bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strongly intermittent far scrape-off layer fluctuations in Alcator C-Mod plasmas close to the empirical discharge density limit
Authors: Ahmed Sajidah , Erik Garcia Odd , Q Kuang Adam , LaBombard Brian , L Terry James , Theodorsen Audun
Published: August 2023

Intermittent plasma fluctuations in the boundary region of the Alcator C-Mod device were comprehensively investigated using data time-series from gas puff imaging and mirror Langmuir probe diagnostics. Fluctuations were sampled during stationary plasma conditions in ohmically heated, lower single null diverted configurations with scans in both line-averaged density and plasma current, with Greenwald density fractions up to 0.85. Utilizing a stochastic model, we describe the plasma fluctuations as a super-position of uncorrelated pulses, with large-amplitude events corresponding to blob-like filaments moving through the scrape-off layer (SOL). A deconvolution method is used to estimate the pulse arrival times and amplitudes. The analysis reveals a significant increase of pulse amplitudes and waiting times as the line-averaged density approaches the empirical discharge density limit. Broadened and flattened average radial profiles are thus accompanied by strongly intermittent and large-amplitude fluctuations. Although these filaments are arriving less frequently at high line-averaged densities, we show that there are significant increases in radial far-SOL particle and heat fluxes which will further enhance plasma–wall interactions. The stochastic model has been used as a framework for study of the scalings in the intermittency parameter, flux and mean amplitude and waiting times, and is being used to inform predictive capability for the effects of filamentary transport as a function of Greenwald fraction.
Homoepitaxial growth of
1ˉ02
β-Ga2O3 by halide vapor phase epitaxy
Authors: Oshima Yuichi , Oshima Takayoshi
Published: August 2023

We demonstrated halide vapor phase epitaxy of β-Ga2O3 on a native

1
ˉ

02

substrate, which should be scalable and useful for the formation of vertical fins and trenches with smooth (100)-faceted sidewalls using plasma-free microfabrication techniques, e.g., selective area growth and gas etching, for use in power device applications. No misoriented domains were detected in the epiwafer during x-ray pole figure measurements. The full width at half maximum values of the x-ray rocking curves of the epiwafer were virtually the same as those of the bare substrate. No domain boundaries were found using scanning transmission electron microscopy at the film/substrate interface. The growth rate was as high as 23 μm h−1, which was comparable to the rate for a (001) epilayer that was grown simultaneously.
Tunable electromechanical properties of double-layer stacked anisotropic dielectric elastomer actuators
Authors: Zuo Yuchen , Zhang Junshi , Liu Lei , Zhu Jihong , Zhang Weihong
Published: August 2023

The current reported anisotropic dielectric elastomer (DE) actuators have some potential limitations for widespread application, such as the inability to adjust the anisotropic direction, and the related relatively complicated fabrication process. In this work, we propose a method to realize tunable direction and magnitude of electromechanical deformation of DE membranes. Two sheets of unequal-biaxial prestretched VHB 4905 membranes are attached at different rotation angles, forming an anisotropic DE actuator (DEA) with utilization of carbon grease electrodes. Experimental results demonstrate that, the direction and magnitude of the voltage-induced displacement of DEs is adjustable by tuning the unequal-biaxial prestretch ratio and rotation angle. In addition, the dielectric constant and maximum displacement at breakdown of the anisotropic DEA are also related to the rotation angle. The designed anisotropic DEA realizes the diversity of electromechanical actuation in both the planar 2D and the spatial 3D structures, which can be utilized to help design the practical soft actuators.
Effective suppression of dark counts in superconducting microstructures with grid of pinholes in a magnetic field
Authors: Zhu Dong , Charaev Ilya , Schilling Andreas
Published: August 2023

In a magnetic field, vortices significantly contribute to the dark counts of single-photon detectors made of superconducting wires, and they are also limiting the critical current of such devices. To address this issue, we prepared superconducting microwires with a pinhole grid from WSi thin films and report on corresponding critical-current and count-rate measurements in an external magnetic field B. When compared to corresponding devices without pinholes, the critical current only weakly depends on the magnetic field at B < 16 mT and it is even larger already at B > 10 mT. Moreover, dark counts are not only suppressed in zero field, but particularly in magnetic fields B < 16 mT, while photon counts are virtually field insensitive in the same range of the magnetic field.
Investigation of dark count rate in NbRe microstrips for single photon detection
Authors: Ercolano P , Cirillo C , Ejrnaes M , Chianese F , Salvoni D , Bruscino C , Satariano R , Cassinese A , Attanasio C , Pepe G P , Parlato L
Published: August 2023

