bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heritage in Diaspora-Forming Processes: Encounters of Local Ukrainians and Migrants from Ukraine in Poland
Authors: Trzeszczyńska Patrycja , Demel Grzegorz , Błaszczak-Rozenbaum Blanka
Published: June 2023

This article offers a reflection on heritage in the context of diaspora-forming processes examined from an anthropological perspective. Ethnographic fieldwork has been conducted since 2021 in the Ukrainian communities in two Polish cities, where the encounters of autochthonous Ukrainians (Ukrainian national minority members) and migrants from Ukraine have been traced yet before the recent arrivals of war refugees. Basing on the individual in-depth interviews with different Ukrainian communities’ leaders and activists, and on long-lasting participatory observation, the authors argue that for the autochthonous Ukrainians, the heritage has been a set of practices, non-reducible to tangible and intangible legacy. Therefore, they propose broadening of the meaning of heritage in migration studies towards a set of diasporic practices such as diasporic lifestyles, practices of positioning, and lived diasporic experiences stimulated by encounters with migrants. This approach allows going beyond common-sensical statement of alleged “old diaspora” conservativeness or “immersion in history” comparing with migrants’ different stances and practices. The next step is to propose considering heritage one of the diaspora-forming processes. Such a perspective localizes diaspora in the sphere of social beliefs, imaginings, and cultural practices. To mobilize people as a diaspora, they need to be shared and treated as common, but some of them mobilize only partially, i.e., particular communities, while being contested by others. The authors show that going below the superficial agreement on “common identity” among “the same” people, i.e., co-ethnics, may reveal deep processes of othering and bonding in forming a diaspora that would be hidden otherwise.
What radiolabeled FAPI pet can add in breast cancer? A systematic review from literature
Authors: Evangelista Laura , Filippi Luca , Schillaci Orazio
Published: June 2023

To provide an overview of the current available data about FAPI PET in breast cancer patients, with a perspective point of view. A literature search for studies about FAPI PET in the last 5 years (from 2017 to January 2023) was carried out on MEDLINE databases, such as PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Google Scholar using the following keywords: “PET” AND “FAPI” AND “Breast Cancer” AND “Fibroblast imaging”. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist for diagnostic test studies was used for testing the quality of selected papers. 13 articles were selected, including 172 patients affected by breast cancer who underwent FAPI-based PET images. CASP checklist was used in 5/13 papers, demonstrating a general low quality. Different types of FAPI-based tracers were used. No difference in terms of FAPI uptake was reported based on the histopathological characteristics, such as immunohistochemistry and grading of breast cancer. FAPI demonstrated more lesions and yielded much higher tumor-to-background ratios than 2-[18F]FDG. Preliminary experiences with FAPI PET in breast cancer showed some advantages than the current available 2-[18F]FDG, although prospective trials are needed to further evaluate its diagnostic utility in clinical practice.
Equivalent birational embedding IV: reduced varieties
Authors: Mella Massimiliano
Published: June 2023

Two reduced projective schemes are said to be Cremona equivalent if there is a Cremona map that maps one in the other. In this paper I revise some of the known results about Cremona equivalence and extend the main result of Mella and Polastri (Bull Lond Math Soc 41(1):89–93, 2009) [20] to reducible schemes. This allows to prove a very general contractibility result for union of rational subvarieties.
Will They Stay or Will They Go — Understanding South Atlantic Coastal Wetland Transformation in Response to Sea-Level Rise
Authors: Moorman Michelle C. , Ladin Zachary S. , Tsai EmmaLi , Smith Adam , Bessler Amanda , Richter Jean , Harrison Rebecca , Van Druten Brian , Stanton Wendy , Hayes Chuck , Harris Billy Wayne , Hoff Mike , Sasser Craig , Wells Dorothy M. , Tupacz Jerry , Rankin Nicole
Published: June 2023

Threats to coastal wetlands, including sea-level rise and subsidence, led the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System to protect over 500,000 hectares of coastal wetlands during the twentieth century, with approximately 20% occurring in the South Atlantic geography. This effort has involved systematic long-term monitoring of changes in marsh elevation using surface elevation tables and marker horizons at 20 sites across 19 NWRs in the southeastern coastal USA. From 2012 to 2021, the rates of change in surface elevation (−9.3 to 7.1 mm/year), accretion (−0.3 to 17.5 mm/year), and net vertical elevation change (−14.3 to 3.1 mm/year) were highly variable among monitoring sites and varied with coastal wetland type (oligohaline marsh, salt marsh, pocosin, or forested wetland), land surface elevation, and estuarine salinity and geomorphology (i.e., tidally influenced or embayed). Of 20 sites included in our study, only six were gaining elevation at a rate that was equal to or greater than the long-term rates of sea-level rise and therefore considered resilient. Only Waccamaw and Currituck NWRs, both located in oligohaline marshes, were gaining elevation at a rate that exceeded sea-level rise by 1 mm/year. These results support the mounting evidence that many coastal wetlands, particularly in the South Atlantic geography of the USA, will undergo ecological transformations in the next several decades. The NWR System and other coastal management entities will need to use strategic decision-making frameworks to identify management actions that can mitigate the loss of coastal wetlands to support the conservation of coastal wetland–dependent and obligate species.
Operation related maintenance and reinvestment costs for hydropower scheduling
Authors: Eggen Arnt Ove , Belsnes Michael
Published: June 2023

