bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental Risk Assessment of Subsurface Corrosion Severity as Aids to Pollution Level of Proliferated Petrol Stations in Abeokuta Metropolis Using Geophysical Technique
Authors: Gbadebo A.M , Johnson-Kpade A.O , Ishola S.A
Published: February 2025

Twenty (20) Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) Method of Geophysical Investigation was carried out in Abeokuta, South-West Nigeria adopting the Schlumberger configuration with maximum electrode separation (AB/2) of 100 m and minimum of 32m with a linear electrodes array (AMNB) in order to delineate the subsurface geologic layers and determine both their corrosion severity and overburden Protective capacity rating (OPCR) as aids to evaluating the vulnerability and pollution level in groundwater system of the study area. The acquired data were interpreted with WinRESIST software with identified curve types; KH and HKH curves among others are in many instances indicative of fracturing which serve as favourable zones for groundwater abstraction. The VES data interpretation delineated four (4) major lithological units in the order of the lateritic topsoil, weathered material, fractured basement/fresh bedrock with delineated low resistivity water absorbing, clayey, linear fracture zones at varying depths. It was concluded that the very low resistivity of the area investigated indicates that the subsurface structure is highly corrosive. Depths of burial of the storage tanks varied from the maximum depth of 5.0m to the minimum depth of 4.0m with an average depth of 4.7m while the overburden thickness to the aquiferous zone in the study area as determined from the electrical resistivity inversion ranged from the maximum depth of 22.4m (VES5) to the minimum thickness of 3.3m (VES19) with an average thickness of 4.7m. This investigation revealed that 10% of the locations comprising VES17 and VES19 are extremely corrosive; 10% are highly corrosive; 35% are corrosive; 25% are moderately corrosive; 5% are mildly corrosive and 15% are non-corrosive. No VES location exhibited Very Good to Excellent OPCR while only 5% exhibited Good OPCR. 65% of the stations fell within Moderate OPCR; this is due to their relatively high overburden thickness compared to other locations.
Blockchain Technology as a Tool for Effective Library Services in a Digital Era: Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Onwubiko, Emmanuel Chidiadi
Published: February 2025

The Blockchain technology as one of the newest technologies of the millennium is not only opening new opportunities in financial services but also may be implemented for optimal service delivery in Libraries since it is notable for being a reliable technology that helps with security, preservation and reliability of data. This paper takes a conceptual look at blockchain technology and where it can be applied in libraries for effective library services delivery in this digital era. The paper apart from taking a holistic look at the concept, also treated the features of the technology which revolves around the three main properties of blockchain technology: decentralization, transparency and immutability which have helped it gain wide spread acclaim as well as benefits of integrating blockchain technology in library operations which include that the technology has the potential to enhance library operations in areas as, digital preservation and tracking, community-based collections to share objects, tools and services, inter library loan and voucher system, library verification of credentials (information literacy) and also, library card and Archives/special collections where provenance and authenticity are essential with each sub-heading substantiated with image for clarity. After which, conclusion that blockchain technology has the potential for revolutionizing library management practices and that integrating blockchain into library practices may likely improve the state of security in libraries, enhance transparency and accessibility of library collections, transforming the bounders of digital preservation and intellectual property management was drawn and recommendations which include among others that before libraries launch blockchain technology, librarians should keep in mind blockchain project such as programmers, project management team and visionary staff from the libraries, resources and finance in that before launching blockchain technology, proper resources and finances are required noting that a blockchain solution for data alignment might be affordable and feasible if libraries have sufficient funds for the project were made.
At a Crossroads: Sex and Death Taboos in Child Development and Implications for Sesotho Education
Authors: Thetso Madira
Published: February 2025

Taboos are prohibitions that are made to guard individuals and communities against danger and risk. Taboos are structured into two parts: the prohibited action and a consequence associated with non-observance. The prohibition serves as a command, while a consequence is presented with an element of a fib to avoid confronting the deep meaning that is considered taboo. The concept of taboo is universal, but its object is culture-specific. Basotho children learn rules, expectations, norms and taboos from their parents. Death and sex-related matters are taboo to children due to their developing intellect and social status. However, given the increasing instances of rape and deaths affecting children today, children should be protected against danger and risk. This paper is descriptive and follows the constructivist theory’s prospects, to explore the challenges Sesotho teachers encounter in teaching topics related to sex and death, as well as how they can overcome these challenges. The findings indicate that children have access to sex and death-related matters through the media, many children are profoundly affected by death and sex-related matters and teachers lack knowledge of pedagogical practices to educate and support learners in these areas. Techniques such as using learners’ prior knowledge, using folktales and understanding learners’ cultural backgrounds can assist teachers in obliterating the challenges observed in this study. The research contributes to the existing literature about the teaching and promotion of the indigenous African languages.

