bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating and mitigating barren plateaus in variational quantum circuits: a survey
Authors: Cunningham Jack , Zhuang Jun
Published: January 2025

In recent years, variational quantum circuits (VQCs) have been widely explored to advance quantum circuits against classic models on various domains, such as quantum chemistry and quantum machine learning. Similar to classic machine-learning models, VQCs can be trained through various optimization approaches, such as gradient-based or gradient-free methods. However, when employing gradient-based methods, the gradient variance of VQCs may dramatically vanish as the number of qubits or layers increases. This issue, a.k.a. barren plateaus (BPs), seriously hinders the scaling of VQCs on large datasets. To mitigate the barren plateaus, extensive efforts have been devoted to tackling this issue through diverse strategies. In this survey, we conduct a systematic literature review of recent works from both investigation and mitigation perspectives. Furthermore, we propose a new taxonomy to categorize most existing mitigation strategies into five groups and introduce them in detail. Also, we compare the concurrent survey papers about BPs. Finally, we provide insightful discussion on future directions for BPs.
CPU-GPU co-execution through the exploitation of hybrid technologies via SYCL
Authors: Raúl Nozal , Bosque Jose Luis
Published: January 2025

The performance and energy efficiency offered by heterogeneous systems are highly useful for modern C++ applications, but the technological variety demands adequate portability and programmability. Initiatives such as Intel oneAPI facilitate the exploitation of Intel CPUs and GPUs, but not NVIDIA GPUs, which are present in systems of all kinds and are necessarily leveraged by CUDA technology. Frequently, only GPUs are used, leaving the CPU for management tasks, with the consequent loss of energy and system utilization. In this work, the CoexecutorRuntime system design and API are extended to transparently integrate backends of diverse technologies, unifying offloading mechanisms under a consistent co-execution API and scheduling runtime. Moreover, CPU-GPU co-execution of hybrid technologies is enabled to ensure performance portability. Experimental results show performance improvements for all programs studied, achieving average efficiencies of 0.91 and speedups of 1.31 over using only the GPU.
A Novel, Ecology-Inclusive, Hybrid Framework for Rainwater Harvesting Site Selection in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions
Authors: Ahmed Safaa , Jesson Mike , Sharifi Soroosh
Published: January 2025

The water crisis is a critical issue, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where rainfall is limited. Rainwater harvesting systems have been introduced in many locations to capture what rainfall does occur, but selection of the optimum site is vital to ensure efficient capture and storage. Over the past few decades, a range of frameworks for ranking proposed rainwater harvesting sites on the basis of site suitability have been suggested. The goal of this study was to develop a robust methodology to extend these frameworks, which consider biophysical and socio-economic criteria only, to include ecological criteria in the site selection process. This is essential for ensuring environmental protection, maintaining biodiversity, water quality improvement, climate resilience, regulatory compliance and sustainability of the system. In this paper, the inter-relationships of ecological criteria are shown to be complex, with “independent” criteria affecting “mediator” criteria which then directly impact ecological standards, i.e. the “dependent” criteria such as number of aquatic organisms. It is shown how a robust combination of data analysis and expert opinion can be applied to determine relative weightings of the different ecological criteria, using temperature and light as examples of key independent criteria. The developed hybrid framework is applied to a case study of site selection in Erbil Province in Iraq, where both climate change and human actions have seriously reduced water supplies in the past twenty years, showing that inclusion of these ecological criteria changes the ranking of the sites compared to ranking without ecological considerations.
The Nullity of Nescience: G. R. Malkani’s Contemporary Formulation of Advaita
Authors: Barua Ankur
Published: January 2025

This article is a conceptual exploration of a central argument developed by Ghanshamdas Rattanmal Malkani (1892–1977) to indicate that ignorance (ajñāna) does not have any nature and it should not be invested with any measure or degree of substantiality. In his writings in English, we find a contemporary way of working through some of the key problems that appear on premodern Advaita exegetical landscapes. One aspect of the distinctiveness of Malkani’s hermeneutic style is that, generally speaking, he does not directly engage with, or even name, commentators from these premodern traditions. In the first three sections of this article, we will outline some conceptual problems that different exegetes—from Sureśvara (c. 800) to Prakāśānanda (c. 1600)—grapple with, and this discussion will lead us, in subsequent sections, to an exploration of Malkani’s articulation of the non-duality between the one and the many. Malkani’s view that non-duality has to be presented in terms of the utter absence of all traces of duality—material as well as notional—is resonant with similar claims in Prakāśānanda and his own contemporary Svāmī Satchidānandendra Sarasvatī (1880–1975).
Smart home-assisted anomaly detection system for older adults: a deep learning approach with a comprehensive set of daily activities
Authors: Cejudo Ander , Beristain Andoni , Almeida Aitor , Rebescher Kristin , Martín Cristina , Macía Iván
Published: January 2025

Smart homes have the potential to enable remote monitoring of the health and well-being of older adults, leading to improved health outcomes and increased independence. However, current approaches only consider a limited set of daily activities and do not combine data from individuals. In this work, we propose the use of deep learning techniques to model behavior at the population level and detect significant deviations (i.e., anomalies) while taking into account the whole set of daily activities (41). We detect and visualize daily routine patterns, train a set of recurrent neural networks for behavior modelling with next-day prediction, and model errors with a normal distribution to identify significant deviations while considering the temporal component. Clustering of daily routines achieves a silhouette score of 0.18 and the best model obtains a mean squared error in next day routine prediction of 4.38%. The mean number of deviated activities for the anomalies in the train and test set are 3.6 and 3.0, respectively, with more than 60% of anomalies involving three or more deviated activities in the test set. The methodology is scalable and can incorporate additional activities into the analysis.

