bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing constrained MOEA/D with direct mating using hybrid mating strategies and diverse crossover methods
Authors: Kanazaki Masahiro , Toyoda Takeharu
Published: January 2025

The direct mating strategy, which is a constraint-handling method in multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, selects a second parent on the basis of the optimal direction in the objective space, disregarding feasibility. This approach, although effective in early generations, encounters difficulties as solutions better than the current Pareto solutions become scarce, reducing diversity and hindering exploration. Herein, we introduce a hybrid approach that combines direct mating with newly proposed local mating strategies, aiming to generate offspring around the Pareto optimal solutions to improve the solution search performance via a direct mating strategy. Our method addresses the limitations of conventional direct mating, thereby improving its applicability to real-world design problems. Our hybrid strategy employs local mating to select an additional parent close to the initially chosen parent, preserving solution diversity and effectively exploring the solution space. This enhances the effectiveness of direct mating across all generations. In addition, we introduce two types of crossover methods, i.e., simulated binary crossover and differential evolution, for parents selected by direct and local mating, respectively. The synergy among these techniques facilitates a robust search process that can efficiently yield superior solutions. We evaluated the proposed approach using three mathematical problems with distinct Pareto fronts and two practical applications, including an aerospace design problem. The performances of these methods were assessed on the basis of the averages and standard deviations of the hypervolume and inverted generational distance metrics across multiple solution attempts to determine the average performances and the dependencies on initial population variance. The obtained results demonstrate that the hybrid method significantly outperforms the existing methods in the case of constrained multi-objective optimization. Specifically, the hybrid method yielded higher average hypervolumes and lower dependency on initial population variance than the existing methods. The hybrid method also yielded a lower average and less dependency on initial population variance in the inverted generational distance compared to existing methods. This result suggests that the proposed method can obtain high-quality non-dominated solutions, regardless of the initial population.
Stochastic homogenisation for functionals defined on asymptotically piecewise rigid functions
Authors: Donnarumma Antonio Flavio , Friedrich Manuel
Published: January 2025

We study stochastic homogenisation of free-discontinuity surface functionals defined on piecewise rigid functions which arise in the study of fracture in brittle materials. In particular, under standard assumptions on the density, we show that there exists a

$$\Gamma $$

Γ

-limit almost surely and that it can be represented by a surface integral. In addition, the effective density can be characterised via a suitable asymptotic cell formula and is deterministic under an ergodicity assumption. We also show via

$$\Gamma $$

Γ

-convergence that the homogenised functional defined on piecewise rigid functions can be recovered from a Griffith-type model by passing to the limit of vanishing elastic deformations.
The Random RFPA Method for Modelling Rock Failure
Authors: Gong Bin , Zhao Tao , Thusyanthan Indrasenan , Tang Chun’an , Zhou Gordon G. D.
Published: January 2025

The random rock failure process analysis (RRFPA) method was developed in this research to characterize the material spatial variability and uncertainty in rock failure modelling. The random field theory (RFT) was integrated with the traditional rock failure process analysis (RFPA) to model rock heterogeneity. In this approach, the variation of rock properties is represented as a function of relative distance, such that the influence of material intrinsic correlation on its fracturing behaviour can be appropriately captured. To validate the theory, 300 RRFPA simulations were conducted to investigate the failure characteristics of rock samples under compressive loading. The results showed that by incorporating a spectrum of material properties, the numerical outcomes exhibited distinct upper and lower bounds of stress across all testing scenarios, closely aligning with the experimental relationships. The histograms for uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus showed that both properties followed normal distributions, with the average values of 10.099 MPa and 1.818 GPa, respectively. The corresponding coefficients of variation were 0.450 and 0.038. The localized failure tended to result in a more rapid release of acoustic emission energy, but generated smaller cumulative energy compared to the overall failure pattern. In general, the maximum relative error of the RRFPA model was only 0.66% for uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus, and critical axial strain.
Breathing in virtual reality for promoting mental health: a scoping review
Authors: Pancini Elisa , Di Natale Anna Flavia , Villani Daniela
Published: January 2025

Breathing techniques have long been recognized as effective strategies for promoting mental health-related outcomes such as relaxation and emotional regulation. Virtual reality (VR), with its immersion and interactivity, offers the possibility to amplify the effectiveness of breathing techniques in promoting mental health. Recently, there has been an increasing use of VR to support breathing, although a formal summary of this integration is lacking. Following the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines, this scoping review aims to investigate the integration of breathing techniques and VR experiences and examine their potential effects on mental health-related outcomes. The synthesis of the reviewed studies (n = 18) reveals that different VR experiences can be used to strengthen breathing techniques. VR can, for example, reduce distractions and enhance focus during breathing exercises, provide direct, real-time feedback on the practice, and be used to create personalized environments, allowing users to train their breathing techniques in various contexts, from calming virtual nature settings to safe environments for practicing breathing skills that can be applied to real-life situations. Furthermore, this scoping review reveals the positive effects of VR-based breathing interventions on reducing clinical symptoms and increasing well-being and physical health outcomes. Overall, while acknowledging some methodological heterogeneity in the existing studies, the findings demonstrate the unique and promising potential of integrating breathing techniques with VR experiences. Future research is recommended to understand long-term effects, user experience, and the potential customization of interventions for diverse clinical and well-being contexts.
Production, Environment, and Population Growth
Authors: Dzhumashev Ratbek , Kazakevitch Gennadi
Published: January 2025

