bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genetic diversity in the traditional cultivars and wild ancestor of near-threatened Japanese iris (Iris ensata Thunb.)
Authors: Mimura Makiko , Takeuchi Marina , Kobayashi Takayuki , Hirota Shun K. , Suyama Yoshihisa , Yamaguchi Hirofumi , Tabuchi Toshihito 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWild relatives of cultivars are crucial sources of genetic variation for further enhancement, yet they face potential threats due to contemporary environmental changes. Iris ensata var. spontanea, a wild progenitor of the Japanese iris cultivars (I. ensata var. ensata), is extensively cultivated in Japanese gardens, is distributed across mesic meadows and wetlands in Japan and East Asia. This species is currently threatened owing to habitat loss linked to land use alterations. We assessed genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships in 32 wild accessions and the 14 principal Edo Group of Japanese iris cultivars, originally bred during the Edo period (1600–1868). In the phylogenetic tree, the cultivars formed a cluster with reduced inbreeding coefficients, suggesting a singular origin and interbreeding between the genetically distinct accessions. Conversely, wild accessions exhibited greater overall genetic diversity and higher inbreeding coefficients than cultivars, indicating frequent inbreeding within divergent natural populations. Our findings highlight the distinct genetic reservoirs of both wild accessions and Edo cultivars, although the former may face inbreeding challenges. Urgent conservation action is needed to ensure the genetic diversity of wild populations as natural resources.
ARTEMIS: a Context-Aware Recommendation System with Crowding Forecaster for the Touristic Domain
Authors: Migliorini Sara , Vecchia Anna Dalla , Belussi Alberto , Quintarelli Elisa 
Published: July 2024

AbstractRecommendation systems are becoming an invaluable assistant not only for users, who may be disoriented in the presence of a huge number of different alternatives, but also for service providers or sellers, who would like to be able to guide the choice of customers toward particular items with specific characteristics. This influence capability can be particularly useful in the tourism domain, where the need to manage the industry in a more sustainable way and the ability to predict and control the level of crowding of PoIs (Points of Interest) have become more pressing in recent years. In this paper, we study the role of contextual information in determining both PoI occupations and user preferences, and we explore how machine learning and deep learning techniques can help produce good recommendations for users by enriching historical information with its contextual counterpart. As a result, we propose the architecture of ARTEMIS, a context-Aware Recommender sysTEM wIth crowding forecaSting, able to learn and forecast user preferences and occupation levels based on historical contextual features. Throughout the paper, we refer to a real-world application scenario regarding the tourist visits performed in Verona, a municipality in Northern Italy, between 2014 and 2019.
The interplay of temperature, light, and substrate type in driving growth and reproduction of an important tropical crustose coralline alga
Authors: Fong Jenny , Jackson Timothy L. , Flores Florita , Antunes Elsa , Abdul Wahab Muhammad Azmi , Negri Andrew P. , Diaz-Pulido Guillermo 
Published: July 2024

AbstractCrustose coralline algae (CCA) from the genus Titanoderma are reported to induce high levels of coral larval settlement across a wide diversity of species. Consequently, Titanoderma is a promising taxon to cultivate in aquaculture facilities for application in coral reef restoration projects. However, knowledge on the optimum conditions to promote growth and reproduction in Titanoderma is limited. To investigate this, we cultured adult fragments of Titanoderma sp. at two temperatures (27.5 or 30 °C) and two light levels (mean maximum midday irradiance of 10 or 40 µmol photons m−2 s−1) on three different tile materials (CaCO3, concrete, or PVC). We found that the combination of 27.5 °C and 40 µmol photons m−2 s−1 were best for adult fragment growth. Greater number of conceptacles were formed under higher light intensities, while temperature did not have an influence. Sporeling settlement and subsequent growth into juveniles were only evident at 40 µmol photons m−2 s−1, with substantially higher recruitment on substrates made of concrete. These results provide important insights for developing optimal conditions to cultivate Titanoderma sp. in aquaculture facilities to support reef restoration projects using sexually produced corals.
Exploring Basalt: A Methodological Framework for Analysing Wear Traces on Basalt Tools
Authors: Asryan Lena , Rots Veerle 
Published: July 2024

