bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decolonial Justice and Immigration Policy
Authors: Lim Désirée
Published: July 2023

In a world tainted by an extensive history of colonial injustice, what would an ethical immigration policy look like? This chapter examines the implications of colonialism for present-day immigration policy. It begins by considering Alasia Nuti and Sara Amighetti, as well as Suketu Mekta’s existing proposals for a decolonial ethics of immigration that relate specifically to would-be migrants from former colonies. Nevertheless, if we understand the wrong of colonialism to lie in racial exploitation, these proposals do not exhaust the scope of a decolonial ethics of immigration. A properly decolonial orientation toward immigration justice might require us not only to provide redress to the groups who were subjected to racial exploitation but also to refrain from engaging in practices that produce (or reproduce) such colonial relationships between persons. The chapter focuses on how the United States’ racial exploitation of low-skilled Latino/a/x migrant workers unjustly maintains ongoing relations of coloniality.
Conclusion
Authors: Lim Désirée
Published: July 2023

This chapter gives a brief overview of the book’s main claims and underscores the novel contributions that they make to the philosophical literature on the ethics of immigration. It compares the book’s social egalitarian approach against two other philosophical tacks that may be used to challenge the exclusion of low-skilled migrants: the reform of guest worker programs and the human right to migrate. Next, the chapter considers a number of practical implications that the book’s central arguments about the injustice of skill-selection may have for present-day immigration policy. Eschewing the binary between “open” and “restrictive” borders, it suggests that states should educate the public about the essential contributions of low-skilled migrants and create new immigration channels to accommodate a much greater number of low-skilled migrants, possibly prioritizing low-skilled migrants from countries that have historically supplied receiving states with low-skilled labor. The chapter then closes with two suggestions for areas of future research.
Introduction
Authors: Orsini Francesca
Published: July 2023

This chapter sets out the located and multilingual approach to literary history employed in the book. It outlines the geographical and historical scope of the book and traces the changing political boundaries of Purab (East), the region east of Delhi in the Gangetic plain of northern India later better known as Awadh, from the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. The presence of many small towns (qasbas), which were administrative, economic, and cultural nodes, but no capital city until the eighteenth century marks the decentered character of the region. The chapter also makes a case that the multilingual approach “from the ground up” employed in this book can help produce a richer and more textured take on world literature.
The Liberalism Trap
Authors: Philips Menaka
Published: July 2023

The Liberalism Trap identifies a methodological problem in contemporary political theory: focus on liberalism has become an interpretive custom directing engagements with politics. Though scholars have long analyzed the meanings, merits, successes or failings of liberalism, little attention is paid to how such preoccupations shape the way we study political questions and texts. The book evaluates the effects of these preoccupations by turning to John Stuart Mill—the so-called father of modern liberalism—arguing that Mill’s canonical status as a liberal is habitually substituted for his political arguments. The book works against that substitution through a comparative reading of Mill’s proposals concerning gender, class, and empire. That comparison recovers a thinker motivated not by ideological certainties but by a politics of uncertainty and draws into view the complex strategies that Mill employs across his work on domestic and imperial questions. Recovering Mill’s uncertain politics also sets into relief the interpretive costs of reading through liberalism. That even the paradigmatic liberal is unduly constrained by this label suggests that taking a break from our preoccupations with liberalism might be warranted. In all, The Liberalism Trap integrates an innovative reading of a canonical thinker with a methodological critique of interpretive practices in contemporary political theory.
Secularism and the Ethic of Appreciation
Authors: McMahan David L.
Published: July 2023

This chapter begins to sketch components of the substructure of modern secularism—the often-implicit network of values and assumptions operative in late-modern liberal societies—and to show how Buddhist meditation has come to inhabit this ethos. Secularized meditation is not just meditation that occurs outside of religious institutions but meditation that has taken on the rhetorical and conceptual apparatus of secularism, rationalism, science, and liberalism. Mindfulness as practiced in North America and Europe—and increasingly around the globe—has been configured explicitly to the contours of secularism in the United States. One secular value to which meditation is now put is that of appreciation of this world and its aesthetic and sensual pleasures. This “ethic of appreciation,” in contrast to the ethic of renunciation, entails an affirmation of the implicit value of the physical world, the senses, and the experience of ordinary people.
The Metaphysical Implications of Newtonianism
Authors: Yenter Timothy
Published: July 2023

