bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On Geometric Implications
Authors: Akbar Tabatabai Amirhossein
Published: March 2024

It is a well-known fact that although the poset of open sets of a topological space is a Heyting algebra, its Heyting implication is not necessarily stable under the inverse image of continuous functions and hence is not a geometric concept. This leaves us wondering if there is any stable family of implications that can be safely called geometric. In this paper, we will first recall the abstract notion of implication as a binary modality introduced in Akbar Tabatabai (Implication via spacetime. In: Mathematics, logic, and their philosophies: essays in honour of Mohammad Ardeshir, pp 161–216, 2021). Then, we will use a weaker version of categorical fibrations to define the geometricity of a category of pairs of spaces and implications over a given category of spaces. We will identify the greatest geometric category over the subcategories of open-irreducible (closed-irreducible) maps as a generalization of the usual injective open (closed) maps. Using this identification, we will then characterize all geometric categories over a given category

$${\mathcal {S}}$$

S

, provided that

$${\mathcal {S}}$$

S

has some basic closure properties. Specially, we will show that there is no non-trivial geometric category over the full category of spaces. Finally, as the implications we identified are also interesting in their own right, we will spend some time to investigate their algebraic properties. We will first use a Yoneda-type argument to provide a representation theorem, making the implications a part of an adjunction-style pair. Then, we will use this result to provide a Kripke-style representation for any arbitrary implication.
Interdialytic weight gain and low dialysate sodium concentration in patients on chronic hemodialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bossola Maurizio , Mariani Ilaria , Sacco Monica , Antocicco Manuela , Pepe Gilda , Di Stasio Enrico
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the effect of low dialysate sodium concentration on interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Methods

Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were English language papers published in a peer-reviewed journal and met the following inclusion criteria: (1) studies in adult patients (over 18 years of age), (2) included patients on chronic hemodialysis since at least 6 months; (3) compared standard (138–140 mmol/l) or high (> 140 mmol/l) dialysate sodium concentration with low (< 138 mmol/l) dialysate sodium concentration; (4) Included one outcome of interest: interdialytic weight gain.

Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for the quality of reporting for each study was performed using the Quality Assessment Tool of Controlled Intervention Studies of the National Institutes of Health. The quality of reporting of each cross-over study was performed using the Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB) tool for cross-over trials as proposed by Ding et al.

Results

Nineteen studies (710 patients) were included in the analysis: 15 were cross-over and 4 parallel randomized controlled studies. In cross-over studies, pooled analysis revealed that dialysate sodium concentration reduced IDWG with a pooled MD of − 0.40 kg (95% CI − 0.50 to − 0.30; p < 0.001). The systematic review of four parallel, randomized, studies revealed that the use of a low dialysate sodium concentration was associated with a significant reduction of the IDWG in two studies, sustained and almost significant (p = 0.05) reduction in one study, and not significant reduction in one study.

Conclusion

Low dialysate sodium concentration reduces the IDWG in prevalent patients on chronic hemodialysis.
Effect of titanium oxide/reduced graphene (TiO2/rGO) addition onto water flux and reverse salt diffusion thin-film nanocomposite forward osmosis membranes
Authors: Shawky Amira M. , Kotp Yousra H. , Mousa Mahmoud A. , Aboelfadl Mostafa M. S. , Hekal Eisa E. , Zakaria Khaled
Published: March 2024

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) forward osmosis (FO) membranes have attracted significant attention due to their potential for solving global water scarcity problems. In this study, we investigate the impact of titanium oxide (TiO2) and titanium oxide/reduced graphene (TiO2/rGO) additions on the performance of TFN-FO membranes, specifically focusing on water flux and reverse salt diffusion. Membranes with varying concentrations of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO were fabricated as interfacial polymerizing M-phenylenediamine (MPD) and benzenetricarbonyl tricholoride (TMC) monomers with TiO2 and its reduced graphene composites (TiO2/rGO). The TMC solution was supplemented with TiO2 and its reduced graphene composites (TiO2/rGO) to enhance FO performance and reverse solute flux. All MPD/TMC polyamide membranes are characterized using various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements. The results demonstrate that incorporating TiO2/rGO into the membrane thin layer improves water flux and reduces reverse salt diffusion. In contrast to the TFC membrane (10.24 L m−2h−1 and 6.53 g/m2 h), higher water flux and higher reverse solute flux were detected in the case of TiO2and TiO2/rGO-merged TFC skin membranes (18.81 and 24.52 L m−2h−1 and 2.74 and 2.15 g/m2 h, respectively). The effects of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO stacking on the skin membrane and the performance of TiO2 and TiO2/rGO skin membranes have been thoroughly studied. Additionally, being investigated is the impact of draw solution concentration.

