bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Approximate analytical solution of a soil water movement equation under different ponding radii on the basis of numerical simulation
Authors: Luo Pengcheng , Su Lijun , Tao Wanghai , Shan Yuyang , Deng Mingjiang , Wang Quanjiu , Yan Haokui
Published: July 2024

This study addresses the problem of 2D soil water movement under ponding radii of 1, 2, and 3 cm. The soil water movement characteristics (shape parameters of the water content profile, ratio of horizontal wetting front to vertical wetting front, relationship between infiltration time and horizontal wetting front, and relationship between infiltration time and cumulative infiltration) under the above three kinds of water ponding radius were analyzed. On the basis of the assumption that the soil wetting body is a semi‐ellipse and the analytical solution of the 1D soil water movement equation at any angle, the approximate analytical solution of the 2D soil water movement equation under ponding conditions is optimized. The function relationships between infiltration time, wetting front, and cumulative infiltration are established. We applied the numerical data simulated by HYDRUS‐3D to validate the parameters in proposed analytical solutions and evaluated the relationships between the wetting front and hydraulic parameters. The results indicate that as the water ponding radius increases, the wetting body and 2D water content distribution becomes larger. When the water ponding radius was 2 cm, the numerical and analytical solution of 1D soil water distribution showed the best comparison results, and the model error was the smallest. The ratio of wetting fronts was linearly increased with the increase of air‐entry suction with R2 = 0.9969.
Neural interval‐censored survival regression with feature selection
Authors: Meixide Carlos García , Matabuena Marcos , Abraham Louis , Kosorok Michael R.
Published: July 2024

Survival analysis is a fundamental area of focus in biomedical research, particularly in the context of personalized medicine. This prominence is due to the increasing prevalence of large and high‐dimensional datasets, such as omics and medical image data. However, the literature on nonlinear regression algorithms and variable selection techniques for interval‐censoring is either limited or nonexistent, particularly in the context of neural networks. Our objective is to introduce a novel predictive framework tailored for interval‐censored regression tasks, rooted in Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models. Our strategy comprises two key components: (i) a variable selection phase leveraging recent advances on sparse neural network architectures; (ii) a regression model targeting prediction of the interval‐censored response. To assess the performance of our novel algorithm, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation through both numerical experiments and real‐world applications that encompass scenarios related to diabetes and physical activity. Our results outperform traditional AFT algorithms, particularly in scenarios featuring nonlinear relationships.
Effect of Contact Time on Carbon Deposition and Catalytic Activity of Nickel Alumina Catalysts for Dry Reforming of Methane
Authors: Charan Nayak Sudhir , Sengupta Siddhartha , Deo Goutam
Published: July 2024

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction is advantageous in producing syngas with a low H2/CO, relevant to many industries. Effect of contact time on catalytic activity and carbon deposition is studied for DRM using Ni−Al catalysts, along with the effect of metal loading, reaction temperature, and reactant partial pressure (CO2/CH4). Maximum CH4 conversion (58 %) and CO2 (59 %) were achieved at a higher contact time of 4.009 kg‐cat . h/kgCH4. A maximum of 46 % CH4 conversion was achieved at 1023 K with a contact time of 0.134 kg‐cat . h/kgCH4. Higher CH4 and CO2 conversion were achieved with an excellent H2 and CO yield due to the RWGS reaction with increased metal (Ni) loading (10–30 wt . %). When the reactant partial pressure (CO2) changed from 0.1–0.3, the CH4 conversion increased whereas CO2 conversion decreased. FESEM images revealed the formation of whisker‐like carbon fibers for all loadings. For the best syngas output and stability in a Ni‐based catalyst, a combination of a basic support (alumina) at a higher contact time (~4.009 kg‐cat . h/kgCH4) and a CO2/CH4 ratio of 1–1.5 at a moderate temperature of 873 K may provide best CO2 adsorption with minimal coking.
Nanoencapsulated MgBu2@ZIF‐67 to Construct High Loading Mg‐Co@C Nanocomposites: Breaking Through the Barrier of Room Temperature Onset Dehydrogenation
Authors: Xing Xiaofei , Zhang Xinjia , Wei Mingxing , Zhang Zhao , Cao BoYuan , Liu Tong
Published: July 2024

The synergies of nanoconfinement and catalysis is an effective strategy to improve the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of Mg‐based materials. However, obtaining Mg‐based materials with high loading, anti‐aggregation, and containing nanocatalysts to achieve dehydrogenation at room temperature remains a huge challenge. Herein, a novel and universal preparation strategy for Mg‐Co@C nanocomposites with 9.5 nm Mg nanoparticles and 9.4 nm Co nanocatalysts embedded in carbon scaffold is reported. The 9.3 nm MgBu2 nanosheets precipitated by solvent displacement are encapsulated in ZIF‐67 to prepare MgBu2@ZIF‐67 precursors, then removing excess MgBu2 on the precursor surface and pyrolysis to obtain Mg‐Co@C. It is worth noting that the Mg loading rate of Mg‐Co@C is as high as rare 69.7%. Excitingly, the Mg‐Co@C begins to dehydrogenate at room temperature with saturate capacity of 5.1 wt.%. Meanwhile, its dehydrogenation activation energy (Ea(des) = 68.8 kJ mol−1) and enthalpy (ΔH(des) = 61.6 kJ mol−1) significantly decrease compared to bulk Mg. First principles calculations indicate that the hydrogen adsorption energy on the Mg2CoH5 surface is only −0.681 eV. This work provides a universally applicable novel method for the preparation of nanoscale Mg‐based materials with various nanocatalysts added, and provides new ideas for Mg‐based materials to achieve room temperature hydrogen storage.
Anchoring Ni(OH)2‐CeOx Heterostructure on FeOOH‐Modified Nickel‐Mesh for Efficient Alkaline Water‐Splitting Performance with Improved Stability under Quasi‐Industrial Conditions
Authors: Yaseen Waleed , Xie Meng , Yusuf Bashir Adegbemiga , Meng Suci , Khan Iltaf , Xie Jimin , Xu Yuanguo
Published: July 2024

