bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantum calculi and formalisms for system and network security: A bibliographic insights and synoptic review
Authors: Kumar Adarsh , Hedabou Mustapha , Augusto de Jesus Pacheco Diego
Published: July 2024

Quantum calculi and formalisms are useful tools for ensuring security and computational capabilities in blockchain and cryptography. They aid in designing and analysing new cryptographic protocols for blockchain, determining the behaviour of quantum operations in blockchain‐based smart contracts, assessing the feasibility and security of quantum algorithms in blockchain applications, and building a quantum‐safe blockchain system. A comprehensive review of the applications of quantum calculi and formalisms in computer security and network security, along with a bibliographic analysis is presented. It is unique in that it combines bibliometric analyses with a technical review of the domain of quantum calculi and formalism. Bibliometric and biographic analysis in the field helps identify research trends, assess the influence of research, determine collaboration patterns, evaluate journals, and examine publication behaviours, among other things. It performs bibliographic and bibliometric analysis using a dataset collected from Scopus and Web of Science through different queries. The obtained results help identify important institutions, authors, organisations, collaboration networks, keywords, and more. The provided open challenges and future vision pave the way for further research in the direction of quantum calculi and formalism applications in computer security and network security.
Breeding of whitefish Coregonus Lavaretus L. at the Knyazhegubsky fish hatchery
Authors: Minchenok E.E. , Semenikhina M.E. , Zhuravleva N.G. , Trotsenko A.A. , Aleksandrova E.Yu.
Published: July 2024

The article describes whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L., 1758 (Baltic environmental type) breeding results at the Knyazhegubsky fish hatchery (Murmansk region, Russia). Since 2017, the major goal of this fish hatchery has been the breeding of freshwater type of whitefish. Technology for whitefish breeding was tested in 2018-2019. A number of problems encountered by fish breeders were identified. Live fertilized Baltic whitefish eggs at the “eye pigmentation” phase are purchased every year from OOO “Forvat” fish farm (Sosnovo settlement, Priozersky district, Leningrad region, Russia) and transported to the Knyazhegubsky fish hatchery. Major fish-farming activities subsequently performed at the fish hatchery include: eggs incubation in Weiss machines, summer and winter rearing of juveniles in rearing facilities, in trout ditches, and at equipped summer site as well as release of young whitefish aged under one year into the Kovdozerskoe water reservoir. The average mass of a single young fish in the first batch released in 2019 was 0.5 grams. Juvenile fish is available for release on a partial basis into water bodies of the Murmansk region for fish-stocking purposes under contracts with business entities. Currently, technology is being worked on for rearing and formation of the breeding stock. In general, the results of the work performed indicate that Baltic whitefish (freshwater type) rearing conditions at the Knyazhegubsky fish hatchery are favorable.
Application of ensemble machine learning methods for diabetes diagnosis
Authors: Ziyadullaev Davron , Muhamediyeva Dilnoz , Madazimov Komil , Madazimov Madamin , Temirov Pulat , Abdukadirov Dilmurod
Published: July 2024

Ensemble machine learning techniques provide a powerful tool for improving the diagnostic accuracy of diabetes mellitus, one of the most common chronic diseases. The use of ensemble methods such as Random Forest, Gradient Boosting and Bagging for diagnosing diabetes mellitus are considered in the article and their advantages and challenges are analyzed. Ensemble methods help to increase diagnostic accuracy and reduce false positives and false negatives. They allow us to operate with heterogeneous data, provide resistance to overfitting, and give information about the importance of features. Overall, ensemble techniques of machine learning represent a promising tool for improving diabetes diagnosis and may contribute to more effective detection and management of this chronic disease. Further research and development in this area may lead to more accurate and reliable methods for diagnosing and treating diabetes.
Propagation of Canadian rose ‘John Franklin’ in vitro culture
Authors: Zaripova Alfiya , Akhmetova Albina , Shigapova Alfira
Published: July 2024

Many researchers are interested in optimizing the clonal micropropagation of ornamental plants. It is known that the varietal specificity of the studied crops makes it necessary to select and optimize the composition of the nutrient medium for each stage of propagation in vitro. The purpose of our research was to identify the effect of the composition and concentration of nutrient hormones on multiple shoot formation, root development in regenerating plants of the rose 'John Franklin' in vitro. A technology has been developed for obtaining a large amount of self-rooted planting material of a winter-hardy decorative rose variety in vitro culture. Clonal micropropagation was performed using vegetative buds as explants. The multiple of shoots is achieved by activating the axillary meristems of the shoots. It has been shown that the efficiency of micropropagation of the 'John Franklin' rose increases on the Murashige and Skoog nutrient medium containing BAP at a concentration of 1.0 mg/l and IAA – 0.5 mg/l. This medium provides high quality regeneration of micro-shoots with a propagation coefficient equal to 5.2. The optimal modification of the nutrient medium at the rooting stage was revealed, and the expediency of using IBA with a concentration of 0.5 mg/l as auxin was noted. The selected conditions allow you to get a larger number of roots on the shoot – 5 pcs. and their greatest length is 51.5 mm.
Effect of ECAP and volume ultrasonic treatment on the corrosion resistance of magnesium
Authors: Aksenov Denis , Nazarov Airat , Shishkunova Maria , Asfandiyarov Rashid , Sementeeva Yulia
Published: July 2024

