bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of dim-light responses in rod and cone photoreceptors with altered calcium kinetics
Authors: Abtout Annia , Reingruber Jürgen
Published: October 2023

Rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina of vertebrates are the primary sensory neurons underlying vision. They convert light into an electrical current using a signal transduction pathway that depends on Ca$$^{2+}$$

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feedback. It is known that manipulating the Ca$$^{2+}$$

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kinetics affects the response shape and the photoreceptor sensitivity, but a precise quantification of these effects remains unclear. We have approached this task in mouse retina by combining numerical simulations with mathematical analysis. We consider a parsimonious phototransduction model that incorporates negative Ca$$^{2+}$$

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feedback onto the synthesis of cyclic GMP, and fast buffering reactions to alter the Ca$$^{2+}$$

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kinetics. We derive analytic results for the photoreceptor functioning in sufficiently dim light conditions depending on the photoreceptor type. We exploit these results to obtain conceptual and quantitative insight into how response waveform and amplitude depend on the underlying biophysical processes and the Ca$$^{2+}$$

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feedback. With a low amount of buffering, the Ca$$^{2+}$$

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concentration changes in proportion to the current, and responses to flashes of light are monophasic. With more buffering, the change in the Ca$$^{2+}$$

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concentration becomes delayed with respect to the current, which gives rise to a damped oscillation and a biphasic waveform. This shows that biphasic responses are not necessarily a manifestation of slow buffering reactions. We obtain analytic approximations for the peak flash amplitude as a function of the light intensity, which shows how the photoreceptor sensitivity depends on the biophysical parameters. Finally, we study how changing the extracellular Ca$$^{2+}$$

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concentration affects the response.
Exploring the anti-inflammatory potential of topical hyaluronic acid for vocal fold injury in a rat model
Authors: Hortobagyi David , Grossmann Tanja , Kirsch Andrijana , Winter Christina , Roblegg Eva , Gugatschka Markus
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Vocal fold injuries are associated with fibrosis and dysphonia, which is a major obstacle to surgical treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of topical hyaluronic acid with or without diclofenac on the inflammatory phase of vocal fold wound healing.

Methods

Forty-one male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: an uninjured control group, an injured control group without any treatment, and two intervention groups in which hyaluronic acid with or without diclofenac was applied to the injured vocal fold. Gene expression of inflammatory markers and ECM-related molecules were examined.

Results

Vocal fold injury resulted in a significant upregulation of inflammatory parameters [Ptgs2, Il1b and Il10] and Has1. Tgfb1, Has3 and Eln gene expression were significantly downregulated by the topical application of hyaluronic acid. The combination of hyaluronic acid and diclofenac did not result in any significant changes.

Conclusions

Vocal fold wound healing was significantly improved by a single post-operative topical application of hyaluronic acid. The addition of diclofenac may provide no additional benefit.
Management of respiratory distress in moderate and late preterm infants: clinical trajectories in the Neobs study
Authors: Guellec Isabelle , Debillon Thierry , Flamant Cyril , Jarreau Pierre-Henri , Serraz Benjamin , Tourneux Pierre
Published: October 2023

Management of respiratory distress (RD) in the extremely preterm newborn meets recommendations. Few data are available concerning the management and the clinical course of moderate and late preterms with RD. Clinical course and management among moderate (30–33 weeks (wks) of gestation) and late preterms (34–36 wks) were assessed in the Neobs study, a French neonatal observational cohort study (2018) of preterms with RD in the first 24 h of life. Clinical course was defined as stable (use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) only), initially severe (initial use of invasive ventilation (IV)), and worsening (switch off IV after NIV support). Surfactant therapy instillation and withdrawal of all ventilator support at 72 h were recorded. Among moderate (n = 279) and late (n = 281) preterms, the clinical course was similar (p < 0.27): stable (82.1 and 86.8%), worsening (11.8% and 9.3%), and initially severe RD (6.1% and 3.9%), respectively. Surfactant was administered more frequently in the moderate versus late preterm groups (28.3% vs 16.7%; p < 0.001). The recommended surfactant dose (200 mg/kg) was administered in 53.3–83.3% of moderate and 42.1–63.2% of late preterms according to the clinical course. Withdrawal of ventilatory support at 72 h was observed in 40.0% and 70.0% of moderate and late preterms, respectively (p < 0.05), and was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with clinical course (the minus proportion among the worsening group).

Conclusion: While the proportion of clinical course pattern is similar in moderate and late preterm infants, the management of RD varies with gestational age, with late preterm infants being managed later in life and moderate premature infants weaned from ventilation at a later stage.

What is Known:• There is a lack of clear guidance on the management of respiratory distress (RD) in moderate-to-late preterm infants.• Neobs was a multicentre, observational study designed to characterise the real-world management of moderate-to-late preterm infants with RD in France.

