bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Architecture, Poetry, and Everyday Life
Authors: Vidler Anthony
Published: April 2024

There is an exhibition currently hanging in the penthouse of the Museum of Modern Art in New York: Far removed from the clamor of the street and the jostling of the crowd, a selection of delicately conceived and exquisitely executed drawings remind us that, even in the age of pragmatism, ideal architecture still preoccupies creative minds. From the recent past and the lived present, these studies speak of impossible futures, irresistible impulses, and inconsequential fantasies. Hoary technotopia from Archigram; satyrical dreamscapes from Superstudio; metalinguistics from Argentina's nouvelle vague; eclecticism, superrationalism, and painterly metaphor from New York's (and Princeton's) Five add up to form a picture of the whole tangled web of idealism and counter-idealism that has constituted today's attempt at visionary architecture. This exhibition raises, as do all such manifestations of the realm of utopia, questions as to the relation between art and daily life.
Fragments of an Autobiography
Authors: Vidler Anthony
Published: April 2024

I was born on July 4, 1941, in East Knoyle, Wiltshire. Some symbolic import might be gained from the fact that East Knoyle was also the birthplace of Christopher Wren and close to Philip Webb's mansion “Clouds”; also symbolic, given my later life in the United States, was the date itself. My family moved back to Essex later that year. My memories of the war must date from late 1944 and the first months of 1945: air-raid sirens, the huddle beneath the kitchen table (a steel Morrison shelter), the whining of V-2s toward the end of the war, and even once a shock wave that pushed me to the pavement. Also, a few weeks of evacuation to my grandparents in Warwickshire, close to Coventry, which had sustained the better part of the 1941 blitz, and to another shelter, dug in the back garden, of reinforced concrete, damp and cool and a favorite hideout.
Proclamation de la loi mahométane en 114 quintils (XVIIe siècle)
Authors: Donoso Isaac , Cherrouk Leïla
Published: April 2024

The aim of this article is to examine the narrative elements of the manuscript commentary, in Castilian and Latin script, on the work of one of the few Morisco poets in exile whose name is known to us. Ibrahim de Bolfad, who was living in Algiers at the time, was the author of quintils on the foundations of Islam, the life of the Prophet, the divine attributes, and the major tenets of Islamic theology. Preserved in the National Library of Spain (BNE : 9653), the manuscript in which the commentary on his poetry was written is thought to be the work of a Morisco exiled in Tunis. This study explores the narrative dimension of the two texts, in order to highlight the construction of a metanarrative around Morisco identity in North African exile. As part of this research, we are particularly interested in the way in which this narrative activity was conducted in Castilian in seventeenth-century Algeria. Finally, we propose a French translation of the 114 quintils, collected here as a single text.
Hadith as Oral Literature through Early Islamic Literary Criticism
Authors: Rashwan Hany
Published: April 2024

Although the study of ḥadīth (the Prophet’s speech) has advanced significantly in recent decades, several of its literary aspects remain unexplored within Euro-American scholarship. The epistemological status of ḥadīth within balāghah, the premodern Islamic theory of literary analysis, has received little scholarly attention. Drawing on Inimitability and Conciseness (Kitāb al-Iʿjāz wa al-Ījāz), written by the literary critic, Abū Manṣūr al-Thaʿālibī (d. 1038 CE), I show how during the oral stages of its development, ḥadīth was a living tradition that was highly flexible in terms of its wording and content. I empirically explore the interface and interactions between oral and written media in the employment of individual ḥadīths as literary texts, showing how an in-depth exploration of the oral nature of ḥadīth illuminates the approaches of modern literary criticism to appreciate literary texts of oral origin. In conclusion, I suggest that the early Arabic discourse of literary criticism offers an emic (culture-specific) perspective that fosters recognition of the literary reception of ḥadīth and its profound integration into the Islamic literary culture.
Revisiting the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Malagasy Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, and description of K. fedtschenkoi var. boiteaui (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae)
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F.
Published: April 2024

The taxonomy and nomenclature of Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) are revisited. Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi var. boiteaui is described here for material previously referred to under the designation “Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi var. isalensis”. Cultivar names and what are likely trade designations linked to the species name K. fedtschenkoi are catalogued.
Dicranodontium tenii, a new synonym of Dicranodontium denudatum (Leucobryaceae, Bryophyta)
Authors: HUANG WEN-ZHUAN , ZHU RUI-LIANG
Published: April 2024

Dicranodontium tenii Broth. & Herzog in Herzog (1925: 150), initially described based on a specimen collected from Yunnan Province, China, was later suggested by Frahm (1997) to be identical to Dicranum hamulosum Mitten (1891: 156). However, the detailed morphological descriptions and excellent illustrations of these two species, based on the type specimens provided by Noguchi (1987) and Gao (1994) respectively, offer convincing evidence of their distinctions. For instance, Dicranum hamulosum lacks differentiated epidermal cells on the ventral side of the costa, while they are well-differentiated in Dicranodontium tenii (Noguchi 1987; Gao 1994).
Four new species of the genus Phlugiolopsis (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae) from Guangxi, China
Authors: PAN YANGYANG , BIAN XUN
Published: April 2024

