bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the determinants of bond excess returns using explainable AI
Authors: Beckmann Lars , Debener Jörn , Kriebel Johannes
Published: May 2023

Recent empirical evidence indicates that bond excess returns can be predicted using machine learning models. However, although the predictive power of machine learning models is intriguing, they typically lack transparency. This paper introduces the state-of-the-art explainable artificial intelligence technique SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to open the black box of these models. Our analysis identifies the key determinants that drive the predictions of bond excess returns produced by machine learning models and recognizes how these determinants relate to bond excess returns. This approach facilitates an economic interpretation of the predictions of bond excess returns made by machine learning models and contributes to a thorough understanding of the determinants of bond excess returns, which is critical for the decisions of market participants and the evaluation of economic theories.
Esoteric Beliefs and Opposition to Corona Restrictions in Germany
Authors: Weidmann Nils B.
Published: May 2023

Governmental measures against the spread of the Corona virus have been met with varying levels of opposition in many countries worldwide. Existing research has claimed that some of this opposition is linked to esoteric and anthroposophical beliefs. This research note tests this in an observational study using election results from the 2021 parliamentary election in Germany and new data on the distribution of natural healers, homeopathic doctors and Steiner schools. Results show that counter to common expectations, there is no evidence that esoteric beliefs systematically lead to increased support for the established right-wing AFD. Rather, some indicators for esoteric beliefs – in particular, the presence of homeopathic doctors and Waldorf schools – are related to higher support for the new fringe party dieBasis, a single-issue party campaigning against governmental Corona measures.
Interlinkages between leverage points for strengthening adaptive capacity to climate change
Authors: Rosengren Linda M. , Schinko Thomas , Sendzimir Jan , Mohammed Abdul-Razak , Buwah Rahajatu , Vihinen Hilkka , Raymond Christopher M.
Published: June 2023

While systemic leverage points have been identified as a powerful approach for planning and assessing policies and interventions for sustainability transformations, few studies have explored how leverage points interact and how this affects the desired change. In this study, we explored how the interlinkages between leverage points enable or constrain adaptive capacity to climate change of food system actors. We found 24 interlinkages when drawing on results from semi-structured interviews and a participatory visual art method used in focus groups in a case study in the Northern Region of Ghana. Nine interlinkages were identified as barriers to the adaptive capacity of the communities and actors of the local food system. For example, when studying the interlinkages between the place-specific leverage point of agricultural extension services and the generic leverage point of gender equality, we found that women have less access to agricultural extension services compared with men. Fifteen interlinkages were presented as enabling adaptive capacity; for example, women’s savings groups had many enabling interlinkages with gender equality such as creating unity and empowering the members. We argue that interlinkages between a set of leverage points (1) play a pivotal role in enabling or hindering the leverage points, (2) may instigate a chain of leverage and (3) may affect the system including the related leverage points in a deep or shallow way.
A Revised Approach to Advance Personal Planning: The Role of Theory in Achieving “The Good Result”
Authors: Johnston Briony
Published: May 2023

This article explores traditional views of advance care planning in the broader context of advance personal planning, which also accounts for legal and financial matters. Criticisms of existing processes are noted, while the significance of interprofessional collaboration is highlighted. Reframing the purpose of advance personal planning as planning for the rest of life, rather than the end-of-life, and adopting a more holistic perspective informed by theory may help individuals to view advance personal planning as a routine, preventative exercise that safeguards their autonomy and well-being. Both lawyers and healthcare providers have an important role to play in reframing the purpose of advance personal planning. This revised approach is underpinned by the unification of two separate theoretical lenses: Preventive Law Theory and Therapeutic Jurisprudence. This combination enhances our understanding of what it means for people to truly achieve “the good result” (Holtz 2017) when planning ahead for their future legal, financial, health, and personal interests. Preventive Law Theory encourages an ongoing, collaborative relationship between lawyers and their clients, or healthcare providers and their patients, while Therapeutic Jurisprudence ensures an ethical approach to advance personal planning that accounts for all aspects of the individual’s well-being, including consideration of vulnerability, autonomy, and empowerment.
Pharmacotherapy for chronic obesity management: a look into the future
Authors: Abdel-Malek Mariana , Yang Lisa , Miras Alexander Dimitri
Published: May 2023

Substantial leaps have been made in the drug discovery front in tackling the growing pandemic of obesity and its metabolic co-morbidities. Greater mechanistic insight and understanding of the gut-brain molecular pathways at play have enabled the pursuit of novel therapeutic agents that possess increasingly efficacious weight-lowering potential whilst remaining safe and tolerable for clinical use. In the wake of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) based therapy, we look at recent advances in gut hormone biology that have fermented the development of next generation pharmacotherapy in diabesity that harness synergistic potential. In this paper, we review the latest data from the SURPASS and SURMOUNT clinical trials for the novel ‘twincretin’, known as Tirzepatide, which has demonstrated sizeable body weight reduction as well as glycaemic efficacy. We also provide an overview of amylin-based combination strategies and other emerging therapies in the pipeline that are similarly providing great promise for the future of chronic management of obesity.
Better to risk limb than life: some insects use autotomy to escape passive predation by carnivorous plants
Authors: Krueger Thilo , Bateman Philip W. , Fleischmann Andreas , Cross Adam T.
Published: May 2023