Magnesium and its alloys are promising materials for manufacturing bioresorbable implants. Various combinations of thermo-mechanical processing are used to improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys, forming the necessary structural state, which, in turn, requires determining the influence of various structural factors (grains, grain boundaries, dislocations, second-phase particles, etc.) on the complex properties of 'strength - corrosion resistance'. In this study, an experiment was conducted to determine the influence of structural changes in pure magnesium on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance in a physiological environment after deformation using equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and post-deformation ultrasonic treatment. It was found that ECAP and subsequent ultrasonic treatment lead to a twofold increase in the yield strength of magnesium from 30 to 60 MPa. The increase in microhardness after ECAP is 50 MPa, while ultrasonic treatment results in an increase in microhardness by 230 MPa. After deformation, corrosion resistance changes significantly: ECAP reduces the corrosion rate compared to the initial state of magnesium by approximately 7 times, to values of 7 mm/year. Subsequent volume ultrasonic treatment does not lead to significant changes in the corrosion rate, which in this case was 10 mm/year.
Study of soil pollution with heavy elements in the city of Islah
Authors: Protsenko E.P. , Saad Sabr
Published: July 2024

This study was conducted to estimate the concentrations of some heavy elements (cadmium, lead, nickel, zinc and copper) in the soil, in addition to some physical and chemical properties. Samples were collected from five different sites (residential, commercial, agricultural, adjacent to the river and industrial) in Islah City/Thi-Qar Governorate in order to investigate the possibility of contamination in these areas with thesepollutants.The results of laboratory analyzes using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer showed an increase in the concentration of the element lead compared to the other elements, as it reached (54.37) mg /kg at the site (E) close to the brick making plant. While the concentrations of zinc, copper and nickel elements were within the normal rates, the concentration of cadmium exceeded the critical limits, as the highest rate reached (1.06) mg/kg at site (B) within the commercialarea.
Effect of PGPR Arthrobacter sp. CTF1 and foliar iodine spraying on pea microgreens growth in hydroponic culture
Authors: Maleva Maria , Borisova Galina , Ahamuefule Chrisantus , Darkazanli Mohamad , Kumar Adarsh
Published: July 2024

The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) along with additional biofortification of agricultural plants with scarce essential elements, such as iodine, is a promising area of agricultural biotechnology. The seeds of Pisum sativum L. (var. Madras) pre-inoculated for two hours with PGPR Arthrobacter sp. strain CTF1 (108 CFU/mL) were grown for 14 days in a hydroponic culture at foliar spraying with iodine solution (0.01% KI or KIO3) on the 7th day of the vegetation. Growth parameters such as the length of shoot, fresh and dry biomass of seedlings were studied, the germination percentage and vigor index were calculated, and the content of photosynthetic pigments in pea leaves was assessed. The results showed inoculation of pea seeds with PGPR strain CTF1 had a positive effect on the biomass of two-week-old pea microgreens and their vigor index. At the same time, a significant increase in photosynthetic pigments was also observed in the leaves of pea seedlings, especially chlorophyll a (by almost 25%) and carotenoids (by almost 40%). Additionally, application of iodine via foliar spraying, irrespective of its form (KI or KIO3), resulted in nearly a 26-fold surge in amount of microgreens. However, the significant effect of such iodine treatment had a positive effect only on the content of carotenoids.
Macro-and microelement composition of dry extract of Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck
Authors: Boltaev Mizrob , Meliboeva Shokhista , Narzulaeva Umida , Fazliddin Jalilov
Published: July 2024

Thus, our research significantly expands information about the chemical composition of raw materials from plants of the genus Brassica Oleracea and provides theoretical justification for the possibility of complex use of medicinal plants, taking into account environmental factors. In the studied sample of broccoli inflorescences, 29 elements were identified and their quantitative content. Based on the study, we can conclude that broccoli – Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck is not only a valuable food crop, but also a medicinal plant – a source of macro- and microelements. The object under study is of interest for an in-depth study of its chemical composition in order to create regulatory documentation for plant raw materials.
Characteristics of fibrous formation and its relationship with the level of pro- and anti- inflammatory cytokines in patients with CHC
Authors: Oblokulov Abdurashid , Mukhtorova Shokhida , Sanokulova Sitora
Published: July 2024

To solve the tasks set, 120 patients with chronic viral hepatitis were examined, including 52 patients with C with extrahepatic manifestations and 68 patients with CHC without extrahepatic manifestations under the age of 70 years. The results of the study showed that in CHC patients with cryoglobulinemia, with an increase in the stage of fibrosis, the content of IL-10 tended to gradually increase and the content of IL-18 gradually began to significantly decrease.
Assessment of the severity of ulcerative colitis: An effective pathway from invasive to non-invasive diagnosis
Authors: Abdullayeva Umida , Karimov Mirvasit , Sobirova Guzal , Khasanova Dilnoza , Ismatova Mekhriniso , Mukhamedjanova Mastura
Published: July 2024

