bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formalin fixation and paraffin embedding interfere with the preservation of optical metabolic assessments based on endogenous NAD(P)H and FAD two-photon excited fluorescence
Authors: Sánchez-Hernández Adriana , Polleys Christopher M. , Georgakoudi Irene
Published: September 2023

Endogenous NAD(P)H and FAD two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) images provide functional metabolic information with high spatial resolution for a wide range of living specimens. Preservation of metabolic function optical metrics upon fixation would facilitate studies which assess the impact of metabolic changes in the context of numerous diseases. However, robust assessments of the impact of formalin fixation, paraffin embedding, and sectioning on the preservation of optical metabolic readouts are lacking. Here, we evaluate intensity and lifetime images at excitation/emission settings optimized for NAD(P)H and FAD TPEF detection from freshly excised murine oral epithelia and corresponding bulk and sectioned fixed tissues. We find that fixation impacts the overall intensity as well as the intensity fluctuations of the images acquired. Accordingly, the depth-dependent variations of the optical redox ratio (defined as FAD/(NAD(P)H + FAD)) across squamous epithelia are not preserved following fixation. This is consistent with significant changes in the 755 nm excited spectra, which reveal broadening upon fixation and additional distortions upon paraffin embedding and sectioning. Analysis of fluorescence lifetime images acquired for excitation/emission settings optimized for NAD(P)H TPEF detection indicate that fixation alters the long lifetime of the observed fluorescence and the long lifetime intensity fraction. These parameters as well as the short TPEF lifetime are significantly modified upon embedding and sectioning. Thus, our studies highlight that the autofluorescence products formed during formalin fixation, paraffin embedding and sectioning overlap highly with NAD(P)H and FAD emission and limit the potential to utilize such tissues to assess metabolic activity.
Panoramic quantitative phase imaging of adherent live cells in a microfluidic environment
Authors: Ma Ying , Dai Taiqiang , Lei Yunze , Zhang Linlin , Ma Lin , Liu Min , An Sha , Zheng Juanjuan , Zhuo Kequn , Kong Liang , Gao Peng
Published: September 2023

Understanding how cells respond to external stimuli is crucial. However, there are a lack of inspection systems capable of simultaneously stimulating and imaging cells, especially in their natural states. This study presents a novel microfluidic stimulation and observation system equipped with flat-fielding quantitative phase contrast microscopy (FF-QPCM). This system allowed us to track the behavior of organelles in live cells experiencing controlled microfluidic stimulation. Using this innovative imaging platform, we successfully quantified the cellular response to shear stress including directional cellular shrinkage and mitochondrial distribution change in a label-free manner. Additionally, we detected and characterized the cellular response, particularly mitochondrial behavior, under varying fluidic conditions such as temperature and drug induction time. The proposed imaging platform is highly suitable for various microfluidic applications at the organelle level. We advocate that this platform will significantly facilitate life science research in microfluidic environments.
Identification method of raindrops and hailstones based on digital holographic interference
Authors: Zhou Hao , Wang Jun , Zhang Chuan , Yang Chenyu , Yue Zhiguo , Liang Gu , Liu Jingjing , Hua Dengxin
Published: September 2023

The identification of raindrops and hailstones is of great significance to the study of precipitation characteristics from the aspect of microphysics and can provide important data support for weather modification. In this paper, an identification method of raindrops and hailstones based on digital holographic interference is proposed. The grayscale gradient variance method is used to obtain the focus position of the particles. By means of binarization and morphological processing, digital holograms are processed to obtain clear profiles of the particles. Then the contour parameters of the particles are used to obtain the equivalent volume diameter and roundness. Finally, according to the equivalent volume diameter, roundness and lens-like effect of the particles, the phase states of the raindrop and hailstone are identified by the algorithm. Experiments show that the method proposed in this paper has a good identification effect on raindrops and hailstones. The research results can provide reference for the research of the identification method of raindrops and hailstones and the acquisition of accurate characteristic parameters.
Design method for a small F-number two-material uniform dispersion immersion grating imaging spectrometer
Authors: Liu Yang , Li Jinhuan , Zhang Pengfei , Zhou Aiming , Wang Xiaoxu , Wang Junbo , Li Bo , Lin Guanyu , Gu Guochao , Li Hanshuang
Published: September 2023

Immersion gratings have high dispersion efficiency and have important application value in miniaturized imaging spectrometers, but its serious dispersion nonlinearity causes difficulties in calibration and image processing, which limits its application range. To solve this, this paper presents a design method for a two-material linear dispersion immersion grating device design method, and a compact small F-number immersion grating spectrometer based on it. First the vector form dispersion equation of the two-material immersion grating is derived and the linear spectral dispersion immersion grating design process is given, then a compact small F-number uniform dispersion imaging spectrometer is given as a design example using the proposed method. The results show that when the operating band of the system is 1590-1675 nm, the spectral resolution is better than 0.25 nm, and F-number can achieve better than 2. Compared with traditional single-material immersion grating imaging spectrometer, the designed imaging spectrometer dispersion linearity is significantly improved. Finally, the influence of prism materials, structure parameters and grating parameters on dispersion nonlinearity is analyzed. Design and analysis results show that the proposed two-material immersion grating device has much better spectral dispersion nonlinearity correction ability, and its design method can provide reference to the compact spectrometer design based on immersion gratings.
Updates from Optics Letters: editorial
Authors: Alonso Miguel
Published: September 2023

