bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Bio-inspired Perceptual Decision-Making Circuit Based on the Hassenstein-Reichardt Direction Detector
Authors: Birkoben Tom , Hansen Mirko , Ignatov Marina , Ziegler Martin , Kohlstedt Hermann
Published: September 2023

Decision-making belongs to one of the most prominent principles in the nerve system of living species. The crucial trade-off between time to decide (speed) and accuracy is essential for a creature to react to environmental stimuli and most importantly, relevant for survival. In-depth studies of coherent motion tasks in primates, based on two-choice decision experiments, led to a profound understanding of neuronal information processing and even bridged the gap to behavioural psychology. Three fundamental processing stages are needed to successfully perform a two-choice decision experiment based on a saccadic eye movement task: the neuronal representation of the sensory signal, the integration of the incoming stimuli and the comparison of the accumulated information to a threshold for a final decision. In accordance to the results of decision-making experiments with primates, an analogue electronic decision-making circuit was developed. Our concept study includes a LED-matrix showing moving light dots (i.e. the tasks screen in primate experiments), an array of photo diodes (i.e. retina of the primate, sensory evidence), a Hassenstein-Reichardt Detector (HRD) based motion detection (i.e. a correlation-type motion detector with a high biological relevance, based on an inhibitory circuit and delay lines) and finally a signal integration circuit. The latter stage represents the decision-making unit and is realised through an inhibitory mutual coupling of the accumulated signals. The entirely analogue circuit is based on integrate and fire relaxation oscillators to mimic firing neurons. We would like to emphasise that the presented real time decision-making system is closely related to biological information pathways in nerve systems. Neither a digital computer nor programming is necessary for decision-making, which might be an interesting approach for real time data processing in autonomous robots.
Biologically Inspired and Energy-Efficient Neurons
Authors: Cheng Xiaoyan , Simmich Sebastian , Zahari Finn , Birkoben Tom , Noll Maximiliane , Wolfer Tobias , Hennig Eckhard , Rieger Robert , Kohlstedt Hermann , Bahr Andreas
Published: September 2023

Silicon neurons represent different levels of biological details and accuracies as a trade-off between complexity and power consumption. With respect to this trade-off and high similarity to neuron behaviour models, relaxation-type oscillator circuits often yield a good compromise to emulate neurons. In this chapter, two exemplified relaxation-type silicon neurons are presented that emulate neural behaviour with energy consumption under the scale of nJ/spike. The first proposed fully CMOS relaxation SiN is based on mathematical Izhikevich model and can mimic a broad range of physiologically observable spike patterns. The results of kinds of biologically plausible output patterns and coupling process of two SiNs are presented in 0.35 $$\upmu $$
μ
m CMOS technology. The second type is a novel ultra-low-frequency hybrid CMOS-memristive SiN based on relaxation oscillators and analog memristive devices. The hybrid SiN directly emulates neuron behaviour in the range of physiological spiking frequencies (less than 100 Hz). The relaxation oscillator is implemented and fabricated in 0.13 $$\upmu $$
μ
m CMOS technology. An autonomous neuronal synchronization process is demonstrated with two relaxation oscillators coupled by an analog memristive device in the measurement to emulate the synchronous behaviour between spiking neurons.
Redox-Based Bi-Layer Metal Oxide Memristive Devices
Authors: Zahari Finn , Park Seongae , Mahadevaiah Mamathamba K. , Wenger Christian , Kohlstedt Hermann , Ziegler Martin
Published: September 2023

In a memristor or a so-called memristive device, the resistance state depends on the previous charge flow through the device. The new resistance state is stored and classifies a memristor as a non-volatile memory device. This likewise unique and simple feature qualifies memristive devices as attractive compartments with regard to the development of a universal memory and beyond von Neumann computing architectures, including in-memory computing and neuromorphic circuits. In this chapter, we present studies on two kinds of bi-layer metal oxide memristive devices with the layer sequences Nb/NbO$$_{\textrm{z}}$$

z

/Al$$_2$$

2

O$$_3$$

3

/Nb$$_{\textrm{x}}$$

x

O$$_{\textrm{y}}$$

y

/Au and TiN/TiO$$_\textrm{x}$$

x

/HfO$$_\textrm{x}$$

x

/Au, either prepared by reactive DC-magnetron sputtering, etching and optical lithography. It is shown that the memristive properties of such devices can be engineered, which enables tailoring of the memristive devices for particular applications.
A Wave Digital Approach Towards Bio-inspired Computing Using Memristive Networks
Authors: Michaelis Dennis , Ochs Karlheinz
Published: September 2023

Bio-inspired computing is a promising approach to tackle problems that are too complex for state-of-the-art computing approaches. It is a highly interdisciplinary field of research as it requires expertise, which ranges from understanding biological organisms (psychology, physiology zoology, biology, bio-chemistry) to building electrical circuits (electrical engineering, physics). This chapter focuses on theoretical circuits designs and concepts to abstractly map biological behavior to idealized circuits. We utilize a special digital emulation technique as a tool to digitally replicate circuits and hence bridge the gap from biological behavioral observation to hardware circuit designs. Application examples include parameter optimization of a neuronal oscillator, gait pattern generation, multi-neuron communication, neuroplasticity and optical illusions. The fundamental circuit elemental to realize several bio-inspired circuit designs is the memristor, which is essentially a resistor with a memory. Since memristors are hard to fabricate with the current state of technology, digital emulators are a useful tool to accelerate development cycles and investigate the circuits of the next generation.
Professionelle Unterrichtswahrnehmung von Politiklehrkräften
Authors: Manzel Sabine , Gronostay Dorothee , Hahn-Laudenberg Katrin
Published: September 2023

