bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economía informal y tributación: estado actual del conocimiento y agenda para futuras investigaciones y políticas
Authors: Castrillón Gaviria Cristian Camilo , Bustamante Ochoa Eduardo Andrés , Gómez Muñoz Wilman Arturo
Published: April 2024

Este capítulo es una revisión de la literatura sobre el vínculo entre la tributación y la economía informal. Primero, se esboza un enfoque integral que explica un posible origen de la informalidad y cómo ha sido su evolución hasta la actualidad en los países en vía de desarrollo y emergentes. Esto es importante para justificar el aspecto tributario y, así, establecer las relaciones encontradas en cuanto a lo referente a la economía informal y la tributación. Posteriormente, se aborda el fenómeno de la informalidad referenciando los principales hallazgos de la literatura internacional, teniendo en cuenta las correspondientes variaciones particulares de la informalidad y las circunstancias de cada país. La revisión evidencia que el vínculo entre tributación e informalidad depende del grado de gobernabilidad y calidad institucional en las economías, a su vez que se logran identificar en esta literatura claramente los diferentes motivos por los cuales es importante gravar tanto al sector formal como al informal: cumplimiento fiscal moral, recaudo de ingresos fiscales, gobernanza, equidad justa y formalización con crecimiento económico. Debido a la importancia relativa de la informalidad dentro de la producción total de estas economías, y sus implicaciones en cuanto al crecimiento y la prosperidad a largo plazo, sigue estando abierta la discusión y, por ello, es fundamental contar con algunos mecanismos de formalización, y la tributación es uno de estos.
A Low-cost Two-in-one Fluorescence/ Colorimetry Ammonium Detector: Design and Application
Authors:   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Chen Xuejia , Li Xiaoyu ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Liu Jinfeng ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Zhang Min ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Li Xuejun ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Xu Jin ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China, Liang Ying ,   School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, Guangxi, P.R. China
Published: April 2024

In this study, a compact and low-cost ammonium detector integrated spectrophotometric and fluorescence detection was designed based on the reaction of ammonium and o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of sodium sulfite solution to form substances with both photometric properties and fluorescence. This two-in-one detector detects ammonium in spectrophotometric mode at high concentrations and in fluorescence mode at low concentrations. The detector with a total size of 5×5×5 cm2 and integrates the detector skeleton box, light source, attenuator, filter, photoelectric sensor, data acquisition card, constant current source circuit, and LabVIEW upper computer acquisition program. Also, the detector was applied to the determination of water samples with a wide range of ammonium concentrations, showing good performance. The detector has the advantages of low cost, miniaturization, easy operation, and wide detection concentration range. This two-in-one detector has good potential for ammonium detection in the field, especially where ammonium concentration varies widely.
Colonoscopy-assisted removal of an impaction foreign body at the rectosigmoid junction: A case report
Authors: Zhou Peng-Fei , Lu Jin-Gen , Zhang Jia-Dong , Wang Jia-Wen
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

When an anorectal foreign body is found, its composition and shape should be evaluated, and a timely and effective treatment plan should be developed based on the patient's symptoms to avoid serious complications such as intestinal perforation caused by displacement of the foreign body.

CASE SUMMARY

A 54-year-old male was admitted to our outpatient clinic on June 3, 2023, due to a rectal foreign body that had been embedded for more than 24 h. The patient reported using a glass electrode tube to assist in the recovery of prolapsed hemorrhoids, however, the electrode tube was inadvertently inserted into the anus and could not be removed by the patient. During hospitalization, the patient underwent surgery, and the foreign body was dragged into the rectum with the aid of colonoscopy. The anus was dilated with a comb-type pulling hook and an anal fistula pulling hook to widen the anus and remove the foreign body, and the local anal symptoms were then relieved with topical drugs. The patient was allowed to eat and drink, and an entire abdominal Computed tomography (CT) and colonoscopy were reviewed 3 d after surgery. CT revealed no foreign body residue and colonoscopy showed no metal or other residues in the colon and rectum, and no apparent intestinal tract damage.

CONCLUSION

The timeliness and rationality of the surgical and therapeutic options for this patient were based on a literature review of the clinical signs and conceivable conditions in such cases. The type, material and the potential risks of rectal foreign bodies should be considered.
Impact of E-learning on Students’ Motivation in Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Singh Amrik
Published: April 2024

Most of the universities face various educational problems and obstacles that technology and E modes of learning can overcome. Many E-learning sources and tools are currently available for use such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Moodle e-learning platform has been used in many universities around the world. E-learning tools can provide training and education to a large number of students with diverse cultural backgrounds and education levels. The present study aims to study the impact of e-learning on the higher education sector from a student’s viewpoint. It has been observed in the study that e-learning tools and their interactive features increase the motivation of undergraduate students for the learning process. Further, this study also observed that e-learning could be failed in education when overestimating what e-learning accomplishes. From this study, we obtain a global view of the current and future tendencies of e-learning tools and therefore we provide possible important comments for using e-learning tools in the classroom.
enseñanza del derecho en Argentina. Agendas, discusiones y perspectivas en la investigación sobre educación jurídica
Authors: Manelli Matias
Published: April 2024

