bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the nano-grain depletion in photon-dominated regions
Authors: Schirmer T. , Habart E. , Ysard N. , Bron E. , Le Bourlot J. , Verstraete L. , Abergel A. , Jones A. P. , Roueff E. , Le Petit F.
Published: April 2021

Context. The large disparity in physical conditions from the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) to denser clouds such as photon-dominated regions (PDRs) triggers an evolution of the dust properties (i.e. composition, size, and shape). The gas physics and chemistry are tightly connected to these dust properties and are therefore affected by dust evolution and especially the nano-grain depletion in the outer irradiated part of PDRs.

Aims. We highlight the influence of nano-grain depletion on the gas physics and chemistry in the Horsehead nebula, a prototypical PDR.

Methods. We used a model for atomic and molecular gas in PDRs, the Meudon PDR code, using diffuse ISM-like dust and Horsehead-like dust to study the influence of nano-grain depletion on the gas physics and chemistry, focusing on the impact on photoelectric heating and H2 formation and, therefore, on the H2 gas lines.

Results. We find that nano-grain depletion in the Horsehead strongly affects gas heating through the photoelectric effect and thus the gas temperature and the H2 formation, hence the H → H2 position. Consequently, the first four pure rotational lines of H2 (e.g. 0–0 S(0), S(1), S(2), and S(3)) vary by a factor of 2 to 14. The 0–0 S(3) line that is often underestimated in models is underestimated even more when taking nano-grain depletion into account due to the decrease in gas heating through the photoelectric effect. This strongly suggests that our understanding of the excitation of H2 and/or of heating processes in the Horsehead, and more generally in PDRs, is still incomplete.

Conclusions. Nano-grain depletion in the outer part of the Horsehead has a strong influence on several gas tracers that will be prominent in JWST observations of irradiated clouds. We therefore need to take this depletion into account in order to improve our understanding of the Horsehead, and more generally PDRs, and to contribute to the optimal scientific return of the mission.
Australian cattle herd: a new perspective on structure, performance and production
Authors: Fordyce Geoffry , Shephard Richard , Moravek Tim , McGowan Michael R.
Published: April 2021

Context Businesses within the Australian cattle industries and associated research and advisory agencies require accurate data on production and performance of the national herd. Currently, these are derived from survey and statistical data; the latter is expected to be accurate, but the former needs to be tested in view of information suggesting significant under-reporting. Aims The research aimed to define the structure, performance and liveweight production of the Australian cattle herd and describe changes in reproduction, growth and survival over the past 40–50 years. Methods Interactive static herd modelling of beef and dairy herds was reconciled each year from 1976 to 2018, using slaughter and live export statistics and surveyed dairy cow numbers. A principle applied was that model performance should dictate input variables, moderating information derived from publications and professional opinion. Key results The Australian cattle herd fluctuated in size till the mid-1980s from when it settled into a range of 30–40 million beef cattle (12–16 Mt), exceeding survey data by 56–75%. The dairy herd remained at ~10% of the beef herd. Despite consistent herd size, productivity of the cattle herd increased from ~2.5 to 4.5 Mt of liveweight annually over 35 years. Half of this change was due to reductions in mortality, though ~1 million post-weaning-age cattle still die annually, in addition to >0.5 million calves from birth to weaning. Approximately a quarter each of the change was due to increased reproductive output and to steer growth. Liveweight production per beef animal increased from 70–75 kg/year to 130–135 kg/year, while liveweight production ratio increased by 0.08 and 0.12 kg/kg of cattle in male and female beef cattle respectively, to reach 0.31 kg/kg of cattle. Conclusions The main conclusion is the size, performance, production and productivity of the Australian cattle herd are quite different from that determined from surveys. Also, there is an on-going opportunity to derive benefit from improving cattle survival, reproduction and growth and from improving the feed base. Implications This research may have large impact on priorities for Australian beef business and associated environmental management. It is recommended that surveys be used to derive relative values to use in combination with absolute statistical data to derive accurate herd measures.
Utilising dual-purpose crops in an Australian high-rainfall livestock production system to increase meat and wool production. 1. Forage production and crop yields
Authors: McGrath Shawn R. , Pinares-Patiño Cesar S. , McDonald Scott E. , Kirkegaard John A. , Simpson Richard J. , Moore Andrew D.
Published: April 2021

