bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Status and prospects of biogeochemical Argo observations of chlorophyll-a in the northwest Pacific
Authors: Hayashida Hakase , Strutton Peter G. , Hashihama Fuminori , Horimoto-Miyazaki Naho , Katano Toshiya , Yasui-Tamura Saori
Published: February 2025

Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) floats are autonomous marine observing platforms that monitor chlorophyll-a and other indicators of ocean ecosystem health globally. Since 2018, there has been an increase in the number of chlorophyll-a observations in the northwest Pacific due to the deployment of BGC-Argo floats. Such progress offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop a skillful operational ocean biogeochemical model. Here, we assess the performance of BGC-Argo floats in measuring chlorophyll-a concentrations and their spatiotemporal structures via comparison with satellite and shipboard data. Results show a good correlation (r = 0.61) between the float and satellite observations and an excellent correlation (r = 0.87) between the satellite and shipboard observations of sea surface concentrations. The float data have a bias of about 0.04 mg m−3 or 59 % with respect to the satellite observations. Rare matchups between the float and shipboard observations of winter and summer profiles in the upper 200 m reveal an excellent correlation (r = 0.86), demonstrating the reliability of the vertical structure obtained from these floats. Concurrent two-year time series from five BGC-Argo floats reveal the prevalence of subsurface chlorophyll-a maxima in the subtropical northwest Pacific that can persist throughout the year. These findings stress the importance of subsurface monitoring to better quantify biological productivity and carbon export. We discuss the status of BGC-Argo floats in the northwest Pacific and recommend possible directions for modelling work and deployment efforts in achieving the proposed global array of 1000 floats in this decade, which has significant potential to improve predictability.
Towards the Recognition of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Researchers
Authors: Salmela Mikko , Vienni-Baptista Bianca , Cheas Kirsi
Published: February 2025

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research are widely considered necessary to addressing complex, often called ´wicked´, problems. Moreover, national and international funding schemes, institutional structures, and education programs have been created to foster interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. However, there is a largely silenced ´wicked´ problem in the heart of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research: the precarious situation of academics engaging in such research in their individual work. Relying on STS and ID/TD scholarships, we identify the institutional, social, cultural, and psychological challenges of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary researchers in the contemporary scientific community. Based on Caniglia and Vogel (2023), we compare the position of these researchers to that of queer people in a heteronormative and sexually binary society. We argue that the challenges of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholars, and their queer-like status, should be conceptualized as a problem of recognition of these scholars. Following Fraser (2003), we understand denial of recognition –either through maldistribution of resources, or misrecognition of identity, or both– as a set of obstacles in equal participation in academic life. Finally, we distinguish between social and institutional recognition, concluding that while researchers can contribute to social recognition through their own actions, institutional recognition requires science policy interventions by research institutions and funders.
Photochemical processes in aqueous benzoquinone and anthraquinone solutions studied by spectrophotometry
Authors: Csonka Krisztina , Lukács Panna , Ősz Katalin
Published: February 2025

In this paper, we focus on the experimental and theoretical limitations and advantages of using spectrophotometric technique to study a homogeneous, liquid-phase photochemical reaction. 1,4-Benzoquinone and anthraquinone derivatives dissolved in water were examined in a PhotoCube™ photoreactor under illumination with 365, 395, 457, 500, 523, 595, 623 nm, or white light. Derivatives with different electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents were studied. The photosensitivity of 1,4-benzoquinone solutions is known. However, a different kind of product was formed during storage in the dark than under illumination. Using classical matrix rank analysis and the M3 method (which uses the steps of Gauss-Jordan elimination), the number of light-absorbing particles in each photochemical reaction was determined. In general, one of the colored particles is the quinone, and the other is a constant ratio mixture of hydroquinone and hydroxyquinone formed as a product, which are weak acids, so their protonation/deprotonation also occurs as the pH of the solution changes, thereby increasing the number of colored particles. This effect was previously avoided by using buffers or pH–stat technique. In the case of the 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone derivative, photochemical kinetic measurements at various temperatures were carried out in a diode array spectrophotometer with polychromatic light source. The reaction was only slightly accelerated by increasing the temperature from room temperature to 45 °C.
A unified account of semantic and pragmatic infelicity
Authors: Franzén Nils , Stokke Andreas
Published: February 2025

This paper argues for a unified account of semantic and pragmatic infelicity. It is argued that an utterance is infelicitous when it communicates an inconsistent set of propositions, given the context. In cases of semantic infelicity the relevant utterance expresses a set of inconsistent propositions, whereas pragmatic infelicity is a matter of the utterance conflicting with contextual expectations or assumptions. We spell out this view within the standard framework according to which a central aim of communication is to update a body of information shared among the participants. We show that this account explains different kinds of infelicity for both declarative and non-declarative utterances. Further, the account is seen to make correct predictions for a range of cases involving irony, joking, and related non-assertoric utterances.
Quantification of the Available Information of Hydrological Datasets: Stabilizing the Estimator of Multivariate Mutual Information
Authors: Findanis Evangelos , Loukas Athanasios
Published: February 2025

