bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Downward continued ocean bottom seismometer data show continued hydrothermal evolution of mature oceanic upper crust
Authors: Li Lianjun , Collier Jenny , Henstock Tim , Goes Saskia
Published: June 2024

Heat flow measurements indicate hydrothermal activity in oceanic crust continues at least for 65 m.y. after formation. Hydrothermal activity progressively fills cracks and pores with alteration products, which is expected to lead to a trend of increasing seismic velocities with age. Compilations of seismic-P-wave velocity models inverted from ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) data have failed to detect such an aging trend beyond crustal ages of ca. 10 Ma. However, in these models, the velocities of the uppermost crust, where fluid flow would be most concentrated, are poorly resolved. This is because as the oceanic crust matures, the first crustal arrivals on OBS records (which best resolve upper crustal velocities using tomographic inversion), become hidden in the coda of the water wave. This may lead to the masking of any aging trend in the seismic velocities. For the first time, we show how including downward continuation (DC) in the analysis of OBS data collected across 65 Ma seafloor significantly improves measurements of the P-wave velocities of the upper crust. Our new analysis reveals a highly heterogeneous upper crust, with ridge-parallel P-wave velocity variations of 25%, implying local porosity values that are up to double that of global averages. Our new results, combined with other most recent advanced seismic analyses, reveal that seismic velocities indeed evolve with age up to at least 70 Ma, confirming that hydrothermal activity continues in mature oceanic crust.
Six year efficacy of silvicultural treatments to control American beech regeneration in stands affected by beech bark disease in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Searle Eric B. , Jones Trevor A. , Yietagesu Aklilu A. , Mallory Elaine C. , Trerise Bridget , Bein Aliya S.
Published: June 2024

High beech regeneration density is a concern in northern shade tolerant hardwood forests. High densities of beech ( Fagus grandifolia Ehrh) regeneration can crowd out other desirable species, such as sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marsh.), and jeopardize long-term sustainability since beech is under threat from beech bark disease ( Cryptococcus fagisuga/Neonectria spp. Complex). We examined the efficacy of three tending (no tending, brush saw, and basal bark herbicide) and two timing and harvesting (deferred 5 years post-single tree selection harvest, concurrent with uniform shelterwood harvest) treatments on reducing beech regeneration density and promoting sugar maple regeneration density over 6 years. Six years after tending, we found that large beech regeneration density was reduced, medium beech regeneration density had recovered to pre-tending levels in most treatments, and small beech regeneration density remained unaffected. Tending treatments had no effect on any size class of sugar maple regeneration density but the uniform shelterwood harvest promoted medium sugar maple density more than the single-tree selection harvest. Despite this increase, in all treatment combinations sugar maple regeneration densities remained below stocking targets. Our results suggest that while tending treatments can temporarily reduce beech regeneration densities, sugar maple is unable to take advantage of the increased growing space.
Crowding as a possible stress factor in food choice of aphidophagous ladybird beetle, Propylea dissecta (Mulsant)
Authors: Verma Lata , Mishra Geetanjali , Omkar
Published: June 2024

Crowding induces behavioural and lasting morphological and chromatic changes in insects. This study examined how larval rearing density of Propylea dissecta (Mulsant, 1850) affected food choice and development duration, hypothesising that larvae under stress will opt for lower quality food as larval density increases. Larvae were reared at various densities under three crowding treatments: direct physical, indirect physical, and chemical tracks. In each treatment, larvae experienced crowding at densities of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 individuals per arena. Fourth stage larvae were provided with food choice of aphids, heterospecific eggs, and conspecific eggs. Significant effect of crowding on total development duration, first consumption time, and first food consumption was observed. Decrease in development duration at densities of 4 and 6 and increase in development duration at low and high densities were observed in direct physical crowding. Indirect physical and chemical crowding yield the shortest development duration at densities of 8, 10, and 12, when compared to low and moderate crowding. First encounter time increased with increasing chemical tracks concentration, while first consumption time decreases with crowding across all groups. First consumed food was also significantly influenced by crowding, suggesting a negative impact on larval food choice. Our results indicate that crowding among larvae leads to a longer development duration and show less selectivity in their food choices.
OPTIMAL LIMA BEAN PLOT SIZE
Authors: MEDEIROS ARTUR MENDES , DA SILVA JUNIOR JOSÉ VALDENOR , PEREIRA GUSTAVO ALVES , DE SOUZA FILHO JÚLIO FERREIRA , DA CUNHA JENILTON GOMES , AZEVEDO ALCINEI MISTICO , BARROSO PRISCILA ALVES
Published: June 2024

