bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jacob van Sarug
Authors: Het Christelijk Oosten Editors
Published: March 2023

Jacob of Sarug: Homily on the Nativity

Jacob of Sarug (± 450-521) is one of the most prolific writers of the early Syriac tradition. After his studies at the famous theological and exegetical 'School of the Persians' at Edessa, he dedicated himself to parish work for several decades, putting his poetic talents in the service of his pastoral activities. In the midst of the theological whirls of his time he maintained an irenic and conciliatory position siding with the moderate monophysite party of Severus of Antioch and sticking by the 'agnostic' and anti-intellectualistic tradition of Ephrem. His ecclesiastical and theological ambitions were too modest to ensure him a leading position in the Church politics of his time and we hardly know any details of his life. In a way he took revenge on history thanks to the large quantity and enormous popularity of his literary work. Whereas Jacob composed hundreds of metrical homilies called mēmrē, his prose texts comprise only 43 letters and six tūrgāmē or homilies on the main liturgical feasts. The first of these homilies, 'On the Nativity', is presented here in a Dutch translation along with an explanation of its literary structure and some explanatory notes.
Der Krieg im Früheren Jugoslawien
Authors: Bremer Thomas
Published: March 2023

The War in Former Yugoslavia

The causes of the war and the role of religion and the churches in former Yugoslavia are discussed. History is often mentioned as an explanation for the war. However, not history itself but the current interpretation of historical events has caused great division between the peoples of former Yugoslavia: for example, the different opinions about the Battle of Kosovo Polje and about the Archbishop Stepinac. The churches have not been able to enter into a real dialogue and to prevent the exploitation of history.
Theodorus van Mopsuestia in Het Kader van de Syrische Dialoog
Authors: Davids Adelbert
Published: March 2023

Theodore of Mopsuestia and the Syriac Dialogue

The Third Syriac Consultation of the Syriac Dialogue between the different Churches of the Syriac traditions took place at Mundelein near Chicago, Illinois, in July 1997. One of the main topics of the Consultation concerned the person and the teaching of Theodore of Mopsuestia, who died in 428, before the great Christological controversy between Alexandria and Antioch broke out.

Cyril of Alexandria had succeeded in condemning his rival Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Soon afterwards Cyril’s supporters in Syria and Egypt started a campaign against the Antiochene ‘forerunners’ of Nestorius. Especially Theodore of Mopsuestia was accused of being the ‘father of Nestorianism’, but Cyril decided not to condemn Theodore officially. In the meantime Theodore’s writings had begun to circulate in Syriac translations in the Church of the East in the Sasanian Empire.

It would last until the reign of the Emperor Justinian (527-565) that the issue was reopened. Theodore Askidas, Justinian’s theological advisor, started a deadly attack on Theodore of Mopsuestia who in his eyes should by all means be condemned officially by the Church. Because of the inconsistent attitude of the Roman Pope Vigilius, Justinian convoked a council at Constantinople in 553. The programme of the Council had been carefully drawn up by Askidas and Justinian and the issue of the Council was clear from its start: Theodore of Mopsuestia was to be condemned as the ‘father of Nestorianism’, even given the fact that he had passed away 125 years ago. No real discussion took place about Theodore’s theological background and Theodore’s real vision on the person of Christ. In the Church of the East Theodore lives on as the great ‘interpreter’ of Scripture.
Nationalisme in de Oosterse Orthodoxie
Authors: Groen B.
Published: March 2023

Nationalism in Eastern Orthodoxy

Firstly, the close bonds are examined, which developed in the Byzantine Empire, in the post-Byzantine period, in Russia and Ukraine between Orthodoxy and ethnicity. Secondly several notions on modern nationalism and negative reactions from prominent Orthodox theologians to ecclesiastical nationalism are described. Thirdly, Serbian Orthodox views on the relation between religion and the Serbian people are dealt with. Fourthly, Greek opinions on the relation between Orthodoxy and ethnicity in Greece and Greek reactions to the armed conflicts in former Yugoslavia are examined. Fifthly, the Constantinople Patriarchate’s general position, its self-consciousness and its reactions to the war in former Yugoslavia are dealt with.

Many Orthodox stress the close link between Church, homeland and people and the need for interorthodox solidarity against the enemy. Other Orthodox emphasize the inner way of the heart and reject nationalism because of its exclusiveness. However, it is a difficult task to loosen the age-old bonds between religion and nationalism because of collective images and identity issues.
Kerk, Religie en Theologie in Rusland en Oekraïne
Authors: van der Zweerde Evert
Published: March 2023