The Available Information contained in a hydrological dataset represents the meaningful information per timestep that enters a rainfall-runoff model. To estimate this quantity, Independent Component Analysis (ICA) must be performed to transform the original observations into statistically independent signals. However, ICA algorithms may detect many sets of nearly independent signals suitable for this transformation, posing the question of which set is the optimal one. In the present paper, it is proposed that the components of the optimal set must share the least total pairwise mutual information among all sets since the mutual information of a pair of components is a measure of their statistical independence. This novel approach of estimating the available information of a dataset is applied to five basins in Thessaly, Greece and it is compared to the standard approach of taking the average value occurring from multiple ICA runs. It is illustrated that discarding ICA solutions with high total pairwise mutual information shared between their components stabilizes the estimator of Available Information and increases its precision. This comes with the cost of additional computation time since multiple evaluations of bivariate mutual information are needed.
Processing of Nanocrystalline Inconel 718—Graphite Composites by High-Pressure Torsion
Authors: Kasalo Manoel , Suarez Sebastian , Keckes Julius F. , Kiener Daniel , Bachmaier Andrea
Published: February 2025

This work uses high-pressure torsion (HPT) to fabricate nanostructured graphite-reinforced Inconel 718 metal matrix composites. The initial powders were pretreated by a colloidal mixing (CM) step to mitigate graphite particle agglomeration and improve the powder blend homogeneity. Scanning electron microscopy investigations show the formation of a nanocrystalline solid solution of the Inconel 718 matrix. Comprehensive statistical image analysis is used to study graphite evolution after deformation in dependency of concentrations and processing routes. It is shown that CM improves composite processability, significantly reducing graphite agglomerate size (80 pct), and improving graphite distribution homogeneity. Raman spectroscopy measurements reveal the structural state of graphite, showing a minimal effect of CM on graphite defect density, while HPT induces a significant increase. Despite the structural degradation, no amorphization is observed, and crystalline domain sizes remain constant in the nanocrystalline range, independent of the applied shear strain. The nanoindentation hardness tested at room temperature is higher for graphite-reinforced composites compared to the Inconel 718 reference alloy. High-temperature in situ nanoindentation tests reveal that the indentation hardness of the CM-processed composite measured at 823 K even surpasses the hardness of the pure reference alloy at room temperature.
Optimization and Kinetics of Chalcopyrite Leaching in the Presence of Hydrochloric and Nitric Acids, along with a Particle Shape-Based Evaluation
Authors: Tombal Tugba Deniz , Kursun Ilgin , Terzi Mert , Gungoren Can
Published: February 2025

The extraction of Cu from chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) by hydrometallurgical methods is becoming increasingly widespread in the world, and hydrochloride (HCl) and nitric acids (HNO3) are important lixiviants used for this purpose. However, chalcopyrite is the most refractory Cu mineral for hydrometallurgical techniques, and therefore determining the appropriate leaching conditions has a crucial role in its beneficiation efficiency. Thus, in this study, the optimum conditions for the chalcopyrite leaching with HCl and HNO3 acids were determined, and 95% and 96% dissolution efficiencies (DEs) were obtained in the presence of HCl and HNO3, respectively, in the optimum conditions. Furthermore, the results of the kinetic model for the control of the general reaction rate indicated that the dissolution of Cu minerals by both acids was diffusion-controlled, with average correlation coefficient values of 0.9955 and 0.9956 for HCl and HNO3, respectively. In addition, a particle shape-based evaluation was performed for the leaching feed and residues for the shape factors of circularity, roundness, and solidity to reveal the effect of the leaching processes on the morphology of the particles. The results indicated that the particles approached a circular pattern after the leaching in the presence of both acids. In addition, while more round-edged and less concave particles were obtained after HCl leaching, the edge of the particles became more angular and more concave after the leaching with HNO3. The results of this study also showed that optimum leaching conditions were achieved at 63 × 75 µm particle size, 15% solids ratio, 120 min leaching time, and 250 rpm stirring speed, and that the morphological properties of the particles formed as a result of leaching varied according to the lixiviant concentration, ambient temperature, and acid type. It can be seen from the results that the reaction fits the diffusion-controlled model.
When do prevocational programs ease the transition to vocational education and training?
Authors: Busse Robin , Maué Elisabeth
Published: February 2025

Preparing youth for the transition from school to work is a key labor market challenge in many countries. Across Europe, there are many educational pograms to improve youth’s school-to-work transitions. In Germany, youth with difficulties in their school-to-work transitions are channeled into prevocational programs to help them to enter vocational education and training (VET), which serve as an entry into the labor market. Using data drawn from the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS; N = 1,282 participants of prevocational programs), we (1) examined youth’s transition trajectories after their attendance of a first prevocational program and (2) how using institutional resources such as internships during the first prevocational program supports youth’s transitions to VET. Our findings of sequence and cluster analysis showed that approximately two-thirds of the participants had largely stable transitions to VET (i.e., transitions with a low risk of dropout), although many of these transitions were delayed by one year after leaving their first prevocational program. In contrast, one-third of the participants had at-risk transition trajectories and were at risk of being permanently excluded from the education and employment system. By conducting a multinomial logistic regression, we also found that attending long internships and attaining a higher school certificate during the first prevocational program was associated with a smooth transition to VET programs, and both factors “protected” youth from encountering difficult pathways with very low prospects of reaching VET programs after leaving prevocational programs. Moreover, mentoring during prevocational programs and the perceived degree to which the programs helped youth to form occupational aspirations were also associated with a lower probability of facing at-risk transition trajectories.
Supporting Early Childhood Development through Multi-dimensional Service Delivery in South Africa
Authors: Leach Grace , von Fintel Dieter
Published: February 2025

