bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maize Aspergillus section Flavi isolate diversity may be distinct from that of soil and subsequently the source of aflatoxin contamination
Authors: Katati Bwalya , Kovács Stan , Njapau Henry , Kachapulula Paul W. , Zwaan Bas J. , van Diepeningen Anne D. , Schoustra Sijmen E.
Published: April 2024

Aspergillus section Flavi (Flavi) is a diverse group of fungal species whose common members include A. flavus and A. parasiticus. These are well-known for the production of aflatoxin (AF) B and G and other toxic metabolites, like cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). They are saprophytic soil dwellers and also become crop opportunistic epiphytes. The consequence is contamination of the crop with mycotoxins, such as carcinogenic AF. We investigated the Flavi community structure of maize and that of their surrounding soil, including their mycotoxigenicity. Furthermore, we investigated the link of the maize Flavi diversity with preharvest maize AF levels. The study was carried out in four selected districts of Zambia, in a low rainfall zone. The Flavi characterisation was triphasic, involving morphological (colony colour and sclerotia formation), metabolic (AF and CPA production) and genetic (calmodulin gene polymorphism) analyses. Flavi abundance was determined by dilution plate technique on modified rose Bengal agar. Results showed that Flavi communities on maize and in soil differed. Maize had a higher Flavi species diversity than soil. A. parasiticus dominated the soil community by frequency of field appearance (85%), while maize was dominated by A. minisclerotigenes (45%). CPA-producers with or without AF production dominated the maize (65%) while producers of only AF (B/G) dominated the soil (88%). The ratio between maize A. parasiticus and A. minisclerotigenes abundance seemed to have had a bearing on the levels of AF in maize, with a ratio close to 1:1 having higher levels than a pure community of either A. parasiticus or A. minisclerotigenes.
Satellite design optimization for differential lift and drag applications
Authors: Marianowski Claudia , Traub Constantin , Pfeiffer Marcel , Beyer Julian , Fasoulas Stefanos
Published: April 2024

Utilizing differential atmospheric forces in the very low earth orbits (VLEO) regime for the control of the relative motion within a satellite formation is a promising option as any thrusting device has significant impact on system design due to the limited weight and size restrictions of small satellites. One possible approach to increase the available accelerations caused by the atmosphere is to reduce the mass of the respective satellites as well as to increase the available surface area. However, satellites of these characteristics suffer from rapid orbital decay and consequently have a reduced service lifetime. Therefore, achieving higher control forces is in contradiction to achieving a minimum orbital decay of the satellites, which currently represents one of the biggest challenges in the VLEO regime. In this article, the geometry of a given reference satellite, a 3UCubeSat, is optimized under the consideration of different surface material properties for differential lift and drag control applications while simultaneously ensuring a sustained VLEO operation. It is worth noting that both the consideration of sustainability as well as the optimization with regard to differential lift are new in literature. It was shown that the advantageous geometries strongly depend on the type of gas–surface interaction and thus, two different final designs, one for each extreme type, are presented. In both cases, improvements in all relevant parameters could be achieved solely via geometry adaptions.
The Outcomes of Trauma-Informed Practice in Youth Justice: An Umbrella Review
Authors: Malvaso Catia G. , Day Andrew , Boyd Carolyn M.
Published: April 2024

Findings of high rates of complex trauma among justice-involved young people have engendered interest in developing trauma-informed youth justice systems. Although there have been several reviews of trauma-informed practice in youth justice settings, uncertainty remains about whether this approach can produce the outcomes expected of youth justice services. In this study we summarize findings from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses to provide an overview of evidence relevant to implementing trauma-informed youth justice. We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews published between 2017 and 2023 that included group-based primary studies of trauma-informed interventions for justice-involved young people. Reviews were located via searches of PsycINFO, PubMedCentral, Embase, Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text, and ProQuest. Data extracted from each review included the number and type of primary studies reviewed, and outcomes related to trauma symptomatology, mental health and wellbeing, and justice system involvement. Nine systematic reviews met our inclusion criteria. Improvements in trauma symptoms, mental health and wellbeing, and justice system involvement were documented in each review. The strongest evidence related to the impact of trauma-focused interventions on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, but less evidence was available to demonstrate outcomes of organizational level and systemic components of trauma-informed practice. Each review highlighted the need to strengthen the methodological quality of primary studies. Trauma-informed practice should be seriously considered as part of any effort to implement evidence-based youth justice. This should extend beyond treatment of trauma symptomatology to incorporate a broader approach to trauma-informed practice that is organizationally embedded.
Between a Rock-Hard Reality and a Pious Wish Place: Postema on the Rule of Law Beyond Borders
Authors: Lefkowitz David
Published: April 2024

