bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rethinking Eurasian Geopolitics: Assessing Türkiye’s Influence and the Organization of Turkic States’ Impact
Authors: Özdemir Çağatay
Published: July 2024

This study examines power shifts in the Eurasian Region in the 21st century using traditional geopolitical approaches. These approaches center on the geographical factors that drive the expansion of borders, considering the control exerted by states over geographical areas. The study uses qualitative research methods to evaluate the position of Türkiye, which has gained an active role in global politics with its developing political and economic power within ever-changing Eurasian geopolitics. Composed of three parts, the study examines geopolitical ruptures in Eurasia during the Cold War. It delves into the areas of dominance held by the United States (U.S.), China, and Russia, which came to the forefront during discussions of the unipolar world order in the international system after the end of the Cold War. Simultaneously, the study explores a shift in actors within the international system, as well as changes among global and regional powers. The focus of the study is on issues such as Türkiye’s political presence, security phenomena, economic developments, energy investments, and diversity in Eurasia, wherein Türkiye’s presence and influence in Eurasia following its position shifting from a regional actor to a global actor, are revealed. While Türkiye’s presence in the region constitutes the main focus of the study, the effect of the Organization of Turkic States on Eurasian geopolitics is also examined.
A Diagnostic Mistake, Treated With Shock Waves: Dabska Tumor
Authors: Vela Paul Germán Terán ,   Orthopaedic Surgeon, Orthopedic Specialties Center, Quito-Ecuador,, Palacios Felipe Sebastián Criollo , Tobar Estefanía Anabel Lozada , Freire Luis Eduardo Guzmán , García Eloísa Abigael Nájera ,   NGC Diagnóstica, Orthopedic Oncology, Quito-Ecuador,,   Orthopaedic Surgeon, Orthopedic Specialties Center, Quito-Ecuador,,   Physician, Orthopedic Specialties Center, Quito-Ecuador.,   NGC Diagnóstica, Orthopedic Oncology, Quito-Ecuador,
Published: July 2024

Papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma (PILA) or Dabska tumor (DT) is a low-grade angiosarcoma. This vascular tumor usually has a higher incidence during childhood and occurs the most in the extremities and trunk. DT is locally aggressive, and no high metastatic potential is reported. We present a case of a 34-year-old female patient, treated with extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for a misdiagnosis of left patellar tendinopathy. Due to the persistence and intensification of her symptoms, she is re-evaluated by Orthopedic Specialists. In magnetic resonance imaging studies, a mass was identified in the left external femoral condyle measuring approximately 10 mm with significant diffuse bone edema. Surgical resection was performed, and a PILA was identified by immunohistochemistry. In this case report, the complications of the use of focused ESWT and the histopathological characteristics of DT are discussed. Keywords: Dabska tumor, Intralymphatic papillary angioendothelioma, Focused shock waves, Complications
Modeling on a multi-level rate equation model and rovibrational relaxations of HBr-filled hollow-core fiber lasers
Authors: Wei Chao , Yu Xuan , Lei Cheng , Wang Ziyu , Wang Du
Published: July 2024

By utilizing the transitions between rovibrational energy levels of gas molecules, a large number of laser spectral lines can be output in the range from mid-infrared to far-infrared. However, research on its laser dynamics is still insufficient. Here, we propose a multi-level rate equation theoretical model using HBr-filled hollow-core fiber gas laser (HCFGL) as an example. Compared with traditional four-level or six-level gas laser models, our model includes 66 rovibrational energy levels involved in the main laser process and fully considers both vibrational and rotational relaxation processes. The calculated results show more accurate estimates of laser threshold and slope efficiency. By using the gradient descent algorithm, the problem of efficiently solving highly nonlinear equations has been solved. It reveals that the gain of the gas medium predominantly concentrates at the entry point, resulting in a significant thermal impact and a notable depletion of the population. Furthermore, the output behavior of various pump spectra exhibits a consistent correlation with the distribution of rotational levels within the corresponding vibrational state. This study not only provides guidance for the design of HCFGL but also a practical scheme for the theoretical modeling and simulation of gas laser dynamics.
Fast and high-accuracy three-dimensional shape measurement using intermediate-bit projection
Authors: Wu Zhoujie , Li Xunren , Guo Wenbo , Chen Zhengdong , Zhang Qican
Published: July 2024

The digital light processing (DLP) projector has been widely used in fringe projection profilometry (FPP). The bit depth of the projected fringes is mostly 8-bit or 1-bit to pursue higher measuring accuracy or speed. In this paper, a bit error model is established to evaluate phase quality of the projected fringes with different bit depths. It indicates that the phase error is jointly determined by the generation method and the bit depth of the projected fringe. Thus, a well-designed generation method for the intermediate-bit projection is proposed to balance the measuring accuracy and the speed. The well-designed generation method introduces a two-dimensional (2D) error diffusion algorithm to reduce the quantization error and compensate the error caused by the intermediate-bit projection. And it can keep good sinusoidal properties through in-focus projection and achieve high-accuracy and large-depth-range three-dimensional (3D) measurement. Experimental results demonstrate the proposed optimized intermediate-bit projection method can inherit both the dominance of 8-bit fringe on high accuracy and large depth range and that of 1-bit fringe on high speed. And it is promising to upgrade the off-the-shelf FPP system from the perspective of bit utilization.
Computational optical sectioning via near-field multi-slice ptychography
Authors: Hu Ziyang , Zhang Yiqian , Maiden Andrew
Published: July 2024

