bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel geometrical planning method to restore knee joint obliquity in double-level osteotomies
Authors: Capella Marcello , Sabatini Luigi , Bosco Francesco , Barberis Luca , Giustra Fortunato , Risitano Salvatore , Camazzola Daniele , Massè Alessandro
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Precise preoperative planning is mandatory when a double-level osteotomy (DLO) is required to correct a severe knee deformity. Literature does not report a validated planning method regarding DLO that could be performed directly on digital radiographs using simple measurement tools. This study aims to validate a novel DLO planning method called New Mikulicz-Joint Line (NM-JL) based on essential measurement tools, in which the correction angles are induced by the predicted post-operative joint line obliquity (JLO).

Methods

Twenty-three patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria were enrolled. NM-JL planning method was performed using basic measurement tools to detect corrective angles and gaps. The correction was then simulated using a Virtual Segmentation Software method to obtain the osteotomy fragments. Both planning procedures were performed independently and later repeated by two orthopaedic surgeons to assess the inter and intra-observer reliability.

Results

The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) regarding corrective angles and gaps showed a significant positive correlation between the values determined using the two procedures by both raters (p < 0.05). Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between the measured results of the two planning methods. (p < 0.05). Finally, the Bland–Altman analysis showed an excellent agreement (p < 0.05) for all measurements performed.

Conclusions

The NM-JL method showed high values of intra and inter-rater reliability. The procedure is built up starting from the predicted value of post-operative joint line obliquity, allowing to maintain this parameter fixed. Other advantages include the quickness, adaptability, and possibility to be performed on any Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) viewer.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
Regional mudstone compaction trends in the Vienna Basin: top seal assessment and implications for uplift history
Authors: Skerbisch Lukas , Misch David , Drews Michael , Stollhofen Harald , Sachsenhofer Reinhard F. , Arnberger Klaus , Schuller Volker , Zamolyi Andras
Published: July 2023

Seal quality assessment is not only essential in petroleum systems studies but also in the context of other geo energy applications such as underground hydrogen storage. Capillary breakthrough pressure controls top seal capacity in the absence of faults or other discontinuities. In basins that lack measured capillary pressure data (e.g., from drill cores), regional compaction-porosity trends can be used as a first prediction tool to estimate the capillary properties of mudstones. Mathematical compaction models exist but need to be calibrated for each basin. This study aims to establish a compaction trend based on theoretical models, then compare it with theoretical maximum hydrocarbon column heights inferred from true measured capillary pressure curves. Middle to upper Miocene mudstone core samples from the Vienna Basin, covering a broad depth interval from 700 to 3400 m, were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, with an Eltra C/S analyzer, and by Rock–Eval pyrolysis for bulk mineralogy, total organic carbon, and free hydrocarbon contents. Broad ion beam—scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion capillary porosimetry, and helium pycnometry were applied to obtain pore structural properties to compare the mathematical compaction models with actual porosity data from the Vienna Basin. Clear decreasing porosity depth trends imply that mechanical compaction was rather uniform in the central Vienna Basin. Comparing the Vienna Basin trend to global mudstone compaction trends, regional uplift causing erosion of up to ~ 500 m upper Miocene strata is inferred. A trend of increasing Rock–Eval parameters S1 and production index [PI = S1/(S1 + S2)] with decreasing capillary sealing capacity of the investigated mudstones possibly indicates vertical hydrocarbon migration through the low-permeable mudstone horizons. This observation must be considered in future top-seal studies for secondary storage applications in the Vienna Basin.
What Happened
Authors: Blümich Bernhard
Published: July 2023

This is a condensed personal account of what happened in the pursuit of the scientific endeavors of Bernhard Blümich in the past 70 years. It revisits, amends, and extends a contribution written in 2010.
Optimal control in linear-quadratic stochastic advertising models with memory
Authors: Giordano Michele , Yurchenko-Tytarenko Anton
Published: July 2023