Context Growing of dual-purpose crops for grazing by livestock has increased in popularity in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia, a livestock production zone traditionally based on permanent perennial grass species. Aims A systems experiment examined the impact on pasture forage availability, sheep grazing days and crop yields when one-third of a farmlet was sown to dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) crops. Methods The experiment comprised nine experimental units (farmlets) divided into three treatments with three replicate farmlets per treatment: control farmlets sown to phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.)-based pastures; and two treatments with grazing of crops prioritised for either ewes or their progeny. Control farmlets comprised four sub-paddocks (0.231 ha each) in 2013 and six sub-paddocks in 2014–2016. Farmlets in treatments that included dual-purpose crops comprised six sub-paddocks (0.231 ha), with two sub-paddocks sown to permanent pasture and the other four sub-paddocks supporting a pasture–pasture–canola–wheat rotation. Key results Crops were sown in February or early March and grazing commenced by mid-May in all years. Canola was grazed first in the sequence in 3 of 4 years. Treatments had similar total sheep grazing days per year, except for the progeny-prioritised treatment in 2014 when agistment wethers were introduced to utilise excess crop forage. Grazing did not affect wheat yields (3.9 vs 3.7 t/ha, P > 0.05) but did reduce canola yields (3.6 vs 3.0 t/ha, P = 0.007). Pasture availability (dry matter per ha in the pasture paddock at entry by sheep) was higher in the control during late summer and autumn when the crops were being established; however, resting of pastures during late autumn and winter while crops were grazed resulted in no difference in pasture availability among treatments during spring. Conclusion and implications The key feed-gap is in late summer and autumn when dual-purpose crops are included in the system. Early and timely sowing of crops increases the grazing opportunity from dual-purpose crops before lock-up. Growing wheat plus canola provided some hedge against poor establishment and/or slow growth rates in one of the crops.
Benthic diatoms in relation to environmental factors in an allochthonous river from Patagonia, Argentina
Authors: Vélez-Agudelo Camilo , Espinosa Marcela A.
Published: April 2021

Natural and human pressures increasingly threatening the biodiversity and water resources of dryland rivers. Fluvial environments of Patagonia harbour high diatom diversity, but their management value is overlooked. The aim of this study is to explore the diatom distribution in surface sediments of the Chubut River and evaluate their relationship with environmental variables. In total, 243 diatom taxa were identified in 16 littoral zone sites. The physical and chemical variables independently explained the variance in diatom data, whereas sediment texture had a low influence. Conductivity, major ions (HCO3–, Cl–, SO42–, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and pH were the main environmental drivers explaining the diatom composition. As the highlighted variables increased near the mouth, so did the relative abundances of marine–brackish taxa such as Amphora copulatoides, Sarcophagodes alfred-wegeneri, Nitzschia fonticola and Tryblionella apiculata. Meanwhile, the presence of high pollution-tolerant diatoms can be put forward to explain the river health deterioration towards downstream areas. The marine–brackish taxa found at freshwater sites reflect a weak tidal influence in the estuary compared with other coastal systems of Patagonia. This study provides valuable information to test the hypothesis on the ecological status of aquatic resources and the potential effects of climatic and hydrological changes in the area.
Feral horses (
Authors: Scanes Peter Raymond , McSorley Adam , Dickson Adrian
Published: April 2021

Feral horses preferentially utilise aquatic landscape elements. Damage to stream banks by feral horses potentially degrades water quality and affects aquatic ecosystems. Despite the global predominance of horse activity in or near water, there is poor understanding of in-stream impacts. Motion-sensing cameras were used near subalpine streams to quantify frequency and behaviour of horses interacting with streams. Deployed turbidity loggers were used to indicate the presence of suspended sediment from interactions and to assess long-term (3 year) seasonal suspended sediment regime at sites with very small and large amounts of horse activity. In summer, 99.9% of large grazer interactions with streams were horses and we estimate 130 horse interactions per kilometre of stream per day, resulting in stream turbidity increases up to 100 NTU. Long-term turbidity at sites with greater riparian damage from horses was significantly greater than at control sites. Turbidity in horse-affected streams peaked at 50 times the national turbidity guideline and, in summer, averaged eight times the guideline. Suspended sediment leads to a high risk of loss of aquatic diversity and impairment of ecosystem function. Linear relationships between turbidity and riparian damage suggest that any level of horse presence affects subalpine waterways.
Morphological Development Trajectory and Structural Covariance Network of the Human Fetal Cortical Plate during the Early Second Trimester
Authors: Xu Feifei , Liu Mengting , Kim Sharon Y , Ge Xinting , Zhang Zhonghe , Tang Yuchun , Lin Xiangtao , Toga Arthur W , Liu Shuwei , Kim Hosung
Published: April 2021

