bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paul Didier, le juge qui a dit non au maréchal Pétain
Authors: Jean Jean-Paul
Published: November 2022

Le 2 septembre 1941, Paul Didier est le seul magistrat à refuser de prêter le serment de fidélité exigé par le maréchal Pétain. Il est arrêté, révoqué et interné au camp de Châteaubriant avant d’être assigné à résidence. Cet acte courageux et institutionnellement d’une grande force symbolique n’est pas le seul engagement de cette forte personnalité tout au long de sa carrière. Mais, ce jour-là, le refus public du juge Didier de prêter serment, contrairement à une version reconstruite après-guerre, n’est pas concerté avec les quelques magistrats résistants qui eux prêtent serment afin de pouvoir continuer leur lutte clandestine.
De la capitale au forum. Fonctions, usages, hiérarchies de la capitalité diplomatique ( XIX e - XXI e siècle)
Authors: Badel Laurence
Published: November 2022

La capitale n’est pas un thème délaissé par l’historiographie. Elle a même été un objet de choix pour les lectures constructivistes qui se sont imposées depuis quatre décennies, et qui l’ont traitée sous un angle symbolique, et non comme lieu de pouvoir effectif. Cet article entend réinscrire la capitale dans un domaine fondamentalement politique, en soutenant la spécificité de la « capitale diplomatique » par rapport à la capitale internationale ou à la « ville-monde » ( global city ). La capitalité diplomatique peut être définie, à l’époque contemporaine, par quatre critères (représenter, négocier, codifier et délibérer). Par ses fonctions comme par ses usages, ce concept éclaire les évolutions fondamentales du système international depuis deux siècles et la redistribution des rapports de puissance entre les acteurs internationaux et entre les espaces infra-nationaux, nationaux et régionaux. Se fondant, en particulier, sur la lecture des archives autrichiennes, l’article met au jour les usages politiques qui sont faits des images attachées à l’identité nationale, mises au service de la stratégie internationale d’une ville (Vienne) et d’un État (l’Autriche). Examinant certains moments-clés relatifs au choix du siège des organisations internationales, il questionne la désoccidentalisation de la capitale diplomatique après 1945. Enfin, il examine comment l’affirmation, depuis les années 1960, de rencontres définies comme des « forums » a favorisé l’accès de villes au statut de capitales diplomatiques.
Asymptotically stable optimal multi-rate rigid body attitude estimation based on lagrange-d'alembert principle
Authors: Bhatt Maulik , Sanyal Amit K. , Sukumar Srikant
Published: November 2022

The rigid body attitude estimation problem is treated using the discrete-time Lagrange-d'Alembert principle. Three different possibilities are considered for the multi-rate relation between angular velocity measurements and direction vector measurements for attitude: 1) integer relation between sampling rates, 2) time-varying sampling rates, 3) non-integer relation between sampling rates. In all cases, it is assumed that angular velocity measurements are sampled at a higher rate compared to the inertial vectors. The attitude determination problem from two or more vector measurements in the body-fixed frame is formulated as Wahba's problem. At instants when direction vector measurements are absent, a discrete-time model for attitude kinematics is used to propagate past measurements. A discrete-time Lagrangian is constructed as the difference between a kinetic energy-like term that is quadratic in the angular velocity estimation error and an artificial potential energy-like term obtained from Wahba's cost function. An additional dissipation term is introduced and the discrete-time Lagrange-d'Alembert principle is applied to the Lagrangian with this dissipation to obtain an optimal filtering scheme. A discrete-time Lyapunov analysis is carried out to show that the optimal filtering scheme is asymptotically stable in the absence of measurement noise and the domain of convergence is almost global. For a realistic evaluation of the scheme, numerical experiments are conducted with inputs corrupted by bounded measurement noise. These numerical simulations exhibit convergence of the estimated states to a bounded neighborhood of the actual states.
Bio-metric authentication with electrocardiogram (ECG) by considering variable signals
Authors: Ko Hoon , Rim Kwangcheol , Hong Jong Youl
Published: November 2022

The use of conventional bio-signals such as an electrocardiogram (ECG) for biometric authentication is vulnerable to a lack of verification of continuity of signals; this is because the system does not consider the change in signals caused by a change in the situation of a person, that is, conventional biological signals. Prediction technology based on tracking and analyzing new signals can overcome this shortcoming. However, since the biological signal data sets are massive, their utilization is crucial for higher accuracy. In this study, we defined a 10 $ \times $ 10 matrix for 100 points based on the R-peak point and an array for the dimension of the signals. Furthermore, we defined the future predicted signals by analyzing the continuous points in each array of the matrices at the same point. As a result, the accuracy of user authentication was 91%.
Implementation of a Machine Learning-Based MOOC Recommender System Using Learner Motivation Prediction
Authors: Assami Sara , Daoudi Najima , Ajhoun Rachida
Published: November 2022

