bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Profiling Early Humoral Response to Diagnose Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Authors: Guo Li , Ren Lili , Yang Siyuan , Xiao Meng , Chang De , Yang Fan , Dela Cruz Charles S , Wang Yingying , Wu Chao , Xiao Yan , Zhang Lulu , Han Lianlian , Dang Shengyuan , Xu Yan , Yang Qi-Wen , Xu Sheng-Yong , Zhu Hua-Dong , Xu Ying-Chun , Jin Qi , Sharma Lokesh , Wang Linghang , Wang Jianwei
Published: March 2020

Background

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major healthcare threat. The current method of detection involves a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)–based technique, which identifies the viral nucleic acids when present in sufficient quantity. False-negative results can be achieved and failure to quarantine the infected patient would be a major setback in containing the viral transmission. We aim to describe the time kinetics of various antibodies produced against the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and evaluate the potential of antibody testing to diagnose COVID-19.

Methods

The host humoral response against SARS-CoV-2, including IgA, IgM, and IgG response, was examined by using an ELISA-based assay on the recombinant viral nucleocapsid protein. 208 plasma samples were collected from 82 confirmed and 58 probable cases (qPCR negative but with typical manifestation). The diagnostic value of IgM was evaluated in this cohort.

Results

The median duration of IgM and IgA antibody detection was 5 (IQR, 3–6) days, while IgG was detected 14 (IQR, 10–18) days after symptom onset, with a positive rate of 85.4%, 92.7%, and 77.9%, respectively. In confirmed and probable cases, the positive rates of IgM antibodies were 75.6% and 93.1%, respectively. The detection efficiency by IgM ELISA is higher than that of qPCR after 5.5 days of symptom onset. The positive detection rate is significantly increased (98.6%) when combining IgM ELISA assay with PCR for each patient compared with a single qPCR test (51.9%).

Conclusions

The humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 can aid in the diagnosis of COVID-19, including subclinical cases.
Tenacious Endemic Typhoid Fever in Samoa
Authors: Sikorski Michael J , Desai Sachin N , Tupua Siaosi , Thomsen Robert E , Han Jane , Rambocus Savitra , Nimarota-Brown Susana , Punimata Linatupu , Tusitala Salesa , Sialeipata Michelle , Hoffman Seth A , Tracy J Kathleen , Higginson Ellen E , Tennant Sharon M , Gauld Jillian S , Klein Daniel J , Ballard Susan A , Robins-Browne Roy M , Dougan Gordon , Nilles Eric J , Howden Benjamin P , Crump John A , Naseri Take K , Levine Myron M
Published: March 2020

Background

Typhoid fever has been endemic on the island nation of Samoa (2016 population, 195 979) since the 1960s and has persisted through 2019, despite economic development and improvements in water supply and sanitation.

Methods

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi isolates from the 2 hospitals with blood culture capability and matched patient demographic and clinical data from January 2008 through December 2019 were analyzed. Denominators to calculate incidence by island, region, and district came from 2011 and 2016 censuses and from 2017–2019 projections from Samoa’s Bureau of Statistics. Data were analyzed to describe typhoid case burden and incidence from 2008 to 2019 by time, place, and person.

Results

In sum, 53–193 blood culture-confirmed typhoid cases occurred annually from 2008 to 2019, without apparent seasonality. Typhoid incidence was low among children age < 48 months (17.6–27.8/105), rose progressively in ages 5–9 years (54.0/105), 10–19 years (60.7–63.4/105), and 20–34 years (61.0–79.3/105), and then tapered off; 93.6% of cases occurred among Samoans < 50 years of age. Most typhoid cases and the highest incidence occurred in Northwest Upolu, but Apia Urban Area (served by treated water supplies) also exhibited moderate incidence. The proportion of cases from short-cycle versus long-cycle transmission is unknown. Samoan S. Typhi are pansusceptible to traditional first-line antibiotics. Nevertheless, enhanced surveillance in 2019 detected 4 (2.9%) deaths among 140 cases.

Conclusions

Typhoid has been endemic in Samoa in the period 2008–2019. Interventions, including mass vaccination with a Vi-conjugate vaccine coadministered with measles vaccine are planned.
Diversified Farming in a Monoculture Landscape: Effects on Honey Bee Health and Wild Bee Communities
Authors: St. Clair Ashley L , Zhang Ge , Dolezal Adam G , O’Neal Matthew E , Toth Amy L
Published: March 2020

