bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moisture expansion of tuff stones and sandstones
Authors: Siegesmund Siegfried , Gross Christian J. , Dohrmann Reiner , Marler Bernd , Ufer Kristian , Koch Tobias
Published: March 2023

Volcanic tuffs and sandstones have been used as natural building stones in the construction of monuments and buildings over the millennia of human history. Progressive weathering over time (e.g., temperature fluctuations, moisture uptake, variations in humidity, precipitation, the input of modern-day pollutants or salt crystallization) lead to damages in the internal structure of the stone. Scaling and layer-parallel flaking of rock fragments result from these types of damage-causing processes, especially when swellable clay minerals are present that lead to the generation of stresses in the rock fabric. Tuff and sandstone samples that exemplify these types of damages are investigated in this study, which were used in the construction of cultural heritage sites in Armenia, Mexico, Germany and Switzerland. Comparisons are made between these rock types considering that they show strong variations in fabric heterogeneity, grain sizes, mineralogical composition (e.g., swellable clay- and zeolite-bearing minerals), and visible macroscopic features such as depositional layering. Comprehensive investigations have been carried out that include detailed petrographic analyses, XRD analyses for the determination of the swellable and non-swellable clay fraction and minerals of the zeolite group, the cation exchange capacity (CEC), detailed SEM surveys for determining the type and localization of clays and zeolites in the rock fabric, as well as defining the petrophysical properties (e.g., porosity, capillary water uptake, water absorption, hydric expansion and mechanical properties). Moreover, this study explores the possible interaction between swellable clay minerals and zeolites (mordenite, heulandite/clinoptilolite) by conducting swelling experiments with salts and solvents and fluid-exchange experiments with and without the presence of zeolites. To explain the damages caused by the expansion in the tuffs and sandstones, two principle modes of moisture expansion are discussed when swellable clay minerals are present in the rock. These are dominantly inner or intracrystalline swelling, and secondarily, intercrystalline or osmotic swelling. When no swellable clay minerals are present, the study explains the damages in tuffs and sandstones as the result of disjoining pressure, where a high percentage of microporosity plays a pivotal role.
Hydrogeochemical characterization of the alluvial aquifer of Catania Plain, Sicily (South Italy)
Authors: Morici S. , Gagliano Candela E. , Favara R. , La Pica L. , Scaletta C. , Pecoraino G.
Published: March 2023

A hydrogeochemical study was carried out on the shallow Catania Plain alluvial aquifer, in eastern Sicily to reconstruct its hydrogeological structure, the meteoric recharge and to assess the influence of human activities on groundwater. To characterize the geochemistry of the shallow aquifer, two sampling campaigns were carried out, August–October 2004 and April–May 2005 in 47 sites distributed throughout the plain. The samples were collected and analyzed for physical–chemical parameters and major ions, as well as stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H). Alluvial deposits with heterogeneous grain sizes constitute the aquifer. Varying conditions of vertical and horizontal permeability lead to the presence of a multilayered aquifer with different conditions of confinement and partial interconnection among layers. The sampled waters were separated into four groups of different compositions due to the water–rock interaction with the different lithologies present in and around the study area. Maps of electrical conductivity and sulfate show a systematic control of land use, in correspondence with the biggest farms. High sulfate concentration is due to both the natural interaction between local meteoric waters and Etna’s plume and the mixing with groundwater coming from the area where evaporitic rocks of the Gessoso Solfifera formation are present. In addition, anthropogenic contamination cannot be ruled out. A rain gauge network, consisting of 3 sites located at different altitudes, was installed to collect rain waters to determine isotopic data (δ2H and δ18O) and to measure the monthly rainfall amount. Based on the isotopic composition of sampled waters, it has been established that beyond the direct meteoric recharge, the recharging areas are in the North (Mt. Etna) and the South (Hyblean Plateau).
Exploring HTL pathways in carbohydrate–protein mixture: a study on glucose–glycine interaction
Authors: Tito Edoardo , Pipitone Giuseppe , Monteverde Videla Alessandro H. A. , Bensaid Samir , Pirone Raffaele
Published: March 2023

The hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass is a strategic process to convert wet and waste feedstocks into liquid biofuel. In this work, we investigated the hydrothermal liquefaction of glucose and glycine, alone and together, to mimic the composition of low-lipid content biomass. Experimental tests were performed in a batch setup in the temperature range of 200–350 °C. As the feeding composition and temperature changed, the distribution among the different phases (gas, solid, biocrude, and aqueous phase) and their compositions were evaluated through different analytical techniques (GC–MS, µ-GC, HPLC). Glucose–glycine showed strongly different interactions with reaction temperature: increased biocrude production at high temperature and increased solid production at low temperature, following a proportionally inverse trend. Biocrude, as well as all the other phases, was observed to be completely different according to the feedstock used. To study how their formation and mutual interactions were affected by the composition of the starting feedstock, consecutive reactions of the generated phases were innovatively carried out. The solid phase generated from glucose–glycine interaction at low temperatures was experimentally observed to be mostly converted into biocrude at high temperatures. Furthermore, no interaction phenomena between the different phases were observed with glucose–glycine, while with glucose alone the co-presence of the molecules in the different phases seemed to be the cause for the lowest biocrude yield at high temperatures. The results obtained in this work can provide new insights into the understanding of hydrothermal liquefaction of low-lipid biomass, pointing out synergetic phenomena among both the biomolecules and the resulting phases.
MoS2 reinforced PEEK composite for improved aqueous boundary lubrication
Authors: Hou Xin , Bai Pengpeng , Li Jingyang , Li Yuanzhe , Cao Hui , Wen Xiangli , Meng Yonggang , Ma Liran , Tian Yu
Published: March 2023

