bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faecal microbiota and cytokine profiles of rural Cambodian infants linked to diet and diarrhoeal episodes
Authors: Dalby Matthew J. , Kiu Raymond , Serghiou Iliana R. , Miyazaki Asuka , Acford-Palmer Holly , Tung Rathavy , Caim Shabhonam , Phillips Sarah , Kujawska Magdalena , Matsui Mitsuaki , Iwamoto Azusa , Taking Bunsreng , Cox Sharon E. , Hall Lindsay J.
Published: September 2024

The gut microbiota of infants in low- to middle-income countries is underrepresented in microbiome research. This study explored the faecal microbiota composition and faecal cytokine profiles in a cohort of infants in a rural province of Cambodia and investigated the impact of sample storage conditions and infant environment on microbiota composition. Faecal samples collected at three time points from 32 infants were analysed for microbiota composition using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and concentrations of faecal cytokines. Faecal bacterial isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing and genomic analysis. We compared the effects of two sample collection methods due to the challenges of faecal sample collection in a rural location. Storage of faecal samples in a DNA preservation solution preserved Bacteroides abundance. Microbiota analysis of preserved samples showed that Bifidobacterium was the most abundant genus with Bifidobacterium longum the most abundant species, with higher abundance in breast-fed infants. Most infants had detectable pathogenic taxa, with Shigella and Klebsiella more abundant in infants with recent diarrhoeal illness. Neither antibiotics nor infant growth were associated with gut microbiota composition. Genomic analysis of isolates showed gene clusters encoding the ability to digest human milk oligosaccharides in B. longum and B. breve isolates. Antibiotic-resistant genes were present in both potentially pathogenic species and in Bifidobacterium. Faecal concentrations of Interlukin-1alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor were higher in breast-fed infants. This study provides insights into an underrepresented population of rural Cambodian infants, showing pathogen exposure and breastfeeding impact gut microbiota composition and faecal immune profiles.
Demonstration of quantum network protocols over a 14-km urban fiber link
Authors: Kucera Stephan , Haen Christian , Arenskötter Elena , Bauer Tobias , Meiers Jonas , Schäfer Marlon , Boland Ross , Yahyapour Milad , Lessing Maurice , Holzwarth Ronald , Becher Christoph , Eschner Jürgen
Published: September 2024

We report on the implementation of quantum entanglement distribution and quantum state teleportation over a 14.4 km urban dark-fiber link, which is partially underground, partially overhead, and patched in several stations. We characterize the link for its use as a quantum channel and realize its active polarization stabilization. Using a type-II cavity-enhanced SPDC photon pair source, a40Ca+single-ion quantum memory, and quantum frequency conversion to the telecom C-band, we demonstrate photon-photon entanglement, ion-photon entanglement, and teleportation of a qubit state from the ion onto a remote telecom photon, all realized over the urban fiber link.
Ensembling U-Nets for microaneurysm segmentation in optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Husvogt Lennart , Yaghy Antonio , Camacho Alex , Lam Kenneth , Schottenhamml Julia , Ploner Stefan B. , Fujimoto James G. , Waheed Nadia K. , Maier Andreas
Published: September 2024

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness around the world. This makes early diagnosis and treatment important in preventing vision loss in a large number of patients. Microaneurysms are the key hallmark of the early stage of the disease, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and can be detected using OCT angiography quickly and non-invasively. Screening tools for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy using OCT angiography thus have the potential to lead to improved outcomes in patients. We compared different configurations of ensembled U-nets to automatically segment microaneurysms from OCT angiography fundus projections. For this purpose, we created a new database to train and evaluate the U-nets, created by two expert graders in two stages of grading. We present the first U-net neural networks using ensembling for the detection of microaneurysms from OCT angiography en face images from the superficial and deep capillary plexuses in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy trained on a database labeled by two experts with repeats.
Usefulness and safety of new ultrasmall-diameter colonoscope for cases with difficult insertion: a retrospective study
Authors: Terada Rie , Ichijima Ryoji , Iwao Aya , Kinebuchi Hiroshi , Okada Yuta , Sugita Tomomi , Ogura Kanako , Haruta Akiko , Kogure Hirofumi
Published: September 2024

Colonoscopies are widely available, but there are cases where insertion can be difficult, even for experienced endoscopists. EC-760XP/L, a new ultrasmall-diameter long scope, may be useful in such cases. This single-center retrospective study included 39 cases where colonoscope insertion was difficult even when previously conducted by an experienced endoscopist. The primary outcome was the cecal intubation time using EC-760XP/L compared to the time used in a previous examination with a standard scope. The secondary outcomes were the cecum intubation rate, intestinal cleanliness level, adenoma detection rate, polyp detection rate, sedative use rate, occurrence of adverse events, and pain experience. A comparison of cecal intubation times between EC-760XP/L and the standard scope showed that insertion times were significantly lower with EC-760XP/L (9.5 min) compared to the standard scope (19 min) (p < 0.01). The standard scope achieved cecal intubation in 30 cases (76.9%), whereas EC-760XP/L reached the cecum in all cases (p < 0.01). Pain was observed in 3 cases (8.3%) with the EC-760XP/L, which was significantly lower than the 22 cases (56.4%) with the standard scope (p < 0.01). In conclusion, EC-760XP/L proved to be useful in cases where colonoscope insertion was difficult.
Tetradentate carbene–anilido boron complexes: highly fluorescent dyes with larger Stokes shifts than BODIPY analogues
Authors: He Jiang , Wang Songmeng , Song Xiu-Fang , Chang Xiaoyong , Zou Chao , Lu Wei , Li Kai
Published: September 2024

