bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding the pipeline for multipurpose prevention technologies: compounds with potential activity to prevent or treat HIV and other STIs
Authors: Young Holt Bethany , Hemmerling Anke , Moore Susanna , Yang Katherine
Published: March 2023

Background

Continued high incidence of HIV and other STIs, paired with rising antibiotic resistance to a number of existing treatments, warrants the development of new pharmaceutical approaches for STI prevention. Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) offer an innovative approach for expanding HIV/STI prevention. The majority of MPT product candidates currently in development include HIV prevention, while only half include compounds active against non-HIV STIs.

Methods

This narrative review focuses on compounds in preclinical development (in vitro and in vivo) through phase 3 clinical trials with activity against one or more of the following infections: HIV, HSV-1, HSV-2, Chlamydia trachomatis,Neisseria gonorrhoeae,Treponema pallidum, andTrichomonas vaginalis.Bacterial vaginosis is included due to its association with increased risk of STIs. The focus is on compounds with novel mechanisms of action and prophylactic and/or therapeutic potential. Articles published in PubMed between 2011 and 2021, NIH RePorter and conference abstracts and proceedings between 2020 and 2021 were searched. Excluded from the review are compounds that are already being used in MPT product candidates.

Main results

There is a growing pipeline of compounds targeting viral STIs, many of which have successfully transitioned from preclinical to clinical stages of development. However, the product development pipeline remains limited for compounds that target bacterial STIs.

Conclusions

The paucity of new pharmaceutical approaches for STI prevention, particularly non-HIV STIs, remains a public health gap. Future funding priorities should include STI prevention research. Despite limited attention to STI prevention in the development of MPTs, many research institutions worldwide are working on discoveries of new compounds, exploring new indications for existing drugs or on innovative drug delivery mechanisms. Our findings can be used to connect researchers across the globe to advance the development of compounds that have potential as active pharmaceutical ingredients in future MPTs.
Dexamethasone-free antiemetic strategy for highly emetogenic chemotherapy: safety and efficacy-pilot study
Authors: Sharma Vinod , Kumar Akash , Baa Annie , Kirar Sudhir , Sharma Atul , Bakhshi Sameer , Gogia Ajay , Malik Prabhat Singh , Rastogi Sameer , Batra Atul , Pushpam Deepam , Kataria Babita , Sagiraju Hari , Sharma Aparna , Singh Vishwajeet
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Dexamethasone sparing strategies have shown success. The feasibility of a dexamethasone-free antiemetic strategy remains undetermined. A prospective, single-arm, pilot study was planned to determine the efficacy of an olanzapine-based, dexamethasone-free, three-drug antiemetic regimen.

Methods

Chemotherapy naïve, adult patients (≥18 years) who received ondansetron, aprepitant and olanzapine during the first cycle of highly emetogenic chemotherapy were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the rate of complete response (CR: no vomiting and no use of rescue medications) during the overall period (0–120 hours).

Results

Out of the total of 101 patients enrolled, most were women (82%) and received anthracycline cyclophosphamide (73%) combination therapy. The rate of CR for the overall period was 65% (95% CI 55.2% to 74.5%). The rate of CR for the acute and delayed period was 79% (95% CI 70% to 86.7%) and 76% (95% CI 66.7% to 84.1%). The rate of nausea control rates for the acute, delayed and overall periods were 34%, 29% and 24%, respectively. The grade I, II and III sedation rates over the 5 days were 8%, 5% and 1%, respectively.

Conclusions

The dexamethasone-free antiemetic strategy showed modest efficacy with low incidence of clinically significant somnolence. There is a need to prospectively investigate the role of dexamethasone in the era of newer potent antiemetics in a randomised fashion.

Trial registration number

CTRI/2021/07/034813.
Blood pressure-related white matter microstructural disintegrity and associated cognitive function impairment in asymptomatic adults
Authors: Acosta Julián N , Haider Stefan P , Rivier Cyprien , Leasure Audrey C , Sheth Kevin N , Falcone Guido J , Payabvash Seyedmehdi
Published: March 2023

Background and objectives

We aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) microstructural/cytostructural disintegrity patterns related to higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), and whether they mediate SBP effects on cognitive performance in middle-aged adults.

Methods

Using the UK Biobank study of community-dwelling volunteers aged 40–69 years, we included participants without a history of stroke, dementia, demyelinating disease or traumatic brain injury. We investigated the association of SBP with MRI diffusion metrics: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), intracellular volume fraction (a measure of neurite density), isotropic (free) water volume fraction (ISOVF) and orientation dispersion across WM tracts. Then, we determined whether WM diffusion metrics mediated the effects of SBP on cognitive function.

Results

We analysed 31 363 participants—mean age of 63.8 years (SD: 7.7), and 16 523 (53%) females. Higher SBP was associated with lower FA and neurite density, but higher MD and ISOVF. Among different WM tracts, diffusion metrics of the internal capsule anterior limb, external capsule, superior and posterior corona radiata were most affected by higher SBP. Among seven cognitive metrics, SBP levels were only associated with ‘fluid intelligence’ (adjusted p<0.001). In mediation analysis, the averaged FA of external capsule, internal capsule anterior limb and superior cerebellar peduncle mediated 13%, 9% and 13% of SBP effects on fluid intelligence, while the averaged MD of external capsule, internal capsule anterior and posterior limbs, and superior corona radiata mediated 5%, 7%, 7% and 6% of SBP effects on fluid intelligence, respectively.

