bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Theoretical stability of ice shelf basal crevasses with a vertical temperature profile
Authors: Coffey Niall Bennet , Lai Ching-Yao , Wang Yongji , Buck W. Roger , Surawy-Stepney Trystan , Hogg Anna Elizabeth 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Basal crevasses threaten the stability of ice shelves through the potential to form rifts and calve icebergs. Furthermore, it is important to determine the dependence of crevasse stability on temperature due to large vertical temperature variations on ice shelves. In this work, considering the vertical temperature profile through ice viscosity, we compare (1) the theoretical crack depths and (2) the threshold stress causing the transition from basal crevasses to full thickness fractures in several fracture theories. In the Zero Stress approximation, the depth-integrated force at the crevassed and non-crevassed location are unbalanced, violating the volume-integrated Stokes equation. By incorporating a Horizontal Force Balance (HFB) argument, recent work showed analytically that the threshold stress for rift initiation is only half of that predicted by the Zero Stress approximation. We generalize the HFB theory to show that while the temperature profile influences crack depths, the threshold rifting stress is insensitive to temperature. We compare with observations and find that HFB best matches observed rifts. Using HFB instead of Zero Stress for cracks in an ice-sheet model would substantially enlarge the predicted fracture depth, reduce the threshold rifting stress and potentially increase the projected rate of ice shelf mass loss.
Investigating the dynamic history of a promontory ice rise using radar data
Authors: Ershadi M. Reza , Drews Reinhard , Tison Jean-Louis , Martín Carlos , Henry A. Clara J. , Oraschewski Falk Marius , Tsibulskaya Veronica , Sun Sainan , Wauthy Sarah , Koch Inka , Bons Paul Dirk , Eisen Olaf , Pattyn Frank 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Ice rises hold valuable records revealing the ice dynamics and climatic history of Antarctic coastal areas from the Last Glacial Maximum to today. This history is often reconstructed from isochrone radar stratigraphy and simulations focusing on Raymond arch evolution beneath the divides. However, this relies on complex ice-flow models where many parameters are unconstrained by observations. Our study explores quad-polarimetric, phase-coherent radar data to enhance understanding near ice divides and domes, using Hammarryggen Ice Rise (HIR) as a case study. Analysing a 5 km profile intersecting the dome, we derive vertical strain rates and ice-fabric properties. These align with ice core data near the summit, increasing confidence in tracing signatures from the dome to the flanks. The Raymond effect is evident, correlating with surface strain rates and radar stratigraphy. Stability is inferred over millennia for the saddle connecting HIR to the mainland, but dome ice-fabric appears relatively young compared to 2D model predictions. In a broader context, quad-polarimetric measurements provide valuable insights into ice-flow models, particularly for anisotropic rheology. Including quad-polarimetric data advances our ability to reconstruct past ice flow dynamics and climatic history in ice rises.
The Sacraments of Initiation as ‘Proof of Concept’ for Bernard Lonergan’s ‘Four-Point Hypothesis’
Authors: Schlesinger Eugene R. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractThis essay endeavors a correlation between Bernard Lonergan’s ‘four-point hypothesis’ – a theological proposal integrating trinitarian theology and the supernatural order of ‘created grace’ – and the sacraments of initiation. The same formal structure that Lonergan discerned in the experience of grace, itself a means of participation in the life of the Trinity, is replicated in the sacramental reception of that grace in those ritual acts whereby one is made a Christian. This at once serves as a ‘proof of concept’, lending credence to the Lonerganian proposal, and provides a speculative framework for understanding how it is that the sacraments introduce Christians into the divine life.
Opinion dynamics beyond social influence
Authors: Meylahn Benedikt V , Searle Christa 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe present an opinion dynamics model framework discarding two common assumptions in the literature: (a) that there is direct influence between beliefs of neighboring agents, and (b) that agent belief is static in the absence of social influence. Agents in our framework learn from random experiences which possibly reinforce their belief. Agents determine whether they switch opinions by comparing their belief to a threshold. Subsequently, influence of an alter on an ego is not direct incorporation of the alter’s belief into the ego’s but by adjusting the ego’s decision-making criteria. We provide an instance from the framework in which social influence between agents generalizes majority rules updating. We conduct a sensitivity analysis as well as a pair of experiments concerning heterogeneous population parameters. We conclude that the framework is capable of producing consensus, polarization and fragmentation with only assimilative forces between agents which typically, in other models, lead exclusively to consensus.
Effect of the Mediterranean diet on the faecal long-chain fatty acid composition and intestinal barrier integrity: an exploratory analysis of the randomised controlled LIBRE trial
Authors: Seethaler Benjamin , Basrai Maryam , Neyrinck Audrey M. , Vetter Walter , Delzenne Nathalie M. , Kiechle Marion , Bischoff Stephan C. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWe recently showed that adherence to the Mediterranean diet increased the proportion of plasma n-3 PUFA, which was associated with an improved intestinal barrier integrity. In the present exploratory analysis, we assessed faecal fatty acids in the same cohort, aiming to investigate possible associations with intestinal barrier integrity. Women from the Lifestyle Intervention Study in Women with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (LIBRE) randomised controlled trial, characterised by an impaired intestinal barrier integrity, followed either a Mediterranean diet (intervention group, n 33) or a standard diet (control group, n 35). At baseline (BL), month 3 (V1) and month 12 (V2), plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, faecal zonulin and faecal fatty acids were measured. In the intervention group, faecal proportions of palmitoleic acid (16:1, n-7) and arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6) decreased, while the proportion of linoleic acid (18:2, n-6) and α linoleic acid (18:3, n-3) increased (BL-V1 and BL-V2, all P < 0·08). In the control group, faecal proportions of palmitic acid and arachidic acid increased, while the proportion of linoleic acid decreased (BL-V1, all P < 0·05). The decrease in the proportion of palmitoleic acid correlated with the decrease in plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (ΔV1-BL r = 0·72, P < 0·001; ΔV2-BL r = 0·39, P < 0·05) and correlated inversely with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean diet score; ΔV1-BL r = –0·42, P = 0·03; ΔV2-BL r = -0·53, P = 0·005) in the intervention group. Our data show that adherence to the Mediterranean diet induces distinct changes in the faecal fatty acid composition. Furthermore, our data indicate that the faecal proportion of palmitoleic acid, but not faecal n-3 PUFA, is associated with intestinal barrier integrity in the intervention group.
Gender, Intersectionality, and Global Social History
Authors: Wiesner-Hanks Merry E. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractOne of the most fruitful concepts of recent social analysis has been that of intersectionality, the idea that the nature of oppression is multiplicative rather than additive, and that no one identity – race, class, gender, religion, ability, sexual orientation, and so on – should be considered apart from other identities, but is always materialized in terms of and by means of them. Although it was developed out of the US experience, intersectional epistemology has been dynamic and mobile, as scholars have not simply used social groupings drawn from the Western past and present but have elaborated social categories taken from local understandings as well. This article analyses some recent examples of gendered world history that also take other social hierarchies into account, and assesses how these help us better understand global processes that transformed societies. It begins with a place and time where global entanglements led quite clearly to the emergence of new social groups, the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas, and then more briefly examines this process in other parts of the early modern colonial world.
Mercantile Elites and the Making of Global Capitalism
Authors: Dejung Christof 
Published: October 2024

