bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bat pollinators: a decade of monitoring reveals declining visitation rates for some species in Thailand
Authors: Stewart Alyssa B. , Srilopan Supawan , Wayo Kanuengnit , Hassa Piriya , Dudash Michele R. , Bumrungsri Sara
Published: March 2024

Bats are important pollinators, but they are difficult to study since they are volant and nocturnal. Thus, long-term studies of nectarivorous bats are scarce, despite their potential to help assess trends in bat populations and their pollination services. We used capture rates of nectarivorous bats at chiropterophilous flowers in order to examine temporal trends in bat visitation in an area that is undergoing extensive land use change. We mist-netted at five bat-pollinated plant taxa (Durio zibethinus, Musa acuminata, Oroxylum indicum, Parkia speciosa, and Sonneratia spp.) in southern Thailand over six years between 2011 and 2021. We found that the most common bat species, Eonycteris spelaea, was the main visitor at all five plant taxa and had consistent visitation rates across all study years. In contrast, two other important pollinators, Macroglossus minimus and M. sobrinus, showed 80% declines in the number of individuals netted at mangrove apple (Sonneratia spp.) and banana (Musa acuminata) flowers, respectively. These findings suggest that E. spelaea (a large, cave-roosting species with a broad diet) is more tolerant of anthropogenic change than are Macroglossus bats (small, foliage-roosting species with specialized diets), which may in turn affect the reproductive success of plants pollinated by these species. Our study demonstrates how decade-long monitoring can reveal species-specific temporal patterns in pollinator visitation, emphasizing the need for tailored conservation plans. While the conservation status of most nectarivorous bats in the area is Least Concern, our results indicate that population studies in Southeast Asia are urgently needed for updated bat species conservation assessments.
What could be the reasons for not losing weight even after following a weight loss program?
Authors: Dabas Jyoti , Shunmukha Priya S. , Alawani Akshay , Budhrani Praveen
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Approximately four million people worldwide die annually because of obesity. Weight loss is commonly recommended as a first-line therapy in overweight and obese patients. Although many individuals attempt to lose weight, not everyone achieves optimal success. Few studies point out that weight loss eventually slows down, stagnates or reverses in 85% of the cases.

Research question

What could be the reasons for not losing weight even after following a weight loss program?

Methods

A scoping review of the literature was performed using weight loss-related search terms such as ‘Obesity,’ ‘Overweight,’ ‘Lifestyle,’ ‘weight loss,’ ‘Basal Metabolism,’ ‘physical activity,’ ‘adherence,’ ‘energy balance,’ ‘Sleep’ and ‘adaptations. The search involved reference tracking and database and web searches (PUBMED, Science Direct, Elsevier, Web of Science and Google Scholar). Original articles and review papers on weight loss involving human participants and adults aged > 18 years were selected. Approximately 231 articles were reviewed, and 185 were included based on the inclusion criteria.

Design

Scoping review.

Results

In this review, the factors associated with not losing weight have broadly been divided into five categories. Studies highlighting each subfactor were critically reviewed and discussed. A wide degree of interindividual variability in weight loss is common in studies even after controlling for variables such as adherence, sex, physical activity and baseline weight. In addition to these variables, variations in factors such as previous weight loss attempts, sleep habits, meal timings and medications can play a crucial role in upregulating or downregulating the association between energy deficit and weight loss results.

Conclusion

This review identifies and clarifies the role of several factors that may hinder weight loss after the exploration of existing evidence. Judging the effectiveness of respective lifestyle interventions by simply observing the ‘general behavior of the groups’ is not always applicable in clinical practice. Each individual must be monitored and advised as per their requirements and challenges.
Oral Cannabis consumption and intraperitoneal THC:CBD dosing results in changes in brain and plasma neurochemicals and endocannabinoids in mice
Authors: Reisdorph Nichole , Doenges Katrina , Levens Cassandra , Manke Jon , Armstrong Michael , Smith Harry , Quinn Kevin , Radcliffe Richard , Reisdorph Richard , Saba Laura , Kuhn Kristine A.
Published: March 2024

Background

While the use of orally consumed Cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) containing products, i.e. “edibles”, has expanded, the health consequences are still largely unknown. This study examines the effects of oral consumption of whole Cannabis and a complex Cannabis extract on neurochemicals, endocannabinoids (eCB), and physiological parameters (body temperature, heart rate) in mice.

Methods

In this pilot study, C57BL/6 J mice were treated with one of the following every other day for 2 weeks: a complex Cannabis extract by gavage, whole Cannabis mixed with nutritional gel through free feeding, or purified THC/CBD by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Treatments were conducted at 4 doses ranging from 0–100 mg/kg/day of CBD with THC levels of ≤ 1.2 mg/kg/day for free feeding and gavage and 10 mg/kg/day for i.p. Body temperature and heart rate were monitored using surgically implanted telemetry devices. Levels of neurochemicals, eCB, THC, CBD, and 11-OH-THC were measured using mass spectrometry 48 h after the final treatment. Statistical comparisons were conducted using ANOVA and t-tests.