This paper addresses the questions: How to calculate the cost of a start/stop cycle? How to calculate the cost of running one hour outside normal operating range, e.g., on part load? The paper presents a model for calculation of start/stop cost for individual hydropower units comprising both direct costs incurring at each start/stop cycle, and indirect cost because of reduced rehabilitation intervals for the main components. The fundamental assumption is that frequent start-ups lead to increased stress, degradation and wear reducing residual service life equivalent to a certain number of normal operating hours, thus accelerating the need for rehabilitation. The proposed model is used for calculation of both average cost and marginal cost for one start/stop cycle. When calculating the marginal cost, the technical condition of the turbine and generator as well as the length of the stand-still period can be considered. Applying a similar approach, the model is extended to calculate the cost of ramping, part load and overload operation, i.e., costs incurring when using the unit outside the normal operating range. This extension for operation related costs is important to include when deciding hydropower scheduling in systems with large shares of variable generation from wind and solar. Such operation related costs are very important to consider when calculating of the optimal operating strategy for the hydropower units in power systems where hydropower delivers flexibility in terms of load following and different types of reserves.
First report of apple stem grooving virus in Lao PDR, detected in citrus
Authors: Donovan Nerida J , Englezou Anna , Chambers Grant A , Phanthavong Sengphet , Daly Andrew , Bogema Daniel R , Holford Paul , Burgess Lester W
Published: June 2023

Apple stem grooving virus, the causal agent of citrus tatterleaf disease, was detected for the first time in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Samples were collected from citrus trees across the southern provinces for testing in Australia. RNA was extracted and tested using conventional and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions with the virus detected in 1 of 59 samples tested. Viral identity was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and high throughput sequencing.
D’Arcy Thompson’s Morphological Transformations: Issues of Causality and Dimensionality
Authors: Arthur Wallace
Published: June 2023

D’Arcy Thompson’s drawings showing coordinated differences between the shape of an individual of one species and the shape of an individual of another have been reproduced and discussed countless times. However, while they have been widely regarded as inspirational, their interpretation in causal terms has proved difficult, and there is as yet no consensus on this matter. Here, I approach these Thompsonian transformations from a particular angle, namely their dimensional insufficiency. I argue that this problem must be solved before the issue of causality can be considered. This approach leads to the conclusion that Thompsonian transformations—or “morphological transformations”—have not taken place in evolution, and logically can never do so, because they involve the direct conversion of theadultform of one species into that of another. In contrast, “developmental transformations” do occur in the short term, within the lifetime of a single individual. And “evolutionary transformations” occur in the long term, in a context that can be described, following Scott Gilbert, as five-dimensional. I argue that these two kinds of transformation—developmental and evolutionary—have different causal agencies. I consider the possible nature of these agencies and, related to that, the way in which Thompson’s work connects with Darwinian evolutionary theory.
Blood-Based Biomarkers for Managing Workload in Athletes: Perspectives for Research on Emerging Biomarkers
Authors: Haller Nils , Reichel Thomas , Zimmer Philipp , Behringer Michael , Wahl Patrick , Stöggl Thomas , Krüger Karsten , Simon Perikles
Published: June 2023

At present, various blood-based biomarkers have found their applications in the field of sports medicine. This current opinion addresses biomarkers that warrant consideration in future research for monitoring the athlete training load. In this regard, we identified a variety of emerging load-sensitive biomarkers, e.g., cytokines (such as IL-6), chaperones (such as heat shock proteins) or enzymes (such as myeloperoxidase) that could improve future athlete load monitoring as they have shown meaningful increases in acute and chronic exercise settings. In some cases, they have even been linked to training status or performance characteristics. However, many of these markers have not been extensively studied and the cost and effort of measuring these parameters are still high, making them inconvenient for practitioners so far. We therefore outline strategies to improve knowledge of acute and chronic biomarker responses, including ideas for standardized study settings. In addition, we emphasize the need for methodological advances such as the development of minimally invasive point-of-care devices as well as statistical aspects related to the evaluation of these monitoring tools to make biomarkers suitable for regular load monitoring.
Evaluation of skeletal muscle elasticity using color Doppler shear wave imaging
Authors: Kanaya Yuji , Konno Kei , Yamakoshi Yoshiki , Taniguchi Nobuyuki , Watanabe Hideaki , Takeshita Katsushi
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to (1) assess the precision and reproducibility of color Doppler shear wave imaging (CD SWI) by comparing it with shear wave elastography (SWE) via elasticity phantom measurements, and (2) investigate the potential clinical applications of CD SWI in the upper limb muscles by assessing the reproducibility of skeletal muscle elasticity evaluations.

Methods

Four elastography phantoms of different stiffness (6.0–7.5 wt%) were used to assess the precision and reproducibility of CD SWI (compared with SWE) at depths. Typical upper limb muscles of 24 men were also assessed for this comparison.

