bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Homo academicus activistarum to Homo academicus imaginatus
Authors: Lundgren Mikael , Blom Martin
Published: September 2024

Many scholars are struggling to find their way in a reality characterised by a growing sense of urgency to solve pressing social problems and a diminishing faith in traditional institutions, such as universities, spreading through society. Some scholars respond by turning towards activism, which manifests in overtly ideological teaching, increasingly radical critical research agendas, and even public actions in the name of science. Others may feel attracted to enter into academia, perhaps as PhD students, primarily in search of a platform to advance deepfelt issues. In this chapter, we problematise the self-proclaimed role and practice of Homo academicus activistarum—i.e., the academic activist—within the scholarly fields of management and organisation. However, our suggested alternative is not the idealistic Homo academicus, devoted to knowledge but detached from managerial and organisational practice. Instead, we propose the role of Homo academicusimaginatus, or the imaginative scholar, who explores, illustrates, and communicates productive and thought-provoking alternatives to current states of affairs and practices. In the chapter, we outline how the imaginative scholar can engage in “imaginative performativity” as an approach to both teaching and research, promoting reflexivity and alternative thinking while simultaneously avoiding the pitfalls and perils of academic activism.
Homo Academicus as Becoming Nomad: Reflections Through a Journey of Pregnancy and Motherhood
Authors: Babri Maira
Published: September 2024

This chapter builds on personal experiences and reflections of a transition from a static scholarly position toward a freer, self-acceptingly different, academic positionality of the Nomad. I share how my experiences during pregnancy and early motherhood catalyzed a transition in my academic identity. Exploring my journey as a reflection over my past and my becoming self, I start from a positionality as embedded but on the margins of the dominant and rational ideal academic, accepting a marginalized space for myself as a woman academic. Drawing inspiration from Braidotti’s Nomadic Subject and Nomadic Ethics, I work through awkward encounters which occurred because I so blatantly no longer fit the mold. Through reflection of these encounters between the dominant logic and that which did not fit, I share the story of how I construct an identity as Academic Nomad, both rooted and on the move, and in becoming.
The Future of Crop Improvement in Sweetpotato: Merging Traditional and Genomic-Assisted Breeding Methods
Authors: Oloka Bonny Michael , da Silva Carla Cristina , Azevedo Camila Ferreira , Unzimai Innocent Vulou , Yada Benard , Grüneberg Wolfgang , Andrade Maria , Pecota Kenneth V. , da Silva Pereira Guilherme , Yencho G. Craig
Published: September 2024

Crop improvement in sweetpotato has progressed slowly in many parts of the world largely due to its significant genetic complexity arising from its large autohexaploid genome, high heterozygosity, and self and cross-incompatibilities. New breeding tools have been developed to better understand this crop and its important agronomic and culinary traits. These tools and their application are reviewed here, and the path forward has been proposed. By incorporating these new genomic tools into breeding programs routinely alongside the traditional methods, crop improvement can be accelerated, leading to the delivery of clones with better genetics to farmers more quickly. This integration of genomics could propel sweetpotato into a new era, ultimately enhancing its productivity and profitability, which is crucial given the growing global population.
Astrogation and Milestones
Authors: Isaakyan Irina
Published: September 2024

‘I cannot live without opera: I always wanted to be an opera star, like Maria Callas or Anna Netrebko, to sing in best theaters and to live in different countries’. This is the de jour statement that I have heard from all my informants. All of them admit longing since childhood to become a global opera star, thus creating the narrative aura of mysticism and magic around their (pre)adolescent ‘elite career desire’. Such statements as ‘I knew I was destined to be an international opera star’ and ‘I always had a gut feeling it was my destiny to sing on best world opera stages’ provoke me to explore how trajectories of their elite migrant networking interact with the flow of their ‘starry’ artistic careers.
To the Memory of a Star
Authors: Isaakyan Irina
Published: September 2024

On 22 November 2017, the world of opera was shell-shocked by the death of the supergiant star Dmitry Hvorostovsky, a famous Russian baritone who died of cancer. His death was not a surprise because he had been terminally ill for a long time. However, the fact of his ‘sudden non-being’ in the world of opera appeared as a shock to all who loved it. My informants were no exception. Most of them had been lucky to attend his performances in Europe and to hear his unrivalled charming voice. ‘It feels like he is still here, still alive’, noted Zosya, ‘I think artists like him never die. They continue to shine even post mortem. Their glory is immortal. Will I ever reach this kind of fame and eternity?’ I did not respond to this question, which I guess was rhetorical—or maybe not. Maybe Zosya truly wanted to hear what a sociologist might think about her career potential. I softly switched the topic because I did not want to disappoint her. To be honest, I did not believe in her futuristic starry career, although miracles can, of course, happen. The reason I am so skeptical about Zosya’s future is that she and her idol Hvorostovsky are the two extra-polar types of global elite migrant.
Considering the Cross-Boundary Environmental and Social Implications of the EU’s Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategy in Brazil
Authors: Portugal-Pereira Joana , Soterroni Aline Cristina , Mazzone Antonella , Pedersen Jiesper Strandsbjerg Tristan
Published: September 2024

Policy Highlights

To achieve the recommendation stated in the title, we propose the following:

The European Commission should implement stricter regulations for domestic emission reduction and leverage EU Regulation on monitoring, verification, and reporting (MVR) of GHG emissions.

