bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RWESA-GNNR: Fusing Random Walk Embedding and Sentiment Analysis for Graph Neural Network Recommendation
Authors: Gu Junlin , Xu Yihan , Liu Weiwei
Published: March 2024

A graph neural network-based recommendation system treats the relationship between user items as a graph, and achieves deep feature mining by modelling the graph nodes. However, the complexity of the features of graph neural network-based recommendation systems brings poor interpretability and suffers from data sparsity problems. To address the above problems, a graph convolutional neural network recommendation model (RWESA-GNNR) based on random walk embedding combined with sentiment analysis is proposed. Firstly, a random walk-based matrix factorization is designed as the initial embedding. Secondly, the user and item nodes are modelled using a convolutional neural network with an injected attention mechanism. Then, sentiment analysis is performed on the review text, and attention mechanism is introduced to fuse text sentiment features and semantic features. Finally, node features and text features are aggregated to generate recommendation results. The experimental results show that our proposed algorithm outperforms traditional recommendation algorithms and other graph neural network-based recommendation algorithms in terms of recommendation results, with an improvement of about 2.43%-5.75%.
A Robust Adaptive Non-Singular Terminal Sliding Mode Control: Application to an Upper-Limb Exoskeleton with Disturbances and Uncertain Dynamics
Authors: Dali Hassen Mouna , Laamiri Imen , Bouguila Nasreddine
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a new control strategy for uncertain upper-limb exoskeleton systems, which are known to have high nonlinearities, unmodeled dynamics, and uncertainties. The proposed technique is based on the terminal sliding mode control algorithm and its nonsingular design method and incorporates an adaptive control approach to estimate the upper bounds of the unknown system uncertainties, which helps to improve the accuracy of the control and reduce the effects of disturbances. The stability of the proposed control strategy is confirmed using Lyapunov theory, and its effectiveness is tested on a two-degrees-of-freedom upper-limb exoskeleton. The results demonstrate that the proposed control scheme provides robust, fast, and finite-time convergence as well as an effective control approach capable of dealing with the disturbances and uncertainties that such systems are prone to.
Learning Sliding Policy of Flat Multi-target Objects in Clutter Scenes
Authors: Wu Liangdong , Wu Jiaxi , Li Zhengwei , Chen Yurou , Liu Zhiyong
Published: March 2024

In clutter scenes, one or several targets need to be obtained, which is hard for robot manipulation task. Especially, when the targets are flat objects like book, plates, due to limitation of common robot end-effectors, it will be more challenging. By employing pre-grasp operation like sliding, it becomes feasible to rearrange objects and shift the target towards table edge, enabling the robot to grasp it from a lateral perspective. In this paper, the proposed method transfers the task into a Parameterized Action Markov Decision Process to solve the problem, which is based on deep reinforcement learning. The mask images are taken as one of observations to the network for avoiding the impact of noise of original image. In order to improve data utilization, the policynetwork predicts the parameters for the sliding primitive of each object, which is weight-sharing, and then the Q-network selects the optimal execution target. Meanwhile, extra reward mechanism is adopted for improving the efficiency of task actions to cope with multiple targets. In addition, an adaptive policy scaling algorithm is proposed to improve the speed and adaptability of policy training. In both simulation and real system, our method achieves a higher task success rate and requires fewer actions to accomplish the flat multi-target sliding manipulation task within clutter scene, which verifies the effectiveness of ours.
Tri-CLT: Learning Tri-Modal Representations with Contrastive Learning and Transformer for Multimodal Sentiment Recognition
Authors: Yang Zhiyong , Li Zijian , Zhu Dongdong , Zhou Yu
Published: March 2024

Multimodal Sentiment Analysis (MSA) has become an essential area of research to achieve more accurate sentiment analysis by integrating multiple perceptual modalities such as text, vision, and audio. However, most previous studies failed to align the various modalities well and ignored the differences in semantic information, leading to inefficient fusion between modalities and generating redundant information. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a transformer-based network model, Tri-CLT. Specifically, this paper designs Integrating Fusion Block to fuse modal features to enhance their semantic information and mitigate the secondary complexity of paired sequences in the transformer. Meanwhile, the cross-modal attention mechanism is utilized for complementary learning between modalities to enhance the model performance. In addition, contrastive learning is introduced to improve the model's representation of learning ability. Finally, this paper conducts experiments on CMU-MOSEI aligned and unaligned data, and the experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the existing methods.
Food on the Rails
Authors: Quinzio Jeri
Published: March 2024

In roughly one hundred years – from the 1870s to the 1970s – dining on trains began, soared to great heights, and then fell to earth.

