Does the promotion of leisure reading still exist in academic libraries? A closer look of reading programs in Philippine universities

This exploratory study examined the status of reading programs of top Philippine universities cited in the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, including universities with ‘reporter’ status. Specifically, the researchers uncovered whether academic libraries still provide programs encouraging reading in their communities. If they are providing such programs, what strategies did they employ, and what are some lessons learned that other academic libraries could learn from them? If reading programs are not apparent, will they still be considered in future library programming? This research will be significant to library managers and programming librarians as they can reflect on and evaluate their current library programs, specifically reading programs, as they navigate the post-pandemic future. The research will remind them of the libraries’ critical role in creating a nation of responsible and analytical readers. The findings of the study will also benefit the library and information science professional associations and partner organizations related to reading advocacy for them to develop evidence-based programs and find solutions to issues surrounding reading program initiatives in academic libraries

Distinctive class of dissipation-induced phase transitions and their universal characteristics

Coupling a system to a nonthermal environment can profoundly affect the phase diagram of the closed system, giving rise to a special class of dissipation-induced phase transitions. Such transitions take the system out of its ground state and stabilize a higher-energy stationary state, rendering it the sole attractor of the dissipative dynamics. In this paper, we present a unifying methodology, which we use to characterize this ubiquitous phenomenology and its implications for the open system dynamics. Specifically, we analyze the closed system's phase diagram, including symmetry-broken phases, and explore their corresponding excitations' spectra. Opening the system, the environment can overwhelm the system's symmetry-breaking tendencies, and changes its order parameter. As a result, isolated distinct phases of similar order become connected, and new phase-costability regions appear. Interestingly, the excitations differ in the newly connected regions through a change in their symplectic norm, which is robust to the introduction of dissipation. As a result, by tuning the system from one phase to the other across the dissipation-stabilized region, the open system fluctuations exhibit an exceptional pointlike scenario, where the fluctuations become overdamped, only to reappear with an opposite sign in the dynamical response function of the system. The overdamped region is also associated with squeezing of the fluctuations. We demonstrate the pervasive nature of such dissipation-induced phenomena in two prominent examples, namely, in parametric resonators and in light-matter systems. Our work draws a crucial distinction between quantum phase transitions and their zero-temperature open system counterparts.ISSN:2643-156

Gelatin/nano-hydroxyapatite hydrogel scaffold prepared by sol-gel technology as filler to repair bone defects

This study reports on the development of a scaffold with a gradient of bioactive solid signal embedded in the biodegradable polymer matrix by combining a sol–gel approach and freeze-drying technology. The chemical approach based on the sol–gel transition of calcium phosphates ensures the particles dispersion into the gelatin matrix and a direct control of interaction among COOHgelatin/Ca2+ ions. Morphological analysis demonstrated that on the basis of the amount of inorganic component and by using specific process conditions, it is possible to control the spatial distribution of nanoparticles around the gelatin helix. In fact, methodology and formulations were able to discriminate between the different hydroxyapatite concentrations and their respective morphology. The good biological response represented by good cell attachment, proliferation and increased levels of alkaline phosphatase as an indicator of osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells toward the osteogenic lineage, demonstrating the effect of bioactive solid signals on cellular behavior. Furthermore, the inhibition of reactive oxygen species production by composite materials predicted potential anti-inflammatory properties of scaffolds thus confirming their biocompatibility. Indeed, these interesting biological results suggest good potential application of this scaffold as filler to repair bone defects. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2007–2019, 2018

Calixpyrrole Derivatives: “Multi Hydrogen Bond” Catalysts for γ-Butenolide Synthesis

Calix[4]pyrrole (1), calix[2]m-benzo[4]pyrrole (2), 10α,20β- and 10α,20α- bis(4-nitrophenyl)-calix[4]pyrroles 3 and 4, respectively, were found to exhibit various organocatalytic activities in the diastereoselective vinylogous addition reaction of 2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran (TMSOF, 7) to aldehydes. The γ-hydroxybutenolide products are obtained in fairly good yields and with moderate diastereoselectivity. The structures of the catalysts, as well as the reaction conditions, strongly influence the efficiency of the reaction