bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CW laser beam-based reduction of graphene oxide films for gas sensing applications
Authors: Tharwat Christen , Badr Y. , Ahmed Samah M. , Bishay I. K. , Swillam Mohamed A.
Published: December 2024

In this study we present a room-temperature direct reduction of graphene oxide (GO) thin films using a laser. Our suggested method reduces solution-processed GO film onto substrate non-thermally using a continuous wave (CW) laser beam, using low laser power (15 mW), and low irradiation time (1 min.) compared with other laser reduction techniques. The characteristic broad peaks at 1360 and 1608 cm−1 corresponding to D and G bands of the reduced GO lattice, respectively, were observed in the Raman spectra of all samples, and their relative intensities were found to be influenced by the laser power and the exposure time. Besides being selective, fast, and non-contact operation without catalyst, this approach is cost-effective because of utilizing a CW laser beam instead of the expensive picosecond or femtosecond laser systems and using a low power laser source comparing with the methods published in the last two years. Then, we created a vertically aligned SiNWs gas sensor that was geared towards detecting ammonia (NH3) and carbon monoxide (CO) gas at mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths. On Si wafers, SiNWs with a diameter of just 200 nm were developed. (MIR) gas sensing is particularly helpful and user-friendly since it detects gases immediately as they pass through the sensor’s active detecting region, preventing human contact with potentially dangerous chemicals.
The effect of diameter and moisture content on biomechanical properties of four native Australian trees
Authors: Zhu Jiale , El-Zein Abbas , Miao Guien
Published: December 2024

Background and Aims

Roots of plants have been shown to be effective in reinforcing soils against slope failures. Two key mechanical properties in such reinforcement are the root’s tensile strength (TS) and elastic modulus (EM). However, knowledge on the combined effects of root moisture content (RMC) and root diameter on these properties is scarce. The study aims to quantify these relationships for root samples of four native Australian tree (A. costata, B. integrifolia, E. reticulatus, and E. racemosa).

Methods

A series of tensile tests were conducted and the root diameter at the fracture point and RMC were measured immediately after each test. Data were analysed using both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Both TS and EM declined with increasing diameter. Power-law expressions were found to describe the relationship between TS and diameter moderately well, but less so the one between TS and RMC. Multivariate analyses yielded a double power-law for TS versus diameter and RMC with a stronger fit than univariate ones. A weaker power-law was found between EM and these 2 variables. Of the four trees tested, A. costata exhibited the highest tensile strength and elastic modulus at a 1 mm diameter, while B. integrifolia yielded the lowest.

Conclusion

Considering both diameter and RMC as explanatory variables of TS and EM yield better accounts of experimental data. This work contributes to a better understanding of reinforcement capacity of trees generally, as well as the specific performance of roots of four native Australian trees.
Did Zhuangzi Criticize Mengzi?
Authors: Chong Kim-chong
Published: December 2024

Mengzi 孟子 and Zhuangzi 莊子 lived around the same time in the mid–Warring States period of ancient China. The historical relation between them is unclear. There is no mention of each other in the texts named after them. But some authors have claimed that characterizations of deformed bodies, the heart-mind, and qi 氣 in the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi are directly critical of Mengzi. I argue that there is no good reason for this claim. Although their philosophies are conceptually opposed, this does not mean that there is a directly critical relation between them.
Profit allocation in agricultural supply chains: exploring the nexus of cooperation and compensation
Authors: Bekolli Anjeza , Guardiola Luis A. , Meca Ana
Published: December 2024

In this paper, we focus on decentralized agricultural supply chains consisting of multiple non-competing distributors satisfying the demand of their respective markets. These distributors source a single product from a farmer through an agricultural cooperative, operating in a single period. The agents have the ability to coordinate their actions to maximize their profits, and we use cooperative game theory to analyze cooperation among them. The distributors can engage in joint ordering, increasing their order size, which leads to a decrease in the price per kilogram. Additionally, distributors have the opportunity to cooperate with the farmer, securing a reduced price per kilogram at the cost price, while compensating the farmer for any kilograms not acquired in the cooperation agreement. We introduce multidistributor-farmer games and we prove that all the agents have incentives to cooperate. We demonstrate the existence of stable allocations, where no subgroup of agents can be better off by separating. Moreover, we propose and characterize a distribution of the total profit that justly compensates the contribution of the farmer in any group of distributors. We also explore the conditions under which the farmer can be compensated to maximize their revenues when cooperating with all players. Finally, we include a case study demonstrating the application of the model using data gathered from local distributors and farmers.
Microbotanical analyses of dental calculus and caries occurrence at Neolithic Tepecik-Çiftlik, Türkiye: insights into diet and oral health
Authors: Santiago-Marrero Carlos G. , Büyükkarakaya Ali Metin , Küçükel Ezgi , Řídký Jaroslav
Published: December 2024

