bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One‐step Synthesis of Phosphorus‐doped g‐C3N5 for the Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride
Authors: Li Ning , Jiang Tuohong , Qi Yihui , Ma Rong , Xie Haijiao , Zhao Yu
Published: February 2025

In this study, phosphorus‐doped g‐C3N5 photocatalyst was synthesized by the thermal polycondensation method using 1‐Hydroxyethylidene‐1,1‐diphosphonic acid (HEDP) as the phosphorus source. The photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance of the catalyst were investigated through the characterization and analysis of its morphology, structure and photoelectric performance, as well as the discussion of the photocatalytic degradation mechanism. The results show that compared with undoped g‐C3N5, phosphorus doping can significantly enhance the specific surface area of g‐C3N5, reduce its band gap width, and expand its visible light absorption range. It can be substantiated that the phosphorus‐doped g‐C3N5 exhibits enhanced photocurrent response characteristics and a superior photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC‐HCl) was observed to occur rapidly and completely within 60 min under visible light irradiation. This considerable enhancement can be attributed primarily to the substitution of phosphorus into carbon sites through the formation of P‐N/P = N bonds with four coordination, which introduces additional P 2p levels within the band gap as a donor state, thereby facilitating enhanced light absorption and reducing charge separation. DFT calculations were conducted to analyze the electronic properties of P‐doped g‐C3N5 and to ascertain the mechanism by which P doping enhances the photocatalytic activity of g‐C3N5.
Do political connections stifle firm innovation? Natural experimental evidence from China's anti‐corruption campaigns
Authors: Zhong Weiguo , Zheng Yanfeng
Published: February 2025

Research Summary

The impact of political connections on firm innovation remains unclear. Utilizing the unexpected removal of high‐ranking officials during China's anti‐corruption campaigns between 1999 and 2015 as an exogenous shock, we analyze this relationship to provide greater clarity. Employing a difference‐in‐differences approach, we find that firms that experience unexpected loss of political connections file significantly more patent applications than those that do not experience such disruption. Further analyses indicate that this innovation boost is more pronounced for firms operating in highly competitive markets and those with substantial knowledge stocks. Our research therefore contributes novel empirical evidence to the discourse on political connections and firm innovation, highlighting the inhibitory effect of political connections and offering insights into the political economy of innovation.

Managerial Summary

This study explores the impact of anti‐corruption campaigns on the innovation efforts of firms with political connections in China. We discover that when such firms experience the unexpected loss of their political connections, they tend to file more patent applications, although this does not necessarily result in more patents being granted. It is important for firms and policymakers to understand that the response to such losses is not uniform. Firms are more likely to enhance their innovation efforts through increased patent applications if they are facing intense market competition or possess a rich knowledge stock. These findings underscore the importance of fostering a competitive market environment alongside anti‐corruption campaigns to stimulate innovation. Our study therefore sheds light on how to precisely assess the impact of anti‐corruption campaigns on firm behaviors and strategies.
Advanced T‐In2Se3/M‐WS2/B‐WSe2 Photodetectors Enabled by Cascaded Band Tailoring and Charge Reservoir Engineering
Authors: Xiao Ye , Luo Zhongtong , Qiu Zhanxiong , Liang Yanwei , Gao Wei , Yang Mengmeng , Zhao Yu , Zheng Zhaoqiang , Yao Jiandong , Li Jingbo
Published: February 2025

Taking advantage of their unparalleled electrostatic and optoelectronic properties, 2D layered materials (2DLMs) have emerged as alluring building blocks for crafting advanced photodetectors. Nevertheless, preceding research has predominantly concentrated on rudimentary designs incorporating single‐channel or single‐junction setups, failing to exert the full potency of 2DLMs. Therefore, there is still an imperative requirement to develop innovative device architectures grounded in novel physical mechanisms. Herein, a T‐In2Se3/M‐WS2/B‐WSe2 heterojunction photodetector boasting pronounced gate‐tunability is devised, achieving remarkable light on/off ratio of 5.8 × 104 and detectivity of 1.1 × 1013 Jones at Vgs = −25 V, alongside competitive responsivity and gain of 633 A W−1 and 1943 at Vgs = 30 V. Energy band analysis has determined that the former is associated with the synergy of the cascaded band alignment and the high degree of depletion effect, while the latter is ascribed to the intermediate electron reservoir enabling high‐efficiency spacial separation of photoexcited electron−hole pairs. Leveraging this device as the pivotal sensing component, proof‐of‐concept applications spanning broadband optoelectronic imaging and automatic driving are demonstrated. This study presents a novel paradigm for constructing 2DLM‐based photodetectors with outstanding comprehensive performance, thereby establishing a fascinating platform capable of catering to the diverse demands of next‐generation optoelectronic industry.
Double‐Reinforced Nano‐Sized Ferrosoferric Oxide/Carbon Core–Shell Nanorods Enabling Durable Sodium‐Ion Hybrid Capacitors
Authors: Pang Zengwei , Liu Miaomiao , Wan Shenteng , Liu Yongdong , Niu Xiaohui , Zhang Deyi , Wang Kunjie , Li Hongxia
Published: February 2025

