bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WHAT DO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT ENGLISH MEDIUM INSTRUCTION UNIVERSITIES TELL US ABOUT EAP COURSES?
Authors: Bayram İlknur , Canaran Özlem , Demirkol Tuba
Published: September 2023

This study aims to understand whether EMI students considered EAP courses as helpful in promoting their academic achievement and to unearth their ideas about the qualities of an ideal EAP course. Data were collected from 563 undergraduate students enrolled at three EMI universities in Turkey. Results indicated that students found EAP courses effective in enabling them to improve their academic skills, academic language and content knowledge, and personal benefits. However, students expressed their dissatisfaction with EAP course designs and their improvement level of speaking, vocabulary, reading and writing. EMI students suggest that an ideal EAP course should be conducted 2 or 3 hours a week either by a faculty or English instructors. The  expectations that EMI students mentioned in this study point at the need for a skill-based EAP course design for which they also pinpointed several essential sub-skills to be covered. The study concludes with a discussion of challenges encountered by EMI students and some recommendations for the improvement of EAP courses.
ASSESSING ORACY IN YOUNG ADULTS VOCATIONAL TRAINING
Authors: Liashenko Iryna
Published: September 2023

In university education, modern instruction aims at developing the most vital skills of the 21stcentury, key-centered for employability and successful work. Oracy as a skill, takes an essential place among basic communication skills for employability and teaching. Assessing it requires careful and responsible handling. Many researchers paid enough attention to oracy and its development mechanisms with young students. However, still little is known about how oracy is built within the vocational context with university students. That is, vocational oracy teaching and assessment process with university students may differ from the process involved in developing oracy for other categories of learners. The consequential validity of this research unfolds in a more profound and explicit role of vocational context in assessing oracy as a significant component for a future professional in the work market. Consistent with recent research advocating the definition of oracy, our findings indicate that oracy is vital in educating professionals for employability market complying with the highest standards of the 21st century essential skills. This research may help build or test the theoretical framework for assessing any special oracy. Also, it can help develop a different theory with new or other components regarding assessment oracy in the specific context.
DEVELOPING A SCALE FOR ASSESSING COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE OF STUDENTS LEARNING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
Authors: Nešić Ivana , Hamidovic Kimeta
Published: September 2023

The aim of this paper is to use models of communicative competence for designing a scale for assessing communicative competence. The first part of the paper defines communication, as well as communicative competence. Furthermore, models of communicative competence are presented, as well as the similarities and differences between them. Based on the presented models of communicative competence, the authors propose a scale for assessing students' communicative competence. This scale encompasses all the components of communicative competence that are relevant for assessing communicative competence. Also, an example of an activity through which students can be tested is presented. Based on the research conducted earlier using this scale, the paper argues that this scale could be a very good tool for testing communicative competence of students who are learning English for Specific Purposes (ESP).
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST DESIGN FOR A GROUP OF MILITARY PILOTS: CRITERIA, CONSTRUCT AND PURPOSE
Authors: Silva Ana Lígia Barbosa de Carvalho e
Published: September 2023

Despite the growing number of studies devoted to Aeronautical English, the role of language assessment to military pilots seems to be largely overlooked. To narrow this gap, this study aims at putting forward some findings of a broader study (Silva 2022)) which comprises a test design for a group of pilots from the Air Demonstration Squadron (EDA) of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Test design refers to the definition of crucial aspects of a test, prior to its development, such as: i) the criterion, or the communicative behavior expected in the target situation; ii) the construct, i.e., what the test is intended to assess; and iii) the purpose, which is mainly related to the reason why the test is designed and the interpretation and uses of its results. Language Assessment for Professional Purposes (LAPP) (Knoch and Macqueen 2020) is the main theoretical framework that guided this “Mixed Methods Case Study Design” work (Creswell and Clark 2018). Results indicate that the design of an English test for EDA pilots, based on a needs analysis, should be wide enough to encompass the use of Aeronautical English (phraseology and plain English for radiotelephony communications) and a more general language. As for the test purpose, data analyses indicate that test results could be useful in the selection of pilots who would be more suited to fly together as crew members. The expected contribution of the study is to provoke reflections on the main characteristics of an English proficiency test for military pilots, without losing sight of the commonalities it may have with language needs for other pilots around the world.
ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING OBJECIVE CRITERIA IN WRITING AND SPEAKING FEEDBACK STRATEGIES IN EFL
Authors: Naumoska-Sarakinska Biljana
Published: September 2023