It is important to determine optimal experimental plot size in order to ensure accurate results and correct decision making. There are no studies of this nature for lima bean cultivation. As such, the aim of this study was to determine the optimal plot size to estimate lima bean yield in family farming and experimental areas, combining the number of treatments, repetitions, and accuracy levels. Experiments were conducted in two 12[Formula: see text]m × 16[Formula: see text]m plots, each subdivided into 192 basic units (BUs) measuring 1[Formula: see text]m2. Bean weight was assessed in each of the units (g). Smith’s index of soil heterogeneity and optimal plot size were estimated using the Modified Maximum Curvature Method and Hatheway’s Method. The index of soil heterogeneity was higher than 0.7 for all the variables analyzed. Plot size between 10[Formula: see text]m2 and 15[Formula: see text]m2 is considered efficient in estimating lima bean weight. These first estimated optimal plot sizes will allow researchers and farmers who work with the crop to obtain more robust yield estimates.
RESISTANCE DISTANCES OF STRETCHED SIERPINSKI NETWORKS
Authors: FAN JIAQI , LI YUANYUAN
Published: June 2024

Stretched Sierpinski Gasket Networks are neither substitution networks nor self-similar networks. In this paper, with equivalent transformations and some classical principles in Circuit Theory, we give explicit formulae for the resistance distances of some nodes of the Stretched Sierpinski Gasket Networks.
Modelling and Analysis of Smart Tourism Based on Deep Learning and Attention Mechanism
Authors: Dong Miao , Dong Shihao , Jiang Weichang
Published: June 2024

In the current traditional tourism recommendation systems, significant amounts of manpower and resources are required to manually identify the characteristics of resources, resulting in extremely poor economic benefits. To address this issue, this study proposes a smart tourism model based on deep learning and attention mechanisms. It uses a deep learning model to extract semantic information and improves it with the attention mechanism. This is to enable the model to take into account the complete meaning of the text and the association between individual words, thereby achieving a more comprehensive extraction of tourism resource features. The experiment showcases that the [Formula: see text]1-value of the algorithm proposed by us reached 0.961, the Recall value reached 0.958, the accuracy reached 0.980 and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve reached 0.956. All parameters are superior to the comparison algorithm, and in practical application testing, its fitting degree reached 0.981. The above results indicate that the smart tourism proposed by us based on deep learning and attention mechanism has excellent performance in the field of tourism resource recommendation, which can effectively extract hidden features from the resources. This can also accurately push the tourism resources that users are interested in, which can effectively promote the integration and development of the tourism industry and the Internet, and has strong positive significance for economic development.
Does Local Culture Affect CSR Transparency? The Effect of Corruption Culture on CSR Decoupling
Authors: Majeed Muhammad Ansar , Xie Shilei , Ahsan Tanveer , Tauni Muhammad Zubair
Published: June 2024

Synopsis

The research problem

This study examines the association between corruption culture and corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling.

Motivation

Only a handful of studies have examined the effect of local culture on organizational outcomes. Recent studies shed light on the factors contributing to CSR decoupling, highlighting the value of understanding this disparity; however, few studies have documented the role of societal factors that contribute to this gap. Our study seeks to fill this gap by documenting that corruption culture increases dishonest behavior, reduces social stigma and the likelihood of punishment, promotes managerial rent-seeking, and ultimately affects CSR decoupling.

The hypothesis

Corruption culture is associated with higher CSR decoupling.

Target population

We used a sample of Chinese A-listed firms from 2010 to 2020.

Adopted methodology

We used ordinary least squares, path analysis, two-stage least square (2SLS) regression, generalized method of moment (GMM), and multiperiod difference in difference.

Analyses

By using 5,428 firm–year observations, this study examined the association between corruption culture and CSR decoupling. We employed robustness and mechanism tests to corroborate the findings and proposed mechanisms. Finally, we conducted heterogeneity tests to assess the varied impact of corporate governance, state ownership, and CEO attributes on the relationship between corruption culture and CSR decoupling.

Findings

We documented a positive relationship between corruption culture and CSR decoupling. We also found a less pronounced effect of corruption on CSR decoupling among firms with extensive media coverage and investments from qualified foreign institutional investors. Furthermore, the effect of corruption on CSR decoupling was particularly pronounced for private firms. We also observed that the effect of a corruption culture was especially weak for firms with chief executive officers who have international experience, are nonpolitically connected, and are female.
Digital Payment Issues
Authors: Kugler Logan
Published: June 2024

Problems with digital payment systems have the potential to seriously disrupt otherwise seamless transactions.
Why Students Cannot Easily Integrate Component Skills: An Investigation of the Composition Effect in Programming
Authors: Huang Yun , Schunn Christian D. , Guerra Julio , Brusilovsky Peter
Published: June 2024