The phenomenon of high dropout rates has been the concern of MOOC providers and educators since the emergence of this disruptive technology in online learning. This led to the focus on learner motivation studies from different aspects: demotivation signs detection, learning path personalization, course recommendation, etc.  Our paper aims to predict learner motivation for MOOCs to select the right MOOC for the right learner. So, we predict the motivation in an educational data mining approach by extracting and preprocessing learners' navigation traces on a MOOC platform and building a machine learning model that predicts accurately a given learner motivation for a MOOC. The comparison of the performance of four supervised learning algorithms resulted in the selection of the random forest classifier as a modeling technique for motivation prediction. Afterward, the Machine Learning-based recommendation function was tested for learners of the MOOC platform dataset to recommend the Top-10 MOOCs suitable for the target learner. Finally, further research on learner characteristics considered in recommender systems could enlarge the recommendation scope of MOOCs and maintain learner motivation.
The Impact of Mobile Learning on Undergraduate Students’ Cognitive Learning Outcomes: A Meta-Analytic Review
Authors: Bazhenova Elmira , Shuzhebayeva Arzigul , Kuntuganova Sarbinas , Bazhenova Meruert , Murygina Svetlana
Published: November 2022

The objective of this research was to identify the overall effectiveness of mobile-based interventions on the learning performance of tertiary education students. Besides, the paper sought to contour common variables across eligible studies that might have favoured learning achievement. A meta-analysis of the impacts of ubiquitous learning interventions on academic outcomes over 12 years (2010–2021) was carried out, in which 12 experimental and quasi-experimental studies were analysed. A random-effects model yielded the overall standardised mean difference of .52 [.37 to .67] in favour of mobile learning environment, which is a moderate effect size. Common facilitators of achievement as distinguished by experimenters and participants were commendable multimedia design, diversified content, the opportunity for relevant interaction with teachers and peers, as well as flexibility and accessibility of learning activities due to handheld devices. These findings suggest the potential of mobile-assisted interventions in contributing to student educational outcomes. This study summarises the extant literature to some degree thus advancing the investigation into the effectiveness and expediency of mobile technologies in higher education.
Quelles fonctions de deux systèmes didactiques auxiliaires destinés à des élèves en difficulté lors de la résolution d'une situation-problème mathématique ?
Authors: Theis Laurent , Morin Marie-Pier , Tambone Jeanette , Assude Teresa , Koudogbo Jeanne , Million-Faure Karine
Published: November 2022

Solving mathematical problems is a major challenge for students with difficulties. In this article, we examine an assistance system tested by an elementary school teacher during a two-year collaborative research. This system consists of setting up two auxiliary educational systems (AES), in the form of a work session with the students presumed by the teacher to be having trouble, that is held prior to the solving of the problem with the whole class and another work session held after the solving of the problem. Within the AES, the teacher explains the problem to the students, and discusses concepts with the student regarded as prerequisites by the teacher. In the AES held after the solving of the problem, the teacher revisits the institutionalisation made with the whole class. In this article, we analyze the potential functions of our assistance system through the triple dimensions identified by Sensevy et al. (2000): Chronogenesis, mesogenesis and topogenesis.
Un retour de notions de logique dans les programmes de mathématiques pour le lycée : un nouveau savoir à enseigner
Authors: Mesnil Zoé
Published: November 2022

With the resurgence of logical concepts in new syllabuses, a knowledge to be taught appears more explicitly than it did in previous years. This led me to study the teaching of logical concepts in high school as the study of a didactical transposition process. But because the goal is not to teach mathematical logic, but to teach logical tools for mathematical activity, I propose to introduce into the didactical transposition’s scheme a reference knowledge between the mathematical knowledge (mathematical logic) and the knowledge to be taught. In this article, I am showing through the example of the implication, which aspects of logical concepts it would be relevant to take into account in such a knowledge, and I rely on the criteria established to construct a framework for analyzing syllabuses and textbooks.
Ancêtres grecs, médecine unani et nationalisme indien au début du xxe siècle
Authors: Pietrobelli Antoine
Published: November 2022

L’histoire de la médecine constitue un bel exemple pour montrer que les Indiens se sont, comme les Européens, inventé des ancêtres grecs à un moment donné de leur histoire. Si la médecine d’Hippocrate et de Galien est parvenue en Occident, c’est parce que ces textes grecs furent traduits en arabe à Bagdad au ixe siècle, avant de l’être en latin dès le xie siècle pour les besoins des universités de médecine européennes. On sait moins, en revanche, que depuis Bagdad, cette science médicale s’est aussi diffusée en Asie et qu’elle est devenue l’une des médecines traditionnelles de l’Inde, connue sous le nom de unani tibb. Dans le premier quart du xxe siècle, en réaction à l’oppression coloniale britannique qui disqualifiait les médecines indigènes, la médecine unani s’est inventé une généalogie grecque remontant à Hippocrate et à Galien. Cette médecine est ainsi devenue un des ferments du mouvement indien pour l’indépendance et les figures de hakim Bukrat et hakim Jalinoos ont servi la cause de l’identité nationale indienne.
L’épigraphie arabe et la question de la présence musulmane en Nubie : autour d’un fragment de stèle funéraire provenant de l’île de Saï (fin du vie/xiie siècle)
Authors: Seignobos Robin
Published: November 2022

