bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EksPy: a new Python framework for developing graphical user interface based PyQt5
Authors: Kirsan Aidil Saputra , Takano Kosuke , Zebada Mansurina Sallie Trixie
Published: November 2023

This study introduces EksPy Python framework, a novel framework designed for developing graphical user interface (GUI) applications in Python. EksPy framework is built on PyQt5, which is a collection of Python bindings for the Qt libraries, and it provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface. The comparative analysis of EksPy framework with existing frameworks such as Tkinter and PyQt highlights its notable features, including ease of use, rapid development, enhanced performance, effective database management, and the model-view-controller (MVC) concept. The experimental results illustrate that EksPy framework requires less code and enhances code readability, thereby facilitating better understanding and efficient development. Additionally, EksPy framework offers a modern and customizable appearance, surpassing Tkinter’s capabilities. Furthermore, it incorporates a built-in object-relational mapping (ORM) feature to simplify database interactions and adheres to the MVC architectural pattern. In conclusion, EksPy Python framework emerges as a powerful, user-friendly, and efficient framework for GUI application development in Python.
Encountering distributed denial of service attack utilizing federated software defined network
Authors: Abdelhadi Rima , Alsafasfeh Moath H. , Alqudah Bilal I.
Published: November 2023

This research defines the distributed denial of service (DDoS) problem in software-defined-networks (SDN) environments. The proposes solution uses Software defined networks capabilities to reduce risk, introduces a collaborative, distributed defense mechanism rather than server-side filtration. Our proposed network detection and prevention agent (NDPA) algorithm negotiates the maximum amount of traffic allowed to be passed to server by reconfiguring network switches and routers to reduce the ports' throughput of the network devices by the specified limit ratio. When the passed traffic is back to normal, NDPA starts network recovery to normal throughput levels, increasing ports' throughput by adding back the limit ratio gradually each time cycle. The simulation results showed that the proposed algorithms successfully detected and prevented a DDoS attack from overwhelming the targeted server. The server was able to coordinate its operations with the SDN controllers through a communication mechanism created specifically for this purpose. The system was also able to determine when the attack was over and utilize traffic engineering to improve the quality of service (QoS). The solution was designed with a sophisticated way and high level of separation of duties between components so it would not be affected by the design aspect of the network architecture.
A dilution-based defense method against poisoning attacks on deep learning systems
Authors: Park Hweerang , Cho Youngho
Published: November 2023

Poisoning attack in deep learning (DL) refers to a type of adversarial attack that injects maliciously manipulated data samples into a training dataset for the purpose of forcing a DL model trained based on the poisoned training dataset to misclassify inputs and thus significantly degrading its performance and reliability. Meanwhile, a traditional defense approach against poisoning attacks tries to detect poisoned data samples from the training dataset and then remove them. However, since new sophisticated attacks avoiding existing detection methods continue to emerge, a detection method alone cannot effectively counter poisoning attacks. For this reason, in this paper, we propose a novel dilution-based defense method that mitigates the effect of poisoned data by adding clean data to the training dataset. According to our experiments, our dilution-based defense technique can significantly decrease the success rate of poisoning attacks and improve classification accuracy by effectively reducing the contamination ratio of the manipulated data. Especially, our proposed method outperformed an existing defense method (Cutmix data augmentation) by 20.9%p at most in terms of classification accuracy.
Sentimental analysis of audio based customer reviews without textual conversion
Authors: Maradithaya Sumana , Katti Anantshesh
Published: November 2023

The current trends or procedures followed in the customer relation management system (CRM) are based on reviews, mails, and other textual data, gathered in the form of feedback from the customers. Sentiment analysis algorithms are deployed in order to gain polarity results, which can be used to improve customer services. But with evolving technologies, lately reviews or feedbacks are being dominated by audio data. As per literature, the audio contents are being translated to text and sentiments are analyzed using natural processing language techniques. However, these approaches can be time consuming. The proposed work focuses on analyzing the sentiments on the audio data itself without any textual conversion. The basic sentiment analysis polarities are mostly termed as positive, negative, and natural. But the focus is to make use of basic emotions as the base of deciding the polarity. The proposed model uses deep neural network and features such as Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), Chroma and Mel Spectrogram on audio-based reviews.
Development of energy conversion and lightning strike protection simulation for photovoltaic-wind turbine on grid
Authors: Satria Habib , Mungkin Moranain , Dayana Indri , Ramdan Dadan , Maizana Dina , Syafii Syafii
Published: November 2023

