bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Not in the college but city’: Networks of Higher Learning in Manchester before 1824
Authors: Ellis Heather
Published: December 2024

This article explores in what ways and to what extent it is possible to talk about ‘higher learning’ and ‘higher education’ in Manchester before 1824, the date formally chosen by the University of Manchester to mark its foundation. It considers diverse sites and institutions, revealing a complex, interconnected web of knowledge spaces – dissenting academies, teaching hospitals, learned societies, independent libraries and individual initiatives – which complicate existing narratives of the development of higher education in the city that usually focus on the origins of the university. In the early nineteenth century, with Manchester rapidly becoming the ‘world’s first industrial city’, we see emerging at the same time a vibrant urban educational landscape, with no parallel in the British Isles at that time.
1
In contrast to England’s ancient universities which remained, for the most part, closed and private entities until the mid-nineteenth century, Manchester’s educational culture was self-consciously diffused, civic and participatory, strongly influenced by the city’s prominent dissenting communities. Excluded from Oxford and Cambridge, Manchester’s Unitarians, in particular, sought to shape the city’s educational culture according to the Enlightenment ideal of polite learning as a public endeavour. While civic participatory models have been foregrounded by historians of knowledge and ideas in recent years, this article considers, for the first time, how such models influenced the history of educational cultures in Manchester.
Driving Characteristics and Speed Behaviour Parameters of Direct Traffic at Intersections Based on Field Driving Tests
Authors: LI Shijia , LONG Yansong , GUO Yanyong , KONG Fanxing , XU Jin
Published: December 2024

To reveal the speed control behaviour and manoeuvring characteristics of direct vehicles that stop-go through signalised intersections, a large-scale field driving test was carried out in Chongqing to collect vehicle data under natural driving conditions. The characteristics of speed, longitudinal acceleration rate and their two-dimensional correlation were analysed for deceleration and acceleration behaviour at signalised intersections. Further, a sensitivity analysis of the simulation model on measured data was done with the micro-traffic simulation experiment of a signalised intersection. The following were observed: (1) Drivers’ speed-selection behaviours become more concentrated with closer distance from the stop point. The transects ±25 m from the stop point are abrupt change points in the discrete nature of driver speed-selective behaviours. (2) Drivers’ desire to decelerate during the stop-go through signalised intersections is more robust, with the magnitude of pedal manoeuvres for deceleration behaviours being more intense than that for acceleration behaviours. (3) There is a nonlinear correlation between longitudinal acceleration rate and speed. The longitudinal acceleration rate increased with increase in speed and then decreased with the inflection point at 15 km/h. (4) The micro-traffic simulation’s acceleration rate model is sensitive to measured acceleration rate parameters. This study guides the parameter setting of speed, deceleration rate and acceleration rate models for microscopic traffic simulation and for parameter calibration of the car-following model.
Research on the Location of Front-Loading Warehouses Based on the Reverse Logistics of Fresh Agricultural Products
Authors: XI Jiarui , GENG Nana
Published: December 2024

The proposal to create front-loading warehouses has been suggested as a tactic to enhance the effectiveness and quality of distributing fresh agricultural products in the concluding stage of delivery. Nevertheless, there has been a noted escalation in the rate of loss of these products, which can be ascribed to multiple factors, including inaccuracies in demand forecasting. This incongruity arises from consumers’ inability to consume the initially forecasted quantities and unforeseen surges in demand from specific businesses. Consequently, surplus products are left unsold and eventually wasted. This study explores the viability of implementing a reverse logistics model for fresh agricultural products in tandem with the front-loading warehouse. The study presents both traditional and reverse dual models aimed at cost minimisation and introduces novel criteria for the selection of warehouse locations to enhance the efficiency of reverse logistics operations. An advanced hybrid heuristic optimisation algorithm is employed to identify optimal solutions, primarily focusing on minimising product loss rates, reducing logistics expenses and establishing a more equitable supply-demand equilibrium in the area. In the case of Nanjing, it is found that compared with the traditional model, because the network model assumes more functions, the front-loading warehouse in the reverse model has more site selection points in high-demand areas to meet the needs of consumers and is consistent with the distribution of population density and economic activities in Nanjing. At the same time, among the factors affecting the total cost, it is necessary to focus on transportation and fixed costs, while the impact of time and freight damage costs is less.
Optimisation Methods for Cold Chain Logistics Path Considering Carbon Emission Costs in Time-Varying Networks
Authors: WANG Zeyu , CHEN Fujian , MO Chengcheng
Published: December 2024

