bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Extension of Tone-Row Techniques Through Electronic Pitch Control
Authors: Schaeffer Myron
Published: April 2006

In January of this year, on the occasion of the first electronic music concert held at the University of Toronto, I composed a work for voice and electronic sounds in which different tunings provided the basis of three different octave species. Whereas the voice part was based on the diatonic tempered scale, the two accompanying parts were each in a different system of tuning. One part was based on a scale of twelve tones in which there was a difference of 63 cents between the successive steps; the second part employed tones separated by 172 cents. The results were sufficiently encouraging to attempt a generalization and organization of a comprehensive system of tuning for further experimentation.

The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to some aspects of this tuning method. It is offered as a suggestion to electronic music composers who are interested in tone-row techniques as one direction in which experimental music might grow.
Factors That Shape and Maintain Folk Music in Ghana
Authors: Aning B. A.
Published: April 2006

The survival of any type of music in Ghana is dependent upon the extent to which the music is able to satisfy the values the people look for in such music. The values, which may be aesthetic or structural, social or religious, may operate individually or in a simultaneous complexity. In other words the factors that shape and maintain the folk music in Ghana may be found in the music per se, in the artist or in the context of performance.

There are musical norms which the community expect in a musical performance. One such norm is the sound quality. The Ghanaian concept of music (and this may go for other African peoples too) does not unduly discriminate between sounds of definite pitches and sounds of indefinite pitches. It is true that in some situations the emphasis may be on one or the other. However, examples abound in which musical ensembles employ both pitched and unpitched instruments. And both categories of sound are given relatively equal roles in a performance.
The Destiny of a Yemenite Folk Tune
Authors: Hofman Shlomo
Published: April 2006

“Lanner welivsomim” is a piyyut (sacred poem) written by the Yemenite poet Sa'adyah, of whom we know nothing more than his name. This piyyut is sung by Yemenites on Saturday nights at the domestic ceremonies marking the close of the Sabbath, and is to be found in the Yemenite diwan (Book of Sacred Poems), in their tiklal (Book of Prayer), and in the Diwan of Hebrew and Arabic Poetry of the Yemenite Jews, edited by A. Z. Idelson and H. Torczyner, Cincinnati 1930.
Supplementary Jingling in the Instrumental Folk Music of Afghanistan
Authors: Hoerburger Felix
Published: April 2006

Ordinarily we suppose that an accompaniment to a melody—in folk music as in art music—is provided by a groundwork which is harmonic or rhythmic, or both. This basis holds together the whole of the melody, either by underlining the harmonic (or rhythmic) idea which lies more or less hidden in the melody itself, or by creating the harmonic (or rhythmic) idea, if the melody itself moves in a very free manner.

In some more highly developed styles of folk music, as well as in those of art music, we find this groundwork strengthened and intensified by the heterogeneous sound of a special instrument which stays more or less in the background. The most outstanding example of what I mean is the well known Gipsy band of southeastern Europe with the sounding background of the cimbalom (dulcimer). A similar principle can be seen in the harpsichord of the Baroque orchestra.
Performing Styles in Mongolian Chant
Authors: Vargyas Lajos
Published: April 2006

During a mission sponsored by Unesco, I had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with some traditional types and styles of singing in Mongolia. The Mongols have an extraordinarily complex and developed musical tradition, and some of its types are of great interest for ethnomusicologists. I want to present to you two styles of singing which are closely associated with certain types of songs.

The first is called “long chant” and ranks with the most archaic and most developed types of the Mongols. It is a song in stanza form with a free, rubato performance having long sustained notes: just like repercussions, ornamented by fiorituri, and giving the impression of an instrumental style. They are produced by a particular setting of the larynx. But its most impressive feature is its wide range. Some singers extend the compass of songs by using the falsetto extremely vigorously. Thus a voice can range over as many as three octaves.
North American Indian Music in Transition: A Study of Songs with English Words as an Index of Acculturation
Authors: Rhodes Willard
Published: April 2006

Among the vast and varied song repertories of North American Indians, there is a category of songs that has received little attention from ethnomusicologists and anthropologists: the native melodies with English words. A number of these songs have been heard with amusement by workers in the field, and a few have been recorded, but to my knowledge no one has attempted to study the significance of this material and its relation to the societies that have produced it. Despite the paucity of recordings and information that precludes a comprehensive study of these interesting songs, this paper is offered as an initial and tentative effort to give form and interpretation to this material, with the hope that others may be stimulated to carry out further investigations and research.
Folk Song Migration in Aboriginal South Australia
Authors: Ellis Catherine J.
Published: April 2006

Folk song migration in Aboriginal South Australia is a difficult subject to cover. There is great confusion over migration theories in Australia. No one as yet has provided conclusive evidence regarding the place of origin of the present aboriginal people, nor indeed of whether they are an homogeneous people or descendants of several racially and culturally distinct groups. But a study of the music of South Australia does make possible some suggestions, since distinct styles and their direction of diffusion can be seen.

