bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stable Long Cycling of Small Molecular Organic Acid Electrode Materials Enabled by Nonflammable Eutectic Electrolyte
Authors: Liang Yihong , Wu Wanbao , Cao Jinwei , Guo Ruitian , Cao Miaomiao , Zhang Jichuan , Wang Mi , Yu Wen , Zhang Jiaheng
Published: December 2021

Small molecule organic acids as electrode materials possess the advantages of high theoretical capacity, low cost, and good processability. However, these electrode materials suffer from poor cycling stability due to the inevitable dissolution of organic molecules in the electrolytes. Here, a eutectic mixture of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N‐methylamine is employed as a eutectic electrolyte in Li‐ion batteries with small molecule organic acids as electrodes. To enhance the cycling stability of the electrolyte, fluoroethylene carbonate is used as an additive. The electrolyte exhibits nonflammability, high ionic conductivity, and good electrochemical stability. Molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory are performed to further investigate the solvation chemistry of the eutectic electrolyte. The well‐designed eutectic electrolyte inhibits the dissolution of terephthalic acid effectively and displays superior performance with a capacity retention of ≈84% after 2000 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g−1. It also enables stable cycling of more than 900 cycles at a high current density of 2 A g−1 at 60 °C. This study provides a strategy to enhance the cycling stability and safety of Li‐ion batteries with organic electrode materials.
Co‐Hydrothermal Carbonization of Cotton Stalks and MnO2 for Direct Solar Steam Generation with High Efficiency
Authors: Wang Shuai , Deng Hui , Chang Hanyu , Li Yangyang , Hui Huanhuan , Dong Zhenfei , Pu Peng
Published: December 2021

Biomass‐based photothermal materials for solar steam power generation have been a recent research hotspot. However, despite the many research advances that have been made, many challenges remain. For example, high temperature carbonization leads to the loss of hydrophilicity, the surface coating is easy to peel off, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) does not guarantee the photothermal performance, and hydrothermal carbonization fluid (HTC‐F) is difficult to handle. Herein, a new material (H‐CS/MnO2) is prepared by co‐hydrothermal carbonization of cotton stalks (CS) and MnO2, and a stable and effective evaporation system is designed. While both ensure super hydrophilicity, the stable loading of MnO2 leads to an excellent photothermal performance. Experimental results show that H‐CS/MnO2 reaches 93.46% evaporation efficiency and the evaporation rate can reach 2.43 kg m−2 h−1 under 1 sun. Moreover, by means of recycling, not only the treatment of HTC solution is solved, but also the carbon dots are continuously enriched and exhibit certain photothermal effects during the recycling process. In addition, H‐CS/MnO2 exhibited excellent salt resistance and corrosion resistance. The obtained condensate heavy ion concentration removal rate reached more than 99.9%. Therefore, the H‐CS/MnO2 fabricated herein has the possibility of practical application in the future.
Online self‐ and peer‐assessment for teacher professional development: A case study of the process and the perceived impact
Authors: Singh Shambhavi , Mahapatra Santosh
Published: December 2021

This case study explored the process of English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ participation in online self‐ and peer assessment (OSA and OPA) during an online teacher professional development (TPD) program focusing on task design and their perception of the subsequent impact on their understanding of tasks. Five in‐service ESL teachers working in government‐run schools in India participated in the study. Data were collected through a checklist, a rating scale, semistructured interview, videorecording of all OPA sessions, and field notes. The results substantiate the collaborative view of reflection proposed by Mann and Walsh (2013) even though teachers’ self‐ and peer assessment activities happened online. In OSA, first, the participants prepared through self‐reflection and planning, then self‐evaluated, and finally made corrections. Similarly, in OPA, the participants engaged in dialogue and evaluation before consolidating with peers. The results also indicate that the participants held a positive opinion about the impact of OSA and OPA on their understanding of tasks. Though it was a small‐scale study, the findings may have implications for teacher development. OSA and OPA could be used as formative assessment tools in teacher professional development programs, and future researchers may be interested in finding their impact on teachers’ knowledge and practice.
How Two Emergent Bilingual Students from Refugee Families Make Inferences with More and Less Culturally Relevant Texts during Read‐Alouds
Authors: Cho Hyonsuk , Christ Tanya
Published: December 2021

This study explored how two emergent bilinguals (EBs) from refugee families made inferences with more and less culturally relevant texts. The study took place in a third‐grade pull‐out small group class in a Midwestern U.S. city. Data included video‐recordings and transcripts of all 12 read‐aloud discussion lessons of four books, interviews with the teacher and students, and children’s and teacher’s cultural relevance ratings for each book. The Construction‐Integration Model guided our coding, for which we identified focal students’ (a) inferences, (b) use of text information in the inference process, (c) use of background knowledge in the inference process, and (d) inference coherence or incoherence. Using constant comparative analysis, we found three themes. (1) While students generally made more coherent inferences when the text was more culturally relevant, how they used text information and their background knowledge intersected with particular dimensions of cultural relevance ratings, such as experiences. (2) Students still tried to use text information and background knowledge to construct situation models when the book was less culturally relevant, but it was sometimes more difficult to construct a coherent situation model with these books due to the mismatch between the text information and the students’ background knowledge. (3) Sometimes students constructed situation models that did not align with their teacher’s situation model, likely due to the culturally situated nature of background knowledge. Implications include that teachers should get to know students’ nuanced backgrounds, then choose texts that are culturally relevant (especially for experiences) to support EB’s inference construction‐integration process.
Creating Multilingual Classroom Worlds Through Children’s Literature
Authors: Ghiso María Paula , Animashaun Oluwaseun
Published: December 2021

