bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High lamb natural mortality versus specialized culling at Bangga on the southern Tibetan Plateau 3000 BP
Authors: Zhang Zhengwei , Xu Hailun , Wangdue Shargan , Gao Xuan , Lü Hongliang , Liu Xinyi , Marshall Fiona
Published: October 2022

Pastoralism has a long history on the high‐elevation Tibetan Plateau. However, the specific risks faced by early flocks on the plateau and ways that herders managed their animals have not been well explored. Dated to the third millennium BP, the archeological settlement of Bangga represents an early agro‐pastoral community at 3800 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) and a rare opportunity to examine these issues. Mortality profiles have been a powerful tool for reconstructing livestock herding strategies from archeological sites globally. Here, we used dental eruption and wear to reconstruct sheep mortality profiles from Bangga. To contextualize regional archeological data, we also simulated sheep natural mortality levels using flock culling profiles and die off data for recent Tibetan flocks. Mortality profiles from Bangga revealed that 64.28% (N = 42) of the sheep died within the first year of their life. This profile was consistent with Payne's Anatolian models for specialized management for milk. Simulations revealed that the same profile might be the product of low culling levels and high natural lamb death rates. In this high elevation, high‐risk pastoral setting, specialization was a less probable interpretation than environmentally driven lamb mortality. Evidence for corralling at Bangga pointed to specific ancient disease and nutritional risks associated with periodic confinement and lack of access to pasture. Our findings indicate that high juvenile mortality presented a threat for ancient sheep herders who suffered serious environmental pressures on the Tibetan Plateau. Ethnographically grounded mortality simulations have utility for consideration of equifinality between culling and die off profiles constituting a global challenge in zooarcheological research.
Root and root canal diversity in human permanent maxillary first premolars and first molars in inhabitants from the ancient Middle Euphrates Valley (Syria)
Authors: Przesmycka Agata , Tomczyk Jacek , Zalewska Marta , Regulski Piotr
Published: October 2022

The morphological and anatomical structure of the roots and root canals of human dentition is very diverse. This means that tooth morphology can effectively differentiate populations and be used in both contemporary and historical research populations. The aim of the study was to investigate whether historical populations from the Middle East showed variation in the number of tooth roots and the morphology of canal systems.

The tooth material used for the research was obtained from three sites: Terqa, Tell Masaikh, and Jabel Mashtale (Syria) during archaeological expeditions. The odontological material has been divided into three historical periods: Bronze (2,650–1700 BC), late Roman (200–500 AD) with Islamic (600–1,200 AD), and Modern (1850–1950 AD). The teeth of 31 individuals of both sexes were collected for analysis, with a total of 73 teeth examined. The subjects underwent cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis.

The greatest variation in the number of roots and root canal configurations occurred in the Late Roman and Islamic periods. In addition to the typical number of tooth roots and their characteristic root canal configurations, the presence of less typical morphological forms was noticed in each type of tooth analyzed during this period. This may indicate the influx of new genes and their mixing with local ones, which was reflected in the morphological variability.

The presented studies, although they must be continued, already indicate that the analysis of root and canal variability broadens the spectrum of odontological studies conducted on historical populations.
Design and simulation verification of clamping instrument with active variable stiffness for pelvic fracture reduction
Authors: Chen Xinyi , Lei Jingtao , Cai Shenyang , Peng Ye
Published: October 2022

Background

During the robot‐assisted pelvic fracture reduction process, the clamping instrument are subjected to the large reduction force from the robot, resulting in inevitable great stress concentration and deformation of the bone pins, affecting the fracture reduction accuracy.

Method

A compact and easily‐to‐adjust clamping instrument with active variable stiffness is designed. The relationship between the component's elongation and the clamping instrument's deformation and stiffness is derived and calculated. Furthermore, the finite element model of the fixed and the variable stiffness clamping instruments connecting with the injured pelvic musculoskeletal tissue is developed, respectively.

Results

Applying the same reduction force, the deformation of the clamping instrument with variable stiffness is reduced, especially in the elongated state. Moreover, the new clamping instrument meets the strength requirements and makes a better stress distribution.

Conclusion

The clamping instrument can achieve stiffness adjustment during the reduction process and will be used for improving the surgery accuracy.
In pursuit of diversification opportunities, efficiency, and revenue diversification: A generalization and extension for social entrepreneurship
Authors: Yan Jiaju , Mmbaga Nick , Gras David
Published: October 2022

Research Summary

Our study generalizes and extends a cumulative body of research on diversification into the contexts of social entrepreneurship. We examine the extent to which internationalization and program diversification affect a coveted, yet understudied, outcome for social organizations—revenue diversification—and investigate efficiency as a boundary condition of those relationships. Our longitudinal analyses, based on roughly 53,000 observations of Canadian nonprofits that engage in social entrepreneurship, indicate that program diversification is positively related to nonprofits' revenue diversification, but internationalization is not. Further, we found that efficiency compliments these relationships. Our findings are partially in line with research from the for‐profit literature, but also extend this line of research by suggesting that different types of diversification are associated with revenue diversification in the context of social entrepreneurship.

