bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnolia unicarmensis (Magnolia subsect. Dugandiodendron; Magnoliaceae): a new species from tropical montane forests of Antioquia, Colombia
Authors: MONTOYA–LÓPEZ ANDRES FELIPE , BOTA–SIERRA CORNELIO ANDRÉS
Published: November 2023

Magnolia unicarmensis is described as a new species of mountain Colombian Magnoliaceae. M. unicarmensis can be distinguished from the other members of subsection Dugandiodendron by a combination of characters, including smaller leaf size (3.20–6.73 × 1.91–3.93 cm); leaf shape obovate, base cuneate, woolly abaxial pubescent only in the midvein extending to a small prolongation in the emarginated apex; prefoliation marks on the lamina absent; golden woolly stipules; flowers 5.13–6.37 cm in diameter, 92–100 staments with six to eight petals and fruit ellipsoid 3.04–3.62 × 2.02–2.35 cm with six to seven glabrous carpels. This species is endemic from Antioquia, it is currently known only from Carmen de Viboral and La Unión Municipalities and it is proposed as Critically Endangered under criteria B1 ab(i,ii,iii,v) of IUCN.
Rediscovery and systematics of Rhinophis fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from India’s Western Ghats
Authors: GOWER DAVID J. , NARAYANAN SURYA , DEEPAK V. , Y. MUHAMMED ANVAR , DAS SANDEEP
Published: November 2023

The shieldtail snake Rhinophis fergusonianus Boulenger, 1896 was previously known only from the holotype specimen collected approximately 130 years ago from an imprecise Indian locality (Cardamom Hills). We report the rediscovery of this species from four localities, from low-elevation hills on both sides of the Palghat Gap in the southern part of the Western Ghats of peninsular India. We document new specimens of R. fergusonianus and provide a reassessment of the systematics of the species based on external morphology and DNA-sequence data. We also provide a revised key to the identification of Indian species of Rhinophis.
A new species of Triplocania Roesler of the Magnifica species group (Psocodea, ‘Psocoptera’, Ptiloneuridae) from Brazil
Authors: LIMA DANIEL MOURA , RAFAEL JOSÉ ALBERTINO , BRAVO FREDDY , SILVA-NETO ALBERTO MOREIRA DA
Published: November 2023

A new species of Triplocania Roesler included in the magnifica species-group is here described, illustrated and named as: Triplocania oiapoque n. sp. based on male and female specimens. In addition to the fourth new species of the magnifica species-group, descriptions of variations in forewing venation were also made for it, as well as an additional description of the ejaculatory duct, accessory glands, and spermatic sacs, recorded for the first time in Triplocania species. A new geographic record for Triplocania magnifica Roesler and an updated species key for the magnifica species-group are also presented.
5. Representation, Gender, Empire
Authors: Claro Andrés
Published: November 2023

The essay examines the prismatisation of Jane Eyre in Spanish unabridged, condensed, and reduced translations over time, evaluating their literary and cultural refractions. A first section addresses the literary synthesis and representation of reality: through a series of comparative stylistic microanalyses, it evaluates the recreation, loss, or refraction of lexical, syntactic, musical, imagistic, and contextual forms of meaning. The next two sections examine the strong contextual refractions of women’s liberation and the colonial oppression motifs of the novel respectively; focusing on the first widespread reception of Jane Eyre from the 1940s onwards, it contrasts its prismatisation as an explicit cry for freedom in Latin America, where the women’s vote was being fought for and achieved in the newly independent republics, with its prismatisation as anything from apparent orthodoxy (self-censorship) and negative freedom (writing between the lines) in Spain, where Franco’s programme was pursuing the restoration of National-Catholic values.
12. Proper Nouns and Not So Proper Nouns
Authors: Huang Yunte
Published: November 2023

This essay examines the history of Chinese translations of Jane Eyre from the early twentieth century to the present, focusing on the cultural poetics and politics of proper names and pronouns. It shows how the importation of a Western novel became deeply entangled with Chinese literature and politics of the time.
15. Free Indirect Jane Eyre
Authors: Habjan Jernej
Published: November 2023

A mix of direct speech’s tone and indirect speech’s tenses and pronouns, free indirect speech has inspired seminal theories of the novel and can also help us read individual novels as they appear in different languages. In the case of Jane Eyre, such a synoptic reading draws our attention to the co-existence of free indirect speech as we know it today and free indirect speech in quotation marks. Tracing the gradual disappearance of such quotation marks in German and Slovenian translations of Jane Eyre, their irreducibility to free indirect speech in today’s sense becomes apparent.
16. ‘Beside myself; or rather out of myself’
Authors: Kütt Madli
Published: November 2023

