bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Structure of Charles Taylor’s Philosophy
Authors: Lefftz Grégoire ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2023

The aim of this paper is to show how systematic Charles Taylor’s philosophy is. It rejects two opposite readings: one claiming that Taylor’s thought is too diverse to have real unity; the other, that it is the product of a “monomaniac” (Taylor’s own word). I claim that his thought has a very distinct structure, comprising two levels. On the first, “meta-hermeneutic” level, Taylor defends a thesis about hermeneutics (namely, that it cannot be dispensed with): this unifies his anthropology, epistemology, moral philosophy, philosophy of language and political philosophy. On the second, “hermeneutic” level, Taylor builds an impressive historic construal of modern identity and its dilemmas. More importantly, while these two levels are irreducibly distinct, they relate to each other in interesting ways, giving Taylor’s philosophy its systematicity. I finally confront this view with other readings, and argue that it is the best way to understand Taylor’s work.
Overcoming Schumpeter’s Dichotomy
Authors: Shoemaker Eric ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2023

For a given decision, when an undemocratic procedure would result in a good outcome, and a democratic procedure would result in a bad outcome, which decision procedure ought we to use? Epistemic democrats, such as Joseph Schumpeter, argue that all else being equal, we should prefer the procedure with the good outcome. Schumpeter’s argument for this position is that we must reject the view that only democratic procedures matter when evaluating government institutions (pure proceduralism), and the only alternative to pure proceduralism that can coherently describe the relationship between democracy and the public interest is pure instrumentalism. I argue that Schumpeter’s argument for epistemic democracy does not succeed. In this paper, I outline three alternative ways of conceiving of the relationship between democracy and the public interest, which I call evaluative dualism, impure instrumentalism, and impure proceduralism. I explain how, with any of these three alternative views, we can evaluate government institutions without rejecting the intrinsic value of democratic procedures or the public interest.
The Influence Of Profitability and Dividend Policy On Financial Performance On Share Price (Study On Himbara Banks Listed On The Indonesia Stock Exchange) Period 2018-2021
Authors: Retno Ambarsari  , Hartono  , Yuliasnita Verlandes
Published: August 2023

Economic development in an increasingly modern era has undergone substantial changes; in the business sector, it has developed in line with technological developments, and in the banking sector, which has gone public. This study aims to determine the effect of profitability and dividend policy on financial performance on stock prices at Himbara banks listed on the Indonesian stock exchange. This research uses multiple linear regression methods assisted by data analysis software, namely SPSS 25. The sampling technique used in this research is a saturated sample with a process that uses all population members as samples. The model used in this study was Himbara Bank which consisted of 4 banks, namely Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), State Savings Bank (BTN), and Bank Mandiri. The study results show that profitability partially significantly affects stock prices. It can be seen from the NPM results, which have a t count of 3.264 > t table (2.178) with a probability of 0.009 (p <0.05), ROA with a t count value of 2.595> t table (2.178) with a probability of 0.027 (p <0.05), ROE t count - 2.966> t table (2.178) with a probability value of 0.014 (p <0.05). Dividend policy partially has a significant effect on stock prices. It can be seen from the results (DPS) with a t count of 8,190> t table (2.178) with a probability of 0,000 (p <0.05). As well as profitability and dividend policy simultaneously have a significant influence on the price of Himbara bank shares listed on the Indonesian stock exchange. It can be seen that the result of the F count is 40.304 > F table (3.74), which means that the variable profitability and dividend policy simultaneously affect the stock price.
Kreativitas dalam Membina Kedisiplinan Santri pada Masa Pandemi Covid-19
Authors: Muhammad Hasman Zhafiri , Wildan Syakur
Published: August 2023

Human life cannot be separated from the existence of a rule of life. The rules of life make human beings more directed and organized in accordance with the discipline applied. Thus, man is required to obey the rules or it can be said to live a disciplined life in accordance with the values or norms prevailing in his life. The discipline that exists in the students of MANPK Yogyakarta, has been organized and carried out properly. The existence of good implementation cannot be separated from the role of creativity of a coach in accompanying and escorting the discipline of students. With this background, the researcher raised the title of Coach Creativity in the Formation of Santri Discipline at MANPK Yogyakarta During the Covid-19 Pandemic. The purpose of this study is to find out and describe the form of creativity of coaches in shaping the discipline of students at MANPK MAN 1 Yogyakarta. This type of research is descriptive qualitative research. Type of qualitative research, which is research that aims to describe fully and in depth the social reality and various phenomena that occur so that the characteristics, characters, traits, and models of these phenomena appear. The results showed that first, the discipline that exists in the students of MANPK Yogyakarta is good, although there are some students who have not carried out the rules properly. The two creativity that exists in the coach in shaping the discipline of students include by making a joint order between students and coaches (MANPK policy makers), the second way is control carried out by the coach with parents to accompany the discipline of students, the third way by example, where exemplary can provide an example for student discipline, the fourth way with a personal approach, where to discipline students, it is necessary to have personal communication between coaches and students.
Relating a Conceptual Overview of Vaccines Utilization for the Prevention of Rotavirus in Children
Authors: Garba Salisu , Dikko Malami , Bala Barga Isiyaka , Aliyu Abdullahi , Sarkingobir Yusuf
Published: August 2023

