bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Closing Argument as Multimodal Oratory: Insights from the Chauvin Trial
Authors: Szczyrbak Magdalena
Published: April 2023

The paper examines selected aspects of the defence closing argument in a highly publicised criminal trial to illustrate the orchestration of various semiotic resources in legal persuasion and to explain their role in the creation of meaning. The study demonstrates that closing arguments are multimodal performances whose persuasiveness results from the combination of modes (speech, image, video, gaze, gesture, posture, proxemics) which contextualise and strengthen one another, rather than language alone. Drawing on earlier research into multimodality, courtroom rhetoric and proximity in disciplinary genres, the analysis centres on the ways in which the defence counsel controls the rhetorical features of his narrative and constructs himself and the audience as people with similar understandings and goals. The study specifically demonstrates how the counsel constructs the proximity of commitment, the proximity of membership and the proximity of experience. It explores such facets of proximity as: organisation, argument structure, credibility, stance and engagement, and identifies key rhetorical strategies used to achieve the intended communicative effect. The analysis clearly shows that the persuasiveness of the counsel’s performance depends on the synchronisation of a range of meaning-making resources, which, if used in isolation, would result in a much less engaging argument.
The retrieval of food hoarded by red squirrels inhabiting an urban park
Authors: Brzeziński Marcin , Zalewski Andrzej
Published: April 2023

Food hoarding is a useful evolutionary adaptation which strongly affects animal fitness. However, its effectiveness depends on the trade-off between costs of gathering supplies and the benefits of using them by a hoarder when other food is hardly available. A field experiment conducted between November and April in a large urban park in Warsaw (Poland) showed that the survival rate of hazelnuts Corylus avellana hoarded by red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris was very low – about half of nuts disappeared from caches within one day, and after 50 days the probability of nut survival was 0.01. The survival rate of hazelnuts cached by squirrels was lower than these hidden in control caches. This difference suggests that squirrel-made caches were recovered by caching individuals and/or robbed by pilferers, both conspecific and heterospecific, more successfully than man-made caches. Moreover, survival rates of nuts deployed in control caches in clumps of trees were lower than in the open space areas avoided by squirrels. The probability of nut survival in a squirrel cache and in the control cache increased with the increasing proportion of days with frost as frozen soil limit squirrel access to cached nuts. The probability of nut survival in a squirrel cache and in control cache in the clumps of trees increased over the study period. We discuss whether food hoarding in the environmental conditions of an urban park where animals are oversupplied with food by humans is beneficial for squirrels or if it is an unimportant imprinted behaviour which does not increase their fitness.
Self-Legislation and the Apriority of the Moral Law
Authors: Kleingeld Pauline
Published: April 2023

Marcus Willaschek and I have argued against the widespread assumption that Kant claims the Moral Law—the supreme principle of morality—is (or must be regarded as) ‘self-legislated’. We argue that Kant instead describes the Moral Law as an a priori principle of the will. We also argue that his conception of autonomy concerns not the Moral Law but substantive moral laws such as the law that requires promoting the happiness of others. In the present essay, I respond to the commentary by Alyssa Bernstein and Christoph Hanisch. In response to Bernstein, I clarify the relation between our interpretation of Kant and those proposed by John Rawls and Allen Wood. In response to Hanisch, I argue, among other things, that Kant’s defense of the thesis that the Moral Law is an a priori principle of pure practical reason does not mean that practical reasoning and reasons-based action are impossible without it. It means rather that morally good and morally evil reasons-based action are impossible without it.
Robotic versus freehand CT-guided radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary metastases: a comparative cohort study
Authors: Johnston Edward W. , Basso Jodie , Silva Francisca , Haris Arafat , Jones Robin L. , Khan Nasir , Lawrence Helen , Mathiszig-Lee Jakob , McCall James , Cunningham David C. , Fotiadis Nicos
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a curative treatment option for small lung metastases, which conventionally involves multiple freehand manipulations until the treating electrode is satisfactorily positioned. Stereotactic and robotic guidance has been gaining popularity for liver ablation, although has not been established in lung ablation. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility, safety, and accuracy of robotic RFA for pulmonary metastases, and compare procedures with a conventional freehand cohort.

Methods

A single center study with prospective robotic cohort, and retrospective freehand cohort. RFA was performed under general anesthesia using high frequency jet ventilation and CT guidance. Main outcomes were (i) feasibility/technical success (ii) safety using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (iii) targeting accuracy (iv) number of needle manipulations for satisfactory ablation. Robotic and freehand cohorts were compared using Mann–Whitney U tests for continuous variables, and Fisher’s exact for categorical variables.