This paper deals with a class of optimal control problems which arises in advertising models with Volterra Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process representing the product goodwill. Such choice of the model can be regarded as a stochastic modification of the classical Nerlove-Arrow model that allows to incorporate both presence of uncertainty and empirically observed memory effects such as carryover or distributed forgetting. We present an approach to solve such optimal control problems based on an infinite dimensional lift which allows us to recover Markov properties by formulating an optimization problem equivalent to the original one in a Hilbert space. Such technique, however, requires the Volterra kernel from the forward equation to have a representation of a particular form that may be challenging to obtain in practice. We overcome this issue for Hölder continuous kernels by approximating them with Bernstein polynomials, which turn out to enjoy a simple representation of the required type. Then we solve the optimal control problem for the forward process with approximated kernel instead of the original one and study convergence. The approach is illustrated with simulations.
Guidelines for research and design of software for children with ASD in e-health
Authors: Bondioli Mariasole , Buzzi Maria Claudia , Buzzi Marina , Chessa Stefano , Jaccheri Letizia , Senette Caterina , Pelagatti Susanna
Published: July 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disorder that results in narrow interest and impairments in communication and social relationships. Usually, unknown contexts generate anxiety and frustration in persons with ASD, and great impediment in accessing services, including health ones. This seriously compromises prevention and treatment interventions in different medical areas. Technology offers many opportunities for persons with ASD and can be used to act as a mediator, helping to manage communication and interpersonal relationships and to familiarize with the environment, especially in new contexts. Specifically, we used digital tools to reduce stress and anxiety while teaching adequate dental care to children with ASD (MyDentist project). To generalize the R&D approach, we followed in the context of the MyDentist project for its adoption for research and development of inclusive software in e-health. We analyze our design and development process using the three-cycle model proposed by Hevner: the relevance cycle, which connects design with the environment; the rigor cycle, which connects design with the grounding theory; and the design cycle, which builds and evaluates artifacts. We present the results obtained in the project and the lessons learned. Lessons are formalized as guidelines that are further validated by a focus group including experts and stakeholders. A set of guidelines which can drive software development and research in similar contexts. Our research will benefit e-health researchers to perform rigorous and relevant Design Science Research. It will also inform software developers of e-health solutions and healthcare professionals.
Parental knowledge, attitude, and practice on pediatric pneumonia in Beijing, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Hao Qiaoxin , Yan Peng , Guo Wei , Ren Jie , Li Qiong , Zhang Pei , Huang Chenghe , Gu Jiangying
Published: July 2023

Aim

Pediatric pneumonia, a common disease, is the major cause of mortality in young children in China. However, the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of parents in China on etiologies, prevention, and care of pediatric pneumonia are still unclear. Here we investigated the KAP of parents on pediatric pneumonia.

Subject and methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled parents in the Yungang area, Fengtai, Beijing and surrounding areas from September 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022. The demographic characteristics of subjects were collected for KAP score evaluation. The KAP scores of parents with different demographic characteristics were compared.

Results

In total, 502 subjects participated in this study, of which the mean knowledge score was 9.61 ± 3.25, the attitude score was 33.85 ± 4.03, and the practice score was 17.87 ± 2.38. The findings showed that gender, age, residence, education, medical-field work, income per capita, previous pediatric pneumonia, and smoking significantly differed in knowledge score (P < 0.05). Gender, residence, education, and previous pediatric pneumonia were significantly different in attitude score (P < 0.05). Parental age, children's numbers, and smoking were significantly different in practice score (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Parents of young children exhibit a good attitude and practice toward prevention and treatment of pediatric pneumonia, while the relevant knowledge about the same disease was lower. It was recommended to carry out further studies in different regions; government and health institutions could take steps to improve the KAP of parents.
Mental Health Difficulties in Children who Develop Misophonia: An Examination of ADHD, Depression & Anxiety
Authors: Rinaldi Louisa J , Simner Julia
Published: July 2023

Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder characterized by unusually strong aversions to a specific class of sounds (e.g., eating sounds). Here we demonstrate the mental health profile in children who develop misophonia, examining depression, anxiety and ADHD. Our participants were members of the birth cohort ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). We screened them for misophonia as adults, then analysed their retrospective mental health data from ages 7 to 16 years inclusive, reported from both children and parents. Data from their Development and Wellbeing Assessments (7–15 years) and their Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaires (9–16 years) show that our misophonia group had a greater likelihood of childhood anxiety disorder and depression in childhood (but not ADHD). Our data provide the first evidence from a large general population sample of the types of mental health co-morbidities found in children who develop misophonia.
Assessing the future global distribution of land ecosystems as determined by climate change and cropland incursion
Authors: Robertson Richard D. , De Pinto Alessandro , Cenacchi Nicola
Published: July 2023

The geographic distribution of natural ecosystems is affected by both climate and cropland. Discussions of future land use/land cover usually focus on how cropland expands and displaces natural vegetation especially as climate change impacts become stronger. Less commonly considered is the direct influence of climate change on natural ecosystems simultaneously with cropland incursion. We combine a natural vegetation model responsive to climate with a cropland allocation algorithm to assess the relative importance of climate change compared to cropland incursion. Globally, the model indicates that climate change drives larger gains and losses than cropland incursion. For example, in the Amazonian rainforests, more than one sixth of the forest area could be lost due to climate change with cropland playing virtually no role. Our findings suggest that policies to protect specific ecosystems may be undercut by climate change and that localized analyses that fully account for the impacts of a changing climate on natural vegetation and agriculture are necessary to formulate policies that preserve natural ecosystems over the long term.
An aseptic approach towards skin lesion localization and grading using deep learning and harris hawks optimization
Authors: Balaha Hossam Magdy , Hassan Asmaa El-Sayed , El-Gendy Eman M. , ZainEldin Hanaa , Saafan Mahmoud M.
Published: July 2023

