Iron, autoimmunity, and thrombosis: Exploring sex-specific interactions.

By immersing participants in consistent virtual environments, VR enhances study realism, reduces confounding variables, and improves procedural control, offering a promising solution for scientists interested in studying behavior “in the wild.” The availability and documentation of data enabled by VR also help address replicability challenges. Despite vast potential, VR research is hindered by fragmentation, proprietary tools, and a lack of standardized practices, which limit its overall impact. This collaborative study presents an interactive checklist to support VR research from across disciplines to meet three essential protocols—interoperability, procedural standardization, and data sharing—that address these challenges by promoting open science and providing a common, easy-to-evaluate format for researchers to present projects to ethics boards, reviewers, and beyond. Together, these protocols can help VR research overcome replication barriers, democratize access to advanced tools, and establish VR as a robust method for rigorous, replicable scientific inquiry.

Finding Common Ground.

Sound hypersensitivity phenotypes and sound hypersensitivity disorder.

In this paper, a compact antenna pair with a measured isolation of about -51 dB between the antenna pairs after fabrication is reported. Two ground plane slots of quarter wavelength at the design frequency, sharing a common ground plane, are used as a transmit-receive antenna pair. An isolation unit with both ground plane and microstrip plane structures is used to improve the isolation. The structure is compact and doesn't require any lumped components or complex geometry to realize the isolation unit. The antenna pair radiates in the broadside direction (along the y-axis), and the top plane with the microstrip line can subsequently be used to integrate the radar circuit, facilitating a compact and fully functional transceiver design.

Validated bioanalysis of oxylipins confirms specialized pro-resolving mediator formation in vitro and in vivo.

This article explores the ramifications of the war in Ukraine on Serbian politics. Attention is paid to the governing Serbian Progressive Party/SNS and the “broader right” (national conservative, radical, and extreme right) between 2022 and 2025. This study demonstrates that the war granted Serbia’s “broader right” a temporary “common ground” but not a long-term opportunity structure against SNS. The nexus of Russophilia in Serbia is not “fixed” but situationally adaptive. It is conditional upon ideology, the patterns of political engagement among heterogeneous actors, and the unpredictable impact of watersheds in domestic politics.

ABSTRACT This study explored viewpoints of university teachers from different countries on effective facilitation for problem- and project-based learning (PBL). Drawing upon complexity theory, the role of a PBL-facilitator is considered as a complex and dynamic system involving personal characteristics, relational capabilities, and contextual sources. The Q methodology was applied, connecting both qualitative and quantitative research characteristics. Twenty-nine university teachers from China, Denmark, India, Poland, and the Netherlands participated in the study. Three significantly distinguished collective factors were identified: (1) challenging students to reach their learning potentials; (2) supporting students’ learning progress through feedback, resources, and ideas, and (3) caring for students as individuals by addressing their well-being, work-life balance, etc. The study also found a consensus across all three factors on key actions for effective facilitation, including establishing mutual expectations and assisting students in setting their learning goals. The findings suggest educators consider the three factors when crafting frameworks on facilitation for their own institutions and countries, aligning mutual expectations and seek common grounds with students, and leveraging professional learning communities to enhance open dialogues and share best practices for effective facilitation.

A new quadratic boost converter featuring an integrated coupled inductor and low input-current ripple for renewable energy sources

Inter-generational communication enhances mutual understanding and family connections. In China, traditional Chinese opera (Xiqu) serves as a culturally rich topic that provides common ground, fostering meaningful conversations across generations. However, traditional verbal discussion falls short in bridging the cultural and knowledge gaps, thereby failing to convey the full charm of Xiqu and hindering effective inter-generational Xiqu communication. To address this challenge, this study investigates the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) to bridge these generational divides. Using a mixed-methods approach, we developed and evaluated XiquVR to facilitate inter-generational Xiqu communication. Key findings show that XiquVR transforms one-sided storytelling into collaborative activities, visualizes abstract narratives to bridge generational gaps, and facilitates bidirectional exchanges through AI-assisted knowledge sharing. Furthermore, we propose design implications for developing VR applications centered on culturally significant topics to facilitate inter-generational communication.