Discussion

Among asymptomatic adults, higher SBP is associated with pervasive WM microstructure disintegrity, partially due to reduced neuronal count, which appears to mediate SBP adverse effects on fluid intelligence. Diffusion metrics of select WM tracts, which are most reflective of SBP-related parenchymal damage and cognitive impairment, may serve as imaging biomarkers to assess treatment response in antihypertensive trials.
Smoke-free law compliance and predictive factors in Ethiopia: observational assessment of public places and workplaces
Authors: Mengesha Sisay Derso , Shimeles Bitsat , Zewdie Baharu , Alermu Asnakech , Gerba Heran , Gartner Coral E
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The primary objective of this observational study was to assess the status of public place and workplace compliance with smoke-free provisions in Ethiopia.

Methods

This study was conducted in four regions of Ethiopia (Oromia; Sidama; Harari; and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region) from September to October 2021. Data were collected using a standardised smoke-free checklist. Χ2tests were used to assess the association between categorical variables and the smoke-free status. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the presence of at least one person actively smoking.

Results

Approximately 97% (95% CI 93.1%, 98.8%) of government buildings, 92.5% (95% CI 85.7%, 96.2%) of educational institutions, 89.8% (95% CI 86.3%, 92.5%) of bars, restaurants and cafés, 88.4% (95% CI 82.9%, 92.3%) of food establishments and 84.0% of hotels (95% CI 79.5%, 87.6%) were non-compliant with the tobacco control law. Overall, only 12.3% of sites met the requirements of the current smoke-free law. The multivariable logistic regression models showed that transit facilities (adjusted OR (AOR)=26.66 (95% CI 7.53, 94.41)) and being located in the Harari region (AOR=4.14 (95% CI 2.30, 7.45)) were strongly associated with the presence of active smoking observed during the site visit.

Conclusion

This study indicated that public place and workplace non-compliance level was very high in all sites. This calls for more effective implementation of complete smoke-free provisions across all government buildings and institutions in all regions, such as public educational campaigns about the laws and enforcement action for non-compliance. Furthermore, all regional states should adopt Federal Proclamation 1112/2019.
Industry marketing of tobacco products on social media: case study of Philip Morris International’s IQOS
Authors: Abroms Lorien C , Wysota Christina N , Tosakoon Sararat , Khayat Amal , Duan Zongshuan , Bar-Zeev Yael , Berg Carla J , Levine Hagai
Published: March 2023

Significance

Newer tobacco products might be particularly likely to use social media as they emerge in the global market. Little is known about the official use of social media in marketing heated tobacco products (HTPs). This study examined Philip Morris International’s (PMI) social media marketing globally of its leading HTP, IQOS.

Methods

PMI IQOS country-specific official websites were accessed (N=59) in May to September 2022 and social media accounts listed were recorded. Accounts were then coded for their number of posts in the past month and year and for their number of subscribers. Posts on online accounts with at least one past-month post were categorised to describe the post’s function: instructional, general advertising, price promotions or event promotions.

Results

Of the 59 country websites, 45 (76.3%) listed at least one social media account; of these, an average of 2.5 accounts (SD=0.8) were listed. Across websites, 111 accounts were identified: 42 Facebook, 23 YouTube, 21 Twitter, 19 Instagram, 2 Telegram, 1 LinkedIn, 1 KakaoTalk, 1 VK and 1 LINE. Across YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, accounts made 2550 past-year posts and had ~490 961 subscribers. Of the 165 past-month posts, 101 (60.1%) functioned as general advertising, 30 (17.9%) instructional, 29 (17.3%) event promotions and 8 (4.8%) price promotions.

Conclusion

Social media posts were used to engage consumers with advertising, event promotions, product use instructions and price promotions. The study provides evidence of the company-sponsored official marketing of an HTP via social media globally, underscoring the need for monitoring and tobacco control regulatory efforts in the digital arena.
Screening and intervention for intimate partner violence at trauma centers and emergency departments: an evidence-based systematic review from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma
Authors: Teichman Amanda L , Bonne Stephanie , Rattan Rishi , Dultz Linda , Qurashi Farheen A , Goldenberg Anna , Polite Nathan , Liveris Anna , Freeman Jennifer J , Colosimo Christina , Chang Erin , Choron Rachel L , Edwards Courtney , Arabian Sandra , Haines Krista L , Joseph D'Andrea , Murphy Patrick B , Schramm Andrew T , Jung Hee Soo , Lawson Emily , Fox Kathleen , Mashbari Hassan Naser A , Smith Randi N
Published: March 2023

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue with a substantial burden on society. Screening and intervention practices vary widely and there are no standard guidelines. Our objective was to review research on current practices for IPV prevention in emergency departments and trauma centers in the USA and provide evidenced-based recommendations.

Methods

An evidence-based systematic review of the literature was conducted to address screening and intervention for IPV in adult trauma and emergency department patients. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations methodology was used to determine the quality of evidence. Studies were included if they addressed our prespecified population, intervention, control, and outcomes questions. Case reports, editorials, and abstracts were excluded from review.

Results

Seven studies met inclusion criteria. All seven were centered around screening for IPV; none addressed interventions when abuse was identified. Screening instruments varied across studies. Although it is unclear if one tool is more accurate than others, significantly more victims were identified when screening protocols were implemented compared with non-standardized approaches to identifying IPV victims.