The European Council should increase the budget for sustainable and regenerative agriculture and restorative forestry initiatives that enhance land-carbon sequestration.

The European Council should revise the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) on novel CDR strategies and allocate funding to capacity building, and technology transfer to the Global South.

The European Parliament should revisit the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) to establish safeguards and monitoring mechanisms to prevent negative impacts of BECCS projects in the Global South.

Interdisciplinary collaborations for CDR strategies and governance should ensure they are not only technically viable but also socially acceptable, ethically sound, and culturally appropriate.
Reforming Carbon Accounting Mechanisms Around Justice-Based Principles to Promote Societal Sustainability
Authors: Seeland Camilla , Reilly Piers , Perissi Ilaria , Andreucci Diego , Samsó Roger , Solé Jordi
Published: September 2024

Policy Highlights

To achieve the recommendation stated in the title, we propose the following:

Societal benefit must replace the current economic-based rationale as the grounds for justifying proactive, targeted, and equitable carbon-reducing interventions in industry sectors.

The policy priorities of the EU Commission and EU Parliamentary Committees must transition away from a focus on GDP expansion, and move towards the promotion of societal sustainability within the EU.

To design policies driven by societal sustainability principles, the opportunity to develop a strong evidence base must be available.

The carbon budget should be equitably divided among industry sectors based on outputs from the developed index.

The inclusion of mixed data, qualitative and quantitative, should be considered across all policy areas to provide richer evidence bases and ensure robust policymaking.
Identification of Tiny Surface Cracks in a Rugged Weld by Signal Gradient Algorithm Using the ACFM Technique
Authors: Li Wei , Yuan Xin’an , Zhao Jianming , Yin Xiaokang , Li Xiao
Published: September 2024

It is still a big challenge to identify tiny surface cracks in a rugged weld due to the lift-off variations using the nondestructive testing (NDT) method. In this paper, the signal gradient algorithm is presented to identify the tiny surface crack in the rugged weld using the alternating current field measurement (ACFM) technique. The ACFM simulation model and testing system was set up to obtain the insensitive signal to the lift-off variations. The signal gradient algorithm was presented to process the insensitive signal for the identification of the tiny surface crack in the rugged weld. The results show that the Bz signal is the insensitive signal to lift-off variations caused by the rugged weld. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the crack identification signal was greatly improved by the signal gradient algorithm, and a tiny surface crack can be identified effectively in the weld and the heat affected zone (HAZ).
Design and Experimental Study of Inner Uniform Electromagnetic Probe in Stainless Steel Pipe
Authors: Li Wei , Yuan Xin’an , Zhao Jianming , Yin Xiaokang , Li Xiao
Published: September 2024

Aiming at the deficiencies of the traditional uniform electromagnetic detection probes which is not suitable for the stainless pipe inner detection, a Helmholtz coil-type inner detection probe for stainless steel pipe and its experimental system are proposed and built. Through the finite element software Comsol, the finite element model of the uniform electromagnetic in the axial crack in stainless steel pipe inner detection is established, the distribution and variation law of the electromagnetic field in the pipe are explored, the characteristic signals Bx and Bz are selected, and the influence of the length and depth of the crack on the characteristic signal is analyzed. Based on the results of simulation and the characteristics of the inner detection in the pipe, the Hemholtz coil-type pipe detection probe is designed and a stainless steel pipe inner detection experimental system is built. The experimental results show that the detection system can realize the full circumferential scan of the axial crack on the inner surface of the stainless steel pipe.
Effect of underwater friction stir welding parameters on AA5754 alloy joints: experimental studies
Authors: Janeczek Anna , Tomków Jacek , Derazkola Hamed Aghajani , Łyczkowska Katarzyna , Fydrych Dariusz
Published: September 2024

