bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the mechanism of plant root protection for soil slope stability
Authors: Cao Tingting , Zhang Haiou , Chen Tianqing , Yang Chenxi , Wang Jian , Guo Zhen , Sun Xubo
Published: November 2023

In order to investigate the impact of herbaceous root development on soil slope stability in expansive soil areas, the research was conducted in the soil slope experimental area of Yaoshi Town, Shangzhou District, Shangluo City. Three types of herbaceous plants, namely Lolium perenne, Medicago, and Cynodon dactylon, were planted to examine their influence on slope stability. The results indicated that Lolium perenne had significantly higher root length density and root surface area density compared to Cynodon dactylon and Medicago. However, the root weight density of Cynodon dactylon was found to be highest. The roots of Lolium perenne, Cynodon dactylon, and Medicago were predominantly observed in diameter ranges of 0 < L ≤ 1.0 mm, 0 < L ≤ 2.5 mm, and 2.5 < L ≤ 3.0 mm, respectively. The roots of herbaceous plants have the ability to enhance water retention in soil, resist hydraulic erosion of slope soil, and reduce soil shrinkage and swelling. During the initial phase of herbaceous planting, there is an accelerated process of organic carbon mineralization in the soil. The roots of herbaceous plants play a crucial role in soil consolidation and slope protection. They achieve this by dispersing large clastic particles, binding small particles together, altering soil porosity, enhancing soil water retention, and reducing soil water infiltration. It was found that Lolium perenne and Medicago, which have well-developed roots, exhibited superior slope protection effects. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding for the implementation of green ecological protection technology on soil slopes.
Process evaluation of the Invictus Pathways Program
Authors: Post Dannielle , Baker Amy , Milanese Steven , Freegard Suzana , Parfitt Gaynor
Published: November 2023

Introduction

UniSA’s Invictus Pathways Program (IPP), a service program, was originally developed to assist veterans to train for and participate in the Invictus Games. More recently, the scope of the IPP has widened to support and improve wellbeing and facilitate post traumatic growth and recovery among participants who are living with physical and mental health injuries and conditions. This paper describes the components of the IPP and reports its process evaluation.

Methods

Underpinned by a pragmatic approach, data related to participant and student involvement in the IPP, the number of participant training sessions, session attendance, program activities and events, and program fidelity were compiled from process documentation that had been collected between 2017 and 2020, inclusive. Following ethics approval, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants of the IPP, members of their family support network, and university staff to understand the operations of the IPP and satisfaction with the program.

Findings

There was high fidelity for the student-led exercise training aspects of IPP; however, data collection relevant to participants’ psychological outcomes, and non-training IPP events and activities did not always occur as intended. Between 2017 and 2020, 53 veterans had participated in or were still participating in the IPP, and 63 allied health students had completed placements as student trainers. Fifty-three individual training sessions were delivered in 2017, increasing to 1,024 in 2020. Seventy-one interviews were completed with key IPP stakeholders. The qualitative analysis identified four higher order themes: Implementation and fidelity of the IPP, Satisfaction with the IPP, Areas of the IPP requiring improvement and suggestions for change, and Sustainability of the IPP. Satisfaction was generally high for the IPP, although there were factors that negatively impacted the experience for some participants and their family support network. Suggestions for improvement to program components and delivery aspects were made during the interviews, and the precariousness of IPP funding and sustainability was raised as an ongoing concern.

Conclusion

This process evaluation has demonstrated that the physical activity training components of the IPP were delivered with high levels of fidelity, and that satisfaction with the IPP is mostly high, although there are areas that could be improved. There is a need for a more structured approach to the ongoing evaluation of the IPP. This includes ensuring that program staff have a shared understanding of the purpose of evaluation activities and that these activities occur as intended. Beyond this is the need to secure funding to support the sustainability of the IPP, so that it can continue to contribute to the wellbeing of veterans living with physical and mental health conditions, and their families.
A new temporal framework for the passionate engagement journey of ultra-endurance athletes: A qualitative investigation
Authors: Bill Tatjana , Philippe Roberta Antonini
Published: November 2023

The explosion of popularity of ultra-endurance (UE) sports in the last 20 years has attracted a lot of interest amongst sport psychologists who studied many aspects of their participants. However, a temporal perspective on the development of the UE engagement was missing. With this research we aimed to explore the long-term individual journeys of UE athletes and how their passion developed over time from the moment of inception to full adoption of UE as an identity and a lifestyle. For this purpose, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 UE athletes (12 male and 4 female, mean age 43.4, SD 10) in cycling, trail running and triathlon. Five key themes (with 13 sub-themes) of their UE engagement journey emerged as the result of the interpretative phenomenological analysis of the interviews: 1) The making of the UE athlete, 2) Finding the tribe, 3) Peak experiences, 4) UE lifestyle and 5) UE passion and outcomes. Rich descriptions were generated demonstrating that the development journey of UE athletes is a multi-year, sometimes life-long endeavour, which is full of unique experiences, emotional rollercoasters, passion, overcoming and surrender stories and also of spiritual growth. And while each journey we heard was unique, we could observe similarities in its key milestones. We summarized them in a wholistic UE journey framework which we developed based on this research. The new “Temporal framework for progressive UE engagement and passion development” is presented here for discussion and further validation.
The feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of an app-based intervention (the Coping Camp) in reducing stress among Chinese school adolescents: A cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zhou Xiaoyun , Edirippulige Sisira , Jones Andrew , Bai Xuejun , Smith Anthony C. , Bambling Matthew
Published: November 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the efficacies of the Coping Camp app in reducing stress, depression, and anxiety and improving stress-coping behaviours and mental health wellbeing. Additionally, feasibility and acceptability of Coping Camp were evaluated.