Results

At superficial depths (0–2 cm), the phantom measurements obtained using CD SWI and SWE were similar at all levels of stiffness. Furthermore, both methods were highly reliable, with almost perfect intra- and inter-operator reliabilities. At greater depths (2–4 cm), measurements obtained using both methods were similar at all stiffness levels. Although standard deviations (SDs) of the phantom measurements obtained using both methods at lower stiffness were similar, those at higher stiffness were different. The SD of the CD SWI measurements was < 50% of that of the SWE measurements. However, both methods were highly reliable in the phantom test, with almost perfect intra- and inter-operator reliabilities. The intra- and inter-operator reliabilities of the shear wave velocity measurements for typical muscles of the upper limbs were also substantial in clinical settings.

Conclusion

CD SWI is a valid method for measuring elasticity, with precision and reliability as high as those of SWE.

Graphical abstract
Paradoxical GH increase after oral glucose load in subjects with and without acromegaly
Authors: Ceccato F. , Vedolin C. K. , Voltan G. , Antonelli G. , Barbot M. , Basso D. , Regazzo D. , Scaroni C. , Occhi G.
Published: June 2023

Objective

A paradoxical GH rise after the glucose load (GH-Par) is described in about one-third of acromegalic patients. Here, we evaluated the GH profile in subjects with and without acromegaly aiming to refine the definition of GH-Par.

Design

Observational case–control study.

Methods

Our cohort consisted of 60 acromegalic patients, and two groups of subjects presenting suppressed GH (< 0.4 µg/L) and high (non-acro↑IGF−1, n = 116) or normal IGF-1 levels (non-acro, n = 55). The distribution of GH peaks ≥ 120% from baseline, insulin, and glucose levels were evaluated over a 180-min time interval after glucose intake.

Results

A similar proportion of subjects in all three groups shows a GH ratio of ≥ 120% starting from 120 min. Re-considering the definition of paradoxical increase of GH within 90 min, we observed that the prevalence of GH peaks ≥ 120% was higher in acromegaly than in non-acro↑IGF−1 and non-acro (respectively 42%, 16%, and 7%, both p < 0.001). In patients without GH-Par, a late GH rebound was observed in the second part of the curve. Higher glucose peak (p = 0.038), slower decline after load, 20% higher glucose exposure (p = 0.015), and a higher prevalence of diabetes (p = 0.003) characterized acromegalic patients with GH-Par (with respect to those without).

Conclusions

GH-Par response may be defined as a 20% increase in the first 90 min after glucose challenge. GH-Par, common in acromegaly and associated with an increased prevalence of glucose metabolism abnormalities, is found also in a subset of non-acromegalic subjects with high IGF-1 levels, suggesting its possible involvement in the early phase of the disease.
Family firm performance in times of crisis—new evidence from Germany
Authors: Jarchow Svenja , Kaserer Christoph , Keppler Henry
Published: June 2023

Literature shows that founding-family control tends to positively impact firm performance and valuation. However, it is questioned whether this positive impact also persists in times of crisis or might even be reverted, as in such periods families could be focused on the survival of the firm even at the expense of long-term cash flows. By studying a large sample of listed German firms over the period 1998–2018, we document a significant outperformance of family firms in terms of ROA and (to a lesser extent) Tobin’s Q during the crisis years 2008–2010 relative to their non-family counterparts. Moreover, this crisis resilience is more pronounced the stronger the family influence in terms of equity ownership. Outside the crisis period, there is only weak evidence for any outperformance. Digging deeper into this crisis effect, we find family firms to significantly reduce their leverage during the crisis. This, however, is not done at the expense of future cash flows, as we find weak evidence that family firms increase their capital expenditures as well as their employment relative to their non-family counterparts. Given that these results also hold in a dynamic panel system GMM approach and withstand a battery of robustness tests, we hope to add new evidence on the drivers of family firm performance.
The impact of depression forums on illness narratives: a comprehensive NLP analysis of socialization in e-mental health communities
Authors: Sik Domonkos , Rakovics Márton , Buda Jakab , Németh Renáta
Published: June 2023

While depression is globally on the rise, the mental health sector struggles with handling the increased number of cases, especially since the pandemic. These circumstances have resulted in an increased interest in the e-mental health sector. The dataset is constituted of 67 857 posts from the most popular English-language online health forums between 15 February 2016 and 15 February 2019. The posts were first automatically labelled (biomedical vs. psy framing) via deep learning; second, the time series of framing types of recurring forum users were analysed; third, the clusters of biomedical and psy patterns were analysed; fourth, the discursive characteristics of each cluster were analysed with the help of topic modelling. Five ideal-typical patterns of forum socialization are described: the first and the second clusters express the developing of a ‘recovery helper’ role, either by opposing expert discourses or by identifying with the psy discourses; the third cluster expresses the acquiring of a substantively diffuse, uncertain role; the fourth and fifth clusters refer to a trajectory leading to the incorporating of a biomedically framed patient role, or a therapeutic psy subjectivity. Elements of data collection that potentially undermine representativeness: online forum users, open and public forums, keyword search. The trajectories identified in our study represent various phases of a general forum socialization process: newcomers (cluster 3); settled patient role (cluster 4) or psy subjectivity (cluster 5); recovery helpers (cluster 1 and 2).
Im Beziehungsgefüge von Familie und Schule: Positionen von Kindern und Lehrkräften zu ‚schwer erreichbaren‘ Eltern
Authors: Eunicke Nicoletta
Published: June 2023