Managerial Summary

Founders, executives, and managers of social organizations often strategically design and implement programs and internationalization strategies to achieve better organizational outcomes. Our results reveal that pursuing program diversification opportunities are related to revenue diversification and that highly efficient nonprofits are more likely to increase their revenue diversification as they pursue more program diversification and internationalization opportunities. Social entrepreneurs and their organizations may therefore learn from, build upon, and to some degree tailor theories and strategies of for‐profit organizations to better serve their social and environmental mission and ensure long‐term financial stability.
Plasma Functionalized CNT/Cyanate Ester Nanocomposites for Aerospace Structural Applications
Authors: John Varsha Lisa , Gomathi N. , Joseph K. , Mathew Dona , Chandran Satheesh M , Neogi S.
Published: October 2022

Atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma treatment, a proven direct and dry means of surface modification, was deployed for the functionalization of carbon nanotube (CNT). AP plasma treatment successfully incorporated the functional groups such as −COOH and ‐NH2 onto the surface of CNT without affecting its crystallinity. Reduction in tube diameter and increased purity through the removal of amorphous carbon were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman analysis. As a result of these surface chemistry and morphological changes induced by AP plasma treatment, the modified CNT‐cyanate ester nanocomposite exhibited enhanced dispersion via reduced van‐der Walls interaction. At optimum concentration of 0.1 wt% loading, the functionalized CNT with its high aspect ratio showed a well wetting behavior with cyanate ester (BADCy) matrix leading to remarkable increase in the mechanical properties like tensile, impact and flexural strengths and thus rendering them for potential aerospace structural applications.
Detecting functional and security‐related issues in smart contracts: A systematic literature review
Authors: Piantadosi Valentina , Rosa Giovanni , Placella Davide , Scalabrino Simone , Oliveto Rocco
Published: October 2022

Blockchain is a platform of distributed elaboration, which allows users to provide software for a huge range of next‐generation decentralized applications without involving reliable third parties. Smart contracts (SCs) are an important component in blockchain applications: they are programmatic agreements among two or more parties that cannot be rescinded. Furthermore, SCs have an important characteristic: they allow users to implement reliable transactions without involving third parties. However, the advantages of SCs have a price. Like any program, SCs can contain bugs, some of which may also constitute security threats. Writing correct and secure SCs can be extremely difficult because, once deployed, they cannot be modified. Although SCs have been recently introduced, a large number of approaches have been proposed to find bugs and vulnerabilities in SCs. In this article, we present a systematic literature review on the approaches for the automated detection of bugs and vulnerabilities in SCs. We survey 68 papers published between 2015 and 2020, and we annotate each paper according to our classification framework to provide quantitative results and find possible areas not explored yet. Finally, we identify the open problems in this research field to provide possible directions to future researchers.
Effects of sectional kinematic constraints in fiber element formulations on the load‐deformation response of reinforced concrete elements
Authors: Lamawansa Yasas , Hippola Sameera , Wijesundara Kushan Kalmith
Published: October 2022

Developing numerical tools for reinforced concrete elements accounting for the axial–flexure–shear interaction is important as their brittle failures may lead to a complete collapse of structures. Among the different numerical tools available, fiber element formulations are enforced with kinematic constraints for the sectional strain fields. This study aims to investigate the impact of such kinematic constraints in fiber element formulations towards the response of reinforced concrete elements. A series of beams selected from literature was analyzed using available numerical tools, and the global and local responses were compared. In the postcracking branch, the fiber element formulations result in an underestimation of the shear strain distribution in the tensile zone which leads to an overprediction of the postcracking stiffness. In addition, the load carrying capacity and failure mode predictions of the fiber element formulations were proved to be accurate despite the underestimation of shear strains in the tensile zone.
Genome‐wide association analysis identified consistent QTL for seed yield in a soybean diversity panel tested across multiple environments
Authors: Ayalew Habtamu , Schapaugh William , Vuong Tri , Nguyen Henry T.
Published: October 2022

