bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Julian and Christianity
Authors: Greenwood David Neal
Published: January 2022

The Roman emperor Julian is a figure of ongoing interest and the subject of this book. This unique examination of Julian as the last pagan emperor and anti-Christian polemicist revolves around his drive and status as a ruler. The book outlines the dramatic impact of Julian's short-lived regime on the course of history, with a particular emphasis on his relationship with Christianity. Julian has experienced a wide-ranging reception throughout history, shaped by both adulation and vitriol, along with controversies and rumors that question his sanity and passive ruling. His connections to Christianity, however, are rooted in his regime's open hostility, which the book shows is outlined explicitly in Oration 7: To the Cynic Heracleios. A close reading of Oration 7 highlights not only Julian's extensive anti-Christian religious program and decided rejection of Christianity but also his brilliant, calculated use of that same religion. These attributes were inextricably tied to Julian's relationship with Christianity — and how he appropriated certain theological elements from the religion for his own religious framework, from texts to deities. The book brings together ancient history, Neoplatonist philosophy, and patristic theology to what is a deeply immersive look at Julian's life, one that considers his multifaceted rule and the deliberate maneuvers he made on behalf of political ascendancy.
Pop City
Authors: Oh Youjeong
Published: January 2022

This book examines the use of Korean television dramas and K-pop music to promote urban and rural places in South Korea. Building on the phenomenon of Korean pop culture, the book argues that pop culture-featured place selling mediates two separate domains: political decentralization and the globalization of Korean popular culture. By analyzing the process of culture-featured place marketing, the book shows that urban spaces are produced and sold just like TV dramas and pop idols by promoting spectacular images rather than substantial physical and cultural qualities. The book demonstrates how the speculative, image-based, and consumer-exploitive nature of popular culture shapes the commodification of urban space and ultimately argues that pop-culture-mediated place promotion entails the domination of urban space by capital in more sophisticated and fetishized ways.
An Elusive Common
Authors: Rignall Karen E.
Published: January 2022

This book details the fraught dynamics of rural life in the arid periphery of southeastern Morocco. The book considers whether agrarian livelihoods can survive in the context of globalized capitalism and proposes a new way of thinking about agrarian practice, politics, and land in North Africa and the Middle East. The book questions many of the assumptions underlying movements for land and food sovereignty, theories of the commons, and environmental governance. Global market forces, government disinvestment, political marginalization, and climate change are putting unprecedented pressures on contemporary rural life. At the same time, rural peoples are defying their exclusion by forging new economic and political possibilities. In southern Morocco, the vibrancy of rural life was sustained by creative and often contested efforts to sustain communal governance, especially of land, as a basis for agrarian livelihoods and a changing wage labor economy. The book follows these diverse strategies ethnographically to show how land became a site for conflicts over community, political authority, and social hierarchy. The book makes the provocative argument that land enclosures can be an essential part of communal governance and the fight for autonomy against intrusive state power and historical inequalities.
Love for Sale
Authors: Lucey Colleen
Published: January 2022

This book is the first study to examine the ubiquity of commercial sex in Russian literary and artistic production from the nineteenth century through the fin de siècle. The book offers a compelling account of how the figure of the sex worker captivated the public's imagination through depictions in fiction and fine art, bringing to light how imperial Russians grappled with the issue of sexual commerce. Studying a wide range of media — from little-known engravings that circulated in newspapers to works of canonical fiction — the book shows how writers and artists used the topic of prostitution both to comment on women's shifting social roles at the end of tsarist rule and to express anxieties about the incursion of capitalist transactions in relations of the heart. Each chapter focuses on a type of commercial sex, looking at how the street walker, brothel worker, demimondaine, kept woman, impoverished bride, and madam traded in sex as a means to acquire capital. The book argues that prostitution became a focal point for imperial Russians because it signaled both the promises of modernity and the anxieties associated with Westernization. The book integrates historical analysis, literary criticism, and feminist theory and conveys how nineteenth-century beliefs about the “fallen woman” drew from medical, judicial, and religious discourse on female sexuality. The book invites readers to draw a connection between rhetoric of the nineteenth century and today's debate on sex workers' rights, highlighting recent controversies concerning Russian sex workers to show how imperial discourse is recycled in the twenty-first century.
The Inconvenient Journalist
Authors: Doder Dusko , Branson Louise
Published: January 2022

This book describes how one February night crystalized the values and personal risks that shaped the life of the author of this book. The frigid Moscow night in question was in 1984, and the author, a Washington Post correspondent, reported signs that Soviet leader Yuri Andropov had died. The CIA at first dismissed the reporting, saying that “Doder must be smoking pot.” When Soviet authorities confirmed Andropov's death, journalists and intelligence officials questioned how a lone reporter could scoop the multibillion-dollar US spy agency. The stage was set for Cold War-style revenge against the journalist. After emigrating to the United States from Yugoslavia in 1956, the author committed himself to the journalist's mission. He knew that reporting the truth could come at a price, something driven home by his years of covering Soviet dissidents and watching his Washington Post colleagues break the Watergate story. Still, he was not prepared for a cloaked act of reprisal from the CIA. Taking aim at the author, the CIA insinuated a story into Time magazine suggesting that he had been co-opted by the KGB. His professional world collapsed and his personal life was shaken as he fought Time in court. In this book, the author reflects on this attempt to destroy his reputation, his dedication to reporting the truth, and the vital but precarious role of the free press today.
Empire of the Air
Authors: Lewis Tom
Published: January 2022

