bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Colony environment and absence of brood enhance tolerance to a neonicotinoid in winter honey bee workers, Apis mellifera
Authors: Bovier Manon , Camenzind Domenic W. , Brown Andrew F. , Jeker Lukas , Retschnig Gina , Neumann Peter , Straub Lars
Published: May 2024

In eusocial insects, worker longevity is essential to ensure colony survival in brood-free periods. Trade-offs between longevity and other traits may render long-living workers in brood-free periods more susceptible to pesticides compared to short-lived ones. Further, colony environment (e.g., adequate nutrition) may enable workers to better cope with pesticides, yet data comparing long vs. short-living workers and the role of the colony environment for pesticide tolerance are scarce. Here, we show that long-living honey bee workers, Apis mellifera, are less susceptible to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam than short-lived workers, and that susceptibility was further reduced when workers were acclimatized under colony compared to laboratory conditions. Following an OECD protocol, freshly-emerged workers were exposed to thiamethoxam in summer and winter and either acclimatized within their colony or in the laboratory. Mortality and sucrose consumption were measured daily and revealed that winter workers were significantly less susceptible than summer workers, despite being exposed to higher thiamethoxam dosages due to increased food consumption. Disparencies in fat body activity, which is key for detoxification, may explain why winter bees were less susceptible. Furthermore, colony acclimatization significantly reduced susceptibility towards thiamethoxam in winter workers likely due to enhanced protein nutrition. Brood absence and colony environment seem to govern workers’ ability to cope with pesticides, which should be considered in risk assessments. Since honey bee colony losses occur mostly over winter, long-term studies assessing the effects of pesticide exposure on winter bees are required to better understand the underlying mechanisms.
A Motivational Perspective on (Anticipated) Mental Effort Investment: The Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat
Authors: van Gog Tamara , Janssen Eva , Lucas Florence , Taheij Maaike
Published: May 2024

Research in cognitive load theory is increasingly recognizing the importance of motivational influences on students’ (willingness to invest) mental effort, in particular in the context of self-regulated learning. Consequently, next to addressing effects of instructional conditions and contexts on groups of learners, there is a need to start investigating individual differences in motivational variables. We propose here that the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat may offer a useful model to study the motivational antecedents of (anticipated) mental effort. We also report four experiments as initial tests of these ideas, exploring how feedback valence affects students’ challenge/threat experiences, self-efficacy, and mental effort investment. The results showed that negative feedback leads participants to expect that they will have to invest significantly more effort in future problems than positive feedback (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) or no feedback (Experiment 3). Had we not considered the motivational variables in investigating the effect of feedback conditions on effort investment, we would not have known that this effect was fully mediated and thus explained by participants’ feelings of self-efficacy (Experiments 1/2) and threat (Experiment 1). We would also have concluded that feedback does not affect the willingness to invest effort in future problems (all four experiments), whereas actually, there were significant indirect effects of feedback on willingness to invest effort via challenge (in Experiments 1/2) and threat (in all experiments). Thus, our findings demonstrate the added value of considering challenge and threat motivational states to explain individual differences in effort investment.
What drives customer loyalty in a pandemic? Semantic analysis of grocery retailers
Authors: Kuikka Anna , Hallikainen Heli , Tuominen Sasu , Laukkanen Tommi
Published: May 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online grocery shopping and disrupted customer loyalty. This study analyzes 45,603 Trustpilot reviews of grocery retailers across three eras: pre-pandemic, pandemic, and the “new normal”. We employ Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count to categorize loyalty drivers into three dimensions—cognitive, affective, and social experiences–and we test their relationship with customer loyalty. Whereas cognitive and affective drivers were dominant before the pandemic, social drivers gained prominence during and after the pandemic, reflecting a desire for social interactions amid social distancing. We demonstrate that the influence of the drivers on customer loyalty remains consistent, except for the post-pandemic period, where the cognitive driver lost influence. Consequently, we conclude that consumer behavior in online grocery retailing has changed profoundly. We further suggest that online reviews provide attractive opportunities for retailers to analyze, build, and sustain customer loyalty.
Eco-sabotage as Defensive Activism
Authors: Manson Dylan
Published: May 2024

I argue for the conditions that eco-sabotage (sabotage involving the protection of animals or the environment) must meet to be a morally permissible form of activism in a liberal democracy. I illustrate my case with Jessica Reznicek and Ruby Montoya’s oil pipeline destruction, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s whale hunt sabotage, and the Valve Turners’ pipeline shut-off, climate necessity-defense. My primary contention is that just as it is permissible to destroy an attacker’s weapon in self- or other-defense, it is permissible to engage in some forms of eco-sabotage. Taking inspiration from just war theory, I use the conditions of just cause, reasonable chance of success, proportionality, necessity, and discrimination to both conceptualize eco-sabotage as defense and illustrate the justificatory burden the eco-saboteur must meet. Often eco-sabotage is doubly pro-tanto wrong because it is illegal and involves property destruction. Overcoming these hurdles is particularly difficult because in seemingly bypassing democratic means of dispute resolution, the eco-saboteur seemingly coerces the other members of society by forcing idiosyncratic views upon them. Non-anthropocentric eco-sabotage grounded in defense of animal rights has mixed results regarding the democratic objection just described. I argue that anthropocentric eco-sabotage, grounded in defense of human rights, has the best chance of overcoming this objection, provided a persuasive case can be made for its reasonable chance of success. Passing a reasonable chance of success also causes problems for non-anthropocentric eco-sabotage grounded in species defense, while non-anthropocentric eco-sabotage grounded in defense against animal suffering has a lighter justificatory burden.
Information-flow interfaces
Authors: Bartocci Ezio , Ferrère Thomas , Henzinger Thomas A. , Nickovic Dejan , Oliveira da Costa Ana
Published: May 2024

