bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cancer Immunoediting in the Era of Immuno-oncology
Authors: Gubin Matthew M. , Vesely Matthew D.
Published: May 2022

Basic science breakthroughs in T-cell biology and immune–tumor cell interactions ushered in a new era of cancer immunotherapy. Twenty years ago, cancer immunoediting was proposed as a framework to understand the dynamic process by which the immune system can both control and shape cancer and in its most complex form occurs through three phases termed elimination, equilibrium, and escape. During cancer progression through these phases, tumors undergo immunoediting, rendering them less immunogenic and more capable of establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Therefore, cancer immunoediting integrates the complex immune–tumor cell interactions occurring in the tumor microenvironment and sculpts immunogenicity beyond shaping antigenicity. However, with the success of cancer immunotherapy resulting in durable clinical responses in the last decade and subsequent emergence of immuno-oncology as a clinical subspecialty, the phrase “cancer immunoediting” has recently, at times, been inappropriately restricted to describing neoantigen loss by immunoselection. This focus has obscured other mechanisms by which cancer immunoediting modifies tumor immunogenicity. Although establishment of the concept of cancer immunoediting and definitive experimental evidence supporting its existence was initially obtained from preclinical models in the absence of immunotherapy, cancer immunoediting is a continual process that also occurs during immunotherapy in human patients with cancer. Herein, we discuss the known mechanisms of cancer immunoediting obtained from preclinical and clinical data with an emphasis on how a greater understanding of cancer immunoediting may provide insights into immunotherapy resistance and how this resistance can be overcome.
Mixed Evidence of an Association between Self-Rated Hearing Difficulties and Falls: Prospective Analysis of Two Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Kiely Kim M. , Khalatbari-Soltani Saman , Blyth Fiona M. , Naganathan Vasikaran , Handelsman David J. , Waite Louise M. , Le Couteur David G. , Mortby Moyra E. , Cumming Robert G. , Anstey Kaarin J.
Published: May 2022

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the extent to which a single item of self-reported hearing difficulties is associated with future risk of falling among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We used data from two Australian population-based cohorts: three waves from the PATH Through Life study (PATH; n = 2,048, 51% men, age 66.5 ± 1.5 SD years) and three waves from the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP; n = 1,448, 100% men with mean age 77.3 ± 5.3 SD years). Hearing difficulties were recorded on a four-point ordinal scale in PATH and on a dichotomous scale in CHAMP. The number of falls in the past 12 months was reported at each wave in both studies. In CHAMP, incident falls were also ascertained by triannual telephone call cycles for up to four years. Multivariable-adjusted random intercept negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between self-reported hearing difficulties and number of falls reported at the following wave or 4-monthly follow-ups. Results: In PATH, self-reported hearing difficulties were associated with a higher rate of falls at follow-up (incidence rate ratio = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.03–1.27 per a one-level increase in self-reported hearing difficulties), after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviours, physical functioning, balance, mental health, medical conditions, and medications. There were no significant associations between hearing difficulties and the rate of falls based on either repeated survey or 4-monthly follow-ups in CHAMP. Conclusion: Though we find mixed results, findings from PATH data indicate an ordinal measure of self-reported hearing loss may be predictive of falls incidence in young-old adults. However, the null findings in the male-only CHAMP preclude firm conclusions of a link between hearing loss and falls risk.
Clinical Characteristics, Health Care Resource Utilization, and Prescription Patterns of Japanese Patients with Physician-Diagnosed Allergic Rhinitis: A Secondary Use of Database Study
Authors: Yoshisue Hajime , Ito Chie , Okano Mitsuhiro
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is associated with a substantial health care burden. In Japan, clinical patient profiles in real-life settings and evidence on economic burden of AR are limited. We studied clinical characteristics of patients with AR in Japan, and their impact on health care resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs. Methods: This was a noninterventional study in patients aged ≥2 years with ≥2 physician-diagnosed AR, from a Japanese Claims Database, conducted from 2009 to 2018. The study comprised 6 cohorts; 1 primary, 3 secondary (cohorts 1, 2, 2-s), and 2 comparison cohorts 1 and 2-s (matched surgery and non-surgery). The primary objective was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics of patients in primary cohort. The secondary objectives were assessment of demographic and clinical characteristics in secondary cohorts and comparison of HCRU-related variables and allergic comorbidities between comparison cohorts. Results: Of 5,260,253 subjects data retrieved, 879,348 were included in primary cohort, with demographics and clinical characteristics being consistent across study period. Most frequent AR-related comorbidities were allergic conjunctivitis (41.7%) and asthma (38.6%). By 2018, 4,246 patients were included in secondary cohort 1, 866,453 in secondary cohort 2, 258,855 in secondary cohort 2-s, 3,496 in comparison cohort 1, and 13,984 in comparison cohort 2-s. Monthly HCRU-related variables between comparison cohort 1 and comparison 2-s indicated that AR-related surgeries and prescriptions peaked in prepollen and pollen seasons, respectively. HCRU and related costs were comparable but slightly higher in surgery than in non-surgery cohort. Conclusion: Real-world evidence of patients with AR highlights the need for cost-effective health care with opportunities for developing novel therapies.
Effect of Triple Combination CFTR Modulator Therapy on Sleep in Adult Patients with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Welsner Matthias , Schulte Tim , Dietz-Terjung Sarah , Weinreich Gerhard , Stehling Florian , Taube Christian , Strassburg Svenja , Schoebel Christoph , Sutharsan Sivagurunathan
Published: May 2022

