bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
¿Una neuroética de la mentira?
Authors: García-Chico Luis
Published: October 2024

En el presente trabajo se analiza la posibilidad de teorizar una neuroética de la mentira. Para hablar de una neuroética de la mentira su definición debería ser clara y exacta. En este estudio sostengo que no es así, la mentira no está bien definida y la neurociencia no logra crear una teoría de la mentira sólida. Finalmente se proponen una serie de puntos que permitan construir una neuroética de la mentira.
Contributions to the biophilosophical foundations of brain death criterion: an approach from anthropological realism
Authors: Götte Sergio
Published: October 2024

This article analyzes from a biophilosophical point of view whether it is advisable to adjust the current brain death criteria, according to recent discoveries about brain function. The appropriate foundation for a death criterion is recognizing that a human being is more than his or her physical aspect, within which the brain plays a decisive role. Current neurology states that the brain functions globally. Thus, the irreversible loss of integrated brain activity indicates the end of the irreplaceable function performed by the brain to sustain the unity of the organism. Consequently, the function cessation of the brain-as-a-whole is an adequate adjustment of the brain death criterion. To be recognized as a legitimate criterion from a philosophical point of view and to provide a better framework for the development of laws, the death criterion must presuppose a comprehensive anthropological vision that considers all dimensions of the human being.
Del Cross Border Reproductive Care al transporte de gametos y embriones humanos. ¿Un cambio de paradigma?
Authors: Dalla Costa Sara , Reguera Cabezas Marta
Published: October 2024

El auge de las técnicas de reproducción asistida y en concreto la mejora de las técnicas de criopreservación de gametos y embriones ha propiciado la circulación de estos materiales biológicos siendo en la actualidad una realidad en continuo crecimiento a nivel internacional. En el ámbito de la unión Europea con la finalidad de establecer unos requisitos mínimos que garanticen la calidad, viabilidad y trazabilidad, así como unificar los requisitos para estos movimientos, se publican una serie de directivas que posteriormente han sido incorporadas a las normativas internas de los estados miembros. El presente trabajo tiene por objeto describir esas normativas en la UE y su transposición a leyes locales en Italia y España, revisar la posible jurisprudencia existente y analizar los esfuerzos profesionales para minimizar los riegos existentes en el transporte de material biológico reproductivo. También se discutirán a lo largo de este trabajo los riesgos potenciales y los elementos esenciales en un protocolo de transporte de material biológico entre clínicas de fertilidad.
Bergano Versus City of Virginia Beach
Authors: Bergano Allan , Bergano Edwina Lapa
Published: October 2024

Abstract: In this article, we are sharing our personal experiences as we navi gated the judicial process involving the local and federal governments. Bergano versus City of Virginia Beach is a landmark case for small businesses that undergo relocation as a result of the impact of federal and/or city projects in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
‘Of no interest to this country’: the Treaty of Lausanne and its consequences for the Foreign Policy of the Irish Free State, 1923 to 1924
Authors: Delaney Owen Michael
Published: October 2024

Following its creation, the Irish Free State took steps to assert itself from the United Kingdom in the area of foreign policy. While a notable success was joining the League of Nations, another key moment presented itself in the form of the Treaty of Lausanne and discussions regarding its ratification by the Irish government. While this accord concerned the Allied Powers of World War One and the entity we now know as Turkey, talks regarding its approval by Dublin had far-reaching consequences, on the right of dominions to refuse calls to arms from London and touched upon the issuing of Irish passports, which distinguished between British subjects and Irish citizens. Indeed, discussions in the Dáil and Seanad to approve this treaty would also play a role in British approval for the appointment of an Irish Plenipotentiary in Washington DC, the first British Dominion to do so.
Solution-based processing of Ge2Sb2Se4Te optical phase change materials
Authors: Wiedeman Daniel , Sharma Rashi , Bissell Eric , Banerjee Parag , Schwarz Casey , Mills Brian , Hu Juejun , Callahan Dennis , Richardson Kathleen A.
Published: October 2024

Phase change materials (PCMs) are important building blocks in solid-state memory and photonic devices. Solution-based processing promises large-area, cost-effective, conformal coating of optical PCMs (O-PCMs) for photonic applications. In this work, a solution processing route was developed for Ge2Sb2Se4Te1 (GSST), a target PCM of interest due to its large optical contrast, broadband transparency, and improved glass-forming capability. An alkahest solvent mixture of ethanedithiol and ethylenediamine was used as a solvent system to fabricate solution-derived GSST thin films and films from these solutions were prepared and characterized using SEM, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy.
Facile preparation of vanadium oxide films under varied calcination temperature and their multicolor electrochromic behaviors
Authors: Yang Mingqing , Mei Hongzheng , Chen Qingshan , wang Lei , Bai Xueqiong , Niu Chunhui , Lv Yong
Published: October 2024

