bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An investigation into the effectiveness of using acoustic touch to assist people who are blind
Authors: Zhu Howe Yuan , Hossain Shayikh Nadim , Jin Craig , Singh Avinash K. , Nguyen Minh Tran Duc , Deverell Lil , Nguyen Vincent , Gates Felicity S. , Fernandez Ibai Gorordo , Melencio Marx Vergel , Bell Julee-anne Renee , Lin Chin-Teng
Published: October 2023

Wearable smart glasses are an emerging technology gaining popularity in the assistive technologies industry. Smart glasses aids typically leverage computer vision and other sensory information to translate the wearer’s surrounding into computer-synthesized speech. In this work, we explored the potential of a new technique known as “acoustic touch” to provide a wearable spatial audio solution for assisting people who are blind in finding objects. In contrast to traditional systems, this technique uses smart glasses to sonify objects into distinct sound auditory icons when the object enters the device’s field of view. We developed a wearable Foveated Audio Device to study the efficacy and usability of using acoustic touch to search, memorize, and reach items. Our evaluation study involved 14 participants, 7 blind or low-visioned and 7 blindfolded sighted (as a control group) participants. We compared the wearable device to two idealized conditions, a verbal clock face description and a sequential audio presentation through external speakers. We found that the wearable device can effectively aid the recognition and reaching of an object. We also observed that the device does not significantly increase the user’s cognitive workload. These promising results suggest that acoustic touch can provide a wearable and effective method of sensory augmentation.
Midwives’, obstetricians’, and nurses’ perspectives of humanised care during pregnancy and childbirth for women classified as high risk in high income countries: A mixed methods systematic review
Authors: Curtin Mary , Murphy Margaret , Savage Eileen , O’Driscoll Michelle , Leahy-Warren Patricia
Published: October 2023

Women classified as ‘high risk’ or ‘complicated’ in pregnancy and childbirth have increased difficulty in accessing humanised care/humanisation in childbirth due to perceptions that this approach rejects the use of intervention and/or technology. Humanised care recognises the psychological and physical needs of women in pregnancy and birth. A mixed methods systematic review using a convergent segregated approach was undertaken using the Joanne Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The objective of the review was to identify the presence of humanisation for women with high risk pregnancy and/or childbirth in high income countries. Studies were included if they measured humanisation and/or explored the perspectives of midwives, obstetricians, or nurses on humanisation for women classified as having a high-risk or complicated pregnancy or childbirth in a high income country. Qualitative data were analysed using a meta-aggregative approach and a narrative synthesis was completed for the quantitative data. All studies were assessed for their methodological quality using the MMAT tool. Four databases were searched, and nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1617 participants from nine countries were included. Three qualitative findings were synthesised, and a narrative synthesis of quantitative data was completed. The integration of qualitative and quantitative data identified complimentary findings on: (i) the importance of developing a harmonised relationship with women; (ii) increased time counselling women on their choices; and (iii) fear of professional reputational damage if caring outside of protocols. Negotiating with women outside of protocols may have a wider impact on the professional than first thought. Understanding how healthcare professionals individualise care for women at risk in labour requires further investigation.
High throughput analysis of B cell dynamics and neutralizing antibody development during immunization with a novel clade C HIV-1 envelope
Authors: Mopuri Rohini , Welbourn Sarah , Charles Tysheena , Ralli-Jain Pooja , Rosales David , Burton Samantha , Aftab Areeb , Karunakaran Kirti , Pellegrini Kathryn , Kilembe William , Karita Etienne , Gnanakaran Sandrasegaram , Upadhyay Amit A. , Bosinger Steven E. , Derdeyn Cynthia A.
Published: October 2023

A protective HIV-1 vaccine has been hampered by a limited understanding of how B cells acquire neutralizing activity. Our previous vaccines expressing two different HIV-1 envelopes elicited robust antigen specific serum IgG titers in 20 rhesus macaques; yet serum from only two animals neutralized the autologous virus. Here, we used high throughput immunoglobulin receptor and single cell RNA sequencing to characterize the overall expansion, recall, and maturation of antigen specific B cells longitudinally over 90 weeks. Diversification and expansion of many B cell clonotypes occurred broadly in the absence of serum neutralization. However, in one animal that developed neutralization, two neutralizing B cell clonotypes arose from the same immunoglobulin germline and were tracked longitudinally. Early antibody variants with high identity to germline neutralized the autologous virus while later variants acquired somatic hypermutation and increased neutralization potency. The early engagement of precursors capable of neutralization with little to no SHM followed by prolonged affinity maturation allowed the two neutralizing lineages to successfully persist despite many other antigen specific B cells. The findings provide new insight into B cells responding to HIV-1 envelope during heterologous prime and boost immunization in rhesus macaques and the development of selected autologous neutralizing antibody lineages.
Cistem Failure: Essays on Blackness and Cisgender, Marquis Bey (2022)
Authors: Fultz Venus
Published: October 2023

