bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A flexible generative algorithm for growing in silico placentas
Authors: de Oliveira Diana C. , Cheikh Sleiman Hani , Payette Kelly , Hutter Jana , Story Lisa , Hajnal Joseph V. , Alexander Daniel C. , Shipley Rebecca J. , Slator Paddy J.
Published: October 2024

The placenta is crucial for a successful pregnancy, facilitating oxygen exchange and nutrient transport between mother and fetus. Complications like fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia are linked to placental vascular structure abnormalities, highlighting the need for early detection of placental health issues. Computational modelling offers insights into how vascular architecture correlates with flow and oxygenation in both healthy and dysfunctional placentas. These models use synthetic networks to represent the multiscale feto-placental vasculature, but current methods lack direct control over key morphological parameters like branching angles, essential for predicting placental dysfunction.

We introduce a novel generative algorithm for creating in silico placentas, allowing user-controlled customisation of feto-placental vasculatures, both as individual components (placental shape, chorionic vessels, placentone) and as a complete structure. The algorithm is physiologically underpinned, following branching laws (i.e. Murray’s Law), and is defined by four key morphometric statistics: vessel diameter, vessel length, branching angle and asymmetry. Our algorithm produces structures consistent with in vivo measurements and ex vivo observations. Our sensitivity analysis highlights how vessel length variations and branching angles play a pivotal role in defining the architecture of the placental vascular network. Moreover, our approach is stochastic in nature, yielding vascular structures with different topological metrics when imposing the same input settings. Unlike previous volume-filling algorithms, our approach allows direct control over key morphological parameters, generating vascular structures that closely resemble real vascular densities and allowing for the investigation of the impact of morphological parameters on placental function in upcoming studies.
Diagnosing skin neglected tropical diseases with the aid of digital health tools: A scoping review
Authors: Barnowska Ewelina Julia , Fastenau Anil , Penna Srilekha , Bonkass Ann-Kristin , Stuetzle Sophie , Janssen Ricky
Published: October 2024

Delays in diagnosis and detection of skin neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) pose obstacles to prompt treatment, which is crucial in preventing disability. Recent developments in digital health have given rise to approaches that could increase access to diagnosis in resource-poor areas affected by skin NTDs. This scoping review provides an overview of current digital health approaches that aim to aid in the diagnosis of skin NTDs and provides an insight into the diverse functionalities of current digital health tools, their feasibility, usability, and the current gaps in research around these digital health approaches. This scoping review included a comprehensive literature search on PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS, following the PRISMA guidelines. Eleven studies were included in the review and were analysed using a descriptive thematic approach. Most digital tools were found to be mobile-phone based, such as mobile Health (mHealth) apps, store-and-forward tele-dermatology, and Short Messaging Service (SMS) text-messaging. Other digital approaches were based on computer software, such as tele-dermatopathology, computer-based telemedicine, and real-time tele-dermatology. Digital health tools commonly facilitated provider-provider interactions, which helped support diagnoses of skin NTDs at the community level. Articles which focused on end-user user experience reported that users appreciated the usefulness and convenience of these digital tools. However, the results emphasized the existing lack of data regarding the diagnostic precision of these tools, and highlighted various hurdles to their effective implementation, including insufficient infrastructure, data security issues and low adherence to the routine use of digital health tools. Digital health tools can help ascertain diagnosis of skin NTDs through remote review or consultations with patients, and support health providers in the diagnostic process. However, further research is required to address the data security issues associated with digital health tools. Developers should consider adapting digital health tools to diverse socio-cultural and technical environments, where skin NTDs are endemic. Researchers are encouraged to assess the diagnostic accuracy of digital health tools and conduct further qualitative studies to inform end-user experience. Overall, future studies should consider expanding the geographical and disease scope of research on digital health tools which aid the diagnosis of skin NTDs.
Design, and dynamic evaluation of a novel photovoltaic pumping system emulation with DS1104 hardware setup: Towards innovative in green energy systems
Authors: Fatah Amir , Boutabba Tarek , Benlaloui Idriss , Drid Said , Mahmoud Mohamed Metwally , Hussein Mahmoud M. , Fendzi Mbasso Wulfran , Hussein Hany S. , Ewias Ahmed M.
Published: October 2024

