bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-country analysis of science, technology and innovation policies: non-covid-19 related and Covid-19 specific STI policies in OECD countries
Authors: Russo Margherita , Pavone Pasquale , Meissner Dirk , Alboni Fabrizio
Published: September 2024

In OECD countries, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies were seen as key aspects of coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that the pandemic is over, identifying which policy mix portfolios characterised countries in terms of their non-Covid-19 related and Covid-19 specific STI policies fills a knowledge gap on changes in STI policies induced by exogenous shocks. The descriptive nature of this exercise sheds light on the emergency phase, which was addressed in different ways by countries with similar STI policy portfolios in the last decade before the pandemic. Using information on STI policy initiatives in OECD countries, this paper proposes a multidimensional analysis to classify policy initiatives based on both codes (of innovation policy themes, policy instruments and target beneficiaries) and free text policies’ descriptions. Based on text mining and clustering techniques, the multidimensional analysis highlights semantic similarities between the combinations of codes and terms, making it possible to identify policy mixes that characterise non-Covid-19 related and Covid-19 specific STI policies. The cross-country comparison draws attention to the specific policy mix portfolios implemented by countries during the pandemic. The paper contributes to the literature on innovation policy mix in terms of research methods and results in identifying STI policy portfolios and groups of countries with similar structural composition of their innovation policy portfolios, implementing a range of STI strategies in tackling the pandemic. Policy implications of the findings are discussed, with a forward-looking perspective for the analysis of post-pandemic STI policies.
Metaphors on Protein Synthesis in Swedish Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks – A Double-Edged Sword
Authors: Wahlberg Sara J. , Haglund Jesper , Gericke Niklas M.
Published: September 2024

This study provides insights into the use of metaphors in protein synthesis descriptions in upper secondary chemistry and biology textbooks. Data were collected from seven Swedish textbooks and analyzed with the Metaphor Identification Protocol and categorized within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The results reveal two main parallel metaphor systems of construction-based metaphors and information-based metaphors. Five sub-systems with different emphasis on the usage of construction and information related metaphors emerged in the analysis: the location, translocation, transportation, cryptography and publishing sub-metaphor systems. These metaphors can function as double-edged swords for students’ learning. On the positive side, the construction-based metaphors (location, translocation and transportation) meet the educational need to describe where the processes of the protein synthesis occur and how these take place, while the information-based metaphors (cryptography and publishing) describe how the different sub-processes of the protein synthesis are linked via the interflow of information between them. On the negative side, the identified metaphors are presented implicitly without explanations, thus making it difficult for the students to identify them. Also, textbook sentences often contain metaphors drawn from several of the five sub-systems, requiring students not only to differentiate between them, but also to connect the source and target domain of the different metaphors correctly. The results highlight the important role of the teacher in supporting students’ learning by explaining what metaphors are and how they are used in textbooks. To further this end, authors of biology and chemistry textbooks are recommended to introduce metaphors early and explicitly.
Daphnia stress response to environmental concentrations of chloramphenicol—multi-omics approach
Authors: Grzesiuk Malgorzata , Grabska Marta , Malinowska Agata , Świderska Bianka , Grzesiuk Elzbieta , Garbicz Damian , Gorecki Adrian
Published: September 2024

Commonly used medicines, when discarded or improperly disposed of, are known to contaminate freshwater ecosystems. Pharmaceuticals can be toxic and mutagenic, and can modify freshwater organisms, even at environmentally relevant concentrations. Chloramphenicol (CAP) is an antibiotic banned in Europe. However, it is still found in surface waters around the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of chloramphenicol contamination in freshwater on the model organism Daphnia magna. Specific life history parameters, proteome, and host-associated microbiome of four D. magna clones were analyzed during a three-generation exposure to CAP at environmental concentrations (32 ng L−1). In the first generation, no statistically significant CAP effect at the individual level was detected. After three generations, exposed animals were smaller at first reproduction and on average produced fewer offspring. The differences in D. magna’s life history after CAP treatment were in accordance with proteome changes. D. magna’s response to CAP presence indicates the high stress that the tested organisms are under, e.g., male production, upregulation of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 and calcium-binding protein, and downregulation of glutathione transferase. The CAP-exposed D. magna proteome profile confirms that CAP, being reactive oxygen species (ROS)-inducing compounds, contributes to structural changes in mitochondria. Microbiome analysis showed a significant difference in the Shannon index between control and CAP-exposed animals, the latter having a more diverse microbiome. Multilevel analyses, together with long exposure in the laboratory imitating conditions in a polluted environment, allow us to obtain a more complete picture of the impact of CAP on D. magna.
A tomato a day keeps the beetle away – the impact of Solanaceae glycoalkaloids on energy management in the mealworm Tenebrio molitor
Authors: Winkiel Magdalena Joanna , Chowański Szymon , Walkowiak-Nowicka Karolina , Gołębiowski Marek , Słocińska Małgorzata
Published: September 2024

