bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climatic impacts on water resources in a tropical catchment in Uganda and adaptation measures proposed by resident stakeholders
Authors: Mehdi Bano , Dekens Julie , Herrnegger Mathew
Published: January 2021

The Ruhezamyenda catchment in Uganda includes a unique lake, Lake Bunyonyi, and is threatened by increasing social and environmental pressures. The COSERO hydrological model was used to assess the impact of climate change on future surface runoff and evapotranspiration in the Lake Bunyonyi catchment (381 km2). The model was forced with an ensemble of CMIP5 global climate model (GCM) simulations for the mid-term future (2041–2070) and for the far future (2071–2100), each with RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. In the Ruhezamyenda catchment, compared to 1971–2000, the median of all GCMs (for both RCPs) showed the mean monthly air temperature to increase by approximately 1.5 to 3.0 °C in the mid-term future and by roughly 2.0 to 4.5 °C in the far future. The mean annual precipitation is generally projected to increase, with future changes between − 25 and + 75% (RCP8.5). AET in the Lake Bunyonyi catchment was simulated to increase for the future by approximately + 8 mm/month in the median of all GCMs for RCP8.5 for the far future. The runoff for future periods showed much uncertainty, but with an overall increasing trend. A combination of no-regrets adaptation options in the five categories of: governance; communication and capacity development; water, soil, land management and livelihoods improvement; data management; and research, was identified and validated with stakeholders, who also identified additional adaptation actions based on the model results. This study contributes to improving scientific knowledge on the impacts of climate change on water resources in Uganda with the purpose to support adaptation.
Assembling a coalition of climate change narratives on UK climate action: a focus on the city, countryside, community and home
Authors: Howarth Candice , Parsons Laurie
Published: January 2021

Perceptions of climate change and associated risks are complex and require greater consideration of the context in which behaviours are formed and changed. People tend to create their own stories of climate change providing an opportunity to capture personal experiences and frame solutions accordingly through narratives. Engagement with the issue can be further enhanced when using topics that resonate with individuals, especially through place attachments and local interests. Positioning climate change around communities, cities, homes and the countryside, for example, resonates with certain audiences as action at these scales provides useful narratives through which to engage audiences and increase positive associations with resilient and low-carbon futures. Nevertheless, we show how engagement with these narratives is complex and may overlap or contest in some cases. We present findings from thirty semi-structured interviews conducted with academic, policy and practitioner communities in the United Kingdom (UK) which explored what sub-themes could be utilised to engage audiences on climate change through narratives focused around cities, the countryside, communities and the home. We identify 10 sub-themes ranging from technological change (homes), connecting people (communities), alternative infrastructures (countryside) and positive visions of identity (cities). In search of a coherent coalition of diverse interests in shaping climate change action, we discuss two cross-cutting themes on technology and social norms which emerge strongly across each of the sub-themes.
Thermoelastic properties and γ’-solvus temperatures of single-crystal Ni-base superalloys
Authors: Horst O. M. , Schmitz D. , Schreuer J. , Git P. , Wang H. , Körner C. , Eggeler G.
Published: January 2021

The present work shows that thermal expansion experiments can be used to measure the γʼ-solvus temperatures of four Ni-base single-crystal superalloys (SX), one with Re and three Re-free variants. In the case of CMSX-4, experimental results are in good agreement with numerical thermodynamic results obtained using ThermoCalc. For three experimental Re-free alloys, the experimental and calculated results are close. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the chemical compositions of the γ- and the γʼ-phases can be reasonably well predicted. We also use resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) to show how elastic coefficients depend on chemical composition and temperature. The results are discussed in the light of previous results reported in the literature. Areas in need of further work are highlighted.

Graphical abstract
Regenerative medicine for skeletal muscle loss: a review of current tissue engineering approaches
Authors: Langridge Benjamin , Griffin Michelle , Butler Peter E.
Published: January 2021

Skeletal muscle is capable of regeneration following minor damage, more significant volumetric muscle loss (VML) however results in permanent functional impairment. Current multimodal treatment methodologies yield variable functional recovery, with reconstructive surgical approaches restricted by limited donor tissue and significant donor morbidity. Tissue-engineered skeletal muscle constructs promise the potential to revolutionise the treatment of VML through the regeneration of functional skeletal muscle. Herein, we review the current status of tissue engineering approaches to VML; firstly the design of biocompatible tissue scaffolds, including recent developments with electroconductive materials. Secondly, we review the progenitor cell populations used to seed scaffolds and their relative merits. Thirdly we review in vitro methods of scaffold functional maturation including the use of three-dimensional bioprinting and bioreactors. Finally, we discuss the technical, regulatory and ethical barriers to clinical translation of this technology. Despite significant advances in areas, such as electroactive scaffolds and three-dimensional bioprinting, along with several promising in vivo studies, there remain multiple technical hurdles before translation into clinically impactful therapies can be achieved. Novel strategies for graft vascularisation, and in vitro functional maturation will be of particular importance in order to develop tissue-engineered constructs capable of significant clinical impact.
Long-term in vitro degradation and in vivo evaluation of resorbable bioceramics
Authors: Chen Ying-Cen , Hsu Pei-Yi , Tuan Wei-Hsing , Chen Chih-Yi , Wu Chia-Jung , Lai Po-Liang
Published: January 2021

