bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual consistency in the learning abilities of honey bees: cognitive specialization within sensory and reinforcement modalities
Authors: Finke Valerie , Scheiner Ricarda , Giurfa Martin , Avarguès-Weber Aurore
Published: January 2023

The question of whether individuals perform consistently across a variety of cognitive tasks is relevant for studies of comparative cognition. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is an appropriate model to study cognitive consistency as its learning can be studied in multiple elemental and non-elemental learning tasks. We took advantage of this possibility and studied if the ability of honey bees to learn a simple discrimination correlates with their ability to solve two tasks of higher complexity, reversal learning and negative patterning. We performed four experiments in which we varied the sensory modality of the stimuli (visual or olfactory) and the type (Pavlovian or operant) and complexity (elemental or non-elemental) of conditioning to examine if stable correlated performances could be observed across experiments. Across all experiments, an individual’s proficiency to learn the simple discrimination task was positively and significantly correlated with performance in both reversal learning and negative patterning, while the performances in reversal learning and negative patterning were positively, yet not significantly correlated. These results suggest that correlated performances across learning paradigms represent a distinct cognitive characteristic of bees. Further research is necessary to examine if individual cognitive consistency can be found in other insect species as a common characteristic of insect brains.
Girdin acts as an oncogene in gastric cancer by regulating AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Wang Yun , Fu Qiang , Tao Yun-jian , Ying Sheng-nan , Zhong Heng-gao , Zhu Yue , Qian Xiao-han , Miao Lin , Yang Li-hua
Published: January 2023

ThE present work focused on exploring Girdin expression within gastric cancer (GC), examining the effect of Girdin on the cell phenotype of GC, and clarifying the underlying mechanisms. Girdin expression in GC samples was identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays. Girdin-targeting siRNAs were transfected into GC cells; later, we examined GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis, respectively. Additionally, the protein expression was examined through Western blotting assay. Moreover, the tumor implantation experiment was conducted for examining Girdin knockdown in vivo. The results showed that Girdin expression elevated within GC samples, which was associated with the dismal prognostic outcome. Girdin knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and enhanced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Girdin promoted the phosphorylation of AKT, GSK3β, and β-catenin. Moreover, Girdin inhibited the phosphorylation of β-catenin. Girdin suppressed cell apoptosis and stimulated cell migration and invasion, while AKT inhibitor (MK2206) treatment reversed the effect of Girdin overexpression, and GSK3β inhibitor (CHIR99021) treatment enhanced the effect of Girdin overexpression on GC cells. Besides, Girdin delayed tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, Girdin was abnormally expressed in GC samples, which promoted the development of GC by regulating AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling.
Abnormal left ventricular subendocardial perfusion and diastolic function in women with obesity and heart failure and preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Markley Roshanak , Del Buono Marco Giuseppe , Mihalick Virginia , Pandelidis Alexander , Trankle Cory , Jordan Jennifer H. , Decamp Kevin , Winston Chris , Carbone Salvatore , Billingsley Hayley , Barron Andrew , Thomas Georgia , Van Tassell Benjamin , Hundley W. Gregory , Kellman Peter , Abbate Antonio
Published: January 2023

Purpose

– Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is common in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity. Stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been proposed as a non-invasive tool for detection of CMD. The aim of this study was to determine relationship between CMD and diastolic function in patients with HFpEF using a novel CMR technique.

Methods

– Patients with obesity and HFpEF without epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent Doppler echocardiography to measure diastolic function, followed by vasodilator stress CMR, using a single bolus, dual sequence, quantitative myocardial perfusion mapping to measure myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and at peak hyperemia. With this, myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR), global stress endocardial-to-epicardial (endo:epi) perfusion ratio, and total ischemic burden (IB, defined as myocardial segments with MBF < 1.94 mL/min/g) were calculated. Results are reported as median and interquartile range.

Results

– Nineteen subjects were enrolled (100% female, 42% Black). Median age was 64 [56–72] years. Global stress MBF was 2.43 ml/min/g [2.16–2.78] and global myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) was 2.34 [2.07–2.88]. All had an abnormal subendocardial perfusion with an endo:epi of less than 1 (0.87 [0.81–0.90]). Regional myocardial hypoperfusion was detected in 14 (74%) patients with an IB of 6% [0-34.4]. Endo:epi ratio significantly correlated with IB (R=-0.510, p = 0.026) and measures of diastolic function (R = 0.531, p = 0.019 and R=-0.544, p = 0.014 for e’ and E/e’ respectively).

