bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-baiting YATLORf sex pheromone traps to optimize click beetle (Agriotes spp., Coleoptera: Elateridae) monitoring for low-cost IPM of wireworms
Authors: Furlan Lorenzo , Bona Stefano , Tóth Miklós
Published: March 2024

Implementation of IPM in arable crops requires affordable monitoring tools. YATLORf traps baited with a synthetic pheromone lure for a target species have proven to be effective for monitoring Europe’s most harmful soil pests: Agriotes spp. After the suitable lure position for each of the main Agriotes species was ascertained, different combinations of lures in the same trap were studied in various European countries. Trials were carried out between 2001 and 2007, with the traps being arranged in blocks. Each block contained one trap per treatment under study (i.e., traps baited with a single species lure and traps baited with combinations of two or more different species lures). Unlike most of the research outputs on sex pheromone lures (e.g., on Lepidoptera species), the results of this research have clearly shown that lures for many Agriotes species can be combined in the same trap without loss of performance against most species. Two clear exceptions were A. sputator and A. rufipalpis, which were sensitive to the presence of the geranyl octanoate in lures for other species. It was possible to multi-bait a trap, i.e., use up to four different lures (A. brevis, A. sordidus, A. litigiosus, and A. ustulatus) with good results, thus demonstrating for the first time that important soil pest species belonging to the same genus can be monitored with multi-baited sex pheromone traps. Multi-baiting the same trap resulted in significantly reduced monitoring costs.
Screening for central precocious puberty by single basal Luteinizing Hormone levels
Authors: Li Pomi Alessandra , Scalini Perla , De Masi Salvatore , Corica Domenico , Pepe Giorgia , Wasniewska Malgorzata , Stagi Stefano
Published: March 2024

Purpose

To identify cut-off for basal LH levels and for pelvic ultrasound uterine and ovarian parameters indicating an Hypotalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal (HPG) axis activation as diagnostic of Central Precocious Puberty (CPP).

Methods

248 girls referred for suspected precocious/early puberty who had undergone a GnRH stimulation test were enrolled and divided into three groups: Premature Idiopathic Thelarche (PIT), CPP, and Early Puberty (EA). For every patient basal serum Luteinising Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), basal LH/FSH ratio and pelvic ultrasonographic parameters were also collected. Through the use of Receiver Operating Curves (ROCs) the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of basal LH, FSH, LH/FSH ratio and ultrasonographic parameters were evaluated at each level and Area Under the Curve (AUC) was measured.

Results

Basal LH model ≥0.14 mIU/mL reached the highest predictability (90.6% and 78.2%, Se and Sp, respectively). Basal LH/FSH ratio ≥0.1 showed a sensitivity of 85.90% and a specificity of 78.14%, while basal FSH cut-off (≥2.36 mIU/mL) had the lowest predictability, with a less favourable sensitivity (71%) and specificity (70.5%). Cut-off point for uterine length as 35 mm, (83.5% and 42.9% of Se and Sp, respectively) was calculated. For ovarian volumes, ROC curves showed very low sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion

A single basal LH measurement under the cut-off limit may be adequate to exclude an HPG axis activation as CPP.
Participant Evaluation of a Multi-disciplinary Oncology Preceptorship Training Program for Oncology Health Professionals from Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Merrell Kenneth W. , Konney Thomas Okpoti , Acheamfour Osei , Lucido Joseph , Aduse-Poku Abena Yeboah , Kumar Amanika , Ansah Mavis Bobie , Amankwa Adu Tutu , Shumway Dean , Awittor Fred Kwame , Badu-Peprah Augustina , Fonkoua Lionel Aurelien A. Kankeu , Hendrickson Andrea E. Wahner , Boakye Ernest , Adjei Ernest Kwasi , Kyei Ishmael , Kemper Katie , Rank Miranda , Peethambaram Prema P. , Spangenberg Kathryn , Sorenson Kasie , Hearrold Miranda , Garda Allison , Graham Rondell , Lang Karen , Adom Joseph , Achiaa Rita , Jakub James , Amo Bismark Dwobeng , Osei-Bonsu Ernest , Camacho Rolando , Addison Eric Clement Desmond Kotei
Published: March 2024

A critical shortage of skilled healthcare workers is a primary cause of disparate global cancer outcomes. We report participant evaluation of a multidisciplinary preceptorship program. In collaboration with the city of Kumasi, Ghana, Mayo Clinic and the City Cancer Challenge hosted a preceptorship program for comprehensive multidisciplinary breast and cervix cancer training. A total of 14 healthcare workers from Kumasi received two weeks of training at Mayo Clinic in November and December 2021. Each participant and preceptor were requested to complete an anonymous post-participation survey. Of the 14 trainee participants, 10 (71%) completed the survey. All respondents found the program “valuable and applicable to their clinical practice.” Ninety percent reported they were able to “review effective and critical elements in the development and expansion of the multidisciplinary team” and able to “solve practical clinical cases as a team”. General themes of satisfaction included: (1) organization and administration, (2) clinical observations and demonstrations, (3) guidelines development, and (4) recognizing the central importance of cultivating a team-based approach. Of the 40 preceptors, 16 (40%) completed the survey. All respondents reported they felt the training would meaningfully “influence patient care in Ghana”, that participation “added value or joy to their clinical practice,” and all wished to “participate in future preceptorship programs”. After a focused two-week program, trainees reported high satisfaction, usefulness from observing specialized cancer care, and value in closely observing a multidisciplinary oncology team. Preceptors reported the experience added joy and perspective to their clinical practice and wished to participate in future programs.
Athletic Injury Research: Frameworks, Models and the Need for Causal Knowledge
Authors: Kalkhoven Judd T.
Published: March 2024