The water as a welding environment may generate serious technological and metallurgical problems but in certain cases, the physicochemical properties of water can be used effectively, e.g., to impart the specific properties of welded materials. The purpose of the work was verification of effectiveness of the water cooling of aluminium alloy AA5754 for various sets of technological parameters of underwater friction stir welding (UFSW). For the joints performed with the range of parameters of rotational speed: 475–925 rpm and welding speed: 47.5–95 mm/min, the following examinations were carried out: visual tests, radiographic tests, static tensile test, fractography (SEM, scanning electron microscope) analysis, and surface texture analysis performed with 3D measurement system. All of the joints were characterized with some amount of flash. Besides, depending on the values of selected parameters, the defects arising from inadequate stirring were found—tunnel defects and melting. The best appearance of the joint was obtained for the set of parameters of 925 rpm and 47.5 mm/min. The samples of the same joint were found to be of the highest mechanical properties—ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 194 MPa and elongation (A) of 9.2%. The results were confirmed by the fractography analysis, which in this case indicated the ductile fracture mode. Dynamic plastic behaviour strongly depends on the process parameter values, which was reflected in the results of surface texture analysis. The parameter selection resulted in significant changes in the roughness results (from 8 to 14.2 µm depending on the sample) as well as the flow ring distance of the weld (from 20 to 50 µm depending on the sample).
Novel processing of micro-channels in micro-grinding with automated laser-assistance
Authors: Sahu Ashish Kumar , Iqbal Faiz , Jha Sunil
Published: September 2024

Micro-structures are widely utilized in various fields such as optical, medical, defense, and aerospace. The accuracy and performance of micro-structures depend on fabrication methods, including conventional and non-conventional machining. High-quality micro-channel fabrication is challenging by conventional micro-grinding (CMG) which uses a micro-pencil grinding tool during micro-machining. However, in CMG, high-cutting forces act in the machining zone leading to tool deflection, tool failure, high temperature, and poor surface finish. The challenges of CMG can be overcome by using automated laser-assisted micro-grinding (LAMG), one of the modern micro-machining processes for fabricating high-quality, precise micro-channels. The novel processing of micro-channels in this work is through the in tandem use of LAMG and CMG. In this, the laser structuring is performed using LAMG followed by a micro-pencil grinding tool processing in a sequential manner on a same machine tool to achive high-quality parts and accuracy. This helps in fabrication of a micro-channel directly in one go without the need to remove the part to perform the two operations on two different machining setups, thereby reducing systematic fixturing errors which are significant when we are working at the micro-scale. This paper thus investigates the effect of various parameters viz. laser input energy densities and laser power on cutting forces and surface roughness on the tool as well as the work surface with two distinct scan patterns. In LAMG, at lower laser input energy density (pattern 1), the tangential and normal forces decreased by 10.3% and 20.5%, and surface roughness Sa and Sq reduced by 24% and 22% compared to CMG. Similarly, a normal force decreased by 20.5% in pattern 1 and 38% less in pattern 2. Still, the higher laser energy density (pattern 2) is unsuitable for structure due to an increase in Sa and Sq by 11% and 14.6%, respectively. Results have shown a maximum reduction in the normal and tangential force magnitude by 31 and 44% at 25 W compared to CMG. The work concludes that LAMG with novel laser assistance scan patterns has lower dynamic deflections resulting in better dimensional accuracy and surface finish compared to CMG with a lower tool.
The complex rheological behavior of a simple yield stress fluid
Authors: Accetta Francesco , Venerus David C.
Published: September 2024

Concentrated emulsions and foams and microgels are comprised of deformable particles making these materials display complex rheological behavior that includes a yielding transition from an elastic solid to viscous fluid. Most studies of this class of soft matter involve shear flows and only a few report both shear and normal stresses. Here, we report measurements of the shear stress and two normal stress differences for a Carbobol microgel, which is usually classified as simple yield stress fluid, subjected to constant shear rate flows. Similar to our previous study, the shear stress evolves through the yield point in a manner indicative of simple yield stress fluid behavior while the normal stress differences evolve in a reproducibly chaotic manner. We also find that the evolution of the stresses is dependent on the whether the microgel has been in a state of relaxation or recovery prior to the measurement.
Evolutionary derivation inferences of the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus, Caniformia, Carnivora) based on the topology, innervation, and anatomical variants
Authors: Vélez García Juan Fernando , Carrión Blanco Diego Alejandro , Moreno Gómez Gabriela , de Carvalho Barros Roseâmely Angélica , Miglino Maria Angelica
Published: September 2024

The crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a carnivoran of the family Procyonidae geographically distributed in Central and South America. It is a scansorial species with more terrestrial than arboreal abilities. Previous studies have described the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in this species; however, the terminology and some muscle attachments differ among them. Besides, these studies did not consider the innervation to infer the evolutionary derivation of the muscles, and did not address the arterial supply. The present study aimed to analyze the anatomical arrangement of the intrinsic shoulder and brachial muscles in six Procyon cancrivorus specimens fixed with 10% formaldehyde. The shape, origin, insertion, arterial supply, and variations were described. Furthermore, the innervation previously reported was reviewed again in detail to infer the evolutionary derivation of these muscles. Differences were found with previously reported findings in the same species and other procyonids. Some intraspecific anatomical variants were discovered, such as an accessory head in the biceps brachii muscle bilaterally; a biceps brachii muscle joined to the brachialis muscle unilaterally; and a fusion of the lateral and accessory heads of the triceps brachii muscle. Tensor fasciae antebrachii muscle is divided into two parts in most cases, which are innervated by the radial nerve. The anconeus medialis muscle is independent of the triceps brachii muscle and is innervated by the ulnar nerve. In conclusion, these muscles in P. cancrivorus potentially conserve the evolutionary derivation of the last common ancestor of mammals based on the topology, anatomical variations, and innervation.
Matrix weighted $$\alpha $$-modulation spaces
Authors: Nielsen Morten
Published: September 2024

Given a matrix-weight W in the Muckenhoupt class

$$\textbf{A}_p({{\mathbb {R}}}^n)$$

A
p

(

R

n

)

,

$$1\le p<\infty $$

1
≤
p
<
∞

, we introduce corresponding vector-valued continuous and discrete

$$\alpha $$

α

-modulation spaces

$$M^{s,\alpha }_{p,q}(W)$$

M

p
,
q

s
,
α

(
W
)

and

$$m^{s,\alpha }_{p,q}(W)$$

m

p
,
q

s
,
α

(
W
)

and prove their equivalence through the use of adapted tight frames. Compatible notions of molecules and almost diagonal matrices are also introduced, and an application to the study of Fourier multipliers on vector valued spaces is given.
Dogs distinguish authentic human emotions without being empathic
Authors: Bräuer Juliane , Eichentopf Dorothea , Gebele Nomi , Jandke Louise , Mann Veronique , Schulte Katharina , Bender Yana
Published: September 2024

Several recent studies have investigated how dogs perceive human emotional expressions. They have measured the reactions of dogs when exposed to stimuli presented in different modalities, such as photographs, audio recordings or odor samples, or to humans simulating various emotional situations. In the current study, dog owners were manipulated to genuinely experience emotions of happiness, sadness, and neutrality. We measured how dogs responded to their owners’ authentic emotions in two different natural situations: induction of the emotion through a video clip and training of a new task. Through a detailed analysis of dog behavior in these naturalistic settings, we investigated whether dogs show behavioral responses to genuine human emotions. We found that dogs behaved differently depending on the owner’s emotional state: they gazed and jumped less at owners when they were sad, and their compliance with the ‘sit’ command was also diminished. When owners were happy, dogs performed better in the trained task. These results are discussed in light of how dogs perceive human emotional expressions and the adaptive value of this skill.
Benthic response to the strong Silurian climatic fluctuations—implications from Gotland (Sweden)
Authors: Claussen Anna Lene , Munnecke Axel
Published: September 2024

Climatically the Silurian was a most unstable period, as it is shows several strong δ13C excursions, with the Lau excursion being the strongest short-lived positive δ13C excursion of the entire Phanerozoic. The causes of these excursions remain a topic of debate. In order to determine how benthic communities responded to these climatic perturbations, a microfacies analysis of carbonate rocks from the Silurian period (Late Telychian to the uppermost Ludfordian) of Gotland was conducted. The development of reefs was significantly enhanced during periods characterized by carbon isotope excursions, compared to time intervals without. In periods of elevated δ13C values (≥ 3 ‰) the abundance of bryozoans and microbes increases, and in some areas, they form reefs (bryostromatolites), while corals and stromatoporoids were the main reef builders in periods of lower isotope ratios (0–3 ‰). Furthermore, a significant increase of phosphatic components, gypsum pseudomorphs and the microproblematicum Palaeomicrocodium is observed in times of increased isotope ratios. A model is proposed that explains the changes in the benthic communities over time. It is based on previously published models and explains the geochemical processes from coastal areas to the open ocean. Changes are assumed from a humid climate in times without isotope excursions to an arid climate in times of isotope excursions. It emphasizes processes that may have led to the strong δ13C shifts during the Silurian period, and includes the phosphorus cycle in sea water as an important factor in the development of the benthic communities.
Visual activities of daily living survey for retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Sugawara Takeshi , Pak Kyongsun , Miura Gen , Baba Takayuki
Published: September 2024

Purpose

To gauge the value of low-vision-specific function and activities of daily living measures (LVFAM) in the assessment of Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

Study design

Prospective observation study.

Methods

The May-July 2023 Visual activities of daily living (ADL) Survey of the low-vision-specific function and activities of daily living measure (LVFAM) was conducted on 15 RP patients attending our Ophthalmology outpatient clinic. We used the better corrected visual acuity, and the better Mean Deviation (MD) values of the central 10 degrees of Humphrey’s visual field as macular sensitivity, and examined the total scores after Rasch Analysis for each of the low-vision-specific function of Daily Living (LVFDL) and the low-vision-specific activities of Daily Living (LVADL) among LVFAM, as well as the relationship between the items.

