bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to build a cold chain supply chain system for fresh agricultural products through blockchain technology—A study of tripartite evolutionary game theory based on prospect theory
Authors: Bai Yanhu , Wu Hansheng , Huang Minmin , Luo Jianli , Yang Zhuodong
Published: November 2023

The global cold chain logistics market is witnessing a significant upswing, driven by the rising demand for perishable food products and increasing shipment volumes worldwide. Technological advancements are leading to a more intelligent and digitally enabled cold chain logistics system. However, the high loss rate of fresh agricultural products in China poses a significant threat to the country’s food security. Therefore, it is imperative to explore innovative solutions, such as blockchain, to address the challenges of traditional cold chain logistics. In this paper, inspired by the prospect theory and evolutionary game theory, we propose an evolutionary game model to analyze the behavioral strategies of the tripartite of n-level cold chain participants, consumers, and government. Using MATLAB software, the numerical simulation of the game path of this tripartite theory is conducted, and the influence of variable parameters on the evolutionary process and outcomes of the system is analyzed. The results the following: (1) The development of an effective cold chain supply chain system can be divided into three stages, and blockchain technology plays a pivotal role in creating a seamless cold chain environment. The cost of blockchain adoption, government rewards, as well as penalties can significantly influence the behavioral choices of the three stakeholders. (2) The behavior of individual cold chain participants has a strong negative externality, which can impact the behavior of others. We also find that the larger the scale of the cold chain, the lower the probability of default by the participants. (3) The government’s adoption of blockchain technology and the implementation of effective incentive policies can foster the successful development of the cold chain blockchain infrastructure. Our research contributes to the theoretical understanding of cold chain logistics decision making and policy creation for the tripartite stakeholders, including cold chain participants, consumers, and government. Our findings can serve as a valuable reference for scientific decision making and policy formulation to encourage the development of a robust cold chain supply chain system.
The impact of Public Health Emergency (PHE) on the news dissemination strength: Evidence from Chinese-Speaking Vloggers on YouTube
Authors: Sun Dan , Zhao Guochang
Published: November 2023

News dissemination plays a vital role in supporting people to incorporate beneficial actions during public health emergencies, thereby significantly reducing the adverse influences of events. Based on big data from YouTube, this research study takes the declaration of COVID-19 National Public Health Emergency (PHE) as the event impact and employs a DiD model to investigate the effect of PHE on the news dissemination strength of relevant videos. The study findings indicate that the views, comments, and likes on relevant videos significantly increased during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Moreover, the public’s response to PHE has been rapid, with the highest growth in comments and views on videos observed within the first week of the public health emergency, followed by a gradual decline and returning to normal levels within four weeks. In addition, during the COVID-19 public health emergency, in the context of different types of media, lifestyle bloggers, local media, and institutional media demonstrated higher growth in the news dissemination strength of relevant videos as compared to news & political bloggers, foreign media, and personal media, respectively. Further, the audience attracted by related news tends to display a certain level of stickiness, therefore this audience may subscribe to these channels during public health emergencies, which confirms the incentive mechanisms of social media platforms to foster relevant news dissemination during public health emergencies. The proposed findings provide essential insights into effective news dissemination in potential future public health events.
Cohort profile: Genetic data in the German Socio-Economic Panel Innovation Sample (SOEP-G)
Authors: Koellinger Philipp D. , Okbay Aysu , Kweon Hyeokmoon , Schweinert Annemarie , Linnér Richard Karlsson , Goebel Jan , Richter David , Reiber Lisa , Zweck Bettina Maria , Belsky Daniel W. , Biroli Pietro , Mata Rui , Tucker-Drob Elliot M. , Harden K. Paige , Wagner Gert , Hertwig Ralph
Published: November 2023

The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) serves a global research community by providing representative annual longitudinal data of respondents living in private households in Germany. The dataset offers a valuable life course panorama, encompassing living conditions, socioeconomic status, familial connections, personality traits, values, preferences, health, and well-being. To amplify research opportunities further, we have extended the SOEP Innovation Sample (SOEP-IS) by collecting genetic data from 2,598 participants, yielding the first genotyped dataset for Germany based on a representative population sample (SOEP-G). The sample includes 107 full-sibling pairs, 501 parent-offspring pairs, and 152 triads, which overlap with the parent-offspring pairs. Leveraging the results from well-powered genome-wide association studies, we created a repository comprising 66 polygenic indices (PGIs) in the SOEP-G sample. We show that the PGIs for height, BMI, and educational attainment capture 22∼24%, 12∼13%, and 9% of the variance in the respective phenotypes. Using the PGIs for height and BMI, we demonstrate that the considerable increase in average height and the decrease in average BMI in more recent birth cohorts cannot be attributed to genetic shifts within the German population or to age effects alone. These findings suggest an important role of improved environmental conditions in driving these changes. Furthermore, we show that higher values in the PGIs for educational attainment and the highest math class are associated with better self-rated health, illustrating complex relationships between genetics, cognition, behavior, socio-economic status, and health. In summary, the SOEP-G data and the PGI repository we created provide a valuable resource for studying individual differences, inequalities, life-course development, health, and interactions between genetic predispositions and the environment.
A comparative analysis of depressive-like behavior: Exploring sex-related differences and insights
Authors: Rodrigues Ana Carolina Cavalcante , Moreira Caroline Vitória de Lima , Prado Camila Carlos , Silva Luan Silvestro Bianchini , Costa Rafael Fernandes , Arikawe Adesina Paul , Pedrino Gustavo Rodrigues , Costa Elson Alves , Silva Osmar Nascimento , Napolitano Hamilton Barbosa , Oliveira-Silva Iranse , Fajemiroye James Oluwagbamigbe
Published: November 2023