In this column, we offer pedagogical starting points for using children's literature to co‐create classrooms oriented toward multilingual repertoires and the histories, relationships, and global flows that characterize them.
Comparison of random forest and multiple linear regression to model the mass balance of biosolids from a complex biosolids management area
Authors: Pluth Thaís Bremm , Brose Dominic A.
Published: December 2021

The use of biosolids as a soil amendment provides an important alternative to disposal and can improve soil health; however, distribution for water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) in the United States can be challenging due to decreasing cropland, increased precipitation, variable plant operations, and financial constraints. Although statistical modeling is commonly used in the water sector, machine learning is still an emerging tool and can provide insights to optimize operations. Random forest (RF), a machine learning model, and multiple linear regression (MLR) were used in this study to model the mass balance of biosolids from a complex biosolids management area. The RF model outperformed (R2 = 0.89) the MLR model (R2 = 0.49) and showed that rainfall was a major factor impacting distribution. Storage for dried biosolids would help decouple drying operations from wet weather and increase distribution. This study demonstrated how machine learning can assist in decision‐making processes for long‐term planning at WRRFs.

Practitioner Points

Random forest predicted the 7‐day average mass balance of biosolids from a complex biosolids management area.

Decoupling biosolids drying operations from wet weather was identified as the highest operational priority.

Machine learning outperformed multiple linear regression and can be an important tool for the water sector.
Riechstörungen evidenzbasiert diagnostizieren und behandeln. Der unterschätzte Sinn – neue Erkenntnisse belegen die Bedeutung und Leistungsfähigkeit des menschlichen Geruchssinns.
Authors: Müller Christian A. , Renner Bertold
Published: December 2021

Zunehmende Evidenz belegt, dass der menschliche Geruchssinn eine große Bedeutung für die Gesundheit und Lebensqualität einnimmt sowie eine besondere Leistungsfähigkeit aufweist. Durch die häufig auftretende Riechstörung im Rahmen der Infektion mit SARS-CoV‑2 rückt das klinische Interesse in der Behandlung von Patienten mit Verlust des Geruchs- und Geschmackssinnes in den Vordergrund. Der vorliegende Artikel beleuchtet wichtige Aspekte in der Diagnose und Therapie der chemischen Sinne.
Vegetation and hydrology stratification as proxies to estimate methane emission from tidal marshes
Authors: Derby R. Kyle , Needelman Brian A. , Roden Ana A. , Megonigal J. Patrick
Published: December 2021

Direct measurement of methane emissions is cost-prohibitive for greenhouse gas offset projects, necessitating the development of alternative accounting methods such as proxies. Salinity is a useful proxy for tidal marsh CH4 emissions when comparing across a wide range of salinity regimes but does not adequately explain variation in brackish and freshwater regimes, where variation in emissions is large. We sought to improve upon the salinity proxy in a marsh complex on Deal Island Peninsula, Maryland, USA by comparing emissions from four strata differing in hydrology and plant community composition. Mean CH4 chamber-collected emissions measured as mg CH4 m−2 h−1 ranked as S. alterniflora (1.2 ± 0.3) ≫ High-elevation J. roemerianus (0.4 ± 0.06) > Low-elevation J. roemerianus (0.3 ± 0.07) = S. patens (0.1 ± 0.01). Sulfate depletion generally reflected the same pattern with significantly greater depletion in the S. alterniflora stratum (61 ± 4%) than in the S. patens stratum (1 ± 9%) with the J. roemerianus strata falling in between. We attribute the high CH4 emissions in the S. alterniflora stratum to sulfate depletion likely driven by limited connectivity to tidal waters. Low CH4 emissions in the S. patens stratum are attributed to lower water levels, higher levels of ferric iron, and shallow rooting depth. Moderate CH4 emissions from the J. roemerianus strata were likely due to plant traits that favor CH4 oxidation over CH4 production. Hydrology and plant community composition have significant potential as proxies to estimate CH4 emissions at the site scale.
What do cellular responses to acidity tell us about cancer?
Authors: Blaszczak Wiktoria , Swietach Pawel
Published: December 2021

