bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metatranscriptomic responses and microbial degradation of background polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the coastal Mediterranean and Antarctica
Authors: Martinez-Varela Alicia , Casas Gemma , Berrojalbiz Naiara , Lundin Daniel , Piña Benjamin , Dachs Jordi , Vila-Costa Maria
Published: November 2023

Although microbial degradation is a key sink of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in surface seawaters, there is a dearth of field-based evidences of regional divergences in biodegradation and the effects of PAHs on site-specific microbial communities. We compared the magnitude of PAH degradation and its impacts in short-term incubations of coastal Mediterranean and the Maritime Antarctica microbiomes with environmentally relevant concentrations of PAHs. Mediterranean bacteria readily degraded the less hydrophobic PAHs, with rates averaging 4.72 ± 0.5 ng L h−1. Metatranscriptomic responses showed significant enrichments of genes associated to horizontal gene transfer, stress response, and PAH degradation, mainly harbored by Alphaproteobacteria. Community composition changed and increased relative abundances of Bacteroidota and Flavobacteriales. In Antarctic waters, there was no degradation of PAH, and minimal metatranscriptome responses were observed. These results provide evidence for factors such as geographic region, community composition, and pre-exposure history to predict PAH biodegradation in seawater.
Bibliometric research analysis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs): evidence and research activity dynamics
Authors: Mittas Nikolaos , Gkika Despina A. , Georgiou Konstantinos , Alodhayb Abdullah N. , AbdelAll Naglaa , Khouqeer Ghada A. , Kyzas George Z.
Published: November 2023

The escalating issue of water pollution has become a worldwide issue that has captured the attention of numerous scientists. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as adaptable materials with exceptional attributes, including easy synthesis, low cost, remarkable durability, long life, and accessibility. These attributes have motivated researchers to develop novel materials based on MIPs to tackle hazardous contaminants in environmental matrices. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a bibliometric analysis on MIPs’ publications, in order to shed light on the developments and focus points of the field. The selected publications were obtained from Scopus database and subjected to a filtering process, resulting in 11,131 relevant publications. The analysis revealed that the leading publication source (journal) is Biosensors and Bioelectronics; the mostly employed keywords are solid-phase extraction, electrochemical sensor, and molecular recognition; and the top contributing countries are China, Iran, and the USA. The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm was used for extracting thematic axes from the textual content of the publications. The results of the LDA model showcase that the topic of synthesis and performance of MIPs for environmental applications can be considered as the most dominant topic with a share value of 72.71%. From the analysis, it can be concluded that MIPs are a cross-disciplinary research field.
Welche Bildung fördert die Kinder- und Jugendhilfe, und welche nicht?
Authors: Scherr Albert , Ziegler Holger
Published: November 2023

Soziale Arbeit und Sozialpädagogik betonen die Eigenständigkeit ihres Bildungsverständnisses in Abgrenzung zu schulischer Qualifizierung für den Arbeitsmarkt. Der Beitrag gibt einen Einblick in die einschlägige Fachdiskussion und ihre gesellschaftspolitische Situierung. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird aufgezeigt, dass diese Abgrenzung theoretisch prekär ist und problematische Implikationen haben kann.
Facial Expression of TIPI Personality and CHMP-Tri Psychopathy Traits in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Authors: Murray Lindsay , Goddard Jade , Gordon David
Published: November 2023

Honest signalling theory suggests that humans and chimpanzees can extract socially relevant information relating to personality from the faces of their conspecifics. Humans are also able to extract information from chimpanzees’ faces. Here, we examine whether personality characteristics of chimpanzees, including measures of psychopathy, can be discerned based purely on facial morphology in photographs. Twenty-one chimpanzees were given naïve and expert personality ratings on the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and the Chimpanzee Triarchic Model of Psychopathy (CHMP-Tri) before and following behavioural observations. Characteristics relating to openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and disinhibition could be distinguished from the faces of chimpanzees. Individuals higher on disinhibition have lower scores on conscientiousness and emotional stability and higher scores on extraversion, while those higher on meanness have lower conscientiousness and agreeableness. Facial expressions are linked to personality traits present in the TIPI and CHMP-Tri models: the Relaxed Face and the Grooming Face were displayed more by chimpanzees higher on agreeableness, whereas the Compressed Lips Face was observed more in those individuals higher on boldness, and the Full Open Grin was displayed more by chimpanzees higher on extraversion but lower on emotional stability and conscientiousness. Facial expressions were also found to be associated with particular behavioural contexts, namely the Grooming Face in affiliative contexts and the Relaxed and Relaxed Open Mouth Faces in neutral contexts. Dominant chimpanzees display higher levels of boldness and more Compressed Lips Faces, Relaxed Open Mouth Faces, and Grooming Faces than subordinate individuals. These findings support and extend evidence for an honest signalling system and a personality structure shared between humans and chimpanzees. Future research could further explore how personality is conveyed through the face, perhaps through more than just singular aspects of character, and maybe reflecting what chimpanzees themselves are able to do.
A test of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism with perceived distress, cognitive emotion regulation, and perfectionist cognitions
Authors: Guerreiro Mariana , Faísca Luís , Brás Marta , Carmo Cláudia
Published: November 2023