Sodium‐ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs) represent a promising option for cost‐effective grid‐scale energy storage due to their combination of high energy and power densities, as well as excellent cycle stability. However, the practical application of SIHCs is hindered by the lack of advanced anode materials that exhibit fast ion diffusion kinetics and robust structures. Herein, a novel design featuring a nano‐sized Fe3O4 is developed, that is double‐reinforced by porous carbon derived from metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) as the inner core support and N, P‐co‐doped carbon from a polymer decomposition as the outer shell, resulting in a robust pencil‐like core–shell structural composite (Fe3O4/NPC). The Fe3O4 nanograins and abundant surface groups containing N and P reduce the charge/electron transfer distance and provide numerous pseudocapacitive active sites, guaranteeing high energy output and superior rate capability. The optimized core–shell structure and interconnected carbon framework effectively accommodate volume changes, prevent nanoparticle agglomeration, and facilitate ion/electron transport, thereby ensuring structural integrity and rapid kinetics. In testing, Fe3O4/NPC demonstrated superior cycling durability, retaining 86.6% of its initial capacity after 2500 cycles in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Impressively, the assembled SIHC achieved a notable energy density of 147.1 W h kg−1 and maintained 92% capacity after 8000 cycles.
Gläsernes Kunstwerk am Museum Peter & Traudl Engelhornhaus (rem) in Mannheim
Authors: Schula Sebastian , Pritz Michael
Published: February 2025

Nach fast drei Jahren Bauzeit eröffnete im Januar 2023 das Museum Peter & Traudl Engelhornhaus der Reiss‐Engelhorn‐Museen (rem) in der Mannheimer Innenstadt. Vollständig getragen von der Brombeeren‐Stiftung, widmet es sich schwerpunktmäßig den Themen Glaskunst und Fotografie. Das Schwerpunktthema Glas setzt sich neben der Ausstellung auch in der repräsentativen Glasfassade in Richtung des vorgelagerten Toulonplatzes fort: Die ursprüngliche, verputzte und in die Jahre gekommene Bestandsfassade wurde mit einer vorgesetzten hinterlüfteten Pfosten‐Riegel‐Fassade verkleidet. Die insgesamt 19 in der Gebäudeansicht sichtbaren Verglasungen sind mit je zwei Wölbungen, den sog. Bubbles, sphärisch gekrümmt ausgebildet. Durch die organische Geometrie der reflektierenden Elemente entstehen spezielle Licht‐ und Spiegeleffekte, welche der Fassade einen dynamischen Charakter verleihen: Je nach Blickwinkel, Tages‐ oder Jahreszeit verändert sich Ansicht und Anmutung. Damit ist die Fassade zugleich das größte Glaskunstwerk der Sammlung.
Metamorphic Relation Patterns for Metamorphic Testing, Exploration and Robustness
Authors: Ying Zhihao , Towey Dave , Bellotti Anthony , Chua Caslon , Quan Zhou Zhi
Published: February 2025

Metamorphic testing (MT) is an effective software quality assurance method; it uses metamorphic relations (MRs) to examine the inputs and outputs of multiple test cases. Metamorphic exploration (ME) and metamorphic robustness testing (MRT) are advanced additions to the MT literature: ME can enable better understanding, and thus testing, of systems; MRT can test software robustness without an oracle. Metamorphic relation patterns (MRPs) are abstractions or templates for multiple concrete MRs. The performance of MT/ME/MRT relies on the quality of MRs, but the identification of MRs is often a manual task requiring some knowledge of MRPs, creative thinking and a good understanding of the system. In other words, the effective identification of MRs remains a challenge and requires further study. In this paper, we propose formal definitions to describe the relationship between multiple MRPs in order to classify them. We also identify a series of new MRPs and propose a new MT framework that can guide the identification and application of MRPs. Based on our definitions, we present the notion of MRP family trees and further propose two trees by classifying previously published MRPs and our proposed MRPs, in order to make it easier for users to find their target MRPs for reuse, reference or inference. Finally, we report on case studies using the MRPs and our framework to guide the identification of MRs for MT/ME/MRT and successfully detect multiple violations.
Navigating Computational Resources for the CRISPR Classroom
Authors: Andersen Linnea , Goller Carlos , Samsa Leigh Ann , Sengupta Arnab
Published: February 2025

What You Will Learn in This Chapter

In this chapter, instructors will develop foundational knowledge about how to select and use computational tools to teach CRISPR-Cas technologies. Broadly speaking, CRISPR-Cas is a sequence-based technology. Computational resources provide a platform for managing and interacting with these sequences. With appropriate instructional design, computational tools are a valuable complement to lessons about CRISPR-Cas technologies and are essential support tools for CRISPR-Cas experiments. With an ever-growing suite of computational tools available, in this chapter, instructors will learn to navigate the landscape of these tools to select the most appropriate tools for their classroom or laboratory needs. Instructors will learn to identify when computational resources are appropriate for use in their classroom (and when they are not appropriate), then how to select the most appropriate tools for their unique needs. Additionally, we introduce instructors to best practices in instructional design for using CRISPR-Cas computational tools in the classroom. Throughout, instructors will learn both the rationale and principle behind selection so they can evaluate tools discussed in this chapter and new ones as they become available.
Scaffolding CRISPR Lessons to Accommodate Learning Levels and Resource Availability
Authors: Pattison Donna L.
Published: February 2025

