bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Field inoculation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with contrasting life-history strategies differently affects tomato nutrient uptake and residue decomposition dynamics
Authors: Arcidiacono Myriam , Pellegrino Elisa , Nuti Marco , Ercoli Laura
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Plant microbial biostimulants, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), enhance nutrient concentration in fruits, including tomato. However, field studies on tomato AMF inoculation are scarce. AMF species belonging to Gigasporaceae and Glomeraceae families known to vary in life-history strategies may determine differential effects on plant nutrient benefits and residue decomposition. Despite this, the effect of different life-history strategies on nutrient acquisition of tomato fruits has not been investigated yet.

Methods

We studied the effect of inoculation of two tomato varieties with four AMF species belonging to Glomeraceae and Gigasporaceae. Fungal colonization, yield, fruit nutrient concentration, litter decomposition, and bacterial and fungal abundances in soil were assessed in the field under organic agriculture.

Results

Overall Gigasporaceae promoted the concentration of nutrients in tomato fruits compared to Glomeraceae. A variability in AM fungal colonization and fruit nutrient concentration was detected within Glomeraceae. Scutellospora pellucida increased the yield (+ 27%) of var. Rio Grande with respect to Gigaspora gigantea. In var. Rio Grande, inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae did not change litter decomposition as compared to non-inoculated controls, whereas it was lower than in Sclerocystis sinuosa and Gigasporaceae species, which showed the highest decomposition rates. AMF inoculation promoted soil total bacterial and fungal abundance and fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratio compared to controls, and members of Gigasporaceae had the highest F:B ratio.

Conclusion

These findings pointed at the inclusion of AM fungal life-history strategy within the selection criteria for the development of biofertilizers able to enhance the nutritional value of vegetables under organic farming systems.
An impact investment strategy
Authors: Juddoo Kumari , Malki Issam , Mathew Sudha , Sivaprasad Sheeja
Published: April 2023

Impact investing is based on using the ESG framework as a tool to evaluate firms that engage in generating positive impact. Most impact investors and fund managers now integrate the ESG framework in their investment and stock-picking process. However, due to lack of standardisation of ESG reporting, it remains a challenge for investors and the public to identify the truly sustainable companies. We propose an additional measure of tax avoidance to identify firms that are socially responsible. When firms indulge in excessive tax avoidance behaviour, it may be viewed as unethical or socially irresponsible. We integrate the empirical association between corporate social responsibility and tax avoidance into an investment strategy based on impact. We adopt an investment strategy based on firm‐level ESG ratings and tax avoidance practices. In a pure impact investment strategy based on ESG and tax avoidance, we find that investing in high‐ESG rated firms and low tax avoidance firms yields a buy and hold abnormal return of 3.4% per annum and 11.4% in a 3 years investment horizon. Next, if impact investors were to combine traditional investment strategies based on risk with impact measures, we find that portfolios of high‐ESG and high price‐to‐book‐ratio firms earn a buy and hold abnormal return of 21.2%, while a portfolio of low tax avoidance and high price-to-book portfolios earns 29.8% in the long run. Collectively, our results suggest that, whilst impact investing does provide investors a return, it does not necessarily outperform traditional investment strategies. Our results are robust to other risk factors and the sector of the firm.
David Riazanov and the Leninist stage of Soviet Marxism
Authors: White James D.
Published: April 2023

Focusing on David B. Riazanov career and his pioneering efforts in producing a complete edition of the works of Marx and Engels, the article explains why Riazanov’s variety of Marxism was unacceptable to the Soviet regime, and why from 1924 Lenin was credited with being an outstanding Marxist theoretician, whereas previously he had been regarded only as a skilled political activist. The concept of Leninism as a new stage of Marxism was put forward by Bukharin and elaborated on by Stalin and Zinoviev. Georg Lukács attempted to show that Lenin’s thought had the internal coherence that Bukharin postulated. In support of Lenin’s theoretical credentials, his ‘Philosophical Notebooks’ began to be published from 1925. However, neither Riazanov nor his associate Abram M. Deborin subscribed to the official doctrine that Leninism was a new and higher stage of Marxism. For this stance they fell victim to Stalin’s repression.
Mission to Psyche: Including Undergraduates and the Public on the Journey to a Metal World
Authors: Bowman Catherine D. D. , Elkins-Tanton Linda T. , Talamante Adriana , Bell James F. , Cisneros Ernest , Cook Alexandra , Frieman Jason D. , Gainor Danya , Hunziker Jamie , Khan Shaheer , Lawler Christopher R. , Maschino Jessica , McCoy Timothy J. , Nessi Kaxandra , Oran Rona , Seal David , Simon Amber , Singh Rohit , Tolbert Carol M. , Valentine Karin , Weiss Benjamin , Wenkert Daniel D. , Williams David A.
Published: April 2023

