bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Embracing ‘Abolition Ecology’: A Green Criminological Rejoinder
Authors: Stephens-Griffin Nathan
Published: November 2022

Recent debates in political ecology have sought to highlight and excavate the complex connectivity between ecological and carceral harms (e.g. Heynen and Ybarra in Antipode 53:21–35, 2021; Pellow 2021; Pulido and De Lara in Environ Plan E Nat Space 1:76–98, 2018; AAA = Brock and Stephens-Griffin, IDS Bulletin, 2017). ‘Abolition ecology’ presents an approach through which to explore, unravel and resist racial capitalism and environmental racism as interlocking and mutually generative systems (Heynen in Abolit A J Insurg Polit 1:240–247, 2018a; Pulido in Prog Hum Geogr 41:524–533, 2017). Green criminology is a field well-placed to explore such radical possibilities (Bradshaw in Crit Criminol 26:407–422, 2018). This paper offers a green criminological rejoinder to the bourgeoning project of ‘abolition ecology’. The paper works to bring together these linked perspectives, asking how green criminology might contribute to abolition ecology. The paper outlines its abolitionist theoretical framework, and then identifies some benefits of a green criminological orientation. It goes on to suggest three possible points of unity between green criminology and abolition ecology. In embracing these points of unity, and abolitionist principles more broadly, green criminology can better work towards more racially and ecologically just futures.
Transition of the automotive industry towards electric vehicle production in the east European integrated periphery
Authors: Pavlínek Petr
Published: November 2022

This article analyzes the progress of the transition from the production of vehicles with internal combustion engines to the production of electric vehicles in eastern Europe. The transition is considered in the context of the development of the automotive industry in eastern Europe since the early 1990s and the relative position of the east European integrated periphery in the European automotive industry value chains and production networks. The article argues that foreign firms are driving the transition, while the role of the east European governments and local firms is much less significant. The transition is slower than in western Europe and eastern Europe will continue to produce internal combustion engine vehicles longer. Eastern Europe will continue to rely on its competitive advantage of low production costs, especially low labor costs, to continue to attract foreign direct investment in the automotive industry. The article considers the consequences of the transition for the position of east European countries in automotive value chains, production networks and the division of labor in the European automotive industry.
Virtuous Arguing With Conviction and Humility
Authors: Pritchard Duncan
Published: November 2022

Can one enter into an argument with one’s intellectual equals in good faith if one regards the matter in hand as already settled? Adopting such an attitude looks very much like taking a dogmatic stance, in that one is closing one’s mind to counterarguments in advance. Dogmatism is, of course, an intellectual vice. Moreover, such dogmatism seems morally problematic, in that one is failing to treat one’s adversary with due respect. While there is clearly something correct about this line of thinking—dogmatism, like all intellectual vice, is obviously to be avoided—it is also maintained that, properly understood, there need be nothing intellectually viceful about engaging in an argument where one regards the subject matter as settled. Related to this point, it is contended that someone who possesses the intellectual virtue of intellectual humility may well engage in arguments in just this fashion. The upshot is that one can consistently and properly argue with both conviction and intellectual humility.
Bending as Counterspeech
Authors: Caponetto Laura , Cepollaro Bianca
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we identify and examine an overlooked strategy to counter bigoted speech on the spot. Such a strategy we call ‘bending’. To ‘bend’, in our sense, is to deliberately give a distorted response to a speaker’s harmful move – precisely, an ameliorative response, which may turn that move into a different, less harmful, contribution. To substantiate our proposal, we distinguish two ideas of uptake – interpretation and response – and argue for the general claim that a distorted response on the hearer’s part may end up transforming a speaker’s contribution. Patterns of distortion have been analyzed in the literature as unjustly undermining speakers’ agency and exacerbating oppression. Our analysis shows that, under certain circumstances, distortion can be employed to derail bigoted speech and thus serve the purposes of social justice. We close by discussing the virtues and limits of bending vis-à-vis a different, much-discussed, counterspeech strategy, i.e. ‘blocking’ (Langton 2018).
Entangled Assemblages
Authors: Van Daele Wim
Published: November 2022

Food and life are intimately entangled. To grasp the underlying complexity of this seemingly simple statement, this article first introduces the approach to food/eating as an assemblage enacted by various heterogeneous components, and further develops it by engaging with actor network theory and material semiotics. Thereafter the focus turns to ‘entanglement’, as inspired by quantum physics, to elicit the basic dynamics of the entanglement of food and more-than-human beings, conceived of as involving mutual and differential becomings within and among assemblages. The article illustrates these entangled becomings by drawing upon examples from Sri Lanka, which in an intercultural philosophical fashion serve to establish an articulation (in the sense of a connection) between the proposed abstract approach to food and some basic premises of Buddhism and Ayurveda, a South Asian health system. Overall, the article crafts a conceptual toolbox and performs ontological groundwork wherein food and human beings as entangled assemblages provide a productive, refined, and sensitive research apparatus for the intimate study of more-than-human life and organization while also spurring novel theorizations through food/eating.
Natural language processing of spatially crowdsourced data in petroleum revenue management
Authors: Ogbe Michael
Published: November 2022

