bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abnormal Communication Signals Recognition Based on Image Enhancement and Improved Memory-Augmented Autoencoder
Authors: Kuang Tingyan , Zhou Bo , Li Jie , Ding Guoru , Wu Qihui
Published: July 2022

Detecting increasing anomalous signals is critical to effective spectrum management due to the complexity of the use of electromagnetic spectrum. The anomaly recognition approach based on autoencoder (AE) heavily relies on the assumption that the reconstruction error of normal signals is generally lower than that of abnormal signals. Unfortunately, such an assumption does not necessarily hold due to the excessive generalization ability of the AE. The memory-augmented autoencoder model (MemAE) has been recently proposed to address this issue by introducing memory modules. Still, the standard MemAE model performs poorly on complex image datasets, and its performance for abnormal communication signals recognition is unknown. Therefore, we propose an image enhancement and improved memory-augmented autoencoder model (IIMemAE) to recognize abnormal communication signals. Specifically, we consider two key factors, i.e., the existence of redundant information in the time-frequency spectrogram and the low recognition accuracy of normal signals of the standard MemAE model. We introduce an image enhancement module and an anomaly determination module compared with the standard MemAE model. The proposed IIMemAE model can address the issue that the performance of anomaly recognition may be degraded due to the imbalanced communication signals in the real world. The simulation results show that IIMemAE can effectively recognize synthetic abnormal communication signals even at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and jamming-to-signal ratio (JSR) conditions and outperform the standard MemAE model. Besides, the parametric Pauta criterion proposed can balance the recognition accuracy of normal and abnormal signals to meet the need for diverse recognition tasks.
Mathematical Analysis of COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics Model in Ghana with Double-Dose Vaccination and Quarantine
Authors: Akuka Philip N. A. , Seidu Baba , Bornaa C. S.
Published: July 2022

The discovery of vaccines for COVID-19 has been helpful in the fight against the spread of the disease. Even with these vaccines, the virus continues to spread in many countries, with some vaccinated persons even reported to have been infected, calling for administration of booster vaccines. The need for continued use of nonpharmaceutical interventions to complement the administration of vaccines cannot therefore be overemphasized. This study presents a novel mathematical model to study the impact of quarantine and double-dose vaccination on the spread of the disease. The local stability analysis of the COVID-19-free and endemic equilibria is examined using the Lyapunov second technique. The equilibria are found to be locally asymptotically stable if

R

0

<
1

and

R

0

>
1

, respectively. Besides other analytical results, numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the analytical results established in the paper.
[Retracted] Simulation Analysis and Study of Gait Stability Related to Motion Joints
Authors: Lei Yuanyuan , Yang Fang
Published: July 2022

Gait stability in exercise is an inevitable and vexing problem in mechanics, artificial intelligence, sports, and rehabilitation medicine research. With the rapid development and popularization of science and technology, it becomes a reality for researchers to obtain large‐scale human motion data sets in real time with higher efficiency. However, at present, the analysis of gait stability of moving joints is still based on image recognition technology, which is ten times less accurate and inefficient. In this paper, Vicon 3D motion capture system, dynamometer, and surface electromyography system were used to obtain the parameters of the lower limbs of the subjects. Using Anywhere modeling and simulation system, simulation experiments were carried out, and the reaction force data of lower limb joints under two environments were obtained. The gait characteristics of human gait were analyzed from the angle of internal and external adjustment mechanism. Combining one‐way ANOVA and incremental occupancy rate, the adjustment process of gait stability is described comprehensively. The findings of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the research of lower limb con‐assistive devices and can guide the design and development of bipedal anthropomorphic robots.
Consumer Preference for the Chevon Sausage in Blind and Nonblind Sensory Evaluations: A Comparative Study
Authors: Mazhangara Irene Rumbidzai , Chivandi Eliton , Jaja Ishmael Festus
Published: July 2022

There are strong perceptions regarding chevon consumption, with its strong aroma and smell and its stringiness and gaminess being chief among them. Processing chevon into by-products has resolved this negative perception associated with fresh chevon. A blind and nonblind comparative sensory evaluation was performed to investigate participant preference for the chevon sausage versus pork and beef sausages. The sausages were made from minced shoulder meat. After grilling the sausages, they were cut into 0.5 cm thick slices. There were 52 and 20 participants in the blind and nonblind sensory evaluations, respectively. Using a 9-point hedonic scale, the participants evaluated each sausage for its juiciness, flavor, tenderness, and overall satisfaction. During the blind sensory evaluation, the participants were also asked to identify one of the most distinct sausages since the identity of the sausages was not known. The results showed no significant differences (

P
>
0.05

) in the preferences for any of the sausages during the blind sensory evaluation. The choice for the most distinct sausage showed that pork (57.69%), beef (32.69%), and chevon (9.62%) sausages were all recognized. In the nonblind sensory, knowledge of the identity of the sausage significantly (

