bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the potential of poplar bark from short-rotation coppices as bio-based fungicidal additives
Authors: Bremer Martina , Oktaee Javane , Einer Daniela , Fischer Steffen , Wagenführ André
Published: March 2021

Bark on trees protects the plant against environmentally adverse conditions as well as fungi and insect attacks. There are different chemical substances, mostly in the outer bark of trees, which can stop fungi from developing. Bark as a by-product of wood plantations is available in high quantity and can serve as an excellent source for the production of eco-fungicides. In the presented article, bark of various poplar clones from two short-rotation coppices (SRC) in Poland and Germany was examined to determine the chemical composition, the possible extraction of potential fungicides (terpenes, aromatic and phenolic substances), and influence of their extracts on slowing the growth of mold fungi. It was proved that the content of the fungicidal substances depends strongly on the clone type. Two methods of extraction—Soxhlet and batch—were compared to obtain fungicidal extracts. Fungicidal substances were found in extracts gained with both approaches. Triterpenes, fatty acids, aldehydes, and alcohols were primarily the active fungicides in the Soxhlet extracts, whereas phenolic substances act as fungicides in the batch extracts.
Strengthening the Innovation Resilience of Polish Manufacturing Firms in Unstable Environments
Authors: Wziątek-Kubiak Anna , Pęczkowski Marek
Published: March 2021

This study examines factors that increase resilience in innovation of Polish manufacturing firms in an unstable environment. Organizational resilience in innovation is the ability to continuously perform innovation in a turbulent environment and increase knowledge accumulation. In 2008–2012, Poland did not have crisis itself. Short-term slowdown of the economy was accompanied by a breakdown of innovation activities, with a medium-term effect. Based on the Polish Community Innovation Survey panel data for two periods: the innovation crisis (2008–2010), and the innovation pessimism period (2010–2012), this study shows which innovative resources change the probability of innovation continuity in the second period. In our probit model, we explore 42 factors of innovations. We found that financing, R&D and marketing increased the probability of continuity of innovation, but the influence of financing was the strongest. Persistence in innovation in turbulent times hence requires a change in the structure of innovation resources used. Due to the fact that public support on innovation did not increase the likelihood of the continuity of the innovation, a policy change is required. Reliability of our estimation is confirmed by accuracy of prediction of firms, which was 78.2%.
Toward Reverse Engineering to Economic Analysis: An Overview of Tools and Methodology
Authors: Faggini Marisa , Bruno Bruna , Parziale Anna
Published: March 2021

Following the reverse engineering (RE) approach to analyse an economic complex system is to infer how its underlying mechanism works. The main factors that condition the difficulty of RE are the number of variable components in the system and, most importantly, the interdependence of components on one another and nonlinear dynamics. All those aspects characterize the economic complex systems within which economic agents make their choices. Economic complex systems are adopted in RE science, and they could be used to understand, predict and model the dynamics of the complex systems that enable to define and to control the economic environment. With the RE approach, economic data could be used to peek into the internal workings of the economic complex system, providing information about its underling nonlinear dynamics. The idea of this paper arises from the aim to deepen the comprehension of this approach and to highlight the potential implementation of tools and methodologies based on it to treat economic complex systems. An overview of the literature about the RE is presented, by focusing on the definition and on the state of the art of the research, and then we consider two potential tools that could translate the methodological issues of RE by evidencing advantages and disadvantages for economic analysis: the recurrence analysis and the agent-based model (ABM).
Heavy metals concentration and pollution index (HPI) in drinking water along the southwest coast of Ghana
Authors: Appiah-Opong Regina , Ofori Amoako , Ofosuhene Mark , Ofori-Attah Ebenezer , Nunoo Francis K. E. , Tuffour Isaac , Gordon Christopher , Arhinful Daniel K. , Nyarko Alexander K. , Fosu-Mensah Benedicta Y.
Published: March 2021

The concentration of seven heavy metals in water samples was analyzed along the southwest coast of Ghana in the wet and dry seasons using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Some physicochemical properties of the water samples were also determined to assess the quality of the water. The ranges of metal concentration in water in the wet season were; As (1.23–7.84 µg/L), Cu (4.10–24.09 µg/L), Pb (4.08–57.98 µg/L), Se (BDL-0.38 µg/L), Zn (2.86–17.75 µg/L) and Hg (0.023–0.068 µg/L), whereas the ranges of metal concentration in the dry season were; As (2.30–5.78 µg/L), Pb (25.47–70.73 µg/L), Se (0.081–0.158 µg/L), Zn (0.79–22.80 µg/L) and Hg (0.004–0.047 µg/L). The results of physicochemical properties of water in the wet season were pH (6.83 to 7.52), EC (291.15–780.64 µS/cm), TDS (195.07–523.02 mg/L), DO (2.98–4.39 mg/L), BOD (3.33 to 6.84 mg/L), salinity (0.01 to 0.30 ppt) and temperature (27.06–30.94 °C), whereas the dry season recorded the ranges of pH (6.84–6.95), EC (516.83 to 660.67 µS/cm), TDS (307.07–442.65 mg/L), DO (1.71–3.04 mg/L), BOD (4.25–13.38 mg/L), salinity (0.22–0.28ppt) and temperature (28.46–30.44 °C). The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals in water was below the WHO standard except Pb which exceeded the limit. The mean heavy metal pollution index (HPI) were 130 and 143 for wet and dry seasons, respectively, indicating that the water HPI was above the critical limit (HPI > 100), hence unfit for drinking. All the physicochemical properties analyzed were within the WHO permissible limits except BOD.
Reflecting on the Anthropocene: The Call for Deeper Transformations
Authors: O’Brien Karen
Published: March 2021

