bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the state of conservation of Trachurus trachurus in the Western Mediterranean Sea based on the interannual (2009–2020) changes in their life history traits
Authors: Rodríguez-Castañeda José Carlos , Ventero Ana , Iglesias Magdalena
Published: December 2023

Horse mackerel is a semi-pelagic fish widely distributed in the eastern Atlantic, where it represents a species of interest for fisheries and is subject to intense exploitation, leading to its global classification as a vulnerable species by IUCN. In the Northwestern (NW) Mediterranean Sea, the knowledge of their distribution, abundance and main biological parameters is fundamental to achieve their sustainable exploitation and contribute to the ecosystem approach to fisheries management. The time series (2009–2020) data set analyzed in this study came from two geographical subareas (GSAs) defined by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Northern Spain (GSA06) and Northern Alboran Sea (GSA01) sampled in July during the MEDiterranean International Acoustic Survey (MEDIAS). Our results suggest that in summer, a higher concentration and aggregation of fish exists in GSA01, with a density ten times greater than in GSA06. Possible life history changes can be inferred through the analysis of the biological parameters of Trachurus trachurus in the NW Mediterranean Sea. In both GSAs, the annual decline of the size at first maturity (L50) and condition factor (Kn) was prominent. Moreover, the population structure lacked adult modes that could guarantee a successful recuperation of future stocks. Nonetheless, fish inhabiting GSA01 seem to have a better adaptive response to the events responsible for these alterations. In comparison, GSA01 is under less fishing pressure and the upwelling occurring in this area contributes to a higher availability of food, in addition to reducing the increases in sea surface temperature due to climate change during the study period.
The effect of axial length on the short-term outcomes of cataract surgery combined with ab interno trabeculotomy
Authors: Goto Hiroki , Honjo Megumi , Omoto Takashi , Aihara Makoto
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery is safer and effective surgical modality for patients with glaucoma. To compare the effect of axial length (AL) on the surgical outcomes of combined cataract surgery and ab interno trabeculotomy (phaco-LOT), a retrospective, non-randomized comparative study was performed.

Methods

In total, 458 eyes of 458 open-angle glaucoma patients who underwent phaco-LOT and were followed-up without any intervention for at least 6 months were enrolled. All were divided into a long-AL group (AL ≥ 26.0 mm, 123 eyes) and a not-long-AL group (AL < 26.0 mm, 335 eyes). The principal outcomes were the changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication scores. We also sought a correlation between postoperative IOP spike and hyphema.

Results

Significant postoperative reductions in IOP and medication scores were apparent in all subjects. The IOP reductions were significant at all timepoints in the not-long-AL group, but not until 1 month postoperatively in the long-AL group, and the IOP change was significantly lower in the long-AL group from postoperative day 1 to 3 months. On subanalysis of subjects by age, the microhook used, the pre-operative IOP, and the medication score, a significantly higher incidence of IOP spike was observed in the long-AL group in weeks 1 and 2 (both p < 0.05), but this did not correlate with hyphema status, implying that a different mechanism was in play.

Conclusion

Phaco-LOT was effective regardless of AL, but the postoperative IOP decrease was lower and the early postoperative incidence of IOP spike was higher in long-AL eyes.
Genetic characterization and description of Leishmania (Leishmania) ellisi sp. nov.: a new human-infecting species from the USA
Authors: Sapp Sarah G. H. , Low Ross , Nine Gabriela , Nascimento Fernanda S. , Qvarnstrom Yvonne , Barratt Joel L. N.
Published: December 2023

In a 2018 report, an unusual case of cutaneous leishmaniasis was described in a 72-year-old female patient residing in Arizona, United States of America (USA). Preliminary analysis of the 18S rDNA and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes supported the conclusion that the Leishmania strain (strain 218-L139) isolated from this case was a novel species, though a complete taxonomic description was not provided. Identification of Leishmania at the species level is critical for clinical management and epidemiologic investigations so it is important that novel human-infecting species are characterized taxonomically and assigned a unique scientific name compliant with the ICZN code. Therefore, we sought to provide a complete taxonomic description of Leishmania strain 218-L139. Phylogenetic analysis of several nuclear loci and partial maxicircle genome sequences supported its position within the subgenus Leishmania and further clarified the distinctness of this new species. Morphological characterization of cultured promastigotes and amastigotes from the original case material is also provided. Thus, we conclude that Leishmania (Leishmania) ellisi is a new cause of autochthonous cutaneous leishmaniasis in the USA.
Long-term late effects in older gastric cancer survivors: Survival analysis using Cox hazard regression model by retrospective electronic health records
Authors: Jeon Misun , Jang Hyoeun , Jeon Heejung , Park Chang Gi , Kim Sanghee
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Because the population of older gastric cancer survivors (GCSs) is growing, understanding the long-term late effects experienced by these GCSs and their impact on survival outcomes is crucial for optimizing survivorship care. This study aims to identify and characterize these effects and investigate their association with survival outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of electronic health records was conducted on 9,539 GCSs diagnosed between 2011 and 2017. The GCSs were divided into two age groups (< 65 and ≥ 65 years) and the long-term late effects were categorized by age using Cox proportional hazard models. The impact of clinical factors and age-specific late effects on survival was evaluated in the older GCSs.

