Physical Sciences Research Articles

How to make land use policy decisions: Integrating science and economics to deliver connected climate, biodiversity, and food objectives

Land use change is crucial to addressing the existential threats of climate change and biodiversity loss while enhancing food security [M. Zurek et al., Science 376, 1416-1421 (2022)]. The interconnected and spatially varying nature of the impacts of land use change means that these challenges must be addressed simultaneously [H.-O. Pörtner et al., Science 380, eabl4881 (2023)]. However, governments commonly focus on single issues, incentivizing land use change via "Flat-Rate" subsidies offering constant per hectare payments, uptake of which is determined by the economic circumstances of landowners rather than the integrated environmental outcomes that will be delivered [G. Q. Bull et al., Forest Policy Econ. 9, 13-31 (2006)]. Here, we compare Flat-Rate subsidies to two alternatives: "Land Use Scenario" allocation of subsidies through consultation across stakeholders and interested parties; and a "Natural Capital" approach which targets subsidies according to expected ecosystem service response. This comparison is achieved by developing a comprehensive decision support system, integrating new and existing natural, physical, and economic science models to quantify environmental, agricultural, and economic outcomes. Applying this system to the United Kingdom's net zero commitment to increase carbon storage via afforestation, we show that the three approaches result in significantly different outcomes in terms of where planting occurs, their environmental consequences, and economic costs and benefits. The Flat-Rate approach actually increases net carbon emissions while Land Use Scenario allocation yields poor economic outcomes. The Natural Capital targeted approach outperforms both alternatives, providing the highest possible social values while satisfying net zero commitments.

Petrograd (Leningrad) physical and mathematical society in 1921–1930: science management, publishing activities, and international relations

Drawing on the archival materials, the article examines the activities of the Petrograd (Leningrad) Physical and Mathematical Society in the 1920s, focusing on those concerned with research, science management, publishing and international relations. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Society’s efforts proved to be very fruitful: regular meetings were held where scientific papers were presented and discussed, a dedicated scientific journal was published, and scientific links were maintained both domestically and internationally. Prominent Russian scientists took an active part in the Society’s activities, including Ya. V. Uspensky, V. I. Smirnov, B. N. Delone (Delaunay), G. M. Fikhtengol’ts (Fichtenholz), V. A. Steklov, A. A. Fridman (Friedmann), V. A. Fok (Fock), A. S. Besikovich, S. N. Bernshtein (Bernstein), Ya. D. Tamarkin, R. O. Kuzmin, N. I. Muskhelishvili, L. G. Loitsyansky, B. G. Galerkin. Society members attended international congresses and conferences, establishing and promoting important scientific contacts with foreign scientists and enhancing the worldwide authority of Soviet mathematicians and physicists. However, in 1930, the Society decided upon self-dissolution due to a number of reasons: introduction of new regulation aimed at the reorganization of scientific societies, the escalation of conflicts among the mathematical community, and the beginning of repressions against some mathematicians. Nevertheless the Petrograd (Leningrad) Physical and Mathematical Society had made a significant contribution to the advancement of physical and mathematical sciences in our country.

Diverse Explanations From Data-Driven and Domain-Driven Perspectives in the Physical Sciences

Abstract Machine learning methods have been remarkably successful in material science, providing novel scientific insights, guiding future laboratory experiments, and accelerating materials discovery. Despite the promising performance of these models, understanding the decisions they make is also essential to ensure the scientific value of their outcomes. However, there is a recent and ongoing debate about the diversity of explanations, which potentially leads to scientific inconsistency. This Perspective explores the sources and implications of these diverse explanations in ML applications for physical sciences. Through three case studies in materials science and molecular property prediction, we examine how different models, explanation methods, levels of feature attribution, and stakeholder needs can result in varying interpretations of ML outputs. 
Our analysis underscores the importance of considering multiple perspectives when interpreting ML models in scientific contexts and highlights the critical need for scientists to maintain control over the interpretation process, balancing data-driven insights with domain expertise to meet specific scientific needs. By fostering a comprehensive understanding of these inconsistencies, we aim to contribute to the responsible integration of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) into physical sciences and improve the trustworthiness of ML applications in scientific discovery.