The NASA Psyche mission’s program to engage university undergraduates and the public in the mission is inspired by and built upon the extensive foundation of public engagement, educational outreach activities, and expertise of NASA and mission partner institutions. The program leverages the enthusiasm and contributions of undergraduates nationwide to the benefit of the mission, the students and their institutions and communities, and the broader public. Psyche Student Collaborations consists of four main programs, two (Psyche Capstone and Psyche Inspired) are available solely to undergraduates enrolled at universities or community colleges in the United States and its territories and two (Innovation Toolkit free online courses and Science Outreach Interns and Docents) invite broader participation by engaging the talents and creativity of undergraduate interns to help create content and events to reach the public and lifelong learners. Together, these offerings provide multiple entry points and a spectrum of intensity of experiences, numbers of participants, disciplinary diversity, and mode of delivery. Involving undergraduates in all phases of the program supports the development of the next generation of explorers, contributes to the nation’s workforce preparation, and complements NASA’s existing undergraduate offerings by providing long-term opportunities for students to participate with the mission through established postsecondary education structures like capstone courses.
Argument by Association: On the Transmissibility of Commitment in Public Political Arguments
Authors: Mohammed Dima
Published: April 2023

In this paper, I examine the question of commitment transmissibility in public political arguments. I explore the idea that under certain conditions, arguers become accountable for the commitments of their “argumentative associates” (Mohammed 2019a). I present cases where arguers make discursive effort to distance themselves from an undesirable associate in order to avoid acquiring the associate’s commitments, as well as cases where arguers fail to do so and face the consequences. I discuss the concept of commitment in argumentation (e.g. Hamblin 1970, Walton & Krabbe 1995), and I build on the scheme of guilt and honour by association (Groarke and Tindale 2004). The result is a nuanced normative view of arguments by association: the transmissibility of commitments between argumentative associates is a way to hold arguers accountable for the argumentative potential (Mohammed 2019b; see also Kjeldsen 2017; Serafis 2022) of their discourse, and yet, commitment transmissibility remains defeasible to avoid the over-attribution of commitment by association.
Does economic complexity increase energy intensity?
Authors: Kazemzadeh Emad , Fuinhas José Alberto , Shirazi Masoud , Koengkan Matheus , Silva Nuno
Published: April 2023

Today, many countries in the world pay special attention to energy efficiency to improve environmental quality and reduce the waste of energy resources. For this purpose, this research has investigated the economic complexity of energy intensity (EI) from 1995 to 2019 using club convergence and panel quantile regression (PQR) models. The club convergence results showed that out of 62 countries, 42 converged in energy intensity during the period. Then, using the PQR model, the determining factors of EI for these 42 countries were evaluated: economic complexity, urbanization, trade openness, industrial production, foreign direct investment, oil price, and economic growth. The result of the PQR model confirmed that economic complexity has an inverted U-shaped relationship with EI. Urbanization and foreign direct investment have a positive and increasing effect on EI. In addition, trade openness positively affects EI, mainly in the 10th and 25th quantiles. On the other hand, economic growth has a decreasing effect on EI. Moreover, industrialization and oil prices can reduce EI, particularly in the 90th quantile. Given the inverted U-shaped effect of the energy complexity on energy intensity, where the lower and higher quantiles are negative, it is advised that policymakers ought to promote the leap from lower levels of economic complexity to higher levels by reducing intermediate levels as much as possible. Policymakers should also be conscious that promoting the diffusion of economic complexity also mitigates noxious gas emissions.
Landscape Metrics and Land-Use Patterns of Energy Crops in the Agricultural Landscape
Authors: Xu Xiaoqian , Englund Oskar , Dimitriou Ioannis , Rosenqvist Håkan , Liu Guangzhe , Mola-Yudego Blas
Published: April 2023

