The End of Monogamy? An Exploration of Non-monogamous Relationship Dynamics

Although monogamy is the dominant relationship style in the Western world, there are alternative options for non-monogamous relationship dynamics. This paper works to explore how the roots of how monogamy became the dominant structure, the hidden drawbacks of monogamy, how those who assert monogamy to be compulsory hold a stigma against those who partake in other dynamics, and how this stigma can work to oppress. It also explores what those dynamics are, who participates in them, and a myriad of benefits that non-monogamous relationships can have. Overall coming to the conclusion that everyone should be able to make an informed decision, free of societal judgment, to partake in whatever dynamic they may choose.

Intelligent Restoration of Historical Parametric Geometric Patterns by Zernike Moments and Neural Networks

Historical Islamic ornaments include a fantastic treasury of geometric and mathematical algorithms. Inevitably, restoration of these ornaments in periodic patterns consisting of repeated elements has been faced following and substituting the other available similar ingredients instead of vanished parts. Still, the prediction of parametric, quasi, or non-periodic patterns, where components are not identical, needs to be carried out in a more challenging process than the periodic ones due to shape, scale, or angle of rotation alteration. Intelligent restoration could facilitate the forecasting of damaged parts in such geometric patterns that an algorithm has changed their geometric characteristics. In some architectural heritage, geometric patterns include a parametric algorithm like parametric patterns in the ceiling of Sheikh Lotfollahmosque in Isfahan, Iran, and the dominant structure of Persian domes Karbandi. In this article, the aim is to propose a new method for the smart restoration of the parametric geometric patterns in which, by having access to the image of the existing patterns, the vanished parts could be reconstructed spontaneously. Our approach is based on image processing by detecting boundaries of deterioration, finding every individual element, and extracting features of detected individual patterns via Zernike moments. The order of individual patterns starts from the farthest pattern to detected deterioration. Then by creating a time series, the Back-propagation neural network would be trained by extracted features, and the vanished patterns’ features could be predicted and reconstructed. Eventually, the reconstructed and real patterns are compared to determine differences between them by mean-squared error and to evaluate the performance of our method. To validate the process, a parametric geometric pattern is designed by the assumption that some parts are disappeared. The proposed method’s results, in this case, hold an efficient performance with the accuracy of 92.99%. Furthermore, Sheikh Lotfollah’s patterns and Naseredin Mirza mansion’s patterns as two real cases are tested by the proposed method, representing reliable and suitable performance results.

Dominance Structure Plays a Leading Role In Shaping Community Stability In The Northern Tibetan Grasslands

Dominant species may strongly influence biotic conditions and interact with other species, and thus are important drivers of community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, particularly in the stressed environment of alpine grasslands. However, the effects of dominant species and its derived dominance structure on the community stability remain poorly understood. We examined the temporal stability of above-ground productivity (2014-2020 year) and biotic stability mechanisms in the Northern Tibetan grasslands with changing species composition and dominance structure along a precipitation gradient. Our results showed that community stability was significantly higher in the alpine meadow than the other types of grasslands. This difference was mainly attributed to higher compensatory effect and selection effect of dominant species in the mesic meadows. Furthermore, dominant structure strongly affected community stability through increasing dominant species stability and species asynchrony. However, species richness had almost little effect. Our findings demonstrate that dominant species, as foundation species, may play leading roles in shaping community stability in the alpine grasslands, highlighting the importance of conserving dominant species for stable ecosystem functioning in these fragile ecosystems under increasing environmental fluctuations.

Response of Floc Networks in Cemented Paste Backfill to a Pumping Agent

Cemented paste backfill is critical for the development of green mines, the safe exploitation of mineral resources deep underground, and the efficient disposal of solid wastes produced by mining. In this paper, the mechanism underpinning how the pumping agent works was studied. The number, area, and fractal dimension of pores in the microstructure of fresh paste were quantitatively analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), image processing, and fractal theory, and the response of flocs was investigated. The results show that floc networks disintegrated and the liquid network became the dominant structure under the action of the pumping agent, which enhanced the lubrication and promotion of multi-scale particles. In addition, the force chains became fragile and scattered, diminishing the yield stress of the paste. The pores had a more homogenized dimension and the porosity was 15.52% higher. The increase in the fractal dimension of the pores indicated that there was a higher self-similarity, in terms of microstructure, with a strengthened liquid network. The migration of floc structures contributed to the enhancement of the fluidity and rheology of the paste. This study provides insights into the effects of floc and liquid networks on the performance of paste, and it is of engineering significance in terms of realizing safe and efficient CPB operations.

