bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peningkatan Kemampuan Berhitung Anak Usia Dini Melalui Bermain Congkak di Taman Kanak-Kanak Islam Al-Ishlah Bukittinggi
Authors: Bimas Saputra Ebit , Asnida Asnida
Published: January 2023

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to describe the improvement in the ability to say the order of numbers from one to twenty, the ability to recognize the concept of numbers and symbols of numbers, and the ability to classify the concepts of equal and unequal numbers, many and few, using congkak. The type used is classroom action research. Data collection techniques, namely observation and documentation, data collection tools using observation guidelines. The findings from research show that playing with congkak can improve children's numeracy skills in naming numbers from one to twenty, recognize the concept of numbers and number symbols, and classify the concepts of equal and unequal numbers, many and few. It is suggested to educators to be able to use the method of playing by using congkak in improving children's numeracy skills.

Abstrak: Tujuan penelitian ini mendeskripsikan peningkatan kemampuan menyebutkan urutan bilangan satu sampai dua puluh, kemampuan mengenal konsep bilangan dan lambang bilangan, dan kemampuan mengelompokkan konsep bilangan sama dan tidak sama, banyak dan sedikit, dengan menggunakan congkak. Jenis yang digunakan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas. Teknik pengumpulan data yaitu observasi dan dokumentasi, alat pengumpulan data menggunakan pedoman observasi. Temuan dari penelitian bahwa bermain dengan menggunakan congkak dapat meningkatkan kemampuan berhitung anak dalam menyebutkan urutan bilangan satu sampai dua puluh, mengenal konsep bilangan dan lambang bilangan, dan mengelompokkan konsep bilangan sama dan tidak sama, banyak dan sedikit. Disarankan kepada pendidik agar dapat menggunakan metode bermain dengan menggunakan congkak dalam meningkatkan kemampuan berhitung anak.
Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Pada Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit Bandung
Authors: Sari Suryani Ratna , Agustina Granit , Komar Priatna Deden , Lusiana Yulianti Maria
Published: January 2023

Abstract: This study aims to examine the effect of leadership style on employee performance at Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit Bandung. The variables tested in this study consist of leadership style and employee performance. This research method is a descriptive and verification method using a quantitative approach and is grouped in causal research. The population and sample in this study were 37 employees of Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit Bandung. Samples were determined using Saturated Sampling. The data used is primary data collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and literature. To measure the influence of these variables, simple linear regression and the coefficient of determination are used with the help of the SPSS 25 computer application program. Based on the results of data analysis using statistical methods, namely simple linear regression, the coefficient of determination (KD) is 56.9% with a value correlation coefficient of 0.755. Based on these results it can be concluded that leadership style has a positive effect on employee performance at Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit.

Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan terhadap kinerja karyawan pada Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit Bandung. Variabel yang diuji dalam penelitian ini terdiri dari gaya kepemimpinan, dan kinerja karyawan. Metode penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dan verifikatif dengan menggunakann pendekatan kuantitatif serta dikelompokkan dalam penelitian kausal. Populasi dan sampel dalam penelitian ini adalah karyawan Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit Bandung sebanyak 37 karyawan. Sampel ditentukan dengan menggunakan Sampling Jenuh. Data yang di gunakan adalah data primer yang di kumpulkan melalui observasi, wawancara, angket (kuesioner), dan kepustakaan. Untuk mengukur besarnya pengaruh variabel tersebut di gunakan regresi linier sederhana dan koefisien determinasi dengan bantuan program aplikasi komputer SPSS 25. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data dengan menggunakan metode statistik yaitu regresi liner sederhana, di peroleh nilai koefisien determinasi (KD) sebesar 56,9% dengan nilai koefesien korelasi sebesar 0,755. Berdasarkan hasil tersebut dapat di simpulkan bahwa gaya kepemimpinan berpengaruh positif terhadap Kinerja karyawan pada Wisma Pendawa Ciumbuleuit.
Properties of Flare-imminent versus Flare-quiet Active Regions from the Chromosphere through the Corona. II. Nonparametric Discriminant Analysis Results from the NWRA Classification Infrastructure (NCI)
Authors: Leka K. D. , Dissauer Karin , Barnes Graham , Wagner Eric L.
Published: January 2023

