bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical Analysis of Novel Ensemble Recursive Radial Basis Function Neural Network Performance on Global Solar Irradiance Forecasting
Authors: Madhiarasan Manoharan , Louzazni Mohamed , Belmahdi Brahim
Published: March 2023

Reliable operation of energy management systems, grid stability, and managing energy demand responses are becoming challenging because of the flickering nature of solar irradiance. Accurate forecasting of global solar irradiance, i.e., global horizontal irradiance (GHI), plays a significant role in energy policy-making and the energy market. This paper proposes a novel global solar irradiance forecasting model based on the ensemble recursive radial basis function neural networks (ERRBFNNs). The various atmospheric inputs based on the built ensemble recursive radial basis function neural networks make the network more stable and robust to climatic uncertainty. This paper statistically investigates the performance of novel feed-forward neural networks based on forecasting models with various hidden nodes for global solar irradiance forecasting applications. We validated the proposed ERRBFNN global solar irradiance forecasting model using real-time data sets. The simulation results confirm that the proposed ensemble recursive radial basis function neural network based on global solar irradiance forecasting improves the accuracy, generalization, and network stability. Furthermore, the proposed ERRBFNN lowers the forecasting error to the least compared to other state-of-the-art forecasting models.
Drug Resistance in Tuberculous Lymphadenitis: Molecular Characterization
Authors: Assefa Gebeyehu , Desta Kassu , Araya Shambel , Girma Selfu , Hailu Elena , Mihret Adane , Hailu Tsegaye , Tilahun Melaku , Diriba Getu , Dagne Biniyam , Atnafu Abay , Endalafer Nigatu , Abera Adugna , Bekele Shiferaw , Mengistu Yordanos , Bobosha Kidist , Aseffa Abraham
Published: March 2023

Background. Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) epidemic in high-TB-incidence countries, particularly Ethiopia, remains a significant challenge. As a result, we investigated the drug resistance, common gene mutation, and molecular characterization of mycobacterial isolates from patients with suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN). Methodology. A cross-sectional study of 218 FNA samples from TBLN patients inoculated on Lowenstein-Jensen media was carried out. The culture isolates were identified as MTB by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the difference-9 (RD9) test region. In addition, the GenoType MTBDRplus assay tested the first and second-line MTB drugs, and the spoligotyping strain-dependent polymorphism test was determined. Results. Among the 50 culture-positive isolates, 14% (7/50) had drug resistance caused by a gene mutation. Out of these, 4 (8%) isolates were mono-resistant to isoniazid drug, which is caused by a gene mutation in katG in the region of interrogated at codon 315 in the amino acid sequence of S315T1, and 3 (6%) isolates were resistant to both rifampicin and isoniazid drugs. The mutation was observed for katG (at codon 315 with a change in the sequence of amino acid S315T) and rpoB (at codon 530–533 with a change in the sequence of amino acid S531L (S450L)) genes. The most prevalent spoligotypes were orphan and SIT53 strains. Conclusion. The predominance of INH mono-resistance poses a critical risk for the potential development of MDR-TB, as INH mono-resistance is a typical pathway to the occurrence of MDR-TB. The orphan and SIT53 (T) strains were the most common in the study area, and a drug-resistant strain caused by a common gene mutation could indicate the transmission of clonal-resistant strains in the community.
Occult Perforation of the Esophagus during Removal of an Enteral Feeding Tube: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Alabdallat Mohammad , Strandvik Gustav , Afifi Ibrahim , Peralta Ruben , Parchani Ashok , El-Menyar Ayman , Rizoli Sandro , Al-Thani Hassan
Published: March 2023

Background. The use of oral or nasal route for enteral feeding is a standard practice in intensive care patients with a safe profile in general. However, complications associated with the insertion of a nasogastric (NGT) or orogastric tube (OGT) are common in the medical literature compared to the removal of such tubes. Case presentation. We presented a 38-year-old male who was involved in a motor-vehicle collision and found with low Glasgow Coma Scale outside his vehicle. He had polytrauma and was intubated—and commenced on enteral feeding via an OGT. Esophageal bezoar developed within a few days around the feeding tube, resulting in significant force being required to remove it, which was complicated by esophageal perforation. The esophageal injury was treated conservatively with uneventful recovery. Discussion and conclusions. Although limited case reports of esophageal enteral feeding bezoar formation do exist in the literature, we believe that this is the first case report of esophageal perforation due to the forceful removal of a wedged OGT secondary to esophageal bezoar formation. Morbidity associated with OGT/NGT is not common and may require a high index of suspicion to be identified. This is especially true if resistance is appreciated while removing the NGT/OGT. Gastroenterology consultation is recommended as early as possible to detect and manage any complications, however, their role was very limited in such stable case. In addition, early computed tomography (CT) can be considered for timely recognition of esophageal perforation. Non-operative management may be considered in stable patients, especially if the leak is in the cervical portion of the esophagus. Finally, prevention is better than cure, so being diligent in confirming NGT/OGT position, both radiologically and by measuring the tube length at the nostril/mouth, is the key to avoid misplacement and complication. This case raises the awareness of physician for such preventable iatrogenic event.
Exponentially Convex Functions on the Coordinates and Novel Estimations via Riemann-Liouville Fractional Operator
Authors: Akdemir Ahmet Ocak , Aslan Sinan , Dokuyucu Mustafa Ali , Çelik Ercan
Published: March 2023