Within applied sports science and medicine research, many challenges hinder the establishment and detailed understanding of athletic injury causality as well as the development and implementation of appropriate athletic injury prevention strategies. Applied research efforts are faced with a lack of variable control, while the capacity to compensate for this lack of control through the application of randomised controlled trials is often confronted by a number of obstacles relating to ethical or practical constraints. Such difficulties have led to a large reliance upon observational research to guide applied practice in this area. However, the reliance upon observational research, in conjunction with the general absence of supporting causal inference tools and structures, has hindered both the acquisition of causal knowledge in relation to athletic injury and the development of appropriate injury prevention strategies. Indeed, much of athletic injury research functions on a (causal) model-blind observational approach primarily driven by the existence and availability of various technologies and data, with little regard for how these technologies and their associated metrics can conceptually relate to athletic injury causality and mechanisms. In this article, a potential solution to these issues is proposed and a new model for investigating athletic injury aetiology and mechanisms, and for developing and evaluating injury prevention strategies, is presented. This solution is centred on the construction and utilisation of various causal diagrams, such as frameworks, models and causal directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), to help guide athletic injury research and prevention efforts. This approach will alleviate many of the challenges facing athletic injury research by facilitating the investigation of specific causal links, mechanisms and assumptions with appropriate scientific methods, aiding the translation of lab-based research into the applied sporting world, and guiding causal inferences from applied research efforts by establishing appropriate supporting causal structures. Further, this approach will also help guide the development and adoption of both relevant metrics (and technologies) and injury prevention strategies, as well as encourage the construction of appropriate theoretical and conceptual foundations prior to the commencement of applied injury research studies. This will help minimise the risk of resource wastage, data fishing, p-hacking and hypothesising after the results are known (HARK-ing) in athletic injury research.
Families tackling adolescent anorexia nervosa: family wellbeing in family-based treatment or other interventions. A scoping review
Authors: Pedersen Signe Holm , Waage Dorthe Andersen , Micali Nadia , Bentz Mette
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Family-based treatment (FBT) has contributed significantly to the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN) in young people (YP). However, parents are concerned that FBT and the active role of parents in the task of refeeding may have a negative impact on family relations. The aim of the review is to assess whether families engaged in FBT for AN are more or less impacted in their family wellbeing and caregiver burden, compared to families with a YP diagnosed with AN, who are not undergoing treatment with FBT.

Method

Computerized searches across six databases complemented by a manual search resulted in 30 papers being included in the scoping review.

Results

The review identified 19 longitudinal studies on change in family wellbeing in families in FBT-like treatments, and 11 longitudinal studies on change in family wellbeing in treatment where parents are not in charge of refeeding. Only three randomized controlled studies directly compare FBT to treatment without parent-led refeeding.

Conclusion

The available research suggests no difference between intervention types regarding impact on family wellbeing. Approximately half of the studies find improvements in family wellbeing in both treatment with and without parent-led refeeding, while the same proportion find neither improvement nor deterioration. As parents play a pivotal role in FBT, there is a need for good quality studies to elucidate the impact of FBT on family wellbeing.

Level of evidenceLevel V: Opinions of authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.
Impact of viral diseases and whiteflies on the yield and quality of cassava
Authors: Mkamilo Geoffrey , Kimata Bernadetta , Masinde Emily A. , Masisila Festo F. , Menya Rahim O. , Matondo Dwasi , Maruthi Midatharahally N.
Published: March 2024

Here we investigated the effect of the insect pest whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) on cassava root yield and quality in two cropping seasons 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 on ten cassava varieties in Tanzania. ANOVA (sum of squares or SS) revealed that the time of planting (42.7%) and cassava variety (29.5%) had the largest effect on whitefly population. Not surprisingly, cassava varieties also had the highest effect (SS 39.8 to 70.4%) on both diseases and yield. An increase in whitefly population led to higher disease incidences and severity in 2015–2016 compared to 2014–2015. Some CBSD-resistant and tolerant cassava varieties like Namikonga and Kiroba, respectively, harboured high whitefly populations. The CMD, CBSD and whitefly-susceptible variety, Mreteta, showed highest yield losses of up to 60%, while the resistant variety NDL 2005/1471 had approximately 1% loss. Deployment of varieties resistant to both diseases and whitefly is thus necessary to safeguard cassava production and food security of vulnerable communities in the affected African countries.
Cholinesterase Inhibitory Compounds from Peltophorum Pterocarpum Flowers
Authors: Monehin James A. , Oriola Ayodeji O. , Olawuni Idowu J. , Odediran Samuel A. , Ige Olufola O. , Idowu Thomas O. , Ogundaini Abiodun O.
Published: March 2024

