bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complementizers, word order, and a non-cartographic approach to the CP-domain
Authors: Bacskai-Atkari Julia
Published: August 2024

This chapter elaborates on the notion of complementizer phrases (CPs) in correlation with complementizers, word order, and a non-cartographic approach. It starts with the role of complementizers in typing the clause. Assuming a COMP projection is one of the possibilities in modeling the CP-domain and maintaining constraints on word order, a simple COMP projection is not even descriptively adequate as it would rule out complex wh-phrases to appear in the left periphery and would fail to meet descriptive adequacy. The chapter explains that doubly filled COMP patterns point to the conclusion that the template either fails to meet descriptive adequacy or requires a large set of additional assumptions that are not independently motivated.
Externalization and meaningless movement
Authors: Cinque Guglielmo
Published: August 2024

A long tradition takes word order differences within one and the same language and across languages to be a consequence of movement. More recently Chomsky has made the suggestion that, given the architecture of UG, movement in narrow syntax should have interpretive effects at both interfaces (LF and PF). Any putative movement that has an effect on the PF side but no effect on the LF side should thus be expunged from narrow syntax, with the consequence that any word order difference devoid of LF effects should be confined to the PF interface. This requires an algorithm at PF that converts hierarchical structures to linear order. To assume as an algorithm the apparent fact that the physics of speech leaves just two options (a head either precedes or follows its complements) seems far from being sufficient in that it falls short of accounting for a number of linear order generalizations. Here it is argued that some meaningless movement must be assumed if we want to capture these generalizations and provide a theory of externalization based on the Linear Correspondence Axiom, an algorithm compatible with these generalizations.
Semantic principles of adverbial distribution
Authors: Ernst Thomas
Published: August 2024

This chapter supports the scopal theory of adverbials, by laying out the major semantic principles underlying adverbial distribution and showing how cartographic theories cannot adequately handle the main facts of adverbial distribution without massive complications. The most basic ordering of adverbials is a matter of their interacting semantic properties, e.g. probably not vs. *not probably following from probably’s status as a positive polarity item. Such semantic factors also allow straightforwardly predicting which adverbials have freer ordering and which are more restricted. Cartographic theories, by contrast, typically require multiple redundant licensing heads, cannot account for certain exceptional alternate orders, and cannot explain why some adverb classes allow freer ordering and others do not.
The syntactic nature of focus
Authors: Irurtzun Aritz
Published: August 2024

The grammar of focus displays a wide range of multimodular effects (in semantics, syntax, morphology, and phonology). The classical analysis of focus stemming from the Principles & Parameters framework considered it as an essentially syntactic phenomenon (with interface consequences), and this is still the core idea under the cartographic approaches such as Rizzi’s (1997). However, because of this multimodular nature, alternative approaches have been proposed that conceive of focus as an interface phenomenon that emerges from the interaction of different modules (e.g. Zubizarreta’s 1998 and Reinhart’s 2006 Nuclear Stress Rule-based approaches). Recently, other types of modular interactive proposals have been made that dissociate focus from nuclear stress placement (e.g. Struckmeier 2017 and Titov 2020). In this chapter I criticize such approaches and make a plea for the syntactic nature of focus as the only possible conception with explanatory power. In doing so, I provide evidence from a wide range of phenomena and languages suggesting that focus marking has to be a syntactic phenomenon, with a variety of effects and externalization patterns attested cross-linguistically.
Cartographic “explanations” need explanations themselves
Authors: Struckmeier Volker
Published: August 2024

This chapter offers a conceptual and empirical criticism of phrasal movements in cartographic syntax. The chapter argues that present-day approaches to generative syntax warrant the assumption that core aspects of cartographic syntax do not match current conceptual aims. Also, cartographic analyses sometimes struggle to represent certain types of findings, as the chapter illustrates for the case of German scrambling. An alternative, relational, type of analyses is shown to yield better results for the description and explanation of scrambling—and to avoid the conceptual issues of cartography, since it bases only on conceptually necessary relations, rather than cartographic cascades of positions.
Sequential analysis and adaptive designs
Authors: Neuhäuser Markus , Ruxton Graeme D.
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses sequential analysis and adaptive designs. Here the sample size of the data set is not fixed but data are collected (and analysed) sequentially until prespecified stopping criteria are triggered. Researchers may consider this type of study when economic, practical, or ethical issues put a particular premium on minimization of the amount of data collected, so this fits very naturally within the general focus of the statistical analysis of small data sets. In addition to classical group-sequential designs, adaptive methods are introduced where design changes after interim analyses are possible. We focus on the Bauer-Köhne approach. R code is given.
Democracy and Political Parties in the Argentine Republic
Authors: Fara Carlos , Graglia José Emilio
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of Argentina’s political party system and prospects for democracy. It explores the evolution of historic parties, such as Peronism and Radicalism, and their role as electoral machines. Additionally, it discusses the emergence of new political forces during periods of social and economic crisis. The chapter emphasizes the shift towards a bi-coalition system and the challenges of maintaining a stable coalition in a federal country. Regarding democracy, it highlights the resilience of Argentina’s 38-year uninterrupted democratic life, despite various challenges, such as authoritarian and populist tendencies, polarization, corruption, and social inequality. The text identifies seven tasks to enhance the democratic system, including promoting accountability, strengthening political parties, and consolidating republican institutions. Overall, it provides valuable insights into the complexities of Argentina’s political landscape and the need for continuous improvements to sustain a thriving democracy.
An Anarchy of Parties
Authors: Teehankee Julio C.
Published: August 2024

