bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychosoziale Notfallversorgung von Kindern nach hoch belastenden Lebenserfahrungen
Authors: Finkeldei Simon , Kern Tita , Rinne-Wolf Susanna
Published: September 2022

Hoch belastende Lebensereignisse wie die Erfahrung einer lebensbedrohlichen Situation oder das Bezeugen von plötzlichem Tod, schwerer Verletzung oder Suizid stellen für die psychische Verarbeitung eine außergewöhnliche Herausforderung dar. Sie stehen in kausalem Zusammenhang mit dem Risiko, an verschiedenen psychischen und psychosomatischen Traumafolgestörungen zu erkranken. Diesem Wissen folgend, sind die Aufgaben der Psychosozialen Notfallversorgung (PSNV): die Prävention psychosozialer Belastungsfolgen, die Früherkennung weiteren Hilfs- oder Versorgungsbedarfs und die Bereitstellung adäquater Hilfe zur Belastungsverarbeitung. Sind Kinder von einem Notfallereignis betroffen, befinden sich diese aufgrund entwicklungspsychologischer Aspekte in einer anderen Position als erwachsene Betroffene.

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt praxisnah die Besonderheiten in der Notfallversorgung der Zielgruppe Kinder. Dabei geht er anhand ausgewählter Forschungsbefunde aus den Feldern Psychotraumatologie und Psychosoziale Notfallversorgung insbesondere der Frage nach, welche Auswirkungen das Bezugspersonenverhalten auf die kindliche Verarbeitung von Notfallereignissen hat. Entsprechende Folgerungen für die Praxis der PSNV werden gezogen. Darüber hinaus werden allgemeine Empfehlungen zur Akutbetreuung von Kindern vorgestellt und Herausforderungen in der Praxis diskutiert.

Die Psychosoziale Notfallversorgung von Kindern erfordert ein im Vergleich zu der Begleitung von erwachsenen Betroffenen angepasstes Vorgehen. Verhaltenskompetenz und Stabilität der Bezugspersonen haben Einfluss auf die kindlichen Verarbeitungsmöglichkeiten. Abhängig vom Zeitpunkt der Intervention bedarf die PSNV unterschiedlicher Kompetenzen. Der niederschwellige Zugang zu Hilfsangeboten stellt in der Versorgungspraxis eine Herausforderung dar.
Synthesis and characterization of non-stoichiometric Li1.1Co0.3Fe2.1O4 ferrite nanoparticles for humidity sensors
Authors: Ateia Mahmoud A. , Ateia Ebtesam E. , Mosry Mohamed , Arman M. M.
Published: September 2022

A humidity sensor plays a crucial role in determining the efficiency of materials and the precision of apparatuses. To measure and control humidity, a non-stoichiometric Li1.1Co0.3Fe2.1O4 mesopore sensor is synthesized by a modified citrate auto combustion technique. The XRD study confirms that prepared nanoparticles are cubic spinel structures having an Fd3m space group. The crystallite size is approximately 36 nm. Thermal analysis measurements show that samples become thermally stable at a temperature of 600 °C. Additionally, the kinetic studies of the prepared samples are calculated via a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The temperature dependence of AC conductivity is found to increase with increasing temperature. These observations are explained in various models. The resistivity mechanism of humidity sensors is studied via complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS). Its impedance data are fitted to a corresponding circuit, to achieve a simulation of the sample under study. This fitting is detected by the Nyquist plot (Cole–Cole). The obtained data confirm that the studied samples are very sensitive to humidity and can be commercially used as a humidity sensing element.

Graphical abstract
Testicular germ cell tumours’ clinical stage I: comparison of surveillance with adjuvant treatment strategies regarding recurrence rates and overall survival—a systematic review
Authors: Ruf Christian G. , Schmidt Stefanie , Kliesch Sabine , Oing Christoph , Pfister David , Busch Jonas , Heinzelbecker Julia , Winter Christian , Zengerling Friedemann , Albers Peter , Oechsle Karin , Krege Susanne , Lackner Julia , Dieckmann Klaus-Peter
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) represent the most common malignancy in young adult males with two thirds of all cases presenting with clinical stage I (CSI). Active surveillance is the management modality mostly favoured by current guidelines. This systematic review assesses the treatment results in CSI patients concerning recurrence rate and overall survival in non-seminoma (NS) and pure seminoma (SE) resulting from surveillance in comparison to adjuvant strategies.

Methods/systematic review

We performed a systematic literature review confining the search to most recent studies published 2010–2021 that reported direct comparisons of surveillance to adjuvant management. We searched Medline and the Cochrane Library with additional hand-searching of reference lists to identify relevant studies. Data extraction and quality assessment of included studies were performed with stratification for histology (NS vs. SE) and treatment modalities. The results were tabulated and evaluated with descriptive statistical methods.

Results

Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. In NS patients relapse rates were 12 to 37%, 0 to 10%, and 0 to 11.8% for surveillance, chemotherapy and for retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) while overall survival rates were 90.7−100%, 91.7−100%, and 97−99.1%, respectively. In SE CSI, relapse rates were 0−22.3%, 0−5%, and 0−12.5% for surveillance, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, while overall survival rates were 84.1−98.7%, 83.5−100%, and 92.3−100%, respectively.