This paper analyses the joint evolution of production, environment, and population in the long run. The paper demonstrates that the link between output, resources, and population creates obstacles to sustained growth. This is because the law of conservation of mass implies that long-run growth of output would depend on increasing resource use. The amount of resources used in production directly increases pollution and causes environmental deterioration. Income growth and a fall in the quality of the environment raise the relative cost of living and affect fertility negatively. This leads to a trade-off between income growth and population growth. If resource use damages the environment at an increasing rate, then the sustainability of the environment requires that the total resource use should be capped. In this case, any per capita growth comes at the cost of a static or even falling population. The only way to ameliorate such a strict trade-off is to promote ’green’ technologies and policies that allow for growth with lesser pollution.
Necessary and Sufficient Elastic Stability Conditions for Single Crystals
Authors: Knowles Kevin M.
Published: January 2025

Necessary and sufficient elastic stability conditions for single crystals for the seven crystal systems are specified for both stiffness and compliance tensors. For Laue classes of four of these crystal systems, conditions for the positive-definite forms of suitably chosen 4 × 4 real symmetric matrices are shown to be both useful and relevant. Other supposedly equivalent and often simpler conditions proposed in the literature for tetragonal, orthorhombic and monoclinic crystal systems are analysed; all are shown to be incorrect.
Assessing microclimatic influences in Colombo metropolitan area (CMA) amidst global climate change: a comprehensive study from 1980 to 2022
Authors: Fonseka Panchali U. , Zhang Hongsheng , Premasiri Ranjith , Samarasuriya Chaminda , Rathnayake Upaka
Published: January 2025

Climate change has become an emerging topic, leading to widespread damage. However, when considering climate, attention is drawn to various scales, and urban microclimate has emerged as a trending subject due to its direct relevance to human living environments. Among the microclimatic factors, temperature and precipitation are utilized in order to identify trends. The identification of changes in precipitation and temperature from ground stations poses difficulties due to the lack of well-distributed stations; thus, satellite-based products are gaining popularity. The satellite products were validated against ground data, following which time-series and spatial analyses were conducted. The rainfall anomaly index, seasonality index, heat wave magnitude index, and mean temperature differ in the Colombo Metropolitan Area compared to the entire country. Each index is calculated decadal-wise to identify trends. By utilizing four climate indices, the analysis endeavors to investigate the microclimate identification in Colombo Metropolitan Area compared to its surrounding areas such as the Western Province and the entire country. This study aids local authorities in mitigating climate change by enhancing city resilience. These findings underscore the importance of understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on temperature extremes to mitigate potential adverse effects on human activities and the environment. Understanding the specific reasons for spatial changes in rainfall anomalies often necessitates extensive climate modeling and data analysis.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Turkish European chestnut (Castanea sativa) genotypes assessed using start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) markers
Authors: Orman Erdal , Çakar Deniz , Alkan Mehtap , Özer Göksel , Güler Emrah , Gündoğdu Muttalip
Published: January 2025

The European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is an important nut crop that grows naturally in the Black Sea and Aegean regions of Türkiye. This study examined the genetic diversity and population structure of chestnut genotypes from prominent regions in Türkiye using Start Codon Targeted Polymorphism (SCoT) markers. A total of 44 Turkish chestnut genotypes from the Aegean, Marmara, and Black Sea regions, along with a control group of French variety, were analyzed. The SCoT primers underwent tests to select the most suitable ones, producing 8 selected amplified fragments, 65.34% of which were found to be polymorphic. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) analyses showed clear discrimination between two populations based on their origins, which was supported by the population structure analysis. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) analysis revealed that 3% of the genetic variation was within populations and 97% was among individuals. The out-group (French variety) showed the furthest genetic similarity, and genetic similarity values decreased with increasing geographic distance. The SCoT primers successfully fingerprinted chestnut genotypes and could be used in future research to analyze the phylogeny of chestnuts using genomic DNA.
Interactive sequential generative models for team sports
Authors: Fassmeyer Dennis , Cordes Moritz , Brefeld Ulf
Published: January 2025