Programming skills are increasingly important to the current digital economy, yet these skills have long been regarded as challenging to acquire. A central challenge in learning programming skills involves the simultaneous use of multiple component skills. This article investigates why students struggle with integrating component skills—a challenge called the composition effect. This effect was first studied in learning mathematics, and findings in that area have led to more effective instruction in mathematics. In the current work, we systematically investigate the nature of the composition effect in novice code tracing through a classroom study in a university-level introductory programming course. We designed a set of problems that require integrating component skills, along with matched problems that use the same component skills separately. The composition effect was defined as the performance difference between these two types of problems. We further singled out errors that were committed in integration problems but not in the matched problems and conducted qualitative coding to categorize these errors. Statistical analyses produced three main findings. First, we found a robust composition effect across problems and students, mostly with small or medium effect sizes. Second, we identified two potential sources of errors for this composition effect: conceptual misunderstandings of how to integrate component skills and process errors resulting from slips related to cognitive load challenges. In particular, additional conceptual knowledge often appears to be needed when component skills are integrated in specific ways. Moreover, the primary source appears to be misunderstandings of how skills integrate. Composition effects may not generalize across topics, which suggests that domain topics may serve as the conceptual basis for the composition effect. Third, we found stable individual differences in susceptibility to the composition effect in both overall and finer-grained levels. Our findings provide implications for building theories that may generally explain challenges in learning complex skills and may result in practical designs for skill integration enhanced curricula and instruction to foster student mastery in computing education.
FunFuzz: A Function-Oriented Fuzzer for Smart Contract Vulnerability Detection with High Effectiveness and Efficiency
Authors: Ye Mingxi , Nan Yuhong , Dai Hong-Ning , Yang Shuo , Luo Xiapu , Zheng Zibin
Published: June 2024

With the increasing popularity of Decentralized Applications (DApps) in blockchain, securing smart contracts has been a long-term, high-priority subject in the domain. Among the various research directions for vulnerability detection, fuzzing has received extensive attention because of its high effectiveness. However, with the increasing complexity of smart contracts, existing fuzzers may waste substantial time exploring locations irrelevant to smart contract vulnerabilities. In this article, we present FunFuzz, a function-oriented fuzzer, which is dedicatedly tailored for detecting smart contract vulnerability with high effectiveness and efficiency. The key observation in our research is that most smart contract vulnerabilities exist in specific functions rather than randomly distributed in all program code like other traditional software. To this end, unlike traditional fuzzers which mainly target code coverage, FunFuzz identifies risky functions while pruning non-risky ones in smart contracts. In this way, it significantly narrows down the exploration scope during the fuzzing process. In addition, FunFuzz employs three unique strategies to direct itself toward effectively discovering vulnerabilities specific to smart contracts (e.g., reentrancy, block dependency, and gasless send). Extensive experiments on 170 real-world contracts demonstrate that FunFuzz outperforms state-of-the-art fuzzers in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
A Comprehensive View on TD Prevention Practices and Reasons for Not Preventing It
Authors: Freire Sávio , Pacheco Alexia , Rios Nicolli , Pérez Boris , Castellanos Camilo , Correal Darío , Ramač Robert , Mandić Vladimir , Taušan Nebojša , López Gustavo , Mendonça Manoel , Falessi Davide , Izurieta Clemente , Seaman Carolyn , Spínola Rodrigo
Published: June 2024

Context
. Technical debt (TD) prevention allows software practitioners to apply practices to avoid potential TD items in their projects.
Aims
. To uncover and prioritize, from the point of view of software practitioners, the practices that could be used to avoid TD items, the relations between these practices and the causes of TD, and the practice avoidance reasons (PARs) that could explain the failure to prevent TD.
Method
. We analyze data collected from six replications of a global industrial family of surveys on TD, totaling 653 answers. We also conducted a follow up survey to understand the importance level of analyzed data.
Results
. Most practitioners indicated that TD could be prevented, revealing 89 prevention practices and 23 PARs for explaining the failure to prevent TD. The article identifies statistically significant relationships between preventive practices and certain causes of TD. Further, it prioritizes the list of practices, PARs, and relationships regarding their level of importance for TD prevention based on the opinion of software practitioners.
Conclusion
. This work organizes TD prevention practices and PARs in a conceptual map and the relationships between practices and causes of TD in a Sankey diagram to help the visualization of the body of knowledge reported in this study.
Efficient Matching in Large DAE Models
Authors: Marzorati Denise , Fernández Joaquín , Kofman Ernesto
Published: June 2024

This article presents a matching algorithm for bipartite graphs containing repetitive structures and represented by intension as
Set-Based Graphs
. Under certain conditions on the structure of the graphs, the computational cost of this novel algorithm is not affected by the cardinality of the sets of vertices and edges. The main application of the algorithm is that of matching large Equation-Based Models where provided that most equations are defined using
for loop
statements that iterate over vectors of unknown variables, the computational cost becomes independent of the growth of the vectors involved.

