bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The NERLE model–a tool for assessing the quality of intralingual subtitles at live events
Authors: Moores Zoe
Published: November 2023

For many years, the NER model has been used to assess the quality of live subtitles created by respeaking on television. In this article, I present and explore the NERLE model, an adaptation of the NER for use at Live Events (LE). This new setting is a dynamic one. When subtitles created within it were assessed with the NER model, many new categories of error were seen which proved complicated to classify, rendering the regular pathways of analysis offered by the NER model insufficient. Some errors resulted from the new, more complex, workflow and set up required at events and others from the new communicative possibilities that live events offer: audience members and people speaking at events are able to interact with respeakers and react and respond to the subtitles they produce in a way that people in a television programme cannot. This change, combined with the more complex access provision and accuracy assessment that live events entail demand that additional steps are incorporated within the NER model analysis workflow to make it applicable to this setting. The article begins with a review of how the NER model developed within the landscape of subtitle accuracy analysis; next the process involved in using the scoring system of the NER model, as the basis for the NERLE model, is examined; finally, the refinements of the NERLE model are presented and the scoring of a number of scenarios is also discussed. It concludes with suggestions for further exploration and applications of the model.
A multiobjective optimization approach for threshold determination in extreme value analysis for financial time series
Authors: Chu Carlin C. F. , Li Simon S. W.
Published: November 2023

The literature on the extreme value theory threshold optimization problem for multiple time series analysis does not consider determining a single optimal tail probability for all marginal distributions. With multiple tail probabilities, their discrepancy results in a differing number of exceedances, which may favour a particular marginal series. In this study, we propose a single optimal tail probability by integrating trade-offs among multiple time series within an MOO framework. Mathematically, our approach links the peaks-over-threshold technique and goal programming technique by developing a set of regression functions, which represent continuous paths of possible tail areas for multiple time series, and we formulate them at the desired levels within a multiobjective optimization framework. The optimal solution is found as the minimum Chebyshev variant weighted value. Our approach advances the development of the peaks-over-threshold method by considering the characteristics of a group of time series collectively instead of independently. The proposed optimal tail probability can be considered an optimal reference point for practical risk investment portfolio analysis that employs an identical tail size across multiple time series data. The daily log returns of four U.S. stock market indices, namely, S&P 500, NASDAQ Composite, NYSE Composite, and Russell 2000, from 1 July 1992 to 30 June 2022 are studied empirically.
Research and application flow-based live-streaming shopping towards compulsive buying
Authors: Ye Min , Ching Tan Chai
Published: November 2023

The purposes of this research were: (1) to study and justify customer behaviors in live-streaming e-commerce; (2) to study the flow state drivers and post-flow state mediators as crucial factors influencing compulsive buying; (3) to analyze a quantitative survey is used to collect the data. Artificial neural networks and structural equation modeling (SEM) provide the analysis for evaluating the validity of the hypotheses; and (4) to find both theoretical and practical implications provide many insights to help expand the understanding of consumer behaviors in live-streaming e-commerce. The samples used in this study were 517 valid persons who are frequently watching live-streaming e-commerce in China. The stimulus-organism-response (SOR) model captures the stimuli (both personal and flow activity levels), the organism (trust, enjoyment, and flow experience), and the responses (represented by loyalty, addiction, and compulsive buying). Theoretical Contributions is that the validated SEM structure shares the pattern of the SOR model, capturing the stimuli (both personal and flow activity levels), the organism (trust, enjoyment, and flow experience), and responses (represented by loyalty, addiction, and compulsive buying). Practical Implications is that Consumer behavior should be guided by notions of social capital, social exchange, and trust. The social context is an essential stimulant in a socio-commercial environment like live streaming e-commerce. This study gives several examples, such as the capacity of perceived social values to increase consumer trust predictably; and the social influence on consumers to elicit affective emotions like enjoyment through interactions and support from others throughout the decision-making process and in the environment of live-streamed shopping.
Acting as a Mental Health Expert by Experience and Its Impact on Social Identity
Authors: Soronen Kari
Published: November 2023

This study was conducted to examine the construction of social identity among mental health experts by experience working in Finnish municipal mental healthcare services. The construction of social identity is approached as an ongoing lifelong process that is significantly affected by lived experiences with mental health problems and recovery from them. The research data consist of focus group discussions, and the analysis is based on a thematic design that is initially material-driven. As a result, four categories are formed to describe the effect of acting as an expert by experience on social identity and the importance of the issue. Experts by experience have to consider profound questions about their identity and future in their new life situation. The individual meanings of acting as an expert by experience are considered particularly important. The support provided by group members builds confidence in one’s chances of success and thereby supports the development of social identity. Social identities of experts by experience are partially built in encounters with professionals representing the mental health care system. This creates opportunities for new roles for those who act as experts by experience.
The effect of stress on rates of asexual reproduction in an invasive planarian
Authors: Rock Sebastian L. , Oudendijk Zowi , Kürten Fabian T. , Veglia Leonardo , Tyukosova Valentina , Bourtzi Ioanna , Verzé Nicholas , Sloggett John J.
Published: November 2023