An essential criterion for the selection of resorbable bioceramics is their ability to degrade inside human body within a reasonable time frame. Furthermore, if the bioceramic can release beneficial ions, such as strontium, as it degrades, recovery time might be shortened. The present study demonstrates that strontium-containing calcium sulfate (Sr,Ca)SO4 can fulfill these criteria. A long-term in vitro degradation analysis for 12 weeks using sintered (Sr,Ca)SO4 discs in phosphate buffered solution (PBS) was conducted. The sintered (Sr,Ca)SO4 disc was then implanted into defects in the distal femur of rats. The degradation rate of (Sr,Ca)SO4 discs showed a strong dependence on the Sr content. Similar results were observed between the long-term in vitro degradation analysis and the in vivo evaluation. The sintered (3.8%Sr,Ca)SO4 disc lost more than 80% of its initial weight after soaking in PBS with shaking at 37 °C for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks in vivo, the remaining volume of the (3.8%Sr,Ca)SO4 disc within the bone defect was ~25%. Over the same time period, new bone was formed at a relative volume of 40%. This study demonstrates the potential of (Sr,Ca)SO4 bioceramic, and the benefits of using a long-term degradation test during the evaluation of resorbable bioceramics.
Detecting aspartate isomerization and backbone cleavage after aspartate in intact proteins by NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Hinterholzer Arthur , Stanojlovic Vesna , Regl Christof , Huber Christian G. , Cabrele Chiara , Schubert Mario
Published: January 2021

The monitoring of non-enzymatic post-translational modifications (PTMs) in therapeutic proteins is important to ensure drug safety and efficacy. Together with methionine and asparagine, aspartic acid (Asp) is very sensitive to spontaneous alterations. In particular, Asp residues can undergo isomerization and peptide-bond hydrolysis, especially when embedded in sequence motifs that are prone to succinimide formation or when followed by proline (Pro). As Asp and isoAsp have the same mass, and the Asp-Pro peptide-bond cleavage may lead to an unspecific mass difference of + 18 Da under native conditions or in the case of disulfide-bridged cleavage products, it is challenging to directly detect and characterize such modifications by mass spectrometry (MS). Here we propose a 2D NMR-based approach for the unambiguous identification of isoAsp and the products of Asp-Pro peptide-bond cleavage, namely N-terminal Pro and C-terminal Asp, and demonstrate its applicability to proteins including a therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb). To choose the ideal pH conditions under which the NMR signals of isoAsp and C-terminal Asp are distinct from other random coil signals, we determined the pKa values of isoAsp and C-terminal Asp in short peptides. The characteristic 1H-13C chemical shift correlations of isoAsp, N-terminal Pro and C-terminal Asp under standardized conditions were used to identify these PTMs in lysozyme and in the therapeutic mAb rituximab (MabThera) upon prolonged storage under acidic conditions (pH 4–5) and 40 °C. The results show that the application of our 2D NMR-based protocol is straightforward and allows detecting chemical changes of proteins that may be otherwise unnoticed with other analytical methods.
Three-dimensional beam element for pre- and post-buckling analysis of thin-walled beams in multibody systems
Authors: Jonker J. B.
Published: January 2021

This paper presents a three-dimensional beam element for stability analysis of elastic thin-walled open-section beams in multibody systems. The beam model is based on the generalized strain beam formulation. In this formulation, a set of independent deformation modes is defined which are related to dual stress resultants in a co-rotational frame. The deformation modes are characterized by generalized strains or deformations, expressed as analytical functions of the nodal coordinates referred to the global coordinate system. A nonlinear theory of non-uniform torsion of open-section beams is adopted for the derivation of the elastic and geometric stiffness matrices. Both torsional-related warping and Wagner’s stiffening torques are taken into account. Second order approximations for the axial elongation and bending curvatures are included by additional second order terms in the expressions for the deformations. The model allows to study the buckling and post-buckling behaviour of asymmetric thin-walled beams with open cross-section that can undergo moderately large twist rotations. The inertia properties of the beam are described using both consistent and lumped mass formulations. The latter is used to model rotary and warping inertias of the beam cross-section. Some validation examples illustrate the accuracy and computational efficiency of the new beam element in the analysis of the buckling and post-buckling behaviour of thin-walled beams under various loads and (quasi)static boundary conditions. Finally, applications to multibody problems are presented, including the stability analysis of an elementary two-flexure cross-hinge mechanism.
Informal institutions, transaction risk, and firm productivity in Myanmar
Authors: Danquah Michael , Sen Kunal
Published: January 2021

