bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital Storytelling for English Teaching at Alam Nurul Islam Integrated Islamic Junior High School Yogyakarta
Authors: Isnaini Rahma Amini , Kasiyarno Kasiyarno
Published: April 2024

Digital storytelling has been utilized in teaching and learning activities within EFL classrooms. Although the implementation of activities involving digital storytelling poses challenges, both teachers and students have derived benefits from such activities. This research has the objective to investigate how teachers implement digital storytelling in the classroom and the challenges encountered when utilizing digital storytelling to teach English. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, the research was conducted at Alam Nurul Islam Integrated Islamic Junior High School in Yogyakarta, involving two English teachers as participants. The researcher employed interviews to gather the data. The outcomes revealed that when integrating digital storytelling into English teaching, the teachers implemented three phases, namely the preparatory stage, teaching activity, and feedback session. During the preparatory stage, three activities were undertaken, including preparing materials, organizing equipment, compiling videos, and uploading videos. In the teaching activity stage, seven activities were carried out, namely brainstorming, presenting videos, identifying challenging vocabulary, facilitating group discussions, elucidating the video’s meaning, narrating stories by students, and uploading student video assignments. During the feedback session, three activities took place: commenting on videos, asking and answering questions, and providing feedback and assessment. Meanwhile, the challenges faced by teachers in implementing digital storytelling included a lack of skills in using devices and applications, difficulty in searching for content, a shortage of teachers’ creativity, and challenges in understanding students. The implication is that teachers can utilize these three steps to teach digital storytelling and devise solutions for overcoming obstacles.
Estratégias de Ensino em Ciências para a Educação Infantil e os Anos Iniciais: um estado da arte
Authors: Alves Deborah Karla Calegari , Mattos Kelli Renata Corrêa de , Krützmann Fábio Luis , Silva Bruna Tafarel da , Goldschmidt Andréa Inês
Published: April 2024

O ensino de Ciências é primordial para o desenvolvimento da reflexão, do pensamento crítico e da curiosidade dos alunos e, portanto, deve ser trabalhado desde o início da escolarização. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar pesquisas publicadas nos anais do Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências (ENPEC) em recentes edições (2013, 2015, 2017 e 2019), referentes às estratégias de ensino em Ciências que vêm sendo utilizadas na educação infantil e nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental. Esse estudo possui uma abordagem qualitativa, com revisão bibliográfica (LÜDKE; ANDRÉ, 2013). Foram selecionados trinta e seis (36) trabalhos, os quais foram classificados de acordo com a estratégia utilizada, a edição do ENPEC, a etapa de ensino e a linha temática em que foram inseridos no encontro. Observou-se que as estratégias mais frequentes foram: ensino por investigação, estratégias lúdicas, experimentação e projetos. Também houve uma desigual distribuição entre as linhas, sendo que mais da metade dos trabalhos se concentrou na linha de “ensino e aprendizagem de conceitos científicos”, e, quanto às etapas de ensino, menos de um quarto das pesquisas se desenvolveu na educação infantil. Algo recorrente nas pesquisas analisadas foi a ideia de que os estudantes devem ser considerados como sujeitos ativos de seu próprio processo de aprendizado. Ressalta-se ainda a importância de se desenvolver, em pesquisas futuras, trabalhos que envolvam o ensino de ciências na educação infantil e que trabalhem numa perspectiva mais interdisciplinar e integradora também com os anos iniciais do ensino fundamental.
Hair Saloon Management Application
Authors: Ms. D. B. Chavan  , Mr. P. S. Zende  , Mr. A. S. Kadam  , Mr. P. P. Patil  , Mr. O. B. Shingan  , Mr. R. T. Gawade
Published: April 2024

The Hair Saloon Management Application, developed by Mr. Zende Pratik Santosh and team, offers a digital solution for saloon administration. Aimed at modernizing saloon operations, the application streamlines tasks like appointment scheduling, client management, and inventory control. Leveraging technologies like Android and Java, it provides scalability and performance. The project methodology involved needs assessment, design, and testing. Results showcase its user-friendly interface and future scope includes AI integration and platform expansion. This application represents a significant advancement in saloon management, fostering efficiency and growth in the beauty industry.
L’Arce medievale di Nola. Tecniche difensive per una struttura urbana
Authors: Campone Maria Carolina , Carrillo Saverio
Published: April 2024

