bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitigating Climate Risks: An Empirical Study on the Financial and Economic Implications for OECD Economies
Authors: Appiah Michael 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This paper investigates how financial development, economic growth, environmental policies, technology, and trade openness, affect the ecological footprint in developed economies. Specifically, the study focuses on the period from 2000 to 2022. The application of a robust panel cointegration approach, cross-section, and slope homogeneity tests to validate the presence of slope heterogeneity among countries in addition to unit root tests to confirm the stationarity of all variables, enabling the use of the AMG method for analyzing long-run coefficients. The empirical findings reveal a consistent and long-term relationship among the variables indicating a negative link between finance, growth, environmental policy, and trade openness, and eco-footprint. The results interestingly portray the existence of an inverted U-shaped curve between financial development, economic growth, and eco-footprint. The Dumitrescu and Hurlin (DH) causality analysis reveals a non-causal connection between financial development, economic growth, trade openness, and ecological footprint as well as a unidirectional causal link between ecological footprint to environmental technology, while a bidirectional causal relationship is observed between ecological footprint and environmental policy.
Acoustic and Aerodynamic Evaluation of Dlr Small-Scale Rotor Configurations Within Garteur AG26
Authors: Yin J. , Gregorio F. , Rossignol K.-S. , Rottmann L. , Ceglia G. , Reboul G. , Barakos G. , Qiao G. , Muth M. , Kessler M. , Visingardi A. , Barbarino M. , Petrosino F. , Zanotti A. , Oberti N. , Savino A. , Bernardini G. , Poggi C. , Abergo L. , Caccia F. , Guardone A. , Testa C. , Zaghi S. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This paper presents the activities performed in the GARTEUR Action Group HC/AG-26 to study the acoustic and aerodynamic characteristics of small rotor configurations, including the influence of the rotor-rotor interactions. This paper will focus on comparisons between numerical activities and wind tunnel results on a small rotor provided by DLR. The wind tunnel models included a Rotor/Rotor/Pylon in isolated, tandem and coaxial configuration. The wind tunnel experiments for acoustics were performed in DLR’s Acoustic Wind Tunnel Braunschweig (AWB) and PIV test were performed in CIRA within a joint CIRA/DLR test program. For simulations, the numerical approaches from each partner are applied. The aerodynamic simulations necessary for the aeroacoustic predictions are conducted with various fidelity numerical methods, varying from lifting line to CFD. The acoustic values on the microphone positions are evaluated using Ffowcs Williams-Hawking (FW-H) formulation by all partners. The acoustic and aerodynamic predictions are compared to test data, including performance, PIV and acoustic directivity.
An Improved Color Image Denoising using Spatially Adaptive Statistical Dependency in Undecimated Wavelet Transform Coefficients
Authors: Paul Ram , Singh Balkar , Saini Manish Kumar 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In color image denoising, it is very important to preserve the edge and color information of the images. The standard discrete wavelet transforms provide a means of implementing a multiscale analysis, based on a critically sampled filter bank with perfect reconstruction, but shift-variance and directional selectivity is not supported by them which are necessary for color image processing. This is due to the decimation used in traditional wavelet transform and can be covered by undecimated wavelet transform. An adaptive color image denoising algorithm using spatial correlation in undecimated wavelet transform is proposed in this paper that preserves the color image features more efficiently. The noisy color image is first decomposed into different subbands of frequency and orientation responses using the undecimated wavelet transform. Then the spatial correlation of wavelet coefficients in a noisy color image is achieved by the coefficients multiplication of adjacent decomposition levels. The threshold value is calculated from the spatially correlated wavelet coefficients by computing the noise standard deviation from the correlated diagonal subband of first and second decomposition level. Finally, all noisy spatially correlated wavelet coefficients are relatively well denoised by soft thresholding. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed color image denoising algorithm preserve the edges and color components very well while reducing noise. The efficiency and performance of this algorithm is compared with state-of-art denoising algorithms based on Peak Signal to Noise Ratio and visual perception.
A Comparison of Three Conceptual Design Approaches Applied to an Electric Distributed Lift Aircraft
Authors: Vegh J. Michael , Scott Robert , Basset Pierre-Marie , Perret Raphaël , Beals Nathan , Singh Rajneesh 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

