bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatial pattern of seed arrival has a greater effect on plant diversity than does soil heterogeneity in a grassland ecosystem
Authors: Kjaer Esben L. , Houseman Gregory R. , Luu Kobe N. , Foster Bryan L. , Laanisto Lauri , Golubski Antonio J. 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background and Aims
Species diversity is expected to increase with environmental heterogeneity. For plant communities, this pattern has been confirmed by numerous observational studies. Yet, experimental studies yield inconsistent results potentially because of how experiments create soil heterogeneity or because seeds were sown homogeneously. Using a field experiment, we tested how soil heterogeneity, plant spatial aggregation via seed arrival, and grain size influence plant species richness in a restored grassland.

Methods
We manipulated soil heterogeneity and seed arrival in 0.2 × 0.2 or 0.4 × 04 m patches within each 4.0 × 4.6 m plot and allowed community assembly to occur for 4 growing seasons.

Results
Despite quantifiable soil differences, soil heterogeneity did not impact total or sown species richness, but did weakly influence non-sown richness. Richness differences were driven by non-sown plant species that likely exhibited higher establishment in aggregated plots due to decreased interspecific competition and conspecific facilitation.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that fine-scale soil heterogeneity weakly affects prairie plant diversity, but heterogeneous plant spatial structure can have a stronger effect on diversity. These results suggest that plant colonization may be the primary source of environmental heterogeneity and may explain inconsistent results from soil heterogeneity experiments.
Virtual reality and gamification in education: a systematic review
Authors: Lampropoulos Georgios , Kinshuk  
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study aims to analyze the use of virtual reality and gamification in education by examining the existing literature. In addition to virtual reality, this study focuses on gamified virtual reality learning environments which refer to virtual reality learning environments that integrate gamification elements and mechanisms. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, a systematic literature review was carried out. No limitations were set regarding educational level, type of study, subject, and publication year. The related articles were retrieved from 5 databases (ERIC, Google Scholar, IEEE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science). A total of 112 articles were included, 16 research questions were explored, and a thematic analysis was conducted. To evaluate the quality of the articles included, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used. According to the findings, gamification and virtual reality support several pedagogical theories and approaches. Their adoption to and integration into education can enrich and transform traditional teaching and learning and were assessed positively by students and teachers. Gamification elements significantly affected students’ achievements. In comparison to traditional learning environments, gamified virtual reality learning environments were more motivating, engaging, and interactive and offered more opportunities for personalized and collaborative learning. Through the realistic and interactive experiences offered, students’ immersion and social presence can be enhanced, knowledge acquisition can be improved, and material comprehension can be facilitated. Positive changes in student attitude, behavior, and mentality as well as improved cognitive, physical, and social–emotional development were observed. When using learning environments that integrate both virtual reality and gamification, students’ learning outcomes, motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy were increased. Additionally, students’ academic performance, active involvement, and satisfaction were improved. Students’ curiosity, imagination, focus, and interest were enhanced and their skills and competences were developed. Finally, gamified virtual reality emerged as an effective educational tool that can improve learning at all educational levels, subjects, and contexts.
Culture, Social Class and the Dynamics of the Self
Authors: Kühnen Ulrich , Kitayama Shinobu 
Published: March 2024

