Lower Ones Research Articles

Plasma-induced, N-doped, and reduced graphene oxide–incorporated NiCo–layered double hydroxide nanowires as a high-capacity redox mediator for sustainable decoupled water electrolysis

Although the recent emergence of decoupled water electrolysis prevents typical H2/O2 mixing, the further development of decoupled water electrolysis has been confined by the lack of reliable redox mediator (RM) electrodes to support sustainable H2 production. As energy storage electrodes, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) possess inherently poor conductivity/stability, which can be improved by growing LDHs on graphene substrates in situ. The proper modification of the graphene surface structure can improve the electron transport and energy storage capacity of composite electrodes, while current methods are usually cumbersome and require high temperatures/chemical reagents. Therefore, in this study, dip coating was adopted to grow graphene oxide (GO) on nickel foam (NF). Then, the GO was reduced using nonthermal plasma (NTP) to reduced GO (rGO) in situ while simultaneously implementing N doping to obtain plasma-assisted N-doped rGO on NF (PNrGO/NF). The uniform conductive substrate ensured the subsequent growth of less-aggregated NiCo-LDH nanowires, which improved the conductivity and energy storage capacity (5.93 C/cm2 at 5 mA/cm2) of the NiCo-LDH@PNrGO/NF. For the decoupled system, the composite RM electrode exhibited a high buffering capacity for 1300 s during the decoupled H2/O2 evolution, and in the conventional coupled system, the necessary input voltage of 1.67 V was separated into two lower ones, 1.42/0.33 V for H2/O2 evolutions, respectively. Simultaneously, the RM possessed outstanding redox reversibility and structural stability during long-term cycling. This work could offer a feasible strategy for using NTP to synthesize excellent RM electrodes for application to decoupled water electrolysis.

Roles of caregiver-child interaction on the association of socioeconomic status with early childhood development: a population-based study in rural China

ObjectiveSocioeconomic status (SES) has been previously associated with children’s early development, health, and nutrition; however, evidence about the potential role of caregiver-child interaction in such associations was limited. This study aimed to explore the effect of caregiver-child interaction on the associations of SES with child developmental outcomes, including early neurodevelopment and social-emotional behavior.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2078 children aged 0–6 in a rural county that just lifted out of poverty in 2020 in Central China. The Ages & Stages Questionnaires-Chinese version (ASQ-C) and the Social-Emotional (ASQ: SE) questionnaire were used to assess children's early neurodevelopment and social-emotional behavior, respectively. Caregiver-child interaction was evaluated with the Brigance Parent–Child Interactions Scale. Regression-based statistical mediation and moderation effect were conducted with the PROCESS macro of SPSS.ResultsChildren with low SES had an increased risk of suspected neurodevelopmental delay [OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.50, 2.44] and social-emotional developmental delay [OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.66]. The caregiver-child interaction partially mediated the associations of SES with child developmental outcomes; the proportion of the indirect effect was 14.9% for ASQ-C total score and 32.1% for ASQ: SE score. Moreover, the caregiver-child interaction had a significant moderation effect on the association of SES with ASQ-C total score (P < 0.05). A weaker association was observed in children with high-level caregiver-child interaction than in medium and low ones. Similar moderating effects were found among boys but not girls.ConclusionCaregiver-child interaction plays a vital role in the relationship between SES and child development. Children with low SES households will benefit more in terms of their early development from intervention programs strengthening caregiver-child interaction.

Assessment of Soil Particle Distribution and Primary Nutrient Status in the Groundnut-Producing Areas of Nalgonda, Telangana, India

