bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Performativity in the Natural Environment.
Authors: Berzal Cruz Pablo
Published: February 2025

Spatial performativity is the capacity of the environment to influence the performances and mental and emotional states of its occupants. Within the natural environment, sacred places would be those with the greatest spatial performativity, becoming the centres that have structured territories throughout history. The choice of certain places as sacred would have been determined by their being important territorial landmarks, structurally, visually and semantically relevant, and also emotionally charged.The sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus is located on the slopes of Mount Kynortion, in the pass that connects the Argolid plain with the Saronic Gulf. Mount Kynortion was an important territorial landmark and the plateau on its slopes, where the sanctuary of Asclepius was located, was soon associated with curative properties, which reinforced its importance as a territorial landmark and gave it the status of a sacred site. The spatial performativity of the landmark, combined with the social practices that took place at the important crossroads where the plateau is located, together with the qualities of the environment, gave rise to its sacred healing character, standing as one of the most famous Panhellenic sanctuaries of antiquity.
Performing Democracy.
Authors: Zoniou Christina
Published: February 2025

In this paper, I describe a theatre project that took place for several months in 2019 in Spin Time, a nine-storey occupied building on via Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in the Esquilino quarter at the centre of Rome, that has housed more than 450 people and 25 different ethnic groups since 2013. I outline the creative process of a collective emotional and intellectual development journey of a large group of people, starting from the Theatre of the Oppressed, critical ethnography and critical pedagogy, passing through ethnodrama, documentary theatre, site-specific performance, delving into the theatricality of popular assemblies. “Can theatre serve as a reflection tool of political imaginary for the members of a multicultural community by facilitating the process of continuous reinstitution?” was one of our research questions. Driven by the tangible needs of participants, we arrived at devising a hybrid theatre, suspended between reality and potentiality, between heteronomy and autonomy, which attempts to examine and reinvent the rituals of democracy within specific performance spaces appropriately designed.
Embodied Topophilia and Vernacular Place-Making
Authors: Nguyen Kimvi
Published: February 2025

This essay introduces the concept of “topophilia”, using Kimvi's evocative filmed performance, Auntie's Tiles, as a lens to explore the concept within the realms of Chinese spatial imagination and vernacular observation. Located at the intersection of people, place, and emotional affinity, topophilia signifies individuals' profound connections with their environments, enriched by layers of tradition, intimacy, and cultural nuance. In the vivid tableau of rural China, as captured in Auntie's Tiles, the symbiosis between the local and the foreign, past and present, illustrates a rich tapestry of human-place interactions. The essay aims to unveil the complexities of our relationships with our environments, transcending cultural and generational boundaries and fostering a deeper understanding of embodied experiences in diverse spatial contexts within a vernacular understanding.
Posthumanist Performativity in Heiner Müller’s Play Despoiled Shore Medea-Material Landscape with Argonauts
Authors: Strouza Stefania
Published: February 2025

In the present paper, Heiner Müller’s 1982 play Despoiled Shore Medea-material Landscape with Argonauts1 is explored through a post-human interpretation of the myth, where Medea performs her mythical story of destruction and loss by means of the landscape itself. In this framework, Medea becomes the ‘despoiled shore’, the polluted anthropogenic landscape that acts against its perpetrators, the ‘Argonauts’ of capitalist society. In the theatrical triptych images of environmental degradation bring to the fore the non-human and the geological, as components of the myth in Müller's post-modern version. Medea, appearing as Nature herself, becomes the protagonist of a drama that stretches from mythical space to the landscapes of late capitalism. How can Müller’s play, and by consequence the myth of Medea, be interpreted through a non-anthropocentric notion of performativity; one that focuses on non-living things and landscapes rather than on human subjects? What messages do these entities convey as they act upon our lives?By examining excerpts of Müller’s text, the essay focuses on a renewed understanding of performativity through the lens of new materialist theory and more specifically through Karen Barad’s term ‘post-humanist performativity’. Working within the theoretical framework of agential realism, Barad offers “an elaboration of performativity—a materialist, naturalist, and posthumanist elaboration—that allows matter its due as an active participant in the world’s becoming”. (Barad, 2003, 803) In the essay, Müller’s Medea is associated with such notion of the performative. The analysis thus focuses on lyrics that reveal transformations in space, composite materialities, human-non-human alliances and the mediating role that inorganic entities play in the production of knowledge. This shift towards the ‘post-humanist performativity’ of matter ultimately aims to convey a renewed understanding of the contemporary environment as an active agent, rather than a passive space for appropriation.
Farms, Libraries and Adventure Playground spaces for Orwell, Hardie, Carroll and Fry.
Authors: Charlton James Martin
Published: February 2025