In many low-income transition countries, where formal institutions such as courts do not function effectively, informal institutions are often used by firms to minimize transaction risks. We examine the role of informal institutions, in the forms of relational contracting and social networks, in determining the risks that firms are willing to bear in their transactions with their suppliers and customers, and whether firms that bear such risks have higher productivity. Our country context is Myanmar, a country which is making a transition from a socialist to market-oriented economy. Using a unique dataset of 2496 micro, small, and medium firms, we find that firms that engage in risk taking are significantly more productive than firms that do not, and such firms are more likely to utilize informal institutions, such as acquiring information from informal interaction with customers, and social networks, including information received from business networks by firms, talking to other suppliers of customers, and being a member of a business association. Our findings suggest that informal institutions can be effective substitutes for formal institutions that are often absent or not effective in low-income transition economies.
Multiscale stick-breaking mixture models
Authors: Stefanucci Marco , Canale Antonio
Published: January 2021

Bayesian nonparametric density estimation is dominated by single-scale methods, typically exploiting mixture model specifications, exception made for Pólya trees prior and allied approaches. In this paper we focus on developing a novel family of multiscale stick-breaking mixture models that inherits some of the advantages of both single-scale nonparametric mixtures and Pólya trees. Our proposal is based on a mixture specification exploiting an infinitely deep binary tree of random weights that grows according to a multiscale generalization of a large class of stick-breaking processes; this multiscale stick-breaking is paired with specific stochastic processes generating sequences of parameters that induce stochastically ordered kernel functions. Properties of this family of multiscale stick-breaking mixtures are described. Focusing on a Gaussian specification, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm for posterior computation is introduced. The performance of the method is illustrated analyzing both synthetic and real datasets consistently showing competitive results both in scenarios favoring single-scale and multiscale methods. The results suggest that the method is well suited to estimate densities with varying degree of smoothness and local features.
Parametric Mapping for TSPO PET Imaging with Spectral Analysis Impulsive Response Function
Authors: Veronese Mattia , Tuosto Marcello , Marques Tiago Reis , Howes Oliver , Pascual Belen , Yu Meixiang , Masdeu Joseph C. , Turkheimer Federico , Bertoldo Alessandra , Zanotti-Fregonara Paolo
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of spectral analysis (SA) for voxel-wise analysis of TSPO PET imaging studies. TSPO PET quantification is methodologically complicated by the heterogeneity of TSPO expression and its cell-dependent modulation during neuroinflammatory response. Compartmental models to account for this complexity exist, but they are unreliable at the high noise typical of voxel data. On the contrary, SA is noise-robust for parametric mapping and provides useful information about tracer kinetics with a free compartmental structure.

Procedures

SA impulse response function (IRF) calculated at 90 min after tracer injection was used as main parameter of interest in 3 independent PET imaging studies to investigate its sensitivity to (1) a TSPO genetic polymorphism (rs6971) known to affect tracer binding in a cross-sectional analysis of healthy controls scanned with [11C]PBR28 PET; (2) TSPO density with [11C]PBR28 in a competitive blocking study with a TSPO blocker, XBD173; and (3) the higher affinity of a second radiotracer for TSPO, by using data from a head-to-head comparison between [11C]PBR28 and [11C]ER176 scans.

Results

SA-IRF produced parametric maps of visually good quality. These were sensitive to TSPO genotype (mean relative difference between high- and mixed-affinity binders = 25 %) and TSPO availability (mean signal displacement after 90 mg oral administration of XBD173 = 39 %). Regional averages of voxel-wise IRF estimates were strongly associated with regional total distribution volume (VT) estimated with a 2-tissue compartmental model with vascular compartment (Pearson’s r = 0.86 ± 0.11) but less strongly with standard 2TCM-VT (Pearson’s r = 0.76 ± 0.32). Finally, SA-IRF estimates for [11C]ER176 were significantly higher than [11C]PBR28 ones, consistent with the higher amount of specific binding of the former tracer.

Conclusions

SA-IRF can be used for voxel-wise quantification of TSPO PET data because it generates high-quality parametric maps, it is sensitive to TSPO availability and genotype, and it accounts for the complexity of TSPO tracer kinetics with no additional assumptions.
Degradation of naturally produced hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Baltic Sea sediment via reductive debromination
Authors: Lindqvist Dennis , Gustafsson Johan
Published: January 2021