Profiling the variability related to the estrous cycle is essential for assessing depressive-like behavior and screening drugs. This study compares circulating plasma corticosterone levels [CORT] and behavioral alterations in mice exposed to sucrose preference, forced swimming, and tail suspension tests (SPT, FST, and TST, respectively). While SPT exposure did not significantly alter [CORT], FST and TST showed notable changes. Mice in the TST exhibited increased movement and decreased immobility time compared to FST, suggesting a lower likelihood of depressive-like behavior in male mice. Notably, during the proestrus phase, female mice displayed the highest tendency for depressive-like behavior and elevated [CORT], but similar response to antidepressants (imipramine and fluoxetine). The inherent stress of the FST and TST tasks appears to influence [CORT] as well as depressant and antidepressant effects. These comparisons provide valuable insights for further behavioral phenotyping, model sensitivity assessment, and deepen our neurobiological understanding of depression in the context of drug screening.
Comparison of microbial community assemblages in the rhizosphere of three Amaranthus spp.
Authors: Chee-Sanford Joanne C. , Connor Lynn M.
Published: November 2023

Weed management remains a major challenge in cropping systems worldwide, with rising interest in ecological based approaches that can be integrated with herbicide use. Soil microbial communities may play important, yet undiscovered, roles in weed success. Little is known about the rhizosphere communities associated with weeds likeAmaranthus, commonly known as pigweeds, and considered some of the most problematic weeds in agricultural systems. In a greenhouse experiment that allowed controlled plant growth conditions and a high number of individual plant specimens to analyze for statistical robustness (n = 8 per species), we show that specific bacterial assemblages form in the rhizospheres ofA.retroflexusL. (redroot pigweed),A.palmeriS. Watson (Palmer amaranth), andA.tuberculatus(Moq.) J. D. Sauer (waterhemp). Using a relatively rapid and easy approach of T-RFLP community profiling of the 16S rRNA genes, distinct assemblages corresponded to plant species (PERMANOVA F = 14.776, p = 0.001), and further within each species, similar communities (F = 11.449, p = 0.001) were associated with three rhizosphere soil fractions taken in increasing distances away from the root tissue. These results provide the first solid basis for distinct plant-microbe relationships within three closely relatedAmaranthusspecies, warranting closer examination of the identities and function of the microorganisms that appear to be selectively recruited from the extant soil community. More intensive efforts to obtain the microbial taxonomic identities via sequencing are underway that can lead to further detailed studies to elucidate important functional plant-microbe interactions that may associate with weed success. Such data provides underlying key information that may ultimately exploit weed-microbe interactions in development of new integrated weed control tactics.
Finding Ong’s way through: Walter Ong’s method for media ecology
Authors: Soukup Paul
Published: November 2023

This Keynote address from the 23rd annual convention of the Media Ecology Association in Rio de Janeiro marked the presentation of The Walter J. Ong Award for Career Achievement in Scholarship. The address explores how Ong approached his own scholarship and how that scholarship offers a method for media ecology research. Rather than to propose a system, Ong instead suggests a method to find one’s way through problems of communication and knowledge.
An empirical analysis of inflation's influence on income inequality in Lithuania
Authors: Mudričenko Gabija , Laskienė Daiva , Gižienė Vilda , Navickas Valentinas
Published: November 2023