Graphical Abstract
Mit Typ-1-Diabetes in der Schule
Authors: Vogt Magdalena , Schaffler-Schaden Dagmar , Ewers Andre
Published: March 2024

Hintergrund

Das Setting Schule stellt eine wesentliche Säule in der Versorgung von Kindern mit Typ-1-Diabetes dar. Aufgrund der steigenden Inzidenz und Prävalenz von Typ-1-Diabetes im Kindesalter stehen Schulen zunehmend vor der Herausforderung, Kinder mit Diabetes zu versorgen. Die vorliegende qualitative Studie hatte zum Ziel, die Versorgung von Kindern mit Typ-1-Diabetes erstmalig in Vorarlberger Grundschulen aus Sicht der Eltern zu beschreiben und deren Wünsche für eine optimierte Versorgung darzustellen.

Methode

Mittels halbstrukturierter, leitfadengestützter Interviews wurden 6 Eltern von Kindern mit Typ-1-Diabetes zur Diabetesversorgung ihrer Kinder in der Grundschule befragt. Die Interviews wurden aufgezeichnet, transkribiert und mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Die Eltern erlebten die Diabetesversorgung in der Grundschule nicht als strukturiert oder nach einem Plan organisiert. Der Prozess der Einschulung bzw. der Rückkehr nach der Diagnose wurde als schwierig beschrieben. Mit zunehmender Routine in der Diabetesversorgung beschrieben die Eltern ein positives Sicherheitsgefühl während der Schulzeit. Die Eltern wünschten sich Unterstützung bei der Diabetesversorgung durch Pflegepersonen, Diabetesschulungen für und Verständnis durch die Lehrpersonen sowie Unterstützungsleistungen im Land.

Schlussfolgerung

Die gesundheitliche Versorgung von Kindern mit Typ-1-Diabetes in der Schule ist aufgrund fehlender einheitlicher Regelungen und Strukturen sowie aufgrund der Abhängigkeit vom Wohlwollen der Lehrpersonen mit Herausforderungen verbunden. Für eine optimierte Versorgung von Kindern mit Typ-1-Diabetes in der Grundschule sind weitere Studien und Projekte mit dem Ziel einer integrativen Versorgung nötig.
The impact of internal social responsibility on service employees' job satisfaction and organizational engagement
Authors: Van Loan Thi-Hong , Lang Le Dang , Ngo Trong Liem-Phuoc , Ferreira João
Published: March 2024

This study investigates the influence of internal corporate social responsibility (iCSR) aspects on employees' job satisfaction and organizational engagement through the lenses of social identity and social exchange theories. Based on a survey collected from 368 employees in 25 banks in Vietnam, the findings show the importance of each iCSR aspect in driving employee job satisfaction and organizational engagement. Job satisfaction is also found to be an antecedent of organizational engagement. The result adds a profound understanding of iCSR to the existing literature and helps bank managers have appropriate solutions to strengthen their employees' job satisfaction and organizational engagement.
Renal arterial resistive index versus novel biomarkers for the early prediction of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Zaitoun Taysser , Megahed Mohamed , Elghoneimy Hesham , Emara Doaa M. , Elsayed Ibrahim , Ahmed Islam
Published: March 2024

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a critical complication of sepsis. There is a continuous need to identify and validate biomarkers for early detection. Serum and urinary biomarkers have been investigated, such as neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C (Cys C), but their reliability in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unknown. Renal hemodynamics can be investigated by measuring the renal resistive index (RRI). This study aimed to compare the performance of RRI, serum NGAL (sNGAL), urinary NGAL (uNGAL), and serum Cys C levels as early predictors of the diagnosis and persistence of sepsis-associated AKI. A total of 166 adult patients with sepsis syndrome were enrolled immediately after ICU admission. Biomarkers were measured directly (T1) and on day 3 (T3). RRI was measured directly (T1) and 24 h later (T2). Patients were categorized (according to the occurrence and persistence of AKI within the first 7 days) into three groups: no AKI, transient AKI, and persistent AKI. The incidence rate of sepsis-associated AKI was 60.2%. Sixty-six patients were categorized as in the no AKI group, while another 61 were in transient AKI and only 39 were in persistent AKI. The RRI value (T1 ≥ 0.72) was the best tool for predicting AKI diagnosis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, AUROC = 0.905). Cys C (T1 ≥ 15.1 mg/l) was the best tool to predict the persistence of AKI (AUROC = 0.977). RRI (T1) was the best predictive tool for sepsis-associated AKI, while Cys C was the best predictor of its persistence and 28-day mortality.
Noninvasive Assessment of Intracranial Pressure: Deformability Index as an Adjunct to Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter to Increase Diagnostic Ability
Authors: Netteland Dag Ferner , Aarhus Mads , Sandset Else Charlotte , Padayachy Llewellyn , Helseth Eirik , Brekken Reidar
Published: March 2024

Background

Today, invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement remains the standard, but its invasiveness limits availability. Here, we evaluate a novel ultrasound-based optic nerve sheath parameter called the deformability index (DI) and its ability to assess ICP noninvasively. Furthermore, we ask whether combining DI with optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), a more established parameter, results in increased diagnostic ability, as compared to using ONSD alone.