The transition to agriculture-based economies and sedentary lifeways during the Neolithic brought significant changes in oral health and diet. Despite the influence of physiological and cultural factors, the frequency of dental pathologies, such as caries and dental calculus, is a common consequence of carbohydrate-rich diets. Caries result from bacterial activity that transforms carbohydrates into lactic acid, leading to the demineralisation of tooth enamel. In contrast, dental calculus can trap and preserve biomolecules and microremains—such as phytoliths and starch grains—making it a valuable resource for investigating past diets and lifeways. Although microbotanical analyses of dental calculus and caries occurrence are common in archaeology, these methods are rarely applied together in the same case study. This paper presents the results of the analyses of microbotanical remains, such as phytoliths and starch grains, retrieved from dental calculus, as well as caries occurrence in 11 individuals from Tepecik-Çiftlik, a Neolithic settlement in southwestern Cappadocia, Turkey. Caries prevalence aligns with previous studies highlighting the poor oral health of the Neolithic Tepecik-Çiftlik community and suggests a high reliance on carbohydrate-rich diets. Microbotanical remains showed contrasting results, with phytoliths indicating the presence of cereals but an absence of starch grains of cereal origin. This lack of cereal starch grains could point towards the influence of culinary and foodway practices on the preservation and occurrence of microbotanical remains in dental calculus, variables often overlooked in the study of ancient diets. These findings contribute to our understanding of the lifeways and oral health of the Neolithic Tepecik-Çiftlik community while drawing attention to how foodways and culinary practices may influence or bias the archaeological record.
A collaborative system of systems simulation of urban air mobility
Authors: Naeem Nabih , Ratei Patrick , Prakasha Prajwal Shiva , Asmer Lukas , Jaksche Roman , Pak Henry , Schweiger Karolin , Velieva Asija , Naser Fares , Swaid Majed , Pertz Jan , Niklaß Malte
Published: December 2024

The implementation of urban air mobility represents a complex challenge in aviation due to the high degree of innovation required across various domains to realize it. From the use of advanced aircraft powered by novel technologies, the management of the airspace to enable high density operations, to the operation of vertiports serving as a start and end point of the flights, urban air mobility paradigm necessitates significant innovation in many aspects of civil aviation as we know it today. To understand and assess the many facets of this new paradigm, a collaborative simulation is developed to holistically evaluate the system of systems through the modeling of the stakeholders and their interactions as per the envisioned concept of operations. To this end, models of vertiport air-side operations, unmanned/manned airspace management, demand estimation and passenger mode choice, vehicle operator cost and revenues, vehicle design, and fleet management are brought together into a system of systems simulation of urban air mobility. Through collaboration, higher fidelity models of each domain can be integrated into a single environment achieving fidelity levels not easily achievable otherwise. Furthermore, the integration enables the capture of cross-domain effects and allows domain-specific studies to be evaluated at a holistic level. This work demonstrates the collaborative simulation and the process of building it through the integration of several geographically distributed tools into an agent-based simulation without the need for sharing code.
Finite Groups with Some Subgroups of Prime Power Order Satisfying the Partial $$ \Pi $$-property
Authors: Qiu Zhengtian , Ballester-Bolinches Adolfo
Published: December 2024

Let H be a subgroup of a finite group G. We say that H satisfies the partial $$ \Pi $$
Π
-property in G if there exists a G-chief series $$ \varGamma _{G}: 1 =G_{0}< G_{1}< \cdot \cdot \cdot < G_{n}= G $$

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of G such that $$ | G / G_{i-1}: N _{G/G_{i-1}} (HG_{i-1}/G_{i-1}\cap G_{i}/G_{i-1})| $$

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of $$ \varGamma _{G} $$

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. In this paper, we investigate the structure of a finite group G under the assumption that some subgroups of prime power order satisfy the partial $$ \Pi $$
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-property.
Quantitative analysis of Streptococcus mutans, Bifidobacterium, and Scardovia Wiggsiae in occlusal biofilm and their association with Visible Occlusal Plaque Index (VOPI) and International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS)
Authors: Thitisakyothin P. , Chanrat S. , Srisatjaluk R. L. , Mitrakul K.
Published: December 2024

Aims

To quantitatively detect S. mutans, Bifidobacterium, and S. wiggsiae in occlusal biofilm from permanent first molars based on the Visible Occlusal Plaque Index (VOPI), and to analyse the association between their levels and the occlusal enamel caries occurrence following the diagnosis of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS).

Study design

One hundred twenty plaque samples were collected from children aged 6–8 years and divided into four groups (n = 30 each group) according to VOPI scores (0 = no visible plaque, 1 = thin plaque, 2 = thick plaque, and 3 = heavy plaque). Scores 0 and 1 were identified by running dental probe on the groove. Scores 2 and 3 were visually identified. ICDAS scores were recorded by scoring 0–3 (0 = sound tooth surface, 1 = opacity or discoloration of enamel after air drying, 2 = visual change in enamel when wet, and 3 = localised enamel breakdown).