Contract-based design is a promising methodology for taming the complexity of developing sophisticated systems. A formal contract distinguishes between assumptions, which are constraints that the designer of a component puts on the environments in which the component can be used safely, and guarantees, which are promises that the designer asks from the team that implements the component. A theory of formal contracts can be formalized as an interface theory, which supports the composition and refinement of both assumptions and guarantees. Although there is a rich landscape of contract-based design methods that address functional and extra-functional properties, we present the first interface theory designed to ensure system-wide security properties. Our framework provides a refinement relation and a composition operation that support both incremental design and independent implementability. We develop our theory for both stateless and stateful interfaces. Additionally, we introduce information-flow contracts where assumptions and guarantees are sets of flow relations. We use these contracts to illustrate how to enrich information-flow interfaces with a semantic view. We illustrate the applicability of our framework with two examples inspired by the automotive domain.
In silico prediction of microRNA families involved in the biosynthesis of lignans and cyanogenic glycosides in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)
Authors: Harenčár Ľubomír , Ražná Katarína
Published: May 2024

Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is renowned for having the highest concentration of lignans among all plant species worldwide. However, it also contains a notable amount of cyanogenic glycosides, prompting efforts to reduce their levels. MicroRNAs, recognized as significant epigenetic factors, hold the potential to serve as genetic markers in achieving this breeding goal. In this study, 44,885 mature microRNAs were utilized alongside one genome and four transcriptomes of flax. Twelve gene sequences were obtained for five lignan enzymes and three enzymes related to cyanogenic glycosides. Based on our in silico approach, we identified 15 microRNA families for the lignan metabolic pathway, 10 for the cyanogenic glycoside pathway, and 6 regulating both pathways. Additionally, we contributed to the annotation of the used transcriptomes and verified the functionality of the “Finding genes by keyword” algorithm available on Phytozome 13. The results obtained led to the design of a unique schema for microRNA mediated regulation in the biosynthetic pathways of lignans and cyanogenic glycosides. This research will enhance our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of microRNA in these biosynthetic pathways, along with other specialized metabolites. The predicted microRNAs can be employed in marker-assisted selection with the breeding objective of optimizing the ratio of nutritional and antinutritional components in flaxseed while maintaining current physiological parameters.
Home- and community-based care in the new generation of Medicaid administrative data
Authors: Wang Sijiu , Qi Mingyu , Konetzka R. Tamara
Published: May 2024

This study aimed to assess the quality of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) data elements within the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System Analytical File (TAF) and to devise strategies for improving its research usability. Analyzing Medicaid TAF data from 2016 to 2018, we conducted a retrospective data quality analysis, focusing specifically on HCBS-related data elements. Through secondary data analysis, we identified significant challenges, including considerable missingness and inconsistencies that hamper the effective use of TAF for research purposes. Despite these issues, we developed three approaches that enabled us to identify 94% of known 1915(c) waiver claims as HCBS. Our study also revealed considerable cross-state variations in data quality, prompting specific recommendations for utilizing HCBS data within TAF. Ultimately, the study concludes that while challenges exist, applying our recommended strategies can yield data of acceptable quality for most states, particularly in identifying HCBS usage and classifying them into service categories. Given the growing importance of home-based care, there is a pressing need to prioritize improvements in TAF’s HCBS data quality to better inform policy and practice.
Striving, Willing, and Acting in Pfänder and Husserl
Authors: Mertens Karl
Published: May 2024

This article presents a mutual critique of the analytic and phenomenological theory of action. The first perspective focuses on the standard approach introduced by G.E.M. Anscombe. According to Anscombe, actions are events that are intentional under a description. Consequently, the distinction between action and mere behavior depends on the linguistic description of behavior. However, this perspective fails to address the possible transitions between behavior and action. One way to fill this gap is by investigating the specific form of intentionality belonging to striving or tendency. Such an investigation can complement the standard theory of action by illuminating the realm in which volitional and intentional actions are formed. In this regard, it is instructive to examine A. Pfänder’s and E. Husserl’s philosophy of striving and willing. Pfänder’s Phenomenology of Willing (1900) and the essay Motives and Motivation (1911) reflect on the genesis of volition from striving. Both texts view willing as a particular form of striving that may, but does not have to, lead to action. Similarly, Husserl aims to retrace the pre-voluntary roots of willing, but unlike Pfänder, he considers willing and action to be necessarily connected. The second perspective focuses on what analytic philosophy contributes to philosophical action theory: the recognition of language’s constitutive role in determining actions. This is evident not only in terms of how we describe actions (Anscombe), but also in how we ascribe willing, intending, and acting to one another in communicative contexts (H.L.A. Hart). Therefore, a phenomenological investigation of action should be complemented by linguistic analysis. This idea is already outlined in rudiments by Husserl and particularly by Pfänder.
LSH SimilarityJoin Pattern in FastFlow
Authors: Tonci Nicolò , Rivault Sébastien , Bamha Mostafa , Robert Sophie , Limet Sébastien , Torquati Massimo
Published: May 2024

