bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2D MXenes: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications in Silicon‐Based Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Li Wei , Xu Zhiyuan , Yan Yu , Gao Qianfeng , Song Yaya , Wang Taiqiang , Dun Hongyu , Yang Mingyu , Huang Qian , Zhang Xiaodan , Zhao Ying , Hou Guofu
Published: January 2025

MXenes, a rapidly emerging class of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, have attracted significant attention for their outstanding properties, including high electrical conductivity, tunable work function, and solution processability. These characteristics have made MXenes highly versatile and widely adopted in the next generation of optoelectronic devices, such as perovskite and organic solar cells. However, their integration into silicon‐based optoelectronic devices remains relatively underexplored, despite silicon's dominance in the semiconductor industry. In this review, a timely summary of the recent progress in utilizing Ti‐based MXenes, particularly Ti3C2Tx, in silicon‐based optoelectronic devices is provided. The composition, synthesis methods, and key properties of MXenes that contribute to their potential for enhanced device performance are focused on. Furthermore, the latest advancements in MXene applications in silicon‐based solar cells and photodetectors are discussed from fundamental and applied perspectives. Finally, the key challenges and future opportunities for the integration of MXenes in silicon‐based optoelectronic devices are outlined.
Pre‐Lithiated Silicon‐Based Composite Anode for High‐Performance All‐Solid‐State Batteries
Authors: Li Cheng , Wu Yuqi , Ren Fucheng , Liu Jun , Lin Ying , Xia Meng , Wang Huanran , Meng Chunyan , Wang Zhenyu , Gong Zhengliang , Yang Yong
Published: January 2025

Silicon is widely recognized as a promising anode material for all‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) due to exceptional specific capacity, abundant availability, and environmental sustainability. However, the considerable volume expansion and particle fragmentation of Si during cycling lead to significant performance degradation, limiting its practical application. Herein, the development of a pre‐lithiated Si‐based composite anode (c‐Li1Si) is presented, designed to address the key challenges faced by Si‐based anodes, namely severe volume changes and low electrochemical stability. The c‐Li1Si anodes are prepared by incorporating Li₁Si powders with Li6PS5Cl (LPSCl) sulfide solid electrolyte (SSE), forming a dense structure that enhances conductivity and mitigates structural degradation. The ASSBs with c‐Li1Si‐60 anode exhibit outstanding electrochemical performance, including excellent rate capability and capacity retention of 84.4% after 1000 cycles at 1 C and exceptional performance even at low anode‐to‐cathode capacity ratios (N/P ratio) of 1.68. EIS and pressure measurements reveal improved reaction kinetics and reduced volume expansion. X‐ray micro‐CT and SEM further confirmed the introduction of LPSCl effectively alleviated volume changes and maintained electrode structural integrity, contributing to enhanced electrochemical performance. These results underscore the potential of the c‐Li1Si anode to overcome the intrinsic limitations of Si‐based anodes, offering a promising pathway toward high‐energy‐density ASSBs.
Non‐Stoichiometric Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Forms in Macromolecular Condensates via Interphase Diffusion
Authors: Paul Debojit , Varsano Neta , Biswas Protap , Kaplan‐Ashiri Ifat , Aram Lior , Gal Assaf
Published: January 2025

Transient amorphous phases are known as functional precursors in the formation of crystalline materials, both in vivo and in vitro. A common route to regulate amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) crystallization is via direct interactions with negatively charged macromolecules. However, a less explored phenomenon that can influence such systems is the electrostatically driven formation of Ca‐macromolecule dense phases. In this study, it is shown how Ca‐macromolecule condensates that form via liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) can be used to control the formation of metastable ACC via diffusion‐based mass transport. Contrary to the solid‐like ACC particles that form in the dilute phase via rapid nucleation and growth, the condensate ACC gradually forms via carbonate diffusion into the dense droplets. This yields transient phases with non‐stoichiometric compositions, similar to a solid solution. It is shown that the ability to control the concentration gradients across the phase boundary can be used to finely regulate the composition and stability of these amorphous precursors, offering new routes to control mineralization through transient phases.
Atomically Dispersed Ni‐N‐C Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Authors: Weiss John C. , He Yanghua , Cullen David A. , Benavidez Angelica , Jernigen Jeremy D. , Zhang Hanguang , Osmieri Luigi , Zelenay Piotr
Published: January 2025

The atomic dispersion of nickel in Ni‐N‐C catalysts is key for the selective generation of carbon monoxide through the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR). Herein, the study reports a highly selective, atomically dispersed Ni1.0%‐N‐C catalyst with reduced Ni loading compared to previous reports. Extensive materials characterization fails to detect Ni crystalline phases, reveals the highest concentration of atomically dispersed Ni metal, and confirms the presence of the proposed Ni‐Nx active site at this reduced loading. The catalyst shows excellent activity and selectivity toward CO generation, with a faradaic efficiency for CO generation (FECO) of 97% and partial current density for CO (jco) of ‐9.0 mA cm−2 at ‐0.9 V in an electrochemical H‐type cell. CO2RR activity and selectivity are also studied by rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements where transport limitations can be suppressed. It is expected that the utility of these Ni‐N‐C catalysts will lie with tandem CO2RR reaction schemes to multi‐carbon (C2+) products.
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication, brushtail possum control, and causal inference
Authors: Hone Jim
Published: January 2025

