bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
H+-translocating pyrophosphatases in protozoan parasites
Authors: Araujo-Ruiz Karina , Mondragón-Flores Ricardo 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIntegral membrane pyrophosphatases (mPPases) hydrolyze pyrophosphate. This enzymatic mechanism is coupled with the pumping of H + and/or Na + across membranes, which can be either K + -dependent or K + -independent. Inorganic proton–translocating pyrophosphatases (H + -PPases) can transport protons across cell membranes and are reported in various organisms such as plants, bacteria, and protozoan parasites. The evolutionary implications of these enzymes are of great interest for proposing approaches related to the treatment of parasitic of phytopathogenic diseases. This work presents a literature review on pyrophosphate, pyrophosphatases, their inhibitors and emphasizes H + -PPases found in various medically significant protozoan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, and Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, as well as protozoan species that primarily affect animals, such as Eimeria maxima and Besnoitia besnoiti.
Operative Behandlung der Trigeminusneuralgie
Authors: Ahmadi Rezvan , Tronnier Volker Martin 
Published: October 2024

ZusammenfassungDie Schmerzchirurgie zur Behandlung von neuropathischen Schmerzen, zu denen auch die Trigeminusneuralgie (TGN) gehört, wird in die drei Gruppen der Dekompression, Ablation und Neuromodulation eingeteilt. Die Mikrovaskuläre Dekompression (MVD) ist die einzige kausale Therapie der TGN, die insbesondere im Falle der klassischen TGN auf Grund eines nachgewiesenen Gefäß-Nerven-Konflikts in Frage kommt. Zu den ablativen Verfahren gehören, neben den perkutanen, auch radiochirurgische Methoden, die vor allem bei der idiopathischen Trigeminusneuralgie zum Einsatz kommen. Bei irreversiblen Neuropathien des Nervus trigeminus gilt der Therapiealgorithmus anderer neuropathischer Schmerzen und gegebenenfalls der Einsatz neuromodulativer Verfahren. Für die Auswahl der Therapie müssen die Diagnose, die Nebenwirkungen der Medikamente und die individuellen Risiken der Patienten neben den Behandlungsergebnissen berücksichtigt werden (siehe aktuelle S1 Leitlinie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurologie).
Boiling heat transfer by phase-field method
Authors: Roccon Alessio 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn this work, we propose and test the validity of a phase-field method tailored specifically for modeling boiling phenomena. The method relies on numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations coupled with a phase-field method and the energy equation. The continuity and Navier–Stokes equations have been modified introducing a source term that accounts for phase change. Likewise, in the conservative Allen–Cahn equation (phase-field method) a source term that accounts for the volume is introduced. The system of governing equations is solved using a projection-correction method and equations are discretized using a second-order finite difference approach. Thanks to the numerical discretization employed, a constant coefficient Poisson equation for pressure is obtained, which can be efficiently solved using FFT-based direct solvers. The proposed method is validated against several benchmarks: an interface undergoing vaporization at a constant rate, the Stefan problem, the adsorption problem, and the growth of a 2D vapor bubble. For all the benchmarks, the present method well matches with analytical and archival literature results for a wide range of vapor-to-liquid density ratios, from $$\rho _v/\rho _l = 1$$

ρ
v

/

ρ
l

=
1

down to $$\rho _v/\rho _l \simeq 5 \times 10^{-4}$$

ρ
v

/

ρ
l

≃
5
×

10

-
4

(where $$\rho _v$$

ρ
v

identifies the vapor density and $$\rho _l$$

ρ
l

the liquid density).
Fast convergence of trust-regions for non-isolated minima via analysis of CG on indefinite matrices
Authors: Rebjock Quentin , Boumal Nicolas 
Published: October 2024

AbstractTrust-region methods (TR) can converge quadratically to minima where the Hessian is positive definite. However, if the minima are not isolated, then the Hessian there cannot be positive definite. The weaker Polyak–Łojasiewicz (PŁ) condition is compatible with non-isolated minima, and it is enough for many algorithms to preserve good local behavior. Yet, TR with an exact subproblem solver lacks even basic features such as a capture theorem under PŁ. In practice, a popular inexact subproblem solver is the truncated conjugate gradient method (tCG). Empirically, TR-tCG exhibits superlinear convergence under PŁ. We confirm this theoretically. The main mathematical obstacle is that, under PŁ, at points arbitrarily close to minima, the Hessian has vanishingly small, possibly negative eigenvalues. Thus, tCG is applied to ill-conditioned, indefinite systems. Yet, the core theory underlying tCG is that of CG, which assumes a positive definite operator. Accordingly, we develop new tools to analyze the dynamics of CG in the presence of small eigenvalues of any sign, for the regime of interest to TR-tCG.
Formal contracts mitigate social dilemmas in multi-agent reinforcement learning
Authors: Haupt Andreas , Christoffersen Phillip , Damani Mehul , Hadfield-Menell Dylan 
Published: October 2024

