bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Spanish Emperors and the True Cross: The Variable Uses of the Lignum Crucis of Sahagún in Early Twelfth-Century Iberia
Authors: Bowerman Emilie L.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: In early twelfth-century Iberia, a monk living at the Leonese monastery of Sahagun recorded in his chronicle how, shortly before the 14th of April 1112, a precious relic was forcibly seized from the monastery. The stolen relic was the lignum crucis of Sahagun, a fragment of the wood of the True Cross that King Alfonso VI of Leon-Castilla (r. 10651109) had received from the Byzantine emperor and then donated to Sahagun in 1101. The accused thief was Alfonso I "el Batallador" of Aragon-Pamplona (r. 1104–34), son-in-law of Alfonso VI and a successor to the deceased monarch's claim to be the emperor of all Spain. In this paper, I trace the history of the Byzantine lignum crucis of Sahagun, from its arrival in Iberia in 1101 to its last reported sighting during the Siege of Fraga in 1134. I argue that numerous actors, among them the two emperors, were able to put the lignum crucis to variable uses because they ascribed this relic high cultural value from three distinct sources: its Byzantine provenance, its successful assimilation into the preexisting Iberian cross culture, and its links to the Holy Land, Christie devotion, and embryonic crusading ideology. Studying the shifting, imbricated identities of the lignum crucis of Sahagun can therefore shine light on the conflicts and disagreements that characterized the elite society of early twelfth-century Iberia and the role high-prestige objects like relics played in mediating those disputes.
Spritually Fitted For Invasion: The Influence of Anti-Heretical Speech on Gerald of Wales's Topographia Hibernica
Authors: Gatel Robin Beranger Florian
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This article examines how the late twelfth-century chronicler Gerald of Wales could have been influenced by the anti-heretical discourses ofhis time tojustify the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. Even though the word "heretic" itself is never used, some aspects of the Topographia Hibernica resemble certain regional representations of dissent observed in southern France ornorthem Italy. Using this datum as the main departure point, this article suggests that Gerald of Wales could have integrated Ireland into the evolution of the late twelfth-century heretical narrative to promote both his own lineage and the Plantagenets, on top of the well-known geopolitical and economic motives behind the military intervention.
Bravura in Blue: Ultramarine in the Works of Artemisia Gentileschi
Authors: Kline Rachel
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This paper adopts materiality as an interpretive lens to explore the gendered resonances of ultramarine in the works of Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The history of ultramarine in early Italian devotional painting and the Renaissance theory of colore provide a contextual backdrop for investigating how Artemisia considered the significance of her materials in the competitive seventeenth-century art market. As a female artist, Artemisia was uniquely scrutinized by her male patrons and competitors and was therefore pressed to strategically craft her self-representation as a woman in early modern Italy. Artemisia's conspicuous use of ultramarine perhaps indicates her strategy to build upon the embedded meanings of the pigment and imbue her work with the value of both skill and material as she sought recognition for her artifice.
Lessons for a Broadway Wannabe
Authors: Oehlers Adrienne Gibbons
Published: November 2024

Abstract: This essay is a letter to my younger self, a reflection of where I was when I started the journey into being a professional musical theatre performer, and of those lessons I can now identify from my past experiences. It offers a glimpse into some of the ups and downs of my performing life as well as some advice for any students considering this path.
Fighting Like a Girl: A Letter to My Younger Self
Authors: Rosvally Danielle
Published: November 2024

Abstract: In this letter to her younger self, Danielle Rosvally explicates the complications of gender inherent in the world of stage combat and professional fight direction. She relates her experience of fighting (and teaching) while female and offers some hopeful direction for the future.
Cross-Institutional Collaboration through Audience Research
Authors: Snyder-Young Dani , Selden-Riley Monique
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Neighboring institutions with radically different access to resources circulate within segregated and siloed social worlds. Cross-institutional collaboration holds the potential to disrupt these silos, to redirect resources from resource-rich institutions to underfunded neighboring institutions, and to emphasize the value of lived experiences in the production of knowledge. The theatre can be a site for cross-institutional collaboration, but such projects are far from straightforward and require flexibility. This essay describes a collaboration between the theatre department of a resource-rich private university and an honors seminar at a neighboring community college, utilizing audience research as a site of cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration.
Each Other’s Harvest: 2024 Roger L. Stevens Address to the College of Fellows of the American Theatre
Authors: Ambush Benny Sato
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Benny Sato Ambush’s Roger L. Stevens Address to the College of Fellows of the American Theatre, delivered April 21, 2024, at the Kennedy Center Skylight Pavilion in Washington, DC. This version of his speech has been lightly edited for readers.
Constituencies of Care: Imagining Possibilities of Access in US Theatre Pedagogy and Production
Authors: Barr Lindsey R.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Conversations about accessibility and representation in US theatre have increased over the past decade, but few articles address how these topics might be incorporated into our classrooms and educational rehearsal spaces. Using as a case study the rehearsal and production processes devised for the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio , this Note considers how access initiatives implemented in the nonprofit and professional theatre spheres might be adapted and included in US theatre pedagogical practices for introducing students to comprehensive and holistic approaches to disability inclusion and accordant access initiatives.
The Unquiet Pedagogy of Harold Pinter’s Mountain Language : Topical Lessons from India
Authors: Chandran K. Narayana
Published: November 2024

