bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
p-Coumaric acid mitigates lipopolysaccharide induced brain damage via alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis
Authors: Daroi Pratibha Atul , Dhage Shrikant Ninaji , Juvekar Archana Ramesh
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide induces neuroinflammation leading to cognitive deficit and memory impairment. Herein, we investigated the effects of p-Coumaric acid (PCA) in LPS induced neuroinflammation in mice. PCA is reported to possess free radicle scavenging and neuroprotective action.

Methods

Mice received treatment with PCA (80 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) for 28 days. LPS (0.25 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally from Day 15 to 21, to all groups. Memory impairment and cognitive deficit were assessed by MWM and Y maze test, followed by estimation of ROS, TNF-α, IL-6, caspase-3 and c-Jun in the brain homogenate by ELISA. Histopathological changes were investigated using Nissl and H&E staining.

Key findings

PCA attenuated increased oxidative stress, significantly increasing SOD, GSH levels and decreasing MDA level and AChE activity in mice brain, lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 indicating protection against neuroinflammatory reaction. PCA also suppressed neuronal apoptosis, as indicated by decreased levels of caspase-3 and c-Jun. Further, histopathological findings revealed that PCA attenuated neuronal loss and pathological abnormalities in the hippocampus.

Conclusions

Our findings give compulsive evidence suggesting a protective effect of PCA in neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment and neuronal apoptosis induced by LPS, through its antioxidant, AChE inhibitory, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic activity determined by behavioural, biochemical and histopathological measures.
COVID-19 vaccine passport for safe resumption of travel
Authors: Pavli Androula , Maltezou Helena C
Published: May 2021

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues despite the implementation of effective restrictive public health measures, including strict travel restrictions. In light of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19, ‘vaccine passports’, as a temporary recommendation will facilitate resumption of travel.
Reactive oxygen species and organellar signaling
Authors: Phua Su Yin , De Smet Barbara , Remacle Claire , Chan Kai Xun , Van Breusegem Frank
Published: May 2021

The evolution of photosynthesis and its associated metabolic pathways has been crucial to the successful establishment of plants, but has also challenged plant cells in the form of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intriguingly, multiple forms of ROS are generated in virtually every plant cell compartment through diverse pathways. As a result, a sophisticated network of ROS detoxification and signaling that is simultaneously tailored to individual organelles and safeguards the entire cell is necessary. Here we take an organelle-centric view on the principal sources and sinks of ROS across the plant cell and provide insights into the ROS-induced organelle to nucleus retrograde signaling pathways needed for operational readjustments during environmental stresses.
Parsec-scale properties of eight Fanaroff–Riley type 0 radio galaxies
Authors: Cheng Xiaopeng , An Tao , Sohn Bong Won , Hong Xiaoyu , Wang Ailing
Published: May 2021

We report the high-resolution radio observations of eight Fanaroff–Riley type 0 radio galaxies (FR 0s), selected from the published FR 0 sample. These observations were carried out with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and European VLBI Network (EVN) at frequencies of 5 and 8 GHz with a highest resolution of ∼0.6 milliarcsec. All eight sources show compact structures on projected physical sizes of 0.3–10 parsec. Six sources show a two-sided structure and two sources show a one-sided jet structure. J1025+1022 shows an X-shaped jet structure, which could result from a reorientation of the jet axis due to a restart of the central engine or a projection of a highly curved inner jet. However, more studies are needed to examine these scenarios. Proper motions for 22 jet components of the eight sources are determined to be between $-0.08\, c$ and $0.51\, c$. Although most of the sources exhibit flat spectra, other observed characteristics, such as low-amplitude flux density variations, low jet proper motion speeds and symmetric two-sided jet structures, tend to support the fact that the parsec-scale FR 0 jets are mildly relativistic with lower bulk Lorentz factors and larger viewing angles.
The spatial power spectrum and derived turbulent properties of isolated galaxies
Authors: Körtgen Bastian , Pingel Nickolas , Killerby-Smith Nicholas
Published: May 2021

The turbulent dynamics of nearby and extragalactic gas structures can be studied with the column density power spectrum that is often described by a broken power law. In an extragalactic context, the breaks in the power spectra have been interpreted to constrain the disc scale height, which marks a transition from 2D disc-like to 3D motion. However, this interpretation has recently been questioned when accounting for instrumental effects. We use numerical simulations to study the spatial power spectra of isolated galaxies and investigate the origins of the break scale. We split the gas into various phases and analyse the time evolution of the power spectrum characteristics, such as the slope(s) and the break scale. We find that the break scale is phase dependent. The physics traced by the break scale also differ: in the warm gas it marks the transition from 2D (disc-like) to 3D (isotropic) turbulence. In the cold gas, the break scale traces the typical size of molecular clouds. We further show that the break scale almost never traces the disc scale height. We study turbulent properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) to show that, in the case where the break scale traces a transition to isotropic turbulence, the fraction of required accretion energy to sustain turbulent motions in the ISM increases significantly. Lastly, we demonstrate through simulated observations that it is crucial to account for observational effects, such as the beam and instrumental noise, in order to accurately recover the break scale in real observations.
Collisional excitation of deuterated hydroxyl (OD) by molecular hydrogen
Authors: Dagdigian Paul J
Published: May 2021