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and disturbed sleep are common, often underrecognized, comorbidities in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Objectives: We studied the effect of CFTR triple combination therapy elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) on sleep in pwCF. Method: This was a prospective, observational sleep study in clinically stable adult pwCF. All participants underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG), before (T0) and after (T1) initiation of CFTR modulator therapy with ELX/TEZ/IVA. In addition, pulmonary function tests, calculation of BMI, and sweat chloride testing were performed. Results: Twenty-nine pwCF (mean age 32 ± 8 years; 15 female) participated in the study. Mean time between T0 and T1 was 194 ± 21 days. Total sleep time (TST) was 298 ± 40 min, with decreased sleep efficiency (SE) (76 ± 109) and increased sleep latency (SL) (73 ± 38 min). Sleep stages for NREM (N1–3) and REM sleep were within the normal range. Nocturnal respiratory events mainly occur during REM sleep (T0: AHI REM 8.3 ± 9.0/h; ODI REM 9.4 ± 10.6/h), whereas the overall AHI was normal (3.6 ± 3.7/h). After initiation of ELX/TEZ/IVA, we saw significant improvements in ppFEV1 (p < 0.001) and BMI (p < 0.001) and a reduction in sweat chloride levels (p < 0.001). In parallel, there was a reduction in AHI (p = 0.003), ODI (p = 0.001), and nocturnal respiratory rate (p < 0.001), both in total, REM and NREM sleep. Neither TST, SL, SE, nor sleep architecture was influenced (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Initiation of ELX/TEZ/IVA resulted in significant improvements in SDB in adult pwCF.
Tanshinone IIA Inhibits Tissue Factor Expression Induced by Thrombin in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells via PAR-1 and p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Zewen , Xu Daming , Yu Wenjun , Qiu Jinfeng , Xu Chengwei , He Chunling , Xu Xianru , Yin Jun
Published: May 2022

Background: The potential signaling pathway of TSA suppressing TF expression induced by thrombin was unknown. Thus, the transcription of TF in HUVECs and the expressions of DCF, phospho-p38 MAPK, NADPH oxidase 4, PAR-1, and NF-κB were detected in our study. Methods: HUVECs were randomly divided into control group, thrombin-treated group (with 5 U/mL of thrombin), and 4 TSA-treated groups (with 5 U/mL of thrombin plus TSA with 4 different concentrations of 1 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL, and 1 mg/mL, respectively). Results: After incubation with thrombin for 6 h at 37°C, the results showed increased TF mRNA, TF procoagulant activity, and antigen of TF in HUVECs of thrombin-treated group (p < 0.01); however, they were restored by TSA in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01). In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS), phospho-p38 MAPK, NADPH oxidase 4, NF-κB, and PAR-1 expressed more intensively, and phosphorylated Akt decreased obviously in HUVECs after thrombin stimulation (p < 0.01); however, they were reversed to different extents by TSA in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Study suggests that TSA inhibits TF expression induced by thrombin in cultured HUVECs, and the potential signaling pathway of which is TSA interrupts the activation of PAR-1 and NADPH oxidase as well as derivative ROS generation, thereafter suppresses the activation of NF-κB, the upstream signal molecule of TF, via hampering phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and dephosphorylation of Akt, and finally inhibits thrombin-induced TF overexpression.
Direct to Angiosuite Versus Conventional Imaging in Suspected Large Vessel Occlusion: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mohammaden Mahmoud H. , Doheim Mohamed Fahmy , Elfil Mohamed , Al-Bayati Alhamza R. , Pinheiro Agostinho , Nguyen Thanh N. , Bhatt Nirav R. , Haussen Diogo C. , Nogueira Raul G.
Published: May 2022

Background:

There is growing evidence to suggest that the direct transfer to angiography suite (DTAS) approach for patients with suspected large vessel occlusion stroke potentially requiring mechanical thrombectomy shortens treatment times and improves outcomes compared with the direct transfer to conventional imaging (DTCI) model. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to compare both approaches to build more concrete evidence to support this innovative treatment concept.

Methods:

All potentially relevant studies published in 4 electronic databases/search engines (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus) from inception to November 2021 were reviewed. Eligible studies were included if they enrolled ≥10 patients in both groups, were published in English, and reported baseline and procedural characteristics and outcomes. Relevant data were then extracted and analyzed.