The purpose of the study is to study the Diagnostic and prognostic importance of TGF-β2 in patients with ulcerative colitis with different severity. The study received 82 patients with stasionar and outpatient treated ulcerative colitis in the Gastroenterology Department of Bukhara regional Multidisciplinary Medical Center during 2021-2023 and 20 health professionals as a control group. Patients were diagnosed with serum immunoferment analysis using IL-6 and TGF-β2, and its importance was studied. The results of the study showed an increase in IL-6 and a decrease in TGF-β2 in severe types of ulcerative colitis, and found that it could be used in diagnosis as a poor prognostic marker.
Antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag.
Authors: Shevchuk Oksana , Sataeva Tatiana , Postnikova Olga , Bakova Nadezhda , Suslova Anna
Published: July 2024

The results of studying the antimicrobial activity of an essential oil obtained by steam distillation from dry raw materials of lemon monarda (Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag.), grown in the conditions of the Steppe Crimea (Prisivashye). The major components of the studied essential oil are thymol (61.52%), p-cimene (7.55%), carvacrol (6.54%), γ-terpin (5.56%). The high antimicrobial activity of the essential oil against reference cultures and clinical isolates of Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms has been established, which indicates the prospects of its use as a potential antibacterial drug of natural origin.
Features of the process of bone tissue regeneration in complex treatment of lower jaw injury
Authors: Raximov Zokir
Published: July 2024

The article presents the results of a study of mandibular trauma, as well as treatment methods. Several methods for treatment, features of the process of bone tissue regeneration during complex treatment are discussed. In the period from 2008 to 2021, 231 patients with mandibular fractures who were treated in the department of the Bukhara Regional Multidisciplinary Medical Center were studied. All patients were divided into two groups: a comparison group (traditional treatment) and this group (treatment of complex pathologies). To make the correct diagnosis, modern methods of x-ray, microbiological and laboratory research were used. Analysis of the results of traditional and special treatment showed a clear advantage of the latter in terms of optimizing the process of bone tissue restoration in cases of damage to the lower jaw.
Efficient Metal-Free Synthesis of Heterotriarylmethanes by 1,4-Addition of Benzofuran Azadienes
Authors: Huang Hong-Li , Peng Zhongzhong , Gao Fei , Li Shan , Lv Yong-Zheng , Shi Ya-Qian , Liu Chang-Bo
Published: July 2024

A novel and efficient method has been established for synthesizing a variety of heterotriarylmethanes with good yields by employing a metal-free self-coupling reaction of benzofuran azadienes. The involvement of t-BuONa is essential in this process. Remarkably, this technique boasts mild reaction conditions and exceptional compatibility with various functional groups, rendering it a versatile and invaluable asset in the realm of organic synthesis.
Transition-Metal-Free Approach for the Synthesis of N-Arylated Piperidones and their Ketals from Ketene Dithioacetals
Authors: Pratap Ramendra , Sahu Satya Narayan , Shaw Ranjay , Althagafi Ismail
Published: July 2024

N-Arylated piperidones are present as pharmacophores in many pharmaceuticals and serve as useful precursors for the construction of important new molecules. We have developed a transition-metal-free, cost-effective, and mild approach for the synthesis of N-(hetero)arylated piperidones and their ketals by using ketals of piperidones and 2-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitriles as precursors. The desired products were obtained in two steps: amination of the 2-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitrile from piperidone, followed by ring transformation using a suitable nucleophile source. We have successfully tethered functionalized dihydrophenanthrenes, hydrobenzo[c]phenanthrenes, and benzoquinolines to piperidinone moieties under transition-metal-free conditions.
Chemo- and Regioselective Demethylation of 2-Bromo-α-resorcylic Acid Derivatives Using Alkylthiolate Salts
Authors: Voyer Normand , Cardinal Sébastien , Fraser Tommy , Harbour Zakiel
Published: July 2024

We report here the chemo- and regioselective demethylation of 2-bromo-3,5-dimethoxy-α-resorcylic acid esters by a thiolate nucleophilic displacement reaction. Optimized conditions facilitate yields up to 93% for o-bromo-selective demethylation of diverse ester derivatives of dimethoxy 2-bromo-α-resorcylic acid. Our results highlight a new, efficient, and reliable demethylation reagent, as well as a useful steric bias directing strategy.
Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology (ISMPO)—Breast Cancer in Young Guidelines
Authors: Bajpai Jyoti , Gandhi Shruti Sanjay , Rajappa Senthil , Pathak Rima , Joshi Shalaka , Batra Atul , Singh Manisha , Ghosh Joydeep , Rangarajan Bharath , Prakash Gaurav , Dubashi Biswajit , Ahmad Syed Nisar , Sreedharan Rinoy , Swamy Mathighatta Shivarudraiah Shivashankara , Sirohi Bhawna , Desai Chirag , Chitalkar Prakash , Gupta Sudeep , Malhotra Hemant , Aggrawal Shyam
Published: July 2024