After examining newly obtained specimens and all the known species from Guangxi, we proposed four new species. They can be distinguished from other species by the male cerci and subgenital plates of both sexes. Based on the specimens deposited in Guangxi Normal University, the illustrations of all new species are provided.
A new subgenus of hard ticks, Filippoviella n. subgen. (Acari: Ixodidae) comprising Ixodes trianguliceps Birula, 1895 and I. ghilarovi Filippova & Panova, 1988, parasites of small mammals in Europe and Asia
Authors: APANASKEVICH DMITRY A. , GREIMAN STEPHEN E. , FEDOROV DENIS S. , AHMED ROKEYA , BARKER STEPHEN C.
Published: April 2024

We establish a new subgenus, Filippoviella n. subgen. (Acari: Ixodidae) based on two species formerly assigned to the subgenus Exopalpiger Schulze, 1935 in the genus Ixodes Latreille, 1795. Ixodes (Filippoviella) trianguliceps Birula, 1895 is a tick species broadly distributed throughout Europe and western Siberia, the females, nymphs and larvae of which mostly feed on small mammals such as shrews and rodents. Ixodes (Filippoviella) ghilarovi Filippova & Panova, 1988 is found in the Caucasus region on rodents and shrews. The type species of this new subgenus is Ixodes trianguliceps. The major morphological differences allowing discrimination of the two species of Filippoviella n. subgen from members of the subgenus Exopalpiger are the shape of the idiosoma, shape of the basis capituli, development of palpal segment I, the suture between palpal segments II and III, development of syncoxae and chaetotaxy. We sequenced the entire mitochondrial genome of I. trianguliceps; according to our phylogeny from 10 protein-coding mitochondrial genes of 17 of the 23 Ixodes subgenera (34 spp.), I. (Filippoviella) trianguliceps is basal to the “other Ixodes” and polyphyletic with I. (Exopalpiger) fecialis Warburton & Nuttall, 1909.
Phylogenomics, male internal genitalia, a new species, and other notes on New World Stenopelmatus Jerusalem crickets (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatoidea: Stenopelmatini)
Authors: WEISSMAN DAVID B. , SONG HOJUN , VANDERGAST AMY G.
Published: April 2024

Based on past and expanded DNA sampling, the orthopteran families Stenopelmatidae and Anostostomatidae, as currently structured, are shown to be non-monophyletic. The splay-footed cricket genus Comicus is confirmed to be genetically distinct from all Stenopelmatidae. We add two specimens to our previously published phylogenetic tree for New World Stenopelmatus Jerusalem cricket species and report the first multilocus DNA recovery for S. ater from Costa Rica. Male internal genitalia may be of systematic value in Jerusalem crickets, but we believe they should be analyzed when in their unfolded, “physiologically functional” configuration, where morphological characters can be seen in more detail when compared to their preserved, folded state. We describe Stenopelmatus nuevoguatemalae n. sp. from Guatemala.
Description of the larva and pupa of Culex (Melanoconion) dureti Casal & Garcia and redescription of the adult male (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: BANGHER DÉBORA N. , ALMIRÓN WALTER R. , STEIN MARINA
Published: April 2024

Culex (Melanoconion) dureti Casal & García, 1968 was described based on the adult male. In this article, we describe and illustrate the pupa and the fourth-instar larva and provide a redescription of the adult male. Diagnostic characters of the male genitalia and fourth-instar larva are also provided to separate Cx. dureti from closely related species. Possible phylogenetic relationships of the immature stages of the Inhibitator Group are discussed. Information on distribution and bionomics of the species is also provided. The female remains unknown.
A new shallow water species of the palaemonid shrimp genus Palaemon Weber, 1795 (Decapoda: Caridea) from Japan
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , HANAI MOTOYA
Published: April 2024

During a survey of the shallow water decapod fauna in the Miura Peninsula, Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan, four specimens of a new palaemonid shrimp, Palaemon parvibrachium n. sp., were collected from sea grass beds of Nanozostera japonica (Ascherson & Graebner) Tomlinson & Posluszny, 2001. The new species appears morphologically similar to P. serrifer (Stimpson, 1860), one of the most common representatives of Palaemon Weber, 1795 in Japanese waters, but the short carpus of the second pereopod and the different live colouration readily differentiate the new species from the latter. A DNA barcode (a partial fragment of the mitochondrial CO1 gene), as well as a partial fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, are provided to genetically characterize the new species.
Study of the Chinese Anostostomatidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera) VIII: One new species Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) from Chongqing
Authors: BIAN XUN
Published: April 2024

The King Cricket genus, Anabropsis in the family Anostostomatidae Saussure, 1859, contains 7 subgenera and 63 species, with species diversity of the genus being rich in China. The paper deals with one new species of the subgenus Anabropsis (Apteranabropsis) from Chongqing, China. All the specimens are deposited in Guangxi Normal University.
Electrical Resistivity Behavior and Small Polaron Conduction Transport Mechanism in Semiconducting RMnO3 Manganites
Authors: Kumar Ashwini , Sharma Poorva , Fujun Qiu , Jiang Hu , Jin Cui
Published: April 2024