El presente trabajo tiene por finalidad recapitular y sistematizar los distintos aportes e investigaciones desde los cuales se abordó la cuestión de la educación jurídica en las últimas décadas en Argentina. Al respecto, en este trabajo los distintos desarrollos llevados adelante desde la academia jurídica son agrupados en (i) aportes pedagógicos, (ii) aportes sociológicos y (iii) aportes didácticos. A partir de la sistematización del estado de la cuestión, se presentan interrogantes sobre las perspectivas disciplinares y conceptuales implicadas, sus respectivos alcances y las áreas de vacancia implícitas, así como también las posibilidades de apropiación de las perspectivas de educación comparada y de institucionalización de un programa de investigación transdisciplinario.
Producción industrial en Chile durante la Primera Globalización (1860-1924)
Authors: Pérez Eyzaguirre Juan Ignacio
Published: April 2024

Existe un largo debate sobre el desempeño de la industria manufacturera en Chile durante la Primera Globalización, tanto a nivel cualitativo como a través de estimaciones indirectas de producción. En el presente trabajo, utilizando información de censos industriales y un amplio abanico de fuentes estadísticas, se ofrece una nueva estimación de la producción industrial en Chile entre 1860 y 1924, desagregada en 12 ramas de actividad industrial. Los resultados permiten observar un importante crecimiento del sector manufacturero durante la Primera Globalización, estrechamente vinculado a la ampliación del mercado interno provocada por la expansión primario-exportadora, y una larga fase de contracción iniciada durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, que se prolongaría hasta fines de la década de 1930, cuando las políticas públicas se orientan de manera explícita hacia la industrialización por sustitución de importaciones.
Espacios de gobernanza y control algorítmico en las plataformas de reparto
Authors: Diez Prat Felipe , Corredor Álvarez Felipe , Soto Aliaga Nuria
Published: April 2024

En el Estado español, las plataformas de reparto han impulsado un modelo laboral que forzó un fuerte debate social sobre su actividad, derivando en un recorrido judicial que llevó a promulgar la llamada “Ley rider”. Durante todo ese proceso, que se extendió por más de cuatro años, las compañías se mantuvieron firmes en su postura e impulsaron una campaña de presión para llevar la discusión a su favor, lo que terminó en una polarización entre los propios trabajadores. Por ello, en este artículo pretendemos reflexionar, por un lado, sobre cómo las diferentes estrategias de las plataformas para legitimar su forma de organización del trabajo lograron crear unos espacios de gobernanza que situaron a los repartidores al margen de la legalidad; y, por el otro, cómo dicho escenario terminó presentándose como una opción que pareció otorgar más seguridades que incluso las leyes o la propia acción sindical, influyendo en el posicionamiento de un sector considerable de los repartidores frente al proceso de laboralización.
Cooperativas de riders: condiciones de posibilidad para hacer frente al capitalismo de plataforma
Authors: Cañada Mullor Ernest , Izcara Carla , Zapata María José
Published: April 2024

Frente a la expansión del capitalismo de plataforma y la creciente precarización del trabajo, surgen formas alternativas de organización, como las cooperativas de plataforma. Este artículo, basado en los casos de las cooperativas de Mensakas, Las Mercedes y 2GoDelivery en la ciudad de Barcelona, explica cómo se han desarrollado estas formas alternativas de organización del trabajo en la economía de plataforma. El artículo también examina los retos que experimentan estas cooperativas de plataforma, así como sus implicaciones. El estudio muestra la centralidad del arraigo de estas tres iniciativas en estructuras y espacios de gobernanza, el movimiento de la ESS, el territorio y el conocimiento de las y los trabajadores.
La cooperativa energética GoiEner: una iniciativa de la Economía Social frente al desafío del decrecimiento
Authors: Damborenea Iglesias Mario , Atutxa Ordeñana Ekhi , Mendizabal Leiñena Xabier
Published: April 2024

La actual situación de crisis climática, agotamiento de recursos y crecientes desigualdades ha motivado la aparición de diversas propuestas alternativas al modelo económico convencional. Surge entre ellas la propuesta del decrecimiento, que cuestiona el desarrollismo imperante y plantea una reducción en el uso de recursos, así como su reparto más equitativo. Con el fin de analizar su viabilidad, resulta necesario estudiar la existencia de iniciativas decrecentistas en la práctica. Para ello, mediante la metodología del triángulo ético y la caracterización del decrecimiento a partir de sus principios normativos y aplicados, se analiza el caso de la cooperativa energética vasca GoiEner, con objeto de determinar si puede ser considerada una organización plenamente decrecentista. El análisis demuestra que, si bien GoiEner no lo es todavía, en caso de que avanzara en el cumplimiento de los principios definidos tiene el potencial de llegar a serlo en un futuro.
Healthcare Under Fire: Stories from Healthcare Workers During Armed Conflict
Authors: O‘Mathúna Dónal , Arawi Thalia , Fares Abdul Rahman
Published: April 2024