Limb autotomy, the voluntary shedding of body parts as a strategy to escape predation or entrapment, is particularly common in insects and other arthropods that are frequently captured by the carnivorous plant genusDrosera. However, no study has previously examined the effectiveness of autotomy at facilitating escape from these passive, sessile plant predators. Using field observations of numerousDroseraspecies in Western Australia and Australia’s Northern Territory, we present the first field evidence of limb autotomy being employed by insects and other arthropods to escape capture by carnivorous plants. Most autotomised limbs found on theDroseratraps belonged to large nematoceran flies, probably comprised primarily of Tipulidae (crane flies), which have a characteristically large, slender body with very long limbs that seems likely to allow the effective use of autotomy as a strategy to prevent fatal capture. However, autotomy was overall only rarely observed amongst theDroseraprey as most prey items were small and quickly became completely enveloped by the sticky mucilage, rendering any such escape attempts impossible. Finally, we determined that the likelihood of escape decreased markedly as multiple limbs were lost.
Intensive training programme improves handwriting in a community cohort of people with Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Collins Lucy M. , Roberts Rachel , Cleary Hannah , Diskin James , Kitt Donna , Van Bommel-Rutgers Ingrid , Smits-Engelsman Bouwien C. M. , Crowley Erin K. , Sullivan Aideen M.
Published: May 2023

Background

People with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) often report problems with their handwriting before they receive a formal diagnosis. Many PwP suffer from deteriorating handwriting throughout their illness, which has detrimental effects on many aspects of their quality of life.

Aims

To assess a 6-week online training programme aimed at improving handwriting of PwP.

Methods

Handwriting samples from a community-based cohort of PwP (n = 48) were analysed using systematic detection of writing problems (SOS-PD) by two independent raters, before and after a 6-week remotely monitored physiotherapy-led training programme. Inter-rater variability on multiple measures of handwriting quality was analysed. The handwriting data was analysed using pre-/post-design in the same individuals. Multiple aspects of the handwriting samples were assessed, including writing fluency, transitions between letters, regularity in letter size, word spacing, and straightness of lines.

Results

Analysis of inter-rater reliability showed high agreement for total handwriting scores and letter size, as well as speed and legibility scores, whereas there were mixed levels of inter-rater reliability for other handwriting measures. Overall handwriting quality (p = 0.001) and legibility (p = 0.009) significantly improved, while letter size (p = 0.012), fluency (p = 0.001), regularity of letter size (p = 0.009), and straightness of lines (p = 0.036) were also enhanced.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that this 6-week intensive remotely-monitored physiotherapy-led handwriting programme improved handwriting in PwP. This is the first study of its kind to use this tool remotely, and it demonstrated that the SOS-PD is reliable for measuring handwriting in PwP.
Current Approaches to Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Resectable Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Parekh Jay , Parikh Kaushal , Reuss Joshua E. , Friedlaender Alex , Addeo Alfredo
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Review

For decades, early-stage resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while potentially curable, has been marred by unacceptably high recurrence rates.

Recent Findings

Anti-PD(L)1 immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized the treatment of advanced NSCLC, and with recent approvals in the peri-operative space, is now poised to transform the systemic treatment paradigm for localized and locally-advanced NSCLC.

In this review, we focus on neoadjuvant ICB in resectable NSCLC, highlighting the pre-clinical rationale for neoadjuvant ICB, early clinical trials, randomized phase 3 trial data, and future directions for resectable NSCLC.

Graphical Abstract
An Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Calcium Crystal Disease
Authors: Flood Rachael , Stack John , McCarthy Geraldine
Published: May 2023

Purpose of Review

This article aims to review the challenges to diagnosis and management of calcium crystal deposition diseases and evaluate the literature published over the past 3 years.

Recent Findings

The awaited development of classification criteria is an essential step in the progression of calcium crystal deposition disease clinical research. There have been recent improvements in the accuracy of imaging for the diagnosis of crystal deposition diseases with published definitions of characteristic features. Factors associated with acute flares of disease have been identified and an association with increased cardiovascular risk has been demonstrated. Targeted treatment options for calcium crystal diseases remain elusive. However, there have been advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease revealing potential targets for future drug development.