Methods

We prospectively included adult patients with traumatic brain injury with invasive ICP monitoring, which served as the reference measurement. Ultrasound images and videos of the optic nerve sheath were acquired. ONSD was measured at the bedside, whereas DI was calculated by semiautomated postprocessing of ultrasound videos. Correlations of ONSD and DI to ICP were explored, and a linear regression model combining ONSD and DI was compared to a linear regression model using ONSD alone. Ability of the noninvasive parameters to distinguish dichotomized ICP was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and a logistic regression model combining ONSD and DI was compared to a logistic regression model using ONSD alone.

Results

Forty-four ultrasound examinations were performed in 26 patients. Both DI (R =  − 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] R <  − 0.03; p = 0.03) and ONSD (R = 0.45; 95% CI R > 0.23; p < 0.01) correlated with ICP. When including both parameters in a combined model, the estimated correlation coefficient increased (R = 0.51; 95% CI R > 0.30; p < 0.01), compared to using ONSD alone, but the model improvement did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.09). Both DI (area under the curve [AUC] 0.69, 95% CI 0.53–0.83) and ONSD (AUC 0.72, 95% CI 0.56–0.86) displayed ability to distinguish ICP dichotomized at ICP ≥ 15 mm Hg. When using both parameters in a combined model, AUC increased (0.80, 95% CI 0.63–0.90), and the model improvement was statistically significant (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Combining ONSD with DI holds the potential of increasing the ability of optic nerve sheath parameters in the noninvasive assessment of ICP, compared to using ONSD alone, and further study of DI is warranted.
Transportation 4.0 in supply chain management: State-of-the-art and future directions towards 5.0 in the transportation sector
Authors: Wong Wai Peng , Anwar Muhammad Fahad , Soh Keng Lin
Published: March 2024

In the contexts of commercial freight, shipment delivery, and smart factories, organizations adopt Industry 4.0 (IR4.0) for competitive transportation practices. Yet, the role of transportation as a key "transportation 4.0" sub-system has been overlooked by scholars, resulting in an incomplete transition towards IR5.0. To bridge this gap, we adopt the reductionist approach grounded from systems theory to systematically review literature. Our analysis highlights the integration of technologies in transportation, impacting ecosystems significantly. However, global progress on transportation 4.0 exhibits regional disparities. In response, we propose a transportation 4.0 framework to mitigate disparities and enhance competitiveness. Identifying research gaps, challenges, and prospects, we outline directions towards IR5.0. Our study clarifies the evolving landscape of transportation within the Industry 4.0 paradigm.
Wisdom-Based Buddhist-Derived Meditation Practices for Prosocial Behaviour: A Systematic Review
Authors: Furnell Matthew , Van Gordon William , Elander James
Published: March 2024

Objectives

The objective of this evaluative systematic review was to analyse the impact of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) that incorporate Buddhist wisdom practices on prosocial behaviour, and provide insights into their underlying mechanism, potential benefits, and applications.

Method

A systematic literature search was conducted using three electronic databases up until 1 December 2023. Data on the participants in the MBIs, the structure, and how Buddhist teachings were integrated were collected. The impact on prosocial behaviour was analysed, along with evaluating overall study quality and the validity of the measures used for assessing changes in prosocial behaviour.

Results

Collectively, the 12 eligible studies (n = 2185) suggest that incorporating the Buddhist wisdom practices of contemplating interdependence, emptiness, and perspective-taking on self and others may enhance prosocial behaviour through various mechanisms, such as (i) developing a sense of interdependence and common humanity, (ii) fostering the altruistic desire to help others, and (iii) experiencing a state of oneness. However, concerns were raised about the overuse and reliability of self-report measures for accurately assessing prosocial behaviour, as well as in respect of discerning the effectiveness of different meditation practices that are integrated into MBIs.

Conclusions

Overall, the findings of this systematic literature review reinforce the perspective that wisdom-based meditation practices contribute to prosocial behaviour. However, to enhance the understanding of the underlying causes of prosocial behaviour, future studies should isolate the effects of different meditation practices incorporated within MBIs. Furthermore, it is strongly recommended that future studies assessing the impact of MBIs on prosocial behaviour employ a range of diverse measures, such as self-reported psychometric scales in combination with real-world morally relevant scenarios.

