bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PO-YOLOv5: A defect detection model for solenoid connector based on YOLOv5
Authors: Chen Ming , Liu Yuqing , Wei Xing , Zhang Zichen , Gaidai Oleg , Sui Hengshou , Li Bin
Published: January 2024

Solenoid connectors play important role in electronic stability system design, with the features of small size, low cost, fast response time and high reliability. The main production process challenge for solenoid connectors is the accurate detection of defects, which is closely related to safe driving. Both faultless and defective products have similar color and shape at the defect location, making proper inspection challenging. To address these issues, we proposed a defect detection model called PO-YOLOv5 to achieve accurate defect detection for solenoid connectors. First, an additional prediction head was added to enable the model to acquire more semantic information to detect larger-scale defective features. Second, we introduced dynamic convolution to learn complementary connections between the four dimensions of the convolution kernel by utilizing its multidimensional attention mechanism. Replacing conventional convolution with dynamic convolution enhances the detection accuracy of the model and reduces the inference time. Finally, we validated PO-YOLOv5 versus the state-of-the-art object detection methods on the same solenoid connectors dataset. Experiments revealed that our proposed approach exhibited higher accuracy. The mAP (mean Average Precision) result of PO-YOLOv5 was found to be about 90.1%. Compared with the original YOLOv5, PO-YOLOv5 exhibited improved precision by about 3%.
Application of elastic net regression for modeling COVID-19 sociodemographic risk factors
Authors: Moxley Tristan A. , Johnson-Leung Jennifer , Seamon Erich , Williams Christopher , Ridenhour Benjamin J.
Published: January 2024

Objectives

COVID-19 has been at the forefront of global concern since its emergence in December of 2019. Determining the social factors that drive case incidence is paramount to mitigating disease spread. We gathered data from the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) along with Democratic voting percentage to attempt to understand which county-level sociodemographic metrics had a significant correlation with case rate for COVID-19.

Methods

We used elastic net regression due to issues with variable collinearity and model overfitting. Our modelling framework included using the ten Health and Human Services regions as submodels for the two time periods 22 March 2020 to 15 June 2021 (prior to the Delta time period) and 15 June 2021 to 1 November 2021 (the Delta time period).

Results

Statistically, elastic net improved prediction when compared to multiple regression, as almost every HHS model consistently had a lower root mean square error (RMSE) and satisfactory R2 coefficients. These analyses show that the percentage of minorities, disabled individuals, individuals living in group quarters, and individuals who voted Democratic correlated significantly with COVID-19 attack rate as determined by Variable Importance Plots (VIPs).

Conclusions

The percentage of minorities per county correlated positively with cases in the earlier time period and negatively in the later time period, which complements previous research. In contrast, higher percentages of disabled individuals per county correlated negatively in the earlier time period. Counties with an above average percentage of group quarters experienced a high attack rate early which then diminished in significance after the primary vaccine rollout. Higher Democratic voting consistently correlated negatively with cases, coinciding with previous findings regarding a partisan divide in COVID-19 cases at the county level. Our findings can assist regional policymakers in distributing resources to more vulnerable counties in future pandemics based on SVI.
An automatic driving trajectory planning approach in complex traffic scenarios based on integrated driver style inference and deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Diao Shuzhen
Published: January 2024

As autonomous driving technology continues to advance and gradually become a reality, ensuring the safety of autonomous driving in complex traffic scenarios has become a key focus and challenge in current research. Model-free deep reinforcement learning (Deep Reinforcement Learning) methods have been widely used for addressing motion planning problems in complex traffic scenarios, as they can implicitly learn interactions between vehicles. However, current planning methods based on deep reinforcement learning exhibit limited robustness and generalization performance. They struggle to adapt to traffic conditions beyond the training scenarios and face difficulties in handling uncertainties arising from unexpected situations. Therefore, this paper addresses the challenges presented by complex traffic scenarios, such as signal-free intersections. It does so by first utilizing the historical trajectories of adjacent vehicles observed in these scenarios. Through a Variational Auto-Encoder (VAE) based on the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) recurrent neural network, it extracts driver style features. These driver style features are then integrated with other state parameters and used to train a motion planning strategy within an extended reinforcement learning framework. This approach ultimately yields a more robust and interpretable mid-to-mid motion planning method. Experimental results confirm that the proposed method achieves low collision rates, high efficiency, and successful task completion in complex traffic scenarios.
Detecting possible pairs of materials for composites using a material word co-occurrence network
Authors: Ishii Chika , Asatani Kimitaka , Sakata Ichiro
Published: January 2024

