bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryptic diversity in a saline Mediterranean pond: the role of salinity and temperature in the emergence of zooplankton egg banks
Authors: Jiménez-Melero Raquel , Jarma Dayana , Gilbert Juan Diego , Ramírez-Pardo José Manuel , Guerrero Francisco
Published: April 2023

Mediterranean endorheic wetlands are strongly affected by local meteorological events, so they undergo frequent unpredictable disturbances, such as episodes of high salinity or desiccation. In this context, salinity and temperature may be crucial for determining the structure of zooplankton communities and regional biodiversity, since they may trigger the hatching of egg bank in different ways. The goal of this study is to assess the combined role of these two variables on the zooplankton assemblage emerging from the egg bank. We hypothesize that temperature and salinity affect the community structure in a non-linear way, that is, both factors interact and modify the magnitude of their effects. We performed a laboratory factorial design where the same sediment was incubated under different thermal and salinity conditions, reducing the potential effects of other possible confusion factors. Community structure was described by measuring cumulative abundances, species composition, richness, and diversity. Our results showed that the community structure was strongly determined by salinity at all experimental temperatures. In contrast, the magnitude of the temperature effect depended on salinity. The high variability among replicates when salinity and temperature increased suggests that climate change might lead to unpredictable patterns of the community emerging from the egg bank.
Benatar and Metz on Cosmic Meaning and Anti-natalism
Authors: Lougheed Kirk
Published: April 2023

David Benatar argues that one important consideration in favour of anti-natalism is based on the fact that all humans lack cosmic meaning; we will never transcend space and time such that we will have an impact on the entire universe, forever. Instead of denying Benatar’s claim that we lack cosmic meaning, Thaddeus Metz recently argues that our lack of cosmic meaning is not that significant because we ought not to regret lacking a good that we could not have in the first place. He explains the principle behind this idea in modal terms: “the closer the world in which one could access a benefit, the more reasonable are attitudes such as sadness, disappointment, regret when does not acquire it.” I argue that this principle faces a serious counterexample in the form of death. The possible worlds in which one doesn’t die are incredibly distant. Yet, it is appropriate to express deep sadness, disappointment, and regret at the fact that one must inevitably face death. Metz is wrong that we shouldn’t regret lacking a good unavailable to us in the first place. His criticism of Benatar therefore fails. While it might be objected that immortality is not good, my basic point still stands when considering the fact that our lives are not significantly longer. Benatar’s claims about the significance of our lack of cosmic meaning might not be true, but not for the reasons suggested by Metz.
Evaluation of intravenous infusion of labetalol versus magnesium sulfate on cerebral hemodynamics of preeclampsia patients with severe features using transcranial doppler
Authors: Mowafy Sherif M. S. , Medhat Marwa M.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

It is essential to understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of preeclampsia cerebral complications. This study aimed to compare the cerebral hemodynamic effects of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) and labetalol in pre-eclampsia patients with severe features.

Methods

Singleton pregnant women who suffered from late onset preeclampsia with severe features were enrolled and subjected to baseline Transcranial doppler (TCD) evaluation and then randomly assigned to either the magnesium sulfate group or labetalol group. TCD to measure middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow indices including mean flow velocity (cm/s), mean end-diastolic velocity (DIAS), and pulsatility index (PI) and to estimate CPP and MCA velocity were performed as basal measurements before study drug administration and at post-treatment one and six hours after administration. The occurrence of seizures and any adverse effects were recorded for each group.

Results

Sixty preeclampsia patients with severe features were included and randomly allocated into two equal groups. In group M the PI was 0.77 ± 0.04 at baseline versus 0.66 ± 0.05 at 1hour and 0.66 ± 0.05 at 6 hours after MgSO4 administration (p value < 0.001) also the calculated CPP was significantly decreased from 103.3 ± 12.7mmHg to 87.8 ± 10.6mmHg and 89.8 ± 10.9mmHg (p value < 0.001) at 1 and 6 hours respectively. Similarly, in group L the PI was significantly decreased from 0.77 ± 0.05 at baseline to 0.67 ± 0.05 and 0.67 ± 0.06 at 1 and 6 hours (p value < 0.001) after labetalol administration. Moreover, the calculated CPP was significantly decreased from 103.6 ± 12.6 mmHg to 86.2 ± 13.02mmHg at 1 hour and to 83.7 ± 14.6mmHg at 6 hours (p value < 0.001). In terms of changes in blood pressure and the heart rate, they were significantly lower in the labetalol group.

Conclusion

Both magnesium sulfate and labetalol reduce CPP while maintaining cerebral blood flow (CBF) in preeclampsia patients with severe features.