Keywords – Child Development, Constructivist Theory, Death and Sex Taboos, Pedagogical Practices
Exploring the impact of digital transformation on productivity: the role of artificial intelligence technology, green technology, and energy technology
Authors: Qu Fang , Tang Qian , Li Chun-Mei , Liu Jun
Published: February 2025

The aim of this paper is to explore the technological innovation mechanism by which digital transformation (DT) influences total factor productivity (TFP). We take the Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2020 as research samples, and con- tribute to the above goals based on fixed-effect models, instrumental variables, mediation effect, and moderating effect models. It has been found that (1) while DT contributes positively to productivity, the enhancement of TFP in current DT is primarily attributed to artificial intelligence (AI) technology rather than other techno- logical innovation. (2) From an innovation-directed perspective, the impact of DT on TFP may be offset by other forms of technological innovation, such as green and energy technology. Specifically, the non-AI direction of technological innovation may not align with the productivity implications of DT. (3) Intellectual property protection impedes the impact of DT on productivity and constrains the deployment of AI technology. Conversely, business strategic radicalism and corporate intangible asset have yielded favorable outcomes. This study not only verifies that the technological innovation channel of DT for enhancing TFP mainly stems from AI technology, but also implies that the current DT might exert a negative effect on other technologies.
First published online 12 February 2025
The James Webb Interferometer: Space-based Interferometric Detections of PDS 70 b and c at 4.8 μm
Authors: Blakely Dori , Johnstone Doug , Cugno Gabriele , Sivaramakrishnan Anand , Tuthill Peter , Dong Ruobing , Pope Benjamin J. S. , Albert Loïc , Charles Max , Cooper Rachel A. , Furio Matthew De , Desdoigts Louis , Doyon René , Francis Logan , Greenbaum Alexandra Z. , Lafreniére David , Lloyd James P. , Meyer Michael R. , Pueyo Laurent , Ray Shrishmoy , Sánchez-Bermúdez Joel , Soulain Anthony , Thatte Deepashri , Thompson William , Vandal Thomas
Published: February 2025

We observed the planet-hosting system PDS 70 with the James Webb Interferometer, JWST's aperture masking interferometric mode within NIRISS. Observing with the F480M filter centered at 4.8 μm, we simultaneously fit geometrical models to the outer disk and the two known planetary companions. We redetect the protoplanets PDS 70 b and c at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 14.7 and 7.0, respectively. Our photometry of both PDS 70 b and c provides tentative evidence of mid-IR circumplanetary disk emission through fitting spectral energy distribution models to these new measurements and those found in the literature. We also newly detect emission within the disk gap at an SNR of ~4, a position angle of

22

0

−
15

+
10

@, and an unconstrained separation within ~200 mas. Follow-up observations will be needed to determine the nature of this emission. We place a 5σ upper limit of 208 ± 10 μJy on the flux of the candidate PDS 70 d at 4.8 μm, which indicates that if the previously observed emission at shorter wavelengths is due to a planet, this putative planet has a different atmospheric composition than PDS 70 b or c. Finally, we place upper limits on emission from any additional planets in the disk gap. We find an azimuthally averaged 5σ contrast upper limit >7 mag at separations greater than 110 mas. These are the deepest limits to date within ~250 mas at 4.8 μm and the first space-based interferometric observations of this system.
Comprehensive Parameter Determination of Exoplanets through Asteroseismic Host Star Constraints
Authors: Lin Wen-Xu , Qian Sheng-Bang , Zhu Li-Ying , Liao Wen-Ping , Li Fu-Xing , Shi Xiang-Dong , Li Lin-Jia , Zhao Er-Gang
Published: February 2025

This study develops a robust framework for exoplanet characterization by leveraging asteroseismic constraints on host stars. Using precise photometric data from missions such as Kepler and TESS, we derive stellar parameters, including mass, radius, and age, with high accuracy through asteroseismic analysis. These stellar parameters are incorporated as priors in a Bayesian framework to refine planetary properties such as the mass, radius, and orbital parameters. By applying Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, we extract posterior distributions of planetary parameters, achieving significant improvements in precision and reliability. This approach is particularly effective for systems with evolved host stars, where precise stellar properties are essential for resolving uncertainties in planetary characterization. The results demonstrate the importance of asteroseismology in bridging stellar astrophysics and exoplanet science, enabling detailed studies of planetary system architectures and their dependence on host star properties. Our methodology underscores the synergy between stellar and planetary studies, paving the way for future research on exoplanet populations. This work provides a foundation for utilizing data from upcoming missions like PLATO, ensuring continued advancements in the precision and scope of exoplanet characterization.
Hubble Space Telescope Observations within the Sphere of Influence of the Powerful Supermassive Black Hole in PKS 0745-191
Authors: Hlavacek-Larrondo Julie , Choi 최현 Hyunseop 섭 , Guo 明 Minghao 浩 , Richard-Laferrière Annabelle , Rhea Carter , Prunier Marine , Russell Helen , Fabian Andy , Walsh Jonelle L. , Gingras Marie-Joëlle , McNamara Brian , Allen Steve , Chené André-Nicolas , Edge Alastair , Gendron-Marsolais Marie-Lou , McDonald Michael , Natarajan Priyamvada , Sanders Jeremy , Steiner James F. , Vigneron Benjamin , von der Linden Anja
Published: February 2025

