bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substituting meat for mycoprotein reduces genotoxicity and increases the abundance of beneficial microbes in the gut: Mycomeat, a randomised crossover control trial
Authors: Farsi Dominic N. , Gallegos Jose Lara , Koutsidis Georgios , Nelson Andrew , Finnigan Tim J. A. , Cheung William , Muñoz-Muñoz Jose L. , Commane Daniel M.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The high-meat, low-fibre Western diet is strongly associated with colorectal cancer risk. Mycoprotein, produced from Fusarium venanatum, has been sold as a high-fibre alternative to meat for decades. Hitherto, the effects of mycoprotein in the human bowel have not been well considered. Here, we explored the effects of replacing a high red and processed meat intake with mycoprotein on markers of intestinal genotoxicity and gut health.

Methods

Mycomeat (clinicaltrials.gov NCT03944421) was an investigator-blind, randomised, crossover dietary intervention trial. Twenty healthy male adults were randomised to consume 240 g day−1 red and processed meat for 2 weeks, with crossover to 2 weeks 240 g day−1 mycoprotein, separated by a 4-week washout period. Primary end points were faecal genotoxicity and genotoxins, while secondary end points comprised changes in gut microbiome composition and activity.

Results

The meat diet increased faecal genotoxicity and nitroso compound excretion, whereas the weight-matched consumption of mycoprotein decreased faecal genotoxicity and nitroso compounds. In addition, meat intake increased the abundance of Oscillobacter and Alistipes, whereas mycoprotein consumption increased Lactobacilli, Roseburia and Akkermansia, as well as the excretion of short chain fatty acids.

Conclusion

Replacing red and processed meat with the Fusarium-based meat alternative, mycoprotein, significantly reduces faecal genotoxicity and genotoxin excretion and increases the abundance of microbial genera with putative health benefits in the gut. This work demonstrates that mycoprotein may be a beneficial alternative to meat within the context of gut health and colorectal cancer prevention.
Is pain control for chronic neuropathic pain after inguinal hernia repair using endoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy effective? A meta-analysis of 142 patients from 1995 to 2022
Authors: Taha-Mehlitz Stephanie , Taha Anas , Janzen Alex , Saad Baraa , Hendie Dana , Ochs Vincent , Krähenbühl Lukas
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Neuropathic pain is a complication after groin hernia surgery. Triple neurectomy of the iliohypogastric nerve, ilioinguinal nerve and genitofemoral nerve is an efficient treatment modality, with several surgical approaches. The minimally invasive endoscopic method to neurectomy was specifically investigated in this meta-analysis. Our aim is to determine the efficacy of this method in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain posthernia repair surgery.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted using four databases to search for the keywords (“endoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy” and “laparoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy”). The NCBI National Library of Medicine, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE Complete and BioMed Central were last searched on 26 May 2022. Randomised control trials and retrospective or prospective papers involving endoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy operations after inguinal hernia repair were included. All other surgeries, procedures and study designs were excluded. The internal quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The percentage of patients who had reduction in pain (“positive treatment outcome”) was used to assess the procedure’s effectiveness in each analysis.

Results

Five comparable endoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy studies with a total of 142 patients were analysed. Both the Wald test (Q (6) = 1.79, = .775) and the probability ratio test (Q (6) = 4.24, = .374) provide similar findings (0.000, 0.0% [0.0%; 78%]). The meta-analysis’ key finding is that the intervention was up to 78% effective (95% confidence interval, 71%; 84%).

Conclusion

Endoscopic retroperitoneal neurectomy can be an effective treatment option for postoperative neuropathic pain relief following surgical hernia repair. Although there is limited reported experience with this technique, it may provide a clinical benefit to the patient. We recommend further prospective data and long-term follow-up studies be conducted to confirm and expand on these outcomes.
Microstructural and mechanical insight into atherosclerotic plaques: an ex vivo DTI study to better assess plaque vulnerability
Authors: Tornifoglio B. , Johnston R. D. , Stone A. J. , Kerskens C. , Lally C.
Published: January 2023

Non-invasive microstructural characterisation has the potential to determine the stability, or lack thereof, of atherosclerotic plaques and ultimately aid in better assessing plaques’ risk to rupture. If linked with mechanical characterisation using a clinically relevant imaging technique, mechanically sensitive rupture risk indicators could be possible. This study aims to provide this link–between a clinically relevant imaging technique and mechanical characterisation within human atherosclerotic plaques. Ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging, mechanical testing, and histological analysis were carried out on human carotid atherosclerotic plaques. DTI-derived tractography was found to yield significant mechanical insight into the mechanical properties of more stable and more vulnerable microstructures. Coupled with insights from digital image correlation and histology, specific failure characteristics of different microstructural arrangements furthered this finding. More circumferentially uniform microstructures failed at higher stresses and strains when compared to samples which had multiple microstructures, like those seen in a plaque cap. The novel findings in this study motivate diagnostic measures which use non-invasive characterisation of the underlying microstructure of plaques to determine their vulnerability to rupture.

