bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Landscapes of Memory and Power: The Archaeology of a Forgotten Kingdom in Ethiopia
Authors: González-Ruibal Alfredo
Published: March 2024

Unlike their northern counterparts, the kingdoms of southern Ethiopia have received little attention by archaeologists. Their relatively late emergence and absence of literacy may explain this lack of interest. However, they have much to offer to better understand the history not only of the Horn but also of the precolonial African state more generally. In this paper, the polities that developed in the southern Ethiopian highlands during the second millennium AD are briefly described and then one of them is explored in more detail: the kingdom of Anfillo. An archaeological and historical overview of the polity is provided based on two seasons of fieldwork. It is argued that in Anfillo, as in other southern Ethiopian polities, a fortified landscape materialized at the same time a persistent situation of conflict and the collective memory of the ruling classes, which used it as a mnemonic device to tell history and legitimize social divisions.
Parent Engagement in Child-Focused Interventions: A Systematised Review of Qualitative Allied Health Literature
Authors: Burney Victoria , McCann Clare M. , Arnold-Saritepe Angela
Published: March 2024

Background

Parent engagement in child-focused interventions is increasingly recognised as an important aspect of effective intervention delivery. While several fields have an emerging literature around parent engagement, no reviews currently exist which combine findings across allied health literatures.

Objective

This review aimed to explore factors relevant to understanding parent engagement in child-focused interventions, as described in qualitative literature across allied health disciplines, toward informing the clinical practice of helping professionals in effectively engaging parents.

Methods

A systematised qualitative literature review was carried out, with a comprehensive search of five online databases (CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus) for allied health literature (specifically: behaviour analysis, occupational therapy, psychology, and speech-language therapy) using parent engagement key words. Reference searching and citation tracking steps supported the search. Thematic synthesis was used as the overarching framework and analysis approach.

Results

8824 unique studies were generated in the search. Of the 71 studies which met inclusion criteria, 38 reported qualitative findings and were included in the analysis. Five themes were identified including: societal context, interpersonal context, clinician features, family features, and relationship as engagement.

Conclusions

Findings support conceptual explanations of parent engagement as a complex and dynamic process, emphasising the joint contributions of parents and clinicians in developing therapeutic relationships which promote engagement. Across allied health research there are consistency of understandings around parent engagement, supporting the conclusion that clinicians can look to literatures from various helping fields to inform clinical practice around engaging parents in interventions.
Unraveling the Neural Circuits: Techniques, Opportunities and Challenges in Epilepsy Research
Authors: Xiao Wenjie , Li Peile , Kong Fujiao , Kong Jingyi , Pan Aihua , Long Lili , Yan Xiaoxin , Xiao Bo , Gong Jiaoe , Wan Lily
Published: March 2024

Epilepsy, a prevalent neurological disorder characterized by high morbidity, frequent recurrence, and potential drug resistance, profoundly affects millions of people globally. Understanding the microscopic mechanisms underlying seizures is crucial for effective epilepsy treatment, and a thorough understanding of the intricate neural circuits underlying epilepsy is vital for the development of targeted therapies and the enhancement of clinical outcomes. This review begins with an exploration of the historical evolution of techniques used in studying neural circuits related to epilepsy. It then provides an extensive overview of diverse techniques employed in this domain, discussing their fundamental principles, strengths, limitations, as well as their application. Additionally, the synthesis of multiple techniques to unveil the complexity of neural circuits is summarized. Finally, this review also presents targeted drug therapies associated with epileptic neural circuits. By providing a critical assessment of methodologies used in the study of epileptic neural circuits, this review seeks to enhance the understanding of these techniques, stimulate innovative approaches for unraveling epilepsy's complexities, and ultimately facilitate improved treatment and clinical translation for epilepsy.

Graphical Abstract
The Social Reproduction Crisis During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Barcelona: Potentialities and Limitations
Authors: Camps Calvet Clara , Bonet-Marti Jordi , Bernat Molina Ignasi
Published: March 2024

The outbreak of the social pandemic brought to the foreground the crisis of social reproduction afflicting our societies. However, this new visibility of the importance of care work and the emergence of mutual support networks was not a sufficient condition for the politicization of the reproductive sphere to take place, contrary to what happened during the 2008 crisis. This paper aims to comprehend the reasons why such politicization did not occur by means of a case-study carried out with four focus-groups made up of representatives of mutual support networks established in Barcelona to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups of the population. The achieved results show the limits of social reproduction theory to explain politicization theories, as it does not sufficiently acknowledge the state’s agency.
Blockchain-based framework and platform for validation, authentication & equivalency of academic certification and institution’s accreditation: UAE case study and system performance (2022)
Authors: Al Hemairy Mohamed , Abu Talib Manar , Khalil Ather , Zulfiqar Ahsan , Mohamed Takua
Published: March 2024

