bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-term high-salt consumption does not influence resting or exercising heart rate variability but increases MCP-1 concentration in healthy young adults
Authors: Linder Braxton A. , Babcock Matthew C. , Pollin Kamila U. , Watso Joseph C. , Robinson Austin T.
Published: March 2023

High salt consumption increases blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular disease risk by altering autonomic function and increasing inflammation. However, it is unclear whether salt manipulation alters resting and exercising heart rate variability (HRV), a noninvasive measure of autonomic function, in healthy young adults. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether short-term high-salt intake 1) alters HRV at rest, during exercise, or exercise recovery and 2) increases the circulating concentration of the inflammatory biomarker monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). With the use of a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 20 participants (8 females; 24 ± 4 yr old, 110 ± 10/64 ± 8 mmHg) consumed salt (3,900 mg sodium) or placebo capsules for 10 days each separated by ≥2 wk. We assessed HRV during 10 min of baseline rest, 50 min of cycling (60% V̇o2peak), and recovery. We quantified HRV using the standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR intervals, the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and additional time and frequency domain metrics of HRV. Plasma samples were collected to assess MCP-1 concentration. No main effect of high salt or condition × time interaction was observed for HRV metrics. However, acute exercise reduced HRV (e.g., RMSSD time: P < 0.001, condition: P = 0.877, interaction: P = 0.422). High salt elevated plasma MCP-1 (72.4 ± 12.5 vs. 78.14 ± 14.7 pg/mL; P = 0.010). Irrespective of condition, MCP-1 was moderately associated ( P values < 0.05) with systolic ( r = 0.32) and mean BP ( r = 0.33). Short-term high-salt consumption does not affect HRV; however, it increases circulating MCP-1, which may influence BP in young adults.
Na+-dependent intestinal glucose absorption mechanisms and its luminal Na+ homeostasis across metamorphosis from tadpoles to frogs
Authors: Ishizuka Noriko , Nagahashi Mina , Mochida Yuina , Hempstock Wendy , Nagata Nozomi , Hayashi Hisayoshi
Published: March 2023

The abrupt morphological changes of the intestine during metamorphosis have been detailed in frogs. The features of intestinal metamorphosis are shortening of the intestine and remodeling of the intestinal epithelium. It is believed that the purpose of the morphological changes of the intestine is adaptation from aquatic herbivorous to carnivorous life. However, little is known about the physiological importance of these morphological changes. To elucidate the functional changes during metamorphosis, we measured luminal Na+ concentrations and Na+-dependent glucose uptake in tadpoles and adult African clawed frogs Xenopus laevis. The small intestine was isolated and divided into four segments in length, the luminal contents collected for analysis of ion concentration by ion chromatography. Phlorizin-sensitive glucose-induced short-circuit current (Δ Isc) was measured in intestinal preparations mounted in Ussing chambers. Although dietary sodium intake was extremely low in tadpoles, luminal Na+ concentration gradually increased along the proximal to the middle part of the intestine (>70 mM), and this Na+ concentration was comparable with that of carnivorous adult frogs. The increment of glucose-induced Δ Isc was observed in tadpole intestine. We also measured the Δ Isc induced by acetic acid, which is the major short-chain fatty acid produced by fermentation. The expression levels of mRNA for Na+-dependent glucose transporter 1 and tight junction protein claudin-15 in each intestinal segment was measured. These results suggest that luminal Na+ homeostasis is important and luminal Na+ is kept at a high concentration for Na+-dependent nutrient absorption mechanisms.
Dynamic transcriptomic responses to divergent acute exercise stimuli in young adults
Authors: Lavin Kaleen M. , Graham Zachary A. , McAdam Jeremy S. , O’Bryan Samia M. , Drummer Devin , Bell Margaret B. , Kelley Christian J. , Lixandrão Manoel E. , Peoples Brandon , Tuggle S. Craig , Seay Regina S. , Van Keuren-Jensen Kendall , Huentelman Matthew J. , Pirrotte Patrick , Reiman Rebecca , Alsop Eric , Hutchins Elizabeth , Antone Jerry , Bonfitto Anna , Meechoovet Bessie , Palade Joanna , Talboom Joshua S. , Sullivan Amber , Aban Inmaculada , Peri Kalyani , Broderick Timothy J. , Bamman Marcas M.
Published: March 2023

We examined small and long transcriptomics in skeletal muscle and serum-derived extracellular vesicles before and after a single exposure to traditional combined exercise (TRAD) and high-intensity tactical training (HITT). Across 40 young adults, we found more consistent protein-coding gene responses to TRAD, whereas HITT elicited differential expression of microRNA enriched in brain regions. Follow-up analysis revealed relationships and temporal dynamics across transcript networks, highlighting potential avenues for research into mechanisms of exercise response and adaptation.
Pedagogy for Teaching Fire Safety through Design-Based Immersion of the National Building Code 2016 with Feedback from Students of Undergraduate Architecture
Authors: Singh Raja
Published: March 2023