The essay discusses the ways that Jane Eyre’s intense presence in the text both as a first person narrator and an experiencing character is changed in translation to Estonian, a relatively more passive language than English. It focuses on the narrative aspects of the translator’s immersive experience: which scenes and settings in the narrative tend to increase or decrease the presence of the ‘I’ in the text? How do changing degrees of closeness to or distance from the first person alter the point of view and other narrative functions? How does Jane come across through her narration in the Estonian version?
VIII. Conclusions
Authors: Reynolds Matthew
Published: November 2023

Some of the conclusions presented are: that reading in world-literary contexts means reading heterolingually; that reading heterolingually entails reading collaboratively; that a world work consists of the originary text and all its translations together; that all translation invites a littoral reading; and that all translation is prismatic translation.
The effect of osteoprotegerin nanocomplex on osteoprotegerin and arteriosclerosis in mice
Authors: He Zhiwen , Wang Shuang , Xia Xiaoxuan
Published: November 2023

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), as one of the tumor necrosis factor receptors, is believed to be related with Osteoprotegerin (OP) and arteriosclerosis (AS). This study aims to explore the effect of OPG on osteoblasts (OB) and AS. The nanocomplex Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(L-Lysine)-Osteoprotegerin (PPO) was prepared by introducing OPG plasmid to Poly(ethylene glycol)-Poly(L-Lysine). Healthy group, AS group, AS combined with OP group were designed to measure apoptosis, activity, adhesion, and calcification of OB in Polycaprolactone (PCL) by flow cytometry, MTT method, alizarin red staining, scanning electron microscope and other methods. The effect of PPO on bone mineral density and arteriosclerosis of ApoE−/−/RANKL+/+mice was observed. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was positively correlated with ABI while negatively correlated with pulse wave velocity. OPG in AS combined with OP group was higher than healthy group, and AS group was also higher than healthy group. PPO-administered mice had dense bone trabeculae and higher bone density while the control group was the opposite. The effect of PPO on the stable expression of OPG in mice reduced the plaque area and the degree of vascular calcification. PPO can enhance OB activityin vitro, inhibit cell apoptosis, promote cell calcification and PCL adhesion, decrease the area of atherosclerotic plaque and calcification, and increase the BMD of the femoral neck. PPO can promote the adhesion and calcification of MC3T3-E1 on PCL, which is of great significance for maintaining sufficient bone strength and reducing blood calcium. In addition, PPO compound drugs can increase bone density, reduce arterial plaque area and vascular calcification.
A Deep Learning Model for Precipitation Nowcasting Using Multiple Optical Flow Algorithms
Authors: Ha Ji-Hoon , Lee Hyesook
Published: November 2023

The optical flow technique has advantages in motion tracking and has long been employed in precipitation nowcasting to track the motion of precipitation fields using ground radar datasets. However, the performance and forecast time scale of models based on optical flow are limited. Here, we present the results of the application of the deep learning method to optical flow estimation to extend its forecast time scale and enhance the performance of nowcasting. It is shown that a deep learning model can better capture both multispatial and multitemporal motions of precipitation events compared with traditional optical flow estimation methods. The model comprises two components: 1) a regression process based on multiple optical flow algorithms, which more accurately captures multispatial features compared with a single optical flow algorithm; and 2) a U-Net-based network that trains multitemporal features of precipitation movement. We evaluated the model performance with cases of precipitation in South Korea. In particular, the regression process minimizes errors by combining multiple optical flow algorithms with a gradient descent method and outperforms other models using only a single optical flow algorithm up to a 3-h lead time. Additionally, the U-Net plays a crucial role in capturing nonlinear motion that cannot be captured by a simple advection model through traditional optical flow estimation. Consequently, we suggest that the proposed optical flow estimation method with deep learning could play a significant role in improving the performance of current operational nowcasting models, which are based on traditional optical flow methods.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to improve the accuracy of short-term rainfall prediction based on optical flow methods that have been employed for operational precipitation nowcasting. By utilizing open-source libraries, such as OpenCV, and commonly applied machine learning techniques, such as multiple linear regression and U-Net networks, we propose an accessible model for enhancing prediction accuracy. We expect that the improvement in prediction accuracy will significantly improve the practical application of operational precipitation nowcasting.
Who Profits from Occupational Licensing?
Authors: Haupt Andreas
Published: November 2023