Preregistration

PROSPERO: Registration No. CRD42023426411.
A neural network approach for the mortality analysis of multiple populations: a case study on data of the Italian population
Authors: Euthum Maximilian , Scherer Matthias , Ungolo Francesco
Published: March 2024

A Neural Network (NN) approach for the modelling of mortality rates in a multi-population framework is compared to three classical mortality models. The NN setup contains two instances of Recurrent NNs, including Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) networks. The stochastic approaches comprise the Li and Lee model, the Common Age Effect model of Kleinow, and the model of Plat. All models are applied and compared in a large case study on decades of data of the Italian population as divided in counties. In this case study, a new index of multiple deprivation is introduced and used to classify all Italian counties based on socio-economic indicators, sourced from the local office of national statistics (ISTAT). The aforementioned models are then used to model and predict mortality rates of groups of different socio-economic characteristics, sex, and age.
Enhancing ASD detection accuracy: a combined approach of machine learning and deep learning models with natural language processing
Authors: Rubio-Martín Sergio , García-Ordás María Teresa , Bayón-Gutiérrez Martín , Prieto-Fernández Natalia , Benítez-Andrades José Alberto
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The main aim of our study was to explore the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study primarily focused on using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models to detect ASD potential cases by analyzing text inputs, especially from social media platforms like Twitter. This is to overcome the ongoing challenges in ASD diagnosis, such as the requirement for specialized professionals and extensive resources. Timely identification, particularly in children, is essential to provide immediate intervention and support, thereby improving the quality of life for affected individuals.

Methods

We employed natural language processing (NLP) techniques along with ML models like decision trees, extreme gradient boosting (XGB), k-nearest neighbors algorithm (KNN), and DL models such as recurrent neural networks (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT and BERTweet). We extracted a dataset of 404,627 tweets from Twitter users using the platform’s API and classified them based on whether they were written by individuals claiming to have ASD (ASD users) or by those without ASD (non-ASD users). From this dataset, we used a subset of 90,000 tweets (45,000 from each classification group) for the training and testing of these models.

Results

The application of our AI models yielded promising results, with the predictive model reaching an accuracy of almost 88% when classifying texts that potentially originated from individuals with ASD.

Conclusion

Our research demonstrated the potential of using AI, particularly DL models, in enhancing the accuracy of ASD detection and diagnosis. This innovative approach signifies the critical role AI can play in advancing early diagnostic techniques, enabling better patient outcomes and underlining the importance of early identification of ASD, especially in children.
Lehrpersonen lernen: Nutzung und Nützlichkeit von Lerngelegenheiten und deren Beziehung zur Berufserfahrung
Authors: Röhl Sebastian , Cramer Colin , Mayr Johannes
Published: March 2024

Für die Bewährung von Lehrpersonen über das gesamte Berufsleben hinweg gilt die fortwährende Professionalisierung durch berufsbegleitendes Lernen als bedeutsam. Die Literatur zu Berufsbiografien von Lehrpersonen nimmt eine Abfolge typischer Phasen während der Berufstätigkeit an. Welche Rolle dabei die Nutzung bestimmter Lerngelegenheiten hat, wurde bislang kaum untersucht. Weiterhin fokussieren bisherige Befunde überwiegend die Häufigkeiten von Fortbildungsteilnahmen und anderer Lernaktivitäten, ohne jedoch deren Nutzungsintensität oder wahrgenommene Nützlichkeit für die professionelle Entwicklung zu berücksichtigen. Die vorliegende Studie erkundet anhand einer Teilstichprobe (N = 658) der TEDCA-Erhebung 2018, in welcher selbsteingeschätzten Intensität sich Lehrpersonen zu unterschiedlichen beruflichen Tätigkeitsbereichen fortbilden und wie sie die Nützlichkeit verschiedener formaler, informeller und inzidenteller (zufälliger) Lerngelegenheiten in Abhängigkeit von ihrer Berufserfahrung einschätzen. Den auf Strukturgleichungsmodellen beruhenden Analysen zufolge steigen bezogen auf organisierte Fortbildungen die Nutzungsintensität und wahrgenommene Nützlichkeit bis zu einer Berufserfahrung von rund 20 Jahren an und sind danach rückläufig. Für inzidentelle Lerngelegenheiten (Erfahrungen im Berufsalltag) zeigt sich ein Rückgang der Nützlichkeitseinschätzung. Im informellen Bereich nimmt die wahrgenommene Nützlichkeit des Lernens durch den Austausch mit Kolleg:innen und Vorgesetzten ab, während sich für andere informelle Lerngelegenheiten (z. B. mediengestützte Wissensaneignung, Impulse von Schüler:innen und Eltern) keine erfahrungsabhängigen Effekte zeigen. Die Befunde weisen somit auf eine unterschiedlich wahrgenommene Relevanz und Nützlichkeit verschiedener Lerngelegenheiten für die professionelle Entwicklung über die Berufslaufbahn hin. Implikationen für eine mögliche differenzielle, erfahrungsabhängige Gestaltung von Lernangeboten für Lehrpersonen werden diskutiert.
The European Union’s Response to the Catalan Secessionist Process
Authors: Mangas Araceli
Published: March 2024

Article 4.2 TEU enshrines the EU’s respect for the exclusive right of each Member State to ensure its territorial integrity. No EU Member State allows referendums for part of the population to decide on the national territory. The Commission and European Council have recognized that the effect of a secession in a Member State is to leave the new state outside the EU. Whether or not European citizenship is retained is a matter not of European but national law, as European citizenship is an automatic complement to the nationality of a Member State. The position of the Commission and the European Council regarding the Catalan authorities’ illegal referendum and declaration of independence was to support the constitutional mechanism for intervention authorized by the Spanish Senate. Nationalisms erode the integration process by weakening the cohesion of states and undermining the equality of their citizens.
Informal Concentration of Powers in Illiberal Constitutionalism: The Case of Hungary
Authors: Pozsár-Szentmiklósy Zoltán
Published: March 2024