Methods

In this unblinded cluster RCT, 540 participants from two high schools in China were randomly assigned to the Coping Camp intervention (n = 6 classes; 275 students) or treatment as usual (n = 5 classes; 265 students) at the class level. Coping Camp was an automated self-help app, consisting of 11 sessions delivered over 11 weeks, with primary outcomes including perceived stress, depression, anxiety, stress-coping behaviours, and mental health well-being. All outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (11 weeks), and follow-up (19 weeks), with efficacy analysed using linear mixed models and feasibility/acceptability measured by a 5-point Likert scale and qualitative feedback.

Results

At post-intervention and follow-up assessments, 75.4% and 81.7% of participants respectively attended. On average, participants logged in for 8.56 out of 11 sessions. Compared to the control group, the intervention group had significant reductions in levels of perceived stress (p = 0.01, d = 0.15 at T1; p < 0.001, d = 0.18 at T2), anxiety (p = 0.11; d = 0.08 at T1; p = 0.01; d = 0.13 at T2) and depression (p = 0.04, d = 0.11 at T1; p = 0.05, d = 0.10 at T2) but did not have a greater increase in stress-coping behaviours (p = 0.10 at T1; p = 0.97 at T2) or mental health wellbeing (p = 0.93 at T1; p = 0.08 at T2). The average ratings for each session were above 4, and qualitative feedback showed that most participants found the intervention to be “great,” “good,” and “useful.”

Conclusions

The Coping Camp is feasible, acceptable and effective in stress management among Chinese school adolescents.
Using Twitter to collect a multi-dialectal corpus of Albanian using advanced geotagging and dialect modeling
Authors: Canhasi Ercan , Shijaku Rexhep
Published: November 2023

In this study, we present the acquisition and categorization of a geographically-informed, multi-dialectal Albanian National Corpus, derived from Twitter data. The primary dialects from three distinct regions—Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia—are considered. The assembled publicly available dataset encompasses anonymized user information, user-generated tweets, auxiliary tweet-related data, and annotations corresponding to dialect categories. Utilizing a highly automated scraping approach, we initially identified over 1,000 Twitter users with discernible locations who actively employ at least one of the targeted Albanian dialects. Subsequent data extraction phases yielded an augmentation of the preliminary dataset with an additional 1,500 Twitterers. The study also explores the application of advanced geotagging techniques to expedite corpus generation. Alongside experimentation with diverse classification methodologies, comprehensive feature engineering and feature selection investigations were conducted. A subjective assessment is conducted using human annotators, which demonstrates that humans achieve significantly lower accuracy rates in comparison to machine learning (ML) models. Our findings indicate that machine learning algorithms are proficient in accurately differentiating various Albanian dialects, even when analyzing individual tweets. A meticulous evaluation of the most salient attributes of top-performing algorithms provides insights into the decision-making mechanisms utilized by these models. Remarkably, our investigation revealed numerous dialectal patterns that, despite being familiar to human annotators, have not been widely acknowledged within the broader scientific community.
Determinants of plant community along environmental gradients in Geramo forest, the western escarpment of the rift valley of Ethiopia
Authors: Getaneh Zeleke Assefa , Demissew Sebsebe , Woldu Zerihun , Aynekulu Ermias
Published: November 2023

Detailed information on plant community types, distribution, and their relationships with various environmental gradients is crucial for understanding forest dynamics and sustainable forest management because plant community types are influenced by various environmental factors. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate plant community types and species diversity in relation to various environmental gradients in Geramo Forest, which is a remnant forest in the western escarpment of the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Vegetation data were collected in 96 nested plots (20 × 20 m2and five 1 ×1 m2) laid systematically at a distance of 250 m along 16 line transects, which were laid 300 m apart. Environmental and disturbance variables were also collected from each main plot. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis and Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with R software were used to identify plant community types and analyze the relationship between plant community types and environmental variables, respectively. The Shannon Wiener diversity index was used to compute species diversity among community types. Five significantly different (p ≤ 0.001) plant community types were identified. The CCA results showed that species diversity and community composition among different community types were significantly influenced by altitude, disturbance, soil organic carbon, slope, soil available phosphorus, and pH, which revealed the compounded effect of various environmental factors on species richness, diversity, and evenness among plant community types. The study also identified a significant level of anthropogenic disturbance and a strong reliance of the local community on the forest in the research area. Therefore, it is recommended that sustainable forest conservation interventions be implemented through awareness creation and the promotion of community-based approaches.
Hybrid deep learning models with multi-classification investor sentiment to forecast the prices of China’s leading stocks
Authors: Niu Hongli , Pan Qiaoying , Xu Kunliang
Published: November 2023