Sociologists have debated intensively how and why occupations matter for economic inequality. I argue that occupational licensing alters wage-setting, depending on the characteristics of the licensing system. Licensing not only restricts market entry, as in the United States; some governments, like that of Germany, also regulate task prices and set occupation-specific wage floors for licensed occupations. I claim that the U.S. system leads to a growing licensing wage advantage across the distribution, and the German system leads to a falling one. Furthermore, I discuss how women may particularly benefit from licensing, as it reduces disadvantages women often face in wage-setting. I present unconditional and gender-specific quantile treatment effects based on CPS-MORG and BIBB/BAuA data from 2018. In the United States, wage premiums are highest for employees in the upper-middle part of the distribution and are small for those in the bottom and the top. In Germany, the wage premium is largest for licensed employees within the lower quarter and reduces significantly toward the top. In both countries, women profit significantly more from licensing. These results challenge claims about the role of licensing for inequality in the top, and suggest licensing reduces penalties faced by disadvantaged groups.
Recognition of the Presence of Bone Fractures Through Physicochemical Changes in Diagenetic Bone
Authors: Mein Caley , Jones Jennifer R. , Tennick Catherine , Williams Anna
Published: November 2023

Much research has focused on attempting to understand the drivers of bone diagenesis. However, this sensitive process is easily influenced by various factors, particularly the condition of the remains (i.e., whether they have been subjected to trauma). Previous research demonstrates that trauma can influence soft tissue decomposition, yet to date, no studies have looked at how bone fractures could affect bone diagenesis. To address this gap, two short timescale studies were conducted to investigate the influence of bone fractures on the physicochemical composition of disarticulated, partially fleshed animal remains. Disarticulated porcine bones were either fractured using blunt force or sharp force whilst fresh (producing perimortem damage), at 60 days producing postmortem damage (postmortem interval (PMI)), or left intact and left outside for up to 180 days post-fracture/240 days PMI. Retrieved bone sections were then analyzed for physicochemical differences using non-destructive methods, i.e., scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance. It was hypothesized that differences would be found in the physicochemical composition between the bones with fractures and those without after undergoing diagenetic change. The bone fractures significantly affected the elemental composition of bone over time, but structural composition initially remained stable. It was also possible to distinguish between perimortem and postmortem fractures using these two analytical techniques due to physicochemical differences. This research shows bone fractures can significantly alter the physicochemical composition of the bone during the postmortem period and have the potential to facilitate more accurate PMI estimations in forensic contexts.
The Trudeau approaches to Canada-Cuba relations: Like father, like son?
Authors: McKenna Peter
Published: November 2023

This article seeks to examine the storied Canadian-Cuban relationship—with a specific focus on the two Trudeau Liberal governments (Pierre Elliott, 1968–1984, and his son, Justin, 2015–present). Accordingly, it poses a series of probing and illuminating questions about the “why” of Canada-Cuba relations. The central purpose of this narrative, then, is twofold: 1) to identify the nature and extent of both Pierre Elliott Trudeau's and Justin Trudeau's Cuba policies and 2) to explain the similarities and differences between the two prime ministers’ approaches to Cuba and why exactly key points of departure exist. It will also conclude with some general thoughts or observations on the contours of Canadian-Cuban relations during the two Trudeau periods.
Social Gradient in Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Malawi: Analysis of Trends
Authors: Zonda Joe Maganga , Yu Suchuan
Published: November 2023

Despite the tremendous efforts to achieve universal health coverage in Malawi, progress has been trivial hitherto. This study uses logistic regression analysis in the context of Andersen’s behavioral model of healthcare utilization to investigate the determinants of antenatal care (ANC), skilled provider-assisted delivery, and facility-based delivery services among women aged 15–49 years in a resource-constrained country—Malawi. Our primary novelty lies in the construction of concentration indices and concentration curves to explore the drivers of socioeconomic inequalities in the context of Andersen’s model. Data from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey 2004, 2010, and 2015 were used. Our results indicate that predisposing, enabling, and need factors have heterogeneous effects on the utilization of these services. While analysis of the inequalities generally reveals a downward trend, the poor–rich gap in ANC utilization remains exceptionally high. Moreover, decomposition analysis shows that the socioeconomic inequalities are almost exclusively driven by enabling factors, characterizing the observed inequalities as “inequities.”
An experimental study on the failure mechanism of local-strengthening glass fiber reinforced polymer T-joints under/after the low-velocity impact loading
Authors: Wu Ye , You Peiyu , Li Mingjie , Xiong Jiaqiang , Wan Yun
Published: November 2023

In this study, an experimental methodology, consisting of low-velocity impact (LVI) and quasi-static compressive test, is conducted to investigate the performance and failure mechanism of GFRP T-joints, fabricated by vacuum-assisted resin infusion process (VARI), when subjected to out-of-plane LVI loading at the corner. Further, the effect of LVI loading on the reduction of strength is analyzed by the tensile test after LVI. In order to improve the strength of the GFRP T-joints, one layer of stainless-steel wire net (SSWN) is inserted into the corner of the T-joints structure. The experimental results indicate that the addition of SSWN decreases the damaged area of delamination in the web, meanwhile, connecting the nearby GFRP layers to avoid the structure failure suddenly, which improves its performance of tensile test after LVI.
Race, Religion, and American Support for Humanitarian Intervention
Authors: Chu Jonathan A. , Lee Carrie A.
Published: November 2023