This book tells the story of three American visionaries — Lee de Forest, Edwin Howard Armstrong, and David Sarnoff — whose imagination and dreams turned a hobbyist's toy into radio, launching the modern communications age. The book weaves the story of these men and their achievements into a richly detailed and moving narrative that spans the first half of the twentieth century, a time when the American romance with science and technology was at its peak. The book is a tale of pioneers on the frontier of a new technology, of American entrepreneurial spirit, and of the tragic collision between inventor and corporation.
Genetic diversity of indigenous guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) using microsatellite markers in northern Togo
Authors: Soara Aïcha Edith , Talaki Essodina , Dayo Guiguigbaza-Kossigan , Houaga Isidore , Tona Kokou , Bakkali Mohammed
Published: January 2022

Indigenous guinea fowl is an important animal resource for improving rural household income. In order to provide molecular data for a sustainable management of this poultry resource, an assessment of the genetic diversity and phylogenic relationships was undertaken on seven guinea fowl phenotypes from two agroecological zones (Dry Savannah and Atakora) of Togo. Genotyping was carried out using 18 microsatellite markers on 94 individuals from Dry Savannah (59) and Atakora (35) zones. The results obtained showed a high genetic diversity, with six as an average alleles per locus and an observed heterozygosity of 0.512. However, the FIS values varied from 0.047 (Lavender) to 0.257 (Albino), reflecting a deficit of heterozygotes, which suggests low to moderate inbreeding levels. The genetic distances between phenotypes are low, ranging from 0.0068 (Bonaparte-Pearl grey) to 0.1559 (Lavender-Albino), unlike the strong genetic identities that reflect a strong genetic similarity between the seven phenotypes of indigenous guinea fowl studied. These results indicate the existence of a single indigenous guinea fowl population, derived from three probable parental populations, with a high within population genetic diversity (phenotypic or agroecological zone). These results could be of use to conservation and improvement programs aiming at the maintenance and sustainable exploitation of this important socio-cultural and economic resource in Togo.
Galapagos land iguanas as ecosystem engineers
Authors: Tapia Washington , Gibbs James P.
Published: January 2022

Background

Declines of large-bodied herbivorous reptiles are well documented, but the consequences for ecosystem function are not. Understanding how large-bodied herbivorous reptiles engineer ecosystems is relevant given the current interest in restoration of tropical islands where extinction rates are disproportionately high and reptiles are prominent as herbivores.

Methods

In this study, we measured the ecosystem-level outcomes of long-term quasi-experiment represented by two adjacent islands within the Galapagos Archipelago, one with and the other without Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus subcristatus), large-bodied herbivores known to feed on many plant species. We characterized plant communities on each island by developing high-resolution (<1 cm2) aerial imagery and delineating extent of plant associations and counting individual plants on each.

Results

In the presence of iguanas there was dramatically less woody plant cover, more area with seasonal grasses, and many fewer cacti. Cacti had a more clumped distribution where iguanas were absent than where iguanas were present.

Discussion

This study provided strong evidence that Galapagos land iguanas can substantially engineer the structure of terrestrial plant communities; therefore, restoration of large-bodied reptilian herbivores, such as land iguanas and giant tortoises, should be regarded as an important component of overall ecosystem restoration, especially for tropical islands from which they have been extirpated.
Causes and Management of Tooth Discoloration: A Review
Authors: Noorsaeed Ashwag Siddik , Lanqa Saba Abdulelah M , Alshehri Rahaf Abdulrhman , Linga Sara Abdulelah M , Alzahrani Reem Ahmed J. , Ghamdi Yusuf Khalaf M. Al , Alghamdi Aljawharah Aidh , Alamri Shaima Fahad , Zaatari Rzan Abbas T , Fathi Amjad Alhassan , Al bi habib Mohammed Abdulrahman , Dawood Azza Anas Abu , Ibrahim Maram Bakr
Published: January 2022

Tooth discoloration is a common dental occurrence that is linked to both clinical and aesthetic issues. The treatment of tooth discoloration has grown into highly complex, scientific, and therapeutic field by the twenty-first century. Dental surgeons must understand the etiology of tooth staining in order to provide an accurate diagnosis and thus management. Extrinsic causes produce tooth darkening, whereas intrinsic congenital or systemic influences cause tooth discoloration. Tooth bleaching is a safe and effective way to lighten the color of the teeth. Today, the physician has a number of options, including at-home tray-based bleaching treatments with low hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide concentrations. Surgical options include dental restorations which is may be indicated for some cases. This review aims to summarize current evidence regarding causes, classification and management of tooth discoloration. Medline and PubMed public database searches were carried out for papers written all over the world on tooth discoloration. No predictive analytics technology was used.
Downregulation of m6A writer complex member METTL14 in bladder urothelial carcinoma suppresses tumor aggressiveness
Authors: Guimarães‐Teixeira Catarina , Lobo João , Miranda‐Gonçalves Vera , Barros‐Silva Daniela , Martins‐Lima Cláudia , Monteiro‐Reis Sara , Sequeira José Pedro , Carneiro Isa , Correia Margareta P. , Henrique Rui , Jerónimo Carmen
Published: January 2022

