bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fully Automatic Visual Servoing Control for Underwater Vehicle Manipulator Systems Based on a Heuristic Inverse Kinematics
Authors: Santos Phillipe C. , Freire Raimundo C. S. , Carvalho Elyson A. N. , Molina Lucas , Freire Eduardo O. , Santos Matheus C. , Weir Anthony , Trslic Petar , Omerdic Edin , Dooly Gerard , Toal Daniel 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe use of underwater vehicle manipulator systems (UVMS) equipped with cameras has gained significant attention due to their capacity to perform underwater tasks autonomously. However, controlling both the manipulator and the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) based on the vision system information is not an easy task, especially in situations where the vehicle cannot be parked/held stationary. Most of the existing approaches work based on complex matrix calculations for the inverse kinematics (IK), which can lead to high computational costs and the need to deal with singularity problems. A problem arises when the amount of time needed to calculate the UVMS configuration can result in reduced frequency of target pose estimation, beyond the point where the target has moved out of the camera field of view. Therefore, this paper proposes an autonomous visual servoing approach for UVMS, including an extension of a heuristic technique named M-FABRIK (Mobile - Forward and Backward Reaching IK) to calculate the UVMS inverse kinematics in a simple and fast way. This approach aims to control both the configuration of the manipulator and ROV position in order to allow underwater intervention in situations where the ROV cannot be parked/held stationary. This solution allows the vehicle to be positioned according to additional criteria, besides avoiding matrix inversion and being robust to singularities. Trials have been performed with a manipulator mounted on a work-class ROV for an autonomous underwater monitoring task and results demonstrate a simple and fast approach, which is able to set the configuration of the manipulator as well as the ROV for visual servoing applications in real-time, such as for monitoring, tracking and intervention tasks underwater.
Discrimination between earthquakes and quarry blasts in the Aswan region, southern Egypt, using P-wave source spectra
Authors: Saadalla Hamada , Abdelhafiez H. E. , Hayashida Takumi 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn order to distinguish between shallow earthquakes and quarrying activity, we evaluated 3069 seismic signals from 413 occurrences (112 explosions and 301 shallow earthquakes, depths 5 km), collected by the Aswan seismic sub-network in southern Egypt from 2010 to 2021. The spectral properties and related source parameters (e.g., seismic moment and corner frequency) using the estimated P-wave source spectra for both earthquakes and quarry blasts were investigated. The analysis showed that the P-wave source spectra of shallow earthquakes have higher corner frequencies (8.8–23 Hz) than quarry blasts (1.0–2.6 Hz) within the same magnitude range. The source spectra of quarry blasts exhibited significant misfits with the omega-square model and had steeper falloffs at high frequencies. The selected quarry blasts have a narrow seismic moment range, from 2.03 × 1011to 1.35 × 1012Nm. Our results demonstrate that the evaluation of misfit of P-wave spectra from the omega-square source model, based on spectral amplitude characteristics of high- and low-frequency bands, is the most reliable discriminant method in the routine data analysis of the target area.
A phenomenological model to simulate various aspects of nonlinearity in creep behavior and to predict long-term creep strain
Authors: Spathis Gerasimos , Kontou Evagelia 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn the present work, a thorough description of the creep response of polymers in both linear and nonlinear viscoelastic domains is presented. According to the proposed model, the polymeric structure is considered as an ensemble of meso-regions linked with each other while they can cooperatively relax and change their positions. Each meso-region has its own energy barrier that needs to be overcome for a transition to occur. It was found that the distribution function, followed by the energy barriers, attains a decisive role, given that it is associated with the distribution of retardation times and with their particular effect on the materials’ time evolution. The crucial role of the imposed stress in a creep experiment by its influence on the retardation time spectrum of the polymeric structure was extensively analyzed. The proposed model has been successfully validated by a series of creep data in a variety of temperatures and stress levels for polymeric materials, studied experimentally elsewhere. Furthermore, the model’s capability to predict the long-term creep response was analytically shown.
The relationship between multiple hazards and deprivation using open geospatial data and machine learning
Authors: Kabiru Priscilla , Kuffer Monika , Sliuzas Richard , Vanhuysse Sabine 
Published: March 2023