Results

Thirty-nine patients (mean age 65 ± 13 years, 20 men) underwent ablation of 44 pulmonary metastases at single specialist cancer center between July 2019 and August 2022. 20 consecutive participants underwent robotic ablation, and 20 consecutive patients underwent freehand ablation. All 20/20 (100%) robotic procedures were technically successful, and none were converted to freehand procedures. There were 6/20 (30%) adverse events in the robotic cohort, and 15/20 (75%) in the freehand cohort (P = 0.01). Robotic placement was highly accurate with 6 mm tip-to-target distance (range 0–14 mm) despite out-of-plane approaches, with fewer manipulations than freehand placement (median 0 vs. 4.5 manipulations, P < 0.001 and 7/22, 32% vs. 22/22, 100%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Robotic radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary metastases with general anesthesia and high frequency jet ventilation is feasible and safe. Targeting accuracy is high, and fewer needle/electrode manipulations are required to achieve a satisfactory position for ablation than freehand placement, with early indications of reduced complications.
The need of radiotherapy optimization for glioblastomas considering immune responses
Authors: Nishioka Kentaro , Takahashi Shuhei , Mori Takashi , Uchinami Yusuke , Yamaguchi Shigeru , Kinoshita Manabu , Yamashina Masaaki , Higaki Hajime , Maebayashi Katsuya , Aoyama Hidefumi
Published: April 2023

Glioblastoma is the most common of malignant primary brain tumors and one of the tumors with the poorest prognosis for which the overall survival rate has not significantly improved despite recent advances in treatment techniques and therapeutic drugs. Since the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the immune response to tumors has attracted increasing attention. Treatments affecting the immune system have been attempted for various tumors, including glioblastomas, but little has been shown to be effective. It has been found that the reason for this is that glioblastomas have a high ability to evade attacks from the immune system, and that the lymphocyte depletion associated with treatment can reduce its immune function. Currently, research to elucidate the resistance of glioblastomas to the immune system and development of new immunotherapies are being vigorously carried out. Targeting of radiation therapy for glioblastomas varies among guidelines and clinical trials. Based on early reports, target definitions with wide margins are common, but there are also reports that narrowing the margins does not make a significant difference in treatment outcome. It has also been suggested that a large number of lymphocytes in the blood are irradiated by the irradiation treatment to a wide area in a large number of fractionations, which may reduce the immune function, and the blood is being recognized as an organ at risk. Recently, a randomized phase II trial comparing two types of target definition in radiotherapy for glioblastomas was conducted, and it was reported that the overall survival and progression-free survival were significantly better in a small irradiation field group. We review recent findings on the immune response and the immunotherapy to glioblastomas and the novel role of radiotherapy and propose the need to develop an optimal radiotherapy that takes radiation effects on the immune function into account.
Deservingness als Heuristik oder als Automatismus?
Authors: Grand Peter , Fink Marcel , Tiemann Guido
Published: April 2023

Subjektorientierte Ansätze erklären die Einstellungen der Bürger:innen zum Sozialstaat durch ihre individuellen Eigenschaften, Präferenzen und Werte. Diese klassische Perspektive wird zunehmend um objektorientierte Erklärungen erweitert, die bei den Eigenschaften und Charakteristiken von Leistungsempfänger:innen ansetzen. Das Stichwort Deservingness zielt darauf, welchen Individuen mit welcher Begründung Ansprüche auf sozialstaatliche Leistungen anerkannt und gewährt werden sollen.

Dieser Beitrag basiert auf einem Umfrageexperiment, das 2016/17 als Teil des „European Social Survey“ (ESS-8) durchgeführt wurde. Den Befragten wird zufällig eine von vier Vignetten zugewiesen, die eine arbeitslose Person beschreibt, die Unterstützungsleistungen bezieht, jedoch aus drei verschiedenen Gründen ein Arbeitsangebot ausschlägt; als Reaktion auf dieses Treatment werden die Proband:innen gebeten, abgestufte Sanktionen für dieses Verhalten festzulegen. Zudem werden demografische Eigenschaften und politische Präferenzen als Kontroll- und/oder Moderatorvariablen berücksichtigt. Die Analysen des vielfältigen Datenmaterials aus 23 europäischen Staaten legen nahe, dass Deservingness eher als ein kontextunabhängiger Automatismus denn als eine individual- und kontextspezifische Heuristik funktioniert.
Carboxymethyl Chitosan-Functionalized Polyaniline/Polyacrylonitrile Nano-Fibers for Neural Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Arbab Solimani Sahar , Irani Shiva , Mohamadali Marjan , Bakhshi Hadi
Published: April 2023

Electroconductive scaffolds based on polyaniline (PANi)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were fabricated and surface-functionalized by carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) as efficient scaffolds for nerve tissue regeneration. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurement approved the successful fabrication of CMC-functionalized PANi/PAN-based scaffolds. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) were cultured on the scaffolds for 10 d in the presence or absence of β-carotene (βC, 20 µM) as a natural neural differentiation agent. The MTT and SEM results confirmed the attachment and proliferation of hADMSCs on the scaffolds. The expression of MAP2 at the mRNA and protein levels showed the synergic neurogenic induction effect of CMC-functionalization and βC for hADMSCs on the scaffolds. The CMC-functionalized nanofibrous PANi/PAN-based scaffolds are potential candidates for nerve tissue engineering.
Radioprotective potential of probiotics against gastrointestinal and neuronal toxicity: a preclinical study
Authors: Venkidesh Babu Santhi , Shankar Saligrama R , Narasimhamurthy Rekha Koravadi , Rao Satish Bola Sadashiva , Mumbrekar Kamalesh Dattaram
Published: April 2023