Similarity joins are recognized to be among the most used data processing and analysis operations. We introduce a C++-based high-level parallel pattern implemented on top of FastFlow Building Blocks to provide the programmer with ready-to-use similarity join computations. TheSimilarityJoinpattern is implemented according to the MapReduce paradigm enriched with locality sensitive hashing (LSH) to optimize the whole computation. The new parallel pattern can be used with any C++ serializable data structure and executed on shared- and distributed-memory machines. We present experimental validations of the proposed solution considering two different clusters and small and large input datasets to evaluate in-core and out-of-core executions. The performance assessment of theSimilarityJoinpattern has been conducted by comparing the execution time against the one obtained from the original hand-tuned Hadoop-based implementation of the LSH-based similarity join algorithms as well as a Spark-based version. The experiments show that theSimilarityJoinpattern: (1) offers a significant performance improvement for small and medium datasets; (2) is competitive also for computations using large input datasets producing out-of-core executions.
Sports recommender systems: overview and research directions
Authors: Felfernig Alexander , Wundara Manfred , Tran Thi Ngoc Trang , Le Viet-Man , Lubos Sebastian , Polat-Erdeniz Seda
Published: May 2024

Sports recommender systems receive an increasing attention due to their potential of fostering healthy living, improving personal well-being, and increasing performances in sports. These systems support people in sports, for example, by the recommendation of healthy and performance-boosting food items, the recommendation of training practices, talent and team recommendation, and the recommendation of specific tactics in competitions. With applications in the virtual world, for example, the recommendation of maps or opponents in e-sports, these systems already transcend conventional sports scenarios where physical presence is needed. On the basis of different examples, we present an overview of sports recommender systems applications and techniques. Overall, we analyze the related state-of-the-art and discuss future research directions.
Role of Japan Sea Throughflow in the spatial variability of the long-term sea surface temperature trend
Authors: Matsuura Hiromi , Kida Shinichiro
Published: May 2024

The Japan Sea shows a much stronger warming of long-term sea surface temperature (SST) than surrounding oceans. The warming trend possesses a meridionally alternating zonal band pattern, with weak trends along the paths of the Japan Sea Throughflow and strong trends in the remaining interior region. Using idealized models of the Japan Sea Throughflow and atmospheric heating, this study examines the process behind the formation of such spatial patterns in the SST trend. We find that zonal band structures form in a flat rectangular coastline model, and heat budget analysis shows that horizontal heat transport, due to throughflow, reduces the warming effect created by the surface heat flux. A weak SST trend appears around the jet, while a strong SST trend appears elsewhere. Bathymetric effects are also examined using a model with realistic coastline settings. The location of the western boundary current stabilizes, and the coastal branch begins to disconnect from the Japanese coastline toward the north, allowing a more stable SST warming region to form in the southern interior region. Lagrangian particle tracking experiments confirm that a weak (strong) SST trend corresponds to a short (long) residence time, and eddies in the Japan Sea prolong the residence time in interior regions. The model results suggest that the accumulation time of surface heating is essential to the spatial distribution of the long-term SST warming trend.
Struggling with Fitting in: Clients Mixed Experiences of Receiving Job Support and Getting a Job When Participating in Individual Placement and Support in Norway
Authors: Kinn Liv Grethe , Davidson Larry , Oedegaard Ketil Joachim , Langeland Eva
Published: May 2024

Purpose

To explore clients’ experiences of receiving job support from employment specialists (ESs) working with individual placement and support (IPS) in Norway. IPS is developed to help people with severe mental illness (SMI) into competitive employment as an integral component of mental health services.

Methods

Using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study comprises individual semi-structured interviews with ten participants engaged in IPS at two districts psychiatric centers. Data analysis was conducted according to systematic text condensation.

Results

Three themes emerged: (1) ES—a door opener? (2) Striving to sidestep a “spider web” of triggers at and away from work; and (3) Calling for a safer route.

