bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Modern Plantation Empire and Eric Walrond’s Tropic Death
Authors: Edmonstone Will
Published: June 2024

The Caribbean-born, Harlem Renaissance writer Eric Walrond is beginning to receive increased attention among scholars interested in transnational modernisms, Black diaspora cultures, and postcolonialism. Although he died in obscurity, his collection of short stories, Tropic Death (1926), was once much lauded for its modernist portrait of the Caribbean during the US construction of the Panama Canal. This essay tries to show that Walrond’s allusions to the US South in Tropic Death and his later fiction reveal his abiding preoccupation with the modern US empire’s fundamental indebtedness to Southern plantation codes. As the relationship between capitalism and slavery comes under new scrutiny, Walrond’s fiction offers one avenue into a long-established Caribbean critical tradition, the key figures of which are C. L. R. James, Fernando Ortiz, and George Beckford, who insist that the plantation represents a prototypically modern regime. Reading Tropic Death through the lens of this critical tradition illuminates Walrond’s grappling with the persistent postslavery legacy of the plantation as a transnational, technological, scientific, and essentially capitalist institution. In representing the modern plantation environment, the essay argues, Walrond’s fragmented, experimental style manifests a multivocal, multiperspectival cross-culturality that the plantation unintentionally produces and then cannot adequately contain.
Perspectives in collective cell migration – moving forward
Authors: Stehbens Samantha J. , Scarpa Elena , White Melanie D.
Published: June 2024

Collective cell migration, where cells move as a cohesive unit, is a vital process underlying morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. Thanks to recent advances in imaging and modelling, we are beginning to understand the intricate relationship between a cell and its microenvironment and how this shapes cell polarity, metabolism and modes of migration. The use of biophysical and mathematical models offers a fresh perspective on how cells migrate collectively, either flowing in a fluid-like state or transitioning to more static states. Continuing to unite researchers in biology, physics and mathematics will enable us to decode more complex biological behaviours that underly collective cell migration; only then can we understand how this coordinated movement of cells influences the formation and organisation of tissues and directs the spread of metastatic cancer. In this Perspective, we highlight exciting discoveries, emerging themes and common challenges that have arisen in recent years, and possible ways forward to bridge the gaps in our current understanding of collective cell migration.
Femoral bone structure and mechanics at the edge and core of an expanding population of the invasive frog Xenopus laevis
Authors: Dumont Maïtena , Herrel Anthony , Courant Julien , Padilla Pablo , Shahar Ron , Milgram Joshua
Published: June 2024

Understanding how living tissues respond to changes in their mechanical environment is a key question in evolutionary biology. Invasive species provide an ideal model for this as they are often transplanted between environments that differ drastically in their ecological and environmental context. Spatial sorting, the name given to the phenomenon driving differences between individuals at the core and edge of an expanding range, has been demonstrated to impact the morphology and physiology of Xenopus laevis from the invasive French population. Here, we combined a structural analysis using micro-CT scanning and a functional analysis by testing the mechanical properties of the femur to test whether the increased dispersal at the range edge drives differences in bone morphology and function. Our results show significant differences in the inner structure of the femur as well as bone material properties, with frogs from the centre of the range having more robust and resistant bones. This is suggestive of an energy allocation trade-off between locomotion and investment in bone formation, or alternatively, may point to selection for fast locomotion at the range edge. Overall, our results provide insights on the growth of the long bones and the formation of trabecular bone in frogs.
Προσλήψεις, αντιλήψεις και χρήσεις της οθωμανικής πολιτισμικής κληρονομιάς της πόλης των Ιωαννίνων
Authors: Κιτσάκη Γεωργία
Published: June 2024

Η διατριβή, συνδυάζοντας την ανθρωπολογική με την ιστορική προσέγγιση, εξετάζει τη διαχείριση της οθωμανικής πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς στην πόλη των Ιωαννίνων, χάρη στο αυξανόμενο ενδιαφέρον που συνδέεται με τις πολιτικές εξελίξεις και την ιδιαίτερη ευαισθητοποίηση του κοινού σε όλη την Ελλάδα και τα Βαλκάνια. Εστιάζει, ειδικότερα, στη μετάβαση από την Οθωμανοκρατία στην ενσωμάτωση της πόλης στο νεοσύστατο ελληνικό κράτος, αναλύοντας τις διαδικασίες της «απο-οθωμανοποίησης» και την οικοδόμηση μιας νέας εθνικής ταυτότητας. Η μελέτη τεκμηριώνει πώς αυτές οι διαδικασίες επηρέασαν τον δομημένο χώρο της πόλης και τα αρχιτεκτονικά της σύμβολα, όπως τα οθωμανικά κτίρια, τα οποία είτε καταστράφηκαν, είτε περιθωριοποιήθηκαν είτε άλλαξαν χρήση. Η έρευνα εξετάζει τις αντιλήψεις και τις στάσεις των κατοίκων για τα οθωμανικά μνημεία, την πολιτιστική τους διαχείριση από το κράτος και τις τοπικές αρχές, καθώς και τη σημασία τους στη σύγχρονη ζωή της πόλης. Επιπλέον, αναλύει τη δημόσια συζήτηση γύρω από την πολιτιστική κληρονομιά, τον ρόλο των οθωμανικών μνημείων στην τουριστική πολιτική και τη διαμόρφωση της ταυτότητας και της εικόνας της πόλης των Ιωαννίνων.
Μελέτη των γενετικών μεταβολών του γονιδίου LKB1 και συσχέτισή τους με την διήθηση των επιχώριων και μεσοθωρακικών λεμφαδένων σε χειρουργήσιμο μη-μικροκυτταρικό καρκίνωμα πνεύμονα
Authors: Λαγουδάκη Ελένη
Published: June 2024