With the escalating global climate change, the cost of carbon emissions has become a crucial metric for evaluating the sustainability of logistics systems. This study addresses the optimisation of cold chain logistics routes in a time-varying network environment, considering the carbon emission cost factor, and proposes an enhanced particle swarm optimisation algorithm to solve this optimisation problem. Firstly, we establish a cold chain logistics optimisation model that incorporates the time-varying network, integrating logistics route planning with carbon emission costs. Subsequently, we design an improved particle swarm optimisation algorithm suitable for time-varying networks. This algorithm optimises vehicle routes and adjusts delivery times to minimise the total cost incurred during distribution. Finally, through simulation experiments, we analyse the impact of vehicle speeds and carbon trading mechanisms on optimisation outcomes. The results demonstrate that this method effectively optimises cold chain logistics routes, considering real network conditions and environmental factors, thereby reducing delivery costs and carbon emissions.
Understanding the Impact of Integration Strategy of Ride-Hailing Platforms on Traveller’s Choice Behaviour
Authors: LU Ke , WEI Yunlin , DU Heng
Published: December 2024

With the rapid expansion of ride-hailing services, it has gradually become a new travel choice for urban residents. Various research studies have focused on market relationships and platform strategies from the perspective of platform competition. However, little research has been studying issues related to the platform integration of ride-hailing services from the corporate perspective. Based on an analysis of integration modes and travellers’ behavioural factors, we established an evolutionary game model to study travellers’ choice behaviour under the integration of ride-hailing platforms. Furthermore, this study employed methods of model deduction and numerical study. The findings indicate the following. (1) When the travel risk associated with platform integration is high, travellers are less likely to choose ride-hailing services, and the integration strategy of ride-hailing platforms will not be pursued. (2) Ride-hailing platforms tend to interconnect with larger-scale platforms. (3) As the negative effect of perceived sacrifice decreases, ride-hailing platforms are more likely to interconnect with other platforms, and travellers are more inclined to choose ride-hailing services. (4) A higher cost of platform integration will decrease the probability of ride-hailing platforms adopting an integration strategy, but it will not significantly impact travellers’ behaviour.
Exploring and Comparing Spatial Clusters of Pedestrian Night-Time Crashes Based on Different Street Lighting Conditions at County Spatial Unit
Authors: KEKULA František , KOSOVEC Bernard , BABIĆ Darko , HRUBEŠ Pavel
Published: December 2024

This paper attempts to determine the role of street lighting in the spatial clustering of night-time crashes involving pedestrians in the Republic of Croatia. Five-year (2018–2022) night-time pedestrian crash data were used in conditions with and without street lighting. First, distance-based statistical methods were used to assess the spatial clustering and deviations from complete spatial randomness (CRS) of the crash patterns. Second, the global Moran’s I analysis was conducted to investigate a degree of spatial autocorrelation of the annual crash counts aggregated in 21 counties of Croatia. Finally, the local indicators of spatial association (LISA) were used to identify the locations of the crash count hotspots. The results of the ANND analysis confirm a significant clustering of crashes for both street lighting conditions. However, different global Moran’s I values for both conditions were obtained with a high and statistically significant positive value for the crash counts without street lighting. Local Moran's I analysis reveals that the High-High (H-H) county clusters are located in coastal regions of Croatia, while the Low-Low (L-L) county clusters appear in the East continental part, next to Slavonia. The results suggest that inadequate lighting conditions have an impact on the clustering of pedestrian crashes at night.
Simulating a Cyber-Attack on the Mass Thruster Controllers at Low-Speed Motion
Authors: ASTROV Igor , BAUK Sanja
Published: December 2024

The aim of this paper is to highlight the vulnerability of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) to cyber-attack and to illustrate, through a simulation experiment on a testbed, how to mitigate a cyber-attack on the MASS thruster controllers during low-speed motion. The first part of the paper is based on a scoping review of relevant articles in the field, including some MASS projects, related cyber threats and modelling techniques to improve cyber resilience. In the second part of the paper, a cyber-attack on the MASS thruster controllers at low speed motion is illustrated along with the impact of the attack on the trajectory motion. The Kalman filter, as an additional device to the thruster controllers, is used as a cyber-attack mitigation aid. Under the conditions of a simulated intrusion on the input and output signals of the thruster, the experiments conducted in the MATLAB Simulink environment provide an insight into the behaviour of the MASS propulsion subsystem from the perspective of the low-speed trajectory, with and without the Kalman filter.
Modeling the Market Value of a Product Based on New Technologies - Preliminary Tool Concept
Authors: Filipowicz Paweł
Published: December 2024

Changes in the way market advantage is achieved and the emphasis on value creation that has been introduced by technological change are forcing companies to seek new and effective management tools when it comes to innovative activities; hence, the discussion and presentation of the conceptualization of such a decision-making model. Its basic premise is to take the technology life cycle as a determinant of the market diffusion of a product based on the use of new technologies. Consequently, a decision matrix is developed – one dimension of which is innovation measured by the dynamics of technical debt and the other by customer-perceived value. The product as an analytical object is considered as the sum of the utility functions while allowing for each utility function to originate from the use of a different technology (which is in an adequate phase of its life cycle). After presenting the theoretical model, an example of an analysis of a fictitious product is given, which is a device for cooling and printing food substances. The presented analysis example shows the practical possibilities of using the developed decision-making tool in the areas of the technological andmarketing activities of the enterprise and, in particular, the design of new products or new utility functions.
Graphs with odd and even distances between non-cut vertices
Authors: Antoshyna Kateryna , Kozerenko Sergiy
Published: December 2024