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) and its regulatory proteins have been associated with tumorigenesis in several cancer types. However, knowledge on the mechanistic network related to m6A in bladder cancer (BlCa) is rather limited, requiring further investigation of its functional role. We aimed to uncover the biological role of m6A and related proteins in BlCa and understand how this influences tumor aggressiveness. N6‐adenosine‐methyltransferase catalytic subunit (METTL3), N6‐adenosine‐methyltransferase noncatalytic subunit (METTL14), protein virilizer homolog (VIRMA), and RNA demethylase ALKBH5 (ALKBH5) had significantly lower expression levels in BlCa compared to that in normal urothelium. METTL14 knockdown led to disruption of the remaining methyltransferase complex and a decrease in m6A abundance, as well as overall reduced tumor aggressiveness (decreased cell invasion and migration capacity and increased apoptosis). Furthermore, in vivo, METTL14 knockdown caused tumor size reduction. Collectively, we propose methyltransferase METTL14 as a key component for m6A RNA deposit and that it is closely related to BlCa progression, playing an important role in tumor aggressiveness. These data contribute to a better understanding of the m6A writer complex, which might constitute an appealing therapeutic target.
Evaluation of the quality of fit of flexible bolus material created using 3D printing technology
Authors: Malone Ciaran , Gill Elaine , Lott Tanith , Rogerson Catherine , Keogh Sinead , Mousli Majed , Carroll Denise , Kelly Caitriona , Gaffney John , McClean Brendan
Published: January 2022

Aims

To retrospectively evaluate the quality of fit of 3D printed bolus over four different treatment sites to determine whether certain sites favor a 3D printed approach and if the quality of fit changes over the course of treatment.

Materials and methods

A retrospective analysis of the first 60 cases treated using 3D printed bolus in our radiotherapy center was undertaken. All boluses were printed using flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. We developed a system of rating the quality of fit using four quality categories. The analysis of 60 patients consisted of a review of a total 627 treatment fractions for head and neck (H&N), scalp, pelvis, and extremity treatment sites.

Results

Out of 627 fractions evaluated, 75.1% were rated either “good” or “excellent”, 20.6% were rated as “acceptable” and 4.3% were rated “poor”. H&N, scalp, and extremity treatment regions were found to favor a 3D printed approach. However, pelvis cases had a higher proportion of “acceptable” and “poor” ratings. Trend analysis showed no notable change in the quality of 3D printed bolus fit over the course of treatment, except for pelvis cases which tended to change categories more than other treatment sites.

Conclusion

This evaluation demonstrates that 3D printed bolus, created using semi‐flexible materials such as TPU, is an effective and practical bolus choice for radiotherapy. In particular, using a 3D printed approach for H&N, scalp, and extremities was found to have a highly conformal fit.
β‐Carotene—production methods, biosynthesis from Phaffia rhodozyma, factors affecting its production during fermentation, pharmacological properties: A review
Authors: Gupta Isha , Adin Syeda Nashvia , Panda Bibhu Prasad , Mujeeb Mohd.
Published: January 2022

β‐Carotene is the most treasured provitamin A carotenoid molecule exhibiting antioxidant and coloring properties and significant applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. β‐Carotene has many biological functions within the human body; however, it is not synthesized within the human body, so its requirements are fulfilled through food and pharmaceuticals. Its manufacturing via chemical synthesis or extraction from plants offers low yields with excessive manufacturing expenses, which attracted the researchers toward microbial production of β‐carotene. This alternative provides higher yield and low expenses and thus is more economical. Phaffia rhodozyma is a basidiomycetous yeast that is utilized to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer and to enhance immunity and antiaging in people. This paper reviews the methods of production of β‐carotene, biosynthesis of β‐carotene fromP. rhodozyma, factors affecting β‐carotene production during fermentation, and pharmacological properties of β‐carotene.
Aerodynamische Belastungen auf bahntechnische Einbauten in schnell befahrenen Eisenbahntunneln
Authors: Reiterer Michael , Schellander Janez
Published: January 2022

