bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tension. Expressionist Artistic Style in Stage Design and Original Artworks of the First Half of the 20th Century
Authors: Männiste Kerttu
Published: October 2023

Despite turning professional in the first decade of the 20th century,the material and practical capabilities of Estonian theatres initiallyremained modest. This hindered the development of stage design– a field dependent on the creative ideas of artists as well as ontechnical resources. The stage designs that used stock scenery, werestylistically uneven and often not suitable for a play’s material,received criticism from viewers-critics who were familiar with themodern developments in European and Russian theatre, especiallyfrom the members of the group Young Estonia.While Estonian artists were already familiar with the avantgardetrends in the European, and specifically German culturallife prior to WWI, in Estonian theatres expressionism appearedin the 1920s, both in terms of ideas, ideals and stylistic methods.Larger theatres were able to refresh their theatrical language withthe expressionist, stylised acting methods and new visual andscenographical solutions. The stage designer for Estonia Theatre’sinnovative productions was Peet Aren, who had already establishedhimself as an expressionist artist by the 1920s. On the stage, he alsorealised his unique artistic style: by luxated perspectives, deformedshapes, excessive colourfulness and playfulness.The ideological plane of expressionism was central in MorningTheatre (Hommikteater), active in Tallinn in 1921–1924. MorningTheatre’s troupe of amateurs under the direction of the visionaryAugust Bachmann brought out three plays which were expressionistin their message and style. Although in theatre history the stagedesigns of Morning Theatre have been associated with Peet Aren,the study of original sketches in the archive of the Estonian Theatreand Music Museum confirms that the author of Morning Theatre’sstage designs was artist Aleksander Möldroo, a representative ofthe more powerful and robust style of expressionism. With MorningTheatre’s laconic, stylised scenography, Estonian stage design madean important developmental leap from commonplace stage designtowards a theatrically conditional and artistic stage décor.
Safavid and Portuguese Christian Influence on Saint Stepanos Monastery in Julfa, Iran
Authors: Shayestehfar Mahnaz
Published: October 2023

The Monastery of Saint Stepanos, in Julfa, is located in northwesternIran, in the province of East Azerbaijan. Whilst the exactdate of construction is unknown, the building displays exceptionalarchitecture. It is believed that the monastery was built between thetenth and seventeenth centuries, and this doubt emphasises the needto investigate the nature of structure and decoration. The Monasteryis situated in a deep canyon beside the Araxes river, on the Iranianside of the border between Iran and the Nakhichevan AutonomousRepublic in Azerbaijan. It was originally built in the ninth century,and was rebuilt during the Safavid era after being damaged by warsand earthquakes. Considering that scholars and travel writers, such asthe French Traveller Taurine, consider the construction of this buildingto be from the Safavid period, probing the structural and decorativesimilarities of this building with Safavid period architecture can bea way of dating this outstanding historical monument. During theSafavid period, the Portuguese arrival on the island of Hormuz inthe Persian Gulf (1515–1622 AD) prepared the ground for the arrivaland activity of European Christians, who spread Christianity and itsculture. One of the earliest consequences of this was the constructionof the Monastery and other Christian architecture. The basic objectivesof the article are to study the influence of Portuguese Christianarchitecture on the construction of Saint Stepanos Monastery, and toinvestigate the influence of Safavid structural design on its architecture.The main questions, are what influence has the architecture of SaintStepanos Monastery had on Christian architecture in Portugal,and what influence did the architecture the Monastery have on thearchitecture of the Safavid period?This research for this article is descriptive and analytical based onhistorical information, available documents and existing images. Anexamination of the architectural similarities between Saint Stepanos

Monastery in Julfa and Christian architecture in Portugal is essentialfor a more accurate understanding of the Monastery.
Art History as a New Discipline at the Estonian University in Tartu after the Long 19th Century
Authors: Kangor Eero
Published: October 2023

The article is the first attempt to present the beginnings of Estonian professional art history in the 1920s in a regional and global context. The author strives to situate the University of Tartu (Dorpat) in the pan-European network of universities, where art history had gradually become regarded as a new discipline during and after the long 19th century. Art history is rooted in the Age of Enlightenment, with Johann Joachim Winckelmann retrospectively named the father of art history. But it was about a half century after his death that art history was incorporated into a general subject of aesthetics taught at universities. It took another fifty years for art history to become a separate discipline in the modern universities of Germany and Austria-Hungary, and another half century to receive a separate chair at the Estonian national university in Tartu. The development of art history as a discipline at the University of Tartu is analysed on a very granular level, based on primary sources from Estonian and Swedish archives. During the 19th century art and its history were used to the ends of national politics and in search of national identities. In Estonia, this was hindered by the activities of another ethnic group, the Baltic-Germans, who had been the ruling class in the Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire. The first professor of art history at the Estonian University of Tartu, Helge Kjellin, wanted to bridge the gap between Estonian and Baltic art history. He attempted to merge these two concepts and define the territorial concept of Estonian art from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. He also defined this as a proper field of study for Estonian art historians. However, after his departure from Estonia, art history was neglected and irrelevant for the Estonian University and the Estonian Republic. Science and academic professions were regarded as a masculine field of activity until after the Second World War. Only the lack of men, who had died in the war, enabled women to start seeking a more equal place in the academic world worthy of their intellectual ability. Despite there being many capable female students among those who studied art history with Kjellin, the first female professor of art history in Estonia, Krista Kodres, was elected to the Estonian Academy of Arts only in 2003.
New species of Psychoda Latreille (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Brazilian Amazon with sexual association using molecular data
Authors: Cordeiro Danilo Pacheco , Bravo Freddy , Carvalho Claudio Jos´é Barros de
Published: October 2023