Classic and new concepts of the separation of powers doctrine focus on the control of central political power. Institutional checks and balances are classic legal instruments of this control, especially the activity of independent state organs. In those countries where the political system is dominated by a populist government, the institutional checks and balances and independent institutions are under constant pressure. In a consolidated political system that has already departed from liberal constitutionalism and where constitutional institutions do function only in a formal sense (illiberal constitutionalism), institutional checks and balances lose their significance. However, in addition to the exercise of powers by independent branches of government, other legal institutions or actions can also have a significant impact on relations between branches of government, even informally. Therefore, the system of checks and balances can be described as a multi-layered structure with formal (classical) and informal elements. The article analyses in detail, how the use of informal constitutional amendments and national referendums—as additional institutions belonging to the complex system of separation of powers—instead of controlling the central political power, has contributed to the informal concentration of government power in Hungary in recent years.
The Efficacy of Ganoderma lucidum Extracts on Treating Endometrial Cancer: A Network Pharmacology Approach
Authors: Shi Min
Published: March 2024

Ganoderma lucidum(GL) is a prominent medicinal mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine, known for its potent antitumor properties. This study aimed to illustrate the efficacy of GL extracts (GLE) on treating endometrial cancer (EC) and explore the underlying mechanisms via network pharmacology and experimental validation. Network pharmacological analysis was conducted to explore the therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of GL on EC. In vitro experimental validation was performed on human endometrial cancer cell lines HEC-1-A and KLE. Network pharmacology revealed that key targets of GL against EC were primarily associated with the Rap1 signaling pathway. In in vitro experiments, GLE or GGTI-298 (a GTPase inhibitor) treatment inhibited cell proliferation and migration, promoted cell apoptosis, increased caspase-3 level, and arrested cell cycle in G1 phase in HEC-1-A and KLE cells. GLE increased the protein expression of Rap1-GTP, p-AKT, and p-ERK2 in HEC-1-A and KLE cells. Moreover, GGTI-298 enhanced the effects of GLE on suppressing the malignant progression of EC cells and on activating Rap1 signaling pathway. GLE inhibited the malignant progression of EC cells probably via activating the Rap1 signaling pathway.
Voices in Verses
Authors: Hasan Farhat
Published: March 2024

This book opens up an archive of women's verses found in the extant, but overlooked, women's biographical compendia (tazkira-i zenana) written in the nineteenth century. As commemorative texts, these compendia written in Urdu draw our attention to their memories – celebrated and contested – in cultural spaces. In drawing connections between memory and literature, this study contests the commonplace assumption that the literary public sphere was markedly homosocial and gender exclusive, and argues instead that the women poets, coming from a wide variety of social groups, actively participated in shaping the norms of aesthetics and literary expression; they introduced fresh signifiers, and signifying practices to apprehend their emotions, experiences and world-views. This work suggests that the women's tazkiras performed an act of 'epistemic disobedience' contesting not only the British imperial representations of India, but also the Indo-Muslim modern reformers on issues of domesticity, conjugal companionship, and love and desire.
It is Good for Us to Be Here: Joseph Ratzinger’s Christocentric Doctrine of Creation in Response to Anti-Natalism
Authors: Kaethler Andrew T. J.
Published: March 2024

This paper sets out Joseph Ratzinger’s Christocentric theology of creation as a counter to the increasingly popular naturalist movement anti-natalism. Paradoxically, anti-natalism is parasitic on the doctrine of creation and yet, at the same time, denies creation, for, as Ratzinger argues, the doctrine of creation affirms both the human person and the natural world within which she lives; creation is necessary for self-acceptance. Furthermore, creation and redemption go together. It is with and through the human person, not without, that the natural world is brought to its proper end.
The protective effects of Gamma-linolenic acid against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats
Authors: Rahimi Kaveh , Ezzati Givi Masoumeh , Rezaie Anahita , Hekmatmanesh Mohammad , Shaker Ardakani Yasamin
Published: March 2024

The primary goal of the investigation was to analyse the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) on rats with indomethacin (IND)-induced gastric ulcers. Thirty rats were divided into five groups: Control, IND (50 mg/kg, p.o.), IND pretreated with GLA 100 mg/kg (p.o. for 14 d), IND pretreated with GLA 150 mg/kg (p.o. for 14 d) and IND pretreated with omeprazole (20 mg/kg, p.o. for 14 d). The stomach tissues were examined to calculate the ulcer index and pH and analyse biochemical markers (prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase 1 (COX1), TNF-1, IL-6 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1)) and oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde: (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and CAT (catalase)) as well as undergo histopathological assessment. GLA 100 and 150 mg/kg showed a protective effect against IND-induced gastric damage. It reduced levels of COX1, TNF-1, IL-6 and ICAM and increased PGE2 levels. GLA also normalised antioxidant function by modulating MDA, SOD, GSH and CAT. GLA intervention protects against IND-induced gastric ulcers by restoring oxidant/antioxidant balance and reducing inflammation.
Trimethylamine N-oxide, choline and its metabolites are associated with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Ma Rong , Shi Guangying , Li Yanfang , Shi Han
Published: March 2024