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs), such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson disease, affect millions of people worldwide. Natural cholinesterase inhibitors are an important class of lead drugs that have gained much interest for the management of NDs in recent time. They continue to provide promising alternatives to synthetic ones because of their more superior drug-like properties. The aerial part of Peltophorum petrocarpum is popularly used in the African ethnomedicine as a remedy for memory loss. The leaves have been explored for their cholinesterase compounds, while the flowers are yet to be investigated. Therefore, the study evaluated the flower extract for its cholinesterase inhibitory compounds. An activity-guided fractionation of the extract led to the isolation and characterization of two cholinesterase inhibitory compounds, namely: bergenin (1) and a newly described coumarin derivative, 3,4,5,5a-tetrahydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-9-methoxy-3,5,5,5a-tetrahydro-2 H-oxepino[3,2-c]chromen-6-(11bH)one, named peltophorin (2). The compounds were isolated on repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography of the ethyl acetate fraction. Their structures were elucidated by comparison of the mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1D- and 2D-NMR) data to literature reports. Both compounds demonstrated in vitro inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes involved in neurodegeneration. The identified compounds exhibited a comparable AChE inhibitory activity (IC50 = 90 µM), which is lower than eserine, the positive control at IC50 of 12.4 ± 0.4 and 21.0 ± 1.0 µM against AChE and BuChE enzymes, respectively. Bergenin (1) notably demonstrated better BuChE inhibitory activity, with an IC50 of 57.1 ± 8.0 µM compared to peltophorin (2). In conclusion, this study has shown that the flowers of P. pterocarpum contain cholinesterase inhibitors such as bergenin and the newly described peltophorin, thus adding to the repository of natural coumarins with anti-cholinesterase activity.
Effectiveness of nano dust enhanced with pirimiphos-methyl in controlling Sitophilus oryzae on wheat grain
Authors: Wahba Trandil F. , Aly Hesham M. , Shaker Nader , Hassan Noura A.
Published: March 2024

The bioefficacy of several inert materials, such as Diatomaceous earth (DE), bentonite, and biochar enhanced with pirimiphos-methyl against Sitophilus oryzae, was used to evaluate the insecticidal activity of three new formulations using the technique of mixing with grain. DE was the most effective material (LC50 3.198 g/kg), followed by biochar LC50 3.709 g/kg, whereas bentonite was the least effective (LC50 3. 979 g/kg). The three materials were loaded with pirimiphos-methyl (0.5%). The formula of Pirimiphos-methyl with DE reported the highest significant effect compared to the other two formulations, with an LC50 value of 0.082 g/kg. DE formula had a co-toxicity coefficient value that was 6.46 times greater than pirimiphos-methyl, followed by the biochar formula, which was 1.74 times more effective, and the bentonite formula, which had a 0.69-fold increase in activity. In the laboratory examination of the wheat’s free and compact bulk densities after being treated with LC50s of each dust material, DE slightly affected wheat-free bulk density. Still, both bentonite and biochar reduced the free bulk density. However, all the tested materials decreased in compact bulk density. The germination percentages of wheat treated with LC50 values of DE and bentonite and biochar after 10 days of storage revealed no significant difference between treated and untreated seeds after 7 days of germination.
Thermodynamics analysis of acetaminophen and its metabolites using density functional theory
Authors: Mekky Abdel-baset H.
Published: March 2024

The thermodynamics factors of acetaminophen and its metabolites were considered using density functional theory (DFT) at 298.15 K temperature and 1 atm. pressure. The resultant Thermodynamics factors were at that time analyzed and compared to determine the influence of temperature and pressure on the stability of the metabolite and its potential behavior in changed environments. The results display that the internal energy, enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, entropy, heat capacity at constant volume (Cv), and Cp at constant pressure (Cp) all affected by the temperature increases. The internal energy (U) of the most stable molecule increases with the increase in temperature, while the heat capacity (H) decreases with the decrease in pressure. The heat capacity and heat capacity of sulfate (APS) are stable at changed temperatures and pressures. These results will make available valued information on the Thermodynamics behavior of Acetaminophen (AP), Acetaminophen cysteine (APCys), Acetaminophen glucuronide (APGlc), and Acetaminophen sulfate (APS) metabolites which can be used to recognize their behavior in the body and how they are metabolized. Furthermore, the results of this study will be responsible for a better understanding of the thermal stability of these molecules under different conditions and guide the development of new drugs and therapies.
Signal Peptide Peptidase and PI4Kβ1/2 play opposite roles in plant ER stress response and immunity
Authors: Thulasi Devendrakumar Karen , Peng Tony ShengZhe , Pierdzig Leon , Jackson Edan , Lipka Volker , Li Xin
Published: March 2024

