bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accurate Detection and Tracking of Small-Scale Vehicles in High-Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Bird-View Imagery
Authors: Zhang Heshan , Tan Xin , Fan Mengwei , Pan Cunshu , Zheng Zhanji , Luo Shuang , Xu Jin
Published: December 2023

Vehicle detection and tracking from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aerial images are among the main tasks of intelligent traffic systems. Especially in tasks with long distances, extensive backgrounds, and small objects, it increases the difficulty of localization and regression, which can easily lead to missed detections and false positives. This paper proposes a detection-based small-scale vehicle tracking framework that integrates an improved YOLOX network and the DeepSORT algorithm to address these issues. Based on the original YOLOX network, a shallow feature extraction network, 160 × 160 pixels, is added to enhance the ability to extract small-scale object features. A convolutional block attention module (CBAM) is inserted in front of the neck network to select crucial information for vehicle detection tasks while suppressing noncritical ones. EIoU_Loss is introduced as the bounding box regression loss function in training to speed up their convergence and improve the localization accuracy of the small objects. Furthermore, an image segmentation method is proposed to effectively reduce missed and false detection events. It divides the original high-definition image into multiple subimages, first detected and then reassembled. Finally, the improved YOLOX network is used as the detector of the DeepSORT to perform small-scale vehicle detection and tracking tasks in various traffic scenarios. Experiments show that the proposed method can significantly improve the detection accuracy of the network and effectively solve the problems of missed detection and false positives in small-scale vehicle tracking tasks in high-resolution aerial images captured by high-altitude UAVs. Significantly, the algorithm proposed in this paper has sufficient robustness for small-scale tracking tasks of aerial videos captured at different altitudes.
Clinical Supervision in Improving the Quality of Nursing Care: Empowerment of Medical-Surgical Hospitalization Teams
Authors: Brás Baptista Sérgio Mafalda Sofia Santos , Rodrigues Faria de Carvalho António Luís , Correia Barroso Pinto Cristina Maria
Published: December 2023

Objective. To analyze the impact of clinical supervision on the improvement of positivity rates and quality indicators of nursing practice for medical-surgical patients in a private healthcare unit. Methodology. Prospective interventional cohort study with a quantitative approach, to study the effect of supervision on indicators and indices of quality of care. Materials and Method. A quantitative approach through an interventional prospective cohort study and simple random sampling. Results. Of the n = 764 records of audits conducted on the quality of nursing practice that were analyzed, there were higher scores and positivity indices in both services after the implementation of clinical supervision. Conclusion. The practice of clinical supervision allows for the strategic monitoring of teams according to the results of audits on nursing care practices, thus raising the indices of positivity and quality indicators of nursing care practices with a direct impact on the patient.
Modulation of Hypoxia‐Inducible Factors and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expressions by Superfood Camu‐Camu (Myrciaria dubia) Treatment in ARPE‐19 and Fetal Human RPE Cells
Authors: Nakai Ayaka , Lee Deokho , Shoda Chiho , Negishi Kazuno , Nakashizuka Hiroyuki , Yamagami Satoru , Kurihara Toshihide
Published: December 2023

Background. Anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (anti‐VEGF) therapy via intravitreal injection is an effective treatment for patients with abnormal ocular neovascularization, such as age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). However, prolonged and frequent anti‐VEGF treatment is associated with a risk of local and systemic adverse events, including geographic atrophy, cerebrovascular disease, and death. Furthermore, some patients do not adequately respond to anti‐VEGF therapy. Hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) is a transcription factor that controls the expression of hypoxia‐responsive genes involved in angiogenesis, inflammation, and metabolism. The HIF/VEGF pathway plays an important role in neovascularization, and the inhibition of HIF activation could be an effective biomolecular target for neovascular diseases. The demand for disease prevention or treatment using functional foods such as superfoods has increased in recent years. Few reports to date have focused on the antineovascular effects of superfoods in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In light of the growing demand for functional foods, we aimed to find novel HIF inhibitors from superfoods worked in RPE cells, which could be an adjuvant for anti‐VEGF therapy. Methods. Seven superfoods were examined to identify novel HIF inhibitor candidates using luciferase assay screening. We used the human RPE cell line ARPE‐19 and fetal human RPE (fhRPE) to investigate the biomolecular actions of novel HIF inhibitors using quantitative PCR and western blotting. Results. Under CoCl2‐induced pseudohypoxic condition and 1% oxygen hypoxic incubation, camu‐camu (Myrciaria dubia) showed HIF inhibitory effects determined by luciferase assays. Camu‐camu downregulated HIF-1α and VEGFA mRNA expressions in a concentration‐dependent manner. Camu‐camu also inhibited HIF‐1α protein expressions, and its inhibitory effect was greater than that of vitamin C, which is present at high levels in camu‐camu. Conclusion. The camu‐camu extract suppressed the activation of HIF and VEGF in RPE cells. This could assist anti‐VEGF therapy in patients with abnormal ocular neovascularization.
Vessel Trajectory Data Compression Algorithm considering Critical Region Identification
Authors: Zhang Xinliang , Zhou Shibo
Published: December 2023