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer globally and in India. In India, BC is more common among younger women compared with Western counterparts. Younger women with BC tend to have a less favorable outcome as they are more likely to have aggressive tumors. Younger women are not well represented in BC management studies as the median age at diagnosis is in the late 50s to early 60s. This can lead to difficulty in using risk-stratification models and molecular tools among young BC patients and may result in overtreatment. Therefore, Indian Society of Medical and Pediatric Oncology gathers and organizes available evidence from published literature to create a guide specifically for young BC patients in low- and middle-income countries like India.
Real-World Evidence Data on Adverse Reactions to Infusion of Thawed Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells: Retrospective Analysis from a Single Center in India
Authors: Tiwari Aseem K. , Aggarwal Geet , Pabbi Swati , Pawar Samruddhi , Rawat Ganesh , Golia Sunil , Gupta Shubham , Sood Nitin , Yadav Satya Prakash
Published: July 2024

Introduction Adverse reactions (ARs) occur during infusion of thawed hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) either due to infusion or its contents. There is sparse literature on it in the world and none in India. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed ARs occurring during and within 1 hour of infusion of thawed HPCs.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of adverse reactions associated with the infusion of cryopreserved hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and to categorize the types of adverse reactions observed in HPC transplant recipients during its infusion.

Materials and Methods This study was done in a tertiary-care center, between 2019 and 2022. Data collected included age, gender, diagnosis, specifications of contents of infusion product (volume of product, volume of dimethyl sulfoxide per kg body weight, total nucleated cell count per microliter, and viability of CD 34+ cells), pretreatment given, and ARs, if any from the procedure records and the hospital information system.

Results The present study included 55 transplant patients, and the commonest diagnosis was Hodgkin lymphoma. All were prophylactically hydrated and premedicated as per institutional protocol. AR was seen in 56.36% (n = 31); the commonest type of ARs was nausea (n = 26) followed by vomiting (n = 13), abdominal pain (n = 4), shivering (n = 3), transient tachycardia (n = 2), transient hypotension (n = 2), and hematuria (n = 1). All ARs were managed clinically by giving symptomatic treatment. No patients required intensive care, and there were no deaths or aborted procedures. Characteristics of infusion products had no significant correlation to ARs.

Conclusions To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first such study from India. We report an overall incidence of ARs of 56.36%, which is similar to the previously published data on ARs during thawed HPC infusions. AR is a common occurrence and can be managed medically and symptomatically.
Spin-anomalous-Hall unidirectional magnetoresistance in light-metal/ferromagnetic-metal bilayers
Authors: Huang QiKun , Cui Xiaotian , Wang Shun , Xie Ronghuan , Bai Lihui , Tian Yufeng , Cao Qiang , Yan Shishen
Published: July 2024

Nonreciprocal magnetotransport is one of the central topics in spintronics because of its importance for electrically probing magnetic information. Among numerous electrical probes used to read magnetic orders, unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR), characterized by sign changes upon reversal of either current or magnetization, is currently a matter of great interest and has been identified in various spin–orbit-coupled bilayer systems composed of an (anti)ferromagnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer with strong spin Hall effect. A recent theoretical work predicts that a spin-anomalous-Hall (SAH) UMR in those metallic conducting bilayers can originate from the spin-anomalous-Hall effect of the ferromagnetic layer and the structural inversion asymmetry. However, this type of UMR has not been reported experimentally. Here, we give the experimental evidence of spin-anomalous-Hall UMR in the light-metal/ferromagnetic-metal Cu/Co bilayers, where the emergence of net nonequilibrium spin density is attributed to the interfacial spin leakage asymmetry due to the spin memory loss effect at the Cu/Co interface and multiple spin reflections. We also show a highly tunable UMR in the Cu/Co/CuOx trilayer by varying the Cu thickness, which is due to the competition between the orbital Rashba effect in Co/CuOx and the spin-anomalous-Hall effect in Cu/Co. Our work widens the material choice for UMR device applications and provides an alternative approach to detect in-plane magnetization without an external spin polarizer.
Advanced color image encryption using third-order differential equations and three-dimensional logistic map
Authors: Abdul-Hameed M. , El-Metwally H. , Askar S. , Alshamrani A. M. , Abouhawwash M. , Karawia A. A.
Published: July 2024