In addressing interconnected issues in metaphysics, epistemology, and methodology raised by Newton’s works, Scottish philosophers differed in their approaches to natural philosophy. Central to these conversations was whether Newton’s experimental method was the whole or merely a part of philosophy, which partly determined answers to questions like whether gravitation is a causal power in bodies or whether ether exists. Arguments for the existence of God often rested on claims about the nature of the world, increasing the stakes for these debates. Newton’s commitment to absolute space led to complicated questions about how space relates to God. Hume’s challenges to popular claims about force, causation, and space (which he motivated with appeals to Newton’s method), received sharp rebukes from other Scottish philosophers, especially those teaching or educated in Aberdeen. James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, is a notable Scottish critic of Newton’s theories.
The Intellectual Powers of the Human Mind
Authors: Falkenstein Lorne
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines what Hume and Reid had to say about what Reid called our intellectual powers: sensation, conception, perception, memory, abstraction, judgement, and reasoning. In the process it examines their opposed views on the nature of mind, on the representation of space and the spatiality of mental content, on temporal experience and the metaphysics of time, on the conception of non-existent objects, and on conceivability and possibility. The chapter critically examines what each had to say in his own defence and what Reid had to say in opposition to Hume, and conjectures what Hume might have said in response to Reid.
Introduction
Authors: Sharpe Will
Published: July 2023

This short introduction frames the key debates and aims of the book, with a brief overview of the chapter structure. It considers the fact that the topic of Shakespearean collaboration has been particularly divisive over a long time, as part of a culture war in which Shakespeare’s canonical memory is at stake. It observes that any ideas about how much co-writing Shakespeare did, and how much it mattered to him, must naturally diminish or enhance his canonical integrity and authorial brand in the eyes of the particular reader. It considers the various popular perceptions of Shakespeare as either a reluctant or eager co-author, and of the perceived prominence of collaborative authorship as a practice in the early theatres.
Shakespeare: 1590–4
Authors: Sharpe Will
Published: July 2023

This chapter examines Shakespeare’s collaborative writing in the early stages of his career, up to the 1594 formation of the Chamberlain’s Men, considering what kind of a collaborator he was as he tried to establish himself. The major contribution attribution study has made in the last two decades is of all but confirming Shakespeare as an authorial hand in Arden of Faversham, c.1590, and Christopher Marlowe as a hand in the Henry VI plays, 1591–2, and this chapter uses these conclusions to rethink Shakespeare’s early biography. It will also examine Shakespeare’s co-authoring of Titus Andronicus with George Peele, and the anonymous play Edward III’s role in our understanding of Shakespeare’s earliest forays into English history, showing how linked the genre is with the drive towards collaborative authorship that were Shakespeare’s first major ventures into playwriting. The themes and poetics of these early collaborative works are a main focus.
Modest Modeling
Authors: Greco Daniel
Published: July 2023

I claim that not only does epistemology involve modeling, but epistemological modeling should be modest. In chapter two, I explain what I mean by modest modeling. I introduce and motivate the concept via a discussion of the coastline paradox, along with some examples from economics. In a nutshell, a modest modeler isn't trying to point the way towards some grand unified theory of the domain she studies. She'll be content with the idea that in some domains, a collection of models, each partial and less than fully accurate, is the best we should hope for. I also connect the idea of modest modeling with some more general ideas about reduction and emergence, due to Daniel Dennett, David Wallace, and Sean Carroll.
Inter-Level Coherence
Authors: Greco Daniel
Published: July 2023

In chapter six I'll argue that many cases that have been seen as illustrating divergences between first-order and higher-order epistemic statuses—cases where someone knows, but doesn't know that she knows, or has evidence, but lacks evidence that she has evidence—are better understood in other terms. We can model such cases in a framework in which higher-order intrapersonal knowledge and evidence are trivial, so long as we are modest modelers who accept that no single model in that framework can capture everything we might hope for. Moreover, I argue that rival frameworks introduce added complexity into epistemological modeling without a corresponding gain in explanatory power.
Modeling Common Knowledge
Authors: Greco Daniel
Published: July 2023

In chapter seven I defend the fruitfulness of models including common knowledge—knowledge that we know that we know…ad infinitum—against some recent attacks. Some of those attacks—from Williamson, Hawthorne, and Magidor—turn on rejecting the sorts of principles concerning relations between first-order and higher-order knowledge that I defend in chapter six. Another, due to Harvey Lederman, does not; Lederman grants the KK thesis—if you know that P, you know that you know—for the sake of argument, and contends that even with that major concession, common knowledge is impossible. Ultimately, I'll argue that Lederman's strategy looks much less persuasive once we adopt a modest modeling perspective.
Meeting the conservation challenge
Authors: Whittaker Robert J. , Fernández-Palacios José María , Matthews Thomas J.
Published: July 2023

‘Meeting the conservation challenge’ outlines the distinctive environmental and conservation challenges facing islands and their human societies. It illustrates this theme through consideration of climate change impacts on the Maldives, sea-level increase, and links to geopolitics in the central and western Pacific, the impacts of phosphate mining in Nauru, and the growth of economies currently linked strongly to tourism in the Canaries and the Galápagos. It asks how societies should prioritize what features of insular ecosystems to conserve and restore? It describes and evaluates some key science and policy instruments for doing so, including responding to (and sometimes eliminating) invasive non-native species, species translocations, reintroductions, and rewilding. It also reviews the deployment of protected area and species protection schemes, illustrated by the Canaries. It argues that island conservation depends on building societal support and it closes with 10 suggested conservation priorities for remote island systems.
Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Ruban Anatoly , Gajjar Jitesh , Walton Andrew
Published: July 2023