Understanding spatiotemporal coordination of players in team sports is key to movement models, pattern detection, and computational tactics. Existing generative models propose to capture all stochasticity by a single latent variable and may suffer from entangled representations, or aim to uncover interaction structures of players but then do not focus on their generative ability. As a remedy, we propose a hierarchical latent variable model for predicting trajectories of multiple players. In the generative model, both, discrete role assignments and a latent interaction graph are sampled to allow for different models in subsequent node updates and message passing operations between nodes, where standard Gaussian latent variables are employed per agent and timestep. We cast our approach as a variational autoencoder that provides a disentangled latent space to capture variability in team sport movements and propose a neural architecture for its optimization. We empirically evaluate our approach on tracking data from basketball and soccer and observe that our contribution outperforms the state-of-art in all experiments.
Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE): Science and Mission Overview
Authors: Wang Chi , Branduardi-Raymont Graziella , Escoubet C. Philippe , Forsyth Colin
Published: January 2025

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) was proposed to the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and the European Space Agency (ESA) following a joint call for science missions issued in January 2015. SMILE was proposed by a team of European and Chinese scientists, led by two mission Co-PIs, one from China and one from Europe. SMILE was selected in June 2015, and its budget adopted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in November 2016 and the ESA Science Programme Committee in March 2019, respectively. SMILE will investigate the connection between the Sun and the Earth using a new technique that will image the magnetopause and polar cusps: the key regions where the solar wind impinges on Earth’s magnetic field. Simultaneously, SMILE will image the auroras borealis in an ultraviolet waveband, providing long-duration continuous observations of the northern polar regions. In addition, the ion and magnetic field characteristics of the magnetospheric lobes, magnetosheath and solar wind will be measured by the in-situ instrument package. Here, we present the science goals, instruments and planned orbit. In addition the Working Groups that are supporting the preparation of the mission and the coordination with other magnetospheric missions are described.
Zwischen Räumen: Wie sich Nähe und Distanz in Städten durch die Sharing Economy verändern
Authors: Oberthür Jörg , Henning Christoph , Janzing Malte , Katzer Henrike , Bönnighausen Helen
Published: January 2025

Der Beitrag untersucht, ob und ggf. wie sich durch die Sharing Economy als spezifische, nichtexklusive Praxis des Besitzens und Nutzens von Eigentumsobjekten stadträumliche und soziale Beziehungsverhältnisse reproduzieren, aber auch wechselseitig irritieren und neu entwickeln können. Hierzu wird ein methodologischer Analyserahmen gewählt, der ausgehend von Georg Simmel und in begrifflicher Anlehnung an Hartmut Rosa Phänomene und Praktiken des Teilens im Hinblick auf die dabei eingegangenen Beziehungen zu Dingen, zu anderen Personen sowie zu sich selbst untersucht. Unter Anknüpfung an Simmel wird zwischen Privatheit und Öffentlichkeit als Sphären unterschieden, in denen Nähe und Distanz gleichzeitig unter räumlichen wie sozialen Gesichtspunkten praktisch ausgehandelt und institutionell verankert werden. Eigentum und dessen Nutzung – allein oder gemeinsam mit anderen – spielen dabei eine zentrale Rolle, weil sich abhängig von spezifischen Eigentumsobjekten und ihrem jeweiligen Gebrauch räumliche Strukturen bilden und erhalten, aber auch verändern können. Anhand eigener empirischer Befunde zur geteilten Nutzung von Wohnraum (Homesharing) und Fahrzeugen (Carsharing) wird der Frage nachgegangen, welchen Einfluss Sharing-Praktiken auf Nähe- und Distanz-Verhältnisse und damit auf die (Re‑)Strukturierung von Räumen innerhalb von Städten haben.
Quick Self-Compassion: Italian Validation, Network Analysis, Item Response Theory Analysis, and Correlates of the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form
Authors: Fuochi Giulia , Voci Alberto , Moè Angelica
Published: January 2025

Objectives

This study aimed to test the factorial structure and gender invariance of the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF) in the Italian context (Aim 1), underlying relationships among SCS-SF items (Aim 2), questionnaire performance of SCS-SF (Aim 3), and correlations of SCS-SF (and its subscales) with cognitive, affective, and well-being variables (Aim 4).

Method

Six questionnaires including the SCS-SF and different correlates were respectively administered to six Italian convenience samples (total n = 2068). We performed confirmatory (ULS estimator) factor analysis (Aim 1), exploratory graph analysis and network analysis (Aim 2), multidimensional item response theory (IRT) analyses (Aim 3), and correlational analyses (Aim 4). We tested Aims 1–3 on the global sample and Aim 4 on the six samples separately.