This paper proposes a new step-up DC-DC converter based on a switched boost impedance source network (SB-ZSN) with high voltage gain for application in renewable energy sources. In addition to maintaining the advantages of recent impedance source converters, such as continuous input current, the absence of inrush current, and a common ground between the input and output, the proposed converter increases the voltage gain. In this converter, the switched boost impedance source network and ladder switched capacitor (Ladder-SC) are used simultaneously to achieve high boosting capability. The voltage gain is enhanced in the first stage by the switched boost impedance network and further increased in the second stage by the ladder-switched capacitor block. The performance of the converter is analyzed in continuous conduction (CCM) mode and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) under steady-state conditions, and the real voltage gain is calculated by incorporating parasitic elements, comparing it with recently introduced DC-DC converters. The voltage stress on the switches, capacitors, and diodes in the proposed converter is low. Additionally, the input current ripple is minimal and can be neglected. The proposed converter also shares a common ground with the load, and one of its advantages is low electromagnetic interference (EMI). Other features include high efficiency and the small size of both passive and active components. To investigate the key characteristics of the proposed converter, a steady-state analysis has been conducted, and a comprehensive comparison has been made with similar converters. Small signal analysis and controller design for output voltage regulation have been carried out. To validate the mathematical analyses, two laboratory prototypes rated at (40-372V, 400W) and (50-614V, 1kW) have been constructed and evaluated.

Performance evaluation of novel common grounding boost inverter under standalone and grid-connected modes

This study explored how a collaborative video annotation activity in a co-located setting can mediate student teachers' joint process of noticing. Drawing on a sociocultural and interactional approach, the study examined how a group of student teachers, early in their education, attended to and interpreted video-recorded classroom events together. The findings show how the participants collaboratively established common ground, enabling joint noticing through shared attention, discussion, and the use of professional concepts and perspectives to interpret classroom events. The video annotation tool structured this collective process by requiring explicit articulation of ideas, fostering productive peer dialogue, and creating a shared record of reasoning that supported further inquiry. However, challenges also arose when shared attention and participation were difficult to sustain in this highly complex setting. We highlight the importance of scaffolding, clear guidance, and communicative norms. Overall, the study demonstrates that co-located collaborative video annotation can be a valuable pedagogical approach for stimulating noticing discourse, promoting evidence-based reasoning, and fostering relevant professional practices among student teachers. The findings suggest that implementation of co-located collaborative video annotation requires careful design and orchestration to support focus, collaboration, and meaningful engagement with complex videotaped classroom events. • Co-located collaborative video annotation can support and structure joint noticing. • Co-located annotation enables real-time negotiation of meaning among peers. • Communicative norms should be established to support a productive process.

Sheep ( Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) grazing has the potential for positive impacts on commercial forestry through weeding competing plants, or to be detrimental if browsing and trampling levels are high. In some regions of Norway, large, forested areas are fenced to minimize depredation risk from recovering carnivore populations on unsupervised sheep, but fences may alter the behavior of sheep leading to differential effects inside and outside of these fences. We estimated Norway spruce ( Picea abies (Karst.) L.) sapling growth and frequency of damage in Inland and Trøndelag counties Norway, and related these to grazing intensity, fenced status, and competing vegetation along 70 transects within 8 fenced and 11 unfenced clearcuts during August 2024. We found that growth of terminal leaders decreased with increasing grazing intensity inside fences, whereas growth increased along with grazing intensity outside fences. Sheep grazing in our study had a positive effect on spruce sapling growth form by decreasing slenderness, measured by height-to-diameter ratio, both inside and outside fences. While less than three percent of saplings were browsed overall, browsing of saplings did increase at higher grazing intensities. Trampling was negligible on all transects. Our results suggest that sheep grazing is compatible with spruce regeneration and carnivore fencing as negative impacts from increasing amounts of sheep resulting in reduced growth of terminal leaders may have been offset by decreasing height-to-diameter ratios. Lower height-to-diameter ratios suggest more resilient saplings that could make them better able to withstand stressors. However, if sheep are allowed to reach high grazing intensities, this balance may not be achieved as browsing increases. With increasing demands on forested landscapes, integrating sheep grazing in carnivore-resistant fences on commercial forests presents an opportunity for multiple-use land management with minimal associated trade-offs. • Sheep grazing, timber production, and carnivore-resistant fences were compatible. • Sheep inside and outside fences affected spruce sapling growth differently. • In all cases, grazing was associated with greater robustness of spruce saplings. • Browsing was infrequent but did increase as grazing intensity intensified.