In this study, the modification of the concept of exponentially convex function, which is a general version of convex functions, given on the coordinates, is recalled. With the help of an integral identity which includes the Riemann-Liouville (RL) fractional integral operator, new Hadamard-type inequalities are proved for exponentially convex functions on the coordinates. Many special cases of the results are discussed.
Drug-Induced Urinary Stone of Atazanavir Incidentally Found in an Asymptomatic Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Plawecki Maëlle , Bistoquet Marie , Grillet Pierre-Edouard , Abdo Nicolas , Souweine Jean-Sébastien , Cristol Jean-Paul
Published: March 2023

A HIV-infected female treated with a combination of emtricitabine/elvitegravir/tenofovir since 2017 presented an acute renal failure during her hospitalization for a SARS-CoV2 pneumonia. A computed tomography demonstrated left ureterohydronephrosis and ureteral stone. Fragments extracted by ureteroscopy showed a calculus composed of atazanavir and calcium oxalate. The patient’s medical history showed atazanavir intake during ten years and then discontinued in 2017. This case report emphasizes that drug-induced urolithiasis should be considered when renal function declines, even far from discontinuation of atazanavir and without clinical signs of renal colitis. Moreover, identification of risk factors should alert to the possibility of drug-induced nephrolithiasis.
Analysis of Fractional Kundu-Eckhaus and Massive Thirring Equations Using a Hybridization Scheme
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Wahash Hanan A.
Published: March 2023

This paper deals with the study of fractional Kundu-Eckhaus equation (FKEE) and fractional massive Thirring problem (FMTP) that appear in the quantum field theory, weakly nonlinear dispersive water waves, and nonlinear optics. Since the variational iteration method involves integration, the Laplace transform involves convolution theorem in recurrence relation to derive the series solution. To avoid some assumptions and hypothesis, we apply a two-scale approach for such a nonlinear complex model. The fractional differential equation may be transformed into its partner equation using He’s fractional complex transform, and then, the nonlinear elements can be readily handled using the homotopy perturbation method (HPM). Numerical results are derived in a rapid converge series form to improve the accuracy of the scheme greatly. Graphical representations and error distribution show that the two-scale approach is a very convenient tool.
Quad Port Multipolarized Reconfigurable MIMO Antenna for Sub 6 GHz Applications
Authors: Thangarasu Deepa , Palaniswamy Sandeep Kumar , Thipparaju Rama Rao
Published: March 2023

Recent reconfigurable technological advancements for wireless communication systems provide various global solutions. This research work presents a quad port multipolarized switchable multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna for sub 6 GHz applications. It covers the frequency range from 3.1 to 5.1 GHz, including the 5G NR band n78 (3.3 to 3.8 GHz) and 5G NR band n79 (4.4 to 5 GHz). The proposed antenna comprises four offset-fed monopole antenna elements with an overall dimension of 60 mm × 65 mm. To achieve circular polarization (CP), a parasitic meandering resonator is integrated with antenna elements using four PIN diodes. The polarization diversity is obtained by controlling the bias states of four PIN diodes. The radiating element −1/−3 offers left hand circular polarization (LHCP), while element −2/−4 procures right hand circular polarization (RHCP) when all diodes are ON. Consequently, the proposed antenna provides linear polarization (LP) under reverse bias conditions. Moreover, the designed antenna acquires a wide axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 36.1%. In addition, the developed MIMO antenna exhibits isolation greater than 15 dB using the common ground plane, and the obtained ECC is less than 0.13. The prototype is fabricated, and the simulated responses are in good correlation with the measured results.
One-Way High-Dimensional ANOVA
Authors: Chen Tansheng , Zheng Lukun
Published: March 2023

ANOVA is one of the most important tools in comparing the treatment means among different groups in repeated measurements. The classical

F

test is routinely used to test if the treatment means are the same across different groups. However, it is inefficient when the number of groups or dimension gets large. We propose a smoothing truncation test to deal with this problem. It is shown theoretically and empirically that the proposed test works regardless of the dimension. The limiting null and alternative distributions of our test statistic are established for fixed and diverging number of treatments. Simulations demonstrate superior performance of the proposed test over the F test in different settings.
An Analytical Study on Two High-Order Hybrid Methods to Solve Systems of Nonlinear Equations
Authors: Darvishi Hooman , Darvishi M. T.
Published: March 2023

In order to solve systems of nonlinear equations, two novel iterative methods are presented. The successive over-relaxation method and the Chebyshev-like iterative methods to solve systems of nonlinear equations have combined to obtain the new algorithms. By this combination, two powerful hybrid methods are obtained. Necessary conditions for convergence of these methods are presented. Furthermore, the stability analysis of both algorithms is investigated. These algorithms are applied for solving two real stiff systems of ordinary differential equations. These systems arise from an HIV spreading model and an SIR model of an epidemic which formulates the spread of a nonfatal disease in a certain population. Numerical results show promising convergence and stability for both new hybrid methods.
Improved Population Intelligence Algorithm and BP Neural Network for Network Security Posture Prediction
Authors: Li Yueying , Wu Feng
Published: March 2023