In the last century, a global transformation of Earth’s surface has occurred due to human activity with extensive agriculture replacing natural ecosystems. Concomitant declines in wild and managed bees are occurring, largely due to a lack of floral resources and inadequate nutrition, caused by conversion to monoculture-based farming. Diversified fruit and vegetable farms may provide an enhanced variety of resources through crops and weedy plants, which have potential to sustain human and bee nutrition. We hypothesized fruit and vegetable farms can enhance honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Apis mellifera Linnaeus) colony growth and nutritional state over a soybean monoculture, as well as support a more diverse wild bee community. We tracked honey bee colony growth, nutritional state, and wild bee abundance, richness, and diversity in both farm types. Honey bees kept at diversified farms had increased colony weight and preoverwintering nutritional state. Regardless of colony location, precipitous declines in colony weight occurred during autumn and thus colonies were not completely buffered from the stressors of living in a matrix dominated with monocultures. Contrary to our hypothesis, wild bee diversity was greater in soybean, specifically in August, a time when fields are in bloom. These differences were largely driven by four common bee species that performed well in soybean. Overall, these results suggest fruit and vegetable farms provide some benefits for honey bees; however, they do not benefit wild bee communities. Thus, incorporation of natural habitat, rather than diversified farming, in these landscapes, may be a better choice for wild bee conservation efforts.
Cannabis use and the sperm epigenome: a budding concern?
Authors: Schrott Rose , Murphy Susan K
Published: March 2020

The United States is swiftly moving toward increased legalization of medical and recreational cannabis. Currently considered the most commonly used illicit psychoactive drug, recreational cannabis is legal in 11 states and Washington, DC, and male use is an important and understudied concern. Questions remain, however, about the potential long-term consequences of this exposure and how cannabis might impact the epigenetic integrity of sperm in such a way that could influence the health and development of offspring. This review summarizes cannabis use and potency in the USA, provides a brief overview of DNA methylation as an epigenetic mechanism that is vulnerable in sperm to environmental exposures including cannabis, and summarizes studies that have examined the effects of parental exposure to cannabis or delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis) on the epigenetic profile of the gametes and behavior of offspring. These studies have demonstrated significant changes to the sperm DNA methylome following cannabis use in humans, and THC exposure in rats. Furthermore, the use of rodent models has shown methylation and behavioral changes in rats born to fathers exposed to THC or synthetic cannabinoids, or to parents who were both exposed to THC. These data substantiate an urgent need for additional studies assessing the effects of cannabis exposure on childhood health and development. This is especially true given the current growing state of cannabis use in the USA.
Postoperative but not intraoperative transfusions are associated with respiratory failure after pneumonectomy
Authors: Kidane Biniam , Jacob Nithin , Bruinooge Allan , Shen Yu Cindy , Keshavjee Shaf , dePerrot Marc E , Pierre Andrew F , Yasufuku Kazuhiro , Cypel Marcelo , Waddell Thomas K , Darling Gail E
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

Transfusion of blood products has been associated with increased risk of post-pneumonectomy respiratory failure. It is unclear whether intraoperative or postoperative transfusions confer a higher risk of respiratory failure. Our objective was to assess the role of transfusions in developing post-pneumonectomy respiratory failure.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected data on consecutive pneumonectomies between 2005 and 2015. Patient records were reviewed for intraoperative/postoperative exposures. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Of the 251 pneumonectomies performed during the study period, 24 (9.6%) patients suffered respiratory failure. Ninety-day mortality was 5.6% (n = 14) and was more likely in patients with respiratory failure (7/24 vs 7/227, P < 0.001). Intraoperative and postoperative transfusions occurred in 42.2% (n = 106) and 44.6% (n = 112) of patients, respectively and were predominantly red blood cells. On univariable analysis, both intraoperative (P = 0.03) and postoperative transfusion (P = 0.004) were associated with a higher risk of respiratory failure. The multivariable model significantly predicted respiratory failure with an area under curve (AUC) = 0.88 (P = 0.001). On multivariable analysis, the only independent predictors of respiratory failure were postoperative transfusions [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 6.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.74–24.59; P = 0.005] and lower preoperative forced expiratory volume (adjusted OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.99; P = 0.03). Estimated blood loss was not significantly different (P = 0.91) between those with (median 800 ml, interquartile range 300–2000 ml) and without respiratory failure (median 800 ml, interquartile range 300–2000 ml).

CONCLUSIONS

Respiratory failure occurred in 9.6% of patients post-pneumonectomy and confers a higher risk of 90-day mortality. Postoperative (but not intraoperative) transfusion was the strongest independent predictor associated with respiratory failure. Intraoperative transfusion may be in reaction to active/unpredictable blood loss and may not be easily modifiable. However, postoperative transfusion may be modifiable and potentially avoidable. Transfusion thresholds should be assessed in light of potential cost-benefit trade-offs.
Aortic remodelling after thoracic endovascular aortic repair in acute and chronic type B aortic dissections
Authors: Dohle Daniel-Sebastian , Laverne Travis , Bavaria Joseph , Savino Danielle , Vallabhajosyula Prashant , Szeto Wilson Y , Siki Mary , Wang Grace , Jackson Benjamin , Desai Nimesh
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

Type B aortic dissections are routinely treated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The timing for TEVAR remains controversial and might have an impact on the remodelling capacity of the aorta. This study analyses and compares aortic remodelling in acute (ABD) and chronic (CBD) type B aortic dissections after TEVAR.