The notion that invasive cancer is a product of somatic evolution is a well-established theory that can be modelled mathematically and demonstrated empirically from therapeutic responses. Somatic evolution is by no means deterministic, and ample opportunities exist to steer its trajectory towards cancer cell extinction. One such strategy is to alter the chemical microenvironment shared between host and cancer cells in a way that no longer favours the latter. Ever since the first description of the Warburg effect, acidosis has been recognised as a key chemical signature of the tumour microenvironment. Recent findings have suggested that responses to acidosis, arising through a process of selection and adaptation, give cancer cells a competitive advantage over the host. A surge of research efforts has attempted to understand the basis of this advantage and seek ways of exploiting it therapeutically. Here, we review key findings and place these in the context of a mathematical framework. Looking ahead, we highlight areas relating to cellular adaptation, selection, and heterogeneity that merit more research efforts in order to close in on the goal of exploiting tumour acidity in future therapies.
The Impact of the Magnitude of the Group of Bullies on Health-Related Quality of Life and Academic Performance Among Adolescents
Authors: Martín-Pérez Ángela de Lourdes , Gascón-Cánovas Juan José
Published: December 2021

This study examines the consequences that physical and verbal/social victimization by peers and the magnitude of the groups of bullies have on academic performance and the psychological and social domains of Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL). 1428 secondary school students in the south-east Spain completed the Spanish version of the “Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument-Bullying” and “KIDSCREEN-52” questionnaires in order to analyse, respectively, peer victimization and the psychological and social domains of HRQoL. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and academic achievement was also collected. Findings emphasise the potential of peer victimization in all its forms as risk factors explaining poor HRQoL in psychological, social and emotional domains. The number of bullies was an imponent and significant risk factor that explains a worse HRQoL in the five socio-psychological dimensions studied (Odds Ratio 4.08, Odds Ratio 9.25, Odds Ratio 4.69, Odds Ratio 2.91, Odds Ratio 11.92). Nevertheless, peer victimization rarely seems to affect academic achievement. Results suggest that much of prevention and intervention are still needed to reduce peer victimization, focusing on large bullies’ groups and their harmful impact on adolescent’s HRQoL.
Impact of Opera on Mental Health Stigma: Pilot of Provider/Community Workshop
Authors: Skrine Jeffers Kia , Mango Joseph D. , Tang Lingqi , Saks Elyn R. , Wells Kenneth B. , Chung Bowen
Published: December 2021

Background

Arts can influence mental health stigma, but little is known about impact of operas. We examined effects of a two-opera workshop on complicated grief and schizophrenia.

Methods

Pre-post audience surveys with post-workshop discussion. The primary outcome was a 4-item measure of willingness to engage with persons with grief or schizophrenia. Secondary outcomes were perceptions of art affecting stigma and stigma mediators. Of 47 participants, 33 had pre-post surveys for both operas.

Results

There was a significant pre-post opera increase in audience willingness to engage with persons with grief or schizophrenia (p < .001). Perceptions of impact on mediators such as empathy, were significantly greater for the opera on schizophrenia relative to grief (p < .001)..

Conclusion

The pre- to post increase in audience willingness to engage with affected persons (primary) with greater impact on secondary mediators for the schizophrenia opera and post-discussion suggest that operas may be a forum for addressing mental health stigma and promoting empathy.
On the Foundation of Space and Time by Quantum-Events
Authors: Schlatter Andreas
Published: December 2021

The true nature of space and time has been a topic of natural philosophy, passed down since the presocratic era. In modern times reflection has particularly been inspired by the physical theories of Newton and Einstein and, more recently, by the quest for a theory of quantum gravity. In this paper we want to specify the idea that material systems and their spatio-temporal distances emerge from quantum-events. We will show a mechanism, by which quantum-events induce a metric field between material systems, which is governed by Einstein's equation including a cosmological constant.
Project-based learning oriented STEAM: the case of micro–bit paper-cutting lamp
Authors: Lu Shih-Yun , Lo Chih-Cheng , Syu Jia-Yu
Published: December 2021

The main purpose of the living technology curriculum is to cultivate students' interest in learning science and technology, and further to utilize their experience of learning instructions and develop their ability to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. In recent years, as countries have begun to emphasize the concept of interdisciplinary integration in the school education, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEM) focuses on cultivating interdisciplinary talents. With this, STEAM highlights the role of ART because other dimensions of STEM are expected to be effectively integrated through the cultivation of aesthetics; the purpose of this study is to design a STEAM curriculum for elementary school children and to explore the impact of STEAM education on the creativity. The content of this course is based on the PBL (Project-Based Learning) with the teaching activities combining with “Chinese Paper-cutting” and “BBC micro: bit”. The teaching process is used the strategy of creative thinking instruction. The research method adopts a one-group pretest–posttest design based on a purposive sampling of 21 students from one class in an elementary school. The research tools included the records of learning feedback and the creativity assessment. The empirical findings show that the project-based learning incorporating STEAM activity has a positive significant influence on students’ development of creative recognition. Since the empirical results are constricted by the short-term STEAM course, the STEAM course with the art-oriented still benefits the STEAM education and Learning effectiveness of elementary school students. The implication of interdisciplinary interactive Lamp of Paper Carving with Micro:Bit is expected to contribute to further development of STEAM course. Since the curriculum is only last for few weeks, it is too short to affect the emotional facet of creativity. Future researches are suggested to extend the teaching period and evaluate the long-term influence of PBL STEAM on students' learning attitude.
The Two Scaling Regimes of the Thermodynamic Uncertainty Relation for the KPZ-Equation
Authors: Niggemann Oliver , Seifert Udo
Published: December 2021

