bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bearing the Burdens we (don’t Tend to) Bare
Authors: Moyse Ashley John
Published: August 2021

The burdens of older life, during what Peter Laslett calls the fourth-age, exaggerate feelings of fear and desire while resourcing despair. Some such burdens are borne from human corporeality. Others are socially constructed and afflict older persons further. A typology of burdens is introduced, identifying reflexive, transitive, and accusative burdens. The reflexive dirge of the person grieving their losses of competence, self-sufficiency, and independence includes a transitive counterpart, where a person’s self-perceived burden includes also the sense that one has become a burden to others. The accusative burden is experienced when persons are marked by others, catastrophically, as a burden. Regardless, these burdens must be given attention while attending to the ideations that prioritise independence but risk despair. Thus the relation between burdened self-image, despair, and late modern and policy preoccupations with independence will further focus such attention. Specifically, the prominence of independence in narratives of successful ageing will be interrogated, while inviting theological reflection on the reality of dependence and the nature of bodily life, together. That the Christian theological tradition teaches that human beings are bodies and are mutually dependent presses back against dogmas that prioritise independence and other icons of discrete subjectivity. Pointing toward Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s understanding of vicarious representative action, the reader is invited to consider again the kind of language in policy and for practice that might humanise persons in exchanges of responsible care(giving) and mutual dependence throughout the life course.
Prediction of river suspended sediment load using machine learning models and geo-morphometric parameters
Authors: Asadi Maryam , Fathzadeh Ali , Kerry Ruth , Ebrahimi-Khusfi Zohre , Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi Ruhollah
Published: August 2021

Estimating sediment load of rivers is one of the major problems in river engineering that has been using various data mining algorithms and variables. It is desirable to obtain accurate estimates of sediment load while using techniques that limit computational intensity when datasets are large. This study investigates the usefulness of geo-morphometric factors and machine learning (ML) models for predicting suspended sediment load (SSL) in several river basins in Lorestan and Gilan, Iran. Six ML models, namely, multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (ANN), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), Gaussian processes (GP), support vector machines (SVM), and evolutionary support vector machines (ESVM), were evaluated for estimating minimum and average SSL for the study regions. Geo-morphometric parameters and river discharge data were utilized as the main predictors in modeling process. In addition, an attribute reduction technique was applied to decrease the algorithm complexity and computational resources used. The results showed that all models estimated both target variables well. However, the optimal models for predicting average sediment load and minimum sediment load were the GP and ESVM models, respectively.
The cardiac nanoenvironment: form and function at the nanoscale
Authors: Singh Jashan P. , Young Jennifer L.
Published: August 2021

Mechanical forces in the cardiovascular system occur over a wide range of length scales. At the whole organ level, large scale forces drive the beating heart as a synergistic unit. On the microscale, individual cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) exhibit dynamic reciprocity, with mechanical feedback moving bidirectionally. Finally, in the nanometer regime, molecular features of cells and the ECM show remarkable sensitivity to mechanical cues. While small, these nanoscale properties are in many cases directly responsible for the mechanosensitive signaling processes that elicit cellular outcomes. Given the inherent challenges in observing, quantifying, and reconstituting this nanoscale environment, it is not surprising that this landscape has been understudied compared to larger length scales. Here, we aim to shine light upon the cardiac nanoenvironment, which plays a crucial role in maintaining physiological homeostasis while also underlying pathological processes. Thus, we will highlight strategies aimed at (1) elucidating the nanoscale components of the cardiac matrix, and (2) designing new materials and biosystems capable of mimicking these features in vitro.
Morphological characteristics of ephyrae of Aurelia coerulea derived from planula strobilation
Authors: Takauchi Satsuki , Miyake Hiroshi , Hirata Naoya , Nagai Momoka , Suzuki Nobuo , Ogiso Shouzo , Ikeguchi Shinichiro
Published: August 2021

Ephyrae are produced through the strobilation of polyps in the general life cycle of Aurelia coerulea. However, it has been reported that planulae can also metamorphose directly into ephyrae, without passing through the polyp stage. There is a mixture of ephyrae developed from planulae (planula-strobilated ephyrae) and ephyrae developed from polyps (polyp-strobilated ephyrae) in the ephyra population. However, the effect of the planula-strobilated ephyrae on the ephyra population is yet to be determined, since their morphological characteristics have not yet been elucidated. This study aimed to determine the morphological characteristics to distinguish between planula-strobilated and polyp-strobilated ephyrae. The differences in body dimensions, such as total body diameter (TBD), central disc diameter (CDD), lappet stem length (LStL), rhopalial lappet length (RLL), and total marginal lappet length (TMLL) were compared between the two types of ephyra. Thus, we show that body proportions can be used to identify planula- and polyp-strobilated ephyrae. The ranges for identifying planula-strobilated ephyra were 35.0–38.3% for CDD/TBD, 56.7–64.9% for LStL/CDD, 84.7–99.5% for TMLL/CDD, and 31.0–37.5% for RLL/TMLL. This method could be an important basis for devising countermeasures for jellyfish blooms in areas where ephyrae deriving from planula strobilation occur.
Diagnosing hospital bacteraemia in the framework of predictive, preventive and personalised medicine using electronic health records and machine learning classifiers
Authors: Garnica Oscar , Gómez Diego , Ramos Víctor , Hidalgo J. Ignacio , Ruiz-Giardín José M.
Published: August 2021