We introduce a method for the computational sectioning of optically thick samples based on a combination of near-field and multi-slice ptychography. The method enables a large field-of-view 3D phase imaging of samples that is an order of magnitude thicker than the depth of field of bright-field microscopy. An axial resolution for these thick samples is maintained in the presence of multiple scattering, revealing a complex structure beyond the depth of the field limit. In this Letter, we describe the new, to the best of our knowledge, approach and demonstrate its effectiveness using a range of samples with diverse thicknesses and optical properties.
Digital mobile fronthaul scheme based on diff-delta–sigma modulation and OCT precoding
Authors: Yang Xiongwei , Yu Jianjun , Long Jianyu , Wang Chen , Wei Yi , Zhao Feng , Zhou Wen , Wang Kaihui
Published: July 2024

In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate digital mobile fronthaul (MFH) for 65536 quadrature amplitude modulation (65536-QAM) signals based on a diff-delta–sigma modulation (D-DSM) scheme with orthogonal circulant matrix transform (OCT) precoding. By combining the D-DSM scheme with OCT precoding, we successfully solved the problem of uneven distribution of in-band quantization noise (IBN) while bringing about a quantization SNR gain of about 1.5 dB. In addition, we compare two signal combination schemes, Gray coding and power superposition, in the D-DSM scheme. The results show that the power superposition scheme can achieve similar performance to Gray coding with lower computational complexity. At the same time, the power superposition scheme is less affected by the saturation effect. Therefore, the D-DSM solution combined with OCT precoding and power superposition provides an effective solution for future 6 G digital mobile fronthaul.
Multi-parameter optimization of polarization gradient cooling for ⁸⁷Rb atoms based on reinforcement learning
Authors: Liang Changwen , Gao Shaojun , Liu Jixun , Wang Guochao , Yan Shuhua , Yang Jun , Zhu Lingxiao , ma xiaoxiao
Published: July 2024

Polarization gradient cooling (PGC) plays an important role in many cold atom applications including the formation of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and cooling of single atom. Traditional parameter optimization of PGC usually relies on subjective expertise, faces challenges in fine manipulation, and exhibits low optimization efficiency. Here, we propose a segmented control method that differs from traditional PGC process by expanding the experiment parameters from 3 to 30. Subsequently, the conventional timing optimization problem is reformulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), and the experiment parameters are optimized using a reinforcement learning model. With proper settings of hyperparameters, the learning process exhibits good convergence and powerful parameter exploration capabilities. Finally, we capture ~4.3×10⁸ cold atoms, with a phase space density of ~7.1×10^(-4) at a temperature of ~3.7 μK in ~14.6 minutes. Our work paves the way for intelligent preparation of degenerate quantum gas.
Dynamics of a high-energy fiber optical parametric chirped-pulse oscillator
Authors: Godin Thomas , Guezennec Tristan , Idlahcen Said , Provino Laurent , HABOUCHA ADIL , Hideur Ammar
Published: July 2024

We investigate the performances and noise characteristics of the recent concept of fiber optical parametric chirped-pulse oscillator (FOPCPO). Our FOPCPO is based on an in-house built functionalized nonlinear fiber for power handling and delivers broadly tunable pulses in the 820 nm (signal) and 1380 nm (idler) bands. Pulses can be dechirped to sub-500~fs duration with an energy up to 500 nJ. This system also exhibits an excellent RIN and we highlight that the cavity's feedback level is a key parameter with a strong impact on the FOPCPO's dynamics. We eventually compare the oscillator and amplifier configurations for equivalent pump levels and show, through RIN and DFT analysis, that FOPCPOs prove superior in terms of noise properties, confirming its potential for nonlinear imaging and spectroscopy experiments where low noise levels are essential.
Non-contact diffuse reflectance spectroscopy using center-illuminated-area-detection modeled by a simple formulae for assessing myoglobin
Authors: Piao Daqing Daching , Farahzadi Nafiseh , Sharma Anuj , Pfeifer Morgan , Mafi Gretchen , Ramanathan Ranjith
Published: July 2024