In the final chapter of Law’s Rule, his recently published tour de force on the nature, value, and viability of the rule of law, Gerald Postema defends the desirability, possibility, and actuality of an international rule of law. I contend that his attempt to defend the latter two claims fall short of what is needed, focusing in this essay on his argument for the possibility of a rule of law beyond state borders. Postema moves quickly from an argument for the existence and efficacy of international law to the conclusion that an international rule of law is no pious wish. Yet as I explain, the refutation of rule-skepticism does not suffice to refute rule of law skepticism. Indeed, I demonstrate that Postema misconstrues the most interesting and plausible challenge to an international rule of law he considers, namely the economic analysis of international law, and consequently his response misses the mark. The economic account of how international law works, together with those developed by TWAIL scholars and Marxist theorists of international law, pose far greater challenges to the possibility of an international rule of law than those Postema considers, as each offers a plausible explanation for why any attempt to realize that ideal is doomed to fail. To address these challenges, theorists should look to Postema’s discussion of the institutions and culture that foster fidelity to the rule of law, rather than his remarks on a global rule of law.
Improving time and energy efficiency in multi-UAV coverage operations by optimizing the UAVs’ initial positions
Authors: Stefanopoulou Aliki , Raptis Emmanuel K. , Apostolidis Savvas D. , Gkelios Socratis , Kapoutsis Athanasios Ch. , Chatzichristofis Savvas A. , Vrochidis Stefanos , Kosmatopoulos Elias B.
Published: April 2024

This paper focuses on Coverage Path Planning (CPP) methodologies, particularly in the context of multi-robot missions, to efficiently cover user-defined Regions of Interest (ROIs) using groups of UAVs, while emphasizing on the reduction of energy consumption and mission duration. Optimizing the efficiency of multi-robot CPP missions involves addressing critical factors such as path length, the number of turns, re-visitations, and launch positions. Achieving these goals, particularly in complex and concave ROIs with No-Go Zones, is a challenging task. This work introduces a novel approach to address these challenges, emphasizing the selection of launch points for UAVs. By optimizing launch points, the mission’s energy and time efficiency are significantly enhanced, leading to more efficient coverage of the selected ROIs. To further support our research and foster further exploration on this topic, we provide the open-source implementation of our algorithm and our evaluation mechanisms.
Nitrogen Fertilizer Enhanced the Vitality of Oregano (Origanum vulgare) Plants and Boosted Their Ability to Accumulate Soil Cadmium: Agro-environmental Implications
Authors: Thalassinos Georgios , Levizou Efi , Florokapi Georgia , Rinklebe Jörg , Shaheen Sabry M. , Antoniadis Vasileios
Published: April 2024

Soils with high cadmium (Cd) content can be decontaminated with phytoremediation. In this work, we aimed at adding nitrogen (N) fertilizer for enhancing the vitality of our test plant, oregano (Origanum vulgare). In a pristine soil, we added Cd at 0, 20, and 40 mg kg−1 soil (thereafter Cd0, Cd20, and Cd40) and two N rates at 0 and 340 kg N ha−1 (thereafter N0 and N1) in a 75-day pot experiment. We found that oregano dry weight increased significantly from 4.95 at control to 7.34 g pot−1 at Cd40N1 (a 148% increase). This indicated that the benefit of added N surpassed the negative effects of the Cd-borne stress. All other treatments had non-significant differences compared to the control. Cadmium content in oregano aerial biomass was zero in the unamended treatments, raised to 0.35 mg kg−1 at Cd40N0, and to 1.11 mg kg−1 at Cd40N1. Further, we assessed the plant’s performance in regard to its potential use as a phytoremediation species. We calculated the Cd soil-to-plant transfer coefficient (TC; maximum was 0.042) and the root-to-shoot translocation factor (TF; maximum 0.171). Both indices exhibited the failure of oregano as a potential hyperaccumulator. However, our findings rather confirmed our scientific hypotheses that N addition to soil boosted plant’s ability to accumulate Cd (as indicated in the significant twofold increase in shoot content of Cd and the 7.8-fold increase in TF at Cd40N1 compared to Cd40N0). We conclude that boosted vigor by added N is a promising method for enhancing phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated soils, but further field tests are necessary regarding oregano to verify those findings.
An improved model predictive control for linear induction machine drive-based split-source inverters
Authors: Hamad Samir A. , Xu Wei , Lotfy Mostafa Wageh , Junejo Abdul Khalique , Ghalib Mohamed A.
Published: April 2024

The Split Source Inverter (SSI) is a single-stage DC-AC converter topology widely recognized for its beneficial features compared to the Z-source inverter. These advantages include a reduced number of components, a constant input current, and minimized losses. This study aims to extensively investigate and analyze the operation of a 3 kW Linear Induction Motor (LIM) using SSI through comprehensive simulations. The suggested control approach, employing finite control-model predictive thrust control (FC-MPTC), exhibits remarkable dynamic behavior and achieves a fast transient response without necessitating modifications to the control loop. Moreover, the proposed method allows for the manipulation of multiple variables by utilizing a single cost function, eliminating the need for lookup tables. The efficacy of the proposed control method is validated through comprehensive simulations and experimental tests, which exhibit accurate reference tracking speed and superior dynamic performance in regulating the thrust and primary flux. The results also showed that the proposed method had lower undulations of 5.8% than the traditional method. The proposed approach outperforms the DTC-SVM method under varying load and speed conditions by delivering remarkable accuracy and improved control characteristics.
Visualizing the Influence of New Public Transport Infrastructure on Travel Times
Authors: Baltzer Dorian , Haunert Jan-Henrik , Forsch Axel
Published: April 2024

