bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Differentiation and Driving Mechanism of Agricultural Multifunctions in Economically Developed Areas: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Zhang Rongtian , Chen Ming
Published: October 2022

Revealing the spatial patterns of differentiation and the driving mechanism of agricultural multifunctional patterns is an important aspect of coordinating the functional optimisation and coordinated development of different agricultural regions. On the basis of understanding the connotation of agricultural multiple functions, this paper constructed an evaluation index system of agricultural multiple functions. Taking Jiangsu Province as a typical case, the spatial patterns of agricultural multifunctions in Jiangsu since 1978 were analysed by using the entropy weight TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) method and ESDA (exploratory spatial data analysis) model, and the influencing mechanism of agricultural multifunction spatial differentiation was revealed by a geographic detector model. The results showed that (1) the cities with higher agricultural grain production functions were mainly concentrated in Yancheng and Huai’an; cities with higher agricultural economic development functions were mainly distributed in the coastal areas of Jiangsu; cities with higher agricultural social security functions were mainly concentrated in the Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou metropolitan area; and cities with higher agricultural ecotourism functions evolved from Nanjing–Zhenjiang to Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou. (2) The H–H (high–high) cluster pattern of the agricultural grain production function shifted from southern Jiangsu to northern Jiangsu. The H–H clusters of the agricultural economic development function and social security function were mainly distributed in Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou, while the L–L (low–low) cluster was mainly distributed in northern Jiangsu. The H–H cluster of agricultural ecotourism functions was mainly distributed in the areas with rich mountain and hill resources or dense water networks in Jiangsu. (3) The agricultural multifunction pattern differentiation was affected by the natural environment and economic and social comprehensive factors; the level of economic development and population employment structure were the leading factors of agricultural multifunction spatial differentiation; industry structure and people’s living conditions were the important driving forces of agricultural multifunction spatial differentiation; and the natural environment and population density were the basic factors underlying agricultural multifunction spatial differentiation.
How Does Rail Transit Affect the Spatial Differentiation of Urban Residential Prices? A Case Study of Beijing Subway
Authors: Shi Dehui , Fu Meichen
Published: October 2022

Rail transit is a significant measure for the comprehensive development of large cities, which influences the land use patterns and the spatial patterns of residential prices around the rail. This study considered Beijing Metro Line 10 and Line 13 as examples, based on a semi-logarithmic hedonic price model, combined with facility point-of-interest (POI) data and residential unit transaction data, to study how rail transit affects the spatial differentiation of urban residential prices. Within the 2 km study area along the line, factors such as community grade (property fee), living environment (park), and living convenience (shopping mall) significantly affected the residential prices. Factors influencing residential prices in different rail locations also differed. The residential prices within the fourth ring (Line 10) were correlated significantly with population density (plot ratio) and station distance, while residential prices outside the fourth ring (Line 13) were correlated with community environment (greening rate), community-built time (age of residence), and public transportation conditions. The conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) Within the urban area of a single central city, the average residential price on the inner side of the rail transit line adjacent to the city center is higher than on the outer side. (2) Neighborhood characteristics significantly affect residential prices along rail transit lines in urban areas, while the architectural and neighborhood characteristics have equally important effects on residential prices along suburban rail transit lines. (3) Urban residential patterns affect residential prices along rail transit lines, with rail transit in urban areas having lesser value-added effect on areas with higher residential prices and suburban rail transit having higher value-added effect on areas with lower residential prices. The innovation of this study is to analyze the spatial differentiation from two location perspectives: the residential price pattern of the city and the city’s own ring division, and to add new location characteristic variables at a unit distance of 200 m. This study confirms that the spatial effect of rail transit on residential prices in different locations of the same city is not the same, and it also provides policy suggestions for strengthening the combination of Transit-Oriented-Development (TOD) model and the layout of residential land.
How Do Rising Farmland Costs Affect Fertilizer Use Efficiency? Evidence from Gansu and Jiangsu, China
Authors: Qi Yuan , Chen Xin , Zhang Jiaqing , Li Yaoyao , Zhu Daolin
Published: October 2022