The aim of this article is to grasp the complicated situation of Church, religion, and theology in contemporary Russia and Ukraine. While the disappearance of the Soviet system has created a situation of freedom, in which a variety of churches and religious organizations can deploy their activities to an extent unimaginable a mere ten years ago, it also has left behind a social and political wasteland, in which a so-called ‘civil society’ is only beginning to develop. The greatest challenge today, both for the citizenry at large and for religious groups, seems to be a recognition of this situation as a ‘normal’ state of society, rather than as a vacuum waiting to be filled in by new hierarchical structures. This challenge presents itself with particular urgency to the strongest religious organization, the Russian Orthodox Church. The traditional, ‘national’ Church of Russia (in the broad sense, including Ukraine), but at the same time attracting only a small proportion of the post-Soviet populace, is a structure in which many initiatives flourish, exemplified here by the field of theology teaching, but which also tends to seek mutual support with the weakly developed state structure.
Jacobus van Sarug
Authors: den Biesen Kees
Published: March 2023

Jacob of Sarug: Homily on the Epiphany

Jacob of Sarug (± 450-521) is one of the most prolific authors of the early Syriac tradition. After his studies at the famous theological and exegetical ‘School of the Persians’ at Edessa, he dedicated himself to parish work for several decades, putting his poetic talents in the service of his pastoral activities. In the midst of the theological whirls of his time he maintained an irenic and conciliatory position siding with the moderate monophysite party of Severus of Antioch and sticking by the ‘agnostic’ and anti-intellectualistic tradition of Ephrem. His ecclesiastical and theological ambitions were too modest to ensure him a leading position in the Church politics of his time and we hardly know any details of his life. In a way he took revenge on history thanks to the great quantity and enormous popularity of his literary works. Whereas Jacob composed hundreds of metrical homilies called mēmrē, his prose texts comprise only 43 letters and six tūrgāmē or homilies on the main liturgical feasts. The second of these homilies, ‘on the Epiphany’, is presented here in Dutch translation along with an analysis of its imagery.
Marī en Kokhè
Authors: van Vossel Vincent
Published: March 2023

Marī and Kokhè

P. Haddad, Bagdad, recently re-discovered the initial part of the so-called Chronicle of Si’irt (ed. by A. Scher in Patrologia Orientalis). According to this initial part the real name of the chronicle should be ‘Compiled Ecclesiastical History’. A fragment dealing with the history of Mari, his origins and his evangelization of al-Madā in (Seleucia-Ctesiphon), the capital of the Persian Empire, is translated here for the first time in full.

The author compares his text with the legendary Vita Maris from the fifth century and the presumed reworking of Ch. 5 of the Kitāb el-Mağdal by Marī bin Suleymān. It appears that Marī bin Suleymān closely follows the ‘Compiled Ecclesiastical History’ rather than basing himself on the Kitāb el-Mağdal. The article concludes with some information about the present state of the archaeological site of Kokhè (Seleucia).
Traditional Culture and the old Ritualists
Authors: Howe Jovan E.
Published: March 2023

Traditional Culture and the Old Ritualists

The schism in the Russian Orthodox Church precipitated in 1654 by the ‘reforms’ of Patriarch Nikon was a milestone in the development of the Russian State and society. It initiated the spiritual crisis that eventually split Russian society and culture into an increasingly secularized ‘Western’ component confined at first to the upper castes of educated gentry associated with the tsarist court, army and civil service, and the traditional culture of the peasantry, in which everyday behaviour was guided by ritual and religion. Russian national culture, deeply rooted in this peasant way-of-life and system of beliefs, has tended to survive best in Old Ritualist communities. The contribution of research on the folklore, song and visual arts, crafts, iconography, literature and religious customs of the Old Ritualists to understanding of Russian traditional culture has been great. Paradoxically, the first shoots of ‘civil society’ also emerged in Old Ritualist communities, which produced the first native capitalists – merchant-industrialists and bankers not dependent on the tsarist State or foreign capital.
A Guide to old Ritualism
Authors: Howe Jovan E.
Published: March 2023

A Guide to Old Ritualism

Old Ritualism was distinguished by much more than adherents to rituals abandoned by the State-controlled Church. It expressed the world-view of a sizeable segment of the population, primarily among the peasantry, who rejected the secularization of society euphemistically called ‘westernization’. The imposition by Tsar Aleksej Michajlovič of forms of worship introduced into the Kiev Patriarchy under Polish rule, using ‘corrected’ texts printed by the Jesuits, was interpreted as a sign that the “spiritual Antichrist” had entered into the tsarist State and Church. The savage persecution of defenders of the Ancient Grace confirmed this view. In the reign of Peter I (the Great) the assault on traditional culture and beliefs became general, affecting all sectors of the population. Part of the Old Ritualists responded by declaring Peter “Antichrist in the flesh”. Under persecution the Old Ritualist movement gave birth to several tendencies that differ in their attitude towards the State and its Church. Old Ritualism has survived centuries of repression and secularization, and today Old Ritualist communities are found on every continent except Africa.
Integrative taxonomy of a new species of Rhyacodrilus (Annelida: Clitellata: Rhyacodrilinae) from Tibet Plateau rivers, with a preliminary assessment of its phylogenetic position
Authors: JIANG WEI , ZHOU TINGTING , WANG HONGZHU , ERSÉUS CHRISTER , CUI YONGDE
Published: March 2023