Calcium-crystal deposition diseases are increasing in incidence and prevalence as populations age and continue to associate with a high burden of disability. Despite this, calcium crystal deposition disease remains under-studied with a paucity of evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Data from Chewing and Swallowing Processes as a Fingerprint for Characterizing Textural Food Product Properties
Authors: Grau Raúl , Pérez Alberto J. , Hernández Sergio , Barat José M. , Talens Pau , Verdú Samuel
Published: May 2023

Eating is a complex action. When it is performed, lots of facial movements that depend on food and consumer characteristics take place. Several techniques and methodologies are available to evaluate them, and some are used to describe food texture. Employing facial skin markers and direct descriptors, and studying the tracking of their movements during the eating process are a simple non-invasive technique, but with limitations. This study aimed to use the technique and compare two data processes using direct or indirect descriptors to minimize limitations (panelist effect) and to increase its ability to classify muffins, coffee cookies, and toasted bread according to the descriptions provided by textural techniques. Eight participants (four men, four women) ate the three products 5 times over a 2-week period. Six skin markers were placed on certain points of their faces. Chewing and swallowing were characterized by applying the technique. The panelist effect was evidenced by employing direct descriptors, while products were described in the same way as using textural techniques by indirect descriptors.
Waviness analysis of glossy surfaces based on deformation of a light source reflection
Authors: Filip Jiří , Vávra Radomír , Maile Frank J.
Published: May 2023

The evaluation of waviness, also known as orange peel, is essential for the quality control of materials in industrial fields working with high gloss materials, e.g., coatings, automotive and metal fabrication. This paper presents an affordable noncontact method for waviness analysis based on a single image of the light source reflected from the surface under study. The spatial perturbations along the contour of the light source reflection are compared to the ideal contour and analyzed in the Fourier domain to obtain standard features that have been compared to commercial ripple characterization device. Additional three method-specific features are proposed and evaluated. Our method has been tested on a set of ten orange peel standards, ten effect, and three solid coating samples and shows promising performance in waviness characterization of glossy surfaces.
Re-thinking care after the pandemic: a European Care Strategy for Caregivers and Care Receivers
Authors: Caracciolo di Torella Eugenia
Published: May 2023

The importance of care for our sustainability is increasingly discussed by policy makers and academics. For several reasons, however, the law has failed to address it. Accordingly, care has long been in a state of crisis, where the needs of those who require care are not met, and those who care are routinely subject to discrimination and cannot care in a dignified way. The Covid-19 Pandemic has highlighted the extent of the problem. The EU has responded by announcing on 7 September 2022 ‘A European Care Strategy for Caregivers and Care Receivers’. Although not flawless, this initiative is ground-breaking. It is now crucial to sustain momentum and to continue to build on this initiative.
How older adults fulfill their retirement plans relates to positive mental health: a path model analysis of social activity and self-esteem
Authors: Wu Jianqian , Chao Qiuling
Published: May 2023

Retirement planning fulfillment is necessary for older adults to adapt to later life and maintain their quality of life. This study investigates the internal mechanisms between retirement planning fulfillment and positive mental health among older adults. 1200 Chinese older adults (Mage = 68.49, SD = 7.27; 57% female) completed a questionnaire package measuring retirement planning fulfillment, positive mental health, post-retirement social activities, and self-esteem. Results indicated that older adults in rural areas had significantly lower retirement planning fulfillment than those in urban areas. Retirement planning fulfillment was positively associated with social activity, self-esteem, and positive mental health. Social activities and self-esteem mediated the relationship between retirement planning fulfillment and positive mental health. This study suggests the need for further investigation of retirement planning fulfillment, which helps improve older adults’ ability to cope with later life.
Components of adolescents’ attraction with YouTubers
Authors: Sedmak Ana , Svetina Matija
Published: June 2023

Data from previous studies show that YouTube and YouTubers have become an integral part of adolescents' lives and have a significant impact on how adolescents view themselves and the world around them. Previous studies suggest that parasocial relationships with YouTubers are likely to have some characteristics that differ from those with traditional celebrities, such as reciprocity or the illusion of intimacy. The question of this study was why YouTubers are so attractive to adolescents and what are the main components of this attractiveness. A sample of 39 adolescents aged 11 to 20 who were fans of at least one YouTuber participated in focus groups in which we collected data on participants' perceptions of their favourite YouTuber and their YouTuber-related behaviours, expectations, beliefs, and social context. The grounded theory approach was used. The analysis yielded core category "identification" which is a powerful mechanism in adolescent psychology. The core category was supported by four general categories: (1) personal characteristics of YouTubers, (2) characteristics of the relationships between YouTubers and their followers, (3) characteristics related to followers' social context, and (4) characteristics related to the medium itself (e. g. accessibility). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Generation of mode-locked states of conventional solitons and bright-dark solitons in graphene mode-locked fiber laser
Authors: Li Zixiong , Li Mingyu , Hou Xinyi , Du Lei , Xiao Lin , Wang Tianshu , Ma Wanzhuo
Published: June 2023

This paper proposes a mode-locked fiber laser based on graphene-coated microfiber. The total length of the fiber laser resonant cavity is 31.34 m. Under the condition of stable output of bright-dark soliton pairs from the fiber laser, dual-wavelength tuning is realized by adjusting the polarization controller (PC), and the wavelength tuning range is 11 nm. Furthermore, the effects of polarization states on bright-dark solitons are studied. It is demonstrated that the mode-locking state can be switched between conventional solitons and bright-dark solitons in the graphene mode-locked fiber laser. Bright-dark soliton pairs with different shapes and nanosecond pulse width can be obtained by adjusting the PC and pump power.