Besides introducing the algorithm, the article describes its implementation in a Modelica compiler and studies its performance over different test models.
Remote and local effects of ischemic preconditioning on vascular function: a case for cumulative benefit
Authors: Bond Bert , Hurlstone Harrison , Köditz David M. , Lester Alice B. , Mould Harry , Tennant Thomas , Thorington Amber
Published: June 2024

For the first time in a single study, we demonstrate that resting macro- and microvascular function increases 20 min, but not 24 h, after a single IPC session and that the magnitude of this improvement was the same in the trained arm and nontrained, contralateral arm. In contrast, macrovascular (but not microvascular) function was augmented 24 h after six IPC training sessions in both arms, suggesting a cumulative benefit of IPC training on macrovascular function.
Music’s Dual Role in Emotion Regulation: Network Analysis of Music Use, Emotion Regulation Self‐Efficacy, Alexithymia, Anxiety, and Depression
Authors: Tan Min , Zhou Xinyu , Shen Lin , Li Yonghui , Chen Xijing
Published: June 2024

Music serves as a prevalent emotional regulation tool among young people. However, the correlational and causal relationships between music use, emotion regulation ability, and emotional symptoms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations and causal relationships between healthy and unhealthy music use, emotion regulation ability, and emotional symptoms, including alexithymia, depression, and anxiety. This study included 16,588 college students nationwide in China. All participants were assessed online with the Healthy‐Unhealthy Music Scale (HUMS), the Regulatory Emotional Self‐Efficacy Scale (RESE), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS‐20), and the 10‐item Kessler Psychological Stress Scale (K10) using a cluster convenience sampling method. We applied a regularized partial correlation network (RPCN) and Bayesian network to analyze the network characteristics of the outcomes. In the RPCN analysis, healthy music use showed the second strongest expected influence (one‐step) and correlated positively with emotion regulation self‐efficacy while inversely correlating with externally oriented thinking of alexithymia and depression. The Bayesian network indicated that healthy music use was located downstream of the network, positively predicted by managing anger‐irritation and expressing positive affect in emotion regulation self‐efficacy. In contrast, unhealthy music use in the RPCN displayed the strongest bridge strength and bridge expected influence (one‐step). It negatively correlated with expressing positive affect in emotion regulation self‐efficacy and positively correlated with alexithymia, anxiety, and depression. The Bayesian network highlighted that unhealthy music use was positively affected by anxiety, depression, and difficulty identifying feelings. In addition, managing despondency‐distress influences difficulty identifying feelings through depression, subsequently affecting unhealthy music use and, finally, influencing externally oriented thinking. This study provides a novel framework for understanding the role of emotion regulation self‐efficacy and alexithymia in the relationship between music use and emotional symptoms. Emotion regulation and mental health may benefit from music‐based interventions and therapies informed by the findings of this study.
Research on OPF Control of Three‐Phase Four‐Wire Low‐Voltage Distribution Network considering Uncertainty
Authors: Wang Rui , Bai Xiaoqing , Huang Shengquan , Wei Shoupu
Published: June 2024

As power systems become more complex and uncertain, low‐voltage distribution networks face numerous challenges, including three‐phase imbalances caused by asymmetrical loads and distributed energy resources. We propose a robust stochastic optimization (RSO)‐based optimal power flow (OPF) control method for three‐phase four‐wire low‐voltage distribution networks that consider uncertainty to address these issues. Using historical data and deep learning classification methods, the proposed method simulates optimal system behaviour without requiring communication infrastructure. The simulation results verify that the proposed method effectively controls the voltage and current amplitude while minimizing the operational cost and three‐phase imbalance within acceptable limits. The proposed method shows promise for managing uncertainties and optimizing performance in low‐voltage distribution networks.
Optimum Allocation of Microgrid and D‐STATCOM in Radial Distribution System for Voltage Profile Enhancement Using Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Yenealem Mezigebu Getinet
Published: June 2024

The integration of microgrid (MG) and distribution static synchronous compensator (D‐STATCOM) controller in power system has become crucial for enhancing voltage profiles, improving system reliability, and minimizing power losses in radial distribution networks. This study presents an innovative approach for the optimal allocation of MG and D‐STATCOM within a radial distribution system (RDS), aimed at significantly improving voltage profiles. Particle swarm optimization (PSO), a powerful and efficient metaheuristic algorithm, is utilized to determine the optimal sizing of MG and D‐STATCOM controllers. The loss sensitivity factor (LSF) technique is employed to find the optimal position for D‐STATCOM, and the voltage stability index (VSI) is used to determine the optimal location for MG. To validate the effectiveness of the PSO‐based approach, simulations are conducted on a standard IEEE 30 bus RDS. The results indicate that the strategic placement of MGs and D‐STATCOMs markedly enhances the voltage profile across the distribution network, leading to improved power quality and reduced technical losses.
Population Dynamics of the Sebastes schlegelii Stock in Zhangzi Island’s Waters, China: Implications for Management and Conservation
Authors: Niu Keru , Yin Zengqiang , Xue Guojin , Cheng Qian , Xin Chaozhong , Han Lijuan , Liu Yonghu
Published: June 2024

