bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large language models in cryptocurrency securities cases: can a GPT model meaningfully assist lawyers?
Authors: Trozze Arianna , Davies Toby , Kleinberg Bennett
Published: April 2024

Large Language Models (LLMs) could be a useful tool for lawyers. However, empirical research on their effectiveness in conducting legal tasks is scant. We study securities cases involving cryptocurrencies as one of numerous contexts where AI could support the legal process, studying GPT-3.5’s legal reasoning and ChatGPT’s legal drafting capabilities. We examine whether a) GPT-3.5 can accurately determine which laws are potentially being violated from a fact pattern, and b) whether there is a difference in juror decision-making based on complaints written by a lawyer compared to ChatGPT. We feed fact patterns from real-life cases to GPT-3.5 and evaluate its ability to determine correct potential violations from the scenario and exclude spurious violations. Second, we had mock jurors assess complaints written by ChatGPT and lawyers. GPT-3.5’s legal reasoning skills proved weak, though we expect improvement in future models, particularly given the violations it suggested tended to be correct (it merely missed additional, correct violations). ChatGPT performed better at legal drafting, and jurors’ decisions were not statistically significantly associated with the author of the document upon which they based their decisions. Because GPT-3.5 cannot satisfactorily conduct legal reasoning tasks, it would be unlikely to be able to help lawyers in a meaningful way at this stage. However, ChatGPT’s drafting skills (though, perhaps, still inferior to lawyers) could assist lawyers in providing legal services. Our research is the first to systematically study an LLM’s legal drafting and reasoning capabilities in litigation, as well as in securities law and cryptocurrency-related misconduct.
Efficient fog node placement using nature-inspired metaheuristic for IoT applications
Authors: Naouri Abdenacer , Nouri Nabil Abdelkader , Khelloufi Amar , Sada Abdelkarim Ben , Ning Huansheng , Dhelim Sahraoui
Published: April 2024

Managing the explosion of data from the edge to the cloud requires intelligent supervision, such as fog node deployments, which is an essential task to assess network operability. To ensure network operability, the deployment process must be carried out effectively regarding two main factors: connectivity and coverage. The network connectivity is based on fog node deployment, which determines the network’s physical topology, while the coverage determines the network accessibility. Both have a significant impact on network performance and guarantee the network quality of service. Determining an optimum fog node deployment method that minimizes cost, reduces computation and communication overhead, and provides a high degree of network connection coverage is extremely hard. Therefore, maximizing coverage and preserving network connectivity is a non-trivial problem. In this paper, we propose a fog deployment algorithm that can effectively connect the fog nodes and cover all edge devices. Firstly, we formulate fog deployment as an instance of multi-objective optimization problems with a large search space. Then, we leverage Marine Predator Algorithm (MPA) to tackle the deployment problem and prove that MPA is well-suited for fog node deployment due to its rapid convergence and low computational complexity, compared to other population-based algorithms. Finally, we evaluate the proposed algorithm on a different benchmark of generated instances with various fog scenario configurations. Our algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art methods, providing promising results for optimal fog node deployment. It demonstrates a 50% performance improvement compared to other algorithms, aligning with the No Free Lunch Theorem (NFL Theorem) Theorem’s assertion that no algorithm has a universal advantage across all problem domains. This underscores the significance of selecting tailored algorithms based on specific problem characteristics.
‘Don’t Pick, Don’t Lick’: Connecting Young Children’s Risky Play in Nature to Science Education in Australian Bush Kinders
Authors: Speldewinde Christopher
Published: April 2024

The forest school approach to nature learning has gathered momentum in the UK and across parts of Europe including Scandinavia for well over 50 years. In other contexts that include Canada, China, New Zealand and Australia, nature-based early childhood education and care settings, influenced by European forest school approaches, are in a rapid expansion phase as educators and policy makers acknowledge the benefits for children from time spent in nature. It is known that science education opportunities exist in these nature-based settings, yet this area has only garnered limited research attention to date. An example of a nature-based approach to early childhood education which emerged in the 2010s is the Australian ‘bush kinder’. Four- to five-year-old preschool children experience and learn from nature through play in bush kinders. This paper highlights the intersections that occur between risky play and science teaching and learning in the context of bush kinders. Through analysing research in early years science education, guiding curriculum frameworks and early childhood learning, I propose the importance of children’s risky play to early childhood science education. Drawing on vignettes from ethnographic fieldwork data, the merits of risky play in bush kinders to embed science knowledge is illustrated here. Participant observation was used to build a profile of each site and to gather data relating to how educators draw on children’s risky play to seek out opportunities to teach children about physical, chemical and biological science.
Exploring the link between CO2 emissions, health expenditure, and economic growth in Türkiye: evidence from the ARDL model
Authors: Çobanoğulları Gökhan
Published: April 2024