The Arabidopsis pi4kβ1,2 mutant is mutated in the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) β1 and PI4Kβ2 enzymes which are involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), a minor membrane lipid with important signaling roles. pi4kβ1,2 plants display autoimmunity and shorter roots. Though the pi4kβ1,2 mutant has been extensively characterized, the source of its autoimmunity remains largely unknown. In this study, through a genetic suppressor screen, we identified multiple partial loss-of-function alleles of signal peptide peptidase (spp) that can suppress all the defects of pi4kβ1,2. SPP is an intramembrane cleaving aspartic protease. Interestingly, pi4kβ1,2 plants display enhanced ER stress response and mutations in SPP can suppress such phenotype. Furthermore, reduced ER stress responses were observed in the spp single mutants. Overall, our study reveals a previously unknown function of PI4Kβ and SPP in ER stress and plant immunity.
Highly Accurate Method for a Singularly Perturbed Coupled System of Convection–Diffusion Equations with Robin Boundary Conditions
Authors: Ahmed H. M.
Published: March 2024

This paper’s major goal is to provide a numerical approach for estimating solutions to a coupled system of convection–diffusion equations with Robin boundary conditions (RBCs). We devised a novel method that used four homogeneous RBCs to generate basis functions using generalized shifted Legendre polynomials (GSLPs) that satisfy these RBCs. We provide new operational matrices for the derivatives of the developed polynomials. The collocation approach and these operational matrices are utilized to find approximate solutions for the system under consideration. The given system subject to RBCs is turned into a set of algebraic equations that can be solved using any suitable numerical approach utilizing this technique. Theoretical convergence and error estimates are investigated. In conclusion, we provide three illustrative examples to demonstrate the practical implementation of the theoretical study we have just presented, highlighting the validity, usefulness, and applicability of the developed approach. The computed numerical results are compared to those obtained by other approaches. The methodology used in this study demonstrates a high level of concordance between approximate and exact solutions, as shown in the presented tables and figures.
Platelet reactivity in young children undergoing congenital heart disease surgery: a NITRIC randomized clinical trial substudy
Authors: van Loon Kim , Koomen Erik , Hiensch Senna , van Belle- van Haaren Nicole J. C. W. , Koelhuis-Faber Mizja , Charlier Jean-Luc , Lammers Jan , Imhof Oscar , Nijman Joppe , van Wijk Abraham , Breur Johannes M. P. J. , Gibbons Kristen , Butt Warwick , Schlapbach Luregn J. , Horton Stephen , Korporaal Suzanne ,   the NITRIC Study Group
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The international NITRIC trial studied the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) applied into the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) oxygenator in infants would improve recovery after heart surgery. In a substudy, we evaluated the effect of NO applied into the CPB oxygenator on the (re)activity of platelets measured as fibrinogen binding (platelet aggregation) and P-selectin expression (platelet degranulation) in young children.

Methods

Platelet activity (without agonist exposure) and reactivity (after stimulation by an agonist) was studied in a single center substudy of the NITRIC trial, a multicenter, randomized trial that studied administration of 20 parts per million (ppm) NO during CPB in children younger than 2 years. Blood was collected at 4 time points (T1- T4); before CPB, after CPB start, before and after weaning. Flow cytometry-based platelet activity and reactivity in the presence of 5 agonists was tested. Differences on P-selectin expression and fibrinogen binding (median fluorescence intensity (MFI)) were analyzed with mixed effect modelling (MEM).

Results

Blood samples were obtained in 22 patients allocated to NO and 20 controls. Platelet counts dropped after T1 due to the hemodilution of blood in all patients (p < 0.001). Beta coefficients for NO allocation derived from the MEM models on fibrinogen binding and P-selectin expression were small (standardized beta coefficients on fibrinogen binding were 0.07[0.03, 0.11] and on P-selectin expression 0.05[0.03, 0.08]) and non-significant. CPB duration did not affect platelet reactivity (standardized beta coefficients 0.09[0.02, 0.12] with p > 0.27) in any of the MEMs.

Conclusion

20 ppm NO administration in the sweep gas of the CPB oxygenator did not affect platelet reactivity in young children undergoing heart surgery. Interestingly, duration of CPB exposure also did not have an effect on platelet (re)activity.

Trial registration

ANZCTR, ACTRN12617000821392. Registered 5 June 2017, https://anzctr.org.au/
The transcription factor StMYB113 regulates light-induced greening by modulating steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: Liu Shengxuan , Cheng Yunxia , Zhao Xijuan , Wang Enshuang , Liu Tiantian , Zhang Huiling , Liu Tengfei , Botao Song
Published: March 2024

During harvesting, storage, transportation, and processing, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers undergo greening after exposure to light, leading to the accumulation of toxic glycoside alkaloids, resulting in quality deterioration and economic losses. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study compared the transcriptome and proteome differences among four potato cultivars during the light-induced greening process, identifying 3,751 unique proteins (high confidence; ≥91.7%). The levels of enzymes involved in steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis varied among the cultivars. In addition, coexpression network analysis of the transcriptomic data identified the transcription factor MYB113 (Soltu.DM.10G020780.1) as a potential positive regulator of steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis. The dual-luciferase assay revealed that StMYB113 could bind to the promoters of steroidal glycoalkaloid biosynthesis-related genes and activate them. The transgenic lines overexpressing Solanum tuberosum L. Myb domain protein (StMYB113) exhibited greater mRNA abundance of these genes and elevated levels of steroidal glycoalkaloids. This study provided a theoretical basis for exploring the impact of light on the synthesis of solanine in potatoes.
Formalising prestige bias: Differences between models with first-order and second-order cues
Authors: Nakata Seiya , Masumi Akira , Toya Genta
Published: March 2024