Results

Differences were found between neurochemicals in the brains and plasma of mice treated by i.p. (e.g. dopamine, p < 0.01), gavage (e.g., phenylalanine, p < 0.05) and in mice receiving whole Cannabis (e.g., 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic DOPAC p < 0.05). Tryptophan trended downward or was significantly decreased in the brain and/or plasma of all mice receiving Cannabis or purified CBD/THC, regardless of dose, compared to controls. Levels of the eCB, arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) were decreased in mice receiving lowest doses of a complex Cannabis extract by gavage, but were higher in mice receiving highest doses compared to controls (p < 0.05). Plasma and brain levels of THC and 11-OH-THC were higher in mice receiving 1:1 THC:CBD by i.p. compared to those receiving 1:5 or 1:10 THC:CBD. Nominal changes in body temperature and heart rate following acute and repeated exposures were seen to some degree in all treatments.

Conclusions

Changes to neurochemicals and eCBs were apparent at all doses regardless of treatment type. Levels of neurochemicals seemed to vary based on the presence of a complex Cannabis extract, suggesting a non-linear response between THC and neurochemicals following repeated oral dosing.
Early radiological outcomes of a fully porous bridging collar in lower-limb endoprosthetic reconstructions: a case-matched retrospective series to assess osseointegration
Authors: Stevenson Jonathan , Siddiqi M. Ather , Sheehy Vicky , Kendrick Ben , Whitwell Duncan , Taylor Adrian , Blunn Gordon , Mohammad Hasan R. , Kamath Atul F. , Thoma Sofia
Published: March 2024

Background

Limb-salvage surgery involving the utilization of endoprosthetic replacements is commonly employed following segmental bone resection for primary and secondary bone tumors. This study aimed to evaluate whether a fully porous bridging collar promotes early osseous integration in endoprosthetic replacements.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective review of all lower-limb endoprostheses utilizing a fully porous endosteal bridging collar design. We matched this cohort with a conventional extra-osteal non-porous fully hydroxyapatite-coated grooved collar cohort according to surgical indication, implant type, resection length, age, and follow-up time. At 6, 12, and 24 months post-implantation, radiographs were assessed for the number of cortices with or without osseointegration on orthogonal radiographs. Each radiograph was scored on a scale of -4 to + 4 for the number of cortices bridging the ongrowth between the bone and the collar of the prosthesis. Implant survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the mean number of osseointegrated cortices at each time point between the collar designs was compared using a paired t-test.

Results

Ninety patients were retrospectively identified and analyzed. After exclusion, 40 patients with porous bridging collars matched with 40 patients with conventional extra-osteal non-porous collars were included in the study (n = 80). The mean age was 63.4 years (range 16–91 years); there were 37 males and 43 females. The groups showed no difference in implant survival (P = 0.54). The mean number of cortices with radiographic ongrowth for the porous bridging collar and non-porous collar groups was 2.1 and 0.3, respectively, at 6-month (P < 0.0001), 2.4 and 0.5, respectively, at 12-month (P = 0.044), and 3.2 and -0.2, respectively, at 24-month (P = 0.18) radiological follow-up.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that fully porous bridging collars increased the number of cortices, with evidence of bone ongrowth between 6 and 24 months post-implantation. By contrast, extra-osteal collars exhibited reduced evidence of ongrowth between 6 and 24 months post-implantation. In the medium term, the use of a fully porous bridging collar may translate to a reduced incidence of aseptic loosening.

Graphical Abstract
High-protein, low glycemic index snack from optimized blend of three wholegrains exhibits nutraceutical quality and elicits low glycemic response in diabetic human subjects
Authors: Olagunju Aderonke Ibidunni , Arigbede Titilope Ifeolu , Oyeleye Idowu Sunday , Makanjuola Solomon Akinremi , Oyebode Esther Taiwo , Enikuomehin Adenike Christianah
Published: March 2024

Snack products are evolving as new carriers of functional ingredients with nutritional and health-promoting benefits. A blend of whole grains is increasingly being utilized to harness the functional potential of the grain mix. Amaranth, acha, and pearl millet grains flours were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), to obtain optimum blends (90:5:5 and 47.98:26.68:25.34) with high protein content and low glycemic index. Snack bar products from the blends were labelled MBY and MBZ. A total of 40 diabetic and 10 non-diabetic subjects were recruited. Of the diabetic, about 42% were overweight while 40% were obese, the non-diabetic had normal weights. Each was allowed to consume snacks containing the equivalent of 50 g of carbohydrates. Finger prick was employed to evaluate the postprandial glucose response of snack products while venous blood was evaluated for antioxidant enzymes, carbohydrate-hydrolyzing activities, and insulin using standard methods. Consumption of the multigrain snacks elicited a stable postprandial response (133–141 mg/dL) with 16 and 24% postprandial decline. In addition, snacks had low to intermediate glycemic index (52 and 56) in diabetic and low glycemic index (43 and 45) in non-diabetics; likewise reduced α-amylase/α-glucosidase activities compared to control snacks. Similarly, glutathione level, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in serum from subjects that consumed multigrain snacks were upregulated compared to control and market sample groups. Moreso, snack products promoted a reduction in serum insulin levels in diabetic subjects (45 and 17% for MBY and MBZ respectively). Following the nutraceutical properties displayed by the formulated snack especially MBY, it can be promoted as a functional snack for the management of diabetes while solving the limited snack product choice of diabetes sufferers.

