bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subject Peoples and Civilizational Priority: Competition among Babylonians, Egyptians, and Judeans in the Hellenistic Era
Authors: Harland Philip A. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThis article proceeds on the principle that we need to decenter dominant ethnic groups—primarily Greeks and Greco-Macedonians in the early Hellenistic era—in order to understand other marginalized viewpoints and experiences, including but not limited to those of Judeans (Jews). An analysis of the Babylonian author Bel-re’ushu helps to provide a new angle on Judean (e.g., Artapanus) and Egyptian (e.g., Manetho) participation within ethnic discourses that include claims to civilizational priority. I would suggest that the rhetoric of ethnic superiority in writings by subject peoples can be viewed as a symptom of ethnic interactions and not merely as a literary response to elite Greek claims regarding the inferiority of supposedly “barbarian” peoples. So it is not always the currently hegemonic Greeks that are the principal interlocutors in these ethnic discourses.
The Reason a Woman Is Obligated: Women’s Ritual Efficacy in Medieval Kabbalah
Authors: Brown Jeremy Phillip 
Published: July 2023

AbstractThe short fragment prompting this study is a kabbalistic inquiry into three of the positive commandments in which women are especially obligated—the so-called commandments of Hannah. When accounting for these commandments in kabbalistic terms, the fragment endorses the ritual efficacy of Jewish women. It does this in a manner analogous to descriptions of commandments performed by men, in which the practitioner is vested with the power of unifying the divinity and, as a result, drawing down its influence. The sizeable literature on the commandments produced by medieval kabbalists abounds with such descriptions, from which scholars have long sourced information concerning the practices of medieval men performing “Jewish mysticism.” The fragment on the commandments of Hannah urges a reassessment of how the literature of medieval kabbalah constructs women’s ritual efficacy. After gauging that text’s provenance and surveying a host of comparable traditions from authoritative texts, the study proceeds to ask: Do the rationales of the three commandments of Hannah presuppose the application—by women—of esoteric knowledge during ritual performances? The article also highlights the lack of correspondence between (a) the occasional affirmations of women’s sacramental efficacy in the texts and (b) the negative consensus concerning the social-historical representation of female practitioners of kabbalah. Without attempting to overturn this consensus, the study aims to recover a phenomenology of commandments performed specifically by women, which is shown to be a rare, albeit representative, feature of medieval kabbalah.
Moses Stuart and the Unintentional Secularization of American Biblical Studies
Authors: Lundeen Erik 
Published: July 2023

AbstractBuilding off recent work investigating the development of modern biblical criticism, this essay argues that the broadly conservative scholar Moses Stuart (1780–1852) should be seen as playing a key but unintentional role in the secularization of biblical studies in nineteenth-century America. Stuart played this role in several ways. Hermeneutically, he imbibed and popularized naturalistic assumptions summed up in the maxim that the Bible should be interpreted like any other book. Educationally, when arguing for the curricular importance of Hebrew studies, he justified the Bible’s importance not via its role as Scripture, but primarily via its place as excellent classical literature. Stuart’s example thereby suggests that, in studying the demise of Scripture’s sacred status in the modern era, scholars must pay attention not only to the attacks of the Bible’s liberal critics but also to the methods and assumptions of its conservative defenders.
Bringing Philo Home: Responses to Harry A. Wolfson’s Philo (1947) in the Aftermath of World War II
Authors: Bloch René 
Published: July 2023

AbstractIn 1947 Harry Austryn Wolfson published his massive and revisionary Philo: Foundations of Religious Philosophy in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. With the book, Wolfson aimed at proving that Philo was an innovative and highly influential philosopher—by no means an isolated Jew of no consequence to the history of philosophy. As becomes clear from numerous letters written to Wolfson on the occasion of the publication of the book and stored at the Harvard University Archives, for Jewish readers Wolfson’s proposed rehabilitation of Philo could provide a point of orientation. It served as a source of comfort and of pride in the post-war years. While the main thesis of Wolfson’s book, Philo as the precursor of medieval philosophy, was rejected by most scholars of Philo and ancient philosophy, the letters and notes discussed in this article show that much more was at stake than a purely academic discussion.