Due to the global climate change and increasing traffic volumes in cities, a shift from individual to public and multimodal transport is aspired. Travel time is one of the most important aspects for many people when choosing their mode of transportation. This leads to the requirement that changes in travel times have to be considered when planning new public transport infrastructure. This research paper presents and compares different techniques for visualizing the impact of new lines in existing public transport networks on travel times. The general approach of simulating timetable data and calculating intermodal travel times considering public transport and walking is being applied to two current infrastructure projects in the city of Bonn and the surrounding region. The created maps generally aim to visualize the spread in travel times between existing and extended transportation networks discretized by different spatial units such as rectangles or postal code areas. In comparison to other common methods which typically require two maps for two different scenarios (e.g. in case of isochrones), our approach gives the opportunity to combine all relevant information within one map. It is also shown how to apply bivariate choropleth maps for displaying travel times and how to visualize improvements in the accessibility of multiple target points of interest at once.
Fundamental Frequency Layer-Wise Optimization of Tow-Steered Composites Considering Gaps and Overlaps
Authors: Pagani A. , Racionero Sánchez-Majano A. , Zamani D. , Petrolo M. , Carrera E.
Published: April 2024

The advent of Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) in aerospace composites lay-up and manufacturing has allowed orientations to vary along pre-defined curved directions rather than being forced to remain constant within the lamina. These composites are called Variable Angle Tow (VAT) or Variable Stiffness Composites (VSC). Despite the enhancements in mechanical performance offered by VAT, constraints from the manufacturing process hinder their full potential. This paper explores the effect of primary defects, i.e., gaps and overlaps, on optimal design and fundamental frequency optimization. For doing so, the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF) and the Defect Layer Method (DLM) are integrated directly into the optimization process to provide an efficient and cost-effective framework for modeling the structural behavior and manufacturing process of VSCs. Particular attention is given to manufacturing and tow-steering simulation to quantify and map defects for each laminate layer. This research serves a dual purpose: (i) examining the impact of process-induced defects on achieving an optimal design and (ii) exploring how the choice of structural theory may affect the optimal solution.
Redefining a global Cosmopolitanism: An attempt towards openness as a central concept in postcolonial conflict resolution
Authors: Merkle Lena
Published: April 2024

The paper deals with the question whether cosmopolitanism is still a relevant concept for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. First, three common criticisms of cosmopolitanism are addressed, namely that it is Eurocentric, elitist and hegemonic. The paper concludes that these criticisms tend to focus on a limited liberal understanding of cosmopolitanism that does not do justice to the diversity of the concept. A redefinition and renarration of cosmopolitanism from a postcolonial standpoint is therefore necessary. Such a definition can only be an open minimal definition that leaves room for appropriation and localisation. This new, global perspective on cosmopolitanism is then evaluated against the background of conflict resolution in practice. The relevance of the concept becomes apparent when looking at the presence of elitist cosmopolitanism in the field.
Habitat connectivity of threatened ungulate species in a native savanna landscape of northern South America
Authors: Mosquera-Guerra Federico , Barreto Sebastián , Moreno-Niño Nathalia , González-Delgado Tania Marisol , Armenteras-Pascual Dolors
Published: April 2024

The native savanna ecosystem of the Orinoquia region is the habitat of 50% of the wild ungulate species reported for Colombia. Over the last 20 years, this high species diversity has been strongly threatened by the human transformation of the natural land cover causing connectivity loss of the habitats. The Orinoquia region lacks a biological connectivity analysis with a multi-species approach involving species groups that are representative of the savanna ecosystem such as the ungulates. Understanding the spatial distributions of suitable areas and the main habitats that act as primary habitats for ungulate species in these landscapes is fundamental for the design of conservation strategies. We use an occurrence dataset for lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) in the development of species’ potential distribution models, binarization process, and morphological spatial pattern analysis. This information was used for the modeling of dispersal corridors connecting the core habitats of the ungulate focal species using the randomized shortest path algorithm and quantifying the weighted global connectivity metrics. Our results suggest an integral corridor with potential least-cost dispersal routes between the native savanna landscape on the middle basins of the savanna rivers and the Meta River. These areas associated with the fluvial dendritic systems are connected, while the core habitats in the eastern part of the savanna landscape are disconnected. We discuss how the application of such knowledge on the spatial ecology of ungulate focal species might improve the management of the metapopulations in the Orinoquia region.
Investigation of changes in land use/land cover using principal component analysis and supervised classification from operational land imager satellite data: a case study of under developed regions, Pakistan
Authors: Raza Ali , Syed Neyha Rubab , Fahmeed Romana , Acharki Siham , Aljohani Taghreed Hamdi , Hussain Sajjad , Zubair Muhammad , Zahra Syeda Mishal , Islam Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul , Almohamad Hussein , Abdo Hazem Ghassan
Published: April 2024

