bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Policies Aren’t Pieces of Paper’: Tussles and Tactics in Action-Oriented and Agile Cultural Policy Research
Authors: Sitas Rike
Published: August 2023

Too often policies are thought of decrees, immovable objects, binding forces, and something that is delivered and received rather than made and negotiated on an ongoing daily basis. This chapter reflects on a five-year collaboration between the African Centre for Cities and the City of Cape Town’s Arts & Culture Branch, focusing on what it means to make and do policy locally, on an everyday basis, and in the context of fiscal restraints (exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic) and shifting politics and urban priorities. The chapter starts by introducing four interconnected ways in which to approach cultural and urban policy-making through collaborative policy research: as embodied, emplaced, enacted, and embedded. It then locates Cape Town as a city of contradictions, a creative city that is often at odds with its own creative identity and shows that while cultural policy exists, there is a mismatch between these ambitions and the fiscal reality. Despite these challenges, there are municipal champions within the governance arrangement of the City who are working to leverage policy for more inclusive and emplaced aims, and the chapter turns to consider Knowledge Transfer Programme and scholar-municipal collaborations in action-oriented policy research, paying pays particular attention to cultural mapping and planning as an antidote to elite-centric urban cultural objectives. Finally the chapter returns to what this means for local action-oriented cultural policy research, arguing for how emplaced and embodied policy knowledge and practice can be enacted in situated and embedded ways.
Bridging the Trust Divide: Understanding the Role of ‘localism’ and the ‘local’ in Cultural Policy
Authors: Evans Mark
Published: August 2023

Cultural institutions can play an important enabling and educative role in fostering and strengthening democratic governance as they have a uniquely trusted position on the frontline of community democracy, civic agency and learning. This chapter critically evaluates the theory and practice of localism which has emerged in the disciplines of public policy and management, geography and governance to examine the role that local cultural institutions could and sometimes do play in enhancing democratic governance. It is argued that a focus on public value creation and participatory governance provides a fruitful starting point for the development of a reflexive research agenda that seeks to articulate the relationship between localism, governance and the role of cultural institutions in a systematic and meaningful way.
Properties of K-Additive Set-Valued Maps
Authors: Jablońska Eliza , Jabłoński Wojciech
Published: August 2023

For monoids X, Y and a submonoid $$K\subset Y$$

K
⊂
Y

we define a K-additive set-valued map $$F:X\rightarrow 2^Y$$

F
:
X
→

2
Y

as a map which is additive “modulo K”. In the paper fundamental properties of K-additive set-valued maps are studied. Among others, we prove that in the class of K-additive set-valued maps K-lower (or weakly K-upper) boundedness on a “large” set implies K-continuity on the domain, as well as K-continuity implies K-homogeneity. We also study an algebraic structure of the K-homogeneity set for K-additive set-valued maps.
Nitinol flanges fabricated by laser rod end melting and immediate flange processing
Authors: Lu Yang , Radel Tim
Published: August 2023

Nitinol, a widely used shape memory alloy in actuator industries, often encounters limitations in joint strength, heat resistance and corrosion resistance when joined to mechanical systems using conventional joining processes such as crimping, screwing or adhesive bonding. To address these challenges, a novel process chain is introduced to produce all-in-one Nitinol micro flanges by laser rod end melting (LREM) in a unique system. A laser beam melts the end of a Nitinol wire into an accumulated spherical liquid, which is subsequently reshaped in a die cavity with different die speeds, die temperatures, and delay time between both steps. Unlike cold forming of solidified preforms, the utilization of a partially solidified melt allows for the fabrication of a flange without cracks and visible oxidation. The resulting flange comprises a partially in the initial shape solidified preform, surrounded by a newly distributed zone. The fabricated flanges show comparable surface quality, size, and microstructure distribution across the range of the studied die speeds and die temperatures. However, achieving the desired flange shape necessitates the selection of an appropriate delay time. This study creates the basis for a process to fabricate Nitinol flanges and examines the influencing factors during the flange processing.
Probabilistic Analysis of Optimization Problems on Sparse Random Shortest Path Metrics
Authors: Klootwijk Stefan , Manthey Bodo
Published: August 2023

Simple heuristics for (combinatorial) optimization problems often show a remarkable performance in practice. Worst-case analysis often falls short of explaining this performance. Because of this, “beyond worst-case analysis” of algorithms has recently gained a lot of attention, including probabilistic analysis of algorithms. The instances of many (combinatorial) optimization problems are essentially a discrete metric space. Probabilistic analysis for such metric optimization problems has nevertheless mostly been conducted on instances drawn from Euclidean space, which provides a structure that is usually heavily exploited in the analysis. However, most instances from practice are not Euclidean. Little work has been done on metric instances drawn from other, more realistic, distributions. Some initial results have been obtained in recent years, where random shortest path metrics generated from dense graphs (either complete graphs or Erdős–Rényi random graphs) have been used so far. In this paper we extend these findings to sparse graphs, with a focus on sparse graphs with ‘fast growing cut sizes’, i.e. graphs for which $$|\delta (U)|=\Omega (|U|^\varepsilon )$$

