bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the knowledge of Mogpog residents about heavy metal pollution due to mining and its associated health risk
Authors: Nolos Ronnel C. , Sevilla-Nastor Janice B. , Villanueva-Peyraube Jessica D. , Sobremisana Marisa J.
Published: July 2024

The municipality of Mogpog in the Philippines was one of the severely hit areas during the 1993 mining disaster in the province of Marinduque. After three (3) decades, the aftermath of the disaster still lingers in the municipality and even in the whole province. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between the social demographics of the residents of Mogpog and their knowledge about heavy metal (HM) pollution and its associated health risks. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the 314 residents of Mogpog. Six (6) social demographics were considered, such as age, sex, marital status, highest education attainment, monthly household income, and whether the respondents were government employees or not. Results of the binomial logistic regression analysis showed that the social demographics affecting the respondents’ knowledge about HM pollution were marital status and monthly household income (significant at the 0.05 level). Married individuals may have larger and more diverse social networks, which could expose them to a wider range of information, including environmental issues. On the other hand, those with lower incomes may have limited access to formal education or information resources, which could result in lower environmental awareness. The results underscore the need for specific interventions and educational initiatives to enhance the understanding of the adverse health impacts associated with HM pollution among residents in Mogpog
Evolution of NATO’s Conception of Defence Expenditure of Member States After 1990
Authors: Wołkonowski Jarosław ,   Branch of University of Bialystok in Vilnius
Published: July 2024

Goal – to analyse defence spending in the light of NATO decisions and the geopolitical situation. Research methodology – the article reviews NATO’s strategy and decisions on defence spending and security, analyses defence spending based on SIPRI and World Bank data. Score/results – the carried out analysis allowed for the positive verification of the first hypothesis which assumed that defence spending is influenced by NATO’s political decisions and assessment of the security situation. The second research hypothesis, which assumed that more prosperous NATO countries (having high GDP per capita) have higher defence spending (as% of GDP), was not confirmed. Originality/value – research on the defence spending of NATO countries is particularly important in the view of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The obtained results will provide a better understanding of the factors determining the amount of security funding in the North Atlantic region and the world.
Letter to the Editor: “Effect of grape seed extract on β-catenin gene expression and hyperglycemia in rats induced by streptozotocin”
Authors: Akyel Esma Gamze
Published: July 2024

This letter is related to the article titled "Effect of grape seed extract on β-catenin gene expression and hyperglycemia in rats induced by streptozotocin" published in Volume 39, Is sue 2 of the Eurasian Journal of Veterinary Sciences in 2023. First of all, we would like to thank you for the study whose aim was to determine the effect of grape seed extract (GSE) on body weight, blood glucose, and β-catenin gene expres sion in experimental Type 2 diabetic rats. We read this ar ticle with interest and have one suggestion for the authors. The authors reported that the effect of grape seed extract on blood glucose, body weight, and B-catenin gene expression levels determined in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Instead of examining the expression levels of the tissue ma terials obtained due to the experimental design at a single gene level, next-generation sequencing, and total transcrip tome level will allow the expression levels of many genes expressed in the relevant pathway to be determined. In this regard, a literature search on the Web of Science with the keywords "streptozotocin", "diabetes", and "RNA-seq" reve aled 29 studies in the last four years. Among these studies; there is a study on RNA-seq analysis in diabetic male mouse liver (Ge et al 2020). Again, different functional, cellular, and molecular models of diabetic cardiomyopathy were exami ned in Type I and Type II mouse models administered with Streptozotocin (Marino et al 2023). Elzinga et al. (2023) reported research results in which diabetic kidney disease and neuropathy were examined at the transcriptome level in type I and type II diabetic mice. In the currently planned and realized experimental design, it is recommended that next-generation sequencing analyses in liver and pancre atic tissues be performed in a short time in terms of cost, time, and more information content. It is envisaged that further investigation of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus disease at the transcriptome level in animal experimental models with grape seed extract and publication of the analysis results in international journals will have a serious interest potential for researchers working on this subject
Analysis of the Structural, Morphological, and Elastic Properties of Nanosized CuFe2O4 Spinel Synthesized via Sol-Gel Self-Combustion Method
Authors: Mazurenko Julia , Kaykan Larysa , Bandura Khrystyna , Vyshnevskyi Oleksii , Moiseienko Mykola , Kuzyshyn Myroslav , Ostapovych Nataliia
Published: July 2024