Developing low‐cost and industrially viable electrode materials for efficient water‐splitting performance and constructing intrinsically active materials with abundant active sites is still challenging. In this study, a self‐supported porous network Ni(OH)2‐CeOx heterostructure layer on a FeOOH‐modified Ni‐mesh (NiCe/Fe@NM) electrode is successfully prepared by a facile, scalable two‐electrode electrodeposition strategy for overall alkaline water splitting. The optimized NiCe0.05/Fe@NM catalyst reaches a current density of 100 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 163 and 262 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, in 1.0 m KOH with excellent stability. Additionally, NiCe0.05/Fe@NM demonstrates exceptional HER performance in alkaline seawater, requiring only 148 mV overpotential at 100 mA cm−2. Under real water splitting conditions, NiCe0.05/Fe@NM requires only 1.701 V to achieve 100 mA cm−2 with robust stability over 1000 h in an alkaline medium. The remarkable water‐splitting performance and stability of the NiCe0.05/Fe@NM catalyst result from a synergistic combination of factors, including well‐optimized surface and electronic structures facilitated by an optimal Ce ratio, rapid reaction kinetics, a superhydrophilic/superaerophobic interface, and enhanced intrinsic catalytic activity. This study presents a simple two‐electrode electrodeposition method for the scalable production of self‐supported electrocatalysts, paving the way for their practical application in industrial water‐splitting processes.
Recent Advances in Nanotechnology‐Mediated Noninvasive Transdermal and Topical Delivery of Proteins
Authors: Ko Junghyeon , Kim Jeong‐Uk , Choi Subin , Kim Ye‐Sol , Park Su‐Bin , Kim Joo‐Young , Kim Hyeon‐Jin , Lee Young‐Sun , An Young‐Hyeon , Hwang Nathaniel S.
Published: July 2024

Protein therapeutics are emerging as essential technologies due to their functional and chemical properties. However, their application is currently limited to delivery by oral and injection methods—the former being inefficient and the latter invasive and potentially tissue damaging. Researchers are, therefore, exploring noninvasive delivery systems for proteins through the skin, including transdermal and topical delivery. The large molecular size of proteins presents a key challenge for skin penetration, hindering their ability to penetrate the dense skin lamellar structure. This review focuses on using nanoparticles as carriers to increase protein stability and enhance skin penetration. The use of noninvasive or minimally invasive enhancers for controlling and improving penetration depth is also examined. Furthermore, the physical properties of nanoparticles that affect delivery are evaluated, aiming to propose ways to advance transdermal and topical delivery methods in the future.
Phase Transition and Vanadium Leaching Mechanism during Roasting of Vanadium‐Bearing Rock Coals
Authors: Gao Zhaowei , Bai Wenjuan , Bai Mengfan , Liu Yuan , Zhou Huarong , Xing Shuxin , Gu Li , Wang Huatai
Published: July 2024

The phase transformation and vanadium leaching mechanism of stone coal during two blank calcined stages are systematically studied. Composition, structure, and morphology of the materials are analyzed by ICP‐AES, BPMA, XRD, FTIR, and SEM. The results show that the main components of stone coal are SiO2, C, aluminosilicate and FeS2, V2O5 is 0.70%. Two‐stage roasting is a process of deformation, melting, and reconstruction of stone coal, the oxidation of pyrite, decomposition of aluminosilicate, sulfation of calcite, combustion of carbon and the formation of calcium vanadate occur in the first stage, the oxidation of low‐price vanadium occurs in the second stage. At −0.074 mm ≥90%, liquid solid ratio 1.5:1, 10% sulfuric acid reaction at room temperature for 3 h, the vanadium leaching rate in each material is in the order of roasting slag>decarbonized slag>stone coal.
Teacher curricular sensemaking: Revealing salient moments of a science teacher's (un)certainty in relation to opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking
Authors: Andersen Sage , González‐Howard María , Pérez Karina Méndez
Published: July 2024

This study explored a middle school science teacher's curricular sensemaking in interaction with their use of an educative storyline curriculum, aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, that was intentionally designed for more opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking. Using a phenomenological case study methodology, we examined how the focal teacher perceived and resolved (un)certainties in their understanding that emerged in their interaction with the curriculum (i.e., their curricular sensemaking), and how the teachers' curricular sensemaking impacted opportunities for students' scientific sensemaking. Findings served to expand our notions of how teachers engage in curricular sensemaking, when this sensemaking occurs, and what teachers make sense of as they experience a new, reform‐oriented curriculum for the first time. In particular, the focal teacher found two types of (un)certainty to be salient at various time points during his curriculum use: (un)certainty around students' scientific sensemaking through particular science practices and (un)certainty about how to navigate the storyline curriculum using students' ideas to drive learning forward. Cutting across these types of (un)certainty, our findings suggest the need to (1) support teachers in problematizing their own understandings about particular science practices and the extent to which their previous instruction aligns with reform‐oriented conceptualizations of those practices, (2) build teachers' capacity to differentiate between various causes of student discomfort and uncertainty so that students' needs and scientific sensemaking goals can be attended to simultaneously, and (3) provide teachers with opportunities to consider how they might use a variety of participation structures to move learning forward while preserving students' rights and responsibilities for the scientific sensemaking.
Stop the spread: Empowering students to address misinformation through community‐engaged, interdisciplinary science communication training
Authors: Cagle Shelby M. , Anderson Ashley A. , Kelp Nicole C.
Published: July 2024