Writing and speaking are termed productive or active skills due to the fact that learners need to produce language when doing these. As EFL teaching is increasingly becoming more and more oriented toward helping learners develop and improve their communicative competence, it is not surprising that speaking and writing skills are becoming ever-more important. Though it goes without saying that speaking and writing undoubtedly go hand in hand with the receptive skills, reading and listening, EFL learners, and instructors, are, nevertheless, focusing their attention on improving speaking and writing skills. This is why it is so significant that clear and objective criteria is established and provided in the EFL teaching and learning environment, as this criteria will benefit not only the learners, but the teachers as well. As assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process, it goes without saying that learners are bound to find themselves receiving some kind of feedback at some point in their acquisition of these skills. However, the issue that arises is the fact that this assessment tends to be seen by many learners as subjective rather than objective, which is not the case with assessing listening and reading comprehension, for example, where it is easier to pinpoint the mistakes. This paper takes a closer look at what this includes, and how it can be done, without disrupting either the teachers’ or the learners’ autonomy, and hence make the whole process that much smoother.
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF ESP COURSES FOR UNIVERSITY LIBRARIANS IN CHINA AND KAZAKHSTAN
Authors: Reid Eva , Horvathova Božena
Published: September 2023

The discussed ESP module for librarians was one of eight modules developed and implemented within the DIREKT Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission through the Capacity Building in the Higher Education Program. The aim was to improve, develop and modernise higher education systems in Asia through university cooperation. The idea behind teaching English to librarians was to equip them with an ability to provide support to academic staff and students concerning information resources, databases and research studies, which are available mainly in English. Librarians are the key link between the activities of academic staff, students and the library, therefore there is a need for librarians to reach at least an A2 level of the CEFR in English. The ESP module is aimed to develop a functional language for the library staff in authentic library situations, such as borrowing and returning books, using library jargon, providing assistance, guidance and advice in finding quality library sources and databases, referencing, citation and avoiding plagiarism. This research study aims to evaluate the implementation of the ESP module for librarians at five universities in China and Kazakhstan. Research methods applied in this study were observation, students’ questionnaires and teachers’ evaluations. To summarize the findings, it was discovered that even though the taught module was the same, there were differences in focus, teaching techniques, activities and used materials.
ELP/LE FOR THE JUDICIARY: INTEGRATED INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN FOR AUTHENTIC LEARNING
Authors: Ignjatovic Gordana
Published: September 2023

This paper provides an insight into the instructional design of several tailor-made ELP/LE courses developed within the JA Project: English for the Judiciary (2017-2020). The courses were designed for adult working professionals from several judicial institutions in the City of Niš, organized at three CEFR proficiency levels, and held at the Judicial Academy Niš in the period 2018-2020. After a brief overview of the instructional design framework, the article outlines the major stages in the ELP/LE instructional design process, particularly focusing on the design and classroom practices in B1+/B2 and B2+/C1 courses. Based on the provided insights, the author examines the encountered challenges, learner benefits and considerations for prospective development of similar authentic learning courses for a wider discourse community.
CREATING AN AVIATION ENGLISH LESSON: A CORPUS-INFORMED MATERIAL DESIGN
Authors: Nugraha Deni Sapta , Mayuni Ilza , Anwar Miftahulkhairah
Published: September 2023

Since ESP materials call for authenticity and specific content related to the field, books available on the market are sometimes thought to be inadequate for students’ target situations. As a subset of ESP, aviation English in this instance demands teachers to create teaching materials that cater to the students’ needs, wants, and necessities. For many teachers, creating course materials in the aviation setting continues to be challenging. As a result, this article offers an alternative approach to designing aviation English lessons using the corpus. There are essentially two approaches to designing corpus-based material: direct and indirect. Nevertheless, combining the two approaches can be a new challenge in getting students interested in the learning activity. A corpus-data-driven learning activity is created and embedded in a lesson. This activity potentially involves students examining the linguistic patterns, lexical categories, word frequencies, synonyms, and other pertinent vocabulary tasks in the corpus. The activity exerts a considerable influence on enhancing their vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary size. Alternatively, aviation English teachers offer an indirect approach by selecting reading materials from the free online corpus, such as, among others, COCA. Choosing a text from the corpus is believed to ensure the text’s authenticity. The teachers can automatically generate word or phraseology lists related to the field being learned from the text. Here, the corpus assists aviation English teachers in choosing suitable vocabulary for aviation students. This article highlights the approach of corpus-informed material design in an aviation context.
Data Classification of Dark Web using SVM and S3VM
Authors: Deepthi Medechal , Harini Mosali , Geethika Pandiri Sai , Kalyan Vusirikala , Kishor K.
Published: September 2023

Abstract: There are many issues regarding the dark web structural Type. It also increases the number of cybercrimes like illegal trade, forums, Terrorist activity. By understanding online criminal’s actions are challenging because the data is available in a very great extent amount. In a recent day the Online crimes are increasing all over the world. The data related to different types of frauds and scams, such as phishing schemes, identity theft etc. The data and discussion related to the act of hacking (hacktivist) activities, this often involve political or social causes. In some parts of dark web might be used for anonymous communication and the losing of sensitive information to explore wrong doing by governments or corporations. But in some countries the dark web might be used as a means to access information and content that is hardly restricted. The primary focus of this research is to develop a hybrid classification model that combines the strengths of deep learning and natural language processing algorithms. The model leverages a curated dataset of Dark Web content, meticulously labeled by content category, ranging from illegal commerce to cyber threats. By extracting relevant features from the textual and visual components of the data, the model demonstrates superior accuracy in distinguishing between different content categories
Fact and Opinion
Authors: Hutchins Debby , Kelley David
Published: September 2023