Der Beitrag thematisiert die Genese eines Modells professioneller Unterrichtswahrnehmung von Politiklehrkräften für die Arbeit mit Animationsfilmen im Projekt LArS.nrw. Ausgehend von kompetenzorientierten Forschungsansätzen zur Lehrkräfteprofessionalisierung wird ein fachdidaktisch gewendetes Modell entwickelt, welches professionelle Unterrichtswahrnehmung von Politiklehrkräften als wissensbasierten Prozess bestimmt, dem die Kompetenzdimensionen Professionswissen, beliefs und motivationale Orientierungen zugrunde liegen und der sich durch situiertes Lernen fördern lässt.
Arbeit mit LArS-Animationsvideos in der Lehrer*innenbildung
Authors: Hahn-Laudenberg Katrin , Gronostay Dorothee , Manzel Sabine
Published: September 2023

In dem Beitrag werden die Möglichkeiten der praktischen Arbeit mit den LArS-Animationen und den entwickelten Lehr-Lernmaterialien vorgestellt. Nach der Erläuterung des didaktischen Konzepts wird ein Überblick über die erstellten Animationsvideos gegeben. Der Beitrag bietet eine grundlegende Einführung in den Aufbau und Inhalt der Lehr-/Lernumgebungen in drei Modulen mit insgesamt 12 Modulteilen. Darüber hinaus werden die Prozesse der Qualitätssicherung erläutert.
Montage von Elektrofahrzeugen
Authors: Heimes Heiner Hans , Kampker Achim , Dorn Benjamin , Kehrer Mario , Dünnwald Simon , Budde Lucas , Keusen Maximilian , Rosen Felix , Deutskens Christoph , Kreisköther Kai , Förstmann Ruben , Nee Carsten
Published: September 2023

Rapide steigende Absatzzahlen auf globalen Märkten, verbunden mit der Forderung nach zunehmender Derivatevielfalt, verleihen der Auslegung der Produktionsprozesse von Elektrofahrzeugen zentrale Bedeutung. Die Produktionsplanung muss die Voraussetzungen dafür schaffen, dass sich die Produktion in den gesetzten Korridoren flexibel an die aktuell gegebene Kundennachfrage anpassen lässt. Die Wandlungsfähigkeit von Produktionssystemen ist ein zentraler Fokus. Neben den Fertigungsprozessen für die Einzelkomponenten selbst bilden dafür vor allem die Montageprozesse der Fahrzeuge wesentliche Stellhebel.
Produktionsverfahren elektrischer Maschinen
Authors: Heimes Heiner Hans , Kampker Achim , Dorn Benjamin , Nankemann Michael , Kraus Andreas , Stäck Christian , Born Henrik
Published: September 2023

Unabhängig von der Art der Energiebereitstellung, sei es durch einen Hochvoltspeicher wie einer Lithium-Ionen-Batterie oder durch eine Brennstoffzelle: Im elektrifizierten Fahrzeug sind eine oder mehrere elektrische Maschinen für den Antrieb verantwortlich. Wie in Kap. 9 eingeführt, gibt es unterschiedliche Motortopologien. Aufgrund der besonderen produktbezogenen Bedeutung des Blechpakets der elektrischen Maschine wird im folgenden Kapitel das Herstellungsverfahren thematisiert. Aus produktionstechnischer Sicht ist insbesondere die Rotorproduktion als Differenzierungsmerkmal zwischen diesen Topologien zu beachten. Dabei werden auch unterschiedliche Möglichkeiten betrachtet, Technologien zur Produktion des Stators der elektrischen Maschine miteinander zu kombinieren. Aufgrund ihrer steigenden Bedeutung im Kontext der Traktionsanwendung im elektrischen Fahrzeug wird ein Hauptaugenmerk auf die Flachdraht-Technologie („Hairpin“) gelegt. Abschließend werden die Qualitätssicherung in der Produktion elektrischer Maschinen und unterschiedliche Aspekte der Montage beschrieben.
Produktionsverfahren in der Leistungselektronik
Authors: De Doncker Rik W. , Austrup Isabel , Kalker Sven , Ruppert Lukas
Published: September 2023

In diesem Kapitel werden der Aufbau und potenzielle Produktionsausführungen der verschiedenen leistungselektronischen Komponenten erläutert. Dabei wird auf die Aufbau- und Verbindungstechnik (AVT) von Leistungshalbleitern, auf die verschiedenen Optionen der Kühlung sowie auf die potenziellen Ausführungen von passiven Bauelementen und Treiberschaltungen eingegangen. Zuletzt werden Maßnahmen zum Schutz vor elektrostatischer Entladung während der Produktion vorgestellt.
Aktuelle Herausforderungen der Elektromobilität
Authors: Heimes Heiner Hans , Kampker Achim , Dorn Benjamin , Offermanns Christian , Brans Florian
Published: September 2023

