哈雷-维滕贝格大学

The belief in a just world has been shown to serve adaptive psychological functions and has been linked to better subjective well-being. Cognitive emotion regulation strategies, such as positive reappraisal and putting adverse events into perspective, can likewise support subjective well-being by helping individuals reframe emotionally challenging experiences. The present study examined the concurrent relationships between belief in a just world, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and subjective well-being for the first time in higher education within individualistic versus collectivist cultures. A total of N = 1,051 university students participated in an online survey conducted in two countries. Structural equation modeling indicated a different understanding of the psychological constructs for this educational context within different cultures. However, in both samples, consistent positive relationships emerged between belief in a just world, adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and subjective well-being. In contrast, three maladaptive strategies demonstrated either negative or no relationships with belief in a just world and well-being. These findings suggest that belief in a just world and adaptive regulation strategies may jointly support psychological adjustment across cultural contexts. The observed empirical patterns align with theoretical expectations and offer initial cross-cultural insights into the interplay of justice beliefs, emotion regulation, and well-being. These results may inform culturally sensitive interventions aimed at enhancing well-being in university settings.

Soil moisture (SM) is a key parameter for irrigation monitoring, scheduling, and supporting precision agriculture. In this study, we used Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical data to estimate SM at high spatial resolution (20 m) in the Lower Chenab Canal Command (LCC) area of Punjab, Pakistan. To achieve this, we applied a semiempirical water cloud model (WCM) using both the VV and VH polarizations from SAR data. Additionally, two widely used machine learning (ML) models, random forest (RF) and support vector machines (SVM), were employed to estimate SM at the field scale. To assess model reliability and transferability, reference data from two field sites were split using two approaches: (1) stratified random sampling, with 50

We assessed how microtopography, soil properties and edge proximity relate to long-term taxonomic and functional vegetation change in species-rich dry grasslands in Central Germany. Specifically, we tested whether (i) taxonomic turnover is primarily associated with slope‒aspect variation, (ii) community-weighted functional-type metrics capture change more consistently than single leaf traits and (iii) soil‒topography interactions are associated with functional reorganisation. We analysed resurvey data from rocky porphyry outcrops spanning gradients in slope, aspect, soil depth, soil chemistry and texture, as well as the distance to adjacent arable fields. We modelled Bray‒Curtis taxonomic turnover and Euclidean change in community-weighted means (life forms, longevity classes, Grime strategy types, LDMC, SLA and Ellenberg Indicator Value summaries) using Boosted Regression Trees with measured environmental predictors. Model performance was evaluated by cross-validation and interactions were explored using partial dependence plots. Taxonomic turnover was most strongly associated with slope and aspect, whereas soil properties and edge proximity had lower influence. Turnover peaked on flatter, non-south-facing microsites, particularly where soils had lower C/N ratios, indicating concentrated change in intermediate (‚mesic‘) positions within the outcrop gradients. Functional change was captured more consistently by aggregated functional-type metrics than by single traits or Ellenberg-based change metrics. Several functional responses showed non-additive patterns, most notably a pH × C/N interaction linked to overall functional change and additional soil‒topography combinations affecting selected functional components. Vegetation change in the porphyry hillscape is structured by microtopographic gradients, with soil properties and their interactions contributing to functional reorganisation. Transitional microsites on the outcrops represent hotspots of turnover, and aggregated functional-type change metrics provide a complementary, community-level perspective alongside species-based assessments.

The scientific system currently faces several challenges, such as paper mills, citation manipulation, and discussions about reforming the peer review process. In this opinion paper, I argue that an additional, largely overlooked problem is emerging: a sharp increase in annual manuscript submissions that exceeds editors’ and reviewers’ capacity to evaluate scientific work with sufficient care. Based on personal observations and conversations conducted in 2025, I describe a substantial rise in submissions to individual journals, despite the rapid emergence of new journals. I outline several factors that have accelerated the pace of behavioral science research, including advances in the automation of behavioral science, the growing availability of large real-world datasets, and the widespread adoption of large language models for writing manuscripts. I argue that the current submission crisis is driven primarily by the latter, resulting in a growing number of polished-looking submissions that provide little empirical evidence and place increasing strain on editors and reviewers. I discuss the implications of rising submission volumes for editors, reviewers, and early-career researchers and distinguish between a present submission crisis characterized by superficial contributions and a potential future crisis driven by actually accelerated scientific progress due to the automation of behavioral science. I hope that this opinion paper will spark discussions and research on this topic, eventually providing new solutions, such as the adoption of artificial intelligence tools to support workflows for editors and reviewers.

BACKGROUND:We aimed to conduct an individual patient data meta-analysis on blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) in ischemic stroke (IS) to enhance its clinical applicability. METHODS:We performed a systematic literature search of studies on blood NfL measured in adult patients within 30 days after IS onset and derived age- and BMI-adjusted Z-scores based on a previously published reference population of healthy controls. We collected clinical, radiological and biochemical parameters of IS patients and tested associations of NfL at defined timepoints after IS onset (D1: < 24 h; D2: 24-48 h; D3: 48-72 h; D4-5: 72-120 h; D6-7: 120-168 h; D8-30: > 168 h) with baseline characteristics and 3-month follow-up outcomes (modified Rankin Scale, mRS; survival). RESULTS:We included 4081 blood NfL values from 2872 participants (IS n = 1985, transient ischemic attack n = 88, healthy controls n = 799) of 18 published studies and 3 unpublished cohorts. In patients with IS, NfL Z-score progressively increased from D1 [median: 2.0 (IQR: 0.9-2.9)] to D6-7 [median: 3.5 (IQR: 3.0-3.8)], with discriminative ability being high for IS vs. controls (AUC: 0.79-0.97) and fair for IS vs. TIA (AUC: 0.64-0.80). Higher NfL Z-score at D1 was associated with greater risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (aOR = 1.33, p = 0.014) and, from D2 onwards, with larger infarct lesion volume (highest Spearman's rho: 0.795 at D6-7). NfL independently predicted a mRS > 2 (aOR = 1.31, p < 0.001) and mortality (aOR = 1.67, p < 0.001) at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS:Blood NfL level was progressively elevated after IS, could discriminate IS from healthy controls with high accuracy and had prognostic value for intra-hospital complications and 3-month clinical outcomes in IS.