This study is based on the feedback from 3rd-year architectural undergraduate students at a leading architectural education college in India. An undergraduate degree in architecture in India leads to a professional license to practice as an architect in India. Fire safety is also a component of the architectural curriculum, but there are concerns worldwide that architecture colleges may somehow not give the impetus fire safety education may require. A studio-based, immersive pedagogy was created to make fire safety more relevant and easy to grasp for architecture students. This method used integrating the interventions from the country’s fire code into the design using students’ self-created design problems, with which they were familiar. This design-based immersive integration of the National Building Code 2016 and its fire provisions were tested in this study. The detailed course pedagogical structure has been presented. The study was tested using feedback from the students at the end of the semester using an 11-part questionnaire which 32 students answered in an anonymous mode. The results show an overall positive response where the students prefer a design-based integrated fire safety curriculum which introduces fire codes to the students in the applied format. This study paves the way for more replications of the studio design-based integration of fire codes into the curricula of architecture colleges. Further studies will require this technique to undergo further testing by involving practitioners who have undergone this pedagogy and testing the same in building projects.
Fibrinogen Is Associated with Prognosis of Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis: A Study Based on Cox Regression and Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Yao Chi , Zhang Guangyuan , Zhang Nieke , Li Renjie , Sun Si , Zhang Lei , Xia Yi , Chen Shuqiu , Sun Jin , Chen Ming
Published: March 2023

Introduction. Sepsis is a common syndrome in critically ill patients. Fibrinogen was reported to be associated with the prognosis of sepsis patients. Materials and Methods. Data was acquired from Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care Database IV (MIMIC-IV) version 1.0. Cox proportional hazards regression was utilized to estimate the relationship between fibrinogen and inhospital mortality. The cumulative incidence of mortality by fibrinogen level was estimated through the Kaplan-Meier curve. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to assess nonlinear relationship. Subgroup analysis was also conducted to evaluate the robustness of the association between fibrinogen and inhospital mortality. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to adjust for confounding factors. Results. A total of 3365 patients, including 2031 survivors and 1334 nonsurvivors, were enrolled in our study. The survivors had a significantly elevated levels of fibrinogen compared with the deceased. The elevated level of fibrinogen was significantly associated with a decrease in mortality in multivariate Cox regression before and after PSM (HR 0.66,

P
<
0.001

and HR 0.73,

P
<
0.001

, respectively). RCS showed a nearly linear relationship. Subgroup analysis demonstrated the robustness of the association in most subpopulations. However, the association between decreased levels of fibrinogen and increased inhospital mortality was denied after PSM. Conclusion. The elevated level of fibrinogen hints at better overall survival in critically ill patients with sepsis. Decreased levels of fibrinogen may be of little value in identifying patients with a high risk of death.
Shortwave Infrared Imaging Enables High-Contrast Fluorescence-Guided Surgery in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Privitera Laura , Waterhouse Dale J. , Preziosi Alessandra , Paraboschi Irene , Ogunlade Olumide , Da Pieve Chiara , Barisa Marta , Ogunbiyi Olumide , Weitsman Gregory , Hutchinson J. Ciaran , Cross Kate , Biassoni Lorenzo , Stoyanov Danail , Sebire Neil , Beard Paul , De Coppi Paolo , Kramer-Marek Gabriela , Anderson John , Giuliani Stefano
Published: March 2023

Fluorescence-guided surgery is set to play a pivotal role in the intraoperative management of pediatric tumors. Shortwave infrared imaging (SWIR) has advantages over conventional near-infrared I (NIR-I) imaging with reduced tissue scattering and autofluorescence. Here, two NIR-I dyes (IRDye800CW and IR12), with long tails emitting in the SWIR range, were conjugated with a clinical-grade anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (dinutuximab-beta) to compare NIR-I and SWIR imaging for neuroblastoma surgery. A first-of-its-kind multispectral NIR-I/SWIR fluorescence imaging device was constructed to allow an objective comparison between the two imaging windows. Conjugates were first characterized in vitro. Tissue-mimicking phantoms, imaging specimens of known geometric and material composition, were used to assess the sensitivity and depth penetration of the NIR-I/SWIR device, showing a minimum detectable volume of ∼0.9 mm3 and depth penetration up to 3 mm. In vivo, fluorescence imaging using the NIR-I/SWIR device showed a high tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) for both dyes, with anti–GD2-IR800 being significantly brighter than anti–GD2-IR12. Crucially, the system enabled higher TBR at SWIR wavelengths than at NIR-I wavelengths, verifying SWIR imaging enables high-contrast delineation of tumor margins. This work demonstrates that by combining the high specificity of anti-GD2 antibodies with the availability and translatability of existing NIR-I dyes, along with the advantages of SWIR in terms of depth and tumor signal-to-background ratio, GD2-targeted NIR-I/SWIR-guided surgery could improve the treatment of patients with neuroblastoma, warranting investigation in future clinical trials.