A vanadium oxide (VO) film was prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass using a simple electrophoretic method and the VO film and its device demonstrated multicolor electrochromic properties of yellow, green, orange-red, and their intermediate colors. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were employed to characterize the composition of the as-prepared films. The ratio of V5+/V4+ in the XPS is significantly different in the yellow, green, and orange-red states and this ratio can be adjusted by applied voltages. The detailed effect of calcination temperature as a post-treatment method on the electrochromic performance of VO film was explored. With the increase of calcination temperature, the optical modulation ability of the films was enhanced, and the color change contrast of the films was most obvious at 200 °C. Meanwhile, the cyclic stability of the VO films was also enhanced. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves show that the prepared V2O5 films have high cyclic stability at a calcination temperature of 300 °C. The color efficiency (CE) values of the VO devices were 3.4 cm2C-1 (from initial yellow to green) and 21.6 cm2C-1 (from green to orange-red) at 700 nm, and the coloring time (Tc) and bleaching time (Tb) of the VO devices were 6 s and 10 s, respectively. This work develops a simple and environmentally friendly method to prepare VO films and their devices with multicolor electrochromic properties.
A Bronze Age town in the Khaybar walled oasis: Debating early urbanization in Northwestern Arabia
Authors: Charloux Guillaume , Shabo Shadi , Depreux Bruno , Colin Sylvain , Guadagnini Kévin , Guermont François , Dupuy Sabine , Bussy Mylène , Bec Drelon Noisette , Poulmarc’h Modwene , Albukaai Diaa , Alshilali Saifi , Crassard Rémy , AlMushawh Munirah
Published: October 2024

Recent exploration of the Khaybar oasis by the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project (AFALULA-RCU-CNRS) has led to the discovery of an exceptional Bronze Age fortified site called al-Natah. For the first time in Northwestern Arabia, the characteristics of a third/second-millennium-BCE settlement can be assessed over a large area. Preliminary archaeological survey and soundings have revealed a fortified 2.6-hectares town built around 2400–2000 BCE which lasted until at least 1500 BCE and possibly 1300 BCE−but with possible interruptions−, functionally subdivided into a residential area, a probable decision-making zone and a necropolis. The nucleated dwellings were constructed following a standard plan and were connected by small streets. By comparison with neighboring oasis centers, we suggest that Northwestern Arabia during the Bronze Age−largely dominated by pastoral nomadic groups and already integrated into long-distance trade networks−was dotted with interconnected monumental walled oases centered around small fortified towns. And by comparison with the contemporary situation in the Southern Levant, we also envisage that the archaeological record bears witness to a ‘low urbanization’ (or ‘slow urbanism’), indigenous to North Arabia, evidencing weak but increasing social complexity through the Early and Middle Bronze Ages.
Synergistic windbreak efficiency of desert vegetation and oasis shelter forests
Authors: Aili Aishajiang , Hailiang Xu , Waheed Abdul , Bakayisire Fabiola , Yingying Xie
Published: October 2024

This study investigates the novel approach of synergizing desert vegetation with shelter forests to enhance windbreak efficiency in a transitional zone between the Korla oasis and the Taklimakan Desert, northwest China. Through an extensive field survey and experimental setup, we evaluated the impact of different shelterbelt configurations on wind speed reduction. Three types of shelter forests were examined: multi-row Poplar (Populus alba), single-row Jujube (Ziziphus jujube), and a mixed-species layout combining one row of Jujube and two rows of Poplar trees. Wind speed measurements were recorded at multiple heights across three zones—open field, between desert vegetation and shelterbelt, and leeward of the shelterbelt—over a three-month period (April to June, 2023). The findings reveal a significant reduction in wind speed, particularly on the leeward side, with multi-row and mixed-species configurations proving the most effective. The highest synergistic efficiency, observed in the mixed-species shelter forest, showed a windbreak efficiency improvement of over 20% compared to desert vegetation alone. This study provides new insights into the combined effectiveness of desert vegetation and shelter forests, offering a strategic framework for designing shelterbelts in arid environments. These results underscore the critical role of diverse, structured vegetation arrangements in combating wind erosion and contribute to the development of sustainable ecological management practices for desert regions worldwide.
Evaluating LLMs’ grammatical error correction performance in learner Chinese
Authors: Lin Sha
Published: October 2024

Large language models (LLMs) have recently exhibited significant capabilities in various English NLP tasks. However, their performance in Chinese grammatical error correction (CGEC) remains unexplored. This study evaluates the abilities of state-of-the-art LLMs in correcting learner Chinese errors from a corpus linguistic perspective. The performance of LLMs is assessed using standard evaluation metrics of MaxMatch score. Keyword and key n-gram analyses are conducted to quantitatively explore linguistic features that differentiate LLM outputs from those of human annotators. LLMs’ performance in syntactic and semantic dimensions is further qualitatively analyzed based on these probes of keywords and key n-grams. Results show that LLMs achieve a relatively higher performance in test datasets with multiple annotators and low performance in those with a single annotator. LLMs tend to overcorrect wrong sentences, under the explicit prompt of the “minimal edit” strategy, by using more linguistic devices to generate fluent and grammatical sentences. Furthermore, they struggle with under-correction and hallucination in reasoning-dependent situations. These findings highlight the strengths and limitations of LLMs in CGEC, suggesting that future efforts should focus on refining overcorrection tendencies and improving the handling of complex semantic contexts.
When elephants fight back: Animal standpoint reading of Nirmal Ghosh’s Novella River Storm
Authors: Bala Moumita , Singh Smriti
Published: October 2024

