bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a more ‘sovereign’ Europe? Domestic, bilateral, and European factors to explain France’s (growing) influence on EU politics, 2017–2022
Authors: Bora Salih Isik , Schramm Lucas
Published: January 2023

In recent years, both inside and outside France, scholars and policymakers have emphasized a small and declining French influence on European politics and the political direction of the European Union (EU). By contrast, in 2022, at the end of President Emmanuel Macron’s first term in office, the EU increasingly follows French preferences and ideas. We argue that this renewed French clout is due to the interplay of factors located at different levels of government: a centralized political system and careful preparation of policy objectives at the domestic level, together with a more balanced bilateral relationship with Germany and several exogenous shocks hitting the EU, enabled the French President to upload national policy priorities to the European level. We combine a longer-term perspective, which considers the formulation and pursuit of national strategies, with moments of crisis altering the EU’s status quo and leading member states to promote change. We demonstrate France’s influence on EU politics based on developments in three policy fields, namely fiscal policy, competition policy, and defense industrial policy.
Design and fabrication of a series contact RF MEMS switch with a novel top electrode
Authors: Wu Qiannan , Guo Honglei , Liu Qiuhui , Zhu Guangzhou , Wang Junqiang , Cao Yonghong , Li Mengwei
Published: January 2023

Radio-frequency (RF) micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) switches are widely used in communication devices and test instruments. In this paper, we demonstrate the structural design and optimization of a novel RF MEMS switch with a straight top electrode. The insertion loss, isolation, actuator voltage, and stress distribution of the switch are optimized and explored simultaneously by HFSS and COMSOL software, taking into account both its RF and mechanical properties. Based on the optimized results, a switch was fabricated by a micromachining process compatible with conventional IC processes. The RF performance in the DC to 18 GHz range was measured with a vector network analyzer, showing isolation of more than 21.28 dB over the entire operating frequency range. Moreover, the required actuation voltage was about 9.9 V, and the switching time was approximately 33 μs. A maximum lifetime of 109 switching cycles was obtained. Additionally, the dimension of the sample is 1.8 mm × 1.8 mm × 0.3 mm, which might find application in the current stage.
Profiling terahertz beam electric fields with a metasurface
Authors: Patrick Chris
Published: January 2023

Upconversion to ultraviolet-visible light using a metallic metasurface allows measurement of a terahertz beam’s electric field.
Tracking airborne nuclei to determine air filtration efficacy in reducing viral spread
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: January 2023

Statistical overloading introduces novel method to assess transmission risk in indoor settings
Soft-bottom polychaetes in a chronic eutrophic bay on the coast of Alexandria
Authors: Elebiary Noha , Abd Elnaby Faiza , Dorgham Mohamed M. , Hamdan Amira M. , Hamdy Rasha
Published: January 2023

Context The polychaetes are the major benthos in the soft bottom of the eutrophic Eastern Harbour of Alexandria, Egypt. Aim Investigate the quantitative and qualitative dynamics of polychaete community in the Harbour. Methods Polychaetes were collected bimonthly from August 2018 to June 2019, by using a 29- × 16-cm grab. Key results In total, 54 polychaete species were identified, belonging to 27 families and 51 genera. The family Syllidae was represented by eight species, Spionidae by five species, and Cirratulidae by five species, against one to three species from all other families. Eleven alien species were recorded, including four new to the Mediterranean Sea (Caulleriella cristata, Armandia casuarina, Spio blakei and Prionospio lighti). The polychaete community displayed pronounced temporal variations in both species diversity and numerical abundance at the two sampled sites. Conclusion This study showed high diversity and abundance of polychaetes in such eutrophic basin. Implications The eutrophication may play a role in the structure and count of polychaetes in the Eastern Harbour.
Collostructional transfer effects in Turkish learners of English
Authors: Gedik Tan Arda
Published: January 2023

Second language acquisition studies have mainly considered transfer between two or more languages as a binary
setting, it either happens or does not. However, research emerging out of usage-based approaches show that such transfer effects
might be more gradient than ever thought before (e.g., Goschler & Stefanowitsch,
2019). Investigating a construction that has been reported to pose problems such as overpassivization to L2 English
learners, i.e., unaccusatives, this study aims to trace gradient transfer effects between Turkish and English in the
intransitive-unaccusative construction in Turkish learners of English. Following Goschler and
Stefanowitsch’s (2019) method to analyze, extract experimental items from English and Turkish corpora, and experiment
with collostructional transfer effects, the study revealed similar findings. Findings suggest that learners are likely to transfer
strongly entrenched L1 items into the L2 even at advanced proficiency levels. Interestingly, when the item is weakly entrenched in
L1, speakers attune to the input in L2 with growing proficiency. Furthermore, proficiency or experience helps with preempting
non-optimal constructional combinations. Pedagogically, the study suggests that collo-profiles may help teachers and students with
mitigating unconventional item-construction combinations at advanced levels.
The role of childhood nostalgia in the reception of translated children’s literature
Authors: Chen Xuemei
Published: January 2023

