bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reimagining Research Methods Curriculum in Education Otherwise: A Decolonial Turn
Authors: Ghemmour Riadh
Published: June 2024

This chapter seeks to explore decolonisation as a creative orientation to problematise the politics of knowledge hierarchies of university curriculum (research methods in the case of this chapter) in order to respond to issues of epistemic violence and exclusion, and create transformative and radical ideas about the future of education. The critical discussions are the result of my interactions with different educators and students within the UK and beyond, my lived experience as an Algerian Kabyle who immigrated to the UK, and my doctoral research. The latter sought to explore the lived experiences of EFL (English as a foreign language) master’s (MA) students in studying research methodology and writing their dissertations in education fields at an Algerian university. I begin to discuss my own education journey in both Algeria and the UK which was grounded in Eurocentrism. The chapter then defines the concept of decolonisation in the context of educational research, and what this proposed orientation may mean for the future of education. I further explain the significance of using decolonisation as a creative approach to address exclusion and inequality, and invite readers to think of what it may mean in terms of their practices, pedagogies and creating new possible realities of educational futures. I also conclude with offering some practical ideas for change to decolonise educational research methods curriculum in a higher education (HE) context.
Care as Resistance within Educational Practice
Authors: Campbell Sarah , Dyer Sarah , Nash River Jean
Published: June 2024

This chapter shares the learning of the authors who collaborated on an Arts and Culture University of Exeter Creative Fellowship in 2021–2022. The Creative Fellowship was itself a rupture, a process-driven placement with an open-ended approach, where artists and university staff were peers, and no fixed outcome was required. We held a common interest in care as resistance in contemporary workplaces, and as crucial to both learning and generating new ways of working through creative processes. This chapter is formed from edited extracts from two recorded conversations between the authors that took place towards the end of the Creative Fellowship. We reflected on the key moments, tensions, and insights. We present these as the learning we gained, which could usefully support others who seek to centre care, resist from within, or otherwise develop care-ful, ethical educational futures. We argue that vulnerability and discomfort are fundamental to creative processes, including learning, and care is required to hold these experiences productively. We conclude that the overemphasis in HE on individualised approaches to care—where staff and students are offered support such as apps to address experiences of stress, or where the burden of caring falls on individuals—fails to acknowledge its vital social and interpersonal dimensions and the responsibility of the institution towards sustainable ways of working for the community.
Journeying with Affective Embodied Empathy for an Ethical Understanding of Environmental Education
Authors: Wren Heather
Published: June 2024

The climate emergency necessitates addressing the ethical implications of the Anthropocene, emphasising the complex interplay between humans and the more-than-human. Traditionally, environmental education has focused on human perspectives, limiting a comprehensive understanding of these issues. Recent research advocates for a broader perspective, integrating human and more-than-human empathy to better grasp the Anthropocene’s challenges. This study redefines empathy as an affective, embodied phenomenon transcending human-centric views, focusing on the relational connections within shared environments. It proposes a new materialist framework, highlighting how empathy emerges through intra-actions, where affective forces shape relational dynamics and foster kinship and mutual care from sensory experiences. Methodologically, diffractive musing is used to explore affective, embodied empathy in a Norwegian Folke School. This lens facilitates attentiveness to the intra-actions between humans and the more-than-human, and as a reader, you are invited to join me on my journey to understand how subjectivity, agency, power relations, and understandings of time, space, and matter evolve. By taking part, I argue that you will appreciate the need to slow down, heighten sensory awareness, and focus on absences and placemaking to nurture affective, embodied empathy. By framing empathy as affective and embodied, the study contributes to posthuman/new materialist environmental education knowledge. It offers a new theorisation of empathy, positioning it as a transformative force capable of cultivating compassion and ethical responsibility towards the more-than-human world, ultimately driving positive social and environmental change.
(Ma)kin(g) Sympoietic More-than-Human Educational Futures
Authors: Witt Sharon , Clarke Helen
Published: June 2024

This chapter shares stories of creative ruptions, to think and do place-based education differently. We think-with Haraway’s (2016, Staying with the trouble: Making kin in the Chthulucene. Duke University Press) idea of sympoiesis as collective making, to situate learners as kin in a mesh of relations with more-than-human worlds. Making-with draws on wisdoms of the past and experiences of the present, to shape educational possibilities for the future. To explore sympoietic thinking within educational assemblages we share two lively elemental encounters of collaborative research creations that involve lake, garden, children, teachers, student teachers and researchers. In these examples we ground the idea of making-with in practical, everyday and lifelong ways within which educators can nurture kinship. Collective making is not straightforward. Sympoietic practices foster creative, inclusive, non-colonising pedagogies, which can be challenging to put into practice, yet position creativity as a powerful and provocative agent of positive change.
Creativity in an Emergent and Improvisational Global Educational Environment
Authors: Ben-Horin Oded
Published: June 2024

This chapter is anchored in European research and development (R&D) projects in the field of improvisational approaches to creativity and arts integration in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics (STEAM) education. These are implemented as globally co-created educational science operas, which are creative processes through which science and art educators facilitate the creation of original science-inspired operas in schools. This pedagogical approach constitutes a case study in which I explore and question imaginative, innovative environments as educational futures. Contributing to sustainable educational responses to the unpredictable challenges that the global educational environment faces requires an ethical understanding which includes other-than-humans, both living and non-living, in a relational creative process.