The founders of the first railroad companies cared more about hauling freight than feeding passengers. The only food available on trains in the mid-nineteenth century was whatever passengers brought aboard in their lunch baskets or managed to pick up at a brief station stop. It was hardly fine dining.

Seeing the business possibilities in offering long-distance passengers comforts such as beds, toilets, and meals, George Pullman and other pioneering railroaders like Georges Nagelmackers of Orient Express fame, transformed rail travel. Fine dining and wines became the norm for elite railroad travelers by the turn of the twentieth century. The foods served on railroads – from consommé to turbot to soufflé, always accompanied by champagne - equaled that of the finest restaurants, hotels, and steamships.

After World War II, as airline travel and automobiles became the preferred modes of travel, elegance gave way to economy. Canned and frozen foods, self-service, and quick meals and snacks became the norm. By the 1970s, the golden era of railroad dining had come grinding to a halt.

Food on the Rails traces the rise and fall of food on the rails from its rocky start to its glory days to its sad demise. Looking at the foods, the service, the rail station restaurants, the menus, they dining accommodations and more, Jeri Quinzio brings to life the history of cuisine and dining in railroad cars from the early days through today.
Fluid Preservation
Authors: Simmons John E.
Published: March 2024

Fluid preservation refers to specimens and objects that are preserved in fluids, most commonly alcohol and formaldehyde, but also glycerin, mineral oil, acids, glycols, and a host of other chemicals that protect the specimen from deterioration. Some of the oldest natural history specimens in the world are preserved in fluid.

Despite the fact that fluid preservation has been practiced for more than 350 years, this is the only handbook that summarize all that is known about this complex and often confusing topic. Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference covers the history and techniques of fluid preservation and how to care for fluid preserved specimens in collections.

More than 900 references on fluid preservation were reviewed for this project.

An historical survey of preservative recipes provides for guidance for museums with older collections (many fluid preservatives contain hazardous chemicals).

Current standards and best practices for collection care and management are presented.

Current and controversial topics (e.g., the preservation of DNA, alternatives to alcohol and formaldehyde) are discussed and fully referenced.

Health and safety issues involved with caring for fluid preserved collections are discussed.

The final chapter addresses fluid preserved specimens as cultural products and their use in art, literature, film, and song.

Although most fluid-preserved specimens are found in natural history and medical museums, it is not at all uncommon to find them in art museums, history museums, and science centers. In addition to animals, plants, and anatomical specimens, fluid preserved collections include some minerals and fossils and many other objects.

Fluid Preservation is an essential reference for:

Natural history curators

Natural history collections managers

Conservators

Medical and anatomical museum collections managers and curators

Art and history museum staff who have fluid preserved specimens and objects in their care (e.g., works by Damien Hirst)

Private collectors

Researchers using museum collections as sources of DNA, isotopes, etc.

Health and safety professionals

Exhibit planners and designers

Museum facilities planners and managers

People interested in the history of science

People interested in the history of natural history museums

Museum studies students
The Truth About Exercise Addiction
Authors: Schreiber Katherine , Hausenblas Heather A.
Published: March 2024

Designed for individuals concerned about their workout habits, personal trainers, family and friends of folks with a problem, as well as working mental health professionals treating exercise addicts, The Truth About Exercise Addiction provides an easy-to-read, illuminating glimpse into the rising trend of over-exercise. Delving into the history of exercise addiction and the growing influence of “thinspiration,” Katherine Schreiber and Heather A. Hausenblasillustrate the symptoms and dangers of obsessive exercise with true stories from sufferers, all while exploring why and how such a seemingly healthy behavior morphs into a dangerous means of self-destruction. Analyzing the causes and consequences of excessive physical activity alongside the influence of genetics, culture, and personality, this book allows readers to gain a greater understanding of what exercise addiction looks and feels like. The Truth About Exercise Addiction also provides an unprecedented list of resources to address exercise addiction, a snapshot of treatments currently available for sufferers, and to top it off: guidelines on how to confront and care for someone who may have a problem.
Converts to Judaism
Authors: Epstein Lawrence J.
Published: March 2024

