Search Results (779)

Portable Buddhist shrines refer to small-scale mobile or assembled shrines, typically made of wood, stone, clay, and metal. They were initially used as temporary ritual sites or ornamental attachments for temples and stupas, later becoming independent objects of devotion. This art form, the origins of which can be traced to ancient India and later diverse regional traditions, has been discovered in significant quantities along the Silk Road and neighboring regions. Previously, scholarly attention centered primarily on exquisite wall shrines, stupa-shaped shrines, and stele-shaped shrines. However, when factors such as the spatial arrangement and ritual functions of mobile ritual sites are taken into account, along with the materials and techniques employed in creating Buddhist shrines, artifacts such as badge-style bronze Buddha statues, painted silk banners, and wooden panel paintings may also be classified as portable Buddhist shrines. Accordingly, portable Buddhist shrines can be divided into three forms: pedestal, hanging, and open–close or mother–child. A key reason for this expanded classification is that all such forms are functionally and stylistically linked to large-scale cave temples. Moreover, these shrines share a common visual grammar, defined by the dynamic integration of images and texts and the mutual imitation and complementarity of statue and painting. This represents a quintessential example of cross-cultural dissemination and the coexistence of local traditions in Buddhist art. Full article

Forecasting returns in Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) markets remains challenging because REIT performance is shaped by nonlinear and time-varying interactions with macro-financial conditions. This study evaluates the forecasting performance of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks relative to a TVP–VAR proxy implemented as an expanding window VAR for weekly U.S. U.S. REIT returns. All models are assessed within a harmonized experimental framework that applies consistent data preprocessing, feature construction, and strictly time-ordered out-of-sample evaluation. The results indicate that the baseline LSTM model delivers modest but more stable error-based performance than the TVP–VAR proxy, with improvements concentrated in RMSE and MAE, while evidence for directional predictability is weak and not consistently distinguishable from benchmark performance. To enhance transparency, SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAPs) are used to interpret the LSTM forecasts. The attribution analysis highlights recent REIT returns, global equity indicators—particularly the Hang Seng Index—and crude oil prices as influential predictors, and shows that their contributions vary across volatility regimes, consistent with time-varying spillovers and changing risk transmission. Overall, the study positions LSTM forecasting combined with SHAP-based interpretation as a transparent and reproducible framework for comparative evaluation and driver analysis in weekly REIT returns, rather than as a strong directional timing tool. Full article

Generally speaking, traditional theism has stressed God’s immutability as an aspect of his transcendent reality. By contrast, modern and postmodern thought foreground the highly mutable nature of the divine across time and place, reckoning God as just a subjective concept immanent in human minds without any objective referent. Here I outline a new kind of metamodern theology that would synthesize elements from these different paradigms, suggesting a God both mutable and immanent but also ontologically real in his own right. I call this a developmental, emergent, participatory theology of harmonization—or the DEPTH model for short. After unpacking the meaning of each of these elements individually, I show how they hang together as a coherent, naturalistic theological framework with promising new interpretative possibilities and suggest directions for future work. Full article

To support farmers in their transition towards sustainable agriculture, sub-Saharan Africa needs a more effective extension. Thus, effective improvements based on a clear view of current and desired extension capacity are necessary. As in the past, mostly one-sided studies have been conducted. This paper proposes a more integral approach based on both characteristics and viewpoints of both farmers and extension workers. Capacity to provide effective extension and advisory services (EAS), or extension capacity, is defined and analyzed with mixed-research methods using data from 471 Ugandan dairy farmers, from three distinct production systems and 67 extension workers. Extension capacity is determined by farmers’ satisfaction, the frequency of delivering EAS to farmers, and the perceptions of both farmers and extension workers on the use of appropriate methods to deliver EAS. Results revealed moderate satisfaction across production systems, with a pronounced negative effect of long working experiences on the frequency of delivery. Positively influencing factors for delivery frequency are intrinsic motivation and the number of in-service trainings received by extension workers. On-farm demonstrations, individual farm visits, the use of contact farmers, and farmer training are perceived as the four most effective delivery methods among dairy farmers in Uganda. Given the moderate farmer satisfaction, low frequency of delivery, and slight mismatch between the perceived effective delivery methods and those being used, the study concludes that the current extension capacity remains low. However, low-hanging fruits for improvement include increasing in-service training opportunities, employing extension workers on contractual basis and motivating extension workers. Full article

