bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of berberine and barberry on selected inflammatory biomarkers in adults: A systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Vahedi‐Mazdabadi Yasaman , Shahinfar Hossein , Toushih Mohammad , Shidfar Farzad
Published: September 2023

The previous meta‐analysis showed an advantageous effect of berberine supplementation on interleukin 6 (IL‐6), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentrations; however, it is unknown the dosage that this component influences inflammatory biomarkers. A comprehensive search was done in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science until September 2022 to find randomized controlled trials (RCT) that assessed the effects of berberine/barberry on IL‐6, TNF‐α, and CRP in adults but not trials without a control group. Studies bias was assessed using RoB 2. A random‐effects model was performed to calculate the weighted mean difference (WMD). A dose‐dependent effect was calculated. Eighteen clinical trials with 1600 participants were included in the current meta‐analysis. These interventions significantly mitigate IL‐6 levels (−1.18 pg/mL), TNF‐α levels (−3.72 pg/mL), and CRP levels (−1.33 mg/L). In addition, the non‐linear analysis showed a significant lowering effect of berberine/barberry on IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels in doses <1000 mg/day and less than 5 weeks of intervention. There are limitations to our findings, including low‐quality studies and significant heterogeneity. These interventions might be considered adjunct therapy to managing inflammation status. However, more investigation and high‐quality evidence must be conducted to obtain more comprehensive and generalizable results.
δ13C and δ18O heterogeneities in carbonates: Nonlinear mixing in the application of dual‐carbonate‐clumped isotope thermometer
Authors: White Jackson H. , Defliese William F.
Published: September 2023

Rationale

Dual‐carbonate‐clumped isotope thermometry assumes any departure from Δ47 and Δ48 co‐equilibrium is due to disequilibrium processes; however, the effects of endmember mixing have not been evaluated for Δ48. We show that variations in δ13C and δ18O values within a sample can lead to offsets in Δ47 and Δ48 that can be mistaken for kinetic fractionation.

Methods

A numerical mixing model was developed to calculate the Δ48 and Δ47 values of samples with heterogeneous isotope compositions. The model was used to test a variety of possible endmember mixing scenarios and produce a dataset of mixing offsets in both Δ48 and Δ47.

Results

Different mixing patterns arise from endmember mixing, with different patterns between Δ48 and Δ47. Δ47 can be both positively and negatively offset from equilibrium values by mixing; however, Δ48 can only be offset in a positive direction, producing an underestimate of formation temperature. The overall results suggest that endmember mixing can mimic kinetic fractionation caused by CO2 degassing in dual‐clumped isotope measurements.

Conclusions

Mixing between endmembers can result in patterns that resemble that of CO2 degassing. However, these effects require a variation of greater than 5‰ in endmember δ18O values to have a significant effect relative to measurement errors on Δ48 with the detection limits of modern mass spectrometers. Δ47 remains more sensitive to endmember mixing effects and will display measurable mixing effects at 2‰ variation or less in endmember isotopic values.
Bioinspired Heterogeneous Construction of Lignocellulose‐Reinforced COF Membranes for Efficient Proton Conduction
Authors: Zhu Liyu , Ye Peng , Zhang Limei , Ren Yuting , Liu Jing , Lei Jiandu , Wang Luying
Published: September 2023

The exponential interest in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) arises from the direct correlation between their diverse and intriguing properties and the modular design principle. However, the insufficient interlamellar interaction among COF nanosheets greatly hinders the formation of defect‐free membranes. Therefore, developing a methodology for the facile fabrication of these materials remains an enticing and highly desirable objective. Herein, ultrahigh proton conductivity and superior stability are achieved by taking advantage of COF composite membranes where 2D TB‐COF nanosheets are linked by 1D lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNFs) through π‐π and electrostatic interactions to form a robust and ordered structure. Notably, the high concentration of ‐SO3H groups within the COF pores and the abundant proton transport paths at COFs‐LCNFs interfaces impart composite membranes ultrahigh proton conductivity (0.348 S cm−1 at 80 °C and 100% RH). Moreover, the directional migration of protons along the stacked nanochannels of COFs is facilitated by oxygen atoms on the keto groups, as demonstrated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The simple design concept and reliable operation of the demonstrated mixed‐dimensional composite membrane are expected to provide an ideal platform for next‐generation conductive materials.
Broadband Van‐der‐Waals Photodetector Driven by Ferroelectric Polarization
Authors: Kim Sungjun , Lee Sunghun , Oh Seyong , Lee Kyeong‐Bae , Lee Je‐Jun , Kim Byeongchan , Heo Keun , Park Jin‐Hong
Published: September 2023