Superconducting microstrip single photon detectors (SMSPDs) received great interest since they are expected to combine the excellent performance of superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors with the possibility to cover large active areas using low-cost fabrication techniques. In this work, we fabricated SMSPDs based on NbRe to investigate the role of vortices in the dark counts events in this innovative material and in devices with micrometer size. We realized devices with different layouts, namely single microstrips and pairs of parallel microstrips. The energy barriers related to the motion of single vortices or vortex–antivortex pairs, responsible of detection events, have been determined and compared with the ones of similar devices based on different materials, such as MoSi, WSi and NbN. The analysis confirms the high potential of NbRe for the realization of superconducting single photon detectors with large areas.
Spin-fluctuation glue disfavors high-critical temperature of superconductivity?
Authors: Yamase Hiroyuki
Published: August 2023

Antiferromagnetic fluctuations are believed to be a promising glue to drive high-temperature superconductivity especially in cuprates. Here, we perform a close inspection of the superconducting mechanism from spin fluctuations in the Eliashberg framework by employing a typical one-band model on a square lattice. While spin fluctuations can eventually drive superconductivity as is well established, we find that the superconducting tendency is suppressed substantially by a seemingly negligible contribution from a small momentum transfer far away from

(
π
,
π
)

. This suppression comes from phase frustration of the pairing gap and is expected to be a general feature due to the repulsive pairing interaction of spin fluctuations. Furthermore, we find that the momentum dependence of the pairing gap largely deviates from the functional form of

cos

k
x

−
cos

k
y

, although this form is well established in cuprate superconductors. We argue that an instantaneous magnetic interaction plays the important role to understand high-critical temperature of superconductivity as well as the momentum dependence of the pairing gap.
The impact of Sm substitution on structural and optical properties of LaFeO3: their application as a photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation
Authors: Raslan W S , Makram N , Adam A
Published: August 2023

The objective of the present study is to enhance the photocatalytic activity of LaFeO3 by inserting Sm ions on the La site for the degradation of methylene blue. We employed citric sol–gel techniques to produce ultrafine powders of the La1-xSmxFeO3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) nanoperovskite samples. All samples confirmed the presence of a pure Pbnm orthorhombic phase structure. The decrease of lattice constants, crystallite sizes and cell volumes, and increase in microstrains suggest a deformation of the structure due to the addition of Sm ion on the La site of the La1-xSmxFeO3. The images of HR-TEM and FE-SEM for all samples revealed a homogeneous distribution of almost spherical nanoparticles, with decreasing average particle sizes ranging from 49.95 ± 3.12 to 34.28 ± 4.38 nm, as Sm ratios increases from 0.0 to 0.5%. The spectra of FTIR confirmed the formation of a Lax-1SmxFeO3 perovskite phase by the appearance of lower frequency bands Fe–O-Fe and La-O-La at ∼ 400 cm−1 and a higher absorption band Fe -O and La -O at ∼ 564 cm−1. The Raman spectra were employed to investigate the formation of phonon modes of La1-xSmxFeO3. Diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) demonstrated the decrease of energy gap (Eg) values from 2.38 to 1.86 eV and the increase in Sm content from 0.0 to 0.5%. Since these Eg values fall within the visible light region, the photocatalytic activity of La1-xSmxFeO3 samples demonstrated a gradual increase in the degradation ratio of MB from 31.7 to 73.2% with increasing Sm content from 0.0 to 0.5%, respectively, under visible light illumination.
Conversion of waste PET into triazines-incorporated polyols and flame-retardant polyurethane foams
Authors: Kuang Rui , Duan Qian , Kuang Xuan
Published: August 2023

Preparation of flame retardant rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) from sustainable material sources like recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) remains a challenge due to the difficulty in controlling the synthesis of polyols with flame retardant functionalities. Here, we propose a method for converting rPET into a polyester-amide-ether oligools incorporated flame retardant triazine-ring through the partial codepolymerization of rPET by 1,3,5-tris(hydroxymethyl isocyanurate (THMI), ethanolamine, and diethylene glycol, followed by linking oligools into polyols with phthalic anhydride. THMI was synthesized through nucleophilic additions of formaldehyde with isocyanuric acid. The codepolymerization and linking were carried out using a one-pot method. Single-factor experiments were implemented to optimize the process parameters such as reacting temperature and time. The L9 (43) orthogonal experiments were employed to systematically investigate the influence of the dosages of four raw materials on the performance of the synthesized polyols. Based on the range analysis of acid value, hydroxyl value, and viscosity of the synthesized polyols, the optimized polyol was synthesized as a candidate for preparing flame retardant RPUFs. Results demonstrated that the obtained RPUF derived from the optimized polyol could achieve a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 30.3% when mixed with phosphorous-containing flame-retardant DCPP, meeting the national standard of combustible stage B1.The high flame retardancy RPUF obtained from an rPET-based polyol with a triazine ring represents a novel and practical method of preparation, providing new insights into the optimization of synthesis parameters across multiple factors and levels.
Enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of nanostructured SiO2-TiO2 thin films through optimizing thickness
Authors: Darvish Samira Mohammad , Masoudi Amir Ali , Mortezaali Abdollah , Hosseini Zahra Sadat
Published: August 2023