Conclusion

In both histologic subgroups, active surveillance offers almost identical overall survival as adjuvant management strategies, however, at the expense of higher relapse rates. Each of the management strategies in CSI GCT patients have specific merits and shared-decision-making is advised to tailor treatment.
DPOAEs and tympanal membrane vibrations reveal adaptations of the sexually dimorphic ear of the concave-eared torrent frog, Odorrana tormota
Authors: Cobo-Cuan Ariadna , Feng Albert S. , Zhang Fang , Narins Peter M.
Published: September 2022

While most anuran species are highly vocal, few of them seem to be endowed with a complex call repertoire. Odorrana tormota, combines a remarkable vocalization complexity with auditory sensitivity over an extended spectral range spanning from audible to ultrasonic frequencies. This species is also exceptional for its ability to modify its middle ear tuning by closing the Eustachian tubes (ET). Using scanning laser Doppler vibrometry, the tympanal vibrations were measured to investigate if the tuning shift caused by the ET closure contributes to intraspecific acoustic communication. To gain insight into the inner ear frequency selectivity and sensitivity of this species, distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded at multiple frequency-level combinations. Our measurements of inner ear responses indicated that in O. tormota each sex is more sensitive to the frequencies of the other sex's vocalizations, female ears are more sensitive to 2–7 kHz, while male ears are more sensitive to 3–15 kHz. We also found that in both sexes the ET closure impacts the sensitivity of the middle and inner ear at frequencies used for communication with conspecifics. This study broadens our understanding of peripheral auditory mechanisms contributing to intraspecific acoustic communication in anurans.
Contemporary treatment of mitral valve disease with transcatheter mitral valve implantation
Authors: Wienemann Hendrik , Mauri Victor , Ochs Laurin , Körber Maria Isabel , Eghbalzadeh Kaveh , Iliadis Christos , Halbach Marcel , Wahlers Thorsten , Baldus Stephan , Adam Matti , Kuhn Elmar
Published: September 2022

Background

Transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVI) with self-expanding (SAV) or balloon-expandable (BAV) valves are rising as promising treatment options for high-risk patients with symptomatic mitral valve (MVD) disease unsuitable for alternative treatment options.

Aims

The aim of this study was to examine the clinical, procedural and outcome parameters of patients undergoing SAV or BAV for MVD.

Methods

In this observational and single-center case series, fifteen consecutive patients treated with the Tendyne Mitral Valve System (SAV) and thirty-one patients treated with SAPIEN prosthesis (BAV) were included.

Results

The patients (aged 78 years [interquartile range (IQR): 65.5 to 83.1 years], 41% women, EuroSCORE II 10.3% [IQR: 5.5 to 17.0%] were similar regarding baseline characteristics, despite a higher rate of prior heart valve surgery and prevalence of MV stenosis in the SAV-group. At discharge, the SAV-group had a mean transvalvular gradient of 4.2 mmHg, whereas the BAV-group had a mean transvalvular gradient of 6.2 mmHg. None or trace paravalvular leakage (PVL) was assessed in 85% in SAV-group and 80% in the BAV-group. 320 day all-cause and cardiac mortality rates were comparable in both groups (SAV: 26.7% vs BAV: 20%, p = 0.60). Four deaths occurred early in the SAV-group until 32 days of follow-up.

Conclusions

In high-risk patients with MVD, TMVI presents a promising treatment option with encouraging mid-term outcomes and good valve durability. TMVI either with BAV or SAV may be developed to an established treatment option.

Graphical abstract
Simulation of the drawdown and its duration in Lévy models via stick-breaking Gaussian approximation
Authors: González Cázares Jorge , Mijatović Aleksandar
Published: September 2022

We develop a computational method for expected functionals of the drawdown and its duration in exponential Lévy models. It is based on a novel simulation algorithm for the joint law of the state, supremum and time the supremum is attained of the Gaussian approximation for a general Lévy process. We bound the bias for various locally Lipschitz and discontinuous payoffs arising in applications and analyse the computational complexities of the corresponding Monte Carlo and multilevel Monte Carlo estimators. Monte Carlo methods for Lévy processes (using Gaussian approximation) have been analysed for Lipschitz payoffs, in which case the computational complexity of our algorithm is up to two orders of magnitude smaller when the jump activity is high. At the core of our approach are bounds on certain Wasserstein distances, obtained via the novel stick-breaking Gaussian (SBG) coupling between a Lévy process and its Gaussian approximation. Numerical performance, based on the implementation in Cázares and Mijatović (SBG approximation. GitHub repository. Available online at https://github.com/jorgeignaciogc/SBG.jl (2020)), exhibits a good agreement with our theoretical bounds. Numerical evidence suggests that our algorithm remains stable and accurate when estimating Greeks for barrier options and outperforms the “obvious” algorithm for finite-jump-activity Lévy processes.
Local Well-Posedness of a System Describing Laser-Plasma Interactions
Authors: Herr Sebastian , Kato Isao , Kinoshita Shinya , Spitz Martin
Published: September 2022