We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations from the Hubble Space Telescope of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of PKS 0745-191, a brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) undergoing powerful radio-mode active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback (P
cav ~ 5 × 1045 erg s−1). These high-resolution data offer the first spatially resolved map of gas dynamics within an SMBH's sphere of influence under such powerful feedback. Our results reveal the presence of highly chaotic, nondrotational ionized gas flows on subkiloparsec scales, in contrast to the more coherent flows observed on larger scales. While radio-mode feedback effectively thermalizes hot gas in galaxy clusters on kiloparsec scales, within the core, the hot gas flow may decouple, leading to a reduction in angular momentum and supplying ionized gas through cooling, which could enhance accretion onto the SMBH. This process could, in turn, lead to a self-regulating feedback loop. Compared to other BCGs with weaker radio-mode feedback, where rotation is more stable, intense feedback may lead to more chaotic flows, indicating a stronger coupling between jet activity and gas dynamics. Additionally, we observe a sharp increase in velocity dispersion near the nucleus, consistent with a very massive M
BH ~ 1.5 × 1010
M
⊙ SMBH. The density profile of the ionized gas is also notably flat, paralleling the profiles observed in X-ray gas around galaxies where the Bondi radius is resolved. These results provide valuable insights into the complex mechanisms driving galaxy evolution, highlighting the intricate relationship between SMBH fueling and AGN feedback within the host galaxy.
Detection of a Peculiar Noise Type in the TESS “Fast” Light Curves
Authors: Kálmán Szilárd , Csizmadia Szilárd , Pál András , Szabó Gyula M.
Published: February 2025

We present the detection of a peculiar high-frequency noise component in the 20 s cadence Simple Aperture Photometry light curve of Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite. This effect (labeled as blue noise) may be attributed to the pointing instability (also known as satellite jitter) of the satellite. We present a common technique used in the mitigation of the jitter, by decorrelating against the subpixel position of the photo-center of the point-spread function of the star. We also show that a simple linear or polynomial technique may not yield satisfactory corrections, as the behavior or attitude of the noise properties may change considerably throughout the light curve.
Petrocodon curvitubus, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, China
Authors: Wei Jin-Xin , Pan Bo , Ding Tao
Published: February 2025

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Petrocodon curvitubus J.X.Wei, B.Pan & T.Ding, sp. nov. from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to P. lui and P. tenuitubus, but can be easily distinguished by its elliptic to oblong-ovate leaves, corollas with two purple longitudinal stripes, and conical ovary.
Les émotions des foules en Histoire
Authors: Valade Pauline
Published: February 2025

Si l’émotion des foules n’est pas un objet neuf dans la discipline historique, de récents travaux tendent à revenir sur une historiographie vieillissante qui a longtemps considéré les émotions collectives comme irrationnelles et peu dignes d’intérêt. Cette contribution propose de revenir sur le cheminement intellectuel qui a permis à l’histoire des émotions, collectives ou non, de gagner en légitimité. Il s’agira ensuite de réfléchir aux émotions de la foule, en tant qu’objets complexes à saisir dans les archives, avant de questionner les perspectives et les méthodes nécessaires pour mesurer à la fois toute leur complexité et leur richesse dans le champ historique.
IoT Challenges and Issues: A Comprehensive Review of Software Defined Networking and Network Function Virtualization Solutions
Authors: Zerifi Manare , Ezzouhairi Abdellatif , Boulaalam Abdelhak , Baghrous Mohamed
Published: February 2025

The idea behind the Internet of Things (IoT) is to connect everything, including laptops, smartphones, sensors, and other devices, to the Internet. To build an autonomous environment without human intervention. This novel network was used in several industries, including smart homes, smart cities, healthcare, etc. For this reason, IoT networks are growing in infrastructure. As a result, the administration of this vast array of linked devices and produced data becomes more complicated. Thus, a new elastic mechanism is required for this dynamic and rapid evolution in configuration, control, management, etc. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) have become essential points in scientific research to overcome IoT challenges such as security, heterogeneity, energy efficiency, interoperability, and more. These two approaches have proven their efficiency in adapting to dynamic and evolving networks. SDN reduces network latency by up to 30% and increases device scalability by 40%. At the same time, NFV optimizes resource allocation, achieving up to a 35% reduction in energy consumption and a 20% decrease in operational costs through virtualized infrastructure. In this review, we systematically analyze solutions designed for IoT systems by developing a state-of-the-art for NFV and SDN and thoroughly researching the various problems that IoT will face. Thus, we compare SDN- and NFV-based IoT solutions to overcome these challenges. Lastly, we will discuss the different obstacles that can lower the performance of SDN/NFV applications on the IoT. The contribution of this review lies in its systematic evaluation and comparison of current NFV and SDN approaches, providing valuable insights and paving the way for future research to enhance the integration and management of IoT systems.
En quête de mémoire. Mémoires d’enquêtes
Authors: Soulagnat Jean
Published: February 2025