The Philippines is a prototypical example of a presidential or executive-centric party system. For a long time, the Philippines was cited along with the United States as the ‘purest two-party system’. However, several scholars have noted the role of the presidency and the introduction of new electoral rules in relation to the fragmentation of the party system in the post-authoritarian period. While the country reverted to the pre-authoritarian presidential form of government, a multi-party system emerged during the democratic transition. The shift to a multi-party system with a plurality-based electoral system runs counter to the classic tenet of Duverger’s Law that argues that plurality-based elections tend to produce two-party systems. Instead, the post-authoritarian period saw the rise of ‘an anarchy of parties’ in which inter-party competition became more fluid and fragmented. This chapter delineates the pitfalls of the post-authoritarian presidential-based party system in the Philippines.
Introduction
Authors: Kramer Matthew H.
Published: August 2024

This opening chapter provides a concise overview of the content and purpose of the book as a whole. It differentiates between the matters covered by the book and the chief matters that are not covered by the book, as it draws an important distinction between non-justificatory questions and justificatory questions. It then explains why formal notation is used in the book only sparingly even in discussions of subtle logical matters, and it likewise explains why theoretical rigor is prioritized over appeals to ordinary patterns of discourse. The chapter concludes by outlining the relationship between Rights and Right-Holding and the earlier publications of Matthew Kramer on the philosophy of rights.
Gothic -ei and -iþa
Authors: Miller D. Gary
Published: August 2024

Gothic possesses two highly productive suffixes: -ei and -iþa, typically used to derive deadjectival or deverbal abstract nouns. Previous attempts to distinguish these suffixes semantically or based on affixal restrictions have failed. This chapter advances a prosodic analysis of the variation. In close to 100% of its occurrences -iþa attaches to heavy monosyllabic bases, producing, in the citation form, dactylic structures. By contrast, -ei attaches to bases of any size or metrical type. Thus, the actual area of overlap in the competition between the suffixes is heavy monosyllabic bases; -iþa clearly latches onto a prosodic domain. The variation between -ei and -iþa contributes to our understanding of foot structure in early Germanic, while also confirming the existence of long vowels and heavy syllables in Gothic.
Statistical Mechanics and Stochastic Thermodynamics
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

The theory of statistical mechanics is the best link we have between the imperceptible world of atoms and molecules and our common macroscopic experience. This textbook provides the fundamental rules and relationships of this theory. Through it, students learn how to deduce the properties of materials from an underlying understanding of the behavior of its constituent building blocks. The text covers the basics of systems at rest, as well as those directly manipulated. The former, or equilibrium statistical mechanics, is reviewed in the context of recent results in probability theory, with an emphasis on solvation phenomena and phase transitions. The latter, or nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, has seen tremendous advancement in the last few years, and is integrated into a textbook for the first time. These latter chapters emphasize rates of rare events like chemical reactions as well as single-molecule experiments.
Irreversibility and dynamical response
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

We have previously developed this framework in the context of static response, here we will generalize this perspective to dynamic response, and the evolution between distinct thermal equilibrium states. Of particular importance will be the derivation of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, which relates the response of a system to its time dependent fluctuations, clarifying an equivalence between how a system responds to a small perturbation and how it regresses back to equilibrium in the absence of a perturbation. With this framework we can develop linear models of relaxation, classically and quantum mechanically, and derive equa- tions of motion suitable for describing the dynamics of thermal ensembles held at fixed temperature rather than fixed energy. These models are Gaussian, and approximate the dynamical correlations of interacting systems. These effective equations of motion are rendered stochastic due to the incomplete description of the microscopic degrees of freedom that evolve the system.
Large deviations from equilibrium
Authors: Limmer David T.
Published: August 2024

The developments in the previous chapters provide an open system description in the limit that the system and bath are weakly interacting such that the bath remains in equilibrium. Working within this assumption, we will show in this chapter that it is possible to make quantitative statements about systems far from equilibrium by constructing equations of motion for observables like heat and work. Further, using principles from probability like large deviation theory, we can develop a means of quantifying fluctuations of dynamical quantities like currents of mass, energy or charge that are outside the scope of traditional statistical mechanics, even if the system is at equilibrium. The combination of large deviation theory, dynamic definitions of thermodynamic quantities, and the structure they encode into ensembles of trajectories form the core of stochastic thermodynamics.
German Resistance to Hitler
Authors: Grint Keith
Published: August 2024

