bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enzymological, Histological and Serum Biomarkers Responses of Snubnose Pompano on Complete Replacement of Fishmeal Using Cottonseed Meal Supplemented With Lysine and Methionine in the Diet
Authors: Prabu Dhanasekaran Linga , Vijayagopal Pananghat , Ebeneezar Sanal , Kalidas Chellappa , Rameshkumar Palsamy , Varghese Eldho , Muniswaran Bose Ramar
Published: December 2021

In a feeding experiment, cottonseed meal (CSM) was used to replace fishmeal (FM) in the diet of snubnose pompano supplemented with lysine and methionine to assess the growth, nutritive profile, hematological, histological and stress biomarkers response. Experimental fishes were randomly stocked in five treatments each with triplicates. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets with graded level of CSM (0, 8.7, 17.4, 26.0 and 34.7%) as replacement for FM protein (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) were formulated and fed to respective treatments. Comparison between various parameters among the treatments was made using orthogonal polynomial contrasts to indicate the statistical significance. Higher alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities were observed in 0CSM group and followed by 100CSM group as higher inclusion level of CSM with higher free gossypol content did not affect the metabolic enzyme activities. The maximum muscular free gossypol accretion of 1.28 mg kg-1 (on wet basis) was recorded in 100CSM group which was very well below the critical limit set by FDA. As a conclusion, fishmeal can be completely replaced using cottonseed meal in the diet of pompano without adverse effect on growth, metabolism and general health.
Machine Learning Analysis of Quasi-Stationary Magnetic Fields Optically-Driven by Short Laser Pulses
Authors: Kochetkov Iurii , Bukharskii Nikolai , Ehret Michael , Abe Yuki , Law Farley , Ospina Valeria , Santos Joao , Fujioka Shinsuke , Schaumann Gabriel , Zielbauer Bernhard , Kuznetsov Andrey , Korneev Philipp
Published: December 2021

Optical generation of kilo-tesla scale magnetic fields enables prospective technologies and fundamental studies with unprecedentedly high magnetic field energy density. A question is the optimal configuration of proposed setups, where plenty of physical phenomena accompany the generation and complicate both theoretical studies and experimental realizations. Short laser drivers seem more suitable in many applications, though the process is tangled by an intrinsic transient nature. In this work, an artificial neural network is engaged for unravelling main features of the magnetic field excited with a picosecond laser pulse. The trained neural network acquires an ability to read the magnetic field values from experimental data, extremely facilitating interpretation of the experimental results. The conclusion is that the short sub-picosecond laser pulse may generate a quasi-stationary magnetic field structure living on a hundred picosecond time scale, when the induced current forms a closed circuit.
Modelling of Thermal Quantities for Quick Process Assessment and Process Capability Space Refinement at an Early Design Phase During Laser Welding
Authors: Mohan Anand , Ceglarek Dariusz , Auinger Michael
Published: December 2021

This research aims at understanding the impact of welding process parameters and beam oscillation on the weld thermal cycle during laser welding. A three-dimensional heat transfer model is developed to simulate the welding process, based on the finite element (FE) method. The calculated thermal cycle and weld morphology are in good agreement with experimental results from literature. By utilizing the developed heat transfer model, the effect of welding process parameters such as heat source power, welding speed, radius of oscillation, and frequency of oscillation on the intermediate performance indicators (IPIs) such as peak temperature, heat-affected zone volume (HAZ), and cooling rate is quantified. Parametric contour maps for peak temperature, HAZ volume, and cooling rate are developed for the estimation of the process capability space. An integrated approach for rapid process assessment, process capability space refinement, based on IPIs is proposed. The process capability space will guide the identification of the initial welding process parameters window and help in reducing the number of experiments required by refining the feasible region of process parameters based on the interactions with the IPIs. Here, the peak temperature indicates the mode of welding performed while the HAZ volume and cooling rate are weld quality indicators. The regression relationship between the welding process parameters and the IPIs is established for quick estimation of IPIs to replace time-consuming numerical simulations. The proposed approach provides a unique ability to simulate the laser welding process and provides a robust range of process parameters.
The Profile of Expression of SG2NAs Differs Between Cancer Types and it is Involved in the Reprogramming of Tumour Cell Proteome.
Authors: Bisoyi Padmini , Devi Padmalaya , Besra Kusumbati , Prasad Anamika , Jain Buddhi Prakash , GOSWAMI SHYAMAL
Published: December 2021