« Acte hautement symbolique, la réception au sein du personnel actif ne pouvait que s’entourer d’un cérémonial véritablement initiatique. C’est pourquoi il convenait, avant toute intervention, de prêter solennellement serment en justice. [En raison de la chaleur] je me présentai en chemisette et surtout sans cravate. Le scandale fut immédiat… »Jean Soulagnat, lauréat du concours autobiographique « Pour la mémoire de la DGCCRF », entame son récit au lendemain de Mai 68. On y découvrira un aspect peu présent dans les témoignages des lauréats des concours précédents : le militantisme syndical. Jean Soulagnat y a consacré une partie importante de sa vie et en raconte les divers épisodes avec lucidité. À propos de son métier, il offre au lecteur des anecdotes illustratives des contrôles qu’il a eu à effectuer sur le terrain. Il raconte également l’avènement de l’informatique et l’accomplissement parfois douloureux de la fusion entre la direction générale de la Concurrence et de la Consommation et la direction de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes.À travers le récit de sa carrière, il contribue à répondre aux questions que suscite dans le grand public le rôle d’une administration mal connue. Il l’avoue lui-même : « [Lorsqu’il m’arrivait] d’être interrogé sur la profession que j’exerçais, [je remarquais] combien il était difficile de m’expliquer sur ce sujet, de façon à la fois simple et précise, devant des gens qui ignoraient l’existence même de mon administration. » Gageons qu’avec En quête de mémoire, mémoires d’enquêtes c’est chose faite.
Conservation coercitive et (in)visibilité sociale des conflits dans le district de Hwange, au Zimbabwe
Authors: Dervieux Zénaïde
Published: February 2025

Au Zimbabwe, les habitants des zones communales du district de Hwange ont été expulsés de leurs terres peu après le début de la colonisation à des fins d’exploitation minière (extraction de charbon), de production agricole (fermes coloniales) et de conservation de la nature (création des espaces protégés, dont le parc national de Hwange, le plus vaste du pays). En dépit de l’instauration d’un programme innovant de gestion communautaire, les injustices associées à la conservation de la nature demeurent prégnantes. Cette contribution examine, à partir de matériaux ethnogéographiques, l’a-conflictualité apparente des faits sociaux dans le district de Hwange en tenant compte des situations autoritaires qui entourent les espaces vécus quotidiens. Elle instruit une hiérarchie du visible entre des conflits passés sous silence (occupation de terres, revendications d’accès aux espaces protégés et aux anciennes fermes coloniales) et des conflits qui ne le sont pas (interactions humain-faune). L’entrée conceptuelle proposée met au jour une grille de lecture de la conflictualité en périphérie des espaces protégés d’Afrique subsaharienne interrogeant l’expression des conflits dans des zones soumises à une conservation aux formes coercitives.
Empowering Digital Citizens
Authors: Yingsoon Goh Ying , Chua Nurul Ain , Suyan Zhang , Yiming Chen , Haiyan Zhang , Xiaoyao Tie
Published: February 2025

As the digital landscape evolves, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and education is reshaping the way citizens interact with technology and information. This chapter addresses the critical need for digital literacy and the preparation of individuals to engage with AI in ethical and privacy-conscious ways. The chapter begins by examining the concept of digital citizenship and its relevance in an AI-driven society, emphasizing the importance of equipping citizens with the skills to navigate and contribute to the digital world responsibly. The core of the chapter explores the integration of AI in educational systems, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges it presents.
Combating Misinformation in Social Media and News
Authors: Bhimavarapu Usharani
Published: February 2025

Combating misinformation has become a critical challenge in today's information-driven society, particularly with the proliferation of fake news, propaganda, and biased content across various domains. This study explores advanced natural language processing (NLP) techniques, including feature extraction and selection, to analyze and classify datasets such as Q-Prop, ISOT, GRAFN, and PubHealth. The relief algorithm is employed for feature selection to identify the most relevant attributes, enhancing the efficiency of machine learning models. XLNet, a powerful transformer-based model, is utilized for document representation and classification due to its ability to capture bidirectional and long-term contextual dependencies. The proposed methodology demonstrates how robust embeddings, combined with domain-specific datasets and optimized feature selection, can accurately classify content across news, politics, and public health domains.
Balancing Innovation and Privacy
Authors: Selvakumar P. , Sudheer P. , Kannan Nandini
Published: February 2025

As we delve into the transformative landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), we encounter a critical juncture where innovation meets the pressing need for digital privacy. Various sectors, including healthcare, finance, and education, offer unprecedented efficiencies and capabilities. The relationship between AI and digital privacy is multifaceted. On the other hand, the same capabilities that enable enhanced security can also be exploited to infringe upon individual privacy. However, enforcement remains a challenge, especially in the face of rapidly changing technologies and the global nature of data flows. This includes prioritizing fairness, accountability, and transparency, particularly when handling personal data. Organizations are encouraged to adopt principles such as data minimization—collecting only the information necessary for a specific purpose—and to implement privacy questions about the implications for marginalized communities.
Data Cooperatives to Strengthen Digital Citizenship
Authors: Andrae Silvio
Published: February 2025