Energy crops are a new player in the traditional agricultural landscape. The present paper analyses the land uses surrounding and the spatial characteristics of the main energy crops in Sweden (willow, poplar, hybrid aspen and reed canary grass) compared to traditional agricultural crops during the period 2006–2018. Spatial metrics (number of shape characterising points, shape index and rectangularity ratio) are calculated for each field, as well as the nearby land uses at varying distances, at radius: 500 m, 1000 m, 2000 m and 5000 m. A total of 1560 energy crop fields are studied in the 2006 dataset and 3416 fields in the 2018 dataset, which are compared to 58,246 fields with cereal crops in 2006 and 131,354 fields in the 2018 dataset. Results show that, despite being established on previous agricultural land, energy crops present a different spatial profile compared to traditional agricultural crops. Field shapes present less complexity than before, and the overall spatial features become more regular with time in both cases of energy crops and cereals, suggesting an increasing trend in cost-efficient agricultural practices and planning. Important differences concerning land use diversity at different scales are found between plantations versus grasses. In general, willow plantations are located in agriculture-dominated areas (> 70% at 500 m, > 50% at 2000 m), whereas reed canary grass is in forest-dominated landscapes (> 30% at 500 m, > 60% at 2000 m); both contribute to diversifying existing land uses although with varying effects. The results of this study are a basis to assess the impacts of energy crops at landscape level and can translate into applications in energy policy and planning.
Origin, course, and distribution of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve and the spatial relationship among its branches
Authors: Jiamjunyasiri Areeya , Tsutsumi Masahiro , Muro Satoru , Akita Keiichi
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to elucidate the origin, course, and distribution of the branches of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve, considering the segmental and dorsoventral compositions of the sacral plexus, including the pudendal nerve. The buttocks and thighs of five cadavers were analyzed bilaterally. The branches emerged from the sacral plexus, which was divided dorsally to ventrally into the superior gluteal, inferior gluteal, common peroneal, tibial, and pudendal nerves. It descended lateral to the ischial tuberosity and comprised the thigh, gluteal, and perineal branches. As for the thigh and gluteal branches, the dorsoventral order of those originating from the sacral plexus corresponded to the lateromedial order of their distribution. However, the dorsoventral boundary was displaced at the inferior margin of the gluteus maximus between the thigh and gluteal branches. The perineal branch originated from the ventral branch of the nerve roots. In addition, the pudendal nerve branches, which ran medially to the ischial tuberosity, were distributed in the medial part of the inferior gluteal region. These branches should be distinguished from the gluteal branches; the former should be classified as the medial inferior cluneal nerves and the latter as the lateral ones. Finally, the medial part of the inferior gluteal region was distributed by branches of the dorsal sacral rami, which may correspond to the medial cluneal nerves. Thus, the composition of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve is considered necessary when considering the dorsoventral relationships of the sacral plexus and boundaries of the dorsal and ventral rami.
Hydrologic Connectivity and Flow Generation from California Vernal Pool, Swale, and Headwater Stream Complexes to Downstream Waters
Authors: Stepchinski Leanne M. , Rains Mark C. , Lee Lyndon C. , Lis Richard A. , Nutter Wade L. , Rains Kai C. , Stewart Scott R.
Published: April 2023

Many headwater wetlands are integrated into flowpath networks and can serve as sources of streamflow for downgradient waters. We demonstrate this with five years of data in vernal pool, swale, and headwater stream complexes in the Central Valley, California. Long-term United States Geological Survey data suggest that the mean flow duration from the smallest watersheds in this region, including those with vernal pool, swale, and headwater stream complexes, is ~ 85 days per year. Our data concur, indicating that the annual days of flow per year from our vernal pool, swale, and headwater stream complexes ranges from ~ 20–200, but is ~ 85 when annual precipitation is 100% of normal. Peak stages are evident first in vernal pools which then propagate sequentially downstream through swales, headwater streams, and to the Sacramento River at celerities of ~ 1-1.5 m/s, consistent with expected flood wave velocities. Geospatial analyses show that these vernal pool, swale, and headwater stream features cover > 4% of the study area. Our results suggest these systems can be significant sources of streamflow, and therefore play an important role in maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of downstream waters, which has important implications for the definition of waters of the United States subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act.
Efficacy assessment of methylcellulose-based thermoresponsive hydrogels loaded with gallium acetylacetonate in osteoclastic bone resorption
Authors: Ghanta Pratyusha , Winschel Timothy , Hessel Evin , Oyewumi Oluyinka , Czech Tori , Oyewumi Moses O.
Published: April 2023

Homeostatic imbalance involving progressive stimulation of osteoclast (OC) differentiation and function will lead to an increased risk of fragility fractures. In this regard, we investigated gallium acetylacetonate (GaAcAc) as a possible treatment for osteoclastic bone resorption. Further, the extent to which suitable delivery systems can enhance the therapeutic potential of GaAcAc was evaluated. GaAcAc solution (10–50 µg/mL) suppressed OC differentiation using murine monocytic RAW 264.7 or hematopoietic stem cells. Methylcellulose-based hydrogels were fabricated and characterized based on biocompatibility with bone cells, GaAcAc loading, and thermoresponsive behavior using storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli parameters. Compared to GaAcAc solution, hydrogels loaded with GaAcAc (GaMH) were more effective in suppressing OC differentiation and function. The number and extent of bone resorption pits from ex vivo studies were markedly reduced with GaMH treatment. Mechanistic assessment of GaMH efficacy showed superiority, compared to GaAcAc solution, in downregulating the expression of key markers involved in mediating OC differentiation (such as NFAT2, cFos, TRAF6, and TRAP) as well as in bone resorption by OCs (cathepsin K or CTSK). Additional studies (in vitro and in vivo) suggested that the performance of GaMH could be ascribed to controlled release of GaAcAc and the ability to achieve prolonged bio-retention after injection in BALB/c mice, which plausibly maximized the therapeutic impact of GaAcAc. Overall, the work demonstrated, for the first time, the therapeutic efficacy of GaAcAc and the therapeutic potential of GaMH delivery systems in osteoclastic bone resorption.

