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AI-Powered Simulations for Experiential Marketing Education
No full textThis study examines the role of AI-based simulators in experiential marketing education. By designing an interactive conceptual model, it is shown how the combination of intelligent algorithms with experiential learning theory can enhance student engagement, improve marketing decision analysis, and personalize the learning path. The benefits, challenges, and implementation dimensions of this technology are also analyzed, and suggestions are made for effective utilization in the higher education system
Collapsed European oyster reefs must be restored at ecosystem scales
No full textEuropean native oyster (Ostrea edulis) reef ecosystems are collapsed but were once a dominant feature of European seascapes. Recent restoration efforts, while increasing, remain diminutive compared to the ecosystem's former extent and what is required to restore functioning oyster reef ecosystems. A functioning European native oyster reef ecosystem requires larval connectivity at the metapopulation scale to ensure sustained recovery of resilient oyster reef ecosystems and biodiversity. To meet international nature recovery targets, restoration goals must therefore move beyond consideration of native oysters as features of habitats and toward their consideration as biogenic ecosystems, several hectares in size and functionally connected. As member states of the European Union seek to develop their Nature Restoration Plans in response to the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), it is critical in the case of European native oyster reef ecosystems, that the recently established historical baseline is referred to, such that native oyster reefs are appropriately defined for future implementation of the NRR and the EU Habitats Directive
Conceptualizing Critical Thinking Skills: An Empirical Study of Malaysian Undergraduate Students and Academic Staff
No full textAnalytical and creative thinking are essential skills for employers today. Higher education should therefore be about learning how to think, not just what to think. Despite general agreement on the purpose of university, not all students master thinking skills, in part due to widespread difficulties in comprehending what critical thinking is. Two studies sought to make more widely accessible critical thinking descriptions from a common taxonomy by Facione and to explore perceptions of their relative importance. In Study 1, 19 students and educators co-produced readable descriptions of critical thinking skills that were more understandable than the original set of descriptions, as measured by the Flesch–Kincaid metric. In Study 2, 406 students rated all core skills in the taxonomy as important, with no meaningful differences in opinion across discipline or study year. Students’ insights from the interviews in Study 1 supported this finding. Additionally, students expressed lower perceived self-efficacy in self-regulation skills, which they recognized as underdeveloped within their university curriculum. These findings have broad implications for Asian higher education by breaking down barriers to understanding critical thinking concepts, so that educators can design more engaging and effective learning experiences in the classroom
Advancing Circular Industrial Practices: A Comparison of Logics in Scotland and the Netherlands
No full textDespite urgent environmental challenges, the transition toward a circular economy (CE) remains fragmented; hindered by entrenched linear production paradigms. This study examines the institutional dynamics influencing CE implementation by investigating the interplay between policy aspirations and industrial practices. Drawing on institutional logics theory, we analyze how market, state, and community logics shape organizational responses to CE initiatives in two European contexts with ambitious sustainability agendas: the Netherlands and Scotland. Although both countries demonstrate strong policy commitments to CE transitions, actual implementation reveals significant gaps between stated ambitions and industrial practices. Our findings suggest that while both countries face similar challenges, the Netherlands demonstrates more effective integration of different institutional logics, particularly in coordinating market and state interests. Scotland, by contrast, shows higher ambition but also greater fragmentation between policy rhetoric and industrial adoption currently. This research contributes to understanding the institutional complexities underlying sustainable industrial transitions and offers practical recommendations for reducing policy-practice decoupling in CE implementation. These insights are valuable for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers working toward more coherent and effective circular and eco-efficient industrial practices
The Effect of Cell Adhesion on the Interpretation of Scratch Assay Data: A Non-Local Model
No full textScratch assays are affordable methods developed for sampling wound healing in a laboratory setting. Thanks to these assays, it is possible to investigate the dynamical structure of cell migration and proliferation, which play a central role in the healing process of the wound. Johnston et al. (2015, BMC Syst. Biol., 9, 38) use scratch assay data to estimate migration and proliferation parameters in a Fisher-type model. The present study is a new attempt to interpret the same data using a non-local continuum approach that incorporates cell–cell adhesion. The non-local part of our model includes two different force functions representing different types of cell adhesion. Using these functions, we estimate the parameters involved in the diffusive and adhesive motion. The original and our model give similarly good agreement with the experimental data for their respective (optimal) parameter sets but the estimated diffusion coefficients differ significantly between both sets. Consequently, Johnston et al.’s data, and thus their experimental methodology, are incapable of providing guidance on the effect of cell–cell adhesion in wound healing
Electrochemical Biosensor for Rapid Detection of Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplants
No full textKidney transplant recipients face a high risk of acute rejection (AR), where the immune system attacks the transplanted organ. Current diagnostics rely on invasive biopsies with procedural risks, costs, and limited temporal resolution. While urinary chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 are promising non-invasive AR biomarkers, clinical adoption is limited by labor-intensive detection and lack of point-of-care (POC) solutions. A rapid, label-free electrochemical biosensing platform for simultaneous quantification of CXCL9 and CXCL10 chemokines from 5 µL of unprocessed urine in 15 min, which for ELISA and biopsy is between 24–72 hrs, is presented. The system uses screen-printed carbon electrodes modified with a Ti 3C 2T x MXene-crosslinked bovine serum albumin hydrogel, offering high conductivity, nano-porosity, anti-fouling properties, and signal stability for up to 30 days. The platform enables single-digit pg/mL-level sensitivity, meeting clinical thresholds. In a prospective clinical study, biosensor-measured chemokine data trained a bootstrapped logistic regression classifier, achieving 83% AR classification accuracy. When combined with additional clinical and histopathological features, accuracy increased to 98%. This work integrates advanced materials, biosensor engineering, and machine learning to deliver a scalable, cost-effective POC solution for real-time, non-invasive AR monitoring. The platform will help reduce biopsy dependence, enable earlier intervention, and ultimately improve long-term transplant outcomes.</p
Green electrospinning synthesis of NiO/Ni nanofiber for efficient soap removal from crude biodiesel
No full textThis study explores the eco-friendly synthesis of NiO/Ni nanocomposites (NC) utilizing Pistacia lentiscus leaf extract as a natural reducing agent, aimed at enhancing biodiesel purification through efficient soap removal. The NiO/Ni NCs were synthesized as powders and as electrospun nanofibers (NiO/Ni@PVA), and were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and BET surface area analysis. The NiO/Ni@PVA nanofibers exhibited superior soap removal efficiency, reducing the soap content from 4671 ppm to 13.5 ppm, compared to 19.5 ppm for the powdered form. The BET analysis confirmed a mesoporous structure with a specific surface area of 4.36 m²/g and a pore diameter of ~16 nm, facilitating enhanced molecular diffusion and adsorption. The TGA results revealed that NiO/Ni NC exhibited minimal total mass loss of 8.14% up to 800 °C, confirming excellent thermal stability. In contrast, NiO/Ni@PVA nanofibers showed multi-step degradation with a total loss of ~96.7%, primarily due to PVA decomposition, leaving thermally stable NiO/Ni residues. The effectiveness of these NCs in soap removal was evaluated under varying contact times, adsorbent dosages, and stirring speeds. Adsorption isotherm analyses indicated a chemisorption-dominated mechanism with strong monolayer binding, supported by high qₘₐₓ values of 2007 mg/g for NiO/Ni and 2497 mg/g for NiO/Ni@PVA, and excellent correlation with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The nanofibers also demonstrated high reusability across multiple cycles. Additionally, computational simulations validated the strong interaction between the soap molecules and the nanocomposite surface. These findings underscore the potential of NiO/Ni@PVA nanofibers as thermally stable, efficient, reusable, and environmentally friendly adsorbents for sustainable biodiesel purification
Analysis and synthesis denoisers for forward-backward plug-and-play algorithms
No full textIn this work we study the behavior of the forward-backward (FB) algorithm when the proximity operator is replaced by a sub-iterative procedure to approximate a Gaussian denoiser, in a Plug-and-Play (PnP) fashion. In particular, we consider both analysis and synthesis Gaussian denoisers within a dictionary framework, obtained by unrolling dual-FB iterations or FB iterations, respectively. We analyze the associated minimization problems as well as the asymptotic behavior of the resulting FB-PnP iterations. In particular, we show that the synthesis Gaussian denoising problem can be viewed as a proximity operator. For each case, analysis and synthesis, we show that the FB-PnP algorithms solve the same problem whether we use only one or an infinite number of sub-iteration to solve the denoising problem at each iteration. To this aim, we show that each "one sub-iteration" strategy within the FB-PnP can be interpreted as a primal-dual algorithm when a warm-restart strategy is used. We further present similar results when using a Moreau-Yosida smoothing of the global problem, for an arbitrary number of sub-iterations. Finally, we provide numerical simulations to illustrate our theoretical results. In particular we first consider a toy compressive sensing example, as well as an image restoration problem in a deep dictionary framework
Beyond growth: Reshaping fisheries for a wellbeing economy
No full textContemporary fisheries have been shaped by a paradigm of perpetual growth, characterized by increasing global production and consumption. While this growth has driven economic benefits and technological progress, it has jeopardized the sustainability of marine ecosystems, with implications for the long-term livelihoods and wellbeing of fishers, consumers and resource dependent coastal populations worldwide. This paper advocates for a shift beyond growth towards a wellbeing economy. It considers how five fundamental principles intrinsic to a wellbeing economy - purpose, nature, fairness, participation and dignity - can help reorient the fisheries sector. The paper then provides ten actionable recommendations for reshaping the composition and structure of economic activity in fisheries to enhance societal wellbeing and equity within ecological boundaries. In a world grappling with the consequences of unchecked economic growth, this paper offers insights into fostering a regenerative fisheries system that safeguards human prosperity and environmental integrity.<br/
Fluorenyl-Tethered N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of the Heavy Alkali Metals
No full textThe coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with Group 1 metals remains comparatively underdeveloped relative to their extensive application across the periodic table. Herein, we describe the synthesis of rubidium and caesium complexes incorporating a fluorenyl-tethered NHC ligand. Additionally, the first heterobimetallic Cs/Li NHC complex was obtained via treatment with a combination of alkali metal amide bases
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