Die Art und Weise, wie das Verhältnis zwischen Familie und Schule gestaltet wird, ist zentral für das Aufwachsen von Kindern und für die pädagogische Beziehung zwischen Lehrkraft und Kind. Wenn mit Eltern keine Zusammenarbeit zustande kommt, wird dies in aktuellen fach- und bildungspolitischen Forderungen nach einer Intensivierung der Beziehung im Sinne einer Bildungs- und Erziehungspartnerschaft zwischen Familie und Schule problematisiert. Während in der Forschung schulpädagogische Perspektiven und elterliche Erfahrungen zu ausbleibender Zusammenarbeit Thema sind, gibt es eine Leerstelle: Bisher wurde nicht untersucht, wie Kinder über sogenannte ‚schwer erreichbare‘ Eltern sprechen. In diesem Beitrag wird daher den Fragen nachgegangen, welche Positionen Kinder und Lehrkräfte zu für die Schule ‚schwer erreichbaren‘ Eltern (nicht) einnehmen und inwiefern der elterlichen ‚Schwererreichbarkeit‘ entlang dieser Positionen eine Bedeutung für die Lehrkraft-Kind-Beziehung zugesprochen wird. Anhand von leitfadengestützten Interviews mit Kindern (n = 42) im Grundschulalter und mit Grundschullehrkräften (n = 7), die situationsanalytisch ausgewertet wurden, werden zehn heterogene Positionen zu vermeintlich ‚schwer erreichbaren‘ Eltern dargestellt. In der Relationierung der Positionen von Kindern und Lehrkräften werden geteilte, aber auch widersprüchliche Positionen von Kindern und Lehrkräften sichtbar. Prekär wird die Situierung von Kindern, wenn ihnen die ‚schwere Erreichbarkeit‘ ihrer Eltern durch Lehrkräfte zugeschrieben wird und sie damit auf ihren familiären Hintergrund festgelegt werden. Es wird diskutiert, das Verhältnis von Familie und Schule nicht auf eine partnerschaftliche Beziehung zu reduzieren, sondern auch ‚Schwererreichbarkeit‘ als mögliche Form der Zusammenarbeit anzuerkennen.
Analysis of drought coping strategies in northern Ethiopian highlands
Authors: Gidey Eskinder , Mhangara Paidamwoyo , Gebregergs Tirhas , Zeweld Woldegebriel , Gebretsadik Haftamu , Dikinya Oagile , Mussa Said , Zenebe Amanuel , Girma Atkilt , Fisseha Girmatsion , Addisu Alemu , Nasir Jemal , Zeleke Tesfaye , Birhane Emiru
Published: June 2023

One of the most detrimental concerns brought on by a changing climate that annually affects many people's lives is drought. Proactive and reactive drought coping and adapting mechanisms enable farmers to be resilient against climate–induced drought and improve the drylands' current disaster preparedness and early warning systems. The aim of this study was to assess proactive and reactive farmers' drought coping strategies at household level in Raya Valley in southern Tigray, Ethiopia. Agro–climatological based 246 households were sampled from the lowlands, midlands and highlands of the study area. The most effective drought coping mechanisms were discovered using a multinomial logit model. The study area had endured mild to extremely severe drought in the last three decades. The association between the various drought severity and household heads were significant (chi2 = 9.861, df = 3, p < 0.05). Proactive drought coping measures included collecting and storing pasture, conserving soil and water, weather prediction information to adjust saving and farming practices. Livestock feeding with roasted cactus cladode, small business loans, livestock selling, productive safety–net program, and food consumption reduction were the major reactive drought coping strategies. The proactive and reactive drought coping strategies identified in this study should be used to improve the existing disaster preparedness and early warning systems in the face of climate and weather extreme related impacts of climate variability and change.
Biofingerprint detection of corona virus using Raman spectroscopy: a novel approach
Authors: Rumaling Muhammad Izzuddin , Chee Fuei Pien , Bade Abdullah , Goh Lucky Poh Wah , Juhim Floressy
Published: June 2023

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-CoV-2, a highly contagious respiratory virus that has caused a global pandemic. Despite the urgent need for effective diagnostic screening technologies, ideal methods for COVID-19 detection have not yet been developed. To address this issue, we developed a Raman spectroscopy technique for rapid and sensitive on-site detection of SARS-CoV-2, utilizing the unique spectral fingerprint of molecular vibrations. The proposed technique is non-invasive and label-free that enables the detection of molecular vibrations, providing a unique spectral fingerprint for different molecules. Raman spectra from 75 positive and 75 negative swab samples were analyzed, processed by smoothening and baseline correction of spectral data. The peaks in the processed data were detected and assigned based on literature peak, with peaks specific to positive samples used for detection with minimal false positives. These peaks were attributed to various molecules, including amino acids in proteins, glycoproteins, lipids, and protein structures. Our Raman spectroscopy technique provides a reliable and non-invasive approach for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, with potential to expand to other infectious agents. This method has significant implications for global health, aiding in effective control measures against COVID-19.
Strict robustness to incomplete information
Authors: Morris Stephen , Oyama Daisuke , Takahashi Satoru
Published: June 2023