Graphical Abstract
Analysis of visual elements in Barbie movie posters
Authors: Wa Ode Rosyta Pua
Published: March 2024

As a means of promoting a movie, posters are usually short, clear, concise, and attention-grabbing, and visual elements such as illustrations of movie scenes are dominant. The meaning of a movie poster is formed through visual elements in such a way. The analysis conducted on this Barbie poster aims to find out the cause of the elements in this Barbie poster. This research uses qualitative research methods with descriptive analysis. In this research, most of the data collected are in the form of images, words and sentences where these data have meaning and can achieve a more real understanding than numbers or frequencies. To collect data for this research, researchers used observation and recording techniques. The typography used on the "Barbie" poster is Bartex font. The visuals on the Barbie poster are Barbie and Ken. The blue color on the poster illustrates the meaning of loyalty and trust in the characters in the Barbie movie. The use of pink in this Barbie poster is because Barbie is always synonymous with pink, the pink color also describes feminism in Barbie. The layout used in this Barbie movie poster is symmetrical, meaning that the visual weight of the design elements is spread evenly horizontally, vertically, and radially. From the explanation above we can conclude that movie posters play an important role in promoting this Barbie movie, as for the analysis carried out on this Barbie poster aims to find out what is caused by the elements in this Barbie poster.
Culture of Migration: A Theoretical Account with a Particular Focus on Iran
Authors: Asayesh Omid , Kazemipur Abdolmohammad
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Attention to the subjective aspects of the migration process has been rising recently, including attention to the notion of the 'culture of migration.' Triggered by an increase in the number of actual migrants and perpetuated through an increase in the desire for migration, the 'culture of migration' heavily affects the migration field in both receiving and, particularly, sending countries. In this article, we have examined the latter through the case study of Iran. The study draws on three sources of data: a) 71 face-to-face interviews, b) Google Trends data, and c) the analysis of more than 200,000 tweets in Farsi using Natural Language Processing tools. The findings show that the culture of migration alters the social landscape in the sending countries, leading people to view migration as the sole feasible choice to fulfill their wishes for change in their individual and social circumstances. They also show that the culture of migration works simultaneously as both the 'push' and 'pull' forces, operating through phenomena such as the rite of passage, relative deprivation, shift in reference groups, and so on. We have also examined the interaction between the 'culture of migration' and social movements in Iran as an illustration of the deep connection between the former and broader non-migration dynamics in sending countries. The implications of this study for future research are discussed. Résumé: L'attention portée aux aspects subjectifs du processus migratoire s'est accrue récemment, y compris l'attention portée à la notion de "culture de la migration". Déclenchée par une augmentation du nombre de migrants réels et perpétuée par une augmentation du désir de migration, la "culture de la migration" affecte fortement le domaine de la migration à la fois dans les pays d'accueil et, en particulier, dans les pays d'origine. Dans cet article, nous avons examiné ce dernier point à travers l'étude de cas de l'Iran. L'étude s'appuie sur trois sources de données : a) 71 entretiens en face à face, b) des données Google Trends et c) l'analyse de plus de 200 000 tweets en Farsi à l'aide d'outils de traitement du langage naturel. Les résultats montrent que la culture de la migration modifie le paysage social dans les pays d'origine, amenant les gens à considérer la migration comme le seul choix possible pour répondre à leurs souhaits de changement de leur situation individuelle et sociale. Elles montrent également que la culture de la migration agit simultanément en tant que force de "poussée" et de "traction", en opérant par le biais de phénomènes tels que le rite de passage, la privation relative, le changement de groupes de référence, et ainsi de suite. Nous avons également examiné l'interaction entre la "culture de la migration" et les mouvements sociaux en Iran afin d'illustrer le lien profond entre la culture de la migration et les dynamiques non migratoires plus larges dans les pays d'origine. Les implications de cette étude pour les recherches futures sont analysées.
What It Takes to Feel Canadian: Multiculturalism and the Logic of Home
Authors: Takševa Tatjana
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This paper is based on a conversation I had with D.Š., a 42-year-old woman who emigrated to Nova Scotia in 2014 from Bosnia and Herzegovina with her husband and young son. We met in December 2022 to talk about the idea of 'home' when it comes to being an immigrant and a first-generation Canadian. As a first-generation Canadian who emigrated to Canada from the former Yugoslavia in 1992 and someone who has been personally interested in diasporic identities in the Canadian context, I found D.Š.'s perspective meaningful and illustrative of many issues relating to challenges and potentials in Canada's official status as a multicultural nation. D.Š.'s narrative identifies, restructures, and deconstructs in multiple ways a key social boundary, 'foreignness,' which is embedded in the practice of homemaking and the process of integration understood as relational. My analysis of D.Š.'s narrative is conceptualized in terms of the identity work that is required of all Canadians for Canada to live up to its official status as a multicultural country. In the analysis, I draw upon the philosophy of encounter, the concept of 'homemaking' and recent studies on relational integration. The paper engages empirically the meaning of relational integration in the context of everyday 'homemaking.' Résumé: Cet article est fondé sur une conversation que j'ai eue avec D.Š. une femme de 42 ans qui a émigré de Bosnie-Herzégovine pour la Nouvelle-Écosse en 2014 avec son mari et son jeune fils. Nous nous sommes rencontrées en décembre 2022 pour parler de l'idée de "chez soi" en tant qu'immigrante et Canadienne de première génération. En tant que Canadienne de première génération ayant émigré au Canada depuis l'ex-Yougoslavie en 1992 et m'étant personnellement intéressée aux identités diasporiques dans le contexte canadien, j'ai trouvé le point de vue de D.Š. significatif et illustrant de nombreuses questions relatives aux défis et aux potentiels du statut officiel du Canada en tant que nation multiculturelle. Le récit de D.Š. identifie, restructure et déconstruit de multiples façons une frontière sociale clé, l'"extranéité," qui est ancrée dans la pratique du ménage et dans le processus d'intégration compris comme relationnel. Mon analyse du récit de D.Š. est conceptualisée en termes de travail identitaire requis de tous les Canadiens pour que le Canada soit à la hauteur de son statut officiel de pays multiculturel. Dans cette analyse, je m'appuie sur la philosophie de la rencontre, le concept de "hospitalité" et des études récentes sur l'intégration relationnelle. L'article aborde de manière empirique la signification de l'intégration relationnelle dans le contexte du "hospitalité" quotidien.
Mystery upon Mystery: Wang Bi on the Meaning of Xuan 玄
Authors: Hitchens Alex T.
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Xuan 玄 (mystery, dark) was ascribed critical philosophic importance by many thinkers of the tradition known as xuanxue 玄學 (Scholarly Exploration of the Dark, Neo-Daoism), principal among whom was Wang Bi. Through systematic analyses of the Laozi , he attempted to explore not only how "nonbeing" ( wu 無) is the cosmic force guiding phenomenal existence, but also how xuan and dao 道 are paired, complementary aspects of the "means-by-which-things-are-so" ( suoyi 所以). This article examines xuan from the perspective of Wang Bi and, through a close reading of his commentaries, finds that it signifies that which is holistically unknowable and ineffable, an indiscernible oneness where one can resonate with all things. This is premised on the "necessary" unspecificity of the "One" ( yi 一) and is reflected in his philosophy of language. By exploring xuan in its philosophical, philological, and semantic context, it becomes apparent that it is more complex than previously thought.
Personal Quest and Anomic Events: Conversions to Daoism in Late Imperial China
Authors: Scarin Jacopo
Published: March 2024