Rare earth manganites, denoted by the chemical formula RMnO3, where R signifies a rare earth element, have garnered significant interest in recent years. These perovskite oxides exhibit intriguing phenomena such as multiferroicity, ferroelectricity, and colossal magnetoresistance, primarily attributed to the role of polarons in conduction. The incorporation of rare earth ions imparts flexibility, making these compounds promising for applications in spintronics, sensors, and information storage devices. This study delves into the electrical resistivity behavior and Small Polaron Conduction (SPC) mechanisms of rare earth manganites, particularly RMnO3. In this manuscript, electrical resistivity of the pristine RMnO3 (R = Sm, Eu, Gd) manganites are analyzed within the framework of adiabatic nearest-neighbor hopping of SPC. The high temperature state of RMnO3 within the SPC mechanism is influenced by polaron concentration, hopping distance, and resistivity coefficient. The localized charge carriers in undoped manganites enable one to estimate the activation energy for the electrical conduction. The activation energy decreases with the decrease in ionic radii from Sm to Gd. Deduced polaron activation energy is low for GdMnO3 as compared to SmMnO3 and is attributed to reducing disorder state in GdMnO3 as compared to SmMnO3. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of condensed matter physics and the potential applications of rare earth manganites in emerging technologies. The interplay between electrical resistivity and Small Polaron Conduction offers insights for customizing these materials for specific technological needs.
Restructuring Value Base of Social Sciences in the Age of Neo-Liberalism
Authors: Joshi Vidyut
Published: April 2024

Social sciences emerged at the onset of the Enlightenment age. Immanuel Kant proclaimed that henceforth the central theme of discourse in philosophy will be human beings and not God. Since then, the relationship between ‘me’ and ‘the other’ has become a central theme of intellectual endeavour. Now, me and other relationships have three forms: conflict, competition and cooperation or harmony. Three world views developed around these three patterns. The socialist worldview had conflict as a base, with equality as a cherished value. Competition is the base of liberalism, with freedom (to compete) as a cherished value. Harmony is at the base of humanism, with fraternity as a basic value. Today, liberalism and neo-liberalism have become almost unipolar world views. Liberalism claims to be following the three great values of the French Revolution: liberty, equality and fraternity. In recent times, neo-liberalism has developed a system that makes all three values truncated. Liberty, or freedom, has been reduced to the level of my choice as a consumer. Equality has been taken as reducing and abolishing old ascription-based inequality. The rising new and achievement-based inequality is not only not opposed but also eulogised in the name of creativity and achieving society. In place of fraternity and harmony, we have cutthroat competition. A competitive society is considered good. The market is more important now. We have achieved growth. But the basic harmony between human beings and between human beings and other elements of the environment has vanished. So, environmental issues, rising achievement-based inequalities, violation of human rights, rising poverty, failure of market institutions and unnatural lifestyles giving rise to many lifestyle diseases have made many thinkers and social scientists to change the value base of social sciences to restructure social sciences. The new value base could be ethics, equity (social equity, to be specific) and ecological harmony. Keeping these three values as the base, we will have to restructure social sciences to have a better and more humane world order.
Impact of Long COVID on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients After Acute COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sun Chengyao , Liu Ziwei , Li Sixuan , Wang Yuqi , Liu Guoxiang
Published: April 2024

Concerns have been raised globally regarding the long-term effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the impact of long COVID on the health of patients recovering from acute COVID-19 in China. We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey from 1 February to 9 March 2023. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to understand the differences in health utility values between individuals with and without long COVID. Factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were determined using a multiple linear regression model. A chi-square test was used to compare differences between the 2 groups for each dimension of the EuroQoL-5 Dimension-5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) scale. In total, 307 participants were included in the analysis, of which 40.39% exhibited at least 1 persistent symptom. The common symptoms of long COVID were fatigue/weakness, coughing, memory decline, poor concentration, and phlegm in the throat. Most patients with long COVID reported mild effects from their symptoms. After propensity score matching, the long-COVID group had lower health utility scores than the non-long-COVID group (0.94 vs 0.97). In the multivariable linear regression analysis, persistent symptoms and low annual household income were associated with lower health utility values ( P < .05). Anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort were the major problems experienced by the participants with long COVID. Long-COVID symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection have a serious impact on health-related quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary to implement interventions to improve patient health after the recovery from acute COVID-19.
Psychosocial effects of hidradenitis suppurativa in the literature: A systematic review
Authors: Richards Elizabeth , Joshi Ami
Published: April 2024

Objective

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by painful, deep follicular nodules, abscesses, sinus tracts, and scarring, most commonly presenting in the inguinal, axillary, and anogenital regions.

Methods

Systematic review.