Monitoring and understanding Land Use/Land Cover (LU/LC) is critical for sustainable development, as it can impact various environmental, social, and economic systems. For example, deforestation and land degradation can lead to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and greenhouse gas emissions, affecting the quality of soil, air, and water resources. The present research examined changes in (LU/LC) within the underdeveloped regions of Balochistan and Sindh provinces, which are situated in Pakistan. In order to monitor temporal variations of LU/LC, we employed Geographic Information System (GIS) technique, to conduct an analysis of satellite imagery obtained from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) during the time period spanning from 2013 to 2023. In order to obtain an accurate LU/LC classification, we used principal component analysis (PCA) and a supervised classification approach using the maximum likelihood algorithm (MLC). According to the results of our study, there was a decrease in the extent of water bodies (− 593.24 km2) and vegetation (− 68.50 km2) by − 3.43% and − 0.40% respectively. In contrast, the area occupied by settlements in the investigated region had a 2.23% rise, reaching a total of 385.66 square kilometers. Similarly, the extent of barren land also expanded by 1.60%, encompassing a total area of 276.04 square kilometers, during the course of the last decade. The overall accuracy (94.25% and 95.75%) and K value (91.75% and 93.50%) were achieved during the year 2013 and 2023 respectively. The enhancement of agricultural output in Pakistan is of utmost importance in order to improve the income of farmers, mitigate food scarcity, stimulate economic growth, and facilitate the expansion of exports. To enhance agricultural productivity, it is recommended that the government undertake targeted initiatives that aimed at enhancing water infrastructure and optimizing land use to foster a sustainable ecological framework. Integrating the sustainable ecological framework provides a foundation for informed decision-making and effective resource management. By identifying areas of urban expansion, agricultural intensification, or alterations in natural LU/LC, stakeholders can design targeted conservation strategies, mitigating potential environmental degradation and promoting biodiversity conservation. In conclusion, the integration of GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) may effectively facilitate the monitoring of land use patterns over a period of time. This combined approach offers valuable insights and recommendations for the judicious and optimal management of land resources, as well as informing policy decisions.
The impact of high-speed railway construction on regional economic development in Hubei Province
Authors: Chen Yajuan , Lv Yuejiao , Zhang Yanjie
Published: April 2024

Based on the panel data of 16 cities in Hubei Province from 2009 to 2019 (excluding the data during Covid-19 pandemic period), we construct multi-temporal difference-in-differences model (DID) and Spatial Durbin model (SDM) to explore the impact of the High-speed Railway (HSR) construction on the regional economic development in terms of direct economic effect, indirect economic effect and spatial spillover effect. The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: firstly, HSR construction promotes the economic development of cities in Hubei Province in a long time and in a large spatial scope. And the impacts on the economic development are significantly heterogeneous among different types of cities. Also, HSR construction has widened the economic development gap among cities to some extent. Secondly, the upgrading of an industrial structure and the improvement of urbanization level both play mediating roles in the economic impact of HSR construction. Thirdly, the HSR construction has significant spatial spillover effect on economic development, but the spillover effect becomes insignificant with the increase of distance.
MMD-MII Model: A Multilayered Analysis and Multimodal Integration Interaction Approach Revolutionizing Music Emotion Classification
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Sharifi Alireza , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Shankar Achyut
Published: April 2024

Music plays a vital role in human culture and society, serving as a universal form of expression. However, accurately classifying music emotions remains challenging due to the intricate nature of emotional expressions in music and the integration of diverse data sources. To address these challenges, we propose the Multilayered Music Decomposition and Multimodal Integration Interaction (MMD-MII) model. This model employs cross-processing to facilitate interaction between audio and lyrics, ensuring coherence in emotional representation. Additionally, we introduce a hierarchical framework based on the music theory, focusing on the main and chorus sections, with the chorus processed separately to extract precise emotional representations. Experimental results on the DEAM and FMA datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the MMD-MII model, achieving accuracies of 49.68% and 49.54% respectively. Compared with the existing methods, our model outperforms in accuracy and F1 scores, offering promising implications for music recommendation systems, healthcare, psychology, and advertising, where accurate emotional analysis is essential.
Trans-studies on Writing for English as an Additional Language
Authors: Sun Yachao , Lan Ge
Published: April 2024