Abstract Research on the built heritage in the military field is a very topic study. The case of the medieval Tower of Nola, with its defensive system conditioned by a geometrically significant distribution system, clarifies how historically defense techniques have progressively changed. The lowering of the mammoth tuff building with wall thicknesses of almost one "canna", gave rise to the need to equip security facilities in the lower vicinity of the defensive system, also having to extend the defense to the quadrilateral base of the tower in question through a canalization with water to obtain an "umbone" to prevent enemy access with the creation of "vallum". The advent and introduction of gunpowder have also significantly influenced the geometric mutation of the militar system defense. This condition has given significant value to the large size of the territory close to the city which should not have vulnus constituted by building value to the large size of the territory close to the city which should not have vulnus constituted by building aggregates adhering to the structure of the urban masonry called upon to carry out defense work for the city.
La Torre de Martil, Tetuán, Marruecos
Authors: Calvo Serrano Julio , Malagón Luesma Carlos , Bezares Batista Jorge , Rodríguez Bulnes Jesús , Martín Martín Adelaida
Published: April 2024

Tetuan, located on the slopes of Mount Dersa, on the banks of the Martil (Martin) River, did not assume an important urban role until after the fall of Ceuta, located 60 km away, sometimes in the hands of Castilian troops and others of the Portuguese. Its location 10 km from the sea, avoided any maritime attack but, through shallow draft boats, the Martil River, made communication with the Mediterranean possible, assuming the function of naval base of the kingdom of Fez in the Strait. Historically, the economy of Tetuan was constituted by the tributes received in the name of the sultan among the tribes of the district, maritime trade with other ports of Barbary, and above all the product of privateering, ransoms of Christian captives and slave trade. The latter led to the development of simple port infrastructures at the mouth of the Martil River, as well as to the growth of a small coastal settlement. It would be at the beginning of the 18th century when privateering activity definitively gave way to maritime trade with the peninsula and British settlements in the Mediterranean. It was under the mandate of Caid Ahmad al-Riffi in 1720 when construction took place at its mouth, of Martil Tower. It is an artillery tower without passage holes at ground level, which can be accessed by a portable staircase to the first floor and is crowned by three watchtowers and a turret. This work aims to lay the foundations for its rehabilitation. The working methodology is based on photogrammetric plans as a basis for functional and constructive analysis, its materials, and a mapping of its most significant lesions, as well as an important search for information, especially graphic, that allows establishing its original state and its evolution over time.
La recuperación de los espacios abovedados del Castillo de Petrés (Valencia, España)
Authors: Mileto Camila , Vegas López-Manzanares Fernando , Tomás Márquez Salvador
Published: April 2024

The Castle of Petrés (Valencia, Spain) was built and renovated in several phases between the 15th and 20th centuries when, in the first half of the 20th century, its upper part was dismantled, leaving it in ruins. Today, the ground and underground floors of this old palace-fortress are still preserved. After producing a preliminary survey, several studies and a master plan, various phases of intervention have been carried out in different parts of the complex with extensive archaeological excavations that have made it possible to find some previously unknown storage and dungeon spaces. In the conservation and restoration phase, in addition to the consolidation of the walls, the tile vaults that covered three spaces on the ground floor have been reconstructed with multiple objectives: to protect the archaeological remains and to consolidate the structures, to recover the interior spaces, as well as to recover the traditional technique and its historical connection with the complex.
Fort Oštro and the first defensive line at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor - 19th century Austro-Hungarian military architecture
Authors: Bilić Darka , Majer Jurišić Krasanka
Published: April 2024

The Austro-Hungarian monarchy in the middle of the 19th century not only strengthened its defensive line toward the Ottoman territories in the hinterland of the Bay of Kotor, but also constructed a network of shoreline defences to safeguard its newly acquired territories from naval attacks. As part of the same initiative, the sea entrance to the Bay of Kotor, strategically very important part of the Adriatic coast at the time, was also fortified. Three forts were built as the first defensive line, one on the cape Ostro, one on the islet Žanjica, called Mamula, and the third one on the Cape Arza. Their bases were stone-built casemates with flanking guns and open mercer batteries placed on platforms. Unfortunately, they became obsolete very quickly because they could not meet modern defensive requirements. Given that they were very visible and therefore an easy target for increasingly sophisticated naval weapons, a number of minor and major adjustments were made over time that resulted in changes and adjustments to the building structure. With the end of the importance and political influence of Austria-Hungary, the fortification systems it built lost their value and deteriorated over time. Today, they not only reflect an important historical and political moment, the way of warfare and defence at that time, but also the monarchy's need for the appearance of forts to be a combination of certain architectural taste and military needs.
Il campo trincerato di Portoferraio all’isola d’Elba prima dell’epoca francese e napoleonica
Authors: Dalle Luche Gian Lorenzo , Karwacka Ewa Jolanta
Published: April 2024

In our most recent topics we have explored the theme of the modern fortifications of the Island of Elba and more specifically of Portoferraio in the French period. Medici Portoferraio is well known and already widely documented, from its sixteenth-century foundation to the last eighteenth-century adjustments of the landward bastions of this formidable "war machine". Less known and yet to be explored further is the history of the fortified architecture of the period between the end of the Medici dynasty and the French occupation. Today, important unpublished iconographic documents allow us to fill this gap and fully understand the choices that Napoleon himself would then make on the defensive system of the main stronghold of the island.
The ruins of Castiglion Balzetti: building materials and construction techniques
Authors: Rescic Silvia , Arrighetti Andrea , Fratini Fabio , Mattone Manuela
Published: April 2024