Income inequality is a growing problem worldwide, especially in developed countries, with adverse social, economic, political and health consequences. In 2017, the goal of reducing poverty and inequality was included in the United Nations' seventeen Sustainable Development Goals list. Despite this, governments are not paying enough attention to tackling the problem, and inequality continues to rise. To take appropriate measures to reduce income inequality, it is essential first to understand the underlying causes, as this can help to tackle the problem at its root. Many different factors have been identified as impacting income inequality, one of which is inflation. Inflation is currently at an all-time high in the country, reaching as high as 19.7% in 2022. This makes it particularly difficult for low-income earners to make ends meet, as buying necessities is becoming harder and harder. Given that rising inflation, due to geopolitical factors, is also an issue in Lithuania and throughout Europe, it is essential to analyse the relationship between income inequality, as this can help us make the right decisions in tackling both problems. This study aims to identify the impact of inflation on income inequality in Lithuania. The research methods used to achieve the objective were graphical analysis, literature analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The study shows a linear relationship between the Gini coefficient and inflation, as measured by the change in the GDP deflator, in Lithuania over 2008-2021, but that the impact of inflation on inequality is observed after one year. Similarly, a parabolic relationship is found when examining the impact of a change in inflation, as measured by the change in the GICP, on income inequality. However, changes in producer prices significantly impact income inequality only after three years. An analysis of the impact of changes in the prices of different commodities on income inequality reveals that, over the period analysed, the main contributors to inequality have been increases in the prices of oil, gas, food, and non-alcoholic beverages. Inflation directly impacts income inequality in Lithuania, so policymakers should consider it when formulating social policy.
FLAVONOIDS OF AERIAL PARTS OF SPREADING MARIGOLD (TAGETES PATULA L.)
Authors: Kurkin Vladimir Aleksandrovich , Saveleva Anna Evgen'yevna , Kurkina Anna Vladimirovna , Trifonova Polina Valeriyevna
Published: November 2023

The arial parts of the spreading marigold (Tagetes patula L.) of the Asteraceae family is a promising source of biologically active compounds, including flavonoids. It is known, that the content of total flavonoids in the flowers of this plant reaches 9% (calculated on patulitrin), and in the aboveground part (leaves and stems) – about 3.0% (calculated on rutin), however, data on the component composition of flavonoids are contradictory.
The aim of the study is to study the flavonoid component composition of the arial p part of the rejected marigolds.
As a result of studies using column chromatography on silica gel L 40/100, 6-methoxykaempferol (2), 7-O-glucoside of methoxykaempferol (3), quercetin (6), patuletin (7) and patulitrin (7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside of patuletin) (12) were isolated for the first time from the flowers of Tagetes patula L. (Mandarin variety), and from the arial parts (leaves and stems) of this species - kaempferitrin (3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of kaempferol) (4), 3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of kaempferol (5), quercetin (6), patuletin (7), 3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of quercetin (8), 7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of quercetin (9), quercitrin (10), isoquercitrin (11). Interestingly, that the common components of the herbs (leaves and stems) and flowers are only two flavonoids – quercetin (6) and patuletin (7). As for patulitrin (7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside of 3,5,7,3’,4’-pentahydroxy-6-methoxyflavone, or patuletin) (12), which is the dominant flavonoid of the flowers of this plant, this component is not found in the herbs of this plant. It was determined, that glycosides of kaempferol (1) and quercetin (6) predominate in the herb of the Tagetes patula L. with the dominant flavonoid being 3,7-O-dirhamnoside of kaempferol (4).
The identification of the isolated flavonoids was carried out using UV, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, as well as the results of acid and enzymatic hydrolysis.
3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of kaempferol (5) and 3-O-β-D-xylopyranoside-7-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside of quercetin (8), isolated from the herb of the Tagetes patula L., are new natural compounds.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AGAR SOLUTIONS AND GELS PREPARED USING WATER EXPOSED TO ELEC-TROMAGNETIC FIELD
Authors: Shipunov Boris Pavlovich , Markin Vadim Ivanovich
Published: November 2023

The paper presents the results that continue the cycle of studies on the effect of a high-frequency field on water, which was later used to prepare agar solutions. The strength of agar gel (jelly) was studied depending on the conditions of field exposure to water. It is shown that the strength of the gel in a complex way depends on the frequency of field pretreatment and the time of water exposure after field exposure. The rheological properties were analyzed using the Ostwald-de Ville approximation equation. The dependence of the rheological constant (consistency coefficient) on the frequency of the field exposure and the exposure time after it is analyzed. Dependencies, as observed earlier, are non-systemic broken curves. The rheological properties and strength of the gel prepared in water that has undergone identical field treatment has been compared. The results can be conditionally divided into three groups: synbate change, antibate change and change of dependencies after 9 days of water exposure. It is shown that the strength and viscosity of the agar gel generally decreases. The complex dependences of strength and viscosity on factors affecting water are explained on the basis of the assumption of a complex and multilevel initial structure of water and its change both under the action of an electromagnetic field and over time as a result of thermal motion.
Thesaurus and Information Retrieval
Authors: Kuku David
Published: November 2023

Information organization and retrieval are the main discussions in this article. The author concentrated on the tool considered one of the oldest in the the area of information retrieval, Thesaurus. Consequently, the author discussed the historical perspective of Thesaurus and its evolution to the present era longside its forma and types.
I Changed My Mind: Exploring Why College Students Change Majors to Become Teachers
Authors: Bussell Ross
Published: November 2023

Although teacher education programs have long studied what draws students to choose a career in teaching, a less studied aspect of teacher candidates relates to students who change majors to become teachers. As a phenomenon that is common in teacher preparation, I am interested in better understanding why this happens. This article centers around six participants who began college choosing a science major, changing their course of study after at least one full year. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, a discussion of what led the participants to change majors, what they were looking for when deciding to become teachers, and their motivations to join the ranks of the next generation of teachers is had. The article ends with implications for practitioners, and avenues for further research.
Integral railway interlocking system and its assessment according to European standards
Authors: Brandejský Tomáš , Fábera Vít , Leso Martin
Published: November 2023