This Element charts the historical development of trans-concepts in writing studies and scrutinizes the discussions surrounding translingual and second language (L2) writing. It further examines the emerging trends within trans-studies on writing and highlights the implications that trans-pedagogies hold for English as an Additional Language (EAL) writing. The element consists of five key sections: (1) the evolution and enactment of various trans-concepts in writing studies; (2) the concerns and debates raised by L2 writing scholars in response to these trans-terms; (3) a response to these reservations through a bibliometric analysis of current research trends; (4) the potential variations in trans-practices across different contexts and genres; and (5) the role of trans-pedagogies in facilitating or potentially hindering the process of EAL writing teaching and learning. This element serves as a resource for EAL writing educators by providing a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits and challenges associated with trans-pedagogies.
Fenced Europe: A more-than-human perspective to border control. The case of Białowieża
Authors: Błaszczyk Cezary , Bernet Kempers Eva , Burgers Laura
Published: April 2024

Belarus willingly uses migrants as a tool for political pressure, sending them into forests bordering the EU. This prompted Poland to secure its territory with additional troops and, first, to build a razor wire fence, and, second, to build an entire wall made of steel and concrete. The humanitarian situation of migrants stuck in the Białowieża forest has been dire. An underexposed theme is how not only people were hurt by the border policies, but non-human animals were also affected. As the effects of fencing ‘fortress Europe’ on wildlife are widespread (spatial behaviour, movements and gene flow), this paper uses the Polish–Belarusian border as a case study of a conflict between human border policies and non-human interests. We argue that the plans for the Polish wall are illegal, politically unjust and unethical, also from a more-than-human perspective. The wall is illegal because requirements under EU environmental law, in particular Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, were not met. The wall is unjust because it painfully demonstrates how animals’ communal or even liminal status is far from being recognised. Finally, the wall is unethical because it fails to account for the vulnerability of both humans and non-humans.
Iranian Identity and National Oppression: Crafting the Modern Iranian Nation–State
Authors: Matin-Asgari Afshin
Published: April 2024

During Iran's 2022–2023 countrywide uprising, the intensity of popular protests in Kurdistan and Baluchistan drew attention to the question of national oppression. Some scholars then revisited a debate, originally articulated in Marxist circles, on whether Iran's culturally and politically oppressed communities, like Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis or Arabs, are ethnic or national minorities. This article approaches the debate within the frame of national oppression as a historical construction. It argues that in Iran, as in almost all modern nation-states, nationhood was established through the forcible creation of minoritized communities whose potential claims to nationhood, or an equal place in a politically democratic and culturally pluralist nation, have been denied.
Boundary mixing. Part 2. The impact of ventilation
Authors: Li Scott W. , Woods Andrew W.
Published: April 2024

Through a combination of laboratory experiments and theoretical models, we investigate the interaction of a mean upwelling through a closed basin with a vertical buoyancy flux. The fluid is mixed by a horizontally oscillating rake, which either traverses the whole basin or which oscillates just near one vertical boundary. We first review the steady state and demonstrate that, in both mixing regimes, the vertical density profile across the basin is controlled by the steady-state balance between the upward advective and diffusive fluxes of salinity as described by the classical model introduced by Munk (Deep-Sea Res., vol. 13, issue 4, 1966, pp. 707–730). However, with boundary mixing, we show that both the upwelling and the buoyancy transport are localised to the mixing zone near the boundary, and the interior fluid is stagnant. We then develop a model to describe the transient evolution of the system if there is either a discrete increase or gradual decrease to the buoyancy flux. In the boundary mixing case, the change in the buoyancy flux at the lower boundary leads to a change in the buoyancy of the fluid in the boundary mixing region, and this induces a transient, buoyancy-driven flow in the boundary region in addition to the steady upwelling. In turn, an equal and opposite vertical flow develops in the interior, and this leads to a change in the density stratification of the interior fluid as the system adjusts to a new equilibrium. However, in our experiments, there is no vertical mixing in the interior and interior fluid may upwell or downwell dependent on the change to the buoyancy forcing. We discuss the implications of our results for the transport and mixing in the deep ocean, and the associated interpretation of field experiments.
Plastic pollution and environmental education through artwork
Authors: Powers Helen , Renner Kofi , Prowse Victoria
Published: April 2024

Plastics have benefited society, but their environmental impact has caused concerns since the 1970s. By the year 2050, plastic production is predicted to reach 26,000 million tonnes and generate 13,000 million tonnes of waste. Plastic in the environment impacts living organisms with short to long-term consequences. To address this, governmental policies, advocacy and recycling have been implemented with varying success. Environmental education plays an important role in mitigating some impacts of plastic pollution. Upcycling discarded plastics in artwork supports that endeavour. The art installation “Regulated Exhibition – The Plastic Human”, a collaboration between BACKLIT gallery, Joshua Sofaer and the Environment Agency, brought the artworld and environmental advocacy together, to inspire discussions on the narrative of plastic pollution. To bring the project to life BACKLIT gallery was turned into a factory where audience members could explore and interact with the installation. The exhibition was free, open to all and accessible to diverse demographics within Nottingham. The interactive exhibition provoked visitors’ senses and provided a feedback mechanism. The “Plastic Human” reflected the impacts of plastic pollution in our environment. Addressing plastic pollution is thought to cause a philosophical and/or ethical burden on humans. The measured and qualitative impact of this could impact our daily lives.
ON GENERALISED LEGENDRE MATRICES INVOLVING ROOTS OF UNITY OVER FINITE FIELDS
Authors: WEI NING-LIU , LI YU-BO , WU HAI-LIANG
Published: April 2024