This article explores how childhood nostalgia influences the reception of translations, specifically in the case of the (re)translation of E. B. White’s children’s book,Charlotte’s Web(1952). I concentrate on two translations – one by Xin Kang (White 1979) and the other by Rongrong Ren (White 2004). The theoretical framework complements existing reception research with theories of nostalgia, collective memory, and cultural memory. A qualitative analysis of reader posts on social media sites shows that a group of adult readers prefer Kang’s translation because they read it as children and feel a nostalgic attachment to it. This nostalgia expresses itself in three ways: (1) Kang’s version, as a memory trigger, connects adults to their childhood, (2) sharing digitized versions of Kang’s translation and the online sale of its hardcover version creates nostalgic online communities based on a collective memory, and (3) Kang’s version is considered a classic that should, as a kind of cultural memory, be passed on to the next generation. In this article, I argue that childhood nostalgia, an often ignored extratextual factor, influences adult reception of translated children’s literature. I thus offer a new perspective on translation reception and the ‘aging’ issue in studies of retranslation.
Investigating sensor location on the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring during exercise in a non‐diabetic population
Authors: Coates Alexandra M. , Cohen Jeremy N. , Burr Jamie F.
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate whether continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors worn on the active muscle may provide enhanced insight into glucose control in non‐diabetic participants during cycling exercise compared to traditional sensor placement on the arm. Data from 9 healthy participants (F:3) was recorded using CGM sensors on the arm (triceps brachii) and leg (vastus medialis) following 100 g glucose ingestion during 30 min experimental visits of: resting control, graded cycling, electrically stimulated quadriceps contractions, and passive whole‐body heating. Finger capillary glucose was used to assess sensor accuracy. Under control conditions, the traditional arm sensor better reflected capillary glucose, with a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 12.4 ± 9.3% versus 18.3 ± 11.4% in the leg (P = 0.02). For the intended use during exercise, the sensor‐site difference was attenuated, with similar MARDs during cycling (arm:15.5 ± 12% versus leg:16.7 ± 10.8%, P = 0.96) and quadriceps stimulation (arm:15.5 ± 14.8% versus leg:13.9 ± 9.5%, P = 0.9). At rest, glucose at the leg was consistently lower than the arm (P = 0.01); whereas, during graded cycling, the leg‐glucose was lower only after maximal intensity exercise (P = 0.02). There was no difference between sensors during quadriceps stimulation (P = 0.8). Passive heating caused leg‐skin temperature to increase by 3.1 ± 1.8°C versus 1.1 ± 0.72°C at the arm (P = 0.002), elevating MARD in the leg (23.5 ± 16.2%) and lowering glucose in the leg (P < 0.001). At rest, traditional placement of CGM sensors on the arm may best reflect blood glucose; however, during cycling, placement on the leg may offer greater insight to working muscle glucose concentrations, and this is likely due to greater blood‐flow rather than muscle contractions.
Analysis of Solubility Change of Soluble Magnesium Alloy by Melting Treatment in Petroleum Downhole
Authors: Shang Xiaofeng , Dong Jiazhi , Wang Zhijan
Published: January 2023

In order to solve the problem that the material utilization rate of soluble magnesium base alloy rod is less than 30%, the method of magnesium alloy rod casting is adopted to improve the material utilization rate. However, the cooling mode affects the dissolution rate of soluble magnesium alloy after casting. According to the different thermal conductivity of different materials, cylindrical graphite molds and copper molds with diameters of 5mm and 40mm are selected for casting magnesium alloys. In order to ensure the reliability of experimental results, polarization method and weight loss method were used to analyze the dissolution rate of soluble magnesium base alloy under different cooling modes. The test results show that: Magnesium alloy is cooled and solidified by copper mold with a diameter of 5mm, and the dissolution rate is the highest in 1.5% NaCl solution with a speed of 1.2856mm/h. The grain size of magnesium alloy can be refined by increasing cooling rate. After the grain boundary of magnesium-based alloy is refined, the grain boundary between the alloy increases, the number of corrosion galvanic cells increases, and the dissolution rate of magnesium-based alloy gradually increases.
Analysis of water invasion effect and development scheme design for deep water HHT gas reservoir: A case study of LS25 gas field
Authors: Donglei Jiang , Wenbo Meng , Shujie Liu , Yi Huang , Yi Yu , Yinghao Wang , Bicheng Gan , Zhandong Li , Jiazhi Feng
Published: January 2023