The potential for various future industrial applications has made broadband photodetectors beyond visible light an area of great interest. Although most 2D van‐der‐Waals (vdW) semiconductors have a relatively large energy bandgap (>1.2 eV), which limits their use in short‐wave infrared detection, they have recently been considered as a replacement for ternary alloys in high‐performance photodetectors due to their strong light‐matter interaction. In this study, a ferroelectric gating ReS2/WSe2 vdW heterojunction‐channel photodetector is presented that successfully achieves broadband light detection (>1300 nm, expandable up to 2700 nm). The staggered type‐II bandgap alignment creates an interlayer gap of 0.46 eV between the valence band maximum (VBMAX) of WSe2 and the conduction band minimum (CBMIN) of ReS2. Especially, the control of poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE)) ferroelectric dipole polarity for a specific wavelength allows a high photoresponsivity of up to 6.9 × 103 A W−1 and a low dark current below 0.26 nA under the laser illumination with a wavelength of 405 nm in P‐up mode. The achieved high photoresponsivity, low dark current, and full‐range near infrared (NIR) detection capability open the door for next‐generation photodetectors beyond traditional ternary alloy photodetectors.
Circ_UBAP2 exacerbates proliferation and metastasis of OS via targeting miR‐665/miR‐370‐3p/HMGA1 axis
Authors: Ma Weiguo , Gao Yun , Yao Xiaobin , Zhang Junhua , Jia Lina , Wang Dan , Lin Lin , Bi Li‐Jun , Xu Qingxia
Published: September 2023

Circ_UBAP2 is extensively engaged in regulating the development of various malignancies, containing osteosarcoma (OS). However, its biological significance and function are not fully understood. In this study, we found that circ_UBAP2 and HMGA1 levels were up‐regulated, and miR‐370‐3p and miR‐665 expressions were decreased in osteosarcoma tissues. Inhibition of circ_UBAP2 or HMGA1 expression in OS cells, cell viability, invasion and migration abilitities were notably hindered, and cell apoptosis abilities were increased. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR‐665 and miR‐370‐3p were the downstream targets of circ_UBAP2, and the dual luciferase experiment demonstrated the correlation between them. In addition, inhibition of miR‐665 and miR‐370‐3p expression could significantly reverse the impact of knocking down circ_UBAP2 on OS cells. HMGA1 was discovered to become the downstream target of both miR‐665 and miR‐370‐3p. It was shown that over‐expression of miR‐665 or miR‐370‐3p notably stimulated the cell growth, invasion, and migration of osteosarcoma cells, while hindered cell apoptosis. Nevertheless, this effect could be reversed by concurrent over‐expression of HMGA1. Our data strongly prove that circ_UBAP2 makes a vital impact on promoting the proliferation, invasion as well as migration of osteosarcoma cells via down‐regulating the level of miR‐665 and miR‐370‐3p, and later up‐regulating the level of HMGA1. In conclusion, circ_UBAP2 is upregulated in osteosarcoma, and it competitively adsorbs miR‐370‐3p and miR‐665, resulting in up‐regulation of HMGA1, thus promoting OS development.
Solid waste management: Case of the cities of Rabat, Sale, and Temara
Authors: Bouaouda Soukaina , Bouyakhsass Roukaya , Taleb Abdeslam , Madinzi Abdelaziz , Layssi Amina , Fels Loubna El , Hafidi Mohamed , Souabi Salah
Published: September 2023

Due to population growth, the generation of solid waste in Morocco constantly increases, considerably impacting water, soil, and air. To minimize this impact, proper waste management is necessary. This research examines waste generation development in Rabat, Sale, and Temara cities in 2015, 2018, and 2019. This allows us to propose solutions to environmental problems and to discuss upstream and downstream management modalities. According to this study, the total amount of waste in Sale changes between 17,947.6 t/month, 21,256.6 t/month, and 20,852 t/month, whereas it ranges between 25,017.6 t/month, 24,031.7 t/month, and 24,038.1 t/month for Rabat in 2015, 2018, and 2019. The lowest quantities are 12,901.3 t/month, 10,104.3 t/month, and 1032.5 t/month in Temara for 2015, 2018, and 2019. The data obtained will serve as an aid to decision‐making to guide proper management. Moreover, sensitizing the population on the issue of waste management is necessary to protect the environment and human health.
Maturity makes sense: managing supraventricular tachyarrhythmia in the late preterm and term fetus
Authors: Strasburger J. F.
Published: September 2023

Linked article: This Editorial comments on Holmes et al. Click here to view the article.
Infrastructure and Deployment Models
Authors: Mendes Felipe Cardeneti , Sarna Piotr , Emelyanov Pavel , Dunlop Cynthia
Published: September 2023

As noted in the previous chapter, many modern databases offer capabilities beyond “just” storing and retrieving data. But all databases are ultimately built from the ground up in order to serve I/O in the most efficient way possible. And it’s crucial to remember this when selecting your infrastructure and deployment model of choice.
Topology Considerations
Authors: Mendes Felipe Cardeneti , Sarna Piotr , Emelyanov Pavel , Dunlop Cynthia
Published: September 2023

As mentioned in Chapter 5, database servers are often combined into intricate topologies where certain nodes are grouped in a single geographical location; others are used only as a fast cache layer, and yet others store seldom-accessed cold data in a cheap place, for emergency purposes only. That chapter covered how drivers work to understand and interact with that topology to exchange information more efficiently.
The Biopsychosocial Welfare State: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: Reibling Nadine , Bleckmann Lisa
Published: September 2023

