bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macroseismic Study of 4th January 2016, Manipur Earthquake, and its Implications
Authors: Kumar Harish , Moirangcha L.H. , Rocky W.S. , Syngai B.R. , Mohanraj E. , Mudi M.
Published: August 2023

An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 M (Latitude 24.834N; Longitude 93.656E) on the Richter scale rocked in the Noney area, Tamenglong district, Manipur on 4th January 2016. The shock was strongly felt in most parts of the Northeastern states of India viz. Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, and its neighboring countries Myanmar and Bangladesh. Macroseismic study was conducted to assess the intensity of ground motion and related damages caused by the earthquake. The damage incidences were mainly reported in structures constructed over the alluvial fill material. Deformations and development of ground fissures were observed in the epicentral tracts of Manipur and liquefaction phenomenon was observed in the Silchar area Assam. The study revealed that higher damage was confined to the area around Noney, Kabuikhullen, Nungba, Leimakhong, and Imphal valley areas in Manipur and Silchar town areas in Assam.

Based on field observation, the degree of damage to building structures, and data gathered from the local population using the standard questionnaire, different intensity values were assigned to each locality. Isoseismal map was prepared by drawing the boundaries between different intensity areas at MSK-64 scale. The result indicates that the intensity was within the range of IV to VII. The maximum intensity was found VII in parts of Imphal, Tamenglong, and Silchar and very close to the epicentral tract area of Noney; and lowest intensity IV was observed in other parts of the northeastern states around Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland state. The location of the epicenter of main shock (M 6.7) was at the intersection of the two major lineaments trending to ENE-WSW and NW-SE. The trend and shape of isoseismals drawn on seismotectonic/geological maps are elliptical along ENE-WSW direction and are found more closely spaced in the north and southern parts of the affected area. The elliptical nature of the isoseismals indicates that this seismic event was caused by movement along a linear surface. Furthermore, the orientation of elliptical isoseismals with a major axis trend in an ENE-WSW direction is almost parallel to the ENE-WSW trend of major lineament/fault in the area. As a result, the ENE-WSW lineament/fault trend appears to be the causative fault for this quake. In addition, one of the nodal plane (NP2) striking 83°, with dip 81° and slip (rake) 38° obtained from fault plane solution USGS shows a similar trend to the direction of generated elliptical isoseismals pattern confirming the event ocurred along a major tectonic lineament in a strike-slip mechanism.
Behavioural and Environmental Significance of the Rosetted trace Fossil Dactyloidites ottoi (Geinitz, 1849) from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) of Kachchh, Western India
Authors: Patel Satish J. , Shitole Apurva D. , Darngawn Jehova L. , Joseph Jaquilin K.
Published: August 2023

For decades, naming the rosetted trace fossil species of Dactyloidites ottoi or Haentzschelinia ottoi has been a matter of discussion. The phobotactic behaviour of the trace makers reflecting systematic mining to form branched radial elements converging at the central vertical shafts in both the ichnogenera are similar and foreknown. Berriasian marine deltaic deposits of the Jhuran Formation, India, contain several such endichnial mid-tier traces of Dactyloidites ottoi (Geinitz, 1849), at six different levels in a highly bioturbated subarkosic bedded sandstone. Its occurrence is associated with Arenicolites, Ophiomorpha, Planolites and Rhizocorallium. The analysis of the trace fossils from the archives reveals the mining strategy resulting in Cambrian to Holocene Dactyloidites and Haentzschelinia traces. The present specimens of D. ottoi and the morphological variants within the traces also indicate an effect of the variations in palaeobiological and palaeoenvironmental aspects.
Rheumatoide Arthritis und Sarkopenie: Gibt es Superfood gegen Frailty?
Authors: Köller Marcus
Published: August 2023

Gebrechlichkeit (Frailty) hat seine biomedizinischen Ursachen. Eine der Kernkomponente von Frailty stellt der altersbedingte Verlust an Muskelmasse, die Sarkopenie, dar. Neben degenerativen Veränderungen und hormonellen Umstellungen im Alter spielen insbesondere Vitamin-D-Mangel und die unzureichende Zufuhr von Eiweiß (EW) eine zentrale Rolle. Proinflammatorische Zytokine, insbesondere Interleukin‑6 und Tumornekrosefaktor‑α, die bei chronisch-entzündlichen Erkrankungen (u. a. der rheumatoiden Arthritis) erhöht sind, fördern massiv den Muskelabbau; ein Prozess, der als „inflammaging“ bezeichnet wird. Neben dem Krafttraining sind ausreichende Vitamin-D-Substitution und die Sicherstellung einer adäquaten Menge an EW (1,2–1,5 g/kg Körpergewicht täglich) Eckpfeiler in der Prophylaxe und Therapie der Sarkopenie. Die Zufuhr von essenziellen Aminosäuren, insbesondere Leucin (3 g täglich), ist dabei unerlässlich. Die beste Quelle dafür stellt Molkeprotein dar. Generell erscheint eine mediterrane Kostform die günstigste Zusammensetzung zu haben, um Frailty entgegenzuwirken und unsere Funktionalität im Alter bestmöglich zu erhalten.
The Religiosity of Polish Roman Catholics and the Meanings They Attribute to Homosexuality: Evidence from Network Analysis
Authors: Borowik Irena , Grygiel Paweł , Zwierżdżyński Marcin
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Previous research suggests that negative views on homosexuality are fostered by higher levels of religiosity. Little is known, however, about what meanings religious people attribute to homosexuality, how these meanings connect with each other, what kind of network they form, and which of them are central.

