Scientific Research Articles

Reflections on 'Have we lost sleep?'

The article, 'Have we lost sleep? A reconsideration of segmented sleep in early modern England', Medical History, 67, 2 (2023), 91-108, by Niall Boyce is devoted to criticising my historical research pertaining to 1) the predominance of segmented sleep in the pre-industrial Western world and 2) the nineteenth-century transition of sleep to today's pattern of continuous slumber that most people in modern societies seek to achieve, albeit not always successfully. This response addresses Boyce's reinterpretation of the evidence and indicates whether this is erroneous or selective. My analysis thereby reasserts the predominanceof segmented sleep in pre-modern Western Europe. Boyce's assessment rests not on his original investigation of primary sources but on my first study relating to segmented sleep, published in 2001. Not least of the flaws of 'Have We Lost Sleep?' is its surprising inattention to my subsequent works that have expanded, modified, and bolstered this initial publication.

A Study of Nigerian Army’s Involvement in African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, 2004–2007

Abstract This study investigated the role of the Nigerian Army in the African Union-initiated peace mission in Darfur between 2004 and 2007, in a conflict between the Government of Sudan and two rebel groups in Darfur. This qualitative research which was anchored on Relative Deprivation, Frustration and Aggression, and Role theories, adopted a historical research design. Instruments for, and methods of data collection were primarily direct interviews conducted with Nigerian soldiers. Sample was drawn from officers and men of the Nigerian Army who had participated in the peace mission. The paper finds that even though the mission was beset with numerous challenges, the activities of Nigerian soldiers helped ameliorate the dire situation and restored hope to the embattled people of Darfur. The paper concludes that the nexus between leadership failure in the African Union and inadequate support from the international community accounted for the challenges that befell the mission.

Pathways Through the Sea: Decolonial Geopoetics of the Mediterranean in Italian Folksong

Extending and connecting scholarship on decolonial geopoetics, critical Mediterraneanism and maritime (wet and more-than-wet) ontologies, this paper discusses Genoese folksinger Fabrizio De André’s political, poetical, and geographical work on the Mediterranean Sea. De André has been considered as a pioneer of “World Music” for his linguistic and historical research on sounds and stories of the Mediterranean. Yet, a socially and politically committed intellectual, De André fostered agendas that went well beyond the role that this author played in the history of Italian and international folksong, and should interest scholars in geography, geopolitics and geopoetics. Exploring his original texts and recollections, I argue that De André’s works open ways to connect critical studies on the Mediterranean to broader scholarship on decoloniality and relational ontologies. This emerges especially through his commitment to challenge cultural and linguistic borders, listening to “histories from below” and denouncing the colonial violence of states and other oppressive powers in North-South Mediterranean relations. Furthermore, De André’s geopoetics fosters ideas of Mediterranean entanglements between land and sea that challenge statist territorialities, enhancing different geopoetic and geopolitical imaginations to address current matters on migration, racism and exclusion.

Exploring the role of topological descriptors to predict physicochemical properties of anti-HIV drugs by using supervised machine learning algorithms

In order to explore the role of topological indices for predicting physio-chemical properties of anti-HIV drugs, this research uses python program-based algorithms to compute topological indices as well as machine learning algorithms. Degree-based topological indices are calculated using Python algorithm, providing important information about the structural behavior of drugs that are essential to their anti-HIV effectiveness. Furthermore, machine learning algorithms analyze the physio-chemical properties that correspond to anti-HIV activities, making use of their ability to identify complex trends in large, convoluted datasets. In addition to improving our comprehension of the links between molecular structure and effectiveness, the collaboration between machine learning and QSPR research further highlights the potential of computational approaches in drug discovery. This work reveals the mechanisms underlying anti-HIV effectiveness, which paves the way for the development of more potent anti-HIV drugs. This work reveals the mechanisms underlying anti-HIV efficiency, which paves the way for the development of more potent anti-HIV drugs which demonstrates the invaluable advantages of machine learning in assessing drug properties by clarifying the biological processes underlying anti-HIV behavior, which paves the way for the design and development of more effective anti-HIV drugs.

Optimized gadolinium-DO3A loading in RAFT-polymerized copolymers for superior MR imaging of aging blood-brain barrier.

