bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biodiversity losses associated with global warming of 1.5 to 4 °C above pre-industrial levels in six countries
Authors: Price J. , Warren R. , Forstenhäusler N.
Published: February 2024

We quantify the projected impacts of alternative levels of global warming upon the climatically determined geographic ranges of plants and vertebrates in six countries (China, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and India), accounting for uncertainties in regional climate projection. We quantify in a spatially explicit fashion the species richness remaining or lost, allowing the identification of climate refugia which we define as areas where > 75% of the species currently present remain in a world with a particular level of global warming above pre-industrial levels. In all countries and in both taxa, species richness declines with warming, as does the proportion of each country remaining a climate refugium for plants or vertebrates. In percentage terms, refugia loss relative to a 1961–1990 baseline period is greatest in India and Brazil, and least in Ghana and Ethiopia for the same level of warming, and is greater for plants than for vertebrates. Taking account of present land uses (i.e. area still considered natural), and using species richness of plants as a proxy to indicate biodiversity more generally, the proportion of land acting as climate refugia for biodiversity in five of the countries variously declines from 32–75% of a country in the 1961–1990 baseline period to 20–64% for 1.5 °C global warming, 11–53% for 2 °C, 3–33% for 3 °C and 2–24% for 4 °C warming. In Ethiopia, India, Brazil and China, climate refugia decline rapidly with warming while in Ghana and China some refugia persist even with 3–4 °C of warming. Only small percentages of Brazil, India and China are both climate refugia and lie within protected areas; hence, an expansion of the protected area networks in these countries would be required to deliver climate resilient biodiversity conservation. These percentages are larger in Ethiopia and Ghana and, in some areas of Ghana, the only remaining refugia are in protected areas, the remaining landscape converted to other uses.
Non-enzymatic electrochemical voltammetric sensors based on thulium:zinc oxide for dopamine detection
Authors: Yıldız Dilber Esra , Unal Fatma , Taşaltın Nevin
Published: February 2024

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) powders with dopant rates of 1 mol% thulium (Tm) (1Tm:ZnO), 2 mol% Tm (2Tm:ZnO), and 3 mol% Tm (3Tm:ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method. Subsequently, Polyaniline (PANI)/1Tm:ZnO, PANI/2Tm:ZnO, and PANI/3Tm:ZnO nanocomposite sensors were prepared using a low-cost and simple sonication method. The results showed that the prepared PANI/1Tm:ZnO-based biosensor detected dopamine in the concentration range of (0.8–6.5) µM with a sensitivity of 0.2568 µAµM−1cm−2. Using these sensitivity values of the sensor, the LOD and LOQ values of the PANI/1Tm:ZnO-based sensor were calculated as 1.92 µM and 5.8 µM, respectively. The incorporation of 1% Tm into ZnO host (PANI/1Tm:ZnO) significantly enhanced the sensitivity of the biosensors.
Labor scarcity, technology adoption and innovation: evidence from the cholera pandemics in 19th century France
Authors: Franck Raphaël
Published: February 2024

To analyze the impact of labor scarcity on technology adoption and innovation, this study uses the differential spread of cholera across France in 1832, 1849 and 1854, before the transmission mode of this disease was understood. The results suggest that a larger share of cholera deaths in the population, which can be causally linked to summer temperature levels, had a positive and significant short-run effect on technology adoption and innovation in agriculture but a negative and significant short-run impact on technology adoption in industry. These results can be explained by the positive impact of labor scarcity on human capital formation.
Landslide risk assessment integrating susceptibility, hazard, and vulnerability analysis in Northern Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Hilal , Alam Mehtab , Yinghua Zhang , Najeh Taoufik , Gamil Yaser , Hameed Sajid
Published: February 2024

The purpose of this study is to assess the landslide risk for Hunza–Nagar Valley (Northern Pakistan). In this study, different conditioning factors, e.g., topographical, geomorphological, climatic, and geological factors were considered. Two machine learning approaches, i.e., logistic regression and artificial neural network were used to develop landslide susceptibility maps. The accuracy test was carried out using the receiving operative characteristic (ROC) curve. Which showed that the success and prediction rates of LR model is 82.60 and 81.60%, while 77.90 and 75.40%, for the ANN model. Due to the physiographic condition of the area, the rainfall density was considered as the primary triggering factor and landslide index map was generated. Moreover, using the Aster data the land cover (LC) map was developed. The settlements were extracted from the LC map and used as the elements at risk and hence, the vulnerability index was developed. Finally, the landslide risk map (LRM) for the Hunza–Nagar valley was developed. The LRM indicated that 37.25 (20.21 km2) and 47.64% (25.84 km2) of the total settlements lie in low and very high-risk zones. This landslide risk map can help decision-makers for potential land development and landslide countermeasures.
Seedling survival and plantation success in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Berhe Daniel Hagos , Gidey Tesfay , Gebregziabher Dawit , Tesema Teshome , Anjulo Agena , Retta Abeba Nigussie , Sisay Amare , Okolo Chukwuebuka Christopher
Published: February 2024