To address the problems of low prediction accuracy and slow convergence of the network security posture prediction model, a population intelligence optimization algorithm is proposed to improve the network security posture prediction model of the BP neural network. First, the adaptive adjustment of the two parameters with the increase of iterations is achieved by improving the inertia weights and learning factors in the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm so that the PSO has a large search range and high speed at the initial stage and a strong and stable convergence capability at the later stage. Secondly, to address the problem that PSO is prone to fall into a local optimum, the genetic operator is embedded into the operation process of the particle swarm algorithm, and the excellent global optimization performance of the genetic algorithm is used to open up the spatial vision of the particle population, revive the stagnant particles, accelerate the update amplitude of the algorithm, and achieve the purpose of improving the premature problem. Finally, the improved algorithm is combined with the BP neural network to optimize the BP neural network and applied to the network security posture assessment. The experimental comparison of different optimization algorithms is applied, and the results show that the network security posture prediction method of this model has the smallest error, the highest accuracy, and the fastest convergence, and can effectively predict future changes in network security posture.
A Self-Propagating c-Met–SOX2 Axis Drives Cancer-Derived IgG Signaling That Promotes Lung Cancer Cell Stemness
Authors: Huang Xinmei , Zhang Shenghua , Tang Jingshu , Tian Tian , Pan Yilin , Wu Lina , Zhang Jingxuan , Liu Yang , Huang Jing , Dai Hui , Xu Weiyan , Zhang Youhui , Chen Jinfeng , Cao Mengshu , Zhang Liang , Qiu Xiaoyan
Published: March 2023

Elevated IgG expression in cancer cells has been implicated in exacerbated malignancy and poor clinical prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates that a nonconventional sialylation modification is critical for the function of cancer-derived IgG, indicating the need for a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that control the expression and function of sialylated cancer IgG (SIA-cIgG). Here, we conducted genome-wide CRISPR activation screening and identified OCT4 and SOX2 as the key factors that promote SIA-cIgG expression. Functional investigation revealed that SIA-cIgG reciprocally stimulated SOX2 by activating the c-Met/Akt/Erk signaling axis, constituting a self-propagating loop of SIA-cIgG/c-Met/SOX2/SIA-cIgG signaling. This signaling loop was highly active in stem-like cells from many epithelial cancers and was crucial for cancer stemness in vitro and in vivo. Notably, the mAb RP215, which specifically recognizes the Asn162 sialylation–related epitope on SIA-cIgG, effectively blocked the SIA-cIgG–driven signaling loop. Furthermore, RP215 significantly inhibited lung cancer cell stemness and tumor growth in a patient-derived xenograft model. In conclusion, these findings revealed a self-propagating c-Met/SOX2/SIA-cIgG signaling loop that promotes cancer stemness, identifying novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Significance:

Sialylated cancer IgG activates c-Met-SOX2 signaling to promote stemness properties in cancer cells and can be targeted to suppress tumor growth.
Clonal Spreading of Tumor-Infiltrating T Cells Underlies the Robust Antitumor Immune Responses
Authors: Aoki Hiroyasu , Tsunoda Mikiya , Ogiwara Haru , Shimizu Haruka , Abe Haruka , Ogawa Tatsuro , Abe Takaya , Shichino Shigeyuki , Matsushima Kouji , Ueha Satoshi
Published: March 2023

The repertoire of tumor-infiltrating T cells is an emerging method for characterizing effective antitumor T-cell responses. Oligoclonal expansion of the tumor T-cell repertoire has been evaluated; however, their association with antitumor effects is unclear. We demonstrate here that the polyclonal fraction of the tumor-reactive T-cell repertoire, consisting of relatively minor clones, increased in tumor-bearing mice treated with monoclonal anti–programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or anti-CD4, which correlated with antitumor effects. Meanwhile, the size of the oligoclonal fraction consisting of major clones remained unchanged. Moreover, the polyclonal fraction was enriched in progenitor exhausted T cells, which are essential for a durable antitumor response, and was more dependent on CCR7+ migratory dendritic cells, which are responsible for priming tumor-reactive T cells in the tumor-draining lymph nodes. These results suggest that the expansion of diverse tumor-reactive clones (“clonal spreading”) represents characteristics of antitumor T-cell responses induced by anti-CD4 and anti–PD-L1 treatment.
Design and Methodological Issues of Within-Person (Split-Body) Randomized Controlled Trials Evaluating a Topical Treatment: A Systematic Review
Authors: Leducq Sophie , Dugard Amandine , Allemang-Trivalle Aude , Giraudeau Bruno , Maruani Annabel
Published: March 2023