There is a growing call to reduce environmental risk factors for children in LMICs and to provide children and parents in these places with the services they need to promote healthy development. In aid of this, we create an index of multidimensional service delivery for children in a developing country context. This approach is motivated by the consensus in the literature that early childhood development (ECD) is multidimensional in nature, and that children need multiple inputs at the same time for healthy development. The index is created using South African data, and shows that the full complement of the services is not adequately provided in any municipality in South Africa. Following on from this, a first validation is provided by assessing whether the constructed ECD services index is associated with individual child outcomes. The analysis reveals that the index is statistically significantly associated with child cognitive outcomes, and specifically, that public infrastructure service delivery is positively related to cognitive outcomes in children who attend an ELP in South Africa. This is consistent with the hypothesis that interventions which supplement child nutrition and the home environment have a larger positive impact than those which focus only on one element of development such as cognitive stimulation. This initial validation suggests that this index is useful to measure the compliment of services that children need to develop healthily.
Adipose-derived stem cells enhance the tumorigenic potential of pre-malignant breast epithelial cells through paracrine activation of PI3K–AKT pathway
Authors: Wu Qifeng , He Jinguang , Herrler Tanja , Yu Baofu , Zhou Qimin , Zheng Danning , Chen Xiaoxue , Yan Yangxuanyu , Dai Chuanchang , Liu Kai , Zou Gangming , Ge Shengfang , Qiao Yunbo , Li Qingfeng , Wei Jiao
Published: February 2025

Background

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)-assisted fat grafting has emerged as a widely used procedure for breast reconstruction post mastectomy and for aesthetic augmentation. Given the limited cases of breast cancer following grafting, the oncological safety of this procedure remains controversial.

Methods

The effects of ADSCs on the oncogenic features of premalignant MCF-10AT cells were investigated using co-culture and xenograft models. We further evaluated the malignancy-promoting effect of ADSCs in a 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer model. RNA-sequencing was performed on ADSCs, MCF-10AT cells, and ADSC-co-cultured MCF-10AT cells. Protein changes in ADSC/MCF-10AT co-culture medium and MCF-10AT cells were determined by proteomic analysis. Pathway inhibitors were used to investigate signaling pathways involved in the ADSC-induced oncogenic changes of MCF-10AT cells.

Results

We found that ADSCs promoted the proliferation and migration of MCF-10AT cells, and co-injection of ADSCs increased the tumor incidence of MCF-10AT cells from 29% to 58% in nude mice. Additionally, grafted ADSCs significantly enhanced tumor incidence, growth, and distant metastasis in the DMBA-induced rats, while it could not induce tumorigenesis in normal breast tissues. Combined RNA-sequencing and proteomic analysis demonstrated that the paracrine factors secreted by ADSCs robustly activated the oncogenic PI3K–AKT signaling in MCF-10AT cells. We also revealed the auto-activated TGF-beta and Wnt pathways in co-cultured MCF-10AT cells, which may be synergistic in tumor formation and progression. As expected, blocking these pathways, especially the PI3K–AKT pathway, strongly diminished the promoting effects of ADSCs, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets for ADSC grafting-associated breast tumors.

Conclusions

Our data illustrated the synergistic effect between ADSC paracrine factors and MCF-10AT auto-activated pathways in the carcinogenesis of MCF-10AT cells through activation of the oncogenic PI3K–AKT pathway. Based on these findings, we strongly recommend pre-operative examinations for breast cancer risk factors before ADSC-associated transplantation.
How Could Social Robots Support Societal Participation? Findings from Five Design Workshops with Young People
Authors: Jarske Salla , Kaipainen Kirsikka , Ahtinen Aino , Varsaluoma Jari , Väänänen Kaisa
Published: February 2025