Photovoltaic (PV) installations and wind turbines that are installed on the rooftops of buildings need to be protected because the layout is in a high position and there is a risk of being struck by lightning. Therefore, a more effective protection system is designed to anticipate electronic damage and fire on all materials in the distribution network, especially the addition of PV and wind turbine installations on building roofs. The purpose of this study is to simulate a lightning protection system on the distribution network and the results of on-grid PV energy conversion using electrical transient analyzer program (ETAP) software. Feeder relay delay times and cascade coordination patterns between outgoing and incoming relays do not overlap. the delay time of the relay working on the feeder is 0.31 s and the coordination pattern of the outgoing relay and incoming relay does not touch each other, so the delay time for the incoming relay is 2.73 s. Then testing the results of PV energy conversion connected to the grid using MATLAB Simulink monitoring obtained data reaching 1.600 Wp at peak power with sun conditions parallel to the PV installation layout.
Remote sensing in the analysis between forest cover and COVID-19 cases in Colombia
Authors: Henao-Céspedes Vladimir , Garcés-Gómez Yeison Alberto
Published: November 2023

This article explores the relationship between forest cover and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Colombia using remote sensing techniques and data analysis. The study focuses on the CORINE land cover methodology's five main land cover categories: artificial territory, agricultural territories, forests and semi-natural areas, humid areas, and water surfaces. The research methodology involves several phases of the unified method of analytical solutions for data mining (ASUM-DM). Data on COVID-19 cases and forest cover are collected from the Colombian National Institute of Health and Advanced Land Observation Satellite (ALOS PALSAR), respectively. Land cover data is processed using QGIS software. The results indicate an inverse relationship between forest cover and COVID-19 cases, as evidenced by Pearson's index ρ of -0.439 (p-value <0.012). In addition, a negative correlation is observed between case density and forests and semi-natural areas, one of the land cover categories. The findings of this study suggest that higher forest cover is associated with lower numbers of COVID-19 cases in Colombia. The results could potentially inform government organizations and policymakers in implementing strategies and policies for forest conservation and the inclusion of green areas in densely populated urban areas.
Generate fuzzy string-matching to build self attention on Indonesian medical-chatbot
Authors: Suwarningsih Wiwin , Nuryani Nuryani
Published: November 2023

Chatbot is a form of interactive conversation that requires quick and precise answers. The process of identifying answers to users’ questions involves string matching and handling incorrect spelling. Therefore, a system that can independently predict and correct letters is highly necessary. The approach used to address this issue is to enhance the fuzzy string-matching method by incorporating several features for self-attention. The combination of fuzzy string-matching methods employed includes Jaro Winkler distance + Levenshtein Damerau distance and Damerau Levenshtein + Rabin Carp. The reason for using this combination is their ability not only to match strings but also to correct word typing errors. This research contributes by developing a self-attention mechanism through a modified fuzzy string-matching model with enhanced word feature structures. The goal is to utilize this self-attention mechanism in constructing the Indonesian medical bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (IM-BERT). This will serve as a foundation for additional features to provide accurate answers in the Indonesian medical question and answer system, achieving an exact match of 85.7% and an F1-score of 87.6%.
Predictive model for acute myocardial infarction in working-age population: a machine learning approach
Authors: Urbano-Cano Astrid Lorena , López-Mesa Diana Jimena , Alvarez-Rosero Rosa Elvira , Garces-Gomez Yeison Alberto
Published: November 2023

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in Latin America, particularly acute myocardial infarction (AMI), which is the primary cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular morbidity. This study aims to develop a predictive model for the probability of AMI occurrence in the working-age population, based on atherogenic indices, paraclinical variables, and anthropometric measures. The research conducted a cross-sectional study involving 427 workers aged 40 years or older in Popayán, Colombia. Out of this population, 202 individuals were screened with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% error margin. Epidemiological, anthropometric, and paraclinical data were collected. A binary logistic regression model was employed to identify variables directly associated with the probability of AMI. Predictive classification models were generated using statistical software JASP and the programming language Python. During the training stage, JASP produced a model with an accuracy of 87.5%, while Python generated a model with an accuracy of 90.2%. In the validation stage, JASP achieved an accuracy of 93%, and Python reached 95%. These results establish an effective model for predicting the probability of AMI in the working population.
Perfil da coorte de pessoas em tratamento da infecção por HIV no SUS, Brasil, 2015–2018
Authors: Sato Ana Paula Sayuri , Nemes Maria Ines Battistella , Alves Ana Maroso , Souza Evelyn Lima de , Santos Barbara dos Reis , Nunes Luceime Olivia , Santos Angélica Carreira dos , Kumow Aline , Nascimento Felipe Parra do
Published: November 2023