Solanine (SOL), chaconine (CHA), and tomatine (TOM) are plant secondary metabolites produced mainly by the species of Solanaceae family, such as tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. These glycoalkaloids (GAs) have a wide range of biological activity, also in insects. However, their mechanisms of action are not precisely understood. The purpose of the study was to investigate how pure GAs and tomato leaf extract (EXT) affect glycolysis, Krebs cycle and β-oxidation of fatty acid pathways in Tenebrio molitor L. beetle. For this purpose, the larvae were injected with SOL, CHA, TOM, and EXT at two concentrations (10–8 and 10–5 M). For experiments, fat body, gut, and heamolymph samples were collected 2 and 24 h after injection. Then, the changes in the expression level of phosphofructokinase, citrate synthase, and β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase were measured using the RT-qPCR technique. The catalytic activity of these enzymes and the carbohydrate level in insects after GA treatment were determined by spectrophotometric method. Furthermore, the analysis of the amount of amino acids in tissues was performed with a GC–MS technique. The results obtained show that the GAs changed the activity and expression of the genes encoding key enzymes of crucial metabolic pathways. The effect depends on the type of GA compound, the tissue tested, and the incubation time after treatment. Furthermore, TOM and EXT affected trehalose concentration in the insect hemolymph and led to accumulation of amino acids in the fat body. The observed changes may indicate a protein degradation and/or enhanced catabolism reactions for the production of ATP used in detoxification processes. These results suggest that GAs alter energy metabolism in the mealworm T. molitor. The study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of action of secondary metabolites of plants in insects. This knowledge may allow the design of new natural biopesticides against insect pests because proper energy metabolism is necessary for the survival of the organism.
Study of the one-dimensional consolidation and creep of clays with different thicknesses using different hypotheses and three elastic visco-plastic models
Authors: Chen Ze-jian , Li Peng-lin , Wu Pei-chen , Yin Jian-hua , Song Ding-bao
Published: September 2024

The one-dimensional consolidation analysis of clays considering creep compression is a classical issue in soil mechanics and geotechnical design. The major debate lies in how to predict the consolidation settlement for a thick layer in the field using parameters obtained from a thin specimen from the laboratory. Different hypotheses have been advocated, based on which various methods and constitutive models have been developed. However, there are still some questions unaddressed and concepts inconsistently used, which may mislead engineers in the selection of methods/models and may result in settlements underestimated on a risk design side. In this paper, a state-of-the-art review and a thorough comparison study are performed on the existing methods and models for the consolidation analysis of clays exhibiting creep, from theoretical derivations to numerical simulations in comparison with soil test data. An in-depth discussion is carried out on several key issues related to the thickness effects on the time-dependent compression behaviour of clays. The arguments of Hypothesis A and Hypothesis B are revisited based on the current development of constitutive theories. Three existing elastic visco-plastic (EVP) models that consider the creep compression implicitly during the whole consolidation process can perform well in predicting the settlement of clay layers with different thicknesses, and are in line with Hypothesis B. It is concluded that using existing EVP models based on porous-media continuum mechanics is a rigorous scientific method (also called “rigorous” Hypothesis B method), which is superior to the old Hypothesis A method which has logic errors and may result in unsafe underestimation of settlements.
Parental Investment, Status, and Child Gender: Some Evidence for the Trivers–Willard Hypothesis from a Survey Experiment
Authors: Schnettler Sebastian
Published: September 2024

This study critically evaluates and empirically tests the Trivers–Willard (TW) hypothesis, which proposes a relationship between parental socioeconomic status and sex: Parents with higher status are expected to be more likely to have male offspring and to preferentially invest in male offspring, whereas parents with lower status are expected to be more likely to have female offspring and to preferentially invest in daughters. Although the TW hypothesis has been explored in terms of offspring sex ratio and parental investment, findings in modern developed societies generally show null results, with notable exceptions in the domain of parental investment in their children’s education. Previous studies have often not explicitly addressed the potential underlying mechanisms of the TW effect. This includes the authors of the original hypothesis (Trivers and Willard 1973), who discussed some potential mechanisms but ultimately left the question of mechanisms unanswered. Building on Matthews’s (2011) proposition to explore psychological underpinnings, this paper posits that the TW effect, if present, may be rooted in general parental preferences. To investigate this, a factorial survey experiment was designed to measure respondents’ preferences in parental investment while minimizing social desirability bias. The study specifically examines the extent to which respondents’ assessments of favorability and fairness in various parental investment scenarios depend on child characteristics believed to influence differential parental behavior. The findings reveal patterns that are somewhat in line with the TW hypothesis but are minor and lack statistical significance. The article concludes by proposing three future research directions aimed at further unraveling the intricacies of the TW effect.
Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Health and Health Services Research Workforce: A Systematic Scoping Review
Authors: Gichane Margaret W. , Griesemer Ida , Cubanski Leah , Egbuogu Blessing , McInnes D. Keith , Garvin Lynn A.
Published: September 2024

