bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EASE: An Effort-aware Extension of Unsupervised Key Class Identification Approaches
Authors: Pan Weifeng , Kessentini Marouane , Ming Hua , Yang Zijiang
Published: December 2023

Key class identification approaches aim at identifying the most important classes to help developers, especially newcomers, start the software comprehension process. So far, many supervised and unsupervised approaches have been proposed; however, they have not considered the effort to comprehend classes. In this article, we identify the challenge of “
effort-aware key class identification
”; to partially tackle it, we propose an approach,
EASE
, which is implemented through a modification to existing unsupervised key class identification approaches to take into consideration the effort to comprehend classes. First,
EASE
chooses a set of network metrics that has a wide range of applications in the existing unsupervised approaches and also possesses good
discriminatory power
. Second,
EASE
normalizes the network metric values of classes to quantify the probability of any class to be a key class and utilizes
Cognitive Complexity
to estimate the effort required to comprehend classes. Third,
EASE
proposes a metric,
RKCP
, to measure the
relative key-class proneness
of classes and further uses it to sort classes in descending order. Finally, an effort threshold is utilized, and the top-ranked classes within the threshold are identified as the cost-effective key classes. Empirical results on a set of 18 software systems show that (i) the proposed effort-aware variants perform significantly better in almost all (≈98.33%) the cases, (ii) they are superior to most of the baseline approaches with only several exceptions, and (iii) they are scalable to large-scale software systems. Based on these findings, we suggest that (i) we should resort to effort-aware key class identification techniques in budget-limited scenarios; and (ii) when using different techniques, we should carefully choose the weighting mechanism to obtain the best performance.
Highly-Conductive and Durable SOFC Cathode-Side Contact Based on Reactively-Sintered Mn-Co Spinel
Authors: Hayes J. R. , Zhu J. H.
Published: December 2023

A cathode-side contact layer with well-matched coefficient of thermal expansion is needed to prevent cracking of solid oxide fuel cell stacks from thermal cycling during stack operations. An Mn1.25Co1.75O4 (MCO) spinel layer synthesized via reactive sintering with a metal-containing precursor was proposed as a highly conductive and durable contact material. Compared to the interconnect/contact/cathode assemblies with the (La0.80Sr0.20)0.95MnO3-x and La(Mn0.45Co0.35Cu0.2)O3 contacts, the assembly with the MCO contact exhibited the lowest area-specific resistance at 800 °C (8.2 mΩ·cm2) during 2000-h cyclic exposure and was crack-free based on the cross-sectional examination, indicative of the superiority of the spinel contact over the perovskite counterparts.
Communication—On the Possibility of Fe Electrowinning from Hematite Suspensions in Mixed-Acid Electrolytes
Authors: Lopes Daniela V. , Frade Jorge R. , Kovalevsky Andrei V.
Published: December 2023

Iron electrowinning offers a greener path for steel production. While alkaline media has received the most significant attention, the acidic media declined due to low Faradaic efficiency and difficulties imposed by fragile deposits. This study proposes, for the first time, prospects for acidic Fe electrowinning using a mixed-acid electrolyte (H2SO4+C2H2O4), comparing the deposition from hematite suspensions and soluble Fe2+ salts (FeSO4.7H2O). Oxalic acid emerges as a key factor, facilitating Fe electrodeposition by forming iron complexes in solution, addressing the challenge associated with slow Fe2O3 dissolution in H2SO4.
Investigating the Physical State of Polymer Electrolyte: Influence of Temperature and LiTFSI Concentration on the Phase of the Different States of the Polymer Electrolyte PEO-LiTFSI
Authors: Toe Sanatou , Remigy Jean-Christophe , Leveau Lucie , Chauvet Fabien , Kerdja Youcef , Tzedakis Theodore
Published: December 2023

A critical analysis of the physical state {solid or liquid state} of the PEO-LiTFSI system was investigated in this study. The findings show one crystallite type in PEO and four in LiTFSI. The physical state of the binary mixture PEO-LiTFSI is predominate by the semi-crystalline properties of pure PEO when we is lower than 33 wt%, and the crystallization of the mixture is only induced by PEO. Nevertheless, LiTFSI reduces the degree of crystallinity of PEO due to its solvation by a part of PEO crystallites. Besides, as the solubility limit of LiTFSI in PEO is achieved, salt crystallites appear within the resulting electrolyte. These crystallites in the high we domain were identified as LiTFSI crystallites complexed with PEO. However, rising temperature promotes their dissolution. The functional groups implicated in the crystallization of PEO-LiTFSI have been highlighted using the IR technique. Besides, the experimental result shows that the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the melting point (Tm) of the binary mixture exhibit a non-linear trend with we and Mw. A simple mathematical treatment is proposed to predict glass transition temperature as a function of we and Mw. Our model considers the additive effect of lithium salt on the Tg variation.
QMU Analysis of Flexoelectric Timoshenko Beam by Evidence Theory
Authors: Zhang Feng , Zhang Jiajia , Wang Weiyue , Du Ruijie , Han Cheng , Qiao Zijie
Published: December 2023