A process of convenience that is highly desirable in diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is to recover the spectral absorption by direct model-inversion to facilitate decomposition of spectrally significant chromophores. Attaining such convenience that requires a simple forward model has been challenging in non-contact DRS, for assessing myoglobin forms in discoloring meat. This work demonstrates that non-contact DRS configured in a center-illuminated-area-detection (CIAD) geometry [Sun & Piao, 2022] may be modeled by a formula of exceptional simplicity. This simple forward model for DRS in the CIAD geometry on a homogeneous medium has been examined by using Monte Carlo simulations, over a radius of the area of CIAD ranging from 1.5 mm to 10 mm, for the absorption coefficient to vary 5-orders of magnitude over [0.001, 100] 〖mm〗^(-1), and the reduced scattering coefficient to vary 2-orders of magnitude over [0.1, 10] 〖mm〗^(-1) while limited to one scattering phase function. When compared to a previous cumbersome model for the same geometry, the simple model markedly outperforms at high absorption, e.g., >1.0 〖mm〗^(-1). The simplicity of this model facilitates that, with a priori knowledge of the spectral scattering, analytical operation could directly recover the spectral absorption to subsequently use linear inversion to resolve the chromophore proportions. Non-contact DRS in the CIAD geometry of ~4mm in diameter using this simple forward model has been applied to seven longissimus lumborum steaks over 6 days of retail display. The progressive changes of myoglobin, including the decrease of oxymyoglobin and increase of metmyoglobin over 6 days estimated by the simple model of non-contact DRS in CIAD are consistent with those assessed concurrently by a contact DRS using 3mm source-detector-separation [Piao et al, 2022].
High-Sensitivity Pump-Probe Spectroscopy with a Dual-Comb Laser and a PM-ANDi Supercontinuum
Authors: Gruber Christoph , Pupeikis Justinas , Camenzind Sandro , Willenberg Benjamin , de Almeida Camargo Franco Valduga , Lang Lukas , Hamm Peter , Rampur Anupamaa , Heidt Alexander , Phillips Christopher , Cerullo Giulio , Keller Ursula
Published: July 2024

Amplifier-based pump-probe systems, while versatile, often suffer from complexity and low measurement speeds, especially when probing samples requiring low excitation fluences. To address these limitations, we introduce a pump-probe system that leverages a 60-MHz single-cavity dual-comb oscillator and an ultra-low-noise supercontinuum. The setup can operate in equivalent time sampling or in programmable optical delay generation modes. We employ this system to study the wavelength-dependent excited-state dynamics of the non-fullerene electron acceptor Y6, a compound of interest in solar cell development, with excitation fluences as low as 1 nJ/cm2, well below the onset of nonlinear exciton annihilation effects. Our measurements reach a shot-noise-limited sensitivity in differential transmission of 3.4e–7. The results demonstrate the system's potential to advance the field of ultrafast spectroscopy.
Investigation of positive mental health levels among faculty of health sciences students at a rural university in South Africa
Authors: Vagiri Rajesh Vikram , Leboho Phuty Elizabeth , Desry Lokwene Katlego , Khutso Machaka , Pfunzo Mbedzi
Published: July 2024

One out of every four people in their lives can be affected by mental health problems that alter their functioning, behaviour, and thinking patterns. In recent years, there has been an increase in mental health disorders among students worldwide. Positive mental health (PMH) has gained relevance in today’s fast-paced and demanding world, especially for university students, as it affects their ability to learn, achieve academically, and behave appropriately. This study aimed to investigate the levels of PMH and identify the association between PMH domains and socio-demographic and health-related variables among Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) students at a rural university in South Africa. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional survey was conducted. Data was collected using a multidimensional PMH instrument and a socio-demographic and health-related questionnaire, from 354 undergraduate students who are registered for various programmes offered by FHS. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 29. Most of the students were black (99.2%, n = 351), single (72%, n = 255), received a study bursary from the government (78.5%, n = 278), hailed from a rural area (77.7%, n = 275) and residing at the university campus (74.6%, n = 246). The total PMH scores of the participants ranged from 4.24 to 4.97 suggesting moderate to higher PMH levels. Significant differences in mean scores were observed in the total PMH and domains of PMH across various socio-demographic and health-related variables. Gender (p = 0.037), age (p = 0.043) and field of study (p = 0.016) showed a significant association with total PMH score. The study’s findings highlighted the multi-dimensionality of mental health and justified the importance of evaluating the domains of PMH in university students. The disparities observed across different PMH domains underscore the necessity of embracing innovative approaches to achieve the most effective outcomes to improve mental health and the accurate management of symptoms in students.
Prediction and practical application of bauxite mineralization in Wuzhengdao area, Guizhou, China
Authors: Yang Shiqiang , Yang Wu , Cui Tao , Zhang Min
Published: July 2024