Trial registration

The institutional review board of the Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University approved this study with the reference number (ZU-IRB#: 6353-23-3-2020) and it was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04539379).
Transcendental Meditation for Women Affected by Domestic Violence: A Pilot Randomised, Controlled Trial
Authors: Leach Matthew J , Lorenzon Heather
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Domestic and family violence is a major public health issue impacting one in three women worldwide. The implications of such violence are considerable. Transcendental Meditation® (TM) represents a promising treatment option for women impacted by domestic violence given its demonstrable effects on mental and trauma-related symptoms. This study set out to compare the effectiveness of TM to group support, on quality of life, perceived stress and mood in female survivors of domestic violence.

Methods

This 16-week pilot randomised controlled trial recruited women from metropolitan Adelaide, who survived any type of domestic violence in their lifetime. Outcomes included health-related quality of life, severity of depression, anxiety and perceived stress, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and subjective experience. Data were analysed by intention-to-treat using linear mixed-effects models.

Results

Forty-two women were randomly assigned to the TM (n = 21) and support (n = 21) groups. Adjusting for random effects, TM was shown to be significantly more effective than support at improving Australian Quality of Life (AQoL-8D) utility scores (p = .011), and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) severity scores for depression (p = .029), anxiety (p = .017) and stress (p = .021) over the 16 weeks. There was no statistically significant time-group interaction effect for PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) total symptom severity scores.

Conclusions

TM is shown to have promising effects on quality of life, perceived stress and mood among women exposed to domestic violence, suggesting that it may represent an effective alternative to group support.

Trial Registration

ACTRN12620000467932 (09/04/2020).
A Retrospective on the Development of Methods for the Analysis of Protein Conformational Ensembles
Authors: Hayward Steven
Published: April 2023

Analysing protein conformational ensembles whether from molecular dynamics (MD) simulation or other sources for functionally relevant conformational changes can be very challenging. In the nineteen nineties dimensional reduction methods were developed primarily for analysing MD trajectories to determine dominant motions with the aim of understanding their relationship to function. Coarse-graining methods were also developed so the conformational change between two structures could be described in terms of the relative motion of a small number of quasi-rigid regions rather than in terms of a large number of atoms. When these methods are combined, they can characterize the large-scale motions inherent in a conformational ensemble providing insight into possible functional mechanism. The dimensional reduction methods first applied to protein conformational ensembles were referred to as Quasi-Harmonic Analysis, Principal Component Analysis and Essential Dynamics Analysis. A retrospective on the origin of these methods is presented, the relationships between them explained, and more recent developments reviewed.
Isolation of Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato strains causing bacterial speck disease of tomato and marker-based monitoring for their virulence
Authors: El-Fatah Bahaa E. S. Abd , Imran Muhammad , Abo-Elyousr Kamal A.M , Mahmoud Amer F.
Published: April 2023

Background

The bacterial speck disease of tomato caused by a bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato is a most important disease causing severe crop losses.

Methods and results

Present study was conducted to investigate and characterize the population diversity of P. syringae pv. tomato pathogen isolated from infected tomato plants from various regions of Egypt. Significant variation among the isolates was observed which demonstrated considerable virulence. All isolates were pathogenic and the CFU population recovered from inoculate tomato leaves by isolate Pst-2 was higher than other isolates. Genetic disparity among the isolates was investigated by PCR analysis by amplifying hrpZ gene using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. The amplified products for ITS1 were found to have 810 bp length whereas 536 bp length was observed for hrpZ gene using primer pairs (1406-f/23S-r) and (MM5-F, MM5-R) respectively. The restriction analysis of amplified regions “ITS” and hrpZ by using 5 and 4 endonucleases respectively demonstrated slight variation among the bacterial isolates. The results of RAPD, ISSR and SRAP showed higher polymorphism (60.52%) within the isolates which may assist for successful characterization by unique and specific markers based on geographical distribution, origin and virulence intensity.

Conclusion

The results of present study suggested that the use of molecular approach may provide successful and valuable information to differentiate and classify P. syringae pv. tomato strains in future for the detection and confirmation of pathogenicity.
Russellian Physicalists get our phenomenal concepts wrong
Authors: Botin Marcelino
Published: April 2023

Russellian physicalism is becoming increasingly popular because it promises to deliver what everybody wants, realism and physicalism about consciousness. But Russellian physicalists are not the first to swear on “the promise”, standard Type-B physicalism is a less fanciful view that also claims to give everything and take nothing. In this paper, I argue that our hopes should not be placed on Russellian physicalism because, unlike Type-B physicalism, it cannot explain how phenomenal concepts can reveal the nature of phenomenal properties without weakening its physicalist credentials. The revelation challenge shows that Russellian physicalism is either committed to an anti-realist and self-defeating view of phenomenal concepts or it is physically unacceptable.
RAN and two languages: a meta-analysis of the RAN-reading relationship in bilingual children
Authors: Kishchak Victoria , Ewert Anna , Halczak Paulina , Kleka Paweł , Szczerbiński Marcin
Published: April 2023

RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming) is known to be a robust predictor of reading development in different languages. Much less is known about RAN predictive power in bilingual contexts. This is the first meta-analysis of research with bilingual children, assessing the strength of the RAN-reading relationship both within and across languages. It also explored the moderators that may affect this relationship. The search identified 38 published studies of bilingual children with 47 samples, 313 effect sizes and 5312 participants. Analyses of random-effects models with robust variance estimation revealed weak-to-moderate overall effect sizes of RAN and reading concurrently (r = −.39) and longitudinally (r = −.38). Moderator analyses of concurrent correlations revealed that RAN correlated more strongly with reading fluency (r = −.56) than accuracy (r = −.38). Alphanumeric RAN tasks (digits r = −.39, letters r = −.42) showed stronger associations with reading than non-alphanumeric RAN tasks (objects r = −.38, colors r = −.25). RAN-reading correlation was statistically significant both within and across languages. It was somewhat weaker when the two skills were measured in different languages (rL1RAN—L2 reading = −.34, rL2RAN—L1 reading = −.36) compared to when they were measured in the same language (rL1 = −.40, rL2 = −.44), though those differences failed to reach statistical significance. In addition, the type of bilingualism was found to be a potential moderator of the RAN-reading relationship longitudinally, with its magnitude being the strongest in simultaneous bilinguals. Our results suggest that, as a predictor, RAN taps into general, language-independent processes underlying reading.
Beyond the “NGOization” of Civil Society: A Framework for Sustainable Community Led Development in Conflict Settings
Authors: Al Jayousi Rashed , Nishide Yuko
Published: April 2023

In this study, we aim to investigate the much shrouded and problematic role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in conflict settings. We argue that to go beyond the “NGOization” of CSOs, there is a need to have a macro perspective of the interaction mechanisms between the shifting dynamics that CSOs play in development efforts. This lack of perspective impedes the ability of CSOs to navigate challenges in conflict settings because examining CSO dynamics independently will not be sufficient to develop effective solutions. Therefore, we investigated the interplay between dynamics in the case of Palestinian CSOs through our interactive framework, where we identified three main barriers faced by CSOs and eight interaction mechanisms between each of the dynamics and the barriers. Our framework appeals to policymakers and practitioners alike by offering practical implications emphasizing the role of locally led initiatives that mobilize communities to innovate and govern, with guidance from CSOs.
A Call for Mandatory Input Validation and Fuzz Testing
Authors: Køien Geir M. , Øverlier Lasse
Published: April 2023

The on-going digitalization of our critical infrastructures is progressing fast. There is also a growing trend of serious and disrupting cyber-attacks. The digital services are often fragile, and with many weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This makes exploiting and attacking the services a little too easy. If the services verifies all inputs, many security threats will be avoided. Similarly, if one diligently tests the services with malformed inputs, one will uncover many security and software quality problems. In this paper we investigate “input validation” and “fuzz testing” as a means to improve security. The aim is not exhaustive coverage, but to provide indications of usefulness and to serve as a call for action.
Asset Management as Creator of Market Inefficiency
Authors: Vayanos Dimitri , Woolley Paul
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we describe how agency frictions in asset management can generate prime violations of the Efficient Markets Hypothesis, such as momentum, value and an inverted risk-return relationship. Momentum in our theory is associated with procyclical fund flows and price over-reaction, and is more pronounced for overvalued assets. The investors who generate the momentum and who are losing from it are those requiring their asset managers to keep their portfolios close to benchmark indices. Our theory suggests a rethinking of asset management contracts. Contracts should employ measures of long-run risk and return, and benchmark indices that emphasize asset fundamentals. There should also be greater transparency on managers’ choice of strategies.
From reflection diaries to practical guidance for transdisciplinary research: learnings from a Kenyan air pollution project
Authors: Price Heather D. , Bowyer Cressida J. , Büker Patrick , Gray Cindy M. , Hahn Matthew , Lambe Fiona , Loh Miranda , Medcalf Alexander J. , Njoora Timothy Kamau , Waelde Charlotte , Wainwright Megan , West Sarah E.
Published: April 2023