It has been over a decade of petroleum revenue utilisation in Ghana. Yet, there is a dearth of research on Ghanaians’ sentiments on petroleum revenue management in Ghana. However, research indicates that investigating citizens’ sentiments and addressing their grievances could prevent conflicts and promote better revenue utilisation in natural resource-rich countries. So, this study investigated Ghanaians’ sentiments about petroleum revenue management and its contribution to the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme in Ghana through an online survey. The study employed the quantitative approach in which the data was gathered through an online survey questionnaire and analysed using natural language processing techniques. The results show that the participants had negative sentiments about petroleum revenue management and the Free SHS programme in Ghana. However, they trust the managers and anticipate better revenue management in the future. The study recommends that the government should consult broadly with all stakeholders regarding petroleum revenue management to avoid potential conflicts. The article concludes that petroleum revenue managers can combine spatial crowdsourcing and natural language processing to extract citizens’ opinions at specific locations for better revenue management.
The European university alliances—an examination of organizational potentials and perils
Authors: Maassen Peter , Stensaker Bjørn , Rosso Arianna
Published: November 2022

The European Union (EU) has repeatedly underlined the importance of higher education, research and innovation as drivers in the further development of Europe—economically, socially and culturally. One of the latest policy initiatives by the European Commission (EC) intended to promote this agenda is the European Universities Initiative (EUI) where alliances between universities across national borders are to identify new approaches for boosting European scientific cooperation. It might be argued that this development represents an attempt to find an organizational solution to the European policy ambitions in higher education, research and innovation. This article presents a framework for analysing European university alliances. Based on interviews with persons occupying key leadership and management roles in ten alliances, the article analyses the potential gains and perils alliances might face along four dimensions: their internal coordination, their ways of resolving conflicts, the commitment of member universities and the cultural characteristics of the alliances.
Current status and reflections on fertility preservation in China
Authors: Zhang Jiakai , Wei Lun , Deng Xiaoling , Luo Chao , Zhu Qianmeng , Lu Shucheng , Mao Caiping
Published: November 2022

Purpose

With the progress of medical technology and renovated conception of fertility, the prospective studies and practice of fertility preservation are drawing more and more attention from medical workers. With the largest population of over 1.4 billion, China makes the experience accumulated in fertility preservation efforts even more relevant. This article summarizes China’s experience and shares it with the world to promote the healthy development of fertility preservation.

Methods

This study was based on multiple Chinese expert consensuses on fertility preservation issued in 2021 and the current national regulations and principles, compared with the latest advice and guidelines issued by global reproductive authorities such as the ASRM and ESHRE. Summarize the experience and reflection of Chinese scholars in the process of fertility preservation.

Results

This study reports on the current situation of fertility preservation in China, sharing the Chinese experience gained in the process of development, and offering Chinese reflections on worrying issues.

Conclusion

Fertility preservation is a medical and social issue of reproductive health security, which is conducive to the sound development of the world population and social production.
Narcissus Going Public: Pathological Narcissism and Reactions to Public vs. Private Exposure in Ego-relevant Events
Authors: Di Pierro Rossella , Fanti Erika , Gallucci Marcello , Madeddu Fabio , Preti Emanuele
Published: November 2022

Pathological narcissism implies a fragile self-view. The psychological effects of ego-relevant events in people high in pathological narcissism, however, are still uncertain. The study examined the effects of pathological narcissism on psychological reactions to ego-relevant events occurring in private or public settings. Participants (N = 410) completed measures of pathological narcissistic traits, and then they took part in a scenario-based experimental session. They were randomly assigned to four conditions: ego-threatening vs. ego-fostering events in public vs. private settings. Self-esteem and affective states before and after the experimental manipulation were measured. Results showed that vulnerable and grandiose manifestations of pathological narcissism affect differently psychological reactions to ego-relevant events. Vulnerable narcissism made people particularly sensitive to ego-threatening and ego-fostering events, especially when occurring in public settings. Grandiose narcissism was linked to a reduction in emotional responses to ego-relevant events. Findings suggest that self- and affective reactions to ego-relevant events depend on narcissistic prevailing manifestations, and that public exposure has a key role in vulnerable narcissism.
Patronizing Praise
Authors: Jeppsson Sofia , Brandenburg Daphne
Published: November 2022

Praise, unlike blame, is generally considered well intended and beneficial, and therefore in less need of scrutiny. In line with recent developments, we argue that praise merits more thorough philosophical analysis. We show that, just like blame, praise can be problematic by expressing a failure to respect a person’s equal value or worth as a person. Such patronizing praise, however, is often more insidious, because praise tends to be regarded as well intended and beneficial, which renders it harder to recognize and object to. Among other things, a philosophical analysis of patronizing praise helps people on the receiving end articulate why they feel uncomfortable or offended by it, shows patronizing praisers how their praise is problematic, and provides input for further philosophical analysis of blame.