We study a strict version of the notion of equilibrium robustness by Kajii and Morris (Econometrica 65:1283–1309, 1997) that allows for a larger class of incomplete information perturbations of a given complete information game, where with high probability, players believe that their payoffs are close to (but may be different from) those of the complete information game. We show that a strict monotone potential maximizer of a complete information game is strictly robust if either the game or the associated strict monotone potential is supermodular, and that the converse also holds in all binary-action supermodular games.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with concomitant spondylolysis: choice of fusion levels and evaluation of the outcomes obtained leaving the lytic level not instrumented
Authors: Baroncini Alice , Field Antony , Segar Anand H. , Tse Cheuk Bun , Sevic Aleksandar , Crawford Haemish
Published: June 2023

Purpose

7% of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients also present with a pars defect. To date, there are no available data on the results of fusion ending proximal to a spondylolysis in the setting of AIS. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in this patient cohort, to investigate if maintaining the lytic segment unfused represents a safe option.

Methods

Retrospective review of all patients who received PSF for AIS, presented with a spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis and had a min. 2-year follow-up. Demographic data, instrumented levels, and preoperative radiographic data were collected. Mechanical complications, coronal or sagittal parameters, amount of slippage, and pain levels were evaluated.

Results

Data from 22 patients were available (age 14.4 ± 2.5 years), 18 Lenke 1–2 and 4 Lenke 3–6. 5 patients (24%) had an isthmic spondylolisthesis, all Meyerding I. The mean preoperative Cobb angle of the instrumented curves was 58 ± 13°. For 18 patients, the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) was the last touched vertebra (LTV); for 2, LIV was distal to the LTV; for 2, LIV was one level proximal to the LTV. The number of segments between the LIV and the lytic vertebra ranged from 1 to 6. At the last follow-up, no complications were observed. The residual curve below the instrumentation measured 8.5 ± 6.4°, the lordosis below the instrumented levels was 51.4 ± 13°. The magnitude of the isthmic spondylolisthesis remained constant for all included patients. Three patients reported minimal occasional low back pain.

Conclusion

The LTV can be safely used as LIV when performing PSF for the management of AIS in patients with L5 spondylolysis.
Bioactive Protein and Peptide Release from a Mucoadhesive Electrospun Membrane
Authors: Edmans Jake G. , Murdoch Craig , Hatton Paul V. , Madsen Lars Siim , Santocildes-Romero Martin E. , Spain Sebastian G. , Colley Helen E.
Published: June 2023

Protein-based biologics constitute a rapidly expanding category of therapeutic agents with high target specificity. Their clinical use has dramatically increased in recent years, but administration is largely via injection. Drug delivery across the oral mucosa is a promising alternative to injections, in order to avoid the gastrointestinal tract and first-pass metabolism. Current drug delivery formulations include liquid sprays, mucoadhesive tablets and films, which lack dose control in the presence of salivary flow. To address this, electrospun membranes that adhere tightly to the oral mucosa and release drugs locally have been developed. Here, we investigated the suitability of these mucoadhesive membranes for peptide or protein release. Bradykinin (0.1%) or insulin (1, 3, and 5%) were incorporated by electrospinning from ethanol/water mixtures. Immersion of membranes in buffer resulted in the rapid release of bradykinin, with a maximal release of 70 ± 12% reached after 1 h. In contrast, insulin was liberated more slowly, with 88 ± 11, 69.0 ± 5.4, and 63.9 ± 9.0% cumulative release of the total encapsulated dose after 8 h for membranes containing 1, 3, and 5% w/w insulin, respectively. Membrane–eluted bradykinin retained pharmacological activity by inducing rapid intracellular calcium release upon binding to its cell surface receptor on oral fibroblasts, when examined by flow cytometry. To quantify further, time-lapse confocal microscopy revealed that membrane–eluted bradykinin caused a 1.58 ± 0.16 fold-change in intracellular calcium fluorescence after 10 s compared to bradykinin solution (2.13 ± 0.21), relative to placebo. In conclusion, these data show that electrospun membranes may be highly effective vehicles for site-specific administration of biotherapeutic proteins or peptides directly to the oral mucosa for either local or systemic drug delivery applications.
Evolution and psychiatry: the formation of a special interest group
Authors: Brar Gurjot , O’Connell Henry
Published: June 2023

This editorial outlines the formation of a new special interest group (SIG) in evolution and psychiatry. The formative beginnings of the evolutionary psychiatry field and founding of the group in Ireland are presented, identifying central figures of the field and their contributions. Furthermore, key milestones and accomplishments are discussed with current and future directions. Additionally, foundational texts and seminal papers are included to guide the reader in their journey to discover more about evolution and psychiatry. We hope this will be of relevance to those interested in how SIGs form and also to clinicians with an interest in evolutionary psychiatry.
Pliocene fossils support a New Zealand origin for the smallest extant penguins
Authors: Thomas Daniel B. , Tennyson Alan J.D. , Marx Felix G. , Ksepka Daniel T.
Published: June 2023