From the biblical story of Ruth to the star conversion of Elizabeth Taylor, Converts to Judaism tells the stories of people who have converted to Judaism throughout history. The book introduces readers to origins of Judaism and shares the first conversion stories of the people who helped the early Jewish faith grow. Subsequent chapters trace the trajectory of Judaism through the ages while highlighting the stories of converts—both well-known and lesser-known—and how they shaped the tradition. The book includes not only the story of Warder Cresson, who was put on trial for insanity after converting to Judaism, but also famous celebrities who became Jewish such as Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Written by a noted expert on the conversion process, Converts to Judaism serves as a unique resource to people considering the challenging path of conversion and an illustration of the important, and sometimes surprising, role Jewish converts have always played in Jewish life.
The Cooperstown Chronicles
Authors: Russo Frank
Published: March 2024

Professional baseball has always consisted of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. From 1871 to the present, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Schaeffer, an infielder with a penchant for “stealing” first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history.

The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game’s well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player’s personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years.

However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.
Charles de Gaulle
Authors: Keylor William R.
Published: March 2024

In this definitive history, William R. Keylor traces the tumultuous relationship between Charles de Gaulle and a host of other key twentieth-century figures: his former mentor Marshal Philippe Pétain, who headed the collaborationist government in the southern French city of Vichy as the German army occupied the northern two-thirds of the country; Sir Winston Churchill, the British prime minister whose government supported and financed de Gaulle and the Free French, but who clashed with the French leader on a number of hot-button issues; and, most critically, the six American presidents from FDR to Nixon. Keylor uses the metaphor “thorn in the side” to emphasize the fact that challenges from the intrepid French leader were often an annoyance to the Americans, who all had many more important issues to deal with—World War II for Roosevelt and Truman, the Cold War for Eisenhower, and the Vietnam War for Kennedy and Johnson. Richard Nixon alone had an excellent relationship, but the two men overlapped for only four months before de Gaulle’s retirement. Thoroughly researched and deeply knowledgeable, this gripping book will appeal to all readers interested in contemporary French and US history.
Effective Content Reading Strategies to Develop Mathematical and Scientific Literacy
Authors: Pugalee David K.
Published: March 2024

Success in mathematics and science requires students to process and comprehend various forms of text; yet, many teachers feel ill-equipped to promote the development of literacy skills within the context of developing conceptual understanding of mathematics and science. Many content area literacy resources do not provide an adequate development of the complexities involved in dealing with mathematics and science texts.

This work presents important background information on the reading and process and classroom tested strategies which include implementation information and ideas for modifying the strategy to diverse needs. These classroom examples support teachers and educational specialists as they design instructional experiences to facilitate both students’ conceptualization of important subject area content and the tools necessary for students to develop the literacy skills necessary to be successful in today’s text rich educational learning environments.
Getting Gamers
Authors: Madigan Jamie
Published: March 2024

Video games are big business. They can be addicting. They are available almost anywhere you go and are appealing to people of all ages. They can eat up our time, cost us money, even kill our relationships. But it’s not all bad! This book will show that rather than being a waste of time, video games can help us develop skills, make friends, succeed at work, form good habits, and be happy. Taking the time to learn what’s happening in our heads as we play and shop allows us to approach games and gaming communities on our own terms and get more out of them.

With sales in the tens of billions of dollars each year, just about everybody is playing some kind of video game whether it's on a console, a computer, a web browser, or a phone. Much of the medium’s success is built on careful (though sometimes unwitting) adherence to basic principles of psychology. This is something that’s becoming even more important as games become more social, interactive, and sophisticated. This book offers something unique to the millions of people who play or design games: how to use an understanding of psychology to be a better part of their gaming communities, to avoid being manipulated when they shop and play, and to get the most enjoyment out of playing games. With examples from the games themselves, Jamie Madigan offers a fuller understanding of the impact of games on our psychology and the influence of psychology on our games.
The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty
Authors: Bock Hal
Published: March 2024

The last time the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series, World War II had just ended. The last time they won a World Series, World War I had not yet begun. But from 1906-1910 the Cubs not only played in the World Series four of the five years, they won two World Championships, as well. It was a time when the Cubs ruled baseball, and no one could have imagined the roller coaster adventures that were ahead for this grand old franchise.

In The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty: Before the Curse, Hal Bock tells the story of this legendary team, the characters who were central to its success, and the misfortunes which have plagued the team ever since. Stars such as pitcher Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown and the double-play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance are profiled, as are opponents who caused the Cubs unending headaches, like superstar pitcher Christy Mathewson and immortal shortstop Honus Wagner. A chronology and cast of characters set the stage for the reader before Bock delves into the early history of the Cubs and the assembly of what would become a dynasty. With talent to spare and just a little bit of luck going their way, the Chicago Cubs were unstoppable. But when an angry fan issued a curse on the team during the 1945 World Series, some believe it marked the beginning of the end for this storied franchise.