Με στόχο τη διερεύνηση της επίπτωσης της απώλειας της έκφρασης του γονιδίου LKB1 στο ιστολογικό ρεπερτόριο του μη-μικροκυτταρικού καρκίνωμα πνεύμονα (ΜΜΚΠ) και την ταυτοποίηση προγνωστικά σημαντικών συσχετίσεων και συνεργιών, δείγματα από 188 ασθενείς με λεμφαδενικές μεταστάσεις σε επιχώριους και απομακρυσμένους λεμφαδένες και από 60 ασθενείς με λεμφαδένες ελεύθερους μεταστατικών εναποθέσεων με χειρουργήσιμο ΜΜΚΠ σταδίου I-IIIA αξιολογήθηκαν για την έκφραση των πρωτεϊνών LKB1 και pAMPK σε σχέση με διάφορες διεργασίες. Οι παράγοντες που διερευνήθηκαν περιλάμβαναν τους ρυθμιστές της αντικαρκινικής ανοσολογικής απόκρισης STING και PD-L1, προ-αγγειογενετικούς στόχους, τους στόχους επιθηλιο-μεσεγχυματικής μετατροπής (ΕΜΜ), σημεία ελέγχου του κυτταρικού κύκλου, μόρια στόχους που σχετίζονται με τη μετάσταση (VEGFC, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, p53, p16, Cyclin D1, ZEB1, CD24) και μόρια κυτταρικής προσκόλλησης (β-catenin). Τα επίπεδα έκφρασης των πρωτεϊνών αξιολογήθηκαν μέσω ανοσοϊστοχημείας, τα επίπεδα RNA των LKB1 και NEDD9 αξιολογήθηκαν μέσω PCR, ενώ οι μεταλλάξεις KRAS εξώνιο 2 και BRAFV600E αξιολογήθηκαν με αλληλουχία Sanger. Διερευνήσαμε επίσης τα κλινικά και προγνωστικά χαρακτηριστικά των όγκων με συμμεταλλάξεις του KRAS. Συνολικά, απώλεια της έκφρασης της πρωτεΐνης LKB1 παρατηρήθηκε στο 21% (51/248) των ασθενών και συσχετίστηκε σημαντικά με τον ιστoλογικό τύπο (p < 0,001), την παρουσία μεταλλάξεων του KRAS (p < 0,001), τη συμμετάλλαξη KC (σύγχρονη παρουσία μεταλλάξεων στο KRAS και υπορρύθμισης της p16) (p < 0,001), την απώλεια του STING (p < 0,001) και την υψηλή έκφραση του CD24 (p < 0,001). Η ταυτόχρονη απώλεια της έκφρασης του LKB1 και του STING συσχετίστηκε με στατιστική σημαντικότητα στους όγκους με παρουσία λεμφαδενικών μεταστάσεων, τόσο στο συνολικό πληθυσμό που περιλαμβάνει όλους τους ιστολογικους υπότυπους (p = 0,014), όσο και στα αδενοκαρκινώματα του πνεύμονα (ΑΚΠ) (p = 0,005). Επιπλέον, η απώλεια της έκφρασης του LKB1 συσχετίστηκε σημαντικά με έλλειψη ή χαμηλή μεμβρανική έκφραση της β-catenin αποκλειστικά στα ΑΚΠ, τόσο σύνολο των όγκων ανεξάρτητα της παρουσίας λεμφαδενικών μεταστάσεων (p = 0,019), αλλά σημαντικά και στους όγκους με παρουσία μεταστάσεων σε επιχώριους λεμφαδένες (p = 0,007). Ασθενείς με όγκους που παρουσίασαν απώλεια LKB1 και ταυτόχρονη απούσα /χαμηλή μεμβρανική έκφραση της β-catenin παρουσίασαν σημαντικά χαμηλότερη διάμεση συνολική επιβίωση 20,50 έναντι 52,99 μηνών, p < 0,001, καθώς και σημαντικά μεγαλύτερο κίνδυνο θανάτου (HR: 3,32, 95% κ.ο.: 1,71-6,43, p < 0,001). Τα ευρήματά μας υπογραμμίζουν τον προγνωστικό αντίκτυπο της συνέργειας του LKB1 με το STING και τη β-catenin στο ΜΜΚΠ.
The genome sequence of the Common Flat-body moth, Agonopterix heracliana Linnaeus, 1758
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Hutchinson Finley , Crowley Liam M. , Holland Peter W.H. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: June 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Agonopterix heracliana (the Common Flat-body; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Depressariidae). The genome sequence is 539.1 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.36 kilobases in length.
Yoga-based lifestyle intervention for antenatal depression (YOGA-D): study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Shidhaye Rahul , Bangal Vidyadhar , Bhargav Hemant , Thanage Chitra , Gore Suryabhan , Talole Shamal , Shinde Kalyani , Palande Swapnali , Thete Unnati , Shelke Sonali , Gholap Geeta , Nisal Suchita , Gargade Soni , Tilekar Swanand , Behere Nilam , Game Kalpesh , Murhar Vaibhav , Kunkulol Rahul , Telles Shirley
Published: June 2024