Background: Topical drugs are often used as first-line treatment for dermatological conditions. A within-person design may then be well adapted: it consists of randomizing lesions/body sites rather than patients, which are then concomitantly treated by the different drugs compared, reducing inter-group variability and therefore requiring fewer patients than the classical parallel-group trial. Objectives: The aim of this review was to provide a methodological overview of within-person randomized trials (WP-RCTs) in dermatology. Methods: We searched for eligible trials published between 2017 and 2021 in MEDLINE, Embase, and Central in dermatology journals and the 6 highest-impact-factor general medical journals. Two authors selected publications and extracted data independently. Results: From 1,034 articles identified, we included 54 WP-RCTs, mainly for acne vulgaris, psoriasis, actinic keratosis, and atopic dermatitis. In most of the trials, patients had only 2 lesions/body sites. In none of the trials, did we detect a potential carry-across effect (known to be the major methodological problem in WP-RCTs). Twelve studies reported a care provider applying the treatment, and in 26 studies, the patients themselves applied the treatment. Finally, we also highlight statistical issues for the statistical analysis: overall, 14 (26.9%) studies used a test for independent observations, thus ignoring the between-lesion correlation. Conclusion: Our systematic review highlights that despite the publication of the CONSORT checklist extension for WP-RCTs in 2017, this design is rarely used, and when it is, there are methodological and reporting concerns.
Molecular Genetic Analysis and Growth Hormone Treatment in a Three-Generation Chinese Family with Tricho-Rhino-Phalangeal Syndrome I
Authors: Yan Yaqin , Huang Shan , Huang Lianjing , Zhang Jingyi , Li Sujuan , Zhang Cai , Luo Xiaoping
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities, which is caused by variants in the TRPS1 gene. Methods: Clinical information and follow-up data were collected. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for variants and validated by Sanger sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to predict the pathogenicity of the identified variant. Moreover, wild-type and mutated TRPS1 vectors were constructed and transfected into human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cells. Immunofluorescence experiments were performed to assess the localization and expression of the mutated protein. Western blot analysis and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of downstream genes. Results: The affected family members had typical craniofacial phenotype including sparse lateral eyebrows, pear-shaped nasal tip, and large prominent ears, plus skeletal abnormalities including short stature and brachydactyly. WES and Sanger sequencing identified the TRPS1 c.880_882delAAG variant in affected family members. In vitro functional studies showed that the TRPS1 variant did not affect the cellular localization and the expression of TRPS1, but the transcriptional repression effect of the TRPS1 on the RUNX2 and STAT3 was disturbed. The proband and his brother have been treated with growth hormone (GH) for 2 years until now, and we have observed the improvement of the linear growth in both. Conclusions: The variant of c.880_882delAAG in TRPS1 was responsible for the pathogenesis of the Chinese family with TRPS I. The treatment of GH could be beneficial for the height outcome in TRPS I patients, and earlier initiation and longer duration of the therapy in prepubertal or early pubertal stage could be associated with better height outcomes.
Contribuição ao estudo da fauna brasileira de moluscos : resultados de uma pequena coleção de moluscos obtida pela excursão científica realizada pelo Instituto Osvaldo Cruz em outubro de 1938
Authors: Morretes F. Lange de
Published: March 2023

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Novos gonyleptidas brasileiros
Authors: Piza Junior S. de Toledo
Published: March 2023

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Associations of Urine Biomarkers of Kidney Tubule Health With Incident Hypertension and Longitudinal Blood Pressure Change in Middle-Aged Adults: The CARDIA Study
Authors: Khan Muhammad B. , Scherzer Rebecca , Lewis Cora E. , Malhotra Rakesh , Ix Joachim H. , Shlipak Michael G. , Gutiérrez Orlando M.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Urine biomarkers of kidney tubule injury associate with incident hypertension in older adults with comorbidities, but less is known about these associations in younger adults.

Methods:

In 1170 participants of the CARDIA study (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults; mean age, 45 years; 40% Black people; 56% women) without hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease at baseline, we examined associations of urine MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), α1m (alpha-1-microglobulin), KIM-1 (kidney injury molecule-1), EGF (epidermal growth factor), IL (interleukin)-18, YKL-40 (chitinase-3-like protein 1), and UMOD (uromodulin) with incident hypertension (onset of systolic blood pressure [BP] ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg or initiation of hypertension medications) and longitudinal BP change in models adjusted for hypertension risk factors, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and albuminuria.

Results:

After a median 9.9 (interquartile range, 5.9–10.2) years, 376 participants developed incident hypertension. In demographic-adjusted analyses, higher tertiles of EGF associated with lower risk of incident hypertension in both Black and White participants. After multivariable adjustment, the risk of incident hypertension remained lower in tertile 2 (hazard ratio, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50–0.97]) and tertile 3 (hazard ratio, 0.58 [0.39–0.85]) of EGF versus tertile 1. In fully adjusted models, participants in EGF tertile 3 had smaller 10-year increases in systolic (−3.4 [95% CI, −6.1 to −0.7] mm Hg) and diastolic BP (−2.6 [95% CI, −4.6 to −0.6] mm Hg) than tertile 1. Other biomarkers showed inconsistent associations with incident hypertension and BP change.