As the farmland transfer market in China develops, moderate-scale operations increasingly grow but without much improvement in fertilizer use efficiency. This study theoretically analyzes the mechanism and effect of rising farmland costs on fertilizer use efficiency using multiple quadratic regression and mediating effects models. It empirically tests a micro-sample of 806 farmers in Gansu and Jiangsu provinces in China from two dimensions: the full samples and farmer heterogeneity. The results showed 0.544 as the average fertilizer use efficiency (hereinafter, fe) of farmers in Gansu and Jiangsu, highlighting the severe loss of fe caused by excessive fertilizer inputs. The multiple quadratic regression model further revealed an inverted U-shaped relationship between farmland costs and fe, with the U-shaped curve showing a remarkable inflection point at the USD 708/mu mark. When farmland costs are excessive (cost > CNY 708/mu), the increase in farmland costs inhibits the fe. An investigation of the corresponding impact mechanism for this scenario (i.e., cost > USD 708/mu) revealed that farmland costs directly suppress fe (−0.485) by distorting the fertilizer factor substitution effect and indirectly suppress fe (−0.037) by impeding the technology spillover effect of production specialization and production scale-up. We also found heterogeneity between two groups: ordinary farmers and new agricultural operators (e.g., large grain and family farmers), with the peak kernel density function of fe of new agricultural operators (0.85) being much higher than that of ordinary farmers (0.30). Moreover, the multiple quadratic regression between the groups revealed a lower inflection point for ordinary farmers (CNY 638/mu) than new agricultural operators (CNY 823/mu), highlighting that the fe of ordinary farmers was more likely to be inhibited by the excessive rise in farmland costs. To promote the sustainable development of China’s agricultural production, we propose reducing the cost of farmland, promoting service-scale operations, and fostering new agricultural operators.
Cadastre Typology as a Baseline for Incremental Improvement of Spatial Cadastre in Jakarta: Towards a Complete Cadastre
Authors: Martono Dwi Budi , Aditya Trias , Subaryono S , Nugroho Prijono
Published: October 2022

Improving the quality of spatial cadastre remains a challenge in Indonesia. The lack of data quality impacts the legal uncertainty of land rights and the inequality of control, ownership, use, and utilization of land. This study discusses the efforts that can be made to achieve an accurate, assured, and authoritative spatial cadastre by referring to cadastral regulations in Indonesia, especially in urban areas. This research focuses on three spatial elements: boundary determination survey, measurement methods, and base map accuracy in order to assess systematic and sporadic registration activities previously conducted in two sub-districts in North Jakarta. The areas are located in a compacted urban area that consists of 19,173 land parcels as a research sample. A multivariate clustering tool is used to analyze the grouping of land parcels into a cadastral typology (comply/not comply). This study indicates that the level of compliance of the land parcel maps against three spatial elements are the following: (1) the compliance to boundary determination survey by 100%; (2) the compliance to measurement method by 17.36%; and (3) the compliance to base map accuracy by 0%. This paper explains how the cadastre typology can be used as an indicator of compliance as well as a baseline to improve the quality of spatial data.
Remote Sensing Monitoring and Analytical Evaluation of Grasslands in the Muli Region of Qinghai, China from 2000 to 2021
Authors: Jiang Lu , Cui Tengfei , Liu Hui , Xue Yong
Published: October 2022

The mining area in the Muli region, Qinghai Province, China, is an important source of water and an ecological security barrier in the Qilian Mountains region and has a very important ecological status. A series of ecological problems such as vegetation degradation and loss of biodiversity caused by mining have attracted widespread attention. In this paper, we used Landsat secondary data from 2000 to 2021 from the Muli region to obtain the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the vegetation in the Muli region by inversion of the fractional vegetation cover, above-ground biomass and the land surface phenology to comprehensively analyze the ecological changes in the vegetation in the Muli region. The results showed the following: (1) the above-ground biomass and cover of grassland in the Muli region showed a decreasing trend between 2000 and 2021, with a particularly pronounced decrease in grassland cover between 2009 and 2016; (2) the start of the vegetation growth cycle, i.e., the beginning of the vegetation growing season (SOG) became more advanced, the end of the vegetation growing season (EOG) was delayed, and the length of the growing cycle (LOG) became longer for most of the vegetation in the Muli region; (3) the results of this comprehensive analysis showed that the grassland in the Muli region showed dynamic changes with complex characteristics from 2000 to 2021, and anthropogenic disturbances had some influence on ecological indicators such as fractional vegetation cover and biomass. The extension of the vegetation growing season might be related to climate change. Based on the results of this paper, it is recommended to utilize biomass and fractional vegetation cover as indicators to assess the grass growth status of mining sites. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of grasslands in the Muli area with several indicators, which will help relevant departments continue to improve and optimize ecological restoration measures. In addition, this study provides a reference for achieving comprehensive restoration of the ecological environment and ecological functions in mining areas.
The Spatial and Temporal Evolution Pattern and Transformation of Urban–Rural Construction Land in Karst Mountainous Areas: Qixingguan District of Guizhou, Southwest China
Authors: Sun Yaopeng , Zhou Zhongfa , Huang Denghong , Chen Quan , Fang Min
Published: October 2022