Conclusion

Overall, there were very limited data addressing the topic of IPV screening and intervention in emergency medical settings, and the quality of the evidence was low. With likely low risk and a significant potential benefit, we conditionally recommend implementation of a screening protocol to identify victims of IPV in adults treated in the emergency department and trauma centers. Although the purpose of screening would ultimately be to provide resources for victims, no studies that assessed distinct interventions met our inclusion criteria. Therefore, we cannot make specific recommendations related to IPV interventions.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020219517.
TOTALLY NEW SOLITON PHENOMENA IN THE FRACTIONAL ZOOMERON MODEL FOR SHALLOW WATER
Authors: WANG KANG-LE
Published: March 2023

The nonlinear fractional Zoomeron equation with [Formula: see text]-truncated fractional derivative, which is widely used in physics and engineering, is the major subject of this study. Using the fractional functional variable approach and fractional variational method, we effectively derived several new soliton solutions to the nonlinear fractional Zoomeron equation. The two concepts that are suggested can be used to quickly and effectively find the solutions to the same kinds of fractional evolution equations. Finally, various 3D and 2D simulation figures are plotted to show the physical characteristics of these acquired soliton solutions.
Improving the Computational Efficiency of ROVIO
Authors: Bahnam S. A. , De Wagter C. , de Croon G. C. H. E.
Published: March 2023

ROVIO is one of the state-of-the-art monocular visual inertial odometry algorithms. It uses an Iterative Extended Kalman Filter (IEKF) to align visual features and update the vehicle state simultaneously by including the feature locations in the state vector of the IEKF. This algorithm is single-core intensive, which allows the other cores to be used for other algorithms, such as object detection and path optimization. However, the computational cost of the algorithm grows rapidly with the maximum number of features to track. Each feature adds three new states (a 2D bearing vector and inverse depth), leading to bigger matrix multiplications that are computationally expensive. The main computational load of ROVIO is the iterative update step of the IEKF. In this work, we reduce the average computational cost of ROVIO by  [Formula: see text] on an NVIDIA Jetson TX2, without affecting the accuracy of the algorithm. This computational gain is mainly achieved by exploiting the sparse matrices in ROVIO. Furthermore, we reduce the computational peaks by pre-selecting new features based on their already calculated FAST score. The combination of both modifications allows us to run ROVIO on the computationally restricted Raspberry Pi Zero 2[Formula: see text]W.
Hyper-Laplacian Regularized Multi-View Clustering with Exclusive L21 Regularization and Tensor Log-Determinant Minimization Approach
Authors: Luo Qilun , Yang Ming , Li Wen , Xiao Mingqing
Published: March 2023

Multi-view clustering aims to capture the multiple views inherent information by identifying the data clustering that reflects distinct features of datasets. Since there is a consensus in literature that different views of a dataset share a common latent structure, most existing multi-view subspace learning methods rely on the nuclear norm to seek the low-rank representation of the underlying subspace. However, the nuclear norm often fails to distinguish the variance of features for each cluster due to its convex nature and data tends to fall in multiple non-linear subspaces for multi-dimensional datasets. To address these problems, we propose a new and novel multi-view clustering method (HL-L21-TLD-MSC) that unifies the Hyper-Laplacian (HL) and exclusive ℓ
2,1
(L21) regularization with the Tensor Log-Determinant Rank Minimization (TLD) setting. Specifically, the hyper-Laplacian regularization maintains the local geometrical structure that makes the estimation prune to nonlinearities, and the mixed ℓ
2,1
and ℓ
1,2
regularization provides the joint sparsity within-cluster as well as the exclusive sparsity between-cluster. Furthermore, a log-determinant function is used as a tighter tensor rank approximation to discriminate the dimension of features. An efficient alternating algorithm is then derived to optimize the proposed model, and the construction of a convergent sequence to the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) critical point solution is mathematically validated in detail. Extensive experiments are conducted on ten well-known datasets to demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the existing state-of-the-art approaches with various scenarios, in which, six of them achieve perfect results under our framework developed in this article, demonstrating highl effectiveness for the proposed approach.
Tacrolimus induces fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism to contribute to renal fibrosis
Authors: Ume Adaku C. , Wenegieme Tara Y. , Shelby Jennae N. , Paul-Onyia Chiagozie D. B. , Waite Aston M. J. , Kamau John K. , Adams Danielle N. , Susuki Keiichiro , Bennett Eric S. , Ren Hongmei , Williams Clintoria R.
Published: March 2023

Renal fibrosis, a detrimental feature of irreversible kidney damage, remains a sinister consequence of long-term calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) immunosuppressive therapy. Our study not only incorporates renal fibroblasts into the growing list of cell types negatively impacted by CNIs but also identifies renal fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition as a process mediated via a TGF-β-dependent mechanism. This insight will direct future studies investigating the feasibility of inhibiting TGF-β signaling to maintain CNI-mediated immunosuppression while ultimately preserving kidney health.
A Phase II Trial of Guadecitabine plus Atezolizumab in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Progressing after Initial Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Authors: Jang H. Josh , Hostetter Galen , Macfarlane Alexander W. , Madaj Zachary , Ross Eric A. , Hinoue Toshinori , Kulchycki Justin R. , Burgos Ryan S. , Tafseer Mahvish , Alpaugh R. Katherine , Schwebel Candice L. , Kokate Rutika , Geynisman Daniel M. , Zibelman Matthew R. , Ghatalia Pooja , Nichols Peter W. , Chung Woonbok , Madzo Jozef , Hahn Noah M. , Quinn David I. , Issa Jean-Pierre J. , Topper Michael J. , Baylin Stephen B. , Shen Hui , Campbell Kerry S. , Jones Peter A. , Plimack Elizabeth R.
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