Conclusions:

In middle-aged adults without hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or kidney disease, higher urine EGF associated with lower risk of incident hypertension and lower 10-year BP elevations.
Testing for Salience Effects in Choices under Risk
Authors: Nielsen Carsten S. , Sebald Alexander C. , Sørensen Peter N.
Published: March 2023

We construct and run an experiment to test the most basic choice effect predicted by Salience Theory. Subjects allocate wealth between a risky and a safe investment. While we vary an apparent payoff ratio to influence salience, treatments have economically equivalent consequences. Most other theories of behavior then predict zero effect. Our experimental findings are strongly consistent with the behavioral implication of a continuous version of Salience Theory. We provide a novel structural estimate on the strength of salience. In our setting, increasing the relative payoff contrast by one percent is equivalent to an increased odds ratio by about 0.4 percent.
The Need for Speed: Demand, Regulation, and Welfare on the Margin of Alternative Financial Services
Authors: McDevitt Ryan C. , Sojourner Aaron
Published: March 2023

We use a nonlinear reduction in a bank's check-cashing fees and variation in regulated check-clearing times to identify the elasticity of demand for cashing checks rather than depositing them. We find that an extra day of check-clearing time makes account holders 65.5% more likely to cash a check than deposit it, which implies they are willing to pay $11.17 per day for faster access to their funds – an effective annualized discount rate of 11,054% for the average check. We use this elasticity to evaluate recent proposals that mandate faster check-clearing times.
Risk Perceptions and Private Protective Behaviors: Evidence from COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bundorf M. Kate , DeMatteis Jill , Miller Grant , Polyakova Maria , Streeter Jialu L. , Wivagg Jonathan
Published: March 2023

We analyze data from a survey we administered during the COVID19 pandemic to investigate the relationship between people's subjective beliefs about risks and their private protective behaviors. On average, people substantially overestimate the absolute level of risk associated with economic activity, but have directionally correct signals about their relative risk based on their demographic characteristics. Subjective risk beliefs are predictive of changes in economic activities independently of government policies. Government mandates restricting economic behavior, in turn, attenuate the relationship between subjective risk beliefs and protective behaviors.
Job-to-Job Mobility and Inflation
Authors: Faccini Renato , Melosi Leonardo
Published: March 2023

The low rate of inflation observed in the U.S. over the past decade is hard to reconcile with traditional measures of labor market slack. We develop a theory-based indicator of interfirm-wage competition that can explain the missing inflation. Key to this result is a drop in the rate of on-the-job search, which lowers the intensity of interfirm-wage competition to retain or hire workers. We estimate the on-the-job search rate from aggregate labor-market flows and show that its recent drop is corroborated by survey data. During “the great resignation”, interfirm-wage competition rose, raising inflation by around 1 percentage point in 2021.
Wealth-Income Ratios in Free Market Capitalism: Switzerland, 1900-2020
Authors: Baselgia Enea , Martínez Isabel Z.
Published: March 2023

We show that over the 20th century, in Switzerland the ratio of private wealth to national income, βpt, did not follow a U-shaped pattern, thereby contrasting the evolution in most European countries. Instead, the ratio was exceptionally stable at around 500%. We argue that this consistently high βpt was the result of geopolitical factors combined with Switzerland's capital friendly policy-making. Since the turn of the century, however, βpt has been on a rapid rise to reach 793% in 2020. This exceptionally fast increase is mainly driven by large capital gains, especially in housing wealth.
Challenging Encounters and Within-Physician Practice Variability
Authors: Chodick Gabriel , Goldstein Yoav , Shurtz Ity , Zeltzer Dan
Published: March 2023

We examine how physician decisions are impacted by difficult cases—encounters with newly diagnosed cancer patients. Using detailed administrative data, we compare primary care physicians' decisions in visits that occurred before and after difficult cases and matched comparison cases by the same physicians on other dates. Immediately following a difficult case, physicians increase referrals for common tests, including diagnostic tests unrelated to cancer. The effect lasts only for about an hour and is not driven by patient selection or schedule disruption. The results highlight difficult encounters as a source of variability in physician practice.
On the Restoration of Job: Poetics and Meaning in Job 42
Authors: Berger Yitzhak
Published: March 2023

The epilogue of Job, for no immediately obvious reason, links the restoration of Job’s wealth to his prayer on behalf of his friends. In doing so, it deploys a formulation that features redundancy and multiple philological irregularities. These compositional choices serve several objectives. Particularly on the assumption that Job, in his final speech, maintains an abidingly defiant posture toward God, his prayer constitutes a prerequisite for his restoration. Indeed, in subtle ways, the text emphasizes the prayer’s pivotal role. The text’s odd formulation, for its part, generates inner-biblical parallels that contribute to meaning. One parallel invokes a wider correlation to the Joseph story, implying that Job, in contrast to the victimized Joseph, must extend forbearance to his offenders before regaining wealth and stature. Another parallel helps intimate that Job recovered from his malady, a development that the text, because of an understandable concern, does not wish to state explicitly.
A (Somewhat) New Way to See and Understand the Diverse and Strategic Use of the Interrogatives in Isa 40:12–31
Authors: Adams Jim W.
Published: March 2023