Motivated by the work initiated by Chapman [‘Determinants of Legendre symbol matrices’, Acta Arith.115 (2004), 231–244], we investigate some arithmetical properties of generalised Legendre matrices over finite fields. For example, letting
$a_1,\ldots ,a_{(q-1)/2}$
be all the nonzero squares in the finite field
$\mathbb {F}_q$
containing q elements with
$2\nmid q$
, we give the explicit value of the determinant
$D_{(q-1)/2}=\det [(a_i+a_j)^{(q-3)/2}]_{1\le i,j\le (q-1)/2}$
. In particular, if
$q=p$
is a prime greater than
$3$
, then
$$ \begin{align*}\bigg(\frac{\det D_{(p-1)/2}}{p}\bigg)= \begin{cases} 1 & \mbox{if}\ p\equiv1\pmod4,\\ (-1)^{(h(-p)+1)/2} & \mbox{if}\ p\equiv 3\pmod4\ \text{and}\ p>3, \end{cases}\end{align*} $$

where
$(\frac {\cdot }{p})$
is the Legendre symbol and
$h(-p)$
is the class number of
$\mathbb {Q}(\sqrt {-p})$
.
A FEMININE TYPOLOGICAL TRINITY IN PROBA'S CENTO VERGILIANVS 380–414
Authors: Watson Cristalle N.
Published: April 2024

The mid-fourth-century c.e.Cento Vergilianus de laudibus Christi retells the biblical story using cento technique (recombining excerpted lines and partial lines from Virgil into a new poem). Its author, the Christian poet Faltonia Betitia Proba, states that her aim in writing the Cento is to demonstrate that Virgil ‘sang the pious deeds of Christ’ (Vergilium cecinisse … pia munera Christi). Her compositional strategy reflects the exegetical method of typology, as explored in detail by Cullhed: by reusing particular Virgilian verses for biblical characters, Proba creates an implicit typological relationship whereby a Virgilian type both prefigures and is fulfilled by a biblical antitype. This paper first presents an extended model of typology, whereby the type not only prefigures the antitype but also enfigures it, providing the reader with a novel conceptual paradigm through which to understand a particular supernatural reality. The paper then turns to a case study: the baptism scene (380–414), the only passage in the Cento depicting all three members of the Trinity. For each, Proba reuses passages which in the Aeneid describe female characters, hinting at a feminine typological Trinity, one which highlights often-overlooked aspects of the three Christian antitypes. In so doing, she convincingly advances her thesis that Virgil's poetic works reflect typological correspondences to the Christian narrative in a similar way to Old Testament prophecy.
Simplicial volume of manifolds with amenable fundamental group at infinity
Authors: Bargagnati Giuseppe
Published: April 2024

We show that for
$n \neq 1,4$
, the simplicial volume of an inward tame triangulable open
$n$
-manifold
$M$
with amenable fundamental group at infinity at each end is finite; moreover, we show that if also
$\pi _1(M)$
is amenable, then the simplicial volume of
$M$
vanishes. We show that the same result holds for finitely-many-ended triangulable manifolds which are simply connected at infinity.
Global fluid turbulence simulations in the scrape-off layer of a stellarator island divertor
Authors: Shanahan B. , Bold D. , Dudson B.
Published: April 2024

Isothermal fluid turbulence simulations have been performed in the edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) of an analytic stellarator configuration with an island divertor, thereby providing numerical insight into edge turbulence in regions around islands in a stellarator. The steady-state transport follows the a curvature drive that is inverse to the major radius (

$1/R$

) toward the outboard side, but large fluctuations are present throughout the island divertor region, with the average wavelength of similar size to the island width. The system exhibits a prominent

$m=2$

,

$n=5$

mode, where m is the poloidal mode number and n is the toroidal mode number, although other modes are present. The amplitude and radial extent of the density fluctuations are similar throughout the edge and SOL, but can decrease near island O-points. The fluctuations exhibit a predominantly positive skewness on the outboard midplane, indicating blob-like perturbations for the transport into the outer SOL. It is determined that a point on the separatrix is generally more correlated with regions outside of the SOL than a nearby reference point which does not lie on the separatrix.
Marine bivalves voucher DNA barcoding from Eastern Mediterranean, with evidence for Ostrea stentina invasion
Authors: Papadopoulos Dimitrios K. , Giantsis Ioannis A. , Lattos Athanasios , Triantafyllidis Alexandros , Michaelidis Basile
Published: April 2024