I describe my experiences and tensions with the management of a portfolio of creative R&D projects in a university of applied sciences as a middle leader and I outline the role of management in ensuring that ethical educational futures emerge responsively through the generative potential of creativity. From this perspective, I discuss quality standards and societal impact as current-day political requirements in higher education. I argue that they have yet to be reconciled with sustainability goals through overarching institutional strategies with regards to acknowledging specific contexts and conditions within which impact emerges, consistent integration of R&D initiatives in higher education’s study programmes, and intra-actions between profession-oriented study programmes and the practice field of schools.
Introduction
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

We designed this book to give you tools we hope you can use to improve your entrepreneurial performance. We have structured these rules following the entrepreneurial journey. You will find rules for recognizing opportunities, selecting markets for entry, making decisions, and developing plans and strategies. We have included rules for collaborating with important others, such as engaging with external stakeholders, working with cofounders, and managing employees. You will also find tools to grow your venture, ride the emotional rollercoaster of the entrepreneurial journey, and develop the social aspects of your venture. Finally, the book also includes rules for managing mistakes and failures and exiting your venture. We situate these simple rules in the entrepreneurial context. The entrepreneurial context is one of great complexity, dynamics, uncertainty, emotionality, time pressure, and consequential outcomes. We hope these simple rules help you.
Simple Rules for Managing Mistakes and Failures
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for managing mistakes and failures. These simple rules are: to be successful, you need to be prepared for and manage failure; yes, you can learn more from your failures than your successes, but it can be more challenging than you think; you cannot choose to be error free, you need to choose which error you will regret less; prepare for crises because they will likely happen (you just don’t know what or when); and if you caused a mistake that was a core violation of your entrepreneurial venture and negatively impacts others, then you better make a good apology.
Simple Rules for Exiting Your Entrepreneurial Venture
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for exiting your entrepreneurial venture. These simple rules are: if you want to end your entrepreneurial journey, consider multiple possibilities; and to keep your venture alive after exit, manage the succession process right.
Conclusion
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

Driving Route 66 is an adventure. Going on the entrepreneurial journey is an adventure. Just as simple traffic rules help you navigate perhaps the most famous road in the world, we hope the simple rules offered in this book prevent you from getting lost along your entrepreneurial journey but instead reach the successful outcome you want to achieve.
Simple Rules for Entrepreneurial Decision-Making
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for entrepreneurial decision-making. These simple rules are: entry decisions are complex, so time them right; if you think you do not have implicit biases, you are probably wrong (we all do), so set up procedures to circumvent them; reduce your overconfidence in making predictions; while slack is nice, necessity can be the mother of innovation; when you lack information to make decisions, turn to what you have at hand; if you want to capture fleeting opportunities, then speed up your decision-making; and decision analysis will only get you so far, tap into your inner child to ask questions.
Simple Rules for Developing Plans and Strategies
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rule for developing plans and strategies. These simple rules are: reflect on your personal goals when setting an entrepreneurial strategy; think about your venture’s future and your future in it; when facing uncertainty, look for ways to capitalize on learning (stage gates won’t cut it); simplify your rules as the environment becomes more complex and dynamic; be aware of and minimize your venture’s vulnerabilities; anticipate and avoid (or prepare for) potential threats; meetings can help effective transitions from one project to the next; and avoid firefighting mode to improve long-run performance.
Simple Rules for Working with Cofounders
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for working with cofounders. These simple rules are: don’t be a fool, don’t rush in; make sure to invest time in setting up your founding team; if you want your founding team to function well, nurture it; make sure your team can manage team issues; and your team may not stay together, but a break up does not have to be a disaster.
Simple Rules for Managing Employees
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for managing employees. These simple rules are: consider the people you can attract to your startup; you will shape your employees, but they will also shape you; build a culture in which your employees thrive; and if you want to be entrepreneurial, you need to be a failure-tolerant leader.
Simple Rules for Growing Your Venture
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Patzelt Holger , Breugst Nicola
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers simple rules for growing your venture. These simple rules are: growth is a challenging journey, be well prepared; transform your venture multiple times; build your cultural intelligence to enter foreign markets; to make your organization entrepreneurial, enhance its capacity to learn; and formalize some of your personality to build your venture’s culture.
Pathway Analysis of the Dynamics of Teacher Educators’ Professional Digital Competence
Authors: Madsen Siri Sollied , Saure Heidi I. , Lie Marit H. , Janeš Aleksander , Klančar Andreja , Brito Rita , Thorvaldsen Steinar
Published: June 2024