Thin films of silicon dioxide-titanium dioxide (SiO2-TiO2) with different thicknesses were deposited by a simple dip-coating method in a repetition behavior followed by heating processes. Choosing the optimum thickness is accounted as an approach for improving photocatalytic and hydrophilicity properties of a thin film. The obtained results from FESEM and AFM characterizations showed that with increasing thickness, the surface roughness increases from 3.089 nm to 132.8 nm. The XRD patterns indicate the presence of anatase phase for the SiO2-TiO2 thin film. Optical measurements were used to calculate thickness, generation rate of photocarriers, band gap, and refractive index of the samples. Decrease of band gap with increasing thickness makes the layer more proper for photocatalytic activity under visible light. It is obtained that the generation rate of carriers has the highest value (17.16 × 1024 m−3s−1) for the thickness of 336 nm. PL spectra for the thickness of 336 nm confirmed the presence of defects which reduce the recombination rate and improve charge carrier separation. XPS was used to distinguish the chemical composition. Variation of defect concentrations, number of grain boundaries, and surface roughness with thickness were considered as the main parameters affecting the photocatalytic performance. The highest photodegradation was obtained for 336 nm thick film under illumination of visible light (100% degradation of 40 ml solution of 10 mg l−1 methylene blue (MB)). This research provides a systematic study on the structural and optical properties of the different thick SiO2-TiO2 films with goal of enhancing photocatalytic activity in the visible light region.
Complete separation of variables in the geodesic Hamilton-Jacobi equation in four dimensions
Authors: Katanaev M O
Published: August 2023

We list all metrics of arbitrary signature in four dimensions which admit complete separation of variables in the Hamilton–Jacobi equation for geodesic Hamiltonians. There are only ten classes of separable metrics admitting Killing vector fields, indecomposable quadratic conservation laws, and coisotropic coordinates. Canonical separable metrics parameterized by several (up to twelve) arbitrary functions of single coordinates are written explicitly. The full set of independent conservation laws in involution for each canonical metrics is also found.
Parametric study of helicon wave current drive in CFETR
Authors: Wu Xianshu , Li Jingchun , Chen Jiale , Xu Guosheng , Dong Jiaqi , Wang Zhanhui , Sun Aiping , Zhong Wulv
Published: August 2023

This paper evaluates the feasibility of helicon current drive (HCD) in a hybrid scenario for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). Utilizing the GENRAY/CQL3D package, a large number of simulations (over 5000) were conducted, with parametric scans in the antenna’s poloidal position, launched parallel refractive index (n||
), and wave frequency. The analysis reveals that helicon has excellent accessibility under reactor-level conditions, and smaller n||
and higher wave frequency result in enhanced wave absorption. The simulations demonstrate an optimal launched n||
of approximately 1.6 for the CFETR hybrid scenario, with helicon achieving a maximum drive efficiency of 2.8 × 1019 A·W−1·m−2. The best launch position is found to be within a poloidal angle range of 25 degrees to 65 degrees. Additionally, it is preferable to have a narrow n||
spectrum for wave absorption when operating below the threshold value of Δn||
(∼0.6), beyond which the effect of Δn||
on wave absorption is negligible. This study provides valuable insights into the potential application of HCD in CFETR.
XUV plasmonic waveguides by near-zero index heterostructures
Authors: Assogna Luca , Ferrante Carino , Ciattoni Alessandro , Marini Andrea
Published: August 2023

The lack of transmissive photonic components in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) constitutes a challenge for micro/nano-metric confinement. Here, we theoretically design a novel approach to attain XUV radiation guidance based on the electromagnetic properties of titanium–aluminum–titanium heterostructures in such a spectral domain. We show that, thanks to the near-zero-index properties of aluminum and titanium, XUV radiation can couple efficiently with plasma oscillations in such heterostructures, enabling the excitation of several distinct plasmon polariton modes. Our predictions, based on the semi-analytical solution of fully vectorial Maxwell’s equations, indicate that the dispersion profile of plasmon polariton modes can get efficiently modulated by the aluminum thickness, enabling nanometer confinement and micrometre propagation length. Moreover, we quantify the third-order nonlinearity enhancement factor, finding that it is resonant at the zero-index wavelength. Our results are promising for the development of future devices enabling advanced control and manipulation of XUV radiation.
Excitons in organic materials: revisiting old concepts with new insights
Authors: Valencia Ana M , Bischof Daniel , Anhäuser Sebastian , Zeplichal Marc , Terfort Andreas , Witte Gregor , Cocchi Caterina
Published: August 2023