Composite materials are popular because of their high performance capabilities, but new material development is time-consuming. To accelerate this process, researchers studying material informatics, an academic discipline combining computational science and material science, have developed less time-consuming approaches for predicting possible material combinations. However, these processes remain problematic because some materials are not suited for them. The limitations of specific candidates for new composites may cause potential new material pairs to be overlooked. To solve this problem, we developed a new method to predict possible composite material pairs by considering more materials than previous techniques. We predicted possible material pairs by conducting link predictions of material word co-occurrence networks while assuming that co-occurring material word pairs in scientific papers on composites were reported as composite materials. As a result, we succeeded in predicting the co-occurrence of material words with high specificity. Nodes tended to link to many other words, generating new links in the created co-occurrence material word network; notably, the number of material words co-occurring with graphene increased rapidly. This phenomenon confirmed that graphene is an attractive composite component. We expect our method to contribute to the accelerated development of new composite materials.
Physicians’ awareness of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients with osteoporosis
Authors: Supanumpar Nachapol , Pisarnturakit Pagaporn Pantuwadee , Charatcharoenwitthaya Natthinee , Subbalekha Keskanya
Published: January 2024

A serious adverse effect of antiresorptive drugs, which are widely used to treat osteoporosis, is medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Physicians can reduce the risk of MRONJ by educating patients and emphasizing the importance of good oral health. However, limited information is available regarding physicians’ awareness and clinical practices associated with MRONJ. Hence, this study aimed to examine physicians’ awareness related to MRONJ and associated clinical practices. This study was a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2022 to February 2023. An online self-administered questionnaire was sent to physicians in Thailand who prescribed antiresorptive drugs for osteoporosis. Most respondents agreed that antiresorptive drugs might cause MRONJ (92.3%), poor oral health increased the risk of MRONJ (84%), and MRONJ is an important consideration in patients with osteoporosis (85%). Of the respondents, 48.1% and 15.5% always referred patients to dentists before and during antiresorptive therapy, respectively. Approximately 60% of physicians informed patients of the MRONJ risk before prescribing antiresorptive drugs, and 30% inquired about patients’ oral symptoms at the follow-up visit. Overall, 44% of physicians advised patients to receive oral health care; the most common reason for not advising this was that respondents did not consider themselves to be adequately knowledgeable to detect oral health problems. These findings indicate that while most physicians who prescribed antiresorptive drugs for osteoporosis were aware of and considered MRONJ in their practice, several took insufficient action to prevent it. This highlights the need to emphasize clinical practice guidelines and collaboration between physicians and dentists.
Automatic classification of sleep stages using EEG signals and convolutional neural networks
Authors: Masad Ihssan S. , Alqudah Amin , Qazan Shoroq
Published: January 2024

Sleep stages classification is one of the new topics in studying human life quality because it plays a crucial role in getting a healthy lifestyle. Abnormal changes or absence of normal sleep may lead to different diseases such as heart-related diseases, diabetes, and obesity. In general, sleep staging analysis can be performed using electroencephalography (EEG) signals. This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) based methodology for sleep stage classification using EEG signals taken by six channels and transformed into time-frequency analysis images. The proposed methodology consists of three major steps: (i) segment the EEG signal into epochs with 30 seconds in length, (ii) convert epochs into 2D representation using time-frequency analysis, and (iii) feed the 2D time-frequency analysis to the 2D CNN. The results showed that the proposed methodology is robust and achieved a very high accuracy of 99.39% for channel C4-A1. All other channels have accuracy values above 98.5%, which indicates that any channel can be used for sleep stage classification with high accuracy. The proposed methodology outperformed the methods in the literature in terms of overall accuracy or single channel accuracy. It is expected to provide a great benefit for physicians, especially neurologists; by providing them with a new powerful tool to support the clinical diagnosis of sleep-related diseases.
Authenticity: Effective emotional labor strategies on teaching efficacy of university teachers in China
Authors: Zheng Jiuhua , Geng Yuqing , Gao Juan , Xiang Qinjun
Published: January 2024

Based on the job demands-resources model, this study explored the relationships among emotional labor strategies, job demands of teaching, job resources, and teaching efficacy for university teachers. The results, based on a sample of 316 university teachers from China, showed that the teachers preferred to convey authenticity by expressing deep acting and naturally felt emotion. Furthermore, deep acting and naturally felt emotions were found to have a significant positive effect on teaching efficacy, whereas surface acting did not have any significant relationship with teaching efficacy. As organizational variables, job demands significantly positively affected surface acting, deep acting, and naturally felt emotion. In contrast, job resources positively affected surface and deep acting, but no significant relationship with naturally felt emotions was found. These results highlight that university teachers from China could benefit from adopting authentic emotional labor strategies, specifically deep acting and naturally felt emotions, as the most effective strategies in teaching. Based on the above findings, this paper concludes with recommendations for university administrators to alleviate the emotional labor of college faculty. For example, universities should pay more attention to teachers’ emotional state, provide resources to support them, and give more space and support to college teachers in teaching.
Tuberculous pericarditis in adolescents: A case series
Authors: Paramitha Winda , Murni Indah Kartika , Arguni Eggi , Setyowireni Dwikisworo
Published: January 2024

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major causes of childhood mortality, especially in endemic areas. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated 550,000 new cases and 80,000 deaths due to TB among children. Around 70-80% of the cases were pulmonary TB, while the rest were extra-pulmonary TB.1