A new Qinghai-Tibet Plateau species, Rhyacodrilus tanggulaensis Jiang & Cui sp. nov. (Annelida, Clitellata, Naididae, Rhyacodrilinae), is described, and its phylogenetic relationships within the genus is assessed on the basis of both mitochondrial (16S rDNA, COⅠ gene) and nuclear (ITS2) markers. Data from 32 species of Naididae, representing 7 subfamilies and 25 genera are used. Ten species were chosen as outgroup taxa. The molecular data were analyzed by Bayesian inference. The new species is distinguished from other species of Rhyacodrilus by the following combination of characters: dorsal and ventral chaetae with distal tooth 2–3 times longer than proximal, spermathecal and penial chaetae present, atria long and tubular, atrial duct conspicuous. The analyses of the combined molecular data corroborate the close relationship between Naidinae and the rhyacodriline genera Rhyacodrilus, Monopylephorus, and Ainudrilus, and show that the new species is more closely related to R. falciformis, R pigueti, R. okamikae and R. subterraneus, than to R. sinicus, another Chinese species, R. hiemalis and R. coccineus.
Euplocania (Psocodea: Ptiloneuridae) in Peru, description of six new species
Authors: GONZÁLEZ-OBANDO RANULFO , CARREJO-GIRONZA NANCY
Published: March 2023

Based on a review of specimens from Peru, six new species of the Euplocania (Ptiloneuridae) were found and assigned to species groups. The new species, here described and illustrated are: Euplocania alfonnerii n. sp., E. amarui n. sp., E. garcialdretei n. sp., E. katarii n. sp., E. matsiguenka n. sp. and E. wchipere n. sp. An identification key for Euplocania from Peru is included.
A Deep Learning–Based Velocity Dealiasing Algorithm Derived from the WSR-88D Open Radar Product Generator
Authors: Veillette Mark S. , Kurdzo James M. , Stepanian Phillip M. , McDonald Joseph , Samsi Siddharth , Cho John Y. N.
Published: March 2023

Radial velocity estimates provided by Doppler weather radar are critical measurements used by operational forecasters for the detection and monitoring of life-impacting storms. The sampling methods used to produce these measurements are inherently susceptible to aliasing, which produces ambiguous velocity values in regions with high winds and needs to be corrected using a velocity dealiasing algorithm (VDA). In the United States, the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) Open Radar Product Generator (ORPG) is a processing environment that provides a world-class VDA; however, this algorithm is complex and can be difficult to port to other radar systems outside the WSR-88D network. In this work, a deep neural network (DNN) is used to emulate the two-dimensional WSR-88D ORPG dealiasing algorithm. It is shown that a DNN, specifically a customized U-Net, is highly effective for building VDAs that are accurate, fast, and portable to multiple radar types. To train the DNN model, a large dataset is generated containing aligned samples of folded and dealiased velocity pairs. This dataset contains samples collected from WSR-88D Level-II and Level-III archives and uses the ORPG dealiasing algorithm output as a source of truth. Using this dataset, a U-Net is trained to produce the number of folds at each point of a velocity image. Several performance metrics are presented using WSR-88D data. The algorithm is also applied to other non-WSR-88D radar systems to demonstrate portability to other hardware/software interfaces. A discussion of the broad applicability of this method is presented, including how other Level-III algorithms may benefit from this approach.

Significance Statement

Accurate and timely estimates of wind within storms are critically important for a number of applications, including severe storm nowcasting, maritime operational planning, aviation forecasting, and public safety coordination. Velocity aliasing is a common artifact that requires data quality control. While velocity dealiasing algorithms (VDAs) have been developed for decades, they remain a computationally complex and challenging problem. This paper presents an application of deep neural networks (DNNs) to increase the computational efficiency and portability of VDAs. A DNN is trained to emulate an operational algorithm, and performance is quantified over a large dataset. This work gives a convincing example of the benefits that deep learning can provide for radar algorithms, and future work highlighting these opportunities is discussed.
The GMAO Hybrid 4D-EnVar Observing System Simulation Experiment Framework
Authors: El Akkraoui Amal , Privé Nikki C. , Errico Ronald M. , Todling Ricardo
Published: March 2023

This work describes the extension of the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) framework to use a hybrid four-dimensional ensemble–variational (4D-EnVar) scheme instead of 3D-Var. The original 3D-Var and hybrid 4D-EnVar OSSEs use the same version of the data assimilation system (DAS) so that a direct comparison is possible in terms of the validation with respect to their corresponding real cases. Rather than quantifying the differences between the two data assimilation methodologies, a short intercomparison of upgrading from a 3D to a 4D OSSE is provided to highlight aspects where this change matters to the OSSE community and to identify particular features of data assimilation that can only be explored in a four-dimensional OSSE framework. A short validation of the hybrid 4D-EnVar OSSE shows that conclusions from previous assessments of the 3D-Var OSSE in its ability to mimic the behavior of the real system still hold with the same caveats. Furthermore, some aspects of the ensemble configuration and behavior are discussed along with forecast sensitivity to observation impacts (FSOI). Estimates of error standard deviations are shown to be smaller in the hybrid 4D-EnVar OSSE but with little impact on the character of the error. A discussion on future work directions focuses on exploring the four-dimensional aspect such as the error distribution within the assimilation window or four-dimensional handling of high-temporal density observations.
Perinatal outcomes of Aboriginal women with mental health disorders
Authors: Adane Akilew A , Shepherd Carrington CJ , Walker Roz , Bailey Helen D , Galbally Megan , Marriott Rhonda
Published: March 2023

Objective:

Maternal mental disorders have been associated with adverse perinatal outcomes such as low birthweight and preterm birth, although these links have been examined rarely among Australian Aboriginal populations. We aimed to evaluate the association between maternal mental disorders and adverse perinatal outcomes among Aboriginal births.