Drawing inspiration from Geoffrey Whitehall’s article titled ‘“When they fight back”: A cinematic archive of animal resistance and world wars’, this article seeks to explore the exploitation and resistance of elephants by examining the power dynamics between humans and elephants in Nirmal Ghosh’s novella River Storm (2022). This study undertakes an animal standpoint reading to recognize the subjective experiences of elephants, questioning the dominance of humans over them. Furthermore, it employs Foucault’s concept of power to challenge the prevailing narrative of absolute control over animals. By highlighting various instances of elephants fighting back, the article aims to subvert the discourse of complete human domination of animals.
Heterogeneous texts, hybrid genres and Anthropocene poetics: Juliana Spahr’s ‘Unnamed Dragonfly Species’ (2011) and Sarah Moss’s Summerwater (2020)
Authors: Schmitt-Kilb Christian
Published: October 2024

Juliana Spahr’s generically hybrid ‘Unknown Dragonfly Species’ and Sarah Moss’s composite novel Summerwater are here read in the light of their textual hybridity and with a focus on their short fiction qualities. Different in form, style and content, the two texts share a confrontation of plots concentrating on social concerns – a group of New York friends, an anonymous ‘they’, in Spahr’s ‘Unnamed Dragonfly Species’, old and young couples, families, groups of friends on holiday in Scotland in Moss’s Summerwater – with short texts (chapters in Moss, proper names of endangered species in Spahr) that point to a world beyond the human and that ironically subvert the anthropocentrism and egocentrism that drives many of the characters involved. Read against the backdrop of Ricardo Piglia’s ‘Theses on the short story’, the confrontation of different text types is shown to avoid a one-dimensional focus on human affairs and thus helps to transcend the scope each individual genre – short story, poetry or novel – might cover on its own. Looking at ‘Unnamed Dragonfly Species’ and Summerwater as textually hybrid environmental short fiction, the article argues how the genre perspective may help to produce scenarios in which the human and the more-than-human worlds permeate each other in ways that presage a poetics for the Anthropocene.
Radio drama and adaptation studies
Authors: Verhulst Pim , Smith Andrea
Published: October 2024

The introduction to this Special Issue discusses some of the key issues in radio drama adaptation and its place within the wider field of adaptation studies. These are primarily focused on the textual and the visual, rather than the aural. Little has been published on radio adaptation and that which is available mainly consists of scattered journal articles and chapters in edited collections. The critical work that does exist often discusses radio in relation to other media, rather than as a form in its own right. Radio drama has also frequently been analysed as something literary, words on a page, rather than as sound: only a few rare exceptions engage with radio adaptation on a deeper level, offering theoretical and methodological reflections. It is also regularly described as a ‘blind medium’, negating our cognitive and sensory capacity to create the images for ourselves as listeners. This collection brings together a wide range of work considering techniques of adaptation and their transformative effects on their source texts. In doing so, it hopes to lay the foundation for future research.
Visualizing the unseen: Stage and screen adaptations of Samuel Beckett’s radio play All That Fall
Authors: Verhulst Pim
Published: October 2024

Samuel Beckett’s radio play All That Fall (1957) has been adapted for different media. In order to understand the challenges it poses for any form of visual representation, this article will first show how the radio play exploits the acousmatic nature of the medium and its so-called ‘blindness’. In a next step, it will discuss how the various stage performances of All That Fall have dealt with these difficulties, in light of the author’s reservations about the matter and the restrictions imposed by his estate. However, Beckett did allow French film and television versions to be made during his lifetime – respectively by Alain Resnais and Michel Mitrani, the latter for Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). This raises questions not only about how authors and cultural contexts impact the adaptation process, but also about the aesthetic differences and historical relations between theatre and technological media, which the article will additionally probe.
Shakespeare in the Theatre: The Stratford Festival, Christie Carson (2024)
Authors: Pennacchia Maddalena
Published: October 2024

Review of: Shakespeare in the Theatre: The Stratford Festival, Christie Carson (2024)

London: The Arden Shakespeare, Bloomsbury, 249 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-35038-080-6, h/bk, £80
British and American Musical Theatre Exchanges in the West End (1924–1970): The ‘Americanization’ of Drury Lane, Arianne Johnson Quinn (2022)
Authors: Neuhauser Hannah
Published: October 2024

Review of: British and American Musical Theatre Exchanges in the West End (1924–1970): The ‘Americanization’ of Drury Lane, Arianne Johnson Quinn (2022)

London: Palgrave Macmillan, 283 pp.,

ISBN 978-3-03114-662-6, p/bk, $119.99
Up Here, directed by Thomas Kail, Kimmy Gatewood, Chioke Nassar and Rachel Raimist (2023)
Authors: Truelove Caitlan
Published: October 2024

Review of: Up Here, directed by Thomas Kail, Kimmy Gatewood, Chioke Nassar and Rachel Raimist (2023)

USA: Hulu
Security Challenges and Solutions in SD-WAN Deployments
Authors: Oluyede Michael Sanya , Mart Joseph , Olusola Akinbusola , Olatuja Gabriel
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Enterprise wide area network (WAN) is a private network that connects the computers and other devices across an organisation’s branch locations and the data centers. It forms the backbone of enterprise communication. Currently, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is commonly used to provide this service. As a recent alternative to MPLS, software-defined wide area networking (SDWAN) solutions are being introduced as an IP based cloud-networking service for enterprises. SD-WAN virtualizes the networking service and eases the complexity of configuring and managing the enterprise network by moving these tasks to software and a central controller. The introduction of new technologies causes concerns about their security. Also, this new solution is introduced as a replacement for MPLS, which has been considered secure and has been in use for more than 16 years. Thus, there is a need to analyze the security of SDWAN, which is the goal of this thesis.