Conclusion

– Using a novel quantitative stress CMR myocardial perfusion mapping technique, women with obesity and HFpEF were found to have patterns of abnormal subendocardial perfusion which significantly correlated with measures of diastolic dysfunction.
Liquid biopsy for monitoring of tumor dormancy and early detection of disease recurrence in solid tumors
Authors: Heidrich Isabel , Deitert Benjamin , Werner Stefan , Pantel Klaus
Published: January 2023

Cancer is one of the three leading causes of death worldwide. Even after successful therapy and achieving remission, the risk of relapse often remains. In this context, dormant residual cancer cells in secondary organs such as the bone marrow constitute the cellular reservoir from which late tumor recurrences arise. This dilemma leads the term of minimal residual disease, which reflects the presence of tumor cells disseminated from the primary lesion to distant organs in patients who lack any clinical or radiological signs of metastasis or residual tumor cells left behind after therapy that eventually lead to local recurrence. Disseminated tumor cells have the ability to survive in a dormant state following treatment and linger unrecognized for more than a decade before emerging as recurrent disease. They are able to breakup their dormant state and to readopt their proliferation under certain circumstances, which can finally lead to distant relapse and cancer-associated death. In recent years, extensive molecular and genetic characterization of disseminated tumor cells and blood-based biomarker has contributed significantly to our understanding of the frequency and prevalence of tumor dormancy. In this article, we describe the clinical relevance of disseminated tumor cells and highlight how latest advances in different liquid biopsy approaches can be used to detect, characterize, and monitor minimal residual disease in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma patients.
Milk intake, lactase persistence genotype, plasma proteins and risks of cardiovascular events in the Swedish general population
Authors: Zhang Shunming , Li Huiping , Engström Gunnar , Niu Kaijun , Qi Lu , Borné Yan , Sonestedt Emily
Published: January 2023

To investigate the associations of milk intake (non-fermented and fermented milk), lactase persistence (LCT-13910 C/T) genotype (a proxy for long-term non-fermented milk intake), and gene-milk interaction with risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. Also, to identify the CVD-related plasma proteins and lipoprotein subfractions associated with milk intake and LCT-13910 C/T genotype. The prospective cohort study included 20,499 participants who were followed up for a mean of 21 years. Dietary intake was assessed using a modified diet history method. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, higher non-fermented milk intake was significantly associated with higher risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CVD mortality, whereas higher fermented milk intake was significantly associated with lower risks of CVD and CVD mortality. The genotype associated with higher milk (mainly non-fermented) intake was positively associated with CHD (CT/TT vs. CC HR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.55) and CVD (HR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.42). The association between rs4988235 genotype and CVD mortality was stronger in participants with higher milk intake than among participants with lower intake (P for interaction < 0.05). Furthermore, leptin, HDL, and large HDL were associated with non-fermented milk intake, while no plasma proteins or lipoprotein subfractions associated with fermented milk intake and LCT-13910 C/T genotype were identified. In conclusion, non-fermented milk intake was associated with higher risks of CHD and CVD mortality, as well as leptin and HDL, whereas fermented milk intake was associated with lower risks of CVD and CVD mortality.
Narratives of ‘delayed success’: a life course perspective on understanding Vietnamese international students’ decisions to drop out of PhD programmes
Authors: Phan Hao Phuong
Published: January 2023

PhD (non-)completion rates have been considered important criteria with which to evaluate the effectiveness of doctoral programmes and of universities’ performance. To date, there has been a lack of qualitative studies on the voices and experiences of funded international students who discontinue doctoral research degrees. This paper uses qualitative methods and six themes of a life course perspective to uncover the ‘hidden’ experience of international Vietnamese students who dropped out of funded doctoral programmes in social sciences and humanities. Its findings suggest that linked/independent lives and the timing of live themes helped to understand reasons for international doctoral students to drop out, which underline their engagement with research networks, academic identity and familial responsibilities. Meanwhile, the consequences of dropout illustrate the intersections of five themes: linked/independent lives, development risk and projects, the timing of lives/interplay of human lives and historical times, and diversity in life courses. The five themes capture diverse life trajectories and forms of agency developed by PhD non-completers while negotiating social pressures and institutional politics in their home institution as well as their perceptions of well-being and life priorities. Their life trajectories and forms of agency are gendered and culturally specific, with female non-completers being more active in searching for and building back their ‘agentic orientations’ through learning new skills, entering motherhood or leaving academic institutions. These findings are useful for reflecting on the current supporting structures, especially mental health support, for international doctoral students and supervisor training.
Hierarchical Model Reduction Driven by Machine Learning for Parametric Advection-Diffusion-Reaction Problems in the Presence of Noisy Data
Authors: Lupo Pasini Massimiliano , Perotto Simona
Published: January 2023

We propose a new approach to generate a reliable reduced model for a parametric elliptic problem, in the presence of noisy data. The reference model reduction procedure is the directional HiPOD method, which combines Hierarchical Model reduction with a standard Proper Orthogonal Decomposition, according to an offline/online paradigm. In this paper we show that directional HiPOD looses in terms of accuracy when problem data are affected by noise. This is due to the interpolation driving the online phase, since it replicates, by definition, the noise trend. To overcome this limit, we replace interpolation with Machine Learning fitting models which better discriminate relevant physical features in the data from irrelevant unstructured noise. The numerical assessment, although preliminary, confirms the potentialities of the new approach.
Metastability for Kawasaki Dynamics on the Hexagonal Lattice
Authors: Baldassarri Simone , Jacquier Vanessa
Published: January 2023