Improving egg production under heat stress remains a major challenge in tropical poultry breeding. This study demonstrates that clutch length and hen-day egg production are robust indicators of genetic variation in heat tolerance and directly applicable to climate-resilient breeding programs in Thai native chickens. Records from 2400 Pradu Hang Dum hens across five generations were analyzed using a reaction-norm repeatability model with the temperature–humidity index (THI) as an environmental covariate. A THI threshold of 74 was identified, beyond which heat stress altered the genetic expression of both traits. Heritability estimates declined with an increasing THI, from 0.49 to 0.32 for clutch length and from 0.37 to 0.26 for hen-day egg production, indicating reduced additive genetic control under heat stress. Genetic correlations between baseline performance and heat-stress sensitivity were moderately to strongly negative (−0.46 to −0.54), revealing antagonism between productivity under thermoneutral conditions and heat tolerance. Reaction-norm breeding values showed substantial genotype-by-environment interactions, highlighting heterogeneity in heat-stress responses among genotypes. Despite thermal challenges, positive genetic trends were observed, with an average genetic trend of 1.34 eggs per generation for clutch length and 8.8 percent per generation for hen-day egg production. These results demonstrate that genetic improvement can be sustained under heat stress and support the integration of THI-based reaction-norm evaluations to identify genotypes combining reproductive efficiency with enhanced heat tolerance for climate-resilient breeding programs. Full article

The hanging net shielding system, employing a suspended cage-type enclosed structure to restrict the high-voltage transmission wire, has seen increasingly widespread application in transmission line crossing construction. However, the lack of a comprehensive dynamic analysis methodology has limited the standardization of its design and usage. In this investigation, a systematical dynamic modeling and analysis procedure of the hanging net shielding system is proposed based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF). The carrier cable, slings and transmission wire are discretized by the ANCF cable element. The spatial flexible beam–beam contact model and the assumption of a single contact area are adopted to perform the contact searching between the transmission wire and the horizontal pulley. The system dynamics analysis equation is assembled and solved by generalized alpha method. A full-scale model is simulated for the transmission wire impact condition and the variation history of the tension in carrier cable and the sling cable are given. The peak value of the tension in carrier cable could be 110 kN, while the largest tension in sling cable is 9 kN. Results could help to ensure construction safety, shorten the design cycle of the protection system and reduce the development cost at the same time. Full article

In this study, the surface tension of molten slag was measured using the hanging ring method. Based on the ion and molecular coexistence theory (IMCT), an activity prediction model for the CaO-SiO₂-MgO-Al₂O₃-CaF₂ slag system was established, and a corresponding surface tension model was subsequently derived. The investigation explores the effects of basicity R = (w(CaO)/w(SiO₂)), the mass ratio w(MgO)/w(Al₂O₃), and the Al₂O₃ mass fraction (w, mass fraction of the corresponding oxide). Results show that the surface tension increases with higher values of R, w(MgO)/w(Al₂O₃), and w(Al₂O₃) content. The proposed model exhibits high predictive accuracy and provides a reliable tool for evaluating the surface tension of multicomponent blast furnace slags. Full article

Understanding the behavior of water under moderate but technologically relevant high-voltage electric fields is important for biological systems, water-treatment technologies, and interfacial phenomena. Here, we investigate pure water exposed to non-homogeneous electric fields of approximately 10⁶ V m⁻¹ in a free-hanging horizontal electrohydrodynamic bridge, a regime commonly encountered in electrohydrodynamic devices and biological membranes. Using spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy we identify mesoscopic signatures: sidebands in the OH stretching region. These observations indicate dynamically ordered water domains whose properties differ from bulk water. The results provide new physicochemical insight into electrically stressed water and are consistent with mesoscopic ordering phenomena relevant to applied water systems. Full article