Results:

Among 4514 searched studies, 7 qualified for the analysis with 1971 patients (DTAS=675, DTCI=1296). Times from door to puncture (mean difference, −30.76 minutes [95% CI, −43.70 to −17.82];
P
<0.001) as well as door-to-reperfusion (mean difference=−33.24 minutes [95% CI, −51.82 to −14.66];
P
<0.001) were significantly shorter and the rates of functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score, 0–2: risk ratio [RR], 1.25 [95% CI, 1.02–1.53];
P
=0.03) at 90 days were higher in the DTAS versus the DTCI approach. There was no difference across the DTAS and DTCI groups in terms of the rates of successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2B–3: RR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.95–1.12];
P
=0.42), near-complete/full reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2C–3: RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.74–1.08];
P
=0.23), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (RR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.56–1.17];
P
=0.26), or fair outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score, 0–3: RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.88–1.47];
P
=0.32) or mortality (RR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.67–1.44];
P
=0.93) at 90 days. Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in 90-day functional independence across approaches in transfer patients (RR, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.96–1.51];
P
=0.11).

Conclusions:

Our meta-analysis showed that the DTAS approach seems to be associated with improved time metrics and functional outcomes with comparable safety to the DTCI approach. Ongoing multicenter randomized clinical trials will hopefully provide more definite data about this promising approach.
Social media’s potential to promote conservation at the local level: an assessment in eleven primate range countries
Authors: Twining-Ward Cate , Luna Jorge Ramos , Back Janaína Paula , Barakagwira Joselyne , Bicca-Marques Júlio César , Chanvin Mathilde , Diko Nona , Duboscq Julie , Fan Pengfei , Galán-Acedo Carmen , Gogarten Jan F. , Guo Songtao , Guzman-Caro Diana C. , Hou Rong , Kalbitzer Urs , Kaplin Beth A. , Lee Sean M. , Mekonnen Addisu , Mungongo Paulin , Nautiyal Himani , Omeja Patrick , Ramananjato Veronarindra , Raoelinjanakolona Nasandratra Nancia , Razafindratsima Onja , Sarabian Cécile , Sarkar Dipto , Serio-Silva Juan Carlos , Yanti Risma , Chapman Colin A.
Published: May 2022

Historically, Internet access has been linked to a country’s wealth. However, starting a decade ago, this situation changed dramatically and Internet access became increasingly available in primate range countries. The rapid growth of smartphone use in developing nations has created new avenues to communicate conservation. Here we assess the potential of social media to promote primate conservation at the local level within primate range countries. We interviewed 381 people in communities associated with 18 conservation projects from 11 countries to assess their use of social media. We found that 91% of the people had at least one social media account and 95% of these people checked their accounts daily. The median number of contacts per person across all platforms was 453 and 300 considering only each person’s most used platform. We also documented that local conservation projects had a diversity of information they wanted to relay to the local community through social media. Our research highlights the potential for social media to be an extremely useful communication tool for tropical conservation scientists. Thus, we encourage more conservation groups to explore using social media to communicate to local communities and to report on the impact it has on conservation.
Sensitivity of potato cyst nematodes to fluazaindolizine
Authors: Perpétuo Laura S.C.R. , Gonçalves Ana R.G. , Esteves Ivânia , Abrantes Isabel , Thoden Tim C. , da Conceição Isabel L.P.M.
Published: May 2022

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN), Globodera spp., cause damage to potatoes in more than 60 countries and several management strategies, including the application of chemical nematicides, are commonly used for their control. However, due to stringent regulations in Europe several nematicides have been, or are being, removed from the market due to their potential toxic effects on the environment and human health. New solutions and nematode management strategies are being sought to control these challenging and economically important nematodes. In this study, the effects of Salibro™, a novel sulfonamide nematicide based on the active ingredient fluazaindolizine (Reklemel™ active), were evaluated on the hatching, motility, infectivity and reproduction of PCN in the laboratory. Depending upon the duration of nematode pre-exposure, Salibro™ at concentrations of 5-250 mg fluazaindolizine (active substance) (a.s.) kg−1 (equivalent to 5-250 ppm a.s.) affected hatching, motility and infectivity of second-stage juveniles of G. pallida and G. rostochiensis, whereas the reproduction of G. pallida was only influenced at 5-50 mg a.s. kg−1. Salibro™, under laboratory conditions, has intrinsic activity against both PCN species and could be a promising additional tool for the integrated management of PCN. Further studies are needed to demonstrate Salibro™ efficacy under field conditions.
Japan’s Secular Stagnation, Marx’s Law of the Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall, and the Theory of Monopoly Capitalism
Authors: Sato Takuya
Published: May 2022