Medicalization and psychologization have developed as two separate concepts. In this chapter, Reibling and Bleckmann introduce the reader to both bodies of literature and provide a basic introduction to the processes behind the concepts. The authors argue that medicine and psychology should not be subsumed under a therapeutization framework and that instead, comparing the two processes highlights the relevance of the specifics of both disciplines. Central to this discussion are questions regarding the causes of the medicalization and psychologization of social problems as well as regarding the consequences of these processes. Reibling and Bleckmann provide extensive answers to these questions based on the literature and additionally offer their own take on medicalization and psychologization.
Evaluating Markov chains and Bayesian networks as probabilistic meteorological drought forecasting tools in the seasonally dry tropics of Costa Rica
Authors: Gutiérrez-García Kenneth , Avilés Alex , Nauditt Alexandra , Arce Rafael , Birkel Christian
Published: September 2023

Meteorological drought is a climatic phenomenon that affects all global climates with social, political, and economic impacts. Consequently, it is essential to develop drought forecasting tools to minimize the impacts on communities. Here, probabilistic models based on Markov chains (first and second order) and Bayesian networks (first and second order) were explored to generate forecasts of meteorological drought events. A Ranked Probability Score (RPS) metric selected the best-performing model. Long-term precipitation data from Liberia Airport in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, from 1937 to 2020 were used to estimate the 1-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-1) characterizing four meteorological drought states (no drought, moderate drought, severe drought, and extreme drought). The validation results showed that both models could reflect the climatic seasonality of the dry and rainy seasons without mistaking 4–5 months of the rain-free dry season for a drought. Bayesian networks outperformed Markov chains in terms of the RPS at both reproducing probabilities of drought states in the rainy season and when compared to the months in which a drought state was observed. Considering the forecasting capability of the latter method, we conclude that these models can help predict meteorological drought with a 1-month lead time in an operational early warning system.
Investigating Periodic Table Interpolation for the Rational Design of Nanoalloy Catalysts for Green Hydrogen Production from Ammonia Decomposition
Authors: Parker Luke A. , Richards Nia , Bailey Liam , Carter James H. , Nowicka Ewa , Pattisson Samuel , Dummer Nicholas F. , He Qian , Lu Li , Kiely Christopher J. , Golunski Stanislaw E. , Roldan Alberto , Hutchings Graham J.
Published: September 2023

Developing highly active catalysts for the decomposition of ammonia to produce hydrogen is an important goal in the context of renewable energy. Allied with this is a need for identification strategies to efficiently design novel catalysts integral to ensuring rapid progress in this research field. We investigated the efficacy of N–binding energy and periodic table interpolation to predict active bimetallic nanoparticle catalysts. Supported iron-platinum and iron-palladium were identified and experimentally shown to be more active than their monometallic analogues. Atomic resolution electron microscopy indicated that the most active catalyst (5 wt% Fe80Pt20/γ-Al2O3) was principally formed of alloyed nanoparticles. It restructured during testing, yet no activity loss was noted at 20 h time-on-line. While these findings show that periodic table interpolation may be a viable tool for identifying active combinations of metals, the activity of the catalysts in the current work were not able to outperform the Ru/Al2O3 benchmark. Further catalyst optimization or refinement of reaction descriptors may facilitate the development of catalysts with higher intrinsic activity than the current state-of-the-art catalysts.

Graphical Abstract
Maritime Energy Transition: Future Fuels and Future Emissions
Authors: Ramsay William , Fridell Erik , Michan Mario
Published: September 2023

The lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Well-to-Wake) from maritime transport must be reduced by at least 50% in absolute values by 2050 to contribute to the ambitions of the Paris Agreement (2015). A transition from conventional fuels to alternative fuels with zero or lower GHG emissions is viewed as the most promising avenue to reach the GHG reductions. Whereas GHG and toxic pollutants emitted from the use of fossil fuels (heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine gas/diesel oil (MGO/MDO)) are generally well understood, the emissions associated with the new fuel options are only now being measured and communicated. This review provides an outlook on fuels that could help shipping respond to the decarbonization effort including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen. A quantification of the pollutants associated from the use of these fuels is provided and challenges and barriers to their uptake are discussed.
No Victims Without Sacrifice, No Sacrifice Without Victims: Conceptualizing Violence and the “Oklahoma City Bombing”
Authors: Troy Jodok
Published: September 2023

This article proposes a conceptualization of violence that builds on a tripartite relationship between violence, victims, and sacrifice that frames violence as a self-justifying sacrificial act. This conceptualization delineates the nature of violence by addressing its transformation from an instrumental act to a constitutional act, making violence possible, ongoing, contagious, and productive. In particular, I argue, with the help of René Girard’s theoretical framework, that conceptual accounts of violence can gain further insights through an engagement with his concepts of sacrifice and victims. Violence, this article illustrates, becomes a societal feature by producing victims via sacrifice rather than drawing simplified boundaries between the relation of perpetrator and victim, mediated by the act of violence. To illustrate the epistemological value of this conceptualization, the article re-examines Timothy McVeigh’s justification of his Oklahoma City bombing. The article concludes that not only terrorism’s atrocities reflect this proposed conceptualization of violence but also potentially all acts of political violence.
The foodplant fitness landscape of Wonderboom and possible implications for Middle Pleistocene foragers of the Magaliesberg, South Africa
Authors: Lombard Marlize , Lotter Matt G. , Caruana Matthew V.
Published: September 2023

