bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earthquake scientific literacy profile of Indonesian first year pre-service physics teacher
Authors: Deta Utama Alan , Sasmi Rinda Rahmanisa , Arisanti Aini , Laila Luthfiyaul , Hudha Muhammad Nur , Mubarok Husni , Prahani Binar Kurnia , Suprapto Nadi
Published: November 2024

In higher education, fostering scientific literacy stands essential, especially in understanding and responding to natural disasters. This research investigates the scientific literacy levels among Physics Education students at State University in Surabaya, Indonesia, focusing on earthquake disaster mitigation. This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach that engaged 102 first-year pre-service teachers through a meticulously designed literacy test based on a new programme for international student assessment (PISA) framework 2025. The findings reveal a commendable proficiency in explaining scientific phenomena utilizing scientific knowledge. However, it uncovers a gap in students' abilities to make informed decisions in the context of earthquake disaster mitigation. This drawback is attributed to a lack of comprehensive literacy concerning disaster news, impacts, and mitigative strategies. Despite this, students demonstrated a capacity to argue and articulate their understanding logically based on existing knowledge. The study accentuates the need to enhance students' literacy and decision-making skills regarding natural disasters, advocating for heightened self-awareness and educational interventions to empower students to make informed decisions in disaster-prone scenarios.
Developing an inquiry-based STEAM teaching packet in ecoliteracy for pre-service teachers
Authors: Perez Jr. Jose Celso S. , Salic-Hairulla Monera A. , Magsayo Joy R. , Nabua Edna B. , Malayao Jr. Sotero O.
Published: November 2024

Education plays a vital role in addressing the current environmental crisis. Integrating ecoliteracy in teacher preparation programs empowers colleges and universities to promote a healthy biosphere by producing pre-service teachers (PSTs) who can develop an ecoliterate student citizenry. Connectedly, ecoliteracy must be taught to PSTs through effective and meaningful learning experiences. Using the research and development (RD) design, this study aimed to develop a teaching packet that incorporates inquiry-based learning (IBL) and science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education to foster ecoliteracy among PSTs. Focus group discussion (FGD) results revealed an opportunity to craft the teaching packet. Ecoliteracy conceptualizations guided the formulation of the packet’s learning outcomes and topics. Eight (8) evaluators assessed the packet’s preliminary version, which satisfied 74% of the indicators in the adapted evaluation tool. After implementing the packet to 38 PSTs, findings reveal a statistically significant increase in conceptual understanding and ecoliteracy levels. Both PSTs and faculty members share positive perceptions towards the teaching packet, though they also suggested further improvements to the material. Overall, the results document the potential of IB-STEAM in fostering PSTs ecoliteracy, showing how innovative and integrative pedagogies are instrumental for effective ecoliteracy instruction in teacher education.
Challenges for increasing the sustainability of engineering faculties: a case study in Indonesian private university
Authors: Talar Yulianti , Gozaly Jimmy
Published: November 2024

In Indonesia, the percentage of students dropping out from private universities is always much higher than that of public universities, and the second-highest number of dropouts comes from the engineering field. This study aims to improve the sustainability of engineering faculty in Indonesian private universities by obtaining variables that affect engineering student retention and finding the pattern for each category of student retention. Data was gathered through a questionnaire from 297 engineering faculty students. The questionnaire consists of 34 independent variables using academic performance, attitudes and satisfaction, academic engagement, social and family support, and four categories of student retention (persister, stop-out, slow-down, leaver) as dependent variables. According to discriminant analysis, grade point average (GPA) and student satisfaction in social relationships with fellow students influence engineering student retention. To increase engineering student retention, increasing student satisfaction in social relations with fellow students needs to be prioritized over GPA because the leaver and stop-out categories have a similar pattern, namely high GPA but low satisfaction with social relations with fellow students. Through this research, several efforts are proposed that need to be made by institutions to improve engineering student retention and the sustainability of engineering faculty in Indonesia.
Digital storytelling: pre-service English teachers' experiences, difficulties and solutions
Authors: Nuroh Ermawati Zulikhatin , Retnaningdyah Pratiwi , Munir Ahmad
Published: November 2024