OBJETIVO: Construir uma base integrada de dados individuais e dos serviços da coorte de pessoas que iniciaram terapia antirretroviral (TARV) entre 2015 e 2018 no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte aberta que incluiu pessoas de 15 anos ou mais que iniciaram TARV entre 2015 e 2018, com acompanhamento em serviços do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), e que responderam ao inquérito nacional Qualiaids de 2016/2017. A fonte de dados individuais foi o banco relacionado do HIV, proveniente do relacionamento probabilístico entre dados dos sistemas de informação de diagnóstico, medicação, exames e óbitos do SUS. A fonte de dados dos serviços foi o banco de respostas dos serviços ao inquérito Qualiaids. Após análise de consistência e exclusões, o banco dos indivíduos foi relacionado deterministicamente com o banco de serviços. RESULTADOS: A coorte reuniu 132.540 pessoas acompanhadas em 941 serviços do SUS. Desses serviços, 59% localizam-se na região Sudeste e 49% acompanharam 51 a 500 participantes da coorte. O desempenho médio de organização e gerência da assistência ao paciente variou de 29% a 75%. A maioria dos participantes da coorte é do sexo masculino, preto e pardo, com idade entre 20 e 39 anos e tem entre 4 e 11 anos de escolaridade. O T-CD4 mediano basal foi de 419 células/mm3, 6% tiveram episódio de tuberculose e 2% foram a óbito por doença do HIV. CONCLUSÃO: A coorte oportuniza pela primeira vez no Brasil a análise conjunta de fatores individuais e dos serviços na produção dos desfechos clínicos positivos e negativos do tratamento do HIV.
Colloquium 4 Plato’s Statesman and the Nature of Philosophical Writing
Authors: Sanday Eric
Published: November 2023

The Visitor’s inquiry into the expertise of statesmanship in Plato’s Statesman consistently privileges knowledge as the sole source from which to derive legitimate authority to command. And yet the section of the dialogue to which he refers as a “play” (δρᾶμα, 303c8) of satyrs and centaurs (291a–303d) complicates matters significantly by spelling out the difficulty of identifying a true statesman and the dangers of thinking ourselves able to do so. Reading the account of human community provided in the myth of the cosmos together with the “good imitation” of knowledge in the satyr play, a limited notion of properly human wisdom comes into view as the horizon within which to interpret knowledge and dialectical division in the dialogue. I conclude that the education of the dialectician is connected to the problem of the absence of the true statesman, and that the Statesman is prescribing ways in which members of the philosophical community ought to understand themselves in dialogue with the written word.
Otapirian (Rhaetian) Terebratulida (Brachiopoda) of Zealandia
Authors: MACFARLAN DONALD ALEXANDER BANKIER
Published: November 2023

Terebratulides are present throughout the Zealandian Rhaetian (Otapirian local stage), but only Zeilleria spiculata has been described to date. Others have been recorded, mainly as Dielasma. A total of seven species are recorded here. In this paper, two new species are included in the dielasmatid genus Tibetothyris Jin and Sun, 1976. Tibetothyris hamishi n. sp. is found in New Caledonia and the Kawhia and Southland synclines. Tibetothyris johnstoni n. sp. is found in New Caledonia, Nelson, and the Taringatura Hills in western Southland. A large, biconvex terebratulide that is common at a few localities in île Ducos and île Hugon, New Caledonia, in Nelson, and probably in Southland, belongs to the cosmopolitan genus Rhaetina and is described as Rhaetina rainei n. sp.
Lobothyris richardsi n. sp. is proposed for a Lobothyris with a distinctive straight anterior margin. This has some resemblance to the Siberian and North American Late Triassic species Lobothyris monstrifera Dagys, 1963.
As well as Z. spiculata, two other species of Zeilleria are recognized from the Otapirian of Zealandia. A small form that has some similarity to the Early Jurassic Zeilleria terezowae is here named Z. minima n. sp. A single specimen of a larger, strongly inflated species is described as Zeilleria n. sp.
The fauna as a whole is cosmopolitan, with affinities to the Circumpacific region.
Musicians in the marsh: a new species of music frog (Anura: Ranidae: Nidirana) from Arunachal Pradesh, India
Authors: BORUAH BITUPAN , DEEPAK V. , DAS ABHIJIT
Published: November 2023

We describe a new species of ranid frog of the genus Nidirana from northeast India based on morphological, molecular and acoustic evidence. The new species is phenotypically distinct from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters: body robust with SVL 46.5–59.1 mm (n= 3) in adult males and SVL 60.6–66.0 mm (n= 2) in adult females; a pair of subgular vocal sacs and two patches of nuptial pad on the first finger in adult males; toe tips slightly dilated and oval; circum-marginal grooves present on all toes; dorsal skin with scattered small tubercles. A pale cream-coloured mid-dorsal line from the snout tip to the vent is present. Phylogenetically, the new species differs from its congeners by a genetic divergence of 3.4–8.0% and 7.7–12.4% in 16S and COI genes respectively. Furthermore, the new species can be differentiated from its congeners by its advertisement call, which consists of two different types of notes, call duration (0.58–0.92 s) and dominant frequency of the call (473.7 Hz). The discovery of a new species validates the presence of the genus Nidirana from India and emphasizes the importance of exploring specialized habitats such as marshlands, which are often overlooked.
Introduction
Authors: Reynolds Matthew
Published: November 2023

The introduction explains the volume’s contribution to the overlapping fields of World Literature, Comparative Literature, Translation Studies and English Literature. It traces theoretical debts to Édouard Glissant’s conception of relatedness and Francis B. Nyamnjoh’s understanding of imperfection, and situates the book in relation to other recent work. It underlines the innovativeness of the volume’s commitment to close reading in a world literary context, and introduces its use of digital techniques including interactive maps and textual animations. It also sketches the structure of the volume: a sequence of Chapters, written by Matthew Reynolds, will provide an overview and ongoing argument about Jane Eyre as a world work and how to read it, while Essays by the other co-authors will give focused attention to a variety of issues and locations.
I. Prismatic Translation and Jane Eyre as a World Work
Authors: Reynolds Matthew
Published: November 2023