The current research involved a thorough field survey to assess particle size distribution and the availability of primary nutrients in rabi-grown groundnut soils (2022-2023) across three productivity regions: high (2497.15-3006.47 kg ha-1), medium (1987.82-2497.15 kg ha-1), and low (up to 1987.82 kg ha-1) in Nalgonda district, Telangana. A total of 150 surface soil samples (0 - 15 cm depth), with 50 samples from each productivity region, were collected before the sowing of rabi groundnut crop using a stratified random sampling method. These collected soil samples are further processed and analysed for soil texture, available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The objective of this research is to know the status of texture and primary nutrients in groundnut growing areas of Nalgonda district. The sand, silt and clay content in high, medium and low productivity regions averaged 72.90%, 71.29%, 67.56%; 6.82%, 8.35%, 10.16% and 20.27%, 20.36%, 22.27% respectively. The respective available N, P and K showed mean values of 257.29 kg ha-1, 189.40 kg ha-1 and 138.99 kg ha-1; 48.025 kg h IJPSS_116978a-1, 44.512 kg ha-1, 27.09 kg ha-1 and 251.91 kg ha-1, 236.48 kg ha-1, 174.86 kg ha-1 in high, medium and low productivity regions. In regions characterized by high productivity, there was a pronounced prevalence of sand content, significantly influencing soil particle aggregation. Notably, silt content exhibited considerable variation, particularly within areas of medium and low productivity, whereas clay content displayed the most variability in regions of low productivity. The availability of nitrogen decreased sequentially from high to medium productivity areas, and further from medium to low productivity regions. This same pattern was observed for available phosphorus and potassium, with substantial variations across the three productivity categories, declining consistently from high productivity regions to low productivity ones. Variations in available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) exhibited extensive dispersion within every productivity category, as evidenced by the significant standard deviation and coefficient of variation values across these regions. This is particularly notable for potassium, highlighting the necessity of considering diverse soil conditions and factors affecting potassium availability when formulating fertilization plans.

Higher-contrast images are better remembered during naturalistic encoding

It is unclear whether memory for images of poorer visibility (as low contrast or small size) will be lower due to weak signals elicited in early visual processing stages, or perhaps better since their processing may entail top-down processes (as effort and attention) associated with deeper encoding. We have recently shown that during naturalistic encoding (free viewing without task-related modulations), for image sizes between 3°–24°, bigger images stimulating more visual system processing resources at early processing stages are better remembered. Similar to size, higher contrast leads to higher activity in early visual processing. Therefore, here we hypothesized that during naturalistic encoding, at critical visibility ranges, higher contrast images will lead to higher signal-to-noise ratio and better signal quality flowing downstream and will thus be better remembered. Indeed, we found that during naturalistic encoding higher contrast images were remembered better than lower contrast ones (~ 15% higher accuracy, ~ 1.58 times better) for images at 7.5–60 RMS contrast range. Although image contrast and size modulate early visual processing very differently, our results further substantiate that at poor visibility ranges, during naturalistic non-instructed visual behavior, physical image dimensions (contributing to image visibility) impact image memory.

Problem-Based Learning for Calculating Kinetic Parameters from Michaelis-Menten Equation

In “Advanced Enzymology” at the University of Barcelona, we teach various methods for identifying uni-uni irreversible reactions. Kinetic constants such as maximum velocity (Vmax) and Michaelis constant (Km) are calculated using non-linear regression with the Michaelis-Menten equation. However, if a computer is not available, students must calculate these kinetic parameters using linear regressions with Lineweaver-Burk, Eadie-Hofstee, and Hanes-Woolf plots. Michaelis-Menten equation: v = (Vmax [S]) / (Km + [S]), Lineweaver-Burk equation: 1/v = (Km/Vmax) (1/[S]) + 1/Vmax, Eadie-Hofstee equation: v = – Km (v/[S]) + Vmax, Hanes-Woolf equation: [S]/v = (1/Vmax) [S] + (Km/Vmax). The objective of this work was that students explore various methods for calculating kinetic constants and determine the most effective approach. A problem was prepared with data on substrate concentrations ([S]) and reaction rates (v). Data points with lower substrate concentration, and also with lower velocities had higher errors. The Michaelis-Menten plot provided only an approximate estimation of the kinetic constants, as it is not a linear graph. The Lineweaver-Burk plot generated maximum velocities that were too low due to the higher errors for low substrate concentrations, rendering impossible values of the kinetic parameters. The Eadie-Hofstee plot provided better results, as the values of v/[S] compensated their errors. Furthermore, kinetic constants were obtained directly from the slope and intersection of the line equation. The Hanes-Woolf plot also produced correct values for kinetic parameters, since high substrate concentrations were less erroneous than lower ones. After completing this computer class, students were very satisfied and learned the different methods for obtaining kinetic parameters. Non-linear regression is undoubtedly the most accurate method for obtaining kinetic parameters values. However, in the absence of computers, the Eadie-Hofstee plot is the best and most commonly used plot in kinetic papers.