A series of carbene–anilido boron complexes exhibiting efficient UV to blue fluorescence have been designed and synthesized.
Adducts of Lewis acidic stibanes with phosphane chalcogenides
Authors: Krieft Jonas , Koch Hannah , Neumann Beate , Stammler Hans-Georg , Lamm Jan-Hendrik , Mix Andreas , Mitzel Norbert W.
Published: September 2024

The Sb–E–P-bridged adducts of (F5C2)2SbCl and (3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)2SbCl with H(E)P(tBu)2 (E = O, S) show different bridging angles depending on substitution and bridging chalcogen atom. Starting from SbCl3, we also synthesised the volatile (F5C2)2SbH.
Construction of supramolecular linear polymers based on pyridinium modified anthraquinone and cucurbit[8]uril for visible-light-induced valorization of lignin models
Authors: Wang Fa-Dong , Yao Xian-Ya , Li Xin-Long , Niu Kai-Kai , Yu Shengsheng , Liu Hui , Xing Ling-Bao
Published: September 2024

A supramolecular polymer based on anthraquinone through host–guest interactions was constructed, which can not only improve the generation capacity of reactive oxygen species but also be used for selective cleavage of C–C bonds in lignin models.
Recycling of organic ligands and solvents for successive synthesis of Cu-based nanocrystals towards CO2 hydrogenation
Authors: Xin Yue , Xie Zicheng , Liu Rui , Li Qi , Wang Zheng , Cao Dongqiang , Li Shuhui , Zhang Lantian , Hu Sunpei , Li Hongliang , He Rong , Wang Liangbing , Zeng Jie
Published: September 2024

A solid hot-injection solvent-recycle method is developed for cost-effective synthesis of Cu-based metal oxide nanocrystals towards CO2 hydrogenation with the recovery of organic ligands and solvents.
Ultraviolet circularly polarized light detection based on chiral BN-anthracene derivatives
Authors: Li Wanhui , Zhang Yi , Ren Kai-Yin , Du Cheng-Zhuo , Yao Ze-Fan , Pei Jian , Wang Xiao-Ye
Published: September 2024

BN-anthracene derivatives have been synthesized as novel visible-blind ultraviolet-absorbing chiral materials for ultraviolet circularly polarized light detection.
Dynamic Distribution of Rail Potential with Regional Insulation Alteration in Multi‐Train Urban Rail Transit
Authors: Kang Ziyuan , Du Guifu , Xia Yaoda , Li Qiaoyue , Zhang Guilu , Guo Xin , Huang Weiguo , Zhu Zhongkui
Published: September 2024

Rail potential (RP) has become a disaster for the safe operation of metro lines. In urban rail transit (URT), regional insulation degradation often occurs due to the harsh environment of the reflux conductor for traction current, leading to the complex distribution of RP. In this paper, the dynamic distribution of RP with regional insulation alteration in URT is studied. First, the distribution model of the reflux system with regional insulation alteration is established. Second, utilizing the distributed parameter element method and taking into account the constraint conditions of the concentrated parameters, a superposition calculation method of RP in the reflux system is proposed. Finally, using Guangzhou Metro as an example, the simulation of different insulation states in long and local areas of URT is carried out. Results show that the RP amplitude decreases while the stray current amplitude increases when the insulation is degraded. At the same time, when the insulation in the local area degrades, the RP at the far end increases.
A real‐time cognitive map construction method based on the entorhinal‐hippocampal working mechanism of the rat's brain
Authors: Liao Yishen , Yu Naigong
Published: September 2024

The firing of spatial cells in the entorhinal‐hippocampal structure is believed to enable the formation of a cognitive map for the environment. Inspired by the spatial cognitive mechanism of the rat's brain, the authors proposed a real‐time cognitive map construction method based on the entorhinal‐hippocampal working mechanism. Firstly, based on the physiological properties of the rat's brain, the authors constructed an entorhinal‐hippocampal CA3 neurocomputational model for path integration. Then, the transformation relationship between the cell plate and the real environment is used to solve the robot's position. Path integration inevitably generates cumulative errors, which require loop‐closure detection and pose optimisation to eliminate errors. To solve the problem that the RatSLAM algorithm is slow in pose optimisation, the authors proposed a pose optimisation method based on a multi‐layer CA1 place cell to improve the speed of pose optimisation. To validate the method, the authors designed simulation experiments, dataset experiments, and physical experiments. The experimental results showed that compared to other brain‐like SLAM algorithms, the authors’ method possesses outstanding performance in path integration accuracy and map construction speed. As a result, the authors’ method can endow mobile robots with the ability to quickly and accurately construct cognitive maps in complex and unknown environments.
Creep slope estimation for assessing adhesion in the wheel/rail contact
Authors: Hubbard Peter , Harrison Tim , Ward Christopher , Abduraxman Bilal
Published: September 2024