In the first section of the paper, we discuss how hypocritical praise, just like hypocritical blame, can fail to respect the equality of persons by expressing that the praiser applies more demanding moral standards to the praisee than to themself. We further discuss obstructionist praise, which loosely corresponds to complicit blame, and can similarly express that certain moral standards apply to others but not to the praiser. In the second part of the paper, we discuss another variety of patronizing praise. Praise can be an inaccurate appraisal of a person based on irrelevant considerations – like race, gender, or class – and thereby constitute a failure to recognize their equal worth as a person. We identify three ways in which such praise can manifest.
Early Intervention Program in Youth-to-Parent Aggression: Clinically Relevant long-term Changes
Authors: Ibabe Izaskun , Arnoso Ainara , Elgorriaga Edurne
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Practitioners in child and family services are able to identify cases of youth-to-parent aggression. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term effects of the Early Intervention Program in Situations of Youth-to-Parent Aggression (EI-YPA), which was implemented in a Children and Family Services context on the outcome variables of adolescents and parents (individual behavior and health outcomes), indicating the strength of the evidence.

Methods

The participants were members of 39 Spanish families with children between 12 and 17 years (N = 101; 40 adolescents and 61 parents) and a quasi-experimental design of repeated measures was applied. EI-YPA provides positive evidence and experiences based on the reports of children and parents. In order to analyze whether the improvements were clinically relevant, a reliable change index was used.

Results

Significant improvements concerning aggressive behavior at home, clinical symptoms and family conflict were found. Effect sizes were large for aggressive behavior indicators (aggressive disciplined = 1.19; psychological YPAd = 0.93), and depressive symptomatology of adolescents (d = 0.80).

Conclusion

The positive changes found indicate the long-term efficacy of the EI-YPA on behavioral variables and clinical symptoms of children and parents, as well as the family conflict perception. This study contributes to increasing the evidence quality of EI-YPA as a potential evidence-based program.
Do Personality Traits Moderate the Effects of Cohabitation, Separation, and Widowhood on Life Satisfaction? A Longitudinal Test for Germany
Authors: Uunk Wilfred , Hoffmann Paula
Published: November 2022

The start and end of a romantic relationship are associated with substantial changes in life satisfaction. Yet, whether Big Five personality traits moderate these relationship transition effects is hardly known. Such knowledge helps to understand individual variation in relationship transition effects and provides the possibility to further test the stress and social support explanations of these effects. Our fixed effects regressions on 28 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel 1991-2018 show that Big Five traits moderate the effects of relationship transitions on life satisfaction to a limited extent. More neurotic men display a more negative effect of separation, and more neurotic and more agreeable women reveal a more negative effect of widowhood on life satisfaction. Big Five traits do not moderate the effect of the start of cohabitation on life satisfaction. Our findings support the stress perspective of relationship transition effects most and identify emotionally unstable individuals as a particularly vulnerable group.
The Infrared Thermography Toolbox: An Open-access Semi-automated Segmentation Tool for Extracting Skin Temperatures in the Thoracic Region including Supraclavicular Brown Adipose Tissue
Authors: Sardjoe Mishre Aashley S. D. , Straat Maaike E. , Martinez-Tellez Borja , Mendez Gutierrez Andrea , Kooijman Sander , Boon Mariëtte R. , Dzyubachyk Oleh , Webb Andrew , Rensen Patrick C. N. , Kan Hermien E.
Published: November 2022

Infrared thermography (IRT) is widely used to assess skin temperature in response to physiological changes. Yet, it remains challenging to standardize skin temperature measurements over repeated datasets. We developed an open-access semi-automated segmentation tool (the IRT-toolbox) for measuring skin temperatures in the thoracic area to estimate supraclavicular brown adipose tissue (scBAT) activity, and compared it to manual segmentations. The IRT-toolbox, designed in Python, consisted of image pre-alignment and non-rigid image registration. The toolbox was tested using datasets of 10 individuals (BMI = 22.1 ± 2.1 kg/m2, age = 22.0 ± 3.7 years) who underwent two cooling procedures, yielding four images per individual. Regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated by two raters in the scBAT and deltoid areas on baseline images. The toolbox enabled direct transfer of baseline ROIs to the registered follow-up images. For comparison, both raters also manually drew ROIs in all follow-up images. Spatial ROI overlap between methods and raters was determined using the Dice coefficient. Mean bias and 95% limits of agreement in mean skin temperature between methods and raters were assessed using Bland–Altman analyses. ROI delineation time was four times faster with the IRT-toolbox (01:04 min) than with manual delineations (04:12 min). In both anatomical areas, there was a large variability in ROI placement between methods. Yet, relatively small skin temperature differences were found between methods (scBAT: 0.10 °C, 95%LoA[-0.13 to 0.33 °C] and deltoid: 0.05 °C, 95%LoA[-0.46 to 0.55 °C]). The variability in skin temperature between raters was comparable between methods. The IRT-toolbox enables faster ROI delineations, while maintaining inter-user reliability compared to manual delineations. (Trial registration number (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT04406922, [May 29, 2020]).
Comparative evaluation of chemical and bio techniques for uranium leaching from low grade sandstone rock sample, Abu Thor, southwestern Sinai, Egypt
Authors: Attia Reda M. , Sallam Osama R. , Abbas Abd Elhadi A. , Kawady Nilly A.
Published: November 2022