Cross sections and rate coefficients for transitions between hyperfine levels associated with the 14 lowest rotational/fine-structure levels of OD induced by collisions with ortho-H2 and para-H2 are presented. These collisional parameters have been computed in time-independent close-coupling quantum-scattering calculations with a potential energy surface (PES) describing the OD–H2 interaction, which was obtained by transformation of the OH–H2 PES. Rate coefficients have been computed for temperatures from 5 to 200 K. Cross sections for OD transitions between rotational/fine-structure levels are found to be significantly larger than the corresponding transitions in OH, mainly because of the reduced energy gaps in OD. The hyperfine-resolved rate coefficients were employed in simple radiative transfer calculations for OD and compared with analogous calculations for OH.
The influence of the size of ice–dust particles on the amplitude of the change in the brightness of a comet caused by an outburst
Authors: Wesołowski M
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a new approach to analysing the brightness change of a Jupiter family comet. We assume that the coma contains particles composed of water ice, carbonaceous, and silicate dust. Different sizes of dust particles were taken into account following the adopted size distribution. From an analysis of modern space missions, it is clear that the sizes of the dominant coma particles at the time of the outburst are in the order of micrometres to centimetres. However, most of these particles have dimensions that are comparable to the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation coming from the Sun. In the case of dust particles, four groups were distinguished depending on their dimensions. The performed calculations show that the particle size significantly influences the change of the cometary brightness, i.e. the scattering efficiency of the incident sunlight that occurs on the particle. The conducted numerical simulations show that the changes in the brightness of the comet oscillate approximately from −8 to −1 mag. This means that we can talk about outbursts, the amplitudes of which are most often observed.
The Evolution Pathway of Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea Shaped by Major Geological Events
Authors: Yang Yiyan , Zhang Chuanlun , Lenton Timothy M , Yan Xinmiao , Zhu Maoyan , Zhou Mengdi , Tao Jianchang , Phelps Tommy J , Cao Zhiwei
Published: May 2021

Primordial nitrification processes have been studied extensively using geochemical approaches, but the biological origination of nitrification remains unclear. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are widely distributed nitrifiers and implement the rate-limiting step in nitrification. They are hypothesized to have been important players in the global nitrogen cycle in Earth’s early history. We performed systematic phylogenomic and marker gene analyses to elucidate the diversification timeline of AOA evolution. Our results suggested that the AOA ancestor experienced terrestrial geothermal environments at ∼1,165 Ma (1,928–880 Ma), and gradually evolved into mesophilic soil at ∼652 Ma (767–554 Ma) before diversifying into marine settings at ∼509 Ma (629–412 Ma) and later into shallow and deep oceans, respectively. Corroborated by geochemical evidence and modeling, the timing of key diversification nodes can be linked to the global magmatism and glaciation associated with the assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia, and the later oxygenation of the deep ocean. Results of this integrated study shed light on the geological forces that may have shaped the evolutionary pathways of the AOA, which played an important role in the ancient global nitrogen cycle.
IUPred3: prediction of protein disorder enhanced with unambiguous experimental annotation and visualization of evolutionary conservation
Authors: Erdős Gábor , Pajkos Mátyás , Dosztányi Zsuzsanna
Published: May 2021

Intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions (IDPs/IDRs) exist without a single well-defined conformation. They carry out important biological functions with multifaceted roles which is also reflected in their evolutionary behavior. Computational methods play important roles in the characterization of IDRs. One of the commonly used disorder prediction methods is IUPred, which relies on an energy estimation approach. The IUPred web server takes an amino acid sequence or a Uniprot ID/accession as an input and predicts the tendency for each amino acid to be in a disordered region with an option to also predict context-dependent disordered regions. In this new iteration of IUPred, we added multiple novel features to enhance the prediction capabilities of the server. First, learning from the latest evaluation of disorder prediction methods we introduced multiple new smoothing functions to the prediction that decreases noise and increases the performance of the predictions. We constructed a dataset consisting of experimentally verified ordered/disordered regions with unambiguous annotations which were added to the prediction. We also introduced a novel tool that enables the exploration of the evolutionary conservation of protein disorder coupled to sequence conservation in model organisms. The web server is freely available to users and accessible at https://iupred3.elte.hu.
Quantifying splice-site usage: a simple yet powerful approach to analyze splicing
Authors: Dent Craig I , Singh Shilpi , Mukherjee Sourav , Mishra Shikhar , Sarwade Rucha D , Shamaya Nawar , Loo Kok Ping , Harrison Paul , Sureshkumar Sridevi , Powell David , Balasubramanian Sureshkumar
Published: May 2021