The ruins of Castiglion Balzetti, from the aristocratic family that initially had lordship over this territory, lie isolated, far from roads, communication routes and inhabited places, in the woods of the Val di Merse, in the province of Siena. This is why it is commonly known as “Castiglion che Dio sol sa”. Few historical sources are available on this settlement. It is mentioned for the first time in the Sienese statutes in 1262, being under the jurisdiction of Siena. In the early 14th century, it belonged to the powerful Sienese Saracini family with an important mill located in the Merse river. The ruins are impressive. The castle consists of a large rectangular donjon, on which the eastern side was leaned another building that originally housed the church, and a second probably used as stables. A smaller tower stands at the south-west corner, with an oven and well inside. The buildings are connected by a curtain wall that delimits the courtyard, with the main entrance door opening on the southern side. Around this complex, a village developed in ancient times, included within a second fortified circuit of which numerous remains are visible. The castle, like the neighbouring villages of Orgia and Brenna, suffered various pillages during the 14th century and, with the end of the Sienese Republic, gradually fell into ruin until it was completely abandoned and forgotten. The research will examine the different construction phases through the study of the wall apparatus and the natural and artificial stone materials according to mineralogical and petrographic methodologies. The data will be correlated with the local supply sources.
Estándares y métodos para optimizar la digitalización 3D de las fortificaciones
Authors: Rodríguez-Navarro Pablo , Gil-Piqueras Teresa
Published: April 2024

The three-dimensional digitisation of fortifications may be treated as a specific scenario, that is, fortifications have certain formal, dimensional and typological characteristics, as well as their setting in the territory, which make them worthy of specific study of their digitisation process. This leads us to establish standards and workflows to guarantee the most appropriate application of the chosen methods.This paper aims to analyse the peculiarities of data collection in fortifications, with an emphasis on both big castles and those located on complex orography. At the same time, this paper outlines a process for determining the digitisation resolution standard based on the required scale in order to satisfy the aim of the graphic survey, as well as the recommendations to be considered in the data collection process to obtain it.
Técnicas de digitalización para el levantamiento gráfico y de diagnóstico mediante pruebas no destructivas para el estudio de lesiones en el patrimonio construido
Authors: Sánchez Corrochano Álvaro , Martínez Sierra Enrique , Greco Alessandro
Published: April 2024

Historic buildings and heritage elements located in urban or rural environments are studied for the detection of the degradation of their materials and the characterization of their geometry.Due to the complex structures and constructions that are part of the Cultural Heritage, currently, without the help of advanced instruments and techniques in the collection of digital data, the representation of this falls into an idealized simplification, often ignoring geometry, hidden spaces and specific details.There are numerous tests that facilitate the examination and analysis of Building of Cultural Interest and systems without damaging them or affecting their integrity. They are called non-destructive tests, such as short-range photogrammetry, terrestrial 3D scanner and / or structured light, among others.The technique used should be chosen according to the object or building to be studied, that is, the morphological characteristics, workspace, the expected level of detail, the execution time and the metric quality of the final result, among others, are fundamental parameters that determine the most appropriate working technique.Therefore, this article analyzes and compares several of the digitization techniques, and the data obtained in each of them, on the Heritage applied to Building of Cultural Interest such as "La Puerta de la Colada" of the walls of Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca, Spain), the Castle of Sagunto (Valencia, Valencia, Spain) and "Salón de Reinos" of Prado Museum (Madrid, Spain). All the examples presented have been the subject of an exhaustive analysis and subsequent intervention for its consolidation and restoration, so the techniques used have been chosen depending on the subsequent intervention to be carried out.
Using GPS and Self-Report Data to Examine the Relationship Between Community Mobility and Community Participation Among Autistic Young Adults
Authors: Brusilovskiy Eugene , Salzer Mark S. , Pomponio Davidson Amber , Feeley Cecilia , Pfeiffer Beth
Published: April 2024

Importance: Community participation of autistic adults is important for health and well-being. Many clinical efforts and interventions aim to enhance community participation in this population.

Objective: To empirically examine the relationship between community participation and community mobility.

Design: A randomized controlled trial using data from baseline and 4- to 6-wk follow-up.

Setting: Community organizations serving autistic adults in Philadelphia.

Participants: Sixty-three autistic young adults with data on community mobility and participation from a prior study on public transportation use.

Outcomes and Measures: Participants were tracked with GPS-enabled cell phones over a 2-wk period. A spatiotemporal data mining algorithm was used to compute the total number of destinations, nonhome destinations, unique destinations, percentage of time spent outside the home, and median daily activity space area from the GPS data. The Temple University Community Participation measure was used to collect self-report data in 21 different areas, and total amount, breadth, and sufficiency of participation were calculated.