Results

This condition substantially decreases quality of life in affected individuals, resulting in higher rates of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use. The detrimental effects of HS are well documented by dermatologists, as individuals with HS make up a large proportion of the patients that they see daily. However, it is unclear whether psychiatrists are aware of the degree of psychosocial impairment present in HS patients.

Conclusions

It is important that those in the field of psychiatry and behavioral medicine are aware of this condition and are comfortable managing it from a psychosocial perspective. This review chronicles the existing literature on the psychosocial effects of HS and assesses the extent to which dermatology journals review these effects in comparison to psychiatry or behavioral medicine journals.
Lightweight robotic grasping detection network based on dual attention and inverted residual
Authors: Yang Yuequan , Li Wei , Cao Zhiqiang , Bao Jiatong , Li Fudong
Published: April 2024

Grasping detection is one of the crucial capabilities for robot systems. Deep learning has achieved remarkable outcomes in robot grasping tasks; however, many deep neural networks were at the expense of high computation cost with memory requirements, which hindered their deployment on computing-constrained devices. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an end-to-end lightweight network with dual attention and inverted residual strategies (LiDAIR), which adopts a generative pixel-level prediction to achieve grasp detection. The LiDAIR is composed of the convolution modules (Conv), the inverted residual convolution module (IRCM), the convolutional block attention connection module (CBACM), and the transposed convolution modules (TConv). The Convs are utilized in downsampling processes to extract the input image features. Then, the IRCM is proposed as a bridge between the downsampling and upsampling phases. In the upsampling phase, the CBACM is designed to focus on the valuable regions from spatial and channel dimensions, where the skip connection is employed to attain multi-level feature fusion. Afterwards, the TConvs are used to restore image resolution. The LiDAIR is lightweight with 704K parameters and enjoys a good tradeoff among lightweight structure, accuracy, and speed. It was evaluated on both the Cornell data set and the Jacquard data set within 10 ms inference time, and the detection accuracy on both the data sets were 97.7% and 92.7%, respectively.
The Antinomy of the Anthropocene: The Narrative of Enlightenment in Dipesh Chakrabarty’s Ecological Theory
Authors: Lee Haram
Published: April 2024

This article examines Dipesh Chakrabarty’s ecological theory to explore inherent tensions, ambiguities, and contradictions concerning human agency in Anthropocene discourse. Contra most commentators, I argue that Chakrabarty’s account of the Anthropocene remains neither modernistic nor posthumanistic per se because his view of the human turns out to be consistently inconsistent. Chakrabarty apparently advances an anti-anthropocentric and posthumanist explanation of the climate crisis by shifting his focus from the ‘species’ to the ‘planet’. However, his account of the planet remains within the modernistic paradigm that privileges progress, rationality, and human agency because he tacitly embraces the narrative of enlightenment, or transition from ignorance to knowledge, when describing a passage from the global to the planetary. Chakrabarty’s narrative of enlightenment thus epitomizes the remains of anthropocentrism in Anthropocene discourse, registering the extent to which it retains beliefs in human agency, rationality, and singularity.
Deep Time and Microtime: Anthropocene Temporalities and Silicon Valley’s Longtermist Scope
Authors: Kemper Jakko
Published: April 2024

Living in Anthropocene times entails living in relation to two seemingly separate temporalities – the microtime of digital operations and the deep time of geological upheaval. Though divergent, these temporalities are united by their unavailability to perception; microtime proceeds too fast to perceive directly, while deep time is too vast to apprehend. Taking these temporalities as a point of departure, this paper develops three arguments. First, it asserts that the temporalities of deep time and microtime increasingly impact contemporary existence, complicating familiar categorizations of temporal experience. Second, it argues that these ostensibly separate temporalities are ontologically connected through the operations of the tech industry, which is constructing a microtemporal system that extracts the planet’s deep time resources to delimit the future both materially and cognitively. Third, it suggests that Silicon Valley legitimizes these processes by funding the philosophy of longtermism, which appeals to distant timescales to marginalize injustices in the present.
Not All Edible Nuts Are Eaten: Evidence for Continued Aboriginal Cultural Use and Dispersal of Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii) in Southern But Not in Northern Queensland
Authors: Cooke P. , Ens E. , Clarke P. , Chang H. , Rossetto M. , Crayn D. , Turpin G. , Ferrier A.
Published: April 2024

Globally, there is increasing evidence that Indigenous peoples have manipulated plant and animal populations over millennia. The Bunya Pine ( Araucaria bidwillii Hook.) is a coniferous tree native to subtropical and tropical eastern Australia, which produces 30–100 large, edible seeds within a large cone weighing 5–10 kgs. Endemic Bunya populations occur as two disjunct populations: one in south-eastern Queensland/north-east New South Wales and the other in northern Queensland. We investigated possible pre- and postcolonial Bunya seed dispersal within and between the two separate populations by utilising multidisciplinary methods to examine Aboriginal cultural connections with Bunya. Analysis of historical sources and ethnographic interviews conducted with Aboriginal knowledge holders provided strong evidence for localised deliberate dispersal within the southern population but no solid evidence for dispersal in the north, suggesting two distinct modes of Aboriginal interaction with this species. Early European colonial records documented the Indigenous cultural significance of southern Bunya, evidenced by large feast gatherings, creation Stories, Aboriginal familial tree connections, seed carrying and planting, and storage in camps. The continued cultural attachment post-colonisation was evident from ethnographic interviews with Indigenous knowledge holders that revealed plantings of this species on Aboriginal missions and modern grave sites. The development of an overarching effective biocultural management plan to conserve the biological and cultural importance of this species is therefore particularly important for the southern population, especially in the face of new threats from pathogenic dieback. The individal tree connections of certain Aboriginal families also warrant deeper ethnographic study to target planting and restoration efforts that preserve these kin-based biocultural connections.
Rock varnish revisited
Authors: Dorn Ronald I
Published: April 2024