Our goal is to analyze the distinction between factual statements and opinions from a philosophical—specifically an epistemological—perspective. Section 1 reviews the most common criteria for drawing the distinction, which while inadequate, as explained in Section 2, still plays an important cultural and political role. In Section 3, we argue that the difference between factual statements and opinions does not involve a single criterion. Instead, the conceptual structure of the terms ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’ is analogous to that of natural kinds—terms with multiple dimensions.  We expect that improved theory will lead to improvements in pedagogy, decision-making, and public discourse. But these consequences are not our chief focus.
SINO-RUSSIAN HUMANITARIAN COOPERATION WITHIN THE SCO FRAMEWORK (2001–2020)
Authors:   Belarusian State University, He Yuejie
Published: September 2023

Sino-Russian humanitarian cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is considered. The interaction between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation (RF) on the SCO platform is analyzed in terms of education and science, culture and tourism, healthcare and physical education. Particular attention is paid to the characterization of the media and youth policy development.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION POLICY IN THE SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Berdiyev B.G.
Published: September 2023

The policy of the Russian Federation on Syria and the Middle East in general is considered. Relations with individual countries of the region are analyzed. Features of Russian policy in the Middle East to enable a dialogue with almost all parties to regional conflicts are revealed.
PUBLIC POLICY OF RUSSIA IN THE FIELD OF CEREAL EXPORTS: OPEC COUNTRIES’ DIRECTION
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Korobov A.A. , Korobov E.A. ,   Saratov State University named after N.G. Chernyshevsky
Published: September 2023

The article presents a political analysis of the Russian public administration system of the export of cereal crops to the OPEC group emerging markets. The factors of the Russian export policy that determine its nature, features and main directions of implementation are considered. Graphical models are used to study the dynamics of grain exports to OPEC, the causality of its volatility. Based on the data analysis and the identified trends, an assumption is made about the prospects for a further increase in the volume of Russian cereal exports to OPEC markets.
EMPIRICAL METHODS IN LEGAL RESEARCH: PECULIARITIES AND PROBLEMS OF APPLICATION
Authors:   American University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, Mateeva K.M.
Published: September 2023

Empirical methodology, its main phenomena, types of empirical methods applicable in legal science are considered. An attempt is made to substantiate the necessity of using empirical methods to obtain new knowledge in legal research.
CONCILIATION METHOD IN BUDGETARY LAW (CASE STUDY OF CONCILIATION PROCEDURES IN THE BUDGETARY PROCESS)
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Danilova O.A.
Published: September 2023

Features of the application of conciliation method in budgetary legal relations are considered based on the analysis of the Budget Code of the Russian Federation and regional legislation. Peculiarities of conciliation commissions formation at the stage of consideration and approval of draft budgets are analyzed. Conclusions about the specifics of federal and regional lawmaking on this issue are formulated.
ETHNIC MIGRATION AS A DESTRUCTIVE FACTOR IN THE ETHNOPOLITICAL PROCESS
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Khlystunov S.Yu. , Ruzaev D.A. ,   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
Published: September 2023

The process of ethnic migration, which has both objective and subjective prerequisites is analyzed. A conclusion is drawn on the causes and consequences of ethnic migration. The analysis of the situation in Russia reveals a direct correlation between the proportion of ethnic migrants in the population and the scale of ethnic crime and interethnic conflicts between migrants and the indigenous population.
GENESIS OF THE THEORIES OF SOVEREIGNTY IN WESTERN SCIENCE: HISTORICAL AND LEGAL ASPECT
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Gadisov S.R.
Published: September 2023

The historical and legal aspect of the genesis of sovereignty theories in Western science is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the continuity of ideas about sovereignty and the revival of certain concepts in certain historical conditions.
PLACE AND ROLE OF THE PRINCIPLE OF BONA FIDES IN LEGAL CULTURE
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Shinyakova E.V.
Published: September 2023

The principle of good faith, which goes back to Roman law, is studied. Various stages of the development of the principle are considered, the diverse definitions of parameters found in the scientific literature are analyzed. It is concluded that conscientiousness is a punitive legal transfer for risky behavior in an objective sense; in the subjective - a subjective choice when using risky behavior, in the presence of dispositive norms.
LEGAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF MODERN RUSSIAN YOUTH IN CONDITIONS OF INFORMATION SOCIETY
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Malkhasyan A.T.
Published: September 2023