Methods

The research was conducted in 2020, based on a representative sample of Polish Catholics (N = 874). Religiosity was determined using latent class analysis. Based on an investigation of press discourse in Poland, six meanings of homosexuality were identified as positive (orientation, love, fulfillment) and negative (sin, deviation, disease). Network analysis was used to determine the relationship between religiosity and the meanings attributed to homosexuality.

Results

The analyses showed that greater compliance of religious orientations with the Roman Catholic Church’s expectations translates into increased acceptance of negative meanings of homosexuality (primarily sin). Weaker (negative) correlations were noted between religiosity and positive meanings, which we interpret as resulting from the absence of the negation of positive meanings in Roman Catholic teaching.

Conclusions

The relationships between religiosity and positive and negative meanings of homosexuality were found to be asymmetrical, unbalanced, and designated by negativity bias. The weakening meaning of sin may play an important role in changing religious people’s attitude toward homosexuality.

Policy Implications

The absolution of homosexuality would reduce the likelihood of negative meanings such as deviance or disease. This could lead to a reduction in exclusionary perceptions of homosexuality.
Evaluation of reservoir subsidence due to hydrocarbon production based on seismic data
Authors: Sharifi Javad
Published: August 2023

Environmental problems associated with depleted oil and gas reservoirs upon long-term production from them are likely to become important challenges in future decades. With the increasing trend of production from hydrocarbon reservoirs, more and more reservoirs across the world are reaching the second half of their life—a fact that places an emphasis on the necessity of investigating what is known as reservoir subsidence. Different analytical and numerical approaches have been introduced for analyzing the subsidence on the basis of the elasticity theory but in the form of case studies, leaving a comprehensive model yet to be proposed. In this work, a formulation was introduced for estimating reservoir subsidence by integrating the rock physics, rock mechanics, and thermo-poroelasticity theories. Then, a modified version of this formulation was developed to calculate compaction in an actively producing reservoir that is suspect of subsidence, as a case study. For this purpose, triaxial hydrostatic tests were carried out on core plugs obtained from the considered reservoir, and then, compaction parameters (i.e., compression index and coefficient of deformation) were obtained at a laboratory scale. In order to evaluate the subsidence at a reservoir scale, the laboratory-scale results and in situ reservoir properties were integrated with well-logging and 3D seismic data at well location to come up with 3D cubes of compaction information. Continuing with the research, time-dependent inelastic deformation was modeled considering continued production for different future periods. The field observations showed that the estimated compaction is not visible at the surface in the form of subsidence due to the high depth and stiffness of the studied reservoir. However, collapse of casing at some of wells drilled into the studied reservoir could be attributed to the reservoir subsidence. Finally, variations of compaction with pore pressure were investigated to propose a model for predicting the subsidence in future periods. Findings of this research can be used to forecast subsidence at well location to take the required measures for avoiding possible casing collapse and/or relevant environmental issues.
A new diagnostic autism spectrum disorder (DASD) strategy using ensemble diagnosis methodology based on blood tests
Authors: Rabie Asmaa H. , Saleh Ahmed I.
Published: August 2023

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disease that impacts a child’s way of behavior and social communication. In early childhood, children with ASD typically exhibit symptoms such as difficulty in social interaction, limited interests, and repetitive behavior. Although there are symptoms of ASD disease, most people do not understand these symptoms and therefore do not have enough knowledge to determine whether or not a child has ASD. Thus, early detection of ASD children based on accurate diagnosis model based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques is a critical process to reduce the spread of the disease and control it early. Through this paper, a new Diagnostic Autism Spectrum Disorder (DASD) strategy is presented to quickly and accurately detect ASD children. DASD contains two layers called Data Filter Layer (DFL) and Diagnostic Layer (DL). Feature selection and outlier rejection processes are performed in DFL to filter the ASD dataset from less important features and incorrect data before using the diagnostic or detection method in DL to accurately diagnose the patients. In DFL, Binary Gray Wolf Optimization (BGWO) technique is used to select the most significant set of features while Binary Genetic Algorithm (BGA) technique is used to eliminate invalid training data. Then, Ensemble Diagnosis Methodology (EDM) as a new diagnostic technique is used in DL to quickly and precisely diagnose ASD children. In this paper, the main contribution is EDM that consists of several diagnostic models including Enhanced K-Nearest Neighbors (EKNN) as one of them. EKNN represents a hybrid technique consisting of three methods called K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Naïve Bayes (NB), and Chimp Optimization Algorithm (COA). NB is used as a weighed method to convert data from feature space to weight space. Then, COA is used as a data generation method to reduce the size of training dataset. Finally, KNN is applied on the reduced data in weight space to quickly and accurately diagnose ASD children based on new training dataset with small size. ASD blood tests dataset is used to test the proposed DASD strategy against other recent strategies [1]. It is concluded that the DASD strategy is superior to other strategies based on many performance measures including accuracy, error, recall, precision, micro_average precision, macro_average precision, micro_average recall, macro_average recall, F1-measure, and implementation-time with values equal to 0.93, 0.07, 0.83, 0.82, 0.80, 0.83, 0.79, 0.81, 0.79, and 1.5 s respectively.
Parameter sharing and multi-granularity feature learning for cross-modality person re-identification
Authors: Chan Sixian , Du Feng , Tang Tinglong , Zhang Guodao , Jiang Xiaoliang , Guan Qiu
Published: August 2023

