bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Zebra stripes induce aberrant motion analysis in flies through aliasing
Authors: Mouy Henri 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACT
The function of zebra stripes has long puzzled biologists: contrasted and conspicuous colours are unusual in mammals. The puzzle appears solved: two lines of evidence indicate that they evolved as a protection against biting flies, the geographical coincidence of stripes and exposure to trypanosomiasis in Africa and field experiments showing flies struggling to navigate near zebras. A logical mechanistic explanation would be that stripes interfere with analysis of the optic flow; however, both spatiotemporal aliasing and the aperture effect seem ruled out following recent experiments showing that randomly checked patterns also interfere with the ability of flies to navigate near zebras. No clear mechanistic hypothesis remains. Here, I model from first principles how flies assess their motion relative to stripes, from image forming to motion analysis. I show that, at short distances, flies would consistently misjudge the motion of a striped object and frequently and saliently misjudge the direction of movement of a randomised check pattern. The range of distances at which the model predicts that stripes should impair flies is consistent with observations. The model shows that image formation is subject to spatial aliasing, preventing any form of motion analysis against a striped pattern at medium distances. The motion computation of flies is subject to a second form of aliasing, which, although independent of the temporal resolution of flies, bears conceptual similarities to spatiotemporal aliasing. The findings highlight the necessity of accounting not only for processing and psychology but also for the optics of image formation when taking a perceptual perspective of animal colours and contrasts.
Linear Modelling of the V̇O 2 /PO-Relationship during Constant Work Rate Exercise
Authors: Stuer Lena , Boone Jan , Mucci Patrick , Colosio Alessandro L. , Bourgois Jan G. , Caen Kevin 
Published: January 2025

ABSTRACT

Introduction
The linear and continuous increase in power output (PO) during ramp incremental (RI) exercise causes a distinct V̇O2/PO relationship compared to constant work rate (CWR) exercise. Current methods enabling a translation of ramp-derived PO to CWR PO assume a linear development of the CWR V̇O2/PO relationship in the heavy-intensity domain. This study aimed to model the RI versus CWR V̇O2/PO relationship to investigate whether the loss of mechanical efficiency above GET develops linearly. A second aim was to assess the reliability of ramp-derived parameters incorporated in translation strategies.

Methods
Fourteen healthy young participants (7 males; 7 females) performed a RI test and several CWR tests across the heavy- and severe-intensity domains in order to model the RI and CWR V̇O2/PO relationships. The CWR relationship was fitted using linear, polynomial and exponential models. Root mean square error (RMSE) and Akaike information criterion (AICC) were determined to evaluate the model’s goodness-of-fit. For reliability purposes, target PO of CWR tests were achieved using a preceding RI portion, similar to the initial RI test.

Results
The linear fit of the CWR V̇O2/PO relationship was associated with the lowest RMSE and AICC. The associated R2 for the heavy-intensity domain was 0.94. Reliability measures were excellent for baseline V̇O2 and acceptable to good for s
1-ramp and s
2- ramp. For MRT, a high variability was observed.

Conclusions
This study confirmed that the CWR V̇O2/PO relationship in the heavy-intensity domain is linear. Based on these results, it is justified to apply correction strategies that mind the different dynamics of V̇O2 during RI versus CWR exercise.
Using Subsidies, Fines, and Restitution with Budget Balance to Combat Digital Piracy
Authors: Fereidouni Meysam , Nault Barrie R. 
Published: January 2025

