bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
External Mechanical Work Versus Energy Expenditure During on-Court Tennis Drills in Elite Adolescent Tennis Players
Authors: Swarén Mikael , Sandamas Paul , Alonso Juan , Norman Magnus , Björklund Glenn , Johansson Fredrik
Published: September 2024

Purpose

Tennis demands exceptional technical skills, speed, strength and endurance. Previous studies have highlighted the high energy expenditure during tennis drills due to constant directional changes. While metabolic monitoring and player tracking have been used to quantify exercise intensity and movements, mechanical efficiency (ME) in tennis remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate ME in tennis by combining metabolic and mechanical measurements during on-court drills.

Methods

Ten elite adolescent tennis players (males n = 5, females n = 5) performed a VO2max test on a treadmill and participated in three standard tennis drills, Spanish cross, lateral and inside out. During the tennis drill, full-body kinematics were captured, and energy expenditure was measured using a portable breath-by-breath gas analysis. ME was calculated for each drill, and individual differences were examined.

Results

Results revealed significant differences in energy expenditure and mechanical work between drills. ME was not associated with VO2max or running speed. highlighting the need to focus on other factors like strength, footwork technique, and neuromuscular training to enhance ME.

Conclusion

This study underscores the complexity of ME in tennis, with individual variations and where factors like footwork technique, muscular strength and motor abilities might influence ME.
Diversification strategies for indirect real estate. Intersection of business, economics, and society in shanghai mixed-use developments
Authors: Valero Alfonso
Published: September 2024

This study examines the impact of large mixed-use developments on the financial performance of publicly listed real estate firms in Shanghai from 2009 to 2019. The research uses a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach, considering 14 key performance indicators (KPIs) across three categories: Corporate and Financial Information, Strategy Indicators, and Specifics of Mixed-Use Development. The article analyses the performance of large, listed investors on the Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore Stock Exchanges, providing insights into their evolution over the past decade. The literature review highlights the relationship between companies’ performance and corporate finance, capital structure, and financial ratios. It identifies an existing gap in research related to mixed-use assets and indirect real estate. By using the MCDM framework, the study evaluates these assets and provides actionable insights for global investors, asset managers, and developers, helping them make informed decisions in indirect real estate investment. The findings contribute to understanding investment strategy formation in dynamic real estate markets and support informed diversification and urban policy development. This paper offers a useful appraisal framework for future MCDM risk assessments, assisting stakeholders in navigating the complexities of the real estate landscape in one of the world’s foremost metropolitan hubs. It also offers recommendations and insights on best practices for global listed firms while providing a framework for future research in the field of property investment.
Decarceration in Southern Europe: Notes on Climate Change in the Penal Field
Authors: Brandariz José A.
Published: September 2024

Against the backdrop of the economic and political crises affecting Europe in the late 2000s and early 2010s, incarceration rates began to shrink in many European countries, ushering in a decarceration period that continues to this day—albeit with cross-border divergences. In fact, Europe was the world region with the greatest decline in incarceration rates in the 2010s. Evidently, this unexpected shift stands in stark contrast to the penal populism policies characterising penality in global north regions in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as to the mass incarceration path still followed by many global south jurisdictions in the 2020s. Spain is a suitable national case to examine this recent turn, since Spanish incarceration rates increased almost eightfold in just three decades, before an intriguing and steady decline began that is almost unparalleled in western Europe. This paper focuses on the Spanish case, exploring the background and proximate causes that have enabled the current decarceration scenario. In addition, it scrutinises if and to what extent the changes witnessed in the Spanish case reverberate across wider European regions. In so doing, the paper attempts to grasp the climate change impacting the penal field in many global north jurisdictions.
Multiple Goals for Biomass Residues in Circular Bioeconomies? Assessing Circularities and Carbon Footprints of Residue-Based Products
Authors: Olofsson Johanna
Published: September 2024

Biomass residues are often considered key in a reorientation towards circular bioeconomies, both by returning organic matter and nutrients to soils and by expanding the feedstock base for fossil-free products. Different indicators are available to assess progress towards circularity, but many available indicators and assessments seem to focus on product or material circularity, and lack in coverage of ecological or nutrient circularity. This study therefore applies both material and nutrient circularity indicators to two cases of residual biomass’ valorisation: plastics production from wheat straw, and jet fuel production from animal by-products, in order to better understand the potential of the different types of indicators to assess the circularities of bio-based products.