Sebastes schlegelii is a species of great economic significance in Zhangzi Island’s waters in the Northern Yellow Sea. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a significant decline in the fishery resources of Sebastes schlegelii, and the reduction in size has become increasingly apparent. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of Sebastes schlegelii and develop management tactics. Based on biological data from Sebastes schlegelii collected in Zhangzi Island’s waters, an analysis was conducted on the relationship between body length and weight, growth equations were formulated, and an assessment was made of the resources’ status. The study simulated and evaluated the effects of various closed season management strategies on egg production per recruit (EPR) and spawning biomass per recruit (SBR). The results showed the following. (1) The length‐weight relationship was W = 5 × 10−5L2.882. (2) Von Bertalanffy’s growth equation was Lt = 450[1 − e−0.31(t+0.42)] and Wt = 2215.8[1 − e−0.31(t+0.42)]2.882. (3) The resource is in an overfished state with an exploitation rate (E) of 0.737, a steady‐state biomass of 1471 t, and a maximum sustainable yield of 466 t. (4) The closed season for Sebastes schlegelii in Zhangzi Island’s waters is suggested to be from November to February, coinciding with the recovery of the EPR value to 68.33% and the SBR value to 29.53%.
Design and Implement Deepfake Video Detection Using VGG‐16 and Long Short‐Term Memory
Authors: Boongasame Laor , Boonpluk Jindaphon , Soponmanee Sunisa , Muangprathub Jirapond , Thammarak Karanrat
Published: June 2024

This study aims to design and implement deepfake video detection using VGG‐16 in combination with long short‐term memory (LSTM). In contrast to other studies, this study compares VGG‐16, VGG‐19, and the newest model, ResNet‐101, including LSTM. All the models were tested using Celeb‐DF video dataset. The result showed that the VGG‐16 model with 15 epochs and 32 batch sizes had the highest performance. The results showed that the VGG‐16 model with 15 epochs and 32 batch sizes exhibited the highest performance, with 96.25% accuracy, 93.04% recall, 99.20% specificity, and 99.07% precision. In conclusion, this model can be implemented practically.
First description of the mitogenome of the endangered turtle Erymnochelys madagascariensis (Testudines: Podocnemididae) and its implications for conservation
Authors: Garcia Caroline , Rodrigues-Oliveira Igor Henrique , Silva Iuri Batista da , Rocha Renan Rodrigues , Pasa Rubens , Menegidio Fabiano Bezerra , Kavalco Karine Frehner
Published: June 2024

Erymnochelys madagascariensis is ranked first on the EDGE of Existence program’s list of priority reptiles. This species is the only living member of the family Podocnemididae found outside of South America. It has a unique evolutionary, as it is endemic to Madagascar. We present the first description of the complete mitogenome of the species. The assembled mitogenome is the third and the smallest described for the Podocnemididae. It has a length of 16,421bp, CG content of 38%, and presents 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and one non-coding region. The gene order and CG content were similar to the mitogenome of the Podocnemis species. Selective pressure analysis indicated the PCGs were under purifying selection except for ATPase 8. The phylogenetic analysis of PCGs of Pleurodira revealed that Myuchelys is a polyphyletic group. Our study demonstrates that the complete mitogenome can be a useful tool to assess genetic diversity via the identification of haplotypes among natural populations and detection of introgression events. This information may have important implications for conservation, especially in designing and implementing protected breeding areas and contributing to programs withrestocking purposes.
Observable Atrial and Ventricular Fibrillation Episode Durations Are Conformant With a Power Law Based on System Size and Spatial Synchronization
Authors: Dharmaprani Dhani , Tiver Kathryn , Salari Shahrbabaki Sobhan , Jenkins Evan V. , Chapman Darius , Strong Campbell , Quah Jing X. , Tonchev Ivaylo , O’Loughlin Luke , Mitchell Lewis , Tung Matthew , Ahmad Waheed , Stoyanov Nik , Aguilar Martin , Niederer Steven A. , Roney Caroline H. , Nash Martyn P. , Clayton Richard H. , Nattel Stanley , Ganesan Anand N.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes exhibit varying durations, with some spontaneously ending quickly while others persist. A quantitative framework to explain episode durations remains elusive. We hypothesized that observable self-terminating AF and VF episode lengths, whereby durations are known, would conform with a power law based on the ratio of system size and correlation length (

L

/

ξ

)

.

METHODS:

Using data from computer simulations (2-dimensional sheet and 3-dimensional left-atrial), human ischemic VF recordings (256-electrode sock, n=12 patients), and human AF recordings (64-electrode basket-catheter, n=9 patients; 16-electrode high definition-grid catheter, n=42 patients), conformance with a power law was assessed using the Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, coefficient of determination (R
2
, significance=
P
<0.05) and maximum likelihood estimation. We analyzed fibrillatory episode durations and

L

/

ξ

, computed by taking the ratio between system size (

L

, chamber/simulation size) and correlation length (xi, estimated from pairwise correlation coefficients over electrode/node distance).

RESULTS:

In all computer models, the relationship between episode durations and

L

/

ξ

was conformant with a power law (Aliev-Panfilov R
2
: 0.90,
P
<0.001; Courtemanche R
2
: 0.91,
P
<0.001; Luo-Rudy R
2
: 0.61,
P
<0.001). Observable clinical AF/VF durations were also conformant with a power law relationship (VF R
2
: 0.86,
P
<0.001; AF basket R
2
: 0.91,
P
<0.001; AF grid R
2
: 0.92,
P
<0.001).