The chapter starts by giving a history of anglophone responses to Jane Eyre, both critical and creative, and arguing for the similar significance of translations: they too are interpretive acts that change the source text by their interpretation of it. It goes on to explain the pragmatic distinction between translations and other kinds of response that has been adopted in this volume: translations are taken as being published prose fiction texts that present themselves as being Jane Eyre in a different language. It then fleshes out this definition through a close reading of the 1849 French translation by ‘Old Nick’ (Paul Émile Daurand Forgues) and an account of other early translations. It concludes by building on Reynolds’s existing theory of prismatic translation to offer a definition of Jane Eyre as a world work – that is, as a work that is co-constituted by the English texts of Jane Eyre together with all their translations, and so as a work that is always changing while remaining continuous with itself.
8. The Translatability of Love
Authors: Tahmasebian Kayvan , Gould Rebecca Ruth
Published: November 2023

This essay examines how twentieth century Iranian readers situated Jane Eyre within the classical genre of romance literature (adabiyāt-i ʿāshiqāna), originating from the tradition of love narratives in verse (ʿishq-nāma) pioneered by the twelfth century Persian poet Nizami Ganjevi. While romance is only one among several of the original Jane Eyre’s modes of generic belonging, the translation and reception of Jane Eyre into Persian facilitated the novel’s generic recalibration. We show how the prohibition on romance literature following the 1979 Iranian revolution paved the way for foreign classics such as Jane Eyre to be read as romances in the classical sense of the term.
IV. Close-Reading the Multiplicitous Text Through Language(s)
Authors: Reynolds Matthew
Published: November 2023

The world work that consists of Jane Eyre and/in all its translations has open borders: any instance of it is intertextually connected to all the others. This chapter introduces techniques for close-reading such a vast, multilingual text, focusing on the repetitions and transformations of key words, and drawing on the concept of ‘agnation’ as articulated by M. I. M. Matthiessen, as well as William Empson’s ‘complex words’ and Raymond Williams’s ‘Keywords’. It then provides an introductory discussion of ‘glad’, ‘happy’, ‘conscience’ and ‘master’, and their transformations through multiple translations.
9. A Mind of her Own
Authors: Marques dos Santos Ana Teresa , Pazos-Alonso Cláudia
Published: November 2023

This essay explores seven Portuguese-language translations of Jane Eyre, ranging from the nineteenth-century periodical O Zoophilo, through to two twenty-first century versions. We discuss renditions of two specific extracts (from Chapters 12 and 34), deploying back translations for readers unfamiliar with Portuguese. In a selection that spans both Brazil and Portugal, we consider how political contexts and personal agendas shape translator engagement with the yearning for freedom that characterises Bronte’s heroine. In particular, close attention to the seismic prison/escape dynamic, through keywords such as ‘mind’, ‘masterhood’ and possessives and adjectives indicative of Jane’s self-affirming impetus, serve to illuminate gender politics.
11. Emotional Fingerprints
Authors: Gaudio Paola
Published: November 2023

This is a transversal reading of the novel and its Italian translations through the lens of nouns expressing emotions. To this aim, a parallel corpus was compiled, comprising the source text and 11 translations. After identifying the types and range of English emotion-nouns and commenting on their significance in the novel, Italian equivalents are analysed, comparing them against the source text. Such a quantitative study has allowed me to identify patterns and anomalies in how emotion-nouns are used by individual translators. Emotional fingerprints of the source text and of each translation have been created to provide a visual representation of their idiosyncrasies.
17. Appearing Jane, in Russian
Authors: Kelbert Eugenia
Published: November 2023

How Russian is Russian Jane Eyre? To what extent does a new translation reimagine the protagonist? This essay considers translation variation through the example of Jane’s physical appearance in the six Russian translations of Jane Eyre. It argues that translation variation affects interpretation in crucial yet often undetected ways with a focus on special cases like Jane’s, of a narrator-protagonist whose looks are deliberately ambiguous in the original, from her irregular features to the colour of her eyes.
Application of nanogold-cisplatin drug delivery system in laryngeal cancer chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Xing Guosheng , Kong Ruihua , Yang Shuli , Ma Ruixue , Sun Zhiguo
Published: November 2023