Abstract: In teaching Harold Pinter’s Mountain Language , I have observed how Indian postgraduate students see for themselves the institutionally sponsored biases and the hierarchized linguistic-racist ideologies these biases spawn. Political questions occur naturally to them: Why even democratic regimes should fear language itself? Why they feel driven to deploy a state language as a weapon in their war games? If English silences dissidence and considers BIPOC narratives devious and defiant, then Pinter would ask us to think differently about English and its potential linguicidal threat. The politics of interdiction that besets communities is another topic that students engage with in reading Pinter. This Note concludes with a reflection on the impossible task of translating Mountain Language for the simple reason that it stages English as at once its theatre and topic. Brought into dialogue with this conundrum is Brian Friel’s Translations , a play that stages another cultural scenario where English bespeaks colonial violence without quite letting an audience see the dubious logic of endorsing that violence.
Growing the Hearts of Audiences: Community-Engaged Learning and Studies in Audience Development
Authors: Innes Kari-Anne
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Diminishing audiences is a theme of recent industry news articles announcing pauses and closures of some of the country’s most prestigious regional theatres, often citing COVID-19 as the determining factor. While the pandemic has certainly brought audience decline to a head, decades of diminished arts education and the prioritizing of profit over community engagement have exacerbated the falling-off. What lessons can theatre departments and training programs take from this scenario? This article outlines a pedagogy of audience development embedded in early arts education and identifies six attributes for community-engaged learning. Audience development is clearly a priority for ensuring that our venues are full and current students have an industry to graduate into.
Embedded CPU-GPU pupil tracking
Authors: Kowalski Bartlomiej , Huang Xiaojing , Dubra Alfredo
Published: November 2024

We explore camera-based pupil tracking using high-level programming in computing platforms with end-user discrete and integrated central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), seeking low calculation latencies previously achieved with specialized hardware and programming (Kowalski et al., [Biomed. Opt. Express 12, 6496 (2021)10.1364/BOE.433766]. Various desktop and embedded computers were tested, some with two operating systems, using the traditional sequential pupil tracking paradigm, in which the processing of the camera image only starts after it is fully downloaded to the computer. The pupil tracking was demonstrated using two Scheimpflug optical setups, telecentric in both image and object spaces, with different optical magnifications and nominal diffraction-limited performance over an ∼18 mm full field of view illuminated with 940 nm light. Eye images from subjects with different iris and skin pigmentation captured at this wavelength suggest that the proposed pupil tracking does not suffer from ethnic bias. The optical axis of the setups is tilted at 45° to facilitate integration with other instruments without the need for beam splitting. Tracking with ∼0.9-4.4 µm precision and safe light levels was demonstrated using two complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor cameras with global shutter, operating at 438 and 1,045 fps with an ∼500 × 420 pixel region of interest (ROI), and at 633 and 1,897 fps with ∼315 × 280 pixel ROI. For these image sizes, the desktop computers achieved calculation times as low as 0.5 ms, while low-cost embedded computers delivered calculation times in the 0.8-1.3 ms range.
Generation and switching of focused vector and vortex beams by a composite polarization hologram
Authors: Wang Jinyu , Chen Ruixian , Zang Xianqing , Qi Peiliang , Ye Tian , Yuan Xinyi , Zheng Shujun , Hao Jianying , Yang Yi , Gao Chunqing , Lin Xiao , Tan Xiaodi
Published: November 2024

In the field of optics, vector and vortex beams, with their unique and fascinating properties, are showing considerable potential in scientific research and practical applications. In this study, composite polarization holograms were prepared by holographic exposure using a polarization-sensitive material of polymethylmethacrylate doped with phenanthrenequinone (PQ/PMMA). The experimental results show that focused radial vector and vortex beams can be generated when being incident by circularly polarized waves with different rotational directions, respectively. The introduction of the focusing property, and the different responses to the rotational direction of the circularly polarized wave, makes our study potentially applicable in the fields of structured beam generation, detection, and optical information processing.
Color polarization imaging demosaicing based on Stokes vector information complementation and fusion
Authors: Zheng Yubo , Zhang Xiangyue , Wu Chengdong , Ji Peng , Ru Jingyu
Published: November 2024