A large sample of active-region-targeted time-series images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), the AIA Active Region Patch database (Paper I) is used to investigate whether parameters describing the coronal, transition region, and chromospheric emission can differentiate a region that will imminently produce a solar flare from one that will not. Parameterizations based on moment analysis of direct and running-difference images provide for physically interpretable results from nonparametric discriminant analysis. Across four event definitions including both 24 hr and 6 hr validity periods, 160 image-based parameters capture the general state of the atmosphere, rapid brightness changes, and longer-term intensity evolution. We find top Brier Skill Scores in the 0.07–0.33 range, True Skill Statistics in the 0.68–0.82 range (both depending on event definition), and Receiver Operating Characteristic Skill Scores above 0.8. Total emission can perform notably, as can steeply increasing or decreasing brightness, although mean brightness measures do not, demonstrating the well-known active-region size/flare productivity relation. Once a region is flare productive, the active-region coronal plasma appears to stay hot. The 94 Å filter data provide the most parameters with discriminating power, with indications that it benefits from sampling multiple physical regimes. In particular, classification success using higher-order moments of running-difference images indicate a propensity for flare-imminent regions to display short-lived small-scale brightening events. Parameters describing the evolution of the corona can provide flare-imminent indicators, but at no preference over “static” parameters. Finally, all parameters and NPDA-derived probabilities are available to the community for additional research.
Kilonovae and Optical Afterglows from Binary Neutron Star Mergers. II. Optimal Search Strategy for Serendipitous Observations and Target-of-opportunity Observations of Gravitational Wave Triggers
Authors: Zhu Jin-Ping , Wu Shichao , Yang Yuan-Pei , Liu Chang , Zhang Bing , Song Hao-Ran , Gao He , Cao Zhoujian , Yu Yun-Wei , Kang Yacheng , Shao Lijing
Published: January 2023

In the second work of this series, we explore the optimal search strategy for serendipitous and gravitational-wave-triggered target-of-opportunity (ToO) observations of kilonovae and optical short-duration gamma-ray burst (sGRB) afterglows from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers, assuming that cosmological kilonovae are AT2017gfo-like (but with viewing-angle dependence) and that the properties of afterglows are consistent with those of cosmological sGRB afterglows. A one-day cadence serendipitous search strategy with an exposure time of ∼30 s can always achieve an optimal search strategy of kilonovae and afterglows for various survey projects. We show that the optimal detection rates of the kilonovae (afterglows) are ∼0.3/0.6/1/20 yr−1 (∼50/60/100/800 yr−1) for Zwicky the Transient Facility (ZTF)/Multi-channel Photometric Survey Telescope (Mephisto)/Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST)/Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), respectively. A better search strategy for SiTian than the current design is to increase the exposure time. In principle, a fully built SiTian can detect ∼7(2000) yr−1 kilonovae (afterglows). Population properties of electromagnetic (EM) signals detected by serendipitous observations are studied in detail. For ToO observations, we predict that one can detect ∼11 yr−1 BNS gravitational wave (GW) events during the fourth observing run (O4) by considering an exact duty cycle of the third observing run. The median GW sky localization area is expected to be ∼10 deg2 for detectable BNS GW events. For O4, we predict that ZTF/Mephisto/WFST/LSST can detect ∼5/4/3/3 kilonovae (∼1/1/1/1 afterglows) per year, respectively. The GW detection rates, GW population properties, GW sky localizations, and optimistic ToO detection rates of detectable EM counterparts for BNS GW events at the Advanced Plus, LIGO Voyager, and ET&CE eras are detailedly simulated in this paper.
First reliable report of the Nassarius sinarum (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Korea as an invasive species
Authors: Cho Sungha , Yang Inho , Khim Jong Seong , Park Jinsoon
Published: January 2023

Two live specimens of the mud snail, Nassarius sinarum, was collected from the Yeongsan River estuary in Jeollanam-do, Korea, during June 2022. The species was identified based on its morphology and DNA barcoding.

Morphological descriptions and photographs of N. sinarum were used to verify its occurrence in Korean waters as an invasive species. The species is characteristic in its axial ribs, which weaken towards the outer lip. Molecular analysis of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene showed that the specimen belonged to N. sinarum with 98.48–99.69% sequence similarity. The new Korean name of “No-lan-jul-job-ssal-mu-nui-go-dung; 노란줄좁쌀무늬고둥” was proposed for the species.
Deliverable D4.1 Overall communication strategy, including an outline of the SHOWCASE narrative
Authors: Velado-Alonso Elena , Bartomeus Ignasi , Keini Kira , Chithathur Suresh , Sapundzhieva Anna , Korcheva Alexandra , Kleijn David
Published: January 2023

Communication and dissemination are key elements to maximise SHOWCASE project impact and ensure long‐term effects. For that, an effective communication strategy is essential to convey the principles and best practices to integrate biodiversity in farm management to favour farmers’ livelihoods while promoting conservation in agricultural landscapes. Current discourses around biodiversity, nature conservation and farming are contradictory with each other and not always engaging for SHOWCASE stakeholders. Thus, an inspirational narrative has been developed in the first months of the project by WP4 “Communicating the benefits of agrobiodiversity through multistakeholder knowledge exchange”, task 4.1. SHOWCASE narrative explains in an effective manner 1) why people care about biodiversity; 2) what we can do, and; 3) how we can do it better.
Ancient settlements as natural heritage sites: the first occurrence dataset on vascular plant species from ancient settlements in the Lower Dnipro region (Ukraine)
Authors: Dayneko Polina , Moysiyenko Ivan , Sudnik-Wójcikowska Barbara , Dembicz Iwona , Zachwatowicz Maria , Skobel Nadiia
Published: January 2023

This work is a long-term outcome of an international Ukrainian-Polish teamwork, aiming to assess the role of ancient settlements for steppe conservation and protection. The dataset contains georeferenced occurrences of vascular plant species on 18 ancient settlements (Lower Dnipro, southern Ukraine), collected during the 2015-2020 period. Additionally, to the total species list, the publication presents the taxonomic coverage (according to GBIF Backbone Taxonomy), the frequency classes of occurrences of the total taxa and the floristic differences amongst studied sites. The report also shows the high sozological value of the studied ancient settlements, the high levels of vascular plant species richness and the various means of the plant species protection (according to the Bern Convention, the Red Data Book of Ukraine and regional Red Lists).