Tuberculous pericarditis accounts for only 8% of all TB cases, however, tuberculosis is the main cause of pericarditis in high-TB-burden countries, including Indonesia.2 The mortality rate reached 17-40% and is affected by treatment adequacy.3 Without adequate therapy, the mean life expectancy is 3.7 months, with only 20% surviving to the sixth month.4 A 2004 study reported that successful treatment of TB in children depends on several factors, such as treatment compliance, timing and accuracy of diagnosis, concurrent human immunodeficency virus (HIV) infection and its clinical stage of disease, malnutrition, and drug resistance.5 Adolescents and young adults are at the highest risks of having TB.6 We report here on three cases of tuberculous pericarditis in adolescents and their outcomes following pericardiocentesis and medication.
Bowel Stiffness Assessed by Shear-wave Ultrasound Elastography Predicts Disease Behavior Progression in Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Chen Yu-Jun , He Jin-Shen , Xiong Shan-Shan , Li Man-Ying , Chen Shu-Ling , Chen Bai-Li , Qiu Yun , Xia Qing-Qing , He Yao , Zeng Zhi-Rong , Chen Min-Hu , Xie Xiao-Yan , Mao Ren
Published: January 2024

Objectives:

There is a lack of reliable predictors of disease behavior progression in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Real-time shear-wave elastography (SWE) is a novel method for evaluating tissue stiffness. However, its value for assessing CD has not yet been investigated. We aimed to explore the value of SWE and other ultrasound parameters at diagnosis in predicting CD behavior progression.

Methods:

We retrospectively collected data from CD patients with the non-stenotic non-penetrating disease (B1 phenotype based on the Montreal classification). All patients underwent intestinal ultrasound at baseline and were followed up. The endpoint was defined as disease behavior progression to stricturing (B2) or penetrating (B3) disease. Cox regression analysis was performed for the association between baseline characteristics and subsequent endpoints. Additionally, a multivariate nomogram was established to predict the risk of disease behavior progression quantitatively.

Results:

A total of 130 CD patients with B1 phenotype were enrolled. Twenty-seven patients (20.8%) developed B2 or B3 disease, with a median follow-up of 33 months. Multivariate analysis identified that SWE was the only independent predictor of disease behavior progression (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.12, P=0.001). A reverse of the hazard ratio appeared at the cut-off 12.75 kPa. The nomogram incorporating SWE and other clinical characteristics showed a good prediction performance (AUC=0.792).

Conclusions:

Intestinal stiffness assessed using SWE is an independent predictor of disease behavior progression in patients with CD. CD patients with SWE >12.75 kPa at diagnosis are prone to progress toward stricturing or penetrating diseases.
Rubble Archaeology on the North Edinburgh Shoreline: Creative Research in the Time of COVID-19
Authors: Gardner Jonathan
Published: January 2024

This photo essay describes how a COVID-19 lockdown led to the creative investigation of an unlikely archaeological site: Royston Beach on the shoreline of north Edinburgh (Scotland).Much of the Beach and the land behind it was reclaimed from the tidal estuary of the Firth of Forth between the 1950s and 1990s using vast quantities of demolition rubble produced by the reconstruction of the city. This material – most likely produced from ‘slum’ clearance and factory demolitions – comprises a heterotemporal jumble of hundreds-of-thousands of bricks, eighteenth and nineteenth century sandstone building fragments, mid-twentieth century concrete foundations, asbestos, plastic waste and much else besides. While some of the reclaimed land was built upon in the 1970s, a large part of this dumped material is now eroding into the sea as tides and storms grow more extreme.Royston Beach became part of my research project (a three-year, cross-UK comparison of waste-modified terrain entitled, ‘Reimagining British Waste Landscapes’) as a result of travel-restrictions due to lockdowns. Though emerging from a period of restricted movement, my experiences investigating the Beach fundamentally shaped my approach to understanding the archaeology of waste landscapes and my methodological approach for this ongoing project. Using a combination of traditional archaeological photography and creative research, in this paper I explore the site and follow the complex spatio-temporal ‘itineraries’ of waste materials.
Steroid metabolites producing adenoma: a case report
Authors: Ivashchenko K. V. , Komshilova K. A. , Molashenko N. V. , Lavreniuk A. A. , Lapshina A. M. , Kim I. V. , Ioutsi V. A. , Antsupova M. A. , Utkina M. V. , Platonova N. M. , Troshina E. A. , Mokrysheva N. G.
Published: January 2024