In this thesis, we perform a security analysis of a commercial SD-WAN solution, by finding its various attack surfaces, associated vulnerabilities and design weaknesses. We choose Nuage VNS, an SD-WAN product provided by Nuage Networks, as the analysis target. As a result, many attack surfaces and security weaknesses were found and reported, especially in the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). In particular, we found vulnerabilities in the CPE’s secure bootstrapping method and demonstrated some attacks by exploiting them. Finally, we propose mitigation steps to avoid the attacks.

The results of this thesis will help both the service provider and the SD-WAN solution vendor to know about the attack surfaces and weaknesses of SD-WAN before offering it to their customers. We also help in implementing the temporary countermeasures to mitigate the attacks. The results have been presented to the service provider and the vendor of the SDWAN product.
Bilateral Versus Unilateral Hearing Aid Fitting for Individuals with Bilateral Hearing Loss
Authors: Mobaireek Waad
Published: October 2024

This study explores whether bilateral hearing aids offer better hearing outcomes for individuals with bilateral hearing loss compared to unilateral hearing aids or no hearing aids. The systematic review includes a critical evaluation of previously published research on this topic, with a focus on studies that compare bilateral versus unilateral fittings and their effects on patients’ auditory performance. Despite the widespread use of bilateral hearing aids, some patients opt for unilateral fittings due to reasons such as cost, self-image, or difficulty managing two devices. This review employs the PICO framework and examines the benefits of binaural hearing, including improved speech recognition and spatial hearing. Through a systematic search of databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, nine relevant studies were selected and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings suggest that bilateral hearing aids significantly improve hearing outcomes in patients with bilateral hearing loss, particularly in challenging listening environments. However, the evidence also indicates that individual preferences and adaptation challenges contribute to the continued use of unilateral hearing aids in some cases. This study concludes that bilateral fittings generally provide superior auditory outcomes, although further research is needed to explore patient preferences and the long-term benefits of each fitting option. The study contributes to clinical practice by reinforcing the benefits of bilateral hearing aids and encouraging audiologists to consider individual patient needs when making fitting recommendations.
Enumeration of Bacteria with Bioremediation Potential in Poultry Waste.
Authors: Abah Jemima Enayi
Published: October 2024

Anthropogenic activities affect the environment negatively, the use of bio-waste like poultry droppings may be an effective method of curbing contamination. This study aimed to identify bacterial populations with bioremediation potentials in Poultry waste. Standard chemistry techniques (ultraviolet and atomic absorbent spectrophotometry, and Kjeldahl technique) were used to determine the physicochemical composition (pH, inorganic elements, and heavy metals) of the poultry waste. Environmental conditions (temperature and relative humidity) of the experimental site were recorded daily at triplicate intervals (8 am, 2 pm, 8 pm) for the entire duration of the experiment. Standard microbiological culture techniques (selective and differential media) were used to identify and enumerate bacteria with bioremediation potential. Bacteria isolated include
Pseudomonas sp 137(34.50%),
Bacillus sp 132(33.25%),
and
Streptomyces sp 128 (32.24%). The highest Mean Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count was 1.5 x 10
6CFU/ml while the lowest count was 1.0 x 10
6CFU/ml. The Mean Temperature values of the samples ranged from 24ºC to 35ºC and Mean pH values ranged from 6.9 to 7.0 while the Mean Relative Humidity ranged from 80 % to 91 %. All isolates possessed bioremediation potential with
Streptomyces sp. having the highest count 1.6 x 10
6 CFU/ml and
Bacillus sp. having the lowest count 1.1 x 10
6CFU/ml in the Aerated environmental condition while in the Non-aerated environmental condition,
Streptomyces sp and
Bacillus sp. recorded the highest count 1.5 x 10
6CFU/ml respectively and
Pseudomonas sp. recorded the lowest count 1.4 x 10
6CFU/ml. The bacteria with bioremediation potential were found to be represented similarly in both environmental conditions (P˃0.05).The bioremediation ability of bacteria may vary slightly among different environmental conditions. Further research on the bioremediation of certain pollutants is encouraged as this could provide insight into the degree to which these isolates can degrade certain pollutants.
Francis Bacon's Theory of Knowledge: An Appraisal.
Authors: Ugwu Abel Friday
Published: October 2024