With this contribution, we provide a species and edible part list for the foodplant population of the Wonderboom landscape at the eastern end of the Magaliesberg range in Gauteng, South Africa, as a current proxy to hypothesise about past foraging behaviours. The greater Magaliesberg region is an ancient, relatively stable ecotone between the Grassland and Savanna Biomes, with its roots in the plateau uplift at ~ 4 Ma. We present the foraging landscape (foraging-scape) in a three-tier model at intervals of ~ 12.5 km, ~ 35 km, and ~ 70 km to assess proportional increases in foodplant species and edible parts when the foraging range is increased. We demonstrate that foraging within a ~ 12.5 km radius from the site provides an exceptionally rich foodplant landscape today. Thus, if the foodplant fitness potential during the Middle Pleistocene was roughly similar, it is reasonable to hypothesise that the Wonderboom foragers may have had little reason—apart from perhaps famine or drought—to go beyond a daily range for collecting plant foods. The Wonderboom ~ 12.5 km radius surface area is broadly similar to the footprint of the Cradle of Humankind ~ 40–70 km to its southwest. Directly comparing their foodplant species inventories shows that currently, 185 more foodplants grow around Wonderboom than in the Cradle. Our results suggest that the ecotone locality of Wonderboom, between the Grassland Biome to the south and the Savanna Biome to the north, may have had adaptive advantages in terms of its foodplant foraging potential.
Spondias mombin: biosafety and GC–MS analysis of anti-viral compounds from crude leaf extracts
Authors: Boadu Akwasi , Karpoormath Rajshekhar , Nlooto Manimbulu
Published: September 2023

Essential oils are combinations of naturally occurring phytochemicals that, alone or in synergy with other compounds, can therapeutically attenuate disease-causing viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2, Ebola, and Marburg viruses. This study aimed to investigate the biosafety of and identification of antiviral phytochemicals of Spondias mombin (Linn) leaf crude extracts by GC–MS analysis. GC–MS analysis showed that the compound concentrations were dependent on the polarity of extracting solvent SMH (34), SMDCM (36), SMEA (12), SME (50) and SMM (36). Toluene (15.13%) and di-isooctyl phthalate (14.21%) were identified as the basic constituents of SMH. In SMDCM, n-nonadecanol-1 (19.64%) and eicosane (13.93%) were the main compounds, while in SMEA it was ethanol, 2-butoxy-(83.29%). Both SME and SMM showed the presence of Tetradecyl trifluoroacetate (15.43%). Pentadecanoic acid (12.18%), Propane, 2,2-diethoxy- (33.83%) and o-Xylene (15.87%). The identified antiviral compounds in the crude extracts, were d-Limonene (1.33%), p-Cymene (1.31%), Thymol (0.50%) and Carvacrol (0.87%) in SMM and SMH extracts, with Phytol, acetate being a common constituent in all the essential oils, except SMEA. In vitro cytotoxicity studies of crude S. mombin leaf extracts were performed using the MTT method in three cell lines: MCF-7, A-549 and HEK-293, with IC50 values between 15.91 and 178.5 μg/mL. Therefore, the results indicated that crude extracts from S. mombin leafs had low toxicity and could be used safely. Compared with hexane extracts (1), methanol extracts have more compounds with antiviral properties (3) and can be used as reusable therapeutic candidates, natural dietary supplements or in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, Ebola and Marburg viruses. This can be valuable in pharmaceutical preparations of drug candidates for the treatment of these viruses.
Effect of Pigmented Rice Consumption on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Mendoza-Sarmiento Diane , Mistades Emmanuele V. , Hill Alison M.
Published: September 2023

Purpose of Review

Dietary patterns that include polyphenols may help manage cardiometabolic risk factors. Pigmented rice contains phenolic acids and flavonoids that contribute to its antioxidant properties. This review examined the effect of polyphenol-containing pigmented rice on antioxidant status, lipid profile, glucose/insulin, blood pressure, and weight among adults. Four electronic databases including PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for relevant articles published in English since 2000, using PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration: CRD42022358132). Two-staged screening resulted in the inclusion of seventeen (seven acute, ten chronic) randomized controlled trials. A random effects model was conducted on cardiometabolic outcomes reported in at least three studies.

Recent Findings

Acute intake increased plasma antioxidant activity and lowered postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Chronic consumption was associated with reductions in fasting glucose (WMD: -1.60 mg/dL; 95% CI:-3.05,-0.14, p = 0.03, k = 5, n = 349), weight (WMD: -0.23 kg, 95% CI: -0.44, -0.02, p = 0.03, k = 3, n = 182), and diastolic blood pressure (WMD: -1.39 mmHg, 95% CI: -2.21, -0.56, p = 0.001, k = 3, n = 185). No effect on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure was found.

