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Are women more likely to shy away from competitive and uncertain environments when considering information technology (IT)-related work options, relative to men? Does gender play a role in the propensity to participate in the marketplace for competitive and uncertain work? The response to this has implications for understanding the participation rate of women within the IT sector, as well as for setting policy aimed at increasing the number of women in the IT industry. Addressing this question using data from organizations is difficult, given the presence of organizational and institutional confounds. In this paper, we investigate this research question through a series of lab experiments using three sets of suitable subjects: graduate students in Information Systems and Business Analytics programs, MTurk, and Prolific respondents with IT backgrounds. Using the experimental context of a competitive online labor market, we study how competition and wage uncertainty affect the decision to bid for a project as well as the wage expectations across gender. Our results across three studies show that (a) women are more likely to bid for projects with higher coordination needs: navigating, communicating across, and managing multiple domains, technological, functional, and geographical boundaries; and (b) women are also more likely to bid when there is higher competition. Our work contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of gender, competitiveness, and uncertainty within the IT industry, and informs managers and policymakers regarding the intrinsic preferences of early-stage IT professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While interfunctional collaboration remains well-studied within the marketing literature, this research is the first to empirically explore the effects of sales–supply chain management (S-SCM) collaboration among salespeople selling internationally. Survey data from 310 international salespeople provide initial empirical evidence showing that S-SCM collaboration can positively predict international salesperson performance outcomes. To show that the effect is unique and provide rare empirical evidence, the authors simultaneously account for the effects of multiple forms of cross-functional collaboration (i.e., sales–marketing collaboration and sales–research and development collaboration). Matching the survey responses with objective country-level data, the authors also find that the value of S-SCM collaboration varies across countries. In particular, the positive effects of S-SCM collaboration were amplified by logistics capacity (or "logistics friendliness") at the country level. The study's findings also indicate that the positive performance returns provided by S-SCM collaboration are even stronger for international salespeople focused on customer acquisition (vs. customer retention). Broadly, the study implies that, for optimal firm performance, those who are responsible for managing global supply chains should coordinate activities with those responsible for selling to global customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red-nosed mice (genus Wiedomys) are restricted to the Brazilian Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, distributed along the São Francisco River (SFR). Until recently, Wiedomys was considered monotypic, but 2 species with poorly defined geographic and morphological limits have been recognized: W. cerradensis and W. pyrrhorhinos. Our study used morphological, phylogenetic, and cytogenetic analyses to review and detail species limits within the genus and test whether the SFR could be associated with divergence between lineages. This integrative approach indicated that the SFR delineates the geographic boundaries between species, with W. pyrrhorhinos on the right bank and W. cerradensis on the left bank. The species are reciprocally monophyletic and diverge in cranial size, nasal morphology, and facial pelage color pattern. Karyotypic differences between and within W. pyrrhorhinos and W. cerradensis were also detected, and new chromosome complements (2n = 62, FN = 96 and 2n = 62, FN = 88, respectively) were found. Divergence time (0.339 to 0.025 Ma) is concordant with the timing of diversification of other co-distributed vertebrate taxa, and close to a younger estimate for the formation of SFR's recent lower course to the east coast. Therefore, our study considerably expands knowledge of the geographic range of the genus, diagnoses of species, karyotypic variability between and within species, and reinforces the role of SFR as an important vicariant barrier in northeastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organised crime groups do not operate in a social vacuum; instead, they embed themselves in society through various interfaces. Criminologists have therefore given increasing attention to the intricate relationship between territory and organised crime, highlighting how territory serves as both a physical space with geographical boundaries and a social construct shaped by human interactions and cultural values. In this article, we delve into the geographical embeddedness of organised crime, which denotes territories where organised crime groups seek out business opportunities and shape their environments through social practices. Drawing on 861 Chinese judgements of organised crime, we employ the content analysis approach to illustrate this concept through the lens of a rural–urban divide. We specifically look at organised crime groups' illegal activities and their efforts to conceal them. We also theoretically address the supply and demand mechanism in geographical embeddedness, particularly in connection with natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world faces a forced displacement crisis. Tens of millions of individuals have been forced across international boundaries worldwide. Therefore, the causes and consequences of refugee flows are the subjects of significant social science inquiry. Unfortunately, the historical lack of reliable data on actual refugee flows, country-specific data reporting timelines, and more general pre-2000 data quality issues have significantly limited empirical inferences on these topics. We replicate 28 articles on these topics using data newly released after a multiyear collaboration with the United Nations on annual dyadic flows. We observe major inconsistencies between the newly released flow numbers and the stock-based flow estimates upon which decades of research are based; we also find widespread inappropriate treatment of missing historical values. When we replicate the existing literature using the newly introduced flow data, correcting the treatment of missing historical values, and temporally extending/restricting the study periods, we produce significantly different results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments around the world are looking to ensure their transition to full low-carbon economies whilst tackling climate change by implementing offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) – a method of permanently removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels and burying it deep below the seabed in suitable geological formations. Among the main targets of such geological formations are depleted, or nearly depleted, offshore oil and gas reservoirs within existing oil-producing fields. However, such reservoirs will frequently transcend maritime boundaries and jurisdictions, ie a shared geological formation could be used on both sides of the maritime boundary for CO2 sequestration and storage. This raises the potential for disputes among nations, transboundary environmental degradation, and business disruption. The paper discusses the role of CCS in the low-carbon energy transition, focusing specifically on international legal aspects related to the storage of CO2 in sub-seabed geological formations of the continental shelf. Ongoing CO2 storage projects are examined to showcase critical technical aspects, including reservoir selection, well design, and post-injection monitoring. The analysis highlights the need for international coordination in situations where CO2 storage occurs across an international boundary and the importance of consent from all states with jurisdiction over the relevant CO2 storage formations. The