Improving seed yield is one of the main targets of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeding. Identification of loci that influence productivity and understanding their genetic mechanism will help marker‐assisted trait introgression. The present study evaluated a diverse panel of 541 soybean genotypes consisting of three maturity groups (MGs III–V) in four environments in Kansas, U.S. Data on seed yield, seed weight, shattering resistance, days to maturity, and plant height showed significant genotype, environmental, and genotype × environment interaction variations. Seed yield and shattering had moderate broad‐sense heritability (<85%), while the rest of the traits showed high broad‐sense heritability (>90%). The SoySNP50K iSelect BeadChip dataset was used to identify significantly associated loci via genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). A total of 19 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with seed yield. Particularly, two stable seed yield quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosomes 9 and 17 were consistently detected in at least three out of four environments. Candidate gene analysis surrounding seed yield QTL on chromosome 9 showed that Glyma.09G048900, an oxygen binding protein, was the closest to the QTL peak. Similarly, Glyma.17G090200 and Glyma.17G090400 were within 20‐kb region of the seed yield QTL on chromosome 17. The candidate genes warrant further analysis to determine their functional mechanisms and develop markers for seed yield improvement.
Chemical transformations and transport phenomena at interfaces
Authors: Hao Hongxia , Ruiz Pestana Luis , Qian Jin , Liu Meili , Xu Qiang , Head‐Gordon Teresa
Published: October 2022

Interfaces, the boundary that separates two or more chemical compositions and/or phases of matter, alters basic chemical and physical properties including the thermodynamics of selectivity, transition states, and pathways of chemical reactions, nucleation events and phase growth, and kinetic barriers and mechanisms for mass transport and heat transport. While progress has been made in advancing more interface‐sensitive experimental approaches, their interpretation requires new theoretical methods and models that in turn can further elaborate on the microscopic physics that make interfacial chemistry so unique compared to the bulk phase. In this review, we describe some of the most recent theoretical efforts in modeling interfaces, and what has been learned about the transport and chemical transformations that occur at the air–liquid and solid–liquid interfaces.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Reaction Mechanisms and Catalysis

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Materials Science

Software > Quantum Chemistry

Software > Simulation Methods
Introduction
Authors: Baxter Janeen , Lam Jack , Lee Rennie , Povey Jenny , Zubrick Stephen R.
Published: October 2022

In this chapter we present the research questions motivating the book and outline key themes and issues guiding the chapters. We provide a broad overview of the Australian social, political and economic context to give readers an understanding of some of the key features of Australian society. We outline the structure of the book and present a brief synopsis of each chapter.
Emerging Directions and New Challenges
Authors: Zubrick Stephen R. , Lee Rennie , Baxter Janeen , Lam Jack , Povey Jenny
Published: October 2022

In this chapter we provide a brief summary of the key themes of the book, identify emerging directions and challenges in life course theory and data designs and highlight some policy challenges for researchers going forward.
Model-Driven Edge Analytics: Practical Use Cases in Smart Manufacturing
Authors: Guevara Ivan , Chaudhary Hafiz Ahmad Awais , Margaria Tiziana
Published: October 2022

In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, devices and systems generate enormous amounts of real-time data, and demand real-time analytics in an uninterrupted manner. The typical solution, a cloud-centred architecture providing an analytics service, cannot guarantee real-time responsiveness because of unpredictable workloads and network congestion. Recently, edge computing has been proposed as a solution to reduce latency in critical systems. For computation processing and analytics on edge, the challenges include handling the heterogeneity of devices and data, and achieving processing on the edge in order to reduce the amount of data transmitted over the network.

In this paper, we show how low-code, model-driven approaches benefit a Digital Platform for Edge analytics. The first solution uses EdgeX, an IIoT framework for supporting heterogeneous architectures with the eKuiper rule-based engine. The engine schedules fully automatically tasks that retrieve data from the Edge, as the infrastructure near the data is generated, allowing us to create a continuous flow of information. The second solution uses FiWARE, an IIoT framework used in industry, using IoT agents to accomplish a pipeline for edge analytics. In our architecture, based on the DIME LC/NC Integrated Modelling Environment, both integrations of EdgeX/eKuyper and FiWARE happen by adding an External Native DSL to this Digital Platform. The DSL comprises a family of reusable Service-Independent Building blocks (SIBs), which are the essential modelling entities and (service) execution capabilities in the architecture’s modelling layer. They provide users with capabilities to connect, control and organise devices and components, and develop custom workflows in a simple drag and drop manner.
Vegetation Changes Following Large-scale Fence Removal Across a Protected Area Network Within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve, South Africa
Authors: Linden Ellie , Rittenhouse Chadwick D. , Peel Michael J. S. , Ortega Isaac M. , Smit Izak P. J.
Published: October 2022