Health and health services research institutions seek to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to overcome structural bias. The objective of this review is to identify, characterize, and evaluate programs aimed to strengthen DEI in the health and health services research workforces. We conducted a systematic scoping review of literature of 2012–2022 North American peer-reviewed empirical studies in PubMed and Embase using the Arksey and O’Malley approach. This review identified 62 programs that varied in focus, characteristics, and outcomes. Programs focused on supporting a spectrum of underrepresented groups based on race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and socioeconomic status. The majority of programs targeted faculty/investigators, compared to other workforce roles. Most programs were 1 year in length or less. The practices employed within programs included skills building, mentoring, and facilitating the development of social networks. To support program infrastructure, key strategies included supportive leadership, inclusive climate, resource allocation, and community engagement. Most programs evaluated success based on shorter-term metrics such as the number of grants submitted and manuscripts published. Relatively few programs collected long-term outcomes on workforce pathway outcomes including hiring, promotion, and retention. This systematic scoping review outlined prevalent practices to advance DEI in the health and health services research field. As DEI programs proliferate, more work is needed by research universities, institutes, and funders to realign institutional culture and structures, expand resources, advance measurement, and increase opportunities for underrepresented groups at every career stage.
Do women board members contribute to companies’ superior environmental performance? A literature review
Authors: Fernández-Torres Yakira , Gallego-Sosa Clara , Gutiérrez-Fernández Milagros
Published: September 2024

The urgent need to tackle climate change has led scholars to study the factors that affect companies’ ability to achieve superior environmental performance. One such factor, the influence of women board members, has received considerable attention because of women’s greater tendency to care for the planet. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no literature review has yet attempted to describe the state of the art of this relationship and its conditioning factors. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the degree of consensus in the literature regarding the role of board gender diversity in environmental performance and to specify the variables that condition this relationship. The content of all studies that offer evidence of this relationship is analyzed. The results imply that there is a high degree of consensus regarding the positive influence of female leadership on environmental performance in studies that focus exclusively on this relationship. The review also shows that this relationship is conditioned by numerous factors. However, the evidence in this regard is scant and in some cases inconclusive. Therefore, this review reveals both the scope and the unfilled needs in this field of study. It thus supports the sharing of knowledge on this topic and draws attention to the questions that need to be addressed.
A decade of PISA: student perceived instructional quality and mathematics achievement across European countries
Authors: Liu Xin , Hansen Kajsa Yang , Valcke Martin , De Neve Jan
Published: September 2024

This study examines the relationship between instructional quality and mathematics achievement, taking into account socioeconomic status. Data from ten European countries participating in PISA 2012 and 2022 were analysed using the framework of the Dynamic Modelling of Educational Effectiveness. In PISA 2012, instructional quality was defined by student-oriented instruction, classroom management, teacher support, disciplinary climate, and cognitive activation. The finding indicated that teacher support, disciplinary climate, and cognitive activation positively predict student achievement, but dimensions of student-oriented instruction and classroom management were negatively related in several countries. Instructional quality was captured by four dimensions in PISA 2022, namely, teacher support, disciplinary climate, cognitive activation in mathematics of encouraging mathematical thinking and of fostering reasoning. Teacher support and disciplinary climate had a positive effect on achievement, but two aspects of cognitive activation had opposite effects on achievement. SES also had significant indirect effects on achievement through various instructional quality dimensions. Across two PISA cycles, teacher support, disciplinary climate, and cognitive activation consistently benefited low-SES students, while classroom management and student-oriented instruction tended to harm their performance. These results underscore the role of instructional quality in promoting equity for disadvantaged students. Trend data from these two cycles of PISA, give an indication of specific instructional strategies that do consistently contribute to student achievement. Implications and findings are discussed in relation to the policy and practice context in different education systems.
Carbon Isotopic Composition Reflects Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency But Not its Component Traits in Sugarcane
Authors: Ellsworth Patrick Z. , White Paul M.
Published: September 2024

Water is the most important resource in plant growth and is a major limiting factor in sugarcane productivity worldwide. Improving water use efficiency (WUE) can increase sugarcane productivity relative to available water resources by increasing photosynthetic capacity relative to transpiration and stomatal conductance instead of decreasing stomatal conductance. Leaf carbon stable isotopic composition (δ13Cleaf) can serve as a proxy for intrinsic WUE (WUEi) because WUEi and δ13Cleaf are theoretically related through the link between intracellular and ambient CO2 concentrations (Ci/Ca) and leaf CO2 discrimination (Δ13Cleaf). In this study we surveyed 55 sugarcane genotypes for WUEi, leaf WUE (WUEleaf), Ci/Ca, and δ13Cleaf by gas exchange measurements and stable isotope analysis. We hypothesized that significant genotypic variation was found in WUEi, WUEleaf, and δ13Cleaf within the sugarcane population in Louisiana. We also hypothesized that both WUEi and δ13Cleaf and Δ13Cleaf and Ci/Ca were correlated and that δ13Cleaf could be used as a proxy for WUEi in sugarcane. Here WUEi and WUEleaf had a genetic effect and were controlled mostly by water loss (stomatal conductance or transpiration). WUEi, WUEleaf, Ci/Ca, and δ13Cleaf were correlated, but δ13Cleaf was not correlated with the component traits of WUEi (photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance). δ13Cleaf shows promise as a proxy for WUEi to at least be able to select the tails of the distribution, but the relationship between WUEi and δ13Cleaf may not be sufficiently strong to select WUE at a finer scale.
Dispositional mindfulness and the nonjudgmental regard towards others: the role on sexual prejudice and transphobia among cisgender heterosexual people
Authors: Costacurta Mirco , Chiorri Carlo , Di Battista Silvia , Salvati Marco
Published: September 2024