Abstract: This symposium includes twelve narratives from individuals or groups who have worked to help the sick and injured receive healthcare during armed conflict. Four commentaries on these narratives are also included, authored by experts and scholars in the fields of bioethics, human rights, sexual violence in armed conflict, the forced displacement of civilians, and policy development for resource constrained healthcare. The goal of this symposium is to call attention to the the difficulties and ethical dilemmas of providing healthcare during violent armed conflict.
Figuras y geopolíticas del ruido y de la escucha: En tierra yankee (1895) de Justo Sierra
Authors: Hernández-Ramírez Azucena
Published: April 2024

Abstract: The travel chronicles En tierra yankee (Notas a todo vapor) (1895) by Porfirian intellectual Justo Sierra Méndez lead us to reflect on the ways in which they imagined the sonic and the audible in relation to changing urban spaces, the Mexico/United States border, and communication and transportation technologies such as the steam train in unequally modernized spaces. The narrator employs a terminology of musical composition and sound to indicate the emergence of an economic and industrial hegemony that reorganized the new noises that marked the modern rhythms of the first half of the twentieth century. Noise holds a prominent place in establishing and unveiling postcolonial and racist relations with the other (the Yankee , the Afro-descendant). The nature of the travel narrative as a genre was not limited to mobilizing bodies or goods but also encompassed aural sensitivities, enabling a reflection on the geopolitics of sound, and listening. At a time when ideas and discourses are developing about the need for a Latin Americanist front to counteract North American postcolonial impact, the problematization of Latinamericanism is manifested through noise according to Sierra.
Sonoridades de posguerra en Baile con serpientes (1996) de Horacio Castellanos Moya
Authors: Zamora Quesada Pamela
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Baile con serpientes (1996) by Salvadoran writer Horacio Castellanos Moya narrates a symptomatic violence due to the emerging economic order of neoliberalism during the official transition to peace. The present study attends to the novel's sonic register to show how silence, noise, and music reinscribe the memory of the civil war in a tumultuous present. Fueled by neoliberal rationality, the main character attunes to a hyper-masculine voice as a means of participating in Central America's emerging consumerist, post-conflict society. The following draws on Sayak Valencia's concept of the endriago subject—a masculine subjectivity rooted in the exercise of violence as necroempowerment—to signal the violent transformation of the main character into a celebrity due to media attention. Sound—whether unpleasant noise or melodious music—becomes a fulcrum upon which protagonist Eduardo Sosa's neoliberal subjectivity alternately emerges and is repressed by a reactionary state. The following will demonstrate how the sonorously gory scenes described in the novel resonate with the unresolved social corruption which facilitates the persistence of violence in the neoliberal present. The textual representation of silence, noise, and music recasts Sosa's violent disruption to incorporate himself into a masculine and violent postwar era.
Transmedial Ekphrasis: César Aira's "Cecil Taylor" as Black Hole
Authors: Graff Zivin Erin
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Cecil Taylor, whose experimental atonal piano repelled some and attracted many, exhibited a particular sensibility for transmedial and trans-sensory experience. It is therefore no coincidence that Argentinean writer César Aira would turn to the iconoclastic musician in order to stage his own version of transmedial aesthetics in his piece "Cecil Taylor." By opening the literary text to music in a way that does not reduce it to a representation, Aira stretches the limits of a what a literary text can do, exposing the unrepresentability necessarily at the heart of literary discourse, the non-linear or anti-teleological force that most narrative labors to eclipse or foreclose entirely. This essay proposes the term "transmedial ekphrasis" to describe the strange incorporation of Taylor's aesthetic and method into Aira's, extending W.J.T. Mitchell's understanding of the ekphrastic image as a kind of black hole. The article concludes by examining the role "black holes" and blackness more generally might perform in Aira's and Taylor's ekphrastic aesthetics, in dialogue with Evelynn Hammonds, Rizvana Bradley, Zakiyyah Iman Jackson, and Tavia Nyong'o.
Cinematic Runoff: Haptic Perception of Agrochemical Catastrophe in Claudia Llosa's Distancia de rescate
Authors: Castillo Anna
Published: April 2024

Abstract: Claudia Llosa's Distancia de rescate (2021), a film based on Samanta Schweblin's award-winning novel of the same name, portrays the failure of a mother— and, by extension, a whole town—to notice the life-threatening levels of toxic chemicals accumulating in local water sources and surrounding fields. With failed perception as a thematic driver of the film's narrative, this article studies how gripping, haptic elements in the film's imagery and sound sharpen audience perception throughout the film's recursive discourse. How do the narrative and audiovisual strategies evoke a more full-bodied spectator experience and thereby convey the threat of pesticide runoff beyond the screen? A formal analysis of the sensual qualities of the unusual dialogic voice-over narration, the judicious use of tightly framed shots, and the denaturalization of environmental noises explains how Llosa creates a texture of habitable space that viewers perceive haptically. In this way the danger is not only seen and heard, but also felt.
Raza, nación, olvidos y falacias históricas: análisis de libros de texto de español en Estados Unidos
Authors: Baptista Gonzalo
Published: April 2024