In this paper we analyze the metastable behavior for the Ising model that evolves under Kawasaki dynamics on the hexagonal lattice $${\mathbb {H}}^2$$

H

2

in the limit of vanishing temperature. Let $$\varLambda \subset {\mathbb {H}}^2$$

Λ
⊂

H

2

a finite set which we assume to be arbitrarily large. Particles perform simple exclusion on $$\varLambda $$
Λ
, but when they occupy neighboring sites they feel a binding energy $$-U<0$$

-
U
<
0

. Along each bond touching the boundary of $$\varLambda $$
Λ
from the outside to the inside, particles are created with rate $$\rho =e^{-\varDelta \beta }$$

ρ
=

e

-
Δ
β

, while along each bond from the inside to the outside, particles are annihilated with rate 1, where $$\beta $$
β
is the inverse temperature and $$\varDelta >0$$

Δ
>
0

is an activity parameter. For the choice $$\varDelta \in {(U,\frac{3}{2}U)}$$

Δ
∈

(
U
,

3
2

U
)

we prove that the empty (resp. full) hexagon is the unique metastable (resp. stable) state. We determine the asymptotic properties of the transition time from the metastable to the stable state and we give a description of the critical configurations. We show how not only their size but also their shape varies depending on the thermodynamical parameters. Moreover, we emphasize the role that the specific lattice plays in the analysis of the metastable Kawasaki dynamics by comparing the different behavior of this system with the corresponding system on the square lattice.
Landscape structure is a key driver of soil protist diversity in meadows in the Swiss Alps
Authors: Seppey Christophe V. W. , Lara Enrique , Broennimann Olivier , Guisan Antoine , Malard Lucie , Singer David , Yashiro Erika , Fournier Bertrand
Published: January 2023

Context

Human-induced changes in landscape structure are among the main causes of biodiversity loss. Despite their important contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, microbes—and particularly protists—remain spatially understudied. Soil microbiota are most often driven by local soil properties, but the influence of the surrounding landscape is rarely assessed.

Objectives

We assessed the effect of landscape structure on soil protist alpha and beta diversity in meadows in the western Swiss Alps.

Methods

We sampled 178 plots along an elevation gradient representing a broad range of environmental conditions and land-use. We measured landscape structure around each plot at 5 successive spatial scales (i.e. neighbourhood windows of increasing radius, ranging from 100 to 2000 m around a plot). We investigated the changes of protist alpha and beta diversity as a function of landscape structure, local environmental conditions and geographic distance.

Results

Landscape structures, especially percentage of meadows, forests, or open habitats, played a key role for protist alpha and beta diversity. The importance of landscape structure was comparable to that of environmental conditions and spatial variables, and increased with the size of the neighbourhood window considered.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that dispersal from neighbouring habitats is a key driver of protist alpha and beta diversity which highlight the importance of landscape-scale assembly mechanisms for microbial diversity. Landscape structure emerges as a key driver of microbial communities which has profound implications for our understanding of the consequences of land-use change on soil microbial communities and their associated functions.
Early ependymal tumor with MN1-BEND2 fusion: a mostly cerebral tumor of female children with a good prognosis that is distinct from classical astroblastoma
Authors: Lehman Norman L.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Review of the clinicopathologic and genetic features of early ependymal tumor with MN1-BEND2 fusion (EET MN1-BEND2), classical astroblastomas, and recently described related pediatric CNS tumors. I also briefly review general mechanisms of gene expression silencing by DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling, and genomic DNA methylation profiling as a powerful new tool for CNS tumor classification.

Methods

Literature review and illustration of tumor histopathologic features and prenatal gene expression timelines.

Results

Astroblastoma, originally descried by Bailey and Cushing in 1926, has been an enigmatic tumor. Whether they are of ependymal or astrocytic derivation was argued for decades. Recent genetic evidence supports existence of both ependymal and astrocytic astroblastoma-like tumors. Studies have shown that tumors exhibiting astroblastoma-like histology can be classified into discrete entities based on their genomic DNA methylation profiles, gene expression, and in some cases, the presence of unique gene fusions. One such tumor, EET MN1-BEND2 occurs mostly in female children, and has an overall very good prognosis with surgical management. It contains a gene fusion comprised of portions of the MN1 gene at chromosomal location 22q12.1 and the BEND2 gene at Xp22.13. Other emerging pediatric CNS tumor entities demonstrating ependymal or astroblastoma-like histological features also harbor gene fusions involving chromosome X, 11q22 and 22q12 breakpoint regions.