Vessel trajectory data are currently the most important data source for vessel trajectory data mining research. However, vessel AIS data have a short sampling time interval and a large amount of data redundancy, which hampers the efficient utilization of AIS data. In order to effectively remove redundant information from AIS data and improve its usage efficiency, a compression algorithm for vessel trajectory data compression algorithm considering critical region identification (VATDC_CCRI) is proposed. The VATDC_CCRI algorithm identifies the critical regions of a vessel’s trajectory by analyzing the distribution of node variation rates. It employs the Douglas–Peucker (DP) algorithm to compress the data in these critical regions, reducing the distortion of the trajectory after compression. Additionally, the algorithm utilizes a sliding window approach to process the initial trajectory to improve the quality of the compressed vessel trajectories and retain as many spatiotemporal characteristics of the original trajectories as possible. It combines the feature nodes from the crucial regions in the vessel’s trajectory with the results obtained from the sliding window algorithm, effectively compressing the vessel’s trajectory. Experiments conducted on individual and multiple trajectories demonstrate that the VATDC_CCRI algorithm achieves higher compression rates and exhibits faster processing speeds compared to other classical vessel trajectory compression algorithms while preserving the shape of the vessel’s trajectory significantly.
Performance Modeling of Hyperledger Fabric 2.0: A Queuing Theory-Based Approach
Authors: Wu Ou , Wang Zhongxing , Li Zhongjin
Published: December 2023

Hyperledger Fabric (shortened to Fabric) is an open-source, enterprise-level, permissioned distributed ledger technology platform with a highly modular, configurable architecture. It supports writing smart contracts in general-purpose programing languages and has become the preferred choice for enterprise-level blockchain applications. However, the transaction throughput of the Fabric system remains a critical factor that restricts the further application of this technology in various fields. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and optimize the performance of the Fabric blockchain platform. Existing performance modeling methods need to be improved in terms of compatibility and effectiveness. To address this, we propose a performance-compatible modeling method for Fabric using queuing theory, which considers the limited transaction pool and the situation where node groups are attacked. Using the Fabric 2.0 version as an example, we have established a model of the transaction process in the Fabric network. By analyzing the model’s continuous 3D time Markov process, we solved the system stationary equation and obtained analytical expressions for performance indicators such as system throughput, system steady-state queue length, and system average response time. We conducted extensive analyses and simulations to verify the models’ and formulations’ accuracy and validity. We believe this approach can be extended to various scenarios in other blockchain systems.
Evaluación en formato remoto en tiempos de pandemia
Authors: Moraga Uribe Lili , Rojas González Pamela , Moore Clive Philippa , Rivera Mercado Solange
Published: December 2023

En el contexto de la pandemia de COVID 19 durante el año 2020 y hasta la fecha se diseñó un formato de evaluación para nuestros alumnos de pre y posgrado bajo el alero de los Exámenes Clínicos Objetivos Estructurados (ECOE) en un formato remoto. Se revisó la literatura al respecto y se diseñó un instrumento que diera cuenta en forma oportuna y estandarizada del desempeño de nuestros alumnos y residentes. Estas experiencias están siendo evaluadas en estudios con metodología mixta. Sin embargo, decidimos compartir esta experiencia, por su impacto en el desarrollo docente de las ciencias de la salud.
Desarrollo e implementación de un programa de investigación durante la residencia de ortopedia y traumatología
Authors: Vidal Olate Catalina , Lira María-Jesús , Campos Daziano Mauricio , Irarrázaval Domínguez Sebastián , Besa Vial Pablo
Published: December 2023

Introducción: Dentro de las recomendaciones internacionales para la formación de médicos expertos, se encuentra el integrar la mejor evidencia disponible a la práctica clínica y contribuir a la creación del conocimiento científico. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir la implementación de un programa formal de investigación en residentes de ortopedia y traumatología. Metodología: Se desarrolló un programa de investigación para residentes de ortopedia y traumatología, coordinado por un equipo con formación en metodología y bioestadística. El objetivo principal fue que los residentes lograran adquirir herramientas en el desarrollo del método científico e integrar la medicina basada en la evidencia en la práctica profesional. Para ello, se enfocó en tres ejes: 1. formación general 2. análisis crítico de la literatura y 3. desarrollo de investigación científica. Resultados: El año 2015 se implementó el programa. Comenzó con el módulo de formación general a través de seminarios de investigación y una rotación mensual obligatoria. De forma semanal se implementaron reuniones de revisiones críticas de la literatura a partir de casos clínicos y cada dos o tres meses sesiones de journal club. Se han formulado 30 proyectos de investigación, 22 de ellos se han presentado en congresos y ha habido un total de 27 publicaciones con coautoría de residentes (6 de primer autor). Conclusión: A través del programa de investigación, los residentes han adquirido herramientas para poder integrar la medicina basada en la evidencia a su práctica profesional y desarrollar proyectos científicos.
Síndrome de Sjögren y endodoncia, consideraciones a propósito de un caso.
Authors: Novoa Orellana Felipe , Migliaro Romagnoli Michela , Moreno Yáñez Yasna
Published: December 2023