This work provides the first occurrence dataset from ancient settlements in Ukraine. The dataset includes 3,210 occurrences of vascular plants recorded during the study period of 2015-2020 conducted in the Lower Dnipro region. As ancient settlements were generally considered as steppe refuges, great attention was paid to the native steppe species, as well as to the rare components of the flora. The dataset includes 1,525 occurrences of steppe species and 87 occurrences of rare species, respectively. The dataset could be useful for further research of ancient settlements` floristic richness, but also analyses and comparison with other objects of cultural origin (e.g. kurgans, hillforts, old cemeteries, forgotten parks, sacred groves etc.).
1. Richard Cantillon: Last of the Premoderns
Authors: Gaul Michael
Published: January 2023

Contrairement à la plupart des commentateurs qui soulignent la modernité de Cantillon, cet article le perçoit comme un théoricien prémoderne. Selon l’article, l’ Essai de Cantillon reformule la cause populationniste en tant que pur problème d’allocation, ses éléments incontestablement modernes servant de dispositifs soit pour poser ce problème, soit pour le résoudre. Puisque ce problème repose sur le postulat d’une absence complète de progrès technique, il aboutit par conséquent à une conception typiquement prémoderne de l’histoire. Tandis que les lectures ‘modernisantes’ de l’ Essai ont tendance à mettre en avant la continuité entre Cantillon et les physiocrates, la lecture ‘historicisante’ proposée ici permet de déceler une profonde rupture. Classification JEL : B11, B31
Le lean healthcare , de la stratégie à l’opérationnalisation
Authors: Zaghmouri Noura
Published: January 2023

L’article présenté porte sur une pratique managériale issue du supply chain management au sein des hôpitaux, le lean healthcare . La revue de littérature explore la transposition du lean au sein des organisations de santé. Si l’état de l’art révèle des difficultés de mise en œuvre et une application souvent limitée à quelques services, un retour aux principes développés par les fondateurs de la méthode met en exergue l’importance d’aligner son opérationnalisation sur la stratégie définie au sommet de l’organisation, principe clé appelé Hoshin Kanri. C’est ainsi que le lean peut s’inscrire comme une démarche systémique portée par l’ensemble des acteurs de l’organisation. À partir de la question de recherche suivante : comment le lean healthcare peut s’inscrire dans une dimension stratégique orientée vers la valeur perçue par le patient ?, nous ambitionnons de préciser l’opérationnalisation de l’approche en lien avec la stratégie. Le terrain qui porte notre recherche est un groupe hospitalier situé au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg dont les dirigeants se sont engagés dans le déploiement du lean healthcare . Une équipe d’experts lean a été constituée, dédiée à soutenir méthodologiquement les professionnels de l’établissement dans la mise en œuvre de chantiers Kaizen 1 , ou projets d’amélioration lean . À partir d’une étude de cas menée lors d’un chantier Kaizen au sein d’un service de gériatrie confronté à d’importantes difficultés organisationnelles sources d’un épuisement des professionnels, nous souhaitons identifier les modalités et les mécanismes de mise en œuvre du lean healthcare à partir d’un ancrage stratégique. Les investigations s’inscrivent dans une triangulation des sources de données associant entretiens semi-directifs, observations et analyse documentaire visant à retracer la mise en œuvre du lean . Les entretiens retranscrits sont ensuite soumis à un codage multithématique. Les résultats mettent en évidence les impacts d’un alignement stratégique de l’opérationnalisation du lean sur l’engagement de la direction, la mobilisation des professionnels et in fine sur les améliorations obtenues. La discussion permet de revenir sur la teneur de la stratégie lean prônant une initiation de l’approche au sommet des organisations puis une déclinaison progressive pour une mise en œuvre au niveau opérationnel.
Toward achieving zero-emissions in European Union countries: The contributions of trade and overseas direct investments in consumption-based carbon emissions
Authors: Osabuohien-Irabor Osarumwense , Drapkin Igor M.
Published: January 2023