We investigate the thermodynamic uncertainty relation for the $$(1+1)$$

(
1
+
1
)

dimensional Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) equation on a finite spatial interval. In particular, we extend the results for small coupling strengths obtained previously to large values of the coupling parameter. It will be shown that, due to the scaling behavior of the KPZ equation, the thermodynamic uncertainty relation (TUR) product displays two distinct regimes which are separated by a critical value of an effective coupling parameter. The asymptotic behavior below and above the critical threshold is explored analytically. For small coupling, we determine this product perturbatively including the fourth order; for strong coupling we employ a dynamical renormalization group approach. Whereas the TUR product approaches a value of 5 in the weak coupling limit, it asymptotically displays a linear increase with the coupling parameter for strong couplings. The analytical results are then compared to direct numerical simulations of the KPZ equation showing convincing agreement.
A preliminary animal study of thermal rheology fluid as a new temperature-dependent liquid intravascular embolic material
Authors: Imai Yugo , Watanabe Shobu , Nitta Norihisa , Ota Shinichi , Yao Shigeru , Watanabe Yoshiyuki
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Thermal rheology (TR) fluid, which comprises polyethylene (PE) particles, their dispersant, and solvent, is a material that increases in viscosity to various degrees depending on the type and ratio of these constituents when its temperature rises. The viscosity of type 1 (TRF-1) increases more than that of type 2 (TRF-2) near rabbit body temperature. This preliminary animal study aimed to determine the basic characteristics and embolic effect of TR fluid by comparing TRF-1 and TRF-2.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four Japanese white rabbits underwent unilateral renal artery embolization using TRF-1 or TRF-2 and follow-up angiography at 7 or 28 days (4 subgroups, n = 6 each). Subsequently, the rabbits were euthanized, and the embolized kidneys were removed for pathological examination. The primary and final embolization rates were defined as the ratio of renal artery area not visible immediately after embolization and follow-up angiography, respectively, to visualized renal artery area before embolization. The final embolization rate and maximum vessel diameter filled with PE particles were compared between materials. Moreover, the embolic effect was determined to be persistent when a two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for the difference in means between the embolization rates was < 5%.

Results

The final embolization rate was significantly higher for the TRF-1 than for the TRF-2 at both 7 (mean 80.7% [SD 18.7] vs. 28.4% [19.9], p = 0.001) and 28 days (94.0% [3.5] vs. 37.8% [15.5], p < 0.001). The maximum occluded vessel diameter was significantly larger for TRF-1 than for TRF-2 (870 µm [417] vs. 270 µm [163], p < 0.001). The embolic effect of TRF-1 was persistent until 28 days (difference between rates − 3.3 [95% CI − 10.0–3.4]).

Conclusion

The embolic effect of TRF-1 was more persistent than that of TRF-2, and the persistency depended on the type and ratio of TR fluid constituents.
Fresh mechanical and durability properties of alkali-activated fly ash-slag concrete: a review
Authors: Abhishek H. S. , Prashant Shreelaxmi , Kamath Muralidhar V. , Kumar Mithesh
Published: December 2021

This paper describes a review of the state-of-the-art research carried on the fresh and hardened properties of Alkali Activated Binders and Concretes. Though, many research have been carried out in the recent times on alkali activated binders, few key parameters still remain unattended, that restricts the commercial application of AAMs to the general construction activities. Fresh properties, mechanical strength and durability performance of Alkali activated concrete with various Alumino silicates as base materials is mentioned. An essential parameter of Alkali activated concrete is the concentration of alkaline solution on which various properties like mechanical strength, setting time and durability depends. Influence of wide range of concentrations from 6 to 16 M on these properties are studied and reported in this paper. This paper mainly concentrates on properties of readily available base materials such as Fly ash and Slag and the means to improve their performance through the use of various industrial and agro-based byproducts as additives. Problems pertaining to practical applicability of AAMs to general construction activities are also highlighted.
Enhancing septoria leaf blotch forecasts in winter wheat II: model architecture and validation results
Authors: Beyer Marco , Marozsak Benedek , Dam Doriane , Parisot Olivier , Pallez-Barthel Marine , Hoffmann Lucien
Published: December 2021