Bien qu’elles soient souvent mentionnées comme indicateurs d’une présence ancienne de l’islam dans la moyenne vallée du Nil, les inscriptions funéraires arabes découvertes en Nubie n’ont pas reçu toute l’attention qu’elles méritaient. Elles constituent pourtant l’un des rares témoignages des activités de cette minorité musulmane installée au‑delà des limites méridionales du Dār al‑islām, dans un environnement alors majoritairement chrétien. Cet article, premier jalon d’une étude de plus grande ampleur, est consacré à l’édition et à l’analyse d’une inscription arabe inédite provenant de l’île de Saï, en Nubie soudanaise. Malgré son caractère fragmentaire, ce qui subsiste de la formule de datation et la paléographie permettent de dater l’inscription de la fin du vie/xiie siècle. L’intérêt de cette trouvaille, longtemps passée inaperçue, réside surtout dans son lieu de découverte inattendu mais tient aussi aux remarquables qualités formelles de l’objet. Ces éléments invitent à reconsidérer les bornes géographiques traditionnellement assignées à la présence musulmane en Nubie médiévale et font surgir de nouvelles interrogations quant au profil sociologique des individus appartenant à cette communauté.
À propos de la ville assiégée: un schéma narratif
Authors: Clément François
Published: November 2022

Les ouvrages historiographiques du Moyen Âge peuvent et doivent être envisagés en tant que production littéraire obéissant à des contraintes fortes dépassant les seuls partis‑pris politiques ou idéologiques. L’historien doit, en effet, s’acquitter d’un projet d’écriture, cibler un lectorat, construire un récit, procéder à des choix, manifester sa compétence dans l’utilisation des outils rhétoriques, répliquer des poncifs, etc., ce qui pose la question de la fiabilité du texte par rapport à la réalité historique dont il est censé rendre compte. À travers la thématique de la ville assiégée, quelques exemples tirés de la littérature historiographique de l’Occident musulman entre le xie et le xve siècle sont analysés.
Guerre et espace au Proche‑Orient, à l’époque des croisades (fin xie‑xiiie siècle). Perceptions, représentations, pratiques
Authors: Zouache Abbès
Published: November 2022

Cet article est consacré au déploiement de la guerre dans les différents espaces du Proche‑Orient des croisades (xie‑xiiie siècle), aux transformations qu’elle y induit et à la façon dont les guerriers se les représentent. Il s’appuie sur des sources variées, textuelles et archéologiques, et vise à comprendre si et en quoi les guerriers musulmans et francs, qui se professionnalisent tout au long de la période d’étude, font aussi preuve d’une plus grande maîtrise des espaces qu’ils entendent contrôler. L’article montre que les préoccupations des guerriers ne paraissent pas fondamentalement changer. De même, ils ne font que progressivement usage d’outils plus efficaces, telles que les cartes, pour atteindre leurs objectifs. La guerre ne change pas de nature, pas plus que le rapport des hommes à l’espace. Elle change simplement d’envergure.
From Making Things to Making Meaning
Authors: Bolinas Julius Cesar , Torrisi-Steele Geraldine
Published: November 2022

Design is a quality of the material world and refers to the production of objects and the processes used to make them. In the physical world, design refers to form and function. In the digital world, the construct of design embodies meaning making. Immersed in a digital world, the ability of individuals to fully participate in contemporary society is significantly impacted by their ability to derive meaning from their interactions with multi-modal digital texts. Understanding, using, and producing knowledge in the digital world requires literacy competencies beyond those needed for the traditional reading and writing. ‘Design' is therefore an essential literacy for the 21st century. In the present article, the authors trace the evolution of the concept of design literacy, frame design literacy as a human-centred literacy, and argue for the imperative of the inclusion of design literacy in higher education.
The Role of Civic and Ethical Education to Nurture the Behavior of Students
Authors: Kite Asfaw Gnefato , Genu Edaso Mulu , Mohammed Akalewold Fedilu
Published: November 2022

The core objective of this study was to explore the role of Civic and Ethical Education to nurture behavior of students in Aleta Wondo Secondary School, Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, the study employed cross-sectional survey research design with a combination of mixed research approach. The study used survey and key informant interviews as the major data gathering tools. The collected quantitative data were analyzed via mean and standard deviation while the qualitative data was presented using narration. The findings of the study showed that the intention of Civic and Ethical Education to help students practice ethical values in their school and locality was not effectively realized. The study result revealed that Civic and Ethical Education positively informed students to practice social and democratic values in their lives, schools, and localities, but a gap persists in creating responsible students who know and match their obligations and rights.
Survey of Recent Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Detection and Analysis of COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases
Authors: Segall Richard S. , Sankarasubbu Vidhya
Published: November 2022