This chapter explores the concept of data cooperatives as an innovative organizational form in the modern data economy. Data cooperatives enable citizens to collectively manage, control, and use their data to achieve collective benefits. The chapter highlights the definition and principles of data cooperatives, their central functions, and the necessary technical and organizational infrastructure for their implementation. It shows how data cooperatives can help strengthen digital citizenship, promote innovation, and enable a fairer distribution of the benefits of data use. The challenges and limitations of this model are also discussed. The practical implementation of data cooperatives in various areas is illustrated based on practical examples. The chapter argues that data cooperatives represent a promising model for reducing the power asymmetries in the current data economy and for shaping a fairer, more transparent, and more democratic digital future, thereby instilling a sense of security and trust in the audience.
Dual device intervention for stroke prevention and bradycardia: a case report
Authors: Cacciapuoti Fulvio , Crispo Salvatore , D’Andrea Davide , Materazzi Crescenzo , Chianese Salvatore , Cotena Simona , Gottilla Rossella , Capone Valentina , Mauro Ciro
Published: February 2025

Atrial fibrillation significantly increases the risk of thromboembolic events, necessitating anticoagulation for stroke prevention. However, patients with a history of intracranial hemorrhage pose unique management challenges, particularly regarding the use of anticoagulants and the need for dual antiplatelet therapy following procedures like percutaneous coronary intervention. In addition, the occurrence of bradyarrhythmias often necessitates pacing, underscoring the importance of innovative strategies such as left atrial appendage closure devices and leadless pacemakers to manage atrial fibrillation effectively while minimizing hemorrhagic risks. A 61-year-old man with permanent atrial fibrillation, recent intracerebral hemorrhage, and bradycardia presented with dizziness and recurrent syncopal episodes. During hospitalization, he underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stent placement in the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries. Due to anticoagulation risks, he subsequently underwent left atrial appendage closure with the LAmbre™ device and received an Aveir™ leadless pacemaker. Both procedures were successful, and he was discharged in stable condition. This case highlights how a combination of left atrial appendage closure, leadless pacing, and coronary intervention provided effective stroke prevention, heart rate control, and ischemic management in a high-risk atrial fibrillation patient. These strategies avoided the prolonged use of anticoagulants while addressing the patient’s cardiovascular and hemorrhagic risk.
The linguistic foundations of the mediatization of communities in digital culture
Authors: Szécsi Gábor
Published: February 2025

This article argues that the information age reveals a new, hitherto unknown dimension of the community-building role of linguistic communication. This new linguistic structure, based on the convergence of different ways of using language, creates conditions for the synthesis of different forms of communities. We are increasingly witnessing a specific semantic change accompanying semiotic globalization that affects the structure, grammar, and vocabulary of increasingly stratified and group languages. As this study tries to highlight, this process involves a convergence of language use patterns between different communities in the sense of the convergence of imagery as a feature of electronic communication. This imagery acts as a global requirement for written and spoken expressions in national languages, thus pushing the language-use patterns of each community towards a single imagery of meaning. The study aims to point out that the specific linguistic world of electronic communications is the basis for the synthesis of the social forms associated with these uses of language through the semantic, grammatical, and stylistic convergence of oral and written language.  The frequent alternation or combined use of technologies that presuppose literacy and orality can lead to the emergence of physical-virtual hybrid communities–the network society–in the spirit of this global linguistic culture that is becoming visual. The emergence of these new physical-virtual hybrid communities presupposes the emergence of a language based on the interaction of new communication technologies, which will leave its mark on the development of all national languages and is no longer confined to the world of e-mail and SMS.
ECOLOGIA E DINAMICA DELLE MALATTIE INFETTIVE LEGATE ALL’ACQUA
Authors: Gatto Marino
Published: February 2025

Water-related diseases encompass a broad spectrum of pathologies that are linked to water either because contaminated water is used for drinking or preparing food (e.g. cholera, typhoid), or because water bodies are the habitat of vectors transmitting the disease (e.g. malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis). The related burden of disease is quite high. For instance, unsafe water sources are responsible for 1.4 million deaths each year. Understanding the ecology of pathogens and vectors is fundamental to describing the dynamics of the diseases via appropriate modelling, which also accounts for the hydrology of water bodies. Examples of spatial and temporal dynamical models of some epidemics are provided.
INTERPRETAZIONE DELLA TEORIA QUANTISTICA, COSMOLOGIA E GRAVITAZIONE
Authors: Prosperi Giovanni M.
Published: February 2025