RNA splicing, and variations in this process referred to as alternative splicing, are critical aspects of gene regulation in eukaryotes. From environmental responses in plants to being a primary link between genetic variation and disease in humans, splicing differences confer extensive phenotypic changes across diverse organisms (1–3). Regulation of splicing occurs through differential selection of splice sites in a splicing reaction, which results in variation in the abundance of isoforms and/or splicing events. However, genomic determinants that influence splice-site selection remain largely unknown. While traditional approaches for analyzing splicing rely on quantifying variant transcripts (i.e. isoforms) or splicing events (i.e. intron retention, exon skipping etc.) (4), recent approaches focus on analyzing complex/mutually exclusive splicing patterns (5–8). However, none of these approaches explicitly measure individual splice-site usage, which can provide valuable information about splice-site choice and its regulation. Here, we present a simple approach to quantify the empirical usage of individual splice sites reflecting their strength, which determines their selection in a splicing reaction. Splice-site strength/usage, as a quantitative phenotype, allows us to directly link genetic variation with usage of individual splice-sites. We demonstrate the power of this approach in defining the genomic determinants of splice-site choice through GWAS. Our pilot analysis with more than a thousand splice sites hints that sequence divergence in cis rather than trans is associated with variations in splicing among accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. This approach allows deciphering principles of splicing and has broad implications from agriculture to medicine.
External Lumbar Drainage following Traumatic Intracranial Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Badhiwala Jetan , Lumba-Brown Angela , Hawryluk Gregory W J , Ghajar Jamshid
Published: May 2021

BACKGROUND

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in elevations in intracranial pressure (ICP) that are refractory to standard therapies. Several studies have investigated the utility of external lumbar drainage (ELD) in this setting.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ELD or lumbar puncture with regard to immediate effect on ICP, durability of the effect on ICP, complications, and neurological outcomes in adults with refractory traumatic intracranial hypertension.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted beginning with a comprehensive search of PubMed/EMBASE. Two investigators reviewed studies for eligibility and extracted data. The strength of evidence was evaluated using GRADE methodology. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate pooled estimates.

RESULTS

Nine articles detailing 6 studies (N = 110) were included. There was moderate evidence that ELD has a significant immediate effect on ICP; the pooled effect size was –19.5 mmHg (95% CI –21.0 to –17.9 mmHg). There was low evidence to indicate a durable effect of ELD on ICP up to at least 24 h following ELD. There was low evidence to indicate that ELD was safe and associated with a low rate of clinical cerebral herniation or meningitis. There was very low evidence pertaining to neurological outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Given preliminary data indicating potential safety and feasibility in highly selected cases, the use of ELD in adults with severe TBI and refractory intracranial hypertension in the presence of open basal cisterns and absence of large focal hematoma merits further high-quality investigation; the ideal conditions for potential application remain to be determined.
Japanese Politics
Authors: Pekkanen Robert J. , Pekkanen Saadia M.
Published: May 2021

The study of Japanese politics has flourished over the past several decades. This Handbook provides a state-of-the-field overview for students and researchers of Japanese. The volume also serves to introduce Japanese politics to readers less familiar with Japan. In addition, the volume has a theme of “evaluating Japan’s democracy.” Taken as a whole, the volume provides a positive evaluation of the state of Japan’s democracy. The volume is divided into two parts, roughly corresponding to domestic Japanese politics and Japan’s international politics. Within the domestic politics part, there are four distinct sections: “Domestic Political Actors and Institutions,” covering the Japanese Constitution, electoral systems, prime minister, Diet, bureaucracy, judiciary, and local government; “Political Parties and Coalitions,” covering the Liberal Democratic Party, coalition government, Kōmeitō, and the political opposition; “Policymaking and the Public,” covering the policymaking process, public opinion, civil society, and populism; and, “Political Economy and Social Policy,” covering industrial, energy, social welfare, agricultural, monetary, and immigration policies, as well as social inequality. In the international relations part, there are four sections: “International Relations Frameworks,” covering grand strategy, international organizations, and international status; “International Political Economy,” covering trade, finance, foreign direct investment, the environment, economic regionalism, and the linkage between security and economics; “International Security,” covering remilitarization, global and regional security multilateralism, nuclear nonproliferation, naval power, space security, and cybersecurity; and, “Foreign Relations” covering Japan’s relations with the United States, China, South Korea, ASEAN, India, the European Union, and Russia.
Japan and Nuclear Nonproliferation
Authors: Mochizuki Mike
Published: May 2021