Evolution and Research Trends in Physical Culture. A Longitudinal Analysis of Student Diploma Theses from the Didactic Team of Physical Culture Sciences, formerly the Department of Physical Culture, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management, 2017-2024

Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of diploma theses produced in the Department of Physical Culture at the Faculty of Earth Sciences and Spatial Management between 2017-2024, to identify main research trends, thematic evolution, and assess the impact of external factors on research directions in the field of physical culture. Material and Methods: The analysis included 95 diploma theses (82 bachelor's and 13 master's). Mixed research methods were applied, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. Content analysis, statistical analysis (including chi-square tests, analysis of variance, linear regression), and advanced data analysis methods (LDA topic modeling, social network analysis, SARIMA time series analysis) were conducted. Additionally, measures of thematic diversity and supervisor specialization indicators were applied. Results: A statistically significant upward trend in the number of theses (β = 1.1875, p = 0.0134) and significant seasonality of defenses were found. Five main thematic areas were identified: physical activity and health (29.5%), tourism (23.2%), sport (21.1%), health (15.8%), and recreation (10.5%). LDA analysis revealed more detailed categories, indicating growing interdisciplinarity of research. A significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on thesis topics was observed in 2020-2021. Social network analysis showed a key role of certain supervisors in shaping research directions (highest eigenvector centrality = 1.00). Conclusions: The study revealed dynamic development of the physical culture discipline, with growing emphasis on interdisciplinarity and health aspects. Adaptation of research topics to current social and technological challenges was observed. Results indicate the need for further expansion of the thematic scope of theses, particularly in areas of new technologies and long-term effects of physical activity. The analysis provides valuable information for strategic planning of study program development and research directions in the field of physical culture, tourism, and recreation.

Identification of fractional-order transfer functionsand nonzero initial conditions using exponentiallymodulated signals

Abstract A new methodology that uses exponentially modulated signals with arbitrary excitation waveforms for the identification of fractional order transfer functions is proposed. In contrast to previous approaches where initial conditions were not considered and the system was required to be at rest for the identification procedure, the current contribution extends the formulation to the case where the system has non-zero initial conditions, dispensing with the need to place it at a resting state. This generalization is important in feedback instrumentation and metrology applications where the measurement or control process may not be disrupted to perform identification. Moreover, the procedure has a broader scope of applications because it structurally contemplates the case when the model presents derivatives in the input. Full identification of the system parameters as well as the fractional exponents associated with the model dynamics are achieved through a grid search procedure with resolution adjustable by the user. Two simulation examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The first example is concerned with the effect of measurement noise at the observed system output, whereas the second involves the identification of the impedance of a three-dimensional RC network model. These types of RC networks
have dynamics capturing complex phenomena with emergent responses and are ideal for emulating the complex dynamics encountered across physical sciences and in particular interdisciplinary subject areas such as biomedical engineering.

Modulation of Northern Europe near-term anthropogenic warming and wettening assessed through internal variability storylines

Internal variability arising from the inherently chaotic nature of the climate system has amplified or obscured human-caused changes, especially at regional scales in the extratropics, where its contribution to climate variability is the largest. It is virtually certain that this will continue in the near-term. We here focus on the Northern Europe region, whose variability is largely controlled by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) through remote dynamical and thermodynamic processes, and introduce the concept of internal variability storylines (IVS) to explore, understand, and quantify the role of the two combined drivers of internal variability in the modulation of the anthropogenic warming by 2040 in winter. Based on a large ensemble of historical-scenario simulations, we show that the high-impact IVS, characterised by weak AMOC decline and a decadal shift of the NAO toward dominant positive phase, leads faster to warmer-wetter conditions independently of actual and future greenhouse gases emissions. By contrast, amplified AMOC reduction and more recurrent negative NAO can considerably damp both warming and wettening at near-term. In the latter IVS, we provide evidence that winter-severe conditions similar to those in 2010, that had been responsible for widespread socio-economic disruptions, remain almost as likely to occur by 2040. Reframing the uncertain climate outcomes into the physical science space in a conditional form through the prism of IVS makes climate information relevant for accurate risk assessments and adaptation planning.