Purpose

Radiotherapy is a critical component of cancer treatment, along with surgery and chemotherapy. Approximately, 90% of cancer patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy show gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, including bloody diarrhea, and gastritis, most of which are associated with gut dysbiosis. In addition to the direct effect of radiation on the brain, pelvic irradiation can alter the gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and breakdown of the gut–blood barrier. This allows toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain. Probiotics have been proven to prevent GI toxicity by producing short-chain fatty acids and exopolysaccharides beneficial for protecting mucosal integrity and oxidative stress reduction in the intestine and also shown to be beneficial in brain health. Microbiota plays a significant role in maintaining gut and brain health, so it is important to study whether bacterial supplementation will help in maintaining the gut and brain structure after radiation exposure.

Methods

In the present study, male C57BL/6 mice were divided into control, radiation, probiotics, and probiotics + radiation groups. On the 7th day, animals in the radiation and probiotics + radiation groups received a single dose of 4 Gy to  whole-body. Posttreatment, mice were sacrificed, and the intestine and brain tissues were excised for histological analysis to assess GI and neuronal damage.

Results

Radiation-induced damage to the villi height and mucosal thickness was mitigated by the probiotic treatment significantly (p < 0.01). Further, radiation-induced pyknotic cell numbers in the DG, CA2, and CA3 areas were substantially reduced with bacterial supplementation (p < 0.001). Similarly, probiotics reduced neuronal inflammation induced by radiation in the cortex, CA2, and DG region (p < 0.01). Altogether, the probiotics treatment helps mitigate radiation-induced intestinal and neuronal damage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the probiotic formulation could attenuate the number of pyknotic cells in the hippocampal brain region and decrease neuroinflammation by reducing the number of microglial cells.
Broadening Frontiers in Geoconservation: the Concept of Intangible Geoheritage Represented by the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake
Authors: Henriques Maria Helena
Published: April 2023

Geodiversity refers to the variety of geological processes, forms, and materials that constitute and shape the Earth. Forms and materials displaying geoheritage contents are tangible objects, whether in situ like geosites, or ex situ like elements of geoheritage which include fossils, minerals, and rocks. They all result from geological processes, but these, in themselves, are essentially immaterial. The planet´s history records some major events of worldwide importance, not only due the results they caused in Earth’s geodiversity, but also because of their impacts on geological thinking. These include earthquakes and tsunamis, which can be directly experienced by humans. The great Lisbon earthquake and tsunami of 1st November 1755 is one of the most studied earthquakes in history. Its worldwide importance is not limited to the scientific and technical communities but it also affected many other human and social sciences. This earthquake corresponds to a geological process with geoheritage value that does not fit in the current concepts of geosite and element of geoheritage. Like the intangible cultural heritage, which refers to singular social processes, such type of geoheritage, which result of singular geological processes, requires the rise to a new concept in geoconservation: the intangible geoheritage. This concept designates geological processes representing milestones for the history of the geological sciences. Its relevance to other fields of knowledge allows the establishment of the so necessary bridge between scientific and humanistic culture.
Three-dimensional ultrastructure analysis of organelles in injured motor neuron
Authors: Tamada Hiromi
Published: April 2023

Morphological analysis of organelles is one of the important clues for understanding the cellular conditions and mechanisms occurring in cells. In particular, nanoscale information within crowded intracellular organelles of tissues provide more direct implications when compared to analyses of cells in culture or isolation. However, there are some difficulties in detecting individual shape using light microscopy, including super-resolution microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), wherein the ultrastructure can be imaged at the membrane level, cannot determine the whole structure, and analyze it quantitatively. Volume EM, such as focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM), can be a powerful tool to explore the details of three-dimensional ultrastructures even within a certain volume, and to measure several parameters from them. In this review, the advantages of FIB/SEM analysis in organelle studies are highlighted along with the introduction of mitochondrial analysis in injured motor neurons. This would aid in understanding the morphological details of mitochondria, especially those distributed in the cell bodies as well as in the axon initial segment (AIS) in mouse tissues. These regions have not been explored thus far due to the difficulties encountered in accessing their images by conditional microscopies. Some mechanisms of nerve regeneration have also been discussed with reference to the obtained findings. Finally, future perspectives on FIB/SEM are introduced. The combination of biochemical and genetic understanding of organelle structures and a nanoscale understanding of their three-dimensional distribution and morphology will help to match achievements in genomics and structural biology.
Database for validation of thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical behaviour in bentonites
Authors: Cabrera Virginia , López-Vizcaíno Rubén , Navarro Vicente , Yustres Ángel
Published: April 2023

