bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence Match: Can Corporate Lobbying Equalise Political Influence?
Authors: Garcia-Gibson Francisco 
Published: June 2024

AbstractSome corporations use their disproportionate lobbying power to obstruct policy. This obstructive lobbying violates most people’s claims to equal political influence. Occasionally, however, other corporations respond by using their disproportionate power to lobby in support of policy. Does this supportive lobbying violate claims to equal influence too? This paper argues that it does, using climate policy as an example. Supportive lobbying does not, in many cases, work to cancel out the influence from obstructive corporate lobbying. Moreover, supportive lobbying violates claims to equal influence even in cases where this lobbying helps equalise the distribution of influence, helps equalise the likelihood of congruence between policy and people’s policy preferences, and helps enforce claims to equal influence held by people in the supportive corporation.
A geometrically nonlinear Hellinger–Reissner shell element for the postbuckling analysis of variable stiffness composite laminate structures
Authors: Liguori Francesco S. , Zucco Giovanni , Madeo Antonio 
Published: June 2024

AbstractVariable stiffness (VS) composite laminates provide larger freedom to design thin-walled structures than constant stiffness (CS) composite laminates. They showed to allow the redistributing of stresses, improving buckling and post-buckling performance and, therefore, reducing material weight and costs. This work extends a recently developed mixed shell element, MISS-4C, to the postbuckling analysis of VS composite laminate structures. MISS-4C has a linear elastic closed-form solution for the stress interpolation of symmetric composite materials. Its stress field interpolation is obtained by the minimum number of parameters, making it an isostatic element. Moreover, its kinematic is only assumed along its contour, leading to an efficient evaluation of all operators obtained through analytical integration along the element contour. MISS-4C uses a corotational approach within a fast multi-modal Koiter algorithm to efficiently obtain the initial post-buckling response of VS composite laminate structures.First, the element performance is investigated by analysing a carbon fibre VS composite laminate plate subjected to compressive stresses. Numerical results obtained with MISS-4C are compared with those obtained with the MISS-4 element, showing good accuracy and a high convergence rate. Subsequently, the structural response of a glass fibre VS composite laminate girder of a short-length bridge is optimised through a multi-objective optimisation that exploits the robustness of the MISS-4C element and the efficiency of the multi-modal Koiter algorithm.
Does CEO inside debt enhance firms’ access to trade credit?
Authors: Jiang Yucen , Shruti R. , Gupta Jairaj 
Published: June 2024

Abstract
In this study, we investigate whether CEO inside debt, a compensation mechanism designed to align managers’ and debtholders’ interests, plays a role in facilitating firms’ ability to secure higher trade credit from their suppliers. We argue that CEO inside debt offers heightened assurance to trade creditors, resulting in their greater willingness to extend higher levels of trade credit. Firms perceive this as a favourable source of short-term financing compared to traditional bank financing due to its cost-effectiveness and considerably lower barriers to access. Contrary to the previous studies, our empirical analysis encompassing a sample of non-financial firms in the United States reveals a significant positive relationship between CEO inside debt and firms’ ability to secure trade credit. This confirms our assertion that trade credit suppliers’ increased willingness to accept a higher level of risk is driven by the confidence instilled by the CEO inside debt holdings. Furthermore, we show that this relationship is significantly stronger in financially constrained firms, where it serves as a critical assurance mechanism for suppliers of trade credit. Suggesting that CEO inside debt play a key role in sustaining financially constrained firms that are typically neglected by formal lending institutions.
Towards engineering higher quality intelligent environments: a multi case study approach
Authors: Santokhee Adityarajsingh , Augusto Juan Carlos , Brodie Lindsey 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis study addresses the need to enhance the quality of Intelligent Environments, recognizing their unique characteristics and the absence of adequate guidance on quality management during development. It pursues three primary objectives: proposing a novel quality-in-use model, presenting an enhanced version of the User-Centered Intelligent Environment Development Process, and reporting on the application of these approaches through a multiple case study. To embed quality into systems, we advocate for the integration of quality characteristics from ISO/IEC 25000 standards with functional requirements. Stakeholders collaboratively define targets using measures from quality standards, and metrics enable early problem detection and resolution during development. The proposed quality-in-use model provides an insightful and objective perspective on system capabilities, guiding development and ensuring stakeholder involvement. However, challenges such as shortening development cycles for early and regular stakeholder feedback and managing an increased number of system tests were noted. Our study makes a significant contribution to the field of Intelligent Environments by providing a structured approach to embedding and managing quality throughout the development lifecycle. The multiple case study offers empirical evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed approaches, with ongoing considerations for challenges in the development process.
Naturalness in the Making: Classifying, Operationalizing, and Naturalizing Naturalness in Plant Morphology
Authors: Kendig Catherine 
Published: June 2024