Graphical Abstract

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Four new lanostane triterpenoids featuring extended π-conjugated systems from the stems of Kadsura coccinea
Authors: Zhang Qi-Qi , Hu Kun , Sun Han-Dong , Puno Pema-Tenzin
Published: April 2023

Four new 14(13 → 12)-abeolanostane triterpenoids featuring extended π-conjugated systems, kadcoccitanes E–H (1–4), were obtained from the stems of Kadsura coccinea through using a HPLC − UV-guided approach. Their structural and configurational determination was accomplished through extensive spectroscopic analysis coupled with quantum chemical calculations. Kadcoccitanes E–H were tested for their cytotoxic activities against five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MDA-MB-231, SW-480) but none of them exhibited activities at the concentration 40 μM.

Graphical Abstract
Remineralization potential of phosphorylated chitosan and silver diamine fluoride in comparison to sodium fluoride varnish: invitro study
Authors: Mohamed Y. , Ashraf R.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the remineralization potential of phosphorylated chitosan nanoparticles (Pchi) and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) compared to sodium fluoride varnish (NaF) on microhardness of artificial carious lesions in a biomimetic minimally invasive approach that is being regarded as the future of preventive dentistry.

Methods

The sample size included 40 intact extracted maxillary anterior human teeth. Baseline microhardness was recorded using Vickers hardness test and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Artificial caries-like lesions were created on the exposed enamel by suspending all teeth in demineralizing solution for 10 days in a temperature of 37 °C and then the hardness and EDX were remeasured. Samples were then divided into four main groups: Group A (positive control group) n = 10, treated with NaF, Group B n = 10, treated with SDF, Group C n = 10, treated with Pchi and Group D (negative control group) n = 10 that received no treatment. After treatment, samples were incubated in artificial saliva solution at 37 °C in for 10 days and then reassessed. Data were then recorded, tabulated, and statistically analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed test. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the morphological changes of enamel surface after treatment.

Results

Groups B and C showed the highest calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) content as well as hardness values, while group B had the highest percentage of fluoride. SEM revealed a smooth layer of mineral formed on the surface of enamel for both groups.

Conclusion

Pchi and SDF showed the highest increase in enamel microhardness and remineralization potential.

Clinical relevance

The minimally invasive approach for remineralization could be enhanced using SDF and Pchi.
A note on the fractional Hardy inequality
Authors: Aldovardi Matteo , Bellazzini Jacopo
Published: April 2023

We give a direct proof of fractional Hardy inequality by means of Littlewood–Paley decomposition and properties of singular homogeneous kernels of degree -d. A refinement when $$q>2$$

q
>
2

is proved.
Cross-kingdom Microbial Interactions Within the Oral Cavity and Their Implications for Oral Disease
Authors: Wijesinghe Gayan K. , Nobbs Angela H. , Bandara H. M. H. N.
Published: April 2023

Purpose of Review

This review serves to highlight the cross-kingdom interactions that can occur within the human oral cavity between fungus Candida albicans and oral bacteria, and their impact on the delicate balance between oral health and disease.

Recent Findings

A growing number of physical, chemical, and metabolic networks have been identified that underpin these cross-kingdom interactions. Moreover, these partnerships are often synergistic and can modulate microbial burden or virulence. This, in turn, can drive the onset or progression of oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontitis, denture-associated stomatitis, and oral cancer.

The impact of cross-kingdom interactions on the cellular, biochemical, and communal composition of oral microbial biofilms is increasingly clear. With growing insight into these processes at the molecular level, so this knowledge can be used to better inform the development of novel strategies to manipulate the oral microbiota to promote oral health and combat oral disease.
Effects of very low-calorie ketogenic diet on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system
Authors: Barrea L. , Verde L. , Camajani E. , Šojat A. S. , Marina L. , Savastano S. , Colao A. , Caprio M. , Muscogiuri G.
Published: April 2023

Background

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is a neuroendocrine system involved in controlling stress responses in humans under physiological and pathological conditions; cortisol is the main hormone produced by the HPA axis. It is known that calorie restriction acts as a stressor and can lead to an increase in cortisol production. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is a complex endocrine network regulating blood pressure and hydrosaline metabolism, whose final hormonal effector is aldosterone. RAAS activation is linked to cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart failure and obesity. Obesity has become a leading worldwide pandemic, associated with serious health outcomes. Calorie restriction represents a pivotal strategy to tackle obesity. On the other hand, it is well known that an increased activity of the HPA may favour visceral adipose tissue expansion, which may jeopardize a successful diet-induced weight loss. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is a normoprotein diet with a drastic reduction of the carbohydrate content and total calorie intake. Thanks to its sustained protein content, VLCKD is extremely effective to reduce adipose tissue while preserving lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.