Research on global environmental change has transformed the way that we think about human-environment relationships and Earth system processes. The four Ambio articles highlighted in this 50th Anniversary Issue have influenced the cultural narrative on environmental change, highlighting concepts such as “resilience,” “coupled human and natural systems”, and the “Anthropocene.” In this peer response, I argue that global change research is still paying insufficient attention to how to deliberately transform systems and cultures to avoid the risks that science itself has warned us about. In particular, global change research has failed to adequately integrate the subjective realm of meaning making into both understanding and action. Although this has been an implicit subtext in global change research, it is time to fully integrate research from the social sciences and environmental humanities.
You are what you eat: relative importance of diet, gut microbiota and nestmates for honey bee, Apis mellifera, worker health
Authors: Retschnig Gina , Rich Johannes , Crailsheim Karl , Pfister Judith , Perreten Vincent , Neumann Peter
Published: March 2021

In eusocial honey bees, Apis mellifera, diet, gut microbiota and nestmates can all contribute to the health of freshly emerged individual workers, but their relative importance for longevity and body weight is currently unknown. Here, we show that diet is most relevant, followed by gut microbiota and the presence of nestmates. Freshly emerged workers were randomly assigned to eight treatments (with or without honey/pollen, protein-substitute lactalbumin, antibiotic tetracycline and nestmates for 24 h) and maintained under standardised laboratory conditions. Longevity and food consumption were measured daily and fresh body weight was assessed at day 7. The data show a significantly better survival and a higher body weight in workers supplied with honey/pollen. Survival was higher in the lactalbumin treatments compared to the ones restricted to sucrose only, but lower compared to those with honey/pollen, highlighting the importance of micronutrients. In contrast, antibiotic treatment had a significant negative effect on longevity and body weight, which may be explained by inactivated gut microbiota and/or toxicity of the antibiotics. There was no positive effect of nestmates, probably due to the short exposure period. In contrast, nestmates showed a negative effect on survival in antibiotic-treated workers, possibly by transmitting pathogens and antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis. In conclusion, a macro- and micronutrient-rich diet appears to be the key to individual honey bee worker health. Providing an optimal diet and possibly gut microbiota appears to be a promising way to promote managed A. mellifera health.
Querying Optimal Routes for Group Meetup
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhu Huaijie , Liu Wei , Yin Jian , Lee Wang-Chien , Xu Jianliang
Published: March 2021

Motivated by location-based social networks which allow people to access location-based services as a group, we study a novel variant of optimal sequenced route (OSR) queries, optimal sequenced route for group meetup (OSR-G) queries. OSR-G query aims to find the optimal meeting POI (point of interest) such that the maximum users’ route distance to the meeting POI is minimized after each user visits a number of POIs of specific categories (e.g., gas stations, restaurants, and shopping malls) in a particular order. To process OSR-G queries, we first propose an OSR-Based (OSRB) algorithm as our baseline, which examines every POI in the meeting category and utilizes existing OSR (called E-OSR) algorithm to compute the optimal route for each user to the meeting POI. To address the shortcomings (i.e., requiring to examine every POI in the meeting category) of OSRB, we propose an upper bound based filtering algorithm, called circle filtering (CF) algorithm, which exploits the circle property to filter the unpromising meeting POIs. In addition, we propose a lower bound based pruning (LBP) algorithm, namely LBP-SP which exploits a shortest path lower bound to prune the unqualified meeting POIs to reduce the search space. Furthermore, we develop an approximate algorithm, namely APS, to accelerate OSR-G queries with a good approximation ratio. Finally the experimental results show that both CF and LBP-SP outperform the OSRB algorithm and have high pruning rates. Moreover, the proposed approximate algorithm runs faster than the exact OSR-G algorithms and has a good approximation ratio.
Discrimination of ablation, shielding, and interface layer effects on the steady-state formation of persistent bubbles under liquid flow conditions during laser synthesis of colloids
Authors: Kalus Mark-Robert , Lanyumba Riskyanti , Barcikowski Stephan , Gökce Bilal
Published: March 2021