Image encryption stands out as a crucial technique employed to securely transmit images across the Internet. In this paper, we introduce a novel algorithm for encrypting color images. The algorithm is built upon the principles of differential equations, XOR operations, and chaotic maps. First, the plain image is three-dimensional pixel shuffled via a logistic map. Afterward, the differential equations are used as a mathematical tool for encrypting images. The third-order ordinary differential equations are used to encrypt the shuffled images. The color values of the plain image are considered coefficients for the independent variable X. Subsequently, an alternate matrix of the same size is generated using a three-dimensional logistic map, taking into account its color values as the exponents linked to the independent variable X. A set of third-order differential equations emerged, containing an equivalent number of elements as the color values present in the plain image. This set of differential equations is addressed in the following manner: combining XOR and integration three times with respect to the independent variable X for each set of obtained differential equations while treating the integration constant as zero. Ultimately, a set of ordinary equations involving the independent variable X is derived, where the coefficients of X represent color values for the cipher image. The results from experiments and the security analysis affirm the resilience of the proposed algorithm against established security attacks. It exhibits a substantial key space, heightened key sensitivity, and a strong encryption effect.
Timelike surfaces with Bertrand geodesic curves in Minkowski 3–space
Authors: Almoneef A. A. , Abdel-Baky R. A.
Published: July 2024

Geodesic curves on a surface play an essential role in reasonable implementation. A curve on a surface is a geodesic curve if its principal normal vector is aligned with the surface normal. Using the Serret–Frenet frame, the timelike (TL) surfaces can be specified as linear combinations of the components of the local frames in Minkowski 3–space E13. With these parametric representations, we obtained the indispensable and required events for the specified Bertrand (B) curves to be the geodesic curves on these surfaces. Afterword, the conclusion regarding the TL ruled surface is also made. Finally, the models are declared to assure that the suggested methods are effective in outcome manufacturing by modifying the styles of the surface pair.
Australian surgeon attitudes and experiences towards completing a higher degree by research
Authors: Sena Board Mariana , McBride Kate E. , Solomon Michael J. , Aitken Sarah J. , Rickard Matthew J. F. X. , Collins Jean-Mah , Steffens Daniel
Published: July 2024

Objective In Australia, there is little evidence exploring why higher degrees by research (HDRs) are undertaken by surgeons. This study aims to describe the attitudes and experiences of surgical trainees and surgeons towards HDRs. Methods A 23-question cross-sectional survey of surgical trainees and consultant surgeons from three Australian public hospitals was undertaken between August and December 2022. Data were analysed according to stage of career and HDR status and assessed using chi-squared test, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results Out of 270 participants, 72 (27%) completed the survey including 30 (42%) trainees and 42 (58%) consultants. Overall, 43 (60%) participants had completed or were undertaking a HDR, which was similar between trainees (n = 18) and consultants (N = 25; P = 0.968). A HDR was associated with more publications (P < 0.5). Respondents with a HDR were more likely to have a salaried academic position (50%) than those without (15%). There was no significant difference in academic appointments based on HDR attainment (P = 0.192). For surgical trainees, 93% rated the strengthening of resumes as the primary driver, compared with only 60% of consultants. For consultants, academic career aspirations and research interests were ranked the highest at 64% equally. Lack of time and competing nature of surgical training were equally ranked among all as the key barriers to completing a HDR. Conclusions These results provide insight into the academic pursuits of surgeons with an understanding of the role HDRs play, including the different drivers for Masters and Doctorates. This is important for supporting future surgeons who seek to pursue research.
An adaptive continuous scanning laser Doppler vibrometry technique for measuring vibrational mode shapes of structures with holes
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zang Chaoping , Jing Tong
Published: July 2024

Continuous scanning laser Doppler vibrometry (CSLDV) enables fast and full-field vibration measurement in an intact area of a structure. This paper further proposes a novel adaptive CSLDV method that can obtain the operational deflection shapes (ODS) and mode shape of structures with holes. Firstly, an adaptive path planning method is applied to the surface of the tested structure, which can automatically adapt to the size and position of round and square holes, as well as the resolution requirements for the measurement. Secondly, based on the symmetry and other characteristics of the planned path, the time domain signal is processed by delay optimization and demodulation to obtain the ODS of each vibration mode. Finally, a modal test is conducted on a flat structure with a square and circular holes as an example. A validation experiment is also performed using SLDV. The results show that the mode shapes obtained from both methods are consistent and the modal assurance criterion between them are all above 0.96. The method can realize CSLDV of flat plate structures with arbitrary square and round holes, and has the advantages of high efficiency and dense measurement points, which enhances its engineering applicability.
Impact of ageing on structure of random sequential adsorption packings of discorectangles
Authors: Lebovka N I , Bulavin L A , Kovalchuk V I , Petryk M R , Vygornitskii N V
Published: July 2024

The ageing processes in the systems of elongated particles (discorectangles) adsorbed on a plane was studied numerically. An off-lattice model with continuous positional and orientational degrees of freedom was tested. The initial jammed state was produced using the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model. The transition from the jammed to equilibrium states were performed via translational and rotational Brownian motions. An aspect ratio of the particles (length-to-width ratio) was varied within the range

ε
=
1
−
12

. At ɛ < 10 the relaxation into the isotropic state was always observed. In the intermediate range,