What You Will Learn in This Chapter

In this chapter, strategies for the introduction and study of CRISPR-Cas systems and their use as a genomic editing tool will be discussed. Lessons covering the natural role of CRISPR systems in bacteria, the molecular mechanisms, potential applications of the knowledge, and ethical considerations of genome editing are suggested here. An opportunity to expose students to how discoveries are made, shared, and expanded by others is presented by the whirlwind adoption of CRISPR techniques across the scientific community. This chapter provides suggestions on lessons that can stand alone or provide the introduction and background that build expertise and lead up to hands-on wet-bench activities or research projects. Suggested approaches for learners from grade 9 through undergraduate senior level coursework will be offered. Scaffolding knowledge and providing multiple opportunities for interacting with material deepens understanding and helps students retain their learning over time. Course instructors can select activities suitable for the level and expertise of their students and the availability of time and resources to dedicate to the study of these naturally occurring systems that provide a powerful method to edit DNA.
CRISPR for Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences
Authors: Pieczynski Jay N. , Santisteban Maria S.
Published: February 2025

What You Will Learn in This Chapter

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are quickly becoming one of the best practices in higher education. In CUREs, faculty and students work side-by-side in class to investigate scientific questions where the answer is still unknown to the scientific community at large. In essence, students participating in CUREs are performing authentic research, without necessarily joining a research laboratory in an official capacity. When combined with CRISPR-based technologies, CUREs provide powerful opportunities not only to engage students with meaningful research experience, but also build familiarity and competence with emerging technologies. In this chapter, you will learn about establishing a CURE by defining the differences between CUREs and other labs with inquiry components, important considerations on the development and deployment of CUREs, how CRISPR has and can be used successfully in a CURE, and finally how to assess student learning in a CRISPR-based CURE.
The Pandemic’s Most Forgotten Population? The Impact of COVID-19 on the Health and Living Conditions of Newly Arrived Immigrants in Spain
Authors: García-Vázquez Olaya , Estrada Villaseñor Cecilia , Meneses-Falcón Carmen
Published: February 2025

This chapter describes the social and health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for some of the most vulnerable groups (i.e., recently arrived immigrants) in the Spanish population. The emergency caused by the rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus worldwide and the immediate imposition of a period of lockdown and home confinement especially affected the most vulnerable groups in Spain, including non-European immigrants who recently arrived at the southern Spanish border by small boats or by land during the pandemic. The objective of this chapter is to offer a comprehensive analysis of the living conditions, healthcare access, and well-being of these newly arrived immigrants in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative methodology was used to analyze 10 semi-structured interviews, which were conducted with professionals who worked with the newly arrived immigrant population. In this chapter, we discuss the health implications for this population in a broad sense and explore the consequences of pandemic lockdowns for these newly arrived immigrants. The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic depended on the characteristics and inequalities within the immigrant community, such as gender, age, nationality, and documentation. Public resources covered only a small part of their needs; hence, difficulties in accessing healthcare, psychological counseling, adequate nutrition, and adequate living conditions were reported issues. Violence against this group was denounced, as well as the relative lack of intercultural rapprochement in social and healthcare interventions.
Limiting Absorption Principles and Linear Inviscid Damping in the Euler–Boussinesq System in the Periodic Channel
Authors: Coti Zelati Michele , Nualart Marc
Published: February 2025

We consider the long-time behavior of solutions to the two dimensional non-homogeneous Euler equations under the Boussinesq approximation posed on a periodic channel. We study the linearized system near a linearly stratified Couette flow and prove inviscid damping of the perturbed density and velocity field for any positive Richardson number, with optimal rates. Our methods are based on time-decay properties of oscillatory integrals obtained using a limiting absorption principle, and require a careful understanding of the asymptotic expansion of the generalized eigenfunction near the critical layer. As a by-product of our analysis, we provide a precise description of the spectrum of the linearized operator, which, for sufficiently large Richardson number, consists of an essential spectrum (as expected according to classical hydrodynamic problems) as well as discrete neutral eigenvalues (giving rise to oscillatory modes) accumulating towards the endpoints of the essential spectrum.
Unlocking the potential of undervalued forest residues: a comprehensive characterization of eucalypt stump in the biorefinery context
Authors: Gominho Jorge , Habrant Anouck , Costa Ricardo A. , Chabbert Brigitte , Lourenço Ana
Published: February 2025