Diesel engines (DEs) commonly power pumps used in agricultural and grassland irrigation. However, relying on unpredictable and costly fuel sources for DEs pose’s challenges related to availability, reliability, maintenance, and lifespan. Addressing these environmental concerns, this study introduces an emulation approach for photovoltaic (PV) water pumping (WP) systems. Emulation offers a promising alternative due to financial constraints, spatial limitations, and climate dependency in full-scale systems. The proposed setup includes three key elements: a PV system emulator employing back converter control to replicate PV panel characteristics, a boost converter with an MPPT algorithm for efficient power tracking across diverse conditions, and a motor pump (MP) emulator integrating an induction motor connected to a DC generator to simulate water pump behaviors. Precise induction motor control is achieved through a controlled inverter. This work innovatively combines PV and WP emulation while optimizing system dynamics, aiming to develop a comprehensive emulator and evaluate an enhanced control algorithm. An optimized scalar control strategy regulates the water MP, demonstrated through MATLAB/Simulink simulations that highlight superior performance and responsiveness to solar irradiation variations compared to conventional MPPT techniques. Experimental validation using the dSPACE control desk DS1104 confirms the emulator’s ability to faithfully reproduce genuine solar panel characteristics.
Distinct patterns of white matter hyperintensity and cortical thickness of CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy compared with subcortical ischemic vascular dementia
Authors: Kim Seung Joo , Cho Wanzee , Kim Hee Jin , Na Duk L. , Seo Sang Won , Jung Na-Yeon , Lee Jae-Hyeok , Lee Myung Jun , Kang Heeyoung , Seong Joon-Kyung , Kim Eun-Joo
Published: October 2024

Background

CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy is a type of autosomal dominant leukodystrophy caused by mutations in the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) gene. Subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (SIVaD), which is caused by cerebral small vessel disease, is similar to CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy in that it mainly affects subcortical white matter. In this study, we compared the patterns of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cortical thickness in CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy with those in SIVaD.

Methods

Fourteen patients with CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy and 129 with SIVaD were retrospectively recruited from three tertiary medical centers. We extracted and visualized WMH data using voxel-based morphometry to compare the WMH distributions between the two groups. Cortical thickness was measured using a surface-based method. Statistical maps of differences in cortical thickness between the two groups were generated using a surface model, with age, sex, education, and intracranial volume as covariates.

Results

Predominant distribution of WMH in the CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy group was in the bilateral frontal and parietal areas, whereas the SIVaD group showed diffuse WMH involvement in the bilateral frontal, parietal, and temporal areas. Compared with the SIVaD group, the CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy group showed more severe corpus callosum atrophy (CCA) and widespread cortical thinning.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study using the automated MR measurement to capture WMH, cortical thinning, and CCA with signal changes in CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy. It provides new evidence regarding differences in the patterns of WMH distribution and cortical thinning between CSF1R-related leukoencephalopathy and SIVaD.
Health-related quality of life and utility of maternity health states amongst post-partum Australians
Authors: Martin Elizabeth , Fisher Olivia , Tone Jessica , Suldsuren Narmandakh , Kularatna Sanjeewa , Beckmann Michael , Miller Yvette D.
Published: October 2024

Background

This study aimed to measure patient-reported health-related quality of life amongst post-partum women in Queensland, Australia.

Methods

Patient-reported health-related quality of life data was prospectively collected from 134 post-partum women using the EQ-5D-5L at weekly intervals during the first six weeks following birth. Data across the five health domains of the EQ-5D-5L was converted to a single health utility value to represent overall health status. Linear mixed modelling and regression analysis were used to examine changes in utility over the first six weeks post-birth and determine associations between utility and clinical and demographic characteristics of post-partum women.

Findings

Gestation at birth and weeks post-partum were significantly associated with utility values when considered in a multivariate linear mixed model. Mean utility values increased by 0.01 for every week increase in gestation at birth, and utility values were 0.70 at one week post-partum and increased to 0.85 at six weeks post-partum, with the largest increase occurring between one- and two-weeks post-birth. When controlling for variables that were found to predict utility values across the first six weeks post-partum, no single state of health predicted utility values at one-week post-partum.

Conclusions

Maternity services can use our data and methods to establish norms for their own service, and researchers and maternity services can partner to conduct cost-effectiveness analysis using our more relevant utility values than what is currently available. Time since birth and gestational age of the woman’s baby should be considered when selecting post-partum health state utility values for maternity services cost-effectiveness analyses.
Sex difference in IRONMAN age group triathletes
Authors: Knechtle Beat , Valero David , Villiger Elias , Thuany Mabliny , Andrade Marilia Santos , Cuk Ivan , Nikolaidis Pantelis T. , Rosemann Thomas , Weiss Katja
Published: October 2024

Background

The sex difference in athletic performance has been thoroughly investigated in single sport disciplines such as swimming, cycling, and running. In contrast, only small samples of long-distance triathlons, such as the IRONMAN® triathlon, have been investigated so far.

Aim

The aim of the study was to examine potential sex differences in the three split disciplines by age groups in 5-year intervals in a very large data set of IRONMAN® age group triathletes.

Methods

Data from 687,696 (553,608 men and 134,088 women) IRONMAN® age group triathletes (in 5-year intervals from 18–24 to 75+ years) finishing successfully between 2002 and 2022 an official IRONMAN® race worldwide were analyzed. The differences in performance between women and men were determined for each split discipline and for the overall race distance.

