bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding differences of the OA uptake within the German University landscape (2010–2020): Part 2—repository-provided OA
Authors: Taubert Niels , Hobert Anne , Jahn Najko , Bruns Andre , Iravani Elham
Published: April 2024

This article is the second part of the investigation of the determinants for the uptake of Open Access (OA). While the first part focusses on journal-based OA (hybrid and full OA) (Taubert et al. in Scientometrics 128(6):3601–3625, 2023), the article at hand investigates the determinants for the uptake of institutional and subject repository OA in the university landscape of Germany. Both articles consider three types of factors: the disciplinary profile of universities, their OA infrastructures and services and large transformative agreements The article also apply a conjoint methodological design: the uptake of OA as well as the determinants are measured by combining several data sources (incl. Web of Science, Unpaywall, an authority file of standardised German affiliation information, the ISSN-Gold-OA 4.0 list, and lists of publications covered by transformative agreements). For universities’ OA infrastructures and services, a structured data collection was created by harvesting different sources of information and by manual online search. To determine the explanatory power of the different factors, a series of regression analyses was performed for different periods and for both institutional as well as subject repository OA. Given that both articles derive from the same project, there is a thematical overlap in the methods and data section. As a result of the regression analyses, the most determining factor for the explanation of differences in the uptake of both repository OA-types turned out to be the disciplinary profile, whereas all variables that capture local infrastructural support and services for OA turned out to be non-significant. The outcome of the regression analyses is contextualised by an interview study conducted with 20 OA officers of German universities. The contextualisation provides hints that the original function of institutional repositories, offering a channel for secondary publishing is vanishing, while a new function of aggregation of metadata and full texts is becoming of increasing importance.
Anatomy’s role in mechanistic explanations of organism behaviour
Authors: Dewey Aliya R.
Published: April 2024

Explanations in behavioural neuroscience are often said to be mechanistic in the sense that they explain an organism’s behaviour by describing the activities and organisation of the organism’s parts that are “constitutively relevant” to organism behaviour. Much has been said about the constitutive relevance of working parts (in debates about the so-called “mutual manipulability criterion”), but relatively little has been said about the constitutive relevance of the organising relations between working parts. Some New Mechanists seem to endorse a simple causal-linking account: organising relations are constitutively relevant to organism behaviour if and only if (and because) they are causal relations that link the working parts that are constitutively relevant to organism behaviour. In this paper, I argue that the causal-linking account is inadequate because it neglects the constitutive relevance of anatomical relations that organise the working parts of a behaving organism. I demonstrate this by considering a case study where the anatomical organisation of the barn owl (Tyto alba) is constitutively relevant to their mechanism for sound localization. The anatomical organisation of this mechanism is best understood as the back-and-forth flow of task information across 7 “levels of anatomy” (a notion that I distinguish from levels of mechanism). A further implication, I conclude, is that at least some of the interlevel structure of neuroscientific explanation is accounted for by levels of anatomy, not levels of mechanism.
Reports of Pennellidae Burmeister, 1835 (Copepoda: Siphonostomatoida) post metamorphosed females off the coast of southern Africa
Authors: Sebone Makwena M. , Dippenaar Susan M.
Published: April 2024

Seven species belonging to Pennellidae are reported from marine teleosts caught off southern Africa. Additionally, complete re-descriptions are provided for Propeniculus stromatei and Sarcotretes scopeli. Examination of Lernaeenicus gonostomae, deposited in the Iziko South African Museum, indicated that it has the morphological features of Sarcotretes rather than Lernaeenicus and thus should be moved to Sarcotretes i.e. S. gonostomaen. comb. for which a re-description is also provided. Reports of new host records include those of Pennella instructa from Seriola lalandi; Propeniculus stromatei from Rhabdosargus holubi and Pomadasys commersonnii; Sarcotretes scopeli from Nansenia tenera, and Sarcotretes longirostris from Centrolophus niger. New geographical records include those of P. instructa, P. stromatei, S. scopeli, S. longirostris, and L. longiventris off southern Africa. Additionally, an attempt to estimate the evolutionary relationships amongst some genera is done from partial COI sequences deposited in Genbank.
Principal component analysis of phenotypic and breeding value data for semen traits in Egyptian buffalo bulls
Authors: Amin Amin M S , Salem Mohamed M I , Ashour Ayman F , EL Nagar Ayman G
Published: April 2024

Buffalo bull semen traits are economically important traits that influence farm fertility and profitability. Genetic improvement of semen characteristics is an important detail of the genetic improvement. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between the breeding values as well as the phenotypic values for semen traits (VOL, MM, LS, AS and CONC) of the Egyptian buffalo bulls. A total of 7761 normal semen ejaculates were collected and characterized at ILMTC laboratory from 26 bulls from 2009 to 2019. For VOL, MM, LS, AS, and CONC, the actual means were 3.89 mL, 62.37%, 60.64%, 3.94%, and 0.67 × 109 sperm/mL, respectively. The prediction of breeding values for semen traits was estimated using a Bayesian procedure. The estimated standardized EBVs and phenotypic values were used in the principal component analysis (PCA). Of five PCs, one PC (PC1) had > 1 eigenvalues that was responsible for 87.19% of the total variation of SEBV, and two PCs had > 1 eigenvalues that were responsible for 59.61% and 21.35% of the total variation of the phenotypic values. Together, PC1 and PC2 accounted for 97.97% of the total variance of SEBV and 80.96% of the total variance of phenotypic values. A graphs of the first two components showed the traits separated into two different directions by group. This indicates each group was under similar genetic influence. Therefore, selection can be done separately for each group without influencing the other. Principal component analysis reduced variables to describe the key information in buffalo semen data.
Recent progresses in analytical method development for 210Pb in environmental and biological samples
Authors: Ren Hong , Gong Xinyu , Zhou Lei , Wang Peng , Cao Yiyao
Published: April 2024