Transdisciplinary research (TDR) approaches have been cited as essential for overcoming the intractable sustainability challenges that the world is currently facing, including air pollution, water management and climate change. However, such approaches can be difficult to undertake in practice and can consequently fail to add value. Therefore, examples of what works in practice (and what does not) are helpful to guide future research. In this study, we used a conceptual TDR framework as the basis to examine and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of our approach in a project exploring air pollution in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Reflection diaries exploring experiences of participation in the project were undertaken by the project team (comprising academic and community partners) at multiple time points throughout the project. These reflection diaries played an important role in evaluation and for providing space for team learning. Diaries were thematically coded according to the TDR framework to explore aspects of the project that worked well, and areas which presented challenges. We draw upon our reflections, and the extant literature, to make practical recommendations for researchers undertaking TDR projects in future. Recommendations focus on three key project stages (pre-funding, funded period, post-funding) and include; building the team in a way that includes all key stakeholders in relevant and appropriate roles, giving everyone sufficient time to work on the project, and ensuring regular and open communication. Building these recommendations into the design and delivery of transdisciplinary sustainability science projects will support progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Cyclic Solid-Liquid Phase Transformations in the $$\text {CaO}$$–$$\text {SiO}_2$$ System—Experiments and Modelling
Authors: Ogris Daniel Marian , Kircher Volkmar , Gamsjäger Ernst
Published: April 2023

The cyclic growth and shrinkage of solid oxides (i.e. wollastonite) in $$\text {CaO}$$
CaO
–$$\text {SiO}_2$$

SiO
2

-based slags is investigated in-situ by means of High-Temperature Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (HT-CSLM). The compositions of the slags are carefully selected to induce different phase transformation conditions, i.e. congruent and incongruent melting/solidification. To complement the experimental results, the kinetics of growth and shrinkage of oxide crystals is investigated by means of a sharp interface model where the interfacial reaction and diffusion in the liquid bulk are considered as possible rate-controlling processes. The modelling approach combined with data analysis from key experiments reveals the underlying dissipative processes of solidification and melting phenomena, here, diffusion in the liquid bulk material and/or the interfacial reactions. The modelling approach is likely to be applicable for future materials design and processing problems from this perspective.
Approaches to Muslim Biomedical Ethics: A Classification and Critique
Authors: Dabbagh Hossein , Mirdamadi S. Yaser , Ajani Rafiq R.
Published: April 2023

This paper provides a perspective on where contemporary Muslim responses to biomedical-ethical issues stand to date. There are several ways in which Muslim responses to biomedical ethics can and have been studied in academia. The responses are commonly divided along denominational lines or under the schools of jurisprudence. All such efforts classify the responses along the lines of communities of interpretation rather than the methods of interpretation. This research is interested in the latter. Thus, our criterion for classification is the underlying methodology behind the responses. The proposed classification divides Muslim biomedical-ethical reasoning into three methodological categories: 1) textual, 2) contextual, and 3) para-textual.
Physical activity behaviour change in people living with and beyond cancer following an exercise intervention: a systematic review
Authors: Salisbury Chloe E. , Hyde Melissa K. , Cooper Ella T. , Stennett Rebecca C. , Gomersall Sjaan R. , Skinner Tina L.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Exercise interventions can increase physical activity and wellbeing of people living with/beyond cancer. However, little is known about maintenance of physical activity in this population ≥ 6 months post-exercise intervention, when theoretical evidence suggests behaviour maintenance occurs. Study aims are to (i) systematically review maintenance of physical activity ≥ 6-month post-exercise intervention, and (ii) investigate the influence of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) on physical activity maintenance in people living with/beyond cancer.

Methods

CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE and PubMed databases were searched for randomised controlled trials up to August 2021. Trials including adults diagnosed with cancer that assessed physical activity ≥ 6 months post-exercise intervention were included.

Results

Of 142 articles assessed, 21 reporting on 18 trials involving 3538 participants were eligible. Five (21%) reported significantly higher physical activity ≥ 6 months post-exercise intervention versus a control/comparison group. Total number of BCTs (M = 8, range 2–13) did not influence intervention effectiveness. The BCTs Social support, Goal setting (behaviour), and Action planning, alongside supervised exercise, were important, but not sufficient, components for long-term physical activity maintenance.

Conclusions

Evidence for long-term physical activity maintenance post-exercise intervention for people living with/beyond cancer is limited and inconclusive. Further research is required to ensure the physical activity and health benefits of exercise interventions do not quickly become obsolete.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Implementation of the BCTs Social support, Goal setting (behaviour), and Action planning, alongside supervised exercise, may enhance physical activity maintenance and subsequent health outcomes in people living with/beyond cancer.
Pre-surgery dietician counseling can prevent post-thyroidectomy body weight gain: results of an intervention trial
Authors: Croce Laura , Pallavicini Cristina , Busca Noemi , Calì Benedetto , Bellastella Giuseppe , Coperchini Francesca , Magri Flavia , Chiovato Luca , Cena Hellas , Rotondi Mario
Published: April 2023

Purpose

It is widely accepted that patients experience weight gain after total thyroidectomy, and preventive measures should be recommended.