|
δ

(
U
)

|
=
Ω
(
|
U

|
ε

)

for some constant $$\varepsilon \in (0,1)$$

ε
∈
(
0
,
1
)

for all subsets U of the vertices, where $$\delta (U)$$

δ
(
U
)

is the set of edges connecting U to the remaining vertices. A random shortest path metric is constructed by drawing independent random edge weights for each edge in the graph and setting the distance between every pair of vertices to the length of a shortest path between them with respect to the drawn weights. For such instances generated from a sparse graph with fast growing cut sizes, we prove that the greedy heuristic for the minimum distance maximum matching problem, and the nearest neighbor and insertion heuristics for the traveling salesman problem all achieve a constant expected approximation ratio. Additionally, for instances generated from an arbitrary sparse graph, we show that the 2-opt heuristic for the traveling salesman problem also achieves a constant expected approximation ratio.
Habitual physical activity modulates cardiometabolic health in long-term testicular cancer survivors
Authors: Amiri Ali , Krumpolec Patrik , Mego Michal , Ukropcová Barbara , Chovanec Michal , Ukropec Jozef
Published: August 2023

Purposes

Physical activity (PA) may mitigate late cardiometabolic toxicity of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) long-term survivors. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the effects of habitual PA on metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence, and on the markers of cardiometabolic health and chronic inflammation in a population of long-term TGCT survivors.

Methods

MetS prevalence was evaluated, and habitual PA was assessed using Baecke’s habitual PA questionnaire in TGCT survivors (n=195, age=41.1±8.1years, 11.7±5.2years post-therapy) and healthy male controls (n=41, age=38.2±8.8years). Participants were stratified into low- and high-PA groups based on median values. Differences were examined between low- and high-PA groups (in the entire sample, TGCT survivor sub-samples differing in disease stage, and healthy controls), and between TGCT survivors and controls. Next, TGCT survivors were stratified into age- and BMI-matched sub-groups based on post-treatment time (5–15/15/30years) and number of chemotherapy cycles (≤3/>3), allowing us to detect age- and BMI-independent effects of habitual PA on cardiometabolic health in the given TGCT survivor sub-populations. A correlation matrix of habitual PA and sport activity with cardiometabolic and pro-inflammatory markers was generated.

Results

TGCT survivors had higher MetS prevalence than controls. Patients with high habitual PA had lower waist circumference and Systemic Inflammation Index. Habitual PA scores correlated positively with HDL-cholesterol and negatively with waist circumference and atherogenic risk. Furthermore, cardiometabolic benefits of habitual PA were more pronounced in patients with disease stages 1 and 2. Effects of habitual PA on patients sub-populations stratified by chemotherapy dose and post-treatment time clearly showed that higher levels of habitual PA were associated with lower numbers of MetS components, except for patients who received more than 3 chemotherapy cycles and were examined more than15 years post-therapy.

Conclusions

Higher levels of habitual PA effectively mitigated cardiometabolic toxicity in TGCT survivors. Patients with higher cumulative doses of chemotherapy may need structured exercise interventions involving higher-intensity physical activity to achieve significant improvements in cardiometabolic health.
Application of polyglycolic acid sheets and basic fibroblast growth factor to prevent esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection in pigs
Authors: Nishimura Yusuke , Ono Masayoshi , Okubo Naoto , Sone Takayuki , Higashino Masayuki , Matsumoto Shogo , Kubo Marina , Yamamoto Keiko , Ono Shoko , Ohnishi Shunsuke , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: August 2023

Background

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been the first-line treatment for early-stage esophageal cancer. However, it often causes postoperative stricture in cases requiring wide dissection. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) reportedly has anti-scarring effects during cutaneous wound healing. We hypothesized that suppressing myofibroblast activation will prevent stricture after esophageal ESD.

Methods

We resected a complete porcine esophagus circumference section by ESD. To investigate the preventive effect of bFGF on esophageal stricture formation after ESD, we endoscopically applied bFGF-soaked poly-glycolic acid (PGA) sheets onto the wound bed after ESD and fixed them by spraying fibrin glue (PGA + bFGF group), PGA sheets alone onto the wound bed and fixed them by spraying fibrin glue (PGA group), or nothing (control group). After removing the esophagus on day 22, we evaluated the mucosal constriction rate.

Results

Compared with those in the control group, esophageal stricture was significantly reduced in the PGA + bFGF group, and the areas stained with α-SMA and calponin-1 antibodies were significantly inhibited in the PGA + bFGF and PGA groups. The thickness of the fibrous layer in the PGA + bFGF group was uniform compared to that of the other groups. Thus, PGA + bFGF inhibited the development of unregulated fibroblasts in the acute phase, leading to uniform wound healing.