Knowledge and behaviour are transmitted from one individual to another through social learning and eventually disseminated across the population. People often learn useful behaviours socially through selective bias rather than random selection of targets. Prestige bias, or the tendency to selectively imitate prestigious individuals, has been considered an important factor in influencing human behaviour. Although its importance in human society and culture has been recognised, the formulation of prestige bias is less developed than that of other social learning biases. To examine the effects of prestige bias on cultural evolution theoretically, it is imperative to formulate prestige and investigate its basic properties. We reviewed two definitions: one based on first-order cues, such as the demonstrator's appearance and job title, and the other based on second-order cues, such as people's behaviour towards the demonstrator (e.g. people increasingly pay attention to prestigious individuals). This study builds a computational model of prestige bias based on these two definitions and compares the cultural evolutionary dynamics they generate. Our models demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between the two types of formalisation, because they can have different influences on cultural evolution.
Climate, climate change and the global diversity of human houses
Authors: Dunn Robert R. , Kirby Kathryn R. , Bowern Claire , Ember Carol R. , Gray Russell D. , McCarter Joe , Kavanagh Patrick H. , Trautwein Michelle , Nichols Lauren M. , Gavin Michael C. , Botero Carlos
Published: March 2024

Globally, human house types are diverse, varying in shape, size, roof type, building materials, arrangement, decoration and many other features. Here we offer the first rigorous, global evaluation of the factors that influence the construction of traditional (vernacular) houses. We apply macroecological approaches to analyse data describing house features from 1900 to 1950 across 1000 societies. Geographic, social and linguistic descriptors for each society were used to test the extent to which key architectural features may be explained by the biophysical environment, social traits, house features of neighbouring societies or cultural history. We find strong evidence that some aspects of the climate shape house architecture, including floor height, wall material and roof shape. Other features, particularly ground plan, appear to also be influenced by social attributes of societies, such as whether a society is nomadic, polygynous or politically complex. Additional variation in all house features was predicted both by the practices of neighouring societies and by a society's language family. Collectively, the findings from our analyses suggest those conditions under which traditional houses offer solutions to architects seeking to reimagine houses in light of warmer, wetter or more variable climates.
NEW CYLINDER SEALS FROM TELL ASMAR (THE ANCIENT CITY OF ESHNUNNA) FROM THE IRAQI EXCAVATIONS 2001–2002
Authors: Al-Luhaibi Ahmed A.
Published: March 2024

This article presents a study of seventeen cylinder seals discovered in the city of the Eshnunna (Tell Asmar), which was one of the most important cities during the Old Babylonian period in Mesopotamia; these pieces are part of a large group of finds, statues, pottery, metal pieces, cuneiform texts, as well as group of cylinder seals, all of which were found in the private houses in the southern part of the city, by the Iraqi excavations at the site, more than twenty years ago. They showed the social status of these houses' residents, their loyalties and their religious beliefs. Thus the discoveries shed light on the importance of this city and the necessity of continuing excavation work there.
Posting the Journey to Juquila: Pilgrimage, Digital Devotion, and Social Media in Mexico
Authors: Wright-Ríos Edward , Martínez-Don Carlota Guadalupe
Published: March 2024

At the crossroads of scholarship scrutinizing digital religion and pilgrimage, this article analyzes the use of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram by devotees of Our Lady of Juquila, a Marian image in Oaxaca, Mexico. It combines the close reading of content and descriptive online ethnography with web scraping and data analysis. The article sketches these platforms’ role in pious expression, virtual community building, pilgrimage group communication, and devotional marketing, tracking closely the intertwining of religion and commerce, particularly religious tourism promotion. The data reveal that Facebook serves as the most popular platform for Juquila’s devotees, thanks to its open, pro-sharing design and flexibility regarding group formation. As a result, it has become the essential hub of devotee expression. YouTube, thanks to its particular affordances, has become an ideal niche for narrating travel to Juquila’s shrine and a showcase of the networked nature of devotion as users borrow tools, tropes, and expressive techniques from many sources, religious and secular. Instagram is the least popular platform among devotees because its design is less open and amenable to group communication. It does, however, facilitate both smaller, more intimate community formation, as well as shallow but significant community building on popular public pages run by religious tourism promoters hosting attractive, easily sharable, free stockpiles of images, memes, and devotional slogans. In the end, social media use appears to be stoking pilgrimage in Mexico and setting the stage for significant cultural change in the future as new tools, emerging shared devotional aesthetics, and media logics reshape religious expression and devotee communication. It is also becoming an unparalleled historical archive of popular religious culture.
Marginalised within a minority: Jews with disabilities in the Jewish press of the Kingdom of Poland (1860s–1914)
Authors: Antosik-Piela Maria , Oniszczuk Aleksandra
Published: March 2024