Both the studied production systems achieve approximately 50% material circularity in the base case, but the scores are significantly lower when upstream processes such as cultivation and animal husbandry are included. In the plastics case, the nutrient circularity scores are consistently lower than material circularity scores. The contribution to circularity from composting and recycling of different streams can be interpreted differently following the different types of circularities and, in addition, considering the potential climate impact of different strategies. This study shows that a combination of methods and indicators can shed light on different types of circularities and goals, but also that a wider discussion on what circularity may entail for biomass and biomass residues, and how it can be measured, is needed to develop useful indicators for bio-based circularity and circular bioeconomies.
Review of Nigeria’s renewable energy policies with focus on biogas technology penetration and adoption
Authors: Nwankwo Nnenna Cynthia , Madougou Saïdou , Inoussa Maman Maarouhi , Okonkwo Ebenezer , Derkyi Nana Sarfo Agyemang
Published: September 2024

The Nigeria Government through the Energy Commission of Nigeria has been promoting biomass as one of the renewable energy sources with little emphasis on biogas technology. These efforts were meant to encourage the adoption of alternate sources of energy and shift from traditional forms of energy like firewood which have devastating effects on the environment. A policy reviewed of was conducted and identified that Nigeria’s Energy Policy has no technology listed to aggregate and deploy biogas as a tool for Nigeria’s climate goals and enhance energy access. This study aims to investigate through scientific and policy review of how biogas technology penetration could be legislated in the Nigeria energy policy. Works of literatures reviewed (over 70 scientific articles) revealed that policy among other factors is prominent as the main caveat that limits the penetration of biogas technology in many developing countries including Nigeria. Social acceptance, awareness and availability of feedstock are also regarded as part of the challenges facing adopting biogas technology as an alternative clean energy source. The current study has also presented a strategic policy framework that could be considered for biogas policy adoption. In addition, the study has revealed that identification and appropriate stakeholder consultation is key to enhance achieving a holistic policy that fully supports biogas technology in Nigeria. The study has provided robust policy recommendations for deploying biogas technology in the Nigeria energy policy.
Novel approach for solving fractional partial differential equations using conformable Elzaki Transform
Authors: Elzaki Tarig M. , Ahmed Shams A.
Published: September 2024

This article discusses three different kinds of fractional partial differential equations (FPDEs) and how to solve them. First, a reformulation of the conformable fractional Elzaki Transform (ET) method is shown. The proposed methodology is then applied to the solution of three different types of FPDEs. The effectiveness and dependability of the proposed strategy are found to be validated by numerical simulations. We believe the provided strategy is very successful and straightforward to adapt of many types of FPDEs. This method is one of the completely new approaches for solving FPDEs because of its exceptional correctness and speed, which set it apart from other approaches.
Effect of surface roughness on friction and wear behavior of GCr15 bearing steel under different loads
Authors: Yuan Zhipeng , Jiang Zhiguo , Zhou Zhenyu , Wang Haidou , Li Jing , Cai Zhihai , Xing Zhiguo , Ding Cong , Piao Zhongyu
Published: September 2024

To investigate the effects of surface roughness and load on friction and wear behavior, Si3N4 balls and GCr15 bearing steel were selected as the rotating friction pair. The pin-on-disc wear test was carried out under different loads and surface roughness. The experimental results indicate that as the initial surface roughness of the GCr15 bearing steel specimen and applied load increase, the width and depth of the wear tracks also increase, and the wear resistance performance deteriorates. Correlation dimension D and enclosing radius R were used to characterize the running-in quality during the stabilization wear stage. The higher the correlation dimension and the smaller the enclosing radius, the better the running-in quality. The results show that when the initial surface roughness Rq is 0.009 μm, and the applied load is 40N, the corresponding correlation dimension is the highest, and the enclosing radius is the smallest, indicating the best running quality. Conversely, when the initial surface roughness is 1.192 μm, and the applied load is 20N, the corresponding correlation dimension is the smallest, and the enclosing radius is the largest, indicating the worst running-in quality. The running-in quality is related to the initial surface roughness, with lower initial surface roughness resulting in higher running-in quality. The effect of load on running-in quality is complex due to the complexity of the friction system.
Dementia caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of caregivers’ experiences
Authors: Pinto-Grau Marta , Blanco-Campal Alberto , Bramham Jessica
Published: September 2024

Objective:

To explore the lived experience of informal dementia caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed. Eight primary informal caregivers were recruited from a community mental health service for older people when attending in their role as caregiver of a service-user. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at home or in the clinic based on the participants’ convenience and preference. IPA was completed following Smith and colleagues framework for analysis.

Results:

Six group experiential themes, each with a number of subthemes, emerged from the cross-case interpretative analysis: the ambivalent experience of caregiving (subtheme: those complex emotional experiences); navigating lockdown: lived challenges and opportunities (subthemes: the pervasive fear, intensification of existing struggles, being prevented from caring for a loved one, and lockdown as a time for opportunity); transitioning out of lockdown (subthemes: regaining freedom, but restricted freedom after all and being in a lockdown of one’s own); the present with COVID-19, but mostly with dementia (subthemes: dementia, a disease that does not pause, and ‘takeaways’ from the journey); looking into the future (subthemes: embracing COVID-19 and the true needs); and a word on coping (subtheme: managing it all as best one can).