Ferruginous sandstone considered as a one of the economically significant uranium mineralized areas in the southwestern part of the Sinai that located at the lower member of Um Bogma Formation in Abu Thor area. The studied sample was characterized geologically as a sandstone rock contain 450 mg/kg of uranium. This work is aimed to compare between eco-friendly bioleaching and conventional leaching processe. The uranium bioleaching efficiency achieved 80% by using a native fungal strain; Aspergillus nidulans as a green technology with the optimimum conditions as; 3 pH value, 3% pulp density, 7 days incubation period, and 30 °C incubation temperatures. Whereas the traditional technique using alkaline and sulphuric acid leaching attained 68.5% and 95% respectively at the best condition. Finally, the shrinking core model was represented the layer diffusion process by acquiring apparent activation energy 18.28 and 16.82 kJ/mol for carbonate and sulphuric acid leaching, respectively.
InfoCEVAE: treatment effect estimation with hidden confounding variables matching
Authors: Harada Shonosuke , Kashima Hisashi
Published: November 2022

Treatment effect estimation is a fundamental problem in various domains for effective decision making. While many studies assume that observational data include all the confounding variables, we cannot practically guarantee that observational data include such confounding variables, and there might be confounding variables that are not included in observational data, referred to as hidden confounding variables. Recently, variational autencoder (VAE) based methods have been successfully applied to treatment effect estimation problem. However, although they can recover a large class of latent variable models, they do not give the correct treatment effect, even when they achieve an optimal solution due to the nature of VAE loss function. We propose an efficient VAE-based method that employs information theory to estimate treatment effect and combines it with a matching technique. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that gives the correct treatment effect given an optimal solution using VAE-based methods. Experiments on a semi-real dataset and synthetic dataset demonstrate that the proposed method mitigates VAE problems and observational bias effectively, even under hidden confounding variables, and outperforms strong baseline methods.
Magnetization and optical bandgap of Cu-Mn vanadate-oxide mixed phase nanostructures
Authors: Emara Mahmoud Mohamed , Reda S. M. , El-Naggar Mohamad Awad , Mousa Mahmoud Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Copper vanadate (CV) and manganese vanadate (MV) exhibit magnetic and optical properties that have drawn the attention. Due to CV polymorphism and phase multiplicity, CV is common to exist as mixed phases. In this study, nanostructures of mixed-phase CVs mixed with MV were synthesized hydrothermally followed by calcination at 400 °C, with Mn mole fractions 0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 1.0. The uncalcined and calcined Mn-Cu vanadates (MCVs) were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, EDX, ICP-AES, TGA, DTA, DSC, BET, XPS, and VSM. XRD analysis shows co-existence of multi-phase CVs with MnV2O6and V oxides. Electron micrographs show nanostructures of multiple morphologies (rods, cubes, sheets, and irregular). As Mn content increased in the MCVs, their thermal stability increased, optical bandgap (Eg) declined from 2.46 to 1.60 eV, and magnetism diverted from the superparamagnetic-like to paramagnetic (Hcfrom 1362 to 69 G andMr/Msfrom 0.430 to 0.003). Magnetism parameters of calcined MCVs were more labile to Mn content variation compared to the uncalcined MCV counterparts.

Graphical Abstract
Supervenience, expressivism and theistic ethics
Authors: Taylor Luke
Published: November 2022

Expressivism is supposed to have an advantage over moral realism, in that it can explain why it is a conceptual truth that the moral supervenes on the natural, even though the natural does not entail the moral. I develop an analogy between expressivism and a version of theistic moral realism, and argue that this version of theistic moral realism shares any advantage that expressivism might have. It may be that the alleged advantage that expressivism has over moral realism is overstated. Nevertheless, possible analogies between expressivism and theistic moral realism have received very little attention in the past, and are worth considering for their own sake.
Reproductive axis ageing and fertility in men
Authors: Martins da Silva Sarah , Anderson Richard A
Published: November 2022