The purpose is to illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have been used for detection and analysis of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases such as breast, lung, and skin cancers; heart disease; and others. Specifically, the use of neural networks (NN) and machine learning (ML) are described along with which countries are creating these techniques and how these are being used for COVID-19 or other disease diagnosis and detection. Illustrations of multi-layer convolutional neural networks (CNN), recurrent neural networks (RNN), and deep neural networks (DNN) are provided to show how these are used for COVID-19 or other disease detection and prediction. A summary of big data analytics for COVID-19 and some available COVID-19 open-source data sets and repositories and their characteristics for research and analysis is also provided. An example is also shown for artificial intelligence (AI) and neural network (NN) applications using real-time COVID-19 data.
Traffic Accident Prevention in Low Visibility Conditions Using VANETs Cloud Environment
Authors: Chui Kwok Tai , Kochhar Tanveer Singh , Chhabra Amit , Singh Sunil K. , Singh Deepinder , Peraković Dragan , Almomani Ammar , Arya Varsha
Published: November 2022

Road accidents have become a major concern for safety today. The increase in the number of vehicles has significantly increased the real-time road traffic, leading to many fatal accidents. Over the years, researchers have been trying to find solutions to enhance vehicular security in order to prevent these accidents or at least reduce their impact. This paper aims to contribute in this domain by studying the reaction time of vehicles in low visibility conditions and proposing a solution which can be implemented in the real world to prevent accidents in such scenarios. A novel algorithm is proposed which utilizes a modified form of AODV routing protocol in VANETS Cloud to alert the vehicles whenever a leading vehicle in the same lane slows down. This study can help the drivers by providing them sufficient time to react before any occurrence of an accident. The drivers would have a better idea about the vehicles in front, allowing them to make proper and informed decisions while driving in low visibility conditions.
Navigating the Digital World
Authors: Guenier Amily , Min Ge
Published: November 2022

This study explores a multimodal approach to teaching contemporary Chinese culture to foster university students' intercultural awareness and intercultural communication competence via a third space. Two universities in the UK took part in the study where the course contents moved from static notions of culture-as-fact in terms of national traditions to digital presentation of and live discussion about contemporary China. The pedagogy includes discussing Chinese celebrities' digital videos and films on digital platforms, and students' digital presentations in multimodal modes. Findings from students' comments in the module evaluations, students' reflective essays, and lecturers' observations prove the viability of this approach, and the data analyzed via themes address the function of the third space, the application of multimodality, and approaches to intercultural awareness and intercultural communication competence. The paper suggests that multimodality can be an effective approach to advancing theory and practice in future contemporary culture teaching.
Mehar Approach for Solving Shortest Path Problems With Interval-Valued Triangular Fuzzy Arc Weights
Authors: Bhatia Tanveen Kaur , Kumar Amit , Sharma M. K. , Appadoo S. S.
Published: November 2022

In this paper, an alternative approach (named Mehar approach) is proposed for solving interval-valued triangular fuzzy shortest path problems. Also, it is shown that less computational efforts are required to apply the proposed Mehar approach as compared to Ebrahimnejad et al.'s method. Furthermore, to illustrate the proposed Mehar approach, the interval-valued triangular fuzzy shortest path problem, considered by Ebrahimnejad et al. to illustrate their proposed method, is solved by the proposed Mehar approach.
Altering OWL Ontologies for Efficient Knowledge Organization on the Semantic Web
Authors: Sharma Abhisek , Jain Sarika
Published: November 2022

The increase in the number of users on the internet and the advancement in information technology have spiked the generation of information to an unprecedented level making information retrieval and web mining a difficult task. Semantic technologies can help improve the results of web mining by providing constructs that can help represent the web documents in a machine-understandable manner. To keep providing semantically rich services while keeping this surge in the amount of information in mind, we have to work towards ways to make the process of information management efficient while retaining its effectiveness. One of the ways to accomplish the above task is to improvise the knowledge organization in a manner that every piece of information is in its designated place. This paper discusses and addresses the problems with current knowledge organization methodologies and presents an algorithm to alter the available OWL ontologies. The authors were able to get a noticeable improvement in the amount of storage used by the ontology with fewer axioms without losing any information.
AI-Driven Virtual Simulation for Packaging Customization
Authors: He Lei
Published: November 2022

Recently, virtual reality technology has been paid attention to by the researchers from various fields. With the help of virtual reality technology, packaging customization environment can be simulated more intuitively. Thus, the workers can understand the structural layout in the packaging process, be familiar with the packaging workflow, and know how to deal with emergencies. These will effectively solve the impact of workers' misoperation on packaging quality and waste, and also avoid a series of issues caused by careless operations. This paper adopts artificial intelligence (AI) technology to simulate the packaging customization environment. Experiments show that the packaging customization environment can be simulated by AI technology effectively.
Fatigue Monitoring and Recognition During Basketball Sports via Physiological Signal Analysis
Authors: Xie Zhenhua
Published: November 2022