Background

The bacteraemia prediction is relevant because sepsis is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality. Bacteraemia prognosis primarily depends on a rapid diagnosis. The bacteraemia prediction would shorten up to 6 days the diagnosis, and, in conjunction with individual patient variables, should be considered to start the early administration of personalised antibiotic treatment and medical services, the election of specific diagnostic techniques and the determination of additional treatments, such as surgery, that would prevent subsequent complications. Machine learning techniques could help physicians make these informed decisions by predicting bacteraemia using the data already available in electronic hospital records.

Objective

This study presents the application of machine learning techniques to these records to predict the blood culture’s outcome, which would reduce the lag in starting a personalised antibiotic treatment and the medical costs associated with erroneous treatments due to conservative assumptions about blood culture outcomes.

Methods

Six supervised classifiers were created using three machine learning techniques, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest and K-Nearest Neighbours, on the electronic health records of hospital patients. The best approach to handle missing data was chosen and, for each machine learning technique, two classification models were created: the first uses the features known at the time of blood extraction, whereas the second uses four extra features revealed during the blood culture.

Results

The six classifiers were trained and tested using a dataset of 4357 patients with 117 features per patient. The models obtain predictions that, for the best case, are up to a state-of-the-art accuracy of 85.9%, a sensitivity of 87.4% and an AUC of 0.93.

Conclusions

Our results provide cutting-edge metrics of interest in predictive medical models with values that exceed the medical practice threshold and previous results in the literature using classical modelling techniques in specific types of bacteraemia. Additionally, the consistency of results is reasserted because the three classifiers’ importance ranking shows similar features that coincide with those that physicians use in their manual heuristics. Therefore, the efficacy of these machine learning techniques confirms their viability to assist in the aims of predictive and personalised medicine once the disease presents bacteraemia-compatible symptoms and to assist in improving the healthcare economy.
A Grid for all Seasons: Enhancing the Integration of Variable Solar and Wind Power in Electricity Systems Across Africa
Authors: Sterl Sebastian
Published: August 2021

Purpose of review

This review paper assesses recent scientific findings around the integration of variable renewable electricity (VRE) sources, mostly solar PV and wind power, on power grids across Africa, in the context of expanding electricity access while ensuring low costs and reducing fossil fuel emissions.

Recent findings

In this context, significant research attention has been given to increased cross-border transmission infrastructure between African countries to harness the spatiotemporal complementarities between renewable electricity resources, as well as to storage options, such as battery storage and power-to-gas.

Much of the recent, model-based literature suggests that a combination of increased interconnections in and between Africa’s power pools, leveraging spatiotemporal complementarities between solar PV, wind and hydropower, as well as a large-scale deployment of storage options could help African countries meet their burgeoning power demand with largely decarbonized electricity supply.
Congenital Intracranial Teratoma—An Intractable Enigma: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Sabu Brinda , Khan Tazeen , Vidyalekshmy R , Jain Naveen
Published: August 2021

Congenital intracranial tumors are rare, accounting for 0.5–1.9% of pediatric tumors. Though antenatal detection rates have improved with ultrasound (US) and MRI, histopathology gives a definite diagnosis. Prognosis is guarded as there is no effective postnatal treatment. We present a fetus incidentally diagnosed with intracranial teratoma by US and MRI at 36 weeks of gestation. Elective cesarean was performed for anticipated labor dystocia. A female baby with head circumference > 99th centile was delivered. Due to the invasive growth potential of the tumor, the baby succumbed at 4 months of palliative care. Further research is required for devising new treatment modalities to tackle this intractable condition.
The Causal Structure of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model and Absenteeism in a Cohort Study of German Employees
Authors: Montano Diego , Peter Richard
Published: August 2021

The present study contributes to previous research by assessing the validity of the causal structure of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model in relation to the psychosocial mechanisms involved in sickness absenteeism. To this end, data from the German Cohort Study on Work, Age, Health and Work Participation are analysed (lidA Study, n = 6,270). The main hypotheses concerning short- and long-term sick-leave rates are investigated with six hurdle regression models. The results suggest that a high effort-reward imbalance, and high efforts and low rewards at work are associated with an increasing likelihood of sick leave. However, the combination of high effort-reward imbalance and high overcommitment was associated with lower sick-leave rates, in contradiction to the hypothesis postulating cumulative adverse effects of increased effort-reward imbalance and high overcommitment on health-related outcomes. Long-term sick-leave rates among workers of higher occupational and educational status were substantially lower in comparison to those among workers of lower status categories. Even though most hypotheses of the Effort-Reward Imbalance model are suitable for explaining the patterns of absenteeism in this sample, the results point to more complex motivational processes and socioeconomic characteristics of employees moderating and mediating the associations between perceived efforts and rewards at work and absenteeism.
Characteristics of an Effective Child Protection System in the European and International Contexts
Authors: Bruning Mariëlle R. , Doek Jaap E.
Published: August 2021