Striatin and SG2NA are scaffold proteins that from signalling complexes called STRIPAK. It has been associated with cancer and other diseases. Our earlier studies have shown that SG2NA forms a complex with the cancer associate protein DJ-1 and signalling kinase Akt, promoting cancer cell survival. In the present study, we used bioinformatics analyses to confirm the existence of two isoforms of human SG2NA i.e., 78 and 87 kDas. In addition, several smaller isoforms like 35 kDa were also seen in western blot analyses of human cell lysates. The expression of these isoforms varies between different human cancer cell lines. Also, the protein level does not corroborate with its transcript level, suggesting a complex regulation of its expression. In breast tumour tissues, the expression of the 35 and 78 kDa isoforms was higher as compared to the adjacent normal tissues, while the 87 kDa isoform was detected in the breast tumour tissues only. With the progression of stages of breast cancer, the expression of 78 kDa isoform decreased, while 87 kDa became undetectable. In coimmunoprecipitation assay, the profile of SG2NA interactome in breast tumor vis-à-vis adjacent normal breast tissues shows hundreds of common proteins, while some proteins specifically interacted in breast tumour tissue only. We conclude that SG2NA is involve in diverse cellular pathways and have roles in cellular reprogramming during tumorigenesis.
Facile Synthesis of Multi-channel Surface Modified Amorphous Iron Oxide Nanospheres as a High-performance Anode Material for Lithium-ion Batteries
Authors: Yu Shijin , Zhu Wenzhen , Xiao Zhuohao , Tong Jiahao , Wei Quanya , Chen Tianrui , He Xuannan , Zhu Hua , Fu Qiuyun , Kong LingBing , Wang Fajun
Published: December 2021

The application of iron oxide as anode of lithium-ion batteries is hindered by its poor cycle stability, low rate performance and large voltage hysteresis. To address these problems, multi-channel surface modified amorphous Fe2O3 nanospheres were synthesized by using a facile hydrothermal method, which exhibited outstanding electrochemical performances. According to crystalline state and microstructure, it was found that surface structure of the amorphous Fe2O3 nanospheres can be controlled by adjusting the reaction time, due to the synergistic effect of ripening and hydrogen ion etching. Owing to the isotropic nature and the absence of grain boundaries, the amorphous Fe2O3 nanospheres could withstand high strains during the intercalation of lithium ions. Meanwhile, the multi-channel surface structure can not only increase the contact area between Fe2O3 nanospheres and electrolyte, but also reserve space for volume expansion after lithium storage, thereby effectively alleviating the volume change during the intercalation-deintercalation of lithium ions. As confirmed by the Galvanostatic intermittent titration analysis results, the amorphous Fe2O3 electrode had higher Li+ diffusion coefficient than the crystalline counterpart. As a result, the multi-channel surface modified amorphous Fe2O3 electrode exhibited higher specific capacity, more stable cycle performance and narrower voltage hysteresis. It is believed that amorphous metal oxides have great potential as high-performance anode of next-generation lithium-ion batteries.
Iranian Steel Industry: Domination of Dispersed Direct Reduction Plants in an Inefficient Value Chain and a Droughty Environment
Authors: Ghazinoory Sepehr , Fatemi Mehdi , Adab Abolfazl
Published: December 2021

Iran has a great advantage in the development of the steel industry due to its access to mineral resources and energy, extensive consumer market, and low-cost labor. In this article, the Iranian steel value chain in 2014-2016 is studied using the value chain analysis and material flow analysis. Accordingly, based on the statistics related to the input and output of each echelon in the chain, the material flow is analyzed throughout the value chain. Then the total added value from the chain, the share of different stages, and the various costs in each echelon are calculated. According to the research findings, weakness in the development of transportation infrastructure and poor geographical distribution of value chain units has led to the deviation of production from nominal capacity and frequent imports/exports throughout the chain. On the other hand, the upstream industries have a permanent advantage that deeply roots in easy access to the minerals and lower costs in transportation and energy. Finally, the pricing of intermediate products based on the ratio of steel ingot prices is criticized, while wage conversion and commodity purification contracts are proposed as possible solutions for the reduction of overhead costs.
The Effect of a School Backpack Mass Back Carried on the Features of Body Posture in the Frontal Plane of 7-year-old Students of Both Sexes
Authors: Mrozkowiak Mirosław , Stępień-Słodkowska Marta
Published: December 2021