In recent years, with the rapid development of nanotechnology, a new type of electromechanical coupling effect similar to the piezoelectric effect, the flexoelectric effect, has gradually come into the public’s view. The flexoelectric beam that is the main structural unit of the flexoelectric signal output has broad application prospects in the next generation of micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Therefore, the investigation of flexoelectric materials and structures has important scientific and engineering application significances for the design of flexoelectric devices. In this paper, a model of flexoelectric Timoshenko beam is established, the deflection, rotation angle, and dynamic electrical signal output of the forced vibration are taken as the system response, and the density

ρ

, shear correction factor

κ

, and frequency ratio

λ

are selected as the key performance parameters of the system. The combination of available data and engineers’ experience suggests that there are random and cognitive uncertainties in the parameters. Therefore, the probability distribution of the system performance response is expressed by the likelihood function and belief function through the quantification of margins and uncertainties (QMUs) analysis methodology under the framework of evidence theory, and the system reliability or performance evaluation is measured by the calculated confidence factors. These results provide a theoretical basis for accurate analysis of flexoelectric components and provide guidance for the design of flexoelectric components with excellent performance.
Complex Representation Learning with Graph Convolutional Networks for Knowledge Graph Alignment
Authors: Sakong Darnbi , Huynh Thanh Trung , Nguyen Thanh Tam , Nguyen Thanh Toan , Jo Jun , Nguyen Quoc Viet Hung
Published: December 2023

The task of discovering equivalent entities in knowledge graphs (KGs), so‐called KG entity alignment, has drawn much attention to overcome the incompleteness problem of KGs. The majority of existing techniques learns the pointwise representations of entities in the Euclidean space with translation assumption and graph neural network approaches. However, real vectors inherently neglect the complex relation structures and lack the expressiveness of embeddings; hence, they may guide the embeddings to be falsely generated which results in alignment performance degradation. To overcome these problems, we propose a novel KG alignment framework, ComplexGCN, which learns the embeddings of both entities and relations in complex spaces while capturing both semantic and neighborhood information simultaneously. The proposed model ensures richer expressiveness and more accurate embeddings by successfully capturing various relation structures in complex spaces with high‐level computation. The model further incorporates relation label and direction information with a low degree of freedom. To compare our proposal against the state‐of‐the‐art baseline techniques, we conducted extensive experiments on real‐world datasets. The empirical results show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Predicting Potential Risk: Cerebral Stroke via Regret Minimization
Authors: Zhang Jie , Chen Hao , Jin Cheng , He Qiangqiang , He Wei , Wang Chongjun
Published: December 2023

Objective. The data processing of medical test report has always been one of the important contents in biological information domain, especially the process of extracting the effective information from the report so as to assist doctors with the correct medical plan. Usual methods neglect the implicit relationship between features. More features are generally not a better choice because more noise is generated between feature combinations. We propose a practical feature selection strategy RMFS, which aims to select the optimal combination of features. Materials and Methods. Based on the above situation, in this paper, 64 features are extracted from a real medical test report dataset for stroke and feature selection is defined as a reinforcement learning problem to optimize the feature combination by minimizing regret. We select three current mainstream feature selection methods and conduct comparative experiments. Results. We processed and completed a dataset derived from real medical test reports of stroke. We redefine the feature selection problem as a reinforcement learning problem and propose an optimization strategy based on regret minimization and train weight parameters in a DQN network. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can identify feature combinations with higher prediction accuracy. Discussion. RMFS shows a strong robustness to the randomness of the environment and has high computational efficiency and accuracy. Compared with the previous feature selection methods, our method yields superior results. Conclusion. The experimental results demonstrate that our method can obtain a more accurate prediction rate under the same feature scale and we can achieve baseline performance with fewer features.
Physicochemical Assessment of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle and Moringa oleifera Supplementation on the Male Reproductive System of a Diabetic Rat Model
Authors: Shaukat Arslan , Rasool Umair , Saeed Farhan , Abbas Shah Yasir , Afzaal Muhammad , Khan Mahbubur Rahman
Published: December 2023