What is New:• Secondary analyses of Neobs study data found that ventilatory support strategies were dependent on gestational age despite a similar clinical course.• At 30–33 weeks of gestation (wks), infants were more likely to receive non-invasive ventilation at delivery, while 34–36 wks infants were more likely to be managed using a wait-and-see approach.
Efficacy of cx601 (darvadstrocel) for the treatment of perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease—A prospective nationwide multicenter cohort study
Authors: Dawoud Christopher , Widmann Kerstin Melanie , Czipin Sascha , Pramhas Michael , Scharitzer Martina , Stift Anton , Harpain Felix , Riss Stefan
Published: October 2023

Background

The use of mesenchymal stem cells is considered a novel and promising therapeutic option for patients with perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease; however, data on its clinical application remain scarce. This multicenter nationwide study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in closing complex anal fistulas.

Methods

In this study 14 Crohn’s disease patients (3 males, 11 females) with complex anal fistulas treated in 3 tertiary hospitals in Austria were included between October 2018 and April 2021.

Injection of 120 million allogeneic expanded adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (Cx601—darvadstrocel) was performed in each patient. Closure of the external fistula opening without secretion by external manual compression was defined as treatment success.

Results

The median age of the patient population at the time of surgery was 32 years (range 26–53 years) with a median body mass index of 21.7 kg/m2 (range 16.7–26.6 kg/m2). Of the patients 12 (86%) received monoclonal antibodies (infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, vedolizumab) at the time of surgery.

The median number of complex fistulas was 1.4 (range 1–2), The median operative time was 20 min (range 6–50 min) with no perioperative complications.

After a median follow-up of 92 weeks, we found successful fistula closure in 57.1% (n = 8) of treated patients. The perianal disease activity index did not improve significantly from initially 7 to a median of 6 after 52 weeks (p = 0.495).

Conclusion

Darvadstrocel is a safe, minimally invasive surgical technique without significant perioperative complications. Clinical success can be expected in about half of the treated patients.
Global optimization for cardinality-constrained minimum sum-of-squares clustering via semidefinite programming
Authors: Piccialli Veronica , Sudoso Antonio M.
Published: October 2023

The minimum sum-of-squares clustering (MSSC), or k-means type clustering, has been recently extended to exploit prior knowledge on the cardinality of each cluster. Such knowledge is used to increase performance as well as solution quality. In this paper, we propose a global optimization approach based on the branch-and-cut technique to solve the cardinality-constrained MSSC. For the lower bound routine, we use the semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation recently proposed by Rujeerapaiboon et al. (SIAM J Optim 29(2):1211–1239, 2019). However, this relaxation can be used in a branch-and-cut method only for small-size instances. Therefore, we derive a new SDP relaxation that scales better with the instance size and the number of clusters. In both cases, we strengthen the bound by adding polyhedral cuts. Benefiting from a tailored branching strategy which enforces pairwise constraints, we reduce the complexity of the problems arising in the children nodes. For the upper bound, instead, we present a local search procedure that exploits the solution of the SDP relaxation solved at each node. Computational results show that the proposed algorithm globally solves, for the first time, real-world instances of size 10 times larger than those solved by state-of-the-art exact methods.
The cytocompatibility of graphene oxide as a platform to enhance the effectiveness and safety of silver nanoparticles through in vitro studies
Authors: Strojny-Cieślak Barbara , Jaworski Sławomir , Wierzbicki Mateusz , Pruchniewski Michał , Sosnowska-Ławnicka Malwina , Szczepaniak Jarosław , Lange Agata , Koczoń Piotr , Zielińska-Górska Marlena , Chwalibóg Ewa Sawosz
Published: October 2023

The increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the need to reduce the use of antibiotics call for the development of safe alternatives, such as silver nanoparticles. However, their potential cytotoxic effect needs to be addressed. Graphene oxide provides a large platform that can increase the effectiveness and safety of silver nanoparticles. Graphene oxide and silver nanoparticles complex applied as a part of an innovative material might have direct contact with human tissues, such as skin, or might be inhaled from aerosol or exfoliated pieces of the complex. Thereby, the safety of the prepared complex has to be evaluated carefully, employing a range of methods. We demonstrated the high cytocompatibility of graphene oxide and the graphene oxide–silver nanoparticles complex toward human cell lines, fetal foreskin fibroblasts (HFFF2), and lung epithelial cells (A549). The supporting platform of graphene oxide also neutralized the slight toxicity of bare silver nanoparticles. Finally, in studies on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the number of bacteria reduction was observed after incubation with silver nanoparticles and the graphene oxide–silver nanoparticles complex. Our findings confirm the possibility of employing a graphene oxide–silver nanoparticles complex as a safe agent with reduced silver nanoparticles’ cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties.
Exposure to environmental pollutants and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
Authors: Rosi Eleonora , Crippa Alessandro , Pozzi Marco , De Francesco Stefano , Fioravanti Mariachiara , Mauri Maddalena , Molteni Massimo , Morello Luisa , Tosti Luca , Metruccio Francesca , Clementi Emilio , Nobile Maria
Published: October 2023