AbstractGlobal trade is a topic that is well suited for conceptualizing global social history as it allows the opportunity to challenge the notion that global markets were primarily congruent with imperial territories. Businessmen were regularly able to establish economic networks that transgressed state borders and challenged imperial aims for territorial control. This may be evidence for the fact that capitalism and imperialism were two different, although sometimes converging, spatial structures, each with a distinct logic of its own. Even in the colonial period, and despite the prevalence of imperial racism, co-operation between metropolitan capitalists and businessmen from peripheries was possible – and, in fact, the rule rather than the exception. This co-operation was facilitated by similar business practices and a similar mercantile culture, which is why the two constituencies have been described as joint members of a globally connected bourgeoisie in several studies. The ability of economic elites to establish transregional business structures is highly relevant for conceiving global social history as a distinct approach. It reveals that the activities of these actors were crucial for establishing global capitalism, and allows scholars to examine the embeddedness of mercantile elites in their socio-economic environment and in particular to study the relation between capital and labour.
Rationalising surgical instruments in tonsillectomy: a pilot study to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and costs
Authors: Yeo Justin Jui Yuan , Gupta Keshav Kumar , Mughal Zahir , Bhatt Chaitanya 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective
The healthcare industry is estimated to contribute 4.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of rationalising surgical instruments in tonsillectomy trays on greenhouse gas emissions and costs.

Method
We conducted a prospective observational study over a six-month period. All patients who underwent tonsillectomy were included. The instruments used during the procedure and their frequency of use were counted, with the operating surgeon being unaware of the study.

Results
During the 6-month timeframe, 46 tonsillectomies were performed. From the standard tonsillectomy tray containing 38 pieces, 9 pieces were never used. The removal of unused reusable instruments resulted in an estimated total reduction of 594 g of carbon dioxide equivalents and a saving of €9.63 per operation.