While much of the resistance literature focuses on those suffering German occupation, this chapter considers the resistance of those within Germany itself. We start with an overview of the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and look closely at the incremental dismantling of all the political and legal routes to resistance before considering the group that had the greatest chance of success: the German military. Despite the presence of several different factions intent on eliminating Hitler and calling for an end to the war, none of them managed to do so, often as much through luck as through misjudgement, but there was never an overwhelming military resistance to Hitler or the Nazis. From the Wehrmacht the chapter proceeds to consider the actions of the various ‘circles’ of resisters, as well as the Social Democratic and Communist Parties, all of whom were brutally dispersed and many of whom were executed. The role of the churches is then discussed, and, with a few notable exceptions, the established churches did little, if anything, to lead or encourage resistance. The Red Orchestra and the White Rose group were composed of much braver souls, but, again, their effect was minimal. Finally, we consider the only successful examples of resistance that relate to town and cities that rejected orders to defend their homes until the last person, and instead negotiated with the advancing Allies to save themselves. Those last two words are important: they did not act to save anyone else and only took the decision when it appeared that Germany was doomed—as were they.
Domesticating the Senatorial Elite
Authors: Weisweiler John
Published: August 2024

In the first three centuries ad, the governing elite of the Roman empire was a small group of officeholders, living in one city. There were around six hundred senators, and all of them were legally required to establish their residence in Rome. But since the 320s, membership in the senate expanded massively. In the course of the fourth century, senatorial rank was conferred on ever-larger groups of officeholders. Around the year 400, total membership in the senate had increased almost sevenfold, to more than four thousand. Most of the new senators did not come from Rome, nor did they relocate there after their acquisition of senatorial rank. The governing elite of the Roman empire transformed from a face-to-face society, based in Rome, into a trans-regional aristocracy, whose members were dispersed throughout the provinces of the Mediterranean World.
Constantine, Rome, and the Christians
Authors: Bleckmann Bruno
Published: August 2024

The relations between the emperor and various loyalty groups in the empire occupy a central place in accounts of the change in religious policy under Constantine. Particularly important are the phases after civil wars in which large territories were seized and new relations between ruler and ruled had to be established and negotiated, that is, after the caesuras of 312, 316–317, and 324. This chapter is dedicated to the years after 312 and the relations between the emperor and the newly conquered imperial capital. This period is special insofar as in these years the emperor not only had to reconstitute his relations with various population groups in Rome but also, at the same time, had to formulate a claim to sole rule that could be justified to the whole empire by possession of the capital. The capture of Rome by Constantine led to new forms of exaggerated self-representation that targeted partly the city of Rome and partly the empire, and thereby contributed to changes in the relationship of the emperor to the conventional (pagan, Roman, and civic) and to the Christian religions.
A Vain Quest for Unity
Authors: Diefenbach Steffen
Published: August 2024

“Now is the time to speak, because the time for silence has passed. Let one expect Christ, because the Antichrist has prevailed.” With these apocalyptic words Hilary of Poitiers opened a famous pamphlet, written in 360 or 361 and directed against the religious policy of Emperor Constantius II, who is openly identified with the Antichrist. The reason for Hilary’s harsh criticism was the emperor’s attempt to put an end to the enduring controversy over the Trinitarian doctrine and its most pugnacious champion Athanasius of Alexandria. Constantius’ backing of the so-called Homoean Creed or the “Creed of Constantinople” from late 359 was intended to end all discussion of these matters once and for all—a hope that would be disappointed in the event, however, as the ongoing debates and the bouleversement of imperial church politics from the early 380s onward would come to make clear.
Effects-Based Discrimination
Authors: Fredman Sandra
Published: August 2024

The acknowledgement that equal treatment can lead to disparate results signalled a key development in discrimination law. Since its articulation by the US Supreme Court, effects-based discrimination has been incorporated into discrimination law in many jurisdictions. Beneath the surface consensus, however, lurks an ambiguity of purpose. This chapter argues that effects-based discrimination law could be more coherently applied if it were explicitly based on a four-dimensional substantive understanding of equality, which simultaneously aims to redress disadvantage; address stigma, stereotyping, and prejudice; facilitate voice and participation; and accommodate difference and achieve structural change. The chapter gives an account of the development of the concept in the US, UK, EU, ECHR, Canada, South Africa, and India. It examines the role of intention; considers the criteria for determining disparate impact; considers how effects-based discrimination is justified; and examines the aims of effects-based discrimination in the light of the four-dimensional understanding of substantive equality.
Transnational Unions and Labour Framework Agreements
Authors: Topo Adriana
Published: August 2024

