bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION OF HYDROCARBONS IN BOTTOM SEDIMENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN KARA SEA
Authors:   Federal Research Center “A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS” (FRC IBSS), Tkachenko Yu. S. , Tikhonova E. A. ,   Federal Research Center “A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS” (FRC IBSS)
Published: April 2024

The surface layer (0–5 cm) of the bottom sediments, which samples were collected during the expedition of the RV “Academician Boris Petrov” in the Northeastern Kara Sea in the summer of 2022, has been investigated. Data on the content and composition of hydrocarbons (HCs) in the bottom sediments of the investigated aquatic area have been obtained. Since oil and petroleum products are among the most common sources of pollution of the seas and oceans, it is necessary to conduct regular surveys of marine ecosystems. This work is aimed at a qualitative and quantitative assessment of HCs in the bottom sediments of the Northeastern Kara Sea and identification of their possible sources. Examination of the qualitative and quantitative composition of HCs was carried out by gas chromatography using the gas chromatograph “Crystal-5000.2” with a flame ionization detector. The quantitative determination of the total HC content was conducted by the method of absolute calibration of the FID using a mixture of HCs prepared by the gravimetric method. Chromatec Analytic 3.0 software was used to process the results. It has been found that the total amount of HCs in the bottom sediments of the Northeastern Kara Sea ranged from 25.8 to 152.4 mg/kg, being 68.21±7.76 mg/kg on average. Based on analysis of the chromatograms, the predominance of high-molecular fractions has been identified; the maximum distribution of n-alkanes was represented by homologous compounds n-C25–C29, which are the markers of allochthonous organic matter. After comparison with the calculated diagnostic indices (CPI1, CPI2, ACL, LWH/HWH, TAR, C31/C29, Paq, TMD, ΣC25–35/ΣC15–21, Pr/Ph), it was found that the increased concentrations of HCs mainly result from the natural processes and prevalence of allochthonous organic matter in bottom sediments.
ENERGY METABOLISM OF MYTILUS GALLOPROVINCIALIS UNDER LOW SEAWATER PH
Authors:   Federal Research Center “A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS” (FRC IBSS), Vyalova O. Yu.
Published: April 2024

The problem of acidification of the World Ocean and predicting the consequences for its inhabitants is becoming more and more relevant every year. The effect of short-term pH fluctuations in coastal ecosystems on the physiology of calcifying organisms—bivalves—remains poorly understood. The energy metabolism of the Black Sea mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was investigated for the marine environment in a wide pH range, from 8.2 to 6.65. Lowering the pH to 7.0–7.5 led to a 20–25 % reduction in oxygen consumption by molluscs. At lower pH (6.54–6.7), aerobic respiration sharply decreased by 85– 90 %, down to the minimum values (2.12–2.62 µgO2/g dry/h), and the organisms transitioned to anaerobic metabolism. The metabolic response of the mussels subjected to short-term pH changes (8.2→6.65→7.2) has been investigated. The oxygen consumption of molluscs exposed at the same pH of 7.2 depended on the direction of the change in pH. Thus, in the case of pH 6.65→7.2, the respiration intensity was 30 % higher compared to the values obtained under the acidification pH 8.2→7.2. The Black Sea mussel M. galloprovincialis is shown to have the capacity for survival in the marine environment characterized by the rapid fluctuations in pH that occur during the upwelling events in the coastal areas of the Black Sea.
Effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging to Post-Storage Quality of White Flesh Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose)
Authors:   University of the Philippines Los Banos, Pascual Mary Louise , Peralta Engelbert , Yaptenco Kevin , Elauria Jessie , Esguerra Elda
Published: April 2024

Dragon fruits (Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose) under selected suitable Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) with 50.8µm polyethylene plastic film) and control samples (dragon fruits without MAP) were exposed to ambient condition after being stored for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days at 5°C and 10°C temperature, respectively. To validate if the selected MAP has significant effect in reducing the quality degradation rate of the dragon fruits during post-storage condition, different physico-chemical properties were measured. Data obtained for control samples were only from 5 and 10 days since samples were already considered inedible (with at least 80% peel decay) for days 15, 20, 25, and 30. On the other hand, data for days 5, 10, 15 and 20 were obtained for MAP samples. Highest firmness degradation of 6% was observed for control samples stored at 10°C when compared to day 0. In terms of moisture content (MC), MAP samples obtained the lowest degradation rates (comparing day 5 and day 10 samples) with at most 1.36% decrease in flesh MC and 1.7% decrease in moisture content peel MC. Change in the scale color (from green to yellow) of MAP samples was not drastic and very minimal as compared to controlled samples that have 21-24 difference from the hue value of day 0 sample. On the other hand, titratable acidity and total soluble solid of MAP samples were still acceptable with no significant changes all throughout the storage and post-storage period
Il sistema difensivo delle casematte in Calabria negli anni quaranta del Novecento: i silenziosi avamposti del promontorio di Punta Alice
Authors: Caniglia Maria Rossana
Published: April 2024