This paper serves as an introduction to a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Aviation & Missile Center, ONERA, and DEVCOM Army Research Lab. Each organization employs their conceptual design toolchain (NDARC, CREATION, and HYDRA) on a common set of geometry. Initial weight, drag, and power estimates on this aircraft for a common sizing mission and set of assumptions are provided along with a component-based comparison of weight and drag estimates for each tool. Broad agreement for the baseline mission requirements was observed for all three tools. Design sensitivities showed substantial differences in performance estimates vs forward flight speed which has broader design implications. Wingspan and rotor radius were varied and optimized for each tool with different behavior for each. NDARC predicted a larger wingspan would reduce aircraft weight with little impact from changing the rotor radius. CREATION and HYDRA predicted that reducing the wingspan and increasing rotor radius would reduce aircraft weight. The different design conclusions from each tool reflect uncertainty in evaluating the structural and aerodynamic performance of similar systems with complicated interacting aerostructural behavior when using conceptual-level tools. Areas for further tool development were also identified.
Genetic basis of variation in immune function in Drosophila melanogaster selected for fast development and late reproduction
Authors: Chandrashekara Kagepura Thammaiah , Shrivastava Nidhi Krishna , Chauhan Namita , Shakarad Mallikarjun N. 
Published: June 2024

Abstract

Genes with immune functions are rapidly evolving genes. Understanding the genetic architecture that facilitates this change is a challenge for evolutionary biologists. Previously, we have reported heightened immune surveillance in Drosophila selected for faster development and longer life span. In this work we tested whether genome architecture of innate immunity evolves as a consequence of long-term selection for life history traits (faster development and longer lifespan) by checking the single nucleotide polymorphism changes accumulated in genes involved in immune system and hematopoiesis. We found 2 important genes with high impact SNPs in immune related genes namely, Nim B5 and Tep 3 (Thioester-containing protein 3), of which Tep3 gene was found to be transcriptionally upregulated among selected populations. Tep3 has been known to have endopeptidase inhibitor activity. It is involved in the biological process of phagocytosis, defense response to other organism, and defense response to Gram-positive bacterium. Further NimB5 is involved in regulating hematopoiesis. Here we propose that TEP3 and NimB5 might be working collectively in evolving flies with better adaptability by modulating their immune system.
Hydrological modeling for rainfall–runoff assessment in a sub-himalayan catchment using a distributed MIKE SHE/MIKE+ model
Authors: Sharma Abhishek , Kumar Ajay , Shankar Vijay , Thakur Praveen Kumar 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT

The management of water resources, including flood forecasting, infrastructure planning, environmental preservations, and climate change adaptation, depends highly on accurate assessment of rainfall–runoff processes. In the present study, a distributed hydrological model has been developed using MIKE System Hydrological European coupled with MIKE+ approach for the Gambhar catchment located in the northwest Himalayas, India. For model development, the hydrometeorological data i.e., precipitation, land use land cover, evapotranspiration, and soil types for the duration 2010 to 2018 have been acquired, while observed daily streamflow data of the Gambhar River has been used for calibration and validation purposes. The model's performance has been evaluated using statistical indicators i.e., mean average error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), scatter index (SI) and coefficient of determination (R2), and found to be 65.43, 283.5, 0.80, 0.08, and 0.85, respectively during validation indicating a strong correlation between predicted and observed streamflow. The sensitivity analysis of the model infers that the rainfall and canopy intercept parameters are major controlling factors in the runoff generation. The findings of the study are beneficial for hydrologists and water resources managers.
La faute à la vie - quando a fragilidade branca entra em cena
Authors: Ielpo Rodrigo , Kalile Lia 
Published: June 2024