We studied tree seedling survival rates and plantation success of the Growth and Transformation Plan I—GTP I (2011–2015) in the drylands of Northern Ethiopia. The study was carried out in six randomly selected districts of Tigrai region that represent three agro-ecological zones: the highland, midland and lowland. A biophysical survey was conducted to assess the survival rates of tree seedlings and the success rate of the plantation interventions. The study employed both primary and secondary data sources. Results revealed that there were variations (P < 0.05) in the survival of planted tree seedlings among plantation sites of the same village, between the villages of the same district and among the districts. The regional mean survival rate of planted tree seedlings was 53%. The planting interventions were not encouraging due to lack of pre- and post-planting management, moisture stress, poor soil and site conditions, planting an unmanageable number of seedlings, weak law enforcement and lack of proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. In the study areas, four types of ownership were identified: private, communal, state and youth groups. Among the ownership types, private ownership had the highest rate of success, whereas community ownership had the lowest rate. For sustaining successful plantation development, watering, pre- and post-planting management of planted tree seedlings and permanent employment of guards are important.
Notes on Dialectics: C. L. R. James's Hegel
Authors: Ilieva Evgenia
Published: February 2024

Hegel's philosophy has been a fundamental reference point for a broad network of mid-twentieth century anticolonial thinkers and activists, a major inspiration for figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Frantz Fanon, C. L. R. James, Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis, among others. James's Notes on Dialectics (1948) constitutes one of the most significant textual engagements with Hegel from within that internationalist tradition. Even though James considered Notes to be his most important work and one of his lasting contributions to Marxist theory, it remains the least read and studied of his books. In comparison to the abovementioned thinkers, all of whom drew inspiration from Hegel's social and political philosophy, in his monograph, James turns instead to Hegel's most difficult text, the Science of Logic, as the true locus of Hegel's critical theory. Situating James's study within the Marxist philosophical tradition, this essay explores how James interprets, appropriates and makes use of Hegel's dialectic.
American Hegelianism and its Impact Upon Indian Boarding School Policy
Authors: Beisecker Dave , Ervin Joseph
Published: February 2024

In early 2021, a Canadian investigation revealed the discovery of over a thousand grave sites of indigenous children on the grounds of Indian residential schools across Canada. These discoveries prompted US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to announce a similar investigation into the ongoing legacy and intergenerational impact of federally sponsored Indian boarding schools in the United States. In addition to documenting the legacy of abuse, neglect and dominance of indigenous peoples, we believe that such reflection upon the impact of Indian boarding schools should also include the justifications that were used to promote the government policy of compelling indigenous children to leave family, tribe, customs and even language behind to be acculturated in remote boarding schools far from home or reservation. For while in hindsight these policies can be both deplored and regretted, they were not crafted in a philosophical vacuum. Specifically, it might come as a surprise to scholars today that Hegelian thought actually featured in the support and promotion of such policies. We propose to tell at least part of this story, by focusing on the leading American Hegelian of the time, William Torrey Harris, who—as director of the famed Concord School of Philosophy and also longtime US Commissioner of Education—was highly influential in both philosophical and educational circles. In that latter capacity, Harris penned a defence of the boarding school system, which drew upon broadly Hegelian ideas and language. So while we have elsewhere defended and lauded Harris and the St Louis Hegelians for their contributions to American philosophy and democratic educational thought, here is one respect in which this influence has not stood up well to the test of time.
Women seeking justice: claims-making in lower courts in Benin
Authors: Wing Susanna D.
Published: February 2024

While the challenges of family law reform and barriers to justice are widely studied, there is a gap in our understanding of the gendered nature of the use of courts in West Africa. Through analysis of judicial decisions in Courts of First Instance (Tribunaux de Première Instance) in Allada and Cotonou, Benin, this article examines how women and men use lower courts in family law cases. This article finds that despite barriers to access to formal institutions, women use these courts in equal numbers as do men, and they use them for divorce, as well as to claim child custody, child-support and alimony. Men mostly use family law courts to determine paternity and to seek divorce. Despite a widespread lack of confidence in courts and tribunals, these Courts of First Instance are a tool for women to challenge social hierarchy and to claim rights for themselves and their children.
Professionelle Gesundheitskompetenz bei Pflegenden in Deutschland
Authors: Schaeffer Doris , Haarmann Alexander , Griese Lennert
Published: February 2024