Review of: Cistem Failure: Essays on Blackness and Cisgender, Marquis Bey (2022)

Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 138 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-47801-844-5, 138 p/bk, $24.95
From Yale to Hollywood: A Journey in Film Directing with John Badham
Authors: Carroll Jessie
Published: October 2023

John Badham is a film and television director whose creative works are notable for the ways they have influenced a range of American cultural norms and attitudes, especially in the 1970s. Indeed, his commercial and creative success, Saturday Night Fever (1977) was recognized by the Library of Congress in 2001 for its cultural, historic, and aesthetic significance. The director began his career in theater and television and quickly broadened into feature filmmaking. His films have been nominated for five Academy Awards and two Emmy Awards, and he has won three Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy. In this interview for Film Matters, John Badham—also a professor at Chapman University—shares his early influences, his formative years in Hollywood, and his creative approach to filmmaking, including the importance of sound and innovative adaptation.
‘Honor the source’: Race, representation and intellectual property in Jelly’s Last Jam
Authors: Magee Jeffrey
Published: October 2023

The story of the development of Jelly’s Last Jam (1992) stands uniquely at the intersection of racial politics, intellectual property, the power of storytelling and the authority of those who tell stories and present them on the stage. By the time the show opened on Broadway, Alan Lomax had been trying for nearly three decades to get his book Mister Jelly Roll (1950) adapted for the stage or screen. Now the story of Ferdinand ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton had become a musical, with a book by George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by Luther Henderson and Susan Birkenhead, and Wolfe’s script ensured that Morton’s story linked up firmly with the history of jazz and race in America. But Lomax’s name and book title were nowhere to be found in the show’s credits, nor in interviews and other commentary about the show. Although musicologist Lawrence Gushee referred to Mister Jelly Roll as ‘the point of departure for all subsequent biographical writing on Morton’, George C. Wolfe stated only that ‘the stories of black people’ are ‘not stored in the history books […] they’re stored in the music’. In this study, I offer new evidence that explains the curious misdirection in Wolfe’s public utterances based on a close study of archival sources in the Library of Congress’s Alan Lomax Collection, of the complete and unedited recordings of Lomax’s interview with Morton released for the first time in 2005 and of press coverage of the producers’ efforts to bring Morton’s story to the musical stage. This article synthesizes the public and private legacy of the show’s development to provide perspectives on a larger racial reckoning that resonates offstage as well as onstage.
Uncovering the Moral Nexus, Morality, Akhlaq, and Character in Islamic Religious Education: A Comprehensive Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Maksudin
Published: October 2023

Purpose – This study aims to provide a comprehensive and novel conceptual analysis, revealing the relationship between “moral,” “morality,” “akhlaq,” and “character,” examining their similarities and differences to provide a more comprehensive understanding of their role in Islamic Religious Education (IRE).
Design/methods/approach – This study uses an in-depth conceptual analysis approach, dissecting these terms through a multi-stage process: 1) an extensive literature review to understand historical and contemporary definitions, 2) a comparison of these definitions to identify similarities and discrepancies, 3) contextual exploration that considers cultural and linguistic uses in different societies, and 4) theoretical applications based on insights from functionalist theory,  Sufi psychology, and Tazkiyah theory.
Findings – The study used an in-depth conceptual analysis approach, dissecting these terms through a multi-stage process: 1) an extensive literature review to understand historical and contemporary definitions, 2) a comparison of these definitions to identify similarities and discrepancies, 3) a contextual exploration that considers cultural and linguistic uses in different societies, and 4) theoretical applications based on insights from functionalist theory, Sufi psychology,  and the theory of Tazkiyah.
Research implications/limitations – The study used an in-depth conceptual analysis approach, dissecting these terms through a multi-stage process: 1) an extensive literature review to understand historical and contemporary definitions, 2) a comparison of these definitions to identify similarities and discrepancies, 3) a contextual exploration that considers cultural and linguistic uses in different societies, and 4) theoretical applications based on insights from functionalist theory, Sufi psychology,  and the theory of Tazkiyah.
Originality/value – The research uniquely explains key moral and ethical terms, providing valuable insights to strengthen IRE science, teaching, learning, curriculum development, and learning environments. The findings may also provide information for IRE teacher education, educational technology, learning assessment, and development education.
Evaluation of in Vitro Antioxidant Activity and L Asparaginase Enzyme Production of Four Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Acanthus Ilicifolius
Authors: Shah Sagar P , Chunduri Jayaprada Rao
Published: October 2023