On the basis of preclinical evidence of epigenetic contribution to sensitivity and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), we hypothesized that guadecitabine (hypomethylating agent) and atezolizumab [anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)] together would potentiate a clinical response in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) unresponsive to initial immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Patients and Methods:

We designed a single arm phase II study (NCT03179943) with a safety run-in to identify the recommended phase II dose of the combination therapy of guadecitabine and atezolizumab. Patients with recurrent/advanced UC who had previously progressed on ICI therapy with programmed cell death protein 1 or PD-L1 targeting agents were eligible. Preplanned correlative analysis was performed to characterize peripheral immune dynamics and global DNA methylation, transcriptome, and immune infiltration dynamics of patient tumors.

Results:

Safety run-in enrolled 6 patients and phase II enrolled 15 patients before the trial was closed for futility. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. Four patients, with best response of stable disease (SD), exhibited extended tumor control (8–11 months) and survival (>14 months). Correlative analysis revealed lack of DNA demethylation in tumors after 2 cycles of treatment. Increased peripheral immune activation and immune infiltration in tumors after treatment correlated with progression-free survival and SD. Furthermore, high IL6 and IL8 levels in the patients’ plasma was associated with short survival.

Conclusions:

No RECIST responses were observed after combination therapy in this trial. Although we could not detect the anticipated tumor-intrinsic effects of guadecitabine, the addition of hypomethylating agent to ICI therapy induced immune activation in a few patients, which associated with longer patient survival.
The New Coronavirus Pandemic and the Trend of Breast Cancer Diagnosis according to Age-Group: Total and Interrupted Time Series Study
Authors: Hyeda Adriano , Costa Élide Sbardellotto Mariano da , Kowalski Sérgio Cândido
Published: March 2023

Objective: There is a lack of studies evaluating the COVID-19 pandemic effect on breast cancer detection according to age-group. This study aimed to assess the pandemic impact on the trend of mammograms, breast biopsies, and breast cancer stage at diagnosis according to age-group. Methods: This was an ecological time series study by inflection point regression model. We used data from women aged between 30 and 49, 50 and 69, and 70 years or more available in an open-access dataset of the Brazilian public healthcare system (2017–2021). We analyzed the trend of the variables in the pre-pandemic and the pandemic effect on the total time series. Results: The decreasing or stationary trend of mammograms in the pre-pandemic has changed to a decreasing trend in the total time series in all age-groups. Before the pandemic, the increasing trend of breast biopsies has changed to stationary in the total time series in all age-groups. The increasing trend of tumors at stages 0 to II in the pre-pandemic has changed to decreasing or stationary in the total time series. Finally, the increasing trend of tumors at stage III or IV remained increasing in the total time series in all age-groups. Conclusion: The pandemic has changed the stationary or increasing trend to a decreasing or stationary trend of mammograms, breast biopsies, and tumors at stages 0 to II but has not influenced the increasing trend of tumors at stages III and IV in all age-groups.
Prognostic Value of Transthoracic Echocardiography in Children With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Lammers Astrid E. , Marek Jan , Diller Gerhard‐Paul , Haworth Sheila G. , Moledina Shahin
Published: March 2023

Background

Transthoracic echocardiography is part of the regular follow‐up protocol at most pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) centers. We aimed to develop a comprehensive and simple echocardiographic risk stratification for children with PAH.

Methods and Results

We included 63 children with PAH and a biventricular cardiac anatomy without relevant shunt lesions (60% female patients; mean age, 9.0 years; 42 idiopathic PAH and 21 associated PAH) undergoing a standardized transthoracic echocardiographic assessment. The prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters was assessed using Cox proportional hazards survival analysis and recursive partitioning for classification tree methods. Over a median follow‐up period of 4.0 years, 17 patients died and 4 underwent lung transplantation. Various echocardiographic parameters were associated with the combined endpoint of death and transplantation on univariate analysis. On further analysis, right atrial area (
z
score) and left ventricular diastolic eccentricity index (LVEId) emerged as robust and independent predictors of transplant‐free survival. Considering mortality alone as an end point, a combination of right atrial area, left ventricular diastolic eccentricity index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion were identified as independent predictors of outcome. Based on these parameters, we propose simple risk scores that can be applied at the bedside without computer assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Echocardiographic parameters predict prognosis in children with pulmonary hypertension. A combination of widely available parameters including right atrial area, left ventricular eccentricity index, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion emerged as risk stratifiers that await external validation but may assist clinicians determining the prognosis of children with PAH.
An Empirical Survey of Data Augmentation for Limited Data Learning in NLP
Authors: Chen Jiaao , Tam Derek , Raffel Colin , Bansal Mohit , Yang Diyi
Published: March 2023

