focused on the global demise of dominant vertebrate groups, less is known about changes among plant communities during the K/Pg mass extinction. This study investigates a suite of 11 floral assemblages leading up to and across the K/Pg boundary in northeastern Montana constrained within a well-resolved chronostratigraphic framework. We evaluate the impact of the mass extinction on local plant communities as well as the timing of post-K/Pg recovery. Our results indicate that taxonomic composition changed significantly from the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene; we estimate that 63% of latest-Cretaceous plant taxa disappeared across the K/Pg boundary, on par with other records from North America. Overall, taxonomic richness dropped by ~23–33% from the Late Cretaceous to the Paleocene, a moderate decline compared with other plant records from this time. However, richness returned to Late Cretaceous levels within 900 kyr after the K/Pg boundary, significantly faster than observed elsewhere. We find no evidence that these results are due to preservational bias (i.e., differences in depositional environment) and instead interpret a dramatic effect of the K/Pg mass extinction on plant diversity and ecology. Overall, plant communities experienced major restructuring, that is, changes in relative abundance and unseating of dominant groups during the K/Pg mass extinction, even though no major (e.g., family-level) plant groups went extinct and communities in Montana quickly recovered in terms of taxonomic diversity. These results have direct bearing on our understanding of vegetation change during diversity crises, the differing responses of plant groups (e.g., angiosperms vs. gymnosperms), and spatial variation in extinction and recovery timing.
The conformational landscape of TRiC ring-opening and its underlying stepwise mechanism revealed by cryo-EM
Authors: Jin Mingliang , Zang Yunxiang , Wang Huping , Cong Yao
Published: December 2024

The TRiC/CCT complex assists in the folding of approximately 10% of cytosolic proteins through an ATP-driven conformational cycle, playing a crucial role in maintaining protein homeostasis. Despite our understanding of ATP-driven TRiC ring closing and substrate folding, the process and mechanisms underlying TRiC ring-opening and substrate release remain largely unexplored. In this study, by determining an ensemble of cryo-EM structures of yeast TRiC in the presence of ADP, including three intermediate transition states, we present a comprehensive picture of the TRiC ring-opening process. During this process, CCT3 detects the loss of γ-phosphate and initiates with the dynamics of its apical protrusion, and expands to the outward leaning of the consecutive CCT6/8/7/5 subunits. This is followed by significant movements of CCT2, CCT4, and especially CCT1 subunits, resulting in the opening of the TRiC rings. We also observed an unforeseen temporary separation between the two rings in the CCT2 side, coordinating the release of the originally locked CCT4 N-terminus, which potentially participates in the ring-opening process. Collectively, our study reveals a stepwise TRiC ring-opening mechanism, provides a comprehensive view of the TRiC conformational landscape, and sheds lights on its subunit specificity in sensing nucleotide status and substrate release. Our findings deepen our understanding of protein folding assisted by TRiC and may inspire new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of related diseases.
Women's Work in the Dystopian West: “The Colonies” in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale
Authors: MCCORMACK KARA L.
Published: December 2024

This paper examines the ways the Colonies in the American streaming service Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale utilize western myth to reimagine the American West as an entirely female space. Relying on popular understandings of the significance of the mythic West, traditional conceptions of the West as masculine, and the narrative function of the western, it argues that the Colonies offer regeneration and renewal for the women whose agency has been stripped in the hypergendered oppressive nation of Gilead. By reinstilling a sense of power and freedom in the women sent there, the Colonies operate much like the West of the imagination, allowing these women to escape the confines of Gilead and the chance to both return to their authentic selves and foresee a better world.
Modern infrastructure? The long transition in urban water infrastructure in Milan, Naples, and Venice, c.1800–c.1910
Authors: Valenti Salvatore
Published: December 2024

The narrative of technological conquest, modernisation and sanitary improvements has been influential in shaping the historiography of nineteenth-century water infrastructures. Although technological and scientific changes were important elements, however, the transition from the early modern system of water provision to an industrial one also involved resistance, conflict, and competition between different social groups. This article focuses on the issues of drinking water accessibility and related conflicts. It examines archival records of the daily water management, infrastructure projects, and municipal minutes of nineteenth-century Milan, Naples and Venice, as well as documents produced by local communities. Contrary to the consolidated narrative of decline and decay succeeded by innovation, the article contends that the early modern water infrastructure was complex, composed of many elements assembled into a whole, and that differences between these and modern water systems should be sought not in the assumed degree of systematicity. Instead, the division between the two types of systems was manifested in the latter type's scale and its driving concepts, derived from a view of the future for which modern water infrastructures were planned. Simultaneously, the creation of new social boundaries and the increase in inequalities in water access were among the products of modern infrastructure.
Replication studies in second language acquisition research: Definitions, issues, resources, and future directions
Authors: McManus Kevin
Published: December 2024