Visible-infrared person re-identification aims to match pedestrian images between visible and infrared modalities, and its two main challenges are intra-modality differences and cross-modality differences between visible and infrared images. To address these issues, many advanced methods attempt to design new network structures to extract modality-sharing features, mitigate modality differences, or learn part-level features to overcome background interference. However, they ignore the parameter sharing of the convolutional layers to obtain more modality-sharing features. At the same time, only using part-level features lack discriminative pedestrian representations such as body structure and contours. To handle these problems, a parameter sharing and feature learning network is proposed in this paper to mitigate modality differences and further enhance feature discrimination. Firstly, a new two-stream parameter sharing network is proposed, by sharing the convolutional layers parameters to obtain more modality-sharing features. Secondly, a multi-granularity feature learning module is designed to reduce modality differences at both coarse and fine-grained levels while further enhancing feature discriminability. In addition, a center alignment loss is proposed to learn relationships between identities and to reduce modality differences by clustering features into their centers. For the part-level feature learning, the hetero-center triplet loss is adopted to alleviate the strict constraints of triplet loss. Finally, extensive experiments are conducted to validate our method outperforms state-of-the-art methods on two challenging datasets. In the SYSU-MM01 dataset, the Rank-1 and mAP reach $$74.0\%$$

74.0
%

and $$70.51\%$$

70.51
%

in the all-search mode, which is an increase of $$3.4\%$$

3.4
%

and $$3.61\%$$

3.61
%

to baseline, respectively.
EU Responses to the Democratic Deficit and the Rule of Law Crisis: Is It Time for a (New) European Exceptionalism?
Authors: Mavrouli Roila , Van Waeyenberge Arnaud
Published: August 2023

The European 'messianic' project was not particularly concerned with democracy or human rights, but rather sought 'legitimacy' in the nobility of its cause. However, when failure struck during the Euro-crisis, many sources of legitimacy suddenly collapsed. Similarly, failure struck the rule of law principle, demonstrating its precariousness and weak source of legitimation. The strong waves of de-europeanisation and the rise of illiberal democracies not only bolster the existing preoccupations of problematic democratic procedures, but further bring into question the continuity of the EU as a supranational entity. Interestingly, the European Union’s answer to these issues furnishes a solution that, on the one hand, focuses on the enhancement of democracy, while focusing the safeguarding of rule of law on the other. Such an enhancement of democracy could be the result of the Conference on the Future of Europe, whereas, the rule of law crisis is meant to be addressed through financial and techno-managerial mechanisms. However, if the first mechanism aims to palliate or even mitigate the democratic deficit, the second one risks further alienating Union citizens by seeing in it another instance of European Union ‘technocracy’. The solution to be foreseen is to reconnect democracy with rule of law as they have always been the foreign implants of European integration. Filling in these empty gaps of political messianism through an outright pairing of democracy and rule of law will rejuvenate the social legitimacy of European exceptionalism.
Toward the Reconstruction of Sacred Medieval Spatialities: Multiscale Analysis of the System of Eremitical Landscapes in Southern Portugal from Historical Records
Authors: Volzone Rolando , Fontes João Luís Inglês , da Conceição Parreira Carapinha Aurora
Published: August 2023

Reconstruction of the landscape of late medieval southern Portugal is hampered by the scarceness of physical evidence after the subsequent centuries of evolution. The aim of this article is to understand how the spread of eremitical communities in this region interacted with the existing landscape, contributing to its transformation. A multiscale analysis is carried out through the examination of historical records containing scattered data about the landscape system. This methodology is applied to a specific case study, the Portuguese eremitical congregation of São Paulo da Serra de Ossa, in southern Portugal. Although fragmentary and dispersed, primary sources from between 1366 and 1578 are useful in reconstructing the components of this landscape. Initial results show the definition of a typical Mediterranean form of settlement: “agro-sylvo-pastoral.”
Surrogate models for dynamic load factor and ductility ratio in blast response determination
Authors: Aleyaasin Majid
Published: August 2023