Results

Among the total GCSs, 37.6% were over and 62.4% were under 65 years of age. Significant differences between the age groups were observed in the cumulative hazard ratios (HRs) for iron and vitamin B12 levels and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) scores. In older GCSs, abnormal iron levels (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.16–3.41, p = .013) and poor PNI scores (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.03–2.47, p = .038) were associated with poorer survival outcomes. Additionally, being female was identified as a risk factor for lower survival rates (if male, HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18–0.98, p = .045).

Conclusion

This study highlights the typical long-term late effects experienced by older GCSs. By tailoring survivorship care to address nutritional-, age-, and gender-related factors, the overall survival and quality of life of older GCSs can be improved.
Landscape structure does not hinder the dispersal of an invasive herbivorous mammal in the New Caledonian biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Frantz Alain C. , Luttringer Amanda , Colyn Marc , Kazilas Christos , Berlioz Emilie
Published: December 2023

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity and have particularly devastating impacts on island ecosystems. The New Caledonia archipelago is considered a biodiversity hotspot due to its diverse native flora. Javan rusa deer (Rusa timorensis) were introduced to New Caledonia in 1870 and the population consists of several hundred thousand individuals today. They directly threaten rare endemic species and affect the composition and structure of the vegetation. While a rusa deer management plan has identified ten priority areas for deer control operations, removing deer could be offset by the dispersal of animals back into the control areas. Here, we genotyped 628 rusa deer using 16 microsatellite markers to analyse the genetic structure of the animals in New Caledonia. We aimed to assess fine-scale genetic structure, to identify natural barriers to deer movement and to assess functional connectivity by optimising individual-based landscape resistance models. Our results suggested that rusa deer formed a single genetic population on the main New Caledonian island. The isolation-by-distance pattern suggested that female dispersal was limited, whereas males had larger dispersal distances. We assessed functional connectivity using different genetic distance metrics and all models performed poorly (mR2 ≤ 0.0043). Landscape features thus hardly affected deer movement. The characteristics of our results suggested that they were not an artefact of the colonisation history of the species. Achieving an effective reduction of deer population sizes in specific management areas will be difficult because of the deer’s high dispersal capabilities and impossible without very substantial financial investment.
PauliComposer: compute tensor products of Pauli matrices efficiently
Authors: Vidal Romero Sebastián , Santos-Suárez Juan
Published: December 2023

We introduce a simple algorithm that efficiently computes tensor products of Pauli matrices. This is done by tailoring the calculations to this specific case, which allows to avoid unnecessary calculations. The strength of this strategy is benchmarked against state-of-the-art techniques, showing a remarkable acceleration. As a side product, we provide an optimized method for one key calculus in quantum simulations: the Pauli basis decomposition of Hamiltonians.
“Under House Arrest”: Mental Health and Minority Stress Experiences of LGBTQ+ Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe
Authors: Malmquist Anna , Miscioscia Marina , Leal Daniela , Tasker Fiona , Bredenberg Cecilia , Gubello Alessio , Gato Jorge , Houghton Marie , Wurm Matilda
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Increased rates of mental health issues among LGBTQ+ people have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among young people.

Method

Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2021 with 61 young adult LGBTQ+ people residing in France, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK. Each interview was summarized on a template covering the participants’ experiences of pandemic restrictions, mental health, and minority stress during this period. A thematic analysis was conducted on the templates.

Results

The pandemic restrictions had a large impact on the participants’ lives, leaving them stuck at home. Not having access to the LGBTQ+ community was an additional stress, as this is a venue for support. Half of the participants had suffered from mental health issues during the pandemic. Those who were living in non-affirmative households had a particularly difficult time and experienced overwhelming stress. Increased feelings of gender dysphoria were seen among trans participants due to the lack of access to gender-affirming healthcare. Most participants experienced less distal minority stress than usual due to social isolation restrictions.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated social restrictions had a large impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ young adults. Many experience worse mental health, although relief from distal minority stress was common.

Policy Implications

Policy makers must consider the needs of LGBTQ+ young adults as they seek to explore and establish their gender and/or sexual identity. During a pandemic, it is particularly important to help young LGBTQ+ people to engage with the LGBTQ+ community.
Artificial Intelligence in the Colonial Matrix of Power
Authors: Muldoon James , Wu Boxi A
Published: December 2023

