Oklahoma State University Oklahoma City

The germylamine Ph3GeN(SiMe3)2 was synthesized from Ph3GeCl and LiN(SiMe)2 and its X‐ray crystal structure was determined. This structure represents only the fourth crystallographically characterized germylamine that has been reported. The two sterically encumbering −SiMe3 groups completely encapsulate the germanium‐nitrogen bond and the geometry at the nitrogen atoms is trigonal planar rather than pyramidal. The structure of Ph3GeN(SiMe3)2 was calculated using density functional theory and it was found that the HOMO of this molecule is stabilized relative to that of Ph3GeNMe2, which has been shown to be a highly effective reagent for the amidation of acid fluorides. The steric attributes Ph3GeN(SiMe3)2, coupled with its more stable HOMO relative to Ph3GeNMe2, prevent its functioning as an amidation reagent for acid fluorides except in the case of benzoyl fluoride.

Twitter Sentiment Geographical Index (TSGI) has been proposed to complement traditional surveys to measure subjective well‐being (SWB) at the US county level. Our study aims to investigate determinants of TSGI‐measured SWB in rural and urban US counties. Using the Classification and Regression Tree, we identified phenotypes or county‐level characteristics associated with high SWB. Counties with newer homes were the top characteristic of high SWB in both urban and rural areas. Counties of the identical phenotypes tend to concentrate geographically, with the most favorable phenotypes clustered in the South. Random Forest analysis identified additional characteristics of high SWB, including higher population density in rural areas and lower real estate tax ratio in urban areas. Our results yield a comprehensive understanding of determinants of SWB at the local level, guiding evidence‐based policy decisions and community initiatives to improve well‐being in target populations.

We conduct two literature reviews to explore what risk is in entrepreneurship and across business fields. The objective of these reviews is to shed light on the heterogeneity of the risk construct. In doing this, we are able to contribute to entrepreneurship research by informing scholars of a wider spectrum of risks in the literature, as well as the implications that adopting different views offers for future entrepreneurship research and practice. We find that the term “risk” is often used casually, without clear connections to category, level of analysis, and perspective. To address this, we propose a multidimensional conceptualization of risk. Moreover, our reviews suggest that entrepreneurship researchers are only scratching the surface with regard to the extant studies of risks and risk-related constructs. We highlight similarities and distinctions between entrepreneurship and other business research fields, which, in turn, help inform future research opportunities. Our future research program is aimed at both helping delineate risk in entrepreneurship conceptually and operationally while also illuminating exciting paths for expanding the study of risk across environmental level risks (sociopolitical and market risk categories) and firm and individual level risks (default, liquidity, operational, and pure risk categories).

As global and local populations surge and climate change continue to disrupt surface and groundwater reservoirs, the urgent need arises to explore additional groundwater sources. Ensuring sustainable management necessitates the efficient identification of high-potential zones to meet escalating water demands. This study aims to delineate groundwater potential zones in Faisalabad District, Pakistan, utilizing a cost-effective geoelectrical resistivity survey method. Apparent resistivity data was collected using the Schlumberger electrode configuration and analyzed with the Interpex “IX1D v2 model” to determine true soil layer resistivities and thicknesses with average root mean square error of 5.12%. The results have revealed that the Aquifer thickness ranged from 13.35 to 165.59 m, and resistivity from 23.96 to 1125.0 Ωm. Hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and porosity of aquifers varied from 0.49 to 24.11 m/day (average 8.214 m/day), 35.67 to 1593.98 m²/day (average 567.771 m²/day), and 22.29 to 39.82% (average 37.465%), respectively. Integration of resistivity and geo-hydraulic properties data identified vertical electrical sounding (VES) points 1, 3, 4, and 6 as highly suitable for large-scale freshwater extraction due to having high groundwater potential repositories (coarse sand and gravel formations). Other points had varying suitability: VES points 7 and 8 for shallow wells only, VES points 5, 9, and 10 not recommended due to hard formations, and VES point 2 due to poor groundwater quality. This integrated approach has proven effective in assessing groundwater strata to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-3), making it applicable to other geographic locations and informing policy decisions for effective groundwater management.