Based on within-person combinations of self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), the 2 × 2 model asserts four personality subtypes: Non-Perfectionism, Pure SOP, Pure SPP, and Mixed Perfectionism. We tested whether these subtypes can be distinctively associated with perceived distress, cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies, and perfectionist cognitions. Results of multiple regressions with 213 adults (72.8% female, M = 34.07, SD = 12.04 years old) revealed that Pure SOP (compared with Non-Perfectionism) and Mixed Perfectionism (compared with Pure SPP) perceived similar levels of distress but reported more perfectionist cognitions and both adaptive and maladaptive CER strategies. The two subtypes associated with high SPP reported less adaptive CER strategies than the Pure SOP and Non-Perfectionism. The presence of the SOP facet did not mitigate the detrimental effects of the SPP facet on negative outcomes. On the contrary, the SOP facet seems to have a positive influence on the adoption of adaptive CER strategies and helps attenuate the detrimental effects of the SPP. Studies about the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism should focus on comparing the predicted values between each subtype of perfectionism.
Occurrence of D-amino acids in natural products
Authors: Armstrong Daniel W. , Berthod Alain
Published: November 2023

Since the identified standard genetic code contains 61 triplet codons of three bases for the 20 L-proteinogenic amino acids (AAs), no D-AA should be found in natural products. This is not what is observed in the living world. D-AAs are found in numerous natural compounds produced by bacteria, algae, fungi, or marine animals, and even vertebrates. A review of the literature indicated the existence of at least 132 peptide natural compounds in which D-AAs are an essential part of their structure. All compounds are listed, numbered and described herein. The two biosynthetic routes leading to the presence of D-AA in natural products are: non-ribosomal peptide synthesis (NRPS), and ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) synthesis which are described. The methods used to identify the AA chirality within naturally occurring peptides are briefly discussed. The biological activity of an all-L synthetic peptide is most often completely different from that of the D-containing natural compounds. Analyzing the selected natural compounds showed that D-Ala, D-Val, D-Leu and D-Ser are the most commonly encountered D-AAs closely followed by the non-proteinogenic D-allo-Thr. D-Lys and D-Met were the least prevalent D-AAs in naturally occurring compounds.

Graphical Abstract
Assessment of the air quality in an industrial zone using active moss biomonitoring
Authors: Świsłowski P. , Rajfur M.
Published: November 2023

The study aimed to evaluate the level of air contamination in the area around the Kosogorsky industrial enterprise in Tula, Russia, in the winter of 2021/2022. For the study, Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax, and Dicranum polysetum mosses were used for the first time in the 3-month active biomonitoring (moss-bag technique). Heavy metals elements (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition, mercury concentrations were determined with an AMA254 apparatus. The study's results for Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg confirm the statistical significance of the species' effect on the accumulation of these elements. Values of relative accumulation factor (RAF) > 1.00 at selected measurement points indicate that the site is contaminated as a result of industrial activities (mainly Mn and Fe). Wind direction influenced moss contamination at selected measurement points, which was confirmed by cluster analysis. In the future, long-term or different seasons biomonitoring studies should be conducted in this area.
Structural health monitoring of beam model based on swarm intelligence-based algorithms and neural networks employing FRF
Authors: Achouri Fatima , Khatir Abdelwahhab , Smahi Zakaria , Capozucca Roberto , Ouled Brahim Abdelmoumin
Published: November 2023

In recent decades, swarm optimization methods have been employed to address various optimization problems in structural health monitoring (SHM). One of the widely recognized swarm-based algorithms, particle swarm optimization (PSO), has gained significant popularity and found extensive applications across diverse fields. However, it presents some limitations, such as the low convergence rate in the iterative process. The butterfly optimization algorithm (BOA) is a recently developed algorithm that has demonstrated its performance in solving a variety of optimization problems. In this research, a novel hybrid swarm optimization algorithm is introduced, integrating PSO and BOA, with the aim of enhancing its effectiveness. To overcome the limitations of the traditional Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique and enhance its training performance, this new hybrid algorithm is integrated with ANN. The study offers valuable insights into the creation of a predictive model, known as PSO-BOA-ANN, for detecting structural damage. Input parameters for the model include natural frequencies, while the output parameter is the severity of the damage. To test the efficiency of the proposed technique, data were collected from a finite element model using a simulation tool, and from frequency response function (FRF) after experimental modal analysis for single and double cracked aluminum beams considering different crack depths. A comparative analysis was conducted between the results obtained from PSO, BOA, GA, and their respective combinations with ANN. The findings indicate that the novel PSO-BOA-ANN approach outperforms the other approaches in terms of accuracy when it comes to damage prediction.
Evaluation der betriebsärztlichen und sicherheitstechnischen Betreuung von Kleinstbetrieben in Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege durch Kompetenzzentren
Authors: Hartung Christofer , Altenburg Christiane , Dulon Madeleine , Schedlbauer Grita , Schmidt Kristina , Steinke Susanne , Nienhaus Albert
Published: November 2023