Drawing on the analytic of the “colonial matrix of power” developed by Aníbal Quijano within the Latin American modernity/coloniality research program, this article theorises how a system of coloniality underpins the structuring logic of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. We develop a framework for critiquing the regimes of global labour exploitation and knowledge extraction that are rendered invisible through discourses of the purported universality and objectivity of AI. ​​Through bringing the political economy literature on AI production into conversation with scholarly work on decolonial AI and the modernity/coloniality research program, we advance three main arguments. First, the global economic and political power imbalances in AI production are inextricably linked to the continuities of historical colonialism, constituting the colonial supply chain of AI. Second, this is produced through an international division of digital labour that extracts value from majority world labour for the benefit of Western technology companies. Third, this perpetuates hegemonic knowledge production through Western values and knowledge that marginalises non-Western alternatives within AI’s production and limits the possibilities for decolonising AI. By locating the production of AI systems within the colonial matrix of power, we contribute to critical and decolonial literature on the legacies of colonialism in AI and the hierarchies of power and extraction that shape the development of AI today.
Improved detector in orchard via top-to-down texture enhancement and adaptive region-aware feature fusion
Authors: Sun Wei , Tian Yulong , Wang Qianzhou , Lu Jin , Kong Xianguang , Zhang Yanning
Published: December 2023

Accurate target detection in complex orchard environments is the basis for automatic picking and pollination. The characteristics of small, clustered and complex interference greatly increase the difficulty of detection. Toward this end, we explore a detector in the orchard and improve the detection ability of complex targets. Our model includes two core designs to make it suitable for reducing the risk of error detection due to small and camouflaged object features. Multi-scale texture enhancement design focuses on extracting and enhancing more distinguishable features for each level with multiple parallel branches. Our adaptive region-aware feature fusion module extracts the dependencies between locations and channels, potential cross-relations among different levels and multi-types information to build distinctive representations. By combining enhancement and fusion, experiments on various real-world datasets show that the proposed network can outperform previous state-of-the-art methods, especially for detection in complex conditions.
Photon Reconstruction in the Belle II Calorimeter Using Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Wemmer F. , Haide I. , Eppelt J. , Ferber T. , Beaubien A. , Branchini P. , Campajola M. , Cecchi C. , Cheema P. , De Nardo G. , Hearty C. , Kuzmin A. , Longo S. , Manoni E. , Meier F. , Merola M. , Miyabayashi K. , Moneta S. , Remnev M. , Roney J. M. , Shiu J.-G. , Shwartz B. , Unno Y. , van Tonder R. , Volpe R.
Published: December 2023

We present the study of a fuzzy clustering algorithm for the Belle II electromagnetic calorimeter using Graph Neural Networks. We use a realistic detector simulation including simulated beam backgrounds and focus on the reconstruction of both isolated and overlapping photons. We find significant improvements of the energy resolution compared to the currently used reconstruction algorithm for both isolated and overlapping photons of more than 30% for photons with energies$$E_{\gamma }<0.5\,\mathrm {\,Ge\hspace{-1.00006pt}V}$$Eγ<0.5GeVand high levels of beam backgrounds. Overall, the GNN reconstruction improves the resolution and reduces the tails of the reconstructed energy distribution and therefore is a promising option for the upcoming high luminosity running of Belle II.
The influence of the beliefs of Italian and Spanish managers in their engagement in sustainability reporting
Authors: García-Machado Juan J. , Papa Marco , Carrassi Mario
Published: December 2023

The EU legislature, through the approval of the Non-financial Information Directive, has made a decisive step towards a mandatory regime for Sustainability Reporting as an essential condition to promote sustainable behavior across European countries. This paper aims at examing the impact of managers’ beliefs and attitudes on NFI mandatory reporting practices through the Theory of Planned Behavior. We test whether managers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control impact the quality of sustainability reports in Spain and Italy. We built a reflective-formative hierarchical component PLS-SEM model, tested in a survey of 104 Italian (56.73%) and Spanish (43.27%) managers, that combines different latent variables and their relationships, which confirms all our hypotheses. This cross-country analysis is motivated by some differences between Italy and Spain in their cultural orientation and in the area non-financial reporting. To measure Non-financial Information, we crafted a Sustainability Reporting Quality Index for the same companies of the surveyed managers, that combines several reporting features of disclosure quality. We also consider whether other external factors, such as governance characteristics, social influence, and sustainable education, affect managers’ intention to engage in Sustainability Reporting. The results reveal that our model, along with sustainable education and social influence explain more than 56% of the intention to engage in Sustainability Reporting. This indicates that the latter latent variable is well predicted, confirming the relevance of managers’ beliefs in driving quality Sustainability Reporting practices. Our findings may specifically help business managers and decision-makers to identify the factors that are likely to influence sustainability reporting in Italy and Spain and contribute to develop efficient sustainable reporting strategies by decision-makers.
Striving to be the fittest: quantitative P2/N95 respirator fit test results among hospital staff during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zhang Melanie (Meilun) , Hackett Liam , Smith Jesse , Pritchard Zoe , Casey Matthew , Low Caitlin , Buntine Paul
Published: December 2023

Objective:

To provide fit rates for specific P2/N95 respirators and compare these results by age, sex, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience.

Design:

Exploratory audit involving secondary analysis of existing quantitative fit testing data.

Setting:

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services across Australia implemented respiratory protection protocols. This study details healthcare workers’ (HCWs) fit testing results from a large Victorian public health service.

Participants:

Fit-tested employees of a large tertiary public health network.