The casemates, elements of the Italian coastal defence system, are serial “objects” developed by the Genio Militare between 1941 and 1943, with different shapes, sizes and layouts according to the functions for which they were intended. The aim is to present the beginnings of research in Calabria, focusing on the casemates of Punta Alice in Cirò Marina, in the province of Crotone. A place chosen for its unique landscape and defensive vocation, where there is visible evidence of historical stratification. The casemates are abandoned ruins that coexist with the architecture of the past, transforming the contemporary landscape of “capo Lice”.
Castelli per tutte le stagioni. Castelforte di Puglia e la fortuna del neogotico in Italia
Authors: Serafini Lucia , Schiavano Valentina
Published: April 2024

The 1884 Turin International Exhibition bequeathed one of the most cultured and refined stone translations of the medieval dream of an era and an entire generation. The medieval hamlet of Valentino, built at the slopes of the Po' and designed by Alfredo d'Andrade, is the clearest representation and it initiates a phenomenon of exercises on the same theme that crosses the whole peninsula and bypasses the nineteenth century. The 1884 Turin International Exhibition bequeathed one of the most cultured and refined stone translations of the medieval dream of an era and an entire generation. The medieval hamlet of Valentino, built at the slopes of the Po' and designed by Alfredo d'Andrade, is the clearest representation and it initiates a phenomenon of exercises on the same theme that crosses the whole peninsula and bypasses the nineteenth century.
I castelli nei periodici illustrati del primo Ottocento in Italia
Authors: Tunzi Pasquale
Published: April 2024

European publishing in the early 19th century promoted the dissemination and knowledge of historical heritage through illustrations. For the first time, ordinary people could see depictions of buildings that had marked the milestones and workings of civilisations over time and in different places. The favoured historical period was the Middle Ages, a time in which the noble origins of European peoples were rooted. Castles were the emblem of those civilisations whose national identity needed to be sustained. In this contribution, we look at castles published in Italian magazines from 1834 to around 1850. A selection of the castle subjects depicted and commented on has allowed us to address the graphic and figurative aspects, to dwell on some of the information and narratives offered to the public with the intention of elevating them culturally. What emerges is a singular picture in which the defensive or military-technical aspect was not considered, but the castles were given their historical character.
Per un Atlante dell'Architettura Fortificata in Albania. I casi studio di Berat e Tepelene
Authors: Perfido Paolo , Martines Giacomo , Shehi Eduard , Caka Eduart , Ruka Rudenc , Fioriello Custode Silvio
Published: April 2024

As part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Polytechnic of Bari, the University of Bari and the Academy of Albanological Studies of Tirana, research on Albanian fortified architecture was started which also saw recognition by the MAECI. The studies, starting from experiences already acquired by the Polytechnic and the University of Bari on the Apulian fortified works, aim to create an atlas of fortified architecture in Albania and in-depth interventions on some significant case studies. Having noted a series of limitations in various studies on fortified architecture in Albania and in particular the lack of comparisons between eastern and western sources, it was possible to find a chronological classification of the sites based almost exclusively on typological aspects and construction techniques, generating a certain rigidity that should be rethought in the light of new studies and insights. Add to this the lack of excavations and archaeological tests which can highlight, with greater clarity and precision, chronological indicators to be associated with the wall structures. A first approach to the topic was to create a Geographic Information System (which is being structured and enriched as the research progresses) in which the main examples of Albanian fortified architecture were inserted to begin to define some fundamental relationships between the fortification system and the geo-morphological aspects of the territory, the hydrographic network and the ancient and medieval roads. Two case studies were identified at the same time: the fortified citadels of Berat and Tepelene for a first series of historical investigations and surveys of some significant structures in order to be able to carry out some reflections on the restoration operations that have involved, over the past few years , the two fortresses.
Ortus aquarum: il castello Piccolomini a Ortucchio nella conca del Fucino
Authors: Palestini Caterina , Lolli Stella
Published: April 2024

The contribution is part of the wider research concerning the defensive systems of the internal Abruzzo and specifically of the Marsican territory. The investigation takes into consideration a rare example of a fortress, originally accessible only by water, strategically located on an islet that lapped the shores of the ancient Lake Fucino. It is the castle built in the second half of the fifteenth century by Antonio Piccolomini which incorporates a previous medieval tower located in the historic center of Ortucchio (AQ). The eponymous tectonic basin lake, fed by precipitation and streams, did not have a natural emissary, reason why the water level was variable and dependent on the intensity and frequency of seasonal atmospheric events. Consequently, the historic center of Ortucchio underwent a change of physical-perceptive identity passing from the conformation of peninsula to that of island and the fortress was one of the distinctive places in the changing anthropic scenario of Lake Fucino before its drying up (1875).
La Cittadella di Mondovì (Cuneo): testimonianze superstiti e nuovi documenti
Authors: Cattaneo Maria Vittoria
Published: April 2024