METHODS

This retrospective study analysed the preoperative, postoperative and at least 1-year follow-up computed tomography of 53 TEVAR patients (36 ABD, 17 CBD) at a single institution between May 2005 and May 2016. The volumes of aortic lumen (AL), true lumen, false lumen (FL) and perfused FL were measured at the stent graft level (A), from the stent graft to the coeliac trunk (B) and from the coeliac trunk to the bifurcation (C). The absolute volumes, normalized volume changes and FL thrombosis rate of ABD and CBD patients were compared.

RESULTS

Absolute AL and FL of segment A were significantly larger in CBD patients compared to ABD patients preoperatively (AL: 354 ± 68 vs 255 ± 51 ml, P = 0.023, FL: 253 ± 56 vs 183 ± 35 ml, P = 0.028) until last follow-up (AL: 462 ± 52 vs 246 ± 52 ml, P = 0.003, FL: 268 ± 202 vs 91 ± 31 ml, P = 0.004). The true lumen in segment A increased more in ABD than in CBD patients preoperatively to postoperatively (112% vs 36% P < 0.001) and within the first year postoperatively (171% vs 80% P < 0.001). FL in segment A decreased more in ABD compared to CBD patients within the first year (−42% vs −13% P < 0.001) and thereafter (−50% vs +6% P = 0.002). In segments B and C, the FL thrombosis rate was higher in ABD than in CBD patients at all time points and significantly higher in segment A after the first year (91% vs 98% P = 0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic remodelling after TEVAR is significantly different in acute and chronic dissection patients. TEVAR promotes aortic remodelling in both acute and chronic dissections in terms of true lumen increase at stent graft level. Nevertheless, significant AL reduction by FL shrinkage is primarily found in ABD.
The European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS): second EUROMACS Paediatric (Paedi-EUROMACS) report
Authors: de By Theo M M H , Antonides Christiaan F J , Schweiger Martin , Sliwka Joanna , Davies Ben , Berger Felix , Hübler Michael , Özbaran Mustafa , Maruszewski Bohdan , Napoleone Carlo Pace , Zimpfer Daniel , Sandica Eugen , Antretter Herwig , Meyns Bart , Miera Oliver
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

A second paediatric report has been generated from the European Registry for Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support (EUROMACS). The purpose of EUROMACS, which is operated by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, is to gather data related to durable mechanical circulatory support for scientific purposes and to publish reports with respect to the course of mechanical circulatory support therapy. Since the first report issued, efforts to increase compliance and participation have been extended. Additionally, the data provided the opportunity to analyse patients of younger age and lower weight.

METHODS

Participating hospitals contributed pre-, peri- and long-term postoperative data on mechanical circulatory support implants to the registry. Data for all implants in paediatric patients (≤19 years of age) performed from 1 January 2000 to 1 July 2019 were analysed. This report includes updates of patient characteristics, implant frequency, outcome (including mortality rates, transplants and recovery rates) as well as adverse events including neurological dysfunction, device malfunction, major infection and bleeding.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine hospitals contributed 398 registered implants in 353 patients (150 female, 203 male) to the registry. The most frequent aetiology of heart failure was any form of cardiomyopathy (61%), followed by congenital heart disease and myocarditis (16.4% and 16.1%, respectively). Competing outcomes analysis revealed that a total of 80% survived to transplant or recovery or are ongoing; at the 2-year follow-up examination, 20% died while on support. At 12 months, 46.7% received transplants, 8.7% were weaned from their device and 18.5% died. The 3-month adverse events rate was 1.69 per patient-year for device malfunction including pump exchange, 0.48 for major bleeding, 0.64 for major infection and 0.78 for neurological events.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall survival rate was 81.5% at 12 months following ventricular assist device implant. The comparison of survival rates of the early and later eras shows no significant difference. A focus on specific subgroups showed that survival was less in patients of younger age (<1 year of age) (P = 0.01) and lower weight (<20 kg) (P = 0.015). Transplant rates at 6 months continue to be low (33.2%) The fact that the EUROMACS registry is embedded within the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Quality Improvement Programme offers opportunities to focus on improving outcomes.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of general medical practitioners in developed countries regarding oral cancer: an integrative review
Authors: Saraswat Nidhi , Everett Bronwyn , Pillay Rona , Prabhu Neeta , George Ajesh
Published: March 2020

Background

Oral cancer is a public health concern and is widespread in developing countries, particularly in South Asia. However, oral cancer cases are also rising in developed nations due to various factors, including smoking, viruses and increased migration from South Asia. In this context, the role of general medical practitioners (GPs) in identifying oral cancer is becoming increasingly important and, while some studies have explored their perspective about oral cancer, a synthesis of these results has not been undertaken.

Objective

The objective of this integrative review is to synthesize existing evidence regarding oral cancer-related knowledge, attitudes and practices of GPs in developed countries.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched to identify studies focussing on the objective of this review. The inclusion criteria were: peer-reviewed English language publications; studies conducted in developed countries involving GPs; explored at least one study outcome (knowledge/attitudes/practices). No restrictions were placed on the publication date.