Based on the South China Sea deepwater high temperature and high pressure gas reservoir LS25 gas field, 3D geological model and a numerical reservoir model of LS25 gas field are established. Through numerical simulation of gas reservoir production, quantitative analysis of water invasion characteristics of 11 wells has been completed. The whole process of water invasion in space is as follows: bottom water conies in the early stage, forming water cone shape, the scale of the water body to the ridge increases, and the horizontal section completely emerges. Through comparative study, it is concluded that the combined water control technology of variable density screen pipe has the best water control effect. According to the prediction and analysis of the final production plan of variable density technology, it can prolong the water-free gas production period of the gas reservoir by 0.7 years, prolong the total production time by 1.9 years, increase the gas production by 1.9×108m3, and increase the recovery factor by 10.5% compared with that without water control measures. The research results are aimed to establish an optimal water control development model for buried hill gas reservoirs, and provide a good technical support for reasonable and scientific water control research of horizontal wells in offshore buried hill fractured gas reservoirs.
Research on Matching Strategy between Precision and Efficiency of Laser Melting Deposition of Metal Materials
Authors: Liu Hongjun , Zou Jian , Zhang Yingwei , Zhao Jibin , Zhao Yuhui , Liu Wenzhe
Published: January 2023

At present, laser deposition forming technology of titanium alloy is widely used based on the flexibility of laser additive manufacturing technology. However, the mechanism and law of influence on the forming accuracy and efficiency need further study. Based on the orthogonal experiment, the analysis of the results shows that with the increase of energy density, the forming accuracy and efficiency are improved. There is a negative correlation between precision and efficiency. The experimental data are fitted and analyzed by establishing a statistical regression analysis model, a regression prediction model is established, and the regression prediction model is comprehensively calculated and analyzed, so as to optimize the appropriate parameter interval. During the forming process, the energy density is maintained in the range of 300 J/mm2–400 J/mm2, the forming accuracy is at a high level of 80%, the forming efficiency can be maintained in a high range of 0.35 g/s-0.40 g/s, and the whole forming process is in a state of high precision and high efficiency, so that the matching strategy of precision and efficiency in the forming process is the best. In order to improve the laser deposition forming titanium alloy.
Optimization of coal procurement and transportation decisions based on improved genetic algorithm
Authors: Liu Qing , Peng Liang , Liu Wenzhe , zhang Bo
Published: January 2023

The cost of coal in thermal power generation accounts for more than 70% of the cost of power generation, coal consumption is high, and the high price of coal has a significant impact on the profitability of power plants. In this paper, a model is developed for the purchase and transfer of coal from thermal power plants and a genetic algorithm is used for the optimal decision making.
Research on rapid construction technology of three-dimensional safety control area for the complex maintenance work environment of substation
Authors: An Xing , Zhang Xiao-hua , Liu Zhan , Yang ShunFu , Sun Bo
Published: January 2023

According to the actual needs of the substation operation and maintenance team, this paper studies the defect video intelligent analysis technology in realizing three-dimensional cross-border early warning, analyzes the principle and early warning application of narrowband millimeter-wave technology and develops a set of 3D cross-border early warning system for substation maintenance operation. The system adopts wideband network technology to realize the remote operation and stable data transmission between the system and the warning and analysis service software of mobile terminal. In this early warning analysis system, this study uses the combination of intelligent video analysis and millimeter-wave radar dynamic target capture to solve many deficiencies in early warning accuracy by relying solely on intelligent video analysis and early warning. Through the on-site verification of the test system, the system’s overall function is consistent with the substation maintenance and maintenance requirements. It is simple to use, and the accuracy of the crossover warning reaches more than 85%.
Dual crosslinked injectable protein-based hydrogels with cell anti-adhesive properties
Authors: Giri Pijush , Verma Devendra
Published: January 2023

Currently, one of the most severe clinical concerns is post-surgical tissue adhesions. Using films or hydrogel to separate the injured tissue from surrounding tissues has proven the most effective method for minimizing adhesions. Therefore, by combining dual crosslinking with calcium ions (Ca2+) and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride, we were able to create a novel, stable, robust, and injectable dual crosslinking hydrogel using albumin (BSA). This dual crosslinking has preserved the microstructure of the hydrogel network during the degradation process, which contributes to the hydrogel’s mechanical strength and stability in a physiological situation. At 60% strain, compressive stress was 48.81 kPa obtained. It also demonstrated excellent self-healing characteristics (within 25 min), tissue adhesion, excellent cytocompatibility, and a quick gelling time of 27 ± 6 s. Based on these features, the dual crosslinked injectable hydrogels might find exciting applications in biomedicine, particularly for preventing post-surgical adhesions.
High-resolution spectroscopy of a single nitrogen-vacancy defect at zero magnetic field
Authors: Kumar Shashank , Dubey Pralekh , Bhadade Sudhan , Naliyapara Jemish , Saha Jayita , Peddibhotla Phani
Published: January 2023