The Geological Strength Index (GSI) is a crucial tool for assessing jointed rock masses, but it is often hindered by subjectivity in visual assessments. In this study, we propose a novel quantitative GSI method wherein 3D laser-scanning point clouds are used to quantitatively derive empirical rock mass indices (SR and SCR) to estimate mechanical parameters. By integrating the GSI with the Rock Block Index (RBI) and joint spacing, a framework for quantifying the Structural Rating (SR) is established. Furthermore, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to assign weights to Surface Condition Rating (SCR) factors. The results indicate that infilling materials have the most significant impact on SCR (weight 0.6334), followed by weathering (0.2605) and roughness (0.1061). This method was applied to evaluate rock masses at depths of −915 to −960 m in the Sanshandao Gold Mine. The GSI values calculated for the foot wall, ore body, and hanging wall were 38.5, 33.8, and 37.8, respectively. Validation against conventional quantitative methods demonstrated high accuracy, with a maximum relative GSI difference of 1.5 and a deformation modulus difference of only 0.227 GPa. This data-driven approach effectively reduces subjectivity and provides a reliable tool for automated geotechnical parameter estimation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hanging is the most common method of suicide in most countries worldwide. It is characterized by high lethality, technical simplicity, and typical autopsy findings. Autopsy plays a crucial role in determining the cause and mechanism of death. While external injuries are relatively consistent, internal findings show considerable variability in the literature. The aim of this prospective study was to analyze 660 cases of suicidal hanging over a ten-year period, focusing on the occurrence of forensically relevant internal autopsy findings. Methods: The study was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bratislava between 2015 and 2024. All cases underwent standardized complete autopsy, including histology, toxicology, and analysis of death circumstances. Recently reported thoracic aortic adventitial hemorrhages described in 2024 were evaluated only in a targeted subset of cases examined between July and December 2024. Statistical evaluation was performed using the chi-square test to identify associations between internal findings and suspension type, knot location, age, sex, and body weight. Results: The argent line was present in 61.1% of cases, most frequently with posterior knot placement and complete suspension. Neck muscle hemorrhages occurred in 53.8%, predominantly at the periosteal-clavicular attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, with higher incidence in complete and anterior suspension. Amussat’s sign was observed in 10.2% of cases, and Etienne-Martin’s sign in 1.1%. Fractures of the laryngo-hyoid complex were present in 49.7%, mainly in cases with complete suspension and posterior knot location. Cervical spine injuries were detected in 2.6%, predominantly in older males and with anterior knot placement. Simon’s hemorrhages occurred in 35.2%, mainly in younger individuals and complete suspension. Hemorrhages in the intestinal wall were detected in 7.4%, and rectal hemorrhages in 1.1% of cases. In the targeted 2024 subset, no thoracic aortic adventitial hemorrhages were identified. Conclusions: The findings suggest the forensic relevance of several internal findings associated with hanging, while emphasizing that the results were obtained using a uniform and consistently applied autopsy protocol. They also indicate the need for further research, particularly regarding recently reported adventitial hemorrhages of the thoracic aorta, which were assessed only in a limited subset of cases during the final months of the study and were not identified in our material. Full article

This paper develops a new direction of study oil-shocks with two competing hypotheses: (i) the Energy-exposure hypothesis, which posits that clean stocks with less direct reliance on fossil fuel should be less sensitive to oil shocks; and (ii) the Sectoral-risk hypothesis, which argues that dirty stocks are less sensitive to oil shocks because they exhibit more defensive characteristics and can act as safe-haven assets during oil-induced market stress. Our study constructs clean and dirty portfolios based on firm-level carbon intensity for stocks in the Hang Seng Stock Connect China A 300 (HSCA300) Index, decomposes oil shocks into supply, aggregate demand, and oil-specific demand components, and measures return and volatility spillovers with the connectedness framework. The results show that directional spillovers from all three types of oil shocks to the clean portfolio generally exceed those to the dirty portfolio in both returns and volatility, supporting the sectoral-risk hypothesis. However, volatility spillovers from oil-specific demand shocks are stronger for the dirty portfolio, aligning with the energy-exposure hypothesis. Full article