The consumption of pigmented rice may improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the small number of studies and differences in study design, including participants’ health status, form of rice utilized, and duration of intervention, support the need for more high-quality trials to further investigate these findings.
Heterogeneity of Surface Heat Exchange of Slopes and Potential Drivers of the Initiation of Thaw Slump, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Fan Xingwen , Li Wenjiao , Wu Xuyang , Yao Miaomiao , Niu Fujun , Lin Zhanju
Published: September 2023

In the mountainous permafrost area, most thaw slumps are distributed in north or northeast-facing shady slope areas. It is commonly known that there is a heterogeneity in permafrost between different slope aspects, but there has been a lack of detailed measured data to quantitatively evaluate their relationships, and in-depth understandings on how the slope aspects are linked to the distribution of thaw slumps. This study examined the heterogenous thermal regime, soil moisture content, and surface radiation at two slope sites with opposing aspects in a warming permafrost region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). The results indicate that similar air temperatures (Ta) were monitored on the two slopes, but there were significant differences in ground temperature and moisture content in the active layer from 2016 to 2021. The sunny slope exhibited a higher mean annual ground surface temperature (Ts), and over the five years the mean annual temperature at the top of permafrost was 1.3–1.4℃ warmer on the sunny slope than the shady slope. On the contrary, the near-surface soil moisture content was about 10–13% lower on the sunny slope (~22–27%) than the shady slope (~35–38%) during the thawing season (June–September). Radiation data indicate that significantly higher shortwave downward radiation (DR) appeared at the sunny slope site. However, due to the greater surface albedo, the net radiation (Rn) was lower on the sunny slope. Slope aspect also affects the ground ice content due to its influence on ground temperature, freeze-thaw cycles, and soil moisture. Shady slopes have a shallower burial of ice-rich permafrost compared to sunny slopes. The results highlight greatly different near-surface ground thermal conditions at the two slope sites with different aspects in a mountainous permafrost region. This helps identify the slope-related causes of increasing thaw slumps and provides a basis for predicting their future development.
International Prevalence of Self-exclusion From Gambling: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Bijker Rimke , Booth Natalia , Merkouris Stephanie S. , Dowling Nicki A. , Rodda Simone N.
Published: September 2023

Purpose of Review

The international rise in gambling opportunities has increased focus on gambling harm reduction tools including self-exclusion. The primary aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the international prevalence of self-exclusion from gambling in the general adult population and by level of problem gambling risk (low-risk, moderate-risk, and problem gambling). The secondary aim was to estimate the prevalence of awareness of self-exclusion programmes overall and by problem gambling risk.

Recent Findings

Grey literature (through gambling repositories, gambling research institutes, Google) and peer-reviewed literature (through ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus) were searched for gambling prevalence studies from 2010 onwards reporting on use or awareness of self-exclusion (defined as an agreement between an individual and gambling operator to have a period of prohibited access to gambling venues or websites/apps). Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The international prevalence of self-exclusion was 0.26% (95%CI 0.16–0.43, k = 11). The prevalence of self-exclusion was significantly higher among participants in the problem gambling category (15.20%, 95%CI 11.00–19.39, k = 5) than those in the moderate-risk gambling (2.50%, 95%CI 1.32–4.69, p < 0.001, k = 5), and low-risk gambling (0.53%, 95%CI 0.05–5.48, p < 0.001, k = 5) categories. The prevalence of self-exclusion awareness was 11.09% (95%CI 6.67–17.89, k = 5). Awareness was significantly higher among participants in the problem gambling category compared to the low-risk gambling category (p = 0.029, k = 2).

One in 40 moderate-risk gamblers and 1 in 7 people with problem gambling have used self-exclusion. Just over one in 10 people who gamble have awareness of self-exclusion to reduce gambling harm.
Defamiliarizing Reality for Mental and Physical Subjection: Rereading Harold Pinter’s The Room and The Dumb Waiter as Political Comedies
Authors: Khaled Ahmed Abdulkhair Abulmagd
Published: September 2023

While Pinter's earliest plays have been recognized in the modernist history of theatre as comedies of menace and his later plays as political comedies, this article argues that his earliest plays are equally very liable to be interpreted as political comedies. Regardless of their absurdist dramatization of people's helpless exposure to external, unidentifiable threats, a common post-WWII characteristic feature of human experience, I claim thatThe RoomandThe Dumb Waiter(both written 1957, staged 1960), two model examples of Pinter's earliest oeuvres, do not simply follow the aesthetic of absurdist theatre to express human futility. The audience's experience of viewing the theatrical performances of both plays in terms of discursive cyclicality or character normality is subverted into one of changeability, strangeness, and contradiction. To foreground the political implications of such revolutionary theatrical experience, Pinter's plays are examined in the light of his unique use of defamiliarization, relying not on Brecht’s traditional techniques of singing, dancing, image-projecting, or captioning, but on a simple, dual technique of image destruction and creation. It consists of divesting characters of their normality and portraying them instead as individuals who identify only with unusual images of place, time, body, and consciousness. Using this special technique of defamiliarization, both plays are examined to reveal Pinter's central political theme of undermining reality for purposes of mental and physical subjections.
Intent with knowledge-aware multiview contrastive learning for recommendation
Authors: Tao Shaohua , Qiu Runhe , Cao Yan , Zhao Huiyang , Ping Yuan
Published: September 2023