Hyperandrogenism is the most prevalent cause of menstrual cycle abnormalities and infertility in women. Here, we present a case of a 32-year-old woman with a 7-year history of menstrual irregularity and infertility. Laboratory test results revealed elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone 21-deoxycortisol. Abdominal computed tomography found a 3,9х2,9х2,6 cm left adrenal tumor. Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia was diagnosed initially, however, treatment with supraphysiological doses of dexamethasone proved ineffective and progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels remained high. Genetic testing revealed no 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed with subsequent pathological report being compatible with an adrenal cortical adenoma. 17-hydroxyprogesterone, progesterone 21-deoxycortisol levels returned to the normal range postoperatively and the patient’s menstrual cycle normalized without additional medication. Steroid metabolites producing adenomas are also extremely rare with only a few cases found in patients without previous CAH diagnosis. When a patient with clinically and biochemically diagnosed NCCAH demonstrate no typical features and shows poor response to steroid therapy, the patient should receive multisteroid LC–MS/MS assay for glucocorticoids and androgens, adrenal and ovarian imaging and undergo CYP21A2 gene mutation analysis.
DESIGN ELEMENTS AND RISKS OF CENTRAL BANK DIGITAL CURRENCY IN TAILORING A PRUDENT ‘RUPIAH DIGITAL’
Authors: Santoso Wahyu Yun , Putra Araya Anggara , Susanti Laras , Rahman Faiz
Published: January 2024

As the risks associated with the use of stablecoins grow, BI intends to issue Indonesian CBDCs. However, as a financial system innovation, the design of a CBDC must also consider the consequences and risks that may arise from its implementation. In this regard, BI believes that the primary foundation for CBDC implementation should be a strong legal foundation. This normative paper discusses the legal concerns that could arise throughout CBDC implementation in Indonesia. However, because Indonesia's legal framework for cyber privacy and security is still in its infancy, this paper also investigates the privacy and cyber security risks of CBDC implementation. According to the research findings, Indonesia's regulatory framework is still far from being capable of accommodating CBDC implementation. The legality of this CBDC is primarily determined by whether it is a currency or merely a payment instrument. Furthermore, there are privacy and cybersecurity risks that are not mitigated by the current regulatory framework. Despite the passing of the umbrella regulation for Indonesian personal data protection, some aspects of privacy must be taken into account by enacting provisions that protect retail CBDC users. In terms of cybersecurity, there is an urgent need to enact a comprehensive Cybersecurity Law, given the existing cybersecurity provisions still lack adequate protection for CBDC.
Partai Politik Dalam Perspektif Pertanggungjawaban Pidana Korupsi
Authors: Wangga Maria Silvya Elisabeth
Published: January 2024

Political parties fulfill the criteria as corporations in the Corruption Crime Eradication Law. Political parties that benefit from the results of criminal acts of corruption have not been held criminally responsible for their administrators or members. This paper examines the rationale for criminal accountability of political parties in criminal acts of corruption committed carried out by the management or members and their criminal law policies. This paper is a type of normative juridical research in a broad sense. The basic idea of criminal accountability for political parties in acts of corruption must consider six things, among others; blameworthiness, need, moderation, inefficiency, control costs, and the victim's interests. For future reforms, it is necessary to regulate the formulation of the main types of punishment that are structural or institutional in nature.
Front matters
Authors: CPH 53(1)
Published: January 2024

Front matters
Pojęcie interesu publicznego w polskiej ustawie o ochronie przyrody z 10 marca 1934 r
Authors: Malec Dorota
Published: January 2024

Rozwój współczesnego prawa ochrony przyrody i środowiska naturalnego spowodował zajęcie się tą dyscypliną licznych autorów. Znacznie skromniej przedstawia się liczba publikacji na temat początków ustawodawstwa ochrony przyrody w Polsce w okresie międzywojennym, choć uchwalona przez sejm w dniu 10 marca 1934 r. pierwsza polska ustaw o ochronie przyrody zasługuje na głębszą analizę. Niniejsze opracowanie poświęcone jest wybranym rozwiązaniom prawnym, zastosowanym w ustawie z 1934 r., w szczególności pojęciu interesu publicznego, znanemu z praktyki administracyjnej, obecnemu zwłaszcza w ustawodawstwie wywłaszczeniowym, do którego w szerokim sensie można zaliczy także pierwszą polską ustawę o ochronie przyrody.
Historia prawa, proces i wymiar sprawiedliwości w świetle źródeł. Wybór i opracowanie Andrzej Dziadzio i Dorota Malec, 2000
Authors: Walachowicz Jerzy
Published: January 2024

Recenzja: Historia prawa, proces i wymiar sprawiedliwości w świetle źródeł, wybór i opracowanie Andrzej Dziadzio i Dorota Malec, Kraków 2000
Anna Grześkowiak-Krwawicz, O farmę rządu czy o rząd dusz. Publicystyka polityczna Sejmu Czteroletniego, 2000
Authors: Organiściak Wojciech
Published: January 2024

Recenzja: Anna Grześkowiak-Krwawicz: O farmę rządu czy o rząd dusz. Publicystyka polityczna Sejmu Czteroletniego. Wydawnictwo Instytutu Badań Literackich Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Warszawa 2000.
Displacement analysis of the October 30, 2020 (M
w = 6.9), Samos (Aegean Sea) earthquake
Authors: Çırmık A. , Ankaya Pamukçu O. , Doğru F. , Cingöz A. , Özdağ Ö. C. , Sözbilir H.
Published: January 2024