Conclusion

This study highlights the importance of ESs offering IPS clients’ opportunities to try out diverse jobs and focusing more on assessing the work environment in the jobs they place people into. Our findings imply that ESs should spend more time on building a good working alliance with both clients and employers, and pay more attention on understanding individuals’ vocational capacities and support needs at the worksite. The ES training should focus not simply on the technical processes of job development and placement, but more directly on empowering clients to stay focused on their vocational ambitions and prospects. The salutogenic model of health can help ESs to analyze whether clients experience workplaces as meaningful, manageable, and comprehensible.
Magnitude estimation and site characterization in southwestern British Columbia: application to earthquake early warning
Authors: Babaie Mahani Alireza , Ferguson Eli , Pirenne Benoit
Published: May 2024

In this study, we took a close look at the Ocean Networks Canada’s earthquake early warning system in southwestern British Columbia through analysis of the magnitude estimates by this system and characterization of site conditions for both onshore and offshore stations. Using magnitude values estimated at each station, over hundreds of notifications, we provided station terms to correct the magnitudes for stations that systematically generate high or low magnitude values. Moreover, by compiling a rich ground motion amplitude dataset and applying the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio method from Fourier amplitude of acceleration and response spectral acceleration, we investigated site characterization through evaluation of non-linear site response behavior and estimation of the site dominant frequency (fpeak) and its peak amplitude (Apeak) for each station. In general, no strong evidence of non-linearity is observed at any stations considering the magnitude-distance distribution of ground motions in this study. Offshore sites show fpeak and Apeak in the range of approximately 1.7–6 Hz and 0.4–1.2 (in base-10 log unit), respectively, whereas onshore sites show approximately 1–6 Hz for fpeak and 0.3–0.7 (in base-10 log unit) for Apeak.
37 years after the chernobyl: the current radiation status in Kocaeli, Turkey
Authors: Günay Osman , Yalçin Caner , Güray R. Taygun , Avci Karakurt Didem , Tantoğlu Ezgi , Başdemir Safa
Published: May 2024

This study aims to assess the artificial and natural radiation dose levels in certain districts of Kocaeli province within the Marmara region, 37 years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, and evaluate the current status prior to potential nuclear leakage events from Zaporijya or other nuclear power plants. Radioactive concentrations of 232Th, 238U, 40K and 137Cs were determined using HPGe gamma spectrometry in 26 soil samples collected from the region of interest. The average concentrations were found to be 22.35 Bqkg−1 for 238U, 26.36 Bqkg−1 for 232Th, 368.34 Bqkg−1 for 40K, and 2.44 Bqkg−1 for 137Cs. Furthermore, the study revealed an absorbed dose rate of 41.73 nGyh−1, an annual effective dose equivalent of 51.18 µSvy−1, and an excess lifetime cancer risk of 0.00018.
Decision tree for adaptation after radical changes: linking dynamic capabilities, ambidexterity, and strategic alliances
Authors: Cozzolino Alessio , Verona Gianmario
Published: May 2024

We developed a decision tree that integrates relevant organizational adaptation theories to respond to radical changes. The understanding of organizational adaptation often requires a combination of multiple theoretical lenses, especially considering today’s radical changes in technologies, markets, and regulations. However, the research streams on adaptation and change are often disconnected and we lack a unifying adaptation framework that might reveal the synergistic contribution of each theoretical perspective to the problem. To fill this important lacuna, we integrate four relevant scholarly perspectives on the topic: dynamic capabilities, ambidexterity, vertical alliances, and horizontal strategic alliances. Our main contribution is an integrative decision tree that unveils when and why each perspective is most appropriate to respond to radical changes. Our research also unpacks dynamic capabilities theory by suggesting when ambidexterity, vertical, and horizontal alliances are appropriate to integrate the upper-level theory of dynamic capabilities, and how they can overcome some of its limitations. The paper also clarifies that, in order to adapt ambidextrously after radical changes destroying core and/or complementary assets, companies need specific alliance strategies.
Evolution of novel Mesorhizobium genospecies that competitively and effectively nodulate Cicer arietinum following inoculation with the Australian commercial inoculant strain M. ciceri CC1192
Authors: Hill Yvette J. , Kohlmeier MacLean G. , Agha Amiri Alireza , O’Hara Graham W. , Terpolilli Jason J.
Published: May 2024

Background and aims

Mesorhizobium ciceri CC1192 is the commercial inoculant strain for Cicer arietinum (chickpea) cultivation in Australia, including in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA), where C. arietinum cropping began in 1985. Mesorhizobium strains are known to gain the capacity to nodulate legumes through acquisition of symbiosis Integrative and Conjugative Elements (ICEs), leading to the evolution of novel rhizobia. Here, we assess the impact of symbiosis ICE transfer and compare the genomic diversity and symbiotic effectiveness of C. arietinum nodulating rhizobia from the ORIA.

Methods

Nodule isolates collected from field cultivated C. arietinum were genotyped by RAPD-PCR, and representative strains from each genotype were whole genome sequenced and symbiotically phenotyped in glasshouse conditions to assess N2 fixation effectiveness against CC1192.