From 2014 to 2022, I directed a series of site-specific plays by James Kenworth in East London's Newham borough, funded by The Royal Docks Trust. Each production was staged at a non-theatre site. My role as a director was to facilitate productions that respond to the site's possibilities and uncover congruencies between the site and the content of the text.My process is site-responsive, using Wilkie's taxonomy of site-based theatre; it involves exploring the site, allowing its form to meld with the story and text of the performance, and creating a deep synergy between site and text to create a unique meaning.The productions were Revolution Farm (2014), A Splotch of Red: Keir Hardie in West Ham (2016), Alice in Canning Town (2019), and Elizabeth Fry: The Angel of Prisons (2022). Revolution Farm was a promenade production at an inner-city farm. A Splotch of Red toured community halls and libraries, while Alice in Canning Town was a promenade production over a vast children's playground. Elizabeth Fry was staged in a library space that aligned with the play's prison settings.This paper offers a case study of my practice in staging these plays in these environments, drawing on public and critical reactions and theories of site-specific, community, and immersive theatre. I argue that as a director, it is my job to imaginatively excavate and collaborate with the sites to reveal a production which has always potentially been there, awaiting discovery. In this way, these sites become the site of a rough magic, which a responsiveness to space and its ever-existing potential as theatre can reveal.
Exploring Symbolic and Temporary Spaces in Urban Rituals Using Fire as their Primary Component
Authors: Bostancı Burcu , Erkök Fatma
Published: February 2025

Rituals are symbolic acts that allow individuals to connect their beliefs and values with the natural world. To establish this connection, these ceremonies often use the four primary elements of nature. Fire is one of them. In rituals, people use different forms and amounts of fire of diverse sizes. These usages of the fire formed different temporary spaces, creating symbolic meanings during the practice. This study aims to comparatively investigate the structure of these symbolic and temporary spaces in fire-based rituals in the urban space. To compare, we choose four different rituals: Hıdırellez, Anasteria, Las Fallas, and Burning Man, which occur in various locations and have different origins.
Performing Bodies, Performing Architectures
Authors: Rizzi Valentina
Published: February 2025

The interaction between space and the human body holds profound significance in both interior and urban design, particularly in exhibition layouts. Space, defining the interiority of architecture, possesses its own corporeality despite being intangible, qualities we could resume in the expression "body of space". Similarly, human bodies within architectural spaces form complex spatial relations, involving flows, movements, and temporal dimensions, shaping the "space of the body(s)".This paper discusses a journey started in July 2022 with the workshop The Space of the Body, the Body of Space. Dialogues between arts and architecture at Iuav University of Venice, curated by Professor Renato Bocchi in collaboration with Valentina Rizzi. Thirty MA students in Visual Arts, Fashion, and Architecture from Iuav University, along with MA Spanish students from ETSAVA-Valladolid, participated. The workshop aimed to facilitate dialogue between architecture, visual arts, installations, and digital tools, exploring contemporary Spanish and Italian cultural trends.The seminar commenced with theoretical discussions on enactivism, perception, nonhuman performativity, digital roles in installations, and architectural performance. Subsequently, six working groups, guided by Juan Carlos Quindós and Valentina Rizzi, developed projects focusing on Ca' Tron Palace, a building overlooking the Grand Canal. The resulting exhibition at Fondazione dell’Albero d’Oro showcased these projects. A second edition of workshop, named Digitalstage, also curated by Professor Renato Bocchi, took place in September 2023 at the Real Academia de España en Roma, involving PhD Architecture students from Sapienza University of Rome and Digitalstage research by Universidad de Valladolid.These experiences aim to provoke reflections on how architectural space interacts with human bodies and fosters perceptual transformations. The proposal advocates for a transdisciplinary approach, blending theory with audio-visual materials from workshop outcomes.
Collective Bathing in Urban Waters
Authors: Balmaseda Domínguez Alba
Published: February 2025

Performed in the heartland of the North American context at a pivotal time in thinking about public spaces after the post-war boom, the opening of Portland's Keller Fountain in 1970, the founding of the Save Barton Creek Association (SBCA) by Austinites in 1979 and the Beach Party at Dallas City Hall serve to explore how the performativity of space was involved in the transformation of urban waters into bathing waters, or in the creation of an intimate relationship between the bathers and their surroundings. Therefore, following a social and spatial analysis of these three episodes of urban bathing, a number of conclusions are discussed. An initial observation is that, despite the differences between the three situations studied, the spatial qualities and architectural mechanisms that favour collective bathing, and thus spatial performativity, can be grouped together and compared, since there is a certain resemblance between the cases. A further reflection is that, beyond the spatial and architectural aspects considered above, the three cases also provide an opportunity to reflect on several properties bounded with collective bathing. In light of the foregoing observations and reflections, it seems clear that collective bathing in urban waters may have the potential to provide cities and citizens with performative ‘places’ where agency, community, responsibility, regeneration and testing can flourish.
Analyzing why AI struggles with drawing human hands with CLIP
Authors: Sarkar Meghna , Chatterjee Siddhartha , Hazra Sudipta , Sinha Anurag , Reza Md. Sazid , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: February 2025

