bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of data complexity on classifier performance
Authors: Eberlein Jonas , Rodriguez Daniel , Harrison Rachel
Published: October 2024

The research area of Software Defect Prediction (SDP) is both extensive and popular, and is often treated as a classification problem. Improvements in classification, pre-processing and tuning techniques, (together with many factors which can influence model performance) have encouraged this trend. However, no matter the effort in these areas, it seems that there is a ceiling in the performance of the classification models used in SDP. In this paper, the issue of classifier performance is analysed from the perspective of data complexity. Specifically, data complexity metrics are calculated using the Unified Bug Dataset, a collection of well-known SDP datasets, and then checked for correlation with the defect prediction performance of machine learning classifiers (in particular, the classifiers C5.0, Naive Bayes, Artificial Neural Networks, Random Forests, and Support Vector Machines). In this work, different domains of competence and incompetence are identified for the classifiers. Similarities and differences between the classifiers and the performance metrics are found and the Unified Bug Dataset is analysed from the perspective of data complexity. We found that certain classifiers work best in certain situations and that all data complexity metrics can be problematic, although certain classifiers did excel in some situations.
Study on the damage characteristics of high-temperature superconducting cable insulation under air gap discharge
Authors: Pan Xin , Zhou Li , Wang Gang , Fallatah Ahmed M. , Yuan Miaoda , Zhang Xiangning , Tan Daqing , Ren Juanna , Almalki Abdulraheem S. A. , Ibrahim Mohamed M. , Dong Mengyao , Guo Zhanhu
Published: October 2024

This study explores the impact of small air gaps in high-temperature superconducting cables on the insulating material polypropylene-laminated paper (PPLP), and the aging rules and mechanisms of the insulating material during practical uses. An air gap discharge test platform was built to simulate air gap fault defects of superconducting cables in the real operating environment. Hierarchical clustering method was used to divide the gap discharge process of defect model into four stages. Insulation damage assessment was conducted on the intermediate layer PP of the superconducting insulation material PPLP at different discharge stages, revealing surface changes and periodic alterations in dielectric properties. The morphological features, roughness, infrared spectra, dielectric loss, surface resistivity, and other phase characteristics of the superconducting insulation layer material were analyzed at different stages of air gap defects. Molecular group cracking in PP was attributed to the bond breakage on the main chain. These findings provide insights into high-temperature superconducting cable insulation under air gap discharge and provide a guideline for practical applications in semi-conductive industries.
Youth Climate Questions
Authors: Rushton Elizabeth A. C. , Dunlop Lynda
Published: October 2024

Anthropogenic climate change and environmental crises are pressing challenges of our time, with changes to the climate system observed in every global region. Disastrous impacts on nature, including people, have already been observed in the form of drought, floods and extreme heat events across the planet. This study examines the role of an interdisciplinary approach to exploring different responses to climate-related disasters and potential disasters. The work we report takes place in the context of recent research on dialogue on climate interventions with youth. Climate interventions are large-scale interventions into the Earth’s climate system and include proposals such as solar radiation management, ocean liming, and carbon capture and storage technologies. Research and development of climate interventions as a response to one set of disasters (in the present and in-the-making), created as a result of anthropogenic climate change, are associated with much uncertainty and controversy. We explored these uncertainties and controversies with young people, scientists and policymakers, resulting in a set of illustrated climate conversation cards. In this paper, we analyse the questions produced by young people to find requests for data and knowledge from across disciplines, and for an exploration of ethics, feelings, positions and priorities. We also found problematisations of technofixes and desire for socio-political action. The implications for science and disaster education are discussed.
Effect of Melia azedarach seed mediated nano-ZnO on growth performance, protein utilisation efficiency, haematology and nutritional status in pigs
Authors: Dinga E. , Marume U. , Chelopo G. M.
Published: October 2024

The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of Melia azedarach seed-mediated ZnO nanoparticles on growth performance, protein utilisation efficiency, haematology and nutritional status in pigs. A total of 48 pigs were allocated to the following six treatments replicated 8 times: Negative Control (NC, No antibiotic), Treatment 2: Positive control (PC) given a conventional antibiotic (Oxytetracycline, 40 mg/kg feed); Treatment 3: Nano-ZnO 300 mg/L (N300ZnO), Treatment 4: Group given 150 mg/L Melia azedarach seed mediated nano-ZnO (N150MA), Treatment 5: Group given 300 mg/L Melia azedarach seed mediated nano-ZnO (N300MA), Treatment 6: Group given 450 mg/L Melia azedarach seed mediated nano-ZnO (N450MA). The experiment was conducted over 7 weeks. Melia azedarach seed-mediated ZnO nanoparticles had no significant effect on growth performance apart from average daily feed intake (ADFI) with treatment 3 having the highest value. It significantly affected protein consumption and growth efficiency but not protein efficiency ratio and specific growth rate. Melia azedarach seed-mediated ZnO nanoparticles had no significant impact on nutritional parameters, serum minerals apart from phosphorus which can negatively affect renal functioning.
Creative performance in professional advertising development: The role of ideation templates, consumer insight, and intrinsic motivation
Authors: Tevi Alexander , Parker John , Koslow Scott , Ang Lawrence
Published: October 2024