AbstractWhat role does the concept of naturalness play in the development of scientific knowledge and understanding? Whether naturalness is taken to be an ontological dimension of the world or a cognitive dimension of our human perspective within it, assumptions of naturalness seem to frame both concepts and practices that inform the partitioning of parts and the kinding of kinds. Within the natural sciences, knowledge of what something is as well as how it is studied rely on conceptual commitments. These conceptual commitments shape how entities and processes are categorized as natural depending on how naturalness has been understood within that discipline. In this paper, I explore how commitments to naturalness shape different conceptualizations of what were previously and what are now considered to be fundamental parts in plant morphology. Relying on an historically informed epistemological approach, I trace the origins and development of models of plant morphology from (1) Goethe’s classical LEAF-ROOT-STEM archetype model; (2) Agnes Arber’s revisions to Goethe’s model reconceived in her partial-shoot theory of the leaf; and (3) Rolf Sattler’s proposal for a processual model of plant morphology. These influential models posit ontologically and epistemologically inconsistent conceptualizations of the natural fundamental parts of plants and how they are related to each other. To explain what this inconsistency means for the concept of naturalness and the role it plays in plant morphology, I suggest naturalness might best be conceived of as a contextually bound classificatory concept that is made and remade through its operationalized use within a model, theory, set of practices, or discipline.
Course Design, Belonging, and Learner Engagement: Meeting the Needs of Diverse International Students in Online Courses
Authors: Dennen Vanessa , Choi Hajeen , He Dan , Arslan Ömer 
Published: June 2024

AbstractInternational students comprise a growing population in U.S. higher education institutions, including online courses. Online international students’ experiences and needs have been largely understudied, but their increased presence in online courses offers a rich opportunity to understand better and improve their course experiences. This qualitative study draws upon interviews with international and domestic online learners to illuminate the importance of inclusivity and how it can be improved through course design and facilitation. To address our research questions, we interviewed 27 graduate students at a large public research university in the United States. The sample included 17 international and 10 domestic students. The findings show opportunities for enhancing the online learning experience for international learners through culturally attuned teaching, supporting both social and cognitive presences along with clear course expectations, and encouraging instructor’s responsiveness and peer engagement. This study concludes with four major implications for online instructors.
Challenging toxic tin catalysts in polyurethane coatings through serendipity
Authors: Butschle Marcel , Schackmann Markus , Dam-Johansen Kim 
Published: June 2024

AbstractTraditional polyurethane (PU) catalysts, especially dibutyl tin dilaurate, face scrutiny over toxicity concerns, leading to interest in safer alternatives. In an unexpected turn of events, research into a commercially available antibacterial agent revealed that it drastically reduced the pot life of PU coatings. Experiments show that when PU coatings were formulated with the antibacterial agent as catalyst, drying time and solvent resistance were improved as compared to traditional tin and zirconium catalysts. Further analysis showed that this was the result of copper compounds and it could be shown that a similar catalytic effect was achieved through Cu(II)-sulfate and Cu(II)-acetate. Such copper salts are not yet commonly known as replacements for tin catalysts. Possible mechanisms such as heterogenous catalysis or in-situ formation of the active compound were discussed.
Habitat Provision Differs Across Subtidal Reefs Varying in Location Within the Estuarine Landscape
Authors: Outhwaite Alyssa , Lebreton Benoit , Palmer Terence A. , Beseres Pollack Jennifer 
Published: June 2024