Rotavirus infection is an emphatic health concern that when left unabated elicits hospitalizations, and deaths of many children due to diarrhea, even in developed countries; let one in poor settings. Likewise, the virus can affect older youngsters and adults resulting in mild infection. The consequences of the rotavirus could not be unconnected with the levels of poor prevention ploys put in place, including the inability of the body of children to counteract the rotavirus with a substantial immunity due to earlier invasion. Thus, it is important to seek for vaccines, because vaccination use in disease prevention is becoming a forefront efficient and easiest way nowadays. This paper brings a conceptual overview of vaccines utilization for the prevention of rotavirus infection in children under the following headings: Introduction, rotavirus vaccines, replicating vaccines, non-replicating vaccines, subunit vaccines, virus like particles, encapsulation, rotavirus vaccination, and conclusion.
Debating Deposits, Redux: Substantial Interobserver Agreement Exists in Distinguishing Tumor Deposits From Nodal Metastases in Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Gonzalez Raul S. , La Rosa Stefano , Ma Changqing , Polydorides Alexandros D. , Shi Chanjuan , Yang Zhaohai , Cox Brian , Karamchandani Dipti M.
Published: August 2023

Context

Recent data suggest mesenteric tumor deposits (MTDs) indicate poor prognosis in small bowel well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (SB-NETs), including compared to positive lymph nodes, making their distinction crucial.

Objective

To study interobserver agreement in distinguishing SB-NET MTDs from positive nodes.

Design

Virtual slides from 36 locally metastatic SB-NET foci were shared among 7 gastrointestinal pathologists, who interpreted each as an MTD or a positive node. Observers ranked their 5 preferred choices among a supplied list of potentially useful histologic features, for both options. Diagnostic opinions were compared using Fleiss multirater and Cohen weighted κ analyses.

Results

Preferred criteria for MTD included irregular shape (n = 7, top choice for 5), perineural invasion/nerve entrapment (n = 7, top choice for 2), encased thick-walled vessels (n = 7), and prominent fibrosis (n = 6). Preferred criteria for positive nodes included peripheral lymphoid follicles (n = 6, top choice for 4), round shape (n = 7, top choice for 2), peripheral lymphocyte rim (n = 7, top choice for 1), subcapsular sinuses (n = 7), and a capsule (n = 6). Among 36 foci, 10 (28%) each were unanimously diagnosed as MTD or positive node. For 13 foci (36%), there was a diagnosis favored by most observers (5 or 6 of 7): positive node in 8, MTD in 5. Only 3 cases (8%) had a near-even (4:3) split. Overall agreement was substantial (κ = .64, P < .001).

Conclusions

Substantial interobserver agreement exists for distinguishing SB-NET MTDs from lymph node metastases. Favored histologic criteria in making the distinction include irregular shape and nerve/vessel entrapment for MTD, and peripheral lymphocytes/lymphoid follicles and round shape for positive nodes.
Review of Histopathological Diagnoses of One Year Appendectomy Specimens in Sulaimani City
Authors: Yaseen Hadeel , Khudaier Hassanain , Ibrahim Ali
Published: August 2023

Objective: To review and see the pattern of histopathological diagnoses of one year appendectomy specimens.Methodology: This retrospective study was carried in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital over the period of one year (from 1stof January to 31st of December 2009). All pathological reports were reviewed retrospectively for patient’s age, sex,histopathological diagnosis and operative findings (if present). Histopathological diagnoses then were classified intoeither positive or negative for acute inflammation. Any associated findings or any surgical specimen removed with theappendix was recorded. The obtained data were analyzed by using the statistical package social sciences (SPSS) version19; with Chi square to test for significance between data.Results: Hospital pathological reports of 2052 appendectomy cases were reviewed, (47.12%) were males and (52.88%)were females. 61.9% of all appendectomy cases were positive for acute inflammation (32.9% had acute appendicitis;26.1 % had acute suppurative appendicitis , and 4.5% had gangrenous appendicitis), while 38.1% were negative (28.5 %had reactive follicular hyperplasia, 6.2% were normal, and 0.2% had carcinoid tumors). Negative for acuteinflammation cases were generally significantly more common in females e.g. periappendicitis, Reactive FollicularHyperplesia and carcinoid tumor but eosinophilic appendicitis cases like acute appendicitis were more common inmales. Normal appendixes versus Reactive Follicular Hyperplesia (without associated appendicitis) are two entities thatintermingle. Chronic appendicitis is controversial entity. Out of 20 cases with Entrobius vermicularis (95%) cases wereassociated with reactive follicular hyperplasia and it shows non significant association with acute appendicitis.Recommendation: We recommend that the pathologists must be strict to histological criteria for each pathologicalentity before the diagnosis.
ضمانات ومزايا الاستثمار وأثرها على اقتصاد الدولة
Authors: شاهر د.حمزة محمد
Published: August 2023

تناول هذا البحث دراسة ضمانات ومزايا وحوافز الاستثمار المقررة في التشريعات اليمنية لما لها من أهمية في اقتصاد الدولة وبيان مدى فاعلية تلك الضمانات والمزايا . وقد اقتصرت الدراسة على الأحكام القانونية ولم تتطرق إلى مقومات الاستثمار الأخرى كالاستقرار السياسي وما تمر به اليمن حالياً من أوضاع استثنائية .
 وقد تناولت الدراسة الضمانات والمزايا في القانون رقم (15) لسنة 2010م بشأن الاستثمار، بالإضافة إلى ما هو مقرر في القانون رقم (14) لسنة 1990م بشـأن الجمارك المعدّل بالقانون رقم (12) لسنة 2010م، والقانون رقم (17) لسنة 2010م بشـأن ضرائب الدخل، والقانون رقم (4) لسنة 1993م بشأن المناطق الحرة، واتفاقيات تجنب الازدواج الضريبي سواء الإقليمية أو الثنائية، واتفاقيات المشاركة في الإنتاج المبرمة بين الحكومة اليمنية والشركات النفطية، والاتفاقيات الدولية والإقليمية والثنائية في تسوية منازعات الاستثمار
الأبعاد الوظيفية والدلالية لحروف الجر
Authors: النهاري د.عبدالله أحمد حمزة
Published: August 2023