This paper analyses the component of the Integrated Interlocking System which forms the central logical and functional unit implementing all logical and computational functions necessary for railway traffic control in the Railway 4.0 concept. The main principle is that this approach centralizes the technology of station interlocking system, track line interlocking systems, level crossing interlocking systems and the functions of train interlocking system – the line part of ETCS L2/3 radio block control panel (RBC). The operation control is centralised to the controlling dispatcher centres.The paper discusses the concept of integrated interlocking system including safety issues addressed from the perspective of the requirements of CENELEC standards EN 50126, EN 50128 and EN 50129. These requirements are addressed from the perspective of the authors of the paper, who also work as independent assessors of the safety of railway control and command systems.
The influence of the construction of tram fronts on the consequences of accidents with passenger cars
Authors: Seidl Jakub
Published: November 2023

In recent years, there has been a large increase in passenger and public transport in cities. An increase in traffic flow results in an increasing risk of accidents. Manufacturers and operators of trams are increasingly subject to higher requirements for ensuring the safety of vehicles. Vehicle safety can be divided into two groups: active and passive safety. Systems and elements of active safety are intended to reduce the risk of accidents. Systems and elements of passive safety are intended to minimize the consequences of accidents. The requirements for the passive safety of newly designed railway vehicles are described in standard EN 15227. Standard EN 15227 was created due to the effort to protect passengers and crew inside railway vehicles in the event of an accident, so it is a so-called self-protection. The standard EN 15227 does not stipulate any requirements for so-called partner protection. Partner protection means an approach in which the vehicle protects passengers inside and outside the vehicle with its deformation elements.This article deals with the issue of how the construction of the front of tram vehicles designed according to the requirements of the standard EN 15227 will affect the consequences of tram´s accidents with passenger cars. The first part of the article describes the requirements of the standard EN 15227 for newly designed trams. Than it describes the creation and evaluation of tram accident statistics in the Czech Republic for the years 2016 to 2018 with regard to the types of collision vehicles, collision directions and consequences of accidents. From the results of the evaluation of the accident statistics, a collision scenario was determined, in which the passengers inside cars were most often injured. The last part of the article is devoted to the creation of simulation models of accidents of three trams with a car and evaluation of simulation calculations with regard to the risk of injury to car´s driver in an accident with trams using human biomechanical criteria.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF QUARTZ RESONATORS
Authors: Boychuk M. I. , Mikaeva S. A. , Vasilieva L. A.
Published: November 2023

The formation of various devices of radio electronics and communication technology in general is associated with an increase in its reliability, the stability of the generated frequencies, and the selectivity of the receiving equipment. The problem of increasing the reliability of communication has been partially solved with the help of quartz resonators, which are widely used in radio circuits. The use of quartz resonators in electric generators allows to guarantee high frequency stability without complicating the circuit. The world trend in the development of modern electrical equipment is associated with miniaturization, quartz resonators in their dimensions are decreasing every year. At the same time, the requirements for reliability characteristics remain high. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the possibility of using quartz resonators presented in a miniature ceramic package with dimensions of 2.5×2.0×0.6 mm, in conditions with increased requirements for ambient temperature, as well as to select the most optimal requirements for thermal training mode, which is the basic technological operation for stabilizing the vibration frequency. Testing quartz resonators for reliability and methods of statistical modeling in radio engineering. Requirements for the reliability characteristics of quartz resonators RK588 in miniature ceramic cases 2.5×2.0×0.6 mm in size when exposed to an elevated ambient temperature of +85 C and +125 C. Requirements for frequency when exposed to increased ambient temperature on the type of crystal plate, created on the basis of RF patent No. 27122426 “Method for the manufacture of thin crystal plates and thin crystal elements”. The method of thermal training has been optimized and the aging coefficients have been established.
INITIAL TRACTOR DYNAMICS WITH MASSIVE TOWED OBJECTS
Authors: Pavlov V. D.
Published: November 2023

It is noted that the most difficult stage in the operation of a tractor with massive towed objects is the starting mode. This is due to the need to overcome the static friction force, which significantly exceeds the motion friction force. As a solution to this problem, we can consider the use of the initial kinetic energy of the tractor, which can develop when using elastically deformable towing devices. Comparison of the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the tractor with towed objects for options with absolutely rigid and resiliently deformable traction coupling devices shows that the efficiency of using the latter increases with an increase in the number of towed objects. Elastically deformable towing devices can cause oscillations of the tractor–towed objects system. To prevent them, the towing devices must be blocked at the moment of their greatest deformation.
ENERGY MODEL OF SOILS AND ROCKS CUTTING DURING WELL DRILLING
Authors: Baranchik V. P. , Zakirov M. F.
Published: November 2023