Polyether-etherketone (PEEK) is a corrosion-resistant material that has been widely used in aqueous lubrication. However, its anti-wear performance must be improved for its application in the industry. In this study, to improve the anti-wear performance of PEEK for aqueous boundary lubrication, PEEK/MoS2 composites were prepared by ball-milling and spark plasma sintering processes. A competitive MoS2 mechanism between the low shear strength property and the role of promoting wear debris generation influences the anti-wear performance of PEEK/MoS2 composites. Experiments demonstrated that the coefficients of friction (COF) and wear rate of PEEK composite with 0.25 wt% MoS2 were significantly reduced 68% and 94%, respectively. Furthermore, this was the first time that a PEEK composite could achieve a COF of less than 0.05 in aqueous boundary lubrication. Its anti-wear performance was verified to be better than that of PEEK/carbon fiber (CF) and Thordon composites. The PEEK/MoS2 composite may be a potential material for underwater equipment because of its outstanding anti-wear performance in aqueous boundary lubrication.
Superlubricity by polyimide-induced alignment
Authors: Gao Xinlei , Chen Hao , Yan Hong , Huang Chengrui , Wu Li , Wang Tingting
Published: March 2023

We have investigated the lubrication alignment behavior of point-plane contact and plane-plane contact between the GCr15 steel and polyimide (PI) friction pair using nematic liquid crystals (LCs) as the lubricant. In this system, rubbing orients the macromolecular PI molecules, and the oriented PI molecules induce alignment of the LC molecules in contact with or close to the oriented PI molecules. The LC molecules are aligned in the wear scar grooves of the PI film, and alignment extends to the GCr15-steel counterpart. Alignment of the LC molecules is correlated with the strong interaction force between the PI and LC molecules, the stable coordination structure of the LCs and GCr15 steel, and the weak interaction between the LC molecules. We performed simulations of the pretilt angle of PI and LCs and discussed the relationship between the pretilt angle and the friction properties. Owing to the small pretilt angle between PI and the LCs, the LC molecules orient almost parallel to the PI material, which is beneficial for superlubricity of this type of friction system.
The hypocholesterolemic effect of methanolic extract of Bassia muricata l. on hypercholesterolemic rats
Authors: Al-Obeidyeen Amal S. , Zarga Musa H. , Abdalla Shtaywy S.
Published: March 2023

Hypercholesterolemia is correlated with cardiovascular diseases. The search for effective alternatives for lipid-lowering drugs is continuous. We investigated the hypocholesterolemic activity of Bassia muricata methanolic extract (BMME) in a model of hyperlipidemia. B. muricata was extracted with methanol. Male rats were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group (G1) was fed normal diet, negative control group (G2) was fed high cholesterol and fat diet (HCFD), positive control group (G3) was fed HCFD and treated with atorvastatin (20 mg/kg), a fourth, fifth and sixth groups (G4, G5, and G6) were fed HCFD and treated with 10, 30 and 100 mg/Kg of BMME, respectively. All rat groups received, for 4 weeks, the appropriate daily dose after initial two weeks of feeding normal diet or HCFD. Body weight, lipid profile, serum glucose, liver enzymes were measured weekly. HCFD caused an increased total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and glucose, decreased triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blunted the normal gain of body weight. BMME doses restored the normal gain of body weight, caused significant decrease in serum TC, LDL-C, and increased HDL-C when compared to G2. 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg of BMME failed to induce any change in alkaline phosphatase whereas 100 mg/Kg of BMME caused a significant increase in alanine transaminase. 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg of BMME significantly decreased serum glucose whereas 100 mg/kg BMME significantly increased it. BMME had significant hypocholesterolemic effect and 100 mg/kg BMME increased alanine transaminase, TG and glucose in rats.

Graphical abstract
Solar transparent and thermally insulated silica aerogel for efficiency improvement of photovoltaic/thermal collectors
Authors: Wu Lijun , Zhao Bin , Gao Datong , Jiao Dongsheng , Hu Maobin , Pei Gang
Published: March 2023

Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) utilization has been regarded as a promising technique to efficiently harvest solar energy, but its thermal efficiency highly degrades in cold seasons because of remarkable heat loss. Although various methods, such as using air or vacuum gap, have been used to reduce heat loss of the PV/T, heat radiative loss still exists. In addition, unlike selective solar absorbers, the current PV/T absorber behaves like an infrared blackbody, showing great radiative heat loss. To overcome this drawback, a novel aerogel PV/T (referred to as “A-PV/T” hereinafter) collector based on solar transparent and thermally insulated silica aerogel is proposed, which can reduce the heat loss from both the non-radiative and radiative heat transfer modes. Experimental testing demonstrates that the thermal efficiency improvement of 25.1%-348% can be achieved for PV/T within the collecting temperature range of 35–70 °C when silica aerogel is introduced, indicating a significant efficiency enhancement. Compared with traditional PV/T (referred to as “T-PV/T” hereinafter) collector, the stagnation temperatures of the A-PV/T collector are 96.7 °C and 103.1 °C in outdoor and indoor environments, which are 27.4 °C and 25.8 °C greater, respectively, indicating a heat loss suppression of the aerogel. Moreover, simulation reveals that useful heat can hardly be provided by the T-PV/T collector in cold seasons, but the A-PV/T still exists a high solar thermal performance, showing good seasonal and regional applicability.
Maurice Duruflé
Authors: Frazier James E.
Published: March 2023

A new, deeply researched biography of the great French organist, who composed some of the best-loved works in the organ repertory - and the masterful Requiem.
Women, Reform and Community in Early Modern England
Authors: Harkrider Melissa Franklin
Published: March 2023

A study of one of the most influential women of her day has much to reveal about the developments which shaped the English Reformation.
The Community Research Liaison Model: Facilitating community-engaged research
Authors: Jäderholm Christina , Currier Jessica , Brown Kim , Audett Ariane , Campbell Laura , Blakesley Steven , Crocker Daniel Lynda , Miller Sylvia , Mishalanie Sara , Ruder Chelsea , Shannon Jackilen
Published: March 2023

The Community Research Liaison Model (CRLM) is a novel model to facilitate community-engaged research (CEnR) and community–academic research partnerships focused on health priorities identified by the community. This model, informed by the Principles of Community Engagement, builds trust among rural communities and expands capacity for community and investigator-initiated research. We describe the CRLM development process and how it is operationalized today. We followed a multi-phase process to design and implement a community engagement model that could be replicated. The resulting CRLM moves community–academic research collaborations from objectives to outputs using a conceptual framework that specifies our guiding principles, objectives, and actions to facilitate the objectives (i.e., capacity, motivations, and partners), and outputs. The CRLM has been fully implemented across Oregon. Six Community Research Liaisons collectively support 18 predominantly rural Oregon counties. Since 2017, the liaison team has engaged with communities on nearly 300 community projects. The CRLM has been successful in facilitating CEnR and community–academic research partnerships. The model has always existed on a dynamic foundation and continues to be responsive to the lessons learned by the community and researchers. The model is expanding across Oregon as an equitable approach to addressing health disparities across the state.
Oral fenofibrate for hyperbilirubinemia in term neonates: A single-blind randomized controlled trial
Authors: Saadat Seyed Hossein , Goodarzi Rakhshaneh , Gharaei Babak
Published: March 2023

Background:

Hyperbilirubinemia is common in the neonatal period; however, delayed diagnosis or inadequate treatment can cause irreparable damage to the neonates. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oral fenofibrate for hyperbilirubinemia in term neonates.

Methods:

This single-blind randomized controlled trial included 86 term neonates aged 3–7 days, with birth weight ≥2500 g, admitted to Bandar Abbas Children’s Hospital, Bandar Abbas Iran, from July 23, 2019, to July 22, 2020. The fenofibrate group received 10 mg/kg oral fenofibrate and phototherapy, while controls only received phototherapy. Serum total bilirubin was measured at 24 and 48 h and at the time of discharge. Hospital length of stay was also noted.

Results:

The two study groups were comparable regarding age, gender, gestational age, birth weight, and baseline total serum bilirubin levels. Serum total bilirubin levels at 48 h (P < 0.001) and at discharge (P < 0.001) were significantly lower in the fenofibrate group compared to controls. Although hospital length of stay was lower in the fenofibrate group compared to controls, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.612). Fenofibrate was more effective on the reduction of serum bilirubin in neonates aged 3–4.5 days starting at the 24th hour. Moreover, it was more effective in female neonates compared to males starting at the 48th hour.

Conclusions:

A single dose of oral fenofibrate reduced total serum bilirubin in term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia without any side effects; however, this effect was more prominent after 48 h.
Comparative analysis of machine learning methods for active flow control
Authors: Pino Fabio , Schena Lorenzo , Rabault Jean , Mendez Miguel A.
Published: March 2023

Machine learning frameworks such as genetic programming and reinforcement learning (RL) are gaining popularity in flow control. This work presents a comparative analysis of the two, benchmarking some of their most representative algorithms against global optimization techniques such as Bayesian optimization and Lipschitz global optimization. First, we review the general framework of the model-free control problem, bringing together all methods as black-box optimization problems. Then, we test the control algorithms on three test cases. These are (1) the stabilization of a nonlinear dynamical system featuring frequency cross-talk, (2) the wave cancellation from a Burgers’ flow and (3) the drag reduction in a cylinder wake flow. We present a comprehensive comparison to illustrate their differences in exploration versus exploitation and their balance between ‘model capacity’ in the control law definition versus ‘required complexity’. Indeed, we discovered that previous RL control attempts of controlling the cylinder wake were performing linear control and that the wide observation space was limiting their performances. We believe that such a comparison paves the way towards the hybridization of the various methods, and we offer some perspective on their future development in the literature of flow control problems.
H2 bubble motion reversals during water electrolysis
Authors: Bashkatov A. , Babich A. , Hossain S.S. , Yang X. , Mutschke G. , Eckert K.
Published: March 2023