Anders als bei der generellen Skepsis, ob Elektromobilität jemals eine Rolle im (inter-)nationalen Automarkt spielen wird, sind aktuelle Herausforderungen für die E-Mobilität immer konkreter Natur. Die wichtigen Treiber – Kosten, technologische Hürden sowie produktionstechnische Fragestellungen – werden folglich nicht mehr als potenzielle Ausschlusskriterien betrachtet, sondern als Stellhebel für eine Verbesserung der Marktpenetration im klassischen Zielkorridor „Qualität, Zeit und Kosten“. Technologische Hindernisse und unsichere Technologieentwicklungen spiegeln nach wie vor die Komplexität der Elektromobilität wider und sind sowohl auf Komponenten- als auch auf Gesamtfahrzeugebene äußerst vielschichtig. Vor allem im produktionstechnischen Kontext trägt dies potenziell zu einem Wandel der OEM- und Zuliefererindustrie bei – beziehungsweise zu einer Veränderung der Wertschöpfungsstruktur, die sich im Markt der Verbrennungsmotor-Fahrzeuge etabliert hat. Auf der Kostenseite wird eine Pareto-Situation zwischen den konventionellen und den elektrifizierten Antriebstopologien angestrebt – und teilweise schon erreicht. Auf der Reduktion der Kosten – insbesondere im Bereich des Hochvoltspeichers – liegt immer noch das Hauptaugenmerk der branchenübergreifenden Bemühungen zur nachhaltigen Festigung der Elektromobilität auf dem Weltmarkt.
Das elektromobile Wertschöpfungssystem
Authors: Kasperk Garnet , Fluchs Sarah , Hausmann Julius
Published: September 2023

Die für ein Angebot von Elektromobilität notwendige Zusammenführung der fahrzeug- und der energiebezogenen Wertschöpfung löst die klar definierten Grenzen der industriebasierten Geschäftsmodelle zunehmend auf. Während die Produktion der Fahrzeuge sowie die Stromerzeugung und die netzbasierte Verteilung in bekannten oder nur angepassten Wertschöpfungsstrukturen stattfindet, verändern informationstechnologische Innovationen und datenbasierte Geschäftsmodelle die kundenorientierten Upstream-Wertschöpfungsschritte. Etablierte und neue Anbieter der Automobilindustrie, Unternehmen der Energiebranche sowie mobilitäts- und informationstechnologisch orientierte Start-up-Betriebe konkurrieren um einen mobilitätsorientierten Wertschöpfungsanteil, der künftig den wachstumsstärksten Bereich des Wertschöpfungssystems ausmacht (vgl. Abb. 32.1).
Formen der Elektromobilität
Authors: Heimes Heiner Hans , Kampker Achim , Offermanns Christian , Sasse Konstantin , Gorsch Jonas , Frieges Moritz
Published: September 2023

Elektromobilität ist mehr als ein mittels Batterie angetriebenes Fahrzeug. Elektromobilität bedeutet im engeren Sinne zunächst eine elektrisch angetriebene Fortbewegung, unabhängig von der konkreten Wahl eines Verkehrsmittels und der gewählten Form der Energiespeicherung. Dementsprechend wird mit diesem Begriff die gesamte Bandbreite von „Last-Mile“-Unterstützungen im Individualverkehr etwa mit Elektrorollern (Scooter) bis hin zu großen Transportsystemen für Personen und Güter wie Lastkraftwagen oder Züge abgedeckt.
Self-dual black holes in celestial holography
Authors: Crawley Erin , Guevara Alfredo , Himwich Elizabeth , Strominger Andrew
Published: September 2023

Abstract

We construct two-dimensional quantum states associated to four-dimensional linearized rotating self-dual black holes in (2, 2) signature Klein space. The states are comprised of global conformal primaries circulating on the celestial torus, the Kleinian analog of the celestial sphere. By introducing a generalized tower of Goldstone operators we identify the states as coherent exponentiations carrying an infinite tower of w1+∞ charges or soft hair. We relate our results to recent approaches to black hole scattering, including a connection to Wilson lines, $$ \mathcal{S} $$
S
-matrix results, and celestial holography in curved backgrounds.
On Stability Estimates for the Inviscid Boussinesq Equations
Authors: Zillinger Christian
Published: September 2023

We consider the (in)stability problem of the inviscid 2D Boussinesq equations near a combination of a shear flow $$v=(y,0)$$

v
=
(
y
,
0
)

and a stratified temperature $$\theta =\alpha y$$

θ
=
α
y

with $$\alpha >\frac{1}{4}$$

α
>

1
4

. We show that for any $$\epsilon >0$$

ϵ
>
0

there exist non-trivial explicit solutions, which are initially perturbations of size $$\epsilon $$
ϵ
, and grow to size 1 on a time scale $$\epsilon ^{-2}$$

ϵ

-
2

. Moreover, the (simplified) linearized problem around these non-trivial states exhibits improved upper bounds on the possible size of norm inflation for frequencies larger and smaller than $$\epsilon ^{-4}$$

ϵ

-
4

.
Consultation on UTUC II Stockholm 2022: diagnostic and prognostic methods—what’s around the corner?
Authors: Grahn Alexandra , Coleman Jonathan A. , Eriksson Ylva , Gabrielsson Susanne , Madsen Jonna Skov , Tham Emma , Thomas Kay , Turney Ben , Uhlén Per , Vollmer Tino , Zieger Karsten , Osther Palle Jörn Sloth , Brehmer Marianne
Published: September 2023

Purpose

To map current literature and provide an overview of upcoming future diagnostic and prognostic methods for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), including translational medical science.

Methods

A scoping review approach was applied to search the literature. Based on the published literature, and the experts own experience and opinions consensus was reached through discussions at the meeting Consultation on UTUC II in Stockholm, September 2022.