Hintergrund

Das Betreuungsmodell „alternative bedarfsorientierte betriebsärztliche und sicherheitstechnische Betreuung durch Kompetenzzentren“ wurde bei der Berufsgenossenschaft für Gesundheitsdienst und Wohlfahrtspflege (BGW) evaluiert. Das Modell sieht die Teilnahme der Unternehmensleitung an einem Online-Kurs als Motivation und an einer Beratung im Betrieb vor. Untersucht wurde, ob sich das Arbeitsschutzniveau nach der Betreuung durch Kompetenzzentren in der Interventionsgruppe (KPZ-Gruppe) verbessert und ob sich Unterschiede in der Umsetzung des Arbeitsschutzes zu anderen Betreuungsmodellen (Vergleichsgruppe, VG) zeigen.

Methoden

Die Stichproben wurden aus den bei der BGW versicherten Unternehmen gezogen. Einschlusskriterien waren maximal 10 Beschäftigte, und dass kein Betreuungsnachweis vorlag (KPZ-Gruppe) bzw. die Regelbetreuung oder das Unternehmermodell (VG) gewählt wurde. Die schriftliche Befragung erfolgte zu Beginn in der KPZ-Gruppe und in allen Gruppen 6 bis 12 Monate nach der jeweiligen Betreuungsmaßnahme. Zur Bewertung des Arbeitsschutzniveaus (niedrig, mittel, hoch) wurde ein Summenscore gebildet (1–6 Punkte).

Ergebnisse

Die KPZ-Gruppe bestand aus 416 und die VG aus 627 Unternehmen. In der KPZ-Gruppe zeigte sich eine signifikante Verbesserung des Arbeitsschutzniveaus: Zu Beginn fand sich bei 71 % ein niedriges Arbeitsschutzniveau und bei 5 % ein hohes. Am Ende erreichten in beiden Gruppen jeweils rund 80 % ein hohes oder mittleres Arbeitsschutzniveau, wobei in der VG signifikant mehr Unternehmen ein hohes Arbeitsschutzniveau erreichten.

Diskussion

Mit der Betreuung durch Kompetenzzentren lässt sich das Arbeitsschutzniveau in Kleinstbetrieben signifikant verbessern. Zwischen den Betreuungsmodellen zeigten sich Unterschiede in den Umsetzungsquoten, deren Ausmaß aber vermutlich durch Selektionsbias überschätzt wurde.
Effects of diagenetic processes on the velocity evolution in carbonate reservoirs
Authors: Khosravi Mohammad Hossein , Emami Niri Mohammad , Saberi Mohammad Reza
Published: November 2023

Carbonate rocks are geologically complex due to the diagenetic processes they experience before and after lithification. Diagenetic processes alter their matrix and pore structure leading to the modification in their sonic velocities. Understanding the effect of these diagenetic features on the seismic velocities is crucial to have a reliable image of the subsurface. The dataset used in this study comprises well logs, and core data. Core data were analyzed using different methods (i.e., thin section analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM images)) to investigate the presence or absence of different diagenetic processes in each depth interval of the Sarvak formation. In order to minimize porosity effects on velocity variations, we divided all porosity data into five equal porosity classes and performed bar chart analysis in each class. The results indicated that bioturbation (through stiff pore creation and infilling with stiff minerals) and compaction (through pore space volume reduction) increase velocities, but dissolution increased velocities only for the low porosity samples (through moldic and vuggy pores creation) while reduced it in the high porosity samples (through the interconnection of the isolated pores). Furthermore, porosity enhancement (through increasing pore space volume), micritization (through porosity reduction inhibition during compaction), open fracture (through creation of soft pores and cracks), and neomorphism (through the creation of microporosity during compaction) reduce sonic velocities.
Short- and long-term temporal network prediction based on network memory
Authors: Zou Li , Ceria Alberto , Wang Huijuan
Published: November 2023

Temporal networks are networks whose topology changes over time. Two nodes in a temporal network are connected at a discrete time step only if they have a contact/interaction at that time. The classic temporal network prediction problem aims to predict the temporal network one time step ahead based on the network observed in the past of a given duration. This problem has been addressed mostly via machine learning algorithms, at the expense of high computational costs and limited interpretation of the underlying mechanisms that form the networks. Hence, we propose to predict the connection of each node pair one step ahead based on the connections of this node pair itself and of node pairs that share a common node with this target node pair in the past. The concrete design of our two prediction models is based on the analysis of the memory property of real-world physical networks, i.e., to what extent two snapshots of a network at different times are similar in topology (or overlap). State-of-the-art prediction methods that allow interpretation are considered as baseline models. In seven real-world physical contact networks, our methods are shown to outperform the baselines in both prediction accuracy and computational complexity. They perform better in networks with stronger memory. Importantly, our models reveal how the connections of different types of node pairs in the past contribute to the connection estimation of a target node pair. Predicting temporal networks like physical contact networks in the long-term future beyond short-term i.e., one step ahead is crucial to forecast and mitigate the spread of epidemics and misinformation on the network. This long-term prediction problem has been seldom explored. Therefore, we propose basic methods that adapt each aforementioned prediction model to address classic short-term network prediction problem for long-term network prediction task. The prediction quality of all adapted models is evaluated via the accuracy in predicting each network snapshot and in reproducing key network properties. The prediction based on one of our models tends to have the highest accuracy and lowest computational complexity.
Spark-Based Label Diffusion and Label Selection Community Detection Algorithm for Metagenome Sequence Clustering
Authors: Wu Zhengjiang , Wu Xuyang , Luo Junwei
Published: November 2023