Psychoda Latreille is one of the largest genera of Psychodidae, with around 450 species, from which more than 130 are known from only one of the sexes. This is a result of the high diversity, sympatry of close related species and scarcity of diagnostic characters to accurately associate males and females in this genus. Here we describe a new species, Psychoda dactyla sp. n., from Brazil, Amazonas, São Gabriel da Cachoeira with morphological description of male and female specimens associated by DNA-barcoding.
Análisis de problemáticas urbanas a escala continental basado en datos abiertos: espacios verdes, forma urbana y sostenibilidad futura de las ciudades en África
Authors: Patino Jorge E. , Prieto-Curiel Rafael , Anderson Brilé
Published: October 2023

Las próximas décadas serán de rápida urbanización y estrés climático en las ciudades africanas. Los espacios verdes pueden aumentar la resiliencia de las ciudades frente a las olas de calor, las inundaciones, los deslizamientos de tierra e incluso la erosión costera, además de mejorar la sostenibilidad al reparar la calidad del aire, proteger la biodiversidad y absorber carbono. Sin embargo, datos cuantitativos sobre la forma urbana, la disponibilidad de espacios verdes y la contaminación del aire son muy escasos y de difícil acceso para ciudades en África. En este trabajo usamos datos geoespaciales abiertos para analizar cuantitativamente las relaciones entre la forma urbana, la presencia de espacios verdes y la calidad del aire. Los resultados del análisis indican que la presencia de espacios verdes se relaciona con mejor calidad del aire, pero que deben estar acompañados de otras políticas para que su presencia sea realmente efectiva.
Effects of accelerated rehabilitation exercise on quadriceps femoris and postural stability after anterior versus posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Lee Seok-Joo , Kim Jee-Youn , Sim Young-Je
Published: October 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a 12-week accelerated re-habilitation exercise program on isokinetic strength and dynamic bal-ance ability of thighs in 20 adult men who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) or posterior cruciate ligament recon-struction (PCLR) and to analyze intergroup differences in recovery pat-terns. In this study, we examined 10 patients who underwent ACLR and 10 who underwent PCLR. These patients participated in an accelerated rehabilitation exercise program 5 times weekly for 12 weeks. The par-ticipants’ isokinetic strength, muscular endurance, and dynamic balance ability of the femoral muscles were measured before and 12 weeks af-ter reconstruction surgery. Isokinetic knee muscle function showed no significant difference between the ACLR and PCLR groups at 60°/sec. Both the groups demonstrated significant increases in muscle strength between the flexors and extensors. However, a between-group differ-ence was noted in knee muscular endurance at 180°/sec, with ACLR patients showing significant differences between extensors and flex-ors, unlike PCLR patients. Assessment of the dynamic balance ability revealed that overall knee stability did not significantly differ between groups, and both the ACLR and PCLR groups exhibited improved dy-namic balance ability. However, significant differences were found in anteroposterior and left-right stabilities. Patients who underwent ACLR had significantly improved anteroposterior and left-right stability, wher-ever patients who underwent PCLR showed no significant difference. This accelerated rehabilitation exercise program improved the muscle strength and muscular endurance of patients who underwent ACLR and PCLR, suggesting its potential efficacy in recovering dynamic bal-ance ability, particularly after ACLR.
Endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer
Authors: Shin Hyun Phil , Park Su Bee , Seo Hye Ran , Jeon Jung Won
Published: October 2023

Endoscopic resection (ER) is an effective treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) without metastases. Existing endoscopic mucosal resec-tion (EMR) is easy to perform, has few complications, and can be ap-plied when the lesion size is small. However, en bloc and complete re-section rates vary depending on the size and severity of the lesion. EMR using the cap-mounted panendoscopic method and EMR after circum-ferential preamputation of the lesion are useful in the treatment of EGC. However, completely oversized lesions (≥2 cm) and lesions associated with ulcers or submucosal fibrosis are more likely to fail resection. En-doscopic submucosal dissection has been widely used to resect tu-mors larger than 2 cm in diameter and has a higher acceptable compli-cation rate and en bloc and complete resection rates than EMR. ER for EGC is superior to surgical resection in terms of improving patient quali-ty of life. Additionally, compared to surgery, emergency rooms have a lower rate of treatment-related complications, shorter hospital stays, and lower costs. Accordingly, the indications for ER are expanding in the field of therapeutic endoscopy. Long-term outcomes regarding re-currence are excellent in both absolute and extended criteria for ER in EGC. Close surveillance should be performed after ER to detect early metachronous gastric cancer and precancerous lesions that can be treated with ER. Follow-up gastroscopy and abdominopelvic computed tomography scans every 6 to 12 months are recommended for patients who undergo curative ER for EGC on absolute or extended criteria.
Diagnosis and treatment of dehydration after stroke: a synthesis of existing evidence
Authors: Miller Colette , McLoughlin Alison SR , Benedetto Valerio , Christian Danielle L , Jones Stephanie P , Smith Eleanor , Watkins Caroline L
Published: October 2023