As a decay product of uranium series, 210Pb spreads widely in the nature and imposes strong radiological and chemical toxicity. It is vital to establish reliable and efficient radioanalytical methods for 210Pb determination to support environment and food radioactivity monitoring programs. This article critically reviews analytical methods developed for determining 210Pb in environmental and biological samples, especially new development in recent years. Techniques applied throughout different analytical steps including sample pretreatment, separation, purification, and detection are summarized and their pros and cons are discussed to provide a holistic overview for 210Pb environmental and biological assay.
Körperliches Erinnern im Krisenmodus. Pandemiebedingte Veränderungen im Selbst- und Weltverhältnis junger Erwachsener
Authors: Haag Hanna , Oswald Sascha
Published: April 2024

Der Beitrag geht der Frage nach, wie sich die COVID-19-Pandemie auf Körperpraktiken des Alltags und damit auch auf das Welt- und Selbstverhältnis junger Menschen auswirkt. Dabei steht implizites, in Alltagshandlungen eingespeistes Körperwissen im Zentrum der Betrachtung. Ausgangspunkt ist die Beobachtung, dass die Pandemie als Krisenerfahrung zu einem Konflikt im Prozess des Erinnerns als gegeben vorausgesetzter Praktiken führt. Wir gehen davon aus, dass die Pandemie das non-deklarative Gedächtnis mit Passungsdefiziten konfrontiert und somit zur Explikation und Reflexion des Gewohnten als „taken for granted“ im Erinnerungsprozess führt. Erinnert wird ein Soll-Zustand im Abgleich mit dem gegenwärtig-situativen Ist-Zustand, der leiblich-affektiv bzw. atmosphärisch als Bruch oder Entfremdung erfahren wird. Zentral sind dabei sowohl der individuelle, erinnernde Leib als auch die kollektiv-praktische „Verstrickung von Körpern“. Mit theoretischen Bezügen zur exzentrischen Positionalität (Plessner 1982), zur Resonanztheorie (Rosa 2016) und zur neuen Phänomenologie (Schmitz 1965) gehen wir anhand unseres empirischen Materials aus zwei explorativen Studien (Frankfurt am Main, Hildesheim) darauf ein, inwiefern das, was vormals als kollektiv geteilte Norm und Normalität galt, auch körperlich-performativ hinterfragt und im Prozess des Erinnerns neu ausgehandelt werden muss. Narrative wie „die Stunde Null“ bilden semantisch eine Auseinandersetzung mit der konflikt- und problemhaft gewordenen Alltagsrealität ab, in der Körperlichkeit eine kollektive Irritation erfährt – nicht nur im „Denken wie üblich“, sondern auch im „Sein wie üblich“ (Schütz 1971).
Restrictive Lipschitz continuity, basis property of a real sequence, and fixed-point principle in metrically convex spaces
Authors: Matkowski Janusz
Published: April 2024

A mapping T of a metric space $$\left( X,d\right) $$

X
,
d

into a metric space $$ \left( Y,\rho \right) $$

Y
,
ρ

is called restrictive Lipschitz if there exist: a positive decreasing to zero sequence $$\left( t_{n}:n\in \mathbb {N} \right) $$

t
n

:
n
∈
N

and a nonnegative sequence $$\left( L_{n}:n\in \mathbb {N}\right) ,$$

L
n

:
n
∈
N

,

with $$L:=\liminf _{n\rightarrow \infty }L_{n}<\infty ,$$

L
:
=

lim inf

n
→
∞

L
n

<
∞
,

such that for all $$ x,y\in X,$$

x
,
y
∈
X
,

$$n\in \mathbb {N}$$

n
∈
N

$$\begin{aligned} d\left( x,y\right) =t_{n}\Longrightarrow \rho \left( Tx,Ty\right) \le L_{n}t_{n}\text {.} \end{aligned}$$

d

x
,
y

=

t
n

⟹
ρ

T
x
,
T
y

≤

L
n

t
n

.

