bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of using rubrics in self-assessment with instructor feedback on pre-service teachers’ academic performance, self-regulated learning and perceptions of self-assessment
Authors: Karaman Pınar
Published: July 2024

This study aims to explore the effects of pre-service teachers’ use of rubric in self-assessment with instructor feedback on academic achievement and self-regulated learning. Their perceptions and experiences of the self-assessment intervention were also investigated. A total of 79 pre-service teachers participated in the study. A mixed methods approach was used as a blend of experimental and qualitative design. The quasi-experimental research model with pretest/posttest control group design was employed in the quantitative phase of the study. The pre-service teachers (N = 79) were assigned to either use of rubric in self-assessment involving tutor feedback condition or a non-self-assessment condition for their essay assignments. Besides, the pre-service teachers’ perceptions and experiences of using self-assessment with instructor feedback were explored in the qualitative phase of the study. Data were collected using a rubric, an achievement test, a self-regulation in learning subscale and reflective journals. The results indicated that the rubric used in self-assessment with instructor feedback group had higher achievement and use of self-regulated learning strategies than the no-intervention group. The reflective journals also revealed that most of the pre-service teachers found the self-assessment a useful learning tool. They felt that it helped them to improve their learning by guiding them to set their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their learning through their own tasks. The implications for educational research and practice are discussed.
A Machine Learning Boosted Data Reduction Methodology for Translaminar Fracture of Structural Composites
Authors: Mocerino Davide , Zarzoso Moisés , Sket Federico , Molina Jon , González Carlos
Published: July 2024

This work explored a machine learning (ML) algorithm as a fast data reduction method for translaminar fracture energy in composite laminates. The method was validated with translaminar fracture tests on compact tension (CT) specimens on AS4/8552 and IM7/8552 cross-ply lay-ups. Experimental fracture energy and R-curves for both materials were determined using the most common data reduction methods, such as the compliance calibration (CC), the area (AM) and the Irwin relationship (IM). Our new data reduction method uses a surrogate model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) trained with synthetic data generated with the cohesive crack finite element model. Such a surrogate model maps the cohesive properties with the corresponding load–displacement, crack-displacement and energy-displacement curves with interrogation times in the order of 20 ms and relative errors in the load–displacement and crack growth less than 2%. Such performance enabled its encapsulation to approximate the inverse problem to infer the cohesive parameters with the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) directly from the experimental load–displacement and crack-displacement curves. The results demonstrated the ability of the model to deliver cohesive parameter inference directly from the macroscopic tests carried out at the laboratory level.
The digital transformation of jurisprudence: an evaluation of ChatGPT-4’s applicability to solve cases in business law
Authors: Schweitzer Sascha , Conrads Markus
Published: July 2024

In the evolving landscape of legal information systems, ChatGPT-4 and other advanced conversational agents (CAs) offer the potential to disruptively transform the law industry. This study evaluates commercially available CAs within the German legal context, thereby assessing the generalizability of previous U.S.-based findings. Employing a unique corpus of 200 distinct legal tasks, ChatGPT-4 was benchmarked against Google Bard, Google Gemini, and its predecessor, ChatGPT-3.5. Human-expert and automated assessments of 4000 CA-generated responses reveal ChatGPT-4 to be the first CA to surpass the threshold of solving realistic legal tasks and passing a German business law exam. While ChatGPT-4 outperforms ChatGPT-3.5, Google Bard, and Google Gemini in both consistency and quality, the results demonstrate a considerable degree of variability, especially in complex cases with no predefined response options. Based on these findings, legal professionals should manually verify all texts produced by CAs before use. Novices must exercise caution with CA-generated legal advice, given the expertise needed for its assessment.
Scoring the Ethics of AI Robo-Advice: Why We Need Gateways and Ratings
Authors: Kofman Paul
Published: July 2024

Unlike the many services already transformed by artificial intelligence (AI), the financial advice sector remains committed to a human interface. That is surprising as an AI-powered financial advisor (a robo-advisor) can offer personalised financial advice at much lower cost than traditional human advice. This is particularly important for those who need but cannot afford or access traditional financial advice. Robo-advice is easily accessible, available on-demand, and pools all relevant information in finding and implementing an optimal financial plan. In a perfectly competitive market for financial advice, robo-advice should prevail. Unfortunately, this market is imperfect with asymmetric information causing generalised advice aversion with a disproportionate lack of trust in robo-advice. Initial distrust makes advice clients reluctant to use, or switch to, robo-advice. This paper investigates the ethical concerns specific to robo-advice underpinning this lack of trust. We propose a regulatory framework addressing these concerns to ensure robo-advice can be an ethical resource for good, resolving the increasing complexity of financial decision-making. Fit for purpose regulation augments initial trust in robo-advice and supports advice clients in discriminating between high-trust and low-trust robo-advisors. Aspiring robo-advisors need to clear four licensing gateways to qualify for an AI Robo-Advice License (AIRAL). Licensed robo-advisors should then be monitored for ethical compliance. Using a balanced score card for ethical performance generates an ethics rating. This gateways-and-ratings methodology builds trust in the robo-advisory market through improved transparency, reduced information asymmetry, and lower risk of adverse selection.
A Penguin is Not a Giraffe: Categorizing Preschool Children According to Temperament
Authors: Maine Jana , Huelsman Timothy J. , Gagnon Sandra Glover , Webb Rose Mary , Kidder-Ashley Pamela
Published: July 2024

