bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Realizing Synaptic Signal Transmission During Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions within the EMI Framework
Authors: Gorman Julia , Holzhausen Konstantin , Reimer Joyce , Riseth Jørgen
Published: March 2023

The tripartite synapse or “neural threesome” refers to the interplay in the synapse between neighbouring neurons, the synaptic cleft, and the surrounding glial cells. Despite extensive research, the effects of glial cells, such as astrocytes, on signal transduction between neurons are not fully understood. The Kirchhoff-Nernst- Planck (KNP) and Extracellular-Membrane-Intracellular (EMI) models constitute a promising framework for modeling these kinds of systems. However, they lack the neurotransmitter-related mechanisms that are necessary to bridge signal transduction across the synaptic cleft. Here, we propose an extension to the KNP-EMI model by a spatio-temporal diffusion-based description of the most prominent neurotransmitter, glutamate, that allows for investigation of the contribution of astrocytes to the functionality of the synapse. We validate our model by showing that the presence of an astrocyte in the domain affects the glutamate flux across the postsynaptic terminal, as observed physiologically. The proposed extension offers a sufficiently simple way of integrating synaptic glutamate dynamics into the KNP-EMI framework. It introduces the relevant interactions between electrical activity and diffusion processes at the tripartite synapse that are necessary to assess how astrocytes might contribute to the functionality of the synapse. This work has implications for future studies involving glial mechanisms and other charged species within the KNP-EMI framework.
Modellierung von Textgeschichte. Bedingungen digitaler Analyse und Schlussfolgerungen für die Editorik
Authors: Brüning Gerrit
Published: March 2023

Wissenschaftliche Editionen und besonders textkritische Apparate sind bekannt dafür, kaum benutzt zu werden. Welche Probleme ergeben sich, wenn interpretatorisch interessierte Leser*innen die Apparate beiseitelassen? Inwieweit können digitale Editionen den Zugang zu ihnen tatsächlich erleichtern? Ausgehend von diesen Fragen entwirft der Beitrag das Programm einer digitalen Analyse der Veränderungen, die Texte im Laufe ihrer Entstehung und weiteren Entwicklung durchlaufen. Das Potential digitaler Editionen liegt darin, solche Analysen zu ermöglichen und auf diese Weise die in ihnen enthaltenen textkritischen Informationen allererst zum Sprechen zu bringen.
Operationalising the Change. Dispersion of Polish literary life (1989–2002)
Authors: Maryl Maciej
Published: March 2023

This paper explores a possibility of quantitative research into transitions in literary history on the example of Polish literary life 1989–2002. This exploration will be carried out on the basis of the data from Polish Literary Bibliography (PBL), a comprehensive database of Polish literary and cultural life. The paper aim to meet two interconnected goals: (1) to test selected qualitative hypotheses concerning Polish literature of the transition period (1989–2002); (2) to propose methodology for the data-driven study of literary history with the use of bibliographical datasets. Both explorations are supplemented with a reflection on how documentation methodologies and practices affect the quantitative analysis. The analyses focus on describing the changes of literary system – precisely the movement from dispersion towards centralisation and back -- on many levels. I commence with some statistics of the literary production of that period, then combine those findings with the reception data, and subsequently, with comparison of reception of debutants and established writers. Next, I analyse the dispersion on the example of geography and finally use network analysis for centrality measures. Altogether the analysed dataset, a subset of PBL database, consists of 33,142 literary books and 138,925 literary articles by 21,865 authors. These were published by 8233 publishers and 958 journals. There are 93,874 reception texts, including pieces about 9286 authors and 22,335 books.
Was verändert sich eigentlich? Korpusanalytisch basierte Wissenschaftsgeschichte der germanistischen Praxis am Beispiel der Deutschen Vierteljahrsschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte
Authors: Jannidis Fotis , Martus Steffen , Konle Leonard , Kreutel Jörn
Published: March 2023

Im Folgenden fragen wir nach dem Stellenwert von ‚Digitalität‘ für die Geschichte der literaturwissenschaftlichen Germanistik. Es geht uns theoretisch, methodisch und methodologisch um die Frage, wie digitale Daten und Datenverarbeitungsverfahren den Blick auf die Fachgeschichte verändern, welche Untersuchungsrichtungen insbesondere durch makroskopische Verfahren nahegelegt werden und welche Erkenntnisinteressen dabei eher in den Hintergrund treten. Die wissenschaftspolitische und normative Komponente des Projekts liegt darin, dass wir uns eine Beschreibung des Fachs wünschen, die die Vielfalt der Funktionen und Leistungen angemessen in den Blick rückt und so etwa auch besser bestimmen kann, was sich durch das Auftreten vonDigital Humanitiesverändert, wo Anschlussprobleme bestehen und Kooperationsmöglichkeiten verbessert werden könnten.
Community Organizing: Das Konzept von Saul Alinsky und mögliche Formen der Umsetzung im Rahmen eines Stadtteilmanagements
Authors: Fischer Ute , Stock Lothar
Published: March 2023

