bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Producers’ transition to alternative food practices in rural China: social mobilization and cultural reconstruction in the formation of alternative economies
Authors: Zhang Qian Forrest 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe shift from the conventional agri-food system to alternative practices is a challenging transition for agricultural producers, yet surprisingly under-studied. Little research has examined the social and cultural processes in rural communities that mobilize producers and construct and sustain producer-driven alternative food networks (AFNs). For AFNs to go beyond just offering “alternative foods” or “alternative networks” and to be constructed as “alternative economies”, this transformation in the producer community is indispensable. This paper presents a case study of a rural cooperative in Shanxi, China. The discontent with both productivist agriculture and the social decay in communities motivated a group of women to engage in a decade-long process of social mobilization, cultural reconstruction, and learning by experimentation. Through this, they developed an alternative vision and successfully created a localized alternative socio-economic model, which I call “anti-productivism”. It prioritizes ecological sustainability, self-reliance, reciprocity, and cultural values over output maximization, productivity growth, commodity exchange, and monetary gains. This case contrasts sharply with the urban-initiated, consumer-driven AFNs studied in the China literature, which mostly just offered alternative foods but brought little change to the producer community. It shows that the alternative economy must be embedded in an alternative community united by strong social bonds and shared cultural values.
Citizen science and diet analysis shed light on dog-wildlife interactions in Italy
Authors: Sogliani Davide , Mori Emiliano , Lovari Sandro , Lazzeri Lorenzo , Longoni Alice , Tabarelli De Fatis Karol , Sabatini Patrizia , Di Nicola Matteo Riccardo , Russo Danilo 
Published: September 2023

AbstractDomestic dogs Canis familiaris may cause a range of impacts on wildlife through predation, competition, pathogen transmission, harassment and hybridisation with wolves and other wild canids, yet such effects are less known than those of other domestic species.In this work, we have combined citizen science data and information collected by scientists on the potential impact of free-ranging dogs on wildlife in Italy. Citizen science data, obtained through online surveys on social networks, consisted of pictures of wildlife killed or harassed by dogs from 2002 to 2022. Additional records were collected from articles in newspapers. We also provide the results of a diet analysis from domestic dog scats, collected in the countryside in central Italy in 1998–1999, for which we assessed prey selection by comparing consumption with availability. The citizen science survey provided 589 records: dogs attacked and killed 95 species, mostly mammals and birds, including small game species. Among species of conservation concern, dogs attacked/killed Mustela putorius and Hystrix cristata, both included in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive, and the Italian endemic Lepus corsicanus and Passer italiae. Over 90% of the attacks were caused by unleashed dogs in the presence of their owner in urban and periurban areas. The 148 dog scats analysed contained 30 prey species, mainly mammals, which made the staple of the dog diet, followed by amorphous material, most likely pet food. Remains of domestic sheep were frequent in the diet, as were hares Lepus europaeus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus among wild mammals. Wild boar Sus scrofa ranked first among the selected prey species, followed by hares, whereas roe deer and grey partridges Perdix perdix were negatively selected. The mitigation of the impact of domestic carnivores on wildlife strongly requires awareness raising to promote responsible pet ownership and strict avoidance of dogs’ free-ranging behaviour, especially where encounters with wildlife are most likely.
Accident, scandal, disaster: the media framing of corporate crime
Authors: Horn Jana Macfarlane 
Published: September 2023