Teaching science in an age of disinformation and misinformation requires empowering students to address inaccurate information in evidence‐based ways. Science communication scholarship highlights the growing importance of inclusive and relational approaches for addressing misinformation. Thus, we developed, implemented, and evaluated an interdisciplinary, graduate‐level course for students in STEM, journalism/communication, and public health to learn to address misinformation using community‐engaged, evidence‐based approaches. We used the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework for our mixed‐methods analysis of the efficacy of this course, assessing both the behaviors that students planned to utilize in community‐engaged science communication to address misinformation, as well as the attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control that influenced these planned behaviors. Quantitative self‐report metrics indicated that this curriculum increased students' subjective norms for misinformation correction as well as perceived behavioral control of science communication and science civic engagement. Thematic analysis of qualitative student interview data showed that the course helped students increase their plans for inclusive approaches to addressing misinformation. This study indicates the importance of community‐engaged curriculum to develop the mindset and self‐efficacy necessary for scientists‐in‐training to address misinformation in their communities.
Surviving, thriving, and resisting: Reimagining the ordinary gendered lives ofTESOLers
Authors: Sánchez‐Martín Cristina , Khor Su Yin
Published: July 2024

The guest editors introduce five studies in this special issue on gender equality. The five articles address the gender disparities in English language teaching as they intersect with learner and teacher identities. Despite progress made in the field for the past 20 years, we are reminded that women and queer individuals in our educational spaces, such as students and practitioners, continue to experience gender‐based oppression such as recent bans on abortion, control over their  bodies, lack of access to education, basic needs such as food and housing security (Kendall, 2020), gender violence, homophobia and transphobia, and the silencing of teachers' racial and queer justice efforts in schools. Patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism—systems predicated on a gender binary and hierarchies—materialize in our educational contexts through homogenous views of identity and language that erase difference. These systems reward competition and hierarchical thinking while punishing creative border‐crossing practices. Therefore, understanding how social issues make their way into our language classrooms becomes important for all TESOLers and other educators as they directly shape students' learning, pedagogical practices, curriculum design, etc.. However, the authors of these studies also demonstrate that women and people with non‐conforming gender identities are still here and very much present in English language classrooms, surviving, resisting, and reimagining collective action for all to learn in more equitable conditions. This article builds on the studies presented in the special issue to suggest additional professional practices in order to mitigate gender‐based oppressions in the field.
Disclosures 16: It's confession time
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: July 2024

OK, it's confession time again. Did you notice last month that I mentioned a situation where I disclosed non‐directory information without the student's written consent?
Expression of somatostatin receptors in canine and feline meningioma
Authors: Immler Martin , Wolfram Michael , Oevermann Anna , Walter Ingrid , Wolfesberger Birgitt , Tichy Alexander , Gradner Gabriele
Published: July 2024

Objectives

The standard treatment for canine and feline meningiomas includes radiotherapy, surgical excision or combined therapy. However, new therapeutic approaches are required due to the possible recurrence or progression of meningiomas despite initial therapy. Adjunctive therapy with synthetic long‐acting somatostatin (SST) analogues has been described in humans with SST‐expressing tumours. The expression of SST receptors (SSTRs) by feline meningiomas is currently unknown, and there are little data about canine meningiomas. We hypothesized that SSTR is expressed by canine and feline meningiomas ().

Methods

Seven canines and 11 felines with histologically confirmed meningiomas underwent STTR screening. RNA expressions of SSTR1, SSTR2, SSTR3 and SSTR5 (canine) and SSTR1–SSTR 5 (feline) in fresh frozen and formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) samples were investigated using real‐time (RT)‐qPCR. The expression of SSTR1 and SSTR2 in FFPE samples was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The specificity of applied antibodies for canine and feline species was confirmed by western blotting.

Results

In canine meningiomas (n = 7), RNA expression of SSTR1, SSTR2 and SSTR5 was detected in all samples; SSTR3 RNA expression was detected in only 33% of samples. In feline meningiomas (n = 12), RNA expression of SSTR1, SSTR4, SSTR5 and SSTR2 was detected in 91%, 46%, 46% and 36% of samples, respectively; SSTR3 was not expressed. Overall, the detection rate was lower in FFPE samples. IHC revealed the expression of SSTR1 and SSTR2 in all samples from both species. However, it is important to exercise caution when interpreting IHC results due to the presence of diffuse background staining.