Eucalyptus globulus stumps are a by-product from the coppice pulp plantation after three generations. In this study a stump was fractionated in three discs (60 cm between them), and their constituent tissues—heartwood, sapwood and bark—were subjected to further chemical characterization by summative analysis, evaluation of the phytochemical profile and antioxidants activities, plus GC/MS and analytical pyrolysis aiming at their valorization. Wood density was similar between tissues and disc level: values ranging from 0.652 to 0.705 g/cm3 (Disc 1) and 0.605 g/cm3 (Disc 5). Bark had high ash (3.5%), extractives (7.5%) and holocellulose (68.4%) but lower lignin contents (22.0%). Original heartwood contained 0.7% ash, 7.0% extractives, 27.1% lignin, and 67.3% holocellulose. Heartwood showed high extractives (12.1–15.8%), less lignin (23.9–24.5%), and high holocellulose (61.7–64.7%) compared to sapwood which contained 3.9–5.4% extractives, 26.9–27.3% lignin and 68.6–71.5% holocellulose. Water extracts had poor antioxidant activity in contrast to ethanol extracts with high activities in heartwood. All tissues presented GS lignin type with S/G ratios varying from 3.0 to 3.4 (heartwood), 3.2–3.4 (sapwood), bark (3.5) and 3.8 (original heartwood). In wood, fibers and vessels were highly lignified with SG and G-lignin respectively; while rays had low lignin with G-type. Light and fluorescence macroscopic observation of the tissues in Disc 1 revealed a lower proportion and larger vessels in sapwood and high emission fluorescence at 488nm. Overall, these results show that stumps are valuable raw material to be used under the biorefinery context.
Liouville results for semilinear integral equations with conical diffusion
Authors: Birindelli Isabeau , Du Lele , Galise Giulio
Published: February 2025

Nonexistence results for positive supersolutions of the equation

$$-Lu=u^p\quad \hbox { in}\ \mathbb {R}^N_+$$

-
L
u
=

u
p

in

R

+
N

are obtained,

$$-L$$

-
L

being any symmetric and stable linear operator, positively homogeneous of degree 2s,

$$s\in (0,1)$$

s
∈
(
0
,
1
)

, whose spectral measure is absolutely continuous and positive only in a relative open set of the unit sphere of

$$\mathbb {R}^N$$

R

N

. The results are sharp:

$$u\equiv 0$$

u
≡
0

is the only nonnegative supersolution in the subcritical regime

$$1\le p\le \frac{N+s}{N-s}\,$$

1
≤
p
≤

N
+
s

N
-
s

, while nontrivial supersolutions exist, at least for some specific

$$-L$$

-
L

, as soon as

$$p>\frac{N+s}{N-s}$$

p
>

N
+
s

N
-
s

. The arguments used rely on a rescaled test function’s method, suitably adapted to such nonlocal setting with weak diffusion; they are quite general and also employed to obtain Liouville type results in the whole space.
Malignant upgrade in lesions of uncertain malignant potential in the breast (B3 lesions) – is open excision always necessary?
Authors: Heindl Felix , Schiel Janina , Hack Carolin C. , Amann Niklas , Jud Sebastian M. , Preuss Caroline I. , Häberle Lothar , Hartmann Arndt , Schulz-Wendtland Rüdiger , Wetzl Matthias , Beckmann Matthias W. , Erber Ramona
Published: February 2025

Purpose

Unclear or suspicious breast findings are typically clarified by interventional breast biopsy. Lesions with uncertain malignant potential are grouped as B3 lesions in histopathology. The B3 group according to the European Working Group for Breast Screening Pathology (EWGBSP) comprises various breast lesions with different upgrade rates to invasive breast cancer (BC) or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) if surgical removal is performed. The objective of this study was to investigate malignant upgrade rates to DCIS and/or invasive breast cancer (BC) after open surgical excision for the different B3 lesions.

Methods

A total of 192 patients with histologically verified B3 lesions were followed up retrospectively for this analysis. Patients with the B3 lesions atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), flat epithelial atypia (FEA), and classical lobular neoplasia (LN1-2) were combined into one group, while cellular fibroepithelial lesions (CFL) and phyllodes tumors without suspicion of malignancy, as well as papillomas and radial scars/complex sclerosing lesions (RS/CSL) were summarized in two other groups. We investigated the association of the different B3 lesions with invasive BC or DCIS after open surgical excision.

Results

Histopathological investigation revealed in 21 (10.9%) of the 192 patients invasive BC or DCIS after open surgical excision. The rate of patients with BC and/or DCIS significantly differed between the patient groups (p < 0.01, Fisher’s exact test): The highest rate was 17.5% (95% confidence interval (CI), 10.7–26.2) in patients within the group of ADH, FEA, and LN1-2. In the other two groups, fewer malignant lesions occurred. In the group with papillomas and RS/CSL the malignant upgrade rate was 4.3% (95% CI, 0.9–12.2), while within the group with CFL and phyllodes tumors without suspicion of malignancy no malignant upgrade was observed (0.0%, 95% CI, 0.0–16.9).