To develop more creative advertising, scholars advocate ideation techniques and one of the most strongly supported is the Templates method. This research explores the efficacy of Templates, and evaluates its effectiveness compared to other creative ideation approaches. Two studies are presented. One directly asks professional advertising creatives to use specific Templates to develop advertisements. The other determines if the mere knowledge of the Templates method improves creative ideation. In both studies, industry-based judges assess the quality of respondents’ work. The Templates approach improves the originality of advertising, with no detrimental influence on strategy. Two alternative approaches to enhancing creativity were compared against Templates: 1) providing better domain knowledge through consumer insight and 2) improving the intrinsic motivation of creatives. The research shows these two alternatives both improve originality yet reduce how “on strategy” the advertising is—a trade-off effect. However, the Templates method does not suffer from this trade-off and performs well, by improving originality without any detriment on strategic focus.
Employees’ views on empathic behavior in the workplace: a bottom-up approach to understanding empathy
Authors: Hall Judith A. , Solomon Eric , Clark Malissa , Vicaria Isha
Published: October 2024

Although the empathy concept is relevant across all domains of human relations, it is often used in a vague and poorly defined way that limits its utility both in science and in real-world applications. Research indeed suggests that behaviors considered “empathic” vary across individuals and according to context. This research looked at the organizational context, by (a) in two studies, asking employees in many different work settings to rate a diverse list of workplace behaviors for how much each is empathic to them, and (b) in a third study, analyzing employees’ messages describing instances of fellow employees’ empathic behavior posted to their companies’ rewards platform. In Study 1 (N = 318), employees in different companies responded to a list of 44 discrete behaviors, and in Study 2 (N = 234), employees responded to the same behaviors as well as 25 more. In both studies, two conceptually different, but empirically related, types of empathy emerged, which we labeled Emotional Sensitivity and Professionalism. In Study 3, we coded for these two dimensions in 1,497 messages sent by employees on a company rewards platform where they described “empathic” workplace behaviors by co-workers. Results of all three studies suggest that in the workplace, behavioral manifestations of “empathy” extend beyond conventional notions of personal responsiveness to include task functions, thus demonstrating that “empathy” in the real world covers surprisingly wide territory. The research shows that context matters in discussions of empathy and provides a concrete vocabulary for scholars and organizations to use in research on workplace culture.
Mitogenome of a new Ramazzottius species (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Ramazzottiidae) discovered in rock pools along with its temperature and desiccation-related proteins repertoire
Authors: Vecchi Matteo , Stec Daniel
Published: October 2024

Ramazzottius is a widespread genus of tardigrades with extreme cryptobiotic capabilities. Thanks to its ability to survive desiccation and freezing, this genus is usually recorded from harsh habitats such as exposed mosses and lichens and rock pools. In the last years, research focused on both describing Ramazzottius diversity and revealing the molecular mechanisms behind their cryptobiotic capabilities. Despite the research efforts in these fields, much still remains to be discovered. Here we describe a new Ramazzottius species from an Italian rock pool by means of integrative taxonomy (morphology, morphometry, and DNA sequencing) and sequenced its genome with Nanopore technology to provide an assembled mitogenome and annotate its Temperature and Desiccation Resistance Proteins (TDPR) repertoire. The new gonochoric species is phylogenetically close to the parthenogenetic R. varieornatus, a strain of which (YOKOZUNA-1) has been adopted as model organism for the study of cryptobiosis. The mitogenome of the new species shows perfect synteny with R. varieornatus and shares with it most of the TDPR genes. The relative genetic similarity of the new species to the model R. varieornatus, combined with unique biological traits (for example the difference in reproductive mode and the unique habitat it colonizes), makes the new species a potential new addition to the range of model tardigrade species.
Beneficial soil fungi enhance tomato crop productivity and resistance to the leaf-mining pest Tuta absoluta in agronomic conditions
Authors: Minchev Zhivko , Ramírez-Serrano Beatriz , Dejana Laura , Lee Díaz Ana S. , Zitlalpopoca-Hernandez Guadalupe , Orine Dimitri , Saha Haymanti , Papantoniou Dimitra , García Juan M. , González-Céspedes Alicia , Garbeva Paolina , van Dam Nicole M. , Soler Roxina , Giron David , Martínez-Medina Ainhoa , Biere Arjen , Hauser Thure , Meyling Nicolai V. , Rasmann Sergio , Pozo María J.
Published: October 2024