L

/

ξ

also differentiated between self-terminating and sustained episodes of AF and VF (
P
<0.001; all systems), as well as paroxysmal versus persistent AF (
P
<0.001). In comparison, other electrogram metrics showed no statistically significant differences (dominant frequency, Shannon Entropy, mean voltage, peak-peak voltage;
P
>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:

Observable fibrillation episode durations are conformant with a power law based on system size and correlation length.
Association of Atrial Fibrillation Burden and Mortality Among Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices
Authors: Peigh Graham , Zhou Jiani , Rosemas Sarah C. , Roberts Anthony I. , Longacre Colleen , Trinh Katherine , Nayak Tanvi , Soderlund Dana , Passman Rod S.
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND:

Current estimates of atrial fibrillation (AF)–associated mortality rely on claims- or clinical-derived diagnoses of AF, limit AF to a binary entity, or are confounded by comorbidities. The objective of the present study is to assess the association between device-recognized AF and mortality among patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices capable of sensitive and continuous atrial arrhythmia detection. Secondary outcomes include relative mortality among cohorts with no AF, paroxysmal AF, persistent AF, and permanent AF.

METHODS:

Using the deidentified Optum Clinformatics US claims database (2015 to 2020) linked to the Medtronic CareLink database, we identified individuals with a cardiac implantable electronic device who transmitted data ≥6 months after implantation. AF burden was assessed during the first 6 months after implantation (baseline period). Subsequent mortality, assessed from claims data, was compared between patients with and without AF, with adjustment for age, geographic region, insurance type, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and implantation year.

RESULTS:

Of 21 391 patients (age, 72.9±10.9 years; 56.3% male) analyzed, 7798 (36.5%) had device-recognized AF. During a mean of 22.4±12.9 months (median, 20.1 [12.8–29.7] months) of follow-up, the overall incidence of mortality was 13.5%. Patients with AF had higher adjusted all-cause mortality than patients without AF (hazard ratio, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.20–1.39];
P
<0.001). Among those with AF, patients with nonparoxysmal AF had the greatest risk of mortality (persistent AF versus paroxysmal AF: hazard ratio, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.18–1.58];
P
<.001; permanent AF versus paroxysmal AF: hazard ratio, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.14–1.34];
P
<.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the presence of AF was associated with higher mortality in our cohort of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Among those with AF, nonparoxysmal AF was associated with the greatest risk of mortality.
Needing: An Active Inference Process for Physiological Motivation
Authors: Bosulu Juvenal , Pezzulo Giovanni , Hétu Sébastien
Published: June 2024

Need states are internal states that arise from deprivation of crucial biological stimuli. They direct motivation, independently of external learning. Despite their separate origin, they interact with reward processing systems that respond to external stimuli. This article aims to illuminate the functioning of the needing system through the lens of active inference, a framework for understanding brain and cognition. We propose that need states exert a pervasive influence on the organism, which in active inference terms translates to a “pervasive surprise”—a measure of the distance from the organism's preferred state. Crucially, we define needing as an active inference process that seeks to reduce this pervasive surprise. Through a series of simulations, we demonstrate that our proposal successfully captures key aspects of the phenomenology and neurobiology of needing. We show that as need states increase, the tendency to occupy preferred states strengthens, independently of external reward prediction. Furthermore, need states increase the precision of states (stimuli and actions) leading to preferred states, suggesting their ability to amplify the value of reward cues and rewards themselves. Collectively, our model and simulations provide valuable insights into the directional and underlying influence of need states, revealing how this influence amplifies the wanting or liking associated with relevant stimuli.
Early Cretaceous nepomorph bugs from the Wealden of the Weald
Authors: JARZEMBOWSKI EDMUND A. , WANG BO
Published: June 2024

True bugs (Heteroptera) are uncommon in the Lower Cretaceous Wealden Group of southern England, being represented by occasional terrestrial and aquatic forms (Jarzembowski, 2011). None have been formally described, but a giant water bug (belostomatid) and a saucer bug (naucorid) have been figured from the Weald Clay Formation (Jarzembowski & Coram, 1997: fig. 10; Austen et al., 2011: fig. 5, respectively). The former was considered closely allied to a stygeonepine from the Las Hoyas Konservat-Lagerstätte in eastern Spain and was subsequently reconstructed as Iberonepa sp. (Jarzembowski & Jarzembowski, 2019: fig. 3). Here we report two new nepomorphs, a patterned creeping water bug (naucorid) from the lower Weald Clay and the first Wealden toad bug, adding an ochteroid to the palaeoentomofauna—the largest and oldest gelastocorid known to date.
3. Prison, Poetry and Exile
Authors: Hughes Michael
Published: June 2024