Background Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in various domains, but generating realistic human hands remains a challenge. This study explores the limitations of AI in capturing the fine details and proportions of hands, using Contrastive Language Image Pretraining (CLIP) as a case study. Methods Our analysis reveals that CLIP struggles to accurately represent hands due to inadequate training data, anatomical complexities, and practical challenges. We conducted a series of tests and analyses to identify the primary causes of CLIP’s difficulties. Results Our results show that CLIP’s struggles stem from data biases and insufficient anatomical representation in training datasets. Specifically, we found distorted finger relationships, inaccurate proportions, and deviations from expected hand geometry. Conclusion This study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the current limitations and propose possible directions for future research. By leveraging CLIP for evaluation, control algorithms for structure enforcement, DALL-E for generation, AR for gesture tracking, and 3D modeling for anatomical accuracy, we can overcome the challenges of generating realistic human hands and advance AI’s capabilities in artistic creativity
Risk assessment of ammonia leakage by fault tree analysis: Case study in the ice manufacture, Chonburi province
Authors: Nakyai Teeranun , Phatrabuddha Sujee , Homsri Patomphong , Phatrabuddha Nantaporn
Published: February 2025

Introduction Ammonia leaks during ice production can have significant impacts on the health of workers, nearby communities, and the environment. Exposure to ammonia can lead to both acute and chronic adverse effects. Methods A basic cause analysis of ammonia leakage in an ice production facility in Chonburi Province was conducted using Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). Boolean algebra equations were applied to construct primary causes, define failure type, and establish prioritization. Risk assessment was performed based on the criteria established by the Department of Industrial Work, incorporating both likelihood and severity to determine the risk level. Results The results identified 22 potential scenarios that contributed to ammonia leakage. When prioritizing these scenarios, dust accumulation and clogging of the fan, uninsulated ammonia transport pipes, coil obstruction due to scale build-up, incorrect shaft bearing motor, and the use of non-heat-resistant lubricants were significant contributors. Risk assessment analysis indicated both moderate and high risk of ammonia leakage. The use of incorrect bearing and non-heat-resistant lubricant in pumps was identified as high-risk, with a score of 9. Conclusions To mitigate this risk, it is necessary to replace bearings with standard ones and use heat-resistant lubricants to prevent pump failure and reduce cooling inefficiencies, which could lead to ammonia leaks. Regular inspection and maintenance should also be implemented. Furthermore, it is essential to enhance workers’ skills and expertise through training and practice.
Non-native speakers of English or ChatGPT: Who thinks better?
Authors: Shormani Mohammed Q.
Published: February 2025

Background This study aimed to answer the following major question: Who thinks better, non-native speakers of English or ChatGPT?. It provides evidence from processing and interpreting center-embedding English constructions that the human brain surpasses ChatGPT and that ChatGPT cannot be regarded as a theory of language. Methods Fifteen non-native English speakers were recruited as participants. A center-embedding English sentence was presented to both the study participants and the ChatGPT. The ability of the ChatGPT to predict and remember was also tested. Results The study findings reveal that the human brain is still far ahead of Large Language Models, specifically ChatGPT, even in the case of non-native speakers of L2 English. They also showed ChatGPT’s inability to predict and remember. Conclusions The study concludes that the human brain’s ability to process and interpret natural language data and to predict and remember is unique and that ChatGPT still lags behind this unique human ability.
The Art of Eating: Nourishing Instincts and Balancing Intuitive Eating
Authors: Jańczyk Natalia , Jankowska Marlena , Baran Karolina , Winkowska Alicja , Mędrysa Karolina , Pokrzepa Jakub Jan , Presak Michał , Blecharz Gabriela , Szwech Julia , Pograniczny Mikołaj
Published: February 2025

This dissertation explores the crucial role of nutrition in optimising athletic performance. It examines the interplay between foundational nutritional knowledge – as we know it in science – and the evolving trend of so-called intuitive eating. The fundamental importance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) and micronutrients for fuelling training, as well as promoting recovery and preventing injury, is discussed. The topic of controlling glucose spikes is briefly touched upon, and understanding the specific nutritional requirements of various sports is emphasised. The dissertation synthesises knowledge of principles, benefits and potential challenges of intuitive eating with athletes’ needs. Ultimately, this work highlights a holistic approach, amalgamating both what the scientific world has to offer and the individualistic liberation that intuitive eating has to offer for achieving peak athletic performance and psychological well-being.
Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction - An Overview
Authors: Černohorská Alicja , Bednarczyk Daria , Białeta Julia , Garbarczyk Wiktor , Jurkiewicz Michalina , Kapla Albert , Napieralska Agnieszka , Rowińska Katarzyna , Pysiewicz Wiktoria , Siembab Karolina
Published: February 2025