AbstractAlthough position within the estuarine landscape is known to influence structural characteristics and ecological functioning of many habitats, the influence of position on subtidal oyster reef characteristics and functioning is relatively understudied. This study assessed habitat provision by oysters and benthic macrofauna on subtidal bar and patch oyster reefs within the northwestern Gulf of Mexico estuary. Bar reefs had greater and more variable oyster density, biomass, and volume, as well as dead shell material, compared to patch reefs. Benthic macrofaunal community composition differed between reef types, with bar reefs hosting 11× and 30× higher biomass of Porcellanidae and Ampithoidae crustaceans, and patch reefs supporting 34× and 47× higher biomass of Eunicidae annelids and Leptocheliidae crustaceans. The environmental variables most highly correlated with macrofaunal communities on both bar and patch reefs were sediment chlorophyll-a, volume of dead oyster shells, and depth. Despite differences in structural characteristics and position within the estuarine landscape, subtidal oyster reefs are often managed as a single habitat type. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering location in oyster reef conservation and restoration efforts to better predict and optimize faunal provision outcomes.
Theoretical investigations of the potential application of PVA-mixed-valent tunnel structured manganese oxide nano-composite in continuous simultaneous removal of multi-contaminants from aqueous waste stream
Authors: Ghaly M. , Abdel Rahman R. O. 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThe potential use of PVA-mixed-valent tunnel structured manganese oxide nano-composite in the removal of multi-contaminants form aqueous solutions was assessed by studying the continuous simultaneous removal of lead, caesium, and cobalt. Within this context, the morphology and the nature of nanoparticle inclusion into the PVA matrix was assessed using SEM–EDX analysis. The nanoparticles are homogenously distributed in the polymeric matrix with some agglomerated inclusions of these particles. The thermal and chemical stability analyses prove the stability of the material up to 180 °C and in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline solutions. The analysis of the gravimetric thermal data shows that the thermal treatment is a feasible end of life management route for this material. The values of percentage uptake and bed capacity indicate the feasibility of the use of this material in the simultaneous removal of lead, caesium and cobalt. The breakthrough curves analyses provide insights into the breakthrough characteristics and underlying removal mechanisms. It was found that the removal reaction follows Langmuir kinetics of adsorption–desorption and that the rate driving forces follow second order reversible reaction kinetics, where the sorption occur at energetically equal sites.
Gesundheitsorientierte Führung von Beschäftigten in der stationären medizinischen Versorgung
Authors: Mache Stefanie , Harth Volker 
Published: June 2024

ZusammenfassungGesundheitsorientierte Führung sollte insbesondere in der medizinischen Versorgung einen hohen Stellenwert einnehmen, da diese einen wesentlichen Beitrag zum Erhalt der Gesundheit von Beschäftigten im Klinikalltag leisten kann. Die Gesundheit und Arbeitsfähigkeit der Beschäftigten stellt eine grundlegende Voraussetzung für die Sicherstellung der Gesundheitsversorgung dar. Der generelle Einfluss von Führungskräften auf die Gesundheit von Mitarbeitenden ist hinreichend belegt. Dieser Artikel soll eine Einführung und Übersicht zum Erkenntnisstand über gesundheitsorientierte Führung in der medizinischen Versorgung bieten. In einer explorativen Literaturrecherche werden Studienergebnisse zu gesundheitsorientierter Führung im medizinischen Versorgungskontext zusammenfassend vorgestellt. Die zentralen Ergebnisse bisheriger Studien zeigen auf, dass gesundheitsorientierte Führung einen signifikant positiven Einfluss auf die Gesundheit von Beschäftigten haben kann. Insgesamt stellt Führung einen relevanten Faktor für die betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung in Klinikunternehmen dar. Der empirische Forschungsstand verdeutlicht, dass noch Forschungsbedarf hinsichtlich gesundheitsorientierter Führung im Kontext medizinischer Versorgung besteht. Führungsinterventionen stellen dabei vielversprechende Strategien zur Förderung der psychischen Gesundheit von Beschäftigten im Gesundheitswesen dar. Da die aktuell verfügbaren Erkenntnisse begrenzt sind, sollten Analysen und wissenschaftliche Bewertungen im Themenfeld ausgeweitet werden.
Assessing the Impact of the Novel Sperm Selection Technique 'Annexin-V Coated Polystyrene Bead Technique' on Mouse Assisted Reproductive Techniques Outcomes: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Karabulut Seda , Camcı İrem Yalım , Altun Ceren Erdem , Usta Melek , Yiğit Pakize 
Published: June 2024