This paper presents a database of thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical tests on bentonites, which has been named “Bento_DB4THCM”. After a comprehensive literature review, a set of experimental tests have been compiled. The experimental data are used to perform validation exercises for numerical codes to simulate the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical and geochemical behaviour of bentonites. The database contains the information required for the simulation of each experimental test solving a boundary value problem. The validation exercises cover a wide range of clays, including the best-known bentonites (MX-80, FEBEX, GMZ) as well as others. The results collected in this database are from free swelling, swelling under load, swelling pressure and squeezing tests. The database is attached as Supplementary material.
Remember to Correct the Bias When Using Deep Learning for Regression!
Authors: Igel Christian , Oehmcke Stefan
Published: April 2023

When training deep learning models for least-squares regression, we cannot expect that the training error residuals of the final model, selected after a fixed training time or based on performance on a hold-out data set, sum to zero. This can introduce a systematic error that accumulates if we are interested in the total aggregated performance over many data points (e.g., the sum of the residuals on previously unseen data). We suggest adjusting the bias of the machine learning model after training as a default post-processing step, which efficiently solves the problem. The severeness of the error accumulation and the effectiveness of the bias correction are demonstrated in exemplary experiments.
Identifying essential skills and competencies towards building a training framework for future operators of autonomous ships: a qualitative study
Authors: Emad Gholam Reza , Ghosh Samrat
Published: April 2023

Past and ongoing research in the design, development, and implementation of fully autonomous and unmanned ships has revealed operational, environmental, and financial benefits for the maritime industry. However, with the benefits of being highly intuitive and intelligent systems, there are risks of mistakes and failures caused by their operators i.e. the unavoidable human element. With predictions of both seafarers and non-seafarers to be involved in the critical operations of autonomous vessels, it was imperative to identify key maritime stakeholders and conduct research which would investigate their beliefs and perceptions on the training requirements of the future shore-based operators. The key maritime stakeholders were 37 participants who were a mix of seafarers, maritime regulators, maritime education and training providers, and persons involved in other facets of the maritime business. The qualitative research involving in-depth interviews with the participants provided key insights which helped in identifying essential skills and competencies towards building a recommendatory framework which can be used as a basis to reform the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Code in order to make seafarers future ready.
Current Concepts and Considerations in Measuring Dysphagia-Related Quality of Life for People with Head and Neck Disease
Authors: Clunie Gemma , Toft Kate , Simson Gavriella , Dawson Camilla , Govender Roganie
Published: April 2023

Purpose of Review

To provide an overview of current concepts and considerations in the measurement of dysphagia-related quality of life (QoL) for people with head and neck disease. We describe key psychometric and other tool properties that are important to consider when deciding which dysphagia QoL tool to use in practice. The review seeks to establish which tool/s best meet the required properties.

Recent Findings

Currently, no single dysphagia QoL tool meets all criteria. However, a few (SWAL QoL, MDADI, SOAL) meet several parameters and we highlight the current evidence base for these assessments.

QoL is essential to providing holistic clinical care and could also be an important outcome in research when evaluating interventions. Existing tools may benefit from re-validation studies which take account of progress made in the fields of instrument development, cross-cultural validity and patient centredness. It is also crucial to recognise that the value of capturing QoL in clinical practice is only realised by subsequent follow-up with the individual patient.
Dengue: Update on Clinically Relevant Therapeutic Strategies and Vaccines
Authors: Palanichamy Kala Monica , St. John Ashley L. , Rathore Abhay P. S.
Published: April 2023

Opinion statement

Dengue viruses (DENV) continue to circulate worldwide, resulting in a significant burden on human health. There are four antigenically distinct serotypes of DENV, an infection of which could result in a potentially life-threatening disease. Current treatment options are limited and rely on supportive care. Although one dengue vaccine is approved for dengue-immune individuals and has modest efficacy, there is still a need for therapeutics and vaccines that can reduce dengue morbidities and lower the infection burden. There have been recent advances in the development of promising drugs for the treatment of dengue. These include direct antivirals that can reduce virus replication as well as host-targeted drugs for reducing inflammation and/or vascular pathologies. There are also new vaccine candidates that are being evaluated for their safety and efficacy in preventing dengue disease. This review highlights nuances in the current standard-of-care treatment of dengue. We also discuss emerging treatment options, therapeutic drugs, and vaccines that are currently being pursued at various stages of preclinical and clinical development.
Microstructural evolution and oxidation in α/β titanium alloy under fretting fatigue loading
Authors: Liu Hanqing , Shao Xiaohong , Tan Kai , Teng Zhenjie , Du Yaohan , Li Lang , Wang Qingyuan , Chen Qiang
Published: April 2023