Does public support for armed humanitarian intervention depend on the race and religion of those it seeks to save? Social identity theory predicts that people prefer helping strangers with whom they share an identity, but norms of paternalism and cosmopolitanism could moderate such favoritism. We test these propositions via survey experiments administered to a nationally representative sample of Americans that randomized the racial and religious characteristics of foreigners in a hypothetical civil war. The data reveal that Americans, especially Christians, prefer to intervene on behalf of Christians over Muslims. Ingroup affinity rather than outgroup Islamophobia explains this effect. Meanwhile, Americans exhibit less consistent prejudice along racial lines. Finally, while scholars find paternalist norms affect attitudes toward economic assistance, we find no similar effect for military intervention. Cosmopolitan Americans, however, express less identity-based bias. We conclude that people act on their basic socio-psychological instincts, but norms could attenuate these biases.
Measuring Instructional Interactions During Reading Instruction for Students Receiving Intervention in Middle School
Authors: Baker Scott K. , Kennedy Patrick C. , Richards Dean , Nelson Nancy J. , Fien Hank , Doabler Christian T.
Published: November 2023

More than two-thirds of middle school students do not read proficiently. Research has shown that targeted interventions using explicit instruction methods can improve reading outcomes for struggling readers. A central feature of explicit instruction is the systematic implementation of instructional interactions, but it is not clear what specific instructional interaction practices lead to stronger outcomes for middle school readers. This study used a regression discontinuity design to compare the frequency and impact of instructional interactions experienced by U.S. eighth-grade students who received a targeted reading intervention ( n = 1,461) with those who did not ( n = 4,292). Results indicated that students who received intervention experienced far more instructional interactions with their teachers than did students who did not. However, the association between rates of interaction and student need in the intervention group was minimal, and the relationship between the rate of instructional interactions and reading growth was mixed. Implications for intervening with struggling students in the middle grades are discussed.
Railway experts and the construction of national space(s) in post-imperial Southeast Europe: the case of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Yugoslavia
Authors: Kežić Danijel
Published: November 2023

This article uses an interdisciplinary approach and concepts of path dependencies, legacies, mental maps and social spaces to analyse the role of railway experts in the process of construction of national space in interwar Southeast Europe on the example of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes/Yugoslavia as a case study. The spatial analysis of this case study is based on primary and secondary sources: archival material, contemporary journals and newspapers, and contemporary expert's studies. The article analyses the role of transport infrastructure and railway experts in the construction of Yugoslav transport and national space, claiming that the old infrastructure and institutional path dependencies prevented construction of it.
Death Anxiety in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Authors: Becker Sarah , Lee-Grimm Sie-In , Juckel Georg , Mavrogiorgou Paraskevi
Published: November 2023

Objective: Death anxiety has long been attributed a role as a psychopathologically decisive factor in the development of mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). For example, patients with washing compulsions associate their behavior with a fear of life-threatening diseases or patients with control compulsions report that the constant checking is driven by the fear of fatal or deadly consequences for the occupants.

Method: The Bochum Questionnaire to Assess Death Anxiety and Attitudes Towards Death (BOFRETTA) was administered to 31 patients with OCD and 31 healthy volunteers within a semi-structured interview using broad psychometry.

Results: OCD patients showed increased death anxiety and negative attitute to death in comparison to healthy volunteers. A significant correlation was found between BOFRETTA-anxiety and the currently present religious obsessive thoughts.

Conclusions: Our investigation provides further findings on the role of death anxiety and the problematic attitude towards death in OCD patients.
Evaluation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? in Latinx Communities in California, June 2021–May 2022
Authors: Nawaz Saira , Moon Kyle J. , Anagbonu Francis , Trinh Anne , Escobedo Lizette , Montiel Gloria Itzel
Published: November 2023

Objectives:

The 12-month vaccination campaign ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? was launched to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in Latinx populations in California by expanding community outreach. The objectives of this evaluation were to (1) determine predictors of vaccination rates and (2) identify barriers to vaccination and potential solutions.

Methods:

Five community partners in California serving Latinx populations with high social vulnerability participated in the ¡Ándale! ¿Qué Esperas? campaign. Community health workers were hired to deliver outreach (virtual, one-on-one, group based, and information dissemination), vaccinations, and supportive services. We collected data on outreach strategy used (method and location), number of vaccinations provided and reasons for delay, and number of times that supportive services were provided. We used regression models to assess significant predictors of vaccinations and supportive services.