A late Pliocene (3.36–3.06 Ma) exposure of the Tangahoe Formation on the North Island of New Zealand preserves close fossil relatives of many extant seabird clades. Here, we report an extinct member of the little penguin (Eudyptula Bonaparte, 1856) lineage from the Tangahoe Formation—the smallest extinct crown penguin yet known. Eudyptula wilsonae n. sp. is based on the nearly complete skulls of an adult and a fledged but immature individual. Both skulls show more slender proportions than modern little penguins and precede genome-derived estimates for the divergence between Eudyptula minor minor Forster, 1781 (endemic to New Zealand) and Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826 (native to Australia and recently established in New Zealand). This raises the possibility that the fossil taxon represents a lineage directly ancestral to extant little penguins. Our results support a Zealandian origin for little penguins, with subsequent Pleistocene dispersal to Australia and a more recent Holocene range expansion of Eudyptula m. novaehollandiae back into New Zealand.

UUID: https://zoobank.org/a415f70a-e441-4920-85e0-75f6457577ea
From Postmodern Art to Stalinism: Donetsk’s Culture Reimagined
Authors: Iakovlenko Kateryna
Published: June 2023

This article analyzes the cultural transformation in the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in the Donbas, characterized by a violent rejection of global postmodernist art and the return to a Soviet, often Stalinist, cultural message and visual language. The author, an art critic and curator, born and previously active in the Donbas, begins by discussing the destruction of unconventional art, even when created by the miners themselves, and the projects associated with the IZOLYATSIA art platform. The second part of the article deals with public art in the early years of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), in particular, political posters and art exhibits, which employ Soviet or Soviet-like themes and visual imagery. In a notable departure from the Russian model, the “mobilized art” in the separatist-controlled Donbas features positive references to the Bolshevik Revolution. Throughout the article, the concept of violence is used to analyze the mediatized destruction of nonrealist art and the construction of the DNR’s self-image.
Explaining Feminist Movement Impact: Provincial Abortion Policies in the Wake of Decriminalization, 1988–2018
Authors: Bashevkin Sylvia
Published: June 2023

Focusing on four jurisdictions where abortion facilities and providers faced violent attacks following theMorgentalerdecision of 1988, this study compares provincial government responses to core feminist demands in the area of women's reproductive health: enhanced hospital access, public funding of clinic abortions and safe zone protections. Consistent with previous research on childcare and anti-violence policies, the study finds that in neoliberal times, the presence of left governing parties in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario generally favoured abortion rights interests while conservative regimes disadvantaged them. The article contributes valuable new insights in revealing (1) the importance of centrist leaders in Ontario and at the federal level to pro-choice policy changes, (2) the significance of feminist critical actors to these outcomes, and (3) major variation among New Democratic Party provincial governments on abortion policy. The conclusion discusses implications of these results and proposes directions for further research.
PROFILE GREEK TRAGEDY AND PERFORMANCE
Authors: Andújar Rosa
Published: June 2023

Greek tragedy is easily one of the most dynamic fields in Classics. In addition to its perennial appeal and popularity among diverse audiences, every few years its study is reinvented and redefined as scholars and students apply new theories and critical lenses, many of which stem from contemporary concerns. In the last 50 years, for example, a rich body of work began to explore the manifold intersections between Greek tragedy and Athenian ritual and social practices, in line with rising interest in the social sciences. Over the past few decades scholars have slowly but steadily turned their gaze towards the performance and staging of tragedy and ancient Greek drama. To a large degree this interest has been fuelled by contemporary performance practice and experience, particularly as productions and adaptations of ancient plays have proliferated across the globe. Whereas the scholarship on the myriad ways in which Greek tragedy has been adapted and performed across the globe is itself a growing subfield deserving of its own profile, my focus here is on recent scholarly and creative work produced in the last ten years that illuminates Athenian performance practices. As I illustrate, we have come a long way since the seminal works of N.C. Hourmouziades (Production and Imagination in Euripides: Form and Function of the Scenic Space [1965]) and O. Taplin (The Stagecraft of Aeschylus: the Dramatic Use of Exits and Entrances in Greek Tragedy [1977]), who were among the first to draw attention to tragedy as a performed art.
Maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing in laryngectomised patients using different heat and moisture exchangers – feasibility and exercise responses
Authors: Heirman Anne N , Groen Wim G , van der Molen Lisette , Dirven Richard , van den Brekel Michiel W M , Stuiver Martijn M
Published: June 2023

Objective

After laryngectomy, the breathing resistance of heat and moisture exchangers may limit exercise capacity. Breathing gas analysis during cardiopulmonary exercise testing is not possible using regular masks. This study tested the feasibility of cardiopulmonary exercise testing with a heat and moisture exchanger in situ, using an in-house designed connector. Additionally, we explored the effect of different heat and moisture exchanger resistances on exercise capacity in this group.