Graphic abstract
Kelvin–Helmholtz Billows in the Rising Turbulent Layer During Morning Evolution of the ABL at Dome C, Antarctica
Authors: Petenko Igor , Casasanta Giampietro , Kallistratova Margarita , Lyulyukin Vasily , Genthon Christophe , Sozzi Roberto , Argentini Stefania
Published: January 2023

Kelvin–Helmholtz billows (KHBs) within a rising turbulent layer during the transition period from stable to unstable stratification occurring in the morning hours in summertime at the interior of Antarctica (Dome C, Concordia station) are examined in this study. The wave pattern captured by high-resolution sodar echograms from November 2014–February 2015 exhibits regular braid-like structures, associated with Kelvin–Helmholtz shear instabilities. This phenomenon is observed in more than 70% of days in the selected period. Two main regimes of the morning evolution with KHBs are identified roughly, distinguished by the presence or absence of turbulence in the preceding night-time. The weather and turbulent conditions favouring the occurrence of these regimes are analyzed. Also, two distinct patterns of KHBs are identified: (i) quasi-periodical (with periods ≈ 8–15 min) trains containing 5–10 braids, (ii) about continuous series lasting 20–90 min containing 20–80 braids. A composite shape of KHBs is determined. The periodicity of these waves is estimated to be between 20 and 70 s, and their wavelength is estimated roughly to be 100–400 m. The vertical thickness of individual braids at the wave crests ranges between 5 and 25 m. The total depth of a rising turbulent layer containing these waves varies between 15 and 120 m, and the ratio of the wavelength to the depth of the wave layer varies from 3 to 12 with a mean value ≈ 8.2. The morphology of the turbulence structure in the ABL is studied as a function of both temperature and wind field characteristics retrieved from an instrumented 45-m tower and an ultrasonic anemometer-thermometer at 3.5 m. The observational results highlight the necessity of considering the interaction between convective and wave processes when occurring simultaneously.
Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia Among Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Australia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hamrah Mohammad Shoaib , Bartlett Larissa , Jang Sunny , Roccati Eddy , Vickers James C.
Published: January 2023

While the prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors is understood to be higher among migrants than for people born in host nations, little is known about the dementia risk profile of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. This systematic review examines published literature to understand what is currently reported about 12 identified modifiable risk factors for dementia among migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers residing in Australia. Three literature databases (PubMed/CINAHL/MEDLINE) were systematically searched to find articles reporting excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, lack of education, hypertension, hearing impairment, smoking, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, diabetes, and limited social contact in Australia’s migrant, refugee and asylum seeker population samples. Papers were systematically reviewed following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 763 studies were found, of which 676 articles were excluded, and 79 articles remained. Despite wide variability in study design, size and purpose, the prevalence and correlates of modifiable risk factors of dementia appears markedly different among the studied samples. Compared with Australian-born participants, migrant samples had a higher prevalence of depression, social isolation, physical inactivity and diabetes mellitus. Insufficient information or conflicting evidence prevented inference about prevalence and correlates for the remaining dementia risk factors. A better understanding of the prevalence and correlates of modifiable dementia risk factors is needed in Australia’s migrant, refugee and asylum seeker populations. This information, together with a deeper understanding of the contextual and cultural contributing factors affecting people who arrive in Australia through differing pathways is needed before preventive interventions can be realistically targeted and sensitively implemented.
Thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) study of low-temperature transitions in chlorine-containing polymers
Authors: Marossy Kálmán
Published: January 2023

Thermally stimulated discharge current (TSD) tests on PVC, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorinated PVC, and chlorinated paraffins always show a relatively low-intensity transition in the − 100 to − 80 °C range. Several chlorine-containing polymers and one chlorinated paraffin were tested up to 70% chlorine content by short-circuited TSD method. The intensities of these transitions show a maximum at about 40% chlorine content except for PVC. Knowing the random nature of chlorination, it is assumed that this transition origins from the rotational movement of neighboring –CH2–CHCl– monomeric units.
Emotional Phenomenology: A New Puzzle
Authors: Álvarez-González Aarón
Published: January 2023