Over the past decade, laser ablation in liquids (LAL) was established as an innovative nanoparticle synthesis method obeying the principles of green chemistry. While one of the main advantages of this method is the absence of stabilizers leading to nanoparticles with “clean” ligand-free surfaces, its main disadvantage is the comparably low nanoparticle production efficiency dampening the sustainability of the method and preventing the use of laser-synthesized nanoparticles in applications that require high amounts of material. In this study, the effects of productivity-dampening entities that become particularly relevant for LAL with high repetition rate lasers, i.e., persistent bubbles or colloidal nanoparticles (NPs), on the synthesis of colloidal gold nanoparticles in different solvents are studied. Especially under batch ablation conditions in highly viscous liquids with prolonged ablation times both shielding entities are closely interconnected and need to be disentangled. By performing liquid flow-assisted nanosecond laser ablation of gold in liquids with different viscosity and nanoparticle or bubble diffusivity, it is shown that a steady-state is reached after a few seconds with fixed individual contributions of bubble- and colloid-induced shielding effects. By analyzing dimensionless numbers (i.e., Axial Peclet, Reynolds, and Schmidt) it is demonstrated how these shielding effects strongly depend on the liquid’s transport properties and the flow-induced formation of an interface layer along the target surface. In highly viscous liquids, the transport of NPs and persistent bubbles within this interface layer is strongly diffusion-controlled. This diffusion-limitation not only affects the agglomeration of the NPs but also leads to high local densities of NPs and bubbles near the target surface, shielding up to 80% of the laser power. Hence, the ablation rate does not only depend on the total amount of shielding matter in the flow channel, but also on the location of the persistent bubbles and NPs. By comparing LAL in different liquids, it is demonstrated that 30 times more gas is produced per ablated amount of substance in acetone and ethylene glycol compared to ablation in water. This finding confirms that chemical effects contribute to the liquid’s decomposition and the ablation yield as well. Furthermore, it is shown that the highest ablation efficiencies and monodisperse qualities are achieved in liquids with the lowest viscosities and gas formation rates at the highest volumetric flow rates.
Forgotten Wars
Authors: Borodziej Włodzimierz , Górny Maciej
Published: March 2021

Włodzimierz Borodziej and Maciej Górny set out to salvage the historical memory of the experience of war in the lands between Riga and Skopje, beginning with the two Balkan conflicts of 1912–1913 and ending with the death of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1916. The First World War in the East and South-East of Europe was fought by people from a multitude of different nationalities, most of them dressed in the uniforms of three imperial armies: Russian, German, and Austro-Hungarian. In this first volume of Forgotten Wars, the authors chart the origins and outbreak of the First World War, the early battles, and the war's impact on ordinary soldiers and civilians through to the end of the Romanian campaign in December 1916, by which point the Central Powers controlled all of the Balkans except for the Peloponnese. Combining military and social history, the authors make extensive use of eyewitness accounts to describe the traumatic experience that established a region stretching between the Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.
The Disabled Contract
Authors: Beaudry Jonas-Sébastien
Published: March 2021

Social contract theories generally predicate the authority of rules that govern society on the idea that these rules are the product of a contractual agreement struck between members of society. These theories embody values, such as equality, reciprocity and rationality, that are highly prized within our culture. Yet a closer inspection reveals that these features exclude other important values, relations and even persons from the realm of contractual morality and justice, especially people with severe intellectual disabilities. Jonas-Sébastien Beaudry explores the moral status of intellectually disabled people in social contract thought and argues that this tradition needs to be revisited to include the most vulnerable. Addressing this problem will have concrete repercussions in law and policy, because many issues that people with disabilities face are connected to deeply rooted assumptions about their status as full citizens or full members of our moral, political and legal communities.
Myopericarditis Associated With Smallpox Vaccination Among US Army Personnel – Fort Hood, Texas, 2018
Authors: Mandra Anna M. , Superior Michael J. , Guagliardo Sarah Anne J. , Hesse Elisabeth , Pacha Laura A. , Stidham Ralph A. , Colbeck Debra C. , Hrncir David E. , Hall Noemi , Petersen Brett W. , Rao Agam K.
Published: March 2021

Objective:

In March 2018, the US Department of Defense (DOD) added the smallpox vaccination, using ACAM2000, to its routine immunizations, increasing the number of persons receiving the vaccine. The following month, Fort Hood reported a cluster of 5 myopericarditis cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the DOD launched an investigation.

Methods:

The investigation consisted of a review of medical records, establishment of case definitions, causality assessment, patient interviews, and active surveillance. A 2-sided exact rate ratio test was used to compare myopericarditis incidence rates.

Results:

This investigation identified 4 cases of probable myopericarditis and 1 case of suspected myopericarditis. No alternative etiology was identified as a cause. No additional cases were identified. There was no statistically significant difference in incidence rates between the observed cluster (5.23 per 1000 vaccinated individuals, 95% CI: 1.7–12.2) and the ACAM2000 clinical trial outcomes for symptomatic persons, which was 2.29 per 1000 vaccinated individuals (95% CI: 0.3–8.3).