Fatigue is a feeling that appears after the human body undergoes excessive physical or mental work. The fatigue may reduce the ability to complete work. When sport fatigue occurs, the athlete's heart load continues to increase, muscles become sore, flexibility is reduced, thinking and judgment become slow, and the athlete is easily irritated. Thus, it is necessary to monitor the athlete's status during sports, such as playing basketball. Generally, the ion current in the body will change when the athlete suffers fatigue. That means the sport fatigue may cause changes in the bioelectric signals of the human body. This paper adopts bioelectric signals to analyze athlete status to prevent sport fatigue during basketball. The experiments on a basketball sport dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Predicting Churn of Credit Card Customers Using Machine Learning and AutoML
Authors: Gupta Rajeev Kumar , Bharti Santosh , Pathik Nikhlesh , Sharma Ashutosh
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, a major concern for most retail banks is the risk that originates from customer fluctuation and that increases the cost of almost every financial product. In this work, the authors compared different approaches and algorithms to predict the relevant features that affect the customer churn, which means we can find ways to reduce the customer churn and create financial inclusion. This research was conducted by applying different machine learning techniques like decision tree classifier, random forest classifier, AdaBoost classifier, extreme gradient boosting, and balancing data with random under-sampling and random oversampling. The authors have also implemented AutoML to further compare different models and improve the accuracy of the model to predict customer churn. It was observed that applying AutoML highest accuracy model gave the accuracy of 97.53% in comparison to that of the decision tree classifier, which was 93.48% with the use of low processing power. Important features were ‘total transaction amount' and ‘total transaction count' to predict customer churn for a given dataset.
Flattening Cylindrical Contact Analysis of Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) Nanocomposite
Authors: Bhadra Rakesh , Jana Tamonash , Mitra Anirban , Sahoo Prasanta
Published: November 2022

The present study examines the effects of changes in single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) volume % in an Al reinforced nanocomposite under loading and unloading in a cylindrical flattening contact. Flattening action is provided by a rigid flat, which moves downward and upward to simulate the loading and unloading stages, respectively. The cylinder is modelled as a 2D quarter-circle, which consists of the embedded CNTs. Volume % of the nanotubes is varied by changing the wall thickness and number of CNTs, while the overall radius is kept fixed. Finite element model to perform a plane stress quasi-static analysis is created using ANSYS. The simulated results are compared with results from published studies to satisfactorily validate it. Various parameters, in the contact zone and in the vicinity of the CNTs, are presented as results. It is found that above a certain CNT thickness, higher volume percentage of CNTs result in higher contact force as well as contact area. Additionally, more matrix material in the asperity is found to yield plastically for higher volume percentage of CNTs.
Design and Development of Hybrid Optimization-Enabled Deep Learning Model for Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Bulbule Shamal , Soma Shridevi
Published: November 2022

Myocardial infarction is the most hazardous cardiovascular disease for humans; generally, it is acknowledged as a heart attack, which may result in death. Thus, rapid and precise detection of myocardial infarction is essential to reduce the mortality rate. This paper proposes the Taylor-enhanced invasive weed sine cosine optimization algorithm-based deep convolutional neural network (Taylor IIWSCOA-enabled DCNN) model to classify myocardial infarction. Here, the DCNN classifier is used to predict and categorize myocardial infarction, and the classifier is tuned by the Taylor IIWSCOA to attain superior efficiency. The Taylor IIWSCOA is designed by integrating SCA, IIWO approach, and the Taylor series. The proposed Taylor IIWSCOA-based DCNN approach outperforms other conventional approaches with an accuracy of 0.9412, sensitivity of 0.9535, and specificity of 0.9485.
Heart Disease Prediction Model Using Varied Classifiers with Score-Level Fusion
Authors: Syed Mohammad Haider
Published: November 2022

This paper aims to introduce a novel heart disease prediction model. Originally, the input data is subjected for preprocessing, in which the data cleaning takes place. The features like statistical, higher order statistical features, and symmetrical uncertainty are extracted from the preprocessed data. Then, the selected features are subjected to the classification process with an ensemble model that combines the classifiers like deep belief network (DBN), random forest (RF), and neural network (NN). At last, the score level fusion is carried out to provide the final output. To make the classification more precise and accurate, it is intended to tune the weights of DBN more optimally. A new self-adaptive honey bee mating optimization (SAHBMO) algorithm is implemented in this work for this optimal tuning. Finally, the performance of the presented scheme is computed over the existing approaches in terms of different metrics.
Sustainable Stock Market Prediction Framework Using Machine Learning Models
Authors: Peñalvo Francisco José García , Maan Tamanna , Singh Sunil K. , Kumar Sudhakar , Arya Varsha , Chui Kwok Tai , Singh Gaurav Pratap
Published: November 2022

Prediction of stock prices is a challenging task owing to its volatile and constantly fluctuating nature. Stock price prediction has sparked the interest of various investors, data analysists, and researchers because of high returns on their investments. A sustainable framework for stock price prediction is proposed to quantify the factors affecting the stock price and impact of technology on the ever-changing business world. The proposed framework also helps to understand how technology can be used to predict the future price of stocks by using some historical dataset to produce desirable results using machine learning algorithms. The aim of this research paper is to learn about stock price prediction by using different machine learning algorithms and comparing their performance. The results reveal that Fb-prophet should be preferred for more precise prediction among different ML algorithms.
Prof W S Prinsloo en die omdigting van die Psalms
Authors: Cloete T. T.
Published: November 2022

