bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Do Path Dependencies in Family Farming Affect Behavioural Intentions to Adopt Sustainable Practices? Exploring the Potential of Developing Carbon Farming by Smallholders in Serbia
Authors: Borychowski Michał , Czyżewski Bazyli , Sapa Agnieszka , Kryszak Łukasz
Published: January 2025

Carbon farming (CF) is an approach to agricultural production that aims to increase soil organic carbon. The main objective of this article was to investigate the intentions of Serbian farmers to implement CF practices based on an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The research sample consisted of cereal farmers from northern Serbia. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling and simultaneous confirmatory factor analysis. The novelty of the study lies in revealing the role of embeddedness in a family farm context, reinforced by specific morality, both of which play a significant role in shaping farmers' intentions. However, the effect of such path dependencies was ambiguous. Path dependencies had a positive effect on subjective norms, which in turn had an indirect positive effect on intentions. However, in relation to perceived behavioural control, path dependencies had a negative effect on intentions to adopt CF. The paradox that the more experienced and confident farmers were less likely to adopt sustainable practices was explained by an overconfidence bias, which is a useful observation for policy makers in terms of developing extension services. A second important finding is the confirmation of the key role of morality and the identification of motives related to land succession, which will be also useful for agricultural policy.
Glutathione‐Driven Disassembly of Planar Organic Phototherapeutic Agents to Enhance Photodynamic‐Photothermal Therapy Performance for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Fang Laiping , Dai Jianan , Wang Xuan , Tu Yike , Li Shufang , He Kuo , Guo Wenna , Hang Lifeng , Wang Jizhuang , Diao Yanzhao , Li Wenjing , Guo Wei , Chen Ziying , Wang Jin , Li Shumei , Ma Ping'an , Jiang Guihua
Published: January 2025

The self‐assembly of hydrophobic organic phototherapeutic agents (OPTAs) with expansive planar structures into nanoparticles (NPs) represents a pivotal strategy to bolster their biocompatibility. However, the tight molecular packing within these NPs significantly influences the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), posing a substantial hurdle to elevating the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) for such NPs. In this article, three OPTAs by donor engineering are synthesized. Notably, 4,8‐Bis (5‐phenylthiophen‐2‐yl)‐6‐(2‐ethylhexyl)–[1,2,5] thiadiazole [3,4‐F] benzotriazole (BTBT), which incorporates a benzene ring as the donor, exhibits the highest ROS generation and optimal photothermal conversion capability. To further augment the overall phototheranostic potential of BTBT NPs, a glutathione (GSH)‐driven disassembly strategy is employed. This strategy not only alleviates the aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) effect on ROS but also facilitates enhanced free molecular rotation. As a result, the ROS production sees a tenfold increase, and the photothermal conversion temperature rises by 8.3 °C, achieving a PCE of 77.03%. In summary, a versatile disassembly strategy is proposed that concurrently enhances the performance of both PDT and PTT in planar OPTAs, while also advancing the state‐of‐the‐art in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment.
A Skill Matrix Chart Case Study in Global Manufacturing
Authors: Hadiyanto Hendy , Anggoro Yudo
Published: January 2025

This research investigates the application of a skill matrix within a multinational manufacturing company, aiming to determine its effectiveness in identifying and addressing talent gaps. This study uses a combination of qualitative interviews and quantitative methodologies, including soft systems methodology to explore how the skill matrix can optimize talent management and development. The findings reveal that the skill matrix significantly enhances the identification of skill shortages and promotes systematic employee development by integrating both hard and soft skill assessments into organizational practices. Significantly, the matrix aligns individual employee growth with broader strategic objectives, thereby improving operational effectiveness and resilience to personnel changes. This research underscores the critical role of a structured skill matrix in fostering an adaptable and skilled workforce, suggesting substantial implications for enhancing organizational performance and strategic human resource management in dynamic business environments.
Critical procedural steps in intrauterine transfusion: Delphi survey of international experts
Authors: Moise E. , Moise K. J. , Nwokocha M. , Lowry K. , Hutson E. , de Winter D. P. ,   on behalf of the Delphi IUT Study Group
Published: January 2025

Objective

To determine consensus, using Delphi methodology, on the critical procedural steps for intravascular intrauterine transfusion (IUT) for the treatment of fetal anemia.

Methods

We conducted a two‐part Delphi survey of international experts in fetal intervention. The first round of the survey proposed 32 potentially critical steps for the IUT procedure. Participants were asked to rate all steps on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not important) to 5 (absolutely essential). We calculated the mean Likert score and 95% CI for all steps. Procedural steps were determined to be critical if the lower bound of the 95% CI was ≥ 3.0 and were excluded if the upper bound of the 95% CI was ≤ 3.5. In the second round of the survey, participants were asked specific questions regarding parameters associated with the procedural steps determined to be critical in the first round.