Animal reproduction under stressful conditions is often reduced, with current survival and future reproduction being generally traded off against current reproductive activity. This study examines the impacts of physical and chemical stressors on the rates of asexual reproduction of the invasive planarian Girardia tigrina. 320 wild-caught planaria (mixed size class) were kept individually in Petri dishes such that their individual rates of fission through fragmentation could be easily monitored. Four treatment groups were compared, one chemical (5 mg/L ammonia) and one physical (decapitation), in comparison to a negative control (animals were starved of food) and a positive control where the animals were given an abundance of food. The two treatment groups immediately began reproducing asexually and accumulated the highest number of fissions over the course of the 12-day investigation period, while the positive control only began to fission after 7 days. We propose that the reproductive response observed here is an adaptive one to stressful conditions, whereby the likelihood of survival through numerical abundance is enhanced, although the size and vulnerability of resulting fragments may impose a balancing cost. The response may play a role in the invasiveness of G. tigrina by making it able to colonize environments where adverse conditions prevail.
The Effect of Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine on Oxidative Stress in the Spinal Cord and Skeletal Muscle After Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Xu Xin , Zhang Chun-Jia , Talifu Zuliyaer , Liu Wu-Bo , Li Ze-Hui , Wang Xiao-Xin , Du Hua-Yong , Ke Han , Yang De-Gang , Gao Feng , Du Liang-Jie , Yu Yan , Jing Ying-Li , Li Jian-Jun
Published: November 2023

Oxidative stress is a frequently occurring pathophysiological feature of spinal cord injury (SCI) and can result in secondary injury to the spinal cord and skeletal muscle atrophy. Studies have reported that glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) have anti-aging and anti-oxidative stress properties; however, to date, no study has assessed the effect of GlyNAC in the treatment of SCI. In the present work, we established a rat model of SCI and then administered GlyNAC to the animals by gavage at a dose of 200 mg/kg for four consecutive weeks. The BBB scores of the rats were significantly elevated from the first to the eighth week after GlyNAC intervention, suggesting that GlyNAC promoted the recovery of motor function; it also promoted the significant recovery of body weight of the rats. Meanwhile, the 4-week heat pain results also suggested that GlyNAC intervention could promote the recovery of sensory function in rats to some extent. Additionally, after 4 weeks, the levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase in spinal cord tissues were significantly elevated, whereas that of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased in GlyNAC-treated animals. The gastrocnemius wet weight ratio and total antioxidant capacity were also significantly increased. After 8 weeks, the malondialdehyde level had decreased significantly in spinal cord tissue, while reactive oxygen species accumulation in skeletal muscle had decreased. These findings suggested that GlyNAC can protect spinal cord tissue, delay skeletal muscle atrophy, and promote functional recovery in rats after SCI.
Transformation- and twinning-induced plasticity in phase-separated bcc Nb-Zr alloys: an atomistic study
Authors: Hasan Md Mahmudul , Srinivasan Srivilliputhur G. , Choudhuri Deep
Published: November 2023

Several high-temperature body-centered cubic (bcc) structural materials such as Nb-, Zr- and Ti-based alloys undergo phase separation, which is a second-order phase transformation, whereby the host lattice decomposes into distinct bcc domains with different compositions. Using atomistic simulations, we studied the high-strain-rate response of bcc-forming Nb–xZr (x = 0, 25, 50 at.%) alloys. To induce phase separation in our starter alloy, we first employed hybrid Monte Carlo/Molecular Dynamics simulations in single crystals of Nb–xZr at 1000 K. Subsequently, these crystals were deformed along different crystallographic orientations ($$\langle 001\rangle$$

⟨
001
⟩

, $$\langle 110\rangle$$

⟨
110
⟩

and $$\langle 111\rangle$$

⟨
111
⟩

) at a strain rate of $$10^{+8} s^{-1}$$

10

+
8

s

-
1

, to investigate orientation dependent mechanical response. The phase-separated Nb–xZr microstructures exhibited distinct bcc domains enriched in either Zr or Nb. Notably, Nb-50 at.%Zr contained coarser Zr-domains compared to Nb-25 at.%Zr. The Zr-rich domains acted as “soft” inclusions, resulting in reduced peak strengths in the following order: pure Nb (Nb-0 at.%Zr) > Nb-25 at.%Zr > Nb-50 at.%Zr. This implies that phase separation causes softening in Nb–xZr. We also discovered two deformation pathways that depended on the crystallographic orientation: (i) For deformation along $$\langle 110\rangle$$

⟨
110
⟩

and $$\langle 111\rangle$$

⟨
111
⟩

directions: Elastic deformation was followed by dislocation plasticity on $$\{110\}\langle 111\rangle$$

{
110
}
⟨
111
⟩

slip systems; and (ii) For deformation along $$\langle 001\rangle$$

⟨
001
⟩

direction: Elastic deformation was followed by the formation of a volumetric fcc structure, twinning on {112}$$\langle 111\rangle$$

⟨
111
⟩

system, and the formation fcc-phase at the twin/matrix interfacial regions. This was ultimately accompanied by dislocation plasticity on $$\{110\}\langle 111\rangle$$

{
110
}
⟨
111
⟩

slip system. The bcc$$\rightarrow$$
→
fcc displacive transformation facilitated {112}$$\langle 111\rangle$$