In Mondovì Piazza (the higher part of the city near Cuneo) the Citadel is an example of fortification from the Sixteenth century that can still be recognized nowadays; inside it the transformations that were realized during the following centuries can still be identified too. It was realized by Ferrante Vitelli, general superintendent of the fortresses, on behalf of the duke Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia from 1573. Its construction entailed the demolition and the incorporation of the pre-existing buildings, among whom the San Donato Cathedral, that was transformed in knight. While the shape of the perimeter of the Citadel was little changed during the following centuries and is easily recognized in the higher part of Mondovì Piazza, the buildings inside it were heavily modified, until they reached their current forms. The recent finding of archive documents led to certify the intervention of the First Ducal Engineer Amedeo di Castellamonte who, between 1675 and 1682, worked on the enlargement and restructuring of the pre-existing architectures on behalf of the second Madama Reale, Maria Giovanna Battista di Savoia-Nemours. The transformations realized according to the design of Castellamonte, that heavily affected the Citadel designed by Vitelli, can still be recognized and find their confirmation in a rich iconography only partially known, that can now lead to new and original interpretations.
La torre Belforti e il Sistema difensivo di Montecatini Val di Cecina
Authors: Castiglia Roberto , Ceccarelli Lorenzo
Published: April 2024

The small village of Montecatini Val di Cecina, capital of one of the largest municipalities in the province of Pisa is perched at an altitude of approx. 420m above sea level and located on one of the last southern offshoots of the Pisan hills. The Montecatini’s first attestation, subject to the civil jurisdiction of the bishop of Volterra, important city of Etruscan origin, dates back to the end of XI century. Montecatini is mentioned as a castle only in May 1225, under the bishopric of Pagano Pannocchieschi. The Belforti family, with the taking of power in Volterra in 1340 and especially following the Filippo’s appointment on the episcopal chair, affirms itself in Montecatini entrusting the construction of the imposing tower to the stone master Ghetto da Buriano, in 1354, on the remains of an earlier structure. To the same, we owe the strengthening of the defensive wall system of the castle and, in the following year, the construction of a residential building. The tower of 30m approx. and the keep, of the latter remain today only a few traces, represent the essential component of the defensive system of the castle, of which today are still visible the towers with circular section. Towards the middle of the 14th century the domain of Montecatini was taken away from the Belforti family and handed over by the Florentines to the town of Volterra until, in 1472, it was subjected to the Florentine republic together with its countryside. At the end of the 60’s the tower was bought by Emilio Jesi, entrepreneur and important art collector (whose collection was donated to the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan), who made the restoration project of the illustrious architect Franco Albini. The main objective of the work presented is to return, also graphically, new reconstructive hypotheses of the fortified system of Montecatini Val di Cecina, on the basis of the acquisitions resulting from the profitable overlap between the archival documentation and the results of the survey.
Reading the process of formation of military fortifications on the Algerian coast in the nineteenth century
Authors: Cherif Sabrina , Menouer Ouassila , Benselama-Messikh Safia
Published: April 2024

expansion was accompanied by a multitude of fortification projects, reflecting the divergent conceptions of French occupation.The Algerian towns of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries then, were formed in various hectic contexts, starting first with their control by the Military Engineering Department, which relied on a strategy of war of movement to transform the territory into a network of fortified towns, whose tracing is often faced with constraints concerning the topography of the terrain. To understand the process of their formation, it is important to consider the logic behind the establishment of these military fortifications during the French colonial period, particularly those located in the north on the coastal strip, the first interface that military engineers faced in colonizing the country.This article proposes a reading of the possible development of these artefacts on the Algerian coastline, and their capacity to be thought of at once as means of defense, instruments of development and symbols of domination at the time, but which is also a question today of recognizing them, reappropriating them in a new meaning and then valorizing them as potentialities and added value in the territorial and urban development of cities.
Assedi e macchine da guerra nel Mezzogiorno normanno, XI e XII secolo
Authors: Coppola Giovanni
Published: April 2024