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in livestock (cattle and farmed deer) is the focus of an in‐progress eradication program in New Zealand. The program includes intensive brushtail possum population control as this species is a bTB host and could compromise eradication at a national level. Ten causal criteria (strength of association, experiment, temporality, plausible mechanism, biological gradient, consistency, coherence, specificity, analogy, validated causal predictions) were used to evaluate annual changes in bTB status in livestock herds relative to costs of possum population control and livestock bTB disease control. Hypotheses were evaluated using a model selection framework of the causal relationship between efforts (costs) and outcomes (bTB‐infected herds) following management. The 10 causal criteria were demonstrated empirically. Experiments used designs from the simplest pretest‐posttest comparison to a before‐after‐control‐impact design, though lacked random allocation of treatments to experimental units and some studies lacked statistical analyses. As hypothesised, the annual changes in bTB‐infected herds were positively related to annual costs. The predicted damped oscillations across years in annual changes in bTB‐infected herds were observed. The implications are that eradication of livestock bTB appears likely, though there is a risk that eradication may not be achieved by 2026, unless annual control expenditure is higher and/or more efficient in the future.
Establishment of a 3D-Printed Tissue-on-a-Chip Model for Live Imaging of Bacterial Infections
Authors: Fuglsang-Madsen Albert , Haagensen Janus Anders Juul , De Rudder Charlotte , Simões Filipa Bica , Molin Søren , Johansen Helle Krogh
Published: January 2025

Despite advances in healthcare, bacterial pathogens remain a severe global health threat, exacerbated by rising antibiotic resistance. Lower respiratory tract infections, with their high death toll, are of particular concern. Accurately replicating host-pathogen interactions in laboratory models is crucial for understanding these diseases and evaluating new therapies. In this communication, we briefly present existing in vivo models for cystic fibrosis and their limitations in replicating human respiratory infections. We then present a novel, 3D-printed, cytocompatible microfluidic lung-on-a-chip device, designed to simulate the human lung environment, and with possible use in recapitulating general infectious diseases.

Our device enables the colonisation of fully differentiated lung epithelia at an air-liquid interface with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a key pathogen in many severe infections. By incorporating dynamic flow, we replicate the clearance of bacterial toxins and planktonic cells, simulating both acute and chronic infections. This platform supports real-time monitoring of therapeutic interventions, mimics repeated drug administrations as in clinical settings, and facilitates the analysis of colony-forming units and cytokine secretion over time. Our findings indicate that this lung-on-a-chip device has significant potential for advancing infectious disease research, in optimizing treatment strategies against infections and in developing novel treatments.
Machine Learning Promoting Sustainable Customer Behavior and Product Pricing
Authors: Pourmahdi Katayoon , Nyström Anna-Greta , Majd Amin
Published: January 2025

The emergence of sustainability concerns has significantly influenced company strategies. The growing importance of sustainability is particularly affecting marketing, especially product-line pricing strategies. Companies are being coerced into integrating sustainability goals and eco-friendly practices into their current operations; practices which also entail pricing strategies. Proposing optimal pricing strategies according to customer-perceived prices, to maximize sales optimization, has thus gained increased attention from both practitioners and scholars. This chapter explores sustainable consumer behavior and aims to investigate how organizations influence sustainable consumption through a pricing strategy that relies on descriptive and predictive analytics using machine learning methods. More precisely, the focus of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of factors affecting sustainable consumer behavior and the role of price by using descriptive analytic methods (data summarization and visualization) and predictive analytic methods (logistic regression) as tools. Our empirical context features a Nordic retail conglomerate and covers data on sustainable consumer behavior from 2019 to 2024, to which descriptive and predictive analytics using machine learning methods are applied. We conclude the chapter by discussing how retailers can analyze and predict their customers’ purchasing behavior regarding choosing sustainable products over substituting ones.
Exploiting Machine Learning to Test Service Supply Scenarios: A Rescue Department Case
Authors: Immonen Mika , Huuskonen Heidi , Koivuniemi Jouni , Hallikas Jukka
Published: January 2025