In this article, the blast response of structures by the Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) method is revisited. The existing literature in which the Biggs’ chart is used to determine the ductility ratio is examined in detail. The numerical method determines the SDOF response by considering the elastic perfectly plastic behaviour of the structure. The numerical values of the ductility ratio in various plastic Dynamic Load Factors (DLF) in each td/T ratio are collected. Such verifiable data can represent the whole chart in the elastic and plastic regions. The only available implicit formula suitable for sharp pulses is tested. It is shown that substantial inaccuracy exists in the formula. Since the error in the existing formula is up to 100%, an alternative formula is suggested to reduce the error. The new nonlinear surrogate model describes the chart by introducing 3 regions. In each region, an approximate formula is developed. The model computes the ductility ratio with less than 2% error. The newly suggested functions are nonlinear quadratic types and have been developed by using high-order polynomial optimization. In the numerical example, the result of the new surrogate model is commented on in comparison with SDOF and FEM. It is shown that it can be used in the computational design of protective structures without using Biggs’ chart. It is concluded that similar surrogate models can be developed for unsymmetrical blast pulses.
Surface tension of steel at high temperatures
Authors: Volpp Joerg
Published: August 2023

Surface tension is a material property that is needed to describe fluid behaviour, which impacts industrial processes, in which molten material is created, such as thermal cutting, welding and Additive Manufacturing. In particular when using metals, the material properties at high temperatures are often not known. This is partly because of limited possibilities to measure those properties, limitations of temperature measurement methods and a lack of theoretical models that describe the circumstances at such high temperatures sufficiently. When using beam heat sources, such as a laser beam, temperatures far above the melting temperature are reached. Therefore, it is mandatory to know the material properties at such high temperatures in order to describe the material behaviour in models and gain understanding of the occurring effects. Therefore, in this work, an experimental surface wave evaluation method is suggested in combination with thermal measurements in order to derive surface tension values of steel at higher temperatures than reported in literature. The evaluation of gravity-capillary waves in high-speed video recordings shows a steeper decrease of surface tension values than the extrapolation of literature values would predict, while the surface tension values seem not to decrease further above boiling temperature. Using a simplified molecular dynamic model based on pair correlation, a similar tendency of surface values was observed, which indicates that the surface tension is an effect requiring at least two atomic layers. The observed and calculated decreasing trend of the surface tension indicates an exponential relation between surface tension and temperature.
Morpho-physiological and Biochemical Effects of Palm Pollen Extract in Alleviation of Cadmium and Cobalt Toxicity in Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Nessem Afaf A. , Ebrahim Mohsen K. H. , Saad-Allah Khalil M. , Gad Dina
Published: August 2023

Palm pollen extract (PPE) is a viable source of osmoregulators, phytohormones, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and cofactors supporting plant growth in normal and challenging environments. In this study, we explored the competency of methanolic-aqueous PPE to amend cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co) toxicity in beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Bean seeds were germinated in clay-sandy soil containing plastic containers, thinned, and then administered 50 mM CdCl2, CoCl2, or a combination of both. Treated seedlings were foliar sprayed with PPE or distilled water (10 ml PPE pot-1). To assess their response, seedlings were harvested at 21 days old. Cd and Co, individually or combined, impaired beans growth, chlorophyll content, soluble sugars, amino acids, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR) activities, flavonoids, macronutrients (N, P, and K), and yield components, particularly when combined. Metal treatments, however, upraised electrolyte leakage and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, beside increasing carotenoids, proline, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and phenolic levels. However, PPE contributed to lessening Cd and Co toxicity by restoring the growth, chlorophyll concentration, membrane stability, metabolic activity, and redox and ionic equilibrium. Moreover, PPE restored the metal-induced declines in carotenoids, flavonoids, antioxidant potential, and grain yield. PPE played a valuable role in metal-stressed beans by increasing proteins, amino acids, and phenols; improving APX, POD, and GST activities; and decreasing Cd and Co uptake. Overall, PPE could be employed as a feasible approach to support Cd- and Co-stressed bean growth, photosynthetic activity, osmotic and ionic homeostasis, and yield performance.
Learning Biometric Representations with Mutually Independent Features Using Convolutional Autoencoders
Authors: Musto Riccardo , Kuzu Ridvan Salih , Maiorana Emanuele , Hine Gabriel Emile , Campisi Patrizio
Published: August 2023