Methods

DNA was extracted from plaque samples and performed quantitative real-time PCR using SYBR green and specific primers for total bacteria including the 16S rRNA gene sequences conserved in all bacteria (BAC16S), S. mutans, Bifidobacterium, and S. wiggsiae.

Results

Ages of the children were different amongst VOPI groups (p < 0.001). Levels of total bacteria (p < 0.001) and S. mutans (p = 0.026) increased when VOPI increased. The ratio of S. mutans to total bacteria (p = 0.015) and the ratio of Bifidobacterium to total bacteria (p < 0.001) decreased from VOPI 0 to VOPI 3. Significant differences in total bacteria (p < 0.001) and S. mutans (p = 0.018) were detected from VOPI 0 to VOPI 2. A difference in Bifidobacterium (p < 0.001) was detected from VOPI 0 to VOPI 1.

Conclusion

Quantities of total bacteria (p < 0.001), S. mutans (p = 0.02) and ICDAS scores (p < 0.001) and VOPI scores were positively correlated. Quantities of ratio of S. mutans to total bacteria (p = 0.003) and ratio of Bifidobacterium to total bacteria (p < 0.001) and VOPI scores and ICDAS scores (p < 0.001) were negatively correlated.
Financial Institutions in Distress–When Banks Need an Investor
Authors: Schelo Sven
Published: December 2024

This article addresses the scenarios in which a financial institution runs into a distressed situation and seeks an investor. Banks are special entities. On the one hand, they are large corporates, many of which are also listed entities. General rules of corporate law apply. On the other hand, they constitute a deeply regulated industry and especially in a crisis the regulator will be closely involved. The intensity of such involvement will depend on the intensity of the crisis. Banks are very sensitive entities and confidence is their biggest asset. Any search for an investor must take that into account. There are various ways a bank can find an investor: it can sell assets, increase its capital or orchestrate a share deal or merger in various ways. The bank might also consider preparing for exit through resolution using one of the resolution tools under Directive 2014/59/EU (BRRD) or can be subject to a facilitated merger. Below, these options will each be assessed in more detail. However, first, we will explore when a bank is actually considered to be in distress.
Comparing Care Pathways Between COVID-19 Pandemic Waves Using Electronic Health Records: A Process Mining Case Study
Authors: Georgiev Konstantin , Fleuriot Jacques D. , Papapanagiotou Petros , McPeake Joanne , Shenkin Susan D. , Anand Atul
Published: December 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic caused rapid shifts in the workflow of many health services, but evidence of how this affected multidisciplinary care settings is limited. In this data study, we propose a process mining approach that utilises timestamped data from electronic health records to compare care provider patterns across pandemic waves. To investigate healthcare patterns during the pandemic, we collected routine events from Scottish hospital episodes in adults with COVID-19 status, generating treatment logs based on care provider input. Conformance checking metrics were used to select the Inductive Miner infrequent (IMi) algorithm for downstream analysis. Visual diagrams from the discovered Petri Nets indicated interactions on provider- and activity-level data subsets. Measures of “cross-log conformance checking” and graph edit distance (GED) further quantified variation in care complexity in adverse subgroups. Our baseline cohort included 1153 patients with COVID-19 linked to 55,212 relevant care provider events. At the conformance checking stage, the IMi model achieved good log fitness (

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), but limited precision (

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) across all granularity levels. More structured care procedures were present in Wave 1, compared to limited multidisciplinary involvement in Wave 2. Care activities differed in patients with extended stay (

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in shorter stays). We demonstrated that process mining can be incorporated to investigate differential complexity in patients with COVID-19 and derive fine-grained evidence on shifts in healthcare practice. Future process-driven studies could use clinical oversight to understand operational adherence and driving factors behind service changes during pressured periods.
Some computational results on Koszul–Vinberg cochain complexes
Authors: Liu Hanwen , Zhang Jun
Published: December 2024

An affine connection is said to be flat if its curvature tensor vanishes identically. Koszul–Vinberg (KV for abbreviation) cohomology has been invoked to study the deformation theory of flat and torsion-free affine connections on tangent bundle. In this Note, we compute explicitly the differentials of various specific KV cochains, and study their relation to classical objects in information geometry, including deformations associated with projective and dual-projective transformations of a flat and torsion-free affine connection. As an application, we also give a simple yet non-trivial example of a left-symmetric algebra of which the second cohomology group does not vanish.
Mechanical constraint to extend the operational range of (011)-oriented Mn-doped PIN–PMN–PT single crystals
Authors: Kim Hwang-Pill , Lim Soohyun , Je Yub , Lee Sang-Goo , Joh Chee-Young , Cho Yohan , Seo Hee-Seon
Published: December 2024