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a common condition among athletes, particularly those involved in endurance sports, and can significantly impact their performance and quality of life. The underlying mechanisms of EIB remain complex and are influenced by various factors, including airway cooling, dehydration, increased exposure to allergens and pollutants, and intense physical exertion. The inflammatory responses in the airways of athletes with asthma are often unique, with increased airway sensitivity and reactivity. Factors such as increased ventilation, pollutants, allergens, and airway remodeling contribute to the high incidence of EIB in athletes.The diagnosis of asthma and EIB relies on clinical symptoms, peak expiratory flow measurements, and bronchoprovocation tests, including exercise challenge testing and methacholine challenges. These methods help establish airway hyperresponsiveness and assess the severity of bronchoconstriction. Diagnosis can be complicated by the need for multiple tests, as symptoms and airway responsiveness may fluctuate with training intensity.Treatment and management strategies for EIB in athletes are multifaceted and include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Non-pharmacological strategies emphasize asthma education, environmental control, and exercise modification. Pharmacological interventions commonly include inhaled glucocorticoids, β2-agonists, leukotriene modifiers, and mast cell stabilizers. These treatments aim to manage symptoms, improve lung function, and reduce the occurrence of bronchoconstriction. Successful management requires a coordinated approach, involving healthcare providers, sports medicine professionals, and coaches, to ensure proper diagnosis, treatment adherence, and the continued participation of athletes in their chosen sports.
A Structural Model of a Firm’s Operating Cash Flow with Applications
Authors: Arora Kashish , Gaur Vishal
Published: February 2025

Effective management of a firm’s operating cash flow is essential for supporting growth, servicing debt, and maintaining overall financial health. Mismanagement of cash flows can result in severe liquidity challenges and even business failure. However, managing operating cash flow is complex because of its intricate, endogenous relationships with operational variables, like sales, operating costs, inventory, payables, and the impact of exogenous macroeconomic factors on a firm. In this paper, we present a structural model of operating cash flow that untangles this endogeneity, allows us to estimate causal relationships among these variables, and provides a valuable tool for evaluating cash flow management policies. Applying our model to quarterly financial data from S&P’s Compustat database spanning from 1990 to 2020 along with macroeconomic indicators, we provide empirical evidence of the endogenous nature of cash flow with other operational variables. We then showcase the practical value of our model by (i) identifying the characteristics of structural shocks and the new equilibria they induce within the system; (ii) offering a tool for evaluating alternative managerial actions or policy decisions to counteract these shocks; (iii) predicting the impacts of macroeconomic events, such as global recessions and fluctuations in economic sentiment, on firm performance; and (iv) demonstrating superior forecasting performance compared with traditional univariate models. In summary, our structural model of operating cash flow enhances our understanding of its dynamics, enabling better-informed decision making and more effective cash flow management in firms.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi Levi, operations management.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03790 .
Generation Gap? The Branching Influence of Historical Myths
Authors: Noh Sung-Chul , Lyle Matthew C. B. , Do Boram
Published: February 2025

Despite recent theorizing on the power of rhetorical histories, scholars have yet to consider the dynamics of organizational generations (i.e., collectives defined by temporally proximal organizational entry and shared experiences and memories of organizational events) involved in their creation and long-term effects. Based on a comparative case study of two union organizations that participated in failed initiatives, we produce a parallel process model of cross-generational historical branching explaining the divergent and long-term influences of using history strategically across generational lines. Our model unpacks how theoretically distinct forms of what has been deemed “historical myth” offered by senior generations, while harboring similar utility in building cross-generational support, underlie divergent outcomes regarding how members across generations respond to subsequent failure and, in turn, historically position the initiative. We further suggest these processes have a lingering impact on an organization’s willingness to engage in a subsequent initiative. Our theory sheds light on the ways in which historical myths shared across generational divides, in tandem with the cross-generational mnemonic communities they create, engender divergent, long-term, and potentially unexpected consequences.

Funding: This work was supported by Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and National Research Foundation of Korea [Grant NRF-2020S1A5A8042404], the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science [KAKENHI Grant JP16K17159], and the Yonsei Signature Research Cluster Program [Grant 2024-22-0167].
Nurses’ motivation, attitudes and knowledge in wound care: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Grešš Halász Beáta , Dimunová Lucia , Rimárová Kvetoslava , Kristová Jarmila
Published: February 2025

Aim. Chronic/hard-to-heal/non-healing wounds are a worldwide problem that requires educated, motivated nurses with a positive attitude towards wound management. The aim was to assess the motivation, attitudes and knowledge of nurses treating patients with chronic wounds during their daily practice prior to completing the newly introduced certifi cation program.
Material and methods. An exploratory cross-sectional study. Ninety-four randomly selected nurses who work with patients with wounds on a daily basis participated in this study. The instrument constructed by authors was distributed from February to March 2022.
Results. The overall motivation reached 73%, attitude 53% and knowledge 54%. There was a signifi cant diff erence found in motivation between departments/settings (P = 0.036) with the highest level achieved by home care nurses, a positive correlation between knowledge and level of education (P = 0.042), and positive attitudes in the group of nurses with specialization (P = 0.021). Nurses are interested in further education, but they lack competences.
Conclusions. The results are linked to the previous absence of structured nursing education in wound management. Eff ective management of patients with chronic wounds is complex and requires appropriate knowledge, attitudes and motivation towards wound care. It is expected that nurses’ will and new certifi cation will lead to positive overall outcomes.

