Historical Process Research Articles

A pattern of hybridisation and population genetic structure of two water frog species (Ranidae, Amphibia) in the southwestern Balkans

AbstractThe distribution of the neutral component of genetic diversity is the interplay of historical and ongoing processes resulting in the species‐specific genetic structure of populations, which can, however, be disrupted by interspecific hybridisation and introgression. In this study, we focused on two species of water frogs, Pelophylax epeiroticus and P. kurtmuelleri, which live in sympatry in the southwestern Balkans, to investigate the rate of hybridisation and population genetic structure using cytogenetic, mitochondrial (ND2) and nuclear DNA (microsatellite) markers. The overall hybridisation rate was 2.6%, with rates reaching up to 10% at specific sites. The course of gametogenesis and the occurrence of later generations of hybrids (beyond the F1 generation) indicate a sexual mode of hybrid reproduction. The bimodal structure of hybrid populations and the rarity of hybrids suggest substantial reproductive isolation between the two species; however, this isolation is unlikely attributable to differences in ecological niche occupation. In P. epeiroticus, sequence variation in the ND2 gene revealed two divergent lineages with a clear geographic pattern that corresponds to the genetic structure in microsatellite markers. In contrast, P. kurtmuelleri populations were not as geographically structured and showed only weak genetic differentiation in both types of markers. Pelophylax epeiroticus was significantly less variable at microsatellite loci compared to P. kurtmuelleri, which, together with the high differentiation of its populations, suggests a stronger influence of genetic drift. We can hypothesise that the differential strength of genetic drift in the two species may lead to unequal interspecific gene flow.

The (Re)construction of the Memory of Slavery and the Slave Trade: Bimbia in Cameroon Between Silence, Rehabilitation, and Cultural Dialogue

This study highlights the process of rehabilitation of the memory of enslavement and the slave trade in Bimbia in the English-speaking southwest of Cameroon. Caught in complex colonial and postcolonial dynamics, Bimbia is part of a historical process governed by both through silence and forgetting. By anchoring the analysis in the perspective of the anthropology of memory, the study shows popular dynamics of rehabilitation and valorization of the memory of enslavement and the slave trade in Bimbia. The research poses the question of the transmission of traumatic memory, silence and forgetting and shows that in addition to the rites of social reintegration and traditional dances, cultural dialogue is symbolized in Bimbia by the attribution of local surnames as well as honorary titles (in the Cameroonian and Bantu tradition) to African Americans who increasingly come on pilgrimage in the footsteps of their ancestors.

Genetic structure and conservation implications of Lancea tibetica (Mazaceae), a traditional Tibetan medicinal plant endemic to the Qinghai- Tibet Plateau

BackgroundAllopatric divergence is often initiated by geological uplift and climate oscillations. Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an excellent place for such research because the plants of this area have experienced such historical processes as glacial contraction, interglacial expansion and geographical isolation. Here in this study, we used Genotyping-By-Sequencing data to investigate allopatric divergence of Lancea tibetica, an endemic herb to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 12,005 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms were obtained from 183 individuals of 23 natural distribution areas.ResultsOur results confirm that L. tibetica is divided into Northern and Southern groups, separated by the Tangula Mountains, Nyainqentanglha Mountains, and the Salween River. Demographic modeling indicated a bottleneck event around 300 kya, followed by gene flow and a recent expansion in both groups. Geographic isolation and climatic variation are likely the primary factors shaping the population structure of this species. Species distribution models reveal that elevation is the most significant factor influencing the distribution of L. tibetica, followed by precipitation and temperature. In scenarios of future global warming, suitable habitats for L. tibetica are likely to be significantly reduced, with an anticipated migration to higher altitudes. Given the current and projected distribution patterns of L. tibetica, the implementation of in-situ conservation and commercial cultivation measures is particularly urgent.ConclusionsOur study contributes insights into understanding the genetic variation and distribution pattern of species in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its adjacent areas, serving as a valuable reference for future conservation efforts.