Wu-Zheng-Dao District in China is the world’s most famous mining areas. It hosts several world-class deposits, such as Xinming, Datang and Luolong bauxite deposits. Although this area still has significant potential for the discovery of new deposits, mineral prediction has become increasingly diffcult as the number of shallow deposits diminishes. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new and effective metallogenic prediction methods.Weights of evidence and machine-learning algorithms were used for mineral prospecting in this study. This study used a confusion matrix, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve,and prediction efficiency curve to evaluate the prediction results of each machine algorithm. The results showed that 95.9% of the deposits were located in high and distant scenic areas, accounting for 10% of the total area.The prospectivity map of the Wu-Zheng-Dao district shows that the high prospective areas are generally confined to the claystone and carbonatite rocks of the Eastern region, in particular, of the clay layers, and several areas of high prospectivity also occur in the Southern Cross Domain. According to the predicted results, after on-site exploration, design, and construction, Yanfengqian bauxite deposit was discovered, with an average thickness of 1.82 meters; The average content of Al2O3 is 61.24%; The resource amount is 28.9503 million tons.
Trends in organ donation in England, Scotland and Wales in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘opt-out’ legislation
Authors: O’Neill Stephen , Thomas Karen , McLaughlin Leah , Boadu Paul , Williams Lorraine , Al-Haboubi Mustafa , Bostock Jennifer , Noyes Jane , Mays Nicholas
Published: July 2024

Background

In May 2020, England implemented soft ‘opt-out’ or ‘deemed consent’ for deceased donation with the intention of raising consent rates. However, this coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, making it difficult to assess the early impact of the law change. Wales and Scotland changed their organ donation legislation to implement soft opt-out systems in 2015 and 2021 respectively. This study provides a descriptive analysis of changes in consent and transplant rates for deceased organ donation in England, Scotland and Wales.

Methods

Logistic regression and descriptive trend analysis were employed to assess the probability of a patient who died in critical care becoming a donor, and to report consent rates using data, respectively, from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) in England from 1 April 2014 to 30 September 2021, and from the Potential Donor Audit for England, Scotland and Wales from April 2010 to June 2023.

Results

The number of eligible donors in April-June 2020 were 56.5%, 59.3% and 57.6% lower in England, Scotland and Wales relative to April-June 2019 (pre-pandemic). By April-June 2023, the number of eligible donors had recovered to 87.4%, 64.2% and 110.3%, respectively, of their levels in 2019. The consent rate in England, Scotland and Wales reduced from 68.3%, 63.0% and 63.6% in April-June 2019 to 63.2%, 60.5% and 56.3% in April-June 2023.

Conclusions

While the UK organ donation system shows signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of eligible potential donors and consent rates remain below their pre-pandemic levels.
Effect on catch efficiency and bycatch by introducing an Excluder device in the trawl fishery for lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus)
Authors: Eigaard Ole R. , Sparrevohn Claus R. , Søgaard Mathias , Herrmann Bent
Published: July 2024

Sampling of the North Sea trawl fishery for lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) showed that 96% of the catch weight consisted of the target species, and experimental sea trials demonstrated that the observed small bycatch percentages of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus) could be significantly lowered by inserting a netting-based sorting device, an Excluder, in front of the codend. The sandeel fishery is conducted with small meshes in the codend, due to the small size and elongated body shape of this species. It is not mandatory for sandeel trawls to have any other selection devices than the small-meshed codend, and this can potentially cause problems with bycatch of unwanted species, if these are abundant on the fishing grounds. Therefore, we sampled the catch composition in this fishery and further, we compared the capture efficiency and species composition of a standard trawl, and one fitted with an additional sorting device called the Excluder. Overall, results showed small percentages of bycatch in the trips sampled and during the trials, the excluder significantly reduced the bycatches of mackerel, grey gurnard, and haddock above certain sizes. For other bycatch species results were inconclusive due to wide confidence limits affected by low bycatch numbers during the trials. The overall capture efficiency for the target species was not affected by adding the excluder in the trawl except for a significant reduction for a few semi-centimetre groups of the largest sizes of the species. These results highlight the potential of the Excluder as a bycatch reduction tool in the sandeel fishery for situations where bycatch can constitute a problem.
“Smells like team spirit” the association between running club membership and performance in the London Marathon: An economic analysis
Authors: Burke Lee-Ann
Published: July 2024

This study examines the association between club membership and marathon performance using a dataset of 206,653 London Marathon runners. Our results show a statistically significant association between club membership and marathon performance for both males and females which sees club membership potentially mitigating pace decline with age and resulting in substantial improvements in finishing times of up to 40 minutes. We implement a production function framework and align with three principles of economic organisation. The findings have relevance for marathon participants, coaches, and athletic associations as well as implications beyond athletics to other sports or cooperative activities.
Effects of in utero delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure on fetal and infant musculoskeletal development in a preclinical nonhuman primate model
Authors: Moellmer Samantha A. , Hagen Olivia L. , Farhang Parsa A. , Duke Victoria R. , Fallon Meghan E. , Hinds Monica T. , McCarty Owen J. T. , Lo Jamie O. , Nakayama Karina H.
Published: July 2024