The establishment of Norman authority in southern Italy and Sicily was the result of an unprecedented effort that would substantially alter the future political order of the Mediterranean. The most effective military action adopted by Norman commanders was siege warfare, carried out against the main fortifications and major urban centers. This technique, very much related to Byzantine military traditions, consisted in surrounding with the army the place to be conquered with one or more small "counter-castles", preventing supplies from the outside, and at the same time engineering some powerful war machines, built for the occasion by the doctissimi artifices, which hammered the walls with intensity forcing it to surrender. The sophisticated lignorum machinae presented different types: mobile towers equipped with battering-rams, petrary, ballistae in addition to the well-known trebuchets with rope or counterweight devices.Starting from the written sources of the period, the essay aims to describe the salient phases of the main sieges conducted by the Normans between the 11th and 12th centuries, in which they experimented with singular warfare tools and strategies to get the better of the Lombard, Byzantine and Muslim armies.
Governare il mare. Due mari fortificati lungo lo stretto di Piombino tra il XVI e il XVII secolo
Authors: Ulivieri Denise , Vaccari Olimpia , Branca Iole
Published: April 2024

The new 16th century fortification theories, with which “modern-style” fortification began, were also established by the sea. The control of the strategic maritime frontier from Livorno to Piombino and to the islands was implemented through articulated and complex instruments developed both by the coasts and by the sea; famous architects of the time contributed to these fortification solutions. The present contribution aims to investigate in parallel the evolution of the port fortification systems of Livorno and Portoferraio from the first half of the 16th century to the end of the 17th century. The two systems were strategic strongholds of the maritime frontier of Medicean Tuscany, which developed within a complicated chessboard full of disputes in which the new Spanish frontier broke through. In this articulated framework, Livorno’s forefront and the military port of Elba were constantly fortified synergically and dynamically according to the principles of the "science of war".
La fortificazione dell'isola di Carloforte. Logiche militari e disegno illuminista nell'opera dell'ingegnere piemontese Augusto De la Vallea
Authors: Pirinu Andrea , Martínez Medina Andrés , Sanna Giancarlo
Published: April 2024

In the first half of the eighteenth century the island of Carloforte is the subject of a project aimed at the birth of a new settlement. The intervention has a strong affinity with the eighteenth-century Spanish settlements (Nueva Tabarca, 1775) both from an urban point of view and for the common events related to the redemption of the inhabitants of the island of Tabarca in Tunisia.The new fortified city thought by the Piedmontese engineer Augusto De la Vallea - operating in Sardinia in the period 1735-44 - occupies a strategic position close to a hill that, facing the south-western coast of Sardinia and protected from the prevailing winds, check the docks on the island and the nearby salt pans.The project of the military technician previews the realization of a fortified citadel modelled from the shape and from the disposition of plastically defined bulwarks to adapt to the topography of the places and to guarantee the control of the surrounding territory.The drawing, drawn up with considerable skill, describes the landscape context, the methods of tracing the perimeter of defence and through a design practice "Enlightenment", orders the urban layout, planning the layout of the urban space according to a Cartesian layout modelled, in its outer perimeter, by the silhouette of the fortress. A new line of defence, wider and embracing the citadel and showing a settlement developed towards the coastline, is readable in documents of the early nineteenth century that dated 1808-1810, represent a part of the perimeter of the citadel designed by De la Vallea.The contribution proposes a careful graphic-design analysis of the project of the Piedmontese engineer, an analysis of the construction events and a comparison with the most recent documents and the current urban layout of the city.
Cartography as a source for the medieval fortifications of Šibenik
Authors: Pavić Josip
Published: April 2024

Unlike the well-documented and almost fully researched Šibenik fortifications constructed in 16th and 17th century (St. Nicholas' Fortress, St. John's Fortress, Barone Fortress), the evolution, direction and spatial extent of earlier Šibenik fortifications have not been fully unraveled. St. Michael’s fortress (castello) above the city, which has been occupied since pre-Roman era, was extensively rebuilt by the Venetians in early 15th century. The city walls, descending from the fortress to the sea, were only completed in the second half of 15th century - we have no information about any early versions of the walls, although they surely existed. Two forts on the inner, eastern side of the channel linking the Šibenik harbour to the open sea were also considered a part of the medieval fortification system. Considering the limited number of written historical sources, the existence of several cartographic representations of Šibenik from the late 15th and early 16th century (Konrad von Grünenberg's 1486 veduta, and Venetian map of central Dalmatia from c.a. 1510, among others) is of particular value. Despite their different provenance and character, a detailed analysis of these graphic sources can offer some (but not all) answers to many open questions regarding the pre-bastion defence of Šibenik.
Fortezze del mediterraneo orientale e rappresentazioni attraverso la storia: il caso di Durazzo
Authors: Di Girolamo Felicia , Ҫapeli Loreta
Published: April 2024