In precision agriculture, pesticides and other inputs shall be used precisely when (and where) they are needed. European Directive 2009/128/EC calls for respecting the principles of integrated pest management (IPM) in the member states. To clarify the question, when, for instance, fungicide use is needed, the well-established economic principle of IPM may be used. This principle says that pests shall be controlled when the costs of control correspond with the damage the pests will cause. Disease levels corresponding with the costs of control are referred to as control thresholds in IPM. Several models have been developed in plant pathology to predict when epidemics will occur, but hardly any of these models predicts a control threshold directly limiting their usefulness for answering the question when pest control is needed according to the principles of IPM. Previously, we quantified the temporal distance between critical rainfall periods and the breaking of the control threshold of Zymoseptoria tritici on winter wheat as being affected by temperature, based on data from 52 field experiments carried out in Luxembourg from 2005 to 2016. This knowledge was used to construct the ShIFT (SeptorIa ForecasT, https://shift.list.lu/) model, which has been validated using external data recorded between 2017 and 2019. Within the efficacy period of a systemic fungicide, the model allowed correct predictions in 84.6% of the cases, while 15.4% of the cases were predicted falsely. The average deviation between the observed and predicted dates of epidemic outbreaks was 0.62 ± 2.4 days with a maximum deviation of 19 days. The observed and predicted dates were closely correlated (r = 0.92, P < 0.0001). Apart from outliers, the forecast model tested here was reliable within the period of efficacy of current commercial fungicides.
Plants and Subsistence during the Fluted-Point Period of the Northeast
Authors: Kitchel Nathaniel R. , Mackie Madeline E.
Published: December 2021

The role of plant foods during the fluted-point period (FPP) of North America is contested. Central to this debate is whether the scarcity of FPP macrobotanical materials stems from poor preservation of archaeological features and the macrobotanical remains they might contain or from the limited use of plants during the FPP. Employing summed probability distributions of radiocarbon date frequencies in northeastern North America, we find that FPP hearths are as common as expected, given the small number of well-dated FPP sites in the region. A second comparison shows that northeastern FPP hearths contain macrobotanical remains at a higher frequency than hearths from a region with better preservation and where small seeds formed a part of the diet. The macrobotanical materials so far recovered from FPP hearths in the Northeast show that plant foods contributed to diets during the FPP but that the plant diet breadth was relatively narrow, consistent with a specialized caribou hunting lifeway.
Multilayered Oversight: Electoral Administration in Indonesia
Authors: Butt Simon , Siregar Fritz
Published: December 2021

Electoral administration in Indonesia is complex. The Electoral Commission (Komisi Pemilihan Umum) is responsible for planning and running five-yearly elections for one national and two regional legislatures, and one additional national regional representative body, as well as direct presidential, gubernatorial, mayoral and regent elections. Because candidates and parties often have significant financial stakes in their outcome, these elections are hotly contested and the results quite commonly disputed, including in Indonesia's Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi). Electoral contestants often point to mistakes in administration and vote counting, which appear to be natural consequences of the great logistical challenges these elections present. For example, on 17 April, 2019, well over 150 million citizens attended one of over 800,000 polling stations to vote for candidates to fill 19,817 legislative seats in national and subnational parliaments. Many of these elections are said to be marred by attempts by candidates and their parties to gain illegal advantage, whether through misuse of incumbency or vote buying. There is also said to be much potential for corruption amongst electoral administrators themselves in registering candidates, verifying parties, procuring equipment for polling stations, and counting and tallying votes on election day. Given the potential of mistakes and illegality to jeopardise the legitimacy of election results, lawmakers in Indonesia have created multi-layered oversight mechanisms to oversee the planning and running of the elections by the Electoral Commission, as well as to oversee the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu, Badan Pengawas Pemilihan Umum) itself, which is charged with supervising that Commission. This article examines the work and performance of these institutions, and the Electoral Administration Honour Council (DKPP, or Dewan Kehormatan Penyelenggara Pemilu), which hears allegations of breaches by the Commission and the Board.
Kant and Stoic Affections
Authors: Merritt Melissa
Published: December 2021

I examine the significance of the Stoic theory ofpathē(and related topics) for Kant’s moral psychology, arguing against the received view that systematic differences block the possibility of Kant’s drawing anything more than rhetoric from his Stoic sources. More particularly, I take on the chronically underexamined assumption that Kant is committed to a psychological dualism in the tradition of Plato and Aristotle, positing distinct rational and nonrational elements of human mentality. By contrast, Stoics take the mentality of an adult human being to be rational through and through, while recognising that this rationality is not normally in a state of health or excellence. I show how Kant’s account of affections—chiefly the “affects” and “passions” that he identifies as targets of a duty of apathy—draws substantive lessons from his Stoic sources, and how he accepts on his own terms the monistic principles of Stoic moral psychology.
Dimensional research on organization structure: meta-analysis and conceptual redirection
Authors: Wagner John A.
Published: December 2021

A previous meta-analysis of dimensional structure research published during the latter half of the 20th century revealed significant intercorrelation among structural dimensions inspired by Max Weber's bureaucratic ideal type, providing support for continued research on dimensional structures and for the bureaucratic structural model that served as its theoretical foundation. A new meta-analysis reported in this article, motivated by questions regarding the continued applicability of bureaucratic dimensional models in the later era of new organization forms, indicates that many of the interrelationships among five structural dimensions (formalization, standardization, specialization, vertical differentiation, and decentralization) have weakened since the time of the earlier meta-analysis. The results of this study, conducted using a sample of 346 correlations from a collection of 155 published articles, are interpreted as failing to provide consistent evidence supporting a central tenet of the bureaucratic structural model, therefore, as indicating that dimensional structural research now lacks a viable theoretical foundation.
Commissions of inquiry and pathways to accountability in Plateau State, Nigeria
Authors: Oosterom Marjoke , Sha Dung Pam , Dowd Caitriona
Published: December 2021