In recent times, the literature has seen considerable growth in research at the intersection of CO2 emission, health expenditure, and economic growth. But looking at the literature, it appears that the relationship between health expenditures, CO2 emissions, and economic growth is unclear. To resolve this uncertainty, this study was conducted with different data, countries, and methods. To this end, the present study analyzed the nexus between CO2 emissions, health expenditure, and economic growth in Türkiye from 1975 to 2020 using the Autoregressive Distributed Lagged (ARDL) model developed by Pesaran et al. (J Appl Econ 16(3):289–326, 2001). The study reveals a connection between CO2 emissions, health spending, and economic development in Türkiye over the long term. It also highlights a short-term correlation among these factors. The study indicates that a 1% increase in economic growth results in a 0.553 and 0.297 rise in CO2 emissions in the short and long term, respectively. That is, it suggests that if economic growth in Türkiye doesn’t involve renewable energy, it could negatively affect CO2 emissions both in the short and long term. To address this, substantial efforts are needed to transition to low-carbon technologies like renewable energy and energy efficiency, aiming to reduce emissions and support long-term economic growth. The study further demonstrates that a 1% growth in health expenditure leads to a 0.124% decrease in CO2 emissions over the long term. This implies that Türkiye’s health sector could benefit from utilizing more renewable energy or using fossil fuels more efficiently. Additionally, the study warns that long-term population growth could negatively affect CO2 emissions in Türkiye.
The “Spirit” of New Atheism and Religious Activism in the Post-9/11 God Debate
Authors: Rosenfeldt Adrian
Published: April 2024

In this article I examine the contemporary discourses and debates that surround the sociology of spirituality, with especial attention to the term “spirituality”. To counter the widespread belief that this term lacks clarity and utility, I suggest reconsidering Max Weber’s use of the term “spirit,” as it refers to a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, while still retaining its religious and spiritual connotations. Through focusing on two influential English figures in the post 9/11 God debate in the West, Richard Dawkins and Karen Armstrong, I provide a brief case study of how Weber’s understanding of “spirit” serves great utility in illuminating what drives the ideas, identity-making and behaviour of contemporary atheists and those defending religion. By utilising Weber’s “spirit,” rather than the term spirituality, I demonstrate that this enables us to dig deep into the social context and backgrounds of these two individuals, and to avoid taking their statements at face value – a common criticism of sociology of spirituality studies. I argue that the use of “spirit,” in terms of a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, would benefit the sociology of spirituality. This is because it grounds the God debaters’ ideas and beliefs in a recognisable human experience that eludes reductive distinctions and disembodied abstractions.
Rapid time-domain simulation of fractional capacitors with SPICE
Authors: Wilson Marcus , Cowie Logan , Farrow Vance , Cree Michael , Scott Jonathan
Published: April 2024

Fractional capacitors, commonly called constant-phase elements or CPEs, are used in modeling and control applications, for example, for rechargeable batteries. Unfortunately, they are not natively supported in the well-used circuit simulator SPICE. This manuscript presents and demonstrates a modeling approach that allows users to incorporate these elements in circuits and model the response in the time domain. The novelty is that we implement for the first time a particular configuration of RC elements in parallel in a Foster-type network with SPICE in order to simulate a constant-phase element across a defined frequency range. We demonstrate that the circuit produces the required impedance spectrum in the frequency domain, and shows a power-law voltage response to a step change in current in the time domain, consistent with theory, and is able to reproduce the experimental voltage response to a complicated current profile in the time domain. The error depends on the chosen frequency limits and the number of RC branches, in addition to very small SPICE numerical errors. We are able to define an optimum circuit description that minimizes error while maintaining a short computation time. The scientific value is that the work permits rapid and accurate evaluation of the response of CPEs in the time domain, faster than other methods, using open source tools.
Mindsets and politically motivated reasoning about fake news
Authors: Ludwig Jonas , Sommer Joseph
Published: April 2024

False information may be published with the intention of misleading the public, and such fake news is often difficult to detect. Ideological fake news may pose a particular challenge, as people may be less able to detect false information that supports their prior beliefs. The difficulty of detecting fake news with an ideological slant may be compounded if people are motivated to defend their beliefs. Building on the mindset theory of action phases, we investigated motivational states as moderators of people’s ability to detect fake news. We tested two competing predictions to study the cognitive and motivational processes implicated in fake news detection. Both predictions concern an ideological belief bias, where people tend to accept information that agrees with their partisan identities and to reject information that disagrees with them. First, motivated reasoning accounts posit that deliberation should reinforce the ideological belief bias because reasoning primarily serves to defend and rationalize one’s own position. An opposing view, based on dual-process theory, assumes that deliberation attenuates the ideological belief bias by facilitating an unbiased assessment of new information. An online experiment (N = 497) tested these competing accounts. Participants were induced with deliberative/implemental/control mindsets prior to rating the veracity of (true/fake) news headlines. Some headlines favored a Republican view; others leaned toward a Democrat perspective. Based on self-reported political preference (Democrat vs. Republican), headlines were categorized as congruent or incongruent with participants’ political views. Consistent with an ideological belief bias, participants accepted more congruent than incongruent news, and they were more likely to fail to detect favorable fake news. In the main analysis, mindsets did not moderate the ideological belief bias, but showed interesting relationships with cognitive reflection and dishonest behavior. Further exploration using signal-detection theory suggested that the deliberative mindset might be associated with increased skepticism, thereby promoting fake news detection.
Non-linear WENO B-spline based approximation method
Authors: Amat Sergio , Levin David , Ruiz-Álvarez Juan , Yáñez Dionisio F.
Published: April 2024