Abstract: This article presents the results of a preliminary study of the discourses on conversion found in Daoists' biographies of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It first provides definitions of religion and conversion, inspired by Psychology and Sociology of Religion and by Religion Studies, then introduces the idea of anomic events, moments of growing tension(s) leading to a life-altering turning point. Next, it presents episodes taken from late-imperial primary sources that describe the processes leading people from different social classes to join a Daoist institution, study Daoist practice, and/or to live a Daoist-inspired life. Instead of attempting to recover data on the "actual" process of conversion, this article focuses on understanding how the authors and general society made sense of, and reported on, conversions to Daoism. Finally, the article outlines a tentative taxonomy of the factors influencing conversion in the historical account and explains how contemporary scholarship on conversion agrees with some of the intuitions found in the biographies.
Geomorphic Response to the Removal of the Ward’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River, North Carolina
Authors: Platt Josh R. , Martin Derek J. , Armstrong William H. , Mayfield Michael W.
Published: March 2024

Though economic situations of individual dams vary, current dam removal studies largely
indicate that ecological benefits of river re-connectivity may outweigh the costs of maintaining aging
infrastructure. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies in certain regions of the United
States, including Southern Appalachia. We used the removal of the 6 m high Ward’s Mill Dam on the
Watauga River in North Carolina to conduct a before-after/control-impact study to monitor
geomorphic impacts to such removals in this understudied region with the objective of identifying
changes in channel form, analyzing bed sediment characteristics, and quantifying rates of volumetric
evacuation and deposition. To capture geomorphic change repeated pre- and post-removal cross-
sectional surveys, longitudinal profiles, and in-situ particle size sampling was conducted in upstream
and downstream reaches. Field collections the day after removal show significant deposition of gravel
sized particles immediately downstream of the dam (≤200 m). Channel bed texture remains
significantly finer across the 2 km downstream study reach 506 days following removal. Erosion rates
of the impoundment during the deconstruction period were on average ~860 m3/day and decreased to
75.5 m3/day by day 74. Below average mean daily flows during this period were able to exhume ~62.9
percent of impounded sediment.
UAV Imagery for Measuring Large Wood Volume and Distribution: Ground Truthing Results and Sources of Error
Authors: Hess Joshua W. , Pavlowsky Robert T. , Dogwiler Toby
Published: March 2024