During the early second trimester, the cortical plate, or “the developing cortex”, undergoes immensely complex and rapid development to complete its major complement of neurons. However, morphological development of the cortical plate and the precise patterning of brain structural covariance networks during this period remain unexplored. In this study, we used 7.0 T high-resolution magnetic resonance images of brain specimens ranging from 14 to 22 gestational weeks to manually segment the cortical plate. Thickness, area expansion, and curvature (i.e., folding) across the cortical plate regions were computed, and correlations of thickness values among different cortical plate regions were measured to analyze fetal cortico-cortical structural covariance throughout development of the early second trimester. The cortical plate displayed significant increases in thickness and expansions in area throughout all regions but changes of curvature in only certain major sulci. The topological architecture and network properties of fetal brain covariance presented immature and inefficient organizations with low degree of integration and high degree of segregation. Altogether, our results provide novel insight on the developmental patterning of cortical plate thickness and the developmental origin of brain network architecture throughout the early second trimester.
Within- and Trans-Generational Life History Responses to Diurnal Temperature Amplitudes of the Pupal Stage in the Diamondback Moth
Authors: Xing Kun , Sun Dongbao , Zhao Fei
Published: April 2021

Diurnal temperature fluctuations in nature can have a significant effect on many ectodermic traits. However, studies on the effects of diurnal temperature fluctuations on organisms, especially the effects on specific life stages, are still limited. We examined the immediate effects of the same average temperature (25°C) and different temperature amplitudes (±4, ±6, ±8, ±10, ±12°C) on the development and survival of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). We also assessed carry-over effects on adult longevity, reproduction, development, and survival of offspring across generations. The effect of moderate temperature amplitudes was similar to that of constant temperature. Wide temperature amplitudes inhibited the development of pupae, reduced total reproduction, lowered intrinsic rates of population growth, and slowed the development and survival of eggs on the first day, but the proportion of females ovipositing on the first three days increased. Insects coped with the adverse effects of wide temperature amplitudes by laying eggs as soon as possible. Our results confirmed that a logistic model based on daily average temperature cannot predict development rates under wide temperature amplitudes. These findings highlight the effect of environmental temperature fluctuations at the pupal stage on the development and oviposition patterns of P. xylostella and should be fully considered when predicting field occurrence.
Burden of cardiovascular risk factors and disease in five Asian groups in Catalonia: a disaggregated, population-based analysis of 121 000 first-generation Asian immigrants
Authors: Satish Priyanka , Vela Emili , Bilal Usama , Cleries Montse , Kanaya Alka M , Kandula Namratha , Virani Salim S , Islam Nadia , Valero-Elizondo Javier , Yahya Tamer , Comin-Colet Josep , Nasir Khurram , Mauri Josepa , Cainzos-Achirica Miguel
Published: April 2021

Aims

To evaluate the burden of cardiovascular risk factors and disease (CVD) among five Asian groups living in Catalonia (Spain): Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino, and Chinese.

Methods and results

Retrospective cohort study using the Catalan Health Surveillance System database including 42 488 Pakistanis, 40 745 Chinese, 21 705 Indians, 9544 Filipinos, and 6907 Bangladeshis; and 5.3 million native individuals (‘locals’). We estimated the age-adjusted prevalence (as of 31 December 2019) and incidence (during 2019) of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, obesity, tobacco use, coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure (HF). Bangladeshis had the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.4% men, 22.6% women) followed by Pakistanis. Bangladeshis also had the highest prevalence of hyperlipidaemia (23.6% men, 18.3% women), hypertension among women (24%), and incident tobacco use among men. Pakistani women had the highest prevalence of obesity (28%). For CHD, Bangladeshi men had the highest prevalence (7.3%), followed by Pakistanis (6.3%); and Pakistanis had the highest prevalence among women (3.2%). For HF, the prevalence in Pakistani and Bangladeshi women was more than twice that of locals. Indians had the lowest prevalence of diabetes across South Asians, and of CHD across South Asian men, while the prevalence of CHD among Indian women was twice that of local women (2.6% vs. 1.3%). Filipinos had the highest prevalence of hypertension among men (21.8%). Chinese men and women had the lowest prevalence of risk factors and CVD.

Conclusions

In Catalonia, preventive interventions adapted to the risk profile of different Asian immigrant groups are needed, particularly for Bangladeshis and Pakistanis.
Role Legitimation in Foreign Policy: The Case of Indonesia as an Emerging Power under Yudhoyono's Presidency (2004–2014)
Authors: Karim Moch Faisal
Published: April 2021

This article analyzes how foreign policymakers legitimize their enactment of role conceptions to play a more active role at the global level toward a potentially reluctant domestic audience. In order to reduce the likelihood of domestic role contestation while at the same time subscribe toward ego and alter expectations, it is necessary for policymakers to legitimize role conceptions and their enactments toward domestic audiences. This article develops the notion of role legitimation to capture this process and puts forward two mechanisms through which role legitimation is performed. The first mechanism is the revival of roles from a specific period in time that is deeply entrenched as an inalienable historical feature of the state. The second one is the reproduction of the international expectations into the domestic political discourse. To illustrate the argument, this article utilizes the case of Indonesia's foreign policy during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Presidency (2004–2014), particularly its engagement at G20, its objective to make the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a global player, and its agenda to promote democracy and moderate Islam at the global level.
Tail Length Evolution in Deer Mice: Linking Morphology, Behavior, and Function
Authors: Hager Emily R , Hoekstra Hopi E
Published: April 2021