O presente artigo pretende analisar como a autora guadalupense Maryse Condé, em sua peça La faute à la vie (2009), dramatiza aquilo que Robin DiAngelo (2018) denomina de “fragilidade branca”. Para tal, primeiramente, trataremos do lugar que a obra dramatúrgica de Condé ocupa em seu trabalho, indicando seu papel de destaque na contemporaneidade para as literaturas de língua francesa. Em seguida, traçaremos um breve panorama da peça mencionada afim de pensarmos sobre a maneira pela qual a construção da personagem Louise pode nos levar a refletir sobre aquilo que Cida Bento (2022) denomina de “o pacto da branquitude” e os mecanismos por ele engendrados no intuito de garantir a manutenção do racismo e, consequentemente, a perpetuação da supremacia branca nas sociedades ocidentais.
Results of surgical treatment of urinary incontinence in women with pelvic organ prolapse
Authors: Simrok V. V. , Melnikova D. V. , Balabuyev G. M. , Borshcheva A. A. , Pertseva G. M. 
Published: June 2024

Objective: long-term evaluation of the results of surgical treatment of mixed urinary incontinence in women with pelvic organ prolapse by the Kelly method in its own modification.Materials and methods: diagnosis and surgical treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence were performed in 95 women aged 52–60 years. The patients underwent vaginal hysterectomy, anterior and posterior colporraphy, levatoroplasty, and perineoplasty. In order to optimize the surgical treatment of mixed urinary incontinence, urethral plastic surgery was performed using Kelly's method in its own modification. 3 years after the operation, the effectiveness of the operation was evaluated.Results: the performed surgical treatment improved the quality of life of the patients during the next 3 years of life, since there were no violations of the anatomy of the vagina and bladder. There were good forces of contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, women fully retained urine. The patients are completely satisfied with the results of the operation, are able-bodied and take an active life position.Conclusions: the proposed technique is a pathogenetically justified method of restoring adequate urination, reduces the number of relapses of the disease, and returns the main functions to the urethra: to retain urine in the bladder and ensure its release to the outside, which increases the effectiveness of surgical treatment and the duration of the positive effect.
Possibilities of using different indices of insulin resistance in various subtypes of gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Davidenko I. Yu. , Sorokina Yu. A. , Volkova N. I. , Degtyareva Yu. S. 
Published: June 2024

Objective: to identify IR indices for diagnosing the GDM subtype.Materials and methods: carbohydrate metabolism (venous plasma glucose on an empty stomach, oral glucose tolerance test with 75 g of glucose with insulin determination), and lipid metabolism were assessed in 130 pregnant women. The following indices were calculated: HOMA-IR, QUICKI, Matsuda, McAuley, Belfiore, Gutt, Stumvoll, Avignon. According to the Matsuda index, patients were divided into subgroups: Group I — 45 pregnant women with GDM and β-cell dysfunction, Group II — 43 with GDM and IR, group III — 42 without GDM. Statistical processing was carried out using comparative analysis. Data are presented as medians and interquartile ranges of quantitative indicators in groups.Results: statistically significant differences in the severity of IR were obtained when calculating all indices. When calculating HOMA-IR, patients in group II showed the best results: group I [1.13 (0.85; 1.34)], group II [2.33 (1.76; 4.23)], group III [1.25 (1.01; 2.43)]. When calculating the remaining indices, differences were also revealed that demonstrate heterogeneity. Using the HOMA-B insulin secretion assessment index, it was revealed that patients with GDM without IR had the lowest score, while the results did not differ among other groups: group I [15.3 (11.1; 18.0)], group II [36.9 (19.4; 57.0)], group III [25.9 (20.4; 59.9)].Conclusion: we studied the features of IR indices in pregnant women with different subtypes of GDM. Indices have been determined that allow differentiating different subtypes of GDM.
Relapse Prevention Group Therapy in Indonesia Involving Peers via Videoconferencing for Substance Use Disorder: Development and Feasibility Study
Authors: Siste Kristiana , Ophinni Youdiil , Hanafi Enjeline , Yamada Chika , Novalino Reza , Limawan Albert P , Beatrice Evania , Rafelia Vania , Alison Peter , Matsumoto Toshihiko , Sakamoto Ryota 
Published: June 2024

