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The role of the pulmonary microenvironment in driving Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) to Systemic Sclerosis-Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD) transition.
No full textA common complication in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is the development of SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), which has poor prognosis and high mortality rates. The pulmonary microenvironment may include mediators involved in disease pathogenesis that could be targets for new therapies to reduce SSc-to-SSc-ILD transition. Here, we aimed to identify soluble mediators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) that would differentiate SSc-ILD from SSc only patients through a systematic review. Using a pre-registered study protocol, two databases (Web of Science, PubMed) were screened for publications between 2000-2024 in adult patients (keywords "Systemic sclerosis AND biomarker AND (lung lavage OR bronchoalveolar lavage)"). Mediators were meta-analysed (RevMan) and functionally enriched pathways identified (STRING-DB/G:Profiler). Screening identified 20 (out of 82) publications for inclusion into the systematic review; with qualitative synthesis (n=12) and meta-analyses (n=5). 30 different mediators were identified, 17 were available for SSc versus SSc-ILD comparison. Mediators showed a strong interconnectedness and were clustered into 3 groups: those released from tertiary granules (predominately extracellular matrix remodelling function), with chemokine receptor binding or antioxidant function. Due to the limited number of studies, we were unable to perform a meta-analysis on mediators between SSc and SSc-ILD, highlighting the need for further studies. However, our review strongly highlights the involvement of the pulmonary epithelium in SSc-ILD, contributing to positive feedback between injured epithelial cells and fibroblast activation/fibrosis. Further research into the role of the epithelium is needed to identify novel mechanisms leading to SSc-ILD that could serve as novel pharmacological targets
Flow history effects on river bifurcation dynamics in a Himalayan river
No full textDynamic gravel bed rivers experience frequent changes in channel position and flow distribution between branches, which can alter the location and extent of flooding. Changes in flow routing can significantly impact livelihoods, habitats and infrastructure in adjacent floodplains. Here, we test whether variations in seasonal discharge patterns cause instability in channel position and flow distribution in a gravel bed river system around a major channel bifurcation. Satellite images of the Karnali River, Nepal, were assessed over a 30-year period to identify changes in channel position and flow partitioning downstream of the bifurcation. These observations were compared with daily discharge records to establish whether the sequencing of peak monsoonal flows coincided with geomorphic changes in the river. Changes to flow partitioning trends were consistently preceded by monsoon seasons with two large peak flows, suggesting a history-dependent threshold in the channels. To explain this observation, we use grain-size data from gravel bars that reveal variable grain clustering and bed armoring across the channel network. We propose that two high discharges are needed to transition between phases of bifurcation stability or instability, where the first event acts to break down the bed armor layer, allowing the second high flow to drive enlargement/closure of branches and reworking of the bed. Our findings suggest that flow sequencing is an important driver in flow distribution and stability at bifurcations in gravel bed rivers. Although the focus is on Himalayan rivers, the findings may be of relevance in other areas that experience changing seasonal flood regimes
When the thrill lingers: how post-purchase flow consciousness shapes live-stream shopping engagement
No full textPurpose – This research aims to examine how flow consciousness influences engagement, regret, and enjoyment in live-streaming commerce, uncovering the emotional mechanisms involved and how lenient return policies moderate these effects.Design/methodology/approach – This research used a multi-study approach. Study 1 employed experimental recall manipulation comparing high and low flow consciousness groups. Study 2 used a questionnaire survey with path and mediation analysis to explore links between flow consciousness, regret, enjoyment, and engagement. Study 3 applied a 2x2 experimental design to test the moderation of return policy leniency.Findings – Flow consciousness boosts post-purchase engagement, mediated by reduced regret and increased enjoyment. Flow consciousness helps consumers attribute impulse purchases to the enjoyable experience, lowering regret. Return policy leniency moderates these effects, with stricter policies amplifying the impact of flow on engagement, regret, and enjoyment.Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to variables tested, and self-reported measures. Future research could test alternative models and embrace an integrated approach, combining objective metrics with experimental designs that manipulate factors such as influencer identity, content style, and transaction formats. Practical implications – Businesses should create immersive platforms that promote flow experiences, increasing post-purchase engagement and reducing regret. Strategic post-purchase communication can help reinforce positive emotions. They should also carefully manage return policies to encourage long-term customer engagement.Originality – This research advances flow theory in marketing by identifying flow consciousness as a distinct post-purchase mechanism, separate from the immersive flow experience itself. It shows that retrospective recognition of flow shapes post-purchase engagement through affective responses and that these effects intensify under stricter return policies. This is among the first studies to link experiential and policy factors in driving sustained consumer engagement
Tim Cornell / Nicolas Meunier / Daniele Miano (Eds.), Myth and History in the Historiography of Early Rome. (Historiography of Rome and Its Empire, Vol. 17.) Leiden, Brill 2023