The aim of this research work is to establish and evaluate the canons through which true knowledge can be differentiated from falsity, and to expose more about Francis Bacon's theory of knowledge, the method he introduced, the obstacles or hindrances of human attainment of knowledge, and to find out the implications of his theory of knowledge to the modern science of today. On another hand also awaken people’s minds from the slumber of ignorance, change the psychology of those who abhor knowledge, and increase them to the power of knowledge and the possible hindrances which he calls vitalities. Epistemology as aphilosophical discipline is important hence it investigates the extent of human knowledge. It established the range and limits of knowing, and what happens beyond these limits.
Narratives, Symbols, and Rituals: Oral Tradition in Indigenous Resistance to Development Structuralism in West Papua, Indonesia
Authors: Rupiassa Dominggus Alexander Agusto , Lattu Izak Y. M , Therik Wilson M.A
Published: October 2024

Development projects that disregard Indigenous rights often provoke resistance, particularly in West Papua, Indonesia, where the Indigenous Kaimana people uniquely employ covert resistance through oral traditions to safeguard their rights. This study aims to understand how the Kaimana Indigenous community utilizes orality as a form of resistance against developmental structuralism. Employing a realist ethnographic method, this research directly observes the daily lives of the Indigenous community and documents forms of hidden resistance embedded in their oral traditions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), observation, and documentary analysis of symbolic resistance activities. The findings reveal that Kaimana's Indigenous resistance is conveyed through three principal elements: storytelling, symbolism, and ritual. First, storytelling serves as a medium of resistance by recounting their spiritual connection to nature as a way of upholding ancestral rights. Second, symbols such as bamboo and sago leaves are used in road blockades, representing life and resistance. Third, traditional rituals involving everyday symbols are believed to possess mystical power and are used to protect Indigenous lands. These three elements illustrate that while the Kaimana community does not wholly oppose development, they demand that their customary rights be respected throughout the process.
Pembangunan yang mengabaikan hak-hak masyarakat adat sering kali memicu resistensi, terutama di wilayah Papua Barat, Indonesia, di mana masyarakat adat Kaimana memiliki cara unik dalam mempertahankan hak mereka melalui resistensi tertutup berbasis Oral Traditions. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami bagaimana masyarakat adat Kaimana menggunakan kelisanan sebagai bentuk perlawanan terhadap strukturalisme pembangunan. Dengan menggunakan metode etnografi realis, penelitian ini mengamati langsung kehidupan sehari-hari masyarakat adat dan mendokumentasikan bentuk-bentuk perlawanan yang tersembunyi dalam tradisi lisan. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, diskusi kelompok terfokus (FGD), observasi, dan studi dokumentasi terkait aksi perlawanan simbolis. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa resistensi masyarakat adat Kaimana dilakukan melalui tiga elemen utama: cerita, simbol, dan ritual. Pertama, cerita menjadi sarana perlawanan dengan mengisahkan hubungan spiritual mereka dengan alam sebagai cara mempertahankan hak leluhur. Kedua, simbol-simbol seperti bambu dan daun sagu digunakan dalam aksi pemalangan sebagai lambang kehidupan dan perlawanan. Ketiga, ritual adat yang melibatkan simbol-simbol sehari-hari dianggap memiliki kekuatan magis dan digunakan untuk melindungi wilayah adat. Ketiga elemen ini memperlihatkan bahwa masyarakat adat Kaimana tidak sepenuhnya menolak pembangunan, namun menuntut agar hak-hak adat mereka dihormati dalam proses tersebut.
Peat Water Treatment Using Modified Red mud
Authors: Ivontianti Wivina Diah , Shalindry Riysan Octy , Maleiva Lalak Tarbiyatun Nasyin
Published: October 2024

Red mud is an alumina refinery waste residue that has been used to develop an effective adsorbent for wastewater treatment, one of which can be applied to peat water. Peat water treatment is carried out using the adsorption method. This study sought to ascertain the impact of the acid types of acid HCl and H2SO4 solution on dealumination process to the characteristics of the red mud adsorbent based on the analysis of XRF and BET instruments. In addition, this study was to determine the effect of the effect of mass variations of the red mud adsorbent on the effectiveness of peat water treatment. This research was conducted on a laboratory scale using variations in the adsorbent mass of 1 g; 3 g ; 5 g and 7 g and variation of contact time used was 15, 30, 60, and 90 minutes . The results showed an increase in the Si/Al ratio from 1.064% to 1.697% for HCl, while for H2SO41.565%.  Increasing of surface area with HCl was 179.574% while using H2SO4 was 162.891%. The results of research on the adsorption process with variations in the mass of the adsorbent 1, 3, 5, and 7 grams obtained the results of peat water pH respectively were 6.6; 7.0; 7.0; and 7,1. In the Fe metal there were removal of 73.39%; 37.09%; 24.19% and -141.93%. Then for the organic matter removal efficiency were 53.07%; 50%; 44.30% and -17.98% respectively. In variation of contact time for the parameter Fe, there were removals of 29,03%, 27,41%, and 24,19% respectively. Then for organic matter the removal efficiencies were 32,46%, 54,82%, 48,25%, and 44,29%. The optimum condition based on the result obtained are the 5 g for the mass adsorbent and 30 minute for contact time. Keywords: adsorbent; dealumination; H2SO4; HCl; peat water; red mud.
Od Redakcji
Authors: Churski Paweł
Published: October 2024