Abstract: A decolonial analysis of teaching materials provides insight into the ways in which Spanish culture, history, and society are conveyed in the language curriculum in the United States. Focusing on textbooks adopted for the course "Culture and Civilization", this article evaluates the identities which are privileged in the discourse, and the ones that are discriminated. Non-white ethnic or racial groups are subcategorized through negative stereotypes. This marginalization –– or even exclusion–– invites us to consider the degree of racism distilled in such manuals. First, after reviewing decolonial perspectives in education, this article assesses the degrading bias applied to the Roma community. Second, it analyzes two historical lacunae: the planned genocide against them and the presence of enslaved Black people. These absences privilege a cultural identity narrative focused on white men since the so-called Reconquista . Third, this article reviews an uncritically reiterated historical fallacy: the loss of the Spanish colonies in 1898. In this sense, the article summons the incidence of Spanish colonialism in Africa to be included in textbooks. Finally, it evaluates approaches to promote an active decolonization, without resorting to diversity as a mere agglutinating ornament.
Single-frequency optical parametric oscillator intracavity-pumped by a visible VECSEL for low-noise down-conversion to 1.55 µm
Authors: Anderson Steven , Moriya Paulo Hisao , Caspani Lucia , Hastie Jennifer E.
Published: April 2024

We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by a visible AlGaInP-based vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL). Tunable emission over 1155–1300 nm in the signal and 1474–1718 nm in the idler are observed by temperature adjustment of a 40 mm-long 5%-MgO:PPLN crystal intracavity-pumped at 690 nm. When optimized for low oscillation threshold, and by implementing resonant idler output-coupling (Toc = 1.7%), extracted output powers of 26.2 mW (signal) and 5.6 mW (idler; one-way) are measured, corresponding to a total down-conversion efficiency and extraction efficiency of 70.2% and 43%, respectively. Further, a total down-conversion efficiency of 72.1% is achieved in the absence of idler output-coupling. Of particular interest for high-precision applications, including quantum optics experiments and squeezed light generation, high stability and single-frequency operation are also demonstrated. We measure RMS stabilities of 0.4%, 1.8% and 2.3% for the VECSEL fundamental, signal and idler, with (resolution-limited) frequency linewidths of 2.5 MHz (VECSEL) and 7.5 MHz (signal and idler).
Shot-noise limited dual-comb supercontinuum
Authors: Camenzind Sandro , Sierro Benoît , Willenberg Benjamin , Nussbaum-Lapping Alexander , Rampur Anupamaa , Keller Ursula , Heidt Alexander , Phillips Christopher
Published: April 2024

Dual-comb supercontinuum (SC) sources are promising for metrology and spectroscopy applications as their broad bandwidth supports the detection of multiple spectral features simultaneously. However, the limited sensitivity inherent to their high relative intensity noise (RIN) and low power per comb line so far hindered their huge potential in those fields. In this work, we overcome both of these issues with the first shot-noise limited dual-comb SC with gigahertz pulse repetition rate and >1 W output power. It is based on a high-power single-cavity dual-comb Yb:CALGO oscillator centered at 1053 nm, combined with a single polarization-maintaining all-normal-dispersion (ANDi) fiber for spectral broadening. The resulting SC spans 820 nm-1280 nm and has a gigahertz pulse repetition rate enabling high power per comb line and sufficient resolution in the optical domain for most spectroscopy applications. The SC exhibits a shot-noise limited spectrally-resolved RIN power spectral density for all spectral bands, including the spectral wings of the SC and record-low integrated RIN down to 2.7 × 10⁵ for the spectral band at 1100 nm ± 8 nm for the integration range [1 kHz, 10 MHz]. This exceptional performance originates from the pump laser's low noise properties and its high output power which is sufficient to drive the SC process directly without amplification, in combination with the unprecedented noise-suppression in the ANDi fiber reaching up to >20 dB around the oscillator wavelength. To better understand the observed noise-suppression mechanisms, we perform a numerical simulation of the RIN which is in excellent agreement with our measurements. We further analyze a dual-comb interferometry measurement with this source at a repetition rate difference of ~3.95 kHz, which supports the resolution of the entire SC spectrum in parallel without spectral aliasing. The dual-comb spectroscopy figure of merit (FOM) is >1.1 × 10⁷ Hz½ for all spectral bands, making it suitable for high-sensitivity applications. Our measurements further show that recording the entire SC spectrum at once with around 30 parallel detectors would yield an exceptionally high FOM of around 5 × 10⁸ Hz½.
Assessing and managing the risk of Aedes mosquito introductions via the global maritime trade network
Authors: Willoughby Janna R. , McKenzie Benjamin A. , Ahn Jordan , Steury Todd D. , Lepzcyk Christopher A. , Zohdy Sarah
Published: April 2024