Results

Overall, 49 individuals from 24 different countries (six continents) participated in both rounds of the Delphi survey. The median length of experience in fetal medicine was 21 (range, 4–38) years. The median number of IUT procedures performed annually per respondent was 20 (range, 2–80). Of the 32 proposed procedural steps, 20 were determined to be critical and 12 non‐critical procedural steps were excluded. Respondents indicated that an individual should perform a median of 20 (range, 10–50) IUT procedures during training to attain competency, and that the median number of IUT procedures required annually to maintain competency was 10 (range, 5–20). There was marked variation between respondents in how they performed the following critical IUT procedural steps: preparation of donor blood, preoperative medication, maternal anesthesia, site chosen for cordocentesis, use of fetal paralysis, method for determining fetal hematocrit, postoperative care and decision to schedule a subsequent IUT.

Conclusions

The findings of this international Delphi survey can be used to standardize the approach to performing IUT. An experienced fetal interventionist should perform the procedure, and in centers in which IUT is performed infrequently, referral to a more experienced center should be considered. Calculating the specific volume of blood to transfuse at the start of the procedure and undertaking continuous fetal heart‐rate monitoring once the gestational‐age threshold for viability is reached were ranked highest in the intra‐ and postoperative phases of the procedure, respectively. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Introduction
Authors: Surma Tim , Vanhees Claudio , Wils Michiel , Nijlunsing Jasper , Crato Nuno , Hattie John , Muijs Daniel , Rata Elizabeth , Wiliam Dylan , Kirschner Paul A.
Published: January 2025

Nearly all teachers and other stakeholders in education pursue a common aim: We want the students whom we teach and guide during their formative years to think deeply about what we teach them. We want them to be able to go beyond their current experiences and have a deep understanding of the world. We want to enable them to thrive and find their path through life, long after their formal education ceases. We want them to be able to think critically, work together, solve problems, read for understanding, and perform many other complex tasks.
Knowledge and the Curriculum
Authors: Surma Tim , Vanhees Claudio , Wils Michiel , Nijlunsing Jasper , Crato Nuno , Hattie John , Muijs Daniel , Rata Elizabeth , Wiliam Dylan , Kirschner Paul A.
Published: January 2025

The curriculum is a complex concept central to educational debates. Over the years, the role of knowledge in the curriculum has, like a pendulum, shifted between two extremes, from highly visible to virtually invisible knowledge elements. In this chapter, we consider the lessons learned from both extremes, proposing a knowledge-rich curriculum as the soundest way forward to both effectively acquire knowledge and complex cognitive skills in school, but also as a crucial lever to achieve equitable opportunities for all students. In understanding how a knowledge-rich curriculum can enhance learning, three overarching principles are discussed: (1) content-richness, (2) coherence, and (3) clarity. These principles are illustrated through practical examples from schools and educators who have effectively implemented knowledge-rich curricula, and combined with insights from relevant research on curriculum studies.
Translating Epistemic Norms into Social Hierarchy: The Social and Emotional Repercussions of a Theological Controversy
Authors: Hurvitz Nimrod
Published: January 2025

This study examines the contested underlying assumptions of premodern Islamic theology and their social and emotional repercussions. On one side of this controversy were the speculative theologians or mutakallimūn,  who asserted that knowledge about the world that is attained through the senses should be part of doing the science of theology because it reveals aspects of God. They also contended that it is possible to attain insights regarding God through speculation based on human rational faculties. Their ideological opponents were the Traditionalistsmuḥaddithūn or muḥaddithūn, who insisted on a separation between natural scientific knowledge and theology. The Traditionalists argued that human rational faculties, being imperfect, are inadequate for theological investigation; Muslim theological doctrine must derive solely from clear statements that appear in the holy texts. Drawing upon their contrasting views regarding theology, the two currents envisioned very different socio-religious hierarchies. Furthermore, they developed a strong enmity towards each other. When these three factors—contrasting perceptions of theology, conflicting socio-religious hierarchies, and mutual contempt—are taken into consideration, it is possible to better understand the tension and violence that erupted between them throughout the premodern period.
Final Thoughts: Entrepreneurship Challenges in a Demanding Political and Economic Ecosystem
Authors: Milow Uta
Published: January 2025

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face significant challenges in the modern business environment, including competitive pressures, stakeholder demands for sustainability, and global economic uncertainties. These challenges are compounded by geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and rising costs. Some of these challenges and their possible solutions were described an evaluated in this book. To thrive, SMEs must embrace innovation, adapt to shifting consumer values, and leverage supportive measures, while taking sustainability requirements and opportunities into account. The complexity of these demands underscores the need for ongoing exploration of solutions in upcoming book publications.
Core Values of Sustainable Innovation in Indonesian SMEs
Authors: Singgih Giorgio Gatica , Famiola Melia
Published: January 2025

In response to growing environmental concerns and global sustainability goals, businesses are increasingly adopting more sustainable practices, a move strongly supported by stakeholders worldwide. However, for companies in Indonesia, a developing country, balancing the need to consider environmental impacts with pursuing profits poses a challenge. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are vital to Indonesia’s economy and play a crucial role in this context. To address this challenge, this paper aims to examine the sustainability values and practices of certified B Corps SMEs in Indonesia, using secondary data from B Corp. Through thematic analysis, a better understanding of the environmental, social, and governance characteristics of Indonesian SMEs’ practices can be gained.