This chapter assesses the use of machine learning (ML) to estimate service process performance and outlines questions concerning the modeling process. In particular, this study focuses on experimentation with service networks using trained artificial neural networks (ANNs). The theory is based on proactive supply chain risk management studies, the core of which is the utilization of big data, ML, and predictive analytics concerning supply networks. This article presents the case of a rescue service assessment in residential areas, where societal changes and healthcare reforms drive the fire station network. Here, the managerial discussion connects to healthcare politics and safety risk management considering challenges emerging from decentralized home care plans. The empirical study contains a description of the datasets and process for ANN-based modeling and presents the empirical results. The data include emergency register data that are enriched with geospatial variables and are utilized to train the ANN. The trained model is then exploited in a scenario experiment process for response time estimates of rescue services in a specific region. The analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the scenarios at both the general level and the local means of response times. In conclusion, the applied analysis protocol has the potential to be expanded for use as an assessment tool to test the supply networks of other time-critical services.
Sterols in fresh and preserved button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) products
Authors: Sommer Katrin , Vetter Walter
Published: January 2025

Mushrooms are highly valued but also very perishable foods. As a consequence, various types of preserved mushroom products are available in retail stores. Common preservation techniques include pickling in brine and drying. Such processes might cause a partial transformation of unstable products like ergosterol, which is the most relevant sterol in mushrooms. In this study, gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to examine the levels of ergosterol and other, lower abundant sterols in dried and pickled button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) from German retail. Multivariate analysis of the free sterol fraction was used to verify significantly lower ergosterol contents in the preserved products (pickled: 280 ± 30 mg/100 g dry weight, dried: 190 ± 20 mg/100 g dry weight) compared to fresh button mushrooms (610 ± 20 mg/100 g dry weight). In addition, the contribution of ergosterol to the total sterol content in dried button mushroom samples (84 ± 1%) was comparable to fresh samples (87 ± 1%) but significantly lower in the pickled products (78 ± 1%). Storage experiments with pure ergosterol standards in solution indicated a full degradation of ergosterol and the formation of seven transformation products at room temperature storage within 9 days.
First complete genome sequence of tulip mild mottle mosaic virus (Ophiovirus tulipae)
Authors: Neriya Yutaro , Hamamoto Kakeru , Kobayashi Tominari , Nakase Shunsuke , Kurosawa Rena , Suzuki Tomohiro , Nishigawa Hisashi , Morikawa Toshiyuki , Natsuaki Tomohide
Published: January 2025

Tulip mild mottle mosaic disease, caused by tulip mild mottle mosaic virus (TMMMV, species Ophiovirus tulipae), was first reported in Japan in 1979. TMMMV has a negative-sense ssRNA genome and is closely related to ophioviruses such as Mirafiori lettuce big vein virus (MLBVV, Ophiovirus mirafioriense). However, its complete nucleotide sequence has not yet been reported. Therefore, in this study, we determined the complete nucleotide sequences of all four TMMMV segments. The 5′-terminal tetranucleotide sequences were highly conserved, and the five bases at the 5′ end were identical in all segments. Nucleotide sequence comparisons of the four segments showed the highest sequence identity to those of MLBVV (70–76% for the genomic RNA sequences and 81–87% for the amino acid sequences of each ORF, except for ORF2). The amino acid sequences of the coat proteins of TMMMV and MLBVV were found to be 83.1% identical, which is below the 85% threshold for assignment to the same species, indicating that these viruses belong to different species in the same genus.
Applications of artificial intelligence in orthodontics: a bibliometric and visual analysis
Authors: Polizzi Alessandro , Boato Mattia , Serra Sara , D’Antò Vincenzo , Leonardi Rosalia
Published: January 2025

Objectives

To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in orthodontics to provide a detailed overview of the current research trends, influential works, and future directions.

Materials and methods

A research strategy in The Web of Science Core Collection has been conducted to identify original articles regarding the use of AI in orthodontics. Articles were screened and selected by two independent reviewers and the following data were imported and processed for analysis: rankings, centrality metrics, publication trends, co-occurrence and clustering of keywords, journals, articles, authors, nations, and organizations. Data were analyzed using CiteSpace 6.3.R2 and VOSviewer.

Results

Almost 83% of the 381 chosen articles were released in the last three and a half years. Studies were published either in highly impacted orthodontic journals and also in journals related to informatics engineering, computer science, and medical imaging. Two-thirds of the available literature originated from China, the USA, and South Korea. AI-driven cephalometric landmarking and automatic segmentation were the main areas of research.

Conclusions

This report offers a thorough overview of the AI current trend in orthodontics and it highlights prominent research areas focused on increasing the speed and efficiency of orthodontic care. Furthermore, it offers insight into potential directions for future research.