Destructive earthquakes with high deformations have occurred in the Aegean region since the historical period. The most destructive of these earthquakes in recent years is the October 30, 2020 (M
w = 6.9) Samos (Aegean Sea) earthquake. This earthquake affected a wide area and caused numerous losses of lives and property especially in Izmir city. For examining the effects of the earthquake, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data before, during, and after the earthquake were processed, and coseismic and postseismic displacement evaluations were made. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) ascending, descending interferograms, line of sight velocity, and displacement maps were obtained for the earthquake-affected area. The GNSS and InSAR data were evaluated together, and the areas with subsidence and uplift were determined in conjunction with the fault zone. In addition, the horizontal displacements were analyzed by using Coulomb failure criteria, and peak ground displacements were obtained from the strong motion stations located in the study region. As a result, from all the displacement analyses, it was determined that high-amplitude energy was released, at the regional scale from Ayvalık in the North to Datça in the South after the earthquake, and this earthquake generated permanent deformation in the affected region.
A Canaanite jar with a Cypro-Minoan inscription from Tiryns: TIRY Avas 001
Authors: Davis Brent , Maran Joseph , Prillwitz Susanne , Wirghová Soňa
Published: January 2024

More inscribed Canaanite jars have been found at the palatial centre of Tiryns than at any other site on the Greek mainland. The Cypro-Minoan inscription TIRY Avas 001, on a Canaanite jar handle from Tiryns, was first published in 1988. Since then, however, a second (unpublished) inscribed handle from that jar has been identified, along with the vessel’s rim, base, and enough body sherds to reconstruct the entire vessel. In this article, we present the reconstructed jar and its incised Cypro-Minoan signs, including a detailed account of the varied contexts of each recovered sherd, as well as a macroscopic analysis of the vessel’s fabric and what this says about its place of origin. We then discuss the probable meanings and uses of the jar and of the writing on it, and outline the probable path of the vessel from its creation on the Levantine coast, to its inscription on Cyprus, to its deposition in a final palatial destruction context in the Lower Citadel of Tiryns.
A new personal name in the Linear B tablets from Pylos
Authors: Melena José L.
Published: January 2024

The Mycenaean personal name a-ḳị-a2-ro is now given as the new reading for a[-•]-a2-ro in the tablet from Pylos Jn 478.3. This paper proposes a rendering of the name as Ἀγχίαλος, which is well attested in Homeric epos, and it is interpreted as a nickname derived from the place-name of origin of the individual.
Les nasales syllabiques en lycien
Authors: Patri Sylvain
Published: January 2024

L’emploi des signes syllabiques m̃ et ñ est régi par des règles d’écriture strictes, alors que leurs réalisations ne sont pas invariablement syllabiques. On montre que ces signes ont des réalisations non syllabiques dans des contextes où la co-articulation d’une consonne nasale et d’une occlusive modifie les propriétés phonétiques de cette dernière. L’expression graphique fondée sur la solidarité des symboles d’écriture dans des configurations où les nasales sont syllabiques, devient, par suite, transposables aux situations où les modification du son associé à la nasale sont phonétiquement requises alors que les nasales ne sont plus nécessairement syllabiques. La distribution des nasales dans les contextes où elle sont syllabiques indique, en outre, des réalisations différenciées selon l’entourage segmental, en mettant en évidence des conditionnements dont l’intrication offre une justification plausible à leur représentation individualisée dans l’écriture.
Enhanced interface structure of electroformed copper/diamond composites for thermal management applications
Authors: Evren Burak , Evren Gökçe , Kıncal Cem , Solak Nuri , Ürgen Mustafa
Published: January 2024

As the power density of electronic devices increases, the requirement for heat sinks with enhanced thermal properties becomes imperative for advanced heat dissipation. Copper/diamond composites are next-generation heat dissipators with high thermal conductivities, yet fabrication of these composites requires high energy and complex instruments. In this study, copper/diamond composites are fabricated by electroforming. The sediment co-deposition process is modified to obtain uniform diamond particle distribution with tailorable volume fraction. Diamond particles were initially settled on the cathode surface outside the electrolyte, and then the setup was immersed in an acidic copper sulfate electroforming bath. Varying amounts (0–100 mg l−1) of thiourea are introduced to the electrolyte to enhance the matrix–particle interface. The gaps between diamond particles are filled with electrodeposited copper using optimized deposition conditions. The composite structure detaches from the cathode by itself after the production with desired shape and dimensions. The effect of operating conditions on cathodic polarization, composite microstructure, and thermal properties are investigated. Thermal conductivity of 49 vol.% diamond containing sample fabricated with optimized parameters exceeds 667 W m−1 K−1. The increase in thermal conductivity and enhanced interface structure is attributed to the excellent void-filling ability of the optimized electrolyte.
Using Autoclave Concrete Prism Testing to Evaluate ASR Reactivity in Concrete Using Laboratory Tests and Outdoor Exposure Blocks as Benchmark Data
Authors: Hossain Md Tarik , Giannini Eric R. , Tanner Jennifer E.
Published: January 2024