Results

We found a two-factor (hierarchical) solution — which also had strict gender invariance — identifying Compassionate and Uncompassionate Self-Responding (CSR and USR), respectively composed of positive and negative items, while three- and six-factor structures did not hold (Aim 1). The SCS-SF network was structured into the CSR and USR clusters (Aim 2). CSR and — especially — USR had a satisfactory performance in terms of IRT discrimination and information (Aim 3). Correlational analyses supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales, showing the cognitive and emotion-regulation strategies associated with self-compassion and confirming that CSR and USR have slightly different correlates (Aim 4).

Conclusions

The Italian SCS-SF and its CSR and USR subscales are valid instruments. Future research and interventions can employ CSR and USR to assess different nuances of self-kindness and self-criticism.
Novel palm peat lignocellulosic adsorbent derived from agricultural residues for efficient methylene blue dye removal from textile wastewater
Authors: Gaber Mohamed Mohamed , Shokry Hassan , Hassanin Ahmed H. , Awad Said , Samy Mahmoud , Elkady Marwa
Published: January 2025

Palm Peat (PP), the world’s first rich lignocellulosic medium derived from date palm agricultural residues, has not been previously explored for environmental purification. This study evaluates PP's performance in adsorbing methylene blue (MB) dye. PP is characterized by a spongy, porous structure with a surface area of 16 m2/g. It possesses a significant carbon and oxygen composition and features active surface functional groups. Under conditions of 30 mg/L initial MB concentration, 1 g/L PP dose, T = 30 °C, pH 7, and 900 rpm stirring speed, PP achieved a 68.26% MB removal efficiency within 90 min. Although higher temperatures enhanced MB removal efficiencies, room temperature (30 °C) was chosen for subsequent experiments to assess adsorption performance under ambient conditions and minimize energy consumption. Stirring speeds exceeding 900 rpm reduce MB removal efficiency, likely due to shear forces disrupting the interaction between MB molecules and PP or causing desorption of previously adsorbed dye molecules. Response surface methodology combined with a central composite design was employed to optimize the initial MB concentration, PP dosage, and solution pH. Under the optimum conditions, PP achieved 97.89% MB removal. PP exhibited strong stability over five adsorption cycles. Adsorption occurs via π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interaction with the process being endothermic and following the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption efficiency studies across different water matrices revealed the lowest degradation rate in the drain water matrix. PP achieved 71.5% MB removal and 48.16% TOC removal from real textile wastewater.
A period prevalence study of palliative care need and provision in adult patients attending hospital-based dialysis units
Authors: Cooper Alannah L. , Panizza Natalie , Bartlett Rebecca , Martin-Robins Dipna , Brown Janie A.
Published: January 2025

Background

Advanced chronic kidney disease is a life-limiting disease that is known to benefit from palliative care. Unmet palliative care need in patients with kidney failure is commonly reported but the level of need among patients receiving haemodialysis is unknown.

Methods

A period prevalence study of adult patients attending two hospital-based dialysis units was conducted. Patient medical records were reviewed using the Gold Standards Framework Proactive Indication Guidance to assess for potential palliative care need.

Results

A total of 128 patient medical records were reviewed, 45% (n = 58) of patients could have potentially benefitted from palliative care. Of the patients with indicators for palliative care, 72% (n = 42) had no evidence of receiving or awaiting any form of palliative care. High levels of palliative care need were found in patients who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous patients.

Conclusions

This study found high levels of palliative care need among adult patients attending hospital-based dialysis units. The majority of patients with indicators were not receiving any form of palliative care.

Graphical abstract
Effect of Different Heat Treatment Procedures on the Corrosion Behavior of High-Manganese Austenitic Steels
Authors: Gürol Uğur , Kocaman Engin
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the effects of different heat treatment procedures on the corrosion behavior of high-manganese austenitic steel containing molybdenum. Five samples were prepared, including as-cast and heat-treated specimens, with varying processes such as tempering, single and double solution annealing, and aging. The study focuses on microstructural changes, carbide dissolution, and the formation of protective molybdenum-rich oxides. Microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction was conducted to understand phase distribution. At the same time, corrosion resistance was evaluated through potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results reveal that double solution annealing leads to the most homogeneous microstructure and significantly enhances corrosion resistance by forming stable molybdenum oxide layers, underscoring the crucial role of molybdenum oxides in surface protection. Among the samples, the corrosion resistance ranked from best to worst is as follows: double solution-annealed (Ht-5), solution-annealed (Ht-3), aged after solution annealing (Ht-4), tempered (Ht-2), and as-cast (Ht-1). This highlights the crucial role of molybdenum oxides in surface protection. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of advanced heat treatments in improving the corrosion resistance of high-manganese austenitic steels for industrial applications.
Condition assessment of bolted connections in steel structures using deep learning
Authors: Jafari Faezeh , Dorafshan Sattar
Published: January 2025