Dehydration after stroke is associated with poor health outcomes, increased mortality and poses a significant economic burden to health services, yet research suggests that monitoring and assessment of hydration status is not routinely undertaken. This commentary critically appraises a systematic review which aimed to synthesise the existing evidence regarding diagnosis and treatment of dehydration after stroke. The review discusses common measures of dehydration, describes studies evaluating rehydration treatments, and highlights the link between dehydration and poorer health outcomes in both human and animal studies. The reviewers suggest that future research should focus on determining a single, validated, objective measure to clinically diagnose dehydration in stroke patients. Research designs should include clearly defined patient characteristics, type and severity of stroke, and type and time point of dehydration measurement, to enable comparison between studies. Management of hydration status is a crucial element of acute stroke care which should be routinely practiced.

Commentary on Bahouth MN, Gottesman RF, Szanton SL. Primary ‘dehydration’ and acute stroke: a systematic research review. J Neurol. 2018;265(10):2167-2181. 10.1007/s00415-018-8799-6
Are advanced clinical practitioners perfectly placed to re-report neuroimages to support the clinical diagnosis of dementia?
Authors: Bradley Danielle , Harrison Joanna , Goodall Mark , Dobrashian Richard
Published: October 2023

As the global population continues to age, the prevalence of dementia is increasing worldwide. While there is an emphasis on early, timely diagnosis and treatment options for people with a dementia, wait times from referral to diagnosis have increased. Neuroimaging performed by radiologists can be utilised to support dementia diagnoses. The purpose of this commentary is to consider whether advanced clinical practitioners, who specialise in dementia, are well placed to re-report on pre-existing neuroimages to support a clinical diagnosis of dementia.
O PAPEL DA PROFICIÊNCIA DIGITAL NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE CONTINUADA
Authors: Turibio Narita Alice , Da Silva Vieira Thiago , Avella Ramirez Rodrigo
Published: October 2023

Este artigo tem por objetivo pesquisar o sentido visto pelo docente, por meio de relatos de experiência sobre a proficiência digital do professor em ambientes colaborativos de aprendizagem. O perfil da investigação é derivado de estudos realizados na linha de pesquisa ‘Formação do Formador, e ‘Saberes e Trabalho Docente’ da Unidade de Pós-Graduação, Extensão e Pesquisa do CEETEPS. Com o avanço tecnológico nas práticas educativas em um mundo cada vez mais conectado, evidencia-se a necessidade do professor de desenvolver sua proficiência digital. A metodologia usada é uma pesquisa exploratória descritiva com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. O método e os procedimentos de pesquisa adotados são os questionários estruturados com professores e relatos de experiência por meio de pesquisas narrativas. Como produto desta pesquisa, é proposto um programa de formação docente de desenvolvimento de proficiência digital do educador. Por resultado, sugere-se a criação de comunidades investigativas de aprendizagem como formação docente continuada para o desenvolvimento da proficiência digital do educador.
Joint Representation of Entities and Relations via Graph Attention Networks for Explainable Recommendations
Authors: Boughareb Rima , Seridi-Bouchelaghem Hassina , Beldjoudi Samia
Published: October 2023

The latest advances in Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), have provided important new ideas for solving the Knowledge Graph (KG) representation problem for recommendation purposes. Although GNNs have an effective graph representation capability, the nonlinear transformations over the layers cause a loss of semantic information and make the generated embeddings hard to explain. In this paper, we investigate the potential of large KGs to perform interpretable recommendation using Graph Attention Networks (GATs). Our goal is to fully exploit the semantic information and preserve inherent knowledge ported in relations by jointly learning low-dimensional embeddings for nodes (i.e., entities) and edges (i.e., properties). Specifically, we feed the original data with additional knowledge from the Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud, and apply GATs to generate a vector representation for each node on the graph. Experiments conducted on three real-world datasets for the top-K recommendation task demonstrate the state-of-the-art performance of the system proposed. In addition to improving predictive performance in terms of precision, recall, and diversity, our approach fully exploits the rich structured information provided by KGs to offer explanation for recommendations.
The Effect of Global Value Chain Participation on Carbon Embodied in Forest Product Exports: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from the Financial Crisis Shock
Authors: Guo Ling , Xiao Liqiang , Wang Wenlan , Yin Jiachen , Huang Wanting
Published: October 2023