We prove that in a connected graph, the distances between non-cut vertices are odd if and only if it is the line graph of a strong unique independence tree. We then show that any such tree can be inductively constructed from stars using a simple operation. Further, we study the connected graphs in which the distances between non-cut vertices are even (shortly, NCE-graphs). Our main results on NCE-graphs are the following: we give a criterion of NCE-graphs, show that any bipartite graph is an induced subgraph of an NCE-graph, characterize NCE-graphs with exactly two leaves, characterize graphs that can be subdivided to NCE-graphs, and provide a characterization for NCE-graphs which are maximal with respect to the edge addition operation.
Total mutual-visibility in Hamming graphs
Authors: Bujt�s Csilla , Klav�ar Sandi , Tian Jing
Published: December 2024

If \(G\) is a graph and \(X \subseteq V(G)\), then \(X\) is a total mutual-visibility set if every pair of vertices \(x\) and \(y\) of \(G\) admits the shortest \(x,y\)-path \(P\) with \(V(P) \cap X \subseteq \{x,y\}\). The cardinality of the largest total mutual-visibility set of \(G\) is the total mutual-visibility number \(\mu_{\rm t}(G)\) of \(G\). In this paper the total mutual-visibility number is studied on Hamming graphs, that is, Cartesian products of complete graphs. Different equivalent formulations for the problem are derived. The values \(\mu_{\rm t}(K_{n_1}\square K_{n_2}\square K_{n_3})\) are determined. It is proved that \(\mu_{\rm t}(K_{n_1} \square \cdots \square K_{n_r}) = O(N^{r-2})\), where \(N = n_1+\cdots + n_r\), and that \(\mu_{\rm t}(K_s^{\square r}) = \Theta(s^{r-2})\) for every \(r \geq 3\), where \(K_s^{\square r}\) denotes the Cartesian product of \(r\) copies of \(K_s\). The main theorems are also reformulated as Tur�n-type results on hypergraphs.
Mitochondrial respiration atlas reveals differential changes in mitochondrial function across sex and age
Authors: Sarver Dylan C , Saqib Muzna , Chen Fangluo , Wong G William
Published: December 2024

Organ function declines with age, and large-scale transcriptomic analyses have highlighted differential aging trajectories across tissues. The mechanism underlying shared and organ-selective functional changes across the lifespan, however, still remains poorly understood. Given the central role of mitochondria in powering cellular processes needed to maintain tissue health, we therefore undertook a systematic assessment of respiratory activity across 33 different tissues in young (2.5 months) and old (20 months) mice of both sexes. Our high-resolution mitochondrial respiration atlas reveals: (1) within any group of mice, mitochondrial activity varies widely across tissues, with the highest values consistently seen in heart, brown fat, and kidney; (2) biological sex is a significant but minor contributor to mitochondrial respiration, and its contributions are tissue-specific, with major differences seen in the pancreas, stomach, and white adipose tissue; (3) age is a dominant factor affecting mitochondrial activity, especially across most brain regions, different fat depots, skeletal muscle groups, eyes, and different regions of the gastrointestinal tract; (4) age effects can be sex- and tissue-specific, with some of the largest effects seen in pancreas, heart, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle; and (5) while aging alters the functional trajectories of mitochondria in a majority of tissues, some are remarkably resilient to age-induced changes. Altogether, our data provide the most comprehensive compendium of mitochondrial respiration and illuminate functional signatures of aging across diverse tissues and organ systems.
CTFFIND5 provides improved insight into quality, tilt, and thickness of TEM samples
Authors: Elferich Johannes , Kong Lingli , Zottig Ximena , Grigorieff Nikolaus
Published: December 2024

Images taken by transmission electron microscopes are usually affected by lens aberrations and image defocus, among other factors. These distortions can be modeled in reciprocal space using the contrast transfer function (CTF). Accurate estimation and correction of the CTF is essential for restoring the high-resolution signal in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM). Previously, we described the implementation of algorithms for this task in the cisTEM software package (Grant et al., 2018). Here we show that taking sample characteristics, such as thickness and tilt, into account can improve CTF estimation. This is particularly important when imaging cellular samples, where measurement of sample thickness and geometry derived from accurate modeling of the Thon ring pattern helps judging the quality of the sample. This improved CTF estimation has been implemented in CTFFIND5, a new version of the cisTEM program CTFFIND. We evaluated the accuracy of these estimates using images of tilted aquaporin crystals and eukaryotic cells thinned by focused ion beam milling. We estimate that with micrographs of sufficient quality CTFFIND5 can measure sample tilt with an accuracy of 3° and sample thickness with an accuracy of 5 nm.
Kartlegging av sykepleieres bruk av Pediatrisk tidlig varslingsskår på legevakt
Authors: Knudsen Tina C. , Helgesen Ann Karin
Published: December 2024