Conclusion
Rationalising the contents of the surgical instrument tray can have a positive environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There are also pecuniary benefits for the National Health Service because of the potential for cost savings.
Does the scutum of the external auditory canal have a role in the stapedotomy operation? A radio-clinical evaluation
Authors: Elzayat Saad , El-Shirbeny Hussein A , Barbara Maurizio , Covelli Edoardo , Elsheikh Mohamed Nasser , Salem Mohammed Abdelbadie , Ebeed Ahmed I , Elfarargy Haitham H 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to assess the impact of the scutum on oval window accessibility during stapedotomy surgery. Radio-clinical correlation was applied to determine the impact.

Methods
This was a prospective observational case-series study that included 127 candidates for stapedotomy surgery. The oval fossa was classified into two types according to the accessibility of the stapes footplate.

Results
Both study groups showed a statistically significant difference in pre-operative radiological length as the p value was less than 0.001. The Spearman correlation coefficient revealed that the intra-operative oval window fossa was only significantly related to the radiological scutum length because the p value was less than 0.001.

Conclusion
Our results revealed that the pre-operative radiological length can predict the intra-operative oval fossa type with high sensitivity and specificity. Patients with a pre-operative scutum length of less than 2.35 mm were predicted to have an easily accessible oval window without requiring intra-operative scutum curettage.
Revisiting the retroauricular revolving door island flap: Our experience
Authors: Mora Sánchez Carolina , Oishi Natsuki , Campos Catalá Agustín , Zapater Latorre Enrique 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Objectives
Surgical treatment of auricular concha, the helix root and the external auditory canal tumours, and their reconstruction, is a challenge because of the complexity of this anatomic region and the significant functional and aesthetic requirements of these treatments. The purpose of this study is to describe our experience with the retroauricular revolving door island flap technique.

Method
This was a retrospective descriptive study (series of nine clinical cases) conducted between 2020 and 2023 of revolving door island flap reconstruction of auricular conchal and external auditory canal defects caused by tumour removal.

Results
In all the cases, tumour-free margins and total reconstruction of the defect were achieved through the revolving door island flap intervention, with optimal aesthetic and functional results.