10
⩽
ε
⩽
11

, the relaxation transition into the states with ordered domains was observed. Particularly, for ɛ = 10 this transition was related with significant finite size scaling effects. For particles with ɛ = 12 formation of the large scale quasi-nematic domains and unlimited domain growth was observed. The impact of the relaxation on the domain structure, porosity, percolation connectivity and tracer particle diffusion in such barrier systems was also discussed.
Effect of deposition pressure on friction and wear properties of BWS2 composite coatings
Authors: Kang Bowei , Cai Haichao , Xue Yujun , Pei Lulu , Yu Yongjian
Published: July 2024

This study investigated the impact of deposition pressure on the microstructure and tribological properties of B/WS2 composite coatings deposited via unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Deposition pressures of 0.6 Pa, 0.8 Pa, 1.0 Pa, 1.2 Pa, and 1.4 Pa were used during the deposition process. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the B/WS2 composite coatings were characterized, and friction and wear experiments were conducted. The study found that the microhardness of the B/WS2 composite coatings decreased as the deposition pressure increased. The highest hardness of the coating, reaching 8.1GPa, was observed at a deposition pressure of 0.6 Pa. This was due to the formation of Tungsten tetraborate (WB4) during the deposition process, which had a high hardness and improved the mechanical properties of the coating. The wear life of the B/WS2 composite coatings was at its best, reaching 9.9 × 104 cycles, and the friction coefficient was at its lowest when the deposition pressure was 1.2 Pa. Selecting an appropriate deposition pressure can improve the tribological properties of B/WS2 composite coatings. Doping Boron can improve the hardness and wear resistance of the composite coatings. Abrasive wear and spalling are the two main wear forms of B/WS2 composite coatings.
Improvement of decadal predictions of monthly extreme Mei-yu rainfall via a causality guided approach
Authors: Ng Kelvin S , Leckebusch Gregor C , Hodges Kevin I
Published: July 2024

While the improved performance of climate prediction systems has allowed better predictions of the East Asian Summer Monsoon rainfall to be made, the ability to predict extreme Mei-yu rainfall (MYR) remains a challenge. Given that large scale climate modes (LSCMs) tend to be better predicted by climate prediction systems than local extremes, one useful approach is to employ causality-guided statistical models (CGSMs), which link known LSCMs to improve MYR prediction. However, previous work suggests that CGSMs trained with data from 1979–2018 might struggle to model MYR in the pre-1978 period. One hypothesis is that this is due to potential changes in causal processes, which modulate MYR in different phases of the multidecadal variability, such as the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). In this study, we explore this hypothesis by constructing CGSMs for different PDO phases, which reflect the different phases of specific causal process, and examine the difference in quality as well as with respect to difference drivers and thus causal links between CGSMs of different PDO phases as well as the non-PDO phase specific CGSMs. Our results show that the set of predictors of CGSMs is PDO phase specific. Furthermore, the performance of PDO phase specific CGSMs are better than the non-PDO phase specific CGSMs. To demonstrate the added value of CGSMs, the PDO phase specific versions are applied to the latest UK Met Office decadal prediction system, DePreSys4, and it is shown that the root-mean squared errors of MYR prediction based on PDO phase specific CGSMs is consistently smaller than the MYR predicted based on the direct DePreSys4 extreme rainfall simulations. We conclude that the use of a causality approach improves the prediction of extreme precipitation based solely on known LSCMs because of the change in the main drivers of extreme rainfall during different PDO-phases.
A remark on the nonsteady micropolar pipe flow with a dynamic boundary condition for the microrotation
Authors: Pažanin Igor , Rukavina Borja
Published: July 2024

The goal of this paper is to provide a rigorous justification of the asymptotic model proposed by Beneš et al. [Nonzero boundary condition for the unsteady micropolar pipe flow: well-posedness and asymptotics, Appl. Math. Comput. 427 (2022), Paper No. 127184, 22] for the time-dependent flow of a micropolar fluid in a thin cylindrical pipe. After proving the well-posedness of the governing initial-boundary value problem endowed with the dynamic boundary condition for the microrotation, we derive the suitable a priori estimates. Using this result, we evaluate the difference between the original solution and the asymptotic one in the corresponding functional norms. By doing that, we validate the usage of the proposed model and deduce the information about its order of accuracy.
The Right to Legal Personhood of Marginalised Groups
Authors: Arstein-Kerslake Anna
Published: July 2024

Legal personhood is the state’s recognition of the individual as a legal entity whose decisions and actions are respected by the law. It is the predicate to power and privilege because it is required for political participation, contracting, consenting to marriage and sex, and other elements of our world. Marginalised groups are denied legal personhood in various ways that are creating and reinforcing social inequalities. For example, women in Saudi Arabia continue to be placed under the legal guardianship of male relatives—often leaving them unable to contract, marry, and take other legal actions independently. Moreover, racial minorities around the world lose part of their legal personhood via incarceration, which they experience at vastly higher rates than others. Undocumented migrants in the United States and elsewhere are similarly experiencing legal personhood denials because they are not recognised by the state and therefore cannot take many legal actions essential for daily living (e.g. engaging in employment contracts). The right to legal personhood has been enshrined in human rights law since its inception with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. However, it has been largely overlooked. This book explores the marginalisation occurring as a result of barriers to the right to legal personhood and how this can be rectified—how the right to legal personhood can be realised for marginalised groups. It presents a legal argument for the protection of the right and a normative analysis of the importance of the right in maintaining equality in socio-legal systems.
Receiving Death
Authors: Foster Ann-Marie
Published: July 2024