This research provides a comprehensive understanding of sustainability innovation within SMEs. It also offers valuable insights for stakeholders and policymakers seeking to enhance environmental and social impacts in the Small and Medium Enterprises sector, particularly for their practices in Indonesia.
Innovative Marketing Strategy for Green Products in Search of Better Customer Acquisition
Authors: Dellyana Dina , Aldianto Leo
Published: January 2025

In this chapter, we examine the critical role that sustainability plays in modern marketing strategies, driven by consumer awareness and regulatory requirements. The study examines how businesses are integrating eco-friendly practices to enhance their brand reputations and ensure long-term viability, including reducing carbon emissions. Companies that use green marketing improve their market position by strengthening their relationships with environmentally sensitive consumers and adhering to rules. In order to build consumer loyalty and trust, the research also highlights the significance of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and transparency in marketing.

According to the findings, successful green marketing techniques have a big influence on consumer behaviour, which boosts advocacy and brand loyalty. It is advised that sustainability initiatives be regularly highlighted through transparent and lucid communication through a variety of channels, that consumers be educated about the environmental advantages of eco-friendly products, and that interactive experiences that fully immerse customers in the brand’s sustainable objectives be developed. The chapter also recommends that companies concentrate on long-term involvement by offering post-purchase assistance and fostering a community around common interest.
Separation of infrared and bulk in thermal QCD
Authors:   The χQCD collaboration and the CLQCD collaboration, Meng Xiao-Lan , Sun Peng , Alexandru Andrei , Horváth Ivan , Liu Keh-Fei , Wang Gen , Yang Yi-Bo
Published: January 2025

Abstract

A new thermal regime of QCD, featuring decoupled scale-invariant infrared glue, has been proposed to exist both in pure-glue (Nf=0) and “real-world” (Nf=2+1 at physical quark masses) QCD. In this IR phase, elementary degrees of freedom flood the infrared, forming a distinct component independent from the bulk. This behavior necessitates non-analyticities in the theory. In pure-glue QCD, such non-analyticities have been shown to arise via Anderson-like mobility edges in Dirac spectra (λIR = 0, ±λA ≠ 0), as manifested in the dimension function dIR(λ). Here, we present the first evidence, based on lattice QCD calculation at a=0.105 fm, that this mechanism is also at work in real-world QCD, thus supporting the existence of the proposed IR regime in nature. An important aspect of our results is that, while at T = 234 MeV we find a dimensional jump between zero modes and lowest near-zero modes very close to unity (dIR = 3 to dIR ≃ 2), similar to the IR phase of pure-glue QCD, at T = 187 MeV we observe a continuous λ-dependence. This suggests that thermal states just above the chiral crossover are non-analytically (in T) connected to thermal state at T = 234 MeV, supporting the key original proposition that the transition into the IR regime occurs at a temperature strictly above the chiral crossover.
Elliptic virtual structure constants and generalizations of BCOV-Zinger formula to projective Fano hypersurfaces
Authors: Jinzenji Masao , Kuwata Ken
Published: January 2025

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a method for computing genus 1 Gromov-Witten invariants of Calabi-Yau and Fano projective hypersurfaces using the B-model. Our formalism is applicable to both Calabi-Yau and Fano cases. In the Calabi-Yau case, significant cancellation of terms within our formalism occurs, resulting in an alternative representation of the BCOV-Zinger formula for projective Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces.
The heat kernel in Riemann normal coordinates and multiloop Feynman graphs in curved spacetime
Authors: Carneiro Igor , von Gersdorff Gero
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We present a formalism for computing arbitrary scalar multi-loop Feynman graphs in curved spacetime using the heat kernel approach. To this end, we compute the off-diagonal components of the heat kernel in Riemann normal coordinates up to second order in the curvature.
Revisiting extremal couplings in AdS/CFT
Authors: Castro Alejandra , Martinez Pedro J.
Published: January 2025

Abstract

We consider an effective theory of massive scalar fields on a fixed AdSd+1 background with a cubic extremal interaction among them. A bulk coupling is called extremal whenever the corresponding conformal dimension of any of the dual CFTd operators matches the sum of all the others. For cubic bulk couplings, this is ∆i + ∆j = ∆k. These bulk interactions are often disregarded in the literature since they do not appear in traditional models of AdS/CFT. Turning them on yields a divergent vertex in the dual CFT, and here we show that these divergences can be regulated. Once renormalized, we demonstrate that this coupling introduces non-trivial mixing between single- and double-trace operators, and we compute the anomalous dimensions of the corrected operators to leading order in perturbation theory.
Solving $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM BCFT matrix models at large N
Authors: He Dongming , Uhlemann Christoph F.
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Many observables in 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 SYM with Gaiotto-Witten boundary conditions can be described exactly by matrix models via supersymmetric localization. The boundaries typically introduce new degrees of freedom, through a reduction of the gauge symmetry on the boundary or as explicit boundary degrees of freedom, leading to non-trivial matrix models. We derive the saddle points dominating these matrix models at large N, expressed in terms of generalized Lambert W-functions. In string theory the BCFTs are realized by D3-branes ending on D5 and NS5 branes. We independently derive the saddle points from the holographic duals with AdS4×S2×S2×Σ geometry and provide precision tests of the dualities.
Fermion masses, neutrino mixing and Higgs-mediated flavor violation in 3HDM with S3 permutation symmetry
Authors: Babu K. S. , Wu Yongcheng , Xu Shiyuan
Published: January 2025