Research has shown that soil-borne beneficial microorganisms can enhance plant growth, productivity, and resistance against pests and pathogens and could thus serve as a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals. To date, however, the effect of soil-beneficial microbes under commercial crop production has been little assessed. We here investigated the effect of root inoculation with nine well-characterized bacterial and fungal strains and two consortia on tomato performance under intensive tomato crop management practices. We measured the impact of these root inoculations on plant growth, fruit quality, yield, and pest and pathogen incidence. While most microbial strains showed weak effects, we found that the fungal strains Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 and Funneliformis mosseae significantly increased marketable tomato yield. Moreover, we found that inoculation with most of the fungal strains led to a significant reduction in the incidence of the devastating leaf-mining pest Tuta absoluta, while this effect was not observed for bacterial inoculants. In addition, we found that microbial inoculations did not impact the incidence of introduced natural pest enemies, supporting their compatibility with well-established integrated pest management strategies in horticulture. In summary, the observed general positive effects of soil microbes on tomato yield and resistance reinforce the move toward broader adoption of microbial inoculants in future crop production, ultimately improving agricultural sustainability.
Feasibility study on machine learning methods for prediction of process-related parameters during WAAM process using SS-316L filler material
Authors: Subadra Sharath P. , Mayer Eduard , Wachtel Philipp , Sheikhi Shahram
Published: October 2024

The geometry of objects by means of wire arc additive manufacturing technology (WAAM) is a function of the quality of the deposited layers. The process parameters variation and heat flow affect the geometric precision of the parts, when compared to the actual dimensions. Therefore, in situ geometry monitoring which is integrated in such a way to enable a backward control model is essential in the WAAM process. In this article, an attempt is made to study the effect of four input variables, namely voltage (U), welding current (I), travel speed and wire feed rate on the output function in the form of two geometrical characteristics of a single weld bead. These output functions which are determinant of the weld quality are width of weld bead (BW) and height of weld bead (BH). A machine learning approach is utilised to predict the bead dimensions based on the input parameters and to predict the parameters by assigning suitable scores. For predicting the bead dimensions, two models, namely linear regression and random forest, shall be utilised, whereas for the purpose of classification based on weld parameters, k-nearest neighbours model shall be employed. Through this work, a wide dataset of parameters in the form of input variable and output in the form bead dimensions are generated for 316LSi filler material which shall be used as a training data for a machine learning algorithm. Subsequently, the predicted parameters shall be cross-checked with actual parameters.
Fatigue performance of repair-welded and HFMI-treated transverse stiffeners
Authors: Schubnell J. , Burdack M. , Hiltscher N. , Weidner P. , Ummenhofer T. , Farajian M.
Published: October 2024

Large portions of infrastructure buildings, for example, highway and railway bridges, are steel constructions and reach the end of their service life due to an increase of traffic volume. Repair welding can restore the current welded constructional detail with a similar fatigue strength. However, due to the increase of fatigue loading (traffic), an increase of fatigue strength is needed in such bridge structures. For this reason, the combination of repair welding and high-frequency mechanical impact (HFMI) treatment was investigated in this study in order to quantify the increase of fatigue life by combining both methods. For this, transverse stiffeners made of steel grade S355J2 + N were subjected to fatigue loading until a pre-determined crack depth was reached. The cracks were detected by non-destructive testing methods. Weld repair was realized by removing the material containing the crack and re-welded by a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, following that post weld treated was applied by HFMI-treatment and the specimens were subjected to fatigue loading again. Hardness profiles, weld geometries, and residual stress states were investigated for both the original and the repaired condition. In the repaired condition without additional HFMI treatment, a similar fatigue life than in the original condition is observed for the specimens. The repair-welded and HFMI-treated specimens reach a significant higher fatigue life compared to the repaired ones in the as-welded condition.
Eigenkapitalähnliche Genussrechte und Effektivität der neuen deutschen Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung – Fallstudienanalyse und Folgerungen
Authors: Kollruss Thomas
Published: October 2024

Der Beitrag geht am Beispiel Deutschlands der Frage nach, ob die Beteiligung eines Steuerpflichtigen mit eigenkapitalähnlichen Genussrechten an der ausländischen Zwischengesellschaft der Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung unterliegt. Diesbezüglich werden mittels Fallstudienanalyse verschiedene Beteiligungskonstellationen des Steuerpflichtigen an der ausländischen Zwischengesellschaft unter Einbezug von eigenkapitalähnlichen Genussrechten untersucht. Im Grundsatz fällt die unmittelbare oder mittelbare Beteiligung des Steuerpflichtigen mit einem eigenkapitalähnlichen Genussrecht an der ausländischen Zwischengesellschaft unter die Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung. Jedoch können mittelbare Beteiligungen an der ausländischen Zwischengesellschaft grundsätzlich nicht erfasst werden in Fällen, in denen der Steuerpflichtige nicht am Nennkapital der vermittelnden Gesellschaft beteiligt ist, und an dieser nur ein eigenkapitalähnliches Genussrecht hält, wenn bei der ausländischen Zwischengesellschaft ausschließlich die Nennkapitalbeteiligung für die Gewinnverteilung bzw. Steuerpflicht der passiven Einkünfte maßgebend ist. Bei solchen Beteiligungskonstellationen weisen die Regelungen der Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung gegenwärtig eine strukturelle Schwäche auf im Hinblick auf die Ermittlung der Hinzurechnungsquote. Zur Neutralisierung dieser Schwäche wird eine umsetzbare legislative Lösung entwickelt. Die vorliegende Studie und ihre Ergebnisse sind von grundlegender Relevanz, da die Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung durch BEPS Aktionspunkt 3 und die EU Anti-Tax-Avoidance-Richtlinie (ATAD)/RL (EU) 2016/1164 in allen Mitgliedstaaten umgesetzt wurde.
Incoherent coherence? Using systemic functional linguistics to improve oral language assessment literacy
Authors: Kawabata Desiree , Fenton-Smith Ben
Published: October 2024