Community Organizing (CO) wurde Ende der 1930er Jahre in den USA maßgeblich von Saul D. Alinsky entwickelt. Dieser stand wohlfahrtsstaatlichen Bemühungen generell und dem von Jane Addams im Rahmen der Settlement-Bewegung in Chicago initiierten Hull House im Besonderen deutlich reserviert gegenüber. Auch in bester Absicht ausgeübte Fürsorge verhindere seiner Meinung nach die Emanzipation der jeweils angesprochenen Adressat*innen und ändere erst recht nichts an den bestehenden Machtverhältnissen. Passen somit CO und sozialarbeiterisch geprägtes, in der Regel top-down initiiertes Stadtteilmanagement denn überhaupt zusammen? Der Beitrag zeigt anhand eines konkreten Beispiels, wie Elemente und Handlungsansätze aus dem CO auch in diesem Rahmen zum Tragen kommen können – sofern gewisse Prämissen dabei beachtet werden.
Ideen, Interessen und Zusammenarbeit in der Stadtentwicklung
Authors: Kaschlik Anke , Schmidt Jaqueline
Published: March 2023

Unter der Annahme, dass nachhaltige Stadtentwicklung nur möglich ist, wenn vielfältige Lebensinteressen berücksichtigt und auch bürgerschaftliche Potenziale einbezogen werden, fragt dieser Beitrag nach notwendigen Rahmenbedingungen der Handlungsfähigkeit für und ggf. durch bürgerschaftliche Projekte. Grundlage sind zwei Projekte zur Altstadtentwicklung in einer kleineren deutschen Stadt, die im Rahmen des Praxisforschungsprojekts „Transformation urbaner Zentren“ durchgeführt wurden. Die Analyse erfolgt auf Grundlage von Konzepten zu Governance, Partizipation, Empowerment und Selbstwirksamkeit. Aus der Betrachtung der Motive und Interessen der beteiligten Personen sowie deren Erwartungen an die Projektbegleitung und einer Reflexion der Projektarbeit vor Ort werden begünstigende Rahmenbedingungen für bürgerschaftliche Projekte im Rahmen der Stadtentwicklung benannt.
Sozialplanung als Treiber von territorialer Stigmatisierung?
Authors: Baum Markus , Otto Marius
Published: March 2023

Der Text diskutiert die sozialplanerische Praxis und insbesondere die Sozialberichterstattung vor dem Hintergrund der Effizienzsteigerung öffentlicher Verwaltungen und der zunehmenden Bedeutung raumbezogener Förderpolitiken. Raumbezogene Förderprogramme befördern eine defizitorientierte Sozialberichterstattung, welche sich auf die Identifizierung sozial-räumlicher ‚Problemfälle‘ spezialisiert und damit Strukturprobleme verräumlicht und vereinfacht. In dieser Form trägt Sozialberichterstattung zu Prozessen territorialer Stigmatisierung bei. Zugleich gibt der Text praktische Empfehlungen für eine reflexive Sozialplanung, die sich ihrer Rolle als wissenschaftsgestütztes Instrument bewusst bleibt.
The Rise of the Algorithmic Child: Protecting Children in Smart Homes
Authors: Nash Victoria
Published: March 2023

Children’s Internet use is often presumed to consist only of popular entertainment activities such as scrolling through social media, playing games, or watching videos, all typically undertaken on personal devices, with Internet safety policy and practice targeted accordingly. But in reality, children’s Internet use is much more varied, including interactions with screenless smart devices in the home and via third party services outside the home. This chapter considers the practical and policy implications of such use, focusing on possible security and privacy risks as well as larger ethical questions about the datafication of childhood.
A Rights-Based Approach to Children’s Digital Participation in the Multi-Level System of the European Union
Authors: Kaesling Katharina
Published: March 2023

Against predominating risk-based narratives, this chapter focusses on children’s rights to participation in transnational digital spheres, which need to be balanced with children's rights to protection. The importance of a rights-based approach in the multi-level system of the EU is shown with particular regard to the legal principle of the best interest of the child, proportionality and coherence of measures in the EU, and the interplay of EU and national legal norms.
Projecting Images of Families into the Law—the Example of Internet-Related Cases Decided by the German Courts
Authors: Dreier Thomas
Published: March 2023

Family and Internet may appear to be an “unlikely combination,” since technology is generally considered to be neutral and thus not gender-related, even if a clear gender imbalance can be observed among computer science students and professionals who are largely male. From the point of view of the networked structures of the Internet, and hence from the point of view of Internet law, no fundamental distinction is made between family and non-family relationships and connections. Despite this, it may be worthwhile to search legislation and case law for existing rules and decisions that discuss issues of families and their members who use the Internet.
The Significance of Socioeconomic Background for the Educational Dispositions and Aspirations of Finnish School Leavers
Authors: Järvinen Tero , Tikkanen Jenni , af Ursin Piia
Published: March 2023