Optics Letters’ Editor-in-Chief Miguel Alonso
provides a journal update and discusses journal criteria.
Modelling African horse sickness emergence and transmission in the South African control area using a deterministic metapopulation approach
Authors: de Klerk Joanna N. , Gorsich Erin E. , Grewar John D. , Atkins Benjamin D. , Tennant Warren S. D. , Labuschagne Karien , Tildesley Michael J.
Published: September 2023

African horse sickness is an equine orbivirus transmitted byCulicoidesLatreille biting midges. In the last 80 years, it has caused several devastating outbreaks in the equine population in Europe, the Far and Middle East, North Africa, South-East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is endemic in South Africa; however, a unique control area has been set up in the Western Cape where increased surveillance and control measures have been put in place. A deterministic metapopulation model was developed to explore if an outbreak might occur, and how it might develop, if a latently infected horse was to be imported into the control area, by varying the geographical location and months of import. To do this, a previously published ordinary differential equation model was developed with a metapopulation approach and included a vaccinated horse population. Outbreak length, time to peak infection, number of infected horses at the peak, number of horses overall affected (recovered or dead), re-emergence, and Rv(the basic reproduction number in the presence of vaccination) were recorded and displayed using GIS mapping. The model predictions were compared to previous outbreak data to ensure validity. The warmer months (November to March) had longer outbreaks than the colder months (May to September), took more time to reach the peak, and had a greater total outbreak size with more horses infected at the peak. Rvappeared to be a poor predictor of outbreak dynamics for this simulation. A sensitivity analysis indicated that control measures such as vaccination and vector control are potentially effective to manage the spread of an outbreak, and shortening the vaccination window to July to September may reduce the risk of vaccine-associated outbreaks.
Spike-timing dependent plasticity partially compensates for neural delays in a multi-layered network of motion-sensitive neurons
Authors: Sexton Charlie M. , Burkitt Anthony N. , Hogendoorn Hinze
Published: September 2023

The ability of the brain to represent the external world in real-time is impacted by the fact that neural processing takes time. Because neural delays accumulate as information progresses through the visual system, representations encoded at each hierarchical level are based upon input that is progressively outdated with respect to the external world. This ‘representational lag’ is particularly relevant to the task of localizing a moving object–because the object’s location changes with time, neural representations of its location potentially lag behind its true location. Converging evidence suggests that the brain has evolved mechanisms that allow it to compensate for its inherent delays by extrapolating the position of moving objects along their trajectory. We have previously shown how spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) can achieve motion extrapolation in a two-layer, feedforward network of velocity-tuned neurons, by shifting the receptive fields of second layer neurons in the opposite direction to a moving stimulus. The current study extends this work by implementing two important changes to the network to bring it more into line with biology: we expanded the network to multiple layers to reflect the depth of the visual hierarchy, and we implemented more realistic synaptic time-courses. We investigate the accumulation of STDP-driven receptive field shifts across several layers, observing a velocity-dependent reduction in representational lag. These results highlight the role of STDP, operating purely along the feedforward pathway, as a developmental strategy for delay compensation.
Intelligence quotient (IQ) outcome in children with early-treated congenital hypothyroidism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Said Whyra Pratama , Arto Karina Sugih , Pratita Winra , Sufitni Sufitni
Published: September 2023

Background Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common congenital endocrine disorder in childhood and is one of the most preventable causes of intellectual disability (ID). Late initiation of thyroid hormone substitution therapy has a negative impact on intellectual abilities in CH patients.

Objective To compare Intelligence Quotient (IQ) between children with CH who underwent early treatment among the children without CH.

Methods We performed online literature searches of ScienceDirect, Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. We included clinical studies that examined IQ scores in patients with early-treated CH and without CH. Review Manager 5.4 was used to perform the meta-analysis.

Results Twelve studies comparing pediatric patients with and without CH were included in this meta-analysis, for a total of 808 patients. Based on data analysis, IQ levels of verbal IQ [mean difference (MD) -9.05; (95%CI -14.51 to -3.59); (P<0.00001)], performance IQ [MD -11.70; (95%CI -17.41 to -5.99); (P<0.00001)], and total IQ [MD -10.78; (95%CI -14.03 to -7.54); (P<0.00001)]. While verbal, performance, total, of the early-treated CH group were within the normal range, they were each significantly lower than those in the non-CH group.