In this work, we present a new WENO B-spline-based quasi-interpolation algorithm. The novelty of this construction resides in the application of the WENO weights to the B-spline functions, that form a partition of unity, instead of the coefficients that multiply the B-spline functions of the spline. The result obtained conserves the smoothness of the original spline and presents adaption to discontinuities in the function. Another new idea that we introduce in this work is the use of different base weight functions from those proposed in classical WENO algorithms. Apart from introducing the construction of the new algorithms, we present theoretical results regarding the order of accuracy obtained at smooth zones and close to the discontinuity, as well as theoretical considerations about how to design the new weight functions. Through a tensor product strategy, we extend our results to several dimensions. In order to check the theoretical results obtained, we present an extensive battery of numerical experiments in one, two, and three dimensions that support our conclusions.
An alternative formulation of the quantum phase estimation using projection-based tensor decompositions
Authors: Stengl Marian
Published: April 2024

In this paper, an alternative version of the quantum phase estimation is proposed, in which the Hadamard gates at the beginning are substituted by a quantum Fourier transform. This new circuit coincides with the original one, when the ancilla is initialized with$$\left| {0}\right\rangle $$0. With the help of a projection-based tensor decomposition and closed-form expressions of its exponential, this new method can be interpreted as a multiplier coupled to the Hamiltonian of the corresponding target unitary operator. Based on this observation, a recursive decomposition is derived.
Gang Rule(s): Towards a Political Economy of Youth Gang Dynamics in Nicaragua
Authors: Rodgers Dennis
Published: April 2024

This article explores the longitudinal dynamics of youth gang transformation in urban Nicaragua. On the basis of an overview of successive gang iterations that have emerged over the past 30 years in barrio Luis Fanor Hernández, a poor neighborhood in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua, the article identifies key elements for the articulation of a political economy of both change and stability. In particular, drawing on Bourdieusian theory, it conceives of a gang as a “social field” rather than as a discrete organizational form. It traces how different processes of individual and collective capital accumulation underpinning the social order promulgated by distinct gang iterations emerge and interact with each other, and the consequences that this has for their evolution over time. In doing so, the article offers a better understanding of the logic of what might be termed “gang rule(s)”.
Element contamination of the Orange-Vaal River basin, South Africa: a One Health approach
Authors: Erasmus Johannes Hendrik , Truter Marliese , Smit Nico Jacobus , Nachev Milen , Sures Bernd , Wepener Victor
Published: April 2024

Numerous low-income groups and rural communities depend on fish as an inexpensive protein source worldwide, especially in developing countries. These communities are constantly exposed to various pollutants when they frequently consume polluted fish. The largest river basin in South Africa is the Orange-Vaal River basin, and several anthropogenic impacts, especially gold mining activities and industrial and urban effluents, affect this basin. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries in South Africa has approved the much-anticipated National Freshwater (Inland) Wild Capture Fisheries Policy in 2021. The aims of this study were (1) to analyze element concentrations in the widely distributed Clarias gariepinus from six sites from the Orange-Vaal River basin and (2) to determine the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risks associated with fish consumption. The bioaccumulation of eight potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) was assessed in C. gariepinus from sites with different anthropogenic sources. The human health risks were determined to assess the potential risks posed by consuming contaminated C. gariepinus from these sites. Carcinogenic health risks were associated with fish consumption, where it ranged between 21 and 75 out of 10,000 people having the probability to develop cancer from As exposure. The cancer risk between the sites ranged between 1 and 7 out of 10,000 people to developing cancer from Cr exposure. A high probability of adverse non-carcinogenic health risks is expected if the hazard quotient (HQ) is higher than one. The HQ in C. gariepinus from the six sites ranged between 1.5 and 5.6 for As, while for Hg, it was between 1.8 and 5.1. These results highlight the need for monitoring programs of toxic pollutants in major river systems and impoundments in South Africa, especially with the new fisheries policy, as there are possible human health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish.

Graphical Abstract
„Diese Pillchen haben noch niemandem geschadet, die kann man bedenkenlos nehmen“ – eine typisierende Studie zu Einstellungen und Nutzungsgewohnheiten hausärztlicher Patient*innen in Bezug auf rezeptfreie Medikamente
Authors: Wangler Julian , Jansky Michael
Published: April 2024

Hintergrund

Unter Verbraucher*innen verzeichnen rezeptfreie Medikamente, sog. Over-the-counter-Produkte, eine große Nachfrage und sind in der Werbung prominent vertreten. Während die Bedeutung rezeptfreier Medikamente in gesundheitsökonomischen Zusammenhängen relativ gut erforscht ist, fehlt es an belastbaren Untersuchen, die Einstellungen, Zuschreibungen und Nutzungsgewohnheiten bei Patient*innen in den Blick nehmen.