Featuring 100-year-old images from historic baseball cards, profiles of Hall of Fame legends, and a foreword by Cubs supporter and TV star Joe Mantegna, The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty will appeal to all baseball fans, but especially to those always-passionate Cubs enthusiasts from around the nation.
Ethics and Values in Librarianship
Authors: Koehler Wallace
Published: March 2024

Ethics and Values in Librarianship: A History addresses the processes of development of library and information sciences, largely but not exclusively in a western context. It focuses on the field’s ethics and values.

Here, Wallace Koehler, a leading researcher in the area of information ethics, debunks the prevailing notion that library and information science concepts and ethics have and remain constant. He demonstrates that in almost all areas of practice, this is simply not so. Instead of staying the same, our professional ethics and standards have evolved or shifted in their application as well as in the recognition of those standards by practitioners and users. Some of these changes are of very recent etiology.

Topics covered include:

· the freedom of expression,

· intellectual freedom,

· libraries and democracy,

· intellectual property, copyright, and fair use and,

· professional qualifications and credentialing.

Koehler examines the development of and changes to library and information science through practice and the writings of library and information theorists and practitioners from Varro during the reign of Julius Caesar to the present. He documents technological and social changes that have had foundational implications for the information professions and argues that ethical standards may be redefined overtime and new standards may emerge, older precepts and newer ones coexist. Not only a history, this is also one of the few contemporary books suitable for use in foundational courses and courses covering information and library ethics.
The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens
Authors: Haddad Douglas
Published: March 2024

Are you concerned or frustrated with the choices your child makes when it comes to their peer groups, study habits, and use of social media?

Do you feel your child is pushing you away and your connection is weakening?

Are you unsure of the next steps you should take to help your child succeed?

A whole new set of parenting concerns arise during tween and teenhood that can be overwhelming for any parent. The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens offers a step-by-step plan for raising your adolescent through this tumultuous time. Douglas Haddad provides specific, proven tools for you to help your child become a problem solver and grow to be smart, successful, and self-disciplined.

In The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, you will:

Discover the secrets of effective communication with your child

Learn the techniques to stop behavior problems right in their tracks when they happen

Know the strategies to best motivate your child and unlock their potential

Find out how to set appropriate limits and hold your child accountable for their actions

Understand today’s “child-limiting challenges” and the solutions for handling them with your child

Every parent wants the best for their child, and these years can be fraught with challenges: bullying, violence, gambling, sex, smoking, alcohol, substance use, eating disorders, depression, suicide, unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, etc. Making sense of these challenges, this book offers exercises for incorporating the ten child unlimited tools into your parenting style and anecdotes to illustrate strategies and techniques. Supported by current research, the tools found in these pages will serve as a guide for any family with tweens or teens.
Implementing and Assessing Use-Driven Acquisitions
Authors: Carrico Steven , Leonard Michelle , Gallagher Erin
Published: March 2024

This enlightening new book in the Practical Guides for Librarians series presents the practicalities of developing, implementing, and evaluating use-driven acquisition (UDA) in academic and special libraries, from the multi-dimensional perspectives of collections, acquisitions, and e-resources. Now that UDA is a proven method of collection management being utilized by an array of libraries around the globe, the need for a straightforward, uncomplicated guidebook is more essential than ever.

This book is both a reference source and a guide for current and future librarians. In addition to chapters highlighting e-book, print, and article-level UDA plans, the book will also include considerations for budgeting, interlibrary loan, consortia UDA, ongoing management and assessment strategies, and stimulating future trends. Of special interest are project management cycles detailing each phase and steps of implementing UDA plans, and relevant case studies involving librarians and vendors who have established UDA plans in libraries of various types and sizes.

This book provides a practical methodology for setting up use-driven acquisitions plans to acquire access to print and e-books for users in academic and special libraries. Every chapter covers important collection development and budgeting objectives of the library, and proposes methods to assess cost and usage of the content received to determine effectiveness and potential modifications to UDA plans.

