bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facial emotion processing in patients with borderline personality disorder as compared with healthy controls: an fMRI and ECG study
Authors: Radimecká Monika , Látalová Adéla , Lamoš Martin , Jáni Martin , Bartys Patrik , Damborská Alena , Theiner Pavel , Linhartová Pavla
Published: February 2024

Background

Maladaptive behaviors and interpersonal difficulties in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) seem connected to biased facial emotion processing. This bias is often accompanied by heightened amygdala activity in patients with BPD as compared to healthy controls. However, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies exploring differences between patients and healthy controls in facial emotion processing have produced divergent results. The current study explored fMRI and heart rate variability (HRV) correlates of negative facial emotion processing in patients with BPD and healthy controls.

Methods

The study included 30 patients with BPD (29 females; age: M = 24.22, SD = 5.22) and 30 healthy controls (29 females; M = 24.66, SD = 5.28). All participants underwent the “faces” task, an emotional face perception task, in an fMRI session simultaneously with ECG. In this task, participants are presented with emotional expressions of disgust, sadness, and fear (as a negative condition) and with the same pictures in a scrambled version (as a neutral condition).

Results

We found no differences in brain activity between patients with BPD and healthy controls when processing negative facial expressions as compared to neutral condition. We observed activation in large-scale brain areas in both groups when presented with negative facial expressions as compared to neutral condition. Patients with BPD displayed lower HRV than healthy controls in both conditions. However, there were no significant associations between HRV and amygdala activity and BPD symptoms.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate no abnormal brain activity during emotional facial processing in patients with BPD. This result contrasts with previous studies and more studies are needed to clarify the relationship between facial emotion processing and brain activity in patients with BPD. Possible reasons for the absence of brain activity differences are discussed in the study. Consistent with previous findings, patients showed lower HRV than healthy controls. However, HRV was not associated with amygdala activity and BPD symptoms.
Study on the correlation between real-time GNSS landslide acceleration monitoring and earthquake response: a case of May 2, 2023, MW = 5.2 Baoshan earthquake, Yunnan
Authors: Tao Zhigang , Li Mengnan , Sui Qiru , Mao Yuting , He Manchao , Jiang Yuebin
Published: February 2024

Background

Earthquakes and landslides pose significant threats to human safety and property, necessitating early warning systems. However, the high construction costs of earthquake early warning systems present a challenge.

Purpose

Landslide warnings are more prevalent, so linking them to earthquake warnings could address cost concerns. Hence, it is crucial to validate the feasibility of utilizing GNSS landslide monitoring as assistance for earthquake early warning systems.

Methods

This paper analyzes acceleration anomaly data from 31 GNSS landslide monitoring points near the epicenter of the May 2, 2023, MW = 5.2 Baoshan earthquake in Yunnan. The response time was determined as the time difference between an earthquake's occurrence and GNSS's acceleration anomalies. This calculation helps measure the time delay and sensitivity between these two events. Data were obtained from the geological disaster monitoring and early warning management system.

Results

GNSS landslide monitoring showed high sensitivity to nearby earthquakes. The fastest response time among the 31 data points was 8 seconds, while the slowest was 56 seconds, all falling within the one-minute mark. A linear correlation was found between acceleration anomaly response time and distance from the epicenter, indicating the feasibility of GNSS landslide monitoring-assisted earthquake monitoring.

Conclusion

A proposal is made for a GNSS landslide monitoring cluster to establish a multi-dimensional landslideearthquake disaster warning system. This approach offers new methods for combining earthquake and landslide early warning systems, leveraging existing infrastructure for cost-effectiveness and enhancing disaster preparedness.
A simplified model for measuring longevity risk for life insurance products
Authors: Atance David , Navarro Eliseo
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we propose a simple dynamic mortality model to fit and forecast mortality rates for measuring longevity and mortality risks. This proposal is based on a methodology for modelling interest rates, which assumes that changes in spot interest rates depend linearly on a small number of factors. These factors are identified as interest rates with a given maturity. Similarly, we assume that changes in mortality rates depend linearly on changes in a specific mortality rate, which we call the key mortality rate. One of the main advantages of this model is that it allows the development of an easy to implement methodology to measure longevity and mortality risks using simulation techniques. Particularly, we employ the model to calculate the Value-at-Risk and Conditional-Value-at-Risk of an insurance product testing the accuracy and robustness of our proposal using out-of-sample data from six different populations.
Field evaluation of whorl application of sand mixed or spray insecticides against Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on yield of maize
Authors: Ismail Seham Mansour
Published: February 2024

Background

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the fall armyworm (FAW), has recently invaded Egypt and poses serious threats to maize farmers as it causes huge economic costs and yield losses. Selection of efficient insecticides and appropriate methods of application can be a problem to control this pest.

Methods

Two-year field studies to effectiveness of whorl application (sand mixed or spray) of seven insecticides comprising new insecticides generations with conventional insecticides from different groups at maximum recommended dosage field rate against FAW on yield of maize was evaluated in maize fields at El-Qualubia Governorate, Egypt.