AbstractBasalt is a widely used raw material for tool manufacture at prehistoric sites, but a unified methodology for assessing how hominfins used basalt in prehistory is lacking. A comprehensive experimental investigation of basalt tools is, thus, necessary to establish a reliable methodological framework that can be used to explore the functional properties of archaeological basalt assemblages.The aim of this study is to contribute to the development of a methodological framework for the analysis of use-wear on basalt tools. Basalt, characterised by its distinct mechanical and structural properties and unique response to mechanical stress, requires specialised treatment and investigation.To address this, our basalt varieties were characterised using SEM–EDS analysis. Sequential experiments were conducted, using the experimental basalt tools in different activities, including butchery, hide, bone and woodworking to determine use-wear formation patterns. Subsequentially, various analytical tools, including optical and scanning electron microscopes, were used to analyse macro- and micro-wear traces on basalt.Our results provide useful information on methodological aspects of use-wear formation on basalt. The inclusion of detailed cleaning and experimental protocols enhanced the robustness of our methodology. Furthermore, the combined utilisation of various microscopes enabled to compile a comprehensive and complementary information on such a complex raw material such as basalt and to characterise thoroughly the diagnostic features of the micro-wear traces (e.g. edge damage, rounding, polish).
Synthesis of Bi2S3-sensitized TiO2 photoanodes for enhanced photovoltaic performance in solar cell application
Authors: Supekar Abhijit T. , Bhujbal Pankaj K. , Mujawar Almas M. , Jadkar Sandesh R. , Shaikh Shoyebmohamad F. , Rathod Sopan M. , Kowshik Suhas , Naik Nithesh 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe synthesis of Bi2S3 nanoparticles for sensitizing TiO2 photoanodes were synthesized through a cost-effective and straightforward approach using modified chemical bath deposition (M-CBD) or successive ionic atomic layer adsorption reactions (SILAR) at room temperature. Initially, a TiO2 seed layer was synthesized at room temperature via the chemical bath deposition method, followed by deposition of a mesoporous TiO2 layer using the doctor blade method. This study investigated the influence of the number of SILAR cycles and the choice of counter electrodes on the performance of Bi2S3/TiO2-based photoelectrodes. Characterization of the prepared Bi2S3/TiO2 photoanode involved various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, enabling the analysis of its structural, optical, and morphological properties. The Bi2S3/TiO2-based cell exhibits a maximum conversion efficiency of 0.8%, demonstrating the potential of this combination for photovoltaic applications. This study contributes to the field of solar cell technology by presenting a novel approach for sensitizing TiO2 photoanodes with Bi2S3 nanoparticles, offering insights into the optimization of fabrication parameters and performance enhancement strategies for future device design and development.
The Paradox of Job Retention Schemes: A Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach to Immediate and Prolonged Effects of Short-Time Work on Job Insecurity and Employee Well-Being
Authors: Klug Katharina , Bernhard-Oettel Claudia , Sverke Magnus 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMany countries rely on short-time work to prevent mass layoffs in economic crises. Despite serving to protect jobs, short-time work may trigger job insecurity perceptions, which may impair employee well-being. Moreover, past experiences of unemployment may increase susceptibility to job insecurity in response to short-time work. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, Appraisal Theory and temporal stressor-strain models, this study investigates effects of short-time work on the development of job satisfaction, life satisfaction and affective well-being via perceived job insecurity across 6 years, considering previous unemployment as a moderator. We used propensity score matching to account for selectivity into short-time work and calculated latent growth curve models with N = 1211 employees in Germany (619 affected by short-time work, 592 controls). Short-time work predicted higher levels and an immediate increase in job insecurity, followed by a decrease over time. Both levels and changes in job insecurity were associated with levels and changes in well-being. Indirect effects of short-time work on well-being via job insecurity persisted 2 years after short-time work. We found no difference between previously unemployed respondents and others in their reactions to short-time work. The findings support COR theory and a prolonged stress-reaction model, showing lingering effects on well-being via job insecurity even after short-time work ends. The study supports short-time work as an antecedent of job insecurity and reveals temporal dynamics between job insecurity, its antecedents and outcomes over time. When implementing short-time work, employers should aim to mitigate concerns about job security to protect employee well-being.
The effects of ordered multistate morphological characters on phylogenetic analyses of eutherian mammals
Authors: Brady Peggy L. , Castrellon Arteaga Alejandro , López-Torres Sergi , Springer Mark S. 
Published: July 2024