Die bei Zugfahrten in Eisenbahntunneln auftretenden druckwellen‐ und strömungsinduzierten aerodynamischen Belastungen werden dargelegt und in Bezug auf die Beanspruchungswirkungen der in modernen Bahntunneln ausgeführten unterschiedlichen Einbauten diskutiert. Es wird gezeigt, dass die in den derzeitigen Richtlinien und Normen angegebenen Belastungsgrößen tw. unvollständig sind und insbesondere die Effekte einer Wirbelablösung am Heck des fahrenden Zugs mit der daraus sich einstellenden hochgradig dynamischen Wirbelschleppe nicht abdecken. Im Zuge von mehreren Messkampagnen und begleitenden numerischen Simulationsberechnungen wurden in Österreich die in der Realität bei Zugfahrten in Eisenbahntunneln tatsächlich auftretenden aerodynamischen Belastungen abgeleitet und darauf aufbauend für unterschiedliche Einbauten die bei der Bemessung anzusetzenden Belastungswerte formuliert. Bei den Simulationsberechnungen wurde insbesondere auch die bei langen Tunneln maßgebende Fahrt von mehreren Zügen dicht hintereinander untersucht. Die Durchführung dieser numerischen Simulationsberechnungen und Messkampagnen unter realen Betriebsbedingungen in schnell befahrenen eingleisigen Eisenbahntunneln sowie die erzielten Ergebnisse werden dargelegt.
circKCNN2 suppresses the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma at least partially via regulating miR‐520c‐3p/methyl‐DNA‐binding domain protein 2 axis
Authors: Liu Donghong , Liu Wenbin , Chen Xi , Yin Jianhua , Ma Longteng , Liu Mei , Zhou Xinyu , Xian Linfeng , Li Peng , Tan Xiaojie , Zhao Jun , Liao Yong , Cao Guangwen
Published: January 2022

Background

Recurrence is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) death. We aimed to identify circular RNA (circRNA) with predictive and therapeutic value for recurrent HCC.

Methods

Tissue samples from recurrent and non‐recurrent HCC patients were subjected to circRNA sequencing and transcriptome sequencing. circKCNN2 was identified through multi‐omics analyses. The effects of circKCNN2 on HCC were evaluated in cells, animals, database of The Cancer Genome Atlas, and a cohort with 130 HCC patients. circRNA precipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, RNA pull‐down, luciferase assay, and cell experiments were applied to evaluate the interaction of circKCNN2 with miRNAs and proteins. The association between circKCNN2 and the therapeutic effect of lenvatinib was investigated in HCC cell lines and HCC tissue‐derived organoids.

Results

The expression of circKCNN2 was downregulated in HCC tissues and predicted a favorable overall survival and recurrence‐free survival. The expression of circKCNN2 was positively correlated with the parental gene, potassium calcium‐activated channel subfamily N member (KCNN2). Nuclear transcription factor Y subunit alpha (NFYA) was proven to inhibit the promoter activity of KCNN2, downregulate the expression of KCNN2 and circKCNN2, and predict an unfavorable recurrence‐free survival. Ectopic expression of circKCNN2 inhibited HCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and tumor formation in a mouse model. miR‐520c‐3p sponged by circKCNN2 could reverse the inhibitory effect of circKCNN2 on HCC cells and down‐regulate the expression of methyl‐DNA‐binding domain protein 2 (MBD2). The intratumoral expression of MBD2 predicted a favorable recurrence‐free survival. circKCNN2 down‐regulated the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4), which can be reversed by miR‐520c‐3p and knockdown of MBD2. Lenvatinib inhibited the expression of FGFR4 and upregulated the expression of circKCNN2 and MBD2. Ectopic expression of circKCNN2 in HCC cells enhanced the therapeutic effect of lenvatinib. However, the high inherent level of circKCNN2 in HCC cells was associated with lenvatinib resistance.

Conclusions

circKCNN2, transcriptionally repressed by NFYA, suppresses HCC recurrence via the miR‐520c‐3p/MBD2 axis. Inherent level of circKCNN2 in HCC cells predisposes anti‐tumor effect of lenvatinib possibly because both circKCNN2 and lenvatinib repress the expression of FGFR4. circKCNN2 may be a promising predictive biomarker and therapeutic agent for HCC recurrence.
A transboundary political ecology of air pollution: Slow violence on Thailand's margins
Authors: Marks Danny , Miller Michelle Ann
Published: January 2022

This study develops a transboundary political ecology of air pollution to show how its spatially and socially unequal distribution constitutes a form of slow violence among already marginal sections of society. Recent research on transboundary air pollution in Southeast Asia and globally has mainly focused on the supranational or regional scale of environmental governance without taking into proper account the socially differentiated impacts of these cross‐border flows of environmental harm at lower organisational scales. Air pollution in Thailand, which ranks amongst the worst in the world, generates spill‐over effects across sub‐national borders that disproportionately impact the urban and rural poor. We examine the drivers of the three major sources of air pollution in Thailand: vehicular emissions, agricultural emissions and industrial emissions to direct attention toward the barriers and opportunities for collaborative governance in urban, peri‐urban and rural settings. The article argues that administrative fragmentation and the protection of vested economic interests by Thai business and political elites have compromised transboundary governance of the air while adding to socio‐spatial inequalities and environmental injustices. We recommend legislative reforms centred on cross‐sectoral and cross‐jurisdictional cooperation to provide redress for the slow violence perpetrated against marginal citizens in the governance of air pollution.
Curriculum mapping of health promotion competencies in dental and oral health training programmes in Australia
Authors: Bracksley‐O’Grady Stacey , Anderson Karen , Dickson‐Swift Virginia , Masood Mohd
Published: January 2022

Issue addressed

Dental diseases are chronic conditions that place a significant burden on the population's health; however, they are mostly preventable using a range of health promotion strategies Health promotion is a core competency for all dental and oral health graduates, but little is known about what health promotion content is taught in undergraduate degrees. The aim of this study was to explore the dental and oral health content in Australian undergraduate dental and oral health degrees and map against the last two versions of the Australian Dental Council (ADC) health promotion competencies.