The division of focal plane polarimeter (DoFP) imaging sacrifices imaging resolution in order to achieve real-time polarization imaging. Especially for color DoFP imaging, the sampling rate is twice as low as monochrome polarized DoFP imaging. The existing demosaicing methods often fail to integrate color and polarization information, resulting in significant color differences and artifacts in the generated high-resolution images. We propose what we believe to be a novel Stokes Complementary Network (SCN) using Stokes vector mutual guidance, which effectively integrates color and polarization information to reduce color and polarization artifacts. We also believe we have a novel Polarization Fusion Complements Network (PFCN) employing DoLP and AoP that is proposed, which uses high-frequency information in polarization fusion features to aid in restoring more details of images. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can sufficiently suppress color and polarization artifacts. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, the proposed method achieves superior performance in both quantitative metrics and visualization results.
Strong reverse saturation and fast-light in ruby
Authors: Safari Akbar , Selvarajah Cara , Evans Jenine , Upham Jeremy , Boyd Robert W.
Published: November 2024

Reverse saturation of absorption is a relatively rare phenomenon in light–matter interaction, as it requires a few conditions to be fulfilled. We observe that ruby exhibits a very strong reverse saturation of absorption at 473 nm. Furthermore, we measure the group velocity of a modulated laser beam in ruby and observe that the peaks of the pulses appear more than a hundred microseconds earlier than the reference signal. A theoretical model based on coherent population oscillation would suggest a fast-light effect with an extremely large and negative group index of −(1.7 ± 0.1) × 106 in consistency with the observed temporal advancement. We propose that this pulse advancement can also be described by time-dependent absorption of ruby. Our study helps to understand the nature of the fast- and slow-light effects in transition-metal-doped crystals such as ruby and alexandrite with potential applications in optical memories and delay lines.
Adaptively spatial PSF removal enables contrast enhancement for multi-layer image fusion in photoacoustic microscopy
Authors: Feng Ting , Li Hang , Ma Haigang
Published: November 2024

Optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy enables cellular-level biological imaging in deep tissues. However, acquiring high-quality spatial images without knowing the point spread function (PSF) at multiple depths or physically improving system performance is challenging. We propose an adaptive multi-layer photoacoustic image fusion (AMPIF) approach based on blind deconvolution and registration. Our findings indicate that the AMPIF method rapidly achieves optimized multi-layer focused fused images with superior resolution and contrast without relying on prior knowledge of the PSF. This method holds significant potential for fast imaging of living biological tissues with enhanced contrast at multiple imaging depths.
Optimization of P-electrode structures to enhance current spreading uniformity in micro-LEDs
Authors: Liu TaoMing , Liu ShiBiao , Zhang ZheNing , Guo WenAn , Chen XinXing , Yang YuFu , Chen Guolong , Lu Yijun , Chen Zhong , Wu Tingzhu
Published: November 2024

In this study, we designed and fabricated parallel-connected green micro-LEDs with three different P-electrode configurations: rounded (Sample A), cross-shaped (Sample B), and circular (Sample C). We then systematically evaluated the impact of these electrode shapes on the devices’ optoelectronic performance. The results show that the shape of the P-electrode significantly influences the optoelectronic performance of micro-LEDs. With a round mesa, Sample C exhibits the lowest operating voltage and the smallest dynamic resistance and achieves a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.57%, which is 25.53% and 11.13% higher than that of Sample A (15.59%) and Sample B (17.61%), respectively. The analysis suggests that this improvement is mainly due to enhanced uniformity in current spreading and shorter current injection paths. COMSOL simulations, along with thermal resistance and surface temperature measurements, confirm that different P-electrode shapes affect the uniformity of current distribution in micro-LEDs, which in turn impacts the device’s thermal performance. TracePro simulation results further demonstrated that circular P-electrodes optimize the light output of the device. We believe that this study provides a valuable reference for the design and fabrication of micro-LED chips.
Polarization squeezing in chalcogenide fibers
Authors: Andrianov Alexey V. , Romanov Alexey N. , Sorokin Arseny A. , Anashkina Elena A. , Kalinin Nikolay , Dirmeier Thomas , Sánchez-Soto Luis L. , Leuchs Gerd
Published: November 2024

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of polarization-squeezed light in a short piece of solid-core chalcogenide (ChG) (As2S3) fiber via the Kerr effect for femtosecond pulses at 1.56 µm. Directly measured squeezing of −2.8 dB is obtained in a setup without active stabilization. Numerical simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results and indicate that the measured squeezing in our setup is mainly limited by the losses in the detection system rather than by the fiber properties.
Intertwined Fano resonances in sub-wavelength metallic gratings: omnidirectional and wideband optical transmission
Authors: Langevin Denis , Jaeck Julien , Haïdar Riad , Bouchon Patrick
Published: November 2024