Results

A total of 21 studies involving 3409 GPs were reviewed. Most studies revealed limited knowledge of GPs about emerging risk factors, such as betel nut chewing (0.8–50%). Significant variation (7–70%) was evident in routine oral examination practices of GPs. Most GPs felt unsure about diagnosing oral cancer and many (38–94%) raised the need for further education. No study explored the specific relevance of GPs’ practices concerning South Asian immigrants.

Conclusion

This review suggests the need for educational programs to enhance GPs’ knowledge regarding oral cancer. Further research exploring oral cancer-related practices of GPs caring for South Asian immigrants is warranted.
Concomitant carriage of KPC-producing and non-KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST512 within a single patient
Authors: Jousset Agnès B , Bonnin Rémy A , Takissian Julie , Girlich Delphine , Mihaila Liliana , Cabanel Nicolas , Dortet Laurent , Glaser Philippe , Naas Thierry
Published: March 2020

Background

KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of clonal group 258 are prominent in healthcare settings in many regions of the world. The blaKPC gene is mostly carried by a multireplicon IncFIIk-IncFI plasmid suspected to be highly compatible and stable in this genetic background. Here, we analysed the genetic diversity of an ST512 K. pneumoniae population in a single patient.

Methods

Twelve K. pneumoniae isolates (n = 5 from urine samples and n = 7 from rectal swabs) were recovered from one patient over a 2 month period. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, plasmid extraction and WGS were performed on all isolates. The first K. pneumoniae isolate, D1, was used as a reference for phylogenetic analysis.

Results

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, plasmid analysis and WGS revealed concomitant carriage of carbapenem-resistant and carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae isolates of ST512, with the absence of the entire blaKPC-carrying plasmid in the susceptible population. Furthermore, 14 other genetic events occurred within the genome, including 3 chromosomal deletions (of 71 kb, 33 kb and 11 bp), 2 different insertions of ISKpn26 and 9 SNPs. Interestingly, most of the events occurred in the same chromosomal region that has been deleted independently several times, probably after homologous recombination involving 259 bp repeated sequences.

Conclusions

Our study revealed (to the best of our knowledge) the first case of in vivo blaKPC-carrying plasmid curing and a wide within-patient genetic diversity of a single K. pneumoniae ST512 clone over a short period of carriage. This within-patient diversity must be taken into account when characterizing transmission chains using WGS during nosocomial outbreaks.
Is it time for computable evidence synthesis?
Authors: Dunn Adam G , Bourgeois Florence T
Published: March 2020

Efforts aimed at increasing the pace of evidence synthesis have been primarily focused on the use of published articles, but these are a relatively delayed, incomplete, and at times biased source of study results data. Compared to those in bibliographic databases, structured results data available in trial registries may be more timely, complete, and accessible, but these data remain underutilized. Key advantages of using structured results data include the potential to automatically monitor the accumulation of relevant evidence and use it to signal when a systematic review requires updating, as well as to prospectively assign trials to already published reviews. Shifting focus to emerging sources of structured trial data may provide the impetus to build a more proactive and efficient system of continuous evidence surveillance.
Horizontal and Vertical Transmission of West Nile Virus by Aedes vexans (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Anderson John F , Main Andrew J , Ferrandino Francis J
Published: March 2020

West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) first caused human and veterinary disease, and was isolated from Culex pipiens pipiens L. and Aedes vexans (Meigen) (Diptera: Culicidae) in the United States in 1999. We report that a Connecticut strain of Ae. vexans was competent to transmit West Nile virus both horizontally to suckling mice and vertically to its progeny in the laboratory. Horizontal transmission was first observed on day 6 post-exposure (pe). Daily horizontal transmission rates generally increased with the day post-virus exposure with highest rates of 67–100% recorded on days 28–30 pe. One female vertically transmitted West Nile virus on day 21 pe, but only after it had taken its third bloodmeal. Horizontal and vertical transmission may contribute to West Nile virus infection rates in Ae. vexans in summer, and vertical transmission provides a means of survival of West Nile virus during winter.
Arabidopsis ECHIDNA protein is involved in seed coloration, protein trafficking to vacuoles, and vacuolar biogenesis
Authors: Ichino Takuji , Maeda Kazuki , Hara-Nishimura Ikuko , Shimada Tomoo
Published: March 2020

Flavonoids are a major group of plant-specific metabolites that determine flower and seed coloration. In plant cells, flavonoids are synthesized at the cytosolic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum and are sequestered in the vacuole. It is possible that membrane trafficking, including vesicle trafficking and organelle dynamics, contributes to flavonoid transport and accumulation. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be fully elucidated. Here we show that the Arabidopsis ECHIDNA protein plays a role in flavonoid accumulation in the vacuole and protein trafficking to the vacuole. We found defective pigmentation patterns in echidna seed, possibly caused by reduced levels of proanthocyanidins, which determine seed coloration. The echidna mutant has defects in protein sorting to the protein storage vacuole as well as vacuole morphology. These findings indicate that ECHIDNA is involved in the vacuolar trafficking pathway as well as the previously described secretory pathway. In addition, we found a genetic interaction between echidna and green fluorescent seed 9 (gfs9), a membrane trafficking factor involved in flavonoid accumulation. Our findings suggest that vacuolar trafficking and/or vacuolar development, both of which are collectively regulated by ECHIDNA and GFS9, are required for flavonoid accumulation, resulting in seed coat pigmentation.
Involvement of abscisic acid, ABI5, and PPC2 in plant acclimation to low CO2
Authors: You Lei , Zhang Jumei , Li Long , Xiao Chuanlei , Feng Xinhua , Chen Shaoping , Guo Liang , Hu Honghong
Published: March 2020