Representations of biometric traits to be used in automatic recognition systems are typically learned with the goal of obtaining significant discriminative capabilities, that is, generating features that are notably different when produced by traits of different subjects, while maintaining an appropriate consistency for a given user. Nonetheless, discriminability is not the only desirable property of a biometric representation. For instance, the mutual independence of the coefficients in the employed templates is a valuable property when designing biometric template protection schemes. In fact, managing representations with independent coefficients allows to maximize the achievable security. In this paper we propose different learning strategies to obtain biometric representations with the property of statistical independence among coefficients, while preserving discriminability. In order to achieve this goal, different strategies are employed to train convolutional autoencoders. As a proof of concept, the effectiveness of the proposed approaches is tested by considering biometric recognition systems using both finger-vein and palm-vein patterns.
A Cellular Senescence-Related Signature Predicts Cervical Cancer Patient Outcome and Immunotherapy Sensitivity
Authors: Shao Huijing , Li Xia , Wu Pengfei , Chen Zixi , Zhang Caihong , Gu Hang
Published: August 2023

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most prevalent gynecological malignancies. The rate of mortality and morbidity among patients with CC is high. Cellular senescence is involved in tumorigenesis as well as in the cancer progression. However, the involvement of cellular senescence in CC development is still unclear and requires further investigation. In this study, we retrieved data on cellular senescence-related genes (CSRGs) from the "CellAge" Database. We used the TCGA-CESC and CGCI-HTMCP-CC datasets as the training and validation sets, respectively. Finally, a signature was constructed using "univariate" and "Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator" (LASSO) Cox regression analysis, which contains eight CSRGs. Using this signature, we calculated the risk scores of all patients in the training and validation cohorts and categorized them into the low-risk group (LR-G) and the high-risk group (HR-G). Results showed that, compared to patients in the HR-G, those in the LR-G demonstrated a more positive clinical prognosis, more abundant immune cell infiltrations, and a more active immune response. The signature could also modulate the expression of SASP factors. In vitro studies showed an increased expression of SERPINE1 and IL-1α genes included in the signature in CC cells and tissues. Our findings help to deepen our insights into the etiology of CC, which could be beneficial for prognostic prediction and immunotherapy in clinical practice.
Calycosin Alleviates Lupus Nephritis by Activating the Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Yu Yang , Sun Peng
Published: August 2023

Lupus nephritis is a serious condition, for which treatments are limited; hence, there is a need for new cure approaches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of calycosin against lupus nephritis induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human renal cortex proximal convoluted tubule epithelial cells (HK-2). HK-2 cells were stimulated with 1 μg/ml LPS to create a lupus nephritis cell model; the cells were pretreated with calycosin. Cell viability and apoptosis rate were determined using the cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. A caspase-3 activity detection kit was used to determine caspase-3 activity. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level was determined using an LDH assay kit. Finally, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to determine apoptosis-related protein levels and nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling. Calycosin had no cytotoxic effects on HK-2 cells. Lipopolysaccharide stimulation significantly inhibited cell viability; increased the IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels; and elevated apoptosis rate, caspase3 activity, and LDH level in HK-2 cells. The protein level of cleaved caspase3 was also increased in LPS-treated HK-2 cells. In addition, the pattern of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling was disturbed by LPS. These effects were reversed by calycosin treatment. Calycosin could alleviate LPS-induced lupus nephritis and may thus be a novel agent for its treatment.

Graphical Abstract
Identifying Supports and Barriers in Engineering Students’ Processes Toward Career Attainment
Authors: Desing Renee M. , Shermadou Amena S. , Nocera Tanya M. , Delaine David A. , Atiq S. Zahra , Ortiz-Rosario Alexis , Childers Rachel C. , Lewis Racheida S.
Published: August 2023

Evidence shows that biomedical engineering students face unique challenges in entering the workforce compared to peers in other engineering majors. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors impacting undergraduate engineering students’ career attainment, or the acquisition of employment in a chosen field, and how the students experienced these factors in their pathways towards post-graduate employment. By studying differences in processes towards career attainment, there is an opportunity to promote equity and better support the inclusion and persistence of women and racially minoritized groups in engineering, particularly their readiness to enter the engineering workforce. We sought to answer two research questions: (RQ1) What contextual factors are identified by engineering students as supports and barriers to their attainment of a career in the engineering field? (RQ2) How are engineering students experiencing inequities in their processes toward career attainment? We conducted six focus groups with undergraduate engineering students at a large Midwestern University. Participants were purposefully sampled based on demographics from four engineering disciplines: biomedical engineering and the three preferred majors for students transferring out of biomedical engineering at our university, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. We used social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to inform our data collection and analysis and interpret the findings. The transcripts were analyzed by developing a codebook containing theory-driven codes from SCCT and emergent codes from the data. We identified five themes representing the contextual factors impacting engineering students’ processes toward career attainment: implications of (1) interpersonal relationships; (2) institutional infrastructure; (3) academics; (4) social identity; and (5) out-of-class experiences. We also found that these contextual factors may act as either a support or barrier depending on personal factors such as demographics, personality, or identity. The nuance revealed in this study, that a contextual factor may be both a support and barrier, presents implications for universities to provide more individualized career preparedness resources and recognize the ways that students’ positionalities impact their processes toward career attainment.
Diskontinuitäten der medikamentösen und medizinischen Versorgung älterer türkeistämmiger Versicherter
Authors: Stern Alex , Akbulut Nurcan , Schönfeld Simone , Tezcan-Güntekin Hürrem , Özer-Erdogdu Ilknur , Aslan Meryem , Dortmann Olga , Razum Oliver
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund

In Deutschland ansässige türkeistämmige Menschen im Rentenalter halten sich öfter für längere Zeiträume in der Türkei auf. Durch diese Pendelmigration können bei chronischen Erkrankungen Unregelmäßigkeiten in der medikamentösen und medizinischen Versorgung auftreten, die zu einer Verschlechterung des Gesundheitszustands führen. Quantitative Analysen zu Diskontinuitäten bei der Versorgung lagen bisher nicht vor.

Methode

Medikamentöse und Versorgungsdiskontinuitäten bei älteren chronisch kranken türkeistämmigen Versicherten wurden im Vergleich zu den übrigen Versicherten analysiert. Datenbasis waren Versichertendaten der AOK Rheinland/Hamburg aus den Jahren 2012–2018 zur Versorgung bei Asthma bronchiale, Diabetes mellitus, Hypertonie und koronarer Herzkrankheit.

Ergebnis

Diskontinuitäten der medikamentösen und der ärztlichen Versorgung treten, abhängig von der Erkrankung, signifikant häufiger bei türkeistämmigen als bei anderen Versicherten auf. Insbesondere bei Diabetes mellitus und Asthma bronchiale weisen türkeistämmige Versicherte vergleichsweise hohe Chancen für Diskontinuitäten auf. Bei türkeistämmigen Versicherten zwischen 60 und 64 Jahren treten Diskontinuitäten tendenziell seltener auf als bei Versicherten im Rentenalter.

Schlussfolgerungen

Ein Teil der türkeistämmigen Versicherten in Deutschland weist Versorgungslücken auf. Angesichts der Verteilung der Diskontinuitäten nach Versichertengruppe, Alter und Erkrankung liegt Pendelmigration als anteilige Ursache nahe. Ärzt*innen sollten längere Türkeiaufenthalte als mögliche Ursache von Unregelmäßigkeiten in der Medikation und Behandlung der Zielgruppe frühzeitig ansprechen, um inadäquater Versorgung vorzubeugen.
Exploring environmental education programs in oil-producing indigenous communities in Niger Delta, Ogoniland, Nigeria
Authors: Lele Dominic Dummene
Published: August 2023

Economic development and environmental development have been long-lasting debates between capitalists and environmentalists. It is also seen as a debate around modernization with globalization at one end and environmental justice at the other end. Our society today is moving rapidly toward development and increased industrial revolutions and globalization. Indigenous communities in Ogoniland are also experiencing such development due to multinationals’ exploration of crude oil in their communities. The exploration of oil has caused environmental, socioeconomic, health and political problems in indigenous communities in Ogoniland. These issues require a depth of understanding from all sectors (public, government and corporate sectors) to address them. Hence, through textual analysis and interviews from the government and environmental social movement organizations, this paper presents the types of environmental educatiSon programs carried out in indigenous communities in Ogoniland to address environmental issues and other socioeconomic issues due to oil exploration. These environmental education programs in indigenous communities contribute to environmental policy creation, the development of environmental curricula and pragmatic actions toward mitigating environmental degradation and socioeconomic issues in indigenous communities. Thus, revealing the significance of indigenous knowledge and practices in addressing contemporary environmental issues.
Is deep learning superior to traditional techniques in machine health monitoring applications
Authors: Wang W. , Vos K. , Taylor J. , Jenkins C. , Bala B. , Whitehead L. , Peng Z.
Published: August 2023

In recent years, there has been significant momentum in applying deep learning (DL) to machine health monitoring (MHM). It has been widely claimed that DL methodologies are superior to more traditional techniques in this area. This paper aims to investigate this claim by analysing a real-world dataset of helicopter sensor faults provided by Airbus. Specifically, we will address the problem of machine sensor health unsupervised classification. In a 2019 worldwide competition hosted by Airbus, Fujitsu Systems Europe (FSE) won first prize by achieving an F1-score of 93% using a DL model based on generative adversarial networks (GAN). In another comprehensive study, various modified and existing image encoding methods were compared for the convolutional auto-encoder (CAE) model. The best classification result was achieved using the scalogram as the image encoding method, with an F1-score of 91%. In this paper, we use these two studies as benchmarks to compare with basic statistical analysis methods and the one-class supporting vector machine (SVM). Our comparative study demonstrates that while DL-based techniques have great potential, they are not always superior to traditional methods. We therefore recommend that all future published studies of applying DL methods to MHM include appropriately selected traditional reference methods, wherever possible.
Corporate Law’s Threat to Human Rights: Why Human Rights Due Diligence Might Not Be Enough
Authors: Choudhury Barnali
Published: August 2023