Reasonable assessment of the environmental benefits of integrating forest products into global value chains (GVCs) is important to promote sustainable development. Based on the forest product sector data for 41 countries from 2002 to 2014, this paper explores the impact of GVC participation on carbon embodied in exports using the 2008 financial crisis, a quasi-natural experiment of negative global value chain shocks. We found that deepening backward participation in forest product value chains led to more substantial increases in carbon emissions than did forward participation. Countries with large decreases in GVC participation reduced more carbon embodied in forest product exports after the financial crisis (relative to countries with small decreases) through a larger reduction in the scale of forest product exports, and a decrease in the growth rate of capital-intensive products as a result of the relative decline in capital investment. They increased the embodied carbon of exports through a decrease in the growth rate of skilled personnel. Strengthening the technology effect of GVCs with the guidance of skilled forestry personnel is a key way to decrease exported embodied carbon.
Wondrous Bodies: Trans Epistemology and Nonbinary Saints
Authors: Libby C.
Published: October 2023

Abstract: This article places Marcella Althaus-Reid’s theological reflection on popular devotion to the figure of Santa Librada in Argentina in conversation with scholarship on androgyny, nonbinary identity, and medieval gender-crossing saints. Tying together strands of medieval writing on wondrous bodies and contemporary articulations of nonbinary identity foregrounds how nonbinary embodiments destabilize modern conceptions of binary gender. Although I am not suggesting a return to premodern conceptions of the body, medieval texts are instructive insofar as they offer an epistemology of embodiment that evades the consolidation of binary categories of sex and gender.
A scoping review of the landscape of health-related open datasets in Latin America
Authors: Restrepo David , Quion Justin , Vásquez-Venegas Constanza , Villanueva Cleva , Anthony Celi Leo , Nakayama Luis Filipe
Published: October 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have the potential to revolutionize healthcare, but their successful translation into clinical practice has been limited. One crucial factor is the data used to train these algorithms, which must be representative of the population. However, most healthcare databases are derived from high-income countries, leading to non-representative models and potentially exacerbating health inequities. This review focuses on the landscape of health-related open datasets in Latin America, aiming to identify existing datasets, examine data-sharing frameworks, techniques, platforms, and formats, and identify best practices in Latin America. The review found 61 datasets from 23 countries, with the DATASUS dataset from Brazil contributing to the majority of articles. The analysis revealed a dearth of datasets created by the authors themselves, indicating a reliance on existing open datasets. The findings underscore the importance of promoting open data in Latin America. We provide recommendations for enhancing data sharing in the region.
Honey contamination from plant protection products approved for cocoa (Theobroma cacao) cultivation: A systematic review of existing research and methods
Authors: Boakye Richard G. , Stanley Dara A. , White Blanaid
Published: October 2023

The main component of chocolate, cocoa (Theobroma cacao), is a significant commercial agricultural plant that directly sustains the livelihoods of an estimated forty to fifty million people. The economies of many cocoa producing nations, particularly those in the developing world, are supported by cocoa export revenue. To ensure satisfactory yields, however, the plant is usually intensely treated with pesticides because it is vulnerable to disease and pest attacks. Even though pesticides help protect the cocoa plant, unintended environmental contamination is also likely. Honey, produced from nectar obtained by honeybees from flowers while foraging, can serve as a good indicator for the level of pesticide residues and environmental pesticide build-up in landscapes. Here, we use a systematic literature review to quantify the extent of research on residues of pesticides used in cocoa cultivation in honey. In 81% of the 104 studies examined for this analysis, 169 distinct compounds were detected. Imidacloprid was the most frequently detected pesticide, making neonicotinoids the most frequently found class of pesticides overall. However, in cocoa producing countries, organophosphates, organochlorines, and pyrethroids were the most frequently detected pesticides. Interestingly, only 19% of studies were carried out in cocoa producing countries. We recommend prioritizing more research in the countries that produce cocoa to help to understand the potential impact of pesticide residues linked with cocoa cultivation in honey and the environment more generally to inform better pesticide usage, human health, and environmental policies.
Family vulnerability scale: Evidence of content and internal structure validity
Authors: Souza Evelyn Lima de , Eshriqui Ilana , Rebustini Flávio , Masuda Eliana Tiemi , Paiva Neto Francisco Timbó de , Lima Ricardo Macedo , Bonfim Daiana
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Territory view based on families’ vulnerability strata allows identifying different health needs that can guide healthcare at primary care scope. Despite the availability of tools designed to measure family vulnerability, there is still a need for substantial validity evidence, which limits the use of these tools in a country showing multiple socioeconomic and cultural realities, such as Brazil. The primary objective of this study is to develop and gather evidence on the validity of the Family Vulnerability Scale for Brazil, commonly referred to as EVFAM-BR (in Portuguese).