No full textA popular history of Idi Amin’s Uganda by Derek Peterson, New Haven, CT, Yale University Press, 2025, 376 pp., £25 (hardback), ISBN 978030027838
No full textComputational Hermeneutics: Evaluating Generative AI as a Cultural Technology
No full textGenerative AI (GenAI) systems are increasingly recognized as cultural technologies, yet current evaluation frameworks often treat culture as a variable to be measured rather than fundamental to the system's operation. Drawing on hermeneutic theory from the humanities, we argue that GenAI systems function as "context machines" that must inherently address three interpretive challenges: situatedness (meaning only emerges in context), plurality (multiple valid interpretations coexist), and ambiguity (interpretations naturally conflict). We present computational hermeneutics as an emerging framework offering an interpretive account of what GenAI systems do, and how they might do it better. We offer three principles for hermeneutic evaluation—that benchmarks should be iterative, not one-off; include people, not just machines; and measure cultural context, not just model output. This perspective offers a nascent paradigm for designing and evaluating contemporary AI systems: shifting from standardized questions about accuracy to contextual ones about meaning
Stability and precision in chronostratigraphic definition: The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) is the solution [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, volume 685, 113515]: Reply (Cementing the Golden Spike)
No full textA comment on our original paper (Davydov and Lucas, 2026) provided two examples (Devonian/Carboniferous and Permian/Triassic boundaries) to support the assertion that a volcanic ash and its radioisotope date would be the best primary marker for GSSP proposals and correlation. We demonstrate that precise correlation of the base Carboniferous and base Triassic requires the use of all stratigraphic markers including radioisotope dates where available. We reply that there is no practical way to correlate a numerical age in many sections, and that attempting to do so conflates the essential separation of rock and time. However, volcanic ash beds and their ages, are recognized as essential tools for calibration and to test correlations
Etched in stone? Exploring temporality through the itineraries of ten stone inscriptions from a Roman frontier fort in Wales
No full textTime is a fundamental but underexplored concept in archaeology. The materiality of stone in particular warrants attention in exploring the ways people respond to things as they conceptualize the past, present and future. Describing something as etched in stone implies a fixed and unalterable meaning; it is stone’s longevity, its inhuman timescale, which makes it particularly suitable for perpetuating ideas into the future. Yet it is also this very longevity that imbues stone objects with new meanings as they are used, abandoned, ‘discovered’ and repurposed. In tracing the itineraries of ten inscriptions from a Roman frontier fort in Wales, and the envisaged pasts and futures invested in them by those who created and encountered them, this paper explores the unique role of inscribed stone in shaping and reflecting human conceptualizations of time and emphasizes the centrality of temporality to archaeological theory and practice
Formulating better enterprise policy in the periphery: A design science approach
No full textThis paper addresses the persistent misalignment between enterprise policy design and the contextual realities of peripheral regions. While entrepreneurship scholarship increasingly recognizes the importance of spatial, social, and institutional context, enterprise policy remains dominated by urban-centric, high-growth models that neglect the specificities of peripheral areas. Drawing on design science, we reconceptualize policy development as a design challenge rather than a knowledge gap. We introduce REFLECT, a policy formulation artifact that enhances reflexivity and dialogue in enterprise policymaking. The artifact raises awareness and stimulates dialogue within and across policy communities, enabling policy agents to better understand and navigate the structural uncertainties faced by meso-level actors who mediate between national directives and local entrepreneurial realities. Using RE-AIM, we evaluate REFLECT’s utility as both a technological tool and a boundary object that supports adaptive, place-sensitive policy design. The artifact provides a blueprint for action in enterprise policy design, supporting policymakers who seek to improve the formulation and delivery of enterprise support in often-overlooked peripheral contexts. It also improves our theoretical understanding of enterprise policymaking and advances the use of design science as a method in entrepreneurship and innovation research
Assessing the thermal dampening and blanketing effects of ivy (Hedera helix) on stone-built coastal heritage assets under summer conditions
Full text linkClimbing plants, such as English ivy (Hedera helix), are an important component of the natural and built environment, and are increasingly integrated into the designs of modern developments to provide aesthetic and thermal benefits. Yet, the influence of ivy on the conservation of historic buildings remains controversial. In urban and rural settings, ivy has been shown to both enhance and retard material breakdown. However, in dynamic coastal environments, where heritage assets are regularly exposed to variable weather conditions and damaging ocean spray, the impacts of ivy on stone decay are relatively unknown. In this study, a combination of laboratory simulations and field experiments were used to assess the impacts of different covers of ivy (i.e., full foliage, managed foliage, and exposed stone) on surface and subsurface microclimates and stone deterioration at two sixteenth century castles in Kent, UK. Our results show that ivy may shield surfaces against potentially damaging salt crystals, and buffer extremes and fluctuations in temperature and humidity during warm, summer conditions. Importantly, we show that heavily-managed stems can provide protective functions irrespective of leaves through the modulation of environmental variables linked to stone decay
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