The prediction of stock prices has long been a captivating subject in academic research. This study aims to forecast the prices of prominent stocks in five key industries of the Chinese A-share market by leveraging the synergistic power of deep learning techniques and investor sentiment analysis. To achieve this, a sentiment multi-classification dataset is for the first time constructed for China’s stock market, based on four types of sentiments in modern psychology. The significant heterogeneity of sentiment changes in the sectors’ leading stock markets is trained and mined using the Bi-LSTM-ATT model. The impact of multi-classification investor sentiment on stock price prediction was analyzed using the CNN-Bi-LSTM-ATT model. It finds that integrating sentiment indicators into the prediction of industry leading stock prices can enhance the accuracy of the model. Drawing upon four fundamental sentiment types derived from modern psychology, our dataset provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing investor sentiment and its impact on forecasting the stock prices of China’s A-share market.
Association between maternal high-risk fertility behaviour and perinatal mortality in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Khan Md. Nuruzzaman , Harris Melissa L.
Published: November 2023

Background

High-risk fertility behaviours including pregnancy early or late in the reproductive life course, higher parity and short birth intervals are ongoing concerns in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) such as Bangladesh. Although such factors have been identified as major risk factors for perinatal mortality, there has been a lack of progress in the area despite the implementation of the Millennium and Sustatinable Development Goals. We therefore explored the effects of high-risk maternal fertility behaviour on the occurrence of perinatal mortality in Bangladesh.

Methods

A total of 8,930 singleton pregnancies of seven or more months gestation were extracted from 2017/18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey for analysis. Perinatal mortality was the outcome variable (yes, no) and the primary exposure variable was high-risk fertility behaviour in the previous five years (yes, no). The association between the exposure and outcome variable was determined using a mixed-effect multilevel logistic regression model, adjusted for covariates.

Results

Forty-six percent of the total births that occurred in the five years preceding the survey were high-risk. After adjusting for potential confounders, a 1.87 times (aOR, 1.87, 95% CI, 1.61–2.14) higher odds of perinatal mortality was found among women with any high-risk fertility behaviour as compared to women having no high-risk fertility behaviours. The odds of perinatal mortality were also found to increase in line with an increasing number of high-risk behaviour. A 1.77 times (95% CI, 1.50–2.05) increase in odds of perinatal mortality was found among women with single high-risk fertility behaviour and a 2.30 times (95% CI, 1.96–2.64) increase in odds was found among women with multiple high-risk fertility behaviours compared to women with no high-risk fertility behaviour.

Conclusion

Women’s high-risk fertility behaviour is an important predictor of perinatal mortality in Bangladesh. Increased contraceptive use to allow appropriate birth spacing, educational interventions around the potential risks associated with high risk fertility behaviour (including short birth interval) in future pregnacies, and improved continuity of maternal healthcare service use among this population are required to improve birth outcomes in Bangladesh.
Does the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) mitigate referee bias on professional football?
Authors: Gasparetto Thadeu , Loktionov Kirill
Published: November 2023

The purpose of the paper is to check whether the introduction of the VAR system mitigated the referee bias against away teams. The dataset comprises 2279 matches played in the first tier of the Brazilian League from 2016 to 2021. We analyze 6 seasons of the first tier of the Brazilian domestic football league– 3 seasons before and 3 seasons after the introduction of the VAR technology. Potential bias is viewed through the lens of yellow cards, red cards and number of penalties awarded for both home and away clubs. A paired t-test is used to reveal potential statistical differences between pre-VAR and post-VAR periods, followed by Ordinary Least Squares regressions to inspect whether certain referee’ categories have changed their behavior after the implementation of this technology. Our empirical findings offer evidence that the referee bias is diminished, but still present.
What drives researcher preferences for chemical compounds? Evidence from conjoint analysis
Authors: Sung Bongsuk , Park Kang-Min , Park Chun Gun , Kim Yong-Hee , Lee Jaeyong , Jin Tae-Eun
Published: November 2023