Results

The gene mutational profile of UTUC correlates with stage, grade, prognosis, and response to different therapeutic strategies. Analysis of pathway proteins downstream of known pathogenic mutations might be an alternative approach.

Liquid biopsies of cell-free DNA may detect UTUC with a higher sensitivity and specificity than urinary cytology. Extracellular vesicles from tumour cells can be detected in urine and may be used to identify the location of the urothelial carcinoma in the urinary tract. 3D microscopy of UTUC samples may add information in the analysis of tumour stage. Chemokines and chemokine receptors were linked to overall survival and responsiveness to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which is potentially also of interest in UTUC.

Conclusion

Current diagnostic methods for UTUC have shortcomings, especially concerning prognostication, which is important for personalized treatment decisions. There are several upcoming methods that may be of interest for UTUC. Most have been studied for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, and it is important to keep in mind that UTUC is a different entity and not all methods are adaptable or applicable to UTUC.
Tagungsbericht zur Veranstaltung ,,Disease Interception als Chance und Herausforderung‘‘
Authors: Wiese Lara
Published: September 2023

Am 7.6.2023 fand an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) eine vom Institut für Sozial- und
Gesundheitsrecht (ISGR) ausgerichtete Abschlussveranstaltung zum dort angesiedelten juristisch-medizinischen
Forschungsprojekt ,,Disease Interception als Chance und Herausforderung – Eine juristische Untersuchung
unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Leistungsrechts sowie der Implikation von Digitalisierung, Künstlicher
Intelligenz und Big Data‘‘ statt. Das Konzept Disease Interception (DI) sieht vor, krankheitsassoziierte
Prozesse frühzeitig (v.a. mithilfe von Biomarkern) zu erkennen und noch vor dem Krankheitsausbruch
therapeutisch zu intervenieren, wodurch es Elemente der Prävention und Kuration vereint.
Nichtmedikamentöse Therapiemaßnahmen, Rehabilitationsleistungen und Mitgliedschaft in Selbsthilfeorganisationen bei axialer Spondyloarthritis (Die ATTENTUS axSpA-Studie)
Authors: Meyer-Olson D. , Hoeper K. , Hammel L. , Lieb S. , Haehle A. , Kiltz U.
Published: September 2023

Hintergrund

Die Behandlung der axialen Spondyloarthritis (axSpA) umfasst neben medikamentösen Therapiemaßnahmen (MTM) auch nichtmedikamentöse Therapiemaßnahmen (NMTM) sowie unterstützende Ressourcen wie rehabilitationsmedizinische Therapieleistungen (RTL) und die Mitgliedschaft in Selbsthilfeorganisationen (SHO). Trotzdem bestehen deutliche Teilhabeeinschränkungen bei Patient*innen mit axSpA in Deutschland.

Ziel der Arbeit/Fragestellung

Untersuchung der Funktions- und Teilhabeeinschränkungen und Nutzung von MTM, NMTM, RTL und SHO bei Patient*innen mit axSpA.

Material und Methoden

Multizentrische, deutschlandweite Beobachtungsstudie von 770 axSpA-Patient*innen (ATTENTUS-axSpA).

Ergebnisse

Es bestehen deutliche Funktions- und Teilhabeeinschränkungen bei den axSpA-Patient*innen; 39 % erhielten keine Therapie mit biologischen krankheitsmodifizierenden Medikamenten (bDMARDs). Bei den NMTM wurden bewegungstherapeutische Maßnahmen bei 54 % weniger als 1‑mal die Woche und bei 29 % 1‑mal pro Woche verordnet. Eine regelmäßige Bewegung führten 86 % der Patient*innen durch, hauptsächlich in Form häuslicher Übungen. Training im Fitnessstudio (14 %) oder Vereinssport (7 %) wurden seltener ausgeführt. Eine RTL erhielten 54 % der Patient*innen, und bei etwa einem Drittel lag die letzte RTL über 5 Jahre zurück. Es waren 13 % Mitglieder in einer SHO. In dieser Gruppe fand sich eine signifikant höhere Inanspruchnahme von NMTM und RTL.

Diskussion

Verfügbare Behandlungsoptionen und Ressourcen werden von axSpA-Patient*innen häufig in geringem Maß und/oder in niedriger Intensität genutzt, welches eine mögliche Erklärung für persistierende Teilhabeeinschränkungen sein könnte. Wir beobachteten eine verstärkte Inanspruchnahme von NMTM und RTL bei Mitgliedschaft in einer SHO.
Chancen und Herausforderungen bei der Gestaltung klimaresistenter dichter städtischer Gebiete mit Blaugrüner Infrastruktur
Authors: Back Yannick , Kleidorfer Manfred
Published: September 2023