Results

Most finishers were in the age group 40–44 years. The fastest women were in the age group 25–29 years, and the fastest men were in the age group 30–34 years. For all split disciplines and overall race time, men were always faster than women in all groups. The performance difference between the sexes was more pronounced in cycling compared to swimming and running. From the age group 35–39 years until 60–64 years, the sex differences were nearly identical in swimming and running. For both women and men, the smallest sex difference was least significant in age group 18–24 years for all split disciplines and increased in a U-shaped manner until age group 70–74 years. For age groups 75 years and older, the sex difference decreased in swimming and cycling but increased in running. Considering the different characteristics of the race courses, the smallest performance gaps between men and women were found in river swimming, flat surface cycling and rolling running courses.

Conclusions

The sex difference in the IRONMAN® triathlon was least significant in age group 18–24 years for all split disciplines and increased in a U-shaped manner until age group 70–74 years. For 75 years and older, the sex difference decreased in swimming and cycling but increased in running.
Horizontal face information is the main gateway to the shape and surface cues to familiar face identity
Authors: Dumont Helene , Roux-Sibilon Alexia , Goffaux Valérie
Published: October 2024

Humans preferentially rely on horizontal cues when recognizing face identity. The reasons for this preference are largely elusive. Past research has proposed the existence of two main sources of face identity information: shape and surface reflectance. The access to surface and shape is disrupted by picture-plane inversion while contrast negation selectively impedes access to surface cues. Our objective was to characterize the shape versus surface nature of the face information conveyed by the horizontal range. To do this, we tracked the effects of inversion and negation in the orientation domain. Participants performed an identity recognition task using orientation-filtered (0° to 150°, 30° steps) pictures of familiar male actors presented either in a natural upright position and contrast polarity, inverted, or negated. We modelled the inversion and negation effects across orientations with a Gaussian function using a Bayesian nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach. The effects of inversion and negation showed strikingly similar orientation tuning profiles, both peaking in the horizontal range, with a comparable tuning strength. These results suggest that the horizontal preference of human face recognition is due to this range yielding a privileged access to shape and surface cues, i.e. the two main sources of face identity information.
Facilitating effects of plant extracts on soil health and replanted Panax ginseng growth in recession soil
Authors: Wang Ergang , Zhou Yi , Miao Xinyue , He Guixiang , Lv Pengyuan , Wang Lixiang , Zhan Yu , Chen Changbao , Li Qiong
Published: October 2024

Background

Plant extracts have been shown to be effective agricultural strategies for improving soil fertility and quality, and promoting plant growth in soil degradation remediation. The application of plant extracts improves the material cycle of soil microecology, such as the decomposition of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while increasing plant resistance. However, there is currently no experiment to demonstrate whether plant extracts have a promoting effect on the growth of ginseng and the mechanism of action.

Objectives and methods

Pot experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of extracts, namely Rubia cordifolia (RC), Schisandra chinensis (SC), and Euphorbia humifusa (EH) on soil properties, enzyme activities, and plant physiological characteristics were evaluated.

Results

Results showed that compared with CK, plant extract-related treatments increased soil Organic carbon (OC), Available nitrogen (AN), Available phosphorus (AP) contents, and Soil urease activity. (S-UE), Soil sucrase activity (Soil sucrase), Soil acid phosphatase activity. (S-ACP). Meanwhile, plant extract-related treatments significantly increased plant physiological properties and TP (Total protein) content, and decreased the content of MDA (malondialdehyde) by 15.70% -36.59% and PRO (proline) by 30.13% -148.44%. Furthermore, plant extract-related treatments also significantly promote plant growth and reduce plant incidence, the fresh weight of ginseng increased by 27.80% -52.08%, ginseng root activity increased by 45.13% -90.07%, and ginseng incidence rate decreased by 20.00% -46.67%. Through correlation analysis between fresh weight of ginseng and root parameters and soil index, fresh weight is significantly positively correlated with root diameter, fiber root number, root activity, total protein (TP), catalytic activity (CAT) and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), H, soil urea activity (S-UE), soil sucrose activity (S-SC), soil acid phosphate activity (S-ACP), and soil laccase activity (SL); The fresh weight was significantly negatively correlated with incidence rate, disease severity index, and malondialdehyde content (MDA).