We investigated the attributes and attribute levels that affect researcher preferences for chemical compounds. We conducted a conjoint analysis on survey data of Korean researchers using chemical compounds from the Korean Chemical Bank (KCB). The analysis estimated the part-worth utility for each attribute’s level, calculated relative importance of attributes, and classified user segmentation with different patterns. The results show that the structure database offers the highest part-worth utility to researchers, followed by high new functionality, price, screening service, and drug action data provided only by the KCB. Notably, researchers view the offer of a structured database and high new functionality as more important than other attributes in decision-making about research and development of chemical compounds. Furthermore, the results of segmentation analysis demonstrated that researchers have distinct usage patterns of chemical compounds: researchers consider structure database and high new functionality in cluster 1; and high new functionality and price in cluster 2, to be the most appealing. We discussed some policy and strategic implications based on the findings of this study and proposed some limitations.
A novel MCDM approach for design concept evaluation based on interval-valued picture fuzzy sets
Authors: Ma Qing , Sun Hongyuan , Chen Zhe , Tan Yuhang
Published: November 2023

The assessment of design concepts presents an efficient and effective strategy for businesses to strengthen their competitive edge and introduce market-worthy products. The widely accepted viewpoint acknowledges this as a intricate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, involving a multitude of evaluative criteria and a significant amount of data that is frequently ambiguously defined and subjectively influenced. In order to tackle the problems of uncertainty and fuzziness in design concept evaluation, our research creatively combines interval-valued picture fuzzy set (IVPFS) with an MCDM process of design concept evaluation. Firstly, this study draws on the existing relevant literature and the experience of decision makers to identify some important criteria and corresponding sub-criteria and form a scientific evaluation indicator system. We then introduce the essential operational concepts of interval-valued picture fuzzy numbers (IVPFNs) and the interval-valued picture fuzzy ordered weighted interactive averaging (IVPFOWIA) operator. Thirdly, an entropy weighting method based on IVPFS is proposed in this research to calculate the weights of criteria and sub-criteria, and based on this, an integrated IVPF decision matrix is further constructed based on the presented IVPFOWIA operator. Finally, the best design concept alternative is selected by applying the extended TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) approach with IVPFS. The IVPFS combined with improved MCDM method have been proven to be superior in complex and uncertain decision-making situations through experiments and comparative assessments. The information ambiguity in the evaluation of design concept is well characterized by our augmentation based on IVPFS.
Telenursing implications for future education and practice: Nursing students’ perspectives and knowledge from a course on child health
Authors: Khraisat Omar Mohammad Ali , Al-Bashaireh Ahmad M. , Alnazly Eman
Published: November 2023

Background

Technology advancements have altered the standard of nursing care, and education. This suggests the necessity to equip prospective nurses to provide competent care in a highly technical and digital environment via telenursing.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions and knowledge of nursing students about telenursing.

Methods

Using a descriptive cross-sectional design. A self-reported questionnaire was used. The distribution of 110 questionnaires to nursing students attending two private colleges in Jordan resulted in an 83.6% (n = 92) response rate. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied.

Results

The results showed a positive perception toward telenursing practice, as well as the difficulty in precisely defining telenursing. Age, internet usage patterns, and knowledge were all factors considered telenursing predictors. 32% of the variance was explained by the model. Telenursing would be beneficial for future nursing professionals by incorporating telenursing into the curriculum.

Conclusions

The learning environment is extends somewhat beyond the classroom, making it is necessary to integrate telenursing into education in order to redefine the future of the nursing practice.
Understanding health literacy of deaf persons with hypertension in South Korea: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Choi Gi Won , Chang Sun Ju , Kim Hee Jung , Jeong Ha Na
Published: November 2023

Background

Health literacy is strongly associated with health inequality among persons with deafness, and hypertension (HTN) is the most prevalent chronic disease among persons with deafness in South Korea. Despite its importance, research regarding the health literacy levels of persons with deafness with HTN in South Korea is lacking. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the health literacy levels of persons with deafness with HTN in South Korea, including linguistic, functional, and internet health literacy.

Methods

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 95 persons with deafness with HTN were recruited through facilities associated with the deaf community. From August 2022 to February 2023, data were collected through face-to-face surveys attended by a sign language interpreter and online surveys. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation.

Results

Approximately 62.1% of the participants exhibited a linguistic health literacy level corresponding to less than that of middle school students, and the total percentage correct of functional health literacy was 17.9%. Each domain of internet health literacy was low. Significant correlations were found between some aspects of health literacy.

Conclusions

The study’s findings highlight the low health literacy levels across various facets among persons with deafness with HTN in South Korea. Based on these findings, several strategies are suggested for developing HTN self-management interventions for persons with deafness. This study contributes to the foundational understanding of health literacy among persons with deafness with HTN in South Korea and provides valuable insights and guidance for developing HTN self-management interventions.
Two distinct mechanisms lead to either oocyte or spermatocyte decrease in C. elegans after whole developmental exposure to γ-rays
Authors: Dufourcq Sekatcheff Elizabeth , Godon Christian , Bailly Aymeric , Quevarec Loïc , Camilleri Virginie , Galas Simon , Frelon Sandrine
Published: November 2023

