bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engaging Cinema in Environmental Crisis: A Paradigm of Documentary Films of the Niger Delta
Authors: Okpadah Stephen Ogheneruro
Published: December 2022

The oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria remains one of the most environmentally devastated places in the world. This is caused by gas flaring, crude oil spillages, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the region. The call for eco-democracy and the disruption of eco-apathy has driven global academia into developing paradigms that would foster environmental transformation. Interestingly, while academic disciplines such as history, geography, anthropology and the global humanities continue to critically engage in practices and discourses that would facilitate achieving anticipatory climate adaptation, African academia, especially in Nigeria, has been slow to absorb the same critical spirit as the West. In fact, environmental film critics in Nigeria have not fully explored the environmental discourse that has gathered strength in other disciplines central to the greening of the humanities. Therefore, there remains a dearth of critical underpinning for environment and cinema, or what I term discourses of/on the green cinema, in African scholarship. Against this backdrop, I examine environmental crisis in the documentary films Delta Blues, The Nigerian Oil Thieves and The True Price of Crude Oil, and use content analysis method to investigate how these films have been used to create environmental awareness in the region. The analysis is anchored on Adrian Ivakhiv’s biocentric model of ecocriticism, which acknowledges the unity of man and all the creatures and the environment around him, and further recommends a shift from human-centrism to biocentrism.
Mending a Frail Humankind: Remedial Hermeneutics and Messianic Anthropology in Joseph Soloveitchik
Authors: Scordari Chiara Carmen
Published: December 2022

This essay focuses on Joseph Soloveitchik’s re-semantization and renewal of the Jewish concept of messianism. In his view, the idea of Messiah is personified and, at the same time, deferred, as an allegory for ceaseless and ever-changing transformations, both individual and communitarian. Biblical personae endowed with a messianic impulse, such as Abraham, Esther, Mordecai, Tamar, and Ruth, are seen by Soloveitchik as eschatological and metahistorical figures, co-redeemers and co-creators with God, and models with whom human beings may identify. In this framework, particular attention will be paid to Soloveitchik’s conception of midrashic hermeneutics, as an always open process of individual and collective self-knowledge and self-redemption; and to the dialectical opposition between “revealed world” and “hidden world” as the constitutive element of Soloveitchik’s vision of the humanity-to-come.
Effects of the Pandemic on Observing the Global Ocean
Authors: Boyer Tim , Zhang Huai-Min , O’Brien Kevin , Reagan James , Diggs Stephen , Freeman Eric , Garcia Hernan , Heslop Emma , Hogan Patrick , Huang Boyin , Jiang Li-Qing , Kozyr Alex , Liu Chunying , Locarnini Ricardo , Mishonov Alexey V. , Paver Christopher , Wang Zhankun , Zweng Melissa , Alin Simone , Barbero Leticia , Barth John A. , Belbeoch Mathieu , Cebrian Just , Connell Kenneth J. , Cowley Rebecca , Dukhovskoy Dmitry , Galbraith Nancy R. , Goni Gustavo , Katz Fred , Kramp Martin , Kumar Arun , Legler David M. , Lumpkin Rick , McMahon Clive R. , Pierrot Denis , Plueddemann Albert J. , Smith Emily A. , Sutton Adrienne , Turpin Victor , Jiang Long , Suneel V. , Wanninkhof Rik , Weller Robert A. , Wong Annie P. S.
Published: December 2022

The years since 2000 have been a golden age in in situ ocean observing with the proliferation and organization of autonomous platforms such as surface drogued buoys and subsurface Argo profiling floats augmenting ship-based observations. Global time series of mean sea surface temperature and ocean heat content are routinely calculated based on data from these platforms, enhancing our understanding of the ocean’s role in Earth’s climate system. Individual measurements of meteorological, sea surface, and subsurface variables directly improve our understanding of the Earth system, weather forecasting, and climate projections. They also provide the data necessary for validating and calibrating satellite observations. Maintaining this ocean observing system has been a technological, logistical, and funding challenge. The global COVID-19 pandemic, which took hold in 2020, added strain to the maintenance of the observing system. A survey of the contributing components of the observing system illustrates the impacts of the pandemic from January 2020 through December 2021. The pandemic did not reduce the short-term geographic coverage (days to months) capabilities mainly due to the continuation of autonomous platform observations. In contrast, the pandemic caused critical loss to longer-term (years to decades) observations, greatly impairing the monitoring of such crucial variables as ocean carbon and the state of the deep ocean. So, while the observing system has held under the stress of the pandemic, work must be done to restore the interrupted replenishment of the autonomous components and plan for more resilient methods to support components of the system that rely on cruise-based measurements.
Explaining Dynamics and Rapid Onset of the Somali Jet through Its Kinetic Energy Budget
Authors: Masiwal Rajat , Dixit Vishal , Seshadri Ashwin K.
Published: December 2022