AbstractIn an ongoing cycle of mutual constitution, culture, the self, and associated psychological tendencies dynamically interact. Prior studies show that people from Western individualist cultures construe the self in independent terms (stressing their uniqueness and separation from others), promoting analytic, context-independent ways of thinking. In contrast, people from Eastern collectivist cultures emphasize their interdependence and connectedness with others, promoting more holistic, context-sensitive ways of thinking. Recently, this literature has been extended to study within-culture variations by socio-economic status (SES). This work has suggested that higher SES contexts foster the view of the self as an independent agent and analytic cognitive tendencies. By contrast, individuals from lower SES tend to emphasize interdependence with others while displaying more holistic cognitive tendencies. Of importance, these SES differences are embedded in larger socio-cultural contexts differing in individualism and collectivism. Hence, the relationship among SES, self-construal, and cognitive tendencies can sometimes vary dramatically between cultures.
Why is the sky blue? A new question for political science
Authors: Alonso-Rocafort Víctor 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe future of political science in this crucial century requires that it (i) adopt the contemporary scientific paradigm, (ii) open itself to pluri-, inter- and transdisciplinarity, and (iii) redefine the main political actor, ourselves, in light of post-anthropocentric and relational turns. A theoretical revolution to a post-normal and eco-political science is needed and, through the influence of new fields such as sustainability science, is probably already in motion. In the Anthropocene, it implies paying attention to biological links that once seemed extemporaneous. And this is when we realize that the sky has become co-vulnerable. We may actually be at risk of losing blue sky through anthropogenic actions, including global warming or solar geoengineering. Politics will be crucial in determining whether or not to preserve its blue, and everything that goes with it. The article explores, through the answer to the blue question, this new super-wicked problem to illustrate the stated objectives for political science and the need to apply them. The proposals that have emerged from this also provide a new framework for Clean Air strategies for blue skies that are being developed at international and national levels.
Hardness Prediction of the Heat-Affected Zone in Multilayer Welded SUS316 Stainless Steel Based on Dislocation Density Change Behavior
Authors: Yu Lina , Nishimoto Kazutoshi , Hirata Hiroyuki , Saida Kazuyoshi 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe effects of strain hardening and recovery/recrystallization on the hardness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in multilayer welded austenitic stainless steel SUS316 were investigated in this study. The results revealed that strain hardening due to welding strain and softening due to recovery/recrystallization were the dominant factors affecting the hardness change in the HAZ during multilayer welding process. Furthermore, the relationship between the strain and dislocation density and that between the recovery/recrystallization and dislocation density were quantitatively investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Based on these results, a new hardness prediction method based on the change in dislocation density in the HAZ during multilayer welding was proposed. The hardness values in the HAZ after the multilayer welding were predicted based on the simulated strain and thermal history, and the calculated hardness values agreed well with the measured results. This indicates that the newly proposed hardness prediction method based on the dislocation density change behavior in the HAZ during multilayer welding is valuable and effective for selecting the appropriate welding conditions before actual welding.
Bacterial decontamination of process liquids and paints in E-coating lines by pulsed electric field treatment
Authors: Gusbeth Christian , Krolla Peter , Bruchmann Julia , Schwartz Thomas , Müller Georg , Frey Wolfgang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractCultivation-based and DNA-based methods for determining the bacterial load and the composition of the bacterial spectrum have been successfully established for media in electrodip painting, and used for the detailed analysis of the contamination situation in an E-coating system of an automobile plant in Germany. Dominating representatives of the genus Microbacterium spp., the orders Burkholderiales and Pseudomonadales, the family Cytophagaceae and the genera Corynebacterium spp., Sphingomonas spp., and Stenotrophomonas spp. were used for inactivation experiments. Different pulsed electric field (PEF) parameters were studied for an effective and target-directed inactivation of defined bacterial suspensions containing mixtures of Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria, but also single species suspensions in adequate liquids. PEF treatment with pulse durations longer than 1.0 µs effectively killed bacteria even in low conductivity media, regardless of whether the pulses were unipolar or bipolar, indicating that the choice of pulse shape does not limit the design of the PEF system. Model calculations showed that for efficient treatment in bypass mode, a high treatment flow rate is required rather than a high inactivation efficiency of the PEF treatment. By using specific treatment parameters, such as bipolar pulses of 50 k Vcm−1 and a treatment energy of 40 J mL−1, a significant reduction in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (> 2 log10 reduction) can be achieved while minimizing electrode corrosion and coating degradation. PEF treatment proves to be an effective alternative to the use of biocides in an E-coating system and can help maintain a bacteriostatic environment in the system by operating at different points, in transfer flow or bypass mode, ensuring biocide-free operation.
Influence of different tectonic settings on fracture formation and fluid flow around upper-crustal magmatic intrusion: insights from numerical modelling
Authors: Chang Cheng , Xiao Keyan , Luo Gang , Sun Li 
Published: March 2024

AbstractLarge porphyry Cu and epithermal Au deposits tend to form in distinct tectonic, porphyry and high-sulfidation epithermal deposits in compressional settings, and low-sulfidation epithermal deposits in extensional settings. Given that the analysis of the shallow metallogenic dynamic processes at the upper-crust scale is insufficient, especially the ore-bearing fracture formation and fluid-focusing mechanism around the mineralizing magmatic intrusion under different tectonic backgrounds, we aimed to study how tectonic settings influence fracture formation and fluid hydrodynamics in and around a hot intrusion. We developed a finite element model coupling thermal-hydrological-mechanical processes to simulate the fracture formation, evolution of fluid velocities, and accumulation of water-rock interactions. The model results show that tectonic compression increases the degree of fracturing, hydrothermal fluid velocities, and water-rock interaction within and laterally around the intrusion; tectonic extension enhances fracturing, hydrothermal fluid velocities, and water-rock interaction at shallow depth. These results confirm that tectonic compression may promote the formation of porphyry Cu deposits, while tectonic extension may promote the formation of shallow hydrothermal deposits. Our model explains the effects of tectonic activity on fracture formation and fluid flow around hot magmatic intrusions in upper crust and deepens our understanding of the relationship between tectonic activity and deposit formation there.
Novel indices representing heterogeneous distributions of myocardial perfusion imaging
Authors: Chimura Misato , Ohtani Tomohito , Sera Fusako , Higuchi Rie , Kajitani Kenji , Nakajima Kenichi , Sakata Yasushi 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Introduction
Heterogeneous distribution in myocardial perfusion images (MPI) obtained by scintigraphy is often observed in cardiac diseases with normal myocardial perfusion. However, quantitative assessments of such heterogeneity have not been established. We hypothesized that the heterogeneity in MPI can be quantitatively evaluated through histogram analysis, calculating the standard deviation (SD), the 95% bandwidth (BW95%), and entropy.