The development of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) has been pivotal in advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offering enhanced soft tissue contrast without ionizing radiation exposure. Despite their widespread clinical use, the need for improved GBCAs has led to innovations in ligand chemistry and polymer science. We report a novel approach using methacrylate-functionalized DO3A ligands to synthesize a series of copolymers through direct reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. This technique enables precise control over the gadolinium content within the polymers, circumventing the need for subsequent conjugation and purification steps, and facilitates the addition of other components such as targeting ligands. The resulting copolymers were analysed for their relaxivity properties, indicating that specific gadolinium-DO3A loading contents between 12-30 mole percent yield optimal MRI contrast enhancement. Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) measurements corroborated these findings, revealing a non-linear relationship between gadolinium content and relaxivity. Optimized copolymers were synthesized with the claudin-1 targeting peptide, C1C2, to image BBB targeting in aged mice to show imaging utility. This study presents a promising pathway for the development of more efficient GBCA addition to copolymers for targeted drug delivery and bioimaging application.

Analysis of electronic properties and sensing applications in Graphene/BC3 heterostructures

Many research studies have been conducted into the applications of the heterostructures of graphene (Gr) and boron carbide (BC3) in real-world devices after they were synthesized successfully by researchers. Thanks to their unique electronic attributes and high surface-to-volume ratio, the above-mentioned two-dimensional nanosheets (NSs) such as have enjoyed the interest of many research groups and scientists. Within this piece of research, the electronic and structural attributes of pure Gr (PGr), pure BC3 (PBC3) and their in-plane heterostructures were investigated by employing the DFT along with the density functionals B3LYP and WB97XD. The results demonstrated that by increasing the concentration of the B-C, there was a gradual increase in the bandgap. Also, the structural stability of the NSs was good and the cohesive energy was favourable. In addition, the adhesion attributes of these NSs were investigated towards two toxic gasses, namely CO and SO2. Amongst the heterostructures, after exposure to CO and SO2, the adhesion energy of GBC3I was greater, which was approximately −0.487 eV and −0.229 eV, respectively. Following the adhesion of SO2 onto the surface of the NSs, apart from the PGr, there was a significant change in their electronic attributes such as conductance, workfunction, Fermi level, the LUMO, the HOMO and the bandgap. However, following the adhesion of CO, the above-mentioned attributed remained almost the same. Based on the NBO and Mulliken charge analysis, there was a charge transport from the gasses to the NSs. Despite the fact that the adhesion energies for CO were relative higher than the adhesion energies for SO2for the NSs, the analysis of the MEP maps, the charge transport and the electronic attributes demonstrated that the NSs can be used as promising nanosensors for the detection of SO2 rather than CO.

Economic inclusion and ethnonational exclusion of Arabs in Israeli higher education: two tales of one policy

ABSTRACT Higher education systems worldwide strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion. However, policies meant to support these values often – intentionally or not – construct new forms of labeling, discrimination, and exclusion. This study examines this dynamic through the case of access and participation plans for Arabs in Israeli higher education. An analysis of citizenship discourses used throughout the policy narrative is applied to state policy documents and interviews with policymakers and implementors. The analysis reveals two narratives describing a single policy: a ‘shared interests’ narrative focused on economic development and growth, and a ‘balancing tradeoffs’ narrative balancing economy and security. These narratives help identify the policy as a ‘multiple diversity regime’ with social, economic, civic, and ethnonational dimensions. Diversity, equity, and inclusion values are promoted through social, economic, and civic convergence, while labeling, discrimination, and exclusion arise through economic and ethnonational convergence. This study contributes to higher education research by accounting for the complex and multi-dimensional dynamic of diversity policies, especially in deeply divided societies. It calls for higher education systems and institutions to take on a more comprehensive approach, going beyond the social and economic dimensions of diversity, to pursue substantial ethnic and national equity and inclusion.