paper concludes that existing maritime boundary agreements, including those with straddling deposit clauses, are unlikely to cover transboundary CO2 storage operations, except if they are considered incidental to ongoing petroleum operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid global attention on the growth of China's e-commerce economy, prior research has focused more on demonstrating the digital dividends created by this new economy than on addressing the social inequalities that arise. One presumption in particular is that e-commerce economy will leverage the deterritorializing effects of digital technologies to create more equal opportunities for consumers in remote areas. Based on fieldwork with e-traders in Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, and customers from a rural county of Tibet, this article argues that while e-commerce economy has eliminated trade barriers to a certain extent, it has also drawn new geographic boundaries and engendered new social divides in China. By exploring the e-traders' hierarchal conception of baoyouguo (literally, "the free-shipping kingdom") and their subsequent differentiated treatments of customers from different regions, this study illuminates China's emerging e-commerce geography and its consequences in the Internet age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the normative justification for special rights for Indigenous peoples whose traditional territories straddle contemporary international borders. Examining the Mohawks of Akwesasne (Quebec, Ontario, and New York state) and the Tohono O'odham (Arizona and Sonora, Mexico) as cases, I demonstrate how state claims to territorial jurisdiction and border regulation often interfere with the lives of Indigenous people whose social, cultural, economic, spiritual and political practices and relationships cluster across contemporary international boundaries. Through the concept of group occupancy interests, I argue that members of Indigenous nations whose territories straddle borders possess special rights to access and use lands presently claimed by states of which they are not recognized citizens. Moreover, I demonstrate how border-straddling Indigenous nations challenge the unlimited sovereignty of contemporary states with respect to border policy: the occupancy and self-determination interests of Indigenous peoples may ground the moral rights of their communities to co-manage international border crossings with states. Finally, I argue that collective interests in cross-border political identities and self-determination can ground the rights of Indigenous peoples to form unified cross-border jurisdictional units that demand recognition by states, alongside the rights of Indigenous peoples to regulate group membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires are a leading cause of accidents globally, often resulting in significant destruction, which can be challenging to quantify. It can happen anywhere and under any circumstances, with repercussions that transcend geographical and situational boundaries, causing widespread devastation across the social and economic domains. In this study, we introduced a fire detection model based on a deep learning methodology. The VGG16, VGG19, Inception, and Xception models are widely recognized as standards for image categorization challenges. In our method, we introduced a deep CNN model for fire detection, which was evaluated using a custom dataset. Our model utilized a multipath architecture that incorporated convolutional layers with a combination of small and large filters. This design enables the model to learn local and global features effectively, thereby improving its ability to extract comprehensive features. Varying size filters identify intricate patterns, textures, and structures, leading to the generation of stronger and more expressive representations. We utilized image data gathered from satellite and CCTV surveillance systems deployed in various environments, including forests, agricultural land, indoor and outdoor settings, and chemical plants for fire prevention. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods (VGG16, VGG19, Inception, and Xception) in terms of Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F-score, and ROC-AUC score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the first derivative estimates for solutions to Monge-Ampère equations in terms of modulus of continuity. As a result, we establish the optimal global log-Lipschitz continuity for the gradient of solutions to the Monge-Ampère equation with natural boundary condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance transcends geographical and economic boundaries, affecting populations worldwide. Excessive and incorrect use of antibiotics encourages antimicrobial resistance which leads to complex treatment strategies for infectious diseases and possible failure of treatment. The incorrect and unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics places a burden on healthcare costs and thus, antimicrobial resistance is evident globally as a major public health concern. The impact is particularly pronounced in low to middle-income countries, where limited access to healthcare exacerbates the crisis. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the evidence of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings, encompassing the exploration of antibiotic prescribing practices and the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in South Africa. Methodology: This protocol has been registered in the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/PWMFB). This review will consider all types of study designs, conducted within South Africa. Studies that are published in English for the period 2019–2024, and that explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evidence in healthcare in South Africa, including antibiotic prescribing trends and antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance initiatives will be included. Non-English publications, studies outside of South Africa, animal and environmental studies will be excluded. The criteria for the scoping review will be set by two reviewers. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) tool will be used. Studies will be identified through an extensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature databases. The results of the review will be tabulated and include a narrative synthesis of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting and responding appropriately to temporal changes in the shoreline is an important task for protecting coasts. Video monitoring has been utilized as a powerful tool for detecting shoreline changes. Existing shoreline-tracking methods include the threshold methods, colour intensity gradient methods, and neural networks, which involve ad-hoc assignment of the threshold values, drawing shore-normal transects, and heavy preliminary training for each coast with many data, respectively. The study applies a new boundary tracking method using Minimum Convolution of Gaussian Weight and Squared Differences (MCGWSD). The new method is fast and effective in a sense that it does not need ad-hoc threshold, drawing of transects, or pre-training. This method tracks boundary lines between two zones with no thickness by inversely tracking every pixel of the late image. The MCGWSD method is first examined for various image distortions, i.e. translation, linear deformation, angular deformation, and rotation of images. Images of a part of orange peel are chosen for the test, where a boundary line is artificially drawn, not necessarily following clear object boundary, but crosses over small patterns. The new method satisfactorily tracks the movement of boundary line at the tests. Then field video images of Jangsa Beach between 1 September 2020 and 15 September 2020, when typhoons Maysak and Haishen hit the coast, are examined to track the shoreline movement. Ground truth shoreline information at the coast during the time is not available, and results of existing colour intensity gradient method PIMACS are assumed true. According to PIMACS results on the beach width along two transects during the period, the shoreline underwent a movement up to 6 m. The new MCGWSD method tracks the shoreline position, and its results show good agreement with PIMACS results