Academic credentials play an immensely significant role in the career of a person and in the progress of society. The system in place currently used for the issuance, storage & sharing of academic credentials is quite inefficient in its operations, due to being paper based in large. There is also widespread fraud committed every year in terms of academic credentials, ranging from diploma mills to plain forgery. There presents a need for a total digital transformation in this field, which ensures complete independent authenticity of credentials that could be proven in a fool-proof manner. Blockchain technology promises to alleviate the above identified problems by ensuring complete transparency & verifiable proofs of ownership using decentralized storage of credentials & Public Key Cryptography (PKC) in the form of Digital Signatures. This project implements the proposed solution by using the ECDSA algorithm to (i) sign the accreditation of institute by governing body, such as The Ministry of Education (MOE) (ii) sign the academic credentials by the issuing party (iii) sign the issued credentials by the learner to claim iv) sign the credentials by some governing body like the MOE. The learner can share the signed credential with any third party, such as a potential employer. The ECDSA algorithm can then authenticate the credential by programmatically verifying the signature proof by any party using the corresponding Public Key without going through tedious channels.
Voices from the field: Integrating e-portfolios in early childhood education
Authors: Bedel Emine Ferda , İnce Sema , Başalev Acar Serenay
Published: March 2024

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into early childhood education (ECE), prompting discussions regarding their potential benefits and drawbacks. Research has shown that technology designed for children’s developmental needs can enhance learning and development, while also improving communication between parents, teachers, and children. However, issues like access, equity, ethics, and teacher workload require careful consideration. This qualitative study explores the expected outcomes of integrating e-portfolios into ECE through one-on-one interviews with key stakeholder groups. After gathering general opinions, the participants were asked to provide detailed feedback on how the application affects children, teachers, and parents. In addition to revealing a diverse range of voices regarding the implementation of e-portfolios, this study aims to utilize the information gathered from participants for informed decision-making, offering valuable insights for the improved e-portfolio design and implementation. The study involved 34 Turkish participants from five stakeholder categories: ECE and primary school teachers, faculty members from ECE and primary school education departments, and parents. Results revealed that e-portfolios were viewed as highly beneficial, providing permanent and comprehensive documentation, facilitating data transfer to subsequent schooling levels, enabling multidimensional assessment, promoting child-centred practices, improving communication, enhancing reflective thinking and digital skills, and allowing resource utilization. However, participants raised concerns about workload, documentation gaps, and ethical issues. While e-portfolios hold promise for integrating digital technologies into ECE, current teacher education may lack sufficient training in key areas like digital literacy, documentation, assessment, and ethics. Further education in these areas can help ensure effective implementation and positive outcomes.
Characterization of macadamia ringspot-associated virus, a novel Orthotospovirus associated with Macadamia integrifolia in South Africa
Authors: Roberts Ronel , Robbertse Nicola , Thompson Genevieve D. , Read David A.
Published: March 2024

South Africa is the largest producer of macadamias in the world, producing an estimated 61,288 tons nut-in-shell in 2022. In order to ensure the sustainability of the industry, it is important that research focuses on the control and eradication of economically important pests and diseases. Macadamia trees in the Mpumalanga Lowveld of South Africa have for some time shown severe chlorosis, which coincides with a significant drop in production, with losses of up to 60% being recorded. The disease has since been coined Macadamia Chlorosis Disease (MCD). In an attempt to determine whether MCD may be associated with a virus, high-throughput Illumina sequencing was performed on RNA extracted from both diseased and healthy trees collected from farms in Mpumalanga. Subsequent data analyses could not link a specific virus to MCD, however, reads spanning the full genome of a novel virus belonging to the Orthotospovirus genus were obtained. An RT-PCR assay was optimized for the detection of this virus and subsequent surveys linked the virus to ringspot symptoms which are commonly observed on different macadamia cultivars. The virus has to date been identified from orchards in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. Other viruses described in the genus are known to cause severe crop losses and it is therefore important that the virus, provisionally named macadamia ringspot-associated virus (MRSV), be further studied to determine whether association with this virus can lead to yield losses, and whether appropriate control strategies must be implemented to prevent the spread of MRSV.
Multidimensional item Response Theory Calibration of Dichotomous Response Structure Using R Language for Statistical Computing
Authors: Ayanwale Musa Adekunle , Amusa Jamiu Oluwadamilare , Oladejo Adekunle Ibrahim , Ayedun Funmilayo
Published: March 2024