Results

A total of 68 nodule isolates, all harbouring the CC1192 symbiosis ICE (ICEMcSym1192), were analysed, with 12 identified as the inoculant strain, and 56 novel strains clustering into ten genotypes. These novel genotypes dominated as nodule occupants across the majority of sites sampled. Nine of the ten representative strains were as effective at N2 fixation as CC1192, with WSM4904 the only ineffective strain. Core genome phylogeny showed the ten strains represent four novel Mesorhizobium genospecies. Novel strains WSM4904 and WSM4906 shared 98.7% sequence identity, yet exhibited very different symbiotic phenotypes.

Conclusions

The CC1192 symbiosis ICE has transferred to a wide diversity of Mesorhizobium spp. in the ORIA. These evolved strains are competitive against CC1192 at nodulating C. arietinum, and the majority are effective symbiotic N2 fixers.
Investment incentives attract foreign direct investment: evidence from the great recession
Authors: Katitas Aycan , Pandya Sonal
Published: May 2024

Do investment incentives influence private firms’ location decisions? Whereas prior research emphasizes tax incentives, we focus on incentives that require real-time government spending including job training and infrastructure. Real incentives influence where firms invest by resolving costly information asymmetries, and are subject to budget constraints that give rise to political targeting. This paper evaluates how real incentives shape the location decisions of foreign firms, investors who suffer from acute information asymmetries. We leverage features of the Great Recession and the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus, which temporarily increased states’ fiscal capacity to fund real incentives. During the narrow stimulus spending window, states that received more federal Medicaid stimulus—instrumented with the exogenous component of the Act’s funding formula—attracted more foreign direct investment (FDI) and increased state spending on real incentives. The stimulus window approximately coincides with FDI’s temporary geographic expansion into US counties that lacked a history of these investments. On average, these counties had narrow vote margins in the prior gubernatorial election and garnered more state real incentive spending. These correlates are pronounced in counties with idle industrial capacity and in states whose governors sought re-election. Tax incentives had no effect on FDI. These findings have important implications for the efficacy of investment incentives and the political economy of industrial policy.
Symbols and reasons in democratization: cultural sociology meets deliberative democracy
Authors: Sass Jensen , Dryzek John S
Published: May 2024

We develop an account of societal democratization that synthesizes cultural sociology and deliberative democracy. Cultural sociologists emphasize the symbolic inclusion of marginalized groups into the civil sphere. Deliberative democrats stress growth in the deliberative capacity of society. We argue that democratization entails the co-evolution of culture and reason. The basis of co-evolution is the performative construction of an inclusive demos, which requires a deliberative background but is also a source of the moral emotions that motivate deliberation. Since moral emotions can also sweep people up and make them do reckless things, they must in turn be redeemable in inclusive deliberation. This synthesis sharpens a normative position for the evaluation of episodes of inclusion, extends current accounts of the place of emotion in cultural sociology and deliberative democracy, and provides a frame for comparative analyses of democratization. We illustrate with an examination of the exclusion and inclusion of Indigenous Australians.
Safety and dream scepticism in Sosa’s epistemology
Authors: Carter J. Adam , Cowan Robert
Published: May 2024

A common objection to Sosa’s epistemology is that it countenances, in an objectionable way, unsafe knowledge. This objection, under closer inspection, turns out to be in far worse shape than Sosa’s critics have realised. Sosa and his defenders have offered two central response types to the idea that allowing unsafe knowledge is problematic: one response type adverts to the animal/reflective knowledge distinction that is characteristic of bi-level virtue epistemology. The other less-discussed response type appeals to the threat of dream scepticism, and in particular, to the idea that many of our everyday perceptual beliefs are unsafe through the nearness of the dream possibility. The latter dreaming response to the safety objection to Sosa’s virtue epistemology has largely flown under the radar in contemporary discussions of safety and knowledge. We think that, suitably articulated in view of research in the philosophy and science of dreaming, it has much more going for it than has been appreciated. This paper further develops, beyond what Sosa does himself, the dreaming argument in response to those who think safety (as traditionally understood) is a condition on knowledge and who object to Sosa’s account on the grounds that it fails this condition. The payoffs of further developing this argument will be not only a better understanding of the importance of insights about dreaming against safety as a condition on knowledge, but also some reason to think a weaker safety condition, one that is relativised to SSS (i.e., skill/shape/situation) conditions for competence exercise, gets better results all things considered as an anti-luck codicil on knowledge.
Against zetetic encroachment
Authors: Vollmer Michael
Published: May 2024

Proponents of zetetic encroachment claim that certain zetetic or inquiry-related considerations can have a bearing on the epistemic rationality of one’s belief formation. Since facts about the interestingness or importance of a topic can be the right kind of reasons for inquisitive attitudes, such as curiosity, and inquisitive attitudes are ways to suspend judgement, these facts also amount to reasons against believing. This mechanism is said to explain several contentious phenomena in epistemology, such as the occurrence of pragmatic encroachment. In this paper, I provide two lines of reasoning against zetetic encroachment. First, on any contrastivist understanding of epistemic reasons, the case in favour of zetetic encroachment loses all its motivational force. Second, the thesis of zetetic encroachment is incompatible with the most promising way to understand degrees of inquisitive attitudes.
An epistemic distinction among essences, its metaphysical ground, and the role of philosophy
Authors: Gaultier Benoit
Published: May 2024