Practical features that can be used in day-to-day operations include:

• Project management lifecycle with phases and steps for successful implementation

• Sample reports and executive summaries for administrators

• Marketing and branding strategies

• Step-by-step checklists

• Assessment tools and examples

• Multiple case studies of various types of libraries, including budgets and current UDA policies

• Evaluative survey questions

• Interview transcripts

• Glossary of terms and acronym explanations
Reimagining the Academic Library
Authors: Lewis David W.
Published: March 2024

Academic libraries are in the midst of significant disruption. Academic librarians and university administrators know they need to change, but are not sure how. Bits and pieces of what needs to happen are clear, but the whole picture is hard to grasp.

Reimagining the Academic Library paints a simple straightforward picture of the changes affecting academic libraries and what academic librarians need to do to respond to the changes would help to guide future library practice. The aim is to explain where academic libraries need to go and how to get there in a book that can be read in a weekend.

David Lewis provides a readable survey of the current state of academic library practice and proposes where academic libraries need to go in the future to provide value to their campuses. His primary focus is on collections as this is the area with the greatest opportunity for change and is the driver of most library cost. Lewis provides an accessible framework for thinking about how library practice needs to adjust in the digital environment.

The book will be useful not only to academic librarians, but also for librarians to share with presidents and provosts who a concise source for understanding where and how to focus their expenditures on libraries.
The Democratization Disconnect
Authors: Grodsky Brian K.
Published: March 2024

The most recent wave of democratic revolutions has convinced many in the West of the triumph of political rights. But in this provocative book, Brian Grodsky argues forcefully that nothing could be further from the truth. Today’s revolutionaries—both democratic and non-democratic—are much like those who preceded them throughout history. They’ve all come into power promising enhanced political, but especially economic, rights: higher wages, better living standards, more security. The difference between today’s pro-democracy leaders and yesterday’s non-democratic ones, the author demonstrates, rests on the perceived international legitimacy of the democratic template. Now, when even the most abusive regimes feel the need to label themselves democracies, opponents delegitimize rulers by calling them undemocratic. This sets the stage for what Grodsky calls the “democratization disconnect.” Leaders and followers fight for political change not as an end, but as the most acceptable means to attain economic rights. But by selling democracy as a panacea for the ills of the preceding regime, new elites simultaneously cheapen the notion of democracy and, by creating unrealistic popular expectations, set it up for failure. Putting a fresh new spin on hotly debated current events, this clear-eyed and informed book will be essential reading for all politically engaged readers.
Daniels' Orchestral Music
Authors: Daniels David , Oertel David W. , Rahbee David A.
Published: March 2024

Daniels’ Orchestral Music is the gold standard for all orchestral professionals—from conductors, librarians, programmers, students, administrators, and publishers, to even instructors—seeking to research and plan an orchestral program, whether for a single concert or a full season.

This sixth edition, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the original edition, has the largest increase in entries for a new edition of Orchestral Music: 65% more works (roughly 14,050 total) and 85% more composers (2,202 total) compared to the fifth edition. Composition details are gleaned from personal inspection of scores by orchestral conductors, making it a reliable one-stop resource for repertoire.

Users will find all the familiar and useful features of the fifth edition as well as significant updates and corrections. Works are organized alphabetically by composer and title, containing information on duration, instrumentation, date of composition, publication, movements, and special accommodations if any. Individual appendices make it easy to browse works with chorus, solo voices, or solo instruments. Other appendices list orchestral works by instrumentation and duration, as well as works intended for youth concerts. Also included are significant anniversaries of composers, composer groups for thematic programming, a title index, an introduction to Nieweg charts, essential bibliography, internet sources, institutions and organizations, and a directory of publishers necessary for the orchestra professional.

This trusted work used around the globe is a must-have for orchestral professionals, whether conductors or orchestra librarians, administrators involved in artistic planning, music students considering orchestral conducting, authors of program notes, publishers and music dealers, and instructors of conducting.
The Predictor Effect and Relationship Between Brain-Behavioral Systems, Cognitive Flexibility, Sensory Processing and Anxiety in Iranian Immigrant Students in Canada
Authors: Mirzakhani Araghi Navid , Asghari Ayda , Mahmoudi Ebrahim , Saei Shafagh
Published: March 2024