The dynamics of hydrogen bubbles produced by water electrolysis in an acidic electrolyte is studied using electrochemical and optical methods. A defined cyclic modulation of the electric potential is applied at a microelectrode to produce pairs of interacting H

$_2$

bubbles in a controlled manner. Three scenarios of interactions are identified and studied systematically. The most prominent one consists of a sudden reversal in the motion of the first detached bubble, its return to the electrode, and finally its coalescence with the second bubble. Attested by Toepler's schlieren technique, an explanation of contactless motion reversal is provided by the competition between buoyancy and thermocapillary effects.
How flexible is the orthographic processing of flankers? Effects for letter order and letter identification
Authors: Lázaro Miguel , García Lorena , Illera Víctor
Published: March 2023

This study explored the flexibility of the orthographic processing at parafoveal level by manipulating the relationship between flankers and targets in two lexical decision tasks. In the first, we presented the following flankers: (1) the same words as targets (farola farola farola); (2) targets with transposed non-adjacent letters (falora farola falora); (3) the targets with one different letter (fapola farola fapola); and (4) unrelated pseudowords as control stimuli (pilata farola pilata). The results show significant facilitatory effects for all three experimental conditions in comparison to the Unrelated one, as well as differences between the Transposed and One Different Letter when compared to the Identity condition. In the second experiment, the procedure was the same but with the following modifications: the transposed non-adjacent letters were vowels instead of consonants (forala farola forala), and we also presented a condition in which both vowels and consonants were transposed (folara farola folara). The results of the response latencies showed that all the experimental conditions generated facilitatory effects in comparison to the Unrelated condition, with no differences between them, although the analyses of the error rates additionally showed significant differences between the Identity and the Transposed and Vowel and Consonant Transposed conditions. These two experiments are interpreted in terms of a highly flexible orthographic processing of flankers at parafoveal level, both in relation to letter ordering and letter identification.
RADIOCARBON ANALYSIS AND STATUS REPORT FROM TÜRKIYE: 1MV NATIONAL AMS LABORATORY (TUBITAK-AMS)
Authors: Doğan Turhan , İlkmen Erhan , Kulak Furkan
Published: March 2023

In autumn of 2016, the National 1MV Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Laboratory at The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK), Marmara Research Center (MRC), Türkiye (Turkey), started to offer radiocarbon (14C) analysis service internationally. In this article, the process from sample acceptance to reporting and the primary procedures implemented and applied for 14C analysis at the TÜBİTAK AMS Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory are described. The service provided by the laboratory includes sample evaluation for 14C analysis, sample preparation, graphite production, AMS measurement, data supervision, calendar date calculations, and consultancy. For commercial testing and analysis, a one-page official report which shows the 14C age and uncertainty is provided for each sample. In addition to a dedicated wet chemistry laboratory to process samples before measurement with AMS, there are two systems for the conversion of CO2 to elemental carbon process; an automated graphitization system (AGE III) and a manual graphitization system based on a glass high vacuum line. A 1MV UAMS NEC Pelletron system installed in the laboratory is used for natural level 14C samples needed to be analyzed for archeological, geological, geographical, and environmental and forensic science applications. In addition to commercial 14C testing and analysis activities, national and international research projects can be developed or contributed to within the scope of project management or partnership.
Impact of skeletal muscle mass evaluating methods on severity of metabolic associated fatty liver disease in non-elderly adults
Authors: Zhou Ting , Ye Junzhao , Lin Yansong , Wang Wei , Feng Shiting , Zhuo Shuyu , Zhong Bihui
Published: March 2023

The study aimed to explore the relationships of skeletal muscle mass with disease severity in metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) patients with different methods. Consecutive subjects undergoing bioelectrical impedance analysis were included. The steatosis grade and liver fibrosis were evaluated by MRI-derived proton density fat fraction and two-dimensional shear wave elastography. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was adjusted by height2 (ASM/H2), weight (ASM/W) and BMI (ASM/BMI). Overall, 2223 subjects (50·5 %, MAFLD; 46·9 %, male) were included, with the mean age 37·4 ± 10·6 years. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the subjects with the lowest quartile (Q1) of ASM/W or ASM/BMI had higher risk ratios for MAFLD (OR (95 % CI) in male: 2·57 (1·35, 4·89), 2·11(1·22, 3·64); in female: 4·85 (2·33, 10·01), 4·81 (2·52, 9·16), all P < 0·05, all for Q1 v. Q4). The MAFLD patients with lower quartiles of ASM/W had the higher risk OR for insulin resistance (IR), both in male and female (2·14 (1·16, 3·97), 4·26 (1·29, 14·02) for Q4 v. Q1, both P < 0·05). While the significant OR were not observed when ASM/H2 and ASM/BMI were used. There were significant dose-dependent associations between decreased ASM/W as well as ASM/BMI and moderate–severe steatosis (2·85(1·54, 5·29), 1·90(1·09, 3·31), both P < 0·05) in male MAFLD patients. In conclusion, ASM/W is superior to ASM/H2 and ASM/BMI in predicting the degree of MAFLD. A lower ASM/W is associated with IR and moderate–severe steatosis in non-elderly male MAFLD.
NEUTRAL RIGHTS AND COLLECTIVE COUNTERMEASURES FORERGA OMNESVIOLATIONS
Authors: Lim CL , Mitchell Ryan Martínez
Published: March 2023