Interpreters predominantly identify the interrogatives in Isa 40:12–31 as Rhetorical Questions (RQs) along with a single Genuine Question. However, upon closer examination the prophet also employs another type of interrogative that operates similarly to RQs, namely Conducive Questions. The prophet creatively and strategically arranges the interrogatives into a parallel pattern. Specifically, the prophet forms two parallel interrogative sequences with each placed in two respective parallel literary sequences (vv. 12–20; 21–26) that together constitute the first section of vv. 12–31. A second literary unit (vv. 27–31) begins with a Genuine Question immediately followed by a final pair of interrogatives. The prophet utilizes the Conducive and Rhetorical Questions to intentionally lead the addressee to verbally confirm, mentally assent to, and, in certain instances, confess with the inferred answers. The prophet’s purpose with these interrogatives aims at synchronizing the theological worldviews of both communicative participants.
Nochmals zur Frühdatierung von Ri 19*
Authors: Stipp Hermann-Josef
Published: March 2023

The essay substantiates an older thesis, according to which the so-called narrative of the outrage in Gibeah (Judg 19*) was written in circles around David as a propagandistic pamphlet, with the intention to win over the northern tribes to Jerusalem’s claim to power and to rally them against a competing claim from Benjamin. To this end, the study expands the list of observations that indicate that Judg 19* originated as an independent text, discusses questions of text-internal values of Judg 19–21, lays out further implications of the proposed dating, and critically examines recent studies on this complex.
“The Scythians Do Still Scare Us”
Authors: Cadili Luca
Published: March 2023

In Col 3:11, through tightly contrasting couplets, we are told that everyone can enjoy God’s grace. Though the passage seemingly involves no difficulty, doubts may be raised about the opposition between barbarians and Scythians, both being uncivilized nations. Yet the savagery of the latter, unparalleled among the barbarians, was their well-known hallmark. Even though this picture of the Scythians seems to have become commonplace in Greek and Roman literature, it might be inferred from epigraphical evidence that this barbarian nation was still a reason for disquiet in Asia Minor at the time when the Letter to the Colossians was delivered.
A Farewell to the Pondering Mary
Authors: Hoogerwerf Cornelis
Published: March 2023

Almost sixty years ago, W.C. van Unnik demonstrated that the participle συµβάλλουσα in Luke 2:19 does not mean “pondering” but that Mary was “understanding” the heavenly message. The limited reception of his view, especially in anglophone literature and translations of the Bible, stems from misconceptions about the lexical definition and the imperfective aspect of συµβάλλουσα, as well as from a problematic interpretation of the phrase “to keep matters/words in one’s heart.” The present study proposes that Luke 2:19 means that Mary preserved the message as revealed knowledge of the future and understood its meaning. This interpretation makes better sense within the infancy narrative and the Gospel of Luke as a whole than traditional interpretations and sheds new light on Mary’s image and function.
Portuguese Mercenary Networks in Seventeenth-Century India: An Experiment in Global Microhistory and its Archive
Authors: Marcocci Giuseppe
Published: March 2023

Thousands of runaways left the Portuguese empire during the early modern period, but very little is known about the lived experience of this diverse group of individuals after they fled. This article questions the framework of analysis that reduces such a complex social phenomenon to the overarching category of “informal empire,” while testing the hypothesis that the issue of the archive lies at the core of the practice of global microhistory. A set of primary sources in Portuguese, Dutch, English, Marathi, and Persian is analyzed at close range to reconstruct the choices, motivations, and hesitations of a specific group of “Portuguese” – mostly dark-skinned mestiços of modest origin – who served as mercenaries in north-western Deccan. I argue that studying the networks of these mercenaries ultimately reveals localized forms of endurance and adaptation to rapid and disruptive changes brought about locally by imperial rivalry and long-distance commerce.
The Slave and the Scholar: Representing Africa in the World from Early Modern Tripoli to Borno (N. Nigeria)
Authors: Dewière Rémi
Published: March 2023

The Borno sultanate in present-day Nigeria was an early modern Islamic state at the crossroads of regional, transregional, and global networks. Sahelian pilgrims, North African scholars, European slaves, Saharan nomads, and Turkish mercenaries would travel to its capital, connecting it with West Africa, the Mediterranean World, and the Middle East. How do we assess Borno’s integration in the global early modern world from a plural perspective, both from the inside and the outside? Using the narratives of Aḥmad b. Furṭū, a sixteenth century Borno scholar living in the sultan’s court, and of Pierre Girard, a French slave in seventeenth century Tripoli, Libya, I will interrogate the idea of globality from a Borno-centered representation of the world. The mental mapping of these narratives raises a yet unanswered question in the field of early modern history: How can we conceive global history from an African point of view?
The Missionaries’ Engagement with Science and Technology in Colonial Kenya, 1887–1963
Authors: Gathogo Julius
Published: March 2023