Methods:

Fit rates for ten individual P2/N95 respirators were calculated, and the effect of age, sex, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience was examined via logistic regression.

Results:

4593 employees were included, with 97.98% successfully fitting at least one respirator. Males were found to have significantly increased odds of achieving fit success compared to females (OR 11.61 95%CI 1.60–84.10). Fit rates dropped by 4% with each 1-year age increase (OR 0.96 95%CI 0.94–0.98). Clean-shaven individuals were also more likely to achieve a fit compared to non-clean-shaved individuals (OR 79.23 95%CI 10.21–614.62). More experienced fit testers also yielded significantly higher fit rates (OR 3.95, 95%CI 2.34–6.67).

Conclusions:

98% of staff achieved a successful fitting of at least one respirator, with three-panel flat fold models (Industree Trident, 3M Aura 9320A+, and 3M Aura 1870+) performing the most consistently. An individual’s ability to achieve a successful fit was associated with; male sex, younger age, clean-shaven status, and fit tester experience.
Levy and Thurston obstructions of finite subdivision rules
Authors: PARK INSUNG
Published: December 2023

For a post-critically finite branched covering of the sphere that is a subdivision map of a finite subdivision rule, we define non-expanding spines which determine the existence of a Levy cycle in a non-exhaustive semi-decidable algorithm. Especially when a finite subdivision rule has polynomial growth of edge subdivisions, the algorithm terminates very quickly, and the existence of a Levy cycle is equivalent to the existence of a Thurston obstruction. To show the equivalence between Levy and Thurston obstructions, we generalize the arcs intersecting obstruction theorem by Pilgrim and Tan [Combining rational maps and controlling obstructions. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.18(1) (1998), 221–245] to a graph intersecting obstruction theorem. As a corollary, we prove that for a pair of post-critically finite polynomials, if at least one polynomial has core entropy zero, then their mating has a Levy cycle if and only if the mating has a Thurston obstruction.
Multimodal encoding of motion events in speech, gesture and cognition
Authors: Ünal Ercenur , Mamus Ezgi , Özyürek Aslı
Published: December 2023

How people communicate about motion events and how this is shaped by language typology are mostly studied with a focus on linguistic encoding in speech. Yet, human communication typically involves an interactional exchange of multimodal signals, such as hand gestures that have different affordances for representing event components. Here, we review recent empirical evidence on multimodal encoding of motion in speech and gesture to gain a deeper understanding of whether and how language typology shapes linguistic expressions in different modalities, and how this changes across different sensory modalities of input and interacts with other aspects of cognition. Empirical evidence strongly suggests that Talmy’s typology of event integration predicts multimodal event descriptions in speech and gesture and visual attention to event components prior to producing these descriptions. Furthermore, variability within the event itself, such as type and modality of stimuli, may override the influence of language typology, especially for expression of manner.
Chinese Observations of Soviet Nationality Affairs in the Mao and post-Mao Eras
Authors: Zhou Luyang
Published: December 2023

Over the years, China’s nationality policy tended to imitate the Soviet Union while also retaining its uniqueness. Existing scholarship has described three deviations the CCP made vis-à-vis the Soviet model: denying national self-determination, rejecting the supra-national union of nation-states, and undertaking constructivist classification of ethnicity. These features took shape around 1949. In this article, I survey China’s observations on Soviet nationality affairs from 1949 to 1991 and provide a perspective for understanding how these deviations from the Soviet nationality model both crystallized and varied. My findings show that after 1949, Soviet studies in China lacked a coherent agenda for studying the nationality question. The experts gathered rich materials but subordinated nationality questions to themes such as revolution, a centrally planned economy, border disputes, geopolitics, and ideological indoctrination. They also tended to reduce ethnopolitics to class struggle and economic modernization. Such systematic evasion of nationality questions persisted until the collapse of the Soviet Union. The USSR’s disintegration caused China to recognize the resilience of ethnicity and nationality, while before 1991, Soviet studies in China had lacked any systematic reflection on the Soviet nationality model.
Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium co-fermented feed alters antioxidant capacity, muscle fibre characteristics and lipid profiles of finishing pigs
Authors: Liu Shiqi , Du Man , Sun Jiabao , Tu Yuang , Gu Xin , Cai Peiran , Lu Zeqing , Wang Yizhen , Shan Tizhong
Published: December 2023