Institutions offering teacher education have generally been criticized for giving pre-service teachers an insufficient education regarding the pedagogical use of digital technology. In this study we investigate the dynamics of professional digital competence (PDC) among teacher educators (in primary, secondary and early childhood teacher education programmes) in Norway, Slovenia, and Portugal. A survey was constructed based on the understanding of digital competence consisting of an individual’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Three constructed variables from the survey (Attitudes, Knowledge and skills, and Use, regarding digital technology in higher education) were analysed, and we found small differences in mean scores between the three countries. However, a pathway analysis via regressions revealed markedly different dynamics of PDC, and we discuss implications of our findings on teacher educators’ use of digital technology.
Lemma Discovery and Strategies for Automated Induction
Authors: Einarsdóttir Sólrún Halla , Hajdu Márton , Johansson Moa , Smallbone Nicholas , Suda Martin
Published: June 2024

We investigate how the automated inductive proof capabilities of the first-order prover Vampire can be improved by adding lemmas conjectured by the QuickSpec theory exploration system and by training strategy schedules specialized for inductive proofs. We find that adding lemmas improves performance (measured in number of proofs found for benchmark problems) by$$40\%$$40%compared to Vampire’s plain structural induction as baseline. Strategy training alone increases the number of proofs found by$$130\%$$130%, and the two methods in combination provide an increase of$$183\%$$183%. By combining strategy training and lemma discovery we can prove more inductive benchmarks than previous state-of-the-art inductive proof systems (HipSpec and CVC4).
Model Completeness for Rational Trees
Authors: Ghilardi Silvio , Poidomani Lia M.
Published: June 2024

We analyze the theory of rational trees with finitely many constructors, infinitely many atoms and an atomicity predicate. We design a new decision procedure, proving in addition that this theory is model-complete. We also show that the enrichment of the language with selectors and simultaneous parametric fixpoints enjoys quantifier elimination.
Verifying a Realistic Mutable Hash Table
Authors: Chassot Samuel , Kunčak Viktor
Published: June 2024

In this work, we verify, using the Stainless program verifier, the mutable from the Scala standard library, a hash table using open addressing within a single array. As an executable specification, we write an immutable map based on a list of tuples and verify it against the mathematical definition of a map. We then show that ’s operations correspond to operations of this association list. To express the resizing of the hash table array, we introduce a new reference-swapping construct in Stainless. This allows us to apply the decorator design pattern without introducing aliasing. Our verification effort led us to find and fix a bug in the original implementation that manifests for large hash tables. Our performance analysis shows the verified version to be within a 1.5 factor of the original data structure.
Booleguru, the Propositional Polyglot (Short Paper)
Authors: Heisinger Maximilian , Heisinger Simone , Seidl Martina
Published: June 2024

Recent approaches on verification and reasoning solve SAT and QBF encodings using state-of-the-art SMT solvers, as it “makes implementation much easier”. The ease-of-use of these solvers make SAT and QBF solvers less visible to users of solvers—who are maybe from different research communities—potentially not exploiting the power of state-of-the-art tools. In this work, we motivate the need to build bridges over the widening solver-gap and introduce Booleguru, a tool to convert between formats for logic formulas. It makes SAT and QBF solvers more accessible by using techniques known from SMT solvers, such as advanced Python interfaces like Z3Py and easily generatable languages like SMT-LIB, integrating them to our conversion tool. We then introduce a language to manipulate and combine multiple formulas, optionally applying transformations for quickly prototyping encodings. Booleguru’s advanced scripting capabilities form a programming environment specialized for Boolean logic, offering a more efficient way to develop novel problem encodings.
Induction in Saturation
Authors: Kovács Laura , Hozzová Petra , Hajdu Márton , Voronkov Andrei
Published: June 2024

Proof by induction is commonplace in modern mathematics and computational logic. This paper overviews and discusses our recent results in turning saturation-based first-order theorem proving into a powerful framework for automating inductive reasoning. We formalize applications of induction as new inference rules of the saturation process, add instances of appropriate induction schemata to the search space, and use these rules and instances immediately upon their addition for the purpose of guiding induction. Our results show, for example, that many problems from formal verification and mathematical theories can now be solved completely automatically using a first-order theorem prover.
Satisfiability Modulo Exponential Integer Arithmetic
Authors: Frohn Florian , Giesl Jürgen
Published: June 2024

SMT solvers use sophisticated techniques for polynomial (linear or non-linear) integer arithmetic. In contrast, non-polynomial integer arithmetic has mostly been neglected so far. However, in the context of program verification, polynomials are often insufficient to capture the behavior of the analyzed system without resorting to approximations. In the last years, incremental linearization has been applied successfully to satisfiability modulo real arithmetic with transcendental functions. We adapt this approach to an extension of polynomial integer arithmetic with exponential functions. Here, the key challenge is to compute suitable lemmas that eliminate the current model from the search space if it violates the semantics of exponentiation. An empirical evaluation of our implementation shows that our approach is highly effective in practice.
SAT-Based Learning of Computation Tree Logic
Authors: Pommellet Adrien , Stan Daniel , Scatton Simon
Published: June 2024