Using a basis property of the sequence $$\left( t_{n}:n\in \mathbb {N}\right) $$

t
n

:
n
∈
N

(Lemma 1), we prove that if T is a continuous and restrictive Lipschitz mapping of a complete metrically convex space $$\left( X,d\right) $$

X
,
d

into a metric space $$\left( Y,\rho \right) ,$$

Y
,
ρ

,

then T is Lipschitz continuous with the constant L,  that is $$\begin{aligned} \rho \left( Tx,Ty\right) \le Ld\left( x,y\right) , \quad x,y\in X, \end{aligned}$$

ρ

T
x
,
T
y

≤
L
d

x
,
y

,

x
,
y
∈
X
,

and, in the case when the set $$\left\{ n\in \mathbb {N}:L_{n}<L\right\} $$

n
∈
N
:

L
n

<
L

is infinite, even essentially more, namely $$\begin{aligned} \rho \left( Tx,Ty\right) \le L\alpha \left( d\left( x,y\right) \right) , \quad x,y\in X, \end{aligned}$$

ρ

T
x
,
T
y

≤
L
α

d

x
,
y

,

x
,
y
∈
X
,

where the function $$\alpha :\left[ 0,\infty \right) \rightarrow \left[ 0,\infty \right) $$

α
:

0
,
∞

→

0
,
∞

is continuous, increasing, concave (so subadditive) and such that $$\alpha \left( t\right) <t$$

α

t

<
t

for all $$t>0$$

t
>
0

. This result leads to the following fixed-point principle: Every continuous selfmapping T of a nonempty metrically convex complete metric space $$ \left( X,d\right) $$

X
,
d

that is restrictive Lipschitz with a sequence $$\left( L_{n}:n\in \mathbb {N}\right) ,$$

L
n

:
n
∈
N

,

such that$$\ 0\,\le L_{n}<1\ (n\in \mathbb {N) }$$

0

≤

L
n

<
1

(
n
∈

N
)

and $$\liminf _{n\rightarrow \infty }L_{n}\le 1,$$

lim inf

n
→
∞

L
n

≤
1
,

has a unique fixed point, and either it is a Banach contraction, or there is an increasing concave function $$\alpha :\left[ 0,\infty \right) \rightarrow \left[ 0,\infty \right) $$

α
:

0
,
∞

→

0
,
∞

, such that $$\alpha \left( t\right) <t$$

α

t

<
t

for $$t>0$$

t
>
0

and $$\begin{aligned} d\left( Tx,Ty\right) \le \alpha \left( d\left( x,y\right) \right) , \quad x,y\in X. \end{aligned}$$

d

T
x
,
T
y

≤
α

d

x
,
y

,

x
,
y
∈
X
.

Some applications of these results to the theory of iterative functional equations are proposed.
Abrasive waterjet machining of titanium alloy using an integrated approach of taguchi-based passing vehicle search algorithm
Authors: Fuse Kishan , Vora Jay , Wakchaure Kiran , Patel Vivek K. , Chaudhari Rakesh , Saxena Kuldeep Kumar , Bandhu Din , Ramacharyulu D. Atchuta
Published: April 2024

The titanium alloy, Ti6Al4V, is a popularly used material in aerospace and medical applications due to its specific attributes, such as excellent strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to corrosion. Ti6Al4V is challenging to machine using conventional methods due to its poor thermal conductivity, which necessitates the use of unconventional machining methods like abrasive water jet machining (AWJM). In this work, AWJM was preferred for machining Ti6Al4V, considering three key process variables: nozzle traverse speed (Tv), abrasive flow rate (Af), and stand-off distance (Sd). The performance of the AWJM process was assessed using three main metrics: Material removal rate (MRR), Surface roughness (SR), and Kerf taper angle (θ), which were crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of the AWJM. Taguchi’s L9 array, a design of experiments method, was used to plan the experiments. The adequacy of the developed models was assessed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). ANOVA results have shown that Tv, Af, and Sd were found to have a significant effect on MRR, SR, θ with contributions of 73.15%, 49.72%, and 78.35% respectively. The Passing Vehicle Search algorithm was adopted to find the global optimal solution. Simultaneous optimization results using the PVS algorithm have shown the optimal MRR, SR, and θ values of 0.17 g/min, 3.28 μm, and 2.45, respectively, at Tv of 237 mm/min, Af of 450 g/min, and Sd of 2.0 mm. The optimization results with Pareto points will help to achieve desired outcomes by selecting appropriate input conditions.
N-acetylcysteine Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury Through Anti-ferroptosis in Type 1 Diabetic Mice
Authors: Zhou Dongcheng , Yang Yuhui , Chen Jiajia , Zhou Jiaqi , He Jianfeng , Liu Danyong , Zhang Anyuan , Yuan Bixian , Jiang Yuxin , Xia Weiyi , Han Ronghui , Xia Zhengyuan
Published: April 2024

The hearts of subjects with diabetes are vulnerable to ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). In contrast, experimentally rodent hearts have been shown to be more resistant to IRI at the very early stages of diabetes induction than the heart of the non-diabetic control mice, and the mechanism is largely unclear. Ferroptosis has recently been shown to play an important role in myocardial IRI including that in diabetes, while the specific mechanisms are still unclear. Non-diabetic control (NC) and streptozotocin-induced diabetic (DM) mice were treated with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in drinking water for 4 week starting at 1 week after diabetes induction. Mice were subjected to myocardial IRI induced by occluding the coronary artery for 30 min followed by 2 h of reperfusion, subsequently at 1, 2, and 5 week of diabetes induction. The post-ischemic myocardial infarct size in the DM mice was smaller than that in NC mice at 1 week of diabetes but greater than that in the NC mice at 2 and 5 week of diabetes, which were associated with a significant increase of ferroptosis at 2 and 5 week but a significant reduction of ferroptosis at 1 week of diabetes. NAC significantly attenuated post-ischemic ferroptosis as well as oxidative stress and reduced infarct size at 2 and 5 week of diabetes. Application of erastin, a ferroptosis inducer, reversed the cardioprotective effects of NAC. It is concluded that increased oxidative stress and ferroptosis are the major factors attributable to the increased vulnerability to myocardial IRI in diabetes and that attenuation of ferroptosis represents a major mechanism whereby NAC confers cardioprotection against myocardial IRI in diabetes.
Gate-controlled supercurrent effect in dry-etched Dayem bridges of non-centrosymmetric niobium rhenium
Authors: Koch Jennifer , Cirillo Carla , Battisti Sebastiano , Ruf Leon , Kakhaki Zahra Makhdoumi , Paghi Alessandro , Gulian Armen , Teknowijoyo Serafim , De Simoni Giorgio , Giazotto Francesco , Attanasio Carmine , Scheer Elke , Di Bernardo Angelo
Published: April 2024