Ziel der Arbeit

Anknüpfend an eine vorangegangene quantitative Wartezimmerbefragung von 900 hausärztlichen Patient*innen, verfolgte die vorliegende qualitative Studie das Ziel, Patient*innen mit regelmäßiger OTC-Nutzung im Hinblick auf Einstellungs- und Nutzungsmuster zu klassifizieren.

Material und Methoden

Die Studie basiert auf 42 qualitativen Einzelinterviews mit hausärztlichen Patient*innen, die zwischen Februar und Mai 2023 durchgeführt wurden. Im Zuge der Auswertung kam eine qualitative Typenbildung nach Kluge zum Einsatz.

Ergebnisse

Es konnten vier Typen von OTC-Nutzer*innen identifiziert werden. Erstens sind Patient*innen vertreten, die rezeptfreie Medikamente ähnlich wie rezeptpflichtige Produkte sehen und prinzipiell die ärztliche Rückbindung suchen. Zweitens gibt es Patient*innen, die in bestimmten, schmalen Anwendungskorridoren einen ausgeprägten Umgang mit OTC-Produkten pflegen, weil diese ihnen aus familiären und langjährigen Nutzungsroutinen heraus bekannt sind. Drittens neigt ein Teil der Interviewten zur verbreiteten Anwendung von rezeptfreien Medikamenten zu prophylaktischen und leistungssteigernden Zwecken. Viertens fallen Patient*innen auf, die OTC-Medikamente als Schlüssel zu einer reinen Selbstmedikamentierung auffassen und auf die weitgehende Vermeidung von Arztbesuchen abzielen.

Schlussfolgerung

Es konnten Befunde aus der Voruntersuchung bestätigt, aber auch weiterführende Erkenntnisse gewonnen werden. Angesichts der leichten Verfügbarkeit rezeptfreier Medikamente und ihrer Präsenz in der Werbung ist es wichtig, dass bei Patient*innen eine realistische Vorstellung von den Möglichkeiten und Risiken von OTC-Produkten gegeben ist. Hierbei spielt neben der Beratung durch Apotheker*innen die vertrauensvolle, langjährige Begleitung durch Hausärzt*innen sowie ihre kontinuierliche Informations- und Beratungstätigkeit eine zentrale Rolle. Ebenfalls kommt es darauf an, Kampagnen zur öffentlichen Gesundheit zu stärken.
Cross-national examination of the Distress Tolerance Scale using Rasch methodology
Authors: Oorjitham Shantini , Medvedev Oleg N. , Bravo Adrian J. ,   Cross-Cultural Addictions Study Team, Conway Christopher C. , Henson James M. , Hogarth Lee , Ibáñez Manuel I. , Kaminer Debra , Keough Matthew , Mezquita Laura , Ortet Generós , Pearson Matthew R. , Pilatti Angelina , Prince Mark A. , Read Jennifer P. , Roozen Hendrik G. , Ruiz Paul
Published: April 2024

The 15-item Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) is a widely used psychometric measure with evidence generally supporting its reliability and validity. However, limitations related to its ordinal response format and lack of cross-cultural comparisons have yet to be investigated using appropriate methods. The Partial Credit Rasch model was used to evaluate and enhance the psychometric properties of the DTS using responses from 2550 adult participants from the United States of America (USA), England, Canada, South Africa, Spain, and Argentina. The initial poor fit of the DTS to the Rasch model was improved by removing one item and combining locally dependent items into three testlets. These modifications resulted in the best fit of the 14-item DTS to the Rasch model for all the countries in our study, providing evidence of unidimensionality, high reliability and invariance across countries, meditation practice, and gender. Meeting the expectations of the Rasch model permitted the development of ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithms derived from person estimates of the Rasch model. Using the ordinal-to-interval conversion algorithms published in this article, ordinal DTS scores can be transformed into interval-level data, enhancing the precision of this scale for future research and clinical use across people from the six countries in this study and across the English and Spanish versions of the 14-item DTS.
Loops on schemes and the algebraic fundamental group
Authors: Rülling Kay , Schröer Stefan
Published: April 2024

In this note we give a re-interpretation of the algebraic fundamental group for proper schemes that is rather close to the original definition of the fundamental group for topological spaces. The idea is to replace the standard interval from topology by what we call interval schemes. This leads to an algebraic version of continuous loops, and the homotopy relation is defined in terms of the monodromy action. Our main results hinge on Macaulayfication for proper schemes and Lefschetz type results.
The Kotake–Narasimhan theorem in general ultradifferentiable classes
Authors: Fürdös Stefan
Published: April 2024

We prove a Kotake–Narasimhan type theorem in general ultradifferentiable classes given by weight matrices. In doing so we simultaneously recover and generalize significantly the known results for classes given by weight sequences and weight functions. In particular, we obtain a sharp Kotake–Narasimhan theorem for Beurling classes.
Skin Grafting for Dermatologists: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Maskan Bermudez Narges , Sa Brianna C. , Hargis Abby , Yaghi Marita , Mervis Joshua
Published: April 2024

Purpose of This Review

Skin grafting is a surgical procedure that involves replacing damaged or missing skin with healthy skin. This technique helps protect wounds, promotes healing, and enhances functionality and appearance. Skin grafting can be beneficial in treating burns, traumatic injuries, chronic ulcers, surgical wounds, and congenital defects, among others.