Conclusions

Genomic DNA profiling has facilitated discovery of several new CNS tumor entities, however, traditional methods, such as immunohistochemistry, DNA or RNA sequencing, and cytogenetic studies, including fluorescence in situ hybridization, remain necessary for their accurate biological classification and diagnosis.
Mothers of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: Experiences, Perceptions and Influences on Their Sons’ and Daughters’ Romantic and Sexual Lives
Authors: Charitou Maria , Quayle Ethel , Sutherland Alan
Published: January 2023

Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) value romantic and sexual expression, however often face barriers to developing relationships. Family caregivers play a significant role in supporting them with such matters throughout adulthood. In order to understand how to best support individuals with ID in this sphere of their lives, it is therefore essential to investigate family caregivers’ perceptions, influences and experiences. This study explored the views and experiences of nine mothers of adult individuals with mild and moderate ID in relation to their children’s romantic and sexual lives. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings suggested that mothers held positive, but sometimes ambivalent, attitudes towards their children’s romantic and sexual lives. They assumed the dual role of a facilitator and a protector, and although they generally expressed a commitment to supporting romantic experiences, they viewed sexual experiences with caution due to fears relating to vulnerability and risk. In the context of vulnerability, although most participants described their children’s sexual knowledge as poor, they reported lack of preventative sexual or contraceptive education delivered at home. Participants hoped that their children would manage a long-term relationship, however also experienced a sense of loss related to the realization that this might not be possible. The findings of this study highlight the need to help mothers to proactively support their adult children in building sexual knowledge. This, in turn, can reduce individuals’ vulnerability and improve their ability to make informed choices. Suggestions for future research are also discussed.
The Temperature Dependence of Hot Prograde Flows in Solar Active Regions
Authors: Fitzpatrick Jimmy C. , Hudson Hugh S.
Published: January 2023

Using simultaneous observations from the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) and imaging from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), we characterise the temperature dependence of apparent hot flows in solar active regions. The EVE instrument performs Sun-as-a-star spectroscopy and is composed of two spectrographs: MEGS-A and MEGS-B (Multiple EUV Grating Spectrograph-A, -B). It is known that EVE can measure wavelength shifts and thus can observe relative Doppler velocities in solar atmospheric plasmas over an extended temperature range. However, MEGS-A is affected by a known astigmatism effect (Chamberlin: Solar Phys.291, 1665, 2016); inhomogeneities in EUV brightness on the solar surface result in purely instrumental wavelength errors. We validate our methods by independently quantifying this effect and comparing to Chamberlin’s results, and we explore the wavelength dependence as an extension of his formula as derived for He ii 304 Å. MEGS-B is unaffected by this instrumental effect in any case, and this has allowed us to find evidence of hot prograde flows in active regions. Using our image-based models for the astigmatism and flows, we independently confirm our original MEGS-B result. We now extend our knowledge of the temperature dependence of these flows via the additional Fe emission lines available in MEGS-A. We find a monotonic increase of apparent flow speed with temperature up through lines of Fe xvi, nominally formed at about 6.4 MK.
Estimating water erosion in the EL-Mador Valley Basin, South-West Matrouh City, Egypt, using revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model through GIS
Authors: Hagras Ali
Published: January 2023

Water erosion is among the largest and most crucial problems with soil loss and that is through land degradation in semi-arid regions and the North African areas are especially vulnerable to it. In addition, the EL-Mador Valley Basin is exposed to soil degradation due to climate and topographic properties as well as a human activity. In this scope, the aim of this study is to perform an evaluation of soil degradation hazards in the El-Mador Valley Basin by employing the equation RUSLE and the data of RS within a frame GIS. Furthermore, various raster layers have been designed to RUSLE parameters, such (R), (K), (LS), (C), and (P), and these inputs were merged into a GIS-based framework for measuring the degree of soil degradation. The results demonstrate the ranged values from 0 to > 2500 ton ha–1 year–1, with a geographical average of 54.80 ton ha–1 year–1. In addition, a soil erosion hazard map was created which was divided into five hazard categories: Low (56.56%), Moderate (13.88%), High (8.09%), Severe (8.82%), and Extreme (12.65%). Moreover, these results will be important to create mitigation strategies for regions where the soil loss is high, severe, and extreme, and also to assisting the local administration in setting priorities and basis for decision-makers to create suitable actions to decrease soil erosion hazards.
Anti-melanogenic effect of Moju through inhibition of tyrosinase activity
Authors: Kim Ha-Rim , Lee Seung-Hyeon , Noh Eun-Mi , Oh Boung-Jun , Kim Seon-Young , Park Mi Hee
Published: January 2023

Background

Moju is a traditional rice beverage local to Jeonju with an alcohol content of 1–2%. Moju is made by boiling makgeolli with several kinds of medicinal herbs, such as ginger, jujube and cinnamon. The raw materials used in Moju are well known for their physiological and functional effects. Although Moju is made with functional raw materials, the operational role of Moju has not yet been reported.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to identify the anti-melanogenic effects of Moju in B16F10 melanoma cells and explore the potential mechanisms.