The missionaries’ engagement with science and technology in colonial Kenya (1887–1963) is evidentially seen through the use of the post-industrial revolution’s breakthroughs of the eighteenth century, which included: advancement in science and mass production, steam engines, and the rise of digital technology. The tendency to rely heavily on post-industrial innovations and inventions were critical in fast-tracking their missiological discourses, which included scriptural translations, publishing, and the use of printing machines. These were critical in generating instructional materials and especially the Bible, which was produced in the local indigenous languages by 1952, and by encouraging technical-science education after primary school, among other methods. Although the concept of science and technology is largely attributed to the scientific breakthroughs of the twenty-first century, we argue that this concept was also evident in both the African indigenous society and in the missionary era. The widespread use of the phrase ‘science and technology’ is further seen in the missionary enterprises since they founded or supported the establishment of technical schools that offered electrical engineering, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, mechanical engineering, and training in medicine and the establishment of dispensaries and hospitals, among other relevant activities. Methodologically, the research article endeavours to review the European missionary societies, especially the Protestant wing, in its aim to understand their engagement with science and technology, and to determine if there conflict between Western science and the indigenous systems. The data was gathered through a review of existing literature, archival sources, unpublished materials and other oral sources.
Conjoined Twins in Medieval Imagery
Authors: Couzin Robert
Published: March 2023

Notwithstanding their rarity, conjoined twins have often been remarked and represented throughout human history. The medieval visual record includes two depictions of historical twins, some exotic two-headed monsters, the ancient god Janus, and many instances of the zodiac Gemini as conjoined. Comparing the imagery with physiological fact, it is clear that artists were familiar with various forms of natural corporeal fusion, although they were also prone to misunderstandings. The representations reflect conflicting conceptions of the phenomenon debated among Western theologians and philosophers, that they were one person or two. Conjoined twins are found in both European and Islamic art. The conjoined Gemini, in particular, began to appear regularly in both cultures at roughly the same time toward the beginning of the thirteenth century, with possible earlier hints in the West. This parallel iconographical development raises difficult questions of genealogy and dissemination.
Fragment of an Anti-Christian Polemic with a Syriac Gospel Quotation
Authors: Shapira Dan
Published: March 2023

In the “Afghan Genizah,” a recently acquired collection of texts in Judeo-Persian, Early New-Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic from the tenth to thirteenth centuries, I recognized a Judeo-Persian fragment of a Jewish, anti-Christian polemic work. This fragment may be – or may not be – part of the Toledoth Yeshu literature. It contains a Gospel quotation in Syriac in Hebrew letters.
Unlawfully Authorised Projects under the Habitats Directive: Remediation at All Costs?
Authors: Braaksma Lolke , Haugsted Thomas
Published: March 2023

On 10 November 2022, the cjeu delivered its judgment in AquaPri concerning a Danish fish farm, which had been authorised in breach of the requirement to carry out an appropriate assessment laid down in Article 6(3) hd. The case provided the Court with an opportunity to clarify several important issues that may occur when the national authorities fail to carry out an appropriate assessment in line with this provision. In this annotation, we discuss the three main issues dealt with by the Court, namely (i) whether the renewal of existing permits falls under the concept of ‘project’ under Article 6(3) hd, (ii) the extent to which Member States must remedy the consequences of a failure to carry out an appropriate assessment, and (iii) the role of already conducted programme-based impact assessments in this regard.
New insights gained from collections of wild Lactuca relatives in the gene bank of the Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa
Authors: Beharav Alex , Stojakowska Anna , Nevo Eviatar , Lebeda Aleš
Published: March 2023

The Institute of Evolution’s (IoE’s) Wild Lettuce Gene Bank (WLGB), established in the mid 1990s, contains new and extensive collections of five wild Lactuca relatives (WLRs) originating from Israel and Armenia: L. serriola, L. aculeata, L. georgica, L. altaica, and L. saligna. The objectives of the WLGB relate to the identification, collection, distribution, conservation, and characterization of the population genetic structure of these unique germplasms for crop improvement. Comprehensive studies are ongoing to determine the taxonomic position and crossing potential of the critical mass of collected species with domesticated lettuce, L. sativa, based on: (i) select morphological and phenological characteristics; (ii) molecular data; (iii) downy mildew resistance and (iv) variation in biologically active secondary metabolite content. In this review we present an overview of our key findings and highlight the advances in knowledge on these themes. Our germplasm collections and novel results, obtained by detailed, large-scale screening of natural populations and individuals for genetic variation, will considerably advance crop breeding research and practices. In addition, we critically summarize the recent literature and findings relating to three additional WLRs: L. dregeana, L. scarioloides, and L. azerbaijanica. The main long-term purpose of our research is to facilitate broadening of the genetic variation of domesticated lettuce by using new and adaptive germplasm in interspecific hybridization of lettuce.
The Migration of Religion to New Zealand in the Shipboard Diaries of Scottish Presbyterians
Authors: Gattey Emma
Published: March 2023