BackgroundThe lifestyle of children has a significant impact on the future health of the whole society. Therefore, health education, prevention and monitoring of health determinants is important at every stage of ontogenesis. This requires a thorough knowledge of the schoolchild's environment, perceived as a wide set of stressors, including not only genetic but also epigenetic factors. One of them is the issue of the correct and abnormal body posture at school and on the way there.MethodBody posture tests were carried out in a group of 65 students aged 7 years, using the projection moiré method in 4 positions: 1-habitual posture, 2-posture after 10-minute of asymmetric axial load, 3-a posture after one minute of the load removal, 4- a posture after two minutes of the load removal. Physical fitness was measured with the Sekita test. ResultsThe significance of differences between the 1st and 2nd measurements was analyzed to determine the impact of the backpack load and the correlation with physical fitness, and to study its influence on the value of the differences in posture features. ConclusionsCarrying school supplies on the back induces significant changes in the value of the features describing the body posture in the frontal plane. It should be assumed that the greater the weight of the container and, carrying time and intensity of physical effort is the greater the changes will be. Relatedly, it is not recommended to carry school supplies weighing more than 4 kg by first-grade students.Physical fitness has a various and sex-dependent influence on the value of changes in body posture features because of carrying school supplies. Among boys it significantly affects the asymmetry of the torso bend, shoulder height, the waist triangles height and width, whereas among girls it affects the asymmetry of the shoulders and the distance of the angles of the lower shoulder blades from the line of the spinous processes of the spine. Among boys the changes in the value of posture features are mostly influenced by endurance and speed, but strength, power and agility are of lower influence, whereas among girls only agility matters.
The Prevalance of Congenital Optic Disc Anomalies in Turkey: A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Orman Gozde , Aydinoglu-Candan Ozlem , Sungur Gulten
Published: December 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalance of congenital optic disc (OD) anomalies in Turkey. Methods: The 11149 eyes of 5583 patients were screened for OD anomalies. All patients were underwent a complete ophthalmic examination including best corrected visual acuity, refraction, spherical equivalent, slit lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure measurements, dilated stereoscopic fundus examination. Data analyses were performed by using SPSS for Windows, version 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, United States).Results: 11149 eyes of 5583 participants were screened. Of the 5583 participants who underwent OD examination, 186 (3,3%) were found to be abnormal. 266 of 11149 (2,38%) eyes were found OD anomalies. 98 (52,7%) were female, 88 (47,3%) were male and the mean of age was 44,05±15,73 years. The prevalence of all congenital OD anomalies was found 3,3%. The tilted disc was the most common anomaly and was found at least one eye in 46 patients (75 eyes) and 0.82% of all screened patients. Peripapillary myelinated nerve fibres was the second common anomaly and was found at least one eye in 29 subjects (35 eyes) and 0,51% of all screened subjects. Peripapillary atrophy was the third common anormality, and was found in at least one eye in 24 patients (37 eyes) and 0,42% of all screened subjects.Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study that the prevalences of all congenital optic disc anomalies from Turkey. The prevalence of congenital optic disc anomalies is higher than in other countries.
Association Between the Extent of Resection and Prognosis in Adult Patients With WHO Grade III Gliomas: a Population-based Study
Authors: He Dongjie , Zhu Siying , Wu Peiwen , Wang Qiming , Li Gaiyan , Qi Yuhong , Zhang Bing , Chang Hao , Shao Qiuju
Published: December 2021

PurposeThe role of surgical resection in the treatment of anaplastic glioma is poorly understood. The aim of the present retrospective study was to clarify the survival of patients with anaplastic gliomas.MethodsWe utilized the SEER database to assess the association between prognostic and demographic data, tumor characteristics, and treatment factors in adult patients with anaplastic glioma. Overall survival and cause-specific survival were analyzed using multivariable Cox regression and competing risk regression, respectively.ResultsA total of 3979 patients with anaplastic glioma who had undergone surgical intervention were included in the analysis. Patients who underwent gross total resection (GTR) had significantly better 5-year and 10-year overall survival (OS) (59.9% vs. 44.0%, 45.0% vs. 29.4%, p < 0.001) than those who did not. The 5-year and 10-year cumulative incidence rates of cancer-specific death in the GTR group were lower than those in the corresponding N-GTR group (36.6% vs.51.9%, 49.9% vs. 65.5%, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified GTR as an independent significant predictor for prolonged OS (HR:0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65-0.79, P<0.05) and cause-specific survival (CSS) (HR:0.72, 95% CI 0.65-0.80, P<0.05).Further subgroup analysis revealed a stable association between the extent of resection and OS (P values for interaction >0.05), except for tumor location and histologic type groups.ConclusionsWhile the survival of patients with anaplastic glioma remains poor, GTR is associated with increased OS and CSS compared to N-GTR.
The Spectrum of Oral Pathology Specimens: a Retrospective Study of 442 Specimens and a Review of Literature
Authors: Aladily Tariq N , Eid Huda , Dababseh Deema , Waia Dalia , Baba Farah
Published: December 2021

Background: Diseases of the oral cavity are heterogenous in etiology, pathogenesis, histogenesis and clinical outcome. Several epidemiologic studies exist in the literature with variable and conflicting results, based on small sized-samples and geographic factors. The aim of this study is to examine the frequency of oral diseases encountered in our experience from a tertiary hospital and to compare it with previous studies.Methods: The archives of pathology at Jordan University Hospital were retrospectively searched for specimens of oral cavity and related structures anatomic areas between 2013-2020. Fisher’s exact test was performed to examine the statistical difference between the pathologic diagnosis and clinical variables of age, gender and site of specimen. One-way ANOVA test was applied to analyzed the differences in the mean of age among different pathologic groups. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results: A total of four-hundred forty-one cases were retrieved. There were 232 (52%) females and 210 (48%) males. The range of age was 3-87 years (mean 43), 46 (10%) of which were children younger than 16 years. Inflammatory and reactive diseases were the most common, constituting 147 (33%) of all specimens, followed by benign neoplasms: 139 (31%), cysts: 114 (26%) then malignant diseases: 42 (10%). Lichen planus was the most common inflammatory disease: 26/147 (18%) and prevailed in patients older than 40 years (P = 00039). Keratocyst predominated in children and adolescents more than in adults (P = 0.0015). Buccal mucosa represented the most frequent site for biopsy: 76 (17%), followed by tongue and maxillary bone: 70 (16%), each. Conclusion: Inflammatory and benign neoplasms are the most common lesions in oral diseases. Oral malignancy appears to show a low to intermediate frequency compared to previous reports. The study provides a general overview of the spectrum of oral pathology specimens and points to some novel epidemiologic findings that suggests further investigations.
More Than Just A Gastroenteritis - Bottle gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria) Toxicity Diagnosed in the Emergency Department
Authors: Lee Wey Ting , Ng Guoyi Geoffrey , Phua Dong Haur
Published: December 2021

BackgroundBottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) is sometimes used in complementary medicine practice for the treatment of chronic ailments. It belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. However, there have been reports of toxicity due to consumption of bottle gourd juice leading to severe abdominal upset and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. As emergency physicians we need to be aware of such complementary medicine induced haemorrhagic gastroenteritis as possible etiology of gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Case presentationWe present a case of a 41-year-old gentleman who presented to the emergency department (ED) with multiple episodes of vomiting, hematemesis and diarrhoea after consuming bottle gourd juice. The patient was resuscitated and stabilized with fluids, proton pump inhibitors and antiemetics. He was subsequently admitted to General Medicine ward for further management. He continued to receive symptomatic treatment in the ward and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) during his hospitalization stay. His symptoms improved and he was discharged stable five days later. ConclusionEarly recognition of this rare presentation of bottle gourd toxicity is important in our local context especially where traditional medicine is widely prevalent nowadays. Treatment is supportive. Public awareness of dangerous effects from the consumption of bitter bottle gourd juice and complementary medicine without proper consultation with practitioner plays a crucial role to prevent further cases. Physicians need to advise patients on the use of traditional medicine and their potential side effects.
Hierarchical network enabled flexible textile pressure sensor with ultra-broad response range and high-temperature resistance
Authors: Jia Meiling , Yi Chenghan , Han Yankun , Li Xin , Xu Guoliang , He Ke , Li Nianci , Hou Yuxin , Wang Zhongguo , Zhu Yuanhao , Zhang Yuanao , Tong Peifei , Yang Jiawei , Hu Yougen , Wang Zhixun , Li Weimin , Li Wenjie , Wei Lei , Yang Chunlei , Chen Ming
Published: December 2021

Thin, lightweight, and flexible textile pressure sensors with the ability to detect the full range of faint pressure (<100 Pa), low pressure (in the range of KPa) and high pressure (in the range of MPa) are in significant demand to meet the requirements for applications in daily activities and more meaningfully in some harsh environments, such as high temperature and high pressure. However, it is still a significant challenge to fulfill these requirements simultaneously in a single pressure sensor. Herein, a high-performance pressure sensor enabled by polyimide fiber fabric with functionalized carbon-nanotube (PI/FCNT) is obtained via a facile electrophoretic deposition (EPD) approach. High-density FCNT is evenly wrapped and chemically bonded to the fiber surface during the EPD process, forming a conductive hierarchical fiber/FCNT matrix. Benefiting from the large compressible region of PI fiber fabric, abundant yet firm contacting points, point-to-point contacting mode, and high elastic modulus of both PI and CNT, the proposed PI/FCNT pressure sensor can be customized and modulated to achieve both a wide linear ranges, ultra-broad sensing range, long-term stability and high-temperature resistance. Thanks to these merits, the proposed PI/FCNT(EPD) pressure sensor could monitor the human physiological information, detect tiny and extremely high pressure, can be integrated into an intelligent mechanical hand to detect the contact force under high-temperature (>300 ºC), endowing it with high applicability in the fields of real-time health monitoring, intelligent robots, and harsh environments.
Nanoparticles Induced Restricted Cadmium Mobility and Accumulation in Wheat From Contaminated Soil
Authors: Khalid Hafiza Iqra , Murtaza Ghulam , Ullah Saif , Waraich Ejaz Ahmad
Published: December 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Forecasting Soil Moisture In The Soil Under The Caragana Shrubland Using Wavelet Analysis And NARX Neural Network
Authors: Bai Dong-Mei , Guo Zhong-Sheng , Guo Man-Cai
Published: December 2021

Purpose: It is important for sustainable use of soil water resources to forecast soil moisture in forestland of water-limited regions. There are some soil moisture models. However, there is not a better method to forecast soil moisture.Methods: The change of soil moisture with time were investigated and the data of soil moisture were divided into a low frequency and a high frequency component using wavelet analysis, and then NARX neural network was used to build model I and model II. For model I, low frequency component was the input variable, and for model II, low frequency component and high frequency component were predicted.Results: the average relative error for model I is 3.5% and for model II is 0.3%. The average relative error of predicted soil moisture in100cm layer using model II is 0.8%, then soil water content in 40 cm and 200 cm soil depth is selected and the forecast errors are 4.9 % and 0.4 %.Using model II to predict soil water is well．Conclusion: Predicting soil water will be important for sustainable use of soil water resource and controlling soil degradation, vegetation decline and crop failure in water limited regions.
Conditional Operation Rules For Optimal Conjunctive Use of Surface And Groundwater
Authors: Khosravi Mina , Afshar Abbas , Molajou Amir
Published: December 2021