Results:

Community health workers (N = 146) hired from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, performed outreach engagements (n = 6297) and supportive services (n = 313 796), resulting in 130 413 vaccinations and 28 660 vaccine appointments. The number of vaccinations administered was significantly higher at events in which supportive services were provided versus not provided (coefficient = 34.02; 95% CI, 3.34-64.68; P = .03). The odds ratio of supportive services was 3.67 (95% CI, 1.76-7.55) during virtual outreach and 2.95 (95% CI, 2.37-3.69) during one-on-one outreach ( P < .001 for both) as compared with information dissemination encounters. Vaccination concerns were reported among 55.0% of vaccinated survey respondents (67.7%, vaccine confidence; 51.7%, access).

Conclusions:

Supportive services facilitate vaccinations, ease transportation and time barriers, and instill confidence among working-class racial and ethnic minority populations.
V2X-assisted emergency vehicle transit in VANETs
Authors: Kaja Hasita , Stoehr Jacob M , Beard Cory
Published: November 2023

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) can support safety-critical applications such as the safe and fast movement of emergency vehicles while preventing crashes, delays, and congestion involving emergency vehicles. A simulation approach to evaluate ambulance transit using VANET capabilities is presented in this paper for a real-life road network taken in and around the University of Missouri–Kansas City, USA. Three different VANET functional scenarios are compared with a base scenario (SC-1) which depicts the present-day traffic pattern and vehicle behaviors. In the three scenarios, the second one (SC-2) adds vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications along with the present-day traffic pattern; ambulances use VANETs simply to announce their arrival. The third scenario (SC-3) provides functionalities for ambulances to rerouting when they learn about a current or an anticipated road congestion. And the fourth scenario (SC-4) adds vehicle rerouting capabilities, so ambulance routes can be sent to vehicles, and they can avoid the ambulance path. Performance results are presented and evaluated for metrics such as delay, packet drop ratio, the average speed of the ambulance, average vehicle density, and ambulance message interval time. From the simulation results, it was observed that the ambulance transit time reduces by 12.52%, 14.65%, and 18.75% for SC-2, SC-3, and SC-4, respectively, as compared with SC-1, while the average ambulance speed increases by 14.49%, 15.57%, and 20.90% for SC-2, SC-3, and SC-4, respectively, when compared with SC-1. This paper provides substantial evidence that VANET capabilities for emergency vehicles can enhance crash protection and reduce the commute time for emergency response.
Black Girls’ Reading Motivations: Centering Their Perspectives and Experiences to Redefine a Hegemonic Construct
Authors: Jones Sara
Published: November 2023

This article addresses tensions between how researchers have conceptualized and operationalized adolescent reading motivation and how a group of Black girl readers perceive and enact reading motivation. Through a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study offers an initial exploration into mapping a race-reimaged reading motivation construct by centering the views, through artifact-elicited interviews, and experiences, through classroom observations, of a group of adolescent Black girl readers. Findings point to a need to reconceptualize reading motivation so that researchers and practitioners are equipped to recognize Black girls’ reading motivations.
Demystifying Tele-Counseling: Meeting Student Needs Through Ethical Decision-Making and Collaborative Consultation
Authors: Williams Mia Kim , Maddox Robert Paul , Hunt Tiffany , Frank Alexandra , Rujimora James , Nichols Lindsey , Summers Heather
Published: November 2023

Digital technology has been an integral part of transforming educational resources for students in recent decades, however, the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has focused education on infusion of digital technologies throughout programs to better meet students’ needs. School districts have benefited from the American Rescue Plan Act funding and the surge of new or re-envisioned resources and tools launched in the aftermath of the pandemic’s influence on school environments. Through this phenomenon, new opportunities have become particularly accessible to students with disabilities, and educators are in a new position to collaboratively consult to ensure resource availability. This paper discusses implications of the progressing landscape of technology in schools for providing mental health services. Using a fictional district-wide memo it illustrates how collaborative consultation can guide practitioners to use ethical considerations and ideal practices in technology integration and collaboration to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
The Effectiveness of the StaySafe Intervention Using a Paradigm for Predicting Missing Outcome Data
Authors: Joe George W. , Lehman Wayne E. K. , Yang Yang , Knight Kevin
Published: November 2023

Sample attrition is a confounding issue in the analysis of data collected in follow-up studies. The present study uses a regression procedure that includes a propensity score as a predictor in estimating imputed data. The utility of the procedure was addressed by comparing results from this augmented data with those from the original data. Data were from a randomized controlled study testing the utility of a tablet-based intervention designed to improve decision-making with respect to health risk behaviors. Outcomes included self-reported testing for HIV, STD, and hepatitis. Two samples were used (163 in community facilities and 348 in residential facilities). Seventy-eight in the community sample and 238 in the residential sample completed follow-up surveys. Propensity scores based on a stepwise logistic regression were used to make the calibration sample and the missing data sample as close as possible. Multilevel analysis was performed for each outcome and multiple imputation compared estimated mean differences for the augmented and original analyses. The model imputing missing data was effective for the three outcomes and increased power. Least square mean differences between augmented and original data appeared to be essentially the same for most of the outcomes. This protocol has been registered with https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/(NCT02777086).
Fascist ideas, practices and networks of ‘Empire’: Rethinking Interwar Italy as post-Habsburg history (1918–1938)
Authors: Bresciani Marco
Published: November 2023