The learning problem consists in finding for a given sample of positive and negative Kripke structures a distinguishing formula that is verified by the former but not by the latter. Further constraints may bound the size and shape of the desired formula or even ask for its minimality in terms of syntactic size. This synthesis problem is motivated by explanation generation for dissimilar models, e.g. comparing a faulty implementation with the original protocol. We devise a -based encoding for a fixed size formula, then provide an incremental approach that guarantees minimality. We further report on a prototype implementation whose contribution is twofold: first, it allows us to assess the efficiency of various output fragments and optimizations. Secondly, we can experimentally evaluate this tool by randomly mutating Kripke structures or syntactically introducing errors in higher-level models, then learning distinguishing formulas.
Generalized Optimization Modulo Theories
Authors: Tsiskaridze Nestan , Barrett Clark , Tinelli Cesare
Published: June 2024

Optimization Modulo Theories (OMT) has emerged as an important extension of the highly successful Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) paradigm. The OMT problem requires solving an SMT problem with the restriction that the solution must be optimal with respect to a given objective function. We introduce a generalization of the OMT problem where, in particular, objective functions can range over partially ordered sets. We provide a formalization of and an abstract calculus for the Generalized OMT problem and prove their key correctness properties. Generalized OMT extends previous work on OMT in several ways. First, in contrast to many current OMT solvers, our calculus is theory-agnostic, enabling the optimization of queries over any theories or combinations thereof. Second, our formalization unifies both single- and multi-objective optimization problems, allowing us to study them both in a single framework and facilitating the use of objective functions that are not supported by existing OMT approaches. Finally, our calculus is sufficiently general to fully capture a wide variety of current OMT approaches (each of which can be realized as a specific strategy for rule application in the calculus) and to support the exploration of new search strategies. Much like the original abstract DPLL(T) calculus for SMT, our Generalized OMT calculus is designed to establish a theoretical foundation for understanding and research and to serve as a framework for studying variations of and extensions to existing OMT methodologies.
Reducibility Constraints in Superposition
Authors: Hajdu Márton , Kovács Laura , Rawson Michael , Voronkov Andrei
Published: June 2024

Modern superposition inference systems aim at reducing the search space by introducing redundancy criteria on clauses and inferences. This paper focuses on reducing the number of superposition inferences with a single clause by blocking inferences into some terms, provided there were previously made inferences of a certain form performed with predecessors of this clause. Other calculi based on blocking inferences, for example basic superposition, rely on variable abstraction or equality constraints to express irreducibility of terms, resulting however in blocking inferences with all subterms of the respective terms. Here we introduce reducibility constraints in superposition to enable a more expressive blocking mechanism for inferences. We show that our calculus remains (refutationally) complete and present redundancy notions. Our implementation in the theorem prover Vampire demonstrates a considerable reduction in the size of the search space when using our new calculus.
First-Order Automatic Literal Model Generation
Authors: Bromberger Martin , Krasnopol Florent , Möhle Sibylle , Weidenbach Christoph
Published: June 2024

Given a finite consistent set of ground literals, we present an algorithm that generates a complete first-order logic interpretation, i.e., an interpretation for all ground literals over the signature and not just those in the input set, that is also a model for the input set. The interpretation is represented by first-order linear literals. It can be effectively used to evaluate clauses. A particular application are SCL stuck states. The SCL (Simple Clause Learning) calculus always computes with respect to a finite number of ground literals. It then finds either a contradiction or a stuck state being a model with respect to the considered ground literals. Our algorithm builds a complete literal interpretation out of such a stuck state model that can then be used to evaluate the clause set. If all clauses are satisfied an overall model has been found. If it does not satisfy some clause, this information can be effectively explored to extend the scope of ground literals considered by SCL.
Nature of Bioscience
Authors: Dittmer Arne , Ehras Christina
Published: June 2024

In diesem Beitrag wird die auf der Berliner Tagung „Biologiedidaktische Nature of Science-Forschung: Zukunftsweisende Praxis“ diskutierte Leitfrage Gibt es biologiespezifische Merkmale von Nature of Science, die in den Konzeptualisierungen besondere Berücksichtigung erfahren sollen? adressiert. Anhand von zwei Thesen wird für einen biologiespezifischen NOS-Ansatz argumentiert, der hier unter dem Titel Nature of Bioscience eingeführt wird. Beide Thesen nehmen Bezug auf die ethische Dimension der Biologie. These 1 hebt hervor, dass biologische Phänomene einen hohen Grad an Komplexität aufweisen, woraus auch ein hohes Maß an Diversität und Individualität resultiert. Damit einhergehend enthalten biologische Erklärungen oft Anteile an Nichtwissen und unsicherem Wissen. Ethische oder politische Entscheidungssituationen werden dadurch beeinflusst bzw. erschwert, sodass der Umgang mit Komplexität, Individualität und Wissenslücken in einem wissenschaftspropädeutisch bildenden Biologieunterricht Berücksichtigung finden sollte. These 2 bezieht sich auf den Einfluss biologischer Konzepte und Erklärungen auf das Selbst- und Weltverhältnis von Forschenden, Lehrenden und Lernenden, da biologische Erklärungen grundlegend ein Verständnis und die Bewertung von Lebewesen, Lebensprozessen, Naturräumen sowie des Menschen selbst beeinflussen. Biologische Forschung und Theorieentwicklung sind daher häufig auch mit ethischen Fragen und Wertzuschreibungen verknüpft. Die hier dargelegte Nature of Bioscience-Perspektive begründet einen aufmerksameren Umgang mit der Komplexität und Individualität biologischer Phänomene, Nichtwissen, unsicherem Wissen und ethischen Fragestellungen beim Lehren und Lernen biologischer Inhalte sowie auch in der Biologielehrkräftebildung.
Charakteristika der Biologie – Bio-NOS als ein Impuls für die Lehrkräftebildung
Authors: Müller Sophie-Luise , Mahler Daniela
Published: June 2024