Wildlife is subject to various sources of pollution, including ionizing radiation. Adverse effects can impact the survival, growth, or reproduction of organisms, later affecting population dynamics. In invertebrates, reproduction, which directly impacts population dynamics, has been found to be the most radiosensitive endpoint. Understanding the underlying molecular pathways inducing this reproduction decrease can help to comprehend species-specific differences in radiosensitivity. From our previous studies, we found that decrease in reproduction is life stage dependent in the roundwormCaenorhabditis elegans, possibly resulting from an accumulation of damages during germ cell development and gamete differentiation. To go further, we used the same experimental design to assess more precisely the molecular determinants of reproductive toxicity, primarily decreases in gamete number. As before, worms were chronically exposed to 50 mGy·h−1external gamma ionizing radiation throughout different developmental periods (namely embryogenesis, gametogenesis, and full development). To enable cross species extrapolation, conserved molecular pathways across invertebrates and vertebrates were analysed: apoptosis and MAP kinase Ras/ERK (MPK-1), both involved in reproduction and stress responses. Our results showed that these pathways are life-stage dependent, resulting from an accumulation of damages upon chronic exposure to IR throughout the life development. The Ras/ERK pathway was activated in our conditions in the pachytene region of the gonad where it regulates cell fate including apoptosis, but not in the ovulation zone, where it controls oocyte maturation and ovulation. Additionally, assessment of germ cell proliferation via Ras/ERK pathway showed no effect. Finally, a functional analysis of apoptosis revealed that while the decrease of the ovulation rate is caused by DNA-damaged induced apoptosis, this process does not occur in spermatocytes. Thus, sperm decrease seems to be mediated via another mechanism, probably a decrease in germ cell proliferation speed that needs further investigation to better characterize sex-specific responses to IR exposure. These results are of main importance to describe radio-induced reprotoxic effects and contribute as weight of evidence for the AOP #396 “Deposition of ionizing energy leads to population decline via impaired meiosis”.
A multiplex Taqman PCR assay for MRSA detection from whole blood
Authors: Duraiswamy Suhanya , Agarwalla Sushama , Lok Khoi Sheng , Tse Yee Yung , Wu Ruige , Wang Zhiping
Published: November 2023

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a wide range of hospital and community-acquired infections worldwide. MRSA is associated with worse clinical outcomes that can lead to multiple organ failure, septic shock, and death, making timely diagnosis of MRSA infections very crucial. In the present work, we develop a method that enables the positive enrichment of bacteria from spiked whole blood using protein coated magnetic beads, followed by their lysis, and detection by a real-time multiplex PCR directly. The assay targeted bacterial 16S rRNA, S. aureus (spa) and methicillin resistance (mecA). In addition, an internal control (lambda phage) was added to determine the assay’s true negative. To validate this assay, staphylococcal and non-staphylococcal bacterial strains were used. The three-markers used in this study were detected as expected by monomicrobial and poly-microbial models of the S. aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS). The thermal cycling completed within 30 mins, delivering 100% specificity. The detection LoD of the pre-processing step was ∼ 1 CFU/mL from 2-5mL of whole blood and that of PCR was ∼ 1pg of NA. However, the combined protocol led to a lower detection limit of 100–1000 MRSA CFUs/mL. The main issue with the method developed is in the pre-processing of blood which will be the subject of our future study.
Dual function of Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease
Authors: Shiryaev Sergey A. , Cieplak Piotr , Cheltsov Anton , Liddington Robert C. , Terskikh Alexey V.
Published: November 2023

Zika virus (ZIKV) serine protease, indispensable for viral polyprotein processing and replication, is composed of the membrane-anchored NS2B polypeptide and the N-terminal domain of the NS3 polypeptide (NS3pro). The C-terminal domain of the NS3 polypeptide (NS3hel) is necessary for helicase activity and contains an ATP-binding site. We discovered that ZIKV NS2B-NS3pro binds single-stranded RNA with a Kd of ~0.3 μM, suggesting a novel function. We tested various structural modifications of NS2B-NS3pro and observed that constructs stabilized in the recently discovered “super-open” conformation do not bind RNA. Likewise, stabilizing NS2B-NS3pro in the “closed” (proteolytically active) conformation using substrate inhibitors abolished RNA binding. We posit that RNA binding occurs when ZIKV NS2B-NS3pro adopts the “open” conformation, which we modeled using highly homologous dengue NS2B-NS3pro crystallized in the open conformation. We identified two positively charged fork-like structures present only in the open conformation of NS3pro. These forks are conserved across Flaviviridae family and could be aligned with the positively charged grove on NS3hel, providing a contiguous binding surface for the negative RNA strand exiting helicase. We propose a “reverse inchworm” model for a tightly intertwined NS2B-NS3 helicase-protease machinery, which suggests that NS2B-NS3pro cycles between open and super-open conformations to bind and release RNA enabling long-range NS3hel processivity. The transition to the closed conformation, likely induced by the substrate, enables the classical protease activity of NS2B-NS3pro.
RIPK3 promotes brain region-specific interferon signaling and restriction of tick-borne flavivirus infection
Authors: Lindman Marissa , Angel Juan P. , Estevez Irving , Chang Nydia P. , Chou Tsui-Wen , McCourt Micheal , Atkins Colm , Daniels Brian P.
Published: November 2023