The study focuses on assessing the proficiency levels of higher education students, specifically the physics achievement test (PHY 101) at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). This test, like others, evaluates various aspects of knowledge and skills simultaneously. However, relying on traditional models for such tests can result in inaccurate interpretations of students’ abilities. The research highlights the importance of exploring the multidimensional nature of the PHY 101 test to improve its accuracy in measuring student proficiency and enhance education and assessment quality at NOUN. Using an ex-post facto research design, the study analyzed 978 responses from NOUN’s Directorate of Examination and Assessment. Through confirmatory and exploratory DETECT techniques, the study found strong evidence supporting the test’s multidimensionality. Three distinct dimensions emerged: cognitive processing, reading ability, and problem-solving skills. A parsimonious multidimensional three-parameter logistic model was used to calibrate the test items, providing valuable insights into item difficulty, discrimination, and resistance to chance influences. While the study primarily focuses on the psychometric aspects of the PHY 101 test, it is important to consider its broader impact on the educational community. The research contributes to educational assessment by emphasizing the significance of recognizing and addressing the multidimensional nature of higher education tests. This approach can result in more accurate assessments of students’ abilities, ultimately improving education quality and fairness. The findings confirm the multidimensional nature of the PHY 101 test and identify three distinct dimensions, aligning with the study’s objective. These insights are relevant to educators and test developers, highlighting the need for a multidimensional approach to effectively assess and enhance student proficiency. For researchers interested in similar studies, it is recommended to explore the broader influence of multidimensional models in educational assessment. Investigating their impact on teaching methods, curriculum development, and student learning experiences can provide valuable insights. Longitudinal studies assessing the long-term effects of multidimensional assessment on student outcomes and success are also recommended.
Quicker Exogenous Orienting and Slower Endogenous Orienting in Autistic People
Authors: Li Shuting , Machida Keitaro , Burrows Emma L. , Johnson Katherine A.
Published: March 2024

Research is equivocal on whether attention orienting is atypical in autism. This study investigated two types of attention orienting in autistic people and accounted for the potential confounders of alerting level, co-occurring symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety, age, and sex. Twenty-seven autistic participants (14 males; 9–43 years) and 22 age- and sex-matched non-autistic participants (13 males; 9–42 years) completed the exogenous and endogenous Posner tasks. Response time and pupillometric data were recorded. Autistic participants were faster at orienting attention to valid cues in the exogenous task and slower at disengaging from invalid cues in the endogenous task compared to non-autistic participants. With increasing age, autistic participants showed faster exogenous and endogenous orienting, whereas non-autistic participants showed faster exogenous orienting but stable speed of endogenous orienting. Higher ADHD symptoms were associated with slower exogenous orienting in both groups, whereas higher anxiety symptoms were associated with faster exogenous orienting only in autistic participants. No group differences were noted for alerting levels, sex, or pupillary responses. This study provides new evidence of superior exogenous orienting and inefficient endogenous orienting in autistic people and suggests that age and co-occurring symptoms are important to consider when assessing attention orienting in autism.
Perceptions of Adulthood: What Does it Mean to be Grown-Up?
Authors: Wright Megan , von Stumm Sophie
Published: March 2024

Adulthood has traditionally been defined by the attainment of socio-demographic milestones such as career, marriage, and parenthood, but these milestones are increasingly delayed or have become inaccessible for young people today. As a result, young people are likely to experience a discrepancy between their expectations for and their actual reality of adulthood, which can negatively affect their well-being and psychological development. To systematically study contemporary definitions of and attitudes towards adulthood, we assessed a sample of 722 UK adults with an age range from 18 to 77 years on: (a) subjective adult status, or the extent to which people feel like adults; (b) attitudes towards adulthood, or whether people think adulthood is a positive time of life; and (c) the characteristics that people use to define adulthood today. We found that most participants felt adult and had positive attitudes towards adulthood. Our participants defined adulthood predominantly through psychological characteristics, for example “Accepting responsibility for the consequences of my actions” (endorsed by 80% of the sample), rather than by socio-demographic milestones which were endorsed by only 22–40% of participants. Both subjective adult status and attitudes towards adulthood were significantly associated with older age and the attainment of the socio-demographic milestones of marriage and parenthood. Regression analyses revealed that having a positive attitude towards adulthood was the strongest psychological predictor of subjective adult status, accounting for 10% of the variance. This suggests that fostering positive attitudes towards adulthood may help improving the well-being of contemporary adults.
Image Deblurring Using Feedback Mechanism and Dual Gated Attention Network
Authors: Chen Jian , Ye Shilin , Jiang Zhuwu , Fang Zhenghan
Published: March 2024

Recently, image deblurring task driven by the encoder-decoder network has made a tremendous amount of progress. However, these encoder-decoder-based networks still have two disadvantages: (1) due to the lack of feedback mechanism in the decoder design, the reconstruction results of existing networks are still sub-optimal; (2) these networks introduce multiple modules, such as the self-attention mechanism, to improve the performance, which also increases the computational burden. To overcome these issues, this paper proposes a novel feedback-mechanism-based encoder-decoder network (namely, FMNet) that is equipped with two key components: (1) the feedback-mechanism-based decoder and (2) the dual gated attention module. To improve reconstruction quality, the feedback-mechanism-based decoder is proposed to leverage the feedback information via the feedback attention module, which adaptively selects useful features in the feedback path. To decrease the computational cost, an efficient dual gated attention module is proposed to perform the attention mechanism in the frequency domain twice, which improves deblurring performance while reducing the computational cost by avoiding redundant convolutions and feature channels. The superiority of FMNet in terms of both deblurring performance and computational efficiency is demonstrated via comparisons with state-of-the-art methods on multiple public datasets.
Missing links of knowledge spillover effects on firm intensity and regional development
Authors: Barboza Gustavo
Published: March 2024