Since the collapse of the bubble economy at the beginning of the 1990s, Japan has been in secular stagnation. Despite the stagnant economic conditions, the rate of profit has been rising, not falling. The coexistence of the rise in profitability and prolonged economic stagnation is a manifestation of the fundamental contradiction of present-day Japanese capitalism. Marx’s law of the tendency of the rate of profit to fall (LTRPF) provides a consistent explanation regarding the paradoxical situation in Japan characterised not by a falling but a rising rate of profit. Meanwhile, this paper discusses the Monopoly Capitalism school, which has studied capitalist behaviour concerning productive investment and changes in the form of capitalist competition at the monopoly stage of capitalism. While the school’s negation of the LTRPF is unacceptable, their notions may provide useful explanations as to why the rate of profit has risen under secular stagnation in Japan.
Andreu Nin on Fascism in Italy: Translator’s Introduction
Authors: Gallagher Patrick L.
Published: May 2022

In this article, the author introduces readers to the Catalan Marxist Andreu Nin and his writings on Italian fascism. While this is an introduction to Nin it also makes the argument that his writing is of particular importance, since it clarifies the class nature of fascism, sorting out in detail the way the fascists recruited and used the middle class (petite bourgeoisie) to build a mass movement and rise to power, and then proceeded to build a corporatist state that served the interest of the Italian bourgeoisie.
Wild Girls in the Carthaginian Church? Cyprian’s De Habitu Virginum
Authors: Williams Nadejda
Published: May 2022

Cyprian’s homily De Disciplina et Habitu Virginum presents instructions and warnings about appropriate appearance and behavior for sacred virgins, women who had chosen to remain celibate and dedicate their lives to Christ. While this document has generally been read for its theological and literary merits, I argue for its historical value in reflecting real people and their behavior in the Carthaginian church. If we were to turn our focus from the bishop and his theology to the work’s addressees and their daily lives, what does this homily tell us about the women in the Carthaginian church in the mid-third century? A close analysis of this document complicates the presumed packaging of women’s virginity and asceticism together: while the bishops saw the two as necessary companions, some of the virgins in the early churches did not.
Reading Basil of Caesarea’s On the Holy Spirit as Apology
Authors: Whitty John Joseph
Published: May 2022

Basil of Caesarea’s On the Holy Spirit has often been painted as a work that symbolises his emergence from the shadow of his embittered mentor, Eustathius of Sebaste. This paper reassesses the extent of Eustathius’ influence on the treatise. By analysing both the tone and argumentation of On the Holy Spirit, I counter this scholarly narrative, showing that Eustathius in fact serves as the silent interlocutor of the treatise, to whom Basil pleads the case of his orthodoxy, and with whom he begs for the church to be healed. Consequently, On the Holy Spirit should be read as more in vogue with apologetic literature than polemic , as a redoubled effort to respond to Eustathius that mounts an impassioned but cordial defence of Basil’s vision of Christian orthodoxy and a long-overdue plea for peace in a war-torn church.
The Conceptual Legal Structure of The Patient’s Right to Informed Consent
Authors: Martínez-Doallo Noelia
Published: May 2022

Informed consent has been inconsistently conceptualised as a right, an immunity or even a power in the hands of the patient, which leaves its legal definition as partially indefinite.

From the norms of the CHRB, a legal theory stance and the proposals of celebrated authors — namely, W.N. Hohfeld, H. Kelsen and R. Alexy, I will provide a steady conceptual structure for the subjective legal positions of the parties involved in the healthcare relationship regarding informed consent.
Utilitarianism: Merging the Dichotomy between Nationalist and Internationalist Conception of Cultural Property
Authors: Adewumi Afolasade Abidemi
Published: May 2022

The quest for the restitution of cultural property has not been an easy endeavour. Despite the availability of multiple legal regimes securing various channels for the restitution of cultural property, improvement has been quite sluggish. This article argues that the debacle to the restitution process lies in the simultaneous operation of two diametrically opposed conceptions of cultural property- the nationalist and internationalist schools of thought. The 1954 Hague Convention sees cultural property as the cultural heritage of all mankind whilst the 1970 Convention takes the view that it is the cultural heritage designated by each country. These two approaches have been used to characterise nations theoretically in the international arena into source nations with nationalistic interests and market nations with international concerns.

The conflict between both conceptions of cultural property becomes evident where the nationalists seek to employ legal and extra-legal means to protect their cultural heritage and facilitate their return and restitution; whereas, internationalists sabotage these efforts on the ground that cultural heritage is the common heritage of mankind thereby contradicting the notion of return.

This article finds that although both schools of thought have divergent propositions, they nonetheless share a common theoretical underpinning- utilitarianism, which validates their respective ideologies. Since utilitarianism supports the maximisation of the overall happiness of a collective group, nationalists can predicate the protection of their cultural heritage on the need to secure this happiness just like the internationalists.