Conclusions

SSTRs are widely expressed in canine and feline meningiomas, thereby encouraging further studies investigating SSTR expression to conduct trials about the effect of adjunctive therapy with long‐acting SST‐analogues.
Analysis of experimental and simulation data of evaporation‐driven isotopic fractionation in unsaturated porous media
Authors: Schneider Jana , Kiemle Stefanie , Heck Katharina , Rothfuss Youri , Braud Isabelle , Helmig Rainer , Vanderborght Jan
Published: July 2024

Stable water isotopologs can add valuable information to the understanding of evaporation processes. The identification of the evaporation front from isotopolog concentration depth profiles under very dry soil conditions is of particular interest. We compared two different models that describe isotopolog transport in a drying unsaturated porous medium: SiSPAT‐Isotope and DuMux. In DuMux, the medium can dry out completely whereas in SiSPAT‐Isotope, drying is limited to the residual water saturation. We evaluated the impact of residual water saturation on simulated isotopic concentration. For a low residual water saturation, both models simulated similar isotopolog concentrations. For high residual water saturation, SiSPAT‐Isotope simulated considerably lower concentrations than DuMux. This is attributed to the buffering of changes in isotopolog concentrations by the residual water in SiSPAT‐Isotope and an additional enrichment due to evaporation of residual water in DuMux. Additionally, we present a comparison between high‐frequency experimental data and model simulations. We found that diffusive transport processes in the laminar boundary layer and in the dried‐out surface soil layer need to be represented correctly to reproduce the observed downward movement of the evaporation front and the associated peak of isotopolog enrichment. Artificially increasing the boundary layer thickness to reproduce a decrease in evaporation rate leads to incorrect simulation of the location of the evaporation front and isotopolog concentration profile.
The Disappointing Discussion About Aid Effectiveness
Authors: Lopes Carlos
Published: July 2024

The Western paradigm of developmental assistance in Africa can trace its origins back to the colonial era. As such, it is tarnished by the asymmetry of the relationship between the coloniser and the colonised. This chapter revisits the debates about aid in Africa. It explores how tools such as structural adjustment programmes, aid effectiveness discussions, macroeconomic conditionality, and rating agencies’ risk perceptions reinforce an outdated aid logic founded on the principles of charity. This logic has formed the basis for development cooperation between ACP countries and the EU since 1975, as formalised in the Cotonou Agreement (formerly Lomé Convention) and other agreements between the EU and North African countries.

The impact of this logic over decades has not been positive for the continent. The global aid industry effectively shackles aid-dependent nations by keeping them perpetually reliant on the generosity of the wealthy. At the same time, focusing on African external economic obligations as a marker of good performance rather than a fundamental transformation of the countries means that the real impact of aid has been limited. The debacle of structural adjustment opened new opportunities to move away from a charity perspective and subsequently allowed for a less prescriptive approach towards Africa. However, this opening proved to be short-lived, an unfortunate lost opportunity.
Europarties: Elucidating Their Organizational Evolution and Capacity
Authors: Johansson Karl Magnus , Raunio Tapio
Published: July 2024

This chapter focuses on the organization of Europarties. It sets out how they organize and shows the rationale behind their organizational development over the past five decades. The chapter explores three major questions: (1) What are Europarties for? (2) What is the organizational evolution of the Europarties? And (3) What is the organizational structure of the Europarties? However, the chapter goes beyond description and uncovers an evolutionary logic that reflects incremental growth and adjustment and is explained in terms of collective action and identity. An important part of this development is the regulatory framework, including rules regarding funding, which the Europarties themselves have largely instigated. The chapter concludes with reflections on what lessons these findings hold for scholarly understanding and the future of the Europarties.
Finding Argument Fragments on Social Media with Corpus Queries and LLMs
Authors: Dykes Nathan , Evert Stephanie , Heinrich Philipp , Humml Merlin , Schröder Lutz
Published: July 2024

We are concerned with extracting argumentative fragments from social media, exemplified with a case study on a large corpus of English tweets about the UK Brexit referendum in 2016. Our overall approach is to parse the corpus using dedicated corpus queries that fill designated slots in predefined logical patterns. We present an inventory of logical patterns and corresponding queries, which have been carefully designed and refined. While a gold standard of substantial size is difficult to obtain by manual annotation, our queries can retrieve hundreds of thousands of examples with high precision. We show how queries can be combined to extract complex nested statements relevant to argumentation. We also show how to proceed for applications needing higher recall: high-precision query matches can be used as training data for an LLM classifier, and the trade-off between precision and recall can be freely adjusted with its cutoff threshold.
Enhancing Abstract Argumentation Solvers with Machine Learning-Guided Heuristics: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Hoffmann Sandra , Kuhlmann Isabelle , Thimm Matthias
Published: July 2024

Abstract argumentation frameworks model arguments and their relationships as directed graphs, often with the goal of identifying sets of arguments capable of defending themselves against external attacks. The determination of such admissible sets, depending on specific semantics, is known to be an NP-hard problem. Recent research has demonstrated the efficacy of machine learning methods in approximating solutions compared to exact methods. In this study, we leverage machine learning to enhance the performance of an exact solver for credulous reasoning under admissibility in abstract argumentation.

More precisely, we first apply a random forest to predict acceptability, and subsequently use those predictions to form a heuristic that guides a search-based solver. Additionally, we propose a strategy for handling varying prediction qualities. Our approach significantly reduces both the number of backtracking steps and the overall runtime, compared to standard existing heuristics for search-based solvers, while still providing a correct solution.
Deciphering Personal Argument Styles – A Comprehensive Approach to Analyzing Linguistic Properties of Argument Preferences
Authors: Zymla Mark-Matthias , Buchmüller Raphael , Butt Miriam , Keim Daniel
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we introduce an application for exploring the effect of linguistic features on personalized argument preferences. These individual preferences are derived by measuring the impact of linguistic features on pairwise comparisons between arguments. The insights derived from this are, in turn, useful for studies of argument quality. To conduct this research, we have developed a new pipeline that covers three major components: data collection, argument comparison labeling, and data exploration, incorporating linguistic annotations of arguments and preference data. The first component has resulted in a novel corpus consisting of minimal pairs of arguments: the comparable argument corpus. For the second component, we have developed a visual interactive labeling system that structures the annotation process of pairwise comparisons. Through these annotations, we extract patterns of argument preferences using Gaussian Process Preference Learning based on linguistic feature vectors. The corresponding, personalized models are used to identify relevant features to explain argument preferences. By training individual models for different users, we gain information that allows us to compare different user groups, identifying different argumentation preferences across groups. Each of these steps is supported by novel visual analytics dashboards, facilitating data collection and annotation steps and enabling the exploration of personal preferences.
Weakly Supervised Claim Localization in Scientific Abstracts
Authors: Brinner Marc , Zarrieß Sina , Heger Tina
Published: July 2024