This study aimed to assess how Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium co-fermented feed (FF) affects the antioxidant capacity, muscle fibre types and muscle lipid profiles of finishing pigs. In this study, a total of 144 Duroc × Berkshire × Jiaxing Black finishing pigs were randomly assigned into three groups with four replicates (twelve pigs per replication). The three treatments were a basal diet (0 % FF), basal diet + 5 % FF and basal diet + 10 % FF, respectively. The experiment lasted 38 d after 4 d of acclimation. The study revealed that 10 % FF significantly increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) compared with 0 % FF group, with mRNA levels of up-regulated antioxidant-related genes (GPX1, SOD1, SOD2 and CAT) in 10 % FF group. 10 % FF also significantly up-regulated the percentage of slow-twitch fibre and the mRNA expression of MyHC I, MyHC IIa and MyHC IIx, and slow MyHC protein expression while reducing MyHC IIb mRNA expression. Lipidomics analysis showed that 5 % FF and 10 % FF altered lipid profiles in longissimus thoracis. 10 % FF particularly led to an increase in the percentage of TAG. The Pearson correlation analysis indicated that certain molecular markers such as phosphatidic acid (PA) (49:4), Hex2Cer (d50:6), cardiolipin (CL) (72:8) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) (33:0e) could be used to indicate the characteristics of muscle fibres and were closely related to meat quality. Together, our findings suggest that 10 % FF improved antioxidant capacity, enhanced slow-twitch fibre percentage and altered muscle lipid profiles in finishing pigs.
A New Dilemma of Social Democracy? The British Labour Party, the White Working Class and Ethnic Minority Representation
Authors: Grant Zack , Evans Geoffrey
Published: December 2023

Like much of the European centre-left, Britain's Labour Party has struggled to appeal to its former core working class support base in recent years. However, this is largely a failure to connect with the ‘white working class’ (WWC) specifically, whereas support among ethnic minorities remains robust. We hypothesise that Labour could be experiencing a ‘trade-off’, whereby efforts to cater to minorities harm its perceived ability to represent WWC interests. We test this thesis by examining whether WWC voters are more likely to view minority and working class representation in zero-sum terms and shun Labour when they associate the party with minority interests. We show that the WWC are somewhat less likely to view working class and ethnic minority representation as strongly correlated, and Labour's perceived ability to represent minorities is negatively associated with WWC support. This is not (primarily) about ethnocentrism. Instead, we suggest that ‘relative political deprivation’ is crucial.
Young People Punish Undemocratic Behaviour Less Than Older People
Authors: Frederiksen Kristian Vrede Skaaning
Published: December 2023

Are young people less likely to punish undemocratic behaviour? I employ experimental data from five studies, ten countries, and seventeen unique country-year samples to reassess the proposition that young people are less committed to democracy than older people. The studies consist of four conjoint and one vignette experiments, which permit estimating an interaction between undemocratic candidate behaviour and respondent age on voting intentions. I find the interaction between undemocratic behaviour and age is negative – such that punishment of undemocratic behaviour increases with age – in all studies and almost all country samples. Moreover, the interaction is approximately linear and statistically significant in the pooled sample and most studies. Thus, young people are less likely to sanction undemocratic behaviour than older people. This letter contributes with the hitherto most comprehensive empirical contribution on age differences in commitment to democracy judging from punishment of undemocratic behaviour.
Effect of constant and fluctuating low temperature on the survival of Tuta absoluta pupae
Authors: Zannou Ayomide Joseph , Karaca Mahmut Mete , Karut Kamil
Published: December 2023

Temperature is among the key factors impacting the establishment and spread of invasive pests. The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the major pests attacking Solanaceae plants and is known to possess overwintering capacities. However, the cold hardiness of T. absoluta pupae is poorly documented. In this study, we investigated the effect of constant temperature and stepwise cooling on T. absoluta pupae under laboratory conditions. For this purpose, bioassays on pupal development under constant temperature (5°C) for 30, 60 and 90 days, and stepwise changes in temperature (11, 10 and 8°C; in this order every 30 days), were assessed. We found that exposure to 5°C for 30 and 60 days did not affect the post-cooling emergence time of adults compared to the control. Pupae completed their development after 60 days of cold exposure at 5°C, but more adults emerged after 30 than 60 days. Even though alive pupae were observed after 90 days of cold exposure at 5°C, no adults emerged. External colours of pupae depended on the duration of cold periods, and green pupae obtained after 30 and 60 days were found to be positively correlated with the emergence of adults. When pupae were kept at 11°C for 30 days, 47% emerged, and when the temperature was changed to 10, only 12% of pupae emerged for the period 31–60 days. However, the decrease of the temperature to 8°C yielded no emergence for the period 61–90 days. Our study provides useful information to better understand the population dynamics of overwintering T. absoluta, and to underpin the development of monitoring and control strategies for the pest.
THE ADLOCVTIO AT THE ACCESSION OF THE ROMAN EMPEROR
Authors: Feeney Kevin
Published: December 2023

One of the most distinctive rituals of Roman imperial accession was the adlocutio, the speech delivered by the new emperor to a military assembly, which can be documented from the first to the fifth centuries a.d. This article seeks to explain the extraordinary endurance of this neglected genre of speech by examining its origins, setting and content. After outlining the unusual nature of the accession adlocutio when set against both earlier and contemporary Mediterranean practice, the first half of this article traces its origins to the military culture of the late Roman Republic. In particular, the adlocutio is related to two other rituals which rose to new prominence in the era of the Civil Wars: the acclamation of the victorious general as imperator and the granting of military gifts. In the second part of this article, the setting for the typical adlocutio of the Imperial era is discussed using the often-problematic evidence of our ancient historical sources. The content of the speech itself is then reconstructed primarily through a close reading of our one surviving example, the brief address of Leo I preserved by Peter the Patrician. Finally, the evidence for the origins and content of the speech are brought together in an argument for the speech's survival as a useful tool for emperors seeking to establish a permanent bond with the soldiers they commanded.
Race and the Problem of Empty Concept Dependency
Authors: Hull George
Published: December 2023