This article, therefore, seeks to examine if the common theoretical foundation which both schools of thought share can serve as a reconciliatory tool that bridges the gap between them towards the promotion of the interest of the international community in protecting cultural heritage.
Israel ben Abraham: An Ashkenazic Translator of Aquinas?
Authors: Žonca Milan
Published: May 2022

This article presents an edition of a hitherto unidentified set of commented Hebrew excerpts from Thomas Aquinas’s Sentencia libri De anima. Preserved in the manuscript Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Mich. Add. 25, and attributed to an otherwise unknown Jewish scholar named Israel ben Abraham, the excerpts reproduce the Latin text in different degrees of faithfulness to the original. They do not follow the structure of Aquinas’s commentary and seem to have been summarized and rearranged by the translator to reflect his own interests rooted in the study of Jewish philosophical texts, especially the works of Maimonides and Moses Narboni. In the introduction to the edition, I discuss the context of the excerpts as well as the identity of the translator, including the possibility that he was a Christian convert to Judaism.
Growth and limb bone histology of aetosaurs and phytosaurs from the Late Triassic Krasiejów locality (sw Poland) reveals strong environmental influence on growth pattern
Authors: Teschner Elżbieta M. , Konietzko-Meier Dorota , Klein Nicole
Published: May 2022

The growth pattern of the Polish phytosaur Parasuchus cf. arenaceus and the aetosaur Stagonolepis olenkae (both Krasiejów; Norian) was studied. Results were compared to published data of other members of these two groups and to a new sample of the German (Heslach; Norian) phytosaur Nicrosaurus sp. All three herein studied taxa display lamellar-zonal bone consisting predominately of parallel-fibred tissue and on average a low to moderate vascular density. Towards the outer cortex the thickness of annuli increases in most samples and becomes distinctly wider than the zones. Therefore, most of the appositional growth in adults was achieved during phases of prolonged slow growth. All bones show a diffuse growth pattern, without well demarcated zones and annuli. Distinct lines of arrested growth (lag) are not identified in the Krasiejów sample, only the Nicrosaurus femur shows one distinct lag as do other taxa outside Krasiejów. Instead, the Krasiejów taxa display multiple rest lines and sub-cycles. Thus, identification and count of annual growth cycles remains difficult, the finally counted annual growth cycles range (two to six) is quite large despite the low size range of the samples. A correlation between age and bone length is not identified, indicating developmental plasticity. Although both are archosaurs, Stagonolepis and Parasuchus are phylogenetically not closely related, however, they show a very similar growth pattern, despite different life styles (terrestrial vs. semi-aquatic). Based on the new data, and previously histological studies from Krasiejów, the local environmental conditions were special and had a strong influence on the growth pattern.
The dialect chain of the Timor-Alor-Pantar language family
Authors: Kaiping Gereon A. , Klamer Marian
Published: May 2022

This paper refines the subgroupings of the Timor-Alor-Pantar (TAP) family of Papuan languages, using a systematic Bayesian phylogenetics study. While recent work indicates that the TAP family comprises a Timor (T) branch and an Alor-Pantar (AP) branch (Holton et al., 2012; Schapper et al., 2017), the internal structure of the AP branch has proven to be a challenging issue, and earlier studies leave large gaps in our understanding. Our Bayesian inference study is based on an extensive set of TAP lexical data from the online LexiRumah database (Kaiping et al., 2019b; Kaiping and Klamer, 2018). Systematically comparing different analytical models and tying them back to the evidence in terms of historical linguistics, we arrive at a subgrouping structure of the TAP family that is based on features of the phylogenies shared across the different analyses. Our TAP tree differs from all earlier proposals by inferring the East Alor subgroup as an early split-off from all other AP languages, instead of the most deeply embedded subgroup inside that branch. The evidences suggests that dialect cluster effects played a major role in the formation of today’s Timor-Alor-Pantar languages.
Towards a Right to the City?
Authors: Pieterse Marius
Published: May 2022

This article illustrates the transformative potential of guaranteeing justiciable socio-economic rights in domestic law, by engaging with the judicial vindication, over nearly a quarter-century, of the right to housing in the South African Constitution. Initial assessments of housing rights litigation in the country suggested that, while the right provided temporary protection against eviction and could provide temporary relief in housing emergencies, it was of limited use in addressing spatial injustice and unequal access to affordable housing. But over time, judicial vindication of the right to housing has given poor and vulnerable communities a foothold in cities, which is productively being leveraged by social movements claiming a right to the city. Meanwhile, separate remedial frameworks around land rights and political participation appear to be slowly converging with the housing jurisprudence, in ways that hold significant potential for transformative change in South African cities.
[RETRACTED] Legal Bases of the Association in the Relations of the European Union with Third Countries as a Step Towards ‘Europeanisation’
Authors: Shpakovych Olha , Kostyuchenko Yaroslav
Published: May 2022

The impact of international law on national legal systems varies considerably according to the forms not only of each national legal system, but also of specific regions. The highest level of influence has been traced on the European continent, especially the European Union (EU). The author investigates the acts of the European Union institutions and concludes that they can serve as a model for national legal regulation. In the relations of the European Union with third countries, there is a tendency to more actively promote the ideas of European integration and with different regions at different stages of integration. The aim of the paper is to analyze the legal capacity of the EU with third countries and its implementation in association agreements with third countries, which determine the first step towards “Europeanization”. Thus, the most common form of EU cooperation with third countries is association agreements. The authors carefully examine the features of associative agreements in the practice of the European Union’s external relations and pay great attention to the association as a special partnership of EU Member States with a third country.
How Seventh-Grade Students Experience the Complexity of Socioscientific Issues Through Decision Making on the Autonomous Vehicle Issue
Authors: Mun Jiyeong , Kim Mijung , Kim Sung-Won
Published: May 2022