along two transects. The merits of the present method are that it produces shoreline change over the whole domain, and shore-normal transects are not needed. The present method effectively tracks the shoreline retreat or advance of as small as 1 pixel of image. The new method could be used for tracking shoreline change at arbitrary geometry even with sharp corners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeastern China is home to the Manchurian people, who primarily practice shamanism. Wild animals play a crucial role in the lives, literature, and folklore of the Manchurian people. With the widespread use of mobile networks, young individuals in the region have access to a wide range of information sources that transcend geographical and social boundaries, and numerous folk customs and proverbs related to animals can now be researched using online platforms. This study investigated whether a substantial difference existed in the understanding of proverbs related to animals between the younger and older generations in northeastern China and examined the cultural codes that could be derived from folk sayings. The study administered a questionnaire and used a confusion matrix to determine young individuals’ ability to interpret proverbs. Barthes’ semiotics and two orders of signification model were applied to analyze and decode the symbolic meanings in folkloric proverbs related to animals, deriving the cultural codes contained in them. This study contributes to maintaining northeastern Chinese traditional culture, promotes the development of intangible cultural assets, and cultivates local cultural creativity, to enhance northeastern Chinese individuals’ sense of identity and belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Pear yield is a primary source of income for smallholder farmers in China, yet significant yield disparities exist among different smallholders. Systematic analyses of limiting factors and the feasibility of solutions at the smallholder level are limited. This study employs a novel DEED (Describe, Explain, Explore, and Design) research cycle centered on smallholders to formulate yield‐improving strategies. RESULTS: A comprehensive survey of 173 smallholders in the Yangtze River pear district, encompassing Zhejiang province, Jiangxi province, and Shanghai city, was conducted to delineate the current yield status. The boundary line analysis model was applied to elucidate the contributions of various yield‐limiting factors. Findings reveal an average yield ranging from 16.7 to 19.3 t ha−1, with a potential highest yield of 37.5 t ha−1. Fertilizer nitrogen (N) was identified as the most pervasive yield‐limiting factor, constituting 62.7% of the average limitation at the regional level and 37.7% at the individual smallholder level, surpassing other yield‐related factors in all three regions. Subsequently, a 2‐year field optimization experiment was conducted to explore the potential for yield improvement through adjustments in N fertilizer rates. Compared with traditional farmer management (FM), the N fertilizer optimization treatment (OPT) resulted in a 38.1% and 22.5% increase in yield for 2022 and 2023, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results identify N fertilizer application rate as the most important yield‐limiting factor and verify the feasibility of optimizing N fertilizer management practices for improving pear yield. This study integrates farmer surveys, boundary line models, and field experiments to provide valuable insights into addressing yield disparities among smallholders in the pear industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient planning in Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) requires addressing overlap and adverse effects on growing tourism. This study has focused on understanding how the identification of interaction areas at local scales can contribute to tourism planning. The research method relies on Geographic Information System (GIS), using processes, such as intersection, buffer zones, and heatmap analysis; spatial interactions impacting the environment were identified in Balandra coastal-marine PNA using proximity and overlap criteria. These impacts include waste distribution and quadrant differentiation by occupancy percentage, since the evidence suggests that tourist interactions extend beyond their geographical boundaries. Therefore, the present study contributes to reducing the breach between local scale identification and practical tourism planning application. Proximity and connectivity are emphasized among projects and urban areas where PNAs play a crucial role in understanding their influence on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceuta and Melilla are considered exemplary models of the border spectacle. The fences of these cities typify the notion of 'Fortress Europe' and impel the emotional engagement of the inhabitants with migration control policies. This article focuses on the experiences of local activists who have resisted migration containment policies. Through a close examination of the emotional geographies of activism in border areas, and the effect of migration policies on the everyday, this article aims to uncover the civic emotions underlying the lived realities of activists. Furthermore, by addressing the methodological challenges of investigating social emotions, this study integrates visual elicitation methods into ethnographic research. The evocative power of cinema allows films to act as visual stimuli that convey the intimate narratives of activists, which encompass compassion, outrage, or fatigue in the context of pro-migrant mobilization. By drawing on the mundane experiences of borders, this article delves into the intersection of emotions, activism, and borders to elucidate experiences against migration control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study an overdetermined system of Volterra type integral equations with strongly special boundary lines consisting of a two-dimensional integral equation and two one-dimensional integral equations. Explicit solutions of the overdetermined system depending on the sign of coefficients can contain arbitrary constants. We obtain the consistency condition for equations of the system and study properties of the solutions. We state and solve Cauchy type problems with conditions on singular manifolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has long been debate on the applicability of Eringen's strain-driven nonlocal model to the study of nanostructures. Previous studies based on Eringen's differential and integral nonlocal models to simulate the static bending behavior of nanobeams have shown shortcomings in nanobeam elastostatics solutions. The solution methodologies employed to solve the differential and integro-differential equations arising from Eringen's strain-driven nonlocal constitutive model have shown inconsistencies in ensuring the fulfillment of essential and natural boundary conditions. This study aims to conduct an in-depth investigation of the modeling aspects of Euler-Bernoulli nanobeams under different loading and boundary conditions. Dirac-delta identity and generalized functions-based approach shall be utilized for the same. A rigorous mathematical proof establishing the equivalence between Eringen's differential and integral nonlocal models is presented here for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of iconicity in perception, focusing on Ned Block's distinction between iconic and discursive representations. Block argues that iconic representations mirror relations among the particulars they represent, while discursive representations do not. The article explores various arguments and responses regarding the graded nature of perceptual categorizations and the challenges they pose to Block's theory of iconicity. Different perspectives are considered, including the possibility of dropping the talk of degrees or reinterpreting loner representations as limit cases within a family of representations. The article concludes by inviting further discussion and feedback on the topic. [Extracted from the article]