Results

Age 26–78 (mean 60.8), 5 men and 10 women, corrected visual acuity of 0.01-1.0 (mean 0.45) in the better eye, macular sensitivity of 3.47-40.00 (mean 18.60) dB, mean 52.2 for LVFDL and 66.4 for LVADL. The correlations were positive for visual acuity and LVFDL and LVADL, and negative for macular sensitivity, LVFDL and LVADL. In addition, four items were scored 0 by at least 5 (33%) of the LVFDL respondents, and two items were scored 1 by at least 5 (33%) of the LVADL respondents, suggesting that the results differed by question items.

Conclusion

The LVFAM was useful not only for the total score but also for each question item in the development strategy of PROs in RP with no treatment.
Mental and physical well-being among students in Germany: results from the StudiBiFra study
Authors: Heinrichs Katherina , Lehnchen Jennifer , Burian Julia , Deptolla Zita , Heumann Eileen , Helmer Stefanie , Kucenko Sergej , Stock Christiane
Published: September 2024

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate the mental and physical health status among higher education students in Germany and to analyse potential health differences according to gender and strictness of COVID-19 protective measures.

Subject and methods

In the cross-sectional “StudiBiFra” study, students at 13 higher education institutions in Germany participated in an online survey on their mental and physical well-being. Data were assessed between June 2021 and March 2023 using the “Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study Conditions and Mental Health”. Besides descriptive analyses, χ2-tests were conducted to analyse differences in health variables according to gender or strictness of COVID-19 measures.

Results

Out of the sample of 24,533 students, about two-thirds were under 26 years old, another two-thirds were female, and 1.8% identified as gender-diverse. Approximately half of the sample participated under strict COVID-19 measures (spring 2021 to spring 2022). A high percentage of students reported physical complaints and mental health symptoms, especially exhaustion and tiredness. For most health variables, female students felt more affected than male students and students who identified as gender-diverse were more affected than the other two groups. Participants generally felt worse when surveyed under strict COVID-19 measures than under loosened conditions.

Conclusion

The mental and physical health status among higher education students in Germany was found to be rather poor. The observed symptoms can have a substantial impact on students’ daily lives. By addressing these issues, preferably in a gender-sensitive way, higher education institutions can improve the mental and physical well-being among their students.
How does interprofessional education affect attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration? A rapid realist synthesis
Authors: Grand-Guillaume-Perrenoud Jean Anthony , Cignacco Eva , MacPhee Maura , Carron Tania , Peytremann-Bridevaux Isabelle
Published: September 2024

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in healthcare is regarded as important by professionals, as it increases the quality of care while decreasing costs. Interprofessional education (IPE) is a prerequisite for IPC and influences learners’ attitudes, knowledge, and collaboration skills. Since attitudes shape behavior, understanding how they are formed is crucial for influencing IPC in learners’ professional practice. We investigated what kind of IPE works, for which students, how, and in what circumstances to develop positive attitudes towards IPC. Using realist synthesis, we extracted causal mechanisms that produce positive attitude outcomes and the conducive contexts that trigger them. Our analysis resulted in six plausible context-mechanism-outcome configurations that explain positive attitude development. Positive IPC attitudes are more likely to arise in contexts where IPE provides time and facilities for formal and informal interactions, as this allows learners to get to know each other both professionally and personally, fostering trust, respect, and mutual liking. Additionally, positive attitudes are more likely in contexts where the IPE curriculum is perceived as career-relevant and boosts confidence. Key mechanisms of positive attitude development include getting to know the other learners professionally and personally, experiencing positive affect during IPE, and learners experiencing mutual dependence. Sustained positive attitudes are more likely to develop when there is organizational support for IPC and professionals attend IPE on an ongoing basis, allowing the attitudes and values expected in IPC to be positively reinforced and eventually integrated into the learners’ personal value system.
Power positions in the farm family, marrying in, and negative peer pressure: the social relations that impact agricultural practice
Authors: Wicklow Dagmar , Shortall Sally
Published: September 2024

In this article, we wish to consider relationships internal and external to the farm household, and how these enable and/or mitigate the adoption of better farm practices. We find that internally, members of the farm household (successors or spouses ‘marrying in’), can influence the future direction of agricultural practice in a positive way, that is more profitable and sustainable. It is not a straightforward process though. Interpersonal household relations play a role; status and standing within the family can impact on how decisions about change are made. This relates to both people marrying in and the position of the successor in an inter-generational household. We found that the power of the farming peer group to influence change is underestimated. Our data shows that farming is an occupation subject to strong cultural norms regarding acceptable farming practice. Sometimes farm family decisions to change agricultural practice falter under the weight of sanctions and derision encountered when trying to make adjustments. This paper draws from two data sets in Germany and England. We conclude that understanding internal farm household interactions, and their external relations with farming peer groups is critical to supporting the future of agriculture.
Two-agent proportionate flowshop scheduling with deadlines: polynomial-time optimization algorithms
Authors: Ying Kuo-Ching , Pourhejazy Pourya , Sung Chuan-En
Published: September 2024