Background Depression during pregnancy is associated with pre-term labor, low birthweight, post-partum depression and adverse child outcomes. There are concerns about the safety of anti-depressant medications during pregnancy. Many pregnant women with antenatal depression are neither aware about their depression nor do they have access to non-pharmacological interventions for depression. Evidence suggests that pre-natal yoga can improve antenatal depression. Yoga is native to the Indian culture and women can practice yoga as a ‘self-care’ intervention with minimal training. There is no study till date on the efficacy of yoga on antenatal depression in pregnant women in a low resource (rural) setting in India. This pilot randomized controlled trial aims to study the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a YOGA -based lifestyle intervention for Antenatal D epression (YOGA-D) in Maharashtra, India. Methods We will undertake a single-blind individual randomized parallel group-controlled pilot trial with 1:1 allocation ratio. Adult women with 12–26 weeks of pregnancy, without any obstetric or medical complications will be randomly allocated to either the active intervention group (Yoga-Sanskar (YS)) or the Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) group. Trained yoga instructors will teach a pre-defined yoga sequence to the participants in the YS arm. In the EUC arm, participants will receive a single session of health education. We will assess trial feasibility using the recruitment, retention, and study completion rates. The primary outcome of depression will be measured using the translated Marathi version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Assessments will be at the baseline, three-months post-randomization, and post-delivery. Discussion This study will help us to understand the barriers in implementation of a yoga-based intervention for antenatal depression in a low-resource/rural setting in Maharashtra, India. Based on the learnings of this pilot trial, we plan to undertake an explanatory randomized controlled trial in the next few months. Registration CTRI (CTRI/2024/05/067176; 10/05/2024).
Managing cases of eczema in children and babies
Authors: Perry Margaret
Published: June 2024

Margaret Perry explains what nurses need to know when treating children with eczema in primary care
Career profile
Authors: Fisher Sarah
Published: June 2024

Sarah Fisher, Professional ACP Lead, South Yorkshire Faculty for Advanced Clinical Practice and South Yorkshire Integrated care board
Combining Performance-Based and Self-Reported Measures of Executive Functions: Are Both Meaningful in Predicting Study Success in Higher Education Students?
Authors: Manuhuwa Diane Marcia , Snel-de-Boer Mirjam , de-Graaf Jan Willem , Fleer Joke
Published: June 2024

Research in higher education has revealed a significant connection between executive functions (EF) and study success. Previous investigations have typically assessed EF using either neuropsychological tasks, which provide direct and objective measures of core EF such as inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, or self-report questionnaires, which offer indirect and subjective assessments. However, studies rarely utilize both assessment methods simultaneously despite their potential to offer complementary insights into EF. This study aims to evaluate the predictive capabilities of performance-based and self-reported EF measures on study success. Employing a retrospective cohort design, 748 first-year Applied Psychology students completed performance-based and self-report questionnaires to assess EF. Maximum likelihood correlations were computed for 474 students, with data from 562-586 first-year students subsequently subjected to hierarchical regression analysis, accommodating pairwise missing values. Our results demonstrate minimal overlap between performance-based and self-reported EF measures. Additionally, the model incorporating self-reported EF accounted for 13% of the variance in study success after one year, with the inclusion of performance-based EF raising this proportion to 16%. Self-reported EF assessments modestly predict study success. However, monitoring levels of self-reported EF could offer valuable insights for students and educational institutions, given that EF play a crucial role in learning. Additionally, one in five students reports experiencing significant EF difficulties, highlighting the importance of addressing EF concerns for learning and study success.
Multiplicativity of permanents over matrix semirings
Authors: Dolžan David
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we investigate the conditions for the multiplicativity of the permanent over a matrix semiring. We prove that if $S$ is either a commutative antiring or a commutative semiring where the set $V(S)$ of all additively invertible elements coincides with the set of all nilpotents, then the permanent is multiplicative on the group of invertible matrices over $S$ if and only if $1+2V(S)^2=1$. We then use this result to investigate the number of invertible matrices over $S$ with a specified permanent.
Agriculture and Water Quality in Ireland: New Ideas for Policy
Authors: Osawe Osayanmon Wellington , Curtis John , O'Donoghue Cathal
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT: Agricultural production is a major pressure on water quality. A multitude of policies and programmes have been designed across the world to mitigate this risk. Although many initiatives have been helpful, they have not sufficiently addressed water quality problems. Overall, progress to mitigate risk to water quality has been generally slow. We advocate for a new framework for mitigating the risk to water quality resulting from agricultural production, essentially moving the focus from mitigation actions at the farm level to water quality targets at the catchment level. Specifically, we argue for a broader perspective capable of removing the ambiguity, confusion and administrative burden inherent in the variety of agri-environment management plans that farmers have to adopt (voluntarily or via regulations) but also incorporate insights from behavioural sciences to provide a better understanding of the motivations behind (non)compliance with water quality management and mitigation measures. This perspective aims to provide an improved understanding and more convincing conditions for policies aimed at improving water quality.
Childlessness, Monstrosity, and Redemption: Exploring Motherhood in John Milton’s Paradise Lost
Authors: Cole A. Louise
Published: June 2024