The article deals with the process of cutting soils and rocks. Experimental studies show that a coneshaped wedge is formed on the cutting surface. The compacted core of the deformed material contributes to the formation of tensile forces, under the action of which the material is destroyed along the sliding surfaces at a shear angle. An energy model for cutting soils and rocks while drilling wells, consisting of four parts, is proposed. The model is aimed at minimizing the energy consumption of the cutting process during well drilling. It is proposed to determine the chisel rotation speed by the length of the crack that occurs during brittle fracture of materials.
DETERMINATION OF THE OPENING FORCE OF THE HYDRAULIG EXCAVATOR BUCKET
Authors: Shemyakin S. A. , Shishkin E. A. , Vasilev D. A.
Published: November 2023

When performing earthworks for the development and loading of soil, a singlebucket hydraulic excavator is widely used. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of the excavator is the use of a dropdown bucket, which allows you to increase productivity by reducing the time spent on unloading the bucket. The hydromechanism of the drive of the visor of the opening bucket should ensure overcoming the resistances arising during unloading. The paper proposes a method for calculating the force value sufficient to overcome the maximum resistances arising at the initial stage of unloading the opening bucket of the excavator. The proposed technique takes into account the design features of the known versions of the opening buckets, namely: with the rotation of the visor along the radius, as well as with the complex movement of the visor. The developed technique takes into account the friction of the soil against the walls of the visor by considering the balance of forces acting in the volume of the soil located in the bucket. Taking into account the design features of the opening bucket when calculating the force in the hydraulic mechanism of the visor drive will increase the bucket capacity while maintaining or reducing the cost of the hydraulic drive.
Cover Jurnal Fitopatologi Vol. 19 No. 5, September 2023
Authors: Editors Jurnal Fitopatologi Indonesia
Published: November 2023

This editorial contains the front cover, editorial page, and back cover of the Jurnal Fitopatologi Vol. 19 No. 5, September 2023
Im Spiegel des Prinzen. Fanny Lewalds auto/biographische Selbstreflexionen als Jüdin in »Prinz Louis Ferdinand« (1849)
Authors: Michaelis-König Andree
Published: November 2023

This paper focusses on Fanny Lewald’s historical novel »Prinz Louis Ferdinand« of 1849. I examine the biographical as well as cultural-historical circumstances of the work’s genesis. Lewald clearly intended it as a critique of Prussian history, but at the same time the work’s focal point turns out to be a quite personal, female perspective. This perspective is mirrored in the prince’s experiences of loss and powerlessness. This leads me to explore the poetological dimensions of a writing in which the figure of the Prussian prince becomes a prismatic center of Lewald’s self-reflection. Here, the figure of Rahel Levin, as prominently portrayed by Lewald in her novel, plays a special role. It is precisely in her that the author’s interest in the political position of the Jewess in her as well as in Rahel Levin’s time becomes apparent.
Die erste »Erez-Israelische Oper« in »Altneuland«
Authors: Feinberg Anat
Published: November 2023

»Ha-opera ha-erez israelit«, also known in English as the »Palestine Opera«, was founded in 1923 in the still nascent city of Tel Aviv. There was no stately opera house, no large stage for grand performances, not even a professional orchestra. The financial budget was extremely modest – and yet, over the course of only four seasons (1923–1927) no fewer than 17 operas were performed, all of them in Hebrew translation. This article takes the centenary of the first Hebrew opera as a point of departure to probe the history of this important cultural institution in pre-state Israel. The initiative for this ambitious undertaking came from Mordechai Golinkin (1875–1963), a seasoned conductor and passionate Zionist. Like Golinkin, most of the singers were of Russian origin. Remarkably, all libretti were in Hebrew with a synopsis in English and Arabic, so as to cater to a particularly broad audience. The article pays special attention to the four ›Hebrew/Jewish‹ operas which Golinkin selected during those years (one each season). This in turn raises the question as to how these categories were understood and debated at the time.
Vertical distribution of brown and red macroalgae along the central Western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Amsler Charles D. , Amsler Margaret O. , Heiser Sabrina , McClintock James B. , Iken Katrin , Galloway Aaron W. E. , Klein Andrew G.
Published: November 2023

Fleshy macroalgae dominate the hard bottom, shallow waters along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Although there are numerous reports on their ecology, geographic distribution, and to a lesser extent, vertical (depth) distribution in the northern portions of the WAP, much less is known farther south along the central portion of the WAP. Here we provide the first report of the vertical distributions of brown and red fleshy macroalgae in this region based on scuba-derived collections at 14 study sites between southern Anvers Island (64.8°S, 64.4°W) in the north and central Marguerite Bay (68.7°S, 67.5°W) in the south. Although several overstory brown macroalgal species that can be common along the northern WAP including Desmarestia anceps and Cystosphaera jacquinotii are mostly absent from the central WAP, the vertical distributions of the brown macroalgae Desmarestia menziesii and Himantothallus grandifolius are similar to the northern WAP even though their percent cover is much lower. Likewise, the vertical distribution of the 14 most widespread red macroalgae, where they occur, mirrored those known from the northern part of the WAP even though macroalgal cover, biomass, and total species richness declined markedly to the south across this region due to increasing sea ice concentrations.
Ferric particle-assisted LDI-MS platform for metabolic fingerprinting of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Liu Yu , Wang Yihan , Wan Xu , Huang Hongtao , Shen Jie , Wu Bin , Zhu Lina , Wu Beirui , Liu Wei , Huang Lin , Qian Kun , Ma Jing
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To explore the metabolic fingerprints of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in individuals with type 2 diabetes using a newly-developed laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) platform assisted by ferric particles.