AbstractMultistate morphological characters are routinely used in phylogenetic analyses. Individual multistate characters may be treated as linearly ordered, partially ordered, or unordered. Each option implies a hypothesis of character evolution, and significant debate surrounds the appropriateness of ordering multistate characters. Several previous analyses support ordering multistate morphological characters when the character states form a morphocline. Here, we explore the effects of ordering a subset of characters in the largest morphological character matrix that is available for placental mammals. All multistate characters were assessed and were ordered only if the character states were meristic or hypothesized to form a morphocline. We then performed parsimony analyses, with and without molecular scaffolds, to examine the effects of ordering on placental mammal phylogeny. We also performed pseudoextinction analyses, which treated designated extant taxa as extinct by eliminating them from the molecular scaffold and scoring soft-tissue characters as missing, to determine if ordered or unordered characters would more accurately reconstruct the relationships of pseudoextinct placental orders. Character ordering affected the placement of a variety of taxa in non-scaffolded analyses, but the effects were less evident in scaffolded analyses. Nevertheless, one of the islands of most parsimonious trees with the ordered data set and a scaffold for extant taxa supported the inclusion of Leptictida, including the Late Cretaceous Gypsonictops, inside of crown Placentalia. Our analyses rarely supported the monophyly of Tamirtheria, the Late Cretaceous-Paleogene stem-based clade that is hypothesized to be the sister to Placentalia. Pseudoextinction analyses using ordered and unordered characters both reconstructed 12 of 19 pseudoextinct orders in positions that are incongruent with a well-supported molecular scaffold. These results suggest that the use of ordered multistate characters does not increase the proportion of well-supported molecular clades that are reconstructed with the largest available phenomic data set for placental mammals.
On the Solution Existence for Collocation Discretizations of Time-Fractional Subdiffusion Equations
Authors: Franz Sebastian , Kopteva Natalia 
Published: July 2024

AbstractTime-fractional parabolic equations with a Caputo time derivative of order $$\alpha \in (0,1)$$

α
∈
(
0
,
1
)

are discretized in time using continuous collocation methods. For such discretizations, we give sufficient conditions for existence and uniqueness of their solutions. Two approaches are explored: the Lax–Milgram Theorem and the eigenfunction expansion. The resulting sufficient conditions, which involve certain $$m\times m$$

m
×
m

matrices (where m is the order of the collocation scheme), are verified both analytically, for all $$m\ge 1$$

m
≥
1

and all sets of collocation points, and computationally, for all $$ m\le 20$$

m
≤
20

. The semilinear case is also addressed.
Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cell Conditioned Medium Enhances Spinal Cord Injury Recovery via PI3K/AKT-Mediated Neuronal Apoptosis Suppression
Authors: Ma Ziqian , Liu Tao , Liu Liang , Pei Yilun , Wang Tianyi , Wang Zhijie , Guan Yun , Zhang Xinwei , Zhang Yan , Chen Xueming 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the impact of conditioned medium from epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs-CM) on functional recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI), while also exploring the involvement of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in regulating neuronal apoptosis. EPI-NCSCs were isolated from 10-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and cultured for 48 h to obtain EPI-NCSC-CM. SHSY-5Y cells were subjected with H2O2 treatment to induce apoptosis. Cell viability and survival rates were evaluated using the CCK-8 assay and calcein-AM/PI staining. SCI contusion model was established in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to assess functional recovery, utilizing the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system, inclined test, and footprint observation. Neurological restoration after SCI was analyzed through electrophysiological recordings. Histological analysis included hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Nissl staining to evaluate tissue organization. Apoptosis and oxidative stress levels were assessed using TUNEL staining and ROS detection methods. Additionally, western blotting was performed to examine the expression of apoptotic markers and proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. EPI-NCSC-CM significantly facilitated functional and histological recovery in SCI rats by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis through modulation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Administration of EPI-NCSCs-CM alleviated H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in SHSY-5Y cells in vitro. The use of LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, underscored the crucial role of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in regulating neuronal apoptosis. This study contributes to the ongoing exploration of molecular pathways involved in spinal cord injury (SCI) repair, focusing on the therapeutic potential of EPI-NCSC-CM. The research findings indicate that EPI-NCSC-CM exerts a neuroprotective effect by suppressing neuronal apoptosis through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in SCI rats. These results highlight the promising role of EPI-NCSC-CM as a potential treatment strategy for SCI, emphasizing the significance of the PI3K/AKT pathway in mediating its beneficial effects.
Graphical Abstract
Keep me posted, but don’t stress me out: how the positive effect of social networking services on civil servants’ information use and political capacities can be attenuated by social media stress
Authors: Wanckel Camilla 
Published: July 2024