This Data Descriptor provides an open, anonymized dataset describing anthropometric and physical fitness outcomes in undergraduate students enrolled in a Physical Activity and Sport Sciences degree program. The dataset included 156 participants (28 females and 128 males) and reported sex, age, body mass, stature, and body mass index, alongside standardized field-based tests covering flexibility, muscular endurance, strength, and jump performance. Hip flexibility was assessed using the Thomas test on both sides. Trunk extensor endurance was measured using the Biering–Sørensen test, and upper-body strength–endurance was assessed using a dead-hang test. Upper limb strength was recorded as elbow flexion strength. Lower limb power was evaluated using vertical jump tests, including Abalakov, squat jump, and countermovement jump, and a derived indicator (IE) was provided to facilitate comparisons across jump modalities. The data are distributed as a machine-readable CSV file accompanied by a detailed data dictionary describing the variables, units, and missingness. The dataset is intended to support the reproducible reporting of normative fitness profiles in sports science students, facilitate teaching and benchmarking in exercise science contexts, and enable secondary analyses exploring associations between anthropometry and physical performance. For reproducible inferential comparisons, users may apply Welch’s two-sample t-test for sex-based differences. Full article

The lateral abutment stress and damage range of the coal seam are prerequisites for the layout of gob-side entries and surrounding rock control. They are influenced by the structure and mechanical properties of the coal seam and the overlying strata. To address this issue, this study establishes a mechanical analysis model for the lateral abutment stress and damage range under coupled conditions between the coal seam and overlying strata. This model systematically investigates the influence of various factors, including the fracture height and break angle of the overlying strata, the rotation angle and subsidence of key blocks, the burial depth and thickness of the coal seam, as well as the cohesion and internal friction angle of the coal mass. The study reveals that the weight and overburden load of the triangular hanging roof zone, along with the subsidence and rotation of the key blocks, are the key factors influencing the lateral abutment stress and damage range. Meanwhile, the reliability of the mechanical model has been substantiated through a combination of numerical simulation and in situ monitoring results. Full article

We propose a flexible framework for modeling financial returns using orthogonal expansions of the standardized Student-t density. The Skew-Kurtotic t Expansion (SKTE) captures skewness and excess kurtosis while preserving heavy tails. Orthogonal polynomials are constructed with the t kernel, while a fourth-order truncation provides a parsimonious and interpretable parameterization. Squaring and normalization ensure a valid density. Truncation accuracy analysis shows that the fourth-order approximation balances computational efficiency and tail fidelity, with higher-order terms offering minimal improvement. Empirical analysis of daily returns for the Hang Seng Index, S&P 500, front-month natural gas futures, and EUR/USD exchange rate shows that SKTE outperforms the classical Gram–Charlier expansion, particularly in tail modeling. Maximum likelihood estimation confirms stable skewness and kurtosis adjustments, while location and scale parameters align the distribution to each asset. These results indicate that SKTE provides a robust and flexible framework for modeling asymmetric and heavy-tailed stock return distributions, which is highly relevant for understanding extreme market behavior. Full article

Automated positioning of transmission tower keypoints is crucial for drone-based intelligent inspection systems. This paper proposes TPKE (Transmission Pylons Keypoint Extraction), a novel framework designed to extract multiple transmission tower keypoints from LiDAR point clouds. The method targets two core components: insulator string endpoints and ground wire hanging points. For insulator positioning, TPKE introduces adaptive density clustering, a morphological “concavity” index (η) for V-shaped insulators, and a “positioning-verification-compensation” strategy for handling missing data. For ground wire positioning, it combines local geometric feature analysis with spatial orthogonal projection. Using semantic segmentation for preprocessing, the framework reliably identifies components from complex transmission corridor point clouds. Validated on 1427 towers across 14 types, TPKE achieves an MAE of 0.0747 m for insulators and 0.0696 m for ground wires. It maintains centimeter-level accuracy even under challenging conditions like sparse point clouds. With an average processing time of 3.03 s per tower, the method demonstrates high efficiency, significantly reducing manual annotation workload while supporting autonomous navigation for transmission line maintenance. Full article