Conclusion:

Findings demonstrate the significance of the meaning caregivers ascribed to their experiences on their wellbeing and ability to cope in times of COVID-19 and thereafter. Gaining an understanding of the caregivers’ unique experiences is crucial to appreciate how to best support them.
Fluid–acoustic–structure resonance mechanism of a plane cascade via a low-speed wind tunnel test
Authors: Liu Rubing , Chen Zefan , Xue Shenghui , Lin Ruixin , Lin Qi
Published: September 2024

Acoustic resonance is an important factor that contributes to aeroengine compressor failure. In this study, a plane cascade of compressor blades was designed to reproduce acoustic resonance via a low-speed wind tunnel test. A high-frequency hot-wire, microphone and strain gauge were used to synchronously measure the fluid, acoustic and structural parameters. We analysed the variation in the amplitude and frequency of the multi-field parameters with increasing mean flow velocity and explored the multi-field interaction mechanism that induces the acoustic resonance of the plane cascade. The plane cascade effectively reproduced the acoustic resonance phenomenon. The first-order acoustic-mode frequency of the plane cascade flow duct, second-order torsional vibration mode frequency of the blade and shedding mode frequency of the tip clearance leakage vortex were equal under acoustic resonance. The fluid, acoustic and structural fields showed a strong interaction effect, achieving the maximum blade vibration amplitude and causing fatigue cracks of torsional vibration at the blade root. The frequency lock-in region of the compressor plane cascade was divided into an ‘acoustic–structure’ interaction region, a ‘fluid–acoustic–structure’ interaction region and a first-order acoustic-mode dominant region with increasing mean flow velocity, which demonstrates an interesting phenomenon in which the fluid–acoustic–structure modes compete: acoustic mode > blade vibration mode > vortex shedding mode. The results demonstrate a unique approach to the study of acoustic resonance that provides insight into the acoustic resonance mechanism in a cascade of compressor blades.
Effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention using simulation videos and encouragement of parental involvement for elementary school students
Authors: Li Shin-Rung , Chang Yen-Jung
Published: September 2024

This study aims to develop a nutrition education intervention to promote healthy eating, and to evaluate the effectiveness of this intervention on healthy eating knowledge, attitude and behaviour among elementary students. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two elementary schools in Taiwan. The intervention course design included simulation videos, lectures, and the after-school learning worksheet designed for parental involvement. A total of 4 courses along with 4 simulation videos were given to the intervention group. The four course themes were Sugar patrol, Balanced Diet during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Rainbow Fruit and Vegetables, and Smart Dine Out. The study recruited 35 3rd grade students for the intervention group and 30 for the control group. Data were collected from the pre- and post-test questionnaires. The nutrition intervention had significant effects on improving participants’ knowledge about tips for making healthy choices and the necessity of balanced diet, and on attitude toward healthy eating. There was no significant improvement in participants’ healthy eating behaviours. This nutrition education intervention, which utilized simulation videos and encouraged parental involvement, could be recommended for teaching practice in elementary schools to improve healthy eating knowledge and attitude among students.
Participatory clientelism: A socio-spatial approach to popular politics in Buenos Aires
Authors: Halvorsen Sam , Mauro Sebastián
Published: September 2024

What is the relationship between clientelism and political participation in popular urban neighborhoods? This article addresses the question based on qualitative research in two popular neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, drawing on participant observation and interviews with residents, activists, and party brokers. Adding to a growing literature on “participatory clientelism,” we argue for greater attention to the urban context through which this unfolds. To date, research into participatory clientelism has predominantly considered specific practices—participatory innovations or contentious politics—and been limited to the survival of the urban poor and the demand for political support by party brokers. While these are crucial practices, they are not exhaustive of the relations that sustain participatory clientelism, particularly in contexts of territorialized politics. Based on the socio-spatial approach of Henri Lefebvre, influential in urban studies, we define three interconnected dimensions of participatory clientelism and identify them in the cases under study.
Finding and sorting in hybrid memory practices: ‘doing memories’ in connection with the logic of Facebook
Authors: Ekelund Robin
Published: September 2024

This article investigates memory practices in connection with retrospective Facebook groups created for remembering specific aspects of the past. It focuses on how members of these groups experience and deal with how Facebook's interface and algorithms enable, shape, and interfere with memory practices. From this point of departure, the article discusses and nuances the idea that a ‘connective turn’ has brought with it an ontological shift in memory culture (Hoskins 2017a) and a ‘greying’ of memories (Hoskins and Halstead 2021). Theoretically, the article draws on Deborah Lupton's (2020) concept of ‘data selves’, which offers an account of how people interact with data and technology. This concept does not view data practices as immaterial but rather as material, corporeal, and affective, thus prompting an understanding of memory practices as hybrid processes where offline and online practices intersect (Gajjala 2019; Merrill forthcoming/2024). In this qualitative study, nine members of retrospective Facebook groups were chosen to participate in semi-structured interviews. The analysis explains the importance of viewing contemporary memory practices as hybrid, showing a greying effect within the affordances of Facebook that shapes both which memories are shared and how memories are shared. In addition, the analysis nuances the idea of an ontological shift in memory culture and the greying of memories by investigating how the interviewees’ deal and struggle with the affordances of the platform in their memory practices.
How social memory works on social media: A methodological framework
Authors: Ben-David Anat , Meyers Oren , Neiger Motti
Published: September 2024