Temperament is a widely researched trait that significantly influences children’s lives. Still, theorists differ in their perspectives on the construct. With their nine dimensions of temperament and three “categories” of children—easy, difficult, or slow to warm up—Thomas and colleagues (1968) laid the foundation for future temperament research. Subsequent researchers have identified temperament profiles that are similar to but not completely consistent with Thomas and colleagues’ model. Still, most conceptualizations exist primarily for researchers and may be challenging to translate for educators who work directly with children and their caregivers. Therefore, this study had two aims. First, we used cluster analysis to corroborate and extend research that categorized children into temperament groups. We identified four groups that converge and one group that diverges from previous findings. Our second, more important purpose was to strengthen the link between research and practice by conceptualizing our results in a way that is understandable to educators and caregivers. The challenging task of capturing the nature of each cluster in one or even a few words led us to adopt a zoomorphic approach in which we assigned nonhuman animal names to each group: koalas, penguins, dogs, bobcats, and giraffes. Our findings support previous groupings of children by temperament and provide a consumer-friendly model that facilitates communication between caregivers and educators.
Recourse, Litigation, and the Rule of Law
Authors: Shapiro Matthew A.
Published: July 2024

Recent high-profile lawsuits have supported competing narratives that alternately depict civil litigation as an essential instrument of the rule of law and a threat to the ideal. This essay argues that each narrative captures an important element of truth and that Gerald Postema’s account of the rule of law in his book Law’s Rule helps us (albeit unwittingly) to see why. While Postema presents recourse for alleged abuses of power as a universal and enduring facet of the rule of law, his conception of recourse turns out to resemble core features of the kind of adversarial litigation process exemplified by the U.S. federal civil justice system. Yet such a system both promises to promote and threatens to undermine each of the three principles that Postema claims are entailed by his understanding of the rule of law—namely, sovereignty, equality, and fidelity. Realizing recourse thus requires confronting difficult tradeoffs within each of those principles, as well as within the overarching rule-of-law ideal. And if the rule of law can’t be instantiated unequivocally in any particular set of institutions, then perhaps we should be more willing to treat the ideal as a subject of politics rather than just a constraint on it.
Locative grounding harmony
Authors: Baron Samuel , Miller Kristie , Tallant Jonathan
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we explore locative grounding harmony, according to which the location of the grounds mirrors the location of the grounded. We proceed in three stages. First, we clarify the notion of locative harmony and describe different locative harmony principles. Second, we offer two arguments for the claim that grounding between physically located entities obeys principles of locative harmony. Third, we consider and respond to a range of cases that seem to show that grounding relations between physically located entities do not obey such principles. We conclude that grounding between such entities obeys locative harmony.
Women’s Experiences of Sexual Harassment and Reductions in Well-Being and System Justification
Authors: Howard Chloe , Overall Nickola C. , Osborne Danny , Sibley Chris G.
Published: July 2024

This study examines the impact of personally experiencing sexual harassment on women’s subjective well-being and perceptions of gender relations and society. We draw upon large-scale national probability panel data and utilize propensity score matching to identify (1) women who reported sexual harassment in the past year and (2) a matched control group of women who were comparable in outcome and demographic variables in the previous year but did not report sexual harassment (Nmatched pairs = 609). We then compare pre- and post-event levels of well-being and system justification across groups, including the perceived fairness of gender relations and society in general. Women who reported sexual harassment experienced significant pre-to-post declines in well-being (lower life satisfaction, higher psychological distress) and reductions in perceptions that gender relations, and broader society, are fair. Critically, these changes were significantly different than matched controls who did not show the same pre-post changes in well-being or system justification. These results provide robust evidence that sexual harassment has detrimental effects on well-being and document the previously unexamined effect of sexual harassment on women’s reduced support for the (gendered) status quo, which has important implications for social change.
Conformism, distinction and heterogeneity in an agent-based model of fads
Authors: Bargigli Leonardo , Pietrini Filippo
Published: July 2024

We examine the dependence of the cyclical fluctuations of demand on specific behavioral attitudes of heterogeneous agents. Starting from a modified version of the model of Tassier (Complexity 9(5):51-61, 2004), we use simulations to explore consumption dynamics and market shares when agents are inclined both to conformism and distinction, two necessary conditions for fashion in Simmel (Am j Sociol 62(6): 541–558, 1957). Our results challenge the view stating that conspicuous consumption is typical only of a wealthy class and of some positional goods, since we make no assumptions about features of the goods or income distribution.
In Vitro and In Vivo Degradation of the New Dissolvable Surgical Wire, Produced from Zn Based Low Alloy by Hot and Cold Drawing
Authors: Milenin A. , Kustra P. , Lelek-Borkowska U. , Wróbel M. , Marzec M. , Sulej-Chojnacka J. , Półrolniczak J. , Polkowska I. , Nowicka B.
Published: July 2024