Emotions are taken by some authors as a kind of mental state epistemically akin to perception. However, unlike perceptual phenomenology, which allows being treated dogmatically, emotional phenomenology is puzzling in the following respect. When you feel an emotion, you feel an urge to act, you feel, among other things, your body’s action readiness. On the other hand, at least sometimes, you are aware that an emotion by itself is not a sufficient reason to justify an evaluative judgment and/or an action, not even prima facie. How can a single mental state, emotion, seem to be dogmatic and hypothetic at the same time? It seems that emotions alone fall short of the justifying role in which their guiding role would be grounded. If this is true, then emotional experience cannot be epistemically akin to perception. Unless we are willing to claim that emotions cause action blindly (i.e., not rationally), we need an account of the distinctive epistemic role of emotional experience that renders its guidance role rational. In this paper I outline this new problem and its consequences for the metaphysics and epistemology of emotional experience. I also try to offer the sketch of a plausible solution.
Quantum computing for financial risk measurement
Authors: Wilkens Sascha , Moorhouse Joe
Published: January 2023

Quantum computing allows a significant speed-up over traditional CPU- and GPU-based algorithms when applied to particular mathematical challenges such as optimisation and simulation. Despite promising advances and extensive research in hard- and software developments, currently available quantum systems are still largely limited in their capability. In line with this, practical applications in quantitative finance are still in their infancy. This paper analyses requirements and concrete approaches for the application to risk management in a financial institution. On the examples of Value-at-Risk for market risk and Potential Future Exposure for counterparty credit risk, the main contribution lies in going beyond textbook illustrations and instead exploring must-have model features and their quantum implementations. While conceptual solutions and small-scale circuits are feasible at this stage, the leap needed for real-life applications is still significant. In order to build a usable risk measurement system, the hardware capacity—measured in number of qubits—would need to increase by several magnitudes from their current value of about $$10^2$$

10
2

. Quantum noise poses an additional challenge, and research into its control and mitigation would need to advance in order to render risk measurement applications deployable in practice. Overall, given the maturity of established classical simulation-based approaches that allow risk computations in reasonable time and with sufficient accuracy, the business case for a move to quantum solutions is not very strong at this point.
Assessment on urban lakes along the coastal region of Miri, NW Borneo: implication for hydrochemistry, water quality, and pollution risk
Authors: Nyambar Inez Neysa anak , Mohan Viswanathan Prasanna
Published: January 2023

The main purpose of this study is to assess the urban lake water quality along the coastal region of Miri City, Sarawak, East Malaysia. This study concentrates on the hydrochemical characteristics and the mechanisms controlling the suitability of the lakes for domestic, irrigation, and industrial purposes. A total of 15 lake water samples were collected and analysed for physical parameters, major ions, nutrients, BOD, COD, and heavy metals. The results show that Lakes 6, 7, and 8 commonly exceeded the National Drinking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS) limits, particularly in physical parameters and major ions. The cation dominance was Na+  > Mg2+  > K+  > Ca2+, while the anion dominance was Cl−  > HCO3−  > SO42−. It is inferred that lake 8 was affected by the seawater intrusion through the inlet flow, resulting in an excess concentration of ions present in that lake. The concentrations of heavy metals in these lakes were considerably low, indicating that most of them were from the geogenic source. Most of the lakes were NaCl water type and the main controlling mechanism were weathering and ionic exchange processes, with anthropogenic impacts. Based on the calculated Water Quality Index (WQI) according to the National Water Quality Standards (NWQS), all lakes were suitable for irrigation use (class IV), while most of these lakes fell under the “polluted” index. Apart from that, based on the National Lake Water Quality Standards (NLWQS), all lakes were classified under category D, indicating that the lakes must be kept in good condition. According to the irrigation quality indices, lakes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were the most suitable for irrigation purposes. As for metal pollution indices (HPI and HEI), lakes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 15 were considered safe with low pollution status. From the multivariate statistical analysis, it is deduced that both anthropogenic and geogenic impacts mostly influenced the quality of these lake waters. The outcome of this study will help the policymakers under the national water department in sustainable management of water resources in this region.
A Review of Image-Based Simulation Applications in High-Value Manufacturing
Authors: Evans Llion Marc , Sözümert Emrah , Keenan Bethany E. , Wood Charles E. , du Plessis Anton
Published: January 2023

Image-Based Simulation (IBSim) is the process by which a digital representation of a real geometry is generated from image data for the purpose of performing a simulation with greater accuracy than with idealised Computer Aided Design (CAD) based simulations. Whilst IBSim originates in the biomedical field, the wider adoption of imaging for non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT/NDE) within the High-Value Manufacturing (HVM) sector has allowed wider use of IBSim in recent years. IBSim is invaluable in scenarios where there exists a non-negligible variation between the ‘as designed’ and ‘as manufactured’ state of parts. It has also been used for characterisation of geometries too complex to accurately draw with CAD. IBSim simulations are unique to the geometry being imaged, therefore it is possible to perform part-specific virtual testing within batches of manufactured parts. This novel review presents the applications of IBSim within HVM, whereby HVM is the value provided by a manufactured part (or conversely the potential cost should the part fail) rather than the actual cost of manufacturing the part itself. Examples include fibre and aggregate composite materials, additive manufacturing, foams, and interface bonding such as welding. This review is divided into the following sections: Material Characterisation; Characterisation of Manufacturing Techniques; Impact of Deviations from Idealised Design Geometry on Product Design and Performance; Customisation and Personalisation of Products; IBSim in Biomimicry. Finally, conclusions are drawn, and observations made on future trends based on the current state of the literature.
Emotions and motivation in mathematics education: Where we are today and where we need to go
Authors: Schukajlow S. , Rakoczy K. , Pekrun R.
Published: January 2023