Social media challenge several established concepts of memory research. In particular, the day-to-day mundane discourse of social media blur the essential distinction between commemorative and non-commemorative memory. We address these challenges by presenting a methodological framework that explores the dynamics of social memory on various social media. Our method combines top-down data mining with a bottom-up analysis tailored to each platform. We demonstrate the application of our approach by studying how the Holocaust is remembered in different corpora, including a dataset of 5.3 million Facebook posts and comments collected between 2015 and 2017 and a 5 million Tweets and Retweets dataset collected in 2021. We first identify the mnemonic agents initiating the discussion of the memory of the Holocaust and those responding to it. Second, we compare the macro-rhythms of Holocaust discourse on the two platforms, identifying peaks and mundane discussions that extend beyond commemorative occasions. Third, we identify distinctive language and cultural norms specific to the memorialization of the Holocaust on each platform. We conceptualize these dynamics as ‘Mnemonic Markers’ and discuss them as potential pathways for memory researchers who wish to explore the unique memory dynamics afforded by social media.
From Cadarese to Morasco: the creation of a Fascist hydroscape in alpine space after 1928
Authors: De Pretto Sebastian
Published: September 2024

This article explores the socio-ecological impacts of Fascist hydropower extraction in the Alpine valleys of Italy, focusing on the Toce river basin during the interwar period. It investigates the conflicts between local communities and hydropower initiatives by private energy companies under Fascism, thereby revealing the regime's communication strategies rooted in its political ecology. By analysing newspaper articles, propaganda outlets and communal archival documents, the study uncovers statal and local perspectives on infrastructure development and its enduring consequences. How the political ecology of Fascism in a high-altitude hydropower construction site became an expression of Fascist modernity will thereby be shown. Despite objections from valley inhabitants, Fascist hydropower projects persisted, perpetuating socio-ecological inequalities after 1945. Even postwar efforts for compensation failed to address the long-lasting impacts on mountain communities. This research reveals the intersection of political ecology and modernist infrastructure development in Mussolini's Italy, and thus also highlights the legacies of Fascist resource extraction policies on the country's peripheral Alpine regions.
Margery Kempe: Her Days and Ours
Authors: Hadshar Albert
Published: September 2024

Records and diaries of individuals, especially of such as this creature’ Margery, reveal both highlights and shadows, black chaos on either side of the mountains of youth. In this long-forgotten book of Margery Kempe the slightest innuendo, the merest agitation, the unbalanced phrase, the flicker of surprise each in its own allusive manner betrays some chosen subject for human enquiry and scholarship above all others and sweeter in the discovery than the gums and vineyards of Engaddi. Like Christina Mirabilis—the surprising character who lived two centuries before Margery—this burgher’s wife has been called the ‘Astounding’. The Philosopher’s happy phrase admiratio est delectationis causa may then be our invitation to share the medieval experiences of one whose delights were found in the homesteads, and on the pilgrim paths of the crumbling later Middle Ages when the youthful bloom of the thirteenth century was wellnigh a memory and the modern decay already growing.
Multiplicative dependence of rational values modulo approximate finitely generated groups
Authors: BÉRCZES ATTILA , BUGEAUD YANN , GYŐRY KÁLMÁN , MELLO JORGE , OSTAFE ALINA , SHA MIN
Published: September 2024

In this paper, we establish some finiteness results about the multiplicative dependence of rational values modulo sets which are ‘close’ (with respect to the Weil height) to division groups of finitely generated multiplicative groups of a number field K. For example, we show that under some conditions on rational functions
$f_1, \ldots, f_n\in K(X)$
, there are only finitely many elements
$\alpha \in K$
such that
$f_1(\alpha),\ldots,f_n(\alpha)$
are multiplicatively dependent modulo such sets.
Why does perceived parenting in adolescence predict maladaptive personality in adulthood? Evidence for substantial genetic mediation
Authors: Hobbs Kelsey A. , Wilson Sylia , Vrieze Scott I. , Roisman Glenn I. , McGue Matt , Krueger Robert F.
Published: September 2024