Although heritability estimates suggest a role for genetic components, environmental risk factors have been described as relevant in the etiology of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Several studies have investigated the role of toxicological pollution, i.e., air pollution, heavy metals, POPs, and phthalates. Clear evidence for association of ADHD and environmental factors has not been provided yet. To answer this, we have assessed all available systematic reviews and meta-analyses that focused on the association between pollutant exposure and either ADHD diagnosis or symptoms. More than 1800 studies were screened of which 14 found eligible. We found evidence of a significant role for some pollutants, in particular heavy metals and phthalates, in the increased risk of developing ADHD symptoms. However, at the current stage, data from existing literature also do not allow to weight the role of the different environmental pollutants. We also offer a critical examination of the reviews/meta-analyses and provide indications for future studies in this field. PROSPERO registration: CRD42022341496
Holistic OR domain modeling: a semantic scene graph approach
Authors: Özsoy Ege , Czempiel Tobias , Örnek Evin Pınar , Eck Ulrich , Tombari Federico , Navab Nassir
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Surgical procedures take place in highly complex operating rooms (OR), involving medical staff, patients, devices and their interactions. Until now, only medical professionals are capable of comprehending these intricate links and interactions. This work advances the field toward automated, comprehensive and semantic understanding and modeling of the OR domain by introducing semantic scene graphs (SSG) as a novel approach to describing and summarizing surgical environments in a structured and semantically rich manner.

Methods

We create the first open-source 4D SSG dataset. 4D-OR includes simulated total knee replacement surgeries captured by RGB-D sensors in a realistic OR simulation center. It includes annotations for SSGs, human and object pose, clinical roles and surgical phase labels. We introduce a neural network-based SSG generation pipeline for semantic reasoning in the OR and apply our approach to two downstream tasks: clinical role prediction and surgical phase recognition.

Results

We show that our pipeline can successfully reason within the OR domain. The capabilities of our scene graphs are further highlighted by their successful application to clinical role prediction and surgical phase recognition tasks.

Conclusion

This work paves the way for multimodal holistic operating room modeling, with the potential to significantly enhance the state of the art in surgical data analysis, such as enabling more efficient and precise decision-making during surgical procedures, and ultimately improving patient safety and surgical outcomes. We release our code and dataset at github.com/egeozsoy/4D-OR.
Die implantatlose Loop-Tenodese der langen Bizepssehne: Technik und funktionelle Ergebnisse
Authors: Henssler Leopold , Klute Lisa , Alt Volker , Kerschbaum Maximilian
Published: October 2023

Ausgehend von der Idee der Autotenodese nach Tenotomie der langen Bizepssehne (LBS) wurde die neue implantatlose Loop-Tenodesetechnik eingeführt, welche durch Vergrößerung des Durchmessers der Bizepssehnenstumpfes die Autotenodese im Sulcus bicipitalis verbessert und somit eine stabile Verankerung der LBS im Sulcus ohne die Notwendigkeit eines Implantats erreichen soll. Die Vergrößerung des Bizepssehnenstumpfes wird bei der Technik durch die Anlage einer Sehnenschlaufe am Sehnenstumpf nach der Tenotomie erzielt. Hierdurch verblockt sich die proximale Sehne im Sulcus und ein Gleiten der Sehne durch den Sulcus mit Distalisation des Muskelbauchs und konsekutiver kosmetischer Deformität und Kraftminderung wird verhindert. Nach der Veröffentlichung der Operationstechnik im Jahr 2019 wurde das Verfahren zunächst in einer biomechanischen Untersuchung getestet, bei der die Loop-Tenodese mit der Tenotomie an menschlichen Präparaten verglichen wurde. Die maximale Belastbarkeit war bei der Loop-Tenodese signifikant höher als in der Tenotomiegruppe. Ein Versagen der Loop-Tenodese konnte nur im Falle einer vollständigen Sehnenruptur distal des Loops beobachtet werden. Aufgrund der vielversprechenden Ergebnisse wurde die Loop-Tenodese in einer prospektiven klinischen Studie erprobt. Die Studienpatienten berichteten 6 Monate nach der chirurgischen Behandlung über eine signifikante Verbesserung des Constant Scores, des LHB-Score („long head of biceps“), der Schmerzen und des Bewegungsumfangs. Die Ergebnisse der Loop-Tenodese waren in den bisherigen Analysen vergleichbar mit dem Ergebnis nach suprapektoralen Ankertenodese in früheren Studien.
Frequency specific alterations of the degree centrality in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke: a resting-state fMRI study
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhan Linlin , Li Qianqian , Meng Chaoguo , Quan Xuemei , Chen Xiaoling , Hao Zeqi , Li Jing , Gao Yanyan , Li Huayun , Jia Xize , Li Mengting , Liang Zhijian
Published: October 2023