Despite utilizing technical prevention methods and enacting copyright protection legislation, digital piracy has remained a persistent problem. We examine policy remedies to digital piracy whereby the policymaker has to balance its budget between fines on detected pirates, subsidies for legal purchases, and restitution to the firm. In our model, users choose whether to subscribe, copy, or not use the good, a firm decides on subscription fee and quality, and a policymaker determines subsidies, fines, and restitution. We find that the firm’s subscription fee is always increasing in subsidies, fines, and restitution under a budget balance constraint. The impact of these policy instruments on the firm’s investment in quality depends on how user marginal utility is influenced by the quality of the good and how the policymaker redistributes fines back to society, if at all. Using two specific functional forms with additive and multiplicative utility, we explain how these factors come into play. With additive utility, fines increase the firm’s investment in quality. However, with multiplicative utility the firm’s investment in quality decreases with fines if fines are used alone or alongside subsidies. In contrast to prior research, findings of our general framework illustrate that imposing fines on detected pirates “can” be socially optimal when accounting for the policymaker’s budget balance. Our specific functional forms also serve as two instances where imposing fines is always welfare maximizing. Finally, we find that although the policymaker’s optimal intervention improves social welfare and mitigates digital piracy, it leads to a reduction in consumer surplus. This paper was accepted by Hemant Bhargava, information systems. Funding: This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant 435-2016-0431]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03463 .
Monetary Easing, Leveraged Payouts, and Lack of Investment
Authors: Acharya Viral , Plantin Guillaume 
Published: January 2025

We study a model in which a low monetary policy rate lowers the cost of corporate debt, potentially spurring productive investment; low interest rates, however, also induce firms to lever up so as to increase payouts to equity. Whereas such leveraged payouts privately benefit shareholders, leverage comes at the social cost of distorting their incentives, thereby lowering productivity and discouraging investment. If leverage is unregulated (for example, because of the presence of a shadow banking system), then the optimal monetary policy seeks to contain such socially costly leveraged payouts by stimulating investment in response to adverse shocks only up to a level below the first best. The optimal monetary policy may even consist of leaning against the wind, that is, not stimulating the economy at all, in order to fully contain leveraged payouts and maintain productive efficiency. This paper was accepted by Tomasz Piskorski, finance. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01440 .
Structural Estimation of Attrition in a Last-Mile Delivery Platform: The Role of Driver Heterogeneity, Compensation, and Experience
Authors: Wang Lina , Webster Scott , Rabinovich Elliot 
Published: January 2025

Problem definition: We examine how to manage turnover among drivers delivering parcels for last-mile platforms. Although driver attrition in these platforms is both commonplace and costly, there is little understanding of the processes responsible for this phenomenon. Methodology/results: We collaborate with a platform to build a structural model to estimate the effects of key predictors of drivers’ decisions to leave or remain at the platform. For this estimation, we apply a dynamic discrete-choice framework in a two-step procedure that accounts for unobserved heterogeneity among drivers while circumventing the use of approximation or reduction methods commonly used to solve dynamic choice problems in the operations management domain. Drivers are compensated using a combination of regular payments that reward their productivity and subsidy payments that support them as they gain experience on the job. We find that regular pay has a greater effect on drivers’ retention. Furthermore, the marginal effects of both regular and subsidy pay diminish with drivers’ tenure at the platform, but the latter diminishes faster than the former. Additionally, we find significant heterogeneity among drivers in their unobserved nonpecuniary taste for the jobs at the platform and a significantly greater probability of retention among drivers with greater taste for these jobs. Managerial implications: Platforms can leverage our results to improve driver retention and design more profitable payment policies. We perform counterfactual analyses and develop a modeling framework to guide platforms toward this goal. Funding: This study was partially funded by a grant from TForce Logistics. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0367 .
Mascotas espinosas: El caso de los erizos
Authors: López-López Sara P. , Landeros-López Jessica G. 
Published: January 2025

Los erizos terrestres son animales pequeños, dóciles y curiosos que llaman nuestra atención. Pero alguna vez te has preguntado, ¿cómo llegaron a ser mascotas?, ¿son animales de origen mexicano?, ¿los estamos cuidando bien? Aquí trataremos de resumir su historia y situación actual.
Para além e a partir da Missão: a Produção Intelectual Jesuíta e sua Contribuição para a Filosofia, a Política e a Ciência Modernas
Authors: Fleck Eliane , Amantino Marcia , Pineda Alillo Julieta 
Published: January 2025

Apresentação do dossiê: Para além e a partir da Missão: a Produção Intelectual Jesuíta e sua Contribuição para a
Filosofia, a Política e a Ciência Modernas
„war etwas ganz tolles“ – Erzählungen über die Grenzöffnung 1989 im Kontext frame-semantischer und korpusbasierter Analysen
Authors: Palliwoda Nicole , Sauer Verena , Sauermilch Stephanie 
Published: January 2025