The various hypotheses about the coming of the aboriginal to Australia seem to differ depending on the aspect being covered by the particular researcher concerned. The theory put forward by Birdsell and Tindale is probably the best known. They based their theory on the classification of the blood groups of people from various regions, and believe that there were three separate migratory waves into Australia.
Multiple Pitch Lines in Yoruba Choral Music
Authors: Euba Akin
Published: April 2006

The occurrence of polyphony in Yoruba choral music is significant for many reasons. First, it is almost entirely absent in traditional folk songs and is probably restricted to a small section of the Yoruba community. Secondly, in recent years polyphonic singing has become one of the essential features of a type of popular music, known among the Yoruba as juju. Although this form of music is fairly well distributed geographically, it is perhaps unique in popular folksong in its use of polyphony. It also differs from traditional polyphonic song in that it can be more easily identified with Western influences.
Foodstuffs, Forests, Fields, and Shelter: A Paleoethnobotanical Analysis of Vessel Contents from the Ceren Site, El Salvador
Authors: Lentz David L. , Beaudry-Corbett Marilyn P. , Aguilar Maria Luisa Reyna de , Kaplan Lawrence
Published: April 2006

Botanical remains found in ceramic vessels and other containers at the Cerén site, El Salvador, provide evidence for how plants were used by Classic-period inhabitants. Because of the rapid inundation of ash caused by the eruption of the Loma Caldera volcano sometime around A. D. 590, conditions for the preservation of plant parts at Cerén are superior to most other Mesoamerican sites. Carbonized plant remains, or impressions thereof, recovered from vessels include an assortment of domesticates, cultigens, and wild plants that describe an overall pattern of a highly diversified subsistence base. Although clear statistical associations among vessels, structure types, and plant remains are not evident, the contextual data reveal food storage and other plant-use practices of the site occupants. The apparent abundance of plant-derived products and Mayan trade goods at Cerén suggests the potential contribution made by small farmers as both suppliers to and trading partners with the larger cultural developments in Mesoamerica.
Presencia de mayólicas panameñas en el mundo colonial: algunas consideraciones acerca de su distribución y cronología
Authors: Rovira Beatriz E.
Published: April 2006

Este trabajo aporta información acerca de la cronología y distribución de las mayólicas panameñas, a partir de los datos obtenidos en las excavaciones que se realizan en Panamá La Vieja (1519–1671) y en otros sitios coloniales del continente. Incluye una referencia a los aspectos estilísticos de los tipos definidos, y analiza la incidencia de cada uno de ellos en perspectiva diacrónica. Nuevos datos de localidades con mayólica panameña, permiten circunscribir su distribución a la vertiente pacífica (desde Guatemala hasta Chile), contribuyendo a la verificación de la hipótesis enunciada por Florence y Robert Lister (1974). El trabajo intenta explicar la ausencia significativa de mayólicas producidas en la ciudad de Panamá (costa pacífica del istmo), en las localidades de la costa atlántica, en contraposición a la constante presencia de cerámicas europeas en la ciudad de Panamá (las cuales, durante el auge de la industria local, alcanzaron frecuencias de alrededor del 20%). Tal situación no podría ser entendida tomando únicamente en consideración el alto costo de los fletes transístmicos (los cuales afectaban por igual ambas vías): ante el mismo valor agregado, resultaba socialmente deseable adquirir las mayólicas europeas en la ciudad de Panamá, mas no las panameñas en Portobelo. Resulta clara la existencia de valoraciones sociales diferenciales entre las mayólicas locales versus europeas, modeladoras de preferencias estéticas y hábitos de consumo.
Inka-Style Ceramics and Their Chronological Relationship to the Inka Expansion in the Southern Lake Titicaca Area (Bolivia)
Authors: Pärssinen Martti , Siiriäinen Ari
Published: April 2006

In this article the widely accepted proposition of a direct correlation between the historically attested Inka expansion during the fifteenth century and the archaeologically recorded appearance of Inka-style ceramics is tested. Excavation of an Inka-type house in Caquiaviri, once a provincial capital of the Inka state in the southern Lake Titicaca area, revealed a stratigraphic sequence with both typical Inka pottery and local ceramics. Radiocarbon dates show that the lowermost strata accumulated before the middle of the fifteenth century, when Inka ceramics were already in use. This, together with several other radiocarbon dates from northern Chile, demonstrates that the archaeologically observed ceramic period does not correlate with the historically recorded conquest.
The Structural Paradox: Moche Culture as Political Ideology
Authors: Bawden Garth
Published: April 2006

In this article I demonstrate the utility of an historical study of social change by examining the development of political authority on the Peruvian north coast during the Moche period through its symbols of power. We too often equate the material record with “archaeological culture,” assume that it reflects broad cultural reality, and interpret it by reference to general evolutionary models. Here I reassess Moche society within its historic context by examining the relationship between underlying social structure and short-term processes that shaped Moche political formation, and reach very different conclusions. I see the “diagnostic” Moche material record primarily as the symbolic manifestation of a distinctive political ideology whose character was historically constituted in an ongoing cultural tradition. Aspiring rulers used ideology to manipulate cultural principles in their interests and thus mediate the paradox between exclusive power and holistic Andean social structure which created the dynamic for change. A historic study allows us to identify the symbolic and ritual mechanisms that socially constituted Moche ideology, and reveals a pattern of diversity in time and space that was the product of differential choice by local rulers, a pattern that cannot be seen within a theoretical approach that emphasizes general evolutionary or materialist factors.
Cerro Baúl: A Wari Center on the Tiwanaku Frontier
Authors: Williams Patrick Ryan
Published: April 2006