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) plays a pivotal role in the photosynthetic CO2 fixation of C4 plants. However, the functions of PEPCs in C3 plants are less well characterized, particularly in relation to low atmospheric CO2 levels. Of the four genes encoding PEPC in Arabidopsis, PPC2 is considered as the major leaf PEPC gene. Here we show that the ppc2 mutants suffered a growth arrest when transferred to low atmospheric CO2 conditions, together with decreases in the maximum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and lower levels of leaf abscisic acid (ABA) and carbohydrates. The application of sucrose, malate, or ABA greatly rescued the growth of ppc2 lines under low CO2 conditions. Metabolite profiling analysis revealed that the levels of glycine and serine were increased in ppc2 leaves, while the abundance of photosynthetic metabolites was decreased under these conditions. The transcript levels of encoding enzymes involved in glycine or serine metabolism was decreased in ppc2 in an ABI5-dependent manner. Like the ppc2 mutants, abi5-1 mutants had lower photosynthetic rates and Fv/Fm compared with the wild type under photorespiratory conditions (i.e. low CO2 availability). However, the growth of these mutants was similar to that of the wild type under non-photorespiratory (low O2) conditions. The constitutive expression of ABI5 prevented the growth arrest of ppc2 lines under low CO2 conditions. These findings demonstrate that PPC2 plays an important role in the acclimation of Arabidopsis plants to low CO2 availability by linking photorespiratory metabolism to primary metabolism, and that this is mediated, at least in part, through ABA- and ABI5-dependent processes.
Discreteness effects, N-body chaos and the onset of radial-orbit instability
Authors: Di Cintio Pierfrancesco , Casetti Lapo
Published: March 2020

We study the stability of a family of spherical equilibrium models of self-gravitating systems, the so-called γ models with Osipkov–Merritt velocity anisotropy, by means of N-body simulations. In particular, we analyse the effect of self-consistent N-body chaos on the onset of radial-orbit instability. We find that degree of chaoticity of the system associated with its largest Lyapunov exponent Λmax has no appreciable relation with the stability of the model for fixed density profile and different values of radial velocity anisotropy. However, by studying the distribution of the Lyapunov exponents λm of the individual particles in the single-particle phase space, we find that more anisotropic systems have a larger fraction of orbits with larger λm.
A new method to build the (inverse) distance ladder
Authors: Camarena David , Marra Valerio
Published: March 2020

The cosmic distance ladder is the succession of techniques by which it is possible to determine distances to astronomical objects. Here, we present a new method to build the cosmic distance ladder, going from local astrophysical measurements to the CMB. Instead of relying on high-redshift cosmography in order to model the luminosity–distance relation and calibrate supernovae with BAO, we exploit directly the distance–duality relation dL = (1 + z)2dA – valid if photon number is conserved and gravity is described by a metric theory. The advantage is that the results will not depend on the parametrization of the luminosity–distance relation at z > 0.15: no model is adopted in order to calibrate BAO with supernovae. This method yields local measurements of the Hubble constant and deceleration parameter. Furthermore, it can directly assess the impact of BAO observations on the strong 4–5σ tension between local and global H0. Using the latest supernova, BAO and CMB observations, we found a consistently low value of q0 and strong inconsistency between angular-only BAO constraints and anisotropic BAO measurements, which are, or not, in agreement with CMB depending on the kind of analysis (see Table 4). We conclude that, in order to understand the reasons behind the H0 crisis, a first step should be clarifying the tension between angular and perpendicular anisotropic BAO as this will help understanding if new physics is required at the pre-recombination epoch or/and during the dark energy era.
Power
Authors: Whitehead Andrew L. , Perry Samuel L.
Published: March 2020

This chapter explores how Christian nationalism helps explain Americans’ responses toward a host of sociocultural issues. It examines how and why Ambassadors, Accommodators, Resisters, and Rejecters respond differently to disputes over immigration, the refugee crisis, gun control, and arguments over “respecting the flag,” to name a few. It also explores how Christian nationalism played an integral role in the outcome of the 2016 election and can similarly explain continued support for President Trump among American Christians. Because Christian nationalism provides a unifying vision of how the world should look, and how that vision should be enacted, the realm of politics is central to understanding the influence of Christian nationalism on American life. We also demonstrate that Christian nationalism is not synonymous with private religiosity. Therefore, in order to understand religion and politics we must recognize that Christian nationalism is unique and cannot be equated with other expressions of religiosity.
Immunological Socialization
Authors: Adraoui Mohamed-Ali
Published: March 2020