⟨
111
⟩

twinning when Nb–xZr was deformed along $$\langle 001\rangle$$

⟨
001
⟩

. Our investigation shows that softening of bcc alloys can result from a coupling of mechanisms involving local solute segregation, displacive phase transformation and twinning occurring across multiple slip planes.
Beyond Microbial Biodegradation: Plastic Degradation by Galleria mellonella
Authors: Boschi Andrea , Scieuzo Carmen , Salvia Rosanna , Arias Clemente F. , Perez Rosa Peces , Bertocchini Federica , Falabella Patrizia
Published: November 2023

One of the major environmental issues that modern civilizations are currently dealing with is the growing amount of plastic waste. Because of how they affect all forms of life, this waste is seen as a severe worldwide issue. Current methods for plastic waste disposal do not offer definitive solutions and often lead to the production of microplastics or secondary pollution. In recent years there has been a growing interest by the scientific community in the degradation of plastics by biological means, in particular the possibilities of using insects as a potential solution to the accumulation of this type of waste have been investigated. Among these, one of the most promising is undoubtedly the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella, which synthesizes the first ever discovered polyethylene degrading enzymes. In this review we propose an overview of plastic polymers production and common degradation methodologies, and analyses the current state of the art about the degradation carried out by this insect.
Evaluation of natural radioactivity and assessment of dose increase due to the use of fertilizers produced in Poland
Authors: Szaciłowski Grzegorz
Published: November 2023

Some types of fertilizers may contain various amounts of natural radionuclides like 238U, 232Th, 226Ra, 40K (Kuzmanoviæ et al. in J Radioanal Nucl Chem 331(12):5825–5834, 2022. 10.1007/s10967-022-08646-x; H Hamamo et al. in J Radioanal Nucl Chem 194(2): 331–336, 1995. 10.1007/BF02038431; M García-León et al. in J Radioanal Nucl Chem 197(1): 173–184, 1995. 10.1007/BF02040229). In this study 16 samples of commercially available fertilizers produced in Poland were selected for preliminary radiological evaluation. The samples were measured by means of low background gamma spectrometry. The results showed high concentrations of 40K in potassium and multinutrient fertilizers (2.3–13.8 kBq kg−1), and relatively high concentrations of uranium and radium isotopes in phosphate fertilizers. The obtained results allowed to calculate radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate increase and increase in annual effective dose equivalent.
Early Insights into Implementation of Universal Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Perinatal Substance Use
Authors: Reese Sarah E. , Glover Annie , Fitch Stephanie , Salyer Joe , Lofgren Valerie , McCracken III Clayton “Tersh”
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Perinatal substance use is a growing concern across the United States. Universal screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is one systems-level approach to addressing perinatal substance use. The objective of this study is to assess early efforts to implement SBIRT in an outpatient obstetric clinic.

Methods

The research team implemented universal screening with the 5 P’s screening tool. Providers then engaged patients in a brief intervention and referred to a care manager who then worked with patients via tele-health to connect patients with needed services. Feasibility was measured through the collection of aggregate data describing frequency of universal screening and referral to treatment. The implementation team met bi-weekly to reflect on implementation barriers and facilitators.

Results

In the first year of implementation, 48.5% of patients receiving care in the clinic completed the 5 P’s screener at least once during the perinatal period. Screening occurred in a little over a quarter (26.5%) of eligible visits. Of the 463 patients that completed the 5 P’s at least once during the perinatal period, 195 (42%) unique patients screened positive (answered yes to at least one question).

Conclusions for Practice

Early implementation efforts suggest this approach is feasible in this obstetric setting. Similar implementation studies should consider implementing universal screening for substance use and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders simultaneously; guide efforts using an implementation framework; invest resources in more intensive training and ongoing coaching for providers; and adopt strategies to track frequency and fidelity of brief intervention.
Young temperate tree species show different fine root acclimation capacity to growing season water availability
Authors: Jaeger Florentin C. , Handa I. Tanya , Paquette Alain , Parker William C. , Messier Christian
Published: November 2023

Background and aims

Changes in water availability during the growing season are becoming more frequent due to climate change. Our study aimed to compare the fine-root acclimation capacity (plasticity) of six temperate tree species aged six years and exposed to high or low growing season soil water availability over five years.

Methods

Root samples were collected from the five upper strata of mineral soil to a total soil depth of 30 cm in monoculture plots ofAcer saccharumMarsh.,Betula papyriferaMarsh.,Larix laricinaK. Koch,Pinus strobusL.,Picea glauca(Moench) Voss andQuercus rubraL. established at the International Diversity Experiment Network with Trees (IDENT) field experiment in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Four replicates of each monoculture were subjected to high or low water availability treatments.

Results

Absorptive fine root density increased by 67% forLarix laricina, and 90% forPicea glauca, under the high-water availability treatment at 0–5 cm soil depth. The two late successional, slower growing tree species,Acer saccharumandPicea glauca,showed higher plasticity in absorptive fine root biomass in the upper 5 cm of soil (PIv = 0.36 & 0.54 respectively), and lower plasticity in fine root depth over the entire 30 cm soil profile compared to the early successional, faster growing tree speciesBetula papyriferaandLarix laricina.