Eastern Mediterranean cities affected by numerous episodes of warfare over the centuries are marked by defense structures and fortified architecture that have characterized their physiognomy and identity over time. In general, the Balkan and Greek states were largely marked by fortresses and bastions placed to protect conflicts that occurred frequently from sea and land. Images of Mediterranean cities and landscapes are therefore profoundly distinguished by bastions, city walls, towers and castles, which, in relation to the conflicts and wartime events of these territories, allowed for a conspicuous iconographic, cartographic and literary production. In fact, alongside the material traces left by fortifications and architectural structures, there are historiographic sources that offer, within a vast time span, documentation of great interest. Particularly in the context of the Venetian domains scattered along the Balkan and Greek coasts during the centuries of the Serenissima, there are numerous accounts of cartographers and travelers who, with stories and drawings, describe the domains of the Venetian Republic in the Mediterranean. Representations of cities and the fortified landscape are therefore particularly interesting tools that enable the analysis of defensive architectural structures through the centuries. This essay intends, therefore, to examine the representations and accounts produced by cartographers and travelers who showed interest in the cities of the eastern Mediterranean. Nevertheless, it will be useful to compare the different images in order to analyze and reconstruct the morphological characteristics of the structures and their transformations over time. Thus, the review of works by distinguished Italian and foreign authors allows us to distinguish cities and fortified architecture that represent evidence of considerable interest for the study of known territories and lesser-known places that qualify as landmarks of exceptional historical value.
Torri costiere del XV-XVII secolo all’isola d’Elba
Authors: Empler Tommaso , Caldarone Adriana , Fusinetti Alexandra
Published: April 2024

Elba Island, due to its geographical position at the center of the contested Mediterranean region among Italy, France, and Spain, and its environmental resources (minerals and salt), has always been subject to incursions and dominations.For this reason, Elban landscape, understood as the result of socio-economic, cultural, and architectural configurations evolving over time, has developed a characteristic settlement pattern based on the relationship between highlands and the coastline.Around the 5th century, settlement model of Hilltop Fortresses established itself as a sedentary model, and many of the sites founded during that period are still visible today due to the continuity of architectural usage, facilitated by the construction of additional fortresses by the Pisans around the 15th and 16th centuries.Different historical developments are followed by fortified structures located along the coastlines (especially in Marina di Campo, Marciana Marina, and Rio Marina), which take the form of watchtowers integrating into coastal defense and surveillance systems during the 16th century.The study analyzes the various types of existing fortifications, based on bibliographic and iconographic research, along with surveying and material analysis, aiming to create informative models for the digitization, management, and enhancement of the fortified heritage of Elba.
Inheriting Tindjellet: nine hidden fortresses in the ancient Timimoun Sebkha harbour, Gourara (Algerian Sahara)
Authors: Mahrour Illili
Published: April 2024

Tindjellet is one of the fortified settlement oases forming the network of the Gourara defensive structures in the north of Timimoun sebkha or salty soils, on the edge of the Meguiden, an erosion glacis of a sandstone cuesta area of the Continental Intercalaire. Tindjellet nine fortresses are situated in the southwest of Algeria on the ancient caravan trails linking sub-Saharan Africa to the Atlantic shores and the Mediterranean world a site made famous until the 19th century for its eight mosques. By using a space anthropological approach prevailing oral tradition we have tried to understand why Tindjellet is still known as the “Marsa”, an old harbor on the edge of the Hellala plateau. We have also questioned how the inhabited spatial organization grew on a cornice above the Ouled Ilyas bour, a non-irrigated palm tree area owned by a former Andalusian tribe, in this early Saharan lake human settlement today composed of hundreds distinct tumbled-down defensive structures. Despite their advanced state of ruins, whether occupied or abandoned, the nine hidden fortresses and their landscape are identified as the establishment of ancient red sandstone defensive constructive know-how with vertical wells dug one hundred meters into the rocky peak. The building technic is based on curved and right-angled stone masonry of the defensive walls as well as circular and squared angles towers like in Agham Tawriḥt and Taourayaḥt, two Tindjellet nine ruined defensive structures. The fortresses toponymy, the water system and cemetery position together with the saints’ tomb structures highlight the territory defensive system and stone architecture construction technics and allow to follow throughout time the development of this Saharan stone building culture from the Almoravid period to the 18th century.
Imaginar la transición hacia sociedades sostenibles
Authors:   Universitat Politècnica de València, Albelda José , Sgaramella Chiara ,   Universitat Politècnica de València, Parreño José María ,   Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Published: April 2024

Esta publicación incide sobre una problemática crucial de nuestro tiempo: la necesidad de transitar hacia modelos sociales más equitativos y sostenibles frente a la crisis ecosocial contemporánea. A partir de un enfoque interdisciplinar, la monografía pretende resaltar el papel de las humanidades en esta trasformación cultural. Aunque históricamente relegadas a un segundo plano en relación con el mayor protagonismo del conocimiento tecnocientífico, la filosofía, la psicología, las artes y la literatura constituyen un imprescindible bagaje teórico-práctico por sus capacidades de imaginar, de redefinir los horizontes éticos y simbólicos, y de diseñar nuevas formas de convivencia.