The UK rail network is subject to costly disruption due to the operational effects of adhesion variation between the wheel and rail. Causes of this are often environmental introduction of contaminants that require a wide‐scale approach to risk mitigation such as defensive driving or rail‐head maintenance. It remains an open problem to monitor the real‐time status of the network to optimise resources and approaches in response to adhesion problems. This article presents an on‐vehicle monitoring method designed to estimate the coefficient of friction by processing data from on‐board sensors of typical rail passenger vehicles. This approach uses a multi‐body physics analysis of a target vehicle to create estimators for both creep force and creep, allowing a curve fitting approach to estimate the coefficient for friction from the creep curves.
Electric vehicle charging load prediction based on graph attention networks and autoformer
Authors: Tang Zeyang , Cui Yibo , Hu Qibiao , Liu MinLiu , Rao Wei , Liu Xinshen
Published: September 2024

With the widespread popularity of electric vehicles in the domestic market, large‐scale electric vehicle user data has been collected and stored. Highly accurate user‐level charging load prediction has a wide range of application scenarios and great business value. However, most existing EV load prediction methods are modelled from the charging station perspective, ignoring the user's travel habits and charging demand. Therefore, this paper proposes a temporal spatial neural network based on graph attention and Autoformer to predict electric vehicle charging load. Firstly, the urban map of Wuhan is rasterized. Then, driving and charging data from the user level are aggregated into the raster module according to the time sequence, and a spatio‐temporal graph data structure of user travel trajectory is constructed. Finally, the temporal spatial neural network is used to construct the EV charging load prediction model from the user's perspective. The experimental results show that, compared with other baseline prediction methods, the proposed method effectively improves the accuracy of the EV charging load prediction model by fully exploiting the distribution of EV user clusters in time and geographic space.
Massive stars exploding in a He-rich circumstellar medium
Authors: Wang Z.-Y. , Pastorello A. , Maeda K. , Reguitti A. , Cai Y.-Z. , Andrew Howell D. , Benetti S. , Buckley D. A. H. , Cappellaro E. , Carini R. , Cartier R. , Chen T.-W. , Elias-Rosa N. , Fang Q.-L. , Gal-Yam A. , Gangopadhyay A. , Gromadzki M. , Gan W.-P. , Hiramatsu D. , Hu M.-K. , Inserra C. , McCully C. , Nicholl M. , Olivares E. F. , Pignata G. , Pineda-García J. , Pursiainen M. , Ragosta F. , Rau A. , Roy R. , Sollerman J. , Tartaglia L. , Terreran G. , Valerin G. , Wang Q. , Wang S.-Q. , Young D. R. , Aryan A. , Bronikowski M. , Concepcion E. , Galbany L. , Lin H. , Melandri A. , Petrushevska T. , Ramirez M. , Shi D.-D. , Warwick B. , Zhang J.-J. , Wang B. , Wang X.-F. , Zhu X.-J.
Published: September 2024

We present optical and near-infrared observations of two Type Ibn supernovae (SNe), SN 2018jmt and SN 2019cj. Their light curves have rise times of about ten days, reaching an absolute peak magnitude of Mg(SN 2018jmt) = −19.07 ± 0.37 and MV(SN 2019cj) = −18.94 ± 0.19 mag, respectively. The early-time spectra of SN 2018jmt are dominated by a blue continuum, accompanied by narrow (600−1000 km s−1) He I lines with the P-Cygni profile. At later epochs, the spectra become more similar to those of the prototypical SN Ibn 2006jc. At early phases, the spectra of SN 2019cj show flash ionisation emission lines of C III, N III, and He II superposed on a blue continuum. These features disappear after a few days, and then the spectra of SN 2019cj evolve similarly to those of SN 2018jmt. The spectra indicate that the two SNe exploded within a He-rich circumstellar medium (CSM) lost by the progenitors a short time before the explosion. We modelled the light curves of the two SNe Ibn to constrain the progenitor and the explosion parameters. The ejecta masses are consistent with either what is expected for a canonical SN Ib (∼2 M⊙) or for a massive Wolf Rayet star (> ∼4 M⊙), with the kinetic energy on the order of 1051 erg. The lower limit on the ejecta mass (> ∼2 M⊙) argues against a scenario involving a relatively low-mass progenitor (e.g. MZAMS ∼ 10 M⊙). We set a conservative upper limit of ∼0.1 M⊙ for the 56Ni masses in both SNe. From the light curve modelling, we determined a two-zone CSM distribution, with an inner, flat CSM component and an outer CSM with a steeper density profile. The physical properties of SN 2018jmt and SN 2019cj are consistent with those expected from the core collapse of relatively massive envelope-stripped stars.
Testing the asteroseismic estimates of stellar radii with surface brightness-colour relations and Gaia DR3 parallaxes
Authors: Valle G. , Dell’Omodarme M. , Prada Moroni P. G. , Degl’Innocenti S.
Published: September 2024

Aims. We compared stellar radii derived from asteroseismic scaling relations with those estimated using two independent surface brightness-colour relations (SBCRs) combined with Gaia DR3 parallaxes.