To achieve the ideal emissions reduction goals, several studies have suggested that carbon emissions should be examined in the framework of both territorial and consumption-based emissions. Nevertheless, the European Union (EU) SDGs targets aimed at mitigating carbon emissions based on the United Nation (UN) Kyoto Protocol structure, only appears to be concerned with the reduction of territorial-based emissions whilst emissions embodied on imported goods and services receive very little attention. To this end, this study examines the contributions of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and disaggregate trade flows toward consumption-based sustainability in twenty-one (21) EU countries for the period 1995–2019. The study utilizes the STIRPAT model (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology) and battery of advanced econometric techniques such as the Cross-Sectional Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL), Common Correlated Effects (CCE) and the Cross-Sectional Distributed Lags (CS-DL) to examine the short-and long-run dynamics of OFDI and trade on consumption-based emissions. Finding reveals that EU exports and OFDI spillover reduces consumption-based emission, whilst import of goods and services promote emissions both in the short-run and long-run. This suggests that the progress report on carbon emissions reduction for most EU countries under the greenhouse gas accounting systems are merely carbon emissions outsourced to low-income countries whilst consumption-based emission continues to increase. These findings are robust to several econometric problems with set of policy implications provided for policymakers and governments to formulate more efficient strategies toward the mitigation of consumption-based carbon emissions among EU countries.
The correlation between severe complications and blood group types in COVID-19 patients; with possible role of T polyagglutination in promoting thrombotic tendencies
Authors: Dobie Gasim , Abutalib Sarah , Sadifi Wafa , Jahfali Mada , Alghamdi Bayan , Khormi Asmaa , Alharbi Taibah , Zaqan Munyah , Baalous Zahra M , Hakami Abdulrahim R , Nahari Mohammed H , Mobarki Abdullah A , Saboor Muhammad , Akhter Mohammad S , Hamadi Abdullah , Jackson Denise E , Hamali Hassan A
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is still posing detrimental effects on people. An association between contracting COVID-19 and the ABO blood group type has been determined. However, factors that determine the severity of COVID-19 are not yet fully understood. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate whether the ABO blood group type has a role in the severity of complications due to COVID-19.

Materials and methods

Eighty-Six ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients and 80 matched-healthy controls were recruited in the study from Baish general hospital, Saudi Arabia. ABO blood grouping, complete blood count (CBC), CBC-derived inflammatory markers, coagulation profile, D-Dimer and anti-T antigen were reported.

Results

Our data showed that patients with blood groups O and B are more protective against severe complications from COVID-19, as compared to patients with blood groups A and AB. This could be partially attributed to the presence of anti-T in blood group A individuals, compared to non-blood group A.

Conclusion

The current study reports an association between the ABO blood group and the susceptibility to severe complications from COVID-19, with a possible role of anti-T in driving the mechanism of the thrombotic tendency, as it was also correlated with an elevation in D-dimer levels.
Size Inclusivity in Medicine
Authors: Shibli-Rahhal Amal , Ogunsakin Amie , Robinson Kathleen M.
Published: January 2023

The most recent estimates by the Center for Disease Control indicate that obesity is present in up to 41.9% of adults living in the United States, with a prevalence of severe obesity reaching 9.2%. Consequently, healthcare providers and healthcare systems in general will often interact with and provide care to individuals with obesity. However, weight stigma is common within the healthcare system, often presenting as a poorly equipped healthcare environment, and insufficient proficiency in communicating with and examining individuals with obesity. Most concerning, however, is how anti-obesity bias leads to stereotyping with premature closure and over-attribution of disease when treating patients with obesity. These factors can lead to discrimination and inequity in delivery of healthcare to individuals with obesity and result in healthcare avoidance by these patients. This chapter examines discriminatory practices affecting healthcare delivery to individuals with obesity and discusses approaches to address them.
Ageism
Authors: Prasad Samiksha , O'Malley Chasity Beth , Levy Arkene
Published: January 2023

Individuals may experience ageism and age discrimination in numerous aspects of their lives. This typically refers to negative or indifferent attitudes towards people because of their age (old or young). The cases exemplified in this chapter portray both sides of the spectrum where age discrimination can occur. Case one discusses the challenges faced by an elderly patient in a healthcare setting due to their age. This form of age discrimination has been documented more commonly in the literature. These cases explore how the elderly population can experience dismissive attitudes and differential treatment. Another case involves a health professional student who is significantly younger than her peers and how this age gap can impact her learning environment and the opportunities that she has missed due to it. While the scenarios of the cases demonstrate overt displays of age discrimination, it is also common for ageism to occur in more subtle instances.
Race and Racism and the Healthcare Professional Perspectives
Authors: Dauer Gabriella , Kim Heejung , Kuang Kevin , Dawson William James , Levy Arkene , Prasad Samiksha
Published: January 2023

The American Psychological Association defines racism as a construct that is ‘structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized.' The marginalization of persons of color due to blatant racism is a pervasive social issue that has historically held negative consequences for the health of these individuals, and evidence links racism to the higher levels of morbidity and mortality, seen especially among Blacks/African Americans (Paradies, 2015). The effort and movement to reduce marginalization of minorities through healthcare professional education is upon us. Providing health professional learners and practitioners with tools to understand manifestations and implications of racial acts and microaggressions in the healthcare setting is imperative, as is training medical professionals to recognize and mitigate their biases. This chapter highlights cases of varying levels of racism from the healthcare professionals' view and experience in the clinical setting.
Addressing Microaggressions in the Clinical Environment
Authors: Novotny Nicole , Alexander Andreia B.
Published: January 2023