Coupling effects of fretting wear and cyclic stress could result in significant fatigue strength degradation, thus potentially causing unanticipated catastrophic fractures. The underlying mechanism of microstructural evolutions caused by fretting wear is ambiguous, which obstructs the understanding of fretting fatigue issues, and is unable to guarantee the reliability of structures for long-term operation. Here, fretting wear studies were performed to understand the microstructural evolution and oxidation behavior of an α/β titanium alloy up to 108 cycles. Contact surface degradation is mainly caused by surface oxidation and the generation of wear debris during fretting wear within the slip zone. The grain size in the topmost nanostructured layer could be refined to ∼40 nm. The grain refinement process involves the initial grain rotation, the formation of low angle grain boundary (LAGB; 2°–5°), the in-situ increments of the misorientation angle, and the final subdivision, which have been unraveled to feature the evolution in dislocation morphologies from slip lines to tangles and arrays. The formation of hetero microstructures regarding the nonequilibrium high angle grain boundary (HAGB) and dislocation arrays gives rise to more oxygen diffusion pathways in the topmost nanostructured layer, thus resulting in the formation of cracking interface to separate the oxidation zone and the adjoining nanostructured domain driven by tribological fatigue stress. Eventually, it facilitates surface degradation and the formation of catastrophic fractures.
Confiscating Russia’s Frozen Central Bank Assets: A Permissible Third-Party Countermeasure?
Authors: Kamminga Menno T.
Published: April 2023

The war of aggression by a permanent member of the Security Council, combined with the availability of its assets on the territory of other states, creates an opportunity to solve one of international law’s enigmas: the legality of third-party countermeasures in the general interest. Would confiscating Russia’s frozen Central Bank assets and making the proceeds available to repair the war damage in Ukraine be permissible as such a countermeasure? This paper argues that state immunity cannot be relied upon to prevent the freezing or confiscation of foreign central bank assets by direct executive action; that freezing foreign state assets is permissible as a third-party countermeasure to stop a serious case of aggression; and that confiscation would not qualify as a countermeasure but may be permissible as a ‘lawful measure’ to repair the damage. Recent changes in Canadian legislation support the existence of such a permissive rule. On the other hand, controversial measures by the United States to control the assets of the Afghan Central Bank demonstrate the need for safeguards against abuse.
A Genetic and Immunohistochemical Analysis of Helicobacter pylori Phenotypes and p27 Expression in Adenocarcinoma Patients in Jordan
Authors: Al-Sheboul Suhaila A. , Mohammad Ahmad Abdul-Razzak , Shboul Yasemin , Brown Brent , Matalka Ismail I.
Published: April 2023

Stomach (gastric) cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly cancers worldwide and most gastric cancers are adenocarcinomas. Based on prior research, there is an association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection together with the frequency of duodenal ulcer, distal gastric adenocarcinoma, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and antral gastritis. Helicobacter pylori virulence and toxicity factors have been identified before that significantly influence the clinical outcomes of H. pylori infection and gastric adenocarcinoma. However, it remains unclear exactly how different strains of H. pylori affect gastric adenocarcinoma. Current research suggests this involves tumor suppressor genes, like p27 but also H. pylori toxic virulence proteins. Therefore, we quantified known H. pylori genotypes within adenocarcinoma patients to establish the prevalence of known toxins that include cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA) as well as vacuolating cytotoxin A (vacA) within patients of variable adenocarcinoma diagnosis. This analysis used gastrectomy samples validated for DNA viability. The incidence of H. pylori in adenocarcinoma patients in Jordan was established to be 54.5% positive (ureA gene positive) with cagA genotype occurrence at 57.1%, but also in this population study vacA gene ratios found to be 24.7%:22.1%:14.3%:14.3%. (vacAs1:vacAs2:vacAm1:vacAm2). Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we confirmed with statistical significance that p27 was dysregulated and suppressed, within nearly all H. pylori vacA genotypes. In addition, within 24.6% of H. pylori samples analyzed was a different bacterial genotype, and curiously that p27 protein expression was retained in 12% of tested adenocarcinoma H. pylori samples. This is suggestive that p27 could be used as a prognostic indicator but also that an unknown genotype could be contributing to the regulatory effects of p27 protein within this bacterial and cellular environment that may include other virulence factors and unknown immune system regulatory changes.
Sensitive ratiometric sensor for Al(III) detection in water samples using luminescence or eye-vision
Authors: Khairy Gasser M. , Amin Alaa S. , Moalla Sayed M. N. , Medhat Ayman , Hassan Nader
Published: April 2023

A facile, quick, and sensitive ratiometric luminescence sensor is designed for detection aluminum ions in water samples using luminescence or eye-vision. This approach relies on the emission change of the europium(III) complex with 3-(2-naphthoyl)-1,1,1,-trifluoro acetone (3-NTA) after interaction with various concentration of aluminum ions. The addition of aluminum ions suppressed the Eu(III) emission at 615 nm under 333 nm excitation, while simultaneously enhancing the ligand emission at 480 nm. Optimum detection was obtained in methanol. The quantification of aluminum ions using ratiometric method was determined by plotting the luminescence ratio (F480nm/F615nm) versus aluminum ions concentration. The calibration plot was obtained within the range 0.1–100 µM with LOD = 0.27 µM. Additionally, the concentration of aluminum ions can be estimated semi-quantitatively by visually observing the luminescence colour change of the probe from red to light green and then to dark green after being excited by a UV lamp with 365 nm. As far as we are aware, this is the first luminescent lanthanide complex-based ratiometric probe for the detection of aluminum ions. The probe showed remarkable aluminum ions selectivity relative to that of other metal ions. The suggested sensor was used effectively to identify aluminum ions in water samples with good results.