A degenerate Zakharov system arises as a model for the description of laser-plasma interactions. It is a coupled system of a Schrödinger and a wave equation with a non-dispersive direction. In this paper, a new local well-posedness result for rough initial data is established. The proof is based on an efficient use of local smoothing and maximal function norms.
Airborne combined photogrammetry—infrared thermography applied to landslide remote monitoring
Authors: Vivaldi V. , Bordoni M. , Mineo S. , Crozi M. , Pappalardo G. , Meisina C.
Published: September 2022

The combination between two remote surveying methods is presented herein as a pioneering approach for landslide airborne monitoring. The survey of an active landslide by UAV-based RGB photogrammetry and infrared thermography, sided by the knowledge of the field condition, allowed increasing the scientific experience on the remote sensing of slope instability phenomena by analyzing multiple aspects related to the evolution of key slope features. In this research, the state and distribution of activity of a landslide was monitored by matching data arising from three-dimensional models of the slope, built by exploiting the aerial RGB photogrammetric technology, and thermal outcomes, resulting from the airborne application of infrared thermography principles. In this frame, thermal anomalies detected during different monitoring campaigns allowed recognizing peculiar features along the unstable slope that could be related to specific kinematic elements involved in the landslide activity. Forming cracks, developing scarps, wet terrain portions, and loose material are some of the elements that could be located by integrating thermal outcomes with Digital Surface Models of the slope. Thanks to the different thermal behavior of such elements, strengthened herein by a novel approach of thermal data processing (i.e. the study of thermal slope profiles), the lateral and retrogressive evolution of the studied movement was first hypothesized and then verified in field. Achieved results show that the location of thermal anomalies well corresponds to field structures, which sometimes are hardly detectable by in situ or RGB surveys, thus suggesting the high potential of the methodological approach developed for this study. The scientific validity of presented data gains relevance thanks to the positive field validation. This paves the way to further studies aimed at implementing the infrared aerial survey of landslides, which surely could bring benefits to practical applications in terms of survey speed and spatial coverage, especially in areas characterized by bad field logistics.
Effect of Clinical and Genetic Factors on the Development of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) in Egyptian Patients Receiving Beta-Blockers
Authors: El Gindy Dina M. K. , Solayman Mohamed H. , Khorshid Ramy , Schaalan Mona F. , El Wakeel Lamia M.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Prophylactic beta-blockers are recommended to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Polymorphisms in the beta-1 adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 5 (GRK5) genes are associated with variable responses to beta-blockers. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and genetic factors that influence the response to beta-blockers for POAF prophylaxis after CABG.

Methods

Patients undergoing isolated CABG and receiving prophylactic beta-blockers (n = 249) were prospectively recruited and followed up for 6 postoperative days. Genotyping of ADRB1 rs1801253, and 3 GRK5 SNPs (rs3740563, rs10787959, and rs17098707) was performed.

Results

Of the 249 patients, 52 patients (20.8%) experienced POAF. Age, hypertension, vasopressor use, calculated POAF risk score, GRK5 rs2230345 T-allele, and GRK5 rs3740563 A-allele were associated with POAF despite beta-blocker prophylaxis. The multivariate analysis revealed that age [odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.11, p = 0.003] and GRK5 rs2230345 T-allele [OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.39–5.67, p = 0.004] were independent predictors of POAF after CABG despite beta-blocker prophylaxis.

Conclusion

GRK5 rs2230345 T-allele carriers were less responsive than AA genotype carriers to prophylactic beta-blockers for the prevention of POAF after CABG.

The study was registered on http://clinicaltrials.gov in March 2019, with trial registration number (TRN): NCT03871647.
Crime and crisis in China’s P2P online lending market: a comparative analysis of fraud
Authors: Huang Li , Pontell Henry N.
Published: September 2022

White-collar criminality continues to be a significant issue in countries with differing levels of economic development. This paper provides a comparative analysis of white-collar crime and crises through an examination of the recent peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending crash in China. It considers criminological findings from major United States crises in light of China’s P2P online lending market failure through the lens of white-collar crime theory and research. The findings show that fraud was a main contributor to the P2P online lending crash and that various structural factors facilitated financial crimes that caused the collapse of the P2P online lending market. This study indicates that, similar to the U.S. experience, crime-facilitative environments allowed for endemic fraud in China’s online lending industry. It suggests that a primarily reactive approach to financial crime is less effective than a proactive system of compliance that includes more comprehensive and transparent financial regulation and law enforcement.
Selective alarm call mimicry in the sexual display of the male superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
Authors: Crisologo Taylor L. , Dzielski Sarah A. , Purcell James R. , Webster Michael S. , Welbergen Justin A. , Dalziell Anastasia H.
Published: September 2022