It is a challenge to assemble an enormous amount of metagenome data in metagenomics. Usually, metagenome cluster sequence before assembly accelerates the whole process. In SpaRC, sequences are defined as nodes and clustered by a parallel label propagation algorithm (LPA). To address the randomness of label selection from the parallel LPA during clustering and improve the completeness of metagenome sequence clustering, Spark-based parallel label diffusion and label selection community detection algorithm is proposed in the paper to obtain more accurate clustering results. In this paper, the importance of sequence is defined based on the Jaccard similarity coefficient and its degree. The core sequence is defined as the one with the largest importance in its located community. Three strategies are formulated to reduce the randomness of label selection. Firstly, the core sequence label diffuses over its located cluster and becomes the initial label of other sequences. Those sequences that do not receive an initial label will select the sequence label with the highest importance in the neighbor sequences. Secondly, we perform improved label propagation in order of label frequency and sequence importance to reduce the randomness of label selection. Finally, a merge small communities step is added to increase the completeness of clustered clusters. The experimental results show that our proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the randomness of label selection, improve the purity, completeness, and F-Measure and reduce the runtime of metagenome sequence clustering.
Suitability of marble powders in production of high strength concrete
Authors: Afzal Basha Syed , Shaikh Faiz Uddin Ahmed
Published: November 2023

A tremendous amount of non-biodegradable waste is created during mining and processing tasks of layered stones like marble. Over time, this has become a global problem because it harms the environment in multiple ways. Hence, it is necessary to find an alternate way to securely dispose and reuse marble wastes. The construction sector is one of the significant consumers of natural resources for the production of material binders and aggregates. As a result, in recent years, number of researchers have carried out studies in which various kinds of marble waste have been incorporated into concrete with the intention of substituting either cement or aggregates or both. This paper presents the effect of two locally sourced waste marble powders Kadapa marble powder (KMP) and Bethamcherla marble powder (BMP) as partial replacement of cement on mechanical and durability properties of high strength concrete (HSC). Their effect at different replacement levels in HSC is evaluated in compressive, indirect tensile and flexural strengths, elastic modulus, chloride penetration resistance and freeze–thaw durability properties. Micro-structural investigation is also conducted to evaluate their impact on the matrix of HSC containing waste marble powders as additional cementitious materials. Results show that the HSC consisting of KMP and BMP content of 10% and 15%, respectively exhibited higher mechanical and durability properties than the control HSC. Micro-structural investigation also supports this finding. It can be concluded that the use of marble powders as partial replacement of cement does not have any adverse impact on the properties of concrete. The use of KMP and BMP reduces the vast amount of energy required to produce cement, cost and time with reduction in environmental hazards.
Estimating ice discharge of the Antarctic Peninsula using different ice-thickness datasets
Authors: Shahateet Kaian , Navarro Francisco , Seehaus Thorsten , Fürst Johannes J. , Braun Matthias
Published: November 2023

The Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS) has become a significant contributor to sea-level rise over recent decades. Accurately estimating the ice discharge from the outlet glaciers of the APIS is crucial to quantify the mass balance of the Antarctic Peninsula. We here compute the ice discharge from the outlet glaciers of the APIS north of 70${^\circ }$S for the five most widely used ice-thickness reconstructions, using a common surface velocity field and a common set of flux gates, so the differences in ice discharge can be solely attributed to the differences in ice thickness at the flux gates. The total volumetric ice discharge for 2015–2017 ranges within 45–141 km3 a−1, depending on the ice-thickness model, with a mean of 87 ± 44 km3 a−1. The substantial differences between the ice-discharge results, and a multi-model normalized root-mean-squared deviation of 0.91 for the whole data set, reveal large differences and inconsistencies between the ice-thickness models, giving an indication of the large uncertainty in the current ice-discharge estimates for the APIS. This manifests a fundamental problem of the region: the scarcity of appropriate ice-thickness measurements and the difficulty of the current models to reconstruct the ice-thickness distribution in this complex region.
Comprehensive Outcome Assessment and Quality of Life Following Epilepsy Surgery
Authors: Shukla Garima , Nandal Neha , Afsar Mohammed , Gupta Anupama , Agarwal Priya , Singh Mamta Bhushan , Srivastava Achal , Suri Ashish
Published: November 2023

Background:

Seizure freedom without deficits is the primary goal for epilepsy surgery. However, patients with medically refractory epilepsy commonly suffer from many co-morbidities related to mood, cognition, and sleep as well as social problems and resultant stigma. While epilepsy surgery literature does describe quality of life (QOL) and neuropsychological outcomes, there is a paucity of information on various common non-seizure outcomes, especially pertaining to mood, sleep, cognition, and social aspects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of various non-seizure parameters on post-epilepsy surgery QOL.