Methods

A prospective study was designed to assess the efficacy of a dietetic intervention to prevent post-thyroidectomy weight gain in patients undergoing surgery for both benign and malignant thyroid conditions. Patients undergoing total thyroidectomy were prospectively and randomly assigned to receive a personalized pre-surgery diet counseling (GROUP A) or no intervention (GROUP B), according to a 1:2 ratio. All patients underwent follow-up with body-weight measurement, thyroid function evaluation and lifestyle and eating habits assessment at baseline (T0), 45 days (T1) and 12 months (T2) post-surgery.

Results

The final study group encompassed 30 patients in Group A and 58 patients in Group B. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, pre-surgery BMI, thyroid function and underlying thyroid condition. The evaluation of body weight variations showed that patients in Group A did not experience significant body weight changes at either T1 (p = 0.127) nor T2 (p = 0.890). At difference, patients in Group B underwent a significant body weight increase from T0 to both T1 (p = 0.009) and T2 (p = 0.009). TSH levels were similar in the two groups, both at T1 and T2. Lifestyle and eating habits questionnaires failed to register any significant difference between the two groups, apart from an increase in sweetened beverages consumption in Group B.

Conclusions

A dietician counseling is effective in preventing the post-thyroidectomy weight gain. Further studies in larger series of patients with a longer follow-up appear worthwhile.
Associations between age, social reward processing and social anxiety symptoms
Authors: Kilford Emma J. , Foulkes Lucy , Blakemore Sarah-Jayne
Published: April 2023

Reward processing undergoes marked changes in adolescence, with social interactions representing a powerful source of reward. Reward processing is also an important factor in the development of social anxiety disorder, a condition that most commonly first appears in adolescence. This study investigated the relationship between age, social reward processing and social anxiety in a cross-sectional sample of female participants (N = 80) aged 13–34. Participants performed two versions of a probabilistic reward anticipation task, in which a speeded response could result in different probabilities of receiving either social or monetary rewarding feedback. Participants also completed self-report assessments of social reward value, trait anxiety and social anxiety symptoms. At high reward probabilities, performance on both reward tasks showed a quadratic effect of age, with the fastest responses at around 22–24 years. A similar quadratic effect was found for subjective liking ratings of both reward stimuli, although these were not associated with performance. Social anxiety was not associated with a subjective liking of the rewards but did predict performance on both tasks at all reward probabilities. Age-related variation in reward processing was not accounted for by age-related variation in social anxiety symptoms, suggesting that, while both social anxiety and age were associated with variation in reward processing, their effects were largely independent. Together, these findings provide evidence that social reward processing continues to develop across adolescence and that individual differences in social anxiety should be considered when considering reward sensitivity during this period.
The effects of teacher’s emotional intelligence on team-member exchange and job performance: the moderating role of teacher seniority
Authors: Lu Tzu-Ping , Chen Junjun
Published: April 2023

This study aims to examine the effects of teachers’ seniority, emotional intelligence (EI), and team-member exchange (TMX) quality on their job performance in primary schools. In particular, the mediating role of TMX on the relationship between EI and job performance, and the moderated mediating effect of teacher seniority on EI-TMX-job performance relationships were scrutinised. Data were collected from 387 teachers of primary schools in Taiwan. The SPSS PROCESS macro and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied to test the hypotheses using SPSS 26.0. The research findings indicated that primary teachers’ EI positively affected their TMX and job performance. The findings also provide empirical evidence for the positive mediating effect of TMX on the relationship between EI and job performance, as well as the negative moderating effect of teachers’ seniority on the linkage between EI and TMX. Recommendations are made on the enhancement of teachers’ EI and the relationship of TMX in teachers’ professional development programs, educational policies, and practice.
A Systematic Review of Instruments Measuring Social and Emotional Skills in School-Aged Children and Adolescents
Authors: Martinez-Yarza Nerea , Santibáñez Rosa , Solabarrieta Josu
Published: April 2023

Strengthening social and emotional skills can be particularly relevant concerning the emerging skills need as it yields benefits for individuals’ successful development. A growing body of research suggests that social and emotional competences are associated with well-being and positive life and academic outcomes. Despite the notable benefits of social and emotional skills, assessment tools are still scarce or target specific risk and problematic behaviours. This systematic review seeks to address this gap and identify instruments measuring social and emotional skills for students in elementary through secondary education. This review also aims to describe the study characteristics and key features of the identified instruments and to assess the extent to which the instruments comprehensively evaluate the five Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) areas of competence. A systematic search of the literature was carried out in Scopus, Web of Science and ERIC databases. This review resulted in the identification of 25 unique assessments over a 20-year period, reported on the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our results suggest a rapid growth and notable advancements of social and emotional skills assessment systems and demonstrate the direct influence of the CASEL framework. Our results also show that a combination of multi-method and multi-informant assessment should be employed to effectively assess social and emotional skills. Thus, this paper contributes to support school-based practitioners and psychologists in their efforts to lead social and emotional skills instruction and assessment in routine educational practice.
The influence of the capping ligands on the optoelectronic performance, morphology, and ion liberation of CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots
Authors: Liu Yongfeng , Tang Shi , Gao Zhaoju , Shao Xiuwen , Zhu Xiaolin , Ràfols Ribé Joan , Wågberg Thomas , Edman Ludvig , Wang Jia
Published: April 2023

Perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) endowed with capping ligands exhibit impressive optoelectronic properties and enable for cost-efficient solution processing and exciting application opportunities. We synthesize and characterize three different PeQDs with the same cubic CsPbBr3 core, but which are distinguished by the ligand composition and density. PeQD-1 features a binary didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and octanoic acid capping ligand system, with a high surface density of 1.53 nm−2, whereas PeQD-2 and PeQD-3 are coated by solely DDAB at a gradually lower surface density. We show that PeQD-1 endowed with highest ligand density features the highest dispersibility in toluene of 150 g/L, the highest photoluminescence quantum yield of 95% in dilute solution and 59% in a neat film, and the largest core-to-core spacing in neat thin films. We further establish that ions are released from the core of PeQD-1 when it is exposed to an electric field, although it comprises a dense coating of one capping ligand per four surface core atoms. We finally exploit these combined findings to the development of a light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC), where the active layer is composed solely of solution-processed pure PeQDs, without additional electrolytes. In this device, the ion release is utilized as an advantage for the electrochemical doping process and efficient emissive operation of the LEC.
A whole system approach to childhood obesity: how a supportive environment was created in the city of Brighton and Hove, United Kingdom
Authors: Salm Leah , Nisbett Nicholas , Cuming Katie , Hrynick Tabitha , Lulache Alexandra , MacGregor Hayley
Published: April 2023

Childhood obesity is a growing global challenge, and no country has yet reversed the upward trend in prevalence. The causes are multifaceted, spanning individual, societal, environmental, and political spheres. This makes finding solutions complex as traditional linear models of treatment and effect have proven only minimally successful or unfeasible at the population level. There is also a paucity of evidence of what works, and few examples of intervention that operate on a ‘whole systems’ level. The city of Brighton in the United Kingdom has experienced a downward trend in child obesity rates compared to national figures. The aim of this study was to explore what has led to successful change in the city. This was done through a review of local data, policy and programs, and thirteen key informant interviews with key stakeholders involved in the local food and healthy weight agenda. Our findings highlight key mechanisms that have plausibly contributed to a supportive environment for obesity reduction in Brighton according to key local policy and civil society actors. These mechanisms include; a commitment to early years intervention such as breastfeeding promotion; a supportive local political context; the ability to tailor interventions to community needs; governance structures and capacity that enable cross-sectoral collaboration; and a citywide framing of obesity solutions in the context of a ‘whole system’ approach. However, substantial inequalities persist in the city. Engaging families in areas of high deprivation and operating in an increasingly difficult context of national austerity are persistent challenges. This case study sheds light on some mechanisms of what a whole systems approach to obesity looks like in practice in a local context. This is of relevance to both policymakers and healthy weight practitioners across a spectrum of sectors who need to be engaged to tackle child obesity.
A comprehensive methodology for reservoir cut-off determination
Authors: Zeyghami Mohammad , Taghizadeh Sarvestani Mohammad
Published: April 2023

The main objective of net pay determination, as an important step of any reservoir study, is to exclude non-reservoir intervals so that better results are obtained from reservoir characterization, hydrocarbon in-place calculations, and dynamic flow simulation of the reservoir. This study is a comprehensive presentation of the most applicable methods available for net pay determination, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and their input data, and presenting a new procedure to prepare the input data, determine the reservoir net pay, and validate the final results. These methods include conventional best-fit line and quadrant methods in a porosity–permeability cross-plot, Worthington method, rules of thumb, cumulative hydrocarbon column plot, and production constraints. This study, unlike previous ones, presents a stepwise methodology to reach the correct answer considering both rock and fluid properties. The necessity for the definition of net pay is discussed in the current study in the first step. Determination of net pay and the net-to-gross ratio is done by definition of some cut-off values for petrophysical properties such as porosity, water saturation, and shale volume. The new procedure presented in this study as a flowchart to determine pay zone uses different methods to determine cut-off values. The sequential and systematic use of all these methods gives a consistent and more reliable answer. The key steps to determine net pay is to find the porosity cut-off based on a porosity–permeability cross-plot and a pre-defined limiting value for permeability and then to use this value to find the shale volume and water saturation cut-offs using their cross-plots versus porosity. To take into account the fluid properties effect, a mobility cut-off is used as the starting point instead of permeability. Cumulative hydrocarbon column plots are used as a sensitivity tool to determine what percentage of the hydrocarbons will be discarded by any cut-off value. Finally, the determined net pay should be validated using the results of production logging and wireline formation tests. The proposed methodology was applied to a real field to determine its net pay. Porosity and water saturation cut-offs were calculated to be 2% and 55%, respectively, and due to the clean nature of the reservoir, a shale volume cut-off was not necessary. Simultaneous application of porosity and water saturation cut-offs discarded 6.3% of the hydrocarbon column for the field example.
Timeless spaces: Field experiments in the physiological study of circadian rhythms, 1938–1963
Authors: Hussey Kristin D.
Published: April 2023