Methods. We cross-matched asteroseismic and astrometric data for over 6400 red giant branch (RGB) and red clump (RC) stars from the APO-K2 catalogue with the TESS Input Catalogue v8.2 to obtain precise V band magnitudes and E(B − V) colour excesses. We then adopted two different SBCRs from the literature to derive stellar radius estimates, denoted as Ra and Rb, respectively. We analysed the ratio of these SBCR-derived radii to the asteroseismic radius estimates, R, provided in the APO-K2 catalogue.

Results. Both SBCRs exhibited good agreement with asteroseismic radius estimates. On average, Ra was overestimated by 1.2% with respect to R, while Rb was underestimated by 2.5%. For stars larger than 20 R⊙, SBCR radii are systematically lower than asteroseismic ones. The dispersion in the radius ratio was similar for the two methods (around 10%). The agreement with asteroseismic radii shows a strong dependence on the parallax. The dispersion is halved for stars with a parallax greater than 2.5 mas. In this subsample, Rb showed perfect agreement with R, while Ra remained slightly overestimated, by 3%. A trend with [Fe/H] was found at a level of 4% to 6% per dex. Additionally, a clear trend with asteroseismic mass is found. For stars less massive than about 0.95 M⊙, SBCR radii were significantly higher than asteroseismic ones, by about 6%. This overestimation correlated with the presence of extended helium cores in these stars’ structures relative to their envelopes. Furthermore, radius ratios showed a dichotomous behaviour at higher masses, mainly due to the presence of several RC stars with SBCR radii significantly lower with respect to asteroseismology. This behaviour originates from a different response of asteroseismic scaling relations and SBCR to [α/Fe] abundance ratios for massive stars, both in RGB and RC phases, which is reported here for the first time.
jaxspec: A fast and robust Python library for X-ray spectral fitting
Authors: Dupourqué S. , Barret D. , Diez C. M. , Guillot S. , Quintin E.
Published: September 2024

Context. Inferring spectral parameters from X-ray data is one of the cornerstones of high-energy astrophysics, and is achieved using software stacks that have been developed over the last 20 years and more. However, as models get more complex and spectra are obtained with higher resolutions, these established software solutions become more feature-heavy, difficult to maintain and less efficient.

Aims. We present jaxspec, a Python package for performing this task quickly and robustly in a fully Bayesian framework. Based on the JAX ecosystem, jaxspec allows the generation of differentiable likelihood functions compilable on core or graphical process units (GPUs), enabling the use of robust algorithms for Bayesian inference.

Methods. We demonstrate the effectiveness of jaxspec samplers, in particular the no U-turn sampler, using a composite model and comparing what we obtain with the existing frameworks. We also demonstrate its ability to process high-resolution spectroscopy data using original methods by reproducing the results of the Hitomi collaboration on the Perseus cluster, while solving the inference problem using variational inference on a GPU.

Results. We obtain identical results when compared to other software and approaches, meaning that jaxspec provides reliable results while being ~10 times faster than existing alternatives. In addition, we show that variational inference can produce convincing results even on high-resolution data in less than 10 minutes on a GPU.

Conclusions. With this package, we aim to pursue the goal of opening up X-ray spectroscopy to the existing ecosystem of machine learning and Bayesian inference, enabling researchers to apply new methods to solve increasingly complex problems in the best possible way. Our long-term ambition is the scientific exploitation of the data from the newAthena X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU).
Sharp bounds on the generalized distance spectral radius and generalized distance energy of strongly connected digraphs
Authors: Xu Zengzhao , Xi Weige
Published: September 2024

Let D(G) be the distance matrix of a strongly connected digraph G, Tr(G) be the diagonal matrix with vertex transmissions of G as diagonal entries. The generalized distance matrix Dβ(G) of the strongly connected digraph G is defined as Dβ(G) = βTr(G)+(1−β)D(G), for any real 0 ≤ β ≤ 1. The generalized distance spectral radius of G is the spectral radius of Dβ(G). Let μ1β(G),μ2β(G),...,μnβ(G) be the eigenvalues of Dβ(G), the generalized distance energy of the digraph G is EDβ(G)=Σi=1n|μiβ(G)−βW(G)n|, where W (G) is the sum of distances between all ordered pairs of vertices of G. In this paper, we obtain some sharp upper and lower bounds for the generalized distance spectral radius of G and characterize the extremal digraphs. Moreover, we also give some lower bounds on the generalized distance energy of digraphs.
Classical driving-assisted quantum evolution speedup
Authors: Peng Hu-ping , Tan Zhi-guang , Peng Hai-jie , Guo You-neng
Published: September 2024