Methods:

We used whole population-based linked data to conduct a retrospective cohort study ( N = 38,592) using all Western Australia singleton Aboriginal births (1990–2015). Maternal mental disorders were identified based on the International Classification of Diseases diagnoses and grouped into six broad diagnostic categories. The perinatal outcomes evaluated were preterm birth, small for gestational age, perinatal death, major congenital anomalies, foetal distress, low birthweight and 5-minute Apgar score. We employed log-binomial/-Poisson models to calculate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results:

After adjustment for sociodemographic factors and pre-existing medical conditions, having a maternal mental disorder in the five years before the birth was associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, with risk ratios (95% confidence intervals) ranging from 1.26 [1.17, 1.36] for foetal distress to 2.00 [1.87, 2.15] for low birthweight. We found similar associations for each maternal mental illness category and neonatal outcomes, with slightly stronger associations when maternal mental illnesses were reported within 1 year rather than 5 years before birth and for substance use disorder.

Conclusions:

This large population-based study demonstrated an increased risk of several adverse birth outcomes among Aboriginal women with mental disorders. Holistic perinatal care, treatment and support for women with mental disorders may reduce the burden of adverse birth outcomes.
Efficient strategies for reliability analysis and uncertainty quantification for filament-wound cylinders under internal pressure
Authors: Azizian Masoume , Almeida José Humberto S , Azizian Mohammad
Published: March 2023

Induced uncertainties during the filament winding process may cause a significant stochastic variation in the mechanical behaviour of composite shells. This paper aims to develop a novel and deep uncertainty quantification (UQ), sensitivity and reliability analyses of filament wound shells considering manufacturing uncertainties. Firstly, a progressive damage analysis is performed to estimate their deterministic burst pressure. Then, a signal-to-noise (SNR) approach is employed using the Taguchi method for sensitivity analysis and screening uncertainties arising from manufacturing. Initial results reveal that the shells are more sensitive to thickness uncertainties for thinner structures. Then, probabilistic and reliability analyses are carried out using the Boosted Decision Trees Regression (BDTR) approach from machine learning algorithms. Despite the complexity and non-linear relationships in the problem, the developed BDTR-based metamodel shows powerful predictive performance. A comparative study shows that ply thickness uncertainty leads to a significant underestimation of failure probability. For expensive and time-consuming models in that only a few runs can be affordable, a modified approximation method for reliability analysis is proposed. Results indicate a high capability at estimating failure probability with high accuracy.
Forecasting China's natural gas external dependence under the “Dual Carbon” goals by a new grey model
Authors: Li Shuliang , Gong Ke , Song Nannan , Zeng Bo
Published: March 2023

As a low-carbon and cost-effective clean energy source, natural gas plays an important role in achieving China's “Dual Carbon” target. In this article, a new three-parameter discrete grey prediction model is used to simulate and forecast the production and consumption of natural gas in China from the perspective of background value optimization. Then the minimum mean absolute percentage error as the objective function from the perspective of fractional order cumulative generation in the real number field. Last, a fractional order in the real number field three parameter discrete grey prediction model TDGM(1,1,z,r(R)) is constructed under the condition of optimal background value. Then we use the model to simulate and predict China's Natural Gas External Dependence (NGED) under the “Dual Carbon” target. The results show that the performance of the new model is better than that of the traditional model GM(1,1) and DGM(1,1), thus proving the practicability and effectiveness of the new model. Put forward relevant policy suggestions according to the prediction results of China's NGED, and provide decision-making reference for the Chinese government to achieve the “Dual Carbon” goals.
Using natural language processing to construct a National Zoning and Land Use Database
Authors: Mleczko Matthew , Desmond Matthew
Published: March 2023

In the United States, zoning and land use policies have been linked to high housing costs and residential segregation. Yet almost all zoning and land use data come from a handful of cross-sectional surveys, which are costly, time intensive, subject to low response rates and measurement error and are quickly dated. As an alternative, we constructed a National Zoning and Land Use Database using natural language processing techniques on publicly available administrative data. We show this new database and our parsimonious measure of exclusionary zoning, the Zoning Restrictiveness Index, to be consistent with the Wharton Residential Land Use Regulatory Index (2018) and the National Longitudinal Land Use Survey (2019). Additionally, we overcome other limitations of these survey approaches, both by capturing previously omitted and important elements of land use policy and by revealing the land use regulations for a near-universe of municipalities in the San Francisco and Houston metropolitan statistical areas. We make all code and data publicly available, allowing the National Zoning and Land Use Database to be replicated in future years to ensure accurate, up-to-date and longitudinal nationwide zoning and land use data.
Determinants of Consumers’ Intentions to Reduce Air Travel
Authors: Seegebarth Barbara , Woisetschläger David M. , Sohn Stefanie , Frenser Vanessa
Published: March 2023