This paper investigates the presence and extent of missing links that prevent the transmission and condition the flow of knowledge spillover effects (KSE) across space and time. Findings using a comprehensive database composed of 9242 innovative startups from Italy covering the period 2008–2018 and all 20 geographic regions as well as all economic sectors at the 2-digit level of aggregation indicate that missing links related to observed differences in industry structures and availability of pools of skilled human capital amount for large and persistent differences in terms of firm intensity differential across neighboring regions. More specifically, we observe that regions with initial existent high firm intensity are more likely to continue enhancing their labor pools by both endogenously increasing high-skilled human capital and by attracting high-skilled human capital from neighboring regions. Intra- and inter-industry spillovers are marked by high levels of heterogeneity. Consequently, we find that missing links related to KSE create directional effects, and these effects are neither symmetric nor reciprocal in adjacent geographical regions. Invisible barriers to KSE transmission, imposed by the presence of missing links, prevent the work of the invisible hand.
Local banking development and SME conservative financing policy. Does bank branch density matter?
Authors: Gama Paulo Miguel , Sol Murta Fátima , Vieira Elisabete S.
Published: March 2024

Does bank branch density matter for the conservative financing puzzle? This paper looks at the importance of nearby physical banking services to the decision to eschew debt among SMEs. Our multivariate logistic models rely on recent information from Portugal, a small open bank-based European economy, and control for firm-level and municipality-level effects. We show that banks' branch density at the municipality level increases the odds of local SMEs following a conservative financing policy. However, the weight of local cooperative bank branches relates negatively to the odds of not using debt. Several robustness checks concerning sampling procedures, estimation methods, and variables’ definitions corroborate our baseline results. Moreover, our results show that the effect of bank branches on the decision to eschew debt is economically more relevant for the long-term than the short-term debt.
Efficient FPGA implementation for sound source separation using direction-informed multichannel non-negative matrix factorization
Authors: Diel Philipp , Muñoz-Montoro Antonio J. , Carabias-Orti Julio J. , Ranilla Jose
Published: March 2024

Sound source separation (SSS) is a fundamental problem in audio signal processing, aiming to recover individual audio sources from a given mixture. A promising approach is multichannel non-negative matrix factorization (MNMF), which employs a Gaussian probabilistic model encoding both magnitude correlations and phase differences between channels through spatial covariance matrices (SCM). In this work, we present a dedicated hardware architecture implemented on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for efficient SSS using MNMF-based techniques. A novel decorrelation constraint is presented to facilitate the factorization of the SCM signal model, tailored to the challenges of multichannel source separation. The performance of this FPGA-based approach is comprehensively evaluated, taking advantage of the flexibility and computational capabilities of FPGAs to create an efficient real-time source separation framework. Our experimental results demonstrate consistent, high-quality results in terms of sound separation.
Estimators of various kappa coefficients based on the unbiased estimator of the expected index of agreements
Authors: Martín Andrés A. , Álvarez Hernández M.
Published: March 2024

To measure the degree of agreement between R observers who independently classify n subjects within K categories, various kappa-type coefficients are often used. When R = 2, it is common to use the Cohen' kappa, Scott's pi, Gwet’s AC1/2, and Krippendorf's alpha coefficients (weighted or not). When R > 2, some pairwise version based on the aforementioned coefficients is normally used; with the same order as above: Hubert's kappa, Fleiss's kappa, Gwet's AC1/2, and Krippendorf's alpha. However, all these statistics are based on biased estimators of the expected index of agreements, since they estimate the product of two population proportions through the product of their sample estimators. The aims of this article are three. First, to provide statistics based on unbiased estimators of the expected index of agreements and determine their variance based on the variance of the original statistic. Second, to make pairwise extensions of some measures. And third, to show that the old and new estimators of the Cohen’s kappa and Hubert’s kappa coefficients match the well-known estimators of concordance and intraclass correlation coefficients, if the former are defined by assuming quadratic weights. The article shows that the new estimators are always greater than or equal the classic ones, except for the case of Gwet where it is the other way around, although these differences are only relevant with small sample sizes (e.g. n ≤ 30).
Acute necrotizing duodenitis in diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Gadsby Zeena , Thompson Melissa , Tse Rexson
Published: March 2024