For more than 30 years, the inner-German border as a physical border between the GDR and FRG no longer exists. From a linguistic perspective, “unification” can be assumed. The linguistic differences between the former East and West Germans are smaller than those between the various German dialect speakers (cf. i. a. Hellmann 1984; Gärtig/Plewnia/Rothe 2010; Plewnia 2015). However, categories such as Ossi and Ostdeutsch or Wessi and Westdeutsch can still be found today, although the terms for the inhabitants of the GDR (Ossi, Ostdeutsch, Ostler etc.) are more productive. The physical inner-German border seems to have turned into a wall in people’s minds.
This article takes up the current discourse and asks about the underlying patterns and frames that constitute this mental border or enable its reconstruction. Autobiographical narrative interviews with people of two age groups who grew up or were socialised at the former inner-German border serve as a basis for this.
Factors associated with tuberculosis treatment initiation among bacteriologically negative individuals evaluated for tuberculosis: An individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Kim Sun , Can Melike Hazal , Agizew Tefera B. , Auld Andrew F. , Balcells Maria Elvira , Bjerrum Stephanie , Dheda Keertan , Dorman Susan E. , Esmail Aliasgar , Fielding Katherine , Garcia-Basteiro Alberto L. , Hanrahan Colleen F. , Kebede Wakjira , Kohli Mikashmi , Luetkemeyer Anne F. , Mita Carol , Reeve Byron W. P. , Silva Denise Rossato , Sweeney Sedona , Theron Grant , Trajman Anete , Vassall Anna , Warren Joshua L. , Yotebieng Marcel , Cohen Ted , Menzies Nicolas A. 
Published: January 2025

Background
Globally, over one-third of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) disease diagnoses are made based on clinical criteria after a negative bacteriological test result. There is limited information on the factors that determine clinicians’ decisions to initiate TB treatment when initial bacteriological test results are negative.

Methods and findings
We performed a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis using studies conducted between January 2010 and December 2022 (PROSPERO: CRD42022287613). We included trials or cohort studies that enrolled individuals evaluated for TB in routine settings. In these studies, participants were evaluated based on clinical examination and routinely used diagnostics and were followed for ≥1 week after the initial test result. We used hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression to identify factors associated with treatment initiation following a negative result on an initial bacteriological test (e.g., sputum smear microscopy (SSM), Xpert MTB/RIF).
Multiple factors were positively associated with treatment initiation: male sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.61 (1.31, 1.95)], history of prior TB [aOR 1.36 (1.06, 1.73)], reported cough [aOR 4.62 (3.42, 6.27)], reported night sweats [aOR 1.50 (1.21, 1.90)], and having HIV infection but not on ART [aOR 1.68 (1.23, 2.32)]. Treatment initiation was substantially less likely for individuals testing negative with Xpert [aOR 0.77 (0.62, 0.96)] compared to smear microscopy and declined in more recent years. We were not able assess why clinicians made treatment decisions, as these data were not available.

Conclusions
Multiple factors influenced decisions to initiate TB treatment despite negative test results. Clinicians were substantially less likely to treat in the absence of a positive test result when using more sensitive, PCR-based diagnostics.
Optimizing costs and sustainability for gamma knife radiosurgery: A cost and breakeven analysis at India’s largest neurosurgery centre
Authors: Agrawal Nitin , Sharma Nishant , Jamwal Tilotma , Singh Kshitija , Siddharth Vijaydeep , Satpathy Sidhartha 
Published: January 2025

Background
Establishing and maintaining gamma knife facility incurs significant costs, mandating healthcare institutions to meticulously assess financial implications for sustainability.

Methods
This study explores the financial implications of setting up and operating a Gamma Knife facility, with an aim to ascertain user charges for achieving breakeven. The study was conducted from January to June 2019 at the largest neurosurgery centre of an Institute of National Importance (INI), in Delhi, India. Applying both Traditional and Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TD-ABC) methodologies, capital and operating expenses were calculated. (1US$ = INR 70.4 –Average value for the year 2019).