Results: Moderate and statistically significant associations were found between community mobility and participation variables at baseline and follow-up. However, changes in community mobility were not related to changes in community participation.

Conclusion: Health policymakers and providers should consider community mobility as a factor that can affect community participation in autistic individuals.

Plain-Language Summary: Lower levels of community participation among autistic young adults affect health outcomes and overall quality of life. Community mobility is often a barrier to community participation. An understanding of the relationship between community mobility and community participation can lead to occupational therapists tailoring specific interventions and policies that support autistic young adults to engage in important life activities within the community.
Modern American Drama: Playwriting in the 1970s
Authors: Heuvel Mike Vanden
Published: April 2024

The Decades of Modern American Drama series provides a comprehensive survey and study of the theatre produced in each decade from the 1930s to 2009 in eight volumes. Each volume equips readers with a detailed understanding of the context from which work emerged: an introduction considers life in the decade with a focus on domestic life and conditions, social changes, culture, media, technology, industry and political events; while a chapter on the theatre of the decade offers a wide-ranging and thorough survey of theatres, companies, dramatists, new movements and developments in response to the economic and political conditions of the day. The work of the four most prominent playwrights from the decade receives in-depth analysis and re-evaluation by a team of experts, together with commentary on their subsequent work and legacy. A final section brings together original documents such as interviews with the playwrights and with directors, drafts of play scenes, and other previously unpublished material.

The major playwrights and their works to receive in-depth coverage in this volume include:David Rabe: The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel; Sticks and Bones; and Streamers;Sam Shepard: Curse of the Starving Class; Buried Child; and True West;Ntozake Shange: For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf; Spell #7; and Boogie-Woogie LandscapesRichard Foreman: Sophia = (Wisdom) Part 3; The Cliffs; Pandering to the Masses: A Misrepresentation; and Rhoda in Potatoland (Her Fall-Starts).
Annuities for Lost Household Services Using Healthy Life Tables
Authors: Foster Edward , Skoog Gary R.
Published: April 2024

Forensic economists have used Healthy Life Expectancy: 2018 Tables (Kurt V. Krueger, 2020) in valuing the loss of household or personal care services due to injury or death of their supplier. The tables are used to decide how far into the future to project the loss. We focus on two easily avoided errors that may arise in that decision. First, the present value (PV) of a healthy life annuity (HLA ending when death occurs) falls short of the PV of an annuity certain for the healthy life expectancy (HLE), at any positive interest rate. Second, services are lost only during the combined healthy life of the supplier and life of the recipient. The expected PV of the supplier’s healthy life and the recipient’s whole life falls short of either. The paper illustrates the size of these potential errors for various ages of the two people and net interest rates of 0-3%; the errors can be significant.

We provide an Excel workbook at the Journal of Forensic Economics website that allows the user to avoid both errors for calculating the PV of relevant (healthy) life annuities, for any of the demographic groups covered in the HLE tables. The paper gives formulas used for the present values of the life tables.
Middle Paleolithic Open-Air Sites of the Swabian Jura
Authors: Fröhle Simon , Schürch Benjamin , Wettengl Stefan , Floss Harald
Published: April 2024

For several decades, Paleolithic research in the Swabian Jura has mainly focused on the numerous cave sites situated in the Ach and Lone valleys. These sites, such as Vogelherd, Hohle Fels, Geißenklösterle or Hohlenstein-Stadel, are famous for producing evidence for the world’s oldest figurative art and musical instruments, dating to the Aurignacian, and have also yielded important Middle and Upper Paleolithic assemblages. In recent years, the work group directed by H. Floss has begun to intensify research efforts regarding Paleolithic open-air sites in the Swabian Jura and adjacent areas. With the discovery of the Aurignacian open-air site of Königsbach-Stein near Pforzheim as a starting point, ongoing systematic surveys led to the discovery of the site of Börslingen-Eisenberg in 2009. The site is situated directly on an outcrop of Jurassic chert and has yielded c. 300 Middle Paleolithic artifacts, including Keilmesser, other bifacial elements and a strong Levallois component, as well as some Upper Paleolithic pieces. The local raw material was used in nearby cave sites, e.g., Bockstein (Middle Paleolithic context) and Vogelherd (Upper Paleolithic context).
The Fauna from the Middle Paleolithic: Settlement, Dietary Patterns and Technology in the Swabian Jura
Authors: Kitagawa Keiko , Münzel Susanne C. , Starkovich Britt M. , Toniato Giulia , Krönneck Petra , Conard Nicholas J.
Published: April 2024