User–item interactions on e-commerce platforms involve various intents, such as browsing and purchasing, which require fine-grained intent recognition. Existing recommendation methods incorporate latent intent into user–item interactions; however, they overlook important considerations. First, they fail to integrate intents with semantic information in knowledge graphs, neglecting intent interpretability. Second, they do not exploit the structural information from multiple views of latent intents in user–item interactions. This study established the intent with knowledge-aware multiview contrastive learning (IKMCL) model for explanation in recommendation systems. The proposed IKMCL model converts latent intent into fine-grained intent, calculates intent weights, mines latent semantic information, and learns the representation of user–item interactions through multiview intent contrastive learning. In particular, we combined fine-grained intents with a knowledge graph to calculate intent weights and capture intent semantics. The IKMCL model performs multiview intent contrastive learning at both coarse-grained and fine-grained levels to extract semantic relationships in user–item interactions and provide intent recommendations in structural and semantic views. In addition, an intent-relational path was designed based on multiview contrastive learning, enabling the capture of semantic information from latent intents and personalized item recommendations with interpretability. Experimental results using large benchmark datasets indicated that the proposed model outperformed other advanced methods, significantly improving recommendation performance.
Biochar contributes to resistance against root rot disease by stimulating soil polyphenol oxidase
Authors: Ge Shaohua , Gao Jian , Chang Dong , He Tianyi , Cai Heqing , Wang Maoxian , Li Caibin , Luo Zhenbao , E Yang , Meng Jun , Gao Mingxuan
Published: September 2023

Biochar has been considered an effective approach as soil amendment for decreasing incidences of disease and regulating microbial populations in continuous-cropping soil. Although researches have extensively focused on changes of soil microbes and unbalance of nutrition in continuous-cropping soil, the relationship between soil properties and pathogens by biochar application remains poorly understood. In this study, we applied ITS ribosomal RNA gene profiling to analyze tobacco root microbiota of biochar and non-biochar treatment in a 3-year continuous-cropping tobacco field, comparing firstly planting tobacco as control. We found that biochar application decreased the relative abundance of the soil fungal pathogens (Ceratobasidium and Monosporascus), which are the prime pathogens of tobacco root rot in continuous-cropping soil. Using RDA, co-occurrence and PLS-PM approaches, we provided evidence that there was a negative correlation between fungal genera (especially for Ceratobasidium and Monosporascus) and soil polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity (R2incidence rate = − 0.930, R2disease index = − 0.905, both p < 0.001). The PPO was up-regulated by different biochar treatment intensities. Together, we demonstrated that biochar in continuous-cropping soil regulated the soil PPO activity to suppress pathogens, and further decrease incidence of root rot. Notably, biochar application forward continuous cropping was more effective for the continuous-cropping soil improvement than the other treatments. The data should help in appropriate timing of biochar application for alleviating continuous-cropping obstacle.

Graphical abstract
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Research on Data Analysis of Efficient Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice Teaching Based on LightGBM Classification Algorithm
Authors: Huang Binbin , Wang Ciyu
Published: September 2023

The transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship practice teaching and education methods has put forward higher requirements for the intelligence and personalization of online education platforms. The aim of this study is to predict learning outcomes based on students' learning outcomes and habits, identify weak areas of knowledge, and provide targeted guidance and recommend the most suitable teaching resources. According to the concept of LightGBM model and the method of Feature selection, the research puts forward an integrated classification model ELO–LightGBM based on Elo Rating System (ELO) scoring system and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), trying to further mine the potential information of the practical teaching management data set. The model obtained a score of 0.7928 when using the dataset training, and a large number of comparative experiments were carried out between the ELO–LightGBM model and other classification models in different public datasets. The experimental results proved that the ELO–LightGBM model is more accurate than other classification models. In the comparative experiment on the practical teaching data set, the accuracy of the ELO–LightGBM model also surpassed the LightGBM model and the linear support vector machine model that performed well in small data sets, and the model was in the accuracy rate. The accuracy rate of winners in the comparison of micro-average is as high as 82.6%. It can be seen that the ELO–LightGBM model is of great significance to the intelligence and personalization of the online education platform.
Machiavelli's Effectual Truth
Authors: Mansfield Harvey C.
Published: September 2023