Nanosized CuFe2O4 ferrite was synthesized through the sol-gel self-combustion technique, using iron and copper nitrates with citric acid as fuel. The synthesized ferrite was subsequently analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction studies validated the crystalline nature of the CuFe2O4, identifying it as having a mixed spinel structure within the Fd3m space group. Particle sizes were quantified using several methods including Debye-Scherrer, Williamson-Hall, Halder-Wagner, modified Debye-Scherrer, and size-strain plot (SSP), with all methods indicating a consistent average particle size of 28 nm. The elastic properties of the nanoparticles were extensively characterized, utilizing both diffraction line broadening (via the Williamson-Hall method) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to evaluate the materials' structural dynamics. Additionally, microstrain within the crystal lattice and various elastic constants, such as Young's modulus, Shear modulus, Debye temperature, and the velocities of longitudinal and transverse wave propagation were calculated. An electron density distribution was also constructed from the X-ray diffraction data, providing insight into the electronic environment and bonding characteristics of the material.
Producer-consumer-networks as drivers of sustainability transition in rural regions. Two cases from Costa Rican rural regions - Two cases from Costa Rica
Authors: Avendaño-Leadem Daniel , Schmeiduch Lena , Bruno Nuñez Orlando , Betzler Shirin
Published: July 2024

Successful sustainability transitions are crucial to answer to ongoing crises. Focusing strongly on biocultural heritage, local customs, and traditions, as well as the natural environment and landscape aesthetics, rural regions have great potential to promote sustainable development and growth. This sustainable development of rural regions further contributes not only to local, but also to national and supranational development by strengthening sustainable economic growth, alleviating unemployment, and poverty, and improving living conditions. Local entrepreneurs are continuously included in discussions on sustainability transitions in rural regions as an important driver through their innovative entrepreneurial activities. By comparing two example regions within rural areas of Costa Rica - the Dota and Turrialba region - the role of these entrepreneurial endeavors is illustrated. For this purpose, we exemplify how both regions contribute to rural, sustainable development based on their geographical, entrepreneurial, and collective characteristics. Specifically, the role of entrepreneurs’ specific mind- and skillset, their embeddedness in producer-consumer-networks and the encompassing geographical context is investigated. Implications on the different levels of analysis are drawn in terms of learning opportunities for both, the respective included regions, as well as supra-regional development in a broader sense. The sCoRe project is presented as an exemplary initiative designed to foster collaboration between rural entrepreneurs and academic initiatives to enhance local producer-consumer-networks, and thus contribute to the establishment of sustainable communities.
Predictors of Complications Related to Cardiac Ablation for Atrial Arrhythmias
Authors: Ruslyakova I. A. , Belyakov K. S. , Abdulrazakov A. A. , Marinin V. A.
Published: July 2024

The heterogeneity of the patient population and the lack of uniform approaches to periprocedural management highlight the importance of investigating the predictors of catheter ablation (CA) related complications in patients with atrial arrhythmias.

Aim of the study: to identify risk factors for procedure-related (PR) and procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA)-related complications in patients with atrial arrhythmias.

Materials and Methods. A single-center retrospective cohort observational study analyzed 2,340 electronic medical records (EMRs) from the I.I. Mechnikov NWSMU database from 2015 to 2022. A total of 1,793 EMRs were included in the study. All the patients underwent radiofrequency CA for atrial arrhythmia under procedural sedation and analgesia. The risk factors for PR- and PSA-related complications were identified using single-factor regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression with Jamovi 2.3.21 and IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software.

Results. The PR- and PSA-related complication rates were 3.29% and 0.73 %, respectively. Hemopericardium/cardiac tamponade with an incidence of 1.45% and cerebral stroke/TIA documented in 1.17% of cases predominated among the PR complications. PSA-related complications included postoperative nausea and vomiting syndrome (0.22 %) and respiratory depression (requiring mechanical ventilation in 0.06% and non-invasive ventilation in 0.45%). Of all PR complications, 30.5% were documented in patients aged 70-74 years. BMI >30.0 kg/m2 (adjusted OR, 1.963; 95% CI, 1.09-3.36; P=0.023), age >69 years (adjusted OR, 3.081; 95% CI, 1.764-5.383; P<0.001), pain severity on the numerical rating scale (NRS) >3 points (adjusted OR, 4.317; 95% CI, 2.390-7.800; P<0.001), and previous CA procedure in the patient's history (adjusted OR, 10.276; 95% CI, 4.006-26.354; P<0.001) were found to be risk factors for the development of PR complications, whereas BMI >35 kg/m2 (adjusted OR, 4.955; 95% CI, 1.485-16.535; P=0.009) and duration of CA procedure >142 min (adjusted OR, 11.070; 95% CI, 2.440-50.228; P=0.002) were found to be risk factors of PSA complications.