Graphical abstract

A comprehensive activity monitoring and anomaly detection system for older adults, using sensor data, predictive modeling, and statistical analysis to alert health professionals of irregular behaviors.
Multidecadal Morphodynamic evolution of shorelines and coral reefs along the Arabian Sea Coast of Oman: Bar Al Hikman Peninsula
Authors: Teillet Thomas , Bois Perrine , Homewood Peter , Mettraux Monique , Samimi-Namin Kaveh , Vahrenkamp Volker
Published: January 2025

This study examines the morphodynamic evolution of the shoreline and coral reef coverage along the Arabian Sea coast of Oman over the past five decades (1972–2022). The Peninsula of Bar Al Hikman, the largest low-lying coastal area in Oman (550 km2; elevations < 10 m), hosts unique, monospecific coral reefs developing under a monsoon climate. Unlike other densely populated, low-lying coastal areas in the Middle East (e.g., the Gulf), the southern Arabian Plate has received limited attention, with few studies addressing its coastal evolution or future environmental risks. By combining sedimentological fieldwork with photo-interpretations of satellite images spanning 50 years, this study documents significant coastal geomorphological changes. The findings reveal a dramatic 60% reduction in the surface area of Bar Al Hikman’s main coral reefs. A significant consequence of this reef shrinkage is the rapid shoreline erosion on the leeward side of the disappearing reefs. Half of the southern shoreline of the peninsula is retreating northward at rates exceeding 1 m/year, with localized section (6%) eroding at extreme rates of over 10 m/year. At this pace, the ongoing reef decline is likely to exacerbate shoreline erosion, accelerate the landward migration of barrier bars and in turn close off lagoonal areas, and threaten intertidal ecosystems. Furthermore, with the ongoing global rise in sea level, a substantial portion of the peninsula is predicted to fall below the annual flood limit by 2050. This will result in the extensive landward migration of coastal sabkhas deeper into the peninsula's interior. Overall, this study provides a baseline for understanding the recent evolution of Oman’s Arabian Sea coastline and underscores the importance of developing policies and coastal management strategies to mitigate the effects of ongoing environmental and sea-level changes.
Biomass Gasification as a Viable Alternative for Small-scaled Combined Heat and Power Technologies in Remote Communities in Canada
Authors: Schilling Christoph , Mola-Yudego Blas , Marinescu Marian , Gaston Christopher , Röser Dominik
Published: January 2025

The use of forest biomass could drastically reduce the environmental impacts of fossil fuel usage for heat and power in remote communities and can provide new opportunities for employment, retaining money inside communities. Here, we present the techno-economic feasibility of alternative gasification technologies for CHP uses in three remote off-grid communities in Canada. The analysis includes different scenarios of fuel price and operation costs, as well as two different feedstocks, wood pellets and wood chips. The results show potential for successful implementation, subject to planning on the specific conditions and location of the community. Power generation costs vary widely depending on the available biomass price, utilization of heat as well the power output of the system, ranging from about 0.25 CAD/kWh to over 1.20 CAD/kW. Economic support for biomass or removal of diesel subsidies would have a significant impact on biomass CHP implementations. The feasibility of the investigated systems is not dependent on the economics or technology itself but (i) availability of quality feedstock, (ii) utilization of heat for additional revenue generation, (iii) the utilization of the systems, (iv) community-driven bioeconomy alternatives and (v) carbon credit opportunities.
HIF1A, EPAS1, and VEGFA: angiogenesis and hypoxia-related gene expression in endometrium and endometrial epithelial tumors
Authors: Englert-Golon Monika , Tokłowicz Małgorzata , Żbikowska Aleksandra , Sajdak Stefan , Kotwicka Małgorzata , Jagodziński Paweł , Pławski Andrzej , Andrusiewicz Mirosław
Published: January 2025