This study aimed to investigate the impact of digital storytelling on the teaching practicum experiences of pre-service English teachers (PSET) and to delve into the challenges they encountered in creating digital storytelling, along with the strategies used to overcome these challenges. This study provided deeper understanding of the impact of digital storytelling on the learning and teaching experiences of PSET. Moreover, it provided information to face obstacles in the digital storytelling creation process. A total of 30 PSET, comprising 13 males and 17 females, engaged in their sixth-semester teaching practicum, participated in this study. Self-reflection and semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data. The researcher applied thematic analysis to analyze the data obtained. The findings of this study revealed that the implementation of digital storytelling yielded positive experiences for PSET, encompassing enhancements in pedagogical approaches, self-development, and technology integration into the teaching-learning process. PSET encountered various difficulties in creating digital storytelling, including seamless integration of movement, audio, images, and animations within the narrative, crafting engaging animations and narratives, and proficiency in using diverse editing applications. Moreover, the challenges encompassed collecting and curating appropriate materials and organizing a coherent storyline aligning with the lesson plans and real-world contexts. Nevertheless, PSET proposed solutions to overcome those difficulties.
Experts teachers’ point of view on mathematics teachers’ readiness in becoming professional teachers
Authors: Abu Talib Sharida , Mohamad Nasri Nurfaradilla , Mahmud Muhammad Sofwan
Published: November 2024

Today’s educational changes necessitate that teachers have a broad range of knowledge, values, skills, and competencies to provide effective instruction. Despite this, research on mathematics teachers’ readiness for such changes is limited, particularly in terms of leveraging experienced teachers’ implicit knowledge for peer learning. This qualitative exploratory study delves into the perceptions and factors influencing mathematics teachers’ readiness for educational changes, as reported by four expert teachers. Note that data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically with Atlas.ti 23 software to identify key themes and subthemes. The findings reveal that all experts emphasized the importance of professionalism in teaching mathematics, with pedagogical challenges taking priority. The main challenges include mastering teaching skills, which are critical to teacher readiness. Consequently, the study concludes that improving teacher readiness necessitates specific support and focused programs. This highlights the importance of a comprehensive model that addresses the pedagogical needs of mathematics teachers, who play a critical role in change. Further research should focus on investigating mathematics teachers’ readiness in a broader context, emphasizing their professional knowledge and pedagogical skills.
The effect of using social media and fear of missing out on emotional wellbeing in children in the digital age
Authors: Mujazi Mujazi , Fadli Muhammad Rijal , Rosyid Ainur , Hapudin Muhammad Soleh , Rosidi Moh. Imron , Afwan Bahtiar
Published: November 2024

In today's digital age, social media (SM) offers convenient access to information, social connections, and various content. Nonetheless, the utilization of SM and the fear of missing out (FOMO) phenomenon profoundly influence children's emotional wellbeing (EW). This study seeks to investigate the impact of SM usage and FOMO on children's EW in the digital era. Employing a quantitative approach, the research involves elementary school students in Jakarta, Indonesia. Cluster sampling was utilized to select a sample of 265 students. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire designed to capture relevant variables. Analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) facilitated by the SMART-PLS 3.0 software. Findings revealed a significant significance value of 0.000 (0.0000.05), indicating that SM usage and FOMO have a positive and noteworthy effect on children's EW in the digital era. This study offers valuable insights for parents, educators, and child psychologists regarding the influence of SM on children's EW, thereby facilitating the formulation of more effective educational guidelines and strategies to assist children in managing their EW in the digital era.
Assessing pedagogical competence of productive teachers in vocational secondary schools: a mixed approach
Authors: Setiawan Dedi , Triyono Mochamad Bruri , Sukarno Sukarno , Nurtanto Muhammad , Majid Nuur Wachid Abdul , Hamid Mustofa Abi
Published: November 2024

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers in implementing pedagogical skills. The present study used a mixed methods approach. The participants in this study consisted of 55 highly effective educators employed in vocational secondary schools. The research data were acquired using effective teacher questionnaires, peer evaluations, observations, and comprehensive interviews. The findings indicated that a majority of highly effective educators possess a strong comprehension of the practical application of pedagogical competence. Nevertheless, a marginal disparity exists between academic knowledge and its practical application in the respective domain. The facilitation and support of teachers in the development of their pedagogic competences is a crucial responsibility of school principals. Effective and well-structured ongoing training is essential to bridge the divide between theoretical concepts and practical application, and to guarantee that educators possess the requisite expertise and understanding to tackle the demands of the current and future educational landscape. Hence, it is imperative to allocate resources towards teacher professional development and ensure the availability of sufficient assets in vocational secondary schools in order to attain educational excellence in Indonesia.
Influence of parental occupation and school status on elementary students' internet competencies
Authors: Kuncahyono Kuncahyono , Zubaidah Siti , Susilo Herawati , Kuncoro Tri , Bilad Muhammad Roil
Published: November 2024