Specifics and characteristics of the legal consciousness of modern youth of the Russian Federation in the context of rapidly developing information technologies. Features of youth legal consciousness formation in the information society.
Política e gestão pública para a diversidade cultural em perspectiva decolonial
Authors: Lacerda Alice Pires de
Published: September 2023

O presente artigo articula-se com o pensamento decolonial e suas reflexões críticas acerca da conjuntura contemporânea de hegemonia do conhecimento moderno-ocidental eurocêntrico, que silencia e invisibiliza culturas de outras matrizes como as negras e indígenas. O texto parte do questionamento sobre o lugar que a diversidade cultural ocupa em nossa sociedade destacando a qualidade da atenção dispensada à mesma pelas políticas e gestão públicas. Para isso, foram problematizadas políticas voltadas para a diversidade cultural durante o Governo Lula, ao tempo em que foi proposto que as mesmas sejam repensadas a partir do paradigma da interculturalidade. A percepção dos mestres de capoeira, entrevistados em pesquisa de campo, corroboram para a qualificação de marginalidade e discriminação que marca o tratamento dado pela sociedade brasileira a esse importante patrimônio imaterial do país, apontando para valores coloniais que ainda orientam a apreciação da questão da diversidade cultural no Brasil.
passado na criatividade
Authors: Santa Cruz Lucia , Perrotta Isabella Vicente , Beltrão André Luis Ferreira
Published: September 2023

Este artigo parte do pressuposto de que a criação é um processo cognitivo, o qual sofre influências de fatores internos e externos. Portanto, a criação lida com a realidade percebida, com os elementos disponíveis para a sua elaboração, sendo afetada por agentes sociais, geográficos, culturais e temporais. Defende-se que a história, a memória e a apropriação do patrimônio material e imaterial estimulam a imaginação e o pensamento crítico. O objetivo do trabalho é demonstrar – com base em recursos bibliográficos, pesquisa documental e análise de projetos criativos específicos – que história, memória e patrimônio são formadores identitários – seu conhecimento e vivência nutrem a identidade individual e ajudam a construir a identidade coletiva – e de repertórios estéticos.
Por uma Outra Universidade
Authors: Salgado Flávia , Bitter Daniel , Chaves Wagner
Published: September 2023

No contexto da produção e pesquisa do primeiro Mapa de Mestres e Mestras dos Saberes Populares realizado pelo INCTI/UnB/CNPq - o Instituto Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inclusão no Ensino Superior que entrevistamos o professor José Jorge de Carvalho, coordenador do Instituto e das suas duas frentes de atuação: o Observatório de Cotas e o Encontro de Saberes.
Measuring Clinical Preparedness After Residency Training: Development of a New Instrument
Authors: Carney Patricia A. , Ericson Annie , Conry Colleen , Martin James C. , Douglass Alan B. , Eiff M. Patrice
Published: September 2023

Background and Objectives: Research on preparedness for independent clinical practice typically uses surveys of residents and program directors near graduation, which can be affected by several biases. We developed a novel approach to assess new graduates more objectively using physician and staff member assessors 3 months after graduates started their first job.
Methods: We conducted a literature review and key informant interviews with physicians from varying practice types and geographic regions in the United States to identify features that indicate a lack of preparedness for independent clinical practice. We then held a Clinical Preparedness Measurement Summit, engaging measurement experts and family medicine education leaders, to build consensus on key indicators of readiness for independent clinical practice and survey development strategies. The 2015 entrustable professional activities for family medicine end-of-residency training provided the framework for assessment of clinical preparedness by physician assessors. Sixteen published variables assessing interpersonal communication skills and processes of care delivery were identified for staff assessors. We assessed frequencies and compared survey findings between physician and staff assessors in 2016 to assist with survey validation.
Results: The assessment of frequencies demonstrated a range of responses, supporting the instrument’s ability to distinguish readiness for independent practice of recent graduate hires. No statistical differences occurred between the physician and staff assessors for the same physician they were evaluating, indicating internal consistency.
Conclusions: To learn about the possible impact of length of training, we developed a novel approach to assess preparedness for independent clinical practice of family medicine residency graduates.
Technology in prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with facial defects: Systematic review
Authors: Pereira Thaís Salles , Silva Camila Alvarenga da , Silva Emily Caroline Quirino , Fernandes Aline Úrsula Rocha
Published: September 2023