Methods

Items were generated through exploratory qualitative study carried out by 123 health care professionals. The data collected supported the creation of 92 initial items, which were then evaluated by a panel of multi-regional and multi-disciplinary experts (n = 73) to calculate the Content Validity Ratio (CVR). This evaluation process resulted in a refined version of the scale, consisting of 38 items. Next, the scale was applied to 1,255 individuals to test the internal-structure validity by using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Dimensionality was evaluated using Robust Parallel Analysis, and the model underwent cross-validation to determine the final version of EVFAM-BR.

Results

This final version consists of 14 items that are categorized into four dimensions, accounting for an explained variance of 79.02%. All indicators were within adequate and satisfactory limits, without any cross-loading or Heywood Case issues. Reliability indices also reached adequate levels (α = 0.71; ω = 0.70; glb = 0.83 and ORION ranging from 0.80 to 0.93, between domains). The instrument scores underwent a normalization process, revealing three distinct vulnerability strata: low (0 to 4), moderate (5 to 6), and high (7 to 14).

Conclusion

The scale exhibited satisfactory validity evidence, demonstrating consistency, reliability, and robustness. It resulted in a concise instrument that effectively measures and distinguishes levels of family vulnerability within the primary care setting in Brazil.
A tale of two pandemics: The enduring partisan differences in actions, attitudes, and beliefs during the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Fan Ying , Orhun A. Yeşim , Turjeman Dana
Published: October 2023

Early in the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scholars and journalists noted partisan differences in behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Based on location data from a large sample of smartphones, as well as 13,334 responses to a proprietary survey spanning 10 months from April 1, 2020 to February 15, 2021, we document that the partisan gap has persisted over time and that the lack of convergence occurs even among individuals who were at heightened risk of death. Our results point to the existence and persistence of the interaction of partisanship and information acquisition and highlight the need for mandates and targeted informational campaigns towards those with high health risks.
Between ‘Ich will Spaß’ and ‘99 Jahre Krieg’: Receptions of the ‘New German Wave’ in the United States
Authors: Keller Veronika
Published: October 2023

In the late 1970s a new music movement, rooted in British punk and New Wave music, emerged in West Germany. It distinctly was not only sung in German, but the lyrics played with the German language by adding Dadaistic elements or youth slang, and reflected on the political, cultural and social zeitgeist of late Cold War West Germany. Over the years this formerly underground music genre was labelled ‘Neue Deutsche Welle’ (NDW) and became a commercial success, both domestically and abroad: Artists like Peter Schilling became known in the United States, the biggest hit ‘99 Luftballons’ by the band Nena reached number 2 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 in its original German version. Like many other New Wave music, NDW songs found their way to mainstream success in the United States through the club scene, radio shows and the then new music television. At the same time, coming from the then still divided Germany catapulted the bands right in the middle of the Anti-war and Anti-nuclear movements at the end of the cold war, even when NDW bands themselves oftentimes labelled their music as non-political.
Feels Right: Black Queer Women and the Politics of Partying in Chicago, Kemi Adeyemi (2022)
Authors: Kosma Marietta
Published: October 2023

Review of: Feels Right: Black Queer Women and the Politics of Partying in Chicago, Kemi Adeyemi (2022)

Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 192 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-47801-869-8, p/bk, $24.95
Sisyphus on horseback: Landscape allegory in the postwar Western
Authors: Melbye David
Published: October 2023

This article locates a psychological mobilization of natural settings in the post-war Westerns Duel in the Sun, Lonely Are the Brave, and Man in the Wilderness, which I refer to as ‘Sisyphean’ landscape allegory. This narrative of inner conflict is not only expressed through an inhospitable terrain per se, but also through the protagonist’s physical attempts to navigate and/or overcome it as a primary obstacle. I argue that the existential sense of futility these films invoke through their Sisyphean sequences serves to corroborate audience angst rather than to assuage it. At the same time, the larger therapeutic agenda of these films for American audiences varied according to their cultural milieu.
Logan (2017) and the lost object of masculinity, or the trouble with Shane
Authors: Mitchell Jon
Published: October 2023

James film, Logan, offers up a future world in which the X-Men are no more. All that remains are a few old and ravaged mutants, including Logan and Xavier whose worsening dementia is having a catastrophic impact on his psychic abilities that is becoming increasingly dangerous for others. Both of these former X-Men become roped into assisting a group of synthetic mutant children as they run from those who attempt to subdue and destroy them. Principal among these children is X-23, Laura, who has been created from Logan’s DNA. By staging this potential daughter along with a suggested queerness of the other mutant children the film seemingly offers up a critique of patriarchal ideologies often at the heart of the superhero genre. However, this article is concerned with the way the film intertextually references the 1953 Western film Shane, which creates an ambivalence in Logan’s meaning. The presence of Shane, the article argues, disturbs the surface gender critical storyline offering up instead the sense of a redemptive heroic masculinity that wrangles patriarchal ideology in through the backdoor.
Mechanisms of time in video game Westerns from Gun Fight to Red Dead Redemption 2
Authors: Wills John
Published: October 2023