This study investigates what perspectives younger students considered and how they experienced the complexity of multiple perspectives about autonomous vehicle issues. Over the course of 6 weeks, 28 seventh-grade Korean students participated in role-play and group discussion to understand different perspectives on the issue. We qualitatively analyzed students’ positions toward these issues before and after the class and their perspectives in group decision making. The results indicate that students showed anxiety toward artificial intelligence systems, thus opposing it. They also explained where their concerns about the new technology arose to justify their views and opposition. We also found different patterns when students experienced uneasiness and conflicts in a group decision-making process. The patterns can be classified as (1) exploring multiple perspectives for decision making and (2) experiencing conflicts in working toward group consensus. Implementations for incorporating diverse perspectives into teaching strategies are discussed.
AI-Integrated Science Teaching Through Facilitating Epistemic Discourse in the Classroom
Authors: Kim Won Jung
Published: May 2022

We have entered the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which has brought widespread digital transformation with advanced and broadened technologies including artificial intelligence (AI). To help students prosper in a world full of AI applications, it is important for us to offer students sufficient AI-integrated learning opportunities across different subjects, including science. In this position paper, a pedagogical approach to AI-integrated science education through facilitating epistemic discourse is proposed. To establish a foundation for this integration, epistemic similarities and differences between how scientific knowledge is constructed and how AI agents learn are compared, referring to Chinn et al.’s (2014) epistemic cognition framework that attends to epistemic aims, ideals, and processes. Four bins of instructional strategies for facilitating epistemic discourse in AI-integrated science classrooms is suggested, which will help students more readily act as informed knowledge constructors, critics, and users of AI and science, who can pose questions that matter to their lives.
Exploring Indonesian Biology Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Socio-Scientific Issues-Based Instruction
Authors: Faisal  , Martin Sonya N.
Published: May 2022

Socio-scientific issues (SSIs)-based instruction is considered a potentially useful pedagogical approach for helping teachers to address the scientific literacy competencies outlined in the national curriculum. However, its effective implementation in the classroom requires teachers to have adequate pedagogical knowledge and skills. In this study, we engaged 45 pre- and in-service biology teachers in an 8-week SSIs teaching-oriented course. The course was designed to provide teachers with theoretical knowledge and practical SSIs teaching experience. Using data collected from the SSIs-based instruction questionnaire, interviews, and course assignments, we explored teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards SSIs-based instruction. The results of quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated that teachers had a high awareness of some core aspects of SSIs-based instruction and perceived themselves as having sufficient knowledge about SSIs pedagogical aspects. Teachers also demonstrated positive attitudes and perceptions about SSIs-based instruction. However, teachers still recognized the challenges of the SSIs teaching implementation for biology teachers in Indonesian school contexts. Teachers considered factors such as curriculum requirements, teachers’ competency, and students’ characteristics as the SSIs teaching challenges. In addition, teachers expressed concerns about their capacity in managing the SSIs discussion activities.
A Strasbourg Story of Swords and Shields: National Courts’ Motives to Request an Advisory Opinion from the ECtHR Under Protocol 16
Authors: Glas Lize , Krommendijk Jasper
Published: May 2022

This article aims to answer the question: what motivates national courts (not) to make a request for an advisory opinion from the European Court of Human Rights under Protocol 16 (P16)? An initial answer is given based on literature on the echr and the EU preliminary ruling procedure. This article also conducts a case study on a most likely case for the use of P16 given the prominent role of the echr: the Netherlands. We conclude that the potential eagerness of national courts to use P16 is limited. The three identified different motives (legal, pragmatic, and politico-strategic) all point in the direction of timid courts foregoing a request based on P16. We therefore call on Strasbourg to sharpen the sword offered by P16 and discourage the inclination of national courts to arm themselves with sizeable shields to resist Strasbourg’s involvement.
Gauging Fidelity to an Implemented Teaching Model through the Lens of the Documentational Approach to Didactics
Authors: Ahl Linda Marie , Helenius Ola , Koljonen Tuula
Published: May 2022

We examine the feasibility of combining elements from the framework of program theory with the Documentational Approach to Didactics to gauge the fidelity and character of teachers’ implementation of scripted teaching sequences for primary school. By analyzing two video-recorded lessons from two teachers’ implementation of the program Thinking, Reasoning, and Reckoning, we found that the teachers made adaptations to the prescribed organization of teaching. Both teachers attended to the intended organization of content, but their attendance to the intended classroom interaction patterns differed. Through the Documental Approach to Didactics, we could explain some of the differences between the teachers. The findings provide a background for a discussion of teachers’ adaptations to the new resource and the documental genesis process initiated by the implementation. The results will be used for revising the teacher guide used in the implementation.