Andean scholars have long debated the nature of the relationship between two Middle Horizon (ca. A. D. 750-1000) Andean states; many assumed Tiwanaku dominated Wari and preceded Wari in time. Recent research at the Wari administrative center of Cerro Baúl in the only known region occupied by both states (the Moquegua Valley of southern Peru) indicates that Tiwanaku may not predate Wari in Moquegua and that, contrary to previous assertions, both states occupied the valley for the last three centuries of the Middle Horizon. In support of this position, I review recent excavations at Cerro Baúl. Then I present eight new14C dates and summarize the evidence for two major construction episodes at Cerro Baúl. I interpret the local Wari construction chronology based on the 1214C dates now available from excavation contexts and I suggest that the new data, in comparison with 24 published14C dates from other Wari centers, support a later date for Middle Horizon 1B Wari expansion than previously postulated.
Validity of Ams Dates on Maize from the Tehuacán Valley: A Comment on Macneish and Eubanks
Authors: Long Austin , Fritz Gayle J.
Published: April 2006

MacNeish and Eubanks (2000) reject the AMS radiocarbon dates on maize from the Tehuacán Valley, claiming that the specimens were contaminated with a substance called Bedacryl. We do not believe that the dated fragments were contaminated, and we review the processes by which they were selected and analyzed. We also describe Bedacryl and conclude that, had it been present as a contaminant, the resulting 14C ages should have been older rather than younger than expected. Considered along with recent AMS dates on cultigens from Tamaulipas, it seems evident that post-depositional disturbances in rock-shelter sites sometimes caused mixing of older and younger objects. Direct AMS radiocarbon dating is currently the best and least destructive way to determine whether or not an individual plant specimen is the same age as seemingly associated wood charcoal.
Testing the Producer-Consumer Model for Santa Rita Corozal, Belize
Authors: Dockall John E. , Shafer Harry J.
Published: April 2006

The consumer aspect of stone-tool manufacture is an important factor for lithic studies concerned with craft specialization and exchange systems. The dynamic nature of stone-tool production/exchange/use systems can be understood through a technological analysis of producer site assemblages and a functional and technological examination of consumer sites. Chipped-stone assemblages from the producer site of Colhá, Belize, and the consumer site of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize, indicate opposing but interdependent roles within the same exchange system. Preclassic formal tools such as the oval biface and stemmed macroblade were manufactured at workshops in Colhá and exhibit a high degree of specialization and standardization in manufacture. These formal tools were then exchanged beyond the chert-bearing zone of northern Belize to consumer sites such as Santa Rita. Once these formal tools entered the consumption sphere they were used, broken, discarded, or recycled into a variety of second-order expedient tools.
Building J at Monte Alban: A Correction and Reassessment of the Astronomical Hypothesis
Authors: Peeler Damon E. , Winter Marcus
Published: April 2006

A remeasurement that corrects the previously reported orientation of Building J at Monte Albán, Mexico, suggests that the “pointer” angle did not point to any prominent star or group of stars. New data, however, do strongly relate this structure to both astronomy and the calendar. We propose that the principal function of the building was as a calendar temple.
Stature Change in Prehistoric Maya of the Southern Lowlands
Authors: Danforth Marie Elaine
Published: April 2006

Since the 1950s, a decline in stature has been offered as evidence of increasing nutritional stress in prehistoric Maya populations, particularly during the Late Classic collapse. A review of the extant skeletal data, however, reveals very inconsistent support for such a decline. The primary explanation for the variation may reside in the small number of skeletal series that have representatives of more than one time period. Other possible explanations include methodological problems associated with stature reconstruction, reliability in sex determination, and variation in health response according to site size and location.
Atalla: A Center on the Periphery of the Chavín Horizon
Authors: Burger Richard L. , Mendieta Ramiro Matos
Published: April 2006

The emergence of public architecture in Peru's central highlands occurred during the mid-first millennium B. C. and is correlated with the expansion of the Chavín sphere of interaction. Atalla, a high-altitude site in Huancavelica, represents one of the first known centers with large-scale masonry constructions. Analysis of the ceramic assemblage reveals many similarities between the local ceramics and the Janabarriu phase pottery from Chavín de Huántar, located 450 km to the north. The inhabitants of Atalla emulated the ceramic style and cut-stone masonry of the much larger northern civic-ceremonial centers, like Chavín de Huántar, while maintaining local traits such as circular dwellings and burials in or adjacent to domestic architecture. Utilizing a core-periphery perspective, the unprecedented formation in the central highlands of a community like Atalla is hypothesized to be an independent response to demands for exotic goods from the more complex societies to the north. The largest mercury deposits in Latin America are located 15 km to the west of Atalla, and the center would have been in an excellent position to procure cinnabar and distribute this bright red vermilion pigment. Production of the pigment itself would have occurred at small villages like Chuncuimarca located in the zone of the mercury deposits.
The Pectorals of Altar Q and Structure 11: An Interpretation of the Political Organization at Copan, Honduras
Authors: Viel René H.
Published: April 2006