Unraveling the effects of non-parabolicity on electron energy levels in InP/InAs/InP heterostructures

In this research, electron energy levels were calculated analytically using Nelson’s formula, the shooting method, and Garrett’s formula for effective mass. These calculations were performed for a rectangular finite deep potential well, focusing on the InP/InAs/InP heterostructure, which is a narrow-bandgap semiconductor system. Our results demonstrate that the nonparabolicity of the dispersion has a more significant effect on higher energy levels compared to lower ones, with deviations of up to 15% for the third energy level. An equation estimating the number of observable energy levels in the potential well is suggested, revealing that considering nonparabolicity leads to a 20% increase in the number of levels compared to the parabolic dispersion case. The relationship between the widths of infinite and finite potential wells for equivalent energy levels follows a linear behaviour, with bonding coefficients ranging from 95,93% to 97,49% and a maximum difference of 1.5% between parabolic and non-parabolic cases. The transcendental equation for the energy levels is linearized, yielding a fourth-order equation that provides results within 98% accuracy compared to the original equation. These findings contribute to the understanding of the energy distribution in InP/InAs/InP heterostructures with a view to their application in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, light-emitting diodes

Large time asymptotics for partially dissipative hyperbolic systems without Fourier analysis: Application to the nonlinearly damped $p$-system

A new framework to obtain time-decay estimates for partially dissipative hyperbolic systems set on the real line is developed. Under the classical Shizuta–Kawashima (SK) stability condition, equivalent to the Kalman rank condition in control theory, the solutions of these systems decay exponentially in time for high frequencies and polynomially for low ones. This allows us to derive a sharp description of the space-time decay of solutions for large time. However, such analysis relies heavily on the use of the Fourier transform, which we avoid here, developing the “physical space version” of the hyperbolic hypocoercivity approach introduced in Beauchard and Zuazua [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 199 (2011), 177–227], to prove new asymptotic results in the linear and nonlinear settings. The new physical space version of the hyperbolic hypocoercivity approach allows us to recover the natural heat-like time decay of solutions under sharp rank conditions, without employing Fourier analysis or L^{1} assumptions on the initial data. Taking advantage of this Fourier-free framework, we establish new enhanced time-decay estimates for initial data belonging to weighted Sobolev spaces. These results are then applied to the nonlinear compressible Euler equations with linear damping. We also prove the logarithmic stability of the nonlinearly damped p -system.

Triadic interaction in the background of a pairwise spin-glass.

Developing an equilibrium solution for a pairwise spin-glass with a quenched random infinite range shows a continuous phase transition. Models with p-spin interactions have been studied and the exact solution was provided that shows a continuous phase transition for p=2 and a first-order one for p>2. Although the p-spin interactions were studied individually without considering lower-order interactions, is it always feasible to ignore the lower ones? Here, we are interested in finding an analytical solution for considering a triadic interaction as a perturbation in the background of a pairwise interaction in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick spin-glass model. Our results indicate a sudden phase transition as a consequence of considering triadic interactions that signal a switch from a continuous to an explosive phase transition.

Modeling the electroluminescence of atomic wires from quantum dynamics simulations.