The Western response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has featured remarkable solidarity over diplomatic and sanctioning initiatives. This unity of action, however, has largely not extended to developing or non-Western States. Many such States have, instead, expressed their non-alignment in respect of Western ‘economic warfare’, albeit not infrequently while also condemning Russia's military actions. This article proposes an approach to reconciling the positions of States in different economic, geopolitical and regional/cultural alignments. First, it suggests that current norms on State responsibility do not rule out using collective countermeasures against States accused oferga omnesnorm violations, including via sanctions not authorised by the United Nations but rather imposed by coalitions. At the same time, however, it is argued that individual third-party States retain extensive rights to decide whether or not to participate in such initiatives. This autonomous agency can be derived, in part, through the continued applicability of traditional neutrality principles that require all sides to a conflict to respect the status of neutral States. As collective countermeasure initiatives come to be used more frequently in response to global conflicts, the ‘forgotten’ rules of neutrality provide a useful guide for balancing inter-State legal relations.
Supranational Rules, National Discretion: Increasing Versus Inflating Regulatory Bank Capital?
Authors: Gropp Reint , Mosk Thomas , Ongena Steven , Simac Ines , Wix Carlo
Published: March 2023

We study how banks use “regulatory adjustments” to inflate their regulatory capital ratios and whether this depends on forbearance on the part of national authorities. Using the 2011 EBA capital exercise as a quasi-natural experiment, we find that banks substantially inflated their levels of regulatory capital via a reduction in regulatory adjustments (without a commensurate increase in book equity and without a reduction in bank risk). We document substantial heterogeneity in regulatory capital inflation across countries, suggesting that national authorities forbear their domestic banks to meet supranational requirements, with a focus on short-term economic considerations.
The myxozoan parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) infection dynamics and host specificity in hybrid tilapia aquaculture
Authors: Maor-Landaw Keren , Avidor Itamar , Salti Barbara , Smirnov Margarita , Brekhman Vera , Lotan Tamar
Published: March 2023

Nile × blue tilapia hybrid (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus) has become an important food fish in intensive freshwater aquaculture. Recently, the parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) was found to infect hybrid tilapia gills at high prevalence, causing immune suppression and high mortality. Here, we explored additional characteristics of M. bejeranoi–tilapia interaction, which enable efficient proliferation of this parasite inside its specific host. Highly sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and in situ hybridization analyses of fry collected from fertilization ponds provided evidence to an early-life infection of fish by a myxozoan parasite, occurring less than 3 weeks post-fertilization. Because Myxobolus species are highly host-specific, we next compared infection rates in hybrid tilapia and in both its parental species following a 1-week exposure to infectious pond water. Analysis by qPCR and histological sections showed that while blue tilapia was as susceptible to M. bejeranoi as the hybrid, Nile tilapia appeared to be resistant. This is the first report of differential susceptibility of a hybrid fish vs its parental purebreds to a myxozoan parasite. These findings advance our understanding of the relationship between M. bejeranoi and tilapia fish and raise important questions regarding the mechanisms that allow the parasite to distinguish between very closely related species and to infect a specific organ at very early-life stages.
Psychometric Properties of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Psychosis Module: A Sub-Saharan Africa Cross Country Comparison
Authors: Korte Kristina J. , Jaguga Florence , Kim Hannah H. , Stroud Rocky E. , Stevenson Anne , Akena Dickens , Atwoli Lukoye , Gichuru Stella , James Roxanne , Kwobah Edith , Kariuki Symon M. , Kyebuzibwa Joseph , Mwema Rehema M. , Newton Charles R. J. C. , Zingela Zukiswa , Stein Dan J. , Alemayehu Melkam , Teferra Solomon , Koenen Karestan C. , Gelaye Bizu
Published: March 2023

Background

The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 7.0.2 (MINI-7) is a widely used tool and known to have sound psychometric properties; but very little is known about its use in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the MINI-7 psychosis items in a sample of 8609 participants across four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

We examined the latent factor structure and the item difficulty of the MINI-7 psychosis items in the full sample and across four countries.

Results

Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) revealed an adequate fitting unidimensional model for the full sample; however, single group CFAs at the country level revealed that the underlying latent structure of psychosis was not invariant. Specifically, although the unidimensional structure was an adequate model fit for Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa, it was a poor fit for Uganda. Instead, a 2-factor latent structure of the MINI-7 psychosis items provided the optimal fit for Uganda. Examination of item difficulties revealed that MINI-7 item K7, measuring visual hallucinations, had the lowest difficulty across the four countries. In contrast, the items with the highest difficulty were different across the four countries, suggesting that MINI-7 items that are the most predictive of being high on the latent factor of psychosis are different for each country.