Investigators seeking to solve the mystery of rock varnish formation have yet to embrace hypothesis testing. Thus, this paper presents nine tests that assess the validity of the eight hypotheses proposed over the last four decades to explain varnish formation. An almost singular focus on manganese (Mn)-enrichment by many in varnish research may have led to six of the eight hypotheses failing to explain iron (Fe)-enrichment, as well as why clay minerals dominate the composition of rock varnish. Many varnish researchers displayed a sampling bias by collecting samples only from hot and dry deserts; thus, it should be of no surprise that four hypotheses failed a test of explaining varnishes in different climates; five hypotheses failed to explain varnishes in subsurface locations; and seven hypotheses failed to explain differences in varnish growth rates in hot deserts versus wetter locations. In the end, seven of eight proposed hypotheses to explain varnish formation failed more than five tests, any one of which would falsify the hypothesis. Only one hypothesis “passed” all nine tests.
Measuring Chinese economic sanctions 1949–2020: Introducing the China TIES dataset
Authors: Zhang Jiakun Jack , Shanks Spencer
Published: April 2024

Research on China's use of economic sanctions has proliferated in recent decades, yet coverage of Chinese sanctions in existing sanctions datasets is both inconsistent and incomplete. This article introduces both a new dataset on sanctions involving China and a research framework for expanding knowledge about non-Western economic sanctions more generally. The Chinese Economic Sanctions dataset (aka China TIES) includes 135 episodes where China is the sender and 88 episodes where it is the target from 1949 to 2020. Over 70% of our cases were not captured by the existing datasets. We use the Threat and Imposition of Economic Sanctions dataset (TIES v.4) as a baseline for identifying and coding sanctions episodes and provide a set of standardized narratives documenting each episode with secondary sources. The result is a dataset that is interoperable with TIES but also contains new variables that better capture the informal nature of many Chinese sanctions. We describe the dataset, paying special attention to the ways Chinese sanctions differ from other senders, and we present descriptive statistics for some of the key variables, highlighting the evolution of China's sanctions use over time.
Caricaturing Shapes in Visual Memory
Authors: Sun Zekun , Han Subin , Firestone Chaz
Published: April 2024

When representing high-level stimuli, such as faces and animals, we tend to emphasize salient features—such as a face’s prominent cheekbones or a bird’s pointed beak. Such mental caricaturing leaves traces in memory, which exaggerates these distinctive qualities. How broadly does this phenomenon extend? Here, in six experiments ( N = 700 adults), we explored how memory automatically caricatures basic units of visual processing—simple geometric shapes—even without task-related demands to do so. Participants saw a novel shape and then immediately adjusted a copy of that shape to match what they had seen. Surprisingly, participants reconstructed shapes in exaggerated form, amplifying curvature, enlarging salient parts, and so on. Follow-up experiments generalized this bias to new parameters, ruled out strategic responding, and amplified the effects in serial transmission. Thus, even the most basic stimuli we encounter are remembered as caricatures of themselves.
The impact of broadband China and low-carbon pilot on China's urban carbon emissions
Authors: Zhu Yue , Zhao Rui
Published: April 2024

In the context of global environmental governance, a reduction in carbon emissions (CE) is critical for sustainable development. This article delves into the correlation between China's dual pilot policy (DPP), comprising the broadband China city pilot (BCCP) and low-carbon city pilot (LCCP), and CE using panel data for 281 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2020 and a staggered difference-in-differences approach. Our results demonstrate that the DPP contributes to reducing CE. In this regard, we find that DPP exerts a more significant negative effect on CE when the LCCP precedes the BCCP, compared to the BCCP preceding the LCCP. Heterogeneity analysis shows that urban location and resource utilization patterns influence DPP's impact on CE reduction. Moreover, green technology innovation and industrial agglomeration account for the relationship between DPP and CE. The DPP additionally exhibits positive economic performance, benefiting urban sustainability. Taken together, these findings reveal how the DPP negatively affects CE, providing key evidence for regional green economy advancement.
From the Clinical to the Bench: Exploring the Insulin Modulation Effects of Tacrolimus and Belatacept
Authors: Perrier Quentin , Cottet-Rouselle Cécile , de-Beaumont Marine , Noble Johan , Lablanche Sandrine
Published: April 2024