NLP has achieved great progress in the past decade through the use of neural models and large labeled datasets. The dependence on abundant data prevents NLP models from being applied to low-resource settings or novel tasks where significant time, money, or expertise is required to label massive amounts of textual data. Recently, data augmentation methods have been explored as a means of improving data efficiency in NLP. To date, there has been no systematic empirical overview of data augmentation for NLP in the limited labeled data setting, making it difficult to understand which methods work in which settings. In this paper, we provide an empirical survey of recent progress on data augmentation for NLP in the limited labeled data setting, summarizing the landscape of methods (including token-level augmentations, sentence-level augmentations, adversarial augmentations, and hidden-space augmentations) and carrying out experiments on 11 datasets covering topics/news classification, inference tasks, paraphrasing tasks, and single-sentence tasks. Based on the results, we draw several conclusions to help practitioners choose appropriate augmentations in different settings and discuss the current challenges and future directions for limited data learning in NLP.
Bureaucratic Acquiescence as an Institutional Strategy in the African Union
Authors: Iroulo Lynda Chinenye , Boateng Oheneba A.
Published: March 2023

The paper conceptualizes acquiescence as a strategy bureaucrats adopt to deal with contestation between themselves and political leaders. The literature on bureaucratic politics argues that policy outcomes result from a game of bargaining between bureaucrats and political leaders. These actors employ diverse strategies like bargaining for more authority, exploiting loopholes, challenging the political class, and, at other times, using the threat of resignation to implement their preferred priorities. However, we advance the above argument by introducing another strategy that bureaucrats use, acquiescence. We analyze African Union (AU) bureaucratic politics through speeches, press releases, and secondary materials. The paper argues that rather than opting for standard bureaucratic strategies, AU bureaucrats acquiesce because the institutional structure, material resources, and the AU solidarity norm make it difficult for them to do otherwise. Acquiescence is the reluctant acceptance of decisions in bureaucratic politics in the form of silence or an absence of protest. We show examples of AU institutional reform and the Burundi crisis debates, where acquiescence can explain decision-making outcomes in the organization. We conclude that acquiescence is a relevant conceptual tool in explaining the outcomes of bureaucratic politics in the AU and can be generalized to investigate institutional politics in other international organizations within and outside of the continent.
Hollow Ways near Tanais
Authors: Garbuzov Gennady P. , Tolochko Irina V.
Published: March 2023

Two ancient roads have been revealed with the help of remote sensing data near Tanais, ancient Greek city in Southern Russia. These roads belong to the class of hollow ways which are often found in the vicinities of Greek settlements in the Northern Black Sea region. Very alike hollow ways were discovered in space photographs around the Bronze Age settlements in Upper Mesopotamia. It is assumed that the mechanisms for the formation of such roads both in the Northern Black Sea region and in Upper Mesopotamia are similar. The development of hollow ways is mainly associated with certain environmental conditions and a special economic model.
Long Knives of the Scythian Culture: Tool or Weapon?
Authors: Shelekhan Oleksandr
Published: March 2023

The article examines Scythian long knives that are similar in length to double-edged daggers. Critically analysing the hypothesis which interprets these items as weapons, it shows that the difference between a fighting knife and utilitarian knife consists not in their measurements, but in their constructive features.

In particular, long knives have much slimmer proportions, unlike daggers. They have neither cross guards nor pommels. This study is concerned with both flat full-metal knives and knives with a short tang. Considering those knives with a partial tang, even the longest ones looks less durable when compared with samples truly designed for combat, as the construction was not intended for heavy strikes. As a result, only full-metal specimens with organic plates on the hilt are here interpreted as weapons. They are similar to those finds from the Northern Balkan region and their morphological features allow us to consider them to be much like daggers.

One can suppose that some of the long knives could have been used in ritual proceedings, during feasts or sacrificial offerings. In some cases, it is also possible to consider long knives as a symbolic alternative to the weapon in the burial inventory. At the same time, it is clear that long knives were in use mostly as utilitarian tools.

The difference in morphology between the Archaic and Classical knives shows the variation in the culture of these two periods of the Scythian culture. The spread of the long knives across the Steppe and Forest-Steppe areas also indicates the cultural connections between these regions.
The Most Western Find of a Chinese Mirror with T-shaped Hieroglyphs in Eurasia
Authors: Treister Mikhail , Ravich Irina
Published: March 2023

The paper discusses the find of a Chinese mirror with T-shaped hieroglyphs, dated to the last third of the 5th–the first half of the 4th century BC and originating from a nomadic burial in the Southern Urals. This is not only the oldest find of a mirror of this type outside China, but also the most western find of a mirror of the Warring States Period in Eurasia. The chemical and technological characteristics of the mirror, studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy and metallography, demonstrate that they are close to the data given in the publications of mirrors from China and thus give no grounds for doubting the origin of the mirror.
Boni Gone Bad: Cicero’s Critique of Epicureanism in De Finibus 1 and 2
Authors: Clarke Michelle T.
Published: March 2023

This paper argues that Cicero’s critique of Epicureanism in De finibus is motivated by a concern about its degrading effect on the moral sensibility of Rome’s best men. In place of earlier objections to Epicureanism, which centered on its inability to explain or recommend the virtuous conduct of Roman maiores, De finibus focuses on its inability to do so properly and, more prospectively, to assist boni in the work of maintaining the dignity and respectability of Roman civic life. Responding to optimates like Cassius who claimed that Epicureanism was compatible with Roman politics because it treats virtue as being necessary for pleasure, Cicero holds that instrumentalizing virtue in this way is actually a grave corruption of it. Not only do Epicureans debase politics by reducing it to considerations of utility alone: they also introduce deeper forms of civic confusion by distorting and abusing the very idea of honorableness.
Republicanism in Desperate Times: Cicero’s Critique of Cato’s Stoicism
Authors: Yellin Mark E.
Published: March 2023