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Bislang ist wenig bekannt darüber, wie sich die professionelle Gesundheitskompetenz (GK) von Pflegenden darstellt, d.h. wie gut sie in der Lage sind, die GK von Patient_innen zu fördern. Vorliegende Studien konzentrieren sich auf die persönliche GK, die nicht deckungsgleich mit der professionellen GK ist. Deshalb wurden ein neues Konzept und ein Fragebogen zur professionellen GK entwickelt und erstmals eingesetzt. Die damit für Pflegende in Deutschland gewonnenen Daten werden in dem Artikel analysiert. Fragestellung: Gefragt wird, wie sich die professionelle GK bei Pflegenden darstellt und mit welchen Einflussfaktoren sie assoziiert ist. Methoden: Die Daten wurden in einer Online-Befragung gewonnen, in der Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegende zu den sich ihnen stellenden Schwierigkeiten in vier Aufgabenbereichen befragt wurden: (1) Informations- und Wissensmanagement, (2) Informations- und Wissensvermittlung, (3) patientenzentrierte Kommunikation und (4) professionelle digitale GK. Zur Analyse wurden deskriptive und multivariate, lineare Regressionsverfahren genutzt. Ergebnisse: Die 624 Befragten schätzen den vierten Aufgabenbereich am schwierigsten ein. Der erste und zweite Aufgabenbereich werden ähnlich schwierig beurteilt. Die geringsten Schwierigkeiten bereitet der dritte Aufgabenbereich. Die professionelle GK steht in positivem Zusammenhang mit der Bewertung der Ausbildungs- und Rahmenbedingungen. Schlussfolgerungen: Trotz relativ positiver Gesamteinschätzung weisen die Ergebnisse auf Verbesserungsbedarf hin, der unbedingt angegangen werden sollte.
Relationship between traditional risk factors for hypertension and systolic blood pressure in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-based Cohort Study
Authors: Takase Masato , Nakaya Naoki , Tanno Kozo , Kogure Mana , Hatanaka Rieko , Nakaya Kumi , Chiba Ippei , Kanno Ikumi , Nochioka Kotaro , Tsuchiya Naho , Nakamura Tomohiro , Hirata Takumi , Obara Taku , Ishikuro Mami , Kotozaki Yuka , Uruno Akira , Kobayashi Tomoko , Kodama Eiichi N. , Hamanaka Yohei , Orui Masatsugu , Ogishima Soichi , Nagaie Satoshi , Ohmomo Hideki , Fuse Nobuo , Sugawara Junichi , Shimizu Atsushi , Izumi Yoko , Kuriyama Shinichi , Hozawa Atsushi ,   the ToMMo investigators
Published: February 2024

Risk factors for hypertension have been emphasized in the Japanese Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension. However, large-scale studies on the association of smoking, potassium excretion, and gamma-glutamyl transferase level with BP in the Japanese population are limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the association between hypertension risk factors and systolic blood pressure in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Community-based Cohort Study (23,446 men and 38,921 women aged ≥20 years). A model adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking status, drinking status, estimated daily salt intake, potassium excretion, (or urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio), gamma-glutamyl transferase, physical activity, education level, status of damage to homes during the Great East Japan Earthquake, and residential areas was used. The average age and systolic blood pressure were 62.5 (10.3) years for men and 59.6 (11.3) years for women, 128.9 (16.7) mmHg for men and 124.7 (17.5) mmHg for women, respectively. Body mass index estimated daily salt intake, urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels were positively associated with systolic blood pressure. Compared with never-drinkers, current drinkers who consumed 23–45 g/day and ≥46.0 g/day had significantly increased systolic blood pressure. Conversely, current smokers (1-10 cigarettes/day and 11-20 cigarettes/day) were inversely associated with systolic blood pressure compared to never-smokers. Overall, systolic blood pressure was associated with gamma-glutamyl transferase and hypertension risk factors, including body mass index, alcohol consumption, estimated daily salt intake, urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio, and potassium excretion. Our findings support the notion that lifestyle modifications should be attempted to prevent hypertension.
Determinants of private-sector antibiotic consumption in India: findings from a quasi-experimental fixed-effects regression analysis using cross-sectional time-series data, 2011–2019
Authors: Koya Shaffi Fazaludeen , Ganesh Senthil , Selvaraj Sakthivel , Wirtz Veronika J. , Galea Sandro , Rockers Peter C.
Published: February 2024

The consumption of antibiotics varies between and within countries. However, our understanding of the key drivers of antibiotic consumption is largely limited to observational studies. Using Indian data that showed substantial differences between states and changes over years, we conducted a quasi-experimental fixed-effects regression study to examine the determinants of private-sector antibiotic consumption. Antibiotic consumption decreased by 10.2 antibiotic doses per 1000 persons per year for every ₹1000 (US$12.9) increase in per-capita gross domestic product. Antibiotic consumption decreased by 46.4 doses per 1000 population per year for every 1% increase in girls’ enrollment rate in tertiary education. The biggest determinant of private sector antibiotic use was government spending on health—antibiotic use decreased by 461.4 doses per 1000 population per year for every US$12.9 increase in per-capita government health spending. Economic progress, social progress, and increased public investment in health can reduce private-sector antibiotic use.
Assessing spatiotemporal characteristics of atmospheric water cycle processes over the Tibetan Plateau using the WRF model and finer box model
Authors: Pan Xiaoduo , Nie Xiaowei , Li Hu , Washakh Rana Muhammad Ali , Jin Jing
Published: February 2024