Mangrove area loss is increasing globally, and drivers of loss differ depending not only on natural conditions but also on national and regional policies. Some countries with the most mangrove area, for instance, Brazil, lack broad systematic quantification of specific drivers of mangrove land‐use and land‐cover (LULC) change dynamics. We investigated the direct conversion (i.e., replacement) of mangrove forests due to changes in 21 types of LULC across Brazil from 2000 to 2020 based on annual LULC maps developed by the MapBiomas project. We quantified the area changes at national, regional, and state scales. We also determined and quantified mangrove forest conversion for each of the 21 LULC types with a pixel comparison analysis and identified temporal trends with a time‐series analysis. The total conversion of mangrove area (3429 km2) was offset by a gain that was twice as large (6776 km2). Forest formations and water bodies, which may be interpreted as natural or indirect anthropogenic changes, were associated with most of the areas where mangrove cover was lost. Land‐use modifications, mainly creation of pastures, accounted for 4% of direct mangrove conversions. We found that changes in LULC categories and patterns of gain and loss of mangrove areas differed among Brazilian states and regions. Based on other research, they also differ between Brazil and other countries. Thus, integrated mangrove forest conservation and management efforts that transcend political boundaries are essential to effectively address negative impacts on mangrove forests. We provide an interactive map to allow qualitative assessments of mangrove conversion drivers by different stakeholders, such as managers, policymakers, and nongovernmental organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional ocean models enable generation of computationally-affordable and regionally-tailored ensembles of near-term forecasts and long-term projections of sufficient resolution to serve marine resource management. Climate change, however, has created marine resource challenges, such as shifting stock distributions, that cut across domestic and international management boundaries and have pushed regional modeling efforts toward "coastwide" approaches. Here we present and evaluate a multidecadal hindcast with a Northeast Pacific (NEP) regional implementation of the Modular Ocean Model version 6 with sea ice and biogeochemistry that extends from the Chukchi Sea to the Baja California Peninsula at 10-km horizontal resolution (MOM6-COBALT-NEP10k, or "NEP10k"). This domain includes an Arctic-adjacent system with a broad shallow shelf seasonally covered by sea ice (the Eastern Bering Sea, EBS), a sub-Arctic system with upwelling in the Alaska Gyre and predominant downwelling winds and large freshwater forcing along the coast (the Gulf of Alaska, GoA), and a temperate, eastern boundary upwelling ecosystem (the California Current Ecosystem, CCE). The coastwide model was able to recreate seasonal and cross-ecosystem contrasts in numerous ecosystem-critical properties including temperature, salinity, inorganic nutrients, oxygen, carbonate saturation states, and chlorophyll. Spatial consistency between modeled quantities and observations generally extended to plankton ecosystems, though small to moderate biases were also apparent. Fidelity with observed zooplankton biomass, for example, was limited to first-order seasonal and cross-system contrasts. Temporally, simulated monthly surface and bottom temperature anomalies in coastal regions (< 500 m deep) closely matched estimates from data-assimilative ocean reanalyses. Performance, however, was reduced in some nearshore regions coarsely resolved by the model's 10-km resolution grid, and the time series of satellite-based chlorophyll anomaly estimates proved more difficult to match than temperature. System-specific ecosystem indicators were also assessed. In the EBS, NEP10k robustly matched observed variations, including recent large declines, in the area of the summer bottom water "cold pool" (< 2 °C) which exerts a profound influence on EBS fisheries. In the GoA, the simulation captured patterns of sea surface height variability and variations in thermal, oxygen and acidification risk associated with local modes of inter-annual to decadal climate variability. In the CCE, the simulation robustly captured variations in upwelling indices and coastal water masses, though discrepancies in the latter were evident in the Southern California Bight. Enhanced model resolution may reduce such discrepancies, but any benefits must be carefully weighed against computational costs given the intended use of this system for ensemble predictions and projections. Meanwhile, the demonstrated NEP10k skill level herein, particularly in recreating cross-ecosystem contrasts and the time variation of ecosystem indicators over multiple decades, suggests considerable immediate utility for coastwide retrospective and predictive applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractUS strategy toward the Indo-Pacific sets two broad deterrence goals: deter adversaries from altering the rules-based order in the region’s maritime domain and deter adversaries from altering existing territorial boundaries. Deterring threats from the maritime domain is critical to achieving both goals. The primary challenger to the USA in the region, China, would have to project power through the maritime domain to take such provocative actions as conducting an amphibious invasion of Taiwan or disrupting freedom of the seas in the South China Sea. This article explores the history of US operationalization of deterrence against maritime threats in the Indo-Pacific and analyzes the efficacy of different deterrence measures against such threats. It uses case studies of the three Taiwan Strait crises, US Continuous Bomber Presence, and US Freedom of Navigation Operations to examine these questions. It finds that the USA has historically employed a mix of deterrence by punishment and deterrence by denial with military and nonmilitary tools, and it argues that this mix of denial and punishment has effectively deterred escalation that would threaten existing territorial boundaries or alteration of the existing maritime order. This provides some empirical evidence and arguments for continuing an integrated deterrence-like strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a mathematical programming model to simultaneously create districts and allocate seats in Chile's Chamber of Deputies, improving representativeness. In addition, it explicitly incorporates constraints that ensure the contiguity of the communes that form the districts while respecting natural and administrative boundaries. Implementing specific strategies and methods has resulted in significant enhancements in particular metrics used to assess the degree of representativeness. These improvements have effectively addressed certain shortcomings and resulted in more accurate and reliable representation measurements in the given context. This study proposes a novel mathematical programming model that simultaneously tackles district creation and seat allocation for Chile's Chamber of Deputies. This integrated approach aims to achieve a more representative body. The results demonstrate a substantial decrease in malapportionment, from 11.07 in the 2015 reform to 6.55 under the proposed model. Furthermore, the sum of deviations has diminished, and the number of overrepresented districts has decreased from 17 to 13 out of 28 districts. Consequently, the malapportionment has been significantly reduced and falls within the permissible range of deviations, as outlined by the European Commission for Democracy through Law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric error distributed on components' contact surfaces is a critical factor affecting assembly accuracy and precision instrument stability. Effective error separation methods can improve model accuracy, thereby aiding in performance prediction and process optimization. Here, an error separation method for geometric distribution error modeling for precision machining surfaces based on the K-space spectrum is proposed. To determine the boundary of systematical error and random error, we used a cruciform boundary line method based on the K-space spectrum, achieving the optimal separation of the two with frequency difference. The effectiveness of the method was experimentally verified using two sets of machined surfaces. By comparing with current common random error filtering methods, the outstanding role of