Methods
We examined resting 99mTc-MIBI images in 20 healthy subjects and 29 patients with cardiac disease who had none or very-mild reduced myocardial perfusion evaluated as a low summed rest score (0 to 4, the range of the studied healthy subjects). Two nuclear medicine specialists blindly divided them into two groups: non-heterogeneity or heterogeneity group, based solely on their visual assessments of heterogeneity on splash and polar maps generated from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. The %uptake was determined by dividing the tracer count of each pixel by the tracer count of the pixel with the highest value in the LV myocardium. SD, BW95%, and entropy from histogram patterns were analyzed from the polar map data array of each %uptake. We investigated whether heterogeneity could be assessed using SD, BW95, and entropy in two groups classified by visual assessments. Additionally, we evaluated the area under the curve (AUC) to identify heterogeneity in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results
Based solely on visual assessments, 11 (22%) and 38 (78%) cases were classified into the non-heterogeneity and heterogeneity groups, respectively. The non-heterogeneity group consisted of only healthy subjects, and all patients with cardiac disease were classified into the heterogeneity group. The cases in the heterogeneity group had significantly higher values of heterogeneity indices (SD, BW95%, and entropy) in %uptake than those in the non-heterogeneity group (p < 0.05 for all). The AUCs of the heterogeneity indices were sufficiently high (AUCs > 0.90 for all) in distinguishing cases with visually heterogeneous distribution or patients with cardiac disease.

Conclusions
Heterogeneity in MPI can be evaluated using SD, BW95%, and entropy through histogram analysis. These novel indices may help identify patients with subtle myocardial changes, even in images that show preserved perfusion (345/350).
Pseudo-Riemannian Geodesic Orbit Nilmanifolds of Signature $$\varvec{(n-2,2)}$$
Authors: Chen Zhiqi , Nikolayevsky Yuri , Wolf Joseph A. , Zhang Shaoxiang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe geodesic orbit property is useful and interesting in itself, and it plays a key role in Riemannian geometry. It implies homogeneity and has important classes of Riemannian manifolds as special cases. Those classes include weakly symmetric Riemannian manifolds and naturally reductive Riemannian manifolds. The corresponding results for indefinite metric manifolds are much more delicate than in Riemannian signature, but in the last few years important corresponding structural results were proved for geodesic orbit Lorentz manifolds. Here we extend Riemannian and Lorentz results to trans-Lorentz nilmanifolds. Those are the geodesic orbit pseudo Riemannian manifolds $$M = G/H$$

M
=
G
/
H

of signature $$(n-2,2)$$

(
n
-
2
,
2
)

such that a nilpotent analytic subgroup of G is transitive on M. For that we suppose that there is a reductive decomposition $${\mathfrak {g}}= {\mathfrak {h}}\oplus {\mathfrak {n}}\text { (vector space direct sum) with } [{\mathfrak {h}},{\mathfrak {n}}] \subset {\mathfrak {n}}$$

g
=
h
⊕
n

(vector space direct sum) with

[
h
,
n
]
⊂
n

and $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
nilpotent. When the metric is nondegenerate on $$[{\mathfrak {n}},{\mathfrak {n}}]$$

[
n
,
n
]

we show that $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
is abelian or 2-step nilpotent. That is the same result as for geodesic orbit Riemannian and Lorentz nilmanifolds. When the metric is degenerate on $$[{\mathfrak {n}},{\mathfrak {n}}]$$