Conclusion

Temperate tree species show contrasting acclimation responses in absorptive fine root biomass and rooting depth to differences in water availability. Some of these responses vary with tree species successional status and seem to benefit both early and late successional tree species.
Local Competition, Multimarket Contact, and Product Quality: Evidence From Internet Service Provision
Authors: Wilson Kyle
Published: November 2023

I investigate the effect of competition on quality in the internet service provision industry: I examine both local competition within markets and multimarket contact among firms across markets. This industry offers an ideal setting, as quality is both objective and measurable. I use data from speedtest.net from 2008 to 2014 to estimate a reduced-form model of the effects of local competition and multimarket contact on realized consumer download speeds. I find that increased multimarket contact leads to decreased download speeds, which is consistent with the mutual forbearance hypothesis. I also find that duopolies lead to faster download speeds than do monopolies, but that further increases in the number of competitors decrease speeds.
Dynamics of Large-Scale Solar Flows
Authors: Hotta Hideyuki , Bekki Yuto , Gizon Laurent , Noraz Quentin , Rast Mark
Published: November 2023

The Sun’s axisymmetric large-scale flows, differential rotation and meridional circulation, are thought to be maintained by the influence of rotation on the thermal-convective motions in the solar convection zone. These large-scale flows are crucial for maintaining the Sun’s global magnetic field. Over the last several decades, our understanding of large-scale motions in the Sun has significantly improved, both through observational and theoretical efforts. Helioseismology has constrained the flow topology in the solar interior, and the growth of supercomputers has enabled simulations that can self-consistently generate large-scale flows in rotating spherical convective shells. In this article, we review our current understanding of solar convection and the large-scale flows present in the Sun, including those associated with the recently discovered inertial modes of oscillation. We discuss some issues still outstanding, and provide an outline of future efforts needed to address these.
A survey on IoT trust model frameworks
Authors: Ferraris Davide , Fernandez-Gago Carmen , Roman Rodrigo , Lopez Javier
Published: November 2023

Trust can be considered as a multidisciplinary concept, which is strongly related to the context and it falls in different fields such as Philosophy, Psychology or Computer Science. Trust is fundamental in every relationship, because without it, an entity will not interact with other entities. This aspect is very important especially in the Internet of Things (IoT), where many entities produced by different vendors and created for different purposes have to interact among them through the internet often under uncertainty. Trust can overcome this uncertainty, creating a strong basis to ease the process of interaction among these entities. We believe that considering trust in the IoT is fundamental, and in order to implement it in any IoT entity, it is fundamental to consider it through the whole System Development Life Cycle. In this paper, we propose an analysis of different works that consider trust for the IoT. We will focus especially on the analysis of frameworks that have been developed in order to include trust in the IoT. We will make a classification of them providing a set of parameters that we believe are fundamental in order to properly consider trust in the IoT. Thus, we will identify important aspects to be taken into consideration when developing frameworks that implement trust in the IoT, finding gaps and proposing possible solutions.
Acaricidal and insecticidal activity of essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of three Mexican Bursera species
Authors: Krengel Felix , Pavela Roman , Ocampo-Bautista Fidel , Guevara-Fefer Patricia
Published: November 2023

In search of new sustainable biopesticides, we determined the phytochemical profiles, acaricidal and insecticidal properties of EOs distilled from the aerial parts of three Mexican Bursera species. Results were obtained by GC–MS analysis and three different bioassays, indicating that the EO of Bursera glabrifolia exhibited high relative abundancies of α-pinene, β-myrcene, and α-phellandrene, as well as promising pesticidal activity against Spodoptera littoralis larvae (LD50,90 = 32.4, 107.2 µg/larva), and Musca domestica (LD50,90 = 23.2, 103.2, and 13.5, 77.4 µg/female or male adult, respectively) and Tetranychus urticae adults (LD50,90 = 7.4, 30.3 µg/cm2). The Bursera lancifolia and Bursera linanoe samples contained mainly D-limonene or linalyl acetate and linalool, respectively, and showed generally less potent pesticidal properties (S. littoralis larva, LD50,90 = 45.4, 154.4 and 52.2, 158.7 µg/larva, respectively; female M. domestica adult, LD50,90 = 69.2, 210.9 and 45.1, 243.8 µg/female adult, respectively; T. urticae adults, LD50,90 = 20.7, 90.5 and 17.5, 71.4 µg/cm2, respectively). However, the EO of B. linanoe exhibited an especially pronounced activity against male M. domestica adults (LD50,90 = 10.6, 77.2 µg/male adult). Our findings prove the pesticidal potential of Mexican Bursera species in the context of integrated pest management (IPM) and highlight the importance of conducting further research to elucidate both the active principles and possibly existing synergistic effects.
A specific model of Hilbert geometry on the unit disc
Authors: Charitos Charalampos , Papadoperakis Ioannis , Tsapogas Georgios
Published: November 2023

A new metric on the open 2-dimensional unit disk is defined making it a geodesically complete metric space whose geodesic lines are precisely the Euclidean straight lines. Moreover, it is shown that the unit disk with this new metric is not isometric to any hyperbolic model of constant negative curvature, nor to any convex domain in $$\mathbb {R}^2$$