Graphical Abstract
On bifurcation of statistical properties of partially hyperbolic endomorphisms
Authors: TSUJII MASATO , ZHANG ZHIYUAN
Published: April 2023

We give an example of a path-wise connected open set of
$C^{\infty }$
partially hyperbolic endomorphisms on the
$2$
-torus, on which the (unique) Sinai–Ruelle–Bowen (SRB) measure exists for each system and varies smoothly depending on the system, while the sign of its central Lyapunov exponent changes.
Justices and Political Loyalties: An Empirical Investigation of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, 1987–2020
Authors: Dressel Björn , Inoue Tomoo , Bonoan Cristina Regina
Published: April 2023

The Philippine Supreme Court is considered one of Asia’s most activist courts. During the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte (2016–22), however, concerns grew about its independence. This article investigates determinants of the Court’s behavior since the country’s return to democracy in 1987, with particular attention to “loyalty effects”—the likelihood that justices will vote for the government more often when the president who appointed them is in office. Drawing on a data set of seventy major political cases and sociobiographic profiles of the eighty-six justices who voted in them, we test for variables, including freshman effects and strategic defection toward the end of a presidential term. We find that early years on the bench are closely associated with a vote for the appointer’s administration, and the end of a presidential term is weakly associated with a vote against. Under the Duterte administration, voting preferences have been more aligned with the appointer, and factional alliances of justices appointed by different presidential administrations mirror political alignments. These results have practical implications for the fragile constitutional democracy in the Philippines and contribute to understanding of loyalty dynamics in less institutionalized judicial settings.
The Infrastructural Turn in Historical Scholarship
Authors: Bridges Mary
Published: April 2023

This essay argues that historical scholarship has taken an infrastructural turn in recent years. “Infrastructure” serves not just as a popular keyword in monographs and journal articles; it reflects a new approach to research that has permeated the field. An infrastructural approach offers a framework for historians to understand the power of traditional structures like the state and the economy in ways that accommodate transnational interconnections, technology, and the stubborn materiality of the phenomena under study. This essay analyzes why scholars have embraced the term recently, and it outlines the basic components of an infrastructural orientation. It concludes by considering the blind spots of an infrastructural approach, as well as directions for future scholarship.
The thermal history of the intergalactic medium at 3.9 ≤ z ≤ 4.3
Authors: Ondro T. , Gális R.
Published: April 2023

A new determination of the temperature of the intergalactic medium (IGM) over

$3.9 \leq z \leq 4.3$

is presented. We applied the curvature method on a sample of 10 high-resolution quasar spectra from the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph on the VLT/ESO. We measured the temperature at mean density by determining the temperature at the characteristic overdensity, which is tight function of the absolute curvature irrespective of

$\unicode{x03B3}$

. Under the assumption of fiducial value of

$\unicode{x03B3} = 1.4$

, we determined the values of temperatures at mean density

$T_{0} = 7893^{+1417}_{-1226}$

K and

$T_{0} = 8153^{+1224}_{-993}$

K for redshift range of

$3.9 \leq z \leq 4.1$

and

$4.1 \leq z \leq 4.3$

, respectively. Even though the results show no strong temperature evolution over the studied redshift range, our measurements are consistent with an IGM thermal history that includes a contribution from He ii reionisation.
Spiritual Pawning: “Mad Slaves” and Mental Healing in Atlantic-Era West Africa
Authors: Quarshie Nana Osei
Published: April 2023

When enslaved people became “mad,” they lost exchange value as labor capital on the Atlantic market, as neither African nor European merchants considered the mentally distressed to be valuable bondsmen. Historians of slavery in the Americas have drawn on accounts of “mad slaves” to understand how labor value was generated, and disrupted, through the transport and sale of captive Africans. But historians have yet to examine the relationship between psychological distress and enslavement in West Africa, where many of the captives in question originated. This article opens a research agenda on madness in Atlantic-era West Africa through a case study of the role of Ga shrines as spaces of mental healing in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Gold Coast, today’s coastal Ghana. Ga families confided their mentally distressed kin to shrine priests, who treated severe illnesses caused by ritual afflictions. When shrine priests healed these ailments, they engaged in spiritual pawning: converting mad persons, deemed unfit for sale due to mental incapacity, into potential subjects of enslavement. West African shrines were thus spaces of value conversion that reflected a broader monetary and ritual economy of capture, enslavement, and raiding that proliferated on the Gold Coast.
Phylogenetic analyses based on molecular and morphological data reveal a new species ofStrigeaAbildgaard, 1790 (Digenea: Strigeidae) and taxonomic changes in strigeids infecting Neotropical birds of prey
Authors: López-Jiménez A. , González-García M.T. , Andrade-Gómez L. , García-Varela M.
Published: April 2023