La primera sección del libro se refiere en sentido amplio al ámbito de la ética y de la psicología ambiental. La segunda ahonda en la contribución de la literatura a la creación y difusión de una sensibilidad ecológica. El tercer apartado comprende un conjunto de proyectos artísticos que ilustran la relación entre estética y conciencia ambiental.
Clinical Guide to Surface Palpation, Second Edition
Authors: Masaracchio Michael , Frommer Chana
Published: April 2024

A Clinical Guide to Surface Palpation, Second Edition, uses a simple step-by-step approach to explaining palpation techniques, which are organized by regions of the body. Anatomical overlays on photos and video clips help demonstrate proper execution of common clinical palpation techniques.
Assessing Economic Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation: The State of Montana
Authors: Grieb Terrance , McLeod Aman
Published: April 2024

This article presents a guide for assessing economic damages in personal injury and wrongful death litigation in the state of Montana and is part of the Journal of Forensic Economics series of papers on this topic. The analysis provides experts with the information needed to produce opinions and give testimony on these subjects that is consistent common practice and Montana law.
Pediatric otitis media with effusion: current surgical approach
Authors: Şimşek Buğra , Şencan Ziya
Published: April 2024

Otitis media with effusion (EOM), also called serous otitis media, is defined as the presence of fluid in the middle ear without signs of acute infection. EOM is a very common childhood disease. 90% of preschool children experience EOM, with an average of 4 episodes per year. There are 3 main factors in the etiology of EOM; impaired ventilation of the middle ear, infection and inflammation. Treatment of EOM is a combination of observation, medical and surgical therapies. The goals of treatment are to clear the middle ear fluid and restore normal middle ear pressure and hearing. In surgical treatment, myringotomy and tympanostomy tube placement are the main approaches. Shepard Grommet type temporary tube application is the most commonly used material. The current version of the "Tympanostomy Tubes in Children" guideline published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) in 2013 was renewed in 2022. In this short review, we will explain the indications for surgical treatment of EOM-tympanostomy tube application with this guideline.
A Two-Headed Creature: Bicameralism in African Autocracies
Authors: Gerzso Thalia
Published: April 2024

Since the 1990s, seventeen African states have added a second chamber to their legislatures. This sudden trend is puzzling for two reasons. First, bicameral legislatures have decreased by 33 percent worldwide. Second, although upper houses often aim to improve democratic representation,
descriptive statistics suggest these institutional changes were not due to democratic or representative pressures. The changes occurred primarily in hybrid regimes. What explains this resurgence of bicameral legislatures in Africa? I argue that incumbents introduce a second chamber when the
opposition has sufficient power in the lower chamber to contain the executive branch. I adopt a mixed-methods approach combining statistical analysis and two case studies of Côte d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe. I find that African incumbents have created a second chamber to (1) weaken the
legislature as a whole and the opposition in particular and (2) manage intra-party dissent.
ARCHITECTURE OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN ASTANA 30-s-50s XX CENTURY
Authors:   L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Toishiyeva A.A.
Published: April 2024

The study of the architecture of residential buildings is of great scientific interest, and the topic of housing always remains one of the most relevant in the development of society. The article analyzes the features of the formation of the architecture of residential buildings in Astana in the period from 1936 to 1954, which developed under the influence of socio-economic factors, political decisions, architectural and urban planning tasks of the first half of the 20th century. The study involves the use of a method of analysis, study and field survey of residential buildings in Astana of the 1930s-1950s. The article is based on documents collected by the author in 2014-2015 from the funds of the National Archive of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the State Archive of the city of Astana, the archive of the real estate center in the city of Astana, as well as materials from field surveys and photographic recordings of residential buildings. The theoretical foundation for the study was the works of Kazakh scientists: B.A. Glaudinova, M.G. Seydalina, A.S. Karpykova, T.K. Basenova, B.U. Kuspangalieva, K.I. Samoilova, K.G. Tokzhumanova, etc. As a result of the study, three periods of formation and development of the architecture of residential buildings in Astana were identified: pre-war (1936-1940s); war period (1941-1945); post-war period (1946-1953). Within the established periods, the characteristic features of the architecture of residential buildings in the city are determined: urban planning solutions for residential development, typological methods of housing construction and architectural style.
INVESTIGATION OF THE ISSUE OF INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF ARBOLITE BASED ON A MULTICOMPONENT BINDER
Authors:   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Zhanatuly S. , Uderbayev S.S. ,   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Zhapakhova A.U. ,   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Zhakapbayeva G.A. ,   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University
Published: April 2024