Purpose

The purpose of this narrative review is to gain more insights on the effects of VLCKD on the HPA axis and RAAS, in different phases of weight loss and in different clinical settings.
Can Homicide Serve as an Indicator of Non-lethal Crime? A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: van Breen Jolien A. , Devarakonda Sri Kruthi , Liem Marieke
Published: April 2023

Homicide rates are often used as an indicator of levels of crime. The reasons for this are both practical and conceptual. Practically speaking, homicide statistics tend to be more reliable than statistics for other forms of crime. Conceptually speaking, homicide and other forms of crime are often considered to be related: homicide is seen as the “tip of the iceberg” of underlying crime. However, it remains unclear whether this convention is empirically justifiable. Here, we review empirical evidence for the idea that homicide can serve as an indicator of crime more generally. We identify 31 previous studies that include information on this issue. Findings indicate that homicide is related to other forms of crime (particularly violent crimes) in larger scale, and cross-sectional analyses, but studies focusing on smaller levels of analysis identify substantial variation depending on location or time frame being considered. We conclude that homicide can function as an indicator of violent crime in general, but no clear pattern emerges as to what that means concretely. To those authors wishing to use homicide as an indicator of (violent) crime, we recommend that they conduct and report preliminary work to establish to what extent this notion is justified within the context and time frame on which they wish to focus.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Explainable AI Model for Recognizing Financial Crisis Roots Based on Pigeon Optimization and Gradient Boosting Model
Authors: Torky Mohamed , Gad Ibrahim , Hassanien Aboul Ella
Published: April 2023

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques to forecast, recognize, and classify financial crisis roots are important research challenges that have attracted the interest of researchers. Moreover, the Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) concept enables AI techniques to interpret the results of processing and testing complex data patterns so that humans can find efficient ways to infer and interpret the logic behind classifying complex data patterns. This paper proposes a novel XAI model to automatically recognize financial crisis roots and interprets the features selection operation. Using a benchmark dataset, the proposed XAI model utilized the pigeon optimizer to optimize the feature selection operation, and then the Gradient Boosting classifier is utilized to recognize financial crisis roots based on the obtained reduct of the most important features. The practical results showed that the short-term interest rates feature is the most important feature by which financial crisis roots can be detected. Moreover, the classification results showed that the built-in Gradient Boosting classifier in the Pigeon Inspired Optimizer (PIO) algorithm achieved training and testing accuracy of 99% and 96.7%, respectively, in recognizing financial crisis roots, which is an efficient and better performance compared to the random forest classifier.
Life cycle assessment of alkali-activated materials: a systematic literature review
Authors: Nikravan Morteza , Firdous Rafia , Stephan Dietmar
Published: April 2023

The physical–mechanical, chemical, and durability characteristics of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have been widely investigated. However, a critical gap in the literature is the lack of a comprehensive overview of recently published literature regarding the life cycle assessment (LCA) of these binders. This study aims to fill that gap by conducting a systematic literature review of globally published literature on the topic. This paper consolidates knowledge by searching different databases, focusing on LCA studies that used AAMs as pastes, mortars, concretes, bricks, and rammed earth/soil blocks. The selected articles were reviewed and categorized based on precursors, alkaline activators, functional units, system boundaries, life cycle inventory databases, allocation, impact methodologies, and software used.

Additionally, this paper also critically analyzes the key challenges of LCA for AAMs. The major challenges were identified as selecting a functional unit, subjectivity in boundary systems, and data interpretation. This work concludes that AAMs show substantial advantages in global warming potential compared to ordinary Portland cement-based materials; however, the average of other categories such as marine ecotoxicity and ozone layer depletion has been reported to be higher than for the reference samples.
Patterns and drivers of glacier debris-cover development in the Afghanistan Hindu Kush Himalaya
Authors: Shokory Jamal A. N. , Lane Stuart N.
Published: April 2023

Debris-covered ice is widespread in mountain regions with debris an important control on surface ice melt and glacier retreat. Quantifying debris cover extent and its evolution through time over large regions remains a challenge. This study develops two Normalized Difference Supraglacial Debris Indices for mapping debris-covered ice based on thermal and near Infrared Landsat 8 bands. They were calibrated with field data. Validation suggests that they have a high level of accuracy. They are then applied to Landsat data for 2016 to produce the first detailed glacier inventory of the Afghanistan Hindu Kush Himalaya that includes debris cover. 3408 glaciers were identified which, for those ⩾0.01 km2 in area, gives an ice cover of 2,222 ± 11 km2 and a debris cover of 619 ± 40 km2. Principal components analysis was used to identify the most influential drivers of debris-covered ice extent. Lower proportions of debris cover were associated with glaciers with a higher elevation range, that were larger, longer and wider. These relations were statistically clearer when the dataset was broken down into climate and geological zones. A glaciers continue to shrink, the proportion of debris cover will become higher, making it more important to map debris cover reliably.
What’s Law Got To Do with It?: Anthropological Engagement with Legal Scholarship
Authors: Das Acevedo Deepa
Published: April 2023