Over the last two decades, the occurrence of hydroxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (OH-PBDEs) has been observed to be nearly ubiquitous among Baltic Sea filamentous macroalgae. High concentrations are continuously recorded among red, green, and brown filamentous algae. Several of these algae species are ephemeral, and when large parts of the colonies decay at the end of their lifecycles, the OH-PBDEs are expected to largely partition to the sediment. In this study, the fate of OH-PBDEs in Baltic Sea sediment was investigated, with focus on the effect of reductive debromination. During chemical debromination, it was observed that the half-life could differ with as much as two orders of magnitude between a pentabrominated and a tetrabrominated congener. Using collected Baltic Sea sediment, it was further observed that the half-life of spiked pentabrominated OH-PBDEs spanned from a few days up to a few weeks in room temperature. At 4 °C, it took 6 months to achieve a 50% decrease in concentration of the fasted degrading congener. Clear differences in selectivity between chemical debromination and debromination in sediment were also observed when studying the major reaction products. Baltic Sea sediment seems to have a good capacity for reducing naturally produced OH-PBDEs.
Carbon footprint of plastic from biomass and recycled feedstock: methodological insights
Authors: Tonini Davide , Schrijvers Dieuwertje , Nessi Simone , Garcia-Gutierrez Pelayo , Giuntoli Jacopo
Published: January 2021

Purpose

A circular (bio)economy is sustained through use of secondary raw material and biomass feedstock. In life cycle assessment (LCA), the approach applied to address the impact of these feedstocks is often unclear, in respect to both handling of the recycled content and End-of-Life recyclability and disposal. Further, the modelling approach adopted to account for land use change (LUC) and biogenic C effects is crucial to defining the impact of biobased commodities on global warming.

Method

We depart from state-of-the-art approaches proposed in literature and apply them to the case of non-biodegradable plastic products manufactured from alternative feedstock, focusing on selected polymers that can be made entirely from secondary raw material or biomass. We focus on global warming and the differences incurred by recycled content, recyclability, LUC, and carbon dynamics (effects of delayed emission of fossil C and temporary storage of biogenic C). To address the recycled content and recyclability, three formulas recently proposed are compared and discussed. Temporary storage of biogenic C is handled applying methods for dynamic accounting. LUC impacts are addressed by applying and comparing a biophysical, global equilibrium and a normative-based approach. These methods are applied to two case studies (rigid plastic for packaging and automotive applications) involving eight polymers.

Results and discussion

Drawing upon the results, secondary raw material is the feedstock with the lowest global warming impact overall. The results for biobased polymers, while promising in some cases (polybutylene succinate), are significantly affected by the formulas proposed to handle the recycled content and recyclability. We observe that some of the proposed formulas in their current form do not fully capture the effects associated with the biogenic nature of the material when this undergoes recycling and substitutes fossil materials. Furthermore, the way in which the recycled content is modelled is important for wastes already in-use. LUC factors derived with models providing a combined direct and indirect impact contribute with 15–30% of the overall life cycle impact, which in magnitude is comparable to the savings from temporary storage of biogenic C, when included.

Conclusion

End-of-Life formulas can be improved by addition of corrective terms accounting for the relative difference in disposal impacts between the recycled and market-substituted product. This affects the assessment of biobased materials. Inclusion of LUCs effects using economic/biophysical models in addition to (direct) LUC already embedded in commercial datasets may result in double-counting and should be done carefully. Dynamic assessment allows for detailed modelling of the carbon cycle, providing useful insights into the impact associated with biogenic C storage.
Therapeutic and toxicological aspects of the use of cannabis and cannabinoids in medicine
Authors: Parolaro Daniela
Published: January 2021

The legalization of cannabis products for recreational and/or medical use means that our society is now clearly more open to its diffusion. Thus, it is particularly important for people to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to cannabis. The evaluation of the benefit vs adverse effect of cannabis use is generally referred to its recreational use; however, medicinal cannabis is now authorized in several countries, and therefore, it has become a public safety issue. In this article, the acute and long-lasting consequences of recreational cannabis use as well as the therapeutic vs toxicological effect of medicinal cannabis will be summarized.

Graphic abstract
Discovery and function exploration of microRNA-155 as a molecular biomarker for early detection of breast cancer
Authors: Liu Xuemin , Chang Qingyu , Wang Haiqiang , Qian Hairong , Jiang Yikun
Published: January 2021

Background

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) may function as a diagnostic biomarker of breast cancer (BC). Nevertheless, the available evidence is controversial. Therefore, we performed this study to summarize the global predicting role of miR-155 for early detection of BC and preliminarily explore the functional roles of miR-155 in BC.

Methods

We first collected published studies and applied the bivariate meta-analysis model to generate the pooled diagnostic parameters of miR-155 in diagnosing BC such as sensitivity, specificity and area under curve (AUC). Then, we applied function enrichment and protein–protein interactions (PPI) analyses to explore the potential mechanisms of miR-155.