An effective framework for measuring the novelty of scientific articles through integrated topic modeling and cloud model

Novelty is a critical characteristic of innovative scientific articles, and accurately identifying novelty can facilitate the early detection of scientific breakthroughs. However, existing methods for measuring novelty have two main limitations: (1) Metadata-based approaches, such as citation analysis, are retrospective and do not alleviate the pressures of the peer review process or enable timely tracking of scientific progress; (2) Content-based methods have not adequately addressed the inherent uncertainty between the qualitative concept of novelty and the textual representation of papers. To address these issues, we propose a practical and effective framework for measuring the novelty of scientific articles through integrated topic modeling and cloud model, referred to as MNSA-ITMCM. In this framework, papers are represented as topic combinations, and novelty is reflected in the organic reorganization of these topics. We use the BERTopic model to generate semantically informed topics, and then apply a topic selection algorithm based on maximum marginal relevance to obtain a topic combination that balances similarity and diversity. Furthermore, we leverage the cloud model from fuzzy mathematics to quantify novelty, overcoming the uncertainty inherent in natural language expression and topic modeling to improve the accuracy of novelty measurement. To validate the effectiveness of our framework, we conducted empirical evaluations on papers from the Cell 2021 journal (biomedical domain) and the ICLR 2023 conference (computer science domain). Through correlation analysis and prediction error analysis, our framework demonstrated the ability to identify different types of novel papers and accurately predict their novelty levels. The proposed framework is applicable across diverse scientific disciplines and publication venues, benefiting researchers, librarians, science evaluation agencies, policymakers, and funding organizations by improving the efficiency and comprehensiveness of identifying novelty research.

Cultural historical research in support of inclusive classrooms:

Cultural historical research in support of inclusive classrooms:

Transforming research and pedagogy in higher education through scientific inquiry steps

This research aims to investigate how to transform study and pedagogy in higher education through scientific inquiry steps. Scientific research serves as the foundation for human development. It drives humanity forward into discovery and innovation. The purpose of this study is to explore how teachers and researchers apply scientific inquiry steps to improve research and pedagogy in higher education in South Africa. Constructivist theory serves as the foundation for the study. Therefore, we employed a qualitative method and phenomenology design to explore the lived experiences of participants. The participants included ten experienced researchers doubling as teachers in the field of science education. We selected these participants from ten public universities in South Africa using a purposive sampling technique. The main instrument for data collection was a semi-structured interview schedule, which covered scientific inquiry steps. Recordings were made of the data with the permission of the participants, later transcribed into a notebook, and analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that teachers and researchers were aware of the scientific inquiry steps. Most of them benefited from scientific inquiry, which included constantly refining methods, embracing diverse perspectives, and revisiting hypotheses and experiments. Also, scientific inquiry steps enhanced the effectiveness of their teaching practices and provided them with a reliable scope for making informed decisions in the ever-evolving educational environment. This study has practical implications, including creating opportunities in higher education for both prospective teachers and emerging researchers to acquire a rigorous education in the scientific inquiry steps. This approach forms the bedrock for acquiring knowledge and promoting best practices in education.

Affirmative Action in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic literature review aimed to synthesize the existing literature on affirmative action in higher education. In the literature search, the researcher used different electronic databases. The databases used were ERIC, JSTOR, Willey, and Google Scholar. Search terms were formulated and applied to the online databases. A total of 80 study articles were identified, and 15 studies were included in the study after applying inclusion, exclusion, and quality assessment criteria. Research questions guided the review process. PICO was used to formulate the research questions. The paper was prepared using the planning, protocol, extraction, analysis, and reporting stages. This systematic review followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) criteria and used Zotero for reference management. The study revealed that affirmative action is provided to promote equity and access for minority and historically discriminated subgroups who wish to participate in higher education. Affirmative action is a controversial issue in higher education. Research on the effects of affirmative action in higher education has resulted in mixed outcomes. Researchers in the study of affirmative action in higher education used various research methods. The systematic literature review conducted also showed that there are still gaps in affirmative action research in higher education. To this effect, further study could be done in the future on the impact of affirmative action on students’ performance and attainment, the impact of affirmative action on labor market outcomes and earnings, and graduate rates of beneficiaries. Finally, it is uncertain what the future holds for affirmative action.

Historical research in the tombs of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum

Historical research in the tombs of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum

A Comprehensive Review on Studying and Developing Guidelines to Standardize the Inspection of Properties and Production Methods for Mycelium-Bound Composites in Bio-Based Building Material Applications.