the proposed error separation method in separating random error and preserving processing features has been verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hip fractures contribute significantly to mortality in older adults. New methods to identify those at risk use dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) images and advanced image processing. However, DXA images have an overlapping femur and pelvis and may contain boundary lines, making automation challenging. Herein, a 5-layer U-net convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to segment the femur from hip DXA images. Images were used from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA, N=104) and Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos, N=105) databases for training, with manual contour drawing defining the 'true output' of each image. An algorithm was then developed to mask each hip image, and trained to predict subsequent masks. The CNN was tested with 44 additional CLSA images and 42 CaMos images. This proposed approach had an accuracy and intersection over union (IoU) of 97% and 0.57, and 93% and 0.51, for CaMos and CLSA scans, respectively. Furthermore, a series of augmentation techniques was applied to increase the data size, with accuracies of 96% and 94%, and IoU of 0.53 and 0.50. Overall, our strategy automatically determined the contour of the proximal femur using various clinical DXA images, a key step to automate fracture risk assessment in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, coffee (Coffea spp.) is a major commodity in terms of production and trade. Although Uganda is seventh among the major producing countries, yields remain low at 500 kg/ha. Understanding the biophysical constraining factors is vital to inform efforts toward closing the yield gap. A diagnostic study was conducted in 150 coffee fields to determine the most yield‐limiting factors under varying rainfall thresholds, categorized as low ≤ 1100 mm/year, moderate ≥ 1100 to 1200 mm/year, and high ≥ 1200 mm/year. Robusta yield, soil parameters, pest and disease proportions, and tree and banana intercrop densities were measured under the thresholds. Parametric methods and the boundary line approach were used to analyze limiting factors and yield gaps. The results indicated that yields were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in moderate (960 ± 234 kg ha−1) than low (803 ± 188 kg ha−1) and high (713 ± 193 kg ha−1) rainfall thresholds. The proportion of pests and diseases doubled in high than low rainfall thresholds. Soil parameters and tree or banana intercrop were the main yield‐limiting factors. Magnesium limited yield in 47%, 26%, and 14% of coffee fields, causing 23%, 20%, and 21% yield gaps in high, moderate, and low thresholds, respectively. The maximum yield was 1492 kg ha−1; the explainable yield gap was 32%. A larger yield gap of 42%, 36%, and 32% was observed in high, moderate, and low rainfall thresholds. Therefore, long‐term integrated soil fertility and tree or banana intercrop management are suggested for high thresholds, focusing on pests and diseases in moderate and low rainfall thresholds. Additionally, frequent field monitoring is needed to determine the prevalence of pests and diseases at different times of the year and season. Hence, matching thresholds of rainfall variability to the Robusta coffee yield is critical for closing the yield gap and achieving Uganda's anticipated 20 million 60‐kg bags year−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical foundation for the accurate analysis of the shear‐lag effect in rectangular box‐girder flange slabs is established in this study through the selection of appropriate warping displacement functions. Initially, a series of warping displacement functions that fulfil the basic warping mode of the box‐girder flange slabs is proposed based on the principle of longitudinal warping displacement function setting. Subsequently, the shear‐lag effect, self‐equilibrium condition for shear‐lag warping stress and Timosheko shear deformation are comprehensively considered. The governing differential equations and corresponding natural boundary conditions of the box girder are determined by applying the energy variation principle. The box girder's natural frequency is calculated by solving the governing differential equations under the given warping displacement functions and boundary type. The accuracy of the various warping displacement functions is subsequently evaluated based on the natural frequency values of box girders. A high‐precision longitudinal warping displacement function for box‐girder flange slabs is selected, thus enhancing the analysis precision of the box girders' mechanical properties. Additionally, the necessity of selecting appropriate warping displacement functions is verified through static and dynamic analyses of the box girders. Furthermore, comparisons are made between the finite element solutions and the corresponding analytical solutions utilizing the proposed warping displacement functions, demonstrating the validity of this approach for analysing the box‐girder response. Consequently, the proposed method provides a robust basis for understanding the mechanical properties of rectangular box girders and enriches the existing analytical theory of box structures, guiding the design of rectangular concrete box‐girder bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article critically examines the intersection between diplomacy and academic scholarship in Brazil, with a particular focus on the role of myths in shaping both fields. Through a mythographic approach, the study explores how foundational narratives, particularly those centred around Itamaraty and its diplomats, have influenced the epistemological boundaries of Brazilian international relations (IR). The article ­introduces the concept of ‘diplomatic non-fiction’ to categorise the intel­lectual output of diplomats, arguing that this genre occupies a distinct space between academic analysis and practitioner narratives. By analysing how diplomatic narratives have been integrated into academic discourse, often without sufficient critical scrutiny, the study highlights the need for a clearer distinction between these two forms of knowledge production. This distinction is crucial for avoiding analytical blind spots that may arise from the uncritical acceptance of diplomatic perspectives in academic research. The article concludes by advocating for a more nuanced and reflexive engagement with diplomatic contributions, aiming to enrich the field of IR by encouraging a critical approach to the interplay between diplomacy and academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbourhood-built environment has been shown to impact walking behaviour in terms of density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, and distance to transit, or so-called the "5 Ds". However, the uncertainty in the magnitude of this link remains problematic, partly because of how geographic boundaries are operationalized. This study examines appropriate geographical units for calculating GIS walkability indices in a tropical context. Using data from Putrajaya city, the impact of four commonly used spatial definitions (240, 400, 600, and 1000-meter network buffers) on the association between the 5 Ds and walking volume was investigated, based on GIS measures of 2392 catchment buffers and observations from 123 gates. The negative binomial regression revealed that indices representing land use compositions demonstrated sensitivity to the delineation of boundaries and exhibited a robust relationship at broader spatial extents. In contrast, street-related measures such as connectivity and distance sustained a stronger association even at smaller scales. Moreover, the 600-meter network scale may be the most appropriate for identifying the association between the 5 Ds combination and pedestrian counts in residential neighbourhoods. The study recommends prioritizing walkability indices that incorporate distances to various facilities as indicators of walkability, as this approach can provide a more effective explanation for walking within small buffers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial phantoms used in photothermal near-infrared laser lithotripsy research generally fail to mimic both the chemical and the physical