Abstract: Breaking with the patristic tradition, Milton introduces lovemaking between the first couple while they are still untainted in the Garden. This intimacy in their relationship allows the epic to highlight the tensions and paradoxes of biblical accounts of conception and childbearing. Though Eve is not generally numbered among the “barren women” of the Hebrew Bible, her delayed fertility in the epic parallels the experience of the Hebrew matriarch Sarah. Additionally, Eve’s childlessness at the Fall affords her a liminal space from which to contemplate the full implications of postlapsarian motherhood.
Cross-dressing and Symbolic Transgender Disguise in William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha: Queer (Fe)male Identity
Authors: Romdhani Mourad
Published: June 2024

Abstract: In William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha, several female characters opt for cross-dressing to perform new roles and meet new circumstances like war. However, even with changing conditions and the return to the ordinary state, Faulkner’s women characters still stick to their masculine style, acquiring an unreadable gender identity, and displaying a sense of power that challenges the patriarchy. Drusilla Hawk in The Unvanquished (1938), Addie Bundren in As I Lay Dying (1930), Temple Drake in Sanctuary (1931) and Joanna Burden in Light in August (1932) find in cross-dressing and symbolic transgender disguise a way to power and agency. Imitating the patriarchal figure, Faulkner’s female characters turn their bodies into sites of resistance that destabilize patriarchal norms, encage and emasculate the males around them, and demonstrate that gender identity can be plural being constructed upon different subjectivities and different discourses.
Being Green and Prudent: Economy-Wide and Environmental Impacts of Renewable Energy Production Subsidy in Nigeria
Authors: Omoju Oluwasola E. , Beyene Lulit Mitik , Ikhide Emily E. , Dimnwobi Stephen K. , Ehimare Onogwesha A.
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT: Green fiscal policies are becoming prominent policy instruments for achieving energy transition. However, while the effectiveness of these policies on renewable energy outcomes have been well documented, the economy-wide impacts are rarely studied. This study examines the economy-wide and environmental impacts of renewable energy production subsidy in Nigeria. The study provides a novel modeling framework for analysing fiscal and other incentives for green energy in Nigeria by incorporating self-generated electricity, which is a major component of electricity supply in Nigeria, into a macroeconomic model. The study uses a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to analyse the effectiveness and economic impacts of renewable energy production subsidy in Nigeria. CGE models are commonly used to assess the economy-wide impacts of public policy. Specifically, the PEP-1-1 model, which is a static single-country model, is used for the analysis. The model is calibrated on Nigeria's updated social accounting matrix (SAM). The results of the analysis show that renewable energy production subsidy is effective in enhancing the development of the renewable-electricity sector and encouraging the use of renewable electricity but does not significantly reduce the use of conventional electricity sources. The subsidy, if financed by public deficit, has positive impacts on real economic outcomes such as GDP, household income, welfare, and employment, but has a smaller effect on CO2 emissions. In contrast, the economic effects are mostly negative, but the CO2 emissions-reduction effects are larger if the subsidy is financed by reallocation of public expenditure. In addition, the effects on sectoral outputs are mixed. The results of this study can be used by policy makers to ascertain how to finance green subsidies in fiscally constrained and energy-poor developing countries. Specifically, policy makers should take cognizance of economic and feedback effects when designing and implementing environmental policies. Beyond Nigeria and the specific case of fiscal subsidies, the modeling framework presented in this study can be applied to other green energy policies and can be adapted to other developing countries.
Uncertainty, Financial Markets, and Fund Flows to South Africa
Authors: French Joseph J. , Ocran Matthew Kofi , Chatterjee Ujjal K. , Shin Seungho
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT: Economic growth in South Africa over the last decade has been disappointing. Even before the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy was underperforming. South Africa needs high and sustained growth to reduce the rate of unemployment, which has remained stubbornly high at over 30% for many years. Fund flows may provide capital to spur this needed growth. Fund flows are a critical issue in emerging markets like South Africa as sudden reversals have also been associated with severe destabilizing effects. These concerns and the substantial growth in fund flows to South Africa in the past two decades motivate this study. We examine the relationships among fund flows, uncertainty measures, economic indicators, and financial market variables in South Africa. We estimate several vector autoregressions to account for the inherent feedback among fund flows and economic and financial variables. We find that the term structure of interest rates (TERM) is negatively related to equity fund flows (EFF) while positively related to bond fund flows (BFF). While BFF and EFF are both negatively related to most uncertainty measures, BFF is more sensitive to downside risk indictors than EFF. We show that the economic and financial development of South Africa is impacted by fund flows with GDP being more strongly impacted by BFF while stock returns are impacted by both BFF and EFF. We also uncover evidence that commodity prices increase BFF. Next, we show that the volatility of the South African equity market immediately reduces equity prices which attracts EFF after a two-to-three-month lag. Finally, we uncover convincing evidence that illiquidity as measured by effective spread reduces EFF to South Africa. The ability to better predict the direction EFF and BFF will allow policy makers to impose circuit breakers to mitigate the adverse impacts of sudden investment reversals. This is particularly relevant to the current situation where additional financial uncertainty due to the energy crisis in South Africa coupled with political instability may increase the likelihood of such reversals.