Why is parenting in adolescence predictive of maladaptive personality in adulthood? This study sets out to investigate environmental and genetic factors underlying the association between parenting and maladaptive personality longitudinally in a large sample of twins. The present study addressed this question via a longitudinal study focused on two cohorts of twins assessed on aspects of perceived parenting (parent- and adolescent-reported) at age 14 years (n =1,094 pairs). Participants were followed to adulthood, and maladaptive personality traits were self-reported using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) at age 24 or 34 years. We then modeled these data using a bivariate biometric model, decomposing parenting-maladaptive personality associations into additive genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors. Numerous domains of adolescent-reported parenting predicted adult maladaptive personality. Further, we found evidence for substantial additive genetic (r
a
ranging from 0.22 to 0.55) and (to a lesser extent) nonshared environmental factors (r
e
ranging from 0.10 to 0.15) that accounted for the association between perceived parenting reported in adolescence and adult personality. Perceived parenting in adolescence and maladaptive personality in adulthood may be related due to some of the same genetic factors contributing to both phenotypes at different developmental periods.
Muslims in Interwar Vienna: The Making and Failing of a Community
Authors: Nasr Omar T.
Published: September 2024

This article explores the making of a unified Muslim community in interwar Austria and its ultimate failure. It argues that while the Islamischer Kulturbund Wien represented a visionary idea which aimed at establishing a Muslim community, rooted in both faith and Austrian society, it ultimately remained the dream of only a select few individuals. The association succeeded in strategically positioning itself as the representative body of Muslims in Austria; however, due to a lack of commitment from its members and the rise of fascism in Austria, this early attempt to establish a unified Muslim community in Austria eventually failed. By incorporating unofficial sources in various languages, including private letters, oral history interviews, and newspapers, alongside official archival material, the article amplifies the voice, perspective and agency of key Muslim figures involved, allowing for a more fully developed understanding of the internal and external dynamics of Muslim activism in interwar Vienna.
Outliving an Empire: Mehmed Ziya, the Former Ottoman Bureaucrat, and His Pension Claim across Post-Ottoman Lebanon and Cyprus in the 1920s
Authors: Okan Orçun Can
Published: September 2024

This article examines how a former Ottoman bureaucrat claimed his retirement pension in interactions with state officials in post-Ottoman Turkey, Syria–Lebanon and Cyprus in the 1920s. Born in Cyprus in 1856 and in Ottoman state service for more than three decades until 1916, Mehmed Ziya had to make renewed efforts to continue receiving his pension until he died in 1936. His troubles were largely due to the need to reconfigure enduring links to the Ottoman state amidst state succession after the First World War. I focus mainly on the diplomatic and administrative correspondence generated by Ziya's initiatives to examine how he sought to address a pressing, quotidian problem. I stress that nationality, as a pivotal category in the reconfiguration of state–subject relations in former imperial domains, played a key role in shaping how Ziya outlived his empire.
What drives the growth of an open pension fund?
Authors: Chiesi Gian Marco , Valletta Mario , Zocchi Paola
Published: September 2024

This paper investigates the relationship between growth and quality of pension funds. It measures growth in terms of changes in the number of participants and cash flow transfers and appreciates the quality of the funds through the set of information on past results and costs published in the official prospectuses. The results show that growth rewards the best performing funds in the long term, while annual performance and costs have no relevance. Nevertheless, other factors, such as market power and commercial pressure, appear to be more powerful. The existence of conditions of market power capable of attracting investors beyond the actual quality of pension products is undesirable as it harms future pensioners. These results have implications for the Authority, as mandatory information should be suitable to induce investors to identify the best products and direct individual choices toward the public objective of a more efficient market.
An Adventure for All Ages: History, Post-Memory, and Romance in Tomasz Różycki's Twelve Stations
Authors: Wodzyński Łukasz
Published: September 2024

The article examines Tomasz Różycki’s 2004 mock epic Twelve Stations. The poem recounts an oneiric tale about a community of expatriates from Poland’s Eastern Borderlands who send their grandson on a mission to assemble a scattered family and guide it to their lost homeland in today’s Ukraine. Revolving around the issues of memory, post-memory, and nostalgia, Twelve Stations draws heavily from the adventure tradition to present a fresh perspective on modern Poland’s founding myths: the loss of Borderlands and settling the post-German territories in the West. Reading the poem in the context of cultural memory studies and focusing on the author’s deployment of adventure tropes and patterns, the article argues that Różycki’s poetic tale de-politicizes the existing narratives affixed to forced resettlements by weaving them with various strands of popular romance. In doing so, the poem imagines a collective act of “working through” the trans-generational trauma resulting from physical and cultural uprooting. Różycki’s inventive use of the form demonstrates that adventure narratives can be effective vessels of cultural memory, capable of repurposing elements of official narratives and nostalgic imagination to initiate more constructive and future-oriented identity-building processes.
Why Was Lina Shtern Not Executed? An Academic's Strategy of Survival in the Late Stalinist Period
Authors: Mayofis Maria
Published: September 2024