The alkali–silica reaction (ASR) occurs in concrete that contains silica in a reactive aggregate, sufficient alkalis, and sufficient moisture. Although the most widely accepted tests for evaluating ASR potential are the concrete prism test (CPT) and the accelerated mortar bar test, each test has limitations. Because of the need to test concrete mixes within a short period of time, an accelerated autoclave test method (autoclaved CPT [ACPT]) was investigated using concrete prism samples boosted to 3.0 % total alkali content subjected to an exposure temperature of 271°F (133°C) with a corresponding pressure of 29 psi (0.2 MPa) for 24 hours. A suite of aggregates was evaluated by concrete prism specimens using both the ACPT and CPT methods. The ACPT was able to classify individual aggregate fractions for ASR reactivity with 97.2 % accuracy for the proposed limit of 0.09 % expansion for 36 tested mixtures and approximately 130 specimens. Data from this test suggest that a week-long test could be considered an effective screening tool for the alkali reactivity of coarse or fine aggregate fractions. In addition, miniature CPT (AASHTO T 380, Standard Method of Test for Potential Alkali Reactivity of Aggregates and Effectiveness of ASR Mitigation Measures (Miniature Concrete Prism Test, MCPT) and 12-year outdoor exposure block results are evaluated and compared with both CPT and ACPT results. Although the data suggest a general agreement between these methods, further testing is warranted along with multi-laboratory precision evaluation.
Understanding the Significance of Censored Data
Authors: Chandler John
Published: January 2024

The regulatory world seeks to ascertain if the levels of chemicals in the environment are at a “safe” level. Such an objective leads to dismissing results that are reported as below the detection level (BDL) as being satisfactory. Although this meets the regulatory objective, when attempting to understand the mechanisms that lead to low concentration, such data can be very important. As such, it must be treated in a statistically appropriate manner. The BDL or censored data need to be incorporated into evaluations. Moreover, there is a need to understand the data’s limits of precision. Right censored data are routinely handled for toxicological and reliability studies. BDL values produce left censored values that with a simple transfer can be flipped to right censored values by subtracting all values from a number larger than the data. Then the data can be processed using the statistical tests familiar to toxicologists. Examples of low-level stack emission data and ambient air data are examined in this article. The examples indicate that data should be clearly qualified to ensure that the reader understands the limitations. Using censored data to evaluate factors contributing to measured levels can lead to erroneous conclusions, raise concerns in the public, and lead to potentially unnecessary remedial efforts.
Thermal and Mechanical Investigations of (Bi, Pb)-2212 Superconductor Added with Different Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Matar M. , Basma H. , Abbas S. , Awad R.
Published: January 2024

The current study reports the synthesis of nano-(CdO)x/Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr1.9Ca1.1Cu2.1Oy, nano-(Cd0.95Mn0.05O)x/Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr1.9Ca1.1Cu2.1Oy, and nano-(Cd0.95Fe0.05O)x/Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr1.9Ca1.1Cu2.1Oy composites, with x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.10 wt. %, respectively, using the classical solid-state reaction technique. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of an orthorhombic structure of the (Bi, Pb)-2212 as the major phase. Thermogravimetric analysis was utilized to evaluate the thermal stability of the pure sample throughout the different stages of phase formation and the effect of nanoparticle addition. The weight loss/gain from the three additions is related to the excess of oxygen, as confirmed via iodometric titration analysis and from the findings of oxygen diffusion energy. Room temperature Vickers microhardness (HV) measurements were conducted at various applied loads (0.49–9.8 N). Based on the Vickers microhardness (HV) measurements, the optimum addition of nanoparticles for increasing the microhardness of the (Bi, Pb)-2212 phase was at x = 0.05 wt. % for all superconducting composites. Iron doped Cadmium Oxide (CdFeO) nanoparticles have the greatest enhancement on the Vicker hardness values (HV) at the plateau region. Furthermore, various mechanical parameters for potential applications, such as elastic modulus (E), yield strength (Y), and fracture toughness (K) of the samples under study, were consequently extracted from HV as a function of nanoparticle addition. Moreover, CdFeO addition outperformed CdO and Manganese doped Cadmium Oxide (CdMnO) addition in improving the parameters of E, Y, K, and B, which display better ductility and an enhanced capacity to resist indentation fractures and facilitate (Bi-2212) manufactured in the form of round wires that can be used in high magnetic field magnets, nuclear magnetic resonance instruments, and large hadron colliders. Different models were theoretically used to analyze the measured HV data in the plateau limit regions. The indentation-induced cracking model offered the most accurate theoretical model at the plateau limit region based on Vickers microhardness (HV) observations.
Modelling the Overaging Kinetics of 18Ni250 Maraging Steel
Authors: Rohit Benjamin , Muktinutalapati Nageswara Rao
Published: January 2024