AbstractICSI is one of the most commonly used techniques to treat infertility. The sperm selection for the procedure is done ‘randomly’ by the embryologist according to the motility and morphology parameters which is known not to reflect the potential of a sperm for fertilization, pregnancy and a healthy childbearing. Since the apoptosis rate is higher in sperm cells of infertile patients, it is more likely to choose an apoptotic sperm by the 'random selection method'. We recently introduced a novel sperm selection technique namely ‘Annexin-V coated polystrene bead technique’(APB-Tech), for the selection of non-apoptotic sperm cells. The principal of the technique is based on the binding affinity of an apoptotic sperm to ‘Annexin-V covered beads’ enabling to distinguish a viable and a healthy sperm by light microscopy. The aim of the present study was to observe the effects of this technique on ICSI outcomes in mice. Sibling-oocyte trial was conducted and the outcome measures were compared with the results of traditional sperm selection method. Embryo and blastocyst qualities and blastocyst development rates were significantly increased in APB-Tech group, while the other parameters were not affected. Promising results obtained from the technique reflect its promising potential as a new and powerful tool for sperm selection and thus infertility techniques.
Deaf learners’ academic and social difficulties and coping mechanisms in Ethiopian elementary schools
Authors: Malado Damene Matsana 
Published: June 2024

AbstractThis study examined deaf learners’ academic and social difficulties as well as their coping mechanisms in Ethiopian elementary schools. To do this, the study adopted a phenomenological design from qualitative research methodology. Purposive sampling methods were used to choose nine deaf students for semi-structured interviews. Using word-by-word narrative analysis, data were analyzed. The lack of sign language interpreters and teachers' exclusionary behaviors were found to be some of the academic and social obstacles faced by deaf learners in the research area. The study also found that deaf learners in participating schools used problem-focused coping techniques, including pen-and-paper techniques for interpersonal communication, and maladaptive coping mechanisms like ignoring and social withdrawal. According to the report, local authorities should organize awareness workshops for instructors from participating schools on how to instruct deaf learners in inclusive environments.
Modeling Temperature‐Dependent Sub‐Daily Extreme Rainfall With a Gridded Weather Generator
Authors: Moraga Jorge Sebastián , Peleg Nadav , Burlando Paolo 
Published: June 2024

AbstractTemperature increases are associated with an intensification of heavy sub‐daily extreme rainfall by approximately 7% per °C, in accordance with the Clausius‐Clapeyron (CC) relation. As a result of this intensification, there are concerns regarding the increased frequency and magnitude of floods in small to medium‐sized catchments. The high‐resolution two‐dimensional weather generator (WG), AWE‐GEN‐2d, offers an ideal tool to simulate the climate variables required to assess the catchment‐scale hydrological response at high resolution. However, it lacked an explicit representation of the relationship between temperature and precipitation that can mimic the CC relationship. Therefore, we introduce a newly revised version of the model, named AWE‐GEN‐2d‐CC, designed to mirror the observed CC scaling by conditioning the simulation of precipitation properties (intensity and area) on temperature. We demonstrate the model's efficacy in representing future extreme rainfall by simulating their potential impact on the hydrological response of a mountainous catchment in the Swiss Alps. Based on observations and future climate model projections, AWE‐GEN‐2d‐CC was used to generate large ensembles of present and end‐of‐century climate data at hourly and 2‐km resolutions, used subsequently as input to Topkapi‐ETH, a physically‐based, distributed hydrological model. The new version of the WG successfully mimics the CC scaling of heavy rainfall, leading to an intensification of short‐duration heavy rainfall in future climates, in contrast with the results obtained using the original model. This allows for a more realistic assessment of future rainfall impact on hydrological response, which, in the demonstration application, shows a modulated effect even for short durations.
Ubiquitous Increases in Streamflow and Flooding Magnitude Across the Yellow River Basin
Authors: Ma Zice , Sun Peng , Li Hu , Chen Donghua , Liu Yufeng , Zou Yifan , Jiang Kang 
Published: June 2024