The application of a gate voltage to control the superconducting current flowing through a nanoscale superconducting constriction, named as gate-controlled supercurrent (GCS), has raised great interest for fundamental and technological reasons. To gain a deeper understanding of this effect and develop superconducting technologies based on it, the material and physical parameters crucial for the GCS effect must be identified. Top-down fabrication protocols should also be optimized to increase device scalability, although studies suggest that top-down fabricated devices are more resilient to show a GCS. Here, we investigate gated superconducting nanobridges made with a top-down fabrication process from thin films of the non-centrosymmetric superconductor niobium rhenium with varying ratios of the constituents (NbRe). Unlike other devices previously reported and made with a top-down approach, our NbRe devices systematically exhibit a GCS effect when they were fabricated from NbRe thin films with small grain size and etched in specific conditions. These observations pave the way for the realization of top-down-made GCS devices with high scalability. Our results also imply that physical parameters like structural disorder and surface physical properties of the nanobridges, which can be in turn modified by the fabrication process, are crucial for a GCS observation, providing therefore also important insights into the physics underlying the GCS effect.
Partnering with Educators to Iteratively Co-create Tools to Support Teachers’ Use of Equity-Focused Positive Behavioral Supports
Authors: Owens Julie Sarno , Exner-Cortens Deinera , Cappella Elise , DeShazer Madeline , May Natalie , Seipp John , Claussen Caroline , Zieg Nicholas , Garcia Maria
Published: April 2024

In the Maximize Project, we are engaging in a research-practice partnership to co-create implementation strategies to facilitate elementary school teachers’ use of equity-focused positive behavior supports (EF-PBS). In this paper, we describe the processes used to build an interactive, technology-based platform to enhance teachers’ use of EF-PBS via self-reflection, self-assessment, goal setting, and goal review. We describe how we established a multi-disciplinary, multi-state community advisory board to collaborate on Version 1 of platform (Phase 1). We explain how we obtained quantitative and qualitative feedback about the platform from educators in three partnering schools, and how we used those data to produce Version 2 of the platform (Phase 2). Platform use data suggested high utilization in Quarter 1 (August–October) of the school year, when there was protected time to complete activities. However, platform use was moderate in Quarter 2 (October–December) and low in Quarters 3 and 4 (January–May). Educator feedback revealed moderate acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of the platform and highlighted ways to improve the user experience (e.g., streamlining steps in goal setting, making resources about strategy implementation easier to find). We discuss lessons learned to inform school mental health co-creation endeavors, including strategies for supporting diverse perspectives, for enhancing advisory board members’ voices and confidence, and for creating practical and feasible methods for teachers to benefit from co-created technology-based implementation strategies. Our processes offer guidance for others engaging in research-practice partnerships, developing education technologies and/or supporting teachers’ use of equity-focused practices to improve daily school experiences for all students.
“I Want to Send a Message to My Friend”: Exploring the Shift of Agency to Older Adults in HRI
Authors: Simão Hugo , Gonçalves David , Pires Ana C. , Abreu Lúcia , Bernardino Alexandre , Forlizzi Jodi , Guerreiro Tiago
Published: April 2024

Communication among some older adults is affected by cognitive and mobility impairments. This increases isolation, particularly for those residing in care homes, and leads to accelerated cognitive decline. Previous research has leveraged assistive robots to promote recreational routines and communication among older adults, with the robot leading the interaction. However, older adults could have more agency in the interaction, as robots could extend elders’ intentions and needs. Therefore, we explored an approach whereby the robot’s agency is shifted to the older adults who lead the interaction by commanding a robot’s actions using interactive physical blocks (tangible blocks). We conducted sessions with 22 care home dwellers where they could exchange messages and objects using the robot. Based on older adults’ observed behaviors during the sessions and perspectives gathered from interviews with geriatric professionals, we reflect on the opportunities and challenges for increased user agency and the asymmetries that emerged from differing abilities and personality traits. Our qualitative results highlight the potential of robotic approaches to extend the agency and communication of older adults, anchored on human values, such as the exchange of affection, collaboration, and competition.
Comparison of Three Viral Nucleic Acid
Preamplification Pipelines for Sewage Viral Metagenomics
Authors: Fernandez-Cassi Xavier , Kohn Tamar
Published: April 2024