Studying the temporal and spatial evolution pattern and transformation rule of urban–rural construction land in karst mountainous areas has important guiding significance for urban development boundary planning, red lines for ecological protection, and cultivated land protection. The present study took 46 townships (streets) in Qixingguan District of Guizhou Province, southwest China, as the research area; collected the current status of four-phase land use data in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2020; and used GIS spatial analysis models and geographical detectors to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution pattern characteristics and influencing factors of urban–rural construction. The results showed the following: (1) Since 2009, the total area of urban–rural construction land has continued to increase; the largest area is rural residential land, followed by urban land and transportation land, with relatively little urban industrial and mining land, scenic spots, and special land. The growth rate of land used for transport increased rapidly, and urban land grew faster than rural residential land. (2) More than 57.72% of the newly increased urban–rural construction land came from cultivated land, but the transformation of cultivated land for construction gradually slowed down; 57.48% of urban–rural construction land was transferred for reclamation as cultivated land. During the study period, the transformation of cultivated land to construction land was more intense (the transfer out of cultivated land was greater than the transfer in by 9541.94 hm2). (3) There are strong spatial differences in the density of urban–rural construction land, showing scattered agglomeration distribution, and the degree of aggregation in medium-high- and high- density areas is further strengthened, expanding to the east and southwest. (4) The growth of urban–rural construction land has been controlled by a variety of complex factors, the most influential of which are the completion of fixed asset investment in society as a whole and the total fiscal revenue, with explanatory power (PD) values of 0.819 and 0.607, respectively. Interactions between detection factors have a greater impact on the spatial differentiation of urban–rural construction land than single factors. The results of this study can provide basic research data and support the control and high-quality development of urban–rural construction land in Qixingguan District and karst mountain areas.
A Comparative Analysis of Farmland Occupation by Urban Sprawl and Rural Settlement Expansion in China
Authors: Zhu Congmou , Yang Lixia , Xu Qiuyu , Fu Jinwei , Lin Yue , Sun Le , He Shan , Yuan Shaofeng
Published: October 2022

The farmland loss caused by urban–rural land development has exacerbated China’s challenges of using limited farmland to feed more than 1.4 billion people. Earlier studies shed light on the impacts of urban sprawl and rural settlement expansion, separately. However, there is little quantitative understanding of which one has more severe impacts on farmland and its net primary productivity (NPP). Thus, this study used spatially explicit satellite data including land-use maps and estimated NPP data, as well as spatiotemporal analysis methods to conduct a comparative analysis of farmland loss due to urban sprawl and rural settlement expansion at different scales from 2000 to 2020 in China. The results show that during the study period, urban sprawl resulted in a loss of 49,086.6 km2 of farmland area and 8.34 TgC of farmland NPP, while the loss of farmland area and farmland NPP due to rural settlement expansion reached 18,006.8 km2 and 3.88 TgC. The largest gap between the total area of farmland loss due to urban sprawl and the total loss area due to rural settlement expansion was 12,983.3 km2 in Eastern China, while the smallest gap was 1291.1 km2 in Northeastern China. The largest gap between the loss of farmland NPP due to urban sprawl and the total loss due to rural settlement expansion occurred in Eastern China at 1.97 TgC. Spatially, the total loss of farmland and its NPP due to urban sprawl and rural settlement expansion occurred mainly in the eastern and central regions of China; the areas of farmland loss by urban sprawl were more concentrated than that by rural settlement expansion. The negative impacts of urban sprawl on farmland area and its NPP were greater in southern China than that of rural settlement expansion. Noticeably, the loss of NPP per unit of farmland due to rural settlement expansion was higher than that by urban sprawl, especially in the Yangtze River Delta and Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The results highlight the non-negligible impacts of rural settlement expansion on farmland in China. It is necessary to improve farmland protection policies by optimizing the spatial allocation of urban and rural construction land.
Comparison of Vegetation Types for Prevention of Erosion and Shallow Slope Failure on Steep Slopes in the Southeastern USA
Authors: Asima Homayra , Niedzinski Victoria , O’Donnell Frances C. , Montgomery Jack
Published: October 2022

Shallow slope failures due to erosion are common occurrences along roadways. The use of deep-rooted vegetative covers is a potential solution to stabilize newly constructed slopes or repair shallow landslides. This study compared species that may provide slope stabilization for sites in the Piedmont region of the southeastern USA. Six species were tested on experimental plots under natural rainfall conditions, and vegetation health and establishment were monitored. Two methods were used to measure surface erosion, measurement of total suspended solids in collected runoff and erosion pins. While measurement uncertainty was high for both methods, differences were evident between species in the spatial distribution of surface erosion that was related to the quality of vegetation establishment. For three species that established well, soil cores were collected to measure root biomass at depths up to 40 cm. Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizaniodies) had substantially higher mean root biomass (3.75 kg/m3) than juniper shrubs (Juniperus chinensis; 0.45 kg/m3) and fescue grass (Lolium arundinaceum; 1.28 kg/m3), with the most pronounced difference in the deepest soil layers. Seeding with turf grass such as fescue is a common practice for erosion control in the region but replacing this with vetiver on steep slopes may help prevent shallow landslides due to the additional root reinforcement. Additional work is needed to measure the magnitude of the strength gain.
Land Surveying and Squatting
Authors: Lai Lawrence W. C. , Chau K. W.
Published: October 2022