For decades, Plateau State in Nigeria's Middle Belt has witnessed repeated ethnoreligious violence. Over this period, both state and federal governments have established formal Commissions of Inquiry (COIs) in response to unrest, tasked with investigating violence, identifying perpetrators, and – ultimately – strengthening accountability. While commissions’ mandates and specific outcomes varied, there is general consensus that inquiries have been largely ineffective at securing justice or establishing accountability for violence. This study seeks to understand the expectations placed on, and role of, COIs in Plateau State as pathways to formal accountability in a context of recurring violence. We argue that COIs are embedded in the complex, multilevel networks and politics of state and non-state institutions. Civil society, in turn, has diverse expectations and demands, and articulates these in fragmented ways. As a result, COIs served primarily as another avenue for interest-based negotiations.
The fast transit-time limit of magnetic pumping with trapped electrons
Authors: Egedal J. , Lichko E.
Published: December 2021

Recently, the energization of superthermal electrons at the Earth's bow shock was found to be consistent with a new magnetic pumping model derived in the limit where the electron transit time is much shorter than any time scale governing the evolution of the magnetic fields. The new model breaks with the common approach of integrating the kinetic equations along unperturbed orbits. Rather, the fast transit-time limit allows the electron dynamics to be characterized by adiabatic invariants (action variables) accurately capturing the nonlinear effects of electrons becoming trapped in magnetic perturbations. Without trapping, fast parallel streaming along magnetic field lines causes the electron pressure to be isotropized and homogeneous along the magnetic field lines. In contrast, trapping permits spatially varying pressure anisotropy to form along the magnetic field lines, and through a Fermi process this pressure anisotropy in turn becomes the main ingredient that renders magnetic pumping efficient for energizing superthermal electrons. We here present a detailed mathematical derivation of the model.
Incerta Pro Certis: An Interpretation of Sallust Bellum Catilinae 48.4-49.4
Authors: Batstone William W.
Published: December 2021

Sallust's style is provocative and tendentious, but does his admitted moral tendentiousness carry over into a political or partisan tendentiousness? For centuries we have heard of Sallust the partisan, Sallust the propagandist, Sallustian bias. The history of this perceived bias began at least in the age of Augustus when the anonymous writer of the Invectio in Ciceronem set stylus to wax and began his fraud. Less than a century later (before 96 A.D.) Quintilian regarded the work as genuine Sallust (I.O. 4.1.68; 9.3.89). The deception had worked; and both the fraud itself and Quintilian's acquiescence indicate a perceived anti-Gceronian bias to Sallust's writing.

In the modern period, the history of perceived bias, already resisted by Voss, came to its climax in 1897 with an article by E. Schwartz which argued for a systematic and extreme anti-Ciceronian and pro-Caesarian bias and purpose to the Bellum Catilinae. The charges seemed to Schwartz necessary to explain (1) Sallust's chronology, (2) the significantly small role played by Cicero in Sallust's monograph, and (3) the report of certain rumours which implicated Cicero and Crassus and the denial of rumours which implicated Caesar. A systematic review of the arguments, however, gradually undermined or called into question the validity of most of Schwartz's points. By 1964 Syme could say that the main charges against Sallust had collapsed upon inspection. And they had; all but one.
The Simile of the Fractured Pipe in Ovid's Metamorphoses 4
Authors: Newlands Carole
Published: December 2021

When Pyramus, the romantic hero of Ovid's tale of ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ (Met. 4.55-166), mistakenly assumes his beloved Thisbe is dead and thus kills himself beneath a mulberry tree with a sword, Ovid punctures this moment of tragic pathos by a simile comparing the blood spurting from Pyramus' wound to water gushing from a broken pipe (4.119-24):

demisit in ilia ferrum,

nec mora, ferventi moriens e vulnere traxit

et iacuit resupinus humo: cruor emicat alte,

non aliter, quam cum vitiato fistula plumbo

scinditur et tenui stridente foramine longas

eiaculatur aquas atque ictibus aera rumpit.

he plunged the sword into his groin, and straightaway, dying, he drew it from the seething wound

and lay back on the ground: the blood spurts high

exactly as when a pipe, split open from corrupted lead,

ejaculates a long stream of water through the tiny

hissing aperture and bursts upon the air with its blows.
Forced alignment for Nordic languages: Rapidly constructing a high-quality prototype
Authors: Young Nathan J. , McGarrah Michael
Published: December 2021