Despite much research on mimicry, little is known about the ecology of dynamic mimetic signals involving mimicry of multiple species. Some of the most conspicuous examples of phenotypically plastic mimicry are produced by oscine passerines, where vocal production learning enables some species to mimic multiple models and flexibly adjust what they mimic and when. While singing from a perch, male superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) accurately imitate multiple songs and calls of over 20 species of bird. However, at key moments within their multimodal displays performed on display arenas on the forest floor, males mimic a small number of mobbing-alarm calls creating the acoustic illusion of a mixed-species mobbing flock (‘D-song’). Using observations from camera footage and a field-based playback experiment, we tested six hypotheses for alarm call model selection within D-song. Mimicked species were remarkably invariant, with 79% of D-song made up of imitations of just three different bird species. Males did not mimic the most common species in their general environment, but neither did they mimic rare species. Instead, males imitated the mobbing-alarm calls of heterospecific birds that foraged on or near the forest floor. Indeed, males primarily mimicked the alarm calls of heterospecific species that foraged alongside lyrebirds and were likely to appear together in experimentally-induced, terrestrial mobbing flocks. These findings support the hypothesis that males mimic a cue of a terrestrial predatory threat to lyrebirds, most likely to exploit the antipredator behaviour of female lyrebirds. Our study illustrates the importance of investigating the drivers of model selection in dynamic multi-model mimicry.
Antibacterial activity of silver nitrate on Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria using Calvet calorimetry
Authors: Aveledo Ricardo , Aveledo Alberto , Lago Natividad , Mato Marta M. , Legido José L.
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to use microcalorimetry to analyze the real-time effect that silver nitrate has on one of the most common bacteria involved in severe infections in current medical practice. Using a Calvet microcalorimeter, the heat output produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined when exposed to concentrations of silver nitrate from 0 to 3 mol⋅m−3, and a saturated solution. Under physiological human body temperature, for 46 h, thermographic curves were obtained. The maximum voltage peaks (Vmax) and the total amount of heat exchanged (Q) were determined. The results showed a bactericidal effect, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of silver nitrate of 0.75 mol⋅m−3, showing a Vmax of 93 μV and Q of 193 kJ. With higher concentrations of this metallic solution, the results highlighted the proportional negative effect that silver nitrate has in Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth.
Impact of NMDA receptor activation on DNA damage in PC12 neuron-like cell cultures in the presence of β-amyloid peptides
Authors: Wiatrak Benita , Mieszała Przemysław , Gąsiorowski Kazimierz
Published: September 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effect of low nanomolar concentrations of Aβ1–40 and Aβ25–35 on DNA double-strand breaks following NMDA activation of cells.

Materials and methods

After incubating the differentiated PC12 cells with Aβ25−35, Aβ1−40 or Aβ1−42 for 24 h, the culture was washed and stimulated for 15 min with NMDA. Then, tests were performed at four-time intervals from stimulation to assess the viability of the culture, the level of oxygen free radicals, and the γH2AX and pATM kinase. NMDAR1 expression was also evaluated by performing immunocytochemical staining.

Results

It was found that amyloid peptides in nanomolar concentrations reduce double-stranded DNA breaks after NMDA neuron activation. A slight antioxidant effect was also demonstrated when measured 120 min after NMDA cell activation.

Conclusion

The NMDA stimulation of PC12 cells led to a rapid increase in the number of double-stranded DNA breaks in the cells and is assumed to be the initial step in IEG activation and LTP induction. The effect of Aβ on the reduction of double-strand breaks after NMDA cell stimulation indicates that at concentrations similar to physiological amyloid peptides, it may reduce the mobilization of the neuronal response to stimuli, leading to inhibition of LTP induction and decreasing synaptic plasticity in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Optical properties of iodine-based electrolyte used in bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Abdellatif Sameh O.
Published: September 2022

As third-generation solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can show bifacial harvesting capabilities by utilizing transparent conducting oxides as a counter electrode. Herein, the electrolyte is considered a critical layer from the optical perspective. In this paper, an attempt to estimate the optical properties of Iodine-based electrolytes, typically used in dye-sensitized solar cells, is demonstrated. The refractive index for electrolyte as an effective medium is calculated to be 1.4535 ± 0.005 for an effective thin film of 33.4 ± 0.5 μm thickness, using the near-infrared Fabry–Perot resonances. The extinction (absorption and scattering) and dispersion spectra for the prepared electrolyte were fitted using Lorentz–Dude (LD) model. Finally, the utility of the extracted optical parameters was examined through a finite difference time domain solver, Massachusetts Institute for Technology Electromagnetic Equation Propagation. The simulated optical transmission spectrum perfectly agreed with the measured spectrum with less than 0.1% root–mean–square error. The demonstrated attempt to accurately estimate the refractive index of electrolyte used in DSSCs fabrication may impacted theoreticians who are interested with the optoelectronic modelling of such electrochemical cells, as well as those dealing with optoelectronic devices informatics.
Directing the Way—Receptor and Chemical Targeting Strategies for Nucleic Acid Delivery
Authors: Steffens Ricarda Carolin , Wagner Ernst
Published: September 2022