The Soviet physiologist Lina Solomonovna Shtern (1875—1968) was the only defendant in the trial against the Jewish Antifascist Committee who was not sentenced to death; the circumstances surrounding the court’s leniency toward her have long remained unknown. Shtern was sentenced to five years in exile and even her belongings were not confiscated. Her story has become the stuff of legends and much speculation. My paper reconstructs the particular circumstances surrounding the court’s decision to give Shtern a more lenient sentence and considers how the politics of science in the late 1940s and early 1950s could have influenced this decision and helped Shtern elaborate her own strategy of survival. I argue that the main reason for sparing Shtern’s life was her essay “On Cancer” written in the prison cell in the late 1951—early 1952. My work is based on a careful analysis of documents from Shtern’s personal archive and of the context of Soviet and North American medicine.
The Invasion of Ukraine, the Quest for a Multipolar World, and Russia's Civilizational Appeal to the Global South
Authors: Chatterjee Choi , Petrone Karen
Published: September 2024

Scholars in this forum analyze how major nations in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America have reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Why have China, South Africa, Turkey, India, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and even Saudi Arabia among others failed to condemn the brutal Russian invasion and have continued to trade with Russia? Are these initiatives simply a replay of the Non-Aligned Movement of the Cold War Era or do they mark a substantial new reorientation in world politics? This forum appears in a hybrid format; two essays by Thomas Loyd and Katherine Stoner appear here in print. In addition, there is an online forum at https://aseees.org/slavicreview/discussion/ukraine-war-global-south/ featuring short contributions from David Engerman and Sandeep Bhardwaj on India, Chia Yin Hsu on China, Mark Katz on the Middle East, and, Daniela Secches on Brazil.
Applying Cross-Validated Psychometric Models to the Bavarian Reading Test (BYLET)
Authors: Barbara Kraus Elisabeth , Wild Johannes , Bühner Markus , Schilcher Anita , Hilbert Sven
Published: September 2024

Abstract: In this study, we compared three different models of reading comprehension on a large dataset of more than 6,500 students. We compared two models representing four comprehension processes as well as the influence of text difficulty to a one-factor model by applying multi-dimensional item response models to the newly developed Bavarian reading test (BYLET). Cross-validation indicated the best generalizability for the one-factor model, but factor loadings and global model fit showed some evidence for the influence of text difficulty measured by word and sentence length and the process structure. All psychometric models tested had a good fit, as indicated by global fit indices and loading patterns. The general factor scores point to reliability and validity. We conclude that theories of reading comprehension processes also apply to some extent to the measurement of reading comprehension as a trainable skill and that the general factor score of the BYLET is suitable for a reading comprehension screening between grades two and six. The study is preregistered. The analysis code is available at https://osf.io/xw9bv/?view_only=21549993ef79426eb4006ef82415f25c . Test materials can be sent to interested researchers on request.
Seasonal Predictability of Bottom Temperatures Along the North American West Coast
Authors: Xu Tongtong , Newman Matthew , Alexander Michael A. , Capotondi Antonietta
Published: September 2024

Bottom Temperature anomalies (BTA) along the North American West Coast strongly influence benthic and demersal marine species. However, to date seasonal BTA forecast efforts have been limited and sources of BTA predictability largely undiagnosed. Here, an empirical model called a Linear Inverse Model (LIM), constructed from a high‐resolution ocean reanalysis, is developed to predict North American West Coast BTAs and diagnose sources of predictive skill. The LIM is considerably more skillful than damped persistence, particularly in winter, with anomaly correlation (AC) skill values of 0.6 at 6‐month lead. Analysis of the LIM's dynamics shows that elevated BTA forecast skill is linked to developing El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, driving predicted BTA responses whose peaks occur at longer leads with increasing latitude. Weaker ENSO‐related signals in the northern coastal region still yield high BTA skill because noise there is also weaker. Likewise, the LIM's forecast signal‐to‐noise ratio is highest for bathymetry depths of ∼50–150 m, maximizing forecast skill there. Together, these predictive components lead to “forecasts of opportunity” when LIM anticipates especially high prediction skill. For the top 20% of events identified by the LIM as the forecasts of opportunity, 6‐month lead BTA hindcasts have AC skill averaging 0.7, while the remaining 80% hindcasts have mean skill of only 0.4, suggesting that the LIM can leverage ENSO‐related predictability of BTA to produce skillful forecasts.
Seasonal Patterns, Inter‐Annual Variability, and Long‐Term Trends of Mean Sea Level Along the Western Iberian Coast and the North Atlantic Islands
Authors: Biguino Beatriz , Haigh Ivan D. , Antunes Carlos , Lamas Luísa , Tel Elena , Dias João Miguel , Brito Ana C.
Published: September 2024