To evaluate the efficacy of nanoparticle-loaded cisplatin (DDP) for treating laryngeal cancer (LC), we developed a delivery system for targeted DDP delivery using gold nanoparticles (GNPs). FaDu cells were cultured to assess the permeability and antitumor efficacy of DDP@GNP, and an LC rat model was constructed to further investigate its antitumor efficiency.In vitroexperiments revealed that the DDP@GPN had a particle size ranging from 80–90 nm and significantly prolonged the half-life of DDP by nearly 50-fold. Additionally, DDP@GNP demonstrated excellent targeting and penetration ability in FaDu cells, thereby effectively enhancing apoptosis and inhibiting the invasive properties of tumor cells. Furthermore, DDP@GNP enhanced the radiosensitivity of FaDu cells, thus enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy. In vivo experiments also showed that the combination of DDP@GNP with radiotherapy significantly reduced tumor volume. Therefore, DDP@GNP shows immense potential for enhancing the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in LC.
Improvement on renal interstitial fibrosis in rats with renal failure via TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway by means of panax notoginseng saponins
Authors: Wang Xingchen , Zhang Lin , Wang Runkun , Hu Wenfeng , Sun Jialin , Wang Lei
Published: November 2023

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) have excellent effects on treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, tumors and organ interstitial diseases. This study assessed the effect of PNS on renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). Four groups of models were firstly created, which included;
renal failure model, healthy group, model group, PNS group, and then established TLR4 inhibitor group (TAK-242 group), TLR4 activator group (LPS group), combined PNS and TLR4 inhibitor group (PNS+ TAK-242 group) and combined PNS and TLR4 agonist (PNS+LPS group). TLR4/NF-κB signaling
pathway and regulatory mechanism for PNS were observed along with analysis of TGF-β1, α-SMA, Collagen I and FN expressions in kidney tissues. The PNS significantly inhibited changes of renal interstitial fibrosis in rats with renal failure, and this process was related
to decreased expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB. The PNS also inhibited the expression of TLR4, and expressions of TGF-β1, α-SMA, Collagen I and FN were down-regulated in kidney cells after using TAK-242, especially in the PNS+TAK-242 group. The PNS can thus
significantly inhibit the process of renal fibrosis, and this process is due to the fact that, PNS inhibits the activity of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to down-regulate the expressions of fibrosis-related factors TGF-β1, α-SMA, etc., in exerting its effects.
Astragalus polysaccharide liposome nanoparticles mediate fatty acid translocase (FAT)/CD36 to improve fatty acid metabolism and regulate glucocorticoid receptor levels in diabetic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Ji Yuqin , Zhu Didi , Qin Shuchao , Yang Yuanqi
Published: November 2023

Abnormal myocardial metabolism is the leading cause of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) combination with liposome nanoparticles (APS-nano) exhibits greater efficacy. Therefore, this study assessed regulatory effect of APS-nano on fatty acid translocase
(FAT)/CD36. Fifty SD rats were assigned into control group, model group, APS group, APS-nano group, and FAT/CD36 inhibitor group (n =10, each group), followed by analysis of FAT/CD36 mRNA, protein levels, and glucocorticoid receptor expression. APS-nano group rats had highest level
of insulin among all groups and lowest blood sugar. The content of Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and Free Fatty Acid (FFA) in APS-nano group was lower than APS and model groups (P = 0.000), with higher TC and FFA than control group (P <0.001), while insulin, blood
sugar, TC, TG and FFA in the APS group were lower than model group (P = 0.000). FAT/CD36 mRNA in the model, APS, and APS-nano groups decreased to varying degrees (P <0.01). Administration of APS-nano greatly increased glucocorticoid receptor (P <0.01). APS-nano can
regulate FAT/CD36 expression and improve fatty acid metabolism, thereby lowering myocardial tissue metabolism and inhibiting glucocorticoid receptor levels.
Construction of a bearing capacity testing model for reinforced bridges based on material performance deterioration
Authors: Zhang Xia , Zhang Lei , Huang Rongbin , Zhang Xianghui
Published: November 2023

Reinforced concrete beam bridges have been extensively utilized in transportation engineering due to their advantages such as simplified material selection and low cost. However, the mechanical performance of steel bars and concrete deteriorates over time due to factors such as prolonged bridge service life, fluctuations in environmental temperature and humidity, and other influences. To achieve a precise and effective prediction of the bearing capacity of reinforced concrete structures, this study proposes a method for assessing bearing capacity in the context of material performance degradation. The study commenced by examining the factors that impact the degradation of bridge performance and subsequently utilized material performance test values along with predicted and corrected values to estimate the reduced bearing capacity of the bridge. Additionally, the mechanical and bonding properties of modified reinforced concrete materials were calculated. The experiment results demonstrate that the calculated values from the modified model closely align with the measured values with a differential range of 0.06 to 0.38. At a micro level, nano-SiO2modification enhances rubber concrete by improving the compactness of the matrix and enhancing bond strength between steel fiber-and-nanosilica-reinforced crumb rubber concrete and deformed steel bars. The revised model in this study exhibits excellent predictive capability for concrete strength, thereby enhancing the accuracy of outcomes in evaluating bridge technical conditions. This method holds potential for practical engineering applications and scientific research on bridge evaluation.
Soft intercalated slope stability optimization with a modified polymer curing agent
Authors: He Yun
Published: November 2023