This chapter relates post-1918 Italy to the collapse of the Habsburg Empire and the ascent of the successor states, and analyses, from the Trieste’s vantage point, fascist projects, practices and networks of ‘empire’ in the Adriatic Sea, in Mitteleuropa and in the Balkans between 1918 and 1938. It focuses on three connected aspects. Firstly, the northern Adriatic was the first setting of the ascent of squadrismo, a model of violent action against ‘enemies within’ then replicated elsewhere. Secondly, Italian nationalism and imperialism aimed to reconfigure the post-Habsburg economic space and to reconnect the Adriatic with Central and Balkan Europe. Thirdly, Italian nationalist (then Fascist) élites from Trieste played a critical role, by boosting processes of empire-building and defending Austria vis-à-vis the prospects of Anschluss. In sum, the Habsburg legacies kept on shaping the dynamics of Italianization and fascistization in northern Adriatic and on feeding the search for Italy’s informal empire in Central and Southeastern Europe.
Impact of the Russian–Ukrainian War on the National Economy of Russia
Authors: Semenenko Oleh , Sliusarenko Maryna , Onofriichuk Andrii , Onofriichuk Vitalii , Remez Artem
Published: November 2023

At the moment, the first phase of the military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, is reaching its logical end: A certain front line has already been established and the economic state in which the countries are is becoming clearer. That is why the evaluation and forecasting of the military, economic and demographic impact of the war on other countries become relevant. This work examines what losses Russia received due to its actions. In the article, the authors examine the issue of the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Russian economy, as well as a retrospective forecast of the impact of Russia’s military operations on its national economy. Attention is focused on military and demographic aspects, as well as on the results of the impact of various types of sanctions. The main method that was used in the work can be considered modelling; however, in addition to it, analysis, historical method, graphic and others were also used. The practical results of the analysis showed that the government of the Russian Federation announced the transition to a command mobilisation economy, and today its first consequences are already visible in the form of rising prices and devaluation of the national currency. In addition, it was shown that despite the large number of sanctions imposed on Russia, the country has not yet felt the full consequences. The issue of how the defence economy of the Russian Federation is developing, how the military budget of Russia has changed over the past 11 years, and how the war in Ukraine affected the demographic situation has been examined. In the section on the impact of the war on the economy of the Russian Federation, it is shown that modernised production and industries will suffer the most from such actions, which will lead to a powerful technological lag. The article brings new knowledge for understanding the current functioning of the Russian economy and in the near future, as well as for making assessments of the possible future course of the war.

JEL: H56, N4, J11, R11
Simondon, Control and the Digital Domain
Authors: Rantala Juho , Muilu Mirka
Published: November 2023

Deleuze put forth a description of fluid control in computerized society in his text ‘Postscript on Control Societies’. With the help of the philosophy of Gilbert Simondon, we can broaden and complexify this view and understand digital systems through the concept of modulation. These modulatory systems intervene in human individuation by controlling individuals as ‘dividuals’. In contemporary digital technologies, like blockchain platforms, the modulatory dividual control can be fierce and even total. Simondon’s concepts of pre-individual, individuation, and transindividuation present us with an ontology for this contemporary mode of control and enable us to better understand the complex relations between the being of humans and technical networks.
Out of Place: William Connolly, Resounding Events and Stephen Turner, Mad Hazard
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: November 2023

This article examines a post-war generation of academics in the United States and in Britain, who, coming from lower-class families without any previous experience of university education, became internationally famous but nevertheless continued to feel out of place in the academic world. Pierre Bourdieu’s framework of habitus, field and doxa is useful in studying the world of such outsiders and exiles who shaped post-war sociology. Without an established canon of sociology, these students typically developed critical and creative perspectives on society. In Britain the post-war welfare state was the foundation of this new breed of academics. John O’Neill is the classic example. In America ‘The Disobedient Generation’ were influenced by race, the Vietnam War, and the draft. William Connolly and Stephen Turner provide two case studies of highly successful academics who were often subjectively outsiders. ‘Event’ and ‘hazard’ imply that successful careers are in fact merely accidental. Neoliberalism may have closed off such accidental careers.
Andrew Feenberg, The Ruthless Critique of Everything Existing
Authors: Winter Rainer
Published: November 2023