This is Part 4 of a book series on fluid dynamics that comprises the following parts: Part 1. Classical Fluid Dynamics Part 2. Asymptotic Problems of Fluid Dynamics Part 3. Boundary Layers Part 4. Hydrodynamic Stability Theory The series is designed to give a comprehensive and coherent description of fluid dynamics, commencing with classical theory suitable for undergraduate lectures, and progressing through to more advanced material at the frontiers of modern research. Part 4 is devoted to hydrodynamic stability theory. In Chapter 1 we introduce the concept of the linear instability of fluid flows, and formulate the Orr–Sommerfeld and Rayleigh equations. We include discussions of Kelvin–Helmholtz, cross-flow, and centrifugal instabilities. In Chapter 2 we employ high Reynolds number analysis to analyse the behaviour of disturbances in the vicinity of the branches of the linear neutral curve. An internal structure that plays a vital role in this description is the critical layer and its properties are discussed in some detail. In Chapter 3 we introduce receptivity theory where the process of excitation of instability modes in the boundary layer by agencies such as free-stream turbulence, acoustic noise, and surface roughness is studied. In Chapter 4 we formulate the Landau-Stuart equation describing how weak nonlinearity of disturbances influences the critical Reynolds number. In addition, we present finite amplitude travelling wave solutions which lead to the concept of a neutral surface. Finally, in Chapter 5 we discuss self-sustaining processes in which large-scale coherent structures in the flow and finite-amplitude travelling waves exist in harmony.
High-Reynolds-Number Analysis of Parallel and Shear Flow Instabilities
Authors: Ruban Anatoly I. , Gajjar Jitesh S. B. , Walton Andrew G.
Published: July 2023

Asymptotic methods are used to study the stability properties of various flows in the high Reynolds number limit. Numerical computations of the Orr-Sommerfeld equation for finite Reynolds numbers demonstrate the existence of two distinct branches of the linear neutral curve: the lower branch and upper branch. The asymptotic analysis is carried out firstly for boundary layer flows under the parallel flow assumption, and then for plane Poiseuille flow, examining stability properties in the vicinity of the two branches following closely the work of Lin (1946). For the lower branch, we obtain the triple-deck structure discussed in detail in Part 3 of this book series. A crucial part of the upper branch structure is the critical layer. Its properties are studied in some detail, including the changes in the internal dynamics that arise as the disturbance size is increased, using ideas first proposed by Benney and Bergeron (1969) and Haberman (1972).
Decolonizing Self-Determination
Authors: Forjwuor Bernard
Published: July 2023

I reconstruct the framework for a new critical practice formulated as a repudiation/refutation of not just the “authority of dogmatism” but also the normativity in Eurocentric thought. I delink the critical practice from its anticipatory progression into the inevitable reification of Eurocentric normative considerations. Thus, an antinormative and logical critique of self-determination are developed that refute the presupposed meaning of normative colonial discourse from which self-determination is conceptualized as its antithesis. This chapter challenges the meaning and conceptual occupations of colonialism by critiquing the hegemonic formulation of the concept that forecloses accounts of colonialism’s persistent postcolonial political iterations. For instance, I engage the logical and legal presupposition upon which Chapter XI, Resolutions 1541 and 1514 of the UN Charter on decolonization established self-governance as coterminous to decolonization. The fallacious and legally duplicitous argument reduced the complex colonial form to settler colonialism when, in fact, settler colonial arrangements were only specific to places like the US, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. At the same time, Resolutions 2625 and 2105 occluded these classic cases of settler colonialism from their consideration/thinking of how self-governance should be enforced, as the question of sovereignty in the context of settler colonialism could only have been resolved through the removal of colonial settlers in these countries. And yet self-governance, which does not apply to the kind of colonialism in Ghana/Africa (more broadly), was framed as central to African liberation in places where colonialism was designed to outlive physical European presence/territorial aggrandizement.
The Constituent Specter of Colonialism
Authors: Forjwuor Bernard
Published: July 2023

This chapter retheorizes the colonial as constitutive, transcendental, and immanent in postcolonial liberal democracy politics. It approaches the full elaboration of the ontological dimension of colonialism from the perspective of the concept of “constituent specter.” Thus, to suggest that the colonial in liberal democracy is a constituent power and also a specter is to highlight the return of that which is symbolically repressed/castrated through the discourses/practices of political independence and sovereignty to haunt “decolonized” politics. The spectrality of colonialism within the conceptual jurisdiction of a sovereign postcolonial liberal democracy renders this political medium incapable of referencing/signifying decolonization (in its emancipatory gestures) as the foundational moment of its naming/emergence. Indeed, not only does this specter haunt the system from which it is assumed to have been symbolically separated, but it also becomes its constituent force/power: its constituent dictation at the moment of haunting.
Stemming Communist Influence in Central Africa
Authors: Kinsey Christopher
Published: July 2023