Although consumer air travel reduction has important societal, economic, and environmental implications, knowledge about the determinants of consumers’ decisions to reduce air travel is sparse. Therefore, the present study develops and empirically tests a model of consumers’ intentions to reduce air travel. To understand the determinants of consumers’ intentions to reduce air travel through this model, we build on anticonsumption theory, which we extend by integrating social dilemma and behavioral reasoning theory. The findings from a survey conducted among air travelers ( n = 1,263) reveal that consumers’ decisions to reduce air travel are the result of cognitively weighing the benefits and sacrifices of air travel that are oriented either toward the self (e.g., perceived health risks) or others (e.g., perceived environmental concerns). In addition, the results of a multigroup analysis provide segment-specific implications for practitioners and public policy.
Correlation Analysis of the Pneumatization of the Supraorbital Ethmoid Cell and the Position of the Anterior Ethmoidal Artery
Authors: Wang Huihui , Li Ao , Bie Tongwu , Dou Xin , Li Yang , Xu Zhengrong , Li Xuemei , Chen Yin , Li Min , Wei Xianmei , Wang HanDong , Wei Yanan , Yu Chenjie , Gao Xia
Published: March 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to measure the supraorbital ethmoid cell (SOEC) and characterize the relationship between the degree of SOEC pneumatization and the position of the anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) in relation to the skull base.

Methods

Computed tomography (CT) scans of 100 patients were analyzed. The correlation between the pneumatization of SOEC and the distance of the AEA from the skull base was explored by Spearman’s correlation rho efficient test.

Results

The distance of the AEA from skull base was 3.10 (2.60,3.60) mm in patients with SOEC compared with 0.6(0.40,2.10)mm in those without(P < .001). In 50.5% of the patients, the AEA was located below the skull base; the incidence of this localization was significantly higher in those with SOEC than in those without (78.79%vs22.77%, P < .001). Compared to female patients, male patients owned greater SOEC height (9.65vs8.20mm, P = .007). The SOECs volume (r = 0.45, P < .001), height (r = .30, P = .003), and transverse diameter (r = 0.28, P = .005) were all significantly correlated with the distance of the AEA from the skull base.

Conclusions

The pneumatization of SOEC critically impact the distance between the AEA and skull base. The higher the degree of pneumatization, the farther from the skull base the AEA will be, increasing the risk of complications during nasal endoscopic surgery. These results provide an important reference for protecting the AEA during nasal endoscopic surgery.
Militarized Conflict, Trade, and Economic Development in a Structural Equation Model With Spatial Considerations
Authors: Mansury Yuri , Kim Woosung , Li Jingwen
Published: March 2023

While conflict pervades virtually every aspect of society, there have been relatively few crossovers between Regional Science and Peace Science. This paper pays tribute to Walter Isard, pioneer of peace science research, and Kieran Donaghy, who has contributed to research on arms race dynamics and macroeconomic stability. We review studies that examine the impact of (i) trade on conflict, (ii) the economy on militarized disputes, and (iii) conflict on economic development. The analysis develops a structural equation model (SEM) to test the hypotheses simultaneously using the Correlates of War project data. Consistent with the liberal proposition, we found that the pacifying effect of trade is robust across alternative SEM specifications. Controlling for standard explanatory variables, the SEM estimates reveal that the indirect impact of economic development on conflict mediated by trade is statistically significant at the 0.1-percent level. Trade is, therefore, a critical intervening variable that transforms conflict-inducing economic expansion into a pacifying influence on militarized disputes. The spatial version of the SEM confirms that democracies do not attack each other. While trade does not appear to have a local spillover effect on conflict, proximity to neighboring democracies does lead to fewer conflicts. The final hypothesis argues that conflict affects national economic performance, which Donaghy refuted in his 1995 Conflict Management and Peace Science paper. Consistent with Donaghy’s finding, the estimates reject the claim that conflict disrupts economic stability. The conclusion section discusses the implications for Kieran Donaghy’s larger body of work.
Metacognition instruction and repeated reflection in a fluid mechanics course: Reflective themes and student outcomes
Authors: Clark Renee M. , Kaw Autar , Guldiken Rasim
Published: March 2023