Significance:

Multispectral near-infrared I/shortwave infrared fluorescence imaging is a versatile system enabling high tumor-to-background signal for safer and more complete resection of pediatric tumors during surgery.
Arginase 1/2 Inhibitor OATD-02: From Discovery to First-in-man Setup in Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Borek Bartlomiej , Nowicka Julita , Gzik Anna , Dziegielewski Marek , Jedrzejczak Karol , Brzezinska Joanna , Grzybowski Marcin , Stanczak Paulina , Pomper Paulina , Zagozdzon Agnieszka , Rejczak Tomasz , Matyszewski Krzysztof , Golebiowski Adam , Olczak Jacek , Lisiecki Kamil , Tyszkiewicz Magdalena , Kania Magdalena , Piasecka Sylwia , Cabaj Anna , Dera Paulina , Mulewski Krzysztof , Chrzanowski Jacek , Kusmirek Damian , Sobolewska Elzbieta , Magdycz Marta , Mucha Lukasz , Masnyk Marek , Golab Jakub , Nowotny Marcin , Nowak Elzbieta , Napiorkowska-Gromadzka Agnieszka , Pikul Stanislaw , Jazwiec Radoslaw , Dzwonek Karolina , Dobrzanski Pawel , Meyring Michael , Skowronek Krzysztof , Iwanowski Piotr , Zaslona Zbigniew , Blaszczyk Roman
Published: March 2023

Pharmacologic inhibition of the controlling immunity pathway enzymes arginases 1 and 2 (ARG1 and ARG2) is a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we report the discovery and development of OATD-02, an orally bioavailable, potent arginases inhibitor. The unique pharmacologic properties of OATD-02 are evidenced by targeting intracellular ARG1 and ARG2, as well as long drug-target residence time, moderate to high volume of distribution, and low clearance, which may jointly provide a weapon against arginase-related tumor immunosuppression and ARG2-dependent tumor cell growth. OATD-02 monotherapy had an antitumor effect in multiple tumor models and enhanced an efficacy of the other immunomodulators. Completed nonclinical studies and human pharmacokinetic predictions indicate a feasible therapeutic window and allow for proposing a dose range for the first-in-human clinical study in patients with cancer.

Significance:

We have developed an orally available, small-molecule intracellular arginase 1 and 2 inhibitor as a potential enhancer in cancer immunotherapy. Because of its favorable pharmacologic properties shown in nonclinical studies, OATD-02 abolishes tumor immunosuppression induced by both arginases, making it a promising drug candidate entering clinical trials.
USP10 Regulates ZEB1 Ubiquitination and Protein Stability to Inhibit ZEB1-Mediated Colorectal Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Sun Lei , Yu Jia , Guinney Justin , Qin Bo , Sinicrope Frank A.
Published: March 2023

Zinc finger E-box–binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) is a transcription factor that can promote tumor invasion and metastasis by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). To date, regulation of ZEB1 by RAS/RAF signaling remains unclear, and few studies have examined posttranslation modification of ZEB1, including its ubiquitination. In human colorectal cancer cell lines with RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK activation, an interaction of ZEB1 with the deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) was identified whereby USP10 modifies ZEB1 ubiquitination and promotes its proteasomal degradation. Regulation of the USP10–ZEB1 interaction by MEK–ERK signaling was shown whereby constitutive activation of ERK can phosphorylate USP10 at Ser236 to impair its interaction with ZEB1 and enable ZEB1 protein stabilization. Stabilized ZEB1 was shown to promote colorectal cancer metastatic colonization in a mouse tail vein injection model. Conversely, MEK–ERK inhibition blocked USP10 phosphorylation and enhanced the USP10–ZEB1 interaction shown to suppress ZEB1-mediated tumor cell migration and metastasis. In conclusion, we demonstrate a novel function of USP10 in the regulation of ZEB1 protein stability and its ability to mediate tumor metastasis in a preclinical model.

Implications:

The MEK–ERK-regulated interaction of USP10 with ZEB1 can promote the proteasomal degradation of ZEB1 and thereby suppress its demonstrated ability to mediate tumor metastasis.
Event-Related Potentials of Single-Sided Deaf Cochlear Implant Users: Using a Semantic Oddball Paradigm in Noise
Authors: Voola Marcus , Wedekind Andre , Nguyen An T. , Marinovic Welber , Rajan Gunesh , Tavora-Vieira Dayse
Published: March 2023