This chapter examines the significance of socioeconomic background (SES) for the educational dispositions and aspirations of Finnish comprehensive school leavers. After demonstrating the existence of the relationship between the students’ SES background and their dispositions and aspirations, the main question addressed is whether this relationship changes when controlling for the effect of students’ academic ability as measured by their literacy skills. In our examination, we draw on a study of 15-year-old lower secondary school students (n = 1058) in Turku sub-region consisting of the city of Turku and ten smaller, surrounding municipalities. The results of our study are mixed. Students with high-level literacy skills have positive dispositions towards learning and education despite their socioeconomic background. The same is, however, not the case with educational aspirations. Among low-SES students, individual ability does not predict high educational aspirations in a similar manner that it does among high-SES students. This finding poses a challenge for the Finnish education system. If SES is a more significant predictor of educational aspirations of an individual than ability or motivation, there are negative effects for both individuals themselves and society. From the individual point of view, self-exclusion of gifted low-SES students from higher education decreases their future labour market opportunities and outcomes. From the societal point of view, in turn, it means that many occupational fields will lose potentially talented and skilful employees. In these respects, the Finnish education system would not only be unequal but also inefficient.
Municipal Governance of Comprehensive Education: The Emergence of Local Universalisms
Authors: Kalalahti Mira , Varjo Janne
Published: March 2023

The governance of Finland’s comprehensive school system has historically evolved from centralised governance into a blend of national and local (municipal) decision-making authority. The two-fold model of governance was launched in the 1970s according to the planning economy logic, where the national education policies were enacted and regulated through strict and detailed legislation, a redistributive and ‘earmarked’ state subsidy system and a uniform national core curriculum. At an ideological level, comprehensive reform was tied firmly to the principle of equal opportunities. However, changes in administrative thinking since the 1990s have created a new balance between governmental and local governance of the education system. In this chapter we portray key changes occurring in the relationship between central and local administration as well as the most significant changes in the education system by comparing three case municipalities. We compile various register and document data about the education systems of these municipalities and assess whether we should talk about diverse municipal basic education in Finland instead of a single, uniform basic education system. We conclude that the national, previously more uniform basic education system is transforming into diverse, local basic education systems. We argue that local self-government and varying service accessibility pose a challenge to the equality of the service system at the national level.
Inclusion in Finland: Myths and Realities
Authors: Jahnukainen Markku , Hienonen Ninja , Lintuvuori Meri , Lempinen Sonia
Published: March 2023

Although inclusive education is a strong trend in education policy around the globe, there are different definitions and variations used in different nations. The case of Finland is interesting, because the long-term direction of the Finnish school system has supported every child’s right to participate in education, but inclusive education is not mentioned or defined anywhere in education legislation. This absence of definition not only leaves the defining to the parties concerned, but also adds to creating inclusive myths and varying realities in everyday life. Meanwhile, in public discussion, there has been a constant and quite polarised debate about putting students with support needs in regular classrooms. The recent Government Program (2019) in Finland states that special education legislation should be investigated from the point of view of students as well as teachers’ wellbeing. In order to define the current state and equality of the Finnish support system, the Ministry of Education and Culture has established a working group as part of the “Right to Learn” initiative 2020–2022. In this chapter, we discuss the historical development of Finnish inclusion and contrast myths and realities of the Finnish model in supporting students with support needs in the light of international trends in inclusive and special education. We also discuss possible future trends of inclusive education in the Finnish context.
Exclusively Included? Finland’s Inclusion Success Story and Hidden Dual System of Mainstream and Special Needs Education
Authors: Niemi Anna-Maija , Mietola Reetta
Published: March 2023

This chapter focuses on the divide between special and mainstream education in the Finnish education system. We analyse how this divide runs through educational experiences, opportunities and pathways of students receiving special education. We first examine the different educational pathways opening up for different groups of students, and their experiences of educational choice-making. Then we move on to analyse pedagogical arrangements and practices across lower-secondary and upper-secondary levels; and to consider how different pedagogical practices expect and produce different kinds of students. Our analysis shows that distinct educational cultures make it challenging to move across the divide of special and mainstream education, and this divide contributes to students understanding of themselves as learners. The chapter draws on six studies conducted in recent decades in Finland, four different ethnographic studies, one life-history interview study and a longitudinal life-history study.
Student Disengagement in Finnish Comprehensive Schooling
Authors: af Ursin Piia , Tikkanen Jenni , Järvinen Tero
Published: March 2023

There is a clear consensus amongst educational researchers that school engagement contributes to students’ academic development. However, not all students share the enjoyment of learning and a sense of belonging at school, nor are all of them willing to exert effort in learning and school activities. Students who disengage from school are at risk of a range of adverse academic and social outcomes, which, at worst, culminate in students’ decisions to leave school early. Since the beginning of the 1970s, various findings about Finnish students’ school engagement have raised concerns along with the question of why Finnish students repeatedly rank lowly in international comparisons of happiness at school. This chapter provides insights into the issue of Finnish student (dis)engagement from school drawing on a range of research and survey data. In our view, student disengagement is a process that develops through an interplay between individual and contextual factors in a vicious circle of negative emotional and cognitive school and learning experiences, and is—if not reversed—rather stable or progressive. For this reason, it is crucial to identify early signs of disengagement and individual, social, and institutional factors associated with it.
A systematic review of social media as a teaching and learning tool in higher education: A theoretical grounding perspective
Authors: Perez Eva , Manca Stefania , Fernández-Pascual Rosaura , Mc Guckin Conor
Published: March 2023