We investigated mechanical stress-dependent behaviors of (011)-oriented Mn-doped PIN–PMN–PT single crystals to further improve their stabilities for high-power piezoelectric applications. In contrast to the common belief that mechanical constraint induces depolarization of active piezoelectric materials, the (011)-oriented single crystals demonstrated up to 44% of enhancements in their coercive field when mechanical stress is loaded on the specific flank surfaces of the single crystals. Furthermore, the suggested strategy is also feasible over practical operational temperatures for electroacoustic sensors (5–60 °C), which is beneficial to high-temperature applications. Nevertheless, consistent with the generally accepted trade-off, their electromechanical responses are inevitably degraded at constrained states due to less shear deformation which is key in piezoelectricity of relaxor-PT single crystals. We hope that the current work will elucidate mechanical stress-dependent behaviors of domain-engineered anisotropic relaxor-PT single crystals and provide a clue for a proper selection of prestress levels to achieve better performances of electroacoustic transducers in a variety of environments.
Individual- and community-level correlates of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Ghana: further analysis of the 2019 Malaria Indicator Survey
Authors: Sarfo Jacob Owusu , Doe Patience Fakornam , Mireku Dickson Okoree
Published: December 2024

Background

Ghana adopted the policy on Intermittent Preventive Treatment of malaria in pregnancy using Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in 2004. Notwithstanding the government’s and other stakeholders’ efforts in Ghana, optimal uptake (three or more doses of IPTp-SP) has slightly declined since 2016. The study examined the individual and community-level correlates of pregnant women who take optimal or none/partial doses (less than three doses) of IPTp-SP using the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey (GMIS) 2019.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of the GMIS 2019 data. Our analytical sample included 1,151 women aged 15-49 with their most recent birth in the last two years before the survey.

Results

The overall uptake among participants was approximately 8.2% for none, 30.15% for 1–2 (partial), and 61.6% for 3 or more (optimal) doses of IPTp-SP. The level of uptake differs depending on the individual rather than community-level characteristics of pregnant women. Individual-level demographic factors— residents in Upper East (OR 3.0, 95% CI; 1.2–7.3) and Upper West (OR 5.3, 95% CI; 1.9–14.7) —and health-related factors—the four or more antenatal (ANC) visits (OR 3.3, 95% CI; 1.8–6.0) were associated with optimal IPTp-SP uptake among pregnant women in Ghana. However, late scheduling of the first ANC visit in the second trimester (OR 0.7, 95% CI; 0.5–1.0)— predicted less IPTp-SP uptake.

Conclusions

Few regions (Upper East and West) are doing better than the capital, Greater Accra Region, in terms of optimal uptake. Also, early scheduling of ANC in the first trimester and increased ANC attendance are key for increased uptake. There is a need for policy, interventions, and research on malaria prevention in pregnancy to improve the decline in uptake.
Hierarchical geofencing for location-aware generative audio tours
Authors: Sasaki Iori , Arikawa Masatoshi , Lu Min , Utsumi Tomihiro , Sato Ryo
Published: December 2024

This study aims to restructure a location-aware audio guide mobile application designed for urban walking tours. Traditional points of interest-based geofencing, which triggers automatic guide delivery as users approach specific locations, struggle to provide continuous and consistent storytelling in areas with limited notable spots, thereby diminishing tourist experiences. To address this challenge, we propose a hierarchical geofencing framework that forms the basis for seamless audio guide experiences through scale-based feature switching and the definition of story serialization rules. In addition, this study proposes geofence-to-conversation techniques utilizing text-to-speech engines and large language models to dynamically adapt guide document resources to dynamic tourists’ movements. A demonstration conducted in a historic urban park area highlighted that the guide generation time in both English and Japanese guide modes is significantly shorter than playback duration, confirming technical feasibility for seamless regional storytelling. Furthermore, we define metrics such as starting time errors, ending time errors, undelivered time to evaluate the real-time performance of location-aware audio guide applications. The experimental results demonstrate effective strategies for geofence configuration and operations, enhancing user experiences in our generative audio tours. This intelligent guide approach, designed for complex urban environments, is expected to enrich tourism and foster regional learning.
Axial compressive performance of low-carbon high-strength recycled aggregate concrete
Authors: Li Jian , Wang Tan , Hong Jian , Liu Sumei , Zheng Chao , Chi Yin
Published: December 2024

This paper introduces a novel material, low-carbon high-strength recycled aggregate concrete (LCHRAC), developed by activating ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and silica fume (SF) in an alkaline environment and integrating recycled aggregate. To evaluate its mechanical properties, uniaxial compressive tests were performed, systematically analyzing the effects of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) substitution ratios, as well as the characteristic parameters of steel and polypropylene(PP) fibers, on LCHRAC’s mechanical behavior. The results indicated that compressive strength shows a gradual decline as the RCA substitution ratio increases, with a moderate reduction of 7.1% up to 50% replacement, and a more significant drop, retaining only 68.6% at 100% replacement. In contrast, the peak strain increases linearly, showing a 29% improvement at full replacement, while the toughness index exhibits a consistent upward trend, increasing by approximately 123% at a 100% replacement rate. Based on experimental data, empirical models were developed to predict the influence of key control variables on the compressive strength, peak strain, elastic modulus, and the uniaxial compressive stress–strain behavior of LCHRAC. Additionally, advanced characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), were employed to elucidate the hydration mechanisms of the slag-silica fume composite system. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical performance and microstructural characteristics of LCHRAC, contributing to its potential application in sustainable construction practices.
Statistical significance of the influence of nano-TiO2 on WPC, PPC, and OPC cement mortars
Authors: Narreddy Avinash Kumar Reddy , B Sudheer Kumar , Panchangam Sri Chandana
Published: December 2024