It is inconclusive whether trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and choline and related metabolites, namely trimethylamine (TMA), l-carnitine, betaine and dimethylglycine (DMG), are associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our objective was to investigate these potential associations. Additionally, we sought to determine the mediating role of TMAO. In this 1:1 age- and sex-matched case–control study, a total of 150 pairs comprising NAFLD cases and healthy controls were identified. According to the fully adjusted model, after the highest tertile was compared with the lowest tertile, the plasma TMAO concentration (OR = 2·02 (95 % CI 1·04, 3·92); P trend = 0·003), l-carnitine concentration (OR = 1·79 (1·01, 3·17); P trend = 0·020) and DMG concentration (OR = 1·81 (1·00, 3·28); P trend = 0·014) were significantly positively associated with NAFLD incidence. However, a significantly negative association was found for plasma betaine (OR = 0. 50 (0·28, 0·88); P trend = 0·001). The restricted cubic splines model consistently indicated positive dose–response relationships between exposure to TMAO, l-carnitine, and DMG and NAFLD risk, with a negative association being observed for betaine. The corresponding AUC increased significantly from 0·685 (0·626, 0·745) in the traditional risk factor model to 0·769 (0·716, 0·822) when TMAO and its precursors were included (l-carnitine, betaine and choline) (P = 0·032). Mediation analyses revealed that 14·7 and 18·6 % of the excess NAFLD risk associated with l-carnitine and DMG, respectively, was mediated by TMAO (the P values for the mediating effects were 0·021 and 0·036, respectively). These results suggest that a higher concentration of TMAO is associated with increased NAFLD risk among Chinese adults and provide evidence of the possible mediating role of TMAO.
LUCRETIA AND HER CONSILIUM DOMESTICUM
Authors: Schnaible Elia T.
Published: March 2024

The article takes a critical look at the idea that the gathering of men Lucretia confronts a few moments before her suicide is to be understood as an ancient Roman domestic court (consilium domesticum). Arguing from the basis that the paternal power (patria potestas) is a constitutive element of this private-law institution, it examines what supports and what conflicts with the interpretation.
Greek history
Authors: Vlassopoulos Kostas
Published: March 2024

I commence this review with six important works on mobility, diasporas, ethnicities, and intercultural relations in antiquity; after a decade of relative dearth of significant contributions, it is truly wonderful that the field is moving again. Jonathan Hall and James Osborne have edited an excellent volume on the interregional networks in the eastern Mediterranean between 900–600 bce. The volume aims to link the novel approaches to Mediterranean history espoused in the major syntheses by Nicholas Purcell – Peregrine Horden and Cyprian Broodbank respectively, with new approaches to the study of cross-cultural interaction and material culture. The editors explicitly and convincingly argue in favour of employing multiple models for explaining the Early Iron Age Mediterranean; the ten chapters exemplify both multiplicity and important common themes. Certain contributions accept the concept of globalization as a useful way of explaining the changes evident across the Mediterranean. While some contributions problematize the concept of style as a means of drawing clear ethnic lines among artists and artistic traditions, other scholars argue for the need to maintain traditional ethnic labels like that of the Phoenicians, which is facing a current deconstructive trend; equally interesting is the stress on the agency of specific groups, like mercenaries, as agents of connectivity. Particularly significant, finally, is the focus on areas that have usually remained at the margins of discussion of Iron Age interconnectivity, like the North Aegean and the Troad, the Black Sea, Anatolia and Egypt.
Art and archaeology
Authors: Hales Shelley
Published: March 2024

We start this review in the sanctuaries of archaic and classical Greece. The book Between Deity and Dedicator is the PhD thesis of Sanne Hoffmann. Hoffmann's aim is to examine terracotta votive figurines through their entire lifecycle, following their journey from production to dedication to deposition within the sanctuary (fifteen of which are chosen, with a preponderance, never really fully explained, towards those of female deities). Theories of object agency and an emerging interest in object biographies are extremely well-chosen as the frameworks in which to discuss a set of objects that were surely imagined to have some sort of efficacy in prompting a response from the deity to whom they were dedicated. It is so often the case that introductions lay out long explanations of theories that are then never again mentioned in the rest of the book as the author gets stuck in to the ‘content’. Here, though, the theory is evoked effectively and explicitly at key parts throughout the thesis.
General
Authors: Petrovic Andrej
Published: March 2024