Steel structure connections are prone to bolt loosening and subsequent loss of strength or stability if not inspected periodically. Use of noncontact sensing and artificial intelligence can substantially increase the safety and efficiency of these inspections; however, the existing defect detection models do not account for variability of defects in both missing and loosened bolt connections. Furthermore, the performance of available deep learning models can be substantially diminished due to the presence of background noise in images of real structures. Finding these defects could be even more difficult in highway steel structures due to the complex and continuously changing nature of background. Additionally, no datasets are available to properly use these models for defect detection. In this paper, Mask RCNN (MRCN), You Only Look Once (YOLO), and Faster RCNN (FRCNN) models were adapted for investigation. These models were trained and tuned on a unique dataset-developed by the Authors comprised of 1100 raw images with connection defects of laboratory-made and in-service structures. A series of image enhancement and augmentation techniques were used to superimpose bolt and nut defects on intact images of in-service ancillary structure and to increase the size in training dataset to 1500. After models achieved satisfactory performance in laboratory images, they were tested on field and lab data (including 200 images with defective bolt). Thermal images were used to develop an efficient way to mask image background in visual images. The result indicated that removing background decreased the false positive rate (FRP) around 65% between the investigated deep learning models on UAS image. Overall accuracy of these models estimated between where 90% and 93%when FRCNN and Mask RCN.
Atypical RXLR effectors are involved in Phytophthora cactorum pathogenesis
Authors: Zheng Zeyang , Liu Juanjuan , You Wenzhong , Sun Jun , Wang Kehan , Zhang Xuemei , Yan Xinyu , Liu Zhenpan
Published: January 2025

RXLR effectors are pathogenic factors secreted from oomycetes to manipulate the immunity of the host. Typical RXLR effectors contain an RXLR-dEER motif at the N-terminus, whereas atypical RXLRs show variations on this motif. The oomycete Phytophthora cactorum is known to infect over 200 plant species, resulting in significant agricultural economic losses. Although genome-wide identification and functional analyses of typical RXLRs from P. cactorum have been performed, little is known of atypical PcaRXLRs. Here, we identified RXLRs, both typical and atypical, in P. cactorum and compared them with those of other oomycete pathogens. Fewer RXLRs were identified in P. cactorum compared with other Phytophthora species, possibly due to fewer duplication events of RXLRs. In contrast, the percentage of atypical RXLRs was higher in P. cactorum than in other species, suggesting significant roles in P. cactorum pathogenesis. Analysis of RXLR gene expression showed that most were transcribed, suggesting their functionality. Transient expression of two atypical RXLRs in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that they induced necrosis dependent on host SGT1 and HSP90. Furthermore, two additional atypical RXLRs suppressed the defense response in N. benthamiana and promoted P. cactorum infection. These results demonstrate the vital role of atypical RXLRs in P. cactorum and provide valuable information on their evolutionary patterns and interactions with host plants.
Genomic evidence for demographic fluctuations, genetic burdens and adaptive divergence in fourfinger threadfin Eleutheronema rhadinum
Authors: Xiao Jie , Wang Wen-Xiong
Published: January 2025

Declining populations and bottlenecks lead to the accumulation of deleterious mutations in fish populations. These processes also trigger genetic purging, which is a key genetic factor in reducing the deleterious burdens and increasing population viability. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the interaction between demographic history and the genome-wide pattern of deleterious variations. Here, we generated genome resequencing data of Eleutheronema rhadinum from China and Thailand, representing the major distribution of the species’ southern regions. E. rhadinum had exceptionally low genome-wide variability and experienced dramatic population expansions followed by continuous declines. The geographical divergence, which occurred ~ 23,000 years ago, shaped different demographic trajectories and generated different regional patterns of deleterious mutations in China and Thailand populations. Several lines of evidence revealed that this geographical pattern of deleterious mutation was driven by the purging of highly deleterious mutations. We showed that purifying selection had inbreeding-associated fitness costs and was more efficient against missense mutations in the Thailand population, which had the lowest genetic burden of homozygous deleterious mutations. Multiple evolutionarily conserved protein domains were disrupted by the loss-of-function mutations, posing a high probability of gene functionality elimination. Moreover, thermal and salinity genes (Trpm3, Nek4, Gtf2f2, Cldn14) were identified in genomic divergence regions of E. rhadinum among China and Thailand populations. Our findings highlight the importance of demographic history factors shaping the geographical patterns of deleterious mutations. The results serve to deepen our understanding of the adaptive evolution and divergence of E. rhadinum with implications for other marine fish.
Seawater-mixed concretes containing supplementary cementitious materials: compressive strength, e-modulus, electrical resistivity, and life cycle assessment
Authors: Rathnarajan Sundar , Pacheco Joao Nuno , Capucha Francisco , Valencia Javier , Techman Mateusz , Sikora Pawel
Published: January 2025