Graphical Abstract
Sinopsis de Selaginella (Selaginellaceae) para el departamento de Antioquia, Colombia
Authors: Vega-Betancur Susana , Callejas Ricardo , Testo Weston , Vasco Alejandra
Published: June 2023

Se presenta una actualización a la flora de Antioquia, Colombia para Selaginella. Se reconocen 46 especies, 12 de las cuales son nuevos registros para el departamento, incluyendo dos especies recientemente descritas (S. gioiae y S. rachipterygia), una especie no descrita y un nuevo registro para el país (S. meridensis). Cinco especies previamente reportadas para Antioquia se excluyen. Se presenta una clave dicotómica y notas sobre la distribución para las 46 especies reconocidas.
Democratic patterns and party systems in the Western Balkans
Authors: Laštro Claudia , Bieber Florian
Published: May 2023

The article explores the role of political parties in hybrid regimes in the Western Balkans. The Western Balkans have been marked by considerable variations in democracy ratings over the past decades, altogether informed by the number of government turnovers and degree of political consolidation since the 1990s. Yet all countries in the region feature deeply entrenched political parties, that draw on either their socialist legacies, anti-communist profile, or the representation of a particular demographic, as well as their control over state institutions. Rather than differentiating between democratic and authoritarian systems in the region, the article stresses their commonalities. It understands parties and their extended networks as the central gatekeepers that mediate citizens’ access to economic and societal resources, effectively reversing the accountability between parties and voters. The article categorises party systems along two axes, based on the criteria of competitiveness and consolidation. Instead of adhering to the common dichotomy of authoritarian versus democratic systems, it suggests to understand plural and dominant systems as different manifestations of the same principle. It concludes that the main difference between plural and dominant systems lies in the fact whether power is monopolised or dispersed.
Word Writing and Cognitive Predictors in Spanish at the Age of Seven
Authors: González-Valenzuela María-José , Lopez-Montiel Dolores , Díaz-Giraldez Félix , Martín-Ruiz Isaías
Published: May 2023

Interest in the cognitive precursors of literacy has been increasing in recent years since reading and writing are essential components of functional learning in the first years of schooling and of school success in later educational stages. However, it can be observed that while studies on the relationship between cognitive variables and reading are frequent, those carried out about writing are scarcer and in different languages and ages. The purpose of this study is to explore the joint contribution made by certain cognitive variables, measured at the ages of 6 and 7, to word writing among Spanish children in the second year of Primary Education (7 years old). In this longitudinal study, 116 Spanish-speaking pupils participated, from schools located in an average socio-cultural area, without special educational needs. Participants were evaluated in terms of their letter knowledge, phonological awareness, phonological memory, and alphanumeric and non-alphanumeric rapid automatised naming at 6 and 7 years of age, and word writing at 7 years of age. Descriptive-exploratory analyses, bivariate analyses, and multivariate regressions were modelled. In general, the findings show a different contribution for the cognitive variables considered in word writing at the age of seven, although this contribution does not vary substantially between the ages of 6 and 7 among Spanish pupils. Phonological knowledge at 6 and 7 years of age is the variable that best predicts the writing of words at 7 years. The contribution of non-alphanumeric speed naming remains constant and alphanumeric speed naming does not contribute to the explanation of writing at this age. Phonological memory at 6 years of age contributes to the explanation of writing at the age of 7 and letter knowledge contributes at the age of 7. These results have implications for educational practice and for the theory of writing acquisition in transparent languages.
LEA U-Net: a U-Net-based deep learning framework with local feature enhancement and attention for retinal vessel segmentation
Authors: Ouyang Jihong , Liu Siguang , Peng Hao , Garg Harish , Thanh Dang N. H.
Published: May 2023

Feature extraction of the retinal blood vessel is one of the crucial tasks in the prediction of ophthalmologic diseases. Important features are extracted based on image segmentation results. The efficiency of vessel segmentation methods could help doctors in the diagnostic of several relevant diseases as early as possible. Recently, U-Net has achieved good results in many medical image segmentation tasks, especially for images of blood vessels. However, due to the limitation of the network structure, some small features could be lost in the transmission process. As a result, there are still many research gaps for U-Net-based retinal vessel segmentation works. In this paper, we propose an improved U-Net based model to segment images of retinal vessels. The improvement focuses on U-Net from two aspects: designing a local feature enhancement module composed of dilated convolution and $$1\times 1$$