Volatility in the supply chain of critical products, notably the vaccine shortage during the pandemic, influences livelihoods and may lead to significant delays and long waiting times. Considering the capital- and time-intensive nature of capacity expansion plans, strategic operational production decisions are required best to address the supply-demand mismatches given the limited production resources. This research article investigates the production scenarios where the demand of one agent must be completed within a specified due date, hereinafter referred to as the deadline, while minimizing the maximum or total completion time of another agent's demand. For this purpose, the Two-Agent Proportionate Flowshop Scheduling Problem with deadlines is introduced. Two polynomial-time optimization algorithms are developed to solve these optimization problems. This study will serve as a basis for further developing this practical yet understudied scheduling problem.
Cole–Hopf linearization of the thermocapillary Marangoni dynamics of a two-dimensional bubble with insoluble surfactant
Authors: Crowdy Darren
Published: September 2024

The Marangoni stress-induced dynamics of a two-dimensional inviscid bubble loaded with insoluble surfactant moving in a linear temperature gradient is studied in the limit of small Reynolds, capillary and thermal Péclet numbers. The bubble moves due to the combined effects of thermocapillary Marangoni stresses and those induced by the advective-diffusive spreading of an initial concentration of surfactant on the bubble boundary. It is shown that this nonlinear multiphysics initial value problem is linearizable at any finite non-zero value of a surface Péclet number$$Pe_s$$Pesgoverning the size of surface diffusion of the insoluble surfactant relative to its advective spreading. This is done by showing that the dynamics can be encoded in the evolution of a function, analytic and single-valued outside the bubble, that satisfies a complex partial differential equation of Burgers type. It is shown that this equation can be linearized by a complex generalization of the classical Cole–Hopf transformation. A numerical method is formulated to solve this linear partial differential equation and determine the Marangoni dynamics of a bubble with some initial surfactant concentration and illustrative calculations are carried out. Results are shown to be consistent with exact equilibrium solutions available from the formulation as$$Pe_s \rightarrow 0$$Pes→0and$$Pe_s \rightarrow \infty $$Pes→∞and a perturbative formula for the bubble migration velocity at large but finite$$Pe_s$$Pes.
Socio-economic Development and Carbon Productivity: A Panel Data Analysis of the World’s Largest Carbon-Emitting Countries
Authors: Mehmood Bilal , Raza Mohsin , Pervaiz Mariyam
Published: September 2024

As global concerns about climate change intensify, assessing the environmental efficiency of production processes through carbon productivity has become increasingly important. This study examines the impact of socio-economic development on carbon productivity in the top 18 CO2-emitting countries, which contribute approximately 82% of global CO2 emissions, over the period 1990–2019. Using a class of econometric tests to address heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, we employ the Cross-Sectionally Augmented Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) model for final estimation, ensuring robustness with Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimations. The empirical findings reveal that GDP per capita, Trade, and FDI increase carbon productivity while energy consumption and urbanization curtail carbon productivity. The country-specific effects indicated that 83% of the sample countries exhibit positive relationships between socio-economic development and carbon productivity, suggesting that these nations can serve as models for effective low-carbon policies. Moreover, the results demonstrate bi-directional relationships for GDP per capita, FDI, and energy use with carbon productivity and uni-causal relationship for trade and urbanization. The study highlights the need for implementing stricter regulations to improve energy efficiency and promote the adoption of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power. Additionally, countries should incentivize green technology investments through tax breaks and subsidies, enhance international trade agreements that support the exchange of clean technologies, and develop sustainable urban planning initiatives to mitigate the negative impact of urbanization on carbon productivity.
Inter-linkages between in-stream plant diversity and macroinvertebrate communities
Authors: Baattrup-Pedersen Annette , Friis Klaus Bertram , Friberg Nikolai , Riis Tenna
Published: September 2024