The low-level Somali jet is the primary mechanism of moisture transport for the South Asian monsoon. It precedes monsoon onset over India and shares its key characteristic features such as rapid intensification and slower retreat during seasonal evolution. This study analyzes the kinetic energy (KE) budget of Somali jet region using high-spatiotemporal-resolution reanalysis (ERA5) to explain these key features. The KE budget reveals that in the Southern Hemisphere, the easterly flow that ultimately feeds the jet exhibits a conventional Ekman balance, with KE generation balanced by frictional dissipation. A unique “advective balance”—balance between KE generation in the northward flow and its advection emerges as the jet begins to form near the equatorial region. The fully formed Somali jet exhibits a three-way balance between KE generation, its advection, and dissipation. A nondimensional parameter–boundary layer local Rossby number (Ro) characterizes the transitions across these regimes. The large-Ro regime describes an advective balance under which KE-generating meridional winds become proportional to meridional pressure gradients yielding a nonlinear (quadratic) dependence of KE generation on pressure gradients. This nonlinear relation explains rapid onset of the jet as well as the asymmetry between rapid onset and slower retreat, leading us to propose a simple model for approximating the seasonal evolution of kinetic energy in the Somali jet given the evolution of pressure gradients. In summary, this work shows that Somali jet onset is closely tied to the seasonal evolution of Ro in the region where the advective boundary layer appears.

Significance Statement

The Somali jet is an important feature of the South Asian monsoon, contributing significantly to enhanced rainfall over the region. We study the dynamics of this jet by focusing on its kinetic energy (KE). Maintenance of the jet at different regions corresponds to different kinds of balances in the kinetic energy budget. A dimensionless parameter characterizes these different regimes of KE balance, which are captured at sufficiently high resolution. The rapid intensification of the jet can be explained as a nonlinear response of KE generation to the seasonal evolution of the north–south pressure gradient. These findings contribute to understanding of the jet and its nonlinear evolution, which is important for accurate representation and simulation of the Somali jet in climate models.
Anthropogenic Impacts on the Water Cycle over Drylands in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Luo Min , Liu Yuzhi , Luo Run , Zhu Qingzhe , Guo Jun , Tan Ziyuan , Shao Tianbin
Published: December 2022

The effects of anthropogenic factors on the water cycle in drylands of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) are unclear. Here, we used the Community Earth System Model (CESM2.1.0) to quantify the influences of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and anthropogenic aerosols (AAs) on the water cycle and precipitation recycling rate (PRR) over drylands from 1980 to 2014. The corresponding mechanisms are also revealed in this study. The results show that GHGs can intensify the water cycle over drylands by increasing precipitation (P; 0.023 mm day−1) and evapotranspiration (ET; 0.037 mm day−1). Consequently, the negative P − ET (−0.014 mm day−1) is induced because infiltration (I; −0.014 mm day−1) and total water storage (S; −0.011 mm day−1) are decreased, implying a loss of soil water. The PRR is reduced by approximately −0.18% because of the GHG-induced extra water vapor export, which originated from ET. In contrast, AAs can weaken the water cycle over drylands by decreasing P (−0.03 mm day−1) and ET (−0.039 mm day−1). Correspondingly, positive P − ET (0.009 mm day−1) is induced, reflecting an input of soil water. Because of the AA-induced persistent ET from a wetter land and the reduced export water vapor from ET, the PRR increases by approximately 0.15%. Mechanistically, GHGs and AAs can affect the water cycle over drylands by perturbing the descending branches of Hadley circulation in midlatitude regions. Quantifying the climate effects of GHGs and AAs on the regional water cycle improves our understanding of the regional water cycle; the results of this study could also be conducive to the climate predictions for drylands.
Direct Assimilation of All-Sky GOES-R ABI Radiances in GSI EnKF for the Analysis and Forecasting of a Mesoscale Convective System
Authors: Zhu Lijian , Xue Ming , Kong Rong , Min Jinzhong
Published: December 2022

In this study, all-sky GOES-R ABI infrared radiances at their native resolution are assimilated using an enhanced GSI ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation (DA) system, and the impacts of the data on the analysis and forecast of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) are explored. Results show that all-sky ABI BT data can correctly build up observed storms within the model and effectively remove spurious storms in model background through frequent DA cycles. Both bias and root-mean-squared innovation of the background and analysis are significantly reduced during the DA cycles, and free forecasts are improved when verified subjectively and objectively against observed ABI BTs and independent radar reflectivity observations. A horizontal localization radius of 30 km is found to produce the best results while 5-min DA cycles improve the storm analyses over 15-min cycles, but the differences in forecasts are small. Further analyses show that the clearing of spurious clouds by ABI radiance is correctly accompanied by reduction in moisture through background error cross covariance, but overdrying often occurs, which can cause spurious storm decay in the forecast. The problem is reduced when the ensemble mean of observation prior instead of observation prior of the ensemble mean state is used in the ensemble mean state update equation of EnKF. The significant difference between the two ways that the ensemble mean of observation prior is calculated when the observational operator is very nonlinear has not been recognized in earlier cloudy radiance DA studies.