Machiavelli is said to be a Renaissance thinker, yet in a notable phrase he invented, 'the effectual truth,' he attacked the high-sounding humanism typical of the Renaissance, while mounting a conspiracy against the classical and Christian values of his time. In Machiavelli's Effectual Truth this overlooked phrase is studied and explained for the first time. The upshot of 'effectual truth' for any individual is to not depend on anyone or anything outside yourself to keep you free and secure. Mansfield argues that this phrase reveals Machiavelli's approach to modern science, with its focus on the efficient cause and concern for fact. He inquires into the effect Machiavelli expected from his own writings, who believed his philosophy would have an effect that future philosophers could not ignore. His plan, according to Mansfield, was to bring about a desired effect and thus to create his own future and ours.
On Global Learning
Authors: Ralph Jason
Published: September 2023

Global security, climate and health challenges have all created a deep-seated unease about international society's capacity to cope with change. International Relations should help practitioners develop appropriate responses, but Jason Ralph argues that IR would be better positioned to do so if it drew more explicitly on the insights of classical Pragmatism. By bringing this tradition in from the margins, Ralph comprehensively engages norm, practice, realist and global IR theory to extend the 'new constructivist' research agenda in a normative direction. He develops a 'Pragmatic Constructivist' approach to assess how well communities of practice facilitate the learning that mitigates emergent social problems and improves lived experiences. This normative assessment focuses on the extent to which communities of practice are characterized by inclusive reflexivity and deliberative practical judgment. These two tests are then applied to critique existing communities of practice, including the UN Security Council, the UNFCCC and the WHO.
An Inventory of Precontact Burial Mounds of Iowa
Authors: Whittaker William E.
Published: September 2023

A long-term project to map and catalog all precontact Native American burial mounds in Iowa provides information about the number, location, form, survivorship, and rate of loss of mounds. This analysis reveals previously undocumented mound manifestations, including a large cluster of 200 linear mounds along the central Des Moines River valley. Historical records reveal that at least 7,762 mounds were identified at 1,551 sites in Iowa between 1840 and the present. About 47% of the mounds from these sites can be possibly seen in lidar, with 33% of the total clearly seen in lidar. Data show that mound loss over time is linear. Extrapolation of data suggests that at least 15,000–17,000 mounds stood in Iowa in the nineteenth century, but the actual number was likely higher.
Policing the COVID-19 Outbreak, Accounts of Misconduct, and the Imperatives of Procedural Justice Training for Nigerian Police Officers
Authors: Aborisade Richard Abayomi
Published: September 2023

Globally, questions have been asked on how police utilized additional powers created to manage the spread of the COVID-19 virus without negatively impacting police legitimacy. This was particularly a concern in countries that had hitherto recorded high incidents of police misconduct prior to the emergence of the pandemic. Using a victim-centered approach, a qualitative study was conducted to examine the dimensions of unlawful use of force, human rights violations, and other police misconduct which prevailed during the enforcement of the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria. In all, 82 interviews with victims of police violence were conducted, and a thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out. Findings indicate negative perceptions of police legitimacy to intervene in public health crises. In building better community relations that will engender public compliance with police directives, the police authority is advised to purge itself of its militarized system, with officers undergoing procedural justice training and imbibing its principles.
A question of dominance: Statistically approaching grammatical variation in German standard language across borders
Authors: Scherr Elisabeth , Ziegler Arne
Published: September 2023

This paper revisits the question of national varieties in German, a concept that still has not found solid empirical proof, at least not from a quantitative-etic perspective. The question raised is how data collected in the course of the international research project, Variantengrammatik des Standarddeutschen (Handbook of Grammatical Variation in Standard German), and the application of spatial statistical methods to geographical variant distribution patterns can contribute to this discussion. With the aid of Factor Analysis and spatially modified clustering of variant distribution patterns it is shown that—at least from a quantitative/corpus linguistic point of view—there is no evidence for assuming nation-specific varieties. Importantly, this result does not imply the existence of a homogenous German standard language; rather, it is argued that geographical variation does not self-evidently legitimize the assumption of standard varieties.
The Chaîne Opératoire as an Approach to Distinguish between the Ceramic Production of the Viru and the Moche Polities on the North Coast of Peru
Authors: Espinosa Alicia , Druc Isabelle , Millaire Jean-François , Prieto Gabriel , Bracamonte Edgar , Alva Walter
Published: September 2023

Ceramics play a central role in the debates around the relationship between the Viru and the Moche. A recent model considers Negative and Moche-decorated ceramics produced by potters affiliated with the elites to be the cultural markers of the Viru and Moche populations, respectively. Due to the similarity of Viru and Moche plain-wares and the presence of Castillo Decorated ceramics in Viru and Moche contexts, this model sees both types of ceramics as domestic traditions, produced by independent potters and sharing a common technique. The research we present here supports this recent model by reconsidering the social and cultural meaning associated with these ceramic types: it uses a novel approach for South America of reconstructing the chaîne opératoire by studying the traces visible on ceramics at a macroscopic and microscopic scale. The study demonstrates how these potters used their own traditions to produce decorated and undecorated ceramics. Furthermore, we found that Castillo Decorated is a type produced only by Viru potters, and we argue that its presence in Moche contexts is evidence of the numerous exchanges maintained by these two populations.
The Curious Case of the Misplaced Eulogy: the Printing History of Matthew Parker's Sermon for Martin Bucer's Funeral
Authors: AMOS N. SCOTT
Published: September 2023