Methods:

Consecutive adult patients operated for refractory epilepsy at least 1 year prior to initiation of this study were included and classified as seizure-free (group 1) or non-seizure-free (group 2). QOL was assessed using the QOLIE-31 instrument; patients with a T score less than 40 were categorized as “poor QOL.” Non-seizure parameters assessed were cognition, mood disturbances, social improvement, social stigma, and sleep disturbances. Categorization into “good” and “poor” outcome subgroups on each item was carried out by dichotomization of scores.

Results:

Thirty-seven patients (16 F) [mean age 23.5 ± 5.6 years] were evaluated; 26 were seizure-free (group 1). In this group, impaired memory, lower language scores, depression, not having been employed, not receiving education prior to surgery, and experiencing social stigma were factors significantly associated with poor QOL. In group 2, all patients had poor QOL scores.

Conclusion:

Non-seizure factors related to common epilepsy co-morbidities and social issues are highly prevalent among seizure-free patients reporting poor QOL after epilepsy surgery.
Sociome Data Commons: A scalable and sustainable platform for investigating the full social context and determinants of health
Authors: Tilmon Sandra , Nyenhuis Sharmilee , Solomonides Anthony , Barbarioli Bruno , Bhargava Ankur , Birz Suzi , Bouzein Kathryn , Cardenas Celine , Carlson Bradley , Cohen Ellen , Dillon Emily , Furner Brian , Huang Zhong , Johnson Julie , Krishnan Nivedha , Lazenby Kevin , Li Kaitlyn , Makhni Sonya , Miller Doriane , Ozik Jonathan , Santos Carlos , Sleiman Marc , Solway Julian , Krishnan Sanjay , Volchenboum Samuel
Published: November 2023

Background/Objective:

Non-clinical aspects of life, such as social, environmental, behavioral, psychological, and economic factors, what we call the sociome, play significant roles in shaping patient health and health outcomes. This paper introduces the Sociome Data Commons (SDC), a new research platform that enables large-scale data analysis for investigating such factors.

Methods:

This platform focuses on “hyper-local” data, i.e., at the neighborhood or point level, a geospatial scale of data not adequately considered in existing tools and projects. We enumerate key insights gained regarding data quality standards, data governance, and organizational structure for long-term project sustainability. A pilot use case investigating sociome factors associated with asthma exacerbations in children residing on the South Side of Chicago used machine learning and six SDC datasets.

Results:

The pilot use case reveals one dominant spatial cluster for asthma exacerbations and important roles of housing conditions and cost, proximity to Superfund pollution sites, urban flooding, violent crime, lack of insurance, and a poverty index.

Conclusion:

The SDC has been purposefully designed to support and encourage extension of the platform into new data sets as well as the continued development, refinement, and adoption of standards for dataset quality, dataset inclusion, metadata annotation, and data access/governance. The asthma pilot has served as the first driver use case and demonstrates promise for future investigation into the sociome and clinical outcomes. Additional projects will be selected, in part for their ability to exercise and grow the capacity of the SDC to meet its ambitious goals.
Cross-modal distillation for flood extent mapping
Authors: Garg Shubhika , Feinstein Ben , Timnat Shahar , Batchu Vishal , Dror Gideon , Rosenthal Adi Gerzi , Gulshan Varun
Published: November 2023

The increasing intensity and frequency of floods is one of the many consequences of our changing climate. In this work, we explore ML techniques that improve the flood detection module of an operational early flood warning system. Our method exploits an unlabeled dataset of paired multi-spectral and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to reduce the labeling requirements of a purely supervised learning method. Prior works have used unlabeled data by creating weak labels out of them. However, from our experiments, we noticed that such a model still ends up learning the label mistakes in those weak labels. Motivated by knowledge distillation and semi-supervised learning, we explore the use of a teacher to train a student with the help of a small hand-labeled dataset and a large unlabeled dataset. Unlike the conventional self-distillation setup, we propose a cross-modal distillation framework that transfers supervision from a teacher trained on richer modality (multi-spectral images) to a student model trained on SAR imagery. The trained models are then tested on the Sen1Floods11 dataset. Our model outperforms the Sen1Floods11 baseline model trained on the weak-labeled SAR imagery by an absolute margin of

$ 6.53\% $

intersection over union (IoU) on the test split.
Numerical investigation of the sharp-interface limit of the Navier–Stokes–Cahn–Hilliard equations
Authors: Demont T.H.B. , Stoter S.K.F. , van Brummelen E.H.
Published: November 2023

In this article, we study the behaviour of the Abels–Garcke–Grün Navier–Stokes–Cahn– Hilliard diffuse-interface model for binary-fluid flows, as the diffuse-interface thickness passes to zero. For the diffuse-interface model to approach a classical sharp-interface model in the limit