Defences of racial anti-realism typically proceed by establishing that nothing possesses the descriptive characteristics associated with the term ‘race’. This leaves them vulnerable to the externalist challenge that the descriptive meaning of ‘race’ is subject to revision based on discoveries about the nature of its referent. That referent is, according to constructionist realists, the groups we call races (the R-groups). Anti-realists and constructionist realists agree that the R-groups are constructed as real social groups by being viewed and treated as though they were relatively homogenous groups, differing in significant, inherent, heritable ways. Only, anti-realists insist they are not races, but racialized groups. I seek to harness their agreement about the socially constructed nature of the R-groups to break the impasse between anti-realists and constructionist realists and settle their dispute in the anti-realist position's favour. On the account of their social construction agreed by both sides, R-groups exhibit empty concept dependency: they depend for their existence on people's utilizing a concept with no referent. Race cannot be both the concept which captures the R-groups’ nature and the empty concept on whose utilization their existence depends. When we are forced to choose, I argue, the latter is the only justifiable option.
Hearing the Americas: Understanding the Early Recording Industry with Digital Tools
Authors: Dauterive Jessica , Karush Matthew B. , O’Malley Michael
Published: December 2023

This article describes the methods and arguments of Hearing the Americas, a digital public history project that illuminates the history of popular music and the recording industry from 1890 to 1925. We argue that the use of digital tools allows the website to integrate sound directly into writing on music and thereby explicate a series of historical arguments. The article examines three arguments advanced by Hearing the Americas, showing in each case how digital tools generate new insights. The first case uses mapping to reveal some of the specific ways in which the economic and social context of Jim Crow shaped the experiences of Black performers; the second integrates sound and text to reveal the origins of certain blues conventions in the racist stereotypes of minstrel shows; and the final case uses digital tools to argue that the marketing strategies of the recording industry throughout the Americas helped produce a key shift in patterns of globalization.
Atlantic Crossings Revisited
Authors: McGreevey Robert , Hodges Adam , Kittelstrom Amy , Maggor Noam
Published: December 2023

This roundtable reflects on the 25th anniversary of the publication of Daniel T. Rodgers’s Atlantic Crossings: Social Politics in a Progressive Age (Harvard, 1998), a classic in our field.
Pre-harvest food safety and conservation challenges facing US produce growers: results from a national survey
Authors: Adalja Aaron , Baur Patrick , Wiedmann Martin , Olimpi Elissa , Weller Daniel
Published: December 2023

Fruit and vegetable growers in the US face tradeoffs and synergies between on-farm conservation and pre-harvest food safety as a result of economic considerations, regulatory concerns, and external pressure from other stakeholders. However, detailed data on the frequency and extent of these tradeoffs across US regions remain sparse. We designed and implemented a national grower survey for the 2018 crop year to address this gap. Based on 209 responses, we examined usage of pre-harvest food safety and conservation practices with a particular emphasis on managing animal intrusion into growing areas and maintaining wildlife habitat. We also analyzed associations between farm characteristics and the probability that growers used different on-farm food safety and conservation practices. We did not find a simple biophysical or socio-economic explanation for why some farms adopted specific practices over others. Instead, our findings suggest that the adoption of particular food safety practices is influenced by a complex assemblage of factors that include environmental context, supply chain pressures, cost considerations, and growers' perceptions of risk. A better understanding of the diverse tradeoffs and synergies that US produce growers face between on-farm conservation and pre-harvest food safety is critical for effective policy design.
Kompetenzfacetten kindheitspädagogischer Fachkräfte
Authors: Mischo Christoph
Published: December 2023

Zusammenfassung. Ausgehend von einem weit verbreiteten Kompetenzmodell in der Kindheitspädagogik werden unterschiedliche Kompetenzfacetten (professionelles Wissen, Wissenschaftsorientierung, professionelle Wahrnehmung) unterschieden und Zusammenhänge zwischen diesen Kompetenzfacetten und berufsbiographischen Faktoren (Berufserfahrung und Ausbildungsniveau) einerseits und dem Interaktionsverhalten in der Domäne der Lernunterstützung andererseits untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen indirekten Effekt des Ausbildungsniveaus auf die Lernunterstützung, der über die Wissenschaftsorientierung und das Wissen vermittelt wird, sowie einen indirekten Effekt der Berufserfahrung auf die Unterstützung sprachlichen Lernens, der zusätzlich zum indirekten Effekt des Ausbildungsniveaus über die professionelle Wahrnehmung (erfasst im Fragebogen) besteht. Die Ergebnisse erlauben eine empirische Prüfung und partielle Erweiterung zentraler Annahmen des weit verbreiteten Kompetenzmodells.
Die Bedeutung von Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte für die Qualität unterstützender Fachkraft-Kind-Interaktionen und die Häufigkeit mathematischer Aktivitäten
Authors: Besser Nadine , Kaiser Christine , Dornheim Dorothea , Lehrl Simone
Published: December 2023