Bakgrunn: Barn er blant de største pasientgruppene som vurderes på legevakt. Tidlig gjenkjenning av forverring i helsetilstand er mer komplisert hos barn enn hos voksne. Det foreligger lite forskning om bruk av kartleggingsverktøyet Pediatrisk tidlig varslingsskår (Pevs) på legevakt. Hensikt: Å kartlegge sykepleieres bruk av Pevs på legevakt. Resultater: Resultatene viser at Pevs er et nyttig verktøy i vurdering av syke barn på legevakt. Pevs bidrar til systematikk, standardisering, kontinuitet og tidlig identifisering av forverring hos barn. Pevs kan understøtte kliniske observasjoner og vurderinger, men sykepleierne må også bruke klinisk skjønn og ha kunnskap for å klare å fange opp endringer som ikke reflekteres i Pevs skår. Resultatene viser også at flertallet av sykepleierne ønsker mer opplæring, og at legene bør inkluderes i opplæringen. Konklusjon: Pevs er et nyttig verktøy og det er behov for mer opplæring i bruk av verktøyet for å sikre god samhandling og øke pasientsikkerheten.
Slow and affective becoming-with in early childhood education as the initiation of cultivation
Authors: Nordström Alexandra , Sara Sintonen
Published: December 2024

In this paper, we explore slow and affective becoming-with in early educational contexts as the initiation of cultivation. A slow approach advocates varied pace and rhythm, diverging from goal-driven approaches. Affective intensities, including feelings, bodies, and sensory elements challenge Western understandings of child and childhood. Our starting point for this reconsideration is the Finnish scholar J.A. Hollo’s (1895-1967) educational thinking, emphasizing Bildung as a process and the initiation of cultivation. Exploring postqualitative and non-representational methodologies, we focus on the messy and mundane in-betweens in early childhood education. That is, altering how we perceive place by refocusing our gaze from a physical location to intricate, intertwining becoming-withs. By refocusing our gaze on the slow and affective here and now – by thinking, seeing, and feeling with Hollo – we aim to contribute to ongoing discussions on a post-developmental and post-neoliberal ECEC.
Blockchain-enabled data governance for privacy-preserved sharing of confidential data
Authors: Zhang Jingchi , Datta Anwitaman
Published: December 2024

In traditional cloud storage systems, users benefit from the convenience of data accessibility but face significant risks related to security. Ciphertext-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE) schemes are employed to achieve fine-grained access control in cloud services to ensure confidentiality while maintaining data-sharing capabilities. However, existing approaches are impaired by two critical issues: illegal authorization and privacy leakage. Despite extensive discussions in the literature on interoperability, performance, scalability, and stability, the security of ABE-based cloud storage and data-sharing systems against adversaries—particularly those involving adaptively corrupt attribute authorities gaining unauthorized access to users’ data—has not been sufficiently explored. Notably, few existing works even address security in the presence of adversaries, raising concerns about the practicality of these systems in real-world scenarios where malicious behavior is a genuine threat. Another pressing issue is privacy leakage, where sensitive user information, such as medical histories in healthcare use cases, embedded within the access policies, may be exposed to all users. This problem is exacerbated in ABE schemes that integrate blockchain technology for enhanced decentralization and interoperability, as using a public ledger shared across multiple users can further compromise privacy. To address these, we propose an enhanced blockchain-based data governance system that employs blockchain technology and attribute-based encryption to prevent illegal authorization and privacy leakage. Our novel ABE encryption system supports multi-authority use cases while hiding access policy and ensuring identity privacy, which also protects data sharing against corrupt authorities. Utilizing the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for data encryption, our system is optimized for real-world efficiency. Notably, the encrypted data is stored in a decentralized storage system, like the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), which does not rely on any centralized service provider and can, therefore, be leveraged to achieve resilience against single-point failures. With the integration of smart contracts and multi-authority attribute-based encryption, coupled with blockchain’s inherent transparency and traceability, our system realizes a balanced solution for fine-grained access control with preserved privacy, further fortifying against credential misuse. Besides the system design, we also present security proofs to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed system.
Robust multi-view locality preserving regression embedding
Authors: Jing Ling , Li Yi , Zhang Hongjie
Published: December 2024

Feature extraction research has witnessed significant advancements in recent decades, particularly with single-view graph embedding (GE) methods that demonstrate clear advantages by incorporating structural information. However, multi-view data includes descriptions from various perspectives or sensors, offering richer and more comprehensive information compared to single-view data. Research interest in multi-view feature extraction is steadily increasing. Hence, there is a pressing need for a comprehensive framework that extends single-view methods, especially effective GE methods, into multi-view approaches. This article proposes three innovative multi-view feature extraction frameworks based on regression embedding. These frameworks extend single-view GE methods to the multi-view scenario. Our approach meticulously considers the consistency and complementarity of multi-view data, placing strong emphasis on robustness to noisy datasets. Additionally, the use of non-linear shared embedding helps prevent the loss of essential information that may occur with linear projection techniques. Through numerical experiments, we validate the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed frameworks on both real and noisy datasets.
A multi-objective path optimization method for plant protection robots based on improved A*-IWOA
Authors: Niu Jing , Shen Chuanyan , Zhang Lipeng , Li Qijun , Ma Haohao
Published: December 2024

Background

The widespread adoption of plant protection robots has brought intelligent technology and agricultural machinery into deep integration. However, with advances in robotic autonomy, the energy that robots can carry remains limited due to constraints on battery capacity and weight. This limitation restricts the robots’ ability to perform tasks continuously over extended periods.