P
<
0.05

) influenced South African participants’ liking of the chevon sausage, with pork and chevon being the most and least liked sausages, respectively.
Elucidation of the Underlying Mechanism of Gujian Oral Liquid Acting on Osteoarthritis through Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Experiment
Authors: Wu Congzi , Ge Qinwen , Shi Zhenyu , Ying Jun , Sun Qi , Zhang Shanxing , Chen Jiali , Wang Pinger , Yuan Wenhua , Hu Songfeng , Jin Hongting , Tong Peijian
Published: July 2022

Gujian oral liquid (GJ), a traditional herbal formula in China, has been widely used to treat patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Nevertheless, the active component and potential mechanism of GJ are not fully elucidated. Thus, we investigate the effect of GJ and explore its underlying mechanism on OA through network pharmacology and experimental validation. First, a total of 175 bioactive compounds were identified, and 134 overlapping targets were acquired after comparing the targets of the GJ with those of OA. 8 hub targets, including IL6 and AKT1, were obtained in PPI network analysis. Then, we built up GJ‐target‐OA network and protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. The results underlined inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as a promising signaling pathway of GJ for OA treatment. Moreover, molecular docking also verified the top two active compounds had direct bindings with the top three target genes. Finally, we verified the effect of GJ on OA in vivo and in vitro. In vivo experiments validated that GJ not only significantly attenuated OA phenotypes including articular cartilage degeneration and subchondral bone sclerosis but also reduced the expressions of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and p‐p65 in articular chondrocytes. Besides, GJ serum also had a protective effect on chondrocytes against inflammation caused by TNF‐α in vitro. Hence, our study predicted and verified that GJ could exert anti‐inflammation and anticatabolism effects partially via regulating TNF‐α/NF‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling.
A New Method to Calculate the Relative Permeability of Oil and Water in Tight Oil Reservoirs by Considering the Nonlinear Flow
Authors: Su Haibo , Wang Duocai , Zhang Ping , An Yongsheng , Fu Yaping , Lu Jun , Huang Famu , Zhang Hong , Ren Zhongxing , Li Zhuo
Published: July 2022

The theoretical research on the percolation mechanism and oil-water relative permeability of low-permeability oil reservoirs is the focus and hotspot of international researchers. Oil-water relative permeability is an important parameter that describes the characteristics of oil-water two-phase flow and is widely used in the dynamic analysis of development and numerical simulation technology in the reservoir. The traditional calculation method of oil-water relative permeability (i.e., the JBN method) is based on the Darcy flow law. When the velocity and the displacement pressure gradient do not follow the linear flow law, there are some errors in the results of oil-water relative permeability calculated by the JBN method. In this paper, the traditional JBN method is improved, and we establish a new processing method of experimental data for oil-water relative permeability considering the effects of nonlinear flow, capillary pressure, and gravity in tight oil reservoirs. The experiments on the flow characteristics of single-phase oil and oil-water relative permeability under nonsteady-state conditions were carried out. The flow velocity and displacement pressure gradient show nonlinear characteristics when single-phase oil is passed through a tight core. At the same time, when the air permeability decreases from

1.92
×

10

−
3

 
μ

m

2

to

0.1
×

10

−
3

 
μ

m

2

, the nonlinear characteristics are becoming more and more obvious. Compared with the traditional JBN method, when the nonlinear flow characteristics are considered, the oil phase relative permeability increases, and the water phase relative permeability is slightly lower. If nonlinear flow characteristics are considered, when the water saturation increases from 0.605 to 0.699, the difference of oil phase relative permeability calculated by the JBN method and this method is gradually decreasing and, with the increase of water saturation, decreases from 0.0029 to 0.0001. In addition, the effects of capillary pressure, gravity, and the nonlinear flow coefficient on the oil-water relative permeability in tight oil reservoirs are studied. The capillary pressure also has a great influence on the relative permeability of the oil phase, and the relative permeability of the oil phase increases with the increase in capillary pressure. In the development process of the low-permeability reservoir, the seepage characteristics of each flow area are different, and the oil-water relative permeability is also different. Therefore, the research results play an important role in guiding the understanding of seepage characteristics of low permeability of tight oil reservoirs.
Caso Quintero - Puchuncaví
Authors: De Elejalde Ramiro
Published: July 2022

A las 0:00 horas del lunes 6 de junio, la estación de monitoreo Quintero registró una concentración de dióxido de cobre (SO2) de 1.326 microgramos por metro cúbico (μg/m3), 4 veces más que el máximo utilizado para declarar una emergencia ambiental. A pesar de que el gobierno la decretó y se suspendieron las clases en las comunas de Quintero y Puchuncaví, endichas comunas se registraron 75 personasatendidas en recintos asistenciales con síntomas de intoxicación. Durante las semanassiguientes, varios cientos de personas también residentes en estas comunas presentarían síntomas similares. Continuar leyendo...
Suppression of Chromosome Instability Limits Acquired Drug Resistance
Authors: Crowley Elizabeth A. , Hermance Nicole M. , Herlihy Conor P. , Manning Amity L.
Published: July 2022