This article is the first scholarly research focusing exclusively on the history of Jews with disabilities in the Kingdom of Poland from the 1860s to 1914. It analyses sources drawn from the Jewish press in Yiddish, Polish, and Hebrew. Areas of investigation include the hierarchy of attitudes towards different categories of individuals with disabilities, spiritual perspectives on disability, and the portrayal of disabilities within Jewish literature. The study places particular emphasis on the Jewish deaf community, given the proliferation of available source material. Drawing on the broad conceptual framework of disability studies, the authors examine the phenomenon of medicalisation, tracing its influence on Jewish public discourse over the latter half of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth.
Pre-Modern Institutions and Later Support for Autocrats in Democratic Elections
Authors: Doucette Jonathan Stavnskær
Published: March 2024

A history of local inclusive institutions is correlated with higher levels of democracy today. However, it is unclear whether this reflects the effect of historical institutions on democracy or a prior common cause. Using a geographic natural experiment, this letter demonstrates that historical experience with inclusive institutions is related to less support for autocratic parties in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Germany. This suggests that electoral support for political parties that seek to subvert democracy can be influenced by pre-modern institutions even when they were destroyed prior to the introduction of democracy.
Machine learning models for prediction of double and triple burdens of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh
Authors: Al-Zubayer Md. Akib , Alam Khorshed , Shanto Hasibul Hasan , Maniruzzaman Md. , Majumder Uttam Kumar , Ahammed Benojir
Published: March 2024

Increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has become the leading cause of death and disability in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aimed to measure the prevalence of and risk factors for double and triple burden of NCDs (DBNCDs and TBNCDs), considering diabetes, hypertension, and overweight and obesity as well as establish a machine learning approach for predicting DBNCDs and TBNCDs. A total of 12,151 respondents from the 2017 to 2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were included in this analysis, where 10%, 27.4%, and 24.3% of respondents had diabetes, hypertension, and overweight and obesity, respectively. Chi-square test and multilevel logistic regression (LR) analysis were applied to select factors associated with DBNCDs and TBNCDs. Furthermore, six classifiers including decision tree (DT), LR, naïve Bayes (NB), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), random forest (RF), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) with three cross-validation protocols (K2, K5, and K10) were adopted to predict the status of DBNCDs and TBNCDs. The classification accuracy (ACC) and area under the curve (AUC) were computed for each protocol and repeated 10 times to make them more robust, and then the average ACC and AUC were computed. The prevalence of DBNCDs and TBNCDs was 14.3% and 2.3%, respectively. The findings of this study revealed that DBNCDs and TBNCDs were significantly influenced by age, sex, marital status, wealth index, education and geographic region. Compared to other classifiers, the RF-based classifier provides the highest ACC and AUC for both DBNCDs (ACC = 81.06% and AUC = 0.93) and TBNCDs (ACC = 88.61% and AUC = 0.97) for the K10 protocol. A combination of considered two-step factor selections and RF-based classifier can better predict the burden of NCDs. The findings of this study suggested that decision-makers might adopt suitable decisions to control and prevent the burden of NCDs using RF classifiers.
Post-growth theories in a global world: A comparative analysis
Authors: Fioramonti Lorenzo
Published: March 2024

The process of globalisation, the global pecking order, and most international development policies are anchored on the concept of economic growth, which is at the same time increasingly questioned on social and ecological grounds. Increases in global output (GDP) are indeed among the main drivers of energy and natural resources overuse, with potentially destructive consequences for the overall ecological balances sustaining life on the planet. As a consequence, a number of post-growth theories and approaches have emerged over the past few years. This article carries out a comparative analysis of three main post-growth schools of thought in order to trace back their origin, evolution, and policy impacts at the global level. It also investigates the main points of tension and synergy to advance the debate on how best to challenge conventional growth-based policies in the international arena.
Utilising emerging perspectives at the global and regional level to frame multisectoral nutrition governance landscape in Kenya
Authors: Korir Jacob , Oldewage-Theron Wilna , Mugambi Gladys , Gichohi-Wainaina Wanjiku N
Published: March 2024

Objective:

Multisectoral nutrition governance (MNG) is a vital enabling determinant of improved nutrition outcomes. Despite this, it remains to be a complex phenomenon that lacks adequate understanding, especially in developing countries like Kenya. This narrative review aims to discuss the evolution of MNG, the current state of MNG, barriers and challenges, and based on these identify entry points for improvement within the complex governance structure in Kenya.

Design:

The Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to ensure rigorous and transparent identification of literature and interpretation.

Setting:

Kenya and developing countries with similar contexts.

Participants:

The review included forty-five documents (peer-reviewed articles and grey literature) that reported on MNG in developing countries.

Results:

We acknowledge that MNG is a complex and evolving determinant of better nutrition outcomes. The paper highlights challenges Kenya and other developing countries face such as inadequate leadership, inadequate coordination, insufficient capacity, inadequate monitoring and evaluation systems, and limited financial resources, among others. For Kenya in particular, there is inadequate understanding of what MNG is and how it can be effectively operationalised and tracked.