Using historical documents from the Kennedy Library, this chapter examines the close working relationship between the CIA and the mercenary Cuban pilots it employed to help Mobutu retain control over the country during the Simba rebellion of 1964–5. Moreover, the example shows how far the US government was prepared to go in using mercenaries to safeguard US interests in Africa, while at the same time distancing itself from them at the height of the Cold War. The US government faced considerable political constraints in its handling of the Congo rebellions. First, the country was already involved in a ground war in Vietnam and therefore deploying the military to the Congo was out of the question. Second, it could not be seen to rely on white mercenaries as this would undermine its relationship with the newly independent African states. At the same time, the USA needed to protect its vital interests in the region as well as keeping the Russian and Chinese out of the Congo. By giving the task to the CIA to build a small covert air force and navy, the CIA was able to successfully defeat the rebels and protect US vital interests at the same time, while keeping their involvement secret.
How to evolve a dragon
Authors: Cutter Asher D.
Published: July 2023

Considers explicitly the notion of orchestrating the evolution of new species. Deliberates trade-offs of logistical considerations and anticipates ethical concerns, each of which receives devoted attention in later chapters. Outlines the traits and inspirations from mythological creatures and the traits of real-world counterparts, including skunks, cobras, and bombardier beetles. Contemplates the multifarious sex lives of different species and the implications for selective breeding and genetic engineering, from asexuality of aphids to hermaphroditism of clown fish to the polyamorous cellular fusion of the bodies of male anglerfish to their female mates. Summarizes the reasons why biparental reproduction is a prerequisite for evolutionary engineering.
When nature comes to call
Authors: Cutter Asher D.
Published: July 2023

Examines the complexities of social and biological impacts of new species. Shows how the Anthropocene interventions of humans into nature have been beneficial to some species, have led to biological invasions, and how, for other species faced most starkly with climate change, movement to new ranges can be essential for species persistence. Deliberates alternative ideas of authenticity in nature and wilderness. Describes ecological engineering by animals themselves and the feedback between organisms and the environment, including urban environments, that leave an evolutionary footprint. Documents examples with hippos, clover, mosquitoes, African elephants, beavers, engineered bacteria as synthetic life, and abandoned landscapes like those around nuclear disaster sites and old mining towns. Illustrates how evolution takes on a life of its own and how the anxieties about nature differ according to what timeframe people consider, from months to millennia to eons.
Introduction
Authors: Baylis John , Eames Anthony
Published: July 2023

Trust is at the heart of the Anglo-American nuclear alliance. it makes the exchange of information possible and guarantees the working of extended deterrence. A great deal of the Trust research undertaken so far has been concerned with the challenges of developing trust between adversaries. How far does this research help in the understanding of trust between allies, especially where nuclear weapons are concerned? To answer this we explore the depth and complexity of Anglo-American nuclear cooperation and in so doing provide new theoretical insights into the nature of trust, in particular its ambiguous quality.
Rebuilding Nuclear Trust, 1956–8
Authors: Baylis John , Eames Anthony
Published: July 2023

The Soviet launch of Sputnik gave a renewed sense of urgency to nuclear cooperation and was the impetus for a restoration of relations between the United States and United Kingdom following the Suez Crisis. Nevertheless, ambiguity persisted as the United States and United Kingdom experimented with dual-key arrangements to overcome the problem of consultation on the use of nuclear weapons. A close relationship between Harold Macmillan and Dwight Eisenhower set the special relationship on a productive course leading to the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA). The rebuilding of the relationship brought about corresponding criticism of the nuclear arms race among scientists and publics. Anti-nuclear sentiment and culture would henceforth be a particularly dynamic component of the Anglo-American nuclear partnership.
After the Cold War
Authors: Baylis John , Eames Anthony
Published: July 2023

The end of the Cold War brought about a rapid change in the global security environment in which the Anglo-American nuclear partnership had evolved. In the 1990s, interests appeared to diverge, personal relationships frayed, and calls for a peace dividend resulted in the disinvestment in nuclear weapons. However, 9/11 created a new justification for the special relationship that invigorated nuclear cooperation. Subsequently, as the utility and cost of nuclear weapons became more under question, the US and UK remained in lockstep over nuclear issues. Perhaps the most significant post-Cold War development was that nuclear weapons went from an extraordinary issue that commanded the attention of both states’ leadership to a more mundane feature of the special relationship handled by their respective bureaucracies.
Master's programmes at Sino‐foreign cooperative universities in China: An analysis of the neoliberal practices
Authors: Lai Mei , Jung Jisun
Published: July 2023