This chapter examines Volkhovskii’s life from his third arrest in 1874 through to his flight from Siberian exile in 1889. Following his third arrest, Volkhovskii was held in various prisons, before being tried and found guilty of promoting revolution before a Senate Committee at the Trial of the 193 (1877). During his time in prison, Volkhovskii continued to write revolutionary poetry, something that he started during his earlier incarceration, as well as contributing extensively to legal journals on questions of education (including numerous poems written for children). Following his exile to Siberia, at first in an isolated village and later in Tomsk, Volkhovskii faced almost constant material hardship. He was however able to publish extensively, becoming the most prolific contributor to the journal Sibirskaia gazeta (Siberian Gazette), contributing numerous theatre review and short stories. While some of these were informed by a utilitarian aestheticism, promulgated in previous years by writers like Nikolai Chernyshevskii and Dmitrii Pisarev, Volkhovskii also developed a penchant for writing fantasies that often satirised bureaucratic corruption and the materialism of the merchant class. Sibirskaia gazeta was committed to fostering the development of Siberian self-consciousness, something that Volkhovskii echoed in many of own his stories and poems, reflecting his long-standing view that building national identity among minority groups could help to challenge the centralised system of bureaucratic rule that characterised the tsarist state. By the late 1880s, the material hardships faced by Volkhovskii were worse than ever, while his meetings with the American traveller George Kennan convinced him that he should move abroad in order to win international support for all those opposing the tsarist government.
4. Selling Revolution
Authors: Hughes Michael
Published: June 2024

This chapter examines Volkhovskii’s activities in the years immediately following his flight from Siberian Exile. After a few months in Canada, where he gave lectures to audiences about the plight of Russians who opposed the tsarist government, he moved to England where he was reunited with his old friend Sergei Stepniak. Stepniak had over the previous few years worked hard to encourage more positive views about Russian revolutionaries among the British public, helping to set up the Society of Friends of Russian Freedom and its newspaper Free Russia. The Society attracted much of its support from Liberal nonconformists like the influential solicitor Robert Spence Watson, although many Fabians also joined the Society, along with a small number of radical socialists such as William Morris. Following his arrival in London, Volkhovskii quickly became an important contributor to Free Russia, writing pieces on subjects ranging from the Russian police through to the plight of Siberian exiles, and often served as de facto editor in place of Stepniak. He also became close to some important literary figures in Britain, including Edward and Constance Garnett, encouraging Constance to learn Russian, which in turn set her on the path to becoming the leading translator of Russian literature in Britain. Volkhovskii was also active in the Russian Free Press Fund, which produced radical literature for distribution among Russian émigré communities and for smuggling into Russia itself. He edited the newssheet Letuchie listki which was designed to appeal to all elements in the Russian opposition movement, reflecting Volkhovskii’s view that greater unity was required among all those critical of the tsarist government, a perspective shared by Stepniak. Both men were careful when writing for a western audience to argue that members of the Russian revolutionary movement were typically interested in securing political reform rather than wholesale social and economic revolution.
5. Spies and Trials
Authors: Hughes Michael
Published: June 2024

This chapter examines Volkhovskii’s career from the middle of the 1890s down to the end of the century. The Russian government were intensely nervous about the activities of all Russian exiles abroad, and the Paris branch of the tsarist secret police (Okhrana) played a key role in monitoring developments in Russian émigré communities across Europe. The head of the Paris agentura, Petr Rachkovskii, was particularly exercised by developments in London. While most attention was given to the activities of Stepniak and Vladimir Burtsev, numerous reports were also compiled about Volkhovskii, who was seen as a key figure in efforts to win support in Britain for Russian revolutionaries. Rachkovskii was also concerned about the likely consequences should Stepniak and Volkhovskii prove successful in building great unity between the various elements in the Russian revolutionary movement abroad. Following the death of Stepniak in 1895, Volkhovskii became the formal editor of Free Russia, and continued to play a leading role in the Russian Free Press Fund. He was however generally unsuccessful in his efforts to build closer ties both with Russian liberals and other Russian revolutionaries living abroad. Volkhovskii also for a time found himself at odds with leading members of the Free Press Fund including Nikolai Chaikovskii and Egor Lazarev. He nevertheless took a leading role in organising the defence of Vladimir Burtsev when he was tried in London for publishing a journal that supported regicide as a legitimate tactic in the fight against the tsarist regime.
8. Conclusion
Authors: Hughes Michael
Published: June 2024

This chapter reflects on some of the problems involved in writing a biography of a figure like Volkhovskii, given the changing focus of his activities, but suggesting that his life can serve as a prism through which to view the Russian revolutionary movement before 1917. Volkhovskii’s revolutionary career was shaped as much by contingencies as it was by deliberate planning. He was instinctively sceptical about the importance of the ideological differences that often split the revolutionary movement, believing that the shared commitment to overthrowing the tsarist government could provide a source of unity. The development of Volkhovskii’s revolutionary career was shaped above all by his loathing of the tsarist government and his commitment to helping those subject to poverty and oppression. Volkhovskii’s life can serve as a reminder that the history of the Russian revolutionary movement is a history of individuals as much as ideologies and organisations. It also serves as a reminder of the danger of a teleological reading of history in which the triumph of Bolshevism in 1917 appears inevitable. The development of the Russian revolutionary movement was shaped above all by the vagaries of chance and the character and outlook of its supporters.
Foreword
Authors: MacMillan James
Published: June 2024