Conclusion This meta-analysis reveals that IQ scores in early-treated CH subjects were within normal limits, but significantly lower than that of normal controls.
Incidence and risk factors of nephritis in childhood Henoch-Schonlein purpura
Authors: Yanrismet Yaulia , Hidayati Eka Laksmi , Munasir Zakiudin , Yuliarti Klara , Fahriyani Afifa
Published: September 2023

Background Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) is the most common systemic vasculitis disease in children. It is characterized by involvement of the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney. Kidney manifestations may progress to severe nephritis, even lead to end-stage kidney disease.
Objective To identify the incidence and risk factors of nephritis in childhood HSP.
Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate clinical, demographic, laboratory, and therapeutic parameters of HSP patients aged 0-18 years between 2011-2019 at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. Diagnoses of HSP were made according to the 2008 EULAR/PRES/PRINTO criteria. Wefollowed subjects’ medical records for at least 3 months after disease onset to observe incidence and risk factors of Henoch-Schönlein nephritis (HSN).Results There were 112 HSP patients (aged 2-17 years) included in this study. HSN was found in 40 out of 112 patients (35.7%). Nephritis developed within the first 4 weeks for a majority of cases. Multivariate analysis showed that persistent purpura (OR 3.306; 95%CI 1.315 to 8.315; P=0.011) and acute phase leukocytosis(OR 2.585; 95%CI 1.047 to 6.385; P=0.039) were significantly associated risk factors for HSN. We found that corticosteroid use did not reduce the risk of HSN. The accumulation of several risk factors was associated with the likelihood of developing HSN.
Conclusion Persistent purpura and acute phase leukocytosis are independent risk factors for HSN. Therefore, blood tests are needed to estimate the risk of HSN. Early corticosteroid therapy do not reduce the risk of kidney impairment.
Cross-Border Lives and the Complications of Citizenship
Authors: Glovsky David Newman
Published: September 2023

This article argues that in the 1960s and 1970s, the postcolonial state in Guinea and the independence movement in Guinea-Bissau came to define national belonging through ideas of “sacrificial citizenship,” ideas that did not correspond with how many borderland residents saw their own geographies. Borderland residents used the border to, for the most part, ignore or complicate territorial concepts of national belonging, while informally putting forward their own geographic conceptions and networks. The history of cross-border migration and mobility during this period illustrates the unfinished nature of postcolonial ideas of citizenship and belonging, and the alternative communities and imaginaries that borderland residents developed after independence in parallel to the modern nation-state. These cross-border networks and spaces offer an example of the contestation of sovereignty and the nation-state in the decades immediately following the independence of West African states.
Peraturan Konstitutif Pemenuhan Hak Pekerjaan dan Ketenagakerjaan Penyandang Disabilitas
Authors: Fikri Abdullah , Widya Kartika Adhitya , Purwanto Aldira Mara Ditta Caesar
Published: September 2023

The existence of human rights guarantees and affirmative action concerning the right to work is contained in Undang-Undang Dasar 1945 as theconstitution of Republic Indonesia. The aim of this research is for understanding about constitutive regulation concerning the rights to work for persons with disability after the Law number 11 of 2020 Concerning Job Creation in Indonesia. This issue is then analyzed using a normative method with an approach to aspects of legislation and a conceptual approach to the issue of constitutive regulations fulfilling the rights to employment and employment of Persons with Disabilities after Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation in Indonesia. As a result, the regulation does not significantly regulate the fulfillment of workers' rights in the employment of persons with disabilities, as well as the obligations of employers.
Eksistensi jaminan hak asasi manusia dan affirmative action terkait dengan hak pekerjaan  dirumuskan secara konstitusional di dalam  Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaturan hak pekerjaan dan ketenagakerjaan penyandang disabilitas secara konstitutif pasca terbitnya Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2020 Tentang Cipta Kerja yang mengalami dinamika politik hukum. Isu tersebut kemudian dianalisis menggunakan metode normatif dengan pendekatan aspek peraturan perundang-undangan dan pendekatan konsep dengan isu peraturan konstitutif pemenuhan hak pekerjaan dan ketenagakerjaan Penyandang Disabilitas pasca Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2020 tentang Cipta Kerja di Indonesia. Hasilnya, Pengaturan tidak signifikan mengatur pada pemenuhan hak pekerja pada ketenagakerjaan penyandang disabilitas, begitu juga kewajiban pemberi kerja.
CBCTBMF apoia marco de Consenso Brasileiro para a Colaboração Ética Multisetorial nos setores de Saúde
Authors: Laureano Filho José Rodrigues
Published: September 2023

O primeiro semestre de 2020 foi marcado por grandes reviravoltas na vida de todos, e não foi diferente para nós do Colégio. Tivemos o grande desafio de reprogramar o Congresso Brasileiro de Cirurgia e Traumatologia Bucomaxilofacial (COBRAC 2020) para os dias 04 a 07 de novembro de 2020, em Belém/PA, e continuamos o trabalho para que o evento seja o maior encontro da especialidade da América Latina.
Biosensor based on Cellulose Acetate/Glutaraldehyde Membrane Electrodes for detection of organophosphorus pesticides
Authors: Mashuni Mashuni , Hamid Fitri Handayani , Jahiding M , Khaeri Andi Muhammad Naufal
Published: September 2023