This study explores the current status and practices of master's programmes at Sino‐foreign cooperative universities (SFCUs) in China. A document analysis of university publications is conducted on 133 master's programmes at nine SFCUs. The findings show the diversified development of disciplines and heterogeneity across nine universities. By examining how these programmes entangle with neoliberal ideas, marketisation and western orientation are found to be mobilised and reinforced in the internationalisation process. From the postcolonial perspective, this study identifies the practices of mimicry and resistance in operating master's programmes under transnational partnerships. The findings have implications in terms of educational equalities, the implementation of master's programmes in transnational higher education and the balance between home and host institutions in practice.
Research on Effect Factors of Mechanical Response of Polyethylene Gas Pipeline in Karst Area Based on Element Birth and Death Technique
Authors: Li Qiaochu , Chen Junhua
Published: July 2023

Buried gas pipelines in karst area are inevitably affected by the geotechnical activities, which is difficult to resist the permanent ground displacement caused by soil dislocation and surface damage. In this paper, abaqus finite element software has been used to establish a pipe-soil nonlinear coupling model based on element birth and death technique. The influence rules of various sensitive factors on the stress response of gas pipelines are studied. The work presented in this paper can provide a reference for the design and safety of polyethylene gas pipeline crossing the karst area.
Mechanism Design and Workspace Analysis of a Hexapod Robot With Changeable Morphology
Authors: Qi Chenkun , Li Huayang , Chen Xianbao , Chen Zhijun , Wang Weijun , Gao Feng
Published: July 2023

Here, the morphology of a legged robot refers to the standing/crawling pose of the robot and the forward/backward orientation of the knee, which are related to the configurations of all leg mechanisms. The standing/crawling pose of the robot determines the body height and the leg supporting region size, which are related to the obstacle-traversing and arch-traversing capability. The proper knee orientation can reduce the leg–ground interference risk and help select a good foothold. Therefore, the terrain adaptability can be enhanced if the morphology of the legged robot is changeable. Motivated by this, a hexapod robot capable of morphology conversion is designed in this study. For the leg mechanism, a double-parallelogram transmission mechanism is used to change the forward/backward orientation of the knee. The hexapod robot can transform between the crawling pose and the standing pose and can also transform among four standing morphologies (i.e., the knee–elbow, knee–knee, elbow–knee, and elbow–elbow morphologies). The appropriate robot morphology can be determined according to the terrain type. The lateral reachable body workspaces are derived analytically for different morphologies, which is useful for motion planning. Simulations and experiments are used to verify the design and analysis of the hexapod robot.
Bringing practice into theory: Reflective practice and attachment theory
Authors: Foley Maree , Nash Mary , Munford Robyn
Published: July 2023

The relationship between social work practice and attachment theory has been longstanding across decades. While much attention has been paid to the use of attachment theory within specific social work practice settings, less attention has been focused on the use of attachment theory to guide the social worker in their practice based reflections. This article explores the potential relevance of attachment theory for use within a reflective practice setting. This exploration is based on key findings from a recent study conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand. A proposed beginning framework of attachment theory informed reflective practice is offered for practitioners to explore in their reflective practice.
Social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand: A difficult journey for student caregivers
Authors: Hulme-Moir Kirsten , Beddoe Liz , Davys Allyson , Bartley Allen
Published: July 2023

Introduction:  Emerging research suggests that students who care for children, the sick, disabled or the elderly are a marginalised group in social work education.  A recent study explored how the wellbeing of 16 female social work student caregivers was impacted by their engagement in tertiary studies and considered the factors that motivated and sustained these students on their educational journey.

Methods: From a mixed method study investigating the social and financial impacts of study on the wellbeing of social work students in Aotearoa New Zealand, data were extracted relating to the needs and experiences of social work students and recent graduates who are also caregivers. Data from semi structured interviews were thematically analysed to produce an overarching theme and three key themes.

Findings: Findings reveal that for some caregivers, studying social work was a journey that exacted considerable sacrifice to their personal wellbeing. Findings also point to the remarkable capacity student caregivers had to overcome adversity, and even thrive through their experiences by drawing on their collective strengths and sense of purpose.  

Conclusion: This research highlights the responsibility that social work education providers and governing bodies have to understand and respond to the inequities that are faced by students who are caregivers. Students themselves should be prepared for the significant personal and financial costs of their education, particularly with regard to field placement.
Profiling Professional Rugby Union Activity After Peak Match Periods
Authors: Howe Samuel T. , Aughey Robert J. , Hopkins William G. , Stewart Andrew M.
Published: July 2023

The aim of this investigation was to quantify professional rugby union player activity profiles after the most intense (peak) passages of matches. Movement data were collected from 30 elite and 30 subelite professional rugby union athletes across respective competitive seasons. Accelerometer-derived PlayerLoad and global navigation satellite system–derived measures of mean speed and metabolic power were analyzed using a rolling-average method to identify the most intense 5- to 600-second passages (ie, worst-case scenarios) within matches. Player activity profiles immediately post their peak 5- to 600-second match intensity were identified using 5 epoch duration-matched intervals. Mean speed, metabolic power, and PlayerLoad declined sharply (∼29%–86%) after the most intense 5 to 600 seconds of matches. Following the most intense periods of rugby matches, exercise intensity declined below the average match-half intensity 81% of the time and seldom returned to or exceeded it, likely due to a host of individual physical and physiological characteristics, transient and/or accumulative fatigue, contextual factors, and pacing strategies. Typically, player exercise intensities after the most intense passages of matches were similar between match halves, positional groups, and levels of rugby competition. Accurate identification of the peak exercise intensities of matches and movement thereafter using novel methodologies has improved the limited understanding of professional rugby union player activity profiles following the worst-case scenarios of matches. Findings of the present study may inform match-representative training prescription, monitoring, and tactical match decisions (eg, substitutions and positional changes).
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of THC-containing Cannabis sativa L. yields a high frequency of transgenic calli expressing bialaphos resistance and non-expressor of PR1 (NPR1) genes
Authors: Holmes Janesse E. , Punja Zamir K.
Published: July 2023