Static and time-dependent quantum-mechanical approaches have been employed in the literature to characterize the physics of light-emitting molecules and nanostructures. However, the electromagnetic emission induced by an input current has remained beyond the realm of molecular simulations. This is the challenge addressed here with the help of an equation of motion for the density matrix coupled to a photon bath based on a Redfield formulation. This equation is evolved within the framework of the driven-Liouville von Neumann approach, which incorporates open boundaries by introducing an applied bias and a circulating current. The dissipated electromagnetic power can be computed in this context from the time derivative of the energy. This scheme is applied in combination with a self-consistent tight-binding Hamiltonian to investigate the effects of bias and molecular size on the electroluminescence of metallic and semiconducting chains. For the latter, a complex interplay between bias and molecular length is observed: there is an optimal number of atoms that maximizes the emitted power at high voltages but not at low ones. This unanticipated behavior can be understood in terms of the band bending produced along the semiconducting chain, a phenomenon that is captured by the self-consistency of the method. A simple analytical model is proposed that explains the main features revealed by the simulations. The methodology, applied here at a self-consistent tight-binding level but extendable to more sophisticated Hamiltonians such as density functional tight binding and time dependent density functional theory, promises to be helpful for quantifying the power and quantum efficiency of nanoscale electroluminescent devices.

Risk factors and integrated assessment of health disorders in teachers of rural comprehensive schools

Teaching is an occupation with high stress levels and extremely poor health indicators, which tend to decline as working records become longer. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors able to cause health issues in teachers of rural comprehensive schools and to determine the significance of clinical and laboratory indices as early indicators. The work uses the results of hygienic, clinical and laboratory studies aimed at assessing health and working conditions of teachers employed at comprehensive schools in rural areas of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Sanitary and hygienic conditions in classrooms of rural comprehensive schools were assessed in conformity with the Guide R 2.2.2006-05. Medical check-ups resulted in 255 various somatic diseases diagnosed in 70 teachers, overall, 3.64 diseases per one examined teacher. Laboratory tests revealed elevated hemoglobin levels in 20.00 % of the examined female teachers and low ones in 8.57 %. Erythrocytosis was established in 64.29 % of the examined teachers. We also established some slight changes in hematocrit levels, which were elevated in 4.29 % and low in 8.57 % of the examined teachers. Accordingly, in case hemoglobin levels were low, erythrocyte indices MCV and МСН went down as well in 30.00–32.86 % of the female teachers. The number of workers with elevated glucose and cholesterol levels went up as their work records grew longer (the correlation coefficients were 0.94÷0.98). Examination of microflora found in the upper airway mucosa revealed clinically significant contamination, which was mostly represented by cocci bacteria, the most significant microorganisms being Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus spp and β-hаemolytic streptococci. Our integrated study has shown that working conditions at workplaces of teachers in rural comprehensive schools do not conform to safety standards as per work hardness and work intensity (intellectual, emotional and sensory loads). The study results confirm high importance of diagnostic methods as indicators of health issues in teachers employed at comprehensive schools. Preventive measures aimed at protecting teachers’ health in rural areas should consider peculiarities of pathomorphosis that determines their health status.

Факторы риска и комплексная оценка нарушений здоровья педагогов общеобразовательных школ в сельской местности

Teaching is an occupation with high stress levels and extremely poor health indicators, which tend to decline as working records become longer. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors able to cause health issues in teachers of rural comprehensive schools and to determine the significance of clinical and laboratory indices as early indicators. The work uses the results of hygienic, clinical and laboratory studies aimed at assessing health and working conditions of teachers employed at comprehensive schools in rural areas of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Sanitary and hygienic conditions in classrooms of rural comprehensive schools were assessed in conformity with the Guide R 2.2.2006-05. Medical check-ups resulted in 255 various somatic diseases diagnosed in 70 teachers, overall, 3.64 diseases per one examined teacher. Laboratory tests revealed elevated hemoglobin levels in 20.00 % of the examined female teachers and low ones in 8.57 %. Erythrocytosis was established in 64.29 % of the examined teachers. We also established some slight changes in hematocrit levels, which were elevated in 4.29 % and low in 8.57 % of the examined teachers. Accordingly, in case hemoglobin levels were low, erythrocyte indices MCV and МСН went down as well in 30.00–32.86 % of the female teachers. The number of workers with elevated glucose and cholesterol levels went up as their work records grew longer (the correlation coefficients were 0.94÷0.98). Examination of microflora found in the upper airway mucosa revealed clinically significant contamination, which was mostly represented by cocci bacteria, the most significant microorganisms being Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus spp and β-hаemolytic streptococci. Our integrated study has shown that working conditions at workplaces of teachers in rural comprehensive schools do not conform to safety standards as per work hardness and work intensity (intellectual, emotional and sensory loads). The study results confirm high importance of diagnostic methods as indicators of health issues in teachers employed at comprehensive schools. Preventive measures aimed at protecting teachers’ health in rural areas should consider peculiarities of pathomorphosis that determines their health status.