AbstractMulti-agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) is a powerful tool for training autonomous agents acting independently in a common environment. However, it can lead to sub-optimal behavior when individual incentives and group incentives diverge. Humans are remarkably capable at solving these social dilemmas. It is an open problem in MARL to replicate such cooperative behaviors in selfish agents. In this work, we draw upon the idea of formal contracting from economics to overcome diverging incentives between agents in MARL. We propose an augmentation to a Markov game where agents voluntarily agree to binding transfers of reward, under pre-specified conditions. Our contributions are theoretical and empirical. First, we show that this augmentation makes all subgame-perfect equilibria of all Fully Observable Markov Games exhibit socially optimal behavior, given a sufficiently rich space of contracts. Next, we show that for general contract spaces, and even under partial observability, richer contract spaces lead to higher welfare. Hence, contract space design solves an exploration-exploitation tradeoff, sidestepping incentive issues. We complement our theoretical analysis with experiments. Issues of exploration in the contracting augmentation are mitigated using a training methodology inspired by multi-objective reinforcement learning: Multi-Objective Contract Augmentation Learning. We test our methodology in static, single-move games, as well as dynamic domains that simulate traffic, pollution management, and common pool resource management.
Digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence: a normative approach
Authors: Roberts Huw 
Published: October 2024

AbstractDigital sovereignty is a term increasingly used by academics and policymakers to describe efforts by states, private companies, and citizen groups to assert control over digital technologies. This descriptive conception of digital sovereignty is normatively deficient as it centres discussion on how power is being asserted rather than evaluating whether actions are legitimate. In this article, I argue that digital sovereignty should be understood as a normative concept that centres on authority (i.e., legitimate control). A normative approach to digital sovereignty is beneficial as it supports critical discourse about the desirability of actors’ assertions of control. It is also more closely aligned with traditional definitions of sovereignty that are grounded in ideas of sovereign authority. To operationalise this normative approach to digital sovereignty and demonstrate the deficiencies of a descriptive approach, the role that “Big Tech” companies are playing in controlling artificial intelligence is considered from both perspectives. Through this case study, it is highlighted that Big Tech companies assert a high degree of control (i.e., descriptive digital sovereignty), but that they lack strong input legitimacy and have a questionable amount of output legitimacy. For this reason, it is argued that Big Tech companies should only be considered quasi-sovereigns over AI.
Transformational accounts of students’ undergraduate education are evoked by their engagement with knowledge
Authors: Ashwin Paul 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThere are strong concerns about students perceiving their undergraduate education in instrumental, rather than transformational, ways. However, it is not clear whether seeing education instrumentally undermines students’ capacity to see their education as transformational. Based on data from a 7-year longitudinal study of chemical engineering students from three countries, this article shows that all students focused on instrumental outcomes from education in their first year of study. However, by their final year, students tended to give instrumental accounts of what they had gained from their overall university experience and transformational accounts of what they had gained from studying their subject. This suggests that, depending on the context evoked, most students can describe instrumental or transformational relationships to their education. However, developing transformational accounts on their education appeared to be dependent on studying knowledge-rich degrees that supported them to engage with the world from the perspective of a particular body of knowledge. This raises serious questions about educational policies that imply that instrumental outcomes are the most important outcomes from students’ educational experiences as such policies obscure the importance of transformational knowledge-focused relationships that change the way that students engage with the world.
Possession and syntactic categories: An argument from Äiwoo
Authors: Roversi Giovanni 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This paper argues that possession is syntactically category-flexible. While it is clear that in many languages possession is mostly grounded in and operates in the nominal extended projection (Szabolcsi 1983; Kayne 1993), I show that this cannot be universal. The empirical part of this article is a case study of Äiwoo, which I argue has an inherently verbal counterpart of English ’s, an abstract transitive verb I label poss. This verb can be used by itself to form clausal possession: ‘I poss this boat’ ≈ ‘this boat is mine.’ Possessed DPs also contain the verb poss: the object of this verb is extracted, forming a relative clause. Informally, ‘my boat’ really is ‘the boat
i
"Equation missing"’ ≈ ‘the boat that is mine.’ Given this, Äiwoo simply lacks true nominal possessives. The theoretical consequence is that possession can be mapped onto different syntactic categories in different languages. This is a welcome result, as it makes the syntax-semantics mapping as flexible as it needs to be: if possession is just a tool to assert that a certain relation holds between two entities, nothing in our theory of grammar predicts that such a notion should only be limited to a specific syntactic category.
Reconceptualising the Psychological Theory of Generics
Authors: Ralston Tom 
Published: October 2024