In the early 1990’s, reserves adjacent to Kruger National Park (KNP) removed their fences to create a continuous landscape within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve. Understanding how these interconnected multi-management systems responded to changes in environmental factors and management regimes can help to maintain natural large-scale landscape heterogeneity and ecological resilience. Our objective was to analyze remote sensing-derived vegetation metric changes between the different management types pre- and post-fence removal. The study area included fourteen reserves and the central section of KNP. We calculated the residuals between TIMESAT-derived metrics (from AVHRR NDVI time series) and rainfall to analyze changes in vegetation from 1985 to 2006. We then compared vegetation-rainfall residuals between different management types pre- and post-fence removal using mean–variance plots, nonmetric multidimensional scaling plots, and permutational multivariate analysis of variance to statistically identify and analyze changes. All management types experienced increased greenness. Reserves that removed their fences had greater changes in vegetation post-fence removal compared to reserves that remained fenced and KNP. Our findings suggest managers may need to address landscape changes by implementing management regimes such as reducing artificial surface water to counterbalance increased grazing pressure as a result of increased animal mobility across artificially created resource gradients. Habitat connectivity within and between protected area networks can be achieved by removing fences across adjacent conservation areas thus potentially increasing ecological resilience, which is vital to effective long-term conservation.
Deep multiagent reinforcement learning: challenges and directions
Authors: Wong Annie , Bäck Thomas , Kononova Anna V. , Plaat Aske
Published: October 2022

This paper surveys the field of deep multiagent reinforcement learning (RL). The combination of deep neural networks with RL has gained increased traction in recent years and is slowly shifting the focus from single-agent to multiagent environments. Dealing with multiple agents is inherently more complex as (a) the future rewards depend on multiple players’ joint actions and (b) the computational complexity increases. We present the most common multiagent problem representations and their main challenges, and identify five research areas that address one or more of these challenges: centralised training and decentralised execution, opponent modelling, communication, efficient coordination, and reward shaping. We find that many computational studies rely on unrealistic assumptions or are not generalisable to other settings; they struggle to overcome the curse of dimensionality or nonstationarity. Approaches from psychology and sociology capture promising relevant behaviours, such as communication and coordination, to help agents achieve better performance in multiagent settings. We suggest that, for multiagent RL to be successful, future research should address these challenges with an interdisciplinary approach to open up new possibilities in multiagent RL.
Load balancing in a network of queueing-inventory systems
Authors: Otten Sonja
Published: October 2022

We study a supply chain consisting of production-inventory systems at several locations which are coupled by a common supplier. Demand of customers arrives at each production system according to a Poisson process and is lost if the local inventory is depleted (“lost sales”). To satisfy a customer’s demand a server at the production system needs raw material from the associated local inventory. The supplier manufactures raw material to replenish the local inventories, which are controlled by a continuous review base stock policy. The routing of items depends on the on-hand inventory at the locations with the aim to obtain “load balancing”. We show that the stationary distribution has a product form of the marginal distributions of the production subsystem and the inventory-replenishment subsystem. For the marginal distribution of the production subsystem we derive an explicit solution and for the marginal distribution of the inventory-replenishment subsystem we deduce an explicit solution or a recursive algorithm for some special cases.
The Stroop Task Sex Difference: Evolved Inhibition or Color Naming?
Authors: Sjoberg Espen A. , Wilner Raquel G. , D’Souza Antonia , Cole Geoff G.
Published: October 2022

Previous research shows that women outperform men in the classic Stroop task, but it is not known why this difference occurs. There are currently two main hypotheses: (1) women have enhanced verbal abilities, and (2) women show greater inhibition. In two Stroop experiments, we examined the Inhibition hypothesis by adopting a procedure, often used in visual cognition paradigms, that induces a particular inhibitory component. So-called Negative Priming occurs when a distracting non-target stimulus on one trial becomes the target on the following trial. Results from our experiments showed that the degree to which this type of inhibition occurs within the Stroop effect is no different for men and women. This was the case irrespective of whether participants made a vocal response (Experiment 1; n = 64, 32 men and 32 women) or a manual response (Experiment 2; n = 64, 32 men and 32 women). These results do not therefore support the Inhibition hypothesis. We additionally review findings from a range of paradigms that can be seen as indexing the different components required for the Stroop task (e.g., distractor suppression). This review suggests that the sex effect is due to superior color naming ability in women.
The Role of School Connectedness and Friend Contact in Adolescent Loneliness, and Implications for Physical Health
Authors: Zheng Yixuan , Panayiotou Margarita , Currie Dorothy , Yang Keming , Bagnall Charlotte , Qualter Pamela , Inchley Joanna
Published: October 2022

The current study investigated how adolescents’ loneliness relates to school connectedness, classmate support, teacher support, and offline and online communication with friends. We also examined the association between loneliness, physical health, and sleep. Data came from the Scottish Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC). The total sample was 2983 adolescents (F = 1479 [49.6%]) aged 14–17 years (M = 15.66, SD = 0.39) from 117 secondary schools in Scotland. Results showed that (1) higher teacher support, classmate support, and offline contact with friends predicted lower levels of loneliness, (2) online friendship engagement predicted higher levels of loneliness, and (3) poor health and sleep were positively associated with loneliness. The study offers new findings, highlighting the role played by classmates/peers and teachers in reducing loneliness. Supporting previous research, we also found associations between loneliness, poor sleep, and worse physical health.
The Adultification of Black Girls as Identity-Prejudicial Credibility Excess
Authors: Carpan Catalina
Published: October 2022