properties of human stones. Though high-energy, 1 J pulses are capable of fracturing hard human stones into several large fragments along natural boundaries, similar behavior has not been observed in commonly used gypsum plasters like BegoStone. We developed a new brushite-based plaster formulation composed of ≈90% brushite that undergoes rapid fracture in the manner of human stones under fragmentation pulse regimes. Single-pulse (1 J) ablation crater volumes for phantoms were not significantly different from those of pure brushite stones. Control over crater volumes was demonstrated by varying phosphorous acid concentration in the plaster formulation. Fragmentation of cylindrical brushite phantoms was filmed using a high-speed camera which demonstrated rapid fragmentation in < 100 µs during the bubble expansion phase of a short pulse from a high-powered Ho:YAG laser (Lumenis Pulse 120 H). The rapid nature of observed fracture suggests increasing laser pulse energy by increasing laser pulse duration will not improve fragmentation performance of laser lithotripters. Brushite plaster phantoms are a superior alternative to gypsum plasters for laser lithotripsy research due to their better mimicry of stone composition, controllable single-pulse crater volumes, and fragmentation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sliding fast-slow oscillations are interesting oscillation patterns discovered recently in the Duffing system with frequency switching. Such oscillations have been obtained with a fixed 1:2 low frequency ratio in the previous work. The present paper aims to explore composite fast-slow dynamics when the frequency ratio is variable. As a result, a novel route to composite fast-slow dynamics is obtained. We find that, when presented with variable frequency ratios in a 1:n fashion, the sliding fast-slow oscillations may turn into the ones characterized by the fact that the clusters of large-amplitude oscillations of relaxational type are exhibited in each period of the oscillations, and hence the mixed-mode fast-slow oscillations. Depending on whether the transition of the trajectory is from the upper subsystem via the fold bifurcation or not, these interesting oscillations are divided into two classes, both of which are investigated numerically. Our study shows that, when the frequency ratio n is increased from n = 3, newly created boundary equilibrium bifurcation points may appear on the original sliding boundary line, which is divided into smaller parts, showing sliding and downward crossing dynamical characteristics. This is the root cause of the clusters, showing large-amplitude oscillations of relaxational type, resulting in the formation of mixed-mode fast-slow oscillations. Thus, a novel route to composite fast-slow dynamics by frequency switching is explained. Besides, the effects of the forcing on the mixed-mode fast-slow oscillations are explored. The magnitude of the forcing frequency may have some effects on the number of large-amplitude oscillations in the clusters. The magnitude of the forcing amplitude determines whether the fast-slow characteristics can be produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robots now allow artificial forms of intelligence to be present in cities, generating unanticipated mobilities and new forms of urban life. In the article, the introduction of autonomous delivery robots in the English city of Milton Keynes provides a point of departure to interrogate how the spatial dynamics of sociotechnical transitions are inflected by the distributed cognition and non-human agency of artificial intelligence (AI) when deployed in urban contexts. A case study drawing on non-intrusive observations and documentary approaches follows robots in space, conceptualising urban robots as actuators of distributed non-human cognition whose operation and diffusion are subjected to complex spatialities. Thematic analysis is used to draw out topographical and topological features of the spatialities of AI, and the case shows robots are present in a territory (e.g. a city) but exceed territorial boundaries, thus requiring complementary spatial imaginaries to investigate their geographies. The authors conclude that the types of power at work in the implementation of AI and robots cannot be captured adequately by scalar relations and territorial units, and must be considered transversally in topological networks where reach matters. Consequently, topographical conceptions of fixed Cartesian space must be complemented by relational and topological spatial imaginaries of AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text discusses the significance of civil aviation in the Global South, highlighting its role in shaping economics, politics, and cultures. It emphasizes the need to de-center traditional aviation history narratives and focus on regions outside the Northern Atlantic World, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Special Issue aims to explore the entangled histories of aviation in relation to colonialism, postcolonialism, state-building, and global inequality, providing new perspectives on the political economy of flying and the intersections of civil aviation with military aviation. [Extracted from the article]

Three decades have passed since South Africa's formal transition from apartheid to liberal democracy. This milestone signified a triumph of hope over despair for a country that had struggled under a suffocating system of racist, dehumanising oppression since its colonisation in the seventeenth century. Reflecting this zeitgeist, divisions, and complicities that had characterised the study, practice, and organisation of psychology within South Africa's racist structures were disassembled. The discipline committed to social justice, inclusive science, liberatory praxis, and global well-being. From a 30-year vantage point that many imagined would represent a clearer picture of a maturing and free rather than an emerging and new South African democracy, this article assesses the discipline's progress in achieving the socio-political, economic, health and psychological imperatives it set for itself in 1994. Through grounding this analysis in the 10 contributions that constitute this Special Issue, the article pits the promises of struggle and hope against the yields of democracy and its imagined freedoms. It argues that despite the unmistakable continuities of despair that define South African life and the discipline's response thereto, there are several discernible legacies of hope that psychology has recuperated in its journey thus far, and that these may offer fault lines for a hopeful future. These moments of hope are most powerful when the discipline seeks solidarity rather than solipsism, transcends rather than polices its epistemic and political boundaries, and embraces ordinariness through disavowing the exceptionalism that forecloses its connectedness to several overriding movements that prioritise planetary justice for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the mid-nineteenth century, the shifting boundaries of natural history and hunting practices were at the core of debates about general and practical knowledge, science and leisure, hunters and poachers. Focusing on the Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi and his travels to South America, this article reexamines the relationships of natural history and hunting skills in forging a kind of scientific "hegemonic" masculinity. For this purpose, it reconstructs Tschudi's social formation in bourgeois circles during the institutionalization of natural history in Switzerland. More than his natural history knowledge, Tschudi's hunting skills were crucial for the success of his Peruvian expedition (1838–1842), and thus his zoological treatise Fauna peruana could be considered a manual for hunting in the Amazonian rainforest and the Andes. Finally, this article analyzes the class and race intersections of Tschudi's scientific discourse about poachers in the German states and in the Brazilian empire. The study of Tschudi's biography, especially his roles as a global naturalist and a "true hunter," sheds light on natural history as a space for constructing class, gender, and race hierarchies during the mid-nineteenth century, in both South American and German-speaking contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of migration-related security concerns have focused on the emergence of these concerns through securitization or their potential dissolution through desecuritization. This paper challenges the conventional view of these processes—securitization and desecuritization—as oppositional and mutually exclusive. Instead, it argues that they are imbricated in complex ways in an arena of contestation where actors vie for legitimacy and justify their claims through ongoing actions and reactions. Focusing on the Global South case of securitized migration in the Dominican Republic, this paper conceptualizes desecuritization not as a discrete outcome measured by success or failure, but as a dynamic process evolving through interactions with securitization. By examining the role of non-state actors in contesting securitized policies, the paper reveals that such contestation can paradoxically intensify securitization through a "security backlash" that delegitimizes these actors and discredits their rights-based claims. This dynamic underscores the "resilience" of securitization amidst persistent contestation. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates desecuritization as iterative contestation rather than static outcomes, emphasizing the agency of non-state actors in shaping security narratives and practices while acknowledging their limitations against powerful state actors. These insights from a study of South–South migration extend the application of the securitization framework beyond convenient Western contexts and challenge perceived geographic boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral judgment is politically situational—people are more forgiving of transgressive copartisans and more likely to behave punitively and unethically toward political opponents. Such differences are widely observed, but not fully explained. If moral values are nonnegotiable first‐principle beliefs about right and wrong, why do similar transgressions elicit different moral judgment in the personal and political realm? We argue this pattern arises from the same forces intuitionist frameworks of moral psychology use to explain the origins of morality: the adaptive need to suppress individual behavior to ensure ingroup success. We hypothesize ingroups serve as moral boundaries, that the relative tight constraints morality exerts over ingroup relations loosen in competitive group environments because doing so also serves ingroup interests. We find support for this hypothesis in four independent samples and also find that group antipathy—internalized dislike of the outgroup—pushes personal and political moral boundaries farther apart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Checklist of hornworts (Anthocerotophyta) and liverworts (Marchantiophyta) of Slovenia within current political boundaries comprises 181 species, additional 4 subspecies and 2 varieties. Additional 5 species are denoted by a question mark since reports are considered questionable. An alphabetically arranged tabular presentation of genera, species and lower taxa shows their presence in the phytogeographical units of Slovenia. The records from the periods before and after 1958 are marked with different symbols. Each species also has a new Red List status in Slovenia. The checklist includes the data from the literature and Herbarium LJU. Annotations to selected species give a critical evaluation of the literature and herbarium data. A list of taxa that should be excluded from the flora of Slovenia, the synonyms and the used literature with floristic data not cited in this article are also added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ansorge's Rock Skink Trachylepis ansorgii (Boulenger, 1907) is an Angolan taxon, the taxonomic distinctiveness and geographic distribution of which are poorly understood. It is closely related to the widespread Western Rock Skink T. sulcata (Peters, 1867) from Namibia and South Africa, but heretofore a lack of samples has prevented a comprehensive assessment of T. ansorgii in a molecular phylogenetic context. We combine new genetic sampling from south-western Angola, including topotypical material of T. ansorgii, with published sequences from South Africa and Namibia to identify population structure, phylogenetic relationships, and divergence dates within this species complex. A multi-locus dataset of three nuclear and two mitochondrial loci recovered significant population structuring with a centre of diversity in south-western Angola and northern Namibia. Mitochondrial data recovered seven clades representing distinct geographic populations, while the nuclear data supported either two or three deeper groupings. Mito-nuclear discordance was observed with respect to the geographic boundary between T. ansorgii and T. sulcata. The nuclear data support a break along the western Kunene River (the political boundary between Angola and Namibia), while the mitochondrial data support this break ∼250 km to the north in south-western Angola. A time-calibrated BEAST phylogeny found the deepest species-level divergence to have occurred in the late Miocene/early Pliocene (∼6 mya), potentially related to the formation of the Kunene River. Our results support the recognition of both taxa at the species level, and add further evidence that south-western Angola is a centre of reptile diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical and health care traverse geographical boundaries in the form of "Medical Tourism" with patients travelling from low and middle-income countries to developed nations and vice versa as well. Affordable medical care is also attracting patients from developed nations to countries like India, Thailand, UAE and others with international accreditation playing a key role. This also yields economic benefits for the recipient countries. Pakistan unfortunately lags behind in acquiring "destination of choice" status for medical tourism which undisputedly can benefit its constrained economy. There being a dearth of literature current narrative review was conducted to highlight the integrity and benefits of medical tourism. For this, literature search was conducted using google, Bing, google scholar, PubMed, web of science to search engines and data bases. One hundred eighty articles, reports & publications were downloaded of which 25 non-English & duplicates, and 75 irrelevant records were excluded. Hence, 34 references of relevant English language articles, publications, reports and online resources were utilized for the review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of History & Historian / Tarih ve Tarihçi is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this research is to examine the legal consequences arising from attacks on electronic commerce and the associated risks. Currently, online trade is considered a fundamental pillar for major corporations, yet instances of electronic fraud and cyber piracy frequently occur during commercial transactions, particularly since e-commerce transcends geographical boundaries, making it vulnerable to cross-border cybercrimes. The researcher employed the descriptiveanalytical method with a focus on legislation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The findings revealed that cyber piracy results in substantial losses for e-commerce at both the Arab and global levels, as evidenced by the cybersecurity index. The study concluded with the recommendation that Saudi Arabia should establish a specialized policy to combat cybercrimes associated with e-commerce by enforcing criminal sanctions, bolstering support for local institutions and investment bodies operating within its borders, and implementing measures and technologies to ensure the security of electronic commercial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In recent years, under the influence of global warming, the freezing depth of seasonally frozen ground (SFG) has decreased at an accelerating rate. This has affected engineering and construction insofar as accurate determinations are needed of SFG areas and the amount of frost heaving. In this study, a method of deriving the E-factor using the improved Stefan formula was used to study changes in the standard freezing depth (SFD) of SFG in China. The method was used to reveal the trends and patterns of changes in the SFD of SFG over the past fifty years. The study