Numerical chromosome instability, or nCIN, defined as the high frequency of whole chromosome gains and losses, is prevalent in many solid tumors. nCIN has been shown to promote intratumor heterogeneity and corresponds with tumor aggressiveness, drug resistance, and tumor relapse. Although increased nCIN has been shown to promote the acquisition of genomic changes responsible for drug resistance, the potential to modulate nCIN in a therapeutic manner has not been well explored. Here we assess the role of nCIN in the acquisition of drug resistance in non–small cell lung cancer. We show that the generation of whole chromosome segregation errors in non–small cell lung cancer cells is sensitive to manipulation of microtubule dynamics and that enhancement of chromosome cohesion strongly suppresses nCIN and reduces intratumor heterogeneity. We demonstrate that suppression of nCIN has no impact on non–small cell lung cancer cell proliferation in vitro nor in tumor initiation in mouse xenograft models. However, suppression of nCIN alters the timing and molecular mechanisms that drive acquired drug resistance. These findings suggest mechanisms to suppress nCIN may serve as effective cotherapies to limit tumor evolution and sustain drug response.
Uma tipologia de classificação climática aplicada ao estado de São Paulo
Authors: Novais Giuliano Tostes , Galvani Emerson
Published: July 2022

Este trabalho propõe um novo sistema de classificação climática para o estado de São Paulo, baseado em um mapeamento que leva em consideração as unidades climáticas criadas por Novais (2019). Essa classificação possui uma hierarquia, dividida em: (1ª) Zona Climática, (2ª) Clima Zonal, (3ª) Domínio, 4ª) Subdomínio, (5ª) Tipo e (6ª) Subtipo Climático. A temperatura média do mês mais frio é a principal variável térmica utilizada no trabalho, adquirida através de dados de reanálise com alta resolução espacial (1 km), fornecida pelo algoritmo CHELSA (Climatologia em alta resolução para a superfície terrestre), que também mostra os valores de precipitação pluviométrica mensais de 1979 à 2013. Pela classificação climática adotada, o estado de São Paulo está em duas Zonas Climáticas, uma Quente (ao norte do Trópico de Capricórnio) e outra Moderada (ao sul do mesmo trópico). Os Climas Zonais também são o Quente e o Moderado, mas com influência da temperatura. Foram identificados 4 Domínios no Estado: Tropical, Tropical Ameno, Subtropical, e Subtropical Frio. Esses Domínios foram divididos em 4 Subdomínios climáticos, levando em conta a quantidade de meses secos (úmido, semiúmido, semisseco e seco). A metodologia para determinação de mês seco consiste na diferença entre a precipitação pluviométrica e a evapotranspiração potencial, um dos principais elementos do Balanço Hídrico Climatológico Normal de Thornthwaite. Também foram delimitados os Tipos Climáticos, demonstrando a localização dos Domínios e Subdomínios no território nacional, são em número de 3 no Estado: Litorâneo, Meridional e Setentrional. A última hierarquia climática advém das unidades geomorfológicas, que alteram significativamente o clima sub-regional. Consistem em 87 Subtipos, mostrando uma localização mais precisa da unidade climática, como em planaltos, planícies e depressões do relevo.
A Teoria dos Supercontinentes: discussão e crítica construtiva
Authors: Neves Benjamim Bley de Brito
Published: July 2022

A Teoria dos Supercontinentes teve como seu instaurador principal Alfred Wegener, nos seus clássicos trabalhos nas primeiras décadas do século XX. Deve ser destacada a frente de contestação que lhe foi imposta de geocientistas dos dois mundos (então, todos “geossinclinalistas”). A retomada (e o crédito) só veio com Harry Hess, em 1962, quando este mostrou que os grandes empecilhos (fatores desconhecidos da deriva continental, não explicados devidamente), inibidores da teoria, passaram a ser cientificamente demonstráveis. Isso com suas pesquisas, com o conceito de convecção mantélica e mais ainda com proveito do ímpeto do surgimento da Tectônica de Placas (e o combate ao fixismo sensu lato). Seguindo Hess, alguns trabalhos foram acrescentados, com novas proposições, adendos, revisões, principalmente entre 1992 e 2005. Desde então, instalou-se fase notável de contribuições, publicações, livros e capítulos, todos com novos dados científicos. Temos que admitir que esse ramo das geociências ainda está em estágio de fluxo. A aplicação desses conceitos e conhecimentos, merecedora de um projeto internacional específico, foi estendida do Arqueano (no caso mais problemático de todos erátemas) até o fim do Mesoproterozoico (e.g. projetos “Gondwana”, “Rodínia” etc.). Concomitantemente a esses trabalhos e dados, já surgiram várias questões pendentes, para todos os casos de supercontinentes. Catalogamos uma série de problemas que queremos expor e as soluções que são demandadas. O conclusivo hoje é que o supercontinente Pangea, pelos seus dados geológicos gerais, geocronológicos e paleomagnéticos, é o único que pode ser colocado no status de fato científico. Todas as demais configurações propostas anteriores à Pangea são boas hipóteses de trabalho, a serem investigadas/exploradas de forma multidisciplinar.
Labour Dynamics in Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises (SME s)
Authors: Gukurume Simbarashe , Matsika Fiona Tafadzwa
Published: July 2022