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. It is predicted that the total number of cases of cancer will double in the next fifty years. It is an expensive procedure to discover skin cancer types in the early stages. Additionally, the survival rate reduces as cancer progresses. The current study proposes an aseptic approach toward skin lesion detection, classification, and segmentation using deep learning and Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm (HHO). The current study utilizes the manual and automatic segmentation approaches. The manual segmentation is used when the dataset has no masks to use while the automatic segmentation approach is used, using U-Net models, to build an adaptive segmentation model. Additionally, the meta-heuristic HHO optimizer is utilized to achieve the optimization of the hyperparameters of 5 pre-trained CNN models, namely VGG16, VGG19, DenseNet169, DenseNet201, and MobileNet. Two datasets are used, namely "Melanoma Skin Cancer Dataset of 10000 Images" and "Skin Cancer ISIC" dataset from two publicly available sources for variety purpose. For the segmentation, the best-reported scores are 0.15908, 91.95%, 0.08864, 0.04313, 0.02072, 0.20767 in terms of loss, accuracy, Mean Absolute Error, Mean Squared Error, Mean Squared Logarithmic Error, and Root Mean Squared Error, respectively. For the "Melanoma Skin Cancer Dataset of 10000 Images" dataset, from the applied experiments, the best reported scores are 97.08%, 98.50%, 95.38%, 98.65%, 96.92% in terms of overall accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score, respectively by the DenseNet169 pre-trained model. For the "Skin Cancer ISIC" dataset, the best reported scores are 96.06%, 83.05%, 81.05%, 97.93%, 82.03% in terms of overall accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score, respectively by the MobileNet pre-trained model. After computing the results, the suggested approach is compared with 9 related studies. The results of comparison proves the efficiency of the proposed framework.
SUShe: simple unsupervised shadow removal
Authors: Koutsiou Dimitra-Christina C. , Savelonas Michalis A. , Iakovidis Dimitris K.
Published: July 2023

Shadow removal is an important problem in computer vision, since the presence of shadows complicates core computer vision tasks, including image segmentation and object recognition. Most state-of-the-art shadow removal methods are based on complex deep learning architectures, which require training on a large amount of data. In this paper a novel and efficient methodology is proposed aiming to provide a simple solution to shadow removal, both in terms of implementation and computational cost. The proposed methodology is fully unsupervised, based solely on color image features. Initially, the shadow region is automatically extracted by a segmentation algorithm based on Electromagnetic-Like Optimization. Superpixel-based segmentation is performed and pairs of shadowed and non-shadowed regions, which are nearest neighbors in terms of their color content, are identified as parts of the same object. The shadowed part of each pair is relighted by means of histogram matching, using the content of its non-shadowed counterpart. Quantitative and qualitative experiments on well-recognized publicly available benchmark datasets are conducted to evaluate the performance of proposed methodology in comparison to state-of-the-art methods. The results validate both its efficiency and effectiveness, making evident that solving the shadow removal problem does not necessarily require complex deep learning-based solutions.
On the analysis of a heterogeneous coupled network of memristive Chialvo neurons
Authors: Ghosh Indranil , Muni Sishu Shankar , Fatoyinbo Hammed Olawale
Published: July 2023

We perform a numerical study on the application of electromagnetic flux on a heterogeneous network of Chialvo neurons represented by a ring-star topology. Heterogeneities are realized by introducing additive noise modulations on both the central–peripheral and the peripheral–peripheral coupling links in the topology not only varying in space but also in time. The variation in time is understood by two coupling probabilities, one for the central–peripheral connections and the other for the peripheral–peripheral connections, respectively, that update the network topology with each iteration in time. We have further reported various rich spatiotemporal patterns like two-cluster states, chimera states, coherent, and asynchronized states that arise throughout the network dynamics. We have also investigated the appearance of a special kind of asynchronization behavior called “solitary nodes” that have a wide range of applications pertaining to real-world nervous systems. In order to characterize the behavior of the nodes under the influence of these heterogeneities, we have studied two different metrics called the “cross-correlation coefficient” and the “synchronization error.” Additionally, to capture the statistical property of the network, for example, how complex the system behaves, we have also studied a measure called “sample entropy.” Various two-dimensional color-coded plots are presented in the study to exhibit how these metrics/measures behave with the variation of parameters.
Paul Cohen’s philosophy of mathematics and its reflection in his mathematical practice
Authors: Wagner Roy
Published: July 2023

This paper studies Paul Cohen’s philosophy of mathematics and mathematical practice as expressed in his writing on set-theoretic consistency proofs using his method of forcing. Since Cohen did not consider himself a philosopher and was somewhat reluctant about philosophy, the analysis uses semiotic and literary textual methodologies rather than mainstream philosophical ones. Specifically, I follow some ideas of Lévi-Strauss’s structural semiotics and some literary narratological methodologies. I show how Cohen’s reflections and rhetoric attempt to bridge what he experiences as an uncomfortable tension between reality and the formal by means of his notion of intuition.
Genotyping of Trypanosoma brucei evansi in Egyptian camels: detection of a different non-RoTat 1.2 Trypanosoma brucei evansi in Egyptian camels
Authors: Behour Tahani Salama , Abd EL Fattah Eman Mohamed
Published: July 2023