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the highest and one of the most extensive plateaus in the world and serves as a hotspot of climate change. In the context of climate warming, changes in evapotranspiration (ET) and external water vapor transport have a significant impact on assessing atmospheric water cycle processes over the TP. By using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for long-term simulations and the finer box model for the calculation of water vapor along the boundary of the TP, the external atmospheric water vapor transport and its spatiotemporal characteristics over the TP are finely described. The simulated precipitation and ET are well-simulated compared with observation. Research results show that: (1) The total water path on the TP decreases from southeast to northwest. Water vapor is mainly transported into the TP from the western and southern boundaries. The net water vapor flux transported from the western boundary to the TP by westerly wind is negative, while the net water vapor flux transported from the southern boundary to the TP by southerly wind is positive. (2) In spring and winter, water vapor is mainly transported into the TP by mid-latitude westerlies from the western boundary. In summer, water vapor transport controlled by mid-latitude westerlies weakens, and water vapor is mainly transported into the TP from the southern boundary. In autumn, water vapor controlled by mid-latitude westerlies gradually strengthens, and water vapor is mainly transported into the TP from the western boundary. In addition, the ratio of ET to precipitation on the TP is about 0.48, and the moisture recycling is about 0.37. Water vapor mainly comes from external water vapor transport.
Numerical simulation of single-jet impact cooling and double-jet impact cooling of hot-rolled L-shaped steel based on multiphase flow model
Authors: Li Jie , Zhao Xianming , Zhang Hongliang , Li Dezhi
Published: February 2024

In this paper, numerical simulations of single-jet impingement cooling and double-jet impingement cooling processes of heated L-shaped steel are carried out using the VOF model. The SIMPLEC pressure–velocity coupling algorithm and realizable k-ε model are used for the solution. The effects of jet position, water flow, and jet distance in the single-jet condition are analyzed in the simulations. The distributions of impact pressure, turbulence kinetic energy, and Nusselt number were obtained, as well as the variation of the peak values of these three factors with the jet position, water flow, and jet distance. The water flow rate is 3–11 L/min, and the jet distance is 5–25 cm. The effect of the distance between the two nozzles on the jet cooling uniformity under the dual jet condition was also analyzed. The distance between the two nozzles was 15–45 mm. The results showed that the variation of water flow rate had a greater effect on the ability of jet cooling compared with the jet position and jet distance, and the heat transfer efficiency also increased gradually with the increase of water flow, but the increased rate of heat transfer efficiency decreased gradually. When the flow rate increased from 3 to 11 L/min, the maximum instantaneous cooling rates at 1/4 of the thickness of the short side upper side, long side upper side, short side lower side, and long side lower side positions increased by 38.9%, 48.5%, 48.2%, and 32.9%, respectively. To ensure that the jet does not shift, the jet distance should be less than or equal to 10 cm. In the case of the double jet, the nozzle distance is 1.5 cm, and the cooling uniformity of the cooling area between the two nozzles is better. The peak Nusselt number in the cooling area of each part under the double jet cooling condition increased by 5%, 9.4%, 10.2%, and 13.3%, respectively, compared with the single jet.
SDF-1 involvement in orthodontic tooth movement after tooth extraction
Authors: Rintanalert Duangtawan , Ishida Yuji , Huang Albert Chun-shuo , Hatano-sato Kasumi , Li Kai , Chantarawaratit Pintu-on , Usumi-fujita Risa , Hosomichi Jun , Ono Takashi
Published: February 2024

The stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) axis plays a key role in alveolar bone metabolism during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Herein, the effects of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis on the regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP) in OTM velocity and on changes in the surrounding periodontium after adjacent tooth extraction in rats were investigated. Six-week-old male Wistar/ST rats underwent left maxillary first molar (M1) extraction and mesial OTM of the left maxillary second molar (M2) with a 10-g force closed-coil spring. Phosphate-buffered saline, immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype control antibody, or anti-SDF-1 neutralizing monoclonal antibody were injected at the M1 and M2 interproximal areas (10 μg/0.1 mL) for the first three days. Analyses were performed after 1, 3, and 7 days (n = 7). The results demonstrated a significant increase in SDF-1 expression from day 1, which was effectively blocked via anti-SDF-1 neutralizing monoclonal antibody injection. On day 3, the M2 OTM distance and the number of positively stained osteoclasts significantly reduced alongside a reduction in inflammatory markers in the experimental group. Our results demonstrated that serial local injection of the anti-SDF-1 neutralizing monoclonal antibody reduces M2 OTM, osteoclast accumulation, and localized inflammatory responses in an OTM model with tooth extraction-induced RAP.
Intra- and peritumoral radiomics features based on multicenter automatic breast volume scanner for noninvasive and preoperative prediction of HER2 status in breast cancer: a model ensemble research
Authors: Wang Hui , Chen Wei , Jiang Shanshan , Li Ting , Chen Fei , Lei Junqiang , Li Ruixia , Xi Lili , Guo Shunlin
Published: February 2024