Conclusions

B3 lesions harbor the risk of malignant upgrade after surgical excision. In our collective ADH, FEA, and LN1-2 had significant higher upgrade rates than other B3 lesions.
Evolution of the batoidea pectoral fin skeleton: convergence, modularity, and integration driving disparity trends
Authors: López-Romero Faviel A. , Villalobos-Segura Eduardo , Türtscher Julia , Berio Fidji , Stumpf Sebastian , Dearden Richard P. , Kriwet Jürgen , Maldonado Ernesto
Published: February 2025

Batoids (skates and rays) are the most speciose group of cartilaginous fishes with a diverse array of ecological adaptations and swimming modes. Early skeletal fossil remains and recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that convergence among batoids has occurred independently multiple times. The drivers for such disparity patterns and possible association with modularity and phenotypic integration among batoids are not fully understood. Here we employed geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to characterize the evolutionary trends in the basal fin skeleton of extinct and extant batoids and dorsoventrally flattened sharks. We found that the most speciose orders of batoids, Myliobatiformes and Rajiformes, display the lowest levels of morphological disparity, while Torpediniformes and Rhinopristitiformes have the highest disparity. Differences in evolutionary rates by habitat indicate that both reef and freshwater species evolved faster than deep-sea and shelf-distributed species. We further explored the differences based on swimming modes and found that species with oscillatory swimming exhibit higher evolutionary rates on their coracoid bar. We found that specific groups underwent different rates of evolution on each element of the pectoral fin. This was corroborated by the modularity and integration analyses, which indicate differences in the covariation between structures among the analyzed groups. The convergence analysis does not support the resemblance between flattened sharks and batoids; however we found convergence between extinct batoids and modern guitarfishes. Our findings suggest that habitat and swimming mode have shaped the pectoral fin evolution among batoids.
Predicting free edge delamination induced by thermal loading using finite fracture mechanics
Authors: Burhan Mohammad , Ullah Zahur , Kazancı Zafer , Catalanotti Giuseppe
Published: February 2025

The material mismatch between the dissimilarly oriented plies within laminated structures induces localised singular interlaminar stresses at free edges, under various loading conditions such as mechanical, moisture, or thermal. These interlaminar stresses lead to premature interlaminar cracking. This study introduces the application of Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM) for predicting free edge delamination in angle-ply laminates under uniform thermal loading. The current framework assumes nucleation of semi-elliptically shaped crack at the dissimilar interface, resulting in a 3D FFM criterion. For a given material intrinsic properties, e.g. interlaminar fracture toughness and strength, calculation of quantities such as interlaminar stresses and incremental energy release rates are required. These quantities, necessary for the evaluation of the FFM criterion, are determined semi-analytically through expressions derived from dimensional analysis and finite element models. Dimensional analysis facilitates the finding of these quantities only once using non-dimensionalised functions. The resulting non-dimensionalised functions for stresses and energy release rates are not a function of thermal load and ply thickness. This eliminates the requirement to re-solve the underlying boundary value problem for varying loads and ply thicknesses. The accuracy of finite element models is confirmed against results from models available in literature and dimensional analysis is validated against numerical solutions. The 3D FFM system is solved by assuming a homothetic crack extension and is implemented as a standard constrained nonlinear optimisation problem. In addition to the 3D FFM, another model based on the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD) is employed for validation purposes. The predictions from both the 3D FFM and TCD are compared to those from models available in the literature.
Butterfly and moth conservation: results from a global synopsis of evidence
Authors: Bladon Eleanor K. , Christie Alec P. , Smith Rebecca K. , Sutherland William J. , Bladon Andrew J.
Published: February 2025

Butterflies and moths face a range of anthropogenic threats with many of the best-studied populations in decline. In response, butterfly and moth conservation programmes are implementing a diverse set of actions, but to date no study has synthesised evidence for their effectiveness. We present an overview of the recently published Conservation Evidence synopsis of butterfly and moth conservation, describe patterns and biases in the available evidence, and compare these to similar synopses on other taxa. We find that most evidence covers butterfly conservation, focuses on community-level responses, originates from the UK and the USA, comes from studies using the least robust designs, and assesses actions addressing the threat posed by agriculture. Far less evidence is available for moth conservation, for individual species’ responses, originates from Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America, comes from studies using the most robust designs, or tests actions designed to mitigate the impacts of pollution or climate change. While the geographic and study design biases reflect those found in evidence for the conservation of other taxa, the focus on community-level responses is higher than in any of the other synopses we examined. We suggest this may leave Lepidoptera conservation vulnerable to missing important, species-specific responses. We call for testing of conservation actions to be built into conservation projects for butterflies and moths, to build a robust evidence base for conserving Lepidoptera in a changing world.
Investors’ reactions to CSR reputation and disclosure assurance: an experimental analysis
Authors: Ernst Carolin A. , Kunz Jennifer , Fischer Thomas M. , Ludwig Laura M.
Published: February 2025