Understanding the factors influencing elementary school students' internet skills is critical in the rapidly evolving digital age. The research was conducted on the influence of gender, parental occupation, and school status on internet self-efficacy, interdependence, internet attitudes, and internet skills. Using logistic regression analysis, it was found that the male gender significantly affected internet self-efficacy and interdependence items with a value of p0.05; the largest finding on internet self-efficacy items showed a 3.846 times greater chance of helping others via the internet compared to females. Parents who work as non-government employees have a significant effect p05 on internet self-efficacy, interdependence, internet attitude, and internet skills items. The largest finding on internet skills is mainly increasing the ability to install applications in children, with 5.653 times greater odds than children from entrepreneurs. Students from private schools have the greatest chance of 3.840 times greater in developing internet skills information skills compared to public school students; significance (p0.05) was found in internet self-efficacy, interdependence, and internet skills items. The findings offer important insights for developing educational policies to improve primary school students' digital literacy, considering gender, parental occupation, and school status.
Language learning strategies and communicative competence of Colombian learners of English as a foreign language
Authors: Marenco Domínguez José Miguel , Angel-Cuervo Zaida Mabel , Dávila Rubio Carlos Alberto , Latorre Méndez Dany Andrey , Quevedo-Padilla Laura Bibiana
Published: November 2024

Even when proficiency in foreign languages has emerged as a critical skill to foster academic, professional, and personal growth, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding the relation between language learning strategies (LLS) and communicative competence in English among Colombian high school students. This investigation used an explanatory correlational design to explore the connections between LLS and the communicative competence of 123 eleventh graders within the Colombian context. Data collected employing an inventory and the results of the English section of a standardized test in Colombia were subjected to analysis. The findings suggest that students favor social strategies, whereas affective strategies are used to a lesser extent. Additionally, there is a moderate positive correlation between the overall use of LLS and learners’ communicative competence in English. Particularly, cognitive and metacognitive strategies emerged as the strategies that contribute most significantly to students’ language proficiency. Conversely, memory and affective strategies were found to have the weakest correlation with learners’ language learning success. This study accentuates the importance of strategies-based instruction to boost language proficiency and outlines recommendations for future research.
Similarity Distractors Increase the Burden of Chinese Character Selection and Updating in Working Memory
Authors: Li Hongli , Zhao Xin
Published: November 2024

Attentional mechanisms are the primary processes for performing working memory (WM) tasks and can prevent distractors from interfering with the content representations stored in WM. However, our understanding of the mechanisms by which attention affects WM remains limited. As such, we analyzed ERPs of the character n-back task to investigate Chinese character selection, updating, and maintenance in WM. In Experiment 1, we collected electroencephalography data from 27 participants aged 18–25 years to explore the influence of false-character interference and symbol interference on a neural activity in the character n-back task. The results suggest that RT was longer in the false-character interference condition. The N2pc and P300 amplitudes were smaller; however, the slow wave amplitude did not differ significantly. In Experiment 2, we used a single-symbol interference and a multiple-symbol interference to establish whether the number of interferences affected the neural activity in the character n-back task. Thirty participants (aged 19–25 years) took part in the experiment. The findings imply that a longer RT and a larger N2pc amplitude occurred in the multiple-symbol interference condition, but not in the P300 and slow wave conditions. Our findings indicate that distractors that are similar to characters may produce greater interference in character recognition and affect the subsequent updating, whereas the number of distractors may only interfere with early character selection, but not with updating and maintenance phases.
Differential predation pressure on island pit vipers shape their niches and defensive behavior
Authors: Banci Karina R.S. , Siqueira Lucas H.C. , Torello-Viera Natália F. , Marques Otavio A.V.
Published: November 2024

Animals are naturally exposed to several predators, and, given that a single encounter with a predator may cause prey’s death, natural selection will strongly act upon its defensiveness. Therefore, defensive behavior is strongly shaped by predation pressure. Predation rate in islands tends to be relaxed due to lower abundance of predators. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that predation rates upon the two island pit vipers Bothrops alcatraz and B. insularis would be lower than correlated mainland B. jararaca. Additionally, we evaluated the defensive behavior of these island snakes in the field to compare with the mainland B. jararaca. Predation pressure upon the insular species was assessed utilizing plasticine replicas, and we evaluated their defensive behavior to approach. These data were compared to those previously reported for B. jararaca. We found a lower predation pressure on B. insularis (from the smaller area) than on B. alcatraz and B. jararaca from the urban mainland forest fragment (areas with intermediate size), and all of them showed lower predation pressure than B. jararaca from the continuous mainland forested area. In the field, island snakes show narrower defensive repertoire than B. jararaca, since most B. insularis fled, and B. alcatraz either fled or remained immobile on approach. Apparently, the predation pressure to which these island pit vipers are exposed shapes their defensive behavior, as well as the niches exploited by them.
Religion in Right-Wing Ecological Discourse. A Critical Content Analysis of a Far Right Periodical
Authors: Gärtner Claudia
Published: November 2024