Methods

To address the challenges of achieving low energy consumption and efficiency in path planning for plant protection robots operating in mountainous environments, a multi-objective path optimization approach was developed. This approach combines the improved A* algorithm with the Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (A*-IWOA), utilizing a 2.5D elevation grid map. First, an energy consumption model was created to account for the robot’s energy use on slopes, based on its kinematic and dynamic models. Then, an improved A* search method was established by expanding to an 8-domain diagonal distance search and introducing a cost function influenced by cross-product decision values. Using the robot’s motion trajectory as a constraint, the IWOA algorithm was applied to optimize the vector cross-product factor (p) by dynamically adjusting population positions and inertia weights, to minimize both energy consumption and path curvature. Finally, in simulation and orchard scenarios, the application effects of the proposed algorithm were evaluated and compared against notable variants of the A* algorithm using the robot ROS 2 operating system.

Results

The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm substantially reduces the travel distance and enhances both path planning and computational efficiency. The improved approach meets the driving accuracy and energy consumption requirements for plant protection robots operating in mountainous environments.

Discussion

This algorithm offers significant advantages in terms of computational accuracy, convergence speed, and efficiency. Moreover, the resulting paths satisfy the stringent energy consumption and path planning requirements of robots in unstructured mountain terrain. This improved algorithm could also be replicated and applied to other fields, such as picking robots, factory inspection robots, and complex industrial environments, where robust and efficient path planning is required.
The movement and distribution of pregnant spotted ragged-tooth sharks, Carcharias taurus, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
Authors: Cerqueira Sara C. , Olbers Jennifer Margaret , Smith Grant , Carpenter Michelle , Pereira Mário J. , Cliff Geremy
Published: December 2024

The spotted ragged-tooth shark, Carcharias taurus, is widely distributed in subtropical continental coastal seas. In South Africa, it is commonly found along the entire south and east coasts, including the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (IWP) in the far north, which is the largest Marine Protected Area on the South African coast. Pregnant females occur there for much of the year, with the largest aggregations in summer. It is here we used remote underwater photography (RUP), supplemented with in-situ surveys to photo-identify individuals, using unique spot patterns. Three known aggregation sites (Raggie Reef, Quarter-Mile Reef and Mushroom Rocks) were monitored over a 5-year period between 2018 and 2023. We photo-identified 574 individuals (569 females and five males) and registered 1,200 sightings, using images of the right flank. The identification of new individuals persisted throughout the study, with the discovery curve showing no signs of reaching an asymptote. A total of 97% (n = 550) of females observed were noticeably pregnant. Individuals were consistently identified across all sample years and at all three reefs, exhibiting movements among the three monitored sites. The reproductive cycle is generally regarded as 2 years, but some females appeared to have a 2-year rest between pregnancies. Raggie Reef, which lies in the sanctuary zone, emerged as the reef with the highest index of popularity, as individuals were present almost constantly (90% of the sampling days). The findings of this study confirm the crucial role that the IWP plays in the conservation of a species that is globally Critically Endangered.
Transformaciones socioespaciales en el Valle del Maule - Chile a partir de la agroindustria vitivinícola (1985-2017)
Authors:   , Babilonia Ballesteros Rosa Inés
Published: December 2024

La tesis doctoral presenta un estudio sobre los factores geofísicos y económicos que condicionan la localización de la agroindustria vitivinícola en el Valle del Maule, Chile. La investigación identifica las variables esenciales para la localización óptima de agroindustria. Mediante el uso de herramientas avanzadas en geomática y análisis espacial se delimita la zona óptima para el establecimiento de plantaciones de vides; en función del comportamiento de variables geofísicas como la temperatura, el suelo y la pendiente y la disponibilidad de la infraestructura vial para definir la conectividad territorial rural, se determina que las comunas de Cauquenes, Retiro, Yerbas Buenas, Maule y Talca presentan las áreas de mayor aptitud productiva en el Valle del Maule. La investigación se aborda desde una perspectiva mixta, la cual permite identificar los discursos asociados a la modernización agrícola, así como los factores históricos y sociopolíticos que incidieron en la configuración y organización de la producción vitivinícola en la región de estudio. Se realizó la técnica del fichaje de diarios y se analizaron los textos a partir de análisis de contenido cualitativo: diálogo entre dos dimensiones 1) el discurso sobre la agricultura a nivel nacional y 2) discursos sobre agricultura a nivel regional. Se caracterizó la estructura socioeconómica del valle del Maule teniendo como base datos cuantitativos obtenidos a través de instituciones oficiales de Chile y revisión de fuentes secundarias. Finalmente, se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a académicos especializados en el tema rural en Chile para identificar las interpretaciones dadas al discurso modernizador en la agroindustria.
Reimaginando el proceso de patrimonialización de la zona típica Plaza de Armas de Santiago de Chile a través de los imaginarios urbanos : propuesta metodológica para la construcción de un nuevo relato patrimonial
Authors:   , Correal Cárdenas Carla
Published: December 2024