Clinical relevance

Collaborative research efforts will be necessary to strengthen the maturity and robustness of AI models and to make AI-based clinical research sufficiently reliable for routine orthodontic clinical practice.
Particulate behaviour of soft granular materials: a case study on lentils
Authors: Singh Saurabh , Baudet Beatrice Anne , Coop Matthew Richard
Published: January 2025

In this article, lentils are used as a case study to characterise the particulate behaviour of soft granular materials. Experiments were carried out on a single lentil particle or a pair of lentils. The single particle or a pair of particles in contact were compressed vertically to crushing or to a fixed vertical load. Then, in inter-particle tests, pairs of particles were slid over each other at a constant vertical load, and the tangential stiffness and coefficient of friction were estimated. The pairs of lentil particles in contact were also subjected to repeated normal and tangential loading. The presence or absence of the cover of lentil particles (shell) was found to affect their behaviour significantly under these loading conditions. The lentil particles have a very compliant shell and stiff core in normal loading; the stiffness of the shell is constant, and the core follows Hertz contact law. The lentil particles show less variability in their crushing strength, with high Weibull modulus (~ 10), in comparison to other natural granular materials like sand. With repeated cycles of vertical loading, the contact between a lentil pairs of particles becomes more stiff and less damp. In tangential loading, the coefficient of friction between lentil particles decreases with normal force while the contact stiffness increases. Further, in cyclic tangential loading, the coefficient of friction decreases and the contact stiffness increases with cycles. A simple contact model is also proposed to use in discrete element simulations.

Graphical abstract
Unveiling the Nexus of trafficking: Socio-economic determinants, victimization forms, and psychological impacts on women in Bangladesh
Authors: Banarjee Subrata , Sadik Nasif , Sharmin Sumona
Published: January 2025

The trafficking of women and girls represents a severe infringement upon fundamental human rights and has exhibited a concerning upward trend in various regions worldwide, including Bangladesh. The study addressed the effect of social class, poverty, empowerment, education and areas of residence for women trafficking in Bangladesh and identified the physical and mental sufferings of the victims. This study employed an exploratory qualitative research design and recruited participants from the Dhaka Metropolitan Area. The sample was selected from the victims who were repatriated from January 2020 to December 2021 by the reputed human rights organization Bangladesh National Women Lawyer Association, Dhaka. To maintain proper ethical guidelines, in-depth interviews were conducted through semi-structured questionnaires. The study's results indicate that women with lower socio-economic status and marginalized positions experience higher victimization. The trafficking of women in Bangladesh is facilitated by a range of factors, including poverty, limited access to education and employment opportunities, weak familial bonds, dysfunctional family dynamics, fraudulent job offers, the use of digital platforms, the presence of organized trafficking syndicates, and a complex nexus of factors in border areas. The study also identified that victims experienced severe physical and psychological maltreatment including sexual assault, coercion, physical abuse, and intravenous drug use. Victims also suffer from psychological trauma including threat, anger, depression, insomnia, vomiting, low self-esteem, self-blaming, and skipping meals. Stigmatization and victim blaming also occurred while they were successfully repatriated to their destination. The study concludes with the policy recommendation that the legal agencies of the state should increase the security and surveillance on the border, ensure the safety and security of the survivors, and provide mental support through service providers.
Host specificity of Cuscuta species: is it a cause or a consequence of the habitat preference?
Authors: Baráth Kornél , Lengyel Attila , Csiky János
Published: January 2025

Aims

The genus Cuscuta comprises nearly 200 parasitic plant species. Sympatric Cuscuta species are considered to occur in different habitat types. We investigated the reasons for the observed habitat preference addressing the following questions: Can host specificity explain the habitat preference? Can soil characteristics influence habitat preference?

Methods

We sampled 543 vegetation plots and collected 56 soil samples from the habitats of C. europaea, C. campestris, C. epithymum, C. lupuliformis, and C. australis in Hungary. The percent cover, maximum height, and parasitism status of each species were recorded in every plot. The species composition and soil parameters of the habitats were compared using multivariate data analysis.

Results

Habitats of the examined parasites significantly differed from each other based on species number and composition, as well as vegetation cover and height. However, species compositions in the habitat of the same Cuscuta species also varied considerably in different localities. We also found that the host range of the same Cuscuta species differed greatly in different locations. None of the dodders had any essential host species without which they could not survive and develop. Additionally, the habitats of the examined Cuscuta species significantly differed from each other based on soil conditions.

Conclusion

Host specificity alone does not explain the strong preference of these host generalist parasites for certain habitats. Rather, the complex system of biotic and abiotic factors, including the mineral composition of the soil, determines the habitats of dodders.
The crafting for stress management coaching (CSMC) program
Authors: Kovács Dániel , Vikoler Thomas , Traut-Mattausch Eva
Published: January 2025

In this article, we present a newly created coaching concept, which is derived from central work health models as well as previous forms of cognitive-behavioral and stress-related coachings. Our coaching program’s main goal is to enable the coachee to deal with stress in a more positive way by creating job crafting habits that allow to proactively change either job demands, job resources, or both. The said change should lead to a decrease in distress and an increase in eustress in the following. We explain the process and accompanying exercises so that the herein presented strategies can provide the best possible support in both the attainment of the coachee’s goals as well as their stress management. The description of the Crafting for Stress Management Coaching (CSMC) program follows its in-use structure by outlining each of the five sessions in detail. Future trends such as Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) and Just-In-Time-Adaptive-Interventions (JITAIs) are discussed to provide a long-term outlook in terms of how the coachee can be supported more efficiently during the coaching process itself as well as after it has ended.
Comparative analysis of aromatic compounds steam reforming over Rh supported on γ-Al2O3
Authors: Zhurka Marinela D. , Kechagiopoulos Panagiotis N.
Published: January 2025