AbstractCorporate crime is often misrepresented in crime media as individual wrongdoing with minor consequences. Despite considerable research on corporate crime in news, there has been no examination of quality media sources, upon which this paper focuses. This paper presents an exploratory study of the first week of framing corporate crime in UK-based online quality press outlets: The Guardian, The Independent, and The Telegraph. It does so by examining three major corporate crimes of the last decade: the Grenfell Tower fire, the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) manipulation, and Volkswagen emissions manipulation. Methodologically, the paper is based upon an adapted version of Robert Entman’s media theory of framing by using the framing elements of perpetrator, cause of crime, victimization and punishment to explore what and how frames are being used in each outlet. It is found that even the most critical mass media outlets resort to accidental narrative frames that fail to address criminal (in-)justice. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings for an understanding of the variance in quality press outlets’ frames of corporate crime that warrants further research.
Pollution Abatement and Lobbying in a Cournot Game: An Agent-Based Modelling Approach
Authors: Catola Marco , Leoni Silvia 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
The application of Agent-Based Modelling to Game Theory allows us to benefit from the strengths of both approaches, and to enrich the study of games when solutions are difficult to elicit analytically. Using an agent-based approach to sequential games, however, poses some issues that result in a few applications of this type. We contribute to this aspect by applying the agent-based approach to a lobbying game involving environmental regulation and firms’ choice of abatement. We simulate this game and test the robustness of its game-theoretical prediction against the results obtained. We find that while theoretical predictions are generally consistent with the simulated results, this novel approach highlights a few differences. First, the market converges to a green state for a larger number of cases with respect to theoretical predictions. Second, simulations show that it is possible for this market to converge to a polluting state in the very long run. This result is not envisaged by theoretical predictions. Sensitivity experiments on the main model parameters confirm the robustness of our findings.
Developing the concept of task substitution and transformation by defining own equivalences
Authors: Tirpáková Anna , Gonda Dalibor , Wiegerová Adriana , Navrátilová Hana 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe presented article is dedicated to a new way of teaching substitution in algebra. In order to effectively master the subject matter, it is necessary for students to perceive the equal sign equivalently, to learn to manipulate expressions as objects, and to perceive and use transformations based on defining their own equivalences. According to the results of several researches, these changes do not occur automatically, and the neglect of their development leads to students’ insufficient adoption of substitution. The submitted contribution presents a new way of teaching substitution, the stages of which support the gradual development of the necessary competences of students, so that substitution becomes part of their computing apparatus. The effectiveness of the mentioned method of teaching substitution was also verified experimentally. By conducting a pedagogical experiment, it was confirmed that the application of the substitution teaching method developed by us led to more frequent use of substitution by students from the experimental group (47 students) compared to students from the control group (82 students) who learned substitution in the usual way. It emerged from the interview with experimental group students that they considered the proposed method suitable and that it encouraged them to learn substitution in depth.
Arrow of Time and Quantum Physics
Authors: Buchholz Detlev , Fredenhagen Klaus 
Published: September 2023

AbstractBased on the hypothesis that the (non-reversible) arrow of time is intrinsic in any system, no matter how small, the consequences are discussed. Within the framework of local quantum physics it is shown how such a semi-group action of time can consistently be extended to that of the group of spacetime translations in Minkowski space. In presence of massless excitations, however, there arise ambiguities in the theoretical extensions of the time translations to the past. The corresponding loss of quantum information on states upon time is determined. Finally, it is explained how the description of operations in classical terms combined with constraints imposed by the arrow of time leads to a quantum theoretical framework. These results suggest that the arrow of time is fundamental in nature and not merely a consequence of statistical effects on which the Second Law is based.
Numerical Optimisation of Excavation Pit Design Using Finite Element Analyses
Authors: Jürgens Hauke , Henke Sascha 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThe present study focusses on optimising a single supported excavation pit to achieve a more economical design using finite element analyses. Two methods for automating the derivation of the excavation pit’s necessary embedment depth are presented, which involve either embedment depth reduction using additional calculation phases or adapting the entire model with renewed discretisation. The bending moments as well as the earth pressure distribution along the wall show good agreement, indicating that both methods are suitable for application. Subsequently, the feasibility of using optimisation algorithms (Particle Swarm Optimisation and Differential Evolution) for dimensioning the single supported excavation pit regarding stress analysis of the wall is investigated. Therefore, the embedment depth and the position of the strut are varied for five different sheet pile walls and three different strut profiles. The results demonstrate that both algorithms perform well, particularly with a higher number of calculation steps. After varying iteration steps and population size, the Differential Evolution approach shows better performance compared to Particle Swarm Optimisation by means of finding the optimal solution after a lower number of computational steps.
“The majority are left behind”: the promotion of bilingual education 2030 policy in Taiwan and its potential to widen horizontal inequalities
Authors: Huang Yi-Hsuan Irene 
Published: September 2023

AbstractEnglish as a medium of instruction (EMI) is commonly adopted as a strategy for higher education internationalisation. While there are numerous studies on the teaching practices of EMI programmes, the relationship between EMI and structural inequalities has been less investigated, especially in “universal” higher education systems. To address the research gap, this study investigates the EMI practices of two Taiwanese higher education institutions (HEIs) under current government initiatives. Qualitative data from policy documents and semi-structured interviews are analysed with an institutional logics approach and reflexive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that while state, managerial, and academic logics jointly shape EMI strategies in the public university case, EMI practices in the private university of technology case are predominantly driven by market and managerial logics and challenged by academic logic. Furthermore, this study reveals the structural “stuckness” encountered by the private case. In Taiwan’s hierarchical higher education system, the promotion of EMI could result in widening horizontal inequalities among HEIs. More specifically, under the EMI grading certification scheme for students and the tiered award system for HEIs, the majority may be left behind whereas the few with linguistic capital are spotlighted. Therefore, this study concludes that in light of organisational conditions, policymakers should allow greater flexibility for HEIs to develop performance indicators appropriate to their students’ needs.
X-rays and invisible sand: two new methods for designing burrowing behavioral experiments with juvenile unionoids
Authors: Skawina Aleksandra 
Published: September 2023