In recent years, sensor applications have been critical in many fields, especially food safety and pesticides. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) can be detected using a potentiometric biosensor with a membrane electrode made of a new natural material based on cellulose acetate (CA). Acetylcholinesterase was immobilized to 15% modified CA membrane electrodes using glutaraldehyde (GTA) as crosslinking agent and gold (Au) electrode. An indirect method used an acetylthiocholine chloride (ATCl) substrate to find OPPs like chlorpyrifos, profenophos, and diazinon. The working electrode was an CA/GTA membrane electrode, and the reference electrode was an Ag/AgCl electrode, whose potential value was measured with a potentiometer. The surface morphology of the biosensor membrane was investigated using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX). It showed that the CA membrane has a smooth, porous surface and is very dense, and its structure consists of 71.27% carbon (C) and 28.73% oxygen (O) with an average diameter of 562.33 nm. A potentiometric biosensor based on AChE inhibition for the detection of OPPs showed a limit of detection (LoD) of 1×10−6 μg/L with a linearity range of 1×10−6–1.0 μg/L. The %inhibition value for the chlorpyrifos pesticide was 14.44 to 73.08%, profenophos was 11.98 to 77.98%, and diazinon was 18.58 to 83.27%. Therefore, higher inhibitor concentrations (OPPs) have a greater ability to prevent the AChE enzyme from breaking down the acetylcholine substrate. The biosensor with the CA membrane has a wide linearity range and a low detection limit. The potentiometer rapidly detects pesticide residues.
Assessing Students’ Learning when Interpreting Histograms: A Gaze-Based Machine Learning Analysis
Authors: Boels Lonneke , Lyford Alex , Bakker Arthur , Drijvers Paul
Published: September 2023

Students consistently misinterpret histograms. Statistics education literature suggests that solving dotplot items can support correct histogram interpretations. We therefore explore how students’ micro-level histogram interpretations alter during assessment, with the research question: In what way do Grades 10–12 pre-university track students’ histogram interpretations change after solving dotplot items? Students were asked to estimate or compare arithmetic means. Students’ gaze data, answers, and stimulated recall interview data were collected. We used students’ gaze data on four histogram items as inputs for a machine learning algorithm (MLA; random forests). Our MLA can quite accurately classify if students’ gaze data belong to an item solved before or after the dotplot items. Moreover, we found that the direction (e.g., almost vertical) and length of students’ saccades were different on the before and after items. A change in this perceptual form could therefore indicate a change in strategies. Two more indications of actual learning were found. This study is novel in three ways: a novel use of spatial gaze data, use of a MLA for finding differences in gazes that are relevant for changes in students’ topic specific strategy and the first that investigates students’ micro-learning during an assessment. We consider a most likely explanation for the results that the action of solving dotplot items creates readiness for learning and that reflecting on the solution strategy during recall then brings new insights. This study is important for theories on readiness for learning and practice effects, and it has implications for large-scale assessments and homework.
Die diachrone Entwicklung des Gedankenstrichs vom 18. Jahrhundert bis zum Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts
Authors: Deepen Laura
Published: September 2023

This article focuses on the development of a punctation mark that has hardly been the focus of historical linguistics so far: the dash. On the basis of a corpus analysis of printed texts, an insight into the quantitative and qualitative development of the dash since the end of the 18th century will be given. On the one hand, I argue that the dash has been used since the end of the 18th century in contexts that also characterize it in contemporary German. On the other hand, I want to show that the read-controlling function of the dash, as assumed by Bredel (2002, 2008), already underlies some of its early uses.
Zur Rolle der Silbenquantität in der mittelhochdeutschen Metrik
Authors: Kragl Florian
Published: September 2023

The article illustrates and justifies the role of syllable weight for the MHG verse. It counters a 2021 paper by A. Estis, who fundamentally questions the relevance of syllable weight for MHG metrics. The argumentation of the riposte relies on text-analytical findings, methodological aspects (heuristics), the history of the German verse in late medieval and early modern times, last but not least on historical testimonies, namely by Heinrich von Hesler and Nikolaus von Jeroschin. The article concludes with a reformulation of basic analytical principles of MHG metrics, thus trying to forestall some misunderstandings possibly provoked by the traditional terminology of A. Heusler.
Literatur und Ökonomie: ein mediävistischer Kommentar zu zwei Handbüchern
Authors: Peters Ursula
Published: September 2023

This medievalist review article arises from the publication in 2019 of two conceptually and materially very different handbooks on the topic of ›literature and economy‹: the ›Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics‹ and the de Gruyter ›Handbuch. Literatur & Ökonomie‹, the eighth volume of the series ›Handbücher zur kulturwissenschaftlichen Philologie‹. Focal points of my critical discussion are: 1. the Marxist foundations of ideology critique in Econo-literary Criticism, 2. the long history of the debate on the relation of text and context in literary studies, 3. the controversy surrounding the application of Joseph Vogl’s ›poetics of knowledge‹ to the economic domain, and 4. the ideological positioning of economic themes in pre-modern literature between the poles of ›Commercial economy‹ and ›Christian economics‹.
Study of hydrolysis and production of instant ginger (Zingiber officinale) tea
Authors: Nhan Nguyen Phu Thuong , Khang Van Chi , Van Hung Pham , Thi Tuu Tran , Anh Nguyen Huu Thuan , Nhan Le Thi Hong
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study is to determine the suitable conditions for enzyme-assisted hydrolysis and the production of instant tea from hydrolysed ginger. Several parameters of ginger hydrolysis were investigated, such as the enzyme concentration from 0.1 to 0.4 g/100 g ginger powder (w/w), material/water ratios of 1/10; 1/15; 1/20; and 1/25 (w/w), pH from 3.5 to 5.0; temperature of hydrolysis process from 45 to 60°C, and time of hydrolysis process from 90 to 150 min. Subsequently, the hydrolysed ginger was spray-dried to produce instant products with surveyed parameters, including the maltodextrin concentration from 15 to 35 g/100 g ginger extraction, feed flow rates from 120 to 600 mL/h, and the temperatures of spray drying from 120 to 150°C. The suitable parameters for enzyme-assisted hydrolysis and production of instant tea were determined, including enzyme concentration as 0.2 g/100 g ginger powder (w/w), material/water ratio as 1/10 (w/w), pH at 5.0, temperature process as 55°C, the time of hydrolysis process as 120 min, the maltodextrin concentration as 15 g/100 g extraction (w/w), feed flow rate as 240 mL h−1, and the inlet temperature as 140°C. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the product were identified with moisture content as 2.36 ± 0.09%, total phenolic content as 98.34 ± 0.59 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DW, and IC50 value as 1,082 µgAA/mL.
Predicting the air-dry density of black walnut based on NIR analysis
Authors: Ren Zi-Rui , Luo Li , Na Bin
Published: September 2023