The global shipping network (GSN) has been suggested as a pathway for the establishment and reintroduction of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus primarily via the tire trade. We used historical maritime movement data in combination with an agent-based model to understand invasion risk in the United States Gulf Coast and how the risk of these invasions could be reduced. We found a strong correlation between the total number of cargo ship arrivals at each port and likelihood of arrival by both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Additionally, in 2012, 99.2% of the arrivals into target ports had most recently visited ports likely occupied by both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, increasing risk of Aedes invasion. Our model results indicated that detection and removal of mosquitoes from containers when they are unloaded effectively reduced the probability of mosquito populations establishment even when the connectivity of ports increased. To reduce the risk of invasion and reintroduction of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus, surveillance and control efforts should be employed when containers leave high risk locations and when they arrive in ports at high risk of establishment.
High-resolution melt curve analysis: An approach for variant detection in the TPO gene of congenital hypothyroid patients in Bangladesh
Authors: Begum Mst. Noorjahan , Mahtarin Rumana , Islam Md Tarikul , Antora Nusrat Jahan , Sarker Suprovath Kumar , Sultana Nusrat , Sajib Abu A. , Islam Abul B. M. M. K. , Banu Hurjahan , Hasanat M. A. , Shyamaly Kohinoor Jahan , Begum Suraiya , Konika Tasnia Kawsar , Haque Shahinur , Hasan Mizanul , Sultana Sadia , Bhuiyan Taufiqur Rahman , Mannoor Kaiissar , Qadri Firdausi , Akhteruzzaman Sharif
Published: April 2024

TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase) is known to be one of the major genes involved in congenital hypothyroid patients with thyroid dyshormonogenesis. The present study aims to validate high-resolution melting (HRM) curve analysis as a substitute method for Sanger sequencing, focusing on the frequently observed non-synonymous mutations c.1117G>T, c.1193G>C, and c.2173A>C in the TPO gene in patients from Bangladesh. We enrolled 36 confirmed cases of congenital hypothyroid patients with dyshormonogenesis to establish the HRM method. Blood specimens were collected, and DNA was extracted followed by PCR and Sanger sequencing. Among the 36 specimens, 20 were pre-sequenced, and variants were characterized through Sanger sequencing. Following pre-sequencing, the 20 pre-sequenced specimens underwent real-time PCR-HRM curve analysis to determine the proper HRM condition for separating the three variations from the wild-type state into heterozygous and homozygous states. Furthermore, 16 unknown specimens were subjected to HRM analysis to validate the method. This method demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 100 percent in accurately discerning wild-type alleles from both homozygous and heterozygous states of c.1117G>T (23/36; 63.8%), c.1193G>C (30/36; 83.3%), and c.2173A>C (23/36; 63.8%) variants frequently encountered among 36 Bangladeshi patients. The HRM data was found to be similar to the sequencing result, thus confirming the validity of the HRM approach for TPO gene variant detection. In conclusion, HRM-based molecular technique targeting variants c.1117G>T, c.1193G>C, and c.2173A>C could be used as a high throughput, rapid, reliable, and cost-effective screening approach for the detection of all common mutations in TPO gene in Bangladeshi patients with dyshormonogenesis.
Nitrogen use efficiency in bread wheat: Genetic variation and prospects for improvement
Authors: Biradar Suma S. , Patil Mahalaxmi K. , Desai S. A. , Singh Sanjay K. , Naik V. Rudra , Lamani Kumar , Joshi Arun K.
Published: April 2024

Nitrogen (N) is one of the primary macronutrients required for crop growth and yield. This nutrient is especially limiting wheat yields in the dry and low fertile agro-ecologies having low N in the root zone soil strata. Moreover, majority of farmers in India and South Asia are small to marginal with meagre capacity to invest in costly nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, there is an immense need to identify lines that use nitrogen efficiently. A set of 50 diverse wheat genotypes consisting of indigenous germplasm lines (05), cultivars released for commercial cultivation (23) and selected elite lines from CIMMYT nurseries (22) were evaluated in an alpha-lattice design with two replications, a six-rowed plot of 2.5m length for 24 agro morphological, physiological and NUE related traits during two consecutive crop seasons in an N-depleted precision field under two different N levels of 50%-N50 (T1) and 100%-N100 (T2) of recommended N, i.e., 100 kg/ha. Analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variation among genotypes for all the traits studied. About 11.36% yield reduction was observed at reduced N levels. Significant correlations among NUE traits and yield component traits were observed which indicated pivotal role of N remobilization to the grain in enhancing yield levels. Among N-insensitive genotypes identified based on their yielding ability at low N levels, UASBW13356, UASBW13358, UASBW13354, UASBW13357 and KRL1-4 showed their inherent genotypic plasticity toward N application. The genotypes with more yield and high to moderate NUtE can be used as parents for the breeding of N efficient genotypes for marginal agro-ecologies. Low N tolerant genotypes identified from the current investigation may be further utilized in the identification of genomic regions responsible for NUE and its deployment in wheat breeding programs. The comprehensive data of 24 traits under different nitrogen levels for diverse genotypes from India and global sources (mainly CIMMYT) should be useful for supporting breeding for NUE and thus will be of great help for small and marginal farmers in India and South Asia.
Developing a risk prediction model for death at first suicide attempt—Identifying risk factors from Thailand’s national suicide surveillance system data
Authors: Arunpongpaisal Suwanna , Assanangkornchai Sawitri , Chongsuvivatwong Virasakdi
Published: April 2024