The subject of this chapter—labour framework agreements (LFAs)—falls within the category of transnational private regulations. Using real examples, LFAs are classified into different categories that may be useful for understanding the impact of the contractual choices made by the parties in regulating labour rights and industrial relations through LFAs. Employees may find it impossible to legally enforce LFAs’ rights in some states. The traditional interpretation of LFAs as contracts regulating only third parties’ interests—the workers’ rights—underestimates the relevance of MNCs’ and trade unions’ interests. This chapter discusses whether or not LFAs regulate also the signatory parties’ commercial interest in reputation and the consequence of this solution.
Alt-Labour and Worker Centres
Authors: Rosado Marzán César F.
Published: August 2024

Working-class disorganization has been a fact in most of the OECD region for many decades. Outcomes of disorganization include increasing economic inequality and the precarization of work. But increasing precarization has also led to a surge in low-wage, often immigrant worker advocacy, not least by so-called ‘alt-labour’ groups that work outside of the collective bargaining framework. Some of these ‘alt-labour’ groups include ‘worker centres’. This chapter describes some of these organizations in the US, Canada, and Australia, and how they might benefit and contribute to labour law. It concludes with research questions to understand how law, including but not limited to labour law, helps to constitute these groups, and how they might impact labour law.
Brain Plasticity and Cognitive Enhancement
Authors: Posner Michael I. , Rothbart Mary K. , Weible Aldis P.
Published: August 2024

The goal of this chapter is to explore brain mechanisms that might improve the learning and performance of skills. Most of the data related to this goal comes from learning some arbitrary skill and observing how this alters the brain with practice. This chapter discusses how learning brings together the networks related to attention and memory in the process of acquiring a skill. At the behavioral level, psychological data clearly show that performance or a skill, such as playing chess, improves gradually over many hours of training. However, much of this form of network training is rather specific to the task studied. If the trained networks are general ones, such as attention or working memory, there is a better possibility of enhancing performance on related tasks that use that network. Transfer to other tasks has more often been observed with children or the elderly, for whom initial performance is often lower. There are also methods designed to alter brain states such as physical exercise or meditation. These state-changing methods affect the brain more broadly, impacting many networks. We also examine efforts to alter brain networks by low-frequency stimulation. In rodents, this has involved techniques such as optogenetics that activate or inhibit individual neurons. In humans, less invasive methods such as electrical (EEG) or magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been used. Although there is evidence that changes in brain connectivity can improve some clinical issues such as addiction, future studies need to confirm and expand upon this effort.
Facial Swelling and Neuritis After Internal Carotid Endarterectomy in an 81-Year-Old Woman With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report
Authors: Simpson Jennifer A
Published: August 2024

Objective

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) may develop carotid artery stenosis, requiring surgical intervention. Nerve injury following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a rare and often unrecognized postoperative side effect. This case report describes the diagnostic process and rehabilitation course of a patient with greater auricular and trigeminal neuritis symptoms following internal CEA.

Methods

The patient is an 81-year-old woman with DM2 who underwent a left internal CEA. She subsequently developed swelling in her left neck and face, and pain along the greater auricular and trigeminal nerve pathways. Pertinent examination findings included incision placement across the path of the greater auricular nerve and cervical lymphatic vessels that drain the face, with overlying scar adhesion. A course of physical therapy was initiated 12 days after surgery, and included mobilization and manual lymphatic drainage, modalities, and application of kinesiotape.

Results

The Patient-Specific Functional Scale improved from 10/30 at evaluation to 27/30 at discharge. Swelling and pain were significantly reduced, with patient reporting no difficulty with sleeping, chewing, or talking at discharge. The reported pain level consistently correlated with fluctuations in face swelling throughout treatment.

Conclusion

Patients with DM2 may present with symptoms of cardiovascular disease, requiring invasive surgical procedures. DM2 can cause damage to neural and vascular structures, predisposing patients to nerve injuries or hypersensitivity following procedures. This case report demonstrates a likely connection between postoperative facial swelling and nerve irritation in the head and neck. Mobilization and manual lymphatic drainage, modalities, and kinesiotape were effective to reduce pain and swelling.

Impact

Physical therapists are uniquely qualified to identify, evaluate, and treat postoperative swelling and nerve pain associated with CEA.