The combination of computer technology and non-destructive testing technology can facilitate the development of forestry in a more intelligent direction. In this paper, a Shapley additive explanations (SHAP)-based method is used to analyse the importance of band features in the near-infrared spectrum of black walnut wood, which ranges from 900 to 1650 nm. The spectral data from the SHAP analysis are fed into an integrated framework of machine learning algorithms based on four different theories. In the comparison tests, three different pre-processed NIR spectral data are entered into the integrated framework. The result of the SHAP analysis shows that the wavelengths that are positively correlated with the air-dry density of black walnut are 1354.59, 1400.23, 1341.51, 1426.26, 1413.25 nm. The model predictions show that the SHAP-treated spectral data outperformed the other two treatments for each model. For the SHAP-treated spectral data, the KNN model gives the best results with an R
2 of 0.947 and an MSE of 0.0010.
A new look at the kinetics of oxygen delignification of softwood kraft pulp
Authors: Pahlevanzadeh Azadeh , van Heiningen Adriaan
Published: September 2023

Using a Berty-type CSTR reactor, Ji (2007. Kinetics and mechanism of oxygen delignification, Ph.D. thesis. The University of Maine) obtained oxygen delignification kinetics first order in lignin when neglecting the higher initial delignification phase. In the present study the same Berty/CSTR reactor with an improved temperature control was used to determine the oxygen delignification kinetics of Southern Pine kraft pulp, with the kinetics now corrected for lignin removed by oxygen-free alkaline leaching. This removes the initial high delignification rate peak so that the kinetics over the entire lignin range can be modelled as first order in “reactive” lignin, which is lignin corrected for a small amount of unreactive lignin. It suggests that softwood pulp oxygen delignification consists of two contributions; phenolic delignification and alkaline leaching. The initial alkaline leaching phase is mathematically described by semi-infinite alkaline diffusion of dissolved lignin trapped in the cell wall after pulp washing. For phenolic delignification, the reaction orders in alkali concentration and oxygen of the power law delignification equation are 0.3 and 0.44 respectively, while the activation energy is 63 kJ/mol. Taking into account the unreactive HexA, the small amount of unreactive lignin, and the lignin removed by alkaline leaching, the kappa number is well predicted by the new delignification kinetics.
‘Que nus contes de ce n’amende’: Chrétien de Troyes and the assertion of copyright
Authors: Busby Keith , Tether Leah
Published: September 2023

This study explores a statement made by the twelfth-century poet Chrétien de Troyes in his Conte du Graal (c. 1181–90), which includes the line ‘Que nus contes de ce n’amende’ [because no tale improves on the retelling], under the light of a possible relationship with the notion of pre-print publishing. In the context of the current scholarly upsurge of interest in ‘medieval publishing’, and through an analysis of similar phrases found both in other medieval romances and in other of Chrétien’s works, this article proposes we should understand this phrase in a dual sense: on the one hand, as an internal narrative device to avoid repetition, and – importantly on the other – as an outward-facing warning against the alteration of his work in its retelling, functioning in some ways akin to a modern declaration of copyright.
Arthurian intertexts:

Le

Roman de Laurin,

the First Continuation of

Perceval

and the Prose Tristan
Authors: Corley Corin
Published: September 2023

This article argues that elements from the First Continuation of Chrétien de Troyes’s Perceval (or Le Conte du Graal) (c. 1190–1200) were remodelled in the anonymous late thirteenth-century text Le Roman de Laurin, which belongs to the cycle of the Seven Sages of Rome, to create the pseudo-Gawain episode (or episode of the White Knight). This is followed by a consideration of the reasons the author may have had for making use of these Arthurian elements. These include the idea that this section of the Laurin may have formed part of the apparent literary backlash against the denigration of Gawain found in the Prose Tristan (c. 1230), the probable desire of the author to enhance his hero’s status by making him Gawain’s equal, and perhaps the desire to create a text blending the matière de Rome with the matière de Bretagne. The article then looks briefly at how some of the same elements are also found in the Prose Tristan and presents a view on the possible relationship(s) between the various works in the context of these intertextual components. Finally, there is a consideration of what these intertexts may tell us about contemporary audiences and the reception of the Laurin, in the context of a widespread engagement with the Perceval-corpus. This leads to the suggestion that, in the way it interacts with other texts, this part of Laurin might be considered typical of thirteenth-century Arthurian romance.