Introduction: In individuals with single-sided deafness (SSD), who are characterised by profound hearing loss in one ear and normal hearing in the contralateral ear, binaural input is no longer present. A cochlear implant (CI) can restore functional hearing in the profoundly deaf ear, with previous literature demonstrating improvements in speech-in-noise intelligibility with the CI. However, we currently have limited understanding of the neural processes involved (e.g., how the brain integrates the electrical signal produced by the CI with the acoustic signal produced by the normal hearing ear) and how modulation of these processes with a CI contributes to improved speech-in-noise intelligibility. Using a semantic oddball paradigm presented in the presence of background noise, this study aims to investigate how the provision of CI impacts speech-in-noise perception of SSD-CI users. Method: Task performance (reaction time, reaction time variability, target accuracy, subjective listening effort) and high density electroencephalography from twelve SSD-CI participants were recorded, while they completed a semantic acoustic oddball task. Reaction time was defined as the time taken for a participant to press the response button after stimulus onset. All participants completed the oddball task in three different free-field conditions with the speech and noise coming from different speakers. The three tasks were: (1) CI-On in background noise, (2) CI-Off in background noise, and (3) CI-On without background noise (Control). Task performance and electroencephalography data (N2N4 and P3b) were recorded for each condition. Speech in noise and sound localisation ability were also measured. Results: Reaction time was significantly different between all tasks with CI-On (M [SE] = 809 [39.9] ms) having faster RTs than CI-Off (M [SE] = 845 [39.9] ms) and Control (M [SE] = 785 [39.9] ms) being the fastest condition. The Control condition exhibited significantly shorter N2N4 and P3b area latency compared to the other two conditions. However, despite these differences noticed in RTs and area latency, we observed similar results between all three conditions for N2N4 and P3b difference area. Conclusion: The inconsistency between the behavioural and neural results suggests that EEG may not be a reliable measure of cognitive effort. This rationale is further supported by different explanations used in past studies to explain N2N4 and P3b effects. Future studies should look to alternative measures of auditory processing (e.g., pupillometry) to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying auditory processes that facilitate speech-in-noise intelligibility.
A phased process to reintroduce a hand-reared infant Tonkean macaque to her natal group
Authors: De Marco Arianna , Sanna Andrea , Cozzolino Roberto , Thierry Bernard
Published: March 2023

Reintroduction of separated individuals into their social group is a major problem in the management of captive group of non-human primates. Here we report a case in captive Tonkean macaques in which a female infant was abandoned by her mother after birth, then removed, hand-reared, and reintroduced after weaning to her original group in several stages. After the initial phase of separation, a period of habituation to group members followed during which the infant was brought to the front of the group enclosure daily for two months. We then started a phased reintroduction process that lasted a year. Because the biological mother was the group member most attracted to the infant, the process began by allowing the two individuals to interact. In the next stages, we introduced the infant to the other individuals one after the other, starting with the females. Females then acted as protectors against potential male aggression. At the age of one year and two months, the introduced individual had fully integrated her original group. Two years later, she appeared to behave like the other group members. This report shows that a phased process can be used to reintroduce an infant to a macaque group containing several adult females and males.
A House of Worship for Every Religious Community: The History of a Mālikī Fatwā
Authors: Safran Janina
Published: March 2023

This essay traces the incorporation of a sixth/twelfth century fatwā supporting the construction of churches in North Africa in the Mālikī madhhab and provides insight into practices of Mālikī legal interpretation in the Maghrib in the ninth/fifteenth century. In his fatwā, the Cordoban jurist Ibn al-Ḥājj (d. 529/1134) addressed a novel situation involving the relocation of Christians from al-Andalus. This fatwā was selected by the Tunisian jurist al-Burzulī (d. 841/1438) for commentary in his Jāmiʿ masāʾil al-aḥkām. He discussed Ibn al-Ḥājj’s opinions with reference to al-Mudawwana and al-Wāḍiḥa, and later commentaries, and made a connection to church building in Tunis. In the late ninth/fifteenth century, three jurists writing in response to anti-Jewish attacks in Tamanṭīṭ, in the Tuwāt oasis (Algeria), cited Ibn al-Ḥājj’s fatwā, as redacted by al-Burzulī, in their opinions on the destruction of a local synagogue. Each jurist treated Ibn al-Ḥājj’s fatwā as a relevant legal precedent. At the same time, each reevaluated the parameters of Mālikī debate about non-Muslim houses of worship to assert his distinct opinion about the synagogue of Tamanṭīṭ and the position of the Mālikī madhhab on non-Muslim houses of worship in Muslim lands.
Israel and the Nations: Proselytes and Apostates in 2 Baruch
Authors: Dik John
Published: March 2023

In this article I explore how God’s people is constituted in 2 Baruch and in which relation it stands to the nations, an issue which has not yet been dealt with in detail in recent research. It will be shown that the author, writing after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, stresses the role of torah and true worship to encourage his addresses as Israel. In doing so, he creates a clear dichotomy between Israel and the nations to uphold group identity. However, in 2 Bar. 41–42 the firmly established walls of Israel seem to crumble, because those from Israel become apostates whereas those from the nations join God’s people. This passage is analyzed in more detail and its socio-historical background is explored, including the topics of assimilation, inter-marriage, and the joining of a Christian community.
Discourses on Research Freedom in the Academic Study of Religion. An Overview
Authors: Severino Valerio S.
Published: March 2023