Conclusions:

Vaccination with ACAM2000 is the presumptive cause of this cluster. Caution should be exercised before considering vaccination campaigns for smallpox given the clinical morbidity and costs incurred by a case of myopericarditis. Risk of myopericarditis should be carefully weighed with risk of exposure to smallpox.
Conceptual Problems of the Right to Breathe Clean Air
Authors: Jankovic Sava
Published: March 2021

This Article undertakes the conceptual analysis of the right to breathe clean air, concentrating predominantly on the perplexities of this highly important environmental right. In its first part, this Article brings forward a few aspects illustrating general ambiguity and imprecision of the right. As will be shown, it is quite troublesome to firmly indicate which foundations (legal v. moral) or character (individual v. collective) the right to breathe clean air has, as well as to which category (generations of human rights) it belongs to. Similarly, its temporal determination (present-day v. future) is uncertain, and it is easy to confuse or conflate the substantive right with procedural rights. In the second part, this Article identifies and describes more serious and specific difficulties surrounding the right, which negatively influence conceiving the right to breathe clean air as a legal right. In the beginning, the reference is made to its nonautonomous character. Subsequently, this Article explores the issues of the content of the right, outlining problems with the meaning, the indeterminacy of the subjects of the said right, and its absence at the international level. Finally, this Article highlights hurdles concerning the enforceability of the right. This Article concludes that, at present, it is troublesome to conceptualize the right to breathe clean air as hard law, however, the situation may change in the future.
Desecration of Corpses in Relation to § 8(1) no. 9 German Code of Crimes Against International Law (VStGB): The Judgment of the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) of July 27, 2017–3 StR 57/17
Authors: Bergmann Vanessa , Blenk Franziska , Cojger Nathalie
Published: March 2021

As a reaction to the killing and beheading of two soldiers in the Syrian Civil War, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) set a milestone in the interpretation of § 8(1) no. 9 of the German Code of Crimes against International Law (VStGB). The judges confirmed the conviction of a young German citizen with Syrian roots, Aria L., who had been tried and convicted before the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main (Oberlandesgericht (OLG) Frankfurt am Main). Within the certiorari, the BGH reviewed whether the statute conformed with the principle of legality found within the Grundgesetz (GG), Germany’s constitution. The Court held that the corpse of a person killed is protected from desecration under humanitarian law pursuant to § 8(1) no. 9 VStGB, the equivalent to Article 8(2)(b)(xxi) and (3)(ii) of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Reviewing this particular decision, it was determined that under the circumstances of a non-international armed conflict, beheading someone, placing the head on a metal rod, and taking pictures afterward in order to upload them onto social media is gravely humiliating and degrading. The head is incomparably the part of the body that identifies a person. Furthermore, it is irrelevant whether the perpetrator had any physical influence over the person. In addition, war crimes can be committed in a non-international conflict, which should, however, be treated equally as an international conflict. This outcome triggered diverse reactions amongst legal scholars, especially due to the extension of the understanding of a “person” who is to be protected under humanitarian law.
Developments in German Criminal Law: Speed Merchant or Murderer? The Ku’Damm Road Race Case and the New Criminal Legislation Regulating Illegal Motor Racing
Authors: Davaanyam Khulan , Wolff Franziska , Khalaf Ranya
Published: March 2021

The Regional Court of Berlin (Landgericht (LG) Berlin) was the first court in Germany to mete out a life sentence for murder—pursuant to § 211 German Criminal Code (StGB)—to two men convicted of killing an uninvolved driver whose car they hit while they were participating in an illegal car race on a public highway. Upon their convictions, the defendants appealed to the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof; BGH) claiming that they did not intend to kill the person and were thus acting without the necessary mens rea for murder. The question whether or not the case could be qualified as murder, and thus whether or not the existence of a killing with intent had been sufficiently proven by the LG Berlin, was the subject of several appeals and retrials. In its latest decision, the BGH confirmed the murder conviction of one of the defendants, while quashing the other defendant’s conviction and issuing a retrial. This case caused ripples amongst legal scholars as it called for the toughest possible sanctions to be imposed. However, whether the conduct qualifies as murder remains questionable. As a reaction to several similar cases of illegal car races in recent years, the German parliament subsequently passed a new law—§ 315d StGB—proscribing illegal vehicle races, thereby penalizing the participation, organization, or carrying out of an illegal vehicle race. Until that point there had been no provision criminalizing illegal racing.
Mental health integration in primary health services after the earthquake in Nepal: a mixed-methods program evaluation
Authors: Leichner Ashley , Akhtar Aemal , Nic a Bhaird Caoimhe , Wener Rebecca , Perera Shiromi M. , Weissbecker Inka
Published: March 2021

Background

In the aftermath of the devastating 2015 earthquakes in Nepal, three non-governmental organizations collaborated to develop a program responding to the immediate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs in three severely affected districts: Dhading, Gorkha, and Sindhuli. The program was implemented between April 2015 and February 2017 and aimed to (i) strengthen health worker capacity to provide integrated MHPSS services; and (ii) increase access to mental health services. This paper describes the program's implementation and the results of a pragmatic evaluation of the program's overall reach, effectiveness, and lessons learned.

Methods

The mixed-methods evaluation used routine program data, quantitative data from pre- and post-tests conducted with trainees and service users, and qualitative data from stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions.