Results

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effect of Moju. Moju showed no toxicity to HEK293T or B16F10 cells. The antioxidant activity of Moju was confirmed by its ability to increase radical scavenging activity. Moju decreased tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. At the cellular level, Moju reduced melanin synthesis and the expression of proteins involved in melanin synthesis at concentrations of 100, 250, and 500 μg/mL in B16F10 cells. In addition, Moju inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK).

Conclusions

These results provide evidence that Moju has antioxidant activity and anti-melanogenic effect that occur through regulation of the ERK pathway. Although further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanism and functional components, the ability of Moju to inhibit melanin synthesis by altering tyrosinase activation suggest that it can be used as a functional whitening ingredient.
Load and velocity boundaries of oil-based superlubricity using 1,3-diketone
Authors: Yuan Yuyang , Amann Tobias , Xu Yuwen , Zhang Yan , Chen Jingfu , Yuan Chenqing , Li Ke
Published: January 2023

The clarification of the critical operating conditions and the failure mechanism of superlubricity systems is of great significance for seeking appropriate applications in industry. In this work, the superlubricity region of 1,3-diketone oil EPND (1-(4-ethyl phenyl) nonane-1,3-dione) on steel surfaces was identified by performing a series of ball-on-disk rotation friction tests under various normal loads (3.5–64 N) and sliding velocities (100–600 mm/s). The result shows that beyond certain loads or velocities superlubricity failed to be reached due to the following negative effects: (1) Under low load (≤ 3.5 N), insufficient running-in could not ensure good asperity level conformity between the upper and lower surfaces; (2) the high load (≥ 64 N) produced excessive wear and big debris; (3) at low velocity (≤ 100 mm/s), the weak hydrodynamic effect and the generated debris deteriorated the lubrication performance; (4) at high velocity (≥ 500 mm/s), oil migration occurred and resulted in oil starvation. In order to expand the load and velocity boundaries of the superlubricity region, an optimized running-in method was proposed to avoid the above negative effects. By initially operating a running-in process under a suitable combination of load and velocity (e.g. 16 N and 300 mm/s) and then switching to the target certain higher or lower load/velocity (e.g. 100 N), the superlubricity region could break through its original boundaries. The result of this work suggests that oil-based superlubricity of 1,3-diketone is a promising solution to friction reduction under suitable operating conditions especially using a well-designed running-in strategy.
Mitigation of tribocorrosion of metals in aqueous solutions by potential-enhanced adsorption of surfactants
Authors: Liu Chenxu , Tian Yu , Khan Zulfiqar A. , Meng Yonggang
Published: January 2023

Corrosion and corrosive wear occur commonly on metals surface in aqueous solutions. External electric field is usually considered as one of the factors to accelerate corrosion or corrosive wear of materials in the presence of conventional electrolytes. This work aims to reposition widely believed perspective by experimental justification which have been conducted in aqueous solutions containing surfactants. Electric potential of metal surfaces was modulated externally within the electrochemical potential window of the metal electrode-solution-counter electrode system, which actively regulated the adsorption or desorption of surfactant molecule in the aqueous solution over the electrodes to form a molecular barrier of electron transportation across the electrode-electrolyte interface. The advantage of the approach over the anodic passivation is negligible redox reactions on the protected electrode surface while a better lubricious and wear resistant film than oxide is maintained in the meantime. Tribopairs of several metal/metal and metal/ceramic were tested by employing a ball-on-disc tribometer with anionic and cationic surfactants solutions. For anionic surfactant as the modifier, positive surface potential enables coefficient of friction to be decreased by promoting the formation of adsorption film on metal surface in aqueous solutions. For cationic surfactant, negative surface potential plays a role in decreasing the coefficient of friction. Phase diagrams of friction and wear in wide ranges of surfactant concentration and surface potential were plotted for the tested metal/metal and metal/ceramic tribopairs. These results indicate that the adsorption behavior of molecules or ions at the metal-aqueous interface can be well regulated when an external electric field is present without inducing corrosion or corrosive wear.
Moral Relativism and Pluralism
Authors: Wong David B.
Published: January 2023

The argument for metaethical relativism, the view that there is no single true or most justified morality, is that it is part of the best explanation of the most difficult moral disagreements. The argument for this view features a comparison between traditions that highly value relationship and community and traditions that highly value personal autonomy of the individual and rights. It is held that moralities are best understood as emerging from human culture in response to the need to promote and regulate interpersonal cooperation and internal motivational coherence in the individual. The argument ends in the conclusion that there is a bounded plurality of true and most justified moralities that accomplish these functions. The normative implications of this form of metaethical relativism are explored, with specific focus on female genital cutting and abortion.
The Transcendental Meditation Movement
Authors: Sawyer Dana , Humes Cynthia
Published: January 2023