Bivalve molluscs are a diverse group of animals with particular economic and ecological importance. Their morphological characteristics frequently confuse their identification leading to mislabelling of edible species. Genetic diversity is critical to the resilience of marine bivalve populations in the face of environmental stressors such as ocean acidification and warming. In this study, we characterized the phylogeny and defined the first DNA barcodes of six marine bivalves [Ostrea edulis (Linnaeus, 1758) Arca noae (Linnaeus, 1758), Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814), Venus verrucosa (Linnaeus, 1758), Calllista chione (Linnaeus, 1758) and Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)] sampled from different coastal areas of Aegean and Ionian Seas using the molecular markers cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA). Further, COI gene was employed to investigate the population genetic diversity since 18S rRNA exhibited no conspecific differences. The sequence of 18S rRNA successfully discriminated the bivalves at family or superfamily level but occasionally proved insufficient for species identification. Contrariwise, COI was highly informative and could reliably distinguish all species. Population haplotype diversity was moderate to high and was always accompanied by generally low nucleotide diversity, indicating genetically closely related haplotypes. The invasive Pinctada radiata was found to be panmictic even among distant sampling areas, while Ostrea edulis was the only species that exhibited moderate levels of population subdivision. Finally, here we report for the first time the presence of Ostrea stentina in Thermaikos Gulf sampled among Ostrea edulis specimens, demonstrating a new invasive bivalve species in Eastern Mediterranean.
“They sure aren’t from around here”: Children’s perception of accent distance in L1 and L2 varieties of English
Authors: Henry Malachi , Bent Tessa , Holt Rachael F.
Published: April 2024

Children exhibit preferences for familiar accents early in life. However, they frequently have more difficulty distinguishing between first language (L1) accents than second language (L2) accents in categorization tasks. Few studies have addressed children’s perception of accent strength, or the relation between accent strength and objective measures of pronunciation distance. To address these gaps, 6- and 12-year-olds and adults ranked talkers’ perceived distance from the local accent (i.e., Midland American English). Rankings were compared with objective distance measures. Acoustic and phonetic distance measures were significant predictors of ladder rankings, but there was no evidence that children and adults significantly differed in their sensitivity to accent strength. Levenshtein Distance, a phonetic distance metric, was the strongest predictor of perceptual rankings for both children and adults. As a percept, accent strength has critical implications for social judgments, which determine real world social outcomes for talkers with non-local accents.
Behaviour of the minimum degree throughout the
${\textit{d}}$
-process
Authors: Hofstad Jakob
Published: April 2024

The
$d$
-process generates a graph at random by starting with an empty graph with
$n$
vertices, then adding edges one at a time uniformly at random among all pairs of vertices which have degrees at most
$d-1$
and are not mutually joined. We show that, in the evolution of a random graph with
$n$
vertices under the
$d$
-process with
$d$
fixed, with high probability, for each
$j \in \{0,1,\dots,d-2\}$
, the minimum degree jumps from
$j$
to
$j+1$
when the number of steps left is on the order of
$\ln (n)^{d-j-1}$
. This answers a question of Ruciński and Wormald. More specifically, we show that, when the last vertex of degree
$j$
disappears, the number of steps left divided by
$\ln (n)^{d-j-1}$
converges in distribution to the exponential random variable of mean
$\frac{j!}{2(d-1)!}$
; furthermore, these
$d-1$
distributions are independent.
EXPONENTIAL ASYMPTOTICS USING NUMERICAL RATIONAL APPROXIMATION IN LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: LUSTRI CHRISTOPHER J. , CREW SAMUEL , CHAPMAN S. JONATHAN
Published: April 2024

Singularly perturbed ordinary differential equations often exhibit Stokes’ phenomenon, which describes the appearance and disappearance of oscillating exponentially small terms across curves in the complex plane known as Stokes lines. These curves originate at singular points in the leading-order solution to the differential equation. In many important problems, it is impossible to obtain a closed-form expression for these leading-order solutions, and it is therefore challenging to locate these singular points. We present evidence that the analytic leading-order solution of a linear differential equation can be replaced with a numerical rational approximation using the adaptive Antoulas–Anderson (AAA) method. Despite such an approximation having completely different singularity types and locations, we show that the subsequent exponential asymptotic analysis accurately predicts the exponentially small behaviour present in the solution. For sufficiently small values of the asymptotic parameter, this approach breaks down; however, the range of validity may be extended by increasing the number of poles in the rational approximation. We present a related nonlinear problem and discuss the challenges that arise due to nonlinear effects. Overall, our approach allows for the study of exponentially small asymptotic effects without requiring an exact analytic form for the leading-order solution; this permits exponential asymptotic methods to be used in a much wider range of applications.
Evaluation of intracranial stereotactic treatment plans: a comparison study of CyberKnife and TrueBeam systems
Authors: Shahban Muhammad , Rizwan Muhammad Tariq , Nazia Neelam Shahzadi , Saeed Ur Rehman , Humera Mehmood , Faheem Muhammad
Published: April 2024

Background:

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for patients with intracranial tumours are delivered using a dedicated platform or a conventional linear accelerator with a flattening filter-free beam.