The probable synergistic effect of chemically synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles and locally secured Moringa oliefera was assessed on diabetic rats’ model along with a potential effect on the male reproductive system and rat male serological markers. The plant M. oliefera was procured from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad step solvothermal method was utilized to synthesize the zinc oxide nanoparticles. The zeta sizer, UV–vis, and spectroscopic analysis of ZnO nanoparticles were undertaken. A total of 50 healthy male albino Wistar rats weighing 250 ± 10 g were used in the experimental research study having were divided into six stops designated as negative control, positive control (PC), standard control (Std. C), ZnO nanoparticle group (ZnO), M. oliefera Group (MO), and a group of combinations thereof (ZnONP + MO). The mean body weight was observed to be significantly normalized in group ZnONP + MO, i.e., 230 ± 6 g in contrast to PC, i.e., 162 ± 4 g;P≤0.05. The ZnONP + MO combination had a normoglycemic effect, i.e., 154.4 ± 4.5 mg/dl as in opposition to the PC, i.e., 315.7 ± 3 mg/dl. The serum level of rat testosterone in the ZnONP + MO group was observed at 0.958 ± 0.08 ng/ml in opposition to PC, which revealed it at 0.442 ± 0.02 ng/ml. The follicle-stimulating hormone level in the ZnONP + MO group was recorded at 10.04 ± 0.04 mlU/ml significantly varied from the PC, whose level was noted at 5.08 ± 0.09 mlU/ml. The level of LH in the ZnONP + MO group was observed at 6.89 ± 0.08 mIU/ml, significantly different from PC at 3.78 ± 0.08 mIU/ml. Histopathological changes in the rat testes treated with alloxan alone revealed the distortion in the epithelium of seminiferous tubules (H&E stain). However, the histopathology of testes isolated from rats treated with the zinc oxide nanoparticle and M. oliefera combination showed almost normal spermatogenic activity, the lumen of seminiferous tubules contained sperms, normal spermatids, and outer epithelium layer of seminiferous tubules was intact.
Effect of Ultrasonic-Assisted Enzymatic Hydrolysis on Functional Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Eri Silkworm Pupa Protein Isolate
Authors: Thongrattanatrai Kanchana , Impaprasert Rarisara , Suntornsuk Worapot , Srzednicki George
Published: December 2023

Philosamia ricini (Eri silkworm) pupa protein isolate (EPI) was utilized to prepare pupa protein hydrolysate (EPIH) through enzymatic hydrolysis. Additionally, the isolate underwent ultrasonic treatment at 20 kHz to become ultrasound pretreated EPI (EPIU), which was then enzymatically hydrolyzed to obtain ultrasound pretreated protein hydrolysate (EPIUH). The physicochemical properties of these samples were investigated, including molecular weight, solubility, foaming and emulsion properties, water- and oil-holding capacity, antioxidant activity, and color. When compared to EPI (used as the control), EPIU exhibited a high degree of hydrolysis at 20 minutes (

DH
=
29.24
%

). At a total process time of 20 minutes, the degree of hydrolysis for EPIH, EPIU, and EPIUH was found to be 13%, 29%, and 41%, respectively. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated no difference in molecular weight between EPI and EPIU (11–75 kDa). However, the molecular weight profiles of EPIH and EPIUH were reduced (8–45 kDa), resulting in changes in protein functionalities. The high DH value contributed to the enhancement of antioxidant activity, solubility, emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and foam capacity of the protein isolate at pH 7. Furthermore, the ultrasonic pretreatment of the protein hydrolysate increased the lightness of the protein powder by reducing the enzyme activity of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO). These results suggest that ultrasonic pretreatment of the protein hydrolysate could be applied to improve the properties of Eri silkworm pupa protein for use in the food and beverage industry, such as protein-rich beverages or salad dressings.
Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Sedimentations
Authors: Geniusas Saulius
Published: December 2023

The paper explores the meaning of the phenomenological concept of sedimentation in the framework of Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology. The analysis I offer suggests that Merleau-Ponty initiates a transition from the constitutional problematic of sedimentations that we come across in Husserl’s phenomenology to the analysis of existential sedimentations. Merleau-Ponty accomplishes this transformation by binding the Husserlian conception of sedimentations with the Heideggerian conception of facticity. The distinction Merleau-Ponty draws between originary sedimentations and secondary sedimentations is especially important, for it allows one to claim that Merleau-Ponty recognizes all experiences as sedimented. Against the background of this realization, I offer a reevaluation of Merleau-Ponty’s cryptic remarks in the Phenomenology of Perception regarding the “original past,” also described as “a past that has never been a present.” I argue that these are metaphors for originary sedimentations. In place of a conclusion, I suggest that especially when the concept of sedimentation is universalized, we come to recognize its inherently paradoxical nature. In the final analysis, besides being a genetic concept, sedimentation is also a limit problem and a limit phenomenon.
Implications of Gunter Figal’s Hermeneutical Philosophy for Phenomenological Qualitative Psychological Research
Authors: Sherman Glen L.
Published: December 2023

This paper considers what Günter Figal’s perspective on objectivity and more generally, his hermeneutic phenomenology, may contribute to the traditions of phenomenological psychological research, as well as non-phenomenological approaches to qualitative research. Across qualitative research approaches and methods developed outside of phenomenology over the past 30–40 years, there has been a trend away from notions of consciousness and subjectivity, as well as objectivity. Günter Figal’s hermeneutical phenomenology retrieves these key ideas and recasts them with greater clarity and precision. These ideas, in conjunction with an understanding of the philosophical position of critical realism, suggest renewed possibilities and significant places for both objectivity and subjectivity within both phenomenological and non-phenomenological psychological qualitative research.
Food Is an African Feminist Issue
Authors: Salo Elaine
Published: December 2023