Societal participation encompasses individual and collaborative activities aimed at influencing decisions that affect a person’s life. Engaging young people in societal participation is important for democratic and sustainable societies, but various structural and psychological barriers hinder participation. Digital technologies show promise in lowering the barriers by providing young people with new channels and means to participate. However, such technologies must be co-designed with youth to ensure they address real needs. To explore the potential of social robots in this context, we conducted five design workshops with high school and university students (N = 47). In the workshops, participants ideated social robots intended to support youth participation in society, starting with the robot’s purpose and continuing with defining its interaction methods and appearance. Through a qualitative analysis of participants’ design conversations and the resulting 24 robot ideas, we identified four themes related to different contexts of societal participation: democracy, environmental actions, social inclusion, and well-being. Participants imagined robots for various purposes, such as conveying feedback, educating, assisting in decision-making, facilitating discussions, and therapeutic interactions. Based on the findings, we outline four potential interaction roles that appear feasible for robots supporting societal participation: informing, stimulating, simulating, and mediating. Although the findings are exploratory, the identified contexts and roles can serve as inspiration and a framework for further research to study the possible benefits and challenges of social robots in the context of societal participation.
Thermite-for-demise (T4D): experiments and numerical modelling on solar array drive mechanism mock-ups containing thermite in an arc-heated wind tunnel
Authors: Finazzi Alessandro , Daub Dennis , Maggi Filippo , Paravan Christian , Dossi Stefano , Lips Tobias , Smet Geert , Bodjona Kobyé
Published: February 2025

The ESA-TRP SPADEXO project investigated the use of thermites to provide additional enthalpy to a spacecraft re-entering towards the Earth, with the objective of limiting its casualty risk on ground. Steel mock-ups inspired by the geometry of solar array drive mechanisms were filled with thermite and placed in DLR’s L2K arc-heated hypersonic wind tunnel. In each of these samples, a set of thermocouples was installed to monitor ignition and propagation of the heat generated by the reaction. One of the thermocouples was placed in a hole machined inside the mock-up wall to monitor temperature evolution in proximity of the pyrotechnic charge, without the risk of losing the sensor due to the ignition of the thermite. The main objective of these tests was to study the dependence of the heat transferred from the internal charge to the surrounding structure from the filling level. Results showed that higher thermite filling resulted in higher transferred enthalpy. In the presence of a large thermite amount, the reaction led to the formation of a dense liquid drop close to the side wall, causing significant heat transfer towards the wall of the mock-up. Tests were rebuilt using the SCARAB re-entry software, extended with a dedicated model to represent the ignition of an internal charge. Ignition and heat transfer were adequately described by the model in most of the test configurations. Specific parameter tuning was needed for the highest filling factor tested in this work, highlighting the influence of reaction products internal dynamics on the heat transfer processes.
The effect of Mg immissions on the accumulation of nutrients and risk elements in soils and macromycetes
Authors: Kuklová Margita , Kukla Ján , Luptáková Jana , Mihál Ivan
Published: February 2025

The research was carried out between 2021 and 2023 in zones A‒D, 400, 600, 1000, and 1500 m away from the magnesite plant in Lubeník (central Slovakia), which are polluted by magnesite immissions. Due to the fall of magnesite dust, the Organic horizons became neutral to weakly acidic, the mineral layers of soils in zones A and B strongly to weakly alkaline, and neutral in zones C and D. Ca, Mg, and Na in the Organic horizon and 0–5 cm soil layers decreased from zone A toward zone D. Mn and K increased from zone A to zone D. Cd generally increased from zone A to zone C. A total of 107 species of macromycetes from the phyla Ascomycota (15) and Basidiomycota (92) were detected. The absolute best accumulator of Ca and Mg was Hymenochaete rubiginosa and Ca, Mg, and Mn Geastrum rufescens. The best K accumulator was Inosperma erubescens together with Russula cyanoxantha, and the absolute best Na accumulator was Clitocybe phyllophila. Cd was best accumulated by Hymenochaete rubiginosa and Inosperma erubescens. PCA showed that soil properties depended on pH values and C, N, K, and Na content. The mentioned variables were significantly correlated with PC1 (share 46%), while the contents of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Cd were correlated with PC2 (share 35%). Ca and Cd were the most important environmental variables accumulated in macromycete fruiting bodies. PC1 represents a significant axis for the prediction of Ca content (40.2%) and PC2 for the prediction of Cd content in macromycetes (19%). Environmental pollution by Mg emissions significantly contributed to soil degradation and the composition of macromycete communities. The knowledge gained can help in the implementation of corrective measures in areas affected by alkaline immissions.
Frailty, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and cardiovascular disease: a nationwide prospective cohort study
Authors: Zheng Lei , Ye Jianjun , Liao Xinyang , Li Jing , Wang Qihao , Wang Feng
Published: February 2025

Background

This study aimed to investigate the complex associations of frailty and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) through a nationwide prospective cohort, while also assessing the mediating associations.

Methods

According to critical criteria, a total of 5239 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011 were ultimately enrolled in this study. Frailty was evaluated by the frailty index with 40 items, and CVD was defined as the presence of physician-diagnosed heart disease and/or stroke. A restricted cubic spline model, receiver operating characteristic curves, adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression, interaction analyses and mediation analyses were performed for association exploration.

Results

During a maximum follow-up of 7.0 years, 1204 (23.67%) people developed CVD. Both elevated hsCRP and frailty were significantly associated with CVD incidence. Compared with participants with a healthy status and low hsCRP (< 1.015 mg/L), those with a frailty status and elevated hsCRP had the highest risk of CVD (adjusted HR, 2.97; 95% CI 2.29–3.84), heart disease (adjusted HR, 2.93; 95% CI 2.16–3.96), and stroke (adjusted HR, 4.26; 95% CI 2.81–6.44), which were still robust in the subgroup analysis. Moreover, frailty significantly mediated 19.60% of the associations between hsCRP and CVD.