Conclusions:

To enhance understanding of MNG in Kenya, a country-specific assessment of MNG processes and impact outcomes using standard tools and defined metrics is vital. Such assessment will generate evidence of progress, successes, and challenges that will compel the government and stakeholders to invest more in multisectoral nutrition approaches to achieve its nutrition goals.
Varieties of Indoctrination: The Politicization of Education and the Media around the World
Authors: Neundorf Anja , Nazrullaeva Eugenia , Northmore-Ball Ksenia , Tertytchnaya Katerina , Kim Wooseok
Published: March 2024

For many decades, scholars assumed voluntary compliance and citizens’ commitment to a regime’s principles and values to be critical for regime stability. A growing literature argues that indoctrination is essential to achieve this congruence. However, the absence of a clear definition and comprehensive comparative measures of indoctrination have hindered systematic research on such issues. In this paper, we fill this gap by synthesizing literature across disciplines to clarify the concept of indoctrination, focusing particularly on the politicization of education and the media. We then outline how the abstract concept can be operationalized, and introduce and validate an original expert-coded dataset on indoctrination that covers 160 countries from 1945 to the present. The dataset should facilitate a new generation of empirical inquiry on the causes and consequences of indoctrination.
Assessment of Sleep Quality in Spanish Twin Pregnancy: An Observational Single-Center Study
Authors: de la Calle María , Bartha Jose L. , Martin Mens Abigail , Arribas Silvia M. , Ramiro-Cortijo David
Published: March 2024

Women with twin pregnancies experience greater sleep disturbance compared to women with singleton pregnancies. The aims of this study were to explore the sleep quality in women with twin pregnancies and to compare their sleep dimensions with coetaneous single pregnancies. This was an observational study in which women were enrolled at the end of pregnancy in the Obstetric Service of Hospital La Paz (Spain). The women were classified as single (n = 143) or twin pregnancy (n = 62). Pregnant women responded to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to evaluate sleep quality, latency, duration, efficiency, perturbance, use of medication, and daytime dysfunction. The higher the index, the greater the alteration of sleep quality. Without statistical differences, a poor sleep quality was higher in women with single (66.7%) than women with twin pregnancies (22.8%). The good sleeper slept 6.8 h/day in single pregnancy and 7.3 h/day in twin pregnancy. The sleep perturbation and dysfunctionality were higher in women with twin than single pregnancies. The use of medication to sleep was significantly lower in women with twin than single pregnancies. In women with twin pregnancy, the body weight gain during first trimester had a positive correlation with worse sleep quality and sleep perturbations. Twin pregnancy needed more than 7 h/day to have a high sleep quality, showing greater sleep perturbations and daytime dysfunction than single pregnancies. The control of gestational body weight can improve the sleep quality, disturbances, and duration in twin gestations. Sleep screening during pregnancy would be necessary to handle sleep issues and increase benefits in twin gestational outcomes.
Virtuelle Teamarbeit: Was sie kennzeichnet, wie sie wirkt und wie man sie gestaltet
Authors: Handke Lisa , Wesche Jenny S.
Published: March 2024

Zusammenfassung: Mit dem rasanten technologischen Fortschritt und der zunehmenden Globalisierung nimmt auch das Ausmaß virtueller Teamarbeit zu, d. h. von Teamarbeit, die unter Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie (IKT) meist über verschiedene Standorte hinweg stattfindet. Die IKT-vermittelte Kommunikation sowie die räumliche Verteilung verändert jedoch maßgeblich die Interaktion im Team, sodass sich große Herausforderungen für die Zusammenarbeit ergeben. In diesem Beitrag geben wir daher einen Überblick über die bisherige Forschung zu virtueller Teamarbeit und erläutern dabei, wodurch sich virtuelle Teamarbeit auszeichnet, welche Effekte damit verbunden sind und wie sie sich aktiv gestalten lässt. Wir schließen den Beitrag mit einem Ausblick auf aktuelle Trends und zukünftige Entwicklungen in Forschung und Praxis virtueller Teamarbeit.
Unraveling the Physical and Biological Controls of the Global Coastal CO2 Sink
Authors: Roobaert Alizée , Resplandy Laure , Laruelle Goulven G. , Liao Enhui , Regnier Pierre
Published: March 2024

The drivers governing the air‐sea CO2 exchange and its variability in the coastal ocean are poorly understood. Using a global ocean biogeochemical model, this study quantifies the influences of thermal changes, oceanic transport, freshwater fluxes, and biological activity on the spatial and seasonal variability of CO2 sources/sinks in the global coastal ocean. We identify five typical coastal behaviors (dominated by biological drawdown, vertical transport, land imprint, intracoastal alongshore currents, and weak CO2 sources and sinks coastal regions) and propose a new processed‐based delineation of the coastal ocean based on the quantification of these controlling processes. We find that the spatiotemporal variability of CO2 sources/sinks is dominated by strong exchanges with the open ocean and intracoastal processes, while continental influences are restricted to hotspot regions. In addition, where thermal changes appear to drive the seasonal CO2 variability, it often results from compensating effects between individual non‐thermal terms, especially biological drawdown and vertical transport.
Responses of Atlantic Water Inflow Through Fram Strait to Arctic Storms
Authors: Long Zhenxia , Perrie Will , Zhang Minghong , Liu Yazhou
Published: March 2024