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a major role in the maintenance of bodily homeostasis and adaptive response to external insults. It has been shown to regulate crucial physiological processes and behaviors, spanning nervous functions, anxiety, cognition, and pain sensation. Due to this broad activity, the ECS has been explored as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of select diseases. However, until there is a more comprehensive understanding of how ECS activation by exogenous and endogenous ligands manifests across disparate tissues and cells, discretion should be exercised. Previous work has investigated how endogenous cannabinoid signaling impacts skeletal muscle development and differentiation. However, the effects of activation of the ECS by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the most psychoactive component of cannabis) on skeletal muscle development, particularly in utero, remain unclear. To address this research gap, we used a highly translational non-human primate model to examine the potential impact of chronic prenatal THC exposure on fetal and infant musculoskeletal development. RNA was isolated from the skeletal muscle and analyzed for differential gene expression using a Nanostring nCounter neuroinflammatory panel comprised of 770 genes. Histomorphological evaluation of muscle morphology and composition was also performed. Our findings suggest that while prenatal THC exposure had narrow overall effects on fetal and infant muscle development, the greatest impacts were observed within pathways related to inflammation and cytokine signaling, which suggest the potential for tissue damage and atrophy. This pilot study establishes feasibility to evaluate neuroinflammation due to prenatal THC exposure and provides rationale for follow-on studies that explore the longer-term implications and functional consequences encountered by offspring as they continue to mature.
Optimal inventorying and monitoring of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity
Authors: Cardoso Pedro , Arnedo Miquel A. , Macías-Hernández Nuria , Carvalho William D. , Carvalho José C. , Hilário Renato
Published: July 2024

Comparable data is essential to understand biodiversity patterns. While assemblage or community inventorying requires comprehensive sampling, monitoring focuses on as few components as possible to detect changes. Quantifying species, their evolutionary history, and the way they interact requires studying changes in taxonomic (TD), phylogenetic (PD) and functional diversity (FD). Here we propose a method for the optimization of sampling protocols for inventorying and monitoring assemblages or communities across these three diversity dimensions taking sampling costs into account. We used Iberian spiders and Amazonian bats as two case-studies. The optimal combination of methods for inventorying and monitoring required optimizing the accumulation curve of α-diversity and minimizing the difference between sampled and estimated β-diversity (bias), respectively. For Iberian spiders, the optimal combination for TD, PD and FD allowed sampling at least 50% of estimated diversity with 24 person-hours of fieldwork. The optimal combination of six person-hours allowed reaching a bias below 8% for all dimensions. For Amazonian bats, surveying all the 12 sites with mist-nets and 0 or 1 acoustic recorders was the optimal combination for almost all diversity types, resulting in >89% of the diversity and <10% bias with roughly a third of the cost. Only for phylogenetic α-diversity, the best solution was less clear and involved surveying both with mist nets and acoustic recorders. The widespread use of optimized and standardized sampling protocols and regular repetition in time will radically improve global inventory and monitoring of biodiversity. We strongly advocate for the global adoption of sampling protocols for both inventory and monitoring of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.
Flexibility of a large blindly synthetized avatar database for occupational research: Example from the CONSTANCES cohort for stroke and knee pain
Authors: Fadel Marc , Petot Julien , Gourraud Pierre-Antoine , Descatha Alexis
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Though the rise of big data in the field of occupational health offers new opportunities especially for cross-cutting research, they raise the issue of privacy and security of data, especially when linking sensitive data from the field of insurance, occupational health or compensation claims. We aimed to validate a large, blinded synthesized database developed from the CONSTANCES cohort by comparing associations between three independently selected outcomes, and various exposures.

Methods

From the CONSTANCES cohort, a large synthetic dataset was constructed using the avatar method (Octopize) that is agnostic to the data primary or secondary data uses. Three main analyses of interest were chosen to compare associations between the raw and avatar dataset: risk of stroke (any stroke, and subtypes of stroke), risk of knee pain and limitations associated with knee pain. Logistic models were computed, and a qualitative comparison of paired odds ratio (OR) was made.

Results

Both raw and avatar datasets included 162,434 observations and 19 relevant variables. On the 172 paired raw/avatar OR that were computed, including stratified analyses on sex, more than 77% of the comparisons had a OR difference ≤0.5 and less than 7% had a discrepancy in the statistical significance of the associations, with a Cohen’s Kappa coefficient of 0.80.

Conclusions

This study shows the flexibility and the multiple usage of a synthetic database created with the avatar method in the particular field of occupational health, which can be shared in open access without risking re-identification and privacy issues and help bring new insights for complex phenomenon like return to work.
Deep-learning-based segmentation using individual patient data on prostate cancer radiation therapy
Authors: Jeong Sangwoon , Cheon Wonjoong , Kim Sungjin , Park Won , Han Youngyih
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Organ-at-risk segmentation is essential in adaptive radiotherapy (ART). Learning-based automatic segmentation can reduce committed labor and accelerate the ART process. In this study, an auto-segmentation model was developed by employing individual patient datasets and a deep-learning-based augmentation method for tailoring radiation therapy according to the changes in the target and organ of interest in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods

Two computed tomography (CT) datasets with well-defined labels, including contoured prostate, bladder, and rectum, were obtained from 18 patients. The labels of the CT images captured during radiation therapy (CT2nd) were predicted using CT images scanned before radiation therapy (CT1st). From the deformable vector fields (DVFs) created by using the VoxelMorph method, 10 DVFs were extracted when each of the modified CT and CT2nd images were deformed and registered to the fixed CT1st image. Augmented images were acquired by utilizing 110 extracted DVFs and spatially transforming the CT1st images and labels. An nnU-net autosegmentation network was trained by using the augmented images, and the CT2nd label was predicted. A patient-specific model was created for 18 patients, and the performances of the individual models were evaluated. The results were evaluated by employing the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), average Hausdorff distance, and mean surface distance. The accuracy of the proposed model was compared with those of models trained with large datasets.

Results

Patient-specific models were developed successfully. For the proposed method, the DSC values of the actual and predicted labels for the bladder, prostate, and rectum were 0.94 ± 0.03, 0.84 ± 0.07, and 0.83 ± 0.04, respectively.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the feasibility of automatic segmentation by employing individual patient datasets and image augmentation techniques. The proposed method has potential for clinical application in automatic prostate segmentation for ART.
Special Issue introduction: AI and media ecology
Authors: Petricini Tiffany
Published: July 2024

This short work serves an introduction for Explorations in Media Ecology’s first special issue on artificial intelligence (AI). AI work is nothing new in the field, and the article begins by overviewing some of the conversations from the media ecology lead voices on AI, including Postman, Ong and McLuhan. After, the article attempts to guide readers to an understanding of AI through a media ecological lens, concluding that generative AI (GenAI) tools are media. The article ends by giving a brief overview of the articles that have been selected for the special issue.
Repositioning Nordic film culture in Beijing, China: The Wandering in Scandinavia symposium
Authors: Liu Cuican , Wang Yiwen
Published: July 2024

The Wandering in Scandinavia symposium, held at the UCCA Centre for Contemporary Art in Beijing in December 2023, invited international experts, scholars and young academics to present new research on Nordic/Scandinavian film and television in China. The symposium offered an unprecedented opportunity to discuss the relevance of Nordic cinema in mainland China. While Nordic films are often considered niche products in the Chinese market, in an era of rapid globalization, Chinese scholarship offers a distinctive perspective on how Nordic films connect with and influence audiences and creatives in this vital market. Papers focused on Nordic feature films, including animation, and documentaries, examining these films from diverse perspectives, including auteurist studies, ecological research and historical investigation. The Young Scholars Forum introduced fresh perspectives on topics ranging from queer cinema to war films and new technologies, providing innovative examples of how Nordic cinema travels transnationally.
Sites of the past: The historical film and Bollywood’s encounter with Europe
Authors: Jhingan Shikha
Published: July 2024

The genres of historical films have gained ascendance in the Bollywood industry in recent years. I examine four Bollywood films that narrativize biographies of unusual figures located in Europe in the past. Gold and Sardar Udham stage Europe of the 1930s and the 1940s, a period marked by the Second World War and anti-colonial movements. The flow of production practices reveals the layers of ‘artifice’ involved in producing locations during the inter-war years. The narratives of Bell Bottom and 83, on the other hand are located in Britain of the 1980s. Here, strategies like play with colour tones, differential use of focus, and accented use of old cars, infrastructures, costumes and props help in creating a stylized retro look. I will argue that the material and the immaterial get intertwined with each other through the mobilization of archival photographs, infrastructure, radio broadcasts, newsreel footage and sound media.
O projeto Garrettonline como protótipo editorial para o património poético português
Authors: Boto Sandra
Published: July 2024

The Garrettonline project (www.garrettonline.romanceiro.pt), which digitally publishes the Romanceiro of the Portuguese writer Almeida Garrett (1799-1854), not only relaunches the role of digital philological editing in the diffusion of literary heritages, but also raises some critical and theoretical questions that this study will discuss. We want to combat the preconceived idea that the online edition of literary works does not meet the principles of accuracy that only philology guarantees to the representation of literary collections, traditionally disseminated in editions in printed books. We will also show the potential of the digital medium in terms of expanding the concept of philological edition based on examples drawn from the ongoing research in this project.
O livro como arma política: editoras maoistas em Portugal nos anos 1970
Authors: Maués Flamarion
Published: July 2024