Key words: knowledge, attitude, clinical competence, wound care, motivation
Psychological Capital Scale: A Study on the Psychometric Properties of Employees in Malaysia
Authors: Ooh Seow Ling , Seok Chua Bee , Maakip Ismail
Published: February 2025

Since its inception in 2007, psychological capital has been gaining more and more attention. Nonetheless, zero studies had been done on the psychometric properties of the 24-item Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) in Malaysia. Therefore, the present study examined the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. A total of 420 Malaysian government employees participated in this study. Findings revealed that the PCQ demonstrated a satisfactory level of psychometric properties in Malaysia after five items were excluded. Hence, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) could be used for Malaysian employees to discover positive contributions to psychological capital in the Malaysian workplace setting.Â
Child Sex Tourism Recruitment Techniques
Authors: Bah Yahya Muhammed , Artaria Myrtati Dyah
Published: February 2025

Â The tourism industry generates billions of dollars. However, it has negative impacts on communities. The rationale for this systematic literature review is to examine the techniques perpetrators use to recruit children into the child sex tourism, share knowledge to spark and inspire processes that will usher rapid growth from all directions in the fight against the menace. A systematic review of the literatures using different sources was actuated. Google Search Engine and Scholar Search Engine were used to search articles. In summary, the techniques used to recruit children into child sex tourism are numerous can be simply pooled and catalogued into debt bonded technique, emotional abuse technique, physical support technique, counterfeit love technique, drug addiction technique, physical abuse technique, gifts and favors technique, power and authority technique; and fake promises and special attention grooming technique.Â
A Violência Obstétrica como Coisificação da Mulher: Um Estudo de Representações Sociais
Authors: Nascimento Elba Miranda , Bastos Mariana Vieira , Machado Juliana Costa , Lira Margaret Olinda de Souza Carvalho e , Vilela Alba Benemérita Alves , Rodrigues Vanda Palmarella
Published: February 2025

Este estudo objetivou apreender os conteúdos das representações sociais de mulheres sobre violência obstétrica e compreender a relação das representações sociais com as situações de violência vivenciadas no processo parturitivo. Trata-se de um estudo de caráter exploratório, de natureza qualitativa fundamentado na abordagem processual da Teoria das Representações Sociais. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas por chamada de vídeo com 30 mulheres que tiveram parto normal entre os anos de 2017 e 2021. Os dados foram processados no software IRaMuTeQ, utilizou-se para tratamento dos dados a Classificação Hierárquica Descendente. A análise lexical resultou na identificação de dois eixos temáticos que originaram seis classes. O eixo A apresentou a dimensão conceitual e afetiva das representações das mulheres sobre a violência obstétrica e o eixo B abordou as vivências da gestação ao nascimento do bebê que subsidiaram a construção das representações das mulheres sobre violência obstétrica. As mulheres representaram a violência obstétrica como ação de cerceamento de sua autonomia, condutas desnecessárias e violência psicológica. Apontaram a importância de ser bem informada no pré-natal e de serem preparadas adequadamente para o processo parturitivo. Propõe-se que caminhos para uma melhor assistência materna e neonatal sejam tomados com ações educativas no pré-natal e qualificação da assistência obstétrica.
Two newly recorded genera of Olethreutinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from India with description of a new species
Authors: NAIK SANTHOSH , REDDY KARTHIK M. , SAHOO KISHORE C. , P. R. SHASHANK
Published: February 2025

We present records of two genera of the subfamily Olethreutinae (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) previously unknown from India: Toonavora Horak, 2006 and Argyroptocha Diakonoff, 1968; and we describe Toonavora valvaspinosa Shashank sp. nov. Illustrations of adult habitus and wing venation, comments on geographic distribution, and taxonomic notes are provided for each species. For Toonavora species we provided an identification key and checklist.
The smile as a way of expressing positive emotions in interpersonal relations
Authors: Bawej Izabela
Published: February 2025