While the climate crisis was denied for many years in right-wing movements, shifts in discourse have become apparent recently. Right-wing populists and extremists are developing their own narratives, such as population growth in the Global South. Religious references also become relevant in these right-wing narratives but empirical studies on religion in right-wing environmental discourse have been rare for the German-speaking region so far. The paper examines religious motifs and arguments in the new-right periodical Die Kehre representing the line of thought of the new-right discourse on ecology. 15 issues of the journal are analysed with the help of the structuring qualitative content analysis. The analysis aims to develop a first descriptive assessment of the significance of religion in the right-wing ecological discourse. Therefore, this paper is also critical to the thesis that religion contributes substantially to global climate justice.
Is the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Mandated to Consider Submissions from Non-States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea?
Authors: Cavalcanti de Mello Filho Eduardo
Published: November 2024

This article scrutinises the mandate of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (Commission) to consider submissions from non-States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). It challenges the prevailing viewpoints that exclude non-State Parties from the submission process, proposing a nuanced approach that privileges legal orthodoxy and political feasibility. It proposes that LOSC Article 76, containing the Commission’s mandate, can be interpreted as a stipulation pour atrui, conferring rights to third States in accordance with Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Innovatively, this possibility is explored here with a particular concern for preserving the balance of interests achieved in 1982. Its timeliness is due to the intentions of making a submission recently expressed by the United States, a non-State Party.
Efficacy of Otago versus Bosu ball exercise protocol on core stabilization, static and dynamic balance in non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized parallel arm clinical trial
Authors: Sadare S. , Gurudut P. , Kage V. , Welling A.
Published: November 2024

Chronic non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a pain and stiffness in the lower back region for which specific cause of the pain is unknown. Otago exercises and Bosu ball exercises aim to improve balance and reduce pain and disability. There is a lack of literature where these approaches are not compared and hence the need arises to evaluate their efficacy in the management of NSLBP. A randomized parallel arm clinical trial was conducted in physiotherapy outpatient department at tertiary care center located in Belagavi city, India. 36 individuals with NSLBP, where 18 individuals were randomly allocated into two groups, i.e. Group A (Otago exercise) and Group B (both sides utilized (Bosu) ball exercise). Both the groups received conventional therapy (hot moist pack and interferential current therapy) 3 times/ week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures like plank holding test, star excursion balance test (SEBT), single-leg stance test (SLST), visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were assessed at baseline and on day 12 post-treatment. A within-group analysis using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test and the dependent t-test showed statistically significant improvements in all outcome measures (). Between group analysis has shown both interventions to be equally effective in ODI () in individuals with NSLBP. In conclusion both Otago and Bosu ball exercises were effective, Bosu ball exercise demonstrated greater efficacy in enhancing core stability, static and dynamic balance, as well as reducing disability and pain in individuals with chronic NSLBP.

Clinical trial registry of India: registration number CTRI/2023/11/059489
Between Feminist Solidarity and “Bible-Verse-Throwers”: Catholic Feminist Activists on Social Media and Experiences of Agency
Authors: Trattner Kathrin
Published: November 2024

Focusing on German-speaking progressive Catholic women, the present study aims at investigating religious women’s feminist activism on social media in relation to questions of agency. It does so by focusing on women’s own experiences of approval and empowerment on the one hand and criticism and disempowerment on the other, attending to the possible role of specific social media platforms’ affordances in this context. Taking an actor-centered approach, this article draws on in-depth interviews that are analyzed through a cgt-framework. Attention is paid to how different social media ‘bubbles’ and platform-specific affordances and vernaculars impact the responses the women receive and their possibilities of reacting thereto as their content moves between different platforms beyond their control. The results are discussed against the background of theories of agency in the context of gender, religion, and digital media, arguing for an understanding of agency as relational, situated, and dispersed.
Legitimizing Religious Influencers: A Case Study of Evangelical Celebrities on Instagram
Authors: Sheldon Zachary
Published: November 2024

Studies of social media influencers often focus on their ability to convey authenticity to their audiences. Influencer studies focused on individual influencers without acknowledging their belonging to larger collectives or how influencers are “legitimized” as belonging to that collective. This article argues that studying religious influencers is one way of exploring legitimacy on social media as distinct from authenticity; religious influencers implicitly belong to religious collectives that must legitimize these influencers as representatives of the collective. Using evangelical Christian celebrity influencers on Instagram as a case study, this article explores the heuristic of legitimacy and specific strategies these figures discursively and rhetorically employ to legitimize themselves within the collective. These tactics shed light on some of the social media operations of a fluctuating evangelical culture in the United States, and provide insights into the general processes of legitimation for influencers on social media today.
God’s Influencers: How Social Media Users Shape Religion and Pious Self-Fashioning
Authors: Marei Fouad Gehad
Published: November 2024