Nucleic acid therapeutics have shown great potential for the treatment of numerous diseases, such as genetic disorders, cancer and infections. Moreover, they have been successfully used as vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to unfold full therapeutical potential, these nano agents have to overcome several barriers. Therefore, directed transport to specific tissues and cell types remains a central challenge to receive carrier systems with enhanced efficiency and desired biodistribution profiles. Active targeting strategies include receptor-targeting, mediating cellular uptake based on ligand-receptor interactions, and chemical targeting, enabling cell-specific delivery as a consequence of chemically and structurally modified carriers. With a focus on synthetic delivery systems including polyplexes, lipid-based systems such as lipoplexes and lipid nanoparticles, and direct conjugates optimized for various types of nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, siRNA, miRNA, oligonucleotides), we highlight recent achievements, exemplified by several nucleic acid drugs on the market, and discuss challenges for targeted delivery to different organs such as brain, eye, liver, lung, spleen and musclein vivo.
The Strong African American Families Program: Disrupting the Negative Consequences of Racial Discrimination Through Culturally Tailored, Family-Based Prevention
Authors: Berkel Cady , Murry Velma McBride , Thomas Nalani A. , Bekele Beza , Debreaux Marlena L. , Gonzalez Catherine , Hanebutt Rachel A.
Published: September 2022

Racism continues to be a major source of stress for African Americans and can impair psychological functioning. Adolescents experiencing discrimination may engage in self-soothing, but risky behaviors, which leave them at risk for negative life trajectories. Black pride has been identified as a key factor in explaining the heterogeneity in responses to discrimination. Racial socialization, strategies parents use to promote Black pride and protect youth from discrimination, is an important focus of family-based prevention programs serving African American families. This study tests the efficacy of a culturally tailored preventive intervention for rural African American families to disrupt the negative consequences of discrimination on adolescent psychological functioning. Four waves of data from the Strong African American Families (SAAF) efficacy trial (Murry & Brody in Journal of Marital & Family Therapy 30(3):271-283, 2004) with 667 African American families in rural Georgia were used for this study. Structural equation modeling was used to test study hypotheses. Adolescent experiences with discrimination at age 15 predicted concurrent psychological functioning and multiple risk behaviors at age 16, including sexual risk behavior, substance use problems, academic failure, and juvenile justice involvement. Mediation analyses demonstrated that psychological functioning was a significant mediator of these relations. The SAAF program was associated with increases in racial socialization, which in turn fostered gains in adolescent Black pride. Black pride was indirectly associated with reduced risk behavior through adolescent psychological functioning, but Black pride did not moderate the effect of discrimination on psychological functioning. This study confirms that family-based prevention can support African American adolescent mental health in the context of discrimination. However, more emphasis on reducing exposure to discrimination is needed.
Measuring the prestige of administrative courts
Authors: Stachowiak-Kudła Monika , Kudła Janusz
Published: September 2022

This article examines the citation practices of the provincial administrative courts in Poland in a sample of judgments issued in the years 2009–2016. The analysis strives to assess the factors affecting the use of other court citations and the prestige of provincial courts manifested in the higher citations of their verdicts. The methods used involve logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions on the set of factors relating to court circuit characteristics, the performance of courts, the features of cases and the efficiency of the administration in a given province. The results indicate that, out of sixteen courts, there is only one provincial administrative court with high prestige. The number of citations is higher for more populated circuits and decreases with the number of employed judges in a court. While small courts cite more they are also more frequently cited than larger ones.
Can trade credit rejuvenate Islamic banking?
Authors: Jatmiko Wahyu , Ebrahim M. Shahid , Iqbal Abdullah , Wojakowski Rafal M.
Published: September 2022

This study proposes a renewal of the contemporary Islamic banking Murabaha financing model as it aggravates financial fragility with waning economic efficiency. We adapt the working capital framework of successful US companies like Amazon and Walmart and model an innovative Murabaha facility as trade credit within thereal sectorof the economy. We then test its robustness in a range of simulation tests. Our approach is novel and stands in contrast to the familiarfinancial sectorfixed-income facilities, characteristic of Western economies, stealthily mimicked as mark-up (interest rate based) Murabaha by Islamic banks. We argue that this is neither appropriate nor effective for Islamic economies, making them fragile under monetary pressures in crises like the current coronavirus and energy ones. Our simulation results indicate that the trade credit Murabaha not only transforms debt into a risk-sharing one but also offers more competitive financing rates, reduces systemic risk, and improves financial stability. Furthermore, our results imply that the trade credit Murabaha can increase the efficiency of Islamic financial systems and make them more resilient to shocks. Consequently, this paper discusses the integration of our novel Murabaha within a recreated architecture of Universal Banking. As an implication, this should promote business activity and contribute to global growth. Finally, we recommend how to deploy our novel Murabaha based on trade credit (as opposed to the currently deployed fixed-income-mimicked Murabaha) to alleviate twin agency debt costs (risk shifting, underinvestment) and solve the ownership transfer problem of modern Islamic banking.
Negotiation of Epistemological Understandings and Teaching Practices Between Primary Teachers and Scientists about Artificial Intelligence in Professional Development
Authors: Dai Yun
Published: September 2022