AbstractUnionoids are in global decline, which may be associated with their complex life cycle. Their juveniles are unique because while hidden (burrowed deeply in bottom sediments) they undergo critical anatomical changes (also developing a characteristic juvenile shell sculpture). Currently, the juveniles’ period of life is believed to be both the least known and one of the most vulnerable—thus the possibility of obtaining any biological knowledge is essential for establishing conservation strategies and addressing functional or evolutionary questions. I propose two new methods for visualization of the burrowing behavior of unionoid juveniles within deposits that are cheap and easy: (1) laminated deposits of quartz–aragonite sand for time-stepped X-ray images of bivalve traces, and (2) silica gel serving as 'invisible sand' for direct observations and video recording of behavior within sediments. Both deposits in a pilot study were accepted by the juvenile unionoids—they were stable enough and penetrable, with no observable signs of harmful effects on animals’ behavior during trials. In both, juveniles were clearly visible, settled within the top 1 cm layer of deposits. Both methods are promising tools for future in situ within the deposits research on the biology of this much unexplored and vulnerable unionoids' life stage.
Patterns and drivers for benthic algal biomass in sub-Arctic mountain ponds
Authors: Heikkinen Janne M. , Niittynen Pekka , Soininen Janne , Pajunen Virpi 
Published: September 2023

AbstractThis study investigated the spatial variation in total benthic algal biomass and within cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms in sub-Arctic ponds. Additionally to more widely used explanatory variables, snowmelt and ice duration were considered as their importance on algal communities is poorly understood. The data comprised algal biomasses from 45 sub-Arctic ponds in the Finnish Lapland. A generalized linear model and hierarchical partitioning were used to identify the significantly influential variables. Cyanobacteria were the most abundant algal group. Trace elements (e.g. Fe, Al, and Mn) were the most significant explanatory variable group in explaining algal biomasses. Macronutrients apart from K were found insignificant in all models. There were positive relationships between some algal biomasses indicating no strong competition between them. Snow and ice variables were found insignificant for all models, but they could have an important secondary role on algal communities. The results highlight the importance of trace elements in shaping algal biomasses in sub-Arctic ponds and thus their wider use in research can be advocated to better understand the productivity of nutrient poor and acidic waters in sub-Arctic regions. Focussing on benthic algal biomasses and the chemical composition of sub-Arctic freshwaters provides important information on the aquatic primary production.
Antinociceptive and antiedema effects produced in rats by Brassica oleracea var. italica sprouts involving sulforaphane
Authors: Guadarrama-Enríquez Omar , Moreno-Pérez Gabriel Fernando , González-Trujano María Eva , Ángeles-López Guadalupe Esther , Ventura-Martínez Rosa , Díaz-Reval Irene , Cano-Martínez Agustina , Pellicer Francisco , Baenas Nieves , Moreno Diego A. , García-Viguera Cristina 
Published: September 2023

AbstractNatural products are recognized as potential analgesics since many of them are part of modern medicine to relieve pain without serious adverse effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of an aqueous extract of Brassica oleracea var. italica sprouts (AEBS) and one of its main reported bioactive metabolites sulforaphane (SFN). Antinociceptive activity of the AEBS (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, i.p. or 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, p.o.) and SFN (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated in the plantar test in rats to reinforce its analgesic-like activity at central level using the reference drug tramadol (TR, 50 mg/kg, i.p.). The anti-inflammatory-like response was determined in the carrageenan-induced oedema at the same dosages for comparison with ketorolac (KET, 20 mg/kg, i.p.) or indomethacin (INDO, 20 mg/kg, p.o.). A histological analysis of the swollen paw was included to complement the anti-inflammatory response. Additionally, acute toxicity observed in clinical analgesics as the most common adverse effects, such as sedation and/or gastric damage, was also explored. As a result, central and peripheral action of the AEBS was confirmed using enteral and parenteral administration, in which significant reduction of the nociceptive and inflammatory responses resembled the effects of TR, KET, or INDO, respectively, involving the presence of SFN. No adverse or toxic effects were observed in the presence of the AEBS or SFN. In conclusion, this study supports that Brassica oleracea var. italica sprouts are a potential source of antinociceptive natural products such as SFN for therapy of pain alone and associated to an inflammation condition.
Can Dispositions Replace Laws in the Description of the Physical World?
Authors: Luc Joanna 
Published: September 2023