Recent Findings

A range of cellular and tissue-based products (CTPs) can be employed, either in conjunction with autologous skin grafts or independently, to facilitate wound healing. Human skin allografts, sourced from donated human skin, often obtained from cadavers, serve as a valuable resource for wound protection. Allogeneic matrices, comprising neonatal fibroblasts or membranes, alongside chorion, amnion, and other placental products, provide a means to accelerate the wound healing process. Composite matrices, which combine human keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and xenogeneic collagen, provide a solution to replicate the complexity of natural skin. Moreover, acellular matrices derived from xenogeneic collagen or tissue offer a versatile platform for tissue regeneration.

Conclusion

Skin grafting is a complex procedure that requires careful planning and postoperative care. Success depends on factors like the type of graft, wound management, and overall health of the patient. Skin grafting has evolved with advancements in surgery, anesthesia, and wound care and remains a crucial technique for restoring function and appearance.
Mortality risk relationship using standard categorized BMI or knee-height based BMI – does the overweight/lower mortality paradox hold true?
Authors: Gavriilidou Nivetha Natarajan , Pihlsgård Mats , Elmståhl Sölve , Ekström Henrik
Published: April 2024

Background

The body mass index (BMI) is prone to misclassification of obesity due to age-related height loss and resulting measurement errors. Knee-height based BMI (KH-BMI) has not been previously studied in relation to mortality risk in older adults.

Aim

To evaluate the age- and sex-specific mortality risk relationship using classic BMI and knee height predicted BMI (KH-BMI) overweight and obesity in a 15-year follow-up study including older Swedish adults aged 60–93 years.

Methods

A 15-year follow-up study among 2,786 individuals aged ≥ 60 years. Height, weight and KH were measured. KH-predicted height was estimated using formulated gender-specific equations. Classic BMI and KH-BMI (kg/m2) were calculated. Mortality data was obtained from the Swedish death registry. Questionnaires were used to collect data on obesity-related lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Results

Cox regression revealed that using the classic BMI, when comparing with the normal/underweight reference group, there was a mortality risk among overweight men (HR = 0.67, 0.52–0.87), overweight women (HR = 0.79, 0.65–0.97), and obese men (HR = 0.60, 0.41–0.89) aged ≥ 80 years old. Using the KH-BMI, only overweight men and overweight women aged ≥ 80 years had a lower mortality risk, men (HR = 0.71, 0.55–0.92); women (HR = 0.77, 0.62–0.95) after adjusting for obesity-related lifestyle factors and comorbidities.

Discussion

There is evidence that obesity is overestimated by the BMI, in comparison with the KH-BMI classification. In terms of mortality risk and after adjusting for height, there remains a paradoxical protective association between overweight and mortality.

Conclusion

Regardless of classic BMI or KH-BMI estimation, overweight men and women aged ≥ 80 years had a lower mortality risk compared to normal/underweight men and women ≥ 80 years.
Exploring the relevance between load-bearing capacity and surface friction behavior based on a layered hydrogel cartilage prototype
Authors: Zhang Yunlei , Zhao Weiyi , Zhao Xiaoduo , Zhang Jinshuai , Yu Bo , Ma Shuanhong , Zhou Feng
Published: April 2024

Cartilage is well lubricated over a lifetime and this phenomenon is attributed to both of the surface hydration lubrication and the matrix load-bearing capacity. Lubricious hydrogels with a layered structure are designed to mimic cartilage as potential replacements. While many studies have concentrated on improving surface hydration to reduce friction, few have experimentally detected the relationship between load-bearing capacity of hydrogels and their interface friction behavior. In this work, a bilayer hydrogel, serving as a cartilage prototype consisted of a top thick hydrated polymer brush layer and a bottom hydrogel matrix with tunable modulus was designed to investigate this relationship. The coefficient of friction (COF, μ) is defined as the sum of interfacial component (μInt) and deformation/hysteresis component (μHyst). The presence of the top hydration layer effectively dissipates contact stress and reduces the interface interaction (μInt), leading to a stable and low COF. The contribution of mechanical deformation (μHyst) during the sliding shearing process to COF can be significantly reduced by increasing the local mechanical modulus, thereby enhancing the load-bearing capacity. These results show that the strategy of coupling surface hydration layer with a high load-bearing matrix can indeed enhance the lubrication performance of hydrogel cartilage prototypes, and implies a promising routine for designing robust soft matter lubrication system and friction-control devices.
Fault-Tolerant Control for Aircraft with Structural Damage Using Sparse Online Gaussian Process Regression
Authors: Lee Jayden Dongwoo , Kim Lamsu , Zewge Natnael S. , Bang Hyochoong
Published: April 2024