On Miranda Fricker’s influential account, the central case of testimonial injustice occurs if and only if the speaker receives a credibility deficit owing to identity prejudice of the hearer. Her critics have taken issue with her view, arguing that cases in which speakers are given more credibility than they deserve, may also amount to testimonial injustice. Furthermore, they argue, these cases cannot be captured by Fricker’s account of objectification as the primary epistemic harm of testimonial injustice; rather, it is an account of othering that best captures a wide range of epistemic injustices. In this paper, I join Fricker’s critics in advancing a novel case of testimonial injustice through identity-prejudicial credibility excess – the adultification of black girls in testimony-giving settings. When testifying, black girls are likely to receive a credibility excess with respect to adult topics such as sex and consent because they are perceived as older, more self-reliable, and mature than they actually are by the hearers. Nevertheless, when examining the girls’ intersecting social identities defined by age, race and gender, it becomes clear that this constitutes an unjustly and prejudicially inflated estimation of their credibility. These cases also involve hermeneutical injustice since the identity-prejudicial credibility excess denies the victims a meaningful opportunity to make sense of their traumatic experiences of sexual assault. I conceptualize this compounded injustice as testimonial obfuscation, where an identity-prejudicial credibility evaluation (either in excess or deficit) causes an experience to remain unintelligible to the hermeneutically marginalized speaker.
Inbreeding affects juvenile shoaling behaviour in sibling groups of a cichlid fish
Authors: Vitt Simon , Schons Rieke F. , Keller Alexander J. R. , Thünken Timo
Published: October 2022

Whilst the effects of inbreeding on growth and survival have been well studied, knowledge on the impact of inbreeding on the social behaviour is scarce. Animal groups are often composed of relatives, which can facilitate cooperation (due to kin selection) and improve group performance accordingly. Therefore, increased genetic relatedness in inbred kin groups could increase group performance, whilst the reduced genetic diversity could have negative effects (inbreeding depression). We compared the juvenile shoaling behaviour of inbred and outbred sibling groups inPelvicachromis taeniatus(Boulenger 1901), a West-African cichlid fish with kin mating preferences. Activity (travelled distance), shoal density (inter-individual distance) and recovery from a disturbance (freezing time) in a novel environment were analysed using tracking software. Inbred individuals travelled shorter distances compared to outbred individuals, which may decrease conspicuousness and thus predation risk. Furthermore, inbred sibling groups recovered faster after the disturbance compared to outbred sibling groups suggesting improved coordination. In conclusion, our study revealed differences in shoaling between inbred and outbred sibling groups. The higher relatedness in inbred groups may have positive effects in the form of a reduced conspicuousness. The reduced activity may impair foraging success under natural conditions which might, however, be compensated by faster recovery from disturbances.
Deontic Paradoxes in Mīmāṃsā Logics: There and Back Again
Authors: van Berkel Kees , Ciabattoni Agata , Freschi Elisa , Gulisano Francesca , Olszewski Maya
Published: October 2022

Centered around the analysis of the prescriptive portion of the Vedas, the Sanskrit philosophical school of Mīmāṃsā provides a treasure trove of normative investigations. We focus on the leading Mīmāṃsā authors Prabhākara, Kumārila and Maṇḍana, and discuss three modal logics that formalize their deontic theories. In the first part of this paper, we use logic to analyze, compare and clarify the various solutions to the śyena controversy, a two-thousand-year-old problem arising from seemingly conflicting commands in the Vedas. In the second part, the formalized Mīmāṃsā theories are analyzed and employed to provide alternative perspectives on well-known paradoxes from the contemporary field of deontic logic. Thus, we go from logic to Mīmāṃsā and back again.
Evaluating ordinal inequalities between groups
Authors: Cuhadaroglu Tugce
Published: October 2022

We explore the inequality measurement of a discrete ordinal variable between social groups. We provide an axiomatic characterization for the Net Difference Index (Lieberson: Sociol. Methodol.7, 276–291 1976), that makes use of rank-domination to evaluate the discrepancy between the distributions of two social groups over ordered categories. Adapting well-known principles of cardinal inequality measurement to the between-group ordinal inequality setting, we show that the Net Difference Index mimics the Gini Index in terms of its relationship to the Lorenz curve, in our setting.
The geography of the continuum of entrepreneurship activities—a first glance based on German data
Authors: Wolff Sven , Guenther Christina , Moog Petra , Audretsch David B.
Published: October 2022