Conclusion

In summary, plant extract-related treatments improve soil quality and promote ginseng growth, further enhancing soil health and plant disease resistance. These findings provide new insights into ginseng cultivation and soil health management and highlight a new approach that can be applied to a wider range of agricultural practices and environmental sustainability.
Competition and stereotypic behavior in Thoroughbred horses: The value of saliva as a diagnostic marker of stress
Authors: Bazzano Marilena , Marchegiani Andrea , La Gualana Francesca , Petriti Begi , Petrucelli Marina , Accorroni Lucrezia , Laus Fulvio
Published: October 2024

Many horses exhibit stereotypies, especially when living in human controlled environments that may prevent horses from satisfying natural needs in terms of feeding, drinking, moving, and socializing. In human medicine, obsessive compulsive disorder and other severe psychiatric disturbances are associated with stereotypic behaviors; salivary biomarkers evaluation is considered a reliable tool for diagnosis of common mental health disorders because saliva collection easy to obtain and noninvasive. In this study, we hypothesized that salivary cortisol concentrations, in addition to alpha-amylase (sAA) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities, are considered stress biomarkers that may be influenced in horses trained for racing competition with stereotypic behaviors. Saliva at rest condition was obtained from ten non-stereotypic Thoroughbreds horses involved in high-level competition; eleven Thoroughbreds high-level competition horses showing stereotypic behaviors, and five Thoroughbreds leisure non-competition horses. Cortisol was found to be higher in high-level competition non-stereotypic horses and sAA was significantly higher in non-stereotypic leisure horses when compared to horses involved in competition, while BChE did not change between groups. These results may represent the basis for further behavioural evaluation to elucidate how stereotypic horses and horses involved in competition overcome stressful situations.
The visual narrative of Kashmir: Analysing conflict through social identity theory
Authors: Hussain Syed Ali , Aslam Shahbaz , Silcock B. William , Ali Syeda Ainee
Published: October 2024

This study examines visual framing of the Kashmir conflict after the revocation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019 that removed the autonomous status of Indian-occupied Kashmir. The study presents a quantitative content analysis of 5118 visuals from Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters and newspapers from India and Pakistan. Consistent with the social identity theory (SIT) we found a difference in the visuals used by news sources. Indian newspapers framed the issue positively, emphasizing its legality, and ideological relevance, while downplaying the humanitarian crisis. The visual framing by AP, AFP and Reuters was critical in terms of the humanitarian crisis, global protests and economic slowdown in Kashmir. The findings align with theoretical assumptions of SIT and highlight the role visuals play in shaping public opinion of a geopolitical crisis.
Scanning of antennae and maxillary palps of anthropophilic Aedes aegypti and ornithophilic Culex pipiens as potential arbovirus vectors
Authors: Abouelmagd Faten , Elsheikh Mohamed Elmutasim , Khidir Elshiekh , Radwan Mohammed , Rashad Karim Mohamed , El Said Manal
Published: October 2024

Background and Aim: Efficient mosquito vectors are required to persist and propagate arthropod-borne diseases that seriously affect impoverished populations worldwide. Mosquito sensilla plays a crucial role in host-seeking and disease transmission to humans. This study aimed to distinguish between the several types of sensilla found on the antennae and maxillary palps of Culex pipiens and Aedes aegypti, matching this diversity with host preference and disease transmission.

Materials and Methods: Overall, 1300 mosquitoes were collected and examined using dissection and light microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to identify and describe the diverse types of sensilla found on the antennae and maxillary palps of C. pipiens and A. aegypti.

Results: In total, 900 C. pipiens and 400 A. aegypti mosquitoes were identified. The antennae and maxillary palps of C. pipiens and A. aegypti carry both sensilla trichoidea and sensilla chaetica. The C. pipiens antenna has long and short grooved peg sensilla, whereas A. aegypti lacks long pegs and expresses only occasional short pegs. The maxillary palps express Capitate pegs in both mosquito species and exclusively show sensilla campaniform in A. aegypti.

Conclusion: The lack of long-grooved pegs and the presence of few short pegs, along with campaniform sensilla, limit the host range of A. aegypti and reduce its susceptibility to many infections, unlike C. pipiens.

Keywords: Aedes aegypti, Culex pipiens, Scanning electron microscopy, Sensilla.
Low-dose radiation research insights in experimental animals: A gateway to therapeutic implications
Authors: Arunkumar Nayanatara , Gokul Megha , Narayanam Harini , Ananya A. K.
Published: October 2024

In recent years, a significant research effort has been underway to explore the effects of low-dose radiation (LDR). Animal models play a key role in various fields of research, including biomedicine, pharmaceutical, environmental, and behavioral studies. The use of animal models has been an invaluable tool in radiation research for understanding radiation biology, assessing radiation risks, and developing strategies for radiation protection and medical management. In the present review, the initial part focuses on the deleterious effects of high-dose radiation, and in correlation to that, in the later part of the review, the emphasis has been given to experimental approaches to explore the beneficial effects of LDR using animal models. This review could help explore the innovative approach for future research targeting the therapeutic role of LDR in various diseases, including depression, Cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords: animal model, high dose radiation, low dose radiation, mice, rat.
Effect of moisture on breakdown strength and glass transition temperature of bio-polyamide reinforced with glass or basalt fiber
Authors: Bednarowski Dariusz , Kuśnierz Alina , Kuciel Stanisław
Published: October 2024