The demand for high-grade roads is significantly higher in developing countries. However, slopes containing coal gangue weak interlayer pose significant safety risks to highways, railways, and other infrastructures. To address this issue, this study aims to find the best polymer cement
ratio scheme of traditional pure acrylic emulsion polymer curing agents. Based on this scheme, a reinforcement method was designed, which combined modified polyvinyl acetate with the coal gangue soft interlayer. The slope test results using a rigid model box showed that the shear strength
of the root–soil composite in the PVAC group was higher than that in the pure acrylic emulsion group under different vertical consolidation pressures. Over time, the cumulative soil loss rate of the pure acrylic emulsion group gradually increased, and the soil pH decreased. Conversely,
the PVAC group showed minimal changes in these two indicators with time. Under the same conditions, the slope shear strength of the PVAC group remained stronger than that of the pure acrylic emulsion group. The standard deviations of multiple tests for the PVAC group and pure acrylic emulsion
group, under a vertical consolidation pressure of 100 kPa, were 7.2 kPa and 9.2 kPa, respectively, indicating greater stability in the PVAC group. With a stability coefficient of 3.39, which surpasses that of the pure acrylic emulsion group, the PVAC group exhibited enhanced slope stability.
These results indicate that this method can effectively enhance the stability of coal gangue soft interlayer slopes without causing environmental pollution.
Including the Horizontal Observation Error Correlation in the Ensemble Kalman Filter: Idealized Experiments with NICAM-LETKF
Authors: Terasaki Koji , Miyoshi Takemasa
Published: November 2023

Densely observed remote sensing data such as radars and satellites generally contain significant spatial error correlations. In data assimilation, the observation error covariance matrix is usually assumed to be diagonal, and the dense data are thinned or spatially averaged to compensate for neglecting the spatial observation error correlation. However, in theory, including the spatial observation error correlation in data assimilation can make better use of the dense data. This study performs perfect model observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) using the nonhydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model (NICAM) and the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) to assess the impact of assimilating horizontally dense and error-correlated observations. The condition number of the observation error covariance matrix, defined as the ratio of the largest to smallest eigenvalues, is important for the numerical stability of the LETKF computation. A large condition number makes it difficult to compute the ensemble transform matrix correctly. Reducing the condition number by reconditioning is found effective for stable computation. The results show that including the horizontal observation error correlation with reconditioning makes the analysis more accurate but requires 6 times more computations than the case with the diagonal observation error covariance matrix.

Significance Statement

It is important to effectively utilize observations in data assimilation for more accurate weather prediction. Spatially dense observations are known to have an error correlation that is ignored in the data assimilation. This study explores assimilating dense observations by explicitly including observation error correlations with an idealized experiment. The results shows that the analysis is improved by including the observation error correlations. Also, the condition number of the observation error covariance matrix is essential for stable computations.
Challenging the protest paradigm and winning legitimacy. Analysis of the representation of the social movement against femicide in the mainstream media in Mexico
Authors: Aldrete Mariana
Published: November 2023

Previous studies found a tendency for negative representations of social movements in the media in the so-called ‘protest paradigm’. This work proposes a methodology using the paradigm as a framework and operationalizing its characteristics into neutral variables: emphasis, prominence, legitimacy, and tone. In addition, the political elite-media relationship is included as an analytical dimension to better understand the factors that produce media representations of social movements. The empirical focus is the representation of the movement against femicide in three Mexican national news outlets with different political leanings, from 2014 to 2017, gathering N = 865 news articles. The articles were coded using the qualitative content analysis technique. Each variable was coded to measure the representation of the movement and the authorities. The results show that the detriment to one actor’s legitimacy can benefit the other’s representation, suggesting an interdependent system formed by the political elite, the media, and the social movements.
Examining distrust of science and scientists: A study on ideology and scientific literacy in the European Union
Authors: Obreja Dragoș M , Rughiniș Răzvan , Rosner Daniel
Published: November 2023

There is considerable evidence that, in the United States, public distrust in science is amplified by a conservative ideology and by lower levels of scientific literacy. By emphasizing the discussion on reflexive modernity and (de)politicization of science and politics, we use the Eurobarometer 95.2 to explore these relationships in present-day European Union. We document a significant relationship between conservatively oriented opinions and lower scores on the scientific literacy scale and EU respondents’ levels of distrust in science. We notice that conservative attitudes – measured by dummy statements such as focus on morality instead of innovation, and national isolation due to fear of international crime instead of international co-operation – cause higher distrust in science and scientists. Unlike several studies carried out in the United States, we observe that in the European Union countries, trust in private companies to tackle with scientific issues such as climate change does not predict much when it comes to trust in science and scientists. The obtained results highlight the conceptual confluence between politicization of EU politics and expertization when it comes to policymaking at the EU level, emphasizing the debate regarding the ideological tension that fuels the distrust in science and scientists.
Visual Style Elements in Human–System Interface Design for Nuclear Power Operations: Does Style Affect Performance and Preference?
Authors: Hall Anna , Alivisatos Clara , Ulrich Thomas A. , Lew Roger , Boring Ronald L. , Poresky Christopher
Published: November 2023

Objective

As the world increasingly adopts renewable and sustainable energy systems, transitionary solutions include nuclear power, which currently provides 20% of the United States’ electricity and is the largest single source of carbon-free electricity generation. Advanced reactors are a critical component of a carbon-free mixed energy portfolio that require careful design of first-of-a-kind control rooms.