Trypanosoma brucei evansi (T. b. evansi) is an enzootic organism found in Egyptian camels, which genetically classified into types A and B. To detect the parasite genotype circulating in Egyptian camels, we collected 94 blood samples from three distant districts and subjected them to different PCR assays; T. brucei repeat (TBR), internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1), and variable surface glycoproteins (VSG) (RoTat 1. 2, JN 2118Hu) and EVAB PCRs. The highest prevalence was obtained with TBR (80/91; 87.9%), followed by ITS-1 (52/91; 57.1%), VSG JN 2118Hu (42/91; 46.2%), and VSG RoTat 1. 2 (34/91; 37.4%). We reported a different non-RoTat 1. 2 T. b. evansi for the first time in Egyptian camels. Results showed that 47 (58.7%) out of 80 samples were classified as T. b. evansi. Of these, 14 (29.8%) were RoTat 1. 2 type, 13 (27.6%) were non-RoTat 1. 2 type, and 20 (42.6%) samples were from mixed infection with both types. All samples were tested negative with EVAB PCR. RoTat 1. 2 T. b. evansi was the most prevalent in Giza and El Nubariyah, whereas, in Aswan, the only type detected was non-RoTat 1. 2 T. b. evansi. The nucleotide sequences of the VSG RoTat 1.2 and JN 2118Hu PCR products were submitted to DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ) and GenBank under the accession numbers LC738852, and (OP800400-OP800403). Further research is required to increase the sample size and verify the new sequences to corroborate the prevalence of a new variant of non-RoTat 1.2 T. b. evansi in Egypt.
Mental Health and Substance Use Co-Occurrence Among Indigenous Peoples: a Scoping Review
Authors: Hobden Breanne , Freund Megan , Rumbel Jennifer , Heard Todd , Davis Robert , Ooi Jia Ying , Newman Jamie , Rose Bronwyn , Sanson-Fisher Rob , Bryant Jamie
Published: July 2023

This scoping review examined the literature on co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use among Indigenous peoples globally across (i) time, (ii) types of conditions examined, (iii) countries, (iv) research designs, and (v) participants and settings. Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, and Web of Science were searched across all years up until October 2022 for relevant studies. Ninety-four studies were included, with publications demonstrating a slight and gradual increase over time. Depressive disorder and alcohol were the most examined co-occurring conditions. Most studies included Indigenous people from the United States (71%). Ninety-seven percent of the studies used quantitative descriptive designs, and most studies were conducted in Indigenous communities/reservations (35%). This review provides the first comprehensive exploration of research on co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions among Indigenous peoples. The information should be used to guide the development of strategies to improve treatment and prevention.
Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement (BGM) vital: Entwicklung und Evaluation einer adressatenorientierten und diversitätssensiblen BGM-Servicestelle
Authors: Friedrich Julian , Alam Naima , Bilgic Leman , Feng You-Shan , Lehrke Liliann , Marschall Susanne , Martus Peter , Münch Anne-Kristin , Münster Patrick , Niebuhr Fiona , Rupp Maylin , Strauß Jasper , Schneider Kurt , Sudeck Gorden , Thiel Ansgar , Zimmermann Gottfried , Voelter-Mahlknecht Susanne
Published: July 2023

Hintergrund

Eine Herausforderung bei der Umsetzung von Betrieblichem Gesundheitsmanagement (BGM) ist ein bedarfsorientiertes und evidenzbasiertes Vorgehen. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird eine Studie vorgestellt, in der kleine und mittlere Unternehmen anhand einer Online-Servicestelle mit Gesundheitsinformationen und spezifischen Tools bei der Implementierung von BGM unterstützt und angeregt werden, dieses bedarfsorientiert sowie diversitätssensibel auszurichten.

Methode

In qualitativen Interviews mit Expert:innen und Arbeitgebenden sowie Fokusgruppen mit Beschäftigten und in einer quantitativen Hauptbefragung (n = 828) wurden Bedarfe und eine Datenbasis bezüglich gesundheitsrelevanter Faktoren wie beispielsweise Gesundheitskompetenz oder Partizipationsmöglichkeiten bei der Arbeit für die Gestaltung der zu entwickelnden Servicestelle generiert. In einer Mixed-Methods-Evaluationsstudie wurden die Praxistauglichkeit qualitativ mit Arbeitgebenden und Interventionseffekte quantitativ mit Beschäftigten (n = 104) auf Basis einer zehntägigen Nutzung überprüft.

Ergebnisse

Es zeigte sich in den qualitativen Daten ein Hinweis auf eine digitale Bereitstellung von Gesundheitsinformationen sowie der Bedarf nach niedrigschwelligen Informationsmaterialien. In der quantitativen Hauptbefragung wurden die arbeitsbezogene Gesundheitskompetenz sowie Partizipationsmöglichkeiten zu Gesundheit als Datengrundlage erfasst, wobei sich ein inadäquater oder problematischer wissens- und fähigkeitsbasierter Umgang mit Gesundheitsinformationen bei 47 % der Befragten zeigte. Die Ergebnisse der Evaluationsstudie gaben Hinweise auf eine positiv bewertete Gestaltung der Online-Servicestelle bzgl. Diversität und Barrierefreiheit sowie einen kleinen Interventionseffekt für das Finden, Verstehen und Beurteilen von Gesundheitsinformationen nach kurzzeitiger Nutzung der Servicestelle.