Conclusions

Stenosis after esophageal ESD is related to fibrosis in the acute phase. Administration of PGA and bFGF suppresses myofibroblast activation in the acute phase, thereby preventing esophageal constriction in pigs.
Modified Kapandji technique in pediatric displaced distal radius fractures: results in 195 patients
Authors: Bassi Cristina , Heimann Alexander F. , Schwab Joseph M. , Tannast Moritz , Raabe Ines
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The modified Kapandji technique has been proposed for fracture reduction in pediatric displaced distal radius fractures (DDRFs), but evidence is sparse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our outcomes and complications, critically and systematically, when performing the modified Kapandji technique in pediatric DDRFs. Using this technique since 2011, we asked: (1) What is the quality of fracture reduction using this technique? (2) How stable is fracture alignment with this technique? (3) What are the postoperative complications and complication rates?

Methods

Retrospective observational study of 195 pediatric patients treated with the modified Kapandji technique. Quality of fracture reduction, fixation type (intrafocal, combined, or extrafocal), and coronal/sagittal angulation were recorded at surgery and healing. Perioperative complications were graded. Patients were stratified by fracture (metaphyseal or Salter–Harris) and fixation type, as well as age (≤ 6 years; 6 to 10 years; > 10 years).

Results

Fracture reduction was ‘good’ to ‘anatomical’ in 85% of patients. ‘Anatomical’ fracture reduction was less frequent in metaphyseal fractures (21% vs. 51%; p < .001). Mean angulation change was higher in metaphyseal fractures in both the sagittal (p = .011) and coronal (p = .021) planes. Metaphyseal fractures showed a higher mean change in sagittal angulation during fracture healing for the ‘intrafocal’ group. We observed a 15% overall complication rate with 1% being modified Sink Grade 3.

Conclusion

The modified Kapandji technique for pediatric DDRFs is a safe and effective treatment option. Metaphyseal fractures that do not involve the physis should be treated with extrafocal or combined wire fixation. Complications that require additional surgical treatment are rare.

Level of evidence

Level of evidence IV.
Non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in older adjuvant early breast cancer patients: cardiac safety analysis and final results of the COLTONE study
Authors: Coltelli Luigi , Finale Chiara , Musettini Gianna , Fontana Andrea , Barletta Maria Teresa , Lucarini Alessandra Renata , Fabiani Iacopo , Scalese Marco , Bocci Guido , Masini Luna Chiara , Soria Giulia , Cupini Samanta , Arrighi Giada , Barbara Cecilia , De Maio Ermelinda , Salvadori Barbara , Marini Andrea , Pellino Antonio , Stasi Irene , Emdin Michele , Giaconi Stefano , Marcucci Lorenzo , Allegrini Giacomo
Published: August 2023

Aims

To explore the cardiac safety of adjuvant Non-Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (NPL-DOX) plus Cyclophosphamide (CTX) followed by weekly Paclitaxel, in elderly women (≥ 65 years) with high-risk breast cancer. Previously, we described no symptomatic cardiac events within the first 12 months from starting treatment. We now reported the updated results after a median follow-up 76 months.

Methods

The cardiac activity was evaluated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) echocardiograms assessments, before starting chemotherapy and every 6 months, until 30 months from baseline, then yearly for at least 5 years.

Results

Forty-seven women were recruited by two Units of Medical Oncology (Ethics Committee authorization CESM-AOUP, 3203/2011; EudraCT identification number: 2010-024067-41, for Pisa and Pontedera Hospitals). An episode of grade 3 CHF (NCI-CTCAE, version 3.0) occurred after 18 months the beginning of chemotherapy. The echocardiograms assessments were performed comparing the LVEF values of each patient evaluated at fixed period of time, compared to baseline. We observed a slight changed in terms of mean values at 48, 60, 72 and 84 months. At these time points, a statistically significant reduction of − 3.2%, − 4.6%, − 6.4% and − 7.1%, respectively, was observed. However, LVEF remained above 50% without translation in any relevant clinical signs. No other cardiac significant episodes were reported. To this analysis, in 13 patients (28%) occurred disease relapse and,  of them, 11 (23%) died due to metastatic disease. Eight patients died of cancer-unrelated causes.

Conclusions

The combination including NPL-DOX in elderly patients revealed low rate of cardiac toxic effects. Comparative trials are encouraged.
Development of the breeding bird community of a silvoarable agroforestry system with short rotation coppice strips over a 16-year period
Authors: Zitzmann Felix , Langhof Maren
Published: August 2023