Conclusion. The following independent predictors of CA-related complications were identified: patient-related factors such as BMI >30.0 kg/m2 and age >69 years, as well as procedure-related factors such as duration of CA >142 min, history of CA, and pain intensity >3 NPRS points.
The Sarawak ‘Tar’ for Hadrah performance
Authors: Sinin Aaliyawani E. , Hamdan Sinin , Said Khairul A. Mohamad , Sawawi Marini , Jia Gladys Tan Jia , Hipni Mohammad Jasni
Published: July 2024

This work was conducted using the PicoScope signal extraction procedure, which revealed remarkable insights regarding the belian wood and its application in Sarawak traditional ‘tar’ instrument. The ‘tar’ is a small drum made of wood and attached with goat skin. A hadrah performance is done with the sound of the blow of the ‘tar’ and reciting poems praising Allah and the Prophet Muhammad by a group of players called the hadrah group. The ‘tar’ from belian wood had the highest pitch at 180 Hz i.e., F3# compared with the ‘tar’ from menggeris wood, which had the pitch D3# and A2 that also highlighted their importance in the Western scale. The overtones are not integer multiples of the fundamental frequency except for second and third overtones from ‘tar’ C (F2/F0 = 3 and F3/F0 = 4). Using Adobe Audition for Time Frequency Analysis (TFA) recordings for the ‘tar’, the data collection method provided insightful information. The communal efforts of practitioners, who are frequently grouped together, perpetuate the cultural heritage of hadrah. Essentially, by offering a thorough grasp of the intricate melodic details woven in hadrah’s cultural fabric, this research adds to the genre’s continuing heritage.
Role of Innovation on Green Economic Growth: Empirical Analysis from the Countries of the Western Balkans
Authors: Plakaj Vërbovci Marigonë , Gara Atdhetar , Abazi Alili Hyrije
Published: July 2024

The impact of innovations on the growth of the green economy is a crucial aspect for a country’s economy. The promotion of these innovations and investments is also vital for sustainable and long-term development. This paper aims to present the role of innovation on green economic growth in the countries of the Western Balkans (Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia) over a 13-year period, from 2010 to 2022.Data for the research were obtained from the World Bank and the Global Economy Database, where the study data type is Panel. The econometric models used are: the ordinary least squares (OLS) model, the Fixed Effect (FE) model, the Random Effect (RE) model and the Hausman Taylor (HTH) model. The dependent variable is green economic growth, while the independent variables include the innovation index (INV), research and development expenditures (R&D), information technology exports (ITE), patent applications from residents (PA), manufacturing output (MAN), business freedom index (BFI), investment freedom index (IFI), and economic freedom index (EFI). The findings of this paper show that the countries of the Western Balkans should promote key factors such as: innovation as an important driver, with a positive impact on green economic growth; research and development expenses; patent applications, and favorable business and economic environments to facilitate long-term green economic growth and promote environmental sustainability. The results indicate that the coefficient for innovation is positive (B=0.41) and statistically significant at the 1% level, supporting the hypothesis that the increase in innovation has a positive impact on green economic growth in the countries of the Western Balkans.
Reckoning applications of Z-iteration: Data dependence and solution to a delay Caputo fractional differential equation
Authors: Zaheer Salman , Chanda Ankush , Nashine Hemant Kumar
Published: July 2024

In this study, we focus on demonstrating the stability of the three-step Z-iterative scheme within the context of weak contraction mappings as defined by Berinde. Further, we attain results concerning stability, data dependence, and error accumulation of the Z-iterative scheme. This article also includes a comparison of the convergence rates among various established iterative strategies. Several illustrative numerical examples are furnished to validate the accuracy and reliability of our findings. In the same spirit, we present an application that utilises the Z-iterative technique on Banach spaces to attain the solution of a delay Caputo fractional differential equation, building upon our primary findings.
Optimal control and bifurcation analysis of a delayed fractional-order SIRS model with general incidence rate and delayed control
Authors: Xu Conghui , Yu Yongguang , Ren Guojian , Si Xinhui
Published: July 2024

A fractional-order generalized SIRS model considering incubation period is established in this paper for the transmission of emerging pathogens. The corresponding Hopf bifurcation is discussed by selecting time delay as the bifurcation parameter. In order to control the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation and achieve better dynamic behaviors, a delayed feedback control is adopted to the model. Further, the delayed fractional-order optimal control problem (DFOCP) is proposed and discussed. The parameters of the proposed model are identified through the measurement data of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on the results of parameter identification, the corresponding DFOCP with delayed control is numerically solved.
Variation of the metal-insulator phase transition temperature in VO2: An overview of some possible implementation methods
Authors: Valakh M.Ya. ,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine, Yukhymchuk V.O. , Dzhagan V.M. , Isaieva O.F. , Yefanov V.S. , Romanyuk B.M. ,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine,   V. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS Ukraine 41 Nauky Avenue, 03028 Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: July 2024