This paper presents the design of data-driven fault-tolerant control using sparse online Gaussian process regression (SOGPR) to stabilize an aircraft with left-wing damage. The structural damage causes changes in mass, moment of inertia, center of gravity, and aerodynamic coefficients. These parameter variations deteriorate the performance of model-based nonlinear control methods. Hence, Gaussian process-based nonlinear dynamic inversion (GP-NDI) is proposed to compensate for uncertainties in situations of structural damage. Unlike parametric adaptive control approaches, Gaussian process regression is a non-parametric method that does not need prior information about uncertainties. And the proposed method implements SOGPR to reduce computational time and memory by incrementally updating the mean and variance. To compensate for the error in the estimated uncertainty, a robust control input is designed. In addition, a weighted delete score is used to improve the transient response. Numerical simulation results are compared with model reference adaptive control (MRAC) and nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO) to analyze a stabilizing and tracking performance in a structural damage situation.
Characterization, surface preparation, conservation, and corrosion protection of bronze arrow heads from Cairo military museum using nanocomposite coating
Authors: Megahed Mohamed M. , Elashery Noha H. , Saleh Saleh M. , El-Shamy A. M.
Published: April 2024

The study focused on examining approximately 32 arrowheads from Cairo’s Qala Salah al-Din military museum, which showed significant signs of deterioration. The main objectives were to investigate the bronze alloy composition of these arrowheads and analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of their patinas. Understanding the causes and mechanisms of corrosion was crucial for developing effective conservation strategies to halt further degradation and identifying the corrosion products and metals involved. To achieve these goals, extensive examinations and analyses were conducted, including metallographic microscopy, SEM–EDS, and X-ray diffraction analysis to scrutinize the chemical composition, metallurgical features, and corrosion products of the bronze samples. Additionally, experimental studies were carried out to determine the most suitable protective coating for preventing future corrosion. Various combinations of ZnO nanoparticles with Paraloid® 48 or Paraloid® 66 coatings were tested on simulated arrowheads, and electrochemical techniques such as EIS and RP were employed for measurement. The results indicated that combining ZnO nanoparticles with either Paraloid® 48 or Paraloid® 66 coatings resulted in lower corrosion rates compared to using each coating alone. Based on these findings, chemical cleaning with ZnO nanoparticles and Paraloid® 48 was selected for treatment to protect the arrowheads' surfaces. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into preservation techniques for these historically significant artifacts.
Neural network-based robust adaptive super-twisting sliding mode fault-tolerant control for a class of tilt tri-rotor UAVs with unmodeled dynamics
Authors: Chao L. , Bai Y. , Wang Z. , Yin Y.
Published: April 2024

Aiming at alleviating the adverse influence of coupling unmodeled dynamics, actuator faults and external disturbances in the attitude tracking control system of tilt tri-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), a neural network (NN)-based robust adaptive super-twisting sliding mode fault-tolerant control scheme is designed in this paper. Firstly, in order to suppress the unmodeled dynamics coupled with the system states, a dynamic auxiliary signal, exponentially input-to-state practically stability and some special mathematical tools are used. Secondly, benefiting from adaptive control and super-twisting sliding mode control (STSMC), the influence of the unexpected chattering phenomenon of sliding mode control (SMC) and the unknown system parameters can be handled well. Moreover, NNs are employed to estimate and compensate some unknown nonlinear terms decomposed from the system model. Based on a decomposed quadratic Lyapunov function, both the bounded convergence of all signals of the closed-loop system and the stability of the system are proved. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control method for the tilt tri-rotor UAVs.
Conformism, Ignorance & Injustice: AI as a Tool of Epistemic Oppression
Authors: Miragoli Martin
Published: April 2024

From music recommendation to assessment of asylum applications, machine-learning algorithms play a fundamental role in our lives. Naturally, the rise of AI implementation strategies has brought to public attention the ethical risks involved. However, the dominant anti-discrimination discourse, too often preoccupied with identifying particular instances of harmful AIs, has yet to bring clearly into focus the more structural roots of AI-based injustice. This paper addresses the problem of AI-based injustice from a distinctively epistemic angle. More precisely, I argue that the injustice generated by the implementation of AI machines in our societies is, in some paradigmatic cases, also a form of epistemic injustice. With a particular focus on AIs employed as gatekeepers of our epistemic resources, this paper shows how their epistemically conformist behaviour is responsible for the marginalisation and the ostracism of minoritarian perspectives. Because it clarifies key structural flaws and weaknesses of current AI design, this paper helps make headway in critical discussion of current AI technologies. And because it forges new theoretical tools to understand forms of epistemic oppression, this paper also contributes to the advancement of feminist theorisation.
Transonic leading-edge stall flutter: modelling, simulations and experiments
Authors: Currao Gaetano M.D.
Published: April 2024