I am indebted to the two anonymous readers of the original draft of this article for various suggested improvements.
Acheflour and Blauncheflour: Mothers and Wives in

Sir Percyvell of Galles and

Sir Tristrem
Authors: Martin Aude
Published: September 2023

The Middle English characters of Acheflour, the hero’s mother in Sir Percyvell of Galles, and Blauncheflour, the hero’s mother in Sir Tristrem, share their actively voiced concern for their sons. In doing so, they are granted greater prominence in these Middle English narrative contexts than their counterparts in other linguistic traditions. In this article, I argue that the figure of Acheflour, whose agency has been acknowledged in scholarship, sets up a standard for Blauncheflour, whose role in the story has been, on the contrary, rather overlooked. Acheflour and Blauncheflour have in common that they are sisters to a king – Arthur and Mark respectively – and young widows. I argue that the strategies that they develop in order to protect their sons from the dangers of knighthood are comparable and create stronger relationships with these young knights.
Multiplication, addition, and subtraction in numerals: formal variation in Latin’s decads+from an Indo-European perspective
Authors: Bauer Brigitte L. M.
Published: September 2023

While formal variation in Latin’s numerals is generally acknowledged, little is known about (relative) incidence, distribution, context, or linguistic productivity. Addressing this lacuna, this article examines “decads+” in Latin, which convey the numbers between the full decads: the teens (‘eleven’ through ‘nineteen’) as well as the numerals between the higher decads starting at ‘twenty-one’ through ‘ninety-nine’. Latin’s decads+are compounds and prone to variation. The data, which are drawn from a variety of sources, reveal (a) substantial formal variation in Latin, both internally and typologically; (b) co-existence of several types of formation; (c) productivity of potential borrowings; (d) resilience of early formations; (e) patterns in structure and incidence that anticipate the Romance numerals; and (f) historical trends. From a typological and general linguistic perspective as well, Latin’s decads+are most relevant because their formal variation involves sequence, connector, and arithmetical operations and because their historical depth shows a gradual shift away from widespread formal variation, eventually resulting in the relatively rigid system found in Romance. Moreover, the combined system attested in decads+in Latin – based on a combination of inherited, innovative and borrowed patterns and reflecting different stages of development – presents a number of typological inconsistencies that require further assessment.
A distributional analysis of vowel quantity in a corpus of Latin texts
Authors: Marotta Giovanna , De Felice Irene
Published: September 2023

The paper examines the relationship between vowel quantity, syllable structure and lexical stress in Latin through a quantitative analysis carried out on a corpus of literary texts taken from Cicero’s Epistulae ad familiares and Petronius’ Cena Trimalchionis. Each word of the corpus was split into syllables and phonemes. Then, the corpus was annotated with phonological and prosodic information pertaining to vowel length, syllable structure, stress and word length. Finally, the data collected were analyzed at different levels. The results are discussed in light of the findings of a previous analysis carried out on dictionary entries, confirming a close correlation between syllable structure and lexical stress, since the great majority of stressed syllables are heavy both in the literary corpus and in the dictionary. Moreover, long vowels are more frequently found in open and stressed syllables, particularly in paroxytones. The data suggest that the process leading to the loss of vowel quantity was already active (at least in some strata of Roman society) in the Latin of the Classical age, since a prosodic template similar to that occurring in many Romance developments emerges even in literary Latin texts.
A mixed-methods investigation of third and sixth graders’ academic sentence knowledge
Authors: Townsend Dianna , Knecht Rachel , Lupo Sarah , Chen Li-Ting , Barrios Vickie Smith
Published: September 2023

This qualitative-dominant mixed methods study aimed to investigate how native English speaking third graders (n = 72) and sixth graders (n = 88) navigate cohesive ties in academic sentences. There are studies on supporting students with academic language at the word and text levels, but less research has been done on readers’ knowledge of the dense and challenging sentences in academic texts. The current study examines both how students navigate cohesion in academic sentences as well as how their knowledge of cohesion relates to their performance on reading comprehension measures. With a multi-case study framework, we analyzed students’ (n = 6) metalinguistic interviews with academic sentences. We then designed Maze tasks for a larger sample (n = 160) to identify patterns in students’ knowledge of cohesion. We also conducted correlational analyses between students’ sentence-level knowledge and performance on measures of reading comprehension. Qualitative findings suggest that students draw on both metalinguistic and epilinguistic knowledge to explain cohesion, and that students value explicit instruction with academic sentences. Quantitative findings show that knowledge of cohesive ties is significantly correlated with performance on reading comprehension measures. Implications and future research for both monolingual and multilingual learners are addressed.
Identification of cuproptosis-related genes for predicting the development of prostate cancer
Authors: Wang Xin’an , Chen Xi , Xu Chengdang , Zhou Weidong , Wu Denglong
Published: September 2023