This chapter analyzes the evolution of Japanese policies toward nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and nuclear disarmament. It traces the development of Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles and examines how these principles relate to Japan’s security alliance with the United States. By examining the interaction of domestic politics and changes in the international environment, the chapter shows how Japan has reaffirmed its status as a non-nuclear-weapons state. Japan’s promotion of nuclear power to meet its energy needs has rested on an explicit policy to forgo nuclear weapons and a commitment to the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. At the same time, Japan’s reliance on US extended nuclear deterrence and its concerns about regional security threats have tempered its support for nuclear disarmament initiatives.
Music Recording and the Recording Industry
Authors: Gronow Pekka
Published: May 2021

Records have become an essential source for popular music history. The article discusses the technical development and global expansion of the international recording industry from the 1890s to the 2010s. Production peaked in 1929 and started to grow again after the Second World War. As the technology developed, independent recording studios were established, and the infrastructure for making records became widely available. The article also discusses the special case of record production in the Soviet Union. In the early days of radio, stations produced music themselves, but since the 1960s, radio has mostly relied on records. Many public broadcasters still have large music archives. Television has also been important for documenting and marketing music. Since 2000, the recording industry has made a successful transition to the internet. Access to social networks has given birth to a large number of microproducers, and the role of music videos has increased.
The Palestine Question
Authors: Ghanim Honaida
Published: May 2021

The colonial framework introduced a central perspective into Palestinian studies in the context of addressing Zionism, Zionist relations with the Palestinian entity, and the creation of the question of Palestine. This chapter explores the rise and shifts of the Palestinian question from the Balfour Declaration to the “deal of the century.” Informed by a sociohistorical approach, the chapter discusses historical shifts and analyzes the Palestine question within relations of interplay and entanglement with the Zionist project and, later, with the state of Israel. It focuses on the sociological dimensions of the Palestine question at the intersection of settler colonialism, theology, and state-making, on the one hand, and indigenous resistance, national struggle, and pragmatism, on the other.
2 Maccabees
Authors: Duggan Michael W.
Published: May 2021

2 Maccabees describes a unique synergy between martyrs and militants that empowers the Jewish polity to wrest Jerusalem and its temple from Seleucid control. The dramatization of events between ca. 176 and 161 bce profiles the reactions to the Hellenization of Jerusalem by three segments of the Jewish populace: the priests who promote the initiative, the observant Jews who resist it at the cost of their lives, and the guerrilla force that defeats the Seleucids on the battlefield. The unfolding of events illustrates that adherence to the ancestral traditions is essential to shaping Jerusalem into a unique Jewish polis in the Hellenistic world. The refined Hellenistic texture of the narrative is designed to address an audience in the diaspora. The two prefatory letters invite Jews in Egypt to view the temple, Jerusalem, and Judea as the ultimate meeting ground for all the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
4 Maccabees
Authors: van Henten Jan Willem
Published: May 2021

4 Maccabees is the oldest Jewish writing entirely devoted to martyrdom and one of the four Maccabean books that are part of the Septuagint. It is an anonymous work that combines a philosophical treatise about the autonomy of reason based on religion with praise for the Maccabean martyrs, heroes whose heroic death is already reported in 2 Maccabees 6–7. This chapter offers a survey of the introductory issues (transmission of the text, date, provenance, literary features) and a detailed discussion of the book’s extensive reinterpretation of the Maccabean martyrdoms and important themes: beneficial death, vindication of the martyrs, and political significance of the martyrdoms.
The Wisdom of Solomon
Authors: Zurawski Jason M.
Published: May 2021

The Wisdom of Solomon is a rhetorically sophisticated composition written near the turn of the era in Alexandria, Egypt. While early scholars saw the text as a product of several authors from different times and places, more recent studies have gone a long way in demonstrating the unity of the text. The unique confluence of diverse elements, whether apocalyptic and sapiential themes, Stoic and Platonic philosophy, or multiple literary forms, has provided scholars ample opportunity to debate the main arguments and purpose of the text, the audience at which it was aimed, and the position of the text with respect to wider Hellenistic culture. One of the more unique features of Wisdom is the uncertainty surrounding many of its core concepts and figures. This crafted ambiguity offers a multiplicity of meaning that draws the reader in to engage more closely with the central lessons of the text on how to be a righteous person and secure the future immortal life of the soul.
The Additions to Daniel
Authors: DiTommaso Lorenzo
Published: May 2021

The ancient Greek versions of Daniel contain three extended passages that are not included in the Hebrew-Aramaic (MT) version of the book. These “Additions” to Daniel consist of the tale of Susanna (= LXX Daniel 1), the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men (LXX Dan 3:24–90), and the tales of Bel and the Dragon (LXX Daniel 14). Daniel is one of several biblical books that contain additional material in their Greek versions (cf. Esther, Jeremiah, and Psalms). As with the court tales of the Book of Daniel, the three Additions to Daniel describe a model life-style that stresses covenantal fidelity and assures divine reciprocity. The message of the model is clear: just as Daniel, Susanna, and the three young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prosper in the face of hostility and the threat of death, so Jews who live in foreign lands could survive and even thrive by maintaining their traditional identity and trust in God. Whatever the circumstance, justice will prevail, the righteous will be rewarded, and the wicked will be punished.
Psalms 151–155
Authors: Pajunen Mika S.
Published: May 2021