Compared to women, increasing male age is not accompanied by such marked changes in reproductive function but changes certainly do happen. These include alterations to the hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular axis, with resultant implications for testosterone production and bioavailability as well as spermatogenesis. There is a decline in sexual function as men age, with a dramatic increase in the prevalence of erectile dysfunction after the age of 40, which is a marker for both clinically evident as well as covert coronary artery disease. Despite a quantitative decline in spermatogenesis and reduced fecundability, the male potential for fertility persists throughout adult life, however there are also increasingly recognised alterations in sperm quality and function with significant implications for offspring health. These changes are relevant to both natural and medically assisted conception.
Understanding researchers’ Twitter uptake, activity and popularity—an analysis of applied research in Germany
Authors: Howoldt David , Kroll Henning , Neuhäusler Peter , Feidenheimer Alexander
Published: November 2022

Social media is opening up new avenues for disseminating research outputs. While prior literature points to the essential role of Twitter in this context, evidence on what determines variation in researchers´ Twitter engagement remains scarce. In this account-level study of Twitter usage, we consider how research productivity, research quality, and participation in academic conferences relate to Twitter uptake, activity and popularity, while also taking into account differences between academic disciplines. We use a population sample comprising data on Twitter engagement of researchers employed at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Europe´s largest applied research organization. We find that participation in academic conferences is strongly associated with Twitter uptake and popularity, but not with Twitter activity as such. We also find positive associations between research productivity and Twitter uptake as well as between research quality and popularity. Moreover, physicists use Twitter more than researchers from other disciplines, female researchers use Twitter less, and scientific age is negatively associated with Twitter activity. Our findings contribute to the literature on academic social media usage by providing indications for both push and pull mechanisms at play within social media research dissemination.
Aesthetics of Law as ‘Iconic Legal Theology’: Legendre, Schmitt and Vico
Authors: Heritier Paolo
Published: November 2022

The article locates the aesthetics of law within modern legal knowledge, moving from the analysis of Kelsen’s and Schmitt’s theories. Schmitt’s reading of Hobbes becomes the starting point in which political theology can be understood as an iconic legal theology, since the image of Leviathan. Legendre expands the reconstruction of the legal aesthetic model to the entire second millennium, moving from the appropriation of the imperial role of the Roman Pontiff. The article reads the frontispiece of Vico’s Scienza Nuova as a possible alternative to the Hobbesian model and as the foundation of contemporary visual legal studies.
Testable or bust: theoretical lessons for predictive processing
Authors: Miłkowski Marcin , Litwin Piotr
Published: November 2022

The predictive processing (PP) account of action, cognition, and perception is one of the most influential approaches to unifying research in cognitive science. However, its promises of grand unification will remain unfulfilled unless the account becomes theoretically robust. In this paper, we focus on empirical commitments of PP, since they are necessary both for its theoretical status to be established and for explanations of individual phenomena to be falsifiable. First, we argue that PP is a varied research tradition, which may employ various kinds of scientific representations (from theories to frameworks and toolboxes), differing in the scope of empirical commitments they entail. Two major perspectives on PP qua cognitive theory may then be distinguished: generalized vs. hierarchical. The first one fails to provide empirical detail, and the latter constrains possible physical implementations. However, we show that even hierarchical PP is insufficiently restrictive to disallow incorrect models and may be adjusted to explain any neurocognitive phenomenon–including non-existent or impossible ones–through flexible adjustments. This renders PP a universal modeling tool with an unrestricted number of degrees of freedom. Therefore, in contrast with declarations of its proponents, it should not be understood as a unifying theoretical perspective, but as a computational framework, possibly informing further theory development in cognitive science.
Cognitive control, intentions, and problem solving in skill learning
Authors: Christensen Wayne , Bicknell Kath
Published: November 2022

We investigate flexibility and problem solving in skilled action. We conducted a field study of mountain bike riding that required a learner rider to cope with major changes in technique and equipment. Our results indicate that relatively inexperienced individuals can be capable of fairly complex 'on-the-fly' problem solving which allows them to cope with new conditions. This problem solving is hard to explain for classical theories of skill because the adjustments are too large to be achieved by automatic mechanisms and too complex and rapid to be achieved by cognitive processes as they are usually understood. A recent theory, Mesh, can explain these results because it posits that skill-specific cognitive abilities develop during skill learning and that control typically involves an interplay between cognitive and automatic mechanisms. Here we develop Mesh further, providing a detailed explanation for these problem solving abilities. We argue that causal representation, metacognitive awareness and other forms of performance awareness combine in the formulation and control of action strategies. We also argue that the structure of control present in this case is inconsistent with Bratman's model of intentions, and that, in the face of high uncertainty and risk, intentions can be much more labile than Bratman recognises. In addition, we found limitations and flaws in problem solving which illuminate the representations involved. Finally, we highlight the crucial role of social and cultural learning in the development of complex skills.
Understanding in synthetic chemistry: the case of periplanone B
Authors: Cornelissen Milo D. , de Regt Henk W.
Published: November 2022