We explore the possibility of leveraging model explainability methods for weakly supervised claim localization in scientific abstracts. The resulting approaches require only abstract-level supervision, i.e., information about the general presence of a claim in a given abstract, to extract spans of text that indicate this specific claim. We evaluate our methods on the SciFact claim verification dataset, as well as on a newly created dataset that contains expert-annotated evidence for scientific hypotheses in paper abstracts from the field of invasion biology. Our results suggest that significant performance in the claim localization task can be achieved without any explicit supervision, which increases the transferability to new domains with limited data availability. In the course of our experiments, we additionally find that injecting information from human evidence annotations into the training of a neural network classifier can lead to a significant increase in classification performance.
Argument Mining of Attack and Support Patterns in Dialogical Conversations with Sequential Pattern Mining
Authors: Ruckdeschel Mattes , Baumann Ringo , Wiedemann Gregor
Published: July 2024

Argument mining usually operates on short, decontextualized argumentative units such as main and subordinate clauses, or full sentences as proxies for arguments. Argumentation in digital media environments, however, is embedded in larger contexts. Especially on social media platforms, argumentation unfolds in dialog threads or tree structures where users interact with each other. To reveal patterns of such interactions, we transform 2.5 million tweets from 38k German Twitter conversations concerning nuclear energy from 2017, 2019, and 2021 into an abstract representation encoding their stance, and aspects. We then apply Sequential Pattern Mining, a common method for finding patterns in large databases, and explore its capabilities to investigate typical argumentation schemes in user debates. The approach reveals distinct patterns of support and attack relations between pro and contra arguments about nuclear energy in conversational threads when comparing different time slices of our corpus. For example, we are seeing an increasing relevance of the climate aspect in attacks on anti-nuclear arguments. However, the pro arguments are increasingly being countered by cost aspects. Analyzing this diachronic change of patterns allows us to describe the discursive processes of argumentation on a macro level that drive the slow but steady transformation of a society’s social and political convictions.
PAKT: Perspectivized Argumentation Knowledge Graph and Tool for Deliberation Analysis
Authors: Plenz Moritz , Heinisch Philipp , Frank Anette , Cimiano Philipp
Published: July 2024

Deliberative processes play a vital role in shaping opinions, decisions and policies in our society. In contrast to persuasive debates, deliberation aims to foster understanding of conflicting perspectives among interested parties. The exchange of arguments in deliberation serves to elucidate viewpoints, to raise awareness of conflicting interests, and to finally converge on a resolution. To better understand and analyze the underlying processes of deliberation, we proposePAKT, a Perspectivized Argumentation Knowledge Graph and Tool. The graph structures the argumentative space across diverse topics, where arguments i) are divided into premises and conclusions, ii) are annotated for stances, framings and their underlying values and iii) are connected to background knowledge. We show how to constructPAKTand conduct case studies on the obtained multifaceted argumentation graph. Our findings show the analytical potential offered by our framework, highlighting the capability to go beyond individual arguments and to reveal structural patterns in the way participants and stakeholders argue in a debate. The overarching goal of our work is to facilitate constructive discourse and informed decision making as a special form of argumentation. We offer public access toPAKTand its rich capabilities to support analytics, visualization, navigation and efficient search, for diverse forms of argumentation (GitHub:www.github.com/Heidelberg-NLP/PAKTWebsite:www.webtentacle1.techfak.uni-bielefeld.de/accept/).
On finite groups in which the twisted conjugacy classes of the unit element are subgroups
Authors: Nicotera Chiara
Published: July 2024

We consider groups G such that the set $$[G,\varphi ]=\{g^{-1}g^{\varphi }|g\in G\}$$

[
G
,
φ
]

=

{

g

-
1

g
φ

|
g
∈
G
}

is a subgroup for every automorphism $$\varphi $$
φ
of G, and we prove that there exists such a group G that is finite and nilpotent of class n for every $$n\in \mathbb N$$

n
∈
N

. Then there exists an infinite not nilpotent group with the above property and the Conjecture 18.14 of Khukhro and Mazurov (The Kourovka Notebook No. 20, 2022) is false.
PHLDA1-PRDM1 mediates the effect of lentiviral vectors on fate-determination of human retinal progenitor cells
Authors: Hu Xing , Chen Jia , Dai Wangxuan , Xiao Yuhua , Chen Xu , Chen Zheyao , Zhang Shuyao , Hu Youjin
Published: July 2024