With 150 years of research on the Paleolithic of the Swabian Jura, the region offers one of the richest records of Neanderthal occupation. The faunal remains from the caves of the Ach and Lone valleys provide an important source of data from Central Europe. Sites in the Lauchert and Brenz valleys further augment the picture. The frequency of burned bone remains demonstrates inter-site variability in Neanderthal occupation and some sites show carnivore and cave bear activities, which spatially overlapped with that of hominins. The studies demonstrate that Bockstein was the most frequently visited site during the Middle Paleolithic (MP). Horse often dominates the faunal assemblages with additional exploitation of reindeer and bovids. The role of mammoth and woolly rhinoceros in MP subsistence is hotly debated, remaining an open-ended question, but megafauna were occasionally exploited albeit at a lower frequency than during the Aurignacian. In addition, retouchers were a common osseous tool type during the MP in the Swabian Jura. These data compliment the MP record of the Rhine region and help us better understand the adaptation of Neanderthals in Central Europe.
Middle Paleolithic Remains and Loess/Paleosol Sequences at Eguisheim (France)
Authors: Goudissard Simon , Bachellerie François , Schneider Nathalie
Published: April 2024

Archaeological excavations at Eguisheim have revealed a small quantity of Middle Paleolithic finds associated with periglacial mammal fragments. Given the scarcity of such occurrences in Alsace (eastern France) and important older Paleolithic discoveries around Eguisheim, close attention was paid to the chrono-stratigraphical framework of these remains. The investigated sequence starts with loessic Saalian deposits. A Bt horizon, attributed to the Eemian Interglacial, has revealed Middle Paleolithic finds in a primary position (one pseudo-Levallois point and fragmented faunal bones). It is covered by a dark and humic Early Glacial soil. The stratigraphical sequence continues with silty deposits from the Middle Pleniglacial. An erosive phase during the Middle/Upper Pleniglacial transition results in large gullies with sandy fills; these contain reworked lithic artifacts and fragmented mammal bones. A second episode of loess deposition occurs during the Upper Pleniglacial. Our results are consistent with the chrono-stratigraphical framework established for loess deposits in northwestern Europe. The overall stratigraphy shows marked lateral discontinuity, which results from the topographical context, at the bottom of a loess-covered hill. This particular context allowed the preservation of ancient deposits, only 2-3 meters below the present surface.
A Middle Paleolithic/Pleistocene Stratified Sequence at Coussey/Sionne in the Meuse Alluvial Valley (Vosges, France)
Authors: Delaunay Laurent , Blaser Fréderic , Gebhardt Anne , Meyer Nicolas
Published: April 2024

The stratified Middle Paleolithic site of Coussey in Lorraine (Vosges, France) was discovered in 2014 in trial trenching during rescue archaeology. The site, located at the confluence between the Saonelle and the Meuse rivers, is dominated by the corallian calcareous ledge of the Hauts de Meuse, spreading generally towards the west from the river channel. The local geological context is characterized by recent alluvial formations and the Woëvre clays. Oxfordian chert deposits rich in chalcedonian concretions are documented in the surrounding hills. Field observations of this sequence, situated at the bottom of the slope, showed more than 2 m of thick loamy clayey colluvium deposits from the mixed alluvial sediment of the flood plain. Solifluction of surrounding slopes occurring in the Late Glacial and Holocene periods allowed the preservation of a 2 m thick pedosedimentological sequence including a humus horizon. The 82 lithic artifacts did not allow a more precise chrono-cultural dating other than Middle Paleolithic. Lithics were the only preserved finds, distributed within several archaeological levels and occurring with varying states of preservation. They were recovered on 2 ha of the 8 ha of the surface surveyed. Paleolithic peoples seem to have benefited from the immediate proximity of good quality Oxfordian chert outcrops (chert of Neuchâteau). The preservation of these stratified levels from the Pleistocene has made the Coussey site a major discovery from the Lorraine region, filling a gap in our archaeological documentation of northeast France.
Handaxes: New Perspectives from the Mâconnais and Beaujolais
Authors: Floss Harald , Boysen David , Gros Andre-Charles
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the open-air site of Charbonnières in the Mâconnais region of France. The collection of Georges Lamercerie, now housed within the Department of Early Prehsitory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, was used as the basis for this study. The material was previously included in a BA thesis and, in this paper, is compared to assemblages that include handaxes from the adjacent region of Beaujolais.
“Sem medo de ser feliz”: atualizações da memória no/pelo digital
Authors: Carvalho João Victor da Silva
Published: April 2024

Neste artigo, analisamos o vídeo “Sem medo de ser feliz”, produzindo gestos de interpretação que flagram atualizações da memória discursiva, em torno da campanha de Lula (PT) para a presidência em 2022, pela materialidade digital. Para tal, nos inscrevemos na perspectiva teórico-metodológica da Análise de Discurso (AD). Nessa esteira, a reflexão procura circunscrever o trabalho simbólico de atualização e retomada dos dizeres no material recortado. Concluímos assinalando para o um funcionamento discursivo que não está apenas na ordem da capacidade de armazenamento, mas também nas falhas e rupturas da/na memória que se costuram nos entremeios da rede digital.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING COMPLEXITY: A REVIEW ON THE USE OF AI AND MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS
Authors: Oladele Junior Adeyeye  , Ibrahim Akanbi
Published: April 2024