In the European context, an understanding that States are responsible for an effective child protection system is well established. Further, all 47 members of the CoE have adopted the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and all European countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Thus, States have come to understand their responsibility in terms of the child’s right to protection. The aim of this article is to explicate core elements of an effective child protection system within a child’s rights framework. This aim is accomplished by highlighting and providing analysis of the principles set forth in the CRC and further elaborated in General Comment No. 13 (2011) and by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the main components of policies and other relevant documents of the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE), and caselaw from the European Court of Human Rights (ECrtHR) and then presenting recommendations for an effective State-run child protection system.
Construction and Characterization of a Nanostructured Biocatalyst Consisting of Immobilized Lipase on Mg-Amino-Clay
Authors: Zhang Mingzhu , Sun Shiyong , Lv Rui , Golubev Yevgeny Aleksandrovich , Wang Ke , Dong Faqin , Kotova Olga Borisovna , Kotova Elena Leonidovna
Published: August 2021

Lipase is an industrial enzyme, the catalytic efficiency of which is restricted by various environmental factors. To improve this efficiency, immobilization technology has been utilized in the past to improve the stability of lipase in harsh conditions. Immobilization technology can be divided into physical methods and chemical methods. Some unsolved problems remain in current immobilization technology. The interaction between enzyme and immobilization support is weak and reversible during physical adsorption, resulting in poor stability of the immobilized enzyme and the contamination of substrate solution by leached enzymes. In chemical methods, enzyme-active sites might be inactivated due to the chemical reactions between enzyme molecules and support, resulting in a decrease in the enzymes’ catalytic activity (Liu et al., 2018a). The objective of the current study was to construct a nanostructured lipase via Mg-amino-clay as a carrier and improve the catalytic activity and stability of lipase by immobilization. Lipase produced by Aspergillus oryzae was immobilized on aminopropyl functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (a 2:1 trioctahedral talc-like silicate Mg-amino-clay) via a 1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethyl-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) coupling agent. The physical and chemical properties of the Mg-amino-clay and Mg-amino-clay-based nanostructured biocatalyst (Mg-clay-lipase) were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Optimal immobilization conditions were determined by taking into account the following variables: amount of initial lipase, EDC concentration, and reaction time. The results revealed that the optimum temperature, pH, and thermal stability of Mg-clay-lipase were greater than equivalent values for free lipase under optimal conditions (described below – Process for Immobilization of Lipase on Mg-amino-clay). The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) values were 5.25 mM and 7.42 mM while the maximum reaction rates (vmax) were 30.58 mM/(L·min) and 55.87 mM/(L·min) for free lipase and Mg-clay-lipase, respectively. The present study provided a new nanostructured biocatalyst and demonstrated that the enzyme activity and stability of Mg-clay-lipase were superior to those of free lipase due to the mechanism of 'interface activation'.
QRS score: A simple marker to quantify the extent of myocardial scarring in patients with chronic total arterial occlusion
Authors: Guo Hongzhou , Zhou Xuan , Xu Jiaying , Ye Zhishuai , Guo Lei , Huang Rongchong
Published: August 2021

Background

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) is a critical and unique subgroup of coronary lesions. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the Selvester QRS score and late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (LGE‐CMRI) in quantifying myocardial scarring to provide a simple and feasible method for treating CTO.

Methods

The medical records of 134 patients with absolute CTO who underwent coronary angiography between May 1, 2014 and December 30, 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were grouped according to the CTO location (right coronary artery [RCA] CTO, left artery descending [LAD] CTO, left circumflex [LCX] CTO, and multivessel CTO groups). The degree of myocardial scarring was determined according to the Selvester QRS score and using the LGE‐CMRI. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months.

Results

Among the 62 CTO patients, 55 had occlusion of a single vessel and seven had occlusion of multiple vessels, of which 27 (43.55%) were in the RCA CTO group, 16 (25.81%) in the LAD CTO group, 12 (19.35%) in the LCX CTO group, and 7 (11.29%) in the multivessel CTO group. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the QRS score that was used to determine the degree of myocardial scarring was 0.806, with a sensitivity and specificity of 94.7% and 42.1%, respectively. The Selvester QRS score and LGE‐CMRI measures of scar size were correlated in the RCA CTO, LCX CTO, and multivessel CTO groups (r = 0.466, 0.593, and 0.775, respectively).