Lentiviral vectors have markedly enhanced gene therapy efficiency in treating congenital diseases, but their long-term safety remains controversial. Most gene therapies for congenital eye diseases need to be carried out at early ages, yet the assessment of related risks to ocular development posed by lentiviral vectors is challenging. Utilizing single-cell transcriptomic profiling on human retinal organoids, this study explored the impact of lentiviral vectors on the retinal development and found that lentiviral vectors can cause retinal precursor cells to shift toward photoreceptor fate through the up-regulation of key fate-determining genes such as PRDM1. Further investigation demonstrated that the intron and intergenic region of PRDM1 was bound by PHLDA1, which was also up-regulated by lentiviral vectors exposure. Importantly, knockdown of PHLDA1 successfully suppressed the lentivirus-induced differentiation bias of photoreceptor cells. The findings also suggest that while lentiviral vectors may disrupt the fate determination of retinal precursor cells, posing risks in early-stage retinal gene therapy, these risks could potentially be reduced by inhibiting the PHLDA1-PRDM1 axis.
Accelerated Simulation of Passive Analog Circuits Over GPU Using Explicit Integration Methods
Authors: Doménech-Asensi Ginés , Kazmierski Tom J.
Published: July 2024

Analog circuits composed by large number of nodes in a tightly coupled structure pose significant challenges due to their prohibitive CPU simulation time. This work describes a method to speed up the simulation of such circuits by means of the combination of space state formulation of circuit equations with explicit integration methods parallelized over a many-core processor such as a GPU. Although stability of explicit techniques require smaller integration steps compared to implicit methods, the proposed method employs a fast estimate of the maximum allowed step size to guarantee numerical stability, which yields a shorter simulation time for increasing complexity circuit architectures. Moreover, the proposed technique can be straightforward parallelized on a many core architecture. The proposed method is demonstrated with two examples using constant and variable coefficients respectively: an RLC interconnect and a MOS-C network to perform Gaussian filtering of medium resolution images. The results obtained have been compared to a parallel version of SPICE and show improvements up to two orders of magnitude for transient simulations depending of the circuit size.
Disk-Like Surfaces of Section and Symplectic Capacities
Authors: Edtmair O.
Published: July 2024

We prove that the cylindrical capacity of a dynamically convex domain in ${\mathbb{R}}^{4}$ agrees with the least symplectic area of a disk-like global surface of section of the Reeb flow on the boundary of the domain. Moreover, we prove the strong Viterbo conjecture for all convex domains in ${\mathbb{R}}^{4}$ which are sufficiently C3 close to the round ball. This generalizes a result of Abbondandolo-Bramham-Hryniewicz-Salomão establishing a systolic inequality for such domains.
Einfluss neurologischer Erkrankungen auf Beweglichkeit und Fahreignung
Authors: Thayssen Günther , Püschel Klaus
Published: July 2024

Die Neurologie beschäftigt sich mit organischen Erkrankungen der Muskulatur, der peripheren Nerven von Rumpf und Extremitäten sowie den Erkrankungen des zentralen Nervensystems (Rückenmark, Hirnstamm, Kleinhirn sowie Großhirn). Krankheiten, die Funktionsstörungen dieser Strukturen verursachen, können Beschwerden sowohl körperlicher als auch kognitiver Art hervorrufen. Damit können neurologische Erkrankungen in besonderer Weise die persönliche Mobilität sowohl durch körperliche Einschränkungen als auch durch kognitive Defizite beeinträchtigen. Viele dieser Erkrankungen zeigen im Alter eine deutliche Zunahme der Häufigkeit.

Körperlich bedingte Einschränkungen der Mobilität manifestieren sich schwerpunktmäßig in Form von Gangstörungen. Diese werden in relevanter Ausprägung bei 2 Dritteln der über 80-Jährigen festgestellt und bilden eine häufige Ursache für Stürze mit oft erheblichen Folgeschäden. Beim Fahren eines Kraftfahrzeugs resultieren u. U. negative Auswirkungen z. B. auf Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit, Bremskraft und Schulterblick. Hierfür können die Parkinson-Krankheit sowie Lähmungen und Sensibilitätsstörungen im Rahmen von Polyneuropathien verantwortlich sein.

Das Autofahren ist ein naheliegender Kompensationsmechanismus im Falle von Beeinträchtigungen der Gehfähigkeit. Allerdings liegt bei zahlreichen die Gehfähigkeit beeinträchtigenden Erkrankungen die Ursache im zentralen Nervensystem, oft im Bereich des Großhirns. Folglich können sich neben körperlichen auch kognitive Defizite manifestieren, die einen Verlust der Fahreignung begründen. Als alterstypische neurologische Erkrankungen, die in dieser Weise die Mobilität einschränken, sind hier wiederum die Parkinson-Krankheit sowie Durchblutungsstörungen des Gehirns zu erwähnen. Zudem treten im Alter vermehrt epileptische Anfälle als Symptom anderer Erkrankungen auf.
Mobilität älterer Menschen im öffentlichen Raum unter Gendergesichtspunkten
Authors: Stete Gisela , Wotha Brigitte
Published: July 2024