Determining how variation in morphology affects animal performance (and ultimately fitness) is key to understanding the complete process of evolutionary adaptation. Long tails have evolved many times in arboreal and semi-arboreal rodents; in deer mice, long tails have evolved repeatedly in populations occupying forested habitat even within a single species (Peromyscus maniculatus). Here, we use a combination of functional modeling, laboratory studies, and museum records to test hypotheses about the function of tail-length variation in deer mice. First, we use computational models, informed by museum records documenting natural variation in tail length, to test whether differences in tail morphology between forest and prairie subspecies can influence performance in behavioral contexts relevant for tail use. We find that the deer- mouse tail plays little role in statically adjusting center of mass or in correcting body pitch and yaw, but rather it can affect body roll during arboreal locomotion. In this context, we find that even intraspecific tail-length variation could result in substantial differences in how much body rotation results from equivalent tail motions (i.e., tail effectiveness), but the relationship between commonly-used metrics of tail-length variation and effectiveness is non-linear. We further test whether caudal vertebra length, number, and shape are associated with differences in how much the tail can bend to curve around narrow substrates (i.e., tail curvature) and find that, as predicted, the shape of the caudal vertebrae is associated with intervertebral bending angle across taxa. However, although forest and prairie mice typically differ in both the length and number of caudal vertebrae, we do not find evidence that this pattern is the result of a functional trade-off related to tail curvature. Together, these results highlight how even simple models can both generate and exclude hypotheses about the functional consequences of trait variation for organismal-level performance.
Blood flow energy loss: a predictor for the recovery of left ventricular function after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement
Authors: Hohri Yu , Itatani Keiichi , Numata Satoshi , Yamazaki Sachiko , Miyazaki Shohei , Nishino Teruyasu , Yaku Hitoshi
Published: April 2021

OBJECTIVES

It is difficult to estimate the improvement in left ventricular (LV) function after aortic valve replacement (AVR). The present study aimed to evaluate whether energy loss (EL) can predict the postoperative LV function after AVR.

METHODS

Nine patients who underwent AVR with a bioprosthetic valve were enrolled in the present study. Porcine prostheses were used in 5 patients and bovine pericardial prostheses were used in 4 patients. The aortic flow pattern was visualized and EL and cardiac output (CO) were measured using 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging from the LV to the descending aorta; the EL/CO ratio in the extracted area was calculated as total EL/CO ratio.

RESULTS

With a porcine valve, a severe helical flow was observed in the ascending aorta during the holosystolic phase. In contrast, with a bovine pericardial valve, straight transvalvular aortic flow was observed in the early systolic phase and 2 large vortical flows occurred on both sides of the greater and lesser curvature of the ascending aorta after the mid-systolic period. The total EL/CO ratio was strongly correlated with LV ejection fraction improvement after AVR (r = 0.74, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

The aortic flow pattern is different between the porcine valve and bovine pericardial valve. The total EL/CO ratio is a valuable tool for evaluating the postoperative LV ejection fraction improvement after AVR. Optimization of total EL/CO ratio would have potential to improve haemodynamic performances after AVR.
Coronary spasm: unpredictability and safety in treatment key role of hybrid setting
Authors: Brega Carlotta , Raviola Eliana , Lansac Emmanuel , Albertini Alberto
Published: April 2021

The present case highlights the crucial role of hybrid setting for diagnosis and treatment of refractory coronary spasms.
Does the use of Doppler ultrasound reduce fetal mortality? A population study of all deliveries in Norway 1990–2014
Authors: Grytten Jostein , Skau Irene , Eskild Anne
Published: April 2021

Background

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect that the introduction of Doppler ultrasound in obstetric care has had on fetal death in Norway. One mechanism by which Doppler ultrasound may reduce fetal death may be through the increased use of Caesarean delivery. Therefore, we also examined the effect that the use of Doppler ultrasound has had on the use of Caesarean delivery.

Methods

The Medical Birth Registry of Norway provided detailed medical information for ∼1.2 million deliveries from 1990 to 2014. Information about the year of introduction of Doppler ultrasound was collected directly from the maternity units, using a questionnaire. The data were analysed using a hospital fixed-effects regression model with fetal death as the outcome measure. The key independent variable was the introduction of Doppler ultrasound at each maternity ward. Hospital-specific trends and risk factors of the mother for fetal death were included as covariates.