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the second most frequent gynecological malignancy and the sixth most common women’s cancer worldwide. EC incidence rate is increasing rapidly. Apart from the classical, we should consider angiogenesis and hypoxia-related genes as a reason for EC manifestation and progression. We compared the patterns of HIF1A, EPAS1, and VEGFA (genes of interest – GOIs) mRNA expression in 92 cases. HIF1A and VEGFA levels were higher in EC patients than in controls. VEGFA differed significantly between controls and both tumor grades G2 and G3, and we observed a positive correlation for HIF1A and VEGFA with EC grading. VEGFA levels were significantly higher in post-menopausal compared to pre-menopausal patients. All GOIs demonstrated strong correlations in pre-menopausal cases and weak correlations in post-menopausal cases. A positive correlation was observed in pre-menopausal controls for all GOIs and in post-menopausal patients for only EPAS1 and VEGFA. HIF1A and EPAS1 positively correlated with VEGFA in post-menopausal EC cases. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that menopause, body mass index (BMI), and HIF1A expression are significant stimulating factors for EC occurrence. HIF1A levels were higher in EC patients after BMI and comorbidity number adjustment. The gene-to-gene relation could be seen as either a diagnostic or a therapeutic target in EC. Physicians should inform patients about modifiable risk factors such as BMI. Second, more attention should be paid to diagnosing patients with comorbidities in older age and after menopause. These factors should be considered in designing angiogenesis and hypoxia-related gene-targeting therapies.
Knowledge, attitudes and preferences of parents/guardians regarding dental treatment of their children’s primary teeth: a questionnaire cross-sectional study
Authors: Ninou C. , Seremidi K. , Agouropoulos A. , Papaioannou W. , Gizani S.
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Assess the knowledge and attitudes of parents/guardians regarding their children's oral health and their preferences regarding the treatment of carious primary teeth.

Methods

A cross-sectional study including the completion of a questionnaire by parents/guardians of healthy children aged 2–12 years attending the Department of Pediatric Dentistry (NKUA). Data were collected through 35 questions regarding demographic characteristics of the participants, oral hygiene and dietary habits, and parents’ knowledge of the importance of oral health and primary teeth. Treatment preferences were assessed through clinical scenarios accompanied by colored clinical photographs. Results were presented in frequency tables and comparisons with specific child and parent-characteristics were evaluated using chi-squared and Fisher's exact test.

Results

Parents were mainly females (73%), married (81%), aged > 40 years (56%), and high school graduates (57%). Most children brushed alone (56%), twice (48%) daily, with a manual toothbrush (65%) and consumed sugary snacks daily (38%). More than two-thirds of parents recognized the relationship between oral hygiene and general health (82%) and the importance of primary teeth (72%). Almost all parents would like to restore their children’s asymptomatic (94%) and symptomatic (98%) primary teeth, with pulp therapy and stainless-steel crowns being the treatment of choice (58%). The decision on treatment about cavitated/non-cavitated primary teeth was not correlated with any of the parental or child-related factors. Acceptance of minimally invasive treatments was higher among highly educated parents and parents of boys.

Conclusion

Insight into parents' perceptions and preferences regarding the treatment of primary teeth is necessary and should be considered during treatment planning.
Transition Metal Carbonitride MXenes Anchored with Pt Sub-Nanometer Clusters to Achieve High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at All pH Range
Authors: Lei Zhihao , Ali Sajjad , Sathish CI , Ahmed MuhammadIbrar , Qu Jiangtao , Zheng Rongkun , Xi Shibo , Yu Xiaojiang , Breese M. B. H. , Liu Chao , Zhang Jizhen , Qi Shuai , Guan Xinwei , Perumalsamy Vibin , Fawaz Mohammed , Yang Jae-Hun , Bououdina Mohamed , Domen Kazunari , Vinu Ajayan , Qiao Liang , Yi Jiabao
Published: January 2025

Transition metal carbides, known as MXenes, particularly Ti3C2Tx, have been extensively explored as promising materials for electrochemical reactions. However, transition metal carbonitride MXenes with high nitrogen content for electrochemical reactions are rarely reported. In this work, transition metal carbonitride MXenes incorporated with Pt-based electrocatalysts, ranging from single atoms to sub-nanometer dimensions, are explored for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The fabricated Pt clusters/MXene catalyst exhibits superior HER performance compared to the single-atom-incorporated MXene and commercial Pt/C catalyst in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes. The optimized sample shows low overpotentials of 28, 65, and 154 mV at a current densities of 10, 100, and 500 mA cm−2, a small Tafel slope of 29 mV dec−1, a high mass activity of 1203 mA mgPt
−1 and an excellent turnover frequency of 6.1 s−1 in the acidic electrolyte. Density functional theory calculations indicate that this high performance can be attributed to the enhanced active sites, increased surface functional groups, faster charge transfer dynamics, and stronger electronic interaction between Pt and MXene, resulting in optimized hydrogen absorption/desorption toward better HER. This work demonstrates that MXenes with a high content of nitrogen may be promising candidates for various catalytic reactions by incorporating single atoms or clusters.
buoch als Quelle, buoch als Medium, buoch als Text – ein interferenzsemantisches Netzwerk
Authors: auf der Lake Katrin
Published: January 2025