In the middle of the twentieth century, physiologists interested in human biological rhythms undertook a series of field experiments in natural spaces that they believed could closely approximate conditions of biological timelessness. With the field of rhythms research was still largely on the fringes of the life sciences, natural spaces seemed to offer unique research opportunities beyond what was available to physiologists in laboratory spaces. In particular, subterranean caves and the High Arctic became archetypal ‘natural laboratories’ for the study of human circadian (daily) rhythms. This paper is explores the field experiments which occurred in these ‘timeless spaces’. It considers how scientists understood these natural spaces as suitably ‘timeless’ for studying circadian rhythms and what their experimental practices can tell us about contemporary physiological notions of biological time, especially its relationship to ‘environmentality’ (Formosinho et al. in Stud History Philos Sci 91:148–158, 2022). In so doing, this paper adds to a growing literature on the interrelationship of field sites by demonstrating the ways that caves and the Arctic were connected by rhythms scientists. Finally, it will explore how the use of these particular spaces were not just scientific but also political – leveraging growing Cold War anxieties about nuclear fallout and the space race to bring greater prestige and funding to the study of circadian rhythms in its early years.
Effects of short-loop material recycling on mechanical properties of parts by Arburg Plastic Freeforming
Authors: Mele Mattia , Pisaneschi Gregorio , Zucchelli Andrea , Campana Giampaolo , Fiorini Maurizio
Published: April 2023

Arburg Plastic Freeforming allows for transforming granulated thermoplastics with variable shapes and sizes. This opens marvellous opportunities for in-place recycling of process waste and auxiliary structures. The present study investigates for the first time the effects of recycled material on the mechanical properties of manufactured parts. To this end, the mechanical, thermomechanical and rheological properties of parts produced with different contents of recycled material are investigated. Findings demonstrate that a balanced mixture of primary and secondary material determines a drop in mechanical performances due to a less accurate deposition. A higher percentage of recycled material determines a sharp decrease in viscosity, leading to a more homogeneous layer and tensile properties similar to those of the virgin polymer. The drop in viscosity also affects the accuracy of deposition, determining a worse definition of sharp edges.
YOLF-ShipPnet: Improved RetinaNet with Pyramid Vision Transformer
Authors: Qiu Zhiruo , Rong Shiyang , Ye Likun
Published: April 2023

In the field of ship detection, the intricate nature of ship images arises from a multitude of factors, including variations in ship orientation, color contrasts, and diverse shapes. These factors collectively contribute to the challenge of achieving high detection precision. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the application of advanced networks for ship image detection. In this paper, we have put forward an improved network called YOLF-ShipPnet, which utilizes a popular pyramid vision transformer with increased depth as the backbone for the RetinaNet network. To increase the model’s generalization ability, You Only Look Once eXtreme’s (YOLOX’s) hue, saturation, and value (HSV) random augmentation technique is employed to simulate light and color effects on ship images during the construction of the network. Ablation experiments were conducted on the model with two popular datasets: High-Resolution Ship Collections 2016 (HRSC2016) and SAR Ship Detection Dataset (SSDD). The YOLF-ShipPnet network has been verified to improve detection precision and generalization ability in ship detection by $$5.22\%$$

5.22
%

and $$5.46\%$$

5.46
%

, respectively, compared to RetinaNet baseline, exhibiting strong robustness and high effectiveness. The proposed network is applicable to the field of fine-grained ship detection and achieves an accuracy improvement of $$10.03\%$$

10.03
%

compared to the baseline network.
Astronomer, Cartographer and Naturalist of the New World
Authors: Zuidervaart Huib , Matsuura Oscar
Published: April 2023

This volume, Volume 1, presents Marggrafe's stunning biography. Volume 2 consists of a text edition of his astronomical legacy, prepared for the printing press in the 1650s, but only now finalized and published.
Global political leaders during the COVID-19 vaccination: Between propaganda and fact-checking
Authors: Rivas-de-Roca Rubén , Pérez-Curiel Concha
Published: April 2023