دار هذا البحث حول حروف الجر في التركيب؛ سعيا إلى استكناه سماتها، ومناقشة أحكامها، واستجلاء علاقاتها التي تحكمها بمدخولها تارة وبمتعلقها أخرى، وخلوصا  إلى أبعاد حضورها الدلالي في التركيب وأثره وقيمته؛ على أمل الوصول من كل ذلك إلى صورة شاملة لأبعادها الوظيفية والدلالية في التركيب، وعلى هذا قسَّمنا الدراسة فيها إلى مبحثين اثنين، ضمَّ كلٌّ منهما خمسة مطالب، الأول: يبحث في أبعادها الوظيفية، والثاني في أبعادها الدلالية، تسبقهما مقدمة، وتتلوهما خاتمة تضمَّنت إفصاحا بأبرز الأفكار والنتائج التي تمخض عنها البحث، والتي منها:
أن التعدد الاصطلاحي في حروف الجر ليس ثراء فكريا ولا انعكاسا للجدل النحوي كما قد يظنه البعض، وإنما أمر فرضته سعة خصائص هذه الحروف الوظيفية والدلالية في التركيب، بحيث كان يتعذر على النحاة ضبطها تحت مصطلح واحد يفي بالإشارة إليها كلها ولو على الجملة، ومن ثم رأينا أن كل مصطلح جاء ليكشف عن أبعاد خاصة من خصائصها التركيبية التي لا يكشف عنها المصطلح الآخر.   
أن الجار والمجرور ظاهرة تركيبية لها خصوصيتها التعبيرية المستقلة والمغايرة تماما لخصائص المفاعيل المنصوبة؛ مما يستوجب عدم حملها عليها تحت تأثير فكرة العمل النحوي تلمسا لها عن محل من الإعراب؛ لأن ذلك يحيل القضية إلى قضية عامل ومعمول، دون اعتبار للفروق الوظيفية والدلالية بين الظاهرتين.
أن النحاة استعانوا في دراستهم لهذه الحروف وتتبعهم لخصائصها بسمات مدخولها (الاسم المجرور)، حيث أعانهم ذلك على حصرها ثم تقسيمها وضبط أحكامها ومعانيها، على كلا المستويين: الاستقرائي الوصفي، والتحليلي التطبيقي من تلك الدراسة.
أن العلاقة بين حرف الجر ومتعلقة من العلاقات التي يتعذر ضبطها نتيجة اختلافها وضعا واستعمالا، الأمر الذي جعل وظيفة الحرف معه تتعدد بين: الصحة اللغوية تارة، وتقوية الفعل على الوصول إلى مطلوبة أخرى، وتخصيصه للمعنى المراد منه إذا كان لا يتحدد إلا بالحرف ثالثة، وتمكين المتكلم من إبلاغ مراده على حسب العلاقات التي يقيمها بينهما رابعة.
أن هذه الحروف قد تُشكِّل بؤرة التَّشكُّل الدلالي في التركيب، بحيث تجد خط الصعود أو الانتشار أو الانحسار أو التباين أو المفارقة في الدلالة راجعا في أبرز وجوهه إليها من بين جملة العناصر التي تتعانق معها في التركيب، ويتحقق ذلك معها إما بالحذف، أو بالتضمين، أو بتعدد الاحتمالات في التعلق، أو بالمفارقة السياقية في الحرف، أو بالمعنى العام المشترك بين أكثر من حرف.
أنَّ التضمين بقرينة حروف الجر يُعدُّ عملية جذب واستدعاء للمعاني التي ينفتح بها الفعل المضَمَّن على السياق، لأن حضور حرف الجر مع فعل ليس من عادته التعدي به، أو حضوره مع فعل من شأنه التعدي بنفسه، أو غيابه مع فعل يقتضيه؛ كل ذلك يشكل عملية استدعاء للعناصر القابلة للتضمن مع الفعل المذكور إلى درجة أنها قد لا تقف عند عنصر معين.
اثر منهاج اللياقة البدنية على بعض القدرات البدنية لطلاب المستوى الأول بكلية التربية الرياضية بجامعة صنعاء
Authors: مطهر د.عبدالغني مجاهد
Published: August 2023

هدف البحث التعرف إلى تأثير تطبيق مفردات مادة اللياقة البدنية على بعض القدرات البدنية لدى طلاب المستوى الأول بكلية التربية الرياضية – جامعة صنعاء والذين لا يمارسون أي نشاط بعد الدوام الرسمي في الكلية وقد اعتمد الباحث على تطبيق مفردات مادة اللياقة البدنية خلال (12) أسبوع مدة الفصل الأول للعام الجامعي 2016 - 2017، إذ تضمنت الشعبة (24) طالب ، وقد استخدم الباحث المنهج التجريبي لملائمته وطبيعة الدراسة .
 توصلت النتائج الى وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين القياسين القبلي والبعدي لصالح القياس البعدي على تحسين بعض القدرات البدنية لدى عينة الدراسة ، ويوصي الباحث بضرورة الالتزام بالبرنامج التدريسي لمساق اللياقة البدنية الذي اتبعه من قبل مدرسي التربية الرياضية في الكلية وفي الكليات الأخرى.
مدرسة الكوفة النحوية بين الإثبات والإنكار
Authors: حسين أكرم ناصر ناصر
Published: August 2023