The use of social media in higher education has been demonstrated in a number of studies to be an attractive and contemporary method of teaching and learning. However, further research and investigation are required in order to align social media's pedagogical benefits with the theoretical perspectives that inform educational practices. It is the objective of this study to provide a systematic literature review using bibliometric analysis techniques and content analysis to provide a map of research produced between 2009 and 2021. This study aims to identify theoretical frameworks, current research trends, and patterns in this field. A total of 772 publications were analysed using bibliometric methodology, while a subset of 55 publications were analysed using content analysis. As indicated by the results, there is still a growing interest in this area of research, with recent studies still focusing on attitudes towards the use of social media in teaching and learning. According to the content analysis, technology acceptance theories and learning theories are the most commonly used reference theories. This field has yet to elaborate on pedagogical theory, and there is a tendency to rely primarily on technology acceptance models rather than pedagogical models. A discussion of future practice and research implications is also provided.
Chlorogenic Acid Alleviates Hepatic Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Li Kai , Feng Zanjie , Wang Liusong , Ma Xuan , Wang Lei , Liu Kangwei , Geng Xin , Peng Cijun
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Hepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (HIRI) is the main reason for organ failure following liver surgery; however, its underlying causes are complex, and include oxidative stress, sterile inflammatory, and mitochondrial damage. Unfortunately, treatments for HIRI are based on supportive therapy, and no specific drugs or methods are currently available. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a dietary polyphenol with a wide range of pharmacological effects and it has a protective effect on HIRI; however, its specific mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated that CGA pretreatment exerts protective effects against HIRI and the potential underlying mechanisms. We found that CGA pretreatment reduced ALT, AST, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels following HIRI, improved SOD and GSH levels, and alleviated pathological liver tissue damage, with the highest CGA dose (100 mg/kg.d) exerted the strongest effect. In addition, we showed that CGA pretreatment significantly decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species following HIRI, inhibited HMGB1 release by decreasing IRF-1 expression, inhibited the expression of HMGB1, TLR-4, MyD88, P-IκB-α, NF-κB P65, and P-P65, and promoted IκB-α degradation. Thus, CGA appears to inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory responses during HIRI. Furthermore, we found that CGA pretreatment reduced hepatocyte apoptosis following HIRI, alleviated mitochondrial damage, promoted BCL-2 expression, inhibited Bax upregulation, and inhibited cytochrome C release to prevent caspase activation, thereby reducing the expression of the caspase-independent pathway components, ENDOG and AIF. Together, our findings suggest that CGA can protect against HIRI by inhibiting oxidative stress, the HMGB1/TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway–mediated inflammatory responses, and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Thus, CGA appears to be a promising therapeutic approach for treating HIRI.
On the Discrepancy between Kleinberg’s Clustering Axioms and k-Means Clustering Algorithm Behavior
Authors: Kłopotek Mieczysław Alojzy , Kłopotek Robert Albert
Published: March 2023

This paper performs an investigation of Kleinberg’s axioms (from both an intuitive and formal standpoint) as they relate to the well-known k-mean clustering method. The axioms, as well as a novel variations thereof, are analyzed in Euclidean space. A few natural properties are proposed, resulting in k-means satisfying the intuition behind Kleinberg’s axioms (or, rather, a small, and natural variation on that intuition). In particular, two variations of Kleinberg’s consistency property are proposed, called centric consistency and motion consistency. It is shown that these variations of consistency are satisfied by k-means.
Improved methods for finger vein identification using composite Median-Wiener filter and hierarchical centroid features extraction
Authors: Kolivand Hoshang , Akintoye Kayode Akinlekan , Asadianfam Shiva , Rahim Mohd Shafry
Published: March 2023

Finger vein patterns contain highly discriminative characteristics, which are difficult to be forged due to residing underneath the skin. Several pieces of research have been carried out in this field but there is still an unresolved issue when data capturing and processing is of low quality. Low-quality data have caused errors in the feature extraction process and reduced identification performance rate in finger vein identification. The objective of this paper is to address this issue by presenting two methods, a new image enhancement, and a feature extraction method. The image enhancement, Composite Median-Wiener (CMW) filter, improves image quality and preserves the edges. Moreover, the feature extraction method, Hierarchical Centroid Feature Method (HCM), is fused with the statistical pixel-based distribution feature method at the feature-level fusion to improve the performance of finger vein identification. These methods were evaluated on public SDUMLA-HMT and FV-USM finger vein databases. Each database was divided into training and testing sets. The average result of the experiments conducted was taken to ensure the accuracy of the measurements. The k-Nearest Neighbor classifier with city block distance to match the features was implemented. Both these methods produced accuracy as high as 97.64% for identification rate and 1.11% of equal error rate (EER) for measures verification rate. These showed that the accuracy of the proposed finger vein identification method is higher than the existing methods. The results have proven that the CMW filter and HCM have significantly improved the accuracy of finger vein identification.
The GGL variational principle for constrained mechanical systems
Authors: Kinon P. L. , Betsch P. , Schneider S.
Published: March 2023