In the broad panorama of political publishing in Portugal in the 1960s-70s, the book publishers linked to Maoist (Marxist-Leninist) groups stand out. Since 1964, with the emergence of the Portuguese Marxist-Leninist Committee (CMLP) and of the Popular Action Front (FAP) as dissidents of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) linked to Maoism, a proliferation of radical left-wing groups has emerged in the country. These groups gave much importance to the press and book publishing, being responsible for the creation of dozens of publishing houses and journals. This article aims to show which were these publishers and to which groups they were linked. We also seek to analyse the role of books as a weapon in political struggle, with reference to the ideas of Jean-Yves Mollier, and to show the insertion of these publishers in political publishing (François Valloton and Julien Hage). Furthermore we seek to analyse the insertion of Maoist publishers in a period of enormous political turmoil in Portugal, that is, immediately after the 25th of April 1974, when these books helped to meet a great demand for information and political education. I believe that the political publishers acted in such a way that these works had an intervening role in the country’s reality, which was expressed in the formula of the book as a political «weapon».
As mulheres não sabem fazer nada? O Antifeminismo na imprensa portuguesa (1885-1914)
Authors: Marques Gabriela Mota
Published: July 2024

The gap between the socially and morally conventional paradigms and representations of women and their behaviors, attitudes and attributes perceived as transgressing the norm is at the origin of ideas, (pre)conceptions and images that are not always favorable about ‘being feminine’, while also questioning gender roles. This is the privileged territory for anti-feminism. Going beyond the narrow meaning of the term, which identifies it as opposition to feminism and its intentions of emancipation and claiming rights, anti-feminism also encompasses interpretations, stereotypes and deeply rooted traditions about the imperfect nature and inferiority of women. The press, as a privileged vehicle for the dissemination and formation of concepts and opinions, played a central role in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century, embodying the official discourses of the various pillars that structured Portuguese society. Emphasis is placed on the humorous register, written and graphic, exploring the direct and implicit meanings that laughter and the laughable object provide and evaluating the trends regarding the subjects treated and the agents of those discourses.
Architectures and Spaces for Care: Recent Contributions to Spanish Postmodern Architectural Culture Led by Women Architects
Authors: Alba Dorado María Isabel
Published: July 2024

Nowadays we observe how many of our cities and other inhabited spaces have been conceived by and for a subject that represents an androcentric model that focusses on the productive, with the result that aspects of architecture such as assistance and care have been underestimated. Faced with this neglect of issues that are considered by society as feminine, a series of feminist struggles have, over the course of decades, been demanding more equitable, inclusive spaces and cities that take into consideration tasks relating to care and reproduction in architectural practice. With regard to the Spanish architectural scene, since the end of the 20th century it has been possible to observe the emergence of a series of professional practices led by women architects that have used the concept of femininity as a creative argument in an effort to approach the profession from different perspectives and open up new areas of activity and debate within which they are free to develop their professional careers. These are based around a critique of modern architectural positions associated with an idealistic vision of society that takes as a reference a neutral gender far from all complexity and excludes the differences between people to establish a paradigm shift from and with feminisms. In this regard, this article aims to present a series of recent professional practices led by Spanish women architects during the period 1978-2008 who, from architecture and urban planning, as well as other peripheral positions such as the arts and social action, have worked around women’s experiences and lent prominence to day-to-day life and care. Its purpose is to determine some of the singular aspects of the contributions made by women to Spanish postmodern architectural culture. This study will allow us to observe how many of these contributions take shape in a series of actions, attitudes and ways of working that envisage the beginning of a shift in how the profession is practised; a shift that departs from the predominant canon to define new strategies and ways of approaching architectural practice that are more in line with the needs of women and non-normative subjects.
Minority Narratives: The Voices of Women Architects from the School of Madrid in Early Democratic Spain (1975-1982)
Authors: Hervás y Heras Josenia , Hurtado Torán Eva
Published: July 2024

Since the mid-19th century and until the 1964 study programme, students at the Madrid School of Architecture had to undergo various entrance exams for university. Women architects in Francoist Spain represented a mere 5% of the profession, a gender gap only overcome many years after the democratic restoration. Yet most of them did not consider feminism as a matter major concern, since the lack of freedom in Spain held greater importance for women that gender issues, which were relegated to a secondary position in public discussions. Starting in 1985, with the development of the Autonomous Regions in Spain and its accession to the European Economic Community, the country underwent a propound transformation. Former generations of women architects would then play a relevant professional role. This paper aims to expose, through the chronological sequence of their graduation—initially in a testimonial and isolated manner and later forming small networks—how their professional careers developed. This chronological approach, as well as a study of their links from a series of conversations with several women architects that studied and/or set their practice during the years of the democratic transition allows us to conclude that they were not only pioneers but also role models and mentors to each other. Their status as a determined minority is reflected in the relationships they established, with friendships and student complicity that accompanied them throughout their lives, as confirmed by their professional collaborations, comments, and vivid memories of their belonging to a group or community.
Inclusion of Women Architects into the Cultural Field of Spanish Competitions: Struggling for Professional Recognition from the Periphery (1978-2008)
Authors: Díaz García Asunción , Oliver-Ramírez José Luis
Published: July 2024