Results

A total of 21 studies were finally included. The results indicated that miR-155 allowed for the discrimination between BC patients and healthy controls with a sensitivity of 0.87 (95% CI 0.78–0.93), specificity of 0.82 (0.72–0.89), and AUC of 0.91 (0.88–0.93). In addition, the overall sensitivity, specificity and AUC for circulating miR-155 were 0.88 (0.76–0.95), 0.83 (0.72–0.90), and 0.92 (0.89–0.94), respectively. Function enrichment analysis revealed several vital ontologies terms and pathways associated with BC occurrence and development. Furthermore, in the PPI network, ten hub genes and two significant modules were identified to be involved in some important pathways associated with the pathogenesis of BC.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that miR-155 has great potential to facilitate accurate BC detection and may serve as a promising diagnostic biomarker for BC. However, well-designed cohort studies and biological experiments should be implemented to confirm the diagnostic value of miR-155 before it can be applied to routine clinical procedures.
Significance of the particle physical properties and the Geldart group in the use of correlations for the prediction of minimum fluidization velocity of biomass–sand binary mixtures
Authors: Cáceres-Martínez Louis Edwards , Guío-Pérez Diana Carolina , Rincón-Prat Sonia Lucía
Published: January 2021

The present study explores the relevance of the physical properties of biomass particles on the determination of the minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) of binary mixtures. Fluidization experiments were performed in a cold flow unit with diverse biomasses mixed with sand in different mass fractions. Gas velocity and pressure drop across the bed were used to determine Umf. Different correlations reported in the literature were evaluated on their ability to accurately predict Umf of the mixtures. Results showed satisfactory predictions when appropriately identifying correlations according to the corresponding Geldart groups for the biomass particles. This perspective opens new possibilities toward the generalization of correlation factors and helps in improving the accuracy of the prediction for highly heterogeneous mixtures. The methodology also allows the analysis of mixtures for which the experimental approach is difficult, such as those including char particle, with the only requirement of carefully measuring the physical properties of the particles.
Tau Functions and their Applications
Authors: Harnad John , Balogh Ferenc
Published: January 2021

Tau functions are a central tool in the modern theory of integrable systems. This volume provides a thorough introduction, starting from the basics and extending to recent research results. It covers a wide range of applications, including generating functions for solutions of integrable hierarchies, correlation functions in the spectral theory of random matrices and combinatorial generating functions for enumerative geometrical and topological invariants. A self-contained summary of more advanced topics needed to understand the material is provided, as are solutions and hints for the various exercises and problems that are included throughout the text to enrich the subject matter and engage the reader. Building on knowledge of standard topics in undergraduate mathematics and basic concepts and methods of classical and quantum mechanics, this monograph is ideal for graduate students and researchers who wish to become acquainted with the full range of applications of the theory of tau functions.
Beckett's Intermedial Ecosystems
Authors: McMullan Anna
Published: January 2021

This Element draws on the concept of ecosystems to investigate selected Beckett works across different media which present worlds where the human does not occupy a privileged place in the order of creation: rather Beckett's human figures are trapped in a regulated system in which they have little agency. Readers, listeners or viewers are complicit in the operation of techniques of observation inherent to the system, but also reminded of the vulnerability of those subjected to it. Beckett's work offers new paradigms and practices which reposition the human in relation to space, time and species.
Child Welfare, Protection, and Justice
Authors: Desai Murli
Published: January 2021

This Element first reviews the limitations of the concepts of problems in childhood. It proposes a universal, comprehensive, and longitudinal conceptual framework of problems in childhood, their differential context, and their cyclical effects. Based on the linkages identified in the children's problems, they are divided into three levels, primary, secondary, and tertiary. The Element then reviews the concepts and the limitations of the prevalent service delivery approaches of child welfare, protection, and justice, because of which these services have not helped to break the cycle of problems in childhood. The Element identifies the rights-based comprehensive, preventive, and systemic approach for child welfare, at primary, secondary and tertiary prevention levels, in order to break this cycle of problems. Finally, the Element goes into details of the tertiary prevention level integrated service delivery for children facing socio-legal problems.
Adaptive Intelligence
Authors: Sternberg Robert J.
Published: January 2021

Adaptive Intelligence is a dramatic reappraisal and reframing of the concept of human intelligence. In a sweeping analysis, Robert J. Sternberg argues that we are using a fatally-flawed, outdated conception of intelligence; one which may promote technological advancement, but which has also accelerated climate change, pollution, the use of weaponry, and inequality. Instead of focusing on the narrow academic skills measured by standardized tests, societies should teach and assess adaptive intelligence, defined as the use of collective talent in service of the common good. This book describes why the outdated notion of intelligence persists, what adaptive intelligence is, and how it could lead humankind on a more positive path.
Labour Migration in Malaysia and Spain
Authors: Garces-Mascarenas Blanca
Published: January 2021

This study confronts the double paradox of state-regulated labor migration: while markets benefit from open borders that allow them to meet the demand for migrant workers, the boundaries of citizenship impose a degree of limitation on cross-border migration. At the same time, the exclusivity of citizenship requires closed membership, yet civil and human rights undermine the state's capacity to exclude foreigners once they are inside the country. By considering how Malaysia and Spain have responded to the demand for foreign labor, this book analyzes the unavoidable clash of markets, citizenship, and rights.