Results

In plots treated with insecticide mixed in sand, all tested insecticides recorded a significant decrease in FAW larvae with significantly higher yields than those treated with spraying or untreated plots. However, among tested insecticides in both applications, chlorantraniliprole was found to be the most effective followed by emamectin benzoate and spinosad and these insecticides gave better control FAW with higher yield than conventional insecticides tested. In this context, the highest decrease in FAW density was recorded in plots treated with chlorantraniliprole mixed in sand or sprayed (93.69% for 2021; 91.59% for 2022) and (84.74% for 2021; 85.78% for 2022), respectively, as well as a significantly high yield. However, lambda-cyhalothrin recorded the highest density of FAW (33.86% for 2021; 32.72% for 2022) in the treated plots with spraying with lowest significant yield during the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the treated plots with spraying by 8.98 and 8.00%, respectively, increase over control plots.

Conclusions

These results indicate that insecticides mixed in sand application are more efficacious against FAW larvae along with yield increase than spraying.
Revealing a deep condensate gas reservoir in an Archeozoic metamorphic buried hill by ultrasonic image logs, spectroscopy logs, and core data, Bohai Bay Basin, Eastern China
Authors: Liu Bo , Zhang Guoqiang , Zeng Xianlei , Zhou Jiheng
Published: February 2024

The Archeozoic metamorphic buried hill reservoir of the Bozhong Sag in the Bohai Bay Basin has a proven condensate gas reserves of over 100 billion cubic meters. A clear understanding of buried hill vertical zone variation is vital to characterize reservoir quality and reservoir distribution. Conventional core sample analysis is far more sufficient to characterize the complexity and diversity of basement reservoirs. Weathering, lithofacies, and fracture networks also play important roles in controlling the reservoir property. The fractures in the target area are unevenly developed due to multitectonic activities and stress field rotation during the initial period of basement evolution. In addition, the mineral composition of the lithofacies is complex due to metamorphism, alteration, and weathering, which further affect the reservoir quality. Characterizing the effective fracture distribution of the buried hill formation across the area is crucial to classifying good reservoir zonation. However, identifying fractures by an electrical resistivity borehole image endures high uncertainty as conductive fractures are possibly filled by clay, iron minerals (pyrite or siderite), or mud filtrate. Ultrasonic image logs are used to identify fractures in combination with amplitude and transit time images, which can clearly identify the effective or noneffective fractures. In total, four types of fractures are identified: closed fractures, fully open fractures, partially open fractures, and vuggy open fractures. Based on the lithofacies, fracture development, and volumetric minerals from spectroscopy logs and conventional logs, the Archeozoic metamorphic buried hill is revealed zone by zone: the strongly weathered zone, subweathered zone, and insider buried hill zone. The reservoir quality, lithofacies identification, multiwell fracture development analysis by three buried hill zones, and production controlling factors are fully demonstrated.
Bastard Sugar: Hortense Spillers and Paradoxes of Value in New World Thought
Authors: Parsard Kaneesha Cherelle
Published: February 2024

In the British Empire, bastard is a derogatory term for children born outside of the covenant of marriage, ineligible to inherit either status or property. This essay begins with a scene of research into this figure, and it then turns to investigate an unexpected, puzzling term: bastard sugar, the “impure” sugar left after many boilings. Its brief role in the age of emancipation, and the crisis that emancipation posed for West Indian sugar, raise questions about the relationship between racialization, value, and legitimacy in the New World. Guided by the thought of Hortense Spillers and her interlocutors, the essay concludes that “bastard sugar” showcases the paradoxes of value in financial markets, and as such is the condition of New World thought.
The effectiveness of the physical therapy programme on the dynamometry and power index of the upper extremities of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Nogas A.
Published: February 2024