This article deals with Psalms 151–155 that are frequently referred to with the problematic designation “apocryphal psalms.” This study takes part in and advances the most recent scholarly discussions concerning each of these psalms. It takes up matters related to textual history, such as the relation between the preserved Greek and Hebrew version of Psalm 151, the origins of Psalms 152 and 153, manuscript 4Q448 as a witness to Psalm 154, and the possible acrostic nature of Psalm 155. The different literary settings of these psalms in manuscript 11QPsa, the Septuagint, and Syriac psalm collections are also briefly examined, and the pseudepigraphic attributions of these psalms to biblical persons and events are discussed in relation to general tendencies evident in the broader study of psalms.
Sexuality in the Apocrypha
Authors: Loader William
Published: May 2021

This piece examines references to sexuality in the diverse writings of the Apocrypha. It uses the term “sexuality” broadly to encompass matters pertaining to sexuality, rather than in the more confined sense that is found in discussions of sexual orientation and sexual theory. It will therefore consider a range of ways in which sexual drive or desire finds expression in various contexts, from marriage to sex work, same-sex relations to celibacy, and beyond. It will do so by examining such references in the particular context of the writings being considered and in the light of the broader social context. It discusses each writing or set of writing in turn: 1 Esdras, Baruch, Judith, the Books of the Maccabees, 2 Esdras, Ben Sira/Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Susanna, the Additions to Esther, and the Letter of Jeremiah. There are sexual elements common to many of these works: male stereotypes about women in their sexuality as dangerous, associated with mockery of men who lose control to women; male predatory behavior; rape and sexual violence in war; linkage of idolatry to profligate sexuality; gender role reversals, which as exceptions confirm the norms; affirmation of sexual attractiveness when not abused and of (arranged) marriage and the processes of procreation and nurture; and disapprovals of sex work and marriage to foreigners or exogamy.
Biblical Theology and the Apocrypha
Authors: deSilva David A.
Published: May 2021

The books of the Apocrypha contain extensive reflection on the theologies of earlier Jewish writings, particularly in regard to election, the Torah, and the Deuteronomistic theology of history, in the face of several critical situations facing the Jewish people (the advance and advantages of Hellenization, the repression of Judaism under Antiochus IV, ongoing life as a minority culture throughout the Diaspora, and domination and devastation under Rome). They also bear witness to important developments both in personal and national eschatology and in the identification of supernatural forces impacting human existence (e.g., angels and demons). Early Christians, in turn, found these texts to provide important resources for their reflection upon the person and work of Jesus, applying developments within the Wisdom tradition in their delineation of the relationship of the Son to God and within the Jewish martyrological traditions to their professions about the atoning force of Jesus’ death. These texts thus exercised an important influence on the theologies articulated in the New Testament and the development of the doctrines and creeds embraced by the universal church, despite the ongoing discussions within the church concerning their canonical status.
2 Esdras
Authors: Sheinfeld Shayna
Published: May 2021

In this chapter, Shayna Sheinfeld introduces and analyzes the text and history of the apocryphal book known as 2 Esdras. 2 Esdras is a composite work, comprised of three separate works. The earliest portion, called 4 Ezra, can be found in chapters 3–14 of 2 Esdras. It is a Jewish apocalypse written after the destruction of the second temple around 100 ce. While 4 Ezra claims that it is part of seventy secret books meant for “the wise,” Sheinfeld argues that the text was meant to reach out to a broader Jewish audience. Two Christian additions—5 Ezra (2 Esdras 1–2) and 6 Ezra (2 Esdras 15–16)—bookend 4 Ezra, changing its function from an apocalypse meant to provide meaning for Jews following the destruction of the Second Temple to a narrative that focuses on the rise of Christianity as superseding Israel and on those who will experience persecution because of their beliefs.
The Epistle of Jeremiah
Authors: Docherty Susan
Published: May 2021

The Epistle of Jeremiah, one of the shortest extant deutero-canonical writings, offers a strong critique of idolatry, describing it as the worship of impotent and lifeless idols. This article explores the theology of the text, as well as significant aspects of its composition and literary structure, engaging with it as a genuine letter, an example of a well-attested and authoritative form of communication among Diaspora Jews. It highlights in particular the epistle’s pervasive connections with the Jewish scriptures, arguing that, despite its brevity and perceived lack of originality, it offers valuable insights into the exegetical techniques and principles characteristic of the Second Temple period.
The Apocrypha, the Septuagint, and Other Greek Witnesses
Authors: de Troyer Kristin
Published: May 2021