The need for novel and useful bioactive secondary metabolites to help and relieve people from all aspects of human conditions is constantly expanding. Every plant tissue has a variety of endophytic fungi, which are thought to be highly effective producers of natural products. In this work, the determination of total phenolics, antioxidants, and L-asparaginase enzyme activity in four fungal endophytes associated with the mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius was evaluated. The study indicated that total phenolic content (1633+8.7 μg equivalent to gallic acid) and reducing power (0.96) were the highest for methanolic extracts of the isolate Aspergillus terreus while scavenging activity was highest for the isolate Colletotrichum xishuangbannaense (78.2+4.5 %). The enzyme activity of L-asparaginase was expressed predominantly by all the isolates except Colletotrichum xishuangbannaense. Maximum enzyme activities of 50.1 U/mL, 48.1 U/mL, and 47.7 U/mL were observed in Aspergillus terreus, Colletotrichum cobbiƫense, and Fusarium multiceps respectively. The current research demonstrated that mangrove-associated fungi have a high potential for producing bioactive molecules and L-asparaginase, which can be used as a possible source for the creation of anticancer drugs.
Design of a Low Profile Archimedean Spiral Antenna using Compact Defected Ground Structure as a Reflector
Authors: Ahirwar Sukhdas , Rao Amara Prakasa , Chakravarthy Mada
Published: October 2023

In this paper, design and realisation of a low profile Archimedean spiral antenna is presented. The low profile Archimedean spiral antenna is printed on a substrate and backed by a reflector consisting of DGS. The DGS unit cell consists of a parallel combination of meander line inductors and inter-digital capacitors. This, DGS is one of the forms of electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structures providing electromagnetic band gap characteristics. It is used as a reflector with spiral antenna to achieve unidirectional radiation properties and a low profile of antenna. A modified version of uniplanar EBG cell is used as a DGS cell. This cell is used for configuration of the DGS ground plane. This ground plane is evaluated for its electrical characteristics and used as a reflector for the spiral antenna. Archimedean Spiral antenna is designed and simulated in the frequency band of 1-6GHz with DGS as a reflector. The antenna characteristics are studied for physical parameters of the antenna. These parameters are optimized for better electrical characteristics. The performance of the proposed antenna is also compared with conventional metallic (PEC) reflectors. Simulated results of an antenna are validated by measurement. Antenna height reduction of 60% is achieved compared to conventional cavity-backed spiral antennas.
Developing Successful Commercialisation Model Through Technology Transfer Assessing its Validity and Reliability by Using Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Rani S. Sudha , Rao B. Madhusudan , Ramarao Prahlada
Published: October 2023

The aim of this research is to develop and validate a suitable structural model for commercialization of successful innovations/ideas/methodology of R&D organizations through technology transfer. The survey data was extracted from 231 responses out of 310 target participants against the structured questionnaire containing 60 questions designed based on the literature survey. The factor structure and preliminary model are evaluated through Exploratory Factor Analysis. The first order and higher order Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA) models are evolved by estimating coefficients, covariance matrix, variances and performance indices. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is employed to develop and assess the validity and reliability of the structural model. The results implied that the developed structural model has achieved the required level of metrics and it can be implemented in to R&D organizations and industries for successful commercialization.
Methodology for Application of Damage Mechanics Approach to Model High Temperature Fatigue Damage Evolution in a Turbine Disc Superalloy
Authors: Kumar Jalaj , Vaidya A. , Rao A. Venugopal , Satyanarayana D.V.V.
Published: October 2023

Aeroengine gas turbine components operate under complex loading environments. Turbine disc is one such component which experiences stresses at high temperature and accumulates life critical cyclic damage in the material during usage. This accumulation of cyclic damage results into significant deterioration in material strength which in turn may initiate the failure in these rotating components. This necessitates the need to develop an advanced lifing approach for fatigue life assessment of turbine disc. As there are no available standards for damage mechanics application, an attempt has been made in the present study to develop a methodology for application of damage mechanics approach to model high temperature fatigue damage evolution in a turbine disc Superalloy. High temperature (650oC) stress-controlled fatigue tests on turbine disc alloy have been performed to evaluate parameters for damage mechanics based models. Using this approach, damage evolution has been simulated at specimen level. A good correlation has been observed in the damage mechanics based model’s predicted damage and experimentally determined values.
Innovative Isostatic Processing Technologies for Defence and other Strategic Applications
Authors: Rao G. Appa , Shivran Vijay Pal , Sahu Dhirendra , Sreenu B.
Published: October 2023

Powder Metallurgy (P/M) involving Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) techniques is the best suited processing route for manufacture of critical components from ceramics and highly complex metallic materials. The CIP followed by sintering route was adopted for the development of fused silica radomes for application in high-speed target seeking missiles. On the other hand, the HIP, a single-step processing technique has been used for the development of First-Wall (FW) of Test Blanket Modules (TBMs) from India Specific Reduced Activation Ferritic Martensitic (INRAFM) steel. The FW is an important component required for International Thermo-nuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) application.The details of innovative processes which have been established to overcome the specific technical challenges for the development of CIP and HIP technologies for manufacture of silica radomes and INRAFM steel first-wall respectively for intended applications are highlighted in this paper.
Effect of Temperature and Ply Angle on Performance of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Laminates Under Low Velocity Impact
Authors: Reddy T Sreekantha , Reddy P Rama Subba , Madhu Vemuri
Published: October 2023