AbstractPublic policy and administration debates typically assume that ICT tools, including social networking services (SNS), increase the amount of information that is communicated and thus harnessed for policymaking processes. At the same time, behavioral approaches point to the potentially detrimental effects of social media stress resulting from an overexposure to SNS. Because systematic research on the individual-level effects of SNS in policy formulation is rare, this paper explores the effect of SNS on the use of policy-relevant information and, thus, on individual political capacities. A moderated mediation analysis was performed based on survey data from central ministerial bureaucracies in Germany, Italy, and Norway, considering not only the amount of information utilized in legislative drafting but also the variability and concentration of the information sources. The results indicate that SNS positively relate to policy officials’ information use, which, in turn, increases their self-reported political capacities. However, the positive relationship between SNS and both the amount and the variability of information use was found to be diminished when levels of social media stress are high rather than low. The conclusions discuss the implications for civil servants and policymaking.
Jacobi polynomials and the numerical solution of ray tracing through the crystalline lens
Authors: Abd El-Hady Mahmoud , El-shenawy Atallah 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThe human eye is a fascinating optical system, with the crystalline lens playing a significant role in focusing light onto the retina of the eye. The ray tracing through the crystalline lens problem is a challenging problem in optics. In this paper, the case of a non-homogeneous optical medium is investigated, and the ray equation is numerically solved to get the ray paths. The governing equation is an ODE with a fractional derivative given in the Caputo sense. A novel numerical scheme is based on the Jacobi polynomial collocation technique to tackle this problem. A fast and accurate Broyden’s Quasi-Newton algorithm is applied to solve the nonlinear system of equations obtained from the collocation process. Numerical results are stated in detail to show the efficiency of our technique and are compared with other analytical and numerical methods using tables and illustrated figures, which will be useful to corroborate the clinical and physical data. Ray tracing through the crystalline lens is not only fascinating from a scientific perspective but also has practical implications across various domains, and the proposed scheme is considered a promising and practically reliable method to address such types of applications.
Power over fiber using a multimode optical power with a core diameter of 50 µm
Authors: Prajzler Vaclav , Zikmund Marek 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWe report on the properties of the Power over Fiber (PoF) transmission link using a High-Power Laser Source operating at 976 nm and using three types of optical fiber with a core diameter of 50 µm. Two step-index profile multimode optical fibers and one fiber with a gradient index were used for optical power transmission. Optical light was converted to electricity using commercially available Photovoltaic Power Convertors (PPCs) with a maximal optical input power of 1.5 W and experimental PPCs with a maximal optical input power of 4.0 W. We experimentally proved optical power transmission up to a distance of 300 m. In the case of the commercially available working PPC and using the gradient index fiber we achieved a result of 0.534 W of electrical power and using the experimental PPC we achieved 0.645 W. In the case of the step-index optical fiber, the result was 1.3 W.
Framing Layoffs: Media Coverage, Blame Attribution, and Trade-Related Policy Responses
Authors: Brutger Ryan , Guisinger Alexandra 
Published: July 2024

AbstractWho is blamed when factories close or when there are mass layoffs? Whether it be the closing of an auto plant or the threatened off-shoring of the Carrier furnace factory, media reports frequently incorporate justifications—or frames—that provide context about the closure or layoffs. We conduct an analysis of media coverage of factory layoffs in the United States and Canada, and find that the most common frames often include foreign competition and trade policy, changing market conditions, or exogenous shocks, such as the pandemic. We argue that such frames alter who the public holds responsible and thus affects the public’s preferred policy responses. We test the effect of media frames on the public’s blame attribution and subsequent policy preferences using a survey experiment about General Motors factory closings. The results from a sample of almost 6,000 respondents in the US and Canada show that the public is quick to shift blame to the government, reducing blame to the company, and shifting attention to particular government responses. We find that the most common media frames significantly shift support for trade policy in both countries, but have no effect on domestic public assistance programs such as unemployment benefits or retraining and education programs. Notably, most treatment effects are similar across ideological types. The results hold practical implications in terms of the incentives of politicians to promote specific explanations of factory closings and theoretical implications in terms of moderating the highly partisan expectations within the current literature on economic blame attribution.
Orienting practical global citizenship education in an International Baccalaureate international school
Authors: Palmer Nicholas 
Published: July 2024

AbstractThis article details research into the articulation and implementation of global citizenship education (GCE) in an International Baccalaureate international school. It delineates the perspectives of school community members on contextually specific aspects of GCE and offers a substantive theory of GCE practice in a transnational context. Along with allosyncrasy, denoting the behaviours, propensities, and temperament unique to individuals and groups interrelating with others, the analysis indicates three sub-core categories: authenticating through action, determining empathetic propensity, and enacting long-term responsiveness. These categories are further interpreted against the thinking of David Hansen and Michel Foucault, signifying a break from normative divergence, plurality and individualism. This research will interest those seeking insight into innovative school-based GCE development, practical, cultural convergence, and conceptions of civic action within transnational educational practice.