We propose a rapid adaptation of FAVE-Align to the Nordic languages, and we offer our own adaptation to Swedish as a template. This study is motivated by the fact that researchers of lesser-studied languages often neither have sufficient speech material nor sufficient time to train a forced aligner. Faced with a similar problem, we made a limited number of surface changes to FAVE-Align so that it – along with its original hidden Markov models for English – could be used on Stockholm Swedish. We tested the performance of this prototype on the three main sociolects of Stockholm Swedish and found that read-aloud alignments met all of the minimal benchmarks set by the literature. Spontaneous-speech alignments met three of the four minimal benchmarks. We conclude that an adaptation such as ours would especially suit laboratory experiments in Nordic phonetics that rely on elicited speech.
RFRP-3 synchronized with photoperiods regulates the seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters
Authors: Xue Huiliang , Xu Jinhui , Chen Lei , Zhao Lei , Wu Ming , Xu Laixiang
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of RFRP-3 synchronized with photoperiods on regulating the seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters. The striped hamsters were raised separately under long-day (LD; 16 h light/8 h dark), medium-day (MD; 12 h light/12 h dark) or short-day (SD; 8 h light/16 h dark) conditions for 8 weeks. RFRP-3 and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) mRNA levels in the hypothalamus, testis or ovaries in three groups were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Melatonin (MLT), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlation between RFRP-3 and GnRH mRNA and FSH and LH concentrations was also analyzed. MLT negatively regulated the expression of RFRP-3. Significant differences for RFRP-3 mRNA existed in the three groups, which positively correlated with the GnRH and the FSH and LH concentrations. RFRP-3 mRNA levels in the hypothalamus were significantly higher than those in ovaries or testis. RFRP-3 levels in the hypothalamus were significantly lower in female than in male under SD conditions, while those in ovaries were significantly higher than those in testes under LD conditions. MLT decreased RFRP neuron activity, and RFRP-3 regulated the reproduction of striped hamsters.
Dual-band all textile antenna with AMC for heartbeat monitor and pacemaker control applications
Authors: Kareem Farah R. , El Atrash Mohamed , Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Abdalla Mahmoud A.
Published: December 2021

All textile integrated dual-band monopole antenna with an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) is proposed. The proposed design operates at 2.4 and 5.8 GHz for wearable medical applications to monitor the heartbeat. A flexible and low-profile E- shaped CPW dual-band textile antenna is integrated with a 4 × 4 dual-band textile AMC reflector to enhance the gain and specific absorption rate (SAR). The SAR is reduced by nearly 95% at both 1 and 10 g. The design was measured on the body with a 2 mm separation. The simulated and measured results appear in high agreement in the case of with and without AMC array integration. The measurement was performed in the indoor environment and in an anechoic chamber to validate the design based on reflection coefficient and radiation pattern measurements.
Improving Coseismic Slip Measurements
Authors: Rehnberg Morgan
Published: December 2021

A physics-based method estimates the duration of earthquakes’ coseismic phase and can help improve the precision of coseismic slip models and magnitude estimates.
The MADS-box gene FveSEP3 plays essential roles in flower organogenesis and fruit development in woodland strawberry
Authors: Pi Mengting , Hu Shaoqiang , Cheng Laichao , Zhong Ruhan , Cai Zhuoying , Liu Zhongchi , Yao Jia-Long , Kang Chunying
Published: December 2021

Flower and fruit development are two key steps for plant reproduction. The ABCE model for flower development has been well established in model plant species; however, the functions of ABCE genes in fruit crops are less understood. In this work, we identified an EMS mutant named R27 in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), showing the conversion of petals, stamens, and carpels to sepaloid organs in a semidominant inheritance fashion. Mapping by sequencing revealed that the class E gene homolog FveSEP3 (FvH4_4g23530) possessed the causative mutation in R27 due to a G to E amino acid change in the conserved MADS domain. Additional fvesep3CR mutants generated by CRISPR/Cas9 displayed similar phenotypes to fvesep3-R27. Overexpressing wild-type or mutated FveSEP3 in Arabidopsis suggested that the mutation in R27 might cause a dominant-negative effect. Further analyses indicated that FveSEP3 physically interacted with each of the ABCE proteins in strawberry. Moreover, both R27 and fvesep3CR mutants exhibited parthenocarpic fruit growth and delayed fruit ripening. Transcriptome analysis revealed that both common and specific differentially expressed genes were identified in young fruit at 6–7 days post anthesis (DPA) of fvesep3 and pollinated wild type when compared to unpollinated wild type, especially those in the auxin pathway, a key hormone regulating fruit set in strawberry. Together, we provided compelling evidence that FveSEP3 plays predominant E functions compared to other E gene homologs in flower development and that FveSEP3 represses fruit growth in the absence of pollination and promotes fruit ripening in strawberry.
Feasible strategies for studying the involvement of DNA methylation and histone acetylation in the stress-induced formation of quality-related metabolites in tea (Camellia sinensis)
Authors: Yang Jie , Gu Dachuan , Wu Shuhua , Zhou Xiaochen , Chen Jiaming , Liao Yinyin , Zeng Lanting , Yang Ziyin
Published: December 2021