Prof W S Prinsloo and the poetic rendering of the Psalms: Respect and appreciation is paid to Professor W S Prinsloo in this article. He was an exegete who not only opened new theological insights through his approach to the text, but also gave literary guidance. As exegete, he looked at the structure of the Psalms through a literary eye.
De Psalmist als Hizkia, zoon van David. Een intertextuele lezing van Psalm 138 en Jesaja 36-38
Authors: Beuken W. A.M.
Published: November 2022

The Psalmist as Hezekiah, Son of David. An Intertextual Reading ofPsalm 138 and Isaiah 36-38: Recent research into the Psalms has shown that the 'I' of the laments and the psalms of praise should not be explained in biographical or functional programmatic (cult or court) terms, but should be viewed rather as a metaindividual and paradigmatic figure. Thus the psalmist of one psalm is akin to that of another, their ego being formed according to literary norms. This insight justifies an intertextual reading of the psalms and other biblical texts. Against the background of 2 Chr 32:25, in which Hezekian is accused of ingratitude, the present study endeavours to show that Psalm 138, a song with royal characteristics, can be read as a song of thanksgiving and placed on the lips of Hezekiah. Semantic correspondences with Isaiah 36-38 are both strong and persuasive.
Psalm 6: Van wanhoop tot geloofsekerheid
Authors: Da Silva A. A.
Published: November 2022

Psalm 6 is the first of seven psalms of penance, The aim of this article is to indicate how the author of Psalm 6 moved from crippling despair to a liberating religious assurance, by shifting his focus from the suffering he experienced in his own life, to God's loving deeds toward him. The method used to achieve this goal comprises the following steps: translation; syntactic, and stichometric analyses; segmentation; and stilistic analysis.
Ps 100 als Auslegung von Ps 93-99
Authors: Jeremias J.
Published: November 2022

Ps 100 as an interpretation of Ps 93-99: Ps 100 is composed as the climax of the group Ps 93-99 praising God's kingship over the universe. Quite unusually, its form is determined by tricola throughout, probably answering the traditional tricola of Ps 93. lts wording is full of citations of Ps 95-98 (99) which are combined with each other in order to interprete Ps 93-99 as an invitation to the nations to acknowledge YHWH and to participate in Israel's worship.
Psalm 5: A theology of tension and reconciliation
Authors: Prinsloo G. T.M.
Published: November 2022

Psalm 5 is one of the less known psalms. Yet, it is an extraordinary poem. The most conspicuous characteristic of Psalm 5 is the tension between Yahweh, the righteous and the wicked. This tension is skilfully expressed in the poetic structure of the psalm, where strophes concerning the relationship between Yahweh and the righteous on the one hand and Yahweh and the wicked on the other hand, appear in juxtaposition. Tension is created between the three role players. The aim of this article is to determine the theological relevance of these tensions. This aim is reached via a detailed analysis of the intratextual relations in the poem. In the process problems concerning the strophic structure, genre and social selling of the psalm receive attention. The conclusion is reached that the tensions are used to clarify the relationship between God, the righteous and the wicked, thus serving as dominant interpretational key to determine the theology of the psalm.
Prevalence of Undiagnosed Diabetic Retinopathy among Inpatients with Diabetes at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Jammu Region (Jammu and Kashmir), India
Authors: Nazir Arjumand , Wani Fayaz Ahmed , Jabeen Asma
Published: November 2022

Background:

One of the most devastating consequences of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy (DR), a condition that poses significant financial and health-care burdens on individuals, health-care systems, and the global economy. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of DR in the inpatient diabetic population in the tertiary care hospital of the Jammu region (Jammu and Kashmir).

Methods:

This cross-sectional study had men and women over 18 years admitted to Government Medical College, Jammu with type 1 or type 2 diabetes based on a previous physician diagnosis or hemoglobin A1C ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) and were eligible to participate. The exclusion criteria included type 1 diabetes diagnosed within the past 5 years. In addition, data on secondary risk factors for retinopathy were collected, such as duration, hemoglobin A1C, and associated comorbidities.

Results:

Seventy-eight patients with a known diagnosis of diabetes mellitus were included in this study. The majority of the study participants, 56.4% (44/78) were male and were in the age group of 40–60 years. The majority, 57.7% (45/78) participants, were unaware that DR could affect their vision. The prevalence of proliferative DR and clinically significant macular edema was 3.8% (3/78 each).

Conclusion:

Our study suggests an increased prevalence of DR in the study population, which seems to be a concern.
Effect of a Hydrogen Peroxide Gas-Plasma Sterilization on Physical Integrity and Quality of N95 Respirators
Authors: Murugesan Malathi , Radha Sneha , Singh Bhagteshwar , Mathews Prasad , Devasahayam Suresh , Rupali Priscilla
Published: November 2022

Background:

N95 respirators have prevented transmission among health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During times of intense shortage of respirators and border closures during the pandemic, re-use strategies with available decontamination methods were necessitated. This in-house experimental study evaluated the effect of hydrogen peroxide gas-plasma sterilization on respirators and helped establish an evidence-based protocol for their re-use in a resource-poor setting.