The kinetics of overaging in 18Ni250 maraging steel was studied by (i) modelling the overaging softening behavior, (ii) an aging parameter approach, and (iii) modelling the kinetics of austenite reversion. Changes in kinetics of 18Ni250 maraging steel is calculated as a function of volume fraction of reverted austenite. Softening behavior during overaging was modelled by the Wilson model and the Pardal et al. model. Both the models were found to be in good agreement with experimental data, but the Pardal et al. model showed a better fit. An S-type curve had a better fit compared to a linear fit while relating hardness to the aging parameter with a material constant of C = 20. The kinetics of austenite reversion was studied using the JMAK model, and the activation energy for the austenite reversion process was estimated as 218 kJ/mol.
Działalność Ligi Kobiet w latach 1945–1989. Obszary aktywności na przykładzie struktur gdańskich i łódzkich
Authors:   Uniwersytet w Białymstoku / Instytut Studiów Kobiecych (Polska), Dajnowicz Małgorzata
Published: January 2024

The Women’s League was an organisation that functioned from 1945 to 1989 under the names: Socio-Civic League of Women, League of Women and League of Polish Women. Through activity guidelines, statutes and programmes, the League’s leaders had the task of promoting among Polish women a belief in the superior role of the League of Women as an organisation representing the interests of all women, irrespective of their origin, material or social status. The article presents the various phases of the organisation’s activities and its areas of operation, including activities for the professional activation of women (e.g. through training and professional further training courses), the definition of political activities for women, the provision of legal aid and child-rearing assistance.
Biznes Klub Malowany Szminką. Działalność, wsparcie, przedsiębiorczość kobiet
Authors:   Uniwersytet Jana Kochanowskiego w Kielcach (Polska), Chrobot Agata
Published: January 2024

The Business Club Painted with Lipstick, which operated in the years 2014–2021, was a women’s non-profit organization aimed at associating entrepreneurial women from Kielce and the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. Its founders and originators – Małgorzata Kołosowska and Beata Tokarska-Wójcik ‒ set for themselves the goal of creating an environment that brings together professionally active women to inspire each other and support each other with knowledge and professional experience. The main goals of the club were also to promote the idea of entrepreneurship and charity. The club was elite and closed. This article aims to present the specific phenomenon of the Business Club Painted with Lipstick on the Świętokrzyskie and national scale.
Wykonywanie kary śmierci w czasach Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej – analiza wybranych przykładów
Authors:   Uniwersytet w Białymstoku (University of Bialystok, Poland), Mogielnicka Ewelina Dagmara
Published: January 2024

This text is devoted to selected issues related to adjudicating and carrying out the death penalty in the times of the Polish People's Republic. This penalty was allowed by the Penal Code of 1969. In the current Penal Code (i.e. the one from 1997), this penal sanction is not provided for. Therefore, the selected topic fits into the theme of the journal on the history of law and modern law with a clear historical context. Removing the death penalty seems to be a very big change when it comes to the Polish criminal law. The aim of the article is to familiarize the reader with the legal provisions regarding the death penalty in the times of the Polish People's Republic and the realities of its adjudication and execution. Thanks to the use of the research method consisting in the analysis of legal acts, the researchers found the answers to the following research questions: which crimes resulted in the death penalty, what legal acts provided for such a possibility, and what the procedure was like under the provisions of the Executive Penal Code of 1969. Further on, the researchers used the method of analyzing the literature on the subject. The sources included books and magazine articles on specific topics, documentaries, and Internet sources deemed reliable. The main part of the text is a criminological analysis of three selected criminal cases. They were considered the most interesting in the context of the discussed topic. The descriptions of the criminal Polish People's Republic are intended to supplement the theoretical information obtained by means of the two methods mentioned above. In addition, they will allow the reader to move to those realities.
Projekt ustawy o nadzwyczajnych środkach działania w interesie ochrony obywateli i państwa z 1981 r. Przyczynek do genezy stanu wojennego
Authors:   Uniwersytet w Białymstoku (University of Bialystok, Poland), Stokowski Michał
Published: January 2024

On 13th December 1981, in a televised speech, General Wojciech Jaruzelski announced the imposition of the martial law after having previously received permission for its imposition from the Council of State on 12th December 1981. The authorities of the People's Republic of Poland, headed by General Wojciech Jaruzelski, drastically curtailed the daily lives of millions of Poles over the next two years on the basis of the martial law decree, in an attempt to oppose the political opposition, of which Solidarity was the epitome. The adoption of such a drastic measure against the political opposition in the literature repeatedly raises the debate whether there were no other options to enforce political peace in Poland. Many authors point out the draft law on extraordinary measures of action in the interest of the protection of citizens and the state as an alternative to the martial law decree, as the draft law in its provisions was a much more liberal and extreme piece of legislation. The contemporary text is intended to present the draft of the Emergency Powers of Government Act (the alternative name of the bill). The work is largely based on the material obtained from an archival search of files from the Institute of National Remembrance and from the files from the Archives of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, which were transferred to the Archives of New Records in Warsaw in the course of collecting material. The research material was also obtained from Solidarity and Tribune of the People press articles, from numerous scientific publications, from transcripts and Sejm prints which are in the digital resource of the Sejm Library.
The effect of exogenous glucagon on circulating amino acids in individuals with and without type 2 diabetes and obesity
Authors: Grøndahl Magnus F G , Bagger Jonatan I , Suppli Malte P , Van Hall Gerrit , Albrechtsen Nicolai J W , Holst Jens J , Vilsbøll Tina , Christensen Mikkel B , Lund Asger B , Knop Filip K
Published: January 2024

Objective

In obesity and type 2 diabetes, hyperglucagonaemia may be caused by elevated levels of glucagonotropic amino acids due to hepatic glucagon resistance at the level of amino acid turnover. Here, we investigated the effect of exogenous glucagon on circulating amino acids in obese and non-obese individuals with and without type 2 diabetes.