abstract: UAV imagery offers great potential in determining precise environmental measurements. This study identifies and quantifies errors and their causes/sources between UAV imagery- and field-derived measurements of large wood (LW) and cross-sectional valley topography in several forested headwater stream valleys in the Ozark Highlands, Missouri. UAV imagery was collected at six sites following best practices for producing high resolution orthophotos and elevation models through Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry. Field-based measurements of LW were completed along 5 m wide valley cross-sections in which all LW > 1 m in length and 0.1 m in diameter were recorded. Topographic surveys were performed along the centerlines of the LW transects. The same assessments were performed using UAV imagery and ArcGIS. Our sites showed high (>= 0.85) R2 values between field and UAV-GIS topographic surveys. Differences between measurements of LW dimensions tended to be larger with R2 ranging from 0.42 to 0.88. Overall 78 percent of standing trees and 60 percent of LW pieces were identified in the UAV imagery. The main source of detection and measurement error was due to vegetation/canopy cover. This study furthers our understanding of the applications and limitations of UAV derived data for environmental assessments.
Using Lidar to Find the Southeast's Remnant Rivercane
Authors: Dobbs G. Rebecca , Styers Diane M.
Published: March 2024

abstract: The floodplains of the Southeast's stream network once hosted immense brakes of rivercane ( Arundinaria gigantea ), a disturbance-dependent native bamboo with both cultural and ecological significance. Ecologically, rivercane alters its local environments, boosts biodiversity and biomass, and protects streambanks from erosion and storm damage. Indigenous peoples of the Southeast have used rivercane for millennia, for material and cultural purposes, and formerly maintained its health and extent through harvesting and fire. Settler-colonial incursions largely destroyed rivercane, through the more intense disturbance of different land management practices, and brakes now exist mainly in relatively small areas. While numerous rivercane restoration projects are in process throughout its natural range, no comprehensive inventory of living rivercane exists. In this paper, we present both human context and the results of LiDAR analysis that identifies canebrakes based on the physical characteristics of the plant and brake. In our study area on the Little Tennessee River in western North Carolina, we found rivercane on about 9 percent of the floodplain area, based on QL1 LiDAR data available from the state of North Carolina. The technique can be applied in any part of rivercane's range, and the resulting inventory used in support of both cultural and ecological goals.
A Successful 12-Month Trial of a Lumen-Apposing Self-Expandable Metallic Stent on a Benign Recalcitrant After Surgical Stricture
Authors: Bhowmick Kuntal , Habr Fadlallah , Perera Pranith
Published: March 2024

Gastrojejunal anastomotic strictures are common postsurgical complications that may be treated endoscopically. In some cases, conventional endoscopic dilations may prove ineffective, prompting consideration of covered self-expandable metal stents as the next step. However, the efficacy of these stents may be limited by their risk of migration. Lumen-apposing self-expandable metallic stents pose a lower migration risk because of their unique design and offer a possible off-label solution for recalcitrant strictures. We describe a patient with a postsurgical, gastrojejunal anastomotic stricture refractory to several interventions, who achieved long-lasting remission of symptoms after a 12-month trial of lumen-apposing self-expandable metallic stent placement.
Scan Angle Analysis of Airborne Lidar Data for Missing Return Approximation in Urban Areas
Authors: Gharibi Hamid , Habib Ayman
Published: March 2024

The density and uniformity of lidar data play crucial roles in the cor-responding data processing steps. One factor influencing point density and spacing in lidar data is the presence of empty pulses, where no return is detected. Missing returns can occur due to atmospheric absorption,
specular and diffusive reflection, etc. To address this issue and enhance point density, this paper introduces a novel method for approximating missing returns in airborne lidar data collected over urban areas. This technique focuses on approximating returns for empty pulses that hit spots
near abrupt slope changes on building and ground surfaces. The proposed methodology is validated through experiments using a lidar data set from downtown Dublin, Ireland. The collected data contained numerous gaps associated with wet surfaces, as well as missing returns on vertical and oblique
surfaces.
A Keyframe Extraction Approach for 3D Videogrammetry Based on Baseline Constraints
Authors: Liu Xinyi , Hu Qingwu , Huang Xianfeng
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we propose a novel approach for the extraction of high-quality frames to enhance the fidelity of videogrammetry by combining fuzzy frames removal and baseline constraints. We first implement a gradient-based mutual information method to filter out low-quality frames while
preserving the integrity of the videos. After frame pose estimation, the geometric properties of the baseline are constrained by three aspects to extract the keyframes: quality of relative orientation, baseline direction, and base to distance ratio. The three-dimensional model is then reconstructed
based on these extracted keyframes. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach maintains a strong robustness throughout the aerial triangulation, leading to high levels of reconstruction precision across diverse video scenarios. Compared to other methods, this paper improves the reconstruction
accuracy by more than 0.2 mm while simultaneously maintaining the completeness.
Extraction of Terraces in Hilly Areas from Remote Sensing Images Using DEM and Improved U-Net
Authors: Peng Fengcan , Peng Qiuzhi , Chen Di , Lu Jiating , Song Yufei
Published: March 2024