This work is a numerical and experimental study of a rectangular thin plate undergoing stall flutter at Mach 0.8. This constitutes one of the first studies of this kind where three-dimensionality is fully implemented in a numerical simulation including the test-section effects characterizing wind-tunnel experiments. In order to break down the fluid–structure interaction to its main driving phenomena, an aerodynamic model is proposed that is based on computationally inexpensive steady-state simulations. Two types of dynamic instability are observed in the numerical simulations; Flutter by mode coalescence is promoted at zero flow incidence, however, high bending precludes this from happening for higher values of angle of attack. Stall flutter is instead a nonlinear one-degree type of instability. Both of these instability mechanisms can be explained in terms of hysteretic behaviour of the pressure distribution, which becomes more pronounced at high angles of attack, when a large separation region is formed. Tests were conducted employing titanium alloy plates in order to survive the aerodynamic loads characterizing the wind-tunnel initial transient. However, due to wall interference, high bending was promoted so that the internal stress exceeded the yield values before flutter could be measured. Numerical simulations were in general agreement with the experiment in terms of both amplitude and oscillation frequency.
Childhood’s Charms and Nature’s Enchantments: Listening to Enescu’s Impressions d’enfance
Authors: SAVAGE-HANFORD JAMES
Published: April 2024

Enescu’s Impressions d’enfance is notable for the ways in which it evokes a childlike fascination with the world. This article considers not only how this experiential mode is constructed, but also how the topic of childhood overlaps with Enescu’s conception of an enchanted dwelling-place, particularly in the context of how humans interact with the natural world. I argue that exploring such ‘strategies of enchantment’ and their musical framing allows not only for a more nuanced understanding of Enescu’s aesthetics and his music, but also of the role that enchantment as an aesthetic category occupies within musical modernity more broadly.
Social Discipline and the Refusal of Poor Relief under the English Old Poor Law, c. 1650–1730
Authors: Healey Jonathan
Published: April 2024

There has been debate about the extent to which the English old poor law could operate as a system of social discipline. This article looks closely at an almost completely neglected set of sources, petitions by local communities asking to stop (or cut) a pauper’s relief, to assess how far poor relief was used as a disciplinary tool. Taking 182 appeals by Lancashire townships from the Civil War to the appearance of workhouses in the county, it suggests that poor relief operated robustly as a system of labour discipline, but only weakly as a wider tool of behavioural control. There is some evidence that townships wanted to end doles to those engaged in ‘bad’ behaviour, such as excessive drinking, gambling, or insubordination, but such cases were infrequent. Far more important were attempts to stop relief where paupers could work or could support themselves through their own productive assets. In turn, townships’ focus on the ability to work suggests that ‘deserving’ poverty was understood in terms of bodily impotence, whilst the need to restrict poor relief to those who were ‘necessitous’ required officers to engage in close surveillance of the poor and their bodies.
Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM): their role in bovine mastitis and One Health
Authors: Crippa Bruna Lourenço , de Matos Luiz Gustavo , Souza Fernando Nogueira , Silva Nathália Cristina Cirone
Published: April 2024

Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are gaining importance in mastitis and public health, and some NAS have been reclassified as mammaliicocci (NASM). Bovine milk production has a major influence on the world economy, being an essential source of income for small, medium and large producers, and bovine mastitis caused by NASM can cause an economic impact. Mastitis generates financial losses due to reduced revenue, increased veterinary costs and expenses associated with animal slaughter. However, it is also a public health issue involving animal health and welfare, human health and the ecosystem. Furthermore, it is an increasingly common infection caused by NASM, including antimicrobial-resistant strains. Despite all these adverse effects that NASM can cause, some studies also point to its protective role against mastitis. Therefore, this review article addresses the negative and positive aspects that NASM can cause in bovine mastitis, the virulence of the disease and resistance factors that make it difficult to treat and, through the One Health approach, presents a holistic view of how mastitis caused by NASM can affect both animal and human health at one and the same time.
Cortical volume alterations in the limbic network in adolescents with high reactive aggression
Authors: Bashford-Largo Johannah , Blair R. James R. , Blair Karina S. , Dobbertin Matthew , Elowsky Jaimie , Dominguez Ahria , Hatch Melissa , Bajaj Sahil
Published: April 2024

Previous studies show aggression-related structural alterations in frontal and limbic brain regions. Most studies have focused on overall aggression, instead of its subtypes, and on specific regions instead of networks. This study aims to identify both brain networks and regions that are associated with reactive and proactive subtypes of aggression. Structural MRI data were collected from 340 adolescents (125 F/215 M) with a mean age of 16.29 (SD = 1.20). Aggression symptomology was indexed via the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Freesurfer was used to estimate Cortical Volume (CV) from seven networks and regions within specific networks associated with aggression. Two multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) were conducted on groups for low versus higher reactive and proactive RPQ scores. Our reactive aggression MANCOVA showed a main effect in CV [F(14,321) = 1.935, p = 0.022,ηp2 = 0.078] across all the 7-Networks. Unpacking this main effect revealed significant volumetric differences in the right Limbic Network (LN) (p = 0.029) and the Temporal Pole (p = 0.011), where adolescents in the higher reactive aggression group showed higher cortical volumes. Such findings are consistent with region/voxel-specific analyses that have associated atypical structure within the LN and reactive aggression. Moreover, the temporal pole is highly interconnected with regions important in the regulation and initiation of reactive aggression.
Chronic pain–mental health comorbidity and excess prevalence of health risk behaviours: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Lumley Sophie , Yu Dahai , Wilkie Ross , Jordan Kelvin P. , Peat George
Published: April 2024