Lay Summary

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may develop carotid artery stenosis, requiring surgical intervention. Nerve injury following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a rare and often unrecognized postoperative side effect. Physical therapists diagnose and provide treatment to patients with greater auricular and trigeminal neuritis symptoms following internal CEA.
What Drives Demand for State-Run Lotteries? Evidence and Welfare Implications
Authors: Lockwood Benjamin B , Allcott Hunt , Taubinsky Dmitry , Sial Afras
Published: August 2024

We use natural experiments embedded in state-run lotteries and a new nationally representative survey to provide reduced-form and structural estimates of risk preferences and behavioural biases in lottery demand, and to explore the implications for optimal lottery design. We find that sales respond more to the expected value of the jackpot than to price but are unresponsive to variation in the second prize—a pattern that is consistent with probability weighting but is inconsistent with standard parameterizations. In the survey, we find that lottery spending decreases modestly with income and is strongly associated with measures of innumeracy, poor statistical reasoning, and other proxies for behavioural bias, which also decline with income. Regression predictions suggest that Americans would spend 43% less on lotteries if they were unbiased, while the remaining lottery demand is due to other factors such as anticipatory utility or entertainment value. We use these empirical moments to estimate a model of socially optimal lottery design. In the model, current multi-state lottery designs increase welfare but may harm heavy spenders.
Correction factors for induced radioactivity: comparing simplified continuous and periodic irradiation scenarios in medical cyclotron decommissioning
Authors: Fang Po-Wen , Sheu Rong-Jiun
Published: August 2024

The use of a Monte Carlo code in the assessment of residual radioactivity for decommissioning of a medical cyclotron facility requires a reasonable approximation to the facility’s history of operations. A periodic irradiation scenario simulating the cyclotron’s daily operation for radioisotope production is generally considered reasonable, but its implementation in the code’s input file can be cumbersome because more than thousands of irradiation cycles must be modeled. In practice, two simplified scenarios with continuous irradiation are commonly used instead: (i) omitting the downtime between two irradiation periods and (ii) extending the irradiation duration across the entire operational lifespan of the facility, albeit with a reduced beam current to maintain workload consistency. A systematic comparison of residual radionuclide productions across various half-lives under these three scenarios was performed. This technical note presents the resulting correction factors for the two simplified continuous irradiation models, enhancing their applicability in estimating radioactive inventories under a range of circumstances.
Altered dynamic functional connectivity of nucleus accumbens subregions in major depressive disorder: the interactive effect of childhood trauma and diagnosis
Authors: Zou Yurong , Yu Tong , Zhu Liwen , Xu Qing , Li Yuhong , Chen Juran , Luo Qianyi , Peng Hongjun
Published: August 2024

Major depressive disorder (MDD) with childhood trauma represents a heterogeneous clinical subtype of depression. Previous research has observed alterations in the reward circuitry centered around the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in MDD patients. However, limited investigations have focused on aberrant functional connectivity (FC) within NAc subregions among MDD with childhood trauma. Thus, this study adopts analyses of both static FC (sFC) and dynamic FC (dFC) to examine neurobiological changes in MDD with childhood trauma. The bilateral nucleus accumbens shell (NAc-shell) and nucleus accumbens core (NAc-core) were selected as the seeds. Four participant groups were included: MDD with childhood trauma (n = 48), MDD without childhood trauma (n = 30), healthy controls (HCs) with childhood trauma (n = 57), and HCs without childhood trauma (n = 46). Our findings revealed both abnormal sFC and dFC between NAc-shell and NAc-core and regions including the middle occipital gyrus (MOG), anterior cingulate cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus in MDD with childhood trauma. Furthermore, a significant correlation was identified between the dFC of the left NAc-shell and the right MOG in relation to childhood trauma. Additionally, abnormal dFC moderated the link between childhood abuse and depression severity. These outcomes shed light on the neurobiological underpinnings of MDD with childhood trauma.
Associations Between Genetic Risk, Physical Activities, and Distressing Psychotic-like Experiences
Authors: Ku Benson S , Yuan Qingyue , Arias-Magnasco Angelo , Lin Bochao D , Walker Elaine F , Druss Benjamin G , Ren Jiyuan , van Os Jim , Guloksuz Sinan
Published: August 2024

Background and hypothesis

Persistent distressing psychotic-like experiences (PLE) are associated with impaired functioning and future psychopathology. Prior research suggests that physical activities may be protective against psychopathology. However, it is unclear whether physical activities may interact with genetics in the development of psychosis.

Study design

This study included 4679 participants of European ancestry from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Persistent distressing PLE was derived from the Prodromal-Questionnaire-Brief Child Version using four years of data. Generalized linear mixed models tested the association between polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ), physical activities, and PLE. The models adjusted for age, sex, parental education, income-to-needs ratio, family history of psychosis, body mass index, puberty status, principal components for PRS-SCZ, study site, and family.