R

2

equipped with its Hilbert metric.
Sprachkompetenz und fachliche Leistung
Authors: Merkert A. , Leiss D. , Lenske G.
Published: November 2023

Der Einfluss sprachlicher bzw. fachsprachlicher Kompetenzen auf die Mathematikleistung konnte durch zahlreiche empirische Befunde belegt werden. Als einflussreich erwies sich diesbezüglich auch der sozioökonomische Status von Schülerinnen und Schülern. Dieser hängt nicht nur mit der mathematischen, sondern auch sprachlichen Leistung zusammen. Untersucht wurde daher auf Basis der Daten von 438 Grundschülerinnen und Grundschülern, inwiefern der Einfluss des sozioökonomischen Status auf die Mathematikleistung durch die fachbezogene Sprachkompetenz mediiert wird. Herangezogen wurden als Indikatoren für den soziökonomischen Status die Bildungsabschlüsse der Eltern sowie die Anzahl der Bücher im Haushalt (Book-Index), deren Einflüsse auch im Vergleich betrachtet wurden. Die Ergebnisse der latenten Pfadanalysen zeigen, dass eine Mediation durch die fachbezogene Sprachkompetenz auch unter Berücksichtigung des Intelligenzquotienten sowie des Migrationshintergrunds zumindest partiell vorliegt. Nach Aufnahme des Mediators ins Modell blieb der zuvor analysierte direkte Effekt zwar weiterhin bedeutsam, verringerte sich jedoch deutlich. Dies gilt unabhängig von den gewählten Indikatoren. Bedeutsam erscheint darüber hinaus der Befund der Mehrebenenanalyse: Festgestellt werden konnte, dass der Einfluss familiärer Hintergrundmerkmale sowie der fachbezogenen Sprachkompetenz auf die Mathematikleistung zwischen verschiedenen Schulen variiert.
Perspektiven und neue Entwicklungen in der Organisations- und Professionalisierungsforschung in der Weiterbildung
Authors: Tippelt Rudolf , Lange Nick
Published: November 2023

Gestaltungsaufgaben pädagogischen Handelns in Institutionen und Organisationen betonen heute das „System des Lebenslangen Lernens“. Auch in den Aus- und Fortbildungsdimensionen für pädagogische Berufe kommen zugehörige Gestaltungs- und Handlungsanforderungen zum Ausdruck. Eine aufeinander Bezug nehmende interdisziplinäre Organisations- und Professionalisierungsforschung rückt in den Vordergrund. Dieser Beitrag formuliert Thesen zur jeweiligen Richtung aktueller organisationaler und professioneller Entwicklung und Forschung in der Weiter- und Erwachsenenbildung. Eine mehrebenen-analytische Betrachtung wird durchgeführt, um die unterschiedlichen Dimensionen, in denen Entwicklungen für Organisationen, professionell Handelnde und Teilnehmende wirksam werden, zu integrieren.
Auchliteratur
Authors: Gilbert Annette
Published: November 2023

Massenhaft über Print-on-Demand-Plattformen publizierte Literatur wird hier, in Anleihe an den ›Auchbuchhandel‹, als Teilbereich einer ›Auchliteratur‹ entworfen, die Zeugnis einer einzigartigen Demokratisierung des Büchermachens ist, zugleich aber mit mangelnder Wertschätzung und Überlieferung sowie der besonderen Prekarität des Publikationsmodells zu kämpfen hat.
Sachsen-Anhalt im Fokus: Die Einstellungen der Bevölkerung Sachsen-Anhalts zur Demokratie und zu politischen Institutionen
Authors: Völkl Kerstin
Published: November 2023

Im Mittelpunkt des Beitrags steht die Entwicklung der politischen Kultur in Sachsen-Anhalt, die anhand von drei Fragen untersucht wird: 1) Wie haben sich die Einstellungen der Bürger:innen Sachsen-Anhalts zur Demokratie und zu politischen Institutionen zwischen 2007 und 2020 entwickelt?; 2) Welcher Zusammenhang besteht zwischen diesen Einstellungen?; 3) Und wie lassen sich diese Einstellungen empirisch erklären? Die Analysen zeigen, dass demokratische Prinzipien und die Demokratie als beste Staatsidee über die Zeit positiv beurteilt werden. Anders als erwartet fällt der Zusammenhang zwischen diesen diffusen, regimebezogenen Unterstützungsformen gering aus. Bestätigt hat sich jedoch, dass sich diese Einstellungen besser durch tiefer im Orientierungssystem des Menschen verankerte Determinanten, wie politische Motivations- oder Sozialisationsansätze, erklären lassen. Im Gegensatz dazu sind die Zufriedenheit mit der Demokratie und das Vertrauen in politische Institutionen neutral ausgeprägt und weisen stärkere Schwankungen über die Zeit auf. Wie erwartet besteht ein starker Zusammenhang zwischen dieser spezifischen bzw. autoritätsbezogenen Unterstützungsform. Ebenso hat sich bestätigt, dass diese Einstellungen vor allem durch Determinanten, die den performanzbasierten und akteursbezogenen Ansätzen zuzurechnen sind, zu erklären sind.
A right to exclusion or a right to migration? – Neither!
Authors: Tiedemann Paul
Published: November 2023

The discussion about the open-border postulate, initiated by Joseph H. Carens in 1983, is developing an ever-increasing dynamism in both Anglo-American and German-speaking philosophy. There are two positions in this discussion: (1) the view that states have the sovereign right to decide whether and under what conditions they grant entry and residence to aliens (the right to exclusion); (2) the view that all people have a moral right to global free movement (the right to migration).