This truly comparative book will become a standard work in the field. It opens new research venues, with major implications for a state migration control theory that has too long been Atlanto-centred. Leo Lucassen, Leiden University
Syntax of Dutch
Authors: Broekhuis Hans , Keizer Evelien
Published: January 2021

Syntax of Dutch presents a synthesis of formal linguistic research of the Dutch language from over forty years of scholarship. It is primarily concerned with language description, and provides support to all researchers interested in matters relating to the syntax of Dutch. These volumes provide a dense yet highly organized description of the internal structure of the noun phrase as well as its external distribution within the clause. These works are written with a directness and lucidity that makes it accessible to linguists of all kinds, including advanced students. This work, which will be published in seven volumes total in the period 2012–2016, is an essential addition to the library of any linguist working with Dutch.
Cultural Styles of Knowledge Transmission
Authors: Lyddon Dave , Vandaele Kurt
Published: January 2021

Anthropologist Dr Ad Borsboom, chair of Pacific Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen, devoted his academic career from 1972 onwards to the transmission of cultural knowledge. Borsboom handed the insights he acquired during many years of fieldwork among Australian Aborigines on to other academics, students and the general public. This collection of essays by his colleagues, specializing in cultures from across the globe, focuses on knowledge transmission. The contributions deal with local forms of education or pedagogics, the learning experiences of fieldwork and the nexus of status and education. Whereas some essays are reflexive, others are personal in nature. But all of the authors are fascinated by the divergent ways in which people handle 'knowledge'. The volume provides readers with respectful representations of other cultures and their distinct epistemologies.
Using climate reanalysis data in conjunction with multi-temporal satellite thermal imagery to derive supraglacial debris thickness changes from energy-balance modelling
Authors: Stewart Rebecca L. , Westoby Matthew , Pellicciotti Francesca , Rowan Ann , Swift Darrel , Brock Benjamin , Woodward John
Published: January 2021

Surface energy-balance models are commonly used in conjunction with satellite thermal imagery to estimate supraglacial debris thickness. Removing the need for local meteorological data in the debris thickness estimation workflow could improve the versatility and spatiotemporal application of debris thickness estimation. We evaluate the use of regional reanalysis data to derive debris thickness for two mountain glaciers using a surface energy-balance model. Results forced using ERA-5 agree with AWS-derived estimates to within 0.01 ± 0.05 m for Miage Glacier, Italy, and 0.01 ± 0.02 m for Khumbu Glacier, Nepal. ERA-5 data were then used to estimate spatiotemporal changes in debris thickness over a ~20-year period for Miage Glacier, Khumbu Glacier and Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland. We observe significant increases in debris thickness at the terminus for Haut Glacier d'Arolla and at the margins of the expanding debris cover at all glaciers. While simulated debris thickness was underestimated compared to point measurements in areas of thick debris, our approach can reconstruct glacier-scale debris thickness distribution and its temporal evolution over multiple decades. We find significant changes in debris thickness over areas of thin debris, areas susceptible to high ablation rates, where current knowledge of debris evolution is limited.
CULTURE, PERIOD OR STYLE? RECONSIDERATION OF EARLY AND MIDDLE COPPER AGE CHRONOLOGY OF THE GREAT HUNGARIAN PLAIN
Authors: Siklósi Zsuzsanna , Szilágyi Márton
Published: January 2021

The main goal of our research project was to date the Early and Middle Copper Age (4500/4450–3800 cal BC) of the Great Hungarian Plain more precisely. In our project, we took samples for accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating from both settlement features and burials, and the data were analyzed using Bayesian modeling. We examined the Early and Middle Copper Age finds of the Great Hungarian Plain on several levels (site, microregional, and regional levels) using a bottom-up approach. The AMS measurements were supplemented by statistics-based pottery analysis in order to make our understanding of the relationship between the Tiszapolgár and Bodrogkeresztúr cultures more detailed. As a result, we can see a significant, 130 (68.2%) 230 years overlap between the two types of find assemblages, which contradicts to the earlier accepted chronological sequences created by the traditional culture-historical approach. According to the stylistic analyzes, the two ceramic styles are not clearly distinguishable.
Does Free-Market Reform Induce Protest? Selection, Post-Treatment Bias, and Depoliticization
Authors: Kurtz Marcus J. , Lauretig Adam
Published: January 2021

Across myriad literatures, it is widely held that expanding economic grievances induce violence, protest, or other forms of backlash. In Latin America, where economic liberalization deepened the downturn of the ‘lost decade’ of the 1980s (and 1990s), reform has been tightly associated with protest and mobilization. At the same time, liberal economic reforms have proven to be remarkably durable, even where long-promised benefits are hard to discern. This article makes the case that economically liberal reforms, despite inducing or deepening severe and sustained economic downturns, have actually undermined political protest. Previous work confirming the conventional wisdom foundered on two main methodological problems. First, selection into economic reform was a consequence of the very economic pain and macroeconomic imbalances it also served to induce. Secondly, because of this, these key (macro)economic characteristics are both pre- and post-treatment. Utilizing a marginal structural model approach to assess the impact of economic liberalization on protest outcomes net of this selection process, and the prior history of treatment, the study finds that painful reform reduces political protest even as it heightens grievances. This depoliticizing dynamic helps to explain the surprising durability of liberal reforms in Latin America.
THE ARISTOTELIAN LEGISLATOR AND POLITICAL NATURALISM
Authors: Duke George
Published: January 2021