Background: The rising prevalence of mental and psychological issues among immigrants has garnered increased attention due to the significant growth in immigrant populations in recent years. In this context, exploring the connection between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing in Iranian immigrants in Canada is becoming an essential research goal. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing among Iranian immigrants in Canada. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, gathering data from 400 Iranian students (198 males and 202 females) enrolled at universities in Canada and Iran. We collected participants' demographic details and assessed their psychological health, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and sensory processing through standardized instruments. Psychological health was evaluated using the Beck Anxiety Inventory, cognitive flexibility was measured with the Dennis and Vander Wall Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire, and sensory processing was appraised via the adolescent/adult sensory profile. The Carver and White behavioral inhibition system (BIS)/behavioral activation system (BAS) scales were utilized to measure brain-behavioral systems. Statistical analyses, including correlation analysis and multivariate regression, were conducted to investigate the relationships among these variables. Results: The correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between anxiety and low registration (r = 0.283, P < 0.001), sensory sensitivity (r = 0.442, P < 0.001), and sensory avoiding (r = 0.307, P < 0.001) in immigrant students. Anxiety also showed nonsignificant negative correlations with the behavioral activation system-drive (r = -0.042, P = 0.551) and behavioral activation system-reward responsiveness (r = -0.090, P = 0.203). The multivariate regression analysis found that low registration (B = 0.177, P = 0.036), sensory sensitivity (B = 0.336, P < 0.001), and cognitive flexibility (B = 0.119, P = 0.025) significantly predicted anxiety levels in immigrant students. An adjusted R-squared value of 0.191 indicated that these variables together explained 19.1% of the variance in anxiety levels. Conclusions: This study underscores the significant links between sensory processing patterns, cognitive flexibility, brain-behavioral systems, and anxiety among Iranian immigrant students. These findings highlight the need for interventions focusing on teaching cognitive skills strategies and increasing awareness of sensory needs to help reduce anxiety levels in this population.
Field thermovision study of externsl enclosure for multi-storey residential building under climatic conditions of Northern Kazakhstan
Authors: Zhangabay N. , Giyasov A. , Ybray S. , Tursunkululy T. , Kolesnikov A.
Published: March 2024

An in-place thermovision study was carried out in a multi-apartment apartment building of high comfort in a cold period of the year, located in the Northern part of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the work. The study result showed the presence of significant problems on thermal protection at the edge and inner corner fences where the temperature difference between the inner surface of an enclosure and the internal temperature was 6.4 - 19.4ºC. An analysis of thermograms of window joints in living rooms also showed a significant temperature drop from -9.3ºC to 18ºC, where total vulnerable area was up to 10%. Thermograms of window-sill joints of living rooms also showed a temperature drop to -21.1 ºC with an area of 15.7 %. The temperature on a reinforced concrete column’s inner surface showed a value of 6.5 ºC, which is typical for an area of 34.8 %. An analysis of outside and inside temperatures showed that as the temperature drops from -7 ºC to -23 ºC during the day, the inside temperature of the room remains relatively stable at 25.3 - 26.1 ºC, although there are problems with the thermal protection of the enclosures, which indicates overconsumption of heat energy. Moreover, the internal air temperature exceeds the permissible temperature for living rooms by 1.3 - 2.6 ºС. An analysis of air humidity also showed unsatisfactory values, which during the day varied from 17.4% to 21.2%. The deviations identified during the survey indicate the presence of problems on thermal protection of external enclosures, which require additional surveys aimed at further development and optimization of external enclosure designs to obtain optimal values in the issue of energy saving, considering the climatic characteristics of the Kazakhstan regions.
Stereotypical ideas in the perception of spatial marginality of urban outskirts
Authors: Chistova A.D.
Published: March 2024

According to the territorial-regional development policy of Russia, a rigid structuring of the country's space is applied through the prism of a hierarchical management system. As a result, the structure of the space of the entire country was fixed through a system of boundaries, the markers of which highlight management objects at the national level, subject of the Russian Federation, territory, region, district. This article will present the main stereotypes that influence the creation of the perception of new territories in the nature of marginality. As is known, the formation of marginal communities can be traced throughout the history of civilizations. It is important to separate geographical marginality from spatial marginality. In geography, there is the concept of “marginal territories”, which can be considered those located on the remote periphery of the region or in isolated places. Such a phenomenon as spatial marginality is characterized precisely by the prevailing stereotypes in society about a specific area. Urban spatial perception critically influences human behavior and emotional responses, emphasizing the need to align urban spaces with human needs to improve the quality of urban life. However, the classification of urban architecture based on functionality is subject to biases stemming from discrepancies between objective representation and subjective perception. These biases can lead to city planning and designs that fail to adequately meet the needs and preferences of city residents, negatively impacting their quality of life and the overall functionality of the city. In this study, we apply machine learning to uncover these biases in urban spatial perception research using a three-step methodology: objective mapping, subjective perception analysis, and perceptual bias assessment. Our results show that machine learning can reveal hidden patterns in this area of research with significant implications for urban planning and design. Of particular note, the study found significant discrepancies in the distribution centroids between commercial buildings and residential or public buildings. This result sheds light on the spatial organization characteristics of urban architectural functions, serving as a valuable guide for urban planning and development. Moreover, it reveals the advantages and disadvantages of different data sources and methods for interpreting urban spatial perception, paving the way to a more complete understanding of the subject. These results highlight the importance of integrating both objective mapping and subjective perspectives when classifying the functionality of urban architecture.
Religious and Spiritual Identity
Authors: Mullikin Peggy Lynn ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