The facial region is important for patients’ socialization. Therefore,
the mutilation of this area should be rehabilitated quickly and
effectively. The objective of this review was to analyze which software
and equipment are most commonly used for the acquisition, manipulation
of images, and printing of prototypes and facial prostheses, correlating
with the type of prosthesis. The search strategy was customized for 7
different databases: LILACS, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus,
OpenGrey, and Google Scholar. Articles were selected based on inclusion
and exclusion criteria, with abstract and full article readings
performed independently by 2 authors, with disagreements resolved
through a consensus meeting. The risk of bias for each included article
was analyzed using JBI. Subsequently, data such as the type of
prosthesis manufactured, software used, equipment for defect image
acquisition, and printing equipment were collected. The data were
tabulated, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Most studies
reported the fabrication of nasal prostheses, followed by auricular and
ocular prostheses. The primary technology chosen for patient defect
image acquisition was computed tomography, and for image manipulation,
Materialise Mimics software was commonly used. Additionally, a
significant portion of the studies reported the use of direct
three-dimensional printing. In conclusion, there is a significant
heterogeneity among articles in the equipment and software used, and
there is no clear relationship between these factors and the type of
prosthesis manufactured.
Scale matters: genome-wide signatures of local adaptation to high-resolution environmental variation in an alpine plant
Authors: Rogivue Aude , Leempoel Kevin , Guillaume Annie , Choudhury Rimjhim , Felber François , Kasser Michel , Joost Stéphane , Parisod Christian , Gugerli Felix
Published: September 2023

Microevolutionary processes shape adaptive responses to heterogeneous
environments, where these effects vary both among and within species.
However, the degree to which signatures of adaptation to environmental
drivers can be detected based on spatial scale and genomic marker
remains largely unknown. We studied signatures of local adaptation
across different spatial extents, investigating complementary types of
genomic variants–single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and polymorphic
transposable elements (TEs)–in populations of the alpine model plant
species Arabis alpina. We coupled high-resolution (0.5m) environmental
factors, derived from remote sensing digital elevation models, with
whole-genome sequenced data of 304 individuals across four populations.
We demonstrate that responses of A. alpina to similar amounts of abiotic
variation are largely governed by local evolutionary processes and find
minimally overlapping signatures of local adaptation between SNPs and
polymorphic TEs. Notably, functional annotations of high-impact genomic
variants revealed several defence-related genes associated with the
abiotic factors studied, which could indicate indirect selective
pressure of biotic agents. Our results highlight the importance of
considering different spatial extents and types of genomic polymorphisms
when searching for signatures of adaptation to environmental variation.
Such insights provide key information on microevolutionary processes and
could guide management decisions to mitigate negative impacts of climate
change on alpine plant populations.
Response of soil water, salt, carbon and bacteria community to terrain in the coastal salt marsh of Jiaozhou Bay and the regulating effect of plant
Authors: Dai Meiying , Yu Jimin , Zhao Mingzhen , Peng Xinrong , Wang Xiaotong , Xi Min
Published: September 2023

Terrain and plants play a crucial role in influencing or regulating the
variations of water, salt, carbon and bacteria community in the soil of
coastal salt marshes. Investigating these variations and their
interconnections under different conditions is essential to
comprehensively understand the carbon sequestration function and reveal
the underlying mechanisms of carbon sinks in coastal salt marshes. In
this study, the various physical and chemical properties of rhizosphere
and non-rhizosphere soil under different terrain of coastal salt marsh
in Jiaozhou Bay were determined. Additionally, the contents of soil
carbon components (including soil inorganic carbon, SIC; soil organic
carbon, SOC; dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC; dissolved organic carbon,
DOC), constituents of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial
community were also analyzed. The results showed that the contents of
SIC and SOC in high-terrain soil were significantly lower than those in
low-terrain soil (P＜0.05). Plants could regulate the physical and
chemical properties and carbon composition of soil in different terrain,
resulting in no significant difference in soil SOC contents of
rhizosphere soil under different terrain. Soil DOM composition and
bacterial community showed that high-terrain soil had higher bacterial
diversity and bacterial activity, and plants significantly affected the
bacterial community structure in soil through rhizosphere effects. The
structural equation model demonstrated that terrain has an indirect
impact on SOC through its influence on the fluorescence of soil DOM and
bacterial diversity, and indirectly affected SIC content by altering
soil water content (SWC), electrical conductivity and DOC. Plants
directly or indirectly affected SOC content, and indirectly affected SIC
content by changing SWC. This study contributes to a better
understanding of the complex interactions between wetland ecosystems and
their abiotic and biotic components, offering valuable information for
wetland management and conservation efforts.
Target for lipid to carbohydrate intake minimizes cost of growth
Authors: Talal Stav , Chahal Aunmolpreet , Osgood Geoffrey , Brosemann Jonah , Harrison Jon , Cease Arianne
Published: September 2023