Durability of cement mortars and concrete is of significant importance in the field of concrete technology. Self-cleaning ability affects durability of cementitious compositions wherein Nano TiO2 (NT) is widely utilized in research worldwide as a popular photocatalyst. In this study, NT was applied to the cement mortars in three methods: intermixed (IM), fresh cast coat (FC), and hardened coat (HC) to three types of cements and the color removal efficiency of each combination is identified. ANOVA technique was used to analyze and understand the significance of the variance in color removal efficiency with respect to change in the dosage of NT, type of cement and NT application method. The variance analysis results suggest that White Portland Cement (WPC) exhibits increased variability in color removal efficiency, the Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) stabilizes at higher dosages, and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) demonstrates an initial increase followed by a decrease in variability. Across all the combinations, the NT dosage had a significant impact on the color removal efficiency, while the cement type did not significantly affect it. The type of NT application method significantly affected the color removal efficiency among all dosages and cement types, OPC having a greater effect than the other cement types.
On the development of a practical Bayesian optimization algorithm for expensive experiments and simulations with changing environmental conditions
Authors: Diessner Mike , Wilson Kevin J. , Whalley Richard D.
Published: December 2024

Experiments in engineering are typically conducted in controlled environments where parameters can be set to any desired value. This assumes that the same applies in a real-world setting, which is often incorrect as many experiments are influenced by uncontrollable environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed. When optimizing such experiments, the focus should be on finding optimal values conditionally on these uncontrollable variables. This article extends Bayesian optimization to the optimization of systems in changing environments that include controllable and uncontrollable parameters. The extension fits a global surrogate model over all controllable and environmental variables but optimizes only the controllable parameters conditional on measurements of the uncontrollable variables. The method is validated on two synthetic test functions, and the effects of the noise level, the number of environmental parameters, the parameter fluctuation, the variability of the uncontrollable parameters, and the effective domain size are investigated. ENVBO, the proposed algorithm from this investigation, is applied to a wind farm simulator with eight controllable and one environmental parameter. ENVBO finds solutions for the entire domain of the environmental variable that outperform results from optimization algorithms that only focus on a fixed environmental value in all but one case while using a fraction of their evaluation budget. This makes the proposed approach very sample-efficient and cost-effective. An off-the-shelf open-source version of ENVBO is available via the NUBO Python package.
Measuring design mindset: developing the Design Mindset Inventory through its relationship with ambiguity tolerance, self-efficacy and sensation-seeking
Authors: Lavrsen Jakob Clemen , Carbon Claus-Christian , Daalhuizen Jaap
Published: December 2024

Designers rely on many methods and strategies to create innovative designs. However, design research often overlooks the personality and attitudinal factors influencing method utility and effectiveness. This article defines and operationalizes the construct design mindset and introduces the Design Mindset Inventory (D-Mindset0.1), allowing us to measure and leverage statistical analyses to advance our understanding of its role in design. The inventory’s validity and reliability are evaluated by analyzing a large sample of engineering students (N = 473). Using factor analysis, we identified four underlying factors of D-Mindset0.1 related to the theoretical concepts: Conversation with the Situation, Iteration, Co-Evolution of Problem–Solution and Imagination. The latter part of the article finds statistical and theoretically meaningful relationships between design mindset and the three design-related constructs of sensation-seeking, self-efficacy and ambiguity tolerance. Ambiguity tolerance and self-efficacy emerge as positively correlated with design mindset. Sensation-seeking, which is only significantly correlated with subconstructs of D-Mindset0.1, is both negatively and positively correlated. These relationships lend validity D-Mindset0.1 and, by drawing on previously established relationships between the three personality traits and specific behaviors, facilitate further investigations of what its subconstructs capture.
Linear repetitivity beyond abelian groups
Authors: BECKUS SIEGFRIED , HARTNICK TOBIAS , POGORZELSKI FELIX
Published: December 2024

We show that linearly repetitive weighted Delone sets in groups of polynomial growth have a uniquely ergodic hull. This result applies in particular to the linearly repetitive weighted Delone sets in homogeneous Lie groups constructed in the companion paper [S. Beckus, T. Hartnick and F. Pogorzelski. Symbolic substitution beyond Abelian groups. Preprint, 2021, arXiv:2109.15210] using symbolic substitution methods. More generally, using the quasi-tiling method of Ornstein and Weiss, we establish unique ergodicity of hulls of weighted Delone sets in amenable unimodular locally compact second countable groups under a new repetitivity condition which we call tempered repetitivity. For this purpose, we establish a general sub-additive convergence theorem, which also has applications concerning the existence of Banach densities and uniform approximation of the spectral distribution function of finite hopping range operators on Cayley graphs.
Semiregularity as a consequence of Goodwillie’s theorem
Authors: Pridham J.P.
Published: December 2024