Modern silvoarable agroforestry systems (AFS) with short rotation coppice strips (CS) are considered as a potential measure to increase structural diversity in agricultural landscapes and to promote biodiversity while simultaneously producing arable crops and woody biomass. However, studies investigating the actual potential of these novel land use systems to promote biodiversity are scarce. We therefore investigated the importance of a silvoarable AFS with different CS variants as habitat for breeding birds on an experimental site in northern Germany, which was studied several times over a 16-year period since its establishment. In addition, the habitat function and quality of CS was compared with hedgerows. The results show that establishing CS on arable land creates additional habitats for shrub and tree breeding species and thus increases species numbers and territory densities. Tree harvest resulted in a decrease in species numbers and densities. However, since Aspen rows (for timber production) or native woody species were retained during harvesting in some CS, suitable nesting opportunities for some species remained. A sharp decline in Skylark territories was observed within the open land of the AFS, from nine breeding pairs in the year after establishment (2009) to only two breeding pairs each in 2022 and 2023. Compared to CS, hedgerows were more species-rich and had much higher territory densities. We conclude that the integration of CS into croplands can promote some species of woody habitats, especially if measures such as the integration of trees of different heights or native woody species and sectional harvesting are implemented. However, CS still clearly lag behind hedgerows in terms of their habitat quality. Furthermore, the establishment of CS may have negative effects on threatened open land species like the Skylark. The requirements of these species should therefore be considered when planning AFS. Establishing AFS with CS could especially be an option in cleared, intensively used agricultural landscapes, where CS could represent a trade-off between the promotion of birds and agricultural production.
African indigenous vegetables, gender, and the political economy of commercialization in Kenya
Authors: Hackfort Sarah , Kubitza Christoph , Opiyo Arnold , Musotsi Anne , Huyskens-Keil Susanne
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the increased commercialization of African indigenous vegetables (AIV)—former subsistence crops such as African nightshade, cowpea leaves and amaranth species grown mainly by women—from a feminist economics perspective. The study aims to answer the following research question: How does AIV commercialization affect the gendered division of labor, women’s participation in agricultural labor, their decision-making power, and their access to resources? We analyze commercialization’s effects on gender relations in labor and decision-making power and also highlight women’s agency. Based on a mixed method design and analyzing household-level panel data and qualitative focus groups from Kenya, we observe an economic empowerment of women that we relate to women’s individual and collective strategies as well as their retention of control over AIV selling and profits. Yet, while we see economic empowerment of women through commercialization—how they broaden their scope of action and are empowered by generating revenue—that does not contribute to a redistribution of labor or land rights, which are key for gender equality, instead it increases women’s labor burden.
Quality of Care is Perceived to be High with Community-based Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Services for Female Sex Workers in Tanzania: Qualitative Findings from a Pilot Implementation Science Study
Authors: Tun Waimar , Conserve Donaldson F. , Bunga Catherine , Jeremiah Kidola , Apicella Louis , Vu Lung
Published: August 2023

This qualitative study reports on female sex workers’ (FSWs) perceptions of the quality of antiretroviral therapy (ART) services they received as part of a community-based ART distribution intervention compared to services received by FSWs in the standard of care (SOC) arm. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 participants to explore their perceptions of the quality of ART services. Data was analyzed using a quality-of-care framework that included but was not limited to, domains of accessibility, effective organization of care, package of services, and patient-centered care. Overall, FSWs in the intervention arm reported community-based ART services to be highly accessible, organized, and effective, and they highly valued the patient-centered care and high level of privacy. Community-based ART programs for FSWs can have high quality-of-care, which can have a positive effect on HIV treatment outcomes for FSWs.
Alien flora of Nigeria: taxonomy, biogeography, habitats, and ecological impacts
Authors: Borokini Israel T. , Kortz Alessandra , Anibaba Quadri A. , Witt Arne , Aigbokhan Emmanuel I. , Hejda Martin , Pyšek Petr
Published: August 2023

Biological invasions remain one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and livelihoods, and are predicted to increase due to climate change and globalization. In this study, we produced a comprehensive checklist of alien plants in Nigeria from online flora databases, herbarium records, published field surveys, and questionnaires administered to botanical gardens. The resulting alien flora was classified into naturalized, invasive, and cultivated plants. We then fitted a random forest model to identify the attributes which facilitate the naturalization of alien plants in Nigeria. We also used separate chi-squared tests to investigate if the frequency of these attributes is significantly different between the naturalized and invasive plants. The results include 1,381 alien plant taxa, comprising 238 naturalized, 190 invasive, and 953 cultivated species. The naturalized and invasive plants (428 species) are from 91 families, with Fabaceae and Poaceae having the highest representations. The random forest model showed that life forms and local economic uses were the most important drivers of alien plant naturalization in Nigeria. Chi-squared tests revealed a non-random distribution of life forms, higher frequencies of naturalized plants from the Indomalaya and the Neotropics, greater introductions during the British colonial rule, and that naturalized species are mostly used for medicinal, ornamental, food, or animal fodder purposes. Naturalized and invasive plants were recorded in all regions of Nigeria and are mostly found in urban and agricultural landscapes. This baseline information can support further ecological studies and conservation actions in Nigeria.
Seasonal variation and importance of catchment area composition for transport of bioavailable carbon to the Baltic Sea
Authors: Jones Kevin , Berggren Martin , Sjöstedt Johanna
Published: August 2023