Understanding natural phenomena is an important aim of science. Since the turn of the millennium the notion of scientific understanding has been a hot topic of debate in the philosophy of science. A bone of contention in this debate is the role of truth and representational accuracy in scientific understanding. So-called factivists and non-factivists disagree about the extent to which the theories and models that are used to achieve understanding must be (at least approximately) true or accurate. In this paper we address this issue by examining a case from the practice of synthetic chemistry. We investigate how understanding is obtained in this field by means of an in-depth analysis of the famous synthesis of periplanone B by W. Clark Still. It turns out that highly idealized models—that are representationally inaccurate and sometimes even inconsistent—and qualitative concepts are essential for understanding the synthetic pathway and accordingly for achieving the synthesis. We compare the results of our case study to various factivist and non-factivist accounts of how idealizations may contribute to scientific understanding and conclude that non-factivism offers a more plausible interpretation of the practice of synthetic chemistry. Moreover, our case study supports a central thesis of the non-factivist theory of scientific understanding developed by De Regt (Understanding scientific understanding. Oxford University Press, New York. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190652913.001.0001 , 2017), namely that scientific understanding requires intelligibility rather than representational accuracy, and that idealization is one way to enhance intelligibility.
Emergence and early institutionalization of competition in higher education: evidence from Finnish business schools
Authors: Kettunen Kerttu , Alajoutsijärvi Kimmo , Hunnes John Arngrim , Pinheiro Rómulo
Published: November 2022

This paper investigates the emergence and early institutionalization of competition in higher education (HE), specifically in business schools. First, building on key contributions from economics, management studies, sociology, and HE research, we develop propositions on competition in HE and formulate our theoretical framework. Second, we apply this framework to explore competition in Finnish business schools. We argue that business schools constitute an interesting field for studying competition in HE because they are the frontrunners and champions of competition-based views in HE. Our main contribution is a novel explanation of the preconditions, emergence, and early processes of institutionalization that drive HE institutions to compete and collectively produce the observed competitive transformation.
Operando QEXAFS Study of Pt–Fe Ammonia Slip Catalysts During Realistic Driving Cycles
Authors: Marchuk Vasyl , Huang Xiaohui , Murzin Vadim , Grunwaldt Jan-Dierk , Doronkin Dmitry E.
Published: November 2022

Bifunctional Fe–Pt ammonia slip catalysts were studied by operando quick-scanning extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (QEXAFS) under conditions mimicking rapid temperature variations that occur in an automotive exhaust gas aftertreatment system during real driving. Two catalysts, Pt/Al2O3 and Fe-ZSM-5, were tested individually, as mixtures and in dual bed arrangements. Applying QEXAFS allowed to track changes of active metal state with high time resolution. It uncovered a strong dependence of the active metal state on reaction conditions and catalyst bed layout. For example, proximity to platinum stabilized iron species in their more active oxidized state and led to higher Fe-ZSM-5 activity. On the contrary, isolated iron species were more susceptible to overreduction by ammonia which led to deactivation and low selectivity. The use of transient conditions uncovered the influence of non-equilibrium phenomena on catalytic performance under industrially relevant conditions. Specifically, the effect of ammonia storage on the increase of activity was shown. This was also accompanied by elevated N2O production not observed during tests with gradual heating. Additionally, unusually high NOx selectivity was detected for Fe-ZSM-5 under these conditions. Lastly, tracking catalyst state under dynamic reaction conditions disclosed that Fe-ZSM-5 activity did not grow directly with temperature increase but rather depended on the oxidation state of Fe and surface concentration of ammonia.
First genetic detection and characterization of canine parvovirus type 2 (Carnivore protoparvovirus 1) in southwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Tegegne Dechassa , Tsegaye Girma , Faustini Giulia , Franzo Giovanni
Published: November 2022

The species Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 includes viruses, e.g. canine parvovirus (CPV-2) and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), which are among the most relevant for pets, causing extremely severe clinical signs and high fatality rate in dogs and cats. Moreover, a broad range of wild hosts, including endangered ones, were proven to be susceptible. Currently, no data on CPV-2 molecular epidemiology and strain characterization are available in Ethiopia, also considering the frequent contacts between domestic and wild populations. In the present study, a molecular epidemiology survey was performed on 92 fecal samples collected from domestic (n = 84) and stray (n = 8) dogs in southwestern Ethiopia in 2021. Approximately, 10% of the samples tested positive and the complete VP2 sequences of 5 strains were obtained, classified within the CPV-2a (n = 1) and CPV-2c (n = 4) antigenic variants. In most instances, the closest genetic relatives were strains of Chinese origin, which is fully compatible with the intense relationships that have been developing between the two countries, involving human being travels and their pets as well. Considering the clinical relevance of this infection and the risk it poses to local domestic and wild carnivore populations, especially endangered ones, much stronger monitoring and surveillance activity on foreign incoming animals should be performed. More strict constraints on animal introduction, e.g. compulsory vaccination, should also be considered.
Antimicrobial and prebiotic activity of mannoproteins isolated from conventional and nonconventional yeast species—the study on selected microorganisms
Authors: Bzducha Wróbel Anna , Farkaš Pavol , Chraniuk Paulina , Popielarz Dominika , Synowiec Alicja , Pobiega Katarzyna , Janowicz Monika
Published: November 2022