Over the past few years, China–Africa engagements have intensified, manifesting in an escalation of Chinese small-scale entrepreneurs investing in African countries. Nevertheless, there is little research on everyday workplace encounters, management styles and labour dynamics in these businesses. This study fills this lacuna by examining labour and management practices in Chinese-owned SME s in Zimbabwe, and how local employees experience and perceive Chinese management styles and practices. We employed an ethnographic qualitative methodology, conducting interviews and informal conversations. Secondary data came from newspaper and civil society reports. The findings revealed that workplace regimes in Chinese SME s are complex and ambivalent, marked by precariousness, conflict, contestation and conviviality. The findings also highlighted meagre salaries, job insecurity, long working hours and unfair dismissals. We argue that the socio-spatial context of work in Chinese SME s in Zimbabwe is imbued with complex power dynamics driven by divergent cultural interpretations of work and being a worker.
A Review of the Political Economy of South African Land Reform and Its Contested Multifaceted Land Questions
Authors: Xaba Mzingaye Brilliant
Published: July 2022

South African land matters today emanate from the past racially based land dispossession of black communities, which furthered white settler capitalism. Post-apartheid regimes have developed many policies to reverse this legacy, but with little effect. Political parties have blamed the Constitution for the slow pace of land reform, arguing for the need to amend it to clarify ‘expropriation without compensation’. Based on a broad literature review, this article suggests some political, economic and social lessons for South Africa’s land reform. It aims to understand how other countries have dealt with land acquisition for land reform and urban housing development projects, the post-acquisition stage and the reasons for failure and success of some land reforms. This article calls for an alignment of land stakeholders, inclusion of urban land in land reform policies and increasing the powers of provincial officers to improve support for beneficiaries and the subdivision of large farms.
DNA barcoding, phylogeny and phylogeography of the cyst nematode species of the Humuli group from the genus Heterodera (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae)
Authors: Subbotin Sergei A. , Roubtsova Tatiana V. , Bostock Richard M. , Tanha Maafi Zahra , Chizhov Vladimir N.
Published: July 2022

The Humuli group of the genus Heterodera contains species that parasitise dicotyledons and are characterised by a lemon-shaped cyst having a bifenestrate vulval cone (ambifenestrate for H. fici), long vulval slit and weak underbridge. Presently, the Humuli group includes seven species: H. amaranthusiae, H. fici, H. humuli, H. litoralis, H. ripae, H. turcomanica and H. vallicola. In this study we provided comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of COI and ITS rRNA gene sequences of species from the Humuli group using Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and maximum and statistical parsimony. All seven valid species from the Humuli group, one putatively new species belonging to this group and the willow cyst nematode, H. salixophila, sharing a common ancestor with the Humuli group, were analysed. Some 84 COI and 5 ITS rRNA new gene sequences from 37 nematode populations collected from 12 countries were obtained in this study. Our results confirmed that the COI gene is a powerful DNA barcoding marker for identification of populations and species from the Humuli group. Based on the results of phylogeographical analysis and age estimation of clades with a molecular clock approach, it was hypothesised that some species of the Humuli group primarily originated and diversified in Western and Middle Asian regions during the Pleistocene and Holocene periods and then dispersed from this region across the world. Two secondary diversification centres of the Humuli group were likely located in East and Southeast Asia, Russian Far East, and Oceania.
Ficophagus giblindavisi n. sp. (Nematoda: Aphelenchoididae), an associate of Ficus variegata in China
Authors: Zhao Chen , Zhang Dayuan , Zhao Xiulan , Zeng Wensheng , Zeng Yongsan , Roberts Joseph A.
Published: July 2022

A new species of the genus Ficophagus was recovered from the syconia of Ficus variegata from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China. It is described herein as Ficophagus giblindavisi n. sp. and is characterised by possessing the longest stylet in males (35.1-45.8 μm) and most lateral incisures (5) of all currently described species in the genus, a short PUS (8.4-11.4 μm or 0.3 VBD long), excretory pore situated at or posterior to the nerve ring, amoeboid sperm, three pairs of subventral papillae on the male tail, rounded male tail tip with a mucron, absence of gubernaculum and sickle-shaped spicules with a terminal cucullus. Ficophagus giblindavisi n. sp. was differentiated from other sequenced species by the partial small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analysis with the LSU D2-D3 expansion segment sequence suggested that F. giblindavisi n. sp. is clustered in the same highly supported monophyletic clade with F. auriculatae and F. fleckeri.
Witnessing the Uninhabitable Place: On the Experience and Testimony of Refugees
Authors: van der Heiden Gert-Jan
Published: July 2022