Methods

All ADC‐accredited dental and oral health courses delivered at Australian universities in 2019 were eligible to be included. Key words were used to locate subjects within the courses that contained health promotion content. This was analysed and ranked against the last two versions (2011 and 2016) of the ADC health promotion competencies. The competencies were then ranked using Blooms updated “six levels of thinking.”

Results

Seven oral health and eight dental courses were mapped. The number of health promotion subjects in courses varied substantially; the percentage of subjects that contained health promotion in oral health courses ranged from 30% to 75% and 16% to 60% for dental courses. All oral health courses were explicitly meeting the current ADC health promotion competencies, however, only half of the dental courses met the competency standards.

Conclusion

Curriculum mapping provided a snapshot of the health promotion content within dental and oral health degrees in Australia. Evaluations of the extent to which these courses meet the ADC competencies provide useful information for students, clinicians and policy makers.

So What?

This study provides evidence that health promotion training is occurring at varying levels. However, in dentistry, not all the ADC health promotion competencies are being met. A change is needed in the ADC health promotion competencies and ethos of academics involved in the development of curriculum to include and give appropriate attention to health promotion theory, especially advocacy. This will enable future dental professionals to advocate for a range of oral health promotion activities such as water fluoridation, universal dental care and sugar‐sweetened beverage taxes.
microRNA‐1321 and microRNA‐7515 contribute to the progression of non‐small cell lung cancer by targeting CDC20
Authors: Hu Hao , Tou Fang‐Fang , Mao Wei‐Min , Xu Yan‐Liang , Jin Hui , Kuang Yu‐Kang , Han Chun‐Bin , Guo Chang‐Ying
Published: January 2022

Cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are differentially expressed in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The current study aimed to investigate the role of miR‐1321 and miR‐7515 regulation in CDC20 during NSCLC development. CDC20 expression in paracancerous and tumor tissues was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). The relationship between CDC20 expression and prognosis of patients was analyzed using the TCGA database. The expression profile of CDC20 in healthy lung cells and NSCLC cells was detected using qRT‐PCR and western blotting. After the knockdown of CDC20 in NSCLC cells, the cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and cell cycle changes were investigated by CCK8, EdU, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays. The miRNAs targeting CDC20 were predicted using two bioinformatics websites and validated using dual‐luciferase assays. CDC20 was enhanced in NSCLC tissues and cells, thus predicting the poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. After CDC20 inhibition, the malignant phenotype of NSCLC cells was reverted. miR‐1321 and miR‐7515 targeted CDC20 and exhibited the same anti‐tumor effects as CDC20 silencing. Functional rescue experiments showed that CDC20 overexpression averted the anti‐tumor effects of miR‐1321 and miR‐7515 on NSCLC cells. miR‐1321 and miR‐7515 inhibited NSCLC development by targeting CDC20. Thus, the current study has implications in NSCLC treatment and provides novel insights into NSCLC management.
Efficacy and feasibility of SENSory relearning of the UPPer limb (SENSUPP) in people with chronic stroke: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Carlsson Håkan , Rosén Birgitta , Björkman Anders , Pessah‐Rasmussen Hélène , Brogårdh Christina
Published: January 2022

Background

Sensorimotor impairments of the upper limb (UL) are common after stroke, but there is a lack of evidence‐based interventions to improve functioning of UL.

Objective

To evaluate (1) the efficacy of sensory relearning and task‐specific training compared to task‐specific training only, and (2) the feasibility of the training in chronic stroke.

Design

A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Setting

University hospital outpatient clinic.

Participants

Twenty‐seven participants (median age; 62 years, 20 men) were randomized to an intervention group (IG; n = 15) or to a control group (CG; n = 12).

Intervention

Both groups received training twice weekly in 2.5‐hour sessions for 5 weeks. The training in the IG consisted of sensory relearning, task‐specific training, and home training. The training in the CG consisted of task‐specific training.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary outcome was sensory function (touch thresholds, touch discrimination, light touch, and proprioception). Secondary outcomes were dexterity, ability to use the hand in daily activities, and perceived participation. A blinded assessor conducted the assessments at baseline (T1), post intervention (T2), and at 3‐month follow‐up (T3). Nonparametric analyses and effect‐size calculations (r) were performed. Feasibility was evaluated by a questionnaire.

Results

After the training, only touch thresholds improved significantly from T1 to T2 (p = .007, r = 0.61) in the IG compared to the CG. Within the IG, significant improvements were found from T1 to T2 regarding use of the hand in daily activities (p = .001, r = 0.96) and movement quality (p = .004, r = 0.85) and from T1 to T3 regarding satisfaction with performance in meaningful activities (p = .004, r = 0.94). The CG significantly improved the performance of using the hand in meaningful activities from T1 to T2 (p = .017, r = 0.86). The training was well tolerated by the participants and performed without any adverse events.