Modeling the Nonmonotonic Immune Response in a Tumor–Immune System Interaction

Tumor–immune system interactions are very complicated, being highly nonlinear and not well understood. A large number of tumors can potentially weaken the immune system through various mechanisms such as secreting cytokines that suppress the immune response. In this paper, we propose a tumor–immune system interaction model with a nonmonotonic immune response function and adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI). The model has a tumor-free equilibrium and at most three tumor-presence equilibria (low, moderate and high ones). The stability of all equilibria is studied by analyzing their characteristic equations. The consideration of nonmonotonic immune response results in a series of bifurcations such as the saddle-node bifurcation, transcritical bifurcation, Hopf bifurcation and Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation. In addition, numerical simulation results show the coexistence of periodic orbits and homoclinic orbits. Interestingly, along with various bifurcations, we also found two bistable scenarios: the coexistence of a stable tumor-free as well as a high-tumor-presence equilibrium and the coexistence of a stable-low as well as a high-tumor-presence equilibrium, which can show symmetric and antisymmetric properties in a range of model parameters and initial cell concentrations. The new findings indicate that under ACI, patients can possibly reach either a stable tumor-free state or a low-tumor-presence state in the presence of nonmonotonic immune response once the immune system is activated.

Fibonacci solar tree: Mathematical modeling of the solar incidence as a function of its constructive variables

Solar trees are three-dimensional engineered structures that mimic natural trees, with trunks, branches, and photovoltaic leaves, constituting a way of verticalizing solar plants. That is a trend emerging to replace the conventional horizontal system, enabling to generate more energy in a smaller area. However, in a solar tree, there are losses in light capture due to the shading that upper leaves cast over the lower ones. In this work, we propose the configurable Fibonacci Solar Tree design, which is inspired by natural trees and aims to minimize shading losses. In addition, we analyze the behavior of the configurable Fibonacci solar tree in relation to its constructive variables (i.e. height, leaf area, number of leaves, projection radius), and propose a methodology to obtain an equation for the average annual solar incidence as a function of them. For this, automation of the computational simulation process of the efficiency concerning the variables is carried out, obtaining a large volume of instances, which allows the interested party to decide on the best tree according to their criteria. The results are promising, with a Fibonacci solar tree showing solar irradiation 12.8% higher than the best model available in the literature to date.

Quality and safety actions in primary care practices in COVID-19 pandemic: the PRICOV-19 study in Spain