Background

The application of Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is essential for scientific and iterative testing of novel human–system interface (HSI) concepts to ensure effective, efficient, and safe plant operations. Microworlds are simulators that use simplified physics models and control systems to distill nuclear power operations into essential functions.

Method

HFE scientists used the Rancor Microworld Simulator to obtain preference and performance metrics for novel and traditional static HSI design styles. Participants comprised advanced reactor company employees and nuclear industry consultants. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative data was captured.

Results

There was a preference for the basic graphical style that included high contrast and traditional color scheme elements. No single HSI design outperformed the others, and the participants did not perform better using their preferred HSI style.

Conclusion

This experiment is the first in a series of HFE testing for HSIs in advanced reactor control room development. Clear user preferences emerged for elements within static displays. The cutting-edge neumorphic style was the least preferred. Future directions include tests of dynamic displays.

Application

HFE is used in evaluating and designing HSI devices that will improve the efficiency and safety of advanced nuclear power operations.
Navigating Loss Together: A Scoping Review of Couples Therapy Interventions for Perinatal Death
Authors: Kendrick Jennifer I. S. , Sterrett-Hong Emma
Published: November 2023

The loss of a pregnancy at any stage can serve as an enormous stressor to a couple’s relationship. However, empirically based interventions to reduce distress after perinatal loss have historically been aimed at the pregnant person, not the couple dyad. This excludes non-birthing individuals from receiving professional support and leads to a deficit in evidence-based therapeutic support for the couple dyad at a time in which a lack of connection has been shown to contribute to poor mental health and relationship outcomes for the individual and couple. This scoping review examines existing couple-based interventions for perinatal loss and the measurement of impact on the individual and couple dyad.
A possible mechanism and predictors of forming looped guidewire between the right subclavian and brachiocephalic artery during coronary angiography with right radial artery access: An original paper
Authors: Nakajima Hiroyuki , Momose Tomoyasu , Misawa Takuo
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Guidewire occasionally creates a loop-like appearance between the right subclavian artery and brachiocephalic artery when performing coronary angiography (CAG) with right radial artery (RtRA) access. We called this occurrence a looped guidewire at the brachiocephalic artery (looped GW at BA). It is associated with difficulties in catheter manipulation. This study aimed to assess the predictors of forming a looped GW at the BA.

Methods

We examined 175 (mean age, 71.3 ± 9.5 years; 74.9% men) consecutive patients who underwent elective CAG with the RtRA access. Looped GW at the BA was defined as a loop-like appearance of the 0.035-inch GW between the right subclavian and brachiocephalic artery on a frontal view or left anterior oblique. To identify the predictors of looped GW at BA, patient characteristics and examination data obtained before CAG were compared between patients with and without looped GW at the BA.

Results

The prevalence of looped GW at BA was 10.9%. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which reflects arterial stiffness, was significantly different in patients with or without looped GW at BA (9.8 ± 1.0 vs. 8.9 ± 1.5, p  = 0.0092). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of CAVI to predict looped GW at BA was 0.745, with 0.94 sensitivity and 0.57 specificity in a cutoff point of CAVI ≥9.0.

Conclusions

Looped GW at BA can be ruled out by CAVI and is associated with high arterial stiffness.
The rise of AI urbanism in post-smart cities: A critical commentary on urban artificial intelligence
Authors: Cugurullo Federico , Caprotti Federico , Cook Matthew , Karvonen Andrew , MᶜGuirk Pauline , Marvin Simon
Published: November 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as an impactful feature of the life, planning and governance of 21st-century cities. Once confined to the realm of science fiction and small-scale technological experiments, AI is now all around us, in the shape of urban artificial intelligences including autonomous cars, robots, city brains and urban software agents. The aim of this article is to critically examine the nature of urbanism in the emergent age of AI. More specifically, we shed light on how urban AI is impacting the development of cities, and argue that an urbanism influenced by AI, which we term AI urbanism, differs in theory and practice from smart urbanism. In the future, the rise of a post-smart urbanism driven by AI has the potential to form autonomous cities that transcend, theoretically and empirically, traditional smart cities. The article compares common practices and understandings of smart urbanism with emerging forms of urban living, urban governance and urban planning influenced by AI. It critically discusses the limitations and potential pitfalls of AI urbanism and offers conceptual tools and a vocabulary to understand the urbanity of AI and its impact on present and future cities.
Chronic type 2 reaction in lepromatous leprosy with underlying Plasmodium falciparum infection: A case report
Authors: Sagar Harish Kumar , Pawar Harpreet Singh
Published: November 2023