Der Beitrag setzt sich zum Ziel, in der Relektüre zentraler Textstellen unterschiedlicher höfischer Romane zu prüfen, inwieweit die lexikalischen Bedeutungsoptionen ›Quelle‹ und ›Buch‹ des mittelhochdeutschen Wortes buoch um die Bedeutung ›Text‹ zu ergänzen wären. Dabei wird die These aufgestellt, dass sich die Bedeutungen von buoch als interferenzsemantisches Netzwerk generieren. Im Zuge der Etablierung des höfischen Romans verweist ›Buch‹ im Sinne eines Textträgermediums sowohl auf den schriftlichen Vorlagentext als auch auf das Produkt des erzählerischen Schaffensprozesses: den schriftliterarisch konzipierten und fixierten Text.
Behavioural Intentions to Adopt Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Exploring the Perception of Healthcare Professionals
Authors: S. Swathi K. , S. Aswathy , C. Kavitha T. , Chadaga Krishnaraja , Sampathila Niranjana
Published: January 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are used in healthcare to detect diseases faster, provide personalized treatment, automate some processes, and enhance hospital safety. Yet, one of the critical challenges is users’ hesitation and unwillingness to adopt technological applications in medical practice. Hence, this research aims to identify the important factors affecting professionals’ behavioural intentions to use AI in healthcare. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Kerala, India. We proposed a framework grounded on the literature on technology acceptance theories, and the conceptual model was tested using a 20-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. The structured questionnaire was converted into a Google Form and shared with the respondents. A total of 347 respondents, including doctors, nurses, and allied healthcare professionals from 5 different private hospitals in India, participated in this study. The partial least square structural equation modelling approach was used to evaluate the proposed framework upon confirming the reliability and validity of the measurement items. The study findings reveal that perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), and facilitating conditions (FC) are the critical factors that influence the behavioural intentions (BI) of healthcare professionals to use AI. Though healthcare professionals perceived the risk of using AI, it did not affect their choice to use AI. This study gives an understanding of healthcare professionals’ behavioural intentions to use AI so that the administrators can plan and improve their strategies to implement AI in hospitals.
Spatial Mapping of Vegetation’s Potential to Counter Seasonal Groundwater Salinity in Coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Md Riaz , Uddin Ashraf , Nelson Jake , Rahman Sk Nafiz , Zahid Anwar
Published: January 2025

Salinity intrusion in the coastal regions of Bangladesh is particularly challenging for communities living near mangrove forests, which have salinity-dependent ecosystems. The salinity levels within groundwater aquifer systems here vary seasonally, and vegetation has the potential to serve as a mitigation strategy to reduce salinity intrusion. In this study, we focused on the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh, an area characterized by high salinity intrusion. We analyzed groundwater samples collected from monitoring wells during both dry and wet seasons. Additionally, we recorded the necessary physical and chemical parameters to support the analysis. We explored several GIS interpolation methods, including Inverse Distance Weight (IDW), Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK), and Kernel interpolation to map salinity while employing remote sensing techniques to map vegetation dynamics. We used spatial regression and bivariate clustering methods to identify and map the seasonal spatial dependence variation of salinity and vegetation. Our analysis indicates a negative linear relationship between salinity and vegetation dynamics, with the correlation being notably stronger in the dry season (Pearson correlation − 0.540) compared to the wet season (Pearson correlation − 0.149). The spatial regression model indicated spatial dependence between these two variables only during the dry season, with an R-squared value of 0.972. Bivariate clustering results identified approximately 20% of the area during the dry season with high average salinity and low average vegetation index values. The spatial context of this study is crucial for developing mitigation strategies for salinity intrusion, considering the vegetation dynamics of coastal regions of Bangladesh.
Magnesium phosphates experienced high-temperature transition found on the CI-like carbonaceous chondrite Yamato 980115 by Raman microspectroscopy
Authors: Yui Hiroharu , Tsychiya Hayato , Kashima Aruto , Urashima Shu-hei , Oguchi Kenichi , Imae Naoya , Yamaguchi Akira
Published: January 2025

Magnesium phosphate grains, minor accessory minerals found on the primitive meteorite Yamato 980115 (Y 980115), were investigated by Raman microspectroscopy. All magnesium phosphate grains found in the present study can be assigned to farringtonite, dehydrated magnesium phosphate Mg3(PO4)2-I. Since the Mg3(PO4)2-I is generally formed via the irreversible thermal transition from the polymorphs of Mg3(PO4)2–II and –III at above 750–800 degree Celsius, we can infer that the parent body of the Y 980115 meteorites experienced thermal alteration with such a high temperature. This result is in good accordance with the previous studies and the proposals on the alteration history of Y 980115 by the electron-beam microscope and X-ray diffraction analyses. Furthermore, the hydrated form of the magnesium phosphates of Mg3(PO4)2·4H2O, Mg3(PO4)2·8H2O, and Mg3(PO4)2·22H2O was not found in the present research, also suggesting that the extensive vaporization of the hydrated water molecules with magnesium phosphate occurred by such high-temperature thermal alteration. Since Y 980115 has been historically categorized to heavily aqueously altered CI (Ivuna-type) carbonaceous chondrites but has distinct characteristic to CI meteorites, the present result would provide further evidence to the complexed alteration history of the parent body of Y 980115 meteorite.