Environmental Regulations, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Innovation: Evidence from Vietnamese SMEs
Authors: Nguyen-Huu Thanh Tam , Koné Noukignon , Laré Amandine
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT: Climate change and global warming incite countries to adopt a sustainable development strategy. Many countries consider environmental policies an efficient tool in such a context. Despite a rich literature on the relationship between environmental regulations and the firm's innovation, it almost relies on its environmental practices, but not the whole interaction between the firm and its stakeholders. This research investigates the nexus between environmental regulations, CSR, and innovation. This research relies on panel data on Vietnamese Small and Medium Enterprises between 2013 and 2015. To investigate whether the LEP 2014 implementation incites firms to be more innovative, either through changes in their environmental practices or CSR strategy, we perform a difference-in-difference estimator. This method could be relevant to explore the causal relations of an intervention or treatment on outcome variables. It also allows us to control for potential biases from the group- and time-invariant factors. Besides, we also provide some robustness estimations, including the placebo test, another measurement of innovation, and the potential endogeneity of Environmental treatments and CSR strategy. We first conduct the firm's innovation, environmental treatments, and CSR indexes. The CSR index includes three components: an environmental treatments index, a working conditions index, and a governance index. Our estimated results likely support the idea that the LEP 2014 implementation incites SMEs to improve their innovation capacity. Indeed, such a regulation obligates firms to enhance both their environmental practices and CSR strategy, which, in turn, encourages them to become more innovative. These conclusions still through different robustness verifications. As a first policy implication, a significant diffusion of the LEP 2014 would be predominant. Second, there would be measures that incite firms to improve their environmental treatment. Besides, while environmental regulations may stimulate innovation, their effectiveness requires supplementation with other incentive measures. For example, it is crucial to have supportive or incentive measures aimed at promoting CSR. Dialogue with stakeholders lies at the heart of an effective CSR strategy.
Regularity in Forex Returns During Financial Distress: Some Evidences From India
Authors: Datta R. P.
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT: The study of the dynamics of foreign exchange rates is of paramount importance to economic policy makers for developing countries like India that depend on foreign exchange to meet a large part of their import obligations. This paper uses the concepts of entropy to study the regularity/irregularity of the returns from the Indian Foreign exchange (forex) markets particularly during periods of economic instability. We use the Approximate Entropy and Sample Entropy statistics which measure the level of repeatability in the data are used to quantify the randomness in the forex returns for four major currencies namely the US Dollar, the British pound, the EURO and the Japanese Yen with respect to the Indian Rupee from the time period 2006 to 2021. These statistics are chosen as they are both statistical measures for assessing the randomness or regularity of time series data and enable researchers to objectively evaluate the degree of randomness present in the returns series and understand the crucial underlying patters or behaviors. In this research we look at two periods of major financial upheavals, the subprime crisis also known as the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) during 2006-2007 and the recent Covid-19 pandemic during 2020-2021. Our empirical results overwhelmingly confirm our working hypothesis that regularity in the returns of the major Indian foreign exchange rates increases during times of financial crisis. This is evidenced by a decrease in the values of the sample entropy and approximate entropy before and after/during the financial crisis period for the majority of the exchange rates. Our empirical results also show that Sample Entropy is a better measure of regularity than Approximate Entropy for the Indian forex rates which is in agreement with the theoretical predictions. Understanding the returns from foreign exchange rates during financial crises has important policy implications for various stakeholders, including market participants, policymakers, and regulators. It enables them to formulate better risk management and hedging strategies. It also helps policy makers in crisis management and contingency planning and safeguard the stability of the financial system. Exchange rate movements are interconnected across global markets, and crises often have cross-border implications. Collaborating on crisis management strategies across countries can help foster stability in international markets.
Lissaniska, Co. Kerry—an archaeological and historical examination of an early medieval trivallate enclosure within the Kingdom of Corcu Duibne
Authors: Lyne Ed , MacCotter Paul
Published: June 2024