We established transformation technologies using Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith & Townsend) Conn to insert foreign genes into high THC-containing cannabis ( Cannabis sativa L.). The Arabidopsis non-expressor of pathogenesis-related protein 1 ( AtNPR1) gene was selected as a potentially useful agronomic gene, which was linked to the bar gene from Streptomyces that encodes herbicide resistance. We investigated how Agrobacterium strains (EHA105 and GV3101), glufosinate concentrations, explant source, and light intensity affected transformation frequency (TF). Transformation was confirmed by RT-PCR with primers for the NPR1 or bar genes. Glufosinate at 0.5–1 mg/L inhibited growth of non-transformed calli within 8 weeks following A. tumefaciens infection. Strain EHA105 yielded a higher TF compared to strain GV3101. Whole leaflets yielded a higher TF compared to sectioned leaf explants with strain GV3101. However, this effect was not seen with EHA105. Petiole segments showed a higher TF than leaf sections with strain EHA105. Placing explants under light or dark conditions did not affect TF, which ranged from 5% to 95% in different experiments. This is the first report of successful transformation of two high THC-containing C. sativa genotypes with two foreign genes simultaneously— AtNPR1 and bar. The recovery of plantlets from transgenic calli was not attempted and awaits further research.
Symmetries in Cartan’s formalism: A review with examples
Authors: Bonder Yuri , Corral Cristóbal , Ramírez Oscar
Published: July 2023

We review an algorithm, in the context of gauge and gravity theories described by differential forms, to read off the symmetries of a physical system out of its action, which was originally proposed in [C. Corral and Y. Bonder, Symmetry algebra in gauge theories of gravity, Class. Quantum Grav. 36 (2019) 045002]. In particular, we study the interplay between gauge symmetries and a gauge-covariant version of diffeomorphisms dubbed local translations. We focus on the role of boundary terms and conserved charges that were not discussed in the original proposal. We provide a review of the formalism and analyze several examples of classical theories, including gauge theories coupled to matter fields in flat space and gravitational theories in different dimensions.
Symmetric Ascending Paralysis Secondary to West Nile Virus
Authors: Ashkin Alex , Saccone Nicole , Valle Jose , Rasnake Mark
Published: July 2023

West Nile virus (WNV) is classified as a Flavivirus, belonging to a Japanese encephalitis subgroup often transmitted via mosquitoes. The classic presentation of a WNV infection usually displays high fevers, myalgias, and headache which can progress to neck stiffness, stupor, and coma (Case Rep Infect Dis. 2020;2020:6501658). Our case study presented with a rare manifestation of ascending paralysis, encompassing the feared neuroinvasive disease pattern that is seldom exhibited. This case had an unusual presentation as certain manifestations experienced by our patient closely resembled that of Guillain-Barré syndrome, although others were more indicative of poliomyelitis-like syndrome. Overall, the mainstay of therapy in both conditions is supportive care, although the prognosis varies substantially depending on the underlying diagnosis.
Acquired Treatment Resistance in a Patient with Metastatic PD-L1-Positive Breast Cancer and Germline BRCA1 Mutation
Authors: Kumeta Toko , Yamaguchi Kei , Hayami Ryosuke , Arai Kazumori , Tsuneizumi Michiko , Matsunuma Ryoichi
Published: July 2023