Tomando como enfoque teórico-metodológico la vinculación entre la concepción del patrimonio como una construcción social y la teoría de los imaginarios urbanos, se analiza el proceso de patrimonialización de la Zona Típica Plaza de Armas, Congreso Nacional y su entorno, que expresa la disputa entre dos formas de construir el patrimonio urbano y la ciudad: el patrimonio construido desde los imaginarios oficiales y el patrimonio construido desde los imaginarios de los ciudadanos. En esta disputa se imponen los imaginarios oficiales que han privilegiado el reconocimiento y protección de las expresiones materiales del patrimonio urbano, y que contribuyen a orientar políticas de renovación urbana en su mayoría insensibles con la dimensión socio-cultural inmaterial; este espacio patrimonial corre el riesgo de perder la matriz de sentido y significados que configuran su patrimonio, a través de la exclusión y expulsión de las diversas formas sociales que allí se despliegan. Aprovechando la coyuntura actual del proceso de modificación de la Ley de Monumentos Nacionales, el proyecto apunta a plantear una forma de actualización y complementación del proceso de patrimonialización de esta zona típica, con el objetivo de construir un nuevo relato patrimonial que incorpore la protección de elementos que configuran las múltiples lecturas, valoraciones y significados que contiene este espacio urbano. Para ello, se construye una propuesta metodológica que contribuye al reconocimiento multidimensional del patrimonio en la zona, utilizando los imaginarios urbanos como una herramienta para rastrear las asociaciones y sentidos que establecen los sujetos con los elementos de la ciudad. A partir de la aplicación de este ejercicio puntual se podrán obtener aprendizajes para aplicar en otras zonas urbanas patrimoniales.
Sex Determination by Discriminant Function Analysis from Femoral Histomorphometry of a Nigerian Population
Authors: Orupabo Clinton David , Oghenemavwe Loveday Ese
Published: December 2024

Aim: Thorough analysis of skeletal bones has progressed with time from superficial observations to histomorphometry. This is to enable more accurate and precise information to help in the identification of victims. This study intends to develop a model for sex estimation from histomorphometric parameters using discriminant function analysis (DFA).
Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study design.
Place of Study: Skeletal collections from the Anatomy and Pathology Departments of University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria between May 2021 and March 2023.
Methodology: The midshaft of the right femur of 105 individuals (78 males and 27 females), within the age range of 21 and 60 years was utilized for this study. Skeletal remains were obtained from cadaveric specimens from the Anatomy Department of University of Port Harcourt. Ground sections of the bone specimen were done using Modified Frost’s manual method of bone preparation.
Results: The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and an Image J software was utilized to quantify and measure the histomorphometric properties. The results show secondary osteons (OSS) to be higher in the males while fragmented osteons (OSF) were higher in the females. The femur bone shows fitness for DFA at a canonical correlation of 0.631. Also, a cross validation shows that 82% of the cases are correctly classified as males and 81.5% as females. A sex estimation model was therefore developed with any discriminant score equals or close to – 0.520 indicates males and scores equals or close to 1.253 indicating female.
Conclusion: The findings can therefore be utilized to determine sex of Nigerians using a sex model as established by this study, which could help forensic case diagnosis.
Assessing Export Competitiveness and Trade Patterns of Fresh and Chilled Gherkins from India
Authors: Gunadal Narayan Murigeppa , Kerur N. M. , Naik Balachandra K. , Kulkarni Vilas S. , Shashidhar T. R.
Published: December 2024

India is the largest producer and exporter of fresh and chilled gherkins globally, with significant contributions from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, accounting for 25–27 per cent of global exports and generating over $200 million annually. This study analysed the trade direction of Indian fresh and chilled gherkins using secondary data (2011–12 to 2022–23) from APEDA, DGCIS, and other sources. The Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC) was employed to assess export competitiveness, while the first-order Markov chain approach analysed trade direction. The NPC results indicated that Kuwait was a less competitive market (0.98), Bahrain and Oman were moderately competitive (0.85 each), while the UAE, Qatar, Bhutan and Maldives were highly competitive markets (0.30, 0.27, 0.04 and 0.06, respectively). Bhutan, Qatar and the UAE emerged as the most reliable importers, retaining 100 per cent, 73.95 per cent and 68.69 per cent of their market shares, respectively. The study suggest that the UAE, Qatar, Bhutan and Maldives were the most remunerative markets during the study period. However, the high concentration of exports in a few markets increases trade risks, emphasizing the need for market diversification. Strategic interventions, including pricing alignment and enhanced domestic production promotion, are recommended to boost exports and ensure long-term sustainability.
Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Graphene-Oxide
Authors: Rani Versha
Published: December 2024