This study intended to investigate the frequency specific brain oscillation activity in patients with acute basal ganglia ischemic stroke (BGIS) by using the degree centrality (DC) method. A total of 34 acute BGIS patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. The DC values in three frequency bands (conventional band: 0.01–0.08 Hz, slow‑4 band: 0.027–0.073 Hz, slow‑5 band: 0.01–0.027 Hz) were calculated. A two-sample t-test was used to explore the between-group differences in the conventional frequency band. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the DC differences between groups (BGIS patients, HCs) and bands (slow‑4, slow‑5). Moreover, correlations between DC values and clinical indicators were performed. In conventional band, the DC value in the right middle temporal gyrus was decreased in BGIS patients compared with HCs. Significant differences of DC were observed between the two bands mainly in the bilateral cortical brain regions. Compared with the HCs, the BGIS patients showed increased DC in the right superior temporal gyrus and the left precuneus, but decreased mainly in the right inferior temporal gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, right precentral, and right supplementary motor area. Furthermore, the decreased DC in the right rolandic operculum in slow-4 band and the right superior temporal gyrus in slow-5 band were found by post hoc two-sample t-test of main effect of group. There was no significant correlation between DC values and clinical scales after Bonferroni correction. Our findings showed that the DC changes in BGIS patients were frequency specific. Functional abnormalities in local brain regions may help us to understand the underlying pathogenesis mechanism of brain functional reorganization of BGIS patients.
Malaria & mRNA Vaccines: A Possible Salvation from One of the Most Relevant Infectious Diseases of the Global South
Authors: Borkens Yannick
Published: October 2023

Malaria is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world. It occurs in tropical and subtropical regions and affects about 40% of the world´s population. In endemic regions, an estimated 200 million people contract malaria each year. Three-quarters of all global deaths (about 600 per year) are children under 5 years of age. Thus, malaria is one of the most relevant tropical and also childhood diseases in the world. Thanks to various public health measures such as vector control through mosquito nets or the targeted use of insecticides as well as the use of antimalarial prophylaxis drugs, the incidence has already been successfully reduced in recent years. However, to reduce the risk of malaria and to protect children effectively, further measures are necessary. An important part of these measures is an effective vaccination against malaria. However, the history of research shows that the development of an effective malaria vaccine is not an easy undertaking and is associated with some complications. Research into possible vaccines began as early as the 1960s. However, the results achieved were rather sobering and the various vaccines fell short of their expectations. It was not until 2015 that the vaccine RTS,S/AS01 received a positive evaluation from the European Medicines Agency. Since then, the vaccine has been tested in Africa. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are new developments in vaccine research that could also benefit malaria research. These include, among others, the so-called mRNA vaccines. Already in the early 1990s, an immune response triggered by an mRNA vaccine was described for the first time. Since then, mRNA vaccines have been researched and discussed for possible prophylaxis. However, it was not until the COVID-19 pandemic that these vaccines experienced a veritable progress. mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 were rapidly developed and achieved high efficacy in studies. Based on this success, it is not surprising that companies are also focusing on other diseases and pathogens. Besides viral diseases, such as influenza or AIDS, malaria is high on this list. Many pharmaceutical companies (including the German companies BioNTech and CureVac) have already confirmed that they are researching mRNA vaccines against malaria. However, this is not an easy task. The aim of this article is to describe and discuss possible antigens that could be considered for mRNA vaccination. However, this topic is currently still very speculative.
Einfluss der Schlafumgebung auf die Schlafqualität bei Gesunden: Untersuchung eines neuartigen Zweimatratzensystems
Authors: Glos Martin , Ossadnik Sarah , Lederer Katharina , Linke Daniela , Salanitro Matthew , Herberger Sebastian , Penzel Thomas , Fietze Ingo
Published: October 2023

Zu den bekannten Faktoren für eine gute Schlafqualität in der häuslichen Umgebung zählen die Vermeidung von Immissionen durch Umgebungslärm und Licht, eine optimierte Raumtemperaturgestaltung sowie die Entfernung von schlafstörenden Elementen. Bisher wenig wissenschaftlich untersucht ist dagegen, ob und in welchem Ausmaß die Gestaltung der Matratzen und des Bettsystems, also des Schlafkomforts, einen Einfluss auf den Schlaf haben.

In einem randomisierten Cross-over-Design wurde bei n = 30 Schlafgesunde beiden Geschlechts (Alter 44,8 ± 7,7 Jahre) mittels Polysomnographie (PSG) und Fragebögen der Effekt eines ergonomisch neuartigen Zweimatratzensystems (ZMS) auf die Schlafstruktur und die Schlafqualität untersucht und die Ergebnisse mit denen einer Standard-Einzelmatratze (SEM) verglichen.

Beim Schlaf auf der Testmatratze ZMS traten im Vergleich zur Referenzmatratze SEM eine höhere prozentuale Menge an REM-Schlaf (p < 0,05) sowie ein geringerer Index von Beinbewegungen pro Stunde Schlaf (LM‑I, p < 0,01) und Index periodischer Beinbewegungen pro Stunde Schlaf (PLM‑I, p < 0,02) auf. Andere PSG-Schlafparameter sowie die subjektive Bewertung der Schlafqualität und anderer Fragebögen-Items unterschieden sich nicht signifikant.