Materials and Methods:

A three-dimensional experimental model using saline nebulization as the aerosol exposure and a particle counter to measure the filtration of particles through the mask pre- and post-sterilization was used. Multiple cycles of plasma sterilization were done till the physical integrity/fit was lost. Total filtration volume was used as a surrogate marker to assess the filtration efficiency (FE).

Results:

The total volume of particles filtered on a 3M respirator was 99.9%. Unused Halyard and Venus respirators were compared against 3M and found to have FE of 99.9% and 60.5%, respectively. After repeated sterilization cycles, the total volume of particles filtered was 59.3% for Halyard in the seventh cycle and 36.2% for Venus in the fifth cycle. When the physical integrity and fit was tested, the appropriate fit was lost after eight cycles of sterilization for Venus and was not lost for Halyard even after the tenth cycle.

Conclusion:

This low-cost experimental study helped implement an effective and safe decontamination strategy for safe re-use of N95 respirators in an emergent situation with no access to commercial testing in a resource poor health-care setting during the pandemic.
Donor Notification and Response Rate in a Stand-alone Blood Center in Western India
Authors: Dholakiya Spruha , Nandani Sanjiv , Vachhani Nishith
Published: November 2022

Background and Objectives:

Counseling and notification of reactive blood donors play an important part in maintaining the chain of safe blood. The process of notification involves informing donors about the status of their reactivity against five major and mandatory transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). Such notification and timely follow-up till the donor reaches the referred place help in reducing the burden of TTI in society, thereby improving blood safety. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of prompt donor notification, referral, and follow-up.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out at a stand-alone blood center from January 2019 to October 2021. A total of 36,162 donations were screened for the five mandatory TTIs-HIV (I and II), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), syphilis, and malaria. All reactive results were retested with a duplicate tube sample and a bag sample to confirm the reactivity. Donors were notified regarding the serostatus by phone and called for reporting at our blood center, and referred to Integrated Testing & Counseling Centre (ICTC) or any other referral center.

Results:

A total of 212 (0.58%) out of 36162 donors were tested reactive during the study period. Out of them, 40.56% (n = 86) were hepatitis B virus reactive, 21.7% (n = 46) were HIV (I and II) reactive, 20.7% (n = 44) were HCV reactive, and remaining 17.1% (n = 36) were syphilis reactive. All the donors were informed. Out of them, 71.69% (n = 152) responded to the communication and 52.83% (n = 112) personally visited the blood center or respective ICTC for further evaluation.

Conclusion:

Even after laying strict criteria for predonation screening and counseling, few donors do conceal their high-risk behavior or even their serostatus and continue to donate blood, leading to the wastage of resources. Thorough follow-up of seroreactive donors helps in improving blood safety and also improves their quality of life by the commencement of timely treatment.
Global and local energy minimizers for a nanowire growth model
Authors: Fonseca Irene , Fusco Nicola , Leoni Giovanni , Morini Massimiliano
Published: November 2022

We consider a model for vapor–liquid–solid growth of nanowires proposed in the physical
literature. Liquid drops are described as local or global volume-constrained minimizers of the
capillarity energy outside a semi-infinite convex obstacle modeling the nanowire. We first address
the existence of global minimizers and then, in the case of rotationally symmetric nanowires, we
investigate how the presence of a sharp edge affects the shape of local minimizers and the validity
of Young’s law.
Adaptation to a heterogeneous patchy environment with non-local dispersion
Authors: Léculier Alexis , Mirrahimi Sepideh
Published: November 2022