Among law and society fields, legal anthropology has experienced markedly high highs and low lows. Its parent disciplines, law and anthropology, have fluctuated from intense and productive engagement with one another to mutual disregard for each other’s ways of knowing. Most commentary on the trajectory of this interdisciplinary relationship has bemoaned anthropology’s (ir)relevance to legal scholarship, but this introduction and the symposium essays that follow invert the usual narrative by asking how—and why—formal law might matter to anthropology. The symposium is part of a dual special issue that grows out of a multi-year conversation between legal anthropologists representing varied institutional and intellectual backgrounds. Drawing on that conversation and on the essays it has produced, this introduction argues that anthropologists would do well to abandon their prepositional attitude to formal law and, instead, to build on the strengths of anthropological analysis by “cultivating attentiveness” to things legal.
Tempered Radicalism: Zhang Dongsun and Chinese Guild Socialism, 1913–1922
Authors: Zhao Xuduo
Published: April 2023

In the 1910s, guild socialism emerged as a response to the particular social and political problems of Britain and as a radical rebel against the established English socialist movement. From the beginning, guild socialism was characterized by its “Englishness”, and its global influences have largely been neglected. Through the case of Zhang Dongsun, a leading Chinese guild socialist, this article provides a transnational and comparative dimension of guild socialism and examines how its ideas were accepted, reinterpreted, and localized in a non-Western context. While English guildsmen propagated a strong anti-capitalist ideology and highlighted industrial democracy, mass self-government, and direct action, their Chinese comrades were advocating, at least temporarily, domination of the bourgeoisie and seeking to temper the radical social ethos motivated by the October Revolution. Guild socialism in China was deprived of its rebellious and militant elements and transformed into a moderate, wait-and-see theory that could, in Zhang's opinion, strike a perfect balance between elitism and mass democracy. Zhang's elitist interpretation of guild socialism showed his agency and ambition in pursuit of political modernity for China, but ironically it was his active reinterpretation that sealed the fate of Chinese guild socialism.
Vascular risk factors, white matter microstructure, and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal analysis in the UK Biobank
Authors: Blöchl Maria , Schaare H. Lina , Kumral Deniz , Gaebler Michael , Nestler Steffen , Villringer Arno
Published: April 2023

Background

Cumulative burden from vascular risk factors (VRFs) has been associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms in mid- and later life. It has been hypothesised that this association arises because VRFs disconnect fronto-subcortical white matter tracts involved in mood regulation, which puts older adults at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms. However, evidence for the hypothesis that disconnection of white matter tracts underlies the association between VRF burden and depressive symptoms from longitudinal studies is scarce.

Methods

This preregistered study analysed longitudinal data from 6,964 middle-aged and older adults from the UK Biobank who participated in consecutive assessments of VRFs, brain imaging, and depressive symptoms. Using mediation modelling, we directly tested to what extend white matter microstructure mediates the longitudinal association between VRF burden and depressive symptoms.

Results

VRF burden showed a small association with depressive symptoms at follow-up. However, there was no evidence that fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter tracts mediated this association. Additional analyses also yielded no mediating effects using alternative operationalisations of VRF burden, mean diffusivity (MD) of single tracts, or overall average of tract-based white matter microstructure (global FA, global MD, white matter hyperintensity volume).

Conclusions

Our results lend no support to the hypothesis that disconnection of white matter tracts underlies the association between VRF burden and depressive symptoms, while highlighting the relevance of using longitudinal data to directly test pathways linking vascular and mental health.
Characterizing the clinical profile of mania without major depressive episodes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of factors associated with unipolar mania
Authors: Bartoli Francesco , Nasti Christian , Palpella Dario , Piacenti Susanna , Di Lella Maria Elisa , Mauro Stefano , Prestifilippo Luca , Crocamo Cristina , Carrà Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Background

The diagnostic concept of unipolar mania (UM), i.e. the lifetime occurrence of mania without major depressive episodes, remains a topic of debate despite the evidence accumulated in the last few years. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies testing factors associated with UM as compared to bipolar disorder with a manic-depressive course (md-BD).

Methods

Studies indexed up to July 2022 in main electronic databases were searched. Random-effects meta-analyses of the association between UM and relevant correlates yielded odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD), with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Based on data from 21 studies, factors positively or negatively associated with UM, as compared to md-BD, were: male gender (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.11–1.94); age at onset (SMD −0.25; 95% CI −0.46 to −0.04); number of hospitalizations (SMD 0.53; 95% CI 0.21–0.84); family history of depression (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.36–0.85); suicide attempts (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.19–0.34); comorbid anxiety disorders (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.26–0.49); psychotic features (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.55–3.00); hyperthymic temperament (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.17–3.40). The quality of evidence for the association with previous suicide attempts was high, moderate for anxiety disorders and psychotic features, and low or very low for other correlates.