Microaggressions are commonly encountered in the clinical learning environment. Although microaggressions may be subtle and/or unintentional, it has been well established that microaggressions can have significant negative impacts on healthcare workers, patients, and patient care, contributing to health inequities. Microaggressions are difficult to address in the clinical learning environment for many reasons. This chapter will provide health professions educators with a framework to effectively teach learners how to recognize and address microaggressions in the clinical learning environment in a non-accusatory way that will build relationships. It will also discuss common barriers to addressing microaggressions in medicine and provide potential solutions.
Making Room for Religion in Health Education
Authors: Taylor Sherrica , Brown-Wujick Christina
Published: January 2023

A light review of historical practices can provide what some may consider a superficial evolution of higher education and its practices. Specifically, in the field of health professions, a shift that is easily identifiable is the move from black and white photos of white male physicians in coats and nurses in starched white dresses to a more diversified student body adorned with white coats. However, are the current systems in place supportive of the individual needs and beliefs of these students or are students inadvertently being required to alter who they are to fit into systems not supportive of their individuality, especially as it relates to their religious beliefs? How do we undo the practices of a one-size-fits-all approach to educating students and move towards a goal of inclusivity for all faiths by providing students educational environments and curriculums purposefully designed to support students of different religions?
Curiosity, Humility, and Accountability
Authors: Yepes-Rios Monica , Chavan Monica , Moncaliano Maria Claudia , Wilson-Delfosse Amy L. , Mauer Yael , Croniger Colleen , Lambrese Jason V. , Logio Lia
Published: January 2023

Health professions educators have the opportunity and responsibility to teach and stimulate scientific knowledge and curiosity in a context that eliminates bias towards minoritized communities and informs emerging understanding of race in research and healthcare. Through the key elements of curiosity, humility, and accountability, the authors propose methods to change the narrative that may otherwise perpetuate biases and inappropriate presentations of race as purely biological rather than a social construct. The evolution of scientific discovery has brought to question our understanding and teaching of race in health, clinical decision-making, and health outcomes. Through case presentations, the authors invite the reader to reflect on their teaching materials and apply methods to 1) decrease bias in case presentations and 2) explain racial health disparities in the context of longstanding structural racism. A Q&A section will draw on resources to advance health equity in health professions education.
Performance of Urban Public Transportation Networks
Authors: Raicu Serban , Costescu Dorinela , Popa Mihaela
Published: January 2023

Despite the objectives of sustainable development, which aim to reduce pollution and energy consumption, many cities face issues caused by traffic congestion and inadequate public transportation. In this framework, the chapter emphasizes the challenges of public transportation services and analyses a comprehensive set of criteria for evaluating public transportation performances. The functions of public transportation and their linked criteria for performance evaluations are discussed. Then, the particularities of effectiveness and efficiency in public transportation networks are explained. Effectiveness is defined as the level of achievement of preset tasks of public transportation. Efficiency is related to the ratio between the outputs and the used resources. Additionally, different indicators must be defined for production and commercial efficiency. The presented analysis supports developing an effective and efficient urban transportation system in a dynamic social environment, with rapid changes in user requirements.
Challenges in the Development of Urban Intermodal Mobility Systems
Authors: Costescu Dorinela , Roman Eugenia Alina
Published: January 2023

Technological progress and the economic and social environment dynamics lead to changing mobility needs. Modifying travel practices, increasing the pressures for fast and predictable services, and expanding the demands of users for individualized offers determine requirements for diversifying the mobility supply in an integrated framework that must meet sustainable development objectives. In this framework, intermodal public transport plays a significant role. The chapter introduces the definitions of multimodality and intermodality in urban mobility systems. Intermodal transportation accounts for the different capabilities of diverse modes, including their availability, speed, density, costs, limitations, and, therefore, their most appropriate operating. The functions of intermodal public transportation are discussed. It is emphasized that solutions for sustainable mobility can be developed through a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges of the new mobility services.
The Metaverse
Authors: Rosenberg Louis B.
Published: January 2023

The metaverse can be described as the largescale societal shift from flat media viewed in the third person to immersive media experienced in the first person. While there is nothing inherently dangerous about immersive media technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, many policymakers have raised concerns about the extreme surveillance capabilities that powerful metaverse platforms could wield over users. What is often overlooked, however, is how surveillance-related risks become amplified when platforms are allowed to simultaneously target users with promotionally altered experiences. When considered in the context of control theory, the pairing of real-time surveillance and real-time influence raises new concerns, as large metaverse platforms could become extremely efficient tools for deception, manipulation, and persuasion. For these reasons, regulation should be considered that limit the ability of metaverse platforms to impart real-time influence on users based on real-time surveillance.
Postcolonial Metropolitan Cities Go Feral
Authors: Younas Abida , Al Othman Kawthar Yasser
Published: January 2023