Results

A total of 1041 health workers received MHPSS training and supervision. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in skills, knowledge, and self-rated perceived competency. Trainees went on to provide MHPSS services to 3422 people. The most commonly identified presenting problems were epilepsy (29%) and depression (26%). A total of 67% of service users reported being ‘completely satisfied’ with the services received and 83% of those experiencing severe functional impairments on enrollment demonstrated improvement after receiving services.

Conclusions

Despite operational challenges, the program successfully engaged both laypeople and health workers to provide MHPSS in the aftermath of the crisis. Lessons learned can inform the planning and implementation of future training and integration programs to provide large-scale MHPSS efforts in humanitarian settings.
Growth response of Great Basin limber pine populations to climate variability over the past 4002 years
Authors: Millar Constance I. , Delany Diane L. , King John C. , Westfall Robert D.
Published: March 2021

Tree-rings representing annual dates from live and deadwood Pinus flexilis at ten sites across the central Great Basin (~38°N) yielded a cumulative record across 4002 years (1983 BC–AD 2019). Individual site chronologies ranged in length from 861–4002 years; all were continuous over their sample depths. Correlations of growth with climate were positive for water relations and mostly negative for summer temperatures. Growth was generally correlated across sites, with the central Nevada stands most distinct. Although growth was low during the Late Holocene Dry Period, variability marked this interval, suggesting that it was not pervasively dry. All sites had low growth during the first half of the Medieval Climate Anomaly, high growth during the mid-interval pluvial, and low growth subsequently. Little synchrony occurred across sites for the early Little Ice Age. After AD 1650, growth was depressed until the early twentieth century. Growth at all sites declined markedly ca. AD 1985, was similar to the lowest growth period of the full records, and indicative of recent severe droughts. A small rebound in growth occurred after ca. AD 2010. A strong signal for Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) occurred in growth response at most sites. The persistence of all stands despite climate variability indicates high resilience of this species.
The Society of Astrologers (c.1647–1684): sermons, feasts and the resuscitation of astrology in seventeenth-century London
Authors: Pfeffer Michelle
Published: March 2021

Before the Royal Society there was the Society of Astrologers (c.1647–1684), a group of around forty practitioners who met in London to enjoy lavish feasts, listen to sermons and exchange instruments and manuscripts. This article, drawing on untapped archival material, offers the first full account of this overlooked group. Convinced that astrology had been misunderstood by the professors who refused to teach it and the preachers who railed against it, the Society of Astrologers sought to democratize and legitimize their art. In contrast to the received view of seventeenth-century London astrologers, which emphasizes their bitter interrelationships, this article draws attention instead to their endeavours to mount a united front in defence of astrology. The article locates the society's attempts to promote astrological literacy within broader contemporary programmes to encourage mathematical education. Unlike other mathematical arts, however, astrology's religious credibility was an area of serious concern. The society therefore commissioned the delivery and publication of apologetic sermons that justified astrology on the basis of its sacred history. In this context, the legitimacy of astrology was more a religious than a scientific question. The society's public relations campaign ultimately failed, however, and its members disbanded in the mid-1680s. Not only were they mounting a rearguard action, but also they built their campaign on out-of-date historical arguments.
Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss in competitive wrestlers
Authors: Bagheri Reza , Negaresh Raoof , Motevalli Mohamad S. , Wong Alexei , Ashtary-Larky Damoon , Kargarfard Mehdi , Rashidlamir Amir
Published: March 2021

We aimed to assess the effects of spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss on serum concentrations of follistatin (FST), myostatin (MST), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and body composition in competitive wrestlers. Forty competitive wrestlers (age: 22 (sem 2) years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: gradual weight loss + spirulina (SP; n 20) or gradual weight loss + placebo (PL; n 20). Subjects in both groups lost weight according to a designed diet over 12 d and were required to reduce baseline body mass (BM) by 4%. Subjects in the SP group received two tablets of spirulina, while subjects in the PL received two tablets of placebo before each meal. Concentrations of mentioned serum markers and body composition were measured before and after the interventions. BM (SP = −3·1 kg and PL = −2·9 kg), body fat percentage (BFP) (SP = −2·1 % and PL = −0·6 %), fat mass (FM) (SP = −2·2 kg and PL = −0·9 kg) and skeletal muscle mass (SP = −1·4 kg and PL = −1·5 kg) significantly decreased in both groups (P < 0·05). The changes in BFP and FM were significantly greater in SP compared with the PL group (P < 0·001). Additionally, MST (SP = −0·1 ng/ml), AST (SP = −2·1 u/l) and ALT (SP = −2·7 u/l) concentrations significantly diminished in SP group (P = 0·005), while FST (PL = −0·1 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (PL = −2·6 ng/ml) concentrations significantly decreased in PL group (P < 0·05). Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss is beneficial in reducing BFP, FM, MST and liver enzymes while maintaining IGF-1 and FST concentrations in competitive wrestlers.
Worth a Thousand Words: The Study of Visual Gendered Self-Presentation on Twitter
Authors: Mattan Andrew J. A. , Small Tamara A.
Published: March 2021