The take-up of mandatory human rights due diligence (HRDD) initiatives by states is continuously gaining momentum. There are now numerous states adopting some form of HRDD laws. While corporations being duly diligent in respecting human rights is a positive step towards addressing problems of business and human rights, these HRDD initiatives on their own may only be a form of window-dressing, that is, enabling states to put a smart spin on their efforts to address business and human rights issues without addressing some of the root causes of that predicament. As a result, HRDD laws are likely to be a helpful, but insufficient tool for addressing corporate abuse of human rights. One reason for this is because the root cause of many business and human rights problems is the structural elements and goals of corporate law facilitates corporate violations of human rights. So long as states fail to transform the way in which corporations operate – in part, by reconceptualizing corporate law – even the best drafted HRDD laws will be inadequate to halt corporate harms.
Calving, ice flow, and thickness of outlet glaciers controlled by land-fast sea ice in Lützow-Holm Bay, East Antarctica
Authors: Kondo Ken , Sugiyama Shin
Published: August 2023

To investigate the mechanisms driving recent changes in outlet glaciers in Antarctica, we measured the glacier front position, flow velocity and surface elevation of five outlet glaciers flowing into Lützow-Holm Bay in East Antarctica. After a steady advance from 2008 to 2015, all the glaciers synchronously retreated by 0.4–6.0 km between 2016 and 2018. The initiation of the retreat coincided with the breakup of land-fast sea ice in Lützow-Holm Bay in 2016, which resulted in the largest sea-ice loss in the region since 1998. Similar flow variations and surface elevation changes were observed near the grounding line of Shirase, Skallen and Telen glaciers. The slowdown in 2011–15 (by 13%) and the speedup in 2016–18 (by 7%) coincided with the respective increase and decrease in surface elevation. Simultaneous retreat and acceleration after the land-fast sea-ice breakup implies that sea ice has a significant influence on glacier dynamics. Thickening/thinning observed near the grounding line was attributed to a reduced/enhanced stretching flow regime during the deceleration/acceleration period. Our results demonstrate that land-fast sea ice affects not only terminus positions, but also the flow speed and ice thickness of the Antarctic glaciers.
Reliability analyses of linear two-dimensional consecutive k-type systems
Authors: Yi He , Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy , Li Xiang
Published: August 2023

In this paper, several linear two-dimensional consecutive k-type systems are studied, which include the linear connected-(k, r)-out-of-
$(m,n)\colon\! F$
system and the linear l-connected-(k, r)-out-of-
$(m,n)\colon\! F$
system without/with overlapping. Reliabilities of these systems are studied via the finite Markov chain imbedding approach (FMCIA) in a novel way. Some numerical examples are provided to illustrate the theoretical results established here and also to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed method. Finally, some possible applications and generalizations of the developed results are pointed out.
Traumatic Continuities: Interlocking Violences in Nelly Rosario’sSong of the Water Saints(2002)
Authors: Ramos Flores Nicolás
Published: August 2023

This article examines the construction of a multifaceted collective memory through the main female protagonists inSong of the Water Saints(2002) by the Dominican American author Nelly Rosario. By bridging memory studies, Latin American studies, and Afro-Latinx studies, the book examines racial and gendered constructs, intergenerational struggles, US imperialism, and Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship to show the interconnected nature of memorial articulations for subaltern subjects. Through a literary close reading, this article dissects the lives of three generations of female characters—Graciela, her daughter Mercedes, and Graciela’s great-granddaughter Leila—and how they challenge, reinforce, and suffer racialized, political, and gendered subjectivities. By examining intersectional and historical trauma simultaneously, this study contributes to the field of memory, Afro-Latinx, and Latin American studies by showing the muddled construct of memory for Dominicans and Dominican Americans.
Conceptualizing Nativism in Authoritarian Russia: From Nationalist Ideology to Antimigrant Riots
Authors: Fediunin Jules Sergei
Published: August 2023

Rejection of immigration has become a major political factor in many countries throughout the world. The notion of nativism can be used to analyze forms of this rejection insofar as it involves promoting the interests and way of life of “natives” at the expanse of migrants. This article adopts a twofold approach to conceptualize the nativist phenomenon in contemporary Russia. First, I consider discursive expressions of nativism as observed among ethnonationalist actors as well as in the rhetoric of the authorities (especially in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine), against a background of widespread xenophobia. This reflection draws on interpretations of the slogan “Russia for the Russians.” Second, I consider popular expressions of nativism, including those linked to ethnic violence. I analyze a series of antimigrant riots since the 2000s based on surveys, analysis of the media, and field data. These riots, often supported by organized nationalist actors, involve claims that can be defined as nativist in that they concern protection of natives (korennye) from “foreigners,” understood in ethnic or racial terms and deemed to be the cause of social ills. Overall, this article contributes to comparative studies of nativism in countries that face mass internal or foreign migration.
Towards modelling emergence in plant systems
Authors: Tomkins Melissa
Published: August 2023