Low velocity impact tests were conducted on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) laminates having different ply angle. The tests were conducted at various temperatures using steel impactor having 16mm diameter and hemi spherical shape. The selected impact energies are in the range of 50 to 250 Joule. The performance of the composites was compared with respect to peak force, maximum displacement and back face deformation. Results indicated that with increase of temperature, the contact duration increased whereas deceleration was reduced. Various failure mechanisms involved in energy absorption were also addressed.
High Temperature Resistant Coatings for Strategic Aero space Applications
Authors: Alam Zafir , Parlikar Chandrakant , Kumawat Mahesh , Lakshmi S. Gokul , Das Dipak
Published: October 2023

The aerospace components operating in hot sections of aero-engines and combustors experience extreme environments. Typically, the components are subjected to high service temperatures exceeding 1100°C and oxidizing conditions. Protective coatings are essential for preventing oxidation-induced dimensional degradation of the components and enhancing their high temperature capability as well as durability. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) has developed a variety of metallic and ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems for Ni-base superalloys, and refractory Nb-alloys for strategic aerospace applications involving ultra-high temperatures and high flow velocities. These coatings have demonstrated significant effectiveness against thermal degradation at temperatures as high as 2000 °C during oxidation in static air as well as in dynamic conditions involving high flow velocities (Mach > 2). The present article provides an overview of the advanced oxidation resistant and thermal barrier coatings developed in DMRL. The effectiveness of the TBCs in preventing dimensional degradation of the metallic and composite substrate materials has been evaluated at the laboratory scale. The developed TBCs have the potential for use in aero-engines and propulsion systems of hypervelocity vehicles.
Design and Development of a Laser Warning Sensor Prototype for Airborne Application
Authors: Gogoi Tutul , Kumar Rajni
Published: October 2023

Due to recent developments in high-energy laser systems, the laser is becoming one of the most potential choices in battlefield applications. Laser of a laser range finder used to find target distance may be of nanosecond pulse width and a single pulse may be sufficient to gather the instantaneous range information. A laser target designator is a similar laser with higher energy and with programmable pulse repetition frequencies5,7. Detection of such a specific battlefield laser radiation along with recognizing friend or foe is required for countermeasures. Designing a laser detection system that is capable of detecting such low-power level laser pulses of nanosecond pulse width at a long distance is a critical design and a challenging task. Again detecting a wide wavelength band that can start from 500 nm to around 1700 nm range using a single detector or device is also a challenging task. In this work, a sensor system is being designed and a prototype is developed to cover such a long band detection using a single detector for high-energy lasers. Also, in addition to detecting hostile code, the direction of an incoming laser beam is tried to incorporate into this sensor. The sensor can be utilized to detect unknown or non-friendly laser illumination from within a specific angular cone and distance.
Process Optimization and Design of an Automation Controller for a Multidisciplinary Combat Engineering System
Authors: Chasmai Moiz Hatim , Barde Arun Kumar , Supare Chandrakant , Purohit Gagandeep , Kamble Abhijit , S. Sandeep
Published: October 2023

Design of an automation controller for a “Electro-Hydro-Mechanical Object Laying System” is presented in this paper, which is a multidisciplinary equipment consisting of Electromechanical and Hydraulic Actuators and large number of sensors for process feedback. There are complex mechanisms and processes involved in this system, which are required to be operated/executed in sequential and parallel manner in real time. The operation of spatially distributed Electromechanical & Hydraulic actuators with feedbacks from multiple type of sensors are required to be synchronized for multiple activities at a faster rate along with safely handling of the objects. All the activities are automated with minimum human intervention to avoid risk to the crew. This paper mainly focuses on electronic controller hardware design for military environment and process optimization to achieve faster object laying rate.
Carpet Back Sizing Quality Assessment by Measuring the Amount of Resin Using Image Processing and Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Momeni Heravi Mohammad Ehsan , Moattar Mohammad Hossein
Published: October 2023

The mechanical properties of the carpet, such as dimensional stability, bending stiffness, handle and creeping on the surface during use, have a direct relationship with the amount of resin applied to the back of the carpet in the sizing process. In today’s factories, the optimal amount of resin and the mechanical quality of the carpet are controlled by the operator touching the carpet on the machine carpet finishing line or manually while rolling the carpet. Proposed in this paper is an automatic method based on the evaluation of the bending stiffness of the sized carpet that uses digital image processing and machine learning to measure the optimal amount of size concentration and control this index. For this purpose, during the final stage of carpet production, the carpet is folded in the middle, and two edges of the carpet are placed on top of each other. A side view image is then taken of the carpet. Using edge detection methods, the edges of the carpet are identified, and different features, such as the average, maximum and minimum statistics for the curve and contour angles, are then extracted. Different conventional machine learning approaches, such as KNN, CART and SVM, are applied. To evaluate the proposed method, a dataset containing 220 different images is used in a 10-fold cross-validation scheme. Different performance measures resulting from the evaluations demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the method.
Effects of plant growth regulators on callogenesis and embryogenesis in sarnav and desiree potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties
Authors: Babadjanova Feruza I. , Ubaydullaeva Khurshida A. , Asrorov Akmal M. , Rakhmanov Bakhtiyor K. , Abdullaev Adkham N. , Bolkiev Abduvakhid A. , Abdullaev Sadulla A. , Eshmurzaev Jakhongir B. , Buriev Zabardast T.
Published: October 2023