Trivallate enclosures are extremely rare in Ireland and very few have been subject to archaeological excavation to date. Accordingly, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding their chronology, relationships to nearby contemporary sites and role within society. In 2017/2018, archaeological fieldwork carried out in advance of a road development on the N70 near Milltown in Co. Kerry afforded the opportunity to examine a former trivallate ringfort known as Lissaniska (Lios an Uisce; fort of the water). Excavation focused on the northern extent of the three ditches, revealing water management features and a side channel in the inner ditch containing a series of troughs or pits. The latter were interpreted as likely used for retting flax, perhaps also nettle. This was supported by the identification of flax and nettle pollen, a flax sheaf, and an insect assemblage that indicated temporary standing water mixed with decaying plant detritus. An important assemblage of well-preserved discarded structural wood and wooden vessels, both carved and stave-built, were also recovered from the inner ditch, hinting at the everyday life of those that once lived and worked here. Scientific dating of the site indicated it was built and occupied between the sixth/seventh and ninth centuries AD, while historical research offered insight into the contemporary political and social landscape. This suggested the site was likely part of the estate of Cell Achaid Coinchinn (Killagh), the chief church of the Mag Coinchinn, which was a local or petty kingdom in the regional kingdom of Corcu Duibne. It could therefore be speculated that Lissaniska was linked to the manufacture of linen, perhaps for the associated ecclesiastical community.
Unleashing a Monster? Causes and Consequences of the Knowledge Economy in Advanced Capitalist Democracies
Authors: Iversen Torben
Published: June 2024

The rise of economic inequality and right-wing populism in the last three decades has produced a lively debate about the relationship between democracy and advanced capitalism. A prominent view is that the troubles are rooted in the growing power of global capital and the rich, first reflected in the broad sweep of neoliberal reforms in the 1980s and ’90s. This view is a story about capitalism subverting democracy. This piece instead argues that it was democracy that transformed capitalism, and that this transformation laid the foundation for unprecedented prosperity. Yet it also unleashed inequalizing economic and political dynamics that are now proving difficult to reverse.
Electromagnetic transmission of two-dimensional inhomogeneous plasma photonic crystal
Authors: Liu Zhen , Liu Rubing , Jun Peng , Lin Liguang , Qiu Dianqing , Lin Qi
Published: June 2024

A 2D tunable plasma photonic crystal (PPC) was constructed and implemented experimentally over a frequency range of 1 GHz–12 GHz within the electromagnetic spectrum. The PPC was simulated using an inhomogeneous model of a plasma tube based on microwave diagnostics and numerical simulations. The simulation results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The data indicates that for TM polarization, localized plasmons will be excited at various positions within the tube, which does not rely on an interface with the medium, resulting in a broad forbidden band due to plasma inhomogeneity. The bandwidth of this band is consistent with the plasma frequency range. Furthermore, a lattice resonance band is observed, which is related to the incident angle. The cutoff effect of inhomogeneous PPC for TE polarization can be predicted by averaging the plasma parameters. The structure or plasma parameters can be adjusted to tune all the bands mentioned above. These findings can be used as a reference for applications in communication and microwave devices, and could potentially be utilized as a diagnostic tool for plasma parameters.
Navigating the nutritional paradox: The impact of sustainable development targets on childhood wasting and overweight prevalence
Authors: Ijaiya Mukhtar A. , Anjorin Seun , Uthman Olalekan A.
Published: June 2024

In 2015, the United Nations member states endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to chart a path towards a better future for all. Childhood malnutrition, particularly wasting, remains a critical global health challenge, disproportionately affecting children under five in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluates the impact of achieving selected Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on reducing childhood malnutrition, with a specific focus on wasting and overweight. Utilizing multi-country DHS datasets, this study analyzed data from 138,782 children under five across 27 countries, nested within 13,788 neighborhoods. We simulated the predicted prevalence of wasting and overweight as selected SDG-related health inputs and determinant indicators reached their target values. Our findings reveal a baseline prevalence of 6.3% for wasting and 4.3% for overweight among the children studied. Progress towards the SDGs can potentially decrease wasting prevalence by a quarter (25%), translating to a reduction from 6.3% to 4.7%. This significant reduction in wasting is more pronounced in rural areas (29%) than in urban settings (7%). Conversely, a 14% increase in overweight prevalence was observed, with rural areas experiencing a higher rise (15%) than urban areas (13%). The study also highlighted variations in access to safe sanitation, improved water sources, healthcare services, income, maternal employment, and education levels, underscoring the complex interplay between these factors and malnutrition outcomes. Notably, the reduction in wasting prevalence was mainly attributable to input determinants rather than direct health inputs, suggesting the importance of broader socioeconomic factors in combating malnutrition. Achieving SDG targets presents a significant opportunity to mitigate wasting, particularly in rural communities. However, the uneven distribution of improvements underscores the need for targeted interventions in less affected areas. The concurrent rise in overweight prevalence, points to the emerging challenge of addressing the dual burden of malnutrition. This necessitates integrated, multi-sectoral strategies considering the diverse health determinants and nutritional status.
Insulin resistance assessed by short insulin tolerance test and its association with obesity and insulin resistance-related parameters in humans: A pilot randomized trial
Authors: Hayashishita Akiko , Watanabe Taku , Suzuki Naoko , Nakaya Toshitaka , Sugimoto Ayako , Yokota Isao , Ohira Hiroshi , Nishimura Masaharu , Tsujino Ichizo
Published: June 2024