Results

For pre-term deliveries, the introduction of Doppler ultrasound contributed to a reduction in fetal death of ∼30% and to an increase in planned Caesarean section of ∼15%. There were no effects for emergency Caesarean sections or inductions pre-term. The introduction of Doppler ultrasound had no effect on fetal death or Caesarean section for term deliveries.

Conclusions

The introduction of Doppler ultrasound during the 1990s and 2000s made a significant contribution to the decline in the number of pre-term fetal deaths in Norway. Increased use of Caesarean section may have contributed to this reduction.
Does Consumption of Baker’s Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) by Black Soldier Fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae Affect Their Fatty Acid Composition?
Authors: Opatovsky Itai , Vitenberg Tzach , Jonas-Levi Adi , Gutman Roee
Published: April 2021

Fatty acids are important compounds for insects, but the requirements for essential fatty acids may differ between insect species. Most of the fatty acids are acquired through the insect’s diet; therefore, supplementing the diet with baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyen ex E.C. Hansen), which produces unsaturated fatty acids, was predicted to affect the fatty acid composition of the insect. The tested insect was the black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens L.), that is used as a source of protein and fat in feed. Therefore, there is importance for BSF larvae (BSFL) nutritional composition, especially the unsaturated fatty acids content, which is one of the nutritional limitations for mammalian diets. The dominant fatty acids of the tested BSFL were the saturated fatty acids: lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids, as found in other BSF studies. Oleic acid (c18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2) were the abundant unsaturated fatty acids in the BSFL. The proportion of linoleic acid was higher in the substrate with the supplemental yeast; however, this did not affect its proportion in the larvae. The higher proportion of linoleic acid may have been exploited as a source for production of saturated lauric acid. Therefore, providing unsaturated fatty acids to the substrate through supplemental baker’s yeast is not the most efficient way to increase the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the larvae.
Gastrocolonic fistula: a rare complication of upper gastrointestinal surgery
Authors: Hong Trudy , Koh Dion , Gray Andrew
Published: April 2021

A gastrocolonic fistula is a rare surgical presentation, typically in the setting of gastric or colonic malignancy. This report presents the first reported Australian case of a gastrocolonic fistula following upper gastrointestinal surgery.

A middle-aged woman presented to emergency with a short history of severe abdominal pain, faeculent vomiting, profuse diarrhoea and weight loss. This was in the setting of a previous pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy complicated by marginal ulceration, for which a distal gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction was required.

The rarity of gastrocolonic fistulae and non-specific presentation with diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss can make the diagnosis challenging. The mainstay of management is surgical resection in both benign and malignant disease.
A case of successful conversion surgery for gastric cancer with direct invasion to pancreatic head
Authors: Sato Manabu , Endo Koujin , Harada Akihiko , Shijo Masahiro
Published: April 2021

We experienced the case of successful conversion to distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer with direct invasion to the pancreatic head after the pre-operative chemotherapy. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy in a 66-year-old man revealed a tumor at the gastric antrum. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed that the tumor of the antrum was in contact with the pancreatic head. A biopsy of the tumor confirmed an adenocarcinoma and an overexpression of HER2 (3+). Staging laparoscopy showed the direct invasion of the gastric tumor to the pancreatic head. The patient received S-1, oxaliplatin and trastuzumab. After the pre-operative chemotherapy, CT showed a significantly shrinking tumor detached from the pancreatic head. Subsequently, distal gastrectomy was performed. Intra-operative exploration showed that the gastric tumor separated from the pancreatic head. The accumulation of trials for pre-operative chemotherapy for local advanced gastric cancer is expected.
8. And/also: Laurel Brake, Print Culture’s Restless Pluralist
Authors: Dillane Fionnuala
Published: April 2021

I shall begin with the book and the named author because that form with that authority is where ‘Eng. Lit.’ normally starts, and that is the discourse in which Pater’s Renaissance volume has been primarily circulated. However, I want to register a protest as I commit the act: if I were writing in the discourse of publishing history, I would not begin with the book or the author but with the periodicals in which most of the articles in the book first appeared, their names and those of their editors; the titles of articles, both Pater’s and others in the issue in which his appeared; the formats and characters of the journals; how much they cost and who published them; and whether the articles were anonymous (as most nineteenth-century articles were) or signed.1

Genre may be thought of as always already comparative. The matrix of relations of genres of print comprises print culture. It encourages a critical practice that probes within issues and runs of a single title, and across titles and genres. It is not enough to identify ‘X’ as a novel or fiction by ‘Y’ but as a novel appearing in a named review, in monthly parts, over a time span of nineteen months, and in different miscellanies that made up successive issues.2
Morphological and kinematical analysis of the double-barred galaxy NGC 3504 using ALMA CO (2–1) data
Authors: Wu Yu-Ting , Trejo Alfonso , Espada Daniel , Miyamoto Yusuke
Published: April 2021