Emotions and motivation are important for learning and achievement in mathematics. In this paper, we present an overview of research on students’ emotions and motivation in mathematics. First, we briefly review how early research has developed into the current state-of-the-art and outline the following key characteristics of emotions and motivation: objects, valence, temporal stability (vs. variability), and situational specificity (vs. generality). Second, we summarize major theories in the field (the control-value theory of achievement emotions, expectancy-value theory of achievement-related motivation, self-determination theory of human motivation, and social-cognitive theory of self-efficacy). Third, we present an overview of instructional characteristics that have been shown to foster emotions and motivation. Fourth, we provide an overview of the contributions to the special issue on “Emotions and Motivation in Mathematics Education and Educational Psychology.” Finally, we suggest directions for future research in the field with respect to advancing theory, improving measurement, and considering diversity and inclusion.
Kinderschutz im Blick der Forschung
Authors: Komesker Gabriele , Motzkau Eberhard , Motzkau Johanna
Published: January 2023

Der Beitrag kommentiert aktuelle Kinderschutzforschung aus der Perspektive von Praktiker_innen. Die Autor_innen stellen als derzeitige Leiterin (G. Komesker) und ehemaliger Leiter (E. Motzkau) einer beforschten Kinderschutzeinrichtung (Ärztliche Kinderschutzambulanz am Evangelischen Krankenhaus Düsseldorf) ihre Arbeitsweise vor und kommentieren vor diesem Hintergrund und in direkter Bezugnahme auf Bohrer et al. (2022) gerade veröffentlichte Ergebnisse der Kooperationsprojekte ‚Kinderschutz in Düsseldorf‘ und ‚Kinderschutzkarrieren‘ aus ihrer Perspektive als beforschte Praktiker_innen. In diesem Zusammenhang werden zudem Überlegungen zur Schnittstelle von Praxis und Forschung im Kinderschutz angestellt. Die Forschung trägt, durch Veröffentlichung und Rezeption, selbst unweigerlich zur Konstruktion von Kinderschutzdiskursen bei. Diese beeinflussen, wie gefährdete Kindheit, Kinderschutz und Kinderschutzpraxis im gesellschaftlichen, medialen und politischen Kontext verstanden und praktiziert werden. Dies ist unvermeidlich, sollte aber im Dialog zwischen Forschung und Praxis reflektiert werden, um so Kinderschutzdiskurse gemeinsam kritisch beleuchten und formen zu können. Der Beitrag gibt Denkanstöße dazu, wie sich die Forschung in diesem multidisziplinären und oft spannungsgeladenen Feld konstruktiv in den Dienst der Praxis stellen kann, und ergründet, was es für die beforschte(n) Praxis/Praktiker_innen heißt, sich Forschungsergebnissen einer nicht anonymen Studie offen zu stellen.
Real-time monitoring of early-age compressive strength of concrete using an IoT-enabled monitoring system: an investigative study
Authors: Miller Dane , Ho Nhat-Minh , Talebian Nima , Javanbakht Zia
Published: January 2023

Determination of the early-age compressive strength of concrete is essential for quality assurance, safety, and economy of construction projects. Due to manual operation on construction site, conventional maturity meters are not efficient for live monitoring of the early-age concrete strength. Higher levels of automated and computerised improvements have been made possible by recent developments in wireless communications, sensor technologies, and data processing methods across the construction industry. For real-time monitoring of the early-stage concrete strength, the current study presents an innovative Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled system developed by concrete data sensors (CDS), an Australian-owned private business. The CDS sensor system (the system) communicates with temperature sensors via long-range wide-area network and is linked to a cloud-based platform for data storage. The suggested system’s effectiveness was assessed using three concrete mixtures and developed maturity relationships. It was observed that the predicted early-age compressive strength of the mixes matches well with the actual compressive strength and that the system can effectively automate the characterisation of maturity.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Study on optimization of vehicle exhaust system noise and hook position based on multi-source experimental data analysis
Authors: Xiong Jianqiang
Published: January 2023