Significance Statement

Satellite observations in cloudy regions are not used in most current operational weather prediction systems due to complex nonlinear relations between satellite-observed quantities, the radiances, and model state in such regions. The models also must predict clouds reasonably well for cloudy observations to be effectively assimilated. The latest NOAA geostationary satellites can provide radiance observations at high spatial and temporal resolutions and such data in both cloudy- and clear-air regions are assimilated using an advanced data assimilation method into a model that explicitly represents convection. Forecasts up to 4 h are improved by the assimilation while several issues associated with the assimilation are discussed. The study contributes to the eventual use of all-sky satellite radiance data in operational models.
Does the Climate Impact Satisfaction with Life? An Australian Spatial Study
Authors: Lignier Phil , Jarvis Diane , Grainger Daniel , Chaiechi Taha
Published: December 2022

It is now widely acknowledged that climate change will have a considerable impact on various aspects of human existence, and this includes happiness and satisfaction with life. This study adds to the existing literature on the contribution of climate to well-being by exploring the interaction of various climate variables at the national and local levels while controlling for socioeconomic factors. Using climate data covering a 20-yr period and demographic data from the Household Income Labor Dynamics in Australia surveys, several ordinary least squares (OLS) models of interaction are developed to test the proposition that climate does influence life satisfaction. Geographically weighted regression is then applied to explore how the relationship between explanatory variables and life satisfaction varies across different regions of Australia. We find that overall rainfall, temperature, and sunshine have a small but significant effect on individual life satisfaction. The spatial analysis reveals a high level of nonstationarity in the way climate variables impact life satisfaction, suggesting that regional climate type may be an important element influencing the relationship. The understanding of this relationship may assist policy makers who develop resilience and adaptation strategies as we face the impacts of climate change.

Significance Statement

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first investigation of contributions of a wide range of climate factors to individual life satisfaction across a continent-size country that provides a novel spatial analysis of the variations in climate factor impact. The study shows that in regions with climatic conditions of high temperatures and prolonged dry periods, additional heat will adversely affect individual well-being. In view of the anticipated effects of climate change, this finding does not bode well for residents of areas that already have a hot and dry climate, as increasing temperatures and potentially longer droughts are likely to compromise their well-being. This study can inform policy making that considers adaptive climate change strategies for community well-being.
Understanding Political Participation From the Margins: The Perspectives of Migrant Slum Dwellers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana
Authors: Yajalin John Ebotui
Published: December 2022

This paper explores politics and political participation from the voices and perspectives of migrant slum dwellers in Agbogbloshie, the most populous migrant slum in Accra. Using in-depth interviews, the paper found that residents’ conception of politics is couched in a pejorative sense as they view politics as a “dirty and deceitful game.” While most migrants see politics as contested elections in which political elites struggle for power, they participate in politics mainly by voting in periodic elections. The main driver of migrants’ political participation is the need to vote for political parties and governments that protect them against forced eviction.
Consolation Without Religious Topoi: Thematic Analysis of References to “Afterlife” in Secular Eulogies in Communist Czechoslovakia (1948–1989)
Authors: Svačinová Iva
Published: December 2022

The article focuses on practice of secular eulogistic rhetoric in communist Czechoslovakia (1948–1989), specifically it investigates references to “afterlife” used in eulogies, which is generally conceived as allowing the bereaved to positively reappraise the death of the loved one. However, in secular eulogies, the use of “afterlife” in religious interpretation (“resurrection”, “heaven”) is explicitly excluded. Based on the thematic analysis of 61 secular eulogies, 2 secular interpretations of “afterlife” are identified: symbolic continuity (continuity of memory of the deceased, through his/her legacy/work done, as a part of Nature, through children/future generations, or continuity of the deceased’s love) and factual (but deprived) continuity (death is presented as a sleep, journey, or pain relief).
A secure event-based quantized networked control system
Authors: Xiang Biao , Liu Xia , Chen Yong
Published: December 2022

This paper focuses on network time delay, network congestion, and network security in the networked control system. A secure event-based quantized networked control system (SEQNCS) is proposed to address these problems. The predictive method in the SEQNCS actively compensates time delay both in the forward channel and feedback channel according to the previous states and control inputs. Both the event-driven strategy and quantizer are introduced into the SEQNCS to alleviate network congestion by the event trigger conditions and quantization density. The encrypted encoding quantizer is constructed in the SEQNCS to implement the protection of data security under deception attacks while quantifying the transmitted data. The proposed SEQNCS achieves desired system performance of the networked control system under time delay and deception attacks while alleviating network congestion. The stability of the SEQNCS is proved by the piecewise linear model approach. Practical experiments are implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SEQNCS.
Measurement and compensation of spillover effect in underwater acoustic sensor networks during target localization
Authors: Reddy Tippireddy Srinivasa , Prateek  , Arya Rajeev
Published: December 2022