Symptomatic of the crisis of the current global political order are the millions of displaced that have fled their homes but are not allowed to enter the country in which they seek refuge. Instead, they are placed in camps. To understand the site of the camp and the bare life it produces, testimonies of refugees are indispensable. This essay aims to examine and listen to these testimonies by, first, introducing the notion of testimony and some of the characteristics of the testimony of refugees; second, examining what it means to listen to testimony and which role is played therein by the narrative, literary structure of testimony; and, third, by interpreting the form of life to which the testimonies of the camp attest, which several witnesses describe as a life in “limbo.” This essay concludes with some brief remarks on the relation between experience, truth, and language in testimony.
Golden Jewellery of the Vodoslavka Scythian Burial-Ground of the Second and Third Quarters of the 4th Century BC
Authors: Daragan Marina , Polin Sergey
Published: July 2022

The Scythian barrows investigated near Vodoslavka in the Sivash region form a tribal burial-ground for one of the groups of the steppe population dating from the second and third quarters of the 4th century BC. In several barrows of this Scythian burial-ground, which contained burials of representatives of the local élite, a spectacular and most unusual set of gold items was discovered. These items served as decorations on the clothes and headdresses of the men and women buried there. The comparison of materials from Vodoslavka with finds from other élite Scythian kurgans of that time allowed the identification of a group of barrows, in which identical series of plaques and other decorative elements for clothing and headwear were found, including those made using one and the same matrix. The presence of gold in the Scythian burials could be regarded as an unmistakable marker of the high position within their community which the deceased had enjoyed. The specific range of categories of artistic objects made of gold, or decorated with gold, is assumed to have been different for men and women. This includes headdresses, torques and necklaces, rings, decorations for garments, vessels and so on: the combination of such items characterized the place of a specific individual in society. The female burials, which are similar in many respects, not only reflect the centres of power dominated by certain Scythian clans, but also demonstrate the existence of the shared hierarchical system of those clans, based in places far apart but all within the single territorial entity that was Scythia. The selection of images on the plaques of female headwear is worth noticing as well. It includes various mythical beasts: dragons, various types of griffins and sphinxes. Their depiction is virtually obligatory. All this clearly emphasises the specific status of the buried women and illustrates yet unknown themes of Scythian mythology and ideology.
The Pectoral from Kosika and the Origin of the Scenes of Animal Combat in Graeco-Scythian Goldwork
Authors: Treister Mikhail
Published: July 2022

This article concerns a gold pectoral found in burial No. 1/1984 in Kosika in the Lower Volga area. The destroyed burial was dated by us to the third quarter of the 1st century BC. Based on visual examination of the pectoral in 2015, an attempt is made to re-establish its history: to determine when it was created – no later than the first half of the 5th century BC – and when it was repaired and re-worked at the end of the 5th century or during the first third of the 4th century BC and also to explain how this unique object of Scythian culture of the North Pontic area, insignia of royal power and one of the earliest works depicting scenes of animal combat, appearing at the very beginning of the Graeco-Scythian style in toreutics, found its way into a far later burial (at least 300 years after it had been re-worked), that of a representative of the highest Sarmatian élite.
Environmental Protest Aesthetics as Decolonial Worlding
Authors: Arnez Monika
Published: July 2022

This article makes the case for environmental protest aesthetics as part of a decolonial worlding that encompasses a variety of relational performative acts through which creative resistance to colonialism, capitalism, and resource exploitation is staged. These acts are understood as relational because in their graphics, image-text events in social media, and in their appearances at street protests, they refer to a system that they seek to subvert. The case studies drawn on are Fridays for Future, Klima Action Malaysia and the kristang community in Melaka. Inspired by research on worlding, the aesthetics of protest and performative acts these case studies are examined as manifestations of different facets of decolonial worlding, with a particular focus on the production and dissemination of visual material in the context of environmental protest.
Africa and International Food Security Treaties: Is Climate Change to Blame?
Authors: Oluoko-Odingo Alice A.
Published: July 2022

This article is directed at answering three questions: what are the causes of food insecurity in Africa? What proportion of food insecurity is attributable to climate change, and lastly, how effective have the international food treaties been in addressing food insecurity in Africa? Information is scarce on the audit of the implementation, effectiveness and achievements of the various treaties over the years. None of the existing treaties specifically targets chronic food insecurity and historical issues as is common in Africa. Historical and geopolitical issues are responsible for food insecurity, as climate change only worsened the deplorable situation. It would not be possible for Africa to realise the sustainable development goals if the story does not change. Recommendations underline the need to handle historical and geopolitical issues independently, review existing treaties to identify gaps and determine the way forward.
The Dynamics and Complexities of Voter Choices in Ghana: A Perspective of Most Populous Swing and Stronghold Constituencies
Authors: Asekere George
Published: July 2022

The study explored the determinants of voter behaviour in the electoral context, which focuses on swing and stronghold constituencies in Ghana, where two major political parties have dominated the political space, and alternated power since the return to constitutional rule in 1993. Primary data were gathered from 400 registered voters in three most populous swing and stronghold constituencies and triangulated with secondary data from elections held between 2000–2020 in Ghana. The results show that long-term factors such as ideology and party identity are critical in determining voter choices in stronghold constituencies while short-term factors such as campaign messages and appeal of the personality contesting the elections are some of the factors considered by the electorate in swing constituencies. The study noted that the two political parties in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress, and the New Patriotic Party, have explored both long and short-term factors to sustain their dominance in stronghold constituencies.
‘Dear Dr John Smith. I refuse to obey this mark. That’s mean. So, can you give me a higher mark?’
Authors: Rodríguez Velasco David
Published: July 2022