In our recent faculty meetings here in Virginia, issues regarding ChatGPT and its uses were often broached, for reasons both good and bad, and this November, as I am writing these lines, turbulences in the AI sector are making the news. In papyrology and epigraphy, we have been relying on advanced digital technologies for a while now, and there's no doubt that recent advances in generative AI will soon bear fruit for all text and image-based disciplines in the humanities. Hence, I will open this general review with four exciting books on ancient science and technology.
Blackface Shakespeare: Thomas D. Rice and the Return of Jim Crow as Otello
Authors: KITZES ADAM
Published: March 2024

Thomas D. Rice's Otello Burlesque represents the first full performance to link Shakespearean burlesque with blackface minstrelsy on the early American stages. This disturbing milestone has its origins in a pressing need, on Rice's part, to expand the range of his signature persona, the “original Jim Crow.” Rice developed his script during an extended hiatus, following a successful tour of England. Although it generally is regarded as a loose adaptation of Maurice Dowling's 1834 Othello Travestie, I argue that Rice took care to blend Dowling with Shakespeare. This combination recasts Jim Crow as a grotesque persona, which disrupts Shakespearean burlesque as much as it does blackface minstrelsy. Accordingly, the play dwells on Othello's anguish, but displaces that anguish in an atmosphere of chaos. In turning to performance history, I argue that the play was regarded as a momentary sensation, whose novelty wore off almost as quickly as it appeared. Subsequent revivals suggest that producers went to some trouble to maintain interest among audiences. In its treatment of racial difference as “fun,” Otello Burlesque draws attention to a culture of distraction, where the term is understood as civil conflict and as the momentary diversions that draw public attention away from it.
The effects of intranasal oxytocin on the efficacy of psychotherapy for major depressive disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ellenbogen Mark A. , Cardoso Christopher , Serravalle Lisa , Vadaga Kiran , Joober Ridha
Published: March 2024

Background

Although both pharmacotherapy and psychological treatments are considered to be efficacious in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), one third of patients do not respond to treatment and many experience residual symptoms post-treatment. In this double-blind placebo-controlled randomized control trial (RCT), we assessed whether intranasal oxytocin (OT) augments the therapeutic efficacy of psychotherapy for MDD and improves the therapeutic alliance.

Methods

Twenty-three volunteers (12 female) with MDD underwent 16 sessions of interpersonal therapy. Prior to each session, volunteers self-administered 24 International Units of intranasal OT (n = 12; Syntocinon) or placebo (n = 11). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology at pre- and post-treatment, and at a six month follow-up.

Results

Multilevel modeling found a significant effect of OT on the negative slope of depressive symptoms over time (p < 0.05), with medium-large effect sizes at post-treatment (Cohen's d = 0.75) and follow-up (Cohen's d = 0.82). Drug intervention also predicted the intercept when examining the weekly ratings of the therapeutic alliance (p < 0.05), such that volunteers receiving OT, relative to placebo, reported improved therapeutic alliance at session 1. The agreement of goals between therapists and participants, a facet of the therapeutic alliance, mediated the relationship between drug intervention and clinical outcome.

Conclusion

In this pilot study, the administration of intranasal OT, relative to placebo, improved the therapeutic alliance at the beginning of therapy and therapeutic efficacy of psychotherapy in persons with MDD. Future RCTs should attempt to replicate these findings in larger samples with different therapeutic modalities (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02405715).
The Democratic Necessity of Reckoning
Authors: Chenoweth Erica
Published: March 2024

In the years since the onset of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement—and especially since the Ferguson uprising—scholars have tried to understand how the movement has affected public life in the United States. The scholarship overwhelmingly shows that periods of intense BLM protest have generated high levels of public awareness about systemic racism and increased support for criminal justice reform.1 Police homicides have declined in areas with BLM protests.2 And liberals exposed to BLM protests were more supportive of candidates who condemned systemic racism and supported criminal justice reform in the 2020 elections.3
A Democratic Reckoning?
Authors: Pineda Erin R.
Published: March 2024

“‘Defund’ has failed.”

“It's a bad slogan. Most people don't support defunding the police.”

“Who is the leader? The movement needs a Martin Luther King.”

“The protests were so big but nothing was accomplished.”

These are some of the skeptical questions, impatient dismissals, and anguished disappointments that I have often heard over the past two years (and more) from people taking stock of the Movement for Black Lives. While some of these retorts and rebukes come from political corners that, one has reason to suspect, are neither inclined to take the movement seriously nor invested in its success, others come from a place of despair. In the wake of the historic George Floyd uprisings of 2020, as a right-wing backlash gained speed and as hope gave way to disappointment, some laid the charge of failure at the feet of the movement: it had the wrong aims, the wrong organizational structure, the wrong tactics, the wrong message.
Intrinsic post-retirement work motivation in formal Chilean workers at retirement age: a qualitative study
Authors: Galkutė Milda , Herrera M. Soledad
Published: March 2024