Although its scale and social implications depend on the specific country or local situations, squatting is a global urban and rural phenomenon associated with such humanitarian issues as social justice, poverty and environmental impact, as well as economic issues, such as rent seeking by certain groups. It can be sporadic or massive. The state appears to deal with the former by implementing legal rules and the latter with social policies. With regard to the economic gains and costs of allowing squatting, it can be argued that squatter policies, which confer some entitlements on squatters, are akin to the doctrine of adverse possession in equity through recognising the benefits of long-term possession of land. Surveying and mapping as a key tool in the regulation of squatters in this context may or may not be carried out, contrary to common belief. This paper demonstrates, with documented real-world examples from Australia and China, that the state surveying of massive urban or rural squatting on government land is contingent on the benefits and costs of tolerating squatting. The discussion is related to the transfer of development rights (TDR) as a practicable inclusive policy in the context of a global drive towards land assembly for real estate development, which squatters often obstruct.
Ecological Disturbance of Rural Settlement Expansion: Evidence from Nantong, Eastern China
Authors: Cheng Peng , Qin Yiyu , Zhu Siyang , Kong Xuesong
Published: October 2022

Rural settlements are undergoing a reconstruction process in the context of rapid urbanization, which has a significant impact on ecological land. However, rural settlements encroaching on ecological land (RSEEL) and its associated ecological effects have been widely ignored. This paper aims to accurately and quantitatively evaluate the ecological disturbance caused by RSEEL in China’s rapid urbanization areas. An ecological disturbance index combining changes in both the scale and fragmentation was applied in Nantong, Eastern China. Three types, including jump expansion, extension diffusion, and internal filling, were identified in RSEEL. The results show that the jump expansion type accounted for the largest proportion (58.39%) at the patch level, whereas the extension diffusion was the dominant type at the village level, and the internal filling type was the least common. RSEEL unexpectedly did not make ecological land more fragmented due to the preference for small independent patches in most encroachment cases; hence, the degree of ecological disturbance caused by RSEEL was low in most areas of Nantong. When the encroachment type of RSEEL was combined with the ecological disturbance degree, it was found that the ecological disturbance caused by the jump expansion type was higher than that of the other two types, and extension diffusion and low-level disturbance was the main pattern observed in villages. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the dynamic relationship between rural settlement and ecological land and provide valuable information for rural settlement reconstruction under ecological civilization.
Farmland Dispute Prevention: The Role of Land Titling, Social Capital and Household Capability
Authors: Wang Shunran , Rao Fangping , Ma Xianlei , Shi Xiaoping
Published: October 2022

Disputes over farmland constitute an important challenge for tenure security, economic growth and social stability. Land titling is a theoretically promising policy instrument that can enhance tenure security and reduce the occurrence of farmland disputes in the developing world. However, the impact of land titling on the occurrence of disputes has been found to be highly conditional. Empirical evidence on this issue has been surprisingly limited and has often lacked the consideration of a specific context. In this study, whether land titling affects the incidence of farmland disputes in the context of China is investigated, focusing particularly on the interaction between land titling and social capital and household capability. Both the probit and CLL models are applied, using household data entailing a total of 3693 samples located in rural China. The results show that (1) land titling in China reduces the incidence of farmland disputes, and that (2) the analysis based on interaction terms indicates that households who are disadvantaged in social capital and household capability are more likely to experience fewer disputes. Implications for the government and organizations are as follows: (1) the titling programme should seriously consider the current tenure arrangement. Confirmation of current tenure is recommended over the establishment of a new system to avoid possible institutional shopping and overlapping claims; and (2) land titling, if well implemented, is recommended to redress local power asymmetry and to help vulnerable groups defend their property.
The Scale and Revenue of the Land-Use Balance Quota in Zhejiang Province: Based on the Inverted U-Shaped Curve
Authors: Jin Yaya , Zhang Bangbang , Zhang Hanbing , Tan Li , Ma Jialin
Published: October 2022