This article explores the video game Western and its relationship with ideas of temporality surrounding the American West. The fledgling video game industry first put ‘Cowboys and Indians’ on arcade screens in the 1970s, creating a playable digital West for gamers. Content and aesthetics proved decidedly simple, with game worlds reliant on prior filmic presentations. By the 2000s, thanks largely to technological advances, video game Westerns began to offer quantifiable depth and complexity, with Rockstar Games’s Red Dead Redemption series (2004–18) being a leading example. Video game Westerns represent the next technological as well as cultural representation of the ‘Wild West’ in all its complexities. In this article, I explore how both old and new video game Westerns have toyed with notions of ‘time’ and how we experience ‘the frontier’ a century on from the lived historic period. I argue that games not only invite players to (re)visit a distinctive ‘frontier time’, but also, by their coding and mechanics, actively encourage players to subvert the temporal flow of Western history on-screen and even disrupt the West’s larger cultural meaning.
Deep Mediations: Cultural Conversations on Depth Within the Humanities
Authors: Sharma Mridula
Published: October 2023

Review of: Deep Mediations: Cultural Conversations on Depth Within the Humanities

Deep Mediations, Karen Redrobe and Jeff Scheible, eds. (2020)

Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 385pp., ISBN: 9781517908904 (pbk), $35.00, ISBN: 9781517908898 (cloth), $140.00
The Velvet Underground (2021)
Authors: Kreul Alison
Published: October 2023

Review of: The Velvet Underground (2021)

USA

Director Todd Haynes

Runtime 121 minutes

Blu-ray

USA, 2022

Distributed by The Criterion Collection (region A/1)
‘Nothing like it in any amusement hall!’: Opera, audacity and the audience in The Who’s Tommy
Authors: Cedars Stephen
Published: October 2023

When Pete Townshend decided to call his band’s 1969 record Tommy a ‘rock opera’, he established a phrase equally easy to interrogate and to take for granted. And yet that provocation remains a remarkably fertile framing device that challenges conventional understandings of both ‘rock’ and ‘opera’. This article analyses Tommy as a conscious attempt to engage the conventions of the traditional opera medium and as a postmodern provocation that challenges the limitation for fixed media to inspire active engagement in its audience. As a work explicitly about the framing of entertainment, Tommy engages an ontological contradiction – between performed music and its conventions on the one hand, and the social signification of an ambitious story about liberation on the other – that is reflected in the work’s liminal connection to both the commercial and artistic worlds. The article considers the opera from several angles: as a libretto, meaning its structured story; as a score, meaning the recording which any subsequent performance is expected to reference if not reproduce; and as performance. I focus on Tommy’s first stagings: The Who’s own during their album tour (which included a show at the Metropolitan Opera House), the 1971 Seattle Opera production and Ken Russell’s film. I suggest that the gambit of a ‘rock opera’ allows us to engage the essential question of whether an audience can ever be truly activated in a landscape where the slipperiness of meaning is too often codified into empty signifiers of the very activation it ostensibly wishes to produce.
Molecular epidemiology of Megalocytivirus in freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) from Johor, Malaysia
Authors: Johan Che Azarulzaman Che , Abdullah Muhd Danish Daniel , Emilia Sharifah Noor , Zainathan Sandra Catherine
Published: October 2023

Background and Aim: Malaysia has more than 630 culturists who are involved in the ornamental fish industry and culture 250 species, including local and exotic species. Among these viruses, megalocytiviruses have been associated with severe systemic diseases and economic losses in ornamental fish. The intensity of Megalocytivirus infection in Pterophyllum scalare in Malaysia remains unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence of Megalocytivirus while discovering its associated risk factors and the genotypes of its causative agents in an ornamental fish farm in Malaysia.

Materials and Methods: Seven broodstock pairs of P. scalare were used in this study to follow the life stages of fish, from egg to market size. Water samples and other samples, such as mucus swabs, gill swabs, P. scalare eggs, fries, juveniles, snails, snail eggs, live feed (Tubifex worms and Moina spp.), sediment samples, and wild fish, were collected periodically for initial environmental sampling from day 0 to day 60. Nested polymerase chain reaction amplifications were performed for megalocytivirus-related sequences. The phylogenetic tree, including the sampled causative agents of megalocytiviruses, was inferred from the major capsid protein genes of all known Iridoviridae species. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the strength of the correlation between the presence of megalocytiviruses in P. scalare samples and the associated risk factors.

Results: A total of 312 out of 935 pooled and individual samples tested positive for the presence of Megalocytivirus-related sequences, except snail eggs and wild fish (Poecilia reticulata). No clinical symptoms were observed in any fish samples. Megalocytivirus-associated viruses detected in water samples indicate horizontal transmission of the virus. All the nucleotide sequences found in this study had high nucleotide identities of 95%–99 % and were closely related to Megalocytivirus genotype I infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus. Risk factors associated with Megalocytivirus include water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and the life stages of P. scalare. High Megalocytivirus infection was detected when the water temperature, DO, and pH were high in P. scalare, high water temperature and nitrate in the water samples, and the same rate of Megalocytivirus infection in P. scalare fry and juveniles.