Water and concrete are the materials humans consume the most on earth. By 2040, several countries are expected to face extreme water stress and the need for significant growth in their infrastructure simultaneously. Water is a fundamental ingredient for concrete production, and the need for infrastructure growth can further increase the water demand for concrete production and thus affect these regions facing water scarcity. Including supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), non-metallic fibres, and coated/polymer reinforcements can increase the feasibility of producing concrete with seawater (SW). There is a lack of information on the long-term strength and durability properties of SW-mixed concretes (SWC) produced with SCMs. This paper optimises binder compositions with CEM I, fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (slag), and metakaolin suitable for adapting SWC based on performance indicators. Binary and ternary blended concretes of similar binder content (360 kg/m3) and w/b (0.45) were designed and cast with the SCMs mentioned above. Compressive strength, surface resistivity, and accelerated carbonation tests were conducted on the concrete produced with freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW). SWC produced with 30% slag and 15% metakaolin had higher electrical resistivity and an improvement in compressive strength (up to 30%) than other combinations used for producing SWC. Life cycle assessment identified that the concretes produced with fly ash, and ternary combination of fly ash and metakaolin had the least water depletion potential (WDP) compared to other SW-mixed concretes. Also, the replacement of FW by SW reduces the WDP up to 50%.
Improving fire resistance of lightweight concrete facade elements by using fibers
Authors: Beytekin Hatice Elif , Kaya Yahya , Mardani Ali , Sezer Filiz Şenkal
Published: January 2025

It is known that the most critical factor affecting fire resistance requirements in buildings is the building envelope, and therefore, improving the thermal properties of facade materials has become an important research area. In this context, studies examining the high temperature resistance properties of various facade materials have indicated that concrete has higher heat resistance compared to many facade materials. Lightweight concrete facade elements stand out for their structural durability and fire resistance at high temperatures. However, the different thermal expansion coefficients of aggregates and cement paste in concrete mixtures can lead to adverse outcomes under high temperatures, such as cracking or structural degradation. To mitigate these adverse effects, it has been suggested that adding fibers to lightweight concrete mixtures could enhance durability and improve fire resistance. This study investigated the effects of different fiber types, lengths, and usage rates on the high temperature resistance of lightweight concrete mixtures. In the experimental study, three different types of fibers—polypropylene, polyamide, and glass—were used in varying proportions of 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75% of the total volume. Polypropylene fibers were included at lengths of 3, 6, and 12 mm; polyamide fibers at 6 and 12 mm; and glass fibers at 13 and 25 mm. When observing the behavior of the mixtures under high temperatures, it was noted that mixtures with glass fibers performed best at 300 °C, while those with polypropylene fibers showed superior performance at 600 °C. This demonstrates the advantages of glass and polypropylene fibers in providing resilience at different temperature ranges. Furthermore, the optimal fiber usage rate for high temperature resistance was determined to be 0.25%. These findings highlight the importance of considering factors such as fiber type, length, and usage rate in the development of fire-resistant facade materials.
Jacobitism and Cultural Memory, 1688–1820
Authors: Davis Leith
Published: January 2025

This Element has three objectives. First, it highlights the diversity of the nature of Jacobitism in the long eighteenth century by drawing attention to multi-media representations of Jacobitism and also to multi-lingual productions of the Jacobites themselves, including works in Irish Gaelic, Latin, Scots, Scots Gaelic and Welsh. Second, it puts the theoretical perspectives of cultural memory studies and book history in dialogue with each other to examine the process through which specific representations of the Jacobites came to dominate both academic and popular discourse. Finally, it contributes to literary studies by bringing the literature of the Jacobites and Jacobite Studies into the purview of more mainstream scholarship on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literatures, providing a fuller perspective on the cultural landscape of that period and correcting a tendency to ignore or downplay the presence of Jacobitism. This title is also available as Gold Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Bomb radiocarbon dating and age estimation of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) of Norway
Authors: Andrews Allen H , Welte Caroline , Mihaljevic Marina , Durif Caroline M F
Published: January 2025

Age estimates from bomb 14C dating conflict with a well-recognized age reading protocol (grinding, polishing and staining in the sagittal plane) for otoliths of European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Proper alignment of calculated hatch years for 14C measurements taken from the earliest otolith growth—among the smallest otolith extractions to date for successful 14C analysis due to the advent of gas-AMS—was not achieved using age estimates from an accepted method. The realignment of otolith 14C values to a tropical bomb 14C reference chronology, which is most applicable to the Sargasso Sea as the natal origin of European eel, led to an increase of the original age estimates by 8 to 32 years. A maximum age of approximately 46 years was determined for the European eel specimen with the most massive otolith, of which mass is a reasonable proxy for age and was instrumental in identifying age estimate discrepancies. By extending the otolith mass-to-age relationships from this study to the most massive otoliths available from archived otoliths of Norway, an increase of up to several decades from the original otolith age estimates was discovered, leading to support for a potential lifespan of 70–100 years in the natural environment.
Carotid intima medial thickness and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in children with overweight and obesity: a hospital-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Sasidharan Pillai Sabitha , Vijayakumar M. , Balakrishnan Ajitha
Published: January 2025