Yeast mannoproteins are proposed as a paraprobiotics with antimicrobial and prebiotic properties. They can be used as biopreservatives in food and in diseases therapies. The knowledge about the specificity and/or capability of their influence on the growth of different microorganism is limited. The study determined the effect of mannoprotein preparations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) ATCC 7090 and nonconventional yeast origin [Metschnikowia reukaufii (M. reukaufii) WLP 4650 and Wickerhamomyces anomalus (W. anomalus) CCY 38-1-13] on the growth of selected bacteria of the genera: Lactobacilllus, Limosilatobacillus, Limosilatobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Proteus and Salmonella. The degree of stimulation or growth inhibition of tested bacteria depended on the type and dose of the mannoprotein and the bacterial strain. The addition of the tested preparations in the entire range of applied concentrations had a positive effect especially on the growth of Lactobacillus arabinosus ATCC 8014 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis B12. Mannoproteins isolated from S. cerevisiae limited the growth of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aureoginosa (P. aureoginosa) ATCC 27853, Proteus mirabilis ATCC 35659 and Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 to the greatest extent, while preparations of M. reukaufii and W. anomalus origin most effectively limited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus strains, E. coli and P. aureoginosa. The growth of Enterococcus faecalis was stimulated by the presence of all studied preparations in most of the concentrations used. Further research will determine how the purification process of studied mannoproteins or oligosaccharide fractions, its structure and composition influence on the growth of selected bacteria and what is the mechanism of its activity.
Sex and gametogenesis stage are strong drivers of gene expression in Mytilus edulis exposed to environmentally relevant plasticiser levels and pH 7.7
Authors: Mincarelli Luana Fiorella , Chapman Emma C. , Rotchell Jeanette M. , Turner Alexander P. , Wollenberg Valero Katharina C.
Published: November 2022

Plastic pollution and changes in oceanic pH are both pressing environmental issues. Little emphasis, however, has been placed on the influence of sex and gametogenesis stage when investigating the effects of such stressors. Here, we examined histology and molecular biomarkers of blue mussels Mytilus edulis exposed for 7 days to a pH 7.7 scenario (− 0.4 units) in combination with environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.5 and 50 µg/L) of the endocrine disrupting plasticiser di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Through a factorial design, we investigated the gametogenesis cycle and sex-related expression of genes involved in pH homeostasis, stress response and oestrogen receptor-like pathways after the exposure to the two environmental stressors. As expected, we found sex-related differences in the proportion of developing, mature and spawning gonads in histological sections. Male gonads also showed higher levels of the acid–base regulator CA2, but females had a higher expression of stress response-related genes (i.e. sod, cat, hsp70). We found a significant effect of DEHP on stress response-related gene expression that was dependent on the gametogenesis stage, but there was only a trend towards downregulation of CA2 in response to pH 7.7. In addition, differences in gene expression between males and females were most pronounced in experimental conditions containing DEHP and/or acidified pH but never the control, indicating that it is important to consider sex and gametogenesis stage when studying the response of mussels to diverse stressors.
Antioxidant capacity of N-acetylcysteine against the molecular and cytotoxic implications of cadmium chloride leading to hepatotoxicity and vital progression
Authors: Albeltagy Rasha S. , Dawood Shauq M. , Mumtaz Farah , Abdel Moneim Ahmed E. , El-Habit Ola H.
Published: November 2022

Many studies have reported that cadmium (Cd) can induce liver cell injury; however, the toxicity mechanisms of Cd on the liver have not been fully explained. Thirty-two male albino rats were divided into four groups: the control group, the N-acetylcysteine (NAC) group orally as effervescent instant sachets with a concentration of 200 mg dissolved in distilled water and dosage was 200 mg/kg body weight freshly prepared, the cadmium chloride (CdCl2) group (treated with 3 mg/kg orally), and the N-acetylcysteine (NAC) + cadmium chloride group (treated with 200 mg/kg orally post to CdCl2) for 60 days. The NAC alone did not make notable changes in most of the parameters. The CdCl2 alone, compared to control, induced significant alterations in oxidative stress markers (increment in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO)) and antioxidant defense system (decrement in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)), which resulted in a downregulation of pro-apoptotic Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase-3 and upregulation of anti-apoptotic B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) protein as well as the survival fate of hepatic cells. Post-administration of NAC to CdCl2 resulted in a reduction in oxidative stress markers, shifting of cells from the G2/M phase to the G0/G1 inhibiting signal-regulated kinase activation, and impairment of the anti-apoptotic signaling pathway when compared to the CdCl2 group alone. Accordingly, the Bcl2/Bax ratio was reduced to 1.17-fold change, as an adaptive process to hepatic tissue injury. These findings demonstrated that NAC would attenuate the possibility of oxidative stress and cytotoxicity of hepatic tissue induced by CdCl2.
Decreased Weight Loss Following Bariatric Surgery in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Rebelos Eleni , Moriconi Diego , Honka Miikka-Juhani , Anselmino Marco , Nannipieri Monica
Published: November 2022

Background

Bariatric surgery represents the most effective treatment for achieving significant and sustained weight loss. We aimed to assess whether presence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) at baseline, and T2D remission following bariatric surgery affect the weight loss outcome.