This research studies a group of Chinese university students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) to analyse the macro- and microstructure of their emails and their pragmatic competence. In order to study the features and context adequacy of their email communication, a corpus of 200 emails written by 100 second-year students (sophomores) and 100 fourth-year students (seniors) was analysed to identify the uses and preferences concerning subject lines and opening and closing moves and to investigate the uses and functions of strategies related to disagreement in their communication to a faculty member. Findings show that both Chinese groups lacked standardisation in relation to the use of subject line and opening and closing moves. Data also proved that Chinese EFL emails were inappropriate due to insufficient mitigation, lack of acknowledgment of the imposition involved and lack of status-congruent language.
La crise des années 1980 et le maraboutage en Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Traoré Sékou
Published: July 2022

The growth of marabouts’ divinatory practices in urban centres in Côte d’Ivoire from the 1980s onwards was due to the generational crisis among marabouts and the unemployment of many graduates from universities in the Arab Maghreb. Forced to earn money linked to the difficulties of urban city life, some marabouts replaced the traditional community support with a mandatory fee, so that we witnessed the professionalisation of maraboutage. Professional marabouts mingled with other practitioners of the occult, causing repeated scandals. In response, the Ivorian state took measures to control the activities of “fake” marabouts. This study focuses on the political, economic and religious consequences for the image and the position of marabouts in the postcolony. It is based on the use of press clippings, bibliographic data and oral sources.
An Analysis of the Evolution of Forestry Reforms and Women’s Rights to Forest Use, Ownership and Management in Cameroon
Authors: Ngefor Silvian , Van Damme Patrick
Published: July 2022

Changes in forestry policies in Cameroon have often been initiated by different stakeholders in line with their respective interests, political and/or economic power, capacities and views. Consequently, communities, and especially women, inhabiting forest areas have faced difficulty using and managing forests, for cultural, social, economic and institutional reasons that limit their rights regarding the forest. This paper argues that institutional changes in Cameroon around ownership, use and management of forest resources have had far-reaching impacts on women who are dependent on these forests. We use secondary and primary data to support our analyses. Our findings reveal that over time, forestry reforms in Cameroon have been gender-blind or gender-neutral, with no clauses in forestry reforms that consider women’s vulnerabilities, needs and responsibilities. These reforms continue to impose secondary roles on women. By using gender-inclusive success stories from Nepalese forest communities, this research presses on policymakers to be more gender-inclusive when enacting forestry policies. Raising awareness and enforcing accountability that supports women will both improve the standards of living for everyone in forest communities and enhance sustainable forest management.
Dryland Ecosystems of the Sudano-Sahel: A Vegetation Model Perspective
Authors: Verbruggen Wim
Published: July 2022

Dryland ecosystems are globally widespread and have a large impact on the global land carbon sink. Yet a detailed optimisation of dynamic vegetation models for these ecosystems is lacking. This works contributes to resolving this problem. Based on data from our own field work, we parameterised two dynamic vegetation models to dryland conditions, specifically the Sudano-Sahel region. The optimised parameterisation enables the models to realistically simulate carbon and water fluxes measured at several fluxtower sites across the region, as well as several satellite data products. Using these models, we then studied how climatic factors and soil texture may influence the functioning of dryland ecosystems. By using and tuning dynamic vegetation models for simulating dryland vegetation, this work provides a unique insight into dryland ecosystem functioning.
Reforming the International Court of Justice to Deal with State Responsibility for Conflict and Human Rights Violations
Authors: Sarkin Jeremy Julian , Sarkin Eryn
Published: July 2022

The world has experienced numerous armed conflicts and violations of human rights arising from conflicts. However, many millions of human rights abuses have occurred outside of conflict. These have been on the rise over the last fifteen years. This article enquires why the International Court of Justice (icj) has not played the role it could have over the last seventy-five years. This is done with reference to the use of force by the Russian Federation (Russia) in Ukraine in 2022. It is argued that when it comes to dealing with wars, conflict, and human rights violations, the Court has played a limited role and has been less than robust than it could have been. The article investigates the problems that undermine the Court, including the appointment process for judges, the use of ad hoc judges, jurisdictional limitations, and issues concerning compliance and enforcement of its judgments. The argument made is that politics and political considerations are deeply imbedded in these processes and that an independent structure is needed. It is also argued that while some of the problems of the Court are structural, others are of the Court’s own making.
The Origin and Formal Characteristics of Fu Prefaces
Authors: Ma Lili
Published: July 2022