BackgroundPrimary Health Care (PHC) has been key element in detection, monitoring and treatment of COVID-19 cases in Spain. We describe how PHC practices (PCPs) organized healthcare to guarantee quality and safety and, if there were differences among the 17 Spanish regions according to the COVID-19 prevalence.MethodsCross-sectional study through the PRICOV-19 European Online Survey in PCPs in Spain. The questionnaire included structure and process items per PCP. Data collection was due from January to May 2021. A descriptive and comparative analysis and a logistic regression model were performed to identify differences among regions by COVID-19 prevalence (low < 5% or high ≥5%).ResultsTwo hundred sixty-six PCPs answered. 83.8% of PCPs were in high prevalence regions. Over 70% PCPs were multi-professional teams. PCPs attended mainly elderly (60.9%) and chronic patients (53.0%). Regarding structure indicators, no differences by prevalence detected. In 77.1% of PCPs administrative staff were more involved in providing recommendations. Only 53% of PCPs had a phone protocol although 73% of administrative staff participated in phone triage. High prevalence regions offered remote assessment (20.4% vs 2.3%, p 0.004) and online platforms to download administrative documents more frequently than low prevalence (30% vs 4.7%, p < 0.001).More backup staff members were hired by health authorities in high prevalence regions, especially nurses (63.9% vs 37.8%, p < 0.001. OR:4.20 (1.01-8.71)). 63.5% of PCPs provided proactive care for chronic patients. 41.0% of PCPs recognized that patients with serious conditions did not know to get an appointment.Urgent conditions suffered delayed care in 79.1% of PCPs in low prevalence compared to 65.9% in high prevalence regions (p 0.240). A 68% of PCPs agreed on having inadequate support from the government to provide proper functioning. 61% of high prevalence PCPs and 69.5% of low ones (p: 0.036) perceived as positive the role of governmental guidelines for management of COVID-19.ConclusionsSpanish PCPs shared a basic standardized PCPs’ structure and common clinical procedures due to the centralization of public health authority in the pandemic. Therefore, no relevant differences in safety and quality of care between regions with high and low prevalence were detected. Nurses and administrative staff were hired efficiently in response to the pandemic. Delay in care happened in patients with serious conditions and little follow-up for mental health and intimate partner violence affected patients was identified. Nevertheless, proactive care was offered for chronic patients in most of the PCPs.

The Antinomy of Agrarian Reform Regulations After the Establishment of the Land Bank Authority

The establishment of the Land Bank through Government Regulation No. 64 of 2021 introduces a significant framework designed to secure land availability for public, social, national development, economic equality, land consolidation, and agrarian reform purposes. This regulation marks a new phase in agrarian reform, particularly with the introduction of Presidential Regulation 62 of 2023, which replaces earlier regulations (Nos. 88 of 2017 and 86 of 2018) to streamline and enhance the effectiveness of land reforms. Despite its mandate to allocate 30% of land for agrarian reform, the Land Bank faces challenges due to overlapping land acquisition sources, which often intersect with lands designated for agrarian reform. This research utilizes normative juridical methods to analyze these conflicts between the regulations governing the Land Bank and the enhanced framework provided by the Presidential Regulation on Acceleration of Agrarian Reform. The findings highlight a significant overlap between the targeted lands for agrarian reform and those acquired by the Land Bank. This overlap results in discrepancies in land rights among subjects of land redistribution, who are affected differently depending on whether lands are under the management rights of the Land Bank. The study suggests that legal harmonization efforts are necessary to address these conflicts, recommending the application of Lex superiori derogat legi inferiori, where higher legislation should override lower ones. Such harmonization is critical to resolve norm conflicts and ensure the equitable distribution of land rights, thereby facilitating the objectives of agrarian reform. KEYWORDS : Antinomy, Agrarian Reform, Land Bank

Analyzing the influence of the planetary boundary layer height, ventilation coefficient, thermal inversions, and aerosol optical Depth on the concentration of PM2.5 in the city of São Paulo: A long-term study

Cases of intense air pollution have been a recurring problem in most of urban centers in different regions of the world. Although actions to mitigate pollutant emissions are fundamental, it is also necessary to understand which factors can favor their dispersion process. In this scenario, this paper presents, for the first time, a long-term analysis of the Planetary Boundary Layer Height (PBLH), estimated through lidar and radiosounding data, Ventilation Coefficient (VC), Thermal Inversions (TI), and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), for the city of São Paulo, demonstrating how these variables are related with PM2.5 concentration. The analyzes showed that PBLH and VC have a seasonal cycle, with higher values in summer and lower ones in winter. Furthermore, PBLH is affected by one local factor, the sea-breeze, which reduces the concentration of aerosols in the late afternoon, resulting in an underestimated PBLH obtained from lidar data. Furthermore, from AERONET data, a predominance of Black Carbon and small particles was observed in all seasons, which are associated with the feedback effect observed in winter. Such effect attenuates the increase of PBLH and VC in cases of high concentrations of PM2.5. Finally, it was presented a Generalized Linear Model, which combines VC, AOD and TI information as input and can estimate the PM2.5 concentration with a R2 = 0.93.