Zusammenfassung: Dispositionale Merkmale von pädagogischen Fachkräften in Kindertagesstätten (Kitas), wie z.B. Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen (SWE), spielen eine wichtige Rolle bei der Realisierung gelungener Fachkraft-Kind-Interaktionen, die wiederum im Zusammenhang mit der kindlichen Entwicklung stehen. Die Befundlage für Kinder im Krippenalter ist diesbezüglich dünn, insbesondere mit Blick auf die Bedeutung bereichsspezifischer SWE. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden daher Zusammenhänge zwischen globaler und bereichsspezifischer SWE und der Realisierung globaler Interaktionsqualität sowie der Häufigkeit bereichsspezifischer mathematischer Aktivitäten untersucht. Im Rahmen der Studie „EarlyMath“ wurden dazu 92 pädagogische Fachkräfte hinsichtlich ihrer Interaktionsqualität (CLASS Toddler; La Paro et al., 2012 ) eingeschätzt. Zusätzlich wurden sie zur Häufigkeit mathematischer Aktivitäten und zu ihren pädagogischen und mathematischen SWE befragt. Es zeigt sich ein positiver Zusammenhang zwischen mathematischen SWE und der Häufigkeit mathematischer Aktivitäten. Implikationen dieser Ergebnisse werden diskutiert.
Validation and Cultural Adaptation of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) in German
Authors: Adu Peter , Popoola Tosin , Roemer Anja , Collings Sunny , Aspin Clive , Medvedev Oleg N. , Simpson Colin R.
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Background: Context-specific standardized psychometric instruments are essential for ensuring valid and reliable assessment of health outcomes across diverse populations to aid the advancement of research and health-related interventions. However, instruments measuring attitudes toward vaccinations are lacking in the extant literature. Therefore, we performed a cross-cultural adaptation of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) in Germany. Method: During the months of June and July 2022, 475 individuals aged 18 years and older from the general population of Germany participated in an online cross-sectional survey. Participants responded to five demographic questions, a measure of COVID-19 vaccine uptake willingness, and the MoVac-COVID19S. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) fit indices were used to evaluate the factor structures of the MoVac-COVID19S. Results: The CFA revealed that all examined factor structures of both the 9-item and 12-item versions of the MoVac-COVID19S were acceptable among the sample. Overall, CFI, GFI, and TLI values were higher than 0.95; RMSEA and SRMR values were all less than 0.08 for all the estimated models. The one-factor model of the 9-item version of the MoVac-COVID19S exhibited best fits indices compared to the one-factor and four-factor structures of the 12-item version of the scale. The bifactor model revealed that the general factor explained a higher percentage of the Explained Common Variance (ECV; ranging from 55% to 94%) in the majority of the items, compared to the specific factors. The scale was found to demonstrate convergent validity with related measures. Conclusion: The German version of the MoVac-COVID19S should be considered a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional measure. Although the 9-item version of the scale performed better among the sample compared to the 12-item version, the overall scores of both versions were found to be valid and reliable measures of attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccinations. The MoVac-COVID19S has the potential to be adapted for assessing attitudes toward any future vaccination programs. Limitations: While our study sampled only the general German population, the criticisms of CFA warrant further research using advanced methods, such as the Rasch model, and subgroups.
Isotope Constraints on Nitrate Exchanges Between Precipitation and Forest Canopy
Authors: Liu Xue‐Yan , Liu Mei‐Na , Qin Wan‐Xiao , Song Wei
Published: December 2023

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is a key process influencing plant‐soil N processes and associated functions of forest ecosystems. However, the N deposition into soils based on open‐field precipitation observations remains inaccurate due to the unconstrained precipitation‐canopy N exchanges, which prevents a better evaluation of N deposition effects on forest N cycles and functions. Nitrate () is a major form of reactive N. Based on a data synthesis of fluxes and isotopes (15N, 17O, 18O) of atmospheric inputs in forests, here we constructed a new method to quantify fractions and fluxes of throughfall () contributors (nitrification () and particulates () in canopies, the original precipitation ()) and then constrain precipitation‐canopy exchanges (i.e., gains from canopy and losses due to canopy retention). Generally, was higher in fluxes but lower in N and O isotopes than , suggesting higher gains than losses and canopy nitrification as a gain contributor. 10%−18% and 40%−47% of were gained from canopy and , respectively, while 43% ± 25% and 20% ± 74% of the original were lost after passing through canopies of broadleaved and coniferous forests, respectively. Importantly, both gain and loss fluxes were found increasing with the fluxes. This work unlocked fractions and fluxes of major precipitation‐canopy exchange processes and revealed a stimulating mechanism of atmospheric pollution on precipitation‐canopy exchanges.
Dynamic Response to Ice Shelf Basal Meltwater Relevant to Explain Observed Sea Ice Trends Near the Antarctic Continental Shelf
Authors: Huneke Wilma G. C. , Hobbs William R. , Klocker Andreas , Naughten Kaitlin A.
Published: December 2023