Graphical abstract
The Potential Impacts of Single-use Plastic During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Klein Kelly R. , Trumbo Jennifer , Saber Deborah , Kakkad Astha
Published: January 2025

Objectives

Plastics in the environment have moved from an “eye-sore” to a public health threat. Hospitals are one of the biggest users of single-use plastics, and there is growing literature looking at not only plastics in the environment but health care’s overall contribution to its growth.

Methods

This study was a retrospective review at a 411-bed level II trauma hospital over 47 months pre and post the last wave of COVID-19 affecting this hospital. Deidentified data were gathered: daily census in the emergency department, hospital census, and corresponding number of admitted COVID-19 patients. Additionally, for the same time frame, personal protective equipment (PPE) supply purchases and gross tonnage of nonhazardous refuse were obtained.

Results

There was a large increase in PPE purchased without a significant change in gross tonnage of weight of trash.

Conclusions

PPE is incredibly important to protect health care workers. However, single-use plastic is not sustainable for the environment or public health. Understanding the full effect of the pandemic on hospital waste production is critically important as health care institutions focus on strategies to decrease their carbon footprint and increase positive impacts on public health and the environment.
The European social model after the Great Recession: A recovery not genuinely inclusive
Authors: Bilbao-Ubillos Javier , Ullibarri Miren , Ochando Carlos , Intxaurburu Gurutze , Alsasua Josu
Published: January 2025

In spite of the upturn in the economy and in employment that has been observed in the EU since 2013 to 2019 (and after COVID-19 crisis), the gap between the figures for indicators of economic growth and those for the trends in domestic living conditions continues to be very wide; growth and newly created jobs are not resulting in a generalised improvement in the welfare of the population. This paper seeks to demonstrate that the recovery period after the Great Recession has not been one of truly inclusive recovery and to provide tentative explanations for this. We focus on the five main EU countries before Brexit. We conclude that the incidence of poverty associated with part-time work is now somewhat greater (‘in-work poverty’) and also that there has been strong containment of wages in the leading countries of the EU over the period under study, and even falls in real wages. At least, redistribution policies have shown themselves to be effective in reducing poverty.
The Realization of Portable MRI for Indigenous Communities in the USA and Canada
Authors: Birly Shana , Teeple Angela , Illes Judy
Published: January 2025

The paucity of existing baseline data for understanding neurologic health and the effects of injury on people from Indigenous populations is causally related to the limited representation of communities in neuroimaging research to date. In this paper, we explore ways to change this trend in the context of portable MRI, where portability has opened up imaging to communities that have been neglected or inaccessible in the past. We discuss pathways to engage local leadership, foster the participation of communities for this unprecedented opportunity, and empower field-based researchers to bring the holistic worldview embraced by Indigenous communities to neuroimaging research.
Posthumous Sperm Use in Times of War: Ethics, Law and Society
Authors: Bassan Sharon
Published: January 2025

This article delves into the legal developments, bioethical nuances, and societal perspectives surrounding posthumous sperm use, particularly in the context of soldiers falling during their service. It analyzes the Israeli example during The Swords of Iron War, where the bioethical dilemma is decided based on national solidarity, beyond the “clean” bioethical-legal discussion.
Payers are Morally Responsible for Reimbursing Social Care by Medical Facilities: How to Make Value-Based Payments Work for Vulnerable Patients
Authors: Riegler Jacob
Published: January 2025

Payers have shaped the healthcare system in the United States as fee-for-service has facilitated a care model that prioritizes volume over the sake of patient care. This worsens health disparities, especially in safety net facilities where ancillary social work is both necessary clinically and completely uncompensated. Using concepts from Iris Marion Young’s Responsibility for Justice, it can be concluded that payers have a moral responsibility for reimbursing social care to address historical injustices. In this article, I describe the ethical hazards in paying for social care and propose a way to finance this through value-based payments.
It's bigger on the inside: mapping the black box of motivation
Authors: Del Giudice Marco
Published: January 2025

Many motivational constructs are opaque “black boxes,” and should be replaced by an explicit account of the underlying psychological mechanisms. The theory of motivational systems has begun to provide such an account. I recently contributed to this tradition with a general architecture of motivation, which connects “energization” and “direction” through the goal-setting activity of emotions, and serves as an evolutionary grounded map of motivational processes.
Mental computational processes have always been an integral part of motivation science
Authors: Richter Michael , Gendolla Guido H. E.
Published: January 2025

Some constructs in motivation science are certainly underdeveloped and some motivation researchers may work with underspecified constructs, as suggested by Murayama and Jach (M&J). However, this is not indicative of a general problem in motivation science. Many motivation theories focus on specific mechanisms underlying motivated behavior and thus have already adopted the computational process perspective that M&J call for.
Resurrecting the “black-box” conundrum
Authors: Alexander Patricia A.
Published: January 2025