The biocorrosion of a new surgical wire (0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 mm in diameter) obtained from a ZnMg0.004 alloy by hot and cold drawing was characterized using in vitro tests in a bovine animal serum solution and in vivo tests – through placement in the muscles of a rabbit and a in cat's broken paw. Corrosion gravimetric tests were carried out in a corrosive environment refreshed every 3 days and also one which remained unchanged throughout the test period. Electrochemical tests were performed in the same solution of serum as in gravimetric tests. Depending on the initial diameter, complete dissolution of the wire was observed after 36-78 days of immersion in periodically changed serum solution. None of the wires completely dissolved over 120 days in the unreplaced serum solution. The corrosion rate values determined in electrochemical and gravimetric tests were similar. After 90 days of in vivo tests, both in the body of the rabbit and the cat, the degradation of the wire was similar to in vitro tests in the unreplaced serum solution. No harmful effects were observed in the animals.
Prospective Evaluation of a Modified Apnea Test in Brain Death Candidates that Does Not Require Disconnection from the Ventilator
Authors: Lambeck Johann , Bardutzky Jürgen , Strecker Christoph , Niesen Wolf-Dirk
Published: July 2024

Background

The apnea test (AT) is an important component in the determination of brain death/death by neurologic criteria (BD/DNC) and often entails disconnecting the patient from the ventilator followed by tracheal oxygen insufflation to ensure adequate oxygenation. To rate the test as positive, most international guidelines state that a lack of spontaneous breathing must be demonstrated when the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) ≥ 60 mm Hg. However, the loss of positive end-expiratory pressure that is associated with disconnection from the ventilator may cause rapid desaturation. This, in turn, can lead to cardiopulmonary instability (especially in patients with pulmonary impairment and diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome), putting patients at increased risk. Therefore, this prospective study aimed to investigate whether a modified version of the AT (mAT), in which the patient remains connected to the ventilator, is a safer yet still valid alternative.

Methods

The mAT was performed in all 140 BD/DNC candidates registered between January 2019 and December 2022: after 10 min of preoxygenation, (1) positive end-expiratory pressure was increased by 2 mbar (1.5 mm Hg), (2) ventilation mode was switched to continuous positive airway pressure, and (3) apnea back-up mode was turned off (flow trigger 10 L/min). The mAT was considered positive when spontaneous breathing did not occur upon PaCO2 increase to ≥ 60 mm Hg (baseline 35–45 mm Hg). Clinical complications during/after mAT were documented.

Results

The mAT was possible in 139/140 patients and had a median duration of 15 min (interquartile range 13–19 min). Severe complications were not evident. In 51 patients, the post-mAT arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) was lower than the pre-mAT PaO2, whereas it was the same or higher in 88 cases. In patients with pulmonary impairment, apneic oxygenation during the mAT improved PaO2. In 123 cases, there was a transient drop in blood pressure at the end of or after the mAT, whereas in 12 cases, the mean arterial pressure dropped below 60 mm Hg.

Conclusions

The mAT is a safe and protective means of identifying patients who no longer have an intact central respiratory drive, which is a critical factor in the diagnosis of BD/DNC.

Clinical trial registration DRKS, DRKS00017803, retrospectively registered 23.11.2020, https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00017803
Sociodemographic Predictors of Sexual Communication and Sexual Communication as a Predictor of Sexual, Relationship, and Life Satisfaction in Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and the UK
Authors: Øverup Camilla S. , Hald Gert Martin , Pavan Silvia
Published: July 2024

Sexual communication is associated with higher levels of sexual and relationship satisfaction. However, research suggests that many struggle with sexual communication. Using a cross-country convenience sample of 7,139 respondents from six European countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and the UK), we investigated sociodemographic predictors of different facets of sexual communication and their associations with sexual, relationship, and life satisfaction. Data was collected in May and June 2022 through respondent panels, by Cint, a market research software platform. Participants received an email invitation to the study and completed an online self-report survey. We found that a large proportion did report difficulties with sexual communication or a wish to improve such communication. We also found that sociodemographic factors predicted each facet (self-disclosure, frequency of communication, and quality of communication) of sexual communication as a set, but that the strongest predictors were sexual frequency and dissatisfaction with the low frequency of sex. Lastly, each facet of sexual communication was associated with higher levels of sexual, relationship, and life satisfaction. Across results, we generally found little cross-country variation.
Revisiting a Sixteenth-Century ‘Erotic’ Poem Wrongly Ascribed to Elizabeth Dacre
Authors: Ouwerkerk Aron L.
Published: July 2024