Understanding informal care burden domains’ impact on overall burden – a structural equation modeling approach with cross-sectional data from Germany
Authors: Loboiko Katharina , Steiner Michael , Bohnet-Joschko Sabine 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Informal caregivers are the core of long-term care for older and disabled people. Although previous research has studied factors that influence caregivers’ burden, little is known about the different care domains and why they influence the caregivers’ perceived burden. Drawing on a large-scale German survey, the current study makes a first attempt to address this research gap. The study used cross-sectional data on 1.429 informal caregivers. Germany is characterized by comprehensive but fragmented health and social protection systems oriented toward supporting informal care at home. Structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3) was used to estimate the effects of five care domains on three burden dimensions and, ultimately, on the overall burden. Our results indicate that support in organizational matters had the highest impact on the overall perceived burden. The findings reveal that German caregivers particularly struggle with bureaucracy, i.e. an area that can directly be influenced by policymakers.
Institutional legacies and temporary assistance for needy families spending decisions: the case of the Freedmen’s Bureau
Authors: Lowder Morgan A. , Hobert Anthony , Shoub Kelsey 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTemporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was born out of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in the backdrop of highly racialised and otherizing fears about the mythical “welfare queen.” However, the perception of Black exploitation of public benefits to White detriment is not exclusively a modern phenomenon. One of its original manifestations can be found in White reactions to the Freedmen’s Bureau during the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction. We therefore argue that state decisions to allocate spending towards cash assistance and coercive programmes designed to motivate work participation and regulate private behaviour are shaped by the imprint of this historic institution. Using TANF spending data from 2001 to 2019 and data on Freedmen’s Bureau field offices, we find evidence of a link between these offices’ historic prevalence and contemporary, coercive allocations. However, we find little evidence that this link extends to spending towards cash assistance.
Superspreading of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.23 among vaccinated Finnish adults: symptomatic COVID-19 only contracted by those without recent infection
Authors: Riekkinen Marianna , Kajova Mikael , Eriksson Mari , Luukkainen Annika , Holmberg Ville , Aro Tuomas , Pakkanen Sari H , Miettinen Simo , Montonen Reetta , Smura Teemu , Lääveri Tinja , Kantele Anu 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
An outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed after an academic party in Helsinki, Finland, in 2022. All 70 guests were requested to fill in follow-up questionnaires; serologic analyses and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were conducted when possible.
Of those participating – all but one with ≥3 vaccine doses – 21/53 (40%) had test-confirmed symptomatic COVID-19: 7% of those with earlier episodes and 76% of those without. Half (11/21) were febrile, but none needed hospitalisation. WGS revealed subvariant BA.2.23.
Compared to vaccination alone, our data suggest remarkable protection by hybrid immunity against symptomatic infection, particularly in instances of recent infections with homologous variants.
Assessing the impact of a test and vaccinate or remove badger intervention project on bovine tuberculosis levels in cattle herds
Authors: Doyle Liam Patrick , Gordon Alan W. , Molloy Colm , O’Hagan Maria J. H. , Georgaki Anastasia , Courcier Emily A. , Harwood Roly G. , Menzies Fraser Duncan 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic, zoonotic infection of domestic and wild animals caused mainly by Mycobacterium bovis. The Test and Vaccinate or Remove (TVR) project was a 5-year intervention (2014–2018) applied to Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) in a 100 km2 area of County Down, Northern Ireland. This observational study used routine bTB surveillance data of cattle to determine if the TVR intervention had any effect in reducing the infection at a herd level. The study design included the TVR treatment area (Banbridge) compared to the three adjacent 100 km2 areas (Dromore, Ballynahinch, and Castlewellan) which did not receive any badger intervention. Results showed that there were statistically lower bTB herd incidence rate ratios in the Banbridge TVR area compared to two of the other three comparison areas, but with bTB herd history and number of bTB infected cattle being the main explanatory variables along with Year. This finding is consistent with other study results conducted as part of the TVR project that suggested that the main transmission route for bTB in the area was cattle-to-cattle spread. This potentially makes any wildlife intervention in the TVR area of less relevance to bTB levels in cattle. It must also be noted that the scientific power of the TVR study (76%) was below the recommended 80%, meaning that results must be interpreted with caution. Even though statistical significance was achieved in two cattle-related risk factors, other potential risk factors may have also demonstrated significance in a larger study.
