bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing Technological Innovations: From Early Warning to the Governance of Socio-technical Transformations
Authors: Heyen Nils B. , Friedewald Michael , Jochem Eberhard , Reiß Thomas , Thielmann Axel 
Published: September 2024

AbstractTechnology assessment (TA) is an interdisciplinary field of problem-oriented research generating knowledge primarily for decision-making processes in politics, economy, and society with regard to the opportunities, risks, and challenges of emerging technologies and socio-technical change. This chapter outlines the development of the field since its roots in the 1960s to date with a focus on Germany, the USA, and Europe. Based on a rough temporal division into three phases representing an expert-based, participatory, and pragmatic TA approach, respectively, we illustrate the field’s development by highlighting concrete projects and studies, reflecting on the (ever new) development of appropriate assessment methods and pointing to relevant thematic waves (“hype cycles”) of technology groups, such as energy, genetic, or information technologies. Finally, we discuss the impact and future challenges of TA given current socio-political trends and upcoming socio-technical transformations. We conclude that there is a clear need for new approaches of TA so that TA will remain a valuable instrument providing guidance in a complex and uncertain technological environment in the coming decades.
Understanding Promises from the Perspective of Argumentation: The Cases from Presidential Debates
Authors: Purwanto Dwi , Filia  
Published: September 2024

AbstractPromises in political context, especially through the notion of commitment and intention, have captivated researchers in the field of linguistics and philosophy of language and mind in recent times. In a political context, promises may have other purposes, for gaining supports, besides declaring the sincere intention to do a future action. The notion would potentially flout Austin’s felicity conditions and Gricean maxim of quality, hence, proposing more challenges in identifying promises through the concept of intentionalism. This article aims to address the challenges by proposing a theoretical model of argumentative commitment. 161 utterances from the speeches of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates who participated in the first to third rounds of the 2019 presidential election debates were used as data for further investigation. By using the 8 hypothetical conditions adapted from Searle’s 9 criteria of non-defective promise, a total of 50 argumentative commitments were extracted. Further analysis that was conducted confirmed that as a perlocutionary effect, the intention to commit in argumentative commitments is negotiable through the presence of other speech acts such as assertions, which were later called backings. Our findings then confirmed the presence of four kinds of backings, namely, assumptive, apprehensive, circumstantive, and resultative backings. From the findings, we argued that in a political context, promises, which are in the form of argumentative commitments, may consist of two elements, the commitment indicator and backings.
The Indonesian Assessment of Early Grade Reading (EGRA) and Beginning Reading Evaluation
Authors: Anjarningsih Harwintha 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe importance of being able to read for children’s future is beyond doubt. In Indonesia, on the one hand, a standardized linguistically-based test is needed to identify reading milestones and the Tes Membaca Satu Menit (TMSM) is a pioneer in that respect. In other countries, such tests have existed for a long time, such as the Een Minuut Lesetest in the Netherlands. On the other hand, the Early Grade Reading Assessment had existed and been used before by education authorities and practitioners, although it needs to be informed by results of a standardized linguistically-based test. Therefore, this research asks the question whether the Reading Meaningful Words (RMW) subtest of the EGRA is sufficient to evaluate children’s decoding skills. The current investigation builds on previous research looking into the effects of orthographic depth, syllabic complexity, word length, and use of sub-lexical clusters in Bahasa Indonesia beginning reading. In the first month of the school year, third grade children’s (n = 15) reading performance is recorded on the TMSM and EGRA. Results show that the RMW subtest (n = 50 words) was read 99% correctly in less than 60 s by the third-grade participants. However, in the same time duration, the children are able to read on average 30 words correctly in the TMSM with some mistakes, namely producing words with at least 50% of the sounds in the target words (visual miscues), and regularizations of diphthongs, digraphs and consonant clusters. If the results of EGRA are used to inform educators and authorities in charge of curriculum development to map the stages of reading in Indonesian and devise methods of intervention for the children lagging behind in reading development, it is suggested that the EGRA is not sufficient. Item analysis shows that 40 of the words in the RMW subtest are disyllabic, 9 are trisyllabic, and only 6 of the words contain digraphs, 1 contain diphthongs, and none contains consonant clusters. Yet, three- or four-syllable words are also common in the children’s reading materials, and diphthongs, digraphs, and consonant clusters are common Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence (GPC) in the Indonesian orthography. The design of this subtest, hence, does not facilitate the children to show what they have and have not mastered. The key finding shows children’s reading milestones are influenced by word length and easiness of mapping between phonemes and graphemes and the EGRA needs to incorporate linguistically-based manipulations.