Some postcolonial cities in South Asia and the Middle East have started going feral due to the recent explosion of megacity projects. Even though a feral city encompasses all the unpleasant qualities of corruption, disease, violence, terrorism, crime, and pollution, it plays a significant role in world affairs. Drawing on the notion of the feral cities by Norton and Rafiq, this chapter examines the elements that contribute to the construction of feral cities in Bilal Tanweer's The Scatter Here Is Too Great, Yasmine El Rashidi's The Chronicles of Last Summer, Diana Darke's My House in Damascus, and Christy Lefteri's The Beekeeper of Aleppo. By demonstrating how Karachi, Cairo, Damascus, and Aleppo are depicted at risk of becoming feral cities within the global landscape, the study sheds light on the dangers that contribute to feral conditioning and underlines the multi-dimensional spatial aspects of the represented cities in the selected texts.
Gender, Caste, and Class in Transnational Urban Spaces
Authors: Gupta Shilpi
Published: January 2023

Bharati Mukherjee's novels The Tiger's Daughter (1971), Jasmine (1989), and Desirable Daughters (2002) depict transnational urban spaces by situating their characters in multiple geographies from Calcutta in India to major cities in America where the female protagonists are generally shown to have multiple identities based on caste, class, race, nationality, etc. By analyzing the characters' socio-economic positions, this chapter aims to explore how women are marginalized in transnational urban spaces based on their gender, class, and caste. It also seeks to examine how the women of caste and lower class are represented in transnational urban spaces. To achieve these objectives, the chapter employs Susan Friedman's the new geography of identities, Gayatri Spivak's notion of subalternity, Tabish Khair's distinction between Babu and Coolie, and Uma Chakravarti's discussion of caste as parallel to gender and class in order to examine the silences, gaps, and obstacles as present in the selected novels.
“Where Do Old Birds Go to Die?”
Authors: Prabir Meghna
Published: January 2023

Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (2017) addresses the question of gendered identity through the spaces that its protagonist Anjum inhabits. Applying ideas from intersectional queer ecologies, this study examines liminal spaces in the novel where the dispossessed are shown to be able to find a sense of home. It is widely believed that the novel encompasses the space of two graveyards: Anjum's graveyard, which becomes a paradise, and Kashmir, the paradise that has become a graveyard. It is argued that Roy examines contemporary India's multi-layered spaces, providing incisive observations that are deeply unsettling for the fundamentalist mind to contemplate. The non-normative geography of her literary landscape seems to posit that the liminal, in-between spaces inhabited by those with identities that transcend homogenous definitions are the spaces in which those persecuted for not conforming to acceptable norms of identity can truly find refuge and security.
Reconstructing Urban Spaces in Sushmita Banerjee's Kabuliwalar Bangali Bou
Authors: Chatterjee Monali
Published: January 2023

This chapter explores Sushmita Banerjee's memoir titled Kabuliwalar Bangali Bou (1997) that portrays the horrors of displacement and city life in the South Asian context. The memoir poignantly chronicles the experiences of an urban Bengali woman who marries an Afghan businessman for love and migrates to Afghanistan during the rule of the Taliban. The objectives of the study are four-fold: 1) to establish the relationship between the vitality of urban space and the nature of social conventions that migrants are expected to follow; 2) to observe how such social and urban conventions and geopolitics affect migration, migrants, and diasporic communities; 3) to examine the reconstruction of urban spaces by women within the Taliban-governed nation of Afghanistan; and 4) to examine their narratives of urban space in the light of Foucault's dichotomy between private and public space as well as Heterotopia, Soja's notion of the third space, and Lefebvre's maxim about social space.
Effect of growing media and irrigation frequencies on early vegetative growth of Piper longum L
Authors: Nakandalage N. , Athukorala W. A. A. D. P. K. , Sandamali B. N. , Ekanayake E. M. U. I. , Amarasinghe S. R. , Hettiarachchi C. S.
Published: January 2023

Systematic cultivation with well-developed agronomic practices for selected medicinal herbs involves conservation of wild populations from over harvesting, continuous supply and sustainable utilization. The present research was conducted to find-out the most suitable growing medium and irrigation frequency for commercial cultivation of Piper longum L. For this purpose, six different growing media along with three different irrigation frequencies were used. The experiment was arranged factorially with Completely Randomized Design in triplicates inside a protected plant house under controlled environmental conditions.
Destructive measurements were taken at 12 weeks after planting. In addition, all growing media were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, available nitrogen, organic matter, phosphorous, available potassium using three replicates. Data analysis was carried out using analysis of variance with statistical analysis system while Duncan multiple range test was employed for mean separation. Based on the results, interaction effects between growing media and irrigation frequencies were not significant (P≥0.05) for plant height (cm), number of leaves, number of branches and shoot dry weight (g) of P. longum harvested at 12 weeks after establishment. Growing media and irrigation interval were significant on the growth parameters while the highest plant height of 43.3 cm was observed in topsoil: compost -1:1 closely followed by topsoil: sand: compost -1:1:1 (42.2 cm). P. longum grown in topsoil: sand: compost -1:1:1 (V/V) had the highest number of branches (7.6). Further, significantly (P≤0.05) higher number of leaves (43) and shoot dry weight (15.7g) were recorded in topsoil: sand: compost -1:1:1. Irrigation frequencies had no significant (P>0.05) effect on growth parameters of P. longum (Figure 2). Shoot dry weights had no significant difference with the changing irrigation frequency. Based on the composition analysis and growth parameters, top soil: sand: compost (1:1:1) growing media and 9 days irrigation frequency appeared to be the most promising combination for early vegetative growth of P. longum.
Enhancement of lipid yield in Chlorella sp. under different stress conditions for the production of biodiesel
Authors: Mihiraj R. A. I. S. , Abinayan I. , Madhusanka H. G. D. , Ketheesan B. , Sivakanthan S.
Published: January 2023