In the foreword James MacMillan discusses the profound influence of Shūsaku Endō's novel Silence on his third symphony. Endō's exploration of God's silence in the face of human suffering, such as torture and genocide, is depicted not as absence but as a form of presence. This concept resonates with MacMillan, who sees parallels in the creative process of composing music. He argues that silence is not merely emptiness but a space rich with potential, where music is born. MacMillan reflects on the necessity for composers to engage deeply with silence, despite its inherent fears and challenges, to access their inner creative resources. He draws analogies with religious experiences, particularly the contemplative practice of gazing at icons, which can reveal deeper spiritual truths. Ultimately, MacMillan emphasizes that a composer’s engagement with silence is essential for the creation of meaningful and profound music.
9. An Ethnomusicology of Spiritual Realities
Authors: Engelhardt Jeffers
Published: June 2024

This chapter surveys some of ethnomusicology’s attitudes toward religion and other-than-human agency in its disciplinary histories and practices. Since the early 1900s, the field has moved from positivist, comparative origins through a cultural turn and into nonsecular methodologies. This is the story of a long pivot from disentangling music and religion as secular categories toward recognizing the entanglements of sound, spiritual realities, and ethnomusicologists. Alongside its methodologically atheist or methodologically agnostic disciplines in the social sciences, mainstream ethnomusicology proceeded through the twentieth century on the basis of knowledge being limited to the human. Other-than-human agents were largely written out of ethnomusicology. Ethnomusicologists could report on research participants’ descriptions of the spiritual power and divine origins of music, but could not leverage sonic theologies or the knowledge of divine encounter in ethnomusicology so-named. In many of ethnomusicology’s histories, addressing connections between music and spiritual realities meant wielding the blunt instrument of ‘music’ on the secular oxymoron of ‘spiritual realities.’ Things have changed since the 2000s. In this chapter, I draw attention to ethnomusicology’s nonsecular turn by comparing the work of Jeff Todd Titon and Melvin Butler and offering a brief ethnography of a performance by The Campbell Brothers, sacred steel artists from the House of God Church. To contextualize this crucial turn, I emphasize its embrace of sonic theology as a theoretical tool, the ways other-than-human agency enters into musical ethnography, and the knowledge ethnomusicologists communicate through their nonsecular relationships with other-than-human deities and spiritual beings.
14. Spiritual Cultures
Authors: Arnold Jonathan
Published: June 2024

Recent research has revealed not only the continued growth of interest in traditional western sacred music but also the development of new initiatives that respond to people’s desire to experience spirituality through music. In this chapter, I explore how Kathryn King’s ground-breaking research into choral evensong in England, and Hanna Rijken’s mapping of the growth in popularity of choral evensong in the Netherlands, as well as the results of my own ‘Experience of Music’ surveys all indicate that sacred music, and its ritual-sacral context, leads towards tranquillity, transcendence and sanctuary, re-enchanting both religion and the secular, and leading the listener or participant away from potentially destructive emotions of pride, anger, greed or envy, towards more benevolent feelings of humility, patience, temperance and generosity. Through exploration of current trends in scholarship, I reveal how the liminal space of evensong, with its mystical overtones and transcendental properties, is not a consumerist distraction from the ‘real’ world of work, business, money, or other realities of the everyday that can give us anxiety and stress. It is a retreat into the numinous that can give strength, encouragement, and inspiration to face our problems, and look outwards from our own selfish desires. Both choral evensong and semi-liturgical rituals bring us musical and sacral encounters which can increase our sense of empathy and galvanise us for action. Hearts and minds can be transformed by music and the word in combination, a transformation encouraged by a shared experience. Listening to sacred music in community, even as strangers, can also inspire a broader sense of cohesion and socially committed resolve.
17. Choral Singers and Spiritual Realities
Authors: Ferguson Michael
Published: June 2024

Music-making has played a fundamental part in Catholic faith and worship since the beginnings of the Church. Today, music-making remains embedded in the spiritual life of the Catholic Church, where it can potentially shape the spiritual realities of those performing and hearing it. Yet accessing and understanding these spiritual realities can be inherently difficult for the researcher. To address this, this chapter takes as its starting point a basic tenet of the Catholic faith: namely its rejection of a dualistic separation of body and spirit, in favour of the complete integration of spirit and body in the human person, which is understood as a body-soul composite. The chapter proposes that understanding “the body” in Catholic music-making can open up a viable path to a better understanding of music-makers’ spiritual realities and experiences. Using a case study of music-making in St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the author is director of music, bodily positioning of choir members in the liturgical space, clothing and robes, and the individual singer vis-à-vis the ensemble are discussed. In doing so, the chapter argues that the body is a valid and potentially fruitful place to begin understanding the spiritual realities of Catholic music-makers. Likewise, it argues that a greater understanding of this could be at the heart not just of fulfilling the musical and practical dimensions of the music director role, but also of fulfilling its spiritual ends most effectively.