This chapter deals with the period of time between a loved one dying and their funeral, concentrating on the various ways that families received news of a death, identified bodies, and brought them home. These practices differed: while paperwork and word-of-mouth communication were used for both war and disasters, war tended towards the former, and disasters the latter. Parallel timelines of immediate death practices emerged, from families who were about the immediately act to those who suffered a protracted wait. In this confusion, national government and local authorities competed for familial authority. The organized chaos of deaths in war and disasters reconfigured the way the family and the state interacted with one another, with the state taking over the traditional family role of registering a body, foreshadowing the renegotiated roles both took on when handling the body of the deceased.
Governing Death
Authors: Foster Ann-Marie
Published: July 2024

The regulation of bodies by people outside of the family was an experience shared by the families of the war and disaster dead. Conventionally, the family of the deceased controlled the body of their loved one—the state only intervened if there was nobody to claim the corpse. After war and disaster officials controlling bodies and burials was the norm. While after local disasters families were often in at least minimal contact with those who buried the dead, in wartime contact with officials was solely through paperwork. The Imperial War Graves Commission, in charge of interring the dead after the First World War, almost exclusively interacted with the bereaved through paper. After disaster, local authorities often organised burials. There was reverence and comfort in these burials, but they constituted a jarring experience for families, and something was lost through their inability to decide how the dead were interred.
‘This Is the Sign of the Lord’
Authors: Lewis Hannah
Published: July 2024

In this chapter I will explore how the Bible, and biblical interpretation can be experienced as oppressive by Deaf and disabled people, both in the hearing/ able bodied centred interpretation (where Deaf/disabled people are only present as objects of either healing or derision) and form (as a written text). I will then look at how Deaf and disabled people have addressed these challenges over the years, and in particular the way in which Deaf/disabled interpretations have argued that God calls people to follow, and minister as they are rather than in spite of their disabilities. This argument will demonstrate how Deaf and disabled people have interpreted the Bible to encounter God as one who signs in their own language and desires their liberation.
Contextual Bible Reading in Practice
Authors: Davids Hanzline R
Published: July 2024

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) people’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics are frequently contested on religious, social, and cultural grounds as ‘un-African’, and a remnant from Western colonization. On the African continent, the Bible is still used to condemn and instigate violence and violations against LGBTIQ+ people. Challenging these perspectives, Inclusive and Affirming Ministries, a non-governmental organization, catalyses Christian faith communities towards the positive recognition of LGBTIQ+ people on the African continent. This chapter details the conceptual journey of this NGO’s Reading Together Process, a method that brings together Theory of Action with Contextual Bible Studies and Intercultural Bible Theory. This chapter reflects from an NGO perspective on the way such an approach can draw on academic scholarship and foster practice that reads and interprets biblical texts with LGBTIQ+ as equal producers of meaning.
Diversifying the Field
Authors: Smit Peter-Ben
Published: July 2024

In this chapter, the question of the increasing diversity in the field of biblical interpretation is discussed. Arguing that the plurality of approaches is a result of, and hence reflects, the inclusion of perspectives from an increasing number of contexts, it is proposed that this challenges the field of biblical interpretation in a fruitful manner. In particular, it is suggested that as interpretation is always premised on alterity, the otherness of ‘other’ interpreters (and interpretations) ought to be welcomed as a hermeneutical opportunity and demands the development of a lived ethos of otherness. This is not only promising with regard to the interpretation of texts, but also with regard to the (self-)understanding of other interpreters and can contribute to forms of scholarship that further human flourishing.
The Afterlife of Medium-Specificity I
Authors: Costello Diarmuid
Published: July 2024

Chapter 3 brings out Fried’s debts to Stanley Cavell’s reading of the later Wittgenstein, particularly his understanding of conventions as both a priori, yet also part of the natural history of the species, grounded in (evolving) ‘forms of life’. This permeates Fried’s early criticism, notably his critique of Minimalism, which turns on his differences with Greenberg over the nature of artistic conventions. Contra Greenberg, Fried holds that while media do have distinct essences, these do not endure transhistorically, but rather develop and change under the pressure of recent history. The chapter suggests these criticisms may rebound on Fried’s own critique of Minimalism, something the author brings out by considering the work of Gerhard Richter and Jeff Wall. On the Fried-Cavell conception of artistic media, Richter emerges as aspiring to make photographs by painting, and Wall as aspiring to make paintings with the means of photography. Once that can be true, there is no longer any clearly defined space between media that can be rejected as ‘theatre’, irrespective of whether Minimalism is indeed ‘theatrical’.
Language
Authors: Benatar David
Published: July 2024