Bootstrapping mesons at large N: Regge trajectory from spin-two maximization
Authors: Albert Jan , Henriksson Johan , Rastelli Leonardo , Vichi Alessandro 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
We continue the investigation of large N QCD from a modern bootstrap perspective, focusing on the mesons. We make the natural spectral assumption that the 2 → 2 pion amplitude must contain, above the spin-one rho meson, a massive resonance of spin two. By maximizing its coupling we find a very interesting extremal solution of the dual bootstrap problem, which appears to contain at least a full Regge trajectory. Its low-lying states are in uncanny quantitative agreement with the meson masses in the real world.
Three-loop evolution kernel for transversity operator
Authors: Manashov A. N. , Moch S. , Shumilov L. A. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
We calculate quantum corrections to the symmetry generators for the transversity operators in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) in the two-loop approximation. Using this result, we obtain the evolution kernel for the corresponding operators at three loops. The explicit expression for the anomalous dimension matrix in the Gegenbauer basis is given for the first few operators.
Stochastic contingency machines feeding on meaning: on the computational determination of social reality in machine learning
Authors: Groß Richard 
Published: September 2024

AbstractIn this paper, I reflect on the puzzle that machine learning presents to social theory to develop an account of its distinct impact on social reality. I start by presenting how machine learning has presented a challenge to social theory as a research subject comprising both familiar and alien characteristics (1.). Taking this as an occasion for theoretical inquiry, I then propose a conceptual framework to investigate how algorithmic models of social phenomena relate to social reality and what their stochastic mode of operation entails in terms of their sociality (2.). Analyzed through a theoretical lens that relies on central tenets of sociological systems theory, I find that machine learning implies a distinct epistemic transformation, based on how algorithmic modeling techniques process meaning as represented in data embedded in vector space. Building on this characterization, I introduce my conceptualization of stochastic technology as distinct from mechanistic technologies that rely on causal fixation (3.). Based on this understanding, I suggest that real-world applications of machine learning are often characterized by a constitutive tension between the stochastic properties of their outputs and the ways in which they are put to use in practice. Focussing on the large language models LaMDA and ChatGPT, I examine the epistemological implications of LLMs to account for the confusion of correlation and causality as the root of this tension. Next, I illustrate my theoretical conception by way of discussing an essay on image models by German media artist Hito Steyerl (4.). Following a critical reflection on Steyerl's characterization of Stable Diffusion as a “white box ”, I finally propose to conceive ofmachine learning-based technologies as stochastic contingency machines that transform social indeterminacy into contingent observations of social phenomena (5.) In this perspective, machine learning constitutes an epistemic technology that operates on meaning as extractable from data by means of algorithmic data modeling techniques to produce stochastic accounts of social reality.
Stochastic LPV MPC-based path following control for bevel-tip flexible needle with probabilistic constraints
Authors: Chen Jicheng , Qi Zhi , Zhang Hui , Karimi Hamid Reza 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis paper addresses the path-tracking problem for flexible needle control systems using a stochastic linear parameter varying (LPV) and model predictive control (MPC) strategy. Flexible needles operating in dynamic environments with non-uniform tissue density often deviate from ideal assumptions, resulting in non-standard models. The bicycle kinematics model for flexible needle motion control is transformed into an LPV model, improving accuracy and enabling more efficient control. The proposed stochastic LPV MPC approach aims to mitigate uncertainties arising from modelling errors and dynamic environmental factors, ensuring accurate trajectory tracking for the flexible needle. The sample and removal method is utilized to reformulate the probabilistic-constrained optimization problem for implementation. The contributions of this work lie in the application of stochastic LPV MPC to address the trajectory tracking problem in the presence of uncertainties. The simulation results illustrate the superior robustness of the stochastic LPV MPC approach, as evidenced by significantly smaller tracking errors across various scenarios.