We present results obtained from ALMA CO (2–1) data of the double-barred galaxy NGC 3504. With three times higher angular resolution (∼0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$8) than previous studies, our observations reveal an inner molecular gas bar, a nuclear ring, and four inner spiral arm-like structures in the central 1-kpc region. Furthermore, the CO emission is clearly aligned with the two dust lanes in the outer bar region, with differences in shape and intensity between them. The total molecular gas mass in the observed region (50 arcsec × 57 arcsec) is estimated to be ${\sim}3. 1\times 10^9 \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$, which is 17 per cent of the stellar mass. We used the Kinemetry package to fit the velocity field and found that circular motion strongly dominates at R = 0.3–0.8 kpc, but radial motion becomes important at R < 0.3 kpc and R = 1.0–2.5 kpc, which is expected due to the presence of the inner and outer bars. Finally, assuming that the gas moves along the dust lanes in the bar rotating frame, we derived the pattern speed of the outer bar to be 18 ± 5 km s−1 kpc−1, the average streaming velocities on each of the two dust lanes to be 165 and 221 km s−1, and the total mass inflow rate along the dust lanes to be $12\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$  yr−1. Our results give a new example of an inner gas bar within a gas-rich double-barred galaxy and suggest that the formation of double-barred galaxies could be associated with the existence of such gas structures.
Reader Response Theory
Authors: Browne Susan , Chen Xiufang , Baroudi Faten , Sevinc Esra
Published: April 2021

This annotated bibliography presents influential work in the area of reader response theory. While providing an overview of major research in the area of reader response, the annotated bibliography also provides current research representing various categories of reader response. The citations are organized by their dominant characteristics although there may be some overlap across categories.
The Arabic “Theology of Aristotle”
Authors: D'Ancona Cristina
Published: April 2021

The Theology of Aristotle is an Arabic adaptation of parts of Plotinus’s Enneads IV–VI. Both the translation into Arabic of treatises from these Enneads and their reworking, which originated the text known as Theology of Aristotle, were produced within the first philosophical circle of the Arabic-speaking world: that which was animated in the ʿAbbasid Baghdad by Abu Yusuf Yaʿqub ibn Ish aq al-Kindi (d. c. 870). Together with another adapted translation, that of Proclus’s Elements of Theology that originated the so-called Liber de causis, the Theology conveys under Aristotle’s name the Neoplatonic doctrines of the One-Good as the first cause of reality as a whole, of the Intellect as a separate substance near the One, and of the Soul both as a cosmic principle endowed with the power to rule nature, and as the rational immortal principle of human beings. The first chapter of the Theology of Aristotle contains a long introduction independent of Plotinus, which reflects the convictions of the milieu it stems from. The work is described as Aristotle’s “Theology” (transliterated from the Greek as Uthulujiya) plus the “commentary” by Porphyry. Then “Aristotle” takes the floor, introduced by the words “The Sage says.” He declares his intention to complete by this theological account his previous treatment of the four causes—material, formal, efficient, and final cause; this treatment, says “Aristotle,” has been already provided in the Metaphysics. The Uthulujiya will now be devoted to the three higher principles: the One, the Intellect, and the universal Soul. The causality of the One expands over reality in its entirety but first over the Intellect; then, through the mediation of the Intellect, over the universal Soul; then again, through the mediation of the Intellect and Soul, over nature, which in its turn contains the things that come to be and pass away. This doctrine forms the backbone of “Aristotle’s” Uthulujiya (henceforth ps.-Theology). The ps.-Theology has come down to us in Arabic and in a Latin version, dating from the Renaissance, that differs from the Arabic on various counts. The Arabic text comprises ten chapters, each of them dependent upon sections of Plotinus’s treatises that are reorganized in a layout often very different from the Greek original. Not only the order of the treatises is altered, but also Plotinus’s wording and doctrines are modified to convey the idea that the One is pure Being and the Creator all of reality. The ps.-Theology deeply influenced the subsequent development of Arabic-Islamic philosophy: al-Farabi (d. 950) structured his work Opinions of the Inhabitants of the Perfect City according to the Neoplatonic hierarchy described in it, and Avicenna (d. 1037) commented upon it. In the Western Muslim world, Averroes rejected Avicenna’s emanationism, but was still committed to the doctrine of the Agent Intellect, a doctrine which is rooted in the ps.-Theology at least as well as it is in Alexander of Aphrodisias’s interpretation of Aristotle’s De Anima (see Doctrine).
Archaeology and Material Culture of Aram and the Arameans
Authors: Bonatz Dominik
Published: April 2021