[
n
,
n
]

we show that $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
is a double extension of a geodesic orbit nilmanifold of either Riemannian or Lorentz signature.
Opportunity of ferrimagnetic (CZLF)/ferroelectric (BZT) composite materials in high frequency applications
Authors: Altarawneh Aseel M. , Henaish A. M. A. , Ghazy R. , Shalaby Rizk Mostafa , Abdelhakim Nermin Ali , Hemeda O. M. , Mostafa M. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe ferrimagnetic Zn0.35Co0.65 La0.02Fe1.98O4 (CZLF) ferrite with cubic spinel structure (space group Fd3m) was made into composite by mixing with ferroelectric Ba0.5Zr0.5TiO3 (BZT) perovskite with tetragonal structure (space group P4mm) at the mass ratio. Disk-shaped composite powder was finally heated at 1100 °C to study the structure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The structural characterization for synthesized samples were carried out using Fourier transform infrared and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Fourier transform infrared show the successful formation of composite samples which is also observed from x-ray diffraction pattern. In compared to their ferrite counterparts before the composite, dielectric response and ferroelectric characteristics of the composite samples are noticeably altered. Compared to the ferrite samples, the composite system exhibits a higher permittivity. In composite samples, the space charge polarization, which was primarily effective at low frequencies and high measurement temperatures, is much diminished. The mechanical properties and indentation creep of these bearing alloys were studied by Vickers indentation testing at room temperature. The remnant polarization of BZT/CZLF increases with decreasing BZT content, which may be suitable for permanent memory device applications.
Graphical abstract
Efficient removal of E. coli from wastewater by novel phytofabricated nano-zinc using antibacterial potential, kinetic studies, and response surface methodology
Authors: Ezzat Safaa M. , Moustafa Mohammed T. 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe present investigation explores the antibacterial potential of novel ZnO-NPs synthesized from Acacia nilotica pods extract and immobilized onto sodium alginate beads to control bacterial pollution in wastewater. Phenolics and flavonoids were major phytoconstituents acting as capping, reducing, and stabilizing agents. UV–Vis analysis showed strong absorption band at 340 nm. XRD and TEM revealed hexagonal crystalline structure for zincite of average particles diameter 33.87 and 32.74 nm, respectively. FTIR demonstrated several bands with functional groups (O–H, C-H, C = O, C = C, and C–O–C) involved in ZnO-NPs synthesis. SEM images showed NPs surface completely colonized by E.coli, while EDX spectrum showed signals for zinc (52.94%) and oxygen (26.58%) confirming NPs purity. Adhesion capacity studies revealed ZnO-NPs potential (0.5 g) to remove E.coli after 120 min. Kinetic and isotherm studies indicated that pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich isotherm were best fit describing adhesion mechanism. Electrostatic attraction between negatively charged E.coli and positively charged ZnO-NPs was followed by generation of H2O2 leading to cell apoptosis. Adhesion optimization using Box–Behnken design under response surface methodology was 99.8% at disinfectant dose 30 g/L, contact time 6 h, and E.coli concentration 150 × 107 cfu/mL. For application, real wastewater was treated with removal 98.2%, 97.2%, and 96.5% for total coliform, fecal coliform, and E.coli, respectively, after 6 h. ZnO-NPs showed sustainable efficiency during four consecutive cycles of treatment. The study concluded the efficiency, eco-friendly and cost-effectiveness of phytofabricated ZnO-NPs as disinfectants for wastewater and recommended future studies on large scale for possible wastewater reuse in safe unrestricted irrigation.
The socio-economic performance of agroecology. A review
Authors: Mouratiadou Ioanna , Wezel Alexander , Kamilia Kintan , Marchetti Angelica , Paracchini Maria Luisa , Bàrberi Paolo 
Published: March 2024

AbstractAgroecology is identified as an important solution to increase the sustainability of agricultural and food systems. Despite the increasing number of publications assessing the socio-economic outcomes of agroecology, very few studies have consolidated the scattered results obtained on various case studies. This paper provides new insights by consolidating evidence on the varied socio-economic effects of agroecology across a large number of cases at a global level. To this purpose, we used a rapid review methodology, screening more than 13,000 publications to retrieve evidence on the socio-economic outcomes of the implementation of agroecological practices. The results of the review indicate that (1) agroecological practices are associated more often with positive socio-economic outcomes across the broad range of evaluated metrics (51% positive, 30% negative, 10% neutral, and 9% inconclusive outcomes); (2) the socio-economic metrics associated with financial capital represent the vast majority of evaluated metrics (83% of total) and are affected positively in a large share of cases (53%), due to favourable outcomes on income, revenues, productivity and efficiency; (3) human capital metrics (16%) are associated with a larger number of negative outcomes (46% versus 38% positive), due to higher labour requirements and costs that are however partly compensated by an overall greater number of positive outcomes on labour productivity (55%); and (4) the results vary depending on the agroecological practice assessed; e.g. for agroforestry, we identify 53% positive outcomes while for cropping system diversification 35%. These results indicate an overall favourable potential for farms to benefit from a positive socio-economic performance with the use of agroecological practices. Yet, the magnitude, temporal aspects, and success factors related to these outcomes, as well as the trade-offs between them, and the system-level effects of an agroecological transition are to be further assessed, since they can have an important influence on the performance of individual farms.