A long-standing concern in the field of second language acquisition is that replication studies are not only infrequent but also poorly designed, reported, and labeled. This special issue responds to an urgent need for action by showcasing eleven high-quality replication studies. In doing so, this collection highlights exemplary standards in replication study design and reporting. This introduction to the special issue provides readers with a point of reference for what replication research is, including why replication studies are needed, issues about originality and innovation in replication research, how replication studies can be designed and conducted, and recent advances and resources to support future replication efforts in the field. The introduction concludes with an overview of each study in the special issue, highlighting its main components and discussing how the replication strengthens the field and advances knowledge and understanding about the topic.
Who Can Govern from a House on Fire? International Order, State Responsibility, and the Problem of Solar Radiation Modification
Authors: Young Danielle N.
Published: December 2024

This essay argues that the possibility of governing the development and deployment of solar radiation modification (SRM) technology is predicated on the assumption of a liberal international order informed by an understanding of state responsibility. However, this order is experiencing a period of disruption that has placed stress on extant and emerging global governance regimes and brought the assumption of their efficacy and viability into doubt. In addition, international order and existing global governance of technologies with planetary implications, such as nuclear weapons, have become the increasing focus of criticism because of the inequities embedded within these institutions, calling into question how much of a roadmap the existing governance architecture can or should provide. Leading developers and proponents of SRM have advocated for cooperative, transparent, science-led governance, which parallels the language of early nuclear governance advocates, but there is a long history of displacement and disruption of indigenous and otherwise marginalized populations without meaningful consultation to accommodate technological developments driven by powerful, industrialized countries. Developing an ethical framework for the governance of SRM will be challenging under the current conditions of increasing tensions and confrontations between major powers that may have non–climate-related interests in developing and controlling SRM technology. This essay will reflect on whether the current international order, stable or unstable, is capable of producing ethical governance of SRM.
Sisters, liaisons, and dangerous things: A cognitive approach to a Nahua metaphor of early colonial stories
Authors: Madajczak Julia
Published: December 2024

This article unpacks a Nahuatl metaphor based on the kin term hueltiuh, “man's elder sister,” used in multiple sixteenth-century Nahuatl texts and their Spanish derivatives. Through a minute analysis of several Nahua stories, the article identifies various roles described with this term: spies, “toothed-vagina” femmes fatales, heart-eating monsters, and seducers. Applying a method borrowed from cognitive linguistics, it then constructs a model of “man's elder sister,” which explains the application of this metaphor to different contexts. In Nahua stories, hueltiuh is usually a female mediator who throws the male characters off balance, leading to a new status quo. Confusingly, this metaphor often appears where one would expect a real kinship term and in a way that makes identifying its symbolic meaning difficult. These complications have led scholars to see (only) genealogical information in stories concerned with symbolic rather than genealogical relations between elite members or deities. The results presented here allow for refining our understanding of some famous Nahua narratives, such as the one on Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl's abandonment of Tollan. They also invite a rethinking of our views on the Nahua (Aztec) pantheon of gods, whose figurative “family bonds” may, in fact, indicate complex nonkinship relations and dependencies.
Biomimicry in Electroacoustic Composition: Conceptual frameworks and prototypes
Authors: Blinkhorn Daniel , McConaghy Nicholas
Published: December 2024

Biomimicry shifts focus away from anthropocentric design approaches and encourages practitioners to develop a sensitivity to the interconnectedness of natural systems and their resultant potentiality as musical forms. Embracing the concepts of biomimicry necessitates a perspectival transformation from human authorship towards a reciprocal partnership with nature that stresses sustainable technological innovation in artistic expression. The need to solve design challenges in harmony with a broader ecological context means that biomimicry represents a new form of environmentally attuned sonic practice that is both communicative and interpretative of systems operating outside everyday human experience. This research employs the biomimetic process to unravel and respond to issues related to the development of form and structure at the locus of compositional practice. Furthermore, it utilises these insights to generate new knowledge through the activities of this practice and the novel insights apprehended through the triangulation of science, nature and music. Finally, it uses biomimicry to impact the compositional trajectory practically, extending beyond metaphor or representation, and offers a glimpse into realms that are more than music, more than human.