Methods

Metabolic fingerprinting was performed using a ferric particle-assisted LDI-MS platform. A nested population-based case-control study was performed on 216 DR cases and 216 control individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Results

DR cases and control individuals with type 2 diabetes were comparable for a list of clinical factors. The newly-developed LDI-MS platform allowed us to draw the blueprint of plasma metabolic fingerprints from participants with and without DR. The neural network afforded diagnostic performance with an average area under curve value of 0.928 for discovery cohort and 0.905 for validation cohort (95 % confidence interval: 0.902–0.954 and 0.845–0.965, respectively). Tandem MS and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS with ultrahigh resolution identified seven specific metabolites that were significantly associated with DR in fully adjusted models. Of these metabolites, dihydrobiopterin, phosphoserine, N-arachidonoylglycine, and 3-methylhistamine levels in plasma were first reported to show the associations.

Conclusions

This work advances the design of metabolic analysis for DR and holds the potential to promise as an efficient tool for clinical management of DR.
On abelian-by-cyclic Moufang loops
Authors: Drápal Aleš , Vojtěchovský Petr
Published: November 2023

We initiate a systematic study of abelian-by-cyclic Moufang loops, that is, Moufang loops Q with an abelian normal subgroup X such that

Q
/
X

{Q/X}

is a cyclic group. Among other results, we construct all split abelian-by-cyclic Moufang loops in which both X and

Q
/
X

{Q/X}

are 3-divisible, using so-called Moufang permutations on X, which are permutations that deviate from an automorphism of X by an alternating biadditive mapping. Additional abelian-by-cyclic Moufang loops are obtained from so-called construction pairs. As an aside, we show that, in a Moufang loop Q obtained from a construction pair, the abelian normal subgroup X induces an abelian congruence of Q if and only if Q is a group.
A note on the essential numerical range of block diagonal operators
Authors: Carvalho Luís , Diogo Cristina , Mendes Sérgio , Soares Helena
Published: November 2023

In this note, we characterize the essential numerical range of a block diagonal operator

T
=

⊕
i

T
i

{T=\bigoplus_{i}T_{i}}

in terms of the numerical ranges

{

W
⁢

(

T
i

)

}

i

{\{W(T_{i})\}_{i}}

of its components. Specifically, the essential numerical range of T is the convex hull of the limit superior of

{

W
⁢

(

T
i

)

}

i

{\{W(T_{i})\}_{i}}

. This characterization can be simplified further. In fact, we prove the existence of a decomposition of T for which the convex hull is not required.
Improving the mixed model for repeated measures to robustly increase precision in randomized trials
Authors: Wang Bingkai , Du Yu
Published: November 2023

In randomized trials, repeated measures of the outcome are routinely collected. The mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM) leverages the information from these repeated outcome measures, and is often used for the primary analysis to estimate the average treatment effect at the primary endpoint. MMRM, however, can suffer from bias and precision loss when it models intermediate outcomes incorrectly, and hence fails to use the post-randomization information harmlessly. This paper proposes an extension of the commonly used MMRM, called IMMRM, that improves the robustness and optimizes the precision gain from covariate adjustment, stratified randomization, and adjustment for intermediate outcome measures. Under regularity conditions and missing completely at random, we prove that the IMMRM estimator for the average treatment effect is robust to arbitrary model misspecification and is asymptotically equal or more precise than the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) estimator and the MMRM estimator. Under missing at random, IMMRM is less likely to be misspecified than MMRM, and we demonstrate via simulation studies that IMMRM continues to have less bias and smaller variance. Our results are further supported by a re-analysis of a randomized trial for the treatment of diabetes.
E-learning modules to enhance student nurses’ perceptions of older people: a single group pre-post quasi-experimental study
Authors: Devkota Rashmi , Dahlke Sherry , Fox Mary T. , Davidson Sandra , Hunter Kathleen F. , Butler Jeffrey I. , Shrestha Shovana , Chasteen Alison L. , Moody Elaine , Martin Lori Schindel , Pietrosanu Matthew
Published: November 2023

Objectives

To examine whether e-learning activities on cognitive impairment (CI), continence and mobility (CM) and understanding and communication (UC) improve student nurses’ knowledge and attitudes in the care of older adults.

Methods

A quasi-experimental single group pre-post-test design was used. We included 299 undergraduate nursing students for the CI module, 304 for the CM module, and 313 for the UC module. We administered knowledge quizzes, Likert scales, and a feedback survey to measure student nurses’ knowledge, ageist beliefs, and feedback on the modules respectively.