The project-based construction land-use policy of ‘increasing versus decreasing balance’ (IVDB) is pivotal to easing the contradiction between urban and rural land in China. Understanding the relationship between the scale and revenue of the balanced quota is crucial for increasing the efficiency of quota-allocated, and further improving, IVDB performance. However, existing studies have rarely revealed the impact of the balanced quota’s scale on its revenue, supported through empirical evidence. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between the scale and revenue of the balanced quota and used the quadratic econometric model to explore the inverted U-shaped impact of the scale of the balanced quota on the revenue of the 1907 IVDB projects in Zhejiang province. The results show that: (1) the relationship between the quota’s scale and the revenue shows an inverted ‘U’ type in Zhejiang. On the premise of considering three control variable groups, the optimally balanced quota of Zhejiang province is 7.19 ha. (2) There is spatial heterogeneity in the optimal scale of the balanced quota in Zhejiang and the appreciated scale of the quota in northeast and southwest Zhejiang is 9.50 ha and 6.03 ha, respectively. Then we discussed problems associated with the scale and revenue of the project-based balanced quota under the implementation of the IVDB policy. The study enriches the performance analysis of IVDB policy from the point of view of economic perspective and tries to provide a scientific basis for the appropriate size quota for local government. Finally, comprehensive consideration of inputs to allocate the balanced quota, optimizing the rural resettlements spatial planning, and strengthening central-government supervision is put forward.
Contemplations for the Revitalization of Traditional Fairs in Urban Centers: A Case Study of Weifang
Authors: Liu Juan , Yan Jianwei , Cheng Quan , Miao Qingjiao , Miao Tianning
Published: October 2022

China’s “traditional fair” culture has a long history. The “fairs” trade has existed for thousands of years, but its development characteristics and regional distribution have differed. The existing records of traditional fairs in Weifang city can be traced back to the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1563), giving these fairs a history of more than 450 years. However, with the development of urbanization, traditional fairs in the city center have been destroyed: one traditional fair is disappearing almost every year. Based on this research background, the study first clarifies the significance of the existence of traditional fairs in modern life. Additionally, in our analysis, traditional fair culture can be extended to an “immaterial culture”. How to develop traditional fairs in existing urban centers has become one of the objectives of urban renewal activities at this stage. This paper describes the development and changes of fairs using the methods of site observation, questionnaire survey and interview, and Google Maps image comparison. The main results are as follows: (1) Fair culture is not only a geographical space but also a cultural space that is the inheritance and development of an intangible culture. (2) Traditional fairs include economic trade and social interaction activities. It is important to protect the life of traditional fairs, which carry a rich social function. (3) The living of the traditional fair is shrinking and is struggling to develop. Based on the changes in the traditional fairs space in Weifang city center over the past eight years, this paper puts forward the possibility of the development of a fair space in the existing central city space in order to preserve the traditional way of life and carry forward the traditional regional culture of fairs in urban construction.
Number Morphology and Bare Nouns in Some Romance Dialects of Italy
Authors: Guardiano Cristina , Cambria Michela , Stalfieri Vincenzo
Published: October 2022

This paper explores aspects of microvariation concerning the morphological realization of the feature Number within nominal structures in a selected subset of Romance dialects of Italy. First, the different strategies adopted in the dialects of the dataset for the realization of number alternations on various nominal categories (nouns/adjectives, articles, demonstratives, and possessives) are presented. Then, the relation between the latter and the distribution of “bare” argument nominals (i.e., of nominal structures which, in argument position, occur without any lexicalized determiner) is explored. It will be observed that the distribution of bare arguments in the dialects of the dataset is consistent with the hypotheses made in the literature, which suggest that there is a correlation between the realization of number alternations on nouns and the possibility for “null” (i.e., unpronounced) determiners to be licensed.
Stability and Change in the C-Domain in American Swedish
Authors: Larsson Ida , Kinn Kari
Published: October 2022

This article introduces American Swedish (AmSw) into the discussion of the C-domain in heritage Scandinavian. The study is based on spontaneous speech data from the Swedish part of the Corpus of American Nordic Speech (CANS), compared to a baseline of homeland Swedish dialect speakers. We show that the C-domain in AmSw is primarily characterized by stability; this is evidenced by a relatively robust V2 syntax and left dislocation patterns that resemble the homeland baseline. However, we also show that AmSw diverges in some respects: there are some V2 violations and a stronger preference for SV clauses (subject-initial main clauses) at the expense of XVS clauses (non-subject-initial main clauses). These results are similar to previous findings from American Norwegian. We argue that the diverging patterns exhibited by AmSw speakers are not indicative of any fundamental change in their Swedish grammar. The occasional V2 violations are attributed to parallel activation of English and Swedish, and speakers sometimes failing to inhibit English, which is their dominant language. The increase of SV clauses is analyzed as a preference for the canonical word order of the dominant language, but within the limits of what the heritage grammar permits. The patterns in AmSw can be described as cases of attrition and cross-linguistic influence; however, we argue for a nuanced use of these terms.
Building Connections and Critical Language Awareness between Learning Communities Collaborating across Two Distant States
Authors: Wilson Damián Vergara , Marcin Marisol
Published: October 2022