Acute necrotizing esophagitis (ANE), acute necrotising duodenitis (AND), and Wishnesky’s lesions (WLs) are three peculiar upper gastrointestinal pathologies that can be seen in death from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Amongst these three, AND has only been recently described. Morphologically, ANE and AND present as generalized black discoloration of the intestinal tract, and florid necrosis and inflammation. Whereas WLs are discrete black lesions in the stomach with necrosis and muted inflammation. We report a case of isolated AND with an unusual morphology not previously reported. A man in his 60s was found dead at home who died from pneumonia complicated by DKA. The gastrointestinal tract showed isolated patchy and discrete AND in which macroscopically resembled WLs, but microscopy resembled ANE with florid necrosis and acute inflammation. This case, together with the literature, documented AND can be macroscopically diffuse or discrete resembling ANE or WLs respectively but microscopically resemble ANE. Furthermore, the potential of these lesions being found in isolation in DKA raises the possibility of both general and local mechanisms playing a role on their morphology and presentation.
“Let the State Decide It All for Me”: The Role of Migration and Integration Policy in the Decision-Making of Ukrainian Refugee Women in Germany
Authors: Lazarenko Valeria
Published: March 2024

While German migration policies aim to provide temporary protection and integrate Ukrainian refugees into German society as early as possible, the procedures and ideas of integration might be perceived differently by the beneficiaries. The feeling of “permanent temporariness” has been persistent among Ukrainians since March 2022. In this situation, some of the refugees renounce their agency and put responsibility on decision-making onto the state, while others oppose the idea of “being integrated” since they see their time in Germany as temporary, and their future in Ukraine as soon as the security situation allows them to return.

Drawing on the experiences of single Ukrainian women who received protection in Germany, the paper presents an anthropological perspective on person–state interactions in the context of refugees’ future-planning. How do German policies for supporting Ukrainian refugees impact their “stay or return” decision-making? Do the policies address their needs now and allow them to make investments for the future, or, on the contrary, contribute to their decision to return to Ukraine, which appears to be “simpler” and “more predictable”? How does the experience of going through bureaucratic procedures contribute to the sense of having agency and being capable of shaping their today and tomorrow? To answer these questions, I am going to present the reasonings and emotions concerning bureaucratic procedures that are closely intertwined with the planning of their future by Ukrainian refugees in Germany.
One-pot Microwave Synthesis of Cobalt, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Co-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Efficient Monosodium Glutamate Determination in Food Samples
Authors: Hamid Mohamed Ahmed Abdel , Elagamy Samar H. , Gamal Aya , Mansour Fotouh R.
Published: March 2024

The synthesis of cobalt, nitrogen and sulfur co doped carbon quantum dots (Co-NS-CQDs) has become a subject of significant research interest. These CQDs were produced using a single-step microwave method, which is considered environmentally friendly, and the entire process was completed in just 90 seconds. In this synthesis, citric acid was utilized as the carbon source, methionine served as the source for both nitrogen and sulfur, and cobaltous acetate was used to introduce cobalt ions into the CQDs structure. The synthesized carbon quantum dots (CQDs) exhibit a narrow size distribution and a high quantum yield of 51.5%, which is notably superior to non-metal-doped CQDs with a yield of 38%. Characterization of these CQDs was performed using different techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The developed CQDs have blue luminescence at emission wavelength 438 nm after excitation at 350 nm. Different factors affecting the CQDs synthesis including dialysis duration, reaction time and reaction temperature. These CQDs were utilized as a probe for the detection of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in various food products. The intensity of the fluorescence of the CQDs showed a direct and linear increase with the concentration of MSG within the range of 25–250 µg/mL. The detection and quantitation limits for MSG were 2.78 µg/mL and 8.44 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, the developed method is environmentally friendly, as confirmed by assessments using the analytical Eco scale, Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI), and Analytical Greenness calculator (Agree). The proposed method presents several advantages over other reported methods in terms of convenience, rapid response, and attainment of accurate and precise results.
Experimental Research on the Carbon Dioxides Reduction Potential by Substitution Gasoline with Ethanol and Propane Under Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition in a Single Cylinder Engine
Authors: Lee Jeongwoo , Chu Sanghyun , Kang Jaegu , Min Kyoungdoug
Published: March 2024

In this experiment, it was experimentally investigated the combustion and exhaust characteristics, as well as the thermal efficiency, of RCCI combustion using gasoline, ethanol, and propane as low-reactivity fuels under four operating conditions. For each operating condition, gISNOx was limited to 0.15 g/kWh, and gISSmoke was limited to below 15 mg/kWh. The experiment was conducted by determining the operating conditions that satisfied these limitations and resulted in the highest city thermal efficiency. The low-reactivity fuels were supplied by port injection, while diesel was directly injected into the combustion chamber using a diesel injector. As a result, when gasoline is replaced with low-carbon fuels like ethanol and propane, the reduction in CO2 emissions occurred. Under maximum power conditions, using ethanol allowed for a maximum reduction in CO2 emissions of 6.81%. Depending on the driving conditions, ethanol showed a reduction ranging from 3.60 to 6.81%, while propane exhibited a reduction ranging from 3.10 to 5.64%. Additionally, by substituting with ethanol and propane, the GIE could be improved up to 44.73 and 43.56%, respectively.
Co-existing with Drones: A Virtual Exploration of Proxemic Behaviours and Users’ Insights on Social Drones
Authors: Bretin Robin , Cross Emily , Khamis Mohamed
Published: March 2024