Als angestrebtes Ziel des naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts setzt die von Schüler*innen zu erwerbende Scientific Literacy (SL) ein adäquates Verständnis des Wesens der Naturwissenschaften (Nature of Science [NOS]) voraus. Um SL im Sinne eines Wissenschaftsverständnisses fördern zu können, benötigen auch Lehrkräfte selbst ein adäquates NOS-Verständnis. Bekannte Konzeptualisierungen von SL haben als viel rezipierter Ansatz zu NOS-Aspektlisten geführt. Diese disziplinübergreifenden NOS-Aspekte vermitteln ein generalisierendes Bild der Naturwissenschaften. Um dem Anspruch einer funktionellen SL gerecht zu werden und stereotypen Auffassungen zur Natur der Naturwissenschaften entgegenzuwirken, ist einer generalisierenden Konzeptualisierung eine disziplinspezifische Perspektive gegenüberzustellen. Durch Überlegungen aus der Wissenschaftsphilosophie wird deutlich, dass die einzelnen Naturwissenschaften bestimmte Charakteristika aufweisen, die in einer disziplinspezifischen NOS-Konzeptualisierung repräsentiert sein können. In diesem Beitrag werden drei Charakteristika der Biologie für ein Bio-NOS vorgeschlagen, die Berechtigung eines disziplinspezifischen Bio-NOS für Biologielehrkräfte diskutiert sowie daraus resultierende Implikationen für die Lehrkräftebildung aufgeführt.
Mit Simulationen im Biologieunterricht das Verständnis von Nature of Science reflektieren und fördern
Authors: Heuckmann Benedikt , Lübke Britta
Published: June 2024

In den Naturwissenschaften werden Computersimulationen verstärkt eingesetzt, um neue Erkenntnisse zu gewinnen und diese in die Öffentlichkeit zu kommunizieren. Auch in der Biologie gelten Simulationen neben Theorie und Empirie inzwischen als drittes Standbein der Wissenschaft. Im Beitrag wird argumentiert, dass sich Computersimulationen im Biologieunterricht auch zur Förderung des Verständnisses von Nature of Science (NOS) eignen. Dies ist besonders der Fall, wenn mit Simulationen komplexe naturwissenschaftliche Phänomene untersucht werden. Der Beitrag legt dafür ein spezifisches Augenmerk auf die Kombination unterschiedlicher Typen von Ungewissheit bei unterschiedlich komplexen Themen, die mithilfe des Cynefin-Frameworks konzeptualisiert werden, und betrachtet die Möglichkeiten, die Simulationen für die Auseinandersetzung mit Ungewissheit bieten.
Nature of Science im Kontext: Gestaltung von Lerngelegenheiten am Beispiel der Mystery-Methode
Authors: Fricke Kristina , Reinisch Bianca
Published: June 2024

In diesem Beitrag werden biologiedidaktische Forschung und Unterrichtspraxis verknüpft, indem der Family Resemblance Approach für Nature of Science (NOS) als theoretischer Rahmen präsentiert und am historischen Fallbeispiel der Primatologin Dian Fossey (1932–1985) kontextualisiert wird. Dies wird anhand der Mystery-Methode dargestellt, bei der Schüler*innen eine problematische Aussage auflösen, indem sie auf Kärtchen dargestellte Informationen in Concept Maps strukturieren. Anhand eines bereits vorliegenden Mysterys zur Erkenntnisgewinnung in der Sekundarstufe II werden in diesem Beitrag Möglichkeiten zur Kontextualisierung von NOS-Lerngelegenheiten diskutiert. Es zeigt sich, dass für ein effektives Lernen über NOS einerseits die „innere Logik“ entsprechender Lerngelegenheiten (z. B. deduktive Vorgehensweise) und andererseits disziplinübergreifende und -spezifische NOS-Inhalte auf unterschiedliche Weise berücksichtigt werden können. Damit knüpft der Beitrag an den Round Table „Nature of Science in der Praxis“ an, in dem darüber reflektiert wurde, inwiefern unterschiedliche Möglichkeiten der Kontextualisierung von NOS-Lerngelegenheiten zu einem effektiven Lehren und Lernen über NOS in der naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichtspraxis beitragen können.
Subzero project: comparing trace element profiles of enriched mitochondria fractions from frozen and fresh liver tissue
Authors: Heinze Tom , Ebert Franziska , Ott Christiane , Nagel Judith , Eberhagen Carola , Zischka Hans , Schwerdtle Tanja
Published: July 2024