Showing one’s feelings is a fundamental part of
human experience and communication. The expression
of positive emotions can manifest itself
in different ways depending on the culture, social
rules, and individual preferences of the members
of a given cultural community. One of the most
expressive emotional means of communicating
without words is the smile. It is a universal facial
expression that is understood by everyone
around the world, even if they do not speak the
same language. It is recognized and accepted in
most cultures, although its meaning may vary according
to accepted cultural norms. A smile can
be seen from a distance. It is generally a sign of
affection, kindness and friendship. It also has the
opposite side, that of irony, malice and falsity, but
also full of compassion, melancholy or shame.
Although a smile is a universal expression, its
meaning is not universal, as it also depends on the
specific situation or the prevailing value system in
a given community. Structurally similar smiles in
Poland or Japan, for example, may have quite
different meanings, as different facial expressions
reflect the different values of these cultures.
Although an English proverb says that everyone
smiles in the same language, the meaning of a
smile may be interpreted slightly differently, depending
on the social and cultural context.
The smile is one of the most expressive emotional
means of communication, whereas the present
study is devoted to the analysis of the smile as a
symbol of positive feelings in the context of human
interaction. On the basis of a semantic analysis
of the word in selected word combinations
(such as phraseological compounds, common
phrases, proper names) in Polish, it was shown
what positive emotions a smile evokes. This enabled
gaining a deeper understanding of the
ways in which positive feelings associated with a
smile are expressed, as well as learning about its
key role in interpersonal interactions.
Liberating Human Rights from Group Narcissism
Authors: Greathead Simon , McKeon Timothy
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT: Many people are forced to contend with the disjunction between (1) human rights as a universal concept applying to everyone despite time and location and (2) human rights as a primarily Western invention that does not necessarily apply to every cultural group. This disjunction can be especially troubling to Westerners, who may fear they are imposing their cultural norms on other nations in an act of group narcissism. This article addresses this disjunction by explaining culture in the context of human rights. Furthermore, it proposes adaptive ethnocentrism (in contrast to tribal ethnocentrism) as a means of liberating people to promote human rights while also enabling them to avoid group narcissism. Adaptive ethnocentrism is distinct from tribal ethnocentrism in that people are not expected to automatically accept the customs of the group they happen to belong to. Instead, people are expected to critically examine their customs, as well as the customs of other people they encounter, and adapt their way of life according to the customs they judge to be the best.
Concepts of Non-Retrogression in Economic and Social Rights
Authors: Warwick Ben T C
Published: February 2025

ABSTRACT: International economic and social rights law is based on six general obligations, including non-retrogression. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has struggled to develop an obligation of non-retrogression. Structurally, non-retrogression is formed of a prohibition on retrogressive measures and criteria that can pass a measure as permissible retrogression. The doctrine has evolved over time, with ten distinct versions, each with a variety of implications for understanding economic and social rights. This article posits that approaches to non-retrogression can be grouped into four conceptual models. These models help analyze the doctrine’s position relative to the broader set of economic and social rights obligations. In addition to identifying these concepts, this article shows how they can be used to identify the essence of non-retrogression. It also proposes a more conceptually coherent approach that can provide a way forward for economic and social rights.
Generation of unstable states via encircling exceptional nexus
Authors: Long Dan , Mao Xuan , Qin Guo-Qing , Wang Min , Xie Ran-Ran , Li Gui-Qin , Long Gui-Lu
Published: February 2025

An exceptional nexus (EX), a higher-order exceptional point where multiple exceptional arcs converge, has garnered significant attention in various physical domains, such as hybrid topological invariants and asymmetric state transfer. Previous studies on the dynamics encircling EX have primarily concentrated on transitions between stable states. To explore the transition from stable to unstable state in a nonlinear system, we construct an EX by coupling a saturated gain and a linear lossy optical microcavity and modulate the evolution rate of this EX. When dynamically encircling this EX, the stable state transfers to an unstable state at an optimal evolution rate range, exhibiting an asymmetric state transfer dependent on the starting point. Increasing the system’s gain parameter or reducing the loss parameter broadens the optimal evolution rate range for the transition from the stable to the unstable. By altering the starting point and shape of the evolution trajectory, the optimal range for the evolution rate will adjust correspondingly. Our work elucidates the fundamental physics of encircling EX and provides an alternative approach for manipulating optical modes in nonlinear non-Hermitian systems, particularly regarding transitions to the unstable state.
Full-scale OFDR-based distributed strain sensing with enhanced measurement accuracy
Authors: Yang Jun , Lin Cuofu , Fu Mingye , Yu Zhangjun , Yang Jun , Wang Yuncai , Qin Yuwen
Published: February 2025

In this Letter, we propose a method to improve strain sensing accuracy across the full-scale distance at the 100 m level in optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) by minimizing residual phase noise (RPN), which significantly degrades strain accuracy. We derive a quantitative relationship between RPN variance and interferometer delay and design a coded delay fiber module (OPEM) that dynamically provides delay fibers of optimal length. By quantitatively analyzing RPN and guiding the output configuration of the OPEM to suppress RPN at the hardware level, we achieved strain sensing with a spatial resolution of 2 mm and a strain accuracy better than 1.5 με (2σ) across the full-scale distance at the 100 m level, approaching the theoretical accuracy limited by optical shot noise.
Space-division multiplexed phase compensation for quantum communication: concept and field demonstration
Authors: Maruyama Riku , Yoshida Daisuke , Nagano Koji , Kuramitani Kouyou , Tsurusawa Hideyo , Horikiri Tomoyuki
Published: February 2025