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are critical in preventing rejection posttransplantation but pose an increased risk of post-transplant diabetes (PTD). Recent studies show that late conversion from CNIs to belatacept, a costimulation blocker, improves HbA1c in kidney transplant recipients with PTD or de novo diabetes. This study investigates whether the observed effects on PTD stem solely from CNI withdrawal or if belatacept influences PTD independently. The study assessed the impact of tacrolimus and belatacept on insulin secretion in MIN6 cells (a beta cell line) and rat islets. Tacrolimus and belatacept were administered to the cells and islets, followed by assessments of cell viability and insulin secretion. Tacrolimus impaired insulin secretion without affecting cell viability, while belatacept showed no detrimental effects on either parameter. These findings support clinical observations of improved HbA1c upon switching from tacrolimus to belatacept. Belatacept holds promise in islet or pancreas transplantation, particularly in patients with unstable diabetes. Successful cases of islet transplantation treated with belatacept without severe hypoglycemia highlight its potential in managing PTD. Further research is needed to fully understand the metabolic changes accompanying the transition from CNIs to belatacept. Preserving insulin secretion emerges as a promising avenue for investigation in this context.
Verification of Source Activations in a 3D Brain Model Using ‘CLEVER’ Algorithm for Mental Arithmetic Conditions
Authors: Rambhia Jeenal , Sutar Rajendra
Published: April 2024

Background: Living conditions are becoming challenging day by day. Mental stress on individuals is increasing due to multiple reasons. As mental stress is a major cause of mental illness, it must be detected at the earliest to prevent serious conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Purpose: The focus of this study is to detect the exact location of the source which causes such damage. In this article, we analyse the mental conditions of subjects under a workload of performing mental arithmetic calculations for various frequency bands and plot the topography to understand the areas of active potentials.

Methods: We propose a Novel Cluster Ensemble Verifier (CLEVER) algorithm, which combines two different techniques: clustering and source localisation. The proposed algorithm is highly efficient in identifying the exact location of the source. It is seen that the topographic plots of the independent component analysis (ICA), which has the maximum percentage of relative variance, correlates to the cluster generated. We are able to give the percentage-wise contribution of every component which is responsible for brain source activation with less time complexity.

Results: Out of 72 subjects, in 67 subjects, 299 out of 433 components originate from the occipital and parietal areas of the brain with a maximum power of 43.5 µv 2 . As an example, the relative variance of one component is found to be contributing up to 74.03% to source activations. Clusters show similarity across the subjects in the parietal and occipital areas of the brain. The dataset used for experimentation is EEGMAT from Physionet’s repository. The computation time for the algorithms is 17.6 ± 3.2 minutes.

Conclusion: Findings show that during mental arithmetic calculations, both occipital and parietal areas of the brain are involved. As the data is acquired by orally mentioning the mathematical problem, subjects tend to visualise the numbers while finding the solution, which is reflected in the occipital area of the brain. CLEVER algorithm verifies the origin of the activity in the occipital and parietal areas of the brain.
Severe Venous Calcifications in Phlebosclerotic Colitis and Significantly Decreased Expression in Betaine
Authors: Deng Xue , Tang Xuefeng , Yao Hui , Wang Ying
Published: April 2024

Phlebosclerotic colitis (PC) is a rare type of chronic ischemic colitis. Its etiology is still unknown, and PC is also known as idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis colitis. Currently, many studies have reported that long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine and drinking history are related to its pathogenesis. In the early stage of the lesion, due to insufficient understanding of PC, it is difficult to distinguish it from inflammatory bowel disease and other nonneoplastic intestinal diseases. We reported a case of severe diffuse total colon calcification with multiple misdiagnosis, summarizing and analyzing the clinical pathological characteristics to increase clinical and pathological physicians’ understanding of the disease and reduce misdiagnosis. Moreover, for the first time, we conducted metabolomics sequencing on fresh intestinal specimens of PC, in order to explore the possible mechanism of severe calcification in the patient. We found that betaine was significantly decreased in the intestinal specimens of the patient, which is an amino acid that has been shown to improve vascular risk factors, and may be one of the mechanisms underlying severe calcification in the patient.
Evaluation of a multiagent chemotherapy protocol combining vincristine, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone and prednisolone (CMOP) for treatment of feline intermediate–large cell lymphoma
Authors: Webster Jade , McNaught Katie A , Morris Joanna S
Published: April 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine response rates, median progression-free intervals (PFIs) and median survival times (MSTs) for cats with intermediate–large cell lymphoma treated with a vincristine, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone and prednisolone (CMOP) protocol. A secondary objective was to determine the tolerability of mitoxantrone used within this multiagent protocol.

Methods

The medical records of 31 cats treated at a single institution between 2009 and 2022 were reviewed to identify suitable cases. Cats were included in the study if they had a confirmed diagnosis of intermediate–large cell lymphoma, had received a CMOP protocol as first-line treatment and had completed at least one 4-week cycle of this protocol. Modifications allowed in the protocol included the use of l-asparaginase, vinblastine substitution for vincristine, chlorambucil substitution for cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone or methylprednisolone substitution for prednisolone.