Conclusions

Combined sensory relearning and task‐specific training may be a promising and feasible intervention to improve UL sensorimotor function after stroke.
Tailoring Interlayered Spacers of Two‐Dimensional Cesium‐Based Perovskite Ferroelectrics toward Exceptional Ferro‐Pyro‐Phototronic Effects
Authors: Liu Yi , Pan Xiong , Liu Xitao , Han Shiguo , Wang Jiaqi , Lu Lei , Xu Haojie , Sun Zhihua , Luo Junhua
Published: January 2022

Ferro‐pyro‐phototronic (FPP) effect is a triple coupling of ferroelectricity, light‐induced pyroelectricity, and photo‐excitation, which holds a bright promise for next‐generation modern optoelectronic devices. However, except for few oxides (e.g., BaTiO3), new FPP‐active candidates remain extremely scarce due to the knowledge lacking on the underlying role of three coupling components. By tailoring the interlayered spacers, the authors present a series of 2D cesium‐based perovskite ferroelectrics, (A′)2CsPb2Br7 (where A′‐site cation is organic spacer), showing remarkable FPP‐active properties. As expected, the dynamic ordering and reorientation of spacers along with atomic displacement of Cs+ in the perovskite cavity lead to their ferroelectric polarizations. Particularly, exceptional FPP properties are created through this cooperation; the most FPP‐active candidate (n‐hexylammonium)2CsPb2Br7 endows a giant contrast up to 1500% for photopyroelectric current to photovoltaic signal. This figure‐of‐merit is far beyond most inorganic oxide counterparts, such as ≈110% for BaTiO3. Further, the electric switching and controlling of FPP directions confirm a crucial role of ferroelectric polarization to this coupling effect. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study on an FPP‐active candidate of 2D hybrid perovskites, which affords a new avenue to design ferroelectrics with targeted physical properties and forward their potentials to smart optoelectronic device application.
A tail-revisited Markowitz mean-variance approach and a portfolio network centrality
Authors: Mariani Francesca , Polinesi Gloria , Recchioni Maria Cristina
Published: January 2022

A measure for portfolio risk management is proposed by extending the Markowitz mean-variance approach to include the left-hand tail effects of asset returns. Two risk dimensions are captured: asset covariance risk along risk in left-hand tail similarity and volatility. The key ingredient is an informative set on the left-hand tail distributions of asset returns obtained by an adaptive clustering procedure. This set allows a left tail similarity and left tail volatility to be defined, thereby providing a definition for the left-tail-covariance-like matrix. The convex combination of the two covariance matrices generates a “two-dimensional” risk that, when applied to portfolio selection, provides a measure of its systemic vulnerability due to the asset centrality. This is done by simply associating a suitable node-weighted network with the portfolio. Higher values of this risk indicate an asset allocation suffering from too much exposure to volatile assets whose return dynamics behave too similarly in left-hand tail distributions and/or co-movements, as well as being too connected to each other. Minimizing these combined risks reduces losses and increases profits, with a low variability in the profit and loss distribution. The portfolio selection compares favorably with some competing approaches. An empirical analysis is made using exchange traded fund prices over the period January 2006–February 2018.
Mucisphaera calidilacus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel planctomycete of the class Phycisphaerae isolated in the shallow sea hydrothermal system of the Lipari Islands
Authors: Kallscheuer Nicolai , Jogler Christian , Peeters Stijn H. , Boedeker Christian , Jogler Mareike , Heuer Anja , Jetten Mike S. M. , Rohde Manfred , Wiegand Sandra
Published: January 2022

For extending the current collection of axenic cultures of planctomycetes, we describe in this study the isolation and characterisation of strain Pan265T obtained from a red biofilm in the hydrothermal vent system close to the Lipari Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, north of Sicily, Italy. The strain forms light pink colonies on solid medium and grows as a viscous colloid in liquid culture, likely as the result of formation of a dense extracellular matrix observed during electron microscopy. Cells of the novel isolate are spherical, motile and divide by binary fission. Strain Pan265T is mesophilic (temperature optimum 30–33 °C), neutrophilic (pH optimum 7.0–8.0), aerobic and heterotrophic. The strain has a genome size of 3.49 Mb and a DNA G + C content of 63.9%. Phylogenetically, the strain belongs to the family Phycisphaeraceae, order Phycisphaerales, class Phycisphaerae. Our polyphasic analysis supports the delineation of strain Pan265T from the known genera in this family. Therefore, we conclude to assign strain Pan265T to a novel species within a novel genus, for which we propose the name Mucisphaera calidilacus gen. nov., sp. nov. The novel species is the type species of the novel genus and is represented by strain Pan265T (= DSM 100697T = CECT 30425T) as type strain.
The extreme rainfall gradient of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve and its impact on forest bird richness
Authors: Quilodrán Claudio S. , Sandvig Erik M. , Aguirre Francisco , de Aguilar Juan Rivero , Barroso Omar , Vásquez Rodrigo A. , Rozzi Ricardo
Published: January 2022