Although several studies examined the relationship between high levels of dispositional mindfulness and low scores of prejudices referred to various social groups, the findings have sometimes been inconsistent. Such inconsistency may be explained by the fact that much research has relied exclusively on self-oriented dispositional mindfulness as predictor of intergroup biases, thus underestimating the role of the nonjudgmental regard towards others. In the current study, we explored the associations between dispositional mindfulness related to the self, Nonjudgmental Regard towards Others (NRO), sexual prejudice, genderism/transphobia and gender bashing. We expected that higher scores on both dimensions of NRO traits (i.e. Ideological Acceptance and Emotion Acceptance) would be negatively associated with sexual prejudice, genderism/transphobia and gender bashing over mindful traits related to the self. 911 cis-heterosexual participants recruited through Prolific completed the online questionnaire. Dominance analyses were conducted to test our hypotheses. The results partially confirmed the predictions. NRO Emotion Acceptance was the best predictor of sexual prejudice, genderism/transphobia and gender bashing among the mindful traits, above socio-anagraphics, religiosity, political, and ideological variables. However, NRO Ideological Acceptance was not associated with the measures of prejudice. These results suggest that having a nonjudgmental attitude toward others’ emotions bay be a better factor in reducing prejudice. Limitations, future research directions, and social implications are discussed.
Building uncertainty-aware mathematical models based on evidence from datasets using grammatical evolution optimization techniques: the case of the obesity dynamics
Authors: Parra Daniel , Hidalgo J. Ignacio , Velasco José-Manuel , Villanueva Rafael-Jacinto
Published: September 2024

This paper introduces a methodology to build mathematical models based on evidence and data sets, considering data and model uncertainty. We study the evolution of obesity in the population, being obesity a consequence of the transmission of unhealthy lifestyle habits and behavioral patterns influenced by social networks (family, friends, peers, etc.). We propose a three-step methodology. First, we create a synthetic data set based on a previous model with real data. Then, we search for dynamic models based on difference equations that best fit the dynamics described by the dataset and their uncertainty (uncertainty-aware). To do this, we use a dynamic structured grammatical evolution algorithm (an algorithm that builds possible models) on which we have defined a grammar (set of possible expressions that can be part of the model). The definition of appropriate grammar is crucial because it allows us to build models that do not contradict the knowledge of the phenomenon studied. However, the data may suggest introducing new terms that indicate the influence of unknown factors. Finally, from among all the models obtained, we will algorithmically search for a selection of them that best describes the uncertainty of the data. This methodology can be applied to various scenarios with available datasets and a limited understanding of the phenomenon. It aims to generate models that not only achieve precision but also incorporate terms that correspond to identifiable processes, which can be explained within the context of the study problem.
Bimetallic Single-Atom Catalysts for Water Splitting
Authors: Deshmukh Megha A. , Bakandritsos Aristides , Zbořil Radek
Published: September 2024

Green hydrogen from water splitting has emerged as a critical energy vector with the potential to spearhead the global transition to a fossil fuel-independent society. The field of catalysis has been revolutionized by single-atom catalysts (SACs), which exhibit unique and intricate interactions between atomically dispersed metal atoms and their supports. Recently, bimetallic SACs (bimSACs) have garnered significant attention for leveraging the synergistic functions of two metal ions coordinated on appropriately designed supports. BimSACs offer an avenue for rich metal–metal and metal–support cooperativity, potentially addressing current limitations of SACs in effectively furnishing transformations which involve synchronous proton–electron exchanges, substrate activation with reversible redox cycles, simultaneous multi-electron transfer, regulation of spin states, tuning of electronic properties, and cyclic transition states with low activation energies. This review aims to encapsulate the growing advancements in bimSACs, with an emphasis on their pivotal role in hydrogen generation via water splitting. We subsequently delve into advanced experimental methodologies for the elaborate characterization of SACs, elucidate their electronic properties, and discuss their local coordination environment. Overall, we present comprehensive discussion on the deployment of bimSACs in both hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, the two half-reactions of the water electrolysis process.
Evaluation of activated carbon fiber packed-bed for the treatment of gas-to-liquid wastewater: experimental, modeling and ASPEN Adsorption simulation
Authors: Yousef Roghayeh , Qiblawey Hazim , El-Naas Muftah H.
Published: September 2024