This chapter discusses the ethics of language. Subsidiary topics include familiar ones, such as group slurs (and attempts to appropriate them for positive use), sexist language, insults, profanity, pronoun preferences, and changes over time in what counts as polite reference to various groups. In the process, the relevance of distinctions between ‘use’ and ‘mention’, and between different kinds of ‘use’, is presented. The chapter also discusses related issues in language ethics that are less commonly discussed. These include impertinences and speciesist language. Inconsistencies in common views about language ethics are noted. Towards the end of the chapter, an argument is presented for how we should respond to (perceived) breaches of language ethics.
Humour
Authors: Benatar David
Published: July 2024

This chapter discusses the ethics of jokes and other humour. The chapter begins by identifying the categories of humour that are thought to raise moral questions. Next, two distinctions between different moral criticisms of humour are drawn: First, there is a distinction between those criticisms that focus on the person purveying or appreciating the humour, and those criticisms that focus on the humour itself. Second, there is a distinction between contextual and non-contextual criticisms. These distinctions cut across one another. It is argued that non-contextual criticisms must fail, and that humour must be assessed contextually. Some instances of telling or laughing at humour are morally problematic, and others are not. Common mistakes in humour ethics are highlighted: (a) the benefits of humour are ignored, and only the harm or offence considered; (b) contextual considerations are oversimplified; and (c) offence is given too much weight. Finally, some practical guidance is provided.
Systematic reviews of the literature: an introduction to current methods
Authors: Brignardello-Petersen Romina , Santesso Nancy , Guyatt Gordon H
Published: July 2024

Systematic reviews are a type of evidence synthesis in which authors develop explicit eligibility criteria, collect all the available studies that meet these criteria, and summarize results using reproducible methods that minimize biases and errors. Systematic reviews serve different purposes and use a different methodology than other types of evidence synthesis such as narrative reviews, scoping reviews, and overviews of reviews. Systematic reviews can address questions regarding effects of interventions or exposures, diagnostic properties of tests, and prevalence or prognosis of diseases. All rigorous systematic reviews have common processes that include (1) determining the question and eligibility criteria, including a priori specification of subgroup hypotheses, (2) searching for evidence and selecting studies, (3) abstracting data and assessing risk of bias of the included studies, (4) summarizing the data for each outcome of interest, whenever possible using meta-analyses, and (5) assessing the certainty of the evidence and drawing conclusions. There are several tools that can guide and facilitate the systematic review process, but methodological and content expertise are always necessary.
FAIRsoft—a practical implementation of FAIR principles for research software
Authors: Martín del Pico Eva , Gelpí Josep Lluís , Capella-Gutierrez Salvador
Published: July 2024

Motivation

Software plays a crucial and growing role in research. Unfortunately, the computational component in Life Sciences research is often challenging to reproduce and verify. It could be undocumented, opaque, contain unknown errors that affect the outcome, or be directly unavailable and impossible to use for others. These issues are detrimental to the overall quality of scientific research. One step to address this problem is the formulation of principles that research software in the domain should meet to ensure its quality and sustainability, resembling the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data principles.

Results

We present here a comprehensive series of quantitative indicators based on a pragmatic interpretation of the FAIR Principles and their implementation on OpenEBench, ELIXIR’s open platform providing both support for scientific benchmarking and an active observatory of quality-related features for Life Sciences research software. The results serve to understand the current practices around research software quality-related features and provide objective indications for improving them.

Availability and implementation

Software metadata, from 11 different sources, collected, integrated, and analysed in the context of this manuscript are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7311067. Code used for software metadata retrieval and processing is available in the following repository: https://gitlab.bsc.es/inb/elixir/software-observatory/FAIRsoft_ETL.
Dynamic compact data structure for temporal reachability with unsorted contact insertions
Authors: Fernando Afra Brito Luiz , Keese Albertini Marcelo , Augusto Nassif Travençolo Bruno , Navarro Gonzalo
Published: July 2024

Temporal graphs represent interactions between entities over time. Deciding whether entities can reach each other through temporal paths is useful for various applications such as in communication networks and epidemiology. Previous works have studied the scenario in which addition of new interactions can happen at any point in time. A known strategy maintains, incrementally, a Timed Transitive Closure using a dynamic data structure composed of $O(n^{2})$ binary search trees containing non-nested time intervals. However, space usage for storing these trees grows rapidly as more interactions are inserted. In this paper, we introduce a compact data structure that represents each tree as two dynamic bit-vectors. Furthermore, we present two variants of this data structure: one representing bits in dynamic bit-vectors explicitly and the other representing only the active bits by encoding their consecutive distances. In our experiments, we observed that our data structure improves space usage while having similar time performance for incremental updates when comparing with the previous strategy. The first variant of our data structure gives the best space improvement when constructing Time Transitive Closures for temporally dense temporal graphs, and the second variant uses less space for temporally sparse temporal graphs.