The aim of this study was to examine the association of insulin resistance (evaluated by the short insulin tolerance test [SITT]) with parameters related to obesity and insulin resistance. We prospectively recruited controls and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), subjected them to the SITT, and calculated the K indices of the intravenous insulin tolerance test (KITT(iv)) and the subcutaneous insulin tolerance test (KITT(sc)). We compared KITT(iv) results between the volunteers and patients and examined its correlation with KITT(sc). We also examined the association of KITT(iv) with obesity, insulin resistance-related parameters, and the insulin dose required for glycemic control. A total of 24 participants (seven controls and 17 patients with T2DM) were studied. The mean KITT(iv) was significantly lower in patients with T2DM than in the controls (2.5%±2.1% vs. 4.5%±1.8%). In all participants, KITT(iv) was significantly correlated with the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values (r = −0.601, p<0.05) but not with KITT(sc) (p = 0.62). KITT(iv) was correlated positively with the serum adiponectin concentration, but negatively with the visceral fat area and serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α and branched-chain amino acids. In patients with T2DM, KITT(iv) and HOMA-IR values were significantly correlated with the total insulin dose required for glycemic control. Insulin resistance evaluated using KITT(iv) was correlated with the HOMA-IR values, but not with the resistance evaluated using KITT(sc). The degree of insulin resistance was associated with biomarkers, such as adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-α, branched-chain amino acids, the visceral fat area, and the dose of insulin required for glycemic control.
Replication stress response in fission yeast differentially depends on maintaining proper levels of Srs2 helicase and Rrp1, Rrp2 DNA translocases
Authors: Baranowska Gabriela , Misiorna Dorota , Białek Wojciech , Kramarz Karol , Dziadkowiec Dorota
Published: June 2024

Homologous recombination is a key process that governs the stability of eukaryotic genomes during DNA replication and repair. Multiple auxiliary factors regulate the choice of homologous recombination pathway in response to different types of replication stress. Using Schizosaccharomyces pombe we have previously suggested the role of DNA translocases Rrp1 and Rrp2, together with Srs2 helicase, in the common synthesis-dependent strand annealing sub-pathway of homologous recombination. Here we show that all three proteins are important for completion of replication after hydroxyurea exposure and provide data comparing the effect of overproduction of Srs2 with Rrp1 and Rrp2. We demonstrate that Srs2 localises to rDNA region and is required for proper replication of rDNA arrays. Upregulation of Srs2 protein levels leads to enhanced replication stress, chromosome instability and viability loss, as previously reported for Rrp1 and Rrp2. Interestingly, our data suggests that dysregulation of Srs2, Rrp1 and Rrp2 protein levels differentially affects checkpoint response: overproduction of Srs2 activates simultaneously DNA damage and replication stress response checkpoints, while cells overproducing Rrp1 mainly launch DNA damage checkpoint. On the other hand, upregulation of Rrp2 primarily leads to replication stress response checkpoint activation. Overall, we propose that Srs2, Rrp1 and Rrp2 have important and at least partially independent functions in the maintenance of distinct difficult to replicate regions of the genome.
PV-Assisted grid connected multi output electric vehicle charger with PV2V, G2V and PV2G functions
Authors: G. Ramanathan , Chokkalingam Bharatiraja , Munda J. L.
Published: June 2024

The demand for renewable energy-based Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is increasing in recent years. Solar PV based EV charging method is preferred as it has simple energy harvesting technique. The PV system is an uncertain power source, where the power generation is varied with respect to the availability of sunlight. So, that the charging station requires a backup power supply for the uninterrupted charging. For the integrated power sources, the charging station requires a simple and efficient conversion unit for the DC/AC/DC conversion. In this work, a modified Z-source inverter (MZSI) is developed for the multiport EV charger using PV and grid. The proposed MZSI is connected between the input and output sides to boost the voltage as per the demand at the battery side. In order to connect many battery units with the charger, the capacitors used in the MZSI are split as per the required number of charging ports. This developed converter topology operates the systems in four different modes like PV-Grid, PV-battery, grid-battery, and battery-grid. The performance of this proposed work has been validated in MATLAB/Simulink® and in the experimental setup. The experimental setup has been developed with two charging ports for obtaining 250W at each charger end which cumulatively produces 500W output across both chargers with an efficiency of 90.18%.
Designing and development of agricultural rovers for vegetable harvesting and soil analysis
Authors: Das Bristy , Sayor Tahmid Zarif Ul Hoq , Nijhum Rubyat Jahan , Tishun Mehnaz Tabassum , Sakib Taiyeb Hasan , Karim Md. Ehsanul , Uddin AFM Jamal , Islam Aparna , Mohsin Abu S. M.
Published: June 2024