Microalgae derived bio-lipids can be potentially converted to biofuel using appropriate technologies. However, optimum conditions for enhancing the growth of microalgae often lead to relatively low accumulation of bio-lipids. Alternatively, stress conditions favor the storage of lipids despite the low biomass yield. For commercial production of microalgae derived biofuel, the unit cost of production of biodiesel should be lower than that of petro diesel. The aim of the present study was to enhance the lipid yield of Chlorella sp. by introducing various stress conditions such as nitrogen deficiency, zinc deficiency and excessive salinity in the growth media. Conventional Bold’s Basal Media (BBM) was used as the culture media in all the experimental conditions. Five treatments were used namely; normal Bold’s basal media, three times concentration enhanced Bold’s basal media, Nitrogen deficient media, Zinc deficient media and Salinity stress media. Light intensity was kept constant in all the experimental conditions.
Air mixing was provided using spargers in all test conditions to keep the microalgae cultures in suspension. All the reactors were maintained in similar growth conditions in the first phase and the stress conditions were introduced in the second phase after 7 days. The microalgae biomass was harvested on 4th, 8th, 11th, 14th and 17th day of cultivation for the determination of lipids. A Chloroform: Methanol mixture with 1:1 ratio was used to extract lipids from dried biomass using Soxhlet extractor. A considerable increase in the lipid content was observed in all the test conditions compared to control samples (highest was 16.9%). Highest lipid content of 23.3% was observed in Zn stressed conditions. However, in terms of lipid productivity, salinity stress treatment produced the highest average lipid productivity of 0.008±0.005 mgL-1d-1. After certain period of time (14th day), lipid content of stressed samples decreased. Oleic acid and linoleic acid were found to be abundant in all of the treatments. The study suggests that imposing stressful conditions can result in a higher amount of lipid yield from the algae biomass with a higher rate of productivity that contains important fatty acids which can be a feasible opening for biofuel production.
Transaction Cost Determinants and their Impact on the Livelihoods of the Sanasa Beneficiaries in Badulla District in Sri Lanka
Authors: Priyanath H. M. S. , Habaragamuwa H. R. N. R.
Published: January 2023

Scholars have emphasized that Transaction Costs (TC) impede the livelihood success (LS) of small-scale producers. However, the absence of systematic empirical academic work which evaluates how TC affects the LS, particularly small-scale producers creates a gap in the literature. This study attempted to bridge this gap by analyzing the impact of TC on the LS particularly Sanasa beneficiaries who are involving livelihood activities with the support of Sanasa organization in Sri Lanka. The study gathered primary data from 273 members of Sanasa who were engaging in livelihood activities using multi-stage sampling. Data were gathered for a structured questionnaire having face-to-face interviews. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data. The results revealed that the opportunism of exchange partners has a positive impact on TC and a negative impact on the LS of the Sanasa beneficiaries. The rational ability of Sanasa beneficiaries has a positive influence on LS and a negative effect on TC. Transaction uncertainty negatively relates to the LS while asset specificity has a positive effect on the LS of the Sanasa beneficiaries. Further, the results revealed that TC has a strong negative relationship with the LS of Sanasa beneficiaries. Thus, empirical results confirmed that TC obstructs the LS of Sanasa beneficiaries. Developing a mechanism to empower Sanasa beneficiaries to access information relating to the transaction using modern technology to contact reliable transaction partners would lead to improving livelihoods by minimizing TC.
Maximizing the Accuracy of Adolescent Concussion Diagnosis Using Individual Elements of Common Standardized Clinical Assessment Tools
Authors: Corwin Daniel J. , Mandel Francesca , McDonald Catherine C. , Mohammed Fairuz N. , Margulies Susan , Barnett Ian , Arbogast Kristy B. , Master Christina L.
Published: January 2023

Context

Multiple clinical evaluation tools exist for adolescent concussion with various degrees of correlation, presenting challenges for clinicians in identifying which elements of these tools provide the greatest diagnostic utility.

Objective

To determine the combination of elements from 4 commonly used clinical concussion batteries that maximize discrimination of adolescents with concussion from those without concussion.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Suburban school and concussion program of a tertiary care academic center.