This paper discusses the challenges of defining coherence in the context of oral language assessment literacy and proposes that better understanding of the construct can be achieved through a systemic-functional linguistic lens. Coherence is taken to be a foundational quality of written and spoken discourse and is a standard feature in the assessment rubrics of most large-scale English-language oral proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge. However, the precise meaning of coherence, and how it can be identified in language, is difficult to grasp. This has implications for the makers and raters of tests as well as the candidates who take them. The literature suggests coherence is the most troublesome category to rate reliably and validly. The systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) model of language provides a rich description of coherence, but has been under-utilised by the language testing industry to date. In this paper we examine three aspects of coherence: (1) how it is currently conceptualised in oral language proficiency testing; (2) how it is conceptualised in linguistics in general and SFL in particular; and (3) how insights from SFL could inform the evaluation of coherence in oral language proficiency examinations.
Rethinking the theory of quiet politics: bad corporate behavior and the failure of quiet politics in the east coast gas crisis in Australia, 2022
Authors: Bell Stephen , Hindmoor Andrew
Published: October 2024

The theory of quiet politics has two propositions; first, that business interests prefer to engage with governments in ‘quiet’ arenas shielded from the media and the day-to-day political fray, and second that business interests exert power over governments in quiet politics. We counter the second proposition, arguing that business generally exercises influence rather than power in quiet politics. One precondition for the successful exercise of influence is the acceptance by business of certain protocols of behavior in interactions with governments. In this paper we underline the importance of such protocols by exploring the dynamics of a conflict between the east coast gas industry and the federal government in Australia amidst steep rises in domestic gas prices and supply restrictions in 2022. The gas industry behaved badly in the economy and in politics and did not abide by the relevant protocols of engagement with the government. The government responded aggressively and quiet politics failed. The paper underlines the importance of the behavioral pre-conditions for business influence in quiet politics and what can go wrong if this fails.
Development of a Pilot Application for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions Using the Personal Health Library
Authors: West Alina N , Shah Samir H , Shaban-Nejad Arash
Published: October 2024

Objective

Caregivers are responsible for the in-home care of children with chronic medical conditions (CMCs) and may have care-related questions in order to support the child’s higher quality of life. We propose using a digital health platform, the personal health library (PHL), facilitating collection, organization, utilization, storage, and retrieval of health information, that will allow us to develop an mHealth smartphone app to facilitate patient/caregiver engagement and self-care management of children with CMCs.

Methods

Pilot Application of the PHL in the Pediatric Chronic Medical Conditions Population: We will design the PHL to collect and integrate data from health and non-health information, in various formats and modalities, including 1) Parent/caregiver-reported data; 2) Clinical data and; 3) Social determinants of health (SDoH) data; 4) Observations of Daily Living (ODL) data including the PedsQL Parent Questionnaire and the Functional Status Scale. The app will be customized to provide information regarding training in post-acute hospitalization care and deliver information on troubleshooting medical technology care, i.e. tracheostomy care.

Conclusion

We expect that the design of the PHL application will ultimately provide a layer of support for parents and caregivers of children with CMCs for whom home health is not available following hospitalization.
Microbial burden on environmental surfaces in long-term care facilities: a quantitative analysis
Authors: Rutala William A. , DiBiase Lauren M. , Powell Amy W. , Gergen Maria F. , Sickbert-Bennett Emily E. , Kanamori Hajime , Weber David J.
Published: October 2024

Background:

We conducted a quantitative analysis of the microbial burden and prevalence of epidemiologically important pathogens (EIP) found on long-term care facilities (LTCF) environmental surfaces.

Methods:

Microbiological samples were collected using Rodac plates (25cm2/plate) from resident rooms and common areas in five LTCFs. EIP were defined as MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative rods (GNRs).

Results:

Rooms of residents with reported colonization had much greater EIP counts per Rodac (8.32 CFU, 95% CI 8.05, 8.60) than rooms of non-colonized residents (0.78 CFU, 95% CI 0.70, 0.86). Sixty-five percent of the resident rooms and 50% of the common areas were positive for at least one EIP. If a resident was labeled by the facility as colonized with an EIP, we only found that EIP in 30% of the rooms. MRSA was the most common EIP recovered, followed by C. difficile and MDR-GNR.