To extract terraced fields in hilly areas on a large scale in an automated and high-precision manner, this paper proposes a terrace extraction method that combines the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), Sentinel-2 imagery, and the improved U-Net semantic segmentation model. The U-Net model
is modified by introducing Attention Gate modules into its decoding modules to suppress the interference of redundant features and adding Dropout and Batch Normalization layers to improve training speed, robustness, and fitting ability. In addition, the DEM band is combined with the red, green,
and blue bands of the remote sensing images to make full use of terrain information. The experimental results show that the Precision, Recall, F1 score, and Mean Intersection over Union of the proposed method for terrace extraction are improved to other mainstream advanced methods, and the
internal information of the terraces extracted is more complete, with fewer false positive and false negative results.
Assessment, Specification, and Validation of a Geolocation System's Accuracy and Predicted Accuracy
Authors: Dolloff John , Theiss Henry , Bollin Brian
Published: March 2024

This article presents recommendations and corresponding detailed procedures for the assessment of a geolocation system's accuracy, as well as the specification of accuracy requirements and their subsequent validation when they are available. Applicable metrics and related processing
are based on samples of corresponding geolocation errors. This article also presents similar recommendations for the predicted accuracy of a geolocation system, based on samples of geolocation error, as well as corresponding predicted error covariance matrices associated with the geolocations.
Reliable error covariance matrices enable optimal use of a geolocation system's products, such as the optimal fusion of multiple geolocations or multiple products for higher confidence and increased accuracy. The recommendations presented in this article enable reliable estimates of accuracy
and reliable predicted accuracies, both of which are critical to many geolocation-based applications. The recommendations associated with predicted accuracy are also relatively new and innovative.
The Effect of Electronic Service Quality on Increasing Customer Loyalty with a Focus on Adding Diverse Product Segments
Authors: Pratama Dafa Rafif , Febrian Angga , Wiryawan Driya , Husna Nurul
Published: March 2024

Using e-commerce platforms to improve product marketing is the right choice for every business in the digital era. According to recent research, online shopping is increasingly popular among customers who prefer to shop without physically visiting a store. This study aims to investigate the quality of electronic services provided by online e-commerce stores to encourage customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study measures the quality of electronic services in terms of website design, customer service, security/privacy, and fulfillment using the most recent WebQual model. The Partial Least Square method (SmartPLS-v3) was utilized to analyze the sample data collected using 159 respondents who met the specified criteria as the research sample. The research demonstrates that all hypotheses are found to have significant positive results. Positive correlations have been found between the four dimensions of the model and the quality of electronic services, as well as their impact on customer satisfaction and intentions to stay loyal. This study is beneficial for determining the electronic service model customers in online e-commerce stores want to gain customer loyalty.
Financial Leverage and Managerial Compensation: Evidence from Non-Cyclical Industries in Indonesia
Authors: Farihah Elva , Hartadinata Okta Sindhu , Maulana Afandi Ukik Wahyu Bintang
Published: March 2024

This research analyzes the impact of financial leverage on managerial compensation. This study also explores the moderating effect of financial distress on the link between financial leverage and managerial compensation. This study used a quantitative approach with multi-linear regression analysis. The sample consisted of 26 firms from non-cyclical industries listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2018 to 2022, with a total observation of 130. The data research was derived from firms' annual reports. The empirical result shows that financial leverage positively affects managerial compensation. It suggests that firms incentivize management with higher compensation, aiming for more professional leverage management to maximize firm value. This finding is relevant to the trade-off theory. This study also demonstrates that the variable of financial distress is categorized as a pure moderator. It is confirmed that financially distressed firms determine financial leverage as a negotiation tool to reduce the cost of salaries. This finding implies the importance of the firms carefully balancing human capital and compensation schemes because the manager's interest might be given up if the company is in financial distress.
Yoga Based on Shalat Movement to Develop Post-Pandemic Children’s Self Control
Authors: Hayati Miratul , Salasati Putri
Published: March 2024