When students repeatedly reflect, it can enhance their metacognitive abilities, including self-regulatory skills of planning, monitoring, and evaluating. In a fluid mechanics course for undergraduates at a large southeastern U.S. university, in-class problem solving in a flipped classroom was coupled with intentional metacognitive skills instruction and repeated reflection to enhance metacognition. The weekly reflective responses were coded by two analysts to identify the recurring themes and uncover evidence of the development and/or reinforcement of self-regulating behaviors for academic management. To enable a comparison, a flipped classroom without the metacognitive instruction and repeated reflection was also implemented (i.e., non-intervention group). The two cohorts completed identical final exams. Based on our preliminary analysis with year one data, a statistically and practically-significant difference between the two cohorts was found with the free-response scores on the final exam in favor of the intervention cohort that had received the metacognitive support ( p < 0.0005; Cohen's d = 0.72). Also, the Metacognitive Activities Inventory (MCAI) indicated a significantly-higher positive change in self-regulatory behavior for the intervention cohort ( p = 0.001; d = 0.50). Focus groups were conducted to gather students’ perspectives on the reflective activity, with differences found by demographic group. In addition, a significantly higher proportion of females (versus males) viewed the reflections in a positive manner ( p = 0.05). Significant associations between themes in the weekly reflections and direct knowledge measures were also uncovered. This included a positive relationship between academic self-management (i.e., diligence and carefulness) and exam performance. Overall, our preliminary results point to a desirable impact of metacognitive instruction and repeated reflection on knowledge outcomes, metacognitive skills, and self-regulatory behaviors.
Applying Few-Shot Learning in Classifying Pedestrian Crash Typing
Authors: Weng Yanmo , Das Subasish , Paal Stephanie German
Published: March 2023

Pedestrian deaths account for 23% of all road traffic fatalities worldwide. After declining for three decades, pedestrian fatalities in the United States have been increasing with 6,941 fatalities in 2020, the highest number for more than two decades, impeding progress toward a zero-deaths transportation system. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT) was developed to describe the pre-crash actions of the parties involved to better define the sequence of events and precipitating actions that lead to crashes involving motor vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists. Undoubtedly, police crash data influence decision-making processes in the transportation agencies. Using crash data from three major cities in Texas (during the period from 2018 to 2020), this study assessed the data quality of police-reported crash narratives on pedestrian-involved traffic crashes. As the pedestrian crash typing involves many categories, conventional machine-learning algorithms will not be sufficient in solving the classification problem from narrative texts. This study used few-shot learning (FSL), an advanced machine learning, to solve this issue. Using the pre-knowledge obtained from five different crash types and a few labeled data points of three unseen new crash types, the proposed model achieved roughly 40% overall accuracy. Also, four different configurations of crash types were formed and tested which indicates that the model is robust.
Implementing Transitions of Care Services in a Primary Care Clinic: Role of the Pharmacist
Authors: Axtell Sandra , Nixon Bianca
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Pharmacists in primary care clinics improve medication adherence and reduce medication errors but these require further investigation to determine its potential impact on health care readmission rates. Methods: This review assessed the addition of a clinical pharmacist to the primary care provider’s transitions of care appointment. The primary outcome of this review was the change in acute health care encounters (hospital readmissions and/or Emergency Department visits) in the 6-month period before to the 6 months following initial clinical pharmacist intervention. Each patient served as their own control. Secondary outcomes included the number and types of pharmacist interventions, percentage of pharmacist recommendations accepted, number and categories of drug-related problems (DRPs), nonadherence reasons, 30-day hospital readmission rate, 30-day Emergency Department (ED) rate, time to first hospital readmission, time to first ED readmission, and preventable readmission rate. Results: The total number of combined acute health care encounters in 6 months decreased by 15% from 280 at baseline to 238 after pharmacist intervention ( P = .087) for the 206 patients included in the final analysis. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was 9.7% and the median time between first hospital readmission was 54.5 days (IQR 63.5). We identified a total number of 310 DRPs with a mean of 1.5 DRPs (SD 1.3) identified per patient. The providers accepted 88% of the pharmacists’ recommendations. Conclusions: Clinical pharmacists embedded in a primary care setting demonstrated improved patient care during transitions of care by identifying and resolving drug-related problems, with a trend in decreasing acute health care utilization.
Performance evaluation and optimization model for closed-loop production lines considering preventive maintenance and rework process
Authors: Zhou Binghai , Zha Wenfei
Published: March 2023

Closed-loop production lines with a constant number of carriers are widely encountered in today's production systems. In this paper, a production performance evaluation and optimization model is proposed for a closed-loop production line taking into account the degradation-level-dependent quality and rework process. Based on a two-machine-one-buffer decomposition method and the system state transition, a production performance evaluation method is presented. Due to the emphasis on quality management, preventive maintenance (PM) is used to ensure the reliability of the machines in the production line, increasing the effective output at minimum cost. A hybrid particle swarm optimization and estimation of distribution algorithm (PSO-EDA) is proposed to efficiently develop the optimal PM strategy. Finally, numerical experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of the model. With the objective of maximizing the system profit, the optimization of the machines and pallets number is also explored.
Prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection with antimicrobial resistance mutations among gay sex workers in China
Authors: Wang Lixin , Li Zhi , Wan Chuan , Tian Xuanxuan , Liu Hongye , Li Yang
Published: March 2023

Background

Gay sex workers (GSWs) within the population of men who have sex with men in China are known as money boys (MBs). Limited research has been conducted to investigate the infection rate and antimicrobial resistance of Mycoplasma genitalium ( M. genitalium) among GSWs in China. This study aimed to evaluate the status of M. genitalium infection among in GSWs.