Uniformism is the view that one and the same epistemology should apply for all modal knowledge. I argue that, whether or not all modal knowledge can be accounted for in terms of knowledge of essences, uniformism about knowledge of essences is untenable. I do this by showing that, while some essences are empirically discoverable, others are not. I then argue that the uniquely realisable–non-uniquely realisable distinction is a better metaphysical candidate for grounding this epistemic difference than the concrete–abstract distinction. I conclude by suggesting that the task of philosophy is to identify non-empirically discoverable essences.
Measuring the impact of dietary supplementation with citrus or cucumber extract on chicken gut microbiota using 16s rRNA gene sequencing
Authors: Riva Francesca , McGuinness David H. , McKeegan Dorothy E. F. , Peinado-Izaguerri Jorge , Bruggeman Geert , Hermans David , Eckersall Peter D. , McLaughlin Mark , Bain Maureen
Published: May 2024

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplements, citrus (CTS) and cucumber (CMB), on the jejunum and cecum microbiota of 14- and 28-days old broiler chickens to evaluate their impact on the gut health and assess their role as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (ABGPs). 16SrRNA gene sequencing revealed the overall bacterial microbiota composition was significantly affected by the gut site (p?<?0.001) but not by either of the dietary supplements, CTS and CMB, at both 14 and 28 days of age. However, as a result of Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSE), CTS dietary supplements significantly increased the counts of Lactobacillus (p?<?0.01) and decreased the counts of Enterococcus (p?<?0.01) and Clostridium (p?<?0.05) in the jejunum, whereas the counts of Blautia were increased (p?<?0.01) and Enterococcus were decreased (p?<?0.05) in the cecum at both ages. Only minor CMB effects were identified in the cecum and non in the jejunum. The use of CTS dietary supplements has been shown to be associated to the reduction of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Enterococcus and Clostridium) and to the growth of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus and Blautia) which are known to have positive effects on chicken health in terms of nutrients absorption, stimulation and production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Therefore, this study suggests that the use of a CTS supplemented diet could promote gut health while no clear advantages have been identified with the use of CMB as a dietary supplement.
Temporally Consistent Enhancement of Low-Light Videos via Spatial-Temporal Compatible Learning
Authors: Zhu Lingyu , Yang Wenhan , Chen Baoliang , Zhu Hanwei , Meng Xiandong , Wang Shiqi
Published: May 2024

Temporal inconsistency is the annoying artifact that has been commonly introduced in low-light video enhancement, but current methods tend to overlook the significance of utilizing both data-centric clues and model-centric design to tackle this problem. In this context, our work makes a comprehensive exploration from the following three aspects. First, to enrich the scene diversity and motion flexibility, we construct a synthetic diverse low/normal-light paired video dataset with a carefully designed low-light simulation strategy, which can effectively complement existing real captured datasets. Second, for better temporal dependency utilization, we develop a Temporally Consistent Enhancer Network (TCE-Net) that consists of stacked 3D convolutions and 2D convolutions to exploit spatial-temporal clues in videos. Last, the temporal dynamic feature dependencies are exploited to obtain consistency constraints for different frame indexes. All these efforts are powered by a Spatial-Temporal Compatible Learning (STCL) optimization technique, which dynamically constructs specific training loss functions adaptively on different datasets. As such, multiple-frame information can be effectively utilized and different levels of information from the network can be feasibly integrated, thus expanding the synergies on different kinds of data and offering visually better results in terms of illumination distribution, color consistency, texture details, and temporal coherence. Extensive experimental results on various real-world low-light video datasets clearly demonstrate the proposed method achieves superior performance to state-of-the-art methods. Our code and synthesized low-light video database will be publicly available at https://github.com/lingyzhu0101/low-light-video-enhancement.git.
The graded ring database for Fano 3-folds and the Bogomolov stability bound
Authors: Suzuki Kaori
Published: May 2024

My paper (Suzuki 2003) produced some computer routines in Magma (Bosma et al. J Symb Comp 24:235–265, 1997) for the numerical invariants of Fano 3-folds, and used them in particular to determine the maximum value $$f=19$$

f
=
19

of the Fano index. As a byproduct of the research, extensive data associated with all possible sets of singular points of Fano 3-folds with Fano indices greater than or equal to 2 was obtained. Collaborative research with Gavin Brown developed an improved version of the Magma program. The data discussed above was added to the Graded Ring Data Base (Brown et al. 2015) at the University of Kent. Subsequently, GRDB, now located to the University of Warwick, recently modified its interface to accommodate additional conditions, facilitating a more refined selection of Fano manifolds. In this context, we focus on the inequality known as the Bogomolov stability bound. We present a list of candidates for Fano 3-folds that do not satisfy these conditions and propose the conjecture that they do not exist.This result has been independently obtained in Liu and Liu (2023).
Zur Anwendung der Neufassung von § 64 StGB bei Jugendlichen und Heranwachsenden – rechts- und erfahrungswissenschaftliche Perspektiven
Authors: Schwarz Michael , Kaspar Johannes , Werner Raik , Groß Gregor , Stübner Susanne
Published: May 2024