Die Auswirkungen des Klimawandels beeinträchtigen die Lebensqualität in den Städten und stellen eine Bedrohung für die Stadtbewohner:innen dar. Räumlich geplante und verwaltete Anpassungsmaßnahmen wie multifunktionale Blaugrüne Infrastrukturen sind in der Lage, steigenden Temperaturen und häufigeren und extremeren Hitzewellen und Niederschlagsereignissen entgegenzuwirken. Damit jedoch insbesondere die grüne Infrastruktur die Verdunstungskühlung zur Minderung der Temperaturen aufrechterhalten kann muss sie ausreichend mit Wasser versorgt werden. Dies gestaltet sich, in Anbetracht länger anhaltender Trockenperioden, immer schwieriger, weshalb auf lange Sicht neue innovative Lösungsansätze ausgearbeitet werden müssen. Auf Basis eines Modellierungsansatzes zur Analyse kleinräumiger Land-Atmosphären-Interaktionen und Messungen vor Ort, zeigen wir die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Oberflächengestaltungsmöglichkeiten auf die lokale Wasser- und Energiebilanz an der Oberfläche. Die Erfahrungen aus zwei konkreten Platzumgestaltungen in Innsbruck (Österreich) aus den Projekten cool-INN (abgeschlossen) und COOLYMP (laufend) zeigen, dass integrale Planung Blaugrüner Infrastruktur aus grauen Plätzen in Städten, selbst wenn sie mit einer Tiefgarage unterbaut sind, eine generationenübergreifende Wohlfühloase machen kann. Damit jedoch ein Übergang von klimafitten zur klimaresistenten Platzumgestaltung, und in weiterer Folge zur klimaresistenten Stadtplanung, gelingen kann, ist ein strategisches und nachhaltiges Wassermanagement erforderlich, das für eine ausreichende Wasserverfügbarkeit zur Unterstützung der ökologischen Systeme und Aufrechterhaltung des Kühleffekts, sorgt.
Molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammatory and skin protective effects of Syzygium formosum in human skin keratinocytes
Authors: Lee Seung Hoon , Lee Nan-Young , Choi Seung-Hyeon , Oh Cheong-Hae , Won Gun-Woo , Bhatta Mahesh Prakash , Moon Ji Hyun , Lee Chang-gyu , Kim Jong Hun , Park Jong-ll , Park Jong-Tae
Published: September 2023

Irradiation injury, especially caused by UVB, of the skin is one of the critical reasons for skin inflammation and damage. The present study aimed to explore the protective effect of Syzygium formosum leafy extract (SFLE) and its mechanism of action against UVB-induced damages of human keratinocytes. In this study, SFLE was prepared from 100 kg dried leaves using industrial-scale processes. We found that SFLE markedly reduced markers of the skin inflammation in UVB-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines. Only 2 μg/mL of SFLE exhibited significantly stronger anti-inflammatory effects than the fivefold concentration of positive control. Intriguingly, an anti-inflammatory enzyme, heme oxygenase-1 expression was significantly induced by SFLE treatment. MMP-3 and -9 were, but not MMP-1, significantly reduced. SFLE inhibited the expression of the MAPK pathway, resulting in a decrease on UVB-induced reactive oxygen species. In conclusion, SFLE can potentially be used to treat skin inflammatory diseases.
The Development of Cognitive Load Theory: Replication Crises and Incorporation of Other Theories Can Lead to Theory Expansion
Authors: Sweller John
Published: September 2023

Cognitive load theory has been in development since the 1980s. Much of the impetus for that development has come from firstly, replication failures using randomised controlled trials and secondly, from the incorporation of other theories into cognitive load theory. Both have led to theory expansion. The immediate cause of the so-called “replication crisis” in psychology and other disciplines is a failure to replicate previous empirical findings. Using cognitive load theory as an example, I argue that the appearance of contradictory evidence does not necessarily derive from a failure to properly collect data. Rather, it can be caused by initially insufficiently detailed theories, with increasing detail often revealing the reason for a failure to replicate. For cognitive load theory, each failure to replicate, rather than being a negative, contributed to the further development of the theory. In addition, the theory has developed over many years by closely incorporating other theories associated with human cognitive architecture and evolutionary psychology. In this paper, I discuss some of the developmental milestones associated with cognitive load theory and how they were informed by replication failures and theory integration.
Climate change in the Sidama region, Ethiopia: linking perceptions and adaptation
Authors: Ewalo Woldemichael , Vedeld Pål
Published: September 2023

Climate change is expected to have serious socioeconomic impacts on smallholder agriculture, but overall impacts will also depend on the extent of household adaptation to climate change. This study investigates household-level factors that may help describe and explain perceptions about climate change and examine how these perceptions influence choices related to specific land-use adoption strategies. Logistic regressions were applied to address these objectives. Cross-sectional survey data were derived from 315 randomly selected smallholder mixed farmers in Ethiopia. The results indicate that a significant number of farmers believe that temperatures have increased over the last 10–20 years and that precipitation has declined. Education, agroecological settings, and social capital significantly influenced perceptions of increased temperature. Gender, distance, access to climate change information, and social capital significantly influenced perceptions of reduced rainfall. The odds of decisions to adopt specific land-use adaptation measures to climate change are significantly influenced by perceived changes in rainfall and temperature but also by social, human, and natural capital access. Adoption is also linked to gender, distance to markets, access to climate change information, and farm location. Thus, rural interventions aimed at addressing more general agricultural adaptation to climate change should account for these factors.
Long-term adjustment of phytoplankton structure to environmental traits at timescales during lifetime development and over generations
Authors: Dokulil Martin T. , Teubner Katrin
Published: September 2023