Transport of terrestrial carbon through riverine systems to coastal water has a negative impact on oxygen concentration in coastal areas. However, information on seasonal variation and the impact of catchment composition on the bioavailability of allochthonous carbon is lacking. In this project we address this knowledge gap by investigating the reactivity of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at river mouths which originate from agricultural or forested dominated catchments over a year. Using a high-capacity oxygen sensing system biological oxygen demand (BOD) was measured and converted to carbon utilization rate. This allowed a spatial and temporal resolution necessary to understand how concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, DOC, as well as carbon composition influence carbon bioavailability. Seasonality and the differing catchment compositions yielded variable results about which factors were significantly contributing to reactivity. In addition, we found that carbon utilization rate was highest during April, June, and October for most rivers. The bioavailable fraction (BFc) was significantly higher in rivers with agricultural compared to forest dominated catchments during January, April, June, and October. However, rivers with agricultural dominated catchment had a significantly higher carbon utilization rate in August. This indicate that rivers dominated by forest transport larger and more refractory pools of carbon, while rivers with agricultural dominated catchments have a higher percentage of BFc. Based on these results we suggest that management efforts, to reduce the transport of bioavailable carbon, would be most efficient during spring and autumn with equal importance on rivers with catchment areas dominated by agriculture and forest.
Variable screening for Lasso based on multidimensional indexing
Authors: Żogała-Siudem Barbara , Jaroszewicz Szymon
Published: August 2023

In this paper we present a correlation based safe screening technique for building the complete Lasso path. Unlike many other Lasso screening approaches we do not consider prespecified values of the regularization parameter, but, instead, prune variables which cannot be the next best feature to be added to the model. Based on those results we present a modified homotopy algorithm for computing the regularization path. We demonstrate that, even though our algorithm provides the complete Lasso path, its performance is competitive with state of the art algorithms which, however, only provide solutions at a prespecified sample of regularization parameters. We also address problems of extremely high dimensionality, where the variables may not fit into main memory and are assumed to be stored on disk. A multidimensional index is used to quickly retrieve potentially relevant variables. We apply the approach to the important case when multiple models are built against a fixed set of variables, frequently encountered in statistical databases. We perform experiments using the complete Eurostat database as predictors and demonstrate that our approach allows for practical and efficient construction of Lasso models, which remain accurate and interpretable even when millions of highly correlated predictors are present.
A tale of two roles: exploring topic-specific susceptibility and influence in cascade prediction
Authors: Chen Ninghan , Chen Xihui , Zhong Zhiqiang , Pang Jun
Published: August 2023

We propose a new deep learning cascade prediction model CasSIM that can simultaneously achieve two most demanded objectives: popularity prediction and final adopter prediction. Compared to existing methods based on cascade representation, CasSIM simulates information diffusion processes by exploring users’ dual roles in information propagation with three basic factors: users’ susceptibilities, influences and message contents. With effective user profiling, we are the first to capture the topic-specific property of susceptibilities and influences. In addition, the use of graph neural networks allows CasSIM to capture the dynamics of susceptibilities and influences during information diffusion. We evaluate the effectiveness of CasSIM on three real-life datasets and the results show that CasSIM outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in popularity and final adopter prediction.
Application of the class-balancing strategies with bootstrapping for fitting logistic regression models for post-fire tree mortality in South Korea
Authors: Hwang Kyungrok , Kang Wonseok , Jung Yugyeong
Published: August 2023

We aimed to tackle a common problem in post-fire tree mortality where the number of trees that survived surpasses the number of dead trees. Here, we investigated the factors that affect Korean red pine (Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc.) tree mortality following fires and assessed the statistical effects of class-balancing methods when fitting logistic regression models for predicting tree mortality using empirical bootstrapping (B = 100,000). We found that Slope, Aspect, Height, and Crown Ratio potentially impacted tree mortality, whereas the bark scorch index (BSI) and diameter at breast height (DBH) significantly affected tree mortality when fitting a logistic regression with the original dataset. The same variables included in the fitted logistic regression model were observed using the class-balancing regimes. Unlike the imbalanced scenario, lower variabilities of the estimated parameters in the logistic models were found in balanced data. In addition, class-balancing scenarios increased the prediction capabilities, showing reduced root mean squared error (RMSE) and improved model accuracy. However, we observed various levels of effectiveness of the class-balancing scenarios on our post-fire tree mortality data. We still suggest a thorough investigation of the minority class, but class-balancing scenarios, especially oversampling strategies, are appropriate for developing parsimonious models to predict tree mortality following fires.
Soil moisture reduces egg mortality during wildfires in the Madeiran green bush-cricket
Authors: Rhee Howon , Hochkirch Axel
Published: August 2023