Study results

PRS-SCZ was associated with a greater risk for persistent distressing PLE (adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.14, 95% CI [1.04, 1.24], P = .003). Physical activity was associated with less risk for persistent distressing PLE (adjusted RRR = 0.87, 95% CI [0.79, 0.96], P = .008). Moreover, physical activities moderated the association between PRS-SCZ and persistent distressing PLE (adjusted RRR = 0.89, 95% CI [0.81, 0.98], P = .015), such that the association was weaker as participants had greater participation in physical activities.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that the interaction between genetic liability and physical activities is associated with trajectories of distressing PLE. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of physical activities and genetic liability for schizophrenia in the development of psychosis.
Being internationally mobile while keeping domestic social capital: how postdocs from China manage precarity
Authors: Li Liping , Shen Wenqin
Published: August 2024

International academic mobility has surfaced as a new factor in the mechanism of cumulative advantages in early academic careers, yet its interplay with the role of doctoral mentors remains understudied compared to other factors. This research delves into the entanglement of international mobility and the doctoral mentor’s role through a 4-year longitudinal study encompassing ten postdocs from a prestigious Chinese university’s department. By employing narrative analysis across diverse cases, we found doctoral mentors wield multifaceted impacts on the access, decisions, experiences, trajectories, and outcomes of a postdoctoral international mobility through their role as teachers, sponsors, and collaborators. PhD graduates, supervised by eminent mentors with extensive overseas experiences, can enjoy a significant advantage in managing precarity and domestic social capital through mentors’ impacts on international mobility. This study offers insights into the mechanisms underlying cumulative advantages fostered through international mobility, while revealing the enduring impact of doctoral mentors throughout the academic career development.
Morality policy at the frontier of science: legislators’ views on germline engineering
Authors: Johnson David R , O’Brien Timothy L
Published: August 2024

Religion is increasingly relevant to science policy formation, but how lawmakers’ religious identities are related to their policy views remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we draw on a nationwide survey of state legislators (N = 691) to examine religious and ideological differences in support for germline gene editing (GGE) policy. GGE is an ideal context to examine the relationship between religion, politics, and science policy due to its contemporary salience and moral dimensions. Fixed-effects regressions show that religious differences do not directly explain differences in lawmakers’ support for this technology. However, lawmakers’ political ideologies moderate the relationship between religion and support for GGE. Among the least religious lawmakers, the results reveal only minor differences in liberals’ and conservatives’ support for GGE. Among the most religious lawmakers, however, liberals are nearly five times more likely than conservatives to support this technology.
Evaluation of advanced emergency braking systems in drowsy driving-related real-world truck collisions
Authors: Kawaguchi Kengo , Kumagai Hajime , Sawatari Hiroyuki , Yokoyama Misao , Kiyohara Yuka , Hayashi Mitsuo , Shiomi Toshiaki
Published: August 2024

Study Objectives

The effectiveness of advanced emergency braking systems (AEBS) in preventing drowsy driving-related truck collisions remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the damage-mitigation effect of AEBS on drowsy driving-related collisions involving large trucks using collision rate and damage amount.

Methods

Data collected by a Japanese transportation company from 1699 collisions involving 31 107 large trucks over 7 years were analyzed post hoc. The collision rate (number of trucks with collisions/total number of trucks) and damage amount (total amount of property damage and personal injury) were compared based on whether the collisions were caused by drowsy or nondrowsy driving and whether the trucks were equipped with AEBS or not.

Results

For all and nondrowsy driving-related collisions, the collision rate for the 12 887 trucks with AEBS (1.62 and 1.20 collisions/truck/7 years, respectively) was significantly lower than that for the 18 220 trucks without AEBS (1.94 and 1.56 collisions/truck/7 years, respectively; p = .04 and p = .008, respectively). However, for drowsy driving-related collisions, the collision rate did not significantly differ between trucks with and without AEBS. The damage amount in neither type of collision (drowsy vs. nondrowsy) significantly differed between trucks with and without AEBS.

Conclusions

Regarding the collision rate of large trucks, AEBS was effective in nondrowsy driving-related collisions, but not in collisions involving drowsy driving. The damage amount was not mitigated for trucks with and without AEBS regardless of the collision type. The limited effect of AEBS for damage mitigation suggests the need for combined use with other safety-support systems that intervene in driving operations.
A Bulwark against Tyranny? Fear of the Government and Fear-based Gun Purchasing in Recent Years
Authors: Seto Christopher H
Published: August 2024

Guns are a central aspect of violence in the United States. A growing body of research seeks to understand social and psychological factors motivating gun ownership, with the concept of fear occupying an important place in this literature. Relying on multiple waves of recent, nationally representative survey data (2015–2021; N=4,767), I argue that fear of the government (e.g., fear of government corruption, overreach, and surveillance) is a primary motivator of gun acquisition and ownership in the United States. Multivariable regression analyses showed that fear of the government has a strong, positive association with purchasing a gun because of one’s fears, controlling for fear of crime, fear of societal instability, and a host of political and sociodemographic characteristics. This association was not contingent on other types of fear, suggesting that fear of the government itself represents a unique, perceived threat among fear-motivated gun owners – one which is distinct from simply lacking confidence in government protection against external threats. Analyses that explored changes over time showed that rising fear of the government among the U.S. public may underlie a substantial portion of increased fear-based gun purchases in recent years. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.
Abstract 11: Multicomponent Cord Blood Bank Program, Beyond Transplantation
Authors: Samarkanova Dinara , Castillo Nerea , Azqueta Carmen , Valdivia Elena , Martorell Lluis , Rubio Nuria , Farssac Elisenda , Fernandez-Sojo Jesus , Querol Sergi
Published: August 2024