Viral metagenomics is a useful tool for detecting multiple human viruses in
urban sewage. However, more refined protocols are required for its effective use in
disease surveillance. In this study, we investigated the performance of three different
preamplification pipelines (specific to RNA viruses, DNA viruses or both) for viral
genome sequencing using spiked-in Phosphate Buffered Saline and sewage samples
containing known concentrations of viruses. We found that compared to the pipeline
targeting all genome types, the RNA pipeline performed better in detecting RNA viruses
in both spiked and unspiked sewage samples, allowing the detection of various mammalian
viruses including members from the Reoviridae,
Picornaviridae, Astroviridae and Caliciviridae.
However, the DNA-specific pipeline did not improve the detection of mammalian DNA
viruses. We also measured viral recovery by quantitative reverse transcription
polymerase chain reaction and assessed the impact of genetic background (non-viral
genetic material) on viral coverage. Our results indicate that viral recoveries were
generally lower in sewage (average of 11.0%) and higher in Phosphate Buffered Saline
(average of 23.4%) for most viruses. Additionally, spiked-in viruses showed lower genome
coverage in sewage, demonstrating the negative effect of genetic background on
sequencing. Finally, correlation analysis revealed a relationship between virus
concentration and genome normalized reads per million, indicating that viral metagenomic
sequencing can be semiquantitative.

Graphical Abstract
The impact of Chinese rice support policies on rice acreages
Authors: Jin Yan , Gardebroek Cornelis , Heerink Nico
Published: April 2024

Declining arable land and yield stagnation pose serious challenges to food security in China. Since 2004, the Chinese government has introduced rice support policies to stimulate rice production. A bundle of incentives, including a minimum procurement price, were introduced. Whether they were effective? Rice acreages have increased since the start of this policy, which could also result from rising rice price levels both nationally and globally. Using a natural experiment created by the minimum procurement price policy being introduced in a selected set of Chinese regions, we use a dynamic fixed effects model to perform a difference-in-differences analysis on the effectiveness of these rice support policies. We find that indica rice acreages do respond to changes in the rice prices, and, controlling for rice prices, that China’s rice support policies were effective in increasing rice acreages of both early and late indica after 2004. The paper concludes with policy implications.
Blackening failure of poly-α-olefin impregnated porous polymide due to the splitting of lubrication oil catalyzed by iron
Authors: Shi Pengfei , Yin Yang , Zhang Shaohua , Zhang Diankai , Jiang Yuanyuan , Wang Yang , Zhou Ningning , Qing Tao , Wu Jintao , Qian Linmao , Zhang Jiyang , Chen Lei
Published: April 2024

Lubrication failure accompanying with blackening phenomenon significantly reduces the long-running operational reliability of porous polymide (PPI) lubricated with poly-α-olefin (PAO) oil. Here, the effects of lubrication condition and counter-surface chemistry on the blackening failure of PAO impregnated PPI were studied through the comparison of the tribological tests against GCr15 steel ball and Al2O3ceramic ball with and without PAO oil lubrication. Black products were found to be formed on the PAO impregnated PPI surface slid against steel ball or Al2O3ball added with iron nano-particles, but be absent under the conditions without iron or PAO oil. Further analysis indicated that the iron-catalyzed splitting of PAO oil into small molecule alkanes and following the formation of black organic matter should be mainly responsible for the blackening phenomenon. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations demonstrated that the iron facilitated the separation of hydrogen atom and the following broken of C-C bonds in PAO molecules, final resulting in the splitting of PAO oil.
Rational Design of Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite Ferrites as Air Electrode for Highly Active and Durable Reversible Protonic Ceramic Cells
Authors: Yu Na , Bello Idris Temitope , Chen Xi , Liu Tong , Li Zheng , Song Yufei , Ni Meng
Published: April 2024

Reversible protonic ceramic cells (RePCCs) hold promise for efficient energy storage, but their practicality is hindered by a lack of high-performance air electrode materials. Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite Sr3Fe2O7−δ (SF) exhibits superior proton uptake and rapid ionic conduction, boosting activity. However, excessive proton uptake during RePCC operation degrades SF’s crystal structure, impacting durability. This study introduces a novel A/B-sites co-substitution strategy for modifying air electrodes, incorporating Sr-deficiency and Nb-substitution to create Sr2.8Fe1.8Nb0.2O7−δ (D-SFN). Nb stabilizes SF's crystal, curbing excessive phase formation, and Sr-deficiency boosts oxygen vacancy concentration, optimizing oxygen transport. The D-SFN electrode demonstrates outstanding activity and durability, achieving a peak power density of 596 mW cm−2 in fuel cell mode and a current density of − 1.19 A cm−2 in electrolysis mode at 1.3 V, 650 °C, with excellent cycling durability. This approach holds the potential for advancing robust and efficient air electrodes in RePCCs for renewable energy storage.
Optimizing the ratio of coomassie and methylene blue dyes for a cost-effective and rapid staining of PET, PVC, PP, PS, LLDPE, LDPE, and HDPE
Authors: Li Lanxing , Dong Linyinxue , Tian Xuechen , Kianpoor Kalkhajeh Yusef , Yang Yixin , Gan Samuel Ken-En
Published: April 2024