This article puts on trial the assumed authorship of a sixteenth-century manuscript poem reminiscent of Ovid’s Heroides, currently ascribed to Lady Elizabeth Dacre. After establishing a revised edition of the text, it provides arguments based on historical, material, literary and textual analyses of the source, strongly indicating the unlikeliness of its supposed attribution to this English noblewoman. The arguments suggest that, while Dacre was probably the scribe of the manuscript, the author of the text was most likely her husband, Sir Thomas Dacre. This outcome is used as an example evincing the fundamental importance of usable and informative text editions for historians and literary scholars alike, increasingly calling for close collaboration across disciplines, as well as a renewed appreciation of textual editing.
Ecosystem Carbon and Nutrient Balances in Short-Rotation Hybrid Aspen Coppice Under Different Thinning Methods
Authors: Lutter Reimo , Hepner Heiki , Tullus Arvo , Lim Hyungwoo , Tullus Tea , Õunapuu-Pikas Eele , Sopp Reeno , Kaivapalu Marju , Täll Kristjan , Ots Katri , Tullus Hardi
Published: July 2024

Coppice plantations have gained a high interest for biofuel production and carbon uptake in short rotation cycles. There is a limited knowledge how such intensive coppice management affects soil fertility and nutrients supply to maintain carbon sink. We studied ecosystem carbon and nutrients balance and allocation during a 5-year period in hybrid aspen coppice under different thinning methods in hemiboreal Estonia. The benchmark value for the changes was defined before the coppice emerged after the clear-cut of the previously planted hybrid aspen plantation. The studied systematical thinning treatments were as follows: corridor thinning with removal of 67% of the trees (CT), cross-corridor thinning with removal of 89% of the trees (CCT), and unthinned (UT) coppice. The UT and CT treatments resulted in a positive carbon balance at the ecosystem level. In all treatments, a decrease of soil acidity, organic C, total N, K, Mg and Mn contents, and an increase of soil Cu and B contents were observed in the 0–20-cm deep layer. The concentrations of leaf N, P, and K were higher in UT than in the two thinning treatments, indicating that the aspens had not entirely recovered from the changed root to shoot ratio 2 years after thinning, whereas the leaf mass fraction of medium- and small-sized trees had already increased. Bioenergy harvest from the UT site in a 5-year rotation would cause 5–18% removal of NPK from the total ecosystem pool. Overall, hybrid aspen coppice showed positive ecosystem carbon balance after the first 5-year period; however, further monitoring of soil properties is needed as we found decrease of soil organic C and nutrients concentrations in short term.

Graphical Abstract
Dynamics of peripheral T cell exhaustion and monocyte subpopulations in neurocognitive impairment and brain atrophy in chronic HIV infection
Authors: Mitchell Brooks I. , Yazel Eiser Isabelle E. , Kallianpur Kalpana J. , Gangcuangco Louie Mar , Chow Dominic C. , Ndhlovu Lishomwa C. , Paul Robert , Shikuma Cecilia M.
Published: July 2024

Background

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) is hypothesized to be a result of myeloid cell-induced neuro-inflammation in the central nervous system that may be initiated in the periphery, but the contribution of peripheral T cells in HAND pathogenesis remains poorly understood.

Methods

We assessed markers of T cell activation (HLA-DR + CD38+), immunosenescence (CD57 + CD28-), and immune-exhaustion (TIM-3, PD-1 and TIGIT) as well as monocyte subsets (classical, intermediate, and non-classical) by flow cytometry in peripheral blood derived from individuals with HIV on long-term stable anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Additionally, normalized neuropsychological (NP) composite test z-scores were obtained and regional brain volumes were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Relationships between proportions of immune phenotypes (of T-cells and monocytes), NP z-scores, and brain volumes were analyzed using Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression models.

Results

Of N = 51 participants, 84.3% were male, 86.3% had undetectable HIV RNA < 50 copies/ml, median age was 52 [47, 57] years and median CD4 T cell count was 479 [376, 717] cells/uL. Higher CD4 T cells expressing PD-1 + and/or TIM-3 + were associated with lower executive function and working memory and higher CD8 T cells expressing PD-1+ and/or TIM-3+ were associated with reduced brain volumes in multiple regions (putamen, nucleus accumbens, cerebellar cortex, and subcortical gray matter). Furthermore, higher single or dual frequencies of PD-1 + and TIM-3 + expressing CD4 and CD8 T-cells correlated with higher CD16 + monocyte numbers.

Conclusions

This study reinforces evidence that T cells, particularly those with immune exhaustion phenotypes, are associated with neurocognitive impairment and brain atrophy in people living with HIV on ART. Relationships revealed between T-cell immune exhaustion and inflammatory in CD16+ monocytes uncover interrelated cellular processes likely involved in the immunopathogenesis of HAND.
Topological properties of fractals via M-polynomial
Authors: Ishfaq Faiza , Nadeem Muhammad Faisal
Published: July 2024

Sierpiński graphs are frequently related to fractals, and fractals apply in several fields of science, i.e., in chemical graph theory, computer networking, biology, and physical sciences. Functions and polynomials are powerful tools in computer mathematics for predicting the features of networks. Topological descriptors, frequently graph constraints, are absolute values that characterize the topology of a computer network. In this essay, Firstly, we compute the M-polynomials for Sierpiński-type fractals. We derive some degree-dependent topological invariants after applying algebraic operations on these M-polynomials.
Evaluating Vulnerability of Supply Chain Networks to Capacity Reduction
Authors: Zarghami Seyed Ashkan , Dumrak Jantanee
Published: July 2024