The essay defends the thesis that there is neither a moral right to migration nor a moral right to exclusion. In the relationship between states and aliens, the state of nature prevails. In the state of nature there are no moral rights and duties other than human rights. Neither the alleged right to migration, i.e. global free movement nor the alleged right to exclusion can be considered a human right.

The study is focused solely on ethics. Positive law, which depends on many coincidences anyway, is not considered.
Clinical outcomes and surgical strategy for spine tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Arifin Jainal , Biakto Karya Triko , Johan Muhammad Phetrus , Anwar St. Fatimah Zahrah
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) is a slow-developing disease that often causes cord compression, spinal instability, and deformity. Surgery is generally required in cases of refractory disease, severe kyphosis, neurological deficits, or lack of improvement. However, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence in comparing the efficacy of various surgical approaches. The study aims to provide a clearer understanding of the relative effectiveness of the available surgical modalities in the management of spinal TB.

Methods

This review adhered to the PRISMA statement with searching conducted until 11th April 2023. Inclusion criteria included studies involving surgical procedures for spinal tuberculosis, with relevant clinical outcomes reported. Data extraction involved the collection of information on study and population characteristics, interventions used, relevant clinical outcomes, and reported complications. The risk of bias was evaluated using Cochrane’s Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies tool.

Results

Searching resulted in 20 cohort studies that analyzed surgical methods for spinal tuberculosis. Eleven studies had low bias and nine studies had moderate bias. The anterior approach was associated with faster perioperative duration [− 2.02 (− 30.71, 26.67), p < 0.00001], less blood loss [− 4242 (− 176.02, 91.18), p < 0.00001], shorter hospitalization [− 0.19 (− 2.39, 2.01), p < 0.00001], better angle correction [1.01 (− 1.82, 3.85), p < 0.00001], and better correction rates [11.36 (− 7.32, 30.04), p < 0.00001] compared to the posterior approach. Regarding neurological function recovery, the anterior and posterior approaches were equally effective, while the posterior approach was associated with a higher incidence of complications. The review also reported on the complications associated with the surgical approaches, and 9 out of 20 studies reported complications. The anterior approach was found to have fewer complications overall.

Conclusion

The anterior approach is thought to have fewer complications than both combined and posterior-only approaches, but the variability of the findings indicates that the decision-making process for selecting a surgical approach must consider individual patient and disease characteristics, as well as surgeon training.
Effect of higher H2S concentration over CO2 in acid gas mixtures during geosequestration
Authors: Ofori Kofi , Barifcani Ahmed , Phan Chi M.
Published: November 2023

Decarbonisation of most industrial processes is imperative to achieve climate neutrality. In oil and gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) and natural gas are being discovered together with increasingly higher quantities of hydrogen sulphide (H2S). The negative effects of acid gases (predominantly CO2 and H2S) in that industry mean they have to be separated before both natural gas and petroleum fuels can be classified as safe for transportation and usage. The separated acid gas, usually composed of a higher CO2 volume is stored and utilised in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or geologically stored (geosequestered) in formations. There are increasingly instances in which higher volume of H2S acid gas mixtures are being discovered and explored. In this work, the effects of a higher mole percentage H2S in an acid gas mixture is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The analysis found that it was easier for higher CO2 acid mixtures to reach pressure convergence comparatively. It has also been discovered that higher H2S acid gas mixtures had lower interfacial tension, which makes them more hydrophilic and more miscible with the formation water. The higher H2S acid gas content mixtures also have wider water coverage widths and greater interfacial interactivity between the injected and formation fluids. From the density profiles, H2S gas in the higher H2S acid gas mixture is found to have more influence on the higher H2S acid gas/water injection/sequestration process compared to the effect of CO2 on the higher CO2 acid gas mixture/water. While H2S is slightly more polar than the nonpolar CO2, the carbon of CO2’s ability to form strong dipole–dipole interactions with the oxygen of water increases the CO2's polarity, and this is reflected in the assertion of the primacy of the $${\text{O}}_{{{\text{H}}_{{2}} {\text{O}}}} \cdots {\text{C}}_{{{\text{CO}}_{{2}} }}$$

O

H
2

O

⋯

C

CO
2

interaction over all other pairs from the radial distribution function in the water/acid gas mixture during geosequestration. This demonstrates also that a reduction in interfacial tension is possible even for hydrophobic phases.
Public Interest and State Legitimation
Authors: He Wenkai
Published: November 2023