Assessing the Zinc, Boron and Rhizobium Inoculation on Yield and Economics of Kharif Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)

The present experiment was carried out during kharif season of 2021 and 2022 at Instructional farm, Kamla Nehru Institute of Physical and Social Sciences Sultanpur, U.P. India. Four levels of zinc (0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 Kg Zn ha-1), three levels of boron (0, 0.5 and 1.0 Kg B ha-1) and two levels of rhizobium i.e. Uninoculated (Control) and inoculated. A split-split plot design with three replications was used. Zinc levels were allocated to the main plots, boron levels in the sub-plot, while Rhizobium inoculation in the sub-sub plot. Results revealed that dry weight and seed and stover yield was observed that Rhizobium inoculation with application of zinc 7.5 kg ha-1 and Application of boron 1.0 kg ha-1. Obtaining seed yield from Rhizobium inoculation (8.53 and 8.71 q/ha-1) with application of zinc (8.53 and 8.79 q/ha-1) and Application of boron (8.45 and 8.70 q/ha-1). The highest net return (Rs. 58211.0 and 65488.50 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (1.75 and 1.97) were obtained with 7.5kg Zn ha-1 + 1 kg B ha-1 + seed inoculation with rhizobium. It could be recommended for cultivation of mungbean.

Opportunities for retrieval and tool augmented large language models in scientific facilities

AbstractUpgrades to advanced scientific user facilities such as next-generation x-ray light sources, nanoscience centers, and neutron facilities are revolutionizing our understanding of materials across the spectrum of the physical sciences, from life sciences to microelectronics. However, these facility and instrument upgrades come with a significant increase in complexity. Driven by more exacting scientific needs, instruments and experiments become more intricate each year. This increased operational complexity makes it ever more challenging for domain scientists to design experiments that effectively leverage the capabilities of and operate on these advanced instruments. Large language models (LLMs) can perform complex information retrieval, assist in knowledge-intensive tasks across applications, and provide guidance on tool usage. Using x-ray light sources, leadership computing, and nanoscience centers as representative examples, we describe preliminary experiments with a Context-Aware Language Model for Science (CALMS) to assist scientists with instrument operations and complex experimentation. With the ability to retrieve relevant information from facility documentation, CALMS can answer simple questions on scientific capabilities and other operational procedures. With the ability to interface with software tools and experimental hardware, CALMS can conversationally operate scientific instruments. By making information more accessible and acting on user needs, LLMs could expand and diversify scientific facilities’ users and accelerate scientific output.

The objectivity of mathematics in Cassirer’s symbol-theoretical approach

AbstractCassirer’s concept of symbolic forms represents a cultural-philosophical approach in which specific modes of objectification, the symbolic forms themselves, establish an independent truth. This truth does not consist in a purely analytical truth, but in the fact that we live along these symbolic forms in a specific stubbornness. When we use language, we live and experience language in its specific autonomy. The same applies to the other symbolic forms developed by Cassirer. Both before the cultural-philosophical phase of creation and within the philosophy of symbolic forms, Cassirer refers to mathematics several times. An interesting tension arises as to whether Cassirer could have understood mathematics as a symbolic form in its own right. On the one hand, cultural-historical considerations in Cassirer’s work speak in favour of this; on the other hand, Cassirer embeds mathematics as a mere formal science in physics and thus in the philosophical form of science as a whole. The article explores this tension—mathematics as a symbolic form—and shows that only indications within the framework of the historical-hermeneutical treatment would speak in favour of such an interpretation. Furthermore, the article argues that a specific, cultural-historical semiotics can be considered for mathematics in Cassirer’s work.

Evaluating the Teaching of Physical Science Practical Work at a Selected Resource-Constrained Secondary School in Rundu Circuit, Kavango East Region