The present essay aims at exploring the issue of the freedom of research in the Academic Study of Religion. This essay brings together questions, arguments, and narratives in the framework of which the issue has been addressed and expressed. By adopting the approach of the ‘discursive research’, I seek to trace the production of the meaning of ‘freedom’ that is legitimated and shared in the Academic Study of Religion. I shall give a breakdown of this process of meaning-production along the following lines: the authority, the rights, and the impartiality of science particularly with regard to both the concept of ‘(Religious)Value-Free’ and the program of the ‘academic freedom from religion’. Besides I describe a counter-narrative based on what I may call ‘Non-Religious-Value’-Free and the academic program of the ‘autonomy of religion’. Eventually, I acknowledge a complementarity between the two narratives, as well as between the notions of facts-given and god/church-given freedom. The central takeaway of the essay is the recognition of a binary opposition between the senses of freedom along these lines.
Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes in the female genital fluid of the bat Corynorhinus mexicanus during sperm storage
Authors: Campos-Rentería Angie Carolina , Rodríguez-Tobón Ahiezer , Salame-Méndez Arturo , León-Galván Miguel Ángel , Arenas-Ríos Edith
Published: March 2023

Female Corynorhinus mexicanus bats store sperm for three months. One cause of the death of sperm is the action of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Three antioxidant enzymes – superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) – regulate the REDOX state of the environment in which gametes are stored. The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant enzymatic activity in female genital fluid during the period of sperm storage (October-December). The activity of the enzymes in the female bats’ genital fluid was determined by spectrophotometry. SOD activity was 20 USOD/ml/min in each month. Total GPX activity was 70 UGPX/ml/min in October, but increased in November and December to 145 UGPX/ml/min. Specific CAT activity was 2000 UK/ml/min in October, but in November it increased to 16 000 UK/ml/min, then to 32 000 UK/ml/min in December. The ROS fluorescence indices in the sperm ranged from 3000 to 8000 with no significant differences. These data show that antioxidant enzymes participate in the maintenance of sperm viability in the female reproductive tract of C. mexicanus.
Planning for the Aftermath. Longue Durée Histories for a New International Legal Order in Kelsen, Lauterpacht and De Visscher
Authors: Giltaij Jacob
Published: March 2023

As early as the 1930s, the development of plans for an international legal order to be created in the aftermath of the Second World War were commonplace. This particularly concerned a group of refugee scholars hailing from the German-speaking academic world. The plans of three scholars that were personally affected by the Nazi regime are discussed, those of Hans Kelsen, Hersch Lauterpacht and Charles De Visscher. This contribution compares the plans of the three scholars as formulated in the period between 1934 and 1947, as well as the historical narratives at their core, and ventures to answer the question whether these narratives should be seen as ‘invented traditions’ or that the scholars perceive them as significant and crucial stages of development at the basis of their plans for a post-War international legal order.
Role of Gender Policies and Laws in Enhancing Women’s Participation in the Resolution of Land Conflicts
Authors: Mutuku Benson , Krumeich Anja , Alaii Jane , Hubertus van den Borne , Westendorp Ingrid
Published: March 2023

Gender mainstreaming is a strategy to end women’s exclusion and further gender equality by using general policies and laws. The Government of Kenya has made strides in realising gender equality with the adoption of different general and gender-specific policies and laws. The reality is, however, that gender equality is far from being achieved across the country. With a focus on land conflicts, this article seeks to examine gender policies and law frameworks that intend to enhance women’s participation in the resolution of land conflicts; what progress has been achieved; and the gaps in terms of making these legal frameworks a reality. The study concludes that empirical studies on the impact of gender policies and laws that aim to enhance women’s participation in resolution of land conflicts are lacking across the country calling therefore for more research that seeks to evaluate the impact of the policies and laws on the ground.
The European Union’s Space Diplomacy: Contributing to Peaceful Co-operation?
Authors: Riddervold Marianne
Published: March 2023

The European Union (EU) has become a key player in space, second only to that of the USA. This article discusses what type of diplomatic actor the EU is in space by exploring whether it contributes to peaceful co-operation or if the EU — due to increasing geopolitical competition on Earth — is developing into a traditional realist actor. For this purpose, it applies three analytically distinct models of EU space policies, applicable also to other Global Commons areas. It finds that the EU does not treat space as an area of geopolitical competition. Instead, it contributes to space diplomacy through its focus on regulating and institutionalising space activities. However, rather than being driven by ‘the space flight idea’, the EU is committed to the peaceful development of space mainly for economic, strategic and societal purposes, in line with what one would expect of a liberal institutionalist actor.
Hate Speech and Incitement in Myanmar before and after the February 2021 Coup
Authors: Morada Noel M.
Published: March 2023

This article examines the use of hate speech and incitement by perpetrators of violence and atrocities in Myanmar against vulnerable populations like the Rohingya community from the outbreak of communal conflict in Rakhine in 2012 to the post-February 2021 coup. It argues that there is a clear link between hate speech and incitement, on one hand, and the escalation of violent attacks against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in the country, which presaged the atrocities committed by security forces. It draws some implications for R2P and atrocities prevention from the Myanmar case study, which includes the flawed democratisation process initiated by the military and the manifest failure of both the usdp and nld governments to uphold their primary responsibility to protect vulnerable populations in the country. As well, the international community led by the United Nations and asean have both failed in their responsibility to respond in a timely and decisive manner to protect the Rohingya from genocide as well as the larger civilian population from the junta’s violent crackdown after the February 2021 coup.
Investor Human Rights and Environmental Obligations: The Need to Redesign Corporate Social Responsibility Clauses
Authors: Bueno Nicolas , Yilmaz Vastardis Anil , Ngueuleu Djeuga Isidore
Published: March 2023