The advent of COVID-19 vaccination meant a moment of hope after months of crisis communication. However, the context of disinformation on social media threatened the success of this public health campaign. This study examines how heads of government and fact-checking organizations in four countries managed communications on Twitter about the vaccination. Specifically, we conduct a content analysis of their discourses through the observation of propaganda mechanisms. The research draws on a corpus of words related to the pandemic and vaccines in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States (n = 2,800). The data were captured for a five-month period (January–May 2021), during which COVID-19 vaccines became available for elderly people. The results show a trend of clearly fallacious communication among the political leaders, based on the tools of emphasis and appeal to emotion. We argue that the political messages about the vaccination mainly used propaganda strategies. These tweets also set, to a certain extent, the agendas of the most relevant fact-checking initiatives in each country.
The Global Resonance of Human Rights: What Google Trends Can Tell Us
Authors: DANCY GEOFF , FARISS CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: April 2023

Where is the human rights discourse most resonant? We use aggregated cross-national Google search data to test two divergent accounts of why human rights appeal to some populations but not others. The top-down model predicts that nationwide interest in human rights is attributable mainly to external factors such as foreign direct investment, transnational NGO campaigns, or international legalization, whereas the bottom-up model highlights the importance of internal factors such as economic growth and persistent repression. We find more evidence for the latter model: not only is interest in human rights more concentrated in the Global South, but the discourse is also most resonant where people face regular state violence. In drawing these inferences, this article confronts high-level debates over whether human rights will remain relevant in the future, and whether the discourse still animates counter-hegemonic modes of resistance. The answer to both questions, our research suggests, is “yes.”
When Parties Move to the Middle: The Role of Uncertainty
Authors: Lindvall Johannes , Rueda David , Zhai Haoyu
Published: April 2023

Political parties face a crucial trade-off between electoral and partisan goals: should they put electoral goals first, pursuing the policies they think will win them the most votes in the next election, or should they put partisan goals first, pursuing the policies their members, activists, and most loyal voters prefer? In this paper we argue that main political parties make different choices depending on the information environment they are in. They have strong incentives to follow the median voter when the median voter's position is well known, but when there is more uncertainty they have strong incentives to adopt policies they prefer for partisan reasons, since uncertainty makes party leaders more willing to bet that the party's preferred policies are also vote winners. We develop an empirical analysis of how the main parties on the left and the right in twenty democracies have changed their platforms from election to election since the 1960s.
Independent Director Tenure and Corporate Governance: Evidence from Insider Trading
Authors: Gao Meng , Huang Sheng
Published: April 2023

Executives trade more profitably and opportunistically over the course of the tenure of independent directors (IDs). IDs’ increased connections with and hence allegiance to executives are likely the channel through which ID tenure can affect executive trading. Executive opportunism is mitigated by disciplinary factors that include the presence of a firm’s internal trading policy, blockholders, and IDs with legal expertise as well as the risk of shareholder-initiated derivative lawsuits. These results point to an association between long-tenured IDs and weakened corporate governance.
Repair of posterior laryngeal cleft: a 10-year experience in a tertiary referral hospital
Authors: El-Sobki Ahmed , Baz Hemmat , Ibrahim Reham AE , El Deeb Mohamed E , El-Kholy Noha Ahmed , Ashraf Bassem , Hashish Menna Ibrahim , Negm Ahmed
Published: April 2023

Objective

This study aimed to present experience with surgical treatment of laryngeal cleft cases through both open and endoscopic approaches.

Method

A retrospective evaluation of all patients diagnosed as having a laryngeal cleft in a tertiary hospital over 10 years was performed. Pre-operative data, conservative and surgical management of cases, and outcomes were collected, tabulated and analysed.

Results

This study included 43 patients aged from 2 to 44 months with a median of 9.19 months. Concerning management technique, 12 patients had conservative treatment and the remaining 31 underwent a surgical procedure (of them, 20 patients underwent endoscopic intervention and 11 had the open surgical technique). In the open group, we used either tibial periosteum (six cases) or harvested costal cartilage (five cases).

Conclusion

Surgical management in the form of endoscopic Coblation-assisted or an open approach is indicated in severe cases or mild cases not responding to conservative management.
Two ‘logic’ problems for religious expressivists
Authors: Joaquin Jeremiah Joven
Published: April 2023

Religious expressivism is the view that religious sentences, like ‘God is all-loving’ and ‘God offers us the gift of salvation’, are devoid of cognitive meaning. Such sentences are not truth-evaluable: they cannot be judged as true or false. In Religious Language, Michael Scott asked what explains the seeming logical behaviour of religious sentences if they are not truth-evaluable, as religious expressivists claim. In particular, religious expressivists need to explain (i) how a given religious sentence and its negation seem inconsistent and (ii) how religious sentences could figure in logically valid arguments. In this article, I develop a version of Weak Kleene semantics that could address these two ‘logic’ challenges.