Numerous studies have investigated proxemics in the context of human–robot interactions, but little is known about whether these insights can be applied to human–drone interactions (HDI). As drones become more common in social settings, it is crucial to ensure they navigate in a socially acceptable and human-friendly way. Understanding how individuals position themselves around drones is vital to promote user well-being and drones’ social acceptance. However, real-world constraints and risks associated with drones flying in close proximity to participants have limited research in this field. Virtual reality is a promising alternative for investigating HDI, as prior research suggests. This paper presents a proxemic user study (N = 45) in virtual reality, examining how drone height and framing influence participants’ proxemic preferences. The study also explores participants’ perceptions of social drones and their vision for the future of flying robots. Our findings show that drone height significantly impacts participants’ preferred interpersonal distance, while framing had no significant effect. Thoughts on how participants envision social drones (e.g., interaction, design, applications) reveal interpersonal differences but also shows overall consistency over time. While the study demonstrates the value of using virtual reality for HDI experiments, further research is necessary to determine the generalizability of our findings to real-world HDI scenarios.
Tackling early medieval circulation of glazed ware in Sharq al-Andalus using a multidisciplinary approach: El Tolmo de Minateda (Spain)
Authors: Salinas Pleguezuelo Elena , Amorós-Ruiz Victoria
Published: March 2024

This paper offers an analysis of a group of glazed ceramics that comes from El Tolmo de Minateda site and have been dated in the second half of the ninth century and beginning of the tenth century, before the proclamation of the Umayyad Caliphate by Abderraman III (929 CE). Three technological groups have been distinguished: transparent glazes of one or two colours, transparent polychrome glazes (represented by two pieces) and opaque polychrome glazes (represented by two ceramics) studied by SEM-EDS analysis. After the study, different al-Andalus glaze workshops have been identified as providers of glazed ware to El Tolmo de Minateda site. The initial hypothesis was that the ware consumed in El Tolmo was manufactured in Pechina, the closest early production centre. However, after the archaeometric analysis, it has been discarded, and all the indications of this study seem to point to Córdoba as a significant supplier. The data of this study provides a new perspective on how the internal regional distribution and marketing of goods took place in Al-Andalus during the late Emiral period (c. 875–929 CE), a subject that has yet to be explored.
The prevalence of ADSL (rs3788579) and CYP1A2 (rs17861162) polymorphisms in female breast cancer patients in North-West Iran
Authors: Valizadeh Osalo Mohammad , Hosseini Parisa , Charkhian Hamed , Soltanzadeh Hossien , Goharkhany Selda , TUNCER SEREF BUGRA
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Breast cancer is a prevalent and significant contributor to cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Its increasing incidence, especially in regions like North-West Iran, necessitates a deeper understanding of genetic factors contributing to its development. Genetic alterations, particularly single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are implicated in breast cancer susceptibility, making investigation in this context crucial. This study explores the role of CYP1A2-rs17861162 and ADSL-rs3788579 SNPs in breast cancer risk among Iranian women.

Methods

This study involved 200 female breast cancer patients and 200 healthy controls in North-West Iran. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR–RFLP was used for genotyping the CYP1A2 and ADSL genes.

Results

The CYP1A2-rs17861162 SNP exhibited a shift from the C allele to the G allele in breast cancer patients, resulting in a 21.7% decrease in CC genotype frequency and a 21.6% and 77.8% increase in CG and GG genotypes, respectively, compared to controls. In ADSL-rs3788579 SNP, breast cancer patients had a significantly higher prevalence of the T allele, with a 28.5% increase compared to controls. In healthy participants, CC was most common, while in the breast cancer group, TT was most common.