This study investigates the continuous adsorption treatment of gas-to-liquid (GTL) wastewater from the Fischer-Tropsch process using activated carbon fiber (ACF) as the adsorbent. ACF, characterized by a high surface area of 1232 m²/g, was utilized to treat actual GTL wastewater, which contains long and short-chain alcohols, fatty acids, and other hydrocarbons. Experimental analysis, packed-bed modeling and simulation using ASPEN Adsorption were employed to understand the dynamics of the adsorption process. The experimental setup involved a bench-scale column packed with specified masses of ACF, with GTL wastewater pumped upward through the column at varying flow rates. Breakthrough curves were constructed to assess column performance, with parameters, such as feed flow rate (5 and 10 mL/min) and packing mass (5 and 10 g) systematically varied. The results demonstrate a significant influence of these parameters on column performance, with higher flow rates initially accelerating adsorption kinetics. Conversely, increasing packing mass extends the duration of column saturation, improving efficiency. Empirical models, including the Yoon-Nelson and El-Naas et al. models were applied to fit the experimental data, with the latter showing superior performance in representing the adsorption mechanism within the column. Quantitative analysis of model fitting using Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) identified the Yoon-Nelson and El-Naas et al. model as the most suitable for describing the GTL wastewater/ACF system, with an AIC weight parameter of 0.33 and R2 averaging 86.5%. Furthermore, simulation results from ASPEN Adsorption exhibited strong agreement with experimental data, validating its efficacy for simulating liquid adsorption processes. The study provides valuable insights into the design and optimization of large-scale wastewater treatment systems, offering practical solutions to address global water challenges.
Adaptive Simultaneous Stochastic Optimization of the Escondida Mining Complex, Chile
Authors: Del Castillo M. Fernanda , Dimitrakopoulos Roussos , Maulen Marco
Published: September 2024

This paper presents the application of adaptive simultaneous stochastic optimization with a representative branching framework to generate a strategic mining plan for the Escondida mining complex, the world’s largest copper-production operation. This adaptive stochastic optimization considers geological uncertainty while integrating investment and operational alternatives in the production schedule of a mining complex. Mining complexes are comprised of interconnected components affected by multiple sources of uncertainty. Thus, they must be optimized simultaneously in order to maximize their value, manage environmental impacts, and minimize risk. Additionally, due to the extensive lives of assets and the dynamic and uncertain environment in which mining complexes operate, it is not reasonable to assume that the current strategic plan will remain optimal. Thus, an operationally feasible method to embed alternatives in the mine plan is used. The method utilized provides a strategic plan with representative branches for future possible investment decisions. Adaptive decisions are made sequentially over time, activating costs and effects over the model. The optimization process chooses the optimal strategic production plan accordingly, as well as the investments made and their timing. The Escondida mining complex is a multi-element, multi-pit operation with nine different processing destinations. Investment options considered herein are truck and shovel fleet sizing, adding a secondary crusher in one of the plants, and investing in a main crusher assigned to one of the pits. Additionally, operational alternatives at the mine and plant levels are included. The adaptive solution shows a substantial probability that the mine plan might change its design substantially due to geological uncertainty, presenting an increased expected net present value when compared to the previously developed stochastic mathematical programming formulation that does not consider adaptive decisions, thus generating a single static strategic production plan for the related mining complex. Further studies at the Escondida mining complex can consider adoptive solutions integrating capital investments pertinent to climate change issues.
Epigenetic tuning of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs): a potential approach in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy
Authors: Helal Israa M. , Kamal Monica A. , Abd El-Aziz Mostafa K. , El Tayebi Hend M.
Published: September 2024

Recent development in immunotherapy for cancer treatment has substantiated to be more effective than most of the other treatments. Immunity is the first line of defence of the body; nevertheless, cancerous cells can manipulate immunity compartments to play several roles in tumour progression. Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), one of the most dominant components in the tumour microenvironment, are recognized as anti-tumour suppressors. Unfortunately, the complete behaviour of TAMs is still unclear and understudied. TAM density is directly correlated with the progression and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), therefore studying TAMs from different points of view passing by all the factors that may affect its existence, polarization, functions and repolarization are of great importance. Different epigenetic regulations were reported to have a direct relation with both HCC and TAMs. Here, this review discusses different epigenetic regulations that can affect TAMs in HCC whether positively or negatively.
A spatiotemporal analysis of NATO member states' defense spending: how much do allies actually free ride?
Authors: Kuokštytė Ringailė , Kuokštis Vytautas
Published: September 2024

Concerns over free riding in NATO are widespread. An intuitive approach to analyzing free riding is treating it as a systematic pattern of spatial interdependence between the allies: how does a NATO member's defense spending react to changes in other allies' military expenditures? While recent work has found statistically significant free riding (negative spatial interdependence in the outcomes), it suffers from important limitations. First, this research does not adequately account for temporal dependence. Second, it does not quantify the effect of interest. Accounting directly for temporal dependence provides a meaningfully distinct perspective on the within-alliance dynamics, demonstrating that the spatiotemporal effect of free riding is, in fact, more substantial than its short-run effect, challenging inferences of static spatial models. We discuss the relevant practical and theoretical implications.
Punched Holes: Piano Rolls and the Visual Representation of Sound in White-Smith v. Apollo (1908)
Authors: Paul David C.
Published: September 2024