In his new book, The Ruthless Critique of Everything Existing: Nature and Revolution in Marcuse’s Philosophy of Praxis (2023), Andrew Feenberg offers a critical reconstruction of the latter’s oeuvre that brings into focus the topicality and poignancy of his thinking. To this end, he examines significant aspects of Marcuse’s writings in an effort to determine the philosophical foundations and pioneering perspectives of his thought. He contends that Marcuse’s philosophy is now more relevant than ever because it profoundly critiques science and technology and urgently advocates the protection of nature from their destructive consequences. It calls into question the operationality and efficiency of control and monitoring, which are becoming more and more prevalent today. In this regard, as Feenberg argues, Marcuse’s approach is largely predicated on a rehabilitation of the everyday experience inspired by phenomenology, on the principle of potentiality highlighted by Aristotle and Hegel, and on Freud’s conceptions of Eros and the death drive, as well as his theory of the imagination. Marcuse endeavored to ascertain more precisely how existence is historically and socially situated and how a transformative practice may emerge.
Assessment of skin and associated soft tissue changes with ultrasonography in chronic venous disease
Authors: Girdhani Bhavna , Savlania Ajay , Vaddavalli Venkata Vineeth , Behera Arunanshu , Gorsi Ujjwal , Kaman Lileshwar , Soundarajan Raghuraman
Published: November 2023

Objective

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is accompanied by a spectrum of skin changes. The aim of this study was to assess skin changes in CVD in different classes of the classifications such as the Clinical-Etiology-Anatomy-Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification using ultrasound (US).

Methods

This study was conducted from July 2020 to July 2021 after obtaining approval from Institutional Ethical Committee. Patients with chronic venous insufficiency were enrolled after taking informed consent. Assessment of cutaneous layer (CL), subcutaneous layer (SCL), dermo-hypodermal junction (D-HJ), and other significant US findings were noted.

Results

Ninety-eight limbs were evaluated. Most common skin finding was dermal edema in 59 (60.2%) legs. Other findings included infiltrates, CL thickening, hyper echogenicity and thickening of SCL, anechoic lacunae, disappearance of D-HJ, and epidermal loss or change in thickness of epidermis. Notably, US detected dermal edema in 15 and infiltrates in five C2 legs (normal on inspection).

Conclusion

US evaluation of skin changes adds insight to clinical assessment and may reveal skin changes in legs affected with CVD that may appear normal on clinical examination.
Hyperdopaminergia in rats is associated with reverse effort-cost dependent performance
Authors: Savchenko Artem , Belozertseva Irina , Leo Damiana , Sukhanov Ilya
Published: November 2023

Background:

Dopamine is implicated in the effort-based control of motivational processes; however, whether tonic dopamine regulates the effort-cost impact on motivation, is still debated.

Aims:

The rats lacking the dopamine transporter (DAT), which have dramatically increased levels of the synaptic dopamine, were used in the present study to elucidate the role of the synaptic dopamine in motivational processes.

Methods:

To study the reward-related processes, the progressive ratio 3 (PR3) operant schedule of food reinforcement (the ratio increases by 3 after each earned reinforcer) was performed in adult male rats (DAT knockouts (DAT-KO), heterozygotes (DAT-HT) and wild-types (DAT-WT)).

Results:

During the PR3 session, the response rate of DAT-KO rats was gradually increased following the augmented required number of responses. In contrast, the local response rate of DAT-WT and DAT-HT decreased. d-Amphetamine sulfate salt (3 mg/kg, i.p.) altered the local response rate dynamics in DAT-WT, which became similar to that of DAT-KO. Interestingly, the reduction in response rate at low effort demands was associated with decreased rate of entries into the magazine tray in DAT-WT rats treated with amphetamine (3 mg/kg) but not in DAT-KO rats.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that the elevated tonic synaptic dopamine can strongly affect motivation/effort-cost relation in rodents.
“No Marketing on a Dead Planet”: Rethinking Marketing Education to Support a Restoration Economy
Authors: Helm Sabrina V. , Little Vicki J. , Frethey-Bentham Catherine
Published: November 2023

The threat of rapid and unpredictable climate change means we must urgently transition human lifestyles into a restoration economy, with a focus on restorative development instead of new development or conservation of old modes. To support that project, marketing educators must rethink their discipline and their responsibilities, challenging legacy marketing teaching and ‘business as usual’. To assess current practice, a global survey of 200 marketing faculty identified three clusters by climate consciousness: Engaged, Conflicted, and Traditionalist. Analysis of open-ended comments identified three themes: Felt need for change, Barriers to change, and Action to take. Building on these findings, we identify anti- and pro-restoration mechanisms in our disciplinary practice at societal, university, and individual level. We present those mechanisms in a new framework highlighting the discourses that reinforce and challenge engagement and agnosis. Agnosis is a socio-cultural and psychological phenomenon underlying the current collective failure to engage with climate change. We challenge colleagues to confront agnosis and offer individual, disciplinary, and institutional actions that support transition to net-zero carbon marketing logic.
Linear electrostatic actuators with Moiré-effect optical proprioceptive sensing and electroadhesive braking
Authors: Choi Inrak , Yoon Sohee John , Park Yong-Lae
Published: November 2023