We present an extension of the Livens variational principle (sometimes also referred to as Hamilton-Pontryagin principle) to mechanical systems subject to holonomic constraints. The newly proposed principle embodies an index reduction in the spirit of the often-applied GGL stabilization and thus may be termed “GGL principle”. The Euler-Lagrange equations of the GGL principle assume the form of differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) with differentiation index two. In contrast to the original GGL-DAEs, the present formulation fits into the Hamiltonian framework of mechanics. Therefore, the GGL principle facilitates the design of structure-preserving integrators. In particular, it offers the possibility to construct variational integrators. This is illustrated with the development of a new first-order scheme which is symplectic by design. The numerical properties of the newly devised scheme are investigated for representative examples of constrained mechanical systems.
Evidence Clearinghouses as Tools to Advance Health Equity: What We Know from a Systematic Scan
Authors: Hirsch Bomi Kim , Stevenson Michael C. , Givens Marjory L.
Published: March 2023

Evidence clearinghouses evaluate and summarize literature to help decision-makers prioritize and invest in evidence-informed interventions. Clearinghouses and related practice-oriented tools are continuously evolving; however, it is unclear the extent to which these tools assess and summarize evidence describing an intervention’s impact on health equity. We conducted a systematic scan to explore how clearinghouses communicated an intervention’s equity impact and reviewed their underlying methods and how they defined and operationalized health equity. In 2021, we identified 18 clearinghouses that were US-focused, web-based registries of interventions that assigned an intervention effectiveness rating for improving community health and the social determinants of health. We reviewed each clearinghouse’s website and collected publicly available information about their health equity impact review, review methods, and health equity definitions and values. We conducted a comparative analysis among select clearinghouses using qualitative methods. Among the 18 clearinghouses, fewer than half (only seven) summarized an intervention’s potential impact on health equity. Overall, those seven clearinghouses defined and operationalized equity differently, and most lacked transparency in their review methods. Clearinghouses used one or more approaches to communicate findings from their review: summarize study findings on differential impact for subpopulations, curate interventions that reduce health disparities, and/or assign a disparity/equity rating to each intervention. Evidence clearinghouses can enhance equity-focused methods and be transparent in their underlying values to better support the uptake and implementation of evidence-informed interventions to advance health equity. However, clearinghouses are unable to do so without underlying equity-focused empirical evidence.
Assessing the specification of modelling language semantics: a study on UML PSSM
Authors: Elekes Márton , Molnár Vince , Micskei Zoltán
Published: March 2023

Modelling languages play a central role in developing complex, critical systems. A precise, comprehensible, and high-quality modelling language specification is essential to all stakeholders using, implementing, or extending the language. Many good practices can be found that improve the understandability or consistency of the languages’ semantics. However, designing a modelling language intended for a large audience is still challenging. In this paper, we investigate the challenges and typical issues with assessing the specifications of behavioural modelling language semantics. Our key insight is that the various stakeholder’s understandings of the language’s semantics are often misaligned, and the semantics defined in various artefacts (simulators, test suites) are inconsistent. Therefore assessment of semantics should focus on identifying and resolving these inconsistencies. To illustrate these challenges and techniques, we assessed parts of a state-of-the-art specification for a general-purpose modelling language, the Precise Semantics of UML State Machines (PSSM). We reviewed the text of the specification, analysed and executed PSSM’s conformance test suite, and categorised our experiences according to questions generally relevant to modelling languages. Finally, we made recommendations for improving the development of future modelling languages by representing the semantic domain and traces more explicitly, applying diverse test design techniques to obtain conformance test suites, and using various tools to support early-phase language design.
Initial motivation and drop-out in nursing and business administration programmes
Authors: Nesje Kjersti , Wiers-Jenssen Jannecke
Published: March 2023

While intrinsic motivation is often seen as the ideal form of motivation for entering higher education, students may also have external motivations related to the life after graduation. There has been limited focus on how different enrolment motivations are related to dropping out of higher education. In this study, we investigated how motivations and dropping out are related in nursing programmes versus business administration programmes. The study demonstrates that type of motivation predicts the risk of dropping out differently for students of the two study programmes. For nursing students, intrinsic motivation reduces the risk of leaving the programme before completion, while for business administration students an instrumental type of motivation related to status and money reduces this. The study nuances the assumption that intrinsic motivation for choosing a study programme is the most favourable form of motivation when it comes to persistence through the programme.
Comprehensive characterization of the genetic landscape of familial Hirschsprung’s disease
Authors: Xiao Jun , Hao Lu-Wen , Wang Jing , Yu Xiao-Si , You Jing-Yi , Li Ze-Jian , Mao Han-Dan , Meng Xin-Yao , Feng Jie-Xiong
Published: March 2023

Background

Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR) is one of the most common congenital digestive tract malformations and can cause stubborn constipation or gastrointestinal obstruction after birth, causing great physical and mental pain to patients and their families. Studies have shown that more than 20 genes are involved in HSCR, and most cases of HSCR are sporadic. However, the overall rate of familial recurrence in 4331 cases of HSCR is about 7.6%. Furthermore, familial HSCR patients show incomplete dominance. We still do not know the penetrance and genetic characteristics of these known risk genes due to the rarity of HSCR families.