The great interest in VO2, which has stimulated a large number of studies and publications in recent decades, is caused by the reversible metal-insulator phase transition (MIT) that occurs at T = 68 °C and is accompanied by the transformation of a low-temperature dielectric (semiconductor) monoclinic phase into a high-temperature metallic phase with a rutile structure. Despite the ongoing discussion about the physical mechanism of this transition, the concomitant rapid change in the electrical and optical characteristics of the material by several orders of magnitude already finds numerous applications in optics, optoelectronics and sensors. At the same time, it became obvious that both the number and performance of the applications of VO2 would greatly increase, if it were possible to decrease the temperature of the phase transition without deterioration of other properties. This issue has become the subject of numerous studies. Mechanical stress and oxygen vacancies in the VO2 lattice, the concentration of free charge carriers, tuned by impurity doping or implantation, have been investigated and discussed as the main factors affecting the transition temperature. In this review, we intend to summarize and analyze the literature data on these ways, primarily those which are most efficient in influencing the transition temperature while maintaining a significant change in the modulation characteristics.
Microhardness of single-crystal samples of Ag7+x(P1–xGex)S6 solid solutions
Authors:   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Shender I.O. , Pogodin A.I. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Filep M.J. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine,   Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian Institute, Kossuth Sq. 6, 90200 Beregovo, Ukraine, Malakhovska T.O. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Kokhan O.P. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Bilanych V.S. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Babuka T.Ya. ,   Uzhhorod National University, 46, Pidhirna str., 88000 Uzhhorod, Ukraine, Izai V.Yu. ,   Comenius University, Mlynska dolina, Bratislava 84248, Slovakia
Published: July 2024

This work presents the results of microhardness investigations of single-crystal samples of Ag7+x(P1–xGex)S6 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, 0.75, 1) solid solutions. The dependences of microhardness H on load P and sample composition were investigated. The microhardness was found to decrease with applied load, which indicates presence of “normal” indentation size effect in Ag7+x(P1–xGex)S6 solid solutions. The obtained results were approximated in the framework of the geometrically necessary dislocations (Nix–Gao) model, and the model parameters were found. The effect of heterovalent Р5+ → Ge4+ substitution on the mechanical properties of Ag7+x(P1–xGex)S6 crystals was determined.
Modern approach to studying the language situation: slavic experience and Ukrainian realities
Authors: Sokolova Svitlana ,   Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: July 2024

The article analyzes the use of the phrase language situation (linguistic situation) in diffe rent national scientific traditions and approaches to describing the language situation in Slavic countries. It was found that, despite the similarity of the general definitions of this concept, in specific studies the attention is mainly focused on one of three possible aspects — the relationship between the functioning of various idioms within society, the situation with the use of a certain idiom in a certain territory or in a certain community or on the intra- language proper situation, that is, the internal differentiation of language to meet the va- rious needs of society. The choice of research direction is determined primarily by the con- figuration of the language situation itself, i.e., whether it is endo- or exogenous, whether the state language has an established literary tradition and traditions of stylistic differentia- tion, a powerful dialect base, how widespread it is outside the range of the main distribu- tion of the language, etc. Ukrainian society is characterized as being in the process of transformation from an exogenous (characterized by mass bilingualism) to a predominantly endogenous (predomi- nance of the Ukrainian language) language situation. In this regard, there is a great need for research related to the analysis of language behavior of persons who are on the path of changing language preferences. Against the background of active migration processes pro- voked by the war, the problem of language adaptation of previously Russian-speaking citi- zens in a new language environment for them and the functioning of the Ukrainian lan- guage outside of Ukraine (as a diaspora and foreign language) becomes especially important. Given the limited possibility of making statistically reliable quantitative measurements of the language situation, the importance of studying individual language biographies of persons who have changed or are changing their language behavior is increasing. Keywords: language situation, language behavior, language policy, Slavic countries, language functioning, language corpus planning, majority language, minority language, Ukrainian lan- guage abroad.
Around-language discourse during the Russian-Ukrainian war
Authors: Ruda Olena ,   Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: July 2024