Methods

Ten participants underwent two cardiopulmonary exercise tests using their daily life heat and moisture exchanger (0.3 hPa or 0.6 hPa) and one specifically developed for activity (0.15 hPa). Heat and moisture exchanger order was randomised and blinded.

Results

All participants completed both tests. No (serious) adverse events occurred. Only four subjects reached a respiratory exchange ratio of more than 1.1 in at least one test. Maximum exercise levels using heat and moisture exchangers with different resistances did not differ.

Conclusion

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in laryngectomees with a heat and moisture exchanger is feasible; however, the protocol does not seem appropriate to reach this group's maximal exercise capacity. Lowering heat and moisture exchanger resistance does not increase exercise capacity in this sample.
Explaining Policy Failure in China
Authors: Yasuda John Kojiro
Published: June 2023

Why do policy experimentation regimes breakdown? And, if there are recognizable patterns of experimental failure, what might explain the variation? Focusing on aviation, finance and food safety, this article considers why a policy style that has been credited with China's successes in the past is failing to address governance challenges in these sectors at present. The article moves beyond discussions of policy mis-implementation by reframing experimental failure as a case of policy maladaptation under conditions of complexity and ambiguity. Maladaptation describes how approaches used in previous periods to foster adaptation can inadvertently make a system less resilient in the future. The analysis shows how the degree of consolidation of previously successful experimental regimes lends itself to certain types of maladaptation in the present: consolidated regimes are unable to generate policy alternatives (aviation), moderately consolidated regimes are maladapted for selection (finance), and unconsolidated regimes impede niche creation (food safety).
Spatiotemporal Networks in Ryoji Ikeda’s Electronic Music: Loop, variation and re-contextualisation of sound
Authors: Sudo Marina
Published: June 2023

Ryoji Ikeda’s sonic composition has often been considered to prioritise a physical, immersive experience of space over temporal musical progression. This article challenges this commonly held view, arguing that the static nature of his work should be understood in terms of complex interactions between space and time rather than in dualistic terms. By analysing a large-scale sonic transformation within his 2005 album Dataplex, the article uncovers complex rhizomatic networks of materials that expand across multiple tracks. The links between the album tracks leads to an unconventional quality of musical time that contains a high degree of statis yet nevertheless presents a non-linear progression, which is created through repetition (loops), variation and re-contextualisation of sounds. The analysis suggests that experiencing the ordered series of tracks in the album means accumulating information and exploring memory within a non-interchangeable process of sonic flow and metamorphosis. Despite the fragmentary nature of these internal continuities, the resulting rhizomatic networks provide a means to understand and even to listen structurally to Ikeda’s sonic composition.
The association between the food environment and adherence to healthy diet quality: the Maastricht Study
Authors: Chan Jeffrey Alexander , Koster Annemarie , Eussen Simone JPM , Pinho Maria Gabriela M , Lakerveld Jeroen , Stehouwer Coen DA , Dagnelie Pieter C , van der Kallen Carla J , van Greevenbroek Marleen MJ , Wesselius Anke , Bosma Hans
Published: June 2023

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to determine if healthier neighbourhood food environments are associated with healthier diet quality.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional study using linear regression models to analyse data from the Maastricht Study. Diet quality was assessed using data collected with a FFQ to calculate the Dutch Healthy Diet (DHD). A buffer zone encompassing a 1000 m radius was created around each participant home address. The Food Environment Healthiness Index (FEHI) was calculated using a Kernel density analysis within the buffers of available food outlets. The association between the FEHI and the DHD score was analysed and adjusted for socio-economic variables.

Setting:

The region of Maastricht including the surrounding food retailers in the Netherlands.

Participants:

7367 subjects aged 40–75 years in the south of the Netherlands.

Results:

No relationship was identified between either the FEHI (B = 0·62; 95 % CI = –2·54, 3·78) or individual food outlets, such as fast food (B = –0·07; 95 % CI = –0·20, 0·07) and diet quality. Similar null findings using the FEHI were identified at the 500 m (B = 0·95; 95 % CI = –0·85, 2·75) and 1500 m (B = 1·57; 95 % CI = –3·30, 6·44) buffer. There was also no association between the food environment and individual items of the DHD including fruits, vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages.

Conclusion:

The food environment in the Maastricht area appeared marginally unhealthy, but the differences in the food environment were not related to the quality of food that participants reported as intake.
Quantitative botanical characterization of Saragolla wheat landraces from Abruzzo and Puglia Regions of Italy
Authors: Rascio Agata , Fiorillo Fabrizio , Paone Silvana , De Santis Giuditta , Sorrentino Giuseppe
Published: June 2023