In its ruling on White-Smith v. Apollo (1908), the Supreme Court declared that the punched holes of a player piano roll did not constitute a form of writing, and thus fell outside the purview of copyright statutes. Because the decision was superseded by the Copyright Act of 1909, which extended copyright coverage to piano rolls and sound recordings, commentators have relegated White-Smith v. Apollo to the status of legal footnote. The case, however, deserves closer attention. It reveals much about the fault lines between the auditory experience of music and its visual representation at the beginning of the era of recorded sound. Witness testimony is notable for its disquisitions on the history of musical notation, exegeses of recently patented notation systems, and philosophical ruminations on the nature of a musical work in relationship to its visual representation and sonic instantiation. Trial proceedings show how the perforations of a piano roll, which were more evocative of traditional musical notation than soundwaves etched on a phonograph cylinder or disc, destabilized the mundanity of reading music. Moreover, this instability suggests an explanation for why the piano rolls figuring in the case featured the music of Adam Geibel. The composer was blind, and in a lawsuit about the textuality of music, his disability served to contrast musical sights and sounds. Moreover, White-Smith v. Apollo furnishes a means of bringing the player piano out of the shadow of the phonograph, giving it a place in the “separation of the senses” that media scholars identify with modernity.
The constitutional codification of academic freedom over time and space
Authors: Spannagel Janika
Published: September 2024

This article explores the global spread of domestic codifications of academic freedom norms by mapping constitutional provisions over time and space. Drawing on the new Academic Freedom in Constitutions dataset, the study evaluates several hypotheses that may explain the norm’s geographically diverse, yet comparatively limited, adoption in 52 per cent of constitutions today. The descriptive analysis of constitutional adoption patterns suggests that the as yet large pockets of absence are a result of the fact that academic freedom was not included as a fundamental right from the early days of constitution-making, combined with its close link to higher education development, thus locking many countries into a path dependency of early constitutions exclusive of academic freedom norms. The availability of relevant models in nearby countries, together with higher education expansion, are key facilitators of academic freedom adoption at the critical time of a constitutional reform process. Diverse countries in different regions acted as norm entrepreneurs, often motivated to domestically protect academic freedom, thus leading to the emergence of regional and other clusters of academic freedom reference types. A sizeable proportion of insincere adopters further suggests that, in some regions, academic freedom serves as a legitimizing international norm.
Onset for Active Swimming of Microorganisms to Shape Their Transport in Turbulent Open Channel Flows
Authors: Wu Zi , Zeng Li , Li Guangmiao , Gong Zheng , Zhan Jie , Jiang Weiquan , Xu Mengzhen , Fu Xudong
Published: September 2024

Research on active particles has primarily focused on transport in relatively weak flows, during which their active swimming plays a significant role. However, in natural or manmade waterways, the ambient flow velocity and water depth can be on the order of approximately 1 m/s and 1 m, respectively, generating turbulent diffusion that may be strong enough to potentially dominate the transport process, so that the active swimming might be negligible. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework aiming at identifying the threshold at which the effects of active swimming become significant, under conditions of insufficient data for motion statistics of swimmers. While deriving the governing equation, we find that only the vertical component of the mean swimming has the potential to significantly influence the transport process. This manifests as the characteristic of inducing a non‐uniform vertical concentration distribution, in competition with the mechanism of turbulent diffusion, which leads to a uniform distribution. We obtain the analytical solution for the vertical concentration distribution, with the key dimensionless parameter α representing the interplay between the active swimming and turbulent diffusion. The threshold is found to be approximately at the order of magnitude of α ∼ 0.1, below which active swimming is considered negligible. The theoretical predictions are validated by numerical simulations employing Direct Numerical Simulation and particle tracking methods. Applying the theory to two types of microorganisms transported under different flow conditions suggests that there are typical scenarios where the active swimming is negligible, and the swimmers can be treated as passive particles.
Exploring the Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Stream Nitrogen Concentrations in a Typical Human‐Activity‐Influenced Headwater Watershed in South China
Authors: Fu Congsheng , Zhang Haixia , Wu Huawu , Wu Haohao , Cao Yang , Xia Ye , Zhu Zichun
Published: September 2024