While technology advancement and scientific innovation have created new topics and fields of inquiry in STEM education, external content experts such as university scientists/researchers have been increasingly involved to enhance K-12 teachers’ disciplinary understandings and professional development (PD). However, few studies have scrutinized scientist-facilitated PD programs regarding teacher epistemology, abouthowandin what waysthe programs impact teachers’ epistemological understandings of disciplinary knowledge. To address the gap, this paper investigates the process by which teachers construct epistemological understandings and teaching practices in interacting with scientists. Informed by theories of epistemic cognition and social cognition, we conducted an interactional ethnography in a school-university partnered PD program with six primary teachers. Based on participant observation, teacher interviews, and classroom videos and artifacts, we identified three patterns of teacher-scientist negotiation: reciprocal negotiation of knowledge presentation, observation and interpretation of scientist practices, and inconsistency in knowledge translation. The teachers’ professional responsibility and knowledge served as a critical filter in their decisions of selecting, interpreting, and rejecting scientist inputs, leading to respective epistemological stances and pedagogical actions. The research uncovers the situated and multifaceted negotiation of teacher epistemology and offers implications for researching and supporting their epistemological development.
A Reassessment of Cantorian Abstraction based on the $$\varepsilon $$-operator
Authors: Bonatti Nicola
Published: September 2022

Cantor’s abstractionist account of cardinal numbers has been criticized by Frege as a psychological theory of numbers which leads to contradiction. The aim of the paper is to meet these objections by proposing a reassessment of Cantor’s proposal based upon the set theoretic framework of Bourbaki—called BK—which is a First-order set theory extended with Hilbert’s $$\varepsilon $$
ε
-operator. Moreover, it is argued that the BK system and the $$\varepsilon $$
ε
-operator provide a faithful reconstruction of Cantor’s insights on cardinal numbers. I will introduce first the axiomatic setting of BK and the definition of cardinal numbers by means of the $$\varepsilon $$
ε
-operator. Then, after presenting Cantor’s abstractionist theory, I will point out two assumptions concerning the definition of cardinal numbers that are deeply rooted in Cantor’s work. I will claim that these assumptions are supported as well by the BK definition of cardinal numbers, which will be compared to those of Zermelo–von Neumann and Frege–Russell. On the basis of these similarities, I will make use of the BK framework in meeting Frege’s objections to Cantor’s proposal. A key ingredient in the defence of Cantorian abstraction will be played by the role of representative sets, which are arbitrarily denoted by the $$\varepsilon $$
ε
-operator in the BK definition of cardinal numbers.
The Italian Cilentana goat breed: productive performances and economic perspectives of goat farming in marginal areas
Authors: Iommelli Piera , Infascelli Lorenzo , Tudisco Raffaella , Capitanio Fabian
Published: September 2022

In the internal areas of Cilento, province of Salerno (Campania), the Cilentana, a small native goat breed population, is reared quite widespread, due to its dual-purpose attitude and to its typical productions. The extensive livestock system adopted for this breed allows the use of otherwise abandoned territories and a sustainable farming capable of ensuring high-quality levels. In addition, Cilentana goat farming represents an important source of income for the local communities and also preserves the territory itself guaranteeing the protection of biodiversity and the conservation of local activities that have a historical tradition. The aim of this study is twofold: give an overview of Cilentana breed morphological and productive traits linked to the historical and gastronomic tradition of the area and emphasize the economic role of this breed in the perspective of the ongoing new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.
A review of synthetic cathinones emerging in recent years (2019–2022)
Authors: Kuropka Patryk , Zawadzki Marcin , Szpot Paweł
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) has been being a continuous and evolving problem for more than a decade. Every year, dozens of new, previously unknown drugs appear on the illegal market, posing a significant threat to the health and lives of their users. Synthetic cathinones are one of the most numerous and widespread groups among NPS. The purpose of this work was to identify and summarize available data on newly emerging cathinones in very recent years.

Methods

Various online databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, but also databases of government agencies including those involved in early warning systems, were used in search of reports on the identification of newly emerging synthetic cathinones. In addition, threads on various forums created by users of these drugs were searched for reports on the effects of these new substances.

Results

We have identified 29 synthetic cathinones that have been detected for the first time from early 2019 to mid-2022. We described their structures, known intoxication symptoms, detected concentrations in biological material in poisoning cases, as well as the countries and dates of their first appearance. Due to the lack of studies on the properties of the novel compounds, we compared data on the pharmacological profiles of the better-known synthetic cathinones with available information on the newly emerged ones. Some of these new agents already posed a threat, as the first cases of poisonings, including fatal ones, have been reported.