Conclusions

The present study is the first to provide evidence that the factor structure and item functioning of the MINI-7 psychosis vary across different settings and populations in Africa.
Why did you (not) choose your main musical instrument? Exploring the motivation behind the choice
Authors: Mateos-Moreno Daniel , Hoglert Anders
Published: March 2023

This study aims to shed light on the motivation governing instrument choice. To collect data, we designed, piloted and administered a survey to a population of students enrolled in a music teacher education programme in Sweden. In line with previous, Anglo-centred research, we identify the instrument’s timbre and parental influences as relevant motives for this decision. Uncommonly, however, taking part in a testing session is suggested to have a similarly influential effect. Accordingly, our study supports the value of offering free-to-all sessions where children may try different instruments and openly discuss them with music teachers. Further insights from our results include families exerting more influence than peers, genre preferences bearing little relevance and potential tendencies regarding the influence of gender and socio-economic background for instrument choice. In addition, we uncover several motives that counteract this decision, music provision being the main impediment to pursuing one’s original preference, thereby underscoring the urgency of reducing the Swedish communal schools’ waiting lists for specific instruments. Our results further suggest the presence of mediating factors, including the musician’s starting age, family environment (beyond parents/guardians) and the availability of the instrument at home. This finding opens a new path in the study of instrument choice and challenges the way this topic has been traditionally researched, given that such factors could function as confounding variables in the study of instrument choice.
Fontan completion of a 10-year-old Kawashima patient with extensive arteriovenous malformations: consideration for a lobectomy
Authors: Biçer Mehmet , Kozan Şima , Kızılkaya Metehan
Published: March 2023

A significant contributing factor to the progression of late cyanosis in individuals undergoing Kawashima operation is pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. Following the Fontan procedure, arteriovenous malformations may regress. However, in cases with extensive malformations causing severe cyanosis, lobectomy can also be a possible treatment approach. Thereby, we present our two-step treatment strategy in a late Fontan completion complicated by arteriovenous malformations in a Kawashima patient.
Tragedy, Catastrophe, Ecology
Authors: Smith Matthew Wilson
Published: March 2023

The term “catastrophe” has a complex history that has become deeply embedded in Western, and increasingly global, cultures. So it is natural enough, when confronted by a phenomenon as harrowing as climate change, to employ the concept and its attendant connotations. But the lens of catastrophe often distorts more than it reveals.
Theatre for Future
Authors: Benedikt Gloria
Published: March 2023

The human species has the ability to understand complex systems such as planetary boundaries. But then it does not take action and destroys its existential basis, its global habitat. Whether the story ends here is up to us. A new relationship between science, art, and activism suggests a new paradigm to support a more sustainable existence.
Relational Entanglements in the Anthropocene Islands
Authors: Brown Pulu Teena , Pamatatau Richard
Published: March 2023

Understanding the Anthropocene in island environments means looking at the emotional entanglements between island populations and their metropolitan diasporas in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, and the United States.
The Epic of Survival
Authors: Guenther Genevieve
Published: March 2023

Traditional performance genres are inadequate to represent the climate crisis, whose proper narrative form is the epic. Using epic genres instrumentally can help create the cultural imaginaries that will move people to call for the revolution of our planet-destroying economic system, although at the same time it will be necessary to isolate and neutralize the ways that epic modes in popular entertainment entrench the power of fossil-fuel interests and normalize incipient ecofacism.
Perspectivizing Burning Futures
Authors: Haas Maximilian
Published: March 2023

Since 2019, the lecture and discussion series Burning Futures: On Ecologies of Existence at Berlin’s HAU Hebbel am Ufer has been exploring the significance of environmental and climate destruction in the context of contemporary theatre. Combining positions of eco-Marxism and -feminism, black studies, and new materialism, panels examine political and cultural dimensions of the apocalyptic discourses that accompany current ecocatastrophes as well as possible ways out of the socioecological mess.
Wake Up; Look Around; Get Involved
Authors: Larlham Daniel
Published: March 2023

The strategy, tactics, and aesthetics of the global environmental movement Extinction Rebellion can serve as inspiration for the theatre and performance community to unleash its creativity in response to the climate crisis.
Whose Environmental Sustainability?
Authors: Law Ho Chak
Published: March 2023

Discussion on environmental sustainability in the past two decades has often engendered more controversy than agreement. The Beijing Olympics in 2008 and 2022 are examples of state bureaucrats and international media outlets upholding polarized viewpoints on achieving carbon neutrality. The “original ecology” folk song of 21st-century China further demonstrates how anthropocentric interests could easily divert people’s attention away from issues critical to planetary wellness.
Nation-States’ Rivalry and Climate Change
Authors: Lo Kwai-Cheung
Published: March 2023

Any planet-wide solutions to climate change have to be enforced by nation-states. China and the United States, currently producing the most carbon dioxide, are competing with growing hostility. The interstate hostility, even in a new Cold War era, may push competing nations to implement climate-friendly actions for the sake of national security.
Recycling as Refusing the End of the World
Authors: Millar Kathleen M.
Published: March 2023