AbstractGlobal human‐induced warming has intensified water circulation in the atmospheric environment and altered the streamflow generation regime. The VIC hydrological model approach for impact assessment of climate change and human activities mainly focuses on variations in streamflow, but ignores other critical flooding characteristics induced by extreme streamflow, especially bivariate flooding characteristics. In this work, the copula functions are employed to structure the flooding risk under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) across the Yellow River basin (YRB). This is based on the multi‐model ensemble (MME) and Delta downscaling outputs (Delta‐MME) of the CMIP6 global climate models (GCMs), as well as the flooding characteristics simulated by VIC hydrological model. Compared to the reference period (1995–2014), Delta‐MME reveals a significant warming and humidifying trend under three SSPs over the YRB. Despite uncertainties originating from climate variables and hydrological model, multiple findings underscore the substantial influence of climate change on the flooding generation regime in YRB. This includes: (a) an increase in the streamflow under all SSPs; (b) a larger flooding peak (Q) and volume (W) under SSP585, with Q and W at the Huayuankou hydrologic station (HYK) increasing by 52.7% and 44.8%, respectively; (c) an advancement in the bivariate flooding risk, particularly in SSP585 where flooding co‐occurrence return period at HYK may be more than 50 times earlier. This study underscores that the urgent need to enhance social resilience to climate change in the YRB.
Cenozoic Evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin: Constraints From Seismic Radial Anisotropy
Authors: Wu Xiaoyang , Li Cuilin , Fan Jianke , Li Chaoyang , Bai Qipeng , Feng Jikun , Dong Dongdong 
Published: June 2024

AbstractWe obtain three‐dimensional models of crustal shear‐wave velocity and radial anisotropy in the Bohai Bay basin (BBB), revealing distinct radial anisotropy patterns. The western region of the basin exhibits pronounced positive crustal radial anisotropies, attributed to upper mantle convection driven by the subduction of the Pacific plate during the early Tertiary. Conversely, the eastern region of the basin demonstrates weak to negative radial anisotropies, indicating a compression shear rupture system influenced by the far‐field India‐Eurasian collision during the Neogene‐Quaternary. These differences suggest that the formation of the BBB is associated with the dynamic transition from Pacific subduction to India‐Eurasian collision during the Cenozoic. Moreover, the Luxi uplift, with its stable upper‐middle crustal structures, acts as a barrier hindering the eastward extension of the BBB.
On Some Limitations of Current Machine Learning Weather Prediction Models
Authors: Bonavita Massimo 
Published: June 2024

AbstractMachine Learning (ML) is having a profound impact in the domain of Weather and Climate Prediction. A recent development in this area has been the emergence of fully data‐driven ML prediction models which routinely claim superior performance to that of traditional physics‐based models. We examine some aspects of the forecasts produced by three of the leading current ML models, Pangu‐Weather, FourCastNet and GraphCast, with a focus on their fidelity and physical consistency. The main conclusion is that these ML models are not able to properly reproduce sub‐synoptic and mesoscale weather phenomena and lack the fidelity and physical consistency of physics‐based models and this has impacts on the interpretation of their forecasts and their perceived skill. Balancing forecast skill and physical realism will be an important consideration for future ML models.