Localization in underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs) depends critically on the mobility pattern of the topology as well as the target node. Prior literature has attempted to localize static as well as dynamic sensors. However, unintentional movement of the sensor network introduces localization errors which add up cumulatively and disrupt the normal functioning of an underwater sensor network. In the present work, the concept of spillover has been defined to denote these unintentional movements. The genesis of spillover has been discussed with respect to the signal model. A theorem is proposed to describe the consequence of spillover on the UWASN. The problem of spillover is quantified mathematically. The loss of localization performance due to the spillover effect is then measured with the formulation of a control function which incorporates delay time. To mitigate the losses, a spillover compensation (SoC) algorithm is proposed. SoC utilizes a discretization technique to reduce the variance of sensor position and to enhance localization accuracy. It improves the performance of localization by at least 23.15% and reduces the localization error by 31% up to 600 m. Through a series of computations using parameters such as root mean square (RMS) positioning error and RMS velocity error, the theoretical findings are verified and compared with standard techniques. Diversity in deployment scenarios is taken care of using variance and sensor speed. The proposed technique shall be useful to create spillover-aware systems in underwater cybernetic localization and UWASNs in general.
Autoethnographic narrative as a lens on life-long musician-teacher identity
Authors: Townshend Darrell
Published: December 2022

Musician-teacher identity is a “work-in-progress” spanning a career lifetime, yet little research appears to explore how this culminative development occurs, particularly from an individualized musician-teacher viewpoint. Using a qualitative epistemology, the author examines autoethnographic vignettes of life experience to highlight how changes of aging, work environments, and personal circumstances guide such a musician-teacher’s journey. A “rivers of experience” approach, combined with several frames of reference, uncovers epiphanic moments showing how local and international contexts shape musician-teacher identity. Given the enormous changes in education over the past 40 years, and the changing, challenging world of Covid-19, this article is a timely and needed catalyst for others to reflect on their own experiences as they look to their futures.
Numerical study on flow characteristics of shroud with and without flap for wind turbine applications
Authors: Ramayee L. , Supradeepan K.
Published: December 2022

Shrouded wind turbines have the shroud added to the rotor’s circumference, enhancing wind power compared to conventional wind turbines. This article aims to design a shorter aerofoil cross-sectional enclosure for the wind turbine that improves average velocity and reduces drag, duct material volume, and tower load. Numerical simulations were performed to understand the characteristics of shroud alone and shroud with flap using ANSYS Fluent in the operating regime of the small wind turbine. The influence of the shroud’s length-to-diameter L/ D ratio and angle on the performance was analyzed using a one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach, and the optimum values were found. Then the analysis was performed by including the flap at the exit of an optimized shroud. The shroud with flap results showed enhanced average velocity, increased mass flow rate, and higher drag forces than a single long shroud. In order to reduce the drag coefficient, the enclosure geometrical parameters were analyzed using the Design of Experiments (DOE) approach. The results show that the shroud L/ D ratio significantly affects the average velocity. Moreover, the optimum combination was found as shroud L/ D ratio=0.4, shroud angle=9°, flap L/ D ratio=0.2, flap angle=16°, and radial distance of 0.2 R. The proposed combination helps to get an acceleration factor of 1.78, a drag coefficient of 1.84, and a material volume of 0.7×10−3 m3. It was found that the optimal ratio of shroud L/ D could be between 0.3 and 0.6, resulting in a higher acceleration factor, lower material volume, and shorter length. The drag forces acting in the shroud alone and shroud with flap were studied by analyzing the forces in every section. The results show that the negative drag force acts in the shroud’s inner leading edge.
The CPS Workers’ Child Removal Decision in Cases of Domestic and Witnessed Violence
Authors: Milani Luca , Grumi Serena , Camisasca Elena , Miragoli Sarah , Cattani Martina , Di Blasio Paola
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to explore maternal and paternal risks and protective factors that may influence the Child Protection Service (CPS) workers’ child removal decision in case of domestic and witnessed violence. In all, 218 case reports of Italian CPSs were retrospectively analyzed through the Protocol of Risk and Protective Factors. The sample was then split up into two groups on the basis of the CPS professionals’ placement decision after the investigation (child removal decision versus parents support and monitoring intervention). Two statistical approaches were used to identify the patterns of risk and protective factors associated with maternal and paternal assessments: logistic regression models and decision tree analysis. Results showed that mothers who are victims of Intimate Partner Violence experienced the child removal in about half of the cases, while fathers showed a higher removal rate. Differences emerged between mothers’ and fathers’ risk profiles, suggesting that workers attributed a different weight to some factors depending on whether they concerned the mother or the father. Only the proximal risk factor poor empathy skills was significant for both mothers and fathers. For the mothers’ group, one of the most important factors was the presence of direct forms of child maltreatment in addition to witnessed violence, while for fathers’ group the drug abuse emerged a crucial relevant proximal risk factor.
Closed-form models for the cutting forces of general-helix cylindrical milling tools
Authors: Ozoegwu Chigbogu , Eberhard Peter
Published: December 2022