AbstractDeprived settlements, usually referred to as slums, are often located in hazardous areas. However, there have been very few studies to examine this notion. In this study, we leverage the advancements in open geospatial data, earth observation (EO), and machine learning to create a multi-hazard susceptibility index and a transferrable disaster risk approach to be adapted in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) cities, with low-cost methods. Specifically, we identify multi-hazards in Nairobi's selected case study area and construct a susceptibility index. Then, we test the predictability of deprived settlements using the multi-hazard susceptibility index in comparison with EO texture-based methods. Lastly, we survey 100 households in two deprived settlements (typical and atypical slums) in Nairobi and use the survey outcomes to validate the multi-hazard susceptibility index. To test the assumption that deprived areas are dominantly located in areas with higher susceptibility to multiple hazards, we contrast morphologically identified deprived settlements with non-deprived settlements. We find that deprived settlements are generally more exposed to hazards. However, there are variations between central and peripheral settlements. In testing the predictability of deprivation using multi-hazards, the multi-hazard-based model performs better for deprived settlements than for other classes. In contrast, the texture-based model is better at classifying all types of morphological settlements. Lastly, by contrasting the survey outcomes to the household interviews, we conclude that proxies used for the multi-hazard susceptibility index adequately capture the hazards. However, more localized proxies can be used to improve the index performance.
Towards engineering a hybrid carboxysome
Authors: Nguyen Nghiem Dinh , Pulsford Sacha B. , Hee Wei Yi , Rae Benjamin D. , Rourke Loraine M. , Price G. Dean , Long Benedict M. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractCarboxysomes are bacterial microcompartments, whose structural features enable the encapsulated Rubisco holoenzyme to operate in a high-CO2 environment. Consequently, Rubiscos housed within these compartments possess higher catalytic turnover rates relative to their plant counterparts. This particular enzymatic property has made the carboxysome, along with associated transporters, an attractive prospect to incorporate into plant chloroplasts to increase future crop yields. To date, two carboxysome types have been characterized, the α-type that has fewer shell components and the β-type that houses a faster Rubisco. While research is underway to construct a native carboxysome in planta, work investigating the internal arrangement of carboxysomes has identified conserved Rubisco amino acid residues between the two carboxysome types which could be engineered to produce a new, hybrid carboxysome. In theory, this hybrid carboxysome would benefit from the simpler α-carboxysome shell architecture while simultaneously exploiting the higher Rubisco turnover rates in β-carboxysomes. Here, we demonstrate in an Escherichia coli expression system, that the Thermosynechococcus elongatus Form IB Rubisco can be imperfectly incorporated into simplified Cyanobium α-carboxysome-like structures. While encapsulation of non-native cargo can be achieved, T. elongatus Form IB Rubisco does not interact with the Cyanobium carbonic anhydrase, a core requirement for proper carboxysome functionality. Together, these results suggest a way forward to hybrid carboxysome formation.
Implementation of the Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia Cooperative Extension According to RE-AIM and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research
Authors: Wilson Hannah K. , Wieler Caroline , Bell Darci L. , Bhattarai Ajit P. , Castillo-Hernandez Isaura M. , Williams Ewan R. , Evans Ellen M. , Berg Alison C. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIncreased dissemination of the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is imperative to reduce type 2 diabetes. Due to its nationwide reach and mission to improve health, Cooperative Extension (Extension) is poised to be a sustainable DPP delivery system. However, research evaluating DPP implementation in Extension remains scant. Extension professionals delivered the DPP in a single-arm hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation study. Semi-structured interviews with Extension professionals were conducted at three time points. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided interview coding and analysis. Constructs were rated for magnitude and valence and evaluated as facilitators or barriers of RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) outcomes. The program reached 119 participants, was adopted by 92% (n = 12/13) of trained Extension professionals and was implemented according to CDC standards: all programs exceeded the minimum 22-session requirement (26 ± 2 sessions). The program was effective in achieving weight loss (5.0 ± 5.2%) and physical activity (179 ± 122 min/week) goals. At post-intervention, eight professionals (67%) had begun or planned to maintain the intervention within the next 6 months. Several facilitators were identified, including Extension leadership structure, organizational compatibility, and technical assistance calls. Limited time to recruit participants was the primary barrier. Positive RE-AIM outcomes, facilitated by contextual factors, indicate Extension is an effective and sustainable DPP delivery system. Extension and other DPP implementers should plan strategies that promote communication, the program’s evidence-base, recruitment time, and resource access. Researchers should explore DPP implementation in real-world settings to determine overall and setting-specific best practices, promote intervention uptake, and reduce diabetes.
The New HELLRIDE at the Vacuum Tower Telescope
Authors: Pruthvi Hemanth , Roth Markus 
Published: March 2023

AbstractA better understanding of the processes involved in the energy transport across the solar atmosphere (e.g., jets, waves) demands more effort towards the observations. Hence, existing instruments may need to be upgraded to gain additional capabilities. To this effect, we conceive an upgrade for the HELioseismic Large Regions Interferometric DEvice (HELLRIDE) instrument at Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) to enable the recording of the magnetograms. We present the instrumentation aspects of this development consisting of integrating a liquid crystal-based dual-beam polarimeter with the existing instrument, compatible new hardware and software with the improved operating scheme, and the first observations to verify its functionality. The new HELLRIDE now observes a field of view of $90^{\prime \prime } \times 90^{\prime \prime }$