Zapraszamy Państwa do działu Nowości Wydawniczych, w którym prezentujemy najnowsze prace autorstwa m.in. pracowników naszego wydziału, których tematyka bezpośrednio wiąże się z problematyką rozwoju regionalnego i polityki regionalnej. W bieżącym numerze przedstawiamy Państwu 10. tom w serii Ekspertyzy i Raporty Wydziału Geografii Społeczno-Ekonomicznej i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UAM, który zawiera opracowanie Bartłomieja Kołsuta pt. „Strategia rozwoju gminy Suchy Las na lata 2022–2030”.
Paradoks scen egalitarnych, czyli jak egalitarne tożsamości reprodukują nierówności społeczne w przestrzeni miejskiej
Authors: Klekotko Marta
Published: October 2024

Artykuł ma na celu analizę egalitarnych scen oraz relacyjnego kulturowo-przestrzennego charakteru procesów kształtowania się wspólnot miejskich. W pierwszej części artykułu opisuję naturę determinizmu ekologicznego i redukcjonizmu kulturowego w badaniach nad społecznościami i wskazano na koncepcję sceny jako remedium na lukę między tymi dwoma podejściami. Omówiona została koncepcja sceny miejskiej oraz tworzonej przez nią struktury możliwości społeczno-kulturowych. W drugiej części artykułu, o charakterze empirycznym, odwołując się do materiału zebranego podczas badań pilotażowych w Berlinie oraz w badaniach właściwych zrealizowanych w Warszawie i Krakowie, dostarczono zarówno egzemplifikacji omówionych wcześniej relacyjnych procesów kształtowania się wspólnot w mieście, jak i opisano oraz wyjaśniono paradoks egalitaryzmu scen egalitarnych.
Measuring Going Concern Viability and the Effect of Interim Financing Under the Indian Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
Authors: Agarwal Anant , Varma Jayanth R.
Published: October 2024

India’s insolvency framework mandates preserving viable firms as going concerns, but a critical gap remains – the lack of a standardised approach to assessing a firm’s viability during bankruptcy proceedings, resulting in inefficient allocation of interim finance to insolvent firms. This study sheds light on this issue by examining the performance of 21 firms during insolvency. We find that the absence of a clear viability assessment has led to suboptimal outcomes: viable firms being underfinanced and unviable firms being overfinanced. This has led to value deterioration, as many viable firms were ultimately pushed into liquidation due to insufficient interim financing. As a remedy, the authors propose a periodic viability assessment framework, for collecting and publishing information about the insolvent firm during insolvency proceedings. This would improve transparency and predictability for viable firms seeking interim finance, empowering lenders and investors to make better-informed decisions. By supporting viable distressed firms, this framework could foster a thriving market for distressed debt in India, rescuing valuable companies from the bankruptcy abyss.
Cumulative Tariff Cost Rate and Structure in the Global Value Chain: A Theoretical and Empirical Study
Authors: Ni Hongfu
Published: October 2024

This paper constructs a more unified measurement framework from the perspective of the Leontief inverse matrix and Ghosh inverse matrix (Ghosh). At the same time, referring to the four-term decomposition method of Leontief inverse matrix in Muradov (2016), this paper analyzes the structural decomposition of the cumulative tariff cost rate. Results show that (1) Overall, from 2000 to 2017, China’s cumulative tariff cost rate, direct tariff cost rate, and multi-stage tariff cost rate all showed a downward trend, and the decline was greater than that of other countries (regions). China has strictly fulfilled its WTO accession commitments and has greatly reduced the tariff rate on imported intermediate goods. (2) With China’s deep participation in the global value chain, the amplification effect of China’s tariffs has increased from 2.57 in 2000 to 3.17 in 2017, and there is a certain degree of “amplification effect” (above 1.5) in tariffs in all countries in the world. (3) From the perspective of the contribution rate of various countries in the world, China contributes the most to the global cumulative tariff cost rate, which is due to the complexity of the global production network structure, rather than the excessively high tariff rate imposed by China on imported intermediate goods. In terms of policy implications, if China did not take the initiative to reduce tariffs, the structural changes in the global production network would lead to a larger global cumulative tariff cost rate.
Transportation Network Density, Domestic Market Integration and Excess Sensitivity of Household Consumption
Authors: Chen Taiming , Qi Yingfei , Du Liangsheng
Published: October 2024

From the perspective of domestic market integration, this paper systematically examines the impact of transportation infrastructure conditions on excess sensitivity of household consumption based on the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) and multi-level matching panel data of transportation network density. The results show that the fast-growing development of the transportation infrastructure network has a significant alleviating effect on excess sensitivity of household consumption along the route, and the conclusion is still robust after the use of the multi-dimensional instrumental variable method and a series of robustness tests. According to the heterogeneity tests, in terms of the alleviating effect of transportation infrastructure, railroads rank the first, highways the second, substandard roads the third, waterways the fourth, and roads of other grades at the bottom. The mechanism test reveals that the improvement of domestic market integration is an important channel for transportation infrastructure to alleviate excess sensitivity of household consumption. This paper confirms that improving the transportation infrustructure system is conducive to the construction of a unified national market, alleviating excess sensitivity of consumption and stimulating consumption.This paper provides suggestions for implementing the strategy of boosting domestic demand, and helps the government understand households’ consumption decision-making from a broader perspective. This study also provides a theoretical basis for the economic spillover effect of transportation infrastructure.
Kähler–Einstein metrics on families of Fano varieties
Authors: Pan Chung-Ming , Trusiani Antonio
Published: October 2024