Purpose – This study aimed to develop yoga activities based on prayer movements to train children’s self-control. The subjects in this study were early childhood children in the TK B group.
Design/methods/approach – This research uses development research (R&D). Feasibility assessment of the development of prayer movement-based Yoga to train children’s self-control based on the assessment of media experts, yoga experts, and group B students as test subjects. Analysis using qualitative and quantitative data analysis, collecting data using interview guidelines, observation documentation, and questionnaires.
Findings – The results showed that the development of prayer movement-based Yoga through a series of trials and expert validation, was workable for training children’s self-control which included (1) the ability to regulate behavior, (2) the ability to regulate stimuli, (3) the ability to consider things and events, ( 4) the ability to evaluate events and things positively, and (5) the ability to determine actions.
Research implications/limitations – This research can be the basis and guideline for further research related to Yoga based on prayer movements in training self-control in early childhood. Researchers suggest that there are other studies regarding using Yoga based on prayer movements to train children’s self-control and other abilities from an early age. The drawback of this study is that it did not conduct a practical test due to time constraints.
Practical implications – This research produces Yoga products based on prayer movements. Teachers and parents can use it to train children’s self-control from childhood. So that the results of developing this product can be helpful, and other schools can practice it in training children’s self-control or other abilities after the pandemic that hit the world.
Originality/value – The development of Yoga based on prayer movements can train the self-control abilities of early childhood. Researchers recommend using prayer movement-based yoga in kindergartens to train children’s self-control.
Paper type Research paper
Notes from the Editors, March 2024
Authors: Editors -
Published: March 2024

buy this issuePaul Burkett's death on January 7, 2024, at age 67, means that the world is suddenly bereft of the figure who played the leading role over the last three decades in developing a Marxist ecological economics in the face of the growing planetary crisis. His loss leaves ecological Marxism without its foremost exponent of the ecological critique of capitalist value relations. It also means the loss of a warm and compassionate human being, and a beloved jazz musician.
Engels for Our Times
Authors: Holborow Marnie
Published: March 2024

"It is surprising," Marnie Holborow writes, "how often in Marxist accounts of women's oppression Frederick Engels is overlooked." In responding to this gap in analysis, Holborow examines his influential work, The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, finding his observations on gender roles and social reproduction under capitalism—and their expressions based on class—are not only astute for Engels's time, but very much for ours as well.
Eleven Theses on Music
Authors: Burkett Paul
Published: March 2024

This lyrical vignette from the recently departed Paul Burkett is the author's final, posthumously published piece for Monthly Review. In it, the eminent ecological economist and jazz musician muses on the nature of creativity, technology, and the corporatization of music—and the struggle to decommodify it, freeing musicians and their craft from the confines of capitalism.
Electrocardiogram Heartbeat Classification using Convolutional Neural Network-k Nearest Neighbor
Authors: Abdul Zrar Kh. , Al‑Talabani Abdulbasit K. , Rahman Chnoor M. , Asaad Safar M.
Published: March 2024

Electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis is widely used by cardiologists and medical practitioners for monitoring cardiac health. A high-performance automatic ECG classification system is challenging because there is difficulty in detecting and categorizing different waveforms in the signal, especially in manual analysis of ECG signals, which means, a better classification system is needed in terms of performance and accuracy. Hence, in this paper, the authors propose an accurate ECG classification and monitoring system called convolutional neural network-k nearest neighbor (CNN-kNN). The proposed method utilizes 1D-CNN and kNN. Unlike the existing techniques, the examined technique does not need training during classifying the ECG signals. The CNN-kNN is evaluated against the PhysioNet’s MIT-BIH and PTB diagnostics datasets. The CNN is fed using the ECG beat raw signal directly. In addition, the learned features are extracted from the 1D-CNN model and its dimensions are reduced using two fully connected layers and then fed to the k-NN classifier. The CNN-kNN model achieved average accuracies of 98% and 97.4% on arrhythmia and myocardial infarction classifications, respectively. These results are evidence of the great ability of the proposed model compared to the mentioned models in this article.
Salomonische Architektur in den Niederlanden
Authors: von der Dunk Thomas H.
Published: March 2024

The Old Church at Amsterdam showcases a wooden model for a huge domed church with a centralized ground-plan, constructed circa 1700 on behalf of local lawyer Nicolaas Listingh. The enormous further expansion of the town in the second half of the 17th century made such a venture logical. Listingh’s project could meet the need for several new churches of a normal size at once.

The never executed model was characterized by one special main feature with an important iconographic significance: the large concave buttresses that connect the high-rising central drum with the lower ambulatory. They should be interpreted as a reference to King Salomo’s Temple of Jerusalem. In contemporary reconstructions its substructure was supported all around by a row of gigantic concave buttresses. As the Dutch Calvinists regarded their country as the new Israel, not only a few synagogues, but also some protestant churches were fitted out with them.
Trust in Government in a Changing World: Shocks, Tax Evasion, and Economic Growth
Authors: Alm James , Barreto Raul A.
Published: March 2024