Members of the genusStrigeaAbildgaard, 1790 are endoparasites of birds distributed worldwide. Adults of an undescribed species of the genusStrigeawere collected from the intestines of two hawk species (Rupornis magnirostrisandAccipiter coperii). Other species identified asParastrigea macrobursathat were described in Argentina were also recovered from two hawk species (Buteogallus urubitingaandButeogallus anthracinus) in three localities along the coasts of Mexico. Specimens of the two species were sequenced for three molecular markers, the internal transcribed spacers locus (ITS1-5.8S rDNA- ITS2) and the domains D1–D3 from the large subunit from nuclear ribosomal DNA and the cytochromecoxidase subunit 1 from mitochondrial DNA. The newly sequenced specimens were aligned with other strigeids sequences downloaded from GenBank. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses inferred with each molecular marker revealed that our specimens ofStrigeasp. formed an independent lineage, which is recognized herein as a new species,Strigea magnirostrisn. sp., representing the first species in Mexico and the 16th in the Neotropical region. Morphologically, the new species is distinguished from other congeneric species from the Americas by having an oral sucker with several papillae around it, well-developed pseudosuckers (118–248 μm), a tegument covered with tiny spines, a larger cone genital (193–361 × 296–637) and a larger copulatory bursa (247–531 × 468–784). Our phylogenetic analyses revealed thatP. macrobursais not closely related to other members of the genusParastrigeaand is nested withinStrigea, suggesting thatP. macrobursashould be transferred toStrigeato formStrigea macrobursan. comb., expanding its distribution range from Mexico to Argentina. Finally, the analyses also revealed that the taxonomy and systematics ofStrigeashould be re-evaluated, combining morphological and molecular characteristics.
Attack rates on artificial caterpillars in urban areas are higher than in suburban areas in Colombia
Authors: Cupitra-Rodríguez Jefferson , Cruz-Bernate Lorena , Montoya-Lerma James
Published: April 2023

Growing urban expansion can alter ecological processes within trophic networks. Predation on herbivores is known to vary with the size of the area covered by vegetation, successional stage, altitude and predator community structure; however there are gaps in understanding how this occurs in urban and suburban environments. The purpose of this study was to determine whether predation pressure on artificial models of caterpillars varied with the degree of urbanisation and type of substrate. Artificial caterpillars were placed on two types of substrates (leafvs. stem) in two areas of the city (urbanvs. suburban). Total predation was measured as the number of models with evidence of attack by predators, with the predation rate estimated on a weekly basis. Predation was affected by the degree of urbanisation, being higher in urban (x̄= 9.88%; SD = 4.09%,n= 8) than suburban areas (x̄= 5.75%, SD = 4.21%,n= 8). Attack marks were observed in 23.8% (n= 125) of artificial caterpillars. The weekly predation rate on leaves (x̄= 9.63%, SD = 5.95%,n= 8) was higher than that on stems (x̄= 6%, SD = 4.2%,n= 8). These results suggest that the incidence of predation might vary with the degree of urbanisation and by the type of substrate on which prey organisms are found.
Mergers and Legal Fictions: Coverture and Intermarried Women in India
Authors: Vevaina Leilah
Published: April 2023

Within India's system of plural personal laws, the rights of women in matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance are solely based on their natal communal identity. While we see many examples of women appealing to courts to secure or improve their rights vis-à-vis personal laws, marriage outside the community has often occluded these rights completely. Marital property, inheritance, and even access to sacred space are in a gray zone of differentiated rights between natal and marital community customs. One intermarried woman, Goolrukh Gupta, sued the trust that managed the town's sacred space in the High Court to confirm her rights to enter sacred space. The Court ruled that she was removed from her natal community even though she had married under the Special Marriage Act of 1954, as she had “merged personality with her husband.” While British women's property was held under coverture through the nineteenth century, these laws were never transferred over to the Indian colony. Through the legal appeals of intermarried women, this article explores the shifting and unstable rights of intermarried women in India.
Wealth in Livestock, Wealth in People, and the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Jordan
Authors: Price Max , Makarewicz Cheryl A.
Published: April 2023

Within archaeology, the value of livestock is usually presented in terms of use values, the calories and products animals provide humans. Yet domestic animals are also sources of wealth that accrue symbolic and social values, tying livestock production to the reproduction of human social relations. Taking a Marxist perspective that recognizes dialectical relations between forms of value, we develop a model based on ethnographic examples in which the cycling between use value and social/symbolic values adhering to wealth in livestock are mobilized for the reproduction of ‘wealth in people’, or the accumulation of rights stemming from relationships between people. This model of cycling between forms of value can be applied to many ethnohistorical agropastoral political economies. We apply it to Pre-Pottery Neolithic B societies (c. 8500–7000 bc) in Jordan. During this time, the mode of production shifted from one grounded in the community to one centered on extended households. We suggest wealth in people was a key asset for LPPNB households and that wealth in livestock served as a major component of, and a particular ‘moment’ within, its reproduction. This might help explain the accelerated pace by which livestock production overtook hunting in the southern Levant in the eighth millennium bc.
The Social Psychology of Masking Among Undergraduates in a Predominantly Conservative Region
Authors: Carter Mollie D. K.
Published: April 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mask mandates on college campuses across the United States, and the reasons for disagreement with them by students in conservative regions are unknown. This study sought to explain the affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) components of college students’ attitudes toward wearing a mask in the classroom according to the ABC model of attitude formation. Participants (N = 40) responded to eight open-ended, anonymous written interview prompts, which were coded and themed according to the grounded theory of qualitative research. Results indicated that cognitions about masking in general were varied, even among students in a predominantly conservative region. Participant cognitions about wearing a mask in the classroom ranged from the desire to protect self and others to discomfort and annoyance. Participants frequently reported experiences of negative affect while wearing a mask in the classroom, with perceived isolation reported as the most frequent issue related to negative affect. Participants frequently reported less classroom participation because of the mandate to wear a mask in the classroom, but they also frequently reported that they complied despite the cognitive and affective problems due to their desire to obey, social responsibility, and values regarding the care of others.
Bargaining the Euro: Making an EU Fiscal Union Politically Acceptable
Authors: Figueira Filipa , Espinoza Raphael
Published: April 2023