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer associated with higher rates of relapse and mortality compared to other subtypes. Chemotherapy has been a mainstream treatment approach for TNBC due to the lack of therapeutic targets. Recent advances have led to the introduction of novel agents against specific patients with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive TNBC who harbor germline BRCA mutations. However, some patients who respond to PD-L1 or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase PARP inhibitors often develop resistance. Additionally, treatment strategies are more complicated for patients with PD-L1-positive TNBC and germline BRCA mutations. Here, we report a patient with metastatic PD-L1-positive TNBC who harbored a germline BRCA1 mutation. The patient sequentially received combination treatment regimens, including PD-L1 inhibitors with chemotherapy and the PARP inhibitor olaparib, acquiring resistance to the treatments in a couple of months. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying resistance to PD-L1 antibodies and PARP inhibitors to improve treatment outcomes while preventing emergence of treatment resistance in patients with TNBC.
The Impact of Obesity on T and NK Cells after LVAD Implantation
Authors: Messer Eva Katharina , Meyer Anna Lassia , Klaeske Kristin , Sieg Franz , Eifert Sandra , Schmiedel Dominik , Haunschild Josephina , Jawad Khalil , Saeed Diyar , Hildebrandt Lea , Borger Michael Andrew , Dieterlen Maja-Theresa
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Infections are a major problem after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation that affects morbidity, mortality, and the quality of life. Obesity often increases the risk for infection. In the cohort of LVAD patients, it is unknown if obesity affects the immunological parameters involved in viral defense. Therefore, this study investigated whether overweight or obesity affects immunological parameters such as CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Methods: Immune cell subsets of CD8+ T cells and NK cells were compared between normal-weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n = 17), pre-obese (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2, n = 24), and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2, n = 27) patients. Cell subsets and cytokine serum levels were quantified prior to LVAD implantation and at 3, 6, and 12 months after LVAD implantation. Results: At the end of the first postoperative year, obese patients (31.8% ± 2.1%) had a lower proportion of CD8+ T cells than normal-weight patients (42.4% ± 4.1%; p = 0.04), and the percentage of CD8+ T cells was negatively correlated with BMI (p = 0.03; r = −0.329). The proportion of circulating NK cells increased after LVAD implantation patients in normal-weight (p = 0.01) and obese patients (p < 0.01). Patients with pre-obesity showed a delayed increase (p < 0.01) 12 months after LVAD implantation. Further, obese patients showed an increase in the percentage of CD57+ NK cells after 6 and 12 months (p = 0.01) of treatment, higher proportions of CD56bright NK cells (p = 0.01), and lower proportions of CD56dim/neg NK cells (p = 0.03) 3 months after LVAD implantation than normal-weight patients. The proportion of CD56bright NK cells positively correlated with BMI (p < 0.01, r = 0.403) 1 year after LVAD implantation. Conclusions: This study documented that obesity affects CD8+ T cells and subsets of NK cells in patients with LVAD in the first year after LVAD implantation. Lower proportions of CD8+ T cells and CD56dim/neg NK cells and higher proportion of CD56bright NK cells were detected in obese but not in pre-obese and normal-weight LVAD patients during the first year after LVAD implantation. The induced immunological imbalance and phenotypic changes of T and NK cells may influence viral and bacterial immunoreactivity.
Inflammatory Tinea Capitis Mimicking Dissecting Cellulitis in a Healthy Woman
Authors: Rabhi Faten , Elinkichari Dorsaf , Mtibaa Latifa , Jemli Bouthaina , Jaber Kahena , Dhaoui Mohamed Raouf
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Inflammatory tinea capitis (TC) is uncommon in adults. Case Presentation: A 29-year-old healthy woman presented with a 2-year history of scalp alopecia with purulent discharge. Clinical, trichoscopic, and histological features and the negativity of a first fungal sampling were consistent with the diagnosis of dissecting cellulitis of the scalp. A second mycological examination guided by trichoscopy was carried out, showing tinea endothrix. Fungal culture isolated trichophyton violaceum. The patient was treated with terbinafine with complete healing. Conclusion: The diagnosis of adult TC is challenging, mainly the inflammatory form. An exhaustive trichoscopic examination of all alopecic plaques may help make a rapid diagnosis and provide a guide to the mycological examination.
Nephropathy in a Child with Severe Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Treated with Cyclophosphamide: A Case Report
Authors: Ambarsari Cahyani Gita , Palupi-Baroto Retno , Sinuraya Fira Alyssa Gabriella , Suryati Elvi , Widyastuti Etty , Widhiati Suci
Published: July 2023

Long-term inflammation and recurrent skin infection in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) are associated with the presence of immunoglobulin A (IgA)-containing immune complexes in the glomerulus. Only eight pediatric RDEB cases with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) have been documented in English-language literature. Most RDEB patients with IgAN progress to kidney failure within 5 years of diagnosis, indicating that these patients may require more intensive early treatment compared to those with primary IgAN. However, diagnosing IgAN in RDEB cases with severe cutaneous manifestations can be challenging. Herein, we report a rare case of nephropathy in an 11-year-old boy with severe RDEB and a frameshift mutation on the COL7A1 gene, which may manifest as kidney disorders. He presented with persistent hematuria and progressing proteinuria. A presumptive IgAN diagnosis was based on clinical features and increased IgA serum levels, as kidney biopsy was refused by his parents. Nephrotic-range proteinuria persisted despite initial steroid and lisinopril treatment. Monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide (IV CPA; 500 mg/m2) led to proteinuria remission and preservation of kidney function for 2 years posttreatment. We conclude that COL7A1 mutations may result in extracutaneous manifestations, including kidney disorders. The association between IgA-containing immune complex deposits in the glomerulus and recurrent skin infection in RDEB may indicate IgAN, particularly when kidney biopsy is infeasible due to severe skin manifestations. In our case, positive results with IV CPA suggest further investigation is needed to explore its potential role in non-rapidly progressing IgAN in children with RDEB.
Burden of Acute Kidney Injury among Adult Hospital Patients in the Italian Lombardy Region: A 20-Year Real-World Data Analysis
Authors: Bikbov Boris , Fortino Ida , Leoni Olivia , Nobili Alessandro , Tettamanti Mauro
Published: July 2023