Conclusions

Combined assessment of frailty and hsCRP levels helps to better stratify the individual risk of CVD. Frailty could partly mediate the associations between hsCRP and CVD incidence.
Crisis of Democracy or Crises in Democracies?
Authors: Dunn John
Published: February 2025

It is a disabling error in political interpretation to conceive regime forms as displaying causal characteristics which extend determinately beyond the preconditions for applying them to the world or identifying them within it. Western democracy can reasonably be thought of as a regime form at all only insofar as it is recognized now to be as clearly instantiated in East, South East and South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and South America, as it is in Europe, North America, or Australasia. It has migrated from Europe certainly, but by now it has migrated far and wide. Across all these regions except perhaps Australasia, as very conspicuously within North America at present, the domestic regime is evidently in some degree of crisis, as are very many other regimes which make no pretence to be democracies and have at best tenuous claims to be representative. To put this in perspective, monarchy was the dominant regime form across the European continent for a millennium, from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries, not least because few if any of its inhabitants had any clear conception of what might still be put in its place. Within this horizon of legitimacy most individual monarchies were permanently in some degree of crisis, not in the strict medical sense of an interlude which must resolve itself speedily in death or cure, but in conditions of acute and fraught instability which were far likelier to end in the clarity of the former than in the specious calm of the latter. So too we should reasonably expect it to prove for democracy. In the meantime, crisis for any particular democracy will inevitably prove to be heavily contextual. Much of its relevant context is certain to be local and densely particular, even if the crises themselves occur in an external setting with prominent epochal characteristics and their diffusion is accentuated by transnational incitement or geopolitical adventure. Welcome to the New World Order.
A multi-faceted, integrated methodological approach to identify hotspots of combined urban environmental pressures in the climate change context
Authors: Votsi N. , Papangelis G. , Varotsos K. V. , Athanasopoulou E. , Koutsantoni P. , Karali A. , Karagianis D. , Sismanidis P. , Kiranoudis C. T. , Keramitsoglou I. , Giannakopoulos C. , Gerasopoulos E.
Published: February 2025

Urban sprawl poses significant challenges, including pollution, urban heat stress, and biodiversity loss, necessitating proactive solutions for climate adaptation and urban resilience. This study presents an integrated methodological approach to identify urban hotspots of combined environmental pressures in the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA), a densely populated region experiencing heightened climate vulnerabilities. Utilizing satellite data, numerical models, and geospatial analysis, the study focuses on three main urban pressures: urban heat, air pollution, and lack of green urban areas (GUAs). The approach offers a comprehensive spatial and temporal assessment of Land Surface Temperature (LST) to identify urban heat islands (UHI). Concurrently, air quality data are analyzed to map pollution hotspots, considering the exacerbating effects of heatwaves. The accessibility and distribution of GUAs are evaluated through the 15-min city concept, highlighting areas deficient in green spaces. The combined data-driven hotspot mapping facilitates the identification of the most vulnerable urban sites, providing essential insights for policy and decision-makers. The proposed methodology's adaptability allows for its application across various research disciplines and spatial scales, enhancing urban resilience through targeted interventions, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS). This consolidated framework for assessing and integrating multiple environmental pressures is a vital tool for urban strategic planning. It addresses the complex interplay of urban factors, offering a proactive, transparent, and cost-effective approach to mitigate environmental pressures and promote sustainable urban development amidst the ongoing climate crisis. The methodology's replicability underscores its potential for broad application, contributing to the global effort in achieving urban sustainability and resilience.
Sprachbeobachtung in heterogenen Klassen im Anfangsunterricht
Authors: Jeuk Stefan
Published: February 2025

Grundschulen, insbesondere im innerstädtischen Einzugsgebiet, sind von einer heterogenen Schülerschaft gekennzeichnet. Eine der Heterogenitätsdimensionen ist die sprachliche, die bildungspolitisch und fachwissenschaftlich im Kontext des Handlungsfelds „Deutsch als Zweitsprache“ thematisiert wird. In nationalen und internationalen Bildungsstudien wird demgegenüber die Zuwanderungsgeschichte der Kinder und Jugendlichen problematisiert. In diesem Beitrag werden konzeptionelle Eckpfeiler zur Diagnostik sprachlicher Heterogenität in den ersten beiden Jahren der Primarstufe diskutiert und anhand von Projektdaten eines zweijährigen Unterrichtspraxisprojektes konkretisiert. Es zeigt sich, dass Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund auf Grund der großen Heterogenität der Gruppe keine sinnvolle pädagogische Kategorie ist. Hoch relevant sind demgegenüber die je individuellen sprachlichen Repertoires der Kinder, die Gegenstand der pädagogischen Diagnostik sein sollten. Eine fundierte Förderdiagnostik ist im Kontext des Unterrichts jedoch nur bedingt möglich. In dem Beitrag wird diskutiert, welche Optionen es für eine Lehrkraft dennoch gibt.
Uncovering the gap: challenging the agential nature of AI responsibility problems
Authors: Llorca Albareda Joan
Published: February 2025