The impact sheet to this article can be accessed at 10.6084/m9.figshare.19493891.
An Unpublished Illuminated Codex from Catalonia in the Vatican Library
Authors: Planas Josefina , Massolo Lola
Published: May 2022

This article presents an artistic analysis of BAV, Arch. Cap. S. Pietro. D. 184, containing pseudo-John Chrysostom’s Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum. The manuscript contains a single portrait illustration on f. 1r, featuring St. John Chrysostom, author of homilies for Saint Mathew’s gospel, leaning on his desk writing his notes. This study, based solely on a philological approach, argues that this codex was illuminated by a Catalan miniaturist in the second quarter of the fifteenth century, as is clear from a comparison with other manuscripts illuminated in the Principality of Catalonia around the same time.
Complementary description of three species of Steneotarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from rice agroecosystems of Eastern India with notes on their taxonomic status, spatial distribution, intraspecific variation and species composition
Authors: GANGULY MOUMI , MONDAL PRIYANKAR , KARMAKAR KRISHNA
Published: May 2022

Rice agroecosystems are inhabited by a number of Steneotarsonemus species worldwide with various host plant relationships and taxonomic identities. To clarify this situation, a large-scale survey was initiated in rice growing belts of eastern India and this revealed the presence of four species of Steneotarsonemus viz. S. furcatus, S. konoi, S. spinki and S. subfurcatus. However, only S. spinki and S. subfurcatus were found infesting rice while the other species were found associated with a number of graminaceous weeds. We found three intraspecific variants within the population of S. spinki which are differentially distributed in nine separate locations covering four states across eastern India. A new subgenus Linzhangia is proposed for inclusion of exceptionally unique S. subfurcatus possessing setaceous v2 on prodorsum of female. Additionally, the population of S. spinki and S. subfurcatus were found to be differentially distributed across five different agroclimatic zones of West Bengal with S. spinki being the dominant species.
A new genus and species of Goniasteridae, Peedeeaster sandersoni, and the first occurrence of Sclerasterias (Asteriidae) from the Cretaceous Peedee Formation of North Carolina
Authors: MAH CHRISTOPHER L.
Published: May 2022

Two new fossil asteroids are described from the Maastrichtian (Cretaceous) Peedee Formation in North Carolina. The first, a member of the Asteriidae, is identified as Sclerasterias sp. based primarily on the superomarginals, spination, and presence of transverse ribs on the distalmost armtip. This is the first occurrence of Sclerasterias in the Cretaceous of North America. The second asteroid taxon is based on a relatively well-preserved series of specimens described as a new genus and species, Peedeeaster sandersoni (Goniasteridae) which displays a pentagonal body shape similar to those of modern Peltaster and Sphaeriodiscus and is also comparable to such Cretaceous goniasterids such as Metopaster.
Eobathynella gwangjuensis sp. nov., a new species of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Bathynellacea) from South Korea
Authors: JI SU-JUNG , MIN GI-SIK
Published: May 2022

A new species of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Bathynellacea) was found in the interstitial groundwater of the Yeongsangang River in South Korea. The new species belongs to the genus Eobathynella Birstein and Ljovuschkin, 1964, which previously comprised six species, including two from South Korea. Eobathynella gwangjuensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by the absence of setae on the last segment of the thoracopod endopods and by the presence of three finger-like setae on the exopod of male thoracopod VIII. In addition, we present gene sequences of the nuclear 18S rDNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 of the new species, which was used to infer phylogenetic relationships with closely related species.
Global Assessment of the Capability of Satellite Precipitation Products to Retrieve Landslide-Triggering Extreme Rainfall Events
Authors: Marc Odin , Oliveira Romulo A. Jucá , Gosset Marielle , Emberson Robert , Malet Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2022

Rainfall-induced landsliding is a global and systemic hazard that is likely to increase with the projections of increased frequency of extreme precipitation with current climate change. However, our ability to understand and mitigate landslide risk is strongly limited by the availability of relevant rainfall measurements in many landslide prone areas. In the last decade, global satellite multisensor precipitation products (SMPP) have been proposed as a solution, but very few studies have assessed their ability to adequately characterize rainfall events triggering landsliding. Here, we address this issue by testing the rainfall pattern retrieved by two SMPPs (IMERG and GSMaP) and one hybrid product [Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP)] against a large, global database of 20 comprehensive landslide inventories associated with well-identified storm events. We found that, after converting total rainfall amounts to an anomaly relative to the 10-yr return rainfall R*, the three products do retrieve the largest anomaly (of the last 20 years) during the major landslide event for many cases. However, the degree of spatial collocation of R* and landsliding varies from case to case and across products, and we often retrieved R* > 1 in years without reported landsliding. In addition, the few (four) landslide events caused by short and localized storms are most often undetected. We also show that, in at least five cases, the SMPP’s spatial pattern of rainfall anomaly matches landsliding less well than does ground-based radar rainfall pattern or lightning maps, underlining the limited accuracy of the SMPPs. We conclude on some potential avenues to improve SMPPs’ retrieval and their relation to landsliding.