The steam reforming of bio-oil can provide a sustainable means to produce hydrogen, while tar steam reforming can significantly enhance the efficiency of the biomass gasification process. Bio-oils and tars are highly complex mixtures, and while there has been extensive research on the reforming of small oxygenates and aliphatic hydrocarbons, there have been comparatively much less studies on aromatics reforming. In the current work, we present a comparative study of the steam reforming of hydroquinone, benzyl alcohol and toluene, selected as model compounds of the aromatic fraction of bio-oils and tars with different functional groups. The effect of temperature, partial pressure of reactants, and contact time is studied over a Rh catalyst supported on γ-Al2O3. Across the range of conditions studied, hydroquinone is found to be more reactive, followed by benzyl alcohol, and, lastly, toluene. The differences are attributed to the presence of hydroxyl groups in the case of the former two compounds, versus a methyl group in the case of toluene, effectively correlating activity with the O/C ratio in the compounds’ molecule. Nonetheless, similar pathways are observed, with methane, benzene, naphthalene and toluene (during hydroquinone and benzyl alcohol reforming) detected as products in addition to carbon oxides and hydrogen.
Exploring patient perspectives of barriers and facilitators to participating in hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation in patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with curative intent
Authors: Doyle Denise , O’Brien Matthew , Murphy Rosemary , O’Brien Aidan , McGrath Deirdre , Kelly Dervla
Published: January 2025

Background

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is increasingly offered to patients who have undergone lung resection for non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) as it can improve exercise tolerance and quality of life. However, designing and implementing such a complex multidisciplinary programme has its challenges.

Objective

This study aims to explore perspectives of patients offered PR services post-lung resection for NSCLC to gain an understanding of the potential barriers and facilitators behind implementing and designing PR programmes.

Methods

The PR programmes were offered in an outpatient rehabilitation gym at University Hospital Limerick, Ireland. Patients attending routine follow-up appointments post-lung cancer resection during the period of the study were identified and based on inclusion criteria were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews (focus groups). Interviews with patients who participated in the PR programme (n = 8) and those who declined (n = 4) were transcribed and major themes identified using normalisation process theory (NPT analysis) before interpretation of the themes in context.

Results

Across 4 focus groups that were conducted, the important barriers identified were the presence of comorbidities, location, perceived lack of benefit, and a fear of causing harm. Relevant facilitators included the prospect of acquiring new knowledge, optional access to psychological support, peer interaction/social support, individualised, tailored programmes, and a holistic approach to recovery as well as goal setting and accomplishment.

Conclusions

Patient participation in PR has been shown to be influenced by both external and intrapersonal variables. The barriers and facilitators experienced by the patients in this study contribute to the existing knowledge of the patient experience of pulmonary rehabilitation and can help to inform clinical practice and future research.
Impact of information disparity between individual investors on profits of meme stocks using an artificial market simulation approach
Authors: Matsumoto Miyuki , Hashimoto Ryuji , Suzuki Masahiro , Murayama Yuri , Izumi Kiyoshi
Published: January 2025

The growth of social media recently has made individual investors more reliant on online media for information. This trend significantly affects investor behavior and information disparity. For instance, social media can lead to the phenomenon of “meme stocks," in which stock prices rapidly rise and fall. Despite increasing interest in meme stocks, few studies have focused on the information disparity. In this study, we model meme stocks focusing on investors who are influenced by social network information, leading to information spread. We combine the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model with a network model in an artificial market simulation to examine information disparity among individual investors. Our findings show that conventional investors generally profit, whereas social media investors incur losses. Additionally, the profits of social media investors are heavily affected by their network structure and their network distance from the information source. The results highlight the issue of information inequality in financial markets and offer important guidance for policymakers.
Functionalization of sawdust biochar using Mg-Fe-LDH and sodium dodecyl sulfonate enhanced its stability and immobilization capacity for Cd and Pb in contaminated water and soil
Authors: Pan Xin , Kuang Shaoping , Wang Xiao , Ullah Habib , Rao Zepeng , Ali Esmat F. , Abbas Qumber , Lee Sang Soo , Shaheen Sabry M.
Published: January 2025