In this paper, I will argue that the responsibility gap arising from new AI systems is reducible to the problem of many hands and collective agency. Systematic analysis of the agential dimension of AI will lead me to outline a disjunctive between the two problems. Either we reduce individual responsibility gaps to the many hands, or we abandon the individual dimension and accept the possibility of responsible collective agencies. Depending on which conception of AI agency we begin with, the responsibility gap will boil down to one of these two moral problems. Moreover, I will adduce that this conclusion reveals an underlying weakness in AI ethics: the lack of attention to the question of the disciplinary boundaries of AI ethics. This absence has made it difficult to identify the specifics of the responsibility gap arising from new AI systems as compared to the responsibility gaps of other applied ethics. Lastly, I will be concerned with outlining these specific aspects.
Analyzing climate scenarios using dynamic mode decomposition with control
Authors: Mankovich Nathan , Bouabid Shahine , Nowack Peer , Bassotto Deborah , Camps-Valls Gustau
Published: February 2025

Understanding the complex dynamics of climate patterns under different anthropogenic emissions scenarios is crucial for predicting future environmental conditions and formulating sustainable policies. Using Dynamic Mode Decomposition with control (DMDc), we analyze surface air temperature patterns from climate simulations to elucidate the effects of various climate-forcing agents. This improves upon previous DMD-based methods by including forcing information as a control variable. Our study identifies both common climate patterns, like the North Atlantic Oscillation and El Niño Southern Oscillation, and distinct impacts of aerosol and carbon emissions. We show that these emissions’ effects vary with climate scenarios, particularly under conditions of higher radiative forcing. Our findings confirm DMDc’s utility in climate analysis, highlighting its role in extracting modes of variability from surface air temperature while controlling for emissions contributions and exposing trends in these spatial patterns as forcing scenarios change.
Real-word utility of procalcitonin in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia: A matched cohort study
Authors: Ilges Dan , Kosaski Dylan , Seville Maria Teresa , McGary Alyssa K. , O’Horo John C. , Snozek Christine L. , Stevens Ryan W. , Shah Aditya
Published: February 2025

Objective:

To retrospectively observe procalcitonin (PCT) and antibiotic ordering practices in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Design:

Retrospective, exact matched, multicenter cohort study from October 1, 2018 – March 31, 2023.

Setting:

All hospitals across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise.

Participants:

Adult patients with CAP, identified using pneumonia diagnosis codes and receipt of systemic antibiotics with an indication of “respiratory tract infection” within 48 hours of hospitalization.

Methods:

PCT testing within the first 7 days of hospitalization was compared to non-PCT care (nPCT). The primary outcomes were treatment duration, antibiotic days of therapy (DOT), and length of stay (LOS).

Results:

15364 patients met inclusion criteria. PCT testing occurred in 42.4% (6515/15364) of encounters, totaling 8214 PCT results. 12880 unique patient encounters were matched 1:1, 6440 in each group. Treatment duration was longer in the PCT group compared to the nPCT group (5.1 vs 4.6 days, respectively, P < 0.001). Patients in the PCT group also received more DOT (8.6 vs 7.6 DOT, P < 0.001) and had a longer LOS (6.8 vs 5.9 days, P < 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in 30-day all-cause mortality or C. difficile infection between groups. In a sensitivity analysis of nPCT patients compared to those with a peak value <0.25 ng/mL (i.e. normal result) there was no difference in treatment duration (4.6 days nPCT vs 4.7 days normal PCT, P = 0.104) or LOS (5.9 days nPCT vs 6.0 days normal PCT, P = 0.134).

Conclusion:

PCT testing in patients hospitalized with CAP was not associated with reduced antimicrobial utilization, LOS, or 30-day all-cause mortality.
Quiet Colonialism: Listening to the Cancuc Uprising of 1712
Authors: GREEN ANDREW J. , ALONSO-BOLAÑOS MARINA
Published: February 2025

In this article we ‘read against the grain’ of the archive to explore the sound world of an Indigenous rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in Chiapas in 1712. Although this topic has often interested historians and anthropologists, none of them explicitly engage the rebellion’s sonorities. Contending that a focus on sound may allow new features of the rebellion to come to light, we explore the use of sonorous objects and musical instruments in the rebels’ religious worship and military practices. Building on this analysis, we emphasize the place of ideas about ‘quietude’ within practices for violently reasserting colonial power.
Africa’s postcolonial states, universities and situated ideologies
Authors: Alabi Ayodeji Ladipo
Published: February 2025

Arowosegbe’s (2023) treatise on the crisis of higher education across the African continent raises many issues about the failures of Africa’s postcolonial states and the situations of the continent’s public universities. His courage in bringing to the fore the predicaments of Africa’s public universities is commendable. Two issues in particular attract my attention. First, while he underscores the strained relations between the state and the academy and recognizes the existence of some divergent ideological underpinnings therein, his account neglects the impacts of ideological contradictions on society’s political stability and socio-economic development. Second, his account omits the quandaries of private universities in Africa, an aspect of higher education across the continent that should not be overlooked if one is to holistically appreciate the predicaments of Africa’s universities within the context of the role of the postcolonial state.
Theory of heat equations for sigma functions
Authors: Eilbeck J. Chris , Gibbons John , Ônishi Yoshihiro , Yasuda Seidai
Published: February 2025