More than 60% of suicides globally are estimated to take place in low- and middle-income nations. Prior research on suicide has indicated that over 50% of those who die by suicide do so on their first attempt. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of knowledge on the attributes of individuals who die on their first attempt and the factors that can predict mortality on the first attempt in these regions. The objective of this study was to create an individual-level risk-prediction model for mortality on the first suicide attempt. We analyzed records of individuals’ first suicide attempts that occurred between May 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018, from the national suicide surveillance system, which includes all of the provinces of Thailand. Subsequently, a risk-prediction model for mortality on the first suicide attempt was constructed utilizing multivariable logistic regression and presented through a web-based application. The model’s performance was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), as well as measuring its sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Out of the 3,324 individuals who made their first suicide attempt, 50.5% of them died as a result of that effort. Nine out of the 21 potential predictors demonstrated the greatest predictive capability. These included male sex, age over 50 years old, unemployment, having a depressive disorder, having a psychotic illness, experiencing interpersonal problems such as being aggressively criticized or desiring plentiful attention, having suicidal intent, and displaying suicidal warning signals. The model demonstrated a good predictive capability, with an AUC of 0.902, a sensitivity of 84.65%, a specificity of 82.66%, and an accuracy of 83.63%. The implementation of this predictive model can assist physicians in conducting comprehensive evaluations of suicide risk in clinical settings and devising treatment plans for preventive intervention.
Empowering precise advertising with Fed-GANCC: A novel federated learning approach leveraging Generative Adversarial Networks and group clustering
Authors: Su Caiyu , Wei Jinri , Lei Yuan , Xuan Hongkun , Li Jiahui
Published: April 2024

In the realm of targeted advertising, the demand for precision is paramount, and the traditional centralized machine learning paradigm fails to address this necessity effectively. Two critical challenges persist in the current advertising ecosystem: the data privacy concerns leading to isolated data islands and the complexity in handling non-Independent and Identically Distributed (non-IID) data and concept drift due to the specificity and diversity in user behavior data. Current federated learning frameworks struggle to overcome these hurdles satisfactorily. This paper introduces Fed-GANCC, an innovative federated learning framework that synergizes Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Group Clustering. The framework incorporates a user data augmentation algorithm predicated on adversarial generative networks to enrich user behavior data, curtail the impact of non-uniform data distribution, and enhance the applicability of the global machine learning model. Unlike traditional approaches, our framework offers user data augmentation algorithms based on adversarial generative networks, which not only enriches user behavior data but also reduces the challenges posed by non-uniform data distribution, thereby enhancing the applicability of the global machine learning (ML) model. The effectiveness of Fed-GANCC is distinctly showcased through experimental results, outperforming contemporary methods like FED-AVG and FED-SGD in terms of accuracy, loss value, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) indicators within the same computing time. Experimental results vindicate the effectiveness of Fed-GANCC, revealing substantial enhancements in accuracy, loss value, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) metrics compared to FED-AVG and FED-SGD given the same computational time. These outcomes underline Fed-GANCC’s exceptional prowess in mitigating issues such as isolated data islands, non-IID data, and concept drift. With its novel approach to addressing the prevailing challenges in targeted advertising such as isolated data islands, non-IID data, and concept drift, the Fed-GANCC framework stands as a benchmark, paving the way for future advancements in federated learning solutions tailored for the advertising domain. The Fed-GANCC framework promises to offer pivotal insights for the future development of efficient and advanced federated learning solutions for targeted advertising.
Shifting from techno-economic to socio-ecological priorities: Incorporating landscape preferences and ecosystem services into the siting of renewable energy infrastructure
Authors: Salak Boris , Hunziker Marcel , Grêt-Regamey Adrienne , Spielhofer Reto , Wissen Hayek Ulrike , Kienast Felix
Published: April 2024

This study examines the siting scenarios for renewable energy installations (REI) in a mountainous region of Europe (Switzerland), incorporating the external costs of ecosystem services and, innovatively, social preferences. This approach challenges the prevalent techno-economic siting paradigm, which often overlooks these externalities. To minimize the external costs of the scenarios while maximizing energy yield, Marxan, an optimization software, was employed. The energy target for all scenarios is set at 25 TWh/a, stemming from the energy gap anticipated due to the phase-out of Swiss nuclear reactors by 2050. This target is met using renewable energy infrastructure such as wind, roof-mounted photovoltaic, and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. By integrating social preferences into the optimization, this study showcases a promising implementation that transcends the software’s intended applications. It complements techno-economic approaches and offers alternative decision-making avenues. The conventional "roof first" strategy proved ineffective in preventing extensive land use for the development of new renewable energy infrastructure. Strategies incorporating ground-mounted photovoltaic infrastructure were more spatially, ecologically, and socially efficient than those without. The strategy optimized for energy yield exhibited the highest spatial efficiency but incurred significant ecosystem service costs and, surprisingly, had low social costs. In contrast, the strategy prioritizing ecosystem services was the most efficient in terms of ecosystem service costs but had elevated social costs and was spatially less efficient than other strategies. The strategy optimized for social preferences incurred the lowest social costs and excelled in spatial efficiency and ecosystem service costs. Notably, this strategy employed a limited number of planning units linked to both high ecosystem service and social costs. The findings underscore that incorporating social preferences significantly enhances the evaluation of siting options. This inclusion allows for the social acceptance of investments to be factored into costs, facilitating more informed and inclusive decisions.
Liking music with and without sadness: Testing the direct effect hypothesis of pleasurable negative emotion
Authors: Schubert Emery
Published: April 2024