Factors such as religion and spirituality influence identity formation. Though parents serve as the primary influence on identity in childhood, the search for identity becomes more independent as adolescence progresses. Upon departure from the parent's home, factors outside the family, including peers and the media, take on greater influence. Undergraduate students (N = 100) were surveyed regarding religion and spirituality in relation to media consumption, gender and communication with parents, and selection of a religious versus secular college. Positive results were indicated for religious identification and use of religious and spiritual media, as well as for communication with parents about religion and spirituality. Additionally, religious identification was apositive factor for selecting a religious college.
A Communal Perspective: Women, Faith, and Nature
Authors: Groenendyk Kathi , Curry Jane ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

In this study, we examine the interrelationship between language, faith, gender, and environmental attitudes, revealing how men's andwomen's language within their denominational faith perspectives prescribe competing environmental behaviors. We interviewed students at three west Michigan seminaries, dividing each seminary group into men and women participants. Each group listened andresponded to a set of real-life narratives and Biblical verses. In an attempt to understand the seminarians' environmental perspectives, we conducted a rhetorical analysis of the discussions of the men's and women's transcripts. A distinction between the men's and women's views and relationships to nature was evident through themes, language used, and stories told. Women at the Reformed seminaries expressed a personal connection to place and a vision of nature as part of their community, indicating that these future ministers may be more likely to work with their congregations on environmental issues.
Relational Resilience Amidst the Pandemic
Authors: Strom Bill ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

The coronavirus pandemic provided opportunity to examine resilience and struggle of people living in lockdown isolation by proposing contract and covenant worldviews as moderating factors in relational communication. A survey completed by 238 individuals indicated that higher scores on religious covenantalism and lower on non-religious contractualism predicted increased well-being and decreased relational struggle. Specifically, “covenanters” were more likely to report higher rates of general coping, perceived social support, interpersonal trust, and satisfaction with life, and lower rates of interpersonal aggression, anxiety, social phobia, and loneliness compared to their “contractor” counterparts. We discuss results in terms of models of relating, struggle and repair, and the role of religious community and communication to buffer pandemic hardships.
Reinforcing Islamophobic Rhetoric Through the Use of Facebook Comments
Authors: Speakman Burton , Bagasra Anisah ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

Social media sites such as Facebook allow for the easy extension and support of imagined community within online spaces. This study seeks to examine the role of imagined community and framing in portrayals of Islam and Muslims within the comments of public media pages on Facebook. A comparative analysis of comments on news articles from conservative, mainstream, and liberal media sources was conducted to understand the quantity and content of Islamophobic comments on these pages. Comments on eight of the most popular conservative Facebook pages (seven news sites and that of President Donald Trump) were analyzed, and an online rating system was used to consider how far right a source is considered. Both the qualitative and quantitative data suggest imagined community exists within commenters on conservative media Facebook pages, particularly those rated further on the political right, reinforcing the use of Islamophobic rhetoric.
Religion and the Environment in the Rhetoric of Thomas Berry and Pope Francis
Authors: Lynch Christopher Owen ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

Thomas Berry, geologian, has been called one of the leading commentators on religion and the environment. This paper compares Berry’s writings with Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’. Pope Francis and Berry both use the root metaphor of integral ecology that implies a connection and reciprocity with the universe. However, Berry focuses on the rights of the earth that has existed billions of years before humankind. Humans are part of the earth community. Pope Francis focuses on social relations between human beings and the consequences for the environment because of egoism and begins his analysis with the past 20 centuries. Berry does not disagree but gives a special place to the earth and believes once respect is given to the earth social problems will be solved. Pope Francis wants to awaken a dialogue, where Berry believes we have become locked into reified stories, some of them from the Judeo-Christian interpretation of the Bible. Berry uses the metaphor of a “new story.” His story leads to cosmogenesis, or a new created order. For both writers, the challenge is implementation before it is too late for the human community.
“The Devil and Vaccination” and Inoculation Theory
Authors: Compton Josh , Kaylor Brian ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