Metallic gratings can be used as infrared filters, but their performance is often limited by bandwidth restrictions due to metallic losses. In this work, we propose a metallic groove–slit–groove (GSG) structure that overcomes these limitations by exhibiting a large bandwidth, angularly independent, extraordinary optical transmission. Our design achieves high transmission efficiency in the longwave infrared range, driven by Fano-type resonances created through the interaction between the grooves and the central slit. This mechanism results in a tunable 2 µm transmission window with high rejection rate. We extend the concept to a two-dimensional GSG array, exhibiting a polarization-insensitive 80% transmission window for incident angles up to 50°, offering significant potential for infrared filtering applications.
Transmission characteristics of heterostructured inverse waveguides based on two-dimensional square photonic crystals
Authors: Zhang Si-qi , Li Hong , Liu Xiao-Jing , Han Meng , Zhao Dong-xu , Yang Feng
Published: November 2024

In this study, we calculate photonic band structure and electric
field distribution for a defective two-dimensional photonic
crystal using the supercell technique. The two-dimensional
photonic crystals waveguide is composed of circular $ZnGeP_{2}$
and function medium cylinders embedded in air. With the
two-dimensional photonic crystals waveguide heterostructure is
reversed, and the photonic band structure shifts toward higher
frequencies regions. The electric field distribution pattern of
the defect mode increases. The transmission characteristics of
heterostructured waveguides based on two-dimensional square
photonic crystals are modulated by adjusting the parameter $b$ of
the dielectric constant of the function dielectric column. By
changing the structure parameter $b$ of the dielectric constant,
we found that the defect mode number, defect mode position, and
defect mode width changed. The multi-pole electric field
distribution pattern has appeared. Adjusting the value of
parameter $b$ does not affect the width and position of the
photonic band gap. These results will provide newly designed
methods for the related optical devices.
Non-small cell lung cancer detection through knowledge distillation approach with teaching assistant
Authors: Pavel Mahir Afser , Islam Rafiul , Babor Shoyeb Bin , Mehadi Riaz , Khan Riasat
Published: November 2024

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibits a comparatively slower rate of metastasis in contrast to small cell lung cancer, contributing to approximately 85% of the global patient population. In this work, leveraging CT scan images, we deploy a knowledge distillation technique within teaching assistant (TA) and student frameworks for NSCLC classification. We employed various deep learning models, CNN, VGG19, ResNet152v2, Swin, CCT, and ViT, and assigned roles as teacher, teaching assistant and student. Evaluation underscores exceptional model performance in performance metrics achieved via cost-sensitive learning and precise hyperparameter (alpha and temperature) fine-tuning, highlighting the model’s efficiency in lung cancer tumor prediction and classification. The applied TA (ResNet152) and student (CNN) models achieved 90.99% and 94.53% test accuracies, respectively, with optimal hyperparameters (alpha = 0.7 and temperature = 7). The implementation of the TA framework improves the overall performance of the student model. After obtaining Shapley values, explainable AI is applied with a partition explainer to check each class’s contribution, further enhancing the transparency of the implemented deep learning techniques. Finally, a web application designed to make it user-friendly and classify lung types in recently captured images. The execution of the three-stage knowledge distillation technique proved efficient with significantly reduced trainable parameters and training time applicable for memory-constrained edge devices.
The Paradox of Connection: How Digital Media Is Transforming Journalistic Labor, Diana Bossio, Valérie Bélair-Gagnon, Avery E. Holton and Logan Molyneux (2024)
Authors: Murray Richard
Published: November 2024

Review of: The Paradox of Connection: How Digital Media Is Transforming Journalistic Labor, Diana Bossio, Valérie Bélair-Gagnon, Avery E. Holton and Logan Molyneux (2024)

Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 184 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-25204-561-5, cloth, USD 110.00

ISBN 978-0-25208-773-8, p/bk, USD 26.00

ISBN 978-0-25205-527-0, e-book, USD 19.95
On the other side of the river, a parallel narrative to the 2018 feminist marchas in Santiago de Chile
Authors: Richards Ariel Florencia
Published: November 2024

What could be the place of men and masculinity in recent social and feminist movements? Regarding the works Precipitar (2019) and Ante(s)jardín (2018–22) by the Chilean artist Sebastián Preece, this article observes some artistic practices that are capable of contributing, from alternative expressions to hegemonic masculinity, new critical thoughts and perspectives on gender and performance studies. Far from the city’s physical space where the 2018 feminist marchas and manifestations took place in Santiago de Chile, Preece dedicated himself to sweeping an abandoned warehouse and observing for five years how through natural light and water, it began to generate, among that rubble, a garden. In this way of working, a clue seems to emerge to subvert what the Argentinean anthropologist Rita Segato calls the ‘mandate of masculinity’ in the sense that he turned that shed into a safe place to display the emotions that the mandate restrains men from feeling in public and propose an art form of masculine action that is silent and subtle in its interventions.
Social media and the vitiating public sphere: Role of digital assemblages in the production of hate speech in India
Authors: Kazmi Abdullah , Jayakumar Karthika
Published: November 2024