The aim to investigate the predictive efficacy of automatic breast volume scanner (ABVS), clinical and serological features alone or in combination at model level for predicting HER2 status. The model weighted combination method was developed to identify HER2 status compared with single data source model method and feature combination method. 271 patients with invasive breast cancer were included in the retrospective study, of which 174 patients in our center were randomized into the training and validation sets, and 97 patients in the external center were as the test set. Radiomics features extracted from the ABVS-based tumor, peritumoral 3 mm region, and peritumoral 5 mm region and clinical features were used to construct the four types of the optimal single data source models, Tumor, R3mm, R5mm, and Clinical model, respectively. Then, the model weighted combination and feature combination methods were performed to optimize the combination models. The proposed weighted combination models in predicting HER2 status achieved better performance both in validation set and test set. For the validation set, the single data source model, the feature combination model, and the weighted combination model achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.803 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.660–947), 0.739 (CI 0.556,0.921), and 0.826 (95% CI 0.689,0.962), respectively; with the sensitivity and specificity were 100%, 62.5%; 81.8%, 66.7%; 90.9%,75.0%; respectively. For the test set, the single data source model, the feature combination model, and the weighted combination model attained the best AUC of 0.695 (95% CI 0.583, 0.807), 0.668 (95% CI 0.555,0.782), and 0.700 (95% CI 0.590,0.811), respectively; with the sensitivity and specificity were 86.1%, 41.9%; 61.1%, 71.0%; 86.1%, 41.9%; respectively. The model weighted combination was a better method to construct a combination model. The optimized weighted combination models composed of ABVS-based intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics features and clinical features may be potential biomarkers for the noninvasive and preoperative prediction of HER2 status in breast cancer.
Effect of interlayer slipping on the geometric, thermal and adsorption properties of 2D covalent organic frameworks: a comprehensive review based on computational modelling studies
Authors: Sajid Hasnain
Published: February 2024

In 2D-COFs, fluctuation in interlayer stacking affects the energetic stability, mechanical strength, thermal conductivity and adsorption capacity of the COFs.
Expression of Concern: One-pot synthesis of acid-degradable polyphosphazene prodrugs for efficient tumor chemotherapy
Authors: Zhou Na , Zhang Ning , Zhi Zhe , Jing Xunan , Liu Daomeng , Shao Yongping , Wang Daquan , Meng Lingjie
Published: February 2024

Expression of Concern for ‘One-pot synthesis of acid-degradable polyphosphazene prodrugs for efficient tumor chemotherapy’ by Na Zhou et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2020, 8, 10540–10548, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0TB01992E.
Chick Lit
Authors: Montoro Rocío , Zaganor Sena Hilal
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we look at characterisation in the popular fiction genre Chick Lit by analysing laughter-talk in
conversational humour. This is the first systematic analysis of how a variety of humour phenomena are linguistically realised in
the genre despite humour being as aspect recurrently referred to as intrinsic to the genre. We use a combination of methods, both
corpus-based and qualitative in nature, to identify instances in which laughter occurs, which we (broadly) associate with the
presence of humour. Thus, with the use of self-compiled corpora, we assess the nature of humorous mechanisms in the genre. We
conclude by arguing that humorous encounters are genre-defining and essential for characterisation. Humour analysis allows us to
argue that Chick Lit protagonists are prototypically presented as non-aggressive, non-threatening individuals, which also
contributes to the depiction of down-to-earth characters readers expect in the genre.
Chinese “face”-related expressions in Peking and Teochew Opera scripts
Authors: Chen Jiejun , House Juliane , Kádár Dániel Z.
Published: February 2024

This paper presents a historical contrastive pragmatic study of the use of Chinese “face”-related expressions in
Peking and Teochew Opera scripts. The rationale behind this investigation is that contemporary Mandarin and the Minnan Dialect
operate with very different inventories of “face”-related expressions, and it is worth considering whether this difference also
applies to historical language use, and, if so, how. Studying this matter is particularly relevant for historical pragmatic
research because “face”-related expressions have been under-represented in the field. Our study is based on a corpus of nineteen
Peking Opera scripts and a comparable corpus of nineteen Teochew Opera scripts, dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. The results of our analysis show that the historical Mandarin corpus operates with a duality of the “face”-related
expressions lian and mian, in a similar way to modern Mandarin, even though we also found
differences between the ways in which these expressions were used in former times and at present. Yet such differences are
eclipsed if we contrast historical Mandarin with the Teochew scripts where we found a very different “face” duality than in
Mandarin, namely a duality of yan and mian. This duality also differs from what one can witness
in present-day Minnan.
Automorphism groups of affine varieties consisting of algebraic elements
Authors: Perepechko Alexander , Regeta Andriy
Published: February 2024

Given an affine algebraic variety

X
X

, we prove that if the neutral component

A
u
t

∘

(
X
)

\mathrm {Aut}^\circ (X)

of the automorphism group consists of algebraic elements, then it is nested, i.e., is a direct limit of algebraic subgroups. This improves our earlier result (see Perepechko and Regeta [Transform. Groups 28 (2023), pp. 401–412]). To prove it, we obtain the following fact. If a connected ind-group