In dieser Studie wurde eine selektive Verbesserung der Schlafstruktur durch die Verwendung eines ZMS nachgewiesen. Zur Untersuchung und Beurteilung der klinischen Relevanz von (Langzeit‑)Effekten auf die Schlafqualität gibt es einen Bedarf an weiteren Studien mit großen Fallzahlen in verschiedenen Populationen.
Arthrospira platensis nanoparticle-based approach for efficient removal of methyl orange dye from aqueous solutions: isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic analysis
Authors: Alprol Ahmed E. , Khedawy Mohamed , Ashour Mohamed , Thabet Walaa M.
Published: October 2023

Blue-green algae Arthrospira platensis, strain NIOF 17/003, is an ecologically friendly were tested as adsorbents for the removal of methyl orange dye (MO) from aqueous solution. The surface deposition of A. platensis was investigated utilizing a variety of techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FTIR analysis demonstrated the contribution of carbonyl and carboxylic groups to MO dye adsorption. Different initial concentrations of MO dye (5–30 mg L–1) at contact time (5–180 min.), adsorbent doses (0.05–0.4 g), temperature (20–60 °C), and pH (1–11) were conducted in batch conditions. The results revealed that MO sorption in aqueous solutions increased with contact time and concentration. Temperature also affects MO adsorption. The elimination of MO from the solution augmented as the mass of A. platensis increased. The maximum MO dye sorption onto A. platensis was achieved at 15 mg L−1, 20 °C, 0.4 g, pH 1, for 30 min. A significant quantity of dye can be removed with just 0.1 g of A. platensis, with a removal efficiency of 18.1% and 28.35% for seawater and real wastewater, respectively. Many isotherm equations were used to analyze the experimental results (including Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin models). The maximum adsorption capacity of MO onto A. platensis was 156.25 mg g−1. The fractionary-order kinetic model provided the best fit to experimental data compared with other models. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters of ΔH° and ΔG° factors showed exothermic as well as spontaneous sorption processes. Additionally, A. platensis can be used more than once for economic gain, and it was found that the percent removal decreased to 89.28% of regeneration after three cycles for synthetic wastewater. These investigations indicate the effectiveness of the blue-green algae A. platensis, which may have significant potential for methyl orange dye applications in wastewater treatment.
Dynamic layer-span connecting spiking neural networks with backpropagation training
Authors: Wang Zijjian , Huang Yuxuan , Zhu Yaqin , Xu Binxing , Chen Long
Published: October 2023

Spiking Neural Network (SNN) is one of the mainstream frameworks for brain-like computing and neuromorphic computing, which has the potential to overcome current AI challenges, for example, low-power learning dynamic processes. However, there is still a huge gap in performance between SNN and artificial neural networks (ANN) in traditional supervised learning. One solution for this problem is to propose a better spiking neuron model to improve its memory ability for temporal data. This paper proposed a leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron model with dynamic postsynaptic potential and a layer-span connecting method for SNN trained using backpropagation. The dynamic postsynaptic potential LIF model allows the neurons dynamically release neurotransmitters in an SNN model, which mimics the activity of biological neurons. The layer-span connecting method enhances the long-distance memory ability of SNN. We also first introduced a cosh-based surrogate gradient for the backpropagation training of SNNs. We compared the SNN with cosh-based surrogate gradient (CSNN), CSNN with dynamic postsynaptic potential (Dyn-CSNN), layer-span connecting CSNN (Las-CSNN), and SNN model with all the proposed methods (DlaCSNN-BP) in three image classification and one text classification datasets. The experimental results exhibited that proposed SNN methods could outperform most of the previously proposed SNNs and ANNs in the same network structure. Among them, the proposed DlaCSNN-BP got the best classification performance. This result indicates that our proposed method can effectively improve the effect of SNN in supervised learning and reduce the gap with deep learning. This work also provides more possibilities for putting SNN into practical application.
Religion, Women, and Girls’ Rights in Zimbabwe: the Case of Zimbabwe’s Johanne Marange Apostolic Church
Authors: Dudzai Cornelius , Zvokuomba Kwashirai , Mboko Tarisai Gracious
Published: October 2023

The study sought to understand the position of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church on women and girls’ rights in Zimbabwe. Engaging in this study came out of the realization that women and girls’ rights are compromised in religious settings and the issue goes on unreported. Deploying a qualitative research methodology framework buttressed by the gendered human rights–based theoretical approach, the study collected empirical evidence through semi-structured in-depth interviews as well as participant observation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty participants — fifteen young women and five males. All the twenty participants were members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church. Snowball sampling was used in selecting the participants. It was established that the church doctrine within the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church provides a conducive environment for the abuse of women and the girl child under the guise of ‘sacredness’ of the religious sect. This has been and is still going on unchecked. The study concluded that abuse cases through forced and teen marriages to older men are facilitated by both adult men and women and is highly safeguarded within religious cultism. The study recommends that the government and non-state actors need to enhance child protection services and programmes in religious settings for the purpose of protecting and removing the vulnerabilities of girls within the church by prosecuting perpetrators.
Ethical Prescribing of Psychotropic Medications for People with Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Deb Shoumitro , Limbu Bharati , Bianco Annamaria , Bertelli Marco
Published: October 2023

Objectives

People with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and autism are subjected to restrictive practices like physical restraint and the overuse of psychotropic medications for challenging behaviour in the absence of a psychiatric disorder. This practice may lead to human rights violations. Rational and evidence-based shared decision-making for person-centred planning will help reduce this practice.