Mycelium-bound composites (MBCs) represent a promising advancement in bio-based building materials, offering sustainable alternatives for engineering and construction applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape, production methodologies, and standardization ideas related to MBCs. A basic search on Scopus revealed over 250 publications on MBCs between 2020 and 2024, with more than 30% focusing on engineering and materials science. Key studies have investigated the physical and mechanical properties of MBCs, optimizing parameters such as substrate type, fungal species, incubation time, and post-processing to enhance material performance. Standardizing the inspection of MBC properties is crucial for ensuring quality and reliability. Various testing standards, including those from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS), European Standards (EN), Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), and the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TIS), are utilized to evaluate density, water absorption, compression strength, tensile strength, insulation, and other critical properties. This review highlights the distinction between lab-scale and apply-scale testing methodologies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive evaluation protocols. Additionally, the production process of MBCs involves critical steps like substrate preparation, fungal species selection, and mycelium growth, necessitating the implementation of good manufacturing practices (GMPs) to ensure consistency and quality. The internal and external structures of MBCs significantly influence their performance, necessitating standardized inspection methods using advanced techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning, and surface profilometry. By establishing robust inspection protocols and production standards, the industry can enhance the reliability and adoption of MBCs, contributing to innovations in materials science and promoting environmental sustainability. This review underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced characterization tools, and regulatory frameworks to address challenges and advance the field of MBCs.

Mosaic Database: Consolidation, Innovation, and Challenges in the Comparative Family Demography of Historical Europe

Abstract This paper looks at the progress that the Mosaic database has enabled in the study of family structures in continental Europe in the past. Our main argument is that the combination of comprehensive archival research, digitization and computation, data mining, and open-access dissemination that is at the core of the Mosaic project is bringing about an important shift in the fundamental principles that have driven European family history research to date. These transformative features of Mosaic go beyond mere data infrastructural developments, as scaling up to much larger datasets leads to qualitative differences in measurements, methods, and questions. Integrating these perspectives can lead to an important incremental shift in both the scale and the scope of knowledge about historical European family systems.

What kind of education research was funded by the government in China? A decade-long investigation (2010–2020)

PurposeThe key purpose of this study is to systematically examine the landscape of education research funded by the National Plan of Educational Research Funding (NPERF) in China. The study aims to: (1) identify the thematic focus areas that reflect the national education agenda, (2) analyze the general funding patterns of education research projects and (3) gain insights into the distinctive nature of the research agenda in China. The study employs a rigorous data-driven approach to offer valuable insights into the dynamic discourses within the field of education research in China, which has received relatively little attention despite its potential significance.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, we utilized word co-occurrence analysis and corpus-based frequency analysis to analyze the research projects funded by the National Plan of Educational Research Funding (NPERF) from 2011 to 2020.FindingsThe key characteristics of these projects highlight the focus on higher education research, addressing the interests of specific cohorts of students, teachers and disadvantaged populations. Furthermore, these projects demonstrate a remarkable responsiveness to the policy needs of the country and a robust inclination toward an international comparative framework.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings offer valuable insights into the landscape and features of funded education research in China, revealing a strong emphasis on addressing practical needs and enhancing the capacity of the education system in the country.Originality/valueThis paper presents a systematic examination of the topics covered in funded research under the National Plan of Educational Research Funding (NPERF) scheme from 2011 to 2020. It contributes to the advancement of understanding regarding knowledge traditions and practices in the Chinese context. Methodologically, this paper is the first in the literature to be prototyped with a word co-occurrence analysis approach to systematically investigate the funded education research in China. Additionally, it includes the development of a comprehensive corpus list to uncover the key characteristics of the funded projects. The analysis provides unique insights into the priorities and directions of education research supported by the Chinese government, which are of potential interest to international readers.

The Impact of Population Aging from the Perspective of New Productive Forces: Empirical Evidence from 30 Provinces in China

The new quality productive forces are the important means to promote the high quality of Chinese economic development, which is driven by the innovation of science and technology, the layout of new industries and the development of regional links. In the context of China's aging, it is significant to research the influence of the aging population on the NQHP. Based on the data of 30 Chinese provinces between 2010 and 2022, this paper discusses the influence of population aging on NQF in China. The paper found that population aging hurts new quality productivity. The effect of population aging on NQF has the feature of regional heterogeneity, and the biggest negative influence on NQF is the eastern area, and the second is the northeastern area. In the middle and west area, the aging of the population has no negative influence on the new quality productive forces, and it has an obvious positive influence. By means of the intermediary mechanism, we find that the aging population can inhibit the growth of NQF by decreasing the proportion of TPL.