We realise Buchweitz and Flenner’s semiregularity map (and hence a fortiori Bloch’s semiregularity map) for a smooth variety X as the tangent of a generalised Abel–Jacobi map on the derived moduli stack of perfect complexes on X. The target of this map is an analogue of Deligne cohomology defined in terms of cyclic homology, and Goodwillie’s theorem on nilpotent ideals ensures that it has the desired tangent space (a truncated de Rham complex).

Immediate consequences are the semiregularity conjectures: that the semiregularity maps annihilate all obstructions, and that if X is deformed, semiregularity measures the failure of the Chern character to remain a Hodge class. This gives rise to reduced obstruction theories of the type featuring in the study of reduced Gromov–Witten and Pandharipande–Thomas invariants. We also give generalisations allowing X to be singular, and even a derived stack.
The Duties under the Doctrine of Superior Responsibility: What Can We Learn from Business Standards on Corporate Governance & Compliance?
Authors: Kvirikashvili Irakli
Published: December 2024

Given its role as a legal instrument not only to try superiors but also to prevent both them and their subordinates from committing grave international crimes, the correct understanding and proper application of the doctrine of superior responsibility is of paramount importance. This article aims to illuminate specific and some controversial aspects of the third element of the doctrine—the failure to adopt necessary and reasonable measures—and obtain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding on the superiors’ duties, its limits and main prerequisites under the doctrine. For this purpose, an interdisciplinary study was conducted to investigate whether basic principles and business aspects of corporate governance and compliance management may be applied for a better understanding and refinement of the doctrine. The underlying analysis in corporate governance and compliance covers American (U.S.), German, and international standards.
G. W. F. Hegel and Richard Wagner on the Death of Jesus Christ
Authors: Bell Richard H.
Published: December 2024

Hegel’s early work The Life of Jesus (Das Leben Jesu) of 1795 presents Jesus as a teacher of Kantian morality and ends abruptly with his death, anointing of his body, and burial, such that Jesus could appear to be merely a figure of the remote past. However, within a few years Hegel’s view of the death of Jesus was to change radically. Writing of his death in terms of the ‘death of God’, this individual is transformed into the universality of Spirit who dwells in the community. This paper examines how this fundamental change in Hegel’s thought came about, how Hegel’s mature understanding of the death of Jesus was appropriated by Richard Wagner in his proposed opera Jesus of Nazareth, and how this ‘death of God’ became the model for the death of Brünnhilde in the Ring cycle. For both Hegel and Wagner, the death of Christ can only be understood as a self-involving enterprise, the bringing together of the ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’. Further, Wagner largely shares Hegel’s immanent understanding of God, although under other influences he can affirm the idea of a transcendent God or a transcendent world.
High-power, ultra-low-noise cascaded diamond Raman lasers with spectrum compression
Authors: Chen Hui , Zhao Zhongan , Fan Wenqiang , Cai Yunpeng , Zhang Boyuan , Ding Jie , Qi Yaoyao , Yan Bingzheng , Wang Yulei , Lu Zhiwei , Bai Zhenxu
Published: December 2024

Stimulated Raman scattering is a third-order nonlinear optical effect that is not only effective for wavelength converting laser output, but also for single longitudinal-mode output due to the absence of spatial hole burning. Diamond is a prominent Raman-active medium that has significant potential for linewidth narrowing and wavelength converting lasers at high power levels due to its high thermal conductivity, long Raman frequency shift and wide spectral transmission range. In this work we utilize diamond in a resonantly mode-matched external cavity to achieve cascaded Raman conversion of a 1064 nm laser. By fine-tuning the length of this external cavity, we can obtain narrow linewidth emission at 1240 and 1485 nm. When operating at maximum power, the measured linewidths were more than twofold narrower than the linewidth of the fundamental field. In addition, the noise levels of the Stokes fields are lower than that of the fundamental field throughout the entire noise frequency range, and the intrinsic linewidth of the second Stokes field, which is expressed at the hertz level (~3.6 Hz), is decreased by approximately three orders of magnitude compared to that of the pump. This work represents the first measurement and analysis of the linewidth and noise characteristics of cascaded diamond Raman lasers and, significantly, offers a new means by which high-power, narrow linewidth laser output can be produced from wavelength-converted laser systems.
Humanities Decline in Darkness: How Humanities Research Funding Works
Authors: Newfield Christopher
Published: December 2024