The current study presents an efficient method for deriving precise operation rules from all subsystems of a distributed conjunctive use system (CUS), including aquifer, river, and reservoir. Distributed aquifer simulation has been performed using the URM method. Given that the historical flow time series can only represent one of the possible situations in the future and its use to determine the performance of the CUS is certainly not very reliable, in this study, river flow uncertainties are implicitly considered. To develop the operation rules, the time series of river flow were generated using autoregressive model. Then, the operation optimization model of the system was implemented with the objective function of minimizing water shortage for different river flow time series. 70% of the data was used for model training and 30% for model validation. Finally, using the decision tree algorithm (M5Rules), the conditional operation rules were extracted and compared with the single linear regression operation rules. Using five efficiency criteria CC, MAE, RMSE, RAE, and RRSE, the comparison of conditional and single linear regression operating rules has been done. The results showed that the the conditional operation rules reduces relative absolute error by a minimum of 39% and a maximum of 71%. If the system is operated according to the conditional rules, in the worst case, the amount of water shortage imposed will be 16.61 MCM over ten years.
Mengembangkan Kemampuan Mengenal Angka 1 Sampai 10 melalui APE Papan Angka pada Anak Usia Dini
Authors: Familiani Neti , Suyadi Suyadi
Published: December 2021

Bermain merupakan suatu aktivitas yg dilakukan menggunakan atau tanpa mempergunakan indera yg membentuk pengertian atau menaruh informasi, memberi kesenangan juga pengembangan khayalan dalam anak. apabila pengertian bermain adalah kegiatan yang dapat menstimulus perkembangan otak anak, anak akan merasa senang dan energik dalam belajar. tujuan penelitian ini merupakan buat mengetahui bagaimana membuatkan kemampuan mengenal nomor   1 hingga 10 melalui permainan papan nomor dalam anak usai 4-lima tahun. output uraian, permainan papan nomor berhasil diterapkan dalam anak usia 4-lima tahun menggunakan baik sekali. Permainan papan nomor ini bisa menaikkan kemampuan mengenal lambang sapta 1-10. Permainan ini dibutuhkan menjadi penunjang pada pembelajaran sosialisasi nomor buat anak usia dini.
Rekam Jejak Perjuangan Rohana Kudus: Relevansi, Feminisme Liberal dan Islam Memandangnya
Authors: Tiawati Sulis
Published: December 2021

Abstrak: Sejarah dan budaya patiarki yang sudah mengental sulit untuk di pisahkan dari kehidupan masyarakat seluruh dunia termasuk Indonesia, khusunya di daerah Minangkabau. Gebrakan emansipasi wanita sontak di gaungkan para feminisme dan tokoh pergerakan keperempuanan salah satunya Rohana Kudus, seorang feminisme muslim dari Minangkabau. Dalam penelitian ini, metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif-analitis, hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Islam sangat dekat dengan konsep kesetaraan gender, terbukti beberapa ayat Al-Qur’an dan hadits mengatakan bahwa laki-laki dan perempuan memiliki hak dan kewajiban yang sama, adapun praktik diskriminasi pada perempuan tidak dibenarkan, Upaya yang dilakukannya dalam pemberdayaan perempuan membawa dampak begitu besar pada masa itu, melalui jalur Pendidikan seperti mendirikan sekolah bagi perempuan Kerajinan Amai Setia (KAS) dan Surat Kabar Sunting Melayu, berhasil membuat perempuan mandiri secara intelektual dan perekonomian, relevansinya dengan Gerakan perempuan saat ini ialah banyaknya LSM, PSW diperguruan tinggi, ruang pengaduan bagi perempuan dan anak, beridirnya YJP, Webinar tentang isu-isu gender yang berkembang saat ini dsb, Feminisme Liberal di gunakan dalam membaca pergerakan yang dilakukan oleh Rohana kudus terkait isu Pendidikan, yang mana kala itu perempuan mengalami keterbatasan pada akses Pendidikan sontak membuat perempuan termarjinalkan, memasukkannya kedalam golongan feminisme liberal.
The quest for identity through bodily pain: Female abjection in the literary work of Igiaba Scego
Authors: Skalle Camilla
Published: December 2021

This article addresses how (cultural) identity in Igiaba Scego’s literary works is achieved through a struggle of bodily pain. Narrating from a female point of view, Scego explores in depth the female migrant condition which in her texts is accentuated by the migrant body’s diversity and subsequent enhanced visibility. When reading Scego’s literary work, the conflictual relationship that many of her protagonists have with notions such as identity and cultural belonging is striking. Her protagonists’ autoanalytical questioning and lack of unity in terms of identity sometimes results in painful and self-inflicted bodily expressions, and this paper’s analysis of Scego’s hybrid and suffering protagonists is based on readings of the novels Oltre Babilonia (2008) and La mia casa è dove sono (2010), as well as the short story ‘Salsicce’ (2005a).
Il volo: Wim Wenders’ short documentary on hybrid space in Calabrian shrinking cities
Authors: Lanslots Inge
Published: December 2021