The internal structure of Maya governing elites has been much debated over the last decade. In the perspective of that debate, I propose a model of political organization at Copán at the end of the Late Classic (A. D. 750-800) based on a reinterpretation of two monuments that depict members of the governing elite, each one wearing a pectoral. The analysis of the pectorals leads to the identification of two functional groups, priests and warriors. Sovereignty incorporates both functions and is embodied in a diarchy where a coruler is adjoined to the ruler. Rulers and corulers come from the two opposing groups who, with each succession to power, exchange these roles. The executive branch, which comprises the ruler and his coruler, four ministers and four war captains, is counterbalanced by a council of nine lords. Furthermore, there are some indications that each functional group was a corporate descent group that had its own territory in the valley and its own traditions. The relations between the two groups conditioned the history of the royal dynasty, from its foundation in A. D. 426 until its collapse in A. D. 822.
From Discard to Divination: Demarcating the Sacred Through the Collection and Curation of Discarded Objects
Authors: Brown Linda A.
Published: April 2006

The artifact assemblage recovered in a sealed undisturbed context inside a ceremonial building (Structure 12) in the ancient village of Joya de Cerén (A. D. 600), a Classic Period site located on the Southeast Maya Periphery, has been particularly enigmatic and difficult to interpret. This assemblage consists of small portable worn objects, some of which show physical and chemical damage consistent with having been previously discarded prior to being carefully curated in a ceremonial building, suggesting that they were collected in antiquity. A review of the ethnographic literature reveals that contemporary Maya ritual practitioners routinely collect small portable objects, many of which are Pre-Columbian in origin, as personal sacra. This practice of “ritual collecting” serves multiple purposes including: 1) the acquisition of divining tools, 2) personal verification of divine election, and 3) evidence to one's community of supernatural sanction for a change in social status. Through engaging in this practice, social actors create and manipulate power in local ritual systems that exist outside of the control of contemporary institutionalized religions. It is suggested that collecting may represent an alternative avenue to supernatural power for past, as well as present-day, rural ritual practitioners.
Wari Ritual Power at Conchopata: An Interpretation ofAnadenanthera ColubrinaIconography
Authors: Knobloch Patricia J.
Published: April 2006

Iconographic studies often provide evidence to interpret ritual activities of archaeologically known cultures. Recent excavations at the site of Conchopata near Ayacucho, Peru, led to a re-analysis of the ritual behavior of Middle Horizon (A. D. 750-1000) Wari society. The identification of a hallucinogenic plant design, Anadenanthera colubrina, depicted on Conchopata offering pottery contributes a crucial understanding of a previously unknown artistic icon. This icon was discerned as depicted in various abstract renditions on Middle Horizon textiles, snuff paraphernalia, ceramics, and stone sculpture, including the Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Based on historic and ethnographic evidence, the plant's prehistoric use as a hallucinogen is discussed with regard to suggested chicha drinking ceremonies, and the transitional role of Wari leaders from shamans to priests.
Determining the Function of One of the New World's Earliest Pottery Assemblages: The Case of San Jacinto, Colombia
Authors: Pratt Jo Ann F.
Published: April 2006

One of the earliest pottery assemblages in the New World (5900 B. P.) was manufactured by logistically mobile hunter-gatherers at San Jacinto I, in Colombia, South America. The vessels were constructed using fiber temper and were elaborately decorated. These characteristics along with the archaeological context of the pottery suggest that its use was unrelated to cooking or food processing. Visual and statistical analyses indicate the pottery had high economic and social value for this semisedentary group; it likely was utilized for feasting/serving activities and possibly for short-term storage. Comparative analyses indicate that the pottery from other early sites in northeast South American may have served similar functions during the early Formative period.
La Pintura Occidental de Felino de Cerro Sechin (Peru): Una Vista Diferente
Authors: Bischof Henning
Published: April 2006

Con el título “La pintura occidental de felino de Cerro Sechin: ¿Es original o falsa?” Bonavia (1990) sugiere una alternativa arbitraria. Si bien es válida su crítica del método de restauración aplicado, no es suficiente para sostener que la obra merezca tacharse de falsificación. Al ser examinadas sine ira et studio las fotos reproducidas por Bonavia (1990), más bien demuestran que en 1971 todavía estaba conservada la parte inferior del mural original, sobre el cual se efectuaron en aquel año, y el siguiente, ensayos no muy acertados de restauración junto con necesarias, y cuidadosas medidas de consolidación.
La Pintura Occidental de Felino de Cerro Sechin: Contestacion a Bischof
Authors: Bonavia Duccio
Published: April 2006

En contestación a la nota de Bischof (1991) refutando nuevamente la aseveración de Bonavia (1990), sobre la falsedad de la pintura occidental de felino de Cerro Sechín, el autor se reafirma en su posición presentando la argumentación que considera pertinente para demonstrar lo que él juzga es el error de Bischof.
Cancer-related pain in head and neck cancer survivors: longitudinal findings from the Head and Neck 5000 clinical cohort
Authors: Bolnykh Iakov , Patterson Joanne M , Harding Sam , Watson Laura-Jayne , Lu Liya , Hurley Katrina , Thomas Steve J , Sharp Linda
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Reports suggest pain is common in head and neck cancer (HNC). However, past studies are limited by small sample sizes and design and measurement heterogeneity. Using data from the Head and Neck 5000 longitudinal cohort, we investigated pain over a year post-diagnosis. We assessed: temporal trends; compared pain across HNC treatments, stages, sites and by HPV status; and identified subgroups of patients at increased risk of pain.