We report a study of high-resolution microwave spectroscopy of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond crystals at and around zero magnetic field. We observe characteristic splitting and transition imbalance of the hyperfine transitions, which originate from level anti-crossings (LACs) in the presence of a transverse effective field. We use pulsed electron spin resonance spectroscopy to measure the zero-field spectral features of single NV centers for clearly resolving such LACs. To quantitatively analyze the magnetic resonance behavior of the hyperfine spin transitions in the presence of the effective field, we present a theoretical model, which describes the transition strengths under the action of an arbitrarily polarized microwave magnetic field. Our results are of importance for the optimization of the experimental conditions for the polarization-selective microwave excitation of spin-1 systems in zero or weak magnetic fields.
3D printed fiber-optic nanomechanical bioprobe
Authors: Zou Mengqiang , Liao Changrui , Chen Yanping , Xu Lei , Tang Shuo , Xu Gaixia , Ma Ke , Zhou Jiangtao , Cai Zhihao , Li Bozhe , Zhao Cong , Xu Zhourui , Shen Yuanyuan , Liu Shen , Wang Ying , Gan Zongsong , Wang Hao , Zhang Xuming , Kasas Sandor , Wang Yiping
Published: January 2023

Ultrasensitive nanomechanical instruments, e.g. atomic force microscopy (AFM), can be used to perform delicate biomechanical measurements and reveal the complex mechanical environment of biological processes. However, these instruments are limited because of their size and complex feedback system. In this study, we demonstrate a miniature fiber optical nanomechanical probe (FONP) that can be used to detect the mechanical properties of single cells and in vivo tissue measurements. A FONP that can operate in air and in liquids was developed by programming a microcantilever probe on the end face of a single-mode fiber using femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization nanolithography. To realize stiffness matching of the FONP and sample, a strategy of customizing the microcantilever’s spring constant according to the sample was proposed based on structure-correlated mechanics. As a proof-of concept, three FONPs with spring constants varying from 0.421 N m−1 to 52.6 N m−1 by more than two orders of magnitude were prepared. The highest microforce sensitivity was 54.5 nm μN−1 and the detection limit was 2.1 nN. The Young’s modulus of heterogeneous soft materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane, muscle tissue of living mice, onion cells, and MCF-7 cells, were successfully measured, which validating the broad applicability of this method. Our strategy provides a universal protocol for directly programming fiber-optic AFMs. Moreover, this method has no special requirements for the size and shape of living biological samples, which is infeasible when using commercial AFMs. FONP has made substantial progress in realizing basic biological discoveries, which may create new biomedical applications that cannot be realized by current AFMs.
A categorical study on the generalized type semigroup
Authors: Ma Xin
Published: January 2023

In this short note, we show that the generalized type semigroup

W

(
X
,
Γ
)

\mathcal {W}(X, \Gamma )

introduced by Ma [Ergodic Theory Dynam. Systems 41 (2021), pp. 2148–2165] belongs to the category W introduced by Antoine, Perera and Theil [Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. 251 (2018), vii+191]. In particular, we demonstrate that

W

(
X
,
Γ
)

\mathcal {W}(X, \Gamma )

satisfies axioms (W1)–(W4) and (W6). When

X
X

is zero-dimensional, we also establish (W5) for the semigroup. This supports the analogy between the generalized type semigroup and pre-completed Cuntz semigroup

W
(
⋅
)

W(\cdot )

for

C
∗

C^*

-algebras.
Race and Ethnic Stereotypes in the Media
Authors: Ramasubramanian Srividya , Riewestahl Emily , Ramirez Anthony
Published: January 2023

There is a long history of scholarship documenting the prevalence of racial and ethnic stereotypes in media and popular culture. This body of literature demonstrates that media stereotypes have changed over time across specific racial/ethnic groups, media formats, and genres. Historically, the bulk of this research has focused on representations in the U.S. mainstream media and on representations of African Americans in popular media. In the last few decades, media scholars have also examined media stereotypes associated with Indigenous groups, Latino/a/x populations, Arabs, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. Recent work has gone beyond traditional media such as television and films to also examine other types of media content such as video games, microblogging sites such as Twitter, and media sharing sites such as YouTube. Emerging research addresses racial biases in AI, algorithms, and media technologies through computational methods and data sciences.

Despite individual variations across groups and media types, the underlying social psychological mechanisms of how, why, and under what circumstances these stereotypes influence audiences has been theorized more broadly. Cultivation, social identity theory, priming, framing, social cognitive theory, and exemplification are popular theoretical perspectives used within media stereotyping literature. Several experimental studies have examined the effects of mediated racial/ethnic stereotypes on individual users’ attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. The lion’s share of these studies has demonstrated that negative stereotypes shape majority audiences’ real-world stereotypical perceptions, social judgments, intergroup emotions, and even public policy opinions. More important, media stereotypes can have negative effects on communities of color by affecting their self-concept, self-esteem, and collective identity in adverse ways. Recent studies have also parsed out the differences between positive and negative stereotypes. They demonstrate that even so-called positive stereotypes often have harmful effects on marginalized groups.