El síndrome de Sjögren (SS) es una enfermedad autoinmune que afecta a las glándulas salivales y lagrimales. Se expone el caso clínico de una paciente de 67 años de género femenino que consulta por dolor en múltiples dientes; relata sensación de boca seca (xerostomía) y sequedad ocular (xeroftalmia). Al examen intraoral, se observan múltiples caries en superficies atípicas, mucosas secas, saliva espumosa y notoria depapilación lingual. Se sospecha de SS, derivando a medicina interna y confirmándose el diagnóstico. En paralelo, se inicia el tratamiento odontológico, realizando adaptaciones en los procedimientos para aliviar la sintomatología del SS, especialmente durante tratamientos endodónticos.
Utilidad de la ecografía transvaginal para la predicción de parto prematuro luego de un cerclaje cervical: revisión de la literatura
Authors: Solari Caterina , Carvajal Cabrera Jorge
Published: December 2023

Introducción: el tratamiento de la insuficiencia cervical es el cerclaje cervical. Pese a este tratamiento el riesgo de parto prematuro persiste elevado en mujeres con insuficiencia cervical. La mejor forma y utilidad del seguimiento ecográfico de mujeres cercladas es desconocida. El objetivo de esta revisión fue evaluar la capacidad pronóstica de la ecografía transvaginal para predecir riesgo de parto prematuro luego de un cerclaje cervical.

Materiales y métodos: realizamos una revisión sistemática de la literatura incluyendo estudios que evaluaran el valor pronóstico de la ecografía transvaginal luego de un cerclaje cervical, para predecir parto prematuro.

Resultados: incluimos 14 estudios en la revisión. El parámetro más frecuentemente asociado con parto prematuro fue la longitud cervical posterior al cerclaje, aunque con capacidad predictiva moderada. El punto de corte para definir pacientes en riesgo varió entre 15-28 mm.

Conclusión: la longitud cervical disminuida posterior a un cerclaje se asocia con mayor riesgo de parto prematuro. No se ha establecido un valor de corte único ni la utilidad clínica del seguimiento ecográfico de mujeres cercladas.
LA-DOHaD: Una década promoviendo el Concepto DOHaD en América Latina
Authors: Paes Antonio Marcus de Andrade
Published: December 2023

El concepto del Desarrollo Temprano de la Salud y la Enfermedad (del inglés Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, DOHaD) tuvo sus raíces en la década de 1980, cuando David Barker y otros investigadores contemporáneos llamaron la atención sobre las complejas interacciones entre el ambiente intrauterino y la salud a lo largo de la vida. Este enfoque innovador desafía la visión tradicional de que los factores genéticos son los únicos determinantes cruciales de la salud, reconociendo la importancia crítica de las exposiciones antes y durante el embarazo, así como en los primeros años de vida. Varios investigadores latinoamericanos comenzaron a involucrarse con el concepto DOHaD a mediados de la década de 2000, destacando la Dra. Elena Zambrano en México, el Dr. Paulo Mathias en Brasil y los Dres. Paola Casanello y Francisco Mardones en Chile.
Hagiographical Narrative and Apocryphal Imagination in the Syriac Story of Pawla the Priest
Authors: Minov Sergey
Published: December 2023

Taking the newly discovered Syriac composition, entitled Story of Pawla the priest, as an example, the article explores some literary aspects of Christian hagiographical writing in the late antique Syria-Palestine in its relation to the New Testament apocryphal literature. It focuses on the author’s representation of the bathhouse as a heterotopic and liminal space, and his construction of the imaginary community of Herodians, and discusses the shifting and porous divide between apocryphal and hagiographical avenues of cultural memory during Late Antiquity. In Appendix, an English translation of the relevant parts of the Story is offered.
The Commentary in the Melkite Lectionary
Authors: Wakim Rami
Published: December 2023

This article investigates a little-known yet highly significant facet of the Arabic liturgical Gospel books – the commentary that was introduced into the Gospel readings from at least the 11th century to the 19th century, notably during the time of Patriarch Athanasios III Dabbās, the last publisher to include this commentary. This study aims to shed light on the origin and evolution of this commentary, categorize its contents, and evaluate its theological importance in the context of the Arab Christian tradition. By offering fresh perspectives on the composition of Lectionary commentaries, this research enriches our comprehension of the history and theology of the Arab Christian tradition.
Sylvester of Antioch’s Arabic Books Printed in 1747 at Bucharest
Authors: Feodorov Ioana
Published: December 2023