Many theoretical treatments of foraging use energy as currency, with
carbohydrates and lipids considered interchangeable as energy sources.
However, herbivores must often synthesize lipids from carbohydrates
since they are in short supply in plants, theoretically increasing the
cost of growth. We tested whether a generalist insect herbivore
(Locusta migratoria) can improve their growth efficiency by
consuming lipids, and whether these locusts have a preferred intake
target ratio of carbohydrate (C) to lipid (L). Locusts fed pairs of
isocaloric, isoprotein diets differing in C and L consistently selected
a 2C:1L target. Locusts reared on isocaloric, isoprotein 3C:0L diets
attained similar final body masses and lipid contents as locusts fed the
2C:1L diet but ate more and had a ~12% higher metabolic
rate—indicating an energetic cost for lipogenesis. These results
demonstrate that some animals can selectively regulate carbohydrate to
lipid intake and that consumption of dietary lipid can improve growth
efficiency.
Rabies Elimination in Nigeria: leveraging proven strategies.
Authors: Taiwo Asaolu Oluwadara , Adesina Miracle Ayomikun , Oladoye Moyinoluwa , Mary Adene Tejumade
Published: September 2023

Rabies in Nigeria has remained an endemic disease ever since its first
case in 1912. Though several prevention and control programs have been
done to see to its elimination, rabies continues to thrive in Nigeria
with about 1640 human rabies cases recorded annually. As Nigeria
continues to struggle with rabies elimination, certain countries like
Jamaica, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Hawaii, and Belgium have completely
eradicated rabies and are considered rabies-free. Hence, to successfully
eliminate rabies, Nigeria needs to take lessons from these rabies-free
countries and put into action all that they did to achieve this feat.
Achieving herd immunity through the vaccination of 70% of the dog
population is a potent way to ensure the elimination of rabies. To scale
up dog vaccination in Nigeria, Nigerian lawmakers need to come up with a
law similar to Japan’s Rabies Prevention Act, that binds all dog owners
to the compulsory registration and vaccination of their dogs in a
veterinary hospital such that disobeying comes with a punishment. Also,
philanthropic organizations in Nigeria need to invest in the production
of these PEPs by pharmaceutical companies. In ensuring a perfectly
functional quarantine station, the government needs to employ more
qualified and licensed veterinarians in accordance with Article 3.2.5 of
the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code which states that “there should
not be an over-reliance on veterinary paraprofessionals but qualified
experienced field veterinarians should be employed to conduct disease
monitoring”.
Spatial and Temporal Variation of Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) Precipitation Reforecast Skill Across CONUS
Authors: Levey Jessica Rose , Sankarasubramanian Arumugam
Published: September 2023

Precipitation forecasts, particularly at subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S)
time scale, are essential for informed and proactive water resources
management. Although S2S precipitation forecasts have been evaluated, no
systematic decomposition of the skill, Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE)
coefficient, has been analyzed towards understanding the forecast
accuracy. We decompose the NSE of S2S precipitation forecast into its
three components – correlation, conditional bias, and unconditional
bias – by four seasons, three lead times (1–12-day, 1-22 day, and 1-32
day), and three models (ECMWF, CFS, NCEP) over the Conterminous United
States (CONUS). Application of dry mask is critical as the NSE and
correlation are lower across all seasons after masking areas with low
precipitation values. Further, a west-to-east gradient in S2S forecast
skill exists and forecast skill was better during the winter months and
for areas closer to the coast. Overall, ECMWF’s model performance was
stronger than both ECCC and NCEP CFS’s performance, mainly for the
forecasts issued during fall and winter months. However, ECCC and NCEP
CFS performed better for the forecast issued during the spring months,
and also performed better in in-land areas. Post-processing using simple
Model Output Statistics could reduce both unconditional and conditional
bias to zero, thereby offering better skill for regimes with high
correlation. Our decomposition results also show efforts should focus on
improving model parametrization and initialization schemes for climate
regimes with low correlation values.
Examining long-term variability in saturated hydraulic conductivity of sandy soils and its influencing factors
Authors: Ashouri Saeed Nikghalb , Pittari Adrian , Moon Vicki , Shokri Ali
Published: September 2023

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is a crucial parameter that
influences water flow in saturated soils, with applications in various
fields such as surface water runoff, soil erosion, drainage, and solute
transport. However, accurate estimation of Ks is challenging due to
temporal and spatial uncertainties. This study addresses the knowledge
gap regarding the long-term behaviour of Ks in sandy soils with less
than 10% fine particles. The research investigates the changes in Ks
over a long period of constant head tests and examines the factors
influencing its variation. Two sandy samples were tested using a
hydraulic conductivity cell, and the hydraulic head and discharge were
recorded for over 50 days. The results show a general decline in Ks
throughout the test, except for brief periods of increase. Furthermore,
the relationship between flow rate and hydraulic head gradient does not
follow the expected linear correlation from Darcy’s law, highlighting
the complex nature of sandy soil hydraulic conductivity. The
investigation of soil properties in three different sections of the
samples before and after the tests revealed a decrease in the percentage
of fine particles and a shift in specific gravity from the bottom to the
top of the sample, suggesting particle migration along the flow
direction. Factors such as clogging by fine particles and pore pressure
variation contribute to the changes in Ks. The implications of this
study have far-reaching effects on various geotechnical engineering
applications. These include groundwater remediation, geotechnical
stability analysis, and drainage system design.
STAR-ESDM: A Generalizable Approach to Generating High-Resolution Climate Projections through Signal Decomposition
Authors: Hayhoe Katharine , Stoner Anne , Wuebbles Donald J. , Scott-Fleming Ian
Published: September 2023