Cutting force is the predictor of the performance indicators of machining processes, therefore, the measurement and modeling accuracy have received sustained research attention. The existing closed-form models for milling cutting force are useful for an analytical design process and optimization (over large parametric ranges) but the methods are not applicable to milling tools with arbitrary helix angle variation (general-helix). On the other hand, numerical methods are available for general-helix tools but are only applicable in an analytical design process and optimization when they are used to create surrogate models. The aim of this work is to develop closed-form models that retain the benefits of both approaches for computing the cutting forces of general-helix cylindrical milling tools by combining the properties of the analytical and numerical approaches. The proposed closed-form modeling approach is shown to be more accurate and more convergent than the numerical approach and checked using published experimental data for a fixed helix angle milling tool. For this illustrative case, the percentage error of a proposed closed-form model for the unsegmented (1-segment) tool model relative to the 500-segment model (considered exact) is 0.00% when the error for the equivalent numerical method is 1.90%. Higher accurate applicability of the proposed closed-form models to variable helix tools is also demonstrated for the harmonic case. The percentage error of a proposed closed-form model for the 1-segment tool model relative to the 500-segment model (considered exact) is 0.28% when the error of the equivalent numerical method is 1.05% for this illustrative case. The advantage in terms of generalized applicability and the disadvantage in terms of minor discretization error are highlighted against the backdrop of an existing close-form model for fixed helix angle tools.
A two-dimensional buffer valve for heavy-duty vehicles: Design, dynamic modeling, and experimental verification
Authors: Du Hongwang , Wang Wenchao , Xiong Wei
Published: December 2022

Focusing on the problems of weak anti-pollution capability and large lateral sliding friction of gears in traditional vehicle cushion valves, this study combined two-dimensional (2D) technology and the concept of pressure torsion transmission and proposed a 2D buffer valve with a fast response, high precision, and strong anti-pollution capability. The structure and working principle of the 2D buffer valve were introduced, and a dynamic model was developed for the 2D buffer valve. The model was jointly solved by Simulink and AMESim, and simulation analyses and experimental research were performed. The research results show that the step response time of the 2D pressure torque transmission buffer valve was approximately 0.024 s, and the maximum overshoot was approximately 7.4%. During the shift buffering process, the maximum deviation was 0.077 MPa, and the steady-state error was 0.018 MPa. The buffer valve proposed in this paper could achieve good control of the clutch oil pressure of the vehicle transmission, thereby improving the buffering performance and shifting quality in heavy-duty vehicles.
An investigation of optimum control of injection timing/injection pressure for a multicylinder common rail direct injection engine fueled with AB20 blend
Authors: Singh Mandeep , Kumar Prem , Sandhu Sarbjot Singh
Published: December 2022

A multicylinder turbocharged common rail direct injection engine was tested at part load (62.4 Nm) and high load (156 Nm) to determine the optimum combination of injection pressure (IP) and injection timing (IT) for AB20 blended fuel. IP and IT were varied from default settings, that is, 9.2° before top dead center (BTDC), 45 MPa at part load; 9.8° BTDC, 95 MPa at high load, as specified in the calibration map of the engine. As a result of the experimental results, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) increased up to 5.36% when IP increased from 35 MPa to 45 MPa and 0.72% when IP increased from 45 MPa to 55 MPa under the part load condition. At high load, the maximum BTE of 38.22% was attained at 105 MPa IP and 9.8° BTDC IT. At this condition, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission was noted as 1353 ppm, which is 12.28% higher than the NOx noted for diesel fuel at the default IP and IT conditions. When IP increases from 35 to 55 MPa at part load and 85–105 MPa at high load, cylinder pressure, heat release rate, and rate of pressure rise increase at all tested ITs. At high load, the condition of retarded IT (8.8° BTDC) and default IP (95 MPa) shows (a) 2.35% higher BTE and (b) almost similar NOx and improved HC, CO, and smoke emissions for the AB20 blend. Moreover, at the same experimental conditions, premixed heat release for the AB20 blend was noted to be 70.16 J/Deg./C.A, with heat release rate peak at 6° ATDC.
Local-scale environmental gradients in ‘snail-shell’ stable isotopes from Holocene Jordanian archaeological sites
Authors: Jenkins Holly , Andrews Julian , Rowan Yorke , Wasse Alexander , White Tom , Philip Graham , Marca Alina , Clarke Joanne
Published: December 2022