The characterization of how entrepreneurial a region or country is, has generally been shaped by a narrow view of what actually constitutes entrepreneurship. In the case of Germany, this has led to a characterization of Germany as not being particularly entrepreneurial. Such a view is at odds with the remarkable, high-performing family business, widely held to be the backbone of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the interpretation prevalent in entrepreneurship literature is problematic due to a too narrow operationalization of the entrepreneurship concept. As Zahra (2007; 2014) emphasized, context matters for entrepreneurship, especially on a local or spatial level. One particular organizational manifestation of entrepreneurship, family business, may be congruent in specific spatial and institutional contexts but not in others. Other geographic and institutional contexts may be congruent with the contrasting startups. Thus, an important and novel contribution of this paper is to analyze the geography of family business as distinct from startups: two ends of the entrepreneurship continuum, embedded in different kinds of entrepreneurial ecosystems. We generate innovative maps working with official data, showing the distinct distribution of both kinds of entrepreneurship in different ecosystems. These findings are connected with spatial effects, living conditions and lead to recommendations for policy measures. The paper focuses on Germany, because startups as well as family business are prevalent and can be found in all regions.
An Arnoldi-based preconditioner for iterated Tikhonov regularization
Authors: Buccini Alessandro , Onisk Lucas , Reichel Lothar
Published: October 2022

Many problems in science and engineering give rise to linear systems of equations that are commonly referred to as large-scale linear discrete ill-posed problems. These problems arise, for instance, from the discretization of Fredholm integral equations of the first kind. The matrices that define these problems are typically severely ill-conditioned and may be rank-deficient. Because of this, the solution of linear discrete ill-posed problems may not exist or be very sensitive to perturbations caused by errors in the available data. These difficulties can be reduced by applying Tikhonov regularization. We describe a novel “approximate Tikhonov regularization method” based on constructing a low-rank approximation of the matrix in the linear discrete ill-posed problem by carrying out a few steps of the Arnoldi process. The iterative method so defined is transpose-free. Our work is inspired by a scheme by Donatelli and Hanke, whose approximate Tikhonov regularization method seeks to approximate a severely ill-conditioned block-Toeplitz matrix with Toeplitz-blocks by a block-circulant matrix with circulant-blocks. Computed examples illustrate the performance of our proposed iterative regularization method.
Assessing performance of empirical models for forecasting crop responses to variable fertilizer rates using on-farm precision experimentation
Authors: Hegedus Paul B. , Maxwell Bruce D. , Mieno Taro
Published: October 2022

Data-driven decision making in agriculture can be augmented by utilizing the data gathered from precision agriculture technologies to make the most informed decisions that consider spatiotemporal specificity. Decision support systems utilize underlying models of crop responses to generate management recommendations, yet there is uncertainty in the literature on the best model forms to characterize crop responses to agricultural inputs likely due for the most part to the variability in crop responses to input rates between fields and across years. Seven fields with at least three years of on-farm experimentation, in which nitrogen fertilizer rates were varied across the fields, were used to compare the ability of five different model types to forecast crop responses and net-returns in a year unseen by the model. All five model types were fit for each field using all permutations of the three years of data where two years were used for training and a third was held out to represent a “future” year. The five models tested were a frequentist based non-linear sigmoid function, a generalized additive model, a non-linear Bayesian regression model, a Bayesian multiple linear regression model and a random forest regression model. The random forest regression typically resulted in the most accurate forecasts of crop responses and net-returns across most fields. However, in some cases the model type that produced the most accurate forecast of grain yield was not the same as the model producing the most accurate forecast of grain protein concentration. Models performed best when the data used for training models was collected from years with similar weather conditions to the forecasted year. The results are important to developers of decision support tools because the underlying models used to simulate management outcomes and calculate net-returns need to be selected with consideration for the spatiotemporal specificity of the data available.
Experience of Recently Graduated Occupational Therapists in Addressing Sexuality with Their Clients
Authors: Spaseska Claudia , Lynch Claire , Joosten Annette , Josefsson Kristina Areskoug
Published: October 2022

Health care consumers have emphasised the importance of being able to express themselves in a sexual nature, regardless of their health conditions. Unfortunately, literature based on experienced occupational therapists and students, indicates sexuality is poorly addressed, despite being a meaningful occupation. There is limited literature based on Australian experiences or the experiences of recent graduates, therefore this study aimed to explore how comfortable and prepared 11 recent graduates who studied in Australia, were in addressing sexuality, as well as the enablers and challenges experienced. A qualitative research design was utilized, with results demonstrating that undergraduate curricula are not adequately preparing new graduates to feel equipped with the knowledge, skills, comfort and preparedness to address sexuality. Enablers such as education, professional development and supportive workplaces, can aid to facilitate positive change in this area of practice, which may improve client outcomes.
The Evolution of Paleo-Porosity in Basalts: Reversing Pore-Filling Mechanisms Using X-Ray Computed Tomography
Authors: Macente A. , Dobson K. J. , MacDonald J. , Wadsworth F. B. , Vasseur J.
Published: October 2022