How do characteristics of colleges and universities shape campus activism? In this review article, we provide an overview of the growing body of sociological research on educational opportunity structures at U.S. colleges and universities. Specifically, we synthesize research that discusses how various characteristics of U.S. colleges and universities—including their public or private status, their secular or religious identity, their wealth, their prestige, their residential character, their bureaucratic rules, and their administrators’ openness to campus activism—influence whether student activist groups emerge, adopt different forms, and achieve their goals. We conclude by discussing remaining gaps in our knowledge and highlighting several potential lines for future research.

For decades, the synthesis of 2‐quinolones, a crucial structural motif in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, has relied heavily on costly noble metal complexes and structurally complex ligands. Despite considerable efforts from synthetic chemists, a mild, metal‐free, environmentally friendly, and cost‐effective approach has remained elusive. This study introduces a robust, metal‐free synthetic platform that leverages an innovative organoiodine‐catalyzed electrophilic arene C(sp²)−H amination strategy to efficiently produce a wide range of new and modifiable 2‐quinolones. Moreover, this study allows ready synthetic access to novel 8‐aryl‐substituted 2‐quinolones, uncovering new chemical spaces with significant potential for medicinal applications.

Assessing the performance of nursing homes during pandemics such as COVID-19 is critically important, particularly in light of an aging global population and the heightened need for long-term care. This urgency has led to a heightened global emphasis on optimizing nursing home resources. To address this objective, we developed a hybrid method that integrates Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with Machine Learning (ML) techniques to improve and predict the performance of these facilities. We applied this innovative approach to over 500 nursing homes across Pennsylvania. Given the complex regulatory and funding environments, with significant variations across regions, we performed a comparative efficiency analysis using DEA across three Pennsylvania regions: West, East, and Central. Once we identified the sources of inefficiency, we suggested actionable solutions to improve these facilities. We further utilized ML techniques to predict efficiency of nursing homes. Our results showed that the number of citations, complaints, COVID-19 cases, and COVID-19 related deaths as critical factors affecting nursing home efficiency. Comprehensive approaches to address these factors include refining staff training programs, adopting regular feedback mechanisms, enhancing regulatory compliance, strengthening infection control practices, and managing resources effectively. These measures are vital for improving the quality of care and operational efficiency in nursing homes.

With the proliferation of financial technology (Fintech), financial services are becoming an integral part of our lives. We are gradually transitioning from a cash-based payment system to a digital payment system. However, this shift has been limited by people’s intentions. Drawing on the expectation confirmation model and the electronic service quality model, this paper investigates the continuance intention (CI) of mobile banking (MB) as a Fintech product. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design and purposive sampling technique to collect data from 301 MB users. Data analysis was conducted using partial least square structural equation modeling and artificial neural network techniques. The results indicate that confirmation significantly influences perceived usefulness (PU) and satisfaction. Additionally, mobile banking service quality (MB-SQ) significantly impacts both confirmation and satisfaction, while PU and satisfaction significantly influence CI. Mediational analysis revealed that confirmation partially mediates the relationship between MB-SQ and satisfaction. These findings could encourage Fintech service providers and researchers to focus on MB-SQ as a critical variable for promoting continued usage. MB service providers could gain insights into designing strategies to enhance service quality and attract more customers. To the best of researchers’ knowledge, this paper is among the earliest to incorporate MB-SQ into the existing expectation confirmation model.

Robot perception is an important topic in artificial intelligence field, and tactile recognition in particular is indispensable for human–computer interaction. Efficiently classifying data obtained by touch sensors has long been an issue. In recent years, spiking neural networks (SNNs) have been widely used in tactile data categorisation due to their temporal information processing benefits, low power consumption, and high biological dependability. However, traditional SNN classification methods often encounter under‐convergence when using membrane potential representation, decreasing their classification accuracy. Meanwhile, due to the time‐discrete nature of SNN models, classification requires a significant time overhead, which restricts their real‐time tactile sensing application potential. Considering these concerns, the authors propose a faster and more accurate SNN tactile classification approach using improved membrane potential representation. This method effectively overcomes model convergence problems by optimising the membrane potential expression and the relationship between the loss function and network parameters while significantly reducing the time overhead and enhancing the classification accuracy and robustness of the model. The experimental results show that the propose approach improves the classification accuracy by 4.16% and 2.71% and reduces the overall time by 8.00% and 8.14% on the EvTouch‐Containers dataset and EvTouch‐Objects dataset, respectively, when compared with existing models.