Conclusion: This is the first study to confirm the existence of different possible routes of megalocytivirus distribution in ornamental fish farms in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the connection between the mode of transmission and the risk factors for this virus needs to be explored further to recognize the evolution and potential new host species.

Keywords: epidemiology, genotype I, infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, Megalocytivirus, ornamental fish, risk factors.
Front Matter
Authors: Bao Siyu , Chan Leon Vincent
Published: October 2023

Front matter
Case Morphemes in Korean: Their Morphosyntactic Implications
Authors:   The Society Of Modern Grammar, Choi YoungSik
Published: October 2023

I will show that nominal expressions with a structural case morpheme in Korean have syntactic and morphological properties distinct from those with a semantic case morpheme as adduced in constructions involving floated quantifier, case drop on the clefts, binding condition C and Weak crossover. I claim that structural case morphemes are affixes, whereas semantic case morphemes are clitics, namely, syntactically independent words that belong to the syntactic category of postposition. It follows that nominal expressions with a semantic case morpheme are PPs whereas those with a structural case morpheme are NPs. The present thesis crucially diverges from Cho and Sells (1995), according to which case morphemes are affixes in Korean across the board, there being no independently identifiable category of postposition. I will discuss potential argument against the present proposal involving so-called genitive case marking construction in Korean, which, however, turns out to support the present thesis.
Compost Formulation from Different Wastes to Enhance the Soil and Plant Productivity A Review
Authors: Balda Ajay , Giri Arup
Published: October 2023

Different types and sources of compost are used to increase agricultural productivity. This review reveals different compost formulation methods and the incorporation of those methods into agriculture to reduce waste production, providing a better way to maintain soil fertility for better plant yield. This review furnishes an in-depth update on the impact of prepared compost from different ingredients like municipal waste, kitchen-based food waste, livestock waste, agricultural waste, algae, and industrial waste to find the effects on soil health, plant growth parameters (height, stem diameter, leaf number, chlorophyll content, etc.), and plant yield. Several studies have shown that compost significantly affects the soil’s health and improves different plants’ morphological (height, width, stem diameter, leaf shape, leaf size, leaf arrangement, root system), physiological (photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, respiration rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, carbon dioxide assimilation, nutrient uptake, water use efficiency, flowering time, germination rate), and chemical properties (pH, macronutrient content, micronutrient content, carbohydrate content, protein content, lipid content, phytochemical content, essential oil content, pigment content). Produced compost from different ingredients has significant results for enhancing soil health, nutrient supply to plants, reducing heavy metal accumulation in plants, increasing plant yield, and reducing the environmental pollution. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of compost formulations made from different waste materials to enhance soil fertility and plant productivity. These findings have important implications for sustainable agriculture and waste management practices. Using compost as a soil amendment can help reduce waste and improve soil health, increasing plant yields and reducing the need for chemical fertilisers. However, the dose of compost prepared from various wastes in different climatic conditions should be optimized at the farm level, with particular emphasis on economic sustainability.
Effect of Localised Pressure Depression and Rain on Aerodynamic Characteristics of MALE UAV
Authors: Vijayakumar M. , Parammasivam K M , Rajagopal S , Balaji C.
Published: October 2023

This paper presents the effect of the local low-pressure region in the atmosphere and rain on aerodynamiccharacteristics of medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE-UAV) configuration duringcruise/loiter. Computations are performed using CFD++, a commercial CFD software suite. A large low-pressuredepression past the MALE UAV (symmetrically and asymmetrically) with pressure 10 – 15 % lower than the freestream pressure and a widespread rainfall type with a rainfall rate of 1195 mm/hr., are considered for CFD simulation.A large low pressure that spans the whole MALE-UAV results in a decrement in both lift and drag, but does not affect the yawing and rolling moments significantly. However, a low-pressure region that engulfs only one-half of MALE UAV causes sudden/abrupt changes in rolling and yawing moments. The effect of rain causes a significant decrease in a lift at higher alpha, accompanied by a decrease in stall angle of 2 degrees, and a significant increase in drag. From the study, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was adopted to fly UAVs in adverse weather effects,such that the aircraft can be operated with a velocity higher than 1.3Vstall and at a power setting not less than 75% of max power capacity.
Aerodynamic Investigation of Blended Wing Body Configuration
Authors: MV Midhun , Mondal Partha , Karn Pawan Kumar , Kumar Priyank
Published: October 2023