The increasing frequency of fires is a major threat to biodiversity around the world, further facilitated by global warming. Fires usually affect insect populations directly, but insect eggs may partly be protected from wildfires when oviposited into the ground. Madeira belongs to the Macaronesian islands which experience wildfires annually. The Madeiran Green Bush-Cricket (Psalmatophanes barretoi) is endemic to the island and listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable with wildfires being named as the major threat to the species. However, it remains unclear whether the eggs of P. barretoi may be partly protected from fires due to the oviposition substrate (soil). It also remains unknown whether increased temperature alone or increased drought are more important drivers of mortality when fires are approaching or surpassing an oviposition site. We hypothesized that drought might have a significant effect on mortality when heat levels remain slightly below or above mortal temperatures. Therefore, we tested the effects of temperature and drought on egg survival in two laboratory experiments by incubating eggs at different temperatures (49 °C, 55 °C) for six hours with and without water replacement. Our results show that the combination of drought and heat affected egg mortality significantly stronger than heat alone. As a result, we conclude that egg mortality is strongly mediated by soil desiccation and that eggs might be buffered from fire effects in moist habitats or after increased rainfall.
Using defects as a ‘fossil record’ to help interpret complex processes during additive manufacturing: as applied to raster-scanned electron beam powder bed additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V
Authors: O’Donnell Katie , Quintana Maria J. , Kenney Matthew J. , Collins Peter C.
Published: August 2023

Defects in parts produced by additive manufacturing, instead of simply being perceived as deleterious, can act as important sources of information associated with the complex physical processes that occur during materials deposition and subsequent thermal cycles. Indeed, they act as materials-state ‘fossil’ records of the dynamic AM process. The approach of using defects as epoch-like records of prior history has been developed while studying additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V and has given new insights into processes that may otherwise remain either obscured or unquantified. Analogous to ‘epochs,’ the evolution of these defects often is characterized by physics that span across a temporal length scale. To demonstrate this approach, a broad range of analyses including optical and electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction have been used to characterize a raster-scanned electron beam Ti–6Al–4V sample. These analysis techniques provide key characteristics of defects such as their morphology, location within the part, complex compositional fields interacting with the defects, and structures on the free surfaces of defects. Observed defects have been classified as banding, spherical porosity, and lack of fusion. Banding is directly related to preferential evaporation of Al, which has an influence on mechanical properties. Lack-of-fusion defects can be used to understand columnar grain growth, fluid flow of melt pools, humping, and spattering events.

Graphical abstract
Female education and social change
Authors: Bühler Mathias , Vollmer Leonhard , Wimmer Johannes
Published: August 2023

Does access to education facilitate the emergence of a human capital elite from which social activists, and thus, social change can emerge? Assembling a city-level panel of the political, intellectual, and economic elite throughout German history, we find that the opening of schools providing secondary education for women increased their representation among the human capital elite. These elites challenged the status quo and developed critical ideas that resonated in cities with higher human capital, connecting women to form a social movement. We find no evidence of other city-specific indicators of economic and gender-specific cultural change affecting our results. Differential returns to education are also unrelated to the increasing representation of women among the human capital elite, as the opening of gender-specific schools has no impact on the opposite gender.
The Effect of Ultrasonication on the Fibrillar/ Oligomeric Structures of Aβ1−42 at Different Concentrations
Authors: Faridi Nassim , Sanjari-Pour Maryam , Wang Ping , Bathaie S. Zahra
Published: August 2023

The number of disease states linked the aberrant regular protein conformations to oligomers and amyloid fibrils. Amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ1−42) peptide is very hydrophobic and quickly forms the β-rich structure and fibrillar protein aggregates in some solutions and buffer conditions. Ultrasonication pulses can disrupt amyloid fibrils to smaller fragments and produce Aβ1−42 peptides of different sizes and oligomers. Herein, we investigated the effects of buffer and ultrasonication on Aβ1−42 structure at low and high concentrations. After ultrasonication, the Western blot results showed that Aβ1−42 fibrils were disaggregated into different sizes. The transmission electron microscopy results indicated Aβ1−42 at low concentration (25 µM) in Ham’s/F12 phenol red-free culture medium formed short-size fragments and oligomers. In comparison, Aβ1−42 at higher concentration (100 µM) formed fibrils that break down into smaller fragments after ultrasonication. However, after regrowth, it formed mature fibrils again. Cell viability assay indicated that Aβ1−42 oligomers formed at a low concentration (25 µM) were more toxic to PC12 cells than other forms. In conclusion, by applying ultrasonication pulses and controlling peptide concentration and buffer condition, we can rich Aβ1−42 aggregates with a particular size and molecular structure.
Why Chaplaincy at Asylum Centers is a Good Idea: A Care Ethics Perspective on Spiritual Care for Refugees
Authors: Dronkers Pieter , Wojtkowiak Joanna , Smid Geert
Published: August 2023