The available studies on vulnerability evaluation of Supply Chain Networks (SCNs) oversimplify the availability of entities during disruptive events by classifying them into only two categories of “operational” and “not operational.” Yet, the literature has remained relatively silent on vulnerability analysis of SCNs in the case of capacity reduction. To sidestep this shortcoming, this paper develops an entropy-based method to quantify the vulnerability of SCNs to capacity reduction. This is achieved by measuring the flexibility inherent within the layout of SCNs, both at local and global levels. By performing simulation and sensitivity analyses, this paper predicts the impact of capacity reductions on the performance of SCNs. The results of our study favor the fact that incorporating more backups and increasing the capacity of various entities in the network reduces vulnerability and enhances the robustness of SCNs. The findings of this research may assist operations and supply chain managers in identifying the sensitive areas of SCNs, in turn facilitating the development of an effective risk management strategy to respond to disruptive events.
Digital Transformation and Flexible Performance Management: A Systematic Literature Review of the Evolution of Performance Measurement Systems
Authors: Cosa Marcello , Torelli Riccardo
Published: July 2024

In the era of digital transformation, businesses must innovate and adapt to sustain a competitive edge. This dynamic environment compels a reevaluation of traditional management practices, highlighting the need for highly flexible systems. Flexibility, defined as the ability to adapt organizational resources, processes, and strategies in response to environmental changes such as rapid technological advancements, is crucial. Our systematic review of 47 studies investigates how digital transformation influences performance measurement systems across various industries and global contexts. We found that digital transformation fosters the dynamism and adaptability of these systems. This study integrates strategic, organizational, and information systems flexibility concepts that are essential for effective adaptation and resilience. Our findings underscore the shifts towards decision-making agility, inclusivity, and sustainability, stressing the significant role of human resources in adapting to digital imperatives. We advocate for a comprehensive approach that fosters digital literacy, upholds ethical standards, promotes continuous skill development, and enhances strategic adaptability. Practical implications suggest integrating digital technologies into performance strategies, utilizing real-time metrics for agile decision-making and emphasizing ethical and sustainable practices to improve transparency and stakeholder trust. These strategies are crucial for optimizing performance in the digital age.
Universal distances for extended persistence
Authors: Bauer Ulrich , Botnan Magnus Bakke , Fluhr Benedikt
Published: July 2024

The extended persistence diagram is an invariant of piecewise linear functions, which is known to be stable under perturbations of functions with respect to the bottleneck distance as introduced by Cohen–Steiner, Edelsbrunner, and Harer. We address the question of universality, which asks for the largest possible stable distance on extended persistence diagrams, showing that a more discriminative variant of the bottleneck distance is universal. Our result applies more generally to settings where persistence diagrams are considered only up to a certain degree. We achieve our results by establishing a functorial construction and several characteristic properties of relative interlevel set homology, which mirror the classical Eilenberg–Steenrod axioms. Finally, we contrast the bottleneck distance with the interleaving distance of sheaves on the real line by showing that the latter is not intrinsic, let alone universal. This particular result has the further implication that the interleaving distance of Reeb graphs is not intrinsic either.
Dynamic factor models for claim reserving
Authors: Nomura Shunichi , Matsumori Yoshihiro
Published: July 2024

This study presents a new approach to claim reserving in the insurance industry using dynamic factor models (DFMs). Traditional methods often struggle to adapt to temporal variations in loss development, a gap that DFMs can effectively address. By employing DFMs on a multivariate time series of loss development factors (LDFs), we offer a more sensitive adaptation and understanding of loss development over time. Our methodology not only facilitates adjustment to trends in loss development but also provides clear explanations for the underlying reasons behind these trends. This aspect is crucial for actuaries, whose responsibilities include offering transparent and understandable reserve estimates. We apply the proposed DFMs to datasets from two different lines of business, demonstrating their ability to capture the temporal evolution of factors influencing loss development. The results indicate that our approach enhances fitting ability and provides deep insights into the dynamics of claim reserving. Furthermore, we assess the uncertainty in the ultimate loss amounts required for risk management to ensure financial stability and compliance with insurance regulatory requirements. This study contributes to the field of actuarial science by highlighting the potential of DFMs in enhancing the accuracy and reliability of claim reserving processes.
Memory Retrieval in Online Sentence Parsing: Empirical Evidence, Computational Modelling, and Simulations
Authors: Fujita Hiroki
Published: July 2024