An urgent issue in the construction industry is the introduction of resource-saving, energy-saving technologies in the production of building materials, products and structures. By reviewing foreign literary scientific works, it has been proved that it is possible to obtain composite materials – arbolite products based on vegetable agricultural waste such as cotton stalks, rice husks and its straw and other organic fillers. In particular, the following formulations have been adopted: (1) CHP ash – 60%; (2) CHP ash – 50%; (3) CHP ash 45% + rice husk ash 5%; (4) CHP ash-42% + rice husk ash 10%. The cement of the 3th and 4th composition and the ash of the CHP with the addition of rice husk ash are crushed in a ball mill with a specific surface area of up to 3500-4000 cm2/g. For the production of arbolite products, the technology of pressed arbolite, manufactured by conveyor method, has been applied. The compressive strength of arbolite samples based on various plant agricultural waste and a multicomponent binder was determined. The developed technological operations improve the physical properties of arbolite and increase its strength. As a result of experimental studies, the strength of arbolite with a density of 615 kg/m3 based on rice husks during compression was 2.5 MPa, arbolite with a density of 621 kg/m3 based on wood chips was 2.6 MPa, arbolite with a density of 605 kg/m3 based on cotton stems was 2.40 MPa, arbolite with a density of 614 kg/m3 based on mown rice straw-2.2 MPa and reed sawdust, the strength of arbolite with a density of 617 kg/m3 on the basis was 2.0 MPa.
INVESTIGATION OF DEFECTS IN DECORATIVE BRICK CLADDING OF FACADES OF FRAME BUILDINGS
Authors:   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Zhapakhova A.U. , Uderbayev S.S. ,   Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University
Published: April 2024

The use of layered walls in the construction of frame buildings is due to the need to increase the energy efficiency of enclosing structures. At the same time, defects at existing facilities are, for the most part, a consequence of insufficient experience in the design and construction of such facilities. The authors analyzed and summarized the causes of the most common defects in the facing layer of walls known in world scientific practice. Some results of experimental studies carried out by the authors on the strength of masonry under local compression in places where they rest on floor discs are presented. It was established that for masonry made of solid bricks, the compressive resistance Rcom at c = 0.5t decreased by 30% compared to the strength of masonry at c = t. For masonry made of hollow ceramic stones, the decrease in strength was even greater. Issues requiring study have been identified regarding the selection of anchors, the selection of insulation, the selection of mortar components and other equally important components of a complex structure in the form of an external layered wall.
REINCIDÊNCIA NO SISTEMA PRISIONAL: UM ESTUDO PSICOSOCIAL
Authors: Nunes Rodrigo Souza Lira , Leão Samila Marques
Published: April 2024

O tema do presente artigo visa discutir sobre a influência dos fatores psicológicos na reincidência criminal. O objetivo geral, trata de descrever os principais fatores que ocasionam a reincidência criminal no Brasil, discorrendo brevemente sobre a história da reincidência criminal no Brasil e do sistema carcerário, apresentando os aspectos legais no que concerne ao do ordenamento jurídico penal e também problemas presentes no sistema prisional. O problema que guia a pesquisa é: quais os fatores sociais apontados como principais para a reincidência criminal, nos presídios brasileiros? E, por fim, o que se tem apontado como “provável” solução a esse problema tão debatido? Utiliza-se a pesquisa bibliográfica e como técnica o método de abordagem dedutivo. Os resultados mostram que a reincidência possui diversos fatores causadores entre eles, o abandono familiar, más condições prisionais, falta de escolaridade, baixa renda, envolvimento precoce com drogas, e falta de preparação da sociedade para receber e oferecer oportunidades, e que existe soluções como, triagem dos presos ao chegar nas penitenciarias, dar suporte para que a família consiga dar apoio, e também a melhora do convívio com os agentes penitenciários.
Direct detection of condensed particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on a molecular composition level at low pg m-3 mass concentrations via proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometry
Authors: Reinecke Tobias , Leiminger Markus , Klinger Andreas , Müller Markus
Published: April 2024