Володимир Гнатюк у НТШ: літописець подій і доль

The purpose of the article is to understand the role of the Shevchenko Scientific Society and its leading figure – Academician Volodymyr Hnatiuk in the development of the Ukrainian national and cultural space at the "turn of the century". This is facilitated by the analysis of the little-known work of the scholar "Scientific Society named after Shevchenko in Lviv. Historical essay of the first 50th anniversary 1873 – 1923)". At the same time, the historical context in which Ukrainian scientific thought, literature and art developed during the periods when the Galician lands were part of Austria-Hungary, under the Moscow occupation during the First World War and under Polish rule is outlined. Documentary testimonies of eyewitnesses, especially of such a significant figure as V. Hnatiuk, appear not only as an eloquent example of factual literature,but also as a significant factor for understanding the contemporary conditions of the development of philological science, humanitarianism in general, as well as the literary process, the integrity of Ukrainian development in the conditions of various political power. The research was carried out with the involvement of analytical, historical-chronological, historical-comparative methods, as well as a hermeneutic approach, which makes it possible to consider literary phenomena in broad extratextual contexts, taking into account a number of factors. The researched materials appear in a new light and contain valuable conclusions regarding the modern view of the cultural and historical processes thattook place in Galicia at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century in general, and the development of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in particular during this period. On the one hand, the conclusions relate to the Shevchenko Scientific Society as a significant page in the history of the development of Ukrainian science, culture, society as a whole and its role in the formation of the Ukrainian nation with its own self-identity and individuality; on the other hand, the role of Academician V. Hnatiuk in this process and the importance of his Historical Essay on the Shevchenko Scientific Society. It is emphasized that without this Essay it is impossible to understand the trajectory of the Society's development, its principles and foundations, which were laid in the past for the ability to stand and develop in the future. Thanks to this Historical Essay, the new Ukrainian generation will be able to understand what problems Ukrainian writers, scientists and cultural figures of the past lived with, and what ideas for the future revival they passed on to representatives of the present.This will contribute to a holistic view of the cultural, literary, scientific, social development, historical processes that took place in Galicia at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century.

Perceptional Analyses of Current Developments in Country Landmark Buildings

Architecture is a type of visual communication that reflects the feelings and thoughts of the designer and connects with people through perception. Along with modernism, the impact of globalization and global capitalism has also transformed the field of architecture; architecture has begun to be perceived not only as a structural necessity; but also as a combination of cultural expression and commercial demands. In this article, architectural buildings, the most important element emphasizing the cultural, economic, and technological characteristics of societies have been discussed in terms of creating a country's identity in the historical process and current developments in creating a country image with the effect of global capitalism. First of all, examples from the pre-modern period are given, and then the current buildings, which are the main subject of the study, are analyzed. The current buildings were classified in a conceptual framework as main design principles, and these examples are analyzed formally in the context of Gestalt visual perception criteria. It is aimed to gather the conceptual and formal paradigms necessary for the design of landmark buildings and to create a basis for the design processes of buildings to be designed in the future.

A Question-centric Multi-experts Contrastive Learning Framework for Improving the Accuracy and Interpretability of Deep Sequential Knowledge Tracing Models