In this study, we propose accelerating the qubit evolution using external classical driving fields in open systems. The results show that the quantum speed limit is determined by the driving strength, population of the initial excited state, and quantum coherence of the initial state. In the Markovian regime, the evolution of the open system will be accelerated by increasing the driving strength, while in non-Markovian regime, the evolution of the open system will present acceleration and deceleration periodically. Moreover, in both Markovian and non-Markovian regime, the population of the initial excited state and the initial-state coherence always can make the quantum speed limit bound tighter.
Dynamical analysis, control, boundedness, and prediction for a fractional-order financial risk system
Authors: Yang 杨 Kehao 轲皓 , Zheng 郑 Song 松 , Yu 余 Tianhu 天虎 , Sambas Aceng , Johansyah Muhamad Deni , Saberi-Nik Hassan , Mohamed Mohamad Afendee
Published: September 2024

This paper delves into the dynamical analysis, chaos control, Mittag–Leffler boundedness (MLB), and forecasting a fractional-order financial risk (FOFR) system through an absolute function term. To this end, the FOFR system is first proposed, and the adomian decomposition method (ADM) is employed to resolve this fractional-order system. The stability of equilibrium points and the corresponding control schemes are assessed, and several classical tools such as Lyapunov exponents (LE), bifurcation diagrams, complexity analysis (CA), and 0–1 test are further extended to analyze the dynamical behaviors of FOFR. Then the global Mittag–Leffler attractive set (MLAS) and Mittag–Leffler positive invariant set (MLPIS) for the proposed financial risk (FR) system are discussed. Finally, a proficient reservoir-computing (RC) method is applied to forecast the temporal evolution of the complex dynamics for the proposed system, and some simulations are carried out to show the effectiveness and feasibility of the present scheme.
Visualizing the electronic structure of kagome magnet LuMn6Sn6 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
Authors: Li 李 Man 满 , Wang 王 Qi 琦 , Zhou 周 Liqin 丽琴 , Song 宋 Wenhua 文华 , Ma 马 Huan 欢 , Ding 丁 Pengfei 鹏飞 , Fedorov Alexander , Huang 黄 Yaobo 耀波 , Büchner Bernd , Lei 雷 Hechang 和畅 , Wang 王 Shancai 善才 , Lou 娄 Rui 睿
Published: September 2024

Searching for the dispersionless flat band (FB) in quantum materials, especially in topological systems, becomes an interesting topic. The kagome lattice is an ideal platform for such exploration because the FB can be naturally induced by the underlying destructive interference. Nevertheless, the magnetic kagome system that hosts the FB close to the Fermi level (E
F) is exceptionally rare. Here, we study the electronic structure of a kagome magnet LuMn6Sn6 by combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The observed Fermi-surface topology and overall band dispersions are similar to previous studies of the XMn6Sn6 (X = Dy, Tb, Gd, Y) family of compounds. We clearly observe two kagome-derived FBs extending through the entire Brillouin zone, and one of them is located just below E
F. The photon-energy-dependent measurements reveal that these FBs are nearly dispersionless along the kz
direction as well, supporting the quasi-two-dimensional character of such FBs. Our results complement the XMn6Sn6 family and demonstrate the robustness of the FB features across this family.
Observation of Standing Slow Magneto-acoustic Waves in a Flaring Active Region Corona Loop
Authors: Abedini A.
Published: September 2024

Intensity fluctuations are frequently observed in different regions and structures of the solar corona. These fluctuations may be caused by magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) waves in coronal plasma. MHD waves are prime candidates for the dynamics, energy transfer, and anomalous temperature of the solar corona. In this paper, analysis is conducted on intensity and temperature fluctuations along the active region coronal loop (NOAA AR 13599) near solar flares. The intensity and temperature as functions of time and distance along the loop are extracted using images captured by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) space telescope. To observe and comprehend the causes of intensity and temperature fluctuations, after conducting initial processing, and applying spatial and temporal frequency filters to data, enhanced distance-time maps of these variables are drawn. The space-time maps of intensities show standing oscillations at wavelengths of 171, 193, and 211 Å with greater precision and clarity than earlier findings. The amplitude of these standing oscillations (waves) decreases and increases over time. The average values of the oscillation period, damping time, damping quality, projected wavelength, and projected phase speed of standing intensity oscillations are in the range of 15–18 minutes, 24–31 minutes, 1.46″–2″, 132″–134″, and 81–100 km s−1, respectively. Also, the differential emission measure peak temperature values along the loop are found in the range of 0.51–3.98 MK, using six AIA passbands, including 94, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 Å. Based on the values of oscillation periods, phase speeds, damping time, and damping quality, it is inferred that the fluctuations in intensity are related to standing slow magneto-acoustic waves with weak damping.
Research on the construction of low-current Airfield Groud Lighting system for civil airports in China
Authors: Li Tuo , Liu Aishui , Li Yunpeng , Zhang Jingyu
Published: September 2024