Thepicture superiority effectsuggests that a single photograph can communicate a significant amount of political information to voters. Accordingly, politicians must make strategic choices in their self-presentation, particularly when considering how to respond to gender-based stereotypes. Strategic stereotype theory suggests that politicians will either emphasize or rescind gender-based stereotypes depending on whether they believe them to be advantageous to their political image. While the literature on gendered self-presentation is largely confined to television advertising, there is a growing literature focused on the online environment. In this research note, we develop a methodological framework to assess gender-based stereotypes in a purely visual environment. We test the framework using photographs from the Twitter feeds of the main party leaders in the 2018 Ontario election. The note concludes by reflecting on the methodological challenges of examining gender in visual political content online.
Lymph node yield in treatment naïve cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: en bloc lymphadenectomy versus level-by-level dissection
Authors: Devaraja K , Pujary K , Ramaswamy B , Nayak D R , Kumar N , Nayak D
Published: March 2021

Background

Lymph node yield is an important prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Variability in neck dissection sampling techniques has not been studied as a determinant of lymph node yield.

Methods

This retrospective study used lymph node yield and average nodes per level to compare level-by-level and en bloc neck dissection sampling methods, in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cases operated between March 2017 and February 2020.

Results

From 123 patients, 182 neck dissections were analysed, of which 133 were selective and the rest were comprehensive: 55 had level-by-level sampling and 127 had undergone en bloc dissection. The level-by-level method yielded more nodes in all neck dissections combined (20vs17;p= 0.097), but the difference was significant only for the subcohort of selective neck dissection (18.5vs15;p= 0.011). However, the gain in average nodes per level achieved by level-by-level sampling was significant in both groups (4.2vs3.33 and 4.4vs3, respectively; bothp< 0.001).

Conclusion

Sampling of cervical lymph nodes level-by-level yields more nodes than the en bloc technique. Further studies could verify whether neck dissection sampling technique has any impact on survival rates.
Effects of magnetic perturbations and radiation on the runaway avalanche
Authors: Svensson P. , Embreus O. , Newton S. L. , Särkimäki K. , Vallhagen O. , Fülöp T.
Published: March 2021

The electron runaway phenomenon in plasmas depends sensitively on the momentum- space dynamics. However, efficient simulation of the global evolution of systems involving runaway electrons typically requires a reduced fluid description. This is needed, for example, in the design of essential runaway mitigation methods for tokamaks. In this paper, we present a method to include the effect of momentum-dependent spatial transport in the runaway avalanche growth rate. We quantify the reduction of the growth rate in the presence of electron diffusion in stochastic magnetic fields and show that the spatial transport can raise the effective critical electric field. Using a perturbative approach, we derive a set of equations that allows treatment of the effect of spatial transport on runaway dynamics in the presence of radial variation in plasma parameters. This is then used to demonstrate the effect of spatial transport in current quench simulations for ITER-like plasmas with massive material injection. We find that in scenarios with sufficiently slow current quench, owing to moderate impurity and deuterium injection, the presence of magnetic perturbations reduces the final runaway current considerably. Perturbations localised at the edge are not effective in suppressing the runaways, unless the runaway generation is off-axis, in which case they may lead to formation of strong current sheets at the interface of the confined and perturbed regions.
Vulnerable sloth bears are attracted to human food waste: a novel situation in Mount Abu town, India
Authors: Prajapati Utkarsh , Koli Vijay Kumar , Sundar K. S. Gopi
Published: March 2021

Human–carnivore interactions are on the rise globally, and often take the form of damage to property and livelihoods, human injuries or fatalities, and retaliatory killing of carnivores. Potential conflict situations are rarely recognized early, and circumstances are often complicated by mismatches between people's perceptions and reality. Following media reports of sloth bear Melursus ursinus attacks on people, we evaluated the situation in a tourism-dominated town in southern Rajasthan, India. Using a spatially explicit survey design, we interviewed 241 residents of Mount Abu to record recent bear sightings and attacks, prevailing attitudes towards bears, and respondents’ understanding of bear ecology. We obtained independent secondary information on tourism levels and bear attacks to verify information received during interviews. We used recursive partitioning to identify factors that explained residents’ attitudes towards sloth bears, and multi-model inference to identify land cover and other features that influenced bear presence. Respondents perceived increasing bear presence and attacks, and secondary data supported these perceptions. Respondents’ insights regarding bear ecology, particularly bears being attracted by rubbish bins, were supported by multi-model inferences. Mount Abu's residents, especially women and younger men, had negative attitudes towards bears, independent of their education level or occupation. Our findings suggest a novel situation in Mount Abu, with sloth bears habitually accessing rubbish bins, which leads to increased bear–human interactions and negative attitudes among residents. We recommend immediate action focusing on waste management, which could help prevent an escalation of the situation and reduce attacks by bears that could otherwise lead to retaliatory killings.
Bats, viruses, and human beings: a chiropteraphilic theodicy
Authors: Copeland Rebecca L.
Published: March 2021