The article explores the utility of corporate social responsibility (CSR) clauses in international investment agreements to achieve responsible investor conduct on human rights and environmental protection. It provides an empirical overview of the content of such CSR clauses and offers a critical analysis on how and why these clauses, regardless of their formulation, have not yet led to effective investor accountability. Building on the weaknesses identified, it proposes to design new clauses on ‘investor human rights and environmental obligations’ that incorporate established international standards of responsible conduct, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; directly address investors as duty-bearers; explicitly recognise affected communities as beneficiaries of the investor obligations; and clarify the central question of access to remedy by providing for clear mechanisms of foreign investor liability in both the domestic courts of the home State and of the host State, separated from any counterclaim a host State may raise in an arbitration proceeding.
Boats, Barbarians, & Bandits: Riverine Warfare & the Taiping Rebellion
Authors: Swope Kenneth M.
Published: March 2023

While much has been written about the impact (or not) of Western intervention in the latter stages of the Taiping Rebellion (1851–1866), comparatively little attention has heretofore been directed towards the impact of the riverine campaigns and the combined land-river operations whereby the Qing steadily reduced the scope of Taiping control and tightened the cordon around their heavenly capital at Nanjing. Strategists such as Hu Linyi and Zuo Zongtang recognized the importance of riverine warfare and sought to build a Qing flotilla capable of meeting its military needs. Furthermore, the experience gained in riverine operations against the Taipings would later be applied in Zuo Zongtang’s campaigns in northwest China and Central Asia to great effect. Using Zuo’s personal accounts, contemporary newspaper reports, and other primary sources, this article highlights significance of rivers and riverine operations for the extension and maintenance of empire in late Qing China.
Rethinking Dichotomised Comparisons
Authors: Chen Xiaomin
Published: March 2023

This paper examines how two contemporary Chinese ekphrastic poems respond to an era characterized by visual media and globalization. It analyses how the poets connect their engagement with visual art to their explorations of complex cross-cultural encounters. These inter-art-form and inter-cultural engagements question the self-other dichotomy that operates in many simplistic imaginings of the relationship between art forms, between China and the West, and between so-called cultural centres and peripheries. Building on the example of these two poetic works, I propose a networked framework as an alternative to dichotomised conceptions of world literature and as a way to rethink global cultural politics and contemporary sociohistorical experience.
“But Then Again, Too Few to Mention”: Negotiating Regret in Israeli and American News Interviews
Authors: Hamo Michal , Kampf Zohar
Published: March 2023

This study adopts a contrastive pragmatic approach to examine the meanings and functions of public regret in two linguacultures. We located questions of regret realized by news interviewers in Israel and the United States between the years 2010 and 2020 using keyword searches in databases of diverse radio and television broadcast news media. Contrastive analysis of realizations and uptakes of questions of regret reveals similar discursive, functional and thematic patterns across the two cultures: questions of regret are predominantly used to demand accountability or to elicit emotion and narrative evaluation, and are discursively constructed as either challenging or supportive. We also found a delicate cross-cultural difference, with interviewees’ tendency to avoid regret greater in the U.S. In the Discussion we suggest possible explanations for the overall resemblance of discursive patterns in news interviews in Israel and the U.S., and their theoretical and methodological implications for contrastive pragmatics in institutional settings.
Taxonomic Revision of Cuphea sect. Trispermum s.l. (Lythraceae)
Authors: FACCO MARLON GARLET , CAVALCANTI TACIANA BARBOSA
Published: March 2023

Cuphea sect. Trispermum, one of the 13 sections of the genus, underwent a new circumscription after morphological, ecological, and molecular studies. A total of 20 species and two varieties are recognized in the section, including three new described species (C. araguaiaensis, C. auriflora, and C. praetermissa) and six species transferred from other sections. Eleven taxa were synonymized and 28 lectotypes were designated. The nectary at the base of the ovary deflexed, convex in the dorsal region, concave ventrally, three ovules, obtuse margin seeds, and pollen with the exine thickened between the pores are synapomorphies of C. sect. Trispermum, proving to be monophyletic after a broader definition. Representatives are found in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil, where 17 species occur, of which 13 are endemic. They are subshrubs to shrubs that often grow in cerrado sensu stricto, “campos rupestres” and Amazonian savannas. A high degree of narrow endemism is evident, with species restricted to specialized habitats. New information on floral and vegetative morphology, pollen, cytology, and habitat is provided for the section. In addition, keys are accompanied by descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and preliminary assessment of the conservation status for all taxa.
Comparative morphology of the preimaginal stages of Sesia bembeciformis (Hübner, [1806]) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) and other related Sesia species
Authors: BĄKOWSKI MAREK
Published: March 2023