Aristotle's assertion inPolitics1.2 that there is a natural impulse to form political communities is immediately contraposed with the claim that the person responsible for their foundation is the cause (αἴτιος) of the greatest of goods (Pol. 1253a33). The attribution of an essential role to the legislator as an efficient cause appears to clash, however, with Aristotle's political naturalism. If thepolisexists by nature and humans are by nature political animals (1253a1–2), then the question arises as to why active intervention by the legislator is necessary for apolis. Conversely, if thepolisis an artefact of practical reason, then Aristotle's distinction between products of the intellect and natural entities seems to preclude the status of thepolisas natural. In light of this apparent tension between different aspects of Aristotle's account of the origins of political communities, the current paper seeks to demonstrate their reconcilability. Section 1 considers the role of the Aristotelian legislator in light of broader Greek assumptions regarding law-making. Section 2 then considers the status of law-making expertise (νομοθετική) as part of political science (πολιτική) and examines the mode of practical reason that is exercised by the legislative founder. Finally, in section 3, and building on recent interpretations which have emphasized that Aristotle operates with an extended teleological conception of nature, I argue that acts of legislative founding and nature can consistently serve as joint causes of thepolis, because the ‘products’ of the practical rationality of the architectonic legislator are themselves an expression of distinctly human nature.
THECULEX’S METAPOETIC FUNERARY GARDEN
Authors: Myers K. Sara
Published: January 2021

TheCulexis now widely recognized as a piece of post-Ovidian, possibly Tiberian, pseudo-juvenilia written by an author impersonating the young Virgil, although it was attached to Virgil's name already in the first centuryc.e., being identified as Virgilian by Statius, Suetonius and Martial. Dedicated to the young Octavian (Octauiin line 1), the poem seems to fill a biographical gap in Virgil's career before his composition of theEclogues. It is introduced as aludus, which Irene Peirano suggests may openly refer to ‘the act of impersonating Virgil’, and, like many of the poems in theAppendix Vergiliana, it seems to have a parodic intent. TheCulexhas been interpreted as a parody of neoteric style and the epyllion, as mock-epic, as Virgil parody (John Henderson called it a ‘spoofAeneidin bucolic drag’), as pointed Augustan satire, as mock Ovidian ‘Weltgedicht’ and as just very bad poetry (Housman's ‘stutterer’). Glenn Most has observed that the poem's three ‘acts’ structurally recapitulate Virgil's three major works in chronological succession. Little attention, however, has been paid to theCulex's final lines, which contain a catalogue of flowers thepastorplaces on the gnat's tomb. Recent scholarship has reintroduced an older interpretation of the gnat's tomb as a political allegory of Augustus’ Mausoleum; in this paper I suggest instead that the tomb and its flowers serve a closural and metapoetic function at the end of the poem.
e-Navigating in highly-constrained waters: a case study of the Vistula Lagoon
Authors: Weintrit Adam , Pietraszkiewicz Jacek , Piotrzkowski Wiesław , Tycholiz Wojciech
Published: January 2021

In recent years the transition of marine navigation to the digital era has been gaining momentum. Implementation of e-Navigation solutions varies from country to country in terms of their priorities, goals, levels and effects. Maritime authorities in Poland have been setting the pace in this transition process, not only in Poland but also in general as a global solution. The most recent example is the planned deployment of a variety of e-Navigation tools in the Vistula Lagoon: from GNSS-RTK Ground-Based Augmentation System, to virtual and synthetic aids to navigation, high-resolution bathymetry and advanced navigational software for piloting. The major objectives of this paper are, first, to summarise recent dynamics in the e-Navigation field, and second, to present a practical implementation of the e-Navigation concept in the Vistula Lagoon area.
What Does It Mean to Be a(n Italian) Borderland? Recent Literature on Italy's ‘New Provinces’ of South Tyrol and the Julian March
Authors: McLean Eden
Published: January 2021