A natural laboratory is a place supporting the conditions for hypothesis testing under non-anthropogenic settings. Located at the southern end of the Magellanic sub-Antarctic ecoregion in southwestern South America, the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR) has one of the most extreme rainfall gradients in the world. Subject to oceanic climate conditions, it is also characterized by moderate thermal fluctuations throughout the year. This makes it a unique natural laboratory for studying the effects of extreme rainfall variations on forest bird communities. Here, we monitor the bird species richness in the different forest types present in the CHBR. We found that species richness decreased with increasing precipitation, in which an increase of 100 mm in average annual precipitation showed about 1% decrease in species richness. Similar patterns were found among different forest types within the CHBR. These results provide a baseline to investigate the interactions between physical and biotic factors in a subpolar region that climatically contrasts with boreal forests, which is subject to continental climatic conditions. This research highlights the importance of ecological and ornithological long-term studies in the CHBR, which can contribute both to a higher resolution of the heterogeneity of climate changes in different regions of the world, and to orient conservation policies in the Magellanic sub-Antarctic ecoregion in the face of growing development pressures.
Do Video Modeling and Metacognitive Prompts Improve Self-Regulated Scientific Inquiry?
Authors: Omarchevska Yoana , Lachner Andreas , Richter Juliane , Scheiter Katharina
Published: January 2022

Guided inquiry learning is an effective method for learning about scientific concepts. The present study investigated the effects of combining video modeling (VM) examples and metacognitive prompts on university students’ (N = 127) scientific reasoning and self-regulation during inquiry learning. We compared the effects of watching VM examples combined with prompts (VMP) to watching VM examples only, and to unguided inquiry (control) in a training and a transfer task. Dependent variables were scientific reasoning ability, hypothesis and argumentation quality, and scientific reasoning and self-regulation processes. Participants in the VMP and VM conditions had higher hypothesis and argumentation quality in the training task and higher hypothesis quality in the transfer task compared to the control group. There was no added benefit of the prompts. Screen captures and think aloud protocols during the two tasks served to obtain insights into students’ scientific reasoning and self-regulation processes. Epistemic network analysis (ENA) and process mining were used to model the co-occurrence and sequences of these processes. The ENA identified stronger co-occurrences between scientific reasoning and self-regulation processes in the two VM conditions compared to the control condition. Process mining revealed that in the VM conditions these processes occurred in unique sequences and that self-regulation processes had many self-loops. Our findings show that video modeling examples are a promising instructional method for supporting inquiry learning on both the process and the learning outcomes level.
Developing a European network of analytical laboratories and government institutions to prevent poisoning of raptors
Authors: Valverde Irene , Espín Silvia , Gómez-Ramírez Pilar , Sánchez-Virosta Pablo , García-Fernández Antonio J. , Berny Philippe
Published: January 2022

Many cases of wildlife poisoning in Europe have been reported causing population declines, especially in raptors. Toxicovigilance and risk assessment studies are essential to reinforce the knowledge of the number of illegal poisoning cases and the substances involved in these crimes. Many researchers and projects in different institutions have suggested the creation of a network to improve communication and share information between European countries. This article presents the results of the Short-Term Scientific Mission titled “Developing a Network of Analytical Labs and Government Institutions” supported by the COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility (CA16224), which aims to initiate a network of veterinary forensic toxicology laboratories, in order to improve communication among laboratories to prevent wildlife poisoning, especially in raptors. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed and sent by email to 119 laboratories in Europe. It contained 39 questions on different topics (e.g. laboratory activities, analytical information). A total of 29 responses were received. Most participant laboratories work on veterinary forensic toxicology research and external cases at the same time, which provides a robust overview of the actual situation in the field. Analytical techniques and data collection methods should be harmonised, and communication between laboratories is encouraged to create a more effective network. The present study established contact between laboratories as an initial step to create a European network and compiled basic data to identify strengths and weaknesses that will help harmonise methodologies across Europe and increase pan-European capacities.
Quantum gravity with THESEUS
Authors: Burderi L. , Sanna A. , Di Salvo T. , Riggio A. , Iaria R. , Gambino A. F. , Manca A. , Anitra A. , Mazzola S. M. , Marino A.
Published: January 2022