Stream nitrogen concentrations significantly impact nitrogen loads and greenhouse gas emissions, but their spatiotemporal heterogeneity and human influences remain highly uncertain. This study thoroughly explored the spatiotemporal variations in stream nitrogen concentrations in a typical headwater watershed in South China. Spatially distributed measurements were conducted during 2020–2022, and mathematical modeling was implemented based on incorporating these data. More than 4,400 data points were collected for water temperature and concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (NH4‐N), nitrate nitrogen (NOx‐N), dissolved total nitrogen (DTN), total nitrogen (TN), and dissolved oxygen. Results showed that NOx‐N was the largest component of TN, with average concentrations of 1.20 and 1.66 mg L−1, respectively. The stream N2O concentration could be predicted using NH4‐N and NOx‐N concentrations via the Michaelis‐Menten equation. Significant downstream decreases in NH4‐N, NOx‐N, DTN, and TN concentrations were identified in the largest river in the watershed, and clear spatial differences in these nitrogen concentrations existed among the three main rivers. Clear seasonal and annual variations in stream nitrogen concentrations were observed. NH4‐N, NOx‐N, DTN, and TN concentrations correlated with cumulative precipitation from the preceding 8–12 days, while stream N2O concentrations correlated over 13–20 days. Stream N2O concentrations and emissions averaged 12.77 nmol L−1 and 1.12 nmol m−2 s−1, respectively, and were lower in summer than in other seasons. Upstream tea plantations, villages, and adjacent agricultural lands significantly affected nitrogen concentrations, while overflow dams did not. These findings highlight nitrogen cycle's complexity and the need for high‐resolution data to guide effective watershed management.
Lactation-focused audio relaxation versus standard care for mothers of very preterm infants (the EXPRESS randomised clinical trial)
Authors: Levene Ilana , Hardy Pollyanna , Bell Jennifer L. , Cole Christina , Stanbury Kayleigh , O’Brien Frances , Fewtrell Mary , Quigley Maria A.
Published: September 2024

Background

Mothers of very premature newborns often have low milk supply. Systematic review has shown increased milk quantity with relaxation interventions. We hypothesised that a self-directed audio relaxation and lactation-specific visualisation would increase milk quantity after a very premature birth.

Methods

Unmasked, randomised, controlled trial, recruiting 132 participants in four United Kingdom neonatal units. Eligible women had given birth to one or two infants between 23+0 and 31+6 weeks of gestation. The intervention was a 12-min voice recording including breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and lactation-specific visualisation. Primary outcome was the highest 24-h breastmilk weight expressed on any of day 4, day 14 or day 21 after birth.

Results

Mean birth gestation was 27.8 weeks (SD 2.4), with 26% of participants giving birth under 26 weeks (34/132). Adjusted mean difference in primary outcome was 73.9 g (95% CI −61.7 to 209.5, p = 0.28). Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Index adjusted mean difference was −1.9 (−8.2 to 4.3, p = 0.54). The majority of relaxation group participants felt the intervention was relaxing (32/42, 76%).

Conclusions

There was no beneficial effect of this relaxation intervention on milk quantity. Mothers of very premature infants may value relaxation interventions but they are unlikely to have a large effect on milk quantity.

Impact

This randomised trial did not show a beneficial effect of a self-directed audio relaxation and visualisation on mothers’ own milk quantity expressed after very preterm birth.

Mothers of very and extremely preterm infants may value relaxation interventions, but they are unlikely to have a large effect on milk quantity.

Prior systematic review of mixed populations has shown an increase in mothers’ own milk quantity with relaxation interventions. Combining this study with existing meta-analysis could result in a new hypothesis that the lower the gestation at birth, the smaller the impact of relaxation on milk quantity.
The genetic architecture of protein stability
Authors: Faure Andre J. , Martí-Aranda Aina , Hidalgo-Carcedo Cristina , Beltran Antoni , Schmiedel Jörn M. , Lehner Ben
Published: September 2024

There are more ways to synthesize a 100-amino acid (aa) protein (20100) than there are atoms in the universe. Only a very small fraction of such a vast sequence space can ever be experimentally or computationally surveyed. Deep neural networks are increasingly being used to navigate high-dimensional sequence spaces1. However, these models are extremely complicated. Here, by experimentally sampling from sequence spaces larger than 1010, we show that the genetic architecture of at least some proteins is remarkably simple, allowing accurate genetic prediction in high-dimensional sequence spaces with fully interpretable energy models. These models capture the nonlinear relationships between free energies and phenotypes but otherwise consist of additive free energy changes with a small contribution from pairwise energetic couplings. These energetic couplings are sparse and associated with structural contacts and backbone proximity. Our results indicate that protein genetics is actually both rather simple and intelligible.
Application of PLA/GO/ZnO and PLA/GO/Cu2O as sensor
Authors: Amin Khaled S. , Yassin Mohamed M. , Abdallah Yahia M. , Alsayyad Yusuf M. , Elhaes Hanan , Ibrahim Medhat A.
Published: September 2024