This chapter sheds light on how Salafists try to distance themselves from the rest of French society and with what they see as un-Islamic. Through an internal hijra (religious salutary migration), they attempt to build a countersociety based on respect for pure religious norms. Through an external hijra, they leave France and the West in order to settle in an Islamic society: Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, or elsewhere. There are two types of Hijra. One that is temporary and allows to get familiar with a Muslim society for a relatively short amount of time. One that is designed to be forever entitling a spiritual and social rebirth in a Muslim country.
Filtered Socialization
Authors: Adraoui Mohamed-Ali
Published: March 2020

This chapter deals with how French Salafists come to embrace their conception of Islam. Three major structural factors are considered: socialization in a suburb, an area marginalized geographically and socially; coming from a certain type of immigrant family; belonging to marginalized youth. This chapter also addresses how Salafism echoes a generational rebellion against the rest of the society. Salafism turns out to be to a large extent the religious way of reacting a society that is seen as rejecting Muslims, especially the young generations. Besides, this chapter also sheds light on the much debated question of converts by explaining the reasons why Islam is positively regarded by some people who were not in a Muslim family.
The Scope and Justification of Planetary Protection
Authors: Schwartz James S.J.
Published: March 2020

This chapter argues that the scope of planetary protection policies should be expanded to include all potential sites of interest to space science. It begins by providing an overview of planetary protection policies and their history. This is followed by discussions of Charles Cockell’s views on the ethics of microbial life, Holmes Rolston’s views on the preservation of natural value in the solar system, and Tony Milligan’s views on respecting natural integrity in space. It argues that each view unnecessarily understates the scope of science’s interest in the protection of space environments. Since every space environment is virtually unexplored, as a precautionary default it should be assumed that a space environment is of interest to science (and thus worth protecting) until otherwise proven.
From Access to Monopoly
Authors: Gray Joanne Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

This chapter provides an evaluation of Google’s influence on copyright law and identifies the implications for the public interest. Google’s influence raises critical questions regarding monopoly power, accountability, transparency, and bias in digital copyright governance. From Google Books, to the issues over Google News in Europe, to private copyright rule-making and algorithmic enforcement, we have moved beyond narrow debates about access versus remuneration, even beyond Google’s “innovate first, permission later” heuristic. Today, the digital copyright debate is entangled with issues of accountability, transparency, due process, and concentrated private power in a rapidly evolving digital environment. Grappling with copyright under the influence of Google requires responding to issues that are complex, unstable, and inconsistent.
Conclusion
Authors: Gray Joanne Elizabeth
Published: March 2020

When private companies negotiate and enforce copyright rules that determine the scope and application of copyright across large portions of the digital environment, do they have a responsibility to act in the public interest? In this chapter, it is argued that they do bear a responsibility to act in the public interest, and strategies aimed at ensuring copyright regimes operate in the interest of a broad range of stakeholders are enumerated. There are multiple courses of action available. Monopoly power can be addressed directly, by breaking up companies or by breaking down barriers to entry in digital markets. Or public interest responsibilities can be imposed upon the intermediaries that dominate the digital environment. Both pathways are viable options for lawmakers and activists seeking to curtail Google’s power and to secure public interest outcomes in digital copyright governance.
Early Evidence of Cross-Racial Mobilization: White Candidates and Black Voters in the U.S. South 1940–1970
Authors: Collingwood Loren
Published: March 2020

Chapter 2 examines the origins of cross-racial mobilization in the U.S. South between white/Anglo candidates and black voters. The author examines the 1950 U.S. Senate election in Florida between Claude Pepper and George Smathers, identifying the Smith v. Allwright Supreme Court ruling as a critical juncture leading to rapid deployment of cross-racial mobilization across the South. In particular, Claude Pepper covertly mobilized black Floridians by funding a black-run get-out-the-vote operation. The chapter argues that Pepper’s efforts dramatically increased black political participation. Relying on a candidate-level dataset across the U.S. South from the 1940s to the 1970s, the chapter then shows how cross-racial appeals also increased after the Civil Rights reforms of the mid-1960s, that white candidates from the Black Belt were much slower to adopt cross-racial mobilization tactics, and that white candidates mobilized blacks significantly more in the Peripheral South than in the Deep South. Finally, the chapter shows that increasing black registration likely leads to increased cross-racial mobilization.
Contemporary Cross-Racial Mobilization: CRM in the 2010–2012 U.S. SenateElections
Authors: Collingwood Loren
Published: March 2020