Am 01.10.2023 ist die Novellierung von § 64 des Strafgesetzbuches (StGB) in Kraft getreten. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich aus rechts- und erfahrungswissenschaftlicher Sicht mit den Besonderheiten der Anwendung bei straffälligen Jugendlichen und Heranwachsenden mit Substanzgebrauchsstörung. Auf Basis empirischer Befunde zu Jugenddelinquenz und Jugendmaßregelvollzug werden Problemfelder dargelegt, die sich infolge der Konturierung der Anordnungsvoraussetzungen von § 64 StGB ergeben könnten, sowie Anregungen zum diesbezüglichen Umgang gegeben.
Algebraic periods and minimal number of periodic points for smooth self-maps of $$\textbf{1}$$-connected $$\textbf{4}$$-manifolds with definite intersection forms
Authors: Duan Haibao , Graff Grzegorz , Jezierski Jerzy , Myszkowski Adrian
Published: May 2024

Let M be a closed 1-connected smooth 4-manifolds, and let r be a non-negative integer. We study the problem of finding minimal number of r-periodic points in the smooth homotopy class of a given map $$f:M \rightarrow M$$

f
:
M
→
M

. This task is related to determining a topological invariant $$D^4_r[f]$$

D
r
4

[
f
]

, defined in Graff and Jezierski (Forum Math 21(3):491–509, 2009), expressed in terms of Lefschetz numbers of iterations and local fixed point indices of iterations. Previously, the invariant was computed for self-maps of some 3-manifolds. In this paper, we compute the invariants $$D^4_r[f]$$

D
r
4

[
f
]

for the self-maps of closed 1-connected smooth 4-manifolds with definite intersection forms (i.e., connected sums of complex projective planes). We also present some efficient algorithmic approach to investigate that problem
Volterra and Composition Inner Derivations on the Fock–Sobolev Spaces
Authors: Yang Xueyan , He Hua , Tong Cezhong , Arroussi Hicham
Published: May 2024

On the Fock–Sobolev spaces, we study the range of Volterra inner derivations and composition inner derivations. The Volterra inner derivation ranges in the ideal of compact operators if and only if the induced function g is a linear polynomial. The composition inner derivation ranges in the ideal of compact operators if and only if the induced function $$\varphi $$
φ
is either identity or a contractive linear self-mapping of $$\mathbb {C}$$
C
. Moreover, we describe the compact intertwining relations for composition operators and Volterra operators between different Fock–Sobolev spaces. In this paper, our results are complement and in a sense extend some aspects of Calkin’s result (Ann Math 42:839–873, 1941) to the algebras of bounded linear operators on Fock–Sobolev spaces.
Exploring the applicability of the experiment-based ANN and LSTM models for streamflow estimation
Authors: Akiner Muhammed Ernur , Kartal Veysi , Guzeler Anil Can , Karakoyun Erkan
Published: May 2024

The Yeşilırmak River Basin in northern Türkiye is crucial for the region’s water supply, agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, and clean drinking water. The primary goal of this study is to determine which modeling approach is most appropriate for various locations within the basin and how well meteorological data can predict river flow rates. Hydrological and meteorological forecasting both depend on the prediction of river flow rates. An artificial neural network (ANN), Univariate and Multivariate Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models have been utilized for streamflow forecasting. This research aims to determine the best model for several provinces in the basin area and give decision-makers a tool for reliable river flow rate estimates by combining LSTM and ANN models. According to research findings, the supervised multivariate LSTM model performed better than the unsupervised model in accuracy and precision. The sliding window methodology is suitable for estimating river flow based on meteorological datasets because it offers a primary method for reinterpreting time-series data in a supervised learning style. Compared to LSTM models, the ANN model that has been statistically optimized through experiments (DoE) design performs better in forecasting the river flow rate in the Yeşilırmak River basin (R2 = 0.98, RMSE = 0.18). The study’s findings provided prospective cognitive models for the strategic management of water resources by forecasting future data from flow monitoring stations.
Implications of Some Mass-Capacity Inequalities
Authors: Miao Pengzi
Published: May 2024

Applying a family of mass-capacity related inequalities proved in Miao (Peking Math J 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s42543-023-00071-7), we obtain sufficient conditions that imply the nonnegativity as well as positive lower bounds of the mass, on a class of manifolds with nonnegative scalar curvature, with or without a singularity.
Impact of Artificial Weathering on Swimwear Fabric
Authors: Cüreklibatır Encan Berna
Published: May 2024