Methods

Sociodemographic and clinical data and patient-reported pain (measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35) were collected at baseline (pre-treatment), 4- and 12- months. Using mixed effects multivariable regression, we investigated time trends and identified associations between (i) clinically-important general pain and (ii) HN-specific pain and clinical, socio-economic, and demographic variables.

Results

2,870 patients were included. At baseline, 40.9% had clinically-important general pain, rising to 47.6% at 4-months and declining to 35.5% at 12-months. HN-specific pain followed a similar pattern (mean score (sd): baseline 26.4 (25.10); 4-months. 28.9 (26.55); 12-months, 17.2 (19.83)). Across time, general and HN-specific pain levels were increased in: younger patients, smokers, and those with depression and comorbidities at baseline, and more advanced, oral cavity and HPV negative cancers.

Conclusions

There is high prevalence of general pain in people living with HNC. We identified subgroups more often reporting general and HN-specific pain towards whom interventions could be targeted.

Implications for cancer survivors

Greater emphasis should be placed on identifying and treating pain in HNC. Systematic pain screening could help identify those who could benefit from an early pain management plan.
The Microphytobenthos are Abundant and Mediate Key Carbon Fluxes in Tropical Mangroves
Authors: Loo Yan Ping , Ouyang Xiaoguang , Lai Derrick Y. F. , Lee Shing Yip
Published: February 2024

The microphytobenthos (MPB) are known to play important ecological roles in estuarine ecosystems. While tidal flat MPB are widely studied, mangrove MPB are often overlooked due to the common belief that the light-limited environment under the mangrove canopy is not conducive to MPB growth. We assessed the biomass and community characteristics of the MPB in two contrasting mangrove forests (silty substrate and brackish influence versus sandy substrate and oceanic influence), their seasonal photosynthetic performance, as well as their role in mediating porewater carbon flux. Biomass measured as chlorophyll a concentration indicated that MPB abundance was equal, if not higher, in mangroves than on tidal flats. While mangrove sediments fostered an equally rich assemblage of MPB (estimated 23 to 45 genera) as the adjacent tidal flat, the MPB genus composition was different across all habitats, sites, and seasons, indicating the strong environmental influence on MPB assemblages. This study identified porewater salinity, temperature, and pH, as well as irradiance level and surface soil temperature to be accountable for 23.5% of this variation. MPB in all sampling locations were dominated by pennate diatoms, while cyanobacteria were common in the estuarine (as opposed to oceanic) site. Compared to tidal flat MPB, mangrove MPB exhibited photosynthetic performance characteristic of lower light acclimation. A mesocosm experiment using enriched stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen indicated that a tight coupling exists between mangrove-derived carbon and MPB. Mangrove MPB are abundant and different from tidal flat MPB, and are functional photosynthetic entities with a regulatory role in nutrient cycling in mangrove ecosystems.
Gezondheidsapps voor patiënten met diabetes mellitus type 2: bruikbaar in de eerste lijn?
Authors: Smeijers Judith Johanna , Bults Marloes , den Ouden Marjolein Elisabeth Maria , Bekhuis Robin Enya Marije
Published: February 2024

samenvatting

Inleiding

Er zijn verschillende mobiele gezondheidsapps beschikbaar voor patiënten met diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2). In de huidige diabeteszorg worden deze apps beperkt ingezet door eerstelijnsprofessionals. In dit onderzoek zijn de attitude, barrières en technologiekwalificaties van eerstelijnsprofessionals ten aanzien van mobiele gezondheidsapps in kaart gebracht.

Methode

In een kwalitatief onderzoek zijn semigestructureerde interviews afgenomen bij twaalf eerstelijnsprofessionals. De gebruikte topiclijst was gebaseerd op het Enhanced Technology Acceptance Model en V-model. De data zijn met ATLAS.ti9 geanalyseerd via een thematische analyse (deductieve codering).

Resultaten

Eerstelijnsprofessionals zien potentie in het gebruik van mHealth voor patiënten met DMT2. De meest door eerstelijnsprofessionals genoemde patiëntgerelateerde barrières zijn: hogere leeftijd van patiënten (> 65 jaar), het ontbreken van digitale vaardigheden en gebrek aan motivatie en kennis bij patiënten. Professionalgerelateerde barrières waren: gebrekkige/ontbrekende koppeling met het huisartsinformatiesysteem en beperkte tijd voor de professional om zich te verdiepen in mHealth. Eerstelijnsprofessionals vinden dat ze voldoende technologiekwalificaties bezitten om patiënten te vertellen en instrueren over mHealth. Hierbij is scholing van belang. Eerstelijnsprofessionals missen informatie om betrouwbare apps te vinden, en om veilig en vaardig met apps te werken.