Abstract. Particle condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of toxic organic compounds that are produced by incomplete combustion of organic material e.g. via biomass burning or traffic emissions. Even at low long-term exposure levels, such as 1 ng m-3 of benzo(a)pyrene, PAHs are recognized to be detrimental to human health. Therefore, a quantitative characterization of PAHs at sub-ng m-3 levels is important to examine precise long-term exposure. A new ultrasensitive generation of proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometry (PTR-MS) instruments coupled to the CHARON particle inlet is highly capable of quantitatively detecting this toxic class of compounds at a molecular composition level, while offering a high temporal resolution of < 1 min and sub-ng m-3 limits of detection. To demonstrate the capabilities of this new CHARON FUSION PTR-TOF 10k instrument, we present a thorough characterization of summertime ambient condensed PAHs in Innsbruck, Austria. With a mass resolution of > 14 000 (m/Δm at full width half maximum) and unprecedented sensitivities of up to 40 cps ng-1 m3, a series of 9 condensed PAHs of four (C16H10) to six aromatic rings (C26H16) are identified among a plethora of organic compounds in ambient organic aerosol. With unprecedented one-minute 3-σ limits of detection between 19 to 46 pg m-3, quantitative time-series of these PAHs of lowermost mass concentrations are determined. To understand the sources and processes associated with these condensed summertime PAHs in greater detail, a matrix factorization including the ~ 4 000 ionic signals detected by the CHARON FUSION PTR-TOF 10k is performed, representing the vast majority of ambient organic aerosol. A total of 10 factors and corresponding time-series can be identified. Known tracer compounds like levoglucosan, pinonic acid or nicotine consequently allow the assignment to individual organic aerosol sources and physico-chemical processes. PAH emissions from traffic are found to be minor contributors during this summertime sampling period. The highest concentrations of PAHs are identified in a mixed aged oxygenated organic aerosol, followed by a biomass-burning and a cigarette smoking organic aerosol.
Cloud water adjustments to aerosol perturbations are buffered by solar heating in non-precipitating marine stratocumuli
Authors: Zhang Jianhao , Chen Yao-Sheng , Yamaguchi Takanobu , Feingold Graham
Published: April 2024

Abstract. Marine low-level clouds are key to the Earth’s energy budget due to their expansive coverage over global oceans and their high reflectance of incoming solar radiation. Their responses to anthropogenic aerosol perturbations remain the largest source of uncertainty in estimating the anthropogenic radiative forcing of climate. A major challenge is the quantification of the cloud water response to aerosol perturbations. In particular, the presence of feedbacks through microphysical, dynamical and thermodynamical pathways at various spatial and temporal scales could augment or weaken the response. Central to this problem is the temporal evolution in cloud adjustment, governed by entangled feedback mechanisms. We apply an innovative conditional Monte Carlo subsampling approach to a large ensemble of diurnal large-eddy simulation of non-precipitating marine stratocumulus to study the role of solar heating in governing the evolution in the relationship between droplet number and cloud water. We find a persistent negative trend in this relationship at night, confirming the role of microphysically enhanced cloud-top entrainment. After sunrise, the evolution in this relationship appears buffered and converges to ∼ -0.2 in the late afternoon. This buffering effect is attributed to a strong dependence of cloud-layer shortwave absorption on cloud liquid water path. These diurnal cycle characteristics further demonstrate a tight connection between cloud brightening potential and the relationship between cloud water and droplet number at sunrise, which has implications for the impact of the timing of advertent aerosol perturbations.
Elevated oxidized mercury in the free troposphere: Analytical advances and application at a remote continental mountaintop site
Authors: Derry Eleanor J. , Elgiar Tyler , Wilmot Taylor Y. , Hoch Nicholas W. , Hirshorn Noah S. , Weiss-Penzias Peter , Lee Christopher F. , Lin John C. , Hallar A. Gannet , Volkamer Rainer , Lyman Seth N. , Gratz Lynne E.
Published: April 2024

Abstract. Mercury (Hg) is a global atmospheric pollutant. In its oxidized form (HgII), atmospheric Hg can readily deposit to ecosystems, where it may bioaccumulate and cause severe health effects. High HgII concentrations are reported in the free troposphere, but spatiotemporal data coverage is limited. Underestimation of HgII by commercially available measurement systems hinders quantification of Hg cycling and fate. During spring-summer 2021 and 2022, we measured elemental (Hg0) and oxidized Hg using a calibrated dual-channel system alongside trace gases, aerosol properties, and meteorology at the high-elevation Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) above Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Oxidized Hg concentrations displayed temporal behavior similar to previous work at SPL, but were approximately three times higher in magnitude due to improved measurement accuracy. We identified 18 multi-day events of elevated HgII (mean enhancement: 36 pg m-3) that occurred in dry air (mean ± s.d. RH = 32 ± 16 %). Lagrangian particle dispersion model (HYSPLIT-STILT) 10-day back-trajectories showed that the majority of transport prior to events occurred in the low to mid-free troposphere. Oxidized Hg was anticorrelated with Hg0 during events, with an average (± s.d.) slope of -0.39 ± 0.14, suggestive of upwind oxidation followed by deposition during transport. Concurrent sulfur dioxide measurements verified that three upwind coal-fired power plants did not measurably contribute ambient Hg at SPL. Principal Components Analysis revealed HgII consistently inversely related with Hg0 and was generally not associated with combustion tracers, confirming oxidation in the clean, dry free troposphere as its primary origin.