Evaluation of PD-1 and interleukin-10-receptor expression by T lymphocytes in malignant and benign pleural effusions
Authors: Mosleh B. , Hammer B. , El-Gazzar A. , Kramer M. , Ayazseven S. , Bernitzky D. , Geleff S. , Idzko Marco , Gompelmann D. , Hoda M. A. 
Published: September 2024

AbstractPD-1 (programmed cell death protein-1)/PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) as well as IL-10 (interleukin-10)/IL-10R (interleukin-10 receptor) interactions play a major role in tumor immune evasion in various malignancies. Several studies investigated the expression of PD-1 on T lymphocytes in pleural effusions (PE) in patients with malignant diseases. However, results in malignant pleural effusions (MPE) compared to benign PE (BPE) are underreported. In this prospective study, 51 patients (median age 66 years, IQR 54–78, 47% male) with PE of malignant or benign origin at the Medical University of Vienna between March 2021 and November 2022 were enrolled and divided into three groups according to the cytological results (group 1: MPE [n = 24, 47%]; group 2: BPE in malignant disease [n = 22, 43%]; group 3: BPE in benign disease [n = 5, 10%]). In the cytological samples, T cells were analyzed for the expression of PD-1 and IL-10R via flow cytometry. In MPE, the proportion of PD-1+ T lymphocytes on CD4+ cells was significantly lower than in BPE (40.1 vs. 56.3 in group 1 vs. 3, p = 0.019). Moreover, a significantly lower expression of PD-1+ IL-10R+ CD8+ (9.6 vs. 35.2 in group 1 vs. 2, p = 0.016; 9.6 vs. 25.0 in group 1 vs. 3, p = 0.032) and a significantly higher expression of PD-1-IL-10R-CD8+ T lymphocytes (43.7 vs. 14.0 in group1 vs. 2, p = 0.045; 43.7 vs. 23.3 in group 1 vs. 3, p = 0.032) were observed in MPE when compared to BPE. The frequency of T cells expressing PD-1 and IL-10R on CD8+ T cells is significantly lower in MPE compared to BPE regardless of the underlying disease indicating a different microenvironment in PE driven by the presence of tumor cells. Our observation spotlights the possible involvement of PD-1 and IL-10R in MPE.
Comparison of the Transport of Reactive Nitrogen Plasma Species into Water Bulk vs. Aerosolized Microdroplets
Authors: Hassan Mostafa Elsayed , Janda Mário , Machala Zdenko 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis work presents the experimental study of the transport of typical air plasma long-lived reactive nitrogen species (RNS: HNO2, NO2, and NO) into deionized water and compares them with the most typical reactive oxygen species (ROS: H2O2 and O3). RONS are generated either by external sources or by a hybrid streamer-transient spark plasma discharge, in contact with bulk water or aerosol of charged electrospray (ES) or non-charged nebulized microdroplets with a large gas/plasma-water interface. It was found that NO’s contribution to NO2¯ ion formation was negligible, NO2 contributed to about 10%, while the dominant contributor to NO2¯ ion formation in water was gaseous HNO2. A higher transport efficiency of O3, and a much higher formation efficiency of NO2¯ from gaseous NO2 or HNO2 than predicted by Henry’s law was observed, compared to the transport efficiency of H2O2 that corresponds to the expected Henry’s law solvation. The improvement of the transport/formation efficiencies by nebulized and ES microdroplets, where the surface area is significantly enhanced compared to the bulk water, is most evident for the solvation enhancement of the weakly soluble O3. NO2¯ ion formation efficiency was strongly improved in ES microdroplets with respect to bulk water and even to nebulized microdroplets, which is likely due to the charge effect that enhanced the formation of aqueous nitrite NO2¯ ions when NO2 or HNO2 are transported into water. Comparisons of the molar amounts of O3, H2O2, and NO2¯ formed in water by hybrid streamer-transient spark plasma discharge with those obtained with single RONS from the external sources enabled us to estimate approximate concentrations of gaseous concentrations of HNO2, NO2, O3, and H2O2. The medium or highly soluble gaseous HNO2 or H2O2, with a low concentration of < 10 ppm are sufficient to induce the measured aqueous NO2¯ or H2O2 amounts in water. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the transport mechanism of gaseous plasma RONS into water that can optimize the design of plasma–liquid interaction systems to produce efficient and selected aqueous RONS in water.