Conclusion

The Selvester QRS score was feasible for detecting myocardial scarring in patients with CTO.
Major advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma in American Society of Hematology annual meeting 2020
Authors: Du Jianhua , Zhuang Junling
Published: August 2021

Treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) has advanced dramatically in the past two decades. However, under the conditions of the COVID‐19 pandemic, treatment strategies have been modified accordingly. Numerous novel agents, updated trials, and major advances in myeloma have been reported in the American Society of Hematology 2020 annual meeting, either for transplant‐eligible or ineligible patients. Hot topics such as the significance of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), development of novel agents, and chimeric antigen receptor‐T (CAR‐T) cells have been widely discussed. The triplet regimen bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (VRd) is recommended as the standard first‐line treatment, and the addition of a fourth drug improves efficacy and survival. The value of ASCT remains undoubtful, even in the era of quadruplet induction. Dual‐drug maintenance, including proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs, overcomes unfavorable outcomes in high‐risk patients. For relapsed/refractory myeloma (RRMM) patients, novel agents such as selinexor and venetoclax are superior. CAR‐T cells and other cell‐surface‐targeted therapies also appear promising.
Quality of life among women with postpartum urinary incontinence: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Liang Yi , Chen Yiqian , Yu Xiaojie , Li Xiaodan
Published: August 2021

Objective

To provide a general description of women with postpartum urinary incontinence (PPUI), and investigate the effect of different types of PPUI with varied severity on affected women's quality of life.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study in China that included 130 women with reported symptoms of PPUI. At the sixth to eighth week postpartum, we analyzed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and compared women's quality of life (measured using the I-QOL and IIQ-7) by severity of PPUI (measured using the ICI-Q-SF), types of PPUI, stages of prolapse, and age.

Results

81 of the (62.3%) participating women were classified as mild PPUI, 43 as (33.1%) moderate, and 6 as (4.6%) severe, with 80 of these (61.5%) were grouped into stress urinary incontinence (SUI). With the symptoms of PPUI becoming more severer the total I-QOL score decreased significantly, and the total IIQ-7 score increased. Women with MUI reported lower scores for I-QOL and behavioral impacts, and higher scores of IIQ-7 than those with SUI.

Conclusions

We found that more severe symptoms of UI and prolapse more negatively affected the quality of life of postpartum women, and women with MUI experienced a lower QOL.
Connecting the Obligation Gap: Indonesia’sNon-RefoulementResponsibility Beyond the 1951 Refugee Convention
Authors: Tobing Dio Herdiawan
Published: August 2021

This article explains the extent to which Indonesia has international obligations to comply with thenon-refoulementprinciple in the absence of ratification of the 1951 Refugee Convention. While Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 concerning the Treatment of Refugees provides the general impression that Indonesia respects thenon-refoulementprinciple, there is no specific text within Indonesian law and policy that regulates the matter. This article argues that Indonesia is legally bound bynon-refoulementobligations under international human rights treaties to which it is a party, as well as under customary international law. It examines the extent of Indonesia’snon-refoulementobligations under the Convention Against Torture, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and customary international law. It concludes that the Presidential Regulation was a missed opportunity for Indonesia to reinforce itsnon-refoulementobligations, as illustrated by the recent treatment of Rohingya asylum seekers near Aceh.
Outpatient antibiotic prescribing for common infections via telemedicine versus face-to-face visits: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Authors: Suzuki Hiroyuki , Marra Alexandre R. , Hasegawa Shinya , Livorsi Daniel J. , Goto Michihiko , Perencevich Eli N. , Ohl Michael E. , DeBerg Jennifer , Schweizer Marin L.
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To evaluate the frequency of antibiotic prescribing for common infections via telemedicine compared to face-to-face visits.

Design:

Systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase (Elsevier platform) and Cochrane CENTRAL to identify studies comparing frequency of antibiotic prescribing via telemedicine and face-to-face visits without restrictions by publish dates or language used. We conducted meta-analyses of 5 infections: sinusitis, pharyngitis, otitis media, upper respiratory infection (URI) and urinary tract infection (UTI). Random-effect models were used to obtain pooled odds ratios (ORs). Heterogeneity was evaluated with I2 estimation and the Cochran Q statistic test.

Results:

Among 3,106 studies screened, 23 studies (1 randomized control study, 22 observational studies) were included in the systematic literature review. Most of the studies (21 of 23) were conducted in the United States. Studies were substantially heterogenous, but stratified analyses revealed that providers prescribed antibiotics more frequently via telemedicine for otitis media (pooled odds ratio [OR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.52; I2 = 31%) and pharyngitis (pooled OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01–1.33; I2 = 0%). We detected no significant difference in the frequencies of antibiotic prescribing for sinusitis (pooled OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.70–1.06; I2 = 91%), URI (pooled OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.59–2.39; I2 = 100%), or UTI (pooled OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 0.88–7.46; I2 = 91%).