يتناول هذا البحث مدرسة الكوفة النحوية، ويحاول إثبات وجود هذه المدرسة في الدرس النحوي، حيث يدرس نشأتها وروادها وخصائصها، وناقش البحث آراء الباحثين حيال مؤسس مدرسة الكوفة، وقد توصل البحث إلى إثبات مدرسة الكوفة جنبا إلى جنب مع مدرسة البصرة، التي لا تقلَّ عنها رأياً وتأصيلاً، وقد دحض البحث دعاوى إنكارها.
Comportement de cinq cultivars de bananiers en premier cycle cultural installés sous couverture permanente des essences forestières arborescentes, légumineuses et non légumineuses, et des arbres fruitiers à Kinshasa, RDC
Authors:   Département de Phytotechnie, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Kinshasa, BP. 117 Kinshasa XI, République Démocratique du Congo, Bangata Bitha Nyi Mbunzu Jean Christian
Published: August 2023

Pour améliorer la production des bananes à Kinshasa, une étude évaluative des systèmes sylvo-bananiers a été menée dans les conditions du plateau des Batéké. Il était question de comparer les différentes associations de bananiers avec les espèces arborescentes, en vue de connaitre leur impact sur la productivité des bananiers. Cinq cultivars de bananiers ont été associés avec douze essences arborescentes, réparties en trois groupes : forestières légumineuses arborescentes, forestières arborescentes non-légumineuses et arbres fruitiers. Les bananiers ont évolué sous couverture de ces agroforêts et leur comportement a été systématiquement évalué au cours de leur premier cycle de production. De tous les cultivars de bananiers mis sous étude, le cultivar Nsikumuna était le plus productif (rendement, poids de régimes, poids de doigt, etc…) en association avec toutes les essences forestières ; suivi des cultivars Gros Michel (en association avec Pterocarpus indicus Willd, Millettia laurentii et Inga edulis) et Ndongila (en association avec P. indicus Willd). Cependant, le cultivar Bubi s’est révélé moins productif en association avec toutes les essences forestières considérées par rapport à tous les autres cultivars. Ce travail est un outil qui peut contribuer à la promotion des pratiques et technologies agroforestières/sylvo-bananières, lesquelles pourraient être appliquées par les producteurs de bananiers œuvrant dans la zone sud-ouest du pays.
Comparative Screening of the Nutritive Composition and Serum Nutrient Levels of Rats Weaned with Rice (Oryza spp) - Beniseed (Sesame indicum) Flour Blends
Authors: Nwaoha Esther C. , Ahur Victor M. , Nwankwo Michael O.
Published: August 2023

Weaning foods should complement the nourishment the baby receives from milk. This study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional value of Rice-Beniseed (R-B) flour-blends in rats’ pups. The objective of the study was to determine the Nutritive value of Rice-Beniseed flour blends of rats’ pups weaned with different ratios of the flour-blends. First, mature female and male rats in the ratio of 2:1 were mated to produce pups used in the analyses. The pups were randomly distributed into five groups of five rats and were fed with the experimental (Rice-Beniseed) blends. Group 1 was fed with a standard weaning meal, groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed ad lib with Rice-Beniseed blends (after proximate analysis for nutritive content) in the ratio of 30:70, 50:50, 60:40 and 70:30 respectively. All treatments lasted for 21 days, after which their blood was collected for haematological and biochemical analyses. The results showed carbohydrate (71.76 %) and moisture content (14.75 %) of rice to be higher than beniseed with values of 18.74 and 8.24 % respectively. The crude proteins (23.19 %), crude fibre (11.47 %) and fats (36.40%) content in beniseed was more than doubled compared to that in rice with 9.38 %, 1.339 % and 2.41 % for crude protein, crude fibre, and fats contents respectively. Percentage weight change in pups was highest (26.31 ± 1.03%) and least (8.69 ± 2,32%) in the 50:50 and 60:40 rice-beniseed groups on day 7. Percentage weight change of pups on day 14 showed that groups fed with 70:30 and 50:50 ratios with the highest (37.24 ± 0.47%) and least (6.16 ± 1.14%) weight gain respectively. Hence, 70:30 (Rice-Beniseed blend) meal produced the best growth index (weight increase) and was potentially viable for the formulation of infant weaning formula amidst appreciable performance of all other ratios.
Mapping of Vegetable Seed Companies Willing to Adapt the Solar Irrigation System to Produce in Mali
Authors: Pona Yaya , Mohomodou Woura , Kanoute Moussa , Diarra Ba Germain
Published: August 2023