From organs to subcellular organelles, trace element (TE) homeostasis is fundamental for many physiological processes. While often overlooked in early stages, manifested TE disbalance can have severe health consequences, particularly in the context of aging or pathological conditions. Monitoring TE concentrations at the mitochondrial level could identify organelle-specific imbalances, contributing to targeted diagnostics and a healthier aging process. However, mitochondria isolation from frozen tissue is challenging, as it poses the risk of TE losses from the organelles due to cryodamage, but would significantly ease routine laboratory work. To address this, a novel method to isolate an enriched mitochondria fraction (EMF) from frozen tissue was adapted from already established protocols. Validation of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) quantification via inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) showed sufficiently low quantification limits for EMF TE analysis. Successful mitochondrial enrichment from frozen liver samples was confirmed via immunoblots and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed sufficient structural integrity of the EMFs. No significant differences in EMF TEs between frozen and fresh tissue were evident for Mn and Cu and only slight decreases in EMF Fe. Consequently, EMF TEs were highly comparable for isolates from both tissue states. In application, this method effectively detected dietary differences in EMF Fe of a murine feeding study and identified the disease status in a Wilson disease rat model based on drastically increased EMF Cu. In summary, the present method is suitable for future applications, facilitating sample storage and high-throughput analyses of mitochondrial TEs.

Graphical abstract
Microbiome Dynamics and Functional Composition in Coelopa frigida (Diptera, Coelopidae): Insights into Trophic Specialization of Kelp Flies
Authors: Bischof Paul S. P. , Bartolomaeus Theda U. P. , Löber Ulrike , Bleidorn Christoph
Published: July 2024

Coelopidae (Diptera), known as kelp flies, exhibit an ecological association with beached kelp and other rotting seaweeds. This unique trophic specialization necessitates significant adaptations to overcome the limitations of an algal diet. We aimed to investigate whether the flies’ microbiome could be one of these adaptive mechanisms. Our analysis focused on assessing composition and diversity of adult and larval microbiota of the kelp fly Coelopa frigida. Feeding habits of the larvae of this species have been subject of numerous studies, with debates whether they directly consume kelp or primarily feed on associated bacteria. By using a 16S rRNA metabarcoding approach, we found that the larval microbiota displayed considerably less diversity than adults, heavily dominated by only four operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Phylogenetic placement recovered the most dominant OTU of the larval microbiome, which is the source of more than half of all metabarcoding sequence reads, as an undescribed genus of Orbaceae (Gammaproteobacteria). Interestingly, this OTU is barely found among the 15 most abundant taxa of the adult microbiome, where it is responsible for less than 2% of the metabarcoding sequence reads. The other three OTUs dominating the larval microbiome have been assigned as Psychrobacter (Gammaproteobacteria), Wohlfahrtiimonas (Gammaproteobacteria), and Cetobacterium (Fusobacteriota). Moreover, we also uncovered a distinct shift in the functional composition between the larval and adult stages, where our taxonomic profiling suggests a significant decrease in functional diversity in larval samples. Our study offers insights into the microbiome dynamics and functional composition of Coelopa frigida.
Endophytic Aspergillus fumigatiaffinis: Novel paclitaxel production and optimization insights
Authors: Obiedallah Marwa , Yasien Alaa A. , Mohamed Sabah S. , Aboul-Nasr M. Bassam
Published: July 2024

This study investigated the potential of endophytic fungi to produce paclitaxel (Taxol®), a potent anticancer compound widely employed in chemotherapy. This research aimed to identify, confirm, and characterize endophytic fungi capable of paclitaxel (PTX) production and assess their paclitaxel yield. Additionally, it aimed to investigate factors influencing paclitaxel production. A total of 100 endophytic fungal isolates were collected and identified from the roots of Artemisia judaica. Aspergillus fumigatiaffinis exhibited the highest PTX production (26.373 μg L−1) among the isolated endophytic fungi. The strain was identified as A. fumigatiaffinis (Accession No. PP235788.1). Molecular identification confirmed its novelty, representing the first report of PTX production by A. fumigatiaffinis, an endophyte of Artemisia judaica. Optimization through full factorial design of experiments (DOE) and response surface methodology (RSM) significantly enhanced PTX production to 110.23 μg L−1 from 1 g of dry weight of the fungal culture under optimal conditions of pH 8.0, 150 μg L−1 becozyme supplementation, and 18 days of fermentation in potato dextrose broth. The presence of paclitaxel was confirmed using thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. These findings maximize the role of endophytic fungus to produce a secondary metabolite that might be able to replace the chemically produced PTX and gives an opportunity to provide a sustainable source of PTX eco-friendly at high concentrations.