This study investigates the effects of issue framing on public support for programs encouraging farmer adoption of soil health practices. While extensive research exists on farmer adoption of best soil management practices, this study uniquely examines public willingness to support such initiatives. Using data from a survey of Oklahoma residents, we assess the public’s attitudes concerning hypothetical programs supporting farmer adoption of soil health practices to control soil erosion, sequester carbon, and retain moisture. Three implementation methods were considered and framed as voluntary adoption, subsidies, and mandatory. The results indicate a strong public preference for voluntary adoption over subsidized or mandated practices. Additionally, support varies with demographic factors; older individuals, those who perceive political consensus on climate change, and those with pro-environmental values are more likely to support soil health adoption by producers. These findings provide insights into aligning conservation policies with public preferences concerning producer uptake of soil health practices and promoting sustainable agricultural outcomes.

The effects of D1-V185T and D1-V185N mutations in Photosystem II (PSII) from Thermosynechococcus vestitus (formerly T. elongatus ) and Synechocystis 6803, respectively, were studied using both EPR and optical kinetics. EPR spectroscopy reveals the presence of a mixture of a S 2 state in a high spin configuration (S 2 HS ) and in a low spin configuration (S 2 LS ) in both mutants. In contrast to the S 2 HS in the wild type, the S 2 HS state in the D1-V185T mutant does not progress to the S 3 state at 198 K. This inability is likely due to alterations in the protonation state and hydrogen-bonding network around the Mn 4 CaO 5 cluster. Optical studies show that these mutations significantly affect proton release during the S 3 -to-S 0 transition. While the initial fast proton release associated with Tyr Z ● formation remains unaffected within the resolution of our measurements, the second, and slower, proton release is delayed, suggesting that the mutations disrupt the hydrogen-bonding interactions necessary for efficient deprotonation of substrate water (O6). This disruption in proton transfer also correlates with slower water exchange in the S 3 state, likely due to non-native hydrogen bonds introduced by the threonine or asparagine side chains at position 185. These findings point to a critical role of D1-V185 in regulating both proton transfer dynamics and water binding, underscoring a complex interplay between structural and functional changes in PSII.

East Coast fever is a tick-borne theileriosis caused by Theileria parva, a protozoan parasite with the primary vector being the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This disease poses significant challenges in sub-Saharan Africa, leading to severe economic losses by causing the death of over one million livestock annually. Current control measures include vector control with acaricides and the “infection and treatment” method, which involves immunization with live sporozoites of the pathogen and treatment with long acting oxytetracycline. Despite their effectiveness, these methods face scalability and usability issues, necessitating the development of new prevention strategies, particularly in the field of vaccines for the effective and sustainable control of East Coast fever. In this primer focus, East Coast fever serves as a case study to highlight recent concepts and advancements in tick and tick-borne disease vaccine research. Vaccine design and evaluation processes are reviewed, encompassing the utilization of omics datasets and knowledge on vectors and pathogens, and exploring new design methods, such as quantum vaccinomics and messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines. Key limitations and areas requiring further research are addressed, including insufficient understanding of host–pathogen molecular interactions, the impact of post-translational modifications, and vaccine efficacy variability across different trials. Additionally, new research objectives are proposed to address East Coast fever but with possible impact on other tick-borne diseases. It includes advancing knowledge on tick–pathogen–host molecular interactions, studying tick microbiota, developing novel design approaches, such as combining tick and pathogen epitopes in chimeric vaccines (exemplified by the q38–p67c case), and exploring new immunological enhancers and delivery platforms. Graphical Abstract

We examine the impact of Hurricane Ian on food retail sales and consumer spending behavior in Florida. We show how shopping patterns evolved before and during the hurricane across 10 food and beverage categories, with significant stockpiling for commercially prepared foods, beverages, and meats/eggs/nuts categories. Using debit card data, we show that card spending peaked at general retail stores 5 days before the hurricane and then shifted to convenience and grocery stores. Our findings highlight the need for better stockpiling guidelines and supply chain solutions during extreme weather events, which are expected to increase due to climate change.