Observed Antarctic sea ice trends up to 2015 have a distinct regional and seasonal pattern, with a loss during austral summer and autumn in the Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas, and a year‐round increase in the Ross Sea. Global climate models generally failed to reproduce the magnitude of sea ice trends implying that the models miss relevant mechanisms. One possible mechanism is basal meltwater, which is generally not included in the current generation of climate models. Previous work on the effects of meltwater on sea ice has focused on thermodynamic processes. However, local freshening also leads to dynamic changes, affecting ocean currents through geostrophic balance. Using a coupled ocean/sea‐ice/ice‐shelf model, we demonstrate that basal melting can intensify coastal currents in West Antarctica and the westward transport of sea ice. This change in transport results in sea ice anomalies consistent with observations, and may explain the disparity between climate models and observations.
Global and Regional Climate Feedbacks in Response to Uniform Warming and Cooling
Authors: Ringer Mark A. , Bodas‐Salcedo Alejandro , Webb Mark J.
Published: December 2023

We compare the radiative feedbacks in an ensemble of global climate models under uniform 4 K warming and cooling of sea surface temperatures. The global‐mean net feedback is less stabilizing under warming in all nine models. This results primarily from less stabilizing water vapor and extra‐tropical shortwave cloud feedbacks, partially offset by more stabilizing tropical cloud feedbacks. The zonal‐mean feedbacks are also robust across the ensemble. In the extra‐tropics, the less stabilizing shortwave cloud feedback under warming is associated with further poleward migration of the mean Southern Hemisphere jet in some models. However, additional experiments with an aquaplanet version of the HadGEM3 model suggest that the asymmetry of the jet shift is not driving the asymmetry in the cloud feedbacks at these latitudes. In the tropics, the stronger water vapor feedback under warming is offset by weaker shortwave cloud feedbacks. The result is that the ensemble spread in the differences between the global feedbacks under warming and cooling is mainly driven by their differences in the tropics. The spatial distribution of the feedbacks largely reflects the zonal‐mean behavior, although there is considerable model spread in the regional cloud feedbacks, particularly in the tropical shortwave cloud feedback. Comparison with CO2‐ and solar‐forced coupled experiments suggests that the global‐mean longwave cloud feedback is nearly invariant to warming and cooling, regardless of the nature of the forcing. The shortwave cloud feedback is generally more positive under warming in the coupled models, consistent with the uniform SST perturbation experiments.
Validating Ionospheric Models Against Technologically Relevant Metrics
Authors: Chartier A. T. , Steele J. , Sugar G. , Themens D. R. , Vines S. K. , Huba J. D.
Published: December 2023

New, open access tools have been developed to validate ionospheric models in terms of technologically relevant metrics. These are ionospheric errors on GPS 3D position, HF ham radio communications, and peak F‐region density. To demonstrate these tools, we have used output from Sami is Another Model of the Ionosphere (SAMI3) driven by high‐latitude electric potentials derived from Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response Experiment, covering the first available month of operation using Iridium‐NEXT data (March 2019). Output of this model is now available for visualization and download via https://sami3.jhuapl.edu. The GPS test indicates SAMI3 reduces ionospheric errors on 3D position solutions from 1.9 m with no model to 1.6 m on average (maximum error: 14.2 m without correction, 13.9 m with correction). SAMI3 predicts 55.5% of reported amateur radio links between 2–30 MHz and 500–2,000 km. Autoscaled and then machine learning “cleaned” Digisonde NmF2 data indicate a 1.0 × 1011 el. m3 median positive bias in SAMI3 (equivalent to a 27% overestimation). The positive NmF2 bias is largest during the daytime, which may explain the relatively good performance in predicting HF links then. The underlying data sources and software used here are publicly available, so that interested groups may apply these tests to other models and time intervals.
Investigation of the Physical Mechanisms of the Formation and Evolution of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles During a Moderate Storm on 17 September 2021
Authors: Wu Kun , Qian Liying , Wang Wenbin , Cai Xuguang , Mclnerney Joseph M.
Published: December 2023

We investigate in detail the occurrence and evolution of ionospheric equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) during a moderate storm on 17 September 2021, using Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) observations and Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model‐eXtended (WACCM‐X) simulations. GOLD observations show that there were no EPBs on 16 September before the storm but EPBs occurred after the storm commencement on 17 September. The EPBs extended to ∼30° magnetic latitude. A diagnostic analysis of WACCM‐X simulations reveals that the rapid enhancement of prompt penetration electric fields (PPEFs) after the sudden storm commencement is the main reason that triggered the occurrence of the EPBs. Further quantitative analysis shows that vertical plasma drifts, which are enhanced by the PPEF, played a dominant role in strengthening the Rayleigh‐Taylor instability, leading to the occurrence of the EPBs and the large latitudinal extension of the EPBs to ∼30° magnetic latitude during the night of 17 September.