Background:

Chronic musculoskeletal pain and anxiety/depression are significant public health problems. We hypothesised that adults with both conditions constitute a group at especially high risk of future cardiovascular health outcomes.

Aim:

To determine whether having comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain and anxiety/depression is associated with the excess prevalence of selected known cardiovascular health risk behaviours.

Method:

A cross-sectional survey of adults aged 35+ years randomly sampled from 26 GP practice registers in West Midlands, England. Respondents were classified into four groups based on self-reported presence/absence of chronic musculoskeletal pain (pain present on most days for six months) and anxiety or depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score 11+). Standardised binomial models were used to estimate standardised prevalence ratios and prevalence differences between the four groups in self-reported obesity, tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy alcohol consumption after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation, employment status and educational attainment. The excess prevalence of each risk factor in the group with chronic musculoskeletal pain–anxiety/depression comorbidity was estimated.

Findings:

Totally, 14 519 respondents were included, of whom 1329 (9%) reported comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain–anxiety/depression, 3612 (25%) chronic musculoskeletal pain only, 964 (7%) anxiety or depression only, and 8614 (59%) neither. Those with comorbid chronic musculoskeletal pain–anxiety/depression had the highest crude prevalence of obesity (41%), smoking (16%) and physical inactivity (83%) but the lowest for unhealthy alcohol consumption (18%). After controlling for covariates, the standardised prevalence ratios and differences for the comorbid group compared with those with neither chronic musculoskeletal pain nor anxiety/depression were as follows: current smoking [1.86 (95% CI 1.58, 2.18); 6.8%], obesity [1.93 (1.76, 2.10); 18.9%], physical inactivity [1.21 (1.17, 1.24); 14.3%] and unhealthy alcohol consumption [0.81 (0.71, 0.92); –5.0%]. The standardised prevalences of smoking and obesity in the comorbid group exceeded those expected from simple additive interaction.
Some head starts are bigger than others: dynastic legacies and variation in candidate quality in Taiwan's local elections
Authors: Batto Nathan F. , Read Benjamin L.
Published: April 2024

Candidates from established political families are more likely to win than their non-dynastic counterparts because their political inheritance often includes significant advantages in resources and reputation. Yet dynastic candidates also bring their own set of experiences and qualities to the game. Is it the case that their individual characteristics can explain their electoral success, or is their success due to their family legacy? Theoretically, how and when are political resources transferred to the new generation? We examine these questions by looking at non-incumbent candidates in city and county council elections in Taiwan from 2009 to 2014, drawing on unique data on politicians' backgrounds. The profile of dynastic candidates differs from that of non-dynastic candidates: they are younger, have less electoral experience and list experience in different sorts of organizations and jobs. However, these differences are not what drives their electoral success; indeed, they tend to win despite these qualities rather than because of them. Even after controlling for candidate quality, dynastic status remains a powerful predictor, conveying roughly a 20 percentage point increase in the probability of winning. This suggests that while dynastic candidates accrue some of their advantage long before they run for office, a large part of the inheritance is transferred during the campaign.
The Future of Developed Barrier Systems: 1. Pathways Toward Uninhabitability, Drowning, and Rebound
Authors: Anarde K. A. , Moore L. J. , Murray A. B. , Reeves I. R. B.
Published: April 2024

Many barrier islands and spits (collectively, “barriers”) throughout the world are highly developed. As low‐lying, sandy coastal landforms, barrier systems are naturally reshaped by processes associated with storms and sea‐level rise (SLR). The resulting landscape changes threaten development, and in response, humans employ defensive measures that physically modify barrier geometry to reduce relatively short‐term risk. These measures include the construction of large dunes, emplacement of beach nourishment, and removal of washover. Simulations conducted using a new coupled modeling framework show that, over decades to centuries, measures to protect roadways and communities alter the physical characteristics of barrier systems in ways that ultimately limit their habitability. We find that the pathway toward uninhabitability (via roadway drowning or community narrowing) and future system states (drowning or rebound) depends largely on dune management—because building dunes blocks overwash delivery to the barrier interior—and on initial conditions (barrier elevation and width). In the model, barriers can become lower and narrower with SLR to the point of drowning. The timing and occurrence of barrier drowning depends on randomness in the timing and intensity of storms and dune recovery processes. We find that under a constant rate of SLR, negative feedbacks involving storms can allow barriers that do not drown to rebound toward steady‐state geometries within decades after management practices cease.