Conclusie

Eerstelijnsprofessionals hebben een positieve attitude ten aanzien van mHealth. Om mHealth in de huidige diabeteszorg te integreren, is het van belang dat professionals technologiekwalificaties ontwikkelen, er voldoende tijd beschikbaar is en er een koppeling is tussen mHealth en bestaande informatiesystemen.
Network pharmacology and molecular docking study of Ermiaosan (二妙散) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis with dampness-heat syndrome
Authors: Qu Ying , Li Shiying , Wu Weiming , Zhou Lu , Nie Guikuan , Zhang Tao , Zhang Shuxin
Published: February 2024

Objective

To study Ermiaosan in the treatment of UC by using network pharmacology and molecular docking, and to provide references for experiments and clinical application for treating UC with dampness-heat syndrome.

Methods

The main active chemical components of Ermiaosan were screened out through TCMSP, the targets of components were obtained from TCMSP, the SwissTargetPrediction, TTD and the DrugBank database, and these targets genes were retrieved by UniProt database, the disease genes were obtained from TTD and Genecard database. String tool was used to constructed the PPI network, to built these components and their corresponding targets, Cytoscape software was applied to merge the networks and screen out the core network. And Bioinformatic analysis was performed using the OECloud tools to explore the enrichment analyses of GO and KEGG. Molecular docking was applied to check the affinity between the components and selected targets.

Results

Forty-six main active components were predicted from Ermiaosan, and 408 intersection genes were screened from drug-disease genes. The enrichment included PI3K–Akt, TNF and HIF-1 signaling pathway, and the networks analysis showed that Ermiaosan acted on seven key targets AKT1, TNF, IL6,TP53, VEGFA, IL1B and CTNNB1 to play roles in treating UC. Molecular docking showed that top 3 chemical components could bind stably with these targets.

Conclusion

Ermiaosan can relieve dampness-heat syndrome of UC, the possible potential mechanism might be related to the targets AKT1, TNF, IL6,TP53, VEGFA, IL1B and CTNNB1 linked with TNF, PI3K-Akt, and HIF-1 signaling pathway, it will provide meaningful references for further study in experiments and clinical investigations.
Investigation of corrosion behavior of Al–TiO2 nanocomposite produced using air plasma spray and accumulative roll bonding method
Authors: Aminian Hamed , Borhani Ehsan , Mahmoudi Mohammad , Amouaghaei Omid , Shafyei Ali
Published: February 2024

This work is an attempt to study the Al–TiO2 nanocomposite properties applying accumulative roll bonding process. For this purpose, nano Titania powder was first coated on aluminum foil by air plasma spraying process. The nanocomposite was then fabricated in one, two, three, five, and seven cycles by ARB. To investigate the effect of ARB process cycles on an Al-5% wt. TiO2 nanocomposite, characterization tests including XRD, quantitative XRD analysis by MAUD software, FESEM, EDS, electrochemical impedance, and TAFEL polarization tests were performed on the samples. The results indicate that the crystallite size reduced from 156 to 31 nm and the dislocation density quadrupled in the composite. The results of XRD analysis showed an increase in the dislocation density in the composite when the number of cycles increases. The reduction of crystallite size and increase of the grain boundaries have caused a sudden increase in the dislocation density. As the ARB cycle increases, the local porosity decreases and the local cracks due to the separation of the titanium sprayed droplets disappear in the matrix phase, and the reinforcing phase has more diffusion in the matrix. With the increase of ARB cycles, the percentage of titanium and oxygen elements on the surface was decreasing, but they remained until the last cycle. Among the non-rolled and rolled samples in different cycles, ARBed samples after 1 cycle and 5 cycles had not only the lowest and highest corrosion current densities but also the highest and lowest total resistance (Rt), respectively. This indicates max corrosion resistance due to the decrease in defect and porosity resulting from plasma spray and min corrosion resistance as a result of formation of galvanic cell between Al-matrix and Ti-reinforcing particles, respectively.
Signalling overhead diminution in M-MIMO using NOMA transmission
Authors: Imran M. , Hayat O. , Ngah R.
Published: February 2024

With the increase in demand for mobile and Internet of Things devices, Orthogonal Multiple Access (OMA) cannot manage the maximum number of users. In this technique, the number of radio frequencies must be equivalent to the number of users. It causes to increase in signalling overhead. Therefore, it requires special attention to reduce the signalling overhead to escalate the spectral and energy efficiency. This paper investigates different Non Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) techniques, and the results are compared with OMA techniques. A novel NOMA technique Multi User Shared Access (MUSA) is applied. It adjusts maximum users and has good spectral and energy efficiency compared to OMA techniques. In this proposed technique, maximum complex spreading codes are generated for the users and each user picks that code and transmits its data at the same radio frequency chain. The proposed scheme MUSA-NOMA has 12.8% more energy efficiency and 6.51% spectral efficiency compared to SCMA-NOMA and 32% more energy efficiency and 18.5% spectral efficiency compared to OMA.