Long-term ecological research of deep Lake Mondsee covers over more than six decades of phytoplankton observation. According to our study, phytoplankton groups of various phenological traits are suitable to address the impact of two major environmental stressors: nutrient surplus by eutrophication from 1968 to 1998 and warming by climate change. Here, we focus on phytoplankton biovolume, phytoplankton assemblage structure, net changes rates, and phytoplankton biodiversity. Biweekly net change-dependent persistence of phytoplankton assemblages followed a dome-shaped relationship of observations. A short-term persistence of taxonomic traits along weeks is predominant and contributes to the structural stabilization of phytoplankton assemblages. This short-term persistence is interpreted by the benefit of lifetime adjustment of phytoplankton organisms. The long-term development phytoplankton structure is discussed as an alignment of organisms over generations. Single key taxa, as Planktothrix rubescens (De Candolle ex Gomont) Anagnostidis &Komárek 1988, which are omnipotent players in phytoplankton assemblages and occur during different environmental scenarios in the long-term, are most suitable for long-term ecological research. Our findings interpret that phytoplankton taxa are excellent organisms to track the impact of environmental constraints due to their short generation time (1), their lifetime adjustment (2), and the re-occurrence in the long-term over generations (3).
Exploring the Process of Technology Socialization (TS) in the Family: ICT Adoption for Middle-aged Parents with the Influence of Adult Children
Authors: Tang Zhewen , Shah Mahmood , Jamal Arshad
Published: September 2023

Family is an important socialization environment for adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, while existing information systems research focuses on individual factors that influence digital inequity, it tends to ignore the influence of relational/collective factors on individuals’ ICT adoption. Drawing on technology adoption, socialization, and social identity theories, this study focuses on the process of technology socialization of ICT adoption for middle-aged parents with the influence of their adult children in Chinese families. Through in-depth interviews with thematic analysis, we identify three mechanisms in the family, including creating a family shared environment, negotiating a family ICT identity and interplay, and generating digital differentiation. These findings contribute to a technology socialization framework, addressing how individuals can become digitally savvy with the influence of the socialization agents in the family. The findings have implications for ICT firms and policy makers to promote the family shared environment as a vehicle for achieving social wellbeing and digital upskilling of middle-aged adults.
Biorefinery as a tool to obtain multiple seaweed extracts for cosmetic applications
Authors: Meirelles Bruna , Pagels Fernando , Sousa-Pinto Isabel , Guedes A. Catarina
Published: September 2023

Seaweeds have been identified as a valuable source of natural ingredients and their use in cosmetics is being studied increasingly. This work sought to understand the possible uses of three species of brown algae present along the Portuguese coast: Bifurcaria bifurcata, Saccorhiza polyschides and Fucus spiralis. Considering the idea of more sustainable use of resources, two extracts (water (W) and ethanol (E)) and two fractions (polysaccharides (P) and residues (R)) were obtained employing a biorefinery process. The extracts and fractions were evaluated in terms of antioxidant capacity (ABTS•+, DPPH•, •NO, O2•− and FRAP assays), anti-hyperpigmentation capacity (tyrosinase inhibition), and evaluated in terms of biocompounds (phenolic compounds and pigment content). The biochemical analysis revealed that F. spiralis contain more lipids and carbohydrates than the other species, while S. polyschides has more proteins and ashes. Fucus spiralis showed the most promising results, regarding the antioxidant assays, tyrosinase inhibition, highest phenolic compound concentration, total chlorophylls and total carotenoids. In a biorefinery concept, F. spiralis from the autumn season would be the most promising candidate as all extracts and fractions have potential commercial value. Bifurcaria bifurcata also has its merits in antioxidant activities and the content of phenolic compounds.
An Online Survey of Australian Medical Students’ Perspectives on Spiritual History Taking and Spiritual Care
Authors: Wenham John , Best Megan , Kissane David W.
Published: September 2023

It is reported that little spiritual care communication skills training occurs in Australian medical schools. This survey explored the experience of final year students in this domain in order to inform the construction of a new curriculum. Medical students in their final year at four Australian medical schools were invited to participate in an online survey, which included questions about demographic details, exposure to spiritual history taking, perceived learning needs, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being 12 item Non-Illness score. Two-hundred and sixty students from a cohort of 766 responded (34%). One in nine students had witnessed spiritual history taking, and one in ten students had been given the opportunity to do so. Barriers and enablers were identified. Two-thirds of the students reported no recollection of any training in spiritual care. When it did occur, it was limited in scope and structure. Final year medical students recognise that spiritual care deserves a place in the modern, broad-based medical school curriculum. This supports the argument for inclusion of spiritual care training as part of all medical student curricula in Australia.
Subspace Adaptation Prior for Few-Shot Learning
Authors: Huisman Mike , Plaat Aske , van Rijn Jan N.
Published: September 2023

Gradient-based meta-learning techniques aim to distill useful prior knowledge from a set of training tasks such that new tasks can be learned more efficiently with gradient descent. While these methods have achieved successes in various scenarios, they commonly adapt all parameters of trainable layers when learning new tasks. This neglects potentially more efficient learning strategies for a given task distribution and may be susceptible to overfitting, especially in few-shot learning where tasks must be learned from a limited number of examples. To address these issues, we propose Subspace Adaptation Prior (SAP), a novel gradient-based meta-learning algorithm that jointly learns good initialization parameters (prior knowledge) and layer-wise parameter subspaces in the form of operation subsets that should be adaptable. In this way, SAP can learn which operation subsets to adjust with gradient descent based on the underlying task distribution, simultaneously decreasing the risk of overfitting when learning new tasks. We demonstrate that this ability is helpful as SAP yields superior or competitive performance in few-shot image classification settings (gains between 0.1% and 3.9% in accuracy). Analysis of the learned subspaces demonstrates that low-dimensional operations often yield high activation strengths, indicating that they may be important for achieving good few-shot learning performance. For reproducibility purposes, we publish all our research code publicly.
Role of soil abiotic processes on phosphorus availability and plant responses with a focus on strigolactones in tomato plants
Authors: Santoro Veronica , Schiavon Michela , Celi Luisella
Published: September 2023