Innate immune signaling in the central nervous system (CNS) exhibits many remarkable specializations that vary across cell types and CNS regions. In the setting of neuroinvasive flavivirus infection, neurons employ the immunologic kinase receptor-interacting kinase 3 (RIPK3) to promote an antiviral transcriptional program, independently of the traditional function of this enzyme in promoting necroptotic cell death. However, while recent work has established roles for neuronal RIPK3 signaling in controlling mosquito-borne flavivirus infections, including West Nile virus and Zika virus, functions for RIPK3 signaling in the CNS during tick-borne flavivirus infection have not yet been explored. Here, we use a model of Langat virus (LGTV) encephalitis to show that RIPK3 signaling is specifically required in neurons of the cerebellum to control LGTV replication and restrict disease pathogenesis. This effect did not require the necroptotic executioner molecule mixed lineage kinase domain like protein (MLKL), a finding similar to previous observations in models of mosquito-borne flavivirus infection. However, control of LGTV infection required a unique, region-specific dependence on RIPK3 to promote expression of key antiviral interferon-stimulated genes (ISG) in the cerebellum. This RIPK3-mediated potentiation of ISG expression was associated with robust cell-intrinsic restriction of LGTV replication in cerebellar granule cell neurons. These findings further illuminate the complex roles of RIPK3 signaling in the coordination of neuroimmune responses to viral infection, as well as provide new insight into the mechanisms of region-specific innate immune signaling in the CNS.
Inside the virtual art classroom: Using VR design software to support drawing courses in higher education
Authors: Wastyn Gert , Malliet Steven , Geerts Bart
Published: November 2023

Little research exists regarding the possibilities of using virtual reality (VR) to teach drawing skills. This report aims to compare traditional methods of teaching drawing techniques with methods for teaching digital drawing using VR design software such as Gravity Sketch and MultiBrush. Based on our experiences in a variety of workshops and courses, we observe that the VR drawing classroom can enrich existing educational formats as it offers advantages such as increased student focus, collaboration and balance between group instruction and individual feedback.
Eroding the foundation: Digitalization’s impact on architectural education
Authors: Verma Amitabh
Published: November 2023

In recent decades, drawing’s centuries-old centrality within architecture and landscape architecture has been largely co-opted by digitalization. While advantageous to companies for enhancing productivity and profitability, computerization has unfortunately been insalubrious within academia, undermining the teaching of philosophical and artistic dimensions. Its promises of convenience and speed have redirected student attention towards non-cerebral, production activities, marginalizing the intellectuality which is design pedagogy’s primary objective. Summarizing the origin and implications of this ‘revolution’, this article calls for a curricular reversion, positing that re-prioritizing drawing is vital for cultivating the capabilities which underpin the profession’s vitality and integrity, and manifest its essential spirit.
Drawing convergence: Becoming
Authors: Gould Charlotte
Published: November 2023

Through my practice-based research and teaching, I take an expanded approach to drawing using tangible and digital media; drawing can be both process and product. It is unnecessary to polarize the tangible and digital as they are complementary and reflect a material and digital convergence that has taken place. I will refer to a case study of a research informed teaching project where the authors artwork ‘Chthulucene Hekateris’ is used as inspiration for students, to draw in order to observe, imagine, explore and communicate. Here, I speculate on human evolution as posthuman subjects in process to imagine what we are becoming. Drawing happens in physical and digital space and there is a fluidity and crossover between the two. Free movement between traditional and digital media builds confidence in both formats. Recent developments in Generative AI are not to be feared but rather seen as a potential tool for enhancement if used appropriately. It has limitations as authorship lies in agency, the user’s ability to make creative choices to impact on the outcome. Through this Green Screen project, students use mixed media to create an imagined future world and its inhabitants, human and otherwise.
Sketching as an external representation of thinking results and processes in education
Authors: Avotiņa Austra , Karlsone Inguna , Urdziņa-Deruma Māra , Celmiņa-Ķeirāne Austra
Published: November 2023

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of sketching in the fields of art, design and architecture, as well as education more generally. Sketching can play a unique role in promoting effective learning by helping to represent both concrete and abstract spatial relationships. This study aims to determine whether sketching is an advisable tool for expressing the results of human thinking in different situations of professional life, not only in art and design education but much more widely. The article uses an analytical examination of empirical material collected from eight interviews with experts to answer the following research questions: (1) is sketching an activity that can be classified as a mundane, methodical design-thinking technique? (2) Is sketching a hands-on exercise, necessary for a sense of freedom in the process of fixing thought, aimed at finding a creative solution in every new situation? and (3) should sketching be part of the educational process in all areas of teaching and science? The analytical findings offer a critical perspective and argue that sketching is a recommended and valuable tool for expressing the results of human creative thinking in different situations of professional life. The widespread impact of new digital technologies on the visualization of ideas compared to older, analogue visualization methods, as well as the increasing influence of artificial intelligence, creates a challenge to raise awareness of the need to use sketching in the educational process so that students can understand the role and importance of sketching in the creative and cognitive process as an essential tool for capturing thinking outcomes.
A Dynamic View of Hypothesis Generation in Abduction
Authors: Redmond Juan , Lopez Orellana Rodrigo
Published: November 2023