Article highlights

Imagine you're using your phone in a crowded area where many people are also trying to connect, signalling congestion will occur. In traditional setups, it is difficult to manage everyone's signals.

Instead of dealing with each person's signal separately, NOMA allows the communication system to treat similar groups together, streamlining the process.

It's like having group discussions instead of one-on-one talks, making the whole communication setup more efficient and less complicated. This way, your phone and the network can handle many connections more smoothly, providing a better experience for everyone.
A fundamental concept for linking methods, system models, and specific models
Authors: Kranabitl Philipp , Faustmann Clemens , Bajzek Matthias , Kollegger Stefan , Hick Hannes
Published: February 2024

In the field of model-based development, and especially model-based systems engineering, the efficient and effective use of system models and specific models is of great interest. However, models strongly depend on the method they are linked to. Methods require models as input and associated models that are part of the method itself. Subsequent, methods are applied to adapt, enhance or generate output models. If a model is analyzed regarding its fidelity, level of detail, or maturity, only a combined consideration of methods and models in the development approach leads to a valid assessment. Therefore, the principle link of methods, system models, and specific models is defined and a concept for the application in product development is presented. It is stated, that a combined view on methods and models leads to improved accuracy of information interpretation and therefore optimizes efficiency and effectiveness during the product development.
Comparison between methacrylate copolymers and their magnetite nanocomposite as pour point depressant for lubricating base oil
Authors: El-Bahnasawi Alshaimaa H. , Albohy Salwa A. H. , El-Azabawy Olfat E. , El-Segaey Abeer A. , El-Koly Nagda G. , Al-Shafey Hussin I.
Published: February 2024

A novel pour point depressant was synthesized by developing a polymeric nanocomposite using polymethacrylate and magnetite nanoparticles. The primary objective was to assess and compare the efficacy of PMA and PMA/Fe3O4 nanocomposite in reducing the gelation point, yield stress, apparent viscosity, and pour point of waxy crude oil. Extensive assessments were conducted to evaluate the performance of these additives. Rheometry tests were employed to measure the pour point of the lubricating oil pour point following the addition of PMA and PMA/Fe3O4 nanocomposite. The findings demonstrated a significant reduction in pour point, reaching values of − 18 °C, − 27 °C, − 24 °C, and − 36 °C for CP1, CP2, NP1, and NP2, respectively, at an optimal concentration of 10,000 ppm. Various characterization techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Dynamic Light Scattering, Polarized Optical Microscope, and Gel Permeation Chromatography were utilized to analyze the polymers. Furthermore, the effectiveness of each polymer as a viscosity index improver (VII) and pour point depressant for mineral-based oil was evaluated. The mechanism of action of the polymers as pour point depressants was investigated through photomicrographic analysis. Additionally, the rheological properties of the formulated lubricant were assessed and reported. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to determine the thermal stability of the polymers, revealing that the copolymer nanocomposites exhibited higher thermal stability, viscosity index (VI), and molecular weights compared to the copolymers alone. These enhancements in thermal stability and molecular properties contributed to the improved pour point depressant (PPD) properties. Overall, the study successfully synthesized a novel pour point depressant and evaluated its performance using various tests and characterization techniques. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the additives in reducing the pour point and improving the thermal stability of the lubricating oil.
Comprehensive modelling of prostate cancer progression: integrating continuous and binary biomarkers with event time data and missing covariates
Authors: Liaqat Madiha , Khan Rehan Ahmad , Kamal Shahid
Published: February 2024

Longitudinal studies involve recording observations at scheduled visits or time points for individuals until a predetermined event, like reaching satisfactory tumor shrinkage in cancer studies. Furthermore, dropout in longitudinal studies leads to incomplete data, which significantly increases the risk of bias. An amended joint shared-random effects model (SREM) is proposed for mixed continuous and binary longitudinal measurements and a time-to-event (TTE) outcome, incorporating missing covariates. In the proposed model, a conditional model is applied for the mixed continuous and binary longitudinal outcomes; a mixed effect model is considered for the continuous longitudinal outcome. For the binary longitudinal outcome, given the continuous longitudinal outcome, a logistic mixed effect model is considered. These models share common random effects with the model for the event time outcome. The model formulation is based on Bayesian statistical thinking via Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The proposed joint modelling is applied to contribute to the understanding of the progression of prostate cancer (PCa) by considering a generalized linear mixed effects model for time-varying covariates that incorporate ignorable missingness. The association between prostate-specific antigen (PSA) with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tumor status has been studied with mixed conclusions.
Invariant set generated by a nonreal number is everywhere dense
Authors: Dubickas Artūras
Published: February 2024

A set of complex numbers

$S$

is called invariant if it is closed under addition and multiplication, namely, for any