This article proposes an analysis of Wim Wenders’ Il volo (2010), which could be translated as Flight. This short documentary film shows how 300 immigrants, who had debarked on the Ionic side of Italy, were welcomed by the local Calabrian communities of the so-called ghost towns or shrinking cities in the Locride. Contrary to what the topic of Wenders’ short documentary might surmise, Il volo is not an expository nor an observational narration on the integration of (il)legal immigrants in Italy, with long (panoramic) shots and extended sequences, but it combines cinematic resources and techniques that belong to the poetic and the reflexive mode of documentary filmmaking. As I will demonstrate, Wenders’ documentary clearly ‘emphasises visual associations, tonal or rhythmic qualities, descriptive passages, and formal organisation’, while it also ‘calls attention to the assumptions and conventions that govern documentary filmmaking’ (Nichols 2012, p. 31).
Unity and Division: Caring for Humans and Non-humans in a Divided Land
Authors: Kehi Balthasar , Palmer Lisa
Published: December 2021

The border bifurcating the island of Timor was arbitrarily created in the late nineteenth century by the Portuguese and the Dutch. It is a border that has divided and separated the people of the ancient kingdoms of Koba Lima ever since, constraining relationships with their ancestral sacred sites, lands and waters. Timor’s wild animals, plants and natural phenomena challenge this division. Their free co-existence and movement through the region remain essential to the material and spiritual unity of life for people along the border. The ancestral and metaphysical connections they embody and enable are continually honoured in people’s ritual practice and speech, connecting and binding together what cross-island politics has otherwise held apart. In this article, we trace the effects of this constant mingling of places, words, and more-than-human beings, and elucidate the ways they subtly re-work the material divisions of colonial and now postcolonial borders. The effects of such re-workings are, we argue, to continuously extend boundaries, to celebrate multiplicity and diversity and, despite the many challenges, to determinedly maintain a commitment to practices that ensure cross-species unity and the flow of life.
Time in the shelter: Asylum, destitution and legal uncertainty
Authors: Rainey Mark Justin
Published: December 2021

Based on ethnographic research undertaken between 2012—2014, this article focuses on the experiences and narratives of four refused, male asylum seekers living in a network of emergency night shelters located in churches across Greater Manchester, UK. Without the right to work and under No Recourse to Public Funds, many refused asylum seekers are pushed into dependency on charitable support and live under threat of arrest, detention and deportation. This enforced destitution interlocks with other mechanisms of deterrence within the UK’s asylum system to produce a weaponised time in which the state uses time to marginalise, destabilise and exert control over asylum seekers and refused asylum seekers. This paper argues that this weaponised time should be considered as a technology of state power alongside dispersal, detention, destitution and deportation. In making this assertion, it also takes stock of the UK’s asylum system and its built-in forms of marginalisation. It also places both the ethnographic content and policy discussion within the controversy surrounding the UK government’s ‘hostile environment’ towards so-called ‘illegal immigrants’ that was unfolding as the ethnographic research took place. This opens towards wider discussions on the mutually reinforcing relationship between asylum policy and political discourse.
No Friend but the Mountains and Manus prison theory: In conversation
Authors: Boochani Behrouz , Tofighian Omid
Published: December 2021

This article is an edited version of a conversation that took place on 4 August 2019 at the State Library of Queensland located on the traditional lands of the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples. This article is part of a series of published conversations between Behrouz Boochani and Omid Tofighian, author and translator (one instalment also includes interlocutors from a 2020 UK tour), about the book No Friend but the Mountains and Manus Prison theory. During the event Behrouz was speaking via Skype from Manus Island in PNG, and Omid was in Australia while on break from teaching at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. In this conversation they explore many of the central issues raised by the book and the accompanying translator’s essays.
Colonial borders and hybrid identities: Lessons from the case of Eritrea
Authors: Müller Tanja R.
Published: December 2021

Colonialism left numerous borders in its wake that subsequently became contested. These colonial borders have often been discussed as artificial, dividing communities, people or ethnicities that otherwise would belong together. Such an interpretation of colonial borders, I argue in this article, overlooks another important aspect of colonial boundaries: their role in creating nations as ‘imagined communities’ who in making reference to such borders can lay claim to a distinct national identity. While such an identity can be exclusionary and trigger conflict, it can also have a much more positive and ultimately hybrid function. I use the case of Italian colonialism in the Horn of Africa to demonstrate these multiple roles colonial boundaries can occupy and focus specifically on the creation and contestations of the borders of Eritrea. I argue that the acceptance of borders as markers of identity can be a prerequisite for finding innovative ways to overcome exclusions in the everyday lives of borderland groups. Thus, the example of Eritrea could hold wider lessons for addressing postcolonial disputes about borders and boundaries, if institutional arrangements are put in place that allow fluidity in everyday encounters.
Replacing Exclusive Sovereignty with a Relational Sovereignty
Authors: WILDCAT MATTHEW
Published: December 2021