Results

Participants demonstrated significantly more knowledge and reduced ageist attitudes following the e-learning activities.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that e-learning activities on cognitive impairment, continence and mobility, and understanding and communication improve knowledge and reduce ageist attitudes among nursing students.
Preverbal clitic clusters in the Tanzanian Rift Valley revisited
Authors: Harvey Andrew , Gibson Hannah , Griscom Richard
Published: November 2023

This paper examines preverbal clitic clusters in the Tanzanian Rift Valley, an area of high linguistic diversity with representatives of the Bantu, Cushitic, and Nilotic families, as well as Sandawe (possibly a distant member of the Khoi-Kwadi family), and the language isolate Hadza. An earlier work (Kießling, Roland, Maarten Mous & Derek Nurse. 2008. The Tanzanian Rift Valley area. In Bernd Heine & Derek Nurse (eds.), A linguistic geography of Africa, 186–227. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) identified preverbal clitic clusters as a widespread feature across many languages of the Rift Valley, and posited the preverbal clitic cluster as a feature characteristic of a ‘Tanzanian Rift Valley Area’. The current paper provides further detail on preverbal clitic clusters across the languages of the region and examines possible routes of development for these structures. From this analysis, the picture that emerges is complex: contact scenarios cannot be restricted to ones in which West Rift Cushitic or its predecessor languages are the only models for the development of a preverbal clitic cluster and, in the case of Sandawe (and perhaps the Datooga varieties), it appears as if the development of a preverbal clitic cluster cannot be linked to contact at all. In terms of what this means for the ‘areality’ of the Tanzanian Rift Valley, this paper forgoes discussions about geographical delineation or arguments for or against a ‘Tanzanian Rift Valley Area’ in favour of highlighting the individual historical events (c.f. Campbell, Lyle. 2017. Why is it so hard to define a linguistic area? In Raymond Hickey (ed.), The Cambridge handbook of areal linguistics, 19–39. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) that may have given rise to preverbal clitic clusters in the languages of our sample, as well as encouraging continued investigation into the nature of these histories, both from a linguistic and interdisciplinary perspective.
Review article: messages from (not so distant) relatives in the Nuba Mountains: on how (not) to reconstruct Proto-Bantu
Authors: Dimmendaal Gerrit J.
Published: November 2023

The rich morphological systems and discourse-based syntactic structures of a range of modern Bantu languages have attracted the attention of many linguists. The present contribution takes articles in a volume on the reconstruction of Proto-Bantu grammar edited by Bostoen et al. (2022. On Reconstructing Proto-Bantu Grammar, Niger-Congo Comparative Studies 4. Berlin: Language Science Press. 808 pp. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7560553) as a basis, in order to address the origin of these grammatical properties. More specifically, historical as well as synchronic features of Bantu languages are compared with Tima, a related language spoken in the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, and classified as a member of the Kordofanian family within Niger-Congo by Greenberg. Contrary to a popular view, it is claimed here that subject inversion and corresponding (extended) ergative alignment marking with transitive verbs is not only a property of Tima as a Niger-Congo language, but also of several Niger-Congo languages classified as Bantu. Tima consequently may perform a role similar to that of Tocharian in the history of Indo-European studies. The present contribution also raises methodological issues related to lexicon-based Bayesian phylogenetics as against Greenberg’s method of multilateral comparisons, and the historical-comparative method. In addition, it addresses the question of the extent to which the spread of typological features coincides with so-called “belts” postulated in the typological literature on African languages.
Contextualized word senses: from attention to compositionality
Authors: Gamallo Pablo
Published: November 2023

The neural architectures of language models are becoming increasingly complex, especially that of Transformers, based on the attention mechanism. Although their application to numerous natural language processing tasks has proven to be very fruitful, they continue to be models with little or no interpretability and explainability. One of the tasks for which they are best suited is the encoding of the contextual sense of words using contextualized embeddings. In this paper we propose a transparent, interpretable, and linguistically motivated strategy for encoding the contextual sense of words by modeling semantic compositionality. Particular attention is given to dependency relations and semantic notions such as selection preferences and paradigmatic classes. A partial implementation of the proposed model is carried out and compared with Transformer-based architectures for a given semantic task, namely the similarity calculation of word senses in context. The results obtained show that it is possible to be competitive with linguistically motivated models instead of using the black boxes underlying complex neural architectures.
Kreatismus
Authors: Stumpf Jonathan
Published: November 2023