How is the climate crisis viewed by workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who reclaim recyclables on a garbage dump — a place long entangled with decay and death? The act of reclaiming waste is a reminder that it is impossible to understand the current crisis without considering its origins in the labor of racial capitalism and in the productivism that capitalism demands. Reclaiming requires staying with degradation, remaking a world that is seemingly always ending.
“Dead as a Dodo”
Authors: Ray Sugata
Published: March 2023

Among the species that went extinct in the last 500 plus years under colonial regimes, the ill-fated dodo became an early icon of the Anthropocene Extinction. While much has been written on the biotechnological apparatuses that expedited the extinction of the dodo, it was the complicity of Western European imperialism and early modern aesthetic regimes that were responsible for the ecocide of the Anthropocene (read Eurocene) Extinction.
Infrastructural Performativity and Necrogeologies
Authors: Wilch Clara
Published: March 2023

Now that decades-long efforts to convince diverse publics that anthropogenic climate change is real have largely succeeded, but efforts to avoid extreme climate change have not, what comes next? By understanding the performative nature of infrastructure, communities can bring critical and creative attention to physical structures and daily practices that compose normative ecological relations and cocreate more just and livable climates.
Performing Arts Activating Climate Change Awareness
Authors: Stalpaert Christel
Published: March 2023

The complexity of current ecological crises, such as climate change, calls for new modes of knowledge production. Common Dreams — Flotation School (2017) by the Portuguese, Brussels-based artist Maria Lucia Cruz Correia is a construction site and a pedagogical prototype that challenges the linear transfer of knowledge in scientific research.
On Quitting
Authors: Balkin Sarah
Published: March 2023

Like Hannah Gadsby, Dave Chappelle understands the art of quitting. At the end of his 2021 Netflix special The Closer, a show full of jokes about LGBTQ people, Chappelle announces that he is “done” making such jokes “until we are both sure that we are laughing together.” Chappelle’s performance of quitting inverts the politics and structure of Gadsby’s Nanette (2017), in which she infamously quit comedy because it reinforced her marginalization as a gender-nonconforming lesbian.
Under the Sign of The Mother
Authors: Jakovljević Branislav
Published: March 2023

A key lesson of the Wooster Group’s production of Bertolt Brecht’s learning play The Mother concerns the meaning of ownership in capitalism. Unlike other businesses that moved into SoHo during the wave of deindustrialization that began in the late 1960s, the group of actors that owns a former metal stamping factory at 33 Wooster Street shows that their relationship towards their means of production is not only economic, but also ethical. This is at the foundation of their distinct theatrical aesthetics.
Is intuitive eating a privileged approach? Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between food insecurity and intuitive eating
Authors: Burnette C Blair , Hazzard Vivienne M , Larson Nicole , Hahn Samantha L , Eisenberg Marla E , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Published: March 2023

Objective:

To examine: (1) cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between measures of food insecurity (FI; household status and youth-reported) and intuitive eating (IE) from adolescence to emerging adulthood; and (2) the association between FI persistence and IE in emerging adulthood.

Design:

Longitudinal population-based study. Young people reported IE and FI (two items from the US Household Food Security Module) in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Parents provided data on household FI via the six-item US Household Food Security Module in adolescence.

Setting:

Adolescents (Mage = 14·3 ± 2 years) and their parents, recruited from Minneapolis/St. Paul public schools in 2009–2010 and again in 2017–2018 as emerging adults (Mage = 22·1 ± 2 years).

Participants:

The analytic sample (n 1372; 53·1 % female, 46·9 % male) was diverse across race/ethnicity (19·8 % Asian, 28·5 % Black, 16·6 % Latinx, 14·7 % Multiracial/Other and 19·9 % White) and socio-economic status (58·6 % low/lower middle, 16·8 % middle and 21·0 % upper middle/high).

Results:

In cross-sectional analyses, youth-reported FI was associated with lower IE during adolescence (P = 0·02) and emerging adulthood (P < 0·001). Longitudinally, household FI, but not adolescent experience of FI, was associated with lower IE in emerging adulthood (P = 0·01). Those who remained food-insecure (P = 0·05) or became food-insecure (P = 0·02) had lower IE in emerging adulthood than those remaining food-secure. All effect sizes were small.