On the line of a recent paper, the problem of interpretation of Quantum Theory (QT) is reconsidered in a cosmological perspective and of Bohr’s idea that the classical language is the language of our experience and QT acquires a meaning only with a reference to it. A classical or macroscopic level is distinguished and a quantum or microscopic one that is perceived only through the modifications that it induces in the first. The macroscopic state is specified by a classical energy-momentum tensor and conserved currents, which are supposed to have always well-defined values. The microscopic dynamics are expressed by the usual QT formalism. Fundamental idea: the usual probability rule of QT, based on an observables self-ajoint operators correspondence, is replaced with a distribution of probability directly for the macroscopic variables, defined in terms of the corresponding quantum operators and a quantum density operator. For the universe, a variance of the standard model with Ω=1 is assumed, one inflaton, a Goldstone type potential, initial time at t =−∞, expectation values of all fundamental fields vanishing for t → −∞. The scalar fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background can be correctly explained giving appropriate values to the potential parameters, but the absence of the tensor fluctuations remains not understood. This seems to suggest that gravity is a pure classical phenomenon, what could be consistently accommodated in our framework but it is inconsistent with the usual formalism.
I “FARMACI” PER LE PERSONE SANE: MISTIFICAZIONI E REALTÀ
Authors: Summa Vincenzo
Published: February 2025

The worldwide health, clearly due to the tendency of the increase elderly of the population, shows big drift toward the metabolic and aging diseases with a fast growth. The classical healthcare approach uses the drugs only when the pathology is clear and the disease is manifested, for this reason can be considered “medicine of awaiting”. In this scenario, Nutraceuticals are emerging as the most promising tools for prevention, they have to be taken before the development of the disease, for this reason they can be associate with the definition of “medicine of intervention” because they are substance able prevent or slow down the drifting towards the pathological state of the diseases. The nutraceutical for these reasons can be considered drugs for healthy people because they will be taken before the appearance of the disease. The dissertation will sked light on the positive and negative aspects of the development, commercialization trough specific relevant examples.
THE COLOSSEUM
Authors: Vestroni Fabrizio
Published: February 2025

The original design of the Colosseum was a robust, closed structure with concentric rings and radial walls. However, due to foundation settlements and earthquake vibrations, a significant portion of the external zone on the south side has collapsed, making the structure more vulnerable. To maintain the current situation and prevent further collapses, it is essential to support monitoring activities focused on the structural health conditions of the monument. This study centers on dynamic monitoring based on variations in specific dynamic properties over time. After reviewing some elements of structural dynamics, modal quantities, frequencies and vibration modes, are shown to be suitable for monitoring because they can be easily determined experimentally and are sensitive to damage. The technique has been applied comparing the results obtained in two experimental campaigns in 2006 and 2022, where the Colosseum response to ambient excitation has been measured. Additionally, recorded accelerations from road traffic and a recent earthquake enable an assessment of traffic vibrations and a preliminary evaluation of the seismic vulnerability.
Prevalence of Malaria among Apparently Healthy Blood Donors at Tertiary Health-care Center in Northeastern Tribal Region of India
Authors: Kumari Sushma , Kumar Divakar , Kumar Abhay , Saroj Usha , Shrivastava Priyanka , Verma Saket , Kujur Manisha , Sahu Upendra P , Prasad Anupa
Published: February 2025

Background:

Transfusion Transmitted Malaria is a major concern among blood donors in endemic countries. The Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940 in India mandated testing of all blood donations for Malaria. Regular screening of malaria prevents severe transfusion-transmitted malaria, and shows its prevalence and enables its control among the population.

Material and Methods:

This is a 09-year retrospective observational study from 1st August 2014 to 31st July 2023 among apparently healthy blood donors in Blood Centre of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Jharkhand, a tertiary health care centre in tribal population-dominant region of India. Every donor’s sample is subjected to a malaria antigen test both for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax by One step, rapid, immunochromatographic test. Positive result by rapid diagnostic Antigen card tests were also analysed by microscopy (peripheral blood smear).

Results:

In the present study, the total number of blood units collected was 246,147. On screening of the total blood donors, 62,225 (25.27%) were voluntary donors and 183,942 (74.72%) were replacement donors. There were 2,27,731 (92.51%) male donors and 18,416 (7.48%) female donors. Among all the donors, only 61 (0.024%) malaria-positive donors were seen, all male.

Conclusion:

Malaria transmission is strictly monitored and controlled by governments in endemic regions. In addition to the direct spread by mosquito bites, malaria can also be transmitted by transfusion as blood is transfused mainly as whole blood in developing countries. The transmission by transfusion of blood remains a challenge to blood centres because of carriers of malaria in the population in endemic regions like Jharkhand, India. This is first long retrospective observational study of prevalence of malaria among apparently healthy blood donors in a tertiary care centre in Northeastern tribal region of India. It gives a rough idea of the effectiveness of various malaria control programs in remote, malaria-endemic regions.
Our experience with modified mini laryngoscore and its correlation with laryngeal exposure during microlaryngoscopy
Authors: Gandhi Sachin , Vaishnav Darshil
Published: February 2025

Background:

Microlaryngoscopy is a commonly used transoral approach for the diagnosis and surgery of many laryngeal disorders. Adequate exposure is very important for proper instrumentation. Many patient-related factors affect exposure. Many studies have been done in the past to objectively evaluate these factors and provide a score to predict difficult laryngeal exposure (DLE). This study is an attempt to simplify the scoring system along with making it more reliable and easy to use.