Methods

To find published references, we used the title/abstract terms “Hirschsprung” and “familial” in the PubMed database and the MeSH terms “Hirschsprung” and “familial” in Web of Science. Finally, we summarized 129 HSCR families over the last 40 years.

Results

The male-to-female ratio and the percentage of short segment-HSCR in familial HSCR are much lower than in sporadic HSCR. The primary gene factors in the syndromic families are ret proto-oncogene (RET) and endothelin B receptor gene (EDNRB). Most families show incomplete dominance and are relevant to RET, and the RET mutation has 56% penetrance in familial HSCR. When one of the parents is a RET mutation carrier in an HSCR family, the offspring’s recurrence risk is 28%, and the incidence of the offspring does not depend on whether the parent suffers from HSCR.

Conclusion

Our findings will help HSCR patients obtain better genetic counseling, calculate the risk of recurrence, and provide new insights for future pedigree studies.
An efficient transition metal chalcogenide sensor for monitoring respiratory alkalosis
Authors: Kumbhakar Partha , Sha Mizaj Shabil , Tiwary Chandra Sekhar , Muthalif Asan G. A. , Al-maadeed Somaya , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: March 2023

For many biomedical applications, high-precision CO2 detection with a rapid response is essential. Due to the superior surface-active characteristics, 2D materials are particularly crucial for electrochemical sensors. The liquid phase exfoliation method of 2D Co2Te3 production is used to achieve the electrochemical sensing of CO2. The Co2Te3 electrode performs better than other CO2 detectors in terms of linearity, low detection limit, and high sensitivity. The outstanding physical characteristics of the electrocatalyst, including its large specific surface area, quick electron transport, and presence of a surface charge, can be credited for its extraordinary electrocatalytic activity. More importantly, the suggested electrochemical sensor has great repeatability, strong stability, and outstanding selectivity. Additionally, the electrochemical sensor based on Co2Te3 could be used to monitor respiratory alkalosis.
Investigation of land use changes using the landscape ecology approach in Maragheh City, Iran
Authors: Teimouri Raziyeh , Ghorbani Rasoul , Karbasi Pooran , Sharifi Ehsan
Published: March 2023

Urban development is an ongoing economic and social phenomenon that significantly impacts ecological systems. This study aims to investigate the land use changes and physical development patterns of Maragheh City and its effects on the urban landscape as a medium-sized city in the northwest of Iran. To reach this goal, land use maps for 1986, 1996, 2006, 2016, and 2020 were first processed from Landsat 5, 7, and 8 satellite images. ENVI 5.3 and ArcMap software were used to analyze land use alteration patterns, and FRAGSTATS software was used for land use metrics. The results indicate that constructed lands from 1986 to 2020 had the most changes and increased by 2157 ha, while green areas decreased by about 443 ha. This trend indicates the lack of land use integration and infill growth which created urban sprawl. Therefore, the growth pattern of Maragheh City in recent decades has followed scattered and unbalanced horizontal growth. There are significant ecological challenges in this area due to this trend, including the destruction of farms and fertile agricultural land and the replacement of it with scattered and incoherent urban and rural settlements.
The organization of the phycobilisome-photosystem I supercomplex depends on the ratio between two different phycobilisome linker proteins
Authors: Watanabe Mai , Ikeuchi Masahiko , Wilde Annegret
Published: March 2023

The phycobilisome (PBS) is an antenna protein complex in cyanobacteria, Glaucocystophytes, and red algae. In the standard PBS, the rod-core PBS, the rods are connected to the core by the rod-core linker protein CpcG. The rod-core PBS transfers the light energy mainly to photosystem (PS) II and to a lesser extent to PSI. Cyanobacteria assemble another type of PBS, the CpcL-PBS, which consists of only one rod. This rod-type PBS is connected to the thylakoid membrane by the linker protein CpcL and is a PSI-specific antenna. In the filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. PCC 7120, the CpcL-PBS forms a complex with the tetrameric PSI (PBS-PSI supercomplex). The CpcL-PBS and the rod part of the rod-core PBS are identical except for the linker proteins CpcL and CpcG. How cells control the accumulation of the two different types of PBS is unknown. Here, we analyzed two mutant strains which either lack the major rod-core linker CpcG4 or overexpress the rod-membrane linker CpcL. In both mutant strains, more and larger PBS-PSI supercomplexes accumulated compared to the wild type. Our results suggest that CpcL and CpcG4 compete for the same phycobiliprotein pool, and therefore the CpcL/CpcG4 ratio determines the levels of PBS-PSI supercomplexes. We propose that the CpcL-PBS and the rod-core PBS fulfill distinct functions in light harvesting.