Drawing on the contributions presented in the special issue “God’s Influencers: How Social Media Users Shape Religion and Pious Self-Fashioning”, this introduction explores resonances and dissonances between the six articles: First, I reconsider the online/offline connection in relation to the religious actors examined. Then, I articulate a post techno-utopian vision of religion online, identifying digital media as a social space where inequalities, prejudices and power structures offline can be both reinforced and challenged. Third, I shed light on the subjective turn in the way online religious actors understand and impart “authenticity”, a heatedly debated concept in the context of both religion and social media. Fourth, I present some of the communicative strategies that the religious social media users examined in this special issue employ. And, finally, I conclude by sketching future research directions in the study of how social media users shape religion and pious self-fashioning.
Mythologizing the Lwa Demanbre
Authors: Kwosek Susan L.
Published: November 2024

The importance of demanbre, the sacred plot of family land in Haiti, is undisputed, but the development of demanbre from land to lwa (an elevated Vodou spirit) has not yet been explored. Building upon the integrative approaches of Karen McCarthy Brown and Colin (Joan) Dayan, this study aims to demonstrate the cultural imagination of the Haitian people, not only through the recounting of history but through the interpretational probabilities, ambiguities, and complexities inherent in the Vodou worldview. In cases such as this, where the Haitian peasantry left behind no written records, it is necessary to use alternative means to ensure their voices are heard. It is with great respect for the seminal works of Brown and Dayan that I expand upon the possibility of mythologizing the origin of the lwa Demanbre, using an interdepartmental approach that combines history, anthropology, and the study of myth.
Enhancing the nutritional value of black soldier fly larvae through the nutrient amino acid transporter suppression in the excretion system
Authors: Liu C.-M. , Uehara T. , Shimoda M.
Published: November 2024

Larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens, BSFL) are rich in valuable nutrients and offer a promising alternative protein source for animal feeds. Nonetheless, there is a pressing need to improve both the productivity and quality of BSFL to ensure the viability of BSFL products and facilitating the industrial production. To fulfil the needs of different animals, it is necessary to adjust the profile of essential amino acids (EAAs) in BSFL. Insects excrete surplus nutrients to maintain homeostasis; AAs are excreted by nutrient AA transporters (NATs) in the Malpighian tubules. We aimed to modify the composition of essential AAs by silencing the NAT in Malpighian tubules of BSFL (HiNATt). Silencing HiNATt resulted in a 77.3% increase in the total AA content while 56.2% decrease in body weight. Notably, the contents of some valuable essential AAs were strongly increased (histidine, 256.8%; valine, 198.1% in total compared to the intact larva). These results suggest that inhibiting the HiNATt function could modify the amount of accumulated EAAs. This finding opens a new avenue for producing BSFL with increased nutritional value as an alternative protein source.
Cioran and Time
Authors: Depierre Lucas P.
Published: October 2024

This contribution endeavors to excavate Cioran’s metaphysics of time as emerging from a critique of Nietzsche’s view(s) of eternal return. Thereby, I argue against reducing Cioran to a self-contradictory and destructive thinker with stylistic qualities but on the margins of philosophical debates, particularly those on the question of time. To retrieve Cioran’s understanding of time, my innovative method is to assemble his disordered aphorisms under a Nietzschean angle in order to unearth Cioran’s intimate spiritual journey on the question of time. I conclude that if Cioran’s coherence has eluded scholarly investigation it is because his identified stance is intricately intertwined with his secretive and agnostic theological quest. To develop a better understanding of Cioran’s metaphysics, I introduce and advocate for a “wandering paradigm” in order to deconstruct what I refer to as the “sedentary paradigm” derived from the nihilist or Nietzschean interpretation.
Chaos, kosmos, and the simulacrum: Reflections on Castoriadis, religion, and society as an imaginary institution
Authors: Adams Suzi
Published: October 2024

This essay explores some implications of Castoriadis’s chaos-kosmos metaphor for his understanding of society as an imaginary institution. It approaches the problematic from two directions. First, taking the question of “the real” as its thread, it maps three phases in his “roads beyond Marx”. This preparatory move brings the changes to his project wrought by the later introduction of the chaos-kosmos nexus into relief. Second, it reconstructs “The Institution of Society and Religion”, focusing on the questions of chaos, kosmos, the simulacrum, and meaning. It argues that the chaos metaphor not only introduces the problematic of truth, it also becomes a referent. This becomes clear in religious societies’ articulation of the chaos as a simulacrum. The essay identifies an implicit hermeneutics in the chaos-kosmos nexus and an incipient relativization of the autonomy/heteronomy polarization in Castoriadis’s thought, via reconsideration of the problematics of the world horizon and doing.
RANK-RANKL-OPG System in COVID-19: Examining the Pathway Among Healthcare Workers in Nigeria
Authors: Aaron Friday , Amadi Collins , Lawson Stephenson , Agbo Ezra , Okafor Johnbosco
Published: October 2024