Media scholars are increasingly interested in practical solutions to address media stereotypes. For instance, one content-based strategy has been to study the effects of counter-stereotypic portrayals that challenge stereotypes by presenting stereotype-disconfirming information. Other related measures are encouraging positive role models, implementing media literacy education, and supporting alternative media spaces that are more racially inclusive. The recent scholarship suggests that it is important to be intentional about centering social change, amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, and working toward reducing systemic racism in the media industry and research.
History and Future of Snow and Sea Ice in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Leppäranta Matti
Published: January 2023

The physics of the ice season in the Baltic Sea is presented for its research history and present state of understanding. Knowledge has been accumulated since the 1800s, first in connection of operational ice charting; deeper physics came into the picture in the 1960s along with sea ice structure and pressure ridges. Then the drift of ice and ice forecasting formed the leading line for 20 years, and over to the present century, ice climate modeling and satellite remote sensing have been the primary research topics. The physics of the Baltic Sea ice season is quite well understood, and toward future ice conditions realistic scenarios can be constructed from hypothetical regional climate scenarios.

The key factor in climate scenarios is the air temperature in the Baltic Sea region. The local freezing and breakup dates show sensitivity of 5–8 days’ change to climate warming by 1 °C, while this sensitivity of sea ice thickness is 5–10 cm. However, sea ice thickness and breakup date show sensitivity also to snow accumulation: More snow gives later breakup, but the thickness of ice may decrease due to better insulation or increase due to more snow-ice. The annual probability of freezing decreases with climate warming, and the sensitivity of maximum annual ice extent is 35,000–40,000 km2 (8.3%–9.5% of the Baltic Sea area) for 1 °C climate warming. Due to the large sensitivity to air temperature, the severity of the Baltic Sea ice season is closely related to the North Atlantic Oscillation.
Syukuro Manabe: Recipient of Nobel Prize in Physics 2021
Authors: Navarra Antonio
Published: January 2023

Syukuro Manabe was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2021 for his work on climate modeling. The Prize recognizes an exceptional career that pioneered a new area of the scientific enterprise revealing the power of numerical simulations and methods for advancing scientific discovery and producing new knowledge. Manabe contributed decisively to the creation of the modern scientific discipline of climate science through numerical modeling, stressing clarity of ideas and simplicity of approach. He described in no uncertain terms the role of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the impact of changes in the radiation balance of the atmosphere caused by the anthropogenic increase of such gases, and he revealed the role of water vapor in the greenhouse effect. He also understood the importance of including all the components of the climate system (the oceans, sea ice, and land surface) to reach a comprehensive treatment of the mechanisms of climate in a general circulation model, paving the way to the modern earth system models and the establishment of climate modeling as a leading scientific discipline.
Neural Mechanisms of Tinnitus
Authors: Hockley Adam , Shore Susan E.
Published: January 2023

Tinnitus is the perception of sound that is independent from an external stimulus. Despite the word tinnitus being derived from the Latin verb for ring, tinnire, it can present as buzzing, hissing, or clicking. Tinnitus is generated centrally in the auditory pathway; however, the neural mechanisms underlying this generation have been disputed for decades. Although it is well accepted that tinnitus is produced by damage to the auditory system by exposure to loud sounds, the level of damage required and how this damage results in tinnitus are unclear.

Neural recordings in the auditory brainstem, midbrain, and forebrain of animals with models of tinnitus have revealed increased spontaneous firing rates, capable of being perceived as a sound. There are many proposed mechanisms of how this increase is produced, including spike-timing-dependent plasticity, homeostatic plasticity, central gain, reduced inhibition, thalamocortical dysrhythmia, and increased inflammation. Animal studies are highly useful for testing these potential mechanisms because the noise damage can be carefully titrated and recordings can be made directly from neural populations of interest. These studies have advanced the field greatly; however, the limitations are that the variety of models for tinnitus induction and quantification are not well standardized, which may explain some of the variability seen across studies.

Human studies use patients with tinnitus (but an unknown level of cochlear damage) to probe neural mechanisms of tinnitus. They use noninvasive methods, often recoding gross evoked potentials, oscillations, or imaging brain activity to determine if tinnitus sufferers show altered processing of sounds or silence. These studies have also revealed putative neural mechanisms of tinnitus, such as increased delta- or gamma-band cortical activity, altered Bayesian prediction of incoming sound, and changes to limbic system activity.