Chapter 4 examines cross-racial mobilization in contemporary U.S. politics. Employing a similar design as that employed in chapter 3, chapter 4 presents data gathered from all 2010–2012 general election U.S. Senate candidate websites. By focusing on both policy and valence cross-racial mobilization, the chapter then analyzes why some candidates conduct more (or less) cross-racial mobilization. The chapter finds strong support for the cross-racial mobilization framework, particularly among Democratic candidates: (1) Democratic candidates who had previously engaged in cross-racial mobilization (incumbents) are more likely to conduct cross-ethnic appeals; (2) when the Latino population is larger Anglo Democratic candidates are more likely to conduct cross-racial mobilization; (3) more cross-racial mobilization is observed when the election is considered competitive; and (4) Democratic candidates are less likely to make cross-racial appeals in states where whites are most hostile. Finally, Democratic candidates perform better when they conduct extensive cross-racial mobilization, whereas the converse is the case for GOP candidates.
Why Candidates Win: Assessing Latino Voter Response to Anglo Candidate Characteristics
Authors: Collingwood Loren
Published: March 2020

Chapter 5 investigates Anglo/white candidate attributes that might prove beneficial to their Latino-targeted cross-racial mobilization. Building upon Beto O’Rourke’s recent success this chapter theorizes and empirically verifies a cross-racial mobilization success model composed of the following characteristics: (1) Partisan predisposition: Candidates will perform better when their party identification matches the party identification of the vast majority of cross-ethnic voters they seek to mobilize; (2) Issue convergence: Candidates who have or adopt policy views similar to the majority of cross-racial/ethnic voters are expected to outperform their candidates; (3) Cultural competence: Candidates that better understand the cultural norms and mores of other groups will feel more comfortable being around members of that group and so will ultimately outperform other candidates. (4) Candidates who conduct extensive amounts of cross-racial mobilization are expected to outperform candidates who conduct little cross-racial mobilization. Finally, the chapter develops a framework to understand why Latino voters respond the way that they do.
Cross-Racial Mobilization in Perspective
Authors: Collingwood Loren
Published: March 2020

The final chapter summarizes the research developed and presented in chapters 1 through 5. The chapter discusses the rise of Donald Trump, his takeover of the Republican Party, and what this means for continued political polarization along racial lines. Despite the immigration policies of the Reagan and Bush Administrations, and general warmth to Latinos under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, the contemporary GOP seems set to generate policies that disproportionately target and lock up immigrants. The pull to the right on immigration policy is likely generating major long-term political and coalitional consequences. While this policy may be smart for the GOP in the short term (i.e., Trump won the 2016 election by employing hard-right anti-Mexican racial appeals), in the long term, as the U.S. rapidly diversifies, this approach will lead to an extremely untenable for the GOP and Democrats work to strengthen their position with minority voters in general and Latinos in particular.
Darius’ Last Stand and the Collapse of Persian Resistance
Authors: Heckel Waldemar
Published: March 2020

Darius III attempted to avert a second major battle through a flurry of diplomatic activity. Whatever he promised the Conqueror and demanded in return, it was not sufficient to bring an end to hostilities. The forces met north of the Tigris River at Gaugamela, not far from modern-day Mosul. The Persian force was the largest that Darius had fielded to this point, though the numbers are clearly exaggerated. Nevertheless, they were sufficient to attempt a double envelopment of the enemy—for the terrain was ideal for cavalry, which the Persians had in abundance. But the Conqueror managed to knife into the center of the Persian line, roll up the infantry that protected the Great King, and put the Persian leader to flight. This signaled the collapse not only of the battle line but of the Persian resistance as a whole. After the defeat (from which Darius once again escaped), the capitals of the empire surrendered in quick succession: Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and, eventually, Ecbatana. However, the satrap of Persis, Ariobarzanes, put up a valiant defense at the Persian Gates, only to be overwhelmed by the invader. The occupation and destruction of Persepolis followed. It was a symbol to the Greeks who had joined the Panhellenic cause but also a political dilemma for the new King of Asia.
From the Hindu Kush to the Indus
Authors: Heckel Waldemar
Published: March 2020

Having settled affairs in Bactria and Sogdiana, Alexander recrossed the Hindu Kush and began his march to the Indus River, subduing as he went the satrapy of Gandhāra. Perdiccas and Hephaestion were sent ahead to bridge the Indus and accept the submission of Taxiles, who lived beyond the river. Taxiles, however, preferred to meet the king in person at Nicaea in Gandhāra. The campaign proved difficult, since the various tribes—the Aspasians, Assacenians, and Guraeans—withdrew into their mountain fastnesses and forced the Macedonians to conduct sieges of their major towns. One final attempt at resistance at Aornus, which was situated by the banks of the Indus, failed, and its capture enhanced Alexander’s reputation for invincibility.
Feminist Trouble
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