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) influences bone metabolism by altering the RANK-RANKL-OPG system. However, this has not been validated, especially among Nigerians. Consequently, the current study explored the influence of the disease on this vital skeletal pathway among Nigerian healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: This was a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the Department of Chemical Pathology of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital among HCWs in Rivers State, Southern Nigeria. Eligible HCWs (n=76) with moderate RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 were recruited and compared with age and sex-matched healthy controls. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained at baseline upon COVID-19 onset and followed up on days four and seven. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive/inferential statistics at a p-value <0.05. Results: The HCWs with moderate COVID-19 had higher serum levels of pro-inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa beta ligand (RANKL) but lower serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) t COVID-19 diagnosis compared to the healthy controls (p<0.05). Among the HCWs with positive COVID-19 status, an increasing trend of these inflammatory markers and RANKL was observed from day one to day four and day seven, but a decreasing trend of OPG levels was observed (p<0.05). On day seven following COVID-19 diagnosis among the HCWs, a positive relationship was established between serum RANKL and all the pro-inflammatory markers (p<0.001) while an inverse relationship was only observed between OPG and IL-1β pro-inflammatory marker (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study findings corroborate the negative influence of COVID-019 on the RANK-RANKL-OPG system in favor of exaggerated osteoclastogenesis.
Spatial Patterns of Turbulence near Thunderstorms
Authors: Hitchcock Stacey M. , Lane Todd P. , Deierling Wiebke , Sharman Robert D. , Trier Stanley B. , Homeyer Cameron R.
Published: November 2024

Many people have a turbulence story: perhaps a specific memorable experience or just an unpleasant flight where the seatbelt sign remained on for hours. While more rare, severe turbulence encounters can result in serious (even fatal) injuries and significant operational costs to airlines. While storms themselves are highly turbulent, they can also modify their environment in ways that lead to turbulence far from the storm. Using limited datasets, past studies indicate moderate or greater (MoG) turbulence can extend beyond current federal guidelines for avoidance (20 mi or 32 km), but many questions remain. For example, 1) What is the spatial distribution of turbulence relative to storms? 2) What environmental factors influence the spatial distribution? Now, extensive archives of radar data and automated turbulence reports from commercial aircraft allow us to thoroughly investigate turbulence near storms. To this end, we compare turbulence reports to storm locations over 9 years (2009–17) in the United States. We find that 32 km from 10-dBZ echoes at flight altitude, the risk of MoG turbulence is nearly 5 times the background occurrence and that elevated risk extends beyond 100 km. At 2 km above echo tops, the risk of MoG turbulence exceeds 20 times the background risk. This decreases exponentially but remains elevated at all vertical separation distances. Risks increase with storm intensity. Finally, when we use ERA5 reanalysis to assess environmental factors, we find increased risk with stronger mean wind and wind shear, with slightly higher risk downstream and to the left of the wind/shear vector.
Weather, Climate, and Society: A Retrospective between 2009 and 2022 Using Bibliometric and Content Analysis
Authors: Putera Prakoso Bhairawa , Iriany Ieke Sartika , Gustina Amelya , Pasciana Rostiena , Wismayanti Yanuar Farida , Qatrunnada Nisrina
Published: November 2024

This paper aims to analyze the bibliometrics of articles published in Weather, Climate, and Society (WCAS) over the last 14 years (2009–22). We conducted an analysis using the Scopus database and cross-checked the WCAS online journal and obtained 577 document results (article) and then analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer, Sankey diagrams, altmetric, and content analysis. This research was conducted to show publication trends, citation rates, productivity levels, and developments in research topics at WCAS. The study results show that the 577 articles published in Weather, Climate, and Society have become references for 7106 other articles and are spread across 160 publication sources. Based on the most cited articles, five cluster topics are references for many papers, namely, climate change and environmental management policy, weather risk assessment, climate hazard assessment, anthropogenic climate change, and decision support systems. Climatic Change, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, and Sustainability Switzerland are the three publications with the most citations of articles published by WCAS. Research topics related to climate change, decision-making, risk assessment, the United States, societal impacts, social science, communications/decision-making, and vulnerability are the eight most commonly discussed topics in WCAS articles.