In this study we investigate the effect of moisture content on the dielectric breakdown strength and glass transition temperature (Tg) of bio-polyamide 4.10 reinforced with glass or basalt fiber (15, 30, 50 wt%). Moisture absorption decreased with increasing fiber content, regardless of fiber type. The reduction in breakdown voltage (BDV) was more pronounced in the composites with higher moisture content reinforced with basalt fiber. This may be due to weaker interactions at the interface. The presence of moisture decreased the glass transition temperature of the composites. PA 4.10, especially reinforced with glass fiber, is characterized by better performance properties than PA 6.6 reinforced with 50 wt% glass fiber in applications requiring both stability of mechanical properties and dielectric  properties.
Effect of conductive carbon black on the lightning strikes resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin
Authors: Krajewski Dariusz , Oleksy Mariusz , Oliwa Rafał , Masłowski Grzegorz , Filik Kamil , Karnas Grzegorz
Published: October 2024

The effect of conductive carbon black (0.5 wt%) on the properties of  carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy resin (Rockwell hardness, Charpy impact strength, tensile and flexural properties, electrical conductivity, and resistance to lightning discharges) was investigated. The composites were obtained by the infusion method. A slight decrease in flexural modulus was observed, while the hardness and Young's modulus increased. The resistivity decreased four times. Simulated multiple lightning discharges confirmed the better electrical conductivity of the composite with the addition of conductive carbon black, which resulted in five times decrease in the laminate damage area.
Tallahatchie River
Authors: Herndon Ernest , Parker Patrick , Elise  , Parker Patrick
Published: October 2024

This chapter describes the Tallahatchie River as an important river in the Mississippi Delta and elaborates on peoples who lived near and depended on the Tallahatchie River. Evocative description of wildlife and valuable canoeing advice is included. Numerous personal anecdotes illustrate the chapter.
Yalobusha River
Authors: Herndon Ernest , Parker Patrick , Elise  , Parker Patrick
Published: October 2024

This chapter describes the Yalobusha River as an important river in the Mississippi Delta and elaborates on peoples who lived near and depended on the Yalobusha River. Evocative description of wildlife and valuable canoeing advice is included. Numerous personal anecdotes illustrate the chapter.
Wolf River
Authors: Herndon Ernest , Parker Patrick , Elise  , Parker Patrick
Published: October 2024

This chapter describes the Wolf River in northeast Mississippi and valuable canoeing advice is included.
Sounding Our Way Home
Authors: Asai Susan Miyo
Published: October 2024

A product of twenty-five years of archival and primary research, this book narrates the efforts of three generations of Japanese Americans to reach “home” through musicking. Using ethnomusicology as a lens, the book examines the musical choices of a population that, historically, is considered outside the racial and ethnic boundaries of American citizenship. Emphasizing the notion of national identity and belonging, the book provokes a discussion about the challenges of nation-building in a democratic society. The book addresses the politics of music, interrogating the ways musicking functions as a performance of social, cultural, and political identification for Japanese Americans in the United States. Musicking is an inherently political act at the intersection of music, identity, and politics, particularly if it involves expressing one's ethnicity and/or race. The book further investigates how Japanese American ethnic identification and cultural practices relate to national belonging. Musicking cultivates a narrative of a shared history and aesthetic between performers and listeners. The discourse situates not only Japanese Americans, but all Asians into the Black/white binary of race relations in the United States. The book contributes to the ongoing struggle for acceptance and equal representation for people of color in the United States. It unveils the social and political discrimination that nonwhite immigrants and their offspring continue to face when it comes to finding acceptance in US society and culture.
“Buddhahead Blues” Musical Communities in the US Concentration Camps of World War II
Authors: Asai Susan Miyo
Published: October 2024

This chapter begins with the song Buddhahead Blues, which is a poignant testament to the resilience and resistance of Japanese Americans unjustly detained during World War II. Born out of the confines of a detention center, the song's ironic title challenges the euphemistic language used to justify the incarceration of American citizens of Japanese descent. The chapter describes how the song serves as a powerful reflection of the Nisei's identification as Americans amidst the harsh realities of their imprisonment. Through its lyrics, Buddhahead Blues encapsulates the myriad emotions experienced by Japanese American youths facing confinement, ranging from yearning for freedom to lamenting their plight. The chapter highlights that Japanese Americans found ways to assert their cultural identities and agency through musical expression, underscoring the enduring legacy of racial injustice and the ongoing struggle for inclusion and acceptance within American society.
The Paradox of Race and Sport
Authors: Lomax Michael E.
Published: October 2024

The prologue provides a brief exploration into the history and legacy of silent activism and instances of activism in the realm of sports. Brief summaries of the chapters to come follow.
The Decompartmentalization of the Political Voice
Authors: Hawkins Billy
Published: October 2024