Top-down identification of keystone taxa in the microbiome
Authors: Amit Guy , Bashan Amir 
Published: July 2023

AbstractKeystone taxa in ecological communities are native taxa that play an especially important role in the stability of their ecosystem. However, we still lack an effective framework for identifying these taxa from the available high-throughput sequencing without the notoriously difficult step of reconstructing the detailed network of inter-specific interactions. In addition, while most microbial interaction models assume pair-wise relationships, it is yet unclear whether pair-wise interactions dominate the system, or whether higher-order interactions are relevant. Here we propose a top-down identification framework, which detects keystones by their total influence on the rest of the taxa. Our method does not assume a priori knowledge of pairwise interactions or any specific underlying dynamics and is appropriate to both perturbation experiments and metagenomic cross-sectional surveys. When applied to real high-throughput sequencing of the human gastrointestinal microbiome, we detect a set of candidate keystones and find that they are often part of a keystone module – multiple candidate keystone species with correlated occurrence. The keystone analysis of single-time-point cross-sectional data is also later verified by the evaluation of two-time-points longitudinal sampling. Our framework represents a necessary advancement towards the reliable identification of these key players of complex, real-world microbial communities.
Leaf-level coordination principles propagate to the ecosystem scale
Authors: Gomarasca Ulisse , Migliavacca Mirco , Kattge Jens , Nelson Jacob A. , Niinemets Ülo , Wirth Christian , Cescatti Alessandro , Bahn Michael , Nair Richard , Acosta Alicia T. R. , Arain M. Altaf , Beloiu Mirela , Black T. Andrew , Bruun Hans Henrik , Bucher Solveig Franziska , Buchmann Nina , Byun Chaeho , Carrara Arnaud , Conte Adriano , da Silva Ana C. , Duveiller Gregory , Fares Silvano , Ibrom Andreas , Knohl Alexander , Komac Benjamin , Limousin Jean-Marc , Lusk Christopher H. , Mahecha Miguel D. , Martini David , Minden Vanessa , Montagnani Leonardo , Mori Akira S. , Onoda Yusuke , Peñuelas Josep , Perez-Priego Oscar , Poschlod Peter , Powell Thomas L. , Reich Peter B. , Šigut Ladislav , van Bodegom Peter M. , Walther Sophia , Wohlfahrt Georg , Wright Ian J. , Reichstein Markus 
Published: July 2023

AbstractFundamental axes of variation in plant traits result from trade-offs between costs and benefits of resource-use strategies at the leaf scale. However, it is unclear whether similar trade-offs propagate to the ecosystem level. Here, we test whether trait correlation patterns predicted by three well-known leaf- and plant-level coordination theories – the leaf economics spectrum, the global spectrum of plant form and function, and the least-cost hypothesis – are also observed between community mean traits and ecosystem processes. We combined ecosystem functional properties from FLUXNET sites, vegetation properties, and community mean plant traits into three corresponding principal component analyses. We find that the leaf economics spectrum (90 sites), the global spectrum of plant form and function (89 sites), and the least-cost hypothesis (82 sites) all propagate at the ecosystem level. However, we also find evidence of additional scale-emergent properties. Evaluating the coordination of ecosystem functional properties may aid the development of more realistic global dynamic vegetation models with critical empirical data, reducing the uncertainty of climate change projections.