The goal of this study was to find out how the discourse related to the language issue, which has developed, in particular, in the Ukrainian segment of the Internet, changed after Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine. For this purpose, the material was collected during the period of 2012—2021, with a comparison of theses and arguments in the discussions that arose around the appearing issues of the language situation with those recorded during the year of the Ukrainian-Russian war. Nowadays, the discourse surrounding the language issue has changed. Even those political forces that used it as a tool of pre-election campaigning, speculating on the topic of the division of society on the basis of language, immediately changed their rhetoric. The language-related discourse has lost its former characteristic of debate; it has become more radical, highly symbolised, and sometimes pejorative; the former polarity of thoughts has disappeared. It displays public reflections on the nation-building function of language. More and more Ukrainians are coming to understand that “language matters” and “language is a weapon”. The symbolic “war of languages” has transformed in the physical plane into a “war with the help of language”. The language has become a weapon of the military. At the same time, Ukrainian journalists shock the society by covering scandals surrounding the issue of language, as the term ‘Movosrach’, which is a manipulative denomination for language-related discussions and which emphasises contempt for those who raise the issue of language functioning, arose long before the start of the full-scale war. Many people are convinced that the language situation in Ukraine will undergo a radical change after the war. This refers, at a minimum, to the levelling of the status, prestige, and ultimately the prevalence of the Russian language. Expert opinions carry significant weight when it comes to the language issue. However, a part of society still hopes that in the language policy, the state will adhere to the position of non-interference in the language practices of society. Based on the current language policies and the prevailing language attitudes, the development of the language situation in the country is likely to be influenced by the ongoing events; however, it is expected that the trends related to language communication guidelines and the vision for the language development will remain inertial. Keywords: metalinguistic discourse, Ukrainian language, language issue, rhetoric, RussianUkrainian war.
Hryhoriy Kvitka-Osnovyanenko as a founder of prose genres of the Ukrainian literary language
Authors: Masenko Larysa ,   Institute of the Ukrainian Language of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Published: July 2024

The article analyzes the role of the creative work of Hryhoriy Kvitka-Osnovyanenko in the formation of the novel Ukrainian literary language. The writer laid the foundations of two linguistic and stylistic trends of Ukrainian literary prose, namely laughing and humorous one thus continuing the Ivan Kotlyarevskyi’s activity, and a new for the Ukrainian literature sentimental one. The article is mainly focused on highlighting the vernacular specificity of the H. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko’s stories and novels reflected in phonetic, morphological and syntactic features. The lexical structure of the writer’s language, which is based on the contemporary patois of the Slobozhanshchyna region with Church Slavonicisms and Russianisms inclusions, is studied in detail. The wealth of the synonymous series as well as the high variability of the word forms, which may be explained by the absence of stable norms at the initial stage of the formation of the literary language, are noted. The lexical irregularity and territorial proximity to the Russian dialects areals led to some cases of the parallel use of Ukrainian and Russian lexemes to denote the same realities in the texts of H. Kvitka-Osnovyanenko. Searching for linguistic means for the formation of a high style, the writer turned to folklore sources as well as to imitation of contemporary works of the sentimental Russian literature. The results of the study have proved that the folklore sources used by H. KvitkaOsnovyanenko organically complemented the vernacular nature of his works, while the linguistic and stylistic adoptions from the Russian literature broke the homogeneity of the linguistic basis of individual works of the sentimental genre affecting their ideological and thematic solution. However, these drawbacks do not diminish the fundamental importance of the legacy of the first Ukrainian novelist in the history of the Ukrainian literary language. Keywords: Ukrainian literary language, Slobozhanshchyna patois, Church Slavonicisms, Russianisms, lexical variability.
A Review of Syphilis Infection in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Labudde Emily J. , Lee Jane
Published: July 2024

Nearly half of all sexually transmitted infections occur in adolescents and young adults. Among them, syphilis infections are on the rise in the United States. Sexually active adolescents, especially those who do not use condoms consistently or are men who have sex with men, are at particular risk for syphilis infection. With the rise in acquired syphilis infections, the incidence of congenital syphilis has also increased. Syphilis can have a variety of presentations based on infectious stage and central nervous system involvement. Careful physical examination and history can elicit the diagnosis. Screening with a nontreponemal test followed by treponemal testing can confirm the diagnosis, and staging is determined clinically. Testing for all sexually transmitted infections should be pursued because coinfections are common. Penicillin is the first-line treatment for syphilis, and duration of therapy depends on the presence of neurologic symptoms; all infants with possible congenital syphilis should receive treatment. Posttreatment monitoring is essential to confirm successful eradication of syphilis. All sexually active, at-risk patients, including pregnant persons, should be screened for syphilis, and those diagnosed as having syphilis should be counseled on disclosure to partners. Although not often found in a pediatric population, with the increasing incidence of syphilis infections in the United States, pediatric providers should have a low threshold for syphilis screening in adolescents and a high index of suspicion for congenital syphilis in infants.
About One Groupoid Associated with the Composition of Multilayer Feedforward Neural Networks
Authors: Litavrin Andrey V. , Moiseenkova Tatyana V.
Published: July 2024

Abstract. The authors construct a groupoid whose elements are associated with multilayer feedforward neural networks. This groupoid is called the complete groupoid of the composition of neural networks. Multilayer feedforward neural networks (hereinafter referred to as neural networks) are modelled by defining a special type of tuple. Its components define layers of neurons and structural mappings that specify weights of synaptic connections, activation functions and threshold values. Using the artificial neuron model (that of McCulloch-Pitts) for each such tuple it is possible to define a mapping that models the operation of a neural network as a computational circuit. This approach differs from defining a neural network using abstract automata and related constructions. Modeling neural networks using the proposed method makes it possible to describe the architecture of the network (that is, the network graph, the synaptic weights, etc.). The operation in the full neural network composition groupoid models the composition of two neural networks. A network, obtained as the product of a pair of neural networks, operates on input signals by sequentially applying original networks and contains information about their structure. It is proved that the constructed groupoid is a free.
Desacralizing The Past: The Liberal Approach to Islamic History
Authors: Hannan Haukil
Published: July 2024