AbstractGenerics have historically proven difficult to analyse using the tools of formal semantics. In this paper, I argue that an influential theory of the meaning of generics due to Sarah-Jane Leslie, the Psychological Theory of Generics, is best interpreted not as a theory of their meaning, but as a theory of the psychological heuristics that we use to judge whether or not generics are true. I argue that Leslie’s methodology is not well-suited to producing a theory of the meaning of generics, since it takes speakers’ judgments at face value and ignores the non-semantic factors that might affect these judgments. Leslie’s theory therefore overfits the data of our linguistic intuitions. I present a reconceptualised version of the Psychological Theory of Generics as a theory of how heuristics affect our judgements of the truth values of generics and discuss the application of this reconceptualised theory to some of the puzzles posed by generics, including their apparent content-sensitivity, their inferential asymmetry and their association with stereotyping and prejudice.
Testimonial liberalism and the balance of epistemic goals
Authors: Patrizio Ross F. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThere are two broad views in the epistemology of testimony, conservatism and liberalism. The two views disagree over a particular necessary condition on testimonial justification: the positive reasons requirement (PRR). Perhaps the most prominent objection levelled at liberalism from the conservative camp stems from gullibility; without PRR, the thought goes, an objectionable form of gullibility looms large for liberals. In this paper I aim to make two main contributions: to introduce a new metric for adjudicating this debate; and to argue that, from the perspective of this new metric, the liberal view is stronger than has been appreciated. Drawing on work from James (The Will to believe and other essays in Popular Philosophy, Harvard University Press, 1896), Goldman (Epistemology and Cognition, Harvard University Press, 1986), and Kelp et al. (Synthese 197:5187–5202, 2020), I firstly countenance the distinction between positive and negative epistemic measures. Positive measures concern, roughly, the acquisition of truths, whereas negative measures concern the avoidance of falsehoods. Both, it is argued, are relevant to epistemic justification, but this debate has proceeded in such a way as to overemphasise the importance of the latter over the former. Once this distinction is made, new conceptual terrain opens for the liberal. Rather than being resigned to a predominantly defensive role—of mitigating worries about negative measures—the liberal can go on the offensive, and explore the independent epistemic strengths of their position. The upshot is that liberals have a new way to dispel their most prominent objection.
Guidelines for reporting research using systematic coding of observed human behaviour (SCOBe)
Authors: Hillen Marij A. , Hoeben Evelien M. , Kok Rianne , McHale Calum , Sexton Melissa M. , van der Asdonk Sabine , van de Bongardt Daphne , Bowman Brett , Brown Richard , Branje Susan , Chorney Jill , Donker Monika H. , Ejbye-Ernst Peter , Geeraerts Sanne , Van der Giessen Danielle , Humphris Gerald , Larsen Helle , Philpot Richard , Portell Mariona , Yuan Siyang , van der Veen Chiel , Noordman Janneke 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSystematic coding of observed human behaviour (SCOBe) is used across disciplines and topics but methodological reporting is often incomplete. We developed internationally generated, interdisciplinary guidelines for methodological reporting of such research. Using Delphi methodology, a working group of 22 experts sought group consensus in three rounds. Participants first assessed an initial set of reporting criteria (round 1). Next, in interactive meetings participants revised these criteria and reached consensus on reporting content (rounds 2 & 3). We present 20 criteria constituting the first comprehensive reporting guidelines for SCOBe research using existing, newly developed, or modified coding systems. The criteria encompass three procedural domains: 1. Research context; 2. Properties of the coding scheme; and 3. Application of the coding scheme. The presented guidelines will assist in substantiating and assessing the quality of SCOBe research. We encourage researchers to adopt these guidelines, to enhance quality of mono- and interdisciplinary research.
Being Your Own Boss: Network Determinants of Young People’s Orientations Towards Self-Employment
Authors: Vacchiano Mattia , de Bel Vera , Widmer Eric 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Young people today are expected to navigate their precarious careers in an entrepreneurial way. Self-employment is gaining ground on wage labour as one attractive strategy for winning the battle with precariousness. From Granovetter’s studies to the present day, one of the most prolific lines of research on the factors influencing the strategies of job insertion emphasises the key importance of personal networks. Based on social capital theory, this article tests (1) whether the composition of young people’s personal networks is associated with their desire to move towards independent careers; and (2) whether, among the mechanisms associated with this orientation, there is the ability to mobilise contacts’ resources, for example, avoiding conflict and exploiting different forms of social support. Analysing data on the personal networks of a sample of 7827 young people in Switzerland, our results show that the orientation towards self-employment is more likely for those who access contacts with an unfavourable position in the labour market, such as people with lower educational levels and a foreign background. Although receiving social support plays a role, our results show that, for young people wishing to become self-employed, an even more important predictor is the presence of conflicts in their networks. In the context of the precarization of young people’s labour pathways, these results suggest that self-employment can serve as a coping strategy for the most vulnerable, as well as an escape from difficult relationships.