Conclusions:

Telemedicine visits for otitis media and pharyngitis were associated with higher rates of antibiotic prescribing. The interpretation of these findings requires caution due to substantial heterogeneity among available studies. Large-scale, well-designed studies with comprehensive assessment of antibiotic prescribing for common outpatient infections comparing telemedicine and face-to-face visits are needed to validate our findings.
Cognitive Penetration and Cognitive Realism
Authors: Beni Majid D.
Published: August 2021

The paper addresses the issue of theory-ladenness of observation/experimentation. Motivated by a naturalistic reading of Thomas Kuhn's insights into the same topic, I draw on cognitive neuroscience (predictive coding under Free Energy Principle) to scrutinise theory-ladenness. I equate theory-ladenness with the cognitive penetrability of perceptual inferences and argue that strong theory-ladenness prevails only under uncertain circumstances. This understanding of theory-ladenness is in line with Thomas Kuhn's view on the same subject as well as a cognitive version of modest realism rather than downright antirealism.
Zarankiewicz’s problem for semilinear hypergraphs
Authors: Basit Abdul , Chernikov Artem , Starchenko Sergei , Tao Terence , Tran Chieu-Minh
Published: August 2021

A bipartite graph$H = \left (V_1, V_2; E \right )$with$\lvert V_1\rvert + \lvert V_2\rvert = n$issemilinearif$V_i \subseteq \mathbb {R}^{d_i}$for some$d_i$and the edge relationEconsists of the pairs of points$(x_1, x_2) \in V_1 \times V_2$satisfying a fixed Boolean combination ofslinear equalities and inequalities in$d_1 + d_2$variables for somes. We show that for a fixedk, the number of edges in a$K_{k,k}$-free semilinearHis almost linear inn, namely$\lvert E\rvert = O_{s,k,\varepsilon }\left (n^{1+\varepsilon }\right )$for any$\varepsilon> 0$; and more generally,$\lvert E\rvert = O_{s,k,r,\varepsilon }\left (n^{r-1 + \varepsilon }\right )$for a$K_{k, \dotsc ,k}$-free semilinearr-partiter-uniform hypergraph.

As an application, we obtain the following incidence bound: given$n_1$points and$n_2$open boxes with axis-parallel sides in$\mathbb {R}^d$such that their incidence graph is$K_{k,k}$-free, there can be at most$O_{k,\varepsilon }\left (n^{1+\varepsilon }\right )$incidences. The same bound holds if instead of boxes, one takes polytopes cut out by the translates of an arbitrary fixed finite set of half-spaces.

We also obtain matching upper and (superlinear) lower bounds in the case of dyadic boxes on the plane, and point out some connections to the model-theoretic trichotomy ino-minimal structures (showing that the failure of an almost-linear bound for some definable graph allows one to recover the field operations from that graph in a definable manner).
Associations between maternal thyroid function in pregnancy and child neurodevelopmental outcomes at 20 months in the Seychelles Child Development Study, Nutrition Cohort 2 (SCDS NC2)
Authors: Monaghan Anna M. , Mulhern Maria S. , Mc Sorley Emeir M. , Strain J.J. , Winter Theresa , van Wijngaarden Edwin , Myers Gary J. , Davidson Philip W. , Shamlaye Conrad , Gedeon Jude , Yeates Alison J.
Published: August 2021

Maternal thyroid hormones facilitate optimal foetal neurodevelopment; however, the exact role of the thyroid hormones on specific cognitive outcomes is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate associations between maternal thyroid function and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS) Nutrition 2 cohort (n 1328). Maternal free thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4 and fTSH) were assessed at 28 weeks’ gestation with a range of child cognitive outcomes analysed at 20 months. Dietary iodine intake was analysed for a subset of women through a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Linear regression analysis was used to test associations between serum concentrations of maternal thyroid hormones and child neurodevelopment outcomes. Thyroid hormones were analysed as continuous data and categorised as quintiles. 95% of mothers had optimal thyroid function based on fTSH concentrations. Overall, the present study shows that maternal thyroid function is not associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in this high fish-eating population. However, a positive association, using quintiles for fT3, was reported for the Mental Developmental Index, between Q3 v. Q4 (β 0⋅073; P 0⋅043) and for Q3 v. Q5 (β value 0⋅086; P 0⋅018). To conclude, mothers in our cohort, who largely have optimal thyroid function and iodine intakes, appear able to regulate thyroid function throughout pregnancy to meet neurodevelopmental needs. However, it is possible that minor imbalances of fT3, as indicated from our secondary analysis, may impact offspring neurodevelopment. Further investigation of the relationship between maternal thyroid function and infant neurodevelopment is warranted, particularly in populations with different dietary patterns and thereby iodine intakes.
A promenade at Lepcis Magna: Experiencing buildings from the Augustan to the Antonine era
Authors: Mugnai Niccolò
Published: August 2021