Abstract

The Yukawa and scalar sectors of a general S3-symmetric three-Higgs doublet model (3HDM) are investigated. The Yukawa interactions are constructed in an S3-invariant way, while the scalar potential contains S3 soft-breaking terms. Global fits to the quark/lepton masses and CKM/PMNS matrices are performed. Excellent fits to all fermion mass and mixing parameters are obtained. Both normal ordering and inverted ordering of neutrino masses are found to be admissible within the framework, with a prediction for the CP-violation phase, δCP ≃ 120°. The fit results in the Yukawa sector are further investigated, together with the scalar sector, imposing constraints from Higgs-mediated neutral meson mixing and neutron electric dipole moment (EDM). We explore the lowest allowed mass of the heavy Higgs bosons, consistent with these constraints, and find it to be about 17 TeV. The corresponding neutron EDM is around 1.7 × 10−27 e-cm, which is within reach of proposed experiments. It is found that the constraints from the K-meson system dominate, while those from the D meson system are marginal.
Modular anomaly of BPS back holes
Authors: Alexandrov Sergei , Bendriss Khalil
Published: January 2025

Abstract

Generating functions of BPS indices, counting states of D4-D2-D0 black holes in Calabi-Yau compactifications of type IIA string theory and identified with rank 0 Donaldson-Thomas invariants, are examples of mock modular forms. They have a quite complicated modular anomaly expressed as a sum over three different types of trees weighted by generalized error functions and their derivatives. We show that this anomaly can be significantly simplified, which in turn simplfies finding the corresponding mock modular generating functions.
Leading-colour-based unweighted event generation for multi-parton tree-level processes
Authors: Frederix Rikkert , Vitos Timea
Published: January 2025

Abstract

In this work, we revisit unweighted event generation for multi-parton tree-level processes in massless QCD. We introduce a two-step approach, in which initially unweighted events are generated at leading-colour (LC) accuracy, followed by a reweighting of these events to full-colour (FC) accuracy and applying an additional unweighting cycle. This method leverages the simple structure of LC integrands, enabling optimized phase-space parameterisations and resulting in high primary unweighting efficiencies, ranging from the percent level for 2 → 4 processes to the per-mille level for 2 → 7 processes. Given that the LC-accurate matrix elements closely approximate the FC-accurate ones, the secondary unweighting efficiencies exceed 50%. Our results suggest that this two-step approach offers an efficient alternative to direct event generation at FC accuracy.
Death and Dichotomy: Exploring Varied Human and Animal Depositional Practices in the Iron Age at Battlesbury Bowl, UK, through Histotaphonomy
Authors: Bricking A. , Revell B. , Madgwick R.
Published: January 2025

Taphonomic analysis of bone microstructure, commonly known as histotaphonomy, has been used as a proxy for interpreting early post-mortem treatments in archaeological contexts with increasing frequency. This method is especially useful when evidence for varied pre-depositional practices such as disarticulation and taphonomic markers (e.g. fracturing, gnawing, cut marks, weathering) is present in the assemblage, but is rarely used on faunal remains. Iron Age Britain provides the ideal context for comparative study due to the wide range of depositional practices employed for both humans and animals. While human and faunal remains from single sites in Britain have been studied before, such as at Cladh Hallan and Danebury hillfort, they were usually examined separately without substantial synthesis of the data. Thus, this study represents the first single-site comparative histotaphonomic analysis of archaeological human and animal remains from Britain. To this end, this research assesses archaeological human and faunal bone from Battlesbury Bowl, an Iron Age site in Wiltshire England, with 70 samples (46 faunal and 24 human) taken from a range of contexts, and from both articulated and disarticulated deposits. It explores evidence for the mortuary practices afforded to human remains and how they compare to the treatment of fauna from the site. Macroscopic analysis was undertaken prior to thin section microscopy using the Oxford Histological Index (OHI) and the Birefringence Index (BI). Results showed that the faunal samples from Battlesbury Bowl have more varied microstructural preservation with some species treated similarly to humans post-mortem, while others (especially caprines) are generally better preserved. This suggests that humans and animals at Battlesbury Bowl were subject to different early post-mortem processes, thus shedding light on mortuary practices and the complexity of human-animal relations in life and death.
Diagnosis and treatment recommendations for glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome
Authors: Zhang Mei-Jiao , Wu De , Yu Li-Fei , Li Hua , Sun Dan , Liang Jian-Min , Lu Xiao-Peng , Luo Rong , Guo Qing-Hui , Jin Rui-Feng , Zhang Hong-Wei , Lei Ge-Fei , Sun Ruo-Peng , Wang Man , Zhou You-Feng , Wang Ying-Yan , Tang Ji-Hong , Hua Ying , Shi Xu-Lai , Liu Xiao-Ming , Shi Xiu-Yu , Yang Guang , Wang Hua , Gao Feng , Jia Tian-Ming , Wang Ji-Wen , Liao Jian-Xiang , Bao Xin-Hua
Published: January 2025