This article presents the new findings connected to several Arabic books that have been discovered by TYPARABIC team members in libraries around the world, where they were catalogued in insufficient or inaccurate detail, which has led to their being kept hidden from scrutiny until now. Projects of reediting and translating these Arabic books, to allow their study by a larger academic community, are also presented herewith. One of these books is of utmost importance for the discussions that will take place in 2024, when 300 years from the split in the Church of Antioch will be commemorated through conferences and volumes of collected works.
Preliminaries on an Unknown Greek Translation of the Covenant of Muḥammad by Sophronios of Kilis
Authors: Negoiță Octavian-Adrian
Published: December 2023

This study offers preliminary remarks on a hitherto unknown Greek translation of the Covenant of Muḥammad by the Patriarch Sophronios of Kilis. The translation is preserved in a single miscellaneous codex entitled Sarakēnika, which was compiled between 1770 and 1780 by the renowned Phanariot scholar and bibliophile Nikolaos Karatzas, a former official of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (MS Gr. 112, Princeton University Library). As the inclusion of the translation in the codex is representative of the cultural transfers that took place between the Arabic-speaking and the Greek peoples during the 17th- and 18th-century Ottoman Empire, this study examines, in particular, the knowledge regimes for the production of the text. In the Appendix, an editio princeps of the translation is provided.
Revisiting the Works of Ibn al-Sirrī (9th Century)
Authors: Ibrahim Habib
Published: December 2023

Some studies on Ibn al-Sirrī, a Christian author and translator from the 9th century, have remained unpublished since limited discoveries were made after 1987. Identifying the homilies discussed in this study will enable scholars to explore various aspects. First, it will facilitate the study of his theological vocabulary, which appears to represent a form of medieval ecumenical discourse. A thorough examination of his style may also uncover additional works attributed to him.
Towards the Solution for Bédier’s Paradox in the Critical Editions of Greek Writers
Authors: Spyridonova Lydia , Kurbanov Andrey
Published: December 2023

Even though textual critics have tried to resolve Bédier’s paradox in various ways, it still remains an open question for philology. Most philologists argue that the prevalence of bipartite stemmata is a real feature of manuscript transmission. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the defect of the common-error method itself, which inevitably leads to bifurcation at every level of the stemma or to recourse to contamination. It will also become evident that the factor that has complicated the problem is a bottleneck in transmission that occurred in the 9th–10th century. The failure of editors to recognise this could account for many false bipartite stemmata and even some false multipartite stemmata. The case of John Chrysostom’s panegyrics serves as an illustration of how this may deceive an editor.
Self-Destruction of Idols in Arab Muslim Historiography
Authors: Frantsouzoff Serge A.
Published: December 2023

The article deals with a potential source and the subsequent borrowing of the motif of the self-destruction of the pagan idols. This motif is common in Eastern Christian apocrypha and hagiographic tales and also in the Arab Islamic tradition. In Muslim historiography, among stories about the destiny of ancient Arabian images, such a motif is found only twice. Both legends are connected with pre-Islanic Ḥaḍramawt, the autonomous region in Yemen. One legend deals with the idol called al-Djalsad, an object of veneration mostly by a tribe of al-Sakūn. It was represented in the shape of a white anthropomorphic rock with a black head. The other tale narrates about the domestic statue made of cornelian that belonged to the local notable Wā’il b. Ḥudjr. The subject of the spontaneous fall of idols appears to reflect a rivalry, especially in the spiritual sphere, between the tribal confederation al-Sakūn and the descendants of the indigenous sedentary population of Ḥaḍramawt. Their struggle for power in the early Islamic empire manifested in the most apparent way in Egypt, where they could borrow the motif of idols’ self-destruction from the Copts. Thus, in Chapter LXXIX of the Chronicle by John of Nikiu compiled in the late 7th–early 8th century AD obviously in Greek a tale about the childhood of St Theophilus, the Coptic Patriarch in AD 385–412, is preserved. According to it, in his presence, the statues of Artemis and Apollo became overthrown in a shrine situated in the district of Memphis.
Grotius and Limited Liability
Authors: De ruysscher Dave
Published: December 2023

Grotius’s ideas on proportionate and limited liability, as mentioned in the Inleidinge and De iure belli ac pacis, were novel in comparison to the civilian doctrine of his time. Grotius drew from sources of local law and statutes regarding maritime law but was nonetheless original in his interpretations. Grotius proposed to consider the liability of co-owners of ships (reders, exercitores), who acted as organizers of maritime expeditions, and of others that were participating in these expeditions, as broad. At the same time, their liability was limited to the maximum of the value of the ship and cargo. In this regard, Grotius’s conceptions hinged on a view of a ship’s voyage as engendering a community of risk among all stakeholders. However, in spite of the underlying connections, Grotius did not eradicate all inconsistencies which the originality of his combinations brought forward.
Representation in Business: Grotius’s Inleidinge and the Ius Commune Tradition in the Low Countries
Authors: Druwé Wouter
Published: December 2023