Evidence of freshwater biodiversity decline, species extinction and severe alterations in the biological structure and function of freshwater ecosystems is accumulating. Here we explore the role of macrophyte diversity in lowland streams for the abundance, taxon richness and composition of macroinvertebrate communities also including the abundance of different functional feeding groups. We applied a controlled in situ experiment in four small lowland stream reaches situated in rural landscapes in Denmark. We were able to explain a major fraction of the variability in the macroinvertebrate communities by differences in total macrophyte surface areas among treatments, but the number of macrophyte species in the experimental treatment also played a highly significant role (i.e. one, two or three plant species) for both the abundance, richness and composition of the macroinvertebrate community. We strongly encourage managers to protect plant diversity in streams, not only because the plants themselves constitute an important part of the biodiversity, but also because they positively affect the macroinvertebrate community. Moreover, macrophyte-friendly management can be seen as a nature-based solution to mitigate the degraded physical conditions characterising many streams in agricultural catchments.
Teachers’ Questioning Practices in Chinese Secondary Biology Classrooms
Authors: Zhang Zhongyan , Lamb Martin
Published: September 2024

Across the curriculum, the questions that teachers ask in class direct learners’ attention to key subject matter, and shape what they learn. This paper examines the types of questions that Chinese school Biology teachers ask, and considers how and why they vary their questioning in the context of scientific practices. Six teachers from four schools in Xi’an City in mainland China took part. Three lessons were observed for each teacher, followed by interviews in which teachers were asked to focus on specific teaching episodes and explain their questioning. Findings reveal that teachers’ questions were mostly closed-ended, but in certain types of lessons their questions were more open and they used questions to manage class discussion. Teacher questioning is affected by personal beliefs, institutional working practices, and external policy shift, and teachers experienced tension in navigating between these factors. The results have important implications for policy and practice; for example, teacher educators need to recognize the complexity of teacher questioning and encourage teachers to discuss the challenges associated with asking more open questions, while policy-makers need to acknowledge the impact their decisions can have at the classroom level.
Online Metaphor Comprehension in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Eye Tracking Study
Authors: O’Shea Aimee , Cersosimo Rita , Engelhardt Paul E.
Published: September 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate novel metaphor comprehension in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous literature is conflicting about whether individuals with ASD have impairment in this particular type of figurative language. Participants in the study completed a visual world paradigm eye-tracking task, which involved selecting an interpretation of an auditorily presented sentence (i.e. a picture-sentence matching task), where images corresponded to literal and metaphorical interpretations. Thus, the study also investigated online processing, via reaction times and eye movements. Forty adults participated in the study (18 with ASD and 22 typically-developing controls). Each participant completed the AQ questionnaire and had their vocabulary assessed. Results showed that participants with ASD comprehended metaphorical utterances with the same accuracy as controls. However, they had significantly slower reaction times, and specifically, were approximately 800 ms slower. Analysis of eye movements revealed that participants with ASD showed significantly longer fixation times on both the target and distractor image, the latter of which suggests difficulty overcoming the literal interpretation. Consistent with some prior studies, we showed that adults with ASD are not impaired in novel metaphor comprehension, but they were clearly less efficient. Verbal abilities did not significantly relate to performance. Finally, our online processing measure (eye tracking) provided us with insights into the nature of the ASD inefficiency (i.e. a literality bias).
The Chinese Freedom Schools: Historicizing and intersecting Lau with Brown
Authors: Morita-Mullaney Trish
Published: September 2024

The Chinese of Chinatown, San Francisco largely opposed the city-wide racial integration plan that would bus their children across the city beginning in 1971. Claiming that it was a violation of their language rights, a need for cultural preservation and continued autonomy from the San Francisco that had long excluded them, Chinatown instituted its own school system called the Chinese Freedom Schools. With this boycott of the public schools, the Chinese were constituted as oppositional to the aims of racial integration, searing constructions of them as being pro-White, anti-Black, and separatist. Yet, such a simplistic and binary argument omits the long history of exclusion including employment, schooling, housing, and voting discrimination as evidenced by the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1965), the only law to exclude a specifically named ethnolinguistic group. To historicize and understand the Chinese Freedom Schools, I analyze this phenomenon using a racial matrix where Asians have long occupied a liminal, in-between space as perpetually foreign, unassimilable, and as a suspect class. Drawing from the theories and concepts of LangCrit, raciolinguistic ideologies and Asian American studies, I examine how agents, institutions, the press, and policies imposed, assumed, or negotiated specific identities of the Chinese during the development, implementation, and dissolution of the Chinese Freedom Schools. I analyze how the Chinese were constructed as uncooperative, creating a competitive cleavage among Asians and Blacks, while dismissing the centrality of White families who largely moved out of the system, avoiding critique. Implications for language-in-education policy are proposed for Lau’s 50th anniversary.
Directions of objectivity. Cassirer on art as a symbolic language
Authors: Filieri Luigi
Published: September 2024