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures and a firm’s CSR reputation are important bases for retail investors’ judgments of legitimacy and their investment decisions. The present experimental vignette study with 300 participants acting as retail investors aims to provide deeper insights into the structure of these judgment processes. Our structural equation model reveals that a favorable CSR reputation and an assurance of the CSR disclosures positively affect whether values-driven motives are attributed to a firm’s CSR efforts, the perceived credibility of its CSR disclosures, and perceptions of its corporate social performance (CSP). In turn, perceptions of a firm’s CSP reinforces investors’ intention to invest, which in the end positively influences the amount of their investment. Our findings disentangle the complex cognitive processes involved, thus contributing to a better understanding of the combined effects of a firm’s CSR reputation and CSR disclosures on investors’ decision-making. In particular, these findings add to the scarce empirical research on individual legitimacy in investor decision-making and highlight the relevance of CSP as a decision parameter for investors, separate from corporate financial performance (CFP). Finally, the empirical results provide levers for managers to gain support from their firm’s investors and offer guidance for standard-setters and regulators regarding new disclosure requirements.
Why did the Big Four get so large? Evidence from Australia
Authors: Ferguson Colin , Pinnuck Matthew , Skinner Douglas J.
Published: February 2025

We use a long time-series from Australia to shed light on economic factors that led to audit market concentration and the Big N. We show that increases in the size of a small number of public companies was an important factor that led to large audit firms and market concentration. We also show that emerging Big N firms made sunk cost investments, including in the ability to provide industry expertise and non-audit services, which allowed them to retain clients, differentiate, and grow. These changes occurred around the time the profession lifted restrictions on advertising, which helped facilitate differentiation, and that larger, more complex clients switched to emerging Big N firms while smaller clients switched to non-Big N firms. We do not find that increases in audit market concentration reduced competition; our results instead suggest the audit market became more competitive over time.
Interplay of Personal Values and Politics in a Greek Context: Religiosity as a Moderator Between Reluctance Toward Casual Sexual Relationships and Ideological Conservatism
Authors: Grigoropoulos Iraklis
Published: February 2025

A model proposing that religiosity moderates the relationship between unwillingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations (conceptualized as sociosexuality and attitudes toward infidelity) and conservative ideology (conceptualized as conservative values and political conservatism) was tested in two studies conducted in Greece. By employing both correlation analyses and moderation models, the current research provided evidence for the moderating role of religiosity in the relationship between unwillingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations and conservative ideology. We argue that sexual attitudes and relationships may be underappreciated in political psychology research, given the variety of reasons people may acquire conservative ideologies. In contemporary societies, where sexuality is utilized to define an individual's identity and where sexual relations and attitudes are openly acknowledged and shared as an integral part of people's lives, this particular virtue is crucial. Considering also that there is a debate about and change regarding what is "political," this study's results provide evidence of how sexual attitudes and religiosity can shape ideological agendas and, in this way, how politics is expanding to include more personal spheres of existence.
On some properties of cohesive frames
Authors: Cele Lindani , Mthethwa Simo S.
Published: February 2025

The main aim of this note is to introduce and study the properties of cohesive frames. We study the extent to which some classical results may be extended to a larger terrain of pointfree topology and point out some interesting observations and results in this context. In particular, we show that the class of all cohesive frames contains all nontrivial pointless connected frames; a result that has no interpretation in classical topology. We introduce the notion of strong cohesion and study conditions under which cohesive frames are strongly cohesive.
From extraction to surveillance: Re-territorialisation of Vietnam’s ocean frontier through fisheries reforms
Authors: Kadfak Alin , Marschke Melissa , Hanh Tong Thi Hai
Published: February 2025

This paper examines how the EU’s Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing policy has influenced Vietnam’s recent fisheries management reforms. We draw on the idea of policy mobility to unpack how the EU’s IUU objectives to better manage Vietnamese fisheries is being implemented across national and provincial spaces. We find that the EU-influenced IUU regulations serves to reterritorialise fisheries management in Vietnam, along with reworking actors’ socio-spatial relations. Translating policy into practice results in a significant mismatch between IUU regulations and everyday fishing practices, raising questions about the sustainability of the newly designed IUU fisheries policies. Vietnam’s core policy narratives have shifted from a fisheries industry that was mainly extractive, to a fisheries industry relying on significant control and surveillance management. We conclude by troubling the notion of the EU as a ‘green actor’, and by reflecting on how the EU is reshaping fishing policies across the global South.
Macrophage and mitochondrion dual-targeting astaxanthin nanoparticles prepared by Maillard reaction for colonic inflammation alleviation
Authors: Liu Kangjing , Tian Xueying , Fei Siyuan , Song Yukun , Abd El-Aty A. M. , Tan Mingqian
Published: February 2025

This study demonstrated the design of whey protein isolate (WPI)-mannose (Man) conjugates with triphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP) through self-assembly to prepare macrophage and mitochondrion dual-targeting astaxanthin (AXT) nanoparticles (AXT@TPP-WPI-Man). The nanoparticles displayed spherical structures with a well-dispersed size of approximately 206.1 ± 39.2 nm, with good biocompatibility, stability, and targeting capabilities. In vitro experiments demonstrated the specific accumulation of AXT@TPP-WPI-Man in mitochondria and exhibited good targeting ability toward macrophages. The AXT@TPP-WPI-Man effectively reduced reactive oxygen species and preserved the normal mitochondrial membrane potential. The AXT@TPP-WPI-Man treated ulcerative colitis mice exhibited a 52.32% increase in colon length with significant improvement in weight loss, disease activity index scores, and reduced release of inflammatory cytokines. Immunofluorescence staining indicated AXT@TPP-WPI-Man alleviated ulcerative colitis by reducing M1 polarization in colonic macrophages while promoting M2 polarization. The dual-targeting AXT@TPP-WPI-Man has the potential to improve astaxanthin bioavailability, presenting a promising delivery method for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
Prioritizing public service investments and analyzing factors affecting willingness to pay for public services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of rural areas in Chungnam Province, South Korea
Authors: Lee Saem , Nguyen Trung Thanh
Published: February 2025