Significance Statement

From 2009 to 2022, 1773 authors published WCAS articles, either individually or collaboratively, across 1350 institutional affiliations in 70 countries. Using Scopus metadata, this study employs bibliometric and content analysis to explore temporal trends, article impact metrics, citation characteristics, and topic shifts in WCAS publications over this period. The findings indicate that analyzing citations, topics, and authors aids in understanding a journal’s interdisciplinary accessibility. Notably, highly cited papers in WCAS do not necessarily score high on altmetrics, suggesting that future impact measures might integrate academic and social media metrics. Prolific authors often collaborate rather than publish solo. Dominant research topics include climate change, decision-making, risk assessment, social impacts, and U.S. issues.
Sustainable Energy and China: The Importance of Institutional Authority
Authors: Akbal Galip Ferhat
Published: November 2024

It is not possible that fossil fuels keep on their existence as a main energy source for the future when they are evaluated with the effects on the global environment. In addition to this, due to the limited source and the increased consumption parameters, coal, petroleum and natural gas are not also seen as sustainable energy sources in the long term. However, renewable energy provides the competing circumstances with fossil fuels as a framework of cost-benefit analysis. Minimised the efficiency problems, renewable energy sources overcome the storage problems with the developments of electrochemical storage systems. On the other hand, the support of the political will is crucial to consolidating of this advantageous position. As it is seen in some countries, it gives positive results if the authorities focus on the development of renewable energy in their strategical policies, their steps to reduce the importation of fossil fuels and they encourage the industry for the renewable energy investment. China attaches importance to energy diversity. China has significantly increased its installed capacities thanks to central control and a focus on renewable energy.
Governing the Shadows: Territorial Control and State Making in Civil War
Authors: Uribe Andres , van Baalen Sebastian
Published: November 2024

Under what conditions do rebels succeed in establishing functional institutions in state-dominated areas? Canonical theories of rebel governance and state formation insist that territorial control is a necessary precondition for the development of governing institutions. Yet despite growing recognition that this claim is empirically incorrect and theoretically limiting, we lack knowledge about the conditions under which rebels succeed in governing civilians in areas where the state dominates. We argue that low state governance responsiveness towards rebel constituencies enables insurgents to overcome the challenges associated with establishing institutions in state-dominated areas. Low state responsiveness increases popular demand for insurgent institutions, decreases the costs associated with governing, and enables insurgents to collude with civilians to hide their institutions. Case studies from Ireland, South Africa, and Algeria illustrate our propositions. Our findings deepen knowledge on how rebels govern and expand their territorial reach, and shed light on alternative trajectories of state formation.
Introducing the Latin American Transnational Surveillance (LATS) dataset
Authors: Spektor Matias , Ross Fernandes Marcos , de Oliveira Paes Lucas , Dalla Pola João Victor , Sion Vitor Loureiro
Published: November 2024

Transnational surveillance is a powerful tool in the arsenal of autocrats the world over. Despite its pervasive use in extraterritorial coercion, the systematic study of surveillance of regime opponents beyond national borders remains underdeveloped in political science, primarily due to limited data availability. To help fill this gap, we constructed the Latin American Transnational Surveillance dataset, a micro-level dataset based on declassified foreign surveillance reports produced between 1966 and 1986 by autocratic Brazil. Latin American Transnational Surveillance records the identity, locations, social ties and political activism of 17,000 individual targets of transnational surveillance, the vast majority of whom were tracked in neighbouring countries across Latin America. Drawing on these abundant data, we empirically explore existing theoretical insights about the motivations, methods and consequences of transnational surveillance, a task that would be difficult to do using other sources. We also leverage social network analysis to showcase potential applications of Latin American Transnational Surveillance in the testing of collective-action theories of transnational political violence.
Assistive Technology and Rural Settings: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Authors: Rooks-Ellis Deborah L. , Ryan Joanna , Floyd Kim , Sundeen Todd
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this review was to scope the existing research literature that describes educational interventions using mid- and high-tech assistive technology (AT) for students with disabilities in rural settings. The authors conducted a systematic literature search and then analyzed the included studies to develop descriptions of current conceptualizations of rurality in the research literature that report on educational interventions using AT, types of AT-supported educational interventions used in rural settings, and characteristics of participants and interveners. Results from 22 studies suggested that intervention research studies using AT in rural settings were primarily focused on students with similar demographics, grade levels, and disability category. Further, the studies evaluated lacked a robust focus on the unique characteristics of rural educational settings, their teachers, or their students with disabilities. The findings of this scoping review may inform the purpose and methods of future research activities, such as systematic reviews of the literature, that target specific instructional interventions using mid- and high-tech AT in rural U.S. schools.
Preclinical in vitro and in vivo evaluation of [11C]ORM-13070 as PET ligand for alpha-2C adrenergic receptor occupancy using PET imaging in non-human primates
Authors: Piel Isabel , Constantinescu Cristian C , de la Puente Bethencourt David , Bonsall David R , Rabiner Eugenii A , Zasadny Kenneth R , Llopis Amenta Amy , Wells Lisa A , Poethko Thorsten , Prange Wolfgang , Delbeck Martina
Published: October 2024