Methods

This study was performed among 349 GSWs who were followed up for four years by internet-based sampling collection. The participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire using a mobile app, and trained interviewers took urethral, anorectal, and saliva swab specimens. STIs, including HIV and M. genitalium, were detected. Detection of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) to macrolides and fluoroquinolones was performed via Sanger sequencing of the 23S rRNA, parC and gyrA genes.

Results

GSWs were enrolled by identifying 10 initial “seeds” from the Blued and WeChat apps. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 349 GSWs from June 2017 to July 2021. The prevalence of M. genitalium and HIV positivity was 92/349 (26.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 21.7–31.0) and 71/349 (20.3%, 95% CI 16.3-24.4), respectively. The proportion of GSWs with M. genitalium infection alone in urethral swabs was 16, and the proportion with symptoms was 2/16 (12.5%). The proportion of GSWs with M. genitalium infection alone in anorectal swabs was 36, and the proportion with symptoms was 3/36 (8.3%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that using new types of drugs in the past 3 months and inconsistent condom usage with clients in the past 30 days were associated with M. genitalium infection. Macrolide resistance within the 23S rRNA gene was detected in 73/88 (83.0%) of the M. genitalium-positive GSWs. Moreover, 79.8% (71/89) of parC and 21.1% (19/90) of gyrA genes had mutations responsible for fluoroquinolone resistance. Three cases had no mutations in any of the three genes, 11 cases had mutations in all three genes, five cases had gyrA and parC gene mutations with no mutation in the 23S rRNA gene, and 42 cases had 23S rRNA and parC gene mutations with no mutation in the gyrA gene.

Conclusion

M. genitalium infections in our study displayed a high prevalence and very high levels of macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance among GSWs in China. Asymptomatic M. genitalium infections are quite common among GSWs. Routine resistance testing of M. genitalium-positive specimens and antimicrobial resistance surveillance are crucial.
Parametric and economic analysis of condensing heat exchanger combined with organic rankine cycle for heat and water recovery from boiler flue gas
Authors: Ghamati Erfan , Roudaki Javad M
Published: March 2023

This study concerns with heat and water recovery from the flue gas of a natural gas-fired thermal power plant. A combined system of condensing heat exchanger (CHE) and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is proposed. The CHE acts as the super-heater of the ORC. The flue gas enters to the CHE with a temperature of 160 [Formula: see text] and is cooled to under the water vapor dew point temperature and leads to water vapor condensation, therefore latent and sensible heat are recovered. The condensed water is used as cooling tower make-up water. The ORC refrigerant enters to the CHE as a saturated vapor and is superheated by the recovered heat. In order to achieve the best ORC performance and highest water recovery simultaneously, parametric analysis was done in terms of evaporator and superheating temperature. It was found that by increasing evaporator and superheating temperature, the efficiency and generated power of the ORC increase, although water recovery decreases. Also an increase in evaporator and superheating temperature raises the heat transfer area of CHE, particularly in the non-condensing zone. Therefore to find the optimum evaporation temperature an economic analysis based on NPV method was done and 43°C was determined as the optimum evaporation temperature. Considering this condition, flue gas enters the CHE with a temperature of 160°C and leaves it with a temperature of 57.85°C, and on the other side, the refrigerant enters it in a saturated state and leaves it with a temperature of 75°C. The total area of the CHE is about 39,490 m2. The amount of recovered water is 36.78 kg/s, which saves 34.2 % of the make-up water consumption. Also, the production power of the ORC-CHE was calculated as 24.12 MW and the additional power produced by ORC-CHE compared with bare ORC is 3.97 MW.
Library and information science and the positivist paradigm: Some critical reflections
Authors: Masuku Mehluli
Published: March 2023

The employment of the positivist paradigm in Library and Information Science (LIS) research is commonplace, by at least those who have cared to declare their research paradigms, especially at masters and doctoral levels of their studies. Inspired by such widespread use of positivism in LIS, this paper interrogates the applicability and appropriateness of this paradigm as a philosophical bearing for LIS researchers. Although the thrust of the paper is to critique the applicability of positivism to LIS research, it is itself not a lampoon on the scientific nature of LIS, neither is it in the interest of the paper to challenge any researchers who have employed positivism in the conduct of their research in the area of LIS. Instead, it is a critical reflection on some of the glaring challenges of employing positivism in LIS research, and warns against falling into the trap of what the author calls “positivist paradigmatic sophistry.” The paper is not prescriptive or conclusive, but opens new opportunities for critically reflecting on the utility of positivism in LIS research, and a more careful use of this paradigm by LIS scholars and researchers. The discussion unfolds by first putting LIS into perspective by way of briefly tracing the development of the sciences through the lens of Comte. It proceeds by way of explaining the nature of LIS in order to put it into perspective and goes on to unpack the concept of a paradigm before zeroing in on positivism as a paradigm of research. The paper finally presents some challenges that are associated with the application of positivism to LIS research. It argues that positivism is largely incompatible with LIS as a social science and concludes by imploring LIS researchers to engage in a deliberative and progressive discourse on whether positivism is appropriate for LIS research.
In Silico Stage-Matching of Human, Marmoset, Mouse, and Pig Embryos to Enhance Organ Development Through Interspecies Chimerism
Authors: Shetty Anala , Lim Seunghyun , Strell Phoebe , Steer Clifford J. , Rivera-Mulia Juan Carlos , Low Walter C.
Published: March 2023