Humanities research is underfunded, and the institutional sources and intellectual effects of this underfunding are insufficiently appreciated. The paper gives an example of the negative effects of a humanities discipline’s lack of research infrastructure on scholarly work. Section 2 describes the main categories through which research funds arrive on U.S. campuses. Section 3 describes the disproportions between Science & Engineering (S&E or “STEM”) funding and funding for social and cultural disciplines. Section 4 discussions the “institutional funds” that universities use to cover research costs from their own pockets. Section 5 shows that universities do not use their institutional funds to compensate for inequities in humanities funding but to perpetuate them. Section 6 claims that the current state of humanities funding abridges academic freedom and calls on humanities administrative personnel to lead a national campaign to rectify the current situation. Misconceptions about humanities research and its funding must be openly acknowledged and addressed so that it can come to have public effects that reflect its actual intellectual achievements.
Do school-based prevention programs impact co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress during adolescence?
Authors: Halladay J. , Sunderland M. , Newton N. C. , Lynch S. J. , Chapman C. , Stapinski L. , Andrews J. L. , Birrell L. , Teesson M. , Slade T.
Published: December 2024

Background

Adolescence is a critical period for preventing substance use and mental health concerns, often targeted through separate school-based programs. However, co-occurrence is common and is related to worse outcomes. This study explores prevention effects of leading school-based prevention programs on co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress.

Methods

Data from two Australian cluster randomized trials involving 8576 students in 97 schools were harmonized for analysis. Students received either health education (control) or one of five prevention programs (e.g. Climate Schools, PreVenture) with assessments at baseline and 6, 12, 24, and 30 or 36 months (from ages ~13–16). Multilevel multinomial regressions were used to predict the relative risk ratios (RRs) of students reporting co-occurring early alcohol use and psychological distress, alcohol use only, distress only, or neither (reference) across programs.

Results

The combined Climate Schools: Alcohol and Cannabis and Climate Schools: Mental Health courses (CSC) as well as the PreVenture program reduced the risk of adolescents reporting co-occurring alcohol use and psychological distress (36 months RRCSC = 0.37; RRPreVenture = 0.22). Other evaluated programs (excluding Climate Schools: Mental Health) only appeared effective for reducing the risk of alcohol use that occurred without distress.

Conclusions

Evidence-based programs exist that reduce the risk of early alcohol use with and without co-occurring psychological distress, though preventing psychological distress alone requires further exploration. Prevention programs appear to have different effects depending on whether alcohol use and distress present on their own or together, thus suggesting the need for tailored prevention strategies.
Exchanged time in shared isolation: circulation of debt in Antarctica
Authors: Pottier Susie
Published: December 2024

On an Antarctic research station, money is rendered useless, and essential material goods are imported from participating countries. Recognizing time as a valuable resource and acknowledging the existence of gift-giving practices, this article investigates the economic exchanges among members of an Antarctic expedition. Drawing on a 15 month ethnographic study conducted at the French Dumont d'Urville Station from November 2019 to January 2021, I analyse the gift of time and the exchange of services among the 24 members of the 70th expedition to Adélie Land, isolated for 8 months by the winter pack ice. The study presents an anthropological perspective on overwinterers, a population predominantly studied within the field of psychology, and examines the extent to which mutual aid and volunteering, which are often overlooked, shape interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. By exploring the ethnography of Antarctic time in relation to work and delineating various categories of service exchanges, we gain insights into individual motivations, causes, consequences and sanctions within the broader context of social relationships. I propose the hypothesis that the perpetual cycle of indebtedness among overwinterers plays a significant role in maintaining the smooth operation of an Antarctic station and fostering social balance within a winter crew.
Depositional landforms and sediments in western Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica
Authors: O'Brien Philip E. , Gore Damian B. , Frankel Barbara
Published: December 2024

Areas around western Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica, feature two sedimentary units in outcrops and excavations. Uppermost Dingle Sand is a gravelly, silty sand with boulders, which drapes bedrock ridges and more thickly covers valley floors and continues below modern sea level. Underlying Vestfold Beds are gravelly, muddy sands that are found in deeper valley fills. High-resolution aerial photography, topographic and bathymetric surveys, sediment grain size and field observations indicate that Dingle Sand formed as ablation till during the last deglaciation. Post-depositional modifications of Dingle Sand by decay of ground ice, mass movement, water, wind and marine transgression and regression have altered the texture, structure and fossil content in this region. Vestfold Beds are older, finer-grained tills. Indirect age estimation of Dingle Sand suggests deglaciation-age deposition with younger (Holocene) reworking in places, whereas Vestfold Beds may be as old as the Pliocene. These sediments post-date the early Pliocene Sørsdal Formation found on Marine Plain in southern Vestfold Hills. Identification of Dingle Sand as a separate, primarily glacial deposit helps clarify the glacial history of the Vestfold Hills. Evidence for marine modification of the deposits after deglaciation suggests that other regions might also have glacial deposits interpreted as marine because of post-depositional processes.
Social interactions and household fuel choice: evidence from rural China
Authors: Fang Hang , Jiang Xuechen , Chen Qianheng , Delgado Michael S.
Published: December 2024