The development of advanced experimental and theoretical methods for the characterization of excitations in materials enables revisiting established concepts that are sometimes misleadingly transferred from one field to another without the necessary disclaimers. This is precisely the situation that occurs for excitons in organic materials: different states of matter and peculiarities related to their structural arrangements and their environment may substantially alter the nature of the photo-induced excited states compared to inorganic semiconductors for which the concept of an exciton was originally developed. Adopting the examples of tetracene and perfluorotetracene, in this review, we analyze the nature of the excitations in the isolated compounds in solution, in the crystalline materials, and in melt. Using single crystals or films with large crystalline domains enables polarization-resolved optical absorption measurements, and thus the determination of the energy and polarization of different excitons. These experiments are complemented by state-of-the-art first-principles calculations based on density-functional theory and many-body perturbation theory. The employed methodologies offer unprecedented insight into the optical response of the systems, allowing us to clarify the single-particle character of the excitations in isolated molecules and the collective nature of the electron–hole pairs in the aggregated phases. Our results reveal that the turning point between these two scenarios is the quantum-mechanical interactions between the molecules: when their wave-function distributions and the Coulomb interactions among them are explicitly described in the adopted theoretical scheme, the excitonic character of the optical transitions can be captured. Semi-classical models accounting only for electrostatic couplings between the photo-activated molecules and their environment are unable to reproduce these effects. The outcomes of this work offer a deeper understanding of excitations in organic semiconductors from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.
Additive manufacturing of magnesium and its alloys: process-formability-microstructure-performance relationship and underlying mechanism
Authors: Sui Shang , Guo Shuai , Ma Dong , Guo Can , Wu Xiangquan , Zhang Zhongming , Xu Chunjie , Shechtman Dan , Remennik Sergei , Safranchik Daniel , Lapovok Rimma
Published: August 2023

Highlights

The process-formability-microstructure-performance relationship in additively manufactured Mg and its alloys was reviewed.

The underlying mechanisms behind defect formation, microstructure evolution and performance improvement were discussed.

A full chain development from raw materials to equipment and process was emphasized.
Laser patterning of large-scale perovskite single-crystal-based arrays for single-mode laser displays
Authors: Mao Wangqi , Li Haonan , Tang Bing , Zhang Chi , Liu Liang , Wang Pei , Dong Hongxing , Zhang Long
Published: August 2023

Highlights

Femtosecond-laser allows for high-precision, chemically clean, and repeatable fabrication.

Large perovskite single-crystal films improve the microcavity quality.

Low-threshold, narrow-linewidth perovskite microlaser arrays are realized.

Possibility of the single-mode microlasers for use as pixels is demonstrated.
Soft magnetic thin film deformation with a bistable electropermanent magnet
Authors: Keeys Nolen I. , Patel Dinesh K. , LeDuc Philip , Majidi Carmel
Published: August 2023

Physically soft magnetic materials (PSMMs) represent an emerging class of materials that can change shape or rheology in response to an external magnetic field. However, until now, no studies have investigated using an electropermanent magnet (EPM) and magnetic repulsion to magnetically deform PSMMs. Such capabilities would enable the ability to deform PSMMs without the need for continuous electrical input and produce PSMM film deformation without an air gap, as would be required with magnetic attraction. To address this, we introduce a PSMM-EPM architecture in which the shape of a soft deformable thin film is controlled by switching between bistable on/off states of the EPM circuit. We characterized the deflection of a PSMM thin film when placed at controlled distances normal to the surface of the EPM and compared its response for cases when the EPM is in the ‘on’ and ‘off’ states. This work is the first to demonstrate a magnetically repelled soft deformable thin film that achieves two electronically-controlled modes of deformation through the on and off states of an EPM. This work has the potential to advance the development of new magneto-responsive soft materials and systems.
Learning capacity and function of stochastic reaction networks
Authors: Ramezanpour Abolfazl , Mashaghi Alireza
Published: August 2023

Biochemical reaction networks are expected to encode an efficient representation of the function of cells in a variable environment. It is thus important to see how these networks do learn and implement such representations. The first step in this direction is to characterize the function and learning capabilities of basic artificial reaction networks. In this study, we consider multilayer networks of reversible reactions that connect two layers of signal and response species through an intermediate layer of hidden species. We introduce a stochastic learning algorithm that updates the reaction rates based on the correlation values between reaction products and responses. Our findings indicate that the function of networks with random reaction rates, as well as their learning capacity for random signal-response activities, are critically determined by the number of reactants and reaction products. Moreover, the stored patterns exhibit different levels of robustness and qualities as the reaction rates deviate from their optimal values in a stochastic model of defect evolution. These findings can help suggest network modules that are better suited to specific functions, such as amplifiers or dampeners, or to the learning of biologically relevant signal-response activities.
New Dubrovin-type integrability theory applications of differential rings
Authors: Artemovych Orest , Blackmore Denis , Kycia Radosław , Prykarpatski Anatolij
Published: August 2023