The increased contamination of potentially toxic element (PTE) has posed remarkable ecological risks to environment. Application of functionalized biochar for the remediation of PTE contaminated water and soils are of great concern, and effective strategies are urgently needed to enhance the removal capacity of biochar for PTE. As a novel surface modification technology, the effect of layered double hydroxides (LDH) and sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) on the remediation capacity of biochar for PTE polluted soils and water remains unclear. Sawdust biochar (SB) was coated with Mg and Fe to synthesize the Mg-Fe-LDH functionalized biochar (MFB); thereafter, the MFB was mixed with SDS solution to synthesize the organic-Mg-Fe-LDH biochar (MSB). The potential of SB, MFB, and MSB for remediation of Cd and Pb contaminated soil and water was evaluated in terms of adsorption capacity, immobilization efficiency, and stability. Loading of Mg-Fe-LDH into SB, along with SDS treatment created a regular micro-nano hierarchical structure and enhanced the surface roughness, aromaticity, and hydrophobicity of MSB as compared to SB. MSB exhibited a significantly higher maximum adsorption capacity (mg g−1) for water Pb (405.2) and Cd (673.0) than MFB (335.9 for Pb and 209.0 for Cd) and SB (178.2 for Pb and 186.1 for Cd). MSB altered the soluble fraction of Cd/Pb to the residual fraction and thus significantly decreased their mobilization in soil. The higher removal/immobilization efficiency of MSB could be attributed to its alkalinity, and the enhanced synergistic interactions including surface precipitation, ion exchange, complexation, and hydrogen bonding. The resistance to carbon loss by H2O2, thermal recalcitrance index R
50, and degree of graphitization in MSB were significantly improved compared to SB, indicating a more stable carbon fraction sequestered in MSB following aging in soil. These results indicate that MSB could be used for remediation of Cd and Pb contaminated soil and water.

Graphical Abstract
Proceedings from the Fourth Annual Conference of the Norwegian Network for Implementation Research
Authors: Thøgersen Dagfinn Mørkrid , Rasmussen Lene-Mari Potulski , Rømuld Ida Waal , Engell Thomas
Published: January 2025

The fourth annual conference of the Norwegian Network for Implementation Research (NIMP) was held on January 31st, 2024, in Oslo, Norway. This year’s conference focused on the role of context in implementation and called for innovations, methods, and practices that address and integrate contextual considerations in their implementation research and practice. A total of 137 people attended, and a majority attended for the first time. There was diversity in professional roles, and an increase in practice-oriented professions compared to past conferences. The conference program comprised three invited keynote speakers, Professor Aaron Lyon, Professor Henna Hasson, and Professor Gregory Aarons, twelve parallel session presentations, and eight poster presentations. The majority of presentations focused on understanding and/or explaining factors influencing implementation outcomes (n = 14), while fewer focused on describing and/or guiding the process of translating research into practice (n = 7) or evaluating implementation initiatives (n = 6). About half of the presentations were from implementation research, and the other half were from implementation practice or integrations of research and practice, indicating that the conference serves to connect implementation researchers and practitioners. In line with the call for abstracts, the role of context in implementation, approaches for community collaboration, and systems thinking were topics in several presentations, indicative of developments towards context-minded and systemic approaches to implementation in Norway. The conference saw little methodological work related to implementation measures and, similar to previous conferences, limited rigorous evaluations of implementation effectiveness and impact. NIMP should consider efforts to advocate for such studies to facilitate further advancement of implementation science and practice in Norway.
Experimental study on pressure relief blasting in rock-blast tunnel
Authors: Chen ZhenLin , Cai Wenjing , Wei Meng , Rutherford Cassandra J. , Zhu Xiao , Wang Zelin , Su Tao
Published: January 2025

Rock burst is a difficult and urgent problem during the construction process of underground engineering in a zone with high surrounding rock pressure. Pressure relief blasting is one of the most effective methods for solving the problem. An in-situ blasting test was carried out in a tunnel under excavation, and the geology stress (geo-stress) of the surrounding rock was tested before and after the pressure relief blasting. The experimental results will be effective for further study of the law of pressure relief blasting and rock-burst prediction. An explicit stress analytic function is also employed to analyze the stress distribution of the tunnel surrounding rock after pressure relief blasting based on the propagation of the blasting stress wave. Furthermore, the stress attenuation coefficient and the variation of the geo-stress distribution of surrounding rock under the pressure relief blasting were discussed in detail with the in-situ blasting test data. Highlights. The main contribution of this paper is focused on: 1. This study measures the in-situ geo-stress of surrounding rock in the ‘Sang zhu ling’ tunnel, both before and after the pressure relief blasting. This data is crucial for ensuring the safety resilience of urban infrastructure. 2. A two-dimensional explicit equation of stress attenuation was derived based on the characteristics of stress propagation, providing a more accurate analytical tool for engineers and researchers, 3. The traditionally obtained stress attenuation coefficient is shown to require modification through further in-situ experiments. Future studies will refine this coefficient, contributing to the development of more reliable methods for safeguarding urban lifelines. These contributions align with the journal’s focus on advancing urban science and engineering by promoting innovative, data-driven solutions for urban safety.
Persistence of Misinformation
Authors: Zhou Yanmengqian , Shen Lijiang
Published: January 2025