This article argues in favor of introducing chaplaincy care at asylum centers and develops three arguments for doing so. First, chaplaincy is one way to protect the right to health of refugees and to improve their spiritual well-being. The positive contribution of chaplaincy services to mental health care is increasingly recognized, especially in the domain of PTSD. Second, chaplaincy services support asylum seekers in exercising their freedom of religion while entrusted to state care. Chaplains can create a safe space for asylum seekers to reflect on their spiritual and religious needs, orientation and belonging. Third, chaplains are well positioned to help asylum seekers in rebuilding their life-sustaining web, while at the same time promoting a climate of inclusion and respect in and outside the asylum center.
Lost in Transduction: From Law and Code’s Intra-actions to the Right to Explanation in the European Data Protection Regulations
Authors: Tedeschi Miriam , Viljanen Mika
Published: August 2023

Recent algorithmic technologies have challenged law’s anthropocentric assumptions. In this article, we develop a set of theoretical tools drawn from new materialisms and the philosophy of information to unravel the complex intra-actions between law and computer code. Accordingly, we first propose a framework for understanding the enmeshing of law and code based on a diffractive reading of Barad’s agential realism and Simondon’s theory of information. We argue that once law and code are understood as material entities that intra-act through in-formation, the concept of transduction allows us to trace how they push each other towards change. After developing the theoretical tools, we deploy them to make sense of how law and code have changed in response to increasing automation of decision-making and the appearance of unexplainable artificial intelligence (AI) code. Thus, we employ a case study to trace transformations of the right to explanation under the European data protection regulations. This provides the backdrop for our account of how law transduces into code (and vice versa) and a proving ground for our framework.
Identified and potential internalization signals involved in trafficking and regulation of Na+/K+ ATPase activity
Authors: Hodeify Rawad , Kreydiyyeh Sawsan , Zaid Leen Mohammad Jamal
Published: August 2023

The sodium–potassium pump (NKA) or Na+/K+ ATPase consumes around 30–40% of the total energy expenditure of the animal cell on the generation of the sodium and potassium electrochemical gradients that regulate various electrolyte and nutrient transport processes. The vital role of this protein entails proper spatial and temporal regulation of its activity through modulatory mechanisms involving its expression, localization, enzymatic activity, and protein–protein interactions. The residence of the NKA at the plasma membrane is compulsory for its action as an antiporter. Despite the huge body of literature reporting on its trafficking between the cell membrane and intracellular compartments, the mechanisms controlling the trafficking process are by far the least understood. Among the molecular determinants of the plasma membrane proteins trafficking are intrinsic sequence-based endocytic motifs. In this review, we (i) summarize previous reports linking the regulation of Na+/K+ ATPase trafficking and/or plasma membrane residence to its activity, with particular emphasis on the endocytic signals in the Na+/K+ ATPase alpha-subunit, (ii) map additional potential internalization signals within Na+/K+ ATPase catalytic alpha-subunit, based on canonical and noncanonical endocytic motifs reported in the literature, (iii) pinpoint known and potential phosphorylation sites associated with NKA trafficking, (iv) highlight our recent studies on Na+/K+ ATPase trafficking and PGE2-mediated Na+/K+ ATPase modulation in intestine, liver, and kidney cells.
Combination of DBD and Catalysts for CH4 and CO2 Conversion: Basics and Applications
Authors: Nozaki Tomohiro , Chen Xiaozhong , Kim Dae-Yeong , Zhan Chunyuan
Published: August 2023

This paper describes dielectric barrier discharge and catalyst combination technology which is applied for dry methane reforming (DMR: CH4 + CO2 = 2CO + 2H2) and reverse water gas shift reaction (RWGS: CO2 + H2 = CO + H2O). The purpose of this paper is not to discuss the efficiency of plasma catalytic conversion of CH4 and CO2, catalyst synthesis method, or diagnostics of surface reactions; it focuses on the macroscopic characterization of DBD and catalyst hybrid reactions for a reactor design and appropriate parameter setting. DBD is characterized by the discharge sustain voltage and the mean discharge current which are readily obtainable from the Lissajous diagram and is further correlated with a power density (W/m3) via Manley's equation. Meantime, power density is decoupled into specific energy density (SEI) and gaseous space velocity (GHSV). SEI provides a guideline for the energy efficiency of the plasma catalytic process, and GHSV is an important measure of residence time or productivity of the process. The DBD-catalyst hybrid reaction is superior to warm discharge alone when it is generated by a high-frequency power source, which is discussed based on the lifetime of vibrationally excited CH4; not only cumulative population of a fundamental mode of vibrationally excited CH4, but also overtone vibrational states of CH4 is anticipated by multiple electron collision at high-frequency operation. The importance of overtone vibrational molecules on surface reaction is proven by molecular beam study, and distinguished from the ladder-climbing mechanism in gas phase plasma chemistry; catalytic reactions would further promote without unavoidable trade-off relationship between reactant conversion rate and energy efficiency. Finally, nonequilibrium product distribution by plasma catalysis is discussed based on the surface reaction model in connection with vibrationally excited molecules.
SubQ-Sim: A Subcutaneous Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Model. Part 1: The Injection and System Parameters
Authors: Pepin Xavier J. H. , Grant Iain , Wood J. Matthew
Published: August 2023

Purpose

To construct a detailed mechanistic and physiologically based biopharmaceutics model capable of predicting 1) device-formulation-tissue interaction during the injection process and 2) binding, degradation, local distribution, diffusion, and drug absorption, following subcutaneous injection. This paper is part of a series and focusses on the first aspect.