Methods

We have discussed in this paper the issue of the overmedication of people with NDD, explaining how this practice may violate the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Results

We have discussed how the following UN CRPD Articles may be affected by overmedication, including Article 15 (degrading treatment or punishment), 16 (abuse), 17 (the integrity of the person), and 25 (health). The other Articles that may be indirectly affected by this practice are 5 (equality and non-discrimination), 9 (accessibility), 19 (independent living and community inclusion), 21 (access to information), 24 (education), 26 (rehabilitation), 27 (work and employment), 28 (adequate living standard), and 30 (participation in recreation and leisure).

Conclusions

Overmedication of people with NDD, particularly the off-licence use of psychotropics for challenging behaviour, the side effects of these medications impacting the person’s quality of life are likely to violet several UN Articles on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Following the right guidelines may help reduce these human rights violations.
Static Archetypes and Mobile Mountains: Upland Landscapes in the Historical Mediterranean
Authors: Given Michael
Published: October 2023

Deep-seated mythologies and powerful stereotypes have driven perceptions of mountain landscapes for millennia. Particularly damaging is the concept that mountains and mountain societies are static and stable, in both time and place. A critical approach replaces static and simplistic models of mountain practices with interaction among human and ecological communities within lively mountain landscapes. There are challenges to doing archaeological fieldwork in the mountains, but recent projects have shown how rich highland and rugged landscapes can be in archaeological material, particularly when systematic survey and historical analysis are combined with ethnological and ecological approaches. This is particularly productive when exploring the dynamic relationships among pastoralists, their animals, and their upland grazing grounds. Similarly, focusing on practices and socioecological relationships helps in understanding how human emotional connections with mountains can be expressed through everyday action and performance.
“Truth,” “lies,” and beyond: epistemological prerequisites for a constructive political discourse
Authors: Kempf Wilhelm
Published: October 2023

Building on methodical constructivism, the paper examines the differences between trans-subjectively founded (objective) reality, merely intersubjectively agreed (social) reality, and subjective reality in the narrow sense, and refutes the social constructivist view according to which every representation of reality only offers a distorted image of reality, so that all representations of reality stand side by side on an equal footing. Admitting that socially constructed reality is necessarily selective and therefore an interpreted (meaningful) reality, the paper argues that truth vs. falsehood is not the only criterion by which a construction of reality can be measured. Although the discourse about meanings cannot be a discourse about whether they are true or false, constructions of reality can nonetheless be questioned for their appropriateness for constructive problem solving. Political discourse, however, is all too often not about problem solving, but about gaining power, maintaining power, and using power in order to enforce one’s own positions. Appropriateness then gets replaced by mere expediency, and populist politicians drive this to a perfection in which their careless handling of truth is only the tip of the iceberg. At the base of the iceberg, there is the refusal of coexistence and the destruction of reasonable common ground, and the primary question that arises for social research is that of social pathologies that help populists’ (subjective) reality to become shared by (at least) parts of society.
Understanding the Role of Equity
Authors: Lindenmuth David T.
Published: October 2023

Leaders at both school and district levels need to understand the complexities of equity and its role in order to support their students and staff and to avoid the pitfalls that their colleagues have become victims to due to a lack of knowledge and perspective. Beginning with a foundational understanding surrounding the multifaceted aspects of equity in the school setting, this book supports the researched practitioner with resources and tools to explore policies, practices, and daily decisions that occur as a result. The hands-on approach of case study analysis, followed by the factual review of “what happened” in the actual scenarios, allows for a self-reflective examination of individual decision making and insight concerning what pitfalls to avoid and/or expect. The reflective practice that each leader must strive to perform during their ongoing leadership journey is supported with an introduction to additional theories and subsequent learning concepts.
In the Footsteps of the Etruscans
Authors: Barker Graeme , Rasmussen Tom
Published: October 2023

In the Footsteps of the Etruscans describes the archaeology of the countryside within a ten km radius of the small town of Tuscania near Rome, throwing light on the unrecorded lives of the generations of farmers and shepherds who have lived there. What was the character of prehistoric settlement prior to Etruscan urbanization? How did urbanization shape the lives of the 'ordinary Etruscans' working the land, hardly ever addressed in Etruscan archaeology? What was the impact on these people of being absorbed into the expanding Roman empire and its globalised economic structures? How did the empire's collapse and the subsequent emergence of the nucleated medieval village affect Tuscania's rural population? The project's 7500-year 'archaeological history', from the first farmers to those grappling with globalisation today, contributes eloquently to our understanding of how Mediterranean peoples have constantly shaped their landscape, and been shaped by it.
War, Rebellion and Epic in Byzantine North Africa
Authors: Merrills Andy
Published: October 2023