We present a new and effective approach to studying differential-algebraic relationships by means of specially constructed finitely-generated invariant subrings in differential rings. Based on their properties, we reanalyzed the Dubrovin integrability criterion for the Riemann type differential-functional constraints, perturbed by means of some elements from a suitably constructed differential ring. We also studied invariant finitely-generated ideals naturally related with constraints, generated by the corresponding Lie-algebraic endomorphic representations of derivations on differential ideals and which are equivalent to the corresponding differential-functional relationships on a generating function. The work in part generalizes the results devised before for proving integrability of the well known generalized hierarchy of the Riemann.
Non-abelian Painlevé systems with generalized Okamoto integral
Authors: Bobrova I. , Sokolov V.
Published: August 2023

We study non-abelian systems of Painlevé type. To derive them, we introduce an auxiliary autonomous system with the frozen independent variable and postulate its integrability in the sense of the existence of a non-abelian first integral that generalizes the Okamoto Hamiltonian. All non-abelian

P

6

−

P

2

P_{6}-P_{2}

-systems with such integrals are found. A coalescence limiting scheme is constructed for these non-abelian Painlevé systems. This allows us to construct an isomonodromic Lax pair for each of them.
Design Thinking in Business and Management: Research History, Themes, and Opportunities
Authors: Daymond Jarryd , Knight Eric
Published: August 2023

Design thinking is a human-centered, innovation-focused problem-solving approach that employs various tools and methods for creative purposes. It is a dynamic process and often prioritizes the needs and experiences of people while considering both technical and economic aspects of a solution. The prominence of design thinking in practice has seen its use move beyond product development teams to take a more central role in shaping how organizations approach problems, develop strategies, build capabilities, and drive cultural change. It is common for organizations to employ executives with a specific focus on design, and traditionally “nondesign” organizations increasingly build, buy, or borrow design capabilities. The utility of design thinking stretches beyond organizational outcomes, with educators and employers recognizing that understanding and proficiency in design thinking is a valuable and transferrable skill. A rich scholarly tradition in design sciences and engineering underpins design thinking. These traditions provide the foundational understandings of problem definition and need-finding, information gathering and analysis, and creative expression and ideation, from which design thinking gained prominence. Although not often acknowledged in contemporary scholarship, design thinking research builds on these traditions and offers unique perspectives on the practice of design thinking and its theoretical underpinnings: The cognitive perspective focuses on how unique ways of thinking shape the practice of design thinking; the instrumental perspective attends to how design thinking is done, including the methods or tools used in design thinking; and the organizational-level perspective concerns the implementation of design thinking in organizations and its influence on organizational culture and capabilities. While the various research traditions preceding design thinking are receiving greater attention in contemporary research, rich insights from these established fields offer deep theoretical knowledge to develop several promising research areas. These avenues for future research include how design thinking can inform the redevelopment of services and customer experiences, tackle societal challenges, and build capabilities to benefit communities and society more generally.
Queer Melodrama
Authors: Butcher-Spellman Cora
Published: August 2023

Queer melodrama utilizes and reimagines the conventions of melodrama to tell stories by, for, and/or about queer people. Melodrama has been studied by scholars of communication, especially scholars of media and rhetoric. Itis also a transdisciplinary area of study with scholars in film, literature, media studies, cultural studies, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies as well as disciplines associated with specific languages, cultures, geographies, and identities. The scholarship of queer melodrama coalesces around two primary areas of inquiry and research. First, queer melodrama scholarship engages substantially with the taxonomization and theorization of the genre. As a storytelling genre, melodrama appears in various types of media and rhetoric including film, television, literature, theater, and music. Scholars conceptualize the genre of queer melodrama in three main ways: generically in terms of characteristics, formulaically in terms of plot, and stylistically in terms of affect and aesthetic. Most definitions of melodrama focus on the portrayal of extreme emotions paired with a tragic climax—one ultimately resolved with a sudden, simple happy ending. Second, queer melodrama scholarship regularly grapples with the purposes, impacts, and weaknesses of the genre. Queer melodrama’s central purposes are storytelling, disruption, and critique. The genre has the potential to impact audiences by facilitating or encouraging emotional responses, awareness, empathy, hope, and imagination. While much queer melodrama scholarship focuses on defending the genre against dismissive, sexist criticism, scholars also critically examine the potentially negative and harmful political work of certain aspects or examples of queer melodrama. These scholarly critiques have established various problems with queer melodrama including exclusion, normativity, and assimilationism. Taken together, these areas of inquiry attest to the richness of queer melodrama for scholarly inquiry, audience consumption, and political work. Queer melodramas are vital sources for queer communication and rhetoric scholarship about media, affect, aesthetics, and genre.
The Impact of Televangelism on Christian Beliefs and Cultural Values in Tanzania
Authors: Kaale Kaanaeli , Bazira Joyce
Published: August 2023