The 2.8A to 6.6A power supply method is widely used in Airfield Groud Lighting (AGL) system at present. This power supply method is formulated based on the luminous characteristics of halogen lamps. Although The LED light fixtures significantly reduce the energy consumption of the lamps, the energy-saving effect for the entire AGL system is not ideal, mainly due to the high current of the power supply circuit and the high loss of the circuit itself. Through the classification of low-current AGL system, this article proposes a low-current implementation method suitable for China’s civil aviation. For low-current AGL system, which cannot meet existing civil aviation industry standards and specifications in China’s civil airports, through analyzing the differences between low-current AGL system and existing 6.6A power supply systems in design requirements, implementation and construction, operation and maintenance, as well as existing technical specifications, Propose low Specific requirements for the application of current-assisted AGL system, and propose energy-saving retrofit technical solutions based on the characteristics of AGL projects, laying the foundation for the application of low-current AGL system in Chinese civil airports.
Legislative Design and the Codification Project
Authors: Marie Paterson Jeannie , Bant Elise
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines the legislative design of the Indian Contract Act 1872 and its correlating codification project. It explains that attempts to codify a body of common law express an ideal of legislative design. Legislative design refers to how the statute is structured and expressed, including its balance between rules and principles, the degree to which it draws on established legal concepts or language, and its use of examples. Arguments in favour of codifying a field of common law are commonly premised on several overlapping values such as rationality (or coherence), certainty, homogeneity, and accessibility. The chapter considers the ways in which the codification project highlighted the complex relationship between legislative design and its interpretation and operation.
Formation
Authors: Tofaris Stelios
Published: September 2024

This chapter examines the first stage of formation of contract by focusing on the establishment of an agreement. The framework set in place by the Indian Contract Act provides that a proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise, and every promise or set of promises is an agreement, which is a necessary but not sufficient condition of a contract. The chapter explains the internal workings and analytical reach of the statutory framework, and considers the extent to which practical problems can be analysed through that framework coherently and with the production of sound outcomes. Noting that the Contract Act has stood the test of time, the chapter discusses how Indian law can deal with future pressures in this area.
Coercion, Undue Influence, and Unconscionability
Authors: Swaminathan Shivprasad , Singh Veda
Published: September 2024

This chapter explores the contuours of the concepts of coercion, undue influence, and unconscionability in Indian contract law. Section 15 of the Contract Act defines coercion and section 16 of the Contract Act defines undue influence. While the Contract Act does not provide separately for unconscionability, the definition of undue influence in section 16 was deliberately designed to be capacious enough to incorporate a general principle of unconscionability—enough, in fact, to have subsumed the doctrine of undue influence within its ambit. There is a double dissonance between the design of sections 15 and 16 and the construction that courts have placed upon these provisions. While courts have sought to pack into the definition of coercion in section 15 more than it can plausibly encompass within its scope, including economic duress, they have unduly constricted section 16 refusing to invoke it in cases of unconscionability and inequality of bargaining power.
Performance, Breach, and Termination
Authors: Naniwadekar Mihir
Published: September 2024

This chapter looks into the provisions pertaining to performance, breach, and termination in the Indian Contract Act of 1872 (‘the Contract Act’). The Contract Act regulates the performance of contracts in some detail and devotes nearly thirty sections to it. The chapter studies issues pertaining to who is to perform the contract; how the performance is to happen; and when non performance can be justified apart from the cases of frustration and rescission of contracts ab initio. It also considers the question of when a breach can result in the termination of the contract.
Frustration
Authors: Bhadbhade Nilima
Published: September 2024

This chapter studies the effect of supervening events on contracts. The law discharges a promisor when subsequent events or circumstances beyond the promisor’s control make its performance impossible or substantially frustrate the principal purpose of the contract; the contract could also be discharged by illegality or a contingency stipulatedin the contract coming to pass. Frustration ends the contract prospectively and relieves a party from that party’s contractual obligations. The doctrine of frustration reconciles the rule of absolute contracts with the need for making exceptions to meet the demands of justice. The chapter also touches upon new issues and challenges pertaining to the application of the doctrine of frustration in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Duty of Good Faith
Authors: Kumar Manasi , Mysoor Poorna
Published: September 2024

This Chapter examines the extent to which the Indian Contract Act (‘the Contract Act’) and the Indian common law recognise the duty of good faith. It argues that regardless of the intention of imperial Britain in enacting the Contract Act in its original form, there is no reason to assume that a duty of good faith cannot be read into the interpretation of the Indian contract law. Upon examination of the legislative provisions and the case law, it demonstrates that despite inconsistencies, there is sufficient basis to argue that the duty of good faith can be incorporated at every stage of the life of a contract. It concludes that despite the scepticism of English courts towards imposing a positive duty of good faith, the Indian legal system should forge its own path reflective of its value system and business realities.
Damages
Authors: Barnett Katy
Published: September 2024

This chapter outlines the principles governing the availability, quantum of, and limitations upon damages for breach of contract in the Indian Contract Act 1872 (‘the Contract Act’). Section 73 of the Contract Act is a short and simple attempt to codify the common law principles regarding damages for breach of contract.It came with eighteen illustrations explaining how contract damages are to be calculated in various circumstances . Although the illustrations are not presented in a logical order , this chapter seeks to rationalize them so as to make them helpful to practitioners and scholars. The chapter also details the assessment of compensation for expectation loss and reliance loss. When it comes to restituttionary remedies, it argues that Indian courts face the same questions as courts in other common law countries that are called upon to decide similar cases.
Rescission of Contracts Voidable for Lack of Free Consent
Authors: Elliott KC Steven , Behl Divya
Published: September 2024