Introduction

In current public cord blood (CB) banking, many of the collected units are considered not suitable for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) due to their low stem cell counts. New clinical applications are foreseen like specialized hemotherapy shown in the setting of wound healing (Samarkanova, 2020) or neonatal transfusion (Teofili, 2023). In this regard, CB platelet concentrates (PRP), platelet poor plasma (PPP) and red blood cells (RBC) have been used but no standard procedures for their fractionation in a single processing have been well defined.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to validate a processing method for obtaining all blood components in a way for a new model, the multicomponent CB banking, to expand the use of CB beyond transplantation.

Methods

A protocol for multicomponent CB fractionation, using commercially available, closed system was adapted at Barcelona CBB. After double centrifugation, the whole CB, is separated into three fractions: PRP, PPP and RBC. Then, CB-RBC is further diluted with saline-adenine-glucose (SAG) mannitol solution (2:1 rate) and leuco-reduced using a specific filter. Storage condition for CB-PRP and CB-PPP is <-65ºC up to 3 years and for CB- RBC at 2-6°C during 14 days.

For validation, quality control testing was done, using a blood analyzer for platelet and RBC counts. Additionally, for CB-RBC additional parameters like potassium and hemolysis were assessed following EDQM guidelines.

Results

Ten samples underwent validation protocol achieving acceptance criteria defined. Results of validation are summarized in Table 1

Discussion

CB units can be fractionated into three clinical-grade blood components using a single processing method within CB bank. In addition for CB-RBC, stability was established during two weeks on refrigerated storage. The platelet/plasma fractions are being used for topical applications as eye drops for severe ocular surface pathologies or as gels for chronic cutaneous ulcers with positive results (Samarkanova et al. 2020, 2021). Our study group is currently conducting a clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of CB-RBC transfusion in very preterm infants (NCT05612919).

The Multicomponent CBB is feasible and might be a useful way to expand CB applications beyond transplantation, maximizing the use of all donations.
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals vascularization-associated cell subpopulations in dental pulp: PDGFRβ+ DPSCs with activated PI3K/AKT pathway
Authors: Di Tiankai , Wang Liying , Cheng Baixiang , Guo Mingzhu , Feng Chao , Wu Zhenzhen , Wang Lulu , Chen Yujiang
Published: August 2024

Background

This study aims to address challenges in dental pulp regeneration therapy. The heterogeneity of DPSCs poses challenges, especially in stem cell transplantation for clinical use, particularly when sourced from donors of different ages and conditions.

Methods

Pseudotime analysis was employed to analyze single-cell sequencing data, and immunohistochemical studies were conducted to investigate the expression of fibronectin 1 (FN1). We performed in vitro sorting of PDGFRβ+ DPSCs using flow cytometry. A series of functional assays, including cell proliferation, scratch, and tube formation assays, were performed to experimentally validate the vasculogenic capabilities of the identified PDGFRβ+ DPSC subset. Furthermore, gene-edited mouse models were utilized to demonstrate the importance of PDGFRβ+ DPSCs. Transcriptomic sequencing was conducted to compare the differences between PDGFRβ+ DPSCs and P1-DPSCs.

Results

Single-cell sequencing analysis unveiled a distinct subset, PDGFRβ+ DPSCs, characterized by significantly elevated FN1 expression during dental pulp development. Subsequent cell experiments demonstrated that this subset possesses remarkable abilities to promote HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Gene-edited mouse models confirmed the vital role of PDGFRβ+ DPSCs in dental pulp development. Transcriptomic sequencing and in vitro experiments demonstrated that the PDGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway is a crucial factor mediating the proliferation rate and pro-angiogenic properties of PDGFRβ+ DPSCs.

Conclusion

We defined a new subset, PDGFRβ+ DPSCs, characterized by strong proliferative activity and pro-angiogenic capabilities, demonstrating significant clinical translational potential.
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Plenodomus biglobosus on Flixweed (Descurainia sophia) in Northwestern China
Authors: Luo Tao , Si Wei , Jia Donghai , Wu Mingde , Zhang Jing , Li Guoqing , Yang Long
Published: August 2024