This Element provides a comprehensive overview of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Movement and its offshoots. Several early assessments of the as a cult and/or new religious movement are helpful, but are brief and somewhat dated. This Element examines the TM movement's history, beginning in India in 1955, and ends with an analysis of the splinter groups that have come along in the past twenty-five years. Close consideration is given to the movement's appeal for the youth culture of the 1960s, which accounted for its initial success. The Element also looks at the marketing of the meditation technique as a scientifically endorsed practice in the 1970s, and the movement's dramatic turn inward during the 1980s. It concludes by discussing the waning of its popular appeal in the new millennium. This Element describes the social and cultural forces that helped shape the TM movement's trajectory over the decades leading to the present and shows how the most popular meditation movement in America distilled into an obscure form of Neo-Hinduism.
Empire, Kinship and Violence
Authors: Elbourne Elizabeth
Published: January 2023

Empire, Kinship and Violence traces the history of three linked imperial families in Britain and across contested colonial borderlands from 1770 to 1842. Elizabeth Elbourne tracks the Haudenosaunee Brants of northeastern North America from the American Revolution to exile in Canada; the Bannisters, a British family of colonial administrators, whistleblowers and entrepreneurs who operated across Australia, Canada and southern Africa; and the Buxtons, a family of British abolitionists who publicized information about what might now be termed genocide towards Indigenous peoples while also pioneering humanitarian colonialism. By recounting the conflicts that these interlinked families were involved in she tells a larger story about the development of British and American settler colonialism and the betrayal of Indigenous peoples. Through an analysis of the changing politics of kinship and violence, Elizabeth Elbourne sheds new light on transnational debates about issues such as Indigenous sovereignty claims, British subjecthood, violence, land rights and cultural assimilation.
Acoustic emission due to the interaction between shock and instability waves in two-dimensional supersonic jet flows
Authors: Li B. , Lyu B.
Published: January 2023

An analytical model is developed to study the sound produced by the interaction between shock and instability waves in two-dimensional supersonic jet flows. The jet is considered to be of vortex-sheet type and two-dimensional Euler equations are linearized to determine the governing equations for shock and instability waves and their interaction. Pack's model is used to describe shock waves, while instability waves are calculated using spatial stability analysis. The interaction between shock and instability waves can be solved analytically by performing Fourier transform and subsequently using the method of steepest descent. Sound produced by the interaction between the instability wave and a single shock cell is studied first, after which that due to a number of cells follows. We find that the model developed in this study can correctly predict the frequencies of the fundamental screech tone and its first and second harmonics. We show that the predicted sound directivity, even from a single shock cell, is in good agreement with experimental data. In particular, this model shows the strongest noise emission close to the upstream direction but the emitted noise starts to rapidly decay as the observer angle approaches

$180^\circ$

, which is in accordance with experimental results; this suggests that the effective noise from a single shock cell is far from of the monopole type as assumed in the classical Powell's model. We find that the noise directivity is very sensitive to the local growth rate of the instability waves and the noise is generated primarily through the Mach wave mechanism.
Is the Supreme Court’s Legitimacy Vulnerable to Intense Appointment Politics? Democrats’ Changed Views Around Justice Ginsburg’s Death
Authors: Glick David
Published: January 2023

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death near the end of the Trump presidency set off a fight in which Republicans moved to rapidly replace her over Democrats’ objections. I use a survey that was in the field at the time to assess whether this period affected the Court’s legitimacy. I find that Democrats who responded in the days just after Justice Ginsburg’s death saw the Court as less legitimate than those who responded shortly before it. These findings connect to broader questions about the sources of Court legitimacy, the mechanisms through which it changes, and the impact of contestation over appointments.
Commitment to sustainability in large European banks and its relationship with board gender diversity: a 2030 Agenda perspective
Authors: Gutiérrez-Fernández Milagros , Gallego-Sosa Clara , Fernández-Torres Yakira
Published: January 2023

Ensuring a sustainable future by meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without women's empowerment and gender equality. This study aims to determine whether there are differences between European banks in terms of their commitment to SDGs and the intensity of this commitment depending on their board gender diversity. A sample of the 50 largest European banks from 2016 to 2020 was used to perform hypothesis testing for differences in means. The results provide robust support for the assertion that banks with greater female representation on the board of directors have a greater commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The originality of this research lies in the use of indicators of commitment to SDGs corresponding to each of the five SDG pillars. This study thus provides the first evidence of the importance of distinguishing between these pillars when examining the relationship between commitment to SDGs and board gender diversity. This evidence advances the scant literature on this relationship.
Development and validation of the ASKFV-SE tool to measure children's self-efficacy for requesting fruits and vegetables
Authors: Amin Sarah , Hafner Sabrina , McNamara Jade , Raymond Joanna , Balestracci Kate , Missimer Amanda , Potvin Jacquelyn , Greene Geoffrey
Published: January 2023