$x, y \in S$

we have

$x+y \in S$

and

$xy \in S$

. For each

$s \in {\mathbb {C}}$

the smallest invariant set

${\mathbb {N}}[s]$

containing

$s$

consists of all possible sums

$\sum _{i \in I} a_i s^i$

, where

$I$

runs over all finite nonempty subsets of the set of positive integers

${\mathbb {N}}$

and

$a_i \in {\mathbb {N}}$

for each

$i \in I$

. In this paper, we prove that for

$s \in {\mathbb {C}}$

the set

${\mathbb {N}}[s]$

is everywhere dense in

${\mathbb {C}}$

if and only if

$s \notin {\mathbb {R}}$

and

$s$

is not a quadratic algebraic integer. More precisely, we show that if

$s \in {\mathbb {C}} \setminus {\mathbb {R}}$

is a transcendental number, then there is a positive integer

$n$

such that the sumset

${\mathbb {N}} t^n+{\mathbb {N}} t^{2n} +{\mathbb {N}} t^{3n}$

is everywhere dense in

${\mathbb {C}}$

for either

$t=s$

or

$t=s+s^2$

. Similarly, if

$s \in {\mathbb {C}} \setminus {\mathbb {R}}$

is an algebraic number of degree

$d \ne 2, 4$

, then there are positive integers

$n, m$

such that the sumset

${\mathbb {N}} t^n+{\mathbb {N}} t^{2n} +{\mathbb {N}} t^{3n}$

is everywhere dense in

${\mathbb {C}}$

for

$t=ms+s^2$

. For quadratic and some special quartic algebraic numbers

$s$

it is shown that a similar sumset of three sets cannot be dense. In each of these two cases the density of

${\mathbb {N}}[s]$

in

${\mathbb {C}}$

is established by a different method: for those special quartic numbers, it is possible to take a sumset of four sets.
Political nomadism and the Jihadist ‘Safe Haven’ in northern Mali: an entry point through Tuareg relational political dynamics
Authors: Bencherif Adib
Published: February 2024

Jihadist groups have found a ‘safe haven’ in northern Mali. They have managed this by operating strategically to establish themselves and to develop relationships with local communities, but characteristics of the environment have also facilitated their development and survival. In northern Mali, the political landscape is fragmented, and replete with competition between the central authority and various groups of local elites, who are themselves divided. I conceptualise this fluid environment as a context that incentivises ‘political nomadism’. Using the Tuareg communities as an entry point, I explore the complex dynamics between local and national political actors and jihadist groups in northern Mali. I argue that the jihadist ‘safe haven’ in northern Mali is highly relational and has been facilitated by the form of political nomadism practiced in the region since the 1990s. The article is based on eight months of fieldwork conducted between 2016 and 2017 in Mali and Niger.
Roman Plagues Struck During Cool, Dry Periods
Authors: Mayer Amy
Published: February 2024

Marine sediments from the Gulf of Taranto offer a high-resolution look at climate during ancient disease outbreaks.
A city-level dataset of heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere across China from 2015–2020
Authors: Dong Qi , Li Yue , Wei Xinhua , Jiao Le , Wu Lina , Dong Zexin , An Yi
Published: February 2024

The absence of nationwide distribution data regarding heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere poses a significant constraint in environmental research and public health assessment. In response to the critical data deficiency, we have established a dataset covering Cr, Cd, As, and Pb emissions into the atmosphere (HMEAs, unit: ton) across 367 municipalities in China. Initially, we collected HMEAs data and covariates such as industrial emissions, vehicle emissions, meteorological variables, among other ten indicators. Following this, nine machine learning models, including Linear Regression (LR), Ridge, Bayesian Ridge (Bayesian), K-Neighbors Regressor (KNN), MLP Regressor (MLP), Random Forest Regressor (RF), LGBM Regressor (LGBM), Lasso, and ElasticNet, were assessed using coefficient of determination (R2), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) on the testing dataset. RF and LGBM models were chosen, due to their favorable predictive performance (R2: 0.58–0.84, lower RMSE/MAE), confirming their robustness in modelling. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for informing environmental policies, monitoring air quality, conducting environmental assessments, and facilitating academic research.
Fermian guesstimation can boost the wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd
Authors: Gomilsek Tamara , Hoffrage Ulrich , Marewski Julian N.
Published: February 2024

How can people’s ability to make accurate estimations be boosted? Psychological research on the wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd suggests that people’s judgments improve when they use a simple consider-the-opposite-strategy, dubbed—inspired by Enlightenment philosopher Hegel—dialectical-bootstrapping: A person generates a first estimate (thesis), then rejects it and generates another one (anti-thesis), and finally integrates both (synthesis). Yet, the wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd-phenomenon comes with controversy concerning its measurement, robustness, and moderators. We (1) introduce a novel class of strategies to elicit the wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd. These strategies root in physics, where Nobel-laureate Enrico Fermi used back-of-the-envelope guesstimation, for instance, when assessing the explosive yield of the first tested nuclear bomb. Fermian strategies prescribe decomposing an estimation problem into subtasks, solving the subtasks separately, and ultimately integrating those solutions into a final estimate. In an experiment using a new task-environment, we find (2) that a similarity-based Fermian-strategy boosts the wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd even more than consider-the-opposite does, (3) that the provision of a memory aid differentially affects those two strategies’ performance, and (4) that data trimming matters. Moreover, and for the first time, we document (5) overprecision in wisdom-of-the-inner-crowd estimations. Finally, we (6) replicate previous results, including that the collective intelligence of two persons still outperforms asking oneself twice.