An electroluminescent and tunable cavity-enhanced carbon-nanotube-emitter in the telecom band
Authors: Ovvyan Anna P. , Li Min-Ken , Gehring Helge , Beutel Fabian , Kumar Sandeep , Hennrich Frank , Wei Li , Chen Yuan , Pyatkov Felix , Krupke Ralph , Pernice Wolfram H. P. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractEmerging photonic information processing systems require chip-level integration of controllable nanoscale light sources at telecommunication wavelengths. Currently, substantial challenges remain in the dynamic control of the sources, the low-loss integration into a photonic environment, and in the site-selective placement at desired positions on a chip. Here, we overcome these challenges using heterogeneous integration of electroluminescent (EL), semiconducting carbon nanotubes (sCNTs) into hybrid two dimensional – three dimensional (2D-3D) photonic circuits. We demonstrate enhanced spectral line shaping of the EL sCNT emission. By back-gating the sCNT-nanoemitter we achieve full electrical dynamic control of the EL sCNT emission with high on-off ratio and strong enhancement in the telecommunication band. Using nanographene as a low-loss material to electrically contact sCNT emitters directly within a photonic crystal cavity enables highly efficient EL coupling without compromising the optical quality of the cavity. Our versatile approach paves the way for controllable integrated photonic circuits.
Nanoscale multistate resistive switching in WO3 through scanning probe induced proton evolution
Authors: Zhang Fan , Zhang Yang , Li Linglong , Mou Xing , Peng Huining , Shen Shengchun , Wang Meng , Xiao Kunhong , Ji Shuai-Hua , Yi Di , Nan Tianxiang , Tang Jianshi , Yu Pu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractMultistate resistive switching device emerges as a promising electronic unit for energy-efficient neuromorphic computing. Electric-field induced topotactic phase transition with ionic evolution represents an important pathway for this purpose, which, however, faces significant challenges in device scaling. This work demonstrates a convenient scanning-probe-induced proton evolution within WO3, driving a reversible insulator-to-metal transition (IMT) at nanoscale. Specifically, the Pt-coated scanning probe serves as an efficient hydrogen catalysis probe, leading to a hydrogen spillover across the nano junction between the probe and sample surface. A positively biased voltage drives protons into the sample, while a negative voltage extracts protons out, giving rise to a reversible manipulation on hydrogenation-induced electron doping, accompanied by a dramatic resistive switching. The precise control of the scanning probe offers the opportunity to manipulate the local conductivity at nanoscale, which is further visualized through a printed portrait encoded by local conductivity. Notably, multistate resistive switching is successfully demonstrated via successive set and reset processes. Our work highlights the probe-induced hydrogen evolution as a new direction to engineer memristor at nanoscale.
A diet rich in fermentable fiber promotes robust changes in the intestinal microbiota, mitigates intestinal permeability, and attenuates autoimmune uveitis
Authors: Nakamura Yukiko K. , Metea Christina , Llorenç Victor , Karstens Lisa , Balter Ariel , Lin Phoebe 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTherapeutic approaches for noninfectious uveitis have expanded greatly over the past 10 years, but are limited by potential side effects and limited efficacy. Thus, therapeutic approaches that include less toxic, potentially preventative strategies to manage noninfectious uveitis are essential areas of study. Diets rich in fermentable fiber are potentially preventative in various conditions such as metabolic syndrome and type 1 diabetes. We studied the effects of various fermentable dietary fibers in an inducible model of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) and found that they differentially modulated uveitis severity. A high pectin diet was the most protective, reducing clinical disease severity through the induction of regulatory T lymphocytes and the suppression of Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes at peak ocular inflammation in either intestinal or extra-intestinal lymphoid tissues. The high pectin diet also promoted intestinal homeostasis as shown by changes in intestinal morphology and gene expression, as well as intestinal permeability. Pectin-induced modulation of intestinal bacteria appeared to be associated with protective changes in immunophenotype in the intestinal tract, and correlated with reduced uveitis severity. In summary, our current findings support the potential for dietary intervention as a strategy to mitigate noninfectious uveitis severity.