Phase-sensitive quantum communication has received considerable attention to overcome the distance limitation of quantum communication. A fundamental problem in phase-sensitive quantum communication is to compensate phase drift in an optical fiber channel. A combination of time-, wavelength-, and space-division phase compensation can improve the phase stability of the optical fiber. However, the existing phase compensations have used only time- and wavelength-division compensation. Here, we demonstrate space-division multiplexed phase compensation in the Osaka metropolitan networks. Our compensation scheme uses two neighboring fibers, one for quantum communication and the other for sensing and compensating the phase drift. Our field investigations confirm the correlation of the phase drift patterns between the two neighboring fibers. Thanks to the correlation, our space-division multiplexed phase compensation significantly reduces the phase drift and improves the quantum bit error rate. Hence, our experimental study has established the space-division multiplexed phase compensation scheme. We also propose a hybrid scheme of space-wavelength-time-division multiplexed phase compensation for twin-field quantum key distribution and a quantum repeater system.
Evaluating the generalisability of region-naïve machine learning algorithms for the identification of epilepsy in low-resource settings
Authors: Duta Ioana , Kariuki Symon M. , Ngugi Anthony K. , Mwesige Angelina Kakooza , Masanja Honorati , Mwanga Daniel M. , Owusu-Agyei Seth , Wagner Ryan , Cross J Helen , Sander Josemir W. , Newton Charles R. , Sen Arjune , Jones Gabriel Davis
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Approximately 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where limited resources and stigma hinder accurate diagnosis and treatment. Clinical machine learning models have demonstrated substantial promise in supporting the diagnostic process in LMICs by aiding in preliminary screening and detection of possible epilepsy cases without relying on specialised or trained personnel. How well these models generalise to naïve regions is, however, underexplored. Here, we use a novel approach to assess the suitability and applicability of such clinical tools to aid screening and diagnosis of active convulsive epilepsy in settings beyond their original training contexts.

Methods

We sourced data from the Study of Epidemiology of Epilepsy in Demographic Sites dataset, which includes demographic information and clinical variables related to diagnosing epilepsy across five sub-Saharan African sites. For each site, we developed a region-specific (single-site) predictive model for epilepsy and assessed its performance at other sites. We then iteratively added sites to a multi-site model and evaluated model performance on the omitted regions. Model performances and parameters were then compared across every permutation of sites. We used a leave-one-site-out cross-validation analysis to assess the impact of incorporating individual site data in the model.

Results

Single-site clinical models performed well within their own regions, but generally worse when evaluated in other regions (p<0.05). Model weights and optimal thresholds varied markedly across sites. When the models were trained using data from an increasing number of sites, mean internal performance decreased while external performance improved.

Conclusions

Clinical models for epilepsy diagnosis in LMICs demonstrate characteristic traits of ML models, such as limited generalisability and a trade-off between internal and external performance. The relationship between predictors and model outcomes also varies across sites, suggesting the need to update specific model aspects with local data before broader implementation. Variations are likely to be particular to the cultural context of diagnosis. We recommend developing models adapted to the cultures and contexts of their intended deployment and caution against deploying region- and culture-naïve models without thorough prior evaluation.
Incidence of loiasis clinical manifestations in a rural area of the Republic of Congo: Results from a longitudinal prospective study (the MorLo project)
Authors: Campillo Jérémy T. , Pakat-Pambou Biam-Miveck , Sahm Bachiratou , Pion Sébastien D.S. , Hemilembolo Marlhand C. , Lebredonchel Elodie , Boussinesq Michel , Missamou François , Chesnais Cédric B.
Published: February 2025

Background

Loiasis is endemic in Central Africa. Despite evidence of clinical complications and increased mortality, it remains excluded from the list of neglected tropical diseases. The main manifestations are Calabar swellings (CS), Eyeworm (EW) and non-specific general symptoms such arthralgia and pruritus. We calculated incidence rates for clinical manifestations of loiasis from a 13-month study on clinical manifestations in 991 individuals living in Loa loa-endemic areas in the Republic of Congo.

Methodology

From September 2022 to September 2023, community health workers collected weekly symptoms from cohort participants. Detailed data on symptom duration, intensity, associated pruritus, and impact on sleep were recorded. Laboratory procedures included thick blood smear for L. loa microfilaremia measurement, creatininemia measurement and eosinophilia counts. We used multiple failure analysis and frailty models to calculate incidence rates of EW, CS, arthralgia, pruritus and absence from work (AfW) and to analyses factors associated with increased incidence of each symptom. The population-attributable fractions (PAFs) associated with loiasis were also calculated for pruritus, AfW and arthralgia.