AbstractIn this paper, it is argued that, contrary to some suggestions in the philosophical literature, dispositions cannot replace laws in the description of the physical world. If for a certain type of physical situation a well-working law-based account is available, then it is not possible to describe that situation equally well in terms of dispositions. Using an example consisting of four laws (Coulomb’s law, Newton’s law of gravitation, the rule for the composition of forces and Newton’s second law), it is shown that when one attempts to replace a law-based account with a disposition-based account, the latter turns out to be either less informative or inferior with respect to theoretical virtues, such as simplicity, unification, non-triviality of predictions and explanatory power. Laws are also better suited to deal with interactions and their screening off. Using inference to the best explanation, one can conclude from this comparison that it is laws rather than dispositions that should be included in our ontological picture of nature.
Pitfalls and Opportunities of the Therapist’s Metacommunication: A Self-determination Perspective
Authors: Holmström Édua , Kykyri Virpi-Liisa , Martela Frank 
Published: September 2023

AbstractPsychotherapy research identifies alliance ruptures and their resolutions as significant events in psychotherapy, influencing outcome. However, we know little about the process how such events influence outcomes, only assuming if clients stay in therapy that the rupture was resolved, and the outcome will be positive. The purpose of this paper is to problematize this assumption against the backdrop of self-determination theory, introducing motivation and relational positioning as relevant theoretical concepts for understanding rupture resolution and the effect on outcome. A therapeutic transcript demonstrating best practice for alliance rupture resolution in a brief integrative therapy is critically examined, calling the attention of both clinicians and researchers to the risk of prescribing and blindly following techniques during therapeutic impasses. Our analysis of metacommunication demonstrates how the therapist’s use of a certain technique for resolving threats to the therapeutic alliance can lead to the client’s external motivation and compliance, negatively influencing therapeutic outcome. Focusing on the therapist’s relational positioning we present two alternative courses of therapeutic action, ‘mindfulness in action’ and ‘embracing the patient’s ambivalence’, for supporting the client’s autonomous motivation for the therapy process.
A Scalar Approach to Vaccination Ethics
Authors: Kraaijeveld Steven R. , Gur-Arie Rachel , Jamrozik Euzebiusz 
Published: September 2023

AbstractShould people get vaccinated for the sake of others? What could ground—and limit—the normative claim that people ought to do so? In this paper, we propose a reasons-based consequentialist account of vaccination for the benefit of others. We outline eight harm-based and probabilistic factors that, we argue, give people moral reasons to get vaccinated. Instead of understanding other-directed vaccination in terms of binary moral duties (i.e., where people either have or do not have a moral duty to get vaccinated), we develop a scalar approach according to which people can have stronger or weaker moral reasons to get vaccinated in view of the moral good of vaccination. One advantage of our approach is that it can capture why a person might have strong moral reasons to get vaccinated with Vaccine A, but only weak moral reasons to get vaccinated with Vaccine B. We discuss theoretical strengths of our approach and provide a case study of vaccination against COVID-19 to demonstrate its practical significance.
Looking at Sex Differences in Gambling Disorder: The Predictive Role of the Early Abandonment Schema, Gambling Motives and Alexithymia in Depression
Authors: Estévez Ana , Macía Laura , Macía Patricia 
Published: September 2023

AbstractA growing body of research indicates differences between men and women with gambling disorder. However, although alexithymia, gambling motives or abandonment have been associated with GD, women’s clinical profile remains unexplored. This study aims, firstly, to explore mean differences in gambling motives (i.e. enhancement, coping and social [SOC]), the early maladaptive abandonment schema, alexithymia and depression in women and men with GD. Secondly, to analyse the correlation between the aforementioned variables as a function of sex. Thirdly, to examine the predictive role of gambling motives, early abandonment schema and alexithymia in depression as a function of sex. Lastly, to analyse the mediating role of COP between the early maladaptive abandonment schema and depression in women with GD, and the mediating role of ENH and the early maladaptive abandonment schema between alexithymia and depression in men with GD. The sample comprised 108 adults with GD diagnosis, of whom 60 were women and 48 were men. Regression and mediation analyses were carried out to explore possible sex differences in GD, through the SPSS programme. Results showed that depressive symptoms are predicted by alexithymia in men with GD and by the early maladaptive abandonment schema in women with GD. Regarding mediation analyses, the results suggest that COP mediated the relationship between early abandonment schema and depressive symptoms in females; and ENH and abandonment schema mediated the relationship between alexithymia and depressive symptoms in males. These results provide evidence of the relevance of considering sex differences when establishing therapeutic strategies in GD rehabilitation.