Copper can be toxic at very high intracellular concentrations and can inhibit prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Recently, a study reported the mechanism of cuproptosis and the potentially associated genes. However, the function of these cuproptosis-related genes in PCa remains unknown. Based on the RNA sequence and clinical data from public databases, we analyzed the clinical value of cuproptosis-related genes in PCa. DLD, DLAT, PDHA1, and CDKN2A were expressed differently between normal and PCa tissues. The FDX1, LIAS, DLAT, GLS, and CDKN2A genes can affect PCa progression, while PDHA1 and CDKN2A influence the patients’ disease-free survival (DFS) status. The expression of LIAS, LIPT1, DLAT, and PDHB did not alter upon the incidence of PCa in Chinese patients. A constructed regression model showed that FDX1, PDHA1, MTF1, and CDKN2A can be risk factors leading to PCa in both Western and Chinese patients with PCa. The lasso regression model reflected that these genes can affect the patients’ DFS status. Additionally, the cuproptosis-related genes were associated with immune cell infiltration. We also verified the high expression of PDHA1 and CDKN2A, in clinical samples. In conclusion, we identified a novel cuproptosis-related gene signature for predicting the development of PCa.
LGBTQ youth mental health and COVID: where we are & next steps
Authors: Ormiston Cameron K.
Published: September 2023

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth bear a disproportionate burden of mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to non-LGBTQ youth due to systemic disadvantages and barriers that LGBTQ youth uniquely face. Efforts in the US to minimize the pandemic’s impact are inadequate or impeded by a growing wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation. As such, public health and policy play a crucial role in implementing necessary systemic change.
Psychische Belastungen bei der Arbeit erfassen und bewerten: Aktuelle Herausforderungen
Authors: Faller Gudrun
Published: September 2023

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit den konzeptionellen und methodischen Herausforderungen, die sich im Kontext der Gefährdungsbeurteilung psychischer Belastungen für Betriebe stellen, und reflektiert den Diskussionsstand zum Umgang mit entsprechenden Barrieren.
Schutz und Förderung mentaler Gesundheit in der Arbeitswelt
Authors: Beck David , Wegewitz Uta , Hegewald Janice
Published: September 2023

In der Arbeitswelt besteht erhebliches Potenzial, durch Maßnahmen des Arbeitsschutzes, betrieblicher Gesundheitsförderung, Früherkennung und Wiedereingliederung wirksam zum Schutz mentaler Gesundheit beizutragen. Anforderungen an präventive Arbeitsgestaltung sind im Rahmen der Gemeinsamen Deutschen Arbeitsschutzstrategie konkretisiert worden. Für die Weiterentwicklung ist auch der Ausbau empirisch fundierten Wissens über Möglichkeiten und Bedingungen betrieblicher Präventionspraxis erforderlich.
Regionale Deprivation und Entwicklungsverzögerung bei Kindern
Authors: Hoffmann Stephanie , Spallek Jacob
Published: September 2023

Die psychische Gesundheit junger Menschen hängt mit ihrer psychosozialen Entwicklung (z. B. Sprache) zusammen, für die Unterschiede anhand sozioökonomischer Bedingungen der Familie beschrieben werden. Die Deprivation der Wohnregion ist additiver Risikofaktor für die kindliche Entwicklung (ORweibl. = 1,35[1,13–1,62]; ORmännl. = 1,20[1,05–1,39]). Beide sind von besonderem Interesse für Public Mental Health und Förderung der Gesundheit von Kindern in der frühen Kindheit und im Lebensverlauf.
Mental Health Surveillance in Deutschland
Authors: Walther Lena , Mauz Elvira , Hölling Heike , Thom Julia
Published: September 2023

Mit der Etablierung der psychischen Gesundheit als Public-Health-Thema wird auch ihre Surveillance (Überwachung) gefordert. Am Robert Koch-Institut ist daher eine Mental Health Surveillance für Deutschland im Aufbau. Die fortlaufende und systematische Beobachtung zentraler Indikatoren der psychischen Gesundheit der Bevölkerung mit einer regelmäßigen Berichterstattung soll verlässliche Aussagen über Entwicklungen liefern und somit eine wichtige Informationsgrundlage für die Public-Health-Praxis bieten.
Populationsbasierte Interventionen im Bereich Public Mental Health
Authors: Rauschenberg Christian , Hartmann Jessica , Reinhold Annika Stefanie , Schick Anita , Reininghaus Ulrich
Published: September 2023

Dieser Artikel hat zum Ziel, einen Überblick über drei zentrale Strategien populationsbasierter Interventionen der Public Mental Health darzustellen: (1) Hochrisikostrategie, (2) Populationsstrategie und der (3) vulnerable Populationsansatz. Dabei werden zentrale Herausforderungen beleuchtet und die Bedeutung inter- und transdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit hervorgehoben. Zukünftige Maßnahmen der Public Mental Health erfordern die Integration dieser Strategien unter Beteiligung von Betroffenen und Stakeholdern.
Men’s Sheds (Männerschuppen) - Treffpunkte für ältere Männer
Authors: Bardehle Doris
Published: September 2023

Seit der Jahrtausendwende haben Men’s Sheds in vielen Ländern Einzug gehalten und die Bereitschaft der Männer zur aktiven Mitgestaltung genutzt, um deren Gesundheitsbewusstsein zu verbessern und so das Wohlbefinden zu steigern. Über den aktuellen Stand von Men’s Sheds in Deutschland wurde recherchiert und Beispiele werden vorgestellt.
Die Bedeutung der Kommune für die psychische Gesundheit von Geflüchteten
Authors: Nowak Anna Christina
Published: September 2023