Misinformation can be broadly defined as information that is inaccurate or false according to the best available evidence, or information whose validity cannot be verified. It is created and spread with or without clear intent to cause harm. There is well-documented evidence that misinformation persists despite fact-checking and the presentation of corrective information, often traveling faster and deeper than facts in the online environment. Drawing on the frameworks of social judgment theory, cognitive dissonance theory, and motivated information processing, the authors conceptualize corrective information as a generic type of counter-attitudinal message and misinformation as attitude-congruent messages. They then examine the persistence of misinformation through the lens of biased responses to attitude-inconsistent versus -consistent information. Psychological inoculation is proposed as a strategy to mitigate misinformation.
Women Booksellers in the Twentieth Century
Authors: Rayner Samantha J.
Published: January 2025

The British women booksellers who built and ran successful businesses before, during, and after the Second World War have largely been forgotten. This Element seeks to reclaim some of these histories from where they lie hidden or obscured in archives, accounts of the book trade of the time, and other sources. Though they were often called 'formidable', this research reveals astonishing impact at local, national, and international levels. Divided into four main sections, the Element first gives a literature review of materials about booksellers, before giving a short context to bookselling, the book trade, and book buyers and readers of the early twentieth century. A third section examines the position of women in society at that time, including how they were viewed as part of the book trade; the final section provides histories of nine women booksellers. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Getting Over New Labour
Authors: Pike Karl
Published: January 2025

From the moment that the New Labour government left office in 2010, it became a bone of contention for the party. Ed Miliband was styled as the 'moving on' leader, Jeremy Corbyn set himself up as its antithesis, Keir Starmer has begun a counter-reaction, embracing New Labour and particularly Tony Blair. Why has the party been seemingly unable to move on from this period in its history? Particularly given the tumultuous and eventful period of politics since 2015, with Brexit and Covid dominating parliamentary time for most of the last decade.

Karl Pike argues that it is impossible to understand the Labour Party today without an appreciation of how people in the party have reacted to the New Labour legacy. He unpicks the efforts each of the three leaders have made in reforming the party's ideology, its democracy and organization and their political style and approach to the leadership.
Numerical analysis of the impact of release timing on trajectory in internal store separation
Authors: Türk S. , Güleren K.M.
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the influence of release timing on the trajectory of internal store separation through numerical solutions of continuity, momentum, energy equations and six degrees of freedom equations in a coupled manner. The internal store separation process in advanced fighter aircraft is analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and six degrees of freedom equations of motion. Initially, the equations of motion are validated by reenacting the Eglin Air Force Base study, an external store separation example with documented experimental results. Subsequently, validation is extended to the M219 cavity problem. In the internal store separation analysis, a cavity with an L/D ratio of 5, a freestream velocity of 0.85 Mach, and a generic store are utilised. Detached eddy simulation (DES) is applied using both static and dynamic mesh techniques in all numerical solutions. The generic store, positioned within a clean cavity with a 90-degree flap angle, was released at two distinct times, corresponding to the points of maximum and minimum gravitational forces. Interestingly, the results show that releasing the store when the normal force acting on it is at its maximum does not necessarily provide an optimal separation. Specifically, when the force coefficient was at its maximum (0.14), the store collided with the cavity door flap after 0.171465 seconds. In contrast, when the force coefficient was at its minimum (-0.04), the store contacted the cavity door after 0.170295 seconds at the same location. Despite the differences in force magnitudes, the trajectories were nearly identical, suggesting that the timing of the release may not have a significant effect on preventing collision. This further emphasises the need for flow control methods to ensure safe and effective store separation.
Probability that n points are in convex position in a regular κ-gon: Asymptotic results
Authors: Morin Ludovic
Published: January 2025

Let

$\mathbb{P}_\kappa(n)$

be the probability that n points

$z_1,\ldots,z_n$

picked uniformly and independently in

$\mathfrak{C}_\kappa$

, a regular

$\kappa$

-gon with area 1, are in convex position, that is, form the vertex set of a convex polygon. In this paper, we compute

$\mathbb{P}_\kappa(n)$

up to asymptotic equivalence, as

$n\to+\infty$

, for all

$\kappa\geq 3$

, which improves on a famous result of Bárány (Ann. Prob.27, 1999). The second purpose of this paper is to establish a limit theorem which describes the fluctuations around the limit shape of an n-tuple of points in convex position when

$n\to+\infty$

. Finally, we give an asymptotically exact algorithm for the random generation of

$z_1,\ldots,z_n$

, conditioned to be in convex position in

$\mathfrak{C}_\kappa$

.
Adding Regularized Horseshoes to the Dynamics of Latent Variable Models
Authors: Binding Garret , Koc Piotr
Published: January 2025