Religion is a collection of beliefs and rituals derived from societal and cultural norms and practices to create a bond with God. Africans practiced traditional religions before the 19th century, adopting modern Christian beliefs that spread via radio and newspapers. The development of information and communications technology enabled Christians in Africa, especially in Tanzania, to use the media to increase religious freedom and start modern African Traditional Religion (ATR) churches. the past two decades, African scholars have observed the proliferation of the media landscape from a more holistic perspective to understand both the positive and negative relationships between religions and the media, generally used to promote ATR.

ATR combines beliefs from different African cultures, such as worshipping spirits, the sun, trees, stones, and other things based on their location. Televangelists, which mainly include prophets and apostles, have used the media extensively to persuade people to become more religious in traditional ways. Televangelism’s contribution to promoting ART beliefs among Christians has given rise to cyber churches, which have contributed to changes in church shape, structure, textual content, and social behavior.

Scholars use culture and critical theories to understand the unique ways in which televangelists use the media to develop neo-Pentecostal groups that depart from the Protestant and Catholic Churches. Three critical concepts relate to a better understanding of televangelists’ media use: (a) televangelism’s promotion of African Indigenous religion among Christians, (b) televangelism’s influence on modernist changes in churches, and (c) Christians’ perception of the consequences of televangelism among Christians. In general, discussing the media’s impact brings ethnically diverse groups together to solve social–economic issues and advance ATR in Jesus Christ’s name.
Culture and Personality Assessment
Authors: Cheung Fanny M.
Published: August 2023

Scientific personality assessment cannot be accurate without considering cultural factors. Cultural variations affect the linguistic, conceptual, and measurement equivalence of psychological assessment when these measures are translated and/or applied to different cultural groups, posing challenges to their reliability and validity. International psychologists have adopted various approaches to personality assessment during different stages in the development of cross-cultural psychology. The etic approach assumes that personality constructs are universal, and measures are directly applied in another culture. Although international guidelines have been developed to promote best practices in the translation and adaptation of these measures across cultures, the cultural relevance of etic measures remains a potential bias. The emic approach rejects the universality assumption and derives indigenous personality measures to suit the local context at the expense of cross-cultural comparisons. In response to the criticisms of these two approaches, the combined emic–etic approach has been demonstrated to be a useful method to develop personality assessment measures that are maximally relevant for different cultures. To enhance cultural sensitivity in science, practice and training in cross-cultural and multicultural assessment and mainstreaming culture in all aspects of assessment are called for.
The Harms and Crimes of Water Theft and Pollution
Authors: Eman Katja
Published: August 2023

Water is a natural resource vital for the sustenance of life. Any harm against water resources should thus be recognized as a crime—defined in procedural and moral terms as wrongdoings determined within the legal justice system and social norms. With water scarcity and related crises, water protection has become a crucial concept, one impacting political, social, economic, and other fields. Therefore, identifying, defining, and prosecuting different forms of water crimes are essential. In this context, even the use of the term “water crimes” communicates the severe consequences of such activities for society.

Water theft and water pollution are only two among various forms of crime against water resources, causing irreparable harm and damage, mainly due to the multiple dimensions of such crimes, in many areas. Water theft is understood as any form of stealing water from the natural water resources or water supply system to obtain an economic advantage by physically altering the supply system. Water pollution means any intentional contamination of water. The consequences of both crimes are a reduction in the quantity (and quality) of water, causing harm to the natural environment and its inhabitants (i.e., plants, animals, and humans). Moreover, most cases of serious water theft or pollution can end in the loss of life, including human life.
Identity Theft
Authors: Reynolds Dylan
Published: August 2023

Identity theft commonly refers to the illegal theft and misuse of another person’s identity information, resulting in a benefit to the offender or harm to the victim. With the rise of technological payment systems, identity theft increased dramatically in the 1990s and 2000s and impacts almost 1 in 10 adults annually. Identity theft can be difficult to measure, in part because few victims report it to law enforcement and government agencies and because victims often have limited knowledge about how their information was obtained and misused. Identity theft can involve the misuse of existing bank, credit, or other accounts, the creation of new accounts, or other fraudulent misuses of personal information. Moreover, the methods of acquiring identity information vary and include hacking, phishing, and stealing physical documents. While identity theft’s rise results from increasing technological reliance, the relative prevalence of online and offline forms remains unknown. The limited research on identity theft offenders finds that their motives and techniques vary, but that committing identity theft is usually a rational choice and that offenders often use techniques to neutralize identity theft behaviors. More research exists on identity theft victims, due, in part, to identity theft victimization surveys, which find that victims face a range of consequences and reporting options. Globally, both criminal and consumer protection laws have been implemented or modified to respond to identity theft, although victims must typically advocate for themselves to resolve identity theft’s consequences.
Drosophila Reward Circuits
Authors: Hernandez John S. , Brown Tariq M. , Kaun Karla R.
Published: August 2023