Key points

• Endophytic fungi, like A. fumigatiaffinis, show promise for eco-friendly paclitaxel production

• Optimization strategies boost paclitaxel yield significantly, reaching 110.23 μg L−1

• Molecular identification confirms novelty, offering a sustainable PTX source
Fibroblasts as an in vitro model of circadian genetic and genomic studies
Authors: Francia Marcelo , Bot Merel , Boltz Toni , De la Hoz Juan F. , Boks Marco , Kahn René S. , Ophoff Roel A.
Published: July 2024

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a heritable disorder characterized by shifts in mood that manifest in manic or depressive episodes. Clinical studies have identified abnormalities of the circadian system in BD patients as a hallmark of underlying pathophysiology. Fibroblasts are a well-established in vitro model for measuring circadian patterns. We set out to examine the underlying genetic architecture of circadian rhythm in fibroblasts, with the goal to assess its contribution to the polygenic nature of BD disease risk. We collected, from primary cell lines of 6 healthy individuals, temporal genomic features over a 48 h period from transcriptomic data (RNA-seq) and open chromatin data (ATAC-seq). The RNA-seq data showed that only a limited number of genes, primarily the known core clock genes such as ARNTL, CRY1, PER3, NR1D2 and TEF display circadian patterns of expression consistently across cell cultures. The ATAC-seq data identified that distinct transcription factor families, like those with the basic helix-loop-helix motif, were associated with regions that were increasing in accessibility over time. Whereas known glucocorticoid receptor target motifs were identified in those regions that were decreasing in accessibility. Further evaluation of these regions using stratified linkage disequilibrium score regression analysis failed to identify a significant presence of them in the known genetic architecture of BD, and other psychiatric disorders or neurobehavioral traits in which the circadian rhythm is affected. In this study, we characterize the biological pathways that are activated in this in vitro circadian model, evaluating the relevance of these processes in the context of the genetic architecture of BD and other disorders, highlighting its limitations and future applications for circadian genomic studies.
Historical and future extreme climate events in highly vulnerable small Caribbean Islands
Authors: Esteban-Cantillo Oscar Julian , Clerici Nicola , Avila-Diaz Alvaro , Quesada Benjamin
Published: July 2024

Small Caribbean islands are on the frontline of climate change because of sea level rise, extreme rainfall and temperature events, and heavy hurricanes. The Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina (SAI), are Caribbean islands belonging to Colombia and declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. SAI is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts but no hydroclimatological study quantified the extreme climatic changes yet. This study analyzes historical (1960s-2020, 7 stations) and future (2071–2100, CMIP6 multi-model ensemble, for four scenarios: SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) trends in mean and extreme precipitation and temperature duration, frequency, and intensity. We find that heatwaves have more than tripled in frequency and doubled their maximum duration since the end of the ‘80 s. Precipitation is historically reduced by 5%, with a reduction recorded in 5 stations and an increase in 2, while extreme rainfall events significantly increased in frequency and intensity in most stations. The hotter-and-drier climate is amplified in the future for all scenarios, with much drier extremes (e.g., -0.5─-17% wet days, +8%─30% consecutive dry days, and +60%─89% in hot days). Although we show that hurricanes Categories IV and V near SAI (< 600 km) more than doubled since the’60 s, only a small fraction of extreme rainfall in the archipelago is associated with hurricanes or tropical storms. La Niña events also have no substantial influence on extreme precipitation. Interestingly, opposite and heterogeneous historical extreme rainfall trends are found across such small territory (< 30 km2). Thus, downscaled hydrometeorological data and model simulations are essential to investigate future extreme climatic events and strengthen small Caribbean islands' climate change adaptation efforts.
Burden of oral diseases predicts development of excess weight in early adolescence: a 2-year longitudinal study
Authors: Lommi Sohvi , Leinonen Jukka , Pussinen Pirkko , Furuholm Jussi , Kolho Kaija-Leena , Viljakainen Heli
Published: July 2024

Dental caries, gingivitis, and excess weight are highly prevalent, interconnected chronic conditions. The association of oral health with the development of adiposity among children is sparsely addressed. We examined the association of oral health to the development of excess weight and central obesity in early adolescence during a 2-year follow-up period. This prospective study was conducted with 2702 children aged 9–12 years at baseline from the Finnish Health in Teens study. Their weight development was followed up for 2 years. Body mass index with age- and sex-specific cut-offs and the waist–height ratio indicated weight status and central obesity. Oral health data (caries experience and gingivitis/calculus) were collected from outpatient records of public dental services. Having both caries experience and gingivitis/calculus was considered burden of oral diseases. Of the sample, 74% were caries-free but 70% exhibited gingivitis and/or calculus, and 20% had both caries experience and gingivitis/calculus. During the follow-up period, 5.3% (n = 124) and 4.7% (n = 118) of the children became overweight/obese or centrally obese, respectively. Having both caries experience and gingivitis/calculus associated with the development of excess weight in a fully adjusted model (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.03–2.97) but not of central obesity. Caries experience or gingivitis/calculus alone did not associate with adiposity development.