This study evaluated the teaching of Physical Science practical work at a resource-constrained secondary school in the Rundu Circuit, Kavango East region in Namibia. The research objectives were to assess the impact of practical work on learners’ academic performance in a resource-constrained community, identify the challenges faced by both teachers and learners in conducting practical activities, and propose strategies to address these challenges and improve the overall quality of science education. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected through semi-structured interviews involving four Physical Science teachers. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, with themes aligned to the research objectives. The findings revealed that the state of science practical work was poor due to a lack of sufficient laboratory equipment and resources. Other significant challenges identified included limited laboratory space, inadequate time allocation, overcrowded classrooms, a lack of motivation among learners, and insufficient background knowledge on practical work for learners. These challenges collectively impeded effective teaching and learning of science practical work. To overcome these issues, the study recommended providing adequate laboratory materials and constructing an additional laboratory to alleviate overcrowding. The study also further recommended the employment of laboratory technicians to assist teachers in organizing, planning and conducting practical activities more efficiently. Furthermore, the study suggested forming partnerships between schools to share laboratory facilities, as per Key Area 7 of the National Standard and Performance Indicators for Schools in Namibia, which emphasizes the importance of collaborative linkages within educational communities. By implementing these strategies, it was concluded that the quality of Physical Science practical work in resource-constrained schools could be significantly enhanced, leading to improved learner outcomes.

Features of statistics of visits to physical sites using the example of the scientific and educational portal “Great Russian Encyclopedia” and the website of the journal Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk

On February 13, 2024, the 99th anniversary of the “Great Russian Encyclopedia” (GRE) (the successor of the “Great Soviet Encyclopedia”) was celebrated. However, it was only in 2020 that work began on the scientific and educational GRE portal, which was launched in test mode on May 26, 2022 (https://bigenc.ru/). By the editorial staff of “Physical Sciences”, to date, about 2,000 articles written by outstanding physicists and selected by the representative Editorial Board have been posted on the portal. The partners of the portal are reputable scientific and educational organizations: the Russian Academy of Science (RAS), Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), other leading universities of the Russian Federation, and the Russian Academy of Education. The priorities of the GRE portal are reliability and accessibility. The paper presents statistics of visits to the GRE portal over the past two years. Another important electronic resource dedicated to the physical sciences and therefore analyzed jointly with the editorial board of the GRE “Physical Sciences” is the journal Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk (UFN). The first issue of the UFN was published in April 1918, and the UFN website (www.ufn.ru) was opened on December 26, 1994. Since 1995, there have been statistics of visits to the UFN website, which, for the first time, allowed the UFN Editorial Board to find out how many readers it has, who they are, where they come from, what their interests and preferences are? By 2016, DOI was assigned to the entire archive of articles from the UFN in both Russian and English. By April 2024, 1075 issues of the UFN containing 11,819 articles (cited 164,216 times, data collected by DOI) written by 8,799 authors were posted on the UFN website, and 405,365,547 times visited the semantic pages of the site. Statistics of visits to the UFN website and its features in recent years will be covered in this article.The statistics of visits to the GRE Portal and the UFN website demonstrate the growing society’s request for reliable, time-tested information supported by the reputation of the editorial board and publishing houses.

Five-analyzer Johann spectrometer for hard X-ray photon-in/photon-out spectroscopy at the Inner Shell Spectroscopy beamline at NSLS-II: design, alignment and data acquisition.

Here, a recently commissioned five-analyzer Johann spectrometer at the Inner Shell Spectroscopy beamline (8-ID) at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) is presented. Designed for hard X-ray photon-in/photon-out spectroscopy, the spectrometer achieves a resolution in the 0.5-2 eV range, depending on the element and/or emission line, providing detailed insights into the local electronic and geometric structure of materials. It serves a diverse user community, including fields such as physical, chemical, biological, environmental and materials sciences. This article details the mechanical design, alignment procedures and data-acquisition scheme of the spectrometer, with a particular focus on the continuous asynchronous data-acquisition approach that significantly enhances experimental efficiency.

Looking to see, listening to hear, learning to understand: centring Indigenous relationality to pursue a more-than-disciplinary academy

Indigenous scholars argue that the reciprocal relationality of life should be taken more seriously in scholarship responding to environmental crisis; however, much of orthodox academia analyses the environment as a separate category through the physical and social science disciplines. This article shows how human exceptionalism, human centrism, racial discrimination, and Euro-American centric privilege interweave in academic institutions and practices, often invisibly and thus insidiously, to dismiss Indigenous scholarship and lived experiences. We explore how to meaningfully address these problematics, presenting examples from our academic practices to overturn colonial and imperial privilege. We present a more-than-disciplinary approach to undiscipline nature, knowledge, and peoples. We argue that this paradigm shift is best led by Indigenous leaders in relationality, whose expert knowledge inheritance already holds nature with society. We present an Indigenous, pedological approach, to help destabilise orthodox academic disciplinary approaches and organisational structures through foregrounding Indigenous learning and knowledge systems.