Conclusions

Despite the heterogeneous quality of evidence, this work supports the hypothesis that UM might represent a distinctive diagnostic construct, with peculiar clinical correlates. Additional research is needed to better differentiate UM in the context of affective disorders, favouring personalized care approaches.
Unpredictable robots elicit responsibility attributions
Authors: Franklin Matija , Awad Edmond , Ashton Hal , Lagnado David
Published: April 2023

Do people hold robots responsible for their actions? While Clark and Fischer present a useful framework for interpreting social robots, we argue that they fail to account for people's willingness to assign responsibility to robots in certain contexts, such as when a robot performs actions not predictable by its user or programmer.
How puzzling is the social artifact puzzle?
Authors: Ziemke Tom , Thellman Sam
Published: April 2023

In this commentary we would like to question (a) Clark and Fischer's characterization of the “social artifact puzzle” – which we consider less puzzling than the authors, and (b) their account of social robots as depictions involving three physical scenes – which to us seems unnecessarily complex. We contrast the authors' model with a more parsimonious account based on attributions.
On depicting social agents
Authors: Clark Herbert H. , Fischer Kerstin
Published: April 2023

We take up issues raised in the commentaries about our proposal that social robots are depictions of social agents. Among these issues are the realism of social agents, experiencing robots, communicating with robots, anthropomorphism, and attributing traits to robots. We end with comments about the future of social robots.
Individual- and family-level associations between child psychopathology and parenting
Authors: Aitken Madison , Perquier Florence , Haltigan John D. , Wang Li , Andrade Brendan F. , Battaglia Marco , Szatmari Peter , Georgiades Katholiki
Published: April 2023

Parenting can protect against the development of, or increase risk for, child psychopathology; however, it is unclear if parenting is related to psychopathology symptoms in a specific domain, or to broad liability for psychopathology. Parenting differs between and within families, and both overall family-level parenting and the child-specific parenting a child receives may be important in estimating transdiagnostic associations with psychopathology. Data come from a cross-sectional epidemiological sample (N = 10,605 children ages 4–17, 6434 households). Parents rated child internalizing and externalizing symptoms and their parenting toward each child. General and specific (internalizing, externalizing) psychopathology factors, derived with bifactor modeling, were regressed on parenting using multilevel modeling. Less warmth and more aversive/inconsistent parenting in the family, and toward an individual child relative to family average, were associated with higher general psychopathology and specific externalizing problems. Unexpectedly, more warmth in the family, and toward an individual child relative to family average, was associated with higher specific internalizing problems in 4–11 (not 12–17) year-olds. Less warmth and more aversive/inconsistent parenting are broad correlates of child psychopathology. Aversive/inconsistent parenting, is also related to specific externalizing problems. Parents may behave more warmly when their younger children have specific internalizing problems, net of overall psychopathology.
Assessing unpredictability in caregiver–child relationships: Insights from theoretical and empirical perspectives
Authors: Ugarte Elisa , Hastings Paul D.
Published: April 2023

There has been significant interest and progress in understanding the role of caregiver unpredictability on brain maturation, cognitive and socioemotional development, and psychopathology. Theoretical consensus has emerged about the unique influence of unpredictability in shaping children’s experience, distinct from other adverse exposures or features of stress exposure. Nonetheless, the field still lacks theoretical and empirical common ground due to difficulties in accurately conceptualizing and measuring unpredictability in the caregiver–child relationship. In this paper, we first provide an overview of the role of unpredictability in theories of caregiving and childhood adversity and present four issues that are currently under-discussed but are crucial to the field. Focusing on how moment-to-moment and day-to-day dynamics are at the heart of caregiver unpredictability, we review three approaches aiming to address some of these nuances: Environmental statistics, entropy, and dynamic systems. Lastly, we conclude with a broad summary and suggest future research directions. Systematic progress in this field can inform interventions and policies aiming to increase stability in the lives of children.
Compact dual-band MIMO monopole dual-antenna system for 5G laptops
Authors: Chen Shu-Chuan , Li Kuan-Yi , Lee Chih-Kuo
Published: April 2023

The study aimed to present a dual-band 5G multi-input multi-output monopole dual-antenna system, which was configured on the upper edge of the display ground plane for laptops. The dual-antenna unit is a 29 × 2 × 3 mm3three-dimensional structure with two antennas of the same structure and size, consisting of a fed monopole antenna and a shorted monopole antenna. The antennas are arranged 4 mm apart, side by side in the same direction, to form a dual-antenna unit. Such a configuration allows the feeding points of the two antennas to be separated by the shorting point of the shorted monopole antenna, and the shorting point of the low-frequency resonant path (the shorted monopole antenna) of the two antennas to be larger than a quarter of the wavelength of the low frequency with appropriate bending. The strong current will be concentrated near the shorting point of the shorted monopole antenna when the low-frequency mode is excited, and the current flow from the ground to the feeding point of the other antenna will be reduced, achieving the isolation which is better than 10 dB in measurement between the two antennas without adopting any isolation element. The envelope correlation coefficients calculated from the measured complex E-field radiation patterns are all smaller than 0.12, which can cover the 5G dual-band operations of 3300–3600 and 4800–5000 MHz, and the measured antenna efficiencies can reach more than 40%, which are well suited for multiple antenna applications.
A CPW-fed dual band four-port MIMO antenna based on liquid crystal polymer for flexible IoT applications
Authors: Zhang Jie , Du Chengzhu , Pei Lingru , Liu Hongye
Published: April 2023