Knowledge tracing (KT) plays a crucial role in predicting students’ future performance by analyzing their historical learning processes. Deep neural networks (DNNs) have shown great potential in solving the KT problem. However, there still exist some important challenges when applying deep learning techniques to model the KT process. The first challenge lies in modeling the individual question information. This is crucial because students’ knowledge acquisition on questions that share the same set of knowledge components (KCs) may vary significantly. However, due to the large question bank, the average number of interactions per question may not be sufficient. This limitation can potentially result in overfitting of the question embedding and inaccurate question knowledge acquisition state that relies on its corresponding question representation. Furthermore, there is a considerable portion of questions receiving relatively less interaction from students in comparison to the majority of questions. This can further increase the risk of overfitting and lower the accuracy of the obtained question knowledge acquisition state. The second challenge lies in interpreting the prediction results from existing deep learning-based KT models. In real-world applications, while it may not be necessary to have complete transparency and interpretability of the model parameters, it is crucial to present the model’s prediction results in a manner that teachers find interpretable. This makes teachers accept the rationale behind the prediction results and utilize them to design teaching activities and tailored learning strategies for students. However, the inherent black-box nature of deep learning techniques often poses a hurdle for teachers to fully embrace the model’s prediction results. To address these challenges, we propose a Question-centric Multi-experts Contrastive Learning framework for KT called Q-MCKT. This framework explicitly models students’ knowledge acquisition state at both the question and concept levels. It leverages the mixture of experts technique to capture a more robust and accurate knowledge acquisition state in both question and concept levels for prediction. Additionally, a fine-grained question-centric contrastive learning task is introduced to enhance the representations of less interactive questions and improve the accuracy of their corresponding question knowledge acquisition states. Moreover, Q-MCKT utilizes an item response theory-based prediction layer to generate interpretable prediction results based on the knowledge acquisition states obtained from the question and concept knowledge acquisition modules. We evaluate the proposed Q-MCKT framework on four public real-world educational datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach outperforms a wide range of deep learning-based KT models in terms of prediction accuracy while maintaining better model interpretability. To ensure reproducibility, we have provided all the datasets and code on our website at https://github.com/rattlesnakey/Q-MCKT .

Historical Representation and Psychological Analysis in French Films

The purpose of this paper is to explore how French films reflect the social features and the depth of human nature in a particular historical period through the two artistic techniques of historical representation and psychological analysis. Firstly, the research results in related fields at home and abroad are reviewed, the theoretical basis of historical representation and psychological analysis in film is established, and the specific meanings of these two concepts are defined. Through the analysis of several representative French historical films, we examine which major historical events the directors chose as their Settings, and how they used narrative strategies and visual elements to create an authentic historical atmosphere. At the same time, we also pay attention to the psychological state of the characters in the film, that is, the shaping of the character's personality, the portrayal of the inner world and the personality traits in the social and cultural context, which have a profound impact on the audience's understanding and feeling of the film. Further, the paper explores the intersection between historical representation and psychological analysis, showing how the two interact to enhance the artistic effect of film. For example, a complex historical background can give a character a richer psychological level, and the psychological changes of the character can reflect or affect the development of the historical process. On this basis, we choose several classic cases for in-depth analysis, and compare the differences in the methods of different directors when dealing with the same subject.

Oceanic Pasts, Planetary Futures: Deep-Sea Core Data and Temporal Negotiation in the CLIMAP Project (1971–1982)

This article explores the temporalities of deep-sea core research in the 1970s and traces how this small scientific field became a site in which geological, environmental, and political times were negotiated in novel ways. Rather than conceiving of deep-sea cores as containers of data, which provide unmediated access to the planetary past, the article shows how the cores were temporally fluid objects which, in the 1970s, were picked up in settings well beyond the ocean sciences. By following the evolution of the deep-sea core project Climate: Long range Investigation, Mapping, and Prediction (CLIMAP), which brought together deep-sea core research with climate modeling and economic and agricultural forecasting, the article argues that the ways in which deep-sea core data entered the field of climate modeling mirrored contemporary fears of overpopulation as well as dreams of abundant energy reserves hidden in the seabed. Even though the deep-sea core scientists spoke of their work as “exploration” or “discovery,” the history of CLIMAP reveals a much more temporally complex enterprise and highlights the instability of planetary and historical times in the postwar era. Drawing on recent developments in time studies as well as the history of the geosciences, the article shows how present theoretical deliberations on the temporalities of the planetary scale can be understood in light of a longer historical process of negotiating multiple temporalities in the geosciences. By considering the history of deep-sea core research in the 1970s as a history of temporal negotiation, the article calls for increased collaboration and engagement between time studies and the history of science.