Discussion:

We found frequent environmental contamination with EIP in LTCFs. Colonization status of a resident was a strong predictor of higher levels of EIP being recovered from his/her room.
Turbulent mixed convection in vertical and horizontal channels
Authors: Howland Christopher J. , Yerragolam Guru Sreevanshu , Verzicco Roberto , Lohse Detlef
Published: October 2024

Turbulent shear flows driven by a combination of a pressure gradient and buoyancy forcing are investigated using direct numerical simulations. Specifically, we consider the set-up of a differentially heated vertical channel subject to a Poiseuille-like horizontal pressure gradient. We explore the response of the system to its three control parameters: the Grashof number

$Gr$

, the Prandtl number

$Pr$

, and the Reynolds number

$Re$

of the pressure-driven flow. From these input parameters, the relative strength of buoyancy driving to the pressure gradient can be quantified by the Richardson number

$Ri=Gr/Re^2$

. We compare the response of the mixed vertical convection configuration to that of mixed Rayleigh–Bénard convection, and find a nearly identical behaviour, including an increase in wall friction at higher

$Gr$

, and a drop in the heat flux relative to natural convection for

$Ri=O(1)$

. This closely matched response is despite vastly different flow structures in the systems. No large-scale organisation is visible in visualisations of mixed vertical convection – an observation that is confirmed quantitatively by spectral analysis. This analysis, combined with a statistical description of the wall heat flux, highlights how moderate shear suppresses the growth of small-scale plumes and reduces the likelihood of extreme events in the local wall heat flux. Vice versa, starting from a pure shear flow, the addition of thermal driving enhances the drag due to the emission of thermal plumes.
Fluctuating hydrodynamics of an autophoretic particle near a permeable interface
Authors: Turk Günther , Adhikari Ronojoy , Singh Rajesh
Published: October 2024

We study the autophoretic motion of a spherical active particle interacting chemically and hydrodynamically with its fluctuating environment in the limit of rapid diffusion and slow viscous flow. Then, the chemical and hydrodynamic fields can be expressed in terms of integrals. The resulting boundary-domain integral equations provide a direct way of obtaining the traction on the particle, requiring the solution of linear integral equations. An exact solution for the chemical and hydrodynamic problems is obtained for a particle in an unbounded domain. For motion near boundaries, we provide corrections to the unbounded solutions in terms of chemical and hydrodynamic Green's functions, preserving the dissipative nature of autophoresis in a viscous fluid for all physical configurations. Using this, we give the fully stochastic update equations for the Brownian trajectory of an autophoretic particle in a complex environment. First, we analyse the Brownian dynamics of particles capable of complex motion in the bulk. We then introduce a chemically permeable planar surface of two immiscible liquids in the vicinity of the particle and provide explicit solutions to the chemo-hydrodynamics of this system. Finally, we study the case of an isotropically phoretic particle hovering above an interface as a function of interfacial solute permeability and viscosity contrast.
Ordering of time scales predicts applicability of quasilinear theory in unstable flows
Authors: Saxton Curtis J. , Marston J.B. , Oishi Jeffrey S. , Tobias Steven M.
Published: October 2024

We discuss the applicability of quasilinear-type approximations for a turbulent system with a large range of spatial and temporal scales. We consider a paradigm fluid system of rotating convection with vertical and horizontal temperature gradients. In particular, the interaction of rotation with the horizontal temperature gradient drives a ‘thermal wind’ shear flow whose strength is controlled by the horizontal temperature gradient. Varying this parameter therefore systematically alters the ordering of the shearing time scale, the convective time scale and the correlation time scale. We demonstrate that quasilinear-type approximations work well when the shearing time scale or the correlation time scale is sufficiently short. In all cases, the generalised quasilinear approximation systematically outperforms the quasilinear approximation. We discuss the consequences for statistical theories of turbulence interacting with mean gradients.
Beyond (Ethno)linguistic Determinism: Diverse Approaches to Nationalism in Habsburg-Austrian Schools
Authors: Pejić Oliver
Published: October 2024

Research on the nexus between education and nationalism in the Habsburg Empire has often focused on the role that language may have played in top-down nationalization processes and the popular dissemination of national thought. According to contemporary nationalist logic, undergoing education in a certain language of instruction also entailed the internalization of nationalist values inherent to its corresponding nationalist movement. The present article argues that the Habsburg educational experience was much more contingent, and draws attention to the diversity of pedagogical approaches towards nationalism and nationality that could be encountered in Austrian schools during the last five decades of Habsburg rule. By using examples from German- and Slovene-language textbooks, it shows that sociopolitical, temporal, as well as institutional factors played an important role in determining the practical values and attitudes towards the nationalism that students encountered during their school years. With systematic empirical studies remaining rare, further research will be necessary to gain a fuller insight into the complexities of the Habsburg education system and its potential effects on popular collective identity formation.
Ukrainian War Humor and Civic Activism in 2022
Authors: Klumbytė Neringa , Yeremieieva Kateryna
Published: October 2024

The 2022 war in Ukraine has produced the biggest virtual humor archive in the history of wars. We argue that Ukrainian war humor is a form of civic activism in the name of Ukraine’s sovereignty. This civic activism is defined by resistance, solidarity, vigilance, and dedication to victory. The war humor circulates locally as well as on a global stage. It expresses the government’s positions and the people’s voices and empowers those affected by this war. Ukrainian war humor documents experiences of war realities; provides moral commentaries and emotional and aesthetic interpretations; and articulates visions for the future of Ukraine as a sovereign European state.
Burden of selenium deficiency and cost-effectiveness of selenium agronomic biofortification of staple cereals in Ethiopia
Authors: Oumer Abdu , Joy Edward J. M. , De Groote Hugo , Broadley Martin R. , Gashu Dawd
Published: October 2024