High-resolution climate projections provide crucial insights into
assessing climate risk and developing climate resilience strategies. The
Seasonal Trends and Analysis of Residuals empirical statistical
downscaling model (STAR-ESDM) is a computationally-efficient and
flexible approach to generating high-resolution climate projections that
can be applied globally using a broad range of predictands and
predictors that can be sourced from weather stations, gridded datasets,
satellites, reanalysis, and global or regional climate models. It uses
signal processing combined with Fourier filtering and kernal density
estimation techniques to decompose and smooth any quasi-Gaussian time
series, gridded or point-based, into multi-decadal long-term means
and/or trends; static and dynamic annual cycles; and probability
distributions of high-frequency variability. Long-term predictor trends
are bias-corrected and predictor components are used to map remaining
predictand components to future conditions. Components are then
recombined for each station or grid cell to produce a continuous,
high-resolution bias-corrected and downscaled time series at the spatial
and temporal scale of the original time series. Comparing STAR-ESDM
output with high-resolution daily temperature and precipitation
projections generated by a fully dynamical global model demonstrates
that the method is extremely robust, capable of accurately reproducing
projected changes for all but the most extreme temperature and
precipitation values. For most continental areas, biases in 1-in-1000
hottest and coldest temperatures are less than 0.5°C and biases in the
1-in-1000 wet day precipitation amounts are less than 5 mm/day. As
climate impacts intensify, STAR-ESDM represents a significant advance in
generating consistent high-resolution projections to comprehensively
assess risk and optimize resilience.
Degrowth by disaster or design: convergence of crises and possible pathways in Latvia
Authors:   University of Latvia, Advanced Social and Political Research Institute, Felcis Elgars , Felcis Renars ,   University of Latvia, Advanced Social and Political Research Institute
Published: September 2023

The ongoing climate and environmental breakdown, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian war in Ukraine are some of the key events creating a continuous convergence of crises that will likely affect most societal groups and the whole global (dis)order. Based on research within the Latvian Council of Science funded project ‘Ready for change? Sustainable management of common natural resources’, this paper explores firstly, the evidence-based impossibility of perpetual growth; secondly, the already visible signs of socio-economic hardship throughout 2020 - 2023; and thirdly, the possible pathways for actions in Latvia, based on long-term involvement in degrowth movement and participatory action research. We conclude that the early warnings for ‘Limits to growth’ 50 years ago have proven correct and dramatic reductions in emissions and material throughput are necessary to ensure a liveable planet for humans and broader biodiversity. The only substantial historical reductions have happened during the crises, and the decoupling of growth from environmental destruction remains a dangerous illusion. Therefore, the degrowth body of knowledge must be considered as a ‘vision for a better future’ with understanding and respect to planetary boundaries, social equity and other limits. Unfortunately, the lessons from crises indicate that corporate and political elites are afraid to reorganize the growth hegemony-driven economic and political systems. Still, the environmental breakdown has not yet provided such a sense of urgency that COVID-19 did, despite all warnings. The possible pathways in Latvia are not unique in this sense as our research confirms such a lack of sense of urgency and prioritisation of economic aims above environmental/existential, immediate above the more distant. There are aspects of valuable societal and environmental resilience in Latvia that are likely to be useful in adaptation to crises, but growth-based environmental destruction is generally not understood even among many environmentally active people. The strategic vision for alternative development strategies is very limited in Latvia. The high risk of degrowth by disaster remains.
Investigation of LiCoO2 thin film battery properties with changing Ar/O2 gas atmosphere
Authors: Alkan Engin , Singil Mustafa , Gungor Hatice , Guler Aslihan , Kuruahmet Deniz , Guler Oguz , Akbulut Hatem
Published: September 2023