The seed producer companies are important for achieving the technology to adapt mainly through promoting their equipment for access and transportation the water resources and services. The aims of this study were to develop a better understanding the irrigation system used by the vegetable seed companies' producers, and to identify the main constraints of access to irrigation for vegetable seed production in Mali. The focus discussion was used to collect data from 9 vegetables seeds compagnies producers and descriptive statistics were performed to capture the trend values of the respondents. The results from the preliminary analysis showed that 57% of companies have never heard about gravity irrigation and 64% use this material for irrigation. About 44% have found it too expensive for their use of another method of irrigation for moving water. However, 89% of companies already know drip irrigation and 11% of them have not used it as they find because it will be too expensive for his. The lack of equipment and financial resources to move water from the source to the plant are the main constraints facing 78% of seed companies in Mali. However, 88.9% of companies have a lack of information and training for a good plant watering.
Qui Séra-Séra: Yorùbá Epistemological Representation of Destiny in Ifá Corpus
Authors: Olómù Oyèwọlé , Lawal-Dòsùnmú Yésídé
Published: August 2023

Among the Yorùbá people of West Africa there are certain ideas explicit in the interaction of different element which in turn act as an instrument of social change and control. With which different cultural beliefs are held. Among these beliefs is destiny which connotes the idea of person among the Yorùbá through the conception of orí, or àyànmọ́ understood by them as bearer of personality and destiny. In this study the epistemological representation of destiny stance of Ifá corpus is employ to drive home a rational belief in àyànmọ́ and argue that the concept is epistemological with positive implication to fill the gap created by some African scholars who have argued that orí in Yorùbá only signifies nothing other than the literary meaning. The study have been able to reveal in very simple unambiguous language Ifá concept of destiny as Yorùbá (African) epistemological system orí-àyànmọ́ as bearer of personality and anchor of destiny.
First came Molnupiravir – now there is Paxlovid as a SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor. An NCI analysis of the ligand.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

Earlier this year, Molnupiravir hit the headlines as a promising antiviral drug. This is now followed by Paxlovid, which is the first small molecule to be aimed by design at the SAR-CoV-2 protein and which is reported as reducing greatly the risk of hospitalization or death when given within three days of symptoms appearing in high risk patients. The Wikipedia page (first created in 2021) will display a pretty good JSmol 3D model of this;
Blue blood.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

Respiratory pigments are metalloproteins that transport O

2

, the best known being the bright red/crimson coloured hemoglobin in human blood. The colour derives from Fe

2+

at the core of a tetraporphyrin ring. But less well known is

blue blood

, and here the colour derives from an oxyhemocyanin unit based on Cu

1+

(the de-oxy form is colourless) rather than iron.
So this just happened
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

I was on a video call with Matt, talking about a project he’s working on that involves  Haplocanthosaurus  . A lot of his recent project involve  Haplocanthosaurus  which is … an OK sauropod. I mean, it’s no brachiosaur. So this is how the conversation went:  Mike:  I have bad news for you, dude.  Haplocanthosaurus  is only one or two nodes away from being a camarasaur.
My talk on Oklahoma Morrison dinosaurs is now on YouTube
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: August 2023

Last Thursday I gave a public lecture for the No Man’s Land Historical Society in the Oklahoma Panhandle, titled “Oklahoma’s Jurassic Giants: the Dinosaurs of Black Mesa”. It’s now on YouTube, on the No Man’s Land Museum’s channel. There’s a point I want to make here, that I also made in the talk: we can’t predict the value of natural history collections.
Tyrannosaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus and 1950s kids
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

I’ve been in contact recently with Matt Lamanna, Associate Curator in the Section of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History — which is obviously the best job in the world.
Turkey skeleton audit
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

Back in at least 2008 — maybe earlier — I kept all the bones from our good-sized Christmas turkey. Of course, it’s missing the head, neck and feet, but otherwise it’s pretty much all there.
Sauro-throat, Part 4: the osteological paradox
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: August 2023

I closed the last post by claiming that finding the infected bone in Dolly was “a crazy lucky break”. Here’s why: Another point made by Wood et al. (1992) concerns our perceptions of frailty and robustness. They were talking about archaeological populations, mostly from cemeteries, but the point is equally valid for non-human animals.
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson: An anniversary celebration. 23 March, 2022, Burlington House, London.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

The meeting covered the scientific life of Professor Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson from the perspective of collaborators, friends and family and celebrated three anniversaries, the centenary of his birth (2021), the half-century anniversary of the Nobel prize (2023) and 70 years almost to the day (1 April) since the publication of the seminal article on Ferrocene (2022).[cite]10.1021/ja01128a527[/cite] The meeting was organised as “inverse hybrid”
New documentary film streaming now: Science Friction
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: August 2023

Long-time readers may recall that back in 2009, I was quote-mined in the television documentary series  Clash of the Dinosaurs  (1, 2, 3). Turns out, such misrepresentations are not that uncommon, and now there’s a whole feature-length documentary about the problem, titled  Science Friction  . The trailer is above, and the film’s homepage is here. It’s streaming on Amazon Prime Video and on Tubi (maaaybe for free?
Tutorial 41: distinguishing nerves and arteries in dissection
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: August 2023

I whipped up these doodles with a handwritten list of characteristics during office hours recently, and then realized that this should be a tutorial post.   Most of the stuff listed in the image is pretty self-explanatory, but I want to expand a bit on the textures. Nerves are bundles of axons, bound together in sheets of connective tissue.
More examples of crystal structures containing embedded linear chains of iodines.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