The purpose of the paper is to determine the effectiveness of the physical therapy programme on the dynamometry and power index of the upper extremities of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and methods. A total of 188 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were examined, including 156 women (83%) and 32 men (17%), with an average age of 45 years. All patients were randomly assigned to the control (n=92) and intervention (n=96) groups. Patients in the control group underwent rehabilitation in accordance with the recommendations of the regulatory document of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The subjects of the main group were engaged in the proposed technology of rehabilitation measures with a personalised approach to each patient, in accordance with the domains of the ICF, taking into account the factors influencing the level of functional impairment. Dynamometry was used to determine the strength of the hand flexor muscles of the affected upper extremities. The strength index of the hand muscles (relative strength index) was calculated in percentage, which is important for assessing the functional ability of the affected limb. The difference in means was considered significant at p<0.05. The obtained digital material was processed statistically using the Statistica 10 statistical analysis package (Serial Number: STA999K347150-W). Results. Both standard treatment and physical therapy after 3 months contributed to the improvement of dynamometry and power index in the affected upper limbs of all patients. However, in patients of the main group, the changes were more pronounced than in patients of the control group, where the indicators were lower. After 6 months of physical therapy, there was a significant improvement in muscle strength in patients of the main group: in the right limb it increased from 32.8±3.5 kg to 36.6±4.0 kg, in the left – from 28.5±3.52 kg to 32.2±3.5 kg (p<0.05). Patients in the control group also showed an increase in muscle strength in both limbs (from 30.7±3.3 kg to 33.2±3.1 kg in the right to 25.8±3.7 kg to 28.1±3.6 kg in the left), but the dynamometry values were significantly lower. Accordingly, the power index of the right limb in patients of the main group increased from 42.1% to 48.9%, the left limb – from 36.2% to 42.1%, which is significantly higher than in patients of the control group - from 39.3% to 44.5% (right limb) and from 33.4% to 37.8% (left limb) (p<0.05). Conclusion. Both standard treatment and physical therapy after 3 and 6 months contributed to the improvement of dynamometry and power index in the affected upper extremities of all patients. However, in patients of the main group, the changes were more pronounced than in patients of the control group, where the indicators were significantly lower, which confirms the effectiveness of the implemented rehabilitation measures.
Beyond conventional therapies: exploring the role of Pilates in neurological physical therapy – a review of the latest research
Authors: Maleszewska Monika , Żmijewska Aleksandra , Nowak Gabriela , Sztybór Mateusz , Piątkiewicz Julia , Krzyżanowska Maria , Wojtas Mikołaj , Momot Karol , Głogowska Karen , Kapica Marcin
Published: February 2024

Pilates exercise method, characterized by its holistic approach, underscores core stability, strength, and flexibility, coupled with meticulous muscle control, optimal posture, and focused attention on breathing. Widely embraced in both general and clinical fitness realms, this study aims to evaluate the integration of Pilates into physical therapy practices for patients with neurological disorders.

Existing studies indicate the potential efficacy of Pilates in diverse rehabilitation contexts. However, neurological disorders, specifically multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD), have been the primary focus. While systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest Pilates as a plausible option in physiotherapy for PD and MS patients, a paucity of research on this subject necessitates a comprehensive review of recent original studies.

Analysis of gathered data suggests that Pilates, when incorporated, may yield benefits for patients with various neurological disorders. Consideration of Pilates as a supplementary element to physical activity for those with PD and MS emerges as a reasonable proposition. The study also encourages contemplation of Pilates in rehabilitation research across a broader spectrum of neurological disorders. Subsequent investigations, incorporating relevant considerations, will contribute to a nuanced understanding of Pilates' potential benefits and its comparative advantages over traditional interventions for neurological disorders.
Sozon Wadyński OSBM (1749-1815)
Authors: Lecyk William
Published: February 2024

SOZON WADYŃSKI OSBM (1749-1815): A BIOGRAPHICAL CONTRIBUTIONThis text is devoted to the life and activities of Sozon Wadyński OSBM (1749-1815), a Basilian from Podolia in the then Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Lecyk recreates Wadyński’s biography, verifying known information and subjecting previously unused source materials to historical analysis. The author has tried to present the subsequent stages of the monk’s life against the background of the functioning of the Basilian Order and the political changes that took place in the Church after 1772 in the Austrian partition, where Wadyński stayed from the early 1780s. Lecyk describes the subsequent stages of his education and also discusses the conditions under which the monk developed his career in the structures of the order’s authorities, the eparchy and the bishop of Przemyśl. He explains why it finally broke down and answers the question of why Wadyński became the parish priest of a rural parish in Sośnica, located near Przemyśl. Thanks to materials obtained in particular from the State Archives in Przemyśl and the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Lviv, it has been possible to present this previously unknown stage of the priest’s life and career. It has also allowed us to show the living and working conditions of the parish priest, to answer the question of his financial situation and what problems he had to struggle with in his pastoral work. The article also shows how a well-educated monk, whose life path destined him for a completely different role, coped with the role of a village parish priest. The text fills the gap in regional research and is also a contribution to the history of Greek Catholic parishes in Galicia in the first half of the 19th century.
Początki przemysłu naftowego w Galicji przed okresem autonomii w świetle wybranych polskich tytułów prasowych
Authors: Kargol Tomasz
Published: February 2024