In around 550 the Latin poet Corippus composed his epic Iohannis to celebrate the forgotten wars of a Byzantine general against the 'Moorish' or 'Berber' peoples of North Africa. This book explores the rich narrative of that poem and the changing political, social and cultural environment within which he worked. It reappraises the dramatic first decades of Byzantine North Africa (533-550) and discusses the ethnography of Moorish Africa, the diplomatic and military history of the imperial administration, and the religious transformations (both Christian and 'pagan') of this period. By considering the Iohannis as a political text, it sheds new light on the continued importance of poetry and literature on the southern fringes of imperial power, and presents a model for reading epic as a historical source. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.
Causal Factor Investing
Authors: López de Prado Marcos M.
Published: October 2023

Virtually all journal articles in the factor investing literature make associational claims, instead of causal claims. Authors do not identify the causal graph consistent with the observed phenomenon, they justify their chosen model specification in terms of correlations, and they do not propose experiments for falsifying causal mechanisms. Absent a causal theory, their findings are likely false, due to rampant backtest overfitting and incorrect specification choices. This Element differentiates between type-A and type-B spurious claims, and explains how both types prevent factor investing from advancing beyond its current phenomenological stage. It analyzes the current state of causal confusion in the factor investing literature, and proposes solutions with the potential to transform factor investing into a truly scientific discipline. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Partisan niche construction: Out-party affect, geographic sorting, and mate selection
Authors: Arreguin Chano
Published: October 2023

Partisans in the American electorate are affectively polarized, which coincides with the tendency for partisan geographic sorting. Could mate selection pressures contribute to this geographic tendency, and how might they interact with out-party affect? I propose a model in which an individual’s perception of their mate success in a niche is key. I argue that perceived mate success is a function of a niche’s partisanship and one’s out-party affect, which in turn, incentivizes sorting. The model is partially tested with conjoint experiments on multiple U.S. samples. Results show that partisans perceive a lower probability of mate success in niches with greater shares of out-partisans and that mate success interacts with negative out-party affect. I also replicate findings on political mate choice preferences with a more appropriate method. Lastly, this project links instrumentality and affect, which is a departure from past work. In doing so, it contributes to research on the consequences of mate pressures for political behavior.
Secular trends in infant feeding practices during the first year of life in Norway: findings from 1998 to 2019 – the Spedkost surveys
Authors: Kristiansen Anne Lene , Myhre Jannicke Borch , Paulsen Mari Mohn , Totland Torunn Holm , Lande Britt , Andersen Lene Frost
Published: October 2023

The aims of the present study were to assess secular trends in breast-feeding and to explore associations between age at introduction of solid foods and breast-feeding duration. Data from three national dietary surveys in Norway were used, including infants born in 1998 (Spedkost 1, n 1537), 2006 (Spedkost 2, n 1490) and 2018 (Spedkost 3, n 1831). In all surveys, around 80 % of the infants were breastfed at 6 months of age. At 12 months of age, breast-feeding rate was 41 % in Spedkost 1, increasing to 48 % in Spedkost 2 and 51 % in Spedkost 3. Compared with earlier introduction, introduction of solid foods at ≥ 5 months of age was associated with a lower risk of breast-feeding cessation during the first year of life in the two most recent Spedkost surveys. In Spedkost 2, the adjusted hazard ratio for breast-feeding cessation during the first year of life for those introduced to solid foods at ≥ 5 months of age was 0·43 (95 % CI (0·31, 0·60)), P < 0·001, while the corresponding number in Spedkost 3 was 0·44 (95 % CI (0·29, 0·67)), P < 0·001. In conclusion, breast-feeding at infant age 12 months increased over time. Introduction of solid foods at ≥ 5 months of age was positively associated with breast-feeding duration in the two most recent Spedkost surveys. As breast-feeding contributes to numerous health benefits for infant and mother, and possibly improved dietary sustainability in infancy, findings point to the importance of continued protection, support and promotion of breast-feeding.
Mutating signed -exceptional sequences
Authors: Buan Aslak Bakke , Marsh Bethany Rose
Published: October 2023

We establish some properties of
$\tau$
-exceptional sequences for finite-dimensional algebras. In an earlier paper, we established a bijection between the set of ordered support
$\tau$
-tilting modules and the set of complete signed
$\tau$
-exceptional sequences. We describe the action of the symmetric group on the latter induced by its natural action on the former. Similarly, we describe the effect on a
$\tau$
-exceptional sequence obtained by mutating the corresponding ordered support
$\tau$
-tilting module via a construction of Adachi-Iyama-Reiten.
The Attempt to Capture the Courts in Israel
Authors: Lurie Guy
Published: October 2023