In turfgrass breeding, drought resistance is a primary trait for improvement due to scarcity and reduced quality of water for irrigation. Therefore, in 2010, the turfgrass breeding programs at six public universities joined efforts to address these challenges by cross evaluating breeding lines for the most economically significant warm‐season turfgrass species in the southern United States through a United States Department of Agriculture‐National Institute for Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative funded project. Three breeding cycles were associated with three completed (2010–2014, 2014–2019, and 2019–2024) collaborative grant projects, but the efficiency of this partnership in terms of gains from selection has not been measured. Our objectives were to (1) estimate the expected and realized genetic gain for drought resistance and turfgrass quality for three breeding cycles, (2) compare cultivars developed with support of the projects versus standard cultivars in a historical data analysis, and (3) compare genetic gain for traits assessed visually versus using small unmanned aircraft systems imagery, both in drought and non‐drought environments. For these purposes, historical data were investigated with a retrospective analysis of project trials evaluated 2011–2024. Our findings for the realized genetic gain demonstrated progress in enhancing drought resistance in bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, seashore paspalum, and zoysiagrass. In addition, notable positive increments for this trait were documented for each cycle compared to the standard cultivars, particularly in bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass. While heritability was higher for visually assessed traits, genetic increments were more pronounced for imagery‐assessed traits.

Patterns of change in self-regulation from the ages of 2.5 to 12 years were modeled using repeated measures of self-regulation for a sample of 399 African American (n = 180, 45%) and Latinx (n = 219, 55%) children from families experiencing low income. Measures included both direct assessment and parent report. Results confirmed four components of self-regulation: working memory, inhibitory control, complex response inhibition, and set shifting. Furthermore, these components of self-regulation were more differentiated at younger ages but grew increasingly integrated as children developed. During early childhood, Latinx children displayed greater levels of working memory and higher levels of inhibitory control, and African American children displayed greater complex response inhibition and set shifting, but these ethnic differences reversed by early elementary school. By late middle childhood, ethnic differences in self-regulation had virtually disappeared altogether. Few differences by child gender or family poverty status were identified. Recommendations are provided to facilitate the modeling of self-regulation over extended periods of development including (a) utilizing measures that overlap time points, (b) standardizing the measurement scales, and (c) utilizing a flexible latent variable model.

The ability to achieve independent complex amplitude control across multiple channels can significantly increase the information capacity of photonic devices. Diffraction inherently holds numerous channels, which are good candidates for dense light manipulation in angular space. However, no convenient method is currently available for attaining this. Here, a flexible interference approach utilizing silicon‐based transmission‐type heterogeneous‐gradient supercell metasurfaces is proposed. By simply designing the phases of the meta‐atoms’ radiations within a supercell, the complex amplitude of each diffraction channel can be individually and analytically controlled. Crucially, the complex amplitudes of multiple diffraction channels can be simultaneously controlled in a non‐interleaved manner, where the number of channels is determined by the number of effective adjusting degrees of freedom (DoF). As a proof‐of‐concept validation, several meta‐devices are experimentally demonstrated in the terahertz regime, which can generate multiple vortex beams, focal points, and splitting beams in different desired diffraction angles. This advancement heralds a new pathway for the development of multifunctional photonic devices with enhanced channel capacity, offering significant potential for both research and practical applications in photonics.