Somatic embryos play a pivotal role in the production of high-quality potatoes and seed breeding. This study focused on determining the concentrations of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) in the formation of callus tissue and callus induction. Our goal was to assess the efficiency of potato explants with the highest potential for somatic embryo production. To achieve this, we cultivated Sarnav and Desiree potato varieties under in vitro tissue culture conditions, utilizing the obtained tissue cultures for subsequent experiments. The MS nutrient media were enriched with NAA and BAP at ratios of 1.5: 1, 1: 1.5, and 1: 1 mg/L, along with NAA concentrations of 1.5, 1, or 2 mg/L. Somatic embryogenesis experiments were conducted using various MS nutrient media, enriched with BAP and GA3 at concentrations of 1: 0.5, 0.4: 0.1, 0.5: 0.2, and 0.1: 0.1 mg/L of plant growth regulators. During the course of the study, diverse callus formations were observed in both leaf and internodal stem explants. Among the nutrient media, the M2 medium enriched with 1: 1.5 mg/L of NAA and BAP yielded the highest callus formation rates: 92% for the Desiree variety and 100% for the Sarnav variety, specifically in internodal stem explants. Notably, the index of embryo formation in leaf explants selected for somatic embryogenesis within the SE4 medium was 70% for the Sarnav variety and 65% for the Desiree variety. The inclusion of BAP and GA3 at a ratio of 0.1: 0.1 mg/l in the SE4 nutrient medium resulted in somatic embryogenesis in 80% of calli for the Sarnav variety and 78% for the Desiree variety. These findings underscore the potential for regenerating plants through somatic embryogenesis in the Sarnav potato variety, a significant development with implications for genetic transformation studies involving this particular variety.
The development of geotourism and geoeducation in the Holy Cross Mountains region (central Po- land)
Authors: Gałka Elżbieta
Published: October 2023

The development of geotourism in the Holy Cross Mountains region has a long tradition based on the scientific and educational geological values of this area. In order to evaluate geotourism resources and their development in three representative areas of Świętokrzyskie voivodeship – the Holy Cross Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark (GGp), the central part of the Holy Cross Mountains and the Kamienna River Valley – a review of the literature and statistical data, and field studies of geosites and educational units were carried out. The Holy Cross Mountains UNESCO GGp is a first-rate geotourism region, which plays a leading role in geotourism and geoeducation, promoting geological values and infrastructure development. The central part of the Holy Cross Mountains and the Kamienna River Valley are classified as second-rate regions. The remaining areas of Świętokrzyskie voivodeship, with its unique geodiversity and biodiversity, are still waiting for their geological attractions to be discovered and shared with the broader public.
Insights into the chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols from urban-industrial and rural sites in south-east of Poland during winter
Authors: Szwed Mirosław , Kozłowski Rafał , Żukowski Witold , Mbengue Saliou , Suchánková Lenka , Prokes Roman
Published: October 2023

This study focusses on a short-term characterisation of atmospheric aerosols from three locations in south- east of Poland with different land use characteristics, population density and sources of pollution (Katowice: urban-industrial; Strzyżowice near Lublin: rural; Kielce: urban). Twenty-four hour PM2.5 and PM10 samples were collected on the quartz filter and their chemical compositions were monitored and measured using OCEC thermo-optical analysis and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were measured at the urban-industrial area in Katowice (29.6 µg ∙ m−3 and 31.0 µg ∙ m−3, respectively), whereas the highest organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) levels were observed at the Kielce urban site (23.3 ± 4.2 µg and 3.6 ± 0.3 µg, respectively). The lowest values were obtained at the rural site for PM2.5 (10.4 ± 2.7 µg ∙ m−3) and PM10 (11.8 ± 2.7 µg ∙ m−3) and for OC (17.8 ± 1.6 µg) and EC (1.0 ± 0.1 µg). SEM-EDS analysis of samples from Kielce allows identification of internal chemical mixtures of carbon, silicon, calcium, chlorine, sodium and aluminium.
Od białoruskiego kryzysu do ukraińskiego zwycięstwa
Authors: Poliszczuk Jarosław
Published: October 2023