The aim of the present study was to develop the ASKFV-SE tool to measure self-efficacy (SE) towards requesting fruits and vegetables (FV) in the home and school environment with school-age children (grades 4–5) from urban, ethnically diverse, low-income households. Cognitive interviews reduced the tool from eleven items to seven. The 7-item questionnaire was tested with 444 children. The items loaded on two factors: home SE (four items) and school SE (two items) with one item was excluded (<0⋅40). The reduced 6-item, 2-factor structure was the best fit for the data (χ2 = 45⋅09; df = 9; CFI = 0⋅835; RMSEA = 0⋅147). Confirmatory factory analysis revealed that the 4-item home SE had high reliability (α = 0⋅73) and marginally acceptable reliability for the 2-item school SE (α = 0⋅53). The pre-COVID intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0⋅584 (P < 0⋅001; fair; n = 57) compared to 0⋅736 during-COVID (P < 0⋅001; good; n 50). The ASKFV-SE tool measures children's SE for asking for FVs with strong psychometric properties and low participant burden.
Wrongfully Convicted and in Lock-Up: Understanding Innocence and the Development of Legal Consciousness behind Prison Walls
Authors: Hernandez Reyna I.
Published: January 2023

Scholars studying wrongful convictions have long examined their causes and the ways in which to prevent them and are increasingly interested in exonerees’ post-prison reentry processes. However, research on the experience of incarceration as a result of wrongful conviction is scarce. This article draws on in-depth interviews with eleven exonerees across three states (Illinois, Texas, and New York) to theorize how multiple facets of innocence (personal, relational, and institutional) shape the ways in which former prisoners have navigated their wrongful incarceration: learning to prove their innocence. For many wrongfully convicted inmates, acquiring legal knowledge and mobilizing post-conviction law—specifically, actual innocence jurisprudence—plays a central role in their daily lives given the onerous legal work it takes to prove their factual innocence. I advance what Kathryne M. Young has termed second-order legal consciousness, which prioritizes the social processes that create legal consciousness, as a framework to illuminate how wrongfully convicted inmates constructed legality when pursuing legal exoneration in prison. This article offers new insights into the relational nature of law to show how marginalized groups like prisoners mobilize law when pursuing their rights and allows us to theorize innocence in contexts where the state and society writ large have ascribed a person’s legal guilt.
ANNIHILATORS AND DIMENSIONS OF THE SINGULARITY CATEGORY
Authors: LIU JIAN
Published: January 2023

Let R be a commutative Noetherian ring. We prove that if R is either an equidimensional finitely generated algebra over a perfect field, or an equidimensional equicharacteristic complete local ring with a perfect residue field, then the annihilator of the singularity category of R coincides with the Jacobian ideal of R up to radical. We establish a relationship between the annihilator of the singularity category of R and the cohomological annihilator of R under some mild assumptions. Finally, we give an upper bound for the dimension of the singularity category of an equicharacteristic excellent local ring with isolated singularity. This extends a result of Dao and Takahashi to non-Cohen–Macaulay rings.
Can biomarkers predict myocardial iron overload in children with thalassemia major?
Authors: Karakaş Hasan , Eroğlu Ayşe Güler , Akyel Nazlı Gülsüm , Çığ Gülnaz , Adaletli İbrahim , Özdemir Gül Nihal , Türkkan Emine , Celkan Tülin Tiraje
Published: January 2023

Aim:

Beta-thalassemia major requires regular blood transfusions throughout life, which in turn leads to iron accumulation in the body. While cardiac T2* MRI is the gold standard in determining cardiac iron accumulation, it is not always feasible, which has led to the search for new biomarkers. Herein, the value of growth differentiation factor-15, galectin-3, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in predicting cardiac iron accumulation is investigated in asymptomatic children with beta-thalassemia major.

Materials and method:

Forty-one patients aged 11–21 years and 41 age-, gender-, body mass index-matched healthy controls were included. Serum growth differentiation factor-15, galectin-3, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels were compared between the patients and controls. Additionally, the relations of these biomarkers with cardiac and liver T2 * MRI were investigated in the patients.

Results:

In the patients, growth differentiation factor-15, galectin-3, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels were higher than healthy controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.025, p < 0.001, respectively). There were no significant correlations of growth differentiation factor-15 and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels with both cardiac and liver T2 * MRI measurements. While there was no significant correlation of serum galectin-3 with cardiac T2 * MRI measurements, a negative correlation was found with liver T2 * MRI measurements (p = 0.040, rho = –0.325).