Results
The average cost per gamma knife radio surgery procedure was calculated to be US $2,469 (INR 1,73,832), with major costs attributed to machinery & equipment (43.6%), followed by manpower (32.5%), electricity (9.67%), equipment maintenance (8.61%) etc. The initial investment to establish a Gamma Knife facility is significantly higher with an MRI unit (Model A) at US $ 9,836,423 (INR 69,24,84,164) compared to one without (Model B) at US $7,294,986 (INR 51,35,66,988). Currently, the patient has to pay US $1,065 (INR 75,000) for a gamma knife radio surgery, which poses a challenge for achieving breakeven since the variable cost for the same is US $1,367 (INR 96,239) per procedure.

Conclusion
The study serve as a tool for strategic planning, pricing adjustments, and enhancing operational efficiencies, thus ensuring that such high-end technologies can be sustainably integrated into the public healthcare landscape of a developing country like India.
Fatty acid composition, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of Niger seed (Guizotia abyssinica) accessions collected from major producer areas of Ethiopia
Authors: Makuria Megersa Chali , Dubale Amare Aregahegn , Atlabachew Minaleshewa , Yayinie Marie 
Published: January 2025

Background
Oils from various sources are vital nutritional components with a variety of roles in our body. Niger seed (Guzoita abyssinica) is endemic to Ethiopia and is among the major oil seed crops grown in the country. The fatty acid composition and the concentration of other bioactive phytochemicals in it vary with species type, geographical origin, cultivation season, and varietal types. The present work investigated the fatty acid profile and the total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of Niger seed samples obtained from five different zones in the Amhara and Oromia regions of Ethiopia. using internationally accepted standard methods.

Results
In all the samples, its main unsaturated acids were linoleic acid, ranging between 67.30 and 74.67% with respect to the relative percentage comprising 179 to 234 mg/g in terms of concentration; oleic acid constitutes between 5.43 and 11.02% of the total fatty acid or 1.03 and 1.60 mg/g of dry matter. Among saturated acids, it was the most abundant palmitic acid, ranging between 10.32 and 10.66% of the entire fatty acids comprising 24.80 to 37.10 mg/g. Amongst the zones, the seed from Amhara region, specifically from North Gondar has been the richest regarding a total of 347.74 mg/g. In addition, the total phenolic content ranged between 10.89 and 11.78 mg GAE/g, whereas the content of total flavonoids ranged from 5.42 to 6.67 mg CE/g. Aqueous methanol (80%) extracted more phenolic content than absolute methanol. On a regional basis, the Amhara region, represented by the North Gondar and East Gojjam zones of the study area, had relatively higher TPC and TFC than other regions. The DPPH scavenging assay IC50 value (μg/mL) ranged between 133–188 μg/mL and poorly correlated with TPC.

Conclusion
Among the different fatty acids obtained, four of them, linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids, are the major ones, followed by a significant amount of phenolic compounds irrespective of the variety of the studied samples and sampling of locations. The study also confirmed that TPC and TFC are not the only phytochemicals responsible for the antioxidant activity of the niger sees, as was reflected by the poor correlation between TPC and AA activity. Hence these findings indicate that the seeds of Niger could be an important source of essential fatty acids and medicinally important phytochemicals important for nutritional health improvement and agricultural development in Ethiopia.
Entre Lisbonne et Jérusalem: La poliorcétique au cours des quatre premieres croisades (1097-1204)
Authors: Monteiro João Gouveia 
Published: January 2025

Este trabalho, originalmente apresentado (em versão abreviada) como lição de síntese a Provas de Agregação prestadas na Universidade de Coimbra em Novembro de 2005, sendo arguente o Professor Gérard Dédéyan (Universidade Paul Valéry, Montpellier III), ocupa-se das operações de cerco levadas a cabo pelos exércitos cruzados entre finais do século XI e inícios do século XIII. São considerados 10 casos, localizados na Península Ibérica, no Bósforo e no Mediterrâneo Oriental: Niceia - 1097-1098, Antioquia - 1097-1098, Marra - 1098, Arca - 1099, Jerusalém - 1099, Lisboa - 1147, Silves- 1189, Zara - 1202 e Constantinopla - 1203 e 1204. O artigo analisa essencialmente todos os procedimentos técnicos utilizados pelos exércitos cruzados da época em apreço para sitiar e capturar uma praça, desde a fase de instalação do cerco até aos acordos de rendição. A sua ampla cronologia, assim como a diversidade geográfica do respectivo enfoque, permitem-lhe extrair, no final, algumas conclusões quanto à evolução das técnicas utilizadas e às diferenças mais importantes entre os procedimentos adoptados a nascente e a poente.
Phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil from the leaves of Peganum harmala L. in southern Algeria.
Authors: Ghillace Abderrahmane , Chouitah Ourida , Kiari Fatima Zohra , Fergoug Zineb , Daikh Zineeddine 
Published: January 2025