Conclusion

This study highlights significant genetic alterations in CYP1A2-rs17861162 and ADSL-rs3788579 SNPs among breast cancer patients in North-West Iran, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying their contributions to breast cancer susceptibility in this population.
Report on “Axiomatizing Conditional Normative Reasoning”
Authors: Parent Xavier
Published: March 2024

This is a report on the project “Axiomatizing Conditional Normative Reasoning” (ANCoR, M 3240-N) funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The project aims to deepen our understanding of conditional normative reasoning by providing an axiomatic study of it at the propositional but also first-order level. The focus is on a particular framework, the so-called preference-based logic for conditional obligation, whose main strength has to do with the treatment of contrary-to-duty reasoning and reasoning about exceptions. The project considers not only the meta-theory of this family of logics but also its mechanization.
Papillary thyroid carcinoma: ≤ 10 mm does not always mean pN0. A multicentric real-world study
Authors: Amendola Stefano , Piticchio Tommaso , Scappaticcio Lorenzo , Sellasie Sium Wolde , Volpe Salvatore , Le Moli Rosario , Coppola Luigi , Guidobaldi Leo , Pedicini Francesco , Carbone Carla , Caruso Paola , Gamarra Elena , Docimo Giovanni , Frasca Francesco , Uccioli Luigi , Trimboli Pierpaolo
Published: March 2024

The incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is increasing and PTC ≤ 10 mm (PTMC) accounts for most new diagnoses. PTMCs are not always low risk, as detection of lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) may occur. The purpose of the study was to analyze the clinical pattern, frequency, and independent risk factors of patients with PTMC and LNM. From January 2022 to June 2023, PTCs managed at CTO Hospital, Rome; Policlinico Vanvitelli, Naples; and Garibaldi Nesima Hospital, Catania were included. PTC management followed the same diagnostic–therapeutic procedures according to the ATA guidelines. Variables such as age, sex, maximum diameter, histologic evidence of LNM (HELNM +), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), multifocality, capsule invasion, and histological subtype were considered. PTCs were divided according to HELNM and size. Two hundred ninety-eight PTCs were included. PTMCs were 136 (45.6%) and LNM occurred in 27.2% of them. In the HELNM + group, analysis of PTMC vs ‘MacroPTC’ (PTC > 10 mm) did not show any statistical difference. Multivariate regression revealed that young age (OR 0.93; CI 95% 0.90–0.96; p < 0.01) and male sex (male OR 3.44; CI 95% 1.16–10.20; p = 0.03) were the only independent risk factors for HELNM + in PTMC. The risk of LNM in PTMC is not negligible; therefore, a careful evaluation by an expert thyroidologist is mandatory for patients with small thyroid nodule, especially in younger and male patients before excluding surgery. In the future, new tools are needed to detect early PTMC with LNM before surgery.
Adsorption of copper (II) from aqueous solutions using adsorbent obtained with sodium hydroxide activation of biochar prepared by microwave pyrolysis
Authors: Teğin İbrahim , Öc Sema , Saka Cafer
Published: March 2024

Microwave heating is one of the leading methods that save energy, time, and cost for the conversion of bio-waste into biochar in the agricultural sector. In this study, in the first stage, economical biochar production from pistachio green hulls by microwave heating method is in question. In the second step, sodium hydroxide(NaOH) activation was followed to improve the surface properties of biochar. This adsorbent obtained was applied to remove copper ions(Cu(II)) from wastewater. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG/DTG), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption methods were used to characterize the biochar samples. In adsorption studies, kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic parameters were investigated. Cu(II) adsorption capacity on modified biochar obtained by Langmuir isotherm was found to be 227.27 mg/g. In addition, the mechanism of Cu(II) adsorption on modified biochar has been proposed. Biochar, which is obtained from the green shells of pistachios, which is widely available and grown in Turkey, by microwave method and then NaOH activation, is a potential solution for both the improvement of water pollution caused by heavy metals and the disposal of related wastes with an appropriate method.
EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma with choroidal oligometastasis during treatment with gefitinib: a case report
Authors: Hashimoto Takafumi , Osoegawa Atsushi , Abe Miyuki , Oki Ryoko , Karashima Takashi , Takumi Yohei , Kamada Kosuke , Miyawaki Michiyo , Sugio Kenji
Published: March 2024

The patient was a 74-year-old woman who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, clinical Stage IIIA. Induction chemoradiation was performed followed by right upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection. Because of positive pleural effusion cytology, which was proven after surgery, the patient was diagnosed with pathological Stage IVA with EGFR L858R mutation. At 17 months after the administration of gefitinib, left choroidal metastasis appeared. Stereotactic irradiation and ruthenium small-beam radiation were effective; however, the metastatic lesion showed regrowth 7 months after these treatments. Because the patient’s choroidal oligometastasis was resistant to conservative therapy, left ophthalmectomy was performed. EGFR mutations (L858R and E709K) were detected in the resected choroidal tumor. The patient continued to take gefitinib. However, a neoplastic lesion developed on the optic nerve adjacent to the resected posterior eye segment. The lesion was treated with stereotactic radiation, gefitinib was switched to afatinib 30 mg, and the patient remains alive and disease free for 11 months.
Sharp upper bounds for Steklov eigenvalues of a hypersurface of revolution with two boundary components in Euclidean space
Authors: Tschanz Léonard
Published: March 2024

R'esum'e

We investigate the question of sharp upper bounds for the Steklov eigenvalues of a hypersurface of revolution in Euclidean space with two boundary components, each isometric to $${\mathbb {S}}^{n-1}$$