The exhaust system is one of the main sources of vehicle noise, and the hook position is one of the main factors affecting the exhaust system noise. Therefore, using the data optimization analysis method and optimizing the hook position parameters can improve the acoustic characteristics of the exhaust system and the vehicle ride comfort. In this paper, the method of multi-source test data analysis is proposed to obtain the A-weighted noise data of the exhaust system at different positions of the hook. Then, through preprocessing and regularization calculation and analysis of A-weighted noise characteristic data, the analysis results of multi-source test data with different location parameters are obtained. The noise contribution of multi-source test data analysis of hook C and hook A is 53.4% and 41.2%, while the noise contribution of multi-source test data analysis of hook B and hook D is negligible. Through the analysis and calculation of the multi-source test data of the hook position, the main influence data of the hook position on the noise is obtained, which provides a reference for further optimizing the vehicle exhaust noise characteristic parameters.
Bibliometric analysis of biochar research in 2021: a critical review for development, hotspots and trend directions
Authors: Wu Ping , Singh Bhupinder Pal , Wang Hailong , Jia Zhifen , Wang Yujun , Chen Wenfu
Published: January 2023

As a bioproduct from the thermal decomposition of biomass, biochar has various applications in diversified field. In this study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to visualize the current research status and trends of biochar research. A total of 5535 documents were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection and subjected to visualization analysis for the biochar field's development in 2021 with CiteSpace software. The visual analysis results demonstrate that the number of publications expanded dramatically in 2021, and the growth trend would continue. China and USA were the most contributing countries in biochar research in terms of the number of publications. Based on the keyword co-occurrence analyses, “Biochar for toxic metal immobilization”, “Biochar-based catalyst for biofuel production”, “Biochar for global climate change mitigation”, “Biochar for salinity and drought stress amelioration”, “Biochar amendment in composting”, and “Biochar as additives in anaerobic digestion” were the main research trends and hotspots in this field in 2021. This indicates that the biochar research was multidisciplinary. Regarding the research hotspots, the employment of biochar as heterogeneous catalysts for biofuel production gained great attention in 2021. On the contrary, bioremediation using functional bacteria immobilized on biochar and biochar-assisted advanced oxidation process were well-studied but with less frequency than other topics in 2021. Furthermore, the future research was proposed for green and sustainable applications of biochar. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research frontiers, the evolution of research hotspots, and potential future research directions in the biochar field.

Graphical Abstract
Affine Generalized Ricci Solitons of Three-Dimensional Lorentzian Lie Groups Associated to Yano Connection
Authors: Azami Shahroud
Published: January 2023

In the present paper, we calculate Yano connection, its curvature and Lie derivative of metric associated to it on three-dimensional Lorentzian Lie groups with some product structure. We introduce affine generalized Ricci solitons associated to the Yano connection and we classify left-invariant affine generalized Ricci solitons associated to the Yano connection on three-dimensional Lorentzian Lie groups.
Animal Ethics in the Wild
Authors: Faria Catia
Published: January 2023

Animals, like humans, suffer and die from natural causes. This is particularly true of animals living in the wild, given their high exposure to, and low capacity to cope with, harmful natural processes. Most wild animals likely have short lives, full of suffering, usually ending in terrible deaths. This book argues that on the assumption that we have reasons to assist others in need, we should intervene in nature to prevent or reduce the harms wild animals suffer, provided that it is feasible and that the expected result is positive overall. It is of the utmost importance that academics from different disciplines as well as animal advocates begin to confront this issue. The more people are concerned with wild animal suffering, the more probable it is that safe and effective solutions to the plight of wild animals will be implemented in the future.
Stone Fidelity
Authors: Barker Jessica
Published: January 2023

Pioneering investigation of the popular 'double tomb' effigies in the Middle Ages.
Kings, Lords and Courts in Anglo-Norman England
Authors: Karn Nicholas
Published: January 2023

First study of the origins of the lordship courts that dominated the lives of the peasantry of medieval England.
Power-Brokers and the Yorkist State, 1461-1485
Authors: Brondarbit Alexander R.
Published: January 2023

Examination of the role played by key figures around the monarchy in the Wars of the Roses.
The Filth Disease
Authors: Steere-Williams Jacob
Published: January 2023

Shows how the investigation of local outbreaks of typhoid fever in Victorian Britain led to the emergence of the modern discipline of epidemiology as the leading science of public health.
Operation RUBICON: An Assessment With Regard to Switzerland's Duties Under the Law of Neutrality
Authors: Rodriguez Manuel
Published: January 2023

Under the guise of Swiss neutrality, the Swiss-based company Crypto AG for decades manufactured and supplied manipulated cipher machines to governments in over 120 States. The company was controlled by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the German Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). The Swiss intelligence services had known about this intelligence operation since 1993 at the latest, had access to relevant information, and allowed the foreign intelligence services to continue their operation until 2018. For the permanently neutral State of Switzerland, this raises the question of how Operation RUBICON is to be assessed with regard to Switzerland's duties under the law of neutrality.