Background

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, taking part in primary cellular metabolic processes as a structural component of key biomolecules. Soil processes as adsorption, precipitation, and coprecipitation can affect P bioavailability, leading to limited plant growth and excessive use of P fertilizers, with adverse impacts on the environment and progressive depletion of P reserves. To cope with P stress, plants undergo several growth, development, and metabolic adjustments, aimed at increasing P-acquisition and -utilization efficiency. Recently, strigolactones (SLs) have emerged as newly defined hormones that mediate multiple levels of morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in plants as part of the P acclimation strategies to optimize growth. Therefore, understanding the soil processes affecting P availability and P acquisition strategies by plants can contribute to improved agronomical practices, resources optimization and environmental protection, and the development of plants with high P use efficiency for enhanced agricultural productivity.

Scope

In this review, we discuss the range of abiotic processes that control P retention in soil and how different concentrations or degrees of P bioavailability can trigger various responses in plants, while critically highlighting the inconsistent conditions under which experiments evaluating aspects of P nutrition in plants have been conducted. We also present recent advances in elucidating the role of SLs in the complex P signalling pathway, with a special focus on what has been discovered so far in the model plant tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).
Are We Really Falling Behind? Comparing Key Indicators Across International and Local Standardised Tests for Australian High School Science
Authors: Georgiou Helen
Published: September 2023

There has been a strong narrative in Australia of falling attainment in high school science, with much of the campaign informed by results from international standardised tests such as Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which shows a year-on-year decline in scientific literacy of Australian 15-year-old students. These results have been used to justify significant policy and curriculum reform, despite the known limitations of PISA and a lack of additional evidence to support this decline in other tests. In this paper, results from standardised tests administered in Australia will be compared to create a fulsome picture of attainment for high school science students. Reports include both the compilation of data from existing reports and new analyses. With the latest (2018/9) reports from PISA, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and National Assessment Program for Scientific Literacy (NAP-SL) (an Australian test of Science Literacy) and data shared by the NSW Department of Education on ‘The Validation of Assessment for Learning and Individual Development’ (VALID) test for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, this offers the most complete picture of student attainment in science to date. Results show that there are disagreements between tests on cohort achievement over time and distribution of attainment at different ‘proficiency levels’. These results suggest caution when using these key results from these tests to inform policy and pedagogy.
Beware the community type: engagement and growth in core vs. open online communities
Authors: Cyron Thomas , Garz Marcel , Steigenberger Norbert
Published: September 2023

Entrepreneurs can benefit from the communities they build. Therefore, many entrepreneurs create online communities that allow self-selected stakeholders, such as customers, crowd investors, or enthusiasts, to interact with the venture and other like-minded individuals. However, research on how entrepreneurs can successfully engage community members and grow such online communities is only slowly emerging. In particular, it is unclear if, how much, and which content entrepreneurs should contribute to foster engagement in different types of communities and which role these community types play in the community’s overall growth. Based on a longitudinal case study in the video game industry, we first theorize and show that—depending on the community type—both too much and too little entrepreneur-provided content fails to leverage community engagement potential and that different communities require more or less diverging content. We then theorize and show that community growth is largely driven by engagement in open communities, such as those hosted on social media. We outline the implications this has for entrepreneurs, our understanding of online communities, and entrepreneurial communities more generally.
Behaviour of 27-Day and 13.5-Day Periodicities in Galactic Cosmic Particles as Observed by Spacecraft and Neutron Monitors During Different Solar Polarity Cycles
Authors: Kotzé Pieter
Published: September 2023

An analysis has been made of the behaviour of the 27-day and 13.5-day periodicities in proton, C, and O galactic-cosmic-ray (GCR) particles at different energies as observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft during both Solar Cycles 23 and 24. In addition, the behaviour of the 27-day and 13.5-day periods in the solar-wind-modulation parameter $\zeta $
ζ
 = BIMF × VSW has been investigated during the same time interval to determine the existence of a possible solar-polarity dependence. Ground-based neutron-monitor (NM) observations, corresponding to different rigidity cutoff [RC] parameters, were also studied to determine the temporal behaviour of both the 27-day and 13.5-day periods during Cycles 23 and 24, revealing a statistically significant solar-polarity correlation. The Lomb–Scargle periodogram technique has been employed to extract spectral information from the above-mentioned observations for each individual year from 2001 – 2009 (Cycle 23) and 2010 – 2019 (Cycle 24). Daily mean energetic ACE and SOHO particle measurements are used to identify how both the 27-day and 13.5-day periodicities vary during each individual year during these cycles as a function of particle mean energy. This spectral analysis of proton, C, and O galactic-cosmic-particle data at different energies revealed that both the 27-day and 13.5-day periods are stronger during the minimum of Solar Cycle 24/25 when A > 0 (solar dipole pointing North) in comparison to the minimum of Cycle 23/24 when A < 0 (solar dipole pointing South) at certain energy levels. This showed a particularly strong energy-dependent behaviour for both periodicities. This article reports for the first time an annual time- and energy-dependent behaviour of both the 27-day and 13.5-day periodicities in daily-mean galactic cosmic particles observed by spacecraft and ground-based neutron monitors during consecutive Solar Cycles 23 and 24, corresponding to opposite solar-magnetic-field orientations. Periodicity behaviour in heliospheric solar-wind data corroborate these results in general.
Teachers’ assessment of self-regulated learning: Linking professional competences, assessment practices, and judgment accuracy
Authors: Karlen Yves , Bäuerlein Kerstin , Brunner Sabrina
Published: September 2023