The ubiquitous presence of plastic brought on by the extensive use of plastic products calls for efficient and rapid plastic detection methods to detect and evaluate pollution. The commonly used Nile red dye takes many hours and is expensive while also not equally efficient across all the common plastic waste. To address this, we investigated the staining efficiency and optimized the ratio of a combined Coomassie brilliant blue and Methylene blue dye. In the optimisation process, Methanol-based Coomassie and Methylene blue dyes effectively stained the Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), and Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plastics without compromising the plastic's integrity. Image analysis showed a generally better staining efficacy compared to Nile red. Through systematic experimentation, we identified specific optimal ratios of Coomassie (C) brilliant blue: Methylene (M) blue for various plastics: 5:5 (mass) for PVC, 7:3 (mass) for PET, and 8:2 (mass) for PP, LDPE, and HDPE. Additionally, the ratio of 10:0 (mass) was found suitable for PS and LLDPE. Given the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of the blue dyes in labs, the optimized ratio of the blue dyes makes it suitable for large-scale plastic staining across the six tested types of plastic, replacing Nile red.
Fabrication of Biomedical Electrodes Using Printing Approaches
Authors: Rajbhandari Grishmi , Nattestad Andrew , Liu Xiao , Beirne Stephen , Wallace Gordon G.
Published: April 2024

In this review, we focus on the fabrication of electrodes, using printing techniques. Generally speaking, electrodes are comprised of a metal conductor with a metal lead (sometimes the same material) for the conduction of electrical current. Different inorganic and organic materials including metal, polymers, carbon, as well as their composites thereof, have been used for electrodes on different substrates. While material-dependent characteristics, including conductivity, optical transparency, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, determine the choice of material, printing, as the manufacturing method, offers precise control over the geometry and scale of electrodes for selective and sensitive performance. Both 2D- and 3D-printed electrodes have been widely used as sensors for electrochemical applications as well as quantification of biological compounds, establishing contact with biological surfaces and systems, finding application in medical diagnosis, therapy and treatment of various conditions. Costa et al. (Energy Storage Mater 28:216–234, 2020), Mensing et al. (Sustain Mater Technol 25:e00190, 2020) depict the difference between the 2D and 3D printing techniques which can be used for fabrication of 2D and 3D electrodes. The 3D structure of the electrode provides advantages over the 2d electrodes in terms of its catalytic properties through enhancement in its mass transfer process, adsorption efficiency and active exposure sites (Mensing et al. in Sustain Mater Technol 25:e00190, 2020).
Probiotic yoghurt-like fermented milk product enriched with Lactobacillus desidiosus and Lactobacillus fermentum: proximate composition, physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory evaluation during refrigerated storage
Authors: Hossain Mohammad Afzal , Hoque Md. Mozammel , Ahmed Monzur Morshed , Ahmed Tanvir
Published: April 2024

The combination of multiple strains and multiple species in lactic acid bacteria-based fermented milk offers the potential for nutritional and sensory attributes, making it an attractive option for developing high-quality and health-promoting probiotic yoghurt-like fermented milk products. In the present study, four combinations of yoghurt-like fermented milk samples: Sample 1 (Control), Sample 2 (Lactobacillus desidiosus), Sample 3 (Lactobacillus fermentum), and Sample 4 (Lactobacillus desidiosus and Lactobacillus fermentum) were developed. Proximate composition (moisture, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate), physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, total soluble sloid), microbiological (Lactobacillus bacteria, yeast and mold, and coliform bacteria), and sensory properties (color, flavor, texture, taste, and overall acceptability) were assessed under refrigerator conditions (4 °C) from 0 to 28 days of storage period. Proximate composition differed significantly (p < 0.05) among samples for moisture (49.34–79.32%), ash (1.14–0.31%), protein (3.72–3.21%), fat (11.23–5.62%), and carbohydrate (33.11–12.98%). Yoghurt-like fermented milk containing Lactobacillus desidiosus as single or in combination with Lactobacillus fermentum resulted in reduced pH levels (6.02–3.49), total soluble solid (41.66–24.66%) and increased syneresis (30.04–65.52%), titratable acidity content (0.42–1.62%). Single or combination of Lactobacillus desidiosus and Lactobacillus fermentum significantly (p < 0.05) reduced Lactobacillus bacteria (8.17–6.01 Log CFU/g), yeast, and mold (1.45–1.19 Log CFU/g). Additionally, none of the samples of probiotic yoghurt-like fermented milk showed any detectable coliform count, indicating the possibility of prolonging the shelf life. The sample prepared by Lactobacillus desidiosus had the highest sensory ranking (8.10) at day 0 and during storage than other samples. In conclusion, the inclusion of Lactobacillus desidiosus and Lactobacillus fermentum strains in the composition of production starter cultures holds great promise. The utilization of these enriched starter cultures enables the production of healthy food products that maintain their quality throughout the entire storage period.
An Efficient Binary Hybrid Equilibrium Algorithm for Binary Optimization Problems: Analysis, Validation, and Case Studies
Authors: Abdel-Basset Mohamed , Mohamed Reda , Hezam Ibrahim M. , Sallam Karam M. , Hameed Ibrahim A.
Published: April 2024