Often carrying a high-volume fraction of vesicles, basaltic rocks can be an important reservoir horizon in petroleum systems, and are considered an excellent candidate for CO2 storage by in situ mineral trapping. The frequency of amygdaloidal basalts in many sequences highlights the prevalence of mineralisation, but when the vesicle network has been filled, the basalts can act as impermeable seals and traps. Characterising the spatial and temporal evolution of the porosity and permeability is critical to understanding the petro-physical properties and CO2 storage potential of basalts. We exploit X-ray computed tomography (XCT) to investigate the precipitation history of an amygdaloidal basalt containing a pore-connecting micro fracture network now partially filled by calcite as an analogue for CO2 mineral trapping in a vesicular basalt. The fracture network likely represents a preferential pathway for CO2-rich fluids during mineralisation. We investigate and quantify the evolution of basalt porosity and permeability during pore-filling calcite precipitation by applying novel numerical erosion techniques to “back-strip” the calcite from the amygdales and fracture networks. We provide a semi-quantitative technique for defining reservoir potential and quality through time and understanding sub-surface flow and storage. We found that permeability evolution is dependent on the precipitation mechanism and rates, as well as on the presence of micro fracture networks, and that once the precipitation is sufficient to close off all pores, permeability reaches values that are controlled by the micro fracture network. These results prompt further studies to determine CO2 mineral trapping mechanisms in amygdaloidal basalts as analogues for CO2 injections in basalt formations.
Between War and Peace, Past and Future: Experiencing the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Authors: Brescó de Luna Ignacio , Li Yuanhang , Wagoner Brady
Published: October 2022

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is widely known as a universal symbol of peace, but there have not been studies of how people actually experience and interpret it. This article presents a detailed case study of a visit to the memorial by using an innovative methodology based on the use of subjective cameras (subcams). Results show that despite the monolithic idea of peace that the memorial officially represents, it is experienced and interpreted in terms of a constant tension which exposes conflicts in post-war Japan memory politics. The dichotomies of war/peace, death/life, past/future, and old /new emerge as part of the participant’s encounter with different situations during his visit. This is particularly clear where he perceives border zones and points of intersection. The article concludes by interpreting these dichotomies through the notion of themata, as elementary dichotomies that underlie a social debate around a specific topic. Specifically, two themata are proposed: one revolving around the temporal problematisation of the past and the future in the memory politics of the A-Bomb, and the other revolving around the spatial dichotomy between the old and the new underlying Hiroshima’s urban renewal.
Cognitive Remittances and the Reintegration ‘Hump’: Changing Self-Perceptions and Positionality among Roma Returnees in Albania and Kosovo
Authors: Vathi Zana , King Russell , Gëdeshi Ilir
Published: October 2022

Using the innovative concept of cognitive remittances, this paper looks at the transformation of the self-perception and positionality of Roma returned asylum-seekers. The empirical evidence, in the form of interview narratives and focus group quotes, is drawn from two research projects based in Albania and Kosovo and the wider Western Balkan region. The findings show that the migration and asylum-seeking experience, in Germany and other EU countries, provide the Roma with a new lens through which they can view and appreciate their historical and contemporary belongingness in the Western Balkan countries. Having been exposed to different lifestyles and values, they face real challenges upon return, where they have to confront anew very low living standards, socio-economic marginalisation and unfavourable positioning in the social hierarchy. We label this the reintegration ‘hump’. A cognitive shift occurs and their self-perception changes, including a greater sensitivity to experiences of discrimination. Reintegration is both hampered and potentially enabled by their enhanced political literacy and agency.
“O That My Words Were Written Down!”: Contested Bodies and Unwelcome Words in the Book of Job and Modern Poetry of Disability
Authors: Thompson Janice A.
Published: October 2022

Contributing to modern theology's attention to diverse embodiments and particular histories, this paper brings the poetry of the book of Job into dialogue with new voices: modern poets of disability, especially women. Traditional theological reflections on suffering and disability often turn to Job, although Job's words and the text itself resist easy conclusions. Modern poets of disability reveal surprising similarities with Job, as both seek to reject the meaning others ascribe to their bodies. Comparing the poets of disability to Job reveals how disabling change to the body is experienced as exile and as a new experience requiring new language. The unchanged, able-bodied audience rejects the new insights of the poet, exposing the conflicts between the interpretations that communities privilege and those they exclude. Elements of a constructive theology of disability are found in the way poets of disability creatively reconfigure the changing relationships among body, words, community, and God.
Upscaling unsaturated flows in vertically heterogeneous porous layers
Authors: Zheng Zhong
Published: October 2022