Dynamic latent variable models generally link units’ positions on a latent dimension over time via random walks. Theoretically, these trajectories are often expected to resemble a mixture of periods of stability interrupted by moments of change. In these cases, a prior distribution such as the regularized horseshoe—that allows for both stasis and change—can prove a better theoretical and empirical fit for the underlying construct than other priors. Replicating Reuning, Kenwick, and Fariss (2019), we find that the regularized horseshoe performs better than the standard normal and the Student’s t-distribution when modeling dynamic latent variable models. Overall, the use of the regularized horseshoe results in more accurate and precise estimates. More broadly, the regularized horseshoe is a promising prior for many similar applications.
Iconicity of grammatical tonal polarity and reduplication in Nigerian Pidgin
Authors: Akinbo Samuel Kayode
Published: January 2025

This work focuses on a pattern of tonal alternation that is intertwined with a pattern of reduplication in Nigerian Pidgin. In the language, verbs are reduplicated to iconically express iteration. To convey that the iterated event occurs in an irregular or dispersive manner, the verb bears a low tone (L) on all its tone-bearing units (TBU), while the reduplicant bears a high tone (H) on all its TBUs. The resulting L-H tonal melody is considered the exponent of an irregular marker, while the intertwined reduplication is considered the exponent of an iteration marker. Due to the similarity between the exponent of the irregular marker and the iconic tonal melody of ideophones that express the semantic notions of irregularity across languages, the form-meaning mapping of the irregular marker is regarded as a grammaticalised form of the tone melody in the substrate ideophones. This suggests that ideophones can contribute to the emergence and expansion of grammar, as well as the typology of grammatical tone. Considering that perceptual resemblance between linguistic structures and the structural components of real-world elements is the basis of iconicity, the pattern of tonal alternation in Nigerian Pidgin suggests that the notion of perceptual motivation in linguistic theory is not purely phonetic and phonological but also includes the crossmodal perception of sensory imagery.
Serving All-under-Heaven: Cosmopolitan intellectuals of the Warring States period
Authors: Pines Yuri
Published: January 2025

Qin imperial unification in 221 bce is often conceived of as the ‘unification of China’. Although from the long-term perspective of Chinese history this view is surely valid, it obscures some of the major trends of the Warring States period (453–221 bce). Back then, the Zhou (‘Chinese’) world was moving in the direction of the internal consolidation of large territorial states amid increasing political and cultural separation from their neighbours. This process unmistakably recalls similar developments in early modern Europe, where, as is well known, these resulted in the formation of nation-states. In China, by contrast, the development trajectory was markedly different. The potential transformation of the competing Warring States into fully fledged separate entities never materialized. The unified empire was eventually accepted as the sole legitimate solution to political turmoil, whereas individual states were denied the right to exist. Why, despite strong parallels, did the Chinese development trajectory ultimately diverge so conspicuously from what happened in modern Europe?

In search of an answer, this article focuses on the extraordinary role played by politically active intellectuals of the Warring States period. By prioritizing the common good of ‘All-under-Heaven’ over that of an individual polity, by denigrating local identities, and by rejecting the legitimacy of regional states, these intellectuals paved the way for the political unification of the Zhou world long before it occurred. This article addresses the idealistic and egoistic reasons for this choice and explores the cosmopolitan undertones of the universalist outlook of the Warring States-period intellectuals.
Ivermectin vs moxidectin for treating Strongyloides stercoralis infection: a systematic review
Authors: Henriquez-Camacho Cesar , Pérez-Molina Jose A. , Buonfrate Dora , Rodari Paola , Gotuzzo Eduardo , Luengo Benilde , Plana María Nieves
Published: January 2025

The aim was to assess the efficacy of ivermectin vs moxidectin for treating Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched for studies comparing ivermectin and moxidectin from inception to February 2024. The outcomes: elimination of infection or parasitological cure, mortality and serious adverse events. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data. Heterogeneity was assessed using Chi2 test for statistical heterogeneity and results of the I2 statistic. Two trials met the inclusion criteria that included 821 adult participants. Both studies were conducted in southeast Asia (Cambodia and Laos). Neither trial included immunocompromised patients. The mean age of the participants ranged from 40 to 45 years old, with a similar distribution of males and females. For all participants, S. stercoralis infection was confirmed by Baermann method. The evidence was moderate for parasitological cure rate. Certainty was downgraded by 1 level because of imprecision. Moxidectin was not inferior to ivermectin: OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.36–1.25 (P = 0.21), I2 = 0%, 821 participants. No deaths were reported in either trial. One trial reported mild adverse events. In total, 153/726 (21%) participants had an adverse event. The most reported symptoms were abdominal pain and headache. There is evidence for moderate quality that moxidectin is non-inferior to, and as safe as ivermectin; however, more high-quality and well-designed trials are needed. For patients with some underlying immunosuppressive disorder, or in patients who are very young or very old, current data are insufficient to be recommended.