Principal findings

Among the studied manifestations, arthralgia had the highest incidence rate at 555.2 cases per 1000 Person-Year (PY), followed by pruritus (332.3 cases/1000 PY), AfW (298.6/1000 PY), EW (266.4/1000 PY), and CS (213.8/1000 PY). Notably, the incidence rates of CS, pruritus, arthralgia, and AfW were statistically significantly higher in the subgroup of individuals who experienced at least one episode of EW during the follow-up period. EW occurrence is more frequent when microfilaremia is present. The PAFs of AfW, pruritus and arthralgia, associated with loiasis was 18.0% [07.3–27.6], 20.8% [11.6–29.1] and 12.1% [3.1–20.1], respectively.

Conclusion/significance

This is the first study to provide incidence rates for the clinical manifestations of loiasis. These estimates are crucial for assessing the burden of loiasis. The findings highlight the disease’s impact on quality of life.
Correlates of tuberculosis in children under the age of 15 years
Authors: Siame Lukundo , Chama Gift C. , Masenga Sepiso K.
Published: February 2025

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge, particularly among vulnerable populations like children. This is especially true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of TB in children is substantial. Zambia ranks 21st among the top 30 high TB endemic countries globally. While studies have explored TB in adults in Zambia, the prevalence and associated factors in children are not well documented. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and sociodemographic, and clinical factors associated with active TB disease in hospitalized children under the age of 15 years at Livingstone University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), the largest referral center in Zambia’s Southern Province.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study of 700 pediatric patients under 15 years old, utilized programmatic data from the Pediatrics Department at LUTH. A systematic sampling method was used to select participants from medical records. Data on demographics, medical conditions, anthropometric measurements, and blood tests were collected. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with TB.

Results

The median age was 24 months (interquartile range (IQR): 11, 60) and majority were male (56.7%, n = 397/700). Most participants were from urban areas (59.9%, n = 419/700), and 9.2% (n = 62/675) were living with HIV. Malnutrition and comorbidities were present in a significant portion of the participants (19.0% and 25.1%, respectively). The prevalence of active TB cases was 9.4% (n = 66/700) among hospitalized children. Persons living with HIV (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 6.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.85, 13.89, p< 0.001), and those who were malnourished (AOR: 10.38, 95% CI: 4.78, 22.55, p< 0.001) had a significantly higher likelihood of developing active TB disease.

Conclusion

This study revealed a prevalence 9.4% active TB among hospitalized children under 15 years at LUTH. HIV status and malnutrition emerged as significant factors associated with active TB disease. These findings emphasize the need for pediatric TB control strategies that prioritize addressing associated factors to effectively reduce the burden of tuberculosis in Zambian children.
Early to Mid-Holocene land use transitions in South Asia: A new archaeological synthesis of potential human impacts
Authors: Bates J. , Morrison K. D. , Madella M. , Hill A. C. , Whitehouse N. J. , Abro T. , Ajithprasad P. , Anupama K. , Casile A. , Chandio A. , Chatterjee S. , Gangopadhyay K. , Hammer E. , Haricharan S. , Hazarika M. , Korisettar R. , Kumar A. , Lancelotti C. , Pappu S. , Parque O. , Petrie C. A. , Premathilake R. , Selvakumar V. , Sen S. , Spate M. , Trivedi M. , Veesar G. M. , Vinayak V.
Published: February 2025

While it is clear that current human impact on the earth system is unprecedented in scope and scale, much less is known about the long-term histories of human land use and their effects on vegetation, carbon cycling, and other factors relevant to climate change. Current debates over the possible importance of human activities since the mid second millennium CE cannot be effectively resolved without evidence-based reconstructions of past land use and its consequences. The goal of the PAGES LandCover 6K working group is to reconstruct human land use and land cover over the past 12,000 years. In this paper, we present the first large-scale synthesis of archaeological evidence for human land use in South Asia at 12 and 6kya, a critical period for the transition to agriculture, arguably one of the land use transitions most consequential in terms of human impact on the Earth system. Perhaps the most important narrative we can pick out is that while there are some shifts in land use across these time windows, hunter-gatherer-fisher-foraging remained the dominant land use, and within this there was a mosaic of strategies exploiting diverse and complex landscapes and ecologies. This is not necessarily a new conclusion–it is not new to state that South Asia is comprised of many niches, but demonstrating the deep time history of how people have adapted to these and adapted them is an important step for modelling the impacts of human populations and thinking about their footprints in a longue-durée perspective. Despite the new development of food production between the early and mid-Holocene by overall area foraging life ways continued as the dominant land use practice into the 6kya time window. The development of agriculture and food production was not unimportant–it is the beginning of a land use that eventually comes to dominate the sub-continent, but at 6kya agriculture was restricted to specific contexts. Across 12kya to 6kya and different land uses, the use of mosaic ecologies, diverse strategies and the importance of water as a resource stand out as shared themes.