The history of the sermon that Matthew Parker preached at the funeral of Martin Bucer is more complicated than has been thought. It is generally known that the first printing of 1551 was subsequently translated from English into Latin for a European audience in 1562 (printed in that year and again in 1577), and then published in English a second time, in a 1587 imprint that is thought to be a second edition. What is not generally known is that the second English printing was a translation of the 1562/1577 Latin version, and that in the process of translation and re-translation, Parker's original sermon was stripped of nearly 60 per cent of its content, as a eulogy that followed the sermon was misattributed to Walter Haddon at some point just prior to 1562. The present article seeks to explain how this came to pass, and argues that the 1551 imprint should replace the 1587 as the primary text for what Parker said of Bucer.
Colonization dynamics of periphytic protozoa in a tropical marine ecosystem
Authors: Bhuain Mohammad Jahed Hasan , Sikder Mohammad Nurul Azim , Haider Sayeed Mahmood Belal , Sharif Abu Sayeed Muhammad , Uddin Sheikh Aftab , Sharifuzzaman SM , Xu Henglong
Published: September 2023

For the bioassessment of tropical marine ecosystem, a survey of protozoa colonizing artificial substrate was conducted in the coastal waters of northern Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh. Protozoan samples were collected using glass slides from 1 and 2 m water depths at time intervals of 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days during winter and monsoon seasons. Thus, the colonization processes of protozoa were assigned into three stages namely the initial (3 days), transitional (7 days), and equilibrium stages (10–28 days) at two depths in two seasons. Regression analyses demonstrated that the colonization dynamics of protozoa were well fitted to the MacArthur-Wilson model and logistic equation. Species richness reached equilibrium after 10–14 days and species abundance was maximum at a depth of 1 m. These results suggest that samples of protozoa can be collected at 1 m depth in winter season for monitoring the ecological health of tropical marine ecosystems.
Forest raptor nest selection traits in Mediterranean forest (Maamora, North Africa): conservation implications
Authors: Segura Amalia , Acevedo Pelayo
Published: September 2023

Forest raptor nest-site selection is mostly influenced by the quality of the habitat, food resources, and competition. Here, we identified common targets of trees selected as breeding sites and differences in selection traits, i.e. prey availability and intra- and interspecific competition, among Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Black Kite, and Common Kestrel in a Mediterranean Cork Oak forest (private protected reserve of 25 km2). Using generalised linear mixed models we developed species-specific models describing nesting habitat selection. We tested the overlap in nesting habitat selection among species using environmental principal component analysis. The densities of forest raptor breeding pairs were high (3.1 pairs/km2) and the distance between occupied territories was short, strongly connected with food availability and competition. The results showed that all the species, with the exception of Common Kestrel, selected for nesting areas characterised by higher conspecific distance, highlighting the importance of conspecific competition. Booted Eagle and Black Kite selected areas with a high abundance of rabbits. The height of the nesting tree, the size and distance between surrounding trees, and the scrub cover were significant habitat characteristics for Booted Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard. Indeed, the environmental analyses showed a moderate nest site overlap between Black Kite and both Booted Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard, and a high overlap between Common Kestrel and both Booted Eagle and Long-legged Buzzard. Our study improves knowledge of the habitat requirements for nest selection and the potential competitive interactions between these raptor species in Mediterranean forests, and highlights the need for implementation of habitat management and conservation strategies.
Financial risk protection in private health insurance: empirical evidence on catastrophic and impoverishing spending from Germany's dual insurance system
Authors: Hengel Philipp , Blümel Miriam , Siegel Martin , Achstetter Katharina , Köppen Julia , Busse Reinhard
Published: September 2023

Financial risk protection from high costs for care is a main goal of health systems. Health system characteristics typically associated with universal health coverage and financial risk protection, such as financial redistribution between insureds, are inherent to, e.g. social health insurance (SHI) but missing in private health insurance (PHI). This study provides evidence on financial protection in PHI for the case of Germany's dual insurance system of PHI and SHI, where PHI covers 11% of the population. Linked survey and claims data of PHI insureds (n = 3105) and population-wide household budget data (n = 42,226) are used to compute the prevalence of catastrophic health expenditures (CHE), i.e. the share of households whose out-of-pocket payments either exceed 40% of their capacity-to-pay or push them (further) into poverty. Despite comparatively high out-of-pocket payments, CHE is low in German PHI. It only affects the poor. Key to low financial burden seems to be the restriction of PHI to a small, overall wealthy group. Protection for the worse-off is provided through special mandatorily offered tariffs. In sum, Germany's dual health insurance system provides close-to-universal coverage. Future studies should further investigate the effect of premiums on financial burden, especially when linked to utilisation.
The Supreme Court Is Bypassing Science—We Can’t Ignore It
Authors: Ward Adam , Amos Adell
Published: September 2023

The court’s exclusion of scientists from the environmental rulemaking process comes full circle as the EPA strips federal protections for wetlands.