This paper explores our proposal’s conceptual depth and implications for the hypothesis generation as conditional. To do so, we will contrast it mainly with reading passages from one of the paradigmatic presentations of hypothesis generation: the work of C.S. Peirce. Indeed, in his work, the notion of hypothesis gains a relevant place from a logical point of view. In particular, we will focus on (i) showing that “hypothesis” in Peirce can hardly be identified with just a section of the rule that subsumes the surprising case and (ii) we will show that the proposed hypotheses generation as conditionals allows for a complementary and enlightening reading of his idea of abduction.
Sin ciencia no hay commons marino: bases legales que impulsan la investigación científica marina en la Zona
Authors: Jaimes Sánchez José Luis , Camarillo Cruz Beatriz
Published: November 2023

La Zona, como patrimonio común de la humanidad, es un sistema commons. Esta concepción establece la relación de la humanidad con los fondos marinos. La proliferación de las actividades marinas ha facilitado el acceso a los recursos, pero esto no implica un avance hacia el conocimiento preciso de la estructura y las limitaciones de este sistema. Sobre la base de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar, y desde la perspectiva ostromniana sobre los recursos de uso común, el artículo analiza algunos aspectos legales que inciden en el diseño institucional de las actividades en la Zona, concretamente en el desarrollo de las investigaciones científicas marinas. Del estudio se desprende que, de la misma forma en que la Autoridad Internacional de los Fondos Marinos impulsa los trabajos de reglamentación de las actividades de explotación para las próximas décadas, es necesario desarrollar, con el mismo énfasis y cuidado, un marco normativo que impulse las investigaciones científicas bajo los parámetros del commons marino.
Erasmus, Terminus és a hiányzó koponya
Authors: Petneházi Gábor
Published: November 2023

Erasmus az 1510-es évektől kezdődően használta személyes emblémaként Terminus római isten képmását és ehhez kapcsolódó, elhíresült személyes mottóját (concedo nulli), amelyek tudatosan alakított önreprezentációjának is részévé váltak, és – saját magyarázata szerint – egyfajta elmúlás-szimbólumnak tekintette azokat. A tanulmány Erasmus e különleges emblémához való tényleges, és a jelek szerint még a halálon is átnyúló viszonyát próbálja felfejteni életművének néhány szöveghelye, személyes tárgyai, valamint a róla készült képi ábrázolások segítségével.
„Farkas szőre színű szürke papírossal…”
Authors: Ajkay Alinka , Hargittay Emil
Published: November 2023

Balásfi Tamás, a szabadszájúságáról híres katolikus hitvitázó
1616-ban Pozsonyban jelentette meg csaknem 500 oldal terjedelmű írását
Csepregi iskola címen. Ezzel csatlakozik a néhány évvel korábbi
nyugat-magyarországi csepregi hitvitabokorhoz. Bár ellenfeleit szélesebb
körből meríti: a lutheránusokon kívül szót emel a kálvinisták és helyenként
az ariánusok nézetei ellen is. Írásában számos Pázmány Péter-műre is
hivatkozik, helyenként szó szerint vesz át belőlük idézeteket, s felfedi
Pázmány álnevét is (Szyl Miklós). Bár Balásfi műve nem tűnt el teljesen az
idők homályában, mintegy 25 példány maradt fenn belőle különböző
könyvtárakban, volt recepciója is, újabb kiadása is megjelent (Eger, 1775),
mégis, dolgozatunk az első részletesebb elemzése ennek a sok tekintetben
egyedülálló műnek.
Boccaccio és Christine de Pizan a híres nőalakokról
Authors: Tar Ibolya
Published: November 2023

Christine de Pizan igen termékeny író, egyben a feminista irodalom
egyik első képviselője. A nők védelmében írott La Cité des Dames című
művében antik auktorok, illetve Boccaccio több, női hősöket bemutató műve,
de főleg a De muleribus claris alapján válogat ki híres nőalakokat, de
szerepüket és sorsukat merőben másképp értelmezi, mint az előképként
szolgáló olasz humanista. A tanulmány bemutatja a La Cité des Dames
szerkezetét, invenciózus felépítését, majd Dido és Lucretia példáján
keresztül világítja meg Boccaccio és Christine de Pizan eltérő
megközelítését.
Unveiling the Power of Neuro-Linguistic Programming to Overcome Educational Hurdles in Lebanese Primary Schools
Authors: Chehabeddine Mouna , Abdo Hiba , Chehabeddine Hiba , Nasrallah Inaam , El-Kak Assem , Bou Assi Roula , Hatem Georges
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) constitutes a widely employed methodology of paramount importance in communication, personal development, and psychotherapy. Despite its status as a relatively recent and occasionally debated approach to communication and personal growth, the efficacy of NLP techniques in enhancing students' cognitive skills has been well-established. This effectiveness has precipitated an augmented adoption of NLP methodologies within educational settings.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess alterations in the strengths and difficulties experienced by elementary school students after participating in NLP sessions, with the overarching aim of enhancing their academic performance.