Results

The overall response rate was 74% (n = 23), with 45% (n = 14) achieving complete remission (CR), 29% (n = 9) achieving partial remission (PR) and 26% (n = 8) achieving stable disease (SD). The Kaplan–Meier median PFI and MST were 139 days and 206 days, respectively. Responders (CR or PR) had a significantly longer ( P <0.001) median PFI and MST compared with non-responders (SD) (176 days vs 62 days, and 251 days vs 61 days, respectively). Cats that achieved CR had a significantly longer median PFI and MST ( P <0.001) at 178 days and 1176 days, respectively. The 6-month and 1- and 2-year survival rates in cats with CR were 64%, 57% and 35%, respectively. Treatment with mitoxantrone was generally well tolerated, with no cats experiencing Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group adverse effects above grade 2.

Conclusions and relevance

The CMOP protocol is an alternative and well-tolerated treatment for cats with intermediate–large cell lymphoma. As demonstrated with previous chemotherapy protocols, cats that respond to treatment, particularly those that achieve CR, are likely to have more durable responses.
The functional and molecular roles of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in epilepsy
Authors: Turkistani Areej , Al-kuraishy Hayder M. , Al-Gareeb Ali I. , Albuhadily Ali K. , Elhussieny Omnya , AL-Farga Ammar , Aqlan Faisal , Saad Hebatallah M. , Batiha Gaber El-Saber
Published: April 2024

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder manifested by recurring unprovoked seizures resulting from an imbalance in the inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain. The process of epileptogenesis involves a complex interplay between the reduction of inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the enhancement of excitatory glutamate. Pro-BDNF/p75NTR expression is augmented in both glial cells and neurons following epileptic seizures and status epileptics (SE). Over-expression of p75NTR is linked with the pathogenesis of epilepsy, and augmentation of pro-BDNF/p75NTR is implicated in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. However, the precise mechanistic function of p75NTR in epilepsy has not been completely elucidated. Therefore, this review aimed to revise the mechanistic pathway of p75NTR in epilepsy.
Routinizing and scrutinizing: Divergent yet potentially complementary modes of valuing money's material forms
Authors: Vasantkumar Chris
Published: April 2024

This essay contrasts and explores the complementarity between “routinizing” modes of valuation (relating money tokens to monetary value) that predominate in the contemporary global north with “scrutinizing” modes found in the past and on the periphery of more familiar forms. The former treat the relationship between pecuniary media and money value as independent from the physical condition of specific money tokens which are held to be universally fungible. By contrast, the latter foreground the characteristics of notes and coins as singularized objects that exist within and are potentially reconfigured semiotically by the workings of time upon their physical surfaces. Scrutinizing modes may in turn be divided between systems that seek pristine money tokens that elide their own historicity and those that treat wear and tear as indexical of previous instances of successful valuation. Ultimately the essay identifies three provisional ideal typical modes for practices of money's valuation. Two of these, the systems of routinization in the contemporary global north and of circulation-focal scrutinization, might be taken to be antithetical. By contrast, the third, the hybrid routinizing-scrutinizing model(s) we encounter on the peripheries of the contemporary state-money system or anywhere confidence about money's value starts to break down highlights the potential coexistence and complementarity of different monies within a single disjunctive system. Such complementarity often takes the form of routinized low value and scrutinized high value currencies, yet local, historically sedimented practices are foremost in the formation of such hybrid forms. Examples are drawn from nineteenth century America and China and from contemporary Southeast Asia.
Implementing global positioning system trackers for people with dementia who are at risk of wandering
Authors: Doyle Michael , Nwofe Emmanuel S , Rooke Clementinah , Seelam Kalyan , Porter John , Bishop David
Published: April 2024

Objective

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of using a GPS tracker to mitigate the risks associated with wandering for people with dementia and those caring for them and further evaluate the impact of trackers in delaying 24-hour care and the potential for reducing the involvement of support services, such as the police, in locating patients.

Methods

We recruited forty-five wearers-carers dyads, and a GPS tracker was issued to each participant. Dyads completed pre-and post-outcome questionnaires after six months, and a use-log of experiences was maintained through monthly monitoring calls. At six months, focus groups were conducted with 14 dyads where they shared ideas and learning. Data analyses were performed on outcome questionnaires, use-log analysis, and focus groups discussion.

Results

A 24% ( N = 14) attrition rate was recorded, with 76% ( N = 34) of the participants completing pre- and post-outcome questionnaires, of which 41% ( N = 14) attended four focus group meetings. Participants reported enhanced independence for wearers as fewer restrictions were placed on their movements, peace of mind and reduced burden for the carers with less need to involve police or social services, and delays in 24-hour care.