Medicinal plants have a wide use in traditional medicine. For this our study aims to valorize medicinal and aromatic plants of the Algerian flora, for this reason we determined the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Peganum harmala in two different southern regions. Phytochemical screening reveals the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids and steroids and the absence of anthraquinons. The essential oil of P.harmala leaves was analyzed by GC-MS. The results revealed the presence of 55 and 47 compounds with a yield of 0.217 % and 0.211 %. These essential oils contain the same major components for Bougtob region Carvone (21.15%), Phytol (17.41%), Carbamic acid (3.52%), Lauric acid (2.10%), and Thymol (1.77%) and Tetrapentacontane (1.32%). For the region of Mechria, Phytol (10.24%), Carvone (5.92 %), Tetrapentacontane (2.80%), Phytone (2.18%), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (1.48%), Lauric acid (1.39%). The essential oils which were tested showed variable degrees of antimicrobial activity. In general, Gram-positive bacteria and fungus were found to be more sensitive to the essential oils than Gram-negative bacteria.
On spectrum of Sombor matrix and Sombor energy of graphs
Authors: Pirzada Shariefuddin , Rather Bilal Ahmad , Das Kinkar Chandra , Shang Yilun , Gutman Ivan 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
The Sombor index (

SO

{\mathrm{SO}}

) is a recently introduced
degree-based graph invariant, defined as the sum over all pairs of
adjacent vertices

u
,
v

{u,v}

of the term

d
u
2

+

d
v
2

{\sqrt{{d_{u}^{2}+d_{v}^{2}}}}

, where

d
u

{d_{u}}

and

d
v

{d_{v}}

denote the degrees of vertices u and v, respectively. The matrix associated with

SO

{\mathrm{SO}}

is the Sombor matrix, and its spectrum is the Sombor spectrum.
In this paper, the connected graphs having exactly two and exactly three Sombor eigenvalues are characterized. Bounds are obtained for the spectral radius and energy of the Sombor matrix, and the corresponding extremal graphs are determined. In addition, the Sombor spectra of several families of graphs are calculated.
W-distance based ϕ-coupled fixed point problem: Solution, well-posedness and applications to integral and functional equations
Authors: Roy Subhadip , Choudhury Binayak S. , Saha Parbati 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In this paper we solve a fixed point problem formulated through a combination of three different contemporary trends in fixed point theory, namely, φ-fixed point results, coupled fixed point results and the use of w-distances. We have cited examples to illustrate our main theorem and to demonstrate how our theorem generalizes some known theorems and augments the domain of applicability of our result to a larger family of functions compared to these previous results. Well-posedness property of the problem is established. In a separate section we discuss two different applications of our result to problems of integral equations and functional equations.
Stochastic data-driven Bouligand–Landweber method for solving non-smooth inverse problems
Authors: Bajpai Harshit , Mittal Gaurav , Giri Ankik Kumar 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
In this study, we present and analyze a novel variant of the stochastic gradient descent method, referred as Stochastic data-driven Bouligand–Landweber iteration tailored for addressing the system of non-smooth ill-posed inverse problems. Our method incorporates the utilization of training data, using a bounded linear operator, which guides the iterative procedure. At each iteration step, the method randomly chooses one equation from the nonlinear system with data-driven term. When dealing with the precise or exact data, it has been established that mean square iteration error converges to zero. However, when confronted with the noisy data, we employ our approach in conjunction with a predefined stopping criterion, which we refer to as an a priori stopping rule.
We provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation, establishing convergence and stability for this scheme within the realm of infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. These theoretical underpinnings are further bolstered by a numerical experiment on a system of linearly ill-posed problems and by discussing an example that fulfills the assumptions of the paper.