Background
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major health issue in Indonesia, where several barriers to treatment exist, including inaccessibility to treatment services, stigma, and criminalization of drug issues. Peer involvement and the use of telemedicine to deliver psychotherapy are promising approaches to overcome these barriers.

Objective
This study aims (1) to describe the development of a new group psychotherapy coprovided by a health care worker and a peer and (2) to evaluate the acceptability, practicality, and preliminary outcomes of the program delivered via videoconferencing in Indonesia.

Methods
Building upon an established relapse prevention therapy in Japan, we developed a 3-month weekly group therapy module in the Indonesian language. Adjustments were made via focus group discussions with local stakeholders in terms of substance types, understandability, inclusive language, and cultural relevance. A pilot study was conducted to test the new module provided by a peer and a psychiatrist via videoconferencing, termed tele-Indonesia Drug Addiction Relapse Prevention Program (tele-Indo-DARPP), with a pre- and postcontrolled design. We analyzed data from semistructured feedback interviews and outcome measurements, including the number of days using substances and quality of life, and compared the intervention (tele-Indo-DARPP added to treatment as usual [TAU]) and control (TAU only) arms.

Results
In total, 8 people diagnosed with SUD participated in the pilot study with a mean age of 37 (SD 12.8) years. All were men, and 7 (88%) used sedatives as the primary substance. Collectively, they attended 44 of the 48 tele-Indo-DARPP sessions. A total of 3 out of 4 (75%) preferred telemedicine rather than in-person therapy. Positive acceptability and practicality were shown from qualitative feedback, in which the participants who joined the tele-Indo-DARPP reported that they liked the convenience of joining from home and that they were able to open up about personal matters, received helpful advice from peers, and received support from other participants. Providers reported that they feel the module was provider-friendly, and the session was convenient to join without diminishing rapport-building. Meanwhile, troubles with the internet connection and difficulty in comprehending some terminology in the workbook were reported. The intervention arm showed better improvements in psychological health and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusions
Group psychotherapy via videoconferencing coprovided by health care workers and peers was acceptable and practical for participants with SUD and service providers in this study. A large-scale study is warranted to examine the effectiveness of the newly developed module in Indonesia.
The Theft of Kingdom Funds: Financial Control and Defalcation Problems at the Southern Baptist Convention during the 1920s
Authors: Heier Jan Richard 
Published: June 2024

ABSTRACT
In the late 1920s, two major defalcations by board treasurers rocked the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The first was a theft of a little over $100,000 from the Foreign Mission Board in Richmond, VA, and the second was a staggering $900,000 from the Home Mission Board in Atlanta, GA. A common thread between the thefts was an overarching, albeit misplaced, trust in the men involved, combined with a lack of direct control by the separate boards and lax audit procedures. In the end, both perpetrators were convicted of their crimes and went to jail. The scandal compelled SBC officials to develop new accounting controls to minimize the risk of a reoccurrence in the future.
Data Availability: Articles and books used in this manuscript are available from the public sources and cited in References.
JEL Classification: M40; M41; M42.
Pedagogical Leadership in Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care through the Lens of Practice Architectures
Authors: Heikka Johanna , Koivula Merja , Hautakangas Merja , Suhonen Katja , Halttunen Leena 
Published: June 2024