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent condition, with persistent shortage of large-scale epidemiological studies. We analyzed the population-wide healthcare system of the Italian Lombardy region over the 2000–2019 period, and evaluated AKI incidence, mortality, and related healthcare resource utilization and cost in all citizens 40 years and older. Methods: The retrospective cohort analysis of an administrative claims database that routinely collects information about healthcare provision in a high-income region with 10 million citizens. Over 20 years, AKI was identified in 84,384 hospital discharge records by the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision codes (mean age 77.4 ± 11.6 years, 52.5% were males). Results: From 2000 to 2019, the AKI rates per 100,000 population changed from 32.9 to 90.5 for incidence, from 4.7 to 11.9 for mortality, and from 32.3 to 44.1 for years of life lost (YLLs), respectively. In-hospital mortality changed slightly (14.2% and 13.2%, respectively), while 30-day mortality decreased from 21.5% to 17.4%, respectively. Incidence rates increased with age and were higher in males, and varied almost four-fold between provinces. The median hospitalization cost was €4,014 (IQR: 3,652; 4,134), and the annual cost of treatment risen from €5.2 million in 2000 to €22.9 million in 2019. Hemodialysis was administered in 7.4% of hospitalizations. Over the total study period the cumulative AKI burden accounted for 11,420 in-hospital deaths, 63,370.8 YLLs, and €329 million of direct cost. Conclusions: This real-world analysis demonstrates the high burden of AKI with prominent geographical differences that require further implementation of preventive and diagnostic actions.
Mortality and Risk Factors in Very Elderly Patients Who Start Hemodialysis: Korean Renal Data System, 2016–2020
Authors: Park Ji Hyeon , Park Hayne Cho , Kim Do Hyoung , Lee Young Ki , Cho AJin
Published: July 2023

Introduction: The number of elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide. However, decision-making about elderly patients with ESRD remains complex because of the lack of studies, especially in very elderly patients (≥75 years). We examined the characteristics of very elderly patients starting hemodialysis (HD) and the associated mortality and prognostic factors. Methods: Data were analyzed retrospectively using a nationwide cohort registry, the Korean Renal Data System. Patients who started HD between January 2016 and December 2020 were included and divided into three groups according to age at HD initiation (<65, 65–74, and ≥75 years). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the study period. Risk factors for mortality were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: In total, 22,024 incident patients were included with 10,006, 5,668, and 6,350 in each group (<65, 65–74, and ≥75 years, respectively). Among the very elderly group, women had a higher cumulative survival rate than men. The survival rate was lower in patients with vascular access via a catheter than in those with an arteriovenous fistula or graft. Very elderly patients with more comorbid diseases had a significantly lower survival rate than those with fewer comorbidities. In the multivariate Cox models, old age, cancer presence, catheter use, low body mass index, low Kt/V, low albumin concentration, and capable status of partial self-care were associated with high risk of mortality. Conclusion: Preparation of an arteriovenous fistula or graft when starting HD should be considered in very elderly patients with fewer comorbid diseases.
Oral Mycosis Fungoides: Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Alexander-Savino Carolina , Boye-Doe Alexandra , Bowers Edith , Beaven Anne
Published: July 2023

Oral and laryngeal cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is rare and usually associated with poor prognosis. Here, we discuss 2 cases of oral CTCL that developed in heavily pretreated patients and provide a review of the literature. The first case is of a 46-year-old African American male with rapidly progressive disease, presenting with a lesion on his hard palate 6 months after being diagnosed with a CD4+CD8+ CTCL. His cutaneous disease was widespread with tumors on >80% of his body surface area. Unfortunately, the patient died 2 ½ years after his CTCL diagnosis and 7 months after developing the oral CTCL lesion. The second case is of a 38-year-old African American male with stage IIb CD3+CD4+CD30+ mycosis fungoides (MF), who developed a tumor on the hard palate 6 months after diagnosis. He received palliative radiation to the oral lesion and multiple lines of systemic therapy for pulmonary, laryngeal, esophageal, and gastric involvement. Biopsy of the gastric lesions showed a CD30+ T-cell lymphoma with the same clonal peak as in his skin but with large cell transformation. Brentuximab vendoin was started, and the patient is now in complete remission, 30 months later. From the 76 cases of oral CTCL that have been reported in the English language, six were of transformed MF. The most common sites affected were the tongue and palate, and the most common presentation were erythematous or ulcerated tumors, plaques, or nodules associated with dysphagia and pain. Oral CTCL typically occurs years after the initial diagnosis of CTCL and portend a poor prognosis with an average survival of just over 1 year after development of oral lesions.