An EU Fiscal Union is being discussed as a way to avoid future euro-crises and guarantee the stability of the euro. So far, however, it has proved politically impossible, as EU countries are unwilling to give up their sovereignty on fiscal policy. This article develops a bargaining model that sheds light on how fiscal pooling could become politically acceptable. The model differentiates between the ‘South’ (net beneficiaries) and the ‘North’ (net payers). We find that fiscal pooling should be done via a combination of the fiscal instruments with the highest fiscal multipliers. Instead of a single Fiscal Union, we therefore propose a combination of fiscal pooling instruments which, together, add up to the sufficient level of fiscal integration.
Prevalence and associations between food insecurity and overweight/obesity among native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adolescents
Authors: Long Christopher R , Narcisse Marie-Rachelle , Selig James P , Willis Don E , Gannon Matthew , Rowland Brett , English Emily S , McElfish Pearl A
Published: April 2023

Objective:

This study estimates the prevalence of, and associations between, family food insecurity and overweight/obesity among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) adolescents and explores socio-demographic factors which might have a moderation effect on the association.

Design:

Cross-sectional study using 2014 NHPI-National Health Interview Survey data reported by a parent or guardian. Family-level food security was assessed by the US Department of Agriculture 10-item questionnaire. BMI for age and sex ≥ 85th and 95th percentiles defined overweight and obesity, respectively, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria.

Setting:

The USA, including all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Participants:

383 NHPI adolescents aged 12–17 in the USA.

Results:

A third (33·5 %) of NHPI adolescents aged 12–17 were overweight (19·1 %) or obese (14·4 %); 8·1 % had low food security; and 8·5 % had very low food security. Mean family food security score was 1·06, which corresponds to marginal food security. We found no association between family food insecurity and adolescent overweight/obesity or between any other covariates and overweight/obesity, except for family Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. Odds of being overweight/obese were 77 % lower for adolescents in families participating in SNAP (OR: 0·23, 95 % CI: 0·08, 0·64, P = 0·007). The association between SNAP participation and lower odds of overweight/obesity was particularly pronounced for adolescent girls in food-insecure families.

Conclusions:

The association between SNAP participation and lower odds of overweight/obesity suggests potential benefit of research to determine whether interventions to increase SNAP enrollment would improve NHPI adolescents’ health outcomes.
The systemic challenges of non-palliative care professionals caring for end-of-life patients: A lived experience study
Authors: Ho Andy H.Y. , Tan-Ho Geraldine , Low Casuarine , Chan Ee Yuee , Chan Noreen , Hum Allyn , Khemlani Mansha Hari , Low James Alvin Yiew Hock , Tan Woan Shin
Published: April 2023

Objectives

The aims of this study are to identify the challenges faced by non-palliative care professionals (NPCPs) in caring for end-of-life patients; determine how these challenges interact with and influence each other systemically; and advance the theories and practices for supporting NPCPs in the provision of quality end-of-life care beyond the boundaries of palliative medicine.

Methods

A constructivist phenomenological research design with an Interpretive-Systemic Framework of inquiry was adopted. Thirty-five physicians, 35 nurses, and 35 Medical Social Workers who play critical roles in caring for end-of-life patients and belonging to the 9 major medical disciplines of Cardiology, Geriatric, Intensive Care Medicine, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Neurology, Oncology, Respiratory Medicine, and Surgery were recruited through purposive snowball sampling from 3 major public hospitals.

Results

Framework analysis revealed 5 themes and 17 subthemes that illuminate the individual, relational, cultural, institutional, and structural challenges that NPCPs faced in rendering end-of-life care. These challenges influence each other within the health-care ecosystem, serving to perpetuate or heighten care obstacles.

Significance of results

This is the first known study exploring the systemic challenges of NPCPs spanning 9 major medical disciplines and encompassing 3 professional stakeholders responsible for the care for end-of-life patients, thus ensuring perspective inclusivity across the health-care system. Recommendations that consider the complexity of the interactions between these systemic challenges are presented in detail.