This article investigates the visibility of public edifices at Lepcis Magna (Lebdah, Libya) and how people in antiquity approached, lived, and experienced them. It engages with the buildings’ layout, architectural and sculptural ornamentation, and epigraphic apparatuses, looking at the transformations of the cityscape from Augustus to the Antonine era. The analysis highlights the importance of private and public patronage and how social status was showcased through the monumentality and visibility of new constructions in an evolving urban environment. Buildings and their ornament drew upon a range of architectural and decorative models: influences from the centre of Empire and the Mediterranean world, long-lasting Hellenistic traditions, as well as North African and locally created, or reinterpreted, motifs that contributed to shaping the Lepcitanian architectural taste.
Comparison of serum BDNF, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP and leucocyte levels in unipolar mania and bipolar disorder
Authors: Gorgulu Yasemin , Uluturk Milkibar Kyazim , Palabiyik Orkide
Published: August 2021

Objective:

Unipolar mania is not included in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-5 (DSM-5) as a separate diagnosis, although it is defined by widely accepted diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between unipolar mania and bipolar disorder in terms of clinical and inflammatory parameters.

Methods:

The data of 495 hospitalised patients with bipolar disorder diagnoses were analysed retrospectively. Forty met the diagnostic criteria for unipolar mania. Two patients refused to participate in the study. Thirty-eight unipolar mania patients and 42 randomly selected patients with bipolar disorder diagnosis were included in the study. The two groups were compared in terms of sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor, C-reactive protein (CRP), leucocyte and cytokine levels.

Results:

A total of 40 (8.08%) of 495 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder met the unipolar mania diagnostic criteria. The number of manic episodes and the number of hospitalisations were statistically higher in the unipolar mania group than in the bipolar disorder group. Among all the manic symptoms, the incidence of symptoms such as euphoria, increased sexual interest, grandiosity and delusions were found to be statistically higher in the unipolar mania group. Interleukin (IL)-6 and CRP levels were significantly higher in the unipolar mania group than in the bipolar disorder group.

Conclusion:

Unipolar mania differs from bipolar disorder in terms of clinical features and serum IL-6 and CRP levels.
A FRAMEWORK FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY RADIOCARBON RESEARCH: USE OF NATURAL-LEVEL AND ELEVATED-LEVEL 14C IN ANTARCTIC FIELD RESEARCH
Authors: Venturelli Ryan A , Vick-Majors Trista J , Collins Billy , Gagnon Alan , Kasic Kathy , Kurz Mark D , Li Wei , Priscu John , Roberts Mark , Rosenheim Brad E ,   SALSA Science Team
Published: August 2021

Radiocarbon (14C) is an isotopic tracer used to address a wide range of scientific research questions. However, contamination by elevated levels of 14C is deleterious to natural-level laboratory workspaces and accelerator mass spectrometer facilities designed to precisely measure small amounts of 14C. The risk of contaminating materials and facilities intended for natural-level 14C with elevated-level 14C-labeled materials has dictated near complete separation of research groups practicing profoundly different measurements. Such separation can hinder transdisciplinary research initiatives, especially in remote and isolated field locations where both natural-level and elevated-level radiocarbon applications may be useful. This paper outlines the successful collaboration between researchers making natural-level 14C measurements and researchers using 14C-labeled materials during a subglacial drilling project in West Antarctica (SALSA 2018–2019). Our strict operating protocol allowed us to successfully carry out 14C labeling experiments within close quarters at our remote field camp without contaminating samples of sediment and water intended for natural level 14C measurements. Here we present our collaborative protocol for maintaining natural level 14C cleanliness as a framework for future transdisciplinary radiocarbon collaborations.
Government work in Idi Amin's Uganda
Authors: Peterson Derek R.
Published: August 2021

Under Idi Amin's government, institutions that served the public interest were dramatically under-resourced. An array of self-nominated, self-important, self-righteous people were empowered to take on administrative tasks that, in an earlier dispensation, had been the work of professionals. Businesses and institutions that had formerly been under the regulatory authority of credentialled experts were thrown open all at once for commoners to operate. Everywhere there were campaigns, as the new regime made obscure and technical issues into urgent problems demanding a resolution. Ugandans were called upon to defend cultures, to struggle against imperialism and racism, and to transform the architecture of the economy. That is how people came to see themselves as proprietors of public life. Their work allowed commoners to claim equity over resources and infrastructures. In their investments in the operations of public institutions, people became custodians, proprietors and petty authoritarians. Their proprietary sense of responsibility was a powerful inducement to self-sacrifice. It was also the fuel for demagoguery.
The spectre of rootless urban youth (bayaaye) inKulyennyingi,a novel of Amin-era Uganda
Authors: Pier David G.
Published: August 2021