The unstable employment trajectories and low wages of Chilean workers mean that the amount of savings accrued in pension funds are often insufficient to cope with the high costs of living in the country, compelling many older adults to remain in the labour market. Although financial need seems to be an important reason for post-retirement work in Chile, a national survey revealed that a majority of older workers would like to remain employed even if there were no economic need. Hence, this research aims at exploring the intrinsic work motivation of older Chilean adults beyond retirement age. This qualitative study is the second phase of mixed-methods research to analyse the factors influencing post-retirement work in Chile. A total of 32 in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with older workers in the formal labour market who were legally entitled to retire but continued being economically active in Santiago, Chile. The data are analysed using thematic analysis. We identify three main emerging themes, namely the meaning that work gives to life, future projects and post-retirement orientations, and work as the primary source of social interaction. The findings of this study provide valuable insight into intrinsic work motivation, highlighting important gender and occupational differences. It makes a significant contribution not only to the literature but also potentially to national policy makers as well as employers, indicating the need to adjust the labour market to the ageing workforce.
What Does It Mean to Be Human Today?
Authors: Harzheim Julia Alessandra
Published: March 2024

With the progress of artificial intelligence, the digitalization of the lifeworld, and the reduction of the mind to neuronal processes, the human being appears more and more as a product of data and algorithms. Thus, we conceive ourselves “in the image of our machines,” and conversely, we elevate our machines and our brains to new subjects. At the same time, demands for an enhancement of human nature culminate in transhumanist visions of taking human evolution to a new stage. Against this self-reification of the human being, the present book defends a humanism of embodiment: our corporeality, vitality, and embodied freedom are the foundations of a self-determined existence, which uses the new technologies only as means instead of submitting to them. The book offers an array of interventions directed against a reductionist naturalism in various areas of science and society. As an alternative, it offers an embodied and enactive account of the human person: we are neither pure minds nor brains, but primarily embodied, living beings in relation with others. This general concept is applied to issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), transhumanism and enhancement, virtual reality, neuroscience, embodied freedom, psychiatry, and finally to the accelerating dynamics of current society which lead to an increasing disembodiment of our everyday life. The book thus applies cutting-edge concepts of embodiment and enactivism to current scientific, technological, and cultural tendencies that will crucially influence our society’s development in the twenty-first century.
RADU GROUPS ACTING ON TREES ARE CCR
Authors: SEMAL LANCELOT
Published: March 2024

We classify the irreducible unitary representations of closed simple groups of automorphisms of trees acting
$2$
-transitively on the boundary and whose local action at every vertex contains the alternating group. As an application, we confirm Claudio Nebbia’s CCR conjecture on trees for
$(d_0,d_1)$
-semi-regular trees such that
$d_0,d_1\in \Theta $
, where
$\Theta $
is an asymptotically dense set of positive integers.
Empire of Impartiality: Managing Indebtedness to Foreigners in Eighteenth-Century China
Authors: Zhang Meng
Published: March 2024

Recent scholarship highlights the role of commercial credit, often backed by the power of the state, in creating conditions of subordination in the expansion of European empires. Less attention has been paid to how such indebtedness was understood and handled by the counterpart states, thereby missing the opportunity to appreciate other modes of interaction between private credit and imperial construction. This article investigates the framework under which the eighteenth-century Qing empire dealt with accusations brought against indebted Chinese merchants by external parties. I stress the importance of bringing Sino-Western and intra-Asian cases into a single analytic frame to reflect the Qing empire’s comprehensive approach to the maritime frontier. In these cases, the Qing emperor intervened to help foreigners recover their funds and even assumed unbound liability as a last resort. Buttressing such practices was a foundational principle of the Qing imperial formation: that the emperor’s claim to universal sovereignty rested upon his utmost impartiality toward the ‘inner and outer’ – a contrasting pair based on shifting relativity rather than fixed territoriality. This study highlights the importance of understanding the different modes of mutual constitution between how an empire imagined and managed different groups of people it ruled over or encountered and the practical parameters of its political economy in global history.
Contractor states and globalization of the market for naval artillery technology (1500–1750)
Authors: Cossart Brice
Published: March 2024

This article reflects on the dynamics that underlay the circulation of military technology during the early modern phase of globalization. The debate on the development and transfer of gunpowder weaponry has been dominated by a grid of analysis which implicitly puts value on sovereign production and direct state control over the resources used for war. Focusing on the transfer of naval artillery between Europe and Asia, the article argues for the need to expand the scope of analysis of the contractor state, so far centred on Europe, and study the potential world-scale of the market for naval resources and services in the period between 1500 and 1750. It also highlights the need to replace the reading of technological transfers centred on nation-states by a more fluid and transnational vision which articulates the demand stemming from both states and non-state actors and the rise of regional clusters specialized in providing naval technology with competitive levels of prices, in an age of increasingly interconnected maritime economies. Therefore, the article aims to show why naval artillery, despite being a protagonist of old imperialistic narratives, is still a relevant object of study for the agenda of global history.