Translation between animal and human studies has allowed some neural correlates of tinnitus to become more widely accepted, which has in turn allowed deeper research into the underlying mechanism of the correlates. As the understanding of neural mechanisms of tinnitus grows, the potential for treatments is also improved, with the ultimate goal being a true treatment for tinnitus perception.
Neural Mechanisms for Odor-Guided Behavior
Authors: Gaeta Giuliano , Sullivan Regina M. , Wilson Donald A.
Published: January 2023

Odor- or chemical-guided behavior is expressed in all species. Such behavioral responses to odors begin with transduction at olfactory receptors and, after initial processing in early stages of the olfactory system (e.g., vertebrate olfactory bulb, invertebrate antennal lobe), the information is rapidly (within one to two synapses) distributed to diverse brain regions controlling hedonics, metabolic balance, mating, and spatial navigation, among many other basic functions. Odors can not only drive or guide specific behavioral responses but can also modulate behavioral choices and affective state, in many cases in humans without conscious awareness. Many of the specific neural circuits underlying odor-guided behaviors have been partially described, though much remains unknown. Neural processes underlying odor-guided reward and aversion, kin recognition, feeding, orientation, and navigation across diverse species have been discussed, as well as odor modulation of human behavior and emotion.
Relational Theories in International Relations
Authors: Kavalski Emilian
Published: January 2023

Based on the conviction that global life outlines a complex mesh of contingent interactions, the contributions to the relational turns in international relations (IR) draw attention to the ongoing interpenetration between agency, structure, and order among the diversity of agency, form, and matter implicated in, enacting, and enabling global life. Inhabiting a relational universe reveals the interdependence between international actors and also their mutual implication in each other’s interactions and roles, in addition to the overwhelming embeddedness of these relations in the world. The relational research agenda has sought simultaneously to unravel the atomistic individualism dominating the IR mainstream and reimagine the international as a dynamic space for dialogical learning, which promises a world that is less hegemonic, more democratic, and equitable. Two of the dominant trends that have come to define the “relational revolution” in IR are the simultaneous decentering of its Eurocentrism and its anthropocentrism. As such, the relational knowledge production underpinning the study of global life mandates tolerance of at least as much diversity and contradictions as evident in the social relations being narrated.
Wartime Sexual Violence
Authors: Féron Élise
Published: January 2023

Sexual violence perpetrated during war—for instance, in Ukraine, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bosnia, or Rwanda—has attracted a large amount of media, political, and academic attention. It has also been the object of numerous national and international policy initiatives like United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and it has given birth to an abundant empirical and theoretical literature. While more information on the causes, actors, frequency, and patterns of wartime sexual violence has been gathered, a number of issues have remained under-researched, such as how wartime sexual violence affects cisgendered men and boys, as well as sexual and gender minorities.

Reviewed are existing theoretical approaches to wartime sexual violence, dividing these approaches into two partly overlapping and complementary categories. The first focuses on the cultural environment in which sexual violence is perpetrated, and in particular on gender roles, norms, and relations that underpin it, while the second focuses on perpetrators, and discusses their strategic or opportunistic motives. Both theoretical strands tend to focus primarily on wartime rape against women, somehow paying less attention to other forms of conflict-related sexual violence, and to other categories of victims. This article critically reviews the questions that these theoretical strands have left pending, with particular emphasis on five debates: First, how exactly does wartime sexual violence relate to other forms of violence committed during conflicts and/or in “peace times”? Second, how can sense be made of the complex causality entailed in the perpetration of wartime sexual violence? Third, how will incorporating non-female, as well as non-cisgendered female victims, change our views and theories of wartime sexual violence? Fourth, can these accounts be incorporated and, if they can, how can the prevalence of wartime sexual violence and its variations be effectively measured? And fifth, how can researchers ensure that research results are usable for policy purposes?

In order to provide answers to these questions, and to move the analysis forward, research should question the binary readings that lie at the core of the study of wartime sexual violence (notably the male/female and peace/war binaries), and systematically challenge the way victims, perpetrators, and types of sexual violence have been framed so far. This article also foregrounds the suggestion to adopt an intersectional analysis in the study of wartime sexual violence, to better understand the relations between its perpetration and broader societal cleavages. Such analyses would aid, at the policy level, the development of more efficient prevention strategies and support programs for survivors.
Ecofeminism, Religion, and the Arts in the West
Authors: Caputi Jane
Published: January 2023

Since its inception in the 1970s, ecofeminism has maintained a persistent and extensive engagement with the arts. This manifests itself when theorists take up analyses of ecologically relevant worldviews enmeshed in works from the fine arts, literary texts, musical compositions, political activist art, and popular and commercial arts. Many writers, composers, and artists also produce ecofeminist works (implicitly or explicitly). The curator of the 2020 exhibit ecofeminism(s), Monika Fabijanska, lambasted “Western patriarchal philosophy and religions” that legitimate both misogyny and ecocide. In her view, “the foundation of ecofeminism is spiritual feminism, which insists that everything is connected . . . nature does not discriminate between soul and matter.”