This review examines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in addressing the complexities of systems engineering. It highlights how AI and ML are revolutionizing system design, integration, and lifecycle management by enabling automated design optimization, predictive maintenance, and efficient configuration management. These technologies allow for the analysis of large datasets to predict system failures and optimize performance, thereby enhancing the reliability and sustainability of engineering systems. Despite the promising applications, the integration of AI into systems engineering presents challenges, including technical hurdles, ethical considerations, and the need for comprehensive education and training. The paper emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and the continuous evolution of educational programs to equip engineers with the skills to leverage AI effectively. Concluding thoughts underscore AI's potential to redefine systems engineering, advocating for a balanced approach that addresses both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI advancements.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Systems Engineering, Automated Design, Predictive Maintenance, Configuration Management, Education and Training, Technology Integration.
THE IMPACT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON ACCOUNTING PRACTICES: ADVANCEMENTS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES
Authors: Oluwatobi Opeyemi Adeyelu  , Chinonye Esther Ugochukwu  , Mutiu Alade Shonibare
Published: April 2024

This paper explores the multifaceted impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on accounting practices, addressing key dimensions of advancements, challenges, and opportunities. The definition of AI in accounting is established, tracing its historical context. Advancements are detailed, encompassing the automation of routine tasks, predictive analytics, and fraud detection. Challenges in implementation, including data quality issues, workforce adaptation, and ethical considerations, are discussed. Opportunities arising from AI integration, such as enhanced decision-making, cost reduction, and strategic financial management, are highlighted through case studies. The evolving role of accountants in the AI era is examined, emphasizing a shift towards strategic interpretation and decision-making. Future trends, including the integration of AI with emerging technologies, continued advancements in machine learning, and regulatory implications, are explored. The conclusion recaps key advancements, challenges, and opportunities, envisioning a future where AI and accountants collaborate to shape a dynamic and resilient landscape for accounting practices..

Keywords:  Artificial Intelligence, Accounting, Advancements, Challenges, and Opportunities.
Improving the age constraints on the archeological record in Scladina Cave (Belgium): new speleothem U-Th ages and paleoclimatological data
Authors: Vonhof Hubert , Verheyden Sophie , Bonjean Dominique , Pirson Stéphane , Weber Michael , Scholz Denis , Hellstrom John , Cheng Hai , Jia Xue , Di Modica Kevin , Abrams Gregory , van Nunen Marjan , Ruiter Joost , van der Does Michèlle , Böhl Daniel , van der Lubbe Jeroen
Published: April 2024

Abstract. The sedimentary sequence in Scladina Cave (Belgium) is well-known for its rich Middle Paleolithic assemblages and its numerous faunal remains. Of particular interest is the presence of a nearly complete mandible of a Neandertal child. To place all these finds in the correct chronostratigraphic context, various dating techniques have been applied over the past decades. This resulted in a reasonably well-constrained age model, roughly spanning the last glacial cycle. Age constraints of the lower part of the Scladina sequence as well as from the underlying Sous-Saint-Paul Cave were however absent until now. Previous attempts to date several speleothem layers in Scladina Cave, using U-Th dating were only partly successful, presumably because diagenetic alteration of speleothem material compromised the ages. In the present study we re-assessed U-Th dating of various speleothem levels in Scladina Cave, applying state-of-the-art U-Th dating, and carefully selecting material that experienced little to no diagenetic alteration. The new results constitute a robust age framework for the Scladina sequence, which provides precisely dated stratigraphic anchor points that improve the previous age model. Furthermore, new U-Th analyses, for speleothems from the lower part of the Scladina sequence and from the Sous-Saint-Paul sequence, document Middle Pleistocene ages, making this one of the longer fossil-rich cave sedimentary sequences in NW Europe. The new data confirm that speleothem deposition predominantly took place in periods of warmer climate, while siliciclastic sediments characterize the colder intervals. New speleothem ages further suggest that the Neandertal mandible found in the sequence, and previously placed in Marine Isotope Stage 5a or 5b, could potentially be as old as Marine Isotope Stage 5d.
No critical slowing down in the Atlantic Overturning Circulation in historical CMIP6 simulations
Authors: Ben-Yami Maya , Blaschke Lana , Bathiany Sebastian , Boers Niklas
Published: April 2024