Selenium (Se) deficiency among populations in Ethiopia is consistent with low concentrations of Se in soil and crops that could be addressed partly by Se-enriched fertilisers. This study examines the disease burden of Se deficiency in Ethiopia and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of Se agronomic biofortification. A disability-adjusted life years (DALY) framework was used, considering goiter, anaemia, and cognitive dysfunction among children and women. The potential efficiency of Se agronomic biofortification was calculated from baseline crop composition and response to Se fertilisers based on an application of 10 g/ha Se fertiliser under optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. The calculated cost per DALY was compared against gross domestic product (GDP; below 1–3 times national GDP) to consider as a cost-effective intervention. The existing national food basket supplies a total of 28·2 µg of Se for adults and 11·3 µg of Se for children, where the risk of inadequate dietary Se reaches 99·1 %–100 %. Cereals account for 61 % of the dietary Se supply. Human Se deficiency contributes to 0·164 million DALYs among children and women. Hence, 52 %, 43 %, and 5 % of the DALYs lost are attributed to anaemia, goiter, and cognitive dysfunction, respectively. Application of Se fertilisers to soils could avert an estimated 21·2–67·1 %, 26·6–67·5 % and 19·9–66·1 % of DALY via maize, teff and wheat at a cost of US$129·6–226·0, US$149·6–209·1 and US$99·3–181·6, respectively. Soil Se fertilisation of cereals could therefore be a cost-effective strategy to help alleviate Se deficiency in Ethiopia, with precedents in Finland.
Leisure Jobs: Recreating Family and Social Life in Canadian Electric Utility Marketing, 1920–1970
Authors: Foord David
Published: October 2024

This article contributes to scholarship on business history and gender in twentieth-century energy transitions. It examines Canadian electric power utility marketing plans and materials, newspaper and magazine accounts, and oral history interview records. Utilities initially sought to sell power as capital and labor rationality, mirroring industrial ideals of producing more with fewer resources. As those labor savings were realized, they increasingly sold power as a means to perform new organizational and emotional jobs of creating a more intimate, happier, and child-centered family life. In doing so, they redefined social life, from family-as-labor unit to family-as-leisure unit, while also redefining leisure-as-labor for women. Women in utility marketing materials, as observed in subsequent time-use studies, eventually saw fewer hours of housework and family care, although offset by increasing leisure jobs. Mobilizing social groups to advance an electrification agenda, utilities sold this new labor as an extension of energy service work in homes, public spaces, and leisure facilities.
Beyond Long-Distance Nationalism: Khorasan and the Re-imagination of Afghanistan
Authors: Marsden Magnus
Published: October 2024

This article explores the geographical imagination of diasporic activists from Afghanistan. It examines the significance of the historic-geographic region of Khorasan for their attempts to re-imagine Afghanistan and its place in the region and wider world. The article documents ethnographically the forms of intellectual exchange in which these intellectual-activists participate, and their modes of materializing the geographical imagination of Khorasan in everyday life. Rather than analyzing their geographical imagination solely through the lens of ethnicity, it treats it as reflecting the activists’ underlying yearning for sovereign agency and as an attempt to forge politically recognizable subjects capable of action.
IMPIOUS MISFORTUNE AND DIDACTIC DISCORD: THE MACEDONIAN XANTHIKA IN ANCIENT HISTORIOGRAPHY RECONSIDERED
Authors: Prieto Juan P.
Published: October 2024

The present article will reconsider the historiographical value played by the 182 bc Antigonid military ritual – known as Xanthika. Firstly, in order to appraise ancient historiographical adaptations and modern analytical shortcomings, this article will retrace extant ancient sources and, secondly, its current state-of-the-art. Thirdly, the original Polybian treatment will be discerned from its Livian adaptations, and historiographical distinctions will be proposed for each version. Fourthly, the Xanthika will be reconsidered as a key historiographical device through which Polybius coupled the Hellenic themes of Alexandrian legitimacy, deep-rooted tyrannical discord, and irreversible royal decadence within a larger narrative of the Roman ascendance towards world dominance.
Affective disorders: eliminate WArning signs And REstore functioning: AWARE. Results from a randomized controlled multimodular intervention study targeting functioning in patients with affective disorders
Authors: Schwarz Rasmus , Miskowiak Kamilla Woznica , Christensen Mie Skovmand , Kessing Lars Vedel , Vinberg Maj
Published: October 2024

Background

There is a compelling need for innovative intervention strategies for patients with affective disorders, given their increasing global prevalence and significant associated disability and impaired functioning. This study aimed to investigate whether a comprehensive multimodule individualized intervention (AWARE), targeting known mediators of functioning, improves functioning in affective disorders.