In the digital era, communities with common interests interacting on social media often lead to varying mobilizations. Augmented with an imagined sense of community (nation), these interactions fuel ultra-nationalist sentiments. This leads to the production of communal violence that targets minorities. The increase in anti-Muslim reportage done by mainstream media in recent years has also legitimized the systemic othering of Muslims. Calls for violence and genocide against Muslims have now become the new normal in India. In this light, social media’s rise signifies a tectonic shift resulting in the creation of a majoritarian digital Hindu identity that facilitates the state’s goal of institutionalized hate. In this article, we try to evaluate how the democratization of social media platforms functions as a tool for political mobilization and how, when exploited by digital hate-driven communities, this results in violence against minorities. Through a comprehensive analysis of such digital assemblies in the Indian context, we seek to acknowledge this culture of hate that is taking digital India by storm.
Ciudadanía Digital: Niveles, Consumo y Confianza en la Información de los Jóvenes Españoles
Authors: Feridouni Solimani Anita , Ahmed-Mohamed  Karim
Published: November 2024

En un contexto de construcción de ciudadanía digital, el artículo analiza a los jóvenes (18-24 años) mostrando diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el nivel de información, consumo de noticias y confianza en los recursos. Se utilizó una muestra de 27.433 españoles a partir de los cuales se realizaron nuevos modelos de regresión logística binaria controlados por un conjunto de variables relevantes. Los resultados multivariados muestran que los jóvenes expresan niveles de información significativamente menores, consumen menos información a través de los medios tradicionales (televisión, prensa y radio) y más a través de las redes sociales. Además, confían más en la prensa que otros grupos de edad. No habrá relaciones directas entre el grupo de edad y la confianza en las redes sociales. Las conclusiones orientan la importancia de promover mecanismos de alfabetización en ciudadanía digital que ayuden a desarrollar el sentido crítico de los individuos.
An introduction to the ethical and social problems of bodybuilding
Authors: Cobo Martínez Santiago
Published: November 2024

since the 20th century bodybuilding has been an object of study that interests and challenges researchers in the sociology of sport (see Conquet, 2014; Tajrobehkar, 2016; Wellman, 2020) and, recently, in the philosophy of sport (see Aranyosi, 2017; Madej, 2021; Worthen, 2016). However, many of its problems are little known in the orthodox philosophical literature. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to contribute from STS studies to the posing and discussion of the central ethical and social problems of bodybuilding by contributing to the philosophy of sport or the philosophy of body techniques. Therefore, I will plant the following problems in relation to bodybuilding: gender and sexism; racism, ableism and eugenics; and lastly, fatphobia. Finally, I propose that many of these problems are generated from the indiscriminate use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) within this sport subculture. In this sense, a precautionary framework (epistemic values, moral values, hormonal benefit principle and sports precautionary principle) is proposed from STS studies with the aim of regulating their use, avoiding adverse effects in individuals who are not professional bodybuilders.
Diseño de tecnología industrial abierta a través de la modalidad de producción entre pares híbrida
Authors: Isoglio Antonela
Published: November 2024

Desde el inicio de la década de 1990, un conjunto de procesos productivos desarrollados en plataformas digitales reveló el surgimiento y la expansión de una modalidad organizativa: la producción entre pares. Esta presenta al menos cuatro tipos ideales. Entre aquellos que reúnen la característica de baja centralización en el control de la plataforma de colaboración por parte de una institución, se encuentra la producción entre pares híbrida, que se distingue por la participación de actores con y sin fines de lucro. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir la puesta en práctica de dicha forma organizativa en el diseño de artefactos digitales destinados a servir como medios de producción industrial, y analizar sus funciones y límites para el desarrollo endógeno. Desde la perspectiva del materialismo cognitivo y en diálogo con el pensamiento latinoamericano en ciencia, tecnología y desarrollo, el problema se aborda a partir del caso del proceso productivo informacional de la Computadora Industrial Abierta Argentina (CIAA), que comenzó en 2013 en Argentina. La discusión de los resultados muestra una tensión emergente entre posiciones que implican respuestas diferentes al para qué y para quiénes se diseña tecnología industrial abierta bajo esta modalidad organizativa en países en desarrollo.
La naturaleza de las funciones propias en los productos de la biología sintética
Authors: Goldraij Ariel
Published: November 2024

Este trabajo analiza la naturaleza de las funciones de los bioartefactos que construye la biología sintética a partir de la noción de función propia de Ruth Millikan. La biología sintética es una disciplina emergente que tiene como objetivo principal el diseño racional de nuevas funciones biológicas. La noción de función propia se enfoca en un bioartefacto paradigmático de la biología sintética: Mycobacterium mycoides JCVI-syn1.0, una réplica de un microrganismo natural construído mediante síntesis química. El análisis de las funciones propias es comparado en dos estrategias metodológicas empleadas por la biología sintética para diseñar nuevas funciones: la evolución dirigida y el diseño de novo. Debido a su origen doble, las diferentes partes que componen los bioartefactos de la biología sintética tienen en simultáneo funciones propias directas y derivadas. Aún con los sofisticados conocimientos técnicos para el diseño racional de nuevas funciones en los sistemas vivientes, los bioartefactos construidos por la biología sintética guardan una impronta de la historia natural y de sus funciones propias directas. No parece posible aún la construcción de organismos con funciones basadas solamente en el diseño racional y por fuera de los márgenes de la evolución biológica.
Can small and medium-sized companies increase the value added from wood-based side streams?
Authors:   University of Jyväskylä, School of Business and Economics, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland, Kuhmonen Irene , Näyhä Annukka , Solaranta Miisa , Keränen Janne
Published: November 2024