Changes in the volume transport of Atlantic water into the Arctic Ocean can affect the heat and mass balance in the central Arctic Ocean. To understand the impacts of Arctic storms on the inflow through Fram Strait, we implemented the NEMO ocean model for the Arctic Ocean, to simulate the decadal variations of the water volume transport through Fram Strait. The simulations suggest that the water inflow tends to be weaker in the decades of the 1960 and 2010s but stronger in the 1980s. The decadal variation is associated with decadal variability of the storm density in the Greenland Sea. When there is an increased storm density near Fram Strait, the southerly wind anomalies dominate the Atlantic water pathway. As a response, there is an increased Atlantic inflow through Fram Strait.
Stone Age Humans Chose Their Rocks with Care
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: March 2024

Ancient humans possessed sophisticated knowledge of the properties of the stones they used to make tools.
Visualizing threat and trustworthiness prior beliefs in face perception in high versus low paranoia
Authors: Bott Antonia , Steer Hanna C. , Faße Julian L. , Lincoln Tania M.
Published: March 2024

Predictive processing accounts of psychosis conceptualize delusions as overly strong learned expectations (prior beliefs) that shape cognition and perception. Paranoia, the most prevalent form of delusions, involves threat prior beliefs that are inherently social. Here, we investigated whether paranoia is related to overly strong threat prior beliefs in face perception. Participants with subclinical levels of high (n = 109) versus low (n = 111) paranoia viewed face stimuli paired with written descriptions of threatening versus trustworthy behaviors, thereby activating their threat versus trustworthiness prior beliefs. Subsequently, they completed an established social-psychological reverse correlation image classification (RCIC) paradigm. This paradigm used participants’ responses to randomly varying face stimuli to generate individual classification images (ICIs) that intend to visualize either facial prior belief (threat vs. trust). An independent sample (n = 76) rated these ICIs as more threatening in the threat compared to the trust condition, validating the causal effect of prior beliefs on face perception. Contrary to expectations derived from predictive processing accounts, there was no evidence for a main effect of paranoia. This finding suggests that paranoia was not related to stronger threat prior beliefs that directly affected face perception, challenging the assumption that paranoid beliefs operate on a perceptual level.
Expansion of memory Vδ2 T cells following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination revealed by temporal single-cell transcriptomics
Authors: Terzoli Sara , Marzano Paolo , Cazzetta Valentina , Piazza Rocco , Sandrock Inga , Ravens Sarina , Tan Likai , Prinz Immo , Balin Simone , Calvi Michela , Carletti Anna , Cancellara Assunta , Coianiz Nicolò , Franzese Sara , Frigo Alessandro , Voza Antonio , Calcaterra Francesca , Di Vito Clara , Della Bella Silvia , Mikulak Joanna , Mavilio Domenico
Published: March 2024

γδ T cells provide rapid cellular immunity against pathogens. Here, we conducted matched single-cell RNA-sequencing and γδ-TCR-sequencing to delineate the molecular changes in γδ T cells during a longitudinal study following mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. While the first dose of vaccine primes Vδ2 T cells, it is the second administration that significantly boosts their immune response. Specifically, the second vaccination uncovers memory features of Vδ2 T cells, shaped by the induction of AP-1 family transcription factors and characterized by a convergent central memory signature, clonal expansion, and an enhanced effector potential. This temporally distinct effector response of Vδ2 T cells was also confirmed in vitro upon stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 spike-peptides. Indeed, the second challenge triggers a significantly higher production of IFNγ by Vδ2 T cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination might benefit from the establishment of long-lasting central memory Vδ2 T cells to confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Observation of fixed lines induced by a nonlinear resonance in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron
Authors: Bartosik H. , Franchetti G. , Schmidt F.
Published: March 2024

The motion of systems with linear restoring forces and recurring nonlinear perturbations is of central importance in physics. When a system’s natural oscillation frequencies and the frequency of the nonlinear restoring forces satisfy certain algebraic relations, the dynamics become resonant. In accelerator physics, an understanding of resonances and nonlinear dynamics is crucial for avoiding the loss of beam particles. Here we confirm the theoretical prediction of the dynamics for a single two-dimensional coupled resonance by observing so-called fixed lines. Specifically, we use the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron to measure the position of a particle beam at discrete locations around the accelerator. These measurements allow us to construct the Poincaré surface of section, which captures the main features of the dynamics in a periodic system. In our setting, any resonant particle passing through the Poincaré surface of section lies on a curve embedded in a four-dimensional phase space, the fixed line. These findings are relevant for mitigating beam degradation and thus for achieving high-intensity and high-brightness beams, as required for both current and future accelerator projects.