Reconstructing environments around archaeological sites is complicated by past land management practices and regional-scale climate proxies that can be contradictory and are often located at a distance from the sites themselves. Here we explore environmental information from fossil snail shells which, even when few in number on an archaeological site, may prove invaluable in constructing site-specific data. The palaeoecology of fossil snails and the stable isotopic composition of their shell carbonate can provide context-specific information on vegetation, water availability, and relative humidity during the occupation of a site. We studied terrestrial and aquatic snails from two later Neolithic archaeological sites in the Jordanian badia, Wadi al-Qattafi and Wisad Pools. At specific archaeological site-scale our study highlights the importance of aquatic snails in the reconstruction of semi-arid environments. At Wisad pools rare aquatic snails in contexts dating between ~8.0 and ~7.6 ka demonstrate episodes of wetness; moreover, their shell isotopic compositions indicate that local watercourses were well established, corroborating previous findings that during this period the immediate environs of Wisad Pools were host to C3 plant species more typical of the Mediterranean zone. Moreover, the δ18O signal in these snail shells allow tentative reconstruction of rainwater isotopic compositions and identify the effects of evaporation. Such fine-grained environmental information is much less evident from the terrestrial snail-shell data alone, showing that an ensemble of snail-shell data can be highly sensitive to environmental differentials across an archaeological site. Finally, at a regional palaeoclimate-scale our Wisad Pools snail-shell stable isotope data are consistent with a sustained, Rapid Climate Change (RCC)-driven wetness between 8.6 and 7.6 ka concurrent with cold and wet conditions in the wider Levant.
Inter-annual and intra-annual tree-ring oxygen isotope signals in response to monsoon rainfall in northwestern Thailand
Authors: Preechamart Sineenart , Pumijumnong Nathsuda , Bräuning Achim , Muangsong Chotika , Cai Binggui , Buajan Supaporn
Published: December 2022

We present a new teak ( Tectona grandis L.f.) tree-ring stable oxygen isotope (δ18OTR) chronology from Mae Tuen (MT) site, Tak province, northwestern Thailand at inter-annual (167-year, A.D.1850–2016) and intra-annual (A.D.2006–2016) timescales. The inter-annual δ18OTR chronology showed a significant negative correlation ( r = −0.678, p < 0.01) with the May–October amount of regional rainfall obtained from CRU TS4.03. We established a linear regression model that explained 46.0% of the actual rainfall variance and reconstructed monsoon season rainfall back to A.D.1850. The seasonal variations in moisture conditions were reflected in inter-annual δ18OTR variability. The rainfall amount and δ18O in precipitation (δ18Op) mainly controlled intra-annual variations in teak δ18OTR. These results show that the variation in Thai teak δ18OTR is dominated by rainfall, highlighting the strength of δ18OTR as a monsoon rainfall proxy.
Middle managers’ ethos as an inner motive in developing a caring culture
Authors: Morvati Diako , Hilli Yvonne
Published: December 2022

Background

Middle managers play a key role in promoting a caring culture in nursing homes. However, there is limited knowledge about middle managers’ inner motives and their experiences of their responsibility in developing a caring culture.

Research aim

The aim of the study is to get a deeper understanding of middle managers’ motives and their experiences of their responsibility to develop a caring culture in nursing homes.

Research design

A qualitative design with a hermeneutic approach inspired by Gadamer was chosen which guided the interpretation of data. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted.

Participants and research context

Data were collected from thirteen middle managers in nursing homes, in six municipalities in northern Norway in September and October 2021.

Ethical considerations

The study was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. Oral and written informed consent was obtained from participants.

Findings

The findings show that the middle managers had non- egoistic motives to promote a caring culture as expressed in their attitudes and actions. They felt responsible to promote a caring culture where both patients and staff experienced care and were respected and recognized as unique individuals. Middle managers as good role models are responsible for being present and raising awareness of the importance of care in the nursing home culture by systematically reflecting on care values. However, a strong focus on the financial and administrative demands limits the middle managers’ possibilities to promote a caring culture and prevented them from always acting as they wanted to act, which often causes moral distress.

Conclusion

Being in contact with inner motives, enables the leader to promote a homelike and caring culture where both patients and staff feels respected and recognized as unique individuals. This study highlights the importance of systematic reflection on caring values in nursing homes which leads to value awareness among all actors.
Estimation and Effectiveness of Optimal Hedge Ratios of Cryptocurrencies Based on Static and Dynamic Methodologies
Authors: Dangi Vandana
Published: December 2022