Graphical abstract
Law and Kinship in Thirteenth-Century England
Authors: Worby Sam
Published: March 2023

First comprehensive survey of how kinship rules were discussed and applied in medieval England.
Fiscal data in text: Information extraction from audit reports using Natural Language Processing
Authors: Beltran Alejandro
Published: March 2023

Supreme audit institutions (SAIs) are touted as an integral component to anticorruption efforts in developing nations. SAIs review governmental budgets and report fiscal discrepancies in publicly available audit reports. These documents contain valuable information on budgetary discrepancies, missing resources, or may even report fraud and corruption. Existing research on anticorruption efforts relies on information published by national-level SAIs while mostly ignoring audits from subnational SAIs because their information is not published in accessible formats. I collect publicly available audit reports published by a subnational SAI in Mexico, the Auditoria Superior del Estado de Sinaloa, and build a pipeline for extracting the monetary value of discrepancies detected in municipal budgets. I systematically convert scanned documents into machine-readable text using optical character recognition, and I then train a classification model to identify paragraphs with relevant information. From the relevant paragraphs, I extract the monetary values of budgetary discrepancies by developing a named entity recognizer that automates the identification of this information. In this paper, I explain the steps for building the pipeline and detail the procedures for replicating it in different contexts. The resulting dataset contains the official amounts of discrepancies in municipal budgets for the state of Sinaloa. This information is useful to anticorruption policymakers because it quantifies discrepancies in municipal spending potentially motivating reforms that mitigate misappropriation. Although I focus on a single state in Mexico, this method can be extended to any context where audit reports are publicly available.
Shaping Interoperability for the Internet of Things: The Case for Ecosystem-Tailored Standardisation
Authors: Colangelo Giuseppe , Borgogno Oscar
Published: March 2023

No matter how good a smart device may be, it remains useless outside the context of a digital ecosystem. Internet of Things (IoT) environments are possible as long as services and products can interconnect smoothly and exchange data in real time. Therefore, interoperability ranks high in global policy agendas, with the promise of bringing an end to network effects slanted in favour of ecosystem orchestrators. However, recent regulatory initiatives introducing interoperability obligations risk falling short of their intent or even risk generating unintended consequences in the absence of a coherent approach to standardisation. Against this backdrop, focusing on the UK Open Banking experience, this article makes a proposal for workable interoperability in IoT ecosystems aimed at ensuring market contestability without undermining incentives to innovate.
General Practitioner referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Did they differ during Covid-19?
Authors: FitzPatrick P. , Antczak K. , Lynch F. , Lynch S. , McNicholas F.
Published: March 2023

Objectives:

The COVID pandemic has been associated with poorer mental health in youth. This study aimed to evaluate any change in General Practitioner (GP) referral pattern to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) services during the first 10 months of Covid-19 and compare with a similar time frame in 2019.

Methods:

All accepted referrals to a CAMH Service in Dublin during the study time frame were reviewed. Referral letters were batch anonymised and clinical data extracted using a study specific proforma for analysis.

Results:

Referral numbers between the two time periods did not statistically differ. Proportionally more females were referred during the pandemic, increasing to 56.9%, n = 99, compared to 43.1%, n = 75 in 2019 (p = 0.01). Referrals were more often designated by the clinician as urgent during the pandemic (61.3%, n = 98) than before (39%, n = 62, p < 0.001). Referrals outlining self-harm or suicidal ideation increased significantly, from 42.1% (n = 67) to 55.9% (n = 90) (p = 0.014). Referrals for externalising problems fell from 2019 rates; ADHD (21.4%, n = 34 vs 11.1%, n = 18; p = 0.013), ASD (26.4%, n = 42 vs 16.1%, n = 26; p = 0.038) and conduct problems (23.3%, n = 37 vs 7.4%, n = 12; p < 0.001). Although numbers for psychosis in 2019 were low (10.7%, n = 17), these also fell significantly in 2020 (2.5%, n = 4; p < 0.001).

Discussion:

The finding of reduced referrals for ADHD and ASD has not previously been reported. With concerns regarding educational loss linked to online learning, it is crucial that these youth are not doubly disadvantaged by delayed referral and education decline.
Robustness of iterated function systems of Lipschitz maps
Authors: Hervé Loïc , Ledoux James
Published: March 2023

Let
$\{X_n\}_{n\in{\mathbb{N}}}$
be an
${\mathbb{X}}$
-valued iterated function system (IFS) of Lipschitz maps defined as
$X_0 \in {\mathbb{X}}$
and for
$n\geq 1$
,
$X_n\;:\!=\;F(X_{n-1},\vartheta_n)$
, where
$\{\vartheta_n\}_{n \ge 1}$
are independent and identically distributed random variables with common probability distribution
$\mathfrak{p}$
,
$F(\cdot,\cdot)$
is Lipschitz continuous in the first variable, and
$X_0$
is independent of
$\{\vartheta_n\}_{n \ge 1}$
. Under parametric perturbation of both F and
$\mathfrak{p}$
, we are interested in the robustness of the V-geometrical ergodicity property of
$\{X_n\}_{n\in{\mathbb{N}}}$
, of its invariant probability measure, and finally of the probability distribution of
$X_n$
. Specifically, we propose a pattern of assumptions for studying such robustness properties for an IFS. This pattern is implemented for the autoregressive processes with autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic errors, and for IFS under roundoff error or under thresholding/truncation. Moreover, we provide a general set of assumptions covering the classical Feller-type hypotheses for an IFS to be a V-geometrical ergodic process. An accurate bound for the rate of convergence is also provided.
On ordered system signature and its dynamic version for coherent systems with applications
Authors: Yi He , Balakrishnan Narayanaswamy , Li Xiang
Published: March 2023