Background

Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (Glut1DS) was initially reported by De Vivo and colleagues in 1991. This disease arises from mutations in the SLC2A1 and presents with a broad clinical spectrum. It is a treatable neuro-metabolic condition, where prompt diagnosis and initiation of ketogenic dietary therapy can markedly enhance the prognosis. However, due to its rarity, Glut1DS is susceptible to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis, which can lead to delayed treatment and irreversible dysfunction of the central nervous system. To promote diagnostic awareness and effective treatments, the recommendations for diagnosis and treatment have been developed.

Methods

The panel on Glut1DS included 28 participants from the members of the Ketogenic Diet Professional Committee of the Chinese Epilepsy Association and Chinese experts with extensive experience in managing Glut1DS. All authors extensively reviewed the literature, and the survey results were discussed in detail over several online meetings. Following multiple deliberative sessions, all participants approved the final manuscript for submission.

Results

Early diagnosis and timely treatment of Glut1DS are crucial for improving prognosis. Physicians should be alert to suspiction of this disease if the following clinical manifestations appear: seizures, episodic or persistent movement disorders (often triggered by fasting, fatigue, or exercise), delayed motor and cognitive development. Characteristic clinical presentations may include seizures combined with movement disorders, episodic eye-head movements, and paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia (PED). In these cases, genetic testing should be promptly completed, and a lumbar puncture should be performed if necessary. The ketogenic diet is internationally recognized as the first-line treatment; the earlier it is started, the better the prognosis. It can effectively control seizures and improve motor disorders. Antiepileptic drug treatment is generally ineffective or provides limited symptom improvement before starting the ketogenic diet.

Conclusion

The recommendations provide clinicians with a relatively systematic guide for the rapid identification, diagnosis, and timely treatment of Glut1DS.
Review of modified biochar for removing humic acid from water: analysis of structure-activity relationship
Authors: Li Yiting , Zhu Ying , Liu Jianguo , Fan Wenhong , Cao Yingnan , Huo Yaoqiang , Wei Jingting
Published: January 2025

Humic acid (HA), as an important part of natural organic matter (NOM), is a precursor of disinfection byproducts. HA affects the migration and transformation of inorganic substances such as metal ions, causing direct harm to the ecological environment and human health. Therefore, HA removal is an important aspect of geochemical research. In this review, research on the application of biochar and modified biochar, which exhibit excellent removal capability, in the treatment of HA-like NOM in water is summarized. The different mechanisms of HA removal via biochar are discussed by analyzing the structure-activity relationship of biochar in the removal of NOM in water under various influencing conditions. The performance and mechanism of adsorption, Fenton, photocatalysis, and electrochemical oxidation methods are analyzed, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. Finally, the application potential and development direction of multifunctional biochar materials for the removal of NOM, including HA, from water are reviewed. This review provides theoretical and technical support for the removal of HA-like NOM in water using biochar materials and provides a novel direction for its application in actual water bodies.

Graphical Abstract
Impact of biochar amendment on soil microbial biomass carbon enhancement under field experiments: a meta-analysis
Authors: Kumar Yogesh , Ren Wei , Tao Haiying , Tao Bo , Lindsey Laura E.
Published: January 2025

Biochar is well-accepted as a viable climate mitigation strategy to promote agricultural and environmental benefits such as soil carbon sequestration and crop productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, its effects on soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) in field experiments have not yet been thoroughly explored. In this study, we collected 539 paired globally published observations to study the impacts of biochar on SMBC under field experiments. Our results suggested an overall positive impact of biochar (21.31%) on SMBC, varying widely with different climate conditions, soil types, biochar properties, and management practices. Biochar application exhibits significant impacts under climates with mean annual temperature (MAT) < 15 °C and mean annual precipitation (MAP) between 500 and 1000 mm. Soils of coarse and fine texture, alkaline pH (SPH), soil total organic carbon (STC) content up to 10 g/kg, soil total nitrogen (STN) content up to 1.5 g/kg, and low soil cation exchange capacity (SCEC) content of < 5 cmol/kg received higher positive effects of biochar application on SMBC. Biochar produced from crop residue, specifically from cotton and maize residue, at pyrolysis temperature (BTM) of < 400 °C, with a pH (BPH) between 8 and 9, low application rate (BAP) of < 10 t/ha, and high ash content (BASH) > 400 g/kg resulted in an increase in SMBC. Low biochar total carbon (BTC) and high total nitrogen (BTN) positively affect the SMBC. Repeated application significantly increased the SMBC by 50.11%, and fresh biochar in the soil (≤ 6 months) enhanced SMBC compared to the single application and aged biochar. Biochar applied with nitrogen fertilizer (up to 300 kg/ha) and manure/compost showed significant improvements in SMBC, but co-application with straw resulted in a slight negative impact on the SMBC. The best-fit gradient boosting machines model, which had the lowest root mean square error, demonstrated the relative importance of various factors on biochar effectiveness: biochar, soil, climate, and nitrogen applications at 46.2%, 38.1%, 8.3%, and 7.4%, respectively. Soil clay proportion, BAP, nitrogen application, and MAT were the most critical variables for biochar impacts on SMBC. The results showed that biochar efficiency varies significantly in different climatic conditions, soil environments, field management practices, biochar properties, and feedstock types. Our meta-analysis of field experiments provides the first quantitative review of biochar impacts on SMBC, demonstrating its potential for rehabilitating nutrient-deprived soils and promoting sustainable land management. To improve the efficiency of biochar amendment, we call for long-term field experiments to measure SMBC across diverse agroecosystems.