This paper reports two experiments (Experiments 1 and 2) and computational simulations designed to investigate and model memory retrieval processes during real-time sentence processing. Central to this study is the hypothesis that linguistic information serves as a cue to retrieve target representations from memory during dependency formation. The basis for this cue-based memory retrieval stems from research showing that non-target representations that match a set of retrieval cues interfere with target retrieval. The susceptibility to this similarity-based interference has been debated in the sentence processing literature, and various hypotheses and models have been formulated and developed. This issue is addressed empirically in Experiments 1 and 2, which investigated similarity-based interference in sentences with a floating quantifier. Bayesian linear mixed models and Bayes factor analyses suggested similarity-based interference. However, the patterns of interference were not consistent with existing theories and models. To reconcile these findings within the framework of cue-based memory retrieval, this paper implements the Revision Integrated Cue-Based (RICB) model based on the ACT–R architecture. This model assumes that structural information is heavily weighted and incorporates the notions of initial retrieval and revision. The results of the simulations indicate that the RICB model successfully predicts the observed data, highlighting the central role of structural information and revision in memory retrieval during real-time sentence processing.
Numerical benchmark for road bridge damage detection from passing vehicles responses applied to four data-driven methods
Authors: Cantero Daniel , Sarwar Zohaib , Malekjafarian Abdollah , Corbally Robert , Alamdari Mehrisadat Makki , Cheema Prasad , Aggarwal Jatin , Noh Hae Young , Liu Jingxiao
Published: July 2024

Drive-by bridge monitoring utilizes measured responses from passing vehicles to perform damage detection of bridge, a methodology challenged by multiple factors and operational conditions. Recently, data-driven methods have been used to improve the accuracy of drive-by monitoring. This thriving research field requires (but lacks) publicly available datasets to improve and validate its monitoring and damage detection capabilities. To foster data-driven drive-by bridge damage assessment methods, this document presents an openly available dataset consisting of numerically simulated vehicle responses crossing a range of bridge spans with various damage conditions. The dataset includes results for different monitoring scenarios, road profile conditions, vehicle models, vehicle mechanical properties and speeds. The intention is to provide a useful resource to the research community that serves as a reference set of results for testing and benchmarking new developments in the field. In addition, four recently published data-driven drive-by methods have been tested using the same dataset.
A rare case report of the Cowden syndrome
Authors: Mahiboob Sayyed , Gupta Rajesh
Published: July 2024

Cowden syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis caused by a heterozygous germline mutation in the PTEN gene, found in nearly 80% of cases. It is characterized by multiple benign hamartomas which manifest across various organs. This condition is further distinguished by its association with macrocephaly, facial trichilemmomas, acral keratoses, papillomatous papules, and a heightened susceptibility to certain malignant neoplasms, particularly affecting the thyroid, endometrium, and the breast (OMIM no. 58350).

In this report, we detail the case of an Indian patient presenting with macrocephaly and multiple blackish pigmented areas on the face, alongside several small papules on the dorsum of the hands, and the presence of gastric and duodenal polyps, among other symptoms. Genetic analysis through Sanger sequencing of the PTEN gene revealed a heterozygous nonsense pathogenic variant (ENST00000371953.8: c.388C > T, p.Arg130Ter), thereby confirming a CS diagnosis. The report encompasses a comprehensive review of the existing literature, emphasizing the significance of genetic evaluation and discussing the intricacies of managing patients diagnosed with CS.
Quality, Replicability, and Transparency in Research in Social Psychology
Authors: Glöckner Andreas , Gollwitzer Mario , Hahn Lena , Lange Jens , Sassenberg Kai , Unkelbach Christian
Published: July 2024

Abstract: In 2020, the Division of Social Psychology of the German Psychological Society (DGPs) published 11 methodological recommendations for improving the quality, replicability, and transparency of social psychological research. We evaluate these recommendations in a quantitative and qualitative survey conducted with members of the division ( N = 54). Most – but not all – recommendations are well-known and understood by these members of the division. For 73% of the recommendations, researchers indicated that they tend to apply them in their research. Perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictor of adherence and was generally high (82%). In the open comments, challenges and suggestions for improvement were expressed. Overall, the implementation of the recommendations progresses and respective norms emerge, but substantial challenges remain to be solved requiring collective efforts.
Optimal Baseflow Separation Through Chemical Mass Balance: Comparing the Usages of Two Tracers, Two Concentration Estimation Methods, and Four Baseflow Filters
Authors: Mei Yiwen , Wang Dagang , Zhu Jinxin , Tang Guoping , Cai Chenkai , Shen Xinyi , Hong Yi , Zhang Xinxuan
Published: July 2024

Optimizing empirical baseflow filters using environmental tracers (e.g., specific electrical conductance (SEC), turbidity) is an effective and efficient way to quantify the contribution of baseflow to total flow. To execute this baseflow separation, three key components are needed: The tracer, the method to estimate tracer concentration in different flow components, and the empirical baseflow filter. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the various combinations of these components, especially with a large sample of catchments, is currently lacking in the literature. Therefore, our study assembles 16 hybrid baseflow filters from two tracers, two concentration estimation methods, and four empirical baseflow filters, and evaluated their performance in baseflow separation and producing two long‐term baseflow signatures for 1,100 catchments in the Contiguous United States. Our results suggest that SEC is a superior tracer to turbidity for baseflow separation. Additionally, using monthly maximum and minimum values to represent tracer concentration in flow components produces better separation than using a power function relationship between flow rate and concentration. The four empirical baseflow filters offer a similar level of performance, regardless of the other options used. Yet, some of these filters produce inconsistent results in calculating the baseflow signatures for the catchments. Our analysis shed light on the optimization of hybrid baseflow filters for the accurate quantification of baseflow contribution.
First-trimester hemoglobin, haptoglobin genotype, and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in a retrospective study among Chinese pregnant women
Authors: Li Yue , Wang Fang , Huang Xinmei , Zong Shuhang , Shen Yi , Guo Lina , Cai Qiongyi , Sun Tiange , Zhang Rui , Yu Zhiyan , Zhang Liwen , Zang Shufei , Liu Jun
Published: July 2024