This author finds that it was unlikely that Switzerland, in its complicity in Operation RUBICON, violated its duties under the law of neutrality. However, if—and this is unlikely but cannot be completely ruled out—Crypto AG exported rigged cipher machines or offered maintenance services during (or immediately before) the Kosovo War in 1999 to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or during (or immediately before) the Iraq invasion in 2003 to the Republic of Iraq, Switzerland would have violated its duties under the law of neutrality. At the very least, Switzerland's complicity in Operation RUBICON plays into its image as a Western neutral and is therefore relevant in terms of Swiss neutrality policy. In any case, it is crucial for Switzerland to refrain from complying with intelligence operations such as Operation RUBICON and to preserve (guided by equidistance, international law, and Switzerland's humanitarian tradition) its permanent neutrality, even during today's challenging circumstances.
Critical branching as a pure death process coming down from infinity
Authors: Sagitov Serik
Published: January 2023

We consider the critical Galton–Watson process with overlapping generations stemming from a single founder. Assuming that both the variance of the offspring number and the average generation length are finite, we establish the convergence of the finite-dimensional distributions, conditioned on non-extinction at a remote time of observation. The limiting process is identified as a pure death process coming down from infinity.

This result brings a new perspective on Vatutin’s dichotomy, claiming that in the critical regime of age-dependent reproduction, an extant population either contains a large number of short-living individuals or consists of few long-living individuals.
Bridging the accountability gap of artificial intelligence – what can be learned from Roman law?
Authors: Heine Klaus , Quintavalla Alberto
Published: January 2023

This paper discusses the accountability gap problem posed by artificial intelligence. After sketching out the accountability gap problem we turn to ancient Roman law and scrutinise how slave-run businesses dealt with the accountability gap through an indirect agency of slaves. Our analysis shows that Roman law developed a heterogeneous framework in which multiple legal remedies coexist to accommodate the various competing interests of owners and contracting third parties. Moreover, Roman law shows that addressing the various emerging interests had been a continuous and gradual process of allocating risks among different stakeholders. The paper concludes that these two findings are key for contemporary discussions on how to regulate artificial intelligence.
The family signature theorem
Authors: Randal-Williams Oscar
Published: January 2023

We discuss several versions of the Family Signature Theorem: in rational cohomology using ideas of Meyer, in$KO[\tfrac {1}{2}]$-theory using ideas of Sullivan, and finally in symmetric$L$-theory using ideas of Ranicki. Employing recent developments in Grothendieck–Witt theory, we give a quite complete analysis of the resulting invariants. As an application we prove that the signature is multiplicative modulo 4 for fibrations of oriented Poincaré complexes, generalizing a result of Hambleton, Korzeniewski and Ranicki, and discuss the multiplicativity of the de Rham invariant.
Planned Plunder, the British Museum, and the 1868 Maqdala Expedition
Authors: Patrizio Gunning Lucia , Challis Debbie
Published: January 2023

In 1863, Emperor Tewodros II of Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea) took a British consul hostage; five years later, the British sent a punitive expedition. This military expedition continued the brutal tradition of earlier ones and shaped later campaigns in Sudan and West Africa in the 1890s. Typically, a large contingent of non-military personnel accompanied these expeditions and the 1868 expedition to Maqdala was no different. What was unique for Maqdala was the inclusion of a member of staff from the British Museum. We argue that a letter from Charles Thomas Newton, keeper of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, to Sir Roderick Murchison, the president of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), illustrates that the plunder of cultural heritage was planned. We also argue that the plunder did not go to plan. The inclusion of a man from the museum made this expedition unique in the museum's history. The acquisition of these objects through colonial violence constitutes a strong moral reason for their repatriation from the British Museum and the numerous institutions in which they are dispersed. Understanding the planning involved in their plunder illustrates the entanglement of politics and imperialism with scientific and cultural institutions that constituted the backbone of Victorian Britain.
Seroprevalence and microscopy detection rates of strongyloidiasis in Croatian patients with eosinophilia
Authors: Sviben M. , Meštrović T. , Topić M. Balen , Sternak S. Ljubin , Dida G. O.
Published: January 2023

Infection with the parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis is characteristic for tropical and subtropical regions of the world, but autochthonous cases have been reported in European countries as well. Here we present the first nation-wide survey of S. stercoralis seroprevalence in Croatian individuals presenting with eosinophilia, and evaluate the fraction of positive microscopy rates in stool specimens of seropositive individuals. In our sample of 1407 patients tested between 2018 and 2021, the overall prevalence of strongyloidiasis was 9.31%, with significantly higher rates in those older than 60 years of age (P = 0.005). Of those, one-quarter (25.95%) were also positive following microscopy examination of faeces after using the merthiolate–iodine–formaldehyde concentration method. Our findings reinforce the notion of endemic strongyloidiasis transmission in Croatia, particularly in older individuals, and highlight the need to consider the presence of S. stercoralis in patients with eosinophilia.
Historical and cultural negotiations in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah: Beyond the utopia of ‘unity in diversity’
Authors: Lukito Yulia Nurliani
Published: January 2023