Graphical Abstract
Silicon-modified Solidago canadensis L. biochar suppresses soilborne disease and improves soil quality
Authors: Wang Sheng , Hafeez Abdul , Zhang Tiantian , Rao Muhammad Junaid , Li Sicong , Cai Kunzheng
Published: January 2025

Nowadays, biochar is well recognized for its multiple promising effects on the soil quality and plant health. However, there are limited studies on the utilization of invasive plants for biochar production. In the present study, silicon (Si)-modified biochar was synthesized from Solidago canadensis L., an invasive alien plant in southern China, at different pyrolysis temperatures (450, 550, and 650 ℃). The role of biochar in controlling bacterial wilt, improving soil quality and plant health was assessed. The results revealed that Si-modified biochar had higher wilt suppressive effects than unmodified biochar. Si-modified biochar synthesized at 450 ℃ was found to be the most effective in reducing the abundance of R. solanacearum in soil (66.0%) and the incidence rate of bacterial wilt (59.1%). The Si-modified biochar increased soil available Si (58.2%–147.8%), C/N ratio (85.8–105.0%), and cation exchange capacity (19.7–54.5%). Additionally, it also enhanced the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the soil, such as Bacillus (341.7%), Streptomyces (222.0%), Gaiellales (255.4%), and Gaiella (133.3%). These findings suggest that Si-modified biochar derived from the invasive plant Solidago canadensis L. holds promise as a soil additive for disease control.

Graphical Abstract
Growing concerns over ingested microplastics in humans
Authors: Zhao Shaoyan , Yao Lifen , Zhu Long , Dong Jiao , LeBlanc Gerald A. , An Lihui
Published: January 2025

Microplastics have been identified in various human tissues. While laboratory studies have shown that microplastics can cause damage and adversely affect physical functions at multiple levels, significant knowledge gaps persist. These include uncertainties regarding the dose-response relationship, specific target organs, and the underlying toxicological mechanisms. Future research is critical to address public concerns, encompassing the accurate quantification of microplastics through advanced technologies and a thorough risk assessment grounded in an evidence-based framework.

Graphical Abstract
Economics without Preferences
Authors: Mandler Michael
Published: January 2025

Economics without Preferences lays out a new microeconomics - a theory of choice behavior, markets, and welfare - for agents who lack the preferences and marginal judgments that economics normally relies on. Agents without preferences defy the rules of the traditional model of rational choice but they can still systematically pursue their interests. The theory that results resolves several puzzles in economics. Status quo bias and other anomalies of behavioral economics shield agents from harm; they are expressions rather than violations of rationality. Parts of economic orthodoxy go out the window. Agents will fail to make the fine-grained trade-offs ingrained in conventional economics, leading market prices to be volatile and cost-benefit analysis to break down. This book provides policy alternatives to fill this void. Governments can spur innovation, the main benefit markets can deliver, while sheltering agents from the upheavals that accompany economic change.
Botanical Culture and Popular Belief in Shakespeare's England
Authors: Lander Johnson Bonnie
Published: January 2025

The Shakespearean stage offered London playgoers a glimpse of the illiterate and rural plant cultures rapidly disappearing from their increasingly urban and sophisticated lives. The same cultures also circulated in popular texts offstage: bawdy tree ballads, botanical tales, almanacs and accounts of kitchen physic. Here Bonnie Lander Johnson argues that, while Shakespeare's plants offered audiences a nostalgic vision of childhood, domestic education and rural pastimes, this was in fact done with an ironic gesture that claimed for illiterate culture an intellectual relevance ignored by the learned and largely Protestant realm of print. Addressing a long-standing imbalance in early modern scholarship, she reveals how Shakespeare's plays – and the popular, low botanical beliefs they represent – engaged with questions usually deemed high, literate and elite: theological and liturgical controversies, the politics of state, England's role in Elizabethan naval conflict and the increasingly learned realm of medical authority.
Modernism and the Idea of India
Authors: Brown Judith
Published: January 2025