In his Inleidinge tot de Hollandsche Rechts-geleerdheid, Hugo Grotius wrote an accessible introductory overview of Hollandic law, in which he combined insights from the learned law (ius commune) with the particular law of Holland. The Inleidinge was read by generations of Dutch law students, and would thus become very influential in the Roman-Dutch tradition. This contribution studies how the topic of representation, especially in a business context, was treated in Grotius’s Inleidinge. On the basis of an analysis of the Justinianic Corpus iuris, the medieval ius commune tradition and – especially – early modern scholarship from the Low Countries, it is argued that Grotius’s Inleidinge by and large followed the communis opinio among the learned scholars, although on one important point – namely the acquisition by a third party of a claim on the basis of a stipulatio alteri – Grotius went beyond that communis opinio and, thus, opened the way for a gradual wider legal acceptance of active direct representation.
“We Don’t Share the Same Language with the Orientals Yet”
Authors: Marchi Alessandra
Published: December 2023

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, Egyptian cities such as Alexandria and Cairo hosted many rebels, anarchists, socialists and activists who promoted civil and social rights through their ‘radical’ ideas and struggles. The role played by the foreign press in spreading such ideas was fundamental for the wider political mobilization in Egypt during the colonial period. In this paper, the links between colonialism, labour and migration will be investigated through the analysis of the Italian anarchist press, a useful source for research that aims to shed light on the multifaceted composition of the same Italian ‘subaltern’ society in Egypt, its radical social groups and their somehow contradictory ideas – colonialist and even racist – about Arab peoples. Yet, the development of such complex historical social formations, dominated by colonial capitalist settings, like in Egypt, tends to intersect with forms of racialization, class and national oppression that can be expressed on several levels.
The Ideological Evolution of the Tunisian Islamist Movement Ḥarakat al-Nahḍa
Authors: Guazzone Laura
Published: December 2023

This essay reconstructs and analyses the ideological evolution of Ennahda, from its beginnings in the mid-1960s to 1987, when the movement adopted an official document about its “Ideological vision” (al-Ruʾya al-fikriyya), confirmed in 2012 as the movement’s main religious, creedal and methodological text. The history of Ennahda’s ideological evolution and the analysis of its doctrinal platform shows how the movement had rich, articulated and often conflicting ideological components, which evolved over time through a continuous internal debate and in mutual interaction with the tradition of Islamic modernism and the domestic and international cultural and political context.
What Have Been Driving India’s Economic Growth? An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Dogga Satyanarayana Murthy , Kuruva Mahendra Babu , Kashyap Monika
Published: December 2023

The present study is an attempt to identify the major sources of economic growth in India over the period 1971–2016 by employing the auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing model. The long-run estimates of the ARDL model indicate that the economic growth in India is predominately driven by per capita capital and financial development while inflation retards economic growth. Contrary to the long run, the short-run results of error correction representation suggest that per capita capital along with human capital development has a significant positive impact on economic growth in India, while inflation curtails economic growth. India has some important policy insights to draw from these findings that the government policies in India need to emphasize the institutional mechanisms that further strengthen the Indian financial system which would increase its depth, scope and stability to foster economic growth. Further, the policymakers in India should strengthen their anti-inflationary measures, through supply-side reforms, to avoid the negative effects of inflation on economic growth. Finally, the government policies in India should also place a considerable emphasis on investment in human capital, which in turn fosters economic growth.

JEL Codes: O4, G2, E24, C1
Seen but not partisan: Changing expectations of public servants in Westminster systems
Authors: Boyd Brendan
Published: December 2023

Much has been written about the changing role of unelected public servants in Westminster systems of government and their relationship with elected officials and the public. However, there are no studies comparing how these three groups perceive the role, and what they expect from public servants. This article provides the findings from three surveys of public servants, politicians and the public in Canada to assess how they view the role of the public servant and how this compares to different conceptions in the academic literature. The study finds that all three groups support the principles of ministerial responsibility and non-partisanship but do not believe that public servants should be anonymous and free from public scrutiny. This raises the question of whether some aspects of the traditional public servant role can be altered while keeping others in place and suggests that advocates for altering the role of the public servant will be most successful if they focus on certain aspects while preserving others.

Points for Practitioners

The principles of ministerial responsibility and public service non-partisanship are supported by the public, politicians, and public servants themselves. There is a desire among these three groups for public servants to become less anonymous, face more public scrutiny and engage more with external actors. The public and politicians’ expectations surrounding public servants’ political activities are still unclear, although a large majority of public servants believe they can be politically active outside of work.
Composer Diversity in State Music Lists: An Exploratory Analysis
Authors: Meals Cory D.
Published: December 2023