The ability to sense and respond to a rewarding stimulus is a key advantage for animals in their natural environment. The circuits that mediate these responses are complex, and it has been difficult to identify the fundamental principles of reward structure and function. However, the well-characterized brain anatomy and sophisticated neurogenetic tools in Drosophila melanogaster make the fly an ideal model to understand the mechanisms through which reward is encoded. Drosophila find food, water, intoxicating substances, and social acts rewarding. Basic monoaminergic neurotransmitters, including dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and octopamine (OA), play a central role in encoding these rewards. DA is central to sensing, encoding, responding, and predicting reward, whereas 5-HT and OA carry information about the environment that influences DA circuit activity. In contrast, slower-acting neuromodulators such as hormones and neuropeptides play a key role in both encoding the pleasurable stimulus and modulating how the internal environment of the fly influences reward sensation and seeking. Recurring circuit motifs for reward signaling identified in Drosophila suggest that these key principles will help elucidate understanding of how reward circuits function in all animals.
Sociology of Gender and Education
Authors: Naeimi Mohammad , Kjaran Jón Ingvar
Published: August 2023

Sociology of gender and education is an interdisciplinary subfield of inquiry in sociology that is situated in feminist sociological theories and education/pedagogy/schooling. The field investigates complex, multileveled, and unequal distributions of power in educational spaces regarding gender constructions, identities, and characteristics such as femininity, masculinity, non-normativity, and nonbinarism. More precisely, sociology of gender and education deeply inquiries how and to what extend education systems and schools, as modern institutions of society and public sectors, embody power and resources to reinforce and deploy the social order built historically around male gender privilege while maintaining women’s and other marginalized groups’ issues at the periphery. The researchers of this field, therefore, by touching upon historical, political, and sociocultural accounts, highlight and criticize the heteronormative, patriarchal, and male-centered inherence of the educational environment that (re)produces gender distinctions, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. These gender inequalities can be found in areas and aspects of education including curricula, learning material, teacher-student interaction, and school culture.
Humanitarian Aid and Development Assistance in Afghanistan since 1979
Authors: Fluri Jennifer L. , Lehr Rachel
Published: August 2023

Afghanistan has been on the receiving end of uneven development aid and humanitarian assistance since the early days of the Cold War. Since the onset of war in 1979, a lack of strategic planning has contributed to poorly coordinated and irregularly implemented relief and development aid only worsened by proxy wars of competing empires and the capriciousness of donor governments. Armed conflict, whether between empires or regional and local actors, has been a consistent challenge.

The intent of humanitarian assistance is to alleviate suffering and save lives in times of crisis, political or environmental. It is by design reactive, limited in duration and reach. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has required relief and assistance over a long rather than limited time period. Humanitarian aid worldwide is mostly coordinated through UN agencies and implemented by local affiliates or partners. Development aid is designed to address structural issues in a country in order to improve lives and livelihoods, through improvement programs for infrastructure and economies. Institutional and political reform are part of development aid, often conceived in accordance with the political systems and to meet the goals and interests of donor countries. In Afghanistan, in the past twenty years the problems relating to the distribution of massive amounts of donor funding, the coordination and implementation between local and international Non-Governmental Organizations, the role of the United Nations, and the international military forces, have all hampered success across spatial scales.

From 1979 to 1992 humanitarian assistance was also delivered in response to the political goals of donors—in the proxy war between the US and Soviet empires—and from 2001 to 2021 as a primary target of the US-led Global War on Terror. Relief and aid have always suffered from top-down administration, allocation decisions made at the donors’ political whims, decisions about programs and budgets taken at headquarters, or implementation in the field where reality does not meet expectations.
Housing and Macroeconomics
Authors: Leung Charles Ka Yui
Published: August 2023

The earlier literature on macroeconomics focused on determining aggregate variables such as gross domestic product (GDP), inflation rate, and unemployment rate. It had little interaction with the literature on housing. The importance of housing in the macroeconomy has been recently discovered, and the macro-housing field is in development. The recent literature addresses several policy-relevant issues that are important for macroeconomics and housing strands of literature.

One of the significant developments is the research on the rental market, as a considerable portion of the world population are renters. For instance, the impact of some macroeconomic policies depends on how easily a unit is converted between rental or owner-occupied housing. Just as failure to keep up with the mortgage payment in owner-occupied housing would lead to bankruptcy, failure to pay rent as the contract described could lead to eviction. The literature has started to investigate the causes and costs of such displacement. Some authors also explore whether public rental housing is a desirable policy.