BEGINNINGS OF THE OIL INDUSTRY IN GALICIA BEFORE THE PERIOD OF AUTONOMY IN THE LIGHT OFSELECTED POLISH PRESS TITLESThe publication of newspapers and the extraction and use of crude oil were undoubtedly among the socio-economic areas that significantly affected the lives of people in the 19th century. At the time, newspapers and journals played the role of the most important and popular sources of information about crude oil and its products, especially kerosene, and they shaped their readers’ worldviews on those products’ uses in the economy and everyday life. This paper presents the beginning of the oil industry in Austrian Galicia in pre-autonomy Galicia in the Polish news press (Czas, Gazeta Narodowa, Gazeta Lwowska) and economic magazines (Gazeta Przemysłowa, Korespondent Handlowy, Przemysłowy i Rolniczy, Tygodnik Rolniczo-Przemysłowy). The first mentions in the press on the subject appeared in the 1850s. In the 1860s, oil-related subjects were broadly represented in daily newspapers and in the economic press. In agricultural journals, especially in the Prussian and Russian partitions, oil-related subjects were not present in titles from the 1850s and 60s. The first group of texts consisted of articles about crude oil (chemical properties) and regions which were rich in petroleum. In areas where it was present, crude oil had been known and used for a long time, but to the readership of newspapers and journals it was a new resource. It is no wonder then that the press was explaining what it was and what its uses were. The press did not focus on Galicia’s deposits of crude oil, earthwax and natural gas, but did print detailed information on their sources around the world, especially in the United States (the names of oil fields, the volume and monetary value of extraction and export to Europe). The press saw the American mass production and sale of oil to Europe as the greatest threat to the Galician industry. The press documented the economic situation of the Galician oil industry (petroleum mining, oil refinery, business people) and speculated on its future position in Galicia’s economic system. It speculated that the oil industry would become an important branch of the economy. When writing about the oil industry, the press reported on the first mines (Bóbrka, Borysław), entrepreneurs, the presence of oil products on agricultural and industrial expositions organised in Kraków, Rzeszów and Jasło. Another subject discussed by the press was articles on the trade of paraffin oil. The development of the Galician oil industry had also become a pretext to debate on its role in everyday life. In the opinion of the press, oil lamps would be used as street lighting and at home illuminating the whole room. These newspaper advertisements showed new products connected with the oil industry such as different kinds of paraffin oil and oil lamps.
Działalność kulturotwórcza konserwatystów wschodniogalicyjskich na przykładzie fundacji Leona Pinińskiego i Dawida Abrahamowicza
Authors: Jamka Angelika
Published: February 2024

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OF EASTERN GALICIAN CONSERVATIVES ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF LEON PINIŃSKI AND DAWID ABRAHAMOWICZThe activity of eastern Galician conservatives is generally assessed only negatively and on the political field. Their perception in historiography has been influenced by the work of Wilhelm Feldman entitled Parties and Political Programs in Galicia. Indeed, Podolacy sought to maintain the status quo in matters of large land ownership. However, some of them undertook numerous pro-social initiatives. Among the most spectacular were the foundations of Dawid Abrahamowicz and Leon Piniński, whose aim was to rebuild the Wawel Royal Castle during the interwar period. The first was founded by the Abrahamowicz couple who donated almost all of their wealth to charity (mainly benefitting children of landowners who can’t afford education) and to cultural purposes. The funds received by Wawel Castle were used to purchase paintings by the best masters from Poland and abroad. By 1937 they had gathered 91 objects for its reconstruction. The second foundation was established in 1927 by art historian and former governor of Galicia Leon Piniński, who donated over 300 objects by artists such as Juliusz Kossak, Jacek Malczewski, Artur Grottger and Józef Chełmoński. As an outstanding collector, Piniński took an active part in the foundation’s work until the end of his life. In the 1930s, as a result of economic crisis, he was forced to sell almost 50 paintings from the Wawel Castle. The article presents the cultural activity of Eastern Galician conservatives, which should not be limited only to political aspects, especially the Polish-Ukrainian conflict.
Zamek czernelicki na fotografiach z końca XIX-XX wieku
Authors: Nagirnyy Vitaliy
Published: February 2024

THE CHERNELYTSIA CASTLE IN PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE LATE 19TH–20TH CENTURYFor a long time, it was believed that the Chernelytsia Castle in Pokuttia did not attract much attention from artists due to its relatively small size and remoteness from the main roads. This should have resulted in a small amount of illustrative material, primarily photographs, depicting the castle. However, the actual situation is different. Over the last ten years, archival and library searches conducted by a team of Polish and Ukrainian researchers have made it possible to discover, identify, date, and publish numerous photographs of the Chernelytsia Castle. The discovered photographs are stored in the National Library in Warsaw, the Archive of the Department of Polish Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology, the Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Karta Center in Warsaw, the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Lviv, the Vasyl Stefanyk National Scientific Library of Ukraine in Lviv, the Scientific and Technical Archive of the Institute ‘Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiya’ in Lviv, and the private collections of Oleksandr Kahlian, Levko Kvyatkovskyy, and Vitaliy Nagirnyy. All currently known photographs of the Chernelytsia Castle were taken between the 1880s to 1990s using the traditional method and classic photographic equipment. The earliest ones date back to the 1880s and were made by Kolomyian photographer Juliusz Dutkiewicz in 1880 for the Ethnographic Exhibition of Pokuttya in Kolomyia. Over the next few years, photographs of the castle by an unknown author (1884) and Albin Fridrich (between 1892 and 1904) appeared. A large number of photographs of the Chernelytsia Castle were taken in the interwar period. In 1921, 7 photographs of the castle were taken by an unknown photographer on the request of the Conservative Club in Lviv. Another 23 photographs of the fortress were taken in 1935 by Bogdan Guerquin. In addition, during this period, a number of other single photographs of the castle were taken by unidentified authors, which are currently preserved in private collections. The photographs of the Chernelytsia Castle from the second half of the 20th century by Ostap Kudybin (second half of the 1960s) and Ihor Starosolskyy (1969-1971) are of great importance. The significance of these photographs cannot be overestimated. They are a unique source that allows us not only to show the state of the castle in different periods, from the late 19th century to the late 20th century, but also to illustrate the dynamics of changes and losses of fortifications, and even to try to reconstruct the original appearance of the historical monument. Some of the photographs described in the article have been published before, while others are published for the first time.
Decoding the Images of the Polish Countryside, by Louise Arner Boyd (1887-1972)
Authors: Buriak Larysa , Kudela-Świątek Wiktoria
Published: February 2024