Tropical diseases prevalent in leprosy-endemic areas may alter the immunological patient response and also complicate the presentation of leprosy reactional episodes. The introduction of anti-malarial drugs in our case produced a subsidence of reaction. With dwindling manpower skilled in leprosy, the reactional episodes are very often treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids and thalidomide, neglecting the possibility of other co-existing infections, tropical or other. Our case emphasises the importance of history, examination and balanced investigation in the context of tropical diseases in endemic areas before injudicious intervention.
Tools or Tokenism? Participative Design Strategies in the International Laboratory for Architecture & Urban Design (1976-1978)
Authors: Couchez Elke
Published: November 2023

This paper compares three projects presented at the International Laboratory for Architecture & Urban Design (ILA&UD, 1976-2015) that focused on increasing user participation. ILA&UD was an experimental educational platform that uniquely operated in the crevices of architecture, urban design, and planning. Established by Giancarlo de Carlo in 1976, it was one of many networks emerging in Europe centered on urban form after the post-war reconstruction period. This paper focuses on the formative ILA&UD years (1976-1978), in which the notions of participation and reuse were central. ILA&UD is a discursive site to study debates on participation before they even involved the “user” and before they were carved in stone. By contrasting De Carlo’s studio briefs with three illustrative urban design projects presented by participants from KU Leuven, MIT and ETH Zürich, this paper aims to highlight that the ongoing search for urban design tools and methodologies was indecisively teetering between autonomous and heteronomous approaches to urban form. The three projects explore a range of attitudes, from confirming the power of inhabitation to designing with users. By focusing on ambivalences in the discourse, the paper hopes to nuance the dominant perception that participation entailed, as Kenny Cupers observed, “a straightforward course of empowerment for those involved.”
The Prevalence of Destigmatization of Mental Health in Undergraduate Psychopathology Courses
Authors: Becker Jeremy R. , Stiles Dana , Bruce Madeline J.
Published: November 2023

Objective

This study examines psychopathology class syllabi to assess if instructors are explicitly referencing destigmatization in their courses.

Method

We surveyed N = 31 instructors about their opinions on psychopathology classes being an avenue for redressing mental health stigma and qualitatively analyzed N = 29 syllabi to identify these explicit goals.

Results

Instructors generally believe these courses should redress stigma, that destigmatization should be a main course objective, and that they personally facilitate these discussions in their class. However, only 17% of syllabi had direct references to reducing stigma in their learning outcomes or course description.

Conclusion

Principles of undergraduate education implore instructors to thoughtfully integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their courses, including sensitive discussion of mental health and illness. We discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy between instructors’ voiced objectives and what is listed in their syllabi and offer ideas to make redressing stigma a more salient goal.

Teaching Implications

Given the themes of psychopathology courses, these instructors are in a unique position to redress stigma regarding mental health. To make an instructor's goal of destigmatization salient, we implore them to list such goals in their syllabi, which our research found was not common.
Can technology break the invisible wall? Exploring mobile application needs and preferences among North Korean refugees in South Korea
Authors: Um Mee Young , Hatch Elizabeth , Maleku Arati , Arroyo Portillo Marisol
Published: November 2023

Although the ubiquity of digital technology among refugees inevitably changes resettlement experiences, studies exploring the utility and usability of mobile applications (apps) centered on refugees’ needs and priorities are largely fragmented. Using focus groups with North Korean refugees in South Korea ( N = 40), we explored the utility and usability of mobile apps, examined differences in app preferences among demographic subgroups and proposed recommendations for tailored app features. Six themes emerged under two domains: (a) content needs and priorities, and (b) feature preferences. Study findings highlight refugees as both consumers and producers of knowledge with implications for scaling up digital interventions for refugee resettlement.
Toward a Stakeholder View of Upper Echelons: A Framework Synthesis Review and Future Research Agenda
Authors: Recendes Tessa , Chandler Jeffrey A. , Huang Zhefan , Hill Aaron D.
Published: November 2023

The growing literature at the intersection of executives’ characteristics and stakeholders’ evaluations argues that executives’ characteristics not only have “first-order effects” on their organizations’ actions and outcomes, as in upper echelons theorizing, but also give rise to “second-order effects” or “opportunity structures,” whereby stakeholders evaluate and react to focal executives’ organizations based on those characteristics. Despite many insights from the burgeoning literature on the second-order effects of executives’ characteristics on stakeholders’ evaluations and reactions, the literature lacks a comprehensive framework with core tenets by which stakeholders form evaluations of executives’ characteristics that drive their actions (or, reactions, as it were) based on such characteristics and the ensuing outcomes. In turn, knowledge from the proliferating literature on how stakeholders react on the basis of their evaluations of referent organizations’ executives’ characteristics is fragmented, consisting of a series of disconnected findings and attendant insights scattered across various theoretical and topical domains. We conducted a framework synthesis of the literature to iteratively derive a conceptual framework from extant research—which we call the stakeholder view of upper echelons—that synthesizes knowledge at the intersection of executives’ characteristics and stakeholders’ reactions around this framework. In doing so, we provide the foundation for future research to help extend knowledge in this important domain. We identify several avenues that are important for future work to address and provide practical implications from our framework.