G
G

contains a closed connected nested ind-subgroup

H
⊂
G

H\subset G

, and for any

g
∈
G

g\in G

some positive power of

g
g

belongs to

H
H

, then

G
=
H

G=H

.
Corrigendum to “A Severi type theorem for surfaces in ℙ⁶”
Authors: De Poi Pietro , Ilardi Giovanna
Published: February 2024

In Theorem 0.1 of the paper “A Severi type theorem for surfaces in

P

6

\mathbb {P}^6

” [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 149 (2021), pp. 591–605], we claimed to have given a complete classification of smooth surfaces in

P

6

\mathbb {P}^6

with one 4-secant plane through the general point of

P

6

\mathbb {P}^6

, but the classification is still incomplete.
Semiclassical Moser–Trudinger inequalities
Authors: Arora Rakesh , Nam Phan Thành , Nguyen Phuoc-Tai
Published: February 2024

We extend the Moser–Trudinger inequality of one function to systems of orthogonal functions. Our results are asymptotically sharp when applied to the collective behavior of eigenfunctions of Schrödinger operators on bounded domains.
Greek inspiration
Authors: Rozelle-Stone A. Rebecca
Published: February 2024

Weil’s education in philosophy was, from early on, classical; therefore, the story of her thought begins with an examination of the influence of ancient Greek philosophy and literature on her thinking. Having learned Greek at a young age, Weil was inspired by ideas she found in the writings of Homer, Sophocles, Aeschylus, Plato, and others. Weil was no mere exegete of their writings. Indeed, she often made unorthodox interpretations that fitted with her eclectic influences and unique Christian outlook, such as her claim that Plato is a mystic. This chapter is centred on four important social, political, and ethical themes that emerged from her deep familiarity with and admiration for the ancient Greek tradition, namely: the nature of power and balance (or equilibrium); justice (in contradistinction to ‘rights’); the relation between contradiction and truth; and desire for the good. The omission of Aristotle from the group of Greek thinkers that were explicitly formative in Weil’s philosophical development is also addressed at the outset of the chapter. In many ways, this chapter serves as a brief introduction to Weil’s metaphysics, which will be further elaborated in the remainder of the book.
Labour and politics
Authors: Rozelle-Stone A. Rebecca
Published: February 2024

This chapter explores Weil’s political philosophy, beginning with the experiences and corresponding ideas from her time in the factories, which she recorded in her Factory Journal, including the effects of monotonous factory work on the soul: fatigue, alienation, affliction, and humiliation. Weil understood the importance of governing bodies, social practices, customs, and opportunities for work and relationality that are scaled to reflect human needs in an ideal society, but what she observed in early 20th-century France was a society geared more towards machines, profit, automation, and efficiency than persons. While her reflections upon the problems of monotonous work and the conditions for dignified labour constitute the first part of this chapter, subsequent sections include her critiques of Marxist theory regarding the liberation of the workers and the notion of revolution itself, as well as the problems with political rhetoric and political parties. The end of the chapter examines Weil’s descriptions of the needs of the human soul and her vision for an ideal society, along with some possible limitations of these ideas.
Earthquakes and tsunamis
Authors: McGuire Bill
Published: February 2024

Earthquakes are our planet’s way of releasing strain accumulated as a consequence of the relative movements of the tectonic plates. In doing so, they take an enormous toll on lives and livelihoods, to the extent that they are responsible—on average—for around 20,000 deaths a year. Earthquakes can happen anywhere on the planet, but the deadliest occur around the Pacific Rim and in a band stretching from southern Europe eastwards through central Asia and into China. Major submarine earthquakes on so-called mega-thrusts can trigger tsunamis that can take many tens of thousands of lives. Most people who die in earthquakes, however, do so due to building collapse, which is almost entirely the result of poor construction, leading to buildings that are unable to withstand the strong ground shaking caused by powerful seismic waves. The size of an earthquake is denoted by its Moment Magnitude, while the intensity of shaking is determined using the Modified Mercalli Scale. The locations of future earthquakes may be narrowed down by looking for seismic gaps, where a quake has not happened for longer than expected. Although there are sometimes precursory warning signs it is not, however, possible to accurately predict an earthquake, and it may never be possible. Consequently, the only way to reduce their impact is to build better, ensuring that structures are life-safe so that they stay upright when the ground shakes.
Effect of low- versus high-dose 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate in factor Xa inhibitor–associated bleeding: A qualitative systematic review
Authors: Phillips Anna , Bradley Colby , Cash Julie , Sangiovanni Ryan , Wingerson Charles
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to evaluate current literature on the treatment of factor Xa inhibitor–associated bleeds with 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC), with a focus on the effect of low versus high dosing of 4F-PCC on hemostatic efficacy and safety outcomes.

A search of PubMed and EBSCOhost was performed to identify studies evaluating patients with a factor Xa inhibitor–bleed treated with 4F-PCC at either low or high doses. Studies of patients receiving alternative reversal agents such as fresh frozen plasma and andexanet alfa or where no comparator group was evaluated were excluded from the analysis. To assess the effect of these 4F-PCC dosing strategies, the primary outcome of interest was hemostatic efficacy. Four studies meeting inclusion criteria were included in this review. In each of the included studies, similar rates of hemostatic efficacy, hospital mortality, and venous thromboembolism were observed in the low- and high-dose cohorts.