This article looks at the photographic legacy of Louise Arner Boyd’s (1887-1972) expedition through the Second Polish Republic in the context of her discovery of the otherness and social diversity of the country she visited in 1934. The authors were particularly captivated by the portrayal of the Ruthenians/Ukrainians of what is now Western Ukraine, as depicted in the Boyd photography. The authors focus lies on the unprocessed photographic content from the library collections of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the book she published a few years after her journey with the cooperation of the American Geographical Society in New York. The authors told the story of Louise A. Boyd’s trip to Poland primarily to introduce the reader to the context of the creation of the photographic collection, in which authors try to discover content and meanings that have not been sought before. Their analysis of the making-off process and reception into academia for Boyd’s book entitled Polish Countryside is also crucial to understanding that it is only a part of the collection. It is a specific vision and a compromise between the photographer’s and the publisher’s expectations.  The Boyd photographic collection focused on rural landscapes and the architecture of villages and farms, capturing various farming methods, road and water transport scenes, village types and traditional clothing. With meticulous descriptions and detailed lists of the photographed locations and subjects, the collection serves as valuable documentation of building styles and techniques, traditional costumes, transportation, markets and agricultural and fishing practices. Thanks to Boyd’s skilled photographer’s eye, she was able to capture visually attractive photographs that also serve as scientifically intriguing documents of a bygone era. The significance of these photos extends beyond the confines of ethnography, as we have endeavoured to emphasise in this article. Through reinterpreting Ruthenians/ Ukrainians portraits in Boyd photographs after almost a century, we aim to grasp the preserved and concealed contexts, thereby reconstructing, if not the complete image, at least its distinct components. However, the images of contemporary Western Ukraine and its inhabitants by Louise Arner Boyd that the authors analysed are currently in the photography collection mentioned above from the UWM as part of the digitalised archive of the American Geographical Society. The authors had attempted to look at them both as an example of ethnographic photography typical of the interwar period and a unique image of a world that no longer exists. In the authors’ opinion, Louise A. Boyd’s photograms, placed as raw ethnographic material in the mentioned repository of the UWM library, today have the value that she wanted to give them from the beginning when she was considering the publication of Polish Countrysides, and they are a reminder of a world whose traces have almost disappeared today.
Animales que nos rodean: fauna en la Universidad del Rosario
Authors: De Martino Fonseca Frasella
Published: February 2024

Este libro nace con la intención de acercar a los lectores a los animales que viven y conviven en la Universidad del Rosario, por lo que a partir de una recopilación de fotografías y descripciones se documenta buena parte del patrimonio ambiental que reside en las diferentes sedes. Este proyecto de divulgación científica se erige como un punto de partida y un abrebocas para futuros trabajos que reconoce la diversidad de especies y abre la puerta a nuevos horizontes de exploración biológi- ca y ambiental. En estas páginas encontrarán un amplio repertorio de animales que varían entre palomas y gatos que encontramos en la cotidianidad del Claustro, hasta los opiliones y planarias terrestres de la Sede Experimental José Celestino Mutis. Esta obra es una invitación a observar con detalle, a buscar y a encontrar esos animales que están siempre a nuestro alrededor que nos acompañan en nuestras actividades diarias y que casi siempre pasan inadvertidos.
A vital safety net for families
Authors: Boddy Bethany
Published: February 2024

The latest Institute of Health Visiting survey shows evidence of a worsening crisis in health visiting. What's next for the profession?
Design and Implementation of the Positioning and Directing Precision Seeder for Cucurbita Ficifolia Seeds
Authors: Ding Xinting , Chen Tong , Wei Yongzhe , He Zhi , Cui Yongjie , Yang Qichang
Published: February 2024

Highlights

Identification of large seed plantule point direction were realized using machine vision.

A large seed orientation seeder is designed to achieve automatic orientation seeding of large seeds.

The directional seeding success (deflection angle of less than 15°) rate was 92.89%.