Decisive Factors Associated to Land Tenure and Plot Size in Sugarcane Fields in Mexico

Diversity in the sugarcane field is the result of the combination of social groups, historical processes and natural conditions, which vary in every region. Among the factors affecting agricultural production, land ownership represents the most valuable economic capital, along with other factors related to the social and cultural capital of the farmer; and women tend to have less access to this than men do. We attempted to diagnose the factors that affect land ownership in the sugarcane field in Tamaulipas, Mexico, taking a gender perspective. Data from a sample of 546 sugarcane suppliers from 6 municipalities in Tamaulipas were obtained, and the association between dichotomous variables was sought by applying statistical tests, such as Yule’s φ (phi) coefficient, tetrachoric correlations and Fisher’s test; a predictive model based on logistic regression was also constructed. The association between gender variables and land ownership, decision-making power, irrigation, sugarcane registration, other income, alternative crops, and area in hectares is evident. Women represent less than one-fifth of the total sugarcane suppliers in Tamaulipas, Mexico. They own agricultural land with available irrigation in a slightly higher proportion than men, but their plots are smaller, and they have less say in their cultivation. They lag behind in terms of being included in sugarcane registers and are less often involved in other productive activities to provide them with additional resources for subsistence; it is desirable that the government enforce gender equality and guarantee a legal framework so that women can have rent or possession and control of agricultural land, without size limitation.

Toward the Construction of Affective Brain-Computer Interface: A Systematic Review

Electroencephalography (EEG)-based affective computing aims to recognize the emotional state, which is the core technology of affective brain-computer interface (aBCI). This concept encompasses aspects of physiological computing, human-computer interaction, mental health care, and brain-computer interfaces, presenting significant theoretical and practical value. However, the field reached a bottleneck stage due to EEG individual difference issues, causing various challenges to achieve a fundamental aBCI. In this review, we collected some representative works from 2019 to 2023. Combining the historical exploration process and research approaches of EEG-based emotion recognition, a comprehensive understand of current research status was conducted. Furthermore, we analyzed the main obstacles for emotion recognition modeling. To construct a reasonable aBCI, we envisioned the working scenarios, developmental stages, and key impact factors based on the existing EEG physiology knowledge. From the practical application perspective, we evaluated the theoretical significance, implementation difficulty, and real-world limitations of different approaches. By synthesizing the merits and drawbacks of various techniques, we proposed a theoretically feasible aBCI framework under the restrictions of real-world application scenarios. Finally, we suggested several research topics that have not been thoroughly investigated to broaden the research scope and accelerate the development of aBCIs.

Yan Xishan's Rural Construction and Its Contemporary Implications

During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, central and local governments, as well as various social classes, paid significant attention to rural construction in China. This initiative marked a major transformation of rural society, with many intellectuals regarding it as a crucial step in China's modernization. During this period, Shanxi warlord Yan Xishan personally oversaw rural construction to consolidate his rule. He clearly defined the objectives, plans, and measures for rural development in Shanxi and ensured their implementation, making Shanxi a model for local autonomy and rural construction in the early Republic of China. Studying Yan Xishan's rural construction ideology and practices not only provides insights into the historical process of China's modernization but also offers valuable reflections for contemporary socialist new rural construction.

An overview of rural e-commerce policy research in the context of rural revitalization

The expansion of rural industry is aided by rural e-commerce, which is a key element of China's rural revitalization. More and more policies, such as the implementation of the “Digital Business for Agriculture” project, have laid a solid foundation for the development of rural e-commerce, which is particularly emphasized in this paper in a systematic review of the historical process of rural e-commerce policies from initial exploration to high-quality development. Through a study of the literature, this article examines the current situation in terms of the coupling effect of policies, talent nurturing, urban-rural development impacts, and economic advantages. However, there are issues with the creation, landing, and oversight of rural e-commerce rules. By addressing these issues, suggesting related development strategies, and projecting the development trend that rural e-commerce policies will present in the future, this paper seeks to offer theoretical references and practical guidance for the formulation and implementation of rural e-commerce policies.