Artykuł poświęcony został ocenie dramatycznych wydarzeń lat 2020–2023, przebadanych na przykładzie refleksji intelektualistów białoruskich i ukraińskich. Rzecz dotyczy zrywu rewolucyjnego 2020 roku na Białorusi oraz pełnoskalowej wojny wywołanej przez Rosję 24 lutego 2022 roku w Ukrainie. Głowna uwaga badacza skupiona jest wokół trzech ważnych aspektów: 1) stanowiska wobec przeszłości oraz krytycznego zrewidowania spuścizny sowieckiej, 2) kwestii języka narodowego, zakresu jego funkcjonowania i perspektywy rozwoju, 3) prawa do indywidualnego wyrażania własnych poglądów, co ujawnia się w sądach o zaistniałej sytuacji oraz w wizji przyszłości. Zauważono wspólne cechy w refleksji Białorusinów i Ukraińców, ale wytyczono również istotne różnice, które wraz z upływem czasu pogłębiają się.
Improving communication of diagnostic uncertainty to families of hospitalized children
Authors: Young Eleanor E. , Kane Joelle , Timmons Kristen , Kelley Jodi , Hagedorn Philip A. , Brady Patrick W. , Marshall Trisha L.
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Diagnostic uncertainty is not reliably communicated to patients and caregivers. This study aims to identify barriers and facilitators to effective communication of diagnostic uncertainty, including development of potential tools and strategies for improvement, as perceived by healthcare professionals and caregivers.

Methods

We completed structured interviews with providers and caregivers of hospitalized children with uncertain diagnoses (UD). The interview guides addressed barriers to communication, key components for communication of uncertainty, and qualities of effective communication. The interviews concluded with respondents prioritizing potential interventions to improve communication of uncertainty. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and independently analyzed by two team members to identify common themes.

Results

Ten provider and five caregiver interviews were conducted. Common barriers to communication of uncertainty included time constraints, language barriers, and lack of clear definition of UD. Caregiver suggestions for improvement included sharing expectations of the diagnostic process and use of both written and visual communication tools. Interview respondents favored interventions of a sign summarizing the key components of diagnostic uncertainty for display in patient rooms and a structured diagnostic pause during daily rounds.

Conclusions

We identified several potential interventions that may enhance communication of diagnostic uncertainty and better engage patients and caregivers in the diagnostic process.
Practicing Runaway: What Happened to Pu Shunqing in the Early Chinese Film Industry?
Authors: Jin Chen
Published: October 2023

The paper takes the question “what happened” to investigate women film pioneer Pu Shunqing’s experience and practice in the Chinese film industry of the 1920s. It not only looks at reasons for her successful participation to the field of screenwriting where no women had before, but also examines the process of how she intervened in the filmmaking, and how she was suppressed by a series of industrial norms and changes. Through a detailed archival survey on Pu’s personal experience and her performance in the cultural and industrial transformation. The study not only reveals several specific details regarding this women film pioneer and her practice, but also reflects on the process of her departure and thus sheds light on the situation of women who tried to take on creative roles behind the camera in the early film industry.
A low-loss molybdenum plasmonic waveguide: perfect single-crystal preparation and subwavelength grating optimization
Authors: Cui Tao , Shen Yan , Cheng Ao , Zhan Runze , Zheng Zebo , Tian Bo , Shi Jia , Ke Yanlin , Shao Lei , Chen Huanjun , Deng Shaozhi
Published: October 2023

Plasmonic waveguides have attracted tremendous interest due to efficiently confining photons on the subwavelength spatial scale to be beating the propagation diffraction limit. Transition metal molybdenum (Mo) exhibits outstanding properties in light trapping and electromagnetic field confining, making it potentially valuable in 1.55 μm plasmonic waveguide applications. However, the reliable fabrication of high-quality Mo plasmonic waveguides is a significant challenge. A real-space micro-imaging study of the surface plasmon on Mo structures is still absent. In this study, we successfully prepared a single-crystalline Mo microrod waveguide structure and fabricated subwavelength gratings on it. The diffraction gratings were designed, optimized, and etched to excite the surface plasmon polariton behaviour of Mo for the first time. The grating-optimized Mo microrod single-crystal reveals highly efficient waveguide performance around near-infrared spectroscopy, exhibiting a long propagation length of 32 μm and a low transmission loss of 0.067 dB μm−1. The results provide an alternative to advanced materials research and optical device applications of plasmonic waveguide systems.
Apophatic Confrontation: von Balthasar’s Thought on Kenosis and Community as a Veiled Response to the “Trend” of Political Theology
Authors: Molina Almudena
Published: October 2023