Conclusion: Having burden of oral diseases without excess weight at early adolescence could imply future weight gain; thus, normal-weight individuals with both caries experience and gingivitis/calculus could be targeted with preventive measures. Our findings warrant further research to explore whether oral diseases and the development of obesity merely share risk factors or if their relationship is of causal nature.

What is Known:• Association of excess weight with caries experience and gingivitis is known to exist both cross-sectionally and longitudinally in children and adolescents.

What is New:• Burden of oral diseases, that is, having both caries experience and gingivitis/calculus, was associated with becoming overweight or obese 2 years later during early adolescence.• Normal-weight individuals with burden of oral diseases at early adolescence could be targeted with preventive measures against excess weight gain.
A stabilised Total Lagrangian Element-Free Galerkin method for transient nonlinear solid dynamics
Authors: Badnava Hojjat , Lee Chun Hean , Nourbakhsh Sayed Hassan , Refachinho de Campos Paulo Roberto
Published: July 2024

This paper presents a new stabilised Element-Free Galerkin (EFG) method tailored for large strain transient solid dynamics. The method employs a mixed formulation that combines the Total Lagrangian conservation laws for linear momentum with an additional set of geometric strain measures. The main aim of this paper is to adapt the well-established Streamline Upwind Petrov–Galerkin (SUPG) stabilisation methodology to the context of EFG, presenting three key contributions. Firstly, a variational consistent EFG computational framework is introduced, emphasising behaviours associated with nearly incompressible materials. Secondly, the suppression of non-physical numerical artefacts, such as zero-energy modes and locking, through a well-established stabilisation procedure. Thirdly, the stability of the SUPG formulation is demonstrated using the time rate of Hamiltonian of the system, ensuring non-negative entropy production throughout the entire simulation. To assess the stability, robustness and performance of the proposed algorithm, several benchmark examples in the context of isothermal hyperelasticity and large strain plasticity are examined. Results show that the proposed algorithm effectively addresses spurious modes, including hour-glassing and spurious pressure fluctuations commonly observed in classical displacement-based EFG frameworks.
Optimal time reuse strategy-based dynamic multi-AGV path planning method
Authors: Wang Ke , Liang Wei , Shi Huaguang , Zhang Jialin , Wang Qi
Published: July 2024

The window strategy, known for its flexibility and efficiency, is extensively used in dynamic path planning. To further enhance the performance of the Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) sorting system, the two processes of AGV movement and path planning can be executed concurrently based on the window strategy. Nonetheless, difficulties in matching the computing time of the planning server with the moving time of AGVs may cause delays or reduced path optimality. To address the problem, this paper proposes an optimal time reuse strategy. The proposed solution controls computing time by managing path length for each planning instance, ensuring alignment with the moving time of AGVs to maximize path optimality and avoid delays. To achieve this, two aspects need to be considered. Firstly, on a systemic level, we control the entry rate of AGVs by adjusting the replanning period, thus avoiding congestion caused by excessive AGVs and maintaining high system efficiency. Secondly, we reversely control the computing time by adjusting the path length that needs to be planned for each single planning, so that it matches the moving time of AGVs. Simulation results show that our method outperforms existing top-performing methods, achieving task completion rates 1.64, 1.57, and 1.12 times faster across various map sizes. This indicates its effectiveness in synchronizing planning and movement times. The method contributes significantly to dynamic path planning methodologies, offering a novel approach to time management in AGV systems.
How disciplinary detail obscures the metacognitive potential of curriculums
Authors: Termaat Annie
Published: July 2024

This paper analyses five junior secondary curriculums for their emphases on metacognition. Metacognition is an emergent skill that prepares students for their inscrutable futures, where they will need to apply their knowledge strategically to complex contexts, guided by self-knowledge. Its development requires experiential pedagogies that introduce problematic knowledge, and it is difficult to measure. English, humanities, mathematics and science curriculums for students aged between 11–16 years were coded using a qualitative, deductive approach. Semantic information was ascribed to three epistemic and seven cognitive or metacognitive themes, and code totals compared for their relative emphases. All five curriculums provided pathways that could support metacognitive development, but only two, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), explicitly recommended strategies likely to provoke the dispositions of teachers towards engaging students in complex, problematic tasks. Code totals revealed curriculum tightness. Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) courses provided the greatest number of codes, but the Common Core State Standards (CC) and the Australian Curriculum (version 9) (ACv9), were similarly detailed, with up to three times as many cognitive and metacognitive references as the NZC and MYP. Although all the curriculums claimed to develop thinking skills, the three that used mandatory external assessment or benchmarking tests (CAIE, ACv9 and CC) did not offer mechanisms likely to build teacher capacity to engage their students in tasks that had intrinsic educational benefit.