Far from deemphasizing Jesus’ Jewishness, as theologians in Nazi Germany regularly did, Dietrich Schuler claims that the New Testament’s message was and continues to be detrimental for “Aryans”. In fact, he finds it far more problematic than the Old Testament. His solution is to invent a new religion. I shall thus delve into Dietrich Schuler’s literature that permeated the German neo-Nazi movement during the first decade of the 21st century. Moreover, this article attempts to answer the question why Schuler was unsuccessful in turning his secular disciples into actual believers. I will use and build on a framework put forth by the American sociologist Rodney Stark. I shall also refer to religious sociologist Martin Riesebrodt and his theory of religion.
Does a 15-Minute Brief Mindfulness Breathing Exercise Temporarily Enhance Inhibitory Control and Cognitive Flexibility? A Within-Subject Experimental Approach
Authors: Hartanto Andree , Kasturiratna K. T. A. Sandeeshwara , Chua Yi Jing , Ngo Judy A. , Ong Jolene S. Y. , Quek Frosch Y. X. , Soh Xun Ci , Majeed Nadyanna M.
Published: November 2023

Intensive mindfulness practices have been shown to improve cognitive abilities such as executive functions. However, most of these mindfulness-based practices require the participants to be involved either an extended immersive experience or repeated daily practice that may span over multiple weeks or months. Extending from the promising effect of intensive mindfulness training, recent studies have also suggested that a single session of brief mindfulness training is sufficient to temporarily enhance cognitive functions. However, the positive effect of brief mindfulness was not always consistent. In view of the inconsistent findings, the current study aims to critically examine the effectiveness of a single-session 15-minute brief mindfulness exercise on both inhibitory control and task-switching using a within-subject experimental design (N = 117). Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find any evidence that engaging in a brief mindfulness exercise enhanced performance in the flanker task or color-shape task-switching paradigm. These results suggest that a mindfulness intervention of short duration may not be sufficient to immediately enhance higher-order cognitive processes such as inhibitory control and task-switching.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Political Participation in Post-Communist Europe during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gherghina Sergiu , Ekman Joakim , Podolian Olena
Published: November 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the functioning of societies and people’s behavior in many areas of daily life. Studies of political participation during the pandemic do not constitute an extensive body of research, focusing mainly on Western European countries. Under these circumstances, we know very little about political participation in post-communist countries during the pandemic. This special issue aims to understand the dynamics of political participation in post-communist Europe through both qualitative and quantitative analyses. It proposes several innovative concepts and analytical frames that can be used to understand who participated, why, and with what consequences. This topic has often been surrounded by discussions referring to empirical matters much more than around general arguments and theoretical explanatory models. One of the special issue’s aims is to enrich the theoretical debate about political participation in new democracies and transition countries during the pandemic.
Sea ice heat and mass balance measurements from four autonomous buoys during the MOSAiC drift campaign
Authors: Perovich Don , Raphael Ian , Moore Ryleigh , Clemens-Sewall David , Lei Ruibo , Sledd Anne , Polashenski Chris
Published: November 2023

As part of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC), four autonomous seasonal ice mass balance buoys were deployed in first- and second-year ice. These buoys measured position, barometric pressure, snow depth, ice thickness, ice growth, surface melt, bottom melt, and vertical profiles of temperature from the air, through the snow and ice, and into the upper ocean. Observed air temperatures were similar at all four sites; however, snow–ice interface temperatures varied by as much as 10°C, primarily due to differences in snow depth. Observed winter ice growth rates (November to May) were <1 cm day−1, with summer melt rates (June to July) as large as 5 cm day−1. Air temperatures changed as much as 2°C hour−1 but were dampened to <0.3°C hour−1 at the snow–ice interface. Initial October ice thicknesses ranged from 0.3 m in first-year ice to 1.2 m in second-year ice. By February, this range was only 1.20–1.46 m, due in part to differences in the onset of basal freezing. In second-year ice, this delay was due to large brine-filled voids in the ice; propagating the cold front through this ice required freezing the brine. Mass balance results were similar to those measured by autonomous buoys deployed at the North Pole from 2000 to 2013. Winter average estimates of the ocean heat flux ranged from 0 to 3 W m−2, with a large increase in June 2020 as the floe moved into warmer water. Estimates of average snow thermal conductivity measured at two buoys during periods of linear temperature profiles were 0.41 and 0.42 W m−1 °C−1, higher than previously published estimates. Results from these ice mass balance buoys can contribute to efforts to close the MOSAiC heat budget.
The Potential of Srigading Plants (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) as Aedes aegypti Larvicides
Authors: Fakhriadi Rudi , Rosadi Dian , H. D. Lasari Hadrianti , Mustawan Elwan , Maulidah Siti
Published: November 2023

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is an endemic disease that causes high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of DHF in Indonesia (2018) reached 24.75 per 100,000, and in South Kalimantan (2019) was 56.83 per 100,000 population. One of the efforts to control dengue vectors is the use of larvicides. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of Srigading Plants (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) as Aedes aegypti larvae as vectors of DHF in Wetlands. This study used a true experimental research design using the post-test-only controlled group design to determine the effectiveness of Srigading extract (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) against the death of Aedes aegypti instar IV mosquito larvae. Based on the results, a significance value or p-value of 0.0001 0.05 was obtained. It indicated a significant difference between the number of mosquito larvae deaths and the concentration of Srigading extract given.