This essay argues that food—particularly the labor of preparing and producing food—should be seen as central to South African feminism, and to African feminisms more broadly. Salo explains how women provide the majority of the labor to produce food on the African continent, yet often are exposed to hunger because they do not own the means to food production. Moreover, as agribusiness encroaches on foodways and food production lands in Africa, this sector attempts to incorporate women in ways that continue to render them gendered subordinates in an unequal economic and political system. Centering food provides an important means for African feminists to continue recognizing the imbrication of gendered oppression with colonialism and neocolonialism, and to challenge these hierarchies while pursuing sustainability and social justice. Women’s agencies as food producers also offer alternatives to agribusiness and corporate food, including small-scale farming or gardening projects that intersect with political activism in urban and peri-urban areas. Salo discusses how such African women’s strategies align with concepts such as food sovereignty and ecofeminism, but also need to be recognized as occurring beyond the cultures of academic expertise often associated with such terms.
Black South African Middle-Class Engagements with Social Media and Digitised Food Cultures
Authors: Gysman Pamella
Published: December 2023

The tastes and consumption patterns of the black middle class of South Africa have long been of interest to both media and researchers. The majority of this interest has been disproportionately focused on the lower end of the black middle class, with few researchers exploring the black middle class as bona fide bearers of cultural capital or how they legitimise their cultural capital and social status. Prevailing perceptions portray a homogenous, irresponsible, vapid, shallow and materialistic group obsessed with status. Based on a study which took a phenomenological exploration of the black middle class’s negotiation of ‘self’ and identity, this paper presents an analysis of how members of the contemporary black middle class of South Africa use social media; food narratives; and messages about taste, culinary skill, and food knowledge to craft empowering self-images. Focusing on two compelling performances—‘eating without food’ and ‘the cultured palate’ (my terms)—I draw attention to the complex ways in which this group navigate classed and racialised worlds. The analysis reveals that by developing what may seem to be unremarkable performative acts related to eating, preparing, and displaying food, members of the black middle class craft group identity and create ‘selves’ that reveal ingenuity and thoughtful knowledge about food, taste, global culture and their classed and racialised social positions.
The Languages of Food and Imagined Communities at a Somali Restaurant in Bellville, South Africa
Authors: Ondigi Anyona
Published: December 2023

This study is an ethnographic account of an ethnic restaurant of the Somali immigrant community in South Africa. It seeks to examine the role that a Somali restaurant plays with regard to the food cooked, served, and consumed as well as the linguistic and non-linguistic ways in which the guests, Somalis and non-Somalis, negotiate their ethnic and national identities and communities in relation to the food and the wider physical and social context of the restaurant, located in the Bellville region of South Africa. A secular environment, South Africa can also be described as fairly xenophobic and Afrophobic. For the collection of data, the study focused on the restaurateur, employees, and guests. The findings indicated that through food memories, habits, and practices, and an aura of conviviality and homeliness, the Somali and non-Somali immigrants developed and sustained a sense of community and solidarity. This is as opposed to the mainly commercial and uniform feel of western (or American) (or) fast food restaurants. As a corollary of this, it is the case that immigrants carry with them norms and values which ought to be drawn from by the host society.
Recent Developments in EU Environmental Policy and Legislation
Authors: Fermeglia Matteo
Published: December 2023

This section describes the significant political initiatives and acts of legislation in the environmental field adopted in the period from September 2022 until June 2023.
The Phenomenon of the Terrorist State in Contemporary Geopolitics: Attributive, Static, and Dynamic Characteristics
Authors: Lepskiy Maxim , Lepska Nataliia
Published: December 2023

The full-scale incursion by Russia into Ukraine in February 2022 starkly revealed the aggressive, manipulative, and deceitful nature of the Russian autocracy. This action effectively employed state terrorism and led to Russia being labeled as a terrorist state. This article undertakes a thorough examination of the emerging geopolitical concept known as the “terrorist state” within the broader context of the evolution and hybridization of terrorism. The authors employ a conceptual analysis of the “terrorist state” as a manifestation of destructive aggression, utilizing the instrumental axes methodology. They delve into the distinctive characteristics of state-sponsored terrorism and explore the static structural and dynamic processes leading an autocracy toward the designation of a terrorist state. In this discourse, the authors highlight the pressing necessity to broaden the research perspectives within the realms of terrorism theory and praxeology by introducing the novel concept of a “terrorist state” into the normative framework of international law and counter-terrorism strategies. This research holds significant practical relevance amid contemporary geopolitical tensions, providing a scholarly basis for proactive policies aimed at addressing autocratic dictatorships that challenge the global security apparatus. Additionally, it underscores the importance of strategic isolation measures directed at terrorist states.
Meaningful Communication but not Superficial Anthropomorphism Facilitates Human-Automation Trust Calibration: The Human-Automation Trust Expectation Model (HATEM)
Authors: Carter Owen B. J. , Loft Shayne , Visser Troy A. W.
Published: December 2023

Objective

The objective was to demonstrate anthropomorphism needs to communicate contextually useful information to increase user confidence and accurately calibrate human trust in automation.