Objectives:

The objectives are as follows: to preoperatively evaluate the patient for DLE, to correlate a relatively easier and effective modified mini-laryngoscore (MML) with DLE, and to confirm the contribution of high-risk factors to DLE.

Materials and Methods:

The materials and methods are as follows: Subjects: the patients who met the inclusion criteria to undergo transoral microlaryngoscopy were included in the study. A detailed history of change in voice and clinical examination and flexible videolaryngoscopy was done to identify the pathology. Study design: this is a retrospective study. Study setting: In the preoperative room, an assessment for prediction of laryngeal exposure by measuring all the parameters of MML was done, and the score was calculated. Intraoperatively, laryngeal exposure classification was done. Then, we correlated MML findings and their parameters with the laryngeal exposure status to check the validity of MML.

Results:

In our study, out of a total of 125 patients, the final score was found to be associated with a sensitivity of 90.24% to predict a DLE with 73.80% specificity. The findings for the three new parameters that were added, such as body mass index (BMI), history of neck surgery, and history of radiotherapy, were found to be statistically significant. These three parameters constitute high-risk factors and patients having any of these, namely BMI > 30 kg/m2, history of neck surgery, and history of radiotherapy have a 95%–100% chance of having DLE. When the set of 19 patients belonging to the high-risk group was separated, the sensitivity of the MML score was 83.33%, and the specificity was 100%.

Conclusion:

MML is a quick, easy, and sensitive score to preoperatively predict laryngeal exposure intraoperatively and holds significance in making operative plans. The new parameters like BMI, history of radiotherapy to head and neck region, and history of open neck surgery affect the region from mentum to thyroid. These parameters had a significant role to play in predicting the intraoperative exposure of the larynx.
Lycium barbarum glycopeptide reduces brain damage following ischemic stroke by inhibiting ferroptosis and oxidation
Authors: Zhang Wei , Tang Moushen , Wang Yujie , Huang Yongxia , Yu Zhexiong , Zhu Lihui , Wang Jian , So Kwok-Fai , Ruan Yiwen
Published: February 2025

Recent studies have indicated that stroke can lead to neuronal iron overload and lipid peroxidation. Lycium barbarum glycopeptide, which has a low molecular weight and potent antioxidant properties, may mitigate ferroptosis in stroke. We hypothesized that Lycium barbarum glycopeptide can effectively mitigate iron overload within ischemic neurons due to its robust antioxidant properties. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide on ferroptotic damage following brain ischemia and explore the underlying mechanisms. A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion was established using the intraluminal filament method, and the rats were treated with Lycium barbarum glycopeptide for 7 consecutive days, beginning 24 hours after ischemia. Liproxstatin-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor, and Erastin, a ferroptosis activator, were used as controls. We found that treatment with Lycium barbarum glycopeptide resulted in significant reductions in infarct volume (as detected by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining staining and magnetic resonance imaging) and neuronal death (as measured by Nissl staining), as well as improvements in sensory and motor functions in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. Furthermore, treatment with Lycium barbarum glycopeptide alleviated anxiety and depression-like behaviors and improved memory. Additionally, Lycium barbarum glycopeptide effectively reduced the iron ion content in the ischemic penumbra of the cortex. Moreover, treatment with Lycium barbarum glycopeptide downregulated the expression of ferroptotic and oxidant proteins such as transferrin receptor 1, divalent metal transporter 1, and Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 and upregulated the expression of anti-ferroptotic and antioxidant proteins such as ferroportin 1, solute carrier family 7 member 11, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase 4. However, these beneficial effects were reversed when ferroptosis was induced with the activator Erastin. Therefore, the positive effects of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide in ischemic stroke are likely mediated through activation of the anti-ferroptotic pathway and the antioxidative System Xc-glutathione-glutathione peroxidase 4 pathway. Overall, our findings highlight the potential use of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide as a neuroprotective agent targeting both ferroptosis and oxidation to decrease ischemic brain damage.
Virtual reality simulation research on the quality and strength of the riveting process for the top cover accessory of battery pack
Authors: Bing-xin Cao , Wenke Tang , Shui-gen Ning , Yang-qing Wang
Published: February 2025