A retrospective look at the architecture competitions held and reported in Spain between the years of transition to democracy and the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008 allows us to verify, from a sociological and historiographical approach, the progressive inclusion of women into the complex and traditionally patriarchal cultural field of the architecture competition. The end of Franco’s dictatorship, and the growing vitality of the Autonomous Regions prompted the call of numerous open consultations throughout the country. These calls continued throughout the last third of the 20th century, until eventually experiencing a decline in the new millennium. These open and anonymous competitions provided a framework in which many women architects were able to ascend through merit, even attaining important positions within the process: firstly, as recognised participants and later as jury members. Highlighting the value of these women’s contribution to architecture has always been subject to disinterest, hesitancy or even outspoken reticence, typical of an eminently patriarchal structure, to which were added those inherent to any competitive structure where the struggle for the domination of symbolic power is inescapable. On the basis of architectural journal articles and illustrative case studies, this paper reviews the published media conditions of this difficult ascent in which the subordinate territories peripheral to the centres of production of architectural culture—Madrid and Barcelona—proved to be a space of opportunity and competition in which to build professional legitimacy. A great deal of Spanish women architects who were regular contestants achieved their recognition through silent logic, far removed from flashy celebrity, an issue that has left a deep imprint on their ways of approaching the practice of their profession, in general, and of participating in the cultural field of the competition, in particular. From this common thinking, this article aims to pay them a well-deserved tribute.
El género en el tráfico de armas: figuras silenciosas y tópicos discursivos en un caso de transgresión legal (Francia y España, 1936-1939)
Authors: Salmon Pierre
Published: July 2024

Al analizar los archivos de la policía y de represión franceses durante la guerra civil española (1936-1939), las mujeres parecen estar casi ausentes de actividades relacionadas con el tráfico de armas. Sin embargo, una lectura atenta de las fuentes de vigilancia y de represión permite ponerlo en perspectiva. El análisis de discursos contemporáneos sobre lo que es el tráfico de armas permite entender cómo esta actividad era asignada a personas de las que se esperaba que demostrasen competencias tradicionalmente consideradas como “masculinas”. Los propios traficantes desarrollaron un discurso a través del cual desvelaban, de manera más o menos directa, las características, competencias y aptitudes que consideraban relacionadas con el género masculino: lealtad, capacidad de actuación y éxito en los negocios, a través de las cuales se presentaban a sí mismos como personas de acción y eficaces. Consecuentemente, las mujeres quedaron al margen de estas actividades. Las pocas que sí se implicaron no son muy visibles debido a un sesgo excluyente en los archivos: es poco común que se mencione a las mujeres en archivos relativos al contrabando de armas, lo cual da lugar a silencios que merecen ser considerados.
Un héroe del pasado para un presente de cambios: dos lecturas sobre la historia de México en el filme Emiliano Zapata (Felipe Cazals, 1970)
Authors: Pascual-Gutiérrez Iris
Published: July 2024

Las películas son un recurso adecuado para el estudio del pasado ya que (con independencia de su calidad artística) ofrecen información abundante sobre las modas, corrientes ideológicas o escalas de valores imperantes en el momento en que se realizaron. Partiendo de esta base y con un diseño metodológico en consecuencia, el presente trabajo propone un análisis histórico del filme mexicano Emiliano Zapata (Felipe Cazals, 1970). Esta biografía cinematográfica del caudillo revolucionario homónimo resulta especialmente interesante porque presenta dos visiones sobre la historia del país: aunque su discurso es en general claramente oficialista, incorpora también algunos elementos críticos. Lo cual nos permite profundizar no solo en la propia figura de Zapata o los años revolucionarios (la película se ambienta entre 1910 y 1919) sino sobre todo en el contexto de México a finales de los sesenta: movilizaciones políticas y sociales de oposición al régimen autoritario encarnado por el PRI, intentos de rearme ideológico gubernamental como respuesta a los mismos, posicionamiento de las clases medias urbanas ante esta realidad, etc.
FERNÁNDEZ SOLDEVILLA, Gaizka y DE PABLO, Santiago, Las raíces de un cáncer. Historia y memoria de la primera ETA (1959-1973). Madrid, Tecnos, 2024, 412pp.
Authors: Mota Zurdo David
Published: July 2024

Reseña del libro: Fernández Soldevilla, Gaizka y DE PABLO, Santiago, Las raíces de un cáncer. Historia y memoria de la primera ETA (1959-1973). Madrid, Tecnos, 2024, 412pp. ISBN: 978-84-30990-02-3.
OROBON, Marie-Angèle, CAMPOS PÉREZ, Lara, SÁNCHEZ COLLANTES, Sergio y MIRA ABAD, Alicia (coords.), Diccionario simbólico del republicanismo histórico español (siglos XIX-XX). Granada, Editorial Comares, 2024, 393 pp.
Authors: Fernández Sirvent Rafael
Published: July 2024

Reseña del libro: Orobon, Marie-Angèle, Campos Pérez, Lara, Sánchez Collantes, Sergio y Mira Abab, Alicia (coords.), Diccionario simbólico del republicanismo histórico español (siglos XIX-XX). Granada, Editorial Comares, 2024, 393 pp. ISBN: 978-84-1369-723-9.