Lately, being physically active has become a priority of daily life. Despite that outdoor sports boost an individual’s mental and physical health, it also generates the problem of ultraviolet light exposure. Clothes provide the wearer protection from the sun, but they are also damaged while completing this task. Therefore, the impact of ultraviolet aging on swimwear fabric, which is the most exposed type of garment to the sunrays, was investigated in this study. Changes in breaking force, elongation at break, air permeability, fabric elasticity and stiffness, and dimensional characteristics were examined after 120 and 240 h of artificial weathering, together with scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The influence of seawater treatment was explored as well. The results presented that breaking force, elongation at break, fabric elasticity and stiffness, and air permeability were dramatically influenced by ultraviolet exposure. No chemical destruction was observed in FTIR spectra, while micro-damages were detected in SEM images. Furthermore, it was concluded that the main detrimental parameter was UV radiation, and the effect of seawater treatment was usually found to be minimal or not distinctive. Due to the limited number of research on the impact of UV aging on warp-knitted swimwear, this study is expected to contribute to the related literature.
Extracellular vesicle-mediated drug delivery in breast cancer theranostics
Authors: Abdul-Rahman Toufik , Roy Poulami , Herrera-Calderón Ranferi Eduardo , Khidri Feriha Fatima , Omotesho Quadri Ajibola , Rumide Tolulope Sharon , Fatima Mahek , Roy Sakshi , Wireko Andrew Awuah , Atallah Oday , Roy Subham , Amekpor Felix , Ghosh Shankhaneel , Agyigra Isaac Aksavdwa , Horbas Viktoriia , Teslyk Tetiana , Bumeister Valentyna , Papadakis Marios , Alexiou Athanasios
Published: May 2024

Breast cancer (BC) continues to be a significant global challenge due to drug resistance and severe side effects. The increasing prevalence is alarming, requiring new therapeutic approaches to address these challenges. At this point, Extracellular vesicles (EVs), specifically small endosome-released nanometer-sized EVs (SEVs) or exosomes, have been explored by literature as potential theranostics. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of exosomes in BC, focusing on their advantages in drug delivery and their ability to mitigate metastasis. Following the review, we identified exosomes' potential in combination therapies, serving as miRNA carriers and contributing to improved anti-tumor effects. This is evident in clinical trials investigating exosomes in BC, which have shown their ability to boost chemotherapy efficacy by delivering drugs like paclitaxel (PTX) and doxorubicin (DOX). However, the translation of EVs into BC therapy is hindered by various challenges. These challenges include the heterogeneity of EVs, the selection of the appropriate parent cell, the loading procedures, and determining the optimal administration routes. Despite the promising therapeutic potential of EVs, these obstacles must be addressed to realize their benefits in BC treatment.
GAS5 regulated by FTO-mediated m6A modification suppresses cell proliferation via the IGF2BP2/QKI axis in breast cancer
Authors: Yan Yuzhao , Ma Jing , Chen Qingqiu , Zhang Ting , Fan Rui , Du Junze
Published: May 2024

Background

The lncRNA growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) is involved in regulating breast cancer progression. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the function and mechanism of GAS5 in breast cancer.

Methods

The expressions of GAS5, fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2), and Quaking (QKI) were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The m6A modification level of GAS5 was detected using m6A immunoprecipitation assay (MeRIP). The interaction between IGF2BP2 and GAS5 or QKI was detected using RNA immunoprecipitation assay (RIP) and dual luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The biological functions of the FTO/GAS5/IGF2BP2/QKI axis was assessed using the tumor xenograft assay.

Results

LncRNA GAS5 expression decreased in breast cancer and was regulated by FTO-mediated m6A modification in an IGF2BP2-dependent manner, resulting in decreased GAS5 stability and expression. GAS5 recruited IGF2BP2 to target QKI and upregulated QKI expression in breast cancer cells. GAS5 suppressed breast cancer growth via IGF2BP2/QKI, and this inhibitory effect was modulated by FTO both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

GAS5 regulated by FTO-mediated m6A modification represses the growth of breast cancer via the IGF2BP2/QKI pathway, suggesting that the FTO/GAS5/IGF2BP2/QKI pathway can be a potential target for breast cancer treatment.
The effect of electrical current on lubricant film thickness in boundary and mixed lubrication contacts measured with ultrasound
Authors: Cao-Romero-Gallegos Julio A. , Taghizadeh Saeid , Aguilar-Rosas Oscar A. , Dwyer-Joyce R. S. , Farfan-Cabrera Leonardo I.
Published: May 2024

This work explores experimentally the effects of DC electrical currents on lubricant film thickness alteration in lubricated sliding steel contacts in the boundary and mixed regime as measured by ultrasound. The experiments were performed in a two-electrode cell-based pin-on-disk tester instrumented with ultrasonic transducers. Unelectrified and electrified tribological tests were conducted on steel flat-on-flat contacts under various speeds and loads using both a mineral base oil and a gear oil. Film thickness, coefficient of friction (CoF), and electrical contact resistance (ECR) were measured during short experiments (30 s) in unelectrified and electrified (1.5 and 3 A) conditions. The results suggest that film thickness, CoF, and all ECR are altered by passing DC currents through the contact. In particular, film thickness increased and decreased, respectively, by applying electricity at the different speeds and loads tested. These alterations were majorly ascribed to oil viscosity decrease by local heat and surface oxidation caused by electrical discharge and break down at the interface.