Conclusion:

All three biomarkers investigated in this study failed to predict myocardial iron accumulation in asymptomatic children with beta-thalassemia major. However, a weak relation between serum galectin-3 level and hepatic iron accumulation was demonstrated.
A Socio-Health Approach to Improve Local Disaster Resilience and Contain Secondary Crises: A Case Study in an Agricultural Community Exposed to Bushfires in Australia
Authors: Cuthbertson Joseph , Archer Frank , Robertson Andy , Rodriguez-Llanes Jose
Published: January 2023

Recent large-scale disasters have exposed the interconnected nature of modern societies, exacerbating the risk of cascading impacts. Examining elements of community health status, such as social determinants of health, their perceived health status, and how they relate to disaster resilience, can illuminate alternative actions for cost-effective disaster prevention and management. Moreover, agricultural communities are essential to food security and provide a working example of the importance of mitigation in escalation of crises. To that aim, this research examines perceptions of the relationship between disaster resilience and determinants of health, including health status. Participants also reported their views on perceived vulnerable groups in their community and proposed design characteristics of more effective community disaster plans.

Here investigated are these elements in a small agricultural community of Western Australia previously exposed to bushfires. A questionnaire was used based on health elements from the Social Determinants of Health described by the World Health Organization (WHO) and compared this with quantitative data describing the community health status. A mixed methods approach combining qualitative (semi-structured interview) and quantitative (closed questions using a Likert scale) tools was undertaken with a small group of community members.

It was found that community connection and social capital were perceived to provide knowledge and support that enhanced individual disaster risk awareness and preparedness and improved an individual’s disaster resilience. Stress and social exclusion within a community were perceived to decrease an individual’s resilience to disaster. Disaster resilience was reported to be a function of good physical and mental health. To achieve effective disaster planning, community partnership in the development, education, and testing of plans and robust communication were described as essential traits in community emergency plans.
The expectations of metastatic cancer patients regarding palliative chemotherapy: A Brazilian–German qualitative study
Authors: de Araújo Cynthia Pereira , Garcia Ana Cláudia Mesquita , Murad Júnior Munir
Published: January 2023

Objective

To explore the expectations of Brazilian and German patients regarding metastatic cancer and palliative chemotherapy.

Methods

Interviews with 48 metastatic cancer patients from Brazil and Germany were conducted. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic analysis approach to identify common themes. The sociodemographic data were collected using an instrument developed by the authors.

Results

A total of 48 patients participated in the study (58% were Brazilian and 42% were German). Of all participants, 35% were men and 65% were women. The participants’ mean age was 41 years. The general idea captured from the interviewees’ speech was that their diseases were curable or “while there is chemotherapy, there is life”; thus, the data analysis enabled the elaboration of the central theme, entitled “Mistaken expectations of metastatic cancer patients regarding palliative chemotherapy: While there is chemotherapy, there is life,” with 5 subthemes, namely: (1) communication and expectations; (2) normal life; (3) the person behind the disease; (4) religiosity and spirituality; and (5) the fortitude to choose between continuing or discontinuing treatment.

Significance of results

Regardless of cultural aspects, patients with metastatic cancer on palliative chemotherapy tend to believe in the healing potential of treatments. Dividing expectations only into curable or incurable is insufficient, as even patients who have acknowledged the incurability of their disease expect to live, as long as they remain under treatment as if the disease did not exist.
THEOPHRASTUS’ ‘OLIGARCH’ AND THE POLITICAL INTENTION OF THECHARACTERS
Authors: Ebner-Landy Katie , de Nicolay René
Published: January 2023

The intention of Theophrastus’Charactersstill escapes us. This paper offers a new answer to that centuries-old question by looking closely at the one political sketch of the collection: ‘The Oligarch’ (C.26). We argue that C.26 reveals a political intention in theCharacters, presenting oligarchy as the inherently flawed projection of a character trait onto political events. Read in this way, C.26 appears as a medium through which Theophrastus can take a definite but careful stance in contemporary Athenian politics.
Effect of Superficial Anastomoses on Circulatory Dynamics in Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Konno Hiroko , Murakoshi Takeshi
Published: January 2023

The role of superficial anastomoses in the survival of fetuses with twin-twin transfusion syndrome after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate how superficial anastomoses affect the circulatory dynamics of both fetuses with twin-twin transfusion syndrome using ductus venous Doppler waveforms. We included all twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) patients who underwent fetoscopic laser photocoagulation in our institution from 2006 to 2019; fetal demise cases after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation were excluded. We recorded ductus venous Doppler waveforms on the same day or one day before fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and one day after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation and measured the ductus venous pulsatility index and velocity ratios. We compared these z-scores of donor and recipient twins between a group without superficial anastomoses and the groups with arterio-arterial or veno-venous anastomoses. A total of 115 surviving TTTS placentas after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation were analyzed. The ductus venous pulsatility index and all ratios were better in recipient twins with arterio-arterial anastomoses than in those without. The a-wave-related ratios were better in recipient twins with veno-venous anastomoses than in those without. Superficial anastomoses reduced the blood volume and arterio-arterial anastomoses protected the diastolic cardiac function in recipient twin-twin transfusion syndrome twins before fetoscopic laser photocoagulation. Superficial anastomoses in TTTS equilibrate blood pressure between donor and recipient twins.