Abstract. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a key component of the Earth’s climate system, and is theorized to have multiple stable states. Critical slowing down (CSD) can detect stability changes in Earth system components, and has been found in sea-surface temperature (SST) based fingerprints of the AMOC. We look for CSD in simulations from 27 models from the sixth Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). We calculate three different CSD indicators for the AMOC streamfunction strengths at 26.5° N and 35° N, as well as for a previously suggested AMOC fingerprint based on averaging SSTs in the subpolar gyre region. We find mixed results. Most models do not have a statistically significant sign of CSD, and no model has a conclusive sign of CSD in all ensemble members. However, some models exhibit a number of significant increases in the CSD indicators of the streamfunction strength that is highly unlikely to occur by chance (p<0.05). In addition, the number of significant increases in the AMOC SST fingerprint are as would be expected by random chance. Since we do not know whether or not the AMOC in these models is approaching a critical transition, we cannot deny or confirm the validity of CSD for detecting an upcoming AMOC collapse. However, we can confirm that the AMOC SST fingerprint is not prone to false positives.
Coupling framework (1.0) for the Úa (2023b) ice sheet model and the FESOM-1.4 z-coordinate ocean model in an Antarctic domain
Authors: Richter Ole , Timmermann Ralph , Gudmundsson G. Hilmar , De Rydt Jan
Published: April 2024

Abstract. The rate at which the Antarctic Ice Sheet loses mass is to a large degree controlled by ice-ocean interactions underneath small ice shelves, with the most sensitive regions concentrated in even smaller areas near grounding lines and local pinning points. Sufficient horizontal resolution is key to resolving critical ice-ocean processes in these regions, but difficult to afford in large-scale models used to predict the coupled response of the entire Antarctic Ice Sheet and the global ocean to climate change. In this study we describe the implementation of a framework that couples the ice sheet flow model Úa with the Finite Element Sea Ice Ocean Model (FESOM-1.4) in a configuration using depth-dependent vertical coordinates. The novelty of this approach is the use of horizontally unstructured grids in both model components, allowing us to resolve critical processes directly, while keeping computational demands within the range of feasibility. We use the Marine Ice Sheet–Ocean Model Intercomparison Project framework to verify that ice retreat and readvance is reliably simulated, and inaccuracies in mass, heat and salt conservation are small compared to the forcing signal. Further, we demonstrate the capabilities of our approach for a global ocean/Antarctic Ice Sheet domain. In a 39-year hindcast simulation (1979–2018) we resolve retreat behaviour of Pine Island Glacier, a known challenge for coarser resolution models. We conclude that Úa-FESOM is well suited to improve predictions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet evolution over centennial time scales.
The effect of propagation saw test geometries on critical cut length
Authors: Bergfeld Bastian , Birkeland Karl W. , Adam Valentin , Rosendahl Philipp L. , van Herwijnen Alec
Published: April 2024

Abstract. For a slab avalanche to release, a crack in a weak snow layer beneath a cohesive snow slab has to initiate and propagate. Information on crack propagation is essential for assessing avalanche triggering potential. In the field, this information can be gathered with the Propagation Saw Test (PST), a field test that provides valuable data on crack propagation propensity. The first PSTs were performed about 20 years ago and standards have since been established. However, there are still differences in how the PST is performed. Standards in North America require the column ends to be cut vertically, whereas in Europe they are typically cut at a normal angle. In this study, we investigate the effect of these different column geometries on the critical cut length. To this end, we conducted 27 pairs of PST experiments, each pair consisting of one PST with slope normal cut ends and one PST with vertical cut ends. Our experiments showed that PSTs with normal cut ends have up to 50 % shorter critical cut lengths, and the difference predominantly depends on the slope angle and slab thickness. We developed two load-based models to convert critical cut lengths between the test geometries: (i) a uniform slab model that treats the slab as one uniform layer and (ii) a layered model that accounts for stratification. For validation, we compare these models with a modern fracture mechanical model. For the rather uniform slabs of our experiments, both load-based models were in excellent agreement with measured data. For slabs with an artificial layering, the uniform load-model predictions reveal deviations from the fracture mechanical model whereas the layered model was still in excellent agreement. This study reveals the influence that the geometry of field tests and the slope angle of the field site have on test results. It also shows that only accurately prepared field tests can be reliable and therefore meaningful. However, we provide models to correct for imprecise field test geometry effects on the critical cut length.
Developing the DO3SE-crop model for Xiaoji, China
Authors: Pande Pritha , Bland Sam , Booth Nathan , Cook Jo , Feng Zhaozhong , Emberson Lisa
Published: April 2024