In this paper I argue that 1) art is, for Cassirer, a symbolic language whereby images (or poetic expressions) work analogously to verbal signs in order to frame and codify meaningful objective contents, namely symbolic formations that constitute objects in a specific region of culture. I claim that 2a) both art and language rely on what I call symbolic-poietic mimesis: a function meant to 2b) combine imitative and constructive states in order to shape a proto-meaningful core according to its symbolic pregnance and 3a) employ forms that are, on the one hand, pure (not derived from experience) and, on the other hand, sensuous (figurative signs). The idea is that while 4a) both language and art are oriented towards objectivity as the constitution of cultural objects, 4b) they also differ in their respective directions. On the one hand, language pursues stable and fixed verbal references. On the other, art relies on moving and living forms meant to codify a dynamic weft of aesthetic values.
Influence of dietary lysolecithin on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haemato-biochemistry, and oxidative status of broiler birds
Authors: Ani Augustine Ogbonna , Onodugo Matthew Onyeka , Ogwuegbu Mercy Chisara , Udeh Valentine Chidozie , Mthiyane Doctor Mziwenkosi Nhlanhla
Published: September 2024

This study examined the effect of dietary lysolecithin on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, haematobiochemistry, and oxidative status in finisher broiler chickens. In a completely randomized design (CRD), 300 21-day-old Chikun strain chicks were randomly allocated to 30 pens in which they were allotted to 5 dietary treatments as follows TI (0 g /100kg), T2 (100 g /100kg), T3 (200 g /100kg), T4 (300 g /100kg), T5 (400 g /100kg) of feed with 6 replicates pens of 10 during the finisher phase (28 days). Results showed that dietary supplementation with lysolecithin increased the final body weight (FBW) (quadratic P = 0.0178), body weight gain (BWG) (quadratic P = 0.0232), whilst it decreased the total feed intake (TFI) (linear P = 0.0104). Similarly, it linearly increased the retention of dry matter (P = 0.0324); crude protein (P = 0.0029), crude fibre (P = 0.0147), and crude fat (P = 0.0002). Furthermore, it increased the superoxide dismutase (linear P < 0.001), glutathione peroxidase (quadratic P < 0.001), glutathione (linear P < 0.001), whilst it decreased malondialdehyde (linear P = 0.003), without affecting (P > 0.05) the haematobiochemistry parameters. Therefore, dietary lysolecithin could be supplemented up to 400 g /100 kg without compromising performance, nutrient retention, haemato-biochemistry, and oxidative status in finisher broiler diets.
The P2X7R is a crucial target for Angiotensin II-induced myocardial ferroptosis and remodeling
Authors: Shatat Abdel-Aziz S.
Published: September 2024

Ongoing cardiac remodeling can lead to negative outcomes, such as cardiac failure and diminished myocardial function, although the remodeling process initially protects the heart as a compensatory mechanism[1] . Importantly, ferroptosis appears to be a critical process in the development of cardiac disease. In a recent publication in Redox Biology, (Zhong et al. [2] showed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cardiac ferroptosis may be the mechanisms underlying angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced cardiac remodeling, as well as that ferroptosis is required for heart impairment and cardiac dysfunction induced by Ang II. Moreover, this study provides evidence that Ang II increases the expression of P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) in cardiac tissues and that both silencing and pharmacological inhibition of P2X7R significantly inhibited Ang II-induced ferroptosis and hypertrophy. Also, this work confirmed that P2X7R deficiency mitigated the Ang II-induced deterioration of cardiac injury in mice fed an iron-rich diet. Most interestingly, this study revealed that Ang II directly interacts with the P2X7R to activate and induce nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of human antigen R (HuR), which in turn controls the stability of the mRNA of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and GPX4 and subsequent ROS production, which translated to induction of myocardial ferroptosis and remodeling.
Acquired hemophilia A as a disease of the elderly: A comprehensive review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and novel therapy
Authors: Lehoczki Andrea , Fekete Mónika , Mikala Gábor , Bodó Imre
Published: September 2024

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare autoimmune bleeding disorder characterized by the development of neutralizing autoantibodies (inhibitors) against coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). This review provides an in-depth exploration of AHA, covering its epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, complications, and treatment strategies, focusing on recent advancements. AHA can manifest in both men and women with no prior bleeding history. The annual incidence is estimated to be approximately 1 case per million individuals in the general population. The incidence increases significantly with age: the incidence among individuals aged 60 years or older is approximately 3 to 4 cases per million individuals per year. Typically, patients present with an acquired bleeding disorder that is characterized by an isolated, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time stemming from FVIII deficiency. Diagnosis relies on the detection of neutralizing antibodies using the Nijmegen-modified Bethesda assay. Hemostatic control strategies involve bypassing agents like recombinant activated factor VII, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, and recombinant porcine FVIII for bleeding patients. Emicizumab, a novel bypassing agent, exhibits several potential advantages. In the realm of immunosuppressive treatment for inhibitor eradication, the CyDRi regimen emerged as a remarkable advancement, significantly enhancing the outlook for the management of AHA even in the elderly frail population.