Binary optimization problems belong to the NP-hard class because their solutions are hard to find in a known time. The traditional techniques could not be applied to tackle those problems because the computational cost required by them increases exponentially with increasing the dimensions of the optimization problems. Therefore, over the last few years, researchers have paid attention to the metaheuristic algorithms for tackling those problems in an acceptable time. But unfortunately, those algorithms still suffer from not being able to avert local minima, a lack of population diversity, and low convergence speed. As a result, this paper presents a new binary optimization technique based on integrating the equilibrium optimizer (EO) with a new local search operator, which effectively integrates the single crossover, uniform crossover, mutation operator, flipping operator, and swapping operator to improve its exploration and exploitation operators. In a more general sense, this local search operator is based on two folds: the first fold borrows the single-point crossover and uniform crossover to accelerate the convergence speed, in addition to avoiding falling into local minima using the mutation strategy; the second fold is based on applying two different mutation operators on the best-so-far solution in the hope of finding a better solution: the first operator is the flip mutation operator to flip a bit selected randomly from the given solution, and the second operator is the swap mutation operator to swap two unique positions selected randomly from the given solution. This variant is called a binary hybrid equilibrium optimizer (BHEO) and is applied to three common binary optimization problems: 0–1 knapsack, feature selection, and the Merkle–Hellman knapsack cryptosystem (MHKC) to investigate its effectiveness. The experimental findings of BHEO are compared with those of the classical algorithm and six other well-established evolutionary and swarm-based optimization algorithms. From those findings, it is concluded that BHEO is a strong alternative to tackle binary optimization problems. Quantatively, BHEO could reach an average fitness of 0.090737884 for the feature section problem and an average difference from the optimal profits for some used Knapsack problems of 2.482.
Impact of a pharmacy-driven MRSA nares screening protocol on vancomycin discontinuation in a tele-antimicrobial stewardship model
Authors: Trzebucki Alex M. , Davis Matthew R. , McCreary Erin K. , Cuccaro Susan , Bariola J. Ryan , Khadem Tina
Published: April 2024

A pharmacist-driven protocol for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nares screening and empiric vancomycin discontinuation was instituted in a community healthcare system utilizing a tele-antimicrobial stewardship program to reduce inappropriate use of vancomycin. The protocol and associated intervention resulted in a significant decrease in both vancomycin utilization and the rate of acute kidney injury.
Happy Holidays? Evidence from Chinese Stock Exchanges
Authors: Kenney Margaret A. T.
Published: April 2024

There is a consensus in the finance literature that stock markets generally perform well ahead of holidays. However, I argue that this relationship does not hold in the Chinese context, given that public holidays are associated with increased collective action and repression. I propose two possible mechanisms: (1) Chinese investors take cues from the political environment and will thus act more conservatively in the market prior to public holidays or (2) the government increases intervention to stabilize the stock market during these periods. I test this relationship using daily stock exchange data from Shanghai and Shenzhen. In addition, I corroborate the theoretical mechanism by testing whether there is similar conservatism before focal points on the dissident calendar. This research note contributes to our understanding of the Chinese investment market and raises general questions about the representativeness of the finance literature. In addition, this research speaks to the costs of authoritarianism and preserving social stability in these contexts.
Evidence-based recruitment strategies for clinical research: Study personnel’s and research participants’ perceptions about successful methods of outreach for a U.S. Autism-Research Cohort
Authors: Goin-Kochel Robin P. , Lozano Ivana , Duhon Gabrielle , Marzano Gabriela , Daniels Amy , Law J. Kiely , Diehl Katharine , Green Snyder LeeAnne , Feliciano Pamela , Chung Wendy K. ,   SPARK Consortium
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Under enrollment of participants in clinical research is costly and delays study completion to impact public health. Given that research personnel make decisions about which strategies to pursue and participants are the recipients of these efforts, we surveyed research staff (n = 52) and participants (n = 4,144) affiliated with SPARK (Simons Foundation Powering Autism for Knowledge) – the largest study of autism in the U.S. – to understand their perceptions of effective recruitment strategies.

Methods:

In Study 1, research personnel were asked to report recruitment strategies that they tried for SPARK and to indicate which ones they would and would not repeat/recommend. In Study 2, SPARK participants were asked to indicate all the ways they heard about the study prior to enrollment and which one was most influential in their decisions to enroll.

Results:

Staff rated speaking with a SPARK-study-team member (36.5%), speaking with a medical provider (19.2%), word of mouth (11.5%), and a live TV news story (11.5%) as the most successful strategies. Participants most often heard about SPARK via social media (47.0%), speaking with a medical provider (23.1%), and an online search (20.1%). Research personnel’s and participants’ views on effective recruitment strategies often differed, with the exception of speaking with a medical provider.

Conclusion:

Results suggest that a combination of strategies is likely to be most effective in reaching diverse audiences. Findings have implications for the selection of strategies that meet a study’s specific needs, as well as recruitment-strategy “combinations” that may enhance the influence of outreach efforts.
Enforcement of Multilateral Trade Regulation by Non-State Actors – Desirable and Feasible?
Authors: Alexovičová Iveta
Published: April 2024

Since its inception, the inter-state dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organisation has generally been praised for effectively protecting the rule of law in international trade relations. While the relatively recent dismantling of this system does not necessarily mean the end of the WTO nor of the binding nature of its rules, the current crisis may be a good opportunity to reconsider the role of the rule of law in international trade relations and the ways in which it could further be accommodated. One suggestion, occasionally raised in the past, would be strengthening the enforcement of WTO rules by opening it to private action, either before national courts or through international adjudication. After all, the latter has been widely available to foreign investors covered by thousands of international investment agreements in force for decades. This contribution recalls the reasons behind the current lack of private enforcement of WTO law and argues that developments in international trade relations and experiences with investor-state dispute settlement are likely to work against rather than in favor of its introduction in the foreseeable future. Increased transparency and institutionalisation of non-state actors’ role in trade enforcement is therefore recommended instead.
Wartime segmentation: Class, gender, and nation in the marketing of consumers, Sweden 1939–1945
Authors: Arnberg Klara , Hagström Jim
Published: April 2024