Magnetic graphene-oxide has recently taken in research spotlight due to its extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Here, we report the synthesis of Graphene oxide based magnetic nano-composites with the size of (~13-14 nm) using simple chemical co-precipitation method. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample measurement (VSM). It was observed that all the composites are superparamagnetic in nature. The saturation magnetization was observed to increase with the increasing magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) in the composites. The dielectric properties of the composites were also improved by adding MNPs. These results remark that synthesized nanocomposites have great potential for magnetic, capacitive, microwave absorption and bio medical applications such as drug delivery, tumor treatment etc.
Exploring the Impact of Corporate Governance on Financial Performance: Evidence from Fourth-generation Private Banks of Bangladesh
Authors: Rifat Adnin , Anjom Washeka
Published: December 2024

This study intends to explore the impact of corporate governance on financial performance of fourth generation private banks of Bangladesh for the period from 2014 to 2023. Board Size, Board Gender Diversity, Board Independence, Audit Committee Size, Board Meeting and Risk Management Committee are used as corporate governance attributes while Return on Asset (ROA) and Return On Equity (ROE) are used as proxy of measuring financial performance of banks. This study relies on secondary data. Necessary data have been obtained from the annual reports of respective fourth generation banks. Panel data regression analysis techniques have been conducted to scrutinize the impact of corporate governance on financial performance of banks. The results reveal that Board Size, Board Independence, Audit Committee Size and Board Meeting have a statistically significant impact on financial performance of banks while Board Gender Diversity and Risk Management Committee size do not have any association with the bank performance. These findings highlight that Board Size and Board Independence increase ROA by 3.78% and 3.33% respectivly while Board Size and Board independence increase ROE by 3.29% and 4.19% respectivly. And also Audit Committee Size decreases ROA by 4.03% and ROE by 4.34%. Furthermore, Board Meeting decreases ROE by 1.24%. These findings implies the significance of corporate governance mechansim to boost the performance. Thus, the information derived from this study can be effective and helpful to enhance the understanding of the governing bodies of banks for accelerating banking performance.
Exploring Moonlighting Motivations and Organizational Dynamics among Indian It Professionals
Authors: S Sathyanarayana , Harsha Hema , B V Pushpa
Published: December 2024

Aim: The aim of this study is to comprehensively understand moonlighting intentions by investigating various influencing factors within the context of the Indian IT sector.
Methodology: The methodology involved administering a pre-tested research instrument to 444 respondents holding diverse positions within the Indian IT sector. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The measurement model underwent rigorous testing for assumptions including internal consistency, content validity, convergent and discriminant validity, homogeneity of variance, VIF, and adherence to normal distribution assumptions.
Findings and Managerial Implications: The study on moonlighting intentions among Indian IT professionals reveals compelling insights. It underscores that individuals often engage in additional work for personal fulfillment and skill development. Financial incentives and career advancement are significant motivations for moonlighting. Moreover, moonlighting is associated with a boundaryless career outlook, indicating a willingness to pursue diverse career opportunities. Additionally, it enhances entrepreneurial motivation and fosters positive perceptions of organizational support and culture.
Originality and Contributions: This study reveals that moonlighting among Indian IT professionals is motivated by personal fulfillment and career advancement. It emphasizes how moonlighting fosters boundaryless career orientation, entrepreneurial motivation, and positive perceptions of organizational support. These findings provide new insights into how moonlighting shapes career strategies and organizational dynamics in the IT sector, offering both theoretical advancements and practical implications for managing dual employment in dynamic work environments.
Assessment of Personal and Administrative Challenges Facing School Counsellors of Senior Secondary Schools in Adamawa State, Nigeria
Authors: KOJIGILI Stephen Tizhe , BITRUS Pwamori , PHENEAS Christiana
Published: December 2024

This study assessed the personal and administrative challenges faced by Secondary School Counsellors of Adamawa state of Nigeria in their delivery of guidance and counselling services in order to understand the struggles. Using the descriptive research design, a total of one0hundred fifty (150) senior secondary school counsellors were randomly selected in the five educational zones of Adamawa State in Nigeria and took part as participants of the study. The primary data-gathering tool utilized in the study involved a self-developed questionnaire which was validated by experts, pilot-tested and with an ascertained reliability coefficient of 0.786. The results revealed that among the personal challenges of school counsellors when delivering guidance and counselling services include computer illiteracy, inability to render home-based counselling, poor counsellor integrity, and stress. The administrative challenges besetting the counsellors on the other hand include the administrators’ perception of counsellors, non-counselling tasks, limited funds, poor formal structure, poor support for training, engagement of teachers as counsellors, poor incentives, insufficient clarity, lack of cooperation and poor monitoring. Moreover, t-test and ANOVA analysis revealed that there are significant differences in the mean response scores of respondent-counsellors along personal challenges (t = - 3.23; p = 0.00) and administrative challenges respectively, with F (2, 150) = 53.04; p = 0.00). These findings are imperative in policy decisions, professional development initiatives and targeted interventions that would redound to the improvement of counsellors’ effectiveness and enhancement of the quality of guidance and counselling services.
Sources and Levels of Zinc Fertilization on Soil Zinc Availability and Zinc Uptake by Small Onion (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum)
Authors: Malathi P. , Keerthana R. , Sellamuthu K.M.
Published: December 2024