As for the Apocrypha, the Septuagint and Other Greek witnesses, there are four different groups of canons or Bibles to consider. Group one comprises the books and additions (to Esther and Daniel) that are in the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Slavonic Bibles: Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach, Baruch, the Letter of Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah (which is Baruch, chapter 6), the Additions to the Book of Daniel (with the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon), 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees; the second group consists of the books in the Greek and Slavonic Bibles, which are not in the Roman Catholic canon (1 Esdras, also called 2 Esdras in Slavonic or 3 Esdras in the Appendix to the Vulgate), the Prayer of Manasseh (in an appendix to the Vulgate), Psalm 151, and 3 Maccabees; the third group contains the book that is in the Slavonic Bible and in the Latin Vulgate Appendix, but not in the Greek Bible: 2 Esdras (also called 3 Esdras in the Slavonic Bible or 4 Esdras in the Vulgate Appendix); and the fourth group contains 4 Maccabees, which can only be found in an appendix to the Greek Bible.
The Apocrypha in the History of Early Christianity
Authors: Nicklas Tobias
Published: May 2021

Whereas the New Testament never actually quotes from any of the Apocrypha, we can, however, find evidence that at least some of the Apocrypha were indeed of impact for several New Testament writings. The same can be said about the Apostolic Fathers, some pieces of early Christian Apocrypha and, of course, many later authors. Whereas it is clear that neither Judith nor the books of the Maccabees were used only as historical sources—and that a text like 4 Maccabees never referred to by any writer—a full and detailed overview of the use and impact of the Old Testament Apocrypha remains a desideratum.
The Book of Judith
Authors: Levine Gera Deborah
Published: May 2021

This article surveys the story told in the Septuagint Book of Judith, its historicity and date, and the characters and structure of the work. It discusses biblical influences on the apocryphal book, the debated issue of the work’s original language, and theories about the author’s identity. The article also looks at the different approach to Judith found in Jerome’s influential Vulgate version, and points to the moral and feminist questions raised by the figure of Judith. As for the latter, at first sight, Judith, the savior of her people, seems to have the makings of a feminist heroine. She is undoubtedly superior to all the men who surround her, superior in wisdom as well as in action. Judith is strong and self-reliant, controlled and calm, and in many ways she seems to be an androgynous figure, an honorary male, so to speak. However, Judith’s role in the plot requires that she be without family ties, attractive, and deceptive, while her role as a religious authority and mouthpiece for the author’s theological ideas requires that she be wise, pious, and observant. This makes Judith a complex and sometimes contradictory figure, but not a feminist one.

The article ends with a very brief account of the book’s reception history.
1 Maccabees
Authors: Mendels Doron
Published: May 2021

The main theme of the book of 1 Maccabees is the war of the Hasmonaean family against the Seleucids and their gradual participation in the political games of the neighboring Hellenistic kings and claimants to kingship, until the declaration of Jewish independence by Simeon and its aftermath. Subthemes are interwoven in the main subject of the book, which play a significant role within the narrative and are closely related to it. They are the conquest of parts of the Land of Israel, the refoundation of the Temple and its renovation, the relationship of the first Hasmonaeans with their neighboring kings and princes as well as with more remote but important states (Sparta and Rome), and various ethical and theological issues that seem to have had a major role in the creation of a new Jewish identity in Palestine. The book’s climax is the Jewish independence in the land of Israel achieved by Simeon; its anticlimax is the death of the latter.
Discursive Justice in and With Future Generations
Authors: Blake Michael
Published: May 2021

Most discussions of intergenerational justice focus on distributive justice between generations. Much of contemporary thinking about justice, though, focuses on how people might reason together in a respectful and egalitarian manner—with, that is, justice in political discourse. This chapter seeks to apply this latter sort of theorizing to the intergenerational context. It identifies two ways in which discursive justice might be applicable to that context. First, the present generation might wrong future generations by making discursive justice more difficult in the future; it might, for instance, create a future in which political agents must display greater virtue—both intellectual and moral—than present generations have had to demonstrate. Second, if we accept that agents may have interests that outlive themselves, then one generation might wrong another by failing to listen to the claims that persist through time and across generations. This discussion is compatible with the conclusion that moral claims generally diminish in importance over time; as the world in which a given generation’s moral commitments were made changes, so too does the moral pull of those commitments diminish.
Intergenerational Justice and Debt
Authors: Taylor Smith Patrick
Published: May 2021