This project offers an expansive theological understanding of the relationship between suffering and the divine while providing grounds for constructive human responses to suffering. To do this, I use an ecomimetic investigation of bats – selected because of their relationship to the COVID-19 pandemic – to explore the complexity of creaturely suffering in an interdependent world. Next, I offer an explanation of vulnerable suffering that is grounded in God's faithfulness to all of the creation that God called good. Rather than using this explanation to excuse human indifference to suffering, I argue that embracing one's creaturely finitude authorises constructive responses to suffering.
T. F. Torrance on theosis and universal salvation
Authors: Crisp Oliver D.
Published: March 2021

T. F. Torrance is widely thought to be one of the most important recent theologians in the Anglophone world. There has been quite a lot of research done on his soteriology. This essay contributes to that discussion by assessing five soteriological themes in his thought. These comprise: his account of the vicarious humanity of Christ, the notion of incarnation as atonement, his christological understanding of the divine image, his wholly objective view of the nature of justification and his atonement mechanism. I use this analysis as a means to investigate two broader notions in his theology. These are theosis and universal salvation. In keeping with several other recent treatments of his work I conclude his theology implies a doctrine of theosis. I also argue that it implies universalism, despite his emphatic rejection of the doctrine.
RevisitingDe Christiana Expeditioneas an Artefact of Globalisation
Authors: Lewis Nicholas J.
Published: March 2021

For Europeans, Matteo Ricci's mission memoirs proved to be the most comprehensive and accessible book about China. Ricci's account of the early Jesuit mission was immensely popular, receiving translations into most European languages. Until the twentieth century, however, anyone who read Ricci's narrative was not reading what Ricci himself had written. Rather, they were reading a curated translation produced by one of his successors, Nicolas Trigault. The resulting work,De Christiana Expeditione apud Sinas, was an edited translation, substantially the same but often different than Ricci's original manuscript.

This article reexamines Trigault's translation, on its own terms, as an artefact of globalisation. Not only does the adaptation reveal information about the Jesuit missions that Ricci's manuscript did not, but it also had a significant impact on European Catholics, as its dissemination inspired would-be missionaries to seek their vocations in China.
Investment and motivation in language learning: What's the difference?
Authors: Darvin Ron , Norton Bonny
Published: March 2021

The year 2020 marked the 25th year since Bonny Norton published her influential TESOL Quarterly article, ‘Social identity, investment, and language learning’ (Norton Peirce, 1995) and the fifth year since we, Darvin and Norton (2015), co-authored ‘Identity and a model of investment in applied linguistics’ in the Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. From the time Norton's 1995 piece was published, investment and motivation have been conceptually imbricated and often collocated, as they hold up two different lenses to investigate the same reality: why learners choose to learn an additional language (L2). In our 2015 article, we made the case that while it is important to ask the question, ‘Are students motivated to learn a language?’ it is equally productive to ask, ‘Are students invested in the language practices of the classroom or community?’ (Darvin & Norton, 2015, p. 37). We recognize that the relationship between language teachers and learners is unequal, and that teachers hold the power to shape these practices in diverse ways. Teachers bring to the classroom not only their personal histories and knowledge, but also their own worldviews and assumptions (Darvin, 2015), which may or may not align with those of learners. Relations of power between learners can also be unequal. As Norton and Toohey (2011, p. 421) note:

A language learner may be highly motivated, but may nevertheless have little investment in the language practices of a given classroom or community, which may, for example, be racist, sexist, elitist, anti-immigrant, or homophobic. Alternatively, the language learner's conception of good language teaching may not be consistent with that of the teacher, compromising the learner's investment in the language practices of the classroom. Thus, the language learner, despite being highly motivated, may not be invested in the language practices of a given classroom.
Design and Implementation of the Voice Command Recognition and the Sound Source Localization System for Human–Robot Interaction
Authors: Korayem M. H. , Azargoshasb S. , Korayem A. H. , Tabibian Sh.
Published: March 2021

Human–robot interaction (HRI) is becoming more important nowadays. In this paper, a low-cost communication system for HRI is designed and implemented on the Scout robot and a robotic face. A hidden Markov model-based voice command detection system is proposed and a non-native database has been collected by Persian speakers, which contains 10 desired English commands. The experimental results confirm that the proposed system is capable to recognize the voice commands, and properly performs the task or expresses the right answer. Comparing the system with a trained system on the Julius native database shows a better true detection (about 10%).
Brazilian political scientists and the Cold War: Soviet hearts, North-American minds (1966–1988)
Authors: Rodrigues Lidiane Soares
Published: March 2021