Plants are complex systems made up of many interacting components, ranging from architectural elements such as branches and roots, to entities comprising cellular processes such as metabolic pathways and gene regulatory networks. The collective behaviour of these components, along with the plant’s response to the environment, give rise to the plant as a whole. Properties that result from these interactions and cannot be attributed to individual parts alone are called emergent properties, occurring at different time and spatial scales. Deepening our understanding of plant growth and development requires computational tools capable of handling a large number of interactions and a multiscale approach connecting properties across scales. There currently exist few methods able to integrate models across scales, or models capable of predicting new emergent plant properties. This perspective explores current approaches to modelling emergent behaviour in plants, with a focus on how current and future tools can handle multiscale plant systems.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL RADIOCARBON INTERCOMPARISON
Authors: Scott E M , Naysmith P , Dunbar E
Published: August 2023

GIRI (Glasgow International Radiocarbon Intercomparison) was designed to meet a number of objectives, including to provide an independent assessment of the analytical quality of the laboratory/measurement and an opportunity for a laboratory to participate and improve (if needed). The principles in the design of GIRI were to provide the following: (a) a series of unrelated individual samples, spanning the dating age range, (b) linked samples to earlier intercomparisons to allow traceability, (c) known age samples, to allow independent accuracy checks, (d) a small number of duplicates, to allow independent estimation of laboratory uncertainty, and (e) two categories of samples—bulk and individual—to support laboratory investigation of variability. All of the GIRI samples are natural (wood, peat, and grain), some are known age, and overall their age spans approx. >40,000 years BP to modern. The complete list of sample materials includes humic acid, whalebone, grain, single ring dendro-dated samples, dendro-dated wood samples spanning a number of rings (e.g., 10 rings), background and near background samples of bone and wood. We present an overview of the results received and preliminary consensus values for the samples supporting a more in-depth evaluation of laboratory performance and variability.
Biology and morphometric relationship of gall inducers Contarinia sp. and corresponding parasitoids for swollen galls of Nitraria sibirica pall
Authors: Zhao Qian , Hu Hong-Ying , Kang Ning , Gao Cai-Hong
Published: August 2023

Galls function as provide shelter for gall inducers, guarding them against their natural enemies. Previous research has illuminated the interactions between galls, gall inducers, and their corresponding parasitoids within various caltrop plants. However, less is known about these relationships within Nitraria sibirica, particularly regarding the efficacy of parasitism. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the morphometric relationships among the swollen galls, gall inducers, and their parasitoids. Two species of gall inducers and three species of parasitoids were obtained from the swollen galls of N. sibirica. The correlations of the parasitization indexes, the lifespan of gall inhabitants, and temperature and the morphometric relationships between the galls and their inhabitants were analyzed. The dominant gall inducer identified was Contarinia sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Furthermore, it was observed that three solitary parasitoids attacked Contarinia sp. in the swollen galls, with only Eupelmus gelechiphagus acting as an idiobiont ectoparasitoid. The dominant parasitoids were Platygaster sp. and Cheiloneurus elegans at sites 1 and 2, respectively, with Platygaster sp. displaying greater abundance than C. elegans in the swollen galls. The lifespan of the gall inhabitants shortened gradually as the temperature increased. Moreover, the optimal number of gall chambers ranged from two to four per swollen gall with maximized fitness, which can be considered the optimal population density for the gall inducer Contarinia sp. Morphometric analysis exhibited a strong linear correlation between gall size and chamber number or the number of gall inhabitants, as well as a weak correlation between gall size and body size of the primary inhabitants of swollen galls. Our results highlight the importance of the biological investigation of parasitoids and gall inducers living in closed galls with multiple chambers and may pave the way for potential application in biological control.
Fashioning the “Inner” (Bāṭin) in Baḥya ibn Paqūda’s Duties of the Hearts
Authors: Michaelis Omer
Published: August 2023

In the seminal work, Direction to the Duties of the Hearts, Baḥya ibn Paqūda (flourished 11th century) aimed to reconstruct Jewish existence on the basis of a fundamental distinction between the “duties of the members” and the “duties of the hearts.” Baḥya’s intent was to instigate a transition towards the internalization of Jewish religious life. This paradigm shift was to take place not only by the shaping of an ideational formation and a new set of distinctions that Baḥya aimed at integrating in Jewish life, but also through a reflective consideration of the state of the Jewish tradition, its transmission mechanisms, historical trajectory, and contemporaneous challenges. As I will demonstrate in this article, in order to realize this transformation, Baḥya utilized a distinction that cross-cuts his work: the distinction between ẓāhir (“external” or “manifest”) and bāṭin (“inner” or “hidden”), that mostly indicates the relation between the manifest sphere of one’s actions and the activity that takes place only in one’s mental space. However, as I argue, this distinction is also applied by Baḥya to the expanse of Jewish “tradition,” pertaining to what was disclosed in it and what was left unimparted, what was communicated and what was kept unsaid, what was remembered and what was neglected.