Sea level rise is challenging for coastal communities and land management decision makers. Understanding the patterns of regional variations at different temporal and spatial scales is key to implement adaptation plans that mitigate the local impacts of sea level rise. In this study, in situ observations from 14 tide gauges were complemented with satellite altimetry data to assess seasonality, multidecadal variability and long‐term trends in mean sea level around the Western Iberian Coast (WIC) and the Portuguese archipelagos (Azores and Madeira). Results show varying spatial seasonal patterns between regions, with minimum (maximum) sea level observed in April (September) at the islands and minimum (maximum) observed in July (November) at the WIC. The influence of coastal upwelling on the seasonal mean sea level variations was detected over mainland. Although the influence of atmospheric patterns was observed on sea level inter‐annual variability, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) showed a greater correlation with the sea level inter‐decadal patterns. Finally, the trend analysis confirmed widespread sea level rise along the mainland and around the islands, which has intensified in recent decades. The regions of La Coruña and Cascais showed trends that were similar to the global average sea level rise since 1993, but the mainland regional average pointed to lower rates of rise (2.00 ± 0.06 mm/year). This work reinforces the need for long‐term monitoring networks of sea level, ensuring the vertical stability of instruments and platforms. The implementation of regional adaptation plans to sea level rise is deeply dependent on high quality information.
Decade‐Long Ozone Profile Record From Suomi NPP OMPS Limb Profiler: Assessment of Version 2.6 Data
Authors: Kramarova N. A. , Xu P. , Mok J. , Bhartia P. K. , Jaross G. , Moy L. , Chen Z. , Frith S. , DeLand M. , Kahn D. , Labow G. , Li J. , Nyaku E. , Weaver C. , Ziemke J. , Davis S. , Jia Y.
Published: September 2024

We evaluate a decadal ozone profile record derived from the Suomi National Polar‐orbiting Partnership (SNPP) Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Limb Profiler (LP) satellite instrument. In 2023, the OMPS LP data were re‐processed with the new version 2.6 retrieval algorithm that combines measurements from the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) parts of the spectra. It employs the second order Tikhonov regularization to retrieve a single vertical ozone profile between 12.5 km (or cloud tops) and 57.5 km with a vertical resolution of about 1.9–2.5 km between 20 and 55 km. The algorithm uses radiances measured at six UV ozone‐sensitive wavelengths (295, 302, 306, 312, 317, and 322 nm) paired with 353 nm, and one VIS wavelength at 606 nm combined with 510 and 675 nm to form a triplet. Each wavelength pair or triplet is used over a limited range of tangent altitudes where the sensitivity to ozone change is strongest. A new aerosol correction scheme was implemented based on a gamma‐function particle size distribution. In addition, numerous calibration changes that affected ozone retrievals were applied to measured LP radiances, including updates in altitude registration, radiometric calibration, stray light, and spectral registration. The key version 2.6 enhancement is the improved stability of the LP ozone record confirmed by the reduction in relative drifts between LP ozone and correlative measurements, linked previously to a drift in the version 2.5 LP altitude registration.
Coupling Soil Erosion and Sediment Transport Processes With the Variable Infiltration Capacity Model (VIC‐SED) for Applications Suitable With Coarse Spatial and Temporal Resolutions
Authors: Xie Xianhong , Liang Xu
Published: September 2024

Understanding soil erosion and sediment transport from the hillslope scale to the regional scale is crucial for studies on water quality, soil‐water conservation, the lateral carbon cycle, environmental zoning and vulnerability. However, most existing erosion and sediment transport models are only applicable at the hillslope scale or for small watersheds with fine spatial resolutions (typically much less than 1 km). This study presents a process‐based soil erosion and sediment transport model for model applications designed for applications with coarse spatial (e.g., ≥10 km) and temporal (e.g., from hourly to daily) resolutions. This new model, referred to as VIC‐SED, effectively accounts for interactions between erosion and hydrological processes. This is achieved by tightly coupling the erosion processes with a hydrologically based Three‐layer Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC‐3L) land surface model (LSM) and to a multi‐scale routing (MSR) model. VIC‐SED considers the impacts of (a) the spatio‐temporal variability of rainfall intensity on erosion processes and (b) soil moisture on the soil detachment process. VIC‐SED is evaluated in two watersheds. Results demonstrate that VIC‐SED is capable of reproducing water and suspended sediment discharges at coarse spatial resolutions and varying temporal scales varying from 15‐min to daily intervals. Our study indicates that the VIC‐SED model is a promising tool for studying and assessing the impacts of climate and land cover changes on suspended sediment yields over large regions using coarse spatial and temporal resolutions.
Efficient generation of 1O2 by activating peroxymonosulfate on graphitic carbon nanoribbons for water remediation
Authors: Tang Weijiang , Wang Zhengjie , Guo Sheng , Chen Rong , Chen Fengxi
Published: September 2024