In the branch of ecofeminism that pays close attention to spirituality and religion, some seek to reclaim and/or generate an ecofeminist theology, often by invoking a non-heteropatriarchal and decolonial understanding of Mother Nature/Mother Earth as the original terrestrial force/source. This force/source contains female, male, and everything else, and holds powers of creation, destruction, transformation, and rebirth. Art historian Mary Garrard observes that Western culture demoted Nature from a “power” to an “environment.” Arguably, this has been to eliminate a rival, as the ruling notion of God is purely male, a father, heavenly, transcendent, the sole and omnipotent creator, and, as prophesied in the New Testament, the ultimate righteous destroyer of the elements and Earth.

Ecofeminism has evolved to become more pointedly anti-essentialist, intersectional, and decolonial as it makes connections between men’s violence against women (including both trans and cis women) and other marginalized peoples and the treatment of land, animals, plants, and elements. Ecofeminist theorists and artists demand total social, political, and spiritual transformation. Many also acknowledge that the active and intelligent life force/source (sometimes called Mother Nature/Mother Earth) is changing irrevocably in response to the egregious actions of some humans. What is especially apparent in the fusion of ecofeminist and Afrofuturist perspectives is that the exigencies of the current environmental crisis demand awareness that nature is and always has been the “power,” including the power that is understood as God.
Black Brotherhoods in the Portuguese Atlantic
Authors: Monroe Alicia L.
Published: January 2023

Lay Catholic brotherhoods constituted important religious, social, and civic associations among African-origin and African-descended people in Portugal, West Central Africa, and Portuguese America in the early modern period (1450–1850). Lay Catholic brotherhoods (irmandades), also known as confraternities (confrarias) and sodalities, functioned as spaces of devotion oriented around one or more patron saints. In the Portuguese Atlantic world, free and enslaved people of African origin and descent utilized the associations to prioritize collective devotion, mutual aid, and burial rites for members. Mutual aid could include small payments during illness, assistance with manumission process completion, and internment of deceased members under the auspices of the sodality.

Lay Catholic brotherhoods functioned as critical sites of transculturation and belonging for people of African origin and descent in the 1490s in Portugal, by the early 1500s in areas of West Central Africa with an entrenched Portuguese presence, and in Brazil beginning in the colonial period (1500–1822). Confraternities became a common facet of lived experience and religiosity for African and African-descended Catholic devotees across the Portuguese-speaking Atlantic world. Associations were governed by organizational charters generated by founding or elected directorate members that required approval from Catholic Church leaders, the Crown, and provincial-level state authorities. Confraternities had juridical personality and recognition from ecclesial and state officials as semi-autonomous entities or corporate bodies. Members could exercise and experience limited levels of autonomy, even in slave-holding colonial environments. Within brotherhoods in Portugal and in its overseas imperial territories, ethnic and racial stratification was predominant, but not absolute. Confraternities acted as institutional sites where West, West Central, and Southeastern African ethnic group identities held importance and deep social meaning across several centuries. Confraternity participants engaged baroque Catholicism, which emphasized collective action including celebration of the saints and related rites relying on music, movement, and festivities. Brotherhoods functioned as critical sites of proselytization, but also came to serve as spaces for local member imperatives that incorporated African cultural expression, esthetics, and worldviews.
Historical Trend of Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Surfactants PFOA, ADV, and cC6O4 and its Management in Two Perfluoroalkyl Polymers Plants, Italy
Authors: Fustinoni Silvia , Consonni Dario
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Perfluoroalkyl acid surfactants are used in the chemical industry for the synthesis of perfluoroalkyl polymers. In one Italian fluoropolymer plant and in the research and innovation center, two major perfluoroalkyl surfactants have been historically used: PFOA and ADV and a third, cC6O4 substituted PFOA from mid-2013. This work is summarizing occupational exposure to these chemicals in the period 2004–2021, assessed by biological monitoring. Moreover, taking advantage of the phasing out of PFOA, the elimination kinetics of PFOA in humans is investigated.

Methods

Workers exposed to PFOA (from beginning of the sixties to 2013), ADV (since 1996), and/or cC6O4 (since 2012) in the production of fluoropolymers, in the synthesis, research, and analysis, were periodically surveyed from 2004, measuring the concentration of perfluoroalkyl acid surfactants in serum. Workers of the same plants, not directly exposed, were surveyed as well. Applying the first-order kinetics model, the half-life of PFOA was calculated.

Results

809 Workers were investigated with measurements of PFOA (n = 3692), ADV (n = 4288) and cC6O4 (n = 2272) in serum. In the production plant, median PFOA ranged from 1900 to 14 µg/l from 2004 to 2021; median ADV ranged from 434 to 86 µg/l from 2011 to 2021. For cC6O4 the detection percentage ranged from 9 to 47%; in detected samples median cC6O4 ranged from 3 to 16 µg/l in the period 2013–2021. Adopted mitigation measurements included: the phasing out of PFOA, the improvement of the plastomer and elastomer post-treatments; the reinforcement of the staff involved in prevention. Decreasing trends were observed for all chemicals along years (P value for linear trend of means < 0.01). For PFOA, a half-life of 3.16 (95% CI 2.98–3.37) years was calculated.