This article explores the potential theological–political discourse of Hans Urs von Balthasar, presenting the following arguments: (1) Despite its often-disregarded status, Balthasar’s thought contains a discernible thread of political theology; (2) His exploration of kenosis and community serves as a direct challenge to Schmittian concepts of sovereignty and representation. This challenge opens up new discourses of sovereignty, diverging from the conventional plenipotentiary paradigm and accentuating a vision of community rooted in shared gift; (3) Balthasar’s thought embodies a form of negative political theology, deconstructing and rectifying presupposed categories within the domain of political theology, as his theological principles do not merely establish a direct correspondence between theological concepts and the political realm; moreover, it rejects the analogical correlation drawn between the theological and the political. Lastly, the article concludes that Balthasar’s affirmative Christology offers profound insights into the intricate interplay between religion and politics, thereby catalyzing a reevaluation of contemporary theopolitical discourses.
Transhumanism: the friendly face of the overhuman and the comic book Superman
Authors: Chavalka Jakub
Published: October 2023

The core of the study is a critical comparison of Nietzsche’s notion ofÜbermensch, and its transhumanist rewriting into different variants of the posthuman. The first part contextualizes transhumanist thought, primarily in relation to certain evolutionary ideas that, in their totality, exhibit a fundamental anthropological deficit: they speak of the evolutionary overcoming of human, but the limit of sensibility that attempts to imagine a future human being is only the mere negation of what human has been so far. In this way, the posthuman is not removed from the somewhat vague context of the technological “extension” of previous humanity. In this respect, the whole concept is grossly unaesthetic. The second part shows that Nietzsche’s rethinking of the overhuman was intertwined with other anthropological structures, for example, the idea ofMitfreude(‘shared joy’), which is supposed to creatively (in the manner of art) replace the morally misleading notion of compassion. The Übermensch therefore enabled Nietzsche to propose a different conception of intersubjectivity; one that would no longer be reduced to contempt for the human being. The third section traces the causes of the transhumanist failure in productive imagination. It is based on the hypothesis that this failure is driven by an unconscious preference for the figure of the comic book Superman. It postulates, through a Kantian conception of the sublime, that an adequate elaboration of the image of the posthuman cannot do without an affective component that would allow forBejahung(‘affirmation’). Only the artificial will always appear, to some degree, as alien, and therefore will never transcend the limits of reactive adaptation. A living posthuman could only emerge if he offered anthropological techniques of the art of living. Therefore, transhumanism continuously raises anthropological questions, especially regarding the problem of the extent to which the artificiality of art can be identified with technology. Without proper answers, it will not achieve the complexity of Nietzsche’s overhuman, and will always only dilute him into technological supplements. The posthuman will come into being when he is conceived as a grandiose work of art.
X-Wörter im Deutschen: Ein Wortbildungsmuster zur diskursiven Vermeidung von Begriffen
Authors: Leonhard Jens , Röhrs Falko
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we investigate the German word formation pattern X-Wort within the theoretical framework of discourse morphology. For this purpose, morphological, semantic, and pragmatic analyses are combined on the basis of the German reference corpus. It is shown that the word formation pattern is productive and extremely frequent. However, the meaning of the word formation product is not always clear, since only two X-Wörter (N-Wort and F-Wort) can be considered lexicalized. Instead of word meanings acquired through the formation, a common function of the X-Wörter can be identified: they are used in metalinguistic discourses to avoid and mask certain terms. In this context, X-Wörter differ with respect to the motivation of avoidance: (i) racist terms, (ii) vulgar terms, and (iii) politically and superstitiously explosive words are avoided and masked. Thus, X-Wörter are part of euphemistic language. As such, their use can also be enregistered, and acquire a social-symbolic function, which indicates moral-ethical ideas of the speaker or writer. Consequently, we describe the word formation pattern as a form-meaning/function-pair whose morphological structure perfectly fits its communicative needs to avoid and mask specific words in discourses.
Intermittent Prairie Streams in the Northern Great Plains: A Case of an Undervalued Ecosystem
Authors: Lenhart Christian , Blann Kristen , Ehlert Krista
Published: October 2023

Small (<15 m wide), intermittent prairie streams in western South Dakota, a semiarid part of the northern United States, are undervalued ecosystems because they do not exemplify the values of classic, flowing streams. However, they are valuable as wildlife corridors, aquatic habitat for drought-adapted species, and support of local grazing economies. We surveyed 90 streams in 2018–2019, collecting data on geomorphic, water chemistry, and biological properties, focusing on vegetation and grazing impacts. We developed an approach for categorizing streams by landscape position and flow regime to facilitate appropriate land management and stream restoration actions. The result was a published landowner guide to provide information on low-tech riparian management and restoration options of the four stream types we categorized. The headwaters streams and woody draws with drainage areas <26 km2 are the most abundant types and exemplify the issues described above. Large rivers, despite drainage areas exceeding 260 km2 can go dry. Management issues include invasive plant species, lack of woody riparian establishment, poor water quality, overgrazing, channel incision, and water stress from climate change. The most cost-effective management practices involve rotational grazing and practices that reduce cattle impacts. More recently, beaver dam analogs have been installed and beaver reintroduction is being considered along with reestablishment of native bison herds in place of cattle. Intermittent prairie streams present an excellent case study of an undervalued ecosystem, illustrating the challenges and opportunities of such systems. Engagement of grazing landowners can improve stewardship of these systems.
Oxygen‐regulated post‐translation modifications as master signalling pathway in cells
Authors: Batie Michael , Fasanya Temitope , Kenneth Niall S , Rocha Sonia
Published: October 2023