How were state formation and early modern politics shaped by the state's proclaimed obligation to domestic welfare? Drawing on a wide range of historical scholarship and primary sources, this book demonstrates that a public interest-based discourse of state legitimation was common to early modern England, Japan, and China. This normative platform served as a shared basis on which state and society could negotiate and collaborate over how to attain good governance through providing public goods such as famine relief and infrastructural facilities. The terms of state legitimacy opened a limited yet significant political space for the ruled. Through petitioning and protests, subordinates could demand that the state fulfil its publicly proclaimed duty and redress welfare grievances. Conflicts among diverse dimensions of public interest mobilized cross-regional and cross-sectoral collective petitions; justified by the same norms of state legitimacy, these petitions called for fundamental political reforms and transformed the nature of politics.
The Alternative Livestock Revolution: Prospects for Consumer Acceptance of Plant-based and Cultured Meat in South Africa
Authors: Tsvakirai Chiedza , Nalley Lawton , Rider Shelby , Van Loo Ellen , Tshehla Makgopa
Published: November 2023

Although South Africa accounts for half of the alternative meat market for the African continent, there remains a lack of information about consumer demand for plant-based and lab-cultured meat and its market potential domestically. This study reports the results of a nationwide survey of 649 South African consumers who completed a choice experiment in which they selected among conventional beef and three alternative burger patties at varying prices. Results indicate that holding prices constant and conditional on choosing a food product, 21% of the market share was estimated for plant-based meat alternatives and 38% for lab-cultured meat.
Stepping-Up: Impacts of Armed Conflicts on Land Expansion
Authors: Adelaja Adesoji , George Justin , Jayne Thomas , Muyanga Milu , Awokuse Titus , Aromolaran Adebayo , Liverpool-Tasie Lenis Saweda O.
Published: November 2023

Land expansion by existing smallholder farmers (SHFs), aka stepping-up, is a major pathway to the rise of medium-scale farmers (MSFs) in Africa. In this paper, we investigate if and how armed conflicts constrain the ability of SHFs to transition to MSFs. We find that increased conflict intensity reduces the likelihood that a SHF will expand to a larger scale, especially for farmers who rely mostly on farm incomes, rather than off-farm incomes, for their livelihoods. These findings uphold other evidence that peace and stability influence private investment, including land-based investments, that are associated with economic transformation.
Functional improvements associated with cranioplasty after stroke and traumatic brain injury: a cohort study
Authors: Coelho F. , Noleto G.S. , Solla D.J.F. , Martins P.N. , Andrade A.F. , Teixeira M.J. , Paiva W.S. , Anghinah R.
Published: November 2023

Objective:

Decompressive craniectomy is part of the acute management of several neurosurgical illnesses, and is commonly followed by cranioplasty. Data are still scarce on the functional and cognitive outcomes following cranioplasty. We aim to evaluate these outcomes in patients who underwent cranioplasty following traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke.

Methods:

In this prospective cohort, we assessed 1-month and 6-month neuropsychological and functional outcomes in TBI and stroke patients who underwent cranioplasty at a Brazilian tertiary center. The primary outcome was the change in the Digits Test at 1 and 6 months after cranioplasty. Repeated measures general linear models were employed to assess the patients' evolution and interactions with baseline characteristics. Effect size was estimated by the partial η2.

Results:

A total of 20 TBI and 14 stroke patients were included (mean age 42 ± 14 years; 52.9% male; average schooling 9.5 ± 3.8 years; 91.2% right-handed). We found significant improvements in the Digits Tests up to 6 months after cranioplasty (p = 0.004, partial η2 = 0.183), as well as in attention, episodic memory, verbal fluency, working memory, inhibitory control, visuoconstructive and visuospatial abilities (partial η2 0.106–0.305). We found no interaction between the cranioplasty effect and age, sex or schooling. Patients submitted to cranioplasty earlier (<1 year) after injury had better outcomes.

Conclusion:

Cognitive and functional outcomes improved after cranioplasty following decompressive craniectomy for stroke or TBI. This effect was consistent regardless of age, sex, or education level and persisted after 6 months. Some degree of spontaneous improvement might have contributed to the results.
Strong coupling of flow structure and heat transport in liquid metal thermal convection
Authors: Chen Xin-Yuan , Xie Yi-Chao , Yang Juan-Cheng , Ni Ming-Jiu
Published: November 2023

A typical feature of thermal convection is the formation of large-scale flow (LSF) structures of the order of system size. How this structure affects global heat transport is an important issue in the study of thermal convection. We present an experimental study of the coupling between the flow structure and heat transport in liquid metal convection with different degrees of spatial confinement, characterized by the aspect ratio

$\varGamma$

of the convection cell. Combining measurements in two convection cells with

$\varGamma =1.0$

and 0.5, the study shows that a large-scale circulation (LSC) transports

${\sim }35\,\%$

more heat than a twisted LSC. It is further found that when the LSF is in the form of the LSC state, the system is in a fully developed turbulence state with a

$Nu\sim Ra^{0.29}$

scaling for the heat transport. However, the twisted LSC state with a heat transport scaling of

$Nu\sim Ra^{0.37}$

appears when the system is not in the fully developed turbulence state. Bistability is observed when the system evolves from the twisted-LSC-dominated to the LSC-dominated state.
Wettability effect on displacement in disordered media under preferential flow conditions
Authors: Lei Wenhai , Gong Wenbo , Wang Moran
Published: November 2023