Billy Hawkins examines how sport has been used as a platform for social activism and, specifically, how African American athletes have utilized sport to direct attention to racial injustice in the United States. They have transformed their notoriety and status (athletic capital) into political capital to protest racial and social injustices. Hawkins places the current social activism in sport in a broader sociohistorical context in which sport is not apolitical. Sport has been and continues to be used as a platform for sociopolitical activism.
From Floridian Ode to National Epic
Authors: Morrissette Noelle
Published: October 2024

Covering the period of 1888 to 1938, this essay discusses Johnson’s innovative, formative ideas about a Black culture that reached beyond national boundaries to resituate his culture-building. Tracing the displacement of Black people in Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901 and the forced movements of Caribbean migrant populations to American imperialism, the author Johnson’s linguistic, geographic, and musical digressions, through their movements outward, reshaped American discourses and reconceptualized Black citizenship within the U. S.
Portraits of Practice
Authors: Regis Helen A. , Walton Shana
Published: October 2024

This chapter mentions Audri Hubbard, who documented the annual Blessing of the Fleet in Bayou Little Caillou for her master's thesis and collected stories for a project. In Chauvin, Hubbard met Jerome Sourdelier, who transitioned from commercial shrimping to working on offshore oil rigs after Hurricane Katrina. The chapter details how Sourdelier maintains a commercial shrimping license for self-provisioning, engaging in shrimping, hunting, fishing, and gardening. It highlights another key figure, Glynn Trahan, who is an alligator hunter with deep roots in the community and maintains family land for hunting and raising crawfish during the Lenten season. Both men emphasize community resilience through subsistence practices, frequent potluck dinners, and larger gatherings during Mardi Gras and the Blessing of the Fleet festival, pointing out the importance of food and tradition in their Cajun identity.
Harvesting as History
Authors: Regis Helen A. , Walton Shana
Published: October 2024

The chapter recounts Rosalie Courteau, the last matriarchal figure of the Houma, who purchased land in Yakni Chitto located between the Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya in the 1850s after years of Houma elders petitioning for promised land and water rights. The undesired swamp land, which later became a black gold mine in the early 1900s, highlights the constant displacement in Houma history, from Baton Rouge to the bayous. The chapter discusses how the Maroons, Cajuns, enslaved Africans, free people of color, and Indigenous nations like the Houma and Seminole found refuge in the lower Mississippi Delta, where they developed a relationship with the swamp as a safe haven. It describes how wetlands residents were engaged in full-time wage occupations while maintaining subsistence activities. Offshore oil field work's week-on-week-off rhythm allowed them to continue shrimping, especially during oil booms when workers were in demand.
Hill Nightlife in the Wake of 1968
Authors: Harper Colter
Published: October 2024

The Hill District was deeply impacted by civil unrest following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968 and was further marginalized during an extended period of urban crisis facing the city during the 1970s and 80s. This chapter explores the decline of Hill nightlife during this period of economic collapse and details the efforts of the Crawford Grill No. 2 owners to continue bringing jazz to the neighborhood. Performances during this time illustrate the Grill’s importance as a hub in the Hill’s political, social, and economic life.
Introduction
Authors: Coby Jim , Davis-Mcelligatt Joanna
Published: October 2024

The introduction states the intentions of the collection, which is to explore the many forms of violence present in comic books and graphic novels. Violence within this context extends beyond physical violence “to include the psychological, emotional, cultural, and environmental effects of violence on people and their worlds.” The introduction continues with a summarization of the essays to follow.
Black and White Death
Authors: Knopf Christina M.
Published: October 2024

This chapter considers hermeneutic images and visual motifs of violence and death in comics from and about World War I. Focusing on graphic narratives from the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the chapter examines, compares, and contrasts primary graphic accounts created by soldiers during the Great War, secondary graphic accounts created through interpretations of historical research, and tertiary accounts that blend primary narratives with reimagined visuals premised on secondary sources. The study builds on distinctions of memory and post-memory of the war, considering how different proximities to its violence shape portrayals of its violence. Changing motifs over time highlight the process of memory and memorializing, as concerns of the present give way to lingering effects of the past, which is reconstructed in the context of the present. Primary accounts faced violent death with dark humor, secondary accounts were nostalgic for the dead, and tertiary accounts marked violent death as symbolic of war’s futility.
#Blacklivesmatter and Cartooning Racial Violence
Authors: Haddad Vincent
Published: October 2024

The circulation of images of racial violence, captured by cell phones and dash cams, has been central in exposing the atrocities of police brutality. Yet, as the “truthfulness” of these images is debated publicly and, more importantly, fail to secure convictions of guilty officers, their capacity to re-sensitize and de-sensitize viewers to different forms of violence, specifically against African Americans, becomes even more acute. The mixed effects and ethical implications of the saturation of these images only intensify as they become more prevalent in the fictional realm, in television, movies, novels, and a growing genre of BLM-inspired graphic narratives. This chapter surveys cartoon images of violent racial terror in contemporary comics and argues about their political efficacy and appropriateness.
Beyond The United States
Authors: Burke Liam
Published: October 2024