Background

This study aimed to assess whether the Haptoglobin (Hp) genotype influences the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) levels and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Additionally, it sought to evaluate the interaction and joint association of Hb levels and Hp genotype with GDM risk.

Methods

This retrospective study involved 358 women with GDM and 1324 women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Peripheral blood leukocytes were collected from 360 individuals at 14–16 weeks’ gestation for Hp genotyping. GDM was diagnosed between 24–28 weeks’ gestation. Interactive moderating effect, joint analysis, and mediation analysis were performed to evaluate the crosslink of Hb levels and Hp genotype with GDM risk.

Results

Women who developed GDM had significantly higher Hb levels throughout pregnancy compared to those with NGT. Increase first-trimester Hb concentration was associated with a progressive rise in GDM incidence, glucose levels, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) values, cesarean delivery rates, and composite neonatal outcomes. Spline regression showed a significant linear association of GDM incidence with continuous first-trimester Hb level when the latter exceeded 122 g/L. Increased first-trimester Hb concentration was an independent risk factor for GDM development after adjusting for potential confounding factors in both the overall population and a matched case-control group. The Hp2–2 genotype was more prevalent among pregnant women with GDM when first-trimester Hb exceeded 122 g/L. Significant multiplicative and additive interactions were identified between Hb levels and Hp genotype for GDM risk, adjusted for age and pre-pregnancy BMI. The odds ratio (OR) for GDM development increased incrementally when stratified by Hb levels and Hp genotype. Moreover, first-trimester Hb level partially mediated the association between Hp genotype and GDM risk.

Conclusion

Increased first-trimester Hb levels were closely associated with the development of GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes, with this association moderated by the Hp2–2 genotype.
Development of graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots-based oxygen self-sufficient platforms for enhanced corneal crosslinking
Authors: Yang Mei , Chen Tingting , Chen Xin , Pan Hongxian , Zhao Guoli , Chen Zhongxing , Zhao Nan , Ye Qianfang , Chen Ming , Zhang Shenrong , Gao Rongrong , Meek Keith M. , Hayes Sally , Ma Xiaowei , Li Xin , Wu Yue , Zhang Yiming , Kong Na , Tao Wei , Zhou Xingtao , Huang Jinhai
Published: July 2024

Keratoconus, a disorder characterized by corneal thinning and weakening, results in vision loss. Corneal crosslinking (CXL) can halt the progression of keratoconus. The development of accelerated corneal crosslinking (A-CXL) protocols to shorten the treatment time has been hampered by the rapid depletion of stromal oxygen when higher UVA intensities are used, resulting in a reduced cross-linking effect. It is therefore imperative to develop better methods to increase the oxygen concentration within the corneal stroma during the A-CXL process. Photocatalytic oxygen-generating nanomaterials are promising candidates to solve the hypoxia problem during A-CXL. Biocompatible graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) quantum dots (QDs)-based oxygen self-sufficient platforms including g-C3N4QDs and riboflavin/g-C3N4QDs composites (RF@g-C3N4QDs) have been developed in this study. Both display excellent photocatalytic oxygen generation ability, high reactive oxygen species (ROS) yield, and excellent biosafety. More importantly, the A-CXL effect of the g-C3N4QDs or RF@g-C3N4QDs composite on male New Zealand white rabbits is better than that of the riboflavin 5’-phosphate sodium (RF) A-CXL protocol under the same conditions, indicating excellent strengthening of the cornea after A-CXL treatments. These lead us to suggest the potential application of g-C3N4QDs in A-CXL for corneal ectasias and other corneal diseases.
Giant nonlinear Hall and wireless rectification effects at room temperature in the elemental semiconductor tellurium
Authors: Cheng Bin , Gao Yang , Zheng Zhi , Chen Shuhang , Liu Zheng , Zhang Ling , Zhu Qi , Li Hui , Li Lin , Zeng Changgan
Published: July 2024