The following is a presentation delivered as introductory remarks for my PhD defense of the dissertation, “Weaving our authority together: transforming the prairie Indigenous political order” held in February 2020. The remarks presented a rare opportunity to strike a tone that needed to speak to my dissertation committee, six family members and four community members from Maskwacîs. These community members travelled on behalf of the Board of Maskwacîs Education Schools Commission, my research partner, and the Ermineskin Education Trust Fund, that administered the funding for almost the entirety of my post-secondary education and helped me to access my treaty right to education. My main motivation was to draw a clear picture of how exclusive sovereignty is a legacy of settler colonization that has impacted Maskwacîs and how we confronted that legacy through the articulation and implementation of a relational sovereignty.
Driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution Initiative Through University and Industry Collaborations
Authors: John Aliu , Clinton Aigbavboa , Thwala Wellington Didibhuku
Published: December 2021

As the world basks in the euphoria of the fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), Africa is gearing up for this innovative age, with South Africa as one of its leading voices. One of the ways of leveraging on the opportunities presented by the 4IR era is to foster collaborations between universities and the construction industry (university-industry collaboration, UIC). This research article aims to determine the positive impacts of UIC on the employability of built environment graduates. A qualitative Delphi approach was adopted to validate 16 factors, which were identified from literature. A total of 14 experts completed a two-stage iterative Delphi study process and reached consensus on all 16 factors identified. This study found that networking activities with industry professionals, student's exposure to innovative ideas and 4IR training programme opportunities are some of the ways through which UIC can improve 4IR knowledge and employability skills among students. From the Delphi survey results, educational institutions have been placed under significant pressures to intensify collaborations with the industry by creating avenues for students to experience industrial training with present-day 4IR-driven sectors such as the construction industry, which has begun the adoption of 4IR elements into its processes to improve efficiency and productivity. Although the issue of UIC has been widely discussed in the body of knowledge, very few have incorporated the 4IR dimension as a gap, which this study aims to fill.
The Status of Value Management Practice on Construction Projects in Uganda and Strategies for Improvement
Authors: Tutesigensi Apollo , Kibwami Nathan , Matege Saul B.
Published: December 2021

In many developing countries, value management (VM) is not applied widely
and systematically in construction projects. This limits the achievement of value for
money. The objectives of this study were to describe the state of VM practice in Uganda
and suggest strategies for improvement. Based on the extant literature, a conceptual
framework depicting VM practice in the lifecycle of construction projects was developed. A questionnaire containing both nominal and ordinal measures was distributed to a sample of Ugandan construction industry professionals. During data analysis, the distributions of nominal variables were expressed in terms of percentages. A univariate analysis of the ordinal variables was undertaken using measures of central tendency (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation). A bivariate analysis of the ordinal variables was undertaken using Friedman, Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. The application of VM in Uganda was rudimentary, inconsistent and misguided, based on the reports of the respondents. This finding constitutes the first major contribution of this work to knowledge. It also led to the idea that the practice of VM in Uganda can be improved by raising awareness and the standard for VM application. Ten strategies for these two purposes have been put forward in this article. These strategies constitute the second major contribution to knowledge.
Dimensions and Correlates of Development in Construction
Authors: Ullal André , Tombesi Paolo
Published: December 2021

In light of the limited impact research on construction in developing countries has had on theory and practice, this article discusses the meaning of development as it pertains to construction. The discussion distinguishes between studies addressing construction in developing countries, entailing focus on context and case-based approaches to research, and studies that focus on the process of construction industry development. Progress in research addressing the process of development has been hampered by a lack of data to support the examination of changes in construction industries over time and to compare industries in countries at different stages of economic development. To encourage more process-oriented research, a definition of development in construction is elaborated to include six important dimensions – i.e., important factors affecting construction industry development. Taking into account the lack of relevant statistics, correlates for these dimensions (i.e., statistical proxies) are reviewed. Finally, a manner of graphically presenting these dimensions and correlates is introduced. This graphic format enables visual comparison of conditions affecting construction in different countries. It also provides a frame for relating separate case studies to support comparisons and contributions to theory.
Framework to Improve the Attitudes of Construction Workers towards Safety Helmets
Authors: Adade-Boateng Anita Odame , Fugar Frank , Adinyira Emmanuel
Published: December 2021

Construction workers in various studies across the globe have indicated that there is some discomfort with the use of safety helmets, and that some workers do not use safety helmets as required, resulting in a compromise to their health and safety protection. This study investigates the processes involved in the selection and procurement of safety helmets for construction workers and assesses these efforts by interrogating the discomforts experienced by users in spite of these selection considerations. The study focuses on safety
helmets used by construction workers, as this is a common form of personal protective equipment (PPE) usually given out on construction sites to prevent head injuries, which are among the severest forms of occupational accidents in the industry. Primary data were obtained through a questionnaire survey conducted with construction firms operating in Ghana and semi-structured interviews with construction workers. The findings from the study indicate that in spite of the purported considerations by construction firms in the selection and procurement of PPE, construction workers continually experience several discomforts with the use of safety helmets. The study proposes a Behaviour-Based Safety Intervention Framework to guide the selection and procurement of user-friendly PPE that improves the user experience of safety helmets.
Selection of Sustainable Materials for Energy Savings of Infrastructure-Transportation Project in Ahmedabad, India Using BIM and FCM
Authors: Bapat Hirakraj , Sarkar Debasis , Gujar Rajesh
Published: December 2021