Conclusions

Most of the newly developed synthetic cathinones can be seen as analogs and replacements for once-popular compounds that have been declining in popularity as a result of legislative efforts. Although it appears that some of the newly emerging cathinones are not widely used, they may become more popular in the future and could become a significant threat to health and life. Therefore, it is important to continue developing early warning systems and identifying new compounds so that their widespread can be prevented.
An effective version of Schmüdgen’s Positivstellensatz for the hypercube
Authors: Laurent Monique , Slot Lucas
Published: September 2022

Let $$S \subseteq \mathbb {R}^n$$

S
⊆

R

n

be a compact semialgebraic set and let f be a polynomial nonnegative on S. Schmüdgen’s Positivstellensatz then states that for any $$\eta > 0$$

η
>
0

, the nonnegativity of $$f + \eta$$

f
+
η

on S can be certified by expressing $$f + \eta$$

f
+
η

as a conic combination of products of the polynomials that occur in the inequalities defining S, where the coefficients are (globally nonnegative) sum-of-squares polynomials. It does not, however, provide explicit bounds on the degree of the polynomials required for such an expression. We show that in the special case where $$S = [-1, 1]^n$$

S
=

[
-
1
,
1
]

n

is the hypercube, a Schmüdgen-type certificate of nonnegativity exists involving only polynomials of degree $$O(1 / \sqrt{\eta })$$

O
(
1
/

η

)

. This improves quadratically upon the previously best known estimate in $$O(1/\eta )$$

O
(
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Re-thinking research impact: voice, context and power at the interface of science, policy and practice
Authors: Reed Mark S. , Rudman Hannah
Published: September 2022

The world is facing unprecedented challenges on a scale that has never been seen before, and the need for evidence-informed solutions has never been greater. As a result, academics, policy-makers, practitioners, and research funders are increasingly seeking to undertake or support research that achieves tangible impacts on policy and practice. However, the impact of research is inherently subjective, with the same outcome perceived as either beneficial or negative by different groups, or by the same group in different contexts. It is therefore important to consider factors that may increase the likelihood that outcomes from research are perceived as beneficial (or otherwise) by interested/affected groups and non-academic partners, to help researchers avoid causing potentially harmful impacts, despite their best intentions. In this overview article, we discuss three considerations for re-thinking how research can deliver such outcomes: (i) sensitivity to context, (ii) representation and legitimisation of diverse voices and (iii) the management of power dynamics. We then discuss how these can be enacted in research and engagement processes that are designed to incorporate multiple ways of viewing reality and knowledge, as researchers become increasingly aware of their positionality, privilege, assumptions and biases. By considering how research and impact generation processes are mediated by context, power and voice, it may be possible to envision just transformations of knowledge systems that foreground the knowledge and needs of diverse groups, including those who have been historically marginalised, and without systematically recognising or privileging one group over another.
Prison Officers’ Perceptions of Prisoner Male Rape Victims in England and Wales
Authors: Brown Hayley Lauren , Tzani Calli , Fumagalli Anita , Reynolds Amy-Louise , Williams Thomas James Vaughan
Published: September 2022

Male rape literature is limited in the UK, with little public attention and limited research about prison officers’ perceptions. The aim of the current study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of prison officers in England and Wales. Two groups of participants were recruited: Group 1 included 24 retired prison officers; group 2 included 17 participants from the general population. A mixed method design was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data. Findings showed that prison officers did not accept societal myths on male rape, although some had negative attitudes towards male rape occurring in prison. Participants from the general population displayed similar results, demonstrating how being a prison officer does not affect beliefs and attitudes of male rape any more than the public. Support strategies for prisoners would further reduce the stigma of raped prisoners.
NMR study of human macroPARPs domains: 1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignment of hPARP14 macro domain 2 in the free and the ADPr bound state
Authors: Fourkiotis Nikolaos K. , Charalampous Periklis , Tsika Aikaterini C. , Kravvariti Konstantina P. , Sideras-Bisdekis Christos , Gallo Angelo , Spyroulias Georgios A.
Published: September 2022

hPARP14 is a human ADP-ribosyl-transferase (ART) that belongs to the macroPARPs family, together with hPARP9 and hPARP15. It contains a tandem of three macro domains (MD) while each of them has different properties. The first one, namely MD1, has not been reported to exhibit a high binding affinity for ADP-ribose (ADPr) in contrast to the following two (MD2 and MD3). All three MDs exhibit an α/β/α sandwich-like fold as reported by the deposited crystallographic structures. MD2 and MD3 recognize mono-ADP-ribosylated (MARylated) but not poly-ADP-ribosylated (PARylated) substrates and thus they allow hPARP14 to bind its targets, which can be potentially MARylated by its catalytic domain (CD). hPARP14 participates in DNA damage repair process and immune response against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which also harbors an MD fold. Furthermore, hPARP14 like the other two macroPARPs (hPARP9 and hPARP15), is implicated in numerous types of cancer, such as B-aggressive lymphoma and sarcoma, rendering its MDs as potential important drug targets. Herein, we report the complete NMR backbone and side chain assignment (1H, 13C, 15N) of hPARP14 MD2 in the free and ADPr bound states and the NMR chemical shift-based prediction of its secondary structure elements. This is the first reported NMR study of a hPARP macro domain, paving the way to screen by NMR chemical compounds which may alter the ability of hPARP14 to interact with its substrates affecting its function.
Does Group Contact Shape Styles of Pictorial Representation? A Case Study of Australian Rock Art
Authors: Granito C. , Tehrani J. J. , Kendal J. R. , Scott-Phillips T. C.
Published: September 2022