To address the growing demand for sustainable agriculture practices, new technologies to boost crop productivity and soil health must be developed. In this research, we propose designing and building an agricultural rover capable of autonomous vegetable harvesting and soil analysis utilizing cutting-edge deep learning algorithms (YOLOv5). The precision and recall score of the model was 0.8518% and 0.7624% respectively. The rover uses robotics, computer vision, and soil sensing technology to perform accurate and efficient agricultural tasks. We go over the rover’s hardware and software, as well as the soil analysis system and the tomato ripeness detection system using deep learning models. Field experiments indicate that this agricultural rover is effective and promising for improving crop management and soil monitoring in modern agriculture, hence achieving the UN’s SDG 2 Zero Hunger goals.
Research on multi-defects classification detection method for solar cells based on deep learning
Authors: Li Zhenwei , Zhang Shihai , Qu Chongnian , Zhang Zimiao , Sun Feng
Published: June 2024

Solar cells are playing a significant role in aerospace equipment. In view of the surface defect characteristics in the manufacturing process of solar cells, the common surface defects are divided into three categories, which include difficult-detecting defects (mismatch), general defects (bubble, glass-crack and cell-crack) and easy-detecting defects (glass-upside-down). Corresponding to different types of defects, the deep learning model with different optimization methods and a classification detection method based on multi-models fusion are proposed in the paper. In the proposed model, in order to solve the mismatch problem between the default anchor boxes size of YOLOv5s model and the extreme scale of the battery mismatch defect label boxes, the K-means algorithm was adopted to re-cluster the dedicated anchor boxes for the mismatch defect label boxes. In order to improve the comprehensive detection accuracy of YOLOv5s model for the general defects, the YOLOv5s model was also improved by the methods of image preprocessing, anchor box improving and detection head replacing. In order to ensure the recognition accuracy and improve the detection speed for easy-detecting defects, the lightweight classification network MobileNetV2 was also used to classify the cells with glass-upside-down defects. The experimental results show that the proposed optimization model and classification detection method can significantly improve the defect detection precision. Respectively, the detection precision for mismatch, bubble, glass-crack and cell-crack defects are up to 95.64%, 91.8%, 93.1% and 98.0%. By using lightweight model to train the glass-upside-down defect dataset, the average classification accuracy reaches 100% and the detection speed reaches 13.29 frames per second. The comparison experiments show that the proposed model has a great improvement in detection accuracy compared with the original model, and the defect detection speed of lightweight classification network is improved more obviously, which confirms the effectiveness of the proposed optimization model and the multi-defect classification detection method for solar cells defect detection.
Efficient implementation of the linear layer of block ciphers with large MDS matrices based on a new lookup table technique
Authors: Luong Tran Thi , Van Long Nguyen , Vo Bay
Published: June 2024

Block cipher is a cryptographic field that is now widely applied in various domains. Besides its security, deployment issues, implementation costs, and flexibility across different platforms are also crucial in practice. From an efficiency perspective, the linear layer is often the slowest transformation and requires significant implementation costs in block ciphers. Many current works employ lookup table techniques for linear layers, but they are quite costly and do not save memory storage space for the lookup tables. In this paper, we propose a novel lookup table technique to reduce memory storage when executing software. This technique is applied to the linear layer of block ciphers with recursive Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) matrices, Hadamard MDS matrices, and circulant MDS matrices of considerable sizes (e.g. sizes of 16, 32, 64, and so on). The proposed lookup table technique leverages the recursive property of linear matrices and the similarity in elements of Hadamard or circulant MDS matrices, allowing the construction of a lookup table for a submatrix instead of the entire linear matrix. The proposed lookup table technique enables the execution of the diffusion layer with unchanged computational complexity (number of XOR operations and memory accesses) compared to conventional lookup table implementations but allows a substantial reduction in memory storage for the pre-computed tables, potentially reducing the storage needed by 4 or 8 times or more. The memory storage will be reduced even more as the size of the MDS matrix increases. For instance, analysis shows that when the matrix size is 64, the memory storage ratio with the proposed lookup table technique decreases by 87.5% compared to the conventional lookup table technique. This method also allows for more flexible software implementations of large-sized linear layers across different environments.
Effects of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ru Shuting , Sun Jian , Zhou Wanyu , Wei Dong , Shi Hang , Liang Yu , Wu Jianguo , Sun Wu , Chu Liqun
Published: June 2024

Several studies have reported the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), while some ophthalmologists are concerned that TCM may be a risk factor for CSC as some chinese herbs contain hormonal ingredients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM in treating patients with CSC. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies of TCM for CSC were searched up to July 10, 2023 on the following biological databases without language and publication time restrictions: PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed). Review Manager V.5.4.1 and Stata 14 software were used for data analysis. Finally, thirty-eight studies were finally included including 23 RCTs and 15 cohort studies. The meta-analysis showed that compared with the routine treatment alone, the combination of TCM can not only reduce the recurrence rate (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.21,0.40; I2 = 0%) and central retinal thickness (CRT) (MD = - 35.63, 95% CI: - 45.96,-25.30; I2 = 89%) of CSC, but improve patients’ best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (SMD = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.62,1.11; I2 = 77%); additionally, it has no obvious side effects compared with routine treatment (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.39,1.34; I2 = 10%). Overall, this study shows that the use of TCM does not increase the risk of CSC recurrence; on the contrary, the combination of TCM may reduce the recurrence of CSC and improve BCVA and CRT in patients with CSC compared with conventional treatment.