Materials and methods:

This study compares treatment plans with intracranial tumours. A total of 29 patients were treated on CyberKnife and planned using the Accuray Precision. The same structure sets ws then exported to Varian Eclipse, and plans were made using a 6 MV FFF beam. Both plans were compared for parameters of target coverage, homogeneity index (HI), new conformity index (nCI), gradient index, selectivity index (SI), volumetric and OAR doses.

Results:

The treatment plans made for CyberKnife exhibit better results in terms of nCI (1·168 ± 0·08 versus 1·173 ± 0·077), SI (0·885 ± 0·05 versus 0·877 ± 0·05) and GI (3·64 ± 0·5 versus 4·45 ± 1·25), while HI values are better for TrueBeam. For OAR doses, in 65·5% and 72% of treatment plans, brainstem and optic pathways received lower doses on CyberKnife, respectively. In terms of dose spillage, Truebeam plans are better for very low doses (V5%), while for V10%, V20% and V50% CyberKnife plans are better.

Conclusion:

CyberKnife is a better modality for the delivery of SRS/SRT to intracranial tumours except for dose homogeneity where TrueBeam offered better results.
Populist Attitudes among Teenagers: How Negative Relationships with Socialization Agents Are Linked to Populist Attitudes
Authors: Jungkunz Sebastian , Weiss Julia
Published: April 2024

While the origins and consequences of populist attitudes in adults are being studied extensively, it is still unknown when populist attitudes might emerge in a person’s life. Drawing on the existing literature on political socialization, we focus on populist attitudes during adolescence and explore the contributing role of negative relationships with parents, peers, and teachers. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of populist attitudes among a representative sample of children aged 12 to 18 (mean: 14.66 years) using a unique dataset gathered through interviews conducted in schools in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland (n=3,123). Our findings reveal a strong association between perceived unjust teacher behavior and the level of populist attitudes in adolescents, while the connection of peers and parents with populist attitudes appears to be limited. Further analyses using panel data from the UK support these findings.
Liberal-democratic norms under contestation: Norm relations and their decoupling in the US Supreme Court’s decisions on abortion
Authors: Mende Janne
Published: April 2024

This article studies the contestation of liberal-democratic norms from within the liberal international order (LIO), focusing on the case of abortion rights. The US Supreme Court’s decisions on abortion, central to both domestic and global debates, provide a compelling case study of how two opposing sides may invoke the same norms, rather than presenting a case of norm collision or co-optation. In contrast to the binary pro-choice versus anti-abortionist framing, this article shows that both sides invoke liberal-democratic norms, but differ in how they relate the norms to each other and how they interrupt established norm relations. Against this background, the article introduces the concept of norm decoupling, highlighting how norm entrepreneurs isolate certain norms from hitherto related norms. This process contributes to a more subtle backsliding of the LIO, particularly by decoupling majority votes from other democratic, substantial norms, and by decoupling liberal-democratic norms from their gendered dimensions. Norm decoupling thus explains diverging interpretations of shared norms within the same context. This advances our understanding of norm contestation and interpretation, shedding light on how liberal-democratic norms subtly erode from within the LIO.
Forensisches Therapieprogramm für angemessenes Sexualverhalten
Authors: Vertone Leonardo , Aebi Marcel , Imbach Daniela , Best Thomas , Bessler Cornelia
Published: April 2024

Das Therapieprogramm für angemessenes Sexualverhalten (ThePaS) richtet sich an Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene, die grenzverletzendes Sexualverhalten gezeigt haben. Das primäre Ziel ist es, eine Verhaltensänderung bei den Teilnehmenden zu erreichen und so weiteren Delikten vorzubeugen. Das wissenschaftlich evaluierte Programm kombiniert kompetenz- und ressourcenorientierte Inhalte mit einem deliktfokussierten Vorgehen. Durch den modularen Aufbau ist es möglich, die Inhalte auf die jeweiligen Bedürfnisse der Jugendlichen abzustimmen.
Kernstück des Programms bilden die 12 deliktfokussierten Pflichtmodule, die eine vertiefte Auseinandersetzung mit den verübten Grenzverletzungen ermöglichen. Je nach Bedarf können flexible Module hinzugezogen werden, die auf Wissenserwerb (Sexualaufklärung, Recht und Gesetze) oder auf das Erlernen sozialer und emotionaler Fertigkeiten (z.B. Umgang mit Gefühlen, mit schwierigen Situationen sowie Konflikten, Beziehungsaufbau) fokussieren. Das therapeutische Vorgehen orientiert sich dabei an kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen Prinzipien und wird ausführlich für jedes Modul beschrieben. Zahlreiche Arbeitsmaterialien unterstützen die Durchführung und können nach erfolgter Registrierung von der Hogrefe Website heruntergeladen werden.
Das Programm eignet sich für das Gruppensetting ebenso wie für das Einzelsetting und lässt sich sowohl im ambulanten als auch im stationären Rahmen durchführen. Das ThePaS schließt somit eine Versorgungslücke im deliktpräventiven Umgang mit jungen Personen mit grenzverletzendem Sexualverhalten.