Image-making is a nearly universal human behavior, yet the visual strategies and conventions to represent things in pictures vary greatly over time and space. In particular, pictorial styles can differ in their degree of figurativeness, varying from intersubjectively recognizable representations of things to very stylized and abstract forms. Are there any patterns to this variability, and what might its ecological causes be? Experimental studies have shown that demography and the structure of interaction of cultural groups can play a key role: the greater the degree of contact with other groups, the more recognizable and less abstract are the representations. Here we test this hypothesis on a real-world dataset for the first time. We constructed a balanced database of Indigenous Australian rock art motifs from both isolated and contact Aboriginal groups (those often in contact with other groups). We then ran a survey asking participants to judge the recognizability of the motifs and to provide interpretations. Results show that motifs from contact Aboriginal groups were more likely to be judged as inter-subjectively recognizable and also elicited more convergent descriptions than motifs from isolated groups. This is consistent with the idea that intergroup contact is likely to be an important factor in the cultural evolution of pictorial representation. We discuss the implications of these findings for the archaeology and anthropology of art, and the parallels with language evolution.
Loneliness and self-harm in adolescents during the first national COVID-19 lockdown: results from a survey of 10,000 secondary school pupils in England
Authors: Geulayov Galit , Mansfield Karen , Jindra Christoph , Hawton Keith , Fazel Mina
Published: September 2022

Adolescents’ loneliness and self-harm have received considerable attention during the COVID-19 pandemic with concerns that the socioecological changes taking place would contribute to an escalation of both loneliness and self-harm. However, empirical evidence is scant. We estimated the prevalence of loneliness and self-harm in adolescent school pupils and investigated the association of loneliness and change in loneliness during the UK’s first lockdown with self-harm during lockdown in a cross-sectional school survey (OxWell) involving 10,460 12–18-year-olds from south England. Loneliness was measured with four items. Self-harm was ascertained through a detailed questionnaire. The prevalence of loneliness and self-harm were estimated applying post-stratification weights to account for differences between the study sample and the target population. The associations between indicators of loneliness and self-harm were examined using mixed effect models. 1,896 of 10,460 adolescents (18.1%) reported feeling lonely ‘often’ (weighted proportion 16.8%). 3,802/10,460 (36.4%; weighted proportion 35%) felt more lonely since lockdown. Self-harm during lockdown was reported by 787/10,460 adolescents (7.5%; weighted proportion 6.7%). Controlling for confounders, adolescents who reported feeling lonely ‘often’ [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.8, 95% CI 2.1–3.9, p < 0.0001] or ‘sometimes’ (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5–3.2, p < 0.0001) were more likely to self-harm during lockdown relative to adolescents who reported ‘never’ or ‘hardly ever’ feeling lonely. Exacerbation in loneliness during lockdown was associated with an increase in the odds of self-harm during lockdown. Loneliness, heightened loneliness and self-harm were common during lockdown and closely linked. It is important to support schools in address loneliness and self-harm as part of efforts to improve well-being as the long tail of the pandemic continues to impact on child and adolescent mental health. Understanding how loneliness and self-harm may co-vary could be important for future self-harm reduction strategies in young persons.
Categorical Torelli theorems: results and open problems
Authors: Pertusi Laura , Stellari Paolo
Published: September 2022

We survey some recent results concerning the so called Categorical Torelli problem. This is to say how one can reconstruct a smooth projective variety up to isomorphism, by using the homological properties of special admissible subcategories of the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves of such a variety. The focus is on Enriques surfaces, prime Fano threefolds and cubic fourfolds.
New fluorobenzamidine exerts antitumor activity against breast cancer in mice via pro-apoptotic activity
Authors: Saleh AbdelRahman B. , Hassan Nagwa H. , Ismail Mohamed A. , El-Sayed Wael M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidities. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of bithiophene-fluorobenzamidine (BFB) against breast cancer induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in female Swiss mice and reveal the underlining mechanisms.

Methods

The mice were randomly divided into five groups; control, BFB-treated group, DMBA-treated group, and the last two groups received DMBA then tamoxifen or BFB.

Results

BFB reduced the tumor incidence by ~ 88% versus 30% after TAM. DMBA significantly increased the expression of CDK1 and HER2 and reduced the expression of p53, p21 (CDKN1A), ESR-α, and CAS3. BFB caused significant down-regulation of CDK1 and HER2 and upregulation of p53, p21, ESR-α, and CAS3. In the DMBA-treated mice, cancerous cells metastasized to several organs. This was prevented by the administration of BFB. The antimetastatic and proapoptotic activities were confirmed in MCF7 cells in vitro by the wound healing and annexin V assays, respectively. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the BFB increased survival. In the DMBA group, tumors showed invasive carcinoma of grade III with central necrosis, polymorphism, mitotic activity, and numerous newly formed ductules, and colloidal mucinous secretions within adenoid cysts. BFB administration restored the normal structure of the mammary glands.

Conclusion

Taken together, BFB has antitumor, pro-apoptotic, and anti-metastatic activities against breast cancer in mice and therefore, it merits further investigations.