Can Critical Language Awareness (CLA) be increased through sociolinguistically based student projects in learning communities collaborating across distant states? If so, how can educators detect this increase in CLA? During the spring of 2020, students in mixed learning communities (SHL/L2) at the intermediate level at two large universities collaborated through online tools to deepen their sociolinguistic understanding of the Spanish of the United States through authentic sociolinguistic data collection. The data for the current study come from interviews with four of these students and from their final reflection papers, providing participant-based depictions of their language experience including criticality and resistance to it. We find evidence that students already expressed elements of CLA before entering the class, and that they also achieved new critical insights through participating and collaborating in class projects. To identify gains in CLA conveyed by student voices, we operationalized CLA as expressions of language experience that either challenged hegemonic paradigms (e.g., stigmatization of certain forms) or identified the role of hegemonic forces in collective or individual behavior. In order to tie CLA to widespread tools used in education, we connect it to notions of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Overall, we propose observable goals that can be used to understand and assess the presence of CLA in students’ discourse.
The Role of Internal and External Factors for Code-Switching: A Study of Early Multilingualism in Germany with Special Reference to Catalan as a Heritage Language
Authors: Arnaus Gil Laia , Jiménez-Gaspar Amelia
Published: October 2022

In heritage language acquisition studies, it has been observed that heritage speakers may experience a shift of language dominance from the heritage language to the majority language due to input quantity and quality factors. The appearance of code-switching in the productions of multilingual speakers has been well attested and has been mostly linked to age and language dominance as well as family language policies and consistence of input, among other factors. For the appearance of code-switching, our cross-sectional study analyses language dominance (MLU) and fluency (w/minute) along with child-external factors, such as family language policies, family language and siblings’ interaction, in sixteen multilingual children (mean age 5;7) being raised in Germany with German and Catalan (and another L1) simultaneously. In a nutshell, children who are dominant in the majority language ultimately code-switch more frequently than the other groups. Interestingly, balanced and heritage-language-dominant children present instances of intrasentential code-switching (particularly insertions and alternations), while intersentential code-switching is frequent across all groups. When families have chosen the ‘one person-one language’ strategy and do not have a family language, code-switching is almost absent. Finally, sibling groups using both the heritage and the majority languages in their interactions show low code-switching rates.
Questioning Strict Separationism in Unsettled Times: Rethinking the Strict Separation of Church and State in United States Constitutional Law
Authors: Prud’homme Joseph G.
Published: October 2022

Contemporary case law in the United States surrounding the establishment clause of the federal Constitution has entered a period of remarkable uncertainty. Now is an appropriate time to revisit the legal foundations of the Supreme Court’s seminal cases of Everson v. Board of Education (1947) and McCollum v. Board of Education (1948). These cases initiated the Court’s strict separationist construction of the establishment clause. In response to critics who see these cases as without judicial warrant, I argue that the holdings rest on a particular form of substantive due process. Further, I defend the methodology the Court deploys in these cases. Recognizing the legal foundations of Everson and McCollum and the tenability of the method the Court deploys in these cases improves our understanding of important Supreme Court case law. However, it also highlights new lines of critique of the Court’s strict separationist jurisprudence—a conclusion especially relevant today, given the Court’s willingness to revise long-standing precedents.
A Regulatory Perspective on the Actual Challenges for the European Deposit Insurance Scheme
Authors: Tofan Mihaela
Published: October 2022

The European financial regulation is evolving with new and specific forms of cooperation for the member states, enhancing concepts and innovative rule of law, particularly featuring the actual level of harmonization. This paper investigates the European deposit insurance scheme, in the context of the European law development, in reply to the current economic and social challenges and in accordance with the principles of the free market. The methods of research include a theoretical investigation of the relevant literature, a comparison of the proposed regulation and regulation in force, synthesis, and deduction. The research results are based on the assessment of the progress of negotiation in building efficient mechanisms to stimulate money saving conduct for individuals and legal persons, globally and within the European Union. Acknowledging the status of the three pillars of the European banking union legislative package, the member states have unanimously agreed that the framework established by the Directive from 2014 needed a bracing approach, to ensure more protection and to support enhanced financial integration. The analysis carried out showed the importance of the European deposit insurance scheme in the context of the present global challenges. The money saving conduct was strongly influenced by the regulation for the deposit guarantee mechanism, while the tight estimated agenda for the final regulatory proposal asks for ingenious cooperation to reach a consensus within members states. The research showed the imperative to build common legislation for the member states and a future direction of investigation to evaluate the effects of the gap between the domestic regulation and milestone generated by the European directives in each state legal framework.
Long-Term Macular Vascular Changes after Primary Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Surgery Resolved with Different Tamponade or Different Surgical Techniques
Authors: Gironi Matteo , D’Aloisio Rossella , Verdina Tommaso , Vivarelli Chiara , Leonelli Riccardo , Kaleci Shaniko , Toto Lisa , Mastropasqua Rodolfo
Published: October 2022