Patients or Other Participants

A total of 231 participants with concussion (from a suburban school and a concussion program) and 166 participants without concussion (from a suburban school) between the ages of 13 and 19 years.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Individual elements of the visio-vestibular examination (VVE), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, fifth edition (SCAT5; including the modified Balance Error Scoring System), King-Devick test (K-D), and Postconcussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI) were evaluated. The 24 subcomponents of these tests were grouped into interpretable factors using sparse principal component analysis. The 13 resultant factors were combined with demographic and clinical covariates into a logistic regression model and ranked by frequency of inclusion into the ideal model, and the predictive performance of the ideal model was compared with each of the clinical batteries using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

A cluster of 4 factors (factor 1 [VVE saccades and vestibulo-ocular reflex], factor 2 [modified Balance Error Scoring System double-legged stance], factor 3 [SCAT5/PCSI symptom scores], and factor 4 [K-D completion time]) emerged. A model fit with the top factors performed as well as each battery in predicting concussion status (AUC = 0.816 [95% CI = 0.731, 0.889]) compared with the SCAT5 (AUC = 0.784 [95% CI = 0.692, 0.866]), PCSI (AUC = 0.776 [95% CI = 0.674, 0.863]), VVE (AUC = 0.711 [95% CI = 0.602, 0.814]), and K-D (AUC = 0.708 [95% CI = 0.590, 0.819]).

Conclusions

A multifaceted assessment for adolescents with concussion, comprising symptoms, attention, balance, and the visio-vestibular system, is critical. Current diagnostic batteries likely measure overlapping domains, and the sparse principal component analysis demonstrated strategies for streamlining comprehensive concussion assessment across a variety of settings.
Transport equation in generalized Campanato spaces
Authors: Chae Dongho , Wolf Jörg
Published: January 2023

In this paper we study the transport equation in

\mathbb{R}^{n} \times (0,T)

,

T >0

,

n\ge 2

,

\partial _t f + v\cdot \nabla f = g, \quad f(\cdot,0)= f_0 \quad \text{in }\mathbb{R}^{n},

in generalized Campanato spaces

\mathscr{L}^{s}_{{q(p, N)}}(\mathbb{R}^{n})

. The critical case is particularly interesting, and is applied to the local well-posedness problem for the incompressible Euler equations in a space close to the Lipschitz space in our companion paper [Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré Anal. Non Linéaire 38 (2021), no. 2, 201–241]. In the critical case

s=q=N=1

, we have the embeddings

B^{1}_{\infty, 1} (\mathbb R^n) \hookrightarrow \mathscr{L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n}) \hookrightarrow C^{0, 1} (\mathbb R^n)

, where

B^{1}_{\infty, 1} (\mathbb R^n)

and

C^{0, 1} (\mathbb R^n)

are the Besov and Lipschitz spaces, respectively. For

f_0\in \mathscr{L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})

,

v\in L^1(0,T; \mathscr {L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})))

and

g\in L^1(0,T; \mathscr {L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})))

, we prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the transport equation in

L^\infty(0,T; \smash{\mathscr{L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})})

such that

\|f\|_{L^\infty(0,T; \mathscr{L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})))} \le C \big( \|v\|_{L^1(0,T; \mathscr{L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)}(\mathbb {R}^{n})))}, \|g\|_{L^1(0,T; \mathscr {L}^{1}_{1(p, 1)} (\mathbb {R}^{n})))}\big).

Similar results for the other cases are also proved.
Development of a Novel Clinicomolecular Risk Index to Enhance Mortality Prediction and Immunological Stratification of Adults Hospitalized with Sepsis in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study from Uganda
Authors: Cummings Matthew J. , Bakamutumaho Barnabas , Jain Komal , Price Adam , Owor Nicholas , Kayiwa John , Namulondo Joyce , Byaruhanga Timothy , Muwanga Moses , Nsereko Christopher , Sameroff Stephen , Ian Lipkin W. , Lutwama Julius J. , O’Donnell Max R.
Published: January 2023

The global burden of sepsis is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where epidemic HIV and unique pathogen diversity challenge the effective management of severe infections. In this context, patient stratification based on biomarkers of a dysregulated host response may identify subgroups more likely to respond to targeted immunomodulatory therapeutics. In a prospective cohort of adults hospitalized with suspected sepsis in Uganda, we applied machine learning methods to develop a prediction model for 30-day mortality that integrates physiology-based risk scores with soluble biomarkers reflective of key domains of sepsis immunopathology. After model evaluation and internal validation, whole-blood RNA sequencing data were analyzed to compare biological pathway enrichment and inferred immune cell profiles between patients assigned differential model-based risks of mortality. Of 260 eligible adults (median age, 32 years; interquartile range, 26–43 years; 59.2% female, 53.9% living with HIV), 62 (23.8%) died by 30 days after hospital discharge. Among 14 biomarkers, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and angiopoietin 2 (Ang-2) demonstrated the greatest importance for mortality prediction in machine learning models. A clinicomolecular model integrating sTNFR1 and Ang-2 with the Universal Vital Assessment (UVA) risk score optimized 30-day mortality prediction across multiple performance metrics. Patients assigned to the high-risk, UVA-based clinicomolecular subgroup exhibited a transcriptional profile defined by proinflammatory innate immune and necroptotic pathway activation, T-cell exhaustion, and expansion of key immune cell subsets including regulatory and gamma-delta T cells. Clinicomolecular stratification of adults with suspected sepsis in Uganda enhanced 30-day mortality prediction and identified a high-risk subgroup with a therapeutically targetable immunological profile. Further studies are needed to advance pathobiologically informed sepsis management in SSA.