Characterising interfacial and unsaturated flows in heterogeneous porous layers is of both fundamental and practical interest. Under the assumption of vertical gravitational–capillary equilibrium, we present a theoretical model to describe one-dimensional flows in a porous layer with vertical variations in average pore size, porosity, intrinsic permeability and capillary pressure jump between invading and displaced fluids. The model leads to asymptotic solutions for the saturation distribution and outer envelope of the invading fluid, and for the background pressure drop across the porous layer. Eight dimensionless parameters are recognised after appropriate non-dimensionalisation of the governing equations, the influence of which is demonstrated through a series of example calculations. In particular, four asymptotic regimes are identified, representing unconfined sharp-interface flows, confined sharp-interface flows, unconfined unsaturated flows and confined unsaturated flows. Finally, in the context of flow upscaling, analytical solutions are derived for the effective relative permeability curves on the basis of exact solutions of the saturation field and interface shape, shedding light on the subtle influence of competition between injection/pumping and gravitational forces, wetting and capillary effects, viscosity contrast between the invading and displaced fluids and vertical heterogeneity of the porous layer.
ETEOCLES’ AESCHYLEAN DREAM IN STATIUS’THEBAIDTHROUGH THE READER'S EYES
Authors: Arampapaslis Konstantinos
Published: October 2022

This article explores the intertextual connection between Eteocles’ dream in Statius’ThebaidBook 2 and the brief reference to his ambiguous dream at Aesch.Sept.710−11. In Aeschylus’ play, Eteocles understands the true meaning of the dream belatedly, as he is about to enter into a duel with his brother Polynices. The article argues that the ambiguous character of the Aeschylean dream forms the basis of the dream in Statius, and that the poet develops the scene further through elements of epic dream sequences that align his narrative with the epic tradition. However, Statius emphasizes even more the ambiguity of Eteocles’ dream to highlight the tragic nature of his character. Following ancient dream theorists, the discussion shows next that the obscurity of the dream in theThebaidcan be understood as the product of the fusion of different dream classes, which are evoked in the description of the dream in Statius. The proposed interpretation suggests that, on the basis of their personal experience of dreams and their familiarity with popular dream theories, Statius’ readers would have been able to perceive the irony between Laius’ message and Jupiter's true intentions, all of which enhance Eteocles’ tragic character.
ALEXANDRIA AD AEGYPTVM: THE (DIS)CONNECTION BETWEEN ALEXANDRIA AND EGYPT
Authors: De Graaf Ruben
Published: October 2022

The ancient city of Alexandria was often referred to as Alexandria ad Aegyptum in Roman documentary, epigraphic and literary sources; this phrase was translated in Greek as ἡ Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ πρὸς Αἰγύπτῳ. The grammatical phrasing implies that Alexandria was seen as being ‘near’ or ‘next to’ Egypt, not ‘in’ Egypt. This observation has given rise to the scholarly view that Alexandria was not part of Egypt. In this article the function of the designation ad Aegyptum and of similar designations within literary, papyrological and epigraphic sources ranging from 300 b.c.e. to 640 c.e. will be closely examined. This article argues that the expression can be seen as reflecting both the distinction and the close connection between Alexandria and Egypt on the basis of geographical, political and socio-cultural factors.
Cortical gyrification differences between early- and late-onset obsessive–compulsive disorder: neurobiological evidence for neurodevelopmentally distinct subtypes
Authors: Park Inkyung , Ha Minji , Kim Taekwan , Lho Silvia Kyungjin , Moon Sun-Young , Kim Minah , Kwon Jun Soo
Published: October 2022

Background

Identifying more homogenous subtypes of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) using biological evidence is critical for understanding complexities of the disorder in this heterogeneous population. Age of onset serves as a useful subtyping scheme for distinguishing OCD into two subgroups that aligns with neurodevelopmental perspectives. The underlying neurobiological markers for these distinct neurodevelopmental differences can be identified by investigating gyrification changes to establish biological evidence-based homogeneous subtypes.

Methods

We compared whole-brain cortical gyrification in 84 patients with early-onset OCD, 84 patients with late-onset OCD, and 152 healthy controls (HCs) to identify potential markers for early neurodevelopmental deficits using the local gyrification index (lGI). Then, the relationships between lGI in clusters showing significant differences and performance in visuospatial memory and verbal fluency, which are considered trait-related neurocognitive impairments in OCD, were further examined in early-onset OCD patients.

Results

The early-onset OCD patients exhibited significantly greater gyrification than those with late-onset OCD patients and HCs in frontoparietal and cingulate regions, including the bilateral precentral, postcentral, precuneus, paracentral, posterior cingulate, superior frontal, and caudal anterior cingulate gyri. Moreover, impaired neurocognitive functions in early-onset OCD patients were correlated with increased gyrification.

Conclusions

Our findings provide a neurobiological marker to distinguish the OCD population into more neurodevelopmentally homogeneous subtypes, which may contribute to the understanding of the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of an etiology in early-onset OCD consistent with the accumulated phenotypic evidence of greater neurodevelopmental deficits in early-onset OCD than in late-onset OCD.