S

n
-
1

. For the case of the first non zero Steklov eigenvalue, we give a sharp upper bound $$B_n(L)$$

B
n

(
L
)

(that depends only on the dimension $$n \ge 3$$

n
≥
3

and the meridian length $$L>0$$

L
>
0

) which is reached by a degenerated metric $$g^*$$

g
∗

that we compute explicitly. We also give a sharp upper bound $$B_n$$

B
n

which depends only on n. Our method also permits us to prove some stability properties of these upper bounds.
Kidney transplants from elderly donors: what we have learned 20 years after the Crystal City consensus criteria meeting
Authors: Mella Alberto , Calvetti Ruggero , Barreca Antonella , Congiu Giovanni , Biancone Luigi
Published: March 2024

Based on the current projection of the general population and the combined increase in end-stage kidney disease with age, the number of elderly donors and recipients is increasing, raising crucial questions about how to minimize the discard rate of organs from elderly donors and improve graft and patient outcomes. In 2002, extended criteria donors were the focus of a meeting in Crystal City (VA, USA), with a goal of maximizing the use of organs from deceased donors. Since then, extended criteria donors have progressively contributed to a large number of transplanted grafts worldwide, posing specific issues for allocation systems, recipient management, and therapeutic approaches. This review analyzes what we have learned in the last 20 years about extended criteria donor utilization, the promising innovations in immunosuppressive management, and the molecular pathways involved in the aging process, which constitute potential targets for novel therapies.

Graphical abstract
Moduli spaces of
$$6\hspace{1.111pt}{\times }\hspace{1.111pt}6$$ skew matrices of linear forms on
$$\mathbb {P}^4$$ with a view towards intermediate Jacobians of cubic threefolds
Authors: Böhning Christian , von Bothmer Hans-Christian Graf , Buhr Lukas
Published: March 2024

It is well known that every smooth cubic threefold is the zero locus of the Pfaffian of a
$$6\hspace{1.111pt}{\times }\hspace{1.111pt}6$$

6

×

6

skew-symmetric matrix of linear forms in
$$\mathbb {P}^4$$

P

4

. To compactify the space of such Pfaffian representations of a given cubic and to study the construction in families for singular or reducible cubics as well as, it is thus natural to consider the incidence correspondence of Pfaffian representations inside the product of the space of semistable skew-symmetric
$$6\hspace{1.111pt}{\times }\hspace{1.111pt}6$$

6

×

6

matrices of linear forms in
$$\mathbb {P}^4$$

P

4

and the space of cubics. Here we describe concretely the irreducible component of this incidence correspondence dominating the space of skew matrices.
The Enforced Destitution of Asylum Seekers in the UK
Authors: Ramachandran Niroshan
Published: March 2024

Asylum seekers are often destitute upon their arrival in the UK and, thus, they depend primarily on the UK government to support them. Yet, the UK government has been enforcing the destitution of asylum seekers through socio-political and economic mechanisms. Socio-political mechanisms of destitution relate to repressive asylum policies inhibiting asylum seekers’ access to mainstream benefits, employment and their ability to do meaningful activities, while economic mechanisms of destitution relate to an insufficient asylum allowance that leaves asylum seekers destitute. This article uses 50 interviews conducted with asylum seekers, refugees and staff from various organisations to explore asylum seekers’ experiences of enforced destitution in Glasgow. Findings indicate that socio-political mechanisms of destitution underpin experiences of destitution and are the precursor to the economic mechanism of destitution. Findings also show that economic mechanisms of destitution challenge asylum seekers’ ability to meet their subsistence needs. Furthermore, the UK government’s enforced destitution of asylum seekers has caused asylum seekers to depend upon the third sector to fill the gaps in meeting their basic needs.
Effects of storage temperature and egg washing on egg quality and physicochemical properties
Authors: Kim Yeong Bin , Lee Seung Yun , Yum Kyung Hun , Lee Woo Tae , Park Sang Hun , Lim Young Ho , Choi Na Young , Jang So Young , Choi Jung Seok , Kim Jong Hyuk
Published: March 2024

This study aimed to determine the effects of storage temperature and washing on egg quality and physicochemical properties. A total of 200 eggs (100 washed and 100 unwashed eggs) were obtained from 30-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens. The experiment’s main effects were storage temperature (refrigerator and room temperatures) and egg washing (washed and unwashed eggs). The results indicated that eggs stored at refrigerator temperature increased (p < 0.05) in albumen height and Haugh unit at 1 to 4 weeks than those stored at room temperature. Eggs stored at room temperature and unwashed eggs had less (p < 0.05) thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and volatile basic nitrogen at 4 weeks than those subjected to other conditions. These findings suggest that refrigerator temperature improves egg quality, and unwashed eggs and those stored at room temperature potentially inhibits lipid oxidation and protein deterioration in eggs.