The selection of repertoire is a critical component of ensemble music, especially in educational contexts. Accredited music education systems often rely on required, recommended, or prescribed music lists to assist in these selections. Nonetheless, previous content analyses have primarily focused on questions of creative quality, artistic merit, and educational appropriateness while overlooking crucial demographic factors such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, and vital status of included composers. I examined gender and ethnic diversity within wind band repertoire lists from 10 states representing five geographical regions. The lists contained 17,281 total works by 1,221 identifiable composers, predominately White (92.63%) and male (95.58%). K-means clustering revealed two unequal composer groups, with the smaller, predominantly White and male subgroup accounting for 40.82% of works and a high per capita representation across lists. Principal components analysis showed composer ethnicity, gender, and vital status interrelated across data dimensions. Despite latent list differences, composer diversity across and within lists was extremely limited. If ensemble directors are to meaningfully engage in diversifying the repertoire their students perform, expanding beyond the existing collection of predominantly White and male composers is a necessity.
Does municipal amalgamation affect trust in local politicians? The case of Norway
Authors: Solvang Øystein , Saglie Jo , Winsvold Marte
Published: December 2023

When municipalities merge, they grow and, at the same time, experience a comprehensive reform process, both of which may affect political trust. We explore whether and how the large-scale municipal amalgamation reforms in Norway in the 2010s affected citizens’ trust in local and national elected officials and assemblies. We examine the effects of both changes in size and reform processes using survey data on trust in local and national political officials and assemblies before, and at the time, of the merger. In contrast to studies conducted in Denmark, we do not find evidence that the Norwegian Local Government Reform had significant negative effects on political trust. We argue that this difference between Denmark and Norway can be explained by differences in how the two reform processes were implemented.
A Simple Implant Guide for Infrazygomatic Bone Screw Placement with High Precision—A Clinical Innovation
Authors: Thulukanam Preethy , Gopalakrishnan Umarevathi , Rayshika G. , Baghya C
Published: December 2023

Absolute anchorage systems like mini-implants, bone screws, and mini-plates have been a landmark evolution in the modern orthodontic world providing an added armamentarium in the hands of orthodontists to treat their patients with utmost efficiency. Unlike other systems, the extra radicular placement and limited surgical exposure make the bone screws such as infrazygomatic crest screws (IZC screws) superior, and to capitalize on these benefits, stability of the implant is vital that relies on their precise placement and angulation. Hence, this article presents a simple implant guide with elastomeric impression material for the precise positioning of IZC screws with utmost ease in fabrication.
Simplified Appliance for Lip Biting Habit—A Case Report
Authors: Mohode Rakesh , Chauhan Aayushi , Mahindra Rajan
Published: December 2023

Lip biting habit can cause severe malocclusions and should be intercepted early in age. The lip bumper device is a helpful treatment as it can stop the habit and prevent the resulting malocclusion. Lip biting habit is intercepted by removable or fixed lip bumper. A simplified appliance for lip biting habit that is easy to fabricate and is more accepted and comfortable for the patient was designed. It consists of a thermoplastic sheet with a labial acrylic pad as in a conventional lip bumper appliance. Improved patient compliance was noted with added advantage of ability to maintain better oral hygiene.
Teaching-Learning Process in a Juvenile Delinquents’ Correction Center: Challenges in Focus
Authors: Wolle Getu Shiferaw
Published: December 2023

A case study was employed to explore the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process in the center. Active participants in the process and the head of the juvenile correction center were purposely selected as informants. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations were used to gather relevant data. Data analysis and data collection were conducted simultaneously. The study revealed that teachers either use corporal punishment or are laissez-faire when students show misbehavior. They often use the lecture method. Neither teachers nor students are motivated to take part in curricular and extra-curricular activities. Lack of adequate meals, absence of different facilities, mistreatment from teachers and guardians, and lack of appropriate counseling service make students develop hatred for the center. Moreover, the curriculum rarely addresses students’ unique behavior and education needs. Thus, it is less likely to realize the intended objective of the center in such a situation.
Integration of bioinformatics analysis to identify possible hub genes and important pathways associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Kumar Anshu , Yadav Ravi Prakash , Chatterjee Srilagna , Das Madhusudan , Pal Dilip Kumar
Published: December 2023

Introduction:

One of the most fatal urological malignancies is clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), yet little is known about its pathophysiology or prognosis. This study is aimed at obtaining some novel biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic meaning and may find out potential therapeutic targets for ccRCC.

Material and Methods:

Using three publically accessible ccRCC gene expression profiles acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, differentially expressed genes (DEG) were discovered and function enrichment analyses were carried out. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were conducted by using the DAVID tool and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and visualized by Cytoscape. Then we identified 10 hub genes using the cytohubba plugin of Cytoscape based on degree score. The mRNA and protein expression of hub genes was analyzed by GEPIA and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Then, prognosis analysis of hub genes was conducted using GEPIA 3.0 which consists of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Results:

We discovered 293 DEG which is highly enriched in several biological processes connected to immune-regulation and pathways linked to tumors, including HIF-1, PI3K-AKT, and metabolic pathways. In particular, C1QA, C1QB, FCER1G, and TYROBP were related to advanced clinical stage, high pathological grade, and poor survival in patients with ccRCC.