Negative emotion evoked in listeners of music can produce intense pleasure, but we do not fully understand why. The present study addressed the question by asking participants (n = 50) to self-select a piece of sadness-evoking music that was loved. The key part of the study asked participants to imagine that the felt sadness could be removed. Overall participants reported performing the task successfully. They also indicated that the removal of the sadness reduced their liking of the music, and 82% of participants reported that the evoked sadness also adds to the enjoyment of the music. The study provided evidence for a “Direct effect hypothesis”, which draws on the multicomponent model of emotion, where a component of the negative emotion is experienced as positive during music (and other aesthetic) experiences. Earlier evidence of a mediator, such as ‘being moved’, as the source of enjoyment was reinterpreted in light of the new findings. Instead, the present study applied a semantic overlap explanation, arguing that sadness primes emotions that share meaning with sadness, such as being-moved. The priming occurs if the overlap in meaning is sufficient. The degree of semantic overlap was defined empirically. The present study therefore suggests that mediator-based explanations need to be treated with caution both as a finding of the study, and because of analytic limitations in earlier research that are discussed in the paper.
Maze-solving in a plasma system based on functional analogies to reinforcement-learning model
Authors: Sakai Osamu , Karasaki Toshifusa , Ito Tsuyohito , Murakami Tomoyuki , Tanaka Manabu , Kambara Makoto , Hirayama Satoshi
Published: April 2024

Maze-solving is a classical mathematical task, and is recently analogously achieved using various eccentric media and devices, such as living tissues, chemotaxis, and memristors. Plasma generated in a labyrinth of narrow channels can also play a role as a route finder to the exit. In this study, we experimentally observe the function of maze-route findings in a plasma system based on a mixed discharge scheme of direct-current (DC) volume mode and alternative-current (AC) surface dielectric-barrier discharge, and computationally generalize this function in a reinforcement-learning model. In our plasma system, we install two electrodes at the entry and the exit in a square lattice configuration of narrow channels whose cross section is 1×1 mm2 with the total length around ten centimeters. Visible emissions in low-pressure Ar gas are observed after plasma ignition, and the plasma starting from a given entry location reaches the exit as the discharge voltage increases, whose route converging level is quantified by Shannon entropy. A similar short-path route is reproduced in a reinforcement-learning model in which electric potentials through the discharge voltage is replaced by rewards with positive and negative sign or polarity. The model is not rigorous numerical representation of plasma simulation, but it shares common points with the experiments along with a rough sketch of underlying processes (charges in experiments and rewards in modelling). This finding indicates that a plasma-channel network works in an analog computing function similar to a reinforcement-learning algorithm slightly modified in this study.
Effect of a stranded hole type on the performance of corn stover composite pipe
Authors: Yang Jie , Guan Yang , Gu Dongdong , Zhang Yuzhong , Zhang Zheng , Shi Jinfa
Published: April 2024

To promote the comprehensive utilization of corn stover and the development of field water-saving irrigation technology, a method of returning corn stover to the field was prosed; in this method, the crop stalks were crushed, mixed with soil in different proportions of adulteration, and then extruded to form hollow round tubes. To compare the influence of the winch blade with or without a diameter change on the composite pipe molding performance, two composite pipe molding devices were theoretically designed, simulated, and analyzed using discrete element simulation software, and a composite pipe molding bench test was performed. The simulation test revealed that the composite pipe molding rate of the winch blade without the reducer molding device was 3.45 kg/s, the output power of the winch shaft was 20.7 kW, the composite pipe molding rate of the winch blade with the reducer molding device was 1.20 kg/s, and the output power of the winch shaft was 18.75 kW. By calculating the weighted average of two indices, the composite pipe forming rate and the winch shaft output power, the comprehensive performance index of the composite pipe forming device without a reducer was greater than that of the device with a reducer. The composite pipe forming bench test revealed two kinds of molding devices with an extrusion molding with an outer diameter of 100 mm and an inner diameter of 30 mm. The composite pipe density test average was greater than 1.30 g/cm3 and met the requirements of composite pipe molding; the winch blade without a reducer molding device had an average composite pipe molding rate of 3.23 kg/s, and the winch blade with an average reducer molding rate of 2.07 kg/s. The forming rate of the composite pipe without a reducer was faster. Therefore, a winch blade without a reducer composite pipe molding device is more conducive to improving the composite pipe molding performance.
Wetland vegetation composition and ecology of Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopia
Authors: Gojamme Dikaso Unbushe
Published: April 2024