Bayaayeis a Luganda word meaning ‘hooligans’ used since the 1970s to both disparage Ugandan urban youth and celebrate their streetwise resourcefulness. The original so-called bayaaye were youth, often fresh from the countryside, who worked as street hustlers in the 1970s underground economy. This article focuses on how one Ugandan intellectual, M. B. Nsimbi, in his Luganda-language novel about the Idi Amin era,Kulyennyingi(1984), diagnosed the rise of the bayaaye as a national moral pathology. I discuss how this novel relates to earlier Luganda literary works, which advocated an idealized precolonial, rural African tradition as a moral reference point for modern living. A recent revised discourse about urban youth as ‘bayaaye’ or ‘ghetto’, accompanying the political rise of reggae star Bobi Wine, is considered in light of the earlier history of the bayaaye stereotype.
Dreams and constraints of an African publisher: Walter Bgoya, Tanzania Publishing House and Mkuki na Nyota, 1972–2020
Authors: Suriano Maria
Published: August 2021

This article explores the history of two Tanzanian publishing houses and the remarkable life and career of Walter Bgoya, former general manager of Tanzania Publishing House (1972–90) and managing director of Mkuki na Nyota, which he founded in 1991. Using the lens of microhistory, and drawing from extensive interviews with Bgoya and conversations with two colleagues and three authors, the article first chronicles his early life and ideological formation and what influenced his career in book publishing. It then examines the key achievements and challenges faced by these publishing houses in different times of austerity (e.g. Structural Adjustment Programmes, foreign investment with conditionalities, declining state support and high printing costs), along with the complex ways in which Bgoya has navigated the shifting, often uncertain, political, financial and legislative landscapes, while retaining his intellectual freedom and core Pan-Africanist beliefs. Constraints have not hampered Bgoya's pursuit of ambitious projects or his commitment to publishing relevant and progressive books, either written by African authors or on African matters. I suggest that reducing the scale and identifying how specific conditions of austerity have affected the choices made by a publisher over time can yield insights into the ways in which cultural institutions have contributed to knowledge production and dissemination in postcolonial Africa.
The Mediterranean diet and physical activity: better together than apart for the prevention of premature mortality
Authors: Hershey Maria Soledad , Martínez-González Miguel Ángel , Álvarez-Álvarez Ismael , Martínez Hernández José Alfredo , Ruiz-Canela Miguel
Published: August 2021

Diet and physical activity (PA) have been studied extensively in epidemiology as single or combined lifestyle factors; however, their interaction has not been studied thoroughly. Studying potential synergisms between lifestyle components with a comprehensive interaction analysis, including additive measures of interaction, provides key insights into the nature of their joint effect and helps target interventions more effectively. First, a comprehensive review was conducted to assess the potential research gap regarding reported interaction analyses conducted in studies assessing the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in combination with PA on all-cause mortality. Thereafter, we prospectively assessed the joint association of the MedDiet with PA on all-cause mortality in theSeguimiento Universidad de Navarra(SUN) cohort, followed by both multiplicative and additive interaction analyses. The conjoint effect of low adherence to the MedDiet and low PA observed an increased risk greater than the individual risk factors, suggesting a potential additive interaction or synergism between both exposures, with relative risk due to interaction (RERI) and (95 % confidence interval (95 % CI)) = 0·46 (–0·83 to 1·75) and attributable proportion (95 % CI) due to interaction of 36 % (–0·62, 1·34). No multiplicative interaction was detected. Studying interactions between lifestyle factors, such as the MedDiet and PA, is particularly relevant given the current research gaps in studying the complexities of combined aspects of lifestyle in comparison with isolated behaviours. Our findings underline the important public health message of adhering to both the MedDiet and PA for the prevention of premature mortality.
Healthcare Reform out of Nowhere? Policy Reform and the Lack of Programmatic Commitment in Peru
Authors: Ponce de Leon Zoila
Published: August 2021

The reform approved in Peru in 2009 during a right-wing government deviates from similar attempts in the region to expand access to healthcare. Left-wing parties in Peru were extremely weak during the policy-making process and the political parties were non-programmatic. Based on original field research, this article demonstrates how parties that lacked core values uniting their leaders and had no commitment to the health reform did not care for the definition of specifications regarding funding and implementation. Instead, technocrats dominated the process of policy formation, which, accompanied by the lack of commitment from key political actors, led to poorly specified policy and deficient implementation.
The Generational and Institutional Sources of the Global Decline in Voter Turnout
Authors: Kostelka Filip , Blais André
Published: August 2021

Why has voter turnout declined in democracies all over the world? This article draws on findings from microlevel studies and theorizes two explanations: generational change and a rise in the number of elective institutions. The empirical section tests these hypotheses along with other explanations proposed in the literature—shifts in party/candidate competition, voting-age reform, weakening group mobilization, income inequality, and economic globalization. The authors conduct two analyses. The first analysis employs an original data set covering all post-1945 democratic national elections. The second studies individual-level data from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and British, Canadian, and US national election studies. The results strongly support the generational change and elective institutions hypotheses, which account for most of the decline in voter turnout. These findings have important implications for a better understanding of the current transformations of representative democracy and the challenges it faces.
THE HELLENISTIC TOPOGRAPHY OF NEA KRANE, KEPHALLONIA
Authors: Milani Gian Piero C.G.
Published: August 2021