The qualified rate of positioning and orientation reached 87.80%

Abstract. A consistent plantule point and a uniform distribution of cucurbit seeds are required for factory seedlings and grafting. However, precision sowing Cucurbita ficifolia seeds automatically with a positioning and orientation method is difficult due to their large, non-spherical shape. To overcome this challenge, a machine vision-based precision seeder was designed specifically for Cucurbita ficifolia seeds. To achieve consistent seed placement and orientation at a 45° angle, a method using machine vision and precise seed positioning and orientation has been proposed. The plantule point location was determined by comparing the pixel values at both ends of seed. The positioning and orientation module was developed to achieve seeding with same orientation of plantule point and located in the center of the plug tray. Finally, the positioning and orientation precision seeder for seeds were tested and evaluated. The results showed that the accuracy rate of seed plantule point identification and the success rate of the seeds orientation actuator were 97.56% and 100.00%. 95.21% of seeds achieved a deflection angle of less than 15°. The germination port of 96.06% of the seeds is distributed in a circle with the center of the hole as the center and a radius of 10 mm. The qualified rate of positioning and orientation reached 87.80%, and the sowing efficiency was about 3750 grains/h. The results showed that the seeder achieves the consistent orientation of the germination port of seeds and sows the seeds in the center of the hole. This finding provides technical support for seedling testing and large-scale factory seedlings. Keywords: Cucurbita ficifolia seeds, Machine vision, PLC control, Positioning and orientation, Precision seeder.
Bioaerosols in Eastern Canadian Dairy Barns Using Tie- and Free-Stall Housing
Authors: Bergeron Keven , Rossi Florent , Létourneau Valérie , Larios Araceli Dalila , Godbout Stephane , Fournel Sébastien , Duchaine Caroline
Published: February 2024

Highlights

Building characteristics (ventilation and animal density) seem to have an important effect on air quality.

Concentration in the air seems to be influenced by amounts in the bedding for certain air quality indicators.

Dust concentrations were below OSHA threshold, while some barns exceeded DECOS threshold for endotoxins.

This study gives new data into the biological components in the air of dairy barns (bacteria, molds, endotoxins, etc.)

Free-stall or tie-stall housing may not be linked with poorer air quality.

Abstract. Alternative farming methods make it possible to satisfy public demands for animal welfare while preserving production efficiency, with free housing in dairy farms being an example. The increased movement of cows may have a negative impact on air quality and the presence of etiological agents, increasing the prevalence of lung disease in workers. Free-stall farms, however, are more spacious and modern than tie-stall farms. This study characterizes air quality in free-stall and tie-stall farms (dust, total bacteria, Penicillium/Aspergillus, archaea, and endotoxins). It also focuses on detecting airborne etiological agents and indicators of fecal contamination, as well as assessing the effect of environmental factors on air quality. Five farms of each type (free housing and tie housing) using straw bedding material and equipped with mechanical ventilation were visited. Sampling visits were conducted in winter with no activity (e.g., bedding spreading) in buildings. Dust was evaluated using the DustTrakTM DRX Aerosol Monitor, and bioaerosols were sampled in triplicates for 10 minutes using the SASS®3100 Dry Air Sampler. Finally, soiled bedding was collected throughout the barn. No type of housing seems to be linked with poorer air quality, but some air quality indicators stood out in some outliers. The most recently designed free-housing buildings and the greater air volume may have played a role in the absence of detected differences. Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Clostridium perfringens, Aspergillus fumigatus, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula, Coxiella burnetii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were detected in high concentrations in both types of buildings. Soiled bedding concentrations, ventilation rates, and animal density seemed to have a significance on air quality in dairy barns. Keywords: Air Quality, Bioaerosols, Housing, Occupational exposure.
Modeling and Parameter Optimization of Plant Factory Production System Under Low-Carbon Constraints
Authors: Zhang Zihua , Zhu Zhenjiang , Gao Guohua , Du Xinyue , Qu Daixuan
Published: February 2024

Highlights

A life cycle approach to modeling the carbon footprint of leafy vegetables.

Determine the optimal design parameters through logical and mathematical relationship derivation.

The simulation model of leaf vegetable production line was established.

The optimal parameter scheme was determined by multifactorial simulation tests.

Abstract. In recent years, a plant factory has gradually become a new model of facility agriculture, and the optimization problem of low-carbon design of production system in a plant factory has become more prominent. In the design of the production system, needs of high efficiency, high yield, and low carbon emission must be considered. In this study, the leafy vegetable factory is taken as the research object, and the carbon footprint calculation model of products is established based on the life cycle assessment method. Taking production capacity and carbon footprint as design indicators, the logical correlation and mathematical relationship between them and production line design parameters are analyzed layer by layer to determine the key design parameters. The leafy vegetable production line is modeled by plant simulation software, and multifactor simulation experiments are set up to explore the influence of key design parameters on design indexes to guide the optimal decision of parameter design scheme. The new design scheme increases the productivity of the plant factory by 35.40%, reduces the carbon footprint of leafy vegetables by 15.54%, and solves the problem that leafy vegetables at the bottom of the planting frame in the original plant factory grow poorly because of insufficient light. Keywords: Carbon footprint, Life cycle assessment, Plant factory, Product system, Production line modeling.
Challenging Academic Norms: An Epistemology for Feminist and Multicultural Classrooms
Authors: Stone-Mediatore Shari
Published: February 2024