Schlussfolgerungen

Das BGM sollte adressatenorientiert und diversitätssensibel ausgerichtet sein, um die Beschäftigten optimal zu unterstützen und die Rahmenbedingungen der Unternehmen zukunftsfähig zu gestalten. Eine Datengrundlage zu Bedarfen kann dabei helfen, Unternehmen adressatenorientiert und diversitätssensibel für passende Maßnahmen und Ausrichtungen zu unterstützen.
Quaternion algebra approach to nonlinear Schrödinger equations with nonvanishing boundary conditions
Authors: Demontis Francesco , van der Mee Cornelis
Published: July 2023

In this article we apply quaternionic linear algebra and quaternionic linear system theory to develop the inverse scattering transform theory for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonvanishing boundary conditions. We also determine its soliton solutions by using triplets of quaternionic matrices.
Reproducible clustering with non-Euclidean distances: a simulation and case study
Authors: Staples Lauren , Ring Janelle , Fontana Scott , Stradwick Christina , DeMaio Joe , Ray Herman , Zhang Yifan , Zhang Xinyan
Published: July 2023

Certain categorical sequence clustering applications require path connectivity, such as the clustering of DNA, click-paths through web-user sessions, or paths of care clustering with sequences of patient medical billing codes.$$K$$K-means and$$k$$k-medoids clustering with non-Euclidean distance metrics such as the Jaccard or edit distances maintains such path connectivity. Although$$k$$k-means and$$k$$k-medoids clustering with the Jaccard and edit distances have enjoyed success in these domains, the limits of accurate cluster recovery in these conditions have not yet been defined. As a first step in approaching this goal, we performed a simulated study using$$k$$k-means and$$k$$k-medoids clustering with non-Euclidean distances and show the performance deteriorates at a certain level of noise and when the number of clusters increases. However, we identify initialization strategies that improve upon cluster recovery in the presence of noise. We employ the use of the Tibshirani and Guenther (J Comput Graph Stat 14(3):511–528, 2005) Prediction Strength method, which creates a hypothesis testing scenario that determines if there is clustering structure to the data (if the clusters are reproducible), with the null hypothesis being there is none. We then applied the framework to perinatal episodes of care and the clusters reproducibly and organically split between Cesarean and vaginal deliveries, which itself is not a clinical finding but sensibly validates the approach. Further visualizations of the clusters did bring insights into subclusters that split along groups of physicians, cost and risk scores, warranting the outlined future work into ways of improving this framework for better resolution.
Guiding Deep Learning with Expert Knowledge for Dense Stereo Matching
Authors: Iqbal Waseem , Paffenholz Jens-André , Mehltretter Max
Published: July 2023

Dense depth information can be reconstructed from stereo images using conventional hand-crafted as well as deep learning-based approaches. While deep-learning methods often show superior results compared to hand-crafted ones, they commonly learn geometric principles underlying the matching task from scratch and neglect that these principles have already been intensively studied and were considered explicitly in various models with great success in the past. In consequence, a broad range of principles and associated features need to be learned, limiting the possibility to focus on important details to also succeed in challenging image regions, such as close to depth discontinuities, thin objects and in weakly textured areas. To overcome this limitation, in this work, a hybrid technique, i.e., a combination of conventional hand-crafted and deep learning-based methods, is presented, addressing the task of dense stereo matching. More precisely, the input RGB stereo images are supplemented by a fourth image channel containing feature information obtained with a method based on expert knowledge. In addition, the assumption that edges in an image and discontinuities in the corresponding depth map coincide is modeled explicitly, allowing to predict the probability of being located next to a depth discontinuity per pixel. This information is used to guide the matching process and helps to sharpen correct depth discontinuities and to avoid the false prediction of such discontinuities, especially in weakly textured areas. The performance of the proposed method is investigated on three different data sets, including studies on the influence of the two methodological components as well as on the generalization capability. The results demonstrate that the presented hybrid approach can help to mitigate common limitations of deep learning-based methods and improves the quality of the estimated depth maps.
Forecasting heating and cooling loads in residential buildings using machine learning: a comparative study of techniques and influential indicators
Authors: Mehdizadeh Khorrami Behrouz , Soleimani Alireza , Pinnarelli Anna , Brusco Giovanni , Vizza Pasquale
Published: July 2023

Residential buildings are a significant source of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, making it crucial to accurately predict their energy demand for reducing their environmental impact. In this study, machine-learning techniques such as linear regression, decision tree classification, logistic regression, and neural networks were applied to forecast the heating and cooling loads of 12 different building types using their area and height attributes. The correlation coefficient was utilized to assign weights to the predictors in linear regression, and the models’ performance was evaluated using metrics such as equations of R2, MAE, and RMSE. The decision tree technique demonstrated the highest accuracy of 98.96% and 93.24% for predicting heating and cooling loads, respectively, among the classification methods. Notably, the cooling load prediction was more accurate than the heating load prediction. The height and area of the roof and floor, along with the relative compactness of the building, were identified as the most influential factors in the heating and cooling loads. These findings have significant implications for optimizing energy efficiency in residential buildings and mitigating their impact on climate change.
Making Boswell's Life of Johnson
Authors: Sher Richard B.
Published: July 2023