Conclusion
Revolving door island flap reconstruction is a viable surgical option for the reconstruction of auricular conchal and external auditory canal defects because of its versatility, reproducibility, low post-operative morbidity and optimal results.
High carnivore richness despite human pressure and prey depletion in the south-west of the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area
Authors: Verschueren Stijn , Hofmann Tim , Kakove Mikael , Bauer Hans , Cristescu Bogdan , Marker Laurie 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Transfrontier conservation landscapes, such as the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TCA) in southern Africa, play a crucial role in preserving global biodiversity and promoting the sustainable development of local communities. However, resources to facilitate management could become scarce across large areas, leading to difficulties in obtaining baseline ecological information. Consequently, in the absence of sustainable management vast landscapes may experience loss of wildlife species, which could destabilize ecosystems. This effect is particularly significant if the loss involves top predators. Hence, understanding carnivore distributions is critical to informing management. We conducted a mammal survey in the Ondjou Conservancy in Namibia, an 8,729 km2 understudied area in the south-west of the KAZA TCA. We analysed camera-trapping data from a 2,304 km2 grid and identified high carnivore richness (18 species) despite widespread human activity and prey depletion. Using a multi-species occupancy framework we found that carnivore occurrence increased with increasing distance from the main village and with closer proximity to the Nyae Nyae Conservancy neighbouring the KAZA TCA, which has large and diverse carnivore populations. Carnivore occurrence was higher when local prey richness was high. The Ondjou Conservancy could function as an important buffer for the larger conservation network, yet rural communities in this area require support for fostering human–wildlife coexistence. Additionally, restoring the natural prey base will be critical to ensuring the long-term viability of carnivore populations in this and other human-impacted landscapes. With many remote areas of transfrontier conservation landscapes being understudied, our findings illustrate the conservation potential of such areas within large-scale conservation networks.
Cultural and socio-demographic drivers shape seahorse uses in Malaysia: implications for conservation
Authors: Ng Reana May Yen , Then Amy Yee-Hui , Lim Adam Chee Ooi 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Seahorses Hippocampus spp. are commercially and culturally important to many communities. Although seahorses are widely used in traditional medicine, as curios and as aquarium fishes in Southeast Asia, documentation on the current nature and extent of culturally motivated seahorse uses in Malaysia is lacking. To examine how ethnicity and other socio-demographic drivers shape traditional medicinal use and underlying cultural beliefs involving seahorses, we administered a questionnaire-based survey during March 2021–April 2022 to members of the general public and fishers in Malaysia. Approximately one-fifth (21.0%) of respondents reported consuming seahorses (34.4% of these used seahorses for medicinal purposes, 55.2% for other non-medicinal uses and 10.4% for both types). Consumers of seahorses were from all ethnic groups except for Indigenous groups. In the general public group, medicinal use was more common amongst the Chinese respondents, whereas in the fisher group, other uses were more common amongst the Malay respondents. Amongst the threats facing seahorses, which include overfishing, habitat destruction, bycatch and ocean plastic pollution, only bycatch was perceived as a major threat by most of the general public and fisher respondents. The relatively low prevalence of reported seahorse use amongst Malaysians is an encouraging finding from a conservation perspective. However, the high proportion of non-medicinal uses indicates the need to focus on such other uses to ensure the sustainability of seahorse use in Malaysia.
Location and timing of infection drives a sex-bias in Haemoproteus prevalence in a hole-nesting bird
Authors: Jones William , Menon P. Navaneeth Krishna , Qvarnström Anna 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSex biases in prevalence of disease are often attributed to intrinsic factors, such as physiological differences while a proximate role of extrinsic factors such as behavioural or ecological differences may be more difficult to establish. We combined large-scale screening for the presence and lineage identity of avian malaria (haemosporidian) parasites, in 1234 collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) with life-history information from each bird to establish the location and timing of infection. We found an overall infection rate of 36.2% ± 0.03 (95% CI) with 25 distinct malaria lineages. Interestingly, first-year breeding males and females had similar infection prevalence while females accrued a significantly higher infection rate than males later in life. The sex difference in infection rate was driven by the most abundant Haemoproteus, lineage, hPHSIB1, while the infection rate of Plasmodium lineages was similar in males and females. Furthermore, when infections were assigned to an apparent transmission location, we found that the sex difference in infection rate trend was driven by lineages transmitted in Europe, more specifically by one lineage (the hPHSIB1), while no similar pattern was found in African lineages. We deduce that the observed infection patterns are likely to be caused by differences in breeding behaviour, with incubating females (and nestling individuals of both sexes) being easy targets for the biting insects that are the vectors of avian malaria parasites. Overall, our results are most consistent with ecological factors rather than intrinsic factors underlying the observed sex-biased infection rate of avian malaria in collared flycatchers.
Current status of schistosomiasis in school-aged children in Mwanga district, Tanzania: impact of two decades of annual Mass Drug Administration programme
Authors: Pyuza Jeremia J. , Meulah Brice , Hoekstra Pytsje T. , Mdende Noel , Mvilli Elizabeth , Lieshout Lisette van , Hilt Stan T. , Corstjens Paul L. A. M. , Yazdanbakhsh Maria , Msuya Sia E. , van Dam Govert J. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with significant health implications, particularly among children. A cross-sectional study was conducted among school-aged children (SAC) in Mwanga district, Tanzania, a region known to be co-endemic for S. haematobium and S. mansoni infection and where annual mass drug administration (MDA) has been conducted for 20 years. In total, 576 SAC from 5 schools provided a urine sample for the detection of Schistosoma circulating anodic antigen using the upconverting particle-based lateral flow (UCP-LF CAA) test. Additionally, the potential of the point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) and microhaematuria dipstick test as field-applicable diagnostic alternatives for schistosomiasis were assessed and the prevalence outcome compared to UCP-LF CAA. Risk factors associated with schistosomiasis was assessed based on UCP-LF CAA. The UCP-LF CAA test revealed an overall schistosomiasis prevalence of 20.3%, compared to 65.3% based on a combination of POC-CCA and microhaematuria dipstick. No agreement was observed between the combined POC tests and UCP-LF CAA. Factors associated with schistosomiasis included age (5–10 years), involvement in fishing, farming, swimming activities and attending 2 of the 5 primary schools. Our findings suggest a significant progress in infection control in Mwanga district due to annual MDA, although not enough to interrupt transmission. Accurate diagnostics play a crucial role in monitoring intervention measures to effectively combat schistosomiasis.
Crisis-proof households? How social policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic imagined work and care in Germany
Authors: Zagel Hannah , Struffolino Emanuela 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Social policies convey normative assumptions about how households should make ends meet and organise care, but how do these ideals withstand crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic? Previous research shows continuity of welfare state models in the crisis, but mostly looked at single policy fields and produced mixed findings regarding the role of pre-crisis reform trajectories. This paper contributes a detailed analysis of assumptions about the ‘standard productive household’ in terms of three dimensions: labour market participation, coverage of economic needs and coverage of care needs. Drawing on original policy documents enacted in 2020 in Germany – which had dismantled many of its institutional strongholds for the male-breadwinner model before the crisis – we provide two novel insights. First, social policy responses to the pandemic were relatively coherent regarding assumptions about labour market participation, but expectations towards households’ abilities to make ends meet and parents’ care involvement were less coherent. In addition to relaxing conditions on stable employment and income, policy responses normalised patchwork incomes and relied on parents to compress paid and unpaid work. Second, we propose that crises may slow down reform processes that are already underway by reverting to ideas that were dominant in the past.