Preferential flow in a porous medium is commonly encountered in many practical applications. Our previous studies have discovered the preferential flow-induced non-monotonic wettability effect on displacement (J. Fluid Mech, vol. 942, 2022a, R5), but whether this non-monotonic rule is consistent for different disordered media and the impact of the interplay between the disorder and wettability under preferential flow conditions is still not well understood. Here, we combine microfluidic experiments, pore-scale simulations and theoretical analysis to study the impact of the disorder on the invading process where wettability varies from strongly water wet to strongly oil wet. Even though the strongly disordered matrix varies to a uniform state, the generality of the preferential flow-induced non-monotonic wettability effect is still proved. However, the previous pore-scale dynamics based on the strongly disordered matrix cannot explain the invading behaviour in the uniform matrix under preferential flow conditions. New mechanisms for the uniform matrix are further investigated by pore-scale modelling, which indicates that the balance of microscopic imbibition ability and the macroscopic interfacial stability dominate the invading process. We derive a theoretical model to describe the wettability effect and predict the optimal contact angle, which fits well with experimental and simulation results. Our work extends the understanding of the impact of preferential flow conditions on the wettability effect and is also of practical significance for engineering applications, such as geological CO2 sequestration, enhanced hydrocarbon recovery, soil wetting, liquid-infused material fabrication and microfluidic device design.
Prediction of equivalent sand-grain size and identification of drag-relevant scales of roughness – a data-driven approach
Authors: Yang Jiasheng , Stroh Alexander , Lee Sangseung , Bagheri Shervin , Frohnapfel Bettina , Forooghi Pourya
Published: November 2023

Despite decades of research, a universal method for prediction of roughness-induced skin friction in a turbulent flow over an arbitrary rough surface is still elusive. The purpose of the present work is to examine two possibilities; first, predicting equivalent sand-grain roughness size$k_s$based on the roughness height probability density function and power spectrum (PS) leveraging machine learning as a regression tool; and second, extracting information about relevance of different roughness scales to skin-friction drag by interpreting the output of the trained data-driven model. The model is an ensemble neural network (ENN) consisting of 50 deep neural networks. The data for the training of the model are obtained from direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flow in plane channels over 85 irregular multi-scale roughness samples at friction Reynolds number$Re_\tau =800$. The 85 roughness samples are selected from a repository of 4200 samples, covering a wide parameter space, through an active learning (AL) framework. The selection is made in several iterations, based on the informativeness of samples in the repository, quantified by the variance of ENN predictions. This AL framework aims to maximize the generalizability of the predictions with a certain amount of data. This is examined using three different testing data sets with different types of roughness, including 21 surfaces from the literature. The model yields overall mean error 5 %–10 % on different testing data sets. Subsequently, a data interpretation technique, known as layer-wise relevance propagation, is applied to measure the contributions of different roughness wavelengths to the predicted$k_s$. High-pass filtering is then applied to the roughness PS to exclude the wavenumbers identified as drag-irrelevant. The filtered rough surfaces are investigated using DNS, and it is demonstrated that despite significant impact of filtering on the roughness topographical appearance and statistics, the skin-friction coefficient of the original roughness is preserved successfully.
An overview of the occurrence and distribution of plastics in wastewater treatment plants and the necessity of developing up-to-date management strategies
Authors: Akarsu Ceyhun , Sönmez Vildan Zülal , Sivri Nüket
Published: November 2023

Although studies suggest that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the main pathway for plastics into receiving waters, studies on the origin and fate of plastics entering WWTPs are imprecise and largely unexplored. The analysis of plastics in samples from WWTPs is also a relatively young and growing field compared with the marine environment. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that plastics are not uniformly distributed in WWTPs due to environmental factors and the inherent properties of plastics. Accordingly, this review article attempts to describe the current state of knowledge on plastic pollution in WWTPs and identify future research areas. In particular, this study describes the sources of plastics entering WWTPs and the analytical techniques used for the occurrence and properties of plastics in WWTPs. It also defines the role of these plastics as a possible source of microplastics and discusses the problems they can cause in WWTPs. The factors that can influence the variations in the number of plastics are defined. Furthermore, the policy needs for managing plastic pollution as a contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are assessed.
SUBGEOMETRICALLY ERGODIC AUTOREGRESSIONS WITH AUTOREGRESSIVE CONDITIONAL HETEROSKEDASTICITY
Authors: Meitz Mika , Saikkonen Pentti
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we consider subgeometric (specifically, polynomial) ergodicity of univariate nonlinear autoregressions with autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH). The notion of subgeometric ergodicity was introduced in the Markov chain literature in the 1980s, and it means that the transition probability measures converge to the stationary measure at a rate slower than geometric; this rate is also closely related to the convergence rate of

$\beta $
-mixing coefficients. While the existing literature on subgeometrically ergodic autoregressions assumes a homoskedastic error term, this paper provides an extension to the case of conditionally heteroskedastic ARCH-type errors, considerably widening the scope of potential applications. Specifically, we consider suitably defined higher-order nonlinear autoregressions with possibly nonlinear ARCH errors and show that they are, under appropriate conditions, subgeometrically ergodic at a polynomial rate. An empirical example using energy sector volatility index data illustrates the use of subgeometrically ergodic AR–ARCH models.