Given a one-parameter family of ℚ-Fano varieties such that the central fiber admits a unique Kähler–Einstein metric, we provide an analytic method to show that the neighboring fiber admits a unique Kähler–Einstein metric.
Our results go beyond by establishing uniform a priori estimates on the Kähler–Einstein potentials along fully degenerate families of ℚ-Fano varieties.
In addition, we show the continuous variation of these Kähler–Einstein currents and establish uniform Moser–Trudinger inequalities and uniform coercivity of the Ding functionals.
Central to our article is introducing and studying a notion of convergence for quasi-plurisubharmonic functions within families of normal Kähler varieties.
We show that the Monge–Ampère energy is upper semi-continuous with respect to this topology, and we establish a Demailly–Kollár result for functions with full Monge–Ampère mass.
Comparison of the effectiveness of prepubertal growth hormone treatment on height and predicted adult height in children with short stature born small for gestational age vs. with a growth hormone deficiency
Authors: Tanaka Toshiaki , Soneda Shun , Sato Naoko , Kishi Kentaro , Noda Masahiro
Published: October 2024

Objectives

We compared the effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on height and predicted adult height in children with short stature born small for gestational age (SGA-SS) vs. with a growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed the background and clinical characteristics of children who presented to Tanaka Growth Clinic for short stature and were diagnosed with either SGA-SS or GHD and underwent treatment with GH. We compared differences in height, height velocity, GH dose increases, insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, and bone-age/chronological-age ratio between the two groups.

Results

Out of these children, 33 SGA-SS and 54 GHD children started GH treatment before the age of 8 years, with a mean dose of 0.25 mg/kg/week and 0.20 mg/kg/week, respectively. At treatment initiation, the age and height standard deviation scores (SDS) of the SGA-SS group were significantly lower than those of the GHD group. The height velocity was significantly greater in the SGA-SS group for 3 years owing to higher GH doses and younger age. No notable differences in puberty onset height or predicted adult height were observed between the two groups for boys or girls. The increase in height SDS from the start of GH treatment until the onset of puberty was substantially greater in the SGA-SS group than in the GHD group for both sexes.

Conclusions

Adult height of patients with SGA-SS is expected to resemble that of patients with GHD but may not reach the −1.0 SD achieved with GH treatment of those patients in Western countries.
Graduate Education in China Meets AI: Key Factors for Adopting AI-Generated Content Tools
Authors: Tang Yunjie , Su Li
Published: October 2024

Factors influencing Chinese graduate students’ adoption of AI-generated content (AIGC) tools are examined through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The developed AIGCT-SI model incorporates key elements such as information accuracy, trust, and privacy concerns. PLS-SEM results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and habit significantly impact students’ intentions, with trust acting as a key mediator, particularly for privacy concerns and social influence. FsQCA reveals seven configurations, demonstrating how combinations of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions drive adoption. A bidirectional relationship between privacy concerns and trust is observed, with trust mitigating privacy risks in several configurations. This integrative approach highlights the complex dynamics of AIGC tool adoption and provides strategic insights for their effective use in Chinese graduate education. As the findings are based on the Chinese context, further exploration in other educational settings is encouraged to validate their broader applicability.
Temporal muscle thickness is not a prognostic predictor in patients with high-grade glioma, an experience at two centers in China
Authors: Pei Yunlong , Jiang Haixiao , Zhang Enpeng , Xia Boming , Dong Lun , Dai Yan
Published: October 2024

Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) serves as an indicator of sarcopenia and holds predictive value for various cancers. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of TMT for high-grade glioma patients. A retrospective review of 172 high-grade glioma patients from January 2015 to December 2022 was conducted. TMT value was measured based on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance images before surgery. Pearson analysis was used to evaluate potential correlations. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate overall survival for high-grade glioma patients. In our study, the cutoff value of TMT was determined as 7.4 mm. TMT value was not a significant prognostic predictor for high-grade glioma patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.151, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9299–1.424, p = 0.196). World Health Organization (WHO) VI and high body mass index (BMI) value were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes (HR: 2.6689, 95% CI: 1.5729–4.528, p < 0.001; HR: 1.120, 95% CI: 1.0356–1.211, p = 0.005). TMT did not show a significant association with other factors (p > 0.05). Notably, age demonstrated a significant difference between the thicker and thinner groups (p = 0.019). Our study revealed that WHO grade and BMI demonstrated significant prognostic value for survival outcomes. Consequently, TMT does not appear to be a significant or applicable predictor in patients with high WHO grades.
Crystal structure of poly[hexaqua-pentakis(μ4-2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylato-κ4
O:O′:O″:O‴)-(μ2-2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxylato-κ2
O:O)tetraytterbium(III)] hydrate, C36H26N6O16Yb2
Authors: Cheng Zheng , Zhang Xiao-Yu , Liu Xu , Yang Xiao-rui
Published: October 2024