$\varepsilon \to +0$

, the so-called mobility parameter

$m$

in the diffuse-interface model must scale appropriately with the interface-thickness parameter

$\varepsilon$

. In the literature various scaling relations in the range

$o(1)$

to

$O(\varepsilon ^3)$

have been proposed, but the optimal order to pass to the limit has not been explored previously. Our primary objective is to elucidate this optimal order of the

$m$

–

$\varepsilon$

scaling relation in terms of the rate of convergence of the diffuse-interface solution to the sharp-interface solution. Additionally, we examine how the convergence rate is affected by a sub-optimal parameter scaling. We centre our investigation around the case of an oscillating droplet. To provide reference limit solutions, we derive new analytical expressions for small-amplitude oscillations of a viscous droplet in a viscous ambient fluid in two dimensions. For two distinct modes of oscillation, we probe the sharp-interface limit of the Navier–Stokes–Cahn–Hilliard equations by means of an adaptive finite-element method. The adaptive-refinement procedure enables us to consider diffuse-interface thicknesses that are significantly smaller than other relevant length scales in the droplet-oscillation problem, allowing an exploration of the asymptotic regime.
Hamburg Free Traders and the Business of Empire, 1897–1941
Authors: Guenther Jack H.
Published: November 2023

Recent debates among historians and in public have concerned the links between German colonialism and imperialism before the First World War and the Nazi regime and its crimes. While a maximalist position on German colonial continuities is unsustainable, the possibility of important imperial legacies stretching into the Nazi period and the argument for a German colonial Sonderweg, or “special path,” are not logically coextensive. This article explores the transformation of Wilhelmine German liberal imperialism by focusing on commercial interests in Hamburg. It argues that empire's strongest legacy was its absence, an absence that created ambivalent possible futures and blurred the line between liberal and illiberal avenues to German power and international order. This blurriness offers an end-run around problematical attempts to narrate Nazism as little more than an extreme expression of global patterns and around untenable notions of German exceptionalism.
A compliant leg design combining pantograph structure with leaf springs
Authors: Wang Boxing , Zhang Kunting , Ma Xueyan , Jia Lihao
Published: November 2023

We proposed a compliant leg configuration that enhances the conventional pantograph design with leaf springs. The following facts characterize the proposed configuration: (1) Due to the use of the pantograph structure, the mass is centralized around the hip joint, reducing the lower leg inertia; (2) Leaf springs are chosen as elastic parts to increase energy efficiency and estimate foot-end contact forces. Compared with coil springs, leaf springs require no guide rails to deploy, and their stiffness can be easily adjusted through shape cutting. Analytical models are introduced to analyze the leg’s stiffness and estimate the contact forces only with the deflections of leaf springs. A one-leg robot based on the proposed design is built, and various experiments are conducted. Experiments regarding the stiffness calibration and the contact forces estimation showed an acceptable agreement with the analytical model. Experiments of dropping demonstrate the feasibility of the leg to perform spring-like behaviors. Experiments of periodic hopping demonstrate the feasibility of using spring deflections to detect touch-down events. For energy efficiency, it is also observed that the elastic leg has a 20% increment concerning the jumping height in the flight phase, compared with the one where leaf springs are replaced with rigid materials.
Shape-controllable inverse kinematics of hyper-redundant robots based on the improved FABRIK method
Authors: Niu Pingan , Han Liang , Huang Yunzhi , Yan Lei
Published: November 2023

Hyper-redundant robots have good prospects for applications in confined space due to their high flexibility and slim body size. However, the super-redundant structure brings great challenges for its inverse kinematics with shape constraints. Unfortunately, traditional Jacobian pseudo-inverse-based inverse kinematics method and forward and backward reaching inverse kinematics (FABRIK) method are difficult to constrain the arm shape and realize trajectory tracking in confined spaces. To solve this problem, we propose a shape-controllable FABRIK method to satisfy the given path and shape constraints. Firstly, the kinematic model of the hyper-redundant robot is established, and the canonical FABRIK method is introduced. Based on the preliminary works, the single-layer improved FABRIK method is developed to solve the position and pointing inverse kinematics considering path environment and joint angle constraints instead of two-layer geometric iterations. For tracking the desired end roll angles, the polygonal virtual arm is designed. The real arm roll angle is achieved by controlling its winding on the virtual arm. In this way, the shape can be controlled. Finally, we compare the proposed method with other three approaches by simulations. Results show that the proposed method is more efficient and the arm shape is controllable.
The Edicts of the Praetors: Law, Time, and Revolution in Ancient Rome
Authors: Eberle Lisa Pilar
Published: November 2023

This paper revises current understandings of judicial edicts in ancient Rome—the annually published texts in which Roman magistrates set out the formulae according to which they would institute trials during their year in office. While standard accounts see these edicts as the work of legal specialists, heretofore neglected sources for how contemporaries talked about these texts suggest that they were indeed the work of the magistrates that issued them. At times these magistrates formulated new provisions; for the most part they selectively drew on past edicts, not least to accommodate the demands of their friends and clients. These patterns in compositional practice can only be understood within the framework of Roman political culture. More importantly, in their annually changing published form judicial edicts emerge as crucial objects in the construction of time in ancient Rome. Arguably, they constituted a legal practice that could encompass revolution—at least for a year.
An Instrument of Military Power: The Development and Evolution of Japanese Martial Law in Occupied Territories, 1894–1945
Authors: Maddox Kelly
Published: November 2023