Musk and Ambergris Aphrodisiacs in the Premodern Intercultural Origins of Endocrine Pharmacy.

This article explores the historical uses of two animal medicines that are understood in current biomedicine to have potential endocrine activity: deer musk and whale ambergris, which were prized as aphrodisiacs in the early-modern world. It diverges from the focus in existing scholarship on nineteenth-century gonadal organotherapy as the precursor for the modern discovery of the sex-steroid hormones, looking instead at the older examples of deer musk and whale ambergris that were commonly prescribed both in medieval Islamicate and early-modern European Christianate medical sources. The early-modern Latin, French, German and English description of these substances as fertility, aphrodisiac, and rejuvenative remedies indicates a direct exchange of pharmacological concepts and substances relating to the human sexual and reproductive systems between Europe and the Middle East from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries. The article explores how musk and ambergris were used in early-modern Western medicine, and how knowledge of them circulated across cultures. I argue that musk and ambergris, which were both thought to have effects on vitality, fertility, and potency in medieval Middle Eastern and early-modern European traditions, trouble the view of the origins of sex-steroid hormone endocrinology as deriving purely from modern European gonadal opotherapy. The valuing of these substances as fertility, vitality, and aphrodisiac remedies in the work of early-modern European physicians was indicative of both the globalization of medical knowledge, and an increased commercial trade in pharmacological material goods, confirming the view of medical globalization as a multi-directional historical process constituted in both conceptual and material terms.

Peace Be With You, Calm Now: On the Fate of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony ‘Allegretto’

In 1811, Beethoven opted for ‘Allegretto' for the second movement of his seventh symphony, to which he added the metronome mark crotchet = MM76. Ever since the work's inception, however, this has been mitigated by taking it as ‘Andante'. By investigating the purpose, rationale, and background, this article attempts to clarify why the original tempo made performers, listeners, and commentators uncomfortable. Exploring the tension between what Beethoven prescribed and what is taken to be good musicianship, three historical processes are evaluated: (i) performances of the symphony during Beethoven's lifetime; (ii) the activities by Beethoven’s one-time companion Anton Schindler in the 1830s and 40s; and (iii) a vast landscape of interpretational enterprise from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Following the historical record, the article inquires into the conundrum of Beethoven's intentions, in pursuit of a broader perspective. The case is made that ‘Allegretto' inhered within it an immediacy of performance and that it expressed a repudiation of romantic aesthetics. It is argued that there are good prudential reasons to do away with ‘Andante', an encrustation of romantic error, and to acknowledge, affirm, and valorize ‘Allegretto’ as a thumbprint of style.

National System of Education and Challenges of the Field Education Two Decades After Its Institution as a Modality

Objective: To establish interrelations between the current context of the school education offered to the countryside people in Brazil - the Education of the Countryside - and aspects of the inconclusive process of consolidation of the National Education System. Theoretical Reference: Contributions are adopted by authors who analyze the issue of Rural Education from counter-hegemonic perspectives and establish interrelations with political, economic and cultural aspects, in local, regional, national and/or transnational contexts. Method: It is a bibliographical and documentary study, based on academic productions representative in the debate of the area and federal documents related to the Education of the Field. Results and Discussion: Starting from an analysis of the historical process of national education, it is concluded that the educational policies implemented in the present day by different federated entities undermine the right to education of the peoples of the countryside and make unfeasible the process of building an effective and democratic National Education System, after more than two decades of the institution of the Education of the Countryside as a modality of school education, a fact that negatively affects or makes unfeasible the effectiveness of the right to contextualized education for the schools of the countryside, as determined by federal legislation. Research Implications: This study aims to contribute to discussions about Field Education, a pressing and current theme, which demands more research in order to provide data to broaden its understanding, both from the perspective of past and present time.