Conclusions

In the study plants, several initiatives to reduce exposure and the risk associated with perfluoroalkyl surfactants were undertaken; results of biomonitoring show that they were effective, with a 5- to 136-fold reduction in the concentration of perfluoroalkyl compounds in the serum of workers.
A Systematic Review of Work Organization, Work Environment, and Employment Conditions in Warehousing in Relation to Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Authors: Rydström Klara , Jackson Jennie , Johansson Kristina , Mathiassen Svend Erik
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Studies in the goods supply chain in areas outside of warehousing show evidence of gender and racial/ethnic inequalities in working conditions (i.e. in work organization, work environment, and employment conditions). This review aimed to identify, summarize, and discuss research focused on inequality in warehousing and its effects on warehouse working conditions. In the review, racial/ethnic inequality includes inequality related to country of birth and (im)migration status.

Methods

We performed a systematic search in the Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify warehouse studies that addressed working conditions and (in)equality at a workplace level. Screening of records was performed using the Rayyan systematic review tool. Risk of bias was assessed according to established methods and checklists.

Results

Database searches yielded 4910 articles. After title-abstract-keyword and full-text screenings, 21 articles were included. Results showed inequality based on gender and race/ethnicity in both work organization (different tasks were performed by different groups of employees), work environment conditions (physical and psychosocial aspects differed), and employment conditions (disparate employment types and incomes between groups of employees). Health differences, as a possible result of unequal working conditions, were evident between different racial/ethnic groups of employees. A hierarchy that included both gender and race/ethnicity was found, with (im)migrant and racialized women positioned at the bottom.

Conclusions

We found evidence that gender and race/ethnicity influenced work organization, work environment conditions, and employment conditions. Evidence was found for an intersection between gender and race/ethnicity. To improve working conditions, and subsequently occupational health, we encourage researchers to simultaneously consider gender and race/ethnicity factors at work, and to consider both why inequality is present and how it impacts working conditions in future studies of warehousing, particularly in online retailing.
The Effect of Spatial Uncertainty on Visual Search in Older School-Aged Children with and without ADHD
Authors: Lin Hung-Yu
Published: January 2023

Objective

Numerous studies support that simple visual search tests may not be sufficient to differentiate children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), especially for older school-aged children. This study aimed to explore whether the high spatial uncertainty visual search tasks can effectively discriminate older school-aged children with ADHD from their typically developing (TD) peers.

Method

In a randomized, two-period crossover design, 122 school-aged children (61 ADHD and 61 TD subjects), aged 10–12 years old, were measured using comparable visual search tasks with structured and unstructured layouts.

Results

First, the discriminant effectiveness of unstructured visual search tasks, which are associated with high-level spatial uncertainty, is superior to structured ones. Second, combining accuracy and speed into a Q score is a more sensitive measure than accuracy or time calculated alone in visual search tasks. A more in-depth ROC analysis showed that all variables could accurately identify ADHD from their TD peers under unstructured visual search tasks, with the index of the Q score performing best (AUR = 0.956). Third, the development of detectability, which represents the ability to distinguish between target and non-target, is approaching maturity in 10–12-year-old children with ADHD. However, these children showed severe deficits in dealing with disorganized distractors when performing visual search tasks with high-level spatial uncertainty.

Conclusions

The findings of this study support that older school-aged children with ADHD demonstrate less efficient search performance than their TD peers in complex/difficult visual search tasks, especially under higher spatial uncertainty.
High-throughput sequencing confirms the boundary between traditionally considered species pairs in a group of lichenized fungi (Peltigeraceae, Pseudocyphellaria)
Authors: Widhelm Todd J , Rao Anusha , Grewe Felix , Lumbsch H Thorsten
Published: January 2023

Accurate species delimitations are fundamental to our understanding of the genetic diversity on Earth and a vital part in evolutionary and conservation biology research. In lichenized fungi, species pairs have the same morphology and chemistry. They only differ in how they reproduce with one species using sexual reproductive structures and the other using asexual propagules. To classify these as one species or two has been a point of contention, and conclusions based on Sanger sequencing, where sequence data are limited and species boundaries are usually not observed, have been refuted after analysis with genome-scale data such as restriction site-associated DNA sequencing that tends to find fixed genetic differences between the two morphs. Pseudocyphellaria glabra and P. homoeophylla have long been considered a species pair that differ in geographical ranges but co-occur in New Zealand. We used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing data and generated thousands of genetic loci across 53 individuals. The RADseq data provided high-resolution phylogenetic and population genomic information. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction recovered both species as separate lineages, whereas population genetics indicated some evidence for admixture among P. glabra and P. homoeophylla from New Zealand. It is not clear whether the latter is due to ancient polymorphism or recent gene flow. Our study represents another example of the usefulness of RADseq to test species boundaries that segregate closely related species in lichenized fungi.