This article provides a comprehensive philosophical and sociological analysis of the radical transformation of the social contract in Ukraine triggered by the full-scale Russian invasion. Prior to the war, Ukrainian society developed primarily within the paradigm of individualism and «negative liberty», prioritizing private life, personal autonomy, and minimal state interference. However, the existential threat of war has abruptly shattered this «illusion of normality», demanding an imperative shift towards collective solidarity and «positive liberty» to ensure national survival. Drawing upon classical and modern political philosophy, the study examines this acute ethical collision. Through Isaiah Berlin’s concepts of liberty, the research highlights the tragic paradox of mobilization: society must severely restrict individual rights today to preserve the possibility of having them tomorrow. This existential rupture is further analyzed using Giorgio Agamben’s concept of the «state of exception» and «bare life» (Homo Sacer), describing the ontological shock of citizens transitioning from protected civil life to the realities of armed defense. Furthermore, Hannah Arendt’s distinction between «labor» (biological survival) and «action» (public political deed) illuminates the profound social dynamics between those engaging in collective resistance and those clinging to pre-war individualism. The article identifies the emergence of an ideological hybrid – «democratic nationalism» – combining identity preservation with liberal values. Crucially, the volunteer movement is highlighted as a new form of social contract. Embodying «solidary personalism», it overcomes the dichotomy between atomized egoism and forced collectivism. Ultimately, the war is forging a new responsible civic subjectivity in Ukraine, where private freedom is inextricably linked to a secure community.Looking ahead, the future of Ukrainian democracy and statehood will depend on whether this unique experience of solidarity can be institutionalized in peacetime. A crucial question remains whether this «network of trust» will crumble once the external threat disappears. Moreover, society must find common ground between veterans who have passed through the hell of «bare life» and civilians who remained in the rear, overcoming mutual grievances, traumas, and misunderstandings. The answers to these challenges lie not in the realm of economics or geopolitics, but specifically in the sphere of ethics – in the ability to see the Other not as an enemy, a competitor, or a resource, but as a fellow citizen sharing joint responsibility for a common home. This is precisely the test of maturity that the Ukrainian nation is taking today before the face of history.

ABSTRACT As a method of textual analysis, rhetorical criticism is performed by biblical studies scholars and communication studies scholars alike. The goals and processes of rhetorical criticism in biblical and communication studies differ, but both are called rhetorical criticism. In this essay, I illustrate the value of applying a broader range of rhetorical perspectives to the task of rhetorical criticism of the Bible with a case study of the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10:1–11:18 from a queer rhetorical lens. I call for rhetorical scholars to engage in more rhetorical criticism of biblical texts, especially in ways that speak to contemporary political uses of scripture.

This paper presents a novel Seven-Level Common-Ground Switched-Capacitor Boost Inverter (7L-CG-SCBI) topology with high efficiency, voltage boosting feature, and reduced leakage current for renewable energy applications. The proposed inverter employs a single DC source, three switched capacitors, eleven unidirectional switches, and one bidirectional switch to generate a seven-level output voltage with a gain of three. The capacitors achieve self-balancing without additional sensors or complex control, ensuring stable operation and reduced design complexity. The common ground structure effectively eliminates leakage currents, enhancing system safety and grid compatibility. A comprehensive analysis covering operating principles, modulation strategy, loss evaluation, and reliability assessment using a Markov model is presented. The simulation results in MATLAB/Simulink and experimental validation confirm the inverter's higher efficiency (96.13%), low total harmonic distortion, and reliable performance of the inverter under varying load and frequency conditions. The compact configuration, self-balancing feature, and high reliability make the proposed 7L-CG-SCBI a promising solution for photovoltaic and other renewable energy systems.