Background: The aim of this study was to assess long-term macular vascular changes and their correlation with functional recovery in patients successfully treated for Macula-ON and Macula-OFF rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). Methods: This retrospective observational study included 82 eyes of 82 patients who received primary successful retinal detachment surgery, 33 Macula-ON and 49 Macula-OFF. Superficial and deep capillary plexuses (SCP and DCP) were evaluated by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and were correlated with visual acuity (VA), surgical technique and tamponade at 12 months after surgery. The fellow eyes were used as controls. Results: At 12-month follow-up, there was a significant decrease in the vessel density (VD) in the SCP in the operated eyes compared to control eyes (p < 0.05) in both the Macula-ON and Macula-OFF groups. Vessel length density (VLD) decrease in SCP was more extended in the Macula-OFF group. No difference in the DCP perfusion parameters was found, compared to controls. Subgroup analysis dependent on the type of surgery or tamponade showed no significant differences of VD and VLD. An inverse correlation was found between the SCP VD and the duration of silicone oil (SO) tamponade (p = 0.039). A significant correlation was observed between parafoveal SCP VD and final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (p = 0.028). The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that only the type of tamponade was significantly correlated with the final BCVA in the Macula-ON group (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Our study described long-term perfusion changes in RRD after surgery, with lower SCP VD and VLD in the operated eyes compared to the fellow ones, not influenced by type of surgery or tamponade. The choice of tamponade and SO removal timing may affect functional outcomes, especially in Macula-ON RRD. In conclusion, such functional and perfusion changes can be considered biomarkers that highlight the relevance of careful management of this sight-threatening disease.
Phosphatidylethanol in Maternal or Neonatal Blood to Detect Alcohol Exposure during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Franceschetto Lisa , Perilli Matteo , Cinquetti Alessandro , Giraudo Chiara , Gardi Mario , Cecchetto Giovanni , Viel Guido
Published: October 2022

Background: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even at low doses, may damage the fetus. Pregnant women tend to underreport their alcohol consumption generating the need for sensitive and specific biomarkers, among which PEth has emerged due to its high specificity and possibility to be measured in both maternal and neonatal blood. The aim of this study is to systematically review the latest 20 years of literature for depicting the state of the art, the limitations, and the prospects of PEth for estimating alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Materials and methods: A systematic search, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, of the latest 20 years of literature through “MeSH” and “free-text” protocols in the databases PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science, with time limits 1 January 2002–1 March 2022, was performed. The inclusion criteria were as follows: PEth used for detecting alcohol consumption during pregnancy, quantified in blood through liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and full texts in the English language. Opinion papers, editorials, and narrative reviews were excluded. Results: Sixteen (16) papers were included in the present review (0.81% of total retrieved records). All the included records were original articles, of which there were seven prospective cohort/longitudinal studies, six cross-sectional studies, two observational-descriptive studies, and one retrospective study. All studies assayed PEth in at least one biological matrix; seven (7) studies quantified PEth in maternal blood, seven studies in newborn blood, and only two studies in both maternal and neonatal blood. In several included papers, PEth proved more sensitive than self-reports for identifying pregnant women with an active alcohol intake with the diagnostic efficiency improving with the increase of the maternal alcohol intake. Conclusions: Further studies, performed on wider and well-stratified populations, are needed to drive any definitive conclusion. PEth is a promising marker for monitoring alcohol use in pregnancy; however, at the present time, its use is still limited mainly by the absence of a globally agreed interpretative cut-off, the paucity of data regarding its specificity/sensitivity, and the lack of standardization on the diagnostic efficiency of the different isoforms.
The Neuroprotective Effect of NEUROMIDE, a Compound Bioidentical to Commensal Bacteria Metabolites
Authors: Seo Yoonhee , Tak Hyunji , Park Dohee , Song Hyejin , Choe Sooyoung , Park Chaehyeong , Park Byeongdeog
Published: October 2022