Thin film batteries are considered the most promising next-generation
batteries due to their superior safety and highly developed energy density.
The deposition of LiCoO2 thin films with 200 nm thickness was carried out by
radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The LiCoO2 thin films were deposited
in Ar/O2 gas mixture and coated samples which were deposited in 3% and 10%
oxygen amounts, labeled as LCO-3 and LCO-10, respectively. Deposited LCO-3
and LCO-10 thin films possess phase purity and high crystallinity and have a
uniform nanostructure with an average grain size of 30-60 nm with
homogeneous dispersion. The cyclic voltammetry curves of LCO-3 and LCO-10
electrodes upon electrochemical cycling revealed phase transformations of
both materials. The ionic conductivity of the LCO-10 thin films have been
exhibited more convenient results than LCO-3 samples. The electrode
manifests superior specific capacity of 48 ?Ah/cm2 in the initial cycle.
This study provides an information on how LiCoO2 crystal structure and
electrochemical properties are affected by changing deposition parameters
such at the Ar/O2 gas mixture.
Analysis and forecasting of temperature using time series forecasting methods a case study of Mus
Authors: Tugal Ihsan , Sevgin Fatih
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study is to forecast the daily average temperature of Mus province in Turkey using time series methods. The performance of three time series forecasting models is compared: LSTM, PROPHET, and ARIMA. The behavior of these models in temperature data is also investigated. It is found that these methods give accurate results according to the MAE, MSE, and RMSE error metrics. However, LSTM produces slightly better results. The temperature data used in this study was obtained from the Mus Meteorology Provincial Directorate. Accurate temperature forecasting is important for many different areas, from energy, agriculture to water resource management. This study is an important research step in temperature analysis and forecasting, and it will contribute to relevant decision-making processes.
Effect of stresses acting on impeller blades
Authors: Bogrekci Ismail , Demircioglu Pinar , Sert Berkay , Gogebakan Ahmet , Abbakar Mujtaba
Published: September 2023

This paper examines the impact of temperature, pressure, and blade thickness
on the stresses experienced by impeller blades during operation. The
impeller is subject to a range of stresses arising from thermal, fluid, and
mechanical factors that can cause deformation if they exceed certain
thresholds. The study focuses on an impeller supplied by HAUS Centrifuge
Technologies, which suffered damage while operating at 33000 rpm. Six blade
thickness offsets, ranging from 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm, were analyzed
structurally, and the Von-Mises stresses were compared to the impeller
material yield strength. The impeller with the lowest stress, at 197.43
MPa, was chosen for fluid-structure interaction analysis. The impeller was
then manufactured and tested for performance using ISO 5389 standard in HAUS
test facility. The CFD results indicated that the polytropic efficiency of
the thickened impeller increased to 86.57%, compared to the original
impeller polytropic efficiency of 75.8%. However, the volumetric flow
decreased from 4211.3 m3 per hour to 3658.3 m3 per hour when using ?the
thicker impeller?. The data collected supports the conclusion that an
increase in blade thick-ness can help to reduce the stresses acting on the
blade.
Statistical assessment of natural frequency values obtained from numerical analyses in the tapered composite laminated beams
Authors: Ovali Ismail
Published: September 2023

In the last years, the glass/epoxy laminated composites which are a
combination of glass reinforcement and epoxy matrix are widely used in the
field of automotive and aerospace due to their strength/weight ratio. The
proposed study statistically evaluates the natural frequency data obtained
by the numerical analysis of glass reinforced epoxy matrix beams with
Taguchi method. Accordingly, numerical analyzes were performed based on L27
orthogonal array at different levels of tapered angle (0, 0.25, and 0.5),
fiber orientation angle (30?, 600?, and 900?), and a/l ratio (delamination
ratio) (0, 0.25, and 0.5). The obtained results were evaluated with analysis
of variance (ANOVA), regression analysis, main effects, and interactions
plots. Lastly, it was observed that the tapered angle changes directly with
the natural frequency and inversely with a/l delamination rate, and there is
a dramatic increase in the natural frequency at the 30? angle. With
regression analysis, the effects of main, interaction, and squares of
factors on natural frequency are predicted with a coefficient of
determination of 95.63%. Finally, the optimum natural frequency is obtained
at third level of the tapered angle (A = 0,5), the first level of angle (B =
30?) and a/l ratio (C = 0) as 40.091 Hz.
Water quality assessment for irrigation canals case study in the Bingol, Turkey
Authors: Er Hasan , Sevik Fevzi
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the quality of the water used as
irrigation water by the agricultural farmers in the city center of Bingol,
to determine the physico-chemical properties of the water used in the
region, to study the seasonal changes and to calculate of the irrigation
water quality evaluation. Taking into account the seasonal fluctuations of
the irrigation water sampling points (O, K, A), pH values 7.63-7.94, EC
values 0.14-0.16 dS/m, Na values 0.27-0.32 me/L, K values 0.08 me/L, Ca
values 0.75-0.81 me/L, Mg values 0.33-0.38 me/L, SO4 values 0.12-0.13 me/L,
bicarbonate 3.16-3.36 me/L, and chlorine values between 0.51-0.55 me/L.
Parameters such as SAR, KI, Na%, and PI were calculated to determine the
suitability of the existing irrigation water quality in the study area. When
the SAR values were examined, it was determined that they were between
0.36-0.42, RSC values were between 1.5-2.5, and IWQI values were between
77.33-78.42. As a result of the quality evaluations made at the irrigation
water line located in the center of Bingol province, it was determined that
there was no difference in the quality parameters when the seasonal changes
in the long-term sampling for five years were taken into consideration.