This study aims to develop a methodology for the selection of sustainable building materials for the reduction of embodied and operational energy for a complex infrastructure transportation project, i.e., elevated metro rail station of Ahmedabad, India by application of building information modelling (BIM) and factor comparison method (FCM). Evaluation of the alternative building materials and designs to obtain the best energy efficiency has been carried out using Revit Architecture 2018 and Green Building Studio. The achieved average embodied energy savings is about 73%, which is by the suggested alternative materials instead of existing ones. By application of FCM, which is a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique, it has been observed that the polished Kota-stone flooring, stone-floor tile cladding, toughened fibre-glass ceiling and insulated fibre-glass door appear to be the most feasible sustainable material for flooring, wall cladding, ceiling, openings and fenestrations for the design of the metro rail station box in Ahmedabad, India. This study contributes significant knowledge in the field by highlighting the application of BIM as a tool for sustainable development and recommends a few alternate building materials and sustainable designs which would result in the reduction of energy usage for the metro-rail-station and other building structures leading to a sustainable future.
Impact of Safety Climate on Safety Behaviour in Construction Projects: Mediating Mechanism and Interacting Effect
Authors: Rafique Muhammad , Ahmed Saira , Ismail Maha
Published: December 2021

This study aimed to investigate the impact of safety climate on safety behaviour with the mediating role of safety attitude and mediating role of safety-specific transformational leadership. Data were collected from 294 respondents from different construction projects in Pakistan. The study employed an analytical descriptive approach as its research methodology. The results revealed that safety climate exhibits a significant positive correlation with safety behaviour in projects, as well as with safety attitude. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that safety attitude and safety-specific transformational leadership do not mediate the relationship between safety climate and safety behaviour in projects. In this study, the implications for the project managers and employees as well as future research directions are discussed.
Dual applications of Chebyshev polynomials method: Efficiently finding thousands of central eigenvalues for many-spin systems
Authors: Guan Haoyu , Zhang Wenxian
Published: December 2021

Computation of a large group of interior eigenvalues at the middle spectrum is an important problem for quantum many-body systems, where the level statistics provides characteristic signatures of quantum chaos. We propose an exact numerical method, dual applications of Chebyshev polynomials (DACP), to simultaneously find thousands of central eigenvalues, where the level space decreases exponentially with the system size. To disentangle the near-degenerate problem, we employ twice the Chebyshev polynomials, to construct an exponential semicircle filter as a preconditioning step and to generate a large set of proper basis states in the desired subspace. Numerical calculations on Ising spin chain and spin glass shards confirm the correctness and efficiency of DACP. As numerical results demonstrate, DACP is 30 times faster than the state-of-the-art shift-invert method for the Ising spin chain while 8 times faster for the spin glass shards. In contrast to the shift-invert method, the computation time of DACP is only weakly influenced by the required number of eigenvalues, which renders it a powerful tool for large scale eigenvalues computations. Moreover, the consumed memory also remains a small constant (5.6 GB) for spin-1/2 systems consisting of up to 20 spins, making it desirable for parallel computing.
Involving Ukrainian early career scientists in publishing practices and their attitudes to scholarly communication
Authors: Fiialka Svitlana
Published: December 2021

This paper highlights the authorship, co-authorship, and peer review experience of Ukrainian early career scientists to see their attitudes to scholarly communication. A questionnaire was distributed through Facebook groups and university networks all over Ukraine. Results from 630 respondents demonstrated contradictory tendencies of Ukrainian early scientists’ publication activity. Most respondents try to gain recognition, adhere to high standards, and improve their writing skills. Meanwhile, there is a problem of low motivation, violations of academic integrity, detachment from the international scientific community, etc. 5.6% of respondents admitted that they wrote articles where they substituted the results without conducting experiments, deliberately distorted the results of research, and forged experimental data. Above a half of the respondents (52.9%) have experience of reviewing and consider it to improve their authorship skills, engage in scientific dialogue, cope with new methods and theories, etc. But 95.0% of reviewers had problems, for example obviously poor-quality articles for review (47.5%), a request for a review when the article does not match the reviewer’s qualifications (32.5%), no access to data to check dubious results (15.0%), lack of instructions for reviewers (10.0%), ignoring significant remarks by authors (7.5%). The survey showed a significant predominance of co-authored articles. Among the main motives for publishing co-authored articles, respondents highlighted the following: saving time, intellectual development, co-payment of publications, access to expensive equipment, the chance of being quoted, and cooperation.