C36H26N6O16Yb2, triclinic,

P

1
‾

$P\overline{1}$

(no. 2), a = 11.3387(3) Å, b = 12.1820(4) Å, c = 14.1433(4) Å, α = 95.090(2)°, β = 103.517(3)°, γ = 101.762(2)°, V = 1840.41(10) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt
(F) = 0.0282, wRref
(F
2) = 0.0576, T = 150 K.
Bacillus thuringiensis strains with high insecticidal activity against insect larvae of the orders Coleoptera and Lepidoptera
Authors: Bagiyan Valeri , Kinosyan Marina , Ghazanchyan Narine , Khachaturyan Nune , Gevorgyan Sona , Chitchyan Karine , Barseghyan Sona , Verdyan Arshaluys , Goginyan Vigen
Published: October 2024

The concept of sustainable agricultural development is aimed at reducing the use of chemical pest control agents. Since the use of chemical pesticides poses a significant environmental threat, one of the possible solutions to overcome this problem is the study of biological approaches, in particular, the use of entomopathogenic microorganisms as biological pest control agents. Insecticidal activity of over 220 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Lysinibacillus sphaericus from the collection of the Laboratory of Spore-Forming Microorganisms of the Microbial Depository Center of the Scientific and Production Center “Armbiotechnology” and 15 strains isolated from samples of dead insects (imago) of representatives of various genera of the Coleoptera order was studied. The pathogenic effect of the strains was assessed in relation to the insect species Tenebrio molitor, Zophobas morio, Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say and Pieris brassicae, belonging to the Coleoptera and Lepidoptera orders. Among the test objects, the representative of Lepidoptera Pieris brassicae demonstrated the highest degree of sensitivity to B. thuringiensis strains up to 100%, with some Bt strains causing 60–100% mortality of Tenebrio molitor and Zophobas morio larvae of different ages. The larvae of the beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say were also partially susceptible, presenting mortality levels of between 31 and 60%. The article is devoted to the study of Bt bacterial strains that have pronounced insecticidal activity against insect larvae of the orders Coleoptera and Lepidoptera.
Advanced Ancient Steelmaking Across the Arctic European Landscape
Authors: Bennerhag Carina , Söderholm Kristina
Published: October 2024

This article presents results that seriously challenge conventional frameworks regarding the time, course, and cultural context of the introduction of iron and steel in Europe, in turn central metals in the narrative of civilization development. From focusing on 2,000-year-old finds from 42 different sites across the national borders of present-day northernmost Norway, Finland, and Sweden, our study reveals advanced iron and steel production contemporaneous with Roman steel production within the hitherto unthinkable cultural context of hunter-gatherers. By employing archaeometric analyses alongside a lens that considers the Arctic climate and landscape, long-standing inadequate interpretative frameworks are challenged and we manage to shed novel light on the metallurgical practices and skills of the ancient Arctic hunter-gatherers. By examining local conditions, the research specifically reveals adaptation strategies and previously underexplored social and organizational aspects of early ironmaking. The implications of these findings are profound, urging historians and archaeologists to adopt similar methods and perspectives to potentially uncover additional “unthinkable” locations/regions or contexts with advanced and early metalworking.
Order shaped by cognition. Evidence for (and against) the effect of domain-general biases on word and morpheme order
Authors: Culbertson Jennifer
Published: October 2024

A foundational goal of linguistics has been to understand why languages look the way they do. A range of possible explanations exist – from domain-specific representations to cognition-external factors like history and grammaticalization – and all of these undoubtedly play some role. But determining exactly how these link with specific features of language remains challenging, and the role of domain-specific mechanisms has been particularly contentious. In this paper, I highlight a growing new approach, which uses artificial language experiments to link individual-level biases to cross-linguistic trends in language structure. Using word and morpheme order as case studies, I will show how a range of different paradigms and learner populations allow us to make progress on this crucial issue in linguistics. I will focus on typological trends in word and morpheme order. For some ordering trends, experimental evidence points to variation across populations, suggesting that the best explanation for these patterns likely has its root in language history and grammaticalization. In other cases, the evidence points to the role of universal but domain-general cognitive biases, like transparency and simplicity. These domain-general biases interact with linguistic representations in important ways. Taken together these studies help adjudicate between alternative explanations for a number of specific ordering patterns and suggest a new sense of domain-specificity in the evolution of language.
Huawei Is Quietly Dominating China’s Semiconductor Supply Chain
Authors: Hmaidi Antonia
Published: October 2024

Huawei is emerging as the leader of China’s national team in semiconductors, dominating chip manufacturing and seeking to integrate the country’s entire supply chain. Its ambitions stem from both its placement on the U.S. Entity List and strong government support at the national and local level. Internationally, Huawei is coy about these ambitions, hiding its supply chain involvement and often operating under a different company’s name. Meanwhile, Huawei’s experience is also encouraging other Chinese technology companies to support China’s quest for chip self-sufficiency, developing new hardware and software for that purpose. The clandestine nature of Huawei’s involvement—it is not known who serves what role in semiconductor production—makes it more difficult for Western companies and governments to assess China’s progress in technology, vet potential partners and customers, and conduct risk assessments.