Student Interest Drives Modernization of Climate Science Curriculum: Engaging with Community Partners Outside the Classroom

Abstract As climate change continues to accelerate, there is a growing need for collaboration between geoscientists and community partners to co-create equitable science-based climate solutions that align with community priorities. However, the curriculum of many geoscience Ph.D. programs focus almost exclusively on physical science knowledge production confined to the academic sphere with little attention to usability or applications of climate information to decision-making. A consequence is that there is often little educational support to train future generations of geoscientists with the skills needed to serve as knowledge brokers and interpret climate information into the context needed for decision-making. To address this, a group of students and faculty at the University of Michigan developed a pilot course to provide hands-on experience engaging with local communities to develop climate solutions. This project involved a collaboration with the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner's Office to discuss their high-priority objectives. The inaugural project involved identifying high-priority locations in Washtenaw County for rain garden development to be used for internal planning purposes. The process of recurring communications with partners played a critical role in tailoring the project to have ongoing use for local government after the course. This project provided a student driven bridge between climate knowledge production, climate science usability and community engagement. This type of formal engagement with community partners provides opportunities to train the next generation of geoscientists to have the skills to engage with practitioners and decision-makers and make climate science more accessible.

Cauchy discretization method for solve fractional linear optimal control problems

This paper presents a numerical scheme designed for solving fractional linear optimal control problems (FLOCPs) governed by Caputo fractional derivatives (CFDs) of order 0<α≤1. The method transforms the original fractional control problem into an equivalent linear programming problem (LPP), enabling a more straightforward solution process. To evaluate the performance and accuracy of this approach, several numerical experiments were conducted using MATLAB. These experiments highlight the method’s computational efficiency and its simplicity in terms of implementation. The proposed approach offers accurate results, particularly in scenarios where traditional methods may fall short due to the complexities introduced by fractional derivatives. A detailed numerical example is presented to further illustrate the method’s effectiveness in addressing FLOCPs. The outcomes suggest that this approach is not only practical but also provides valuable insights for researchers dealing with fractional calculus in optimal control theory. This contribution is expected to be beneficial for applications in engineering and the physical sciences, where fractional-order systems play a significant role.

Teachers’ Perceptions of the Degree of Practicing Organizational Justice among Physical Education and Sports Sciences Department Heads in Selected Universities in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The research aims to prepare a measure of organizational justice among department heads of colleges of physical education and sports sciences for some universities in the Kurdistan Region from the point of view of teachers, and to identify the level of organizational justice among department heads of colleges of physical education. Physical education and sports sciences in some universities in the Kurdistan Region from the point of view of teachers. The descriptive approach using the survey method for its suitability and the nature of the study. The research community was identified using the intentional method of teachers in the College of Religious Education and Sports Sciences for some universities in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq for the academic season (2023-2024), numbering (5) colleges. The researchers used the following statistical parameters to find the results of their research. Using the statistical package (SPSS) (percentage - arithmetic mean - standard deviation - simple correlation coefficient - Spearman Brown), the results were obtained by preparing a measure of organizational justice among heads of departments and colleges of physical education and sports sciences for some universities in the Kurdistan Region from the point of view Teachers through scientific procedures. The number of items in the scale was (28) items, distributed over (4) dimensions. The heads of departments of the faculties of physical education and sports sciences of some universities in the Kurdistan Region have a high level of practicing organizational justice.

Optimizing predictive models for evaluating the F-temperature index in predicting the π-electron energy of polycyclic hydrocarbons, applicable to carbon nanocones