An early Transcriptomic Investigation in Adult Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Under Treatment with Nusinersen
Authors: Liguori Maria , Bianco Annalisa , Introna Alessandro , Consiglio Arianna , Milella Giammarco , Abbatangelo Elena , D’Errico Eustachio , Licciulli Flavio , Grillo Giorgio , Simone Isabella Laura 
Published: September 2024

AbstractSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare degenerative disorder with loss of motor neurons caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. Nusinersen, an antisense oligonucleotide, was approved for SMA treatment to compensate the deficit of the encoded protein SMN by modulating the pre–mRNA splicing of SMN2, the centromeric homologous of SMN1, thus inducing the production of a greater amount of biologically active protein. Here, we reported a 10-month transcriptomics investigation in 10 adult SMA who received nusinersen to search for early genetic markers for clinical monitoring. By comparing their profiles with age-matched healthy controls (HC), we also analyzed the changes in miRNA/mRNAs expression and miRNA-target gene interactions possibly associated with SMA. A multidisciplinary approach of HT-NGS followed by bioinformatics/biostatistics analysis was applied. Within the study interval, those SMA patients who showed some clinical improvements were characterized by having the SMN2/SMN1 ratio slightly increased over the time, while in the stable ones the ratio decreased, suggesting that the estimation of SMN2/SMN1 expression may be an early indicator of nusinersen efficacy. On the other hand, the expression of 38/147 genes/genetic regions DE at T0 between SMA and HC like TRADD and JUND resulted “restored” at T10. We also confirmed the dysregulation of miR-146a(-5p), miR-324-5p and miR-423-5p in SMA subjects. Of interest, miR-146a-5p targeted SMN1, in line with experimental evidence showing the key role of astrocyte-produced miR-146a in SMA motor neuron loss. Molecular pathways such as NOTCH, NF-kappa B, and Toll-like receptor signalings seem to be involved in the SMA pathogenesis.
Estimating the Effects of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development in Italy
Authors: Insolda Debora , Matarrese Marco Maria , Frangiamore Francesco 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThe European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is an important part of the European Union's strategies under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It contributes to the development of rural areas through both public and private investments. However, in the short term, there can be ambiguous effects of European funds in these areas. The aim of this paper is to examine the short-term dynamic effects of the EAFRD on the economy of the Italian regions and their agricultural sector. Using a Structural Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model on a panel of 21 NUTS-2 regions, over the period 1995–2018, we find significant positive impacts on both regional economic activity, agricultural sector output and private investment in the agricultural sector. However, EAFRD spending causes temporary job losses in the agricultural sector, highlighting the effects of labour substitution by investments in innovation. The effects are more pronounced in regions with larger agricultural sectors and become stronger after the 2003 Fischler reform.