This work presents the first description of the larval morphology of the clearwing moth species Sesia bembeciformis (Hübner, [1806]). The description of the pupa is expanded with new data. All diagnostic morphological features are described in detail, and illustrated with photographs and line drawings. A key to the described larvae of Sesia bembeciformis, S. apiformis, S. yezoensis and S. siningensis is provided. Diagnostic features for the genus Sesia, based on the described larvae and pupae, are proposed and discussed.
Evaluation and Process-Oriented Diagnosis of the GEFSv12 Reforecasts
Authors: Ye Jiacheng , Wang Zhuo , Yang Fanglin , Harris Lucas , Jensen Tara , Miller Douglas E. , Kalb Christina , Adriaansen Daniel , Li Weiwei
Published: March 2023

Three levels of process-oriented model diagnostics are applied to evaluate the Global Ensemble Forecast System version 12 (GEFSv12) reforecasts. The level-1 diagnostics are focused on model systematic errors, which reveals that precipitation onset over tropical oceans occurs too early in terms of column water vapor accumulation. Since precipitation acts to deplete water vapor, this results in prevailing negative biases of precipitable water in the tropics. It is also associated with overtransport of moisture into the mid- and upper troposphere, leading to a dry bias in the lower troposphere and a wet bias in the mid–upper troposphere. The level-2 diagnostics evaluate some major predictability sources on the extended-range time scale: the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and North American weather regimes. It is found that the GEFSv12 can skillfully forecast the MJO up to 16 days ahead in terms of the Real-time Multivariate MJO indices (bivariate correlation ≥ 0.6) and can reasonably represent the MJO propagation across the Maritime Continent. The weakened and less coherent MJO signals with increasing forecast lead times may be attributed to humidity biases over the Indo-Pacific warm pool region. It is also found that the weather regimes can be skillfully predicted up to 12 days ahead with persistence comparable to the observation. In the level-3 diagnostics, we examined some high-impact weather systems. The GEFSv12 shows reduced mean biases in tropical cyclone genesis distribution and improved performance in capturing tropical cyclone interannual variability, and midlatitude blocking climatology in the GEFSv12 also shows a better agreement with the observations than in the GEFSv10.

Significance Statement

The latest U.S. operational weather prediction model—Global Ensemble Forecast System version 12—is evaluated using a suite of physics-based diagnostic metrics from a climatic perspective. The foci of our study consist of three levels: 1) systematic biases in physical processes, 2) tropical and extratropical extended-range predictability sources, and 3) high-impact weather systems like hurricanes and blockings. Such process-oriented diagnostics help us link the model performance to the deficiencies of physics parameterization and thus provide useful information on future model improvement.
Central European Agroclimate over the Past 2000 Years
Authors: Torbenson Max C. A. , Büntgen Ulf , Esper Jan , Urban Otmar , Balek Jan , Reinig Frederick , Krusic Paul J. , Martinez del Castillo Edurne , Brázdil Rudolf , Semerádová Daniela , Štěpánek Petr , Pernicová Natálie , Kolář Tomáš , Rybníček Michal , Koňasová Eva , Arbelaez Juliana , Trnka Miroslav
Published: March 2023

Central Europe has experienced a sequence of unprecedented summer droughts since 2015, which had considerable effects on the functioning and productivity of natural and agricultural systems. Placing these recent extremes in a long-term context of natural climate variability is, however, constrained by the limited length of observational records. Here, we use tree-ring stable oxygen and carbon isotopes to develop annually resolved reconstructions of growing season temperature and summer moisture variability for central Europe during the past 2000 years. Both records are independently interpolated across the southern Czech Republic and northeastern Austria to produce explicit estimates of the optimum agroclimatic zones, based on modern references of climatic forcing. Historical documentation of agricultural productivity and climate variability since 1090 CE provides strong quantitative verification of our new reconstructions. Our isotope records not only contain clear expressions of the medieval (920–1000 CE) and Renaissance (early sixteenth century) droughts, but also the relative influence of temperature and moisture on hydroclimatic conditions during the first millennium (including previously reported pluvials during the early third, fifth, and seventh centuries of the Common Era). We conclude that Czech agricultural production has experienced significant extremes over the past 2000 years, which includes periods for which there are no modern analogs.

Significance Statement

As temperatures increase, droughts are becoming a growing concern for European agriculture. Our study allows recent extremes to be contextualized and helps to better the understanding of potential drivers. Stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in oak tree rings were analyzed to reconstruct year-to-year and longer-term changes in both temperature and moisture over central Europe and the past 2000 years. We combine these proxy-based climate reconstructions to model how well crops were growing in the past. The early fifth and the early sixteenth centuries of the Common Era were most likely characterized by extreme conditions beyond what has been experienced in recent decades. Our reconstructions of natural variability might be used as a baseline in projections of future conditions.
The Opioid Crisis and Child Maltreatment Across Counties and Time in the United States, 2007–2017
Authors: Chapman Alexander
Published: March 2023