Für Menschen im höheren Lebensalter ist ein abgestimmtes Mobilitätsangebot unerlässliche Voraussetzung für die Teilhabe am gesellschaftlichen Leben und für mehr Lebensqualität. Das Ziel sollte eine selbstbestimmte Alltagsmobilität sein, die ein zufriedenstellendes und gesundes Leben im Alter ermöglicht. Mobilität ist von den vielfältigen individuellen Fähigkeiten und Bedürfnissen der einzelnen Menschen abhängig. Demgegenüber begrenzen gesellschaftliche Strukturen, regulatorische und räumliche Rahmenbedingungen die Umsetzung der Mobilitätsangebote und ihrer verkehrlichen Infrastruktur. Diese Rahmenbedingungen werden von der Wahrnehmung sozialer Rollen, der Verfügbarkeit von Ressourcen und geschlechtsspezifischen Zuschreibungen geprägt. So liegt z. B. bei über 50-Jährigen die Pflege- und Sorgearbeit überwiegend bei den Frauen. Das Angebot an Verkehrsinfrastruktur richtet sich aktuell an Zielen aus, die von den Bedarfen der Erwerbsarbeit und nicht der Versorgungsarbeit geprägt sind. Umgekehrt nimmt die Verfügbarkeit flexibler Verkehrsmittel, wie z. B. Autos, bei Frauen im höheren Alter auch aus ökonomischen Gründen ab. Daher sollten bei der Mobilitätsplanung verstärkt die spezifischen Bedürfnisse, wie z. B. die Ausrichtung auf Ziele der Versorgung, Beratung und Gesundheitsangebote, sowie eine größere Nahraumorientierung berücksichtigt werden. Insbesondere für ältere Frauen sind Sicherheitsbedürfnisse oftmals ein wichtiger Entscheidungsfaktor, mobil zu werden oder auf Mobilität zu verzichten. Das beinhaltet sowohl die gefühlte subjektive Sicherheit, die Barrierefreiheit als auch den Schutz vor gefährdenden Witterungsbedingungen wie einem glatten Untergrund oder übermäßiger Hitzeexposition. Bei Berücksichtigung dieser Grundlagen kann für mehr Menschen eine selbstbestimmte Teilhabe am gesellschaftlichen Leben gewährleistet werden.
Comprehensive analysis of glulam delamination through finite element modelling considering heat and mass transfer, plasticity and fracture mechanics: a case study using high density hardwood
Authors: Lu Peiqing , Gilbert Benoit P. , Kumar Chandan , McGavin Robert L. , Karampour Hassan
Published: July 2024

With the ongoing emphasis on sustainable and eco-friendly construction, there is a rising demand for high-strength and high-stiffness engineered wood products. This trend presents both opportunities and challenges for the Australia’s hardwood industry, particularly concerning native forest-grown spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora). Glue laminated (glulam) spotted gum beams cannot be confidently commercialised due to the difficulty for its high-density to satisfy the bond integrity criteria (referred to as “delamination test”) for external products in accordance with the Australia and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1328.1. For in-depth understanding of the delamination process, an accurate numerical model represents a valuable and time-efficient tool. The aim of this study is to develop and detail such a model, considering heat and mass transfer, drying stresses, plasticity and fracture propagation models, using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.5. The model was validated against a series of wetting and drying experiments on spotted gum glulam, considering both moisture content variation and crack propagation along the gluelines. Results from the validated model showed that delamination is principally due to the tensile stress applied to the gluelines.
Arbeitsbedingte interstitielle Lungenerkrankungen
Authors: Hofmann-Preiß K.
Published: July 2024

Eine Vielzahl von Expositionen am Arbeitsplatz (organische bzw. anorganischen Stäube, Gase, Rauche oder Dämpfe) kann eine diffuse interstitielle Lungenerkrankung (ILD) verursachen. Die Latenzzeit bis zum Auftreten der Erkrankung kann mehr als 30 Jahre betragen. Der Verlauf ist sehr unterschiedlich und hängt von der Menge der eingeatmeten Substanz und deren fibrogener Wirkung ab. Die pulmonalen Muster in der hochauflösenden Computertomographie (HRCT) unterscheiden sich nicht wesentlich von ILD anderer Ursachen. Ohne Kenntnis der beruflichen Vorgeschichte werden arbeitsbedingte ILD daher oft als idiopathisch eingestuft. Aus diesem Grund ist eine qualifizierte Berufsanamnese heute ein unverzichtbarer Bestandteil der interdisziplinären Diagnose von ILD.
Harnableitung beim alten Patienten (80+)
Authors: Oswald D. , Herrmann T. R. W. , Netsch C. , Becker B. , Hatiboglu G. , Homberg R. , Klein J. T. , Lehrich K. , Miernik A. , Olbert P. , Schöb D. S. , Sievert K. D. , Herrmann J. , Gross A. J. , Pallauf M. , Deininger S. , Ramesmayer C. , Peters J. , Lusuardi L.
Published: July 2024

Bei steigender Lebenserwartung gibt es zunehmend ältere (≥ 80 Jahre) PatientInnen mit der Diagnose eines muskelinvasiven Blasenkarzinoms. Therapie der Wahl ist die radikale Zystektomie mit Harnableitung (mit neoadjuvanter Chemotherapie, sofern belastbar). Die Auswahl der richtigen Harnableitung in Abwägung von Morbidität gegenüber Funktionalität und Lebensqualität stellt eine Herausforderung dar. Das kalendarische Alter allein ist nicht entscheidend. Wegweisend ist v. a. eine adäquate präoperative Begutachtung mit Blick auf medizinische Besonderheiten sowie physische und kognitive Einschränkungen. Standardmäßig wird bei älteren PatientInnen das Ileum-Conduit als inkontinente Harnableitung eingesetzt, da der Eingriff eine geringere Komplexität und Operationsdauer als eine kontinente Harnableitung aufweist. Fitte PatientInnen mit adäquater Lebenserwartung und ausreichender Compliance können jedoch auch im hohen Alter Kandidaten für kontinente Harnableitungen sein. Die Ureterokutaneostomie mit Harnleiterschienendauerversorgung ist eine wichtige Alternative für multimorbide PatientInnen mit hohem perioperativem Risiko. Wichtig ist v. a. eine gute präoperative Aufklärung, sodass PatientInnen eine informierte Entscheidung treffen können.
Lebensbedrohliche Infektionen in der Schwangerschaft
Authors: Rüegg Ladina , Bossung Verena , Krähenmann Franziska , Ochsenbein-Kölble Nicole
Published: July 2024