1
×
1

convolution to enhance the feature extraction of tiny vessels; integrating an attention mechanism with skip connection of the network to highlight features related to vessel segmentation information taken from the down-sampling part to the up-sampling part. The performance of the proposed model was evaluated and compared with several published state-of-the-art approaches on the same public dataset—DRIVE, and the proposed method achieved an accuracy of 0.9563, F1-score of 0.823, TPR of 0.7983, and TNR of 0.9793. The AUC of PRC is 0.9109 and the AUC of ROC is 0.9794. The results proved the potential for clinical applications.
Influence of Thermal Treatment on Crystallization and Course of Martensitic Transformation in Ni25Ti50Cu25 Alloys Produced via High-Energy Ball Milling
Authors: Goryczka Tomasz , Dercz Grzegorz
Published: May 2023

The alloy with the chemical composition of Ni25Ti50Cu25 and a weight of 20 g was produced via high-energy ball milling that lasted 100 h, 120 h, and 140 h. After grinding, the powders consisted of an amorphous-nanocrystalline mixture formed from solid solutions based on alloying elements and a phase being a precursor of the intermetallic ß phase. This phase undergoes the reversible martensitic transformation in NiTiCu alloys. Crystallization occurred in several stages, ranging from 361 to 556 °C. Using short-term annealing followed by the X-ray quantitative analysis, the crystallized phases sequence and their weight percentages were determined after each stage. Annealing of the crystallized alloy lasted from 5 min to 20 h in the temperature ranges from 700 to 1000 °C, which revealed the quantitative evolution of the equilibrium phases and the martensitic transformation evolution. Moreover, following thermal treatment steps, the transformation changed from the B2 ↔ B19′ to the B2 ↔ B19, as expected for the Ni25Ti50Cu25 alloy.
Pseudonymität in Zeiten der Super Personae am Beispiel von Bushido
Authors: Wolbring Fabian , Möller Raja
Published: May 2023

Die fortschreitend evolvierende Medienvielfalt ermöglicht die Genese sogenannter Super Personae, deren zunehmende und mäandernde Omnipräsenz Realpersonen zu dominieren droht. Lebensweltliche, artifizielle und virtuelle Identitäten präsentieren sich selbst gegenüber der Justiz als undifferenzierbare Entitäten und stellen somit die Rechtsprechung und Literaturwissenschaft vor neue Herausforderungen, was am Beispiel der Super Persona Bushido aufgezeigt wird.
Anomaly detection in the probability simplex under different geometries
Authors: Legaria Uriel , Mota Sergio , Martinez Sergio , Cobá Alfredo , Chable Argenis , Neme Antonio
Published: May 2023

An open problem in data science is that of anomaly detection. Anomalies are instances that do not maintain a certain property that is present in the remaining observations in a dataset. Several anomaly detection algorithms exist, since the process itself is ill-posed mainly because the criteria that separates common or expected vectors from anomalies are not unique. In the most extreme case, data is not labelled and the algorithm has to identify the vectors that are anomalous, or assign a degree of anomaly to each vector. The majority of anomaly detection algorithms do not make any assumptions about the properties of the feature space in which observations are embedded, which may affect the results when those spaces present certain properties. For instance, compositional data such as normalized histograms, that can be embedded in a probability simplex, constitute a particularly relevant case. In this contribution, we address the problem of detecting anomalies in the probability simplex, relying on concepts from Information Geometry, mainly by focusing our efforts in the distance functions commonly applied in that context. We report the results of a series of experiments and conclude that when a specific distance-based anomaly detection algorithm relies on Information Geometry-related distance functions instead of the Euclidean distance, the performance is significantly improved.
Warriors and Vigilantes as Police Officers: Evidence from a Field Experiment with Body Cameras in Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Magaloni Beatriz , Melo Vanessa , Robles Gustavo
Published: May 2023

Research Question

Can requiring police to wear body-worn cameras (BWC) on duty restrain police misconduct in contexts such as a favela in Rio de Janeiro, where police use militaristic and highly aggressive tactics?

Data

We collected quantitative and qualitative data on a wide range of behaviors, including police wearing BWC, turning on the BWC for recording citizen contacts, use of force by and against police officers, stop and search, responding to citizen requests for police assistance, and police supervisors wearing BWC. A total of 857 different police officers were tracked during the 1-year study, with a mean of 470 officers each month participating in the test of BWC across 52,000 officer shifts.

Methods

BWC status was randomly assigned by shifts to all officers in the shift, within five different kinds of police units. Analyses focused on intent-to-treat effects, with high compliance of wearing BWC but less than half of measured encounters recorded. Regression analyses provided estimates of different effects for officers who had previously been injured or had injured civilians.

Findings

Camera assignment, regardless of whether police turned cameras on, reduced stop-and-searches and other forms of potentially aggressive interactions with civilians. Cameras also produced a strong de-policing effect: police wearing cameras were significantly less likely to engage in any activity, including responding to calls and dispatch and street requests for help. These changes in police behavior occurred even when in 50% of the registered interactions with civilians, officers disobeyed the protocol that required them to turn their cameras on. Yet when officers’ supervisors wore cameras, policing activities and camera usage increased. Police surveys, interviews, and focus groups strengthen the findings.