Conclusions:

Further molecular biological studies are required to confirm the role of the putative biomarkers in human ccRCC. Our work highlighted the hub genes and pathways involved in the progression of ccRCC.
Predicting opinion using deep learning: From burning to sustainable management of organic waste in Indian State of Punjab
Authors: Singh Amandeep , Tiwari Rupasi , Nagra Pardeep Singh , Panda Pratikshya , Kour Gurpreet , Singh Bilawal , Kumar Pranav , Dutt Triveni
Published: December 2023

In winter season, the burning of crop residues for ease of sowing the next crop, along with industrial emissions and vehicular pollution leads to settling of a thick layer of smog in northern part of India. Therefore, to understand the opinion of farmers regarding sustainable management of organic waste, the present study was conducted in Ludhiana district of Indian state of Punjab. An ex post facto research design was used and a total of 800 dairy farmers having significant crop area were selected randomly for the study, grouped equally as small and large dairy farmers. Results revealed that majority of farmers had a highly favourable opinion regarding organic waste management due to the fact that they were aware of the ill-effects of undesirable practices like crop residue burning. Further, to predict the farmers’ opinion and the effect of independent variables on farmers’ opinion, a multi-layer perceptron feed-forward deep neural network was developed with mean squared error of 0.036 and 0.137 for validation and training data sets respectively, marking a novel approach of analysing farmers’ behaviour. The neural network highlighted that with increase in the magnitude of input variables, namely, education, experience in dairying, information source utilisation, knowledge regarding organic waste management, etc., the farmers’ opinion regarding sustainable waste management increases. The study concluded with the impression that cognitive processes like education, information and knowledge play a significant role in forming the opinion of the farmers. Therefore, efforts focusing on enhancing cognition should be made for sustainable management of organic waste.
Pathways Linking Parental Care and Control to Loneliness in Breast Cancer Patients with A History of Childhood Maltreatment: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression and Self-Discrepancy
Authors: Heshmati Rasoul , Kheiriabad Mina , Azmoodeh Shahin , Ghasemi Anis , Pfaltz Monique
Published: December 2023

Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for loneliness and is linked to breast cancer. Parental bonding experienced during one’s childhood also plays a significant role in increasing or decreasing the risk of loneliness later in life. Previous research has highlighted the significance of ambivalence over emotional expression (AEE) and self-discrepancy in the psychological adaptation of breast cancer patients, particularly concerning the impact of parental care and control experienced by patients in their relationship with their parents during childhood. Nevertheless, previous studies have not examined the mediating effects of AEE and self-discrepancy on parental care and control, as well as loneliness, in breast cancer patients. This study aimed to investigate whether AEE and self-discrepancy mediate the association of childhood parental care and control with loneliness in breast cancer patients with a history of childhood maltreatment. One hundred and thirty-three breast cancer patients who were receiving chemotherapy within the first 3 months post-diagnosis were recruited from one private and three public hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, to complete questionnaires. Parental bonding, loneliness, AEE, and self-discrepancy were assessed using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, Ambivalence over the Expression of Emotion Questionnaire (AEQ), and Self-Discrepancies Scale (S-DS). Mediation models were tested using structural equation modeling. Effects of parental care (β = −.17, p < .05) and control (β = .21, p < .001) on loneliness were significant. Furthermore, both AEE (β = .19, p < .05) and self-discrepancy (β = .23, p < .01) significantly predicted loneliness. The pathway between parental care and AEE was significant (β = −.21, p < .001), as was the direct effect of parental control on self-discrepancy (β = .19, p < .05). Bootstrapping results showed that AEE significantly mediated the relationship between parental care and loneliness (95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.09, −0.01]). In addition, there was a significant indirect effect from parental control to loneliness via self-discrepancy (95% CI [0.11, 0.01]). These findings suggest that AEE and self-discrepancy could potentially be utilized in preventing or addressing loneliness in breast cancer patients who have a history of childhood maltreatment. Future research could, for example, assess whether integrating psychosocial interventions focusing on these variables as part of medical care can improve the mental health status of this subgroup of breast cancer patients who have experienced childhood maltreatment.
Factors Associated with Sexual Victimization Among Transgender Emerging Adults
Authors: Tubman Jonathan G. , Lee Jacquie , Moore Candace
Published: December 2023

This cross-sectional study documented between-group differences in risk factors associated with sexual victimization histories in an ethnically and racially diverse sample of transgender emerging adults ( N = 248, ageM = 22.61 years). The sample was recruited using the Internet-based CloudResearch platform to answer questionnaires assessing predictors for recent experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants were categorized into four groups based on cross-classified self-reports of child sexual abuse (CSA) and recent sexual IPV, prior to the use of multivariate analysis of variance to evaluate mean score differences for past-year substance use, minority stressor, and relationship functioning variables. Participants reporting sexual IPV reported higher scores for all substance use variables, while transfeminine participants reported significantly higher scores for alcohol use problems and negative consequences related to substance use. Participants reporting both CSA and sexual IPV also reported the highest scores for everyday discrimination. Participants who experienced sexual IPV also reported the highest scores for internalized sexual stigma. Sexual revictimization among transgender adults occurs in the context of harmful patterns of substance use and several minority stressors. Our findings have implications for healthcare or counseling services for transgender emerging adults who have experienced multiple forms of victimization, substance use problems, and minority stressors, including the importance of trauma-informed and integrated intervention services, and specialized training for service providers.
Disguised Workers: The Transformation of Labour and the Myth of Entrepreneurship in ‘Post-Socialist’ Polish Capitalism
Authors: Magnani Elisabetta , Rae Gavin
Published: December 2023