Even while progressive educators and feminist standpoint theorists defend the value of marginalized perspectives, many marginal-voice texts continue to be deprecated in more traditional academic contexts due to their seemingly "unprofessional," engaged, and creative styles. Thus, scholars who seek to defend a feminist and multicultural curriculum need a theory of knowledge that goes beyond current standpoint theory and accounts for the unorthodox format in which many marginal standpoints appear. In response to this challenge, this essay draws on feminist and postcolonial critics of objectivity, including Dorothy Smith, Chandra Mohanty, Barrios de Chungara, and Arundhati Roy to theorize the epistemic value of texts that respond with passion and creativity to marginalized people's struggles. In conclusion, I distinguish ethically oriented engagement with such texts from mere "politicized teaching," and I suggest ways to teach such texts that cultivate their critical potential.
Weathering the Storm Together (Torn Apart by Race, Gender, and Class)
Authors: Batlan Felice
Published: February 2024

This genre-bending piece blurs the line between a primary document and a secondary document, a folktale and academic scholarship. It provides a first-hand account from when the author, then a professor at Tulane, first learned of a potential hurricane, through evacuation, homelessness, and the reoccupation of New Orleans—what she refers to as a newly constituted “city of men.” Using the analytical lens of gender and feminist theory, the author attempts to make sense of her own experience of Katrina, while situating the hurricane within a larger historical framework. Ultimately, the story, however, is about how the author, a white woman, and her evacuation companion, an older black man, struggled to find ways to communicate and express their grief, anger, and fears across the chasm of race, gender, and class.
Reading Sex and Temperament in Taiwan: Margaret Mead and Postwar Taiwanese Feminism
Authors: Chang Doris T.
Published: February 2024

This essay examines the ways in which Margaret Mead's research findings in New Guinea were transmitted to a Chinese-speaking audience through Yang Mei-hui's annotated Chinese summary of part 4 of Mead's Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (1935). In so doing, Yang served as a cultural intermediary who transmitted Mead's concept of cultural relativism on gender-role formation to her Chinese-speaking audience. Yang's annotated summary (1973) serves as a case study of the ways in which a cultural intermediary's injections of her personal commentaries within a specific cross-cultural context can facilitate her audience's understanding of the arguments made in the original English text. In this essay, I undertake a textual comparison of Yang's Chinese annotated summary with Mead's original English text for the purpose of evaluating Yang's effectiveness in conveying Mead's main arguments. In the 1970s and thereafter, Taiwanese feminists applied Mead's concept of cultural relativism of socially constructed gender to subvert the rigid gender roles in Taiwanese society. In so doing, they contributed to women's self-determination during the era of Taiwan's democratization.
A Man's a Man , but What about Woman?: Widow Leocadia Begbick in Bertolt Brecht's Play (1926-2006)
Authors: Setje-Eilers Margaret
Published: February 2024

This essay argues that Bertolt Brecht's play, A Man's a Man (Mann ist Mann) , is not merely about men, as its title suggests. Indeed, the play seems to tell the story of Galy Gay, a civilian who assumes the name and identity of another soldier. However, canteen owner widow Leocadia Begbick, who follows the British Army in India, not only drives the action of the play forward, but also analyzes the play's events as the narrator. Until it attracted the interest of feminist critics in the 1980s, her character had been almost ignored. Yet the gender critique put forward by Brecht persists through changing political circumstances and his deliberate adjustments to them in different versions of the play. Given the fundamental alterations that he made to the play without modifying Begbick's character, feminist inquiries might do well to examine Begbick's role in his texts, and particularly in contemporary interpretations. (MSE)
The Decree Culture of Greek Sanctuaries (Delos, Delphi, the Amphiareion at Oropos and Elsewhere): The Epigraphic Dimension
Authors: Grzesik Dominika
Published: February 2024

Abstract: In this article, I explore the so-called “decree cultures” of selected Greek sanctuaries by studying the chronological distribution of inscribed public decrees at Delos, Delphi and the Amphiareion at Oropos. The employment of quantitative methods will allow for the careful analysis of the chronological distribution of decrees displayed within the sacred space and to compare them to public documents erected in civic spaces. Interesting questions to consider are whether local decree habits were consistent with or departed from broader practices in Greek sanctuaries, and what kind of forces and intentions lay behind the setting up of decrees in sanctuaries in the first place.
The Fluidity of Gender Roles in Catullus: A New Interpretation of Poem 11
Authors: Celotto Giulio
Published: February 2024

Abstract: In this paper I argue that Catullus 11 anticipates the shift from the first section of the collection (1–14), mainly revolving around the poet’s passive love for Lesbia, to the second section (14b–26), mostly focused on his active love for Juventius. My reading has three interpretive advantages: first, it confirms the authorial arrangement of the first two segments of Catullus’ collection; second, it defends the thematic unity of poem 11 by providing a coherent analysis of the connections between stanzas 1–4 and 5–6; third, it explains the different tone used by Catullus to address Furius and Aurelius in different poems.
Introducing Superhero Tales into the Classroom: Greek Myth and the Changing Nature of Story
Authors: Phillips Richard L.
Published: February 2024