Since the 1600s, a pasta wheat locally known as Sargolla, Saragollio or Saragollo has been cultivated in central and southern regions of Italy, including Abruzzo and Puglia. To identify if distinctive Saragolla landraces are present in Abruzzo and with a view to registering them as Conservation Varieties in the Abruzzo Regional Register of Genetic Resources, a quantitative botanical characterization of 11 farm-saved seed samples from Abruzzo and a previously defined Saragolla landrace from Puglia was performed. All twelve samples were grown for two years at the CREA-CI field station in Foggia, Puglia (Italy), and were morphologically characterized according to the criteria used by the botanist Johan Percival in 1921. In the 12 samples, we identified 9 taxonomically different botanical types, the most frequent of which were the italicum (32%), found in every population from Abruzzo. The leucurum and the affine were the main components of the previously defined Saragolla from Puglia. Results of the multivariate analysis indicated that the samples collected from farms in Abruzzo are more similar to each other than to the landrace of Saragolla from Puglia and support the registration of a specific Saragolla landrace for the Abruzzo region. The diachronic comparison of the botanical diversity of the currently cultivated Saragolla, with that observed in Sicily and Algeria at the beginning of 1900, suggests that a high degree of genetic diversity still exists in the 11 Saragolla populations from the Abruzzo Region.
Constrained river, constrained choices: seasonal floods and colonial authority in the Red River Delta
Authors: Ross Corey
Published: June 2023

This article examines the problem of flooding in colonial Tonkin through two interrelated lenses: the history of disasters as social and political phenomena, and the history of technology and the constraints that shape its use. With a gradient ten times steeper than the Mekong, the Red River (Sông Cáiin Vietnamese) is notorious for its huge seasonal fluctuations and violent floods. For centuries, local rulers and cultivators constructed dikes to protect fields and settlements, though breaches and inundations were frequent. French administrators were convinced that they could improve the flooding situation with modern know-how. From the 1890s, colonial engineers carefully studied the river's behavior, examined a range of different schemes to control it, and debated the extent to which the straitjacketing of the river might gradually exacerbate flood risk. Despite their deep-seated misgivings about the problems caused by dikes, they were ultimately forced to work within the parameters of pre-colonial hydraulic works. The result was an intensification of existing dependencies and flood vulnerabilities, which finally came to a head under the combined pressures of extreme weather and war, and which ultimately played an important role in undermining colonial authority in the Red River delta.
Results of a qualitative study of patient, carer and clinician views on the experience of caring for individuals with psychosis in Pakistan
Authors: Rathod Shanaya , Javed Afzal , Iqbal Rehmina , Al-Sudani Ayaat , Vaswani-Bye Akansha , Haider Imran , Phiri Peter
Published: June 2023

Cultural relevance is a core element of effective psychological interventions like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or family intervention (FI), which can be considered Eurocentric. There have been few studies that have examined explanatory models of mental illness and its management in Pakistan to date. This study elicited patient- and carer-related health beliefs on psychosis including attributions to illness, and help-seeking behaviours to inform development of culturally sensitive treatment and improve outcomes in a unit in Lahore (Pakistan). The study group completed 45 semi-structured qualitative interviews at a mental health rehabilitation centre in Lahore. Data were analysed thematically using emerging themes and content analysis. Participants’ explanatory models for psychosis included religion or faith-driven beliefs, like previous wrong-doing and supernatural ideas such as black magic. Social factors that impacted families included high expectations, social stigma, and discriminations. Families first sought help from faith leaders and then medical or psychological sources of care. Participants had generally positive attitudes about their experience of psychological interventions.

Key learning aims

(1)

The need to consider cultural influences to ensure relevance of interventions like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or family interventions (FI) in different countries.

(2)

The need for cultural adaptation of interventions like CBT and FI in different countries to make them accessible and acceptable.

(3)

When adapting therapy to a particular culture or country, recognizing the importance of engaging the local cultural population in the adaptation process.
Glacial Southern Ocean Expansion Recorded in Foraminifera‐Bound Nitrogen Isotopes From the Agulhas Plateau During the Mid‐Pleistocene Transition
Authors: Marcks B. A. , Dos Santos T. P. , Lessa D. V. O. , Cartagena‐Sierra A. , Berke M. A. , Starr A. , Hall I. R. , Kelly R. P. , Robinson R. S.
Published: June 2023

The emergence of 100‐Kyr glacial cycles (The Mid‐Pleistocene Transition [MPT]) is attributed in part to slower global overturning circulation and iron stimulation of biological carbon drawdown in the Southern Ocean. We present foraminifera‐bound nitrogen isotope values and polar planktic foraminifera abundances from the Agulhas Plateau that show that increases in biogenic sediment accumulation coincide with northward migrations of the Subtropical Frontal Zone (STFZ) and elevated foraminifera‐bound nitrogen isotope values during MPT glacial episodes. The nitrogen isotope values of two planktic foraminifera species, Globigerina bulloides and Globorotalia inflata show remarkable coherence amongst the sea surface temperature gradient between the STFZ and SAZ, and polar foraminifera abundances, indicating a strong relationship between nitrogen isotope dynamics above the Agulhas Plateau and migrations of the STFZ. Northward migration of the STFZ may have been essential to prolonging glacial intervals by increasing deep ocean carbon storage via a northward shift of the South Westerly Winds and a reduction in upwelling, delivery of fresher surface waters into the upper limb of global overturning circulation, or inhibiting heat and salt delivery to the Atlantic as Agulhas Leakage.