In their article, Murayama and Jach contend that a mental computational model demonstrates that high-level motivations are emergent properties from underlying cognitive processes rather than instigators of behaviors. Despite points of agreement with the authors' critiques of the motivation literature, I argue that their claim of dismantling the black box of the human mind has been constructed on shaking grounds.
Needed: Clear definition and hierarchical integration of motivation constructs
Authors: Elliot Andrew J. , Sommet Nicolas
Published: January 2025

Murayama and Jach offer a thoughtful and timely critique of motivation constructs. We largely concur with their basic premises, but offer additional input and clarification regarding the importance of carefully considering the energization and direction components of motivation, and fully attending to the hierarchical aspect of motivation rather than prioritizing particular levels of analysis.
Connecting theories of personality dynamics and mental computational processes
Authors: Ratchford Juliette L. , Jayawickreme Eranda
Published: January 2025

Whole Trait Theory (and other dynamic theories of personality) can illuminate the process by which motivational states become traits. Mental computational processes constitute part of the explanatory mechanisms that drive trait manifestations. Empirical work on Whole Trait Theory may inform future research directions on mental computational processes.
The ins and outs of unpacking the black box: Understanding motivation using a multi-level approach
Authors: Wurm F. , van der Ham I. J. M. , Schomaker J.
Published: January 2025

Although higher-level constructs often fail to explain the mechanisms underlying motivation, we argue that purely mechanistic approaches have limitations. Lower-level neural data help us identify “biologically plausible” mechanisms, while higher-level constructs are critical to formulate measurable behavioral outcomes when constructing computational models. Therefore, we propose that a multi-level, multi-measure approach is required to fully unpack the black box of motivated behavior.
Response to the critiques (and encouragements) on our critique of motivation constructs
Authors: Murayama Kou , Jach Hayley
Published: January 2025

The target article argued that motivation constructs are treated as black boxes and called for work that specifies the mental computational processes underlying motivated behavior. In response to critical commentaries, we clarify our philosophical standpoint, elaborate on the meaning of mental computational processes and why past work was not sufficient, and discuss the opportunities to expand the scope of the framework.
Multi-robot movement based on a new modified source-seeking algorithm
Authors: Morsy Morsy A. , Eqab Al-Otaibi Humaid , Bin Salamah Yasser , Ahmad Irfan
Published: January 2025

The two main sources of difficulty for a group of mobile robots employing sensors to find a source are robot collisions and wireless ambient noise, such as light, sound, and other sounds. This paper introduces a novel approach to multi-robot system cooperation and collision avoidance: the new modified source-seeking control with noise cancelation technology. The robot team works together on an incline of a light source field; the team’s mobility is dependent upon following the upward gradient’s direction and forming a particular movement pattern. The proposed program also takes into account each robot’s size, speed limit, obstacles, and noise. The noise cancelation technique has been used to avoid the delay and false decisions to find the target point of the source. When the noise is canceled, all control inputs to the algorithm are accurate, and the feedback decision will be true. In this study, we use the MATLAB simulation tools to test the velocity, position, time delay, and performance of each robot in the used group of robots. The simulation and practical results of the robots in searching for a light source showed very satisfactory performance compared with the results in the literature.
Zero-force drag and start-up torque compensation strategies for robots
Authors: Li Chenggang , Zhu Lujin , Yang Gang , Zhang Junxian
Published: January 2025

A method is proposed for identifying robot gravity and friction torques based on joint currents. The minimum gravity term parameters are obtained using the Modified Denavit–Hartenberg (MDH) parameters, and the dynamic equations are linearized. The robot’s friction torque is identified using the Stribeck friction model. Additionally, a zero-force drag algorithm is designed to address the issue of excessive start-up torque during dragging. A sinusoidal compensation algorithm is proposed to perform periodic friction compensation for each stationary joint, utilizing the identified maximum static friction torque. Experimental results show that when the robot operates at a uniform low speed, the theoretical current calculated based on the identified gravity and friction fits the actual current well, with a maximum root mean square error within 50 mA, confirming the accuracy of the identification results. The start-up torque compensation algorithm reduces the robot’s start-up torque by an average of

$ 60.58\mathrm{\%}$

, improving the compliance of the dragging process and demonstrating the effectiveness of the compensation algorithm.
You Can’t Write “tombsteans” in Shorthand: The Pitman Method, Polyglot Dictionaries, and the Suppression of Speech Difference in Dracula
Authors: Jacobson Carolyn , Simpson Erik
Published: January 2025

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) offers the reader fantastical versions of two seemingly realistic office technologies: shorthand writing and polyglot dictionaries. In both cases, Stoker’s changes allow the reader to see varieties of spoken language in ways that the real technologies would not have allowed. Representing dialect through shorthand, as Mina Harker does, would have been impossible with Pitman shorthand as well as antithetical to the principles behind that writing system. And no books existed that could have enabled the translations that Jonathan Harker claims to make with his polyglot dictionary. However, Stoker uses standard English spelling when representing characters of higher status, such as Van Helsing, Morris, and Dracula, all of whom represent national types that were routinely marked by dialect respelling in other fictions of Stoker’s time. The novel therefore exhibits two contrary tendencies: Stoker uses nonstandard spelling when he could easily have avoided it, and he avoids it when he could easily have used it. We place that contradiction in Victorian debates about spelling reform and language purity. We argue that the novel uses standard spelling to reinforce an alliance of Anglo-Teutonic elites, whereas the heteroglossia and polyglossia of these language technologies undermine that trajectory.
Some Useful Sources
Authors: Saxonberg Steven
Published: January 2025