Conclusion

These results suggest low- and high-dose 4F-PCC may confer similar clinical effectiveness and safety; however, these findings should be evaluated and confirmed with future prospective studies.
Large animal models of pressure overload-induced cardiac left ventricular hypertrophy to study remodelling of the human heart with aortic stenosis
Authors: Beslika Evangelia , Leite-Moreira Adelino , De Windt Leon J , da Costa Martins Paula A
Published: February 2024

Pathologic cardiac hypertrophy is a common consequence of many cardiovascular diseases, including aortic stenosis (AS). AS is known to increase the pressure load of the left ventricle, causing a compensative response of the cardiac muscle, which progressively will lead to dilation and heart failure. At a cellular level, this corresponds to a considerable increase in the size of cardiomyocytes, known as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, while their proliferation capacity is attenuated upon the first developmental stages. Cardiomyocytes, in order to cope with the increased workload (overload), suffer alterations in their morphology, nuclear content, energy metabolism, intracellular homeostatic mechanisms, contractile activity, and cell death mechanisms. Moreover, modifications in the cardiomyocyte niche, involving inflammation, immune infiltration, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, contribute to the subsequent events of a pathologic hypertrophic response. Considering the emerging need for a better understanding of the condition and treatment improvement, as the only available treatment option of AS consists of surgical interventions at a late stage of the disease, when the cardiac muscle state is irreversible, large animal models have been developed to mimic the human condition, to the greatest extend. Smaller animal models lack physiological, cellular and molecular mechanisms that sufficiently resemblance humans and in vitro techniques yet fail to provide adequate complexity. Animals, such as the ferret (Mustello purtorius furo), lapine (rabbit, Oryctolagus cunigulus), feline (cat, Felis catus), canine (dog, Canis lupus familiaris), ovine (sheep, Ovis aries), and porcine (pig, Sus scrofa), have contributed to research by elucidating implicated cellular and molecular mechanisms of the condition. Essential discoveries of each model are reported and discussed briefly in this review. Results of large animal experimentation could further be interpreted aiming at prevention of the disease progress or, alternatively, at regression of the implicated pathologic mechanisms to a physiologic state. This review summarizes the important aspects of the pathophysiology of LV hypertrophy and the applied surgical large animal models that currently better mimic the condition.
‘Tanto di Capuccini come di Giesuiti’: Religious Orders, Exceptionalism and the Absolution of Heretics in Early Modern Italy
Authors: Wärnberg Jessica M
Published: February 2024

From the first history of the Society of Jesus, written in the late sixteenth century, to modern scholarship on the order, texts by and about Jesuits have suggested that their approach to sacramental confession distinguished them from other religious groups in the eyes of the laity and ecclesiastical hierarchy. Recent histories have suggested that the particular spirituality, approach and talent of the Society’s confessors compelled popes to single out the Jesuits for privileges, empowering the Society as a papal task force in the fight against heresy. Focusing on the privilege of absolving heretics in confession, this article challenges this notion, arguing that popes empowered religious orders, including the Jesuits, for pragmatic reasons, not because of their particular charism or way of proceeding. The article compares the status and character of religious orders that emerged in the same period as the Jesuits to show that it was the Society’s scale, availability and orthodoxy that compelled popes to grant them the privilege of absolving heretics, allowing them to reconcile heretics autonomously where papal inquisitors could not. Using records from the Jesuit archive and the archive of the Roman Inquisition, the article confirms this conclusion with a case-study of privileges granted to Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries in Savoy–Piedmont at the turn of the seventeenth century. There, popes empowered both orders alike depending on practical need and availability, and despite the fact that the Capuchins had initially refused to administer the sacrament of confession.
35th Sharing Session – On SEPs – Standing Committee on the Law of Patents, WIPO, Geneva
Authors: Tochtermann Lea
Published: February 2024

WIPO’s Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) is in the early stages of placing standard essential patents (SEPs) on its agenda. Taken up at the initiative of the delegation of Canada, initial deliberations on the topic show cautious efforts to assess the current situation on very basic terms with the goal of achieving an understanding of the matter. On this basis, the SCP will evaluate whether WIPO should envisage taking action in the future and what form such action should take.
A new tort of inducing a breach of trust?
Authors: Pawlowski Mark , Brown James
Published: February 2024

This article considers whether a new tort of inducing a breach of trust would be a welcome development in English law. It is envisaged that any such new tort would inevitably have similar characteristics to the existing tort of inducing a breach of contract, namely, that the defendant: (1) acted with the requisite knowledge of the existence of a trust and (2) deliberately intended to interfere with the duties of the trustee. Actual knowledge would not be essential as it would be enough that the defendant turned a blind eye to the facts. The new tort would allow a claimant to pursue a third party where his/her wrongdoing consisted solely of threats or persuasion falling short of actual participation in, or the facilitation of, a breach of trust. Moreover, the tort would impose liability on the third party without proof of dishonesty provided that s/he had knowledge of the trust and the requisite intention to cause a breach. Apart from the remedy of damages, the claimant would have the advantage of seeking an injunction to restrain any threatened or future inducement. Aggravated damages could also be recovered in appropriate circumstances.
Prenatal prednisone exposure impacts liver development and function in fetal mice and its characteristics
Authors: Dai Yongguo , Peng Yu , Lu Zhengjie , Mao Tongyun , Chen Kaiqi , Lu Xiaoqian , Liu Kexin , Zhou Xinli , Hu Wen , Wang Hui
Published: February 2024