In this article, we analyse the role that entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship have played in the construction and consolidation of capitalism in Poland. We question the line conventionally drawn between entrepreneurs and the working class, arguing that the vast majority of so-called entrepreneurs in Poland are disguised workers who were rejected from the labour market during the transition to capitalism or forced into self-employment as Poland’s precariat labour market crystallised. We outline a critical historical analysis of the origin of these disguised workers to provide space for a discussion of the specific ‘labour problem’ that Poland has faced during its transition to capitalism. A central argument of our study is that the top-down creation of entrepreneurship is a partial and often contradictory response to this ‘labour problem’. We then illustrate these contradictions, showing how those commonly defined as entrepreneurs have performed relatively poorly in their designated roles of creating employment and innovation, while their living standards and wellbeing have deteriorated. We historically frame how this group of disguised workers in Poland embody the tension between the normative and actual aspects of capitalist development in Poland since 1989.
Contesting Power From the Periphery: The Latin American Sociological Imagination and the Media
Authors: Lugo-Ocando Jairo , Marchesi Monica
Published: December 2023

Although today media and communication studies across Latin America are closely linked to critical sociology, this was not always the case. In this article, we explore how the interaction between social communication (which includes communication and media studies) and critical sociology, in the Latin American context, evolved over time. In so doing, we examine how, and in which directions, media theory has developed and how it relates profoundly with critical sociology. This piece is an attempt to summarize this process and look at current contributions that propose more inclusive and participatory media. The key argument that it took a long time for Latin America’s media studies to link itself with critical sociology but once that happened, it produced a distinctive school of thought that is counter-hegemonic and directs itself towards the contestation of power and oppression by linking itself with the popular.
Investigating hermetic reciprocating compressor performance by using various machine learning methods
Authors: Bacak Aykut , Çolak Andaç Batur , Dalkılıç Ahmet Selim
Published: December 2023

Due to their durability and efficiency, hermetic reciprocating compressors (HRCs) are used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Compressor performance and reliability concerns reduce system efficiency and raise maintenance costs. Machine learning (ML) is being used to improve hermetic reciprocating compressor performance, reliability, and energy economy. ML is used in hermetic reciprocating compressors for issue identification, performance improvement, predictive maintenance, and energy management. This research compared HRC performance factors such as mass flow rate, cooling capacity, compression power, coefficient of performance, exhaust line losses, and volumetric efficiency. Simple regression, probabilistic neural network, gradient boosted, polynomial regression, and random forest (RF) were used to examine and evaluate these parameters as outputs. Over three cycles, the Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) approach assessed compressor performance parameters. For compressor speeds of 1300, 2100, and 3000 rpm, mass flow rate, compression power, cooling efficiency coefficient, and exhaust line energy losses varied by 10%, 4%, 5%, and 6%. To gather ML algorithm inputs, the research used experimental, fluid-structure interaction, and ML methodologies. Experimental and FSI approaches produced 108 data points. These data points were randomly assigned, with 70% for learning and 30% for prediction. The mean convergence criterion for mass flow rate, cooling capacity, compression power, cooling efficiency coefficient, exhaust line energy losses, and volumetric efficiency parameters was 0.9966, 0.9969, 0.9572, 0.0561, 0.9925, and 0.4640 for all ML methods. Simple regression, probabilistic neural networks, gradient boosted, polynomial regression, and RF convergence criteria were 0.8978, 0.9999, 0.6016, 0.4439, and 0.7761.
Study on drag torque characteristics of wet multiplate clutch under high-speed operating condition
Authors: Li Jie , Ma Chao , Wang Xiaoyan , Lan Hai , Wang Zhiyong
Published: December 2023

In order to study the characteristics of the drag torque of wet multi-plate clutches at high speed, a mathematic model of the drag torque considering oil-gas two-phase flow was established. Based on the VOF two-phase flow model, the oil-film fluid simulation of the flow field was finished, and the distribution law of the volume fraction of the oil-gas phase changing with the speed was analyzed. The analysis results of the model and simulation show that under high speed condition, the oil and gas two-phase flow occupies most of the area in the flow field gap, and leads to the rebound trend of the high speed drag torque. Finally, the variation of the drag torque under different working conditions is studied through experiments, and the influence of lubricant temperature, flow rate, friction plate speed and clearance of friction pairs on the drag torque is analyzed. The improved drag torque model was compared with the experimental results. When the speed is greater than 2000 r/min, the average relative error of the drag torque is less than 15%, which significantly improves the accuracy of the drag torque prediction model, and lays a theoretical foundation for further research on the structure design and optimization of wet multi-plate clutch.