This research examines the approach of liberal thinkers towards the history of Islam, focusing on the articles published on the online platform Islamlib.com. The research problem is formulated as follows: How do the historical articles on Islam, particularly in terms of content and thematic choices, manifest themselves on Islamlib.com. Additionally, what criticisms regarding the history of Islam are developed by Islamlib.com, encompassing sources, methodology, and approaches. The research employs the historiographical method, analyzing themes, methods, data sources, and approaches through content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that the historical articles on Islamlib.com are crafted within the framework of Islamic history as part of world history and total history. This research argues that the historiography of liberal thinkers has reached a sophisticated level. The articles explore a variety of themes related to Islam, embracing a comprehensive view that goes beyond conventional narratives. The historiographical critiques offered by Islamlib.com extend to source reliability, methodological choices, and the adopted approaches. The methodology used in this study, content analysis, facilitates a thorough examination of the themes, methods, sources, and approaches present in the historical articles. The liberal historiography demonstrated on Islamlib.com reveals a nuanced and advanced understanding of Islamic history. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on liberal perspectives in historiography, shedding light on the diverse themes and critical methodologies employed by liberal thinkers in shaping the narrative of Islamic history.
Mujer y campo literario: la representación de la escritora en los cuentos de Cristina Fernández Cubas
Authors: Casas Ana
Published: July 2024

El propósito de este trabajo es analizar el lugar que Cristina Fernández Cubas ocupa en el campo artístico español. A través del personaje de la escritora, el artículo se centra en las tensiones entre escritura femenina e institución literaria que varios de sus cuentos escenifican. Me apoyo con ese fin en el concepto de «paratopía» («paratopie»), desarrollado por Dominique Maingueneau (2004), el cual alude al lugar paradójico del autor/a con respecto al espacio social, posicionado simultáneamente dentro y fuera de él. La variedad de representaciones paratópicas presentes en los cuentos estudiados revelan una evolución en la autoría de Fernández Cubas, desde sus primeros relatos fantásticos, donde las protagonistas manifiestan «la angustia de la creación» (Planté 2019, 137), hasta los últimos, cuya propuesta antimimética se combina con lo autoficcional, y en los que la autorización de la escritora –legitimada por la institución literaria– es inversamente proporcional a su visibilización en tanto que sujeto mujer.
Enunciación paratópica en las autoras autoficcionales dramáticas: el caso de Marina Otero y Bibiana Monje
Authors: De-la-Torre-Espinosa Mario
Published: July 2024

De acuerdo con Maingueneau (2004; 2017), los escritores forman parte de un discurso literario que siempre ocupa una posición paratópica, puesto que, aun formando parte de la sociedad, tienen un aura especial que les hace ser ajenos a ella. Esta situación adquiere connotaciones especialmente relevantes cuando nos hallamos en el caso de las mujeres escritoras, algo que se potencia en el teatro por la inmediatez de la escena. Nuestro objetivo es analizar cómo en las manifestaciones teatrales autoficcionales las autoras, como Marina Otero en Love Me (2022) o Bibiana Monje en Lacura (2017), se autorrepresentan siendo conscientes de dicha posición paratópica, aprovechando para incluir supuestos episodios de sus vidas en la diégesis de obras y, en muchos casos, para enunciar discursos críticos sobre problemas sociales como la misoginia.
Clinical and serological characteristics of patients allergic to LTP
Authors: Miralles-Lopez Juan Carlos , Carbonell-Martínez Antonio , Zamarro-Parra Soledad , Navarro-Garrido Cristina , Escudero-Pastor Ana Isabel , Boulaich Muna , Sanromán-Sirvent Sol , Petryk-Petryk Yulia , Ladrón-de-Guevara Maria Dolores , Pérez-Fernández Virginia
Published: July 2024