90

″

×

90

″

in four spectral lines, two chromospheric spectral lines in spectroscopy mode and two photospheric spectral lines in spectropolarimetry mode, with a cadence of 40 seconds. The increased complexity of the system, as well as the data, calls for the creation of a rigorous data processing pipeline, which is currently under development.
Plant-based production of an orally active cyclotide for the treatment of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Jackson Mark A. , Xie Jing , Nguyen Linh T. T. , Wang Xiaohan , Yap Kuok , Harvey Peta J. , Gilding Edward K. , Craik David J. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease that requires prolonged treatment with often severe side effects. One experimental MS therapeutic currently under development is a single amino acid mutant of a plant peptide termed kalata B1, of the cyclotide family. Like all cyclotides, the therapeutic candidate [T20K]kB1 is highly stable as it contains a cyclic backbone that is cross-linked by three disulfide bonds in a knot-like structure. This stability is much sought after for peptide drugs, which despite exquisite selectivity for their targets, are prone to rapid degradation in human serum. In preliminary investigations, it was found that [T20K]kB1 retains oral activity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model of MS in mice, thus opening up opportunities for oral dosing of the peptide. Although [T20K]kB1 can be synthetically produced, a recombinant production system provides advantages, specifically for reduced scale-up costs and reductions in chemical waste. In this study, we demonstrate the capacity of the Australian native Nicotiana benthamiana plant to produce a structurally identical [T20K]kB1 to that of the synthetic peptide. By optimizing the co-expressed cyclizing enzyme, precursor peptide arrangements, and transgene regulatory regions, we demonstrate a [T20K]kB1 yield in crude peptide extracts of ~ 0.3 mg/g dry mass) in whole plants and close to 1.0 mg/g dry mass in isolated infiltrated leaves. With large-scale plant production facilities coming on-line across the world, the sustainable and cost-effective production of cyclotide-based therapeutics is now within reach.
Solving the plastic dilemma: the fungal and bacterial biodegradability of polyurethanes
Authors: Bhavsar Parth , Bhave Mrinal , Webb Hayden K. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPolyurethane (PU) is a plastic polymer which, due to its various desirable characteristics, has been applied extensively in domestic, industrial and medical fields for the past 50 years. Subsequently, an increasing amount of PU waste is generated annually. PU, like many other plastics, is highly resistant to degradation and is a substantial threat to our environment. Currently PU wastes are handled through conventional disposal techniques such as landfill, incineration and recycling. Due to the many drawbacks of these techniques, a ‘greener’ alternative is necessary, and biodegradation appears to be the most promising option. Biodegradation has the potential to completely mineralise plastic waste or recover the input materials and better enable recycling. There are hurdles to overcome however, primarily the efficiency of the process and the presence of waste plastics with inherently different chemical structures. This review will focus on polyurethanes and their biodegradation, outlining the difficulty of degrading different versions of the same material and strategies for achieving more efficient biodegradation.
Female Presence in Maritime Settings–Trade and Warfare
Authors: Streiffert Eikeland Katarina 
Published: March 2023

AbstractTraditionally, the maritime networks controlling long-distance trade in metals and other commodities during the European Bronze Age have been understood as expressions of male elite power and dominance. This orthodox model forms a biased and excluding stance of social practice, and makes redundant attempts to discuss critically alternative models of gender-based power-relations in long-distance trade and communication. This study intends to revaluate the notion of androcentric, unilateral patriarchal power relations in maritime trade and warfare, ultimately suggesting an alternative heterarchical model, emphasising the co-existence of heterogeneous power-relations that include women as active social agents and movers of change. The geographical area referred to in particular is Scandinavia but the Mediterranean area is also included. The analysis focuses essentially on graves of the so-called ship setting type. Both men and women are represented in their materials, signalling power and control in the maritime sphere. So far, the female presence has not been discussed in terms of power and control, only in terms of representation. Finding burials of women in these monumental graves in the maritime landscape supports the ground-breaking proposal that, during the Bronze Age, women were also participants in maritime activities.
Professionelles Feedback als entscheidender Erfolgsfaktor in New Work
Authors: Rödel Stefanie , Krach Susanne 
Published: March 2023

ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag wirft einen kritischen Blick auf New-Work-Konzepte, die eine Feedback-Kultur als Säule der agilen Zusammenarbeit postulieren. Dies setzt ein hohes Maß an Kommunikations- und Konfliktfähigkeit voraus. Wir beobachten jedoch häufig das Fehlen von elementaren Skills und plädieren daher für eine enge strukturelle und inhaltliche Verzahnung der Organisations- und Personalentwicklung beim Kompetenzaufbau. Wir spannen arbeits- und organisationspsychologische Perspektiven auf den „Dauerbrenner Feedback“ auf, setzen diese mit individuellen (psychologisches Empowerment, psychologische Sicherheit) und organisationalen Anforderungen (strukturelles Empowerment) in Beziehung und leiten praktische Impulse ab.
Promoting students’ argument comprehension and evaluation skills: Implementation of two training interventions in higher education
Authors: Münchow Hannes , Tiffin-Richards Simon P. , Fleischmann Lorena , Pieschl Stephanie , Richter Tobias 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe ability to comprehend and evaluate informal arguments is important for making sense of scientific texts and scientific reasoning. However, university students often lack the skills necessary to comprehend the functional structure and evaluate the structural plausibility of informal arguments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two training interventions to a) improve students’ argument comprehension (identification of argument structure), and to b) improve students’ argument evaluation (distinguishing good vs. bad arguments). The training interventions were implemented as a voluntary online add-on to a regular university course. The study used a crossover-experimental design with a pre-test and two training phases in which participants (N = 29) alternated between the two training interventions. Students generally improved on the measures of scientific literacy that were practiced in each training intervention. The results provide evidence that voluntary online training interventions for components of scientific literacy can be effectively integrated into higher education settings. However, results further showed an interference effect between the training interventions, indicating that students had problems integrating the different aspects of scientific literacy targeted in the two training interventions.
Metapolystoma ohlerianum n. sp. (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis (Anura: Mantellidae)
Authors: Landman Willem , Verneau Olivier , Vences Miguel , du Preez Louis 
Published: March 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Despite Madagascar’s high amphibian diversity of more than 400 species, only a few polystome species are known from the island. The dissection of frogs from museum collections, together with amphibian and parasite surveys conducted in Madagascar led to the discovery of an undescribed polystome infecting Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis. The purpose of this study is to formally describe this species.

Methods
Polystomes recovered from A. madagascariensis were stained (Acetocarmine) and mounted (Canada balsam) to facilitate morphometrics and taxonomic drawings. Some specimens were fixed in absolute alcohol, a Bayesian tree inferred from the analysis of concatenated 18S, 28S and COI gene sequences was constructed and pairwise distances were calculated. Parasites collected from archived hosts in museums were used for histology and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results
Polystomes recovered from A. madagascariensis display characteristics of the genus Metapolystoma and morphologically differed from all other known metapolystomes. The Bayesian phylogeny shows that Metapolystoma n. sp. ex. A. madagascariensis and M. falcatum are sister species with high Bayesian posterior probability. Histological and SEM investigations contributed to morphological descriptions.

Conclusions
Morphological examination supported by phylogenetic analysis and genetic divergences revealed distinct differences from all known metapolystome species, supporting the description of a new species. Differences between the life cycles of Metapolystoma and Polystoma provided additional evidence for the validity of that genus as taxon. Whereas Polystoma may display ovoviviparity on rare occasions after incomplete egg expulsion towards the end of the breeding season, Metapolystoma displays true ovoviviparity. We emphasize the need for parasite surveys in Madagascar and recommended for museum material to be examined for polystomes to provide supplementary material and localities for further field investigation.

Graphical Abstract
The impact of pandemics on labour organization: insights from an Italian company archive during the Spanish Flu
Authors: Berbenni Enrico , Colombo Stefano 
Published: March 2023

AbstractIn this paper, we discuss the classical modelling approach of pandemics as a negative labour shock. We perform an archival analysis of one of the largest Italian banks (Credito Italiano) during the First World War – Spanish Flu period (1914–1920). In particular, we scrutinise the circulars that the central management of the bank sent out to the local branches, with the aim to assess whether the Spanish Flu has been perceived by contemporaries as an event seriously affecting personnel management. Though restricted to a single case-study, archival evidence does not support the existence of a remarkable negative labour supply shock affecting personnel management because of the Spanish Flu pandemic. Other war-related events probably increased the system’s resilience.
The Representation of Gender Stereotypes in Spanish Mathematics Textbooks for Elementary Education
Authors: Guichot-Reina Virginia , De la Torre-Sierra Ana María 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe latest report of the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI) points out that only 13% of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students in Spain are women. Numerous studies have claimed that gender stereotypes are the leading cause of women’s underrepresentation in STEM. Textbooks constitute a powerful instrument in the configuration of a socio-occupational culture that could be biased if they contain sexism. This investigation examines, through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the unequal representation of women and men in elementary mathematics textbooks currently used in Spain. The results indicate that even though textbooks present an equal frequency of female and male characters, there is an absence of women as real role models in STEM. Characters also reinforce traditional gender stereotypes in the embodiment of social roles. Problem-solving contexts show women using math in a limited variety of daily-life activities, while overall they are represented as insecure and unable to resolve certain mathematical issues. Our study points out that this gender gap in mathematics textbooks can affect girls’ self-esteem and discourage their interest in pursuing scientific-technological careers. Consequently, our study urges teachers to adopt an egalitarian perspective in selecting and using didactic materials.