Urban green spaces with high connectivity and complex vegetation promote occupancy and richness of birds in a tropical megacity
Authors: Oropeza-Sánchez Marco T. , Solano-Zavaleta Israel , Cuandón-Hernández Wendy Lizett , Martínez-Villegas Jorge Arturo , Palomera-Hernández Vianey , Zúñiga-Vega J. Jaime 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Urban growth often leads to land-use changes that result in biodiversity loss and reduced human benefits. In urban zones, green areas facilitate physicochemical processes (such as carbon capture, reducing environmental temperature and noise pollution), offer multiple benefits to human beings (e.g., water filtration and purification), and support numerous vertebrate populations, including birds. In the tropics, the capacity of green spaces to maintain bird populations is regulated by characteristics of these areas (e.g., vegetation structure) and environmental seasonality. In order to generate ecological knowledge to help conserve bird diversity in large urban settlements, this study aimed to (1) identify the most influential variables on the distribution of bird species in green areas of a tropical megacity, and (2) assess how bird richness varies between the dry and rainy seasons. Across two dry and rainy seasons between 2021 and 2022, detection records of 108 bird species were obtained from 101 green areas. Air temperature and sampling time were the primary factors influencing bird detection. Bird occupancy and richness were higher in parks near other green areas in first dry and increased with tree richness during the rainy seasons. Floral abundance explained the occupancy and richness in the second dry season. In 2021, the highest richness was observed during the dry season, while in 2022, the highest richness was estimated during the rainy season. These findings highlight the importance of resource availability and spatial arrangement in urban green areas for bird diversity, offering insights for conservation and maintaining ecosystem benefits in urban environments.
Mapping the marginals: predicting unplanned human settlements in urban protected areas of Bogotá, Colombia
Authors: Hurtado-Moreno Angela P. , Martínez Natalia M. Ramírez , Goyes Diego F. Rubio , González-Maya José F. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Protected areas are essential for safeguarding ecosystems and their associated environmental services. In urban environments, they serve as crucial conservation zones, protecting against human encroachment. However, even with robust territorial planning, protected areas remain vulnerable to informal settlements. This study employs a landscape ecology approach to identify hotspots within Parque Entrenubes, an urban protected area in Bogotá, D.C., Colombia, that are susceptible to future informal settlements. We utilized a logistic regression model to predict potential invasions by assessing the likelihood of settlements occurring in cells with different characteristics compared to unoccupied areas. Variables considered included distance to creeks, secondary roads, main roads, legalized neighborhoods, elevation, and slope. The results indicate a clustered pattern of settlements influenced by various spatial factors, suggesting that informal settlements are not randomly distributed. Steeper slopes, higher elevations, and greater distances from main roads have higher probabilities of occupation, while areas closer to water, roads, and existing neighborhoods are more likely to suffer illegal settlements. Our study represents the first spatially explicit prediction approach for unplanned settlements in Bogotá. This spatial analysis can inform strategic actions to prevent, contain, and control new informal settlements. Furthermore, the findings can be integrated into urban planning initiatives to mitigate the negative impacts of such settlements on protected areas and the environment.
Challenges for Formal Organizations Engaging Volunteers During Regular and Crisis Times According to Polish and Italian Volunteer Coordinators
Authors: Nowakowska Iwona , Duda Ewa , Ellena Adriano Mauro , Poli Martinelli Daniela , Szulawski Michał , Pozzi Maura 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThe recent crises in Europe impacted the volunteering patterns within formal organizations that provide support in regular and crisis times. In our paper, we investigated how volunteer coordinators from formal entities (public/governmental and non-governmental) perceive (1) the patterns of volunteering engagement (long-term versus episodic) in regular and crisis times, (2) the processes of retaining volunteers during crises; (3) the trust of the community toward various types of organizations during social crises; (4) the role of informal support groups in relation to the tasks of their organization. Between June and October 2023, we performed an online-based study (total N = 55)—in Poland (N = 28) and Italy (N = 27). The survey had multiple-choice and open-ended questions, and the results were analyzed qualitatively using the thematic analysis framework. The findings indicated that volunteer coordinators reckon that long-term and episodic volunteers play crucial and complementary roles in helping organizations achieve their objectives. This implies that organizations should recognize the value of both types of volunteers and consider them essential resources for pursuing organizational goals. The results also suggest that the volunteer retention strategies are worth outlining or revisiting within organizations, and attention should be paid to psychological support. According to coordinators, trust in non-governmental organizations is perceived as crucial in the beneficiaries' decisions about where to seek help. Collaboration with informal groups is advised, given that the goals can be achieved together, mutually using the resources provided by both types of helping entities.