This paper approaches the Hellenistic topography of the polis of Krane (Kephallonia), for the first time incorporating data from aerial imagery from the Allied aerial photographs of the British School at Athens, predating the earthquakes of 1953 and subsequent afforestation. The study presents a synthesis of the traces relating to the incomplete orthogonal development of the city, named by Klavs Randsborg ‘Nea Krane’. The reconstructed area of the planned city is almost doubled, rising from 19.8 ha to 36.96 ha, and thus shedding new light on the scale of a majestic project which now counts 90 blocks, with a ratio of 1:3. The incomplete development is read in the framework of the settlement history of the polis of Krane, and of the development of urbanism in the region, to ascertain if the project could be ascribed to a failed synoecism or an external imposition.
Institutions and their strength
Authors: Hindriks Frank
Published: August 2021

Institutions can be strong or weak. But what does this mean? Equilibrium theories equate institutions with behavioural regularities. In contrast, rule theories explicate them in terms of a standard that people are supposed to meet. I propose that, when an institution is weak, a discrepancy exists between the regularity and the standard or rule. To capture this discrepancy, I present a hybrid theory, the Rules-and-Equilibria Theory. According to this theory, institutions are rule-governed behavioural regularities. The Rules-and-Equilibria Theory provides the basis for two measures of institutional strength. First, institutions that pertain to coordination games solve problems of information. Their strength is primarily a matter of the expected degree of compliance. Second, institutions that concern mixed-motive games solve problems of motivation. Their strength can be measured in terms of the weight people attribute to its rule.
INCIDENTAL LEARNING OF COLLOCATIONS FROM MEANINGFUL INPUT
Authors: Vu Duy Van , Peters Elke
Published: August 2021

This longitudinal study investigates the effect of mode of reading on the incidental learning of collocations and factors that affect learning. One hundred Vietnamese pre-intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) were assigned to either an experimental group or a control group (no treatment). In 9 weeks, the experimental group read three graded readers containing 32 target collocations in three counterbalanced reading modes: reading-only, reading-while-listening, and reading with textual input enhancement (i.e., underlining). Learning gains were measured by a form recall pretest and delayed posttest. The results showed that reading mode had a significant effect on incidental collocation learning. Reading with textual input enhancement resulted in significantly higher learning gains than the other reading modes. Reading-while-listening was also more beneficial for collocation learning than reading-only. Learners’ prior vocabulary knowledge and congruency of collocations were significant predictors of the learning gains.
INCIDENTAL LEARNING OF SINGLE WORDS AND COLLOCATIONS THROUGH VIEWING AN ACADEMIC LECTURE
Authors: Dang Thi Ngoc Yen , Lu Cailing , Webb Stuart
Published: August 2021

Academic lectures are potential sources of vocabulary learning for second language learners studying at universities where English is the medium of instruction, as well as those in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs. Topic-related vocabulary is likely to occur frequently in academic texts, and academic speech consists of a reasonable proportion of frequently occurring sequences of words. Yet no intervention studies have explored the potential for learning single words and collocations through viewing a video of an unmodified academic lecture. To address this gap, this study collected data from 55 EAP learners in China, following a pretest-posttest design. The experimental group (n = 28) watched a video of an academic lecture in which 50 target single words and 19 target collocations were presented while the control group (n = 27) received no treatment. Results show that viewing the lecture led to significant learning gains of single words at the meaning recall level and collocations at the form recognition level. Frequency of occurrence in the lecture appeared to significantly contribute to the learning of single words but not the learning of collocations. Prior knowledge of general vocabulary appeared to make no significant contribution to the learning of single words and collocations.
Some trends incorporating Sáminess into modern Nordic architecture
Authors: Soikkeli Anu
Published: August 2021

Perhaps the most difficult assignments in architecture are those requiring that tradition be brought into the design. This wish might be included in the assignment by the client or it may be a goal set by the designers themselves. This article takes up the topic of cultural borrowings as well as the relationship between the designer and the features of the local culture – specifically, the Sámilavvutheme. In this article, some attempts will be presented to make Sámi culture visible in architecture at different times. Architecture follows the same kinds of stereotypical representations that are now criticized in museums when presenting Indigenous peoples. The Sámi are often presented in national museums as a separate theme, and, in architecture, certain themes are highlighted as “Sámi” features. Architecture has remained a discipline that celebrates the mixing of elements and motifs, while many art practices are tightening the boundaries around cultural license. However, this article does not focus on cultural appropriation in architecture or on the imbalance of power in planning; rather, it presents a contribution of how architects have interpreted the lavvu theme in their design between the 1940s and the 1990s. It also highlights the process of change that has taken place over a few decades; strengthening respect for Indigenous cultures and criticizing cultural exploitation have also had an influence on planning.