One of the central goals of circular bioeconomy in the Finnish forest-based sector is upgrading the use of wood-based materials, especially wood-based side streams, to higher value-added products. However, despite these ambitions, most wood-based side streams are used in energy production. Within the forest-based sector, innovative solutions for higher value-added production of wood-based side streams are being developed within small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). Therefore, to promote the process of upscaling these solutions, understanding the success of these companies is pivotal. For this end, we conducted a qualitative study with 10 forest-based SMEs utilizing wood-based side streams to understand both the internal and external factors affecting their ability to scale up their business models. By applying the dynamic capabilities approach from management research and the strategic niche management approach from sociotechnical transition studies, we found that even though the companies are internally well positioned to succeed in their growth aspirations, they face barriers from the dominant forest-based regime. The studied SMEs are facing a mismatch between their own business models and the rules and operating principles of the forest-based sector based on linear economy. Overcoming these barriers and challenging the dominant structures within the Finnish forest-based regime would require joint efforts from the companies. However, the companies have a strong technological orientation, which makes them hesitant with regard to horizontal networking. They also operate in diverse markets, making it difficult for them to find common ground. As a result, the pressure for systemic transformation within the forest-based sector remains nominal.
Internal Jugular Phlebectasia; A Challenging Neck Mass in Children
Authors: Alsaeed Gihad , Alsaeed Ali , Aljindi Mohamad Hasan , Alsaeed Mohamed
Published: November 2024

Cystic neck masses are uncommon in children, and a minority of them are soft. Internal jugular vein phlebectasia (IJVP) is a rare cause of soft neck cysts. It presents usually as a unilateral soft neck mass of changing size. In most cases it is unilateral, right sided and predominantly in males. Imaging study modalities are diagnostic and helpful for observation and follow up. In the vast majority of cases, it decreases in size with time requiring only conservative treatment. However, surgery might be necessary in large or complicated phlebectasia. IJVP is underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed especially in pediatrics, with few cases documented in medical literature. To improve awareness of presentation and management-plan of this rare case, the authors present an extremely rare case of huge left internal jugular phlebectasia in a 14 year-old boy worsened and complicated over years of wait and see approach that needed surgical treatment.
SpyBite-Assisted Biliary Cannulation Facilitating Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in the Presence of Intradiverticular Papilla
Authors: Frías-Ordoñez Juan Sebastián , Garzón Olarte Martín Alonso , Hernández-Cely Geovanny
Published: November 2024

Biliary cannulation in the context of intradiverticular papilla (IDP) during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) remains a challenge even for experts. A 71-year-old woman with choledocholithiasis failed extrainstitutional ERCP because of the presence of IDP. A new ERCP was performed, identifying papillary orifice at the edge of the diverticulum, biliary cannulation by means of SpyBite and sphincterotome, visualizing intra and extrahepatic bile duct dilatation, proceeding to large balloon bilioplasty with extraction of biliary sludge, with optimal results and without complications. This strategy was effective and safe. It could be recommended for difficult cannulation in the presence of IDP.
The Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Adult Men With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Mahmoud Maya , Kawtharany Hassan , Awali Mohamed , Mahmoud Nadine , Mohamed Islam , Syn Wing-Kin
Published: November 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Sex steroids modulate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) pathobiology. We hypothesized that testosterone treatment (TT) modulates progression of MASLD and performed a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of TT on liver steatosis and fibrosis.

METHODS:

We searched PubMed and Embase from inception until November 2023. We screened 1,489 studies and identified 9 eligible studies. We assessed risk of bias for randomized trials using RoB-2 “Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials,” nonrandomized studies using ROBINS-I tool “Risk of Bias In Nonrandomized Studies—of Interventions,” and Murad's tool for single-arm studies. We pooled estimates using RevMan 5.

RESULTS:

Three randomized controlled trials|, 4 nonrandomized studies, and 2 single-arm studies were identified. The population of interest comprised men with MASLD. TT was administered at varying doses, routes, and frequencies, with follow-up ranging from 12 weeks to 8 years. Liver fibrosis and steatosis were assessed using liver biopsy in 3 studies, CT/MRI in 5, and serum scores in 2. All studies provided evidence of reduction in liver steatosis with TT compared with no TT. In addition, the LiFT (randomized controlled trials) trial demonstrated a resolution of MASLD/ metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and a regression in liver fibrosis. TT led to decrease in liver enzymes. Studies were heterogenous in terms of population characteristics, treatment modalities, endpoints, and follow-up. Adverse events were comparable between the 2 groups.