Die Prävalenz von psychischen Erkrankungen bei geflüchteten Menschen und Asylsuchenden ist hoch. Als relevante Determinanten für die mentale Gesundheit beschreibt die Literatur u.a. Postmigrationsstressoren, die zudem zu gesundheitlicher Ungleichheit beitragen können. Der vorliegende Artikel argumentiert, dass integrationspolitische Maßnahmen auf kommunaler Ebene die gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen der Lebenslage von Menschen mit Fluchtgeschichte beeinflussen können.
Public Mental Health in der Klimakrise
Authors: Rottke Daniel , Cirstea Aleksandra , Bokhof Beate , Liebau Laura Dorothea , Pöhlmann Lena , Knebusch Veronika
Published: September 2023

Die Klimakrise und konsekutive Extremwetterereignisse sowie drohende Ressourcenknappheit sind nicht nur eine Gefahr für das physische Wohlbefinden, sondern bergen auch hohe Risiken für die mentale Gesundheit, welche vor allem für marginalisierte Gruppen zunehmende Vulnerabilität bedeutet. Diesen Risiken mitigativ sowie adaptiv entgegenzuwirken, muss im Sinne von Public Mental Health als globale, gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe adressiert werden.
Notes on two contemporary myths: free internet and user activity on digital social networking sites
Authors: Santos Marcelo
Published: September 2023

The proposal presented here opens up the opportunity to discuss what attentive Barthesian eyes can tell us about this early twenty-first century. We discuss the following research question: If actors pay nothing to be on digital social networking sites, and if they are supposed to shape the digital environment, how do companies profit if such an assumed logic remains for them a subordinate place? The answer could not be more Barthesian. The culture of platforms, transformed into nature, mythifies digital life, pointing to the success of the capitalistDoxa: the internet is free and the users are the agents of the network, while in reality, platforms earn millions, and users are manipulated by dishonest product sales strategies and by the spread of fake news.
An interventional study of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1, neuronal pentraxin-2, and C-reactive protein in Alzheimer’s disease rat model
Authors: Zhao Jing-Kun , Hou Si-Jia , Zhao Ji-Wei , Yu Hong-Li , Duan Shu-Rong
Published: September 2023

Background

Baicalin has been shown to promote spatial learning and neural regeneration, which might increase the differentiation of neural stem cells in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rat models. We aimed to study the role of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1 (NPTX-1), neuronal pentraxin-2 (NPTX-2), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in AD model rats.

Methods

The 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: the control group, the AD model group, and the AD + baicalin group. Then, the Morris water maze was used to verify the effect of baicalin on the memory and spatial learning of rats. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to observe the expression of NPTX-1, NPTX-2, and CRP in brain tissue.

Results

Compared with the AD model group, the AD rats treated with baicalin spent significantly less time finding escape latencies (P = 0.008) and had longer cross-platform times in the target quadrant (P = 0.015). In addition, the AD + baicalin group had significantly higher numbers of hippocampal neurons compared with the AD model group (P < 0.05). Baicalin also obviously decreased the apoptosis of neurons. Moreover, compared with the AD model group, the NPTX-1 and CRP expression in the AD + baicalin group was significantly reduced (P = 0.000) while the expression of NPTX-2 in the brain tissue of AD rats was significantly increased (P = 0.000).

Conclusions

Baicalin can play a therapeutic role by downregulating NPTX-1, upregulating NPTX-2, and downregulating CPR in AD model rats.
Strength-Deformation Characteristics of Two Different Foamed Glass Aggregates under a Static Design Load
Authors: Nicks Jennifer E. , Ghaaowd Ismaail I. , Adams Michael T.
Published: September 2023

Foamed glass aggregates (FGAs) are an emerging material in the US for use as a lightweight structural backfill. Manufactured from recycled glass powder mixed with a foaming agent, FGAs are considered a sustainable solution with advantageous engineering properties noted throughout the literature. For load-bearing applications, their long-term deformation behavior under typical, in-service static design loads is not as well understood, nor is its impact on shear strength. To address this gap in knowledge, the Federal Highway Administration conducted long-term (28-day) compression and direct shear tests on two different FGAs: one manufactured through a wet foaming process (FGA-1) and the other through a dry process (FGA-2). The compression tests were performed on both compacted and uncompacted specimens under 82.7 kPa of applied pressure in a large-scale direct shear (LSDS) device used as a consolidometer; both dry and submerged conditions were evaluated for the compacted specimens. LSDS tests were then conducted immediately after the 28-day compression, as well as after a short consolidation phase. The experimental program also included sieve analysis, relative density, absorption, and aggregate imaging. To serve as a basis for comparison, a conventional backfill, classified as a No. 8 stone, was similarly tested. The findings showed that the physical properties and deformation characteristics of the two FGAs were not the same, with FGA-1 experiencing significantly more vertical strain than FGA-2, which behaved similarly to the No. 8 backfill. All materials exhibited comparable peak shear strengths; however, the FGAs exhibited more ductile behavior. In addition, the changes in the gradation and shape characteristics after each test are presented. The particle size and brittleness of FGAs presented challenges when strictly applying and interpreting standard test procedures developed for soils, which are discussed as well. The overall results suggest that FGAs are a unique but viable substitute for sustainable geotechnical applications.