The Imperial Japanese Army imposed martial law (gunritsu) in areas occupied during each of the full-scale conflicts it fought between 1894 and 1945. This article traces changes and continuities in the purpose, function, and content of martial law during the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the Asia-Pacific War to advance our historical knowledge of a much-understudied aspect of Japanese warfare. In so doing, it details the development and evolution of martial law as an instrument of military power showing how regulations were also influenced by and, therefore, tended to reflect the different wartime priorities and macro-level policies of the (military) leadership. It also highlights that the character of martial law remained largely unchanged and reveals that many of the legal practices utilized during the Asia-Pacific War were rooted in earlier conflicts. It ultimately argues, however, that wartime context and immediate military objectives took precedence over any longer-term political ambitions in Asia and, more crucially, over the welfare of civilians under occupation.
Ahmad Bey's 1846 Istiftāʾ: Its Dual Legislative Framework and Religio-Political Context
Authors: Montana Ismael Musah
Published: November 2023

On April 26, 1846, Ahmad Bey signed a historic emancipation decree making the Regency of Tunis the first in the modern Islamic world to formally abolish the longstanding institution of slavery. While the decree marked the first of such unprecedented measures, attracting a barrage of compliments from anti-slavery societies around the globe, it conflicted with the local notions of enslaving practices and thus prompted an earnest process of legitimation for the formal abolition of slavery before the Majlis al Shari (Sharia Council for Judicial Ordinance), without which abolition would have remained culturally and politically contentious. The paper will assess the socio-cultural context and the plural Islamic legal framework that informed both Ahmad Bey's argument favoring abolition and the divergent responses and attitudes of the religious establishment toward the abolition decree.
The link between adolescent girls’ interpersonal emotion regulation with parents and peers and depressive symptoms: A real-time investigation
Authors: Do Quyen B. , McKone Kirsten M. P. , Hamilton Jessica L. , Stone Lindsey B. , Ladouceur Cecile D. , Silk Jennifer S.
Published: November 2023

Adolescents often experience heightened socioemotional sensitivity warranting their use of regulatory strategies. Yet, little is known about how key socializing agents help regulate teens’ negative emotions in daily life and implications for long-term adjustment. We examined adolescent girls’ interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) with parents and peers in response to negative social interactions, defined as parent and peer involvement in the teen’s enactment of emotion regulation strategies. We also tested associations between rates of daily parental and peer IER and depressive symptoms, concurrently and one year later. Adolescent girls (N = 112; Mage = 12.39) at temperamental risk for depressive disorders completed a 16-day ecological momentary assessment protocol measuring reactivity to negative social interactions, parental and peer IER, and current negative affect. Results indicated that adolescents used more adaptive strategies with peers and more maladaptive strategies with parents in daily life. Both parental and peer IER down-regulated negative affect, reflected by girls’ decreased likelihood of experiencing continued negative affect. Higher proportions of parental adaptive IER predicted reduced depressive symptoms one year later. Findings suggest that both parents and peers effectively help adolescent girls down-regulate everyday negative emotions; however, parents may offer more enduring benefits for long-term adjustment.
EDGARD MILHAUD AND THE CASE FOR ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL CLEARING UNION IN THE 1930S: A FORGOTTEN FORERUNNER OF KEYNES?
Authors: Faudot Adrien , Nenovsky Nikolay
Published: November 2023

Edgard Milhaud (1873–1964), a professor at the University of Geneva, published a series of texts (from 1932 onwards) promoting the establishment of multilateral international compensation between nation-states, and actively campaigned for this project. His plan centered on a call for a “gold truce” as an alternative to the bilateral clearing agreements that proliferated at the time. The plan drew the attention of several international organizations. It reached the point of arousing the interest of the League of Nations (LON), which decided in 1934 to launch an inquiry (published in 1935) questioning LON members about the project of making clearing agreements multilateral. The Milhaud plan nevertheless fell into oblivion after the Tripartite Agreement (1936) and then the outbreak of WW II. This work aims to situate the Milhaud plan in its intellectual and political context—i.e., the 1930s—analyze its content, and understand its failure. The article also assesses what it had in common with Keynes’s plan for an international clearing union developed several years later.
Feeling the Malthusian Empire: Martineau's Reformulation of Population in Illustrations of Political Economy
Authors: Jung Seohyon
Published: November 2023