This research examines how practice architectures, i.e., cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social-political arrangements both enable and constrain the pedagogical leadership practice of early child-hood education (ECE) center directors (N = 3). The data were collected by a qualitative shadowing method and analyzed deductively using the theory of practice architectures. The findings revealed that social- political arrangements were fundamental for directing pedagogical leadership practice, affecting both material- economic and cultural-discursive arrangements. The social- political arrangements of pedagog-ical leadership were grounded in the municipality’s organizational structure; in turn, this structure organ-ized daily pedagogical leadership practices. Social-political arrangements were narrated as the directors emphasized the importance of national guidelines, legislation, and implementation of the national and local curricula. These were related to the material-economic arrangements because they required organizing time for discussion and further training of personnel. The national guidelines combined material-economic and social-political aspects as well as cultural-discursive arrangements in leadership practice, as pedagog-ical development aligned with legislation and national curriculum demands in a wide range of leadership functions in ECE centers. The essence of pedagogical leadership practice was the focal point of joint dis-cussions regarding pedagogy and the implementation of curriculum in the ECE centers. Most significantly, the quality of these discussions could enable or constrain pedagogical leadership and were influenced by cultural-discursive arrangements and leadership philosophy of the center directors alike.
Responser som grund för gemensamt innehåll. Om undervisning i förskola
Authors: Hultberg Ingridz Kristine 
Published: June 2024

Sedan 2018 ingår undervisning i läroplanen för förskola i Sverige. Detta har lett till ett behov av en bredare förståelse för hur undervisning kan genomföras i förskola. I föreliggande studie består data av videoobservationer genomförda med etnografisk metod och syftet är att bidra med kunskap om undervisning som en gemensam handling mellan pedagoger och barn i förskola. Mer specifikt utforskas karaktären av responser mellan pedagoger och barn samt hur gemensamt innehåll framträder i interaktion mellan barn och pedagoger. Syftet är relaterat till metod och interaktionsanalys där verbalt tal och kroppsliga uttryck tillskrivs samma värde och är sammanflätade. Det senare är relaterat till studiens sammanhang, som är en förskola och specifikt en språkavdelning med deltagare från 3 års ålder. Resultatet visar att innehåll mellan pedagoger och barn där responsivitet innebär både kroppsliga och verbala uttryck för handling öppnar för att förstå undervisning som gemensam och som en samhandling där innehållet växer fram och växlar mellan pedagoger och barn.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT
Responses as Common Ground for the Content. About Teaching in Preschool
Since 2018, teaching has been included in the preschool curriculum in Sweden. This has led to a need for a broader understanding of how teaching can be guided in preschool. In the present study, the data consist of video observations conducted using ethnographic methods, aiming to contribute knowledge about teaching as a collaborative endeavor between pedagogues and children in preschool. Specifically, the study explores the character of responses between pedagogues and children, and how shared content emerges in the interaction between children and pedagogues. The aim is related to methodology and interaction analysis, where verbal speech and bodily expressions are attributed equal value and are intertwined. This aspect is both related to the context of the study, which is a preschool and specifically a language department, involving participants aged 3 and older. The results indicate that content between pedagogues and children, where responsiveness entails both bodily and verbal expressions of action, facilitates understanding of teaching as collaborative and interactive, where content emerges and shifts between pedagogues and children.
Water Evaporation as an Electromagnetic Phenomenon
Authors: Pivovarenko Yuri 
Published: June 2024

Water evaporation is currently perceived as a predominantly mechanical phenomenon. This perception is due to the predominance of views based on classical thermodynamics, using the concept of an ideal gas, and, consequently, on molecular kinetic theory. Therefore, the fact that water vapor is always positively charged is perceived as a curiosity. Since this approach is unsatisfactory, it is proposed here to perceive the evaporation of water as a phenomenon caused by the electromagnetic forces of the Earth. In this regard, it is proposed here to take into account the existence of an upward Lorentz force arising as a result of the daily movement of the earth’s surface relative to the geomagnetic field lines. The productivity of this perception of water evaporation is shown here.