The previous post described the fascinating 170-year history of a crystalline compound known as Herapathite and its connection to the mechanism of the Finkelstein reaction

via

the complex of Na

+

I

2

–

(or Na

2

2+

I

4

2-

). Both compounds exhibit (approximately) linear chains of iodine atoms in their crystal structures, a connection which was discovered serendipitously.
Octafluorocubane radical anion – where does the extra electron sit?
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

Derek Lowe reports the story[cite]10.1126/science.abq0516[/cite] that the recently synthesized octafluorocubane can absorb one electron to form a radical anion – an

electron in a cube

. So I thought it would be fun to compute exactly where that electron sits!
Same Time Next Year: crunching PubMed data
Authors: Royle Stephen
Published: August 2023

I am giving a talk next week and wanted to update some plots from an old analysis that previously featured on quantixed. The question is: how long does it take for a paper get published? The answer is complex (as previously discussed on quantixed), but we can at least find out using data from PubMed what journals declare as the time from when a paper is received to when it was published.
Call for Submissions to the Inaugural Qualitative Data Management Plan (DMP) Competition
Authors: Karcher Sebastian
Published: August 2023

Call for Submissions to the Inaugural Qualitative Data Management Plan (DMP) Competition DOI: https://doi.org/10.59350/kka53-cwg19 Data Management Plans (DMPs) play an integral role in ensuring that data are collected, organized, stored, and shared responsibly.
A look at (one of) the dyes used in the Bayeaux tapestry.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

I have previously looked at the pigments used to colour the Book of Kells, which dates from around 800 AD and which contained arsenic sulfide as the yellow colourant. The Bayeaux tapestry is a later embroidery dating probably from around 1077 and here the colours are based entirely on mordanted natural dyes.
How physics stops animals getting really really big in 285 words
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

Consider a small sauropod of length  x  , as shown on the left above. Its mass is proportional to  x  cubed, it stands on leg bones whose cross-sectional area is  x  squared, and it ingests food through a gullet whose cross-sectional area is  x  squared. Now consider a larger sauropod of length 2  x  , as shown on the right above.
Octopus publishing: dis-assembling the research article into eight components.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

In 2011, I suggested that the standard monolith that is the conventional scientific article could be broken down into two separate, but interlinked components, being the story or narrative of the article and the data on which the story is based.
New article in the Journal of Data and Information Science: I don’t peer-review for non-open journals, and neither should you
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

I have a new article out in the  Journal of Data and Information Science  (Taylor 2022), on a subject that will be familiar to long-time readers.
Sauro-throat, Part 3: what does Dolly’s disease tell us about sauropods?
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: August 2023

Naturally I was grateful when Cary invited me to be part of the team working on Dolly, the diplodocid with lesions in its neck vertebrae (Woodruff et al. 2022; see previous posts on Dolly here and here). I was also intellectually excited, not only to see air-filled bones with obvious pathologies, but also for what those pathologies could tell us about Dolly and other sauropods. That’s the part of our new paper I want to unpack in this post.
Here’s that juvenile Barosaurus pectoral vertebra sequence anaglyph you ordered
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

I made this for my own amusement, and thought you guys may as well get to benefit from it, too. Melstrom et al. (2016:figure 4). Pectoral vertebrae of a juvenile specimen of Barosaurus sp. (DINO 2921) from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Utah, U.S.A., in right lateral view (red-cyan anaglyph made from stereopair). Enjoy!  References  Melstrom, Keegan M., Michael D. D’Emic, Daniel Chure and Jeffrey A. Wilson. 2016.
Walk This Way
Authors: Royle Stephen
Published: August 2023

Over the holidays, I had an idea about looping an animation between two images. I wrote some code to do this in Igor Pro (sorry, no R this time…). This post describes how the code works and how you can make a similar animation. There was a reason to do this animation, but as a proof of principle I used two band logos.
Things to Make and Do, part 31: redneck CT-scan
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

For reasons that would be otiose, at this moment, to rehearse, I recently found myself in need of a hemisected turkey cervical. Happily, I own five skeletonised turkey necks, so it was with me the work of a moment to select a candidate. But now what? How to hemisect it? We have
Apatosaurus louisae: shooting from the hip
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

Here at SV-POW! Towers, we like to show you iconic mounted skeletons from unusual perspectives. Here’s one:  Apatosaurus louisae  holotype CM 3018, mounted skeleton in the public gallery of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History: head, neck, torso and hip in right posterolateral view. Photograph by Matt Wedel, 12th March 2019 (my birthday!) Oh, man, I love that museum. And I love that specimen.
On the poignancy and intimacy of history
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: August 2023

I’m currently working on a paper about the AMNH’s rearing  Barosaurus  mount. (That’s just one of the multiple reasons I am currently obsessed by  Barosaurus  .) It’s a fascinating process: more of a history project than a scientific one. It’s throwing up all sorts of things. Here’s one. In 1992, the year after the mount went up, S. O. Landry gave a talk at the annual meeting of  American Zoologist  about this mount.
Tips from the Blog XV: locating the php.ini file for WordPress on Raspberry Pi
Authors: Royle Stephen
Published: August 2023

If I struggle to find the answer to something, it must be worth a post to help out others. So, here’s where to find the php.ini file on a standard WordPress install on Raspberry Pi. I installed a LAMP stack and WordPress on a Raspberry Pi following these excellent instructions. The aim was to import our lab’s ELN onto a fresh WordPress install.
Protein-Biotin complexes. Crystal structure mining.
Authors: Rzepa Henry
Published: August 2023