This Element throws new light on James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson by investigating its early publication history. Despite precarious psychological and financial circumstances and other limitations, Boswell was both author and publisher of the two-volume quarto edition that appeared in 1791. This study utilizes little-known documents to explore the details and implications of Boswell's risky undertaking. It argues that the success of the first edition was the result not only of Boswell's biographical genius but also of collaboration with a devoted support network, including the bookseller Charles Dilly, the printer Henry Baldwin and his employees, several newspaper and magazine editors, Boswell's 'Gang' (Edmond Malone, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and John Courtenay) and other members of The Club, and Sir William Forbes. Although the muddled second edition (1793) suffered from Boswell's increasing dysfunction in the years before his death in 1795, the resilient Boswellian network subsequently secured the book's exalted reputation.
Shakespeare's White Others
Authors: Brown David Sterling
Published: July 2023

Examining the racially white 'others' whom Shakespeare creates in characters like Richard III, Hamlet and Tamora – figures who are never quite 'white enough' – this bold and compelling work emphasises how such classification perpetuates anti-Blackness and re-affirms white supremacy. David Sterling Brown offers nothing less here than a wholesale deconstruction of whiteness in Shakespeare's plays, arguing that the 'white other' was a racialized category already in formation during the Elizabethan era – and also one to which Shakespeare was himself a crucial contributor. In exploring Shakespeare's determinative role and strategic investment in identity politics (while drawing powerfully on his own life experiences, including adolescence), the author argues that even as Shakespearean theatrical texts functioned as engines of white identity formation, they expose the illusion of white racial solidarity. This essential contribution to Shakespeare studies, critical whiteness studies and critical race studies is an authoritative, urgent dismantling of dramatized racial profiling.
A hybrid data mining framework for variable annuity portfolio valuation
Authors: Gweon Hyukjun , Li Shu
Published: July 2023

A variable annuity is a modern life insurance product that offers its policyholders participation in investment with various guarantees. To address the computational challenge of valuing large portfolios of variable annuity contracts, several data mining frameworks based on statistical learning have been proposed in the past decade. Existing methods utilize regression modeling to predict the market value of most contracts. Despite the efficiency of those methods, a regression model fitted to a small amount of data produces substantial prediction errors, and thus, it is challenging to rely on existing frameworks when highly accurate valuation results are desired or required. In this paper, we propose a novel hybrid framework that effectively chooses and assesses easy-to-predict contracts using the random forest model while leaving hard-to-predict contracts for the Monte Carlo simulation. The effectiveness of the hybrid approach is illustrated with an experimental study.
ASYMMETRIC CUT AND CHOOSE GAMES
Authors: HENNEY-TURNER CHRISTOPHER , HOLY PETER , SCHLICHT PHILIPP , WELCH PHILIP
Published: July 2023

We investigate a variety of cut and choose games, their relationship with (generic) large cardinals, and show that they can be used to characterize a number of properties of ideals and of partial orders: certain notions of distributivity, strategic closure, and precipitousness.
The Contents of Imagination
Authors: Fernández Jordi
Published: July 2023

Our imaginings seem to be similar to our perceiving and remembering episodes in that they all represent something. They all seem to have content. But what exactly is the structure and the source of the content of our imaginings? In this paper, I put forward an account of imaginative content. The main tenet of this account is that, when a subject tries to imagine a state of affairs by having some experience, their imagining has a counterfactual content. What the subject imagines is that perceiving the state of affairs would be, for them, like having that experience. I discuss three alternative views of imaginative content, and argue that none of them can account for two types of error in imagination. The proposed view, I suggest, can account for both types of error while, at the same time, preserving some intuitions which seem to motivate the alternative views.
The Internationalization of the Newspaper Industry 1989–2002: Three Scandinavian Cases
Authors: Lakomaa Erik , Wahlund Richard
Published: July 2023

In the 1990s, three Scandinavian news media companies, Bonnier, Kinnevik, and Schibsted, internationalized their newspapers. Despite doing this during the same period, competing in the same industry and institutional environment, being exposed to the same opportunities by the opening of the Eastern European markets, and all belonging to a smaller language area, they differed in their internationalization models as well as in their outcomes. Despite initial successes, Bonnier and Kinnevik eventually discontinued their newspapers in the new markets, in many cases following significant losses, while Schibsted fared better. The main explanation for using different internationalization models was differences in business models, basically striving to do business internationally in a similar way as domestically. That is, they did not choose a specific internationalization model but sought to simply expand their business models internationally. Consequently, this article finds that when researching internationalization, more focus should be placed on business models.
Factors associated with stigma and manifestations experienced by Indian health care workers involved in COVID-19 management in India: A qualitative study
Authors: Grover Ashoo , Venkatesh U , Kishore Jugal , Chakma Tapas , Thomas Beena , Menon Geetha , Periyasamy Murugesan , Kulkarni Ragini , Prusty Ranjan K , Venkateswaran Chitra , Mishra Bijaya , Balu Vinoth , Viray Maribon , Mathew Geetu , Ketharam Asha , Balachandar Rakesh , Singh Prashant , Jakhar Kiran , Devi Rekha , Saha Kalyan , Barde Pradeep , Moral Rony , Singh Ravinder , John Denny , Yadav Jeetendra , Kohli Simran , Aggarwal Sumit , Rao Vishnu , Panda Samiran
Published: July 2023