The following is a list of learning and research resources on topics that are central to this themed section, namely the male-breadwinner and adult worker models, and their alternatives; intersectionality; the views of employers and workplace culture; the role and influence of informal care; and the tendency toward dualisation.
Naturalistic outcomes from a service evaluation of individual acceptance and commitment informed therapy for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Croydon, South London
Authors: Ho Jason Kai Yu , Williams Kira , Knight Gemma
Published: January 2025

This project evaluated the outcomes of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-informed interventions for individuals with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus experiencing mental health distress related to their condition or self-management burden. A within-subjects design evaluated the effectiveness of ACT-informed interventions using pre- and post-psychological wellbeing and diabetes specific outcome measures and HbA1C data. The interventions were part of the Croydon Community Diabetes service which began in October 2020. Fifty-six service users completed psychological wellbeing outcome measures (PHQ-9, GAD-7 and CORE-10) and 38 of these service users fully completed the diabetes specific measure (either DDS or the PAID). Thirty-nine service users had HbA1C data before the start of treatment and following the end of treatment. Wilcoxon’s signed rank test was used to analyse psychological outcomes and HbA1c data. Descriptive statistics were used for diabetes specific measures due to small sample sizes. Statistically significant reductions in levels of depression, generalised anxiety, and general psychological distress were found following ACT-informed interventions. Statistically significant reductions were also observed for HbA1c readings. Although inferential statistics were not used, the data highlighted that n=21 and n=14 reported reduction in scores on the DDS and PAID, respectively. Preliminary evidence suggests that ACT-informed interventions in an NHS community diabetes clinic for a sample of people living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are associated with improved psychological wellbeing and diabetes distress.

Key learning aims

(1)

To learn about the current evidence base and missing gaps in research on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

(2)

To provide clinicians with an example of brief individualised ACT informed psychological interventions based on a sample of people living with diabetes in South London.

(3)

To learn about the implementation of ACT informed psychological interventions in a naturalistic evaluation of a community Diabetes NHS service that reflects realistic treatment delivery.

(4)

Through the limitations discussed in this paper, we provide future suggestions for psychologists working in diabetes care for evaluating their service in a naturalistic setting. This includes the collection of data through various sources such as the use of physical health measures and therapy process measures.
Confirming the Primacy of Light Controlling Ammonium Removal in Response to Biofilm Colonization and Shade Using Experimental Streams
Authors: Vincent Anna E. S. , Tank Jennifer L. , Speir Shannon L. , Snyder Elise D. , Pruitt Abagael N. , Mahl Ursula H. , Hall Robert O.
Published: January 2025

The removal of riparian shading alters stream biogeochemical cycling by stimulating algal biofilms through the release of light limitation. Few studies have examined the combined effects of shading and biofilm growth on ammonium (NH4+–N) and nitrate (NO3−–N) removal in the same experiment. We quantified water column NH4+–N and NO3−–N removal using n = 176 short‐term additions in four experimental streams over 2 years and assessed the influence of shading (shaded vs. open canopy) and biofilm colonization (early vs. late) on removal using a Bayesian three‐level hierarchical model. First, we assessed the roles of biofilm and shade on NH4+–N removal. Shading lowered NH4+–N uptake velocity [Vf; slope: −0.45 (−0.69, −0.22)], while the effect of biofilm was too small to detect [0.06 (−0.18, 0.29)]. The following season, we compared NH4+–N and NO3−–N removal, and added night releases to estimate autotrophic and heterotrophic contributions to removal. Shading reduced NH4+–N and NO3−–N Vf, while the effect of biofilm often depended on shading. NH4+–N Vf was higher than NO3−–N Vf by 51% during the day and 38% at night, confirming preferential NH4+–N removal. NO3−–N Vf declined more between the Late‐Open and Late‐Shade phases compared to NH4+–N, suggesting a stronger decline in NO3−–N demand than for NH4+–N with shade during late biofilm colonization. We found no strong diel shift in NH4+–N or NO3−–N demand. Results demonstrate the primacy of light on NH4+–N and NO3−–N removal in streams. Understanding how shading and biofilm colonization alter removal is critical as streams are vulnerable to the impacts of land use change.
Rapid and Automatic UAV Detection of River Embankment Piping
Authors: Duan Quntao , Chen Baili , Luo Lihui
Published: January 2025