Scientific and Technological Innovation Effects on High-Quality Agricultural Development: Spatial Boundaries and Mechanisms

This study investigates the spatial boundaries and mechanisms of the effect of scientific and technological innovation (STI) on high-quality agricultural development (HQA) to enhance agricultural practices. By employing a double-fixed spatial Durbin model and analyzing panel data from 167 prefectural-level cities in major grain-producing regions spanning from 2004 to 2021, we revealed significant spatiotemporal variations in the impact of STI on HQA in both local and adjacent cities. Our findings remained robust after rigorous testing. The study identified the spillover range of STI to be 420 km, displaying a distinctive inverted U-shaped trend around 170 km. Mechanism analysis indicates that both agricultural industry upgrades and human capital levels within 420 km amplify the influence of STI on local HQA, with only the latter demonstrating spillover effects. Within 170 km, both factors effectively regulate HQA in adjacent cities, while beyond this distance, only human capital regulatory impact continues to exhibit spillover effects. These insights offer theoretical guidance for designing effective agricultural scientific and technology promotion policies aimed at elevating the quality of HQA.

Child Deaths from Lack of Care and Injuries of Undetermined Intent in Ohio, 1959 to 2015: How Many Were Probable Homicides?

Previous scholars have shown that a considerable proportion of child deaths in mortality statistics that have been coded as deaths from Lack of Care (LC) or from Injuries of Undetermined Intent (IUI) were probable homicides. Historical research, however, shows (a) that nosologists used the LC and IUI classifications with a changing frequency over time in Ohio and in the national at large in relation to the number of child deaths that they classified as homicides, and (b) that the proportion of LC and IUI deaths in Ohio that were probable homicides changed over time. These changes should be taken into account by historical criminologists whenever they study long-term trends in child homicides, particularly the homicides of children under age 10.

NEP 2020 REVISITING, REIMAGINING & REVAMPING HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA: VISION 2047

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a visionary document that aims to transform the education system in India, including higher education, with a futuristic perspective towards the year 2047. This paper discusses the key proposals and recommendations of the NEP 2020 and its potential impact on higher education in India. The NEP 2020 emphasizes the importance of digital adoption, research, and innovation in higher education and promotes flexibility and choice in course selection. The paper also highlights the proactive steps taken by the government of Madhya Pradesh in implementing the NEP 2020 recommendations. The focus on online platforms, high-quality digital content, and credit transfer systems could improve access to education, especially for students in remote areas. Furthermore, the promotion of research and innovation could lead to economic growth and development by encouraging collaboration between universities, industry, and other institutions. Overall, the NEP 2020 has the potential to revolutionize higher education in India and make it more equitable, holistic, and experiential.

Progress and developments towards making historic administrative data research ready

ObjectivesTo make research ready data from transcribed historic civil registration records: birth, marriage and death (from mid-19th century onwards). To use historic records effectively for large-scale research they must not only be made machine-readable, but also coded in a suitable format – along with classification of transcribed information. Included on the digitised historic records are textual descriptions of occupations and causes of death. Thus, to code transcribed occupations to HISCO and causes of death to ICD. ApproachIt is impractical to hand-code the records manually (34 million occupations and 8 million causes of death), especially for deaths where more than one cause can be given. As such, coding is viewed as a text classification task and the process is automated. To facilitate auto-coding, a proportion of records were hand-coded as training data (90,000 occupations and 102,000 deaths). Ahead of the auto-coding, initial pre-processing, cleaning and standardising is done on both the occupations and deaths. ResultsPreliminary experiments undertaken obtained reasonable results from a combination of exact matching and statistical classification. Experiments using a larger pilot uncovered that since some occupations are very common, the training data set covers a very large proportion of the records (ie exact match). This proportion is not as high for deaths given the different ways causes are written. ConclusionThis is work in progress to create the research ready data, and the poster will include the results from experiments using the full training data (90,000 occupations and 102,000 deaths).