Currently, there is a significant shortage of transplantable organs for patients in need. Interspecies chimerism and blastocyst complementation are alternatives for generating transplantable human organs in host animals such as pigs to meet this shortage. While successful interspecies chimerism and organ generation have been observed between evolutionarily close species such as rat and mouse, barriers still exist for more distant species pairs such as human–mouse, marmoset–mouse, human–pig, and others. One of the proposed barriers to chimerism is the difference in developmental stages between the donor cells and the host embryo at the time the cells are introduced into the host embryo. Hence, there is a logical effort to stage-match the donor cells with the host embryos for enhancing interspecies chimerism. In this study, we used an in silico approach to simultaneously stage-match the early developing embryos of four species, including human, marmoset, mouse, and pig based on transcriptome similarities. We used an unsupervised clustering algorithm to simultaneously stage-match all four species as well as Spearman’s correlation analyses to stage-match pairs of donor–host species. From our stage-matching analyses, we found that the four stages that best matched with each other are the human blastocyst (E6/E7), the gastrulating mouse embryo (E6–E6.75), the marmoset late inner cell mass, and the pig late blastocyst. We further demonstrated that human pluripotent stem cells best matched with the mouse post-implantation stages. We also performed ontology analysis of the genes upregulated and commonly expressed between donor–host species pairs at their best matched stages. The stage-matching results predicted by this study will inform in vivo and in vitro interspecies chimerism and blastocyst complementation studies and can be used to match donor cells with host embryos between multiple species pairs to enhance chimerism for organogenesis.
Potato Alkaloids α-Solanine and α-Chaconine Promote bFGF and VEGF Expression in Vein and Adjacent Tissues in the Rabbit Model of Phlebitis
Authors: Zhou Chunxiu , Chen Enliang , Jiang Daquan , Wang Nan
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

To investigate the therapeutic effect of mashed potato and its alkaloids α-solanine and α-chaconine on basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in ear venous vessels and adjacent tissues in a rabbit model of phlebitis.

Materials and Methods:

Japanese white rabbits were randomly allocated into control, vaseline cream (model), magnesium sulfate, mashed potato, α-solanine cream 100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg, and α-chaconine cream 100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg groups. The phlebitis model was established by intravenous infusion of vincristine in the rabbit ears. Group A received physiological saline. Group B−F was applied treatment 3 times/day, for 2 days along the ears vein. The alkaloid contents in α-solanine and α-chaconine were analyzed with HPLC. The bFGF, protein kinase C alpha (PKC-α), and VEGF expression in the ear vessels and nearby tissues were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blot analysis, respectively.

Results:

After phlebitis modeling, the vascular endothelium of the rabbit ear vein was damaged or layered, the lumen was swollen and deformed to an oval or round shape, and the proportion of bFGF and VEGF positive areas in the vascular endothelium and adjacent tissues was higher than the control group. The phlebitis score shows that various treatments have certain effects, among which magnesium sulfate wet gauze and mashed potatoes are more effective. The application of α-solanine and α-chaconine cream promotes the expression of bFGF and VEGF, as well as PKC-α in the venous blood vessels and adjacent tissues, but mashed potatoes had little effect.

Conclusion:

α-solanine and α-chaconine cream can promote the expression of bFGF and VEGF in venous blood vessels and adjacent tissues, which may contribute to the recovery of blood vessels in phlebitis.
Spatial Patterns of Anthropogenic Heat and Urban Density of an Indian Metropolitan City
Authors: Mandal Gitali , Subbaiyan G.
Published: March 2023

Anthropogenic heat intensity arises from levels of population, buildings and vehicle densities. Population and built-up densities are very high in the cities of developing countries, which may have an impact on heat generated from metabolism and buildings differently compared to developed countries. Hence, this study investigated the magnitude of anthropogenic heat in different land uses and areas with different built-up densities pertaining to Indian metropolises; Bengaluru metropolitan area was selected for this study. The maximum metabolic heat (22.8 W/m2), vehicular heat (87.2 W/m2) and building heat (443.0 W/m2) were found in the high-density residential grids and the mixed-use grids in the city centre area during 2017. The lowest value (0.1 W/m2) was found in the low-density residential areas, public and semi-public areas, restricted areas and agricultural areas. A high positive correlation value (0.8 in 2011 and 0.72 in 2017) was found between non-residential building surface fractions and anthropogenic heat.