Conclusion

The potential of BWC to reduce police abuse finds limitations where an organizational culture that perpetuates a lack of compliance with internal protocols and violence persists.
Empirics of convergence in industrialisation and their determinants: global evidence
Authors: Saba Charles Shaaba , Ngepah Nicholas
Published: May 2023

This study examines the convergence club in industrialisation by using an algorithm developed by Phillips and Sul. We used 183 countries for the period between 2000 and 2018. We also investigated the dynamics of the determinants possibly driving the convergence/divergence clubs of the countries. The convergence algorithm results reveal that there is divergence in industrialisation for the overall sample, which implies that less industrialised economies are not catching up with the industrialised economies within the sample period. The club merging algorithm results identified six final clubs of which economic, demographic, governance and geographic variables play a significant role in the likelihood of a country belonging to a particular final club. This study found that globally, the process of convergence in the industrialisation process is yet to echo desirable emanations of industrial/manufacturing policies sharing similar features, but the narrative seems to be different when the algorithm forms clubs.
Z-Delphi: A Z-Number-Based Delphi Technique for Technological Forecasting to Reduce Optimism/Pessimism Bias in Experts’ Convergent Opinions
Authors: Anjaria Kushal
Published: May 2023

The Delphi technique is an indispensable instrument for technology forecasting. The method is, however, limited by ambiguity aversion, uncertainty, and statistical optimism/pessimism bias. To address the aforementioned limitations, we have proposed a fuzzy Delphi technique based on Z-numbers in this paper, as Z-numbers offer an effective framework to simulate human thinking. We generated basic probability assignments (BPAs) from the experts’ responses, considered statistical dispersion using Grey Clustering, and then developed Z-numbers. The proposed method is flexible and can be applied to forecast technological aspects based on subjective judgments. We consulted with 11 experts to forecast water-saving technology for dairy plants. Entropy was used to compare the proposed method to other fuzzy Delphi approaches. Compared to other fuzzy Delphi methods, we discovered that the proposed approach registers the lowest uncertainty. The proposed study suggests that fuzzy Delphi with reduced uncertainty can be highly impactful in critical fields like sustainable production. In the end, we have discussed the future research directions of the proposed study.
The History of Parliament: The House of Commons
1640-1660 [Volume V]
Authors: Roberts Stephen K.
Published: May 2023

Volume 5 of a
9-volume set providing the most comprehensive and complete study
ever compiled about the turbulent period of the English and
British Civil Wars and their aftermath.
Recycling and adapting Constantine Manasses’ Aristandros and Kallithea in the Palaiologan Chapters in Political Verse
Authors: Paoletti Giulia Maria
Published: May 2023

The Chapters in Political Verse is a collection of one hundred paraenetic chapters focusing on vices and virtues, transmitted in the Par.gr. 2750A and the Vat.gr. 1898 (fourteenth century) and containing fragments of the lost novel Aristandros and Kallithea by Constantine Manasses (twelfth century). This article offers a discussion on the authorship and audience of the Chapters (better known under the title Moral Poem and attributed to Manasses), arguing that it belongs firmly in the Palaiologan period and was not composed by Manasses. It pays particular attention to the way in which the anonymous author worked with the Manassean hypotext.
Shape dynamics of capsules in two phase-shifted orthogonal ultrasonic standing waves: a numerical investigation
Authors: Liu Yifan , Xin Fengxian
Published: May 2023

This work investigates the time-averaged shape dynamics of a soft elastic capsule in two phase-shifted orthogonal ultrasonic standing waves. The capsule consists of an elastic membrane that encloses a viscous fluid and is immersed in another viscous fluid. Combining the acoustic perturbation theory of fluid dynamics with the thin-shell mechanics of capsule membrane deformation, two sets of equations are established to govern the ultrasonic propagation and the time-averaged response of the fluid–capsule system, respectively. These governing equations are solved numerically based on the finite element method. Numerical simulations show that the ultrasonic standing waves have pure elongation and pure rotation effects on the initially circular capsule when the phase difference is 0 and

${\rm \pi}/2$

, respectively. By setting the phase difference between 0 and

${\rm \pi}/2$

, it is found that the initially circular capsule exhibits a tank-treading motion due to the combined effect of the elongation and rotation. The capsule membrane elasticity and internal fluid viscosity have significant effects on the tank-treading behaviour of the initially circular capsule, including elongation deformation, inclination angle and tank-treading velocity. For the initially non-circular capsule, three types of dynamical states, including stable orientation, swinging and tumbling, are predicted by varying the phase difference and intensity of the ultrasonic standing waves, as well as the initial shape, membrane elasticity and internal fluid viscosity of the initially non-circular capsule. This work enriches the cell manipulation capabilities of ultrasonic standing wave micro-acoustofluidics and may inspire new biological applications.
Patterns in transitional shear turbulence. Part 1. Energy transfer and mean-flow interaction
Authors: Gomé Sébastien , Tuckerman Laurette S. , Barkley Dwight
Published: May 2023