Neuropsychological and psychometric parameters in the patients with duodenal ulcer depending on Helicobacter pylori presence

Neuropsychological and psychometric parameters in the patients with duodenal ulcer depending on Helicobacter pylori presence

Dogs understand the role of a human partner in a cooperative task

Humans are exceptionally flexible in cooperation, partly due to our ability to recognize the roles of cooperative partners. While some non-human animals understand the need for a partner in such interactions, it is unclear whether they grasp the consequences of their partner’s actions and adjust accordingly. Previous studies utilizing economic games with non-human animals yielded mixed results. We investigated dogs, known for their close cooperation with humans, in a stag hunt game. Dogs could cooperate for better rewards or defect for lower ones, while their human partners would either cooperate, never cooperate, or act randomly. We control for attraction to food, side bias, and local enhancement. Dogs were more likely to coordinate with their partners when it led to better rewards, suggesting that they understood their partner’s actions. By highlighting this cognitive skill in dogs, we advance our knowledge of the intricate mechanisms driving cooperative behavior in non-human animals.

AI, ageing and brain-work productivity: Technological change in professional Japanese chess.

Using Japanese professional chess (Shogi) players' records in the setting where various external factors are controlled in deterministic and finite games, this paper examines how and the extent to which the emergence of technological changes influences the ageing and innate ability of players' winning probability. We gathered games of professional Shogi players from 1968 to 2019, which we divided into three periods: 1968-1989, 1990-2012 (the diffusion of as information and communications technology (ICT)) and 2013-2019 (artificial intelligence (AI)). We found (1) diffusion of AI reduces the impact of innate ability in players performance. Consequently, the performance gap among same-age players has narrowed; (2) in all the periods, players' winning rates declined consistently from 20 years and as they get older; (3) AI accelerated the ageing decline of the probability of winning, which increased the performance gap among different aged players; (4) the effects of AI on the ageing decline and the probability of winning are observed for high innate skill players but not for low innate skill ones. The findings are specific to Shogi as a kind of board games although it is valuable to examine the extent to which the findings hold for other labor market.

Shrubs exhibit competitive interactions with herbaceous plants and shape community assemblage and functional composition in the alpine western Himalaya

AbstractQuestionsIn the alpine region of the Himalaya, shrubs play a vital role in maintaining the diversity and functional composition of associated herbaceous communities through competition–facilitation interactions under varying environmental stress conditions. In this study, we specified the following questions: (1) what is the mode of interaction between dominant shrubs and the associated herbaceous communities; (2) how do differences in resource availability between contrasting microhabitats mediate interactions between shrub and herbaceous communities; and (3) how do dominant shrubs influence the functional composition of herbaceous communities under the canopy as compared to ones in the open?Study areaAn alpine region of the western Himalaya, in India (32.24–33.15° N, 76.51–78.13° E).MethodsField studies were conducted to evaluate the canopy effects of alpine shrubs such as Caragana versicolor, Juniperus polycarpos and Rhododendron anthopogon on species richness, abundance and functional composition of coexisting herbaceous communities.ResultsThe dominant alpine shrubs of the western Himalaya exert competitive interactions with associated herbaceous communities and have low species richness and abundance under their canopies compared to open habitats. Further, contrary to expectations, competitive interactions were more prominent at higher elevations than at lower ones, especially for J. polycarpos and C. versicolor. Although the shrub undercanopies possessed richer soil nutrient pools, this did not contribute toward the facilitation of herbaceous species under the canopies. Moreover, herbaceous species under the canopies were found to exhibit resource‐acquisitive functional strategies, whereas those in the open were resource‐conservative.ConclusionsThe interaction between dominant alpine shrubs and the herbaceous community of the western Himalaya is competitive in nature, which influences species and functional composition and reorganizes herbaceous community assembly. Moreover, under future climate change scenarios the dominance of these shrubs will favour those herbaceous species that possess more competitive and resource‐acquisitive functional strategies.