Discussions of public debt often take on an intergenerational character. Balanced budget amendments and austerity policies are justified by appeal to the idea that high levels of national or state debt represent an unfair burden on the future. Conversely, debt forgiveness campaigns that appeal to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank often suggest that debt harms the interests of the future citizens of the indebted nation. In response to these issues, this chapter makes three significant points. First, it argues that, somewhat controversially, states are often more likely to undermine substantive justice by taking on too little debt rather than by taking on too much. This section looks at the best available evidence from macroeconomics on the relationship between debt and economic growth. Second, the chapter examines the procedural issues for making debt policy decisions and how they can more reliably reflect the interests of the future; it argues in favor of a guardianship paradigm for intergenerational procedural justice. The chapter also shows that sustainable infrastructure is necessary to complement the guardianship paradigm by generating a convergence between justice-based motivations and economic self-interest. Finally, the chapter argues that questions of global and intergenerational justice are inextricably linked in the context of public debt because global injustice often limits the ability of some states to properly manage their fiscal affairs.
Paradox and Possibility
Authors: Poyntz Stuart R.
Published: May 2021

The history of youth and media culture can be examined by tracing the relationships between the production, representation, circulation, and consumption of media, technology, and cultural texts aimed at youth markets and audiences. The historical development of youth relates to larger socioeconomic, cultural, and political conditions, including the role of mass reproduction and changes in the conditions of distance that shape youth lives. Youth and mass media first melded together in the West, owing to developments in the United States and the United Kingdom. The histories of media and youth culture in other countries, however, capture differences in youth media relationships. In the contemporary period, the use of YouTube in the West and WeChat in China illuminates the globalization of youth cultures and the ongoing role of a central paradox integral to young people’s entanglements with media around the world: the key media structures that shape and contour youth lives are also the very sites where youth continue to navigate authentic meaning and experience and imagine their own futures.
Defining and Identifying Secondary Layers
Authors: Kratz Reinhard G.
Published: May 2021

This essay examines the criteria for defining and identifying secondary layers of composition in the Pentateuch. It considers both external evidence (e.g. the evidence from different ancient versions of the text and ancient rewritten texts) and internal evidence. The essay concludes with an extended examination of the Genesis texts that contain the promises to the patriarchs.
The Place of Deuteronomy in the Formation of the Pentateuch
Authors: Rüterswörden Udo
Published: May 2021

This chapter addresses six key issues with regard to Deuteronomy and its place in the formation of the Pentateuch: the place of Deuteronomy in the pentateuchal narrative; Deuteronomy as a “reworked Tetrateuch”; redactional layers in Deuteronomy; the date of the book; the concept of “covenant” in Deuteronomy and its relationship to the treaty traditions in the ancient Near East; and, finally, the connection between Deuteronomy and “Deuteronomism” in the Hebrew Bible.
The Identification of Postexilic Material in the Pentateuch
Authors: Albertz Rainer
Published: May 2021

Without archaeological or paleographical means to determine the date of texts from the Pentateuch, scholarship relies on historical, linguistic, and literary-historical evidence to place pentateuchal materials in their compositional contexts. Under these three headings, this essay presents the evidence for texts originating in the postexilic period, and argues that there is considerably more of it than has traditionally been identified.
The Imperial Context of the Pentateuch
Authors: Brett Mark G.
Published: May 2021

This chapter explores the variety of ways in which the Persian imperial context may have helped to shape, directly or indirectly, the authority and the content of the Torah as the five books of Moses. It critically evaluates the theory that the Pentateuch was officially authorized by the Persians, and finds this scenario much less convincing than more subtle accounts of imperial pressure giving rise to a series of compromises—between priestly and non-priestly literature and between the temples of Jerusalem and Mount Gerizim. Unlike the book of Ezra, the Pentateuch studiously avoids giving priority either to Jerusalem or to Gerizim, while hexateuchal redactions affirm the north. The chapter also considers proposals for understanding the pentateuchal traditions through the lens of postcolonial studies, clarifying the ways in which this research paradigm highlights the dynamics of mimicry, while undermining assumed distinctions between local agency and imperial administration.
The Pentateuch as (/and) Social Memory of “Israel” in the Late Persian Period
Authors: Ben Zvi Ehud
Published: May 2021

This essay explores the heuristic potential of Social Memory approach for the study of the Pentateuch. It focus on eight different “windows” that each sheds light on what an approach informed by memory studies may contribute to current discussions on the Pentateuch as a collection and the types of issues, questions or “angles” within existing questions that such an approach may raise. These windows focus on matters such as the Pentateuch as shared foundational memory of not one but two distinctive ‘groups’, beginnings and endings, main sites of memory, villains, multiplicity of voices, and intertwining of laws and narratives.
The Pentateuch in Second Temple Judaism
Authors: Collins John J.
Published: May 2021

This essay reviews the basic contents of the Pentateuch and the labels assigned to it, both ancient and modern. It then turns to the question of pentateuchal origins in the Persian period and its earliest interpretation in that era. It then turns to the Hellenistic and early Roman periods and the reception and social roles of the Pentateuch in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.
The Relevance of Moses Traditions in the Second Temple Period
Authors: Zahn Molly M.
Published: May 2021