Muscles in animals and actuation systems in advanced robots consist not of the actuation component alone; the motive, dissipative, and proprioceptive components exist in a complete set to achieve versatile and precise manipulation tasks. We present such a system as a linear electrostatic actuator package incorporated with sensing and braking components. Our modular actuator design is composed of these actuator films and a dielectric fluid, and we examine the performance of the proposed system both theoretically and experimentally. In addition, we introduce a mechanism of optical proprioceptive sensing utilizing the Moiré pattern innately generated on the actuator surface, which allows high-resolution reading of the position of the actuator without noise. The optical sensor is also capable of measuring the force exerted by the actuator. Lastly, we add an electroadhesive brake in the package in parallel with the actuator, introducing a method of mode switching that utilizes all three components and presenting control demonstrations with a robot arm. Our actuation system is compact and flexible and can be easily integrated with various robotic applications.
Headwinds in the heartland? Hazard planning lessons from six inland jurisdictions in the southern plains
Authors: Lyles Ward , Pennel Penn , Riley Rachel
Published: November 2023

The recent 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United States’ Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA) offers an occasion to reflect on the performance of the intergovernmental policy framework it created to incentivize local hazard mitigation planning. Researchers know little about the status of local hazard mitigation planning in oft-overlooked inland communities and they know little about high-quality mitigation planning in the middle of the country. This study helps fill these gaps with a multistate, six-county comparative case study approach in the Southern Plains using data collected from the evaluation of plan documents and interviews with key informants. Our three core findings are: (1) the hazard mitigation plans tend to be of low to mediocre quality; (2) the networks of hazard mitigation stakeholders vary widely in composition and leadership, some replicating emergency management networks suited to preparedness and response and some much better suited to the quite different demands of long-term mitigation work; and (3) the types of consultants and their roles also varied across the six cases, bringing expertise characteristic of narrow emergency management perspectives to more integrated expertise in long-range land use and infrastructure planning perspectives. Without the requirements of the DMA, it is difficult to imagine that thousands of communities would have dedicated millions of dollars and untold hours to develop mitigation plans. Yet, as our findings show, the DMA is likely in need of a major overhaul, in spite of recent efforts like the new Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program.
Length Changes of the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament During In Vivo Knee Motion: An Evaluation Using Dynamic Computed Tomography
Authors: Boot Miriam R. , van de Groes Sebastiaan A.W. , Dunning Hans , Tanck Esther , Janssen Dennis
Published: November 2023

Background:

Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction is associated with high complication rates because of graft overloading from incorrect graft positioning. To improve clinical outcomes, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of MPFL elongation patterns.

Purpose:

To assess MPFL length changes in healthy knees from 0° to 90° of dynamic flexion and their relationship with anatomic parameters of the patellofemoral joint.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Dynamic computed tomography scans of an active flexion-extension-flexion movement in 115 knees from 63 healthy participants were evaluated to construct knee joint models. Using these models, the MPFL length was measured as the shortest wrapping path from the Schöttle point on the femur to 3 insertion points on the superomedial border of the patella (proximal, central, and distal). MPFL length changes (%) relative to the length in full extension were calculated, and their correlations with the tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove distance, Caton-Deschamps index, and lateral trochlear inclination were analyzed.

Results:

The proximal fiber was the longest in full extension and progressively decreased to a median length of −6.0% at 90° of flexion. The central fiber exhibited the most isometric pattern during knee flexion, showing a median maximal decrease of 2.8% relative to the full extension length and no evident elongation. The distal fiber first slightly decreased in length but increased at deeper flexion angles. The median overall length changes were 4.6, 4.7, and 5.7 mm for the proximal, central, and distal patellar insertion, respectively. These values were either not or very weakly correlated with the tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove distance, Caton-Deschamps index, and lateral trochlear inclination when the anatomic parameters were within the healthy range.

Conclusion:

The median MPFL length changed by approximately 5 mm between 0° and 90° of flexion. Proximally, the length continuously decreased, indicating slackening behavior. Distally, the length increased at deeper flexion angles, indicating tightening behavior.

Clinical Relevance:

In MPFL reconstruction techniques utilizing the Schöttle point to establish the femoral insertion, one should avoid distal patellar insertion, as it causes elongation of the ligament, which may increase the risk for complications due to overloading.