Tea plants are subjected to multiple stresses during growth, development, and postharvest processing, which affects levels of secondary metabolites in leaves and influences tea functional properties and quality. Most studies on secondary metabolism in tea have focused on gene, protein, and metabolite levels, whereas upstream regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we exemplify DNA methylation and histone acetylation, summarize the important regulatory effects that epigenetic modifications have on plant secondary metabolism, and discuss feasible research strategies to elucidate the underlying specific epigenetic mechanisms of secondary metabolism regulation in tea. This information will help researchers investigate the epigenetic regulation of secondary metabolism in tea, providing key epigenetic data that can be used for future tea genetic breeding.
SlZHD17 is involved in the control of chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism in tomato fruit
Authors: Shi Yuan , Pang Xiaoqin , Liu Wenjing , Wang Rui , Su Deding , Gao Yushuo , Wu Mengbo , Deng Wei , Liu Yudong , Li Zhengguo
Published: December 2021

Chlorophylls and carotenoids are essential and beneficial substances for both plant and human health. Identifying the regulatory network of these pigments is necessary for improving fruit quality. In a previous study, we identified an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, SlMYB72, that plays an important role in chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism in tomato fruit. Here, we demonstrated that the SlMYB72-interacting protein SlZHD17, which belongs to the zinc-finger homeodomain transcription factor family, also functions in chlorophyll and carotenoid metabolism. Silencing SlZHD17 in tomato improved multiple beneficial agronomic traits, including dwarfism, accelerated flowering, and earlier fruit harvest. More importantly, downregulating SlZHD17 in fruits resulted in larger chloroplasts and a higher chlorophyll content. Dual-luciferase, yeast one-hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays clarified that SlZHD17 regulates the chlorophyll biosynthesis gene SlPOR-B and chloroplast developmental regulator SlTKN2 in a direct manner. Chlorophyll degradation and plastid transformation were also retarded after suppression of SlZHD17 in fruits, which was caused by the inhibition of SlSGR1, a crucial factor in chlorophyll degradation. On the other hand, the expression of the carotenoid biosynthesis genes SlPSY1 and SlZISO was also suppressed and directly regulated by SlZHD17, which induced uneven pigmentation and decreased the lycopene content in fruits with SlZHD17 suppression at the ripe stage. Furthermore, the protein–protein interactions between SlZHD17 and other pigment regulators, including SlARF4, SlBEL11, and SlTAGL1, were also presented. This study provides new insight into the complex pigment regulatory network and provides new options for breeding strategies aiming to improve fruit quality.
Preputioplasty as a surgical alternative in treatment of phimosis
Authors: Osmonov Daniar , Hamann Claudius , Eraky Ahmed , Kalz Almut , Melchior Diethild , Bergholz Robert , Romero-Otero Javier
Published: December 2021

Preputioplasty denotes various surgical techniques directed at resolving phimosis without the need for radical or partial circumcision. This narrative review summarizes the best-known surgical techniques of preputioplasty. A MEDLINE and EMBASE-based literature search of original manuscripts and case reports published in English has been carried out using the following key words: “circumcision”, “partial circumcision”, “phimosis”, “paraphimosis”, and “preputioplasty”. Six different procedures are explored in more detail and illustrated. The complication rates of all surgical procedures presented here are reported to be low. In cases of medical (rather than cultural and religious) indications, foreskin-preserving procedures present useful alternatives to circumcision in the routine clinical practice of urologists and pediatric surgeons.
Intermittent BRAF inhibition in advanced BRAF mutated melanoma results of a phase II randomized trial
Authors: Gonzalez-Cao Maria , Mayo de las Casas Clara , Oramas Juana , Berciano-Guerrero Miguel A. , de la Cruz Luis , Cerezuela Pablo , Arance Ana , Muñoz-Couselo Eva , Espinosa Enrique , Puertolas Teresa , Diaz Beveridge Roberto , Ochenduszko Sebastian , Villanueva Maria-Jose , Basterretxea Laura , Bellido Lorena , Rodriguez Delvys , Campos Begoña , Montagut Clara , Drozdowskyj Ana , Molina Miguel A. , Lopez-Martin Jose Antonio , Berrocal Alfonso
Published: December 2021

Combination treatment with BRAF (BRAFi) plus MEK inhibitors (MEKi) has demonstrated survival benefit in patients with advanced melanoma harboring activating BRAF mutations. Previous preclinical studies suggested that an intermittent dosing of these drugs could delay the emergence of resistance. Contrary to expectations, the first published phase 2 randomized study comparing continuous versus intermittent schedule of dabrafenib (BRAFi) plus trametinib (MEKi) demonstrated a detrimental effect of the “on−off” schedule. Here we report confirmatory data from the Phase II randomized open-label clinical trial comparing the antitumoral activity of the standard schedule versus an intermittent combination of vemurafenib (BRAFi) plus cobimetinib (MEKi) in advanced BRAF mutant melanoma patients (NCT02583516). The trial did not meet its primary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS) improvement. Our results show that the antitumor activity of the experimental intermittent schedule of vemurafenib plus cobimetinib is not superior to the standard continuous schedule. Detection of BRAF mutation in cell free tumor DNA has prognostic value for survival and its dynamics has an excellent correlation with clinical response, but not with progression. NGS analysis demonstrated de novo mutations in resistant cases.