Governments are always dealing with unexpected shocks, like wars, terrorism, financial crises, natural disasters, and the like. A recent prominent example is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Since early 2020, governments around the world have enacted a range of unprecedented measures in an attempt to protect their citizens, with quite mixed results. This varied record has in turn had dramatic effects on peoples’ perceptions of their government, especially on their trust in government and so on their willingness to obey the many government mandates generated by the pandemic. This willingness to obey government mandates extends well beyond pandemic policies to all other dimensions of government laws and regulations. An important dimension of individual compliance with government mandates is tax evasion. What will be the effects of the pandemic and the associated government policies on post-pandemic tax evasion and economic growth, especially via the effects of government policies on “trust” in the government? In this paper we incorporate both tax evasion and trust in an endogenous growth model in order to examine the short and long run impacts on tax evasion of various shocks – a pandemic shock, a government policies shock, and a tax morale shock (and the resulting impact on trust in government). We then use real data on 11 representative economies to simulate these effects, economies representing developed and developing countries as well as economies representing governments that opted for various policy responses to COVID-19, modelled as a labor productivity shock. We find that varied public policy responses to the pandemic have immediate and persistent impacts on tax evasion in the short and long run, largely via their effects on trust in government. We also find that these evasion impacts vary in important and predictable ways that depend especially on whether government dealt effectively or not with the pandemic. Our methodology is readily adapted to examine the effects of other shocks and their respective policy responses on trust in government, tax evasion, and economic growth.
Implementation for the cases (5, 4) and (5, 4)/(2, 0)
Authors: Hashim Hayder Muhi , Hassan Haytham Razooki
Published: March 2024

The goal of this work is to investigate the use of the

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eyl module's resolution in the situation of two rows described in the partitions (5, 4) and (5, 4)/(2, 0), utilizing the homological

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eyl after we find the terms of these resolutions.
Enhancing structural behaviour of polypropylene fibre concrete columns longitudinally reinforced with fibreglass bars
Authors: Mohammed Thaer Jasim , Abbas Suha Mnati , Mezher Thaer Matlab , Breesem Khalid M.
Published: March 2024

The research aims to study the behaviour of concrete columns reinforced with fibreglass as bars exposed to seawater. Firstly, hardened concrete properties as the compressive strength and the tensile strength were investigated at ages 14, 28, and 56 days. Secondly, the experimental testing also involved casting 18 short concrete columns that have a length of 300 mm with the cross-sectional dimensions of 100 mm × 100 mm. Six samples were plain concrete, six were reinforced with a diameter of 6 mm longitudinal fibreglass bars, and six polypropylene fibre concrete columns were reinforced with a diameter of 6 mm fibreglass bars. The results added useful information using fibreglass bars (anti-corrosion materials) as reinforced longitudinal concrete columns, so the ultimate load of the reinforced concrete column with fibreglass rod exposed to seawater was 174.8 kN that it was higher than that of the plain concrete column at 104.9 kN. Thus, the fibreglass reinforcement technology enhances the capacity of the columns. So, it could be used in non-impacting structural parts. Meanwhile, the ultimate load of the fibre-reinforced concrete column with fibreglass rod exposed to seawater was 201.8 kN. It is 15.4% higher than that of the ultimate axial load of the reinforced concrete column with fibreglass rods only. Also, the results achieved of this research were encouraging, as the maximum failure load for short columns reinforced with fibreglass rods reached approximately 84 to 87% of failure load relative to polypropylene fibre concrete columns containing reinforcing fibreglass bars. As a result, the structural behaviour bars have been enhanced using fibreglass rod and polypropylene fibre.
Sustainable road paving: Enhancing concrete paver blocks with zeolite-enhanced cement
Authors: Ahmed Noor Al-Huda H. , Ibraheem Asma Thamir
Published: March 2024

The present investigation assesses the impact of zeolite-enhanced sustainable cement (ZESC), a product achieved through the blending and grinding of clinker, gypsum, and varying percentages of natural zeolite (6, 10, and 15%). While the existing research has mainly concentrated on substituting ordinary Portland Cement with natural or synthetic zeolite, a critical research gap persists in using this manufactured cement in nontraditional building materials. Addressing this gap, our investigation assesses the durability and mechanical properties of concrete paver blocks manufactured by ZESC, particularly crucial for road paving applications. Comprehensive evaluations of hardened properties were conducted, including compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and water absorption. In addition, the impact of ZESC on the fresh properties of concrete paver blocks was examined. The findings reveal that a 15% N.Z. inclusion in ZESC production results in an optimal mix design, leading to a remarkable increase in compressive strength and splitting tensile strength by 24 and 25%, respectively. It reduces water absorption and abrasion resistance by 80 and 7.8%, respectively, compared to O.P.C. cement concrete paver blocks. It is noteworthy that the addition of natural zeolite to ZESC mixtures led to an increased water demand. Notably, the integration of natural zeolite significantly reduces the environmental impact of cement production, promoting a sustainable shift by minimizing cement clinker. The study employs microstructural analysis, supported by scanning electron microscopic images, revealing a significant reduction in microcracks and enhanced cohesiveness, particularly at the aggregate-cemented paste interface in ZESC mixes.