DISCUSSION:

TT is a promising treatment option for men with MASLD and low testosterone. It may improve liver steatosis and reduce liver fibrosis. Large, double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed.
Editorial: Special Issue on Financial Planning
Authors: Brimble Mark , Murphy Brian , Gupta Rakesh
Published: November 2024

The special edition presents current research in the area of financial planning. With the continual upheaval in global financial markets (including Australia), the general trend towards self-funded retirement and less reliance on the state, financial crises and the continual regulatory changes in the financial markets, this issue is timely and topical. This is the third special edition on financial planning, providing an excellent outlet for quality research in financial planning.
Incorporating Financial Literacy into the Secondary School Accounting Curriculum: A New Zealand Perspective
Authors: Samkin Grant , Low Mary , Taylor Jordan
Published: November 2024

This paper examines whether selected stakeholder groups believe accounting should continue to be taught as an elective subject in its current form at New Zealand secondary schools or whether incorporating a financial literacy component would increase the subject’s relevance to students. A mixed method approach combining qualitative and quantitative research methods was used. An electronically administered survey was used to obtain the responses of secondary school accounting teachers, while additional insight in the form of semi-structured interviews was obtained from other stakeholders. Although respondents generally agreed that students benefited from accounting as an elective subject at secondary school, all agreed that the development of financial literacy skills was important. Difficulties in introducing a new core subject into an already overcrowded curriculum were acknowledged. However, this difficulty could be overcome by making modifications to the subject “Accounting”. As the most widespread, existing “finance” related subject, Accounting would be the most appropriate vehicle through which to teach financial literacy.
Task-specific emotions in L2 writing: A control-value theory approach from a positive psychology perspective
Authors: Li Chengchen
Published: November 2024

This study investigates task-specific emotions, examining how they arise and impact performance in a second language writing task through the lens of control-value theory and a positive psychology (PP) perspective. Participants were 206 secondary English-as-a-foreign-language learners from rural China. They completed an English argumentative writing task and filled out scales measuring task-specific appraisals (control, intrinsic value, and extrinsic value) as well as task-specific emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom). Correlation analyses showed consistently significant intercorrelations between control-value appraisals, task emotions, and task performance. Structural equation modeling revealed that: (1) task performance was directly predicted by extrinsic value appraisal and indirectly predicted by control appraisal, with anxiety being a mediator; (2) enjoyment was positively predicted by both control appraisal and intrinsic value appraisal; and (3) boredom was not predicted by any of the appraisals. The findings highlight the emotional dimension of the task and provide implications for task design, implementation, and assessment. The article concludes by advocating for a control-value theory approach to task-specific emotions from a PP perspective.
Evaluating the antifibrotic potential of naringenin, asiatic acid, and icariin using murine and human precision‐cut liver slices
Authors: Luo Ke , Geng Yana , Oosterhuis Dorenda , de Meijer Vincent E. , Olinga Peter
Published: November 2024

Liver fibrosis is an exaggerated wound healing response defined by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix. This study investigated the antifibrotic potential of naringenin (NRG), asiatic acid (AA), and icariin (ICA) using murine and human precision‐cut liver slices (PCLS). These natural products have shown promise in animal models, but human data are lacking. In this study, PCLS prepared from male mouse liver tissue (mPCLS), healthy human liver tissue (hhPCLS), and cirrhotic human liver tissue (chPCLS) were cultured for 48 h with varying concentrations of the three compounds. Our findings indicate that NRG reduced collagen type 1 (COL1A1) expression in a concentration‐dependent manner in both mPCLS and chPCLS, decreased fibrosis‐related gene expression, and significantly lowered pro‐collagen type 1 (PCOL1A1) levels in the culture medium by 54 ± 21% (mPCLS) and 78 ± 35% (chPCLS). Furthermore, NRG effectively inhibited IL‐1β and TNF‐α in mPCLS and IL‐1β in chPCLS on both gene and protein levels. AA specifically reduced COL1A1 and PCOL1A1 in chPCLS, while ICA selectively downregulated Col1a1 and Acta2 gene expression in mPCLS. This study suggests NRG's potential as an effective antifibrotic agent, warranting further investigation into its mechanisms and therapeutic applications in liver fibrosis.
Glück gehabt!
– Die deutschen Bibliotheken nach der Wende – mit einem Ausblick auf die Entwicklung in Europa
Authors: Mittler Elmar
Published: November 2024