With flooding events expected to increase in both intensity and frequency in the future due to climate change, ensuring the safety of river embankments is vital to withstand flood disasters. Piping is one of the most harmful river embankment hazards in the flood season, and recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and deep learning‐based object detection have enabled efficient and automated hazard detection. In this study, a novel approach that integrates a UAV with deep learning‐based object detection and edge computing was proposed for rapid and automatic piping detection. First, a total of 104 field simulation experiments were conducted across 12 different sites in flood‐prone areas to fill gaps in the high‐quality data set, and the UAV thermal infrared and visible data sets of river embankment piping were produced, including various times (forenoon, afternoon, and night), weather conditions (clear‐sky, cloudy, and rainy), locations (bare land, paddy, grassland, and pond) and flight altitudes (10, 20, and 30 m). Second, the deep learning‐based object detection model was selected and trained on the thermal infrared and visible data sets. The well‐trained infrared and visible models have detection precisions of 92.7% and 70.4%, respectively, with recalls of 84.9% and 69.7%. Furthermore, both models exhibited great resistance to interference from several types of aquatic vegetation and could effectively detect piping on rainy days. The integration of a UAV and edge computing enabled real‐time detection of piping. The proposed method enhances hazard detection efficiency, contributing to intelligent emergency embankment management.
Pluto Captured Charon with a Kiss
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: January 2025

A newly understood collision mechanism could explain some peculiarities of Pluto and its moons.
How effective is CBCT-guided endodontic access over ‘brain-guided’ accesses, and is this a likely addition to the general dental practitioner’s armamentarium?
Authors: Pai Sandeep , Edwards David , Taylor Greig
Published: January 2025

Design

Non-randomised prospective single-arm controlled clinical trial. The main inclusion criteria for both guided and freehand access groups was pulp canal obliteration (PCO). All teeth underwent cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan prior to access. Null hypothesis was that there is no difference in technical failure between guided and unguided access. The primary outcome was canal location success as a discrete measure (found, not found, perforated). The secondary outcome was conservativeness of drill pathway using discrete measures (optimal precision, acceptable precision, technical failure (included canal not found and perforation)). Patients underwent one subsequent annual follow-up.

Case selection

Patients attended for consultation at one centre (University Hospital Leuven, Belgium). PCO extent was assigned using periapical radiograph followed by CBCT. Cases graded as ‘high difficulty’ (via qualitative assessment) by briefed endodontists within the centre were selected for the study. Control group was taken from historical records as assigning an active patient to the freehand over the guided group was considered unethical.

Data analysis

Sample size calculation to achieve conventional 80% power and statistical significance of 0.05% was undertaken, mandating 60 teeth per group. An analysis including all data, without matching, was performed by a generalized linear model for binary data using a logit link function with the primary outcome (canal found or not found/perforation) as response variable and the technique (guided or freehanded) as explanatory variable. p  ≤  0.05 was considered statistically significant. Blinding of operators was not possible. Teeth were matched (paired) per group to achieve group homogeneity.

Results

Guided access yielded a 98.3% (n = 59/60) success rate with only one case unsuccessful (canal not found). In comparison, freehand access yielded 81% (n = 59/73) success rate, with 9.5% (n = 7/73) of teeth with canals unfound, and 9.5% (n = 7/73) of teeth perforated. Null hypothesis rejected given statistical significance of results (p = 0.011).

Conclusions

Cases presenting with PCO that undergo guided access show optimal outcomes both from an endodontic and from a conservational perspective, with significant increased chances of canal location in a conservative manner. Freehand correction in guided access cases can be used to inform changes to initial guided access if the canal is not found.
Molecular saturation determines distinct plasmonic enhancement scenarios for two-photon absorption signal
Authors: Izadshenas Jahromi Saeid , Słowik Karolina
Published: January 2025

Two-photon absorption in molecules, of significance for high-resolution imaging applications, is typically characterised with low cross sections. To enhance the TPA signal, one effective approach exploits plasmonic enhancement. For this method to be efficient, it must meet several criteria, including broadband operational capability and a high fluorescence rate to ensure effective signal detection. In this context, we introduce a plus-shaped silver nanostructure designed to exploit the coupling of bright and dark plasmonic modes. This configuration considerably improves both the absorption and fluorescence of molecules across near-infrared and visible spectra. By fine-tuning the geometrical parameters of the nanostructure, we align the plasmonic resonances with the optical properties of specific TPA-active dyes, i.e., ATTO 700, Rhodamine 6G, and ATTO 610. The expected TPA signal enhancement is evaluated using classical estimations based on the assumption of independent enhancement of absorption and fluorescence. These results are then compared with outcomes obtained in a quantum-mechanical approach to evaluate the stationary photon emission rate. Our findings reveal the important role of molecular saturation determining the regimes where either absorption or fluorescence enhancement leads to an improved TPA signal intensity, considerably below the classical predictions. The proposed nanostructure design not only addresses these findings, but also might serve for their experimental verification, allowing for active polarization tuning of the plasmonic response targeting the absorption, fluorescence, or both. The insight into quantum-mechanical mechanisms of plasmonic signal enhancement provided in our work is a step forward in the more effective control of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.