India's Journey towards Cross-Border Insolvency Law Reform
Authors: Goswami Debaranjan , Godwin Andrew 
Published: September 2024

AbstractThis article examines India's journey towards a cross-border insolvency regime and its draft law on cross-border insolvency. The article analyses the areas of convergence and divergence between India's draft law and the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency and identifies the factors behind the divergences. The article concludes that the implementation of a cross-border insolvency regime is crucial for India to ensure coordination in cross-border insolvency proceedings and thereby attract foreign investment. The analysis of the reasons behind the divergences suggests that four areas of divergence are particularly relevant: the structure of existing legal institutions; the reciprocity requirement; restrictions on the rights of access of foreign representatives; and the historical practice of the Indian courts to follow the principle of territorialism. The success of the Indian cross-border insolvency regime will very much depend on the ability of the adjudicating authorities to overcome territorialism and embrace the principle of modified universalism.
Influence of mineral composition and firing temperature on the micro- and mesoporosity of replicate archaeological ceramics
Authors: Cayme Jan-Michael C. , Palm Rasmus , Somelar Peeter , Vahur Signe , Leito Ivo , Oras Ester 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
The role of micro- and mesopores of archaeological ceramics in preserving ancient biomolecules is not well established. To understand the formation of these nano-sized pores in ceramics, reference pottery briquettes were made using two different clay types (illitic and kaolinitic clays), two different tempers (sand and chalk), and two different firing temperatures (600 and 800°C). The mineral content of the briquettes was determined by quantitative X-ray diffraction, and the micro- and mesopores were characterized with the N2 adsorption method. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, the adsorbed volume near liquefaction, and application of non-local density functional theory (NLDFT) were used on the N2 adsorption data to determine specific surface areas, specific pore volumes, and pore-size distributions. Values of the micro- and mesoporosity parameters of most of the briquettes were approximately proportional to the initial clay content and unrelated to temper; the proportionality factors were much larger for illitic clay than for kaolinitic clay. When chalk-tempered briquettes were fired at the higher firing temperature of 800°C, the parameters were no longer proportional to the initial clay content; they decreased in most briquettes formed of illitic clay due to reaction of the clay with lime, and they increased in briquettes formed of kaolinitic clay due mostly to the porosity of unreacted lime. Micropore volumes in briquettes formed mostly of illitic clay were substantial: of the order of 5 mm3 g−1. The work presented here forms a basis for future studies to establish a plausible mechanism of organic residue absorption and preservation in ancient ceramics.
Dietary cholesterol increases body levels of oral administered vitamin D3 in mice
Authors: Kühn Julia , Schutkowski Alexandra , Rayo-Abella Lina-Maria , Kiourtzidis Mikis , Nier Anika , Brandsch Corinna , Stangl Gabriele I. 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Vitamin D and cholesterol share the same intestinal transporters. Thus, it was hypothesized that dietary cholesterol adversely affects vitamin D uptake. The current studies investigated the influence of cholesterol on the availability of oral vitamin D. First, 42 wild-type mice received a diet with 25 µg/kg labelled vitamin D3 (vitamin D3-d3), supplemented with either 0% (control), 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, 1.0% or 2.0% cholesterol for four weeks to investigate vitamin D uptake. In a second study, 10 wild-type mice received diets containing 0% (control) or 1% cholesterol over four weeks to determine cholesterol-induced changes in bile acids. Finally, we investigated the impact of cholesterol versus bile acids on vitamin D uptake in Caco-2 cells. Surprisingly, dietary cholesterol intake was associated with 40% higher serum levels of vitamin D3-d3 and 2.3-fold higher vitamin D3-d3 concentrations in the liver compared to controls. The second study showed that cholesterol intake resulted in higher concentrations of faecal bile acids (control: 3.55 ± 1.71 mg/g dry matter; 1% dietary cholesterol: 8.95 ± 3.69 mg/g dry matter; P < 0.05) and changes in the bile acid profile with lower contents of muricholic acids (P < 0.1) and higher contents of taurodeoxycholic acid (P < 0.01) compared to controls. In-vitro analyses revealed that taurocholic acid (P < 0.001) but not cholesterol increased the cellular uptake of vitamin D by Caco-2 cells. To conclude, dietary cholesterol seems to improve the bioavailability of oral vitamin D by stimulating the release of bile acids and increasing the hydrophobicity of bile.