A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving children aged 2–15 years attending the obesity clinic of a tertiary care hospital from January 2016 to March 2018 was carried out to study carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and its association with cardiometabolic risk factors in children with overweight and obesity. Secondary objective was to compare children with elevated (EcIMT) and normal cIMT (NcIMT). Out of 223 patients enrolled for the study, 102 (45·7 %) had EcIMT. Mean cIMT of the study participants was 0·41 (sd 0·13) mm. Median alanine transaminase levels (27 v. 24, P= 0·006) and proportion of patients with fatty liver (63·7 % v. 48·8 %, P= 0·025) and ≥ 3 risk factors (80·4 % v. 66·1 %, P= 0·003) were higher in the EcIMT group compared with NcIMT group. Proportion of patients with hypercholesterolemia (36·4 % v. 16 %, P= 0·024), elevated LDL-cholesterol (38·6 % v. 16 %, P= 0·013), low HDL-cholesterol (40·9 % v. 20 %, P= 0·027) and dyslipidemia (84·1 % v. 58 %, P= 0·006) was higher in the pubertal EcIMT group and those with fatty liver (63·8 % v. 45·1 %, P= 0·034) was higher in the prepubertal EcIMT group compared with pubertal and prepubertal NcIMT groups, respectively. No significant correlations were observed between cIMT and various cardiometabolic parameters. Our finding of EcIMT in nearly half of the study participants including young children is very concerning as these children are at increased risk of atherosclerotic CVD in adulthood. Interventions starting at a young age are important when trajectories are likely to be more malleable and adverse cardiometabolic phenotypes and subclinical atherosclerosis are reversible.
In vitro digested ingredients as substitute for ileal digesta in assessing protein fermentation potential in growing pigs
Authors: Zhang Hanlu , Cone John W. , Kies Arie K. , Hendriks Wouter H. , van der Wielen Nikkie
Published: January 2025

Understanding protein fermentation in the hindgut of pigs is essential due to its implications for health, and ileal digesta is commonly used to study this process in vitro. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of utilising in vitro digested residues as a replacement for ileal digesta in evaluating the protein fermentation potential. In vitro residues from cottonseed meal, maize germ meal, peanut meal, rapeseed cake, rapeseed meal, soyabean meal and sunflower meal were analysed using a modified gas production (GP) technique and curve fitting model to determine their fermentation dynamics and compare with the use of ileal digesta. Significant variations were observed in GP parameters between in vitro digested residues, indicating differences in nitrogen utilisation by fecal microbiota. Soyabean meal and sunflower meal exhibited the highest maximum GP rates (Rmax), with values of 29·5 ± 0·6 and 28·0 ± 1·2 ml/h, respectively, while maize germ meal showed slowest protein utilisation (17·3 ± 0·2 ml/h). A positive relationship was found between the Rmax of in vitro residues and ileal digesta (R2 = 0·85, P < 0·01). However, GP potential (GPs) showed a tendency for a negative relationship (R2 = 0·39, P < 0·1), likely due to narrow observed GPs values and the presence of varied endogenous proteins in ileal digesta. Our results demonstrate the potential of using in vitro digested residues as a substitute for ileal digesta in assessing the fermentation potential of protein ingredients, particularly regarding the rate of protein fermentation.
Pensions: more than collective risk pooling?
Authors: Schokkaert Erik
Published: January 2025

I agree that a good pensions system should embody some form of collective risk pooling and that this would be to the advantage of everyone. There are some difficult issues of adverse selection to be solved, however. Moreover, egalitarian concerns are of crucial importance in most countries and they require to go further than collective risk pooling and to take into account that society is more than a system of self-interested monetary transfers between and within cohorts.
Two kinds of social cooperation?
Authors: Karnein Anja
Published: January 2025

Michael Otsuka argues that collective pension schemes are forms of social cooperation on equal terms for mutual advantage and thus, matters of social justice. In this way Otsuka wants to understand collectively funded pensions in Rawlsian terms. I argue that not all forms of social cooperation are the same and that the specific kind of social cooperation Rawls has in mind is, in at least three central respects, different from the kind of social cooperation involved in the collective pension schemes Otsuka describes.
Machine learning models for sequential motion recognition in human activity for logistics operations efficiency improvement
Authors: Cheng Chih-Feng , Lin Chiuhsiang Joe , Hu Qin-Xuan
Published: January 2025