Prefaces to fu compositions originated and developed during the Han Dynasty. Their beginnings can be traced to the Western Han when Sima Qian added brief introductions to Jia Yi’s fu in the Shiji. This marked the creation of the commentator’s preface. During the late Western and early Eastern Han, a transitional form of preface – in-between a commentator’s and an author’s preface – began to appear. Important examples can be found in Yang Xiong’s “Autobiography” and Huan Tan’s New Treatise where the authors commented on fu pieces they themselves had composed earlier in life. The use of author’s prefaces eventually became popular during the Eastern Han. In addition to instructing the reader on the background of a composition, Han fu prefaces possessed a variety of additional functions. They served to clarify the central themes and outline the main contents of a fu, display the author’s personal viewpoints, emotions, and literary talent and help attract potential readers. This shows an awareness of the reading experience of the recipients on the part of the authors. The basic characteristics of fu prefaces as a literary form can be described as richness of content, the use of diverse writing techniques as well as a versatility in literary style. Han fu prefaces additionally played a distinct role in the development of the literary genre of xiaopin wen.
The Influence of Chenwei on Han Dynasty Literature and Literary Theory
Authors: Zhang Fengyi
Published: July 2022

Apocryphal chenwei ideas and beliefs rose to prominence in the Han dynasty as a political and cultural movement that became closely intertwined with orthodox classical scholarship. These ideas and beliefs profoundly influenced the literature and literary theory of this period, and their influence must be taken into consideration – alongside that of classical scholarship – when undertaking Han dynasty literary and cultural research. A comprehensive understanding of Han dynasty literature and literary thought can only be obtained when connections to both chenwei themes and classical scholarship have been recognized. Accordingly, this article seeks to shed light on the strong links between chenwei concepts and Han dynasty literary thought through an examination of chenwei influence on Han dynasty poetry and literary theories.
“only the rags we had on …”
Authors: Horn Karen
Published: July 2022

The Italian prisoner-of-war (POW) experience in the Union of South Africa is not well represented in scholarly publications. Research on this topic tends to focus on the general feeling of partnership between captors and captives that came about after 1943, when a new camp commandant was appointed at Zonderwater, the largest POW camp in the Union. There is no doubt that POW s and military authorities shared a mindset cooperation, but it represents one interpretation only. With educational, cultural, and sporting programmes arranged by welfare officers, many POW s gained skills and positive experiences from their captivity. However, POW s arrived early in 1941, when Zonderwater and its staff were ill-prepared for the challenges that awaited them. From 1941 to 1942 the camp commandant, Colonel DW de Wet, attempted but failed to manage the camp according to the regulations set out by the Geneva Convention of 1929 for the treatment of prisoners-of-war, of which the Union was a signatory. This article looks at the causes of De Wet’s apparent failure and the consequences thereof on the prisoners, the camp staff and to a smaller extent, on the Union government.
Some Human Values of Ubuntu and an African Philosophical View of Self-Concept and Integration
Authors: Ujomu Philip Ogo
Published: July 2022

Defining the features of ubuntu in the context of African philosophy, is basically about the quest for a definitive means of culturally expressing what seems primal, unique, useful, and common to the Africans in relation to the world. Put simply, the quest to clarify the key features of ubuntu is to some extent a search for the African self-concept or identity for effective global interconnectedness of the races. This is to be done in a way that defines and sustains the ontology and essence of the Africans, as a people who know who or what they are, and what they are capable of contributing to the world. A search for the values of ubuntu is the pursuit of a new way of doing things: a quest for a new definition of social justice in which all people, particularly the Africans and their beliefs will be given due recognition and respect in the global order. Legitimizing of ubuntu is in a way the repudiation of the colonial history of the African continent; the aggressive and relentless pursuit of the decolonization of all African spaces-economic, cultural, political, moral, intellectual, and so on. So, in summary, ubuntu is framed philosophically as a platform for liberating the Africans from all manners of peonage, domination, oppression, and exploitation both from within or outside the continent and establishing a basis for interrelations with the world.
In Conversation with Michael Sandel on World Philosophy Day 2021 in Tanzania
Authors: Sandel Michael J. , Muhoza Josephat
Published: July 2022

Michael J. Sandel is a political and moral philosopher on the faculty of Harvard’s Department of Government. On World Philosophy Day 2021, Professor Sandel joined the University of Dar es Salaam by live-streamed video in a short question and answer session to celebrate the UN World Philosophy Day 2021. The questions referred to three of Sandel’s books, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? (2020) What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets (2012) and Justice: What’s the right thing to do? (2010), volumes that have been translated in over thirty languages. Sandel’s lectures have packed St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and an outdoor stadium in Seoul, South Korea where 14,000 came to one event to hear him speak. Discussants included convener Dr. Josephat Muhoza, a senior member of the UDSM Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Dr. Philbert Komu and Mr. Shija Kuhumba, faculty members of the department, philosophy students, and other members of the audience, also posed questions.
Kiswahili Communication Strategies in Response to Covid-19 in Tanzania
Authors: Asheli Nicholous
Published: July 2022