Wetland vegetation and ecology of Lake Abaya in the southern Ethiopia was studied to determine floristic composition, plant community type and vegetation ecology. A total of 102 plots were laid along transects that were set up preferentially across areas where there were rapid changes in vegetation or marked environmental gradients to collect data on estimate of percentage aerial cover of plant species and environmental variables. Vegetation data was analyzed by agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis using similarity ratio as a resemblance index and Ward’s linkage method. Multivariate data analysis was performed using appropriate packages in R version 2.14.0. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to explore the relationship between the species composition and environmental variables. The environmental data included in the CCA were determined using stepwise backward and forward selection of variables by ANOVA test. Statistical measurement regarding species diversity, richness and evenness of the plant community types was carried out by using Shannon-Wiener diversity indices. A total of 92 plant species belonging to 66 genera and 34 families were identified. Families Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Cyperaceae, Solanaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Amaranthaceae account for about 56.99% of the total proportion. Based on the cluster analysis, five plant community types were identified. The most important factors influencing the plant species composition and pattern of wetland plant communities were water drainage, water depth, land use, slope, altitude, and hydrogeomorphology. Therefore, these factors should be considered in future management and protection under the circumstance of climate change and human activities.
SITUAÇÃO DA GRAVIDEZ NA ADOLESCÊNCIA NA REGIÃO NORTE DO BRASIL: UMA REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA
Authors: Costa Ruth Silva Lima da , Conceição Matilde da Silva , Souza Christopher Wando da Silva , Leal Maria do Carmo
Published: April 2024

Este estudo teve como objetivo destacar a situação da gravidez na adolescência na Região Norte do Brasil por meio de uma revisão sistemática, seguindo as diretrizes do PRISMA statement. A partir de uma busca abrangente em bases de dados eletrônicas, foram recuperados e incluídos oito estudos publicados de 2016 a 2023. Os estudos analisados ofereceram uma visão abrangente da problemática, revelando estabilidade nas taxas de gravidez na adolescência no Brasil até 2012, seguida por flutuações regionais. Destacou-se uma probabilidade mais elevada de gravidez na Região Norte, especialmente entre meninas de 10 a 14 anos. Houve uma redução geral nas taxas de nascidos vivos de mães adolescentes em nível nacional, com disparidades socioeconômicas impactando mais fortemente regiões menos desenvolvidas e classes mais pobres. Identificaram-se variações temporais, sendo a Região Norte a mais afetada com os números mais altos. A persistência de taxas elevadas, notadamente nas regiões Norte e Nordeste, contrastou com a tendência nacional de queda. Os resultados ressaltam a necessidade urgente de estratégias específicas para abordar esse desafio, enfatizando a importância de políticas públicas eficazes e direcionadas na mencionada região, contribuindo para a compreensão mais aprofundada da dinâmica da gravidez na adolescência na Região Norte, fornecendo subsídios essenciais para o desenvolvimento e implementação de medidas voltadas à mitigação desse cenário complexo.
Comparação entre Métodos de Mapeamento Topográfico de Cavernas Ferríferas: Estudo de Caso na Amazônia Brasileira
Authors: Fernandes Adam Barros , Borba Ricardo Perobelli , Brandi Iuri Viana , Araújo Ramon Nunes , Scherer Bruno dos Santos , Almeida Moreira Júlio , Boulhosa Gabrieli Santos
Published: April 2024

O cálculo dos parâmetros espeleométricos (projeção horizontal, desnível, área e volume) em meio ao mapeamento topográfico de cavernas é um requisito amparado por lei para a definição do grau da relevância de cavidades no Brasil. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho é a comparação do método expedito convencional (utilizando bússola, clinômetro, trena e GNSS) com a tecnologia de varredura a laser no que tange ao levantamento topográfico em uma população amostral de cavernas situadas na Província Espeleológica da Serra dos Carajás, Pará, Brasil. Assim, foi realizada inicialmente a análise estatística descritiva dos dados espeleométricos obtidos matematicamente pelo método de levantamento topográfico convencional de 1758 cavidades para definição do parâmetro espeleométrico mais relevante do ponto de vista de enquadramento de cavernas como de máxima relevância. A partir disso, foi calculado o parâmetro espeleométrico volume levantado via varredura a laser e comparado com o resultado obtido utilizando o método convencional. A varredura a laser trouxe maior rapidez e redução da exposição ao risco em campo na coleta de dados. Além disso, o levantamento topográfico com a varredura a laser é mais preciso e em 80% dos resultados apresentou o valor da variável volume inferior ao obtido por meio do levantamento convencional.
Amálgama dental: Fatos e evidências
Authors: Machado Lucas Silveira , Anchieta Rodolfo Bruniera
Published: April 2024

Nesta edição da seção HighLIGHTS, abordaremos um assunto que, por muito tempo, participou da realidade dos dentistas: o amálgama dental. Esse material restaurador centenário foi, por muito tempo, uma das poucas opções restauradoras, sendo amplamente utilizado até o surgimento das resinas compostas. Embora seja um tema amplamente abordado e discutido nos últimos anos, atualmente, algumas polêmicas sobre o material voltaram a ser debatidas e questionadas. Sendo assim, o objetivo da presente edição do HighLIGHTS foi levantar algumas evidências sobre o assunto e buscar elucidar alguns pontos importantes sobre esse material, como, por exemplo, sua segurança em ser utilizado e a real necessidade das substituições de restaurações antigas de amálgama. Dentro desse contexto, reunimos alguns dos principais artigos científicos publicados na literatura e em algumas convenções internacionais de pesquisa, que abordaram como tema a segurança do uso de amálgama dental e as orientações sobre possíveis substituições.