Die Sepsis als klinische Manifestation einer lebensbedrohlichen Infektion gehört weltweit zu den häufigsten maternalen Todesursachen im Rahmen von Schwangerschaft und Geburt. Das rasche Erkennen sowie der Beginn einer antibiotischen Therapie und Volumensubstitution sind entscheidend in der Therapie. Bei persistierender Hypotonie sollten Vasopressoren zum Einsatz kommen. Eine engmaschige fetomaternale Überwachung ist wichtig. Bei einer Chorioamnionitis ist die Entbindung indiziert. Eine Sepsis ist keine Kontraindikation für die Steroidgabe zur fetalen Lungenreifungsinduktion. Die Definition der Sepsis und deren Therapie entspricht in der Schwangerschaft den Kriterien bei Nichtschwangeren. Die Beurteilung der Organdysfunktion kann mittels SOFA(„sequential organ failure assessment“)-Score ermittelt werden. Die häufigsten Ursachen für eine Sepsis in der Schwangerschaft sind eine Chorioamnionitis, eine Pyelonephritis mit Urosepsis und ein exazerbierter Infekt der Atemwege. Gerade Schwangere sind aufgrund der veränderten Atem- und Lungenphysiologie prädisponiert für schwere Verläufe. Eine Sepsis im Rahmen einer Appendizitis ist selten, kann dennoch auftreten, da die Diagnose der Appendizitis in der Schwangerschaft meist verzögert gestellt wird und Perforationen deshalb häufiger vorkommen. Bei Fieber und einer entsprechenden Anamnese (z. B. Reisen) muss auch an bei uns seltenere Krankheiten, wie z. B. Malaria, gedacht werden.
Analysis of an initially stressed functionally graded thermoelastic medium (type III) without energy dissipation
Authors: Ailawalia Praveen , Sharma Anchal , Marin Marin , Öchsner Andreas
Published: July 2024

The current investigation deals with the deformation of a non-homogeneous thermoelastic half space under hydrostatic initial stress for the Green–Naghdi model III. The medium is supposed to be rotating with a constant angular velocity. The non-homogeneous properties of the material are along the x-direction. At the first instance, the problem has been solved analytically to obtain stress and displacement components. Further, the numerical values of these expressions are evaluated using a computer program for a particular medium. The numerical values obtained are then presented graphically to show the effect of initial stress parameter and non-homogeneity parameter on the quantities.
Tube formulas for valuations in complex space forms
Authors: Solanes Gil , Trillo Juan Andrés
Published: July 2024

Given an isometry invariant valuation on a complex space form we compute its value on the tubes of sufficiently small radii around a set of positive reach. This generalizes classical formulas of Weyl, Gray and others about the volume of tubes. We also develop a general framework on tube formulas for valuations in Riemannian manifolds.
Bone Fragility in High Fat Diet-induced Obesity is Partially Independent of Type 2 Diabetes in Mice
Authors: Uppuganti Sasidhar , Creecy Amy , Fernandes Daniel , Garrett Kate , Donovan Kara , Ahmed Rafay , Voziyan Paul , Rendina-Ruedy Elizabeth , Nyman Jeffry S.
Published: July 2024

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are risk factors for fragility fractures. It is unknown whether this elevated risk is due to a diet favoring obesity or the diabetes that often occurs with obesity. Therefore, we hypothesized that the fracture resistance of bone is lower in mice fed with a high fat diet (45% kcal; HFD) than in mice that fed on a similar, control diet (10% kcal; LFD), regardless of whether the mice developed overt T2D. Sixteen-week-old, male NON/ShiLtJ mice (resistant to T2D) and age-matched, male NONcNZO10/LtJ (prone to T2D) received a control LFD or HFD for 21 weeks. HFD increased the bodyweight to a greater extent in the ShiLtJ mice compared to the NZO10 mice, while blood glucose levels were significantly higher in NZO10 than in ShiLtJ mice. As such, the glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels exceeded 10% in NZO10 mice, but it remained below 6% in ShiLtJ mice. Diet did not affect HbA1c. HFD lowered trabecular number and bone volume fraction of the distal femur metaphysis (micro-computed tomography or μCT) in both strains. For the femur mid-diaphysis, HFD significantly reduced the yield moment (mechanical testing by three-point bending) in both strains but did not affect cross-sectional bone area, cortical thickness, nor cortical tissue mineral density (μCT). Furthermore, the effect of diet on yield moment was independent of the structural resistance of the femur mid-diaphysis suggesting a negative effect of HFD on characteristics of the bone matrix. However, neither Raman spectroscopy nor assays of advanced glycation end-products identified how HFD affected the matrix. HFD also lowered the resistance of cortical bone to crack growth in only the diabetic NZO10 mice (fracture toughness testing of other femur), while HFD reduced the ultimate force of the L6 vertebra in both strains (compression testing). In conclusion, the HFD-related decrease in bone strength can occur in mice resistant and prone to diabetes indicating that a diet high in fat deleteriously affects bone without necessarily causing hyperglycemia.