Drawing upon a collection held at Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, this article studies expressions of religious belief and practices in the shipboard diaries of Scottish Presbyterians who emigrated to Otago, New Zealand, from the mid-nineteenth century. Through close reading, this article amplifies diverse migrant voices aboard these ‘floating villages’, albeit united by their remarkably literate denomination. Offering rare portholes into personal experiences of the voyage, this article explores, first, the religious impetus to emigrate to a new Presbyterian haven; second, the organised religious rituals throughout the ship’s passage to New Zealand; and third, manifestations of popular religion, which informed perceptions of morality, health and disease, literature, leadership, festivities, prayer and nature. This article strengthens recent challenges to the secular emphasis of nationalist histories of settler colonies wherein migrants somehow abandoned their religion in transit, instead underlining the ship as a space for Scottish migrants to concentrate their religious mindset.
A Study of the Format and Formation of the *Si gao 四告 (Four Proclamations) of the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips
Authors: Jia (賈連翔) Lianxiang
Published: March 2023

The *Si gao 四告 (Four Proclamations) manuscript, published in the tenth volume of the Qinghua daxue cang Zhanguo zhujian 清華大學藏戰國竹簡 (Warring States Bamboo Slips in Collection of Tsinghua University), consists of four texts of prayers of Zhou Gong Dan 周公旦 (Dan, the Duke of Zhou), Zengsun Boqin 曾孫伯禽 (Great-Grandson Boqin; i.e., the Duke of Lu 魯公), Zengsun Man 曾孫滿 (Great-Grandson Man; i.e., King Mu of Zhou 周穆王), and Zengsun Shao Hu 曾孫召虎 (Great Grandson Shao Hu; i.e., Duke Mu of Shao 召穆公). They are not only important in terms of their content, but are also presented in a quite special format of considerable significance for understanding the process of book formation in pre-Qin times.
The Challenges of Pacifism and Nonviolence in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Jackson Richard
Published: March 2023

This reflection explores some of the reasons why the current historical moment provides an ideal opportunity to launch a new journal on pacifism and nonviolence. It goes on to argue that there are a number of compelling analytical and normative reasons for taking pacifism and nonviolence seriously, such as the failure of just war theory to regulate international violence, the power-resistance cycle, and the insights from social theory about the connection between the means and ends of social action. The reflection concludes with a warning about some of the key challenges facing the field, including the inevitable resistance from the vested interests in war and militarism, the challenge of decolonising Eurocentric social science, and the challenge of living up to the radicality of pacifist values.
Praxis of Emerging Liberations: a Transdisciplinary Knowledge-Making of How to Liberate Within-Against-and-Beyond Systems of Violence
Authors: Vinthagen Stellan
Published: March 2023

This article advocates a system-critical approach to pacifism and nonviolence studies, one that affirms a liberation-oriented praxis that mobilizes revolutionary pacifism and nonviolence. Liberation from violence needs to be a multi-dimensional, multi-scalar and continuous process, at least based on three interconnected dimensions: (1) transdisciplinary knowledge-making through cooperation between different traditions of liberation, facilitating (2) creative combinations of self-transformation, constructive programs and resistance, and mobilizing through (3) translocal and intersectional network collaborations between communities. Such a Praxis of Emerging Liberations would be relevant for those most targeted by systemic violence and for ongoing struggles for a just peace and against a multitude of increasing threats including militarized nationalism, the proliferation of racism and whiteness, the acute climate crisis and ecocide, the imperialism of capital, neocolonialism, and weaponized heteropatriachy. This recommendation involves returning to the Gandhian roots of nonviolence, rejecting much of the mainstreaming of the academic field in recent decades.
Why Pacifism Now?
Authors: Ryan Cheyney
Published: March 2023

Pacifism has always been a marginal position, but only in the 20th century did it become stigmatized – i.e. dismissed and ridiculed as outside the boundaries of serious discussion. This reflected the rise of “total war”, as exemplified by the century’s two world wars, where the war making claims of the state on the individual became absolute, hence any questioning of war itself became heretical. After this century of war, our greatest challenge is not to repeat the endless aimless conflicts of the past. Pacifism’s contribution to this is partly theoretical. Through its analysis of the “war system” it debunks any thought that war can be ended by war, as the past has imagined; it can only be ended by unraveling the system itself. Pacifism’s contribution to this is practical, by placing the politics of nonviolence at the center of this task.
Talking to Children About War
Authors: Chae Lee-Ann
Published: March 2023

How should we talk to children about war? The basic story we tell them is that the world is split into good guys and bad guys, and that sometimes we have to kill the bad guys for the sake of justice. These stories of heroic killing teach children to train their attention on violence, and to interpret that violence as just or good. I show how this basic story – which also motivates much of our philosophical thinking about the morality of war and killing, mostly notably just war theory – makes it difficult for us to consider and evaluate pacific alternatives. If we are to give children the space to develop their imagination, so that they can more genuinely engage with the possibilities of nonviolence and peace, then we must learn to tell a different story.
Feminist Pacifism and the Timeliness of Being Untimely
Authors: Hutchings Kimberly
Published: March 2023

The question to which we have been asked to respond frames pacifism and non-violence as timely – it implies that there are reasons to study them more seriously now. Thinking about this question from the point of view of traditions and practices of feminist pacifism and non-violence, it is their untimeliness that has most often been at the forefront of their reception. The paper makes the paradoxical case that it is this untimeliness that is key to why we should take feminist pacifism seriously.