Methods

AWARE was a randomized, controlled, rater-blind clinical trial conducted at two centers in the Capital Region of Denmark (Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT 04701827). Participants were adults with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder and impaired functioning. Participants were randomized to the six-month AWARE intervention or treatment as usual (TAU). The AWARE intervention is based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Brief Core Set for Bipolar and Unipolar Disorder.

The primary outcome was observation-based functioning using the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS). Secondary outcomes were functioning, QoL, stress, and cognition.

Results

Between February 2021 and January 2023, 103 patients were enrolled; 50 allocated to AWARE treatment and 53 to TAU (96 included in the full analysis set). There was no statistically significant differential change over time between groups in the primary outcome (AMPS), however, both groups showed a statistically significant improvement at endpoint. The AWARE intervention had a statistically significant effect compared with TAU on secondary outcomes of patient-reported functioning, stress and cognition.

Conclusion

Compared with TAU, the AWARE intervention was ineffective at improving overall functioning on the primary outcome, presumably due to the short duration of the intervention. Further development of effective treatments targeting functioning is needed.
‘Wasp porn’: The discursive construction of ridicule and the right to joke about science
Authors: Cramer Peter
Published: October 2024

Ridicule is often understood as an instrument used by an agent to accomplish a goal. This article, however, investigates ridicule as an indexical phenomenon, a social meaning activated for certain participants in particular situations. Through a detailed analysis of interviews with a scientist, this study shows how storytelling, stance-taking, and entitlement practices help shape the experience of ridicule and the situations where it occurs. The scientist experiences a joke about her research as ridicule when it is reported in the news but experiences the same joke as rapport when it is told by colleagues in the lab. The article demonstrates that the meanings and purposes of humor do not inhere in jokes, and joking rights do not inhere in people; they are negotiated and accomplished in interaction. Drawing on an indexical understanding of context, it further shows how the experience of situations shapes and is shaped by discourse. (Narrative, stance, entitlement, indexicality, humor, literacy, scientific popularization)*
Optimization and synthesis on the dynamics performance of the tensioning and relaxing wearable system in a novel knee exoskeleton using co-simulation
Authors: Yang Yuwei , Yin Jiapeng , Qi Wenyao , Li Zhaotong , Zhou Zuyi , Liu Zhongyu , Xu Jinyou
Published: October 2024

In this paper, a novel tensioning and relaxing wearable system is introduced to improve the wearing comfort and load-bearing capabilities of knee exoskeletons. The research prototype of the novel system, which features a distinctive overrunning clutch drive, is presented. Through co-simulation with ANSYS, MATLAB, and SOLIDWORKS software, a comprehensive multi-objective optimization is performed to enhance the dynamics performance of the prototype. Firstly, the wearing contact stiffness of the prototype and the mechanical parameters of the relevant materials are simulated and fitted based on the principle of functional equivalence. And then, its equivalent nonlinear circumferential stiffness model is obtained. Secondly, to enhance the wearing comfort of the exoskeleton, a novel comprehensive performance evaluation index, termed wearing comfort, is introduced. The index considers multiple factors such as the duration of vibration transition, the acceleration encountered during wear, and the average pressure applied. Finally, through the utilization of this indicator, the system’s dynamics performance is optimized via multi-platform co-simulation, and the simulation results validate the effectiveness of the research method and the proposed wearable comfort index. The theoretical basis for the subsequent research on the effectiveness of prototype weight-bearing is provided.
Diagnosis and surgical treatment for complete atrioventricular septal defect with intact atrial septum
Authors: Yuasa Erika , Toda Koichi , Hoashi Takaya
Published: October 2024

A six-month-old boy with Down syndrome, complete atrioventricular septal defect with intact atrial septum, and moderate left-sided atrioventricular valve regurgitation underwent surgery. The presence of a common atrioventricular junction could not be diagnosed preoperatively. Postoperative left-sided atrioventricular valve regurgitation remained mild by complete cleft closure, direct closure of incised atrial septum, and patch augmentation of the underside of septum primum.
Ordinary Policies Achieve Extraordinary Climate Adaptation
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: October 2024

Consistently implementing zoning, permitting, and building regulations, all commonplace municipal tools, helped most New Jersey towns avoid floodplain development.
Post-transplant cyclophosphamide separates graft-versus host disease and graft versus leukemia effects after HLA-matched stem-cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Shimoni Avichai , Peczynski Christophe , Labopin Myriam , Kulagin Alexander , Meijer Ellen , Cornelissen Jan , Choi Goda , Sanz Jaime , Rovira Montserrat , Van Gorkom Gwendolyn , Kröger Nicolaus , Koc Yener , Vydra Jan , Diez-Martin J. L. , Solano Carlos , Patel Amit , Chiusolo Patrizia , Ciceri Fabio , Nagler Arnon , Mohty Mohamad
Published: October 2024