Plenodomus biglobosus (Pb), a causal agent of blackleg of rapeseed, is composed of several subspecies, including ‘australensis’ (Pba), ‘brassicae’ (Pbb) and ‘canadensis’ (Pbc). Besides rapeseed, Pb can infect many wild cruciferous plants (WCPs), such as flixweed (Descurainia sophia) and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), which may become the infection source for blackleg of rapeseed. However, Pb on WCPs has not been well investigated in China. This study identified the blackleg fungi on two WCPs in Sayram Lake and Zhaosu County in Xinjiang, China: flixweed (15 isolates) and pennycress (1 isolate) as well as on rapeseed (971 isolates). They belonged to Pba (11), Pbb (18), and Pbc (958). Pba occurred on flixweed (10) and pennycress (1) only in Sayram Lake, whereas Pbb and Pbc occurred on flixweed (1 and 4 isolates, respectively) and rapeseed (17 and 954 isolates, respectively) in Zhaosu County. Then, virulence of 16 isolates from flixweed and pennycress was determined on rapeseed. Their genomes were sequenced and used to identify the mating-type idiomorphs and to analyze population genetic structure. Results showed that all of the 16 isolates were virulent to rapeseed. Only MAT1-1 was detected in 11 Pba isolates, implying that Pba may lack sexual reproduction. The 16 isolates from two WCPs were divided into four genetic groups: Group I for Pbc (4 isolates), Group II for Pbb (1 isolate), and Group III (3 isolates) and IV (8 isolates) for Pba. The findings about the single mating type in Pba and its limited geographic distribution provided a case showing the importance of sexual reproduction in epidemics of Pb. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Pba, Pbb, and Pbc on flixweed and Pba on pennycress in China.
Characterization and Fungicide Sensitivity of Gnomoniopsis fructicola Causing Gnomonia Leaf Blotch of Strawberry in the Carolinas
Authors: Kaur Harleen , Wesche Johanna , Gelain Jhulia , Minzheng Cai , Luo Chao-Xi , Schnabel Guido
Published: August 2024

Emerging fungal pathogens have always been an issue of concern in southeastern U.S. strawberry production. In 2023, an unusual outbreak of Gnomonia leaf blotch occurred at one North Carolina and multiple South Carolina (SC) strawberry farms and marked the first reports of its occurrence in SC. Molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of isolates from multiple locations identified the fungus Gnomoniopsis fructicola as the causal agent. In vitro germination of G. fructicola progressed slowly and remained less than 40% even after 24 h of incubation. Similarly, germ tube growth was slow compared with other pathogens. Slow symptom development on strawberry leaves of young strawberry plants grown in the greenhouse started 5 weeks after inoculation. Once the pathogen established on greenhouse plants, leaf necrosis forming blotches was observed. The baseline sensitivity of G. fructicola isolates to commonly used chemical classes of fungicides was assessed. Propiconazole, cyprodinil, pyraclostrobin, and fludioxonil were highly effective in mycelial growth assays with effective concentration of fungicide required for 50% growth inhibition (EC50) values ≤0.01 μg/ml. Iprodione and thiophanate-methyl were also effective, with EC50 values ranging from 0.05 to 1.38 and 2.01 to 23.96 μg/ml, respectively. Fluopyram and fenhexamid were ineffective. with EC50 values >100 μg/ml. Based on conversations with the producers, the disease outbreak was linked to transplants from the same nursery source. This study reports for the first time the presence of Gnomonia leaf blotch in SC and provides valuable insights into chemical management options for G. fructicola.
Tracer‐based metabolomics for profiling nitric oxide metabolites in a 3D microvessels‐on‐chip model
Authors: Pandian Kanchana , Huang Luojiao , Junaid Abidemi , Harms Amy , van Zonneveld Anton Jan , Hankemeier Thomas
Published: August 2024

Endothelial dysfunction, prevalent in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and linked to conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, renal failure, or hypercholesterolemia, is characterized by diminished nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability—a key signaling molecule for vascular homeostasis. Current two‐dimensional (2D) in vitro studies on NO synthesis by endothelial cells (ECs) lack the crucial laminar shear stress, a vital factor in modulating the NO‐generating enzyme, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), under physiological conditions. Here we developed a tracer‐based metabolomics approach to measure NO‐specific metabolites with mass spectrometry (MS) and show the impact of fluid flow on metabolic parameters associated with NO synthesis using 2D and 3D platforms. Specifically, we tracked the conversion of stable‐isotope labeled NO substrate L‐Arginine to L‐Citrulline and L‐Ornithine to determine eNOS activity. We demonstrated clear responses in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) cultured with 13C6, 15N4‐L‐Arginine, and treated with eNOS stimulator, eNOS inhibitor, and arginase inhibitor. Analysis of downstream metabolites, 13C6, 15N3 L‐Citrulline and 13C5, 15N2 L‐Ornithine, revealed distinct outcomes. Additionally, we evaluated the NO metabolic status in static 2D culture and 3D microvessel models with bidirectional and unidirectional fluid flow. Our 3D model exhibited significant effects, particularly in microvessels exposed to the eNOS stimulator, as indicated by the 13C6, 15N3 L‐Citrulline/13C5, 15N2 L‐Ornithine ratio, compared to the 2D culture. The obtained results indicate that the 2D static culture mimics an endothelial dysfunction status, while the 3D model with a unidirectional fluid flow provides a more representative physiological environment that provides a better model to study endothelial dysfunction.