Conclusion

The results supported the feasibility of routine implementation of GPS trackers in dementia care with clear guidance, monitoring and support to family carers on safe use. This could delay admission into 24-hour care as wearers and carers have a greater sense of safety and are better connected should help be required. Studies with larger sample sizes, diverse participants and health economic analysis are needed to develop the evidence base further ahead of the routine implementation of GPS trackers in health and social care services.
Transposition and substitution-letter effects in a flanker task: Evidence from children and adults
Authors: Lázaro Miguel , García Lorena , Martínez Alfonso , Moraleda Esther
Published: April 2024

Several studies have shown that parafoveal processing is essential in reading development. In this study, we explore the effect of transposing and substituting inner and outer letters in a flanker lexical decision task administered to 78 children and 65 adults. The results show a significant interaction between the Group factor and the Flanker factor, suggesting differences in the effects of flankers for children and adults. In the case of adults, transposed and substituted letters generated benefit of the same magnitude in comparison with the unrelated condition, but of lesser magnitude than the Identity condition. In the case of children, the results show facilitation for the transposed conditions of the same magnitude as the Identity condition. However, the substitution conditions failed to generate any benefit in comparison with the unrelated condition. The results for the adults are in line with the predictions of the open bigram model, whereas the results for the children are explained through a developmental perspective of the dual-route architecture and open bigram framework.
The Essential Oils of Wyethia Species: Wyethia Amplexicaulis (Nutt.) Nutt. and Wyethia Helianthoides Nutt.
Authors: Swor Kathy , Satyal Prabodh , Poudel Ambika , Setzer William N.
Published: April 2024

Background/Objective: Wyethia amplexicaulis (shiny mule's ears) and Wyethia helianthoides (white-head mule's ears) are conspicuous forbs growing in open hillsides and prairies at mid to upper elevations in the Intermountain West region of the United States. There have been no previous reports on the essential oil compositions of any Wyethia species, so the objective of this study is to examine the chemical compositions, including enantiomeric distribution of chiral terpenoids, of W. amplexicaulis and W. helianthoides from southern Idaho. Methods: Three individual samples of W. amplexicaulis and W. helianthoides were collected, and the essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation using a Likens-Nickerson apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, and enantioselective GC-MS. Results: The essential oils were obtained in yields of 0.090% to 0.136% and 1.489% to 1.771% for W. amplexicaulis and W. helianthoides, respectively. The three W. helianthoides samples showed high similarity with (−)-germacrene D (16.5%-21.5%), ( E)-β-ocimene (10.0%-14.3%), myrcene (8.6%-12.4%), α-pinene (6.3%-7.3%, ≥ 95% (+)-α-pinene), 15-copaenol (4.3%-6.0%), and carotol (3.5%-5.9%) as the major components. The W. amplexicaulis essential oils, on the other hand, showed variation. Two samples were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, mostly myrcene (22.4% and 32.2%), while the third sample was dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenoids, 15-copaenol (11.4%), carotol (10.0%), silphiperolan-7β-ol (8.2%), and caryophyllene oxide (5.8%). This is the first investigation of Wyethia essential oils. Conclusions: There are 11 recognized Wyethia species, so additional research is needed to understand the volatile phytochemicals present in this genus.
Ultra-high-field 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging in fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS)
Authors: Lakhani Dhairya A , Agarwal Amit K , Middlebrooks Erik H
Published: April 2024

Fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by premutation expansion of fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. It is a common single-gene cause of tremor, ataxia, and cognitive decline in adults. FXTAS affects the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous systems, leading to a range of neurological symptoms from dementia to dysautonomia. A characteristic imaging feature of FXTAS is symmetric T2 hyperintensity in the deep white matter of the cerebellar hemispheres and middle cerebral peduncle. However, recent studies have reported additional findings on diffusion weighted images (DWI), such as a symmetric high-intensity band-like signal at the cerebral corticomedullary junction. These findings, along with the characteristic cerebellar signal alterations, overlap with imaging findings seen in adult-onset neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID). Importantly, recent pathology studies have shown that both FXTAS and NIID can manifest intranuclear inclusion bodies, posing a diagnostic challenge and potential for misdiagnosis. We describe a 58-year-old man with FXTAS who received an erroneous diagnosis based on imaging and histopathology results. We emphasize the potential pitfalls in distinguishing NIID from FXTAS and stress the importance of genetic analysis in all cases with suspected NIID and FXTAS for confirmation. Additionally, we present the 7T MRI brain findings of FXTAS.
Leading digital transformation: Dilemmas of a chief digital and information officer
Authors: Panteli Niki
Published: April 2024

The female protagonist of the case needs to make an important decision on whether to ‘stay or go’ in her current role at Kappa University. She had been in the university as a Chief Digital and Information Officer for nearly 3 years but was not given a strategic status, leaving her out of important decisions; yet she is responsible for the biggest budget of the university. The case raises issues on the strategic importance of digital transformation but also the recognition that female IT leaders may or may not have within their organisation and their influence on decision-making linked to digital transformation matters. The case explores the role of digital leaders and their relation to senior management; the challenges they face when not given a strategic role and the impact that this may have on the organisation’s experience with digital transformation. Further, the case provides the opportunity to students to compare and contrast different employment arrangements such as independent contracting and permanent employment. The case can be used on courses on digital transformation, digital strategy and IT leadership.