Methods

Data of 312 consecutive morbidly obese subjects who underwent bariatric surgery were analysed. Patients underwent either RYGB (77%), or sleeve gastrectomy (23%), and their body weight was followed-up for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years at regular ambulatory visits (N = 269, 312, 210, 151, 105, at each year, respectively). T2D remission was assessed according to the ADA criteria.

Results

In the whole dataset, 92 patients were affected by T2D. Patients with T2D were older than patients without T2D (52 ± 9 vs 45 ± 11 years, p < 0.0001), but there were no differences in baseline BMI, sex, and type of intervention received. We found that presence of T2D at baseline was associated with smaller weight loss at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years following bariatric surgery (δ BMI at 2 years: − 13.7 [7.7] vs − 16.4 [7.3] kg/m2; at 5 years − 12.9 [8.8] vs − 16.3 [8.7] kg/m2 in patients with T2D vs patients without T2D respectively, all p < 0.05). When dividing the patients with T2D in remitters and non-remitters, non-remitters had significantly smaller weight loss compared to remitters (δ BMI at 2 years: − 11.8 [6.3] vs − 15.4 [7.8] kg/m2; at 5 years: − 8.0 [7.1] vs − 15.0 [7.2] kg/m2, non-remitters vs remitters respectively, all p < 0.05).

Conclusions

T2D is independently associated to smaller weight loss following bariatric surgery, especially in subjects not achieving diabetes remission.

Graphical Abstract

• Patients with T2D achieve smaller weight loss following bariatric surgery

• When dividing the T2D patients in remitters and non-remitters, non-remitters achieve significantly smaller weight loss compared to remitters
Cilia in the Striatum Mediate Timing-Dependent Functions
Authors: Alhassen Wedad , Alhassen Sammy , Chen Jiaqi , Monfared Roudabeh Vakil , Alachkar Amal
Published: November 2022

Almost all brain cells contain cilia, antennae-like microtubule-based organelles. Yet, the significance of cilia, once considered vestigial organelles, in the higher-order brain functions is unknown. Cilia act as a hub that senses and transduces environmental sensory stimuli to generate an appropriate cellular response. Similarly, the striatum, a brain structure enriched in cilia, functions as a hub that receives and integrates various types of environmental information to drive appropriate motor response. To understand cilia’s role in the striatum functions, we used loxP/Cre technology to ablate cilia from the dorsal striatum of male mice and monitored the behavioral consequences. Our results revealed an essential role for striatal cilia in the acquisition and brief storage of information, including learning new motor skills, but not in long-term consolidation of information or maintaining habitual/learned motor skills. A fundamental aspect of all disrupted functions was the “time perception/judgment deficit.” Furthermore, the observed behavioral deficits form a cluster pertaining to clinical manifestations overlapping across psychiatric disorders that involve the striatum functions and are known to exhibit timing deficits. Thus, striatal cilia may act as a calibrator of the timing functions of the basal ganglia-cortical circuit by maintaining proper timing perception. Our findings suggest that dysfunctional cilia may contribute to the pathophysiology of neuro-psychiatric disorders, as related to deficits in timing perception.
Bond formation with pet-robots: An integrative approach
Authors: Díaz-Boladeras Marta
Published: November 2022

The challenge of long-term interaction between humans and robots is still a bottleneck in service robot research. To gain an understanding of sustained relatedness with robots, this study proposes a conceptual framework for bond formation. More specifically, it addresses the dynamics of children bonding with robotic pets as the basis for certain services in healthcare and education. The framework presented herein offers an integrative approach and draws from theoretical models and empirical research in Human Robot Interaction and also from related disciplines that investigate lasting relationships, such as human-animal affiliation and attachment to everyday objects. The research question is how children’s relatedness to personified technologies occurs and evolves and what underpinning processes are involved. The subfield of research is child-robot interaction, within the boundaries of social psychology, where the robot is viewed as a social agent, and human-system interaction, where the robot is regarded as an artificial entity. The proposed framework envisions bonding with pet-robots as a socio-affective process towards lasting connectedness and emotional involvement that evolves through three stages: first encounter, short-term interaction and lasting relationship. The stages are characterized by children’s behaviors, cognitions and feelings that can be identified, measured and, maybe more importantly, managed. This model aims to integrate fragmentary and heterogeneous knowledge into a new perspective on the impact of robots in close and enduring proximity to children.