Abstract This paper presents a novel co-design approach for wireless applications, integrating mm-wave and microwave technologies. The design features two antennas where a slotted waveguide array is fabricated using 3D-printing technology with an AlMg10Si alloy resonating at mm-wave frequency band, while a printed monopole antenna resonating at microwave frequency band shares a common ground plane with the slotted waveguide array. The electrically small printed monopole is realized on an FR4 substrate, is suitable for WLAN bands, and achieves ease of integration with the antenna at the Ka-band owing to the low profile. The co-design approach is particularly advantageous for wireless applications as it enables the seamless integration of different frequency bands, enhancing system versatility and performance. The antenna achieves dual frequency band operation covering the Impedance bandwidth of 15.27% (5.08-5.92) and 14.56% (26.48-30.64) at microwave and Ka-band frequencies, respectively. The innovative use of materials and advanced fabrication techniques also underscores the design's potential for diverse high-performance wireless applications.

Abstract In this article, we invest in the conceptual development of transversality to establish it as the key analytical tool for examining the international from the perspective of international political sociology. We engage in this work for two main reasons. First, to strengthen IPS as a field with unique concepts that facilitate a new understanding of international relations, serving as more than just a common ground for various critical perspectives. We believe transversality is one of the key concepts that shape IPS’s approach to international issues and which remains underexplored in our field. Our second motivation concerns the challenge of exploring the potential of transversality to conceptualize the international in an alternative manner. As transversality has largely been mobilized descriptively, IPS has struggled to sustain a critical engagement with the international as a problem. This limitation has contributed to a tendency to presume the obsolescence of the international and to replace it with ostensibly “alternative” spatialities that often reproduce the global as an unexamined background condition. We propose transversality as a concept capable of reactivating the critical purchase of IPS by overcoming the slumber into which “the problematization of the international” has fallen over the past 20 years.

Many countries recommend 3-monthly chlamydia/gonorrhoea screening for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Evidence about the limited impact of frequent, asymptomatic gonorrhoea/chlamydia screening on population prevalence, coupled with concerns about overburdened health services and antimicrobial resistance (from frequent treatment), calls into question current approaches to asymptomatic screening. We explored sexual health professionals/experts' arguments in favour/against reducing asymptomatic screening using Polis (www.Pol.is), an online, crowdsourcing tool for understanding what large groups think. Recruited via global peak bodies/networks, 99 individuals in the field of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (43.4 % clinicians, 35.4% researchers) primarily from Australasia (41.4%), UK/Europe (29.3%) and North America (22.2%) participated. Ninety-one statements were submitted in favour/against reduced screening for GBMSM (eg, 'Bisexual men who don't test regularly risk putting women at risk'). Participants voted on submitted statements (agree/disagree/pass). Statements with ≥80% agreement were considered as 'strong' support, 70%-79% 'moderate' and ≤69% 'mixed'. Statements were grouped using content analysis to assess support for clusters of related statements. There was 'mixed support' for statements on: (1) the impact of screening in reducing prevalence; (2) whether asymptomatic infections pose clinical harm/necessitate treatment; and (3) risk of antimicrobial resistance. Statements advocating for 6-monthly screening received 'moderate support', with arguments centring on resource use. Participants 'strongly supported' the need for community engagement and maintaining frequent HIV/syphilis screening. While there were mixed opinions about relative utility, risks and harms of reducing chlamydia/gonorrhoea screening for GBMSM, arguments relating to resource constraints may provide common ground for policy changes.