In his 1909 manifesto Hind Swaraj, Gandhi made an impassioned call for passive resistance that he soon retracted. 'Passive resistance' didn't, in the end, serve his overarching aims, but was troubled on multiple grounds from its use of the English phrase to the weakness implied by passivity. Modernism and the Idea of India: The Art of Passive Resistance claims that the difficulty embedded in the phrase 'passive resistance', from its seeming internal contradiction to the troubling category of passivity itself, transforms in artistic expression, where its dynamism, ambivalence, and receptivity enable art's capacity to create new forms of meaning. India provides the ground and the fantasy for writers and artists including Rabindranath Tagore, R.K. Narayan, Ahmed Ali, Amrita Sher-Gil, Virginia Woolf, and Le Corbusier. These artists and writers explore the capacities of passive resistance inspired by Gandhi's treatise, but move beyond its call for activism into new languages of art.
Environmental and bioclimatic data for epidemiological analysis over French Mediterranean areas
Authors: Portes Camille , Ienco Dino , Verdin Eric , Gabriel Edith
Published: January 2025

Risk-based surveillance is now a well-established paradigm in epidemiology, involving the distribution of sampling efforts differentially in time, space, and within populations, based on multiple risk factors. To assess and map the risk of the presence of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, we have compiled a dataset that includes factors influencing plant development and thus the spread of such harmful organism. To this end, we have collected, preprocessed, and gathered information and data related to land types, soil compositions, and climatic conditions to predict and assess the probability of risk associated with X. fastidiosa in relation to environmental features. This resource can be of interest to researchers conducting analyses on X. fastidiosa and, more generally, to researchers working on geospatial modeling of risk related to plant infectious diseases.
“Tormented by Difficulties of Every Kind”: Catholic Teaching on Contraception in Social Context
Authors: Cavender-Mccoy Kathleen , Kelly Conor M.
Published: January 2025

The Catholic Church notably condemns all forms of artificial birth control and advocates natural family planning as the only morally licit means of spacing births. This teaching is presented as the quintessential pathway to the fullness of human sexuality, but many Catholics struggle with it, and the magisterium itself recognizes that this path is not an easy one to follow. This article uses recent developments in Catholic moral theology around the notion of structural sin to examine the structural constraints complicating ordinary Catholics’ pursuit of their tradition’s vision for marital sexuality, demonstrating that larger structural forces can considerably affect the perceived viability of Catholic teaching on contraception. As a result, the article highlights the importance of linking Catholic sexual ethics and social ethics to provide a more credible vision for a more compassionate approach to married life.
The Ghost of Article 12 in the Indian Constitution: the Verticality v. Horizontality Conundrum
Authors: Sharma Nidhi
Published: January 2025

The chapter on fundamental rights in the Constitution of India, under article 12, identifies the “state” as the actor against whom fundamental rights can be enforced. Decades-long jurisprudence invoking article 12 has established the vertical enforcement of fundamental rights against state actors. However, a constitutional bench judgment in Kaushal Kishor (2023) alters this position, wherein the Supreme Court of India expanded the scope of fundamental rights against both state and non-state actors. This article analyzes the dictum in Kishor to argue that even when fundamental rights have been sporadically enforced against non-state actors, it has been by obligating the state to mitigate fundamental rights transgressions by non-state actors (doctrine of indirect horizontal application). The article raises constitutional concerns about the Court's reasoning in Kishor, positing that it ignores the constitutional mandate of article 12, disregards the judicial precedents supporting the vertical application of fundamental rights, and grants an unbounded sanction to enforce fundamental rights against virtually “anyone.”
Restitution of Conjugal Rights v. Individual Autonomy: Looking Through the Constitutional Lens in India
Authors: Sarker Shuvro Prosun , Biswas Mitu
Published: January 2025

Marriage is an institution that varies from religion to religion. For Hindus, it is an indissoluble union; for Muslims, a civil contract; and for Christians, a holy union. However, individual autonomy has entered the forefront through the Indian Constitution and the revolution in Indian family law.

The Constitution of India specifies that the people can decide who they should marry, who they should not, and with whom they want and don't want to continue their marital bond. The remedy of the restitution of conjugal rights (RCR), available under personal law, applies to those who are legally married but withdraw from marital ties without a reasonable excuse.

This study found that RCR is one-sided and used against the other spouse's will. However, the Supreme Court of India has decided that individual autonomy is needed to protect individual liberty and promote national interest, but it has also upheld the validity of RCR, creating a genuine controversy. The object of this paper is twofold—to analyze the individual autonomy enshrined under article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which is contrary to the right to RCR, and to explore this topic through a comparative law technique.
Liberty or life: the Aotearoa New Zealand perspective
Authors: Barry-Walsh Justin
Published: January 2025

A description is provided of the current situation in Aotearoa New Zealand with regard to compulsory treatment of people with schizophrenia. This is placed within the context of homelessness in New Zealand and the provision of services to the incarcerated mentally ill. There are high rates of homelessness and incarceration and services are struggling to meet their needs. This is particularly a problem for the indigenous population. The current Mental Health Act allows for compulsory treatment of people who as a result of schizophrenia are seriously impaired in their capacity to care for themselves, and this will include people where there is a nexus between homelessness and their illness. The Mental Health Act is being reformed, with a new act likely to emphasize autonomy and capacity to a greater degree. Finally, the author considers the learnings from 5 years working within the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, which provides a unique perspective on these issues.
Exploring sleep value: Distinct profiles and individual differences
Authors: Sherriff Dustin , Solomon Samantha , Ward Levi , Nielson Spencer A. , Yang Chongming , Duraccio Kara M. , Kay Daniel B.
Published: January 2025