Human activity recognition (HAR) is a vital component of human–robot collaboration. Recognizing the operational elements involved in an operator’s task is essential for realizing this vision, and HAR plays a key role in achieving this. However, recognizing human activity in an industrial setting differs from recognizing daily living activities. An operator’s activity must be divided into fine elements to ensure efficient task completion. Despite this, there is relatively little related research in the literature. This study aims to develop machine learning models to classify the sequential movement elements of a task. To illustrate this, three logistic operations in an integrated circuit (IC) design house were studied, with participants wearing 13 inertial measurement units manufactured by XSENS to mimic the tasks. The kinematics data were collected to develop the machine learning models. The time series data preprocessing involved applying two normalization methods and three different window lengths. Eleven features were extracted from the processed data to train the classification models. Model validation was carried out using the subject-independent method, with data from three participants excluded from the training dataset. The results indicate that the developed model can efficiently classify operational elements when the operator performs the activity accurately. However, incorrect classifications occurred when the operator missed an operation or awkwardly performed the task. RGB video clips helped identify these misclassifications, which can be used by supervisors for training purposes or by industrial engineers for work improvement.
Some Acts Really Harm: A Defense of the Standard Account versus Norcross's Contextualism
Authors: Eggleston Ben
Published: January 2025

An important strand of argument in Alastair Norcross's Morality by Degrees: Reasons without Demands is the rejection of the standard account of harm, which underwrites non-comparative statements of the form “act A harms person X.” According to Norcross, the correct account of harm is a contextualist one that only underwrites comparative statements of the form “act A results in a worse world for X than alternative act B, and a better world than alternative act C.” This article criticizes Norcross's contextualist account and his rejection of the standard account. It follows that moral theorists of all kinds should not be deterred by Norcross's arguments from continuing to rely on the standard account and using it to non-comparatively categorize some acts as harmings.
Assessment of quality of life and psychosocial problems in children with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Bulbul Oztoprak Meral , Bilici Meki , Dogac Tugba , Akin Alper , Ture Mehmet , Balik Hasan , Yilmaz Kamil , Satıcı Omer , Emir Busra
Published: January 2025

Objective:

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a condition that can significantly impact health-related quality of life due to the need for long-term follow-up and treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyse the quality of life of children diagnosed with CHD and to assess the relationship between the disease and their physical and mental well-being.

Materials and Methods:

The study involved 180 patients and 180 healthy controls. Both groups were divided into three age categories (5–7 years, 8–12 years, and 13–18 years), with 60 children in each age group. The researchers administered the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) to the participants, taking into account their age.

Results:

Comparisons between the patient and control groups showed that the patient group had significantly lower scores than the control group in terms of total quality of life scale score, physical health score, and psychosocial health score of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001). Quality of life was also compared between patients receiving and not receiving medication treatment. Patients receiving medication treatment had lower scores for total quality of life score, physical health score, and psychosocial health score of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory compared to the control group (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, and p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Children with CHD experience a negative impact on their quality of life. Given the extended life expectancy resulting from new treatment options, it is important to monitor these children both physically and psychosocially and to implement activities aimed at improving their quality of life.
Frequency-dependent regime-switching in VAR models
Authors: Hwang Youngjin
Published: January 2025

This study presents a simple frequency-dependent regime-switching vector autoregression (VAR) model, where each regime and its associated parameters in the VAR are characterized by their distinct spectral properties. Empirical applications to several key macroeconomic variables reveal clear frequency-dependent switching dynamics, with each regime exhibiting distinctive features regarding spectral properties, volatility, and impulse responses. We compare this model with a conventional regime-switching model (typically studied in the time domain) and highlight several key differences between the two approaches.
Andean Primordial Titles, Land Repossession, and the Rise of New Communities during the First General Land Inspection (1594–1602)
Authors: de la Puente Luna José Carlos
Published: January 2025

This essay presents the first comprehensive analysis of a series of land deeds prepared by the Laraos of Yauyos, Peru, during the First General Land Inspection to secure title to farm- and pasturelands. Scholars have shown the centrality of this first general inspection for the country’s agrarian history, but almost invariably reducing it to the appropriation of native lands and the formation of colonial rural estates. Many works have explored the mechanisms by which Spanish actors secured title to formerly indigenous lands during the Inspection, the start of a process that has been recently termed “the great dispossession.” Much less attention has been placed, however, on the strategies of native Andean commoner groups that not only used the Land Inspection to protect their holdings but also relied on it to break away from their original villages, acquire new lands, establish new settlements, and accrue recognition as independent communities. Through the analysis of the Laraos primordial titles, I show that, key in this process was the collection of narratives and the performance of walkabouts that, when committed to writing in the form of title-maps and witness testimonies, gave communities-in-the-making the necessary tools to succeed in these self-directed projects of commoner colonization.