In this work, we provide an asymptotic analysis of the solutions to an elliptic integrodifferential
equation. This equation describes the evolutionary equilibria of a phenotypically structured
population, subject to selection, mutation, and both local and non-local dispersion in a spatially
heterogeneous, possibly patchy, environment. Considering small effects of mutations, we provide
an asymptotic description of the equilibria of the phenotypic density. This asymptotic description
involves a Hamilton–Jacobi equation with constraint coupled with an eigenvalue problem. Based on
such analysis, we characterize some qualitative properties of the phenotypic density at equilibrium
depending on the heterogeneity of the environment. In particular, we show that when the heterogeneity of the environment is low, the population concentrates around a single phenotypic trait leading to a unimodal phenotypic distribution. On the contrary, a strong fragmentation of the environment leads to multi-modal phenotypic distributions.
A Middle Neolithic Pottery Workshop at Magoula Imvrou Pigadi, at the Crossroads of Eastern-Western Thessaly and Phtiotida
Authors: Kyparissi-Apostolika Nina , Kalogiropoulou Evita , Roussos Dimitris , Saridaki Niki , Metaxas Odysseas , Kotzamani Georgia , Trantalidou Katerina , Facorellis Yorgos
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the first known and systematically excavated Middle Neolithic pottery workshop in southwestern Thessaly at Imvrou Pigadi. The excavations and in situ finds, along with the pronounced kiln structures, their typological classification and pyrotechnological operation, suggests considerable expertise in pottery manufacture. The pottery itself, together with the chipped stone industry and other small finds, as well as the fauna and archaeobotanical assemblages are presented. The results of the 14C dating programme point to use of the workshop at the beginning of the 6th millennium. All this evidence suggests an active settlement where pottery production was carried out, which was then circulated within the wider region.
Decolorization of reactive azo dye by fenton and photo-fenton processes in aqueous solution: The influence of operating conditions, kinetics study, and performance comparison
Authors: Didar Değermenci Gökçe
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT. In this study, the effect of Fenton and photo-Fenton processes, which are advanced oxidation processes that use the hydroxyl radical for the decolorization of Novacron Black from aqueous solutions, on decolorization was investigated. Optimum levels of initial pH, temperature, hydrogen peroxide concentration, initial dyestuff concentration, and iron concentration were determined. Initial pH, Fe2+ concentration, temperature, and initial Novacron Black concentration are the most effective experimental parameters in the decolorization of Novacron Black with Fenton and photo-Fenton processes. While the Novacron Black concentration was 200 mg/L, the H2O2 concentration was 100 mg/L, the initial solution pH was 3, and the temperature was 20 °C, a decolorization efficiency of 82.1% was obtained in the Fenton process at a concentration of 5 mg/L Fe2+, while in the photo-Fenton process at a 2 mg/L Fe2+ concentration, a 94.6% decolorization efficiency was obtained. Upon decolorization of Novacron Black, the photo-Fenton process had a higher removal efficiency than the Fenton process, even at low iron concentrations. From data obtained at various concentrations of initial Novacron Black, the non-linear method was used to determine the decolorization kinetics of Novacron Black. Finally, an economic analysis was carried out to compare the differences in operating costs between Fenton and photo-Fenton processes.

 

KEY WORDS: Advanced oxidation process, Decolorization, Fenton oxidation, Kinetic model, Photo-Fenton oxidation

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(1), 197-210.                                                               

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i1.16
Evaluation of heavy metal accumulation in sediment, surface water and some plants in the Karasu Riparian Zone
Authors: Çomaklı Emre
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACT. This study aims to determine and compare the heavy metal concentrations in the water, sediment, and plants of the Karasu river in Erzurum, Türkiye. In this context, aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and barium (Ba) concentrations were measured for this study. Salix excelsa (willow), Rosa canina L., Pyrus elaeagnifolia (wild pear), Malus sylvestris (wild apple), and Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) plants were used as samples. Heavy metal concentrations follow the order of Al3+ > Fe2+ > Mn2+ > Ba2+ > Ni2+ > Zn2+ in the sediment. Heavy metal concentrations follow the order of Al3+ > Fe2+ > Ba2+ > Mn2+ > Zn2+ > Ni2+ in water. The leaf part of Salix excelsa has the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) for Mn among plant parts. Mean BCF values were as follows: Zn2+ > Mn2+ > Ba2+ > Ni2+ > Al3+ ≈ Fe2+. In addition, the highest plant translocation factor (PTF) values were determined in Salix excelsa for Al and Fe; in Rosa canina L. for Ni and Zn; in Hippophae rhamnoides L. for Mn and in Malus sylvestris for Ba.

 

KEY WORDS: Heavy metals accumulation, Sediment, Water, Plant, Riparian Zone

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(1), 35-45.                                                                  

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i1.4
Challenges and Problems of Neuroeconomics: Several Tasks for Social Scientists
Authors: Müller Michal
Published: November 2022

Neuroscience is a fascinating discipline – its dynamic progress has led to the emergence of new interdisciplinary research programmes with great potential. One of these research areas is neuroeconomics. As will be shown in this article, this discipline, which is difficult to clearly characterize and define, is faced with many problems. This paper argues that social scientists should be interested in the problems and tendencies in social neuroscience for several reasons. Neuroeconomics, and other disciplines inspired by neuroscience, will compete with their parent disciplines in many fields of interest. On one hand it will be necessary for scientists to define and defend the irreplaceable roles of their disciplines, but also critically evaluate the potential of new approaches on the other. In the context of this discussion, which reopens questions about the scientific status of economics and its roles, this paper introduces the main problems related to neuroeconomics. This paper concludes that these problems represent a wide domain for social scientists and methodologists of science.
Naturalness of Properties and Simplicity of Theories
Authors: Drobňák Matej
Published: November 2022

In this paper, I discuss a specific approach to measuring and comparing the simplicity of theories that is based on Lewis’s notion of fundamental properties. In particular, I discuss the criterion of simplicity as stated by Williams. According to Williams, the best candidate for a theory is the one which has the shortest definition in terms of fundamental properties. The aim of this paper is to show that the criterion thus specified has two constraints. First, the criterion is not applicable to cases in which candidates for theories that specify fundamental properties are compared. Secondly, the applicability of the criterion in social sciences seems to be unwarranted.