“The Devil and Vaccination,” a satirical take on Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey’s poem, “The Devil’s Thoughts,” appeared in the July 1879 issue of The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review—a publication that published vaccine-skeptical writings. The poem told the story of the Devil visiting a prison, encountering several people including a father imprisoned for refusing to have one of his children vaccinated. In the present rhetorical analysis, “The Devil and Vaccination” was viewed through the lens of inoculation theory—a theory more commonly used to guide a social scientific approach to the study of resistance to influence (i.e., experimentally tested messaging effects). In this unique conglomeration of religious and health rhetoric, the poem seemed to reject both inoculation as a medical strategy and inoculation as a rhetorical strategy.
Crisis Framing: One Jesuit University’s Response to the Catholic Priest Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Crisis
Authors: Fortunato John A. ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

A 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report after a two-year investigation documented numerous incidents of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and the cover-up of these crimes by those in positions of leadership. Framing is a critical aspect of crisis response. Framing involves selecting and emphasizing certain attributes of an issue. This article examines the response of one Jesuit university in its attempt to frame itself and the sexual abuse crisis. The value of understanding frameworks for crisis assessment and response, public relations functions, and thinking through an organization’s mission and social legitimacy provides a comprehensive approach that can help an organization properly address a crisis.
Inside, Outside, or Constituting Community: Three Perspectives on Religious Congregations
Authors: Cooper Katherine R. , Cooper Lynn O. ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

Religious congregations are prominent in American life as both gatherings of religious people and as community resource. We explore how congregations communicate these multiple identities through qualitative content analysis of clergy interviews and congregational websites. Findings suggest that congregations emphasize religiosity even as they articulate community service and highlight congregations as outside, inside, and constituting community. Although congregations are transparent with respect to their religiosity, we suggest that ambiguity serves not just as a function of multiple identities but as indicative of organizations that justify their work in spiritual terms to multiple audiences.
Semioethics and Meaningful Sacred Signs
Authors: López-Arias Fernando , Pujol Jordi ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

This essay examines how the framework of semioethics coheres with Pope Francis’sexistential dialogue and its application to ethical praxis enacted through spiritual, social, andphenomenological “networks of neighborliness.” Through an analysis of Pope Francis’s 48th and53rd World Communications Day Messages, which emphasize his evaluation of globalcommunication production systems, specifically, socially mediated networks, this essay explainshow the mutual aims of semioethics and Pope Francis’s dialogic ethics coalesce around theinterrelated, material, and metaphorical coordinates of “the net” and “neighborliness” to invitean indifferent world to dialogic conversion.
Inverting the Bogeyman: Evangelical Constructions of Critical Race Theory
Authors: Hoops Joshua ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

The United States has witnessed a public display of outrage toward critical race theory (CRT). This opposition has been buoyed by White evangelical Christian polemics. I conducted a discourse-historical analysis of 21 statements, reflecting a diversity of voices within evangelical discourse (ED). First, ED constructs CRT as both bereft of theoretical validity and evil. Second, the discourse inverts the objectives of CRT by claiming those goals for its own. Third, ED seeks to strip CRT of its transformative and emancipatory power. Fourth, ED constructs CRT in ways that diffuse accountability. Finally, ED questions the faith of Christians who seek to learn from CRT. Reflection is offered for how CRT and Christianity might conspire together toward the aims of addressing racial inequity.
The Consolation of the Topics: Boethius, Dialectic, and a Christian Rhetorical Theory
Authors: Tapsak Natalia E. , Wachs Anthony M. ,   Religious Communication Association
Published: March 2024

In response to an era defined by narrative contention and polarized communication, an increasing number of scholars have called for renewed attention to a Christian rhetorical theory. Such a theory would have to enable the Christian rhetor to articulate the definitive goods and values promoted by a Christian narrative, to identify points of difference with competing narratives, and to ground argument within philosophical reasoning that engages universal and transcendent truths. Therefore, this article suggests that a vibrant Christian rhetorical theory must be complemented by dialectic. Through an analysis of the dialectical topics of Boethius in De topicis differentiis alongside his “masterpiece of rhetorical philosophy” (Verene 2020, 333), The Consolation of Philosophy, dialectic is revealed as a valuable aid to the Christian rhetor seeking to ground argument in philosophical reasoning while being responsive to context, contingency, and difference in the current historical moment.