Polylactic acid modified with graphene oxide (PLA/GO) is proposed to interact with ZnO through 6 different schemes. Density functional theory at B3LYP/LANL2DZ level was utilized to calculate total dipole moment (TDM), HOMO/LUMO energy gap (ΔE) and to map the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP). Results indicated that PLA/GO interacted with ZnO through O-atom forming PLA/GO/OZn composite. This composite interacts with methane, hydrogen sulfide, humidity (H2O), carbon dioxide and ethanol. The same gases were supposed to interact further with PLA/GO/Cu2O. Adsorption energy for the interaction between each composite and the proposed gases were calculated. Both PLA/GO/OZn and PLA/GO/Cu2O composites interacted favorably with H2O. Adsorption energy for interaction of other gases with studied structures are generally low compared to H2O. PLA/GO/OZn have adsorption energy slightly higher than that of PLA/GO/Cu2O. PLA/GO/OZn has higher TDM values than those of PLA/GO/Cu2O, indicating a more polar material. Conversely, PLA/GO/Cu2O exhibited larger ΔE values than those of PLA/GO/OZn. TDM and energy gap results for both studied structures indicated good sensing capabilities. Further insights come from analyzing the calculated density of states (DOS) and partial density of states (PDOS). PLA/GO/Cu2O exhibited high peak for copper in its DOS and PDOS spectra compared to zinc and oxygen in case of PLA/GO/OZn. This means a higher density of available electronic states associated with Cu.
Efficient co-upcycling of glycerol and CO2 into valuable products enabled by a bifunctional Ru-complex catalyst
Authors: Cui Tianhua , Gong Huihua , Ji Li , Mao Jiawei , Xue Weichao , Zheng Xueli , Fu Haiyan , Chen Hua , Li Ruixiang , Xu Jiaqi
Published: September 2024

A bifunctional Ru catalyst enables the co-upcycling of glycerol and CO2 into into formate and lactate.
Promoting exchange coupling in (CpiPr5)2Gd2X3 complexes
Authors: David Grégoire , Le Guennic Boris , Reta Daniel
Published: September 2024

The impact of structural and chemical modifications on magnetic exchange couplings in mixed-valence gadolinium-based (CpiPr5)2Gd2I3 compounds is investigated by means of the DFT-based decomposition method.
Resolving heterogeneous particle mobility in deeply quenched liquid iron: an ultra-fast assembly-free two-step nucleation mechanism
Authors: Süle P.
Published: September 2024

Despite intensive research, little is known about the intermediate state of phase transforming materials, which may form the missing link between e.g. liquids and solids on the nanoscale.
Investigation of the electronic and magnetic properties of bare and oxygen-terminated ordered double transition-metal MXenes for spintronic applications
Authors: Akyildiz Aymila , Ilgaz Aysan Isil , Abdullahi Yusuf Zuntu , Akgenc Hanedar Berna , Demir Vatansever Zeynep , Ersan Fatih
Published: September 2024

We have investigated the electronic and magnetic properties of thirteen bare and fourteen oxygen-terminated double transition-metal MXene structures.
Construction of a highly efficient MoS2-based composite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Huang Mengyan , Liu Bo , Wu Junwei , Gu Junfeng , Zheng Yichen , Ma Peiyan , Li Bei , Fu Zhengyi
Published: September 2024

The carboxyl groups in CC-MoC@MoS2 play a similar role to the amino acid residues in PS II.
An imidazole functionalized aqua-stable metal–organic framework for selective fluorogenic detection of herbicide DNOC and antibacterial agent furaltadone in various biological and environmental specimens
Authors: Ghosh Subhrajyoti , Hossain Sk Sakir , Biswas Shyam
Published: September 2024

A fluorescent MOF was used for nanomolar sensing of herbicide dinitro-o-cresol and veterinary drug furaltadone in environmental waters, fruits and vegetable extracts, various pH media and bio-fluids.
Highly hydrophilic and surface defect-rich MOF-74-PA15 obtained by phytic acid etching as a robust catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Deng Xin , Shang Wenjing , Zhang Ke , Lou Yongbing , Chen Jinxi
Published: September 2024

By etching with phytic acid, MOF-74-PA15 with high hydrophilicity, surface defect-rich and excellent electronic structure was obtained. It exhibits outstanding OER catalytic activity with an overpotential of 250 mV at 100 mAcm−2.
Real-time visualization of carbon quantum dot transport in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media
Authors: Zhao Ying , Song Jian , Yang Qingchun , Li Yuelei , Liu Zhuqing , Yang Fan
Published: September 2024

The environmental behavior and mechanisms of CQDs in 2D homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media were revealed in real time by light transmission visualization.
Synthesis and structure–activity study of the antimicrobial lipopeptide brevibacillin
Authors: Fliss Omar , Guay Louis-David , Fliss Ismail , Biron Éric
Published: September 2024

The total synthesis of brevibacillin on solid support allowed structural exploration of the peptide scaffold and yielded N-terminal modified analogues with strong antimicrobial activity against several bacterial strains and reduced cytotoxicity.
Non-ideal nernstian behavior in organic electrochemical transistors: fundamental processes and theory
Authors: Feitosa Bianca de Andrade , Torres Bruno Bassi Millan , Luginieski Marcos , Coutinho Douglas José , Faria Gregório Couto
Published: September 2024

We propose an OECT model for steady-state behavior based on thermodynamic and electrochemical principles. It shows that it is possible to establish the origin of the relationship between the choice of channel-electrolyte and device performance.