In line with recent research that regards the Second World War as a “defining moment” rather than a temporary disruption to the development of consumer societies, this paper explores how consumers were imagined in nonbelligerent Sweden. The main empirical source material consists of business-to-business advertisements from newspaper and magazine publishers aimed at potential advertisers. There, publishers portrayed their readers as suitable consumers, and, given that the division of the press constituted the main infrastructure for reaching different consumer groups, this is interpreted as a key to understanding market segmentation processes. The findings show how geographical, demographic, and psychological factors were considered in optimizing advertising influence and reaching classed and gendered target audiences. Although the segmentation process consolidated during the war, focusing on stable, large consumer groups, the imagined consumer also underwent fundamental changes, combating anxiety and despair through dreams of both future and present patriotic consumption.
Potential threats of glacial lake changes to the Sichuan-Tibet Railway
Authors: Peng Menger , Zhang Guoqing , Yu Jinyuan , Wang Weicai , Xu Fenglin , Rinzin Sonam
Published: April 2024

The Sichuan-Tibet Railway, China's second inland railway to Tibet, is currently being constructed and will run between Chengdu and Lhasa. It will cross the southeastern Tibetan Plateau and be surrounded by glacial lakes, some of which may pose a threat of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) events. Both the specific location and the outburst susceptibility of these glacial lakes are largely unknown. In this study, we mapped the glacial lakes using declassified Corona KH-4 and Hexagon KH-9 from the 1960s and Sentinel-2 imagery from 2020 and assessed their spatio-temporal changes. GLOF-susceptibility criteria were established based on historical GLOF events. The results show that the total area (number) of glacial lakes has increased by 22% (20%) from 126.1 ± 2.4 km2 (1662 lakes) in the 1960s to 153.6 ± 11.1 km2 (1994 lakes) in 2020. Of these lakes, this study identified 38 very high and 85 high GLOF-susceptibility lakes; mainly distributed along the Bomi-Nyingchi railway section in the Parlung Zangbo River basin. Four of the very high GLOF-susceptibility glacial lakes may pose a threat to the railway and will require monitoring. The insights from this study can be used to mitigate the risk of GLOFs during the construction and maintenance of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.
ON MATRICES ARISING IN FINITE FIELD HYPERGEOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
Authors: KUMABE SATOSHI , SAAD HASAN
Published: April 2024

Lehmer [‘On certain character matrices’, Pacific J. Math.6 (1956), 491–499, and ‘Power character matrices’, Pacific J. Math.10 (1960), 895–907] defines four classes of matrices constructed from roots of unity for which the characteristic polynomials and the kth powers can be determined explicitly. We study a class of matrices which arise naturally in transformation formulae of finite field hypergeometric functions and whose entries are roots of unity and zeroes. We determine the characteristic polynomial, eigenvalues, eigenvectors and kth powers of these matrices. The eigenvalues are natural families of products of Jacobi sums.
MULTIPLE LOOSE MAPS BETWEEN GRAPHS
Authors: FENILLE MARCIO COLOMBO
Published: April 2024

Given maps
$f_1,\ldots ,f_n:X\to Y$
between (finite and connected) graphs, with
$n\geq 3$
(the case
$n=2$
is well known), we say that they are loose if they can be deformed by homotopy to coincidence free maps, and totally loose if they can be deformed by homotopy to maps which are two by two coincidence free. We prove that: (i) if Y is not homeomorphic to the circle, then any maps are totally loose; (ii) otherwise, any maps are loose and they are totally loose if and only if they are homotopic.
Propagation of anisotropic Gabor wave front sets
Authors: Wahlberg Patrik
Published: April 2024

We show a result on propagation of the anisotropic Gabor wave front set for linear operators with a tempered distribution Schwartz kernel. The anisotropic Gabor wave front set is parametrized by a positive parameter relating the space and frequency variables. The anisotropic Gabor wave front set of the Schwartz kernel is assumed to satisfy a graph type criterion. The result is applied to a class of evolution equations that generalizes the Schrödinger equation for the free particle. The Laplacian is replaced by any partial differential operator with constant coefficients, real symbol and order at least two.
Implementation of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) in yogurt production
Authors: Aslani Ramin , Mazaheri Yeganeh , Jafari Maryam , Sadighara Parisa , Molaee-aghaee Ebrahim , Ozcakmak Sibel , Reshadat Zahra
Published: April 2024

This study aimed to review hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) in the dairy industry for the production of yogurt. The food safety management system (FSMS) was implemented over the last several decades with several amendments. The need for practical and proactive procedures in the dairy industry was identified so that HACCP implementation could ensure that consumers would always have safe food. The concept of HACCP is a systemic and science-based method that can result in safe dairy products such as yogurt based on the complete analysis of manufacturing processes, recognition of hazards potentially present at all stages of production, and risk prevention. In yogurt production, raw milk receipt, pasteurization, packaging, and storage are the steps most susceptible to contamination and were considered critical control points. Further steps also need to be implemented to achieve other related control measures, and these will be discussed.