Population was a socially significant yet politically precarious concept in nineteenth-century Britain. In order to highlight the affective implications of “population,” this essay examines Harriet Martineau's fiction in the context of early Victorian concerns over population growth and contemporary thoughts of political economy. As an avid supporter of Thomas Malthus, Martineau maintains that “proportionate labor” is the determining factor in national stability, but her use of sentimental fiction in Illustrations of Political Economy (1832–34) reveals aspects of the population crisis that are not accounted for by the classic political economists. Martineau's fiction presents population as a phenomenon collectively felt among Victorians rather than as an objective number that represents sociological truth. In her modification of the Malthusian principles to encompass affective negotiations that extend beyond individual morals, Martineau emphasizes the importance of somatic experience in shaping the nineteenth-century understanding of population. Furthermore, as Martineau's narrative resolution to the population crisis comes from well-managed emigration, her works demonstrate that geographical colonial expansion operated as an essential condition in establishing a nationally sustainable idea of population. Reassessing Martineau's literary and historical significance as an innovative successor of Malthus unveils a sophisticated Victorian nexus of population theory and the collective feelings of empire.
A feasibility and pilot additive randomised control trial of attachment security priming during behavioural activation
Authors: Heathcote Charlotte , Walton James , Kellett Stephen , Millings Abi , Simmonds-Buckley Melanie , Wright Andy
Published: November 2023

Background:

There is some initial evidence that attachment security priming may be useful for promoting engagement in therapy and improving clinical outcomes.

Aims:

This study sought to assess whether outcomes for behavioural activation delivered in routine care could be enhanced via the addition of attachment security priming.

Method:

This was a pragmatic two-arm feasibility and pilot additive randomised control trial. Participants were recruited with depression deemed suitable for a behavioural activation intervention at Step 2 of a Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression service. Ten psychological wellbeing practitioners were trained in implementing attachment security priming. Study participants were randomised to either behavioural activation (BA) or BA plus an attachment prime. The diagrammatic prime was integrated into the depression workbook. Feasibility outcomes were training satisfaction, recruitment, willingness to participate and study attrition rates. Pilot outcomes were comparisons of clinical outcomes, attendance, drop-out and stepping-up rates.

Results:

All practitioners recruited to the study, and training satisfaction was high. Of the 39 patients that were assessed for eligibility, 24 were randomised (61.53%) and there were no study drop-outs. No significant differences were found between the arms with regards to drop-out, attendance, stepping-up or clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

Further controlled research regarding the utility of attachment security priming is warranted in larger studies that utilise manipulation checks and monitor intervention adherence.
Triple burden of malnutrition among Malaysian children aged 6 months to 12 years: current findings from SEANUTS II Malaysia
Authors: Poh Bee Koon , Wong Jyh Eiin , Lee Shoo Thien , Chia Jasmine Siew Min , Yeo Giin Shang , Sharif Razinah , Safii Nik Shanita , Jamil Nor Aini , Chan Caryn Mei Hsien , Farah Nor MF , Sameeha Mohd Jamil , Koh Denise , Saat Nur Zakiah Mohd , Lim See Meng , Norimah A Karim , Ruzita Abd Talib , Budin Siti Balkis , Wee Lei Hum , Tang Swee Fong , Khouw Ilse
Published: November 2023

Objective:

This paper aims to report South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) II Malaysia data on nutritional status, dietary intake and nutritional biomarkers of children aged 6 months to 12 years.

Design:

Cross-sectional survey conducted in 2019–2020.

Setting:

Multistage cluster sampling conducted in Central, Northern, Southern and East Coast regions of Peninsular Malaysia.

Participants:

2989 children aged 0·5–12·9 years.

Results:

Prevalences of stunting, thinness, overweight and obesity among children aged 0·5–12·9 years were 8·9 %, 6·7 %, 9·2 % and 8·8 %, respectively. Among children below 5 years old, 11·4 % were underweight, 13·8 % had stunting and 6·2 % had wasting. Data on nutritional biomarkers showed that a small proportion of children aged 4–12 years had Fe (2·9 %) and vitamin A deficiencies (3·1 %). Prevalence of anaemia was distinctly different between children below 4 years old (40·3 %) and those aged 4 years and above (3·0 %). One-fourth of children (25·1 %) had vitamin D insufficiency, which was twice as prevalent in girls (35·2 % v. boys: 15·6 %). The majority of children did not meet the recommended dietary intake for Ca (79·4 %) and vitamin D (94·8 %).

Conclusions:

Data from SEANUTS II Malaysia confirmed that triple burden of malnutrition coexist among children in Peninsular Malaysia, with higher prevalence of overnutrition than undernutrition. Anaemia is highly prevalent among children below 4 years old, while vitamin D insufficiency is more prevalent among girls. Low intakes of dietary Ca and vitamin D are also of concern. These findings provide policymakers with useful and evidence-based data to formulate strategies that address the nutritional issues of Malaysian children.
LELONG NUMBERS OF m-SUBHARMONIC FUNCTIONS ALONG SUBMANIFOLDS
Authors: Chu Jianchun , McCleerey Nicholas
Published: November 2023

We study the possible singularities of an m-subharmonic function
$\varphi $
along a complex submanifold V of a compact Kähler manifold, finding a maximal rate of growth for
$\varphi $
which depends only on m and k, the codimension of V. When
$k < m$
, we show that
$\varphi $
has at worst log poles along V, and that the strength of these poles is moreover constant along V. This can be thought of as an analogue of Siu’s theorem.