There have been some changes to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, a popular ethnographic theme park built nearly five decades ago during President Suharto's New Order era to present a utopian version of ‘Unity in Diversity’ (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika), Indonesia's state motto. This article discusses the changes and continuities manifested in the present-day slightly expanded Taman Mini. Unlike earlier scholarship focusing on sociopolitical and symbolic aspects of the theme park, this article argues that Taman Mini's mainly domestic visitors understand and interact with its walk-in models of traditional architecture and ‘highlights’ of Indonesian culture and history in ways that often differ from the official script which presents cultural diversity through sanitised ethnographic displays. Moving beyond its official, touristic and commercial intentions and design, Taman Mini has become a lively place for everyday cultural production, engagement and negotiation for its many Indonesian visitors.
The value of reducing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in the treatment of degenerative meniscus tears: a budget impact analysis
Authors: van Well Evelien B. , Wijn Stan R.W. , Hannink Gerjon , Grutters Janneke P.C. , Rovers Maroeska M.
Published: January 2023

Aims

Numerous studies have shown that arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is not (cost-) effective in patients with symptoms attributed to a degenerative meniscus tear. We aimed to assess the budget impact of reducing APM in routine clinical practice in this population.

Materials and methods

A patient-level state transition model was developed to simulate patients recently diagnosed with a degenerative meniscus tear. Three strategies were compared: “current guideline” (i.e., postpone surgery to at least 3 months after diagnosis), “APM at any time” (i.e., APM available directly after diagnosis), and “nonsurgical” (i.e., APM no longer performed). Total societal costs over 5 years were calculated to determine the budget impact. Probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were conducted to address uncertainty.

Results

The average cost per patient over 5 years were EUR 5,077, EUR 4,577, and EUR 4,218, for the “APM at any time,” “current guideline,” and “nonsurgical” strategy, respectively. Removing APM from the treatment mix (i.e., 30,000 patients per year) in the Netherlands, resulted in a reduction in health care expenditures of EUR 54 million (95 percent confidence interval [CI] EUR 38 million–EUR 70 million) compared to the “current guideline strategy” and EUR 129 million (95 percent CI EUR 102 million–EUR 156 million) compared to the “APM at any time” strategy. Sensitivity analyses showed that uncertainty did not alter our conclusions.

Conclusions

Substantial costs can be saved when APM is no longer performed to treat symptoms attributed to degenerative meniscus tears in the Netherlands. It is therefore recommended to further reduce the use of APM to treat degenerative meniscus tears.
Urgent aortic valve neocuspidization using the Ozaki procedure in an infant with native aortic valve endocarditis
Authors: Yilmaz Mustafa , Pamuk Utku , Gursu Hazım Alper , Atalay Atakan
Published: January 2023

Native valve aortic endocarditis is rarely seen in the paediatric population. Although, the first-line of treatment is medical, surgical intervention may be indicated in patients with unrepairable valvular and subvalvular disease. Recently, the aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo) procedure has gained popularity both in adult and children in whom other repair techniques are not feasible. In this case report, we present an urgent aortic valve replacement using the AVNeo technique in a critically ill infant with a small annulus, severe left ventricular outflow tract stenosis, and severe aortic regurgitation.
Authority Migration in Federations: A Framework for Analysis
Authors: Bednar Jenna
Published: January 2023

Why does one federation succeed while another fails? Federations may fail for exogenous reasons: foreign invasion, collapse of its currency, or global market forces. If we focus on endogenous factors, the possible reasons for failure include diversity, where populations drift apart or clash too often, or jealousy from redistributive asymmetry, with unequal shouldering of costs or dispersion of benefits, and, of course, corruption and insurrection. While potentially significant, these problems are not particular to federalism; they threaten all democracies. There is, however, one threat that afflicts federations in particular. It is the one that perplexed and animated James Madison in the American context: opportunistic authority migration between levels of government.
Clear Writing Means Clear Thinking: Two Narratives of the
Collaborative Teaching of James Madison's Federalist 10
& 51
Authors: Warfield-Brown Rosalind , Pontuso James F.
Published: January 2023

Anyone who has ever graded a term paper knows that students seem to
forget most everything they learned in freshman composition class
when it comes time to write an analytical essay in another course.
“Writing across the curriculum” has become almost a mantra that
schools have adopted to counter this problem. Yet it is unclear
exactly what “writing across the curriculum” means, and it is more
uncertain how to implement the concept. This paper grows out of an
effort to put “writing across the curriculum” into practice through
collaborative teaching at Hampden-Sydney College.
Designing a Moot Court: What to Do, What Not to Do, and
Suggestions for How to Do It
Authors: Ringel Lewis S.
Published: January 2023