This essay examines two articles by Rex Stem about Cicero and Cato: ‘The First Eloquent Stoic and Cato the Younger’ and ‘Cicero as Orator and Political Philosopher: The Value of the Pro Murena for Ciceronian Political Thought’. It places these articles in dialogue and draws upon them to present an overarching argument about Cicero’s critique of Cato’s Stoicism. It also assesses their respective defenses of Roman republicanism, offering counterarguments to Cicero’s critique of Cato and underlining the ways in which the two men were allies.
The Society of the Cincinnati and Exemplarity in Late 18th-Century America
Authors: Kapust Daniel
Published: March 2023

Drawing on Rex Stem’s analysis of exempla, I explore Mercy Otis Warren and John Marshall’s narrations of the Society of the Cincinnati, and Washington’s place within it, to draw out the lessons they sought to impart. Beginning with an exploration of Cincinnatus’ exemplum in antiquity, its relationship to late 18th-century portrayals of Washington, and its invocation in the establishment of the Society of the Cincinnati, I also discuss the exemplum by a prominent critic of the Society of the Cincinnati, Aedanus Burke. I then turn to Warren and Marshall’s accounts of the Cincinnati. I do so with a particular focus on how a single exemplary American – George Washington – is depicted in two different ways, exemplifying two different sets of moral teaching. I conclude by suggesting that Warren, Marshall, and Burke’s battle over the exemplum of Cincinnatus is a battle over the moral ordering of America’s future.
نقش إسلامي شاهدي ومرثية للإمام المتوكل على الله القاسم بن الحسين 1139هـ\1727م بقبته الضريحية بمدينة صنعاء
Authors: سيف علي سعيد
Published: March 2023

In the Western side of the wall at Al-Mutawakel's Qubba (Cupola), which is located at the Western side from Bab Al-Sabah at Sana'a City, there is an inscription and an elegy. They are dedicated to Al-Emam Al-Mutawakel Ala Allah Al-Qasim Bin Al-Hussein, who died at Ramadan 22, 1139 Hijri , corresponding May 24, 1727.

This study will include, in addition to the tomb-stone and the elegy reading, description, and analysis of their writings, including the nicknames of Al-Mutawakel and his father and grandfather as they came on the tomb-stone; one of them Mulana'a and Malek Amrana Ameer Al-Mumeenin and Sayad al-Muslimeen. One nickname is Al-Emam Al-Homam who is 'The Cave of Widows and Orphans'. In another side of this study, there is an artificial analysis of Calligraphy properties of the tomb-stone and the elegy as well as a re-decoration of them.

The tomb-stone and the elegy inscriptions carried information like the name of the owner of the tomb who is Al- Emam Al-Mutawakel Ala Allah Al-Qasim Bin Al-Hussein, and the date of his death recorded by month, day, year. It had the sentence 'he died Redwan Allah Aliah at Thursday Ramadan 24, 1139', whereas the elegy was wrote as poetry, and it was signed by the calligrapher Ahmed Bin Salah Al-Swady Al-Sa'ady.
The Indonesian “Cosmopolitan Islamic Intellectual” Revisited: A Focus on the Continued Prevalence of “Cosmopatriotism” and the “West”
Authors: tho Seeth Amanda
Published: March 2023

This paper argues that the mainstream Indonesian cosmopolitan Islamic intellectual milieu has not been adequately conceptualized in existing literature. By presenting a political history of the evolution of this cosmopolitan cohort and by engaging with contemporary emic Indonesian debates on the nexus between cosmopolitanism, Islam, and the nation state, the paper finds that in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in the archipelago, cosmopolitan Islamic thought has been, and continues to be, significantly driven and shaped by the interplay of international influences dominated by the “West” and Indonesian patriotic politics. More recently, Indonesia’s perceived status as an Islamic periphery and the country’s emerging soft power agenda contribute to furthering a peculiar relationship between cosmopolitanism and patriotism in Indonesian Islamic intellectualism. The paper argues that as a result of the strong impact of patriotism, mainstream Indonesian cosmopolitan Islamic intellectuals are best understood as nationally rooted “cosmopatriots,” representing “cosmopatriotism,” while the “West” remains a central intellectual and cultural reference point.
Cosmopolitan Imagery: Prestigious Connections to the World in Contemporary Muslim and Christian Indonesian Pilgrimage Pictures
Authors: Lücking Mirjam
Published: March 2023

Travel following religious aims has a long tradition in the Indonesian-Malay Archipelago. Yet mass overseas religious tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon among people in today’s Indonesia. A variety of travel agencies advertise pilgrimage package tours to notable destinations like Mecca and Medina but also to other destinations in the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, and Central Asia. An analytical focus on various images in this context, including their creation and distribution, reveals patterns of prestigious cosmopolitan middle-class imagery among Muslim and Christian Indonesians in the field of religious tourism. This imagery is similar across different religious affiliations and particularly vibrant in online social media. The imagery challenges perceptions of interreligious divisions and hegemonic mappings of the world, ultimately centralizing the local social environment of people and exhibiting national Indonesian pride.
الأمل وجدل الصمود والانكسار عند شعراء الخليج: ابن المقرَّب العيونيّ نموذجًا
Authors: Abd Al Salam (محمّد هاشم عبد السلام Mohammed Hashem
Published: March 2023