In the previous post, I showed some of the diverse “non-classical“interactions between Biotin and a protein where it binds very strongly. Here I take a look at two of these interactions to discover how common they are in small molecule structures.
A Review of the Effect of Microfinance Services on the Profitability of SMES in Kenya
Authors: Wasike Morgan Wanjala
Published: August 2023

Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) are entities of utmost importance in the economic development of a country, as they not only generate job opportunities but also provide goods and services to meet basic human needs. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are purveyors of financial services such as microcredit, micro savings, and microinsurance, which empower low-income individuals and SMEs to achieve their financial goals. The present study delves into the effects of these microfinance services on the profitability of SMEs in Kenya. The existing empirical literature has shown a significant positive correlation between the utilization of microfinance services and the profitability of SMEs. However, it is imperative to note that gaps exist, including the dearth of localized studies focusing on SMEs in Kenya and the need for more robust methodologies to establish causal relationships. To conclude, SMEs in Kenya can undoubtedly benefit from microfinance services to enhance their profitability. Although existing literature provides valuable insights into this relationship, further research is warranted to address methodological limitations and contextual factors specific to the Kenyan SME landscape.
Assessment of Social-Economic Impact of Road Construction Projects in Conserved Areas: Evidence from Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority in Tanzania
Authors: Ndyalusa Elisther K. , Kitula Casmir Fabian
Published: August 2023

This study was aimed to assess the social-economic impact of road construction projects in Tanzania by using the evidence from Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The area has been reserved because of its importance in providing habitat to a number of wild animals. The study employed a case study design in which 98 respondents from Ngorongoro Conversation Area were involved. Data were collected by questionnaires and were analysed by using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique. The key findings of the study revealed that road construction projects have positive influence on both social and economic performance. .  Nevertheless, our study posits that social performance can mediate the relationship between road construction projects and economic performance. Our study offers practical and social implications by providing insights through empirical results about the debatable phenomenal on the importance of road infrastructure to the social-economic development of developing countries
Analysis of Associated Factors that Influence the Accessibility of Online Higher Education
Authors: Fennelly-Atkinson Rita , LaPrairie Kimberly
Published: August 2023

Online distance education is one of the fastest-growing sectors of postsecondary enrollment, and accessibility is becoming a more prominent issue. This study used a descriptive quantitative survey methodology to explore the characteristics of institutions and individuals who are responsible for implementing accessibility. Overall, the findings indicate growth in the implementation of accessible course design practices. The results revealed the association of several factors focused on institutional accessibility support and accessibility compliance support. Although no models or inferences can be made from these associations, they do suggest that institutional accessibility practices may have a key role in accessible online course design.
Changing from Within: Narratives of Resistance from Equity-Oriented Learning Designers
Authors: Gachago Daniela , Bali Maha , Pallitt Nicola
Published: August 2023

This paper draws on a larger study where 34 women practising and supporting equity-oriented learning design across the world were interviewed in early 2021. The paper highlights the strategies learning designers use to navigate clashes between their own values and those held by their institutions. The authors argue that positionality, institutional culture, and personal history impact how learning designers navigate these spaces and that understanding context is essential when using an ecosystems theory view. Finally, the paper explores four shared building blocks framed by brown’s (2017) elements of an emerging strategy, which promotes a way of seeing change as small actions and connections. These in turn create complex systems and patterns which eventually become ecosystems and societies.
Designing Systems with Care: Responding to Inequality in an Online Course in South Africa
Authors: Govender Shanali , Immenga Christine , Gachago Daniela
Published: August 2023

Contemporary South Africa is a highly unequal society, emerging from a history of racial segregation, characterized by diversity along dimensions such as class, race, ethnicity, linguistic background, religion, culture and rural-urban locations (Czerniewicz et al., 2020). Informed by this diversity, higher education institutions attempt to “balance the pursuit of equity, quality and development goals” (Badat, 2020, p. 26). Over the last few years, in particular during COVID-19, care-oriented approaches that emphasise student wellbeing and belonging, such as humanizing online teaching, intentional hospitality, liberating structures,and trauma-informed design have gained traction in higher education. Drawing on three dimensions of human relations, namely affect, reciprocity and power associated with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, we reflect on how adopting a care approach and working with trauma-informed pedagogies in a postgraduate course on blended and online course design was experienced by course participants. In this paper, we draw on voluntary participant interviews and our own reflections as course facilitators to make an argument for a caring learning design that intentionally creates caring learning experiences for a highly diverse group of students. Participants in this course come from geographically diverse locations, from secondary or corporate environments with differently positioned home institutions and diverse access to resources. Also, participants’ positionality and disciplinary backgrounds require different forms of care. We found that Tronto’s concepts of paternalistic and parochial care useful to reflect on our own care practices, as they highlight the importance of creating spaces where students can co-create the care relationship, while understanding how their different positionalities impact their voice and agency, but also remind us how important it is to understand how students’ context differ from our own and to set up caring relationships that suit their contexts.
Liberatory Design Thinking for Equity-Centered Instructional Design: A Systems Thinking Analysis
Authors: Pal Arpita
Published: August 2023

As per the National Equity Project, any system that produces inequities, injustices, and inequalities is often a product of design. Research has shown that systemic inequity often results from the design process and can rupture the power balance producing inequitable relationships in the social justice arena (NEP, n.d.). Systems design in K-12, higher education, and other organizational or workplace contexts are crucial to empower every learner with equitable opportunities or create more inequities. The historical data shows that systemic inequities were intentionally designed with oppression as the goal; hence the importance of equity-centered systems design justice becomes indispensable for producing equitable learning experiences for everyone (NEP, n.d.). Equity-centered systems design is pivotal in dismantling systems of oppression and empowering people of color, people with disability, the LGBTQ+ community, the indigenous, and other marginalized communities.