GPR119 is a novel cannabinoid receptor that is primarily expressed in the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract and has beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis exerted through the stimulation of GLP-1 secretion, as demonstrated in the rodent brain. GLP-1 also has important anti-inflammatory effects in chronic inflammatory diseases, including type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, psoriasis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the effect of the gut microbiota on both the gut and the brain. However, few studies have examined how gut microbes affect brain health through the endocannabinoid system. NEUROMIDE is a compound that shares a bioidentical structure with certain commensal bacterial metabolites, acting as a CB1 and GPR119 agonist. In an in vitro system exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS), pretreatment with NEUROMIDE resulted in a significant increase in cell viability. The ROS-exposed system also showed decreased acetylcholine and an increase in inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, changes that were counteracted in a dose-dependent manner in the NEUROMIDE treatment groups. To measure the effectiveness of NEUROMIDE in an in vivo system, we used scopolamine-treated mice as a neurodegenerative disease model and performed a series of passive avoidance tests to observe and quantify the cognitive impairment of the mice. Mice in the NEUROMIDE treatment group had increased latency time, thus indicating an improvement in their cognitive function. Furthermore, the NEUROMIDE treatment groups showed dose-dependent increases in acetylcholine along with decreases in TNF-α and IL-1β. These experiments demonstrate that NEUROMIDE can potentially be used for neuroprotection and the improvement of cognitive ability.
Effect of Salinity and Plant Growth Promoters on Secondary Metabolism and Growth of Milk Thistle Ecotypes
Authors: Zahra Noreen , Wahid Abdul , Hafeez Muhammad Bilal , Lalarukh Irfana , Batool Aaliya , Uzair Muhammad , El-Sheikh Mohamed A. , Alansi Saleh , Kaushik Prashant
Published: October 2022

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.)) is a wild medicinal herbal plant that is widely used in folk medicine due to its high content of secondary metabolites (SMs) and silymarin; however, the data regarding the response of milk thistle to salinity are still scarce and scanty. The present study evaluated the effect of salinity on a geographically diverse population of milk thistle and on the role of medium supplementation (MS) with ascorbic acid, thiourea, and moringa leaf extract in improving the SMs and growth-related attributes under salinity stress (SS). For germination, a 120 mM level of salinity was applied in the soil during the seedling stage. After salinity development, predetermined levels of the following compounds were used for MS: thiourea (250 µM), moringa leaf extract (3%), and ascorbic acid (500 µM). The data regarding growth attributes showed that SS impaired plant growth and development and increased SM production, including alkaloids, anthocyanin, and saponins. Moreover, ascorbic acid, followed by moringa leaf extract, was the most effective in improving growth by virtue of increased SMs, especially under salt stress conditions. The present study demonstrated that milk thistle could withstand moderate doses of SS, while MS improved all the growth parameters by increasing the accumulation of SMs.
Increased Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Asymptomatic Individuals Is Associated with the PCSK9 (rs2149041) Gene Polymorphism in the Mexican Mestizo Population: Results of the GEA Cohort
Authors: Posadas-Sánchez Rosalinda , Vargas-Alarcón Gilberto , Pérez-Méndez Óscar , Pérez-Hernández Nonanzit , Rodríguez-Pérez José Manuel
Published: October 2022

The increase in carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) are features of subclinical atherosclerosis that might be determined by the genetic background of patients. Among the multiple risk factors, the proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has a great impact on atheroma development. Then, we focused on the potential association of the PCSK9 gene polymorphism (rs2149041) with the risk of an increased CIMT. We included 881 unrelated, asymptomatic individuals (732 normal CIMT and 149 increased CIMT) who lacked coronary calcification (CAC score = 0). Under the recessive inheritance model and adjusted by several cardiovascular risk factors, the rs2149041 polymorphism, determined by TaqMan genotyping assay, was associated with a high risk of increased CIMT (OR = 2.10, 95% IC = 1.26–3.47, P recessive = 0.004). Our results suggest that the rs2149041 polymorphism could be a risk marker for increased CIMT in asymptomatic individuals without coronary artery disease determined by the absence of a CAC score.
Regulation of LL-37 in Bone and Periodontium Regeneration
Authors: Chinipardaz Zahra , Zhong Jessica M. , Yang Shuying
Published: October 2022

The goal of regenerative therapy is to restore the structure and function of the lost tissues in the fields of medicine and dentistry. However, there are some challenges in regeneration therapy such as the delivery of oxygen and nutrition, and the risk of infection in conditions such as periodontitis, osteomyelitis, etc. Leucine leucine-37 (LL-37) is a 37-residue, amphipathic, and helical peptide found only in humans and is expressed throughout the body. It has been shown to induce neovascularization and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. LL-37 also stimulates the migration and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Recent studies have shown that LL-37 plays an important role in the innate defense system through the elimination of pathogenic microbes and the modulation of the host immune response. LL-37 also manifests other functions such as promoting wound healing, angiogenesis, cell differentiation, and modulating apoptosis. This review summarizes the current studies on the structure, expression, and function of LL-37 and highlights the contributions of LL-37 to oral cavity, periodontium, and bone regeneration.