Background

Anthropomorphism is believed to improve human-automation trust but supporting evidence remains equivocal. We test the Human-Automation Trust Expectation Model (HATEM) that predicts improvements to trust calibration and confidence in accepted advice arising from anthropomorphism will be weak unless it aids naturalistic communication of contextually useful information to facilitate prediction of automation failures.

Method

Ninety-eight undergraduates used a submarine periscope simulator to classify ships, aided by the Ship Automated Modelling (SAM) system that was 50% reliable. A between-subjects 2 × 3 design compared SAM appearance (anthropomorphic avatar vs. camera eye) and voice inflection (monotone vs. meaningless vs. meaningful), with the meaningful inflections communicating contextually useful information about automated advice regarding certainty and uncertainty.

Results

Avatar SAM appearance was rated as more anthropomorphic than camera eye, and meaningless and meaningful inflections were both rated more anthropomorphic than monotone. However, for subjective trust, trust calibration, and confidence in accepting SAM advice, there was no evidence of anthropomorphic appearance having any impact, while there was decisive evidence that meaningful inflections yielded better outcomes on these trust measures than monotone and meaningless inflections.

Conclusion

Anthropomorphism had negligible impact on human-automation trust unless its execution enhanced communication of relevant information that allowed participants to better calibrate expectations of automation performance.

Application

Designers using anthropomorphism to calibrate trust need to consider what contextually useful information will be communicated via anthropomorphic features.
Implementation of Right to Service: A Study of SAS (Sahibzada Ajit Singh) Nagar District, Punjab
Authors: Singh Harmanpreet
Published: December 2023

This article is based on an empirical study and deals with the service users of Sewa Kendras and Saanjh Kendras in the SAS Nagar district of the Punjab state. The article relates to the viewpoints of the service users of Sewa and Saanjh Kendras to assess the perceptions of service users regarding the implementation of the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011, in the SAS Nagar district. By perception, it tries to figure out the awareness and satisfaction levels of service users regarding the delivery of services at these Kendras working under the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011. In order to form an estimate of the perception of the service users, an interview schedule was administered to a randomly selected sample of 300 citizens, who were receiving services at Sewa and Saanjh Kendras of all the Tehsils of the SAS Nagar district.
Traumatic injuries by conducted electrical weapons: Case report of self-injury to the hand during stun gun training
Authors: Passalacqua Pierluigi , Pallocci Margherita , De Luca Lucilla , Zanovello Claudia , Bragaglia Mario , Treglia Michele
Published: December 2023

The use of non-lethal weapons has spread worldwide, being introduced as an alternative to firearms in many countries such as the United States or the United Kingdom. Among non-lethal weapons, conducted electrical weapons have been adopted worldwide, to control unruly suspected criminals or to neutralise violent situations. The stun gun belongs to this category and is the most widely available, with more than 140,000 units in use by police officers in the field in the US, and an additional 100,000 electrical stun guns owned by civilians worldwide. In Italy, the use of conducted electrical weapons by law enforcement has only recently been introduced, with private use and commercialisation still prohibited, mainly due to controversies related to the potential dangers of such devices.

Before the official adoption, several experiments had to be carried out, with mechanisms that reproduced the ballistics of the stun gun. Here we present the case of a man who suffered a self-injury trauma to his hand during a ballistics exercise with a crossbow loaded with stun gun probes.
Adolescence Locked Down? Morphing Temporality as a Strategy to Construct Hope and Control in Visions of the Future by Adolescent Girls Under Lockdown
Authors: Bosen Jennifer
Published: December 2023

The article examines how visions of the future were constructed by eight adolescent girls graduating from secondary school under a COVID-19 lockdown in Germany. Employing grounded theory method to analyse interview data, it theorises how the girls under lockdown constructed visions of their future along space and time in terms of traffic mobility, nature and embodied reproduction. The findings indicate that the girls creatively used topic-dependent constructions of space and time to generate hope and control and thereby maintained their agency and an adolescent self-identity for their anticipated futures during the lockdown-present. These findings are then integrated into a theoretical model that introduces the strategy of ‘morphing temporality’ to describe how the girls constructed hope and control and maintained agency and an adolescent self-identity despite the sudden spatial lockdown constraints.
Book review: Gita Chadha and Renny Thomas, ed. 2023. Mapping Scientific Method: Disciplinary Narrations
Authors: Kamath Anant
Published: December 2023

Gita Chadha and Renny Thomas, ed. 2023. Mapping Scientific Method: Disciplinary Narrations. London and New York: Routledge. xviii + 341 pp. References, index. ₹1595 (hardback – ISBN: 9781932473635)
The Land of Gods: Exploring Converging Agencies in the Deity Institution of Kullu, India
Authors: Mahajan Ishita
Published: December 2023