This essay considers the array of Moses traditions in the Second Temple period and their relationship to the Pentateuch. It begins with a discussion of the pluriformity of the pentateuchal text during this period. It then turns to pentateuchal figures and themes in non-pentateuchal texts, analyzing their impact on questions of canon and authority. The essay also examines the term “Torah” itself, demonstrating that, even in the late Second Temple period, this term was not coterminous with the Pentateuch. It concludes with suggestions for how scholarship might take fuller advantage of the insights provided by the Second Temple period texts and manuscripts.
The Greek Translation of the Pentateuch
Authors: Dogniez Cécile
Published: May 2021

This essay describes the Greek translation of the Pentateuch, the earliest attested translation and interpretation of this text. It discusses ancient characterizations of this translation as well as modern theories of its origins, social status, and translation method, including its linguistic and stylistic distinctives. The essay also considers the characteristics of the individual pentateuchal books in their Greek translation and how they differ from the Hebrew texts.
The Beginnings of a Critical Reading of the Pentateuch
Authors: Ska Jean-Louis
Published: May 2021

This essay presents a brief history of critical inquiry into the origin of the Pentateuch, whether to Mosaic authorship or to the idea of unified authorship in any sense, as well as into whether the Pentateuch, or the Bible more generally, is to be taken as “true” in a literal sense. It covers ground from Origen to Spinoza, and presents the background to later, and all modern, critical engagement with the text.
Diffusion Processes in International Political Economy
Authors: Greenhill Brian
Published: May 2021

This article provides an overview of recent literature on diffusion within the field of International Political Economy (IPE). It considers some of the more significant channels through which diffusion can occur, as well as the major causal processes that are likely to be responsible for the diffusion. After providing a brief overview of the modeling strategy adopted by many of the more influential diffusion studies, it goes on to discuss a number of promising directions for future research. It suggests that the literature has moved away from answering the question of whether diffusion is occurring in different contexts and is now more focused on understanding the conditions under which diffusion is more or less likely to occur. It argues that the study of diffusion within IPE tends to be problem-centered in its approach and stands to benefit from more engagement between quantitative and qualitative research.
Migration and IPE
Authors: Menz Georg
Published: May 2021

The study of migration developed in somewhat of an isolated fashion within the academic discipline of political science. It is only recently that the study of migration has been mainstreamed and has entered into dialogue with international and comparative political economy (IPE/CPE). The reasons for this mutual neglect are briefly accounted for. The chapter takes stock of the existing literature and makes a case for more dialogue between the two domains. While academic silo building sadly often interferes with dialogue across different subfields, the issue of immigration certainly could be connected with areas of interest to IPE scholars, such as trade, development, and monetary politics. Immigration regulation is commonly also linked to foreign (economic) policy and more scholarly work could be pursued in this vein. Existing IPE/CPE scholarship has demonstrated the economic considerations that shape migration policy design, such as the composition of the domestic work force, labor market requirements, strategies regarding skill sets, and real or alleged labor shortages, etc. Future scholarship could probe the relationship between migration regulation and development in more detail, as most future migration will likely involve emigration from the Global South. Environmental degradation might also cause larger scale emigration flows that should be of interest to those working on the development-migration nexus. Finally, migration within regional free trade areas, such as ASEAN or the EU, will likely continue to be of policy relevance and important for scholars to examine.
Interest Groups and Order in Global Economic Relations
Authors: Osgood Iain
Published: May 2021

Scholars of international relations have long pointed to organized interest groups as prime movers in the creation of order and disorder in global economic relations. This review introduces interest groups, illustrating the many types—representing producers, workers, consumers, issues, ideologies, and identities—that are examined in current scholarship. The costs, benefits, and challenges of collective organization are highlighted. It also provides a synthetic overview of four stylized varieties of interest group explanations for international order, focusing on: preferences and group size; organization and parties; domestic political institutions; and international institutions and organizations. Each of these factors shaping interest group influence has been treated as fixed in some accounts and as an endogenous outcome of interest group activity in others. Interest group-centered explanations for global order remain a vital and variegated approach within International Political Economy (IPE).
Republican Groups, Ideas, and Identities
Authors: Rossol Nadine
Published: May 2021

By redirecting our attention away from the political extremes and to those who passionately supported and defended the republic, this chapter demonstrates that the republicans were an important factor within Germany’s political landscape. As energetic supporters for Weimar’s young state, they showed their commitment publicly at local and national level and actively mobilized support. The chapter examines the different republican groups and alliances, what they expected of the republic and how ambivalences and differences emerged within the republican camp. A focus on Weimar’s republicans as significant political agents does not rewrite the history of Weimar Republic as a success story, but it adds an important dimension to the history of Germany’s first republican democracy.