When life circumstances change, language use will definitely change to reflect those new developments. Over 2020–2021, strategies adopted by Kiswahili users in Tanzania resulted in new linguistic features of the nation’s lingua franca in response to COVID-19. New communication strategies were necessary for two reasons: the contagion was novel; and the pandemic was presented as an unprecedented threat to human life that necessitated, politically and socially, unprecedented warnings and prohibitions. As a result, at some point political persuasions and alliances affected the way people talked about the contagion. Due to structural and procedural changes imposed by the pandemic, there emerged some new expressions and an increase in the frequency of use of other expressions.
Locating the Hadzabe People in the Wilderness
Authors: Lusekelo Amani
Published: July 2022

There exists a close relationship between the use of a personal name as the means of individuating a single person and highlighting that person’s ties to an entire culture. Many aspects of the Hadzabe’s entire culture are reported as having been eroded by the influences of other major ethnic groups (including Datooga, Isanzu, Iraqw, and Sukuma) in the Lake Eyasi area, as well as by Christian missionaries and by the sedentarization programs of the Government of Tanzania. Despite these major impacts, Hadzabe local names still exhibit affiliations to their indigenous foraging lifestyle, associating them individually with features of their physical landscapes and with regional flora and fauna, as well as with historical circumstances and events occurring at the time of their birth. A new-born infant is always featured as the main protagonist in the family, and these remembrances of indigenous culture still prevail in the naming of newly born children in Hadzabe society.
Middepth Zonal Velocity in the Southern Tropical Indian Ocean: Striation-Like Structures and Their Dynamics
Authors: Xia Yifan , Du Yan
Published: July 2022

In this study, the upper-ocean absolute geostrophic currents in the southern Indian Ocean are constructed using Argo temperature and salinity data from the middepth (1000 m) zonal velocity derived from the Argo float trajectory. The results reveal alternating quasi-zonal striation-like structures of middepth zonal velocity in the equatorial and southern tropical Indian Ocean. Specifically, the eastward time-mean flows are located at the equator and 2°, 5°, 8°, 13°, 16°, 18°–19°, and 21°–22°S, with a meridional scale of ∼300 km. The generation mechanisms of the striation-like zonal velocity structure differ between the near-equatorial and off-equatorial regions. The triad of baroclinic Rossby wave instability plays a significant role in near-equatorial striations. In the south, the high potential vorticity (PV) of Antarctic intermediate water and low PV of southern Indian Ocean Subantarctic Mode Water lead to strong baroclinic instability, which increases the eddy kinetic energy in the middepth layer, thus contributing to a turbulent PV gradient. The convergence/divergence of the eddy PV flux generates the quasi-zonal striations. The meridional scale of the striations is controlled by the most unstable wavelength of baroclinic instability, which explains the observations.

Significance Statement

The middepth zonal velocity resembles a system of eastward/westward jets with a considerably smaller width than the larger-scale ocean surface circulation. Such a phenomenon always occurs in a turbulent ocean that presents eddy or eddy–mean flow interactions. This study used float observations to reveal a robust middepth zonal velocity in the southern tropical Indian Ocean, where the width of the eastward time-mean flows is approximately 300 km. Smaller eddies drive the zonal currents with a smaller width, and the energy of the eddies is released from the unstable vertical structure at middepths. This study provides new insights into the generation mechanism of small-width zonal current structures in the deep ocean.
Long-term scarring from institutional labelling: The risk of NEET of students from schools for learning disability in Germany
Authors: Menze Laura , Solga Heike , Pollak Reinhard
Published: July 2022

This article demonstrates the disadvantages that students leaving special needs schools ( Förderschule) face in their school-to-work transition in Germany. We analyse whether the institutional label of ‘having attended a special needs school’ – beyond and above low school attainment – results in scarring effects for students’ chances of integration into training and employment after leaving school. We focus on students classified as having learning disability ( Lernbehinderung), the largest group among students with special educational needs (SEN) and examine their NEET risk compared to equally low-attaining students from general schools at age 20/21. The analyses are based on rare longitudinal data for SEN students, the German National Educational Panel Study. Employing matching and regression techniques, we find that the label of ‘having attended a special needs school’ does generate long-term scars above and beyond low school attainment. However, this is only the case for school leavers with a lower secondary school certificate but not for those without school certificate.
An Unusual Pattern of Skull Base Pneumatization
Authors: Gumeler Ekim , Oguz Kader K.
Published: July 2022

Objective:

Our aim is to describe an unusual pattern of craniocervical pneumatization resulting in a spontaneous fracture in a patient, who presented with tinnitus.

Methods:

Temporal CT was ordered in a patient with tinnitus lasting over a year. His audiogram was normal. No history of previous trauma, recent flight, diving, or weight lifting was present. Further questioning revealed his habitual Valsalva maneuvers to relieve symptoms of nasal congestion.

Results:

Temporal CT showed abnormal pneumatization of the occipital bone and C1 vertebra. A definite cortical defect resulted with the presence of air around the neighboring soft tissues. The emphysema was most prominent in the suboccipital fossa but it was also seen in the epidural space of the spinal canal.

Conclusion:

Abnormal pneumatization of the skull base and cervical vertebra can be symptomatic due to its tendency to fracture. The presumed cause of pneumatization in this patient is habitual Valsalva maneuvers.