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored a critical need for well-functioning public services, particularly in rural areas where access to the services is often limited. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction and importance of public services in rural areas and analyze how the evaluation impacts residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for public service improvements. This is to identify key services that require strategic investment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results from the Importance-Performance Analysis show that public services' importance outweighs satisfaction, highlighting the need for improvement, particularly in medical emergency services, transportation, and cultural facilities. The results from the Heckman model indicate that both the satisfaction of residents with the service provision and their importance perceived by residents affect the propensity to pay and the intended amount of payment, including water and sewage, social work, and cultural facilities. The satisfaction is negatively associated while the importance is positively associated with WTP for public service improvement. In addition, income level and age of residents are found to be drivers of WTP as well. Policymakers are suggested to consider both the importance of services and the financial capacity of residents in designing interventions for improving public services in rural areas during the time of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
An ecosystemic view on information, data, and knowledge: insights on agential AI and relational ethics
Authors: Calzati Stefano
Published: February 2025

This article takes the lead from the data-information-knowledge-wisdom (DIKW) pyramid which is still a foundational paradigm in information science and applied fields. The goal is three-folded: (1) to outline a critique of such paradigm, with specific regard to its logico-objectivist standpoint; (2) to propose an information theory-based revisitation of the concepts of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom able to move beyond logico-objectivism; (3) to advance an ecosystemic rearrangement among data, information, and knowledge, whose key feature is the balanced entanglement between known and unknown. This will lead to conceptualizing agency as an open-ended information-processing disposition. Such conceptualization can prove useful to reframe discussions around Artificial Intelligence (AI) beyond sentience, emphasizing the epistemological effects that AI has in the world, as well as to advance an understanding of ethics as a relational from-within practice.
Prudential reasons for designing entitled chatbots: How robot "rights" can improve human well-being
Authors: Löhr Guido , Dennis Matthew
Published: February 2025

Can robots or chatbots be moral patients? The question of robot rights is often linked to moral reasons like precautionary principles or the ability to suffer. We argue that we have prudential reasons for building robots that can at least hold us accountable (criticize us etc.) and that we have prudential reasons to build robots that can demand that we treat them with respect. This proposal aims to add nuance to the robot rights debate by answering a key question: Why should we want to build robots that could have rights in the first place? We argue that some degree of accountability in our social relationships contributes to our well-being and flourishing. The normativity ascribed to robots will increase their social and non-social functionalities from action coordination to more meaningful relationships. Having a robot that has a certain “standing” to hold us accountable can improve our epistemic standing and satisfy our desire for recognition.
State-linked manipulated media in the time of Covid-19: a look at Iran
Authors: Bagozzi Benjamin E. , Balasubramanian Karthik , Goel Rajni , Parker Chris
Published: February 2025

What drives changes in the thematic focus of state-linked manipulated media? We study this question in relation to a long-running Iranian state-linked manipulated media campaign that was uncovered by Twitter in 2021. Using a variety of machine learning methods, we uncover and analyze how this manipulation campaign’s topical themes changed in relation to rising Covid-19 cases in Iran. By using the topics of the tweets in a novel way, we find that increases in domestic Covid-19 cases engendered a shift in Iran’s manipulated media focus away from Covid-19 themes and toward international finance- and investment-focused themes. These findings underscore (i) the potential for state-linked manipulated media campaigns to be used for diversionary purposes and (ii) the promise of machine learning methods for detecting such behaviors.
An elementary geometric proof of Snell’s law from Fermat’s principle
Authors: Fowkes Nicholas
Published: February 2025

In the long history of the study of the refraction of light, Willebrord Snell is credited with being the first to show that the ratio of the sines of the angles of incidence and reflection is constant for any given pair of media.
Dance as Public Humanities
Authors: Robertson Jade Charon
Published: February 2025

Dance creates change in underserved communities. It is not just performance art; instead, dance becomes ministry.1 In 2016, during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, I created my first site-specific dance film, Reverse,2 set in Watts and Compton, California, and featuring students from the University of Los Angeles, California (UCLA) and The Watts Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) culminating in a public performance at UCLA, and catching the eye of The New York Times.3 As this project shows, dance films educate audiences on social justice issues, and bridge the gap between communities, cultures, and academia through the principles of public humanities: cultural empowerment, social cohesion, inclusive representation, civic engagement, and public discourse.
On heat conduction in a plasma with a magnetic island
Authors: Pechstein G. , Helander P. , Shanahan B.
Published: February 2025