Abstract: In this article I explore how superhero tales can be used in the university classroom to help students think about the changing nature of Greek myth and narrative. In doing so I examine a handful of Batman tales in light of Walter Burkert’s ideas about myth. Applying these concepts to such tales allows students to get a better sense of how stories can adapt over time to their audiences. I conclude by offering practical suggestions on how to introduce this topic into the classroom as a fun and contemporary hook to get students thinking about how myth functions in the world, both ancient and modern.
Temporally optimized and spectrally shaped hyperspectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy
Authors: Yang Lingxiao , Iyer Rishyashring R. , Sorrells Janet E. , Renteria Carlos A. , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: February 2024

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy offers label-free chemical contrasts based on molecular vibrations. Hyperspectral CARS (HS-CARS) microscopy enables comprehensive microscale chemical characterization of biological samples. Various HS-CARS methods have been developed with individual advantages and disadvantages. We present what we believe to be a new temporally optimized and spectrally shaped (TOSS) HS-CARS method to overcome the limitations of existing techniques by providing precise control of the spatial and temporal profiles of the excitation beams for efficient and accurate measurements. This method uniquely uses Fourier transform pulse shaping based on a two-dimensional spatial light modulator to control the phase and amplitude of the excitation beams. TOSS-HS-CARS achieves fast, stable, and flexible acquisition, minimizes photodamage, and is highly adaptable to a multimodal multiphoton imaging system.
Nonlinear asymmetric imaging with AlGaAs metasurface
Authors: Rocco Davide , Locatelli Andrea , Carletti Luca , Vincenti Maria Antonietta , De Angelis Costantino
Published: February 2024

Nowadays, dielectric metasurfaces are a promising platform in many different research fields such as sensing, lasing, all-optical modulation and nonlinear optics. Among all the different kinds of such thin structures, asymmetric geometries are recently attracting increasing interest. In particular, nonlinear light-matter interaction in metasurfaces constitutes a valid approach for achieving miniaturized control over light. Here, we demonstrate nonlinear asymmetric generation of light in a dielectric metasurface via second harmonic generation. By inverting the illumination direction of the pump, the nonlinear emitted power is modulated by more than one order of magnitude. Moreover, we demonstrate how a properly designed metasurface can generate two completely different images at the second harmonic when the direction of illumination is reversed. Our results may pave the way to important opportunities for the realization of compact nanophotonic devices for imaging applications by densely integrating numerous nonlinear resonators.
Virtual draw of microstructured optical fiber based on physics-informed neural networks
Authors: Ding Jinmin , Hou Chenyang , Zhao Yiming , Liu Hongwei , Hu Zixia , Meng Fanchao , Liang Sheng
Published: February 2024

The implementation of microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) with novel micro-structures and perfect performance is challenging due to the complex fabrication processes. Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) offer what we believe to be a new approach to solving complex partial differential equations within the virtual fabrication model of MOFs. This study, for what appears to be the first time, integrates the complex partial differential equations and boundary conditions describing the fiber drawing process into the loss function of a neural network. To more accurately solve the free boundary of the fiber’s inner and outer diameters, we additionally construct a neural network to describe the free boundary conditions. This model not only captures the evolution of the fiber’s inner and outer diameters but also provides the velocity distribution and pressure distribution within the molten glass, thus laying the foundation for a quantitative analysis of capillary collapse. Furthermore, results indicate that the trends in the effects of temperature, feed speed, and draw speed on the fiber drawing process align with actual fabrication conditions, validating the feasibility of the model. The methodology proposed in this study offers what we believe to be a novel approach to simulating the fiber drawing process and holds promise for advancing the practical applications of MOFs.
Effect of DNA serial dilution on the highly precise broadband plasmonic signature of a BALB/c rat’s dried DNA deposited on gold thin film
Authors: Ghasemi M. , Nori P. , Ariannejad M. M. , Hamzezadeh M. , Hamidi S. M. , Dehzangi A. , Abbasi M. , Choudhury P. K.
Published: February 2024

An investigation was made to detect the DNA samples of BALB/c rats, exploiting the technique of broadband plasmonic response in the visible spectral regime. In experiments, a non-coherent light beam was physically designed and practically implemented to study the spectral effect due to serial dilution of BALB/c rat’s dried DNA. In particular, three different diluted DNA samples (with ratios of 1:10, 1:20, and 1:40) dried on the surface of a nanolayer gold thin film were considered to retrieve the plasmonic conditions under which the reflectance becomes minimum. The results indicate the most diluted DNA sample exhibits prominent plasmonic conditions, and the resonance wavelengths undergo redshifts with increasing incidence angle (of the p-polarized light). Also, the sensitivity of the configuration is enhanced in the presence of a DNA sample (as compared to the case of non-existence of measurand), which is further increased for larger incidence angles.