Rising opioid mortality coincides with reported rises in child maltreatment since the early 2000s. I consider mechanisms that link the opioid epidemic and child maltreatment, focusing on social disorganization, the geographic and temporal patterns of opioid mortality, and community-level substance use and child maltreatment. I combine data from the ACS, CDC WONDER, and NCANDS in county-level analyses. I show a positive association between adult opioid mortality and child maltreatment that varies over time, and the results suggest a stronger association between opioid mortality and child maltreatment in high-poverty counties. Counties with high levels of residential mobility show negative associations between opioid mortality and child maltreatment when mortality levels are low. These findings bolster arguments that child maltreatment can be decreased by reducing poverty and opioid mortality and by increasing opportunities for residential mobility.
The Opioid Crisis and Educational Performance
Authors: Darolia Rajeev , Owens Sam , Tyler John
Published: March 2023

We propose a simple model of how opioids in a community can impact the educational outcomes of children based on both the extent of exposure to opioids in the community and on the child’s vulnerability to any given level of exposure. We then use national data to document where and how the opioid crisis has intersected with students’ performance on standardized test scores in the U.S., focusing particularly on rural communities. Finally, we estimate the extent to which variation in one measure of the opioid crisis, drug-related mortality, is related to variation in test scores. We find strong relationships between the two, as well as evidence that the relationship is particularly salient for third-grade students in rural communities.
“Boys are Allowed to be Drunk”: Exploring Gender Norms in Adolescents' Alcohol References Across Different Social Media Platforms and Message Types
Authors: Vranken Sofie , Murru Sarah , Beullens Kathleen
Published: March 2023

With alcohol experiences increasingly shared on social media, this study investigated the construction and understanding of gender norms in alcohol posts: (a) whether stereotypical gender norms prevail across different platforms and message types (b) among adolescents. Focus group interviews with 47 adolescents (Mage = 16.21; SD = 1.22) indicated that social media are important outlets for reproducing stereotypical norms. While sharing alcohol depictions was deemed to be stereotypically female, there were gender differences in the acceptability of sharing certain types of alcohol depictions. As opposed to girls, it was more appropriate for males to depict extreme, negative alcohol behaviors. While girls acknowledged that ephemeral environments enabled them to feel comfortable sharing extreme alcohol behaviors, they carefully negotiated these references by limiting the number of these posts, highlighting female traits in them, and restricting this content to close friends only. Thus, alcohol-related social media posts are more stereotypical than actual drinking experiences, even in more deliberating message types including ephemeral ones.
Class, affect, margins
Authors: Emery Jay , Powell Ryan , Crookes Lee
Published: March 2023

While academic attention to class has fluctuated in tandem with wider social struggles, it invariably returns from relative quiet periods with a renewed vigour, reasserting its usefulness in understanding and connecting unequal social transformations. Contributions here look to extend class analysis toward the affective and emotional dynamics of social life in a period of social polarisation and fragmented class politics. In this introduction we advocate for a renewed critical discussion on class trajectories and transformations across social sciences, everyday life and political economic agendas. We are prompted here by the contributions to the collection, which inspire a (re-)exploration of the interrelations between fields of action in their approaches to class. The discussion is structured around three processes central to contemporary class relations: reconfigurations of class(es); the (de-)homogenisation of meanings and feelings of class; and the reconstitution and historicisation of margins and inequality.
In search of unbordered homelands: Exploring the role of music in building affective internationalist politics of solidarity
Authors: Bhowmik Moushumi , Rogaly Ben
Published: March 2023

As racial nationalist regimes across the globe consolidate their power through their interconnections, so their efforts to divide people along lines of ‘race’, ethnicity, faith, nationality, immigration status and differentiated citizenship laws continue apace. With social media trolling and ‘fake news’ increasingly used as additional sources of power for the radical right, challenging racial nationalist narratives requires innovative forms of affective politics. One among these that can build transnational solidarity and also potentially celebrate working-class cultures is music. This article explores connections being made through music within and across national boundaries and across time. Case studies include music developed by those struggling against discriminatory (anti-Muslim) citizenship laws and state violence in India, and socialist internationalist Yiddish music – originally developed to protest against both anti-Semitic pogroms and exploitative employment conditions and currently being revived in the US, Europe and elsewhere.
Confidence Screening Detector: A New Method for Detecting Test Collusion
Authors: Xu Yongze , Cui Ying , Wang Xinyi , Huang Meiwei , Luo Fang
Published: March 2023

Test collusion (TC) is a form of cheating in which, examinees operate in groups to alter normal item responses. TC is becoming increasingly common, especially within high-stakes, large-scale examinations. However, research on TC detection methods remains scarce. The present article proposes a new algorithm for TC detection, inspired by variable selection within high-dimensional statistical analysis. The algorithm relies only on item responses and supports different response similarity indices. Simulation and practical studies were conducted to (1) compare the performance of the new algorithm against the recently developed clique detector approach, and (2) verify the performance of the new algorithm in a large-scale test setting.
Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression
Authors: Jauhar Sameer , Cowen Philip J , Browning Michael
Published: March 2023

It has been over 50 years since the original serotonin hypothesis was proposed by the British Psychiatrist Alec Coppen. Recently, some authors have questioned the validity of the hypothesis. In this narrative review, we summarise the evidence for the serotonin hypothesis of depression, focusing on psychopharmacology and molecular imaging, as well as systems-level neuroscience.