What does it mean to have a deity as a ruler in the contemporary Indian sociopolitical context? How does a divine entity act as a governing authority in modern society while retaining relevance and considerable influence within the everyday lives of its subjects? These are some questions that this article tries to pursue in an attempt to understand the multiple, interconnected channels through which the sovereignty of a deity is exercised and reinforced in the context of the Kullu district in the Indian Himalayas. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Kullu, this article argues that the agency of the deity operates through a network of actors individually invested in protecting the sovereignty of the deity and, by extension, the distributed nature of this sovereignty. The paper discusses how the deity’s sense of agency as an individual sovereign agent is an important factor within the cosmopolitical landscape of Kullu, where the deity institution acts as a form of local governance coexisting with the state.
Employment and well-being after plant closure: Survey evidence from Switzerland on the mid and long run
Authors: Oesch Daniel , Köster Fiona , Studer Matthias , Baumann Isabel
Published: December 2023

How does plant closure affect the employment and well-being of displaced workers? This article presents the results of two surveys of workers at five manufacturing plants two and 11 years after mass layoffs. After two years, two-thirds of displaced workers had been re-employed, one in five workers was still unemployed, and one in 10 workers had retired. A decade after the plant closures, unemployment had fallen below 5%. Overall, post-displacement outcomes in Switzerland were more favourable than in other European plant closures. However, age disparities loomed large. Older workers struggled to find new jobs and often had to accept large wage cuts and unstable jobs. In particular, many workers in their late forties and early fifties were hit hard as they were too young to benefit from early retirement, but too old to start over.
A Data-Driven Approach for Estimating Temperature Variations Based on B-mode Ultrasound Images and Changes in Backscattered Energy
Authors: Oliveira Luiz F. R. , França Felipe M. G. , Pereira Wagner C. A.
Published: December 2023

Thermal treatments that use ultrasound devices as a tool have as a key point the temperature control to be applied in a specific region of the patient’s body. This kind of procedure requires caution because the wrong regulation can either limit the treatment or aggravate an existing injury. Therefore, determining the temperature in a region of interest in real-time is a subject of high interest. Although this is still an open problem, in the field of ultrasound analysis, the use of machine learning as a tool for both imaging and automated diagnostics are application trends. In this work, a data-driven approach is proposed to address the problem of estimating the temperature in regions of a B-mode ultrasound image as a supervised learning problem. The proposal consists in presenting a novel data modeling for the problem that includes information retrieved from conventional B-mode ultrasound images and a parametric image built based on changes in backscattered energy (CBE). Then, we compare the performance of classic models in the literature. The computational results presented that, in a simulated scenario, the proposed approach that a Gradient Boosting model would be able to estimate the temperature with a mean absolute error of around 0.5°C, which is acceptable in practical environments both in physiotherapic treatments and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).
Volumetric B-mode ultrasound and Doppler Imaging: Automatic Tracking With One Single Camera
Authors: Ma Xiaoli , Shen Enxiang , Yuan Jie , Gong Li , Kong Wentao , Jin Zhibin , Tao Chao , Liu Xiaojun
Published: December 2023

Vascular diseases may occur in the upper extremities, and the lesions can span the entire length of the blood vessel. One of the most popular methods to identify vascular disorders is ultrasound Doppler imaging. However, traditional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound Doppler imaging cannot capture the entire length of a long vessel in one image. Medical professionals often have to painstakingly reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) data using 2D ultrasound images to locate the lesions, especially for large blood vessels. 3D ultrasound Doppler imaging can display the morphological structure of blood vessels and the distribution of lesions more directly, providing a more comprehensive view compared to 2D imaging. In this work, we propose a wide-range 3D volumetric ultrasound Doppler imaging system with dual modality, in which a high-definition camera is adopted to automatically track the movement of the ultrasound transducer, simultaneously capturing a corresponding sequence of 2D ultrasound Doppler images. We conducted experiments on human arms using our proposed system and separately with X-ray computerized tomography (X-CT). The comparison results prove the potential value of our proposed system in the diagnosis of arm vascular diseases.
Gendered disciplinary apparatuses and carceral domesticities in Singapore’s labour-migration regime
Authors: Antona Laura
Published: December 2023

It is widely acknowledged that Singapore’s labour-migration regime is unequal and bifurcated, with migrants that are categorised as foreign professionals afforded many more rights than those categorised as migrant workers. While migrant construction, process, and shipyard workers are expected to reside in dormitories or other shared accommodation, migrant domestic workers are mandated to live in their employers’ homes, where their gendered bodies are confined and disciplined. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, in this article I demonstrate that Singapore’s labour-migration regime is underpinned with a carceral logic that imposes bodily controls on domestic workers through policy, legal regulations, and practices which, I argue, constitute gendered disciplinary apparatuses. Moreover, by examining migrant domestic workers’ everyday experiences, I suggest that different dwelling spaces – namely, employers’ homes and shelters – can be conceptualised as carceral domesticities. Utilised by the state as carceral infrastructure, I show the ways in which these dwelling spaces become geographies of detainment and punishment, in/through which different actors become involved in disciplining intimacy, morality, and maintaining socio-racial order in the nation. Simultaneously, the carceral nature of the labour-migration regime produces forms of domesticity which relies on the containment of migrant workers.
Generative AI and Marketing Education: What the Future Holds
Authors: Guha Abhijit , Grewal Dhruv , Atlas Stephen
Published: December 2023