Oxygen is essential for viability in mammalian organisms. However, cells are often exposed to changes in oxygen availability, due to either increased demand or reduced oxygen supply, herein called hypoxia. To be able to survive and/or adapt to hypoxia, cells activate a variety of signalling cascades resulting in changes to chromatin, gene expression, metabolism and viability. Cellular signalling is often mediated via post‐translational modifications (PTMs), and this is no different in response to hypoxia. Many enzymes require oxygen for their activity and oxygen can directly influence several PTMS. Here, we review the direct impact of changes in oxygen availability on PTMs such as proline, asparagine, histidine and lysine hydroxylation, lysine and arginine methylation and cysteine dioxygenation, with a focus on mammalian systems. In addition, indirect hypoxia‐dependent effects on phosphorylation, ubiquitination and sumoylation will also be discussed. Direct and indirect oxygen‐regulated changes to PTMs are coordinated to achieve the cell's ultimate response to hypoxia. However, specific oxygen sensitivity and the functional relevance of some of the identified PTMs still require significant research.
IMPLEMENTATIONOFARBITRARYBITNESSPERMUTATIONS IN ONE OF THE CLASSES OF LINEAR STRUCTURES
Authors: Teslenko Oleksandr K. , Bondarchuk Maksym Y.
Published: October 2023

Speed of transformation and simplicity of implementation are one of the key contributors in permutation researches. The paper reviews the implementation of arbitrary bitness permutation in the field of computer engineering on one of the classes of combination structures of linear complexity from the number of variables –one-dimensional cascades of structural units.The fact that the reflectionformed by the specified linear structure is completely the same asthe reflectionof the corresponding Mealyfinite state machine as a prototype of the structural module of the cascadeis used.This allowed us to explore the properties of structural units and the cascade as a whole in the context of the concepts of the theory of digital automata.The implementation of arbitrary bitnesspermutationsis based on usage of the connected graphs for state table and on usage of unique combinations without repeats for each row of output table. The purpose of this permutation is to convert large volumes of data in fastand simplewayusing hardware or software with the ability to be used in multiple areas of researches. The study of providing the bijectivity of the reflection and the equivalence analysis of permutations was performed. The algorithm of constructionof finite-statemachines for implementationof direct and invertedpermutationsis shown, as well as examples ofstateand outputtablesconstruction. Examplesofhardware implementationusingfield-programmable gate arraysare given. The sizeof stateand output tables for the software implementation is estimated. The number of unique bijective reflections and amount of key information for the investigated permutation in cryptographic transformations has been estimated. The theoretical speed of transformations of the bijective reflection is estimated for both field-programmable gate arrays and software implementation according to the modern indicators of types of computing devices memory speed. The practicalverification of processingspeed is made with software implementation. Areas of application of the investigatedarbitrary bitnesspermutation are proposed.
A Prediction of Graphene Nanoplatelets Addition Effects on Diesel Engine Emissions
Authors: Daud Sarbani , Mohd Adnin Hamidi  , Rizalman Mamat  , Daing M. Nafiz
Published: October 2023

There are numerous methods for reducing diesel exhaust emissions. Engine modifications, combustion optimization, and exhaust gas treatment are all popular methods. Another proven method uses fuel additives, such as zinc oxide, copper oxide, and magnesium oxide. Those additives are proven to reduce measured emissions such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide successfully; however, there are still concerns about the toxicity of the emissions, which could harm human health. As a result, carbon nanoparticles have been introduced as a fuel additive due to their low risk to human health. Because of advancements in graphene research, a few researchers began investigating the implications of using graphene nanoplatelets as a fuel additive. The study’s findings appeared to be encouraging. However, no additional research has been identified to forecast the impact on engine emissions other than analyzing the effects of graphene additives on engine emissions. The goal of this study is to forecast the effects of graphene nanoplatelets on diesel engine emissions. The emission parameters of the trial were carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide. The factors considered in the experiment are speed, load, and blend concentration. Response surface methodology and contour plots were generated using Minitab software. The results show that the prediction model’s accuracy is within 10% of the experimental data.
Analysis of passivity problems in the baltic equity market
Authors: Belovas Igoris , Kabašinskas Audrius , Sakalauskas Leonidas
Published: October 2023

The Baltic States equity market is a challenge for investors and financial analysts. Unfortunately strong  assivity is observed in ``young'' markets, therefore any (Gaussian, α-stable etc) distribution fitting tests (Anderson–Darling, Kolmogorov–Smirnov, etc.) are poorly applicable. Improvement based on mixed distributions is proposed and its adequacy in the Baltic States market is tested. In this paper we use Koutrouvelis goodness-of-fit test and modified χ2 test.