Low Reynolds number turbulence in wall-bounded shear flows en route to laminar flow takes the form of spatially intermittent turbulent structures. In plane shear flows, these appear as a regular pattern of alternating turbulent and quasi-laminar flow. Both the physical and the spectral energy balance of a turbulent–laminar pattern in plane Couette flow are computed and compared to those of uniform turbulence. In the patterned state, the mean flow is strongly modulated and is fuelled by two mechanisms: primarily, the nonlinear self-interaction of the mean flow (via mean advection), and secondly, the extraction of energy from turbulent fluctuations (via negative spectral production, associated with an energy transfer from small to large scales). Negative production at large scales is also found in the uniformly turbulent state. Important features of the energy budgets are surveyed as a function of$Re$through the transition between uniform turbulence and turbulent–laminar patterns.
Theory of History, Epistemic Transformations, and Presentism
Authors: Miller Nicola
Published: May 2023

This remarkable book is an outcome of many years of reflection on conceptual history by one of its leading exponents, who through the magnificent Iberconceptos project has explored the scope for thinking about the life of ideas ‘beyond Bielefeld (Koselleck) and Cambridge (Skinner)’. Fernández Sebastián here offers a master class in what conceptual history can be in the hands of a seasoned practitioner who is both rigorous and imaginative, not to mention formidably well read in the historiographies of Iberian America, Europe, and the United States. Many historians would have been content with that, but Fernández Sebastián's ambitions go a great deal further. His work on the conceptual history of the Iberian independence revolutions leads him to urge historians to take seriously the theorizing of history, not of History in a Hegelian sense, but as an intellectual discipline. This would require scrutiny of historical practice beyond discussions of method (which, he suggests, all too easily reduces to technique) to a far deeper level of reflexivity about historical consciousness. The author engagingly reveals, tucked away in a footnote, his hope that the book might persuade readers who think they are not interested in theory of history to think again.
The Quotidian Politics of a Love Story: Researching, Assembling, and Mobilizing the Lunda Legend in the Late Nineteenth Century
Authors: Gordon David M.
Published: May 2023

The love story between Chibinda Ilunga and Lueji, one of the best-known legends of Central African history, recounts the genesis of the Mwant Yav dynasty of the Lunda polity. Previous discussions of the narrative pitted symbolic interpretations against historical findings. This article asks why the Lunda love story became so influential from the middle of the nineteenth century. Instead of being an exclusively Lunda genesis narrative, the love story represented the interests and narratives of societies brought together by the caravan trade in Kasai and eastern Angola, including Chokwe, Ambakista, Luba, and Imbangala, all of whom added components to the legend compiled by Portuguese explorer and diplomat Henrique Dias de Carvalho. The legend took on importance as diverse factions competed for political titles and trading profits. In the hands of Carvalho and his informants the love story became a tool to construct a Pax Lunda guaranteed by the Portuguese. By demonstrating the quotidian politics of the love story, the article suggests the utility in the historical contextualization of the telling of oral traditions to appreciate their multiple meanings.
Progress in our Understanding of Cometary Dust Tails
Authors: Sekanina Zdenek
Published: May 2023

It is almost generally accepted that the essentially structureless and often significantly curved tails of comets are composed of sunlight-scattering solid particles of various sizes, ejected from the comet’s nucleus by evaporating gases. Much less agreement has so far been achieved as to the character, composition, and size distribution of the particles.
Science Aspects of 1980 Ballistic Missions to Comet Encke, Using Mariner and Pioneer Spacecraft
Authors: Jaffe L. D. , Elachi C. , Giffin C. E. , Huntress W. , Newburn R. L. , Parker R. H. , Taylor F. W. , Thorpe T. E.
Published: May 2023

This paper considers science aspects of a 1980 spacecraft reconnaissance of Comet Encke. The mission discussed is a ballistic flyby (more exactly, a fly-through) of P/Encke, using either a spin-stabilized spacecraft, without despin of instruments, or a 3-axis-stabilized spacecraft. Celestial mechanics and imaging aspects of such a mission have been considered in more detail by Bender (1) and by Jaffe et al (2), respectively. Engineering designs (3, 4) and more detailed accounts of science aspects are given in other documents. A different approach to an Encke ballistic flyby has been suggested by Farquahar et al (5). Yeomans (6) has considered ephemeris uncertainties associated with such missions.
The features and geometry of tone in Laal
Authors: Lionnet Florian
Published: May 2023