Using the liberatory design thinking framework, instructional designers can recognize individual, institutional, and structural inequities and create opportunities to produce equitable learning experiences for learners. An equity-centered liberatory design thinking approach can support instructional designers in identifying and addressing the problems of inequities in an existing system. By considering the ethos and strategies necessary to center equity by design, instructional designers can provide a platform and opportunity for all stakeholders to practice converging and divergent thinking. Furthermore, the needs and beliefs about learning design as they ideate solutions grounded in the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds, especially people with disability, the LGBTQ+ community, the indigenous, and other marginalized communities. (Khalil, 2020).
Analyses of three constant-rate aquifer tests, East Flathead Valley, northwest Montana
Authors:   Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, Myse T. , Bobst A. , Rose J.
Published: August 2023

Aquifer test results from Foys Bend, Jessup Mill Pond, and Jaquette Road in the East Flathead Valley.
Public Expenditure and Human Capital Development in Nigeria.
Authors: Olopade, Bosede C  , Matthew O.  , Eseyin O.  , Odularu
Published: August 2023

Human capital development is a veritable tool for achieveing sustainable and inclusive growth in any economy. Since no nation grows without the contribution of the people therein, thus the roles in which the quantity and quality of a country’s labour force plays is pivotal. The focus of this study is to examine how public expenditure and economic growth could be used ehhance the human capital development of Nigeria. The analysed data was sourced from the Global Development Indicators covering the years 1981 to 2021. Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) regression technique was used. The method was used to test the complexity of the interactions between the various human capital components. Findings from the study revealed that Nigeria's economic growth is directly impacted by public spending on the different aspects of human capital development. Also, investments in health and education have a favourable and considerable impact on Nigeria's economic growth. The study further concludes that since human capital is a significant factor in determining economic growth; it could be recommended that the country should invest more in the quality of human capital through health and education to raise the standard of living for individuals and the welfare of society.
A Bayesian Framework for Estimating Weibull Distribution Parameters: Applications in Finance, Insurance, and Natural Disaster Analysis
Authors: Mohammad Lawal Danrimi  , Hamza Abubakar
Published: August 2023

This research presents a Bayesian framework for parameter estimation in the two-parameter Weibull distribution, with applications in finance and investment data analysis. The Weibull distribution is widely used for modeling stock pricing movements and making uncertain predictions in financial datasets. The proposed Bayesian approach assumes a gamma prior distribution for the scale parameter, with a known shape parameter. A simulation study using simulated financial data compares the Bayesian method with maximum likelihood estimators in terms of accuracy, error accumulation, and computational time across various sample sizes and parameter values. Results indicate the Bayesian approach performs similarly to maximum likelihood for small samples, while demonstrating computational efficiency for larger financial datasets. The proposed Bayesian model's application to simulated financial data showcases its practical relevance in real-world scenarios. This Bayesian framework offers a valuable tool for handling uncertainty and making informed decisions in financial data analysis, providing robust parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification in finance and investment domains.
A Review on Islamic Corporate Governance and Performance of Islamic Financial Institutions In Nigeria
Authors: Sa’adatu Balarabe Adam  , Hadiza Saidu Abubakar
Published: August 2023

Islamic financial institutions are essential catalyst to economic growth in Nigeria and their performance assumed to be influenced by corporate governance practices. The purpose of this study is to review the role of Islamic corporate governance on the IFIs performance in Nigeria. Even though the relationships have produced significant scholarly impact, few studies have been conducted on IFIs performance in Nigeria. The content analysis was utilized. The findings of the study revealed that corporate governance is significant to IFIs’ performance in Nigeria. This study contributes to the existing literature on corporate governance practices and IFIs’ performance in Nigeria. Finally, the study’s implications for theory and practice, limitations, conclusion as well as the direction for future research are provided and discussed.
An Association between the Latent Profiles of the Difficulties Associated with School-to-Work Transitions and Mental Well-Being among University Students
Authors: Chun Jeewon
Published: August 2023

The purpose of this study was to identify: (a) the latent profiles of the difficulties associated with the school-to-work transition (decline in confidence, mood swings, family disagreements, the burdens of familial expectations, economic hardship, and a lack of support) made by university students, (b) predictors (gender, age, grade, university location, co-residence with parents on weekdays, monthly household income, and parental educational attainment) of these profiles, and (c) how the profiles were associated with mental well-being. The participants of this study were 311 senior or above students (164 males and 147 females) under the age of 29, who were unmarried and preparing for employment. The findings of this study were as follows. First, the latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles: the “low overall difficulties” type (25.4%), the “moderate overall difficulties” type (49.9%), and the “high overall difficulties” type (24.7%). Second, the factors that predicted each profile included gender, age, co-residence with parents on weekdays, monthly household income, and parental educational attainment. Third, the “low overall difficulties” type demonstrated the highest level of mental well-being (emotional, social, and psychological well-being). This study was significant for examining the latent profiles of the difficulties associated with the school-to-work transition made by university students preparing for employment, while also exploring their mental well-being. Based on the results of this study, practical implications, limitations, and suggestions for further study were discussed.