Background: Allergy to lipid transfer proteins (LPT) is common in Mediterranean Europe, and it causes severe reactions in patients and affects multiple foods, impairing the quality of life.
Objective: This study aimed to describe the clinical and sensitization profile of patients with LTP syndrome and to determine a clinical pattern of severity. Molecular diagnosis is shown in a broad population through microarrays.
Material and Methods: This study was performed at the LTP Allergy Consultation of the Reina Sofia Hospital in Murcia, Spain. We analyzed the patients’ characteristics, reactions, cofactors, food implicated, quality of life, skin prick test to food and aeroallergens, and serologic parameters, such as total immunoglobulin E, peach LTP (Pru p 3 IgE) and immunoglobulin G4, and microarray Immuno Solid-phase Allergen Chip (ISAC). We related the severity of the reactions with other variables.
Results: We presented a series of 236 patients diagnosed with LTP allergy, 54.66% suffering from anaphylaxis, 36.02% from urticaria angioedema, and 9.32% from oral allergy syndrome. The most frequently implicated food was peach, producing symptoms in 70% of patients, followed by walnut in 55%, peanut in 45%, hazelnut in 44%, and apple in 38% patients. Regarding the food that provoked anaphylaxis, walnut was the most frequent instigator, along with peach, peanut, hazelnut, almond, sunflower seed, and apple. According to the severity of LPT reaction, we did not discover significant differences in gender, age, food group involved, and serologic parameters. We found differences in the presence of cofactors, with 48.84% of cofactors in patients with anaphylaxis, compared to 27.1% in patients without anaphylaxis and in family allergy background (P < 0.0001).
Conclusion: In our series of patients, 54% presented anaphylaxis, and the foods that most frequently produced symptoms were peaches, apples, and nuts. Cofactors and family allergy backgrounds were associated with the severity of LPT reaction.
Evidence of microplastic contamination in the food chain: an assessment of their presence in the gastrointestinal tract of native fish
Authors: Hayat Mehran , Khan Bushra , Iqbal Javaid , Nauman Ahmad Muhammad , Khan Ayaz Ali , Haq Taqweem-ul , Aziz Tariq , Albekairi Thamer H.
Published: July 2024

This research study focused on the primary freshwater surface sources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, Pakistan—Swat and Kabul rivers. The study aimed to assess microplastic (MP) contamination of fish in the Swat and Kabul rivers. Understanding this contamination is vital for evaluating the environmental and health risks associated with consuming contaminated fish and contributing to the ongoing conservation efforts. The study’s objective was to investigate the presence of MPs in the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of fish and to delineate the identified MP types. Samples of local dominant fish (Schizothorax plagiostomus [Swatay] and Racoma labiata [Chunr], Cyprinus carpio [Common Carp], and Clupisoma naziri [Sher Mayai]) were collected, and their body weight and length assessed to gauge the overall health. The GIT samples were processed, digested and filtered before microscopic examination to detect MPs. Subsequently, the identified MPs were subjected to attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for characterization by analyzing their absorption bands. Results of the study showed the presence of MPs in fish samples, predominantly identified as polyethylene (PE), with polypropylene (PP) being the subsequently prevalent plastic type, which manifested fish contamination with MPs. The study revealed MP pollution in both Swat and Kabul rivers, with fish ingesting these particles. This poses potential health risks for fish and health of the ecosystem.
Francesco Placidi and Ludwig Ladislaus. On architect and sculptor partnership in the 1740s and 1750s
Authors: Kluz Paulina , Skrabski Józef
Published: July 2024

Two artists, Francesco Placidi from Rome and sculptor Ludwig Ladislaus from Opava, played a significant role in Krakow artistic circles of the 1740s and 1750s. Placidi was brought to Poland by another Roman architect, Gaetano Chiaveri, under whose guidance he directed the construction of the court church in Dresden, and was active in Kraków since 1742. Ladisalus was first recorded in the records of the city of Krakow in 1741. The two lived in the same parishes, first All Saints’ and then St Mary’s, and were connected both socially and professionally. Following the study of sources and styles, it was determined that Placidi designed and Ladilaus executed the interior furnishings of the parish church in Morawica (c. 1748–55) funded by Aleksander August and Maria Zofia Czartoryski, the main altar in the Sanctuary of the Crucified Christ in Kobylanka (c. 1750) funded by Jan Wielopolski, and the main altar in the former collegiate church in Sandomierz (1756–57). A detailed investigation outlined the origin of architectural solutions defined by Placidi and captured the stylistic and formal features that Ladislaus’s sculptures share. The case is but a contribution to further research on the mutual relations between designers and makers of architecture and sculptures. Especially with respect to the roles of both the Italian architect imposing (or not) the general and/or detailed concept of the work, and the sculptor following (or not) the designer’s ideas, yet also contributing his own formal and stylistic solutions resulting from his individual artistic path of development (in the case of Ladislaus: in the Austrian Silesia). Beyond doubt, with his extensive contacts with ecclesiastical and secular aristocracy and the royal court, Placidi played an important role in Kraków, providing a link between artists of various professions, and maintaining familial and social contacts with some.
Establishing reliability and construct validity for the revised Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness (E3SR-R)
Authors: Koopman Lauren , Munnik Erica , Wagener Emma , Smith Mario
Published: July 2024