Helminths and helminth communities of Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) from the Panicheri Reservoir, Aegean Water Basin, Bulgaria

Ecologoparasitological research was done based on the helminths and helminth communities of the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782)) from the freshwater ecosystem of the Panicheri Reservoir, Aegean Water Basin, Bulgaria. As a result of the examined nine specimens of the Prussian carp, two species of helminths were found: Ligula intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1758), larvae and Pomphorhynchus laevis (Müller, 1776). The dominant structure of the helminth communities was determined. The Panicheri Reservoir is a new habitat in Bulgaria of P. laevis and L. intestinalis from C. gibelio. C. gibelio is a new host record for L. intestinalis in Bulgaria. The two helminth species are core species for the helminth communities of the examined species of the freshwater fish. P. laevis was distinguished with higher prevalence and mean intensity (P%=33.34; MI=1.34) than L. intestinalis (P%=22.23; MI=1.0). The circulatory pathways of the helminth flow were traced.

Exploring the Validity and Reliability of the WISC-IV: A Review of the Literature

This study seeks to examine the psychometric properties, namely the validity and reliability as well as the overall psychometric quality of the WISC-IV. For this purpose, a systematic review of the literature was carried out. Data analysis revealed that the fourth edition of the Wechsler scale for children is more sophisticated in form and content, in line with the modern approaches and familiar models of intelligence and the measurement of mental abilities. However, research in the field of psychometric quality of this test does not give a clear picture of its interpretive power or its contribution to diagnostic evaluation. Despite its relative utilization in differential diagnostic and diagnostic assessment procedures, there is a strong criticism regarding its structural validity and the models on the basis of which it is explained, as well as the dominant structure emerging from WISC-IV. Over time, the four-factor model seems to be abandoned and its analysis oriented towards a five-factor model, in line with the CHC theory of intelligence and cognitive abilities. All in all, this study enriches our theoretical and practical understanding about the WISC-IV giving rise to other studies in this field.

Geological map of Athens Metropolitan Area, Attica (Greece): A review based on Athens Metro ground investigation data

The ground investigations for the construction of Athens Metro –including over 60.000 m of sampling boreholes and geological mapping of the underground tunnel face–, planned and carried out under the supervision of ATTIKO METRO S.A., offer important geological data that enrich and locally modify our knowledge for the geology of Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA). On the basis of these data, this paper presents the Geological Map of AMA as well as a revised tectonostratigraphic scheme for the area and geological profiles along several sections of the Athens Metro lines. The geological map is a synthesis of the geological data obtained from the ground investigations with the already published geological maps and includes a Mesozoic rock assemblage as well as the Neogene-Quaternary Athens Basin. The following basic conclusions can be drawn from the interpretation of these data: (a) The Athens Unit, the basement of AMA, is divided into four formations (from bottom to top), the Lower Athens Schist, the Upper Athens Schist, the Athens Sandstone-Marl Series and the Crest Limestone. (b) Ultrabasic rocks (serpentinite) constitute the basement of Athens Unit. (c) Serpentinite bodies at the eastern border of Athens Basin, have undergone almost complete metasomatism to listwanite along their tectonic contacts with Alepovouni Marble on top and Kessariani Dolomite at their base. (d) The limestone outcrops at the western border of Athens Basin (e.g., Karavas hill) form tectonic windows of Pelagonian Upper Cretaceous limestone underneath the Athens Schist and not klippen of Crest Limestone on top of it. The revised geological map also includes the Attica-Evia Fault, which is the dominant structure of the broader area, locally mapped by two sampling boreholes across the planned metro line 4.