Prednisone, a widely used glucocorticoid drug in human and veterinary medicine, has been reported to cause developmental toxicity. However, systematic studies about the effect of prednisone on fetal liver development are still unclear. We investigated the potential effects of maternal exposure to clinically equivalent doses of prednisone during different gestational stages on cell proliferation and apoptosis, cell differentiation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and hematopoiesis in the liver of fetal mice, and explored the potential mechanisms. Results showed that prenatal prednisone exposure (PPE) could suppress cell proliferation, inhibit hepatocyte differentiation, and promote cholangiocyte differentiation in the fetal liver. Meanwhile, PPE could result in the enhancement of glyconeogenesis and bile acid synthesis and the inhibition of fatty acid β-oxidation and hematopoiesis in the fetal liver. Further analysis found that PPE-induced alterations in liver development had obvious stage and sex differences. Overall, the alteration in fetal liver development and function induced by PPE was most pronounced during the whole pregnancy (GD0–18), and the males were relatively more affected than the females. Additionally, fetal hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling pathway was inhibited by PPE. In conclusion, PPE could impact fetal liver development and multiple functions, and these alterations might be partially related to the inhibition of IGF1 signaling pathway.
Kielin/chordin‐like protein deficiency aggravates pressure overload‐induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling via P53/P21/CCNB1 signaling in mice
Authors: Xu Yao , Zheng Zihui , Pan Heng , Zhao Mengmeng , Zhang Jishou , Peng Shanshan , Liu Jianfang , Pan Wei , Yin Zheng , Xu Shuwan , Wei Cheng , Qin Juan‐Juan , Lin Yingzhong , Wan Jun , Wang Menglong
Published: February 2024

Targeting cardiac remodeling is regarded as a key therapeutic strategy for heart failure. Kielin/chordin‐like protein (KCP) is a secretory protein with 18 cysteine‐rich domains and associated with kidney and liver fibrosis. However, the relationship between KCP and cardiac remodeling remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of KCP in cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload and explore its potential mechanisms. Left ventricular (LV) KCP expression was measured with real‐time quantitative PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining in pressure overload‐induced cardiac remodeling in mice. Cardiac function and remodeling were evaluated in wide‐type (WT) mice and KCP knockout (KO) mice by echocardiography, which were further confirmed by histological analysis with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining. RNA sequence was performed with LV tissue from WT and KO mice to identify differentially expressed genes and related signaling pathways. Primary cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were used to validate the regulatory role and potential mechanisms of KCP during fibrosis. KCP was down‐regulated in the progression of cardiac remodeling induced by pressure overload, and was mainly expressed in fibroblasts. KCP deficiency significantly aggravated pressure overload‐induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling. RNA sequence revealed that the role of KCP deficiency in cardiac remodeling was associated with cell division, cell cycle, and P53 signaling pathway, while cyclin B1 (CCNB1) was the most significantly up‐regulated gene. Further investigation in vivo and in vitro suggested that KCP deficiency promoted the proliferation of CFs via P53/P21/CCNB1 pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that KCP deficiency aggravates cardiac dysfunction and remodeling induced by pressure overload via P53/P21/CCNB1 signaling in mice.
An Update on Prenatal Diethylstilbestrol Exposure and High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions of the Lower Genital Tract
Authors: Troisi Rebecca , Bertrand Kimberly , Hatch Elizabeth E. , Strohsnitter William C. , Aagaard Kjersti , Robboy Stanley J. , Gierach Gretchen , Titus Linda
Published: February 2024

Women with prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure are excluded from less frequent cervical cancer screening because of their increased neoplasia risk. We report the results of a prospective follow-up study of prenatal diethylstilbestrol exposure and lower genital tract high-grade (grade 2 or higher) squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). The age-adjusted risk of HSIL among diethylstilbestrol-exposed women (n=4,062) was higher than among the diethylstilbestrol unexposed (n=1,837) through age 44 years (hazard ratio 2.03, 95% CI, 1.31–3.14) but not age 45 years or older. Elevated HSIL risk remained higher in diethylstilbestrol-exposed women, after accounting for frequency of cervical cancer screening. Compared with unexposed women, HSIL risk was higher among women with earlier gestational and high-dose diethylstilbestrol exposure. These data confirm the appropriateness of more frequent screening among diethylstilbestrol-exposed women through age 44 years. Whether those aged 45 years or older should continue to have increased screening will require careful weighing of possible risks and benefits.