In the fields of mathematics, chemistry, and the physical sciences, graph theory plays a substantial role. Using modern mathematical techniques, quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) modeling predicts the physical, synthetic, and natural properties of substances based only on their chemical composition. For a chemical graph, the temperature of a vertex is a local property introduced by Fajtlowicz (1988). A temperature-based graphical descriptor is structured based on temperatures of vertices. Involving a non-zero real parameter β\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\beta$$\\end{document}, the general F-temperature index Tβ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$T_{\\beta }$$\\end{document} is a temperature index having strong efficacy. In this paper, we employ discrete optimization and regression analysis to find optimal value(s) of β\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\beta$$\\end{document} for which the prediction potential of Tβ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$T_{\\beta }$$\\end{document} and the total π\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\pi$$\\end{document}-electron energy Eπ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E_{\\pi }$$\\end{document} of polycyclic hydrocarbons is the strongest. This, in turn, answers an open problem proposed by Hayat & Liu (2024). Applications of the optimal values for Tβ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$T_{\\beta }$$\\end{document} are presented a two-parametric family of carbon nanocones in predicting their Eπ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$E_{\\pi }$$\\end{document} with significantly higher accuracy.

The effect of skill exercises based on the cooperative learning method on acquiring some basic futsal skills for female students

The research aims to prepare skill exercises using the cooperative learning method. In learning some basic skills with the feet football for female students and learning about the effect of the cooperative learning method in learning some basic skills in Futsal football. The researchers used the experimental method with the design of the experimental and control groups, including pre-test and post-test. This was suitable for the nature of the research, which targeted first-year female students (25 students). A sample of (20) students was selected and distributed equally into an experimental group and a control group, with (10) students in each group. The researchers identified the basic skills in futsal, which are (passing, receiving, and shooting), based on the curriculum for the first year in college. They then conducted pre-tests on the sample individuals in both the experimental and control groups before starting the implementation of the educational program to determine the level of basic skills tests in futsal. The researchers prepared exercises according to the cooperative learning method, relying on sources and references, with the help of experts in the field, to include (16) educational units, applying two educational units weekly with a duration of (90) minutes for each unit. Then, they conducted equivalence between the research groups (control and experimental), and after completing the educational program, they conducted post-tests for both the experimental and control groups. The results were extracted, and appropriate statistical treatments were used to reach the results. Subsequently, the results were presented, analyzed, and discussed. The researchers concluded that the first-year female students in the College of Physical Education and Sports Science at the University of Babylon showed that the cooperative learning method significantly addressed individual differences.

Loop Feynman integration on a quantum computer

This work investigates in detail the performance and advantages of a new quantum Monte Carlo integrator, dubbed quantum Fourier iterative amplitude estimation (QFIAE), to numerically evaluate for the first time loop Feynman integrals in a near-term quantum computer and a quantum simulator. In order to achieve a quadratic speedup, QFIAE introduces a quantum neural network (QNN) that efficiently decomposes the multidimensional integrand into its Fourier series. For a one-loop tadpole Feynman diagram, we have successfully implemented the quantum algorithm on a real quantum computer and obtained a reasonable agreement with the analytical values. One-loop Feynman diagrams with more external legs have been analyzed in a quantum simulator. These results thoroughly illustrate how our quantum algorithm effectively estimates loop Feynman integrals and the method employed could also find applications in other fields such as finance, artificial intelligence, or other physical sciences. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Design and Validation of a University Education Peer Observation Tool

Objective: The aim of this study was to design and validate a university education PoT instrument. Theoretical Framework: It has become a priority to implement Peer Observation of Teaching (PoT) in the domain of higher education. There are different PoT approaches, a social credentialism model and a feedback-oriented approach. Method: The Higher Education-PoT (HE-PoT) tool was designed ad hoc following observational methodology principles. The original items were drawn from a systematic review of PoT tools by Otero-Saborido et al. (2024). The procedure consisted of two phases: in the first qualitative phase, items from the tool were selected and circulated within a group of experts; in the second quantitative phase, the items were quantified using the Aiken coefficient Results and Discussion: It was initially based on a systematic review of PoT tools and subsequently subjected to 4 rounds of revisions by Physical Education and Sports Science teaching experts. The final tool consisted of a total of 33 descriptive categories divided into 11 items. The validity of all item contents was calculated using Aiken's coefficient (value equal to 0.75 or above, except for 2 items which scored 0.66) and all categories obtained values above 0.75. A total of 25 of the 33 categories presented values over 0.90. Research Implications: Future works should test the tool reliability so that it can be used to improve teaching following collaborative approaches. Originality/Value: Validated PoT tools are generally lacking in university education. The designed tool includes a number of items that contribute to a sustainable observation for teachers.