In the era of the Schengen Area (at least in the days before Covid-19), travel from Munich to Bozen/Bolzano or Ljubljana to Trst/Trieste is a decidedly unremarkable, albeit beautiful, adventure. Just as meaningful as the lack of border controls, travellers find all public signage in both Italian and German (and sometimes Ladin, too) upon arrival in Bozen/Bolzano. Signs in the streets of Trst/Trieste less reliably have Slovene alongside the Italian, but assistance with translation can be found with little difficulty. The Italian autonomous regions ‘with special statutes’ in which these cities reside – Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tyrol) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (the Julian March) – are multilingual territories that, at least on an official level, embrace a multiethnic heritage and reality. In fact, Trentino-Alto Adige's consociational democracy is widely regarded among political scientists as an international role model for how states can successfully protect and give voice to minority populations. Those unfamiliar with the more recent history of these regions might be surprised to learn of these avowedly multiethnic political and cultural structures. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, the regions’ two states – Austria-Hungary until 1919 and thereafter Italy – employed the ‘nationality principle’ to define policies and populations in these territories. As in most of Europe at the time, sovereignty was increasingly predicated on the contemporary ideal of the nation state, in which borders, ethnicity, language and citizenship were all bound together. Of course, as a multiethnic empire, Austria-Hungary was much more concerned about centralising state authority (and then fighting a world war) than national homogeneity, while Italy's nationalisation campaign in the interwar period became fundamental to its presence in the new provinces. Still, both states sought to classify and ultimately to control their border populations by privileging ethnolinguistic categories of citizenship.
Toddler milk perceptions and purchases: the role of Latino ethnicity
Authors: Duffy Emily W , Taillie Lindsey Smith , Richter Ana Paula C , Higgins Isabella CA , Harris Jennifer L , Hall Marissa G
Published: January 2021

Objectives:

Toddler milk (i.e. a nutrient-fortified milk-based drink marketed for children 12–36 months old) is increasingly being marketed in the USA despite not being recommended for young children. There is evidence of targeted toddler milk marketing to Latinos in the USA. This study aimed to explore toddler milk perceptions and behaviours among Latino and non-Latino parents.

Design:

An online survey assessed toddler milk perceptions, behaviours and interpretations of nutrition-related claims. Multivariable logistic and linear regression explored socio-demographic correlates of parent reported past purchases and perceived healthfulness.

Setting:

Online.

Participants:

National convenience sample of 1078 US parents of children aged 2–12 years (48 % Latino).

Results:

About half of parents (51 %) had previously purchased toddler milk and few (11 %) perceived toddler milk as unhealthy. Latino parents were more likely to have purchased toddler milk than non-Latino parents (P< 0·001), but there were no differences in perceived product healthfulness (P= 0·47). Compared to parents born in the USA, parents living in the USA 10 years or less were more likely to have purchased toddler milk (P< 0·001) and perceive toddler milk as healthier (P= 0·002). Open-ended interpretations of claims were primarily positive, suggesting ‘health halo’ effects.

Conclusions:

Common misperceptions about toddler milk healthfulness suggest stronger labelling regulations are needed. Greater reported purchases by Latino parents and recent immigrants warrant further investigation.
Habitability: a process versus a state variable framework with observational tests and theoretical implications
Authors: Lenardic A. , Seales J.
Published: January 2021

The term habitable is used to describe planets that can harbour life. Debate exists as to specific conditions that allow for habitability but the use of the term as a planetary variable has become ubiquitous. This paper poses a meta-level question: What type of variable is habitability? Is it akin to temperature, in that it is something that characterizes a planet, or is something that flows through a planet, akin to heat? That is, is habitability a state or a process variable? Forth coming observations can be used to discriminate between these end-member hypotheses. Each has different implications for the factors that lead to differences between planets (e.g. the differences between Earth and Venus). Observational tests can proceed independent of any new modelling of planetary habitability. However, the viability of habitability as a process can influence future modelling. We discuss a specific modelling framework based on anticipating observations that can discriminate between different views of habitability.
Maternal hepatitis B or C carrier status and long-term risk for offspring neurological morbidity: a population-based cohort study
Authors: Yoles Israel , Sheiner Eyal , Abu-Freha Naim , Wainstock Tamar
Published: January 2021

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C (HBV/HCV) are important global public health concerns. We aimed to evaluate the association between maternal HBV/HCV carrier status and long-term offspring neurological hospitalisations. A population-based cohort analysis compared the risk for long-term childhood neurological hospitalisations in offspring born to HBV/HCV carrier vs. non-carrier mothers in a large tertiary medical centre between 1991 and 2014. Childhood neurological diseases, such as cerebral palsy, movement disorders or developmental disorders, were pre-defined based on ICD-9 codes as recorded in hospital medical files. Offspring with congenital malformations and multiple gestations were excluded from the study. A Kaplan–Meier survival curve was constructed to compare cumulative neurological hospitalisations over time, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for confounders. During the study period (1991–2014), 243,682 newborns met the inclusion criteria, and 777 (0.3%) newborns were born to HBV/HCV mothers. The median follow-up was 10.51 years (0–18 years). The offspring from HBV/HCV mothers had higher incidence of neurological hospitalisations (4.5 vs. 3.1%, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.91, 95% CI 1.37–2.67). Similarly, the cumulative incidence of neurological hospitalisations was higher in children born to HBV/HCV carrier mothers (Kaplan–Meier survival curve log-rank test p < 0.001). The increased risk remained significant in a Cox proportional hazards model, which adjusted for gestational age, mode of delivery and pregnancy complications (adjusted HR = 1.40, 1.01–1.95, p = 0.049). We conclude that maternal HBV or HCV carrier status is an independent risk factor for the long-term neurological hospitalisation of offspring regardless of gestational age and other adverse perinatal outcomes.