We study household fuel choice in rural China through the lens of social interactions, deploying a structural discrete choice interaction model to explain peer-dependence in household fuel choice. The data comes from the China Family Panel Studies 2010–2020, and we use multiple strategies to examine the robustness of the social interaction effects. We find a significant endogenous social effect, meaning that whether a household chooses non-solid clean fuel for cooking is directly affected by the choice in cooking fuel made by its neighbors in the village. Households with lower non-farm income are more sensitive to the choices of others, and the fuel choices of households with a higher education and/or a higher income attracts more attention from others. Modern communication technologies facilitate information exchange among rural residents, thereby strengthening the endogenous social effect. We suggest that public policies can accelerate rural energy transition by stimulating positive social spillovers.
Making sense of comeback prime ministers
Authors: Grotz Florian , Helms Ludger
Published: December 2024

Comeback prime ministers (CBPMs), who return to office after a break, have been a notable, but conspicuously understudied, feature of several parliamentary democracies. This article provides the first ever comparative study of CBPMs. To make sense of the varying frequency of CBPMs in 18 established democracies from 1945 to 2024, we refer to competing party rationales of (re-)selecting prime ministers in different contexts, with the latter shaping the former. Apart from powerful presidents in semi-presidential regimes, the frequency of early replacements of prime ministers, the scope of alternations of the prime minister’s party, and the degree of intraparty personalization offer plausible explanations for the cross-national and temporal variation of prime-ministerial returns. While CBPMs have become less common since 1990, the remaining cases include some particularly powerful party leaders, underscoring the continuing importance of this neglected feature for understanding chief executive selection in established parliamentary democracies and beyond.
Twelve-month follow-up of a controlled trial of a brief behavioural intervention to reduce psychological distress in young adolescent Syrian refugees
Authors: Bryant Richard A. , Habashneh Rand , Ghatasheh Maha , Malik Aiysha , Aqel Ibrahim Said , Dawson Katie S. , Watts Sarah , Jordans Mark J. D. , Brown Felicity L. , van Ommeren Mark , Akhtar Aemal
Published: December 2024

Aims

The majority of studies of mental health interventions for young adolescents have only evaluated short-term benefits. This study evaluated the longer-term effectiveness of a non-specialist delivered group-based intervention (Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions; EASE) to improve young adolescents’ mental health.

Methods

In this single-blind, parallel, controlled trial, Syrian refugees aged 10-14 years in Jordan who screened positive for psychological distress were randomised to receive either EASE or enhanced usual care (EUC). Primary outcomes were scores on the Paediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) assessed at Week 0, 8-weeks, 3-months, and 12 months after treatment. Secondary outcomes were disability, posttraumatic stress, school belongingness, wellbeing, and caregivers’ reports of distress, parenting behaviour, and their perceived children’s mental health.

Results

Between June, 2019 and January, 2020, 185 adolescents were assigned to EASE and 286 to EUC, and 149 (80.5%) and 225 (78.7%) were retained at 12 months, respectively. At 12 months there were no significant differences between treatment conditions, except that EASE was associated with less reduction in depression (estimated mean difference -1.6, 95% CI –3.2 to -0.1; p=.03; effect size, -0.3), and a greater sense of school belonging (estimated mean difference -0.3, 95% CI –5.7 to -0.2; p=.03; effect size, 5.0).

Conclusions

Although EASE led to significant reductions in internalising problems, caregiver distress, and harsh disciplinary parenting at 3-months, these improvements were not maintained at 12 months relative to EUC. Scalable psychological interventions for young adolescents need to consider their ongoing mental health needs. Prospectively registered: ACTRN12619000341123.
Smart interfaces to assist the operator in the context of industry 4.0 with a 5S human-centric approach
Authors: Rojas Mario , Maldonado-Romo Javier , Mendez Juana Isabel , Ponce Pedro , Molina Arturo
Published: December 2024

This paper explores the integration of haptic gloves and virtual reality (VR) environments to enhance industrial training and operational efficiency within the framework of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. It examines the alignment of these technologies with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), mainly focusing on SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). By incorporating a human-centric approach, the study leverages haptic gloves to provide realistic feedback and immersive experiences in virtual training environments. The gloves enable intuitive interaction, enhancing the training efficacy and reducing real-world operational errors. Using the 5S principles—Social, Sustainable, Sensing, Smart, and Safe—this research evaluates the system’s impact across various dimensions. The findings indicate significant improvements in user comfort, productivity, and overall well-being, alongside enhanced sustainability and operational efficiency. However, challenges related to realistic hand-object interactions and algorithmic enhancements were identified. The study underscores the importance of continuous improvement and cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance the usability and effectiveness of these technologies. Future research should focus on customization, AI-driven adaptability, sustainability, real-world scalability, and comprehensive impact assessment to further develop smart interfaces in industrial settings. This integration represents a transformative opportunity to enhance workplace safety, skills development, and contribute to global sustainable development goals.