The emergence of cryptocurrencies futures market is an innovative platform for prudent investors to hedge risk contained in their portfolio. However, the dicey environment of cryptocurrencies and mandatory requirement of Ind AS 39 has aroused the need for estimating hedging effectiveness of their futures market. This treatise is an attempt to investigate the hedging effectiveness of Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP and Bitcoin Cash covering the period from June 2018 to May 2022. The interconnectedness of their spot and futures markets is initially studied using Johansen cointegration test, dynamic conditional correlation model, vector error correction model and block exogeneity Wald test. Their empirical results indicate interconnectedness in these markets having significant long-term relationship; persistent volatility correlations; significant unidirectional long-term causality from futures to spot; and bidirectional short-term causality in all cryptocurrencies. So, investors can hedge their risk by engaging position in cryptocurrencies’ futures. The OLS, VECM, GARCH and TARCH methodologies are applied to estimate static optimal hedge ratios and their estimates indicate that all cryptocurrencies have negative and significant ratios except XRP. The symmetric as well as asymmetric diagonal VECH and diagonal BEKK methodologies are applied to estimate dynamic-hedge ratios and their estimates depict negative mean dynamic-hedge ratios of all cryptocurrencies except XRP. These estimations imply that investors having long position in spot contracts of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash should hedge by taking short position in their futures contracts, respectively. However, XRP investors should hedge by taking long position in XRP future contracts. The empirical results clearly indicate the outperformance of static hedge strategies over dynamic hedge strategies as variance reduction framework of Ederington favours static OLS hedge strategy and the risk–return framework of Howard and D’Antonio favours static VECM hedge strategy for all cryptocurrencies. So, the long-run considerations have played a more crucial role as compared to short-run information. These findings may guide investors having different objective functions in understanding the effectiveness of different hedge strategies and their usage for achieving their objective functions. Policymakers, treasurers and auditors may also be benefitted from the insights provided in the present treatise on different estimation methodologies for hedging effectiveness.
Relationship between Poverty and Food Security: Empirical Evidence from the Enclave Area of Rural Bangladesh
Authors: Khatun Mst. Asma , Misu Farjana , Islam Mohammad Amirul , Sayem Sheikh Mohammad
Published: December 2022

The article examines the relationship between poverty and food insecurity using a primary sample ( n = 319) collected from the enclave areas of Bangladesh. The study reveals that among the poor respondents, 80% are food insecure and among the non-poor respondents 30.8% are food insecure. Uni-variate probit regressions find that per capita income, household size, number of earners, household’s head education, improved communication, suffering from disease, livestock rearing, fishing, improved crop variety, micro-credit, social safety net programme and income shock cause differential influence on poverty and food insecurity simultaneously. Marginal probability of bi-variate probit model illustrates that per capita income, household size and suffering from disease are the three most prominent factors of poverty and food insecurity concurrently that varies at individual factor level from composite factor level. The average predicted probability indicates that majority of the households are more likely to stay poor and food insecure. There is a strong and complex link between poverty and food insecurity, while some poor are food insecure and some are not. Hence, policies devised based on only one indicator may not achieve the development targets fully and resource allocation may be inefficient. The study recommends that there should be synergies between policies which should address both the social indicators jointly.
Book review: Lalitha Gopalan, Cinemas Dark and Slow in Digital India
Authors: Bhaumik Kaushik
Published: December 2022

Lalitha Gopalan, Cinemas Dark and Slow in Digital India. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021, 460 pp., $109.99 (Cloth). ISBN: 9783030540951.
Antibiotic coated nails: Rationale, development, indications and outcomes
Authors: Kalbas Yannik , Klingebiel Felix , Pape Hans-Christoph
Published: December 2022

The concept of antibiotic-coated implants, mainly coated intramedullary nails, has become increasingly used for the treatment of fracture related infections. After a long period of hand-made implants, commercially fabricated implants combine several benefits. Antibiotic-coated nails constitute a solid treatment option for unstable diaphyseal infections with fractures or non-unions. They release high concentrations of antibiotics locally, while retaining reduction and providing axial stability. This review aims to provide an overview about the background, the development, the indications, the treatment strategies and the outcomes of antibiotic-coated intramedullary nails.
Relationship between anatomical injury site of rectus femoris muscle strain and time taken to return to play in Japanese professional soccer players
Authors: Shimozaki Kengo , Nakase Junsuke , Asai Kazuki , Yoshimizu Rikuto , Kimura Mitsuhiro , Kanayama Tomoyuki , Yanatori Yusuke , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The rectus femoris has three myotendinous or myoaponeurosis junctions and causes three types of muscle strain anatomically. We aimed to investigate the anatomical injury site of the rectus femoris muscle strain in professional soccer players as well as the characteristic findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate its relationship with the time taken to return to play at competition levels.

Methods

Thirteen Japanese professional soccer players who sustained injuries to the rectus femoris were included in this study. The mechanism of injury, anatomical injury site, severity, absence of hematomas, and time taken to return to competition were evaluated.

Results

Ten patients were injured while kicking and three while sprinting. The anatomical injury site was the origin aponeurosis in two cases, intramuscular tendon in eight cases, and distal aponeurosis in three cases. The severity was one-degree in three cases and two-degree in 10 cases. Hematomas were observed in five cases. Cases with injuries caused by sprinting, two-degree injuries, or clear hematomas were associated with significantly longer periods of return to play than the other cases. Additionally, patients with distal aponeurosis-type injuries tended to take a long time to return to the competition.