Healthcare personnel who deal with COVID-19 experience stigma. There is a lack of national-level representative qualitative data to study COVID-19-related stigma among healthcare workers in India. The present study explores factors associated with stigma and manifestations experienced by Indian healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 management. We conducted in-depth interviews across 10 centres in India, which were analysed using NVivo software version 12. Thematic and sentiment analysis was performed to gain deep insights into the complex phenomenon by categorising the qualitative data into meaningful and related categories. Healthcare workers (HCW) usually addressed the stigma they encountered when doing their COVID duties under the superordinate theme of stigma. Among them, 77.42% said they had been stigmatised in some way. Analyses revealed seven interrelated themes surrounding stigma among healthcare workers. It can be seen that the majority of the stigma and coping sentiments fall into the mixed category, followed by the negative sentiment category. This study contributes to our understanding of stigma and discrimination in low- and middle-income settings. Our data show that the emergence of fear of the virus has quickly turned into a stigma against healthcare workers.
Turbulent drag reduction by spanwise wall forcing. Part 2. High-Reynolds-number experiments
Authors: Chandran D. , Zampiron A. , Rouhi A. , Fu M.K. , Wine D. , Holloway B. , Smits A.J. , Marusic I.
Published: July 2023

We present measurements of turbulent drag reduction (DR) in boundary layers at high friction Reynolds numbers in the range of$4500 \le Re_\tau \le 15\ 000$. The efficacy of the approach, using streamwise travelling waves of spanwise wall oscillations, is studied for two actuation regimes: (i) inner-scaled actuation (ISA), as investigated in Part 1 of this study, which targets the relatively high-frequency structures of the near-wall cycle, and (ii) outer-scaled actuation (OSA), which was recently presented by Marusicet al.(Nat. Commun., vol. 12, 2021) for high-$Re_\tau$flows, targeting the lower-frequency, outer-scale motions. Multiple experimental techniques were used, including a floating-element balance to directly measure the skin-friction drag force, hot-wire anemometry to acquire long-time fluctuating velocity and wall-shear stress, and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry to measure the turbulence statistics of all three velocity components across the boundary layer. Under the ISA pathway, DR of up to 25 % was achieved, but mostly with net power saving (NPS) losses due to the high-input power cost associated with the high-frequency actuation. The low-frequency OSA pathway, however, with its lower input power requirements, was found to consistently result in positive NPS of 5–10 % for moderate DRs of 5–15 %. The results suggest that OSA is an attractive pathway for energy-efficient DR in high-Reynolds-number applications.
Seeing Race Like a State: Higher Education Affirmative Action Verification Commissions in Brazil
Authors: Moraes Silva Graziella , Toste Daflon Veronica , Giraut Camille
Published: July 2023

A growing body of literature has focused on how different states continuously “make race” by legitimizing certain racial categories while invisibilizing others. Much less has been written on the actual processes of transforming race into a bureaucratic category when implementing antiracist public policies. This article focuses on the recent use of verification commissions to validate the racial self-identification of potential beneficiaries of racial quotas at federal higher education institutions in Brazil. We argue that through their choices, particularly through their definition of what race is, of who can see race, and of how to see race, these commissions are transforming not only understandings about affirmative action’s aims but also understandings of race. The study focuses on three potential consequences of commission practices for Brazilian racial boundaries: the disciplining of racial identifications, the decontextualization of race, and the individualization of racial injustice.
Anonymous Solidarity in Social Movements
Authors: Goodin Robert E.
Published: July 2023

There are many reasons you may want to make your contributions to public debates anonymously, and there are many reasons you may want to act in solidarity with others. Why might people engaged in social movements want to do both at the same time? “Anonymous solidarity”—symbolized by a great many protestors wearing one and the same iconic Guy Fawkes mask—signifies not only solidarity (“we are as one”) but also multiplicity (“we are many”) and interchangeability of each for the other (“for every one of us who falls, ten more will take our place”). The latter two features make a movement more likely to succeed, the former by rendering it stronger and the latter by rendering it more robust. A raft of evidence shows that people are more likely to participate in collective action that is more likely to succeed, even if their own participation is in no way essential for its success.
FINITE GROUPS WITH HEREDITARILY G-PERMUTABLE SCHMIDT SUBGROUPS
Authors: BALLESTER-BOLINCHES A. , KAMORNIKOV S. F. , PÉREZ-CALABUIG V. , TYUTYANOV V. N.
Published: July 2023

A subgroup A of a group G is said to be hereditarily G-permutable with a subgroup B of G, if
$AB^x = B^xA$
for some element
$x \in \langle A, B \rangle $
. A subgroup A of a group G is said to be hereditarily G-permutable in G if A is hereditarily G-permutable with every subgroup of G. In this paper, we investigate the structure of a finite group G with all its Schmidt subgroups hereditarily G-permutable.
Cyril of Alexandria's Renunciation of Religious Violence
Authors: Crawford Matthew R.
Published: July 2023