Combating climate change and reducing CO2 emissions are essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals within a sustainable development framework. Various factors, such as institutional quality, affect environmental quality, and quantifying this linkage can lead to appropriate policy-making aimed at reducing pollution. The present study provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of institutional quality on CO2 emissions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at both the aggregate (institutional quality) and disaggregate levels (corruption control, government effectiveness, political stability, violence and terrorism, regulatory quality, rule of law, voice, and accountability). This study analyzes data from 1996 to 2018 using Driscoll-Kraay and Newey-West standard error approaches to assess the impact of various factors on environmental quality. The findings reveal that GDP, non-renewable energy consumption, and trade activities have a significant negative effect on the environment. In contrast, oil prices, renewable energy, and foreign direct investment (FDI) help reduce CO2 emissions in the long run. Institutional quality and its other five indices, except for political stability and the absence of violence/terrorism, are found to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the region. Furthermore, the Dumitrescu and Hurlin Granger non-causality model reveals bidirectional causal relationships between GDP, renewable and non-renewable energies, trade, FDI, and institutional quality with CO2 emissions. Reducing emissions in the MENA region can be achieved by promoting green economic growth, developing renewable energy and energy efficiency industries, investing in low-carbon infrastructure, and directing FDI toward sustainable projects.

Despite the importance of students exploring career options, developing career readiness, and experiencing a successful transition to the workforce, historically excluded populations’ participation in career development remains low. Additionally, career development professionals continue to feel unsupported in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and in incorporating DEI in their respective roles. This multicase study uncovers a mirage approach to the work of career development professionals, providing opportunities to engage in this work, yet largely leaving DEI work unsupported in their quest to incorporate it into their spaces. Results indicate the larger impacts of navigating a lack of support as well as the oppressive intuitional structures that persist while engaging in DEI pedagogy and praxis.

The field of technical textiles has grown significantly during the last two decades, with a focus on functionality rather than aesthetics. However, the advancement of NanoFusion technology provides a novel potential to combine better functionality and aesthetic value in textile finishes. NanoFusion incorporates nanoparticles into textile treatments to improve waterproofing, stain resistance, durability, and breathability. This is performed without affecting the textile's visual appeal or aesthetics and may even improve them. This textile finishing revolution is expected to impact industries such as athletics, outdoor clothing, car upholstery, and luxury fashion. It offers cutting‐edge functionality while maintaining style and design integrity. Furthermore, the use of nanoparticle textile coatings opens up new opportunities for personalization and modification. Manufacturers and designers can now experiment with different color combinations, patterns, and textured finishes while maintaining performance characteristics. NanoFusion technology has the potential to transform the textile industry by providing hitherto unattainable levels of performance and aesthetics. This study reviews the current state of the art in nanofinishes for garment textiles, focusing on their many varieties, techniques, mechanisms, and applications. In addition, it addresses significant concerns such as sustainability and the environmental footprint, paving the way for a new era in textile manufacturing.

Predators can alter the movement of nutrients through ecosystems by depositing waste products following predation. Whilst the benefits of predator waste for large predators (e.g. bears) or dense accumulations of predators (e.g. seabirds on islands) seem clear, less is known about whether smaller, solitary predators can have measurable effects on local ecosystem processes. In separate experiments with web‐building and wandering spiders, we tested if the presence of predators affected soil nutrient content, soil respiration, soil microbial communities, and plant growth. In the first experiment with black widow spiders, total nitrogen and nitrate were not affected by spider presence, but ammonia and phosphorus were higher from soil under the edge of the spider web than soil away from the spider. Soil respiration and plant growth were both higher in soil collected from under the spider retreat compared with soil collected away from the spider web. In a second experiment with wolf spiders, we tested for interactions between spiders and soil microbial communities. There were positive effects of wolf spider presence on all soil nutrients and there were interactions between spiders and soil type (i.e. field‐collected versus autoclaved) for total carbon, total nitrogen, nitrate, and pH. Spider presence and soil type also affected soil respiration and spider presence had a large effect on the composition of the microbial community of the soil. There were also positive effects of wolf spider presence on plant biomass and plant height, with a significant interaction between spiders and soil type for plant height. Overall, our results show that two spiders with different life histories (i.e. web‐building and wandering) both have significant positive effects on plant growth through the deposition of their waste products. These effects may occur through the direct deposition of nutrients and changes in soil microbial communities. Although, further work is needed to resolve these interactions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.