The association of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) is well-established but was not confirmed in the modern era and following post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). We assessed GVHD/ GVL association in AML patients following HLA-matched SCT with standard calcineurin-based (n = 12,653, 57% with additional in-vivo T-cell depletion) or PTCy-based (n = 508) GVHD prophylaxis. Following standard prophylaxis, acute GVHD grade II-IV and III-IV, chronic GVHD, and extensive chronic GVHD rates were 23.8%, 7.5%, 37.0%, and 16.3%, respectively. Acute GVHD grade II and III-IV were associated with lower relapse [hazard-ratio (HR) 0.85, P = 0.002; HR 0.76, P = 0.003, respectively)], higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) (HR 1.5, P < 0.001; HR 6.21, P < 0.001) and lower overall survival (OS) (HR 1.49, P < 0.001; HR 6.1, P < 0.001). Extensive chronic GVHD predicted lower relapse (HR 0.69, P < 0.001), higher NRM (HR 2.83, P < 0.001), and lower OS (HR 2.74, P < 0.001). Following PTCy, GVHD rates were 22.8%, 6.2%, 35.5%, and 17.7%, respectively. Acute GVHD was not associated with relapse (HR 1.37, P = 0.15) but predicted higher NRM (HR 3.34, P < 0.001) and lower OS (HR 1.92, P = 0.001). Chronic GVHD was not prognostic for these outcomes. In conclusion, GVHD and GVL are strongly associated with contemporary SCT. However, following PTCy, GVHD is not associated with reduced relapse.
Characterizing the photoluminescence of fluorescein-labeled cellulose in aqueous and alcohol solutions: influence of the cellulose backbone
Authors: Yen Chi-Yang , Rana Shailesh , Awasthi Kamlesh , Ohta Nobuhiro , Oh-e Masahito
Published: October 2024

Although many dyes have been introduced into cellulose, whether bound to its backbone or within a cellulose matrix, few studies have determined whether the backbone statically or dynamically quenches the photoluminescence of the dye. To advance cellulosic fluorescent films, the influence of the cellulose backbone on photoluminescence must be understood. We determined the fluorescence properties of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and fluorescein-labeled cellulose (FLC) in water and alcohol, including their quantum yields $$\boldsymbol{\phi}_{\textit{\textbf{PL}}}$$, lifetimes $${\boldsymbol{\tau}}$$, and rates of radiative $${\textit{\textbf{k}}}_{\textit{\textbf{r}}}$$ and nonradiative $${\textit{\textbf{k}}}_{\textit{\textbf{nr}}}$$ decay. Dissolved FLC had a ~ 30× lower $$\boldsymbol{\phi}_{\textit{\textbf{PL}}}$$ than FITC, suggesting that incorporating FITC into the cellulose backbone remarkably reduces the fluorescence efficiency. The FLC solutions had a six-fold lower $${\textit{\textbf{k}}}_{\textit{\textbf{r}}}$$ than their FITC counterparts but a 10–20 times higher $${\textit{\textbf{k}}}_{\textit{\textbf{nr}}}$$. Presumably, this was because the cellulose backbone interacted weakly with the fluorescein moieties, suggesting a quenching mechanism that can be termed quasi-static, corresponding to static quenching between the fluorescein moieties and cellulose backbone, in addition to the fluorescence quenching caused by the intramolecular nonradiative processes of fluorescein, as observed in conventional molecules. Using the Strickler‒Berg formula, we deduced the analytical radiative decay rate constants $${\textit{\textbf{k}}}_{\textit{\textbf{r}}}^{\textit{\textbf{S.B.}}}$$ and eventually estimated the number of very short-lived fluorescein moieties per single fluorescent fluorescein moiety, corresponding well with static quenching.
Circular rubber aggregate CFST stub columns under axial compression: prediction and reliability analysis
Authors: Megahed Khaled , Mahmoud Nabil Said , Abd-Rabou Saad Elden Mostafa
Published: October 2024

Extensive studies support using steel tubes to enhance the structural integrity of rubber aggregate concrete (RBAC), namely RBAC-filled steel tubes (RCFST). However, current design codes for assessing the axial compressive behaviour of circular stub RCFST (CS-RCFST) columns are limited. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of studies focused on ensuring the structural safety of these columns. Based on an extensive experimental database comprising 145 columns, this study explores machine learning (ML) capabilities for predicting the axial strength of CS-RCFST columns, using six typical machine-learning models, i.e., symbolic regression (SR), XGBoost, CatBoost, random forest, LightGBM, and Gaussian process regression models. The hyperparameter tuning of the introduced ML models is performed using the Bayesian Optimization technique. The comparison results show that the CatBoost model is the most reliable and accurate ML model (R2 = 0.999 and 0.993 for the training and testing sets, respectively). In addition, a simple and practical design expression for CS-RCFST columns has been developed with acceptable accuracy based on the SR model (an average test-to-prediction ratio of 0.99 and CoV of 0.132). Meanwhile, the axial strength predicted by ML models was compared with two prominent practice codes (i.e., AISC360 and EC4). The comparison results indicated that the ML models could introduce a highly reliable and accurate approach over current design standards for strength prediction. Furthermore, a reliability analysis is conducted on two different ML models to evaluate the reliability of utilising ML models in practical design applications. This assessment involves identifying the statistical properties associated with the compressive strength of RBAC, as well as introducing the required resistance design factors aligned with the target reliability recommended by code standards.