School readiness assessments in South Africa still predominantly focus on the assessment of cognitive skills. The Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness (E3SR) was developed to bridge the perceived gap in assessing emotional-social skills as a domain of school readiness. An emerging body of research reports exists on the psychometric properties and factor structure of the E3SR. An initial validation study recommended a 6-factor solution instead of the theoretical 9-factor model that was proposed in the development of the E3SR. The E3SR (Revised) was also reduced in length. We report here on a pilot study of which the aim was to establish the reliability and construct validity of the E3SR (Revised). A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from 9 pre-schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Pre-school teachers (n = 24) constituted the respondent group who completed the E3SR (Revised) screening questionnaires on Grade R learners (n = 394). Analysis was conducted on 321 completed screening questionnaires. With the data analysis we aimed to: a) summarise sample characteristics of teachers and children; b) establish reliability estimates; and c) establish construct validity and confirming the factor structure. Ethics clearance was given by the Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC) of the University of the Western Cape. The study adhered to stipulated ethics requirements. Data failed to show multivariate normality; however, this violation of normality was expected and was theoretically supported. The sample size (n = 321) was sufficient for factor analysis of a 36-item scale. All subscales showed excellent reliability: Cronbach’s alphas ranged between .939 and .971. CFA results demonstrated a good model fit. The E3SR (Revised) was found to be reliable and valid for use. The use of a rigorous methodological process including the decision-making matrix represent good research practice that can be used in instrument development across cultures.
Primer registro de Pereskiopsis blakeana J. G. Ortega (Cactaceae: Opuntioideae) en Chihuahua, México
Authors: Díaz J.S. , Márquez-Salazar G. , Salomon Montijo Bladimir , Gámez-Duarte E. A.
Published: July 2024

Se realizó una exploración botánica a la zona sur de Chihuahua, donde se colectaron cactáceas durante tres salidas en el 2021-2022. Fue registrada Pereskiopsis  blakeana, no reportada con antelación para la flora de Chihuahua. El taxón se determinó con ayuda de especialistas y literatura taxonómica. La especie es un arbusto erecto con hojas turgentes, alternas, una o dos largas espinas centrales, flores amarillas, grandes y polipétalas, con numerosos estambres y frutos cilíndricos verdes violáceos.  La cactácea fue colectada en el bosque tropical caducifolio de Dolores, municipio de Guadalupe y Calvo. El registro extiende la distribución a una localidad más septentrional.
Banned and Challenged
Authors: Suico Terri , Caprino Kathryn , Dubroc Anita , Hazlett Lisa , Smith Ann Marie
Published: July 2024

Reviews with rationales for four challenged trade books that deserve a place in our libraries, classrooms, and in the hands of our students: New Kid by Jerry Craft, Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison, Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King, and You Can’t Say That!an anthology edited by Leonard S. Marcus.
Narrative of Deficit and Authentic Portrayals of Mental Illness and Cultural Sensitivities in Young Adult Literature
Authors: Olan Elsie Lindy , Richmond Kia Jane
Published: July 2024

This article sheds light on the narrative of deficit that often surrounds characters who have mental illness in young adult literary novels (YAL) and critiques the manner in which that narrative perpetuates the stigma of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. We focus on two 21st century young adult novels whose characters are accurately depicted as having mental illness and whose authors authentically share the characters’ successes and struggles as well as the impact of their mental illness symptoms on family, friends, and neighbors. Our aim is to analyze and critique these novels to inform researchers and authors of YAL about the danger of romanticizing stigma surrounding mental illness, which, through the descriptions of characters’ behaviors and language used by the authors (whether intentional or not), can perpetuate the narrative of deficit that is associated with characters with mental illness.
Mobilisation of Literature: The Construction of Ideology in Soviet ‘Defence’ Magazines
Authors: Solovyeva Vera
Published: July 2024

At the turn of the 1930s, a cultural project of defence literature emerged in the USSR, implemented by the Literary Association of the Red Army and Navy (LOKAF) under the supervision of the Political Directorate of the Red Army. The circumstances in which the idea of defence literature emerged were closely related to the historical and political context of the era of the “Great Break”. The authors of defence literature were both professional and amateur writers from the literary circles of the Red Army and the Navy. In their texts, they interpreted and adapted the ideological attitudes of the authorities and offered what they considered to be “politically correct” models of behaviour. Critics of the LOKAF evaluated the ideological correctness of these texts and formulated programme guidelines for writers. The article deals with the works published in the pages of the Zalp and LOKAF magazines in 1930–1932 in order to reveal the connection of the chosen themes with the current domestic and foreign policy agenda, the writers’ reception of ideological clichés about the aggravation of internal and external contradictions, class struggle, wrecking, mastery of technology, etc., as well as the images of Red Army soldiers, party leaders, internal and external enemies created in the works.