The second-order nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE) in non-centrosymmetric materials has recently drawn intense interest, since its inherent rectification could enable various device applications such as energy harvesting and wireless charging. However, previously reported NLHE systems normally suffer from relatively small Hall voltage outputs and/or low working temperatures. In this study, we report the observation of a pronounced NLHE in tellurium (Te) thin flakes at room temperature. Benefiting from the semiconductor nature of Te, the obtained nonlinear response can be readily enhanced through electrostatic gating, leading to a second-harmonic output at 300 K up to 2.8 mV. By utilizing such a giant NLHE, we further demonstrate the potential of Te as a wireless Hall rectifier within the radiofrequency range, which is manifested by the remarkable and tunable rectification effect also at room temperature. Extrinsic scattering is then revealed to be the dominant mechanism for the NLHE in Te, with symmetry breaking on the surface playing a key role. As a simple elemental semiconductor, Te provides an appealing platform to advance our understanding of nonlinear transport in solids and to develop NLHE-based electronic devices.
Microscale geometrical modulation of PIEZO1 mediated mechanosensing through cytoskeletal redistribution
Authors: Wang Haoqing Jerry , Wang Yao , Mirjavadi Seyed Sajad , Andersen Tomas , Moldovan Laura , Vatankhah Parham , Russell Blake , Jin Jasmine , Zhou Zijing , Li Qing , Cox Charles D. , Su Qian Peter , Ju Lining Arnold
Published: July 2024

The microgeometry of the cellular microenvironment profoundly impacts cellular behaviors, yet the link between it and the ubiquitously expressed mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 remains unclear. Herein, we describe a fluorescent micropipette aspiration assay that allows for simultaneous visualization of intracellular calcium dynamics and cytoskeletal architecture in real-time, under varied micropipette geometries. By integrating elastic shell finite element analysis with fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy and employing PIEZO1-specific transgenic red blood cells and HEK cell lines, we demonstrate a direct correlation between the microscale geometry of aspiration and PIEZO1-mediated calcium signaling. We reveal that increased micropipette tip angles and physical constrictions lead to a significant reorganization of F-actin, accumulation at the aspirated cell neck, and subsequently amplify the tension stress at the dome of the cell to induce more PIEZO1’s activity. Disruption of the F-actin network or inhibition of its mobility leads to a notable decline in PIEZO1 mediated calcium influx, underscoring its critical role in cellular mechanosensing amidst geometrical constraints.
A unified European hydrogen infrastructure planning to support the rapid scale-up of hydrogen production
Authors: Kountouris Ioannis , Bramstoft Rasmus , Madsen Theis , Gea-Bermúdez Juan , Münster Marie , Keles Dogan
Published: July 2024

Hydrogen will become a key player in transitioning toward a net-zero energy system. However, a clear pathway toward a unified European hydrogen infrastructure to support the rapid scale-up of hydrogen production is still under discussion. This study explores plausible pathways using a fully sector-coupled energy system model. Here, we assess the emergence of hydrogen infrastructure build-outs connecting neighboring European nations through hydrogen import and domestic production centers with Western and Central European demands via four distinct hydrogen corridors. We identify a potential lock-in effect of blue hydrogen in the medium term, highlighting the risk of long-term dependence on methane. In contrast, we show that a self-sufficient Europe relying on domestic green hydrogen by 2050 would increase yearly expenses by around 3% and require 518 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity. This study emphasizes the importance of rapidly scaling up electrolysis capacity, building hydrogen networks and storage facilities, deploying renewable electricity generation, and ensuring coherent coordination across European nations.
Increased mean diffusivity of the caudal motor SNc identifies patients with REM sleep behaviour disorder and Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Alushaj Erind , Hemachandra Dimuthu , Ganjavi Hooman , Seergobin Ken N. , Sharma Manas , Kashgari Alia , Barr Jennifer , Reisman William , Khan Ali R. , MacDonald Penny A.
Published: July 2024

Idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD)—a Parkinson’s disease (PD) prodrome—might exhibit neural changes similar to those in PD. Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) degeneration underlies motor symptoms of PD. In iRBD and early PD (ePD), we measured diffusion MRI (dMRI) in the caudal motor SNc, which overlaps the nigrosome-1—the earliest-degenerating dopaminergic neurons in PD—and in the striatum. Nineteen iRBD, 26 ePD (1.7 ± 0.03 years), and 46 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were scanned at Western University, and 47 iRBD, 115 ePD (0.9 ± 0.01 years), and 56 HCs were scanned through the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, using 3T MRI. We segmented the SNc and striatum into subregions using automated probabilistic tractography to the cortex. We measured mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) along white-matter bundles and subregional surfaces. We performed group-level and classification analyses. Increased caudal motor SNc surface MD was the only iRBD-HCs and ePD-HCs difference replicating across datasets (padj < 0.05). No iRBD-ePD differences emerged. Caudal motor SNc surface MD classified patient groups from HCs at the single-subject level with good-to-excellent balanced accuracy in an independent sample (0.91 iRBD and 0.86 iRBD and ePD combined), compared to fair performance for total SNc surface MD (0.72 iRBD and ePD). Caudal motor SNc surface MD correlated significantly with MDS-UPDRS-III scores in ePD patients. Using dMRI and automated segmentation, we detected changes suggesting altered microstructural integrity in iRBD and ePD in the nigrostriatal subregion known to degenerate first in PD. Surface MD of the caudal motor SNc presents a potential measure for inclusion in neuroimaging biomarkers of iRBD and PD.