This introduction establishes the history of the superhero within an American context, and then establishes the need to look beyond the U.S. to examine the international expansion of the superhero. The chapters to follow seek to extend our understanding of how the superhero has gone beyond the United States to become a global icon.
Yesterdays
Authors: Meyers John Paul
Published: October 2024

One feature of the popular music landscape showing a relationship to the past is the recording of albums of songs from the “Great American Songbook.” This chapter begins with an analysis of Ella Fitzgerald, the musician most responsible for establishing the Songbook tradition as a coherent, venerable repertoire—not just a stack of musty old songs. The majority of this chapter, however, focuses on artists who came to prominence in other genres of music—including Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, and Rod Stewart—who have recorded albums of material from the Great American Songbook at crucial junctures in their careers. The recording of standards by musicians originally associated with other repertoires troubles our conventional notions of firm generic boundaries and hierarchies in popular music. These albums also serve as an important site of historical consciousness in popular music, by salvaging songs from the past and re-presenting them to listeners.
The Sinful Maternal
Authors: Rocha Lauren
Published: October 2024

Possession films are a subgenre of horror films in which a character is possessed by a supernatural, or non-human, entity. Women in possession films are often either the target of possession or witness to the possession of someone else. The act of possession, then, disrupts and challenges the ordered structure women are part of, especially in the case of mother/child and mother/family relationships. This book explores how different depictions of women in possession films show various facets of motherhood.
The possession films spotlighted are Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, The Amityville Horror, Insidious and Insidious Chapter 2, The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2, The Babadook, The Witch, and Hereditary. The films are placed in chronological order within the chapters to better connect with each other and to demonstrate how mothers in possession films have changed over time. It analyzes the films through the lenses of history and gender to show how society and cultural norms impact the depiction of mothers and possession. Topics explored include pregnancy, single motherhood, divorce, witchcraft, maternal archetypes, and forced motherhood. The book questions how possession can free, fracture, and transform women’s bodies and selves into ones that threaten patriarchal structures. It argues that women are always possessed because of unseen forces that seek to control them; how women react and navigate these forces highlights the need for more women’s and maternal agency.
The Development of a Group Counseling Program to Improve Positive Psychological Capital for Psychologically Burnt-out Secondary School Teachers
Authors:   Center For Educational Research, Kim Ha-Min , Yu Hyung-Keun
Published: October 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a group counseling program to improve the positive psychological capital of psychologically burnt-out secondary school teachers and apply it to psychologically burnt-out secondary school teachers to verify how it affects their positive psychological capital.
Methods: To this end, 310 secondary school teachers nationwide were asked to answer the Teacher Burnout Inventory(TBI) and 22 out of 51 teachers who received the results of higher T-score than 55, which is labeled as the “borderline”, on the “psychological burnout” scale and “doubt for teaching profession” scale were selected as experimental and control groups. The result was treated with Mixed ANOVA.
Results: As a result of the quantitative analysis, the group counseling program for improving positive psychological capital was effective in improving the psychological capital of secondary school teachers who were psychologically burnt-out, and there were significant differences in the areas of self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience, which are sub-domains of positive psychological capital.
Conclusion: It can be seen that the program developed in this study is effective in improving the positive psychological capital of psychologically burnt-out secondary school teachers.
A Literature Study Regarding the Definition, Subtypes, and Role of Utility Value Perceived by Learners in Learning Situations
Authors:   Center For Educational Research, Jeon Kyung-eun , Lee Woo-gul , Song juyeon
Published: October 2024

Purpose: As the perceived utility value among learners in educational settings varies widely, research on diverse types of utility value has been conducted in a disorganized manner with various criteria. In this study the definition, subtypes, and roles of utility value were examined, and necessary research problems were suggested for the future.
Methods: The definitions related to utility value defined in various theories and studies were summarized theoretically. Next, by reviewing the detailed types of utility value, the subtypes of utility value in the learning situation of adolescents were summarized. Finally, the role of utility value was summarized based on previous studies.
Results: The concept similar to the utility value in the expectancy-value theory includes instrumentality in future time perspective theory and identified regulation in self-determination theory and relatedness in interest theory. In this study, the concept of utility value from four theories was concretized. The specific types of utility value were categorized according to life domains, goal timepoint, performancecontingency, instrumentality, achievement goals, and the subject involved. The variables examining the relationship with useful value are mainly composed of motivation, achievement, and behavior.
Conclusion: Utility value can be further divided into subtypes based on critiria such as purpose or domain of usefullness. Additionally, these subtypes of utility value may exhibit distinctive characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests that future research should distinguish and measure each subtype, and investigate how students' learning varies according to the different subtypes of utility value.
Reparative futurities
Authors:   Stellenbosch University, Wingfield Matthew
Published: October 2024