The engineered single guide RNA structure as a biomarker for gene-editing reagent exposure
Authors: Ryan Emmarie C. , Huggins Leslie M. , Podlevsky Joshua D. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCRISPR arrays and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins comprise a prevalent adaptive immune system in bacteria and archaea. These systems defend against exogenous parasitic mobile genetic elements. The adaption of single effector CRISPR-Cas systems has massively facilitated gene-editing due to the reprogrammable guide RNA. The guide RNA affords little priming space for conventional PCR-based nucleic acid tests without foreknowledge of the spacer sequence. Further impeding detection of gene-editor exposure, these systems are derived from human microflora and pathogens (Staphylococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus aureus, etc.) that contaminate human patient samples. The single guide RNA—formed from the CRISPR RNA (crRNA) and transactivating RNA (tracrRNA)—harbors a variable tetraloop sequence between the two RNA segments, complicating PCR assays. Identical single effector Cas proteins are used for gene-editing and naturally by bacteria. Antibodies raised against these Cas proteins are unable to distinguish CRISPR-Cas gene-editors from bacterial contaminant. To overcome the high potential for false positives, we have developed a DNA displacement assay to specifically detect gene-editors. We leveraged the single guide RNA structure as an engineered moiety for gene-editor exposure that does not cross-react with bacterial CRISPRs. Our assay has been validated for five common CRISPR systems and functions in complex sample matrices.
Rapid imaging and product screening with low-cost line-field Fourier domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Zhang Zijian , Yang Xingyu , Zhao Zhiyi , Zeng Feng , Ye Sicong , Baldock Sara J. , Lin Hungyen , Hardy John G. , Zheng Yalin , Shen Yaochun 
Published: July 2023

AbstractFourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is a well-established imaging technique that provides high-resolution internal structure images of an object at a fast speed. Modern FD-OCT systems typically operate at speeds of 40,000–100,000 A-scans/s, but are priced at least tens of thousands of pounds. In this study, we demonstrate a line-field FD-OCT (LF-FD-OCT) system that achieves an OCT imaging speed of 100,000 A-scan/s at a hardware cost of thousands of pounds. We demonstrate the potential of LF-FD-OCT for biomedical and industrial imaging applications such as corneas, 3D printed electronics, and printed circuit boards.
Viability of HepG2 and MCF-7 cells is not correlated with mitochondrial bioenergetics
Authors: Doczi Judit , Karnok Noemi , Bui David , Azarov Victoria , Pallag Gergely , Nazarian Sara , Czumbel Bence , Seyfried Thomas N. , Chinopoulos Christos 
Published: July 2023

AbstractAlterations in metabolism are a hallmark of cancer. It is unclear if oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is necessary for tumour cell survival. In this study, we investigated the effects of severe hypoxia, site-specific inhibition of respiratory chain (RC) components, and uncouplers on necrotic and apoptotic markers in 2D-cultured HepG2 and MCF-7 tumour cells. Comparable respiratory complex activities were observed in both cell lines. However, HepG2 cells exhibited significantly higher oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and respiratory capacity than MCF-7 cells. Significant non-mitochondrial OCR was observed in MCF-7 cells, which was insensitive to acute combined inhibition of complexes I and III. Pre-treatment of either cell line with RC inhibitors for 24–72 h resulted in the complete abolition of respective complex activities and OCRs. This was accompanied by a time-dependent decrease in citrate synthase activity, suggesting mitophagy. High-content automated microscopy recordings revealed that the viability of HepG2 cells was mostly unaffected by any pharmacological treatment or severe hypoxia. In contrast, the viability of MCF-7 cells was strongly affected by inhibition of complex IV (CIV) or complex V (CV), severe hypoxia, and uncoupling. However, it was only moderately affected by inhibition of complexes I, II, and III. Cell death in MCF-7 cells induced by inhibition of complexes II, III, and IV was partially abrogated by aspartate. These findings indicate that OXPHOS activity and viability are not correlated in these cell lines, suggesting that the connection between OXPHOS and cancer cell survival is dependent on the specific cell type and conditions.
An extreme value analysis of daily new cases of COVID-19 for sixteen countries in west Africa
Authors: Nadarajah Saralees , Ojo Oluwadare O. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractWe provide an extreme value analysis of daily new cases of COVID-19. We use data from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, covering a period of 37 months. Extreme values were defined as monthly maximums of daily new cases. The generalized extreme value distribution was fitted to them with two of its three parameters allowed to vary linearly or quadratically with respect to month number. Ten of the sixteen countries were found to exhibit significant downward trends in monthly maximums. The adequacy of fits was assessed by probability plots and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The fitted models were used to derive quantiles of the monthly maximum of new cases as well as their limits when the month number is taken to infinity.