Significance Statement

Rainfall-induced landsliding is a global hazard that is expected to increase as a result of anthropogenic climate change. Our ability to understand and mitigate this hazard is strongly limited by the lack of rainfall measurements in mountainous areas. Here, we perform the first global assessment of the potential of three high-resolution precipitation datasets, derived from satellite observations, to capture the rainfall characteristics of 20 storms that led to widespread landsliding. We find that, accounting for past extreme rainfall statistics (i.e., the rainfall returning every 10 years), most storms causing landslides are retrieved by the datasets. However, the shortest storms (i.e., ∼3 h) are often undetected, and the detailed spatial pattern of extreme rainfall often appears to be distorted. Our work opens new ways to study global landslide hazard but also warns against overinterpreting rainfall derived from satellites.
Extending the Heat Index
Authors: Lu Yi-Chuan , Romps David M.
Published: May 2022

The heat index is a widely used measure of apparent temperature that accounts for the effects of humidity using Steadman’s model of human thermoregulation. Steadman’s model, however, gives unphysical results when the air is too hot and humid or too cold and dry, leading to an undefined heat index. For example, at a relative humidity of 80%, the heat index is only defined for temperatures in the range of 288–304 K (59°–88°F). Here, Steadman’s thermoregulation model is extended to define the heat index for all combinations of temperature and humidity, allowing for an assessment of Earth’s future habitability. The extended heat index can be mapped onto physiological responses of an idealized human, such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even heat death, providing an indication of regional health outcomes for different degrees of global warming.

Significance Statement

The existing heat index is well-defined for most combinations of high temperature and humidity experienced on Earth in the preindustrial climate, but global warming is increasingly generating conditions for which the heat index is undefined. Therefore, an extension of the original heat index is needed. When extending the heat index, we use the same physiological model as in the original work of Steadman to ensure backward compatibility. Following Steadman, each value of the heat index is mapped onto a measurable physiological variable, which can be useful for assessing the health impacts of various combinations of temperature and humidity, especially for outdoor workers.
Effect of the Late-1990s Change in Tropical Forcing on Teleconnections to the Amundsen–Bellingshausen Seas Region during Austral Autumn
Authors: Guo Yuanyuan , Wen Zhiping , Zhu Yu , Chen Xiaodan
Published: May 2022

Tropical sea surface temperature (SST) and associated precipitation, acting as diabatic heat forcing, has far-reaching climatic impacts across the globe through exciting poleward-propagating Rossby waves. It is found that the leading mode of tropical Pacific forcing in austral autumn experiences a significant interdecadal shift from an eastern Pacific (EP) to a central Pacific (CP) type around the late 1990s. More specifically, the EP-type precipitation anomaly mode before 1998 drives a quadrupole-like teleconnection pathway emanating from the tropical Pacific to the Ross Sea and Amundsen–Bellingshausen Seas (ABS) region, whereas the CP-type mode after 1999 excites a Pacific–South American (PSA)-like teleconnection orienting along a great circle. Divergent flows induced by different precipitation anomaly modes primarily determine the generation of Rossby waves by means of the vortex stretching and vorticity advection processes. Furthermore, the synoptic high-frequency transient eddy activity along with its dynamic forcing effect differs greatly before and after 1998/99, contributing to different locations of the teleconnection lobes at mid- to high latitudes. In contrast, the subseasonal low-frequency transient eddy activity exerts a limited influence. Our findings also indicate that the EP-type (CP-type) tropical forcing mode could significantly modulate the zonal displacement (strength) of the Amundsen Sea low, which could lead to distinct climate responses of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula in austral autumn.
The Good, the Bad and the Hijab: A Study of Implicit Associations Made by Practicing Muslims in Their Native Muslim Country
Authors: Sheen Mercedes , Yekani Hajar Aman Key , Jordan Timothy R.
Published: May 2022

Recent research indicates that wearing the hijab reduces the attractiveness of female faces perceived by practicing Muslim men and women in their native Muslim country (the United Arab Emirates). The purpose of the current research was to develop this finding to investigate whether other aspects of person perception are also affected when women wear the hijab in this Muslim country. Of particular relevance is that changes in physical attractiveness often affect the personal qualities assigned to individuals. Accordingly, we sought to determine whether such effects occur when the physical attractiveness of women is altered by wearing the hijab. To do this, we used an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to investigate how native Muslim participants in the UAE associated pleasant and unpleasant connotations with images of women either wearing the hijab or with their heads uncovered. As in previous research with native Muslim participants, female faces were again perceived as significantly less attractive when the hijab was worn. However, the accompanying IAT findings showed that these less attractive hijab-wearing images were associated more with pleasant connotations than were the matched uncovered images. These findings provide fresh insight into the effects of the hijab on perceptions of Muslim women in a Muslim country and provide support for the view that cultural clothing can influence person perception beyond physical attractiveness alone.