Abstract. A substantial body of empirical evidence exists to suggest that elevated O3 levels are causing significant impacts on wheat yields at sites representative of highly productive arable regions of China. Here, we extend the DO3SE model (designed to estimate total- and stomatal- O3 deposition for risk assessment) to incorporate a coupled Anet-gsto model to estimate O3 uptake, an O3 damage module (that impacts instantaneous Anet and the timing and rate of senescence), and a crop phenology, carbon allocation and growth model based on the JULES-Crop model. The model structure allows scaling from the leaf to the canopy to allow for multiple leaf populations and canopy layers. The DO3SE-crop model is calibrated and parametrised using O3 fumigation data from Xiaoji, China for the year 2008 and for an O3 tolerant and sensitive cultivar. The calibrated model can simulate key physiological variables, crop development, and yield with a good level of accuracy compared to experimental observations. DO3SE-crop accurately depicted the difference in yield reductions under ambient and elevated O3 treatments for wheat cultivars Y16 (tolerant) and Y2 (sensitive) with regressions of modelled and observed absolute yields resulting in an R² of 0.99 and an RMSE of 9.27 g/m². Further, when evaluated for 2007 and 2009 for all cultivars, the DO3SE-crop model simulated O3-induced yield losses of 4–25 % compared to observed yield losses of 12–34 %, with an R² of 0.73 and an RMSE of 58.41 g/m². Additionally, our results indicate that the variance in yield reduction is primarily attributed to the premature decrease in carbon assimilation to the grains under elevated O3 exposure. This is linked to accelerated leaf senescence, which brings leaf senescence forward by 7–9 days under elevated O3 treatments.
Automatic detection of instream large wood in videos using deep learning
Authors: Aarnink Janbert , Beucler Tom , Vuaridel Marceline , Ruiz-Villanueva Virginia
Published: April 2024

Abstract. Instream large wood (i.e., downed trees, branches and roots larger than 1 m in length and 10 cm diameter) has essential geopmorphological and ecological functions supporting the health of river ecosystems. Still, even though its transport during floods may pose a risk, it is rarely observed and, therefore, poorly understood. This paper presents a novel approach to detect pieces of instream wood from video. The approach uses a Convolutional Neural Network to detect wood automatically. We sampled data to represent different wood transport conditions, combining 20 datasets to yield thousands of instream wood images. We designed multiple scenarios using different data subsets with and without data augmentation and analyzed the contribution of each one to the effectiveness of the model using k-fold cross-validation. The mean average precision of the model varies between 35 and 93 percent, and is highly influenced by the quality of the data which it detects. When the image resolution is low, the identified components in the labeled pieces, rather than exhibiting distinct characteristics such as bark or branches, appear more akin to amorphous masses or 'blobs'. We found that the model detects wood with a mean average precision of 67 percent when using a 418 pixels input image resolution. Also, improvements of up to 23 percent could be achieved in some instances and increasing the input resolution raised the weighted mean average precision to 74 percent. We show that the detection performance on a specific dataset is not solely determined by the complexity of the network or the training data. Therefore, the findings of this paper can be used when designing a custom wood detection network. With the growing availability of flood-related videos featuring wood uploaded to the internet, this methodology facilitates the quantification of wood transport across a wide variety of data sources.
An investigation into atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) processes in South Korea
Authors: Kim Kiyeon , Han Kyung Man , Song Chul Han , Lee Hyojun , Beardsley Ross , Yu Jinhyeok , Yarwood Greg , Koo Bonyoung , Madalipay Jasper , Woo Jung-Hun , Cho Seogju
Published: April 2024

Abstract. Nitrous acid (HONO) is a main precursor of hydroxyl radicals (OH), which contribute to the formation of numerous secondary air pollutants in the troposphere. Despite its importance in atmospheric chemistry, HONO chemistry has not been fully incorporated into many chemical transport models (CTMs). Due to the lack of atmospheric HONO processes, CTM simulations often tend to underestimate atmospheric mixing ratios of HONO. This study was undertaken because simulations with current Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model have a strong tendency to underestimate the HONO mixing ratio. In search of missing sources of atmospheric HONO, we attempted to sequentially incorporate the following potential HONO sources and processes into the CMAQ modeling framework: (i) gas-phase HONO reactions; (ii) traffic HONO emissions; (iii) soil HONO emissions; (iv) heterogeneous HONO production on the surfaces of aerosols; (v) heterogeneous HONO formation on tree leaf and building surfaces; (vi) photolysis reactions of particulates and deposited HNO3/nitrates called ‘renoxification’. The simulation performances of the modified CMAQ models were then evaluated by comparing the modeled HONO mixing ratios with the HONO mixing ratios observed at the Olympic Park station in Seoul, South Korea. When HONO processes were fully added to the CMAQ model, average daily HONO mixing ratios increased from 0.06 ppb to 1.18 ppb. The daytime HONO mixing ratios produced from the CMAQ model run with a full account of atmospheric HONO processes were found to be in better agreement with observations than those from the original CMAQ model (CMAQv5.2.1) runs with improved statistical metrics (e.g., IOA increased from 0.59 to 0.68, while MB decreased dramatically from -0.57 ppb to -0.34 ppb). In addition, we investigated the contributions of individual atmospheric HONO processes to HONO mixing ratios, as well as the impacts of HONO atmospheric processes on the concentrations of other atmospheric species in South Korea. All these issues are also discussed in this manuscript.