relied on ERA5L and reanalysis data and empirical formulas for standard sites in China's SFG regions. Raster data of the interdecadal SFD in SFG areas of China from 1971 to 2020 were generated to analyze changes in the SFD. Our results show that in the past fifty years, the SFD in China's SFG areas has shown a downward trend, with the SFD changing at an average rate of −6.749 cm/10a years. The average SFD in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s was 111.31, 107.13, 95.69, 89.84, and 86.21 cm, respectively. From the overall performance of the SFD in different decadal periods, the SFD in central and northeast China changed sharply within the range of 35° N to 50° N in SFG regions. The boundary lines of low-value SFDs expanded sharply to the north as the latitude increased, and the boundary lines of high-value SFDs contracted sharply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides sufficient criteria for the existence and uniqueness as well as characterisations for the domain of attraction of quasi-stationary distributions (QSDs) of one-dimensional generalized diffusions without natural boundaries. In particular, it is shown that if the associated transition density is intrinsically ultracontractive, the underlying diffusion is uniformly conditionally ergodic and hence possesses a unique QSD which attracts exponentially and uniformly all probability measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined complexity of wind turbine systems and harsh operating conditions pose significant challenges to the accuracy of operational data in Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Improving the precision of data cleaning for high proportions of stacked abnormalities remains an urgent problem. This paper deeply analyzes the distribution characteristics of abnormal data and proposes a novel method for abnormal data cleaning based on a classification processing framework. Firstly, the first type of abnormal data is cleaned based on operational criteria; secondly, the quartile method is used to eliminate sparse abnormal data to obtain a clearer boundary line; on this basis, the Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is employed to eliminate stacked abnormal data; finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in cleaning abnormal data with a high proportion of stacked abnormalities is verified through case studies, and evaluation indicators are introduced through comparative experiments to quantitatively assess the cleaning effect. The research results indicate that the algorithm excels in cleaning effectiveness, efficiency, accuracy, and rationality of data deletion. The cleaning accuracy improvement is particularly significant when dealing with a high proportion of stacked anomaly data, thereby bringing significant value to wind power applications such as wind power prediction, condition assessment, and fault detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spontaneous combustion of coal gangue hills is accompanied by the release of toxic gases and the infiltration of metal elements, posing a serious threat to the global ecological environment. The current temperature monitoring methods for coal gangue hills have certain limitations, hence advanced and timely temperature monitoring is crucial for the management of coal gangue hills. This paper takes Guojiahe coal gangue hill as an example, thousands of visible light and thermal infrared images are obtained by using an unmanned aerial vehicle, and the 3-D model of the surface temperature of the gangue hill is established with Gaussian kernel technique and Random Sampling Consensus Method (RANSAC). Furthermore, the high-temperature zone in the gangue hill is measured by handheld thermocouples. The results indicate that high-temperature areas are distributed in a circular pattern and mostly concentrated on the slope surface and the boundary line between the slope and the bench. The thermal images can reflect the temperature inside the gangue hill by comparing the results of thermocouple temperature measurement and UAV detection. Further, it is analyzed that the air leakage cracks formed on the slope of the gangue hill provide a channel for the combination of coal gangue and oxygen, accelerating the heat accumulation, and the three-field coupling mechanism of coal gangue spontaneous combustion is proposed. This study can provide technical and methodological support for the prevention and control of spontaneous combustion in coal gangue hills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corruption, a global phenomenon, affects countries worldwide, transcending geographic and political boundaries, and continues to escalate, partly due to the inefficiency of financial and legal institutions and lack of enforcement. This has significant implications for Africa, hindering democracy, development, and poverty alleviation efforts. Defined as the intentional misuse of official authority for personal benefit, corruption is often fueled by public sector financial managers or accounting officers embezzling funds. The increasing pressure on these officers to justify public fund usage, coupled with expectations for effective service delivery, may contribute to corrupt practices. This article presents a systematic literature review focused on evaluating policies and regulations to control corruption among accounting officers in South Africa's public sector. The public sector in South Africa has recently seen a rise in corruption cases, with numerous incidents involving corrupt government officers, including accounting officers, gaining media attention. This situation prompted the need for the study, which systematically reviewed existing literature to identify gaps and weaknesses in current policies and regulations. The findings revealed non-compliance with anti- corruption policies and regulations, along with a lack of accountability among accounting officers. Additionally, the study observed that punishment measures for those implicated in misusing public funds are inconsistently implemented, highlighting a significant gap between policy and practice. These findings are critical for government policymakers, as they reveal areas needing improvement in anti-corruption policies and regulations. Issues identified include unqualified officers, poor delegation, embezzlement, and non-compliance. The study recommends that the government consistently apply strict measures against officials guilty of corruption, holding them accountable for their actions. It also advocates for the implementation of effective monitoring and evaluation systems to enforce anti-corruption policies and bridge the policy-practice gap. Emphasizing that good planning is as crucial as the implementation structures themselves, the study suggests that effective functioning requires both elements to work in tandem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's rich diversity of bats supports healthy ecosystems and important ecosystem services. Maintaining healthy biological systems requires prompt identification of threats to biodiversity and immediate action to protect species, which for wide‐ranging bat species that span geopolitical boundaries warrants international coordination. Anthropogenic forces drive the threats to bats throughout North America and the world. We conducted an international expert elicitation to assess the status of 153 bat species in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. We used expert assessment to determine the conservation status, highest impact threats, and recent population trends for these species. We found that 53% of North American bat species have moderate to very high risk of extinction in the next 15 years. The highest impact threats varied with species and country, and four IUCN threat categories had the greatest overall impacts: Climate Change, Problematic Species (including disease), Agriculture, and Energy Production. Experts estimated that 90% of species assessed had decreasing population trends over the past 15 years, demonstrating the need for conservation action. Although the state of North American bats is concerning, we identify threats that can be addressed through internationally collaborative, proactive, and protective actions to support the recovery and resilience of North American bat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]