Features are standard in segmental analysis but have been less successfully applied to tone. Subtonal features have even been argued to be less satisfactory for the representation of African tone than tonal primitives such as H, M, L (Hyman 2010; Clements et al.2010). I argue that the two-feature system of Yip (1980) and Pulleyblank (1986) offers a straightforward account of the tonology of Laal, an endangered, three-tone isolate of southern Chad – in particular properties of the Mid tone that are otherwise difficult to account for, namely the avoidance of complex patterns involving M, and a pervasive M-to-L lowering process, both straightforwardly analysed as subtonal assimilation. Other tonal operations in Laal are shown to involve full-tone behaviour, justifying a tone geometry à la Snider (1999, 2020) where subtonal features are linked to a Tonal Root Node, giving tones the ability to be either fully or partially active, just like segments.
Prioritizing Pedagogy in Victorian Studies
Authors: Cox Kimberly , Das Riya , Draucker Shannon , Nadeau Ashley , Nesbit Kate , Thierauf Doreen
Published: May 2023

This essay argues that practical discussions about pedagogy in the field of Victorian studies warrant a regular place in major field-based conferences and journals as well as greater attention in graduate programs at large to maintain our discipline's viability. While conversations about and tools to help with teaching have become more prominent in digital projects like Undisciplining the Victorian Classroom and COVE, these topics continue to be minimized at conferences like NAVSA and are often relegated to special issues of Victorian studies journals. By “defamiliarizing” pedagogy, we ask the field of Victorian studies to reckon with the ways its systems of prestige and recognition sideline teacher-scholars working at teaching-intensive institutions, community colleges, high schools, and minority-serving institutions. We assert that, given the current state of the job market, more space must be dedicated to pedagogical research, and requirements for tenure/promotion need to recognize pedagogy as a viable field of research. Such attention to pedagogy will contribute to efforts to decolonize Victorian studies, attend more deeply to gendered and racialized labor politics, and mobilize for collective action.
The Effects of Geomagnetic Activities on Acceleration Regions of Radiation Belt Electrons
Authors: Tang Chao Ling , Su Zheng Peng , Ni Bin Bin , Zhang Ji Chun , Chen Jing Run , Wang Xu
Published: May 2023

Solar wind and magnetospheric processes play important roles in relativistic electron acceleration in the Earth's outer radiation belt. However, how geomagnetic activity affects the acceleration region of relativistic electrons is still not clear. Here we first report the local acceleration regions during the strong storm of 1 June 2013. The first local acceleration region occurs at the lower L shell (L* ∼ 4.0) during the early recovery phase, which is associated with non‐continuous substorm activities. The second local acceleration region occurs at the higher L shell (L* ∼ 5.0) during the late recovery phase, which is associated with continuous substorm activities. To provide a more comprehensive picture, we additionally analyze two storm events with different geomagnetic activities. These events suggest that (a) the strong storm makes it possible for the local acceleration regions to occur at different L shells; (b) the timing, intensity, and duration of substorms during the recovery phase are crucial to the location and dynamics of the local acceleration region. These results can help us further understand the dynamics of relativistic electrons in the Earth's outer radiation belt.
Interhemispheric Coupling Study by Observations and Modelling (ICSOM): Concept, Campaigns, and Initial Results
Authors: Sato Kaoru , Tomikawa Yoshihiro , Kohma Masashi , Yasui Ryosuke , Koshin Dai , Okui Haruka , Watanabe Shingo , Miyazaki Kazuyuki , Tsutsumi Masaki , Murphy Damian , Meek Chris , Tian Yufang , Ern Manfred , Baumgarten Gerd , Chau Jorge L. , Chu Xinzhao , Collins Richard , Espy Patrick J. , Hashiguchi Hiroyuki , Kavanagh Andrew J. , Latteck Ralph , Lübken Franz‐Josef , Milla Marco , Nozawa Satonori , Ogawa Yasunobu , Shiokawa Kazuo , Alexander M. Joan , Nakamura Takuji , Ward William E.
Published: May 2023

An international joint research project, entitled Interhemispheric Coupling Study by Observations and Modelling (ICSOM), is ongoing. In the late 2000s, an interesting form of interhemispheric coupling (IHC) was discovered: when warming occurs in the winter polar stratosphere, the upper mesosphere in the summer hemisphere also becomes warmer with a time lag of days. This IHC phenomenon is considered to be a coupling through processes in the middle atmosphere (i.e., stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere). Several plausible mechanisms have been proposed so far, but they are still controversial. This is mainly because of the difficulty in observing and simulating gravity waves (GWs) at small scales, despite the important role they are known to play in middle atmosphere dynamics. In this project, by networking sparsely but globally distributed radars, mesospheric GWs have been simultaneously observed in seven boreal winters since 2015/16. We have succeeded in capturing five stratospheric sudden warming events and two polar vortex intensification events. This project also includes the development of a new data assimilation system to generate long‐term reanalysis data for the whole middle atmosphere, and simulations by a state‐of‐the‐art GW‐permitting general circulation model using the reanalysis data as initial values. By analyzing data from these observations, data assimilation, and model simulation, comprehensive studies to investigate the mechanism of IHC are planned. This paper provides an overview of ICSOM, but even initial results suggest that not only GWs but also large‐scale waves are important for the mechanism of the IHC.