This paper describes the preclinical validation of the radioligand [11C]ORM-13070 and its tritiated analog for addressing selectivity and occupancy of the selective alpha-2C adrenergic receptor (α2CR) antagonist BAY 292 in the cynomolgus brain. BAY 292 is a novel drug candidate being developed for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) via binding to central α2CR. In vitro autoradiography studies with sections from non-diseased post-mortem human caudate revealed an excellent specific binding window (>80%) using [3H]ORM-13070. BAY 292 bound to the same binding site as [3H]ORM-13070 and generated a good specific binding signal, with greater selectivity for α2CR. In non-human primates in vivo, [11C]ORM-13070 demonstrated a reversible behavior, with uptake at baseline highest in striatum (putamen, caudate, ventral striatum, and pallidum) and low in the cerebellar cortex, consistent with the known distribution of the α2CR. A dose dependent increase in receptor occupancy after BAY 292 administration was observed, confirming BBB penetration and target engagement. The estimated EC50 for BAY 292 is 33.39 ± 11.91 ng/mL. This study aimed to demonstrate the suitability of [11C]ORM-13070 as a PET-radioligand for the study of α2CR in the non-human primate brain, and to pave the way for future clinical PET tracer studies with BAY 292.
Correlation between circulating dephosphorylated uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein and vascular calcification in peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Mao Liman , Huang Haole , Zhou Meiyang , Zhou Canxin
Published: November 2024

Introduction:

To explore the association between serum Dephosphorylated uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein (dp-ucMGP) and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Methods:

A total 128 PD patients and 120 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. Serum dp-ucMGP was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Abdominal lateral plain radiography was used to evaluate the abdominal aortic calcification score (AACS). PD patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of AAC. The relationships between dp-ucMGP levels and AACS were assessed by Spearman analysis and the value of dp-ucMGP in predicting AAC was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC).

Results:

Serum dp-ucMGP in PD patients were significantly higher than controls ( p < 0.05). And PD patients with AAC had higher serum dp-ucMGP than that of PD patients without AAC ( p < 0.05). The serum dp-ucMGP levels was positively associated with AACS ( r = 0.794, p < 0.0001) in PD patients. The multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that serum dp-ucMGP was independent factors of AAC in PD patients (OR = 2.555, 95% CI = 1.415–4.609). The area under ROC curve of dp-ucMGP was 0.9227, the corresponding sensitivity was 0.86, and the specificity was 0.92.

Conclusion:

Serum dp-ucMGP levels were positively associated with the AACS in PD patients. Higher serum dp-ucMGP level is independently associated with AAC in PD patients.
Representations of Dissent against Communism in Romania: Anti-Communist Heroes, “Prison Saints,” and (Extra)Ordinary Citizens
Authors: Preda Caterina
Published: November 2024

This article discusses the uses and functions of visual representations in the articulation of a comprehensive memory of dissent against the Communist regime in Romania. Through qualitative research using the interdisciplinary study of the art and politics of memory, the study answers the question of how artistic renditions of the past differ from official discourse on dissent and how these representations are used politically. This article argues that these artistic representations enrich the understanding of dissent against the Romanian Communist regime and thus play a political role in consolidating a missing or limited memorialization of diverse forms of opposition to the Communist regime, thus disrupting the narrative of perfect control. Artistic discourses about the Communist past include at least three types of portraits of dissenters: (1) anti-Communist heroes who participated in the armed resistance of the 1940s and 1950s; (2) Communist prisoners who are recalled either as victims or “prison saints”; and (3) (extra)ordinary citizens who had nonconforming ideas either through their political activity or through their cultural choices. The latter are recalled as participating in workers’ strikes, as exercising a form of personal opposition through their refusal to comply with the regime’s natalist policies (dissenting women), or as taking part in broader cultural opposition forms, such as watching Western films on videocassettes. These artistic discourses vary from heroization to politicization, serve to build legitimacy for the democratic regime, explain how dissent had a role in the change of regime, and accentuate individuals’ agency.
Post-Dissident Politics and the “Liberal Consensus” in East-Central Europe after 1989
Authors: Kopeček Michal
Published: November 2024

This article’s central question is how former dissidents and their engagement in post-1989 nascent democratic politics contributed to the emergence of what was later retrospectively labelled the “liberal consensus.” I look at the earliest stages of this consensus before it started to lock in the conditionality of the EU accession process. To this end, I first discuss the “liberal consensus” from a retrospective and past prospective perspective. I define the notions of “post-dissent” and liberal politics emerging after 1989 on the dissident platform. I discuss the theoretical background and historical contours of the notion of dissident “politics of consensus.” The empirical core of the study is an analysis of the birth of post-dissident liberal parties in the process of the disintegration of broad consensual democratization movements of the 1989 revolutions. The study offers a comparison of the Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and Polish cases, analyzing their similarities and less obvious but significant differences.