At the end of the second millennium bce, the geographical term “Aram” appears for the first time in the annals of the Middle Assyrian kings and in connection with the ahlammû or ahlammu Arameans (or Aramaeans). At that time, the ahlammu Arameans were considered nomadic tribes who lived in the area between the Khabur and the Middle Euphrates, where they constituted a serious threat to the cultivated land and the Assyrian state. From the ninth century bce on, when the Aramean tribes had already spread to other parts of Syria as far as Mount Lebanon, it was more common to refer to the “Land of Aram” as the geographic designation for a large area that included several different ethnolinguistic population groups. The term is used by the Assyrians and in the Hebrew Bible, but only very rarely in local Aramaic written sources. Therefore, it is important to stress that Aram was mostly a foreign-constructed term that local dynasts adopted only in a few cases for political or territorial self-expression. Despite the fact that the Aramaic language, which includes several subdialects, gradually developed from the ninth to the seventh century bce, there is no reason to assume an Aramean political or cultural identity for this period. This is confirmed by the material culture, which definitely shows no distinction between territories and states dominated by Aramaic-speaking population groups and others, such as the so-called Luwian states. Hence, reviewing the archaeology and material culture of Aram and the Arameans in this article calls for caution about any ethnic ascriptions. In fact, the Aramean states of the first half of the first millennium bce, like Bīt Bahiani/Guzana, Huzirina, Bīt Adīni, Bīt Agusi, Sam’al-Ya’udi, Hamat/Lu’aš, and Damascus-Aram, were individually shaped political units with a strong sense of urban identity. They developed and interacted within the larger Syrian koine that emerged based on common cultural traditions and that continuously transformed its image until it was fully integrated into the Neo-Assyrian state. In this context, it is rather illuminating to investigate the cultural layout of a single state in order to depart from the fallacious idea of a conscious Aramean identity.
Evidence-Based Sentencing
Authors: Oleson James C.
Published: April 2021

The evidence-based practice (EBP) movement can be traced to a 1992 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, although decision-making with empirical evidence (rather than tradition, anecdote, or intuition) is obviously much older. Neverthless, for the last twenty-five years, EBP has played a pivotal role in criminal justice, particularly within community corrections. While the prediction of recidivism in parole or probation decisions has attracted relatively little attention, the use of risk measures by sentencing judges is controversial. This might be because sentencing typically involves both backward-looking decisions, related to the blameworthiness of the crime, as well as forward-looking decisions, about the offender’s prospective risk of recidivism. Evidence-based sentencing quantifies the predictive aspects of decision-making by incorporating an assessment of risk factors (which increase recidivism risk), protective factors (which reduce recidivism risk), criminogenic needs (impairments that, if addressed, will reduce recidivism risk), the measurement of recidivism risk, and the identification of optimal recidivism-reducing sentencing interventions. Proponents for evidence-based sentencing claim that it can allow judges to “sentence smarter” by using data to distinguish high-risk offenders (who might be imprisoned to mitigate their recidivism risk) from low-risk offenders (who might be released into the community with relatively little danger). This, proponents suggest, can reduce unnecessary incarceration, decrease costs, and enhance community safety. Critics, however, note that risk assessment typically looks beyond criminal conduct, incorporating demographic and socioeconomic variables. Even if a risk factor is facially neutral (e.g., criminal history), it might operate as a proxy for a constitutionally protected category (e.g., race). The same objectionable variables are used widely in presentence reports, but their incorporation into an actuarial risk score has greater potential to obfuscate facts and reify underlying disparities. The evidence-based sentencing literature is dynamic and rapidly evolving, but this bibliography identifies sources that might prove useful. It first outlines the theoretical foundations of traditional (non-evidence-based) sentencing, identifying resources and overviews. It then identifies sources related to decision-making and prediction, risk assessment logic, criminogenic needs, and responsivity. The bibliography then describes and defends evidence-based sentencing, and identifies works on sentencing variables and risk assessment instruments. It then relates evidence-based sentencing to big data and identifies data issues. Several works on constitutional problems are listed, the proxies problem is described, and sources on philosophical issues are described. The bibliography concludes with a description of validation research, the politics of evidence-based sentencing, and the identification of several current initiatives.
Mathura
Authors: Gupta Vinay Kumar
Published: April 2021