To understand why and how marketing educators can best use generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, this article integrates a literature survey, interviews with both marketing educators and managers, and surveys of both marketing educators and students. In leveraging these inputs, the authors argue that generative AI can significantly shape and improve the future of marketing education. Specifically, by including ChatGPT in their lessons, marketing educators can both materially enhance learning experiences and better prepare students for future jobs with marketing firms that rely on ChatGPT in practice. Noting that ChatGPT has downsides, this research identifies several steps educators should take to minimize the risks. Finally, the authors propose an agenda for continued research into how marketing educators can and should use ChatGPT, with the explicit recognition that ChatGPT is evolving rapidly, so that, the research agenda will need to adapt as well.
Do the Redundant and Locally Dependent Items of the LS/CMI Contribute in Any Meaningful Way to Its Reliability and Its Potential to Predict Criminal Recidivism?
Authors: Giguère Guy , Bourassa Christian
Published: December 2023

This article studies the effects of local dependence within the items of the first section of the LS/CMI on its reliability. Analysis were done to identify the dependent items namely through their correlations before and after Rasch modeling. Seven items were thus discarded, deemed dependent and redundant, and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated with all 43 items and then with the 36 items deemed independent. Test information and predictive validity were also compared. Removing the seven redundant items did not seem to have major effects on the reliability of the LS/CMI or the psychometric information it provided, and no tangible effects were observed on its predictive validity. The reliability of an instrument should be assessed with items that contribute each in its own way. However, it is hazardous to report the reliability of an instrument known to be multidimensional with means meant to be used with unidimensional instruments.
Why Did YHWH Seek to Bring Disaster to Absalom? (2 Sam. 17.14b)
Authors: Kim Daewook
Published: December 2023

The narrator in 2 Sam. 17.14b does not clarify Absalom’s sin. To demonstrate Absalom’s sin, this paper surveys the episode regarding Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15.1–12) through related texts in the book of Samuel. Then it considers the stories about the two counselors, Hushai and Ahithophel (16.15–17.14). This examination reveals that Ahithophel’s two counsels aim to promote the unity Absalom pursues in 15.1–12 and that this will of Absalom is frustrated by Hushai and actually by YHWH. YHWH defeats Absalom’s will, just as Absalom’s rebellion opposes YHWH’s will; YHWH punishes Absalom measure for measure. Therefore, 2 Sam. 17.14b proves that YHWH upholds the measure for measure theological principle.
Remembering the lost ark: The ark narrative in its contexts
Authors: Hundley Michael B.
Published: December 2023

The ark endures not as physical artifact, but as cultural memory and verbal icon embedded in the textual icon of the Bible. This article examines the ark narrative (1 Sam. 4–6) in its various contexts, including its biblical and ancient Near Eastern ones, and posits icons as a profitable heuristic device. I present the ways that the ark and its story respond to ancient Near Eastern tropes and suggest that the reason for the ark’s capture lies in the characters’ failure to communicate with and obey the deity. My primary contribution lies in reading the narrative alongside its sequel, 1 Samuel 7, which recontextualizes the story by displaying divine power without the ark and retrojecting a Deuteronomistic rationale for the Israelite loss. I also consider its (post-)exilic reception and place it alongside Priestly and Deuteronomic presentations of the ark, which differ in detail but share a common goal, especially when read as part of a single sacred document.
An attempt to identify the birds of Leviticus 11.13–19 using onomatopoeia
Authors: Johnson Martin , Jenson Philip
Published: December 2023

We report research into the 19 Hebrew bird names found in Leviticus 11.13–19 using a group cognition methodology (Surowiecki 2004). This is a multi-disciplinary project. The reason for this approach is the degree of uncertainty surrounding the translation of these names, as seen in some Bibles and recent scholarship, where many identifications are at the taxonomic levels of order or family, while some genus- or species-level identifications are implausible. We show that some of the uncertainty is very ancient. Onomatopoeic correlations between the Hebrew names with selected bird calls are examined. We found good-to-strong correlations for 17 of the 19 birds in Leviticus 11.13–19, and suggest 15 as species-level correlations, with one of the others at genus-level, two at family-level, and one at order-level. We conclude with a list of suggested translations resulting from this research. The methodology is explained so that it may be replicated for further research.
Children of the night: The portrayal of children in the book of Lamentations
Authors: Yap Timothy
Published: December 2023

Children are often mentioned in the book of Lamentations. They are carried away in captivity (1.5), found begging for food on the streets (2.11–12, 4.4), starved (2.19), parched (4.4), and eaten by their mothers (2.20; 4.10). Despite their presence, the children in Lamentations have never been the focus of research. This article argues that though the future of children is not promising, children are not just caricatures within the book. The children in Lamentations are actively trying to survive in the famine. Despite the horror of being betrayed by their own mothers, Lamentations reminds its readers that the children are not entirely orphaned. In lieu of their mother’s protection and nurture, the children are fostered by the solidarity and tears of Daughter Zion and Mother Zion respectively.
Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in post-mastectomy neuropathic pain: A case report
Authors: Wong Gary W , Tiwari Akhilesh K
Published: December 2023

Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is a type of chronic postsurgical pain that can be severe, debilitating and frequently encountered in clinical practice. Multiple studies have focused on prevention, identifying risk factors and treating this condition. Nonetheless, PMPS remains a complex condition to treat effectively. In this case report, we describe the use of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in a breast cancer patient who experienced PMPS refractory to conventional treatments.
Placebo and nocebo in the treatment of migraine: How much does real world effectiveness depend on contextual effects?
Authors: Basedau Hauke , Ornello Raffaele , Matteis Eleonora De , Davaasuren Bolortsetseg , Kadyrova Begimai , Vuralli Doga , Bozhenko Myroslav , Azizova Ilaha , Bitsadze Natia , Eralieva Elnura , Ashina Messoud , Mitsikostas Dimos , Puledda Francesca
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Treatments in medicine impact individuals beyond their intended effects, due to phenomena such as the placebo and nocebo effects. The placebo effect arises from the positive expectation of a treatment being beneficial, while the nocebo effect stems from the negative expectation of a treatment causing harm. Both in real-world practice and clinical trials, treatments can lead to outcomes unrelated to their intended mechanism of action, which we categorize as placebo and nocebo responses. These responses, combined with the inherent fluctuation in a condition's natural progression, regression to the mean, and random comorbidities, make up a significant part of the therapeutic experience. Particularly in pain management, placebo and nocebo effects play a substantial role. By addressing modifiable contextual factors such as patient expectations, lifestyle choices, and the therapeutic relationship, healthcare providers can enhance the effectiveness of migraine treatments, paving the way for a more comprehensive, individualized approach to patient care. We must also consider non-modifiable factors like personal experiences, beliefs, and information from social media and the internet.

Conclusion

This review offers a summary of our current understanding of the placebo and nocebo effects in migraine management.
Fabrication and characterization of modified POD membranes with ultra-high tensile strength through hydrogen bonding functioning and copolymerization
Authors: Huang Mengxiang , Li Lihong , Xie Wenlian , Yan Ni , Yuan Limin , Zhu Zhiqiang , Jiang Zhenlin
Published: December 2023

A series of modified aromatic oxadiazole polymers were synthesized via condensation reactions of terephthalic dihydrazide (TPH) and varying amounts of Trimesic acid (H3BTC) in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). Pentaerythritol was introduced to construct intermolecular hydrogen bonds among polymeric chains, resulting in a three-dimensional network structure, and correlations between H-bonds and mechanic properties are discussed. Structures and mechanic properties of the polymers were characterized and analyzed. By investigation of molecular structure and membrane formation process of chemically modified and hydrogen bond-regulated polymer membranes, it was found that the modified polymer membranes retain the unique thermal stability, chemical stability, and good hydrophobicity of the POD rigid polymer. Additionally, hydrogen bonds not only significantly improve the overall quality of the membrane, but also play an important role in enhancing the mechanical properties of the membrane, as demonstrated in the highest observed of up to a maximum of 167.19 MPa. Furthermore, impact of H3BCT modification on light absorption and fluorescence performance of T-PODx is also analyzed and discussed in this paper.
Influence of aging process and reinforcement ratio on physical and mechanical properties of carbonized aramid reinforced Al7075 materials
Authors: Demir Mehmet Emin , Çelik Yahya Hışman , Kalkanli Ali
Published: December 2023

The high mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and low production costs of aluminum alloys make their use in the aerospace and automobile industries attractive. Addition of reinforcement, and heat treatment are important factors in increasing the physical and mechanical properties of these alloys. In this study, squeeze casting method was used to produce aramid reinforced Al7075 matrix materials and their mechanical, physical and microstructural properties were investigated. The physical (hardness) and mechanical (tensile, flexural) properties of Aramid/Al7075 material were compared with base alloy. Then, the effects of the aging process on the hardness, tensile and flexural strengths of 8%Aramid/Al7075 material (the best mechanical properties) and base alloy were investigated. The polished surfaces of the materials and the fracture surfaces after the tensile test were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while the phase characterization after aging was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The highest hardness values of non-aged materials were obtained in 12% aramid reinforced material. The highest flexural and tensile stress were obtained from 8% aramid reinforced material among non-aged materials, and their strengths were determined as 454 and 278 MPa, respectively. With an increase in aging time, the mechanical and physical properties of the materials exhibited a significant improvement. However, it was observed that these properties started to decrease after a certain aging time. In heat-treated Aramid/Al7075 materials, the lowest and highest hardness values were obtained as 184 and 205 HB, respectively, after aging for 8 and 20 h. The highest tensile strength (523 MPa) of the Al7075 alloy was obtained at the end of 20 h. The highest tensile strength of aramid reinforced material was obtained as 512 MPa at 16 h aging time.