In this paper we explore the possibility to search for a dispersion law for light propagation in vacuo with a sample of Gamma-Ray Bursts detected by the THESEUS satellite. Within Quantum Gravity theories, different models for space-time quantization predict relative discrepancies of the speed of photons w.r.t. the speed of light that (in a series expansion) depend on a given power of the ratio of the photon energy to the Planck energy. This ratio is as small as 10− 23 for photons in the soft γ −ray band (100 keV). The dominant effect is determined by the first significant term of this expansion. If the first order in this expansion is relevant, these theories imply a Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV hereafter) and are generally dubbed LIV-theories. Therefore, to detect this effect, light must propagate over enormous distances and the experiment must have extraordinary sensitivity. Gamma-Ray Bursts, occurring at cosmological distances, could be used to detect this tiny signature of space-time granularity. Once the photons of a Gamma-Ray Burst are emitted at a given (cosmological) distance, they arrive on the detector with relative delays that linearly depends on the energy differences and on the distance travelled, that, given a set of cosmological parameters, is a unique function of the redshift. The strong temporal variability of the Gamma-Ray Bursts light-curves allows, with different techniques (e.g. cross-correlations), to compute these delays by comparing light-curves of Gamma-Ray Bursts for which the redshift is known, in adjacent energy bands covering a sufficiently wide energy range. In this way, LIV-theories can be effectively constrained. THESEUS offers the opportunity to collect a homogeneous set of GRBs for which the redshift is known, with a signal to background ratio sufficient to compute delays through cross correlation techniques, and covering an energy band (from few keV to few MeV) wide enough to produce significant delays. In this article we explore the possibility to constrain LIV-theories with THESEUS by means of Monte Carlo simulations. In summary, within the nominal duration of 3 years, THESEUS could constrain (or detect) Quantum Gravity Lorentz Invariance Violation effects at al level of 17 times the Planck Length (1.6 × 10− 33 cm); if the mission is extended up to 7 years, this constrain is improved down to a level of 11 times the Planck Length.
Local hydrological conditions and spatial connectivity shape invertebrate communities after rewetting in temporary rivers
Authors: Pineda-Morante David , Fernández-Calero José María , Pölsterl Sebastian , Cunillera-Montcusí David , Bonada Núria , Cañedo-Argüelles Miguel
Published: January 2022

Temporary rivers (TRs) dominate global river networks and are increasing in occurrence and spatiotemporal extent. However, few studies have investigated the communities that establish after rewetting events (i.e. the end of the dry phase), when local hydrological conditions can shape the communities through species sorting, and the spatial connectivity of sites can also influence colonisation. Here, we analysed the relative importance of both local hydrological conditions and spatial connectivity on the invertebrate communities of seven not impacted Mediterranean TRs after rewetting. We quantified the frequency and duration of drying events and the time since flow resumed. We also quantified spatial connectivity based on each site’s position in the river network (i.e. network connectivity) and the presence of nearby disconnected streams. Overall, we found that both hydrological conditions and network connectivity played a significant role in structuring aquatic invertebrate communities after rewetting. Taxonomic richness, functional richness and functional redundancy decreased with the frequency and duration of drying events and increased with time since the most recent rewetting. Network connectivity showed a significant unimodal relationship with taxonomic and functional metrics. In contrast, the presence of nearby disconnected streams was negatively related to functional richness and functional dispersion. Given that flow intermittence in Mediterranean areas is expected to intensify under future global change scenarios, our results can be helpful to guide future conservation and management actions.
Mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of lightweight and high-strength carbon-graphite thermal insulation materials
Authors: He Junchao , Wu Haihua , Zhong Lei , Zhong Qiang , Yang Qiang , Ye Xicong , Liu Zhi , Kang Yi
Published: January 2022

Thermal insulation composites are widely used in civil and military applications; however, it is difficult to achieve the synergy of multiple technical objectives such as lightweight, thermal insulation, high pressure resistance and high-temperature resistance by adopting traditional preparation techniques. In this study, a novel carbon-graphite thermal insulation material was rapidly prepared by exploiting the micro-thermal press additive manufacturing forming technology, and these multiple objectives were simultaneously achieved by introducing a large number of closed pores. It was found that the percentage of closed pores in the carbon-graphite insulation was increased by increasing the forming density or the amount of thermosetting phenolic resin added, but the thermal conductivity increased in parallel with the compressive strength, while the addition of pre-covered expandable graphite was able to achieve the synergy of high compressive strength and low thermal conductivity. When the content of thermosetting phenolic resin was 25 wt%, forming density was 1.2 g·cm−3, and expandable graphite was clad twice, the prepared carbon-graphite insulation exhibited a closed porosity/porosity ratio, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity of 48.92%, 16.432 MPa, and 0.743 W·m −1 K−1, which has the advantages of lightweight, high compressive strength, heat insulation and high-temperature resistance and has good prospects for industrial applications.
A Framework for Dynamic Configuration of TLS Connections Based on Standards
Authors: Pastor-Galindo Javier , López-Millán Gabriel , Marín-López Rafael , Pereñíguez-García Fernando , Cánovas Óscar
Published: January 2022

The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is widely used for protecting end-to-end communications between network peers (applications or nodes). However, the administrators usually have to configure parameters (e.g., cryptography algorithms or authentication credentials) to establish TLS connections manually. However, this way of managing security connections becomes infeasible when the number of network peers is high. This paper proposes a TLS management framework that configures and manages TLS connections in a dynamic and autonomous manner. The solution is based on well-known standardized protocols and models that allow providing the necessary configuration parameters to establish a TLS connection between two network nodes. Nowadays, this is required in several application scenarios such as virtual private networks, virtualized network functions, or service function chains. Our framework is based on standard elements of the Software Defined Networking paradigm, widely adopted to provide flexibility to network management, such as for the scenarios aforementioned. The proposed framework has been implemented in a proof of concept to validate the suitability of the proposed solution to manage the dynamic configuration of TLS connections. The experimental results confirm that the implementation of this framework enables an operable and flexible procedure to manage TLS connections between network nodes in different scenarios.