Mathura is one of the most important ancient settlements and one among the seven most sacred cities in India along with Ayodhya, Haridwar (Maya), Kasi, Kanchi, Ujjain (Avantika), and Dvarka. The city is situated about eighty-seven miles south of Delhi and thirty-one miles north of Agra on National Highway No. 2 and once served as the junction of the Western, Northern, Central, and Northeastern Railways, making it the biggest junction point of the Indian Railways until restructuring in 2003. The city is also the district headquarter, and the area of the modern Mathura district is 2075 square miles with a population of over 2.5 million people as per the 2011 census. Mathura is most famous for being considered the birthplace of Krishna, the most popular incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. The surrounding area of Mathura forms part of Vraja kshetra (popularly known as Braj), considered sacred as being the location of Krishna’s childhood activities. Historically and archaeologically, the town was one of the most important trade centers of ancient India and the epicenter of the famous school of sculptural art known in popular parlance as the Mathura school, which gave form to many Brahmanical, Jaina, and Buddhist deities including the earliest imagery of the buddha. Prior to becoming a great center of art, Mathura was one of the biggest settlements during the Painted Grey Ware period, generally dated between 1200 and 500 bce, and one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Northern Black Polished Ware period, c. 6th to 4th centuries bce. The archaeological evidence for the early periods at Mathura is limited due to a lack of large-scale excavations but with the increasing evidence of epigraphical and sculptural activities dating from 200 bce and later, the archaeology and culture of the area is better understood. Key factors that led to the evolution of Mathura as an important city and cultural center are its strategic location on trade routes and the religious/sectarian environment where most early Indian sects and cults developed. Buddhism and Jainism along with the prevalent local and Brahmanical cults gained popularity in the Mathura region from the early historical period of c. 3rd century bce, if not earlier. Most of the early religious art related to these sects first evolved in the environs of Mathura during the Sunga-Kushan periods. There is enough good evidence for the popularity of the cult of Vasudeva-Krishna at Mathura during the Kushan period, but the popular Krishna cult for which Mathura is renowned became more prevalent and visible during the late medieval period only, particularly with the development of the Vallabhite and Gaudiya sects. The role of Mathura in the intermediary period between the Gupta and late medieval periods is not well known due to lack of information and archaeological evidence, but it seems that the Mathura region lost its political importance during this period and yet the religious importance somehow survived until its revival as the greatest center of Krishna bhakti in late medieval or premodern times.
Genetic Underpinnings of Political Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: Miles Matthew R.
Published: April 2021

At present, few political scientists would argue that biological processes do not influence political attitudes and behaviors. In large part this is because of the pioneering work of political scientists who merged political science with biology, and genetics in particular. In the early years, traditional political scientists were alarmed by these findings; in part because of popular misunderstandings about what it means for a trait to be genetically heritable. In the intervening decade, the literature is clearer about what it means for a trait to be genetically heritable and why it is important for political scientists to incorporate this into their theories. Unfortunately, the cost to develop and maintain samples of subjects with genetic information makes it difficult for political scientists to pursue this kind of research without large collaborative groups operating with considerable funding. As such, developments in genopolitics are slow and only occur within small research groups dedicated to this kind of research. Very few graduate programs train PhD students in genopolitics, and jobs in this subfield are scarce. It is too early to determine if we are witnessing the beginning of a research agenda that will have long-lasting impact on the field of political science, or a flash in time that simply forced political scientists to acknowledge that biology plays some role in the development of political attitudes and behaviors.
White Identity Politics
Authors: Jardina Ashley
Published: April 2021

The attitudes that whites have about race have been a defining component of their political views since at least the American Civil War. Most of the social science research to date, however, has not focused on the attitudes white people have about their own group. Instead, it has examined almost exclusively the attitudes that white people have toward racial and ethnic minority groups, and especially toward black people. Indeed, the study of attitudes that white people have toward “out-groups” in the form of racial prejudice, racial stereotypes, and racial resentment has been an important and growing component of political science research. Less research, however, has attended to the attitudes that white people have toward their own group and the political consequences of these beliefs. On the one hand, this lacuna is somewhat surprising, especially given the extent to which work in political science has otherwise noted the important role of group identities—or the psychological attachments individuals have toward relevant social groups—in driving political preferences and behavior. On the other hand, a focus on related concepts like whiteness, white identity, or white consciousness has been limited because researchers have assumed that whites’ dominant status in Western societies means that they are less conscious of their race. In other words, because white people have historically composed the numerical majority of the population in the United States and in Western European countries, and because they have possessed the lion’s share of social, political, and economic power in the United States and Western Europe, whites have been able to take their race for granted in a way that racial and ethnic minorities have not. To the extent that previous scholarship has considered whiteness, it largely focused on whiteness as an ideology of oppression or whiteness as an invisible group identity. More recently, however, renewed attention has been paid to whiteness as a visible social identity, with scholars arguing that the growing demographic diversity, increases in immigration, globalization, perceptions of anti-white discrimination, and status threat make it more likely today that whites will see their racial group as a salient one with shared political interests. As a result, white identity is politically consequential for a range of political attitudes and behaviors, including opinion on immigration policy, contemporary political candidate and partisan preferences, attitudes about diversity and globalization, preferences for certain social welfare policies, opinion toward far-right parties, and more. It is also important to note that most of the research in this domain has been US-centric, but a growing body of work has attended to whiteness and white identity in Western Europe.