A 2 × 2 dual band MIMO flexible antenna with a low profile and CPW feeding is designed for Internet of Things (IoT) domains, operating in 5G (3.3–3.6/4.8–5.0 GHz), WiMAX (5.25–5.85 GHz) and WLAN (5.15–5.35/5.725–5.825 GHz) bands. Two resonant frequencies are generated by L-shaped branches and a rectangular monopole. The mentioned MIMO antenna comprises four elements arranged vertically. With the addition of an orthogonal branch, significant isolation is attained, which exceeds 21 dB in the entire bands. The four-element MIMO antenna is fabricated and experimented to analyze the performance. According to the measurement, the antenna can operate bandwidth covering 3.156–3.84 GHz (19.55%) and 4.638–6.348 GHz (31.13%). Furthermore, the provided four-element MIMO antenna possesses a number of advantageous properties, such as ECC, DG, and TARC, indicating its suitability for 5G/WiMAX/WLAN applications. In accordance with the results of bending measurement and human body influence, it is evident that the presented liquid crystal polymer antenna could be an ideal candidate for integrating into wearable 5G/WiMAX/WLAN devices.
Abandoning the idealized white subject of legal feminism: A manifesto for silence in a Lusophone register
Authors: Heathcote Gina , Kula Lucia
Published: April 2023

Through an account of white feminisms and white privilege, this article examines the tensions between local and international knowledge frames. The article considers the possibility of a feminist approach to global constitutionalism and argues for a twofold critique: first, a feminist interrogation of the dominance of a specifically male history of Western and Anglo-European knowledge frames; and second, a self-critique within feminist approaches to global legal regimes that acknowledges the complicity of mainstream feminist tools in the racist histories of knowledge production. To this end, the article examines the space of gender expertise to explore how this can be both an aperture for plural feminist encounters and a refinement of diverse feminist approaches into a form digestible by the contours of international institutions. To explore alternative, decolonized encounters, the article centres Lusophone African feminist silence and action in Luanda, the capital of Angola. The article explores how Angolan gender relations, informal labour and histories of protest unsettle the frame of a feminist manifesto, to argue for a place for active silence as a methodology for undoing the status quo of global constitutional expectations of how knowledge arrives at the global and transnational levels.
The Role of Different Aspects of Communication Behavior in the Assessment of Capacity to Consent
Authors: Badenhoop Luise , Baisch Stefanie , Penger Susanne , Haberstroh Julia
Published: April 2023

Abstract: Any medical treatment that interferes with physical integrity requires the informed consent of a patient capable of such consent. For people with dementia, the capacity to consent is questioned even in the early course of the disease. Particularly diagnostic instruments like the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T) often deny people with dementia the capacity to consent because of high confounding of the results with patients’ verbal abilities. To date, it remains unclear whether not only verbal but also nonverbal communication is associated with assessments of capacity to consent. The current study investigates associations between patients’ verbal and nonverbal communication behaviors as assessed by the measure for Communication Behavior in People with Dementia in Ambulant Settings (CODEMamb) and capacity to consent as assessed by the MacCAT-T. We expected the strongest positive associations for verbal communication behaviors compared to nonverbal communication behaviors. Data of N = 43 patients with dementia ( n = 8 capable of consent) were collected at two different German psychiatric clinics. The results show small to moderate correlations between the overall scores of CODEMamb and MacCAT-T. As expected, correlations were strongest for the verbal CODEMamb subscale. The results support current findings on the dependency of the MacCAT-T on verbal communication. Based on the findings, the discussion addresses how people with dementia can be enabled to make self-determined medical treatment decisions.
Multi‐Task Learning for Simultaneous Retrievals of Passive Microwave Precipitation Estimates and Rain/No‐Rain Classification
Authors: Bannai Takumi , Xu Haoyang , Utsumi Nobuyuki , Koo Eunho , Lu Keming , Kim Hyungjun
Published: April 2023

Satellite‐based precipitation estimations provide frequent, large‐scale measurements. Deep learning has recently shown significant potential for improving estimation accuracy. Most studies have employed a two‐stage framework, which is a sequential architecture of a rain/no‐rain binary classification task followed by a rain rate regression task. This study proposes a novel precipitation retrieval framework in which these two tasks are simultaneously trained using multi‐task learning approach (MTL). Furthermore, a novel network architecture and loss function were designed to reap the benefits of MTL. The proposed two‐task model successfully achieved a better performance than the conventional single‐task model possibly due to efficient knowledge transfer between tasks. Furthermore, the product intercomparison showed that our product outperformed existing products in rain rate retrieval and also yielded better skills in the rain/no‐rain retrieval task.