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is crucial for successful lifelong learning and an important educational goal. For students to develop SRL skills, they need appropriate SRL support from teachers in the classroom. Teachers, who are aware of their students’ strengths and weaknesses in SRL, can promote SRL more adaptively. This requires teachers to assess students’ SRL skills accurately. However, there is little research on teachers’ diagnostic competences in SRL. To address this research gap, the present exploratory study investigates teachers’ content knowledge about SRL, assessment activities, and accuracy in judging their students’ SRL. Furthermore, the study examines whether teachers’ characteristics and competences in SRL are associated with the accuracy of their judgments. The study included 41 lower secondary school teachers and their 173 students. The students completed metacognitive knowledge tests on several SRL skills while the teachers made predictions about the students’ metacognitive knowledge of those SRL skills. The results indicate that not all teachers were familiar with the assessment of SRL. Moreover, teachers exhibited greater familiarity with offline assessments of SRL than online assessments and a noteworthy proportion of teachers employed assessment activities that were not diagnostic of SRL. Low correlations between students’ actual test scores and teachers’ judgments generally revealed low accuracy for teachers in assessing their students’ metacognitive knowledge of various SRL skills. Teachers’ characteristics and competences in SRL were mainly uncorrelated with their judgment accuracy. Overall, these results highlight the need for further attention and support for teachers in developing their diagnostic competences in SRL.
Evaluation of reciprocal F1 crosses of Fayoumi with two exotic chicken breeds 2: additive and non-additive effects on egg quality traits
Authors: Negash Fikrineh , Abegaz Solomon , Tadesse Yosef , Jembere Temesgen , Esatu Wondmeneh , Dessie Tadelle
Published: September 2023

The current study evaluates additive and non-additive genetic variances for egg quality traits in six genotypes generated through pure mating and reciprocal crossing of Fayoumi (FM) with Koekoek (KK) and White Leghorn (WL). For each genotype, measurements were taken on 30 eggs randomly sampled at 32, 36, and 40 weeks of age to evaluate both external and internal egg quality parameters. The results revealed significant differences (P < 0.001) among the genotypes in all external quality traits and most internal quality traits, including yolk weight (YW), albumen weight (AW), and yolk height (YH). The results also showed that variations due to purebred effect (PE), general combining ability (GCA), maternal effect (ME), and specific combining ability (SCA) were significant in most traits, which reflects that both additive and non-additive variances are important for the inheritances of the parameters investigated. In most of the traits, the ME and PE were higher in KK and WL, while GCA was higher in KK and FM. The FM x WL had higher SCA than FM x KK. The results suggest the likelihood of genetic improvement in these genotypes through selection and crossbreeding strategies and/or a combination of the two.
Spatio-Temporal Investigation of Public Transport Demand Using Smart Card Data
Authors: Klar Robert , Rubensson Isak
Published: September 2023

Policymakers must find efficient public transport solutions to promote sustainability and provide efficient urban mobility in the course of urban growth. A growing number of research papers are applying Geographically weighted regression (GWR) to model the relationship between public transport demand and its influential factors. However, few studies have considered the rapid development of journey inference from ticket transaction data. Similarly, the potential of GWR to analyze spatio-temporal changes that reflect changes in transportation supply and thus provide a measure for evaluating the local success of transport supply changes has yet to be exploited. In this paper, we use inferred journeys from smart card inferences as the dependent variable and analyze how public transport demand responds to a set of explanatory variables, emphasizing transport supply. Consequently, GWR and its successor Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) are applied to analyze the spatially varying impact of transport supply changes for seven consecutive time frames between autumn 2017 and spring 2020, allowing conclusions about local changes in transport demand, as well as the benchmarking of transport supply changes. The (M)GWR framework’s predictive power is evaluated by training the model with past transport supply data and testing the model with data from the following consecutive years. The conducted analyses reveal that the (M)GWR model, using inferred journeys and transport supply data, can retrospectively predict the impact of transport supply changes on travel behavior and thus provides conclusions about the success of transport policies.
From the Ground Up: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Past Fertility and Population Narratives
Authors: McFadden Clare
Published: September 2023

Population dynamics form a crucial component of human narratives in the past. Population responses and adaptations not only tell us about the human past but also offer insights into the present and future. Though an area of substantial interest, it is also one of often limited evidence. As such, traditional techniques from demography and anthropology must be adapted considerably to accommodate the available archaeological and ethnohistoric data and an appropriate inferential framework must be applied. In this article, I propose a ground-up, multidisciplinary approach to the study of past population dynamics. Specifically, I develop an empirically informed path diagram based on modern fertility interactions and sources of past environmental, sociocultural, and biological evidence to guide high-resolution case studies. The proposed approach is dynamic and can evolve in response to data inputs as case studies are undertaken. In application, this approach will create new knowledge of past population processes which can greatly enhance our presently limited knowledge of high-frequency, small-scale demographic fluctuations, as well as contribute to our broader understanding of significant population disturbances and change throughout human history.