The heat conductivity of a plasma is usually much higher along the magnetic field than across it, and, as a result, the presence of a magnetic island can significantly affect the temperature profile in its vicinity. Radiation energy losses, which depend sensitively on temperature, are thus strongly affected by magnetic islands. This phenomenon is explored in a simple mathematical setting, and it is shown that the presence of a magnetic island greatly enhances a plasma's capacity to radiate energy. In the limit of highly anisotropic heat conductivity, the steady-state heat conduction equation can be reduced to an ordinary differential equation. Although this equation operates in one dimension, the topology is not that of the real line, but corresponds to a rod with a cooling fin. As parameters such as the incoming heat flux or the radiation amplitude are varied, the radiation has a tendency to linger around the island, in particular in the region of the separatrix, and the total radiated energy is then significantly increased. The island acts as a ‘cooling fin’ to the plasma. Furthermore, the solutions exhibit bifurcations, where the location of the radiation zone suddenly changes.
Hospital frailty risk and CHA2DS2-VA scores in the mortality assessment of older patients with peripheral artery disease
Authors: Piepenburg Sven M. , Maslarska Mariya , Weber Christian , Kaier Klaus , von zur Mühlen Constantin , Westermann Dirk , Hehrlein Christoph
Published: February 2025

Summary: Background: Older patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) encounter an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Accurate risk scoring methods are crucial for assessing the likelihood of cardiovascular events in these patients. However, a comprehensive comparison of these scoring methods for predicting in-hospital mortality in PAD patients has not yet been conducted. Patients and methods: This study analyzed 173,075 patients hospitalized with PAD in the year 2020 from a German nationwide registry. We assessed five risk scores: the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the CHA2DS2-VA Score, the EuroSCORE, and the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). The average patient age was 72 ± 10.94 years, with 36.82% female and 35.27% also diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 2.68%. Mean scores were 7.12±6.55 for the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, 2.66±1.72 for the Charlson Comorbidity Index, 3.85±1.43 for the CHA2DS2-VA Score, 8.96%±8.85% for the EuroSCORE, and 3.53±5 for the HFRS. The HFRS showed the highest predictive potential for in-hospital mortality with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86–0.87) but had the worst calibration for high-risk patients. The CHA2DS2-VA Score had the lowest AUC 0.69 (95% CI: 0.68–0.70) but was the most consistent prediction model regarding calibration. Conclusions: HFRS was the most effective overall predictor of in-hospital mortality, but did not detect those patients with a very high risk of mortality. The CHA2DS2-VA Score was the most robust predictor of increasing score points but had the lowest sensitivity. Therefore, use of the HFRS combined with application of the CHA2DS2-VA Score appears to be most appropriate in identifying older PAD patients at risk of in-hospital mortality.
Observation of the First Stepping Process of Three Winter Lightning Discharges
Authors: Yang Qingliu , Wang Daohong , Yang Junchen , Wu Ting
Published: February 2025

Using three different lightning observation systems, we have observed the first stepping processes of three lightning discharges with unprecedented details. We found that each of the first stepping processes contains a clear upward fast negative breakdown (FNB) corresponding to the preliminary breakdown (PB) pulse peak. Prior to the FNB from the lightning initiation, most sources are located in a fan‐shape area, and the FNB grows from this area forming a channel with a length from 45 to 120 m. During the period of about 100 microseconds immediately preceding the PB pulse, multiple 1–12 MHz radio bursts are located within or near the fan shape area. These radio bursts may indicate stem/space leaders. Eventually the FNB decayed and scattered in another fan shape area at the upper end of the channel. Based on these findings, we have proposed a complete picture of the first stepping process.
The Energization and Escape of Cold Ions in Dayside Magnetopause Magnetic Reconnection
Authors: Zhang Heng , Ge Bin‐Wen , Zhu Zhi‐Lin , Zhou Kang , Li Zhuo‐Hui , Zhang Qing‐He , Liu Hui‐Jie , Tang Bin‐Bin , Li Wen‐Ya
Published: February 2025

At the Earth's dayside magnetopause, a cold ion population of ionospheric or plasmasphere origin is commonly observed at the magnetospheric side. In this study we use a 2.5D Particle‐in‐Cell simulation to investigate the energization of cold ions in the separatrix near X‐line and the escape process. And we identify observation events made by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, which provide evidence of the acceleration mechanism of cold ions in separatrix. We track the trajectories of cold ions and conduct an analysis, discovering that the cold ions exhibit a positive drift velocity in the vertical direction of the current sheet and in the separatrix, so the cold ions undergo demagnetized motion. The analysis results show that the Hall electric field accelerates the cold ions, and it is followed by gyrations around the magnetic field, which results in the velocity distribution function of cold ions near the separatrix exhibits a ring‐like distribution. Both simulation results and observations indicated that cold ions in the asymmetric magnetic reconnection separatrix region near the X‐line undergo significant acceleration owing to the effects of , where Hall electric field and the magnetic field parallel to the current sheet play the primary roles during this process. Although magnetic reconnection opens a channel for cold ion escape, the escape is limited, and we first predict the quantification of the escape rate of the cold ions, approximately . The escape of cold ions from the magnetosphere to the magnetosheath is challenging and rare.