This chapter treats the rescission of contracts voidable for lack of free consent. It considers the origins of the remedy and identifies distinctive features of the legislation which create a remedy unlike that in England or elsewhere in the common law world. The chapter identifies a numbers of puzzles the legislation throws up and proposes solutions the Indian courts may adopt. One conclusion of the chapter is that Indian courts should be more attentive and faithful to Indian legislation and case law than they sometimes have been.
Bailment and Pledge
Authors: Pearson Gail
Published: September 2024

This chapter introduces the notion of bailment and pledge in accordance with the Indian Contract Act 1872 (‘the Contract Act’). It finds that the concept of bailment is central to sales tax and port charges disputes in India. The bailment part of the Contract Act has thirty-three clauses, which address possessory securities, liens, and pledges. The Contract Act defines bailment, bailor and bailee. A pledge is a bailment for a distinct purpose. Moreover, the difference between a pledge and bailment is the pledgee’s right to sell bailed goods. The Contract Act is not a complete code. Additional legislation imposes Contract Act-like bailee duties on carriers and others taking charge of goods and informs current litigation. A recent question is the relationship between bailment and consumer protection.
Concluding Remarks
Authors: Beale Hugh
Published: September 2024

This concluding chapter reviews the general themes raised in the earlier chapters of this book on the Indian Contract Act 1872 (‘the Contract Act’). The chapter poses a series of questions about both the aims of the Contract Act at the time of its enactment and its modern role. The Contract Act poses a number of problems of substance. Some of them have been reduced by creative readings by the courts, while occasionally revisiting the Contract Act yields a better solution than currently applied. However creative readings and solutions depending on detailed interpretation raise issues of accessibility, while some topics, which include privity, assignment, and incapacity, seem to require legislative intervention. It would be preferable to have a thorough revision of the Act. Nonetheless, the Contract Act was a great achievement, and it has stood the test of time remarkably well.
Truth Without Truths
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this book is to bring nihilism into debates over truth and paradox, and show that a nihilist approach to truth is a serious contender. In the philosophy of mathematics, Field denies the existence of mathematical objects, and in metaethics Mackie denies the existence of morally obligatory actions. These nihilist positions are promising and have led to rich debates. In the study of truth, nihilism is the view that nothing is true. This is a very striking and (at first) implausible thesis, which is perhaps why it is seldom discussed. This book demonstrates that in fact a surprisingly strong case is available for nihilism about truth. The main grounds for taking the view seriously are the elegant solutions it provides to a wide range of paradoxes involving truth, and its epistemological superiority to theories that posit truths. The discussion considers a wider range of paradoxes than usual—including the Truth-teller paradox and other paradoxes of underdetermination. This book is also a challenge to deflationism. All contemporary deflationists posit truths. By showing that we can well do without truths, Liggins argues that deflationism is actually too lavish a position. Liggins’s preferred form of alethic nihilism includes a Ramseyan analysis of the concept of truth, which uses quantification into sentence position, conceived of as non-objectual and non-substitutional. So this book is part of a wider movement exploring the implications of admitting forms of non-objectual, non-substitutional quantification—sometimes called ‘higher-order metaphysics’.
Introducing alethic nihilism
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

The chapter begins by assuming, for the sake of argument, the existence of a rich ontology of propositions, enough to cover everything that might be asserted or believed. It then lays out the tenets of alethic nihilism. The nihilist believes that ‘is true’ is a genuine predicate, but claims that it has an empty extension. The same goes for ‘is false’. The nihilist analyses the concept of truth in a Ramseyan fashion, using non-substitutional quantification into sentence position; and they claim that the reason we have ‘is true’ (and other synonymous predicates of other languages) is that they enhance our expressive power. Having introduced nihilism, the chapter shows how it resists the objection ‘If nothing is true, then the proposition that nothing is true is true. So nihilism implies that there is a counterexample to nihilism, namely, nihilism itself.’ Finally, nihilism is compared with deflationism.
The superiority of the nihilist solutions to the paradoxes
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

This chapter argues that the nihilist response to the paradoxes discussed is superior to the other responses already in the literature. The other responses discussed are: denying the existence of the propositions that generate the paradoxes; giving up parts of classical logic; and ‘moderate restrictionism’—that is, giving up as few propositions of the form <
 is true iff p> as possible, no more than are needed to deal with the paradoxes. Finally, ‘revenge’ paradoxes are discussed, and it is argued that nihilism is immune from these. Because of the nature of the nihilist solution, the usual recipes for concocting revenge paradoxes do not work—which is a considerable advantage over rival solutions. An appendix to this chapter discusses Graham Priest’s responses to some paradoxes of underdetermination, and shows that they are independent of his non-classical logical views.
Alethic nihilism as an error theory
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