Argument

The process of institutionalization of Political Science in Brazil was conditioned by the country’s position in the geopolitical scenario proper to the Cold War, strongly affected by the influence of the USA and, later on, by the military dictatorship experienced between 1964 and 1985. The first Brazilian professionalized political scientists were, during their youth, anti-Stalinist revolutionary militants. They had been financed by the Ford Foundation (FF) to pursue their PhDs in the USA. In this paper, I argue that the north-American model of ideological war included governmental and non-governmental institutions. Among the latter, the FF played a crucial role because it had a lot of credibility in state bureaucracy and was able to captivate the potential copartners, who would benefit from its grant, even the anti-American ones. The FF was able to do so because it was keeping a distance from the bellicose image of the USA. In this way, because Brazilian youngsters were leftist, the FF was interested in financing their studies. And, because they belonged to the anti-Stalinist left, they were more open than the communists and wouldn’t oppose to exchange with the USA.
PRIMING DATIVE CLITICS IN SPOKEN SPANISH AS A SECOND AND HERITAGE LANGUAGE
Authors: Hurtado Irati , Montrul Silvina
Published: March 2021

Spanish monolingual speakers often produce recipient (Pedro le da un lápiz a María) and nonrecipient constructions (Antonio le lava la camiseta a Carmen) doubled by a dative clitic. Second language speakers and heritage speakers usually avoid clitics. This study examined whether structural priming could effectively increase the production of clitics in monolingual speakers (N = 23), L2 speakers (N = 28), and heritage speakers (N = 24). Participants completed a baseline study that measured the use of clitics in a picture description task, followed by a priming treatment, an immediate posttest, and a posttest a week later. Results showed that priming increased clitic production for all groups, and that the increase was still significant a week later in L2 speakers and heritage speakers. These findings support the view that structural priming may implicate implicit language learning and considers its pedagogical implications.
Risk factors for rabid animal bites: a study in domestic ruminants in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh
Authors: Noman Z. , Anika T. T. , Haque Z. F. , Rahman A. K. M. A. , Ward M. P. , Martínez-López B.
Published: March 2021

Rabies is endemic in Bangladesh. To identify risk factors, a case-control study was conducted based on hospital-reported rabid animal bite (RAB) cases in domestic ruminants, 2009 − 2018. RAB cases (n = 449) and three controls per case were selected. Dogs (87.8%) and jackals (12.2%) were most often identified as biting animals. In the final multivariable model, the risk of being a RAB case was significantly higher in cattle aged >0.5–2 years (odds ratio (OR) 2.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.56–5.37), >2–5 years (OR 3.63; 95% CI: 1.97–6.67) and >5 years (OR 6.42; 95% CI: 3.39–12.17) compared to those aged <0.5 years. Crossbred cattle were at higher risk of being a RAB case (OR 5.48; 95% CI: 3.56–8.42) than indigenous. Similarly, female cattle were more likely to be a RAB case (OR 1.26; 95% CI: 1.15–2.29) than males. Cattle in rural areas (OR 39.48; 95% CI: 6.14–254.00) were at a much higher risk of being RAB cases than those in urban areas. Female, crossbred and older cattle, especially in rural areas should either be managed indoors during the dog breeding season (September and October) or vaccinated. A national rabies elimination program should prioritise rural dogs for mass vaccination. Jackals should also be immunised using oral bait vaccines. Prevention of rabies in rural dogs and jackals would also reduce rabies incidence in humans.
Seeing the forest and the trees: Disentangling autism phenotypes in the age of DSM-5
Authors: Volkmar Fred R. , Woodbury-Smith Marc , Macari Suzanne L. , Øien Roald A.
Published: March 2021

This paper, written in honor of Professor Ed Zigler, focuses on some of the themes in developmental disabilities research that were so central to his work. It has now been nearly 80 years since Leo Kanner first identified the prototypic form – early infantile autism – of what is now autism spectrum disorder. In this article we summarize the development of the concept and the important accumulation of knowledge over time that has now led us to the recognition of a broader autism phenotype just as, at the same time, the current official diagnostic system in the USA has narrowed the concept. We also address current controversies regarding autism as the diagnosis is impacted by age and developmental factors, gender, and cultural issues. In parallel to the work on intellectual deficiency and development pioneered by Zigler and his colleagues, we summarize some of the challenges for the years ahead.
Long-acting injectable antipsychotics: what, when, and how
Authors: Citrome Leslie
Published: March 2021

Current guidelines for the treatment of patients with schizophrenia advocate that patients receive treatment with a long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic medication if they prefer such treatment or if they have a history of poor or uncertain adherence. Available LAI formulations in the United States include first-generation antipsychotics (fluphenazine decanoate and haloperidol decanoate), risperidone/paliperidone containing products (risperidone microspheres, paliperidone palmitate, and risperidone subcutaneous), aripiprazole containing products (aripiprazole monohydrate and aripiprazole lauroxil), and olanzapine pamoate. LAI antipsychotics can address the guesswork about adherence status and patients may prefer them if they are offered this as a choice, including individuals early in their disease course. Additional approved indications in the United States for LAI antipsychotics include bipolar I disorder maintenance treatment for risperidone microspheres and aripiprazole monohydrate, and schizoaffective disorder for paliperidone palmitate once monthly. Differences and similarities among the different products are discussed, including guidance regarding optimal treatment selection. Tips are provided to enhance effective patient communication to maximize the likelihood of acceptance of this treatment modality.