Sleep value is the relative worth individuals assign to sleep. We previously found that individual differences in several sleep value subfactors relate to demographic, health and sleep variables. Given the pivotal role values play in health behavior and the positive association between sleep value and sleep disturbance, individual differences in sleep value may influence vulnerability/resilience to sleep and circadian disturbance. This survey study (N = 455) aimed to establish the latent factor structure of sleep value and identify whether sleep value profiles relate to demographic and sleep characteristics. Factor analysis on the Sleep Valuation Item Bank 2.0 identified five factors (wanting, prioritizing, devaluing, appreciating and preferring). Latent profile analyses revealed five distinct sleep value profiles (unconcerned, appreciative, devalue, ambivalent priority and concerned). Depression, sleep disturbance and sleep-related impairment were highest among those who highly value sleep (concerned profile) and lowest among those who neither value nor devalue sleep (unconcerned profile). Findings suggest sleep value is a complex aspect of sleep health rather than a “more is better” construct and highlight that individual differences in sleep value profiles may be associated with vulnerability/resilience to sleep disturbance.
A Close Look at Dissolved Silica Dynamics in Disko Bay, West Greenland
Authors: Hopwood Mark J. , Carroll Dustin , Gu Yuanyuan , Huang Xin , Krause Jana , Cozzi Stefano , Cantoni Carolina , Gastelu Barcena María Fernanda , Carroll Shandy , Körtzinger Arne
Published: January 2025

Discharge of calved ice, runoff and mixing driven by subglacial discharge plumes likely have consequences for marine biogeochemistry in Disko Bay, which hosts the largest glacier in the northern hemisphere, Sermeq Kujalleq. Glacier retreat and increasing runoff may impact the marine silica cycle because glaciers deliver elevated concentrations of dissolved silica (dSi) compared to other macronutrients. However, the annual flux of dSi delivered to the ocean from the Greenland Ice Sheet is poorly constrained because of difficulties distinguishing the overlapping influence of different dSi sources. Here we constrain silica dynamics around Disko Bay, including the Ilulissat Icefjord and four other regions receiving glacier runoff with contrasting levels of productivity and turbidity. Both dissolved silica and Si* ([dSi]‐[NOx−]) concentrations indicated conservative dynamics in two fjords with runoff from land‐terminating glaciers, consistent with the results of mixing experiments. In three fjords with marine‐terminating glaciers, macronutrient‐salinity distributions were strongly affected by entrainment of nutrients in subglacial discharge plumes. Entrainment of dSi from saline waters explained 93 ± 51% of the dSi enrichment in the outflowing plume from Ilulissat Icefjord, whereas the direct contribution of freshwater to dSi in the plume was likely 0%–3%. Whilst not distinguished herein, other minor regional dSi sources include icebergs and dissolution of amorphous silica (aSi) in either pelagic or benthic environments. Our results suggest that runoff around Greenland is supplemented as a dSi source by minor fluxes of 0.25 ± 0.67 Gmol yr−1 dSi from icebergs and ∼1.9 Gmol year−1 from pelagic aSi dissolution.
Access to Healthy Built and Natural Environments and Physical Activity and Screen Time in New Zealand Adolescents: A Geospatial Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Marek L. , Wiki J. , Mandic S. , Spence J. C. , Smith M. , García Bengoechea E. , Coppell K. J. , Kingham S. , Hobbs M.
Published: January 2025

The built and natural environment can facilitate (un)healthy behaviors in adolescence. However, most previous studies have focused on examining associations between singular aspects of the environment. This study examined the association between the mixture of health‐promoting and health‐constraining environmental features in a Healthy Location Index (HLI) and physical activity and screen time among adolescents. This cross‐sectional study used data from the Built Environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Research Program based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Data from 1,162 adolescents with complete demographic, health behavior and spatial records were included in the analysis. The environment was defined using the HLI based on access to health‐promoting (e.g., greenspace, blue space, physical activity facility) and health‐constraining (e.g., fast‐food outlets) features and their mixture. Quantile g‐computation and multilevel mixed effects models, with adolescents nested within schools, examined associations between the environment and the two health behaviors. A positive association existed between meeting physical activity guidelines and access to health‐promoting environments (OR = 1.23 [95% CI 1.03; 1.47]), particularly blue space. In addition, the mixture of health‐promoting and health‐constraining environments was also important (ψ = 1.18 [1.01; 1.37]). However, there was limited evidence of an association between the environment and screen time. We provide evidence of a relationship between health‐promoting environments, the mix of health‐promoting and health‐constraining environments, and physical activity among adolescents. The findings support the hypothesis that the environment has the potential to positively influence healthy behaviors of youth, particularly when it comes to physical activity.