For more than two decades Islamic veils, niqabs, and burkinis have been the object of intense public scrutiny and legal regulations in many Western countries, especially in Europe, and feminists have been actively engaged on both sides of the debates: defending ardently strict prohibitions to ensure Muslim women’s emancipation, or, by contrast, promoting accommodation in the name of women’s religious agency and a more inclusive feminist movement. These recent developments have unfolded in a context of rising right-wing populism in Europe and have fueled “femonationalism,” that is, the instrumentalization of women’s rights for xenophobic agendas. This book explores this contemporary troubled context for feminism, its current divisions, and its future. It investigates how these changes have transformed contemporary feminist movements, intersectionality politics, and the feminist collective subject, and how feminists have been enrolled in the femonationalist project or, conversely, have resisted it in two contexts: France and Quebec. It provides new empirical data on contemporary feminist activists, as well as a critical normative argument about the subject and future of feminism. It makes a contribution to intersectionality theory by reflecting on the dynamics of convergence and difference between race and religion. At the normative level, the book provides an original addition to vivid debates in feminist political theory and philosophy on the subject of feminism. It argues that feminism is better understood not as centered around an identity—women— but around what it calls a feminist ethic of responsibility, which foregrounds a pragmatist moral approach to the feminist project.
Introduction
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

The introductory chapter first identifies the trouble with feminism in post-secular times. It explains that the current crisis is different than previous ones because at its center is the question of feminist and religious agency. The chapter argues that we need to go beyond this debate which has been framed by the work of Saba Mahmood on religious agency, and limited to a critical analysis. To do so, drawing on critical feminist theories and on theories of care, it posits that we must consider feminism as both a political and a moral project. It details what such a conception of feminism entails, and what it brings to the analysis of current feminist conflicts. It then provides an outline of the subsequent chapters.
Theorizing Feminism
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

This chapter develops the implications of considering feminism as a moral and political project and articulates this conception with intersectionality. It argues that to capture both the political and moral dimensions of feminism we must explore feminists’ political subjectivations. Such an approach places at the center of its inquiry the moral dispositions that feminists cultivate toward other feminists, taking into account the power inequalities—particularly, but not only, along axes of race and religion—that shape these relations between feminists. This perspective is indebted to specific genealogies of intersectional feminist theory that have insisted on how social locations and hierarchies of power shape feminist subjectivities through emotions and moral sentiments. Theorizing feminism in this way also offers important insights on intersectionality theory when it comes to analyzing feminist movements and how they address power hierarchies of race and religion.
Race, Religion, and Gender
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

This chapter retraces the Islamic veiling debates in France and Quebec, and how feminist organizations engaged in them in both contexts. It explains why intersectional coalitions in the context of heated debates over secularism and the hijab proved possible in Quebec, while they vastly failed in France. In particular, it underlines the specificity of intersectional politics over Islam that uses feminist discourses on female autonomy and emancipation to exclude “improper” subjects from the feminist project. Documenting the feminist debates over Islamic veiling in France and Quebec, the chapter shows that the strength of racialized women’s self-organizing plays a crucial role in the possibility of forging and sustaining coalitions that remain inclusive and critical of femonationalist discourses. Feminist coalitions’ previous history with antiracism also matters when it comes to their capacity to resist femonationalist discourses.
Toward a Feminist Ethic of Responsibility
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

The chapter first reviews normative proposals centered on coalitions as a “remedy” to intersectionality and the challenges it raises for feminism. Then the chapter turns to feminist theorists Iris Young and Linda Zerilli, who have attempted to define an ethics of inclusion that could be appropriate for the feminist project. Using the empirical material analyzed in previous chapters, this chapter argues that the demand for inclusion that is voiced by nonwhite feminists is not only a call for political inclusion: it is also a claim for recognition of common ground with white feminists, a project of creating moral relations among feminists. Drawing on an ethic of care, the chapter proposes a feminist ethics of responsibility that aims at making space for the other within the feminist project, responding to others—which often means finding compromise and translating demands—in a way that recognizes hierarchies of power and privilege.
Conclusion
Authors: Lépinard Éléonore
Published: March 2020

The conclusion first shows that the dynamics of femonationalism should be explained while taking into account feminists’ political subjectivations, and the link between feminist whiteness and nationalism. It also explores how a feminist ethic of responsibility enables us to go beyond the critical question of the foundation of feminism—that is, who the “we” is in the name of which feminists make their claims. A feminist ethics of responsibility implies redefining the subject of feminism as relations among feminists rather than a “we women,” and defining the feminist project as a project of treating other feminists equally. Finally, the conclusion revisits the question of agency and emancipation. It argues that a feminist ethic of responsibility can help define emancipation outside of the liberal vocabulary of agency.
Introduction
Authors: Howard Keith
Published: March 2020

A good jigsaw takes a devotee many hours to assemble. A complex jigsaw can sit for months before it is completed, and a novice will likely only get part way through before abandoning the puzzle. Still, three quarters of a century after the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (hereafter, North Korea) was founded, few accounts of its art, and fewer still of its music and dance, have seen the light of day. In respect to music and dance, like a jigsaw puzzle just begun, it would be a big ask to expect a single volume to provide a full account, slotting everything into place from the first to last piece. This may seem a defensive position to take in my opening paragraph, but commentators who write about North Korea routinely point out that they are attempting to read tea leaves, as the available data is partial, incomplete, and often contradictory. An archive may hold just one or two of what should be a series of volumes. Some records that ought to be present have disappeared from official accounts. Some composers, singers, groups, and musical activities are forgotten—that is, until someone unexpectedly stumbles on a dusty and previously unknown old text....