Who arrived first? Priority effects on Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa dual biofilms

Historical processes in community assembly, such as species arrival order, influence interactions, causing priority effects. Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa often co-occur in biofilm-based infections of the skin, lungs, and medical devices. Their predominantly antagonistic relationship involves complex physical and chemical interactions. However, the presence and implications of priority effects among these microorganisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the presence and impact of priority effect in dual-species biofilms using clinical isolates. By varying inoculation order, we observe significant changes in biofilm composition, structure, virulence, and antimicrobial susceptibility. The first colonizer has an advantage for surface colonization. Consecutive colonization increases biofilm virulence and negates C. albicans’ protective effect on P. aeruginosa PAET1 against meropenem treatment. Finally, we propose N-acetylcysteine as an adjuvant for treating C. albicans and P. aeruginosa interkingdom infections, working independently of priority effects.

Evaluating the Centre‐Periphery Hypothesis Through Genomic Phylogeographical Comparisons of Two Sister Species of Liquidambar in East Asia's Tertiary Relict Forests

ABSTRACTAimUnderstanding the spatial distribution of genetic variation within species is a central tenet in evolutionary biology and conservation biology. This study explores how historical demographic processes and/or environmental factors interact to affect contemporary genetic variation and adaptive potential, with a specific focus on testing the ‘centre‐periphery’ hypothesis (CPH).LocationSubtropical China.Taxon Liquidambar. MethodsWe combined comparative phylogeography, landscape genomics and niche modelling to investigate the interplay between demographic history and past/current environmental factors in shaping genetic variation in Liquidambar formosana and L. acalycina, a sister pair of East Asia's Tertiary relict forests.ResultsIn both species, core populations occupied highly suitable habitats at highest densities. Consistent with the CPH, population genetic diversity decreased, and differentiation increased, from centre to margin in L. acalycina, but not in L. formosana, likely reflecting different demographic histories and different relative contributions of geography, past (LGM) and current climates to their present‐day genetic variation. In addition, L. formosana showed higher adaptive potential to future climate change than L. acalycina.Main ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that differences in contemporary genetic variation and adaptability among closely related species can be explained by contrasting demographic responses to multiple geographic/climatic factors. In turn, it should also expand our understanding of the CPH, while informing future conservation efforts for these two study species.

"Navigating the lived efficacies of Chagas treatment".

"Navigating the lived efficacies of Chagas treatment".

A novel deep learning model for the real-time prediction of emissivity and thermal history in metal additive manufacturing processes

A novel deep learning model for the real-time prediction of emissivity and thermal history in metal additive manufacturing processes

Social factors condition consonant separation in Moroccan Arabic word-initial clusters: Amazigh-Arabic bilingualism, region, and speaking style.

Moroccan Arabic is a regional variety of spoken Arabic that contains linguistic features, which make it distinct from other dialects. Moroccan Arabic, for instance, contains a larger number of words with consonant clusters, a result of a historical vowel reduction process, compared to other Eastern varieties. Even within Moroccan Arabic, there is variation across speakers that is relatively understudied. The present study investigates across- and within-speaker factors that condition variation in the duration of acoustic separation between adjacent consonants in word-initial clusters in Moroccan Arabic. Three factors are examined: speaking style (clear vs fast speech), speaker region of origin (the Easternmost region of Morocco vs other regions), and speaker first language (Moroccan Arabic vs an Amazigh language). It is determined that (1) speakers produce more frequent, and longer when present, consonant separation in clear speech; (2) Amazigh-Arabic bilingual speakers produce higher rates and longer durations of consonant separations between adjacent consonants; and (3) regional dialect variation is also observed: speakers of Easternmost Moroccan Arabic produce more frequent and longer consonant separations than speakers from other Moroccan regions. Results are discussed for implications of speech production models as well as for theories of sound change.