Methods

A mathematical model, SubQ-Sim, was developed incorporating the details of the various substructures within the subcutaneous environment together with the calculation of dynamic drug disposition towards the lymph ducts and venous capillaries. Literature was searched to derive key model parameters in healthy and diseased subjects. External factors such as body temperature, exercise, body position, food or stress provide a means to calculate the impact of “life events” on the pharmacokinetics of subcutaneously administered drugs.

Results

The model predicts the tissue backpressure time profile during the injection as a function of injection rate, volume injected, solution viscosity, and interstitial fluid viscosity. The shape of the depot and the concentrations of the formulation and proteins in the depot are described. The model enables prediction of formulation backflow following premature needle removal and the resulting formulation losses. Finally, the effect of disease (type 2 diabetes) or the presence of recombinant human hyaluronidase in the formulation on the injection pressure, are explored.

Conclusions

This novel model can successfully predict tissue back pressure, depot dimensions, drug and protein concentration and formulation losses due to incorrect injection, which are all important starting conditions for predicting drug absorption from a subcutaneous dose. The next article will describe the absorption model and validation against clinical data.
Near-death experiences: feasibility and advantages of the mechanistic explanation
Authors: Oleksowicz Michał , Gaitán Leandro
Published: August 2023

The new mechanistic philosophy seeks to identify and explain the mechanisms of various phenomena, including their overall organization and the interactions between the individualized components. This paper argues that among the phenomena that can be approached within the new mechanistic framework are near-death experiences, which can be included within the vast range of experiences that are grouped under the category of religious experience. Such experiences involve a complex set of cognitive, affective, and behavioural processes. Since studying such experiences is far from methodologically simple, we try to show the feasibility of applying the mechanistic explanation to near-death experiences. While some scholars (such as Egil Asprem and Ann Taves) argue that mechanistic explanation can shed new light on the explanation of religion, we instead emphasize neglected limits of such an explanation, as well as its epistemic-methodological advantages in comparison with alternative explanatory models, especially the models proposed by Michael Marsh, Frederick S. Barrett and Roland R. Griffiths.
Dynamic chest radiography for pulmonary vascular diseases: clinical applications and correlation with other imaging modalities
Authors: Yamasaki Yuzo , Kamitani Takeshi , Sagiyama Koji , Hino Takuya , Kisanuki Megumi , Tabata Kosuke , Isoda Takuro , Kitamura Yoshiyuki , Abe Kohtaro , Hosokawa Kazuya , Toyomura Daisuke , Moriyama Shohei , Kawakubo Masateru , Yabuuchi Hidetake , Ishigami Kousei
Published: August 2023

Dynamic chest radiography (DCR) is a novel functional radiographic imaging technique that can be used to visualize pulmonary perfusion without using contrast media. Although it has many advantages and clinical utility, most radiologists are unfamiliar with this technique because of its novelty. This review aims to (1) explain the basic principles of lung perfusion assessment using DCR, (2) discuss the advantages of DCR over other imaging modalities, and (3) review multiple specific clinical applications of DCR for pulmonary vascular diseases and compare them with other imaging modalities.
Evaluation of the ear ossicles with photon-counting detector CT
Authors: Takahashi Yuka , Higaki Fumiyo , Sugaya Akiko , Asano Yudai , Kojima Katsuhide , Morimitsu Yusuke , Akagi Noriaki , Itoh Toshihide , Matsui Yusuke , Hiraki Takao
Published: August 2023

Recently, computed tomography with photon-counting detector (PCD-CT) has been developed to enable high-resolution imaging at a lower radiation dose. PCD-CT employs a photon-counting detector that can measure the number of incident X-ray photons and their energy. The newly released PCD-CT (NAEOTOM Alpha, Siemens Healthineers, Forchheim, Germany) has been in clinical use at our institution since December 2022. The PCD-CT offers several advantages over current state-of-the-art energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT). The PCD-CT does not require septa to create a detector channel, while EID-CT does. Therefore, downsizing the anode to achieve higher resolution does not affect the dose efficiency of the PCD-CT. CT is an indispensable modality for evaluating ear ossicles. The ear ossicles and joints are clearly depicted by PCD-CT. In particular, the anterior and posterior legs of the stapes, which are sometimes unclear on conventional CT scans, can be clearly visualized. We present cases of congenital anomalies of the ossicular chain, ossicular chain dislocation, tympanosclerosis, and cholesteatoma in which PCD-CT was useful. This short article reports the usefulness of PCD-CT in the 3D visualization of the ear ossicles.