Educators often use role-playing exercises that involve problem based
learning in their courses to improve their students' critical and
analytical skills, introduce them to new ways of thinking, increase
interaction with their fellow students, and to enhance student
interest in course lessons and materials (Greening 1998; Albanese 1993; Hensley 1993).A popular role playing simulation is moot court
(Deardoff and Aliotta 2003; Guiliuzza 1991). Moot courts are
academic simulations of appellate advocacy that educate students
about the law and the judicial process. Students, acting as lawyers
or judges, “try” a case before an appellate court.2 In addition to
acting as lawyers or judges, students are assigned to serve as “law
clerks, reporters, or amicus brief writers” (Knerr
and Sommerman 2001, 4). Moot court is an
extremely fluid pedagogical tool which can be used for more than
learning about the law or the judicial process. It has been used in
a variety of disciplines including political science, media,
history, journalism, sociology, art, economics, business, and the
life sciences to educate students about a variety of subjects such
as history, journalistic rights, anti-trust laws, or professional
ethics (Carlson and Skaggs 2000; Dhooge
1999; Bentley 1996).
Back to Basics: Twelve Rules for Writing a Publishable
Article
Authors: Thunder David
Published: January 2023

The following essay aims to consolidate the learnings of a year-long
internship at The Review of Politics, during which
time the author read and wrote reports on some hundred articles
submitted to the journal.
The Fundamentals, the Polls, and the Presidential Vote
Authors: Wlezien Christopher , Erikson Robert S.
Published: January 2023

As the experience of 2000 shows, forecasting presidential elections is an inexact science. Everybody knows that “the economy” matters, but simple projection from economic conditions at the time of the forecast is not enough. And the most important economic shocks to the economy are the late shocks, which may arrive too late to be measured by the forecaster. Other events also impact, such as (in 2004) the Iraq war. Incorporating presidential approval into the model helps to control for “other” events that economic indicators ignore, but obviously only those that are observable by the time of the latest approval reading. They also don't reveal much about voters' comparative judgments of the two candidates. Of course one can forecast the presidential race from trial-heat polls available at the moment rather than trying to capture the fundamentals that will matter on Election Day. But the whole purpose of forecasting is to present information about the voters' future behavior that is not yet evident in the trialheat polls. Besides, early polls only tell us little about the final election outcome.
For the Defense
Authors: Krasno Jonathan S. , Sorauf Frank J.
Published: January 2023

In some respects, our work in McConnell v. FEC began years before the passage of McCain-Feingold. During 1996–1997 we served on a commission organized by Herbert Alexander to create a political scientists' view of campaign financing. The majority voted 6 to 3 to recommend removing limits on the amounts that parties could contribute to candidates. Our dissent, with Janet Box-Steffensmeier, asserted that such a move would do little to strengthen parties or make elections more competitive, while increasing the potential for donors to corrupt parties (Citizens' Research Foundation 1997). Shortly afterward, we were contacted by lawyers from the FEC looking for expert witnesses in Colorado Republican II to argue on behalf of congressional limits on parties' “coordinated expenditures” (Sorauf and Krasno 1997). A few years later, we were asked by lawyers from the office of Missouri's Attorney General to testify on behalf of that state's regulation of party finances (modeled on FECA) in Missouri Shrink PAC v. Lamb (Krasno and Sorauf 2000). In all of these cases our “testimony” consisted of lengthy reports written for district courts or panels.
Margaret Levi: Institutions, Individuals, Organizations, and Trust in Democratic Regimes
Authors: Hanson Stephen E. , Jupille Joseph , Olson David J. , Weingast Barry R.
Published: January 2023

For a generation of political scientists witnessing dramatic declines in social and political participation and rising distrust in government at all levels, APSA President Margaret Levi's research program addresses fundamental issues concerning the bases for and effects of legitimacy, compliance, and consent in democratic regimes. Levi's scholarship has made pioneering contributions to understanding enduring questions about the conditions for and consequences of trust and distrust, compliance and resistance, and individual versus collective action. Animating this research agenda are Levi's commitment to greater authentic democratic participation, enhancing trust between the governed and those who govern, and the quest for social justice.
APSA Teaching and Learning Conference: A Summary of Four
Tracks
Authors: Alter Sharon Z. , Gershkoff Amy R.
Published: January 2023

The inaugural APSA Conference on Teaching and Learning in Political
Science brought 40 political scientists from around the country to
Washington, D.C., to share their ideas and models of teaching and
learning. Hosted by American University from February 19–21, the
conference entailed four thematic tracks: Pedagogy and Technology,
Civic Education and Service Learning, Student Assessment and
Learning Outcomes, and Global Perspectives and Diversity. Summaries
of each track's work follows. For more information on this and
future APSA Conferences on Teaching and Learning, visit
www.apsanet.org/tlc/ or contact Linda Lopez at
llopez@apsanet.org.