A central element in the Israeli government's agenda to overhaul the judiciary, unveiled in January 2023, is its proposal to give it and its parliamentary coalition control over the selection and promotion of judges. This article shows that this proposal is an attempt to capture the courts. To illustrate this, the article looks at the government's proposal through three different perspectives: first, the perspective of the rationale of the current system of judicial selection, against the background of court governance in Israel and its constitutional system; second, the perspective of changes in Israel's judicial selection system over the past two decades; third, the comparative perspective of trends in judicial selection in other democracies.
Optimal forward guidance in monetary policy: Can central banks sway the public with projections?
Authors: Jensen Christian
Published: October 2023

Because economic outcomes depend on private-sector expectations, central banks might be tempted to guide these by publishing projections of key macroeconomic variables. We find that optimal projections require misleading the public. Optimal non-misleading projections are time-inconsistent. Non-misleading time-consistent projections can only improve policy outcomes if the public’s forecasts are noisier, or inconsistent with implemented policy. Since the public only has incentives to be guided by policymakers’ projections when most vulnerable to being mislead, these cannot be trusted blindly. Consistent with this, we find statistically significant systematic deviations between FOMC projections and professional forecasts for US inflation and GDP growth.
Compact three-way planar power divider with a simple structure
Authors: Tsitsos Stelios P. , Giannenas Ioannis C.
Published: October 2023

A simple and compact three-way planar power divider, which avoids the floating common node of the isolation resistors, is presented. The proposed structure exhibits a wideband operation (measured frequency range of 1.6–3.3 GHz and bandwidth of 69.4%) with good return loss and isolation characteristics. Transmission line theory is used for the mathematical analysis and extraction of design equations, followed by simulations and experimental measurements that confirm the predicted results. The proposed divider achieves an equal power split (∼32%, −4.9 ± 0.4 dB insertion loss) between the input and each output port. The measured return loss is better than −10 dB at all ports, and the measured maximum isolation is close to −30 dB. The proposed design exhibits a fully planar structure, thus eliminating the need for a floating common node for the isolation resistors. Additionally, its structure is much simpler (i.e., no coupled lines, crossovers, or lumped capacitors are required) than other designs, achieves wideband operation, and provides design simplicity, flexibility, and easy implementation. Despite its simple noncomplicated structure, the proposed three-way planar divider achieves similar (or in some cases, better) performance and size than other more complicated structures. Furthermore, it can be expanded to an n-way structure.
Composite Model for Predicting SYM‐H Index
Authors: Ji Yong , Ma Lan , Shen Chao , Zeng Gang , Yang YanYan , Ti Shuo
Published: October 2023

Predicting SYM‐H index is significant in space weather because it quantifies the degree of perturbation of the geomagnetic field during storm. This study presents a composite model to predict SYM‐H index based on solar wind parameters by combining the empirical magnetospheric dynamical equation with neural networks. The formula for predicted SYM‐H originates from the well‐known empirical relationship between interplanetary conditions and the Dst index. In particular, the coefficients in the empirical relationship are determined by using neural networks that excel at approaching the function linking the coefficients and the solar wind parameters. The 1‐ and 2‐hr forecasts of SYM‐H during storm time are reliable, and the precision of some cases is even better than the latest models solely using deep neural networks. Based on the composite model, the dependence of loss time and injection rates of ring current energy on the solar wind parameters and SYM‐H are investigated.
Lithospheric Flexure Controls on Geomorphology, Hydrology, and River Chemistry in the Andean Foreland Basin
Authors: Repasch Marisa , Scheingross Joel S. , Cook Kristen L. , Sachse Dirk , Dosch Sophia , Orfeo Oscar , Hovius Niels
Published: October 2023

Tectonics exerts a strong control over the morphology of Earth's surface that is apparent in active mountain belts. In lowland areas, subtle processes like lithospheric flexure and isostatic rebound can impact Earth surface dynamics, hydrologic connectivity, and topography, suggesting that geomorphic and hydrologic analyses can shed light on underlying lithospheric properties. Here we examine the effect of lithospheric flexure on the geomorphology, hydrology, and river water chemistry of the Rio Bermejo fluvial system in the east Andean foreland basin of northern Argentina. Results show that proximal to the mountain front, foredeep basin subsidence causes sedimentation along a braided channel belt that is superelevated relative to the surrounding flood basin. During floods, water flows from the superelevated channel into the groundwater reservoir, causing a net loss of discharge with distance downstream. Further downstream, forebulge uplift forces channel narrowing, high lateral migration rates, and incision up to 13 m into older river deposits. This incision locally allows groundwater flow into the river, causing a ∼20% increase in river solute load. Groundwater emerges from the forebulge into the backbulge, predominantly as spring‐fed channels. Here, channel migration rates decrease, suggesting a switch from net uplift to subsidence that reduces the depth to the groundwater table. This analysis shows that subtle lithospheric flexure can have significant effects on river channel morphology that determine hydrologic flow paths, and ultimately influence geochemical and ecological patterns. We suggest that these effects may elucidate lithospheric properties that are otherwise inferred from bulk geophysical observations.