Few-layer graphitic carbon nanoribbons (GCN) with rich defective sites were prepared by pyrolysis at 800 oC in N2 of in situ-chelated Fe-polyaniline complexes synthesized via one-pot homogeneous Fenton-like oxidative polymerization of an acidic aniline solution. A minimal amount of iron (0.47 wt%) made a pivotal role in the nanoribbon growth and graphitization of GCN, and deposited highly dispersed iron species on GCN without post-synthesis acid leaching, which greatly simplified the synthesis procedure of GCN with improved yield. GCN exhibited high activity and stability for catalytic degradation of organic pollutants with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) mainly via non-radical pathways. The influences of various operating parameters on the catalytic performance of GCN were investigated. Scavenging tests, spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance spectra, electrochemical analyses, and theoretical calculations unveiled that 1O2 was the main reactive oxygen species generated from synergistic activation of PMS on GCN while GCN-mediated electron transfer made a minor contribution to organic degradation.
MITF regulates IDH1, NNT, and a transcriptional program protecting melanoma from reactive oxygen species
Authors: Roider Elisabeth , Lakatos Alexandra I. T. , McConnell Alicia M. , Wang Poguang , Mueller Alina , Kawakami Akinori , Tsoi Jennifer , Szabolcs Botond L. , Ascsillán Anna A. , Suita Yusuke , Igras Vivien , Lo Jennifer A. , Hsiao Jennifer J. , Lapides Rebecca , Pál Dorottya M. P. , Lengyel Anna S. , Navarini Alexander , Okazaki Arimichi , Iliopoulos Othon , Németh István , Graeber Thomas G. , Zon Leonard , Giese Roger W. , Kemeny Lajos V. , Fisher David E.
Published: September 2024

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of melanocyte function, development and plays a significant role in melanoma pathogenesis. MITF genomic amplification promotes melanoma development, and it can facilitate resistance to multiple therapies. Here, we show that MITF regulates a global antioxidant program that increases survival of melanoma cell lines by protecting the cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage. In addition, this redox program is correlated with MITF expression in human melanoma cell lines and patient-derived melanoma samples. Using a zebrafish melanoma model, we show that MITF decreases ROS-mediated DNA damage in vivo. Some of the MITF target genes involved, such as IDH1 and NNT, are regulated through direct MITF binding to canonical enhancer box (E-BOX) sequences proximal to their promoters. Utilizing functional experiments, we demonstrate the role of MITF and its target genes in reducing cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS. Collectively, our data identify MITF as a significant driver of the cellular antioxidant state.
Genome-wide assessment of population structure and association mapping for agronomic and grain nutritional traits in proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.)
Authors: Vetriventhan Mani , Upadhyaya Hari D. , Deshpande Santosh , Johnson Matthew S. , Wallace Jason G. , Victor Allan , Naresh D. , Rayaprolu Laavanya , Singh Kuldeep , Mayes Sean
Published: September 2024

Proso millet is an important but under-researched and underutilized crop with the potential to become a future smart crop because of its climate-resilient features and high nutrient content. Assessing diversity and marker-trait associations are essential to support the genomics-assisted improvement of proso millet. This study aimed to assess the population structure and diversity of a proso millet diversity panel and identify marker-trait associations for agronomic and grain nutrient traits. In this study, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified by mapping raw genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data onto the proso millet genome, resulting in 5621 quality-filtered SNPs in 160 diverse accessions. The modified Roger's Distance assessment indicated an average distance of 0.268 among accessions, with the racemiliaceumexhibiting the highest diversity andovatumthe lowest. Proso millet germplasm diversity was structured according to geographic centers of origin and domestication. Genome-wide association mapping identified 40 marker-trait associations (MTAs), including 34 MTAs for agronomic traits and 6 for grain nutrients; 20 of these MTAs were located within genes. Favourable alleles and phenotypic values were estimated for all MTAs. This study provides valuable insights into the population structure and diversity of proso millet, identified marker-trait associations, and reported favourable alleles and their phenotypic values for supporting genomics-assisted improvement efforts in proso millet.
Exploring the synergy of logistics, finance, and technology on innovation
Authors: Wang Chunfang , Rahman Md. Mominur , Siddik Abu Bakkar , Wen Zheng Guang , Sobhani Farid Ahammad
Published: September 2024

As global environmental challenges intensify, manufacturing firms face increasing pressure to innovate sustainably. Green innovation, characterized by the development of environmentally friendly products, processes, and technologies, has become essential for firms striving to remain competitive. This study aims to investigate the influence of key factors—green logistics, green finance, and green technology—on green innovation within manufacturing firms, while exploring the mediating role of green technology in these relationships. A multi-method approach was employed, combining partial least squares structural equation modeling, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, and necessity condition analysis. 447 responses were collected from manufacturing companies in Dhaka city, Bangladesh, using structured questionnaires. The analysis revealed that green logistics and green finance have a significant positive impact on green innovation, while the influence of the green work environment was found to be positive but statistically insignificant. Additionally, green technology was identified as a significant mediator in the relationships between green finance, green logistics, and green innovation. This study offers a comprehensive green innovation model while green technology is a mediator. Furthermore, this study advances the resource-based view theory by integrating green technology as a pivotal resource that enhances a firm's competitive advantage in sustainable markets. By adopting a multi-method approach, this research provides a rigorous examination of the research questions, offering a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interactions between green finance, green logistics, and green technology in driving innovation. Thus, this research has thought provoking implications to prioritize investments in green finance, logistics, and technology, manufacturing firms can enhance their competitiveness, improve operational efficiency, and meet evolving environmental regulations and consumer preferences.