The industrialised food system has both contributed to and will in turn be affected by the climate crisis. In South Africa, as is true globally, the way in which food production has intersected with processes of industrialisation and the green revolution has not only shaped how we relate to food production, but to nature more fundamentally. MATTHEW WINGFIELD explores the emergent possibilities of reimagining and reconstituting how food is produced, based on his case study situated in an agricultural zone on the outskirts of Cape Town called Philippi. It explores alternative ways of interacting with environmental resources that can forge “just” climate futures.
Food systems transformation in Zimbabwe
Authors:   Great Zimbabwe University, Tinarwo Joseph , Jarbandhan Vain D.B ,   University of Johannesburg, Gwiza Aaram ,   Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Published: October 2024

The usefulness of participatory monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) in food systems transformation in Africa remains poorly explored. JOSEPH TINARWO, VAIN JARBANDHAN and AARAM GWIZA explain how PM&E is designed to measure programme effectiveness and is geared towards promoting programme ownership, empowering beneficiaries, enhancing transparency and accountability, and improving the projects and programmes. However, they caution that the effectiveness of PM&E in food system transformation requires adequate budgetary support, rolling capacity-building initiatives, multistakeholder partnerships, policy integration, and indigenous knowledge-sharing and learning practices.
Affordable, accessible, healthy
Authors:   University of Pretoria, Vilakazi Nokuthula
Published: October 2024

For many residents in peri-urban areas, the price of essential healthy food items in supermarkets is unaffordable. At the same time, the more affordable informal markets tend to offer highly processed foods with low nutritional value. Indigenous foods are recognised for their potential to improve food and nutrition security, reduce malnutrition and enhance health and well-being, yet their use in urban areas is limited. In this article NOKUTHULA VILAKAZI explores the gap in urban consumers’ knowledge about the availability, production, preparation and use of indigenous foods in the City of Durban, eThekwini Municipality, with a specific focus on cowpeas.
Notes from the Editors, October 2024
Authors: Editors -
Published: October 2024

buy this issueIt is undeniable that the rapidly worsening ecological crisis is threatening not only future generations, but the youth of today. Why, then, is the U.S. educational system failing to teach students the reality of this human-caused catastrophe? "Even science itself," MR editors write, "is to be sacrificed on the altar of capital."
Optimizing Antenatal Care: The Effects of a Holistic Nursing Android Application for Pregnant Women
Authors: Desmawati Desmawati , Ismail Rita
Published: October 2024

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face Ante Natal Care (ANC) services were limited. To address this, we developed the Android digital application “Guide Me” based on a holistic care concept to optimize ANC.Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Android digital application “Guide Me” on optimizing ANC.Methods: This study used an experimental research design. The participants included 302 pregnant women selected through block randomization, with 160 in the intervention group and 142 in the control group. The intervention involved providing ANC services using a digital Android application at home, with health services visited only when treatment was necessary. The intervention group received usual care along with the Android application, “Guide Me”, which included a holistic nursing concept program, while the control group received only the usual care. Data were collected three times, and the ANC scale was used to measure ANC optimization. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data.Results: Significant differences were found in ANC optimization between the intervention and control groups ([F= 96.887, df (1, 300), p <0.001]). The intervention group showed significant improvements over three time points [F= 118.35, df (1, 308), p <0.001], with ANC optimization increasing from 45.79 to 59.16 in the intervention group compared to 44.09 to 45.77 in the control group.Conclusions: The “Guide Me” program effectively increased ANC optimization. Pregnant women reported feeling more at ease with home-based care and showed a preference for online apps and telemonitoring as alternatives to hospital visits. Healthcare providers may consider implementing this program in all antenatal clinics across Indonesia
An observational study of female body shape characteristics in multiracial Malaysia
Authors: Yiyan Wang , Zakaria Norsaadah
Published: October 2024

The current study aims to explore the representative and typical female body shapes through in-depth observation and analysis of the diversity in Malaysian female body shape characteristics across different ethnic and age groups, which assists in facilitating the establishment of accurate apparel size standards. This study was conducted in Selangor, which is the most populous and developed Malaysian state. The data were collected via a highly systematic approach. The K-mean clustering method was applied to synthesise and analyse the collected data, which classified the body types into five major clusters. The results not only revealed significant differences in the distribution of body shapes across ethnic and age groups but also highlighted the limitations of the various sizing systems currently employed by the Malaysian apparel industry to fulfil the requirements of the diverse Malaysian market. The findings provided practical implications for apparel manufacturers and retailers with concrete evidence to support improved product design and enhance customer satisfaction. A deeper understanding and categorisation of Malaysian females’ body types could also assist the apparel industry in developing more tailored sizing systems. Resultantly, an improved system minimises return rates, optimises inventory management, and supports environmental and sustainability goals by reducing overproduction.