The notion of ordered system signature, originally defined for independent and identical coherent systems, is first extended to the case of independent and non-identical coherent systems, and then some key properties that help simplify its computation are established. Through its use, a dynamic ordered system signature is defined next, which facilitates a systematic study of dynamic properties of several coherent systems under a life test. The theoretical results established here are then illustrated through some specific examples. Finally, the usefulness in the evaluation of aging used systems of the concepts introduced is demonstrated.
Luís Fróis, Gendered Knowledge, and the Jesuit Encounter with Sixteenth-Century Japan
Authors: O'Leary Jessica
Published: March 2023

This article argues that our understanding of the sixteenth-century Jesuit encounter with Japan is improved by taking into account the role gender played in cultural translation. Recent histories of the mission and the writings it produced have highlighted the strategies adopted by Jesuits to rely on and manipulate knowledge of local cultures to facilitate conversion. Yet, few scholars have used gender as a lens to read the actions and ethnographies performed and produced by Jesuits in overseas missions. Using Luís Fróis's Tratado das contradições e diferenças de costumes entre a Europa e o Japão (Treaty on the contrasts and differences between Europe and Japan), I argue that skilled cultural interpreters used gender as a determining lens to approach the primary task of conversion, but also the secondary task of cultural mediation. Unlike the invasion of the Americas, the ephemeral infiltration of Asia was accomplished through European accommodation of Asian political vocabularies and conduct. Examining the epistemological tools Fróis used to build knowledge of the Other sheds light on the initial stages of the unequal encounter between the Japanese and the Jesuits and how it changed based on a growing understanding of Japanese politics, class, and society.
The Political Economy of Punishment: Slavery and Violence in Nineteenth-Century Brazil and the United States
Authors: Ferraro Marcelo Rosanova
Published: March 2023

This article analyzes slave resistance, capital crimes, and state violence in the Mississippi Valley and the Paraíba Valley – two of the most dynamic plantation economies of the nineteenth century. The research focused on the intersection between slavery and criminal law in Brazil and the United States. The analysis of capital crimes committed by enslaved people in Natchez and Vassouras revealed changing patterns of resistance and judicial punishment through the decades. This investigation demonstrated that local experiences of violence on plantations and in courtrooms were connected to the dynamics of national politics and the world economy. Moreover, this comparative study illuminated differences between these racialized slave societies and their political systems and revealed the essence of distinct regimes of racial violence in the Americas.
Cocaine screening in patients undergoing nasal reconstructive surgery: a cross-sectional, survey-based study of UK rhinology consultants
Authors: Raja H , Lai K , Sunkaraneni V
Published: March 2023

Objective

This study aimed to explore the current practices of the UK rhinology consultant body in regard to cocaine screening in nasal reconstructive surgery.

Method

A 12-question online survey was distributed to rhinology consultants (October 2021 to February 2022) currently practising in the UK.

Results

A total of 55 consultants responded. Fifty-three per cent asked patients about cocaine use prior to consideration of surgery, and 45 per cent performed cocaine testing prior to consideration of surgery. Of these, the majority employed urine testing alone (60 per cent), with hair testing being less common as a single screening modality (4 per cent). Sixteen per cent opted for both urine and hair testing. The most common reasons for not performing cocaine testing included patient history or clinical examination that was not suggestive of cocaine use (44 per cent), lack of formal guidelines (33 per cent) and lack of testing availability (27 per cent). Sixty-four per cent were in favour of a national policy for cocaine screening.

Conclusion

There is marked variation in cocaine screening practices for nasal reconstructive surgery among UK rhinologists.
Why Consult, Why Consent? Employers in Concertation Platforms Facing Welfare State Expansion in the Netherlands, 1920–1960
Authors: TOUWEN JEROEN
Published: March 2023

This article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policy in the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis on power to an emphasis on preferences. Moving away from the traditional view that unions and social democrats forced social laws on employers, recent scholars suggest that firms saw specific advantages in the introduction of social laws. However, I show that the attitudes of Dutch business representatives, rather than seeking these specific advantages, merely reflected a willingness to consult, inspired by their macroeconomic view. Employers expressed the wish to attain an organized form of capitalism and accepted regulated forms of codetermination. Once the consultative platforms were in place, employers pursued strategic goals, such as labor peace and disciplining the unions. This paved the way for accepting welfare state expansion. In sum, mid-twentieth century business interests were strongly oriented toward coordinated capitalism.