المستخلص

‫يُعنى البحث بدراسة بعض وسائل التكيّف النفسيّ التي ضمّها ديوان الشاعر البحرانيّ ابن المقرَّب العيونيّ (572–‫629‬/1176–1232)، بوصفها أهمّ الميكانزمات الدفاعيّة التي بعثت الأمل في هذا الشاعر، وحفظت له اتّزانه حال تأرجحه بين الصمود والانكسار جرّاء ما تعرّض له من ظلمٍ على يد أبناء عمومته الذين اجتاحوا حسدًا جميع أملاكه، وعاقبوه بالسجن، وانتهى به المآل إلى الزوال عن وطنه. وهذه الوسائل أو الميكانزمات التي وقف عليها البحث هي: التحوّل المكانيّ، وتقدير الذات، واستدعاء الموروث التاريخيّ، والاتّصال بالممدوح، وبين يدي هذه الأربع ثمّة تمهيد تطرّقَ إلى طبيعة المعاناة وصراع التحوّلات في حياة ابن المقرَّب.‬
مقاربة بلاغيّة لشرح ابن الأحمر استنزال الفرج بعد الشدّة في شرح قصيدة البردة
Authors: Afailal (محمّد أفيلال) Mohammed
Published: March 2023

المستخلص

‫يعالج المقال حضور ثيمة الأمل في استنزال الفرج بعد الشدّة في شرح قصيدة البردة، وهو شرح أبي الوليد إسماعيل بن يوسف بن محمّد الغرناطيّ الفاسيّ المعروف بابن الأحمر (ت ‫807‬/1404–1405) لقصيدة بردة البوصيريّ (ت بين 694–‫696‬/1294–1297). وقد صنّف المؤلِّف كتابه ضمن الشروح الأدبيّة، ولكن في سياقٍ تواصليّ متأزّم يتمثّل بطرده وأسرته من الأندلس على يد بني أعمامه، فَصِيغَ الشرحُ باستراتيجيّة بلاغيّة حوّلته إلى خطاب معبِّر عن أزمة نفسيّة (الشدّة) وترجّي الأمل (الفرج) بغرض تحقيق وظيفة تأثيريّة. تنظر هذه الدراسة في طرق تشكُّل ثيمة الأمل في الشرح عن طريق تحديد الاستراتيجيّات الخطابيّة التي اعتمدها المؤلِّف، وإيجاد أشكال التفاعل فيما بينها.‬
تعالُق الأمل بالبنية النصّيّة من خلال الاستطالة النحويّة في شعر إبراهيم طوقان
Authors: Abd Al-Salam Turki (فايز صبحي عبد ا Fayez Sobhi
Published: March 2023

المستخلص

‫يعالج البحث تعالُق الأمل بالبنية النصّيّة من خلال الاستطالة النحويّة في شعر إبراهيم طوقان (ت 1941م) مُركِّزًا على طول التعدّد وطول التعاقب، في إطار وفاء الشاعر بما يريده من معنى لا سيّما في شعره المعقود للأمل والتفاؤل نصًّا أو تضمينًا. ويصوِّر شعرُ طوقان كثيرًا من المعاناة بسبب ما يدور في محيطه من أحداث، ويتناول أغراضًا مختلفة مثل الغزل والوصف والهجاء وانتقاد الوطن وغير ذلك. إنّ سَبْر الأبعاد الدلاليّة لتجلّي مفهوم الأمل في ذلك الشعر يُسهم في فهمٍ أعمق للسياقات الأدبيّة من جهة تجلّيها في المعطيات النحويّة المختلفة. ومن ثَمّ يُفصح البحث عن مهارة الشاعر في استثمار هذه المعطيات للتعبير عن مراده من النسج الشعريّ، وذلك باعتماد المنهج الوصفيّ المتّخِذ من الاستقراء والتحليل أداتين له في ضوء كتابات القدماء والمحدثين.‬
A new species of planthopper from Costa Rica in the genus Herpis (Hemiptera: Derbidae) from palms in the cloud forest
Authors: ECHAVARRIA MARCO A. ZUMBADO , BARRANTES EDWIN A. BARRANTES , HELMICK ERICKA E. , BARTLETT CHARLES R. , BAHDER BRIAN W.
Published: March 2023

Recent survey efforts in Costa Rica have documented many new species of planthoppers, primarily in the families Derbidae and Cixiidae, on palms. Recently, a specimen was collected sweeping palms in the Los Angeles cloud forest in Costa Rica and was identified as belonging to the genus Herpis (Derbidae). It was subsequently determined to represent a previously undescribed species. Herein, the new species, Herpis circumsoros Bahder & Bartlett sp. n. is described with supplemental molecular data for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 18S rRNA gene to support placement of the new species in the genus Herpis.
New species and records of Paroxyplax Cai, 1984 (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) and its allies from China, with a checklist of the treated genera
Authors: WU JUN , HAN HUI-LIN
Published: March 2023