Another active research area is affordability. Some people could afford to rent but not own housing in some cities. Some may move to places where they can be house owners. The literature has started to explore such interactions of the locational choice with the tenure choice (i.e., to rent or to own).

The durability of housing makes it a long-term investment. Hence, the timing and pricing of the current period housing transaction depend on the expectations of future prices. Moreover, the recent period transactions in the housing market could, in turn, affect future prices. Therefore, self-fulfilling prophecies are possible, and it is crucial to study the formation and evolution of expectations in the housing market. Some researchers have taken up the challenges and made some progress.

Last but not least, the literature has extended from a single-market to a multi-market setting. Emerging literature studies the local housing and labor market, such as the county level, and brings results that challenge conventional wisdom. In response, a few authors have developed sophisticated multi-regional dynamic general equilibrium models to match the cross-sectional and time series facts and maintain the forward-looking assumption in the macroeconomics tradition. Those new models also help us to identify shocks that are not directly observable to econometricians and, at the same time, are essential to account for cross-sectional economic facts. They can bring us closer to the actual situation.

In sum, the recent developments in macro-housing literature are exciting and encouraging. They would accompany scholars on the journey of evidence-based public policy formation.
Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-based Programs for the Prevention and Management of Chronic Conditions in Older Adults: Theoretical Perspectives and Case Examples from the United States
Authors: Ory Marcia G. , Nsobundu Chinelo K. , Nmadu Yeka W.
Published: August 2023

More than 50 million Americans are currently 65 and older, with current projections estimating that there will be nearly 100 million by 2060. While there is great variability among the older population, many older adults will be disproportionately affected by negative health and well-being consequences associated with chronic diseases, increased fall risk, and physical inactivity. The implementation and dissemination of evidence-based programs can play a major role in the prevention and management of these conditions, thus improving quality of life for the growing number of older adults worldwide. These goals are consistent with the World Health Organization Declaration of the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

Research and practice around evidence-based programs for chronic illness management and related conditions in older adults have spearheaded many new opportunities to promote healthy aging as well as revealing challenges in getting effective programs and policies implemented and widely disseminated. For example, most evidence-based programs are not readily scalable or sustainable. Reasons for this may include delay in implementing programs as a result of contextual barriers or the lack of infrastructure for dissemination. These challenges emphasize the need for strategies to ensure the successful implementation and dissemination of evidence-based programs for older adults.

Dissemination and implementation science (DIS) provides a broad framework to design interventions and identify implementation strategies that work in diverse real-world clinical and community settings to meet the need of diverse populations. Advancements in research and practice require a basic understanding of (a) principles of DIS; (b) relevant theories, frameworks, and conceptual models; (c) awareness of national and international case examples of chronic disease, falls, and physical activity initiatives for better management of health and functioning in older adults; and (d) shared lessons from research and practice. This lens helps underscore the importance of the evidence-based program movement to the aging services network.
Indigenous Health Policy
Authors: Anderson Ian , Silburn Kate
Published: August 2023

The United Nations estimates that there are more than 476 million Indigenous peoples across the globe, which is almost 7% of the world’s population. Although Indigenous peoples are defined in a variety of political and cultural ways, there is increasing recognition of the seven defining criteria for indigeneity as set out by UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Globally, Indigenous peoples tend to do less well than benchmark populations in health and social outcomes—although the degree of difference varies markedly between countries.

Of the vast range of different in-country policy and service responses that address these inequalities, the collection of accurate and relevant data on Indigenous peoples is key to monitoring their health outcomes.

Health and data researchers and policymakers have advocated for stronger Indigenous governance of both the data and health system responses. To achieve this, they have increasingly engaged a variety of global governances systems. Principally, but not exclusively, this advocacy has targeted UN mechanisms such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Human Rights Council Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Disaster Diplomacy
Authors: Lutmar Carmela , Mandler Leah
Published: August 2023

Almost every disaster brings up hope that natural disasters can somehow open up space for peaceful diplomatic interaction between parties in conflict, be they warring states or warring domestic factions. Advocates of “disaster diplomacy” argue that while earthquakes, floods, windstorms, and tsunami result in human tragedies, these events also generate opportunities for international cooperation, even between enemies. While quantitative research focusing on disaster and conflict clearly shows the connection between the two phenomena, the causal effect is not always straightforward. Certainly, conflict-prone zones suffer from higher vulnerability and risk than places where people reside in peace, just as frequently disaster-stricken areas provide more opportunities for conflicting parties to clash. However, the chicken-and-egg question remains to be clarified as most disasters in conflict zones are complex, long-term disasters exacerbated by human activity. At the same time, more detailed case studies of individual disasters substantiate the claim that natural disasters sometimes encourage diplomacy, but also emphasize significant differences in circumstances and conflict characteristics among others.