Nach dem Fall der Mauer 1989 und der Wiedervereinigung mussten zwei völlig unterschiedliche Systeme zusammengeführt werden. Die Transformation ist gelungen, weil die in der DDR-Zeit vernachlässigten Universitätsbibliotheken durch eine zwölfjährige gemeinsame Förderung von Bund und Ländern auf das Niveau westdeutscher Bibliotheken gebracht wurden; darüber hinaus wurden sie mit neuen Bauten leistungsfähig gemacht. Die Umstellung des zentralen Systems der Öffentlichen Bibliotheken der DDR in die Verantwortung der Gemeinden wurde durch Bundesmittel erleichtert. Der Wandel wurde durch die partnerschaftliche Kooperation aller Beteiligten in Ost und West zu einem Erfolg. Abschließend wird ein Blick auf die europäische Entwicklung geworfen. Der Text ist aus der Sicht einer Person geschrieben, die in verschiedenen Positionen aktiv an der Transformation mitgewirkt hat.
Electrochemical dissolution of titanium under alternating current polarization to obtain its dioxide
Authors: Bayeshova Azhar , Bayeshov Abduali , Zhumabay Fatima , Osińska Małgorzata , Łęska Bogusława
Published: November 2024

The titanium electrode was polarized under the influence of alternating current (AC) at 50 Hz. The current density was varied between 100 and 5,000 A m−2. Initially, the titanium electrode oxidized, and then, titanium oxides were reduced during the cathodic half-cycle of the AC. When the cathodic half-cycle changes to the anodic half-cycle, titanium is oxidized to the trivalent state:

Ti
−
3
e
̄
→
Ti

3
+

{{\rm{Ti}}-3{\rm{e}}{\rm{̄}}\to {\rm{Ti}}}^{3+}

. The direction of the AC changes depending on its frequency, causing the processes occurring on the electrodes to be periodically repeated. The current efficiency of the titanium electrode dissolution depends on the sulfuric acid concentration and electrolyte concentration, reaching up to 63.4% under optimal conditions. Bipolar electrodes were used during AC electrolysis. It was found that the decrease in the mass of titanium electrodes increases almost linearly at first, from 400 to 1,600 A m−2, and then more intensively within the current densities from 1,800 to 2,500 A m−2. It was shown that when using a bipolar electrode, the total mass loss of the electrodes is 1.38 times greater than the total mass loss during polarization without a bipolar electrode. The composition of the titanium dioxide obtained as a result of electrolysis was identified using physico-chemical analysis methods.
Nests and resin sources (including propolis) of the naturalized orchid bee Euglossa dilemma (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Florida
Authors: Pemberton Robert W.
Published: November 2024

Orchid bee nests are hidden and cryptic making them difficult to find, which helps protect them from natural enemies. 12 nests of the naturalized orchid bee Euglossa dilemma Bembe & Eltz (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Florida are described, including ten detected from citizen science iNaturalist posted photographs, five of which are used here to show the diversity of nest sites. Five species of plants in Florida, two Dalechampia (Euphorbiaceae) and three Clusia (Clusiaceae), have flowers with valuable resin rewards that female E. dilemma collect to construct their nests and brood cells. Here for the first time, E. dilemma is reported to collect the propolis of honey bees. The ability of E. dilemma to make nests in such diverse objects and situations, especially in human-made objects, probably contributes to its success as a colonizing species in Florida, particularly in human habitats. It also reflects the bee’s considerable awareness to perceive potential nesting opportunities in such diverse sites and objects and to find resin sources, as well as the behavioral plasticity to carry out the nest constructions.
EnR: extend and reduce methodology to enable formal verification of truncated adders
Authors: Jha Chandan Kumar , Qayyum Khushboo , Hassan Muhammad , Drechsler Rolf
Published: November 2024

Truncated adders are widely used in applications where using lower bit-width is enough to generate the desired outputs. Truncated adders give benefits in area, power, and delay as compared to their non-truncated counterparts. While prior works deal with the formal verification of n-bit adders, there is no prior work dealing with the formal verification of unverified m-bit truncated adders using verified n-bit adder designs, where m

<

${< } $

n. In this work, we propose a methodology that enables the verification for any truncated adder designs, irrespective of the architecture, called Extend and Reduce (EnR). EnR uses a three-step methodology to formally verify the truncated adders, which are considered as Design Under Verification (DUV). Firstly, it extends the bit-width of the DUV (truncated adder) to match with the nearest higher 2
n
-bit adder, called an Extended Truncated Adder (ETA). Secondly, it reduces off-the-shelf formally verified golden reference adder design by forcing 0’s at the input bits to match it to the extended DUV design and re-synthesizing it to generate a Reduced Golden Adder (RGA). Lastly, a combinational equivalence check is then performed between the ETA and the RGA for formal verification. If the truncated adder is correct, the ETA and RGA are equivalent and vice versa. We evaluate a number and variety of adder designs to show the efficacy of the EnR methodology. We performed the formal verification using Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) and And-Inverter Graphs (AIGs). Lastly, we show the scalability of EnR methodology using adders up to a bit-width of 512 bits.

ACM CCS

Hardware → Arithmetic and datapath circuits; Combinational circuits; Equivalence checking; Functional verification; Electronic design automation.