Conclusions:

Results suggest FI may exert immediate and potentially lasting impacts on IE. As evidence suggests IE is an adaptive approach conferring benefits beyond eating, it would be valuable for interventions to address social and structural barriers that could impede IE.
The Mechanics of the Alcabalas: Reform, Local Bargaining, and Dwindling Taxation in New Granada, 1750–1810
Authors: Torres James V.
Published: March 2023

This article studies the mechanics of sales taxes in the viceroyalty of New Granada (present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and western Venezuela) during the second half of the eighteenth century. Advocating a careful examination of the accounting, institutional, and fiscal practices of North Andean customs houses, it provides an extensive discussion on how tax records can be harnessed to study the scope and nature of Bourbon reforms and to measure trade flows. The article pursues three interrelated goals. First, it studies the impact of local negotiations and jurisdictional fragmentation on local rates and revenue collection, providing new insights into the concrete mechanisms of tax bargaining. Second, the study reinterprets data on the main North Andean entrepôts of trade to measure fiscal cycles, real tax pressure, and tax incidence. Proposing a new method for examining customs records, this research shows how fiscal concessions and economic cycles led to diminishing fiscal revenues. Finally, the research places the viceroyalty within the broader context of fiscal change in the Spanish Empire, arguing that the region collected fewer revenues not only because of its comparatively smaller economic activity but also because the combination of custom and reform yielded lower taxation rates and unique fiscal structures.
Effect of Yoga on Psychological Well-Being in Men
Authors: Borotikar Sonyabapu , Tillu Girish , Lavalekar Anagha , Nagarkar Aarti
Published: March 2023

Abstract: Retirement brings a major transition in life. This transition may affect a retired person’s physical, mental, and social health and lead to psychological problems. This study investigated the effects of Yoga on the well-being of retired men. It was a nonrandomized study involving 90 retired men aged 60–75 years following purposive sampling. The 14-week intervention included a daily session of 90 minutes at a yoga training center in Pune, India. Each session comprised light exercises, loosening, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation. Ryff’s validated scale was used to measure psychological well-being in six domains. The data were analyzed using a t-test. Integrated yoga practice showed a significant improvement in well-being ( p < .05), proving Yoga can be useful for improving the psychological well-being of retired people. The findings of this study should be implemented in a larger group of people for assessing and improving psychological well-being.
Turbulent Kinetic Energy Production in a Far‐Field River Plume Under Upwelling‐Favorable Winds
Authors: Deng Fangjing , Zhang Shuwen , Gong Wenping , Zong Xiaolong , Chen Zhaoyun
Published: March 2023

An idealized three‐dimensional numerical model is used to investigate turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production in a far‐field river plume under upwelling‐favorable winds. TKE production decreases over longer length scales as the river plume thickens. Maximum TKE production appears in the surface layer and is mainly generated by the alongshore component of the velocity shear. The large velocity shear and weak stratification in the surface layer result in a gradient Richardson number (Ri) of <0.25, which corresponds to the locally high TKE production. We find that asymmetrical TKE production occurs at the two edges of the river plume, due to the opposite nonlinear interaction of the Ekman and geostrophic effects at the shoreward and seaward edges of the river plume. This asymmetrical TKE production combines with secondary upwelling circulation in the river plume under upwelling‐favorable winds, which may generate more intense biological activity at the shoreward edge of the river plume than at the seaward edge. Numerical model experiments are performed to examine the effects of wind, river discharge, and stratified conditions on TKE production in the river plume. Finally, we propose a conceptual model in which the depth‐averaged TKE production in the river plume is proportional to the alongshore wind stress () and inversely proportional to the cube of the surface boundary layer thickness (D3), which is consistent with the results of numerical experiments.
A 1000‐Year Record of Temperature From Isotopic Analysis of the Deep Critical Zone in Central China
Authors: Wang Hongxiu , Li Han , Xiang Wei , Lu Yanwei , Wang Huanhuan , Hu Wei , Si Bingcheng , Jasechko Scott , McDonnell Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2023

Temperature proxies for paleoclimate reconstruction have been made typically via ice cores, tree rings, stalagmites, and lake sediments. While extremely useful, these proxies can be limited spatially. Here we sampled a 98 m “soil core” from Loess Plateau of China and examined the relationship between pore water isotopic values and hydroclimate history. We extracted soil pore water for δ18O, δ2H, and 3H and measured chloride concentration. The 3H‐peak at 6 m and chloride mass balance were used to turn depth into calendar year. A 1000 year span was revealed. δ18O and δ2H values between 14–50 m were anomalously low—bracketing well the Little Ice Age period from 1420 to 1870. The identification was consistent with other standard proxies in the region and showed the same temporal dynamics of temperature anomalies. Our study shows the potential of stable isotopes of soil water for paleoclimate reconstruction in deep soils.
Bedload‐Bedrock Contrasts Form Enigmatic Low‐Relief Surfaces of the Pyrenees
Authors: Fox M. , Hoseason T. , Bernard T. , Sinclair H. , Smith A. G. G.
Published: March 2023

Low‐relief, high‐elevation surfaces in mountain belts highlight the dynamic nature of landscapes and have provided evidence for changes in tectonics and/or climate. Yet quantifying when changes occurred from topographic data is challenging and relationships between erosion rate, lithology and precipitation are complex. In the Pyrenees, low‐relief, high elevation surfaces are found across both plutonic massifs and the surrounding softer rocks and channel steepness values are relatively uniform between these lithologies. This suggests a weak relationship between erosion rate and lithology despite a clear relationship between the drainage network configuration and the location of the plutonic rocks. We explore this conflicting evidence for strength of the relationship between lithology and erosion rate using a landscape evolution model which accounts for the contrast between bedrock and bedload erodibility. This contrast produces dispersed channel steepness values and predicts the in situ development of low‐relief surfaces, under steady forcing conditions.