Scholarly accounts of the violent events that occurred early in Cyril of Alexandria's episcopal tenure rely most of all upon Socrates's Ecclesiastical History, Damascius's Philosophical History, and John of Nikiu's Chronicle. In contrast, Cyril's own corpus is almost never consulted or engaged by scholars working on these topics, which has resulted in the complete neglect of certain passages that are directly relevant to these well-known events. Surprisingly, on at least three occasions Cyril explicitly rejects religiously motivated violence, while, in contrast, in two other passages he theorizes about it in positive terms as a means of protecting the integrity of communal boundaries. The analysis of these passages reveals that, in certain works, Cyril employed a violent rhetoric that plausibly contributed to creating the environment that resulted in Hypatia's murder. In contrast, however, he seemingly shifted his rhetoric at a certain point in his career, going out of his way to disavow precisely the kind of actions with which he is usually associated, perhaps doing so as a response to Hypatia's horrific death. With these complementary insights, this study contributes to the growing scholarly interest in how violent rhetoric can lead to actual violence. Moreover, Cyril's disavowal of religious violence complicates the simplistic image of him that holds sway as the dominant interpretation of his legacy among scholars of late antiquity.
Making disciples of all nations: Bishop Carlo van Melckebeke and his apostolate to overseas Chinese 1953–77
Authors: Wong Bibiana Yee-ying
Published: July 2023

This article investigates the understudied mission of Bishop Carlo van Melckebeke CICM as Apostolic Visitor for the Chinese overseas from 1953 to his retirement in 1970. Although Chinese had settled overseas from as far back as the twelfth century, the Catholic Church never had a significant presence among these communities, except in British colonial era Singapore-Malaya. Following the mid-twentieth century forced exodus of Chinese seminarians and Western missionaries from the mainland after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Holy See responded by redirecting missionary efforts through the initiatives of Bishop van Melckebeke and his colleagues to this major ethnic group scattered across the world. This article deals with this unprecedented apostolate to these diasporic communities, in a substantially different manner from previous scholarship on Catholicism in China in terms of notions of institution, and the framing of missionary activities, networks, and resources. Based on archival resources, media reports and interviews, it recounts how the Office of Apostolic Visitor and the Singapore Catholic Central Bureau extended their mission beyond the politics of the Cold War, and organised a variety of ministries to serve the overseas Chinese population residing on five continents.
New data on South American fur seals and sea lions' occupation of the Wildlife Refuge of Ilha dos Lobos, southern Brazil
Authors: Procksch Natália , Ott Paulo Henrique , Berchieri Natalia Bragiola , Danilewicz Daniel , Horota Rafael Kenji , Guimarães Murilo , Zagonel Marcelo , Veronez Maurício Roberto , Oliveira Larissa Rosa de
Published: July 2023

We present the most recent data on the seasonal and spatial occupation of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in the Wildlife Refuge of Ilha dos Lobos (WRIL) in southern Brazil throughout the year, based on aerial photographic counts. Thirty-one aerial photographic counts were conducted between July 2019 and November 2020 to assess monthly differences in the abundance of pinnipeds in the WRIL. The results were analysed using a generalized linear model. Spatial analysis was performed using kernel density. Subadult males of South American sea lion were the most abundant pinniped in the WRIL, followed by juveniles of South American fur seal. A juvenile of Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) was also recorded. South American fur seals showed a marked seasonality, occurring only between July and October, while South American sea lions occurred year-round. Among the months analysed, September exhibited the highest mean abundance (mean 113.75; SD: ± 8.58), followed by August (mean 103.00; SD: ± 15.69). The pinnipeds were more often concentrated in the northern and central parts of the island. This study reinforces the importance of the WRIL as a haulout site for pinnipeds. Considering the seasonal occupation of the island by South American pinnipeds, monitoring is recommended prior to the development of activities in the area.
Negotiating girlhood in rock music: Nandi Bushell, prodigy discourse and adult mentor-fans
Authors: Hansen Kai Arne , Bickford Tyler
Published: July 2023

Nandi Bushell (b. 2010) is a British-Zulu drummer and multi-instrumentalist whose early career has garnered much attention from audiences and the international music press. In this article, we investigate the case of Bushell as a point of entry for understanding children's participation in mainstream popular music culture and the broader public sphere. We explore Bushell's social media presence, creative output and public reception in relation to three interrelated themes: (1) the functioning of social media and the music press as arenas for the (re)negotiation of ideas about child prodigy; (2) child musicians’ political activism; and (3) the role of adult ‘mentor-fans’ in sponsoring girls’ participation in rock culture. In grappling with the complexities of these themes, we place a particular emphasis on querying how dominant conceptions of girlhood inform the press coverage of Bushell's music and social media output, as well as on examining her highly visible relationships with established male rock artists serving as mentors, fans and industry brokers. Ultimately, the article sheds new light on how notions of girlhood as a cultural identity are negotiated by young artists and their (often adult) audiences in relation to musical genre boundaries.