Methods: For this four-month research analysis, 128 participants, aged between 6 and 11, were enlisted from a private school in Lebanon. The paired T-test sample was deployed to scrutinize student behavior and academic performance outcomes before and after NLP intervention. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to discern relationships between various quantitative variables and the principal outcome measure, i.e., the total score per group. Variables with p-values below 0.05 were deemed statistically significant.

Results: After the intervention, the case group exhibited a higher proportion of females (62.0%) than the control group (55.8%). The results indicated a noteworthy decrease in post-intervention headaches, stomachaches, and overall unhappiness, depression, or tearfulness (controls=0.45, cases=0.31, p=0.018). A positive correlation was discerned between student age and emotional and conduct scores (0.101, 0.131, 0.109). Parents reported a reduction in instances of children frequently engaging in fights or bullying other children (cases=0.19, controls=0.31) without achieving statistical significance (p>0.05). The study highlighted an increase in the prevalence of substantial risks associated with clinically significant problems, particularly those related to peer interactions. A marginal reduction in bullying and fighting was observed.

Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of integrating NLP as a non-medical intervention within traditional medical treatment programs, particularly in the context of integrated pain management strategies. While the results exhibit promise, inquiries persist regarding the enduring efficacy of NLP interventions.
Toward a Gastronomic Criticism
Authors: Perullo Nicola
Published: November 2023

In this essay, Nicola Perullo proposes a different approach to gastronomic criticism through a new theory of taste, that is, an unconventional model of gustatory perception. I show that what is usually understood today as 'food criticism' is a distortion of it in terms of a mere exercise in reviews and ratings. This distortion is linked to a corresponding conception of the gustatory experience, where mainly, if not exclusively, sensible aspects referring to an objective and static conception of food are taken into account. As an alternative, I propose a haptic taste, that is, engaged and involved, processual and multisensory, as a model for a new kind of gastronomic criticism.
Bildung und Staunen
Authors: Stommel Theresa
Published: November 2023

Staunen ist Ergriffensein, ein Antworten auf ungeahnte Ansprüche und dessen Ausdruck. Im Staunen öffnen und weiten sich die Möglichkeiten, es retardiert die Erfahrung und schafft Zeiträume für Veränderungen. Theresa Stommel nutzt diese Zugänge, um auf das Problem mangelnder Bildung und unzureichender kultureller Teilhabe von Menschen mit geistiger und schwerer Behinderung zu antworten. Sie pointiert Bildung als Veränderungsprozess in der Erfahrung des Fremden mit kulturellen, ethischen und gesellschaftlichen Ansprüchen und begründet das Staunen als Phänomen, das Bildungsprozesse begleiten kann. Damit eröffnen sich frische bildungsphilosophische Perspektiven - und unbetretene Pfade in der Didaktik.
Wozu fasten?
Authors: Rumpf Antonia
Published: November 2023

Vom Heilfasten über den Verzicht auf Süßigkeiten bis hin zum Plastikfasten: Die Fastenzeit hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten wieder an Beliebtheit gewonnen und wird immer individueller gestaltet. Basierend auf Interviews gibt Antonia Rumpf erstmals einen qualitativ-empirischen Einblick in die große Vielfalt zeitgenössischer Fastenpraktiken und zeigt, was Menschen zum und beim Fasten bewegt. Sie identifiziert die Auseinandersetzung mit Prinzipien, die Hoffnung auf eine intensive Selbsterfahrung und die Suche nach Gemeinschaft als verbindende Elemente vieler Fastender - und bringt deren Erfahrungen mit praktisch-theologischer Theorie ins Gespräch.
Die umkämpfte Dublin-Verordnung
Authors: Lorenz David
Published: November 2023

Die Dublin-Verordnung als der zentrale Gesetzestext über die Verteilung der Zuständigkeit für Asylverfahren zwischen den Mitgliedstaaten wirft eine ganze Reihe von Fragen auf: Warum wurde sich für eine Regelung entschieden, die offensichtlich den Interessen der Asylsuchenden und denen der Mitgliedstaaten an den Außengrenzen widerspricht? Wie lassen sich die Krisen der Verordnung und ihre gleichzeitig hohe Kontinuität erklären? Und warum scheitern zehntausende Überstellungen durch den Widerstand der Asylsuchenden? David Lorenz rekonstruiert die Dublin-Verordnung und ihre Umsetzung als Resultat politischer, juristischer und gesellschaftlicher Kämpfe - deren Ergebnisse immer wieder neu ausgehandelt werden müssen.