Let

$e$

and

$q$

be fixed co-prime integers satisfying

$1\lt e\lt q$

. Let

$\mathscr {C}$

be a certain family of deformations of the curve

$y^e=x^q$

. That family is called the

$(e,q)$

-curve and is one of the types of curves called plane telescopic curves. Let

$\varDelta$

be the discriminant of

$\mathscr {C}$

. Following pioneering work by Buchstaber and Leykin (BL), we determine the canonical basis

$\{ L_j \}$

of the space of derivations tangent to the variety

$\varDelta =0$

and describe their specific properties. Such a set

$\{ L_j \}$

gives rise to a system of linear partial differential equations (heat equations) satisfied by the function

$\sigma (u)$

associated with

$\mathscr {C}$

, and eventually gives its explicit power series expansion. This is a natural generalisation of Weierstrass’ result on his sigma function. We attempt to give an accessible description of various aspects of the BL theory. Especially, the text contains detailed proofs for several useful formulae and known facts since we know of no works which include their proofs.
Equity effect of a community-based primary healthcare program on the incidence of childhood morbidity in rural Northern Ghana
Authors: Kanmiki Edmund Wedam , Mamun Abdullah A. , Phillips James F. , O’Flaherty Martin
Published: February 2025

Background:

Childhood morbidity is a precursor and contributor to under-five child mortality. Community-based primary healthcare programs are culturally responsive and low-cost strategies for delivering maternal and child health services in rural communities.

Aim:

To evaluate the equity effect of the Ghana Essential Health Intervention Program (GEHIP) – a five-year community-based primary healthcare program – on childhood morbidity.

Methods:

GEHIP was implemented in the Upper East region of Northern Ghana. Household baseline and end line surveys conducted in 2010/2011 and 2014/2015, respectively, from both intervention and comparison districts were used to assess three childhood morbidity conditions: maternal recall of neonatal illness, the incidence of diarrhoea, and fever. Difference-in-differences analysis, mean comparison test, and multivariate logistic regressions are used to assess the effect of GEHIP exposure on these three childhood morbidity conditions.

Results:

Baseline sample data of 2,911 women and end line sample of 2,829 women were included in this analysis. There was generally more reduction in all three childhood morbidity conditions in intervention communities relative to comparison communities. Diarrhoea and fever had a statistically significant treatment effect (AOR = 0.95, p-value<0.01 and AOR = 0.94, p-value<0.001). Results of equity analysis indicate significant mean reductions for both the poor and non-poor for neonatal illness and diarrhea, while only the intervention group had a significant reduction for both poor and non-poor for fever. Regression analysis shows no significant equity/inequity effects of GEHIP on the incidence of diarrhoea and fever. Neonatal illness, however, shows significant effects of wealth within the intervention group.

Conclusion:

This study shows that GEHIP contributed significantly to childhood morbidity reduction. This implies that community-based strategies have the potential to improve child health and contribute to the attainment of the United Nations sustainable development goal related to child health. Specific targeted measures are recommended to ensure both the poor and relatively better-off benefit from interventions.
The experience of an innovative interdisciplinary model of primary care delivery in changing organizational dynamics: a grounded theory study
Authors: Mezzalira Elisabetta , Longhini Jessica , Ambrosi Elisa , Marini Giulia , Saiani Luisa , Di Falco Achille , Leardini Chiara , Canzan Federica
Published: February 2025

Introduction:

Changing dynamics are pushing institutions to focus on care delivery innovation. To address the shortage of general practitioners (GPs), an Italian health district recently introduced a new primary care model called Primary Health Point (PHP) to provide primary integrated care to its population.

Aim:

To investigate the healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) experience regarding the introduction of the PHP and to describe its process of care delivery.

Methods:

Qualitative study design with a grounded theory approach and convenience sampling. Interviews were conducted using a semi structured guide to explore the experience of HCPs working at the PHP. The development of open coding was followed by the creation of categories. The analysis was conducted utilizing NVivo software.

Results:

Twelve HCPs working at the PHP were interviewed and highlighted the model structure. The themes were the context and the antecedents that identified the most common health complaints and the patients with more needs and reflected on the traditional GP model; the process, which highlighted the complexity of interdisciplinary teamwork and the role of the Family and Community Nurse (FCN) in the new model; the outcome identified the factors mediating satisfaction with the care delivered by the PHP.