Conclusions

In rectus femoris muscle strain, it is important to evaluate the anatomical injury site, severity, and absence of hematomas on MRI. Not only the injury mechanism, a clear hematoma, and high severity but also distal aponeurosis injuries may be associated with long periods of return to play at competition levels.
Tolerability and efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy when administered with a corticosteroid-free anti-emetic regimen
Authors: Tieri Jay , Harris Brent , Melikian Lori , Bullington Susan , Naville-Cook Chad , Crawford Brooke
Published: December 2022

Background

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with chemotherapy is commonplace. This study sought to determine whether the omission of corticosteroids from the antiemetic regimen in patients receiving chemoimmunotherapy changes control of nausea and time on ICI therapy.

Methods

This single-site, retrospective, observational study was conducted at Veteran Health Indiana, a level 1A Veterans Affairs tertiary care facility. All patients who received concurrent chemoimmunotherapy between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, were included. The replacement of corticosteroids with olanzapine in chemoimmunotherapy regimens occurred on March 27, 2019. Outcomes were compared in patients who received corticosteroids as part of antiemetic prophylaxis versus patients in whom corticosteroids were omitted. Outcomes included the proportion of patients achieving an anti-nausea complete control response (CCR) or partial control response (PCR) with antiemetic prophylaxis, and the time on ICI therapy in months.

Results

Seventy-two patients received a chemotherapeutic agent with a concomitant ICI during the designated time frame and were included for anti-emetogenic and ICI efficacy analysis, 36 patients received corticosteroids with chemoimmunotherapy and 36 patients did not. CCR was achieved in 55.6% of patients who received corticosteroids and in 69.4% of patients who did not. PCR was 19.4% versus 25.0%, respectively. Removal of corticosteroids from chemoimmunotherapy regimens did not result in a significant difference in nausea control or time on ICI therapy.

Conclusions

Results suggest corticosteroids may be safely continued, or removed and replaced by other novel agents for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting when administered with ICIs.
A review of additives in abrasive water jet machining and their performance
Authors: Sreekumar M. , Purushothaman S. , Srinivas M. S. , Katiyar J. K. , Sankar M. R.
Published: December 2022

Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM) is an advanced machining process that has a variety of applications, including machining of hard-to-machine materials, drilling, milling, coating removal, polishing, etc. They are attractive because of their versatility, absence of heat-affected zones, low thermal-distortions, low cutting-forces, and environment-friendly nature. However, use of plain-water in AWJM poses some problems due to lack of jet coherence, poor suspension characteristics, and unsatisfactory performances in submerged-cutting and cutting of hollow surfaces. Countering these problems appropriately can lead to better cutting performances in terms of material removal rate, depth of cut, kerf-width, and kerf-taper. It can be achieved with addition of some additives in abrasive water-jet. These additives are mostly polymers of high molecular mass, which increases viscosity, suspension capability, and stability of jet, while reducing drag. In addition to AWJM, the effect of polymeric-additives in other water-based jets like Abrasive-Slurry-Jet (ASJ), High-pressure ASJ, etc. are also discussed. Therefore, this study aims to identify and list of different additives that are used in AWJM and other water-jet-based machining-processes over a past few decades, and to provide a run-through on their performances. It can provide the significant information to researchers working in fields related to waterjets.
Magnetization transfer saturation reveals subclinical optic nerve injury in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis
Authors: Longoni Giulia , Martinez Chavez Edgar , Young Kimberly , Brown Robert A , Bells Sonya , Fetco Dumitru , Kim Laura , Grover Stephanie A , Costello Fiona , Reginald Arun , Bar-Or Amit , Marrie Ruth Ann , Arnold Douglas L , Narayanan Sridar , Branson Helen M , Banwell Brenda L. , Sled John G , Mabbott Donald J. , Yeh E Ann
Published: December 2022

Background:

The presence of subclinical optic nerve (ON) injury in youth living with pediatric-onset MS has not been fully elucidated. Magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat) is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameter sensitive to myelin density and microstructural integrity, which can be applied to the study of the ON.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of subclinical ON abnormalities in pediatric-onset MS by means of magnetization transfer saturation and evaluate their association with other structural and functional parameters of visual pathway integrity.

Methods:

Eleven youth living with pediatric-onset MS (ylPOMS) and no previous history of optic neuritis and 18 controls underwent standardized brain MRI, optical coherence tomography (OCT), Magnetoencephalography (MEG)-Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs), and visual battery. Data were analyzed with mixed effect models.

Results:

While ON volume, OCT parameters, occipital MEG-VEPs outcomes, and visual function did not differ significantly between ylPOMS and controls, ylPOMS had lower MTsat in the supratentorial normal appearing white matter (−0.26 nU, p = 0.0023), and in both in the ON (−0.62 nU, p < 0.001) and in the normal appearing white matter of the optic radiation (−0.56 nU, p = 0.00071), with these being positively correlated (+0.57 nU, p = 0.00037).

Conclusions:

Subclinical microstructural injury affects the ON of ylPOMS. This may appear as MTsat changes before being detectable by other currently available testing.