INTRODUCTION: Based on the riveting theory, a 3D model of the riveting structure was established, and the riveting process of three kinds of plate thickness was simulated by Deform-3D virtual simulation, and the theoretical values of the key parameters of the riveting structure were obtained.
OBJECTIVES: Through the tensile and shear tests of riveted samples, it was found that the simulation theory of key parameters of riveting was close to the experimental values, which showed the feasibility of the simulation.
METHODS: Through the experiment, it was further found that the shear strength and tensile strength were increased with the increase of plate thickness.
RESULTS: The shear strength and tensile strength of a 1.5mm thick plate were increased by 81.2% and 35.2%, respectively, compared with that of a 1.0mm thick plate. The shear resistance and tensile strength of the 2.0 mm thick plate were 111.4% and 54.5% higher than that of the 1.0 mm thick plate.
CONCLUSION: During the experiment, it was not found that the upper and lower plates were separated directly, but the neck of the riveted joint was directly broken.
Equivariant discretizations of diffusions, random walks, and harmonic functions: Corrections and additions
Authors: Ballmann Werner , Polymerakis Panagiotis
Published: February 2025

The Martin boundary of a diffusion process on a manifold consists of positive harmonic functions. In a previous publication, we erroneously assumed that the same holds for discretizations of diffusions. In this article, we correct this mistake and extend some of our previous results.
Eco-social new-materialist reflections for the Anthropocene
Authors: Bennett Jane , Connolly William E , Kwek Dorothy , Grear Anna
Published: February 2025

Towards the end of 2019 Jane Bennett and William E Connolly visited Cardiff University as keynote speakers for the speaker series, ‘Imagining the Eco-Social: New Materialist Reflections for the Anthropocene’. Organized by Anna Grear, the series sought to push the boundaries of the social into more complex material engagements and brought law and justice-based questions haunting the so-called Anthropocene into conversation with new materialist and posthuman thinking. The speaker series was hosted by the Centre of Law and Society and by what was then known as the Environmental Justice Research Unit (later renamed the Centre for Environmental Law and Policy).

The keynote events were co-organized by Anna Grear and Dot Kwek. Before these two full and intense days, Bennett and Connolly joined Grear and Kwek for an interview. (The interview was filled with laughter and has been lightly edited for clarity.)
The Anthropocene as abstract machine
Authors: Connolly William E
Published: February 2025

After reviewing the notion of an abstract machine elaborated by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, Connolly shows how the Anthropocene itself is an abstract machine vastly exceeding its human components. It is composed initially of capitalist emissions of CO2 and methane joined to a host of impersonal amplifiers. The amplifiers show how the effects of capitalist emissions far outstrip the initial power of the emissions themselves. An ocean conveyor shutdown, glacier self accelerations, and the radical shifts in the formation of wild fires provide merely a couple of examples. A brief discussion of the ‘Antique Little Ice Age’ in Rome helps to show how planetary volatilities have come into being in other times and places. The essay closes by exploring possible fascist responses in temperate capitalist states spurred to a notable degree by the climate refugees these very states have helped to create. And it explores the type of politics needed today to respond to climate wreckage and curtail the danger of fascism.
Vital materialism from social theory to sociological lines of flight
Authors: Fox Nick J
Published: February 2025

This paper reflects on the contributions of Jane Bennett and William Connolly at the seminar in Cardiff from the perspective of a new materialist social scientist. I first consider the distinction between philosophy and social inquiry, focusing on translating complex philosophical concepts into practical research methods. The paper then explores how – using Deleuze’s ethological framework – new materialist, posthuman and vital materialist ideas offer fresh perspectives on sociological data. I then make links between vital materialism and the monism and post-anthropocentrism of new materialism, indigenous ontologies and feminist posthumanism, applying these insights to the topics of environmental sustainability, sustainable development and environmental justice. I suggest that this interdisciplinary approach can provide innovative frameworks for addressing real-world challenges for society and the environment.
On gardens of the Anthropocene: gendered violence, colonial legal enclosures, and feminist posthuman kinship
Authors: Arvidsson Matilda
Published: February 2025

This article invokes Rick Barot’s poem On Gardens to trace the interrelations of gendered violence and colonial legal enclosures in the Anthropocene, ultimately proposing a radical jurisprudence of gardens. Drawing on posthumanist feminist, eco-feminist, and decolonial feminist theories, I employ écriture féminine alongside autoethnography to work through these interrelations. Written in the personal voice, I offer a narrative woven through empathy, desire, and wonder. I begin by reflecting on my own heritage and its intersections with the questions provoked by Barot’s poem. I then move to theorize the garden as a space for the human yearning for innocence, but also as a site of colonial and gendered violence, human care, and the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. This reveals how gardens – and law – serve as a placeholder both of violence and for new possibilities. Moving between theory and lived experience, I use On Gardens to bring forth my own journey through the intersections of law, gardens, gendered and academic life, highlighting the violence embedded in these spaces. I bring this to bear on the radical jurisprudence of gardens which the article proposes. In the concluding section, I celebrate the joys of posthuman feminist transversal kinship, envisioning and embodying a transformative way of living, writing, and becoming in the Anthropocene. The article invites readers to reconsider gardens as sites of an intra- and inter-species radical jurisprudence of care, resistance, and renewal in the face of contemporary challenges of the Anthropocene.