This chapter views nihilism from a fresh perspective, as a contribution to a realism/anti-realism debate. From this perspective, nihilism is best seen as a version of anti-realism, specifically, an error theory (like Field’s position in philosophy of mathematics and Mackie’s position in metaethics). Error theories about other domains have received a number of objections: for example, it has been argued that these are too radical, or that our best explanations of some phenomena entail the existence of the entities in question. The chapter shows how to direct these objections to nihilism, and discusses how the nihilist can best respond. Error theories about other domains share a number of virtues. The chapter shows that nihilism also enjoys these: in particular, it is ontologically economical, and because it says that nothing is true, it avoids the problem of explaining how we know of something that it is true.
Further objections to nihilism
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

The nihilist relies heavily on non-substitutional quantification into sentence position. They therefore face the objection that this sort of quantification is unintelligible. (This objection also faces other proponents of ‘higher-order metaphysics’.) This chapter discusses how the nihilist should respond. Priest claims that paradoxes of the same structure should receive the same kind of solution (the ‘Principle of Uniform Solution’). Priest’s principle is a threat to nihilism: here nihilism is defended by challenging his principle. Guindon has recently made an objection to restrictionist solutions to the Liar. His strategy is to present a new paradox he calls the ‘Satisfier paradox’, which does not employ the notion of truth, and to argue that every solution to the Satisfier leads to a non-restrictionist solution to the Liar. This calls into question the idea that the Liar motivates restrictionism. The chapter responds to Guindon’s objection on behalf of nihilists and other restrictionists.
Inconsistency theories
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

An inconsistency theory of truth is, roughly, one that says that possessing the concept of truth disposes us to believe something that is not the case. This chapter shows that nihilism is an inconsistency theory of truth, one that is superior to other available inconsistency theories of truth. To begin, it introduces the idea of an inconsistency theory, and explains why nihilism counts as one. It then compares nihilism with two of the leading inconsistency theories, those of Scharp and Eklund. The main topics discussed are: which principles are constitutive of the concept of truth; the relation between concept possession and constitutive principles; and the extension of inconsistent concepts.
Primitivism
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

Scharp has argued that inconsistency theorists of truth should deny that the concept of truth can be analysed. Since nihilism includes a Ramseyan analysis of the concept of truth, Scharp’s argument threatens nihilism. This chapter shows that Scharp’s argument is illuminating but only establishes a fairly limited conclusion, namely, that there is one type of analysis which inconsistent concepts (such as the concept of truth) cannot receive. It shows that it leaves open the possibility that they can receive another type of analysis. Asay is the leading contemporary defender of the view that the concept of truth cannot be analysed. He offers three arguments for this conclusion. To defend nihilism, the chapter sets out Asay’s arguments and—drawing on discussions earlier in the book—explains where they go wrong. It tries to show that Asay’s arguments rely on flawed assumptions about concepts, quantification, and conceptual analysis.
Fictionalism
Authors: Liggins David
Published: September 2024

‘Fictionalism’ about a discourse is defined as an anti-realist account of the discourse that uses resources drawn from anti-realist theories of fiction. Nihilism does not count as a form of fictionalism in this sense. Some philosophers have offered revolutionary fictionalist accounts of truth. This chapter argues that revolutionary fictionalists about truth should consider incorporating nihilism into their theories. In response to Gamester’s pretence-based form of revolutionary fictionalism, it raises questions about whether this should be preferred to other forms of revolutionary fictionalism. The chapter then critically examines two hermeneutic fictionalist accounts of truth, one offered by Beall, another offered by Armour-Garb and Woodbridge. Finally, it makes some brief remarks about the prospects for hermeneutic fictionalism about truth-talk.
Predictors of Change in Vaccination Decisions Among the Vaccine Hesitant: Examining the Roles of Age and Intolerance of Uncertainty
Authors: Halilova Julia G , Fynes-Clinton Samuel , Addis Donna Rose , Rosenbaum R Shayna
Published: September 2024

Background

Vaccine hesitancy and resistance pose significant threats to controlling pandemics and preventing infectious diseases. In a group of individuals unvaccinated against the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19), we investigated how age, intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and their interaction affected the likelihood of having changed one’s vaccination decision a year later. We hypothesized that higher IU would increase the likelihood of becoming vaccinated, particularly among individuals of younger age. We predicted that this effect would remain significant, even after controlling for delay discounting and trust in science.

Purpose

The goal of this research was to understand the factors influencing changes in vaccination decisions among the vaccine hesitant.

Methods

In a larger longitudinal study, ~7,500 participants from Prolific.co completed demographic and vaccination status questions, a delay discounting task, and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale in June–August 2021. Approximately 3,200 participants completed a follow-up survey in July–August 2022, answering questions about vaccination status, reasons for vaccination decision, and trust in science. We analyzed data from 251 participants who initially had no intention of getting vaccinated and completed the follow-up survey; 38% reported becoming vaccinated in the intervening year.

Results

Data were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression. Over and above other factors related to vaccination decisions (delay discounting, trust in science), younger participants were more likely to change their decision and become vaccinated a year later, especially if they had higher IU, confirming our predictions. Primary reasons for becoming vaccinated were necessity and seeking protection against the virus.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the complex interplay between age, uncertainty, and vaccination decisions, and inform health policies by suggesting the need for tailoring interventions to specific concerns in different age groups.