Design

This was a post hoc analysis in a glucagon infusion study performed in individuals with type 2 diabetes (n = 16) and in age, sex, and body mass index-matched control individuals without diabetes (n = 16). Each group comprised two subgroups of eight individuals with and without obesity, respectively.

Methods

All participants received a 1-h glucagon infusion (4 ng/kg/min) in the overnight fasted state. Plasma amino acid concentrations were measured with frequent intervals.

Results

Compared to the control subgroup without obesity, baseline total amino acid levels were elevated in the control subgroup with obesity and in the type 2 diabetes subgroup without obesity. In all subgroups, amino acid levels decreased by up to 20% in response to glucagon infusion, which resulted in high physiological steady-state glucagon levels (mean concentration: 74 pmol/L, 95% CI [68;79] pmol/L). Following correction for multiple testing, no intergroup differences in changes in amino acid levels reached significance.

Conclusion

Obesity and type 2 diabetes status was associated with elevated fasting levels of total amino acids. The glucagon infusion decreased circulating amino acid levels similarly in all subgroups, without significant differences in the response to exogenous glucagon between individuals with and without obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Significance statement

The hormone glucagon stimulates glucose production from the liver, which may promote hyperglycaemia if glucagon levels are abnormally elevated, as is often seen in type 2 diabetes and obesity. Glucagon levels are closely linked to, and influenced by, the levels of circulating amino acids. To further investigate this link, we measured amino acid levels in individuals with and without obesity and type 2 diabetes before and during an infusion of glucagon. We found that circulating amino acid levels were higher in type 2 diabetes and obesity, and that glucagon infusion decreased amino acid levels in both individuals with and without type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study adds novel information to the link between circulating levels of glucagon and amino acids.
Una exploración sobre su pensamiento: Dolores Joseph Montout y el Caribe costarricense, 1930-1938
Authors: Angulo Brenes Sonia
Published: January 2024

This article is an exploration about the thinking of a writer, thinker and Afro-Costa Rican activist Dolores Joseph Montout, especially his relation ship with the Caribbean zone. The reconstruction of his ideas is based on his journalistic work in the Thirties, in The Searchlight and The Atlantic Voice, which he assiduously wrote about his mainly concerns about the Afro-Costa Rican people. It is recovered three basic aspects of his work: a) his nationalistic inquisitiveness and his struggle for the integration and citizenship of the afro-descendant, b) his relation and controversy with the ideas of Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and the attacks as a consequence of his position and c) the importance that he gives to education and the intellectual background of the young people for the development of their culture, for example, through the Alpha Literary Club. As conclusions, it is evinced the contradictory and complex of his thinking and the diversity and differences among the Afro-Costa Rican people between 1930 – 1938, their nationalistic and patriotic ideas, just as the importance to continue with this kind of studies, both from the author and from other thinkers that have been made invisiblein the history of the Costa Rican Caribbean.
El erotismo como transgresión escritural: una lectura de tres cuentos centroamericanos
Authors: Calderón Sánchez Estefanía
Published: January 2024

Within Central American historiography, eroticism has been a topic that, in contrast to others such as the reinterpretation of the historical discourse, does not have a considerable number of comparative studies that allow understanding its development and its different approaches. With this in mind, the article, in order to enrich academic discussions, focuses on this theme in Central American short stories written by women, an aspect that in recent decades has been taking a transcendental place in literary studies. Specifically, the analysis is based on texts published in the present century that have not been studied in depth by literary critics: “La primera vez” (2002) by Costa Rican Linda Berrón, “Diosas decadentes” (2001) by Guatemalan Jessica Masaya Portocarrero and “Bicho raro” (2012) by Nicaraguan María del Carmen Pérez Cuadra.
Reseña de Letra y Metralla
Authors: Ortega Reyna Jaime
Published: January 2024

This review addresses the book by North American scholar Sophi Esch on Central American and Mexican literature and music produced in themidst of events involving the use of violence. Using a variety of registers, the author observes the processes of agency, linked to notions such as masculinity or independence. The book can be considered a cultural history of social productions, which start from varied contingents and are located from diverse places of enunciation. Review Letra y Metralla. Cultura y política durante los periodos de conflictos armados en México y Centroamérica (1910-1920), Ciudad de México, Bonilla Artiga Editores, 2022, of has 350 pages and ISBN: 978-607-8838-09-7