Onion, the King of vegetable is one among the oldest cultivated vegetables. The quality and yield of crops are affected by micronutrient deficiencies in soil. Micronutrients which enhance the efficiency of macronutrients are equally important for the growth of a crop. Indian soils are deficient in zinc by an average deficiency of about 50 % at present. It is revealed that the presence of zinc has direct effect on yield and growth parameters of aggregatum onion. To study the Zn uptake and Zn availability to onion, different levels and sources of Zinc was evaluated in a pot culture experiment with onion var. CO(On) 5 in a soil with andy clay loam in texture, non-calcareous and deficient in soil available Zn with 16 treatments comprising different sources of Zn (ZnSO4, Zn-EDTA and Zn citrate) and levels of Zn (1,2.5,5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 kg Zn ha-1 for ZnSO4 and 0.1,0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 kg Zn ha-1 for Zn-EDTA and Zn citrate)­. Significantly highest plant Zn at bulb initiation and harvest stages was observed with ZnSO4 application 10 kg Zn ha-1 followed by Zn-EDTA @ 1 kg Zn ha-1and both were comparable. Uptake of Zn by onion was significantly higher with Zn-EDTA @ 1 kg Zn ha-1 and it was comparable with ZnSO4 @ 10 kg Zn ha-1and Zn-EDTA @ 0.75 kg Zn ha-1. Regarding the Zn content and uptake by onion at the same level of 1 kg Zn ha-1, it was observed that Zn-EDTA performed better than Zn citrate and ZnSO4. The soil available Zn at bulb initiation and harvest stages was the highest with the application of ZnSO4 @ 10 kg Zn ha-1 followed by ZnSO4 @ 7.5 kg Zn ha-1and ZnSO4 @ 5 kg Zn ha-1. With the application of same level of Zn at 1 kg Zn ha-1, Zn-EDTA showed significantly higher soil available Zn which was on par with Zn citrate. From the results obtained, it can be inferred that Zn fertilization had a significant influence on Zn content, Zn uptake and soil available Zn by onion. The performance of 1 kg Zn ha-1 as Zn-EDTA and 10 kg Zn ha-1 as ZnSO4 in improving the Zn uptake of onion was comparable. Hence, it can be concluded that application of either Zn-EDTA @ 1 kg Zn ha-1 or ZnSO4 @ 10 kg Zn ha-1 can be recommended for obtaining higher growth and Zn uptake of onion.
Unaccompanied Minor Refugees: Blockchain-Based Age Assessment Monitoring with Gantt Chart Integration
Authors: STYLIADOU Artemis A.
Published: December 2024

Generally, unaccompanied asylum-seekers claim to be minors because chronological age influences how their asylum claim will be processed. In case of serious doubt, an age assessment must be conducted. The age assessment procedure is complex, includes a variety of processes, and involves different phases and actors, from medical doctors to law enforcement officers, and must be followed in a mandatory time sequence, otherwise, the basic rights of the child are violated. This paper proposes a novel procedure of age assessment monitoring with the help of a Gantt chart and the Blockchain decentralized structure. Compared with other solutions, the proposed procedure is versatile, as it can be applied in many cases in the context of a refugee asylum procedure and achieve effective and agile scheduling. Experimental results showed stable performance in large-scale request and processing distributed environments (Blockchain), where the data synchronization speed of the age assessment decision reached four times faster than a traditional procedure, achieving faster data consistency and better protection of unaccompanied children in accordance with the provisions of European and international legislation. Performance evaluation testing validated the procedure’s GUI functionality and the implementation technique robustness.
Effect of Bio-fertilizers on Growth Attributes of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.)
Authors: Saini Sagar , Kumar Sanjay , Yadav Shatrunjay , Jat Krishna , Singh Uadal , Yadav Narendra
Published: December 2024

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica; 2n = 18), which is originated from the Mediterranean region commonly known as hari gobhi in Hindi and a member of cole group, belongs to the family Brassicaceae or crucifereae. The present research work on the effect of different biofertilizers on the growth parameters of broccoli was carried out at the Horticultural Research Farm-1, Department of Horticulture, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A central University) Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow-226025 (U.P.) during the rabi season, 2022-2023. The research material comprised twelve treatments and three replications in Randomized Block Design. The highest plant height (55.97 cm), number of leaves per plant (21.72), leaf length (48.27 cm), leaf width (23.51 cm), plant spreading east-west (46.63 cm), plant spreading north-south (46.32 cm), stem diameter (6.89 cm), stem length (26.53 cm) was observed at 90 DAT in T7 (RDF + VAM (50% + 50% Each) as compared to T0 (Control) treatment.