Conclusions:

The PHP has been considered a possible alternative to the GP model by its end users. It addresses disease pathway coordination, referrals, and medication management, focusing on chronic and older adult populations. It features interdisciplinary workflows with rotating physicians and consistent family nurse support. Proactive monitoring and a focus on disease education benefit fragile patients.
Indigenous Legal Materials and Libraries: One Canadian Law Library's Experience
Authors: Kaufman Amy
Published: February 2025

In this article Amy Kaufman, Head Law Librarian at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada, examines what role Canadian law libraries can take in responding to the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report in 2015, which examined the treatment of Aboriginal people in the country throughout its history, and its Calls to Action.
Raiders of the Lost Archive
Authors: Breslin Mike , Breslin Jas
Published: February 2025

In the latest in our series reviewing archived copies of Legal Information Management and The Law Librarian – as the journal was once known – LIM's co-editors leaf through the four issues published in 2004.
Claire Mazer – President of BIALL
Authors: Breslin Mike
Published: February 2025

President for 2024/25, Claire Mazer, talks to LIM about her career as an academic law librarian, the challenges facing both BIALL and the profession, and how she's enjoying her time at the head of the organisation
Contemporary dental tourism: a review of reporting in the UK news media
Authors: Doughty Janine , Moore Deborah , Ellis Matthew , Jago Jazz , Ananth Prasanthi , Montasem Alexander , Holden Alexander C. L. , Johnson Ilona
Published: February 2025

Introduction The number of people seeking dental tourism increased in recent years and has peaked in popularity with young people following a wave of viral social media content. Dental professionals have expressed their concern about the short- and long-term consequences. This study aimed to explore the contemporary United Kingdom (UK) media narrative toward dental tourism.

Methods Newspaper articles were identified using the LexisNexis database. The ten most popular newspapers in the UK were used for the search strategy. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The findings are presented as descriptive and analytical themes.

Findings The search strategy identified 201 newspaper articles related to dental tourism. A total of 131 articles were included in the analysis. Five key themes were identified. The themes included: push and pull factors reported to lead to seeking dentistry abroad; patient-reported outcomes and experiences; warnings from dental professionals; amplifying social media hype; and media shaming and stigmatising.

Conclusions Social media viral health trends were a means of distributing health (dis/mis)information. The perspectives of social media were amplified by the UK press. Tabloids often stigmatised people who had dentistry abroad.
Structural insights into spliceosome fidelity: DHX35–GPATCH1- mediated rejection of aberrant splicing substrates
Authors: Li Yi , Fischer Paulina , Wang Mengjiao , Zhou Qianxing , Song Aixia , Yuan Rui , Meng Wanyu , Chen Fei Xavier , Lührmann Reinhard , Lau Benjamin , Hurt Ed , Cheng Jingdong
Published: February 2025

The spliceosome, a highly dynamic macromolecular assembly, catalyzes the precise removal of introns from pre-mRNAs. Recent studies have provided comprehensive structural insights into the step-wise assembly, catalytic splicing and final disassembly of the spliceosome. However, the molecular details of how the spliceosome recognizes and rejects suboptimal splicing substrates remained unclear. Here, we show cryo-electron microscopy structures of spliceosomal quality control complexes from a thermophilic eukaryote, Chaetomium thermophilum. The spliceosomes, henceforth termed B*Q, are stalled at a catalytically activated state but prior to the first splicing reaction due to an aberrant 5’ splice site conformation. This state is recognized by G-patch protein GPATCH1, which is docked onto PRP8-EN and -RH domains and has recruited the cognate DHX35 helicase to its U2 snRNA substrate. In B*Q, DHX35 has dissociated the U2/branch site helix, while the disassembly helicase DHX15 is docked close to its U6 RNA 3’-end substrate. Our work thus provides mechanistic insights into the concerted action of two spliceosomal helicases in maintaining splicing fidelity by priming spliceosomes that are bound to aberrant splice substrates for disassembly.
Enhanced superconductivity near a pressure-induced quantum critical point of strongly coupled charge density wave order in 2H-Pd0.05TaSe2
Authors: Sur Yeahan , Gim Dong-Hyeon , Bhoi Dilip , Jang Dong Hyun , Murata Keizo , Hu Jia-Wei , Zhang Kai , Cao Zi-Yu , Struzhkin Viktor V. , Chen Xiao-Jia , Kim Kee Hoon
Published: February 2025

Interplay between charge density wave (CDW) order and superconductivity (SC) in quasi-two-dimensional materials remains poorly understood due to their diverse experimental varieties. Here, we investigate the pressure-dependent electrical transport and Raman scattering spectra of 2H-Pd0.05TaSe2, which exhibits a CDW transition at T
CDW = 115 K and a superconducting transition at T
c = 2.6 K at ambient pressure conditions. As pressure increases, T
CDW, identified by the resistivity anomaly, shifts towards lower temperatures and approaches zero at a critical pressure of P
c ~ 21.5 GPa. At this critical pressure, both T
c and upper critical field H
c2 reach their maximum values of ~ 8.5 K and ~ 6.4 T, respectively. Analysis of the Raman scattering spectra demonstrates that increasing pressure systematically suppresses both the two-phonon spectral weight above T
CDW and the CDW amplitudon energies below T
CDW, leading to their simultaneous disappearance at P
c. These observations provide direct evidence for the formation of a CDW quantum critical point (QCP) at P
c, indicating that charge and lattice fluctuations associated with the QCP of strongly coupled CDW order may enhance SC in pressurized 2H-Pd0.05TaSe2.