A brief review of the taxonomical history of the genus Paroxyplax Cai, 1984 and its allied genera, including Oxyplax Hampson, 1893, Ploneta Snellen, 1900, Orthocraspeda Hampson, 1893, and Darna Walker, 1862, is presented. Two new species of Paroxyplax and one of Oxyplax are described: Paroxyplax nanlingensis sp. nov., P. fusca sp. nov., and Oxyplax bannaensis sp. nov.; three species are reported for the first time in China: Ploneta diducta Snellen, 1900, Orthocraspeda sordida Snellen, 1900, and Darna sybilla (Swinhoe, 1903). Two genera, Ploneta and the true Darna are known for the first time from China. The adults and genitalia of all the treated species are illustrated. A checklist with distribution data for the species of the treated genera is provided.
The Blue Legged Predatory Katydid—a new species of Listroscelis Serville, 1883 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae: Listroscelidini) from the Atlantic Rainforest
Authors: DE MELLO MENDES DIEGO MATHEUS , DA SILVA NETO ALBERTO MOREIRA
Published: March 2023

The genus Listroscelis is part of Listroscelidini (Tettigoniidae: Listroscelidinae) and comprises 11 species of predatory katydids only known from Brazil. Currently, the group’s greatest richness is recorded in the Atlantic Forest biome. In this work, the new species Listroscelis cyanotibiatus sp. nov. is described to the Northeastern Atlantic Forest biome. Morphological characters of both sexes and the male internal genitalia are described. A distribution map of the species and comments on its natural history are provided.
The Inhibitory Effects of Tumour Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand/Vitipofen-Loaded Bacterial Outer Vesicles on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Feifei Lv , Dawei Bi , Junchao Ma , Pengpeng Yan , Yueting Lu , Yongle Qiu
Published: March 2023

The tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers the apoptosis of tumour cells. According to recent studies, a number of malignant tumours show resistance to TRAIL due to activation and overexpression of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) signal pathway. Objective:
To construct a novel type of bacterial outer membrane vesicles (BEVs) based delivery system to inhibit the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Methods: BEVs loaded with verteporfin (VPF)/TRAIL (BEVs–TRAIL/VPF) was prepared by ultracentrifugation and filtration.
The expression of TRAIL was verified by BCA and transmission electron microscopy. High-performance liquid chromatography was used in determining the drug loading of VPF and drawing a release curve in vitro. MTT and Western blot were adopted to reveal the anti-tumour activity of BEVs–TRAIL/VPF
in vitro. Results: The BEVs–TRAIL/VPF particles appeared round by having a well uniform size distribution of approximately 100 nm in diameter. BEVs–TRAIL and VPF were capable of dose-dependently inhibiting the proliferation of SCC25 cells, and the best inhibitory
effect appeared at ratios of 5:1–10:1. At 100:5–100:15 ratios, BEVs–TRAIL/VPF had a lower IC50 than free BEVs–TRAIL+VPF group (p<0.05), indicating a more efficacious inhibitory effect. The high inhibitory effect of BEVs–TRAIL/VPF on squamous cell carcinoma
cells is partially associated with the activation of caspase 3, Bax, BCL2, mTOR, p-mTOR and YAP. Conclusion: the administration of TRAIL/VPF in a fixed ratio by BEVs displays a profound inhibitory effect on OSCC cells, providing a novel approach for the treatment of multidrug-resistant
OSCC.
Modeling Heat and Water Exchanges between the Atmosphere and an 85-km2 Dimictic Subarctic Reservoir Using the 1D Canadian Small Lake Model
Authors: Kallel Habiba , Thiboult Antoine , Mackay Murray D. , Nadeau Daniel F. , Anctil François
Published: March 2023

Accurately modeling the interactions between inland water bodies and the atmosphere in meteorological and climate models is crucial, given the marked differences with surrounding landmasses. Modeling surface heat fluxes remains a challenge because direct observations available for validation are rare, especially at high latitudes. This study presents a detailed evaluation of the Canadian Small Lake Model (CSLM), a one-dimensional mixed-layer dynamic lake model, in reproducing the surface energy budget and the thermal stratification of a subarctic reservoir in eastern Canada. The analysis is supported by multiyear direct observations of turbulent heat fluxes collected on and around the 85-km2 Romaine-2 hydropower reservoir (50.7°N, 63.2°W) by two flux towers: one operating year-round on the shore and one on a raft during ice-free conditions. The CSLM, which simulates the thermal regime of the water body including ice formation and snow physics, is run in offline mode and forced by local weather observations from 25 June 2018 to 8 June 2021. Comparisons between observations and simulations confirm that CSLM can reasonably reproduce the turbulent heat fluxes and the temperature behavior of the reservoir, despite the one-dimensional nature of the model that cannot account for energy inputs and outputs associated with reservoir operations. The best performance is achieved during the first few months after the ice break-up (mean error = −0.3 and −2.7 W m−2 for latent and sensible heat fluxes, respectively). The model overreacts to strong wind events, leading to subsequent poor estimates of water temperature and eventually to an early freeze-up. The model overestimated the measured annual evaporation corrected for the lack of energy balance closure by 5% and 16% in 2019 and 2020.

Significance Statement

Freshwater bodies impact the regional climate through energy and water exchanges with the atmosphere. It is challenging to model surface energy fluxes over a northern lake due to the succession of stratification and mixing periods over a year. This study focuses on the interactions between the atmosphere of an irregular shaped northern hydropower reservoir. Direct measurements of turbulent fluxes using an eddy covariance system allowed the model assessment. Turbulent fluxes were successfully predicted during the open water period. Comparison between observed and modeled time series showed a good agreement; however, the model overreacted to high wind episodes. Biases mostly occur during freeze-up and breakup, stressing the importance of a good representation of the ice cover processes.