A blended wing body (BWB) configuration is an unconventional aircraft design in which the wing and fuselage are blended to form an aircraft. This design concept has inherent higher aerodynamic efficiency, environmental benefits and capacities. These advantages make the BWB configuration a feasible concept for commercial transport aircraft. In the present work, a 3-D BWB model is designed in SolidWorks and fabricated using a 3D printer. The numerical and experimental analyses are carried out with this BWB geometry. Aerodynamic characteristics and flow features obtained from the open-source CFD software OpenFOAM have been studied, analyzed, and compared with the wind tunnel results. Experimental and computational data compare well and the present BWB can operate at a high angle of attack. The coefficient of lift (CL) increases with AoA up to 45º. The CL starts decreasing beyond this AoA, and the present BWB geometry stalls at around AoA = 45º. The coefficient of drag (CD) increases with the increase in AoA due to the spreading of the separated region over the geometry. Lift/Drag (L/D) variation with AoA is also studied to find the optimum flight configuration of the present BWB geometry. Sectional pressure distribution at different spanwise locations, velocity contours, pathlines, surface limiting streamlines and tuft flow visualization are also presented to investigate the flow. The studies investigate the aerodynamics, flow field and optimal flight configuration for cruising a BWB geometry.
RCS Modeling and Validation of Full Scale Launch Vehicle for its Real Time Dynamic Trajectory
Authors: Veerabathini Surender , Penubolu Sudhakara Reddy , Penubolu Ramana Reddy
Published: October 2023

Radar Cross Section (RCS) plays a significant role in detecting and tracking the space-based objects such as launch vehicles, missiles, aircrafts etc. In space applications, Radar systems are used to track and provide real-time trajectory information of the satellite launch vehicles after the lift off from the launch pad for range safety purpose. RCS is a critical key parameter that determines tracking performance of the Radar and it is highly dependent on both Radar operating parameters and the target characteristics. For space-based applications, a good quantity of RCS is required for quick detection by the Radar for continuous tracking.  In order to choose the best Radar tracking configuration for real time tracking of the launch vehicle, it is required to model and simulate the launch vehicle’s RCS fluctuations prior to launch in order to predict the real time Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) for its complete dynamic trajectory. This modeling and simulation methodology will help to choose the optimum Radar configuration for obtaining a good quantity SNR in the real-time launch. This study also provides good guidance to Radar operators for the effective Radar operation during real time space object tracking. This paper demonstrates, the real-time RCS fluctuations of a typical ISRO launch vehicle through simulation for its dynamic trajectory using physical optics based EM software prior to launch. Furthermore, the simulation results are validated with real time monostatic Radar tracking data, which showed good agreement.
Simulation of Cognitive Electronic Warfare System With Sine and Square Waves
Authors: Naik Krishna K
Published: October 2023

Today’s Electronic Warfare (EW) receivers need advanced technology to achieve real-time surveillance operations. Dynamic and intelligent systems are required for UAVs and other airborne applications. The airborne Electronic Warfare systems must be knowledge-based systems, learning from the threat scenario with highly integrated capabilities to detect, react, and adapt to radar threats in real-time. Artificial intelligence is a machine-dependent process, by adapting certain rules and logic supported by human intelligence, AI can be used for cognitive processing. Cognitive signal processing is required for making the system autonomous and dynamic in nature. Military action on radar signatures requires a set of commands to be executed dynamically with the help of the proposed EW system. It is proposed to design and develop a cognitive EW architecture and simulation of machine learning that combines neural network architecture with the help of sine and square waves as input. This paper presents the Cognitive signal processing for EW systems with Neural Network, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Machine learning (ML), and Deep learning (DL) techniques with their simulation with sine and square waves.
Ballistic Efficacy of Carbide Free High Strength Nano Structured Bainitic Armour Steels
Authors: Mishra Bidyapati , Sukumar G , Senthil P P , Reddy P R S , Singh B B , Ramakrishna B , Kumar K Siva , Madhu V
Published: October 2023

Carbide free nano-structured bainitic steels typically have strength more than 2.0 GPa and impact toughness of 7 J or less. Most of this class of steels have sluggish kinetics and takes 16-72 h for complete bainitic transformation. The present work discusses key perspectives in developing carbide free nano-structured bainitic steel having strength more than 2.0 GPa and toughness more than 15 J. Further, ballistic evaluation of newly developed carbide free nano-structured bainitic steels having strength more than 2.0 GPa and high toughness of 20 J was carried out to understand the adaptability of these steels in combat vehicle applications. A comparison is made between newly developed high strength and tough carbide free nano-structured bainitic steels with typical martensite based ARMOX 500 class of armour steels. The developed nano-structured bainite showed ballistic performance much superior to ARMOX 500 steel. Monolithic plates of bainite provide complete protection against 7.62 AP projectiles at an areal density of 120 kgm-2. The ballistic efficiency of monolithic plates was further enhanced by using perforated geometrical configurations.
Realization of High Pressure Turbine Blades of a Small Turbo Fan Engine through Investment Casting Process
Authors: Chatterjee D. , Chauhan A.S. , . Venkat , Tigga D.P. , Das D.K
Published: October 2023

Turbo-fan gas turbine engines, or simply turbo-fan engines (STFEs), are used for powering both manned aircrafts and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). The high pressure turbine section of such engines use Ni-base superalloy cast rotor blades because of their good mechanical properties at high operating temperatures. The present paper provides the technical/technological details of the various aspects associated with development and manufacturing of high pressure turbine blades (HPTBs) for utilization in an indigenously-developed small turbo-fan engine. Vacuum investment casting process has been adopted for realization of the above equiaxed components using a Ni-base superalloy